Author's Note: I can't believe I hit a hundred reviews. And now, I'm on 106! Like I said, I never expected to go beyond twenty five. You guys amaze me. :- ) And totally honored that I am on the favorites list of nineteen people.

Thanks to nodoubtrox, PrincessBob, TRUEHOLLY, Yamapi, Queen Dragon, FlamingNinja, Zarroc-my 100th reviewer, Zephyr21, Rock 4ng3l, hogwartscharmed1, bubblys, and Rebel Rose.

Recap

Holly traveled to three different houses, leading the other Holly along, until she came across a similar house to the first one and smelled of food and was quiet. "Artemis?" she knocked.

She heard a scampering and then the door flew open, revealing a very tired looking black haired, blue eyed, teenager. "Holly!"

End of recap

When Artemis saw Holly exuberantly standing in the doorway, he had to admit he was surprised. He hadn't been expecting to see her for another day, when he would sneak back to Verona, and yet here she was, standing on the threshold smiling.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? I found a way to fix your plan, and it worked."

"I was supposed to meet you in the mausoleum, but obviously we're meeting here a day ahead of schedule."

"What's wrong with that?"

"We're not sticking to the plan."

"At least now you don't have to kill Paris."

"Oh, yes, Holly, I forgot, how was the fight?"

"You knew?" Holly asked. "And you didn't save me from that?"

"Yes, I knew. But we had to stick to the plan, didn't we?"

"Well we aren't now, are we?"

"You aren't. I am."

"So, Artemis, you knew I was about to be beaten and you didn't bloody tell me?"

"Sorry, Holly."

"So I got punched and slapped when I could have went with you?"

"That's not in the plan. I'm sorry you got punched though, you didn't deserve it."

"But you did!" Holly, for the second time that day, pulled back her curled fingers. Artemis grabbed it, however, before she could hit him. She struggled, pulling Artemis towards her. Soon their faces were an inch apart. "Whoa," Holly commented. "Why are we…so close?"

"Why are we, Holly?" Artemis asked softly. It could have been the perfect romantic moment. Alone in a warm house with food and a toasty fire and a bed. "Why are we even here?"

"Because it was part of the deal Root made because you made the C Cube."

"Because you raided my house." Artemis looked at Holly with deep blue puppy eyes, trying to play the pity card.

Those eyes. Frond, why does he have to do that? "Because you stole me away." And my heart as well.

"But do you regret it?"

"Do you?"

"I don't. I never would have met you otherwise."

"Same." So does he feel the same way? Holly asked herself. Does he get those little butterflies in his stomach when he looks into my eyes, the way it is for me?

"But what did you mean, I stole you away?" Artemis asked, curious. Did this mean what he thought it meant? Did Holly have romantic feelings for him? Was she expecting something from him as they remained an inch away, both staring into the other's eyes and lips open, even when they were listening to the other's voice?

"You stole me away from my job, my family-"

"What family? You said your father died years ago."

"Uh, my mom, cousins, grandparents, you know. Even though I'm not really close to all of them…"

"What do you mean?"

"They didn't like the idea of me being a police officer, if you know what I mean."

Artemis nodded. He knew what it was like for people to disagree with his actions, just not on that high of a scale. "That's still no reason for them not to acknowledge you," he replied.

"I know," she said glumly.

"What else did I 'steal' you from?"

"I said my job and family, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, um, my social life-"

"You have a social life?" he asked incredulously.

She glared back, and nodded. "It's called after a job and I don't feel like going home."

"Where do you go?"

"Why do you care?" she answered. "It's not like you understand, or want to experience it."

"Well what is there to experience?"

"Uh, clubbing, restaurants, and the typical things that Mud Men have, just better."

"How so?"

"It just is."

"I think you're biased," he commented. "Unless you've actually experienced some of each, it's not fair to judge." Still, Artemis couldn't believe his ears. Holly, his Holly, dancing in a club? It just didn't seem possible. "Besides, I can't see you clubbing. You're too tomboyish."

"It's called jeans with a cool belt and a top, Mud Boy. You don't have to wear skirts and dresses." See, she told herself, I am not a prude. I dance!

"Make up?"

"Not really," she admitted.

"But still some, apparently if you're saying not really."

"I guess. But why do you care?"

"I'm just curious, and besides," he said, "there's not too much to talk about. But I still don't see you as the dancing type."

"I would demonstrate if I wasn't in a dress."

"Really?" Artemis replied. "Shame."

Holly rolled her eyes. Some people just got worse as they grew older.

Flight 379, United Airlines, over Europe, August 17

Artemis Fowl Senior and Angeline Fowl were accompanied by Juliet to a spa in Italy. According to Angeline, it was one of the top spas and it would help Artemis Senior with his leg. They had been on the plane for over two hours, and were about to touch down in a Roman Airport. Angeline and Artemis Senior were talking, Juliet was reading a wrestling magazine, and all was quiet. Then there was the blast of the intercom, and the pilot spoke.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we are experiencing some turbulence. Please put on your seatbelts."

A flight attendant passed and collected all trash from lunch that was just a little while ago. The three handed their trash to the attendant, and then fastened their seatbelts. The plane jolted, and Juliet shut the window. She had had a bad feeling about this trip, and another one about this turbulence. If something was to happen, she didn't want to see it.

August 17th, Operations Booth, Lower Elements, Eight Fifteen

Foaly was looking for some sort of evidence to prove his machine could bring Holly and Artemis back. He knew they could back, just the how concerned him. It was lucky he kept records of everything, but he now had hundreds of years of detailed journals to go through now. Thankfully he could use a keyword search…

Back to Mantua, Italy 1397 AD, Around Three in the Afternoon

Artemis and Holly had been talking for hours, among other things like eating and everything. They had planned what to do when Balthasar came back, and what to do if Holly turned back into her fairy self before the two weeks when they would either leave for the chute or to the port, where they would travel. They had talked about history, about politics. But now Holly was bored. She had found out nothing unpredictable about Artemis at all. Nothing! She needed to know something about him to prove he could be normal. Anything, everything that proved he could be normal.

"So," Holly stated, "We've talked about me, politics, and fairy history, but nothing about you. Isn't there anything you want to tell me?"

"No," Artemis replied, "Unless you tell me what exactly you would like to know about me, Holly."

Holly smirked. This had possibilities. "Can I ask you anything?"

"Almost anything."

"Will you answer honestly?"

"Yes. Will you answer honestly to my questions?"

"You're asking me, too?"

"It's only fair."

Holly sighed. "Fine, Mud Boy. First question, we'll start off easy. Ever cussed?"

"In my thoughts, once or twice here. Never out loud."

"You? Cussing?" Holly was surprised. "What'd you say?"

"I'm not saying it out loud. Here's my question," Artemis said, thinking of all the daring questions he could ask Holly, "ever been kissed?"

"Yes. Same question."

"Yes. Twice." Artemis sighed.

Aw, poor kid, Holly thought. He's only kissed me. This does have an advantage though.

"All right, Holly. Um, choose one place in the world where you would want to live."

"Ireland. You?"

"Same. Choose one place, if you lived in Ireland, where you would travel to."

"Somewhere tropical, not polluted. Like, maybe, a rural island of Hawaii? And, Artemis, if you could choose one person to live your life with, who would it be? They can't be related."

"Gosh, Holly, that's a hard question." Artemis thought. Maybe Butler, but he would die soon, and if we're the only two people on earth there wouldn't be too much to talk about. Juliet would be too talkative…hmmm… "Would there be books and things?"

"Nope. Just that person and needed things like food and water."

"Okay. What about a computer?"

"Maybe…"

"Uh…" It's not like I have a friend to choose, since everyone at Saint Bartleby's is uninteresting and not the most intelligent. Maybe a fairy. Not Root, nor Foaly, he would get too annoying, so that leaves…Holly? "You, I guess. I'm not exactly on good terms with that many people. Same question."

"Let's see…" Holly went through the same elimination process Artemis did. They cant be related, not that I would want a relative anyway, not Root, even though he's like a father…Foaly would get annoying after a couple hours…maybe Trouble, he's pretty cool. Except he's a bit too quiet and doesn't open up. Frond, most of the people I wouldn't mind spending an eternity with are guys. Wonder why… But most of the guys I know are complete perverts or too fatherly or too talkative or too quiet and would be boring to live with for a lifetime.. Maybe a Mud Man. Oh, gods, I'm desperate if I choose a Mud Man. Not Butler, maybe Juliet, but she's too talkative and if we were the only two people on Earth, that would be hell, considering that she sounds like a flirty person. That leaves Artemis? But I can't say him, he said me. Oh, dammit, why can't I think of another person? "You, too, I guess. Don't know why, exactly. Question- have you ever had romantic feelings for anyone?"

"Considering I have hit puberty, Holly, I have looked at girls, maybe lusted, but definitely not loved."

"Yeah, I could guess you've looked," Holly replied, remembering the thing with the dress the night before. "Let's screw this whole truth thing. Let's do dares!"

"As in the child's game, truth or dare?"

"So you have heard of it. Glad to see you've been exposed to child and teen culture!" she said sarcastically.

Artemis glared. "Fine. Truth or dare, Holly?"

"Dare. I doubt you can think of a good one."

Artemis paused for a second, first disputing whether he should play such a silly childhood game, then deciding he might as well. "Fine. I dare you to…um, um, um," he repeated the word for about a minute, "I give up," he resolved.

Holly smiled. "What, you aren't smart enough to think up a good dare? The irony. All right then, I dare you to…um, kiss something in this room."

Artemis paled. He looked at Holly, the dirt floor, the unwashed vegetables, the dirty table, the now rumpled sheets on the bed, the dusty cabinet, and then Holly's face again. He looked at the filthy ceiling, Holly's lips, the grimy stove, Holly's dresses in a corner, the door, the fingerprinted door knob, and Holly's face. Holly's face soon became all he could look at and when Holly looked back, all he could do was kiss her on the cheek.

"Artemis!" she said loudly, "I thought you didn't have any romantic feelings for any girl!"

"You said something," he replied, "and everything else was dirty."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Truth me."

Artemis was about to open his mouth when Balthasar walked through the door, carrying bread among other food items. He almost dropped them at the sight of Holly, but regained his composure and put them with on the table.

"Miss Juliet, I presume," he said, bowing to Holly. "Sorry for my sudden entrance."

"It's fine," she said, "pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine. And here, sir, I brought some food."

"I see," Artemis replied. "I thought you were to knock?"

"My apologies, sir, but my hands were filled with produce and bread. Would you two like some?"

"Yes," Holly answered, famished, but Artemis shook his head. "Juliet and I are going to take a walk," he said, acknowledging Holly.

"See you in a bit, sir."

"We'll be back after sundown," Artemis answered. He grabbed Holly's hand, pulled her out the door, and the two walked off, Artemis leading the way towards the east, away from the northern part of Mantua, towards the coast.

Author's Note: It took me forever to write this chapter, which I think is very slow. If you know geography, and you know what's on the eastern coast of Italy, you can guess what's next. ;-) Guess in your reviews, if you will. It'll be a while until I update again, because I'm going on vacation for two weeks and then I have to write. I purposely made this next thing easy to write, so it won't be as long a wait. I'm also going to rewrite the prologue because that's where I lose most of my readers, according to the hits stat. Updates will be farther and farther apart, due to the start of high school, and my life. Lol. Please review!