Disclaimer: Hang on I'll just check…Nope, I don't own Artemis Fowl…


If This Isn't Love

Chapter Sixteen: Conclusions

Artemis was standing near the door of their express-to-the-surface shuttle, hugging Holly closely. Holly was standing on the railings meant to keep the queues orderly, hugging him back as hard as she could. Luckily, there were no queues for this particular shuttle. Butler's presence tended to discourage people from approaching.

'Will you come visit?' Holly whispered into Artemis' ear. Artemis nodded without letting go.

'Whenever I can get away,' he told her.

'Good,' she whispered again. 'I don't want you to forget me when you get up to the surface.'

Suddenly Artemis pulled away and turned his back to Holly, leaving the fairy staring at his back. For some reason she felt as though she had been slapped.

'What's wrong, Artemis?' she asked.

Artemis froze for a moment, and then turned back to her. 'Holly – do you think I could ever, ever forget you?'

The stony look on Holly's face melted into a huge smile. 'Come here, Artemis,' she ordered him. Artemis stepped forward a metre or so, so that he was standing with his nose barely an inch from Holly's.

'I'll never forget you, either,' she told him, and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Artemis kissed her back, wishing harder than he'd ever wished before that he could somehow stay here. Of course, it was impossible. Holly had her life to live, and he had his. They were from two worlds that could only be together at very special times.

Like now.

Artemis broke the kiss, breathing a little heavier than usual. 'I really have to go,' he told Holly, looking at his feet.

Holly nodded wordlessly. She understood the impossibility of what they were trying to do just as well as Artemis did. Perhaps even better, considering the severity of the rules that governed her world.

She stepped down from the railing and waved at the shuttle. Inside, Artemis took a seat and gazed out the windows on the opposite side, staring at the cavern that the shuttle was suspended in. Any other time he might have been interested in knowing precisely how this was going to work, but this time all he could think about was how he'd first met Holly. What a start for a relationship…he wondered how many of his parent's friends had met because of an interspecies kidnapping.

He was willing to bet that the number was very small.

The shuttle started to vibrate slightly as the engines were started and the vehicle left the docking bay. Commander Root had commissioned an overeager young sprite, just out of the Academy, to fly the shuttle up to the surface and then bring it STRAIGHT BACK DOWN. He claimed he couldn't spare Holly because of all the damage control that was going to need doing. Holly had protested, but Artemis touched her shoulder and shook his head. It was probably better this way.

Artemis stared at the rocks that were now rushing past at incredible speeds, and he had to wonder how he was ever going to be able to get down here again. The whole place was so isolated…

Then his hand fell on the hand-held communicator that Holly had slipped him earlier, when Root had first announced that the Humans would have to leave, and he smiled a little.

Maybe this wouldn't be so impossible after all.


Here everyone. Since you all wanted to know what happened to Holly and Artemis. I'll expect molto reviews. ;)

Just kidding. It was feeling a little untied, anyway. I guess I did leave some loose ends... And anyway, this is really short.