Time for another chapter – this one is based on a suggestion by .yashamew. Read, have fun, and review!

Anna-Maria was startled awake by a particularly loud snore. She had fallen asleep sitting sideways in an armchair with a maternity magazine over the lower half of her face, leaving only her eyes visible. She lifted the magazine and frowned as she spotted Artemis asleep on his desk. "No wonder he's snoring, it's four A.M.! I'll have to wake him up and get him to go to bed."

She stood up and reached out to shake his shoulder. "Artemis? Wake up, dear."

Still dreaming, the Irishman muttered, "Not now, Mother. I am busy working on an important experiment that cannot be interrupted."

Anna-Maria's eyebrows went up and she shook him again. "Artemis, dear, wake up!"

"Mother, I need to complete testing for my newest experiment; I will see to it in the morning."

"Artemis, I am not your mother! This is Anna-Maria talking to you, wake up!"

The male genius stood up drowsily and ended up leaning on her for support. "Mother, I can sleep later."

"Of course; you're delusional due to lack of proper rest. Since that is the case, I will choose to neglect the fact that you appear to find me more motherly than spousal." Anna-Maria wrapped his arm around her shoulder to support him and turned towards the hallway.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Five minutes later, Artemis was still murmuring in his sleep. "That's unnatural. Artemis, wake up this instant!" She had managed to pull him into their bedroom, but he just lay on the floor, sleeping with his head on his arm. "Artemis, sleep in your bed!"

"Mother, do you remember the lullaby you used to sing to me as a toddler? It may calm Davy and Diana."

"Okay that's it." She knelt next to him and yelled in his ear, "Artemis, wake up NOW!"

He snapped out if his lethargic state and looked up at her. "What? I was simply working on a project when…" He looked at his surroundings. "How did I get here from the study? Did you…?" Anna-Maria nodded. "In your condition? Anna-Maria, you know how dangerous that can be!"

"Yes, it can be dangerous. But trust me, the twins are perfectly fine."

"Are you sure?"

She guided his hand to her stomach. "They're kicking, you can feel it."

Artemis paused and concentrated on feeling the motions of the young twins. "They are kicking, and they are strong! How can you possibly stand the pain?"

"I just think about how sweet Angelina and Artemis will be when they're born, and that makes everything worth it.'

Artemis smiled and kissed her softly. "Have I ever told you I love you?"

"You may have mentioned it once or twice." She replied with a mischievous smile.

He sighed and picked himself up off the floor. "So I suppose it is bedtime?"

"Wow, Mr. Genius, what told you that? Was the moon peeking at you through the window again?"

Artemis grinned and picked her up. "Okay, Miss Fairy Girl, let's get you into bed!"

She playfully hit him over the head with a cushion. "Cool it, Mr. Genius. I'm already expecting twins, I don't need triplets!"

"If your uterus is already occupied than how can –" He caught Anna-Maria's grin and raised eyebrow. "You were referring to me?"

"Oh, no, why would I be referring to you? After all, I always hated to taunt the owner of the second-highest I.Q. in Europe."

"Second-highest?"

Anna-Maria grinned and kissed him. "Only joking, darling; you know our intelligence quotients are evenly matched."

"That's better. May I have another kiss? Or a hug will do."

"Nope, bedtime!" She smiled and pulled up the bedclothes.

"So soon? You usually give me at least five kisses before bedtime."

"Oh, shut up! That was on our wedding night; you could sense my happiness in the air!"

Artemis smiled. "Of course, I remember that. And you had good reason to be so happy. After all, only one woman could marry the great Artemis Fowl the second."

Anna-Maria frowned and smacked him in the head with her pillow. "You're also forgetting that only one man could marry Anna-Maria Root! Where's Julio's phone number? Maybe his proposal hasn't been withdrawn yet."

"No, no, no, no!"

Anna-Maria blinked at him. "That was certainly quite a lot of 'no's. Am I to believe that the 'great' Artemis Fowl is admitting that he is nothing without his beloved?"

"Well, behind very great man, there is a great woman."

"Aw, that's so sweet…wait a minute! What do you mean by BEHIND? Women don't need men to be great; men are dependent on women, not vice versa! That's it! I have Julio on speed-dial…" She whipped out her cell-phone.

"You wouldn't."

She looked him in the eye and flipped up the cover. "I would."

"At four-thirty A.M.?"

"Any doubts?"

"Oh, please. You would never desert me. What was it you said? Oh yes, 'Artemis, if anything happens to you I'll die!'"

She pushed the appropriate button and put the phone to her ear. "Ciao, Julio. Come va? Sí, io sapo sono le quattro e mezzo, ma io percepo triste. Perchè? Artemis diro1 – "

Artemis grabbed the phone. "Julio, I have a very good explanation and on no account is it viable to propose to my wife! Hello?"

He frowned as Anna-Maria grinned. "I never pushed 'call' you know."

"Do you enjoy hurting me like this?"

She sighed and opened her arms. "Teasing, maybe; hurting, no. Come here, genius-boy, you can have your other three kisses."

Artemis smiled and closed the cell-phone. "That enlightens things a little."

Anna-Maria held up one hand. "But just this once, okay?"

Artemis smiled and leaned against the bed-post. "You always say that."

"And I mean it this time." She kissed him quickly. "Okay, you've had your fun; now it's my turn."

Artemis looked bewildered. "Come again? Did you not already have your fun?"

"Hmm…I'm not quite done yet." She hit him over the head with her pillow, toppling him onto his side of the bed. "Now, I'm done. Goodnight, Arty."

Artemis frowned and laid his head on the pillow. She only called him 'Arty' when she was feeling particularly mischievous. "Goodnight, darling."

"Artemis?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't rub my midriff in the middle of the night asking the twins about what their personalities will be like when they're older like you did last night; it woke me up."

"Yes, darling. Do I still have Minerva's phone number?"

Anna-Maria's eyes bolted open and she faced him, pillow in her hands. "Don't start that again!"

Artemis grinned. "I was just wondering whether it was too late whether to advise her not to expect as much of Julio as you do of me."

"They've only been dating a couple of months!"

"Your point?"

She sighed and thumped him on the head with her pillow. "Once again, goodnight Artemis."

"Goodnight, darling."

"Don't start that AGAIN!"

An extremely eventful night, wasn't it? Don't worry, I'll do all your ideas, I promise, but only if you keep reviewing!

1 Hello, Julio. How are you? Yes, I know it's 4:30, but I feel sad. Why? Artemis says –