7: *pokes head through door* Umm, where is he?

10: Where's who?

7: Colfer. I locked him in the other room...

10: Oh Frond. . . Well, you should have at least tied him up so we could interrogate him about TLG's horrible ending!

7: Umm… *points at hair* do you see what color this is? Blonde. I just locked the door…

10: You do realize, if this guy is smart enough to write about a genius, and sound like a genius, he probably knows how to pick a lock, fairy technology or no?

7: …

10: Ugh. Really?

7: *laughs nervously* so, I'm guessing that we HAVE to do the disclaimer now?

10: If you want to get out of here before the angry fans that no doubt want to get you for that stupid stunt get here, then yes.

7: … *runs out of room*

10: *sighs* We own nothing. . .except for the blonde hair on the dummy who just ran out of the room.

7: -very faint- I heard that!

10: And I hear the angry fans coming through the window that Colfer obviously escaped out of. Care to stay and debate?

7: *pokes head in room again* If anyone asks...Ru did this! ;)

10: *looks at readers* you all heard it from her firsthand. Don't believe that, and don't let anyone else! ;) Now. . . *grabs 7's arm* come on. I'll go lock you in a closet to protect you from the angry people.

Artemis sighed, watching her go and then walking over to the cabinet to get a tray. He pulled one out and turned around as his father asked, "what happened to her?"

"Nothing. I'm just going to take our food up and try to talk to her..." He loaded their food onto a tray as he spoke, then turned and sighed. "I'll talk to you later."

He followed Holly out of the room. Walking upstairs, his first thought was that she wouldn't be in his room, because she didn't want to be there. But if that was what she wanted him to think... He shook his head and sighed, then turned and went into his room.

Indeed, when he walked in, Holly was sitting curled up on his bed, her head in her knees. He took this in, then set the tray down on the nightstand and sat down on the bed beside her. "Holly?"

She jumped, looking up and then scooting quickly away from him when she saw him. She laid down on the other side of the bed and buried her face in the pillow. "Go away. Please."

"You know I can't do that," he chided gently. "Come on, Captain. I didn't realize that it would hurt you so bad when I said it, but still.. you have to admit, it's the best cover story were going to be able to come up with. Is it really going to be so bad?"

"It would be better if you would take it back."

"I can't take it back," he said softly. "You know I can't." When she didn't answer, he sighed and knelt down beside her, grabbing her arm and pulling her around to face him. She opened her eyes and looked at him hesitantly. "It's not like I'm saying you have to have sex with me or something, Holly. I won't force you to do anything you're reallyuncomfortable with. But if you want to stay alive, you're going to have to suck it up and at the very least act the part when we're in front of my family. Alright?"

"You know what's bad?" Holly said, ignoring him. "I used to actually want this. Truthfully, I still sort of do. But not... Artemis, I'm your prisoner now for Frond's sake! The only thing I'm alive for is you. And now... Now your trying to take the rest of what I have left away from me too."

"Not really. It's like I said; I'm not saying we have to be extremely intimate or something. And yes, I suppose, technically you are my prisoner. But that means absolutely nothing, Holly, especially to me. Thats one way that I will never think about you again."

"Well, it means something to me," Holly shot at him. "And I can't change that." She sighed, looking up at the ceiling and then hesitantly back at the human. "Look... I'll play my part in your stupid story, at least in front of your family and Butler. But give me a little more time to come to terms with all this before we start... you know, doing the same kind of stuff behind closed doors, alright?"

When Artemis spoke again, his voice was filled with hurt. "You want me to give you time.. to brace yourself to be with me?"

"No," Holly said quickly. "Don't twist my words. If that's what I meant, that's what I would have said. Under different circumstances... I mean.. Artemis, look, I just need time to come to terms with the fact that this is my life now. I'm your prisoner, and your... nutrition supplier, to put it mildly. When I agreed to that, I wasn't thinking that I would have to be your lover too. Its just a bit of shock right now. I'm not ready to jump right into it. And honestly, Artemis... I'm a little scared that for you this will be more than just an act."

"Why? Why should that scare you?" Artemis demanded. "Is it really so wrong, so painful for you that I love you? Is it really such a curse?" He pulled her up into his lap, ignoring the whimper and the wide eyed look that it elicited when he did so. He took one of her hands and placed it on his chest, right over his heart, and she could feel it's slow beats beneath her hand. "I'm still human, Holly. I'm still me. So you're my prisoner, and I have to drink your blood to survive; sowhat? Why the hell is that so terrible? Why are you suddenly judging me by it now? Why does any of it matter?"

By the end of his rain of questions, he was shouting. She cringed and covered her ears, whimpering, "I don't know! Because it does! Y- you may still be human, but you're not the same, and even you can't deny that. Maybe I just want you to be the same..." She paused for a minute, then whispered, "I want us to be the same."

Artemis took in her sincere, but scared voice, and her shaking frame, and his expression softened. "Holly... You know it's not that simple." He tightened his grip on her waist, pushing her closer. "I may not be the same, but my transformation has to have some positives."

"Like what?" she said, looking away from him.

"Well, I don't have the strength of a stick anymore, that has to be good. I'm faster now as well, and I barely need any sleep anymore."

"Artemis…" Holly whispered, her voice barely audible even when she trailed off.

"Holly, you know what I think?" He moved her so her back was pressed down onto the soft blue sheets, Artemis on top of her as he held her hands pinned next to her head. The elf's eyes were wide as she looked up at the vampire, struggling to no avail. He was right before, Artemis had become stronger. "I think that you're upset about this all because it's true. Not because of the way I'm acting, not because I'm a vampire, but because you love me."

"That's preposterous." Holly snarled. turning her head away. "Look's like your transformation dumbed you down as well."

Artemis didn't seem angry or phased by this as he leaned down onto her. "Really, Holly? Then you wouldn't do anything is I did this?" He kissed her neck softly, the elf whimpered slightly. "Or this?" he asked again, kissing her pulse and sucking at it a bit. The elf squirmed more, a sound between a squeal and a soft moan.

"Or even this." Artemis breathed, pulling himself up and looking into her wide eyes before leaning back down and kissing her lips for the second time that day. This time, Holly didn't pause, instead opening her mouth a bit. Artemis smirked against her lips, pushing his tongue through the parted mouth and invading it harshly. The elf whimpered again, but it was more in pleasure than in trying to get away.

After a few more blissful moments for both Artemis and Holly, the man pulled back, looking down at Holly. "Now... what were you saying was preposterous?" Artemis asked smugly, smirking.

Holly looked up into his deep blue eyes and lost the last of her control. She broke down and started crying, right there beneath him.

This was not the reaction Artemis was expecting. His smirked dropped, replaced by worry for the elf that he was pinning. Quickly backing up and pulling her back into his lap, he cradled her against him and made soothing noises in her ear for a while as she sobbed and muttered things incoherently. "Holly, please calm down," he begged, after about an hour of this. "I'm sorry. Please, please stop crying."

"I'm trying," she whined, burying her face in his shirt and wiping her eyes on it. "I'm sorry."

He sighed. "Are you okay?" He hesitated, then asked quietly, "did you start crying because I kissed you, Holly?"

"No," she said quickly. "It wasn't.." She had to take a deep breath to keep from breaking down again. "It wasn't you, it was me." She looked up into his eyes and muttered, "I'm sorry. I started crying because.. you were right. I do love you... I just didn't want to admit it." She bowed her head shamefully.

He put his finger under her chin and tilted her head, which was pounding now from crying, back up and gently brought his lips to hers. It was a sweet moment, although it was slightly spoiled by the salty taste of tears on her lips. He didn't pay much attention to it, though, instead just enjoyed the taste of her lips while he could. Eventually, though, he knew they both had to come up for air.

Parting their lips half an inch or so, he breathed lightly against her cheek and muttered, "Holly?"

"Hmm?"

"Why wouldn't you just admit that you loved me?"

"I was scared..."

"Why?" he asked. "After I already told you that I loved you, why would you be scared to tell me the same?"

"I don't want you to hurt me."

"What do you mean?" Artemis questioned. "Why would I hurt you for something that I wanted to hear?"

"I didn't say because of it; I meant in general. I am a hostage, Artemis... you still have to use me and all that, and I didn't want to.. you know, make anything you have to do to me worse because of it."

"Who said I would do anything to you?" Artemis asked. He laid her down on the blankets, sliding his lips carefully down a vein in her neck again. "I may drink your blood, and you may technically be my prisoner.. but that's just the thing. You're my prisoner. So if I want to treat you fairly, then I will. Which means technically, you're as good as not a prisoner." He smirked and lightly scraped his teeth on her neck. "Of course... that's normally. At times like these, when we're alone, and I might want to be able to get my way with you or drink some of that delectable blood... that's a different story."

Holly nodded against him, sighing when she felt his teeth cut through her skin and sink into her vein. "Haven't you had enough of my blood to last you a while?" she murmured, feeling him start sucking softly at her neck.

He didn't answer for a minute, drinking a little more and then sighed and pulled away. "I'll never get enough of your blood, Holly. However... whether you have enough of your blood for me to have some of your blood, is two very different things, and right now, you don't." He sat up and grabbed the tray off the nightstand, laying it beside her head. "Sit up and eat," he instructed. "You need food in your system, now. And don't tell me you're not hungry," he cut in, when she opened her mouth to protest. "Otherwise, I will stick you on a drip faster than you could think to stop me."

Holly pouted and sat up. "Fine. I'll eat as much as I can, but I'm really not hungry."

He raised his eyebrows at her, shaking his hand. "You'll eat as much as I tell you to, and be quick about it. Got it?"

"Or what?"

"Or I will put you on a drip feed," he warned.

Holly narrowed her eyes, but before she could say anything about what Artemis had said, Artemis took something off the plate on the tray and put it into her open mouth. "No if, ands, or buts about it, Holly. Unless you want to die from blood loss. Now chew and swallow."

Holly glared at him, chewing the grape he forced into her mouth slowly. She swallowed it after a few moments of chewing and then looked away. Artemis just looked at her curiously.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, and I want at least half of it gone by the time I get back, got it?"

Holly paused for a minute, hesitating before nodding. "Where are you going?"

"I have some things to clear up. Don't worry, it's work related and doesn't revolve around you." He tilted her head up with a finger, looking into her eyes before softly kissing her cheek and leaving the bedroom.

Once he was gone, Holly just looked at the food for a moment. She felt sick and tired for the moment, not to mention dizzy from the lack of blood in her body. She thought about what he had said, and done, and the same about herself. She would go along with it, no doubt; she hadn't been lying about loving him too. However, something was still holding her back, making her think twice about it. Maybe it was the fear of getting hurt, or her knowledge about him in the past, and in the present. Maybe it was something else. She didn't know, but it was nagging at her.

Holly sighed and shook the thoughts out of her head. There was no sense in worrying herself sick about it. Speaking of sick... she would get sick now if she didn't eat. Artemis was right; if she didn't get some food in her system, she'd soon die from blood loss. The thought made her frown and shudder slightly as she popped another grape in her mouth.

7: -faint from door- Oh, and 25! Sorry about not getting to you guys sooner!