The next morning, Artemis waited anxiously in his room, the window to the outside opened and ready for Holly's arrival. He was wringing his hands in thought, trying to figure out how to talk to his elfin friend.

I can't just go out and say, "Hey Holly, will you be my fake girlfriend for the next two weeks?" He thought, I would seem insane! Well...More insane than usual. Frond, why did I do this in the first place.

He was still deep in thought when Holly did fly through the window, settling on her feet and taking off her mechanical wings in the closet like she usually did when she came to the Fowl Manor. Looking over at the Mud Man, she let out a wry chuckle when she saw him pacing, not even noticing that she was there. With a roll of her eyes, she sat down in the armchair that was in the corner of his room and watched him.

The usually observant genius then took a glance around the room finally to see Holly sitting back in his chair. He jumped into awareness, "Captain!" He exclaimed, "When did you get here?"

The elf shrugged, "About...5 minutes ago." She studied his face, and the fear in it. Her concern for the mastermind deepened, "Are you alright, Mud Boy?"

Artemis waved his hand at her, "I'm fine." He tried to sound more calm, but Holly's trained LEP ears picked up the slight nervousness anyway.

"No...You're worried." Her eyebrows furrowed as she pushed herself off the blood red chair. "What did you do?"

He scoffed as if the accusation was wrong and moronic, "Why must you always assume that I did something?"

"Because you always do, and I'm the first person you call to fix it." She bowed her head instead of rolling her eyes again. "For once, Artemis, just tell me. I'm really not in the proper mood to play your ridiculous games." Holly walked over to his desk to get more intimidating to him.

"Why not? And what games? I'm not playing games." He looked at her pained expression, "Holly, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, of course. I just don't really have patience to handle childish things at the time." She looked down at her hands, playing with a few files lying on top of the mahogany desk. The elf sighed, "What do you want, Artemis?"

Still not knowing how to persuade her to his advantage, Artemis clicked his tongue. "I might have gotten into a bit of a problem. I can't say that I don't need your help...because you are the only one who can help."

This peaked Holly's interest, even though the genius was still being vague. "Why? Is it magic related or elf related? Well, it has to be-"

"No, it's not, Holly. It's you related, in a lack of better words. I...My mother…" He was having trouble forming his thoughts into words.

"Spit it out, Mud Boy!" Holly ordered, quite worried over the fact that Artemis was at a loss of words for once in his life.

"My mother was apparently perturbed with my life, which I am fine with...I don't understand why she has the incessant need to butt into everything. It's quite annoying actually. Along with the Christmas shopping and the babysitting of the boys...Honestly, I can't get anything done! I haven't all this month." He was rambling on and on, something that deepened Holly's worry. Artemis Fowl never rambled or babbled.

"Just tell me!"

Suddenly, Artemis' topic changed from his mother to what had actually happened. "She intimidated me, going on about how I would never find love and that she wanted grandchildren...So, I told her a white lie."

Holly's eyes widened as she began to realize what he was talking about, "Artemis...What white lie?" She looked ready to launch herself across the room at the Mud Man. He seemed to notice this, and backed away from the soon-to-be furious elf.

"I might have told her that I have a certain, special person coming over for the holidays. And that her name was Holly…" He grimaced and winced for the oncoming yelling.

"What the d'arvitting Frond?! Why did you tell her that, Artemis?" He was right, Holly was screaming and definitely enraged.

"It wasn't as though it was completely false! You are one of my dearest friends, and very special, given the fact that you are and elf."

"You told her that I was your girlfriend." She growled, her hands clenching by her sides. Her concern disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. She paused, realizing something, "You brought me up here to actually-"

"Fake. Totally fake, I promise." His eyes were wide with alarm. He did need her. Not as much as this plan as that if she were to walk out right now, the genius knew that would mean their friendship was over. That the elf would be so mad at him, forgiveness would not come easily.. "Think about it, Holly. Just stay here for two weeks, talk to my family." He ran his hand through his hair, knowing that he was on the losing end of this conversation, "I...I don't want to disappoint them."

Holly shook her head slowly, shooting a disgusted glare at the man. "You disappointed them, as well as me, the minute you lied to them. Honestly, Artemis, you can't seriously expect me to pretend in front of everyone! I'm not doing this."

"No displays of affection, if that is what you're worried about." He faced her, his features lined with desperation. "Please, Holly. I need your help. What would you like me to do? Get down on my knees and beg? I will, don't underestimate that. Please."

"I would like to see that, but-"

Artemis got down, folding his hands in front of him in a pleading gesture, but before he could say anything, Holly took ahold of his shoulders, chuckling. "Okay, alright. I will help. But no kissing, no intimate gestures, or anything like that." She could already feel herself starting to gag at just the thought.

"Of course. Thank you so much, Holly." He wrapped her in a warm embrace, sighing with full relief.

"No problem." She replied, staring at the dark carpet over his shoulder. At least I won't have to face my empty flat for Christmas. She thought. "My only problem is...I don't entirely, you know, look human." She pulled away and gestured down at her standard LEP uniform, along with her ears.

Artemis nodded, "I know. Trust me, I have a plan." He stood back up straight and went to a safe hidden inside the wall, uncovering with a button found in the armoire. "I think I can trust you with my secret." The genius sent her a wink, in which Holly turned her focus back to the floor under their feet. He searched the small compartment before speaking again, "Ah, here we go."

Holly looked back up to Artemis standing in front of her, "Here. This will change your form to human." He handed her a slim ring, almost a band, with the exception of 3 small, sparkling green gems going across the top elegantly. Holly took the band, scanning the object.

"This isn't going to hurt is it? Or make me permanently purple?" She gave a quick, scrutinizing glance at him before going back to looking over the ring suspiciously.

The genius held back rolling his eyes, "Have some faith, will you, Holly?" Honestly, it's like she doesn't think I am a criminal mastermind anymore.

She slipped the ring on her finger and flinched when it vibrated and buzzed for a second on her appendage. Instantly, a warmth spread around her and sparks flew from the gold and green piece of jewelry. The small elf then found herself grow to be human size-along with her LEP uniform. Holly could literally feel the tips of her ear shrink on the side of her head, reaching up and gasping when indeed-her ears were now as round as any ordinary human's.

Artemis nodded his approval, more of himself and his work that to how Holly looked now. "Very good. I have a few things that you can wear instead of you suit. Surely, that would be a dead giveaway for The People, given the fact that it has technology humans haven't even dreamt of before." It was clear from his babbling that Artemis, the Criminal Mastermind, was nervous.

Clicking her tongue, Holly turned away. She sat on the edge of his bed, peeking at herself from the mirror to her far left. "So, how far is this going to go?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper as though she didn't want an answer.

He sighed, "A week, at least. It won't be as painful as it is letting on now, Captain. I can assure you that."

"Good." Soon, the woman thought of something, something that made her grip the bed frame beneath her until her knuckles turned ghost white. "But...What will happen after the week? Do I just keep coming back and pretending to be in love with you over and over again?" She made a face, "Now THAT sounds painful."

Artemis chuckled at her joke. "I told you I have a plan, didn't I?" She gave him a face that made the genius think the elf-turned-human was doubting him. "I will ask you to marry you. Your only response will be simply, 'no,'"

"And I just turn you down in front of your entire family? Is that how it works?" She scowled at the idea of being the bad guy who crushed someone's heart. Well, this someone did deserve it for doing this entire thing to her...But still...He made her sound cynical.

Shrugging his shoulders, Artemis replied, "Not necissarily. You can say that you want to think about it, then disappear in the morning. That way, there is no public refusal."

Holly rolled her eyes, "Geez, Mud Boy. You're so romantic."

A vampiric smirk was sent her way, "So I have been told." He jestered, then turned serious. "Alright, so..Anymore questions."

Short thought for a quick moment, "Nope, none that I can think of."

"Just remember, Captain. This has to be believable." He reminded her.

"I know, Artemis." She smirked at the thought her mind had formed. And believable I can make it be.