If you havent seen it on my other stories (for whatever reason-you might not like my other stories...) I will say this again.

Today is the 2 year Anniversary on Fanfiction! 2 years since I picked up a pen and started writing! I've met so many colorful people and even two years later, I am still amazed at the openness and kindness that everyone has given me. I don't really fit in that easily, so thank you.

Hope everyone has a great and prosperous day!

The room Holly was standing in at the moment was neither large nor small. Above the elf there was a crystal chandelier, casting a dim glow around the already dark room. She was alone, in the middle of the hardwood floors.

Looking down, it was as though she hadn't remembered putting on the elegant dress that was on her body as of now. As much as she hated wearing it, the elf had to admit it was beautiful. A deep, dark harlot red that looked as light and silky as a rose petal, stopping a bit above her knees. Heels graced her feet and Holly wondered how she was still standing.

Seriously, who the hell did this to me?!

Holly was still looking around the room, trying to regain the memories of how she got there, when the clacking of footsteps across the floor disrupted her thoughts.

"I'm glad you could make it." Artemis greeted softly as he walked across the floor, a mischievous smirk planted lightly across his face.

"A-Artemis?" Holly stammered, confused. "What's going on? Wh-How did I get here?" She stepped back, her dress swooshing by her sides by just that little movement.

"You don't remember?" He replied in a tone that made Holly's stomach flip. From fear or lust, the elf did not know. The genius kept walking calmly towards her, and Holly kept stepping back, not sure what to do. It wasn't long before her back hit the wall behind her. Holly's breath hitched when Artemis stepped up to her, invading her personal space. The elf could feel his breath against her bare skin as he whispered. "You're here because I wanted you here."

Holly didn't say anything. She couldn't, not when her thoughts were clouded so much by Artemis being so close to her.

Artemis looked deep in her eyes, his glinting with a knowing, wicked light. Holly didn't know what to do, too scared to move an inch. She could smell the heady scent of cologne and mint off of him, yet another reason for her heart rate to increase and for her to go lightheaded.

Time seemed to still as he looked down at her, their eyes unmoving and locked in each other's. Holly didn't know what to do, didn't know what to say, but she did know that she didn't pull back when he slowly bent his head down and pressed his lips to hers gently.

Holly relished in the feel of his lips, gently gasping against them. Even though it was for a brief moment, she was out of breath when he pulled back. Artemis chuckled at her breathless expression before pulling her to him tightly and crashing his lips to hers again.

Oh….Holly thought, deeply engrossed in this kiss. The other one was warm and pleasant but this one…This deep, passionate kiss made her mind go blank as she grasped his black suit jacket for dear life. It made a fire roar inside her, needing more with every second.

Her back hit the wall again as Artemis pushed her against it, his mouth sucking her lip. Holly moaned softly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself even deeper into the man.

The only sounds in the room were from them, the shuffling of clothes, the kisses, and the moans and groans. It was complete ecstasy as Holly got lost in Artemis, melting into a puddle as he kissed her neck, the flesh prickling wherever his lips went.

To Holly, it felt like she couldn't catch her breath. That was, until, she regained her senses. "W-Wait. Artemis!" She gasped pulling at his hair gently and making her stop to look the elf in the eyes. "We...We can't do this." Why the hell am I saying this? "It's wrong…We can-Oh Frond!" Artemis growled lowly from his interruption, pushing Holly even farther into the wall and laying over her, sucking her pulse point even harder than before.

Holly couldn't hold back a moan this time. Oh Gods. She thought, feeling his hands roam from her back to her hair, and one venturing slightly under the dress on her and up her thigh slowly.

Holly whimpered. Frond... It just felt too good to be true. She stopped for a second, frozen by her sudden thoughts, not paying attention to Artemis pressing her further into the wall with his body.

The elf bolted upright, her whole body on fire, and to her extreme embarrassment…Rather aroused. Her breathing was loud and clipped, and Holly closed her eyes to calm herself. It was just a dream…Just a dream.

Beside her, Artemis groaned. Holly rolled her eyes. Great, the one person I would rather not talk to right now.

"H-Holly?" He murmured sleepily, trying to sit himself upright as well, but only managing to prop himself to his side with one elbow. "Are you alright?"

Again, she rolled her eyes. She was basically hyperventilating and the Mud Boy was asking if she was okay. "Yeah…I-I'm fine."

Even half-asleep, Artemis could tell that was a straight up lie. He rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand before speaking up again. "Was it another bad dream?" The genius prodded on.

Holly had to think about it for a moment. It wasn't necessarily the bad that he was asking about. But she didn't want him knowing she had a totally erotic dream about him, so the elf nodded. "Yeah, you could say that." Not a complete lie.

This time, Artemis was able to sit up when he tried. However, he was still half asleep as he looked at Holly with half-lidded eyes. The genius sighed, wrapping her in his arms again. Holly was able to suppress the oncoming shudder, but her breathing stopped when he laid back down, the elf still in his arms.

Holly stole a glance up at the human and sighed herself. He was fast asleep, and she was trapped in his grip.

Well, she wouldn't say "trapped." It wasn't as though she minded being in his surprisingly strong arms, so close she could smell the mint smell from her dream moments before. In all, Holly was quite comfortable. So comfortable that it didn't take her long to fall back into a deep, dreamless sleep.

It was Artemis who woke up first that morning, his head becoming very clear as he realized he held Holly in his arms. When did that happen? In his sleep? Did Holly get closer to him and put herself there?

The man froze, not wanting to let the soft, small elf go, but also knowing that Holly would freak out if she were to wake up now. Still, if the genius were to try to release her, would that only cause her to wake up anyway? She looked so peaceful, a gentle smile on her face and her eyes moving under their lids—obviously R.E.M sleep.

He couldn't get over how cute she looked; her soft, supple lips quivering slightly as she dreamt. Artemis wondered if this was a dream, a perfect fantasy of holding Holly in his arms tenderly. Oh, how he wanted so bad to lean down and kiss her awake.

Kiss her awake? Artemis' thoughts startled himself. Where did that come from? Why would I want to do that? The mastermind shook his head quickly and curtly, wiping his mind clean of those absurd and definitely rather risque thoughts.

His thoughts apparently ran too long, as Holly stirred. She snuggled deeper into Artemis' chest for a moment, trying to get closer to the nearest source of heat. Her eyebrows scrunched for a quick second before her eyes fluttered open.

The elf looked up at Artemis, wide, hazel eyes reflecting innocence into his knowing eyes. They both felt as though they couldn't breathe as they froze, entwined in each other. Tension was spread thick between them, like a heavy fog. They had no freaking idea what to do next.

It was Holly who broke the motionless, silent state. She exhaled slowly and deeply, trying to break the eye contact with him, but couldn't for what felt like the longest time. A beat passed before she moved from his arms, untangling herself. "Good morning." She stated, her voice weak and a bit breathy.

Artemis was interrupted from his trance, blinking twice before responding. "Good morning." His tone was steely and stiff, matching what he was trying to do with his facial expression.

Holly looked away bashfully to the sheets on the bed. The air cleared almost immediately and the elf got up off the bed, walking around to her suitcase. Artemis watched her carefully, totally zoned out in his own thoughts.

"I'm going to propose to you today." He announced casually. Holly was already dazed by her dreams and waking up in his arms, so she fumbled the clothes she picked out.

"What?" Her voice was soft, as though she was afraid of the answer to her question.

The genius tilted his head to the side. It seemed as though the tension between them hadn't affected him as much as it did to the elf. "The plan? Why we are in this situation in the first place?"

The situation waking up…? Holly's mind was clearly still in the moment before. She had to think harder and blink a few times before realizing. Oh…The whole reason why I'm here. "Ok. When?"

He smirked, getting up and walking past her, "Well, I still want you to act surprised. Just remember what you are going to say."

The elf nodded slowly, chewing her lip. Artemis tried not stare at her, tried to stay calm and divert his attention. It seemed to be working so far. "I'll say that I have to think about it."

"Exactly." He muttered, rummaging through his closet and picking a black Armani suit with a forest green tie. "Now, I suppose we should face my family."

Holly went to the bathroom, gulping down her fear and worries as she got dressed quickly. "Yeah…I guess we should."

Artemis was waiting for her outside the small room, leaning against the doorframe when she opened it. "You have done nothing wrong, Holly." He tried to reassure her. Just the look on his face was enough to convince Holly, but it wasn't as though she was at liberty to say so. "It will be over before you know it."

He led her downstairs, his hand around her shoulders the entire time to make sure she didn't run the opposite way and a reassurance to her. Holly, in all honesty, didn't mind the silent comfort. She realized that being so close to Artemis, like this morning, she was warmer and more relaxed than she had been this entire experience.

Outside the kitchen entrance, the smells wafted from the room, calling them in for breakfast. However, while it smelt very welcoming, Holly stopped in her tracks, looking up at Artemis.

The mastermind examined her facial expression, the elf's eyes mainly. They were wide and very afraid, as they always were when the topic of her parents came into view. There was another feature to them this time though…One that took Artemis a moment to place.

Vulnerability. The usually collected and brave Captain was not only scared out of her wits right now, but that only scratched the surface. She was already deeply scarred by her family's death, and bringing it up over and over again was only causing a deeper wound.

However, before Artemis could comment on it, or even try to reassure her some more, the door to the kitchen swung open.

"Good, you both are awake!" Angeline smiled warmly at them. "Oh, Holly dear…I am so sorry for last night. If I had known-"

Holly held up her hand to calm the older woman. "It's fine, Mrs. Fowl. I over-reacted last night." She looked past Angeline and to Artemis, who nodded his encouragement. "I should have told you about my family."

"You had no reason to tell us that." Angeline reassured her. "It's your business, and we shouldn't have come on so strong." Her usual smile grew larger, "I'm just glad you are accompanying us this holiday."

"I'm ecstatic as well." The fear in the elf before was gone as she looked back at Artemis and he put his arm around her shoulders again. Angeline turned around and walked back into the kitchen after that.

"Do you feel better now? I told you it wouldn't be that bad." He whispered in her ear. Holly nodded silently, not trust herself to speak or even open her mouth with him that close. After all, it might result in her lips brushing his neck, which was quite possible if she leaned in a centimeter more. Holly could smell that cologne he always wore on him, and had to bite her lip to restrain herself.

The rest of the morning went similar to Holly's previous conversation with Angeline. Even Beckett apologized, looking up at her with huge green eyes. Holly smiled back down at him and scooped the boy up, hugging him tightly. "It's okay!" She exclaimed.

"But…You were crying before." He objected. "Why?"

Holly glanced at Artemis and put Beckett down, ruffling his hair before she walked back over to put her arms around Artemis. "Well, all the questions yesterday rattled me. They made me scared like I was when I was younger, and I lost my parents." The air around everyone became sad with loss, but Holly wouldn't have any of that. Not now. Exchanging another look with Artemis, she let go of him and knelt down to Beckett's height. "But being here, I'm happier than I have ever been. And…I realized there is no reason to cry when I am so happy! So thank you."

"That was a beautiful speech, Holly." Artemis said after breakfast, when they were behind his locked door again.

She smiled graciously, "It was true. All of it."

Artemis smiled back, looking at her with warm and comforting eyes again…Caring. "Well then…I don't suppose I need to warn you about this?" He stepped up to the elf, brushing her red bangs back and gently kissing her forehead. Holly had to hold back the squeak that was threatening to slip out of her mouth.

He stepped back after that, and suddenly the tension from that morning was back. The genius cleared his throat and straightened his tie nervously. "I have some work to do. It should only take a half an hour, a full one at most." He shrugged, "Why don't you go downstairs and see if my mother needs any help with the tree decorations for later?"

Holly nodded, "I guess…"

"What's wrong?" Artemis frowned.

She shook her head, "Nothing, Artemis." Obviously she couldn't tell him what had been bothering her. Gods, she couldn't tell anyone! And with Angeline and her wide doe eyes and prying smile, how could she not tell the woman that she was madly in love with her son?

Madly in love? Holly shook her head, Where in Frond's name did that come from? She felt Artemis' eyes staring at her while she thought and couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. The elf probably looked very strange thinking the thoughts she had in her congested brain as of right now.

"Umm…" She muttered, ducking her head down so she wasn't looking into those intense, heavenly ice blue eyes anymore. "I'm gonna go shower real quick." He voice was just above a murmur as she made a mad beeline for the bathroom.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When Holly got out of the shower, she peeked out of the room and sighed with relief. Artemis was gone, presumably already in his study. The elf, wrapped in a towel, stepped out of the room and over to her suitcase. She had forgotten to grab some clothes when she rushed to the bathroom before.

Madly in love? Holly thought to herself again. Is that what I really think of Mud Boy? She clicked her tongue in thought, getting dressed quickly and very concentrated on figuring out why the heck she was thinking like this.

When she got downstairs, warmth spread over her like she was stepping outside on a clear, sunny day. It had only been half an hour since breakfast, but boxes scattered the floor in piles, taking up over half of the living room. Some that were opened already revealed crates of ornaments. Some were glittery and gold, sparkling and catching Holly's eye, and some were obviously handmade by Beckett—as ones made by Artemis and Myles would look absolutely professional.

An enormous tree sat next to the couches, going all the way to the tall ceiling above her. It had to be at least the size of a troll, maybe two. Hell, it was talker that Butler. The air smelled of pine because of it, and an overwhelming amount of cinnamon, causing the elf's nose to sting freshly.

"Oh, Holly, dear!" Angeline called, her head popping out from the army of boxes. She held a small box of elegant, snow crystal ornaments in her hand. "You're here! Good! Arty should be coming down any minute now so why don't you help me with the baking?" She smiled politely and her, putting the box down on the couch.

"I-I thought Butler or Juliet would be doing that already." Holly said, still pretty shaken from the night before, even with what happened that morning.

Angeline waved her hands at Holly dismissively, "They are working on getting the rest of the Christmas supplies here."

"Th-There's more?" Holly stuttered, looking incredulously at the many boxes laid out already.

The older woman laughed, putting her arm around Holly and leading her through the doors to the kitchen.

Angeline walked around the island to get to the oven, taking one tray out to put another in. Holly stood there awkwardly, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. She didn't know what to say. "So, what do you need-"

"Have you thought about a future with Artemis?" She said casually, setting on the egg timer and turning around to face the elf.

Holly's eyes widened at the sudden, blunt question. "Umm…" She truly had no idea what to say.

Fortunately, Angeline wasn't done talking. "I know that this may be extremely abrupt and repetitious to yesterday, but my son's behavior when you're around him is very unusual.

"Unusual?" Holly tried to look back. Was the mud boy acting any different lately? Beside the obvious "in love" and nervousness, of course.

Angeline quirked an eyebrow, "You haven't noticed?"

"Umm…I-I mean…" Holly stuttered, "I suppose my suggestions for his hair and clothing yesterday-"

"No no no." Angeline waved her hands again. "I'm talking about..." She sighed, rubbing her forehead in thought as she paced a short length of the kitchen. Holly just stood there, as still as a statue. "About the way Artemis looks at you when you aren't looking. How he is always smiling when you are there or when he's talking about you. I have never seen him this happy since…" the woman shrugged, shaking her head slightly, "Since he first met the boys."

Holly didn't say anything yet, whether it was because the elf didn't trust herself or because she didn't know what to say, but words just would not form in her mouth. What Mrs. Fowl was saying…they couldn't be true, could they? Had she not realized that? And why hadn't Artemis said anything about acting that way so this conversation did not come up and the elf would be blind-sided exactly like this?

Angeline clicked her tongue, obviously sensing the awkwardness that filled the room. "It's a good thing, dear. Don't over think it. Now…" She looked over the island, full of the white, bland sugar cookies. "Why don't we start decorating these?"

A small smile graced Holly's face as she walked up to the counter and grabbed a tube full of green icing. "I would love to."

They spent the next thirty minutes icing cookies. Frankly, Holly wondered if she could ever look at one of these Christmas treats without feeling a little sick. That was, after the dozens of trees, ornaments, and presents she tried her best to come to life from the tip of an icing tube.

"Holly, those are perfect!" Angeline exclaimed after glancing over at a few Holly had decorated. Holly looked up from her deep state of concentration at the snowflake. "How did you learn how to ice so well?"

"Uh…" Holly paused, trying to recall. It had been so long since she had celebrated the Christmas holiday. "My…My mom taught me." Her voice was small as she recollected the memories. "Christmas was sort of her favorite, so she bought all kinds of cookies to decorate. We ended up giving over half of them to the police force when Christmas was over."

Angeline smiled her award-winning smile at the elf again. "That's a lovely story."

It wasn't long after when Holly's hands started to cramp even more than before. And there were even more coming out of the oven! It seemed a bit much for only eight people, but then again…When it came to sugar; Beckett probably counted five times more.

Holly was finishing a bow on a present when warm—and rather strong—arms wrapped around her torso. Artemis rested his head on her shoulder as he stood behind her. "These look fantastic." He complimented.

"Thank you, Arty." Angeline sang, not looking up from her work. Nonetheless, there was an undeniable smirk on her face.

Holly finished the treat and smiled, picking it up and holding it out for him behind her. "Here."

Artemis chuckled, biting it and then unwrapping his arms from Holly to take it from her. He walked back across the counter and took another bite "This is very good, Mother. Holly." He complimented.

Angeline was too shocked to reply in a "thank you," as her jaw dropped wide open. "See?" She waved her hand at the man when she regained her ability to move and talk again.

Holly couldn't contain her laugh, and Artemis just looked confused. "Beg pardon?" He asked, looking strangely at the two women.

"You!" Mrs. Fowl exclaimed, "Arty, never once in your entire life have I ever even imagined you eating sweets. When you were three, you acted like one lick of a lollipop would cause you to implode!"

Holly could imagine the narcissistic brat of Artemis Fowl as a child, wide blue orbs looking up at the adults with a glint in his eyes that told anyone who looked into them that he was smarter than you. The smirk showing just how devious he was, wondering what his next evil plot might just be. The thought made a breathy giggle escape her throat. Artemis caught the sound with his finely tuned ears and tilted his head to the side, amused.

"Yes, well, I do suppose that is rather funny to you, Holls." The pet named seemed right as he teased.

"Hilarious, Arty." She smirked his smirk right back at him.

Artemis stepped up to her silently, the intense look in his eye making the room fill with that familiar tension. The air was still and Angeline found that she couldn't take her eyes off of the scene in front of her. Holly's eyes darted from Artemis to his mother quickly, but his never left her face. For a moment, everything inside of her was reaching for Artemis, wanting him. And she had to break this...This curse or spell he had on her. And fast, before things got out of control.

"Art-" But that was as far as she got before he cut her off by placing what was left of the sugar cookie in her mouth. The infamous smirk was still there as he turned around and walked out of that room silently.

Holly took it out of her mouth instantly, not knowing if she should be mentally swooning or cursing the Mud Boy with every terrible word (in English and Gnommish) she knew. She grasped the edge of the marble island, trying to catch her footing and sanity, before Holly looked up to Angeline's smiling, sunshine face.

The thundering sound of echoing running footsteps came into the room. "That sounds like Beckett dragging Myles downstairs." She got a platter from the cupboard and started scooping cookies onto it. "I'll meet you in there, Holly."

The elf nodded, leaving the room slowly-as to make sure she didn't lose her footing, she was still reliving the moment before. Should she have acted? Did Artemis know she was thinking of kissing him, of him kissing her? Did he want to kiss her? Ugh, this was all just too confusing.

The man in her mind was staring at the hearth, a roaring fire ablaze. The room was warmer, and as the sun went down outside, the flames licked around, causing shadows to bounce off the boxes and the tree magically.

That was what commenced the extremely long tree decorating ceremony, as what Myles enjoyed to call it. Everyone laughed and had a pleasant time, sharing stories of happy memories and recalling the times of where the ancient ornaments they uncovered came from.

Upon reaching the end, Angeline reached into the last box and pulled out a giant, ornate star. Even Beckett stopped talking and laughing when he saw it. But, of course, the silence from the blond was only temporary.

He reached up to touch the star, his eyes wide as though he was mesmerised by just looking at it. "It's my turn for the star!"

Artemis Sr. chuckled and shook his head, "You put the topper on the tree last year, Beck. It is Myles' turn."

Myles himself shrugged nonchalantly, "I do not particularly care, Father. I believe I am too old to be hoisted upon Butler's shoulders." He was obviously following in Artemis' footsteps, as the older brother was making himself seemingly small as he checked the rest of the boxes.

Beckett smiled, but then his eyebrows scrunched, as if he had a very important thought bubbling to the surface. And what surprised Myles, and everyone else in the room, was that he did have an important thought. "I think….That Holly should put the star on the tree."

All eyes cast upon the elf, and she felt as though her heart had stopped. She forced out a small, strangled laugh. "What? No…" Her eyes went downcast to the carpeted floor beneath her feet.

A bright smile burst out on Angeline's face. "Oh, Holly! Don't be so negative! It would be wonderful for you to carry out this tradition!"

Artemis stood from his kneeling position by the boxes, glad he wouldn't have to go through it. He was not fond of the idea of Butler picking him up easily in front of Holly. No. That would not do. "I think that is a great idea, Beckett." He commented, a sly smirk that Holly wanted to smack right off of his face.

Holly shrugged. At least she didn't think about kissing it off of him. D'Arvit! Now she was thinking about it!

Angeline took her shrug the wrong way, clapping her hands together gleefully. "Great!" She exclaimed, overly-cheery. "Holly, just remember to try and get it on as straight as you can."

"What, w-what? Whoa!" She took a giant leap back as Butler took a step towards her. "What's going on?"

Angeline gave her a strange look, "The tree topper." She held it out to Holly, "We would like you to put it on the top of the tree this year."

"Oh, umm…" She looked down, embarrassed. "Yeah…I guess I could do that. It would…" She cleared her throat and stood up straight. "It would be an honor."

Angeline smiled and Holly took the topper from her offering hands, "Here. Now, since you cant possibly reach the top of the tree by yourself, Butler will pick you up."

And that was that. Fifteen minutes later, everyone including Butler and Juliet were sitting on the couches surrounding the tree and the fire warming the room still.

"It's beautiful." Holly smiled, curling into Artemis. He had his arms around her and Holly felt…Comfortable. And safe. She didn't try to over think things…Just enjoying the moment, even if it was all just an act for Artemis.

It wasn't until Artemis cleared his throat that Holly sat up straight. She knew what was coming and the elf had to take a few steps to prepare for it.

Artemis looked around and smiled, sighing and looking down bashfully. "Holly Short…" He tilted her head up to him with two fingers under her chin, looking deeply into her eyes. "You are a kind, intelligent, and wonderful person. You have been there for me through thick and thin. And I want to do the same for you." He knelt down and reached in his pocket, pulling out a box and opening it to reveal a ring. An engagement ring. "Will you marry me?'

Holly smiled, and looked around the room. Looked at Artemis and his family. The room was filled with love and all she could think to say was…

"Yes."

Betcha didn't see that one, did ya?

CURRENT CONTEST!*ACTIVE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE*

You have all read this story, now let's see how much you really know The Biggest Rescue!

Two years ago: I joined FF. The first week, I wrote the first chapter of TBR. I was young, I was foolish. I did not know how to title shit!

Two years later: I am regretting the title. But alas, I can not think of anything! SO! I'm holding a contest for you guys to help me!

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Either in a review or a PM, tell what YOU think TBR should be renamed! You can post multiple titles! I will pick my favorite and then I will start the editing and rebuild of this FanFiction once TBR2 is done.

The winner will not only have the pride of naming this infamous story, but also one of my Cover Arts or Profile Pic! Plus, I will PM you the new plot for the third installment! (Unless you are a guest, then I can not help you unless you put an email in a review. And that is very dangerous.

Contest ends when TBR2 is completed! Good Luck, y'all!