A/N: And here, finally, is the terribly short, rather bleh ending to this fic. It's been nearly three years since I started this and I'm so happy to have it out of my hair, I could cry. No more multi chapter for me, the life of a college student allows only one shots. Thank you to all of the reviews who put up with my lack of updates and who continued to send positive comments. I love you all, and watch every now and then to see if I put up anything new, I'm addicted to Gaara x Sakura over in the Naruto fandom, I'll be there mostly, but I do have a few one shots for Arty and Holly still stored away. Once again, thank you, and love.

"Come on out Holly, playtime is over." The reptilian eyes swept across the large, open foyer.

"And if I'm not playing anymore?" His eyes snapped up to see the speaker slowly descend the stairs. Holly's hand ran lightly along the railing, her face set in stone as she calmed her racing heart. 'Breathe…calm….' She chanted silently in her mind as she locked eyes with her pursuer.

"Oh? What does that mean Holly?" Distrust laced his voice as his eyes swept up and down her form. Holly continued down the stairs coming to stop on the last step, her fingers tightening ever so slightly on the rail.

"It means I've come to my senses…and I'm sorry I made such a terrible mistake. I should never have gone with him, but in my defense, he forced me." Holly's face hardened further with determination as she finally noticed the other girls standing silent behind their boss. "Please…I want to come back with you; I want to come…home." Teeth gritted together behind thinned lips and toes curled inside shoes. From the closet at the top of the stairs Artemis held his breath and prayed for the first time in his life.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I was thinking I would have to kill everyone just to get you back." The goblin moved forward the few paces separating him from Holly and raised a hand. The elf flinched ever so slightly as hairy knuckles brushed across nut-brown skin. "Now though, it seems I can kill them just because I want to." In a flash his hand was around her throat, squeezing precious oxygen from her lungs. A harsh whisper in her ear revealed Holly's worse fear. "Stupid girl you think I can't smell the human. His scent is all over you. He's hiding up the stairs isn't he Holly? Just behind that door?"

"…no…No!" Her voice seemed to wheeze from her throat, pain exploded behind Holly's eyes as his grip tightened. Behind the closet door Artemis' breathing had also stopped. Eyes wide Artemis wracked his genius brain for an answer. 'Why…why can't I think? Holly…I have to help Holly…what can I do…'

"Stop." Eyes snapped to the left to find a very determined looking Juliet Butler, a Sig Saucer trained between the goblin's eyes. "Let her go, now." Holly's eyes widened a fraction with hope but the grin spreading across her boss' face tore out her hope and killed it in cold blood.

A low cackle started in the base of his throat and soon was rippling through the room, the low baritone working its way through Juliet's chest, shaking her to the core. "You forget girl, I have the upper hand here." He tightened his grip a bit more on Holly's throat, her windpipe slowly being crushed under strong goblin fingers. "And if you don't put that toy down now…I might just forget my own strength and well…elf blood is difficult to get out of carpet." Juliet swallowed hard and bit her lip.

'The plan Juliet…remember the plan.' Holly begged mentally.

"You're wrong!" Juliet's finger tightened on the trigger as Butler silently ushered the last of the girls out of the still open front door and around back. "We have the upper hand and always have! You've been too busy with Holly to notice that all your girls are gone and now you'll die." Juliet pulled the trigger as Holly's eyes slipped shut. The goblin screamed in agony, the bullet burrowing into his skull and lodging somewhere in the left hemisphere of his brain. He fell, bringing Holly down with him and blood began to pool around the two. Artemis burst out of the closet door and ran down the stairs just as a fizzle was heard and the shield illusion went down revealing Keaira in the goblin's clutches, surrounded by blood.

"Keaira?" Artemis' shock with solidified as Holly, Butler and the other girls slowly moved through the front door and into the foyer. Artemis' knees buckled and he fell to the ground his trousers slowly soaking up crimson.

"I'm sorry Artemis…it was Keaira's idea. She said she had to do it, to repent." Holly's eyes were welling up with tears as she looked down at her friend's lifeless body. "She wasn't supposed to let him get a hold of her…she deviated from the plan and…and…" Holly's breath hitched and she too fell to Keaira's side her hands roaming over the elf's body trying in vain to push the non-existent magic into her. Artemis watched the exchange with deadened eyes. 'Why did I let this plan go…I knew something would happen…why was I so stupid?…why?"

Holly bit her lip trying hard not to let the others see her tears. "Idiot. Why were you so stupid! I'm so mad at you…for everything…and nothing. I'm mad at myself. Why did you have to…Keaira…." Holly sighed and Artemis, showing much more compassion then ever before, pulled her into his chest and held her while she cried.

He was at a lost for words but he held her. Artemis held Holly as Butler gently carried the tiny body away for a proper burial in the rose garden and then disposed of the other body. Artemis held her as Juliet escorted the other girls into the dining room and cleaned the floor with a somber expression. They kneeled on the floor, wrapped in each other's arms for two hours before Holly looked up and nodded. "It'll be alright…Keaira…did what she had to do. I'm sure she's happy now." She sniffed a little and wiped her eyes of the drying tears. "We have to contact Foley though and get the girls reinstated into Haven under new identities so they won't be charged with prostitution. That should be our goal right now." Artemis nodded but didn't hear a word of Holly's speech. He'd already instructed Butler to call Foley as soon as the girls were safe and now his only thoughts were of fixing his almost broken relationship.

"I think…our first goal should be this." Artemis leaned in and softly kissed Holly just as she looked ready to yell at him for not listening. And though she pushed away and commenced to yell at him for said lack of listening, her eyes softened and her lips betrayed the slightest smile. They would be alright, she was sure of it. Now that Artemis had once again come to her rescue and the rescue of those dear to her, they would be alright.

"Come on Arty…I'll introduce you to my sisters." Artemis smiled ever so slightly and stood to follow her, his hand reaching out to take Holly's and link their fingers.

"Right."