Hey everyone! Sorry for the HUGE delay in this being posted. So much has been going on I have hardly had time for writing. Between working on my wedding, the heat wave, massive migraines, watching too much Doctor Who, and the like... My brain has been too occupied. But the past few days I have worked my butt off to get this chapter done and hopefully perfect.

Big shout out to Kat who helped me a bit with some wording, and of course as always keeping me sane! Love you girly! Even if we do have some villainous tendencies. :P

Anyways! I hope you all enjoy this rather long chapter! :D

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"Holly, I assure you, everything is going to be fine," Artemis spoke into his cell phone. "I know what I'm doing, and I won't need your assistance."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Holly replied. "You haven't exactly been on many dates. What if you mess up and say something stupid?"

Artemis sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in the process. Holly had called him just as he was parking the car in the parking lot of the mall. She had kept him on the phone for five minutes already, rambling on and on about how this date of his could go wrong, or what it was even about to begin with. Artemis hadn't even left his car yet, and he was growing nervous. Holly certainly wasn't helping matters either. "Holly, I promise, I can handle this," he assured her, glancing around the parking lot trying to make sure Diana hadn't beaten him here. "I think I know how to speak to girls."

"All depends on what you plan on telling her, Artemis," Holly retorted. "Are you ever going to tell me that? Or are you going to dance about it again, and change topics?"

Artemis bit his tongue for a moment. Holly was bound to find out one way or another; he supposed it would just be wise to get it out of the way. "Well... I've been doing some thinking recently about what everyone has been saying, and I think it's time I told Diana the truth," he stated. He took a deep breath, trying to think of the best way to put it. "I do believe I have feelings for her."

Almost immediately the boy had to pull the phone away from his ear slightly as Holly let out a girlish shriek of delight. "I knew it!" she gasped. "I always knew it! Took you long enough, Mud Boy. Now all you have to do is hope she feels the same."

That was what Artemis was worried about. He had no idea whether or not Diana felt the same or not. He had never exactly told a girl he was attracted to her before, and admittedly he was almost certain he was going to be laughed at. Regardless to that, Artemis knew his time was ticking down; in only a few days time, he would be heading back to Ireland, and then what? There was no way he was just going to fly back to Ireland and act as if this adventure had never happened. How could he?

"I hope so," he eventually muttered. He watched as a tan Chevy Malibu drove past him, and noticed the girl in the passenger seat as Diana. It would seem that her mother was dropping her off. Artemis felt his heart rate increase slightly as he silently panicked. "Holly, I got to go; I'll call you later."

Before Holly could reply, the boy hung up on her, stowing his phone in his pocket in one swift motion. Artemis snatched the car keys from the seat next to him, and practically jumped from the car, locking it before making his way towards the café. He smoothed his hair back from his eyes with one thought on his mind: Here goes nothing.

**********

In all the years Diana had spent going up to the Starbucks at the mall, she had never been as nervous as this time. As she stepped out of her mother's car, she had no idea what she was walking into. What was it that Artemis wanted to talk to her about? Whatever it was, it was important enough that he hadn't spoken to her at the party about it in front of her friends. This was certainly a private matter.

The girl finally reached the building, and stepped inside cautiously. When she looked up, she noticed Artemis standing a few feet away, pretending to be browsing through the nearby magazines. The girl approached him cautiously. When she was in a few feet, she cleared her throat, causing the Irish boy to turn on his heels to face her.

"Good afternoon, Diana," he said casually, a light smile on his face. He handed her a foam cup, which she assumed had tea in it.

Diana studied the boy, trying to figure out what this meeting was about. She was glad to see he had dressed down slightly; Artemis was still clad in a nearly complete suit- minus the tie. It certainly made her feel less foolish for wearing her burgundy sun dress. "Afternoon, Artemis," she answered.

"Shall we?" Artemis gestured to a nearby table before leading Diana over to it.

Diana followed behind Artemis, and was shocked when he pulled out a chair for her to sit in. It was something she wasn't used to. Before now, Diana could not recall a time when anyone had pulled a chair out for her; once again, she supposed there was a first time for everything. She smiled slightly as Artemis took his seat across from her. "Thanks," she said quietly.

"You're welcome," Artemis replied. He sat down his cup before looking back at his friend. "Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you here."

Diana nodded hesitantly. The girl willed herself to breathe, having to remind herself mentally that stressing out was not going to help the situation. She glanced down at the table for a moment before looking back at Artemis, waiting for him to answer her.

"It's obvious my time here is dwindling to an end, and there is something I must know before I leave," Artemis began. He paused for a moment, silently debating in his head what to say next. "I was... curious to know how you felt about me," he responded quietly, as if he too was afraid of admitting something. Artemis took a sip from his tea, waiting for Diana's response.

Diana hesitated. What did she say to that? What kind of answer was he looking for? Was he just hoping for a platonic relationship, or was he hoping Diana was going to say something else? For now, Diana decided to play it safe. "You're a good friend," she stated, avoiding eye contact.

"You can tell me the truth, Diana," Artemis retorted. "I can tell there is a lot more that you haven't mentioned that you want to get off your chest."

"The truth?" Diana asked, not exactly sure this was what she wanted to tell Artemis. When he nodded once again, Diana was really starting to think that she had no choice. He was right; there was a lot she wanted to tell him, and she had so little time to do it. It was now or never. Diana glanced up from the table to meet his gaze, only to notice the ever watchful eyes of her ex-boyfriend hovering in the background. Seeing Brent staring at her made Diana all the more determined to tell Artemis the truth whether she wanted to or not.

She took a deep breath before she began. "I like you. A lot. You make me happy. You make me laugh. You're smart. You're different. You're a little crazy, and awkward, and your smile alone can make my day. All your flaws, mistakes, smiles, jokes, sarcasm... just everything about you sends my head into a spin. I just want you- that's it." She paused for a moment, letting it sink in. By this point, Diana found herself shaking out of embarrassment, but she knew there was no turning back now. "I feel like everything in my life has led me to you. My choices, my heartbreaks, my regrets- everything. And when we're together, my past seems worth it, because if I had done one thing differently, I might have never met you. And I must say that is one thing I wouldn't want to lose."

Diana studied Artemis for a moment, trying to place what was coursing through his mind. She had literally told him exactly how she felt, minus one crucial detail, that she was sure would be revealed later. When he hadn't said anything after a few seconds, Diana was sure this just backfired. She sighed, looking down at the table, awaiting the shameful comments she was about to receive.

"I'm glad you feel that way," Artemis answered quietly.

Diana's head shot up, looking at him, terribly confused. Why was he glad? Unless...

"Truthfully, when I came on this trip, I had no intentions of making friends, let alone meeting someone like you," Artemis went on. "I'm not sure why... but you have captivated me in ways no one has before. The past few days have proven to be incredibly revealing, and interestingly enough, I have come to realize that I feel the same about you."

Diana felt her heart skip a beat. Did Artemis really just say what she thought he did? "You really mean that?" she asked, her eyes locking with his.

Artemis' usually pale skin flushed pink before he answered, "Yes I do."

A huge smile stretched across her face. Those were words Diana had been longing to hear. The girl never thought that Artemis of all people would reciprocate her feelings, but she was certainly glad he did. There was no more hiding her thoughts, and Diana was certainly grateful for that. She watched the sun dance through his hair for a moment before she spoke again.

"So this is what you wanted to talk to me about?" Diana inquired, the smile still lingering on her face.

The Irish boy nodded. "Admittedly I wanted to discuss it with you sooner, but with your friends present, it was a bit difficult to discuss our personal feelings," Artemis explained.

"Definitely understand why you waited," Diana replied, recalling her friends' behavior the day before. "As soon as you left, they started questioning me about what we really were. They all thought we were together or something."

"And what did you tell them?" Artemis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That I had no idea," Diana answered, beginning to twirl a strand of her curled hair around her finger. "I mean... they all had suspicions that we at least had feelings for each other, and I was able to admit mine to them, but I had no idea what to think when it came to yours."

Artemis smirked, something Diana absolutely adored. "Well, now you can tell them if you wish."

"And what exactly can I tell them?" Diana dug deeper. There was something more Artemis hadn't said yet- that much she could tell, and she was going to try her hardest to get it out of him.

"Well I suppose that all depends on what answer you give me to my proposition," Artemis retorted, that smirk still plastered to his face.

Diana couldn't help but chuckle slightly at Artemis' statement. "A proposition?" she inquired. "Do tell, Arty."

"Although I will be returning to Ireland in a matter of days, I have no doubt that if you say yes things will work out pleasantly," Artemis continued, although Diana noticed a slight nervous tremor in his voice. "We are both available, and it's quite obvious we share a connection. I was... wondering if you would like to attempt a... romantic relationship with me?"

Diana felt her face flush pink once again, the smile continuing to spread across her face. Certainly she must be dreaming? Artemis just asked her out- something she had never expected even in her wildest dreams. "I would be honored to be in a romantic relationship with you, Artemis," she answered.

"Fantastic," Artemis replied, a smile now present on his face as well.

Diana took this moment to shoot a look of happiness over Artemis' shoulder at her ex, who still sat there silently fuming. When Diana awoke that morning she had no intention of anything so amazing happening to her; now, she felt as if nothing could ruin her day. The girl lifted her cup, only to realize it was empty when it met her lips. Artemis took notice to this and interrupted her thoughts.

"Shall we perhaps go find something for dinner?" he asked.

"Sounds lovely to me," Diana admitted.

Artemis stood before offering his hand to Diana, pulling her to her feet. Much to her surprise, Diana felt Artemis entwine his fingers with hers, walking with her hand in hand out of the café and towards the parking lot. Diana had no clue what dinner was, but at this point she didn't care. They could eat at McDonald's and she would be perfectly content; all she cared about was the fact that she was going to be with Artemis.

**********

"Well this evening was certainly lovely," Diana said, coming to a stop in front of her front door, twirling around to face Artemis. "Thanks Arty."

"You're welcome, Diana," Artemis replied. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

The girl said nothing, but smiled up at him before pulling him into a tight embrace. Artemis stood there in shock for a moment before he hugged her back, forgetting that this was completely normal for a couple. This whole dating thing was going to take some getting used to, but he was positive this was a challenge he could handle. As Diana rested her head on his chest, Artemis recalled there was still one question he wanted answered.

"One more thing," he began, "are you ever going to tell me what you were really going to say on the phone?"

Diana pulled away from him, just enough to look up into his eyes. "I was going to tell you that I..." In mid-sentence, the girl stopped herself.

"Go on," Artemis encouraged. "You can tell me."

He watched her carefully as she pondered her next words. "Well... what I was going to say was rather... unfitting for the time, and even now I'm not sure it's appropriate," Diana explained. "But if you really want to know, I will tell you." Artemis nodded, causing Diana to continue after taking a deep breath. "Fine. I was going to tell you that... I love you."

Those three words danced around Artemis' thoughts for a few moments. They were words he hadn't heard spoken to him by anyone outside of family before, and he was honestly unsure how to react to them. While his brain tried to figure out what to do about it, Artemis took notice to the warm, blissful feeling beginning to course through him. A smile formed on his lips as he continued to stare into Diana's brown eyes.

The two stood there in silence, staring deep into each other's eyes. It was this moment that Artemis found himself moving closer to her. He wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but he knew better than to try to fight the natural urge that was coursing through his being. Ever so slowly, his eyes slowly closed and his lips made contact with hers. Almost instantly he had caused Diana to practically melt into him as she kissed him back with as much passion as she could muster. Within moments, Artemis himself had relaxed, and he had actually begun to enjoy the kiss when Diana slowly pulled away from him.

Artemis stood there, practically breathless for a moment before he said anything to her. "I love you too," he said quietly.

Diana hugged him tightly again before pulling away entirely, although she was still grinning ear to ear. "Well, I should probably get inside before the mosquitoes make a meal out of me," she joked.

"That you should," Artemis chuckled. "I'll see you again here soon, alright? Take care of yourself until then. I'll... message you later?"

"I would very much enjoy that," Diana replied joyfully. She gave Artemis a quick kiss on the lips again before concluding, "Good night, Arty."

"Good night," Artemis said, watching her open the door to her home and stepping inside.

Once she was safe inside, Artemis made his way back to the car. When he sat down in the driver's seat, he took a deep breath as he relived what had just happened in his thoughts. And then he remembered...

Holly is never going to believe this...