Disclaimer: I do not own Futurama, any of the characters, nor the brilliant mind of Matt Groening. I do not make any money from this: Entertainment only.

Summary: Fry is rejected by Leela for the last time, and to make matters worse he loses his job. He goes over the edge, literally, and tries to end it all. Howeve he is saved by his mermaid friend and she grants him a special gift and the promise of never having tio feel lonely again. The gang feels remorse for their hasty decision, and try to find him but he's gone. When they finally meet up again, how will they all react? Will Leela and Fry finally get together? Or will a beautiful mermaid with a siren's seductive voice win Fry over forever? I am planning on making a sequel to this story, but I would like my readers opinions on which direction to go in. Please vote and give me your honest opinions. Also, don't forget to review. They are precious, desired and appreciated, Thank you, all.

Pairings: FryxUmbriel

(maybe) FryxLeela

"OUT! OUT! OUT!" The purple-haired Cyclops screamed.

Once again, Philip J. Fry from New York of 1999 had been thrown out into the street. He had professed his love for the only woman he had ever truly vied for, and she had taken his heart, thrown in onto the ground, and stomped on it like it was garbage. Fry looked back at the doorway that offered the only glimmer of light into the night and he stammered,

"B…. but, Leela…I lo…."

(SLAM!)

His last hope disappeared within that door, and the last look that he would ever behold on his beautiful Cyclopes' face was one of pure hatred. Oh he had done it now. He made the biggest mistake of his life: trying to propose to his ladylove. He had done everything right: the romantic dinner to Elzar's Restaurant, the candlelit background which provided the mood lighting, and the gorgeous holophoner song he had written just for her. He had gotten down on one knee and pulled out the gold ring with the small, yet dazzling, diamond set into a beautiful pattern and he had been rejected like yesterday's garbage. He was now walking down the narrow alley, staring at the ring in the small velvet box. He sighed, closed the box and placed it in his jacket pocket. He could only be thankful that rain had begun to fall which masked the tears falling down in face. He walked past Planet Express, but didn't stop. He thought to himself,

"I can't go back to work. As soon as the Professor finds out, I'm as good as jobless. What am I going to do?"

He somehow made his way back to the Robot Arms Apartments and made his way up to the room that he and his roommate shared. At first glance, the space seemed no bigger than a broom closet, but then opening the door in the back revealed a hidden space that was utterly monstrous. But it was messy. Fry walked into the space and waded through the empty Slurm cans, the discarded robot porn magazines, and other general debris. He reached the space that served as his sleeping area, took off his signature red jacket and flopped on his bed that resounded in a loud metal 'clang' and a yelp of pain from the distraught redhead.

"BENDER!"

"Whaddayawant, meat bag?"

"Go sleep in your own space! I've had a rough night."

"Ooooo, I'm Fry; I have emotions, nyah nyah nyah."

"BENDER!"

"All right, all right! I'm going! Yeesh, what's a robot got to do to get a little privacy around here?"

The smart-mouthed robot emerged from the bed wearing, for some reason, a pair of blue and white striped pajama bottoms but before he left Fry alone he turned around gave him a nasty look and said,

"Oh, by the way Fry: bite my shiny metal ass."

Fry picked up an empty can and threw it at Bender who retreated with a yelp and some very audible mutterings about 'death to all humans'. Finally Fry was able to lie down, but sleep did not come to him that night. He tossed and turned thinking about the way that Leela had rejected him again, and he made up his mind. He simply would not do it anymore. He was tired of having his heart stepped on and tossed around. He tried to think back to the happy times; all the adventures that they had gone on together, but it brought little comfort. The next morning he reluctantly pulled himself out of bed, and showered. He went to the kitchen to have some breakfast, but Bender had taken the liberty of doing it for him.

"Great. Just Fantastic. If I'm not gonna die of heartbreak, whatever Bender made will definitely kill me," Fry thought to himself.

Bender emerged from the kitchen stirring something in a bowl that was a putrid shade of purple, and said,

"Hey listen, man, I wanted to make last night up to you so I'm making pancakes!"

"Oh. T…. that's great, Bender. Thanks."

"I don't understand why you fleshwads gotta eat anyways. Stupid humans."

Bender disappeared cheerily back into the kitchen and Fry turned a quick shade of white which contrasted starkly with his hair. Then he quickly got up, grabbed his jacket, and ran out the door, not even bothering to dress. Bender took just that moment to come back out from the kitchen holding a platter of purple cakes drenched with some kind of viscous, snotty chartreuse substance that was quickly turning the color of poo. Bender yelled after him,

"Hey Fry! You forgot your pancakes! I made them just for you!"

"I'm not really hungry right now, Bender. I…. I'll see you at work."

"But, Fry…."

It was all Bender got out before the door was shut. Fry vacated the area as quickly as possible breathing a sigh of relief, but it came too soon. He passed under the window that was on the kitchen side of his apartment, and he was splattered with nasty purple pancakes and that, now mostly brown, viscous substance. As he spluttered and tried to shake himself free of the nasty goo, he heard a mocking voice above him laughing and pointing out the window. Fry shouted at his roommate,

"I'll get you for this, you…. you…stupid metal…urg…Person!"

"Bite my shiny metal ass, and enjoy your pancakes!"

The maniacal, mechanical face disappeared leaving Fry alone, once again. He trudged his way to work, dressed in his jacket and pajamas, and messy from the remains of Bender's 'cooking' which had begun to harden into a type of crunchy cocoon. As he walked in the door, Beaurocrat Grade level 36 Hermes Conrad met him with an official looking document.

"Hold it right there, mon. We got some business to discuss."

"Oh, Hermes can't I at least shower first? I'm can't really move."

"Out of da question. Now den, I was informed by our staaship coptain dat you attempted to perform item 2202345 B item 25 subsection 110 without proper beaurocratic approval. Is dis true?"

"I tried to perform item…. what now?"

"You tried to ask her to marry you widout signing and filing de proper papers, she voided your request, and now you expect dat you can just waltz in here like no' ting happened? Oh, no mon."

"Okay, so what do I have to do?"

"You can get out of here, and take your 'tings wid you, mon. You are no longer an employee of Planet Express. 'old out your hand."

Fry looked dejectedly at the ground and dutifully did as he was asked. A sharp stab of pain, a quick drop of blood, and his career chip was out of his hand like a flash. Hermes walked back inside leaving poor Fry out and alone once again. He truly had nowhere that he could go now. His best friend had dumped garbage on him, he was sticky and messy, his one true love had rejected him for the last time, he'd just lost his dead-end job, and to top it all off, he was still in his pajamas; in public. What a way to start your day. So he walked. He walked until he got to a transportation tube, and he requested to go to New New York Harbor to Liberty Island. Maybe there he could find a place to rest his troubled mind. As the tube rocketed him along to his location, the joy that he usually felt that came from the feeling of flying was just not there. He landed on the balcony that the greenish tube had let him out at and looked out at Lady Liberty who had somehow made it through the last 1000 years. Her torch still glowed with the promise of freedom, but all Fry really wanted was freedom from his life. He was sick of it. Never more in his life had he felt more alone in this world. He began to feel his feet and legs creep slowly upward until he stood on the precipice of the railing. He looked up to the sky and cried,

"GOOD BYE, CRUEL WORLD!"

and he flung himself from the railing to the waiting waves below. It was not to be. As soon as his body hit the water, he was knocked unconscious, but strong arms grasped him and carried him back above the waters surface and swam away with him. Fry awoke to the raucous sound of seagulls and the gentle thunder of the waves on a beach. He sat up and looked around him, but he didn't recognize the surroundings. He thought to himself,

"Is this heaven? It must be, but where are all the angels?"

Then he cried out,

"Hello? God? Saint Peter? Anyone? Hello?"

"Why hello there, sleepyhead."

Fry gasped at the sound of the voice and looked in the direction it came from. Who he saw filled him with more delight and joy then he had felt that day. He ran to the figure and hurriedly embraced her with the passion of a long-lost friend.

"Oh, Umbriel! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Well, I'm happy to see you too sugar, but I have to know…. why in the name of Atlanta's Airport would you try to kill yourself?"

Fry released her from his embrace, stared at her for a second and sat up on a rock. He put his face in his hands and explained what had happened that had driven him to the point of near self-destruction. The mermaid put her arms gently on his shoulders letting him know that someone was there for him. She picked up the red jacket that had somehow stayed with them during their swim and she gently said to him,

"There, there darlin'. It wasn't right of them all to treat you like that; even your own family throwing you to the lionfish. Mm-mm, if anyone in Atlanta did that, they'd be outcast for the rest of their natural life. Family don't treat family like that."

"I know. I feel so...wait a sec…what were you doing in the New New York harbor in the first place?"

"Oh, well I'm on a bit of a vacation. Ya see, I wanted to see more of the world, and so my daddy told me that he too felt it was high time I saw some of the sights the ocean has to offer. So I packed up a few of my things and I took one of the chariots to see what's out there. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, I suppose."

"Oh. Sounds exciting."

"Oh, I'm sure it's not nearly as exciting as what's on land. But then again, after hearing what they done to you I guess I'm happier livin' where I am."

"Wish I could go with you. There's nothing left for me up there."

"Well, darlin' you can if you want to."

"Whaddoyamean?"

"I mean, silly, that I still need a proper escort for my trip and none of the other merboys were respectable or responsible enough, and not all that nonsense about mermaid magic is all nonsense."

Fry just stared stupidly at her. Umbriel sighed and explained further,

"Darlin', if ya'll want to come with me, just make a wish on this."

She gave him a gigantic pearl the size of a soccer ball.

"What is this?"

"Oh, Mr. Fry I had forgotten how full of childlike wonder you are. Just hold it in your hands, like so, and say your wish."

"So I can wish for anything I want?"

"That's right, sugar. But there's only one wish there, so if you wanna come with me you gotta wish yourself to be a merman."

Fry thought about it, a miracle in and of itself. He considered the life he'd be giving up, and the family he'd be leaving behind…. and the woman he still had strong feelings for. Then he made up his mind; if Leela didn't think that he was good enough for her, then there was someone right in front of him who did; and he was going to take the chance. He looked at the glowing pearl and the gorgeous siren next to him. He said,

"I'll do it. Giant glowing, um, ball thing…. I wish to be a merman."

The pearl began to glow even more brightly and then it melted onto his legs covering them completely with an opaque shell. Suddenly, Fry felt pain like no other he had experienced before. He screamed as he felt the bones in his feet flatten and elongate, and his legs fuse together into a giant tube. His ankles were joined and his feet became far more flexible than any human foot ever should and when the process was finished he passed out from the pain. When he awoke, he was still lying on the beach, but sunset was approaching. He sat up rubbing his head and mused,

"Unnngh. What happened? I can't move my legs. Wait a second."

He looked down only to realize that his legs weren't there. They had been replaced by a long graceful fishtail which ended in a wide, semi-split fluke. It was coppery colored and glimmered in the sunset. He screamed at his new appearance and tried to stand up, only to fall flat on his face to which he was rewarded with a mouthful of sand. He heard giggling coming from behind him and he saw Umbriel in the water beckoning to him.

"I suppose that might take a little gettin' used to sugar, but if you'll just scooch your way over to me, I'll show you what needs to be done."

Fry put on his jacket and used his arms to try to the water but he tired quickly. But then, an urgent feeling: he felt like he had to get into the water or he would die. He was quickly drying out! He scooted along the loose sand as quickly as he could and made it so that his upper torso made it into the surf, and then his hips, and then, mercifully, the rest of him. He flapped his arms about in the water completely forgetting about the powerful fluke behind him, but he made it to Umbriel. She was a patient swimming coach and she showed him how to use his new appendage to the best of his ability. Within an hour, Philip J. Fry was swimming faster and more powerfully than he had he had ever before. Then Umbriel told him,

"Well, come on, darlin'. I'm bushed, let's tucker in for the night."

She dove under the waves expecting her friend to follow her, but when she looked up she saw that he was still treading water, so she made her way back to the surface and asked,

"What is it, hon?"

"I can't breathe underwater. You know that."

"Here, take my hand."

"Huh?"

"Just take my hand, and we'll go down together."

"No! NO! I can't breablblblblblblbl!"

She took him under the gentle lapping waves with her patient hands, and as soon as the panicked merman released the air from his lungs, and breathed in the brackish water, he found that he could filter oxygen from the water and use it. He could breathe! And even better: he could talk! He swam through the ocean shouting with all the abandon of a young boy, going faster and faster and faster, up, up, up until he broke through the surface of the ocean and cried,

"I'M KING OF THE SEAAAAAAAAAAAA! YEE-HAW!"

and he made a rather ungraceful ker-plunk back into the water, but Umbriel was enjpying her friend's passion for his newfound abilities. As soon as he reached her, Fry exclaimed,

"This is the best feeling in the world! I…I can swim; I can breathe underwater; I'm super fast; and I've got someone who cares about me for me! Not just what I can do or who I can be! I love you Umbriel!"

He embraced the mermaid and kissed her passionately, and after that kiss she replied,

"Oh, Fry…I love you too. Come on; let's go and see the ocean together."

"Oh, you got it babe. I never have to worry about anyone ever rejecting me again! This is the happiest day of my life!"

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