Howdy howdy howdy! I am now obsessed with a certain Disney Movie that is only my life now. rip me

Sunlight streamed through the water, casting a glow on the soft sands below. The sound of laughter could be heard as small fish and sea creatures chased each other around the underwater glade. Seaweed drifted in the current as a small surgeonfish darted through the waving fronds. A huge smile on her face, and humming occasionally, she swam to her favorite spot, at the edge of the undertow. Everything was perfect. She was finally with her parents, her friends, and life couldn't be better.

Gazing out at the blue sea beyond, she remembered how she had talked with one of her friends, a worrisome clownfish, at the very same spot a few days ago. He was right - She did have the tendency to...wander, she thought, was a better word than 'get lost', when she was over by the edge. At least...she thought they had had that conversation. Ever since finding her parents, however, the surgeonfish found that she was able to remember things clearer and faster.

"Family is a miracle," she said aloud.

There was a sudden swishing sound. The yellow and blue fish jerked upwards, and quickly turned to find the source of the noise.

"Kid - Eh, Dory. Marlin and Nemo are wondering where you are."

Dory smiled as a seven-armed octopus burst out of the kelp behind her. He shook a piece of seaweed off of his head, and crawled over to where she was floating.

"Hey, Hank! Pretty view, huh?

Hank briefly turned to look at the view, and immediately turned back to look at her. "Class has ended. Marlin wants to talk to you. He didn't say why - But he sounded pretty serious." Dory stared at the septopus in confusion.

"Is he okay? Is Nemo okay? I thought he was so relaxed now that everything's back to normal." Marlin, the clownfish, had been a lot less irritable now that things were finally settling down. He had become good friends with Dory's parents, and they loved to talk about the adventures Marlin had - Though Dory had seen Marlin cringe many times while explaining some of the...not pretty parts of the journey.

"Dory? DORY!"

Dory whipped around, realizing she had started gazing off into the distance again. Hank was looming above her, looking frustrated. With a start, she realized she had forgotten what Hank wanted. "Heh...Uh, want did you need again?" Dory asked sheepishly. Hank sighed.

"Just...go see Marlin. He wanted to talk to you."

"Thanks!" Dory hugged the septopus and swam off.

...

Swimming in the cove where she, Marlin, Nemo, and her parents lived, Dory realized there was no-one in sight. Drifting uncertainly toward Marlin's anemone, she listened when she heard a voice come from the shelter.

"Nemo, please go! I told you, I'm having a grown-up talk with Dory."

"What? I'm practically all grown up!"

"Son, why don't you go talk to Mr. and Mrs. Tang? I'm sure they'd love to hear more about how brave you were when you were captured."

"Fine..." A small, dejected clownfish swam out of the anemone, passing by Dory. Dory waved, and Nemo smiled slightly and waved back. Dory giggled as she watched the small fish swim to her parents' house.

"Dory?" Marlin asked. Dory gasped slightly, and turned to Marlin. "Oh, hi, Marlin! Wait...what did I come here for?"

Marlin answered, "I...need to talk to you." He gestured over to her home. "It'd be easier to talk there."

Dory nodded, and followed the clownfish to her home.

"So, what's this about? Are you alright?" Dory asked. Marlin shook his head, and gazed out the door to the ocean beyond.

Finally speaking after a moment, he said, "Dory...Things, well, just haven't been the same since my wife and eggs...passed away." His voice choked up slightly. "For so long, I could only think about Coral and the kids who would have been." Dory, realizing that this was something serious, drifted closer to Marlin. He didn't seem to mind. "That just...kind of plagued my life - not the thought of my wife and children - but the constant weariness and guilt and stress."

"Wow...Marlin, I-I'm so sorry..." Marlin interrupted her by holding up a fin.

"But...then you came along. You helped me find the son so dear to me, and you did what you thought was impossible at first - Finding your parents. But look! You did, and I...well, I owe you so much. You've just...helped me see that life, even though it can take away, gives many opportunities to bring new life." He stared lovingly in the direction where Nemo had left. "...Thank you, Dory."

Dory was shocked. "M-Marlin, I don't think I really deserve that. I mean-"

"Dory, you do deserve it. I want to stress that when-ever it comes up."

Dory stared at Marlin, but her face suddenly broke out into a grin. "Y'know, I could say the same for you. Without you and Nemo, I never could have found my parents!" She said happily.

Marlin smiled as well. "Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. I'm sorry if I got too emotional-" He blushed. Dory laughed.

"Nah, it's fine! Just keep swimming, okay?"

"Of course."

Dory smiled, but as she turned to leave, she noticed a strange expression that appeared for half a second, so quick she wasn't sure if she actually saw it, on Marlin's face. It looked like...disappointment. Like he had wished she said something different. But what?

Dory, deciding she was getting to worked up over something small, just shrugged and swam away to find Destiny.