PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE READING THE STORY! ONLY TIME I WILL RANT! PROMISE!

Alright. I'm gonna say something before we start. The first few chapters will be similar if not the same to the other route. I'm steadily editing the stories so they have more interactions between the OC and the paired canon character. The more you review, the faster I will edit/update. I don't have much me time anymore so I'm doing this when I can because I want to, and if people show no interest, I will drop it and move on. I like hearing your thoughts. Tell me if you think I should add things or if a scene seems forced or anything. Tell me if my character seems off. I will not ignore you if you actually comment. Want me to reply, then speak, don't just put, 'Needs more fluff.', or 'MORE Canon/OC!' when I have multiples of this story with different pairings. I won't respond to simple things. But if you go on a rant about something or talk about a particular point in the story you like, I will reply and I might end up adding more like it to the story. Please, don't rant about the pairings since I couldn't choose without feeling bad about leaving those who wanted the other pairing hanging so I made 2 stories to fix that. I will also add an Omake Theater Fic with short stories featured around events that either didn't fit or was unrelated to the story. Like a chapter about the OC's brother since people commented about liking him. Just give me time since I have a lot to balance out in my life but I won't stop writing if you give me reviews.

PS. I'm a good listener so if you need to just rant about random stuffs, PM me, don't put it in a review. I can answer PMs through my Phone so I will reply even if I'm at work. Sometimes it's just the need to tell someone, even if that person is a stranger, that helps us move on in our lives. I live by that, so I will not ignore or push you away.

Thanks for listening. Enjoy the story.

Chapter 1 - Fixing Broken Things

Four children lined up before the glass. Wide wondering eyes watching the flashing scales and shiny fins of little fish as they darted back and forth in the massive aquarium tank. They had been standing in that same spot for the last 7 minutes. They were waiting for it. No, not it... her. They had glimpsed her just as they had approached the tank and she had mainly stayed far from the glass as possible.

A mermaid.

The kids had been brought to local aquarium the weekend before their relay at the local swim club. They had been struggling to increase their time and the coach had decided to encourage them by surrounding them with aquatic wildlife. But it wasn't the fish that had their attention now.

The shining tail and copper hair flashed in the rippling lights as she fled to the surface, disappearing above the tank viewing window as she had done many times before. Then she dove back into sight. A wonder filled amusement shining in her eyes as the girl, no older then the boys themselves studied them from the watery depths. Light grey blue eyes watched as a smile split her chubby cheeks. Tilting, she rolled, the swaying ends of her tail fin flickering as she stopped herself and flipped backwards. Her fiery hair pulled into two ponytails and decorated with seashells floated about her head and shoulders, weightless in the water. A simple cloth wrapped her shapeless chest in soft green shades, matching the shining sea green tail.

Two of the boys, both standing next to each other, placed their hands on the glass, adding to the countless fingerprints left there by other children that day. She smiled again and swam up disappearing once more. Anxiously holding their breath, the four children watched and breathed out in relief as she reappeared once more, placing her hands over the boys own. She if she could touch them just by mirroring their positions.

One of the kids suddenly spoke up. With his deep blue eyes shinning. "I wanna swim with you." he stated and the read head beside him agreed immediately.

"I wanna swim Haruka and mermaid." he stated loudly. The blonde and brown haired boys besides them eagerly joined in placing their own hands over the others as if would communicate their thoughts and feelings to the girl. Her smile saddened as she shook her head before a confused look overcame her. She leaned closer to the glass her nose almost touching it before she fled to the surface once more.

When she didn't return, he boys unwillingly left the room to see the other exhibits. Meanwhile, the girl latched onto the edge of platform over the tank, arms shaking from the feeling racing through her. She had wanted those boys to swim with her. She felt like she had made some form of connection with them. Her role and their enjoyment of her role left her heart racing. No one had stayed for more then a minute, leaving the moment to rose for air. But those boys had... They hadn't left her. And that made her strangely happy. When she went back down, the boys had left but the feeling of knowing they had believed in her for just a moment stayed with her.

Haruka jerked awake and ran his fingers through his hair that slight feeling of loss as the childish wonder left from his memory faded after the dream. It had been years since he had thought of that little mermaid girl. Not since Rin left for Australia. Now that Rin was back, the memory had returned. And Nagisa wanting to make a swim club probably had brought it back to. What did it mean to him now? He had dozed off in during his free period while Nagisa and Makoto worked on getting the club together. Though it wasn't long before the showed up with a teacher in tow. Miss Ama in fact.

And the reason for their approach was... to fix the old pool. Only, they weren't the first ones to get there. On the far end of the pool with their back turned to towards them, was a girl with red hair. At first they had thought it might be Gou. But her hair was longer, redder and braided. At Ama's statement that they had to restore the pool, the girl turned around to focus her silent gaze on them. They ignored her for the moment to stare that horrifying sight of the overgrown and damaged pool. When Makoto and Haruka nearly bolted from the thought of the work, Nagisa and Miss Ama grabbed them. It was only when they climbed into the pool to start pulling weeds did they really pay the girl any attention seeing as how she joined them. Kneeling down to pull at a thick weed, she tossed it past Makoto into the pile they had begun.

"You don't need to help. This is the swim club's job now." Makoto stated though he didn't approach her due to his hands being tangled in the mess that had over taken the pool. She shook her head.

"I want to help. I had been wishing this school would get a swim club." she stated softly that he barely caught what she said.

"I'm Nagisa Hazuki! What's your name?" the bouncing blonde asked as he almost rolled backwards pulling out a particularly stubborn weed.

"Zuko Amara" Her eyes flitted from boy to the next before studiously focusing on the plant tangled around her fingers.

"I'm Makoto Tachibana. And that is Haruka Nanase. We are the new swim club." The brunette gave her a gentle smile. She took small notes of their personalities. Makoto was easy-going, probably a middle-man too. Trying to find the middle ground for any sticky situation. Nagisa seemed outgoing and childish. And Haruka, he seemed the withdrawn and silent type. Not bothering to show outwards emotions, or just can't figure out how to display them. Zuko was shaken out her thoughts when Nagisa called her.

"Zuzu-chan! What were you doing up her in first place? Isn't it lonely?" he asked as he came over to work on the patch of vines in front of her. She shied away from the closeness but answered anyway.

"I was hiding." Pink eyes stared at her in confusion.

"Ummm..." she mumbled and stuttered once or twice but the boy had gotten the gist of it.

"Lets be friends!" he exclaimed loud enough to draw the attention of the other two boys.

"Why don't you stick with us?" Makoto offered and she looked up, startled by the question.

"You mean, you don't find me weird?" she asked as she tossed another thick root to the side.

"Not at all." Nagisa laughed.

"I-I think... I think I might just take you up on that offer-" she was cut off when Nagisa pounced on her, laughing as he welcomed her to the gang. She was moderately quiet, almost bordering Haruka's stoic silence unless she talked to directly, and only then gave small comments or answers. She seemed shy though the one or two times she had laughed promised a shining personality if she would just open up.

Zuko spent the rest of her afternoon helping clear out the pool and the four managed to get it done before they left, Makoto taking a minute to explain that they needed to fix the cracks. So they would go shopping for materials tomorrow with Ama's permission. With a small, shy smile, the only female student present nodded.

"I'll be there."

The next morning the boys found her dressed in a tight tank top with fish designs splayed across the chest, arms hidden by a large baggy jacket and comfortable leggings with simple sneakers. Red curls were tucked up into a paper boy cap that had a paint splatter picture of a dolphin and a few pins decorated the brim. Standing beside her was Miss Ama who had made some comment that had the girl giggling by the time they had arrived.

"And what took you boys so long?" the teacher exclaimed, though her smile said it was more joking then serious. But Makoto answered honestly that they had to fetch Haru. With the explanation out of the way, they climbed into the car. Nagisa in front to guide them the a shop he was familiar with while Makoto and Haruka decided Zuko should sit between them, considering she was the skinniest there. She immediately grew very quiet throughout the ride despite the boys attempts to pull her into conversations. Every turn made her slid into and press against the swimmers next to her. And each time she would mutter a soft sorry before sitting upright again. It wasn't til the store was insight that the teacher and chauffeur had brought up the fact Zuko had said she never really had any contact with boys before now which explained her withdrawn personality.

Once they left the car though, she seemed to loosen up a bit and offer the boys a smile. Maybe she could speak to them on the ride back. The group had followed behind Makoto who knew what they needed for the pool. Zuko left the aisle once the boys found the correct one to go and look at fish tanks and the colorful critters that inhabited them. She followed a particularly bright angelfish until a shout drew her attention.

"Haruka no!" whipping around she stared in surprise at the boys restraining their friend from climbing into a tank.

"You don't want to climb in there anyway" she stated as all three boys tilted their heads to look at her. She pointed at the label on the bottom left corner of the tank. "Snapping turtles."

Once Haruka had reluctantly redressed, she took a place next to him and gripped the sleeve of his jacket in her fingers.

"I'll watch him. You get what we need. I'll find some of the water treatment chemicals so we don't have to come back for a while" The employee who had stopped to watch them nodded at her in thanks before getting back to work. The chemicals were on the other side of the store, away from open tanks so Haruka wouldn't be tempted. The stoic blue eyed boy had stayed silent, taken to simply watching her as she dragged him down isles handing him a tub of chlorine tablets and picking up a pair of cleaning nets and some water testers. She trotted back to the front of the store to wait for the other two to finish and together they paid and left.

The ride home was a bit more enjoyable since she built up the courage to ask why Haruka stripped in the store. The short ride ended in her laughing at the boys making comments about Haruka's water obsession. They had spent to much time in the store though. So the fixing would have to wait til the next day. Waving, she wished the boys a good night and climbed into Miss Ama's car once more as the teacher offered to drive her home.

By the time Zuko had reached the pool 2 days had passed, the boys had worked hard. Her brother had been picking her to take of a few things for her weekend job. A job she would prefer the boys not find out about yet. She didn't want to hide it directly. If the boys found out, then they found out. She just wasn't going to announce it to them right now though. She had taken to joining the boys during lunch and when Makoto opened the door calling for Haruka she glanced in the direction of the pool. The boy had been there since lunch started. The boys had done an amazing job considering the prior state of the pool. her thoughts were cut short when the bell rang. Back to class.

"Why don't you get out of that chair and help us?" Nagisa claimed loudly and the teacher responded almost immediately. Her explanation of UV rays and getting older made Zuko absently consider getting suntan lotion though she she knew without a doubt that she burned through it anyway.

"Don't worry about it." a voice spooked her and she twisted around to spot Haruka looking at the hand she rubbing along her shoulder. She blushed slightly before spinning from him.

"I wasn't gonna worry about it." she stated though Nagisa almost tackled her from behind.

"Zuzu-chan has pretty skin. She would look good tanned"

Zuko was saved by any further comments by the arrival of another girl. Her name was Gou but she preferred Kou seeing as how her name was boyish. Zuko knew her name was a boy's name but didn't bother making a deal out of it, though Zuzu-chan was growing on her. Then another thought popped up into her head. For the first time in years, she had friends.