A/N: First Finding Nemo story! I love Disney-Pixar movies, though I'm not sure if this particular film is my very favorite of theirs. Still, it was on TV earlier, so I was prompted to write this little drabble-ish...thing. Yeah.

Disclaimer: I do not own it. But I wish I owned Dory. She's great.

Finding Something Wonderful

It was wonderful, really, being in love.

Feeling the warm, happy glow that came from spending time with that one special someone. Having a fish who cared about you as much as you cared about them - maybe more. Loving and laughing together.

Marlin had never forgotten Coral. She'd been his mate; they were going to be parents. She had been beautiful and sincere – all the joy in Marlin's life was owned by this one small clownfish.

And when Coral wasn't there anymore, Marlin felt cold inside. The glow was gone; she had taken everything with her to a place Marlin couldn't go. Not yet.

The one egg. All that was left of what were supposed to be their four-hundred offspring. The tiny creature inside…so alone and defenseless. It was a damaged egg, which meant a damaged fish. But Marlin didn't care. All he knew was that he had just one chance to make up for his lost family, and that chance rested with this little survivor.

He named his son Nemo. Because Coral would have liked that.

And as Nemo grew older, Marlin learned to be happy again. It happened very slowly – so slowly that Marlin didn't even notice, at first. Then one morning he woke up, glanced at his son, and smiled, for the first real time in far too long.

Yes, he was overprotective. He figured he had a right to be; he had lost almost his entire family because of carelessness. Nemo had a bad fin for the same reason.

Marlin knew that if anything happened to Nemo, there wouldn't be any place to hide from the overwhelming sadness that still loomed over him some days, like the shadow of a boat on the surface of the sea. Nemo was the only thing that kept him going; kept him warm.

When Nemo claimed to hate him, Marlin felt as though a fisherman's hook had been plunged deep into his heart.

And when his son disappeared, he had been certain it was the end.

Nevertheless, the courage he had lost along with Coral and their children returned to him stronger than before. It propelled him all the way to Sydney, Australia and back. He survived sharks, jellyfish, and whales and made friends with sea turtles and pelicans.

And yet…he couldn't have done it without her.

Dory.

At first, she had been a nuisance. He felt sorry for her, so he let her tag along, and eventually discovered she wasn't that bad after all – she was even useful.

He started to think of her as a friend. When she got hurt, it was his fault…and he saw Coral all over again. He listened to her more after that. The happy result was that he was reunited with his son quicker than he might have been otherwise.

And all three of them returned home. Together.

Marlin had thought Dory was only a friend for a long time. She was endearing, but she was a hopeless case in many ways. Even when she was with Marlin, whom she claimed made it easier to remember things, she forgot far more than she kept in her head. She was funny and loyal and great to have around – but she wasn't his type.

Or so he thought.

But…he couldn't explain away the warmth inside, the budding glow that sparked whenever she smiled at him. The natural laughter that bubbled forth from his very soul when he was with her.

The way she never, ever forgot his name.

Marlin had thought he had lost his capacity to love a long time ago. But maybe it was possible that his romantic instincts had simply gone into hibernation – waiting for the right time and the right fish to emerge.

Maybe now was that time.

"Marlin! Harpo's home from school!"

He smiled and emerged from the anemone to see Dory beaming at him. His heart flipped.

It was wonderful, really, being in love.

A/N: Tell me what you thought. It isn't the best I've ever written, but I thought it was a cute little Marlin fic.