The girl returns often. In fact, she comes at least once a day, sometimes twice. She always comes early in the day, at almost the same time every day. He has learned to wait for her, because sometimes she is a little late, but she always comes. He knows to get up earlier, and eat his fish, and then to go sit on the big rock, as the sun washes over him, and wait. She always comes.

He likes her. She chatters at him, and he watches her as she swings her little human legs off the bridge. He makes chattering noises back at her some times, but it's all nonsense. He tried talking to her once, but she just giggled at him. She doesn't understand. When the water plant blooms into pretty whites and pinks, he tries to give her one, but she is too far away. His arm can't reach up to the piece of land, and she doesn't go to the places where he can reach. He wonders about that a lot. He even tried to coax her off of the high land above the water by waiting for her by the area where he could reach her, but she doesn't come. She just shakes her head and keeps chattering.

He wonders if she's afraid of him, if she thinks he will hurt her. He wouldn't, she's too pretty. Maybe it's a strange human thing. He wants to give her the pretty water plants, and he wants to touch her long golden hair, and he wants to know what her pretty skin will feel like. He wants her to come to the edge of the water, where he can reach her, but she does not. It makes him sad. He hates this no touching thing that humans do. It isn't fair to just take him away from the ocean, where his kin could poke and prod, and caress, just to put him here.

When he gets very sad, he thinks about hiding from the girl, but he never does. He wants the attention, needs it. Even if it's only from a human girl he can't reach, that sits with her feet dangling down at him, he needs the attention. His kin don't live alone, they aren't like sharks, they need and rely on others. He likes the girl most, but he can't reach her, and that is painful. She is always to far away, and she never accepts the things he tries to give her. If it was any other situation, he'd be mad at her, but he can't afford it. She comes every day, and he needs that. He's so afraid that she'll stop. He doesn't dare do anything about it.

Orange does not come often. There are discernable patterns, but they keep changing. He learns not to expect Orange, because if he waits and expects, Orange often does not come. If Orange came at regular times, he would catch fish for him before he came. This is because Orange is a runt and because he wants to spend every moment he can with Orange, but Orange doesn't come at regular times. One night here, afternoon a few weeks later, morning three days later, late in the evening a month later. He learns not to wait, because waiting hurts. He would rather be happy about a surprise, than upset about waiting, so he learns not to wait.

Orange always brings him things. Usually strange food, but other things too: sharp stones, flowers that are not in his area, glistening stones, lots of things. He would be happier if Orange came more, but he is still happy with the things. When Orange leaves, he hides them away in the folds of his nest, where he looks at them when he feels lonely.

But certainly the most important part of Oranges visits, is touching. Orange doesn't sit on the land above the water. He sits right at the water's edge, where he can be reached. This is because Orange gives him things, and needs to be reached, but he doesn't care why. He gets to touch Orange, another living thing that isn't going to fly away like the birds, and that he isn't going to eat like the fish. It's important. It's so important. It isn't enough, it might never be enough, but it is still so very important.

Orange does not talk much. He does speak every now and then, but it is very little. Orange does teach him human words though. Orange teaches him that the land plants he likes are called flowers. He even learns how to say the human word. Every time he does, Orange goes over and plucks a flower for him. It's the first human word he's learned since being called a 'pet' and being taken out of the 'tank', and the first nice human word he's learned.

It is one beautiful afternoon, that he learns why Orange does not come more regularly.

Orange is sitting close to the water's edge, with his legs crossed in a way that looks uncomfortable, when he goes down into the water. He found a very beautiful rock the other day, and saved it. He would have given it to the girl, but she never accepts his gifts. Orange does, so he gets them. He retrieves the rock from his nest, but when he gets back up to the surface, things are wrong. Orange is getting to his feet, and a large male human is coming towards him. The large human is barking, making angry noises at Orange, and he has something long and sharp in his hand. The adult isn't pointing it at Orange, but he knows what it's used for. It hits him very suddenly, that Orange is not suppose to be here. This large human is going to take Orange away, might hurt or kill him. It makes sense. That's why Orange doesn't come regularly, he isn't suppose to get caught.

The larger human is getting closer. Orange looks unconcerned, and unwavering, but he always looks that way. His brown fish eyes never show much. Orange should be scared, but if he is, Orange doesn't show it.

He does the only thing he can think of. In one powerful motion, he vaults himself halfway out of the water, grabs Orange's hand, and pulls. For the half a second that the two of them are falling in the air, Orange's eyes widen, and panic blossoms on his face. Then the moment is over, and they are both in the water. He can protect Orange if he's in the water, he's sure of it. What he does not expect, is Orange's ungraceful flailing, and the panic that takes over his normally calm look. He wonders what's wrong for a second, before Orange grabs onto him, and holds, gasping for air. Orange holds to tight, it's uncomfortable, but he doesn't care. He quickly backs away from the shore, and from the large human, making sure to keep Orange's head above water.

The large human is not happy, he is yelling and almost looks scared. He doesn't understand these humans at all, but the water is his, the large human should just go away. He hisses and shows off his gleaming rows of teeth. The human is much bigger than he is, but he thinks in the water, that he'd win. As long as he stays far from the land, the large human can't reach him. If the large human does come in, he'll have to find a safe place to put Orange, but he'll be much faster. He is sure he can drag the large human down. All he'd have to do is keep him down until he stopped struggling. It might be hard, but if he has to, he can do it. He hisses in warning, reassured at the feeling of Orange's arms firmly wrapped around him.

He hisses at the large human in warning, and the large human just keeps yelling. The large human pulls down the pointy instrument that he knows humans use as claws, and points it at him. He backs up farther, and hisses louder, showing off his teeth. From behind the one human, he can start to see more coming. At first, it's just one, then another, then another. They're all gathered around the water's edge, and their faces are strangely afraid. He's the one that's really afraid, there are lots of them, and they're all there, hovering around his water. He keeps hissing and screeching at them, wanting them to go away. If Orange wasn't clinging to his back, he'd already be at the bottom of the pond hiding, but he is, so he can't.

Then Orange is talking, loud and clear, as if he wasn't gasping for air a moment before. Surprisingly, all the humans listen. They all stop their scowling, and their noise making, and they listen to Orange's calm voice. It's good, because when Orange stops talking, the big humans look at each other, and slowly start backing away. He watches in amazement as they all move away from the water, away from his water. He spares just a moment to look over his shoulder at Orange, who is also watching the other humans, then he shifts his eyes back to the retreating humans.

Orange's grip tightens with one hand. Orange lets go with the other, and points at the land. Orange wants to go back. He understands what Orange wants, but he doesn't comply. The large humans have backed away, but they aren't leaving, and there are many of them now. Orange seems to trust them, but he doesn't. Humans are bad, especially big humans. Especially big humans in groups. Orange is also holding on to him for dear life, it's the most contact he's had with anything since he was taken from the ocean. He doesn't want to just let these big humans take that away like they take everything else. But Orange keeps pointing, and he's nudging at his shoulder. Slowly, he swims over to the waters edge, and as Orange reaches for the land, he helps to push him up. He isn't sure this is a good idea. He's going to stay close, in case the large humans do anything, so that he can pull Orange back, but it doesn't matter. Orange gets to his feet and walks to the larger humans.

All he can do is watch, as they all chatter with one another. The large humans even look like they're happy. He doesn't understand. He doesn't understand at all. They start to push Orange away, and there is nothing he can do. Humans are strange, and he is worried about the whole situation. Are they going to hurt Orange? Are they not? What is going on? Did they think he was going to hurt Orange? It's all so strange. Some of the large humans are disappearing behind the mouth of the human place, but Orange stops, and doubles back. Orange goes straight towards the flowers, the ones that he's named after, and picks some. His steps are as sure as always, as he makes his way back to the water's edge. The larger humans look alarmed, and they start to turn back, and he hisses in warning. Orange doesn't seem to care. Orange reaches down, and offers the flowers. He takes them.

For him, they've come to mean 'thank you'. He is sure that's what Orange means. Even if the other humans don't understand, Orange does. That thought worries him, as he anxiously watches the other humans lead Orange away.

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AN: Slaine needs to figure out what his name is...I wrote Orange like a million times in this chapter, but trust you me, it is way better than playing the 'which of the many 'he's is this he' game, which you already had to play this chapter.