AN:

Klaus and Leo shared a close Father-Son bond while Klaus as a love child from a teenage romance

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-Chapter Nine-

Zapp learned that changing his usual victim of teasing upon arriving at work was an idea he shouldn't have done. This person came in the form of the newest member of Libra being a female mermaid. He was ready to volunteer to act as her personal guide and translator through Hellsalem's Lot. Even spoke about having a few 'girlfriends' that could help her build a proper wardrobe of decent clothes.

"You keep this up; you'll be sent to a job sensitive class." Lady Taliyah passed Zapp with her arms full. "Cut it out!"

"…yea…." Zapp didn't even look Lady Taliyah's way.

She ended up sitting down the canvas bag she was holding to Gilbert calling to her son about getting his favorite snack. Would be pulled out by Gilbert and looked over by Klaus standing right next to him. Blush that brushed a cross his cheeks when reminded of the pocky game Lady Taliyah introduced him.

"You get Japanese melon?" Riesgraf asked.

"I got strawberry and chocolate banana." She adjusts her shawl. "All they had in stock."

Gilbert ended up handing the two boxes of pocky to Riesgraf, asking if he would like any tea with his snack. Got a wave of teen's head since Father Antonescu brought freshly squeezed juice for him to drink. Focused was placed on the bottle or two of fruit juice cartons sitting on the coffee table with no labels. Got a smile from his mother, she ended up pulling packs of different seafood from one of the bags before running into the next room where the cylinder tank was stored. Clicking of her heels would have caught Zed's attention. If he wasn't busy interacting and openly socializing with his newest tank mate. Smiles exchanged between the two of them had Lady Taliyah standing before the tank's glass. Her arms full of fish while others were all kinds of shrimp with some squid and canned tuna mixed in.

"You two having fun in there?" She happily asked. "I hope these were alright."

Around Zed's head would turn toward her and stare at her quite taken back by the variety of seafood she brought.

"Please help me pick which to feed you two." Lady Taliyah gives careful instructions.

She would climb a special ladder attached to this tank to a small platform sticking out of the top. Would be her place of sitting with her feet tuckered under and packaged seafood in both her arms. Zed would lend her a hand if he wasn't in a tank full of water and in a state of semi-undress. Riesgraf and Father Antonescu were ready to act, if she slipped off the platform and fell in the water. If from behind his desk and up that same ladder Klaus wouldn't be found beside her. She then kissed him on his actual cheek with barely any of her lipstick staining his skin or side burns.

"Don't they look so cute together?" She whispered to Klaus.

"Be best if we informed on him now before Zapp tries to scares her." Klaus answered.

Zed ended up tilting his head above the water he now floated in trying to understand what Lady Taliyah was saying. Not knowing of how mermaid was brought to New York, a fish vessel was apart of a trafficking ring. The crew of the fishing trawler would capture mermaids using standard fishing nets; among other harmful means. Left Libra to step in and learned of her existence in a metal tub of rainwater. Where she was taken and would be by people that held her hostage until a buyer was even found for her. Her temporary location was a local aquarium's isolation tank mending, and waiting for to be freed.

"He gets a girl and I'm stuck getting with abused an she-bitch while the chief has piece of arm candy that gave him a hell spawn." Zapp broke his silence.

"I have a name." Lady Taliyah heard what Zapp called about her.

Father Antonescu snickered at the comment about Riesgraf being a hell spawn before sealing Zapp's mouth. Riesgraf some what agrees with Zapp that his mom was a sweet treat on anyone's eyes. That she was a sight upon his father's arm, if she wore any of her more tailored corset gowns.

"Carrying on?" Lady Taliyah rolls her eyes.

Ready to help her climb down that narrow ladder after they were done sharing what she bought for Zed and his new friend. That he did as her way toward the corner of Klaus' desk where she sat. Perching her self on the desk's corner with her legs crossing as she fixed her skirt, so Zapp wouldn't stare. Way Lady Taliyah looked sitting there on only clean part of her fiancé's desk was a natural sight . One with grace of British charm and old world traditions rolled into mature form. Another gives off an air of a gentlemen that always gets misjudged as a beastly figure by others.

"Mr. Antonescu release Zapp's mouth, since we're going to need him." Lady Taliyah preferred a crude speaking Zapp over a quiet one.

Father Antonescu did as he was told as the newspaper Mr. Starphase was reading had an article about a gated-in community. Children would go missing for a total of three days and nights after a full moon. To only return to their parents as emotionless beings that only acknowledged you and basically function. Act eerily strange from forgetting to use a fork or even say their name when asked.

"This is going to be LeClaire's first case." Lady Taliyah was proud of her.

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Zed's new friend kept her distance from him when she watched him from outside the tank before joining her. Her appearance of human version of a fairy tale mermaid from bottoms half of a fish to top half a human. Scales completely covered her tail and most of her upper body for modesty sake. Whatever human features she had been heavily influenced by Marine Life she once lived among. Eyes that had two to three membrane eye lids that closed vertical and were transparent. Hair was slick back by her natural sleek she produce and bond by band made from a sea sponge. Her lack of actual nose and ears to her face as she stared at Zed; like she never saw a male before.

"Your name?" Zed quietly asked her. "You can call me Zed."

"Mizu." She barely spoke.

He then swims over to her requesting she show some type of battle ability if she were to stay with Libra (or him). Ready to show his Big Dipper Blood Battle Style to make her understand. To only witness she unfurling her tail and swim toward him as she blinks looking at him.

"Kiss?" She asked Zed.

Before he could answer her about what abilities she had or if she could even take a more humanoid form. His face was grabbed by her web clad fingers that had talons and scaled palms with rough finger tips. be drawn toward soft lips that ended up pressing to his own until he was released by her. Expression on her face as her whole being started to change from tail to pair of legs with webbed toes.

"Weird." She flexes her new legs.

She ended up twisting in the water to get a feel for her new found legs and a body more in a humanoid form. That had Zed blushing the whole time he watched her move around in histank. Seeing a uncovered female form with not a stitch of clothing on a scale clad form. Had Zed going wide eyed and ready to help cover her up her naked state.

"Need some help?" Lady Taliyah asked from outside the tank. "Don't worry, I sent Zed, Leo, and my son out to scout out our latest case."

Zed was the first one out of the tank when Mizu was right behind him rather struggling to stand up. She stumbled around on the small platform when she dragged herself out of the tank using her arms. Had her about too fall off the platform onto the hard wooden floor as she tripped over her new feet. Into Zed's arms she landed and in a state of shock about not ending up in Veterinary's office. He just didn't have his eyes open since he wasn't very comfortable with her VERY nude form.

"Let's get you dressed and find out your battle style." Lady Taliyah was touched by the picture.

Mizu quickly adapted to the all the clothes and attired bought to Libra's office just for her to wear. What she settled upon was outfit made from water friendly material that fit her form quite snuggly. Even the foot wrap with rubber soles she wore had her ready to show her abilities off. Requesting a few musical items to be needed since all she had was a voice she didn't want to use (before Zed). The maid formed a list on piece of paper before she went out and searched.

"You're a Siren?" Zed asked Mizu. "Means you're….."

"….NO!" She wouldn't let Zed call her a cannibal. "I throw up at the very thought of biting into a human. I've always been the weakest one among my sisters when I unable to kill and eat a lured male."

When she started to openly cry from terrible memories of her multiply siblings calling her scum for refusing human flesh. Instead of actual droplets of water coming from her tear ducts as she weeps. Teardrop shaped pearls fell in their place and onto the floor under her webbed feet. Be swept up by Zed slamming his hand down and creating a sheet of crimson colored material.

"Well?" Lady Taliyah asked. "Make sure to secure those."

"Sorry I get this way when I cry." Mizu tried to stop.

"It's alright dear; I have ability similar to what I do." Lady Taliyah sighs. "Crystalline Arrangement 49, Saphir-tranen{ sapphire tears}, countless tears flow from my tears ducts one after another forming perfectly rounded sapphires. Take on varies sizes that range from marbles to buck shot pellets that can be used for multiply reasons."

Mizu ended up sniffling as she tears started to dry up and leave her to have a small smile form on her face. Zed in turn would hand Lady Taliyah a tied up cloth made from his blood that held the pearls. Had Lady Taliyah already planning what she was going to do with these pearls given to her. Being that Zapp may plan to lure Klaus into one of his illegal fight nights to clear a debt. The pearls from a crying mermaid would be a nice way to clear Zapp's debt and bet on the side.