This chap was originally going to be combined with the last one, but I was like naaahhh there's too much here so I should split em up. I want to keep with shorter chapters as best I can so I don't get too bogged down in my writing, like I sometimes do in May I, and to split up the narrative changes. Anyways, enjoy!

...xXx...

Diedrich darted overtop his group of children and quickly put himself between the ensuing fight. He circled around Roderich and his two guests, waving off his feisty sons.

"No one is killing anyone," he barked, giving Vash a look before turning to the rest of the group. "I will not tolerate violence, from anyone." He gave a harsh glance to Gilbert in particular.

Said merman gave him a cheeky grin, raising his hands innocently as he retreated back over to the group.

The alpha turned his stern stare towards Abel, expecting his son to also be backing down. He was wrong.

The younger male was caught in a staring match with Vash, both baring their teeth and growling. Diedrich circled his way, more baffled than angry. Usually Abel was the level-headed one of his sons, more laid back and relaxed. He purposely floated in between them, giving his son a curious stare. Abel grimaced and lifted his left arm, showing off a long, pink scar down the length of it, from his cerulean wrist to pale elbow.

Abel tried to crane his head around his father, growling some more, "That one attacked me."

Diedrich sighed. Ah. Of course.The male vaguely recalled his son coming home with that injury some time ago, out of breath and fuming. He was about to reply when a harsh snap sounded from behind him. "Then you shouldn't have been in my territory."

"The sun-spot isn't in your territory."

"Yes, it is."

"It's in the reef."

"The reef that's in my meadow, you moron."

"Why you—!"

"That is enough."

Diedrich's bellow was enough to silence all the chattering around him, and any residual growling or snarling. Abel quickly relaxed his huffed up stance and swam over to his sister, Emma patting his tail as he grumbled behind her. The alpha crossed his arms as he stopped in front of his children, his back to Roderich, Vash, and the youngling. This was certainly a needless waste of time. They had to get moving again if they were to make it before sun down.

"There will be no fighting, meine Kinder," he stated as firmly as he could. "Vash is the one who found Roderich—"

"More like enthralled him," Klaus quipped.

Diedrich shot him a look. "—and stopped a tiger shark from killing him. So you will all show him a bit of gratitude. Or, at least, leave him be."

A few confused yelps piped up among the group, loudest of all was Elizabeta's. "What? There was a shark?!" she cried, instantly rushing past him to see if Roderich was alright.

"Is he hurt?" Bazil whimpered, following the mermaid to try and spy his elder brother.

Diedrich caught the youngling around his waist and held him firmly in his arms, giving him a comforting squeeze. "Roderich is fine, Vash took the blow for him," he recounted quietly. He remembered the panic when he saw the predator charge at his son, unable to do anything from where he was, and the utter relief that filled him when the green merman had tackled his boy out of the way.

The large, black-tailed male patted Bazil's ashy hair, giving a serious look to all his children. "If anyone decides to attack these two, for whatever reason," his hard blue eyes glanced to Abel, "Then I shall take it as an attack on myself. Is that understood?"

He turned to look at his guests and was relieved to see that Vash had calmed down. The spotted male nodded his head to the him in thanks as he pushed off of the merman beneath him. The smaller blonde paddled a few feet backwards and held his arm out for his sister, the youngling quickly swimming over to him. The mermaid carefully hid behind him, holding his hand tightly as she stared under his arm at the rest of them.

"He still hurt Abel," Emma called, leaning against her younger brother as he sulked behind her.

The male turned his head to the side, mumbling, "It was over a cycle ago."

"Doesn't look like he'll be hurting anyone any time soon," Gilbert chipped in, gesturing at the jade male.

The alpha noticed that the dark cloth wrappings around the merman's injuries were completely saturated with blood and his skin was ghostly pale. Vash held himself up as best he could, his torso rigid, hiding his pup as best he could—but the older merman could easily see the strain such a stance was putting on him.

Diedrich finally glanced at his purple-iridescent son, expecting him to have said something by now.

Roderich was just staring at the emerald spotted male, completely transfixed. Like a fish mesmerized by a shiny rock. Diedrich blinked, shocked; recognition dawning on him as he saw the look in his son's amethyst eyes.

One of pure, unfiltered desire. His pupils heavily dilated, reflecting absolute longing. Eyes that were glazed over with a blurry, scorching heat.

A heat he knew too well.

No. Oh no.

Before he could react, a loud singsong voice echoed through the water towards the group. "My, my, can't we all just get along? We're not savages."

"Baba!"

A little periwinkle blur whizzed past his hip and tackled the side of Roderich's head, causing the mauve male to yelp in fright.

Killian knocked them both into Elizabeta, happily squealing as he hugged around his brother's face. The mermaid easily caught them and giggled at the two, cooing and petting Roderich's arm. The violet male groaned and tried peeling the young pup off of him, to no avail, and simply settled into Elizabeta's side as the small merboy rubbed his cheeks all over his.

"Ah, see? This is much better than all that bickering earlier." Soft fins brushed against his tail as Alexius came up beside him, and Bazil tried to wiggle in his arms to get a better look at the other male. Diedrich didn't have to look at him to know he was smiling.

"At least there was no bloodshed," he said quietly. "Well, more of it anyway."

"And ahhh, wouldn't you know it? Little Vash, you've grown so big!" Alexius cheered, wrapping an unwanted arm around Diedrich's shoulders. Bazil snickered at his father's face. "You finally filled out that stubby tail of yours."

Diedrich could have sworn he heard the spotted male mutter under his breath, something about his tail expressly not being stubby.

He glanced back towards Roderich, pleased to see the male had fully snapped out of his trance. He was desperately trying to keep up with whatever Killian was babbling to him as Elizabeta gave him a thorough lookover for injuries. She whapped him over the head when she found his arm wounds, scolding him for being so careless. The large black-tailed merman released Bazil and spun around out of the other alpha's grasp, beginning to swim towards the drop-off. He stopped at the edge, looking out across the dark blue before him. He cocked his head to the side and made sure his voice was loud enough to be heard by everyone.

"Let's get moving."

...xXx...

Meine Kinder - my children
(again, I believe that Diedrich would speak a bit of German)

Since Bazil (Slovakia) doesn't have any official colors to him yet, I decided for him to have dark, ashy brown hair with pewter-colored eyes, and a dark grey/slate colored tail and arms. He also wears a cute little black ribbon around his neck that Diedrich found on a boat! Evicka (Czech) is very similar but more dark brown than grey and with brown eyes, and has a matching ribbon for her hair! (Diedrich cut it in half for them to share)

Which, by the by, all the merfolks hands are usually colored up to their elbows with colors matching those in their tails. (Vash and Lilli's arms are jade colored and Roddy's are silver)

Anyhoo, I hope ya'll are enjoying so far! There's more fishy, flirty antics to come!