Disclaimer:

Remember the abyss? The screen is just like this. Black. You can't see anything at all. Ain't it annoying? Soon, you hear a familiar voice (let's pretend you do hear it, right?).

JC doesn't sound happy. "I thought we already left the abyss . . . Where the heck am I?" Silence, then suspicion. "Hmm, where is Dot? Dot? Bet she's up to one of her pranks, tsk. Dot! Probably planning a scheme. Dot!"

"Quiet! Shh!" She is from ahead of JC, apparently, and he tenses. If a Damselfish hisses at you to be quiet, that usually means she's up with something.

"What are you trying to do?" JC says, squinting to see better in the pitch black.

"I'm trying to catch my love."

" . . . Oh? How so?"

"The Abyss chapter inspired me. Look."

A beam of white light bursts in the darkness, fiercely bright, and it's aimed straight for JC's eyes. Yelping in surprise, the Blue rubs his blinded eyes. Dot is nearby, holding, out of all things, a tiny waterproofed flashlight. She's grinning blithely, easily balancing the flashlight at JC for a moment before she lowers the beam.

JC opens a sore eye and points at her. "Next time, cast that light away from my eyes, ok?"

"I would if you weren't in the way!"

"Anyway . . . how did you get that sparklelight?"

"Flashlight!" She again aims it at his eyes.

JC doesn't move, simply closing his eyes. "Flashlight."

"Good fish. Now, in the Abyss chapter, the Anglerfish used her light to attract prey."

The Blue then smirks. "Now, dear, you needn't use a light to lure your prey. You only need your charm."

Dot doesn't look like she's appreciating the comment. Instead, she speaks back in her natural language, "Je vous ferais ma proie, joli garçon."

"Yeah, whatever. So who is the lucky lad?"

"Gurgle, of course!"

JC watches her face to see if she's serious. Oh, yes, she's deadly serious. ". . . Even after I freed him from you in the last disclaimer?"

"Yes, and - " Dot sharply aims the beam at him, her eyes afire. " - if you try to do that again, after I'm finished with you, you'll be lucky to still have gills!"

"I'll keep that in mind." JC shakes his head knowingly. "Even so, you don't even exist in Pixar's reality of the Great Barrier Reef."

Dot rests the flashlight on her back, grinning slyly. "Doesn't stop Mademoiselle from using her imagination, then."

The Blue looks worried and he glances up. "Are you serious about let her doing it?"

No. Just let her dream.

"Oh, right." JC already regrets to test the Domino, for she likes to prove that she's right. "And, Dot, even if you do win Gurgle's heart - " His voice dropped " - the poor boy- You will have to fight other females to get him. I believe there are several who love Gurgle, too."

The Domino cackles with madness. "Let them try and steal my Gurgle away! No one can stop me from loving Two-Tone! NO ONE!"

JC shakes his head sadly. It's too late. Gurgle is doomed. He then looks to you. "You know the disclaimer, right? No ownership here. Ok. Now let me lead her out of your way. Dot?"

"Yeah?"

"I believe I see Two-Tone out there."

"GURGLE!" Flashlight ready, Dot darts off in the search of the Gamma.

"Ciao," JC waves before he follows her. This's too good to pass.

Chapter Seven: Failure

There were four days left.

Nemo drifted near the wall closest to the window, gazing out to the harbor. The calm waters relieved him every time he looked upon them, but at the same time, the sight saddened him. Knowing that the sea was so close yet so far wounded him. He knew it was useless to brood over his problems. He wasn't his usual self lately. The thought of that fish killer coming so soon frightened him, and even the other fishes' confidence and warmth didn't help him much.

He'd grown to love his new friends already, and he knew that they were watching out for him. He grew close to each of them, but Gill and Peach were the closest. While the rest were like friends and playmates, Gill and Peach were almost like parents to him.

Gill may be not the best father, but he was like a second father. He was Marlin without all the precautions. Gill was serious, stoic, but laid-back and let Nemo learn on his own, learn his mistakes. He taught Nemo how to swim correctly with his lucky fin, for a start. Gill was the only one who knew how since he was crippled, too. Soon, Nemo was swimming in perfect balance, not if fast enough, using his left fin to steadily push against the waters, beating his right fin twice as fast to hold the balance. Also, Gill was warming up to him, and he's never done that to anybody else but Peach, the others fishes had told Nemo. Gill was the antisocial type, despite his leadership to them.

Peach was so sweet that it was difficult not to like her. She had such a warm heart and was willing to lend an arm - she had several - to comfort. After talking to her, Nemo found that she was the first resident of the tank and was wise in her years. She was knowledgeable of the surroundings of the dentist's business and beyond. She seemed to know what to do and how to say the right thing, and Nemo got attracted to her for her gentle voice and kindness. She reminded him of what a mother should be - kind, sweet, and loving.

Still, Nemo yearned for his father. Desire for his father saddened him farther because he knew about the fear of the ocean his father had that kept him away from his love of the ocean. He doubted that his father would be searching for him by now. He was too afraid of the ocean. That was why whenever Nemo gazed upon the harbor, he felt saddened by the fact that his father wasn't there looking out for him.

He heard the soft movements that he recognized as Gill's swim as the Moorish Idol swam up to his side. He was comforted by his presence, but it didn't help much.

"You miss your dad, don't you, Sharkbait?" Gill questioned gently.

"Yeah . . ."

"You're lucky to have someone out there looking for you."

Nemo sighed, his sadness increased at the words. "He's not looking for me. He's scared of the ocean."

Gill observed the little one, his hard heart softening slightly at the face, then looked up to his other friend. "Peach, any movement?"

Peach was keeping an eye on Doctor Sherman, the dentist, who was drinking a cup of black liquid. She twisted off the wall and answered, "He's got four cups of coffee. It's gotta be soon."

"Keep on him."

Nemo's drifting eyes locked up on the object that kept him inquired for awhile - Gill's severed fin. It didn't look ugly, but it was disfigured. Half of it was gone, torn by something sharp, and the healing progress didn't look right on it. The fin bones were clearly seen, barely hidden by black scar tissue. Nemo was astounded at that, and often he tried to gather up courage to ask Gill about it, but never did, his courage rapidly faded at the sight of the solemnity.

Nemo gazed toward Gill's face and was startled to see the ruby eyes watching him. Embarrassed, he looked away, wondering what will the leader do to him for disturbing his privacy.

"My first escape," Gill spoke simply. "Landed on dental tools. I was aiming for the toilet."

"Toilet?" Nemo asked in puzzlement.

"All drains lead to the ocean, kid."

"Wow . . . How often did you try to escape?"

Gill grunted. "Ah, I've lost the count." He lightly swam along the wall, Nemo following at his side. "Fishes aren't meant to be a box, kid. It does thing to you."

Nearly, Nemo overheard the laughter of Bubbles as he played with his bubbles. He agreed with Gill about that.

"Potty break!" Peach announced as the dentist headed for the bathroom. "He grabbed the 'Reader's Design'. We have 4.2 minutes."

The Moorish Idol grinned at the Clownfish. "It's your cue, Sharkbait."

The fishes were there at the filter, most giving support and encouragement. Gurgle was the one who was worried; he protested to the plan from the start, not wanting little Nemo to endanger his life for the Tank Gang. Nemo understood his concern, but he wanted to prove that he can help, not being dead weight to them. He glanced up to the filter and then became conscious of what he was going to do. He was going to enter that machine, supposed to stop it from working. He wondered how dangerous it could be.

"Now, once you get in, you swim down to the bottom of the chamber, and I'll talk you through the rest," Gill was saying.

He hesitated, unsure of the hazards. "OKay . . ."

Gill smiled with confidence. "It'll be a piece of kelp."

The lad inhaled in a deep breath and went to the surface. He eyed the water wheel, which was spinning, pushing out clean water. When he first observed the wheel, he was worried that he was too big to get inside, but Gill had pointed out that there was a space on the top of the spokes, just big enough for him to squeeze through. Nemo did so, leaping out and squishing into the filter. Incredibly filthy water entered his gills and Nemo coughed, shuddered at the scum taste.

"Nicely done!" he heard Gill's voice clearly through the filter. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah!"

"Here is a pebble." After a moment, a small pebble splashed into the filter, spat by Gill. Nemo carefully caught it in his good fin. "Now, do you see a small opening?"

He turned, spotting a breakneck-spinning gear inside some column, he guessed. "Uh-huh!"

"Inside it, you'll see a rotating fan. Wedge that pebble into the fan to stop it turning."

He gulped, but was determined to do the duty his friends entrusted him with. The currents caused by the gear were surprisingly powerful and he had to struggle a bit to move forward. Holding the pebble tightly, he tried to place it beside the gear. He got it too close and the pebble violently leaped when the gear struck it. If he wasn't holding it tightly, the pebble would ricochet off. It would harm him that way.

"Careful, Sharkbait!" the Moorish Idol warned.

"I can't do it," Nemo whimpered. The mistake started familiar worry.

"Gill, this's not a good idea," he heard Peach distinctly saying.

"He'll be fine," the leader insisted. "Try again!"

With Gill's voice supporting him, Nemo carefully followed his directions. Steady and steady. He put down the pebble beside the gear and gingerly impelled it closer and closer until one of the spokes slammed on it. And stayed there. The gear stopped! The water stopped flowing! He did it! Nemo beamed, leaping in jubilee. "I got it! I got it!"

He heard cheers from outside and he felt elated by it. "That's great, kid." Even Gill sounded glad. "Now swim up the tube and out."

Nemo nodded and squeezed through the opening up into the tube. He remembered what Gill said on the first day: alternative his fins and tail. The tube was tight, but he fitted fine, wiggling through the glass tunnel. He heard a very faint crackle, but didn't pay attention. He wanted to join in the cheers. Just closer and closer and he will be -

The wheel started spinning. He felt water being drawn back in the tube backward. S-something was wrong! He didn't get it right! He yelled, "No, no, no!" as he was pulled closer to the dangerously-spinning gear.

He heard alarmed yells, and then he saw a plant being pushed through the tube. He heard Gill's anxious "Sharkbait, grab hold on this!" He understood and struggled until he bit on a leaf. He relaxed slightly, and then the leaf tore off. It flew off and sucked right into the gear. "Sharkbait, grab it!" Finally, the lad got his mouth around the branch.

"Got it!"

"Pull!" bellowed the Moorish Idol, yet the fishes didn't need to hear the order to pull.

Nemo felt the smooth glass rushing by, and he finally was out of the filter. He stumbled into a pile of panting and shaken friends, and then he recalled what could've happened to him. Fear crept up in him, and he began to shake, burying himself under Peach's arm.

Peach tenderly held him, feeling wet tears from the lad, then eyed the Moorish Idol, who had freed himself from the pile. "Gill." Her friend bristled and gazed back. Sure enough, she was surprised to see guilt burning in his face. Yet, she must defend the lad's safety. "Don't make him go back in there."

Gill gazed at the crying Nemo and shook his head ashamedly. "No . . . we're done." With that, he darted for his skull home, unable to face any fish.

A/O: This scene caused me to start a speck of hate toward Gill for making Nemo doing it, but then, when I noticed the guilt in his face, I now understand. Not even mysterious, dark fishes are perfect. He just reacts differently to the problem. *hugs Nemo and Gill*