A/N: Wow, it seems like it's been forever since I last updated this, hasn't it? Well, truth time… for a long while, I planned on canceling this story, so I didn't bother with writing any new chapters. So that's why there was a huge delay between the previous chapter, and this one. But, just last night I re-read what I had written of this story and got back the inspiration I needed to continue with this! I just hope I don't cancel any of my other in-progress fanfics for this coming back. Right now, with this fanfic re-added to my list, I'm working on three stories at once. Eek, that's way too many… a lot more than I ever thought I'd be able to handle.

Now, you're probably wondering why all the reviews are gone, and the number of chapters is back to normal. Well, while trying to add this chapter, something on the site said an error occurred, so (and I'm guessing this happened the first time the chapter numbers messed up) it said I added the chapter there, but it wasn't there. So this time, instead of being only one number off, it would have been two, so I just decided to delete the whole story and repost all the chapters, including this one. But I did write down that I left of with a grand total of 58 WONDERFUL reviews. So I'll just keep track and add from there.

Disclaimer: See the first chapter.

Chapter – "At Moesko Caves: Part II"

Marlin was very greatful for the 'rock-light' he had, because the tunnel was pitch black, and turns seemed to come out of nowhere. And each turn was so sharp, and came so often, that Marlin felt like he was in a maze. But because that sounded too difficult, he pushed the idea away.

For the first longer part of the passage he was traveling, it was all one way. But soon enough, a split in the path appeared. But, thinking he knew what to do, Marlin asked the rock which way to go. As expected, the golden letters appeared – as another poem.

You are indeed in a maze

Just as you believed

But I cannot tell which way is right,

The right way to leave

Marlin sighed dejectedly. "Great," he whispered to the ground. "Just great… I don't know which way to go…" He stayed still for a while and thought of which direction to take. Since everything happening on this journey was out of the ordinary, he figured that maybe he should take past advice to find which way would most likely be correct.

Left or right Marlin asked himself. He knew one would lead him to the Powder Root that he came here for, and the other would lead him some place he didn't want to know… or find out. He had a feeling that this was going to be the first and only split path he was going to come to (if he took the right passage). So, he thought and thought for what felt like at least an hour. He tried to remember anything that someone in his past could have said that would somehow help him.

Then, at long last, it hit Marlin like a bag of shells. It was something that Coral had said to him long ago.

"Marlin? If we ever got married and lived together… then I would want to live on the East side of the reef. That place is so nice and peaceful… good things always seem to happen there."

Coral had said good things happened on the East Side. And East was in the right direction, so…. taking a deep breath, Marlin swam down the right tunnel. At first, nothing different happened from the last tunnel, but slowly, the light from his rock dimmed, and eventually went out. Marlin grunted, wondering what to do now. But without much of a choice, he just kept swimming, but very slowly to prevent running into anything… or anyone. Then, he saw why the rock had gone out: the tunnel was now glowing a bright blue. Curious, Marlin continued to swim down the passage, praying that nothing was going to pop out at him.

Then, Marlin reached a dead end. "Oh no," he moaned. He had taken the wrong passage! No, no! He grew even more frustrated than before, and dropped the rock on the ground. Then, just to let out his anger, Marlin turned and began to hit his head repeatedly against the wall.

Marlin continued to do this for quite some time, but finally stopped when he heard Dory's voice behind him. She was calling his name! Marlin spun around and his eyes widened at what he saw.

The rock that he dropped had a silver beam of light coming from it, and where the ray stopped, was a glowing ball with the image of Dory sleeping inside of it. She remained still, but he heard very clearly, her voice calling out to him. So, without thinking, he replied back, "Dory?"

"Marlin…" she said again. "Marlin, where did you go?"

Marlin was confused beyond all possibility, but he was going to leave all questions for later. Now, he had a way of speaking to Dory. "I'm here, Dory. You just can't see me," he answered. For a while, she didn't say anything, but she did ask him, "Why did you leave, Marlin?"

"No, Dory, I didn't leave you. I'm just away to help you with your sickness," he said comfortingly. He wanted desperately to reach out and touch her… make her feel better; she sounded so distraught. But he knew that wasn't possible now. He could only talk to her. Yet, he was very grateful for even this.

After Dory didn't reply for a while, Marlin decided to say something. "Dory… I want to apologize for all of this," he said quietly. "It's all my fault that you're seriously injured…"

"Don't blame yourself for anything," he heard Dory tell him. Good old Dory he thought. Always so forgiving and kind…

"Marlin?"

He looked up to the glowing sphere. "Yes?"

"Marlin, I've been wanting to tell you something…" she told him. Marlin nodded and asked, "What is it?"

She was quiet for a little it, probably thinking over what she was going to say. "Well, I wanted to thank you for… everything. You… you showed me what it's like to have a true friend, and completely changed my life. I mean, if I hadn't run into you that day, then I'd probably still be all alone, my memory problem even more severe. But, because of you, so many good things happened. I'm… well, I'm everything I am because of you."

Marlin smiled as she said her words. "Dory, you changed my life a lot too. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have gotten Nemo back, or turned me into a better father," he said with true honesty. "Dory, I promise I'll get back to you before it's too late. You mean way too much to me for that to happen. If… you left me, I don't know what I'd do. I…" he went quiet, leaving the rest of his sentence hanging.

"What?" Dory asked, a tiny bit of hopefulness sounding off in her voice. Marlin shook his head and said, "I don't know." It was true, he really didn't know what he was going to say. The 'I' had just escaped his mouth without a finishing word to follow. Subconsciously, almost.

"Oh," she said. He heard her take a deep breath. "You know, Marlin, you're my best friend. But it feels like there's something else there between us. It's really confusing, but it's like… well, whenever I hug Nemo, it feels complete. But when I hug you, it feels like there's something missing… something that should be there that isn't," she said in a concentrated voice. She sounded like she was trying hard to think of something.

Marlin comprehended very well what she was talking about, for he felt the exact same way. Something always seemed missing whenever he was with Dory. And it felt like there was something other than friendship between them.

"Yeah, I feel the same way, Dory. I know exactly what you mean, but I'm just as confused as you."

Then, Marlin noticed that the sphere was starting to get dim, and the light was starting to leave him. This had to mean that he was going to have to stop the conversation soon.

"Dory, I have to go now. I don't want to, but I don't have a choice," he told her. "Okay," she said, sounding disappointed.

"Dory, just hold on. I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Okay, Marlin," she said. "I… I love you… goodbye…"

Then, before he had time to answer back, the sphere disappeared along with the ray of light. Marlin just stood there, completely dumbfounded at Dory's last words. Then, he didn't even notice a small green bag appear in front of him.

~*~

The green bag turned out to have the Power Root inside it. After Marlin collected it, he left the tunnel, and was soon out of the cave and back in the darkness of the crevice. He swam upwards until the scenery of the ocean came back into view. It was dark now, and he was very exhausted and thoroughly confused.

Dory had said she loved him. Did she mean that she loved him as a friend… or something else? Marlin's head was spinning with all the questions running through his head… too many to handle. He shook his head, trying to push away what had happened. He didn't need to think of this now. He would ask her about it when he got back. For now, the only concern time would allow him to have was about getting Dory's medicine back to her before it was too late.