My finding Nemo Fan fiction

I dedicate this finished chapter to my new friend Aqua Aussie. Enjoy and feel free to offer any tips you may have.

Chapter 4: Meet Teresa

The sun was already high in the sky the next day, and Teresa was 'knocked out'! Her injuries had put her right to sleep, and she was snoring loud enough to wake the dead. Suddenly, there was a knock at her door. Teresa didn't wake up, she didn't even move. After some time had passed, the visitor let himself in, it was Nemo.

"Teresa, wake up," Nemo whispered nudging her gently.

Teresa continued to sleep soundly.

"Teresa, puh-lease wake up," he said pushing her more than before.

"Awww, come on Nemo. Five more minutes?" Teresa pleaded.

"No, you've gotten enough sleep."

"Three more minutes?"

"No."

"One more 'minutes'?"

"Oh, come on."

Teresa got up and stretched. Suddenly, she froze.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" She screamed.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? What's wrong? What's wrong? What's wrong?" Nemo said rapidly, as he swam back and forth like his father did when he was worried.

"Owwwwwwwie!" Teresa sobbed as she fell back into bed.

"Oh, still a little sore from yesterday huh?" Nemo asked.

"A little?" Teresa thought. "I feel like I'm paralyzed!"

She had been in a lot of pain yesterday, but at least she could move.

"Come on, I bet we can find some medicine to help you," Nemo reassured as he pulled her out of bed.

They swam off out into the hustle and the bustle of the reef.

"I don't see why we have to get up so early anyway," Teresa yawned.

"Teresa, it's almost 3-," Nemo corrected.

"Exactly, that's way too early."

"-In the afternoon," Nemo said finishing his sentence. "There's so much I want to show you. I can't wait to introduce you to everybody."

"What's the rush? We've got all day."

Off in the distance, Nemo saw his friends; Tad, Sheldon, Pearl and Squirt.

"Wait here. I'll be right back," he said.

"Take your time," Teresa replied.

Nemo swam over to them.

"Hey guys what's new?" He asked.

"Nemo, did you hear about the barracuda attack yesterday?" Tad inquired excitedly.

"Or about the weird fish that chased it off?" Pearl added.

"Yeah, I-," Nemo started to respond but was cut off.

"That was so totally awesome!" Squirt cheered in his high pitched voice.

"I would love to meet that cool fish," Sheldon said, before sneezing himself out of the conversation.

"Well-," Nemo started but was again interrupted.

"I wonder if he lives around here," Tad pondered.

"I wonder where he came from," Pearl said.

"Actually, SHE-," Nemo tried to answer again, but once again was interrupted.

"I bet he has super powers," Squirt exclaimed.

"Like super strength or super speed," Sheldon added then sneezed himself out of the discussion again.

"GUYS! I could take you to see the fish that chased the barracuda off!" Nemo yelled finally getting a word in.

"What! Why didn't you say so! Let's go!" Tad shouted impatiently.

Nemo led the way back to the awaiting Teresa.

"Ta-da! Introducing the one and only, Teresa, the rare Pina Colada Clownfish!" Nemo announced merrily.

Teresa struck a pose, and Nemo's friends gazed up at her like she was crazy (which they're probably right).

"Ha ha Nemo, very funny," Sheldon said sarcastically. "Now where is the real fish that beat up the barracuda?"

"Right here. She did," Nemo answered.

"But she's a girl," Tad huffed.

"What's wrong with being a girl!" Pearl yelled angrily. "I think she did do it."

Nemo ignored as Pearl and Tad bickered, and continued with the introduction.

"Teresa, these are my friends; Tad, Pearl, Squirt and Sheldon," Nemo proclaimed as he pointed them out.

"Awww, these are you friends? They're so cute!" Teresa smiled as she threw her fins around Tad and gave him a big hug.

"No P.D.A.! No P.D.A.!" Tad shouted as he tried to break free of Teresa's public display of affection. "You're embarrassing me!"

Nemo and the others laughed at Tad.

"You guys are like cute little dolls. I feel like I need to collect you all," Teresa said, giving them all the big hug she'd given Tad.

Squirt blushed a bit, after receiving his hug, and then inquired, "Did you really beat up that barracuda?"

"Yeah, I can hardly believe it myself, but these scratches and bruises don't lie," Teresa replied.

Nemo's friends all gazed at her scathed body.

"Whatever," Tad spurned. "She probably got those from falling down while doing ballet or some other dumb girl sport."

"Shut up, Tad!" Nemo, Pearl, Sheldon, and Squirt scolded.

"Where are you from?" Sheldon asked Teresa, and then sneezed violently.

"The big U-S-A!" Teresa smiled proudly.

All the kids, with the exception of Nemo, turned to each other and gave one another puzzled looks as they debated what in the world "Usa" meant.

"Hey guys," Nemo said interrupting the dispute. " I was showing Teresa around the reef, would you like to come along?"

They broke up their mini congress to join Nemo and their odd new friend on the tour.

Nemo wanted to be the one to introduce Teresa to everyone, but his friends quickly took over. So he, for the most part stayed quiet because her attention was already being split four ways. Why split it again? As Tad, Pearl, Sheldon, and Squirt went on and on about the beauty of the reef, Teresa kind of let it all go in one ear and the other so to speak.

"Nature, blech! They should burn it down and build a mall," she thought to herself.

The group swam onward, over the residents' sandy yards, and through kelp forests. Teresa looked around at the creatures of all sizes on her face; a gaze of wonderment, in her mind; complete disgust. Not so much at the populace itself, but more at the lifestyle. In her normal environment, she was an edgy, high maintenance kind of fish. The thought of hard work and having to do it yourself, was definitely not her bag. In fact she was amazed that a couple days ago, she'd built herself a home, (and a stylish one if I do say so myself, and I do) and just yesterday had taken on one of the reef's fiercest predators in tooth-to-tooth combat! What had she been thinking! She could've been killed! Just then she stopped swimming as the veracity of her situation, which often left her, came rushing back. Teresa looked down at her scarred fins, the same once flawless fins that had graced many commercials, magazines, and books. She thought about how on days like this, she'd sit in her tank and laze about in front of one of her owner's numerous wide screen plasma TVs, and watch SpongeBob or whatever else she liked. She'd chill in her beautifully designed tanks, where her gills filtered out life-giving oxygen from her imported brackish mineral water, chock-full of vitamins to promote healthy gills and scales. And now here she was out in the wasteland, where she was breathing……? Breathing……? She didn't want to know what she was breathing! She fell to the sand, and slipped into the role she was born to play; the drama queen.

Teresa coughed and gagged, which caught the interest her previously bickering traveling companions, who turned to see if she was ok.

"Teresa, you alright?" Nemo asked.

"Can't breathe," she wheezed in reply.

"You were breathing just fine a minute ago."

"I was insane with delirium a minute ago."

Once he knew she was alright, Nemo relaxed a little. He came to the conclusion she was having another one of her episodes, and rolled his eyes in disapproval. However, his friends delighted in her silly antics and laughed till their little sides were sore. Once again her high–strung nature was thrown into a tailspin, at the joyous sound of laughter. Teresa truly defined what it meant to be a "clown" fish since the slightest sound of mirth caused her to forget all her troubles, especially when she was the source of amusement.

"Water! I need water!" she cried, this time just for kicks, although she really would have preferred her mineral salt water to that of real deal.

"No more! No more!" Tad shrieked with laughter thinking one more giggle and he'd bust a gut.

"Come on, Teresa. I want you to meet our teacher," Nemo said pulling her fin to get her to move.

Suddenly, all her accumulated pain was thrown into agitation.

"Ow ow ow! Ok, you win! You win!" She yelled, quickly giving up her game and rubbing her sore fin. "Why don't ya just tear my whole freaking arm off why don't ya?" She thought in her head.

"Sorry," Nemo apologized. "Mr. Ray will know exactly what plants will make you feel better."

To Teresa, the medicine didn't even matter anymore. After her daily dose of laughs, she was good to go. But she went along anyway. She'd probably feel even better if she could make this "Mr. Ray" laugh too.