Ahoy there me mates an' fellow writers…

Guess wha'? I bring ye a new chapter… An' the longes' one ye'… A full twenty pages…

After much work an' patience…
(Pulls out the shocker pads and shocks life back into her Franken-Computer)

An' th' occasional threa' wit' mw trusty sledgehammer…

Bu' tha's wha' ye ge' fer using computer par's ye ge' from rummage sales…

So I believe I 'ave ended th' mutiny between me computer an' me… Fer now a' leas' fer th' time being anywho…

Now keep in mind tha' there be only a few chapters lef'…

Bu' no worries me mates an' beauties… There be a sequel in the bilge fer ye if ye wan' ta 'ave it…

Nos since I be a goo' little Pirate Dragon I'm jus' gonna thanrk me reviewers an' use th' little reply button… Hopefully me computer will be 'aving a good day…

So me readers…

Aqua Aussie
Lav'O'Dophin
An' th' res' o' ye, ye srurvy curs...

An' me newse' reviwer…

golden-eyedwolf842

Now… on wit' the fic…

Chaos reigned supreme throughout the 'Love Boat' the next morning. It was the day after the party, and much to their horror, the Mobsters had woken to discover that they had lost an item of great importance, and one sharkess.

Lenny and Leila.

It started innocently enough, early that same morning, when Aira was roused from her sleep by the filtered rays of the morning sun. The young therapist rolled out of her plush bed and slipped out of her room. Treading quietly, so that she would not disturb the other mobsters, Aira swam down the halls.

Aira was heading for the room that belonged to Leila, her intention being to check on her. Though they hadn't really discussed it, Aira knew that Leila hadn't managed to catch much sleep since she arrived at SouthSide. Naturally she was worried that her friend had experienced the same difficulties last night.

Leila's room was, luckily, close to hers. Aira swam across the short distance from her door to Leila's. She felt about for the doorknob for a few seconds until she found it and cautiously opened the door, just enough for a short glimpse inside.

Immediately following her short glimpse, Aira grabbed hold of the door with both fins. She threw it wide open, exposing the bed hidden within, her expression becoming an odd mixture of worry, consternation and disapproval as she looked down on Leila's bed.

It was empty.

Heck, it hadn't even been slept in.

"Oh boy." Was all she could manage to say as she stared down at the undisturbed covers. It did not take a genius, which Aira was (and she had the certificate to prove it), to guess that if Leila was not in her bed, then it was almost a certainty that she was to be found somewhere on the ship.

Not that much later, less than a minute actually, Aira was sneaking to Lenny's room. She had been in the room on one or two occasions in the past, but never with such a purpose in mind; to see if Leila was there.

With far more caution than she had displayed by Leila's room, Aira sneaked across the hall towards Lenny's room. As she approached the oaken door, she wondered just what she would say if her suspicions were founded. After all, this was not a situation Aira had ever thought she would find herself in.

She took a deep breath and reached out and took hold of the doorknob. Carefully, so as not to disturb anyone in the other rooms in the hall, Aira opened the door and found herself completely at a loss as she stared at Lenny's bed.

It was empty.

Heck, it hadn't even been slept in.

Aira took a deep breath. Let it out. She took another deep breath. Held it. Held it some more. After a beat she let it out in a protracted sigh.

"Don't panic." She told herself. Looking around the shadowy room, Aira again tried to convince herself. "Just because neither of them are here, doesn't mean anything's happened to them. They probably just went for a swim."

'At the crack of dawn? And without having not even slept in their beds?'

The panic Aira was trying so valiantly to resist began to set in at about this point. Without really thinking about it, she stumbled across the hall, and pulled open the door to Eddie's room and darted in.

"Eddie! Wake up! Wake up, Eddie!" she shouted, grabbing the softly snoring shark by the shoulder and giving him a rousing shake. When Eddie proved a bit too slow to wake for her liking, Aira grabbed him by both shoulders and almost hauled him out of his bed, shouting. "WAKE UP! Lenny's missing! Leila's missing! They're both MISSING!"

"Wha? Who? Whe? Huh? Wassit?" Eddie looked up at Aira with bleary eyes, clearly not fully comprehending what she was saying.

Aira resisted the urge to slap him a few times, settling for wrenching him back and forth to the point where he became a blur. As he struggled against her grasp, finally jolted awake from his slumber, she continued to yell. "LENNY AND LEILA ARE MISSING!"

"What? Aira? Are you sure?" He asked, looking at her in bewilderment.

"They're not in their beds!"

The details of the situation began to seep into Eddie's befuddled brain, not to mention the minds of sleepy Mob sharks, who had also been roused by Aira's shouting. Being the composed and sensible Mob sharks that they were, naturally they perceived Aira's aura of full-blown panic and immediately began to enter a comparable state.

So the search for Lenny Lino and Leila began.

Had anyone paused to take a proper look around, they might have noticed two heads, one with green eyes, the other with violet eyes, peering over the back of a couch in the lounge. The pair whose heads these were, watched the disorganized hunt for Lenny and Leila with wry, bemused smiles…

"Think we should let them know we're here?" Asked Lenny, stifling a laugh as a blushing teen shark scurried down the hall leading to most of the sharkesses' rooms. Obviously he had caught an earful from some of the girls, or perhaps even an eyeful.

"Not yet." Replied Leila with a roguish smile. She looked at Lenny with a fire in her deep violet eyes, feeling playful in spite of sleeping on the couch that night.

They listened for a time to the sound of people yelling and calling their names, accompanied by doors swinging open or being slammed shut. All in all, the search was something of a commotion, especially since it was completely unnecessary.

'All this fuss when we're right in front of them.' She thought. 'I guess it's true what they say about hiding in plain sight.'

Further suggestions as to when to end the 'search' were put on hold when the, until then, relative quiet of the common room was shattered by a cacophony of voices entering the living room. Apparently, having finished their search of the various rooms, the mobsters were now mobilizing for a search of SouthSide for the pair.

It appeared, from what Leila could discern through the noise, that the earlier pandemonium had only been a forerunner. Lenny's fellow Mobsters were working themselves into a state of mild to extreme panic. A fact that both of the 'missing' sharks found quite amusing.

Aira was pacing back and forth, her head ducked down in concentration, and trying to deduce likely spots to search for the 'missing' pair. Eddie, usually one to keep his head in a crisis, was rambling about having to explain to Lino that he had somehow managed to lose his son and a rogue sharkess.

"I think maybe we should let them know we're here now before they give themselves heart attacks." Leila told Lenny as the noise level in the lounge approached that of a post-Finball-match victory celebration. "At least before Lino finds out."

"What's going on here?"

Lino, woken by the entire racket, had arrived to investigate the noise, thus succeeding in bringing silence to the room. Only for a moment though as, after that moment passed, everyone present began trying to explain all at once. Naturally the resulting flood of worried voices was a completely incomprehensible babble that Lino, not surprisingly, seemed unable to make heads or tails of.

"Quiet!" Lino held up a fin, signaling the mobsters to shut up.

After a hush finally settled over the anxious mobsters, the Godfather surveyed his gang with a sharp eye. Finally he turned to the until-now-unnoticed couch. Folding his fins across his chest and raising an eyebrow he looked on with an impatient expression and asked. "Lenny, Leila, since the two of you seem the calmest, perhaps you would be so kind as to explain what all this racket is about?"

Leila and Lenny popped their heads up from behind the couch, much to the total amazement and disbelief of those searching for them. The two sharks looked from the gawking mobsters to the stern looking Godfather then each other. With a shrug they turned back to Lino and chimed in unison. "Don't have a clue…"

"I heard it from Chloe, who heard it from Anne, who heard it from Adriana, who heard it from Maria, who heard it from a very reliable source." A sharkess whispered to her group as they swam down the hall. "That went to the party together and left together and were found alone in the lounge without having slept in their own beds."

Leila looked up and glared the gossiping sharks as the passed the open study door. "Why must they gossip like school fish." She growled and paced the room.

"I can't blame them." Aira mused. "I mean after you were found sleeping with Lenny." She raised an eyebrow. "So most (mostly Maria) think something 'happened' between the two of you, and you should know how fish talk."

Leila growled and tossed her book against the wall. "Great just what I need more stardom down here." She grumbled and sank into the chair, her fins crossed angrily across her chest.

"Did I come at a bad time?" Eddie asked sticking his head into the room and noticing the rather irritated sharkess. "Or are you too busy with Lenny?" He said, smirking at the already angry sharkess.

Leila sat up and growled. "No he's not here. And I would rather like it if you make somebody happy. Mind your own business."

"I come in peace, Leila." He swam cautiously into the room. "I just need to talk to you." He turned to Aria seated in the armchair. "Alone, please."

Aria looked between the to sharks, dark purple glaring into violet. "Are you sure, because I'm sensing great hostility between you two."

"Don't worry. We'll be fine." He said, his dark purple eyes never leaving the rogue's violet orbs. "We just have some things we need to 'sort out'."

"Alright." Aira said reluctantly. "Just don't kill each other, please." She slowly left, leaving the former North Reefer with the rouge sharkess.

"I want the truth from you!" He roughly pushed the coffee table to the side. "Where is she!"

Leila raised an eyebrow. "Where's who?" She tensed her fins. "What are you talking about."

"You know who I'm talking about. Dani. You have her necklace. What did he do with her?" He growled, flicking his tail in aggravation, causing the light to catch the white spot on his own tail.

"Pardon me, but you've obviously mistaken me for someone who gives a damn." Leila growled and slowly backed away from him, raising her fins. "I have no idea who or what you're talking about."

Eddie only growled and swung at her. Leila blocked the punch and aimed a jab at his gills, which he easily blocked by catching her fin. He raised an eyebrow. "Is that the best you can do? You have no offence."

Leila growled and pulled back her fin. Eddie smirked and swung once again. Leila ducked and saw her opening, giving him an uppercut to the face. Leila smirked. " I've come across decomposed bodies with more defense than you?"

Eddie wiped away the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Well, you know what you're doing, I'll give you that." He smirked at her "But a sharp tongue is no indication of a keen mind."

Leila narrowed her violet eyes. "You know, all that you are you owe to your parents. Why don't you send them a clam and square the account?"

Eddie's purple eyes flashed dangerously. "Never, EVER talk about my parents!"

Leila smirked, apparently she struck a nerve. "What's wrong, no more of your funny remarks to toss out? That's sad, that's all they were good for."

"It's because of sharks like Carvati that destroy families!" He growled and started punching at her with all his might. "He cost my parents, and Dani."

She managed to bring her fins up and block him but not before taking a hit to the shoulder. She growled and rubbed her shoulder. "You know, I've only got one nerve left, and you've snapped it." She answered with her own volley of punches striking several times in the gut. "Like I told you, I don't know who you are talking about. How dare you accuse me of a crime I didn't commit."

They broke apart battered and bruised. Eddie glared at the sharkess before him, anger radiating from her violet eyes. The anger slowly melted from. "Fine. But watch your back, cause if you put one fin out of line, you're finished." He growled and left Leila with her thoughts.

She rubbed her shoulder as he left, his words confusing her. Who was this sharkess, this Dani, and what she had to do with Eddie and Carvati.

In cases like these, one might want to get it from the source, and she wasn't about to ask Carvati. So an ex-lieutenant is your next best bet…

Leila tossed and turned in her bed later that night. Dreams once again plaguing her sleep.

Dani…

Dani…

"Leila."

With a growl and a flash of her knife later. She pinned the intruder in her room to the wall, her knife pressed hard against his gills. "Don't give me a reason not to gut you right here where you swim."

"Leila, get a grip! It's me!" Joey choked out. "Let go!"

"Joey?" Leila pulled back her knife and dropped the Tiger to the ground. "What are you doing here?"

Joey gasped, circulating water back over his gills. "Can't a shark come and visit."

"Not in the middle of the night they can't." She sheathed her knife and tossed it on her bed. "And not when they're treading hot water with a rivaling Don either." She crossed her fins. "I have a feeling that is isn't just a social call."

"Well Carvati annoyed, DeSoto's worried, and Vinny's been trailing you the past few days since your little performance at that Whale Wash." Joey rubbed his throat. "He thinks you skipped out on him, we can't get through on your shell."

Leila opened her door and made sure no one was in the hall. "It probably doesn't help being shattered across the sea floor."

"Oh, and I just thought you los…" He paused, eyes widening. "You what?"

"You heard me. I'm getting out. I'm tired of Carvati. I want him out of what life I have left." She grabbed and pushed him down the halls. "Now get out before someone finds you."

"No, you're insane. You're finally off the deep end." Joey said defeated. "If you stay Carvati will string you up and DeSoto too."

She turned away from him. "I'll take my chances here, than you very much."

Joey narrowed in thought. "You can't be serious. He'll kill you for sure." Then his pale eyes widened in realization. "You fell for him, didn't you?"

Leila turned around. "What?"

Joey smirked. "You heard me." He raised an eyebrow. "You fell in love when you swore you wouldn't let your feelings get in the way." He chuckled.

Leila growled softly. "Stay out of my business Joey and get out of here, or I'll tell Sylvia and Nikki about each other."

Joey glared at her, knowing the sharkess all to well. "Alright, have it you way, but that won't stopped Carvati and DeSoto."

Tell him I'll see him tomorrow night. I have some 'things' I want to ask him about, and tell him no lies." She led him outside. "Then I'm done. I'm never going back. And you can tell Carvati and DeSoto that."

He turned to her one final time. "You're finally going to get yourself killed not thinking this out."

"Don't worry, I what I'm doing…. I think." She pushed him further. "Now scram."

"Alright. Good luck." He turned to leave, then turned back to her. " And next time don't try to kill me." He said before swimming into the dark water.

Leila turned and slowly swam back into the ship, thoughts plaguing her head, if she had done the right thing. She climbed back into her bed, but stopped as she spotted a piece of paper under it. She reached down and picked it up.

'To Dani,

For you on your eighth birthday. No matter where you are, always remember that you are loved, and never forget who are and where you come from.

From your loving parents.'

Leila rolled her eyes. "Who wrote this garbage anyway." She prepared to ball it up and throw it to the floor, but she stopped. Instead she folded it back up and sat it on her nightstand…

The next night Leila peered out of her room and quietly swam down the hall. She slipped on her shades and slowly swam down the hall.

"Leila?"

She spun around and pulled up her shades. "Lenny? What are doing?"

"Where are you going?" He said, eyes catching the dark shades and her knife belt cinched around her waist.

"Something comes up and there's… stuff I need to take care of back home." She looked him in the eyes. "I'll come back. Don't worry." She turned to leave.

"No." He grabbed her fin. "You're not going. At least not by yourself."

She turned and looked into his eyes. "Lenny, you can't come. It's too dangerous for Great Whites."

Lenny raised and eyebrow questionably. "Well isn't it dangerous for you."

"Lenny, that's different." She closed her door. "I was raised by Tigers. I know how they work You know nothing except they want you and your father dead."

Lenny gulped. "I-I still not letting you go alone."

Leila growled. "I mean its not like we can disguise you as a…" She faltered as a thoughtful smirk spread across Lenny's face.

"Oh no, don't even think that. Not in a million years." Leila shook her head. "Lenny, you can't be serious…"

"I can't believe you're being serious." She shook her head again as the 'Tiger swam at her side as they neared their destination. "This is crazy. It didn't work with Eddie, I don't think it's gonna work for you."

"It worked with me before, didn't it." Lenny said smiling sheepishly.

"Lenny, you were a dolphin, were talking about Tigers. They're thick but some have enough sense to figure out you aren't not a Tiger." She grumbled. "I'm not sure if this is smart, you coming with me." She crossed her fins. "But you didn't have to resort to blackmailing me."

"Well hopefully you'll look convincing enough in the din lighting where we are going." She stopped swimming. "Here we are."

He stopped and looked around only noting a sunken upturned ship. "I don't see anything."

She rolled her eyes and pointed to ship.

"That's it?" He asked.

"It doesn't look like much but…" She opened the door. "Welcome to 'Last Chance."

"Last Chance' was a relatively large place. Algae and kelp hung from the warped walls. A large oak mast was made into a bar countertop that was at one side of the room, with what looked like barrels as stools to sit upon.

Wooden boat wheel tables were settled across the room, filled with Tigers and other predatory fish huddled around. The smell of beer and spirits filled his nostrils. The only loud sounds were the laughter and shouts of some particularly routy sharks were lounging comfortably around a large table, raising bottles to their drunken mouths at their poker game.

In the corner of the room next to the bar counter was an empty stage with the instruments belonging to a small band.

A couple of pool tables were close to the door, a gruff looking Tiger with a cigar looked up, his shot ruined by their entrance, and growled as they entered.

Leila bared her teeth and growled fiercely. The Tiger backed off as they swam by to the bar, Leila keep her eyes on him as they reached the bar, with the barrel seats full.

Leila smirked as she swam behind a group of sharks that she knew were to young and growled loudly sending the teen sharks scrambling off the bar clearing a few seats. She smirked and noticed the look from Lenny. "What? It's Survival of the Fittest for a reason."

Leila then busily fascinated herself with an abandoned beer bottle tightly in her fin when a familiar voice spoke to her.

"It is a wonder to have spotted you here." Said a sharkess' voice. Leila turned to face a Tiger sharkess behind the counter with hazel eyes.

She smirked. "It's a wonder you still work here Kal." She said raising the bottle to her lips.

"Yeah well, I just can't say no to my father, since he owns the place." Kal said casually. She looked up as she noticed the 'Tiger' sitting in the seat neck to her. "So who's the shark. He seems to nice to be from North Reef".

"Let's worry about that later." She gestured to her to lean in closer. "Is DeSoto around tonight?"

Kal nodded. "He's in his office in the back, why?" She narrowed her eyes. "Is it about…"

"Don't worry about it." She said cutting Kal off. "I just need to talk to him."

Kal sighed. "Alright, I won't pry, but your…" She cast a look at the 'Tiger' by her. "But your 'friend' will have to stay here."

Lenny opened his mouth to say something when his eyes suddenly grew wide and he grabbed Leila and pulled her to him as a big glass bottle flew past them, nearly smacking her in the head.

Leila whipped around, ready to start cursing and looked in the direction the bottle set off from. Apparently two sharks were arguing and were in the quick process of pushing each other.

"What is going on?" Lenny asked in Leila's ear. He turned to her with knit eyebrows.

"A brawl is beginning." She said and then returned direct attention back to the loud shouting. By now the whole bar had become silent to listen as well. Leila glanced over Lenny's shoulder and could only imagine one of the arguing sharks being thrown out the window. She turned to Kal behind the bar and smirked. "Looks like someone's gonna actually toss out the riffraff tonight."

"Yeah, yeah." Pushing them out of her way, Kal finally was in her destination.

"HEY! Break it up!" Kal shouted, pulling the two sharks apart. Their crazed eyes looked to her for a moment before resuming in there shouting and pushing. Kal growled in annoyance. She was not one to be ignored. Especially by men. "Hey Dodge, can you come up front for a moment." She shouted to the back room behind the counter.

Lenny turned around in time to see a massive Tiger shark come from the back room. He caught sight of the quarreling sharks and swam over to them, casting his shadow over them.

The sharks stopped and looked up at his massive bulk. The Tiger grinned and grabbed the fighting sharks by the scruffs of their necks and swam them over to the front door which Kal had pulled open and hurled the sharks out onto the sea floor.

"And see that you learn your lesson." Kal put her fins on her hips. "When I say cut it out, pay attention."

Leila smirked at Lenny's shell-shocked expression at the huge Tiger. "And that's Dodger, Kal's older brother. But don't worry about him." She took another swig from her bottle, draining it. "But if you mess with Kal, then we'll have problems."

"Well, I see you made it." Joey said swimming up to the bar where the pair sat.

Leila and Lenny turned around. "Hey Joey." Leila smirked as the Tiger sat next to Leila.

Lenny gulped as the Tiger caught sight of him. "Who's this?"

"This is… Frankie." Leila said quickly. "He's an… old friend. Just got back in town. Thought I could take him out for a drink." She took a drag from her bottle. "Know if you'll excuse me I'm going to talk to DeSoto." She turned to Lenny. "Stay here." She glanced around. "Just don't talk to anyone, then you'll be fine." She swam over the counter and disappeared into the back room.

Joey eyed him suspiciously. "Frankie, huh, haven't heard of you before. Where you been?"

Lenny paused for a second. "Fincago."

"Ah the Wavy Reef." The Tiger pulled a bouquet of rather exotic seaflowers and hid them behind his back as Kal came over. "Hey Kal."

"Oh it's you." She rolled her eyes and handed Dodger a few glasses to clean. "Great, what is it now?"

Joey grinned as he held the flowers out to her. "You know I found these seaflowers in the trenches, and I don't think they don't have a name."

Kal stopped and leaned against the counter listening to him, a bemused look on her face as she watched him.

"So I wanted to give them a beautiful name. I can only think of one word... that fits something so beautiful… Kalina…"

"What do you want?" She asked.

Joey's grin faded and the seaflowers wilted. "Wha…"

"You heard me. What do you want?" She rested her elbow on the counter. "SO what is it."

"One date." He pleaded with her. "Just one."

Kal shook her. "No, not unless you take my shift Saturday Night."

Joey' jaw dropped. "What, that's a crazy night."

She held out her fin. "Saturday shift, and I get off at seven."

Joey growled. "Fine, you win." And he handed her the flowers.

"Thank you." She smirked, taking the flowers.

Joey growled and sat at the counter and grumbled. "Yeah, right."

She smirked and hit him with the bouquet. "For the flowers..."

Leila knocked on the beaten door that led to DeSoto's office. "Come in." A gruff voice growled from behind the door.

Leila opened the door and leaned in the doorway and noticed the tiger sitting at his desk and flipping through a book. "Is that all you have to an old crew member, you old sea dog."

The Tiger looked up, his hazel eyes twinkling behind his reading glasses. "So the brave hero returns." He quickly closed the book and pulled off his glasses. "So what's this I'm hearing you're washing your fins of Carvati?"

"You know what I told Joey. " She crossed her fins and took a seat in front of his desk. "But I'm not here to discuss my 'retiring' but this…" She slid the note she found across his desk. "Has peaked my interest. I want to know who this Dani fish is?"

DeSoto picked up the note. "And what may I asked lead to this?" He raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"I keep hearing her name is all." She replied quickly, but a little to quickly.

DeSoto eyed her but didn't push the matter. He sighed and rose from his chair. "I wasn't 'pose to tell you this but… Dani was Hesco's daughter.

She raised her eyebrow. "So that makes her…"

DeSoto nodded. "Yes, Eddie Hesco's sister. Have you met him yet?"

Leila growled and rubbed her bruised shoulder. "Oh believe me, I have." She shook her head. "I don't understand. I mean Carvati always told me how was, mean and cruel, as he was cold-blooded. What's she have to do with this?" Her head started to ache once more.

He sighed and shook his head, then turned back to her. "It doesn't matter, she's gone, unless…" His eyes met her violet orbs. "No, forget I ever mentioned it." He returned back to his seat. "Now tell me of this… 'Tiger' you've brought with you. Does he bring any trouble with him."

Leila smirked and leaned back. "Don't worry. I promise you, he won't cause any…"

Kal stuck her head in the office. "We got trouble and your Lover-Boy is in the middle of it all." And she disappeared.

DeSoto turned back to Leila and crossed his fins and raised an eyebrow.

Leila smiled sheepishly. "Trouble..."

"Honestly, I-I-I didn't mean anything." Lenny stuttered pinned against the wall.

Barry growled and brought back his fin. "Well you should of thought of that before taking to my girl."

Lenny gulped and closed his eyes waiting for the punch. But it never came and he felt himself drop to the floor. Lenny cracked open one eye and saw that Leila had caught the fin before it made contact with his nose.

Leila growled and squeezed Barry's fin. "What's going on?" She growled and released his fin.

Barry took his fin and rubbed it. "Who said it was any of your business, sharkess?"

"Well, I'm making it my business." She pulled off her shades, her violet eyes flashing dangerously.

Murmurs swept through the crowd as they caught sight of the Hit-Sharkess. She glared and growled at the crowd silencing it.

Barry looked at the fierce sharkess. "This bottom-feeder was hitting on my girl." He gulped as Leila's eyes began to burn.

"That bottom-feeder happens to be with me." She dropped her fin to her knife on her hip. "So if you have a problem with him, then you're gonna have a problem with me. I don't think you want that. So I suggest to your future pups that you leave my friend here alone." She put her fins on her hips. "Do we have a agreement?"

Barry crossed his fins and smirked. "I will stand down from this fight upon one condition, Miss Leila."

"Oh and what, may I ask, is that?" Leila smirked and crossed her fins again.

Barry's smirk grew wider. "Rumor has it that you use to sing. So how about you sing us a little song, for old times sake?"

The Tigers eyed her questionably. Leila glanced around at the Tiger's faces and let out a sigh of annoyance. "Fine. I'll sing for you."

The Tigers slowly roamed back to their seats. Dodger and Kal took the opportunity to take their places on stage, as DeSoto took their place behind the counter.

Leila turned back to Lenny, whose stripes had luckily not been smeared. "What were you thinking? I told you to stay out of trouble." She pulled him to the bar, her violet eyes pleading. "Please, just stay here?"

"Don't worry, Lei." Joey said, taking a swig of his drink. "I'll keep an eye on him for you."

"Thanks." She smiled and pecked Lenny on the cheek then stole Joey's drink and drained the bottle and handed it back to him. She swam towards to stage in the corner.

Joey frowned and shook his empty bottle, and looked at the shark Leila had brought with her. The shark sat on the stool with a goofy grin on his face. Joey waved his fin in front of the love-struck shark and smirked. "Hey, Goo-goo eyes, wake up and smell the fish, you are about to get a rare treat." He ordered another bottle from DeSoto and sipped it. "She hasn't sang in three years not since..."

"Not since what?" Lenny asked waking up from his daze.

"Not since my son, Sal's death." DeSoto growled. "She nearly died herself, but she pulled through…."

Kal grabbed the mike. "Alright sharks and other low-lifes." Kal dodged a fish head thrown by some of the drunken sharks. "Hey don't throw fish." Kal said into the stage mike. "Now presenting, from a leave of absence from 'Last Chance', a Miss 'Belly Up' Leila."

Leila turned to the band as they slowly started the beat. Dodger and Kal gave her fins up to start. She stared at the mike that she hadn't seen in three years.

She took deep breath and dived into the song that she felt fit her life.

"Now I will tell you what I've done for you…"

Leila began looking to the lights of the ceiling, her eyes gleaming.

"50 thousand tears I've cried…"

She sang a long note causing the sharks to start tapping their fins to the music.

"She can sing." Lenny whispered watching as she sang.

"Screaming Deceiving and Bleeding for you,
And you still won't hear me…"

Joey gave Lenny an odd look. "Of course she can. She never told you?"

Lenny shook his head. "No, she hasn't mention that before."

"Don't want your hand this time I'll save myself,
Maybe I'll wake up for once,
Not tormented daily defeated by you,
Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom…"

Leila sang softly, before taking in another breath to begin the chorus, while racking slowly back and forth.

"I'm dying agai,
I'm going under,
Drowning in you,
I'm falling forever…"

Leila took in slow breaths while starting to sway her hips in the music, her senses being lost within the tune. This little new dancing emitted hoots and cheers from some of the routier fish. She looked to Lenny who was watching her and just smirked in return.

"I've got to break through,
I'm going under…"

Leila sang in another verse, as she began to walk to both sides of the stage, dancing and singing happily.

"Blurring and Stirring the truth and the lies,
So I don't know what's real and what's not,
Always confusing the thoughts in my head,
So I can't trust myself anymore…"

She bellowed strongly. As Leila sang and dance, she had received some curious onlookers from outside. The noise emitted from her and the loud cheering of the sharks had captured others to come in to see the commotion. Including a few sharkesses who would never think twice about stepping foot in Last Chance.

"I'm dying again,
I'm going under,
Drowning in you…"

She sang again... Since there was a rest in the song, letting Kal and Dodger really rock on with their instruments, Leila danced to her own style, silently thanking herself for letting Sal teach her. She could feel a warm sense of happiness wash over in waves throughout her body once again.

"I'm falling forever,
I've got to break through,
So go on and scream,
Scream at me I'm so far away…"

She sang in harmony again. The sharks were crowding around the stage, cheering wildly and drunkenly.

"I won't be broken again,
I've got to breathe I can't keep going under…"

This particular sharkess let out a cry as she stiffened her body and let herself fall into the crowd. As if it was instinct, they caught her, allowing her body to dance upon the top of the crowd. When she was let down slowly to the crowd, she grabbed the mike and continued singing.

"I'm dying again,
I'm going under,
Drowning in you…"

The sharks formed a large circle around her whilst she sing. The lights in the bar had somehow become dim making Last Chance really look like one of the few nightclubs. Breaking out into a dance again, Leila continued now with a harder voice as she rocked on.

"I'm falling forever,
I've got to break through,
I'm going under…"

Once again they crowded around Leila to hear her singing while still cheering

"I'm going under,
I'm going under,
I'm going under…"(A/N: 'Going Under' By Evanescence, though' I' sui'ed Lei's position rather well…)

Leila finished her song. All of Last Chance burst into thunderous applause and cheering of encore. She bowed, one of the widest grins upon her face.

"She's amazing!" Lenny said, a great grin spreading across his face.

Joey applauded. "Not bad for a hit-shark if you ask me." He lifted his bottle to his lips. "You can tell she's missed being up there…"

Lenny choked on his drink and coughed. "Hit-shark!"

"Yeah, one of the best around. Carvati always has her on call. Never really too happy about that. Lei is..." Joey suddenly stopped, what he said just dawning on him. "I need to shut-up now, don't I." He said sheepishly to DeSoto.

DeSoto nodded and hit him over the head with his fin. "You put your fin in this one Joey."

Leila made her way back to the bar. Her smile faded as soon as she caught sight of Lenny's face and Joey's sheepish grin. "Lenny what's going on?"

"Lei, we need to talk."

She stopped, her heart dropping slightly. "Not here. This way." She led him to the room that she and DeSoto were in earlier.

She closed the door behind him and turned to the door. "Who told you?"

"Joey kind of just blurted it out. But why didn't you tell me?" He asked frustrated.

"Joey, I'm gonna to kill him." She muttered to herself. She turned back to Lenny "I was going to tell you… Eventually."

"But why?"

She glared at him. "What was I suppose to say; 'Oh by the way Lenny I'm a hit-shark' yeah, I'm sure that would have went over well with you and Lino. Is that what you wanted?"

Lenny shook his head. "No, I just… I just want the truth."

She shook her head angrily. "Well, you try confronting the shark that killed your family!" She stopped and clamped her fins over her mouth.

"What!"

"It's because of your father that I have no family!" She shouted. "There I said it!" She turned to Lenny. "Happy now?"

"What!"

She glared at him. "You heard me. Your father is the reason I do what I do. He ruined my life."

Lenny stared at her dumbstruck, then his shock slowly turned to anger. "Well how do you know they got what they deserved."

She growled. "You take that back right now!"

"No, I won't." Lenny said strongly causing Leila to pause.

"Well, fine. Be that way, have luck finding your own way home!" She growled. "Because I'm not going back tonight!"

"A-a-alright then, I will!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!" Lenny stormed out the door and nearly crashing into Joey.

Joey watched as he swam away and turned back to Leila. "What happened I heard shouting. Are you alright?"

"No, don't worry. Just… Just go!" She growled. "I just need to be alone."

Joy just blinked and closed the door leaving Leila once again alone…

Hahaha… I don' make I' easy, now do I…

They take once pace forward an' then two pacese back…

When 'e though' 'e was close 'e gets pushed away…

Sty tuned fer th' next installmen'…

An' per'aps a few refernces from 'Analze This'…

Now may ye cutlasses stay sharp an' cannons ready…

So until next time… Or when me computer works again…

Ta fer now…

-IPD

P.S.:And don't forge' ta click th' little button ta give me ye impu'…

Aye… This one…

No th' blue one…

Aye, righ' there…

Now click I' an' review…

An' if ye leave flames, they be used ta ligh' me cannons…