Finding Dory

"Dad! Dad! Guess what I learned in school today!" Nemo swam excitedly through the tentacles of the anemone that he and his dad called home. Marlin was inside, having a dinner of the scum that was accumulating in between some of the tentacles. He looked up at his son and smiled.

"What did you learn in school today?" Marlin asked.

Nemo bobbed up and down, "Mr. Ray taught us about the coral in the reef! Did you know that it is actually animals?"

Marlin pretended to be shocked, "No. Really?"

"Yeah!" Nemo nodded, "Mr. Ray said that it's groups of pollys…um, polish…pollen…"

"Polyps?" Marlin offered gently.

"Yes! That's it, polyps! And they group together and form coral! And that's what the reef is made of!" Nemo grinned, then looked worried, "He also said that they were dying! And there was a starfish that eats the coral! Daddy, is the reef going to go away?"

Marlin frowned, "I hope not, Nemo."

Nemo looked sad, "Can't somebody tell the starfish not to eat the poll-…polli…the coral?"

The older clownfish sighed, "I don't think anyone has tried."

"Can I go?" the spunky Nemo asked.

"No!" Marlin cried, "Absolutely not! The edge of the reef is nowhere for a young clownfish! It's…"

"Too dangerous," sighed Nemo, disappointed, "But you let me go to the dropoff as long as Mr. Ray is with me!"

Marlin patted his son's head, "yes, Nemo, but now you know better than to swim out into the sea. And the dropoff is a fairly good part of the reef. But where the starfish are that eat the…reef..." Marlin still couldn't bring himself to say the word, "coral". "Where they are is a bad part of town, Nemo. There are lots of mean fish there that want to hurt peaceful fish like us."

Nemo looked up at his dad. Ever since the Sydney adventure, Marlin had been less overprotective of Nemo. He knew his dad just wanted him to be safe.

"Okay, Dad." Nemo smiled.

"Good!" Marlin said, "Now, how about some dinner?"

Nemo looked at the scum, "Actually, Sandy Plankton invited me over for dinner. Can I go, Dad? Please? Tad and Sheldon are going to go, too!"

Marlin looked at the pleading face of his son, "Well, okay. I invited Dory tonight, but I guess you can see her another time."

"Yay!" Nemo smiled, swimming out, "Bye, Dad!"

"Have fun!" Marlin waved, watching Nemo swim away. He sighed, watching the little orange fish wiggle his way to Sandy Plankton's house next door.

As Marlin turned to go back inside, a thought occurred to him.

"Dory! She won't remember the invitation! She probably won't remember where my house is!" Marlin slapped his forehead with his fin.

The clownfish swam off in search of the forgetful Regal Tang.