The next day Gray awakens to have bacon and toast for breakfast. "Mom, I had that dream again but there was another part to it this time." "What was the other part" Joanne asked her son. "The woman swam up to the beach and her tail was visible. She also had dorsal fins on her back that made her look like a butterfly or a sea fairy. She had a baby with her but she looked sad" Gray said. "Why was she sad" Joanne asked and had her blue eyes focused on Gray. "I don't know. I didn't see the baby clearly but she put something on it with tears in her eyes." "Interesting" Joanne said. "The dream ended before I could see what it was." "Oh okay" Joanne said looking a little disappointed. "I hope I grow out of these dreams one day Mom. I'm getting worried that they might actually be my memories." Gray then looked at his mother with an uncertain expression. "Mom, would you love me, no matter who or what I was" Gray asked. "Of course I would" Joanne said. Gray then hugs her "Thanks mom." "You're welcome dear. You're my little angel." Joanne said lovingly. "Hey, wanna go swimming today" Joanne asked. "I've got our membership for the private pool" Joanne said excitedly. "Oh and the Doctor called, he said he's gonna come too. I hope you're okay with that" Joanne said. "It'll only be for a few more days." "I'd love to and I'm okay with the Doctor coming" Gray said excitedly. The doctor arrives at their home. "Hello you two, nice day isn't it." "It sure is. It's a real nice day for swimming!" "Mom and I are heading to the pool for the afternoon." We've got a membership to a private pool" Gray said all of this while his face was beaming. "That's nice. I'm coming along too. Is that alright" The Doctor asked. "Yes it is" Gray said. "Alrighty then" said the Doctor. They all got into Joanne's car and drove to the pool. They get to the pool and Gray gets his trunks on and is ready to swim. "Watch me swim mom" Gray said excitedly. "Okay sweetie" Joanne simply smiles.
Meanwhile Nerissa wakes up in her grotto. "Hmmm, what should I do today" Nerissa asked herself. "Maybe I'll go to my usual hunting ground to get something to eat." "I think I slept in a bit though" Nerissa yawns and stretches her arms." Nerissa finds a large red lobster in her hunting ground. "Got you" Nerissa exclaimed and pounded the lobster on the head with her spear and killed it. "Mmmm, this'll be tasty" Nerissa said. She then starts eating it and devours it in a similar manner to how Gray eats his seafood. "Mmmm, seafood always hits the spot when I get up." "Maybe I'll swim to that deserted looking island for the day and catch some sun." She then swims to her sunning spot. She suns for an hour and sees humans approaching. "Damn" Nerissa said in a vexed fashion. "Maybe it wasn't a deserted island. Now I gotta head back into the water." Nerissa swims back into the ocean and turns back into a mermaid.
Nerissa swims to the beach where she goes to look at humans from behind some bushes. "Good, no pesky humans are around the beach area." She turns human and hides behind some bushes. "I'll need to be careful though. I can't get caught! Not before I find my baby." She sees an Asian looking man with black hair in a bowl cut, brown eyes and an average build. He looks like he's in his late twenties. He looks at his smart phone with a shocked expression. "Why is he looking at his contraption like that" Nerissa stares at him more and wonders. "Maybe he's staring at what humans call poor-nog-gra-phee" Nerissa said and chuckled a bit. "W-w-what is this?!" The Asian man shouted while looking at the pictures on his phone. "These were sent by the Doctor" He said. The Asian man was the Doctor's friend Akihiko "I'll look at these when I get home. Then I'll contact the doctor." "What's he up to?! And who is he seeing?" He ponders these questions and then notices Nerissa. "Hey you!"
Nerissa bolts but Akihiko speeds up "damn she's fast!" He catches up to her grabs her arm "wait lady what are you doing and why are you naked?!" "Let go of me! I need to find my little boy" Nerissa screamed. "Your little boy" Akihiko asked. "I could help you if you'd like." "I'll let you stay with me at my apartment until we find him." "My name's Akihiko, may I have your name?" "It's Nerissa and you'll really let me stay at your place?" Nerissa asked. "Yes really but first some clothes. You know how people are with nudity, especially female nudity" Akihiko said while trying not to stare at Nerissa's figure. "Yes, I do" Nerissa replies. The two of them head to Akihiko's car and he hands her a spare t-shirt. "Sorry, it's the only clothing I have with me right now" Akihiko said. "It's fine" Nerissa said and puts it on. The shirt was a bit tight for her but it still fit just right. Akihiko spots her blue hair. "Blue hair huh, that's a bit uncommon, especially for humans." "It is" Nerissa asked. "Yes. For humans it's a rare hair color, about as rare as blood red." "Only about one hundred are humans are naturally born with blue hair." "For 'them' however blue hair is quite common" Akihiko finished and looked straight at Nerissa. "What do you mean by them" Nerissa asked. "I know you're a mermaid" Akihiko said. Nerissa put her hands over her mouth and gasped "b-b-b-but how. Those foolish humans say we're not real." "Only children believe in us" Nerissa said in disbelief. "I've been studying mythical creatures and this town's legends for quite some time. I'm a historian of sorts" Akihiko said proudly. "You have" Nerissa asks. "Can I really stay awhile and use your bath tub? You'll protect me till I find my son?" "Yes you can and I will protect you" Akihiko said. "Thank you" she then hugs Akihiko. "You're very welcome my dear" Akihiko said. "Never thought I'd be hugged by such a beautiful woman today let alone a real live mermaid" Akihiko thought to himself and smiled. The pair got into his car and headed to his apartment.
Meanwhile back at the pool. The Doctor notices Gray's form as he swims in the pool. "Joanne, has he always been this good at swimming?" "Yes, ever since I adopted him" Joanne said. "At age six, he went from guppy to shark in swimming competitions." "He's a prodigy when it comes to swimming" Joanne said in proud fashion. "Interesting" The Doctor said as he continued to stare at Gray's swimming form. His phone rings. "Yeah, Doctor speaking, what do you need?" "It's me" Akihiko said. "Akihiko" the Doctor said in a surprised fashion. "Yes." "Did you get the pictures I sent you" the Doctor asked "what do you think?" "I did and I just finished translating it with some help" Akihiko said in a proud manner. "What does the locket say" the Doctor asked. "It says Claudius, my son. Then his birthday April 20th." "The symbols are mermish letters." "Interesting" the Doctor said and stroked his beard. "I also found the naked woman from the news report. Her name's Nerissa and she helped me translate some parts of the locket." "You did?! What is she looking for" the Doctor asked Akihiko. "She says she's looking for her son that she left on the beach nine years ago while trying to avoid some fishermen." "Her son" the Doctor said. "I think I know who her son might be." "I need to observe this boy I'm watching over a bit more. Tomorrow afternoon we'll have the two of them meet face to face to confirm if I'm right or not." He notices Gray next to his mother but out of the water. He had a sullen face on and was looking at his legs. "Alright I'll see you tomorrow. Send me the address where he lives later okay?" "Alright then" the Doctor said. "I'm hanging up now, bye."
