The call from the commander boosted morale and brightened the mood on board. Marina found herself smiling again. Even if it was more in her lap. But it was still a long way back to Marineville. Normally Marina took comfort in the distances between Titanica, and home. both her childhood home and the little apartment in Marineville. Not so much comfort right now. The journey back would be a long one. in what would be less than a couple of hours in a cruising Stingray, was likely to take most of the day. Or night? Marina wasn't sure which it was. Longer still. Troy and Phones had reluctantly weighed up the pros and cons and reduced the Terrorfish to a lower speed to save the engine tearing itself apart. Even if the ship lacked the luxuries and amenities of Stingray. Like padded seats and beds.

After a while, Marina shuffled off the uncomfortable seat. And sat on the floor, her knees up to her chest curled against the wall. From here even without really trying she could feel the movement of the ship. the slow swish swish of the tail fin. A faint rumble of the intakes in its fins under her feet. Marina let it's too loud purr distract from the way her young Joints and muscles Ached. It probably wasn't good for her back? But Marina relaxed into it; Letting the vibrations through the wall gently shake her brain into something mindless. a jellyfish perhaps, or plankton. So then she didn't have to think about anything…

"Hey?"

Marina opened her eyes. Phones and Troy both looked back at her, concerned. but Marina gave a thumbs up and shook her head at them, before resting it on her folded arms.

"Alright then. Two thirds home Marina. Try and get some rest?"

"Clap if you need us."

Marina nodded again.

She tried to nap like they suggested. But was unsuccessful. Even with the occasional chatter and radio conversation, the atmosphere was quiet but still tense. A little while later Marina got up. And walked about in little circles, trying to loosen the tight compressed feeling in her heart. The fellas too, started to tire. They stretched their legs and sat and even tried taking power naps. They took turns at the helm, Marina even taking a spell or two. She was standing at the controls when an unwrapped cereal bar was pressed into her hands. And she looked up into Troy's encouraging face. He flinched looking at her face though, looking at the bruise. Marina took one bite. Then nibbling on rest, had no energy to wolf it down.

"Yeah they taste like chalk huh." Troy said, mistaking her slowness for dislike.

"Enough protein and vitamin c to keep a grown man going a day? And they can't even make them in chocolate flavour." Phones agreed from the back, cap over his eyes.

"It tastes better if you put two in a mug and microwave them." Troy said. "You can pretend it's a bad cake."

"Shame that the only types of waves here are out in the ocean." Phones chuckled.

Both aquanauts took a protein bar each anyway. Exhaustion, or maybe adrenaline fatigue, must have begun to creep in for all of them. Again, Marina curled up on the floor of the ship. She dozed eventually. And dreamed of home…and home…and

"Father, I feel so strange. Father-!"

Marina jolted awake. Not upright but curled up so tight she'd locked and seized up all over. Fear and hate pressing their claws to her stomach even as she tried to breathe through it. getting just her jaw alone to relax took a real effort. She heard murmuring at the helm. And tried to pay attention to that to pull her back in. Then wished she hadn't.

"I can't believe Marina gave you the slip like that." Troy was saying.

"Aw It was horrible Troy. You know them scenes in telly and in the movies?" Phones shook his head. "I thought she was with Atlanta going back to you in the hospital. Atlanta thought Marina was with me and Fisher. And then we couldn't find her-?"

Marina looked away curling up on herself again ashamed. And pretended to be asleep. Her anxiety wouldn't stop gnawing at her though. Nipping at her like she had the cereal bar.

" About another hour or so Marina." Phones said gently, shaking her 'awake' and handing her another bottle of water. "Nearly there."

Marina nodded. She must have dozed off again despite it.

"Attention Marineville! Titan speaks. Titan speaks!"

Marina woke again, bolt upright, panicked and panting. But there was no king's voice on the radio…

It took a moment to realise where she was. Safe. In a Terrorfish. But Safe. A shirt jacket had been tossed over her. Two shirt jackets even. The makeshift blanket fell from her as she sat up properly. Marina, stretching, craned her stiff neck to see the warbled Stingray behind them though the bulging eye holes.

"Hey there! Just in time." Troy smiled. So did Phones. He'd rebandaged his arm too. Marina smiled back then got up and gathered up the jackets.

"You sure you don't want it?" he asked as she passed the back to their owners. Marina Shook her head. Regardless of a mission, Commander Shore would tell them off for any creases, let alone if they came into land in just their shirts. Besides, they must be cold. She fussed over them if only for something to do with her hands, fumbling with the buttons and brushing off dust as all was tucked it in.

Marina then fixed her hair best she could without a mirror.

I shouldn't have slept with it up, she thought, judging by the headache. But I hadn't really thought about that, At the time.

Marina gave up taking it down completely to start again. And tried to pin back up in a way to hide some of the bruising. even combing her fringe with her fingers other way hoping to hide her eye. Phones clocked what she was doing. He frowned but didn't stop her. Even as held her 'flower' . It's missing a petal now. She hopes she can find a similar small shell on the beach to repair it. And maybe some face powder when she got hold of some. That would make a better job of masking the bruise.

Phones didn't say 'that ain't gonna work'. He didn't need to. Troy did? But Marina shrugged at them again, trying to comb it through with her fingers. It made her feel better. Even if her hair didn't feel nice. Well, she didn't feel nice either. She felt rung out and grimy. Sure, she'd been able to wash herself. But it was like the palace, still hovering over her. As if it was hanging about her Dress and sticking to her wrong, her skirts dusty with sand and soap.

As she finished, A shadow passed the window. And Marina Got what Troy had meant with "Just in time."

Nearly there, she realised joyfully. Tapping on the glass and pressing her hand to the porthole. Even though the view was warped, outside were familiar stretches of undersea coastline. They were on their usual patrol pitch!

"Yeah, not far now. We'll be passing the island of Lemoy shortly." Troy smiled. "Stingray's between it and us, though little ways in front."

Marina nodded, turning back to the sea. Soon the waters became shallower. And the man-made straights, like land's dirt roads, came into view. Leading to the line of ocean doors in the underwater cliff face. One in particular.

"Approaching the ocean door. home sweet home." Phones said.

Marina clapped and laughed.

"You ready? Tower from Stingray." Troy grinned. "Tower from Stingray-!"

"Stingray?" Atlanta interrupted over the radio with an audible smile.

"You forget what you're steering there, Troy?" The commander heckled, from Stingray.

Troy blushed. "Sorry, Force of habit. Ahem, Mechanical Fish to Tower. Are we clear to enter Marineville?

"What do you reckon Sir?" Lieutenant Fisher said.

Not Atlanta? She'd just been at the radio. Marina thought.

"Should we let Titan's Mechanical Fish in?"

"just this once! Permission granted. Fish clear to enter." Commander Shore relayed. And added. "Welcome home. Now quit fooling around and let us in."

"Opening ocean door." Lieutenant Fisher said "Mechanical fish, Let Stingray enter first. It'll allow them to get into the docking position."

"PWOR."

Again Marina wondered why Fisher was suddenly at the tower controls. But before Marina had time to think about that, then Marineville's said ocean door opened. The fisheyes made the smooth movement judder, as if it was beckoning them, welcoming them in. The fish drifted back to allow the super-sub entre first, bobbing slightly in its wake. And then they followed. There was a Collected sigh of relief in the cabin. It was good to be back, and the mission part was over. Marina felt her heart swell. Even welcoming the ringing in her ears as the pressure changed. She stood as close to the portholes as possible as they passed under the occasional lamp, like the streetlamps that lined above ground. Marina looked up to them, and watched the plain industrial tiles of the tunnel, that now felt as grand as marble temples of the sunken ancients, pass above her head. It Seemed like only yesterday since she'd last seen them. And it seemed like Marine year's, too.

It could have been. Marina realised with a shudder. Alright not years. Or terrain months. But she wasn't sure how long it had been. How long had she been at Titan's mercy? Troy and Phones hadn't told her. More than hours. And more than at least four or five tides? How many days? Had it been only a short while? Or a long time and had just passed in a blur?

She's gotten so used to terrain measures of automatic calendars and clocks, the cycles of the sea she'd spent her whole life using almost seemed foreign. And while she had 'been away' Maria had been unable to keep track of time to as translate that into 'days' and 'nights'.

Then again in Titanica? Time can really only be measured on King Titan's whims, Marina supposed. When Titan was awake, so was his city. He'd kept her up hours, taking delight in trying to break her spirit again.

Trying and very nearly winning…

"Are you alright there, Marina?" Phones nudged.

"Are you cold?" Troy asked, "or just excited to be back?"

Marina jumped, realised she'd been so lost in thought, she was trembling again. But smiled at him and shook her head.

"Atta girl." Phones said again. And Marina returned to watching the mile long tunnel pass by. If she tried really hard, she could pretend they were just returning from a patrol just like any other time. Marina could barely Wrap her head around it. it felt almost dizzying to finally be able to feel nearly normal. Again, it reminded her of their first time coming here, in this fish. but in a more pleasant way.

The first time the ocean door had shut behind them, Marina had felt cut off from her seas. Not this time. The commander was right. This? This was a homecoming.