Declaimer:  See chapter 1

Author's Note: ………..I’ve got not nothing to say……because this has GOT to be the WORST chapter I’ve ever written!!!! DANG it! Maybe I should adopt Zimmy’s method and write everything while I can still remember. '-~

 

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Chapter 3:  Please Don't Go away.....

 

She was aimlessly swimming among the rocks near the edge of the coral reef.

“Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming…” she idly sang, trying to keep her mind from remembering. Was it really a good thing that her memory was erased? Maybe for once, her short-term memory served for a good purpose. Dory forget everything that happened last night, or so she thought.

“I’m fine…how are you? “ Dory greeted a starfish.

“Dory, are you sure yo-“

”I’ve never felt any better!” she smiled, laughing like her usual self, but then frowned the moment she turned around. Peach didn’t know if she should believe her. Was Dory actually saying hello to Peach or was she trying to assure her that she was fine about the tension between her and Marlin? After all, she might have already forgotten about Marlin. “Well, I see you around. Bye!” Dory swam off. And it would’ve been much better if she didn’t remember anything about Marlin at all….

~*~*Meanwhile*~*~

Time fly by like a ride on a manta. By the time Marlin arrived home, it was already the next day. He endured a restless night. He was tired from yesterday’s argument with Gill, beaten from attacks by local fish, who despised him for his shameless act, and just frustrated. Marlin never felt this angry before. He could simply take on a shark right about now! He would just take the one responsible for all this—this curse on him and rip that body in half!!!!

“Marlin-dear!“ the female clownfish happily chirped, “You’re back!” she cuddled him the moment she saw him near the anemone. Marlin starred at her. She was all over him….again, and it was starting to irritate him.

‘….You.…’ he hissed, gritting his teeth, trying to contain the rage inside. ‘It’s all because of--!!‘

“Say, where have you been?” Marlin wished she wouldn’t have asked him, because his mind automatically traced back to what happened the night before. He was NOT in a good mood, definitely not after he and Gill fought over—Marlin didn’t want remember. He didn’t want to believe the news about Nemo.

She could sense anger rising in him. Marlin suddenly had this nagging feeling he was supposed to be somewhere else but home. And he knew too well with who he was to speak with after staring at the piece of blue coral. ‘….Dory….’ he thought. Nevertheless he decided not to see her….for now, because he had to be here with this female clownfish. Because Nemo’s murder was nothing he will ever forgive.

The female was aware she shouldn’t push her question, but she insisted on knowing. “Come on, you can tell me.” The female teased. Marlin briefly looked over to her. She was a little older than his deceased and loveable wife, Coral, but still younger than him. Suddenly, she embraced him and gave him a seductive look. Her sudden movement caught Marlin off-guard. She sure knew how to craze a clownfish’s head around.

‘What am I thinking?!” he rapidly shook in disgust, quickly pushing the female away from him. ‘WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING?!’ he grasped wide-eyed. ‘I’m supposed to protect them!’ he shut his eyes. ‘I can’t take this! I can’t be doing this! Not after…..not after….!’ he lost Coral to the ocean. Not after he traveled the very same ocean to rescue his only son, whom he had vowed to protect!

“Why don’t you ask this yourself?!” he retorted. “You should know the answer to that very well!!” But in the end, it was the same son, he had let to die. Marlin thought he was about to die from all the guilt. The actions he had committed kept rushing back to him. He rejected the one who remained by his side the whole time. Dory wasn’t the fish he’d thought to be so close to him. At first he thought she wasn’t. But--but here he was, living with another female clownfish! Wasn’t there any shame?! Oh, yes. There was shame beyond his belief! He had to reject them! There was no other way! He was simply black-mailed! And if he wasn’t careful enough…..it was going to cost more than his life…and it already did for Nemo.

“You know.. “she began nearing his face, obviously going for a kiss. It felt wrong. Everything was just…..wrong.

“Don’t even go there, Karen!” He shouted, trying to stay away from her advancing attempts. Karen looked at him, a little disappointed.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as if she was worried.

“Listen, I’m a single paren—“
“You used to be-“

“I don’t INTEND on mating again!” Marlin warned.

“You’re still young.” She taunted.

“I don’t care!” Marlin yelled. As cautious as he tried to be, he refused to be controlled. “I’m not your personal property!” and turned his back to her.

“Awe Marlin-sweetie.” She wailed. “You know you like me.” Karen flirted as she itched closer. Marlin swam closer to the anemone’s edge.

“I never confessed anything!” He was never truly loved by anyone until he met Coral. And he never did return it after she died, except when Nemo was kidnapped.

“Are you….,” Marlin’s face remained tense, “in love with someone else?” then his alert eyes went back to Karen.

“I want you to keep this in mind!” he snapped. “You can do anything you want to me. But---….”

“Someone other than a clownfish?” she continued.

‘Oh no….she can’t be talking about Dory!!’ Marlin refused to answer out of Dory’s safety and swam out of the anemone. “I’ll go for a swim.” He answered idly and left.

Karen watched him leave. She was aware of Marlin’s secret crush and she wasn’t going to hesitate. “So, this is how you like to play your games?” she whispered slyly. “Be my guess honey, but someone will lose her head tonight.” The female curved a devious smirk.

“I have to find her!” Marlin rushed through the waters. “I have to find Dory!!”


~*~*Near the Edge of the Coral Reefs*~*~

Did Dory even know she was about to leave the safety of the narrow reef? Probably not, but it didn’t matter. Nobody knew how she really felt. Even she didn’t know the heart-broken Dory inside her. She felt depressed and it bothered her for not being able to identify the cause.

“LOOK OUT!!!” someone shouted. *BAM!* An orange fish ram right into her and flew off into some seaweed near the reef’s edge.

“Are you--are you okay?” Dory asked as she swam to him.

“Ow-------yeah I’m fi—,“ he cut off the moment he saw her. “DORY!” He exclaimed and rushed toward her. But Dory swiftly swam off into the open waters, away from him like he was some kind of a weirdo. “Wait!” The fish dashed after her, zig-zagging between rocks and corals like in a speedy game of Catch. Somehow, this all seemed very nostalgic to her, as if she had done something like this before with someone.
They continued passing by each other, while she tried to avoid him and he tried to catch her.

After awhile, the female blue tang abruptly stopped and turned around to face her pursuer. “What’s the matter?!” Dory threw her fins in the air. ”Is the ocean not big enough for ya? Huh?! Huh?! HUH?!” she taunted, obviously annoyed by his stubborn persistence.

“Dory…” he uttered in between his breath for water. Should he be baffled about her behavior like the first time they met? Or just worried sick about her?

“Yes? That’s my name.” Dory moved out of his way, surprised how this stranger knew her name. “Heeeeeeey..how do you know my name?”

“Dory…” he repeated softly, while wondering if she was joking around or if her memory lost had gotten the better of her, “don’t you recognized me?”

She looked at him for moment. Somehow, he DID seem familiar. He was an orange fish, with three white strips. Dory frowned, not knowing why. But she shrugged it off. ‘I fell like I’m swimming around in circles….’ Something deep within her consciousness came rushing back to her, begging her to remember.”….aimlessly trying to find something, someone to guide me.”

“Marlin,” she winced a little at the name. “I’m Marlin.” he pronounced slow enough for her to follow.

‘Mar-lin?’ She felt uneasy by just looking at him.

‘She still can’t remember, maybe it’s for the best that she doesn’t.” He thought and shook, “No, it’s not. She has to! She must remember! I’m not going through this again! I’m not going to lose someone close to me again!!’ “Dory….you once told me, you didn’t want to forget.” What was he trying to get at? “You said you didn’t want to lose your memories.” Of course she didn’t want to forget things, no one wants to have amnesia, unless it was for best to forget.

“If—if it wasn’t for you,” he strived to recall the words he once said to her.” I—I never would’ve even made it to Sydney; to have crossed the eastern ocean to be reunited with Nemo!”

’Sydney? Nemo?’ Why did these words sound so familiar? Dory felt like she was about to faint from her headache.

“Dory….I never hated you.” Marlin admitted. ”You’re the only one left to me…so, please don’t go away….” Everything came rushing back to her. That last sentence was the final trigger. It was the same plea she had once beseeched him to when she was about to lose him. But-but---

“Marlin....,”She whispered barely audible.

‘She remembers! SHE REMEMBERS ME!’ Marlin could jump for joy, but there wasn’t any time for that. Dory’s eyes quickly narrowed. Yes, she did remember him, and she also recalled what he had done to her.

Dory swam off without a word. ‘Should I be doing this?’ she pondered.

“Dory! Wait! Listen to me!!” Marlin pleaded.

‘The least I could do is listen to what he has to say.’ She stopped, and waited for Marlin to catch up.

She was outside the reef near the drop-off…..the exact location where Coral died….that is when a pair of hungry eyes preyed on her.

Marlin sensed the present danger eying on them. “DORY!!!” The predator dashed out from its hiding spot, with its hungry jaw viciously snapping toward her. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Marlin slammed on his fins, rushing towards Dory, his last most important fish.

After that, everything just happened so quickly…...

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