After such tense several hours, Katie now didn’t know what to do with herself. She was still shaking from the anxiety and horror of what had happened - and of what had almost happened – that now that it had passed, she felt that nervous energy had nowhere to go. Things had settled down to a nearly unbearable quiet. Nero had taken Karina deeper into the water to rest and – last Katie had seen her – Luna was laying with them.

Dr. Auldon had lingered for a while and asked Rebecca a bunch of questions about the baby, to which the emerald scaled woman had adamantly insisted they would know nothing until Karina woke and that she was not to be disturbed in the meantime for the sake of her health and the infant’s. He’d seemed displeased by the deep frown lines that had creased his forehead and the corners of his mouth, but he had dropped the matter not long after.

It had been rather satisfying to see him chew out the male veterinarian that had been unnecessarily cruel and pigheaded about Karina and even the woman had received a harsh scolding. They’d both been sent away – along with one of the guards – and the remaining guard had been posted on the outside of the door instead. No one else had been in since, which was a relief because Katie did not think she could handle any more stress for the moment. She was feeling too overwhelmed as it was.

The other Mer had all gravitated to the depths of the pool, but Katie found herself lingering at the surface. Her stomach was pressed flat to the tiles with her tail draped over the side to swish lazily through the water while she played with the little rivets of water splattered across the floor. Dr. Auldon had seen the arm of her new sail – which she was keeping carefully pressed to her back as much as she could because the membrane was sensitive and tickled constantly in the open air – and had requested a closer look. It had made her nervous to allow him near it – and she did not necessarily feel she owed him anything – but after he had come to Karina’s rescue, she didn’t feel much like inciting another argument. But other than running his fingers down the scales and pulling the arm up just enough to see some of the membrane, he’d left her alone.

She’d been worried he would take the new limb a lot worse, so it was a relief to be left alone with relatively little hassle. Now it was just nice to have a moment to her thoughts. She was still feeling antsy and heartsick, but she needed the breather. The other Mer seemed to sense that because they were leaving her be.

Or at least, they had been leaving her be. Her moment of silence was ruptured by a sharp squeal that ripped through the room only seconds before Luna burst from the water and clung to Katie’s back. It startled her and she yelped in response as she was dragged under the water by Luna’s weight. She shook herself as her gills opened and she recovered from the unexpected shift from air to water.

Luna darted behind her and before Katie could ask what she was doing, she flung her arms up and flinched as Riley nearly barrelled into her. The other girl managed to pull up short before they collided, however, and then stuck her tongue out. “Katie cannot save you, Luna,” she taunted before diving around Katie’s side. Suddenly, she had the two Mer circling her in a game of chase. It was a little dizzying.

“Help!” Luna squeaked between giggles as she clung to Katie’s shoulders and wrapped her tail around Katie’s torso.

Riley shook her head. “She cannot aid you,” she reminded as she came around yet again. Luna released Katie once more and darted towards the other side of the pool. As Riley rushed past her, Katie lunged and dragged her into a headlock. She knew she had next to no chance to beat Riley in a tussle, but she was suddenly consumed by the desire to join their game and forget her misery for a little while.

“You are picking on my little sister, you know,” she mocked as she glared down at Riley. The blonde’s grin only widened and her eyes narrowed with the challenge.

“Is that so?” she replied with a low growl. Her tail lashed and she twisted her head. Katie felt her teeth graze her arm and she pulled back with a cry of surprise. Riley hadn’t actually made any move to bite her, but the motion had worked and Katie’s instincts had screamed at her to pull away.

Riley stuck her tongue out and took immediate advantage of Katie’s recoil to retaliate. She dropped her weight on Katie’s back, wrapped one arm around Katie’s throat and her tail around Katie’s before dancing her fingers along the sides of her ribs.

Katie could not contain the childish squeal that burst from her lips as she squirmed and writhed. She was far more ticklish since her transformation than she had ever been when she was young, and she hated that Riley was taking advantage of that as frequently as she had been.

“Katie!” Luna cried as she came charging back through the water to tackle Riley. The breath whooshed from Riley’s lungs in a jet of bubbles in Katie’s face as she was ripped halfway off Katie’s back. Katie turned to see Luna scrabble for a hold. Her fingers managed to catch in Riley’s hair and grab her by one ear. Luna pulled and Riley made an awkward gagging noise as she was dragged away.

“Rotten move,” she complained as she tucked her body forward and whapped Luna on the top of her head with her tail. It worked to loosen Luna’s hold and the young Mer immediately pulled away to swim off again. She seemed to know that her best shot was outdistancing Riley. But it seemed as fast as she was, Riley was still more experienced and was easily able to gain on her. So, when Luna came racing back around the circumference of the tank once more, Katie grabbed hold of Riley’s fins as she swam by.

“Are you really picking on a child?” Katie teased.

Riley flipped to stare her down with a quirked brow. “Believe it or not; she started it.”

“Actually, I would be inclined to believe that; she has got a mischievous streak too,” Katie agreed. “But that does not change the fact that you are picking on someone what, four years younger than you?”

“Five cycles, actually,” Riley corrected.

“You are eighteen?” Katie queried.

Riley’s smile faltered a fraction as she pursed her lips and then nodded. “Yes?” she replied with a quizzical expression creasing her brows.

“Just, did not know,” Katie replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

Riley grinned and nodded. “Well, now you do. Now let go,” she ordered with a mock growl. She lashed her tail and shot off, pulling free of Katie’s grip easily and lurching after Luna once more.

Luna had ducked behind her father, who was sitting lazily in the corner of the pool. Katie imagined she was trying to hide, but she’d done a poor job of it and seemed to realize that as Riley approached. Her cackling laughter echoed through the water as she took off again.

As Riley twisted to go after her, however, Ixion reached out and grabbed the base of her fins with both hands and yanked her back. Katie watched Riley’s sly grin morph into a shocked frown as she twisted to stare at her uncle. “Uncle Ixion?” she inquired.

Ixion tilted his head to one side and smiled at her in a rather eerie way. He gave her another tug closer and then pinned her to the floor of the pool by shoving her down and draping most of his body weight across the back end of her tail. Riley squeaked and squirmed. She pressed her hands flat to the floor and appeared to be straining to haul herself free. It didn’t work and Katie couldn’t help laughing as she watched the other girl struggle.

Ixion whistled sharply between his teeth and Luna pulled to a halt across the pool. When Ixion inclined his head towards Riley, an impish grin spread across Luna’s face and she was back by her father’s side in a heartbeat.

Riley waved a finger at Luna and bared her teeth in warning. “You had better not,” she hissed, though she did not sound truly angry. Luna stuck her tongue out and then flopped her weight down on Riley’s back and earned a solid ‘oof’ for her efforts. “Get off!” Riley complained as she bucked and strained against the joined effort.

Unable to resist, Katie swam over and sunk down so she was sprawled on the floor in front of Riley. She crossed her arms on the ground and rested her chin on them. “Comfortable?” she inquired teasingly.

Riley growled and her eyes narrowed. “That is not amusing. Assist me!”

Katie shook her head. “No way, not after how you have been picking on me. You deserve this,” she stated. She glanced at Luna and grinned. “Get her,” she decided.

The impish smile on Luna’s face grew wider and she flipped around to begin tickling Riley’s sides. Riley snorted – a weird puffing sound accompanied by a slew of bubbles – before she began to laugh and writhe. “No! Luna, stop it!” she howled. “When I get free, I am going to pluck your scales, you wait and see.”

Katie chuckled and Riley’s glare whipped to her as she continued to squirm. “You will be next,” she threatened.

Katie shrugged. “Then I suppose I had better make it worth my while,” she decided. She swam around Riley’s other side and joined in Luna’s assault. Riley’s ability to speak was lost to a storm of laughter as she wiggled and twisted under their combined efforts. Katie could not stop laughing either and Luna looked incredibly pleased with herself.

Finally, Riley began to wheeze, so Katie eased off and gestured at Luna to do the same. “Alright, let her breathe,” she urged.

Luna sat back on the butt of her tail and smiled brightly as they both waited for Riley to catch her breath.

“Rotten cheaters, the lot of you,” Riley grumbled when she finally found her words again.

“Oh, do not be bitter,” Katie threw back with a laugh. “You are just annoyed because your pride is bruised. You were more than happy to pick on us.”

Before Riley could respond, Ixion planted a hand on her head. “I am going to let you up now,” he stated. “If you threaten my daughter again, I will squash you the next time.” His tone was light, but there was a growl beneath that made Katie think perhaps he was serious.

As soon as his weight lifted, Riley squirmed free and huffed. “It was hardly a threat,” she argued. “Besides, she is more than old enough to know that tugging fins is a bratty thing to do and I was well within my right to retaliate.”

Katie’s brows creased together and she frowned as she switched her attention to Luna. “You were tugging her fins?” she inquired.

Luna stuck her tongue out and shrugged.

“You really are evil,” she teased.

Once again, Luna shrugged.

Riley growled at her and opened one glider to cuff Luna over the head. Luna started to laugh, but Ixion cleared his throat and Riley froze. “You should not defend her like that,” Riley grumbled. “It is going to her head!”

Katie laughed and shook her head. “Right, because you definitely do not have an inflated sense of ego at all,” she shot back.

Riley’s gaze narrowed once more and she stuck her tongue out. “No one is protecting you,” she reminded.

Katie only laughed harder.

“Be that as it may,” Rebecca cut in as she approached and placed a hand on Riley’s head. “And loathe as I am to break up the fun, I think it best if everyone settles down now. Karina does still need to rest and I am concerned about the noise. And you, do not tug on Mers’ fins and then hide behind others when you face repercussions,” she scolded Luna gently. “It is not polite, and you should not make trouble unless you are prepared to brave the consequences.”

Riley puffed up her chest and nodded. “I was only trying to help teach her,” she offered. “The reactions were uncalled for.”

Luna blew a raspberry in Riley’s direction.

Despite their joking, Katie felt a little guilty. “I am sorry, Rebecca, we did not mean to bother Karina.”

“Do not be sorry,” Nero called. “She has not even stirred. I doubt even a flock of squawkers could wake her now.”

Katie made her way over, though she tried to keep a healthy distance so as not to risk disturbing them. “Is she okay?” she inquired.

Nero’s purple-gray gaze glittered solemnly, but he offered a weak smile and nodded. Katie knew he was not the chattiest with strangers, but she hoped she was not making him uncomfortable. They had not had the chance to speak much as of yet, but he was Luna’s brother and she wanted him to at least tolerate her.

She gazed at Karina. The woman was tucked up against Nero’s side. She was limp and pale, but her gills seemed to be working steadily. “I am sorry I was not faster getting back,” Katie muttered. “I have not really mastered my tracking abilities and I was nearly too late.”

Nero shook his head. “You saved her life. You and Riley both, and you have my gratitude. Karina will recover, she merely needs to rest.”

Katie nodded, but she still was not so certain. Perhaps Riley would have been a better Mer to send. She was stronger, and better at tracking, and would have made it back faster.

Before she could dwell on it much longer, she was tackled to the ground. She looked up to find Riley grinning down at her with her tongue poking between her fangs. “Are you over here brooding again? Because it is bad enough having to stay in this small pool all crowded together like this, I refuse to allow you to stink up the water with your negativity,” Riley teased.

Katie forced a smile and nodded. She pushed Riley up off her as she sat up and nodded. “I am alright,” she agreed. She shoved the dark thoughts away. They had more than enough to stress about without her inventing reasons and she wanted a chance to breathe as much as the others seemed to.

“Good,” Riley countered. “Because I owe you for the tickling.”