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Chapter Text

When Dr Richard Nines had first read the report from the Marine Biology Department of Detroit, he had dismissed it as a childish intern playing a prank. It wasn't until his trusted mentor had followed the email up with the early notes of her research and a folder of photographic evidence that he had finally believed.

Detroit Marine had discovered a mermaid.

Well, to be more precise, they had discovered a previously undiscovered aquatic mammal with a humanoid torso and a piscine body mass - but as far as legends went, it was a pretty close match to the concept of a mermaid. Amanda had been studying the creature from a biological and anatomical stand-point but had reached out and asked Nines to contribute as a behavioural expert. As much as they could learn from its chemical make-up and physical form, there was still a lot they could discern from its social behaviours. If it was a social creature, that meant there were more mermaids, which meant a larger data pool. Always a promising prospect.

Smoothing out his shirt as he exited the taxi, Nines smiled a greeting to Amanda and accepted her affectionate embrace once she drew close. "I wasn't sure whether you'd come," she admitted, guiding him inside with a sweep of her arm.

"I wouldn't have, if you hadn't sent that file," he explained, following close at her heel as she guided him past labs and offices, into the restricted area of the building. "Is it alive?"

"Oh yes. Alive and kicking... More often than not, we have to keep it tranquilised to stop it destroying the holding tank."

"I don't imagine it's accustomed to small spaces," Nines reasoned, none too keen on her indifferent tone. Call him soft, but he had taken to studying marine biology because he cared for the creatures they found, as much as he was fascinated by them. He didn't believe in undue suffering in the name of science, though he knew Amanda's stance on Humanity vs. Scientific Advancement. It was a point they had butted heads on previously and they would no doubt do so again. But, given the unusual nature of their discovery, he supposed it wasn't unreasonable for her to be taking exeptional precautions.

As they approached a heavy steel door, bracketed on each side by security staff, Nines felt a shiver of anticipation. This was it. Time to come face to face with a centuries-old legend. Amanda pushed open the door and ushered him inside, closing it firmly behind them. Nines was stunned into awed silence by the sight.

The center of the large lab was taken up by a 30ft cylindical tank that reached to the ceiling, a steady filtration system creating a soft but constant current of clean water. Nines walked closer, eyes fixed on the creature held inside as it swam slow spirals along the outter edge of the tank, diving to the bottom and starting over once it reached the top. From the naval up, its anatomy was mostly humanoid, though its scaled skin was a pale shade of blue and a complex mesh of gills lined the curve of its ribs. Its face was masculine and uncannily human, though its eyes were pure black and he caught a glimpse of angler-like fangs when the creature gritted its teeth against the steady pressure of the current. Nines was amused to find that it was intentionally swimming against the pressure of the water, stubbornly choosing the hardest path to keep itself occupied.

But the real marvel was its tail... extending around 4 foot in length, the deep blues and whites running in bold verticle stripes down the length of the main tail muscle. The caudal fin was easily two foot wide, erupting from the base of the tail in spined, fan-like tendrils. A matching pair of smaller fans blossomed at its hips before the vibrant colouring faded into the subdued blues of its torso. When it turned in the tank, Nines saw that its back was much darker, consisting mainly of dark grey and navy blends. Fascinating... he suddenly understood why Amanda had called him.

"He has the characteristics of a Glaucus Atlanticus," he breathed, unable to stop himself from walking up to the tank.

He had barely touched his fingertips to the glass before the creature nose-dived and drove its shoulder hard into the glass, lips peeled back into an aggressive snarl - those large fangs displayed only inches from the doctor's face. Nines flinched and stepped back, watching the creature's expression twist a little... it was laughing. It was laughing at him for being afraid. Incredible... A sense of humour, no matter how cruel, was evidence of social behaviours, human-like thought processes and the ability to form emotional associations.

Nines smiled at the thought and stepped back to the glass, pressing his hand more firmly against it. Again, the creature dived and rammed its shoulder to the glass before snapping at him, but Nines held his ground - he knew the glass would hold and he knew what the creature would do, though he had to admit that there was still something unspeakably startling about having the unusual creature assaulting the barrier between them. Sensing that the trick wouldn't work a second time, the creature's eyes narrowed and it reared back, fanning its pelvic and caudal fin to full size before screeching; the sound was muffled at first by the water and the glass, coming through as something not dissimilar to a dolphin squeak, but as the monitoring system kicked in, the screech was transposed at a deafening volume through the lab. Nines dropped his hand in favour of covering his ears, a few more pieces clicking into place: it knew that the humans could hear it, and he knew that the sound would be discomforting, which showed awareness of tools and the ability to predict reactions... in other words, a kind of empathy.

"When you're done playing, Dr Nines, I have a few test results I'd like to go through with you," Amanda interrupted, bringing the doctor back to the task at hand; her mood not improved by the creature's vocal tricks.

"Of course... Sorry, it's just... incredible," he responded, forcing himself to walk away.

As he did, the creature looped tightly in a victory flip before letting its weight settle at the bottom of the tank. It watched the doctor turn his attention to the terminal at the edge of the lab, expression shifting and changing as it thought. moving back to the glass, it beat a webbed hand against the partition in an effort to catch Nines' attention, then fell back in a slow recline until it was laid prone on the floor of the tank. One of the technicians rolls his eyes slightly and gestured for Nines. "You've done it now, sir. It'll sulk like that for the next half hour."

"Because I disturbed it?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"No... it's just realised that playing with you is more fun than swimming circles," the technician laughed. "It did the same thing after Rupert tried to keep it active during a heart-rate test."

Then it was a social creature, relying on interaction with others for entertainment. Which meant that there would undoubtedly be more of them somewhere. But how had their species gone for centuries without discovery? How had they avoided modern radar and sonar scans? It didn't make any sense.

"Where did you find it?" Nines asked, turning his attention back to Amanda.

"That's the strangest part, we found it in Lake Erie... Our best theory is that it's seaborne, given its size and physionomy, so it must have gotten unbelievably lost during the high tide that followed this winter's heavy rainfall and kept swimming until it got to Erie."

Nines considered this, looking over the summarised reports that had been handed to him. At a brief glance, he was surprised to find that very little had been done to report on its behavioural habits - though he supposed that was why Amanda had called him. She was an expert in marine biology, so her research would undoubtly cover the creature's genetic structure, its anatomical proportions and functions. It's behaviour and responses to stimuli would be Nines' expert contribution.

"Do you mind if I keep a hold of this copy? I'd like to read it thoroughly when I'm at the hotel," he asked, closing the folder. "For now, I'd like to run some tests to see what we can determine about its behaviour. If we can determine its social habits, we might be able to locate a few more..."

The prospect seemed to please Amanda and she nodded, turning to glance at the creature. It had laid itself flat against the bottom of the tank, arms and webbed fingers splayed wide at its side; it was motionless, staring at the filter fan at the top of the tank, its fins occasionally rippling with the current. Nines followed her gaze and couldn't help the soundless laugh that settled in his chest. It was dangerous to anthropomorphise animals, to attribute their behaviour to human emotions - but if he didn't know better, he'd say that the creature really was sulking.

"Cheer up, we'll have something fun to keep you busy soon," he reassured, knowing full well it couldn't hear him.

Chapter Text

The large cylinder was part of a multi-room system, though the specimen was most often contained in the smaller holding tank for the sake of observation and to avoid any misadventures. Upon Nines' request, the flooring of the cylinder was opened and the creature was granted access to the larger pool in the secondary observation room. It swam eagerly down to the lower floor, following the bend in the cylinder and emerging into the larger space; Nines watched as it swam an unnervingly fast lap of the olympic sized pool, before emerging from the water at the center with a pleased shout. The sound was uncannily human, like a bark of laughter... If it was capable of vocal sounds, there was a small chance that it would be able to learn the basics of human languag; the thought sent a small shiver through Nines' slender frame. Just imagine... Everything about this creature was exciting and unfamiliar, fascinating and more than a little intimidating. Nines understood why the legend of the mermaid had persisted for so long; its almost-human torso and face were a sight of ethereal beauty, its tail was breath-taking with its vividity and power. If he were to see one in the open waters of the ocean, Nines wasn't sure whether he'd be intimidated or enchanted.

Standing near the edge of the pool, but careful to stay an arms length away (just in case), he called out to the creature, "I bet that's a lot nicer than the tank."

The creature turned to face him, analysing him with distrustful eyes. It wasn't the most subtle of expressions; its eyes narrowing, head tilting down a little in a guarded posture, lips peeling back from sharp fangs everso slightly... just enough to remind the target that it was capable of defending itself. Nines made a mental note of the distrustful expression, determined to memorise and catalogue each specific expression and the way it manifested on the creature's face. He presumed that it was an emotional and sentient mammal, so each expression would be important when it came to communicating and understanding its reactions. With enough time and data, he hoped to write a full paper on the body language of the 'mermaid'. For this purpose, he had set a video surveillance camera at each corner of the pool, so that he would be able to go back through the footage and review each event. Dr Miller stood behind one of the cameras and kept occasional notes as Nines worked.

"It's alright," he kepts his voice low and reassuring. "I'm not here to hurt you. No painful tests."

He slowly opened his hands and showed the creature, hoping to placate it a little. Amazingly, the creature fixed him with a hard glare and patted at its own torso - Nines frowned and tried to understand, watching as it placed both hands on its strong chest and swept them downwards. Nines mimicked the gesture and realised that his hands followed the fabric of his lab coat. Smart creature. "Miller, it seems to understand that the coat is associated with examinations and potential harm. I'm going to remove my coat and show it that I'm not carrying any tools," he cited, doing as he'd said.

The creature swam a little closer as Nines displayed his hands and did a slow turn to show that he was unarmed. It didn't come right to the edge of the pool, but close enough that Nines could see its face in clearer focus. It had a strong jaw and peculiarly soft features for something so inhuman. Nines was surprised to find that his assumption about it being scaled had been incorrect - The specimen's body was covered in a pale blue skin that appeared smooth and poreless when above water; where the skin was submerged, a tight texture of dots gave the appearance of scales, but were more likely to be sensitive nodes that could detect changes in water pressure, temperature and current. The parts above the surface could easily have been human, had it not been for the teeth and its pale blue complexion. That wasn't the only change between its aquatic and surface forms - Nines noted that its eyes appeared more human, grey-green irises and pupils swimming in a white sclera... so the black he had seen before must have been a form of secondary eye function used for the low light conditions of the ocean. More peculiar still was the mess of dark brown hair that hung plastered over its forehead and cheeks. There was no real evolutionary purpose for it, as far as Nines could work out, except perhaps as camouflage when spotted by humans.

"Hello..." Nines greeted, starting to crouch closer to its level. However, when the creature backed away, he stood slowly. The other doctors had probably crouched low when approaching it before, so it was suspicious. Instead, Nines stayed still and kept his hands visible, waiting until the creature came back. "It doesn't trust doctors much, huh? But it's curious about us being here... Capable of basic communication and analysis of threats... It used hand gestures to try and communicate before, I'll try to do the same. If we're lucky, we might be able to get a kind of dialogue going."

Nines walked a little distance along the poolside and placed a piece of fish on the edge, gesturing for the creature to come to him. When it hesitated, he stepped further from the edge of the pool and gestured again; this time, the specimen approached cautiously and took the fish in its webbed hand. Fixing Nines with a wary look, it looked over the offering before eating it. Nines repeated the step, coaxing the creature to different parts of the pool until it followed without the incentive of food. However, after a while, it slowed in its following and turned towards the center of the pool. Nines frowned and looked at it, gesturing for it to come back.

The creature gestured for him instead. Nines grinned, watching as it copied the gesture for 'come here' and pointed at the water. He shook his head in response, following it with a clear "No". The creature repeated the action again, more forcefully, but Nines shook his head again. It stilled, then turned and dived into the water, raising its tail high enough as it turned that it was able to send a powerful splash in Nines' direction. The doctor laughed softly.

"The specimen understands basic social principles and has a sense of hierarchy," he cited, amusement lining his tone. "It has stopped playing now that it knows I won't follow its instructions. I'm going to see if I can get it to compromise. If it understands compromise, we might be able to tell a lot more about the social habits and its capacity for abstract calculations."

Crouching down, Nines splashed a hand in the water, trying to draw its attention. It continued to swim lengths for a while before non-chalantly emerging again. Nines was tempted to suggest that it was exercising free will as a power play, but he was hesitant to assume too much. He gestured for the creature to come and was met with his previous gesture, mimicked in sharp motions - the creature shook its head. "He learns quickly. My first instinct is to expect a near human level of intelligence, but I think it would be best if we stick to basics until we're sure."

Nines walked around the edge of the pool and waited for the creature to move; as it swam towards the far side, Nines followed. It used a hand to splash water at him before swimming to the right, and Nines followed all the same. It hesitated, watching the doctor as it swam backwards along the side of the pool, seeming to understand. It ducked underwater and swam to the far side, emerging and gesturing for Nines to come over. The doctor obliged before gesturing for the specimen to duck under again - when it followed the order, he ran to the far side and waited for it to emerge, gesturing for it to come back. The creature's features tightened into a smile and it swam over, allowing its broad pelvic fins to fan over the water as it did. They repeated the game for a few more rounds before the creature tested its luck, swimming to the center of the pool again before gesturing. When Nines refused, it swam to an edge and gave the gesture more half-heartedly.

"It understands compromise. It knows I won't go into the water, so it moved to the edge of the pool. He's.... It's also more willing to approach now that I've given it equal control over the game," he noted, following to where the creature was waiting.

When he gave the gesture for the specimen to dive, it shook its head, apparently bored with the game. Instead, it raised its hands and showed them to Nines, just like he'd done at the start - 'nothing that can hurt you'. Then, it came to the very edge of the pool and braced one elbow on the tile, carefully reaching a webbed hand towards Nines.

"Miller... do we know if it's skin is safe?" Nines asked, his heart skipping excitedly as he considered a professional dilemma. If he took the creature's hand, he would be putting himself at significant risk:- they had no idea if it was hostile, whether it would pull him into the water and attempt to drown him, whether it was playing innocent until Nines could be tricked into the water as a meal, or whether it would be able to hurt him with any membrane-based toxins. However, Nines was loathe to damage any potential progression in their social interactions. As far as he knew, the creature had fought violently against anyone who came close... for it to offer its hand was a signifier of trust. That would be important for future tests.

"We think the hands are fine. When we've given it live food, it uses the pectoral and caudal fins to incapacitate its prey. We've witnessed it handling live fish with its hands, letting them swim away and toying with them before it attacked with the fins." Miller explained.

Nines nodded and crouched slowly, watching the creature's reactions. It was waiting patiently, apparently understanding that Nines was consulting Miller about something, but once his attention was secured, it grew more restless. It reached a little further, a small trilling sound breaking from its throat as it did, keeping its fingers splayed and open for Nines to see. The doctor took a steadying breath and reached out, touching his fingers to the creatures, before slowly sliding his hand forward so their palms touched. The creature smiled, keeping its hand still until Nines moved away. It changed the position of its weight, resting on the previously offered hand before offering the other up. Nines chuckled slightly before placing his hand on the specimen's. It moved away first this time, pushing away from the wall and grinning - flashing a look at those all too sharp fangs.

Nines would have to be careful. As much as it looked human, it was still far too dangerous to risk letting his guard down.

Chapter Text

The scolding that Nines received from Amanda after his decision to touch the creature had been scathing, only just stopping short of threatening to kick him from the project completely for his stupidity. But it had been worth it. Since that first interaction with the specimen (affectionately named Gavin by the team - each specimen was named in descending alphabetical names. There had been Eliza the Button Jellyfish, Freddy the Flamoyant Kuttlefish, and now "Gavin"), the specimen seemed willing to co-operate with Nines and behaved more amiably when he was nearby. It had even taken some initiative in offering new gestures for different actions, eager to communicate with the one doctor who didn't want to do him any kind of harm.

As the floor of the examination tank opened, Gavin braced himself against the side of the glass and emitted a loud shout of gratitude (or perhaps excitement) before diving down towards the pool. As he emerged into the open space, he stopped short and rose to the surface instead of swimming his usual lap around the edges, giving Nines a deadpan glare.

"Good morning Gavin," Nines greeted, setting up the last obstacle up on the tiled flooring.

Gavin was usually in the habit of greeting him with a boisterously loud 'oi' sound, but he refused on this occasion, insisting instead on pointing at the first obstacle that lay in his way: a partially dismantled net, stretched between two posts.

"Yeah, I know. You like doing a few laps before we start, but I can't set it up while you're in the water, so we had to get it ready without you. You can swim after," Nines reasoned, knowing that Gavin wouldn't really understand, but he found it helpful to hold a one sided conversation so he'd understand his own motivations better when he reviewed the footage. When the final test was set up, he looked over at Gavin and gave their gesture for 'later'.

Gavin bared his teeth but didn't advance, using the gesture as an expression of displeasure more than aggression. It was incredible how quickly Nines and Gavin had come to understand eachother, given the barriers. Nines was patient when expressing a new gesture and Gavin was stubborn at insisting on his own gestures when he thought it was important. They had already built up a vocabulary of: come here, stop, give, watch and wait, as well as a few other circumstancial gestures. The one Nines found most endearing was mostly subconscious on Gavin's part... He's observed that, when other doctors were in the room, his pelvic and caudal fins spanned full and wide from his tail. However, when he was alone with Nines and Miller, or whenever he approached within arm's reach of Nines, he drew his fins close against his tail. It was a small thing, something that Nines hadn't noticed at first, but he understood that it was a sign of trust. Those fins held extremely potent venom and would cause more than a few problems if they came into contact with human skin... so they were a defense mechanism that he was choosing to take down when he approached, sacrificing his own safety to ensure that Nines wouldn't be stung.

"Wait," Nines smiled, giving him the gesture for the word as he spoke. He walked over to the starting point and stood at the edge of the pool so that he would be able to observe and take notes. Sensing an opportunity, Gavin quickly flapped his pelvic fins along the surface of the water, spraying Nines in saltwater. "Oi!"

"Oi!" Gavin grinned back.

"Stop. No." Nines insisted, but he couldn't help laughing when Gavin repeated the mischief, ducking under the water when Nines reached down to splash him back. "Very funny. Come on."

Gavin surfaced and looked at the first obstacle, then cast his gaze over each of the following tasks, seeming to understand what Nines was expecting from him. While their previous interactions had focused on social habits and reactions, today's test was about the application of tools and the ability to problem-solve. Nines had specifically chosen a range of tasks that would require different thought processes, some requiring multiple steps. If he could work out the range of Gavin's intelligence and skills, they would be able to theorise the kind of environment the specimen lived in and potentially use that information to look for more.

As Nines gave the signal for Gavin to start, the specimen submerged and stared at the network of interlacing lines. For a moment, Nines suspected that Gavin was unsure how to proceed, but he eventually approached and took hold of a line near the middle, using his teeth to break it. Nines watched in amazement as the creature settled its weight against the bottom of the pool and patiently unravelled the net, wrapping the plastic line around its webbed hand as it worked. When the last of the line was tidied into the bundle, Gavin surfaced and reached up to hand the line to a speechless Nines. He had meant for Gavin to find the most convenient path through the net, not to completely unravel it. What was more incredible still was the way Gavin gestured for 'hurt' then made a motion with his hand to indicate 'fish'.

Nines felt the realisation settle into his stomach like lead. Not only had they unestimated his intelligence as an individual creature, but they had completely overlooked how much Gavin might know about their world. He was aware of nets and the risk they posed to the marine life that he used as food. He would no doubt be aware of litter and plastic waste, of boats and their complex tools, of rope and anchors, of life-vests and scuba equipment. Humans ventured into the ocean everyday; Nines had been foolish to expect so little. Sure, he could argue that he had been covering the basics to ensure that there were no gaps in its understanding. But that wasn't the part that weighed most heavily on his mind.

If Gavin was capable of analysing tasks, judging the most outwardly impactful result and demonstrating his thoughts to a third party... it was indicitive of high intelligence. Intelligence that would grow stale and frustrated without proper enrichment. If Gavin was being held for hours at a time in the holding cell without any interaction or pass-time, he was inevitably going out of his mind with boredom. That kind of boredom was likely to stagnate into depression if they didn't find a way to keep him occupied. Perhaps that was why Gavin always seemed so pleased to be working with Nines - it was something to keep him occupied for a while.

The thought grated on Nines slightly, undermining the relationship he thought he'd been building with the specimen. Did Gavin really enjoy working with him, or did he just like having something to do? He'd have to look into this. If nothing else, he would have to convince Amanda to provide some kind of enrichment for the holding tank. In the meantime, he might start bringing his tablet to the lab and sitting near the tank to keep Gavin company during the long observation hours. They could work on a few more signs when Nines found time between his reports - anything that might keep him engaged.

Once the first task was tidied away, Gavin drifted to the second station where a treat was placed at the bottom of a thin tube, a pointed stick attached to the side. Gavin picked up the stick, looked at Nines, then threw it at him. He proceeded to lift the small obstacle out of the water and placed it on the tile, dismantling it carefully with a kind of dexterity that Nines hadn't expected from webbed fingers. As he worked, he fixed Nines with a bored expression and consumed the small treat with lack-luster enthusiasm.

"Alright, I get it. This is too easy," Nines vocalised, but he couldn't help but notice that Gavin was making a point of bringing the items to the edge of the pool; simultaneously cleaning up his own environment and providing a better view of his actions for Nines and the cameras. He knew he was being examined and he was making it easier for Nines...

He continued in this way for the next few stations, removing the intrusions to his pool and neatly dismantling them to get the treat. The only one that gave the specimen difficulty was a plastic bottle that Nines had screwed shut with a treat inside. Gavin brought it to the edge and offered it to Nines, growing frustrated when Nines refused to take it. He shook it, then tested his teeth against the edge of it, frowning when this didn't solve the puzzle. He waved the bottle at Nines again before placing it on the tile, touching his chest before gesturing for 'watch'. The meaning was clear; he wanted to watch how Nines solved it. So, they were communal creatures, passing on knowledge much as humans did. Nines picked up the bottle and untwisted the lid, tipping the contents into his palm before tipping it back inside and securing the lid. When he handed it back to Gavin, the specimen followed his example and took the treat, before securing the lid again and holding the bottle close with one arm as he swam to the final station.

"Give me the bottle, Gavin," Nines prompted, matching the word to the sign for 'give'. But the specimen shook his head and cradled the bottle against his smooth chest. Nines thought he might know why... of all the obstacles and stations he had set up, this was the only thing small enough to be taken back to the observation chamber. It wasn't much, but it was something. Nines nodded and let him keep it, making a mental note to find a few more things for Gavin to take into the holding cell between their tests.

The final station had been set up on the tiling of the pool's edge, set a few feet away from the water. Nines stood near it and gestured to the treat sitting around 7 foot from the floor on a tall podium. Gavin looked at it, measuring the distance before bracing his hand on the edge of the pool. A frown flickered over his soft features, his eyes darting to Nines before he gave a pushing gesture. Nines assumed he meant for Nines to push the pole closer, so he shook his head. Uttering a trilling growl, Gavin backed away slightly and fanned his fins, gesturing to them and then to Nines, repeating his pushing gesture. Ah, that made more sense. Nines stepped back a few paces, giving Gavin ample space to pull himself up onto the tiling without the risk of an accidental sting.

As Gavin emerged from the water, Nines felt his pulse quicken. He looked large enough in the confines of the holding tank, but he was a damn leviathan on dry land. His strong shoulders and arms dragged his weight out of the water, his broad fanned pelvic fins splaying over the cool tiling to hold his weight as he adjusted his posture. With a strong push of his tail, he brought his whole mass to the surface, his tail acting as a solid base as he reached up, snake-like in his weight distribution, and took the treat. Gavin settled his weight more comfortably on the tile and tucked his fins as close to his tail as he could, signing 'no harm' to Nines. And he stayed there, resting on the tile and making a show of breathing the air.

Nines walked closer, careful to stay out of range of his pelvic fins, and crouched slightly, offering Gavin an open palm. It was a gesture they'd closed each test with, ever since that first encounter, as a signifier that it was over now and Gavin was free to swim for a while. The specimen reached over and touched his palm, before raising his hand and slapping it down against Nines' in something uncannily like a high-five. Surprised, Nines offered his other hand and was met with the same action. He smiled brightly, and it split into a laugh when Gavin screwed his face up in an uneven wink, both eyes squeezing closed.

"You knew I was testing you, and you've been playing dumb... Following my instructions so I'd get the results I wanted..." Nines mused, not expecting any kind of response but needing the words to be said. It struck him then that Gavin could have emerged from the pool on any number of occasions, could have pulled him and Miller into the water at any time, but had co-operated with their tests without so much as a complaint. Was that a social indicator of empathy and communal tolerance... or was it a sign that Gavin knew he couldn't get out of the complex and was trying to make the best of a bad situation?

"Oi..." Gavin uttered firmly, leaning a little to meet Nines' distant gaze.

"Oi to you too," he answered, turning his attention to the specimen.

"Ka'n," he attempted, gesturing to his own mouth before trying the sound again. "Ka'fn."

It took a moment before Nines realised it was trying to replicate a word. A name. "Gavin."

"Ga'fn... Kafin."

Nines repeated it with him a few times, mouthing the sounds clearly so Gavin could see how the 'v' sound was formed. After a few attempts, Gavin triumphantly uttered his own name. Hearing that it matched Nines' pronounciation, he shouted it across the echoing pool. Nines grinned and touched his hand gently, not knowing how to convey 'well done'; Gavin took his hand and pressed it firmly between his own before carefully slipping back into the water.

If he was capable of replicating speech and understanding context, there might be an opportunity to develop a more vocal form of communication. With enough time, he might even be able to teach Gavin to speak fluently. The thought sent shivers over his spine. They might be able to close that language barrier after all.

Chapter Text

When Nines entered the lab a few days later, he was met with the sight of an empty holding tank.

The floor of the column was securely closed, so he knew that Gavin hadn't been released into the pool, but there was neither sight nor sound of him. The other technicians and biologists sat at their respective tables, making notes and reports as usual, apparently undisturbed by the sudden loss of their prized specimen.

Nines' heart hammered a little too firmly against his ribs as he scanned the lab for Amanda, sensing that she would know what was happening - or that she might be directly responsible for it. However, a cursory glance over the lab caused the vague panic to morph and shift into a cold dread as he registered the empty work spaces near the back wall. Amanda, Dr Perkins and Dr Alan were all away from their stations - the three members of staff with clearance for medical and surgical procedures regarding the specimen. Carried on suspiciously weak legs, Nines confronted Miller.

"Where did they take him?" he asked, his tone tight and clipped despite his efforts to sound calm.

"Down to the theater. He was acting strange this morning and Dr Stern thought he might be coming down with something... They've taken him in for an examination," Miller explained, but the latter part was lost as Nines turned on his heels and hurried in the direction of the operating theater.

What did he mean by 'acting strange'? Gavin had been making significant progress with Nines over the last few days, learning a number of basic words and demonstrating his species' vocal alternatives - they had taught each other the traditional greetings of their respective species, expressions of sadness, of comfort, of fear. Had Gavin been practicing the behaviours that Nines had taught him? If he had been practicing expressions of sadness or pain, Amanda might have thought that he was in genuine distress.

Maybe he had been in genuine distress... Amanda had refused to provide enrichment to the holding tank, despite Nines' warnings. Would it be so surprising to assume that Gavin's frustrations had turned into something more serious?

As he pushed open the double doors of the theater, his frenzied energy crystallized into a stunned stillness. Gavin had been laid out on a large medical stretcher; straps across his waist, neck, wrists and the base of his tail kept him motionless; large rubber sheets had been laid out over his fins to keep the venomous tendrils from harming anyone, giving his tail an eerily stripped look... too slim, too plain; a number of IV lines and monitoring patches had been inserted and placed along his body, a particularly invasive line emerging from the hollow at the center of his collarbone. As Nines stepped in, Gavin looked up and gave a weak jolt, fighting his restraints.

"Hurt..." he uttered weakly, the sound was alien and thick on his unpracticed tongue, but the effect on Nines was the same nonetheless. He gravitated to Gavin's side despite Perkins' protests and placed a hand gently on his arm, careful not to disturb any of the lines or patches, smoothing the skin in an encouraging gesture before turning his fury on Amanda.

"What the hell do you call this?" he snapped, his voice perched precariously thin to a shout.

"Dr Nines, please move out of the way. The specimen was showing signs of illness, we're conducting tests to rule out a number of aquatic diseases," Amanda recited indifferently.

"Signs of illness... such as?"

"It's lethargic. It refused its meal last night and this morning, spent the evening curled up on the floor of the holding tank instead of its usual swimming pattern. Dr Alan has noted that it's been over-grooming its fins, to the point of discolouration and mild inflammation. And to top it all off, the creature was recorded making distressed sounds that we believe to be indicative of pain when it spread its pelvic fins against the current."

That didn't make sense, Nines had seen Gavin's reaction to pain when the creature had turned a corner of the pool too quickly and hit his tail against the edge; he had bared his teeth and tended to the wound silently. The only sounds he'd made had been the ones they'd learned and practiced for the purpose of communicating. As for the rest, it took Nines only a moment to link it back to his previous concerns.

"He's lacking enthusiasm to stay active, losing his appetite, isn't motivated to do things he previously enjoyed, is unhealthily fixated on a bad grooming habit and is distressed..." Nines repeated, rephrasing to make a point. "He's not sick, Amanda. He's depressed; which I reported as a risk last week. He's kept locked in a small space for hours with nothing to keep him engaged, his only social interactions are limited to exam conditions and he's been kept to the same blasted routine since the day he got here!"

Amanda observed him coldly, her gaze fixing on the way Nines' hand stroked over the creature's forearm. "Thank you for your suggestion, Dr Nines. If it's all the same to you, I'd like to run my tests just to be sure. And, while we're on the subject of your reports... I'm growing concerned that your professional integrity in this project is being compromised. You're taking too many risks, Richard. You're getting far too attached."

"You hired me to research its social behaviours, Dr Stern. That does tend to involve socializing with the subject," he countered, his voice low and heavy with anger. "Rather than causing more distress for the specimen, might I request that you heed my advice regarding his care and see if that yields an improvement. I suspect this may prove more effective at resolving his ailment than a live autopsy."

"Dr Nines... get out of my theater. When I need you consultation about my specimen's social behaviours, I'll ask for it." When he stood his ground, Amanda's expression hardened. "Let me make this more clear. You can leave my theater now, and resume your tests as normal once I'm done. Or you can sign a non-disclosure agreement and leave my establishment."

Nines hesitated, assessing her threat to see if she was bluffing. But he had never known her to blow hot air in situations like this, especially when she was hungry for a breakthrough. As much as he was loathe to leave Gavin in this state, he wasn't left with much of a choice. If he had any hopes of helping Gavin to survive this ordeal, he would have to be on the inside... He sighed weakly and gripped Gavin's arm, drawing his attention. "I'm sorry, Gavin... I have to go," he explained quietly. "Later. We'll have our test time later."

As he turned away, Gavin fought more violently against his restraints, a scared shout ringing through the tiled room - it consisted of one word, a word that threatened to tear the doctor's chest in two with the fear and guilt it carried.

"Nines!"

It was the first time he'd heard his own name on Gavin's tongue and it pained him to hear it so desperately called. He kept his head down, avoiding the glares of Perkins and Allan as he made his way to the pool.

He didn't know how long he waited there, unable to bring himself to face the lab again after the confrontation; not wanting to see the empty tank and be reminded of the suffering that Gavin was being forced to endure. After what seemed like hours, Nines saw the dark shape of Gavin emerging from the tunnel at the far end of the pool. Nines moved to the edge of the water and watched as he swam slow, aimless shapes along the bottom of the space, refusing to surface. Desperate, Nines splashed a hand in the water and tried to reach for Gavin's shoulder as he swam near - but he turned away and continued his slow circling, defensive fins spread wide around him. After a while, Gavin stopped near the center of the pool and settled onto the floor, curling in on himself.

"Gavin... please, come here so we can talk..." he urged quietly, his voice tight with emotion and threatening to break. He didn't know whether Gavin could hear him, or whether he was ignoring him completely out of spite for the way he'd abandoned the frightened creature.

As Nines watched, he noticed that Gavin was fussing with his pelvic fins, running his webbed hands over each tendril and rubbing at spots where the deep blue was most vibrant. Where the venom was most potent... he was obsessively washing away excess venom, trying to neutralise his own defenses. Why? From a zoological perspective, it wasn't unusual to see animals self-harm in distressing situations, out of disorientation or anxiety. For an individual as psychologically advanced as Gavin, it was likely a conscious decision - a punishment for himself? A desperate attempt to remove the threat that kept Nines away? Trying to remove the substance that Amanda most frequently tested so he might be left alone? Regardless of the reason, Nines could see the damage that was being caused and felt the pain of it in his chest. He splashed at the water more forcefully, trying to get him to stop, but the creature paid him no heed.

"Shit... if I get barred from the project for this, you owe me," he muttered more to himself than to Gavin, as he kicked off his shoes and socks. Taking off his lab coat and shirt, Nines carefully lowered himself into the water and waded towards the center, careful not to move too quickly or startle Gavin. As he drew nearer, Gavin looked up and moved away slightly, fins pressed flat against his tail. The expression that passed over his face shifted and changed between worry, to anger, to relief and eventually settled on caution as he signed 'hurt'. Nines shook his head slightly and gestured for Gavin to rise above the water, wanting to hear his voice. Slowly, keeping his tail behind him and away from Nines, he rose to the surface - his face was tight was discomfort, his arms crossed defensively across his pale chest.

Nines reached out carefully and touched a hand to each of Gavin's arms, carefully leading him into a hug. Gavin tensed, bracing his webbed hands on Nines' now-exposed chest before remembering that this was a gesture of comfort for humans. He eased into the embrace, resting his head on Nines' shoulder and allowing Nines to stroke his back in slow, soothing motions.

"I'm so sorry, Gavin... I tried to stop them," he explained quietly, smoothing his hair back in a comforting gesture.

"Nines..." the voice was softer now, low and quiet against the doctor's skin. "Hurt..."

"Show me." Nines let go and gave the hand gesture to match the words. Slowly, Gavin settled his weight and carefully extended one pelvic fin, his fingertips fussing at the sore spot he'd created from over-cleaning. after a moment, he retracted the fin and gestured to his arms where the track marks from the IV lines still puckered against his skin. Nines ran a gentle hand over them, then brought his free hand up to cup Gavin's cheek, holding his gaze. "I won't let them hurt you again... I won't."

He knew it was going to be the decision that ended his career. He knew that the actions he planned to take would have an unspeakable impact on the advancement of marine science... but he couldn't allow Amanda to keep Gavin in these conditions. He didn't care if he was barred from every medical practice from here to New Zealand... He didn't want to work for an industry that could treat any living thing with such cruelty.

Chapter Text

There was a strange kind of irony in the way things unfolded, Nines thought. If Amanda had never pulled Gavin in for medical tests, he never would have seen the results and blueprints he needed to form a plan. It wouldn't be easy, given that the facility was protected by numerous security measures, but he was confident that we would be able to get Gavin out of the building and into a suitable vehicle before Amanda knew that had happened. He had considered every contingency, had looked at it from every angle; if he played his cards right, he would be able to free Gavin from the lab and get him to whichever body of water he called home. If not... well, at least he would have tried.

It seemed that Nines wasn't the only one who had made an important decision that day; Gavin had been set on avoiding Amanda as much as possible since she had run her tests. His behaviour was split into two distinct personalities depending on who was observing him: in the observation chamber, he was careful to play dumb and swim aimless circles, playing with shadows and chasing the current of the water, behaving perfectly so that Amanda would leave him moderately undisturbed; when he was with Nines in the pool, unobserved, he was intelligent, communicative and had grown a little more affectionate than Nines had ever expected. He was especially fond of repeating Nines' name and showing off with graceful underwater patterns until the scientist rewarded him with hand touches and hair ruffles. There was no doubt in his mind now - Gavin was always pleased to see him and they were growing closer than he had ever expected.

Ever since the fiasco with the obstacles in the water, Nines had given up with the standard tests of intelligence that he had planned to run; he was already convinced of Gavin's human-equivalent intelligence and emotional capacity. The only way in which his behavioural and emotional habits differed was when a habit related to his survival in the wild - He was more equipped to hunt and hide from threats, to communicate with gestures rather than sounds... cultural differences, if anything. As a result, they often spent their time teaching each other vocabulary and gestures. Try as he might, Nines doubted that humans had the full vocal capacity to learn the mer-creature's language, but he was able to replicate a few sounds with passable accuracy. Not that it slowed down their communicative progress, Gavin had been making excellent strides with his vocabulary.

"Nines!" he shouted as he emerged from the tunnel, his long body stretching and twisting under the water as he made use of the space.

"Morning Gavin," Nines smiled, taking his usual place at the end of the pool, trousers rolled up and legs swaying gently in the water. Amanda would probably have a fit if she saw him like this... but he'd analysed the risks and he trusted Gavin. After all, he hadn't been stung yet.

Nines waited patiently while Gavin burned off the pent-up energy he'd gathered in the holding tank, exercising his no doubt cramped muscles with fast laps and widely fanned fins. An indoor pool was hardly a sufficient space for a creature of his size, but it was better than the tank, at least. Nines wondered what he must look like in the vast spaces of the ocean; how fast would he really be able to swim? What kind of threats did he have to face in the open waters? He wondered if there were others like Gavin, living in communes and small underwater societies. In the early days of his investigation, Nines had stayed up until the early hours of the morning, theorising the kind of living conditions and social grouping that Gavin would be familiar with... but he was starting to realise that his best chance of understanding was to ask Gavin personally. They just hadn't found the words yet.

Satisfied with his stretches and laps, Gavin floated over and situated himself beside Nines, elbows and head resting on the tiles while his powerful tail floated and twitched in the water. "Learning words?" he asked, his pitch black irises shrinking back to show hazel as he adjusted to the air and the light.

"Yeah, learning words," Nines agreed, but he caught the slight pout and reached over to touch Gavin's chin with his index and middle fingertips (a gesture for concern that Gavin had taught him - a gentle touch to a vulnerable area, focus on the mouth to encourage communication, guide the recipient's gaze to your own. It wasn't unlike cupping a palm to someone's cheek). "What's wrong?"

"Forgot," he stated plainly. It wasn't until Nines asked what he'd forgotten that he continued, a mischievous smile taking the place of the pout. "Forgot hugs. Forgot how."

Nines laughed at that, splashing water at him. "You did not forget how to give hugs. You crafty little fish."

"Show me!" Gavin insisted in a warm baritone, pulling his weight up onto the tiling and opening his arms with a demanding little gesture. Ever since Nines had hugged him in the middle of the pool, Gavin had been fascinated with the action. He had gone so far as to feign injury, believing that it was solely a 'conforting' gesture, until Nines had explained that people could hug whenever they wanted to. Besides, Nines couldn't deny him such a simple pleasure, not after everything he had endured and suffered for their research.

Nines slipped his arms around Gavin's waist tightly, bracing himself against the merman's weight as he leaned into the contact. A low, rolling sound purred from Gavin's throat, rumbling over Nines' skin in a soothing wave. He smoothed Gavin's hair back gently, smiling when Gavin pressed his face into the crook of his neck, his cool skin oddly refreshing and pleasant. They stayed that way for a while, both of them enjoying the familiar contact, until Gavin eventually moved away and looped his arm through Nines'. "Friends?"

"That's right. Friends." Nines smiled, mimicking Gavin's sound for 'friends' as accurately as he could manage. At least, he assumed it was translated as 'friends'... they had established the meaning by gesturing vaguely between themselves. You + me = this word, this sound. Either way, it seemed to convey a suitably similar meaning. But the thought was bitter sweet - Nines didn't feel like a particularly good friend, not while Gavin was still captive. Maybe it was about time he tried to explain his plans, to try and make him understand. "Gavin? Listen to me..."

Gavin's expression pinched at the change in tone, his attention fixing on his companion as he settled into a comfortable position. Nines hesitated, running through their glossary of understood terms and gestures, trying to work out the easiest way to make him understand. "This pool, it's too small. You need to be outside, in the ocean. Big water..." he tried, gesturing and miming slowly as he spoke. Gavin nodded slowly, repeating a similar series of gestures to show that the pool was small; his version of 'big water' included fish, which seemed like a promising sign. "Yes, that's right. I'm going to try and take you to the ocean. Do you understand? I'll get you out of here..."

The sentences were getting lost now, the vocabulary gap growing too wide. Gavin frowned as he thought about the gestures and words, trying to put them together. Eventually, he mimed something that looked like 'give big water' followed by a question, his voice dropping low and quiet as he slipped into his native tongue. "Ire?"

He hadn't ever used that word before, they had never found a comparison in Nines' teachings. The human could only stare, running through the possibilities; if he'd brought the flash cards they'd been working with, maybe they could have gone through them... Growing frustrated when Nines didn't understand, Gavin gestured for his notebook and made a 'give' sign. Nines, a little amazed by the idea, placed the notepad open on the tiles and gave Gavin the pen. He clutched it awkwardly in his fist, pressing too hard into the paper, but managing to draw two distinct images. A rectangle with a simplistic mermaid inside and a curling wave; Gavin pointed to the first and demanded, "Learn word."

"Pool," Nines obliged, a little too stunned by the situation to offer more insight. He hadn't thought that art or sketching was something that mermaids would have any knowledge of... though he supposed that it was possible to draw in the sand with a stick, so the idea wasn't entirely ridiculous. Besides, Gavin had seen him using the pen to take notes on a number of occasions, so it made sense that he'd learn the purpose of the tool. Eventually, he took a step of initiative and pointed to the wave, telling him the word for 'ocean'.

Gavin copied the words slowly, then gestured to the wave. "Ire."

Smiling, Nines took the pen and circled the mermaid, drawing an arrow to the wave. "Take Gavin to the ocean."

His companion looked up at him in awed silence for a moment, his hands moving restlessly at his sides as a signifier of strong emotion. When the emotion bubbled over his control, he lurched forward and wrapped his arms firmly around Nines' waist, pulling him across his lap to capture him in a rib-bruising hug. Nines gave a surprised shout before settling his weight against Gavin, leaning against him. He was about to chide his companion for startling him, when Gavin cupped his cheeks and pressed his forehead and nose to Nines'. A quiet mewl of sound came chirruping from Gavin's throat before he rocked his head slowly from left to right, the motion causing Nines to do the same; their noses brushed slightly with each pass, reminding Nines of an Eskimo kiss. After a few repetitions, Gavin let go - and Nines was surprised to find that a deep blue colouration had settled into his cheeks and neck. The boisterous creature was actually blushing.

The sight pulled at Nines' chest, causing a strange fluttering that he couldn't quite place. It was adorable... and intimate and vulnerable and sweet. Nines only hoped that he would be able to explain the plan sufficiently for Gavin to understand. He couldn't allow Gavin to lose faith in him. Whatever happened now, Nines was determined to prove to Gavin that humans could be kind. It was just unfortunate that he would have to work through a painstakingly difficult communication process with him in order to make him understand... especially since the plan would involve hurting Gavin.

"Come on, we have too much to do. We can cuddle when you're in the ocean," Nines stated through the lump in his throat, more to keep himself focused than anything else.

When Gavin eventually let go, Nines turned his attention to drawing out a series of images, trying to get him to understand each step. He drew the holding tank with Gavin inside, then drew a pipe going into the top. Once he was sure Gavin understood, he drew a line through the pipe and started drawing dots in the tank, he waited for a while, then drew some more, eventually shading in the tank completely. "Dirty water..." To demonstrate, Nines took a small container from his coat pocket and collected some pool water, showing him and expressing the word for 'clean'. He took a small bottle from the same pocket and allowed a single drop of green food colouring to stain the water. He showed him again and gave the word for 'dirty', then gestured to the holding tank and repeated the word again.

Gavin frowned and placed his hands on his own throat, in a gesture Nines had taught him for 'drowning', "Hurt Gavin."

"I know..." Nines sighed, drawing up a temporary aquarium station like the ones they kept for transfers and catch-and-release projects. "Take Gavin here, to clean water." Nines drew a wave at the bottom of the page, then an arrow from the aquarium to the wave. "Take Gavin to Ire."

Gavin looked over the plan, looking at the green water and the box. Eventually, he took the pen and drew a shaky stick figure with a stick in one hand. Nines frowned and tried to work out what he meant, but when Gavin pointed to the door, he thought he understood. Guards. Men with sticks, like harpoons. He didn't understand land-based guns, but he understood harpoons and spears, nets and fishing lines. The stick was a vague 'weapon'.

"It's ok," Nines smiled, turning to a new page and drawing the aquarium again, only this time, he drew a side view of Gavin lying on the bottom of the box with his stomach down and his darker back presented upwards, then he added a large jellyfish floating in the water between him and the lid. "They'll think I'm taking a jellyfish to the ocean."

The trick to this, Nines thought, was in the risk assessment. Put a highly venomous Portuguese Man of War jellyfish in a tank and the guards would be reluctant to open it for checks. Even if they did open the tank, they wouldn't be able to move the tentacles around to get a good look inside, so Gavin would be able to camouflage himself at the bottom until they were outside. With Gavin being a highly evolved relative to the Blue Angel sea slug, he would be immune to any sting - if anything, the jellyfish would serve as a snack during the journey.

"Sound good?" Nines asked, giving Gavin a thumbs up and a questioning look.

Gavin beamed and circled the picture of himself a few times, drawing sharp lines to the ocean before dropping the pen and shouting a loud sound of agreement.

This was it... make or break.

Nines just hoped that he could get Gavin out of the observation tank before the water became too dangerous, and then out of the building before Amanda noticed that he was gone.

Chapter Text

Nines was surprised by how easy it was to gain access to the water treatment wing of the building. All he had needed to do was show his lanyard and explain that he was 'conducting an analysis of the chemical treatment process to ensure that there was a sufficient variety of micro-biomes in the water'... and he had been allowed right in. From there, it had only been a case of locating the stabilizing agent they used for the process and replacing the substance with more of the pro-biotic they used to keep Gavin's environment as similar to the ocean as possible. The hardest part had been the fight with his conscience; by increasing the pro-biotic, he was actively creating a dangerous environment for Gavin. But it was the only way he would be able to get him out of the facility. Besides, it was kinder in the long run, Nines reasoned. Still, it did nothing to still the queasy guilt that lined his stomach as he poured the contaminant into the water.

After three days, the tank grew visibly polluted; small bits of algae and detritus floating in the current, chasing in the creature's wake when he swam. Gavin seemed well enough, but the effect of the water was evident in his weaker coloration and the way he sporadically rubbed at his eyes. Whenever he came to the pool, he spent more time above the surface, using his lungs more than his gills, enjoying clean air and an only slightly cleaner pool. But the thing that tugged on Nines' chest more than the suffering that Gavin endured for his plan, more than the lethargy he was exhibiting... was the way he reassured Nines at every opportunity. Each time Nines asked him if he was hurt, if he wanted get out of the tank and start their plan early, Gavin shook his head and chirped 'ocean' in a rough, sore voice. The longer they waited, the longer it would take to cleanse the water - which would give them more time to enact their plan.

By the seventh day, the water was getting dangerously contaminated. Amanda had noticed the change in water quality and arranged for a stronger dose of the stabilising agent to be added to the water supply, which inadvertently made the water even more polluted. Not that she'd know that, of course. Nines' little switch-over had gone under the radar and the issue was yet to be spotted. But Gavin had endured as much as he could. He had been trying his best not to show too many signs of his struggle against the stagnant water, but his breathing was getting too shallow, too rapid. In the end, Nines couldn't stand to watch him suffer like that any longer - they would just have to take their chances with the time they had. Otherwise, he was afraid that Gavin would be too weak to make the journey to the ocean. It was now or never...

"Dr Stern... I'm growing concerned about the water situation," he announced professionally, glancing at the tank to prove his point. "I can see on the records that you arranged for more cleaning solution to be added but I think we might need to change the water system entirely. Something isn't quite right."

Amanda regarded him carefully, registering the concerned pinch of his mouth. "I am well aware of your concern for this creature, Dr Nines," she started, her tone just a little too close to snide mocking. But she watched as Gavin laboured to breathe, Nines could practically see the cost and time calculations ticking over in her mind. Changing over the entire water supply wasn't going to be easy and it would hold their research back for a number of hours... but it was better than losing their specimen altogether. "On this occasion, I think you might be right. It might be best to clear the system out and start over with a fresh tank."

"I could keep Gavin in the pool with me while the cleaning process is underway," Nines bluffed, keeping his tone on the more 'hopeful' side of stoic.

He had to fight a smile when Amanda walked straight into the trap. "I think it would be more appropriate for us to keep him in a temporary aquarium unit, don't you? We'll have to flush the pool for the contaminants too."

He sighed slightly, keeping his gaze averted as he nodded. "Alright... no, of course, you're right. A sterile aquarium is the best option in the long run... I just hope he doesn't get too distressed."

"It shouldn't take too long. Just a few hours or so," Amanda reasoned. "If you can't bear to part from him for that long, there's a charming little cuttlefish in Lab C that can keep you company."

Nines nodded and turned away, choosing to ignore her comment. He wouldn't have been able to formulate an answer if he'd tried; his heart was hammering too hard in his chest. What if Amanda knew? What if this was her way of catching him in the act? At least if he could get Gavin out of the facility, it would be worth his license. But to lose it and damn Gavin to a life behind glass was a thought too terrible to consider. Whatever happened from here on out, he couldn't let Amanda take Gavin back to that tank. No matter what...

It took four scientists to coax Gavin out of the pool, and the mischievous creature made an exceptional fuss about getting into the small transport tank. Nines stayed in the lab, keeping a low profile so that he'd be able to go and tend to Gavin without suspicion when the time was right; but he watched the commotion on the surveillance system and was impressed by Gavin's initiative. Once inside the tank, he expanded his fins and made a show of how large he was in the aquarium by pushing his weight to the surface and bunching his tail in the upper portion of the space - a clever bluff so that the scientists would think he was too large to share a tank with another creature. Very clever.

The forty-five minutes that followed were the longest of Nines' life. He waited until the tank was moved to the holding facility at the far end of the wing, feigning work on his reports and occasionally asking questions of Miller and Perkins so that his cover would be believed. When he was convinced that Amanda was fully distracted by the goliath task of emptying an almost 1,000,000 gallon tank of water, he slipped out and made his way to the holding bay. The guards let him through without so much as a questioning glance at his lanyard - a fact that somehow made Nines feel worse. If they were in on Amanda's plan to catch him... hypothetical plan... Nines scolded him and tried to quieten the doubt that was swimming through his veins. This was going to be hard enough without Nines jumping at every shadow. he took a deep breath and made his way into the holding bay.

Passing tanks of sting rays, rare deep sea breeds in specialised pressure containers and curious looking cephalopods, Nines fixed his sights on the large tank near the left-side wall. He smiled when he looked into the viewing port in the top of the lid and saw Gavin, lounging on the bottom of the tank, blowing bubbles and watching them rise to the surface. There was something so comfortingly innocent and calm about his expression,so untroubled by the chaos and danger they were about to face. Just happy to watch bubbles floating the surface of his temporary cage and trusting that Nines would get him back to the ocean. When Gavin saw Nines' face peering in, he made a motion to shout his usual greeting but then caught himself and waved instead. Nines laughed softly and waved, opening the tank carefully.

"You're looking a little healthier. Now the hard part..." he explained, looking for the tank he had marked out a few days before. Wheeling it over, he opened it up and looked at the large jellyfish inside. Moving it would be difficult without the right equipment, but Nines didn't fancy explaining to the technician why he needed the nets; especially since the specimen in question had been cataloged for release.

Before he could worry himself with the mechanics of the problem, Gavin leaned over the edge of his tank, grasped the jellyfish firmly with both hands and dragged it into his own tank with a smug smile that went straight to Nines' chest. "Nines hurt. Gavin food," he beamed, taking a small bite out of one of the long, venomous tentacles to prove a point.

"Alright, smart-arse," Nines smiled, moving the now-empty tank back into position. He was half horrified and half amazed when he heard Gavin's repeated call of 'smartass'. Of all the words he could pick up almost instantaneously, of course it would be that one. Nines looked over his shoulder with a raised brow, unable to hold the stern expression when Gavin ducked under the water and made a show of hiding himself with the jellyfish, as though hiding from Nines rather than the risk of permanent captivity. When Nines came back over, he looked into the tank, trying to find any trace of Gavin beneath the carefully arranged jellyfish. If he looked long and hard, he could make out the darker shades of Gavin's back in the spaces, but only if he specifically looked for him. Regardless, they didn't have many other options. Closing the lid, he fought down the sick feeling of fear in his stomach and pushed the tank towards the main doors. With every step, his heart raced through a number of heavy lurches. His palms sweated against the metal handles as he held on, supporting his weight against the tank as his legs reluctantly pushed on.

As he emerged from the door, a guard moved to stand in his path and tapped on the tank. "Where are you going with that?"

Nines wasn't sure which stopped first, his pulse or his breathing. Somehow he managed to find enough air to formulate an answer, "It's due for release. I'm moving it down to the loading bay while I wait for the water change out. Can't really do much research while the creature's locked up in a box, so figured I'd help clear some room in the holding unit," Nines explained, his voice sounding clipped and tight to his own ear.

He offered over the release paperwork and waited patiently while the guard looked it over, it was marked in numerous places with 'CAUTION: HIGHLY VENOMOUS' and 'EXTREME CAUTION ADVISED', which seemed to do the trick. The guard gave a cursory look over the tank but his disinterest was fairly apparent. Nines supposed it made sense - they had no idea that Amanda was suspicious of him, and Nines was one of the nameless 'men in lab coats' that this man had been told to follow instructions from. When the paperwork was handed back, Nines smiled and slipped it back onto the hook on the side of the tank.

"Thank you. I'll be back up for a few more once this one's loaded." Nines lied, pushing the tank along the corridor. A wave of adrenaline rushed over him, mixing with his fear and quickening his step. By the time he got the tank down into the loading bay, his skin was clammy with stress. He took a moment to calm his nerves before pushing the tank out into the open space of the car park, where the loading van for the catch-and-release specimens collected cargo once per day. However, the panic came back with a vengeance when Nines realised a problem with his plan...

The 'catch and release' vehicle was out on an expedition.

Which meant that there was no vehicle large enough to hold the tank.

Panic squeezed at his chest, paralysing him with ice-cold tingling waves. How could he have been so stupid?! "No... no, no no."

Seeing the sunlight and realising that they weren't moving, Gavin peeked through the observation port and checked the area before partially pushing up the lid. "Nines?"

"Yeah. I'm here... just... there's no van," he tried to explain, gesturing to the empty space. He gestured to the tank then at his own car which was parked a few bays across, before giving the sign for 'too big'. "We need the van."

Gavin frowned slightly as he registered the meaning, surveying the space. He had been transported to the facility in the van, so he must have known the general concept of a car. But he kept pointing at Nines' car, ignoring the scientist's insistence that the tank was too big. Eventually, the creature gave a low growling sound that Nines understood to be irritation and he slapped a hand at Nines' arm to get him to pay attention. Once he was sure that Nines was watching, he pushed the lid up completely and pulled his upper body out of the tank, giving a 'ta-daa'-like gesture with his arms. "Gavin small," he insisted, pointing at the car again.

The idea broke Nines, sending him into a panicked set of breathless giggles. "You want to ride in my car. Without the tank? Gavin... no water. The car has no water."

Gavin took a few deep breaths, making his point fairly clearly. Well, it wasn't like they had many other options. Nines cursed and checked the door behind him, making sure they hadn't been followed before rushing to his car and driving it over to the loading platform. With a little difficulty, Nines helped Gavin out of the large tank and opened the boot, flattening the back seats so he'd have ample room to get comfortable.

This was surreal.

He was driving his car to the beach, with a real life mermaid in the back, which he had stolen from his mentor's facility.

They would have him locked away for this: either in prison for theft of a prized and protected specimen; or in an institution for claiming to have a mermaid in his car.

"Nines! Ocean!" Gavin prompted firmly, settling his weight against the rough fabric of the seats.

"Right... right. Ocean." Nines repeated, starting the car. As he did, he noticed a pair of technicians running out of the building, waving at him to stop. Instead, he pressed his foot to the floor and didn't dare look back until they had reached the main road.

Chapter Text

If you have ever driven through the middle of Detroit during a busy Wednesday afternoon with a mermaid in your car; you'll understand that it is a very stressful event.

Nines' nervous gaze flickered back to the rearview mirror whenever he had a moment, checking for any signs of pursuit, checking that Gavin was comfortable, checking that they weren't drawing too much attention from the other drivers. He had debated taking a longer route, turning and changing direction as often as possible, but he realised that it wouldn't help them in the long-run; Amanda would know that he was headed for a water source - either Lake Eyrie or the ocean. It wouldn't take much for her to split her security into two groups and send them to both locations, so the sooner they got to the beach, the better. If they could outrun her, get to the ocean before she had a chance to rally her resources, Gavin might have a chance at escaping her grasp completely. Once he was in the open waters, it would take an entire navy of submarines to find him again.

Something about that thought pulled in his chest, filling him with a remorseful and selfish regret. If he took Gavin to the ocean, he may never see him again. It wouldn't be safe for Gavin to venture to the shore while Amanda was looking for him and Nines had to face the very real possibility that he'd face prison time for this. That thought alone was enough to cut through the fog of his wistful dreaming, reminding him of the severity of the situation. And yet, he knew that it would be worth every sacrifice, every risk.

"Nines... ocean?" Gavin asked, peeking up over the edge of the back passenger window to look at the passing cars with an accusatory glare.

"Soon," he answered, reaching a hand back to clasp at Gavin's reassuringly before he had to bring it back to the wheel. "We'll be there soon."

"No... Nines ocean," Gavin tried to explain, struggling to find the right words. "Nines stay... stay ocean."

"Stay with you near the ocean..." Nines smiled sadly, not sure how he could make Gavin understand. "I can't... they'll hurt you."

Gavin sighed deeply, rubbing at his face with open palms in a gesture that Nines recognised as frustration. "Ocean big, Nines."

"I can't live on the ocean, I'm human. And you can't live on the shore because they'll capture you," Nines answered, missing his meaning for a moment. It wasn't until he caught Gavin's exasperated expression that he thought he understood. "But I could live on a different shore, somewhere far from Detroit but still close to the ocean."

Gavin didn't understand the words exactly, but he was encouraged by Nines' change in tone. He smiled and settled his weight again, getting comfortable for the long journey. Nines considered the possibility of moving to a different shore, starting over somewhere new with Gavin nearby. He would be able to study Gavin's environment and his interactions with others of his kind, submitting his findings to private journals under a false name, claiming to be a study on a new type of aquatic mammal, "hitherto unnamed". It wouldn't bring in a lot of money, but it would bring in enough, and he would be able to use that money to protect Gavin from other research facilities. If nothing else, he would be able to rest easy with the knowledge that he had done something worthwhile with his life.

As they drove, Nines gradually became aware of a soft purring sound coming from the back. When he glanced in the rearview, he saw Gavin curled around his own tail, humming to himself as he watched the sky through the window. The humming grew louder, turning into a wordless song. It took Nines far too long to recognise it, surprised to hear 'Careless Whisper' being hummed from a non-human entity; he looked back at Gavin, joining in with the lyrics when he got to the chorus.The grin on Gavin's face was priceless.

"Where did you learn that?" Nines laughed, turning off the highway when he saw the sign for the beach.

"Humans near ocean," Gavin explained, doing a little shoulder shuffle to signify 'dancing'. Before Nines could ask him for another song, Gavin sat up and pressed a palm to the window, pointing enthusiastically at the skyline. "Ocean!"

Nines looked across and saw the first hints of the shoreline peeking out from between the nearby buildings; each moment brought them closer to the water, closer to uncertainty. As houses thinned away and melted into open spaces, Nines tried to capture this memory- the way Gavin grinned and watched the horizon from the window, the way his fins twitched eagerly at the notion of being back in the water, his beautiful colours, his quiet sounds of excitement... trying to hold on to the image for as long as he could, if only to prove to himself that this really happened. Eventually, they reached a private beach that would give them sufficient coverage from the prying eyes of the road. Nines drove down onto the sand, getting as close to the water as he dared before going around to open the boot.

Gavin barely hesitated before throwing his weight onto the sand, his strong tail and fins propelling him to the water at a speed that Nines hadn't expected. Just a flash of blue movement and he was forcing his weight against the oncoming waves. As soon as he reached the water, Gavin threw himself under the gentle waves and Nines lost sight of him. For a heartbreaking moment, Nines thought that he'd gone. Without so much as a goodbye... But he resurfaced a few meters away, leting out a low, loud whoop of celebration. "OCEAN!"

Taking off his shoes and socks, Nines rolled his trousers up past the knee and waded out to meet him, glaring at the mischievous creature when he refused to come back to the shallows. "Gavin, come here. I'll get wet if I walk any further."

Slowly, Gavin eased his way over. When he was close enough, he lunged for Nines and grabbed him around the torso before falling back into the water, drenching the human completely. Nines choked on a mouthful of water and spluttered, feeling Gavin's strong mass supporting him as he caught his breath. "Hurt?" Gavin asked, his voice strained with worry.

"No, I'm ok," Nines laughed roughly, trying to get his footing.

"Float." Gavin instructed, pulling him out deeper into the water. At first, Nines clung to him, treading water weakly before he realised that Gavin was holding him at surface level, carrying him through the water. "Float..."

Gradually, Nines relaxed, letting Gavin guide him out into the open water; anxiety prickled at his throat, bringing his gaze constantly back to the shore... but Gavin's determined strokes seemed to be driving them towards something specific. He watched as Gavin pulled them around an outcrop of rocks, taking the beach out of sight completely. He swam over to a large, flat rock and helped Nines up onto it; his expression danced between anticipation and nervousness, his hand reaching for Nines before he ducked below the water. Nines could hear the muffled clicks and whistles that Gavin made, using a kind of echolocation that reminded Nines of dolphins and whales; most likely a long-range call to help him find others of his kind when they swam too far astray. Minutes passed, and nothing happened.

Then a new volley of clicking joined Gavin's. Nines watched with amazement as a number of dark shapes closed in on the outcrop. They hung back at first, hesitant, until a small face peeked up over the surface - she must have only been a few years old, looking like a human child except for the fact that her skin was a rich shade of pink and her eyes shone pure black before she blinked in the sudden brightness. Gavin grinned and swam over, pulling her close against his chest as he swam tight circles and shouted happily. A number of others joined the first, pulling Gavin into warm embraces and pressing their foreheads to his in a heartfelt greeting. Nines could only watch, amazed to see not just one or two, but a total of seven mercreatures gathering together to welcome Gavin home.

Escaping from the tight embrace of his companions, Gavin led the smallest of them over to the rock, murmuring something in his native tongue when an anxious looking individual voiced their objections. He picked the child up carefully, settling her weigh on his shoulder as he swam back to Nines... and Nines could see the cephalopodic tendrils that made up her tail - not a Blue Dragon like Gavin, but more like a cuttlefish or a squid. Now that he looked, he could see that one of the other mermaids had a tail similar to a lionfish, and another had the tail of a sea nettle. Nines watched as the young girl's features passed into worry, looking back for one of the others in the group before Gavin soothed her with a quiet humming. When they were close enough, he encouraged her to lean against the rock and reach a hand out. Nines reached to Gavin's hand first, showing her that it was safe, then slowly pressed his warm hand to hers. She erupted into giggles and darted away, drawing closer to the rock for another warm touch, then swimming away. Nines couldn't help but laugh with her, half-delirious with the surrealness of it all.

All too soon, there was a ripple of unintelligible words, Gavin's expression sliding into a solemn frown as he listened. He looked at Nines, then back to the shore, calculating the distance. "It's ok, Gavin. I can swim back from here." Nines assured him, reaching down to brush his hair back gently. "I'll look for you along the coast... I'll find you. I promise."

Gavin pulled his weight up onto the rock and leaned his weight against Nines, allowing himself to be hugged tightly. He hesitated for a moment, turning his face up to Nines'. And then he kissed him... just once. Gentle and uncertain. Before Nines could react, the contact was broken and Gavin was swimming away...

**************************************************************************

Nines searched the coastline for the rest of the year, staying at each shore for a week or so, searching for any sign of the oceanic community... but he found nothing. No drawn images in the sand, no suspicious litter arranged in a recognisable way, nothing.

By the time spring rolled around, Nines had almost given up hope. The ocean was impossibly vast, with countless shores and only the smallest possibility of finding the right beach at the right time. In the end, desperate and running out of ideas, Nines had gone to Lake Erie where Gavin had first been found. Standing on the pier, looking out over the water, he watched as the ducks and swans shepherded their young along the water, teaching them to swim in the shallow waters before they would inevitably migrate to warmer climates. Nines frowned slightly, watching a signet chasing after its mother as a thought slowly materialised.... and he suddenly understood.

Frantic, he sprinted to the car and punched it into drive - he followed the road north east, keeping the water in sight whenever he could. The radio fuzzing between stations as he drove through each region, desperately chasing the tide. Afternoon crawled into evening, evening into night, and Nines drove on. Not stopping until the sun rose on frost-bitten rays; not until he found himself at Quebec and the mouth of the St Lawrence river. Exhausted, Nines parked up at the side of the river and wandered aimlessly alongside the water, his legs and back screaming with the abuse of almost twelve hours of driving... but he was certain. This was the place.

When the high rainfall of last year caused the river to break its banks, the landscape had been unrecognisable. It would have been easy for an aquatic mammal to get lost and follow the river instead of heading out to open water, leading them by slow degrees to the lakes beneath Detroit. If the creatures were migratory, they would come back here each spring to rear their young in shallow waters before heading back out into the ocean. So, it stood to reason, that they would come here again this spring. When exhaustion finally took him, Nines pulled a blanket from his car and settled himself into a quiet spot near the water. He would nap for a while, then go walking along the waterfront, searching all the small and secret spaces for any sign of them.

He slept heavily, undisturbed by passersby thanks to the crisp weather and the unusual path he had taken to the riverside. A few hours passed before he stirred slightly, feeling something cool and damp against his cheek. When his eyes fluttered open, he saw something he thought he'd lost forever...

"Nines?" Gavin's voice was shaking and quiet, disbelieving. "Nines!"

The scientist struggled to find words, the last vestiges of sleep hastily falling away as he reached a hand up to gently card through Gavin's wet hair. He was real...he was here, within arm's reach, and he remembered Nines' name. Before he could stop himself, Nines threw his weight at Gavin, securing him in a tight embrace, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. "Gavin.... you're here."

Pulling himself away, he cupped a pale blue cheek in his palm, pressing his forehead to Gavin's and basking in the closeness. Soft breaths moved over his skin, the cool dampness of his skin refreshing Nines' wherever they touched. After a long moment, he leaned a little closer and pressed his lips to Gavin's; returning the gesture that had been so timidly shared almost a whole year ago.

Gavin made a sound somewhere between a trill and a purr, rubbing noses firmly with Nines in return. "Nines, stay..... stay here. Gavin stay... Gavin and Nines stay here."he finally managed to strig together, holding onto Nines like he might vanish.

".... Yes. Yes, I'll stay," Nines grinned, laughing softly as relief and joy mixed into a giddying smoke behind his eyes. "We'll stay here. Together."

Chapter Text

Hey Everyone!

Thank you so much for reading my work.

If you would like to read more fiction involving a sassy sea slug, my other mermaid fic can be found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29470302

It's set in a different universe to this one, but I hope you'll enjoy it just as much.

Love you all dearly!
LittleLalaith