 
### Hollywood Merman

By KuroKoneko Kamen

Copyright 2015 by KuroKoneko Kamen

Cover Design by Mathia Arkoniel

Smashwords Edition, License notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or give away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. All characters are invented. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

### Chapter 1: Big Bad Blue

Levi hated humans.

For five hundred years he'd lived under the sea, swimming from ocean to ocean, and from one side of the Earth to the other in search of more of his kind - merfolk.

Yep, Levi was a merman. He had the upper body of a human male and the lower body of a fish. The tail that started bellow his bellybutton was more than five feet long, covered in light blue, dark blue, and green scales, and was extremely powerful. With one whack of his tail Levi could shatter sea boulders or knock a shark out cold.

Centuries ago, Levi had opened his eyes and simply _was_. He had no past memory of how he came into being. No identity. He didn't know how he came to be - if he'd been 'born', or if he had parents out there somewhere. Levi simply existed and he'd been holding an impressive, five-foot-long, golden trident in his right hand. The trident was a three-pronged weapon with viscous barbed tips.

Levi had no memories, but as he looked at the weapon he'd known what it was: _My trident_. And he'd known that it was a powerful weapon that he could use to protect himself in the vast, wild ocean.

Right after Levi's awakening he immediately left the area in search of answers and for beings like himself. What was he? Who was he? He wondered as he swam through the ocean.

Levi.

The merman thought he remembered his name or at least part of it. Levi didn't know for how long he searched the seas for his kind, but eventually he grew curious about the surface world he'd glimpsed through the water.

Levi swam up towards the ocean's surface while staring at that enormous, golden globe that was always shinning down upon the ocean, and the strange blue ocean it appeared to be floating in. Its golden color was so blinding, and it seemed so far away. When he breached the surface would he be able to reach out and touch that fiery ball? He wondered. Or would it still be too far away?

But when Levi finally breached the surface he found a completely different atmosphere. The gills on the sides of his neck closed up, and he was forced to breathe air through his nose and mouth. Levi gasped for breath as he adjusted to the process of breathing and looked around. The other 'sea' was actually a 'sky', and the giant golden ball of fire was even more far away than he realized. Levi held up his hand and imagined grabbing that ball of fire out of the sky. _Sun._ A voice from his buried memories whispered through his mind. _So that's the sun._ Levi thought.

The merman looked around and spotted a shoreline. Brimming with curiosity, he swam towards the shore and saw that an entire other world existed above the water. Its terrain was similar to what existed at the bottom of the sea with mountains and rolling hills, but the vegetation was different. Also, the 'fish' were able to fly among the branches of the trees and appeared to be defying gravity. _Birds._ His inner voice whispered to him.

Strange animals that breathed air and that walked on four legs also populated the land. They were nothing like the creatures of the sea, and when Levi reached his mind out to them, he found that he couldn't communicate with them telepathically as he could with sea creatures.

As he was observing life on land he caught his first glimpse of _humans_. The creatures looked like him. Well, their upper bodies were just like his, but instead of tails below their waist they had strange appendages, which they used to walk on land. _Legs._ His mind whispered to him. _Humans._

Levi watched as a group of five men entered a boat and began to make their way out into the sea in order to fish. Levi didn't really understand what the men were doing and swam towards them to get a closer look. When he realized that they were hunting food, this didn't bother him. After all, Levi also had to hunt fish and eat them in order to survive. Levi was a hunter, a deadly predator of the sea.

The merman swam closer and decided to try and communicate with the fishermen. He rose up out of the water a few feet away from their boat and raised his hand in greeting.

However, their reaction to his presence was not at all what Levi expected. As soon as the fishermen caught sight of Levi their eyes bulged and they began to panic. "Ah, it's a monster!" "No, it's a merman!" "It's the devil!" "Kill it! Kill it! Hurry!" The fishermen raised their harpoons and launched them at the startled Levi.

Levi was so surprised by their violent reaction that he got a harpoon in his shoulder for his trouble. Another thing that had extremely surprised Levi was the fact that he'd been able to understand what the fishermen had been saying to him. _Speech. Talking. Language._ The words whispered through Levi's brain.

Levi opened his mouth and began to form words. He discovered that he had the ability to talk too. Thinking that he'd probably just gotten off on the wrong foot with the fishermen since they hadn't been expecting to see him, Levi decided to try and speak with the fisherman again a few days later.

Unfortunately, the second time didn't go any better than the first. Levi rose up out of the water a few feet away from the small fishing boat and waved his hand. "Good day, gentlemen. Please don't be startled. I only wish to speak with you."

The fishermen seemed to be even more frightened by Levi now that he revealed that he could speak, and didn't even say anything as they tried to kill him with their harpoons once more. One threw a net at him.

Levi frowned as he dove down beneath the surface to avoid their attacks and the net. What had he done wrong? He wondered. Was his manner of speaking wrong? Or were they being violent because he was different? _Humans fear that which they do not understand._ His mind whispered to him. Levi decided that he needed to know more about these humans to better understand them before he would approach them again, and began to observe them closely.

What he saw was: violence and hate. The humans were always at conflict with each other - fighting wars over land, religion, money, resources, and race.

Fighting...fighting...always fighting.

So much needless bloodshed.

Anytime Levi tried to approach the humans he was met with violence or malicious intent. Levi shuddered when he remembered the time he'd approached a large sailing vessel. The men aboard had thrown a net that had been large and strong enough to capture even Levi. As they were dragging him onboard he managed to escape by cutting the net with his trident, but it had been a close call.

After that Levi decided to wait. He was a very patient merman. Surely human civilization would evolve and become more peaceful over time.

But instead of this happening, the humans and their wars only seemed to grow more and more violent. Swords were replaced by guns. Guns by Gatling guns. Gatling guns with machine guns and bombs. Bombs with nuclear weapons. Upon witnessing the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Levi turned his back upon mankind, and decided he was happy to live alone in the sea in peace with the creatures there, only hunting them when he needed to eat, and living in harmony with nature and the ocean.

Levi prayed that the humans would leave the ocean alone. His prayers weren't answered however. As the human population continued to grow and their technology advanced - their hold over the ocean also increased. They began to fish large numbers of fish all at once using drift gill nets, which would trap anything unfortunate enough to come across these floating curtains of death. Levi had watched the dolphins and whales he'd befriended die in those nets because they couldn't get back up to the surface to breathe.

For centuries, Levi continued to search the oceans for his kind, hoping to find some allies that could help him protect the seas from the violent humans, but his search was to no avail. His existence would have been incredibly lonely if not for his ability to telepathically communicate with the creatures of the sea. Dolphins were more intelligent than most, and very friendly and playful. But it was whales that were able to hold the most complex conversations with Levi.

The whales turned out to be wise and friendly creatures, and unlike most of Levi's other sea friends they could live to be 160-180 years old. During the 21st Century, Levi estimated that about five percent of the population was over a hundred years old. Whales were incredible, majestic creatures that had gained Levi's awe and respect over his centuries of knowing them.

One of the most impressive whales was the Bowhead Whale also known as the Greenland Right Whale. The adults could reach sixty feet in length, and could weigh more than a hundred tons. The whales had helped to ease Levi's loneliness; at least until his friends had started to mysteriously disappear.

Levi began to investigate what was happening to the whales and discovered that the humans were hunting his whale friends. At first, Levi thought that it was for food, but later he watched the humans harvesting the blubber and melting it down into oil. Levi watched the humans use this oil to make soaps, candles, and cosmetics.

Now in the 21st Century, Levi was watching them boiling whalebones down into glue, which was then ground into fertilizer. The bones and teeth of his friends were made into tools and jewelry. To Levi it seemed barbaric and disrespectful.

From 1904-1987 Levi estimated that commercial whaling fleets in the Atlantic alone had killed 1,339,232 of his whale friends. That was 16,000 of his friends murdered year after year for the better part of a century. His only true friends. Presently, there were only around 3,000 of his Blue Whale friends left, when he recalled a time when there used to be 220,000!

Humans were supposed to be the guardians of the Earth, but even when they passed laws to protect the whales they simply found loopholes to continue hunting them. Levi had eavesdropped upon hundreds of human conversations, and heard them saying that their hunting was merely for 'scientific research'. Whatever the hell that meant. Levi was pretty sure it was just a bunch of bullshit. Over the past five centuries, Levi had learned much about humans, and one thing they did consistently was justify their actions for their own benefit.

Levi took the humans' barbaric behavior as a declaration of war. If it was a war they wanted - it was a war they were going to get. Levi realized that it was time to take matters into his own hands. The merman decided he wouldn't allow the humans to kill any more of his whale friends. He'd had enough.

This resulted in Levi 'hunting' the whaling ships. As soon as he would spot one, Levi would swim under it, attack the hull with his golden trident, and puncture a hole into it - effectively sinking the ship. The merman would watch with a triumphant smirk on his face, as the whalers would be forced to evacuate their precious ship and escape onto lifeboats.

Over the course of the next few months, Levi managed to take out fifty whaling ships in this manner, and as he swam through the ocean he set his sights on number fifty-one. The merman moved gracefully through the water and raised his trident in anticipation. He neared the hull and jabbed his trident forward with all his superhuman strength. The hull was pierced; water rushed inside of the ship and as air escaped the breech zillions of bubbles filled the water like a white cloud.

Levi was about to leave when several humans dressed in black wetsuits, masks, and with oxygen tanks strapped to their backs, jumped off the deck of the ship and into the water, surrounding Levi in seconds. There were twenty humans in all and all of them held weapons that were pointed Levi's way. The merman recognized harpoon guns and tranquilizer guns.

Levi's dark blue eyes widened. _Fuck. A trap!_

The divers fired their harpoons at Levi and the merman blocked their attacks with his trident skillfully. Levi let out a roar of outrage that echoed through the water like a whale call, and swam towards one of the divers. The merman thrust his trident forward and impaled the diver right through his chest.

Levi pulled back on his trident, however, because of the wetsuit and the human's ribs, he was unable to pull the trident out of the human's body. _Damnation!_ Battling humans was completely different from battling sharks and giant squid.

Abruptly, Levi felt tiny bursts of pain all over his body and looked down to see several strange 'darts' sticking out of his flesh. _Tranquilizer darts._ His mind whispered. The merman let out another roar and pulled back on his trident with all his strength. His weapon was finally freed and he quickly put it to good use, blocking darts and harpoons that came sailing his way through the water.

Unfortunately, his vision was becoming blurry, his head was spinning, and dizziness was overtaking him. He blinked his eyes rapidly as he tried to clear his vision. _Shit._ He realized that he was falling unconscious. _No, my battle isn't over yet. The war has not yet been won!_

A harpoon with a rope attached to it was sailing through the water towards him and Levi couldn't do anything to stop it. The merman raised his trident to block the attack, but saw two harpoons instead of one because of his blurred vision. He struck out with his trident but missed the true harpoon, striking only water. The harpoon imbedded itself into Levi's shoulder and he howled in pain.

As a last ditch effort, Levi swung his trident at the divers while trying to keep them away from him, but they continued to close in and more harpoons were sent flying his way.

Levi's limbs became paralyzed. He couldn't move them and could only watch as the harpoons sailed towards his body and pierced his flesh. Blood from his wounds began to seep into the ocean creating a red cloud. The divers didn't stop there, however, and continued to shoot tranquilizers at him.

_Bastards._ But at least they didn't dare to underestimate his strength _. So this is how it ends then? At least I died while trying to protect my whale friends._

***

Levi awoke several hours later to a bucket of cold water being thrown into his face. His eyes snapped open, and he gasped and sputtered as his surroundings came into focus. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he came to realize that he was inside of some kind of human facility, and was probably somewhere on _land_. Ugh.

Levi cursed his deliberate ignorance as he looked at the strange blinking metal devices, which he was unable to recognize as computers, control consoles, and monitors. Levi had spent the last five hundred years in the ocean with little to no interest in the world above the sea and the violent humans. He was a merman. He wasn't human, he-

As Levi struggled against the strange metal bonds that were wrapped around his wrists he felt something cutting into his tail. He looked down, and his eyes popped. _No, no, no...this can't be happening. This can't be happening._ Levi stared down at himself in disbelief. He no longer had a long, blue fishtail, but...legs. Human legs. There was also this strange, heavy rod of flesh hanging between his legs. _What the hell? My tail...my magnificent tail...what has happened to it?_ His expression grew alarmed.

Levi's breathing became erratic as he began to panic, and he forced himself to calm down as he took stock of the situation. He was restrained to an upright, stainless steel examination table. Thick metal shackles were keeping his wrists and ankles - shudder - strapped to the table.

Levi looked around the laboratory wildly and saw a small table. It was arranged with sharp looking metal tools that glinted from the overhead florescent lights. The merman could easily guess what those tools would be used for - torture. His torture. _Torture devices. Great, just great._ He spotted his trident leaning up against one of the walls, renewed his struggling, and let out a roar of outrage.

"Ah, you're finally awake, demon." Came a deep, scathing male voice. The man's voice was dripping with hatred as he said the word 'demon'.

Levi's gaze flicked over to the speaker - a tall human male dressed all in black. He was wearing a long, black trench coat, white button-down shirt, black tie, black pants, and shiny dress shoes. There was a pair of rectangular-shaped, dark sunglasses perched on his strong nose. The man's hair had been cut short, military style. His presence was that of an experienced solider. His back was very straight and he had his hands behind his back. Levi narrowed his eyes at the human male - his captor - and growled low in his throat.

The man approached Levi, and stood in front of him, looking Levi over with a critical eye. "Can you not speak, demon? Or is all you can manage grunting animal noises?"

"What the hell did you do to me, you bastard? Where is my tail!" Levi demanded as he strained against the shackles, his muscles bulging and flexing.

The male raised an eyebrow at Levi's question. "So he can talk. Interesting. As for your tail...it simply disappeared when you dried off. You were unaware that you were capable of such a change?" Levi just glared heatedly at the male in response. "I suspect, if you dove back into the ocean your tail would return, demon. Though that is a moot point, after all there is no escape from this facility."

Levi's brow furrowed. "Why do you keep calling me that? Demon. I'm no demon. I'm a merman."

A cruel, sly smile curled the man's lips. "So you say...but if you were truly a merman then why do you now possess _human_ legs? You are no true merman - just a trickster demon that probably can take on many different forms."

A dark scowl formed on Levi's face. This human was nuts. "Who the hell are you, human? What is this place?"

"My name is Agent Darkhart. I'm in charge of the ADTF - the Anti-Demonic Terrorism Force. This laboratory is located within our secret underwater base."

Hope flared inside of Levi's chest at the word 'underwater'. "Why have you brought me here, human?"

Agent Darkhart calmly walked over to the table covered with sharp objects, put on a pair of rubber gloves, and picked up a gleaming scalpel. It glinted ominously in the overhead fluorescent lights. He turned to face Levi. "Why? For genetic research, of course. It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles. If you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one. If you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled every single battle. Sun Tzu."

"Wise words. From a human." Levi grudgingly admitted. If only he'd known more about his enemy - humans - they wouldn't have captured him so easily. He'd been foolish to avoid and ignore them so completely.

"I like to see what makes you demons tick. And since some of you are immortal...you don't die easily, which means the best way to study you is through vivisection."

"Vivisection?"

"Yes, vivisection." Agent Darkhart stared at his scalpel thoughtfully, "The process of dissecting a specimen while its still alive for scientific research. First, I'll cut you open. Then I'll remove your internal organs one by one. Since you're immortal I'll be able to watch you grown them back over the course of several weeks. It's a truly fascinating phenomenon to observe."

"You're one sick human, you know that?" Levi drawled.

"And when I tire of your vivisection I'll harvest your blood, bone marrow, and DNA for my research, and then dispose of you. Just as I have the other demons." Agent Darkhart smiled as he seemed to be remembering something particularly unpleasant...at least for the demons.

This was why Levi hated humans. They were fucked up sons of bitches. His body trembled with rage. "Why are you doing this, you sick fuck?"

Agent Darkhart began to pace across the laboratory. "For the betterment of mankind, of course. You can continue to 'play dumb' all you want, demon. But our kind is at war with your kind - demon kind. It is the ADTF's job to secretly protect America from demonic threats."

Levi's brow furrowed in confusion. "America...? But I was in the South Atlantic Ocean around what you humans call Antarctica. How...?"

"My men captured you in the South Atlantic, and I brought you here by submarine." Agent Darkhart explained. "A submersible warship."

"I know what a submarine is." Levi groused. "If your job is to protect 'America' then why did you target me?"

"You and your kind are a threat to humanity as a whole. Besides, we've been watching you for a long time now. Technology has come a long way, demon. I can now locate and track aquatic-type demons such as yourself. The seas are no longer safe for your kind. That ship was your fifty-first ship, wasn't it? Do you know how many innocent humans you've killed?" Agent Darkhart's eyes blazed with hatred.

"Do you know how many of _my_ friends your kind has killed? More than a million!" Levi shot back readily.

Agent Darkhart frowned at Levi's comment. "You mean, demons-"

"No, I mean the whales. I've been counting...almost 16,000 of my friends have been murdered year after year for the better part of a century!" Levi snarled angrily.

Agent Darkhart's dark eyebrows rose. "The whales? Do you mean to tell me that those ships you attacked were all whaling ships?"

"No shit Sherlock." Levi of course, had no idea who the hell this 'Sherlock' was but he'd heard humans say such phrases before.

Agent Darkhart paced. "You're saying you were trying to protect the whales?" He spun around and faced Levi. "I don't believe you, demon. Your kind is known for its deception. I will not fall for your lies in an effort to save yourself."

"That's not what I was trying to do, foolish human."

Agent Darkhart approached Levi with purposeful steps. "Enough chitchat. It's time to begin the vivisection. Let's see if you're a merman or a demon or whatever, shall we?" He pressed the scalpel to Levi's sternum and pressed down.

Levi flinched at the pain but did not cry out. The merman grit his teeth, as the scalpel was pressed even deeper into his flesh, drawing blood.

Agent Darkhart moved the scalpel down, opening an incision right over Levi's heart. Once the incision was finished Agent Darkhart set the scalpel down on a nearby table and picked up the portable buzz saw. He turned it on and a whirring sound filled the air. Agent Darkhart approached Levi and pressed the buzz saw against the merman's sternum cutting into the bone.

Levi was forced to bite down onto his lower lip to cut off his yell of pain. The merman's vision swam as he almost lost consciousness. A few minutes later, he vaguely noted that Agent Darkhart had finished his sinister task and was setting the bloody buzz saw back down on the table. The agent approached Levi, stood directly in front of him with a sadistic smile on his face, and inserted his hand into Levi's chest. Agent Darkhart closed his hand around Levi's still beating heart. "Can you feel that, demon?"

Levi gulped.

"Let's see if I can make you scream, demon." Agent Darkhart sneered right before he ripped Levi's heart right out of his chest.

Levi's eyes bugged and he grit his teeth against the yell of pain that wanted to pass his lips.

Agent Darkhart raised the still beating heart up to show it to Levi. "How does it feel, demon? To have your heart ripped out of your chest? Now you know how I felt when-"

The sound of a cell phone's ring tone going off was heard as _Who Are You_? by The Who filled the laboratory. "Damn." Agent Darkhart swore before quickly putting Levi's heart into a jar that was filled with formaldehyde, and screwing on the lid tight. He removed his latex gloves and answered his cell. "Hello? Mr. President! Ah...yes...yes...I understand." Agent Darkhart gave Levi a suspicious look before heading towards the exit of the laboratory.

Levi watched as Agent Darkhart approached a metal door, pressed his finger against a pad on the door lock, and watched as the door slid open with a _whoosh_. "You two...watch him." Agent Darkhart barked the order at the two guards who were standing just outside the door on either side.

"Yes, Sir!" Came the voices of two human males. These two guards entered the laboratory and approached Levi. Agent Darkhart's soldiers were also dressed all in black. They had on black military vests that had several pockets to conceal a variety of weapons, black cargo pants, and combat boots. The males looked human except...that one of the men had horns sprouting out of his head and the other had a tail with a barbed end swishing behind him. _Genetically engineered soldiers._ Levi's mind whispered. But the merman ignored this outlandish suggestion.

"Demons." Levi spat through gritted teeth, as blood poured out of the gaping hole in the center of his chest and trickled down his entire body until finally hitting the floor.

The soldiers raised their eyebrows at Levi and chuckled darkly. "Did he just call _us_ demons?" The soldier with the horns shook his head. "Crazy, man."

"Yeah, I know, right?" His friend with the tail replied.

Levi scowled at them. "If you're not demons then...what are you?"

"We're genetically engineered super soldiers. Our DNA was combined with demon DNA to make us stronger - strong enough to combat you demons." The soldier with the horns explained.

Levi scowled. "Genetically engineered...?"

"It means Agent Darkhart takes a piece of you guys and puts it inside of us to make us stronger - it _transforms_ us." The soldier with the tail explained in a condescending manner.

"Oh." There were just two of them and their presences were a lot less intimidating than Agent Darkhart's. Levi realized that this was probably the only chance he was going to get to escape. There was no escaping Agent Darkhart. Levi let out a roar and strained against the metal shackles, causing his muscles to bulge.

The two super soldiers just laughed at Levi's effort. "Doesn't he know those restraints are indestructible?"

But Levi would not give up. He continued to strain against his bonds using all of his superhuman strength. More blood poured down his chest from the effort. And then finally the shackles began to crack.

"Holy shit...he's doing it!" "Quick, get the tranquilizer gun!" The soldiers shouted at each other.

"I don't think so!" Levi broke free of the shackles and took a step forward towards the soldiers in a threatening manner. However, as his foot hit the floor a lance of pain went up his leg and he collapsed to his knees. It felt like he'd been walking on knives.

"Get him!" The soldiers both approached Levi with menacing steps.

One soldier made a grab for Levi's shoulder, but Levi reached out, grabbed the man's wrist and twisted. The soldier hollered in pain as Levi broke his wrist. Levi used his arm strength to toss the solider aside. The second soldier decided to tackle Levi to the floor. Big mistake. Levi might not have had control over his legs yet, but he could still control his arms. Levi and the soldier grappled upon the floor, and the merman put the soldier into a headlock.

The soldier struggled in Levi's fierce grasp, trying to pry the merman's arm away. Levi twisted the man's neck, breaking it. A resounding _crack_ filled the laboratory.

The other soldier was cradling his broken wrist and looking at Levi with wide, fearful eyes. Levi began to pull his body across the floor, and crawled towards the soldier hoping to attack before the soldier decided to stand. The soldier seemed to realize this as well and quickly stood up.

However, Levi grabbed the soldier's legs and yanked him back down to the floor. Levi and the soldier wrestled for a few minutes, and Levi managed to crawl on top of the soldier and straddle him. Levi wrapped his hands around the soldier's neck and started to squeeze.

The soldier's eyes bugled and he clawed at Levi's hand with his demonic claws, but to no avail. The man was strangled to death in less than a minute.

Levi rolled off of the soldier onto his back and sat up. He glanced over to where his golden trident was leaning up against the wall. _First things, first._ He needed to get to his trident, and he was going to _walk_ to do it. He shuddered at the thought.

Levi crouched on his feet and slowly straightened his back until he was standing. He took a deep breath before raising his right foot and moving it forward. As soon as his foot landed on the floor it felt like hundreds of tiny knives or razorblades were cutting the sole of his foot.

Levi gritted his teeth and ignored the pain. Before the pain had caught him off guard and he'd fallen, but now he was mentally prepared for it. Besides, what could hurt more than getting your heart ripped out of your chest?

The merman continued his way forward, putting one foot in front of the other. His legs were wobbly like jelly, and he stumbled. Levi had to catch himself on the table piled with torture devices and ended up knocking several of them onto the floor. He let go after a moment, and continued his way towards his trident, still feeling like he was walking on a blanket of knives.

When Levi finally reached his trident, he reached out and grabbed it. As his hand wrapped around the smooth metal pole he smirked. Levi looked behind him and noted the bloody footprints he'd left behind on the floor and frowned. He wondered if all humans felt the same pain when they walked on land, and that this was why they wore the strange contraptions he'd seen on their feet. _Shoes._ His mind whispered the word to him. Levi swore at the fact that for five hundred years he hadn't bothered to learn more about his human enemy.

Levi staggered towards the exit door, but when he put his finger where Agent Darkhart had placed his the door remained closed. He frowned and glanced over at the fallen form of one of the soldiers. An idea came to Levi and he made his way over to the soldier. He crouched down and ripped off one of the soldier's fingers before carrying it back over to the door. He pressed the finger against the pad, and the door slid open.

The merman made his way out into the hallway beyond and the door swished shut behind him. Agent Darkhart had mentioned that this was some kind of underwater facility, which meant Levi just had to find an exit to the ocean and he could escape. He would be _free_.

Levi sniffed the air. He caught the scent of saltwater coming from his left and so headed in that direction, making his way down the hall as fast as he could. His left hand was keeping his chest closed while he had his right hand wrapped around his trident. If he encountered any more of those genetically engineered soldiers he was going to skewer them.

Bloody footprints were left in Levi's wake as he made his way down the hall until he reached an intersection. Three soldiers abruptly appeared from the hallway to Levi's right.

"Who the hell?" One of the soldiers exclaimed upon seeing Levi.

Levi didn't give him the chance to finish his sentence. He jabbed his trident into the man's chest, impaling him. The soldier looked down at the trident imbedded into his chest in horror, his eyes widened, and blood began to dribble down his chin. "He...help me..." He begged his comrades.

Levi swung his trident with the soldier still attached to his weapon into the soldier that had been on the man's right, and pushed forward with all of his strength so that the soldier went slamming into the wall, and was knocked unconscious from the blow. _One left._

"Demon, scum!" The remaining soldier growled, whipping out a dagger, and attacking Levi with it.

Levi removed his left hand from the gaping hole in his chest, grabbed the man's wrist, and bent it - breaking the man's wrist instantly. The soldier howled in pain and dropped the dagger.

Levi let go of the man's wrist and swung the body of his comrade into him. The merman knocked the soldier to the floor and hopped on top of the two piled bodies. Levi applied more pressure to his trident so that it went through the first body and impaled the body of the second struggling soldier too.

In seconds, the soldier was dead. Levi planted his foot on his first victim's body, and yanked his trident out of both bodies with all his strength. Levi frowned. A trident tended to be a pretty lousy weapon against these humans. It kept getting stuck in their bodies between their ribs because of the trident's barbed ends. Those barbed ends had come in handy when Levi had had to battle the occasional hungry shark or giant squid though.

Levi slashed his trident through the air to remove the disgusting human blood from it. He did not smile because of his successful kills. The merman merely continued his way, and the smell of saltwater was getting stronger. He reached another door and pressed the finger he had with him against the lock. It slid open and Levi entered a large chamber.

The chamber was filled with human transportation vessels that Levi had seen before, and recognized as being 'submarines'. The submarines were half submerged in the water. Levi longed to just dive right into the water, but as he looked around he saw that the chamber appeared to be completely enclosed. Even if he hopped into the water he would be trapped like a fish inside of a gigantic bowl. He quickly noted the large, round doors that probably had to be opened so that the submarines could exit the base. Somehow Levi had to get one of those doors open so he could make his escape. But he had no idea how. _Fuck me._

The door next to Levi swished open and the merman ducked behind some nearby storage crates for cover. Two males were chatting excitedly together.

"When do you think they'll give you permission to drive one of the subs?" One of the males asked.

"I dunno...but when they do it's going to be sweet!" The man's companion responded enthusiastically.

"Agent Darkhart is such a hardass."

The two boys laughed at that.

Levi peeked around the crate at the two soldiers, prepared to attack them, however, he realized that the soldiers were...different. They were much smaller than the other soldiers he'd just fought against. Shorter. _Younger_. Levi realized. "They're just...boys." Levi muttered to himself as he lowered his trident and held his breath so he wouldn't attract the boys' attention.

The two teens continued to gawk at and admire the subs before one of them let out a disappointed sigh. "Aw crap, it's the end of lunch period already. We gotta get back to class."

"Shit. If we're late Agent Darkhart will have our asses! Let's go!" The two boys ran for the exit of the hanger and left.

"Why didn't you kill them?" Came a drawling voice that sounded slightly amused.

Levi jumped and turned to see a man leaning against the door in a relaxed pose while he smoked a cigarette. Or perhaps not a man? He felt different from the humans. More powerful. Deadly. Dangerous. He was tall with a muscular physique, bronzed skin, slicked-back red hair, and sharp golden eyes. The redhead was wearing a long, black leather trench coat and combat boots with buckles on them. Levi's eyes narrowed and he was immediately on his guard.

"They were just...kids." Levi explained, adjusting his hold on his trident in case he was in for a fight.

"Hmm, that so?" The man hummed. "You know, those two kids were soldiers in training. They'll grow up to be like the soldiers you surely had to kill to get all the way to this hanger." The man eyed the blood on Levi's trident with a pointed look.

"When they become adults and if they're stupid enough to choose to fight me - I'll kill them then." Levi said.

The redhead raised an eyebrow at Levi's response and chuckled. He choked on cigarette smoke and beat his chest with his hand. "Pfft, is that so?" He wiped a tear from his eye since he'd been laughing so hard and looked Levi over. "Man, you look like shit. Straight off the table from a vivisection, huh? Did Agent Darkhart rip your heart out?"

"The gaping hole in my chest gave me away, huh?" Levi drawled.

The redhead began to laugh again. "I like you."

Blaring alarms began to go off, their sound filling the chamber, and red lights began to flash on and off. The redhead frowned in response. "Hmm, that can't be good." He muttered to himself.

"INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT." A synthesized voice boomed.

"Well, I guess that's our cue." The redhead threw his cigarette on the floor and stomped on it with his boot.

Levi just stood still and watched the redhead walk away.

The redhead glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at him. "You coming or not?"

Levi's eyes widened in surprise. This man was...helping him? Impossible. He shook his head. It was probably a trap. "How do I know I can trust you?"

The redhead sighed and ran a hand back through his hair. "Look, buddy, I don't usually do nice things like this. In fact, I'm usually putting your kind in here, but...you seem different from the usual scumbags I bring in here, so I'm giving you a choice - come with me if you want to live. Or not. The choice is yours. You can bleed out all over the floor and die for all I care." The redhead turned his head and continued to walk away.

"Fuck...I'm coming. Wait up." Levi clutched his chest and staggered after the redhead as fast as he could.

The redhead paused and looked over at Levi. "Can't you move faster?" He noticed the trail of bloody footprints Levi was leaving behind and frowned. "How did you hurt your feet?"

"They're not hurt." Levi said through gritted teeth.

"Uh huh." The redhead didn't sound too convinced. He made his way over to Levi and put Levi's arm around his shoulders. "Come on, you big lug, we gotta leave before Agent Darkhart suspects I helped you out of here. I'm really sticking my neck out for you, you know? My name is Ambrose Rune by the way. You have a name, bud?"

"Levi."

Ambrose did a double take then, as he looked Levi over once more. "Levi...you can't be...?" He shook his head. "Never mind." Ambrose helped Levi over to his own small submarine that Agent Darkhart had given him for the express purpose of being able to enter and leave the base freely. But Levi didn't really need to know about that.

Ambrose helped Levi into the sub, dragged him into the control room, and set the guy down onto a passenger seat. Ambrose sat down behind the submarine's controls, and started up the sub by flicking on a couple of switches, and turning on the engine. The round exit hatch automatically opened at the submarine's approach and Ambrose easily guided the sub out of the exit and into the ocean beyond.

Levi looked out through the large front windshield with interest and sagged with relief once they were completely surrounded by water. This was his element. Where he was meant to be.

Ambrose set his course for the docking station at Pier 45 in San Francisco. Twenty minutes later, Ambrose realized it had gotten awfully quiet inside of the sub even though he had a passenger. "Hey, how you doing over there, buddy?"

When there was no response, Ambrose turned to look over at Levi and saw that the man had fallen unconscious. Blood was leaking down his chest and onto his seat.

"Shit!" Ambrose swore. The blue-haired man was in bad shape. Even though he was probably immortal and would regrow his heart eventually - if the man lost enough blood there was the minute possibility that Levi could in fact die. Immortality was tricky like that. One sure way to kill an immortal was of course with a beheading, but Agent Darkhart tended to play with his victims first. Ambrose knew that he needed to get the man stitched up pronto though.

It felt like ages before Ambrose was finally docking his submarine at Pier 45. He exited the sub with Levi in tow. The city of San Francisco could be seen in the distance with its tall, white skyscrapers. It was past midnight, but Ambrose realized that walking around with a man with a hole in his chest through such a populated urban area wasn't exactly wise.

Ambrose stripped off his trench coat and quickly put it on Levi before buttoning it up. He hefted the man up, put the man's arm over his shoulders, and proceeded to drag his heavy ass to _Sasha Robinovitch's Animal Clinic and Pet Shop_. Sasha was a friend of his and also an eccentric veterinarian with low blood sugar who'd he met at the bakery where he worked as an assistant patissier: _Dolly's Tea Party Bakery_. Sasha loved Ambrose's cakes and cookies, and told Ambrose that his cakes helped to keep her awake and stopped her fainting spells. Ten minutes later, Ambrose was pounding on the animal clinic's door.

"Hold your horses! I'm coming! I'm coming!" Came a harried female voice from inside. Sasha opened the door, spotted Ambrose and his blue-haired friend, and her eyes widened. "Ambrose...hi...what's up?"

"Sorry, Sasha, this isn't a social call. My friend here needs immediate medical attention." Ambrose said as he carried Levi through the clinic and headed towards the back where he knew the examination room was.

"I keep telling you...I'm a _veterinarian_ , not a doctor!" Sasha argued as she followed closely behind. This wasn't the first time Ambrose had shown up at Sasha's covered in blood (usually someone else's) in the middle of the night.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ambrose noted what Sasha was wearing and smirked. She had on a pair of pink, flannel pj's, and Garfield slippers. This girl loved the color pink. Her messy strawberry blonde hair could have almost been considered pink.

Sasha shuffled after Ambrose with a worried expression on her face. "What happened to him?" She asked as Ambrose set the blue-haired man down on her operating table.

"Remember what I said about questions, Sasha?"

"Yeah, yeah...if you tell me you'll have to kill me." She waved her hand dismissively through the air as Ambrose unbuttoned the blue-haired man's trench coat to reveal the damage to Levi's chest.

Sasha gasped as she saw the gaping wound on Levi's chest. But then she gasped for a very different reason as Ambrose continued to unbutton the jacket to reveal that Levi was naked. "Eek!" Sasha covered her eyes with her hand and peeked through her fingers. Wow. It was HUGE! "He's naked!"

"Sasha, has any one ever told you: you are incredibly unprofessional?" Ambrose asked wryly.

Sasha pouted. "I'm a veterinarian, Ambrose. Like I keep telling you. Animal doctor. Not human doctor. I've never seen a-" She coughed awkwardly into her hand. "What I mean to say is...I've never seen a naked man before. Please cover him up with a towel or something." Sasha rushed over to grab a towel and tossed it to Ambrose.

Highly amused, Ambrose took the towel and laid it over Levi's crotch. "You've never seen a naked man before? Does that mean you're a _virgin_ , Miss Robinovitch?" There was a mischievous twinkle in Ambrose's gold eyes.

"Th-That's none of your business!" Sasha sputtered as she got out a syringe to inject Levi with some Demerol.

"Oh really? I could always help you out, you know...with loosing your virginity. I would be more than happy to oblige." Ambrose waggled his eyebrows at her.

Sasha ignored Ambrose as she administered the injection and sprayed some anti-bacterial spray over the wound on Levi's chest. Her cheeks were bright red. "Ambrose, be serious." She put on a pair of latex gloves, and got out a needle and thread. "Oh wait, I should probably check and see if there's any internal damage first." Sasha set down the needle and thread, and picked up a pair of clamps. She was reaching out with them towards Levi's chest when Ambrose stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

"No, don't look. He'll be fine as long as you stitch him up, okay?" Ambrose said sternly. He knew that Levi's heart would regrow itself and his sternum would mend itself back together too. Ah, the perks of being an immortal.

Sasha frowned, but pulled her hand back and set down the clamps. "Okay, if you say so. I trust you, Ambrose." The veterinarian began to stitch up the chest wound as slowly and carefully as possible so that it would leave a minimal scar. The poor man had so many scars already...and one on his lower stomach that looked like a shark bite. As she worked she couldn't help but notice the depression in the man's chest as if he were...missing something. _Surely not...no...that would be impossible. Thoughts so not going there._

But Sasha also knew that the impossible was possible. Her father Dr. Lazar Robinovitch was a famous geneticist who worked for the US military. She used to watch her father's first experiments where he'd combined a mysterious DNA sample with animal DNA, and had created...monsters.

For some reason, Sasha sensed that Ambrose wasn't 'normal' but some kind of 'monster'. This was A-okay with her though because Sasha _liked_ monsters. All of the failed experiments her father had told her to get rid of, Sasha had decided to keep as pets and kept them secretly in her basement at the animal clinic.

Sasha had the feeling that this blue-haired man on the table was also some kind of monster albeit a very handsome one. The man was quite large and at six-five his feet were dangling off the operating table. He was very muscular, had slightly tanned skin, and long blue hair that looked natural, as weird as that was. She couldn't see his eyes, but he had long lashes. The rest of his features were very masculine - a strong nose, square chin, muscular chest, and six-pack abs. The little peek she'd seen of his manhood had revealed that he was very well endowed.

Sasha decided that she didn't really mind Ambrose bringing her charity cases...as long as they looked like this. She smiled dopily until the pale and unconscious state of her patient began to worry her. The veterinarian could only hope that he'd be okay. The man had lost a _lot_ of blood. And that was putting it mildly. Only time would tell.

"Well, I'd better get going. I leave Levi in your capable hands. Thanks for this. This is another one I owe you, Sasha." Ambrose said, interrupting Sasha's thoughts.

Sasha removed her rubber gloves and set them on the table. "So his name is Levi? And don't mention it - you know I accept payment in cake."

Ambrose chuckled in response. "I'll be sure to bake you the most delicious cake you've ever tasted."

"I'm counting on it." Sasha said as she watched Ambrose turn to leave.

"Ah, and one more thing." Ambrose stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "No blood samples or samples of any kind."

"Tch. Stingy." Sasha pouted but nodded. "You have my word."

Ambrose nodded in thanks, and exited the examination room. Sasha's attention returned to her patient. She was highly interested in him. Normally, Sasha had little interest in human beings. Her passion was animals. This is why she'd become a veterinarian. But Ambrose and this man Levi, who was now on her operating table, were...different. They weren't human. No, they were something else. Something extraordinary.

Sasha took a seat on a metal folding chair and it wasn't long before she dozed off. Hours later, she came awake with a start and checked on her patient. "Fascinating." It had only taken a few hours for the wound on the man's chest to heal completely. Sasha ran her gloved hand over the scar. Apparently, he had regeneration abilities like the fictional Wolverine. "I would love to study this specimen and see what makes him tick. See what makes him special. But alas, Ambrose forbid me from taking a DNA sample." Sasha pouted. She couldn't risk Ambrose getting mad with her since there would go her free cake supply, but it was almost worth the risk.

Sasha fingered a lock of Levi's blue hair thoughtfully. Until recently, she'd participated in her father's experiments on animals, but now that he'd moved on to experimenting with human subjects Sasha was not allowed to get involved. Dr. Lazar's work was a top government secret.

Over the next couple of days, Sasha continued to care for Levi while he remained unconscious. On day five, Levi began to toss and turn violently in his sleep. Sasha placed a gloved hand over his forehead and through the rubber she could feel that he was burning up. She checked the IV that was attached to Levi's arm. "Towels...towels...I need towels." Sasha muttered to herself as she looked around the operating room.

The first sign of going crazy was talking to yourself. Oops. "Guess I'll have to go down to the lab." Sasha walked over to a generic looking bookshelf and pulled on the spine of _The Island of Doctor Moreau_. There was a clicking sound and the bookshelf swung open to reveal an elevator. Sasha stepped inside and pressed the button for the basement level. A few seconds later, she was stepping out of the elevator and into her secret underground laboratory.

It had everything a female mad scientist could desire - Tesla coils of all shapes and sizes with bluish, purple electrical energy moving between metal bars and inside of glass globes. A Newton's cradle with steel balance balls that hit each other indefinitely when you got them started. A chemistry set consisting of different sized beakers and test tubes displayed in various stands. Some of the beakers were filled with colored, frothing substances. And some of the test tubes contained samples of God only knew what.

But that wasn't the best part of her hidden lab - the animals were.

No, they couldn't really be called _animals_ at this point.

They were _monsters_.

The animals - dogs, cats, bunnies, and turtles - that had been combined with the mysterious DNA sample her father had somehow gotten a hold of, had all sprouted horns, fangs, claws, and wings. They had all ended up looking positively demonic.

The animals usually went berserk after the transformation, and Dr. Lazar Robinovitch had left the responsibility of disposing of the specimens to Sasha. Except...Sasha hadn't disposed of the specimens like her father had wanted. Instead she'd saved them and kept them hidden in her lab in giant cages. Because Sasha had the ability to telepathically communicate with animals she'd done the impossible and even managed to tame them.

Sasha had also discovered a way to stabilize their DNA, so that they didn't explode into a mass of goo like some of the other poor specimens had. She went over to her cages to say 'hi' to her precious babies. "Hi, my babies, did you miss mommy? Because mommy missed you." She cooed at the monsters inside of the cages using her 'baby voice'.

Some of the animals weren't tame yet and snapped their fangs at Sasha viciously. "Ohhhhh is someone hungry?" Sasha asked the giant dog with horns sprouting out of its head. "Here." Sasha grabbed a raw steak and tossed it inside of the cage. The beast ripped it to shreds in seconds. "Awww someone was a hungry boy."

Sasha whistled _Twisted Nerve_ by Bernard Herrman to herself as she made her way over to a cabinet where she kept the spare towels and found some clothes too. The veterinarian decided she would try to dress Levi in his sleep. Sasha gathered up the towels and clothes, and returned to the operating room. She filled a basin with cold water and dunked one of the towels in it. She wrung out the towel and placed it on Levi's burning forehead.

_Now to dress him._ She swallowed nervously. Sasha had never seen a naked man before now. The veterinarian grabbed the sheet that was covering Levi's lower half and pulled it aside. _Eep!_ Sasha couldn't help it - she looked right between Levi's legs. Her eyes widened upon seeing his penis. She moved closer to study the thing. "So this is a man's penis...it sure is funny looking." She reached out and poked it with her gloved index finger. "It's soft and squishy. I'm so glad I don't have one of those things hanging between my legs..."

As Sasha continued to poke and prod at Levi's cock it began to harden and rise up. "Oh my God, it's...doing something." Sasha murmured as she watched Levi's member become fully erect and come to rest against his lower stomach.

Suddenly, the penis wasn't so amusing anymore. Sasha felt flushed, hot, and she rubbed her legs together. She was feeling...wet between her legs. Sasha clinically realized that she was becoming _aroused_ by the sight of Levi's erection. "I want to mate with him...?" Sasha slapped her face with her hands. "Oh my God! When did I turn into such a pervert? I'm so sorry Mr. Levi!" Sasha apologized, grabbed the pair of boxers she'd brought with her, and quickly put them on Levi. His erection pressed against the material of the boxers, creating a tent.

Sasha's throat felt dry at the sight and she swallowed. She fanned her face. "Oh my God...I can't stay here with him when he's like that! I need...more towels! Yeah...I'll go get more." Sasha returned to the lab and got even more towels. By the time she finally returned she was carrying a pile of ten towels. She stepped out of the elevator and looked over towards the operating table. "Oh my gosh...you're finally awake!" Sasha gasped when she saw that Levi was wide-awake. She was so surprised she dropped the towels she'd been carrying.

Levi removed the IV that was in his arm with an angry yank, and in a blink he was standing in front of Sasha. Then his hand was wrapping around her neck and he slammed her into the wall with a feral growl.

Sasha looked into Levi's dark blue eyes, unafraid. "It's okay...I won't hurt you." She gasped.

Levi's brow furrowed and the aggression seemed to seep out of his body. Levi let go of Sasha's throat and turned towards the exit of the operating room.

Sasha sunk to the floor on her knees, and put a hand to her sore throat as she coughed. "Wait! We can help you. _I_ can help you." She called out to him in an urgent tone.

Levi glanced over his shoulder and hesitated before he shook his head and walked out of the veterinary clinic.

"He's dressed in only a pair of boxers...oh my God...Ambrose is going to kill me!" Sasha moaned as she gripped the sides of her head with her hands. "If he stops making me cookies I don't know what I'm going to do!"

To be continued in...Fish 2: Sweet Salmon

### Chapter 2: Sweet Salmon

Present Day...

Three years after veterinarian Sasha Robinovitch saved Levi.

It was midnight. Time for Levi's nightly swim and top secret mission a.k.a free as many dolphins, whales, sea lions, and leatherback sea turtles from the drift gillnets that floated along the West California Coast.

The nets were around one mile long. Fishermen would put the nets out at night and let them drift for twenty-four hours. By the time the nets were hauled up the sea creatures that had been captured by the net were mostly dead. Levi knew that the nets were supposed to be for swordfish and sharks, but those curtains of death did not choose their victims - just killed whatever sea creatures were unlucky enough to come across its path.

Levi had calculated himself that just thirty years ago 2,200 tons of swordfish were being caught, but in the last year that number had gone down to 60 tons. Thousands of whales and dolphins were being killed by these nets and the foolish humans were _still_ debating on whether or not to get rid of the fishery that did this! Levi had one thing to say to the fishermen that would lose their jobs as a result: _Suck it up. Be a man. Get a new job, assholes._

Levi estimated that for every five swordfish caught - one marine mammal died in a gillnet because it would suffocate or die from wounds inflicted from the net. Gillnet fishing _needed_ to be banned for the sake of the ocean and its future.

This personal mission would have been a hell of a lot easier if he could bring his trident along with him but...walking around San Francisco holding an enormous golden trident while wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks wasn't exactly inconspicuous.

To rescue as many marine mammals as he could before sunrise would have to be done with nothing but his claws. Once Levi arrived at the beach, he stripped off his swim trunks, rolled them up, hid them behind a rock, and dove into the ocean. As soon as the saltwater hit his human legs they transformed into his enormous blue and green scaled tail.

In order to locate gillnets Levi reached out his mind. If a whale or dolphin or sea lion was trapped in a gillnet Levi would be able to telepathically communicate with the creature and gain its location.

Levi's mind connected with several sea creatures, but so far none of them were in distress. Until...Levi heard a call for help in his mind. Following the direction of the call he encountered a long drift gillnet and spotted a trapped sea lion. The net was tightly wound around its neck and it was suffocating. _Really hate humans._ Levi thought as he approached and mentally sent out: _Hey there, it's going to be okay._ The merman raised his hand and willed his nails to turn into claws. With a few slashes of his hand he was able to free the sea lion in seconds. It was bleeding profusely from where the net had cut into its neck but it would live.

Not too far down the net, a leatherback sea turtle was caught in the net and Levi quickly freed it too.

_Help...Levi...are you out there?_ Came a familiar female voice in Levi's mind.

Levi's eyes widened as he recognized the mental voice of a female Blue Whale he'd known for more than a century. _Hey girl, I'm coming. Just hang on._ Levi telepathically sent out and swam as quickly as he could in her directly, his powerful tail propelling him through the water at top speed. Half a mile down the driftnet was the whale. She was greatly entangled in the net. _Fuck._ Freeing her would take all night. But she didn't have all night.

_Hey girl, I'll get you out of here in no time._ Levi greeted as he approached the she-whale.

Hurry Levi...I'm running out of air.

How long have you been stuck here?

Almost an hour.

_Shit!_ Levi knew the she-whale probably only had twenty minutes of oxygen left. Levi raised his hand and caused his nails to extend into claws. He quickly began to slash his claws at the gillnet, cutting the net, and tried to free the whale from as much of the net as possible.

While Levi worked the she-whale sang for Levi and the merman couldn't help but think it was a goodbye song. He frowned. _Hey, don't give up, Undine. I've almost got you free._ Levi said as he began to work on freeing her enormous tail.

_Thank you, Levi. Did you ever happen to find one of your kind? A pretty mermaid, perhaps?_ There was a note of curiosity to the whale's voice.

No.

You can't remain alone forever. You need to find a mate.

A mate? Ha! Whatever for?

Why, to reproduce of course. So you won't be alone anymore. You need a family.

I'll always be alone. I'm the last of my kind. The only merman.

I've seen you walk on land. Maybe you should try mating with a human female.

You saw me? A human female? Ha! Never. I hate humans! Look at what they did to you!

Don't hold this against them, Levi. Not all humans are evil. I've always enjoyed watching the humans who came to gaze upon my magnificence on their boats. I can remember the children smiling and waving down at me. Don't be so hard on them, Levi. We both live on this planet. Together.

The planet would be better off without the humans. They're a plague upon the Earth. I've watched them for the last five hundred years and I know this to be true.

That...would be...lonely.

_Hey! Hang in there, girl!_ Levi continued cutting away pieces of the gillnet but...there was still so much left and he was only one man - merman. _No, no, no..._

Goodbye Levi...and thank you. Please look after my son, Deniz. I was just beginning to teach him how to hunt on his own. He will need help learning how to survive out in the ocean.

_No!_ Levi shouted back as he continued to try and free the she-whale in time. He watched in horror as she closed her eyes and began to sink to the bottom of the sea. _You can't die! Not you...my friend._

_Friend._ The she-whale agreed with one final burst of thought.

_Nooo!_ Levi mentally shouted as he watched her sink. Even after the she-whale Undine died Levi didn't stop his mission of freeing her from the gillnet. His friend would be buried properly. She would be free in death. He wouldn't let those barbaric humans cut her to pieces for research purposes or worse. The merman wouldn't allow the humans to collect her. Levi worked all night and finally just before sunset he was able to free the blue she-whale. She sank to the very bottom of the ocean where she would have her final resting place.

_I hate humans._ Levi thought angrily as he stared at Undine's unmoving body. His hands were shredded, and throbbed in pain, but would soon heal. His wounds always healed quickly. Immortality could be really...tiresome. _Goodbye, my friend, may you find peace and freedom in death. And worry not, I will watch over your son Deniz and teach him how to hunt fish._

Weary to the bone, utterly exhausted, and in low spirits, Levi swam back to the beach and prepared to greet a new day. He pulled himself up on the beach, and ran his hands over his tail to speed up the drying process. His transformation always disgusted him to watch. From merman into...primitive two-legged beast.

In just a few minutes, his tail transformed into two human legs and that odd rod of flesh appeared between his legs. Such a bothersome tool for defecation.

Once dry, Levi grabbed his hidden swim trunks and put them on. He headed back to his restaurant _Poseidon's Trident._ Because of Agent Darkhart and the ADTF, Levi was forced to live on land now and through of series of unexpected events he'd become a seafood chef. Agent Darkhart had the technology to track aquatic demons and as a result the seas were no longer safe for Levi for extended periods of time.

In order to live among the humans, Levi had adopted the name Levi Devlin, and was the owner of the popular seafood restaurant, _Poseidon's Trident_ , which was located just a few blocks away from the ocean. His restaurant didn't serve swordfish or shark, of course. Levi had one rule for the human customers of his restaurant: Don't waste food. Those that didn't follow this rule and left food on their plates would be unceremoniously thrown out of his restaurant. Literally. This had earned him the nickname: 'The Brawler Chef'.

Levi entered his restaurant and went upstairs to take a shower in fresh water, so that he wouldn't transform into a merman. He entered his bedroom and made sure to feed his pet red-eared slider turtle, Raphael, before heading for the bathroom. After his shower he dressed in his white chef's jacket, black pants, and boots before heading down to the kitchen to begin prepping ingredients for the day.

A few hours later, Levi's fellow chefs joined him in the kitchen and began their own prep work. There was Derek Dearg his _rotisseur_ or grill chef. Malakye Sterling his _potager_ or soup chef. And lastly, there was Garth Mackenzie who was their confectioner. Levi's fellow chefs weren't exactly 'human' and because of this he had no other employees. Although he did have a few friends who liked to help out occasionally. Levi or Derek would take the orders from the customers and bring them back to the kitchen. Because of this Levi liked small dining crowds best.

At seven o'clock Levi flipped the closed sign to open on the front door, and the workday began. Things were going smoothly until noon rolled around, and a large, rowdy group of humans entered the restaurant. They had a lot of high-tech electronic equipment with them that immediately put Levi on edge. Levi squeezed the handle of the frying pan he was using and nearly bent it in half. "What's their deal?" He asked Derek. Derek was the most knowledgeable of the four of them when it came to humans.

"I believe they're a film crew of some kind. They must be filming a movie around here or something. We do live in San Francisco, Boss." Derek informed Levi helpfully. Derek was an expert on humans and their culture, and his knowledge of such things had saved their asses on several occasions.

"Ah, I knew that." Levi relaxed his grip on the frying pan and looked down to realize he'd ruined yet another black steel pan. _Fuck._ Those things weren't cheap. He tossed it into the nearby garbage can and grabbed a new one to start over.

"Hey, Boss, think you could go take their orders?" Derek questioned. "I'm not done basting this pork roast."

Levi scowled darkly. The merman hated dealing with the humans but saw that Derek was indeed busy. He looked over at Malakye who was simply too shy to take orders from the humans, and Garth who'd just scare their customers away with his height and ferocious glare. He sighed. Apparently, there was no help coming from that end. "I hate you." Levi grumbled before making his way out onto the restaurant floor.

Levi approached the tables the team had chosen that happened to be close to the front windows. There were cameramen, people who appeared to be in charge of lighting since they were setting tall light posts down on the floor next to them, and those in charge of special effects that were also setting strange devices down on the floor next to them.

Their group consisted of both men and women. Some of them were obviously actors and actresses since their clothes appeared to be from the 17th Century. The men were dressed in embroidered jackets, pantaloons, and shiny boots with cuffs. The women were wearing low-cut, satin gowns with laced-up corsets that gave them extremely thin waists, and showed lots of cleavage.

The attention of the film crew seemed to be focused on one man in particular. Levi followed their line of sight and spotted a tall, muscular, tanned male with shoulder-length blond hair who looked like a surfer. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, board shorts and flip-flops. The blond was surrounded by the females in the crew and when he smiled at them he flashed teeth that were so white they hurt to look at.

Levi approached their tables and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Are you all ready to order? I can start with drink orders if you guys need more time."

The females turned their attention towards Levi, and their eyes widened with admiration as they had to tilt their heads up to get a better look at Levi at his towering height. His sky-blue hair was unusual, longer in the front, and razored on the sides. His stainless steel mohawk ear piercings screamed 'bad boy'. His pale skin appeared to be dusted with gold. His physique was as muscular as a Spartan warrior, and his features were very masculine. A lot of the girls were picturing Levi with a spear in hand ready for battle.

Hearts seemed to form in the females' eyes and they began to excitedly whisper amongst themselves. "Sweet Jesus, who is that hottie?" "He's Levi Devlin the Head Chef and owner of this restaurant." "He's also known as The Brawler Chef." "He's so...otherworldly."

The blond with the perfect teeth frowned when he noticed that all of the female attention had suddenly shifted from him to Levi.

"Yes, we're ready to order." A plain, brown-haired female spoke up in an authoritative tone. She began to effortlessly recite everyone's orders while Levi silently wrote them down on the pad he had with him. This particular young woman seemed to be more serious than the others and appeared to be unaffected by Levi's good looks, or those of the blond movie star for that matter. Not that Levi particularly cared.

Levi nodded at the female once he'd finished writing the orders down and walked away without saying anything to fulfill the orders. He could feel the blond's glare on his back. _Celebrities. Such arrogant, egotistic humans._ Levi thought to himself with disgust.

Levi and his fellow chefs immediately got to work on the film crew's orders, making a variety of seafood and meat dishes, salads for the ladies, soups, fresh bread and dessert. Levi handled the fish station, Derek the meat station, Malakye the soup station, and Garth the dessert.

Levi and Derek carried the plates of food out to the crew once they were ready and set the plates of food down on the tables as the brown-haired female directed them which order belonged to whom.

"Bon appétit. Enjoy everyone." Derek said with an easygoing smile on his face.

Levi remained silent, and the two chefs headed back towards the open kitchen and started washing the pots and pans. However-

"Excuse me, waiter!" The blond movie star called out.

Levi glanced across the restaurant at him from the open kitchen and raised a blue eyebrow. "Yes?"

The blond crooked his finger at Levi. "Get over here."

A muscle ticked beneath Levi's eye in irritation. He was so not in the mood to deal with asshole humans today. Especially after the loss of his friend Undine. And waiter? Surely the man knew who he was. Levi took a deep breath before walking back out to the restaurant floor and approaching the man's table. _Chill, Levi. Don't kill your human customers no matter how much you want to, and no matter how irritating they may be. Try to stay chill, as Derek would say._ "Is there a problem, Sir?" Levi asked through gritted teeth.

The blond pointed a finger at his soup. "Just what do you think that bug is doing in my soup, huh?"

Levi looked down at the blond's soup and sure enough there was a small green beetle that was struggling to make it to the other side of the bowl. "Looks like the backstroke to me." Levi commented dryly.

The females at the blond's table immediately began to giggle with amusement. The blond flushed with anger.

Levi glanced over towards Malakye who was in charge of the soup. Malakye was wringing his hands together and looked incredibly nervous. The man was a perfectionist. There was no way this bug had been in the soup before it'd been served. Which meant that the blond must have put the bug in the soup himself.

"I'm not paying for this crap food!" The blond burst out angrily and with a swipe of his hand he sent the bowl crashing to the floor. The bowl shattered and soup was spilled all over the floor. The blond's lip twitched as if he were trying to hold back his smile.

Levi looked down at the spilled soup, his blood beginning to simmer in his veins. _Humans are so wasteful._ Levi would never forget those times at sea when because of hurricanes Levi had had to hide out in caves below the sea and go for twelve days or more without food. The sensation of starving to death was _not_ a pleasant one. And not one he'd wish upon anyone. Food was a gift. Food was to be respected.

Levi looked up at the blond and his blue eyes flashed gold. "You could have just removed the bug and continued with your meal. You'll pay for wasting food in my restaurant, punk." Levi growled before he reached out, grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, and lifted him out of his chair one-handed. The blond must have weighed over two hundred pounds with all those muscles, but Levi was unfazed.

The movie star sputtered in disbelief and grabbed at Levi's hand as he tried to pry himself loose. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing? Do you have any idea who I am?"

"I'm taking out the trash." Levi snorted. "And nope, I have no idea who you are, buddy." The merman strolled over to the front door of the restaurant, kicked the door open, and tossed the movie star right out the door. The blond went flying over a car and landed on the ground, moaning in pain. The pussy.

Several of the male crewmembers had stood up at this point and many were looking incredibly angry. "How could you do that? That was Dax Fisher!" "What are we going to do about the movie if he's been seriously injured?" "You might have just cost us millions of dollars!" "You bastard! You can't treat Dax Fisher that way!" "Let's teach this punk chef a lesson, boys." "Yeah!"

The men lunged at Levi, and the merman ducked and dodged their punches before he stood still and yawned in a bored manner. "Man, you guys are slow."

"Eat this!" One man threw a right hook at Levi's face.

Levi didn't even bother to move, and didn't flinch either when the fist connected with the side of his face. "You bore me." The merman grabbed the man by his shirt and tossed him out the front door next. The man screamed like a little girl as he went sailing through the air. The corner of Levi's mouth twitched in response.

"You bastard!" The man's friend aimed a punch at Levi's chest. But when his fist connected he winced in pain. "Ow! Fuck! What is this guy made of? Steel. Ow...my hand...my hand!" The man waved his red, throbbing hand through the air. Levi picked this guy up next and threw him out the front door to join his friend.

Meanwhile, Derek, Malakye and Garth were watching the unfolding scene worriedly. "Shouldn't we go help him?" Malakye asked nervously.

Derek shook his head. "No. We'd only draw unwanted attention to ourselves. Let Levi take care of this. He can handle it. After all they're only human."

"Man." Garth cracked his knuckles; he was just itching for a fight. "That's a shame. I'd love to get in there and body slam some humans."

"May I remind you guys that those humans are our _paying_ customers? Don't forget that, Garth." Derek chided.

"Yeah, yeah...but they better not hurt Levi or else they'll make me angry." Garth said, his golden eyes glowing.

Malakye shook his head with a frown on his face. "Can't we all just get along?"

A man screamed as he was launched through the front door to join his fellows.

Malakye sighed.

"Does that answer your question?" Garth asked dryly.

"There is only one rule at my restaurant and that I expect my customers to follow. And that is: don't waste food." Levi rumbled loudly so that everyone inside of the restaurant could hear him.

***

Action heroine, Vivien Tempest, had just arrived at _Poseidon's Trident_ in time to see one of her film crewmen being thrown out of the front door of the restaurant, go sailing over a parked car, and land on the ground with a bone-jarring thud. _What the hell?_ Vivien thought as she exited the black Escalade she'd just arrived in, and shut the door behind her. With swift, purposeful steps she approached the front door of the restaurant and could hear car doors being shut behind her as her bodyguard, Urban West, and stylist, Teresa Brown, followed close behind her.

Vivien's sister and manager, Audrey, was already inside of the restaurant along with her film crew. She spotted actor Dax Fisher on the ground moaning and shook her head at him, wondering what trouble he'd caused now. Vivien didn't feel bad about leaving him there either.

Vivien took a moment to admire the restaurant that her friend, Ambrose Rune, had recommended to her. _Poseidon's Trident_ was quite large with a lighthouse attached to the main building. The exterior wood panels had been painted a vibrant, canary yellow. Dark blue awnings hung over the windows, and the front porch.

The sign that was attached to the exterior of the restaurant and twenty feet up was rectangular shaped, and had been painted dark blue with the restaurant's name: _Poseidon's Trident_ in swirly, yellow letters. Just beneath the sign an enormous, five-foot-long, golden trident had been attached to the wall.

Vivien burst through the front door and the scene that met her was five of her film crewmen had lunged at Levi and were whaling punches on the man. Levi just stood there and took their blows for a moment before raising his arms. As two of the crewmembers dangled from Levi's arms he started to spin. When Levi abruptly stopped the two men who had been holding onto Levi's arms went flying through the air.

One of the men landed on the floor right in front of Vivien and skidded to a halt at her feet. Vivien took her large, round, black sunglasses off and glared at the guy. "Just what the hell is going on here, Tom?"

Everyone froze and the men who'd somehow managed to keep their hold on Levi's legs let him go.

Recognition lit Levi's eyes for a moment as he spotted Vivien. He'd seen Vivien Tempest once before from afar at the Grand Opening Party of _Dolly's Tea Party Bakery_ where his 'friend' Ambrose Rune worked as an assistant _patissier_.

Vivien also recognized Levi. She'd seen him at the party, but had been so swamped by fans asking for her autograph that she hadn't had the opportunity to be formally introduced to the chef.

Later, when Vivien had asked her friend, Ambrose, who the handsome blue-haired man was the Patissier Prince had informed her that his name was Levi Devlin, and that he was the Head Chef and owner of a popular seafood restaurant called _Poseidon's Trident_. Levi was also known as The Brawler Chef and had a reputation for literally tossing out ungrateful customers from his restaurant. Ambrose had recommended that Vivien go to the restaurant and try the food there. He'd also told her that Levi Devlin was incapable of telling lies. Vivien met Levi's eyes and awaited his response.

"The blond guy with the good teeth...wasted food." Levi said as he jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the broken bowl and spilled soup on the floor. "My restaurant has only one rule, lady. Don't waste food. Those who can't follow this rule are thrown out - by me. End of story." Levi crossed his arms over his broad chest in a defensive stance and waited to see what Vivien's reaction to his statement would be.

Vivien looked at the spilled soup and frowned. As a conservationist and supporter of Greenpeace - she was also against human wastefulness. She always recycled when she could, and cut plastic six-pack rings so that creatures wouldn't get trapped in them later on. More importantly she went on coastal cleanup events. "I'm sorry." Vivien said. "Allow me to apologize on behalf of Dax and my film crew. He shouldn't have done that. He was wrong."

Levi's eyes widened in surprise. The last thing he'd expected was for Vivien to believe him, or apologize.

"But hey, can we still eat here?" Vivien asked hesitantly with a cute pout on her lips. "I'm kinda starved. And I was really looking forward to trying your food here, Levi."

"You know my name." There was heat in Levi's gaze.

Vivien nodded. "I saw you at _Dolly's Tea Party Bakery's_ Grand Opening Party. I'm friends with Ambrose Rune. He was going to introduce us, but I got swamped by fans. I'm-"

"Vivien Tempest." Levi cut in. "The famous action heroine. I've seen a few of your films."

In the open kitchen, Malakye's jaw dropped when he heard what his boss had just said. Derek grinned and used his finger to close Malakye's mouth.

Vivien looked surprised by his admittance as well and even a little suspicious. "Really? Ambrose said you don't like to watch TV and that I shouldn't be offended if you had no idea who I was."

"Big mouth." Levi grumbled to himself. "Ah, well, a friend recommended to me that I should watch them." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Is it really true that you do all your own stunts?"

Vivien beamed. "Yep. I have a black belt in _karate_ and have studied various other martial arts."

"Maybe we could spar sometime." Levi couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. Had he undergone a personality change? What did he think he was doing being all friendly with a _human_ female? "I'm kind of a martial arts buff myself."

"Sure." Vivien readily agreed. "I'll look forward to it."

"I'm surprised you remembered me." Levi blurted.

Vivien laughed and Levi really liked the sound of her laughter. It was happy, upbeat and melodious. "Really? You're kind of hard to forget! What with that blue hair, piercings and those muscles, er, yeah." Levi Devlin was even more handsome than Vivien remembered and she had to bite down on her lower lip before she said something she'd later regret. His most impressive feature was his powerful, commanding presence.

Levi was also taking the opportunity to check Vivien out again. Vivien was almost six-feet-tall. Her body was toned, fit and in shape. She had no bulky muscles though, just the lithe, graceful strength similar to a female panther. Vivien had straight blonde hair that was as bright as the sun and that reached the middle of her back. Her eyes reminded Levi of the ocean - a beautiful green-blue swirl. She was wearing a short, black leather jacket with fringe on the back, a white tank top, tight blue jeans, and a pair of black ankle boots. Her sunglasses were on top of her head like a headband.

"Where can I sit?" Vivien asked, pulling Levi from his staring.

The tips of Levi's ears turned red and he hoped to God that she didn't notice. "Uh, anywhere you wish." _Like my lap for instance._

"Okay. Thanks. Come on, Teresa, Urban. Everyone, you can all come back inside now too!" Vivien directed her bodyguard and stylist over to a round table with a crook of her finger. She picked up the menu and looked it over with interest. The actress felt like having fish...and noted that swordfish wasn't offered on the menu. This made her smile.

After Levi had given the entire film crew permission to continue eating in his restaurant the guys who Levi had thrown outside reentered the restaurant sporting minor bumps and bruises. Only Dax was acting like he'd been seriously injured, moaning and groaning and limping overdramatically as he came back inside of the restaurant.

Vivien took notice and frowned at his immature behavior. "Oh, give it a rest, Dax. You're such a drama queen." The actress rolled her eyes. "I know you're not hurt. I go to the gym with you, so I know you're not _that_ weak."

Dax flushed, straightened, a haughty look crossed his face, and he put his nose up in the air. "Fine, I'm okay. So sue me."

"Good. Now I want you to get your butt over here and apologize to Levi for spilling that soup." Vivien said as she crooked her finger at him.

Dax's eyes bulged and his tan complexion blanched. "You can't be serious."

"Dead serious." Vivien challenged, before she tapped her foot on the floor impatiently. "I'm waiting."

"Gah, alright, fine." Dax strolled over and stopped in front of Levi, clenching his fists at his sides. "Look, dude...I'm sorry I spilled your soup, okay?"

Levi nodded once. "Apology accepted." The merman walked over to a closet, took out a bucket that already had soapy water in it, and the mop. He then made his way over to the spilled soup and began to mop it up. After that he leaned over and began to pick up the pieces of broken porcelain.

Vivien noticed what Levi was doing, hopped out of her chair, made her way over to Levi, and crouched beside him. "Hey, I should help you with that. After all it was my coworker's fault." The actress offered as she reached out to pick up a piece of porcelain.

"No, don't. It's sharp-" Levi tried to warn her.

"Ow." Vivien exclaimed when she accidentally cut her finger on the sharp porcelain shard.

"Silly female." Levi tsked before grabbing Vivien's hand, bringing her bleeding finger to his mouth, and sucking on her finger.

Vivien's eyes popped at what Levi had just done and found herself holding her breath as the handsome chef licked and sucked on her finger. She could feel his hot, wet tongue running over her flesh and shivered.

Levi looked up at Vivien and their eyes met. He seemed to realize what he'd done and quickly released her finger. "There, all better." The handsome chef's voice was deep and husky.

Vivien looked down at her index finger and saw that her cut had been sealed. "Yeah...wow. You're right." She stood up and cleared her throat. "Ahem, I'll just go...take my seat." She returned to the table, sat down, and picked up the menu again. Levi followed her and waited patiently next to their table.

Vivien looked up at Levi when she was ready to order. "I'll have the Honey-Ginger Grilled Salmon and a Coca-Cola."

"That sounds good. I'll have the same." Teresa said.

"And I'll have the Barbeque Steak. Medium." Urban said. "And a Budweiser."

Levi wrote their orders down. "I'll be right back with your orders." The merman entered the kitchen and he could feel the questioning stares of his fellow chefs upon him. "Derek, I'm going to need one Barbeque Steak."

"You got it, Boss." Derek said before entering the cooler where a huge piece of Prime beef was hanging from the ceiling. He whipped out his gleaming, meat cleaver and began to chop at the meat slab with precise strokes, cutting the perfect piece of meat for the steak he was going to prepare.

Levi hadn't failed to note the amused tone to Derek's voice, and shook his head as he got out the ingredients he would need to make Vivien her Honey-Ginger Grilled Salmon. When Derek exited the cooler Levi couldn't help but snap: "What?"

"What _was_ that out there? I've never seen you interact with a human female like that before. So...politely. You know her or something?" Derek asked casually.

"She was at the _Dolly's Tea Party Bakery's_ Grand Opening Party. She's...Ambrose's friend." The merman grit out.

"I'm surprised you remembered her." Derek said as he began to marinate the steak with a homemade barbeque sauce.

Levi gave Derek an incredulous look. "How could you miss a spectacular female like her?"

Malakye gasped at Levi's words and dropped the spoon he'd been holding. It fell to the floor with a clatter. "S-Sorry." Malakye apologized as he bent over to pick up the spoon and toss it into the sink.

Levi's eyes widened when he realized what he'd just said aloud.

"Spectacular, huh?" There was a teasing glint in Derek's blue eyes and he reached out to whack Levi on the back amiably. "You go get her, tiger."

Levi shrugged Derek's hand off his back. "Shut up." The merman continued to prepare Vivien's entrée with extra care. He made sure to chop up the vegetables at rapid speed to impress her in case she was looking over there, and to cook with a little bit of flair. He could feel her eyes upon him and smirked.

***

As Vivien waited for her order she looked around the interior of the restaurant with interest. The décor was really amazing. The ceiling was covered with a blue net that had preserved sea creatures attached to it: starfish, puffer fish, and enormous, fearsome looking sharks. There was a wooden mermaid attached to the wall that looked like something that had been ripped off the front of a 17th Century pirate ship.

Vivien's eyes landed on an old chest covered in barnacles that looked just like a treasure chest. The actress' fingers were twitching with the desire to open the chest and find out if it was filled with gold doubloons. Shells, jars filled with sand, and colorful pieces of coral decorated nooks and crannies here and there inside of the restaurant. An old ship's steering wheel was leaning against the wall.

The overall effect of the decorations was that Vivien felt like she was under the sea. Vivien was an expert scuba diver and loved the ocean. Apparently, Levi did too. It was a shame he was only the owner of a restaurant though. Her parents would never let her date someone so...common. Even if he had several good points in his favor. When the scent of sautéing butter and vegetables hit her senses, Vivien's attention was drawn towards the open kitchen where she could see the four chefs cooking.

Vivien's eyes widened as she watched Levi chopping vegetables at Mach 4 speed. _Whoa._ His skill with tossing ingredients in his frying pan so that they cooked evenly was also really impressive. Her gaze was inevitably drawn towards the other chefs. She vaguely remembered seeing them at _Dolly's_ Grand Opening Party too.

There was the six-foot-three, Goth chef with the long, black hair, startling emerald green eyes, and quiet demeanor whose face was painted white. He also had black lipstick on. The Goth was wearing a white chef's jacket, black leather pants, and boots that had buckles on them. He was currently stirring a soup he was working on in a very peaceful, calm manner.

Vivien's eyes were then drawn to the six-foot-four, bohemian chef who was cooking Urban's barbeque steak. He was more muscular than the Goth, had long, wavy, brown hair with scattered braids, sky-blue eyes, and a charming smile. The sleeves of his white chef's jacket were rolled up to his elbows revealing his blue, Celtic, animal tattoos.

The third and final chef was hard to miss at his towering six-foot-eight height. He had spiked orange hair, golden eyes, and a jagged scar running over the bridge of his nose. He was wearing a white chef's jacket, jeans, and sneakers.

"It's hottie overload in here." Teresa said as she fanned herself with her hand.

Vivien looked over at her stylist Teresa Brown and smiled. "Can't argue with that." Teresa was a pretty, African-American girl with a large Afro of black hair. Her skin was a light brown color, and she had a curvy physique. Teresa was dressed in a trendy, purple dress.

Urban West, Vivien's latest bodyguard, seemed annoyed by Teresa's comment as if he were pouting. Her new bodyguard was ex-military and had served in Afghanistan. He was an incredibly handsome African-American with chocolate-colored skin, short black hair, kind brown eyes and kissable lips.

"But the one you have your eye on is Levi, isn't it?" Teresa teased as she leaned over the table.

"Shhh!" Vivien shushed her and shot a worried look over to the table where her sister Audrey was seated. "Do you have any idea what my sister will do if she thinks I'm interested in him?"

Teresa raised a quizzical eyebrow at her friend. "What? He's a business owner. Surely he's good enough for your fussy parents."

Vivien shook her head sadly. "He wouldn't have enough social status or money for them to accept him." She sighed. Vivien was twenty-nine and lately her parents were frantic about getting Vivien married off before she became an 'old maid' as her sister had so eloquently put it. To them finding Vivien a 'good' husband meant a husband that had money and social status. Basically her celebrity parents wanted Vivien to marry a fellow celebrity just as her parents had done. It was simply expected.

Vivien's parents, Clark and Marilyn Tempest, had been sending her on several arranged dates lately too. It was truly the pits.

"What does shit like that matter as long as he can protect you?" Urban spoke up. "The guy's tough. I saw him tossing those guys around like they didn't weigh a thing. He's got my vote."

"Mine too." Teresa readily agreed. "We're officially on Team Levi. High-five!" She held her hand up to Urban, who didn't leave her hanging.

"You guys!" Vivien chided them. "Geez!" Teresa and Urban didn't know it but...Vivien already knew who she was going to marry. Well, she knew whom she _wanted_ to marry or had set her sights on at least. The famous actor, Dylan Black. And Dylan was going to be in the movie Vivien was currently filming - the long awaited, highly anticipated, remake of _The Little Mermaid_ \- _The Little Merman_!

_The Little Merman_ \- a Disney Production - was going to be a live action movie with a twist on the plot of the original story. Instead of there being a mermaid _princess_ there was going to be a reckless, hotheaded merman prince, who falls in love with a free-spirited, spunky princess that would be played by Vivien. Dax Fisher was currently playing the merprince. And Dylan Black was going to be the antagonist and villain of the story. Dylan was going to be playing the prince from a neighboring impoverished kingdom, who would ultimately get to marry the princess.

Dylan Black was known for his touching performances in romantic dramas and romantic comedies. This would be the first time Dylan had taken on a somewhat 'dark' role. Dylan was handsome, rich, and successful. He'd be the perfect fiancé to bring home to her parents. And all Vivien ever wanted was for her parents to finally accept and acknowledge her.

Vivien glanced over at Levi thinking to herself that even though she'd sensed something between her and Levi their relationship was over before it could even begin.

"Mmhmm, you can't stop looking at him, girl." Teresa teased.

Vivien quickly averted her gaze and glared at Teresa. "I'm just hungry! Geez."

A few minutes later, Levi set the plate of Honey-Ginger Grilled Salmon down in front of Vivien. "Bon appétit."

The smell was divine and made Vivien salivate with anticipation. She cut a bite with her fork, stuck it into her mouth, chewed and swallowed. "Mmm!" Vivien moaned in bliss. She had the sudden mental image of being drenched in sticky honey and Levi licking it off her naked body. Vivien flushed at her own lewd thoughts and rubbed her thighs together in an erotic manner. Levi's cooking was simply orgasmic.

A cocky smirk formed on Levi's face as he watched her reactions. "You look like you're enjoying that."

"I've never tasted anything so delicious before." Vivien admitted breathlessly as she gazed up at the chef.

"It wasn't much." Levi rumbled with a glint in his eyes. "I'm glad you liked it. Please come again to _Poseidon's Trident_."

***

That same night at midnight, Levi went to the beach, stripped off his swim trunks, and dove into the ocean. As soon as the saltwater hit his legs they transformed into his magnificent, blue-scaled tail. _Home, sweet home._ Levi thought as he gracefully swam through the water like a bullet. He reached his mind out into the ocean and waited to see if there were any marine mammals that needed his help.

As he swam, his thoughts drifted to Vivien Tempest. He couldn't believe how he'd acted around her. Sucking the blood off her finger. Inviting her to spar against him. It was like aliens had temporarily hijacked his brain or something. His body had also reacted strangely to her close proximity. His heart rate had sped up, his blood had heated in his veins, and warmth had pooled in his lower abdomen. It had been very...strange, indeed. Levi had never felt like that before. Maybe he was coming down with something? This was his ninth day on just a few hours of sleep after all.

But Levi couldn't afford to take the time to sleep when someone needed to be out here helping the sea creatures trapped in those damned gillnets. Several minutes passed and surprisingly there were no calls for help. Just nothing. Until...Levi heard the excitement in the fishes' mental thoughts. Strange. Apparently, the fish were all watching something that they considered to be very interesting.

Equally curious, Levi followed the sounds of all the excitement and spotted the hull of what looked like a 17th Century pirate ship just like those he remembered encountering centuries ago. But...that couldn't be right. _What the fuck._ A shiver of déjà vu traveled up Levi's spine. Levi decided to get closer in order to investigate.

Levi swam closer to the pirate ship, and surfaced three yards away. As he rode the crests of the waves, he was even more confused by what he saw on deck - humans - men and women dressed in 17th Century clothing. _Did I pass through a rip in time?_ Levi decided to get even closer, neared the railing, and pulled himself up to peer over the deck.

The large camera crew, light crew, and movie director with his trademark bugle in hand were all revealed to Levi, and it suddenly became clear what was going on. They were filming a movie. _I'm an idiot._ Levi let out a breath of relief that he hadn't gotten transported back in time. The merman was about to leave when the sound of oddly familiar feminine laughter drew his attention.

Levi's gaze was drawn to a blonde female dressed in an incredible blue and green gown with golden embroidery. The dress had a laced-up corset that made the girl's waist incredibly tiny. Her hair was braided in a complex up do with a braid wrapped around her head like a crown, or Greek Goddess, and the rest of her hair was loose, falling around her shoulders in waves. The woman was dancing with a twelve-year-old girl in a simple black dress who had brown hair that was braided around her head.

When the blonde princess turned in his direction, that's when he recognized her as being Vivien Tempest. "Vivien." Levi breathed as he watched her giggle and dance in the moonlight. His heart felt heavy inside of his chest as he watched her and he rubbed at his chest unconsciously.

"Dax, get ready to save the princess." The director called out. Or at least Levi assumed the man must be the director. He was wearing a baseball cap, T-shirt, jeans, sneakers and was holding that bugle up to his mouth as he shouted orders at the film crew. The director had a commanding presence that Levi immediately respected. The man may have been young for a director, maybe in his late thirties, but he sure as hell seemed to know what he was doing.

"Yes, Sir." Dax said as he sat down on the deck. He was dressed in only a tight, blue Speedo and pulled on an intricately made blue and gold fishtail over his legs while a couple of girls assisted him.

Levi's eyes bulged. _What the fuck? Dax is playing the part of a merman? Just what movie is this?_

As soon as Dax had the fishtail on he was carried over to the edge of the ship and helped to dive down into the water. Dax managed to execute an impressive dive into the water below. He had perfect form.

"Okay, get ready everyone. And remember, the actual kraken will be added later with CGI so it's very important to remember your rehearsals and where you should be attacking the tentacles. Cue kraken attack!" Director Scott Maverick bellowed at the actors and actresses through his yellow bugle.

_Kraken?_ Levi wondered, looking around worriedly. He'd faced a number of kraken back in the day. But that had been centuries ago. As far as he knew there shouldn't be any kraken left.

There was a monstrous roar that rocked the ship and then the actors and actresses on deck began to panic. Everyone began acting as if they saw 'something' moving over the deck and coming up the sides of the ship. The men picked up spears and harpoons, and began to attack thin air with them.

Levi let out another breath of relief and his expression turned bemused. Ah, apparently they would be adding the 'kraken' to the scene later. Levi watched intently as Princess Vivien picked up a harpoon. "Get behind me, Lucinda!" She told the young girl and acted as though she were protecting the girl from an approaching tentacle.

Vivien was such a good actress that Levi had to resist the urge to pull himself up on deck, crawl across the deck, and wrestle the tentacle away from Vivien and the girl. _So fearless._ Levi thought as he watched her.

"My lady!" Lucinda cried out in concern as she clung to Vivien's gown.

At that moment, an explosion rocked the ship. Several of the actors and actresses stumbled and fell to the deck and screamed. "The creature...it's destroying the ship! Everyone...to the lifeboats! We must make our escape!" Princess Vivien directed everyone who was onboard.

_Holy fuck!_ Levi thought as he held onto the railing with a death grip. That had been a very _real_ explosion. Surely, this crazy director wouldn't actually blow up this entire ship just for the sake of the movie? Wouldn't that also be incredibly dangerous? And also incredibly expensive? Levi thought.

Everyone onboard the ship began to make his or her way to the lifeboats at a run until it was only Vivien and Lucinda running across the deck towards the remaining lifeboats. Lucinda tripped and fell, but Princess Vivien failed to notice as she reached the lifeboat. A man, who was playing the part of Vivien's Uncle Richard, offered Vivien his hand and pulled her inside of the boat. As soon as the princess was inside, the boat was lowered to the ocean's surface. After that the camera crew got into the remaining lifeboats and lowered them down to the ocean below.

Levi was beginning to get worried that everyone had completely forgotten about poor Lucinda. _Is this part of the script? Or has that little girl been left behind accidentally?_ Levi was about to pull himself up on deck, when he heard Vivien's voice.

"Goodness, where's Lucinda?" Princess Vivien exclaimed as she looked around the lifeboat. "Lucinda!"

"Princess! Help!" Lucinda cried out, even as another explosion rocked the ship. A hole was blasted in the side of the ship, pieces of flaming wood debris flying through the air dramatically. The ship's deck started to catch fire with very real flames.

"Oh my God, Lucinda! She's still onboard. I must go back for her!" Princess Vivien exclaimed as she prepared to leap out of the lifeboat.

Richard grabbed her arm to try and stop her. "Princess, you cannot go back for her. She's just a mere handmaiden. It's much too dangerous. Now that your parents are dead...it's up to you to rule the Kingdom of Sol."

"Let me go, Uncle Richard. I don't care. Lucinda is my only friend!" Princess Vivien argued before she wrestled her arm free from her uncle's hold and dove over the side of the lifeboat and into the water.

Levi held his breath as he watched Vivien swim back to the ship and grab a line, which she used to climb up the side of the ship. She managed to do all of this in a soaking wet gown that must have been incredibly heavy. Vivien hopped on deck and ran over to Lucinda. "Lucinda! Just hang on!" Vivien ripped Lucinda's dress free and took the girl's hand, leading her to the ship's railing. Vivien lifted Lucinda up by the waist and tossed her overboard.

Vivien put one foot up on the railing and was just about to jump into the ocean next, but another explosion rocked the ship causing Princess Vivien to stumble backwards and fall over onto her butt.

"Blow the mast!" Director Maverick shouted through his bugle from his position in one of the lifeboats.

"Blowing mast!" A crewman said as he pressed down on the red button of his handheld detonator.

Another explosion rocked the ship, and the mast toppled over, and fell towards the fallen princess. _Vivien!_ Levi was just about to reveal himself once again, when he realized that the mast looked odd. Lighter than a real mast would be, as if the thing were made out of rubber or plastic.

The plastic mast fell right on top of Vivien, but she didn't appear to be harmed - just effectively trapped. Vivien struggled to push the mast off of her but acted as though it were too heavy to do so.

Around the same time this was going on a fierce wind had begun to blow and storm clouds began to gather overhead. It looked like a tropical storm was brewing. A very _real_ storm. "Director Maverick, it looks like it's going to rain. Shouldn't we stop filming for tonight?" Lucinda asked with a worried expression on her face.

Director Maverick frowned and stroked his black goatee. "I already checked the weather. It's supposed to be clear skies tonight. Besides, we can't stop now. The ship is already sinking and needs to go with a bang. Blow the rest of the ship!" Scott called out. "You're up next, Dax!"

_That director can't be serious._ Levi thought wildly. _They're going to blow the ship with Vivien still on it? No way._

_I do all my own stunts._ Vivien's words banged around the inside of Levi's head.

"Blowing ship!" A crewman said as he pressed down on the red button of his detonator.

_Fuck!_ Levi was forced to let go of the ship and swim away from it as the ship literally began to blow up. _That director is fucking crazy._

The explosions were strategic, however, and the ship began to sink straight down with Vivien trapped beneath the mast. Vivien took a deep breath just before she got sucked under water.

As the ship began to sink with Princess Vivien still trapped against it, Levi swam in for a closer look, but then he noticed the underwater camera and light crew, and had to hang further back so that he wouldn't be spotted.

Feeling frustrated, Levi watched as the professional merman, Dax Fisher, swam down and prepared to rescue Princess Vivien. Everything appeared to be going smoothly, until-

Chaos.

A huge wave seemed to come from out of nowhere and the ship was blasted forward through the water. The cameramen and light crew were scattered throughout the water, and began to panic, making their way back up to the surface.

Dax spotted the still sinking Vivien but...the timing was all off because of that wave. Dax knew that he wouldn't be able to continue holding his breath long enough to swim down and rescue her. _What a pity. Guess she'll just have to save herself. She'll be okay. After all she's the famous action heroine Vivien Tempest._ Dax mimed to Vivien that he was running out of air and would be heading back to the surface, and that she should do the same.

Vivien nodded in understanding, and Levi watched as she simply pushed the broken mast aside. Vivien began to swim up towards the surface after Dax, however-

A piece of driftwood attached itself to Vivien's gown and began to drag her down due to its weight. Vivien struggled to free the gown from the piece of driftwood but...was running out of air. Her lungs were burning from lack of oxygen and she put her hand over her mouth as she tried to stop herself from taking in a breath. Her body wasn't obeying her, however, and her mouth seemed to open of its own accord.

Levi watched as Vivien gasped frantically and inhaled a ton of water. Vivien's eyelids began to drift close soon after as she sunk into unconsciousness. _Fucking perfect._ Levi swore as he watched Vivien sinking down towards the bottom of the ocean.

Levi hated humans but...he couldn't just let the fearless Vivien Tempest die! _Fuck, I can't believe I'm about to do this._ Levi thought as he swam down after Vivien, his tail propelling him through the water faster than a dolphin could swim. He reached her in seconds, and quickly ripped the gown free from the enormous piece of driftwood in an angry manner.

The merman wrapped his arm around Vivien's waist and began to swim her back up to the surface. Minutes later, they broke through the surface and Levi searched around for any sign of Vivien's film crew. However, it had started to rain. A tropical storm had blown in from seemingly out of nowhere as these types of storms tended to do, and Vivien's film crew had all decided to take off for the shore.

Those useless idiots probably hadn't even realized that Vivien was missing. _Fucking selfish bastards. Useless pieces of shit. Only the star of the movie has disappeared and you guys don't even notice!_ Levi began to swim Vivien to shore on his own, through the storm and choppy waves. It didn't take Levi that long to reach the shore. He crawled onto the beach and dragged Vivien along with him.

Levi hovered over Vivien and checked her pulse. Her heart was beating...but she wasn't breathing. "Why isn't she breathing? Should I perform CPR?" Levi wondered aloud as he began to lean over her body, but then-

Vivien's eyes snapped open. "Levi?" She questioned as she blinked up at him. There was just enough moonlight and starlight for Levi's form to be illuminated clearly.

"Oh crap!" Levi exclaimed as he began to push himself backwards across the sand and towards the water's edge.

But Vivien wouldn't let Levi escape that easily. She reached out and grabbed Levi's wrist, effectively stopping him. "Whoa, wait! Hold it right there! You're not going anywhere...merman." She gave his tail a pointed look.

"Aw fuck." Levi swore as he tugged on his wrist. "Let me go, woman! I already saved your life. What more do you want from me?"

"Saved my life? I was conscious the entire time you saved me." Vivien smiled impishly.

"You...? How...?" Levi gawked at her.

"Actress, remember? Anyways..." Vivien looked at Levi's tail intently and then reached her hand out to touch the shimmering fish scales. They were really beautiful, a mix of blue and green scales. "Your tail...is real isn't it? You're a _real_ merman, aren't you?" Her tone was giddy.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck..." Levi swore as he ran a hand back through his mohawk of blue hair. "I should kill you for seeing me like this."

"But you won't, will you?" Vivien gave Levi a keen look. "Because I think you _like_ me."

"Don't be ridiculous." Levi scoffed. "I don't _like_ you. I _hate_ humans!"

"Then why did you save me? Hmm?" Vivien poked his arm teasingly.

"Why? Fuck if I know. Aliens hijacked my brain or something." Levi muttered as he turned his face away from her.

"Well, now that that's settled and I know you won't kill me...I get to blackmail you." Vivien rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Let's see, if you want me to keep your secret..."

"What the? What the hell do you want, woman?" Levi growled at her.

Vivien's blue-green eyes glittered with anticipation. Levi gulped at that intense look. "I want you, Levi Devlin, to play the part of the merprince in the Disney movie _The Little Merman_!"

"What? _The Little Merman_? You can't be serious. And besides, you already have a merprince - Dax or whatever the hell his name is. You don't need me." Levi huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Vivien waved her hand dismissively through the air. "Dax Fisher...is a royal pain in the ass. He totally left me to drown back there too...that cowardly jerk! And the merprince needs to be _way_ more...manly than he is. I read the script and the merprince needs to be someone more powerful...dangerous. More like _you_."

"Fuckkk..." Levi shook his head. "Can't you just hire another professional merman? Why does it have to be _me_?"

"It's exactly because you are a real merman that it has to be _you_. You're probably the last of your kind. To really reach people's hearts in this movie the merprince should be a real merman. Just look at how well Keiko was able to reach people's hearts in the movie _Free Willy_. This movie has to be _perfect_. I _will_ finally make my parents proud. And the movie will only be perfect with _you_ in it!" Vivien insisted passionately.

"Fuck me." The merman groaned.

"I'll keep your secret and you play the merprince. Frankly, I'm letting you off easy." Vivien reached out and shook Levi's hand. "Nice doing business with you!"

Levi glared back at Vivien. _This is why I hate humans._

To be continued in...Fish 3: Divine Angel

Levi: "Interested in sampling the dish I prepared for Vivien? Type in Honey-Ginger Grilled Salmon at allrecipes.com."

### Chapter 3: Divine Angel

Levi and Vivien spotted her film crew arriving a little ways down the moonlit beach in their lifeboats. "Well, I'd better get going before they get worried about me." Vivien said as she stood up and brushed sand off her gown. She turned to go but Levi found himself calling out to her.

"Wait, woman."

Vivien turned around, "Yes?"

"Think you could spare a scrap of cloth? When my tail dries off I'm going to be naked and I left my shorts on another beach. I don't want to be arrested for indecent exposure." Levi's tone was dry and he had to catch himself from saying 'again'.

Vivien looked down at Levi's spectacular tail, which was slowly drying. His legs were gradually beginning to appear and soon so would his-! "Uh, sure." Blushing at her lewd thoughts, Vivien tore off a long strip of material from her gown and tossed it to Levi. He caught it and nodded in thanks. "See you soon, merman." The actress said before she hefted her skirt and ran down the beach towards her film crew.

Levi let out a heavy sigh as he watched her go. He was _so_ screwed. However-

There was a bright flash of light and appearing before Levi was...a woman. No, an angel. She was tall and fit looking with long, wavy, white-blonde hair that cascaded down almost to her toes. She had ice-blue eyes and porcelain white skin. The angel was wearing silver battle armor consisting of a breastplate, shoulder armor with spikes, a metal skirt with spikes on it, greaves, and gauntlets. A broadsword was strapped to her side. Outstretched behind her was a pair of enormous, white, feathery wings.

"Holy shit...an angel?" Levi muttered darkly to himself, immediately on his guard. After all...he was a sinner so any business an angel had with him couldn't be good.

The angel smiled at Levi but the smile held little warmth to it. "Hello, Levi Devlin, so we meet again."

"Again?" Levi frowned.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am the Archangel Uriel and I have been assigned by the One True God to be your guardian angel." There was a strange melodious note to her voice like chiming bells.

"Guardian angel? Me? You can't be serious." Levi scoffed and shook his head. "I don't need a guardian angel, lady." _Nor do I deserve one._

"I beg to differ...merman. That female just discovered your secret. I would say that you are in a real pickle. But not to worry, I'm here to help you. If you but ask me I shall slay the human female for you." Her smile and expression had turned cruel, her hand sliding down to the hilt of her sword.

Shock and surprise warred on Levi's face before he narrowed his dark blue eyes at her. "Slay? I thought you were an angel. Aren't guardian angels supposed to be...?" Levi waved his hand through the air as he searched his mind for the right word. "Kindhearted, sweet or whatever?"

"I'm not that kind of angel. Besides, I've been a Rogue Angel for the past five hundred years or so. This mission will get me back in God's good graces. However, if you're captured and dissected I will have failed in my mission to protect you."

"I don't need protecting, lady." Levi sneered as his tail completely vanished to reveal that heavy, fleshy rod between his legs.

Archangel Uriel's gaze moved down over Levi's chest and blatantly stared at his manhood. "Impressive."

"Fuck." Levi flushed as he quickly stood up and wrapped the scrap of cloth that Vivien had given him around his waist. "Aren't angels supposed to be more...prudish?"

Uriel shrugged carelessly. "Like I said - Rogue Angel. So have you made a decision? Shall I kill Vivien Tempest to protect your secret?"

Levi marched right up to the angel and glared at her. "Listen, you - if you want to keep those pretty wings of yours on your back, you'll stay the hell away from Vivien Tempest." He threatened as he cracked his knuckles.

Uriel blinked at Levi in surprise. "You're actually defending her. A human." She shook her head in disbelief. "I don't believe it. You've changed so much." There was a note of sadness to Uriel's voice that Levi didn't miss.

Levi's brow furrowed. "What do you mean by 'I've changed'?"

"When the time is right...you will remember everything. I'll be in touch, Levi." Uriel began to back away from Levi across the sand.

"Wait, don't bother. Why don't you tell your God...that instead of wasting his time on a lost cause like me he should be concerning himself with how the humans are treating the Earth!"

Uriel smiled coldly. "Or perhaps you haven't changed so much. Goodbye, Levi." The Archangel spread her wings and took off into the night sky, disappearing behind the dark gray storm clouds that were still rolling across the sky.

Levi ran a hand back through his hair in an exasperated gesture. "Fuck." The last thing he needed was some Archangel riding his ass. "I don't need a freakin babysitter. It's not like I'm Tristan Savant." Tristan Savant was a half-incubus who was friends with Levi. The incubus was also a chocolatier and known for making chocolates that drove women wild. Before Tristan managed to win the heart of the girl he loved, he'd been a total playboy, and had had one-night stands because he needed sex in order to survive. Tristan's guardian angel Michael had had a hell of a hard time putting the incubus on the right track.

***

A new workday at _Poseidon's Trident_ had begun. Levi, Derek, Malakye and Garth were all in the kitchen prepping ingredients for the day. Around noon, the door to _Poseidon's Trident_ opened and in walked none other than Vivien Tempest, her bodyguard, Urban West, and stylist, Teresa Brown. The trio took a seat at one of the tables close to the window that overlooked the restaurant's porch.

Levi grit his teeth as a sense of dread washed over him. _Shit._ _She really came._

Vivien looked up at Levi, removed her sunglasses, and raised her hand to get his attention. She did a little wave and smiled at him. "Hey, Levi, get your butt over here!"

Levi ground his molars while his fellow chefs shot him curious looks. "Derek, take over." Levi handed the man the frying pan he'd been tossing vegetables in.

"Sure thing, Boss." Derek said, taking the pan.

Levi stomped his way over to Vivien's table, crossed his arms over his chest, and glared down at her. He couldn't help but notice what she was wearing. A classy, white, trench coat with black buttons running down the front, tight black jeans that hugged her curves deliciously, and a pair of white high heels. "Yes?"

"I have good news. I've already spoken with Director Scott Maverick and he's agreed to give you the role of the merprince. Apparently, you really impressed him yesterday with your ability to literally throw out his film crew." Vivien grabbed her shoulder bag that had been hanging off the back of the chair, rummaged around in it, and pulled out an extra script that Scott had given her. She handed the script to Levi, who took it reluctantly.

Teresa was looking back and forth between Levi and Vivien intently. "Wait, I don't get it. What's going on? What do you mean Levi is going to be playing the merprince? What about Dax?"

"Dax has been fired." Vivien waved her hand dramatically in Levi's direction. "May I present to you all the new and improved - merprince!"

The sound of something being knocked over in the kitchen was heard. Levi felt like groaning and rubbing his temples. His fellow chefs, who knew his secret, were probably freaking out right about now with what they'd just heard.

"Vivien, I never really agreed-" Levi started to object.

But Vivien cut him off. "Oh, yes you did. Don't you remember...what happened last night?" She waggled her eyebrows at him.

Levi gripped the script in his hands. _Fuck._

"Anyways, make sure you memorize your lines for the first couple of scenes. Filming starts tomorrow. Yay." Vivien said in an excited manner.

At Vivien's words, Derek, Malakye, and Garth all left the kitchen and made a beeline for Vivien's table. "Whoa, wait, fill us in. What's going on, Boss? You're going to be in a movie?" Derek asked with obvious disbelief in his voice.

Levi sighed, and scrubbed a hand down his face. He could barely believe it himself. "Apparently so. It's not that big a deal. Don't worry about it, guys."

"Not that big a deal?" Vivien interrupted as she looked over at the chefs. "Your friend Levi has been scouted by me to play the merman prince in the Disney remake of _The Little Mermaid_ \- _The Little Merman_! Instead of the star being a merprincess - there's a reckless merprince, who falls in love with a free-spirited princess, which will be played by yours truly."

Derek, Malakye and Garth were all slack-jawed by this startling announcement.

"How can Levi play the part of a merman when he's-" Malakye was saying-

However, Vivien cut him off with a nervous look. "Levi will be provided with a designer tail made by the famous mertailor Eric Ducharme, of course. Nothing to worry about."

Derek elbowed Malakye in the side with his elbow to shut the man up. "Ah, a designer tail. I see. Well, the Boss is a great swimmer." He laughed nervously.

Garth was clenching his fists and shook his head. "It's much too dangerous, Boss. He can't be in the movie he-!"

Derek elbowed Garth in his side next. "I'm sure that Levi can handle it, or else he wouldn't have agreed. Right, Boss?"

Levi sighed and nodded. "I can handle it, guys. Don't worry."

Urban was watching the unusual exchange Levi was having with his fellow chefs in interest. These guys were...hiding something.

"Now that that's settled...I bet you guys are curious about the movie script and the movie's plot. Am I right?" She waggled her eyebrows at the chefs.

"I _am_ kind of curious." Malakye admitted shyly.

"Well, get your butts over here. Levi, show your chefs the script already." Vivien demanded. Before Levi could even respond, Vivien had stood up from her seat, grabbed the script from Levi's hand, placed it on the table, and opened it up to the first page.

In a matter of minutes, the four chefs were deeply engrossed in reading the movie script. Just like Vivien knew they would be. The script was just _that_ good. "I'll be right back. I'm just going to go powder my nose." Vivien said casually before she excused herself.

"You're going to _what_?" Levi asked.

"It means she's going to take a piss, man." Urban offered, in a bemused tone.

"Ah, why didn't she just say so then?" Levi asked dryly.

Vivien flushed at the guys' conversation. _Gah!_ _Men!_ She stomped off towards the bathroom hallway and peeked over her shoulder to see that the four chefs were still engrossed with the movie script. _Perfect. Time for some snooping._

Vivien bypassed the bathrooms and made her way into the back of the restaurant, past the kitchen, and went up the stairs that led to the second floor. Her friend Ambrose Rune had warned Vivien that the four chefs didn't allow _anyone_ up on the second floor...and that if she accidentally went up there she may never been seen or heard from again. It made Vivien incredibly curious about what was up there, and she just had to see what the four chefs were hiding in their rooms.

The actress entered the hallway that had doors on either side. Each door had a little wooden sign hanging on it with a room number. Vivien decided to check 'Room 1' first. She opened the door, stepped inside, and flipped on a light switch. _Whoa._ The entire room was filled with potted plants...very exotic looking plants. Vivien entered farther into the room and began to admire the plants. "I've never seen plants like these before." Vivien reached her hand out towards one of the plants and its vines actually started to move. It looked a little like a Venus flytrap except for the fact that it was purple with a bright magenta interior. "Unreal. They must be from the Amazon or something."

There was an impressive computer set up; video games were all over the floor, as well as books. An entire bookcase was filled with books too. Vivien continued snooping around the room and noticed the open compact of white makeup on the dressing table. _Ah, this must be Malakye's room._ Since it was Levi's room that she was looking for she flipped the lights off, left the room, and closed the door softly behind her.

Vivien tried 'Room 2' next. This particular bedroom appeared pretty normal and was decorated with antiques. Then she noticed the two large tanks that were sitting on a long wooden table. She walked over to the tanks and saw that the larger one had an enormous pet python inside of it. The python was quite large with bronze and black scales. The tank that was next to it was filled with pet mice. Although she had the unsettling feeling that those mice were food for the python. Vivien rubbed her arms at the gruesome thought.

Vivien was about to leave when she caught sight of all the canvases scattered about the room. She spotted an easel with an unfinished painting of a red-haired woman with tattoos on her face. In fact, most of the paintings featured a mysterious, redheaded woman, but the strange part was that the women in the paintings were featureless. Vivien then noticed a tattoo gun sitting on the dresser and deduced this was Derek's room.

Vivien left Derek's room and decided to try 'Room 3'. This room looked like it belonged to a jock, and sports or martial arts enthusiast. There was a punching bag hanging from the ceiling and a pile of ruined punching bags sitting in the corner with sand draining out onto the floor. Martial arts posters were taped to the walls, and Vivien recognized Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Tony Jaa. As a fellow martial artist, Vivien also had respect for the greats.

In a sports equipment holding bin Vivien could see a basketball, football, baseball bat, baseball glove, and a couple of baseballs. T-shirts with funny expressions were lying on the floor as well as several pairs of jeans. A bunch of stress balls were sitting on the man's dresser, but they looked like chewed up dog toys they were in such bad shape. The baskets full of candy gave the room away as being Garth's. Anytime Vivien had seen the chef he was sucking on a Tootsie roll pop.

Vivien left Garth's room and took a deep breath as she stood outside 'Room 4'. This was it. This had to be Levi's room. Vivien opened the door, stepped inside, and flipped on a light switch, to reveal-

Vivien gasped at the sight before her. It was beautiful. There were shelves attached to all four walls and on those shelves were a bunch of things that had obviously been brought up from the sea: colorful pieces of sea fan coral, sand dollars sitting on little plastic stands, huge seashells, jars filled with pieces of sea glass, and jars filled with colored sand.

Vivien reached out, selected an orange and pink conch shell, and placed it against her ear. She closed her eyes and listened to the hypnotic sound of the ocean. The actress opened her eyes and smiled. Levi's love for the sea was obvious...it was a part of who he was. He was a merman and would make the _perfect_ merprince for the movie. Through emotional conveyance, Levi would be able to share his love for the sea with the moviegoers.

_He loves the sea...just as I do._ Vivien put the shell back and was just about to leave when something in Levi's trashcan caught her eyes. Something red. Vivien made her way over to the trashcan and reached inside of it to pull out a bloody sock. She frowned. In fact, the entire trashcan was filled with bloody socks. _How odd._ She tossed the sock back into the trashcan and shrugged. _Whatever._

After that she caught sight of a tank. Vivien walked over to it and saw a red-eared slider turtle. The tank had a few inches of water in it and a rock. There was a label on the tank, which read: 'Raphael'. This made Vivien smile thinking about Raphael from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. "You do look a little like Raphael with those red bands on your face, don't you, little guy?" She cooed at the turtle before silently leaving the room and heading back downstairs to the restaurant.

***

Once upon a time, there was a reckless yet courageous merprince named Levi. Despite his father King Triton's warnings, Levi would continually leave the merkingdom of Atlantica and go on dangerous adventures close to the surface. Levi was a fierce warrior, a hunter, who loved a good challenge though and couldn't sit still for long. He quickly grew bored of the sheltered palace life King Triton wanted for his son, and of the simpering, obedient mermaids that vied for his attentions.

Almost daily, Levi would search out dangerous sea monsters and kraken that were attacking human ships and slay the beasts himself thereby saving the humans from certain death. Levi had inherited his father's magical trident and it was this powerful weapon that he used to fight the sea monsters with.

One day, while Levi was swimming close to the surface he spotted a huge ship. He watched the ship for hours and was about to leave the area since everything appeared safe...when a kraken appeared. Levi let out a battle cry and attacked the beast. With his trident, he executed skillful jabs and slashes. He cut off several of the kraken's limbs and finally when the beast opened its mouth - Levi plunged his trident deep inside, slaying the beast. Blood and ink filled the water as a result.

"And cut!" Director Scott Maverick shouted as he watched the footage his underwater cameramen were capturing of Levi Devlin swimming around underwater and pretending to battle a kraken. "That was perfect! That's a wrap for the reshoot of the opening scene."

At first, when Vivien had requested that Dax Fisher be replaced with Levi Devlin, Scott had been skeptical but...now after seeing the professional merman in action. Well. He was impressed. Director Maverick was also fascinated with Levi's fake tail...it looked so incredibly real. Perhaps, real fish scales had been sewn into it? Scott made a mental note to ask the chef later.

When Director Maverick had explained the scene to Levi he'd caught on quickly and hadn't needed training with the trident beforehand either. Levi claimed to study martial arts and the way he moved the fake trident so skillfully through the water as he faced an invisible enemy was evidence of this fact. The chef did a great job visualizing what it would be like to fight a kraken in his mind's eye. Once they added the CGI to the scene it would be incredible. Scott felt a giddy laugh bubble up his throat and let it leave his mouth. This movie was going to be his greatest masterpiece! He'd fought hard to get where he was today and to be respected in the movie industry as a worthwhile director at the age of thirty-six.

Levi Devlin also had this fierce presence - one that Dax Fisher had simply lacked despite the man's good looks. Levi was simply more...intense. On screen, Levi immediately captured a person's interest. "Well, hurry up and pull the poor guy up! I want to compliment him on a job well done!" Director Maverick yelled at his crew with an air of obvious impatience.

"Uh, Sir. About that, Levi...he's _gone_." One of the underwater cameramen had come up to say, and was scratching the back of his head while looking perplexed.

"What? What do you mean he's gone? If he drowned because of you idiots-" Director Maverick shot back.

"Ah, Sir, Levi said he'd go on ahead without us and meet us at the restaurant since the scene was completed successfully." Vivien piped up at the director's side.

Director Maverick's eyes bulged. "You mean he's going to swim back?" He looked over towards the shore and shook his head in disbelief. "But that's a good three miles to swim back to shore."

"Oh, he can do it. Don't worry." Vivien assured in a nonchalant manner.

Director Maverick shrugged, took off his baseball cap, and scratched his head. "Well...if you say so. I trust your judgment, Vivien. You always know your own limitations when it comes to stunts, and the limitations of others. Tomorrow we'll reshoot the rescue scene and we may even have time to start the scene with Dylan Black."

"Dylan?" Vivien's interested was piqued.

"Yes, he arrives today. He just finished the filming he was doing in France for his latest romantic comedy. I gave him the address of _Poseidon's Trident_. He should be meeting us there later for lunch." Director Maverick informed her.

Vivien smiled giddily. _Dylan Black. Finally. I can't wait to meet him...my future husband._

***

Levi walked through the front door of _Poseidon's Trident_ soaking wet and dressed in only a pair of swim trunks. Derek, Malakye, and Garth immediately caught sight of him from the open kitchen and ran out to greet him.

"Levi! You're back. How did the filming go?" Derek asked in his usual easygoing manner.

Levi shrugged. "It was okay. I guess."

"Did anyone...you know..." Malakye looked around nervously to make sure none of their customers were listening in on their conversation. " _See_ you."

Levi shook his head. "No...I swam back on my own and transformed in a cove."

"Did that crazy director make you do anything dangerous?" Garth asked darkly. "He has a reputation for making his actors and actresses do reckless stunts. Mal looked him up online and it's apparently how he's gotten so famous so quickly, and at such a young age for a director."

"Just fight a kraken." Levi smirked.

Malakye gasped and swayed on his feet, thinking that Levi was being serious.

Levi chuckled at his friends' worried expressions. "A CGI one, duh. I was just pretending to fight one. It was a piece of cake. That script makes no sense though...why would the merprince risk his life fighting sea monsters to save human beings? Preposterous."

"You never tried to save a human ship from a sea monster before?" Derek asked curiously.

"Nope. And I've sunk my fair share of whaling ships too. I think the humans would consider me to be a sea monster. And the trident they gave me was _plastic_." Levi grumbled. "You would think with the size of the budget they have for this movie that they could afford to give me a real one."

Derek chuckled at the obvious ire in Levi's voice. "They were probably afraid you'd hurt yourself with it."

"Tch. Idiots." Levi complained.

"If you sign a waiver I'm sure they'd let you have a real one for the filming." Derek suggested wisely.

"A waiver?" Levi stroked his chin and nodded. "That could work."

Malakye frowned at Levi's expression. "Levi, don't you think you're taking this movie a little too seriously? I still think it's too dangerous for you to be a part of it. What if your true nature is discovered? And when the movie is released won't Agent Darkhart figure out who you are...and come after you?"

"Don't worry, Mal. I'm being careful. I can outsmart a couple of pathetic humans." Levi assured his friend. "As for Agent Darkhart...I have to settle things with that bastard eventually anyways. But when he comes, I'll be ready for him."

"How did Vivien find out your secret anyways?" Garth asked.

"That...I..." Levi rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, unable to meet Garth's penetrating gaze. "Rescued her from drowning."

The chefs all gasped in response.

" _You_ saved a _human_ from drowning?" Derek repeated in an incredulous tone until a knowing look settled on his tattooed face. "I bet you're in lo-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Derek, or I'll rip your spine out through your mouth." Levi threatened in a low voice.

"Can he really do something like that?" Malakye asked with a horrified look on his face.

Garth elbowed the Goth in his side. "Shut up, dude."

"I still don't like this." Malakye insisted.

"Me neither." Garth huffed.

There was an amused twinkle in Derek's blue eyes. "Sometimes you can't escape your Destiny, guys."

"Sap." Levi said before stalking off to go take a shower. He was all covered in salt and probably smelled like seaweed. Normally, he wouldn't have given a shit but the idea of Vivien thinking he smelled bad didn't sit well with him. Twenty minutes later, Levi was showered, dressed, and ready to help out his fellow chefs in the kitchen.

When noon rolled around, Vivien and her film crew entered the restaurant. Levi tried not to seek Vivien out with his eyes...but he couldn't help it. She was wearing a black shirt, blue jean capris, and her white high heels. He noticed that Vivien appeared to be looking around the restaurant for _someone_. Him?

Levi raised his hand in greeting, but when Vivien caught sight of Levi she frowned and looked around again before sitting down at one of the tables with a disappointed look on her face. Levi lowered his hand, feeling like an idiot, and swallowed hard. Well, that was odd.

"Levi!" Director Maverick called out happily as he spotted Levi in the open kitchen and made his way over towards the chefs. "You left before I could tell you: great job today, man. You are an incredible actor. I really felt like I was watching a real merman battle a kraken. Oh, and next time you don't have to swim all the way back to shore on your own, you know. We'd be more than happy to give you a lift."

"Ah, I did it for the exercise. You think these muscles just popped up on their own?" Levi drawled as he flexed his pecs.

Director Maverick barked out a laugh. "No, I guess not!"

"Ah, Director...about the plastic trident." Levi began.

"Yes?"

"If I sign a waiver...can I wield a real one?"

Director Maverick blinked and a slow smile curled his lips. "Sure. But it's a very dangerous weapon. I would prefer not to risk you getting hurt, despite what people say about me."

"Director Maverick, isn't what your movie needs - realism?" Levi asked slyly. "To make it the best it can be?"

"Well, yes...you're right." Director Maverick rubbed the stubble on his chin. His goatee was getting shabby and he needed to shave soon, but he couldn't find the time. "That's what I always strive for in my action movies. I've worked with actors like Jackie Chan before and I was very exited to work with Vivien Tempest since they both do their own stunts. If you think you can handle it...go for it."

Levi smirked. "Oh, I think I can handle it." The merman's gaze strayed towards Vivien. "Er, did Vivien see today's footage?"

Director Maverick nodded. "Yes, she was quite impressed with you." He noticed how Levi was watching Vivien closely with a small frown on his face. "Ah, she's just impatient for Dylan Black to arrive."

"Dylan Black?"

"Yes. He'll be playing the part of the evil prince that weds the princess in the end." Director Maverick explained.

"I see." Levi said while trying not to sound disappointed. Why should he care if Vivien seemed to be excited about seeing this Dylan Black guy? "Wait a second, I thought the merprince and princess would get together in the end? Like in the Disney movie _The Little Mermaid_?" Levi asked. He hadn't read the entire script yet.

"This version of _The Little Meman_ is going to be tragic. It'll be great. A real tear-jerker!" Director Maverick said excitedly as he imagined theaters across the nation filled with people crying their eyes out because of _his_ movie.

Garth accidentally smashed one of the petit fours he was working on. "The merprince and the princess are supposed to get together." He rumbled angrily.

"Ah, it's just a movie, Garth." Derek reminded the confectioner. "Calm down."

"Yeah, just a movie." Levi echoed in a strange tone.

"Well, I'm going to go join the others. Keep up the great work, Levi." Director Maverick said before he returned to his table.

"Who the hell is Dylan Black?" Levi asked Derek - his resident human expert.

"Dylan Black is an actor famous for his heartwarming and tear-jerking performances in romantic comedies and romantic dramas. Everyone on the net is excited that this will be Dylan's first role playing a dark character or villain." Derek informed his boss.

"Dylan Black." Levi growled. "I haven't even met the guy and I already don't like him."

At that exact moment, the door to _Poseidon's Trident_ opened and in stepped a man with an intimidating, commanding presence. He was even taller than Levi at six-six, and equally muscular. The man had short black hair that was longer in the front and shorter in the back, and had a pair of dark sunglasses on his face. The actor was wearing a tight black shirt that clung to his hard muscles, black pants, and shiny, black dress shoes. The first few buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned to reveal the black onyx pendant that was hanging on his chest.

As the actor entered the restaurant, he removed his sunglasses to reveal his intense, coal-black eyes. The man smiled revealing perfect white teeth. Dylan Black approached the tables followed by his entourage and manager.

"Ah, look! It's Dylan Black!" "Dylan's finally here!" The film crew immediately began to make excited exclamations as soon as they spotted the handsome actor.

Director Maverick stood up from his seat and quickly made his way over to greet Dylan. "Dylan! You're finally here. How did the filming go?" He offered Dylan his hand.

Dylan took the director's hand and shook it. "It went well. Thanks. But I'm very excited to get started on filming for _The Little Merman_. Although, I must admit that I'm still angry that you turned me down for the role of the merprince. Who's playing him? I heard it was Dax Fisher who landed the role." Dylan looked around the restaurant curiously to catch sight of the blond.

"Ah, well, about that...we actually replaced Dax with someone else." Director Maverick hedged.

Dylan's gaze snapped back to the director and he raised a dark eyebrow at him. "Oh really? Who?"

"He's the Head Chef and owner of this restaurant actually. His name is Levi Devlin." Director Maverick pointed to the open kitchen.

"Levi?" Dylan turned his head to look at the kitchen and his eyes widened when he spotted the blue-haired chef. " _You_...!" The actor cut himself off and coughed into his hand.

Growing impatient for Dylan to notice her, Vivien stood up and made her way over to the actor. She put her hand out in front of her. Her blue-green eyes were glittering with admiration. "Hi, I'm Vivien Tempest. It's so nice to finally meet you. I'm a huge fan of yours. I still can't believe that we're going to be working together."

Dylan took Vivien's hand and smiled politely. "A fan you say?" He raised Vivien's hand to his lips and kissed it. "The pleasure is all mine, Vivien. I look forward to working with you as well. I've seen most of your work and I have to say I was impressed. Is it true that you do all your own stunts?"

Vivien blushed at the feeling of Dylan's soft, sensual lips brushing the back of her hand. "Yes, I do."

Dylan dropped her hand but kept smiling. "Impressive."

As Levi watched Dylan and Vivien's interaction...a fierce ache bloomed in his chest and he rubbed at his sternum. His heart rate had jacked up too. He felt like going over there and bashing Dylan's head in. How dare he kiss Vivien's hand like that? Vivien was...his. He shook his head. _No, she's not mine._ What the hell was wrong with him? Levi wondered, feeling confused and bewildered by his own thoughts.

"Uh...Boss...you're ruining that pan." Derek pointed out.

Levi looked down and saw that he'd totally bent the handle of the frying pan he'd been using. Oops. "Just who does that bastard think he is - kissing her hand like that, huh?" Levi snarled at Derek as he tossed the pan into the trash.

Derek raised an eyebrow at Levi. "He _thinks_ he's a rich, handsome, famous actor - and he's right."

Levi watched as the cocky bastard crooked his finger at his manager in an impatient gesture. Or at least Levi thought the guy was probably Dylan's manager. He appeared to be pretty young, probably in his late twenties. The manager had messy, orange hair, blue eyes, and freckles. He was wearing a rumpled suit that looked too big for the man's lanky frame. His manager seemed to know what Dylan was asking for as he whipped out a towel to wipe off the chair with before Dylan sat down.

A vein in Levi's forehead throbbed. _What the hell is up with that? Acting all high and mighty - like he's too good to sit on my chairs._ Dylan Black may have been tall, handsome and muscular, but he was still only a lowly human in Levi's book.

Levi watched as Vivien slyly took the seat right next to Dylan. That ache in his chest was bothering him once again. "I'm not feeling so hot. Derek, take over the kitchen." Levi muttered before handing Derek the new pan he'd gotten out, and heading to his room.

The three chefs watched Levi go with worried expressions on their faces. Levi had _never_ stopped in the middle of cooking before. Ever.

***

Once upon a time, there was a spirited, adventurous princess beloved by everyone in the Kingdom of Sol. One day, on her way back home to her castle by the sea, her ship was attacked by a fearsome kraken. The princess made sure that everyone made it to the lifeboats safely before worrying about herself. However, once the princess was inside the lifeboat she realized that her handmaiden, Lucinda, was still on the sinking ship.

Princess Vivien's Uncle Richard tried to stop her, but Vivien jumped off the boat and into the sea. She swam back to the ship and used a rope to climb back onboard. Princess Vivien spotted her handmaiden and helped to free Lucinda's dress from the deck. The princess took Lucinda by her hand and led her to the railing. Vivien picked Lucinda up and tossed her overboard. She was about to join Lucinda when the mainmast suddenly collapsed and fell on top of her, trapping her to the deck.

The ship began to sink along with Princess Vivien. However, the merprince Levi had been nearby. Prince Levi finished off the kraken with his trident and then spotted the sinking princess. The merprince swam down to rescue her and used his trident to leverage the mast off of the princess. After that he took the princess into his arms and began to swim her back up to the surface.

Levi then swam the princess to shore. The merprince crawled onto the beach and dragged the body of the princess with him. He checked her for signs of life and put his ear to her chest to listen for her heartbeat. "She's alive." Levi breathed with relief upon finding one. He waited for her to regain consciousness and while he waited he decided to sing for her. Levi opened his mouth and began to sing in a deep, baritone voice, which steadily rose into an alto.

' _It's the voice of an angel.' Prince Vivien thought as she listened to Levi singing in a half-awake state._

The princess' eyelids fluttered and she slowly began to open her eyes. She saw a male figure hovering over her, the rising sun behind him making his hair appear dark, and she squinted against the blinding light to see him better.

As soon as Levi saw that the princess was waking up, however, he pushed himself back into the water and swam a good distance away from her to watch her from behind a large rock that protruded out of the sea.

The princess opened her eyes fully and sat up, groggily. She saw a hand being offered to her and looked up.

A tall, dark and handsome gentleman was holding his hand down to her with a charming smile on his face. He was dressed in a fine black suit with golden embroidery on it. The man looked like a prince in his finery and was devilishly attractive. A jeweled rapier had been strapped to his side.

' _Is this the man who saved me?' Princess Vivien wondered dazedly as she placed her hand in his and the man helped her up._

" _Are you alright, milady?" He asked her in a sensuous voice._

" _I...did you...?" Princess Vivien began, but her throat ached and felt as dry as sandpaper. Before she could speak again-_

" _PRINCESS! MILADY!" The sound of several people calling out her name was heard and then Vivien's handmaiden, Lucinda, appeared around the bend and spotted Vivien and her mysterious savior._

" _Princess!" Lucinda exclaimed upon seeing Vivien and tears of relief filled her eyes. "You're alive! I was so worried." She ran across the sand._

" _Princess...?" The dark-haired stranger murmured to himself as he looked at Vivien and a calculating look fell over his face for a fleeting moment only to be replaced with a charming expression._

Lucinda ran across the sand to Princess Vivien and her rescuer, and stopped short when she saw the tall man. She looked up at him but then she smiled upon seeing how well-dressed he was. No man as handsome and well-dressed as that one could be a bad person. "Oh, thank you, Kind Sir, for saving our Princess! You shall be greatly rewarded!"

The man smiled back. "I did not do it for any reward. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Dylan, son of King Obsidian. I hail from the neighboring Kingdom of Loki."

" _A prince!" Lucinda exclaimed excitedly and was practically dancing on one foot. "My Prince, will you please assist me in taking the princess back to the castle?"_

" _Why of course." Prince Dylan readily replied._

" _I can walk-" Princess Vivien was saying when Prince Dylan suddenly swooped her up into his strong arms. "Oh my."_

" _Allow me to carry you, milady. You're as light as a feather." Dylan smiled down at her charmingly._

There was a pink tinge to the princess' cheeks. "Well, alright, if you insist." Princess Vivien agreed and the prince proceeded to carry her back to the castle with Lucinda following close behind.

"And cut!" Director Maverick's commanding voice rang out.

Dylan immediately placed Vivien on her feet and wiped his hands off on his pants.

Vivien barely noticed Dylan's coldness since she was distracted with searching for any sign of Levi hiding behind the rock that rose out of the sea. She'd been so surprised when Levi had just started singing like that! She hadn't known the chef could sing. And his voice...it really was like the voice of an angel, just like the narrator had proclaimed. His singing had caused goose bumps to break out over her arms. Vivien really wanted to tell Levi how wonderful his voice was, and how it had made her feel, but she knew she had to start getting ready for the next scene.

"What are you doing?" Dylan asked Vivien curiously when he noticed her staring out at the ocean. He wasn't used to be ignored by anyone, especially a female.

"Ah, no...I just wanted to speak with Levi." Vivien explained in a distracted manner.

"Vivien!" Teresa came running down the beach in Vivien's direction. "What are you doing, girl? We have to get you showered and dressed for the next scene!"

"Ah, right." Vivien agreed as Teresa began to drag her away.

"Charlie." Dylan called out for his manager to appear.

Charlie came running with a bottle of purple Gatorade for Dylan. "Here, Boss."

Dylan took the Gatorade, unscrewed the lid, and began to chug it. His dark eyes followed Vivien as she was being dragged away. If there was one thing that Dylan did not like it was being ignored.

***

Over the course of the next couple of days, the merprince watched Princess Vivien from the ocean as she lived her life in her castle by the sea. Levi told himself he was watching her because he was merely concerned for her well-being and wanted to make sure that she was okay after her near drowning experience.

One day, Levi spotted the princess on horseback riding across the beach at a fierce gallop. Her long, golden hair was loose and streaming behind her like a flag. She was dressed in a simple white shirt, black pants, and shiny riding boots. The merprince had never seen a human female in pants before and thought she looked nice.

As the princess rode across the beach at a gallop she seemed so fearless - so beautiful.

The princess stopped her white mare at the surf's edge and dismounted. She pulled her boots off and walked into the ocean's surf to cool off her aching toes. "Ah." She let out a pleasured moan as the water cooled her blistered feet. A noise that Levi felt was strangely erotic.

Vivien shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked out over the ocean towards a rock that was jutting out from the sea, and the merprince couldn't help but feel as though she were looking right at him. Just when the merprince was about to reveal himself-

The sound of approaching horses was heard, and Levi saw Prince Dylan and the princess' handmaiden Lucinda both riding down the beach towards the princess. Dylan was riding a magnificent black stallion and Lucinda was riding an adorable brown pony.

" _Princess!" Lucinda called out, waving her hand._

" _Oh drat." The princess swore as she pulled on her boots and quickly mounted her horse. She turned her horse around with a skillful pull of the reins and rode towards her friends. "Good day. Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?" The princess called out casually._

" _Princess! Just what do you think you're doing?" Lucinda chided._

" _Horseback riding. What does it look like I'm doing, silly." The princess giggled._

" _Don't play innocent with me, Princess. You're wearing pants!" Lucinda pointed her trembling finger at the pants. "It's incredibly inappropriate and scandalous!"_

Princess Vivien pouted. When it came to being a proper lady of the Kingdom of Sol she knew she lacked decorum. "But I can't gallop in a dress, Lu."

" _You shouldn't be galloping at all! You're a princess and soon to be this Kingdom's Queen! What if something were to happen to you?" Lucinda wrung her hands together in worry at the horrible thought._

" _Then my Uncle Richard would rule in my stead, I imagine." The princess frowned thoughtfully._

" _Princess!" Lucinda scolded._

A deep, dark, sensual chuckle filled the air. "It's alright, Lucinda. You know there's no stopping our headstrong, free-spirited princess. The princess is like a wild bird. She would be forever unhappy being caged and longing for freedom. But you need not worry, as long as I am at your princess' side I shall protect her with my life."

Lucinda blushed at the prince's bold words. "Oh, I see. Well...as long as you're with the princess then I suppose it would be alright."

" _Excellent." Prince Dylan trotted over next to Princess Vivien and took her hand. "Your Highness...please allow me the honor of becoming your protector." He placed a gentle kiss on her hand._

Princess Vivien flushed and snatched her hand away. "Fool...if you're trying to woo me...you're going about it the wrong way. Hyah!" The princess kicked her horse's sides and rode off into the forest.

" _Ah, usually I'm a lot smoother with the ladies." Prince Dylan said with a sheepish hand behind his head and a chagrined expression on his face._

" _Don't give up, Prince Dylan. Surely, your feelings will reach our stubborn princess!" Lucinda assured._

A sly smile curled Dylan's lips. "Surely."

Levi continued to watch from behind the rock, and decided that that night would be the last time he watched the princess. After all she had a handsome prince for a suitor who'd just vowed to protect her with his own life. The princess had no need for him.

"And cut!" Director Maverick called out. "Well done, everyone. Let's get ready for the next scene-"

A female scream echoed through the nearby forest.

_Vivien!_ Levi recognized the voice and quickly swam to the nearby cove he'd discovered earlier before the day's shooting had started. He swam into the cove and quickly pulled himself up on the shore. Levi wiped the water off his tail with his hands to cause it to dry faster. As soon as his tail was dry and his human legs had appeared, he put on the pair of swim trunks he'd hidden behind a rock earlier that morning.

Levi leapt to his feet, ran to the edge of the cove, and climbed over some rocks to the other side of the beach where the film crew was. The merman took off running down the beach and then through the trees of the nearby forest. His feet left heavy indentations in the dirt with blood. He reached out his senses and searched for Vivien's presence. Once he'd located her he made a beeline for her current location.

Levi burst through some bushes and into a clearing where the entire film crew was gathered and appeared to be taking a break. Levi frantically scanned the crowd and spotted Vivien seated on the ground with a crewman wrapping her ankle with a long strip of white gauze. Apparently, she'd hurt her foot...maybe even broken it.

"Vivien!" Levi called out in concern as he ran over to her and crouched by her side. "You're hurt. Is your ankle broken?" His chest was heaving as he struggled to catch his breath from having run all the way there.

"Levi?" Vivien's eyes got big due to her surprise at seeing him there. She knew that to be there he would have had to go somewhere to transform first, and then had to have run all the way there. But...even so, it had only taken him five minutes to reach her. "What are you doing...here? I mean...it's nothing. Just a sprain. See." Vivien stood up and smiled. "I'm okay."

"I heard you scream. What happened?" Levi demanded with a fierce look in his eyes.

"Oh, there was a snake on the forest trail-" Vivien was saying before Levi suddenly got a murderous look in his eyes and stomped off.

Levi returned a few minutes later with a dead snake in his hands, which he tossed at Vivien's feet. "Was this the snake?"

Several crewmembers gasped at the sight of the now headless snake and their jaws dropped.

Vivien looked down at the dead yellow and black snake. "Yeah, that's him alright. Uh, you didn't have to kill it. It's just a wild animal...I probably frightened him, causing him to attack the horse like that."

"The little bastard caused you to fall off your horse. You could have broken your neck. He deserved to die." Levi said simply.

"Levi..." Vivien murmured, the caveman routine really shouldn't have made her heart flutter but it did. Or perhaps it was just the adrenaline that was still pumping through her veins because of her fall.

A dark, sensuous male chuckle was heard as Dylan approached them and put a hand on Levi's shoulder. "We've stopped filming, man. There's no need to act so concerned or gallant towards Vivien. She's not _really_ a princess."

Levi shrugged the man's hand off his shoulder. "I wasn't acting."

Dylan raised a dark eyebrow at the chef. "Is that so?" A dangerous glint came to his black eyes, but was gone so fast Levi wondered if he'd imagined it.

"Vivien, can we begin preparations to film the next scene?" Director Maverick called out.

"Yeah, I'm good to go." Vivien declared as she walked forward and hid a wince as her foot hit the ground.

No one seemed to notice that tiny wince or that Vivien was actually in pain, but Levi did. Was this how it always was for her? He wondered. She'd perform dangerous stunts, get herself hurt, but then grin and bear it in order to continue filming? But why? Why would she feel the need to push herself so hard? She'd mentioned something about making her parents proud. Was it for them? Weren't they already proud of their incredible daughter? Levi wondered.

_This female...being in pain is unacceptable._ "No, you're not." Levi challenged before he swooped Vivien up into his arms. "Vivien is done with filming for today. She needs rest. She'll film the scene you need tomorrow, Director."

"Ah, Levi? What are you doing? Hey! Put me down!" Vivien struggled in Levi's hold.

"Ah, but Vivien said she was ok-" Director Maverick was saying before Levi glared in his direction. "Eek. You know, what? I think we could all use a break. Until tomorrow everyone!"

"Stop your struggling, female. Resistance is futile. I have you and I'm not letting you go." Levi rumbled as he took off into the forest at a jog.

Dylan watched Levi carry Vivien out of the woods and stroked his chin. "Now that's...interesting."

"Ugh! You're acting like a total caveman! Where the hell are you even taking me? Your cave?" Vivien demanded as she poked her finger angrily into his chest.

The corner of Levi's lip twitched at her suggestion. "Back to my restaurant. There you will eat and rest."

Vivien pouted. "Couldn't we just drive there like normal people?"

"I don't know how to drive." Levi admitted.

Vivien's eyebrows rose. "Really? Why not?"

"I don't trust those strange human contraptions. I feel claustrophobic inside of them...probably the same way a fish feels in a fish tank. My friend Derek knows how to drive though and anytime we need to go somewhere by car he takes us all there. I do know how to ride a motorcycle though. It's much less confining."

"Ooo a motorcycle? What kind?"

"A Harley Davidson."

Vivien's aquamarine eyes glittered with approval. "Harley's are expensive. I've always wanted to ride a motorcycle." There was a wistful note to her voice.

"Then why don't you?" Levi's brow furrowed. "You seem fearless, female."

Vivien pouted. "My parents wouldn't let me get one. They consider motorcycles to be too...low class."

"I could let you try riding my bike once you are healed up if you'd like." Levi offered. _Can't believe I'm offering her this._

"My parents would kill me if they found out." _But I'm dying to see what it's like on the back of a Harley._

"What your parents don't know won't hurt them."

"You would do that for me?" Vivien searched Levi's eyes and he nodded at her. "Thanks. I think I'll take you up on that offer later."

The feeling of Vivien in his arms and her warm body pressed against his did things to Levi. Things he didn't understand. That rod of flesh between his legs felt hot, heavy. His heart rate had picked up again and the ache in his chest was back. This female...was affecting him in the strangest of ways.

He breathed in her scent...she smelled like sun-warmed sea grapes - sweet, juicy, delectable. He nuzzled his nose in her hair without really realizing what he was doing.

"Oh my God...are you smelling my hair?" Vivien gawked.

"Yes." Levi was shameless.

"Perv."

Levi smirked. Perv? Who? Him? Impossible. That would imply he was _attracted_ to this human female in his arms, which he most assuredly was _not_. He jerked his head back, wondering what the hell was wrong with him...and with his body.

Upon arriving at _Poseidon's Trident_ Levi kicked the door open and strode inside. As soon as Derek, Malakye, and Garth spotted Levi and Vivien, concerned looks formed on their faces and they rushed out of the kitchen to be of assistance.

"Levi? Vivien? What happened?" Derek was the first to ask.

"You can put me down now, Levi." Vivien said, looking embarrassed.

Levi ignored her and carried Vivien over to a nearby couch before setting her down upon it. He then gave her a stern look. "Stay." He turned to face the chefs. "She fell off a horse and sprained her ankle. She's going to eat and rest here."

"I'm not hungry. And I'm not tired either. I could have kept on filming earlier, Levi." Vivien complained hotly. "I've never missed a day of filming in my life!"

"Why would you continue when you were obviously in pain?" Levi asked.

"I'm not."

"I saw you wince."

"You...you don't understand. It's taken a lot of hard work to get this far and to be chosen for this role. It's an honor. I have to do my best." Vivien clenched her hands in her lap. "This time for sure...I'll make my parents proud."

"Foolish female. They should _already_ be proud of their amazing daughter." Levi huffed, patted her head and then headed for the kitchen to begin cooking Vivien up something delicious and extravagant. He missed the astonished look on Vivien's face due to his kind words. The other chefs shook themselves from the shock of seeing Levi being nice to a human female and returned to the kitchen too.

"So...other than the accident, how was the filming today?" Derek asked in a low voice.

Levi frowned as he chopped up some vegetables with lightning speed. "I don't understand the merprince."

"What don't you understand?" Derek asked.

Levi shrugged. "His...feelings. How could he be attracted to a human female? Even if she is beautiful. It makes no sense. No, never mind...forget I said anything."

Derek reached out and squeezed Levi's arm. "You can't help who you fall for - I think that's what happened to the merprince."

"He...fell for her. How do you know if you've-" Levi cut himself off. He was so not going there. "Never mind." He rubbed his chest where it ached. This was not what he suspected. He was sick. Very sick.

"How was Dylan Black?" Malakye piped up curiously.

"Useless bastard...he failed to protect her even after he'd vowed to protect her with his life." Levi grumbled.

"Uh, Levi, you do realize you're filming a movie, right? It's not real. The things Dylan says to Vivien while they're filming aren't true. They're not his real words." Derek felt the need to point out.

"Of course I know that...I'm not an idiot." Levi said gruffly. _I just thought...he'd protect her. She really seems to like that human. Her eyes look like shinning disco balls anytime she looks at him._

After Levi finished making his Cajun seafood pasta with shrimps and scallops, he carried it out into the main restaurant area and turned to face Vivien, only to find her fast asleep on the couch. He crouched next to her and brushed a stray hair behind her ear. _Silly female. She said she wasn't tired._ A fond, tender expression formed on Levi's face without him realizing it.

The chefs watched Levi's interaction with Vivien in concern, and that's when they noticed the trail of bloody footprints Levi had left behind on the floor.

"Look. Bloody footprints." Malakye said in a hushed voice to Garth and Derek.

"Remember how in the original version of _The Little Mermaid_ \- when the mermaid was turned into a human every single step she took, it felt like she was walking on knives? I bet Levi feels the same way. There is always truth to be found in legends." Derek deduced. "I'm surprised he's managed to keep this a secret from us for so long."

"A demon's curse." Garth muttered darkly to himself.

"What was that, Garth?" Malakye asked.

Garth shook his head. "Nothing."

"We never would have found out that Levi was a merman if it hadn't been for Malakye accidentally spilling that bowl of saltwater all over him that one time." Derek continued to reminisce.

The tips of Malakye's ears turned red with embarrassment and he was glad for his white makeup. "Shut up, Derek."

"Levi's always been a very secretive guy." Garth agreed. "But we've got his back on this."

"Yeah." Derek said. "That we do."

To be continued in...Fish 4: Playful Dolphin

Levi: _"For those of you who wish to sample the dish I made Vivien, search for Cajun seafood pasta at allrecipes.com. I'll make sure to make her eat some as soon as she wakes up."_

### Chapter 4: Playful Dolphin

Uriel chewed on her thumbnail as she gazed upon Levi's interaction with actress, Vivien Tempest, who'd just fallen off a horse and sprained her ankle. Pity, she hadn't broken her neck. Yes, it had been Uriel who'd placed the yellow and black poisonous snake in Vivien's path. And yes, she'd tried to kill an innocent, human female.

But Uriel didn't feel bad about it. After all it had been to protect her charge, Levi. It had been for the 'greater good' or so Uriel believed.

Uriel was a Rogue Angel and for the last five hundred years she'd been living in Hell with her brother while carrying out a very important mission. Uriel's brother, Archangel Gabriel, had not agreed with God's decision that his fallen angels were unredeemable. After all if the murderous, perverted humans that lived on Earth were given a second chance at redemption through their belief in Jesus Christ, it only seemed fair and right that the fallen angels had a way to redeem themselves too.

More than five centuries ago, when God's holy sword upon the Earth - Joan of Arc - had fallen in love with the demon Duke, Dantalion, and he'd fallen in love with her in return - this had shown Gabriel the answer.

The key to the fallen angels' salvation.

Love.

Love is the most powerful force of good that exists in the universe. Gabriel knew that love would have the power to redeem demons. The Archangel consulted with the demon seer, Vassago, who foretold that a possible future path existed where if the fallen angels were sent to Earth without their memories they would have the chance to fall in love with certain special men and women who were destined to judge the angels and fallen angels during the End of Days. As it says in: 1 Corinthians 6:3 _Do you not know that we are to judge angels - to say nothing of ordinary matters?_

These special men and women are known as Judges.

Judges have pure souls, kind hearts, and a special inner light.

Upon hearing the prophecy, Gabriel and Uriel began offering fallen angels in Hell the opportunity for redemption by erasing their memories and sending them to Earth, so that they could find their destined Judge, and fall in love.

The war over the fallen angels' souls and their loyalties had begun.

One may wonder why Uriel had joined her brother in this task. Back when she'd been God's loyal Archangel, she'd fought side by side with a certain Archangel. A mighty prince of the Seraphim. This Archangel had been fearsome, strong, and powerful. A true warrior for God. She'd fallen in love with him, but the angel had only ever seen her a 'sister'. And when this Archangel had decided to turn his back against God and 'fall', Uriel had decided to follow him into Hell, just not in the conventional way. She hadn't sinned...just left her duties behind.

That fallen angel was none other than Levi Devlin, The Brawler Chef.

In a strange turn of events, God recently offered Uriel a chance to get back in his good graces by becoming Levi's guardian angel, and helping him to find his destined Judge.

If Levi fell in love with a Judge and managed to win her love in return - he would be redeemed and God would gain a powerful new ally in the battle against Evil.

But Uriel had other plans. Why should a mere _human_ female be the one to redeem Levi? She wondered. When it could be _her_?

Uriel decided that she would make Levi fall in love with her this time. And that it would be she who redeemed him. No matter what.

***

Evening had fallen and the merprince was watching Princess Vivien from the sea as she stood on her balcony gazing upon the vast ocean. He watched as the princess nibbled on her lower lip and looked around to make sure no one was watching her before a mischievous smile curled her lips. The princess then approached the balcony railing and swung her leg over it.

Levi sucked in a surprised breath, and held it as he watched the princess grab hold of a vine and begin to use it to climb down the castle wall. Levi continued to hold his breath as he watched the spitfire princess descend from her balcony to the ground below using one of a series of leafy vines that had attached themselves to the side of the castle.

As soon as her feet touched the sandy ground, Levi let out a breath of relief. He watched as Princess Vivien ran down the beach in her white robe, which billowed behind her, and then stopped. She happened to be standing on the beach in front of the rock Levi was hiding behind.

Princess Vivien's hands went to the belt of her robe and she untied it. She opened the robe, slipped it off her shoulders, and let it fall off her body so that it pooled at her feet.

Levi sucked in a surprised breath, and his eyes widened when he saw the princess naked - illuminated only by the light of the half moon overhead and the twinkling stars. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight and the merprince decided she was the most beautiful female he'd ever seen. A beauty that could rival the Goddess Aphrodite. The beauty of the mermaids he knew in Atlantica could not compare with Vivien's even with their dazzling multi-colored tails.

Princess Vivien approached the surf slowly and dipped her toe in first to test the water's temperature. Levi's eyes lingered on the gentle curve of her foot and her long, lithe leg. He'd never found human legs to be attractive before but for some reason he found Vivien's legs to be extremely attractive.

The princess entered the ocean slowly and then began to swim around, enjoying her forbidden, and dangerous midnight swim.

Unable to resist, Levi ducked down into the water and swam over to her. As she gazed across the water's surface, he swam directly below her. He flipped over onto his back so that he could watch Vivien swim over him. She was so close to him...and yet so far away. Like the golden sun he'd always watched through the ocean - they were worlds apart.

Even when she was here in his element.

Unbeknownst to Vivien, Levi continued to swim with her, and in his happiness at getting to be this close to the princess he sent out a telepathic message to the nearby sea creatures to join them in this glorious moment. A moment he never wanted to forget and a memory that he would cherish for all eternity.

Minutes later, Levi and Vivien became surrounded by graceful dolphins, gigantic sea turtles, and playful sea lions. When Vivien first spotted the dolphin fin she gasped and grew afraid, thinking it was a shark. But then the dolphin leapt up into the air and arced down into the water with a splash.

Vivien gasped in surprise, and giggled with delight.

Levi grinned triumphantly at the smile on her face, and her obvious happiness.

It was in that moment that the merprince realized that he had fallen in love with her. Her happiness was his own.

Wanting someone else's happiness above your own - that is true love. Or so his father King Triton had told Levi. His father had also warned Levi that a merman's love was eternal, and so to be very careful about who he bestowed his heart to.

The dolphins began to put on a show for Princess Vivien by swimming in circles around her and leaping up into the air.

Then came the grand finale of this aquatic performance.

An enormous Blue Whale leapt up into the air and came crashing down into the water with a tremendous splash that sent waves and ripples in Vivien's direction. She laughed and clapped her hands together in wonder. A wide smile broke out across her face and her face began to hurt since she was smiling so hard. Tears of happiness came to her eyes. Vivien had never seen something so beautiful before in all her life. "So beautiful...thank you." Princess Vivien whispered to the sea.

"And cut!" Director Maverick called out. The cameramen and light crew in the water swam back up the surface, and began to take their masks and breathing apparatus off. "That was amazing. Tell me you got all that on film! The dolphins jumping and that amazing whale at the end!" Scott demanded from the cameramen on the beach.

The cameramen gave Director Maverick a thumbs-up. "Don't worry, we got it, Director."

Vivien blinked in surprise. "You mean that wasn't in the script? Those weren't professionally trained sea mammals or something?"

Director Maverick shook his head and his eyes were sparkling with a look that clearly said he's just won the lottery.

"I didn't think it was...I was so surprised when all of a sudden we were surrounded by so many sea creatures." Vivien said.

"I called them here." A low, husky male voice whispered in Vivien's ear.

"Eek!" Vivien jumped and turned to see that Levi was swimming directly next to her in the ocean. "Levi...you did that? Why?" She questioned softly.

Levi's eyes were burning with an indefinable emotion. "I did it for you."

Vivien felt her cheeks heat up and she coughed awkwardly into her hand. "You mean you did it for the movie?"

Levi just continued to stare at Vivien intently and there was this one particular emotion shinning in Levi's deep blue eyes that seemed to make them glow. Vivien wondered what it was. It couldn't be...lust? She shook her head at the outlandish thought and frowned. "Shouldn't you be going off to...you know?" Vivien asked in a low voice.

Levi nodded. "Yes, but first." The merman swam to the shore like a bullet and held his hand out to Teresa in a demanding gesture. "Fetch me Vivien's robe, woman. I will not allow anyone to see her naked again."

"Ah, right. Okay, sure." Teresa swallowed her sassy retort at being called a 'woman' and ran over to fetch Vivien's robe. She returned a moment later to hand it over to Levi. "Here you go, _man_."

"Thank you, female." Levi said dryly before swimming back to Vivien's side and handing her the robe. "Put this on, woman."

A flash of surprise crossed Vivien's features. She took the robe from Levi and put it on. "Thanks...but I'm not ashamed of my body."

"If I had known you planned to reveal yourself in front of all these males...I never would have permitted it." Levi's eyes flashed gold. His manner was angry. Possessive.

Vivien gave Levi a searching look. "Why do you care? Do you like me or something?"

Levi flinched at her direct words. "What? No...I...it's just inappropriate for a woman to reveal herself like that. Have some dignity, woman!"

"Dignity!" Vivien burst out. "I'm an actress. And I'm playing a role and I will do whatever that role requires of me. It's not 'me' who's naked...it's Princess Vivien. Don't confuse reality and the movie, Levi." She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

Levi's expression fell...and then darkened. "You're right...it's not reality." That said the merman ducked beneath the water's surface and swam away.

"Jerk!" Vivien said as she hit the water with her hand, but an uneasy feeling swirled in her chest. She'd just lied. Because some of what had happened that night _had_ been real...like her happiness upon seeing the dolphins and the Blue Whale. It had been an amazing gift and one she'd never forget.

Vivien shook her head of such thoughts and made her way back to shore. Dylan was there to greet her. He snapped his fingers at his manager Charlie. "Towel."

Charlie ran off to fetch a towel and bring it to Dylan. Dylan handed this towel to Vivien. "Here, baby."

"Uh, thanks." Vivien said as she wrapped the towel around her body for extra warmth. A blush rose to her cheeks when she realized Dylan had seen her naked. _Eeee! So embarrassing!_ _Huh. Maybe Levi was right about the whole letting everyone see me naked thing._

Who the hell was she kidding? Levi was absolutely right. Maybe she should have asked Director Maverick if she could have worn a bikini during the scene or something? These days though actresses got naked like it was nothing. But just because it had become the norm didn't exactly make it right.

"Would you like some hot chocolate?" Dylan asked.

"Uh, sure." Vivien shot Dylan a surprised look. It was odd that he was suddenly paying attention to her.

Dylan snapped his fingers at Charlie. "Hot chocolate."

"Right away, Dylan." Charlie ran off to find some hot chocolate.

Vivien felt a trickle of sweat slide down her temple. She couldn't help but think that Levi would have gotten her the hot chocolate by himself...or made it for her by hand, for that matter. Poor Charlie had to go find a Starbucks.

***

Later that same night, Levi was having a very hard time falling asleep. His body felt hot. Restless. He couldn't stop thinking about Vivien Tempest. He'd seen Vivien Tempest _naked_. A sight he would _never_ forget.

When Vivien had removed her robe to reveal that she was naked and not even wearing a swimsuit, Levi had been incredibly caught off guard. A strange feeling of possessiveness had washed over him next and it had taken all of his willpower not to swim over to Vivien, drag her into the ocean, and shield her from everyone's eyes.

Levi had had the desire to gouge out all of the eyes of the men who'd seen Vivien naked but...

The scene had been filmed and _millions_ of males would be seeing his Vivien naked. Millions of males whose eyes he would have to gouge out. _No, no, no._ It was doable but Vivien wouldn't be happy if she discovered what Levi had done. Her opinion of him mattered, and Levi wasn't exactly sure why.

In the movie, the narrator had claimed that in that moment the merprince had realized he was in love with Princess Vivien. _Pfft._ Falling in love just because he'd seen a human female naked? That was preposterous!

Once again, Levi's thoughts strayed to Vivien. Naked. Laughing. Smiling. God, that smile. His heart rate sped up. He felt hot. Sweat beaded on his skin. Levi felt feverish. Warmth was pooling in his lower abdomen and that thick, heavy rod of flesh between his legs was hard. Pulsing.

He studiously ignored it. Like he always did when it was in that strange state. But his cock wouldn't be ignored \- not this time. It continued to throb painfully inside of his boxer shorts.

Levi shifted on the bed and the material of his shorts rubbed deliciously against his aching shaft. He hissed. That had felt...good?

The merman put his hand down his shorts, planning to rearrange his flesh and make himself more comfortable. Nothing more. But as his fist wrapped around his cock he groaned with...pleasure?

What the fuck was wrong with him? Levi wondered. What was this? He squeezed his cock tightly, but that hurt so he loosened his grip. Levi was about to give up and let go when he decided he should inspect his flesh a little more. He ran his hand over his cock experimentally and let out a sigh. That had felt good. Really good.

Levi began to pump his cock. _What the fuck is this?_ He wondered as he ran his hand up and down his length and it grew harder and longer. Tension was coiling in his gut and warmth was building at the base of his cock. His muscles flexed and strained as his hips rose off the bed of their own accord. This strange pressure was building inside of him, rising up his cock. It was a frightening, unknown feeling but Levi couldn't stop what he was doing.

He could feel 'something' rising within his cock but it felt different from taking a piss. Levi groaned loudly, hoping his fellow chefs didn't hear what he was up to and pumped his aching arousal faster. His balls drew up tight as he was getting closer and closer to...?

A wave of pleasure crashed into Levi as he came, hips rising off the bed, stars burst behind his eyelids. He let out a tortured roar: "Vivien!" Hot jets of semen spurted out of his cock and hit his stomach. It continued on and on as Levi continued to fist his cock and his body trembled. For a moment, Levi had no control over his body...a frightening feeling indeed.

Finally, Levi's body settled down, returning to normal, and he felt...sated. Content. Tired. He removed his hand from his boxers and looked at the strange liquid on his fingers. He brought his hand to his nose and sniffed. Licked at his own cum curiously. _What the fuck is this stuff?_

And then Levi remembered watching dolphins mate...

Mating.

Levi sat up and pulled his shorts off to look at the now limp rod of flesh between his legs. It looked similar to a dolphin's rod that was used for mating and producing offspring. If he wished to produce offspring, he would put his rod inside of Vivien, and come. He speculated. Is that how it worked? Is that how humans mated...? Levi didn't know for sure.

But as he imagined the apex of Vivien's thighs, his cock began to throb once more. Was there an entrance there? Did he wish to mate with Vivien?

Absurd.

Levi didn't understand what was happening to him with his human body. He considered asking Derek about it, but quickly decided against it. The man would tease him indefinitely and he didn't want to lose the man's respect either. _No, no, no. Not Derek._ But who could help him with this? And then it hit him.

Tristan Savant.

Tristan Savant was an incubus or sex demon, who needed sex in order to survive. Tristan was also a chocolatier and owner of a mobile chocolate shop called, _Dark Heaven_. His chocolates contained a powerful aphrodisiac that drove women crazy with lust. Levi considered the chocolatier to be his friend and saw him as a kind of little brother. If anyone could teach Levi about 'human mating rituals' and 'human sex' it was Sex Guru Tristan Savant.

Tristan was currently engaged to a patissiere named, Issy Sweet, who specialized in whimsical novelty cakes. Issy was the owner of _Dolly's Tea Party Bakery_ where Levi's other 'friend' Ambrose Rune worked as an assistant patissier.

Levi nodded to himself and decided that he'd go to _Dolly's Tea Party Bakery_ tomorrow and speak to Tristan. What did he have to lose?

***

The following morning, Levi awoke feeling very warm and content, but his pillow had lumps in it. He groaned and reached out to fluff his pillow and his two hands landed on-

_What the?_ Levi's eyes snapped open and he saw that a very naked Uriel was in bed with him and he had his hands on both her breasts.

"Good morning to you too." Uriel purred.

"Fucking hell!" Levi snatched his hands back and glared at the Archangel fiercely. "What the hell are you doing here, Uriel? And why are you naked?"

Uriel turned on her side to face Levi and propped her chin in her hand. "I was just thinking I could help you out with that-" She nodded in the direction of Levi's crotch.

Levi looked down and realized that the rod between his legs was hard once more. But why? That's when he remembered that he'd been dreaming about Vivien...naked. The tips of his ears turned red. He shook his head vigorously to rid it of his lewd thoughts. "No way. Put some clothes on, woman!" Levi shouted before he unceremoniously shoved Uriel right off the bed.

She landed on the floor with an 'oomph'. Uriel stood up, dusted herself off, and pouted. "I wonder if I were Vivien if your answer would be different."

"What?" As Levi looked at Uriel's naked body he felt his cock go limp. His heart did not beat faster. He felt normal. Even cold. Uriel's nakedness did not affect him as Vivien's had. Thank God.

"I heard you moaning her name in your sleep." Uriel waved a hand over herself and her silver battle armor appeared.

"Fuck." Levi rubbed a hand down his face to hide his embarrassment.

"Are you in love with her?" Uriel questioned and waited until Levi met her gaze. Her blue eyes were boring into him, and righteous anger seemed to be swirling within their depths.

"Don't be absurd." Levi glared at the pesky angel.

"Levi..." Uriel trailed off before she steeled herself for what she wanted to say. "Vivien is not the female for you. She doesn't care about you. She's just using you for the betterment of her career. Vivien doesn't see you as a human male but as a...fish. A pet fish even. The one she's in love with is Dylan Black. And she knows your secret and so...she's a danger to you. It's a shame she didn't break her neck when she fell off that horse." She grumbled the last.

Levi rubbed at his chest where an ache had formed at Uriel's harsh, cutting words. But then he narrowed his eyes fiercely at Uriel when he caught her final grumble. "How did you know about Vivien's accident?"

Uriel's ice-blue eyes were cold...so very cold. "I did it for you. To protect you."

Levi lunged off the bed, tackled Uriel to the floor, straddled her, and wrapped his hands around her throat. "I should kill you, woman!"

"Then do it...kill me." Uriel stared up into his deep blue eyes. "It would be an honor to die at your hands."

Levi was about to tighten his grip on Uriel's neck when _something_ stopped him. There was something _familiar_ about Uriel...something he trusted. He instinctively knew this female was not his enemy and she would obey his commands. Levi let go of Uriel's throat. "I will not harm you, female, but I will have your vow that you will not harm Vivien - directly or indirectly again. In fact...I order you to watch over her as well."

Uriel's eyes flared at Levi's unexpected request. "Levi...I...very well. You have my vow. I will not harm her directly or indirectly, and I shall watch over her as I watch over you." A flicker of sadness passed across her icy gaze.

But Levi didn't notice it. The merman smirked and got off of Uriel. He held his hand down to her. Uriel took it and allowed herself to be helped up. She was surprised when Levi didn't let go of her hand straight away. "Do I know-?" Levi was saying, however-

There was a knock at his door. "Hey Levi, my man, you awake?" It was Derek's voice.

"Uh, yeah, just give me a second." Levi turned to look at Uriel but she was already gone. He shrugged and got out of bed. Levi made his way over to Raphael's tank and opened the jar of turtle food to sprinkle a little of it on the surface of the water. "Good morning, boy. How you doing today?"

Raphael poked his head out of his shell and peered up at Levi with his golden eyes. _Good morning. I forgot to tell you yesterday that a blonde human female was in your room snooping around._

Levi's eyes widened at this declaration. "Vivien Tempest was in my room?" He wondered aloud. "What was she doing?"

_She appeared to be admiring your decorations and put one of the shells up to her ear. After that she noticed your bloody socks and then she left._ Raphael explained in Levi's mind.

Levi nodded. "I see." So Vivien had been listening to the sound of the ocean in a seashell. The thought made him smile. Perhaps Vivien loved the ocean as much as he did. And just the thought that Vivien had been snooping around in his room in order to find out more about him, left him feeling giddy for some reason.

***

Levi pulled his black Harley Davidson with blue wave designs on it, right in front of _Dolly's Tea Party Bakery_ , which was located on Pier 39's boardwalk. He turned off the engine and swung his leg over the massive bike as he dismounted. Anytime he rode his bike he wore his favorite black leather jacket with spikes on it. He liked to think it made him look fearsome.

_Dolly's Tea Party Bakery_ was a Victorian-style building that had been painted a pale pink with white accents. The sign that was attached to the building was white with the store's name: _Dolly's Tea Party Bakery_ in swirly, black letters. The image of a sitting Victorian doll was also on the sign. The front window display had a small table where teddy bears and dolls were enjoying a tea party together. The shop was very...pink. Levi shuddered.

The merman walked to the entrance, opened the door, and made his way inside. Levi planned to ask Issy where Tristan was and berated himself that he didn't know the man's cell phone number. Levi didn't own a cell phone since he was wary of human technology, but he knew that if he wanted one that Malakye would hook him up.

As Levi walked into the bakery he had the oddest sensation that he'd been hit with a shrink ray and shrunken down to doll size. Inside of _Dolly's Tea Party Bakery_ the tables and chairs were all three times the normal size. As a matter of fact, Levi had made that gigantic, oversized furniture for Issy by hand. Levi was good with his hands and enjoyed making furniture. It also never hurt to have extra money with all his restaurant's expenses.

Inside the bakery, were also seven-foot-tall dolls, seven-foot-tall teddy bears, and seven-foot-tall toy soldiers. The coffee was served in cups the size of bowls. The corner of Levi's mouth twitched when he thought his friend Garth would fit right in and make all the furniture appear normal sized.

The bakery was currently filled with people...mostly human couples. Levi looked around for any sign of Issy or Tristan, and that's when he spotted the chocolatier seated at one of the tables sipping coffee and staring in one particular direction with a dopey look on his face.

Levi followed Tristan's line of sight and saw Tristan's fiancée, Issy Sweet. Issy Sweet was dressed up like a Living Doll in a ruffled, baby blue, Victorian-style dress, knee socks, and patent leather shoes. Levi was surprised to note Issy wasn't wearing a colored wig that day, so her natural brown, highlighted hair was on display. Her eyes also appeared to be her natural eye color that day - caramel brown.

Levi looked back at Tristan. Yep. The guy had it bad. He was head over heels in love with that female. Tristan was definitely the man who could help him. The merman approached Tristan's table and took a seat across from the man unnoticed. "If I were an assassin you'd already be dead." His tone was dry.

Tristan's attention snapped to Levi and his eyes popped. "Levi? Hey, what's up, my man? Long time no see." Tristan Savant was incredibly handsome with his long, blue-black hair and bi-colored eyes - one eye was a golden-yellow color and the other a sapphire blue. His hair was getting pretty long and was now past his shoulders. The chocolatier had pale skin, and was tall, and lithely muscled. Tristan was currently wearing a white chocolatier jacket, black pants, and dress shoes.

"Hey." Levi greeted, Tristan's easygoing manner helped him to relax. "What's with the hair?"

Tristan fingered a lock of his longer hair and shrugged. "Issy said she likes it long."

Levi shook his head and his expression turned bemused. "You are so whipped, my friend. Anyways, a lot's happened and...I need your help. And maybe some advice."

Tristan blinked and his expression immediately shifted to concern. " _You_ need _my_ help?" Tristan greatly respected Levi's strength and power, and it seemed like there wasn't anything the man couldn't do. Levi could cook, build furniture, and kick some serious ass.

Levi nodded. "Yes. Do you remember Vivien Tempest?"

Tristan nodded and a tiny smile formed on his face. "Oh yeah. She's the famous action heroine that was at _Dolly's_ during the Grand Opening Party. I never forget a beautiful female-" Tristan shot a worried glance Issy's way. "But don't tell Issy I said that. Anyways, what about her?"

Levi rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "She...discovered my secret and has blackmailed me into starring in this movie with her."

"Like a normal movie...or a porno?" At Levi's blank expression, Tristan shook his head. "Never mind. What's your secret?"

"Do you have any salt?"

"Uh, yeah, why?"

"Can we go upstairs? I need to show you something. And bring the salt."

"Uh, okay...sure...as long as the thing you want to show me isn't your dick." Tristan said with all seriousness.

"Don't be a smartass."

Tristan grabbed a bottle of salt off one of the tables, and the two men headed upstairs to Issy's bedroom. Levi grabbed the bottle of salt out of Tristan's hand. "Wait here." Levi made his way into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

"Okay." Tristan was left standing in the middle of Issy's bedroom with a befuddled look on his face. The chocolatier scratched the back of his head confusedly. "That was a strange way to ask if he could use our bathroom." Tristan shrugged and took a seat on the bed. He could hear Levi turning on the faucet in Issy's antique tub. Levi was obviously preparing a bath. "Maybe the water is out at his restaurant." Tristan mused.

The chocolatier was just about to leave; deciding the guy probably wanted some privacy when Levi called out to him. "Tristan, get in here." His tone was firm.

Tristan figured Levi couldn't find the soap or something, and opened the door of the bathroom before strolling inside. "I thought you weren't going to show me your dick-" His gaze flicked over to Levi in the tub and his eyes widened at the sight before him. "Holy shit!" Tristan shut the door quickly and locked it, his heart hammering inside of his chest. He couldn't let anyone else see this! He turned to look at Levi again, his eyes wide. "You're a, a, a-!"

Levi nodded, looking amused by Tristan's freaked out reaction. "I'm a merman."

"A merman." Tristan murmured before walking over to Levi and crouching beside the tub. His gaze went over Levi's shimmery, blue and green scaled tail that was so large it was hanging over the end of the tub. His gaze then focused on Levi's bare chest, his brow furrowed, and he reached out and squeezed Levi's pecs.

"What do you think you're doing, you perverted incubus!" Levi smacked Tristan's hands away.

Tristan chuckled at Levi's flushed face. "Just making sure you're not a mermaid."

"I'm male, you perverted idiot." Levi shot back.

Tristan pouted, looking disappointed, and thoroughly put out. "Aw man...where did my Ariel go? You just shattered a young man's dream, you know?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "Do I look like I care?"

"So wait...you're telling me that Vivi found out you're a merman?" Tristan wanted to clarify.

"Yes."

"How?"

"I rescued her from drowning." Levi grumbled and looked embarrassed by his admittance.

"Like you did me, huh. So...back then that mermaid I thought I saw in the ocean was _you_." Tristan beamed at Levi. "You're such a nice guy. Even though you try so hard not to appear so." A few months ago, Tristan had seen the ghost of his vindictive ex-girlfriend, Hazel, at the end of Pier 39 and had unwittingly followed her into the water. Tristan would have drowned had it not been for Levi.

"Shut up. But now Vivien's blackmailing me. I have to play the part of the merprince in the live action, Disney remake _The Little Merman_ or else Vivien will reveal my secret." Levi explained.

"Merprince? _The Little Merman_?" Tristan ran a hand back through his hair. "Man, that's messed up. Won't your secret be discovered even easier?"

"I'm handling it. That's not what I need your help with."

"Oh? What is it then?" Tristan's eyebrows rose.

A hard look formed on Levi's face and he shifted uncomfortably in the tub causing some of the water to splash onto the tiled floor. "For five hundred years I lived as a merman under the sea. I would hunt fish for my meals and my only friends were fellow sea creatures. I never tried to go on land...and it was only after I was captured by humans and almost vivisected that I discovered that when I dry off I get human legs and a..." Levi cleared his throat awkwardly.

A frown formed on Tristan's face as he listened to Levi's story. "Whoa, back up a sec. You were captured? By who?" Tristan unconsciously tapped the tip of his shoe against the tiled bathroom floor. He was already itching for a fight.

"That's...not your problem. The less you know about them the better, Tristan." Levi said sternly.

But as Tristan's gaze fell to the scar on Levi's chest, the one that was directly over Levi's heart, his bi-colored eyes glittered dangerously. "Tell me who tried to vivisect you, Levi, so I can go kick their ass."

Levi gave Tristan a surprised look. "Tristan...no, I won't tell you." Though he had to admit to himself that he was oddly touched by the gesture.

The two men had a staring match that went on for several minutes before Tristan finally let out a resigned sigh. "Alright, fine, you stubborn bastard. Go on."

Levi coughed into his hand. "When I gained human legs I gained...uh..." Levi looked down towards where his groin would be if he had legs.

Tristan followed Levi's line of sight and his eyes widened when he realized what Levi was trying to say. "Oh! You're all freaked out because you grew a dick!" The chocolatier couldn't help it - he burst out laughing.

Levi flushed. This kind of reaction is exactly what he'd been afraid of. "Shut up."

"Oh man...I can't believe it..." Tristan clutched his aching sides as he tried to stop laughing. "Levi Devlin is bothered by having a cock."

"This is no laughing matter!" Levi snapped.

"Alright. Okay...I'm sorry. Well, not that sorry." Tristan wiped a tear from his eye. "So what's the problem exactly? It works...right?"

Levi's flush deepened. "Define...works."

Tristan blinked. "Whoa, you can't be serious, right? You mean...you're really completely clueless about it...about _sex_?"

Levi reluctantly nodded. "I've seen dolphins mating before but..."

"Oh man, oh man...Levi came to ask _me_ about the birds and the bees!" Tristan's tone was incredulous.

"The birds and the bees?" Levi frowned.

"Ah, just...forget about that. I don't want to confuse you." Tristan finally sobered, his expression turning serious. Thoughtful. "Well, first of all... _why_ do you want to know about sex all of a sudden?"

"My body...and the rod of flesh between my legs reacts to Vivien and I don't know what that means. Or what I should do about it." Levi crossed his arms over his chest in a subconsciously protective gesture.

"Oh, you like Vivi. I get it." Tristan nodded to himself.

Levi scowled at the chocolatier's blasé attitude. "I never said I like her. I said my body...acts strangely when she's around."

Tristan gave the merman a droll look. "Yeah, man, that's because you're attracted to her. You want to mate with her."

"Mate...and how would I do that exactly?" Levi swallowed, his throat feeling dry.

Tristan blinked. "Er, you'd put your dick inside of her vagina." Man, this had to have been the weirdest conversation Tristan had ever had in his entire life. Now he knew what those poor guys had felt like on the _Bachelorette_ when Kaitlyn made them explain sex to a classroom full of kids!

"Vagina?"

"It's the entrance between her legs."

"I see. So it _is_ like dolphins." Levi nodded to himself, feeling a little better.

Tristan was beginning to get very worried for his friend. "I've never watched mating dolphins myself, but I'll put it on my To Watch List of videos to look for on YouTube." The chocolatier ran a hand back through his hair. "Man...I wonder if I should just show you some porn." He gave Levi a thoughtful look.

"Porn?"

"Er..." Tristan hesitated; surprised that Levi didn't even know what porn was. Levi was like this totally _pure_ merman. Tristan felt...wrong if he'd corrupt Levi with something like porn. Besides, porn might totally freak Levi out and turn him off of the idea of sex completely. It seemed like a miracle Levi was even interested in a human female to begin with.

This was a very delicate situation, Tristan realized. And he had to do right by his friend. He couldn't screw things up. "Never mind. Look, Levi, I think it's better if you don't know too much. I mean...if you decide you love Vivien...then just tell her so. And then just tell Vivien that you're a clueless virgin. She'll take good care of you and show you how to have sex. This is really between you and her."

"Love...how do I know if I'm in love with her?" Levi asked with a furrowed brow as he gave Tristan an intense look.

"If you see her around another guy, and your heart beats faster and your blood boils - you love her." Tristan said in a matter-of-fact tone. He remembered how it felt to see Ambrose Rune flirting with Issy before he finally managed to win her heart - he'd wanted to beat the shit out of the guy.

"I see. And I can only have sex...if I'm in love with her?" Levi asked.

"Well...I'd recommend that. Having sex is a union of souls, so you should only have sex with someone you deeply care for or else you risk damaging your soul. I had to learn that the hard way. My guardian angel Michael taught me this. My soul...is in shambles right now because of my previous promiscuous lifestyle, but Issy is healing it with her love."

"Understood. What about...what should I do when...my...dick...gets hard? Should I just ignore it? Beat it down into submission?" Levi glanced away, feeling awkward.

Tristan raised an eyebrow at the merman. "You've never touched yourself?"

"Actually, last night I...touched myself while thinking about Vivien and a strange white liquid left my...dick." Levi explained.

"Ah, so you've had an orgasm. You came. That liquid was your semen. It makes babies." Tristan felt like hitting his head against the wall. He was doing such a lousy job with this Sex Ed shit, it wasn't even funny.

"Babies...I could make a baby with Vivien? Produce young?" Levi looked a little thrown by this startling revelation.

"Yes. Look, as long as you're alone like in your bedroom...it's okay to pleasure yourself if you feel like it. It's perfectly normal. Just don't do it outside of anyone's window in the middle of the night or you'll get arrested."

Levi scowled. "I'm not an idiot. I would never do such a thing in public." He coughed into his hand before continuing. "But when I was pleasuring myself I felt...dirty. It was also a little bit...frightening, temporarily losing control of my body like that."

"Again, I would suggest you do it with someone you care about. Like getting Vivien to do it for you. Then it will have meaning." The corner of Tristan's mouth twitched at his lewd suggestion.

Levi's brow furrowed in thought. "How would she...?"

"She could use her hand or her mouth to pleasure you. But you shouldn't be afraid...it's a natural response your body is having to your physical attraction to Vivien. And you shouldn't feel dirty about it either. A lot of males masturbate because it feels good and relieves stress." Tristan waved his hand flippantly through the air. If Issy knew about how many times Tristan masturbated per day she'd probably have a heart attack. But every cute little thing she did seemed to turn him on these days.

"I see." Levi let out a sigh of relief, and his expression turned grateful. "Thanks Tristan...and thank you for not laughing at me or teasing me about all this, but for taking it seriously. Well, for the most part anyways." A wry smile formed on Levi's face.

"No problem, my man." Tristan clapped Levi hard on his shoulder. "I'm just glad you didn't ask Ambrose about all this. He would have had a field day! There's no telling what strange ideas he would have put into your head!"

Levi shuddered at the thought. "I hear you."

There was a knock on the door. "Tristan? Levi? Are you guys in there? It's been more than thirty minutes..." It was Issy's voice and she sounded worried.

"Oh shit." Tristan glanced over at Levi's tail. "What should we do? Dry you off?"

"Hey, what are you two doing in there? Oh my God, Tristan, are you and Levi...in love? I always knew your fashion sense was just too good to be true." Issy began to cry on the other side of the door. "Uwha!"

"What? No, babe, it's not like that!" Tristan shot to his feet, and unthinkingly unlocked and opened the door.

Issy removed her hands from her face to reveal that it was tear free. "Ha! You are _so_ gullible. I so got you, I-" Issy trailed off as she looked past Tristan and caught sight of Levi. "Oh my Goodness!" She shoved Tristan back inside of the bathroom, and locked the door behind them. Only then did she turn around and stare at Levi. "You...?" She approached Levi with slow steps. "You're a...?"

Levi held his breath as he awaited Issy's response. He liked Issy and hated that she had to see him like this. Would she find him to be disgusting? Frightening? Would she scream? Run away? Call him a monster? Try to attack him?

"Merman." Issy sunk to her knees next to the tub, stars in her brown eyes, and awe in her voice. "Wow. Amazing. That is so incredible. Your tail, it's...so beautiful." She raised her hand towards it but then stopped herself. A blush had come to her cheeks, and she looked up to give Levi a questioning, hopeful look. "May I touch it?"

Levi released the breath he'd been holding and felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Knock yourself out, Issy."

Issy squealed excitedly, reached out, and stroked Levi's tail. "Wow...it's softer than it looks."

Levi's expression softened as he watched Issy's actions. "21st Century females are so...different. I remember how centuries ago most humans that saw me in this form would either fear me or try to attack me. But you're different, even Vivien hadn't acted shocked at all. In fact, she'd gotten this calculating look on her face as if she'd struck gold."

Issy gasped. "Vivien knows too?"

Levi nodded, "Yes, she's blackmailing me into playing the part of the merprince in the Disney remake _The Little Merman_. She claims it's all for the betterment of the movie."

"Oh, I _so_ want to see that movie. Like oh my God...you're going to be in it. In the movie. This means you're an actor. You're like famous now. A celebrity. I should get your autograph now before you forget about the little people." Issy began to look around the bathroom as if she expected to find a pad of paper and a pen sitting around somewhere.

Levi's eyes had become hooded from Issy petting his tail. The act was somehow very soothing.

Tristan noticed Levi's expression and snatched Issy's hand back. "Okay, babe, that's enough petting the merman. If you want to pet someone's tail...pet mine." His voice lowered at the end and became husky.

Issy blushed at Tristan's suggestion. "Geez, don't be nasty in front of Levi."

"Levi here was just asking me for relationship advice. He's got it bad for Vivien." Tristan revealed.

"Ooo really?" Issy returned her gaze to Levi with an intrigued expression on her face.

"Tristan, you big mouth! I said no such thing! Stop extrapolating." Levi growled.

"I think you two would make a great couple." Issy gushed as she clasped her hands together and seemed to be imagining something in her mind.

"Really?" Levi's expression turned hopeful despite himself. "But...I'm a merman and she's a human female."

"And I'm a human female who fell in love with a half-incubus." Issy wrapped her arms around Tristan's neck to prove her point.

"Point taken." Levi agreed. The impossible, was possible.

Issy's expression turned serious. "Levi, you have to be careful about who you reveal your secret to. There are humans out there who will want to-"

"Vivisect me. I know." Levi shuddered as he remembered the feeling of Agent Darkhart using the buzz saw on him.

Issy nodded grimly. "Thank you...for trusting us with your secret, Levi. It's safe with us. Even if they torture me I won't reveal it!" She held up a fist before her in an adamant gesture.

"If they torture you - just give me up." Levi said with a serious note to his voice.

"Issy stop being so nice to Levi. It's making me jealous." Tristan pouted.

"Someone's insecure." Levi goaded as he put his hands behind his head and struck a relaxed pose that showed off his biceps.

Issy giggled at Levi's antics. That merman's body was fine. "Well, a merman is hard to top."

Tristan jaw dropped. "Uh, hello - incubus, right here." He beat his hand against his chest. "Who doesn't want an incubus for a boyfriend? I've got the chocolate-scented pheromones...and my saliva is an aphrodisiac."

Issy tapped her chin in thought. "I dunno...I'm torn."

"Nooo!" Tristan clutched his head between his two hands and moaned dramatically.

Levi chuckled at Tristan's theatrics. He knew the man was just trying to make him feel better. These were his unlikely friends... _human_ friends. And it felt good sharing his secret with them. Issy and Tristan soon joined in laughing along with Levi.

Afterwards, with Tristan's help Levi got out of the tub and began to dry his tail off with a fluffy white towel. Once his legs began to appear Tristan and Issy both turned around to give him some privacy. There was a blush to Issy's cheeks.

"Hey, no peeking, Issy." Tristan warned his fiancée in a possessive manner. "The only male junk I want you looking at is mine."

Issy rolled her eyes and frowned. "When you say something like that it really makes me want to take a peek." She groaned and found herself glancing over her shoulder. "Oh my God...it's _huge_!"

"I told you _not_ to look!" Tristan moaned.

"It might even be bigger than yours, Tristan." Issy couldn't help but tease.

"You _so_ did not just go there." Tristan glanced over his shoulder and frowned. "He's not bigger...no way."

"Maybe it's bigger because he's bigger in general." Issy suggested playfully.

"I'm not listening." Tristan stuck his index fingers in his ears and began to whistle.

_Is bigger better?_ Levi wondered as he looked down at the rod between his legs. He would have put his money on 'inconvenient'. He shrugged. _Whatever._ _I'll probably never understand how human females think._

To be continued in...Fish 5: Romantic Koi

### Chapter 5: Romantic Koi

Vivien was currently busy filming the scenes in _The Little Merman_ where Prince Dylan was wooing the princess while the merprince watched from the sea. As Vivien enjoyed a 'fake' picnic outing with the handsome Dylan on the beach, she couldn't help but wonder if Levi really were out there watching them from behind that rock in the ocean that she could see in the distance.

Vivien shook her head of such silly thoughts. No. He wasn't out there. Director Maverick had told her that Levi had been given the day off, so surely he was at _Poseidon's Trident_ cooking up some amazing, orgasmic seafood cuisine.

"Princess?" Dylan's voice cut through her thoughts.

Oops! "Uh, yes? Whoops...line?" Vivien called out.

"CUT!" Director Maverick yelled out angrily. He took his baseball cap off and rubbed at his buzz cut of black hair in a frustrated gesture. Scott stomped over towards Vivien and Dylan, and placed his hands on his hips as he glared at the actress. "Vivien! Where is your head this morning? You're supposed to have your full attention on Prince Dylan right now. You're _supposed_ to be falling in love with Dylan!"

_Supposed to be falling in love with Dylan._ Vivien shot Dylan an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry I-" Vivien's words died in her throat when she saw the look Dylan was giving her - it was so angry and cold. But just as quickly as she'd seen the look it vanished. _Did I just imagine that?_ She rubbed her arms unconsciously, feeling unsettled.

Dylan smiled charmingly at Vivien. "Don't worry about it, Vivi."

Director Maverick was still frowning. "Let's take a break. Vivien, I want you to concentrate on what Princess Vivien is _feeling_ during this scene. She's on a picnic with a handsome prince who claims to be her savior. She's falling for him despite her desire to be free and unmarried."

Vivien nodded as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. They would have to reshoot the scene because of her. "Understood, Sir. I'll do my best."

Director Maverick clapped his hands. "Ten minute break everyone!"

Manager Charlie ran over with a folding chair for Dylan and set it down on the beach. From out of nowhere Charlie whipped out a purple velvet cushion that had gold tassels on it and which he set down upon the chair next. Dylan took a seat, kicked his legs out, and held his hand out expectantly to Charlie. "Gatorade."

"Yes, Sir." Charlie took off the backpack he was wearing, set it down on the beach, unzipped it, and removed a blue Gatorade. He handed the chilled beverage to Dylan.

Dylan took the drink, unscrewed the cap, and began to guzzle it, his Adam's apple bobbing. _Mmm._ Dylan _was_ attractive, handsome, powerful, but...Vivien sighed. She still wasn't sure how she was supposed to act during the romantic scene with him.

The truth of the matter was Vivien had never been in love before. Which was odd for a girl her age. Sure, she'd had boyfriends and lovers. The actress wasn't some blushing virgin or something. She'd had sex before...and couldn't really understand what the 'big deal' was either.

Most of the guys she'd gone out with had either gone out with her because she was a celebrity, and they'd been trying to boost their own careers, or her parents had set her up on a blind date with them.

But...she'd never felt those things that people who were in love claimed to feel: butterflies in your stomach, tingles running up and down your arms, your heart rate speeding up, and feeling like you couldn't breathe. After she'd slept with her boyfriends...she'd just felt used and hollow.

Because Vivien had never been in love, she didn't know how to express this emotion in her acting, which was the real reason why no movie director had chosen her for the more serious roles in romance or drama movies thus far. They'd all told her the same thing - that she lacked emotional conveyance.

But if Vivien didn't make it in showbiz her parents were going to be incredibly disappointed in her. Vivien's parents were both famous actors who'd met each other while filming a very popular romantic drama together. They expected Vivien to follow in their footsteps - become a respected, serious actress, meet a successful male actor, get married, and have at least three kids.

No matter how hard she tried; Vivien just couldn't convey love accurately in her acting. One movie director had taken pity on her when he'd noticed her crestfallen expression when he turned her down for the role of the heroine in a romantic drama, and had offered her the opportunity of participating in the movie as the main heroine's stuntwoman instead. Vivien had instantly agreed. She didn't care how dangerous the stunts were or what they were as long as she'd finally be participating in a movie.

Luckily, Vivien had managed to execute the stunts for the movie flawlessly. She'd always been sporty and had been on the track team during high school. And after the movie had been released, she immediately received an offer to be another actress' stuntwoman. Vivien had instantly agreed to take the job.

After that she'd started to take the whole being a stuntwoman thing more seriously. Vivien had started going to the gym more, hired a personal trainer, took martial arts classes and eventually gained a black belt in karate.

Finally, through all her hard work and effort, and by keeping up her appearance one director decided to cast her as the heroine in the action movie he'd be directing next. The movie was mostly fight scenes and she didn't have that many lines as she fought off hoards of zombies. Why was it always zombies? And because of this the director hadn't noted her flaw yet a.k.a her inability to express the emotion of love in her acting.

One may have wondered what her parents' reaction had been to all of this. It hadn't been that good. Pretty cold fish. They didn't like the idea of Vivien being a stuntwoman and insisted that she continue auditioning for more _serious_ roles, even though Vivien knew that was just going to be a dead end. After she was finally cast in a movie as the heroine, her parents still insisted she needed to be in a more serious movie and that killing zombies was child's play and amateurish.

No matter how hard Vivien tried or how well she succeeded it was never good enough for her parents. She was just dying for them to smile at her and say: 'Good job, honey.' 'You make us so proud'. And then she would imagine them hugging her. Her parents never showed her very much physical attention.

Some people may wonder why she even gave a crap about her parents after all that, but Vivien admired them and strove to be more like them. They had truly been the most incredible actor and actress of their time. She wanted their love. Craved their respect. Their acceptance.

Around the time Vivien started to become known due to her zombie movies, her sister Audrey decided to become Vivien's manager in order to try and get her cast for more serious roles. Audrey was their parents' favorite, and she always did everything she could to please them. In their eyes Audrey could do no wrong, though they didn't hide their disappointment in Audrey's lack of good looks and the fact that she had no interest in acting herself.

Unfortunately, Vivien had been 'type cast' as an action heroine and word was spreading about how she bravely carried out all her own stunts. People began referring to her as the 'female Jackie Chan'. Except for the fact that she wasn't Chinese and didn't look at all Asian. But whatever.

"Here." Teresa's voice cut through Vivien's musings and she turned to see her stylist holding out a bottle of ice cold Aquafina towards her.

"Thanks." Vivien said taking the bottle, and putting it against her forehead to cool her heated flesh. She noticed what Teresa was wearing - a cute, purple, belly shirt, jean capris and strappy platform sandals. The sun was really shinning and glinted off the large golden hoop earrings that Teresa was wearing. The sun was beating down so mercilessly that having a picnic on the beach without an umbrella seemed pretty crazy. It made Vivien wonder if they had beach umbrellas in the 17th Century. She knew they had parasols but she had the feeling that Director Maverick wouldn't agree to the idea of having a huge beach umbrella for the scene.

"Need a towel?" Her bodyguard Urban asked, holding up a white towel.

"Sure, thanks." Vivien said, and Urban tossed her the towel, which she caught.

"Well, I thought you were doing really good, girl." Teresa put in as she fluffed her Afro with one hand. "That Director Maverick is such a hardass."

Vivien gave Teresa a skeptical look. "Aha. Director Maverick said I looked all spaced out."

"It didn't look that way to me." Teresa tapped her lower lip in a thoughtful manner. "It looked like you were on the picnic with Prince Dylan but thinking that maybe he's not really the one who saved you and that your savior could still be out there somewhere."

Urban chuckled at Teresa's interpretation of the scene. "Yeah, it looked like you were thinking about another guy."

_Another guy?_ Vivien flushed. Because the truth was that she'd been thinking about another guy...Levi to be specific. "I wasn't thinking about anything really, I-"

"Vivien!" Came Audrey's harsh voice.

Vivien groaned and felt like burying herself in the sand. "Oh, Great. Here she comes." She muttered.

Audrey stomped across the sand in their direction. She stopped in front of the trio, placed her hands on her hips, and glared fiercely at Vivien, her brown eyes flashing. "Director Maverick just told me what happened. Vivien, you need to take this more _seriously_. This is your _big chance_ to finally be recognized as a _serious_ actress that can leave a profound, emotional impression on people, and not just some blonde bimbo who knows martial arts!"

"I _am_ taking this seriously." Vivien's temper flared at her sister's harsh words. She was doing her best dammit! And her sister wasn't the one wearing a thirteen-pound dress in this blasted heat. Vivien had on pantaloons, an undershirt, corset, shift, hoop, and lastly her gown. "I'm doing my best, I-"

"Your _best_ isn't good enough! It _never_ is." Audrey snapped. "Princess Vivien is supposed to be falling in love with Prince Dylan...so look at him like you're in love with him dammit! You need to try harder!"

Vivien sucked in a breath at her sister's cutting words. They really hit home. And hard. _My best is never good enough._ "I already know that...maybe I'm not meant to be a serious actress, Audrey! Did you ever think of that? Maybe I should just remain an action heroine-"

Audrey slapped Vivien hard across the face. Teresa gasped. Urban stiffened and had to resist the urge to reach for his gun. "How dare you! Do have any idea how many sacrifices I've had to make to get you this far? How hard I've had to work to cover up your mistakes. I have no social life because of you."

Vivien brought a hand up to her stinging cheek. Sadness shone in her blue-green eyes. But sadness quickly shifted to anger. "Good going, sis...looks like filming will be canceled for today. I can't very well film this scene with a swollen cheek...it'll make the dashing prince look like a wife beater."

"I-" Audrey began, looking incensed. However-

The sound of a Harley Davidson's engine was heard, revving loudly, and making the ground vibrate. Vivien and the others looked towards the sound to see Levi Devlin on the boardwalk riding a Harley. The Harley was beautiful - black with a blue wave pattern on it. Levi was wearing a black leather jacket with metal spikes on it that glinted in the bright sunlight. Levi looked hot, dangerous, tempting. Forbidden.

Levi's dark blue gaze scanned the film site and then landed on her. The merman smirked and motioned to the back of his bike with his thumb.

Vivien blinked. Was Levi telling her to go with him?

"Don't you dare go off with him-" Audrey began scathingly.

Audrey sure seemed to think so. "Sorry guys, tell Director Maverick we'll continue this scene tomorrow. See ya!" Vivien grinned before running off in her Victorian gown, up the beach and to the boardwalk where Levi was waiting for her. _Eeee! I'm so bad._

"Vivien! Don't you dare! You get your butt back here this instant!" Audrey shrieked as she watched Vivien get on the bike behind Levi and wrap her arms around the man's torso. Audrey stomped her foot angrily. "Argh! What am I going to do with her?"

Audrey, Teresa and Urban watched as Levi and Vivien rode off, but then Audrey whirled on Urban. "Just what do you think you're doing just standing there? Vivien's just been taken away by that low class chef! Go after them! What do you think I'm paying you for?"

Urban's eyes widened. "Uh...yes, Mam." The bodyguard rushed up the beach towards the boardwalk and ran the rest of the way to the Escalade. Urban got in behind the wheel and was super surprised when Teresa opened the passenger side door and hopped inside along with him.

"I'm coming too." Teresa announced as she put on her seatbelt. "I wouldn't miss this for the world. A modern day date with a merprince."

Urban raised an eyebrow at his coworker. "What makes you think this is a date? And he's not a real merprince, you know."

Teresa rolled her eyes. "Haven't you noticed the way Levi looks at Vivi? All intense and heated like he wants to eat her?"

"Good point." Urban turned on the engine and tossed Teresa his smart phone. "Use the cell phone tracking app to find out the current location of Vivien's phone."

"You got it." Teresa tapped on the smart phone's screen until she'd brought up the GPS tracking app. "Looks like they're heading towards the Golden Gate Bridge." Urban merged into traffic and headed towards the bridge.

***

Five minutes earlier...

Vivien hefted her gown up and swung her leg over Levi's bike. She then wrapped her arms around his huge, muscular torso. Her heart was beating faster...but that was because she'd just run up the beach.

Levi took off as soon as he felt Vivien's arms wrap around him. "I promised you a ride on my bike. I hope I didn't interrupt your filming."

In that moment, Levi felt like her 'hero'. He'd saved her from her sister Audrey and her cutting words. Vivien shook her head, "No, it was done for the day."

"Good. Is there anywhere you'd like to go in particular?" Levi asked as he kept his eyes on the road.

"Not really, let's just ride around. It's a beautiful day. And this feeling...I feel so free! This is great." Vivien shouted over the sound of traffic.

Levi grinned, "Glad you like it, princess."

It was a hot, summer day, not a cloud in the sky, and Levi took Vivien across the Golden Gate Bridge. After that they toured around San Francisco enjoying the many sights the cosmopolitan city had to offer. Summer was Vivien's favorite time of the year. The world seemed happier - all the flowers were in full bloom, everyone was outside jogging, biking, walking their pets, and wearing colorful clothes. The city seemed so alive this time of year. She felt so rebellious wearing her period costume and sitting on the back of a Harley. "Whoo!" So free. Her plaited hair undid itself and streamed out behind her like a golden flag.

Because of the stifling heat, sweat began to pour off of them both. Vivien was dying for an ice cream. A moment later, she spotted an ice cream truck and it was like seeing a mirage of an oasis in the middle of a desert. "Oh! Levi! Pull over! It's an ice cream truck! Hurry!" Vivien pointed in the truck's direction.

Levi spotted the ice cream truck, and turned the bike in the truck's direction. However, he didn't just pull over, but continued on towards the small truck entering the Justin Harman Plaza on his Harley.

"Ah, Levi...I don't think you're supposed to ride your bike here." Vivien chided.

Too late.

"Huh? What was that?" Levi questioned as he parked the Harley, dismounted, and held his hand out to her.

Vivien shook her head and her expression turned bemused. "Never mind." She put her hand in Levi's and allowed him to help her off the bike. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that they'd drawn a lot of attention by entering the plaza on a Harley. Not to mention she was wearing a 17th Century gown, and she was pretty famous. Vivien wished she'd remembered to bring her sunglasses. Oops.

"Is something wrong?" Levi asked, sensing her unease and getting on his guard. He glanced around the plaza warily in case an enemy might pop out and attack them. He'd heard of cases of rabid anti-fans attacking celebrities before. Levi pitied any anti-fans who dared to attack Vivien while she was in his presence \- he'd turn them into human pretzels and present them to Vivien like a snack.

"No." Vivien said in a strange voice.

Levi focused his attention completely on her and that's when he noticed her red cheek. He reached out and had to stop his hand a few inches away from her cheek. "Your cheek...it looks red. Did someone hit you?" _If so, they're so dead._

Vivien's eyes widened, surprised that Levi had even noticed. "My sister...but it was no big deal. I deserved it."

Levi lowered his hand, but looked unconvinced. His attention returned to the ice cream truck and he strolled over to it, thinking that an ice cream would cheer Vivien up. "Two ice creams, please." He told the ice cream vendor inside the truck. _Audrey is lucky she is female, or else I would have kicked her ass._

"What would you like?" The ice cream vendor asked.

A muscle in Levi's jaw ticked in irritation. "Didn't you just hear me? I said two ice creams."

The man began to tremble as Levi loomed over him. "But, uh...Sir...what kind?"

"I said-" Levi began again.

"Uh, we'll have two Neapolitans." Vivi said quickly. "Thanks."

"Sure." The ice cream vendor reached into his cooler and fished out two Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches, and handed them to Levi and Vivi. Levi whipped out his wallet and paid the man. Vivien giggled as she watched Levi pay. Levi raised a blue eyebrow at her. "What?"

"I almost expected you to walk away without paying...and then say something like: 'Money? What's money?'"

Levi scowled at the actress. "I've been living on land for...almost three years now. I know what money is."

Vivien grabbed Levi's arm and pulled him farther away from the ice cream seller so that they could speak without being overheard. "Wait a minute. You've only been living on land for that little amount of time? How long did you live in the ocean?"

"More than five hundred years."

Vivien choked on a bite of ice cream. "Five hundred years! You're so...old."

Levi stiffened. "I'm immortal. I don't get old. I'll look like this forever and I won't die. Well, at least until I'm killed off." He amended.

"Killed?" Vivien frowned.

"I meant...if I were killed." Levi coughed into his hand. "How old are you?"

"You never ask a lady her age!" Vivien shoved at Levi's arm. He didn't budge an inch.

"That old, huh." Levi took a huge bite out of his ice cream sandwich.

"I'm 29." Vivien admitted with a huff. "But don't tell anyone."

"Why not?" Levi questioned as he tossed the rest of the ice cream sandwich into his mouth and began to lick his fingers.

Vivien sighed. "I'm an old maid already according to the world of showbiz. I should already be married with a ton of kids by now."

Levi paused in the licking of his fingers to give Vivien an incredulous look. "What does your age have to do with something like that? Don't you have to wait until you find a proper mate who will provide for you and your young, and protect you?"

Vivien burst out laughing at Levi's archaic way of thinking. "Well said, but...it gets more dangerous for women to have children the longer they wait."

"I see." _If you're in a hurry, why don't you just have my child?_

Vivien took a seat on a park bench and patted the seat next to her. Levi sat down next to her. "What about you?"

Levi gave her a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"Do you uh...have a family? A wife? Like a mermaid?" Vivien made sure to make her voice sound casual; it wasn't like she was dying to know or anything. Please.

Levi's expression darkened. "Five hundred years ago...I just came into existence, fully grown, and with no memories. I opened my eyes and just...was. I had no mother. No father. And for those five hundred years I searched the entire ocean for people like me - merfolk."

"Did you ever find any?" Vivien asked and held her breath as she awaited his response.

Levi shook his head sadly. "No. As far as I know I'm the only one of my kind...left."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been lonely." Vivien couldn't imagine living such a solitary life. Family and friends always surrounded her. She had to resist the urge to reach out and place her hand on Levi's arm to offer him some comfort.

Levi shrugged carelessly. "Not so much, actually. I can telepathically communicate with all sea creatures. Whales and dolphins are a whole lot more intelligent than humans think they are. But because whales can live so long they are the wisest and most interesting conversationalists in the sea."

Vivien's eyes went wide at Levi's revelation. "You can speak to animals? And you're saying whales are...smart?"

Levi nodded. "Yes, but only creatures of the sea. And yes, whales...are my true friends."

"Did you ever try to make contact with us...I mean, with humans?" Vivien cringed at her own wording.

A cloud seemed to fall over Levi's expression. "Yes."

Vivien noticed Levi's dour expression and had a bad feeling. "What happened?"

Levi let out a sigh. "The first time...I really scared some fishermen. The second time, those same fishermen tried to kill me. For the next five hundred years...anytime I revealed myself to the humans I was met with a similar hostile response. They either feared me or wanted to kill me."

Vivien's heart went out to Levi. She could only imagine what their rejection and fear must have felt like. How alone he must have felt in the world even though he claimed that the sea creatures were his friends. But being friends with animals wasn't the same as being friends with humans...or beings that were more like you, as was the case with Levi. He probably wouldn't admit it but he must have craved human interaction at some point. "I wasn't afraid of you." She said softly.

Levi's eyes glowed with emotion. "No, you weren't. You're...special. And extremely brave for a human female."

Vivien's heart started to beat a little faster, but that was probably because of the hot weather. "I...thank you. I would never hurt you." She found herself blurting out.

Levi's expression suddenly turned cold. "You're blackmailing me to be in your movie, remember? Or else you'll tell my secret...and I'll end up on a dissection table somewhere."

Vivien sucked in a breath. "I...you're right, but I have a really good reason for it. And when I saw you...when I realized you were a _real_ merman...it was like you were Heaven-sent to help me. That's how I felt at the time at least. I didn't see you as...some creature to exploit. I saw you as my knight in shinning armor coming to save me."

"Knight?" Levi liked the sound of that.

"I knew that with your help _The Little Merman_ would be the _best_ movie ever. I want to finally make my parents proud." The urgency she felt was obvious in Vivien's tone of voice.

"You've mentioned that before. Aren't they already proud of you? Because they should be." Levi had the urge to touch Vivien's arm. He resisted.

Vivien shook her head sadly. "My parents are famous actors. My mother and father starred in serious dramas and romances. They are respected as being serious actors. As for me...I couldn't even get cast in a movie at first, but then I was offered a gig as a stuntwoman. I took it. That opened the door for me into showbiz. I went from stuntwoman to famous action heroine quickly, but...my parents still won't praise me for it."

"Why do you need their acknowledgement so badly?" Levi asked curiously. He didn't give a shit what people thought about him...or at least he didn't used to. The merman glanced at Vivien and realized that for the first time ever he cared about what someone thought about him. But he still didn't understand the relationship she had with her parents since he'd never had parents to begin with.

"Because I love them. They're my parents. They brought me into this world. I wouldn't even exist if it weren't for them. They may be strict and cold at times...but I still love and respect them. They're family. I also admire them and strive to be more like them." Vivien explained passionately.

Levi reached out and patted Vivien's head. He could no longer resist touching her. Her family was lucky to have her. It was sad that they didn't seem to realize it. "Don't put so much pressure on yourself, Vivien. You're already an incredible actress. That night, when we swam together under the stars...you really looked in love with the ocean."

Vivien sighed in a defeated manner. "That wasn't acting. I really do love the ocean and water. I always have. Whenever I go to the gym I always swim in the pool there. Also, my penthouse apartment back in Hollywood has a rooftop pool. Maybe the reason I'm so drawn to water is because I'm a Cancer. I was born July 9th." When Levi didn't respond right away, Vivien turned her head to see what was up and saw that his intense gaze was focused elsewhere. She followed his line of sight and saw that he was looking at the Vaillancourt Fountain.

"A fountain." Levi's voice seemed awed.

"Yeah. It's called the Vaillancourt Fountain. It's pretty neat, huh?" Vivien said offhandedly. The Vaillancourt Fountain was a large, super modern fountain made up of long, rectangular-shaped, metal shoots that were gushing water into a large, square basin. The shoots were bent this way and that for an artistic effect.

"I didn't notice it before. I'm supposed to stay away from fountains because..." Levi trailed off with a dazed look on his face.

"Huh? Why?" Vivien prodded.

Levi shrugged his leather jacket off, tossed it on the bench, and stood up. He then removed his shirt and tossed it on top of his jacket.

"Uh, Levi what are you doing?" Vivien swallowed nervously as she couldn't help but admire his muscular chest and torso. _Don't stare like an idiot, Vivien._

Levi took his boots off and started on his pants. It wasn't long before his pants had joined the pile of clothes on the bench. However, when Levi was about to pull his boxer shorts down Vivien finally snapped out of it, stood up and grabbed Levi's wrists in order to stop him. "Whoa boy, what are you doing?"

"It's hot...the fountain...going for a swim..." Levi said in a droning tone.

"Not naked you're not, buddy! And besides what if you transform...shit, shit, shit..." Vivien looked around the plaza worriedly. All these people would see him...!

Levi shook his head. "It has to be saltwater."

Vivien let out a breath of relief and visibly relaxed. "Phew."

"Come." Levi said as he began to pull her with him towards the fountain.

"Ah, Levi, stop...we're not allowed to do this-" Vivien objected. But Levi swooped Vivien up into his arms, cutting off what she'd been trying to say, and hopped right into the fountain with a splash. He set Vivien down on her feet before walking over to stand under one of the gushing sprays. "Ah...feels so good." Levi groaned in bliss.

Vivien's heart was definitely beating faster. But that was just because they were doing something illegal. The actress swallowed and stood dumbly still, watching as the water cascaded down over this magnificent male animal. Down over his muscular torso, his six pack abs, his powerful legs. Wow. Just wow.

Levi looked so...otherworldly beneath the spray. In his true element. Water. At home. At peace. He was so...beautiful.

Levi turned and smiled at her. This boyish grin that made him look way younger than he usually appeared. It was a heart-stopping smile. In fact, Vivien couldn't recall a time she'd seen him smile like that. The merman reached his hand out to her. "Come, female."

Vivien found herself taking a step forward, but then stopping and shaking her head. "This is crazy." _Normal people don't do things like this._

Levi raised a blue eyebrow at her. "So?"

"Aw, what the hell." _We're going to be in so much trouble!_ Vivien strode forward and put her hand in Levi's. He pulled her close, and after a few seconds began to dance with her. A fluid waltz.

"You know how to dance? How?" Vivien's blue-green eye were brimming with curiosity.

"I learned it on TV. From one of your movies actually." Levi admitted.

"Yeah...I remember that one. I had to take _hours_ of dance lessons to get rid of my two left feet." A self-deprecating smile formed on Vivien's lips.

"I don't believe it. You're incredibly graceful. Like a swam...no, a dolphin." Levi's blue eyes burned with some indefinable emotion.

"Ha! When I'm not knocking into things maybe. I'll tell you a secret - I'm a total klutz!" She giggled as Levi spun her around in the water. In that moment, the rest of the world just seemed to disappear until it was just the two of them dancing in the fountain beneath the spray.

Around this time, Urban and Teresa entered the plaza, and when Urban caught sight of Vivien and Levi dancing together in the fountain his jaw dropped. "What the hell are those two doing?"

"Looks like they're dancing." Teresa smirked.

Urban slapped a hand to his forehead and groaned. "I know that, but...look." The bodyguard waved his hand at the gathered crowd of people who'd whipped out their smart phones and were currently taking pictures and videos of the dancing couple in the fountain. "That can't be good. Audrey is going to kill me. I'm so fired."

Teresa looked at the crowd next, and frowned. "You're right. We better go stop them before they get themselves arrested."

"Hey, that's my line. I'm the bodyguard, remember? And these muscles aren't just for show." Urban held up his bicep for Teresa's inspection.

Teresa boldly reached out and squeezed it. She made an appreciative noise. "Hmm. Yeah." Le sigh.

Urban smirked at Teresa before jogging over to the fountain and calling out to the dancing couple. "Hey, you two lovebirds. Time to go!"

Levi and Vivien stopped dancing. Vivien's attention focused on Urban and then the gathered crowd. Vivien's eyes widened and her face paled as she seemed to realize the situation she was suddenly in. "Oh no...what have I done?" She let go of Levi's hand.

"Quick! Before the cops get here!" Urban reached his hand out to Vivien in an urgent manner.

Vivien ran over and let Urban help her down from the fountain. Urban then turned to Levi. "You too, big guy. Gotta get out of there before the cops come."

"I..." Levi couldn't resist the allure of the fountain...the water...the spray...

"Urban, go up there and bring him down from there. Now." Vivien ordered, realizing what the problem was. Levi's tie to water was just that strong.

"Vivi?" Urban gave her a questioning look.

"He has heatstroke. He's not in his right mind." Vivien quickly explained. Improv, baby.

Urban nodded in understanding. He'd witnessed his men go nuts in Afghanistan from heatstroke after all. "Got it. Leave this to me." The bodyguard hopped up into the fountain and grabbed Levi's arm. "Come on, big guy, time to go." He pulled hard.

Levi didn't budge an inch.

The guy was _that_ strong. Urban frowned as he tugged and tugged again, but it was like pulling on a mountain. "Levi, do you really want to cause Vivien trouble?"

Levi's gaze finally focused on Urban. "Vivien? Trouble?"

"Yeah, man, she's going to be in deep shit because of you." Urban said sternly.

Levi's eyes flared and he let Urban drag him out of the fountain. Levi took a deep breath once his feet hit the ground and he used all of his willpower to avoid looking in the fountain's direction. He gave Urban a thankful look. "Thanks, man. I owe you one."

"No problem." Urban squeezed Levi's arm. "You want a ride home? Or do you think you can still ride your bike without falling over from heatstroke?"

_Heatstroke?_ "I'll be fine on my own. Get Vivien out of here. And make sure she has a hot bath so that she doesn't get sick." Levi said in a possessive manner.

A flash of surprise crossed Urban's expression at Levi's words before he nodded. He wondered if Levi realized that he was acting like a protective boyfriend. "Yeah, I'll do that, man. No worries."

"Vivi! Are you okay?" Teresa asked her concernedly.

Vivien rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm okay."

"I mean...you're not sunburn anywhere are you! That's a bitch to hide with makeup." Teresa explained and then an amused smile curled her lips. "So...that was way romantic, wasn't it? The two of you...dancing together in the fountain like that."

"Romantic?" Vivien watched Levi putting his clothes back on. "Yeah...I guess." The actress had to wonder why her heart was still pounding.

***

The following day, filming resumed for _The Little Merman_ and once again Princess Vivien was having a romantic picnic on the beach with Prince Dylan. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Levi, and the moment they'd shared together dancing in the fountain. But she made sure to keep her attention on Dylan and to say her lines properly at least. She sighed, wondering how many retakes they were going to have to shoot that day because of her.

"And cut!" Director Maverick shouted out. "That was..." Vivien held her breath as she awaited the director's response. "Perfect!"

Huh?

Director Maverick strolled over to Vivien and took her hand. "Great job, Vivien. I could see the love and desire in your eyes as you looked at Dylan."

Vivien blinked. "You could?"

"Absolutely, I knew you could get it right as long as you concentrated and gave it your all." Scott smiled at her and flashed his white teeth.

"Uh...yeah." And here Vivien thought she'd been spacing and thinking about a certain blue-haired chef. Vivien stood up from the blanket and dusted the sand off her gown. She could hardly breath and couldn't wait to rip that corset off.

"Good work today, Vivien." Dylan drawled as he held his hand out to her.

"Oh...thanks." Vivien took his hand and shook it, dazedly. This was the first time Dylan had acknowledged her acting skills. She felt like a total hack. Vivien looked at the handsome Dylan and didn't understand why she wasn't feeling...like she was falling for him. He was the perfect guy. The perfect catch. The perfect match.

And Vivien still planned to do her best to reel him in because he was a man her parents would absolutely love. But...she felt conflicted. Was she developing feelings for Levi? But...he was a merman. They weren't even the same species. It would be like dating an alien...or pet fish. No, no, no...Dylan was the perfect man for her. Maybe.

"If you like it so much you can keep it." Dylan teased, his dark eyes glittering with mischief.

"Huh? What? Oh!" Vivien realized that she still had a hold of Dylan's hand and immediately let go of it. A blush stained her cheeks. "Sorry."

"Not at all." Dylan's tone of voice was amused and sultry. "Are you thirsty? Would you like a Gatorade?"

"Oh, sure." Vivien agreed, thinking that this was a momentous moment - Dylan was about to go get her a Gatorade.

Dylan snapped his fingers. "Charlie. One fruit punch flavored Gatorade."

"Yes, Sir." Manager Charlie rushed over and fished out the required Gatorade from his backpack before handing it to Dylan. Dylan nodded in thanks and then handed the Gatorade to Vivien.

"Here you go, babe." Dylan said with a grin.

"Uh, thanks...I think." Vivien said as she took the Gatorade, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip. It was interesting at the very least that Dylan seemed to share her obsession with the sports drink.

"Vivien!" Came Audrey's voice.

Vivien could feel her temple throb at the sound of her sister's voice. _What now?_ Vivien turned to see her sister stomping down the beach, looking pissed. "What could it be now? I nailed the scene." She muttered to herself.

"Vivien Tempest! What is the meaning of this?" Audrey shrieked like a banshee.

Vivien raised an eyebrow at her overly strict sister. "This? This what?"

Audrey shoved her smart phone in Vivien's face. "Take a look for yourself."

Vivien took the phone and saw that Audrey had a YouTube video open. She tapped on the video so that it began to play. It turned out to be a video of Levi and Vivien doing a waltz together in a fountain with _Waiting_ sung by Emma Hewitt playing in the background.

Vivien was so surprised by how well that song fit the moment. And wow...the video was amazing. It really captured the intimate moment that they had shared. Vivien frowned. "I don't see what the problem is..." In fact, Vivien thought the video was pretty awesome and that it would be good promotion.

"You don't see what the problem is?" Audrey huffed in disbelief. "I'll tell you what the problem is. This video already has more than a million views! It's gone viral. Everyone now knows that the blue-haired man in this video is Levi Devlin, and that he is going to be starring right along with you in the remake _The Little Merman_ and that you're playing the part of the princess."

"And that's bad, how? Seems like good promotion to me." Vivien put her hands out before her.

"Everyone is also assuming that there is some kind of _romantic_ connection between you two because of this video!" Audrey clarified with a huff.

Vivien rubbed her temples. "I still don't see-"

"Levi Devlin is a chef. Therefore, he's not good enough to be rumored to be dating the Tempests' youngest daughter! When our parents find out about this rumor they'll...! Do you have any idea how hard I work so that you've never had a scandal! The lengths I've gone to protect your secret that you're a dru-" Audrey coughed and cut herself off, remembering that Dylan was standing right there. The last thing she wanted was for Dylan Black to find out that Vivien was an alcoholic.

_He's not good enough to be rumored to be dating the Tempests' youngest daughter._ Vivien felt awful due to Audrey's callous words, and for some reason she was also feeling strangely defensive. "I don't care if there are rumors about me."

Audrey raised her hand to slap Vivien. "Why you ungrateful-" However-

Audrey's wrist was stopped as a firm hand wrapped around it. "Who the-?" Audrey turned to see that Levi Devlin had caught her hand. He had this fierce, possessive look on his face.

"Don't you dare harm her, woman." Levi growled, his blue eyes glowing.

"Unhand me this instant, you brute!" Audrey snapped.

Levi looked at his hand as if he hadn't realized what he'd done with it and quickly released Audrey. "Hit me instead. If this is about yesterday then...it's _my_ fault. Not Vivien's."

Audrey spun to face Levi, her brown eyes flashing, "You think I won't?" Audrey raised her hand and slapped Levi hard across the face.

Vivien, Teresa and Urban all sucked in their breaths out of surprise that Audrey had actually made good on her threat.

Levi didn't even flinch. Audrey took her hand back looking slightly pained. "Y-You...you stay away from my sister! She's too good for you! She should be going out with someone more her level...someone like Dylan Black!" She blurted out.

Levi opened his mouth to respond but-

Dylan Black beat him to it. "Now that's an excellent idea, Audrey." He turned to Vivien. "Vivi, how would you like to have dinner with me this evening?"

Vivien's expression was similar to a deer caught in the headlights. "I..." She just couldn't believe it. Dylan Black had just asked _her_ out to dinner! She should have been ecstatic but...

"She'll go." Audrey piped up happily. "She'd be happy to."

A slow smile curled Dylan's sensuous lips. "Great, I'll pick you up at eight." The actor told Vivien.

"Uh...sure." Vivien had no choice but to agree. She didn't understand why her stomach felt like it was tying up into knots.

Levi watched the exchange between Vivien and Dylan, and his heart...began to ache inside of his chest. His blood also began to boil in his veins. He rubbed at his sternum. "It appears the matter has been settled then. I'll be going." Levi strode off, heading back towards his Harley, which was parked next to the boardwalk.

"Levi, wait, I-" Vivien called out to him, but Audrey reached out to pinch her arm and gave her a warning look.

"Don't even think about it." Audrey hissed in a low voice. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime and you sure as hell are taking it."

"Yes?" Levi asked softly.

"Uh, n-never mind." Vivien said, rubbing her arm where her sister had pinched her.

Levi nodded and walked away. Vivien watched him go and every fiber of her being wanted to go after him. But she didn't. She was a coward when it came to her sister or family. The actress watched Levi mount his bike and ride away. And she continued watching until he was finally out of sight.

***

Levi parked his bike outside of _Poseidon's Trident_ and strolled inside. "Malakye!" He barked out as soon as he entered.

"What's up, Boss?" Malakye asked as he exited the kitchen and approached.

"I want you to find out what's wrong with something about Vivien and I on the Internet." Levi explained. He wasn't the computer savvy one - that was Mal.

"You got it, Boss." Malakye teleported to his bedroom where he grabbed his laptop, and then took form back in the main restaurant area. He set the laptop down on one of the tables and opened up a web browser. Malakye googled Levi and Vivien, and immediately discovered what Levi was talking about. Malakye went to YouTube and found the video of Levi and Vivi that had gone viral, and clicked on it. "Is this what you were looking for, Boss?"

Levi peered over Malakye's shoulder and watched as the video began to play. It was weird getting to watch himself and see how he was looking at Vivien with such heat in his gaze. He'd been looking at her as though she were someone precious to him.

By this time, the other chefs, Derek and Garth, had gotten curious about what was going on and were now watching the video too. The chefs all watched the entire video together silently until it finished.

Derek whistled through his teeth. "Whoo, I didn't know you had it in you. Look at you...seducing Vivien Tempest."

"Seducing?" Levi frowned. "That's not what I was doing!"

"The video is a little...suggestive. There's a romantic feeling to it. Especially with that song playing in the background. It looks like you're...in love with her." Malakye explained.

"What the fuck...?" Levi ran a hand back over his mohawk of blue hair. "And why is the video a bad thing?"

Malakye's eyebrows rose. "Well, from the comments I'm reading I would say the video has had a positive response. They like you guys as a couple."

"A couple?" Levi shook his head. "Vivien's sister got angry at me and told me to stay away from her sister. I don't understand why exactly."

A dark cloud fell over Derek's face. "She probably doesn't consider you good enough for Vivien."

"And Dylan Black is?" Levi demanded hotly.

Derek nodded solemnly. "From Audrey's perspective? I'd say 'yes'. Dylan is a millionaire, a famous actor, and has high social status. Celebrities tend to date and marry celebrities, Levi. That's just how it is."

"Well...that sounds retarded." Garth put in his two cents. "I bet Levi could totally kick Dylan's ass."

Levi smiled at his friend's words of support. "Yeah. I could take him alright." He sighed. "Vivien is going to dinner with the guy tonight."

"And you're just going to let her? Levi, after watching that video of the two of you...I have to agree with the other million or so Americans out there that you guys look really good together. You should go for it. Don't let Dylan steal her away. Go get her back!" Derek urged.

Levi sighed helplessly. "I don't even know where she is."

"Just give me a few minutes." Malakye piped up, cracked his fingers together and began to type away at the laptop at a rapid pace. "According to fan sightings, she's rented a hotel suite at The Fairmount Hotel, her room number is 2006."

Levi shook his head in amazement. "How _do_ you do that? Thanks, man." The merman said before he grabbed his helmet and started out. Levi rode his Harley to the Fairmount Hotel and parked out front. He checked his watch; it was five minutes after eight. He wondered if he'd missed her.

But then Vivien came sauntering through the front door of the hotel. And the sight of her took Levi's breath away. She was wearing a slinky, baby blue gown that clung to her glorious curves, and a white, glittery clutch was held in her right hand. Her hair was down. And Levi noticed that she had on her favorite pair of white high heels on.

Levi was about to call out to her when Dylan beat him to it. "Vivi, over here."

Levi's gaze was drawn to Dylan Black, who was casually leaning against a black GTO, and dressed in an expensive black and gray pinstriped suit, shiny dress shoes, and a blood red tie. A Rolex gleamed on his wrist. Dylan looked like what he was - a rich, powerful and sophisticated male. A _human_ male.

How could Levi really compete?

"Hey, Dylan." Vivi greeted shyly. Apparently, she also agreed that Dylan was looking damned good.

Levi watched as Dylan opened the passenger side door for her and Vivien got into the car. Dylan closed the door behind her and made his way to the driver's side. Dylan hopped in behind the wheel, started the car, and merged into traffic before Levi could do a single thing about it. He rubbed at his chest absentmindedly.

"Fuck." Levi swore as he took off after them. "What the hell am I doing?" The merman followed the couple to one of the best restaurants in San Francisco, _Acquerello_. Levi parked his bike right outside of the front window and then used his keen demon vision to peer inside. He watched as a waitress led Vivien and Dylan over to one of the tables.

That ache in his chest continued to throb and he rubbed his chest. Levi watched as a waiter brought over an expensive bottle of champagne. He could even read the label with his demon eyes. It read: Perrier-Jouët Champagne. Levi knew that the value was seven thousand dollars since he'd once considered ordering it for his own restaurant.

This human male had an exceedingly ridiculous amount of money to throw around. He also seemed to have a lot of power too; with a snap of his fingers he had the humans replacing silverware and glasses that weren't clean enough apparently.

Finally, once the two were sipping champagne, Dylan whipped out a black velvet box, which he slid across the table in Vivien's direction. Vivien shook her head and pushed the box back towards Dylan. Heh.

However, Dylan was not one to be deterred so easily. He opened the box, took out the diamond necklace that was inside of it, stood up from his seat, and made his way over to Vivien. Dylan smoothly draped the necklace around Vivien's neck and clasped it before she could do anything about it. Also the waitress had arrived with their appetizers at that precise moment making it even more awkward for Vivien to refuse the gift.

Levi's eyes zeroed in on the diamond necklace. It looked expensive. His chest burned and felt like it was on fire. He whipped out his cell phone and dialed Ambrose's number. "Hey, where are you right now?" Levi demanded, without even giving the other man a chance to speak.

" _Where do you think? Ruby Skye._ " Came the slightly, tipsy-sounding voice of Ambrose Rune.

"I...need a drink."

" _I can't believe you're using a cell phone...do you know how to get here?_ "

"Yes."

" _I'll meet you at the front entrance._ "

"Thanks, man." Levi ended the call.

To be continued in...Fish 6: Black Pearl

### Chapter 6: Black Pearl

Vivien was surprised to say the least that Dylan had been able to get a dinner reservation at _Acquerello_ restaurant on such short notice. But then again...he _was_ Dylan Black. Actor. Millionaire. Most eligible bachelor in California.

Vivien admired the restaurant's sophisticated décor as a waitress led them to their table, which had four chairs around it. She couldn't help but compare the décor to Levi's restaurant. _Acquerello's_ décor was rich, opulent, and luxurious, but...it wasn't the whimsical setting that _Poseidon's Trident_ was. _Acquerello_ was a beautiful restaurant but it wasn't an escape from reality like Levi's restaurant was. Vivien frowned at her thoughts.

Dylan noticed Vivien's frown and began to inspect their silverware with a critical eye. He snapped his fingers impatiently at a nearby waitress. "Replace these...the glasses as well."

"Yes, Sir." The waitress immediately agreed and rushed off to get more silverware and different glasses. Once the glasses and silverware had been replaced, Dylan spoke: "Better?"

"Uh...that wasn't what I was frowning about. It's the décor-" Vivien began to say.

Dylan snapped his fingers again and a waitress appeared at his side. "We'd like to change the décor-"

"Ah!" Vivien interrupted, waving her hands in front of her. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. The décor is just fine! Really."

Dylan eyed Vivien skeptically. "Very well." He waved his hand at the waitress in a dismissive gesture, sending her own her way.

Vivien gave Dylan a pensive look. "Do you always get what you want?"

Dylan's dark eyes glittered with pride and arrogance. "Of course. That's the power of money and social status like mine. They fear receiving a bad Tweet or comment from me on social media about this restaurant, and so they will do whatever I ask of them. I could have them change this entire restaurant's décor if you but say the word. I'd be able to make it happen with a snap of my fingers."

"That so?" Vivien's lip twitched. "That's crazy. This world of celebrities that we're a part of is crazy, don't you think?"

"I happen to enjoy it immensely." Dylan confided in a sensuous drawl. "A man like me isn't meant to live a life hidden in the shadows. A man like me is meant to be in the spotlight where he can be acknowledged and adored by others. This is one of the reasons why I chose to become an actor. I'm a leader, Vivien, not a follower."

"I see." Vivien said, feeling at a total loss. She'd always felt out of place in this world of celebrities herself. The action heroine also felt that certain things were definitely over the top - like how crazy fans seemed to get when they saw a celebrity, or how much celebrities paid for their clothes or jewelry. She remembered a time when the hostesses for the Academy Awards only had one dress. Now they were changing their dress every commercial break. Even the men were changing their outfits more often.

A few minutes later, a waiter arrived with an expensive bottle of champagne. "Champagne?" Dylan asked her.

"Definitely." Vivien said as she was poured a glass. She was feeling so nervous. The actress could really use a drink right about then. Vivien picked up her glass and gulped the champagne back.

Dylan raised an eyebrow at her as he took a sip of his champagne. "Do I make you nervous?" He smirked with a knowing look on his face.

Vivien set down her now empty glass and nodded. "Yes. All this, it just seems...a little sudden. I've been trying to get your attention for days and then you suddenly ask me out like this. I don't know how to react now that this is actually happening."

Of course Vivien was nervous to be on a date with _the_ Dylan Black. It was the same as getting to go out on a date with someone like Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp or Keanu Reeves. Dylan was so handsome, and had this aura of power and sophistication around him. He was the perfect guy.

A thoughtful frown formed on Dylan's face. "I should have paid attention to you sooner. But I've come to realize that you're...special." A secret smile curled his lips.

Vivien blushed at Dylan's unexpected words. "Special? Me?"

Dylan nodded solemnly. "You're not quite at my level yet but...you have definite potential. I realized this with your acting during the picnic scene today. You really impressed me then. You looked...very in love with me. It...moved me."

"Really?" Vivien felt a little giddy because of Dylan's praise. To have such an incredible actor compliment her was truly an honor.

Dylan smiled charmingly. "Oh, yes...in fact, I have a present for you." The actor reached into his jacket and pulled out a long velvet box. He set the box down on the table and slid it in Vivien's direction.

Vivien stared down at it and shook her head. "This is all too sudden. I can't accept it."

Dylan took up the box, opened it, and flashed the diamond necklace at Vivien causing her to gasp at its beauty. He picked up the necklace, stood up from his seat, and sauntered over to Vivien. He smoothly draped the necklace around her neck and clasped it. "I was walking by _Tiffany's_ when the necklace caught my eye. Diamonds and aquamarines - the same color as your eyes, I think."

Vivien put a trembling hand over the necklace. It had to be worth several thousand dollars. "I can't accept it. It's much too expensive."

Dylan offered her a wry smile. "Not for people like us."

"Even so...I don't like to be excessive."

Dylan chuckled. "Then you picked the wrong field of work. You're an actress, Vivien. You need to believe that you're better than everyone else, so that they'll begin to believe that you are too. You also have to dress better than everyone. It's all part of the illusion we create that we stand above them all. We make ourselves to be gods among men. We make this illusion _truth_. If you want to become a more respected actress then you need to start acting like you deserve that respect. No, _demand_ it."

"Demand it?" Vivien shook her head. She didn't have enough confidence to boss people around like Dylan did. Nor would she really want to. Her sister Audrey also made sure not to let Vivien get a big head by pointing out all of her flaws constantly. "I don't think I could do that. I want to earn people's respect the hard way."

Dylan's expression turned amused. "You certainly are...unique. I think I'll do you the honor of being my girlfriend."

Vivien choked on her champagne. "Huh? What? But we barely know each other."

"Isn't that the entire point of dating - to get to know one another better? It's settled. We're dating now." Dylan raised his glass. "Cheers. To us."

"Now, wait just one minute. This is too sudden, I-" Vivien began to object.

However, at that moment-

"Vivien, darling!" Came a familiar, mature female voice.

_Huh? What the hell?_ Vivien turned to see none other than her parents. Marilyn and Clark Tempest were approaching their table. Her parents were both in their sixties, but still incredibly handsome people. Marilyn had a short bob of wavy blonde hair, and blue eyes. Her lips were always painted a classic red. The actress was wearing a sophisticated, black, designer dress and high heels.

Clark was tall and tanned with dark brown hair that was dyed at his age to hide his graying hair, and he had intelligent hazel-brown eyes. He was sporting a slick designer suit, and blue tie that matched his wife's eyes perfectly. Vivien was certain her mother had picked that tie out for her father.

Vivien had taken after her mother in the looks department while Audrey had taken after their father. Marilyn Tempest had been one of the great beauties of her time. The smile on her mother's face was out of place though since Marilyn rarely smiled. It made Vivien instantly suspicious.

"Uh...hi Mom, Dad. What are you guys doing here?" Vivien asked hesitantly.

"Why, your boyfriend invited us, of course." Marilyn tittered as Clark pulled a chair out for her. Marilyn sat down on the chair and Clark scooted her in. Clark then took the seat next to his wife.

"Boyfriend...but I don't have a-" Vivien shot Dylan a questioning look.

"Your daughter has just agreed to go out with me officially." Dylan announced with a proud tilt of his chin.

"I have?" Vivien's head was spinning.

Marilyn noticed Vivien's gorgeous necklace next. "Ooo, what a beautiful necklace. Did Dylan get you that?"

Vivien touched the necklace with her hand. Suddenly the necklace felt heavy, like a leather dog collar with spikes on it. "Uh, yes, but-"

"You have excellent taste, son." Clark spoke up, nodding in approval.

Dylan nodded his head once, and then snapped his fingers to get the nearby waiter's attention. "Bring us another bottle of champagne, if you please."

"Another?" Marilyn spoke up and noticed Vivien's empty glass. She instantly frowned. "Vivien, what have I told you about drinking excessively in public?"

So embarrassing! Vivien flushed. "Mom!"

Dylan spoke up. "Mrs. Tempest, not to worry...your daughter is the epitome of a lady. I was a little nervous at getting to finally be on a date with your beautiful daughter and so I may have enjoyed more champagne than I should have. I hope you can forgive me."

"Oh, of course!" Marilyn tittered and raised a hand in front of her mouth as she laughed, showing her French manicure off. "Forget I said anything."

_Unreal._ Vivien sank back into her chair in relief. Dylan had just defended her and it felt...good.

A moment later, a waiter arrived with a new bottle of champagne, and filled everyone's glasses. Dylan held up his glass. "A toast...to your daughter, Vivien."

"To Vivien." Marilyn and Clark readily repeated at the same time.

Vivien could only gawk at her parents wondering if the real Marilyn and Clark had been body snatched. Her parents didn't act this way...didn't act _nice_ towards her. Dylan was really showing how much power he had over her parents and it was scary. Her parents didn't bend for anyone. At least, they never had before.

Vivien felt like she'd just fallen into the Twilight Zone. Her parents were actually acknowledging her presence and it was all thanks to Dylan Black. She should have felt incredibly happy, but why did she feel so...suffocated. Trapped. She looked over at the exit door and longed for an excuse to escape.

***

Levi lounged on one of the red leather couches in the VIP section at _Ruby Skye_ while Ambrose was seated next to him. On Levi's other side a human female was seated, and on Ambrose's free side was yet another female. In fact, an entire group of fawning human females surrounded them. Some were seated in the nearby chairs while others were kneeling on the floor in front of them. The two men failed to notice the jealous and angry glares they were receiving from the other men who were seated in the VIP section and who were currently being completely ignored.

"What would you like to drink, bro?" Ambrose asked Levi as he waved a waitress over.

Levi glared at the girlie looking cocktail in Ambrose's hand. It was a reddish pink color and even had one of those tiny little umbrellas in it. "Just get me something strong."

Ambrose blinked. "Sure thing. My friend will have a Scotch on the rocks. I'll have another Sex on the Beach. And get these lovely ladies here with us whatever they wish."

"Yes, Ambrose. Right away." The female waitress winked in a coquettish fashion before she skipped off.

The waitress returned a few minutes later and set a lowball glass in front of Levi. Levi picked up the drink and chugged it back in one go. "Another." He barked at the waitress before she'd even taken a single step away from their table.

"Oh, yes...right away, Sir." She ran off to get Levi another drink.

Ambrose sipped at his cocktail while giving Levi a pensive look. "I didn't know you liked to drink."

Levi shrugged. "I don't."

"Oh? So...it's unusual for you to call me. Did something happen?" Ambrose prodded.

"Vivien Tempest." Levi groaned as he let his head fall back against the couch.

Ambrose's eyes widened at his friend's unexpected words. "Vivien? What about Vivien? Is she okay?" Ambrose Rune happened to be good friends with Vivien and personally delivered alcoholic cakes to her hotel suite at least once a week. It was a secret between the two of them, but Vivien claimed that Ambrose's cakes helped her deal with her alcohol addiction.

"I think...I'm in love with her." Levi mumbled.

Ambrose began to choke on a maraschino cherry. "W-What? What did you just say? You think you're in love with her? But she's a hu-" Ambrose coughed into his hand. "How the hell did this happen?" The patissier scratched his head. Levi just shrugged in response.

"Here you are, Sir." The waitress said as she set the new lowball glass down in front of Levi.

Levi sat up and grabbed the glass. He began to chug this drink too. The merman had never been drunk before. But tonight he planned on getting hammered.

"Well, we support you, Levi!" "Yeah, we think you and Vivien make a great couple!" "I'm definitely on Team Levi!" The girls began to burst out random exclamations.

"Whoa, ladies, what are you talking about?" Ambrose interrupted the girls. "How do you even know about this?"

One of the girls raised an eyebrow at Ambrose. "Who doesn't know? Haven't you seen the video?"

"What video?" Ambrose asked with a feeling of dread.

"Here. Take a look for yourself." The girl whipped out her smart phone and brought up the YouTube video of Levi and Vivien dancing together in the fountain. She then scooted closer to Ambrose and tapped on her phone's screen so that the video began to play.

Ambrose's eyes grew wider and wider as he watched the video. "Levi? I don't understand. What the hell is this?"

"Your friend Levi Devlin is going to play the part of the merprince in the Disney remake _The Little Merman_." The girl explained and upon noticing Ambrose's shocked expression she continued: "You didn't know? Aren't you guys friends?" The girl shot Levi a questioning look.

" _The Little Merman_!" Ambrose shot Levi a worried look. "You can't be serious. Why would you do such a risky thing?" He leaned over to hiss in Levi's ear: "As soon as Agent Darkhart sees the movie...he'll come after you."

"I know." Levi snapped his fingers and the waitress grabbed his empty glass and rushed off to get a refill. "But...Vivien blackmailed me into this. I'm just going to enjoy what time I have left with my secret safe before Agent Darkhart comes after me. Him and I - we have to settle things once and for all anyways if I'm ever going to live my life freely. But don't worry, I'll be ready for him."

Blackmail. Now that was something Ambrose could understand all too well. His hand unconsciously went to the back of his neck and he let out a heavy sigh. "I won't be able to stick my neck out for you again, Levi." Ambrose said darkly as he continued to watch Vivien and Levi dancing. He was surprised by the tender look on Vivien's face. "Well, she seems to like you too. So what's the problem? Just ask her out."

Levi shook his head at Ambrose's blasé suggestion and a desolate look formed on his face. "Vivien doesn't like me. She likes Dylan Black."

Ambrose frowned. "Dylan Black? You mean the actor?"

Levi nodded grimly. "He took her to dinner tonight, and gave her a diamond necklace. It must have been worth thousands."

"And she accepted the necklace? Just like that?" Ambrose asked and snapped his fingers. That didn't sound like the Vivien he knew in his opinion.

"Well, no, not exactly. But when he put it on her she didn't take it back off." Levi admitted.

"Hmm." Ambrose paused the video and used his fingers to magnify the expression on Vivien's face. Vivien looked positively enamored with Levi, or was she just playing with both guys? Ambrose wondered. Vivien was his friend but...if she played with Levi's emotions like this, he wouldn't forgive her.

Another Scotch on the rocks arrived and Levi chugged it back. He was finally starting to feel something...a sense of detachment to the world around him. He liked it. Levi liked this \- things didn't seem so bad anymore. What had he been worrying about anyways? Oh yeah...Vivien and her date with Dylan. "Another." Levi slurred, holding his glass up.

"I think you've had enough." Ambrose said firmly.

"I'll tell you when I've had enough." Levi growled.

Another drink arrived and Ambrose was unable to stop his friend from drinking it - unless he wanted to start a fight. "Man, you better watch it before you just-"

Levi passed out on the couch.

"Pass out." Ambrose shook his head at the unconscious form of his friend and sighed. "Lovesick fool."

"Vivien." Levi groaned pitifully in his unconscious state...and a single tear trailed down Levi's cheek.

Ambrose watched as the tear fell and turned into a black pearl. _Whoa. Holy fuck!_ Ambrose caught the pearl in his hand before anyone could notice. He held the pearl in the palm of his hand and clenched his fingers around it tightly. Levi was feeling true sorrow. And it was all Vivien Tempest's fault.

***

Vivien was drunk. She barely participated in the conversation Dylan was having with her parents. They all looked so content, talking together like one big happy family. They didn't need her there. It was all so surreal - the dinner, dessert, and Dylan and her father smoking Cuban cigars together while acting like old friends.

Vivien's clutch began to vibrate across the table as her cell phone rang. Vivien opened her clutch and pulled out her smart phone expecting to see a little picture of Levi with the words 'Brawler Chef' beneath it as the incoming call. Her expression fell when she saw a little picture of Ambrose and words 'Patissier Prince' beneath it instead. "Ambrose?" Vivien frowned and looked up at Dylan and her parents. "Sorry...I have to take this." She said but they didn't even notice. The actress grabbed her clutch and moved to a quiet area of the restaurant before swiping her finger across the screen to answer the call. "Hello?"

" _Hey, Vivien. It's me, Ambrose._ "

"Hey, Ambrose. What's up? It's odd for you to call me so late, did something happen? This better not be a booty call." Her voice held a note of warning too it.

" _Ha, not this time, babe, and sorry to interrupt your date with Dylan Black._ "

"How did you know about that?" Vivien whispered into the phone as she looked around the restaurant suspiciously for signs of the paparazzi.

" _So it's true then. Look, I'm here at Ruby Skye with my pal Levi. He's completely drunk. In fact, he's passed out right here on the couch. F.Y.I - it's all your fault._ "

"My fault...?" Vivien furrowed her brow.

" _Well, he was moaning your name in his sleep so I just assumed it was, but if you don't care what happens to him I was thinking of letting the girls here take care of him. If you know what I mean._ " Ambrose's voice was dripping with sexual innuendo.

"What! You can't do that. Levi...he...don't you dare let him go off with some strange girls! I'll be right there. You hear me, Ambrose. Don't move!" Vivien yelled into her phone before she ended the call.

Vivien thought about telling her parents and Dylan that she had to go, but didn't want to risk them stopping her. The actress ran out of the restaurant and hailed a cab. She hopped into the back of the cab and told the cabbie: "Ruby Skye. And step on it. I'll make it worth your while."

"Yes, Mam!" The cabbie said happily as he pressed on the gas.

Levi could very well be in danger...if he went off with some strange girls there was no telling what might happen. What if they discovered his secret? He could end up in a lab somewhere. With that thought in mind Vivien told the cabbie to 'please hurry'.

It took six minutes for the cabbie to drive Vivien to _Ruby Skye_ , and he pulled up right in front. Vivien paid the cabbie generously, hopped out of the cab, and bypassed the line, going right up to the front entrance. She was about to walk inside when the bouncer put his hand on her arm.

"Hey, where do you think you're going, lady? You're going to have to wait in line like everyone else." The bouncer said in a stern tone.

Vivien turned to glare at the bouncer. What was it Dylan had said? Demand respect? "Do you have any idea who I am? I'm action heroine, Vivien Tempest!" She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

The bouncer blinked at Vivien before his eyes lit up with recognition. "Vivien Tempest. Wow...it really is you."

Several people in the line recognized Vivien too and began to speak excitedly about her and whip out their smart phones. "Oh my God, it's Vivien Tempest!" "Vivien! Over here!" "I love you, Vivien!" "Hey, Vivien look over here!" "Can we get your autograph?"

Vivien held her chin up a little higher and smirked.

The bouncer noticed all the fuss and quickly unhooked the red velvet cord. "Sorry about that Miss Tempest, go right inside. And sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused you."

"Thanks." Vivien said distractedly as she made her way into the club. She took off across the dance floor that was filled with people dancing to thumping techno dance music and lazer lights zigzagging across the floor. Vivien took off for the stairs, which led to the VIP area. She wasn't stopped as she entered and noticed that the security guards seemed to have been alerted that she was inside the club.

Vivien looked around and spotted Ambrose surrounded by a gaggle of pretty, scantily clad girls seated on a long couch. Levi was fast asleep on one of the other couches. _Levi._ Her heart was beating fast inside of her chest, but that was just because she'd run across the dance floor. Relief filled her at the sight of him. She stalked over to Ambrose, stood in front of him, and put her hands on her hips. "Ambrose, I'm here."

Ambrose removed his eyes from the cleavage he'd been drooling over to look up at Vivien. He blinked and a slow smile curled his lips. "So you came after all. Maybe you _do_ care."

"Why did you get Levi drunk?" Vivien demanded accusingly.

Ambrose raised a red eyebrow at her. "I didn't get him drunk...you did. Now, I have to go." Ambrose stood up with a beautiful girl on his arm. She had short black hair and pale lavender-colored eyes. Vivien noticed that the girl was wearing a sparkly, silver tube dress and silver high heels. "I have an important engagement to attend to. So you can either take care of Levi...or not. It's up to you." His expression was sly.

Vivien gawked at Ambrose. "I didn't know you could be such a selfish jerk, Ambrose." The actress rushed over to Levi's side and shook his shoulder to rouse him. "Hey Levi, wake up. It's me...Vivien."

"Vivien?" Levi groaned, "You can't be her. She's...with Dylan." The pain was obvious in his tone.

That pain made Vivien's heart clench inside of her chest. "No, I'm not. I left Dylan and came here to get you."

Levi's eyes snapped opened and he peered at Vivien, "Vivien?"

Vivien nodded. "Yes, it's me. Help me get you home." She said as she lifted Levi up into a sitting position.

"Sure." Levi agreed dazedly as he allowed Vivien to put his arm around her shoulders. He grinned dopily at what she was doing. "It's true what they say...if you drink enough you'll see the one thing you want the most. And your dreams come to life."

Her heart beat faster at his drunken words and Vivien figured it was from the physical exertion she was using to lift Levi. "Come on, Levi. I'm getting you home."

Ambrose watched Vivien intently out of the corner of his eye. It looked like Levi would be in good hands with her. He turned his attention back to the dark haired seductress he'd encountered at the club. There was something oddly familiar about her...but he couldn't place it. She was incredibly sexy though and really that was all that mattered. Ambrose planned to have a very special evening with the girl on his arm.

***

Somehow Vivien managed to carry all two hundred plus pounds of Levi out of the club and into a cab. "Cabbie, please take us to _Poseidon's Trident_ -"

"No." Levi objected in a groggy voice. "I don't want the guys to see me like this. So pathetic. I've never been drunk before."

Vivien frowned and hesitated. She pondered for a moment before she came to a decision. "The Fairmount Hotel." She would let Levi stay the night at her hotel room. He could sleep on the couch. They were a couple of mature adults, so there shouldn't be any problem.

"You got it, lady." The cabbie drove them to the Fairmount Hotel. Vivien paid the cabbie once they arrived, and struggled to get Levi out of the backseat. She put his arm around her shoulders and approached the front door.

"Welcome back, Miss Tempest." The doorman called as he opened the door for her and noted her charge. "Would you like help with your...gentleman friend?"

"Ah, no, it's okay. Really. I've got him. Thanks!" Vivien replied as she quickly made her way over to the elevator. She pressed the call button and the elevator arrived a few seconds later. Vivien guided the half-awake Levi inside and pressed the door close button. _Phew._ The actress let out a breath of relief once the elevator door closed.

Man, Levi was heavy! But Vivien was strong. She could handle it. Vivien didn't go to the gym almost seven days a week for nothing. Oh boy, her sister Audrey was going to kill her if she found out about this, but there was no way she could have left Levi alone in his current state. They were...friends. Yeah, friends...and coworkers after all.

The elevator door opened with a _bing_ and Vivien dragged Levi out into the hall. She led Levi down the hall and to her room number 2006. She fished her keycard out of her white clutch and used it to open her door.

Vivien helped Levi inside and kicked the door closed behind her. The actress dragged Levi over to the couch and dropped him down on it with a _whoomp_. He was so heavy that she almost ended up falling on top of him. Somehow her hands ended up on his chest and she peered down at him, her face just a few inches away from his own. She froze.

Vivien was about to pull back when Levi opened his eyes and stared at her. He smiled languidly. "I must still be dreaming." He reached out to run his huge hand through Vivien's silky hair.

Vivien sucked in a surprised breath and stayed still while Levi ran his hand through her hair tenderly.

"So soft...like golden silk." Levi murmured in an awed tone. "So beautiful. Blinding like the sun. I used to stare up at the sun from under the sea for hours and wonder...if I breached the surface would I be able to cup it in my hands." Levi cupped the back of Vivien's neck and brought her forward for a kiss.

Vivien was too shocked to resist or pull away. Or maybe, deep down she didn't want to.

Levi gently pressed his lips against Vivien's and after a minute released the back of her neck.

Vivien pulled back to give Levi a questioning look. Why did he stop? She wondered. Her lips were tingly.

"So that's what a kiss feels like." A boyish grin formed on his face.

Vivien's breath hitched at his words, and her eyes widened. "That was your first kiss?" _I was his first kiss. No freakin way._

Levi nodded as he reached out to stroke her head. "It was...delicious."

Vivien frowned, feeling lost and confused. "Why did you kiss me, Levi?" Had it merely been out of curiosity?

Levi blinked. "Why? Because I wanted to. Because...I think I love you."

Vivien's heart was suddenly hammering against her rib cage because...maybe she'd forgotten to breathe. Levi... _loved_ her? She swallowed thickly. Vivien wouldn't allow herself to get her hopes up. "Why do you _think_ you love me?" After all, Vivien was a practical minded girl. And she and Levi had only known each other for _days_. He simply didn't know her well enough to love her.

Levi frowned. "When I see you...my chest aches. My heart beats faster until I can barely breathe. And when I saw you with Dylan my blood boiled. I wanted to grab him and beat the shit out of him and break everyone bone in his body for daring to get close to you. I've never seen a woman that was as beautiful as you. Your hair reminds me of the sun peering down through the surface of the ocean. So blinding. So unreachable. So far away. Your eyes are like the sea. Peering into your eyes feels like coming home."

Were those butterflies in her stomach? No...her dinner must not have been sitting well with her. "You really think I'm beautiful?" Vivien found herself asking. She cringed at the hopeful note in her voice.

Levi nodded solemnly. "The most beautiful female I've ever seen."

"Why did you stop kissing me?" The actress asked breathlessly.

Levi's brow furrowed. "I know I'm not good enough for you. I'm not a male of worth."

"I think I'm the one who decides that. And right now...I want you to kiss me again, Levi." _Help me forget. Help me escape reality. Help me feel loved for once in my life. Help me to feel good enough._ Vivien demanded in her mind.

"Your wish. My command." Levi rumbled as he grabbed Vivien by the back of her neck and brought her forward for another kiss. As their lips touched for the second time, Vivien felt tingles again, but Levi still didn't move his lips. Vivien decided to take the initiative and began to move her lips against his creating a scorching heat between them.

Levi flinched as if surprised by what she was doing before he began to mimic her movements. He eagerly began kissing her back and enjoyed the new physical sensations he was experiencing for the very first time. Vivien ran her tongue over Levi's bottom lip, seeking entrance.

Levi pulled back and gave Vivien a questioning look. "What are you doing with your tongue?"

"Trying to French kiss you." Vivien smiled impishly.

"French kiss?" He tilted his head at her. It was freakin cute.

"You don't know what French kissing is?" Vivien asked aghast, and Levi shook his head. Vivien's eyes went wide. "Whatever. I'll teach you. Open your mouth a little for me..."

Levi did as he was told. Vivien pressed her lips against his and thrust her tongue into his mouth. Levi released a strangled groan at the feeling. The actress caressed Levi's tongue with her own, tasting dark spices. Levi quickly began to mimic her movements, making her toes curl. _Mmm._ Levi was a fast learner. _Oh boy._

Their kissing became more heated, passionate. Desperate. Vivien wanted to be closer to Levi, no, she _needed_ to be closer, and so she swung her leg up and over Levi so that she was straddling him on the couch.

Levi groaned at the feeling of having Vivien on top of him and her thighs wrapped around his waist. Her softness cradled his hardness. The merman's hands automatically came to rest on her hips to help keep her in place as they continued to make out. Levi tasted her. She tasted like sun-warmed sea grapes. To Vivien, Levi tasted like Scotch and another exotic, spicy, masculine flavor that was uniquely Levi.

Vivien ran her hands over Levi's muscular chest and torso through his shirt. Damn, the boy was as hard as a rock. She reached up to run her hand through his blue hair and was surprised by how soft it was. Vivien assumed Levi dyed his hair to get that sky-blue color and so had expected it to be somewhat fried. His hair was just long enough to be able to sift her fingers through it. His hair was razored on the sides giving him a bit of a mohawk. She couldn't help but play with his ear piercings next.

Levi's hands began to slide up her body towards her breasts instinctively, but his hands stopped just beneath them. His hands were trembling slightly but Vivien hadn't noticed yet. He pulled away and gave Vivien a questioning look. "May I touch you?"

Vivien nodded eagerly and boldly grabbed Levi's wrists before moving his hands and placing them right over her breasts. "Yes, please."

Levi gasped at her bold actions and his hips bucked upwards in response. He tentatively squeezed her breasts through the material of her dress. They were so soft. He worried about hurting her. Were all human females this soft? Levi wondered.

Vivien moaned in approval at his gentle caresses. But then Vivien realized she needed more...more skin-to-skin contact. Their clothes were definitely in the way. The actress leaned over Levi and began to take his leather jacket off. "Take off your jacket."

Levi nodded and sat up. He took his jacket off and tossed it to the floor. It landed with a surprisingly hard thud, but the jacket was probably heavy because of all those metal spikes.

"Now take off your shirt." Vivien demanded and licked her lips in anticipation.

Levi hesitated before he took off his T-shirt and tossed it aside. He was feeling oddly shy all of a sudden. Which was odd considering he felt that clothes were unnatural to begin with.

Vivien let out a purr of approval as she stared at Levi's chiseled torso. She reached out and ran her hands over his hairless chest, over his pecs, and down to his six pack abs. Vivien had never really paid much attention to his bare flesh before or perhaps she'd been avoiding looking at it because now she noticed a scar right over his sternum, and another scar on his stomach that looked like a shark had tried to take a bite out of him. _My battle scarred merman._ His skin was pale but appeared to be dusted with gold hues, and his nipples were dark pink. His nipples looked kissable and made her mouth water in a way that no man had before.

Levi remained utterly still as he allowed Vivien to explore his body with her surprisingly delicate hands while holding his breath. He'd expected her hands to be rougher since she was a fellow martial artist, but they were as soft as silk. Her graceful fingers traced his scars tenderly as if she were trying to heal them. It touched him somewhere deep inside.

Vivien grabbed one of Levi's hands and placed it on the back of her gown. "Unzip me."

Levi swallowed the lump in his throat and did as he was told. He slowly unzipped Vivien's dress all the way down to her lower back.

Vivien slipped the straps off her shoulders and let the dress pool around her waist to reveal her sparkly blue bra.

Levi must have liked her bra because he let out a groan of pure masculine satisfaction. "So pretty." The merman purred as he raised his hands to cup her breasts. "Soft." Instinctively, Levi knew to rub the pads of his thumbs over her nipples, eliciting a gasp from Vivien.

"Yes...just like that." Vivien readily approved.

Right before his eyes her nipples pearled at his touch. It was a delightful sight and for some reason it made the heavy rod of flesh in his pants even harder.

"Take it off." Vivien said at last. She needed to feel Levi's bare hands on her aching flesh. Right. Now.

Levi nodded and did as he was told. He reached around Vivien and unclasped her bra. Vivien removed her bra and tossed it aside with an air of impatience.

Levi's throat felt dry at the sight of Vivien's full breasts. Those perfect mounds of heavy flesh looked ripe for the plundering. And he was so ready to do some plundering.

"Put your hands on me." Vivien instructed.

Levi was quick to obey and placed his hands on Vivien's bare flesh and squeezed gently.

"Yes, oh yes." Vivien gasped as she rubbed herself against his hands, enjoying the feeling of his calloused fingers. He had the hands of a chef...or perhaps the hands of a warrior. His hands were so large. Powerful. "More."

Levi experimentally brushed his thumbs over Vivien's nipples and watched as they hardened even more. He had the strangest desire to lick her nipples and wondered if that would freak Vivien out.

Vivien threw her head back. "Good...pinch them...hard."

Levi blinked and pinched her nipples causing Vivien to cry out, squirm on his lap, and grind herself against him.

_Holy shit!_ Levi thought as her core rubbed against his hard length.

"Kiss me." Vivien said before she impatiently grabbed Levi's face with her two hands and smashed her lips against his.

Levi fervently kissed her back as he massaged her breasts. _Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this whole kissing thing. It's not so hard. I can do this. I can pleasure this female in my arms._

Levi released Vivien's breasts to wrap his arms around Vivien and pull her closer, so that her breasts rubbed up against his bare chest in a delicious manner. When their nipples touched and it was like a jolt of electricity went through their bodies. Levi's hands went up and down her back. "Mmm." He released a masculine purr. The feeling of having this woman in his arms...exquisite.

Vivien raised her hands to Levi's hair and tugged at his scalp. Soon even this wasn't enough. Vivien craved _more_. As they kissed, she lowered her hands to the waistband of Levi's pants. She unbuttoned his leather pants and began to slide the zipper down.

However, Levi noticed what she was doing and pulled away from Vivien. He reached out and grabbed her wrists, stopping her. They were both flushed and panting for breath, as they just stared at each other for a raw, heated moment.

Vivien could see her own hunger reflected in Levi's dark blue eyes but there was also another emotion lingering there, which she couldn't quite define. Fear? "What's wrong?" She asked softly.

Levi frowned as a serious expression fell over his face. "My friend Tristan told me that I should tell you that I'm a virgin and to ask you to take care of me."

Vivien blinked. "You're a virgin?" She asked, even though she knew that had to be the case if she was truly his first kiss. But it was still pretty unbelievable that a man that looked like him was still a virgin.

Levi nodded, looking worried.

Utterly adorable. Vivien offered Levi a reassuring smile. "You just leave everything to me, Levi. I'll take _very_ good care of you."

Levi swallowed and nodded nervously.

Vivien turned her attention back to Levi's pants, which she unzipped. "Raise your hips." Levi did as he was told and Vivien slid his leather pants down his legs. She loved how obedient he was being. It was crazy having a man as huge and powerful as he was under her complete control like this. It gave her this heady feeling.

Vivien quickly pulled Levi's pants off and tossed them aside. While she did this she also pushed her gown off her body until she was only in her panties. She couldn't quite remember when he'd gotten rid of his boots, but she didn't really care. Vivien crawled back on top of Levi, straddled his body, and turned her attention to his boxers and his obvious arousal. _Mmm, so big._ _Delish._ Vivien reached out and stroked Levi's cock through his boxers.

Levi hissed at the incredible sensation and grew stiff out of nervousness. His body was trembling and he didn't want Vivien to notice. He really didn't want her to think he was some kind of pussy or something. Levi dug his hands into the sofa cushions.

"Shhh it's okay. It feels good, right? Just relax." Vivien purred as she continued to stroke him.

"Yeah...it does feel good." Levi forced himself to relax. He knew that Vivien wouldn't hurt him. He trusted her.

"And this will feel even better." Vivien boldly stuck her hand down Levi's boxers and gripped his pulsating length.

"Fuck!" Levi swore and threw his head back into the armrest.

Vivien smiled devilishly as she ran her hand over his cock, slowly up and down, up and down. He felt like velvet that had been poured over hard steel.

Levi's hips bucked off the couch instinctively as he tried to fuck her hand. She ran her thumb over his tip in a circle and could feel the precum there. The merman groaned in response.

"Levi, I'm going to kiss you...right here, okay?" Vivien asked.

"Kiss...there...?" Levi's brow furrowed at the idea.

Vivien pulled Levi's boxers all the way down, revealing his enormous length. _Whoa._ As she freed his cock it slapped against his stomach. His magnificent cock was bigger than any she'd seen before. She figured it must be because he was a different species. His cock was also a dark pink color. It looked delicious with its plum-sized head, and it was as wide as her wrist. Vivien was practically drooling as she looked at it. _Yummy._

And that wasn't all. The little patch of hair at the base of his cock was sky-blue...just like the hair on his head. _No way...is sky-blue his natural hair color? Man, that's hot._

Vivien leaned over Levi and took him into her mouth enthusiastically, sucking on the tip first. _Mmm...sweet and salty._

"Christ." Levi swore as he punctured the sofa cushions with his claws that had emerged.

Vivien skillfully took Levi all the way to the back of her throat. He threw his head back in pure bliss. "Never...felt anything like this. Oh God." Levi groaned.

Vivien smiled around his length. _Wait till he feels this._ The actress began to bob her head over Levi's cock, up and down, up and down, creating a delicious friction. She gripped the base of his cock, that part she couldn't fit in her mouth, and stroked it in time with her movements. She couldn't wrap her fingers all the way around him and had to twist her hand to pleasure him fully.

Heat began to gather at the base of Levi's cock. The merman tried his hardest not to move. He didn't want to hurt Vivien by bucking his hips up abruptly. He used all his willpower to remain completely still as she pleasured him with her mouth, and ended up shredding the cushions.

When Vivien cupped his balls gently and sucked on the very tip of his cock - he shattered. A wave of immense pleasure crashed into him and swept him away like a powerful tsunami. He came, jetting his hot seed into Vivien's mouth.

Vivien didn't pull away but eagerly swallowed every drop of Levi's come. He tasted like no man she'd ever had. His taste was so sweet and salty...like saltwater taffy. Delicious. Addicting. She already wanted more, and just from tasting him she'd gotten so wet. So ready for him.

Vivien continued to suck Levi as his powerful body continued to tremble and his muscles flexed. Levi climaxing on her couch was a beautiful sight, and to have such a powerful man at her complete mercy was incredibly hot.

Vivien finally pulled back and licked her lips with satisfaction. Levi stared up at her with hooded eyes filled with admiration and adoration. "Vivien...that was...amazing...I..." _Is that how human sex is? Incredible._

Vivien put a finger to Levi's lips. "Oh, it's not over yet, big guy. We're just getting to the best part." The actress lifted her hips, pulled her panties off, and tossed them aside.

_There's more?_ Levi gulped as he looked at Vivien's bared sex. With the way she was straddling him he could see the soft, wet, pink folds of her womanhood, and her glistening entrance. _There's a hole...for my rod?_ It was so small...so tiny. There was no way he'd fit inside of her. Concern and trepidation swirled inside of Levi's chest. Maybe they weren't compatible because he was a different species? He worried.

Vivien put her hands on Levi's chest and prepared to impale herself on Levi's aching cock, which had already hardened again at the mere sight of her bared sex. She began to lower herself on top of Levi, and he gasped when he felt the tip of his penis brush against her entrance.

"Vivien...stop. It won't fit." Levi objected, putting his hands on her hips and preparing to push her off of him. "I'll hurt you." _Never want to hurt this female. Only want to protect her._

"I'll make it fit." Vivien challenged as she began to impale herself on his throbbing arousal. She gasped as just the tip entered and stretched her.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck..." Levi swore as he saw stars.

"I know...right? So good." Vivien pushed down and swallowed more of his cock with her body. He was really stretching her, filling her until it was almost painful. She hadn't had sex in a while and so she was super tight. But Vivien forced herself to relax and take all of him inside of her and made sure not to show her slight discomfort. After all this was Levi's first time. She wanted it to be special and memorable for him. And the last thing she wanted to do was scare Levi off of sex.

After a few minutes, Levi was finally fully seated inside of her. They were both trembling at the sensation...of being one.

"You see...it's all in, Levi." Vivien panted as she grinned down at him and gave him this triumphant look. _Never felt so full...so claimed._

Levi put his hands on Vivien's hips as he continued to tremble out of nervousness, fear, and more importantly love. "Feels so good to be one with you, princess. This is amazing. Sex is amazing."

Vivien grinned down at Levi. "This isn't sex... _this_ is." And then Vivien started to move over him.

"Oh fuck...!" Levi grunted.

Vivien raised her hips until Levi was almost completely out of her before impaling herself on him again with one swift movement.

"Vivien!"

Vivien found a steady rhythm as she began to move over Levi, up and down, riding his cock with abandon. She reached down and pinched Levi's nipples and felt his cock throb in response. "Your body is so sensitive...so responsive. I like it."

"Yours too." Levi groaned as he reached up to pinch Vivien's nipples until they were swollen red berries. He could feel her clenching around him due to his ministrations. The merman salivated as he looked at them and had the oddest desire once again to suckle them. He finally gave into that temptation. Levi put one of Vivien's nipples into his mouth and sucked.

"Levi!" Vivien cried out as she climaxed against him, pushed over the edge by the sensation of Levi's mouth on her.

Levi felt the hot rush of Vivien's arousal, felt her inner walls clamping down tight on his length, and this caused his orgasm to slam into him.

"Vivien!" Levi shouted gruffly as he came inside of her, his hot seed filling her insides. Claiming her. _Mine. This female is mine._ The merman thought possessively to himself.

Vivien collapsed on top of Levi, utterly sated and spent. Her mind was all fuzzy from sex and just the way she wanted it.

"Love you." Levi cradled Vivien's body in his arms protectively.

Vivien stiffened at the L word, but then forced her body to relax against him. For now she'd let Levi have this dream. Tomorrow he'd have to wake up from it.

_I love this female._ The merman thought before he fell asleep. Finally content.

***

The following morning Levi awoke feeling very satisfied. A smirk formed on his lips as he reached his arms out to embrace Vivien closer to his body. But his arms wrapped around thin air. Where was Vivien? His sleep-fogged mind wondered. Where was his woman? Levi sat up on the couch and that's when he caught sight of a fully dressed and showered Vivien running around the living room and grabbing the things she needed before she went to today's film site.

Levi's smile widened as he admired her. She was so beautiful. Irresistible. "Vivien."

Vivien flinched at the sound of his voice and glanced over at Levi. "Oh, hey, Levi, you're awake."

Levi opened his arms invitingly. "Come here." His voice was husky.

Vivien hesitated before walking over to Levi, but she remained just out of his reach. She frowned. "Look, Levi...about last night..."

"It was amazing." His dark blue eyes were shinning with raw emotion.

"Ah...I was drunk. I don't really remember it." Vivien said carelessly and without meeting Levi's eyes.

Levi dropped his arms and his happy expression shattered. His heart clenched painfully inside of his chest, making it hard to breathe. "What?" A feeling of dread washed over him.

"Look, last night was a mistake, okay? So let's just forget about it." Vivien said hotly with her hands on her hips. "Let's pretend it never happened."

Levi could feel his blood turning to ice in his veins. "A mistake? Forget? But...I thought you loved me."

"Huh? Whatever gave you that idea? I _never_ said that." She wrapped her arms around her chest unconsciously in a protective gesture.

"But...we had sex." Levi's brow furrowed.

"Just because I had sex with you doesn't mean I love you. It doesn't mean I belong to you either." Vivien's ire had begun to rise. What was with men and thinking they could own women? She didn't belong to anyone but herself dammit!

"But Tristan said...you should only have sex with someone you love." Levi's voice cracked on the word 'love'.

A flash of pain crossed Vivien's blue-green eyes but was gone in an instant to be replaced by coldness. "Well, I've never been in love, okay?" _My own parents don't even love me...so how the hell would I know how to love someone? Or know if I love someone dammit._ Vivien looked down at her watch. "Shit. I'm going to be late. I gotta get to the shoot. I expect you to be gone by the time I get back, Levi. The last thing I need is a scandal." The action heroine didn't wait for Levi's response - just left the hotel suite and closed the door behind her.

Levi clutched at his chest. His heart ached. _It hurts...it hurts so much._ The merman started to gasp for breath. It was getting harder for him to breathe. Vivien didn't love him. She'd just...what? Used him? For...pleasure? _Mistake. Forget. Pretend it never happened._ Vivien's harsh words banged around inside of Levi's head mercilessly.

Levi doubled over in pain and let out a roar full of sorrow. Hot tears began to stream down his face.

And as those tears hit the carpet they turned into black pearls.

To be continued in...Fish 7: Broken Sword

### Chapter 7: Broken Sword

Actor Dylan Black was _not_ a happy camper. Last night he'd graciously invited Vivien Tempest out to dinner, asked her to be his girlfriend, and had even invited her parents to witness the important event. Vivien - who'd been making eyes at him for days - should have been _thrilled_.

Instead she'd seemed...distracted by something or more likely _someone_. Dylan could easily guess just who that someone was too - Levi Devlin.

Well, to be fair, the only reason Dylan was presently interested in Vivien was because Levi seemed to be interested in her, which meant she could be one of the special human females he was looking for - a Judge.

Yep, you guessed it - Dylan Black was actually a demon. The reason why Levi and his little 'friends' couldn't sense his demonic presence was because of the enchanted black onyx pendant that he wore around his neck at all times.

Unlike Levi, Dylan remembered his past as a demon in Hell, and remembered Levi's past as a demon too. He also remembered their time as princes of the Seraphim, thousands of years ago. Dylan along with Lucifer and Levi were the first three angels to fall. At the time he'd gone by another name, of course.

Dylan knew that the reason Levi had turned against God and fallen in the first place was because of his hatred towards the humans and how they were treating the Earth. That's why it greatly surprised Dylan that Levi appeared to be falling in love with Vivien. A _human_ female. It had to mean she was a Judge.

And if Vivien were a Judge then Dylan wanted her for himself. The reason Dylan had turned against God was because he'd wanted more power and recognition of his greatness. He'd wanted to rule the oceans upon the Earth as a god. Whereas, Levi had only wanted to act as the ocean's guardian.

At any rate, once Dylan had fallen he'd been cursed by God - something he hadn't expected or anticipated. Dylan had been cursed into a monstrous form and forced to live in the rivers of Hell for centuries. Finally, he'd gained enough power to transform into a 'human form' - his current form. But it hadn't been easy. Also most of his powers had been sealed away by God's curse.

When Dylan had been an Archangel he'd had the ability to cause earthquakes and had also been known as Earth-Shaker. Presently, most of his abilities were trapped inside of him, at least until he was redeemed by the love of a Judge. Only a Judge could undo God's curse and return him to his former glory.

Dylan's 'master plan' was to get his powers back and to then kick Lucifer's ass. He'd use his earth shaking ability to lay waste to Lucifer's castle and all the lands in Hell that were under his control. Lucifer had lied to him, had promised him greater power and recognition. Armies were to be under his control and command. But the only thing he'd gotten out of rebelling against God was a cursed existence in the realm of Hell.

The boundaries between Hell and Earth were weakening however, and Dylan had been able to travel to Earth through a portal on his own, and hadn't needed to take Gabriel and Uriel's proffered deal - passage to Earth in exchange for his memories.

For the past twenty years, Dylan had upheld the human identity of 'Dylan Black, aspiring actor'. And with Dylan's good looks and acting skill it hadn't taken long for Dylan to become famous. When he'd first arrived upon the Earth, he'd sought power and prestige, and had quickly become jealous of the human celebrities. Human celebrities that were almost _worshiped_ like gods. Dylan wanted to be worshiped too and so had decided to become an actor. How hard could it be? He'd thought. After all, he was a charismatic demon with great cunning and devilish good looks.

Dylan had quickly gained his first role in a movie through an audition, and the rest was history. He rapidly became a famous actor and amassed a great fortune, which he quickly doubled then tripled in the stock market until he was now a millionaire. He even owned his own private jet, sailboat, and his own island off the coast of California, which was invisible to the human eye since he'd shielded it with demonic energy.

The island would be the headquarters for the new 'kingdom' that he planned to make on Earth very soon. Dylan always got what he wanted and right now he wanted Vivien Tempest. _I take what I want, when I want. Vivien, you will be mine._

Dylan parked his black Ferrari GTO outside of the Fairmount Hotel. He got out of the car and waited for Vivien to exit the building, knowing that she'd be leaving soon for the shoot. He'd already called Urban and told him that picking up Vivi would not be necessary. Dylan leaned back against his car in a casual pose as he awaited his new girlfriend.

A few minutes later, Vivien was exiting the building, looking harried. "Good morning, Vivien." He drawled in order to get her attention.

Vivien's gaze snapped to Dylan, and her eyes widened. "Dylan? What are you doing here?"

"Giving you a ride to the shoot, of course." The actor opened the passenger side door for her.

Vivien nibbled on her lower lip and hesitated. "Uh, what about Urban?"

"I already told him that you wouldn't be needing his services." Dylan's dark eyes glittered with amusement.

Vivien blinked. "I see." She sighed. "Uh...thanks, I guess." She stepped into the car and Dylan closed the door behind her.

Dylan got in behind the wheel, turned on the engine, and merged into traffic heading for the shooting venue. He looked over at Vivien out of the corner of his eye and noticed the hickey on her neck. His grip tightened on the steering wheel and his blood boiled. Anger swirled inside of his chest. _Surely not._ He took a deep breath, scenting Vivien, and sure enough he could still smell Levi's scent lingering on her. Vivien and Levi had had sex last night.

A dark scowl formed on Dylan's handsome face. _Levi, you'll pay for that, old friend. I've decided Vivien belongs to me._ "Where did you go last night, baby?"

"Oh...a friend of mine was drunk and needed my help." Vivien replied, deciding to stay as close to the truth as possible.

"Drunk?" Levi had gotten drunk? Wonders never ceased.

Vivien nodded. "Yep. But...he should be okay now. Sorry about ditching you last night."

Dylan reached out, placed his right hand on top of Vivien's, and squeezed her hand. "No worries. Your parents were pleasant company."

"I'll bet." Vivien's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, nothing."

Dylan continued to observe Vivien closely. She may have been wavering towards Levi but...she was only human. Vivien would choose him because according to human society he was the better man. He had more money and greater social status. Money made the Earth go round, as the humans liked to say. Twenty minutes later, Dylan was parking the GTO in a parking spot close to the shooting venue and Vivien got out of the car. "Go ahead without me, baby. I need to make a quick phone call."

Vivien poked her head back into the car and nodded. "Alright, thanks."

Dylan whipped out his cell phone and dialed the number of a private investigator that was in his employ. After three rings the call was picked up.

" _Hello?_ "

"Hello, Detective Harlock. I have a job for you. I need you to find out everything you can about Levi Devlin, owner of _Poseidon's Trident_."

" _Yes, Sir. I'll get right on that_."

"If you find out something useful...you will be greatly rewarded."

" _You can count on me, Mr. Black._ "

"Good." Dylan ended the call, exited the GTO, and headed over to the beach where he'd be filming yet another romantic scene with Princess Vivien.

The shooting went smoothly and then the entire film crew decided to head over to _Poseidon's Trident_ for lunch. "Ride with me, baby." Dylan said to Vivien.

"Uh...okay, sure, thanks." Vivien agreed reluctantly. The last person she wanted to see right then was Levi. How was she supposed to face him after what happened between them last night? Last night...had been a mistake. _Yeah, keep telling yourself that Vivien._

Dylan drove Vivien to _Poseidon's Trident_ and escorted her inside with his hand on her arm. Vivien was stiff in his hold. The actress looked around the restaurant curiously, expecting to see Levi in the open kitchen, but he wasn't there. She frowned, wondering where he was. Surely, _she_ wasn't the reason why he wasn't there.

Dylan and Vivien took a seat together at one of the tables, and he reached across the table to take Vivien's hand. Vivien tried to pull her hand back but Dylan only increased the strength of his hold. He wanted the chefs to see this. And they did.

Derek, Garth and Malakye watched as Dylan held Vivien's hand at the table and they all had varying reactions. Derek threw his cleaver at a huge slab of beef that was sitting on the kitchen counter. The gleaming blade went flying end over end, through the air until it imbedded itself in the beef. Garth destroyed the petit fours he was working on accidentally as he clenched his hands into angry fists. And Malakye dropped his soupspoon. Again.

Dylan had to suppress a chuckle at the chef's reactions.

The film crew also noticed Vivien and Dylan holding hands and began to talk excitedly. "So it's true then? You guys are officially going out?"

"That's right." Dylan spoke up loudly, so that everyone inside of the restaurant could hear him. "Last night I asked Vivien to be my girlfriend...and she accepted." He puffed his chest up proudly.

"Wow!" "Congratulations!" "You guys make a great couple!" The film crewmembers made various comments.

Vivien bit her lower lip to help her keep her mouth shut. She almost wanted to inform everyone that Dylan was lying. That technically she'd never agreed to be his girlfriend. But what would be the point? Going out with Dylan Black was everything she'd wanted. She'd just never expected things to go so far with Levi. Vivien couldn't meet the chefs' eyes. She felt so...trapped by her own choices.

***

Ambrose stood outside of Vivien's hotel suite with a cake box in his hands. The orange liqueur cake with white chocolate ganache was an excuse to visit and see what had happened between Levi and Vivien last night. The patissier was dying of curiosity.

Ambrose knocked on the door and waited. After a few minutes, he frowned. There was no response. Maybe they'd already left for a film shoot? He decided to use his keycard that Vivien had given him in case of an emergency and used it to enter the suite.

"Hey, Vivien...Levi, you guys still here?" Ambrose called out as he entered the living room, only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight before him. "Levi!" He dropped the cake box and ran over to his friend.

Levi was collapsed on the floor by the couch on his side, naked. "Hey, Levi." Ambrose called as he turned Levi over onto his back and shook him by his shoulders. No response. Ambrose leaned over and put his ear to Levi's chest, listening for a heartbeat. He didn't have one! "Shit!" Ambrose started to perform CPR by doing chest compressions and then breathing air into Levi's lungs. "Come on...you can't die, you stubborn bastard! You didn't even die when you had your heart ripped out of your chest!" Ambrose shouted as he practically pounded his fists into Levi's chest out of frustration. His eyes were tearing up, making it hard to see.

Abruptly, Levi's eyes snapped open and he coughed.

Ambrose sat back and let out a breath of relief. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes before Levi could see them.

Levi sat up, but kept his head lowered to hide his tortured expression with his bangs, and rubbed at his chest. "So...I guess I'm still alive. Great, just great." Levi turned to see Ambrose and surprise flickered across his expression. "Ambrose? What are you doing here?"

Ambrose reached out and put a hand on Levi's shoulder. "Hey, my man, would you mind telling me what the hell happened to you?"

A dark shadow fell over Levi's expression, and he stood up and looked around for his shorts. Spotting them, Levi grabbed his boxers and put them on.

"Hey." Ambrose stood up and followed after Levi as he began to pace across the room. "Tell me what the fuck happened." Levi remained stubbornly silent. Ambrose looked around the floor at Levi's discarded clothes. "You had sex with Vivien last night, right?"

Levi flinched at the remembrance. "Yes."

Ambrose's golden eyes narrowed at his friend. "What did that bitch do to you?"

Levi spun around, grabbed Ambrose by his patissier jacket, and snarled in his face. "Don't you dare talk about her like that!"

Relief flooded Ambrose's features at Levi's violent reaction. This man was more like the Levi he knew - not that broken man from earlier who was a shadow of his former self. "At least I can still get a rise out of you. But still...I don't get it. What went wrong?"

Levi released Ambrose, and clenched his hands into fists. "Nothing went wrong. Apparently, she was drunk. Vivien said she doesn't remember anything that happened between us. That it was a mistake. That I should just forget it happened. But I think...she just used me for her own pleasure." Levi tried to act blasé about what he was saying but the words were like daggers to his heart. He clutched at his chest in pain and collapsed to his knees gasping for breath. _Love fucking hurts._

"Levi!" Ambrose crouched by his side, "Shit." He put a hand on Levi's back and rubbed in a soothing gesture. "Hey, chill man, you need to realize something about human females \- sometimes they lie."

Levi stilled. "Lie?"

Ambrose nodded. "Yep. Vivien could be lying. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's a lie that she doesn't remember what happened between the two of you. When I called her to pick you up she may have been a little buzzed but she wasn't drunk. I've seen her drunk off her ass, man. And it ain't pretty."

Levi scowled at the idea of Ambrose having seen Vivien when she was drunk and vulnerable. He shook his head of such worrisome thoughts. "Why would she lie about it? I don't understand."

Ambrose shrugged carelessly. "Females are complex creatures...maybe to protect herself? I dunno."

"I would _never_ hurt her." Levi rumbled in a serious tone.

"But how does _she_ really know that? I know Vivi...that girl has the tendency to lie to herself. She convinces herself that she wants certain things but it's really what her parents and sister want for her. I'm not saying I know Vivien's true feelings for you, but when I called her and told her you were drunk and that I was going to leave you with some girls - she left Dylan and came running to pick you up so in a sense she chose you over Dylan in that particular moment. So...don't give up hope. But in order to win her...you're going to have to harden your heart against her, Levi."

"My heart is already in her hands."

Something on the carpet caught Ambrose's eye and he saw several black pearls lying on the floor. He leaned over and picked one up to inspect it. "I can see that." _He cried these tears...because of Vivi. Man, I'm so pissed off at her right now. She broke his heart and he almost died of heartbreak._ There were enough pearls to make a necklace.

Levi grabbed his pants and put them on. After that he put on his shirt, jacket and boots until he was fully dressed.

Ambrose dropped the pearl back onto the carpet. He decided that Vivien should find those pearls...just because. Noticing the Levi was fully dressed he spoke to the man: "I'll give you a ride to _Poseidon's Trident_."

Levi frowned at Ambrose's offer. Chances were high that Vivien's film crew would be going there for lunch, and Levi wasn't sure he could face her just yet. "Hey Ambrose, can I come over to your place instead?"

Ambrose blinked. "Sure, man. Let's play hooky from our jobs and play video games all day."

Levi frowned. "I don't know how to play video games."

"Man, you've been missing out." Ambrose shook his head in disbelief, and threw his arm over Levi's shoulder as he guided him to the door. "Never a better time to start than today!"

Ambrose drove Levi back to his apartment in his Jeep. Ambrose parked his Jeep in the underground parking lot and they rode the elevator up to the appropriate floor. Ambrose led Levi down the hall to his apartment, fished his key out, opened the door, and ushered Levi inside. He flipped on a light switch. "Make yourself at home."

Levi strolled inside and headed for the couch in the living room.

"Hungry?" Ambrose called after him.

Levi's stomach growled loudly in response. "I could eat a shark."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Ambrose sauntered towards the kitchen until he remembered that he still had a human female in his room. _Oh crap! I have to get rid of that dark-haired seductress first._ A smile curled Ambrose's lips as he remembered the kinky fun they'd had together last night.

Ambrose changed directions and headed for his bedroom. He entered and flipped on a light switch. And there sitting on his bed was not the dark-haired seductress he'd gone to bed with last night but-

"Maia? What the hell?" Ambrose frowned and scratched his head in confusion.

Maia was Tristan Savant's friend who'd worked for the incubus selling chocolate out of his mobile chocolate shop _Dark Heaven_. She'd also worked at _Poseidon's Trident_ as a waitress for a time. Maia was five-five, with long, silvery-blonde hair, and wide, lavender-colored eyes. Her skin was as pale as the moon. She had this ethereal quality to her...as if she might just turn into mist and vanish at any moment. Ambrose considered her to be an acquaintance of his...one he tended to avoid. He didn't do well with mentally unstable females.

Although that was probably putting it mildly \- the girl was completely nuts. She thought she was some kind of robot and Tristan had had a hell of a time getting the girl to eat normal food since Maia believed she lived off of electrical energy. But Maia definitely wasn't the girl he'd slept with last night, so what the hell was going on?

"Ambrose, what am I doing here?" Maia demanded in her usual droning tone though there was a fierce look in her eyes, and she had the cover pulled up to her chin to hide her naked body.

Ambrose put his hands up before him. "Hey, that's what I'd like to know. Why did you seduce me last night?"

Maia's eyes flashed. "Seduce? Error, error. I did not seduce you. Robots do not need sex. Therefore...you took advantage of me. You are a pervert." Maia picked up a sex toy that was lying on the bed and threw it at Ambrose's head.

Ambrose dodged the toy. "Hey...now, that's simply not true, babe. You were _begging_ for it last night."

"Liar!" Another vibrator was launched at his head, and then another. "Get out! Stay away! Pervert!"

"Hey! Shhhh! Lower your voice!" Ambrose waved his hands at her nervously. "I don't want Levi to-"

"You don't want me to what?" Levi drawled as he walked into the bedroom to see what all the commotion was about. His eyes widened when he caught sight of Maia. "Maia? What are you doing here?"

A relieved expression came to Maia's face when she caught sight of Levi, and she leapt out of the bed with the bed sheet wrapped around her body. "Levi! Save me! He's a pervert!" Maia said in her monotone voice. She leapt into Levi's arms and he wrapped his arms around her protectively.

A few months ago, Maia had been starving because of her fixation to consume electrical energy. That's when Levi had taken it upon himself to cook Maia food and then electrify it with his powers while Maia watched. Only then would she eat. Because of this occurrence, Levi had grown protective of the girl he'd saved and saw Maia as a kind of 'little sister'. Levi glared at Ambrose heatedly. "Ambrose, you slept with Maia?"

"What? No! I...came back here with a dark-haired seductress...and I woke up with Maia! I swear!" Ambrose put his hands up before him in a surrendering gesture. "I know that sounds crazy, but it's the truth." At that moment, Ambrose spotted the black wig on the floor... _what the fuck?_ He went over, picked it up, and spun around to face Maia. "You lying bitch! It _was_ you last night! You _did_ seduce me! Why are you lying about it now? Trying to make me look bad? Huh?"

Maia trembled at Ambrose yelling at her. "I didn't..."

Realization hit Levi like a semi, and he released Maia to stare down at her. "Maia, stay here while I talk to Ambrose about something."

Maia nodded. "Understood."

Levi grabbed Ambrose's arm, dragged him from the bedroom, and closed the door. He pulled Ambrose into the living room and only then did he let go of Ambrose's arm.

"Are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on?" Ambrose demanded and crossed his arms over his chest.

Levi sighed. "Tristan and I should have told you the truth about Maia sooner. Maia is a Sleepwalker. When Maia sleeps...Echo wakes. Echo is her alter ego. Maia is half-nymph and Echo is her nymph half. Basically she has a split personality."

Ambrose's eyes flared. "Maia...is half-nymph? No way..." The patissier sunk down onto the couch as the reality of what was going on began to sink in.

"Yes way. But even if you slept with Echo last night...Maia doesn't know about that and won't remember it. So don't hold her accountable for Echo's actions. Maia is innocent." Levi said in a firm tone.

"Hah! Just like Vivien is innocent?" Ambrose scoffed.

Levi stiffened. "That was a low blow."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry. Man...it looks like the both of us had some real bad luck with women last night." The patissier shook his head ruefully.

Levi shrugged. "I'm going to cook Maia breakfast. After all she'll only eat _my_ cooking since I can electrify it." There was a proud note to the merman's voice.

"Yeah, sure, fine." Ambrose agreed. "Whatever the hell that means." He muttered under his breath.

While Levi made scrambled eggs and waffles, Ambrose decided to bake some Madeleine cookies. The smell of the food brought Maia out of her room and Ambrose noted that she was dressed in the silver tube dress from last night.

_Silver._ Maia's favorite color as a self-professed robot. _I should have known._ Ambrose shook his head, feeling like an idiot. "It was the smell of the Madeleines that brought you out of your room, right?"

"Error, error. It was the scrambled eggs." Maia countered, taking a seat at the kitchen island on one of the stools.

Levi smirked as he set the plate of food down in front of Maia. He then held his hand out over her plate and summoned his power - blue electrical sparks showered out of Levi's hand and enveloped the food, but did not harm it. This was just for show after all.

_Ah, so that's what he meant by electrifying her food._ Ambrose thought. _Apparently Levi is able to produce electricity...probably like an electric eel._

Maia immediately began to dig in. Ambrose set the plate of Madeleines down next to her plate. "Try some of mine too."

Maia frowned at the food. "Error, error. I am a robot. I can only consume electrical energy."

Ambrose felt a vein in his temple throb. "You can't be serious? You're eating Levi's cooking but you won't eat mine? What the hell..."

"Don't get your panties in a bunch." Levi held his hand out over the plate of Madeleines so that blue sparks rained down upon the little cakes.

Maia picked one up, plopped it into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Her expression remained frustratingly blank.

"How are they?" Ambrose asked.

"Satisfactory." Maia drawled. "They'd taste better if I could erase you from my mind."

Ouch. "Satisfactory? This girl..." Ambrose ground his molars in irritation. "So what are you going to do now, Levi? You still want to hang out at my place?"

Levi nodded. "Maia can join us in learning how to play video games."

"I know how to play." Maia admitted.

"Ha! I seriously doubt that. I'm so going to kick your ass!" Ambrose challenged.

Twenty minutes later...

" _Nooo!_ " Ambrose tossed the game controller away from him out of frustration. "I just got my ass kicked by a _girl_. This can't be happening." He gripped the sides of his head in horror.

"High five." Levi held up his hand and Maia silently hit it.

***

Levi was in the middle of filming the scene where he was staring at the shore while gazing at Princess Vivien and Prince Dylan with this forlorn expression on his face. Only problem - he wasn't acting. As soon as the scene was finished Director Maverick yelled out: "Cut!"

Levi quickly swam to the nearby cove to dry off and pull on a pair of swim trunks. The merman made his way back to the stretch of beach that was the filming venue. But as he walked down the beach towards the director, he felt that all eyes were suddenly upon him and not in a good way. _What the fuck?_ Their glares were judging, hostile, wary...

Levi swallowed and looked down at his legs wondering if there was still a couple of scales left on his legs or something. They were looking at him like he was some kind of monster...and he remembered this look all too well. Had Vivien told his secret? Had she already betrayed him? There was a sinking feeling in his gut at the thought.

Levi spotted Vivien seated on a folding chair, and drinking a Gatorade with Dylan standing next to her. They appeared to be reading a newspaper that had half-size pages together. In fact, everyone had those strange, colored newspapers in their hands. Levi still didn't want to confront Vivien after what had happened between them. He was still raw. But Ambrose had told him he'd have to harden his heart if he was going to have any chance with Vivien, and so he approached her, determined to ask her what the hell was going on. However-

Audrey stood in his way before he could reach her. "Don't get any closer to my sister...you filthy, ex-convict!"

Levi blinked in confusion. _Ex-convict...?_

Urban and Teresa ran up to Levi, grabbed his arms, and dragged him away from the others so that they could speak to him. Levi saw that Vivien was trying to avoid eye contact with him, and felt a stab of pain in his chest.

"You need to see this, man." Urban handed Levi a copy of that day's _National Enquirer_. Levi looked down at the tabloid that had his picture on the front cover and the headline: _Levi Devlin...Merprince or Ex-convict?_

_What the hell is this?_ Levi opened the tabloid up and began to read the article that had been written about him:

_Millions of fans across America embraced Director Scott Maverick's last minute casting choice for the actor who would play the part of the merprince in the Disney remake The Little Merman when a video of Levi Devlin and Vivien Tempest_ _dancing in a fountain went viral._

Levi Devlin is a seafood chef and owner of the restaurant known as Poseidon's Trident that has been open for almost a year now. None of Levi's customers knew that Levi was an ex-convict, however.

Almost three years ago, Levi Devlin was sent to prison on charges of indecent exposure and resisting arrest. His prison sentence was for two years. Levi was discovered naked in a fountain in San Francisco and refused to put his clothes back on. He then resisted arrest and sent ten cops to the hospital with broken bones and serious injuries.

The handsome chef America has fallen in love with...is really a monster.

Monster.

Levi couldn't bear to keep reading. _Fuckkk._ He crumpled the tabloid in his hand and strode off, heading for his Harley. He couldn't stand to look at Vivien and see the judgment and condemnation that was probably in her beautiful blue-green eyes. Unfortunately, he did catch sight of Dylan Black's triumphant, arrogant smirk. _Asshole._

"Hey Levi, wait!" Director Maverick called out.

Levi ignored the man, stuffed the tabloid into his pocket, and mounted his Harley. He drove off, heading to _Poseidon's Trident_. Levi parked his Harley outside his restaurant about twenty minutes later, and strode inside. Derek, Malakye and Garth were in the open kitchen, and Maia was there too working part-time as a waitress, which she sometimes did. She was wearing a silver dress with a dark blue apron over top.

The chefs spotted Levi, noted his haggard expression, and immediately made their way towards him. "Hey Boss, what happened? Don't you have filming today?" Derek asked in a concerned manner.

"This happened." Levi pulled the tabloid out of his pocket and tossed the newspaper to Derek.

Derek unfolded the tabloid, took one look at the front headline, and frowned darkly. He immediately opened the tabloid and flipped through the newspaper until he got to the article about Levi. He began to read it while Malakye and Garth peered over his shoulders to read it too. As the chefs read the article they began to grow angrier and angrier.

"What the fuck? Who spilled the beans?" Garth cracked his knuckles in a menacing manner and his eyes flashed red. "I'm going to beat them."

"It could have been anyone. I'm sorry to tell you guys but...it's public record." Malakye grimly informed them.

"Oh, I _know_ who did this. It was Dylan Black." Levi growled angrily as he remembered the man's triumphant grin as he looked over at Levi. _That bastard!_

"Bastard." Derek swore, echoing Levi's thoughts. "Why would he do that?"

"He's dating Vivien now...and probably wants to make sure I stay the hell away from her." Levi grumbled.

Derek patted Levi's arm in a consoling way. "Tough luck, my man."

"We can't just let things stand like this though. We have to _do_ something." Malakye spoke up. "We have to fix Levi's image somehow."

"But how? Do you know how to manipulate that shit through social media, Mal?" Garth asked.

"Social media isn't really my forte." Malakye admitted with a small frown. "Massive multiplayer online role playing games are."

"Social media?" Maia piped up as she walked up to the chefs. "Tristan Savant has friends who are good with social media. We should ask for his help."

"On it." Derek whipped out his smart phone, called Tristan up, and told him to come to _Poseidon's Trident_ A-SAP. Once Tristan agreed he ended the call. "Tristan said he'd be here in fifteen."

Levi took a seat at one of the tables and put his face in his hands. He never would have cared about something like this if it weren't for the fact that he'd fallen in love with Vivien Tempest. Now he regretted his hothead actions three years ago...

FLASHBACK

Almost three years ago...

When Levi finally awoke with a newly grown heart inside of his chest, he found himself lying on a cold, stainless steel examination table. He sat up and looked around the operating room he was in and spotted a table with gleaming scalpels on it. _Time to go._ Was Levi's first thought.

That's when the door opened and a strange looking human female entered. She had incredibly messy, strawberry blonde hair. It looked like she'd put her finger into an electrical socket and gotten shocked. The female had a pair of goggles on her head, and was wearing a white lab coatdress with splotches of different colored substances on it. The veterinarian was also wearing a pair of black rubber gloves and a pair of black boots with buckles on them. Her blue eyes widened when she caught sight of Levi sitting up and she dropped the pile of towels she'd been holding. "Oh my gosh...you're finally awake."

Levi ripped the IV out of his arm, leapt off the examination table, and pinned the female to the wall with a hand wrapped around her delicate throat.

The female looked Levi directly in his eyes without fear and gasped out: "It's okay...I won't hurt you." As if she really knew that the reason he was lashing out at her wasn't because he wanted to hurt her, but because he was afraid of her. Levi let the girl go and stalked out of the operating room.

The girl collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. "Wait!" She rasped out. "We can help you. _I_ can help you..."

Levi ignored the human female's words. Humans were not to be trusted. He'd learned his lesson already during the past five hundred years. _Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me._ As he walked across the floor it felt like he was walking on knives. He looked behind him and saw that he was leaving bloody footprints in his wake. _Fuck._

Levi looked down at his body and saw that the girl had dressed him in what he'd later learn were a pair of boxer shorts. All Levi knew was that he needed to find the ocean and fast. Then he'd make his escape.

The merman sniffed the air, searching for the scent of the ocean, and caught the scent of a salty sea breeze. Levi crossed the street, jaywalking, and causing cars to swerve around him, their tires screeching against the asphalt, and honk their horns angrily.

Levi ignored the strange human contraptions. He continued his way until he entered some kind of plaza. He frowned...there was no ocean but there was this thing in the center of the plaza that was spewing water everywhere. _What the hell is that?_ He wondered.

Levi looked at the fountain and became mesmerized by it. He took a jerky step forward and then another as if his feet were moving on their own. The merman approached the fountain and in a hypnotized daze removed his shorts and flung them aside. He ignored the humans' gasps of surprise at his nakedness.

Levi leapt up into the fountain and put his head right under the spray. _Ah, pure bliss._ A few minutes later, the sound of cop car sirens filled the air. Levi ignored the loud, annoying sound of the sirens, and continued to bask in the feeling of the water pouring over his achy body. It felt so weird and strange to be without his tail. The water was soothing him, calming him...

Five cop cars parked next to the plaza, and nine cops and one police captain exited the cars and approached the fountain. "Hey you! Get down from there and put some clothes on!" The captain called out in an authoritative tone.

Levi glanced over at the captain and then continued to ignore him.

The captain bristled at Levi's behavior. "Alright, buddy, you wanted this the hard way. You're under arrest for indecent exposure. We're going to take you down to the station to book you. Ted. Go get that guy down from there." The captain motioned towards one of the cops while keeping his right hand on his billy club.

"Yes, Sir." The cop took out a pair of handcuffs and approached the fountain. He hopped up into the fountain and walked over to Levi.

Levi ignored the cop until Ted had handcuffed one of Levi's hands and was about to handcuff his other one together. Levi looked down at the metal restraint and then the man in the dark blue uniform. _Enemy._ The word flashed through his mind as he remembered the metal restraints that had kept him secured to the table that Agent Darkhart had put him on for his vivisection. Levi swiped his arm out. It hit the cop in the chest and sent him flying back several feet where he landed in the fountain with a splash.

"Holy shit!" "Did you just see that?" The cops who were standing around the fountain began to panic and several whipped out their guns out of fear for what they'd just seen. "He's resisting arrest!"

"Hey, hotheads, put your stinkin' guns away!" The captain barked at the cops as he strode forward and took command of the unusual situation. "He's butt-naked and obviously _unarmed_. So we're going to take him in unarmed, got it?" It was because of trigger-happy hotheads like these guys that cops got a bad name. The captain shook his head out of frustration.

"Yes, Sir!" The cops called out and put their guns away.

"Now go get him down from there!" The captain ordered.

"Yes, Sir!" The cops called out.

Four cops leapt up into the fountain next and approached Levi cautiously. "Hey, let's go, buddy." One cop put his hand on Levi's arm hesitantly. "We don't want any trouble. Just come quietly and no one has to get hurt."

Levi let out a feral growl as he slammed his arm into the man's chest and sent him flying across the fountain. The man fell into the fountain with a splash, and came up spluttering.

"Shit! Grab his arms! Restrain him!" The three remaining cops grabbed onto Levi's arms at the same time and held on tight.

Levi let out a roar of outrage, lifted his arms up with the cops still clinging to them, and spun until the cops could no longer hold on. The three cops were sent flying through the air. Two of them landed in the fountain, and the other unfortunate cop was flung out of the fountain to land on the ground with a hard thud.

The captain took off his police cap and ran a hand back through his hair. "Well, fuck me...what is he? Some kind of martial arts buff? The rest of you get up there. Use your tasers on this guy - all at once." He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. The captain didn't like to use undue force to take in a perp but in this scenario it looked like he'd have no choice. Contrary to popular belief, there were still a few cops out there who were trying to look out for the citizen's best interests. There were always two sides to every coin.

Four more cops hopped up into the fountain and approached Levi. They whipped out their tasers and held them threateningly in Levi's direction.

Levi's attention was fully on the humans at this point. _Bastards!_ They were already trying to capture him again. They were going to vivisect him! A shudder traveled down Levi's spine as he remembered what it had felt like to have his heart ripped out of his chest. The merman let out a ferocious roar and attacked.

Even as tasers were sent into his flesh, Levi punched and kicked the cops away from him. He cried out in pain as electrical shocks circulated through his body, causing it to shake. But his body could also produce electricity if he was scared or hurt...so ultimately the tasers were useless once Levi produced some electricity of his own to cancel out the charge.

The captain lit up a cigarette as he watched the scene unfolding before him. It was like watching some bizarre action movie. "That's it. All of you get up there. Surround him and tackle him to the ground. Use your billy clubs if you have to. Try and subdue him." _The guy must be on steroids or something. That or he's a mutant and the X-men are real._

The remaining cops hopped up into the fountain until all nine bruised and battered cops were surrounding Levi and closing in on him once more. They all wore similar pissed off looks on their faces and were itching for a fight. It was time for some payback.

Levi growled lowly in his throat at them.

"If you want something done right." The police captain whipped out his billy club. "You gotta do it yourself." He threw his cig on the ground and crushed it with his boot. He had to knock this punk out before his boys got tired of this bullshit and just shot the poor guy. And with that blue hair...the young man in the fountain was probably just some punk kid.

The cops all lunged at Levi and a fierce brawl ensued. Punches and kicks were sent flying in all directions, and bodies were being thrown through the air. Some of the cops weighed over two hundred pounds, but the blue-haired guy would just pick them up as if they weighed nothing and just toss them. It was like something right out of Hollywood. The guy was like superman. The captain whistled as he watched Levi pick up one particularly heavy cop that liked donuts a little too much, and throw him into his buddies, knocking them down like bowling pins.

And man, did the blue-haired guy's punches hit hard. It wasn't long before the cops were all sporting broken noses, missing teeth, and clutching at their broken ribs. One even had a cracked jaw. Things were going from bad to worse.

The captain leapt up into the fountain and circled Levi, waiting for an opening and waiting for his men to give it to him. And then he saw it.

Four cops had a hold of Levi's arms, two of them on either side. Levi's back was wide open. The captain closed in and hit Levi as hard as he could on the back of his neck.

Levi's eyes bugged, black spots swam in his vision, and then he fell forward unconscious into the fountain with a splash.

"Phew." The captain quickly pulled Levi's arms behind his back and cuffed the man before hauling him up out of the water before his boys could seek some kind of revenge. "I'll take him in personally." The other cops grumbled in response but made no move to stop the captain.

The next couple of days were a confusing blur to Levi. He remembered being held in a temporary cell at the police station and then he was taken to court. He refused to speak or even pay attention to the proceedings, which ended up landing him with a two-year prison sentence.

When they came to fetch Levi from his cell in the police station and began to drive him somewhere, Levi was sure they were taking him to a human facility where he'd be vivisected. That's why when he'd entered the prison and been manhandled into a cell with another inmate inside of it, and then just left there, he'd been extremely surprised.

"Enjoy your two years in Hell, punk." The prison guard chuckled darkly before walking away.

Levi turned to observe his cellmate and wondered if the male was a non-human like himself about to be vivisected by that human scum. Levi's cellmate was a lanky male with hollowed cheeks, and a wan complexion. His skin looked as dry as sandpaper. He had long, scraggly, dark brown hair with braids scattered throughout. The blue tattoos around his eyes and animal tattoos on his arms caught Levi's attention next. The man was wearing an orange jumpsuit, but so were Levi and all of the other prisoners.

The prisoner was reading a book and ignoring Levi until he felt Levi's persistent stare. "Sorry, but I'm not into men." The man drawled in a droll tone as he raised sky-blue eyes to meet Levi's gaze. The man's eyes widened as he took in Levi's unusual appearance - his towering height, bulging muscles, and long, sky-blue hair - dyed surely. The man's lip twitched. "Although for you I may make an exception, pretty boy."

Levi frowned as he looked around the cell at the bunk beds, toilet and sink in the corner. _What the fuck is this place?_ "What is this place? Are they going to vivisect you too?" Levi demanded. He would prefer they got it over with. Waiting was the pits.

"Vivisect?" The man closed his book and set it down on the mattress beside him.

Levi's hard gaze returned to the tattooed man. "Cut us open...remove our organs one by one. Study us."

The man sat up and gave Levi a scrutinizing look. "You're not human are you."

"No shit. What about you?"

"I'm...not human. Not anymore, at least. It's a long story. Anyways, what about you? What are you?"

"Like I'd reveal my weakness to a potential enemy?" Levi scoffed.

Instead of getting angry the man chuckled. "Hey, I like you. You've got balls. I'm Derek. Derek Dearg. What's your name, man?"

"Levi."

"So...what are you in for?" Derek asked. His curiosity had definitely been piqued about this nonhuman.

Levi blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You know..." Derek waved his hand through the air. "Why'd they toss you in the slammer? What did you do to get thrown in here?"

Levi shrugged carelessly. "Nothing...I was just minding my own business enjoying the water...and these humans attacked me."

"Water?"

"The water in this...strange human contraption that was spouting water in arcs." Levi tried to explain while waving his hands through the air in arcing motions.

"You mean _a fountain_?"

"I suppose."

"Whoa, wait, don't tell me you were naked?" Derek moved to sit on the edge of the bunk. This story was getting more and more interesting.

"Of course I was naked. I went into the water to cool off." Levi gave Derek a look that clearly said: 'duh'.

Derek burst out laughing. "Oh man." He laughed for several minutes before he finally managed to stop and wiped a tear from his eye. "Arrested for indecent exposure, huh? And let me guess..." He eyed the man's bulging muscles. "Resisting arrest too. You fought the guys who tried to get you out of that fountain, right?"

"Of course I resisted...I'm no coward. I defeated them all except for that one cowardly human who snuck up on me from behind." Levi clenched his hands into fists as he remembered it. What he wouldn't give to have that man before him now. He'd kick his ass.

Derek slapped his hand against the mattress in amusement. "Man! That sounds like it was one hell of a fight. I wish I had been there to see it."

"What about you? What did you do?" Levi asked.

A grim expression crossed Derek's face. "I...almost killed a man."

Levi raised a blue eyebrow at Derek. "That's it?"

Derek scratched the back of his neck and looked ashamed. "I...kind of bit out part of his throat."

"Nice."

Derek frowned at Levi. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to attack him. Because of my stupidity I lost my business and have to stay in here for two years. I'll never make it though...human food isn't enough to sustain me."

"Oh? What do you consume then?"

"Blood."

"Blood...human blood?"

Derek nodded grimly.

"My blood wouldn't work then?"

Derek shrugged. "I dunno. I don't know what you are. Why? You offering?" There was an amused twinkle in Derek's blue eyes.

Levi held out his right palm and willed his claws to appear on his left hand. Using the claw on his left index finger he scored his wrist and held his bleeding wrist out to Derek. "Drink."

Derek's pupils dilated. "Holy fuck...you can't just-" He lunged for Levi's wrist, and licked and sucked at the blood. His fangs lengthened but he resisted the temptation of sinking his fangs into the man's wrist. Derek licked Levi's wound until it closed from his saliva. He sat back, flushed, and panting for breath. "Fuck...dude, you can't just do that!"

"Why not?"

"I could lose control and bite you. And if the humans find out I'm a bloodsucker they'll kill me for sure!"

Levi dropped his wrist with an apologetic look on his face. "I see. Sorry."

Derek shook his head. "No...thanks, man. I'm good for a week now." Color was already returning to Derek's cheeks and they appeared less hollow.

Levi nodded. "I didn't help you for free, bloodsucker. I need your help."

"Anything."

"Tell me...about the human world."

Derek blinked but then smiled easily. "You got it."

Over the next several weeks, Derek taught Levi about the 'human world', telling Levi anything he thought the man should know so that he wouldn't get arrested again for something stupid - like breaking some stupid human law like jaywalking. Levi was a quick learner and good listener. Fortunately, he also asked a lot of questions and the right ones.

One day, during their recreational period, Levi and Derek were sitting on a bench together in the prison yard watching some of their fellow prisoners tossing around a football for exercise. That's when Levi noticed something odd out of the corner of his eye. A scrawny guy who had his face and hands covered in white bandages was being dragged across the lawn and towards the bathrooms by a group of five other inmates.

"No...please..." The scrawny guy begged as the prisoners lugged him across the lawn.

"What's going on?" Levi asked casually.

Derek followed Levi's line of sight and his eyebrows rose. "Oh that...I feel sorry for the guy, but it's better not to get involved, Levi."

Levi frowned. "What are they going to do to him...beat him up?"

"Something _much_ worse." Derek's expression was grim and he shuddered.

Levi rubbed at his chest where Agent Darkhart had cut his heart right out of his chest and then showed it to him. No one had helped him then either. Levi stood up and took off after the group.

"Hey, Levi! Where do you thinking you're- aw, fuck it." Derek stood up and hurried after Levi.

Levi entered the bathroom and made his way towards the showers where he sensed the men were.

"Hands up against the wall, kid, or you're going to get it." One of the prisoners growled at the scrawny man with long black hair. Their victim looked a little like a female, Levi thought. His protective instincts firing up.

Trembling violently, the young man placed his hands on the wall.

"Spread your legs." One of the guys sneered.

The young man did as he was told and the men all chuckled darkly in response.

"That's a good boy. Now stay quiet and take it like the good bitch you are." The closest prisoner said as he unzipped his pants.

Levi didn't really understand what was going to happen, but had a really bad feeling about it anyways. "Hey you, get the fuck away from him." Came Levi's low growl.

The five prisoners spun around to glare at Levi. "Or what?" Their leader spat. He was bigger and fatter than the others. He was at least six-four, three hundred pounds - a combination of muscle and fat with that beer gut of his. The man's head was shaved, he had a few gold teeth, and there was some gold bling around his neck.

"Or this." Levi lunged forward and sent his fist flying into the man's mouth, knocking out several teeth with that one blow. White teeth fell to the tilted floor with a strange clattering sound. The skinhead staggered backwards and fell over unconscious, bleeding from his mouth.

"Fuck! He just took out Baldo with one hit!" "No way, man!" "Get him!" The remaining four prisoners attacked Levi in unison. Big mistake.

Levi grabbed the man closest to him by his shoulders, bent him over, and sent his knee slamming into the man's face, breaking his nose. The merman tossed this guy aside and then stepped forward to headbutt another prisoner, knocking him out cold.

_Two left._ Levi lunged at another prisoner and sent an uppercut into the man's lower jaw with such force that he went flying up into the air and his skull hit the ceiling with a sickening crack. Bits of plaster rained down and hit the floor. The remaining prisoner, Levi just picked up and threw him right through the shower wall.

Derek, who'd had to provide a bit of a diversion outside so that Levi wouldn't get caught in whatever he was doing, arrived just in time to see the bloodbath Levi had just caused. Derek whistled through his teeth as he checked out the broken shower wall and cracked ceiling. Water was spewing out from the broken pipes that were now sticking out of the broken shower wall. "Aw fuck, we are so screwed!"

The scrawny guy was looking up at Levi with wide green eyes full of admiration.

"You okay, kid?" Levi asked gruffly.

Tears filled the young man's eyes and he went over to take Levi's hand. "Thank you...thank you...thank you so much!"

Some of the young man's bandages had gotten loose, revealing his skin.

His glowing silver skin.

Levi's eyes widened at the sight. "You...you're not human?"

The young man let go of Levi's hand and a panicked expression fell over his face. He looked around wildly, this way and that, like a trapped rabbit looking for an escape from a predator.

"Hey, it's okay, kid. Calm down. Neither are we." Derek spoke up in a reassuring tone.

The young man seemed to immediately relax at Derek's words. "Really?"

"Really." Levi nodded. "And us nonhumans should stick together."

The young man smiled tremulously. "Yeah."

"Shit...we gotta get out of here. The guards are going to accuse us of this for sure...and they could end up increasing our prison sentence." Derek warned the others.

Levi, the kid, and Derek quickly left the bathroom, and reentered the prison yard and tried to act casual. Derek even whipped out a harmonica and began to play a merry tune on it.

However, a few minutes later when a guard entered the bathroom and discovered what had been done inside he began to blow his whistle. Several guards answered his call and ran into the bathroom to see what was up. Medics were sent for soon after. When the unconscious bodies of Baldo and his goons were carried out into the prison yard the other prisoners couldn't believe what they were seeing. No one had dared to stand up to Baldo and his goons before. Apparently, the guy had connections with the mob or so he said.

"The blue-haired guy took out Baldo." "Fuck yeah." "Finally someone gave that perverted asshole what he deserved." The prisoners began to mutter amongst themselves excitedly.

"Okay, who is responsible for this mess?" A guard demanded as he approached the prisoners.

Levi was about to step forward, prepared to take all the blame, when someone else beat him to it.

A huge, almost seven-foot-tall guy with spiky, orange hair, fierce golden eyes, and a scar running over the bridge of his nose spoke up. "I did it." The man grunted.

"Why?" The guard demanded, waving his billy club at the giant in a threatening manner, although he didn't dare to get too close.

The man shrugged. "Accident. I was just moving around...and they got like that. Must have been in my way. Sorry." The giant smirked.

The guard sighed in a resigned way, as if this had happened before, and grabbed the man by his arm. "Come on, G, it's solitary confinement for you...again."

Levi gave the giant a curious look and grateful nod.

The giant nodded back.

"So what's your name, kid?" Derek asked the young man they'd just saved once the coast was clear.

"Malakye. And I'm not a kid...I'm just scrawny and weak for my age. I'm actually twenty-three. Well...at least biologically. Technically, I'm much older...but that's a long story. I've only been 'awake' for twenty-three years."

"O-kay." Derek dropped his arm around Malakye's shoulders in a friendly manner. "Hey Levi, I think we have ourselves a new weightlifting buddy."

Malakye offered the guys a timid smile.

Levi looked the kid over. "We have our work cut out for us."

To be continued in...Fish 8: Crafty Cat

Ambrose: _"Interested in trying my orange liqueur cake with white chocolate ganache? Go to http://www.yummly.com/recipes/alcohol-cake. Even smashed to bits it's damned good."_

### Chapter 8: Crafty Cat

After Malakye joined up with Derek and Levi in their posse, the trio was as tight as the Three Musketeers. Malakye started working out and lifting weights with Levi, and the merman even taught the kid some fighting and self-defense moves. When Malakye had asked Levi where he'd learned how to fight, Levi had been unable to answer. Somehow...fighting was just in his blood.

Levi had gained the respect of his fellow prisoners and there were no longer any rapes. The prisoners knew they'd have to deal with Levi's wrath if they tried anything fishy, and none of them wanted to get slammed through a shower wall. Literally. Even the prison guards had to cut back on their usual abuse of the prisoners with Levi around.

Derek taught Malakye how to cover his silver skin using white makeup, and how to look like a 'Goth' so that to the humans he wouldn't appear to be as suspicious as he did when wrapped in white bandages like a mummy. Or worse the Invisible Man. He also taught Malakye how to play the harmonica for shits and giggles.

One day at the state prison, during lunch in the cafeteria, Levi, Derek and Malakye were seated together eating. At this point they practically ran the prison and their fellow inmates made sure that the trio had their favorite foods during lunch. Levi was eating raw fish, and Derek a bloody, extra rare steak.

Malakye looked a little green as he watched his two friends eat, even though his face was covered in white makeup. "You guys...are disgusting." Malakye was a vegetarian and had a large salad in front of him with cherry tomatoes on it.

Derek shook his head at the salad. "Dude, salads are for girls. How do you expect to put on any muscle if you don't have the protein in your diet for it?"

Malakye frowned. "I get protein. Leafy greens, winter squash, beans and legumes are considered to be an excellent source of protein. Also green beans, black-eyed peas, lima beans, baked beans-"

Derek snorted and interrupted the list. "Beans, beans, beans. I'm glad I'm not rooming with you, buddy."

Levi chuckled.

Malakye flushed. "I don't..." He couldn't say the word 'fart' out loud.

A few tables away from the trio sat G, the big, almost seven-foot-tall man who'd lied and said he'd beaten up Baldo and his goons. G was alone until a couple of Baldo's ex-goons sat down at the table with him and began to harass him.

"Hey G, why did you stand up for Levi, huh? Are you eyeing his ass like the rest of us? Do you want to run your hands through his lovely, long, blue hair? I bet even a big guy like you would take it if it was from him." One of the prisoners mocked.

A vein in G's temple began to throb. Hot anger pulsed through his veins and red began to cloud his vision as the thug continued to spout perverted nonsense.

"Or do you want to hold him down and fist his hair?" Another prisoner suggested. "You're built more for topping anyways."

G clenched his hands on the table as he tried to get a rein on his anger. _I can't get angry. I must stay in control. Can't get angry. Must control my emotions...or else...they'll consume me._ G chanted in his mind over and over.

"I bet you could force him...I wonder which of you guys is stronger? What's wrong, cat got your tongue, G? Or you think you're better than us? Huh? You giant _freak_." The man poked G in his arm to get his attention.

Freak.

"Rawrrr!" The reins on G's anger snapped, he let out a roar, and swiped his hand across the table sending three trays of food crashing to the floor with a loud clatter. G stood up from the table and grabbed the first guy who'd been messing with him by the collar of his orange jumpsuit, lifted him up one-handed, and tossed him across the cafeteria. The prisoner landed on one of the cafeteria tables with such force that he broke it in half. Prisoners cried out in surprise and scattered, and more trays of food clattered to the floor in their wake.

G picked up the remaining thug and tossed him next. "Incoming." Derek warned as he stood up and backed away from their table. Levi did the same.

Malakye ignored Derek's warning, however, and got a thug topping in his salad for his trouble. Malakye frowned at the salad-covered thug and shook his head in disgust. "Can't a man eat in peace around here?"

"Food fight!" Someone yelled at the top of their lungs and all of the prisoners began to start flinging food and punches and kicks at each other. This was no high school food fight, and blood began to spew through the air.

"Now, who said that?" Malakye demanded looking around with a stern look on his face.

The inmates used the distraction to attack G en masse - all ganging up on the guy. G let out a roar as he batted them away with his ham fists. The guards had shown up at the cafeteria at this point and were trying their best to put a stop to the fighting.

However, the fighting became centered on G. G's eyes flashed red and orange fur began to sprout on his face, his canines lengthened into fangs, and his nails turned into claws. _Aw fuck...I'm about to shift._ G thought in horror, but he couldn't stop the wave of anger that had washed away his reason and that had all but consumed him. He lifted up one of the long cafeteria tables, held it above his head for a moment, and sent it flying into a group of prisoners and guards, sending them all crashing to the floor.

The pissed off guards stood up, dusted themselves off, and whipped out their electrical batons and approached G with menacing intent.

Levi had been keeping tabs on the shit that was going down. He'd also been keeping a short leash on his own anger when he'd eavesdropped on some of the comments those prisoners had been making about him. Levi hadn't understood half of the nasty things the prisoners had been saying, but he guessed by G's reaction that they'd been incredibly insulting.

Levi would have acted against the thugs too, but G had beaten him to it again. Levi knew that the guards' attack would only escalate G's anger and probably finish the transformation he seemed to be making. _I guess G is some kind of nonhuman too. And us nonhumans need to stick together._

Taking matters into his own hands, Levi charged towards G, shoving prisoners out of his way and sending them flying like a bulldozer. "I'll handle this. Stay back!" Levi shouted at the guards in a commanding voice. The guards obeyed and moved back. Levi charged G and rammed into him - body-slamming G to the floor. G was knocked onto his back and Levi straddled him. "Hey, G, chill man." Levi demanded as he punched G hard across the face.

G snarled in Levi's face and punched Levi back. Levi took the punch, and appeared to be unfazed by it as he glared down at G. "I said _chill_. I am not your enemy."

G blinked up at Levi, panting for breath, his enormous chest heaving, and the red slowly began to leave his eyes. The fur disappeared from his face, and his teeth and nails returned to normal. G was cowed by Levi's powerful presence and overwhelming strength.

"You good? Can I let you up?" Levi asked.

G nodded. "Yeah." His voice was as rough as sandpaper.

Levi got off of G and offered him a hand up. G took Levi's hand and allowed the other man to help him up. "Thanks, man."

"Just returning the favor." Levi said and then leaned forward to whisper in G's ear. "Us nonhumans need to stick together."

G's eyes widened like saucers at Levi's admittance. The guards surrounded G and the giant put his hands up in surrender. "Solitary confinement for you, G!" One of the guards barked.

G sighed, his broad shoulders slumped, and he hung his head in a dejected manner. _What's new?_ The guards grabbed G's arms and began to drag him away.

"Wait." Levi called out and the guards stopped. He picked up a blunt dinner knife and held up his long blue hair. With one clean slice he chopped off his gorgeous locks of sky-blue hair and tossed them to the floor. He then turned to glare at the prisoner who'd said something about G wanting to run his hands through Levi's hair. "No one is going to be running their hands through my _lovely_ long hair, you perverted bastards." He turned back to the guards and nodded at them. "Carry on."

G was smirking as he was dragged out of the cafeteria. _What a hardass._

Derek rushed up to Levi after all the commotion had passed and looked at Levi's hacked off hair. "Dude, _why_ did you do that?"

Levi just shrugged in a nonchalant manner. He could care less about his appearance.

Derek frowned and shook his head. "Don't worry...I'll fix your hair once we get back to our cell."

"Whatever."

***

When G was finally released from solitary confinement seven days later, he was taken back to his cell where he discovered that he had a new cellmate for the first time ever. G frowned. The guards probably thought that it would be useful to have someone watching him. They'd literally thrown the poor guy to the Big Bad Wolf. But the guy didn't appear to be too concerned. Perhaps he hadn't heard of G's reputation yet? G's new cellmate was stretched out on the lower bunk reading a _Playboy_ magazine and G couldn't help but wonder how the man had managed to get that thing inside the prison.

"Get in there, G." The guard shoved G into the cell impatiently, and quickly shut and locked the cell door behind him. "And play nice with your new cellmate...or else." The man chuckled darkly as he strolled away.

G's cellmate lowered his _Playboy_ to reveal silky, short red hair, and fierce golden eyes that resembled his own. The redhead sat up and grinned at G. "Hey there, I'm Ambrose Rune. It's nice to meet you." He held out his hand in a friendly manner for G to take.

G blinked at him for a moment and then stared down at the offered hand. A look of disbelief formed on his face. "You're kidding, right?"

Ambrose chuckled and lowered his hand. "You're as unfriendly as they say you are. You gotta name, big guy?"

"G."

"G...that's it?" Ambrose looked G over with a critical eye. "I think I'm going to call you...Garfield from now on." He nodded to himself, and looked pleased with his decision.

_What the fuck?_ "Garfield...?" More than five hundred years ago, G had just opened his eyes and found himself in what was now Scotland surrounded by a clan of fellow shifters. He had no memory of his past or explanation for how he came to be there. But neither did any of the other shifters. G had only been able to remember the first initial of his name and had henceforth been known simply as 'G'.

Centuries later, G and several members of his clan were captured by a fanatical priest who had the ability to force G and his fellow shifters to remain trapped in their animal forms through the means of collars that had magical runes engraved on them. Trapped in his animal form, which was that of a large tiger-like creature, G had been forced to fight against human warrior-priests in battles to the death for the sport and entertainment of other humans who bet on the fights. Sometimes the fights were a sort of initiation into The Order or a test of a warrior-priest's skills.

During one of these fights a skilled swordsman accidentally cut off G's collar, and G finally managed to escape the arena, vowing to return to free his fellow shifters. This battle had occurred during the 21st Century. G had known little of the modern world, however, and hadn't known how to deal with it. The sights had been overwhelming - the cars, the artificial lights, and the amount of people walking around on the sidewalks. G had attacked the cars out of fear and thrown them through the air. The cops had arrived shortly thereafter, and had subdued him quickly. G was lucky they hadn't shot him full of holes.

Garfield decided that he was curious about the man in front of him now. He didn't feel human. His Instinct was telling him that the redhead wasn't human. "Are you...a fellow shifter?"

A slow, sly smile spread across Ambrose's face. "What gave me away?"

"Your eyes...they're just like the eyes of those in my clan."

"Your clan?"

Garfield nodded. "My clan is in Scotland...well, a few clan members were brought here to this land against their will. I've vowed to return to them as soon as I have a better understanding of this world and how I can save them. I can't get my ass thrown in here again."

"Now, that I can help you with...understanding this strange, modern world, I mean." Ambrose offered.

Garfield's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What do you want in return? Just so you know I don't swing that way."

Ambrose burst out laughing. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm only interested in the ladies. Let's just say...you'll owe me."

Garfield nodded. "Fine."

"Anyways, have you seen a huge guy with long, blue hair, dark blue eyes, and a nasty attitude?"

Garfield's eyes widened but he tried to shrug casually. "Maybe."

"Good because he's my friend. I was worried about him when I found out he got arrested...so I got myself arrested in order to get in here." Ambrose smirked, and was looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

"You came in here on purpose?" G gawked at the man in disbelief.

"Yep...I picked a fight with a couple of cops. Kicked their asses and then turned myself in at the police station. It was spectacular. I know you wish you could have been there. So...is he alright?" A concerned expression came over Ambrose's face.

Garfield grinned, showing his sharp canines. "He's more than alright...he practically runs the place now. He put a stop to the rapes and he's gained the respect of the prisoners here. Even the guards are behaving themselves. No one messes with him, or does anything that they know will piss him off. He hangs out with a tattooed guy named Derek and a Goth kid named Malakye."

Ambrose was floored by this sudden turn of events. "Huh, maybe I didn't need to get myself arrested after all. So he's really okay? He hasn't dried up...like a husk or anything strange like that?" _I thought mermen would die if they were outside of the water for too long, but I suppose that particular myth was untrue._

"Dried up? No..." Garfield was giving Ambrose a look as if to say 'Are you crazy, dude?'.

Ambrose coughed into his hand. "Well, I'm just glad he's okay. He owes me one too, you see. Shit...I need to get us the hell out of here. This can't be good for my hair." He fingered a lock of his silky, crimson hair with a pout on his face. "And the ladies at _Ruby Skye_ are probably missing me already."

"You mean...escape?"

Ambrose nodded. "Possibly. I'll talk to Levi about it when I see him during our recreational period."

"If you guys decide to make a break for it...take me with you." Garfield requested with a fierce look on his face.

Ambrose looked surprised but then nodded. "Sure thing, man."

***

Later that day, during recreational period, Ambrose and Garth searched the lawn for Levi and spotted him throwing a football to Malakye and Derek.

_Unreal._ Ambrose thought as he strolled over to the three guys, followed by Garfield. "Yo Levi!" He called out in a friendly manner and waved his hand enthusiastically.

Levi caught the football, turned towards Ambrose, and his eyes widened when he recognized him. " _You!_ "

Ambrose threw his arm around Levi's shoulders. "How you doing, man? I was so worried about you that I had myself arrested!"

Levi brushed Ambrose's arm off his shoulders and shot the man a suspicious look. "What the...? Are you crazy? You got yourself arrested to check on me? You don't even know me."

A hurt look flashed across Ambrose's face. "So cruel. Is this how you treat the man who rescued you from being vivisected?"

Levi crossed his arms over his broad chest. "What do you want, Ambrose?"

Ambrose pouted. "I'm just visiting my friend."

Levi rolled his eyes. "We're not friends. Why are you _really_ here, Ambrose?"

Ambrose's eyes flashed. "I'm protecting my investment. You owe me one, Levi. I saved your life."

Levi sighed and nodded. "I know. Come to collect already?"

"No, not yet...but one day. So..." Ambrose rubbed his hands together. "Let's start planning our escape."

"Escape?" Levi frowned.

"You can't really be planning on staying in _here_?" Ambrose scoffed and waved his hand around the prison yard. "Besides, orange is so not your color."

Derek smoothly moved next to Levi. "Levi, it would be highly unwise to break out of prison. Your fingerprints are already on file. Escaping would make you an escaped convict and make it incredibly hard for you to start a new life among the humans."

"Well, you heard the man, Ambrose. No escaping." Levi said firmly.

Ambrose's attention zeroed in on Derek and his eyes narrowed. "And who the hell does this smartass guy think he is? Your new best friend?"

"He doesn't _think_ he's my friend. Derek _is_ my friend." Levi announced.

Ambrose looked strangely hurt by Levi's words. "I see...this is ridiculous. What do you even plan to do when you're let out of here? You have no skills."

"Derek, Malakye and I have already been discussing this issue. We've decided to open some sort of business together." Levi revealed.

"And where do you expect to get the money for that kind of venture, huh?" Ambrose demanded.

"The ocean floor is filled with gold from human shipwrecks." Levi smirked as he thought about all of the shipwrecks he'd encountered during his lifetime. He also had a very good memory and knew exactly where they were. "And I know where to find it."

"Ah, guys..." Malakye shyly spoke up. "I had an idea about that actually. One of the guards told me that there's a chef who is going to start giving cooking lessons here at the prison. His name is Chef Burns. We should sign up for the classes. We could become certified chefs."

"Learn how to cook?" Derek stroked his chin in thought, "Sounds like a good idea."

Levi nodded in agreement. "I would be interested in learning as well."

"You guys can't be serious." Ambrose shook his head. "You want to learn how to make money the _hard way_? With your superhuman strength and special abilities.... I could find you guys mercenary work. Easy money. Under the table money." He rubbed his index finger and thumb together at them.

"Is that what you are? A mercenary?" Levi asked with raised eyebrows.

Ambrose nodded stiffly.

Levi's expression darkened. "Don't tell me you're working for Agent Darkhart?"

"Not by choice." Ambrose muttered darkly to himself and shook his head of such dour thoughts. "I mean...that's really none of your goddamned business. I make my money - how I make my money. How else do you expect a demon like me to live among humans?" He hissed angrily.

"You learn to blend in, man." Derek piped up. "But you have to make the effort first."

"You guys should take the class with us." Malakye said amiably to Ambrose and Garfield.

Garfield frowned as he considered the offer. "I would but I can't control my strength."

Levi reached out and squeezed G's shoulder. "I'll help you learn control."

Garfield shot Levi a grateful look. "Thanks, man."

"Chef Burns will also teach baking." Malakye told Ambrose.

"Baking?" Ambrose scoffed. "Like I'd learn to do something so sissy."

Afterwards, Levi, Malakye, Derek, Garfield and Ambrose signed up to take cooking and baking lessons from Chef Burns. For the rest of their prison sentence they worked hard on perfecting their cooking and baking skills. Levi became a certified chef, as did Malakye and Derek. Garfield and Ambrose both became certified bakers and confectioners.

After their two-year sentence had passed, Levi, Derek, Malakye and Garfield had decided to open a seafood restaurant together. During their grand opening, Ambrose returned Levi's trident, which Dr. Sasha Robinovitch had been keeping safe for him. Levi thanked Ambrose by giving him the money to buy his own truck so that he could open up a mobile bakery. In this manner, Patissier Prince, Ambrose Rune had been born.

END OF FLASHBACK

The sound of the door to _Poseidon's Trident_ opening roused Levi from his recollections of the past. He was not ashamed of his time in prison. He'd learned a lot from Chef Burns, and had been given the rare opportunity for a fresh start.

Tristan Savant entered the restaurant and sauntered over to the chefs and Maia. "Hey guys. Maia. What's with all the long faces?"

Levi and the chefs quickly explained to Tristan what had happened, and how Levi's reputation was currently down the tubes.

Tristan nodded solemnly in understanding. "Well, that sucks. And let me guess, you want me to help with damage control. Am I right? Good thing I have friends in high places a.k.a Rachel Diamond CEO of _Epic Taste Magazine_ and Power Blogger and Writer, Becca Thorn. Let me talk to the girls, and see what they can do to help fix your image, Levi."

Levi gave Tristan a thankful look, and put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Thanks, Tristan, I wouldn't even care about my reputation if it weren't for..." He swallowed as the name became lodged in his throat.

"Vivien." Tristan filled in the obvious blank. "Don't worry, my man. I feel you. We'll fix this. Together." He reached out to squeeze Levi's shoulder in return.

Tristan called Rachel and then Becca, and told both girls about what had happened to Levi. Both girls had dined at _Poseidon's Trident_ in the past, and Levi had made a good impression on both of them. They immediately offered to help Levi in any way they could.

Levi, Tristan and the rest sat at one of the tables and just waited. An hour later, Rachel called Tristan back. "Hey Rach. Let me put you on speaker." Tristan tapped a button on his phone. "Okay, shoot. You come up with any ideas?"

" _Better than. I spoke to my friend, Chef Ramsay. He's getting ready to film the last episode of this season of Hell's Kitchen. I told him all about Levi, and Chef Ramsay admitted that he's been to eat at Levi's restaurant before and that he was truly impressed by Levi's skills. He's also aware of how Levi was cast to play the merprince, and feels bad that Levi's past was brought up in such a negative way._

" _Chef Ramsay wants to invite Levi to participate in the last episode of Hell's Kitchen as a special guest. It will be a great twist. Levi will participate in the competition and cook against the two final chefs. Hell's Kitchen will be split into not two but three different restaurants. Since Levi already has his own restaurant...the two chefs will be competing against Levi for the best customer response. And the prize of getting to be Chef Ramsay's next Head Chef will still go to one of the other chefs._

" _To make things even more interesting, Chef Ramsay wants to have Levi create his dishes from the 'leftover ingredients' of the other chefs. Apparently, there was something Levi told Chef Ramsay that really made an impression on him - something about how no part of the fish should be wasted. Do you think Levi would be up for the challenge?"_ Rachel asked.

"Who the hell is Chef Ramsay and what's _Hell's Kitchen_?" Levi asked in a low voice that Rachel couldn't hear.

Levi's comment was met with laughter. The merman _really_ needed to start watching TV. "It's a cooking competition television show. Chef Gordon Ramsay is pretty famous, Levi. If you manage to get a positive response on the show you'd probably also get the chance to tell your story - _your way_." Derek explained.

Levi nodded in understanding. "I'll do it." He spoke loudly enough for Rachel to hear his response.

" _Excellent_." Rachel said happily.

"What about the handicap? Using the leftovers of the other chefs to create your impromptu menu." Tristan asked concernedly. "Will you really be able to do that?"

A confident smirk formed on Levi's face. "That shouldn't be a problem. Not for me. You'd be surprised by just how wasteful humans tend to be when they're cooking and how much actual food is left over. The ingredients they think of as rubbish...can be transformed into exquisite dishes."

Tristan nodded in understanding. "Alright then. Good luck."

***

For the final episode of _Hell's Kitchen_ there were two chefs competing against each other - Emma Lewis and Bernardo Rossi. Emma's dream was to open up her own bakery someday and Bernardo wanted to open his very own Italian restaurant, following in his father's footsteps.

Emma and Bernardo had a brigade of chefs made up of their former competitors on the show. These chefs were in charge of different stations: fish, meat, garnish, and appetizer.

Emma and Bernardo were competing for the chance to be Chef Ramsay's next Head Chef at his new restaurant in Las Vegas! However, when Emma and Bernardo entered _Hell's Kitchen_ it was to discover that the restaurant had been split into not just two, but _three_ different restaurants.

_What the hell?_ Both Emma and Bernardo thought at the same time.

"What's going on?" Emma asked Chef Ramsay.

"Today's Season Finale has a special twist and one final challenge for you both to overcome. We have a special guest today and a very special competitor - the owner of _Poseidon's Trident_ , seafood chef, Levi Devlin! Also known as The Brawler Chef!"

"Levi Devlin?" Emma's eyes turned into two pink hearts. "He's here?" She looked around _Hell's Kitchen_ excitedly, and began to smooth back her hair that had been pulled back into a tight bun. "He's going to be _here_? Really? I thought he was busy filming _The Little Merman_?" _I wonder if I'll be able to get his autograph._

"He _was_ but there's that scandal about him, you know?" Bernardo piped up. "About how he's an ex-convict. Maybe the filming has been stopped because of it." He laughed cruelly.

Chef Ramsay nodded grimly. "Sadly, you're right, Bernardo. Filming has been temporarily postponed because of the scandal. That's why Levi is competing against you both today in order to win the chance to tell his side of the story. But he'll only get to do this if he beats the two of you by having the highest percentage of customers wanting to eat his food again. As you know this will be calculated from the customer comment cards."

"Wait, what about the position of Head Chef?" Bernardo asked worriedly and with a slight tinge of anger in his voice. He'd already made it this far and was ready to beat Emma. The last thing he needed was another hurdle to overcome.

"Either you or Emma will be winning that. Levi is just fighting for the chance to speak out and to show his skills as a chef. Before you guys get too worried, Levi has another handicap. He has to come up with a menu on the spot using the leftover ingredients from the two of you after you've sent out each dish." Chef Ramsay explained.

Emma frowned at the unfair handicap. "He's going to use our leftover ingredients." She shook her head. "That's crazy."

"He doesn't stand a chance." Bernardo chuckled and looked pleased. "I almost feel sorry for the ex-convict. _Almost_." The Italian-American cracked his knuckles. "But I'm the one who's going to be winning this thing!"

"No, I am!" Emma objected with a fierce look in her blue eyes. Emma may have been a simple country girl from Nashville, Tennessee, but she was ready to give it her all in the competition today. Back in her hometown, she'd always won the pie baking contests and had a passion for cooking.

"I'm glad you're both so enthusiastic about this. Let's bring out your brigades, shall we?" Chef Ramsay said with an amused smirk on his face. Emma and Bernardo's brigades entered the two kitchens, and took their places at their assigned stations.

"Now, let's introduce Levi Devlin and his line chef brigade - Derek Dearg, Malakye Sterling and Garth Mackenzie!" Chef Ramsay announced in a loud voice.

Directly across from the two kitchens on the other side of _Hell's Kitchen_ \- a makeshift kitchen had been set up as well as a small restaurant. From a side door, Levi, Derek, Malakye, and Garth emerged into the open kitchen. Levi took his place at the fish station, and Derek took his place behind the meat station. Malakye would be covering garnish and appetizers while Garth would be handling dessert. Apparently, Levi would not only be supervising his line chefs, but cooking with them.

Emma's eyes sparkled as she caught sight of the handsome chefs. "It's hottie overload over there." She began to fan herself with her hand.

Bernardo rolled his eyes at Emma. "Oh brother...they look like musicians in a rock band - not chefs." _Those flashy punks don't stand a chance. I'll make sure to leave them barely anything to work with._

***

Action heroine, Vivien Tempest wasn't sure why Dylan _and_ her sister Audrey had just shown up out of the blue at her hotel suite at the Fairmount Hotel. They'd claimed that they wanted to have dinner with her and that Dylan was going to cook her something special - but she wasn't buying it.

Vivien had raised an eyebrow at Dylan's announcement. " _You_ know how to cook?" She was pretty sure the man had his own personal chef.

Dylan's smile was smooth. "There isn't anything I can't do."

"Uh huh." Vivien gave Dylan a skeptical look. _He's looking down on cooking. It's not as easy and some might think. It will be hard for him to top Levi's cooking. Stop thinking about Levi, Vivien._

Thirty minutes later...

Vivien sniffed the air. "Uh...Dylan...it smells like something's burning."

"Oh crap!" The actor swore and ran for the kitchen. The sound of the oven being opened and closed was heard. Then more swearing.

Vivien giggled. Dylan had screwed up cooking her dinner but she didn't mind. In fact, the whole occurrence made Dylan seem more human, more approachable, and less like the unreachable celebrity she still tended to view him as.

Audrey gave her a disapproving look. "Don't be so ungrateful. Dylan Black is cooking dinner for the likes of _you_."

Vivien gave her sister a sly look. "I know...so why are you here too? You do realize you're like a total third wheel on our romantic dinner, right?"

Audrey flushed. "I...I..."

However, before Audrey could form an appropriate response, Vivien's cell phone rang. Vivien pulled out her smart phone and saw that Teresa was calling her. She swiped the screen and answered the call. "Hey, Teresa, what's up?"

" _Hey girl, Director Maverick forgot to tell you about a change he made to the script. I have the altered script right here for you. But I'm kind of in a hurry, think you could meet me in the lobby?_ "

"A script change? I'll be right there." Vivien ended the call. "Sis, Teresa needs me to go down and pick up an altered script. She's in a hurry so she's in the lobby. I'll be right back." Vivien stood up.

Audrey reached out and quickly grabbed Vivien's wrist. "No, wait!"

Vivien gave her sister a curious look. "What is it?"

"Uh...never mind." Audrey forced herself to let go of Vivien. "Be quick about it." She huffed. "You don't want to keep Dylan waiting, do you?"

"Right." Vivien gave her sister a strange look before heading down to the lobby. She spotted Teresa and waved. "Hey Teresa."

"Vivien!" Teresa called out and that's when Vivien noted that Urban was standing next to her.

"What's going on, guys?" Vivien asked them suspiciously.

"It's Levi. He's going to be on the final episode of _Hell's Kitchen_ tonight as a guest star." Teresa revealed hurriedly.

"What? This is the first I'm hearing about this." Vivien frowned. _Is this what Audrey and Dylan were trying to keep from me?_

"That's probably because your sister and Dylan didn't want you to know." Teresa said echoing Vivien's inner thoughts. "Levi is working hard to fix his image so he can continue to play the role of the merprince alongside you, Vivien."

"Levi." Vivien had assumed that everything was over between them. She'd been blackmailing Levi after all to be in the movie and with the scandal about him being an ex-convict if Director Maverick decided to fire him he'd be free...so why? Why was Levi trying to stay a part of the movie? It couldn't be because of her...right? _This doesn't make any sense. This can't be because of me, right?_

Vivien's mind was whirling with questions. Levi hadn't really meant what he'd said...about being in love with her, right? Besides, that was impossible. No one fell in love that fast.

"If he wins the best customer response with the most customers saying they'd return to his restaurant then he'll be given the chance to tell his side of the story." The bodyguard explained while keeping an eye out for signs of Audrey or Dylan. If they appeared abruptly, he was prepared to pick up Vivien and more or less kidnap her. Right now, she needed to be at _Hell's Kitchen_.

"I know you're dating Dylan and all, but...Levi is still your friend, right? Shouldn't you be there for him tonight? I think he needs your support, girl." Teresa advised while giving Vivien an urgent look.

Vivien chewed on her lower lip, hesitating. Levi and her having sex...had been a huge mistake. She barely remembered it because she'd been so drunk. Levi wasn't the guy for her. Dylan was. Dylan was the perfect guy. He had money, social status, good looks and the approval of her parents.

Whereas Levi was...just the owner of a restaurant, had awful social status because of the whole ex-convict thing _and_ to top it all off Levi wasn't even _human_. He was a merman. A different _species_.

All Vivien wanted was to have a 'normal life' with a husband her parents accepted and a couple of kids she'd name after celebrities. Could she and Levi even reproduce? Probably not. And if she did have Levi's child - he'd be a freak. He'd probably have gills or webbed feet or something. It would be like having an alien's baby. She shuddered as she remembered a scene from some horror film.

But...

Despite all that...

When Vivien pictured Levi in her mind her heart beat a little faster. Levi was just so incredibly handsome and otherworldly with his sky-blue hair that had to be natural since the curtains matched the drapes. His deep blue eyes reminded her of the deep sea. The merman's skin was pale but with golden hues just beneath the surface. His body was amazing, and incredibly muscular, but not too bulky.

And how could she forget his cock. Wow. She'd never seen anything like it. It was dark pink and huge. She couldn't forget what Levi had looked like aroused. Vivien salivated at the mere memory. She also couldn't forget what he'd looked like when he came - his hips undulating off the couch, his glorious muscles flexing and straining.

Beautiful. Powerful. Animalistic. Male.

_I don't love him...I'm just...worried about him._ Vivien said firmly to herself. _And we're friends. Coworkers._ She looked up at Teresa and Urban who were patiently waiting for her response. Vivien knew she must have looked like an idiot thinking to herself and making funny faces. But there was a steely look in her eyes now. "Let's go...to _Hell's Kitchen_."

Urban and Teresa grinned from ear-to-ear, and high-fived. "Hell yeah, now we're talking girl." Teresa said happily. It was pretty easy to guess what 'team' they were on, but for the time being Vivien was a part of that team too.

***

Chef Ramsay spoke to the Maitre d' Enzo. "Alright, you can start admitting customers to _Hell's Kitchen_!"

"Yes, Sir." Maitre d' Enzo replied with an elegant bow.

Customers began to enter _Hell's Kitchen_ , and a third of them were seated at Emma's restaurant, which she'd named _Fairy Dust_. This was also the name Emma wished to use when she one day managed to open up her very own bakery and café. Her restaurant's logo that was on the menu cover was of a fairy touching the words _Fairy Dust_ with a sparkling wand that was releasing a trail of glittering fairy dust.

A third of the customers were also seated at Bernardo's restaurant that was named _La Bella Luna_ (The Beautiful Moon) and his restaurant's logo that was on the front of his menu was a white crescent moon on a blue background. This was the name Bernardo wanted to use for when he one day opened up his very own Italian restaurant. His father owned a successful restaurant back in Italy, and it was because Bernardo's father had been a chef that he'd gotten into cooking to begin with.

Lastly, the remaining third of the customers were seated at _Poseidon's Trident_. Levi stood behind his station watching the customers filling his restaurant. A wave of discouragement swept over him as he wondered why he was even doing this. What was the point of fixing his image when Vivien wouldn't even talk to him or look at him? Did she even want him to be a part of the movie anymore? He couldn't help but wonder.

However, at that exact moment a stunning blonde entered the restaurant. She was tall and with those black stilettos on her feet, she was taller than six feet. Her body was fit and she was wearing a blue and green sequined dress with a dramatic fishtail. Her golden hair was loose and framed her face in layers. The blonde had a blue and silver clutch in her hand. She was also wearing a pair of large, round sunglasses and when she removed them this revealed her aquamarine eyes.

Their gazes met. "Vivien." Levi breathed. He couldn't believe it. Vivien...was _there_!

Time stopped and the world seemed to slow down around them until it was just the two of them standing and staring at each other from across the restaurant. Urban and Teresa were standing right behind Vivien and gave Levi a conspiratorial thumbs-up.

Sparks seemed to pass between their locked gazes and then the rest of the world came into focus abruptly as dozens of camera flashes went off all at once. People were taking pictures of Levi and Vivien staring at each other. Levi still couldn't believe that she was there, and pinched his arm. "Ow." He wondered how she'd managed to ditch her watchful sister and boyfriend Dylan. At that moment, Vivien smiled at him and offered Levi a thumbs-up of her own.

The customers went wild. "Oh my God, look it's Vivien Tempest!" "Vivien...where?" "She looks so beautiful." "She came to support Levi." "What about her boyfriend Dylan?" "Who cares!" "Levi and Vivien for the win!"

Derek was smiling devilishly, "You two are going to be all over Twitter, YouTube and Facebook again."

Malakye had his smart phone out and was already checking Twitter and other social networking sites. "Yep...pictures of them staring romantically at each other and with longing are already all over the Internet."

_Romantically? With longing?_ Levi flushed at Malakye's words. "Shut up, Mal."

Garth thumped Levi happily on the back. "Show her what you can do, Levi. Impress her...impress all of them."

Levi nodded, a fierce look in his blue eyes. "Yeah, let's do this guys. Let's show them what we've got!" He cracked his neck from side-to-side. Garth crackled his knuckles. Derek just smiled. Malakye looked nervous and was wringing his hands together. He'd be up first since it was his responsibility to take care of the appetizers. No pressure.

Levi's chest swelled with warmth. Vivien had escaped her family and boyfriend to be there and support him. _All right!_ The merman suddenly felt pumped. He could do this! He _would_ do this! He would show them all what an amazing chef he'd become...all thanks to his teacher Chef Burns. He'd prove to them that everyone deserved a second chance. Humans...and even demons!

Lots of chefs only used the best cuts of meat and discarded the rest. But that didn't necessarily mean their dishes would be the best. What it all boiled down to were things like seasoning, preparation, creativity, sauce and garnish. Also a dish had to have balance and harmony. The high quality of the meat could overwhelm the rice and vegetables that accompanied it if not prepared properly.

Vivien took a seat at one of the tables, put her napkin in her lap, and waited with baited breath. Urban and Teresa took a seat at a table right next to hers. That way if Levi decided to come over and sit with Vivien for a moment or something nothing would be holding him back. Team Levi was that good.

Emma and Bernardo immediately got started on directing their brigades to get their first dish out. Both were competing with a different Italian Five Course Meal. The first dish to be sent out would be the _antipasto_ , which meant 'before the meal'. Emma had decided to make _bruschetta_ \- Italian bread, toasted, and served with olive oil, tomatoes and herbs. Bernardo had decided to serve an _antipasto_ salad with rolled cold cuts, olives, mozzarella, and tomatoes.

As soon as the first dish had been served to all of the customers in _Fairy Dust_ and _La Bella Luna_ , Chef Ramsay gathered all of the leftover ingredients on an enormous stainless steel tray, and took it over to _Poseidon's Trident_. Malakye was in charge of the appetizers so Chef Ramsay set the tray of ingredients down at his station.

Levi walked over to Malakye's station, and took one look at the leftover ingredients before he went to fetch a few jars of mini plastic tridents. He made his way back over to Malakye and set the tridents down on the counter. Levi knew that Malakye would know what to do without having to say anything.

Malakye nodded and immediately got to work making tons of mini trident shish kebabs by skewering tomato pieces, mozzarella, folded pieces of cold cuts, olives, and arugula. Malakye made ten mini shish kebabs per plate, and the dishes were quickly carried out to their waiting customers.

Levi nodded in approval at the final dish. As the customers watched Malakye making the mini shish kebabs at top speed his swift and graceful movements impressed them. But what had them groaning in bliss was the special dressing Malakye had made and which accompanied the mini shish kebabs in a small porcelain bowl for easy dipping.

For the _primo_ , or 'second dish', Emma had decided to make fried polenta cakes. In Italy pasta was usually a first course, or _primo_ , and served as an appetizer. Not as a main event. Soup, rice and polenta were other options for the _primo_. Bernardo decided to go all out and make lasagna for his _primo_.

After the _primo_ dishes were completed for _Fairy Dust_ and _La Bella Luna_ , Chef Ramsay carried the leftover ingredients to _Poseidon's Trident_. Levi took one look at the leftovers and decided to make polenta lasagna. Levi spread layers of polenta, pesto and sauce in a baking dish and baked it for 25 minutes. The merman topped the finished product with freshly grated cheese, and cut the lasagna into squares, which he quickly served on the plates that were waiting for him on the long counter. As soon as Levi was finished the waitresses, who were standing by, immediately took out the dishes to the customers.

When the freshly made pesto hit Levi's customers' taste buds they moaned in delight. The women were rubbing their thighs together and arching their backs at the sheer pleasure his food was giving them. "Mmm, so good!" "Heavenly!" "More...I need more!"

Levi smirked at the women's erotic reactions and flushed faces. "It wasn't much." _And you ain't seen nothing yet, ladies._

It was soon time for the _il secondo_ , or 'second course'. This was the main course and usually consisted of chicken, meat or fish. The portions were usually small. The _contorno_ was a platter of vegetables that would be accompanying the main course. Bernardo decided to make grilled tuna steaks with grilled zucchini on the side. He smiled evilly, thinking that by taking the best parts of the tuna Levi would hardly be left with anything to work with. Emma had decided to make grilled sirloin steak for her _il secondo_ with garlic-mashed potatoes on the side.

After the _il secondo_ and _contorno_ were carried out to all of the customers of _Fairy Dust_ and _La Bella Luna_ , Chef Ramsay gathered up the leftover ingredients and carried them over to Levi's station. Levi looked down at the remains of a giant tuna fish, and pieces of sirloin steak. Emma's line chef had cut the potatoes in half and scooped out the centers, which had left the potato skins. "Derek, come get the meat and potatoes. I expect you to come up with something good."

Derek approached Levi's station and picked up the tray that had the meal and potatoes on it. "You got it, Boss." He carried the tray over to his station so that Levi could get to work on his dish.

Levi picked up his favorite chopping knife, pulled the tuna in front of him on the cutting board, and began to chop the tuna up with rapid speed. The tuna, its head, and its bones all became one fine mixture in a matter of seconds. Levi then pulverized this mixture with the guts in a bowl using a hand grinder. After that he chopped up some sliced green onion, celery, and dill weed.

The customers of _Poseidon's Trident_ began to 'Ooh' and 'Ahh' as they watched Levi cook. "Did you just see what he did to that tuna?" Normally to do what Levi had done to the tuna it would have taken a blender. But Levi had been able to do it using just his knife. "Amazing...he chopped up those vegetables in seconds!" Another customer chimed in.

In a medium bowl, Levi mixed the fish, one egg, celery, green onion, dill, and garlic powder together into a paste. He then formed the mixture into golf ball sized balls and rolled them in wheat germ to coat. Levi heated oil in a large skillet over medium heat and flattened the balls slightly before frying them for ten minutes until they were golden brown.

A tempting scent began to waft through the air from Levi's kitchen from the frying croquettes, and the waiting customers began to salivate in anticipation. "Mmm, I can't wait to taste that!" "It smells so good."

Derek decided to make spicy Italian chili using the leftover steak, and potato skins with melted cheddar cheese and bacon bits on top. _The skin of the potato is more nutritious than the inside and actually more flavorful._ Derek diced up the leftover steak using this favorite cleaver, and added it to a stewpot with garlic and chopped onions until it heated up. He added oregano, chili powder, cumin and salt. After that he added a splash of beer and let it simmer for five minutes. He added some diced tomatoes and salt, and let it simmer for five more minutes. Lastly, Derek added some pinto beans and stirred while letting the chili simmer for ten minutes.

Levi wasn't through yet. The croquettes would be completed with a Romesco sauce he'd made that would bring all of the flavors of the dish together. Plates with fish croquettes, potato skins, and small bowls of chili were carried out to Levi's expectant customers. They dipped their fish croquettes into the sauce, popped them into their mouths, and moaned in rapture. The fish and sauce combined together made a flavor explosion in their mouths. The female customers were flushed and moaning softly. The men were sweating bullets from the spicy chili but they couldn't stop eating it. "This chili is so spicy but...it's so damned good I can't stop!" Not a single crumb of food was left behind.

The customers at _Poseidon's Trident_ could hardly believe that the spectacular dishes they were getting to sample and that were coming out of Levi's kitchen had supposedly been made from ingredients that had been leftover from Chef Emma and Chef Bernardo's kitchens.

"So good!" "Heavenly!" "Yes...yes, yes!" The women and men moaned loudly as they ate Levi's cooking, and for the first time ever the interior of _Hell's Kitchen_ began to sound like a porno was being filmed. Levi, Derek, Malakye and Garth's cooking was simply orgasmic.

Vivien was in awe of Levi's cooking skills and those of his fellow chefs too. Levi's knife moved so fast it was a blur as he pureed ingredients. She couldn't believe he didn't need to use a blender. He tossed ingredients in his pan and caught them effortlessly. Levi was a god in the kitchen. She was so proud of him. But at the same time, Vivien was also really worried for him.

When Director Maverick had spoken to Vivien alone about what they should do about Levi after the scandal, Vivien had instantly defended the chef and said to just give Levi time to fix his image. Her sister didn't know this but...Vivien had threatened to leave the movie if Levi were fired. If Levi couldn't be the merprince...she would no longer be the princess.

Of course Dylan and her sister had tried to keep Levi being on _Hell's Kitchen_ a secret from her...and it would have remained so if it hadn't been for Urban and Teresa. _I really owe those guys._ Vivien glanced over at Teresa and Urban, and giggled when she saw that Urban was hand feeding Teresa croquettes. Those two were so into each other, it was crazy.

Her sister Audrey would _kill_ her when she found out Vivien had come to _Hell's Kitchen_ tonight...but Vivien didn't care. There was this invisible force that kept propelling her to Levi's side. She didn't understand it but there it was.

While I was filming those romance scenes with Dylan...I was thinking about Levi in order to get that amorous look on my face. I know I should love Dylan but...I haven't fallen in love with him yet. And as for Levi...I don't know if I love him but I know I care deeply for him. It's just...I've never been in love before. How do I know if this feeling I have for Levi is love? Maybe it's just lust. Or maybe I'm just worried about him? But when I think I'll never see him again I...feel like I can't breathe.

Levi had truly stolen the show in _Hell's Kitchen_ when he'd used the leftover tuna to make fish croquettes. But Derek got his fair share of compliments as well. A cocky smirk formed on Levi's face. "Glad you liked it. Please come again." He turned to Garth. "Garth, you're up next. Get ready."

"Yes, Chef." Garth nodded. "I've got your back."

It was time for the final course, the _dolce_ or 'sweet'. Emma had decided to make _Tiramisu_ and Bernardo had decided to make _cannolis_. After everyone had been served in _Fairy Dust_ and _La Bella Luna_ , Chef Ramsay carried the ingredients available to Garth's station. Garth looked at the empty cannoli shells and leftover _tiramisu_ mix, and decided to make _tiramisu cannolis_ with a special surprise.

Minutes later, plates with the _tiramisu cannolis_ were carried out to _Poseidon's Trident's_ customers, and as they bit into their _cannolis_ expecting it to just taste like _tiramisu_ they were surprised when they bit into fresh, juicy raspberries. "Mmm! Raspberry!" "So sweet!" The customers exclaimed in surprise.

Garth smiled lopsidedly in response, pleased by their customers' reactions. Levi clapped Garth on the shoulder. "Well done, Garth."

As a special service Levi was the one who carried out the dessert plate to Vivien's table and the customers immediately began to take pictures of the couple again. Levi set the plate down before Vivien with a flourish. "I hope you enjoyed your meal, Vivien."

Vivien smiled warmly at the merman chef. "I did, Levi. Thank you. Your cooking is always the best."

"Thank you for coming." Levi said, his eyes shining with emotion.

"Thank you for having me." Vivien said softly.

There was so much the two needed to say to each other, but both knew now was not the time. There were too many eyes upon them, but they also both felt that they needed to speak about what had happened between them that fateful night.

The tension was so thick between them that Levi felt like he could cut through it with his knife. He coughed into his hand to dispel the awkward air between them. "Well, enjoy your dessert, princess."

"Oh, I will." Vivien picked up a _tiramisu cannoli_ and took a bite. She groaned in pleasure. "Mmm! So good!" Vivien knew how she'd rate Levi's food on her customer comment and review card. She looked around the restaurant and crossed her fingers hoping that everyone had enjoyed the creative, eco-friendly meal as much as she had.

After dessert, the cooking competition was finally over. Chef Ramsay gathered up all of the customer comment cards and prepared to make his decision. Levi, Emma, and Bernardo were taken to a room with comfy furniture where they awaited Chef Ramsay's phone call. Ten minutes later, the phone rang and Bernardo answered it. "Yes?"

" _I've made my decision_." Came Chef Ramsay's voice over the phone. " _Come on down_."

"Yes, Sir." Bernardo hung up the phone. "He's ready for us. Let's go."

The three chefs were led into a room where Chef Ramsay was waiting for them and standing in front of three doors. "Okay, so you guys know the drill, but it's a little different this time because of Levi. There's a door in front of you...and on the count of three I want you guys to open your respective doors. If Emma or Bernardo open a door that means he or she is my new Head Chef. If Levi's door opens too then that means that even though my new Head Chef has been decided that they were still beaten by Levi in the customer response. Okay, open your door on three. One. Two. Three!"

Levi, Emma and Bernardo put their hands on the handle before them and pushed down. Emma's door opened and so did Levi's! Emma and Levi passed through the doors to be greeted with enthusiastic applause as they entered a large auditorium. "Yeah! Whoo Emma! We're so proud of you!" "Congratulations, Emma!" "Congratulations, Levi!" "You were a beast, Levi! So cool!"

Behind them, Bernardo sunk to his knees in defeat and hit the floor out of frustration. "Nooo this sucks! I can't believe this. How could he beat me...by using leftover ingredients! And that hick's cooking was better than mine? What the hell?"

Chef Ramsay placed a hand on Bernardo's shoulder and squeezed it. "The thing that your cooking lacked Bernardo was...heart. Emma and Levi's cooking...was able to touch people's hearts." The chef passed through the door to join the winning chefs.

"Well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen - Emma is my Head Chef for my new Las Vegas restaurant. And Levi, you should feel very proud of yourself even though you and your brigade chefs had to create a menu using Emma and Bernardo's leftover ingredients 99% of your customers said they would like to return." Chef Ramsay clapped Levi hard on the back. He then motioned his hand towards Emma. "94% said they'd like to go back to _Fairy Dust_. And 80% said they'd return to _La Bella Luna_. As promised Levi Devlin has this opportunity to tell us a little bit about himself and about how he became a chef."

Levi stepped forward in front of a microphone stand that had been prepared for him on stage while Derek, Malakye and Garth stood at his sides. "Hello, my name is Levi Devlin. Almost three years ago, I was arrested for indecent exposure and resisting arrest. All I can say about what happened is - it was a hot day and taking a dip in a fountain seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe I was suffering from heatstroke or something, but I took my shorts off too, and I want to apologize for my crude behavior. I was an idiot. I'll admit that and I'm sorry. Hopefully, I haven't caused too many men nightmares with having to see my junk!"

The crowd laughed in response.

"Anyways, I ended up in the state prison which is where I met my fellow chefs and best friends - Derek Dearg, Malakye Sterling, and Garth Mackenzie. We looked out for each other in prison, watched each other's backs, and became friends. We decided to change our lives by taking the cooking and baking classes that were offered by Chef Burns. In this manner, we became certified chefs in two years time. Together, Derek, Mal, Garth and I opened _Poseidon's Trident._ Opening the restaurant was our second chance at getting to live life in American in an honest way. A lot of men like us lose hope and get used to the idea that they'll just be in and out of prison because they don't have any real skills to fit in with society.

"But Chef Burns changed all that. He didn't discriminate against us because of our past and gave us the opportunity to learn a set of skills that would open doors for us. Where all others had already given up on us Chef Burns had not. I believe that everyone deserves a second chance. And I know that America does too! Isn't that right America?" Levi asked loudly and pointed the microphone towards the crowd.

"Yeah!" "Whoo!" "Yes!" The gathered crowd cheered in agreement. Levi had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand. Foodgasms could do that to a person.

"This is the land of the free, the land of opportunity, and the land of dreams. And it was Chef Burns who showed _me_ that. He also taught me that if you work hard you _will_ be rewarded. He taught me that you should never give up because you don't know if you'll succeed in something until you've tried. He taught us that people like Derek, Mal, Garth and myself need to be given that chance for a fresh start. Just like Chef Burns didn't give up on us...I'm asking you America not to give up on us yet! I promise you, I will continue to work hard as a chef, and now as an actor, but I can't do that without all of you. I need your support. Do I have it?"

"YEAH!" Everyone cheered out in earsplitting decibels.

Levi grinned and showed off his dimples. "Thank you all so much for believing in us, and for giving us this chance. A chef would be nothing without his customers, and an actor is nothing without his fans." The chef put his hand to his lips and then reached his hand out to the crowd.

"And I for one...will always be your customer at _Poseidon's Trident!_ " Called out an achingly familiar female voice.

All eyes turned to see Vivien Tempest walking towards the platform. She didn't need any help as she simply leapt up on stage and walked over to Levi. A few people gasped since the stage was at least four feet off the floor. Levi swallowed thickly as she approached him. Vivien stuck out her hand, "Congratulations, Levi. You deserve this win and recognition of your skills as a chef."

Levi took Vivien's hand and tingles shot up his arm. "Thanks, princess."

"And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen \- Levi's side of the story." Chef Ramsay nodded. "And who doesn't have something they regret doing at some point in their lives? I too believe everyone deserves a second chance."

"And...cut!" The director of _Hell's Kitchen_ shouted out. The film crew stopped filming, but the celebrating continued.

Urban showed up with a bottle of champagne and soon Levi, Derek, Mal, Garth, Vivien, Teresa and Urban were sipping sparkling champagne from long-stemmed glasses. Everyone was celebrating Emma's victory as well. Emma shyly approached Levi to congratulate him. "Congratulations, Levi."

"Congratulations to you as well." Levi said and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "I know what you did, Emma. You left me some good leftover ingredients on purpose...like those raspberries. Thank you."

Emma flushed. "Ah, no, I don't know what you're talking about."

Levi chuckled. "Potatoes that have been hallowed out. Unused raspberries. Green peppers with just their tops cut off. Those wouldn't really be considered _leftovers_."

"It was just a few things. I doubt it helped much." Emma pouted.

"Every little bit helped so...thank you. I was allowed the chance to tell my side of the story and to ask America for another chance." Levi's dark blue eyes shone with emotion.

Emma smiled happily. "Well, I think you've got it. And I can't wait to see your performance in _The Little Merman_. I'm like totally psyched."

Levi smirked. "Look forward to it. It will be great."

Vivien was feeling a little jealous at all of the attention Levi was giving Emma but tried to act casual. At that moment, Ambrose Rune, Tristan Savant, Issy Sweet and Maia appeared to congratulate Levi.

"Hey, Levi! Over here!" Ambrose called out loudly.

Levi turned at the sound of Ambrose's voice and his eyes widened when he caught sight of his friends. He couldn't believe they were there. He quickly jumped down from the stage and went over to greet them. "You guys...what are you doing here?"

"We're here to support you, of course." Ambrose said with a twinkle in his golden eyes.

"Congratulations, Levi." Maia said in her monotone voice.

"Thanks, Maia." Levi's expression was warm and he reached out to pat her head. The merman noticed out of the corner of his eye that Ambrose was trying to get Maia's attention while the girl was pointedly ignoring him. Ambrose Rune...how much did Levi even know about the guy? Could he be trusted around Maia? He was supposedly a demon, but Levi didn't know what kind. Only time would tell.

"Congrats, Levi." Issy Sweet beamed at him. Levi almost didn't recognize Issy since she was dressed up like a Living Doll wearing a blonde wig, black and white Gothic lolita dress, striped stockings and patent leather shoes.

"Thanks, Issy." Levi nodded.

"Congrats, Levi." Tristan slapped Levi on the shoulder, and then leaned in conspiratorially. "I saw Vivien up there congratulating you...it looks like she's on your side despite everything that's been going on."

"On my side?" Levi frowned as he glanced over at Vivien. Their eyes met and locked. Levi wanted to tell Tristan about what had happened between him and Vivien, but now was not the time. That moment was for celebration and not to recall 'mistakes' as Vivien had put it.

Tristan frowned when he noticed that Levi didn't say more. "That's a good sign right?"

Levi shrugged. "Maybe."

To be continued in...Fish 9: Vengeful Archer

### Chapter 9: Vengeful Archer

FLASHBACK

It was on a day just like any other day in the realm of Hell when it happened - tragedy struck. Ambrose was a satyr demon born of the two fallen angels Silenus and Meliad. Silenus' God-given curse had manifested itself by turning him into a satyr - a half-man half-goat creature with golden, curling horns and a small furry tail. Meliad had been turned into a nymph. Her golden hair had turned silver and her blue eyes had turned a dark purple color.

Silenus and Meliad had turned against God because they were free spirits. They hadn't wanted to participate in God's galactic wars. They hadn't wanted to fight and kill God's enemies. Instead, they'd only wanted to relax and have fun and make love all day long.

To God this was unacceptable behavior. His angels were his warriors - his swords against Evil. They had a responsibility to fight for him. Those fallen angels who'd turned against God because they just wanted to laze about and have fun and have sex were cursed into satyrs and nymphs. Their sins were made evident upon their flesh in their new cursed forms.

Even though Ambrose was born of two fallen angels and hadn't _personally_ turned against God, he still bore his parents' curse in his satyr form. Only the most powerful of demons could shift from their cursed animal forms into their human forms. And it would take Ambrose centuries before he was able to learn how to shift.

Silenus was the Chief of the Satyr and Nymph Clan in Hell, and the clan had made their home in Harpy Forest. Harpies were half-bird half-female demons who lived peacefully beside the satyrs and nymphs. The satyrs, nymphs and harpies lived freely in the forest - relaxing, making love whenever they wanted, singing, drinking wine, and playing on flutes. They were truly free _._

However, freedom always comes with a price.

In Hell all of the fallen angels could live their lives as they wished for there were no rules. However, this also meant that there was no morality, honor, justice, or integrity in Hell. All of the fallen angels were free to do good deeds or horrible ones as they saw fit, and there were no divine punishments. In fact, Lucifer, the fallen angel, who was in control of the realm didn't stop the chaos but encouraged it. He fed off hate and chaos. It was a very dangerous realm to live in as a result. Because there were no laws - one had to make and enforce their own. Live by their own code. Their own set of rules. They no longer had God's protection - they were completely on their own.

Freedom always has a price.

And the Satyr and Nymph Clan paid it when the Incubus and Succubus Clan attacked.

Incubus and succubus were fallen angels who'd turned against God because of their sexual perversions and unwholesome sexual desires. They were sexual deviants, degenerates, and they'd craved sexual freedom and experimentation. The form that God had cursed them with was one with horns that sprouted from their heads, bat-like wings, pointed ears and long tails with barbed ends. Along with this new demonic appearance, God also cursed these fallen angels with a weakness of the flesh. If they didn't have sex...they would die.

Because of their mortal curse the incubi and succubi didn't see having promiscuous sex as wrong. It was merely a method and necessity for their survival. Unfortunately, many of them didn't see _rape_ as wrong either. They would justify their heinous, evil crimes as simply their means of survival.

When the Incubus and Succubus Clan attacked Harpy Forest, the Satyr and Nymph Clan had been caught completely off guard. Satyrs and nymphs by nature were lovers and not fighters to begin with. On the other hand, the incubi and succubi had trained themselves in hand-to-hand combat in order to take what they needed by force if need be. Everything to them was about surviving.

Silenus and his comrades fought a fierce battle against the Incubus and Succubus Clan to protect the satyrs, nymphs and harpies, who lived in the forest and who were under his care and protection. However, Silenus was defeated by a powerful incubus and killed. He lost his physical body as did many satyrs that day, and those dead ended up trapped in weak spirit bodies that other demons in Hell were able to torture for all eternity.

Meanwhile, Ambrose's mother Meliad tried to protect her two sons, Ambrose and Roman with her life. But she was easily overpowered and taken away by a group of incubi. Ambrose tried to stop them, but he wasn't strong enough. One blow to the back of his head completely stunned Ambrose, and he was forced to watch helplessly as his screaming mother was dragged away from him into the forest.

Mere minutes later, Ambrose and his brother Roman were taken away by a group of lustful succubi. The brothers were taken to a cave and then tied up. When Ambrose saw the succubi approaching his brother he immediately blocked their way and offered up his body for their lustful attentions instead. "Wait! Don't touch my brother...all you need is right here ladies." His confidence and bravado were all fake. Ambrose loved his brother and would die for him if need be though.

As the succubi raped him, Ambrose told his brother to close his eyes and cover his ears. Roman was only twelve-years-old and extremely young, especially for a demon. He also had a unique innocence about him that few demons possessed, and Ambrose was determined to protect that innocence at all costs.

Ambrose would never forget the feeling of being so helpless as the succubi raped him and he vowed to _never_ feel that way again. Ever.

A few weeks later, the succubi eventually grew careless and Ambrose was able to break free from his restraints. He managed to find a bow and quiver of arrows, and used it to kill his captors and exact his revenge upon them. Ambrose freed his brother and they immediately set out in search of their mother.

They found her unconscious body lying in the middle of the forest close by their home. Her clothes were gone, she was covered in blood, bite marks were all over her body, and the evidence of the incubi having taken her was also evident.

"Mother!" Roman cried out and rushed to his mother side. He shook her shoulder as he tried to rouse her while his brother watched.

Rage set Ambrose's blood on fire at the sight of his beautiful mother, broken on the forest floor. He vowed that he would get stronger and return to take his revenge on the incubi for what they'd done to his mother. But killing a bunch of succubi was much different from trying to kill a bunch of incubi. Ambrose knew that if he tried to go after them at his current skill level that they would easily defeat him. And then who would be left to avenge their mother? Roman? No. He was too young and didn't know how to fight yet.

Ambrose and Roman carried Meliad back to their home in Harpy Forest, which was a tree house high off the ground. There they cared for her injuries. But as days passed it became apparent that her mind and spirit had been broken along with her body. She rarely spoke to the brothers, and when she did she acted like a child. Ambrose's heart broke inside of his chest when he realized that his mother had gone insane.

The brothers tried their best to take care of Meliad, but it was hard, and Ambrose didn't have the patience for it. Every moment he could, Ambrose spent honing his archery skills. He needed to become stronger...stronger in order to avenge his mother and kill the incubi. Ambrose would spend hours a day, firing arrow after arrow at a target in a tree that was several yards away from him until the light would fade from the red sky overhead. His fingers would bleed and the calluses on his hands would burst before he would lower his bow.

During this time, Ambrose ignored his insane mother, leaving her to the care of his kinder younger brother, Roman, and concentrated instead on gaining more strength and power.

This had been a mistake.

After a particularly hard day of training, Ambrose returned to his family's tree house to find his brother Roman fast asleep on the couch. He grabbed his brother's shoulder and shook him. "Hey Roman...wake up."

"Mmm...huh? What is it, bro?" Roman rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he gazed up at his brother.

"Where's mother?" Ambrose asked sternly.

Roman frowned. "Ah, isn't she in her bedroom?" He glanced in the direction of her room.

Ambrose went to check on their mother with a feeling of dread swirling inside of him. He opened the door to her bedroom and discovered that she wasn't there. _Shit._ Ambrose had a really bad feeling about this and immediately went in search of her. Ambrose rode his horse hard through Harpy Forest and tracked his mother's scent with his keen senses. His mother smelled like sunshine and forest berries.

Ambrose tracked her to the edge of a cliff that overlooked the River Styx. The river was a burning stream of red and black molten lava. "Mother!" Ambrose called out to her.

Meliad spun around to face her son, her long silver hair whipping in the violent wind. Her purple eyes were wide and her pupils were dilated, giving her a wild look. She was obviously remembering what had happened to her. But when she recognized Ambrose her expression turned sad. "Ambrose, my son."

"Mother." Ambrose reached his hand out to her. "Get away from there. It's dangerous. Come over here, where it's safe."

But Meliad shook her head sorrowfully and took a step back. "We were wrong to turn against Him. Our freedom had a price. Because of my selfishness I've lost your father...the only man I've ever loved. And I've lost my honor. I cannot bear to live like this Ambrose...like a pitiful demon any longer. I would rather be dead. I deeply regret my decision from long ago. May God forgive me." Meliad murmured as she took another step back and then another.

Ambrose's expression turned horrified when he realized what his mother intended to do. "Mother, no! Don't!" He yelled out and began to run towards her. Ambrose was a demon. He had superior speed and reflexes. He would make it. He would save her. He had to.

"Goodbye, my son. Take care of your brother for me." Meliad stepped off the cliff.

"Nooo!" Ambrose lunged for his mother's hand. His hand reached out to grab a hold of Meliad's hand and...passed through thin air. Ambrose felt the tips of his fingers brush against his mother's hand and then nothing. He fell to the ground and watched as his mother plummeted towards the river of molten lava. _No, no, no._ "MOTHER!" Ambrose screamed until his throat was raw. He'd been unable to save her. _I failed...I failed to protect her._

END OF FLASHBACK

"Mother!" Ambrose yelled as he sat up in bed with a start, covered in sweat, and panting for breath. "Fuck." He ran his hand back through his sweat-soaked hair. "A dream." Or rather a nightmare.

But why was he dreaming about his mother's death now of all times? He wondered. Maia's image filled his mind - the crazy girl with a split personality. He'd failed to save his mother because he'd lacked the patience and understanding she'd needed after the rape had broken her mind and spirit.

Ambrose had also broken his promise to his mother and had failed to protect his younger brother, Roman, who was currently in Agent Darkhart's clutches and would remain so until he presented Darkhart with fifty more demons to take his brother's place. When Agent Darkhart had captured the two of them, Ambrose had immediately begged the man to spare his brother, and to do whatever he wanted with him instead. Agent Darkhart decided to take advantage of Ambrose's obvious love for his brother and proceeded to blackmail Ambrose into his employ.

Until Ambrose brought Agent Darkhart fifty more demons to take his brother's place, Roman would remain in Agent Darkhart's 'care'. Roman was eighteen-years-old now, but he was still too young to be going through the horrors he was undoubtedly experiencing at the ADTF's base.

To ensure that Ambrose did not betray him, Agent Darkhart had had a tracking device implanted in the back of Ambrose's neck that was also a tiny bomb. If Ambrose tried to remove the bomb it would explode instantly. And with the tracking device Agent Darkhart always knew where Ambrose was.

This is how Ambrose Rune had become a mercenary, doing whatever unsavory deeds Agent Darkhart ordered him to do. This was also why he sought out demons like himself only to turn them over to Agent Darkhart, essentially betraying his own kind.

And now...there was the mentally unstable Maia whom he'd slept with. _Shit._ Ambrose would never forgive himself if Maia decided to kill herself because of him. He needed to speak with her and apologize, make things right. He needed to show her a little more patience and understanding before it was too late. Like it had been for his mother.

Decision made, Ambrose got out of bed, took a shower, and dressed for the day in his white patissier jacket, a pair of black leather pants, and boots. He decided that he would bake Maia a cake as part of his apology. Ambrose baked a beautiful novelty cake. The finished product was decorated with fondant icing flowers because Maia reminded him of a field of spring flowers in bloom. The flowers were purple with yellow centers. The vanilla cake had a blackberry jam filling. Blackberries. Just like her natural scent.

Ambrose also decided to buy her a bouquet of flowers on his way to see her at _Poseidon's Trident_. Twenty minutes later, the patissier parked his Jeep outside of _Poseidon's Trident_ , grabbed the cake box and bouquet of flowers, and headed for the front door. He kicked the door open, strolled inside, and looked around the restaurant until he spotted Maia. She was currently waiting on a table of four customers and taking their orders. _Maia..._

Maia was dressed in a short, silver dress with a dark blue apron over top. Ambrose approached her and cleared his throat to get her attention. She glanced towards Ambrose, her eyes widened, and a flash of fear passed over her face.

That look of fear almost killed him. "Maia." Ambrose murmured.

"Ambrose, what are you doing here?" Maia questioned as she unconsciously wrapped her arms around her chest.

"I came to speak with you." Ambrose said firmly.

Maia shook her head and began to back away from Ambrose. "Error, error. No...stay away."

Ambrose set the cake box and flowers down on a nearby table before he approached her with his hands up before him in a placating gesture. "Please, I really need to speak with you. I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry I scared you before."

Maia shook her head, and ended up backing up into a table. The glasses that were on the table rattled back and forth precariously. "Error, error. No, stay away...please, go away." Her monotone voice was trembling.

"Maia." Ambrose reached out towards her, just like how he'd reached out towards his mother.

"No!" Maia shrieked.

In a blink, Levi was standing in front of Maia and blocking Ambrose's way to her. The merman looked thoroughly pissed off and was cracking his knuckles in a threatening manner. "Hey Ambrose, what the hell, man?"

Ambrose sighed, and lowered his hand dejectedly. "I just came to speak to Maia...to apologize."

Levi looked over at Maia, saw the obvious fear in her eyes, shook his head, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Obviously, she doesn't want to speak with you."

" _Please_." Ambrose begged in an uncharacteristic way.

A flash of surprised crossed Levi's dark blue eyes but then his expression hardened. "No."

Ambrose's golden eyes flashed with anger. "You know what? Fuck you. I'm going to speak with Maia, so get the hell out of my way!"

"You'll have to get through me first." Levi growled.

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get." Ambrose attacked, lunging at Levi, and throwing his fist into the man's face.

Levi didn't even flinch as he stood there and took the blow. And then he smiled. "My turn." He sent his fist flying into Ambrose's face breaking his perfect nose, and sending him flying back so that he crashed into a table and broke it. Ambrose ended up on the floor in a heap with blood dripping down his face.

Ambrose pinched his broken nose to try and stop the bleeding. "Fuck." He stood up on wobbly legs, looking at Maia with a desperate look on his face. "I'll be back, babe." Ambrose left the restaurant intending to head on over to Sasha's Animal Clinic. He'd have the mad scientist fix his broken nose and it wouldn't be the first time he'd gone to her with a broken bone. Being a mercenary in Agent Darkhart's employ was dangerous business.

After Ambrose was gone, Levi turned towards Maia and gave her a questioning look. "Are you okay?"

Maia ignored Levi as she walked over to the cake box curiously. On the lid it said: _To Maia, From Ambrose_. She opened the box to reveal the beautiful novelty cake with white icing, and purple flowers with yellow centers. On the top of the cake and written with purple icing were the words: _I'm sorry._

Maia picked up the bouquet of flowers and breathed in their scent. The bouquet smelled like a field of spring flowers. She could picture the beautiful field in her mind where the flowers had come from. Maia loved nature and flowers. And it suddenly reminded her of her mother, Orphne. "Ambrose Rune...what are you?" Maia murmured to herself, feeling confused and conflicted.

***

That night at _Ruby Skye_ , Ambrose was seated at the bar getting hammered. He'd tried to apologize to Maia but she'd hid behind Levi as if he were some kind of monster or freak. And maybe he was. Ambrose gulped back his martini - shaken not stirred - and ordered another.

"What's the special occasion, handsome?" Came a sultry female voice.

Ambrose glanced to his right and blinked. Sitting on the barstool next to him was a beautiful woman with long, silvery hair and wide, lavender colored eyes. She had moon colored skin and was wearing a floor-length, silver gown with daring slits up the sides. The female looked absolutely stunning.

" _Maia_." Ambrose breathed in shock and his mouth fell open slightly.

Echo frowned. "No...it's Echo."

"Ah." Ambrose said as the bartender set a drink down in front of him. He picked up the new martini and took a sip. "Maia's other half...her nymph side." There was a tinge of bitterness to his voice. After all he held Echo partly responsible for what had happened between him and Maia.

"I know that you went to apologize to Maia." Echo revealed softly.

Ambrose's eyes flared. "You remember that? You know what goes on when Maia is...well, Maia?"

Echo nodded solemnly. "Yes. The flowers were beautiful and the cake was delicious, by the way."

"Maia ate the cake?" Hope swelled inside of Ambrose's chest.

Echo smiled. "She had Levi electrify it first."

"Levi." Ambrose grumbled, feeling jealous of the chef's relationship with Maia, and taking another sip of his drink.

Echo gave Ambrose a scrutinizing look. "You like us, don't you?"

Ambrose choked on his martini. "What? I, uh...I'm not a one-woman kind of guy, Echo. You know that."

"Oh, I know that very well." The nymph reached out to stroke her hand up Ambrose's arm. "I say we have some _fun_ tonight."

Ambrose's expression darkened and he shook his head. "Trust me...it would be better for your own sake if you stay away from me tonight. I plan to get rough. I'm in a mood."

Echo's eyes glittered with lust and interest. "Maybe I like it a little rough." There was an irresistible teasing note to her voice.

Ambrose shot her a surprised look and he frowned. "Echo, you should stay away from me. I mean it. Maia deserves better. She's an innocent."

It was Echo's turn to frown. "Maia, Maia, Maia...who cares about her? Or about what _she_ wants? What about what _I_ want? What I _need_?" Echo placed a hand over her heart with a passionate look on her face.

Ambrose shook his head. "I won't have sex with you again...for Maia's sake."

A dark cloud fell over Echo's beautiful face. "Fine...I'll just have to look elsewhere to sate these dark desires of mine." Echo looked around the club and spotted just what she was looking for - a male Dom dressed in black leather from head-to-toe. He had a fierce, cruel expression on his face. His hair was short and spiky, his eyes dark, and he was covered in tattoos. The man's aura was dangerous, predatory.

A mischievous smile curled Echo's lips and she slid off her stool to sashay her way over to the Dom. He took one look at her and offered her the seat next to him - lust already gleaming in his dark eyes.

Ambrose unconsciously broke the stem of his martini glass as he watched them. He didn't even notice as the glass cut into his hand causing it to bleed. Ambrose knew the guy...or at least the Dom's reputation. He was the kind of Dom who really enjoyed making a female feel pain. A real fucked up SOB. The girls this Dom had been with had ended up with _scars_. Ambrose imagined that Dom with his rough, brutal hands on the innocent Maia and freaked. That asshole would mar Maia's flawless skin with his razorblades.

Sure, Ambrose had a penchant for tying girls up. He was into bondage, yeah, but...he never actually hurt any of the girls he was with. For him, it was more about being in control of the situation than anything else. After what he'd experienced with the succubi back in Hell, he always wanted to be in control during sex. He _had_ to be in control...for his sanity's sake. Just the idea of a girl being in control during sex made Ambrose break out into a cold sweat.

His body began to move on its own as Ambrose stood up from his stool and stomped over to Echo and the Dom. He grabbed Echo's arm and glared at the Dom fiercely. "This female is _mine_."

"What the fuck, man. She came on to me-" The Dom was saying when he caught the bloodthirsty look in Ambrose's golden eyes. He gulped. "Ah, never mind, sorry about that, man. Didn't know she was taken."

Ambrose pulled Echo off the barstool and began to lead her across the dance floor while heading towards the exit. A cat's paw smile formed on Echo's face. Mission accomplished. This was going to be _so_ good. Ambrose dragged Echo out of the club and to his Jeep. He then drove them back to his penthouse apartment at AVA Nob Hill.

It wasn't long before Ambrose was pulling Echo through the door of his place, and locking the door behind him. He turned to face Echo and licked his lips with this predatory look on his face. His golden eyes were filled with lustful hunger. "You asked for it, female...and I'm going to give _it_ to you." Ambrose strode forward with purposeful steps, grabbed Echo's face in his two hands, and smashed his lips against hers.

Echo eagerly kissed Ambrose back, raising her hands and burying them in his silky red hair and tugging. It was a rough, passion-filled kiss. All about the pleasure.

While still kissing her, Ambrose swooped Echo up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. Ambrose tossed Echo onto the bed that was covered with red silk sheets. She bounced on the mattress and giggled. A few of Ambrose's heart-shaped pillows fell off the bed. Echo looked up at Ambrose with hooded, lust-filled eyes. "Are you going to tie my hands to the headboard again?" She teased as she put her hands up over her head obediently.

Ambrose licked his lips at the tempting sight. "No...tonight what you and I are going to do is make _50 Shades of Grey_ look like a Disney film. You will be _completely_ at my mercy." The satyr walked over to his dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a long coil of rope. He brought the coil of rope over and tossed it on the bed.

Ambrose returned to the dresser and retrieved a very sharp dagger. He returned to the bed and crawled on top of it in a sensual manner, which reminded Echo of a stalking panther. He approached Echo. "Don't move. Remain perfectly still so that I don't hurt you."

"Yes, Master." Echo said teasingly.

Ambrose moved over Echo, and brought the tip of his dagger to the top of her dress. He slowly began to cut through the material of her dress.

"This was a designer dress, you know." Echo pouted.

"I'll buy you a closet full, babe." Ambrose rumbled in a husky voice. The satyr continued to cut the dress off her body until her bra and panties were revealed. Still straddling her body, he brought the dagger up to her bra next, and sliced through it causing her full breasts to bounce free. "Mmm." Her nipples were pearled like two ripe, red cherries. Ambrose couldn't resist suckling on her proffered fruit.

Echo gasped at the satyr's hot mouth on her flesh and arched her back. "Oh, yes."

Ambrose trailed his tongue lower, heading for her bellybutton, and thrust his tongue in and out of her cute, adorable bellybutton. He then continued his way to her already damp panties. The satyr nuzzled his nose against her sex, and breathed in the scent of her arousal - blackberries.

The tip of his nose teased her nub, causing Echo to arch her hips. Ambrose licked Echo through her panties until she was undulating her hips and begging for more. Ambrose pulled back, and licked his lips, "Stay still." He raised the dagger and cut through her panties next.

The thin material parted revealing the glistening folds of her womanhood. Ambrose tossed the dagger and it imbedded itself into the wall. He picked up the coil of rope and began to uncoil it with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Submit yourself to me, Echo."

"Yes, oh yes, _please_." Echo panted as she nodded eagerly.

Ambrose used the rope to tie Echo's hands together, and artfully used the rest of the rope to create a tapestry of knots over Echo's body. The knots rubbed over Echo's nipples as she shifted on the bed. More well-placed knots rubbed between her legs, stoking her desire. Just struggling against the ropes was its own kind of delicious torture. She was already so wet and getting rubbed raw by the ropes. "Ambrose." She begged, wanting to touch him so badly, and wanting him to touch her.

This is exactly how Ambrose wanted Echo - begging for him. Ambrose slid off the bed and began to slowly strip his clothes off while Echo watched his sensual striptease. Ambrose removed his white chocolatier jacket one button at a time, revealing his bronzed flesh, dusky nipples, and six pack abs.

"You're so hot." Echo purred as she spread her legs invitingly. "Show me more."

Ambrose palmed his erection as he watched her. His prisoner was so beautiful. Perfect. He quickly stripped off his pants and boots, leaving him in only his boxers. His boxers were red with the words ' _Love Doctor_ ' on them in white, and a white medical cross was right over his crotch. Ambrose put his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers and tugged playfully. "You want this?"

"Yes! Oh yes, doctor! I'm ready for my vitamin D injection." Echo said as she struggled against the ropes. The urge to pounce Ambrose was so strong it was hard to resist. If she weren't tied up she'd already have pounced him and pinned him to the floor.

Ambrose stripped off his boxer shorts to reveal his impressive length. Satyrs were blessed with overly large and sensitive cocks. Their curse? Their insatiable sexual appetites. Echo licked her lips as she looked at his hardness.

The satyr sauntered over to the bed, crawled onto it, and straddled Echo. His manhood was jutting out from his hips, cocked and ready to go. He gripped Echo's legs and spread her even wider. "Open yourself up to me, nymph."

Echo obediently spread her legs as far as they would go with the ropes. Ambrose used his left hand to move the rope aside from her entrance so he could get inside, and used his right hand to guide his cock to her core.

Once Ambrose had the tip of his cock aligned with her entrance he put both his hands on the mattress. He surged his hips forward and entered her fully with one powerful, possessive thrust.

"Ah!" Echo cried out in a mixture of pleasure and pain.

Ambrose didn't wait for her to adjust to his size, and just started to thrust in and out of her at a demanding, brutal pace. The pain quickly faded for Echo though, and soon her hips were rising off the bed to meet those hard thrusts. The sounds of sex filled the air - the headboard rocking into the wall repeatedly and wet flesh slapping together. Echo's cries were becoming more urgent as she neared her peak.

Ambrose felt heat gathering at the base of his cock, and rising. A delicious pressure was building inside of him. And then he shattered as he exploded into her.

Echo found her release soon after, her inner walls clamping down around him and milking him for everything he had to offer. Echo's lavender eyes widened when she saw a pair of gold, curling horns sprout out of Ambrose's head. She recognized those horns for what they meant. Ambrose was a satyr.

"You're a satyr?" Echo questioned breathlessly.

Ambrose blinked down at Echo confusedly, "How did you know?"

A lazy, sated smile curled Echo's swollen lips. "Your horns...they're beautiful. I wish I could touch them." The golden horns curled back away from his face, lending to his handsomeness.

Ambrose swore as he reached up to feel the horns that had sprouted out of his head. He ran his hand down his lower back and felt his small, furry tail. "What the hell? I didn't will the shift."

Echo's lids lowered, "When you have sex you lose control when you orgasm, and since you're having sex with me...a nymph...it called to your demon blood and awakened your satyr side."

"Lose control?" Ambrose echoed. He didn't like the sound of that at all. "I'll show you who's in control, nymph. Get on your hands and knees." Ambrose twisted Echo's body around so that she was on her hands and knees next. Her tied hands were now in front of her on the mattress. Echo's face ended up being pressed into the mattress.

"Hmm." Ambrose hummed in approval at the submissive pose and admired Echo's ass in the air. He moved behind her, grabbed her ass, and massaged it. Echo cried out and Ambrose slapped her ass a few times. "Who's your master, nymph?"

"You are!"

"I can't hear you." He slapped her ass again.

"You are, Master Ambrose!" Echo cried out.

Ambrose smirked. "That's right. Now tell me what you want..." The satyr drawled as he guided his cock to her ass and rubbed his cock between her ass cheeks, up and down.

"I want your huge cock inside me."

"Damn straight." Ambrose said before he thrust his hips forward, and entered Echo fully.

Echo's cries were muffled as Ambrose pushed her head down into the mattress. His eyes were glowing as he took her hard. "You belong to me, female. You are mine. All mine. I won't let you escape until I'm completely sated. You are my prisoner. My love slave. Who do you belong to, Echo?" He slapped her ass again.

"You! I'm yours!" There were tears in Echo's eyes from the shame because her body loved Ambrose's rough treatment of her. She only wanted more.

"Yes...you are _mine_." Ambrose continued to have sex with Echo again and again, pulling orgasm after orgasm from her body and his. His cock just wouldn't stop getting hard for her. He just couldn't get enough of her. Ambrose wanted to possess her, claim her. Dominate her. Sex with her was a healing experience for him. It seemed to soothe the savage sex beast inside of him until the sex they were having was almost gentle.

Sometime before dawn Ambrose came one last time inside of Echo, then collapsed on top of her, and fell asleep. Echo fell asleep too from finally having a respite. However-

When Echo slept...Maia awakened.

Maia awoke to the feeling of being tied up. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself naked and pinned beneath a sleeping Ambrose Rune! Her eyes widened in shock. _Oh my God. Error, error. Cannot compute my current situation._ Maia's wrists were tied uncomfortably together, and rope was tied all over her body painfully. When she struggled knots rubbed over her most sensitive places - over her nipples and between her legs. She tried to push Ambrose off of her and stilled in shock when she realized something - he was still _inside_ of her.

His cock was still inside of her sex!

_Oh my God. Error, error. Cannot compute._ Maia was still a virgin. She'd never had sex before. Or at least she'd been a virgin before Ambrose had _stolen_ her virginity. "Get off...get off of me." Maia said in a panicked, weak voice. Ambrose was simply too heavy to move off of her. That's when she noticed his curling, golden horns. "He's a...demon? Error, error...get off of me you monster!"

Ambrose's eyes snapped open at the panicky sound of Maia's voice. He looked down at Maia questioningly, and his brow furrowed. "Echo? What's up, babe?"

Maia opened her mouth to respond, however-

Ambrose was blasted off of her body by a blast of icy white energy and sent flying sideways, off the bed and into the dresser with a crash.

Maia sat up in shock to see the most beautiful man she'd ever beheld standing at the side of the bed with a gleaming, silver, double-edged sword raised before him. The man was tall and had a commanding presence. He had short, white hair that had been gelled into spikes with blue tips, and cold, ice-blue eyes. His skin was as white as freshly fallen snow. Her savior was wearing silver armor with spikes on it that made him extra fearsome. But the most incredible feature the man possessed was the pair of white feathery wings that were spread behind him. The white feathers had icy blue ones mixed in with them. "An angel." Maia breathed in wonder and awe.

The angel approached Maia and lowered his sword so that he wouldn't frighten her. "Hello Maia, I am Archangel Gabriel. Don't worry. You have nothing to fear now. I'm here to rescue you. I shall punish that foul demon for his sins." With a few skillful strokes of his sword Gabriel cut Maia free of her bonds. By the time he was done she was trembling violently.

Gabriel clucked his tongue as he looked at Maia. "Tying up a female is just plain cowardly. Tying up a male would be different because a male could easily break free of his bonds...but females are the weaker sex. They are supposed to be respected and protected. Tying up a female who doesn't have the power to escape is just bullying." Gabriel sheathed his sword and fetched Maia a robe that he then held out to her.

"Th-Thank you." Maia said as she took the robe and put it on.

Once Maia was dressed, Gabriel's attention turned to the naked Ambrose who was on the floor and groaning in pain. The satyr's right side was frozen...which meant some of his internal organs were probably frozen too. The thought brought a pleased smile to Gabriel's lips. _Ah, sweet justice._

"As for you...time to be punished for your sin, demon." Gabriel stalked towards Ambrose, reached out, grabbed a fistful of Ambrose's hair, and began to drag the satyr towards the bed.

Ambrose struggled against Gabriel's hold but his right lung was temporarily frozen solid and he was having trouble breathing. _Shit. This isn't good._

Gabriel tossed Ambrose to the bed and Maia quickly scrambled off it. Gabriel then walked over to Ambrose's dresser and began searching the drawers until he found what he was looking for - another coil of rope. He grabbed the rope and approached the bed with it. "Verily, it's time to give you a little taste of your own medicine."

Ambrose's eyes went wide with horror as he eyed the coil of rope. Tying up girls and fucking them was one thing...but having someone tie him up like the succubi had in Hell was quite another. "Don't you fucking dare, you perverted angel! I'll _kill_ you!"

In a blink, Gabriel was in front of Ambrose and sending his fist into Ambrose's solar plexus. Ambrose bent over as he coughed violently from the hard blow. Before he realized what was happening Gabriel was putting a rubber ball gag into his mouth and buckling the leather strap behind his head roughly.

"Mmph!" Ambrose struggled against Gabriel weakly and his pupils dilated from fear. He could taste the rubber on his tongue. _No, no, no. Not again. I can't be helpless again._ His body began to tremble violently.

Each time Ambrose resisted, Gabriel mercilessly punched him so hard he saw stars. Finally, Ambrose didn't have any strength left to fight back with, and Gabriel was able to start tying him up with the rope, bondage style.

Maia couldn't help but note the fearful expression that was on Ambrose's face. He looked like a trapped, wounded animal. The terror he was feeling was obvious on his face. Maia's brow furrowed with confusion...how could someone that seemed to enjoy tying up women be so afraid of being tied up himself? It didn't make any sense. Also, Ambrose seemed so fearless all the time to be acting this way. It just wasn't like him. This...unnerved her.

But Gabriel was an Archangel...and so surely he wouldn't actually harm Ambrose too badly, right? Surely, his punishment would end with Ambrose just being restrained. Maia gripped her head in her hands as she watched Gabriel punching Ambrose over and over again until he finally stopped moving, and the Archangel began to tie Ambrose up with the rope.

This was divine punishment, right? Ambrose deserved this, right? This was justice. Ambrose had raped her...right?

No. That wasn't right.

Ambrose had not raped her. He wouldn't do something like that. She remembered the beautiful cake he'd made her. The lovely arrangement of flowers he'd picked out for her. How could an evil man make a cake that was so beautiful and had tasted so delicious? She recalled his concerned look that very morning when he'd said: _Echo?_

Who was Echo? Maia wondered, her head beginning to pound.

_You are._ A voice replied urgently in her mind.

Me?

Yes...I am a part of you that you continue to deny...and you'll continue to deny me until you find the strength inside of yourself to finally confront and accept your past.

My past? Error, error. I have no memory of my past. But I'm tired of running, Echo. Show me.

As you wish.

FLASHBACK

It was Maia's 18th birthday. She'd just graduated from high school and had been accepted to a good college. Maia's mother Orphne had promised Maia that she'd reveal a very important secret to Maia on her 18th birthday. Maia wondered what it could be, but then again, she'd always had this feeling that she was...different. Maybe her mother would finally shed some light onto this mystery.

Orphne was also so incredibly beautiful with long, silvery-blonde hair and dark purple eyes. She was so...otherworldly. Like an angel. Maia's father, Charles, was so in love with Orphne it wasn't even funny. Maia's parents still acted like newlyweds - had romantic candlelit dinners, took long walks in the park, and went out dancing. Maia and her little brother Max had grown up in a loving household. Their lives had been Hallmark card perfect, at least until Maia's 18th birthday.

On the morning of Maia's birthday, her mother requested that Maia go to the supermarket to pick up a few things. Maia knew it was really because her family wanted her out of the house while they decorated it for her birthday party though. As Maia shopped she couldn't help but wonder what the secret her mother was going to tell her was.

However, once Maia arrived home it was to find a bloodbath. The fallen bodies of her mother, father and little brother were all on the floor surrounded by pools of their own crimson blood. There was so much blood.

Maia remembered it so clearly now. Charles had shot her mother and little brother Max, and then himself in the head. It'd been an attempted family suicide, but since Maia hadn't been home at the time she'd been spared.

It was this sight that had driven Maia mad.

Unable to handle the truth...her mind had shattered into two pieces. This had been the day Echo had been born.

But wait...Maia was remembering something else. There was more to the story of what had happened on her birthday. Maia remembered how when she'd first walked through the front door she'd rushed over to her mother's side and crouched beside her. "Mother!"

Orphne's dark purple eyes had slowly opened. "Maia...is that you?"

"Mother!" Maia looked down in shock to see her mother looking up at her, but that was impossible since she'd been shot right in her heart. She should already be dead.

"Maia, please...don't blame your father for this tragedy. This wasn't his fault. He was demon possessed." Orphne explained.

"Demon possessed?" Maia asked in disbelief. "Mom, what are you talking about? Let me call an ambulance...there's still time." Maia tried to get up but her mother reached out and grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Maia, I wanted to tell you the truth today on your 18th birthday. The truth is - I'm not human. I'm a demon. A nymph. I left Hell and my former lover Acheron in order to gain redemption. With my death my memories are returning to me and so now I remember everything. I came to Earth in search of a special man - a Judge, who could redeem me with his love. That was your father, Maia.

"However, my jealous ex-lover Acheron must have discovered my whereabouts. He possessed your father and forced him to kill your brother, me, and then himself. _This_ was his revenge. Thank God you weren't here...he seemed unaware of your existence."

Maia was shaking her head with an incredulous look on her face. This was crazy talk. "Mom, what you're saying is...impossible. Demons and nymphs...don't exist."

"You are half-nymph, Maia. My legacy. My hope." Orphne gave Maia's wrist a little squeeze.

"No, no, no." Maia chanted, refusing to believe her mother's outlandish words.

"It is the truth, Maia. Charles loved Max and I. He loved _us_. Your father _never_ would have hurt us and deep down in your heart you know this to be true. When humans suddenly do things that are out of the ordinary like killing their families, or going to a public place and shooting people at random \- this is because those people have become demon possessed, my darling. However, in this day and age, there are so many people who don't believe in demons anymore, or God, and so they don't have any protection against them. The world has become such a dangerous place to live in my daughter. And Lucifer is gaining more and more control...by spreading hate."

Maia gripped the sides of her head with her hands and tugged at her hair. It was simply too much for her to take. Her mind shattered in order to protect itself. Maia's mind created 'Echo'. And only Echo possessed the knowledge of what had really happened that night. Only Echo knew the truth about Maia's father's demonic possession and how Maia was half-nymph. The burden of all this lay on Echo's shoulders. Echo came into being willingly to protect the kind, frail-hearted, Maia.

Until the day Maia grew strong enough to learn and accept the truth.

And that time was now.

END OF FLASHBACK

I am...Echo.

I am...you.

Maia blinked. When she came back to reality Maia saw that Gabriel had found a whip in one of Ambrose's drawers and was currently whipping the satyr across the back and thighs with it while Ambrose was lying facedown on the mattress. The gag in his mouth muffled Ambrose's screams.

"You deserve this punishment, foul demon. How dare you tie up that innocent girl and take advantage of her? How _dare_ you hurt her? A weak female? Only a coward would harm a female. They are the weaker sex and need to be protected, cherished, and respected. Females are to be treated with softness and kindness. Not cruelty. You are _sick_ to use such an instrument upon a woman." Gabriel gave the bloody whip in his hand a look of sheer disgust.

Tears of humiliation streamed down Ambrose's face. He'd actually never whipped a female before. Even if he did own a couple of whips, it was mostly for show. Ambrose had never taken things quite so far. And sure he liked to make jokes about _50 Shades of Grey_ but he never even went as far as that creep in the movie. It was just as Gabriel said - it would have felt too much like bullying the weak. And Ambrose was _no_ coward.

Unfortunately, Ambrose wasn't completely innocent. He did get off on having absolute control and restraining women so he was their Master. He was a fucked up SOB. A freak. One sick puppy. _Maybe Gabriel is right. Maybe...I deserve this._

A fierce look came over Maia's face and she lunged at Gabriel. _I...remember! I remember everything!_ "No!" She grabbed Gabriel's arm - the one with the whip and stopped him from whipping Ambrose again. "Don't hurt him!"

Gabriel lowered his arm and turned to give Maia a questioning look. "Why not? He hurt you, did he not? He _raped_ you. This is merely what he deserves."

Maia swallowed thickly, her heart pumping fast inside of her chest. She looked at Ambrose and stared at the red marks on his flesh. There were so many emotions swirling inside of her as she looked at him. But none of them were fear or hatred. Maia and Echo had become one. Their feelings had become one. "No...he didn't hurt me. He didn't rape me either. He...made love to me. And I wanted it. I wanted him. I...liked it. I...enjoyed it." She flushed and shivered at the admittance.

Gabriel removed his knee from the bed, straightened, and turned to look at Maia in astonishment. "Surely, you lie, female." His icy eyes traveled down to the red marks on her wrists where the rope had rubbed her skin raw.

Maia shook her head. "No...I..." She licked her lips. "Love him. This was just some kinky sex play. So, please...spare him."

"You love him?" Gabriel echoed, the whip falling from his limp hand, and hitting the floor. "I see. Then...you've saved him. I will do as you wish, Maia, because you are a Judge." He bowed in deference to her.

Ambrose flipped over onto his back, sat up, and looked at Maia with wide eyes. What the fuck was going on? Maia was a Judge? And she loved him? Since when?

Maia nodded and watched as Gabriel made his way to the balcony. The Archangel sent a warning look Ambrose's way. "I'll be watching you, Ambrose. Always." He stepped out onto the balcony, spread his wings, and took off into the sky, becoming invisible.

As soon as the angel was out of sight, Maia rushed over to the dagger that was imbedded in the wall and pulled it out. She then rushed over to the bed so that she could begin to cut the ropes off of Ambrose's body. His body was still trembling and his back was covered in blood. She removed the ball gag and tossed it aside.

Ambrose sagged against her in relief once he was finally free and rested his forehead against her chest. "Maia...is it true? You really love me?"

Maia nodded as she stroked his hair soothingly. "Yes...I...I'm Echo too now. I've faced my past and the truth. I've also accepted that Echo is a part of me and that I am half-nymph. I've also come to realize that I am in love with you."

Ambrose nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck and breathed in deeply of her berry scent. "I...care for you too, Maia. I don't know if it's love yet, but I do care deeply for you and Echo." _I can't believe she's a Judge. The woman I've been searching for all this time..._

"Just Maia now...and I understand. I think we should really start over." Maia pulled back, smiled. "Hi, I'm Maia. It's nice to meet you." She put her hand out for Ambrose to shake.

Ambrose took her hand and brought to his lips to place a kiss on it. "I'm Patissier Prince Ambrose Rune, and the pleasure is all mine."

To be continued in...Fish 10: Fierce Hammerhead

### Chapter 10: Fierce Hammerhead

The following day, Levi arrived at the film site to be greeted with congratulations, smiles and handshakes. Everyone's attitude towards him had done a complete 180. Director Maverick welcomed Levi with open arms, congratulated him, and shook his hand vigorously. "Levi, there you are! Welcome back! And congratulations on your win last night on _Hell's Kitchen_!"

Levi nodded. "Thanks." He tried to pull his hand out of the director's grip, but the director had a surprisingly strong hold as he continued to shake it up and down.

"Vivien told me to wait. She never gave up on you, you know." There was a knowing glint in the director's sharp eyes.

A flash of surprise crossed Levi's dark blue gaze. "I see." He tried not to look too happy about what Director Maverick had just said, but he was grinning like an idiot on the inside. Dylan on the other hand had a dark look on his face. Levi could feel this...aura of mal intent directed towards him and had to hide a smirk behind his hand.

"Oh, there she is now. I have to go and thank her!" Director Maverick said before stalking off towards Vivien who'd just arrived at the boardwalk in the Escalade with Urban, Teresa, and Audrey.

Dylan took this opportunity to approach Levi. "I suppose congratulations are in order."

"Thanks." Levi said automatically.

Dylan's eyes narrowed. "You misunderstand me. I didn't congratulate you - because you're the real _loser_ here. Have you heard the news about how Vivien and I are officially a couple?"

"Whatever the hell that means..."

"It means Vivien is _mine_ , Levi. So...I want you to stay the hell away from her. Stop making her heart _waver_. The _man_ for her is I, Dylan Black." Dylan raised his chin in an arrogant manner.

Levi grit his teeth at Dylan's pompous words. _His?_ The merman's blood began to boil in his veins. Levi was getting pissed. _Waver?_ "Yours? Like hell she is...Vivien doesn't belong to anyone." _Except for me._ He amended in his mind.

Dylan watched Vivien getting out of the car, tracking her with his dark eyes. His lids lowered into a heavy-lidded look. There was obvious lust shinning in his eyes. "Maybe you'll take my relationship with her more seriously after I've claimed her fully and marked her as my own. I can't wait to tap that fine ass-"

The reins on Levi's anger snapped apart. "Argh!" He grabbed Dylan by the front of his shirt and punched him hard across the face.

Dylan looked back at Levi and smiled even as blood dribbled down his chin. "You really are an _animal_. Is that how you want Vivien to see you? As the freak you are?"

Levi raised his fist to punch Dylan again. However-

Dylan moved forward and headbutt Levi with a _bam_.

Levi stumbled backwards, momentarily stunned. He hadn't been expecting the move nor expected Dylan to be as tough as he looked.

"My turn." Dylan punched Levi across the face. Levi let out an enraged roar and tackled Dylan to the sand. He straddled Dylan and began to whale punches on him. Dylan smiled through the beating, the sick fuck.

"What the hell is going on here?" Director Maverick demanded as he strode towards Levi and Dylan across the sand, followed by Vivien, Urban, Teresa and Audrey.

"Got you." Dylan said softly in a voice that only Levi could hear.

Levi's eyes widened with realization and he quickly got off of Dylan. _Fuck._ He'd fallen right into the bastard's trap. _I'm such an idiot._

Dylan stood up, dusted the sand off his clothes, and put a frightened expression on his face. "I don't know, Sir. The guy's crazy. He just attacked me out of the blue. It's like he's an animal."

Levi opened his mouth to defend himself, but unexpectedly Vivien beat him to it.

"Bullshit." Vivien spoke up, stomped over to Dylan, and put her hands on her hips. "Levi wouldn't attack anyone unprovoked. What did you say to him, Dylan?"

"I didn't _say_ anything." Dylan groused.

Vivien's blue eyes flashed in warning. "I don't like lies, Dylan. If we're going to be in a relationship together I need to be able to trust you. Now, what did you say?"

Dylan shrugged in a lackadaisical way. "I was just telling him about how the two of us are dating now...that's all."

"Uh huh. I had the feeling it was something like that." Vivien turned to Director Maverick and offered the man an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry, Sir. This is all my fault. Apparently, I'm stuck in a love triangle with these two guys...and they were fighting over me."

Levi's lips thinned at Vivien's words, as he had to resist the urge to comment. Dylan's expression darkened considerably as well.

Director Maverick looked at the two men quizzically, frowned at their murderous expressions, and then sighed. He shook his head. "Don't bring your personal lives to work, people. Because of this nonsense we won't be able to resume filming until the bruises have healed from Dylan's face." Scott faced Levi. "Levi, I'm especially disappointed in you. I expected better. Especially after you just managed to fix your image."

A repentant expression fell over Levi's face. "I'm really sorry, Sir. It won't happen again." _At least where there are so many witnesses._

"It had better not. I won't tolerate you guys behaving like animals." Director Maverick said sternly.

Animals.

Levi flinched at Director Maverick's choice of words, and hung his head dejectedly. Dylan smiled cruelly. Vivien reached her hand out towards Levi...

However, the serious moment was broken by the sound of a young female's voice. "Eeee! Teresa!" A taxi had just pulled up next to the boardwalk and a young, African-American girl stepped out, spotted Teresa, and waved enthusiastically. The taxi driver exited the cab, and got the girl's luggage out of the trunk before setting it down on the boardwalk.

Teresa looked up towards the boardwalk and spotted her younger sister, Lashanda. "Lashanda? Eeeee!" She ran up the beach to greet her sister. The two sisters clasped hands and began to jump up and down in excitement. "What are you doing here, girl?" Teresa asked.

Lashanda's brown eyes sparkled. "Mom won some money in the lottery and told me to use it to buy a plane ticket to come and visit you!"

"Mom won the lottery? Awesome!" Teresa hugged her sister tightly. "How long has it been since I last saw you."

"A year and a half. I'm in my second year of college already, sis." Lashada was twenty-years-old, tall, curvy, had straightened black hair, and light brown skin just like her sister Teresa's. She was wearing a leopard print tank top, a tight pair of blue jeans and ankle boots.

The corner of Levi's mouth twitched as he watched the happy family reunion. Urban was smiling broadly, happy for Teresa.

"And I'm so proud of you." Teresa beamed. "You'll be the first one in our family to have a college education."

Lashanda looked over Teresa's shoulder curiously. "This is the film site, right? Oooo is that the castle they built just for the movie? It's huge!" Lashanda had to crane her neck to look at the top of the castle and its turrets. "How cool is that? And oh my God...is that Dylan Black? And there's Vivien Tempest and...?" Lashanda's brown eyes grew big, and a blush came to her cheeks. "That's Levi Devlin."

Teresa blinked. "You know about Levi Devlin?"

Lashanda rolled her eyes. "Duh...Levi is an internet sensation. He's so freakin hot." She giggled. "Think you can introduce me? Or are you all going to be busy with the filming today?"

"Actually, filming's been canceled for today." Teresa leaned over to whisper in Lashanda's ear. "Levi and Dylan were fighting over Vivien just a few minutes ago."

A dreamy look formed on Lashanda's face. "Vivien is so lucky to have two incredibly handsome guys fighting over her. It's like she's the heroine in a romance story. Le sigh."

"She _is_ the heroine in a romance story. _The Little Merman_." Teresa said dryly.

"No silly, I mean in _real_ life." Lashanda countered.

"Whoa, wait, that would make me like her sidekick." Teresa realized with a frown.

Lashanda giggled. "No, you're more important than that. You're Vivien's best friend!"

"Best friend?" Teresa glanced over at Vivien. "I would like to think so."

"You're on Team Levi, right?" Lashanda asked conspiratorially.

Teresa nodded emphatically. "Yeah, but keep that on the DL, girl. You know Vivien and Dylan are 'officially' dating now." She made air quotes as she said the word officially.

Lashanda's happy expression turned to disappointment. "Dylan is amazing and everything, but...Vivien and Levi have _chemistry_. Just seeing the way they look at each other...it's like they're secretly in love with each other, but for some reason have to stay apart. Just like Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun from _The Mummy_."

A thoughtful look formed on Teresa's face. "For some reason, huh?" _I wonder what the real reason Vivien keeps her distance from Levi is._ She shook her head. "Come on, sis. Let me introduce you to everyone." Teresa linked arms with her sister and led her over to the others. "Hey guys, I'd like to introduce you to my younger sister, Lashanda."

Dylan put on a pair of sunglasses to hide his black eyes, and reached his hand out. "Charmed."

Lashanda shyly shook Dylan's hand. "Nice to meet you."

At that moment Dylan's phone rang and he let go of Lashanda's hard. "Sorry, I have to take this call." The actor said before he fished out his phone, swiped the screen, and began to talk into his phone in a low voice. He noticed that everyone's eyes were still on him so he walked down the beach to take his call in private.

"I'm Vivien. You can call me Vivi like your sister does though." Vivien offered Lashanda her hand next.

Lashanda took it. "Thanks so much for allowing my sister to work with you."

Vivien blinked. "I should be thanking Teresa. Your sister is the best makeup artist and stylist I've had the pleasure of working with. If it weren't for your sister I'd look like a raccoon half the time. I tend to sweat a lot during filming because I'm always doing stunts. I also hate filming scenes in the water, but your sister knows what makeup is sweat proof and waterproof."

Teresa nodded. " _Hard Candy_ for the win."

"Your sister also has great fashion sense. She always makes sure I look my best for special events, and look classy and not trashy." Vivien continued. "She's never stuck me in something that could end up having a wardrobe malfunction. And she'd never let me walk out of the house wearing a meat dress or swan dress or something."

Lashanda giggled as the mental images of a meat dress and swan dress came to her mind. "My sis not only has great fashion sense, she's also a pretty good designer too. Has she showed you her sketch book?"

"Lashanda!" Teresa's tone was chiding.

"Sketch book?" Vivien's interest was piqued. "No, she hasn't. Seriously, Teresa...why you holding out on me. We're best friends, remember? If there's anything I can do to help you - just let me know."

Teresa blushed at Vivien's kind words. "Thanks, girl. I just don't want to take advantage of your kindness. I eventually want to start my own clothing line but...I want to do it all on my own steam, you know. It will be more meaningful that way."

Vivien nodded. "I feel you."

"Hey, I'm Urban West. Vivien's personal bodyguard." Urban offered his hand to Lashanda.

Lashanda turned to look at Mr. Chocolate Dream. "Uh...hi...nice to meet you. Wow...you're really good looking. Are you single?" She questioned as she shook Urban's hand.

"Lashanda! Geez." Teresa burst out, blushing, and looking embarrassed.

Lashanda gave her sister a questioning look. "You didn't tell me Vivien had a hot bodyguard."

Teresa pursed her lips. "You didn't ask."

"I'm surprised pictures of him aren't all over the net already. Jennifer Lawrence's new bodyguard Greg Lenz has got nothing on him." Lashanda said thinking about how the latest celebrity accessory didn't seem to be a new designer bag or some bling from _Tiffany's_ , but a buff bodyguard. Jennifer Lawrence, Scarlett Johansson and Kim Kardashian had had hot bodyguards in the past that had been noticed by the paparazzi, and their photos were all over the net.

Urban chuckled as he released Lashanda's hand. "Apparently, beauty runs in the family."

"Eeee. You should totally date him, sis." Lashanda squealed. "And we gotta get a fan site for him up online - stat."

Urban puffed up his chest with pride.

"Sis!" Teresa objected, shooting nervous glances towards Urban. She was positive her sister was probably bothering the poor guy.

Urban looked over at Teresa with heat in his gaze though. "What? I don't think it's such a bad idea."

Teresa blinked. "Really?"

Urban nodded. "Actually, I've been crushing on you for a while now."

"I thought you two were already going out." Levi spoke up with a confused look on his face. "Humans..."

Lashanda's attention shifted to Levi and her breath caught in her throat. He was even more handsome in person. She reached out and pinched Levi's arm.

Levi raised an eyebrow at her actions. "What was that for?"

"Ah." Lashanda pulled her hand back when she realized what she'd just done. "Sorry. It's just...how can a man as good-looking as you be _real_. You're like...an angel."

Levi blinked. Angel? "I like you, kid."

Lashanda blushed. "Hey Levi...I've heard some amazing things about your cooking. Do you think you could, ah..."

"Of course. Why don't you all stop by _Poseidon's Trident_ later for lunch?" Levi offered. "That way I can cook Lashanda up something special. I'll have to make sure to live up to her expectations though..." Levi stroked his chin as he thought about possible menu choices.

"Are you sure that's such a good-" Vivien began.

"We'll be there. All of us." Teresa swiftly interjected. "So Urban, Vivien, let's go show my sister around San Francisco, shall we?"

"Word." Urban said.

"Oh, alright." Vivien agreed with a toss of her blonde hair over her shoulder.

Teresa turned to Levi. "Would you like to come too, or do you need to get back to your restaurant to prep ingredients?"

A flash of surprise crossed Levi's face at Teresa's invite. "Thanks for the offer, but I probably should head back to the restaurant. I feel bad enough for leaving Derek, Mal and Garth in the kitchen on their own all the time because I have to do filming." Levi explained.

Teresa nodded in understanding. "Alright, we'll see you later then."

***

Levi hopped on his Harley and headed to _Poseidon's Trident_. He parked his bike out front and entered the restaurant. He blinked at the sight before him. The entire place was packed. From the open kitchen, Levi could see that Derek, Mal, and Garth were cooking hard and appeared to be overloaded with orders.

Unexpectedly, Maia and Ambrose were working the floor together and taking customers' orders. And Maia seemed...different. Happier. There was this wide smile on her usually emotionless face, and she and Ambrose kept stealing heated glances at each other. _Okay...what the hell is up with that?_ Levi shook his head.

The merman headed for the kitchen, entered, grabbed a chef's jacket, and quickly put it on. "Hey guys, why are we so swamped?"

"You being on _Hell's Kitchen_ last night must have been good promotion or something." Derek flashed Levi a grin.

"You mean _us_ being on _Hell's Kitchen_ was good promotion. I couldn't have won last night without you guys." Levi's expression was oddly warm as he eyed his fellow chefs.

"You know we've always got your back." Garth said firmly.

"Always." Malakye agreed.

"Thanks." Levi said roughly, as he made his way over to the fish station. The merman still couldn't get over the surreal feeling of having friends...he'd gotten so used to being alone.

Ambrose strolled over to the kitchen, and shouted out a series of orders. "One grilled halibut with peach and pepper salsa. Two bourbon-glazed salmon. One seared scallops with warm Tuscan beans."

A muscle ticked beneath Levi's eye. "Ambrose, since when are you working here, huh? And you don't have to say the whole damned thing, just abbreviate it."

"Oh, I'm just helping out my new girlfriend, that's all." Ambrose's golden eyes were sparkling with mischief.

Levi blinked. "Girlfriend? Since when do _you_ do the whole girlfriend thing?" The merman shot his chefs a questioning look. "He's not serious, is he?"

"Dead serious. Maia...is like all in love with him now." Derek said in an amused tone. "But don't ask me how that happened. I have no idea, man."

"No way." Levi looked over at Maia and saw her blow Ambrose a kiss. Levi ran a shaky hand over his mohawk. "Ambrose, later you'll have to tell me what your trick is. I've never seen Maia look so happy."

"I didn't do anything. She's the one who saved me - in more ways than one." Ambrose gave Maia a fond look.

"Heh." Levi said as he tossed some scallops in a flaming pan. "You sure you didn't just feed her your special cake?"

"Oh, ye of little faith. Why so surprised that Maia fell in love with all this awesomeness." Ambrose ran his hands over his chest.

Levi rolled his eyes at Ambrose's antics. "She fell in love with you, but what about you? Are you in love with her?"

"I'm not sure if this is love but...I care for her greatly. And we're dating. So we'll see." Ambrose explained happily.

Levi couldn't help it...he suddenly felt jealous of his friend Ambrose and instantly felt guilty for feeling that way. He should have been happy for them both. But anytime he thought about Vivien his heart would ache inside of his chest. "Let's get these orders out of here, boys. Vivien, Urban, Teresa and Teresa's sister, Lashanda, are coming here for lunch. I want to start prepping ingredients for the meal I want to cook for them."

"Ah, so Vivi is coming to see you." Ambrose said teasingly.

"No, she's coming here for lunch." Levi countered.

"Stubborn bastard. Make it so it's like she came to see you. Impress her with what you do best - cook." Ambrose advised, as if it were totally obvious.

Levi smirked. "Oh, I intend to." His eyes flashed gold. If he couldn't reach Vivien with his words...perhaps he could reach her with his cooking. Tristan Savant seemed to be under the impression that one could imbue food with one's emotions. He'd apparently reached Issy's heart through his chocolates. So why couldn't he reach Vivien's heart with his cooking too?

"So is Lashanda hot?" Derek piped up.

Levi rolled his eyes. "She's too young for you, vampire."

Derek frowned, and Garth and Malakye laughed at his expense.

"I thought you only liked redheads anyways." Malakye couldn't help but put in. He'd wandered into Derek's room one time and caught sight of all of the canvases with the mysterious red-haired woman on them.

Derek blushed. "Mal...what have I told you about snooping around in my room!"

"Redheads?" Levi asked curiously.

"Derek has all of these paintings of this beautiful red-haired woman in his-" Malakye was saying before Derek grabbed him and put him into a chokehold.

"Never knew you were such a busybody, Mal." Derek growled.

"Mercy! Mercy!" Malakye cried out. "I'm a pacifist! Love and peace, asshole!"

Levi chuckled at their antics.

Two hours later noon rolled around and Vivien and her friends entered the restaurant. "Ooo." Lashanda said as she looked around the restaurant with wide eyes. "It's like being inside of a sunken pirate ship."

"Hello and welcome to _Poseidon's Trident_. Allow me to take you to your table." Maia greeted them politely.

"Ah, alright, thanks." Vivien said to Maia. She'd seen the silver-haired girl working at _Poseidon's Trident_ before. The girl was ethereal, delicate looking, and very feminine - not like the overly fit Vivien. She pouted, wondering if Maia and Levi were...close.

Maia led the group to an empty table and they sat down. Vivien noticed that unlike the other tables theirs had a large vase of fresh flowers on it. The actress wondered if Levi had added it for her...and then felt like an egotistic bitch. After the horrible way she'd treated Levi she was surprised he was still even talking to her.

Lashanda was having fun looking around the restaurant and admiring all of the decorations on the ceiling when finally her gaze drifted towards the open kitchen. "Whoa Mama!" She leaned forward in her chair. "Look at all of those gorgeous guys! One of them has to be single! Teresa, please tell me they're single."

Teresa laughed. "Uh...as far as I know they're single. Although I think it's pretty obvious that Levi only has eyes for Vivien."

"Teresa." Vivien snapped.

"What? It's the truth, girl." There was an innocent look on Teresa's face.

"I'm going out with Dylan now." Vivien had to resist the urge to rub her temples.

"Why not Levi?" Lashanda asked the question that was on everyone's mind. Vivien and Levi's chemistry was simply too obvious to ignore. "He's really hot and he seems to like you a lot. I know Dylan is cool too but...the way Levi looks at you...I saw the video of you two dancing in the fountain together online. You looked so _happy_." Everyone held their breath eagerly as they awaited Vivien's response.

"I looked...happy?" Vivien shook her head to clear it from thoughts of Levi and her dancing together in that fountain. "Dylan is...perfect for me. My parents really like him. So does my sister. My parents would never accept Levi."

"Why not?" Lashanda said with a confused expression on her face.

"Because...Levi doesn't have enough money or social status." Vivien reluctantly explained. She knew this would make her parents sound like assholes but...the truth was the truth.

Lashanda blinked and waved her hand dismissively through the air. " _Yet_. He's about to become a famous actor with his performance of the merprince. After the movie is out he'll have a ton of money and social status."

Vivien pursed her lips. "That's only if the movie is successful."

"It _will_ be. It has you and Levi in it." Lashanda insisted passionately. "You need to believe in yourself but also in Levi. After all he's incredibly captivating."

Vivien frowned. "Even so, I can't be with Levi because he's a-" She bit her lower lip to cut herself off. _Shit!_ She'd almost called Levi a merman out loud! What the hell was wrong with her? _Get your head on straight, Vivien!_

"Chef." Levi cut in, suddenly appearing next to their table. "Even though I'm proud to be a blue-collar worker." He shifted his attention to Lashanda and flashed her a grin. "So...you think I'm incredibly captivating?"

Lashanda blushed furiously and nodded in a shy manner.

Levi reached out and patted her head. "I really like you, kid. Your food is on the house. Order whatever you wish."

Lashanda's eyes bugged. "R-Really? Then...I've never had lobster before."

"Lashanda! You can't just go and order the most expensive thing on the menu!" Teresa burst out, all sass.

"Awww but sis." Lashanda pouted.

Levi held up his hand. "Ladies, I am a man of my word. I never lie. I promised your sister that she could order whatever she wanted. And if she wants lobster...it's lobster she shall have. In fact, I was already planning on cooking all of you something extravagant. If that's okay?"

"Sounds good to me, bro." Urban agreed readily, tucking his napkin in his shirt collar to create a makeshift bib. One of the perks of being Vivien Tempest's bodyguard was getting to dine at five star restaurants. Although he'd never tasted anything as good as Levi's cooking before.

"Sure." Teresa grumbled. Levi had totally put her on the spot!

"Alright!" Lashanda exclaimed excitedly.

"Well, okay...just don't go out of your way or anything, Levi." Vivien insisted.

Levi leaned over the table so that his face was closer to Vivien's. She held her breath. "I would always go out of my way for you. Do you like the flowers, by the way?" _Tristan told me that females like flowers._

Vivien gulped. "Yes...they're beautiful. But...you didn't get them specifically for me, did you?"

"Of course I did." Levi said firmly.

Levi flashed Vivien a bright smile and her heart stopped. _They really were for me._ The chef smiled rarely and when he did...he looked incredibly handsome. He also looked more...human. Approachable. Normal. His teeth were a gleaming white and his canines were a little longer than was average, almost as if he were a vampire and not a merman. It was kinky.

_I wonder what it would feel like if he bit my neck?_ Vivien rubbed her neck unconsciously.

Levi stood straight and made his way back to the kitchen. He needed to play it 'cool' like Ambrose had advised him. His love for Vivien may have been unrequited for the time being, but that didn't mean he was giving up.

"He's _so_ into you." Lashanda sighed dreamily. "He even got you these flowers. That's so...old school."

"I have a boyfriend. Levi's just being...stubborn." Vivien muttered unhappily.

"At least my boy hasn't given up." Urban smirked, holding his knife and fork in front of him. He was so ready to chow down.

Vivien rolled her eyes when she saw what Urban was doing. But she had to admit that she was pretty excited to get to eat Levi's cooking again.

"Team Levi for the win!" Teresa high-fived Lashanda.

Vivien glared at her friends. "You guys are incorrigible!" But the actress looked at the flowers on their table in a new light. They were very pretty. In fact, she'd never seen flowers like them before nor known that blue roses even existed.

At that moment, the television program, which had been airing on the TV inside of _Poseidon's Trident_ , changed to show a female news reporter with a grim expression on her face. " _We're sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming,_ _but we have an important announcement for the public safety of San Francisco's residents. I'm here reporting live from the scene of yet another gruesome murder by the serial killer that's been dubbed Mr. Octopus because of his calling card of drowning his victims in black ink._

" _Cathy Lopez was found dead in her apartment early this morning. Apparently, she'd slept with Mr. Octopus but then he killed her by forcing her to ingest so much ink that she drowned in it. There were no signs of rape, which means Mr. Octopus seduced his victim first before later killing her. There are still no clues as to who Mr. Octopus is. No fingerprints have been left at the scenes of his murders._

" _The only eyewitness said that she saw Cathy heading up to her apartment with a man wearing a black hooded jacket. The hood of the jacket concealed his face from CCTV cameras that were close by and so the police have been unable to perform a facial recognition scan."_

Lashanda shuddered at the unsettling news report. "Mom's been really worried about you, Teresa, ever since the serial killings started in San Francisco. That Mr. Octopus dude is actually one of the reasons why she wanted me to visit you and make sure you're okay since you live alone and all."

"Your sister may live alone, but if she ever needs help then she just has to give me a call." Urban said firmly.

Teresa shot Urban a grateful look. "Thanks, that means a lot."

Meanwhile, Levi and the chefs cooked up Vivien and the others an extravagant four-course meal. The appetizer that was created by Malakye was a potato rosti with smoked salmon. The main dishes were a ginger chili fish with herbed rice that Levi prepared and huge, green bell peppers stuffed with tomato, olive rice, and ground beef made by Derek. For dessert, Garth prepared mango, white chocolate, coconut and meringue _gateau_.

As Levi cooked he made sure to put all of his feelings of love into what he was cooking for Vivien. And when the main entrée was done he took it out onto the floor, carried the plate over to Vivien, and set it down on the table before her with a flourish. "Enjoy, princess."

Vivien took a bite of the chili fish, chewed and swallowed. It truly was the most delicious thing she'd ever eaten before and Levi had made this...especially for her.

"Vivien! What's wrong?" Teresa asked in a worried tone.

"What? Nothing." Vivien said, giving Teresa a confused look.

"But...you're crying." Teresa pointed out tentatively.

"I...what?" Vivien reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes before anyone else could notice. _Levi...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I hurt you._

At that moment, Ambrose approached their table. "Hi there...you must be Teresa's sister Lashanda. I'm Ambrose Rune." He held out his hand in an amiable manner.

Lashanda offered hers in return, and Ambrose took it before placing a kiss on it, which caused Lashanda to blush.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Ambrose continued.

"Uh, likewise." Lashanda said nervously. What was with all the hot guys?

"So your first time in San Francisco, huh? Are you guys going to go out tonight? If so, may I recommend coming to _Ruby Skye_? I'll be there with my girlfriend Maia tonight." Ambrose shot an affectionate look in Maia's direction.

Vivien choked on her soda. "Girlfriend? You? Maia? You have a girlfriend, Ambrose? Since when?"

Ambrose grinned devilishly. "Since...yesterday." There was a note of pride in his silky voice.

"And who is Maia?" Vivien asked curiously.

Ambrose blinked. "Oh, you know her...she's the silver-haired girl working here."

"Ohhhh so that's Maia." Vivien nodded and was filled with relief for some reason. Relief that Maia and Levi weren't an item.

"I don't know if it's such a good idea to go out clubbing when there's a serial killer out on the lose." Teresa frowned.

Lashanda pouted. "Oh, come on, sis. Pretty please? I've never gone clubbing before." She put her hands together in front of her as if she were praying.

Ambrose gasped at Lashanda's revelation and shook his head. "Never been clubbing? You don't know what you're missing! Besides, you shouldn't worry. I'll be there, and I'm pretty sure we can get Levi to come too. We'll protect you, Lashanda."

"I'll go too." Urban offered smoothly.

"Ohhh you see, sis...we'll even have a _professional_ bodyguard with us. What could possibly go wrong?" Lashanda insisted.

"And Levi can literally toss people out of the club if we don't like them." Vivien added with a playful note to her voice.

Lashanda was giving Teresa a puppy-dog look. "Pu-lease, sis."

Teresa hesitated a moment longer. For some reason she was having a bad feeling about all this but then she realized she was just being paranoid. What were the chances that the serial killer would be at _Ruby Skye_ anyways? Like 1,234,345 to 1? Teresa sighed. "Oh, alright, we can go. But we're only staying until midnight - Cinderella style."

"Oh, yes! Thanks, sis. You're the best!" Lashanda gushed as she hugged Teresa tightly.

"Yeah, yeah...don't make me regret this." Teresa grumbled, but couldn't stop the frown from forming on her face. _I still have a bad feeling about this._

***

At ten o'clock Vivien, Teresa, Lashanda, Urban, and Levi entered _Ruby Skye_. The club was packed with a surging sea of people on the dance floor. The women were wearing expensive, sparkly, barely-there clothing. The men were dressed in either suits or casual clothes - Hawaiian shirts, shorts, and even flip-flops. Some of the people dancing had obviously had a long day at the beach before going there, and some of the girls were dancing in nothing but their bikinis with sheer wraps tied around their waists. Pretty much everyone inside of the club had a tan. But that was normal for San Francisco.

The handsome DJ could be seen off to the left side of the club, bobbing his head to the beat of the techno dance music he'd chosen, and using his turntables to scratch. Green lazer lights moved across the dance floor adding to the frenzied, upbeat ambiance of the club.

"This is...freakin awesome!" Lashanda exclaimed loudly over the music as she looked around the club. She'd never been inside of a place like this before. There were so many people, and the music was so loud it almost hurt her eyes. She could feel the floor vibrating beneath her feet. The lazer lights made it feel like she'd entered a space ship or something. "Ohhh I am so ready to dance! Come on, sis!" Lashanda grabbed Teresa's hands and pulled her to the dance floor.

"Ah, Lashanda, wait." Teresa said as she was pulled onto the dance floor where Lashanda started swinging her arms.

Vivien smiled as she watched Teresa and Lashanda dancing together. Levi stood stiffly beside Vivien, wondering how he'd gotten roped into coming along with everyone. In truth, he was just there to protect the females. He'd been a little unnerved after hearing that strange news report about the serial killer Mr. Octopus. This club...wasn't really his scene though. There were too many humans packed tight like sardines. He was surprised that he'd withstood the place when he'd come there to get drunk with Ambrose. It was overly hot inside of the club, and sweat was already running down his back. Also the lazer lights stung his sensitive eyes uncomfortably.

Levi and Vivien looked at each other and then quickly looked away. Urban shook his head at the two. He put his arms around their shoulders and guided them towards the bar. "Come on, you two, you guys look like you could use a drink."

"Hell yeah." Vivien readily agreed.

Levi just nodded.

Urban, Vivien and Levi took a seat at the bar and ordered some drinks. The bartender prepared their drinks with a bit of flair before setting the drinks down before them. Vivien had ordered a fancy, fruity, and sweet cocktail. Levi had ordered a Scotch on the rocks. And Urban had ordered vodka on the rocks.

Vivien looked at the men's drinks and snorted. "Pfft...boring. Why don't you try something different, Levi. Live on the wild side."

Levi raised an eyebrow at Vivien. "All that sweetness and fruity flavor is pointless. The point of consuming alcohol is to get buzzed, correct? My drink will accomplish that outcome faster." _I'd live on the wild side with you, princess._

Vivien pouted. "Bah, humbug." The actress took a sip of her drink. Fruity cocktails were the best for her since...she was kinda sorta an alcoholic. She'd even been to Rehab. Though her sister Audrey had somehow managed to keep all that under wraps. Audrey was a really good manager despite her control freak nature.

But with Vivien's overbearing family and the high expectations they had for her who could really blame her for wanting a drink every once in a while in order to unwind? Sometimes Vivien just needed to escape from reality and relax for a little while. Or get totally plastered and just not think. Although she'd gotten much better ever since her friendship with Ambrose Rune had formed.

One night, at _Ruby Skye_ Vivien had gotten herself so plastered that she'd passed out on the dance floor. She'd been between bodyguards at the time, so anything could have happened to her. Luckily, Ambrose had witnessed her sudden collapse, gotten her a taxi, and made sure she got back to her hotel safely. After that when Vivien had tracked Ambrose down in order to thank him, she'd discovered that he was a patissier working at _Dolly's Tea Party Bakery_. They'd become quick friends and Ambrose had started bringing Vivien these delicious, alcoholic cakes of his.

They didn't really get her drunk but...they definitely gave her a temporary escape from reality with their out of this world deliciousness. One bite of his cakes would transport you to another world. This experience was similar to what Levi's cooking evoked actually. Vivien had cut down on the alcohol after that, and had switched to rewarding herself with Ambrose Rune's cakes after successful shoots.

Speaking of Ambrose, Vivien wondered where he was and searched the dance floor for any sign of him. She spotted Ambrose dancing sensually with Maia, and smiled. The two made a good couple and both exuded...sexuality. She could just picture them dancing in the middle of a field of flowers for some bizarre reason. They seemed so carefree. She owed Ambrose a lot. But...now with the whole Dylan and Levi 'thing' Vivien felt like getting hammered. _Must not get hammered, must not get hammered._

"Whew! That was so fun!" Lashanda said as she and Teresa joined the group at the bar. "So Urban, you going to ask my sister to dance or what?"

"Lashanda!" Teresa burst out. "Girl, I'm going to put a zipper on your lips."

Urban chuckled, hopped off his barstool, and held his hand out to Teresa. "Teresa, would you do me the honor of a dance?"

Teresa blinked at Urban in surprise and put her hand in his. "Yeah, sure." She blushed. The stylist could hardly believe that the handsome bodyguard she'd been crushing on was actually asking her to dance.

Lashanda took Urban's vacated spot at the bar. "Vivien, what should I get to drink?"

"The strawberry pomegranate mojito is nice." Vivien suggested, completely forgetting that Lashanda wasn't twenty-one yet. Oops.

"Alright, I'll have one of those then." Lashanda ordered her drink and looked back and forth between Vivien and Levi. They were acting like they were trying not to look at each other. _Too cute._ A sly smile curled her lips. "Hey Levi, what kind of rude guy are you?"

Levi glanced over at Lashanda with a confused look on his face at the obvious ire in her tone. "Huh?"

"You're just going to let poor Vivien sit here when it's _so_ obvious she's dying to dance? This is her favorite song, you know." Lashanda raised her eyebrows at Levi expectantly.

Levi shot a questioning look towards Vivien. "Is it?"

"What? It's not..." Vivien was saying when Lashanda gave her a 'what you doing, girl?' look. "I mean, yeah...I love this song." She laughed nervously to cover her slipup.

Levi slid off his stool and approached Vivien. He tried to hide the slight nervous tremble in his hand as he offered it to her. "Care to dance?" Why was it that he felt he could tackle anything fearlessly except for Vivien Tempest? Battling a shark would be nothing compared to this.

"Sure." Vivien put her hand in his as she slid off the barstool. Tingles immediately ran up Vivien's arm as their hands touched. _Static electricity._ Vivien told herself. The actress looked up and her eyes clashed with Levi's, and that's when her heart started racing. Suddenly, it was just the two of them and everyone else disappeared. This seemed to happen with Levi...a lot.

Levi led Vivien out to the dance floor, but then stood stiffly in front of her as he looked around at how the humans were dancing. "What's wrong?" Vivien asked.

A dark scowl marred Levi's handsome features. "I...don't know how to dance. I mean, I know how to waltz and tango, but...to do what these humans are doing now. I don't know how." He admitted.

_Innocent merman._ Vivien stepped closer to Levi in a sensual manner. "You mean you don't know how to freak dance?"

Levi swallowed and shook his head.

Vivien took Levi's hands and put them on her waist, "Let me show you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and began to sway their bodies to the beat. Their bodies were getting closer and closer until their heads were so close they were breathing the same air. Their lips were so close they could almost kiss.

Levi found himself leaning forward to capture Vivien's lips. However-

Vivien spun around and began to grind her ass against Levi's body.

_Holy shit!_ Levi's eyes went wide. He could feel Vivien's tight ass pressing against his crotch and that rod between his legs began to harden. _Oh shit. Down boy!_

Lashanda laughed at Levi's deer caught in the headlights expression as Vivien freak danced with him. Levi was so obviously in love with Vivien it wasn't even funny. She hoped things worked out between those two.

"Is this seat taken?" Came a deep, silky male voice from Lashanda's right.

Lashanda turned to say 'yes' but her words became lodged in her throat as she found herself looking into a pair of liquid black eyes. "No, this seat isn't taken."

A sensuous smile curled the man's lips as he took a seat next to her. "How about I buy you a drink, babe."

Lashanda blushed. The man was enormous, and wearing a hooded jacket. She couldn't see much of his face but he was just oozing pheromones. "Sure."

Meanwhile, on the dance floor, Teresa and Urban were dancing closely when Teresa noticed that Levi and Vivien were finally dancing together. She smiled. Those two looked perfect together. Her eyes automatically searched out her sister and she looked over towards the bar. Teresa frowned when she couldn't see Lashanda.

"What's wrong?" Urban asked, noticing Teresa's worried expression.

"My sister...I can't find her. But don't worry...she's probably somewhere on the dance floor." Teresa assured even though she was still craning her neck and trying to find her sister's face among the crowd.

Urban immediately looked around too and spotted Vivien and Levi dancing. He then looked over towards the bar where Lashanda's drink was sitting on the bar counter alone and only halfway finished. He frowned. His hackles rising. "You think she went to the bathroom?"

"Maybe." Teresa shrugged.

"We'd better check." Urban declared, taking Teresa's hand, and leading her towards Vivien and Levi. "Hey guys, you know where Lashanda went?"

Levi's gaze immediately went to the spot at the bar where he'd left her. "She was just there a minute ago."

"I'm going to go check the bathroom. I'll be right back." Teresa told the others.

"I'll come with you." Vivien offered.

The two girls went off to check the girl's bathroom, leaving Urban and Levi behind. Urban was rubbing the back of his neck unconsciously. He had a bad feeling about this. In Afghanistan his instincts had been honed to a razor's edge for survival. He'd gotten good at sensing when a grenade was going to be thrown his way. But he hoped his instincts were wrong in this case. Levi was looking edgy too. The girls returned a few minutes later but without Lashanda.

"Any luck?" Urban asked them.

Teresa shook her head, her expression lost. "No...I'm going to try her cell." The stylist took out her cell phone and dialed her sister's number. The automated message: ' _we're sorry the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable_ ' came over the phone line. Teresa frowned at the message. "She's not picking up her cell."

Levi stalked over to the bar and slammed his hand down on the counter to get the bartender's attention. "Hey, you, remember the girl that was with us, in the purple and silver dress?"

The bartender nodded, looking nervous. He seemed to be eyeing Levi's blue hair and ear piercings warily. "Yeah. What about her?"

"Did you see where she went?" Levi asked.

The bartender nodded readily. "Yeah, man, she had a drink with this guy wearing a hood and then she left with him."

Teresa sucked in a breath and shook her head. "No...not a hood. You don't think...?" The stylist couldn't bear to finish her sentence.

_She's been taken, do you?_ Urban finished in his mind. "Shit."

"Let's call the police." Vivien suggested and whipped out her cell.

Urban shook his head at Vivien, his expression grim. "Until she's been missing for twenty-four hours they won't even let you file a report."

"Well, that's retarded. We _know_ she's missing." Levi huffed in frustration. "She wouldn't have left here without us."

Tears filled Teresa's brown eyes. "No...not my sister. This is all my fault. I never should have brought her here when I knew that there was a serial killer out on the loose. I promised Mama I'd look after her. I...!"

"Shhh...it'll be okay, Teresa." Vivien put her arm around her friend's shoulders and pulled her close. "I'm sure she'll turn up. All we can do now is wait."

"Wait? Fuck that." _Well, the cops are useless - as usual._ Levi decided it was time to take matters into his own hands. He sniffed the air and caught Lashanda's jasmine scent. Levi took off through the crowd of dancing people while tracking the scent. Arriving at the side exit, he opened the door and stepped out into the alleyway next to the club. Levi continued to follow Lashanda's scent until it just disappeared. _Fuck..._

"You see something, bro?" Urban's voice came from beside Levi, making him jump.

"Urban." Levi turned to face him and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I uh...followed Lashanda's scent, er, perfume, but the trail ends here. It just disappears."

Urban frowned and decided to ignore the fact that Levi was claiming to have the nose of a bloodhound. "Did she get in a car or..." The bodyguard looked up towards the fire escape and then down at the ground. He spotted a manhole. "There's more than one way to disappear from this alley. Looks like our kidnapper went down."

Levi removed the manhole and tossed it aside as if it didn't weigh a thing. "I'll go down there and get Lashanda. Alone. You wait here."

Urban shook his head. "No way, man. I'm coming with you. There's something about this that feels...familiar for some reason. Whoever took her is one dangerous son of a bitch to take her down there. And besides, how do you plan on seeing in the dark?" The bodyguard whipped out his flashlight.

Levi frowned. "Alright, fine...but if I tell you to do something - you do it. No questions asked. It could get hairy down there."

Urban raised an eyebrow at the chef turned actor. "Hey, I'm the bodyguard here, remember? Or are you ex-military too? You sure act like it sometimes."

"Let's just say I have some combat experience."

"I hear ya. Let's go." Urban went down the ladder first. As soon as he reached the bottom he pulled out his nine-millimeter and kept it raised along with the flashlight, one hand positioned directly over the other.

Levi simply hopped down the manhole and landed next to Urban with a slight splash. He raised an eyebrow at the nine-millimeter. "I applaud your bravery, but...sometimes bullets aren't enough to stop freaks in the night."

A shiver of unease traveled down Urban's spine at Levi's ominous words. "Don't I know it. Some of the shit I saw go down in Afghanistan..." He shook his head. "No one would believe me if I told them."

Levi smirked. "Try me sometime. Let's go." He nodded at Urban to go first.

Urban nodded back and they began to make their way through the sewer while walking on the sidewalk that was directly next to a stream of foul-smelling sewage. The two men continued on until they came to a divergence and didn't know which way to proceed.

Levi sniffed the air while trying to catch Lashanda's scent. "I got her scent...I mean, perfume. It's this way." He turned and went down the left hand tunnel with Urban following close behind. Levi's demonic eyes glowed as they cut through the darkness.

"Hey, wait...take a look at this." Urban pointed his flashlight at the ground before them. There was a black, inky substance on the ground. "What _is_ that?"

Levi bent over and ran his fingers through the black substance. He brought it up to his nose and sniffed. "Ink."

"Shit...it's really him...that psycho serial killer. If he's hurt Lashanda..." Urban trailed off in a dangerous tone.

"He'll get what's coming to him. Don't worry." Levi promised and they continued their way until the pipe opened into a large chamber with several openings to other pipes visible. In the center of the chamber was what appeared to be a pool with a small bridge running over it. Levi sniffed the air...salt. The pool was connected to the ocean somehow. The water inside of that pool wasn't sewer water. _Fuck._ Whatever happened down there he needed to stay as far away from that pool as possible.

Trap. Trap. Trap. The word echoed in his mind relentlessly.

"Lashanda!" Urban yelled out fearlessly and then he caught sight of her. "Lashanda!"

Levi followed the man's line of sight and saw the unconscious form of Lashanda tied to a sewer pipe. She was unconscious but appeared to be otherwise unharmed. He didn't smell blood in the air either. The two men were about to cross the bridge to get to her, when bubbles began to rise to the surface of the pool. Lots and lots of bubbles as the water began to churn in a sinister manner.

All of a sudden, several enormous black tentacles began to emerge from out of the water and slither towards Levi and Urban. The tentacles were covered in suction cups...just like the tentacles on an octopus.

"What the hell? Not this shit again!" Urban raised his gun and pointed it at the tentacles. He couldn't help but remember a similar occurrence that happened to him years ago in Afghanistan...

To be continued...in Fish 11: Deadly Octopus

Levi: " _Interested in trying the four course meal me and my boys prepared for Vivien and her friends? Visit-"_

http://www.taste.com.au/recipe+collection/articles/4873/four+course+seafood+menu

### Chapter 11: Deadly Octopus

FLASHBACK

Urban West was a commando that was a part of a special operations unit that had been assigned to go to a certain Afghan town where an extremely dangerous terrorist leader codenamed 'Beel' was apparently hiding out. Urban's best friend Jay was in charge of the unit. Ten other commandos, who included Urban's younger brother Dale and Jay's wife Chloe, were also a part of the unit.

The unit's mission was to infiltrate the town, locate the high-value target and terrorist leader Beel and take him out. Mission complete.

The day the mission was to take place, it was hot as hell. But it always was there. Temperatures fluctuated and could reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and drop down to 57 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Sand was everywhere and Urban meant _everywhere_. He had sand in places that it had no business. The sand in his ass crack was the worse. Urban was sweating like a pig and really wouldn't have given a shit if it weren't for the female commando that was with them - Chloe.

As Urban inconspicuously took a whiff of his armpit he noticed that a few of the others guys were doing the same. He wasn't the only one affected by Chloe's presence apparently.

Chloe was also his best friend's wife. She was beautiful but tough as nails. Chloe had long, blonde hair that was pulled up into a high ponytail. She was wearing a black tank top, tight camo pants and boots. The camo brought out the green of her Jade colored eyes. The Taliban were usually so stunned by Chloe's beauty that they'd freeze upon seeing her - giving her plenty of time to shoot them in the head or move in to slit their throats with a knife.

Chloe's fellow commandos joked that maybe they should get breast implants to make their jobs easier. Chloe beat the shit out of them all in response and then began to complain about how her back hurt because it had to support the weight of her breasts. None of the boys knew if they were allowed to respond to that one or not, and so wisely kept their mouths shut.

Everyone in the unit was wearing camouflage jackets, matching pants, and combat boots. They had black backpacks on and were wielding M16 assault rifles. The commandos were supposed to be wearing black facemasks but it was simply too hot for it.

'Beel' the terrorist leader they were hunting was supposedly hiding out in the Afghan town the unit was approaching. Urban looked at the Afghan town curiously when it came into view. It was made up of simple, square-shaped building with square-shaped windows that appeared to be made out of sandstone. The buildings were all different sizes. Some looked new and others looked like ruins. The town had a disorderly layout.

Jay silently directed the unit to stick to the shadows as they entered the town at sunset. Even though the sun was setting there should have been a lot of townsfolk wandering around the streets. "Why's it so quiet?" Urban asked in a low voice.

"Where is everyone?" Chloe added.

"Do you think they evacuated the town because they knew we were coming?" Dale suggested.

Jay frowned as he pushed his rectangular-shaped glasses up his nose with his index finger. "It's possible our spy has been compromised...but we're continuing the mission regardless. According to the informant Beel is here and only has a group of ten bodyguards with him. We should be able to easily overpower them and take Beel out quickly. Keep focused and keep your eyes peeled. Let's continue."

Moving in stealth, Urban's unit entered the Afghan ghost town. When they came to a huge square in the very center of the town a horrific sight met them. In the center of the square stood a large, black tree without leaves. The tree had a thick trunk and lots of gnarled branches reaching for the sky in a creepy manner. From the tree's many branches bodies had been hung.

Headless bodies.

Surrounding the base of the tree was a pile of heads. A sign was attached to the tree but the words had been written in the Arabic alphabet and also Pashto letters, and so Urban had no idea what they said.

"Bloody hell." Urban swore as he looked at the gruesome scene.

"How barbaric." Chloe murmured before she began to throw up on the ground.

Jay put his hand on Chloe's back as she threw up but offered her no words of comfort. Chloe was a soldier through and through, and didn't like receiving special treatment from anyone while on a mission.

"What's that sign say?" Dale asked.

"Traitor." Jay informed them. He was able to read Pashto. "Our informant was indeed compromised."

Chloe managed to pull herself together swiftly and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Sorry. It's just...I never expected such...brutality. How could they do something like this? To their own people? It's inhuman."

"This is war. And because Beel is here...this town became a war zone. Beel is an incredibly dangerous man. If he'll do this to his allies - think about what he's capable of doing to his enemies." Jay said grimly.

As Jay and Chloe spoke, Urban and Dale kept a lookout with their attack rifles raised and at the ready.

A dark chuckle traveled along a hot, sandy breeze. "Who brings a weak human female into the middle of a war zone? Fools." Came a menacing voice. "Even if she is rather fetching."

Urban and the others blinked.

And then standing in front of the hellish tree was a man with an overwhelming presence. He was tall at six-six, muscular, and dressed in all black with a hooded jacket. His hood was pulled down low to shadow the features of his face. The golden and jeweled hilts of eight scimitars were visible behind the man's back where they had been strapped to his body, four hilts visible on either side.

Standing on either side of Beel were his bodyguards. His most trusted assassins. They were dressed all in black, and their faces were wrapped in black cloth. Only their eyes were visible and they had been lined with kohl. And their eyes were like nothing Urban had ever seen before. They were glowing with a golden light. Scimitars were strapped to the assassins' sides.

All of the assassins appeared to be adults...except for one who appeared to be just a child. Perhaps eleven-years-old. The kid had a psychotic smile on his face though, and his eyes appeared to be a normal brown color.

"Did that bastard just call _me_ weak?" Chloe demanded as she pointed her rifle in Beel's direction with a heated glare on her face. "Let's see how he likes it when I blow his fucking head off!"

"Forgive him, honey. He has no idea how good you are with that rifle." Jay smiled. There was an obvious note of pride in his voice. "So...Beel I presume?"

Beel nodded. "Yes...so twelve commandos?" He looked them over, sizing them up. "That's it? Apparently, the US Government has sorely underestimated my abilities. I won't even need to raise a finger to obliterate you. I'll leave it to my loyal assassins. Men, get them."

The battle began.

The commandos raised their rifles and fired at the assassins. However-

One blink.

And the assassins were several feet closer, and with their scimitars already unsheathed and raised before them. The curved blades of the scimitars glinted in the fading light of day. "Shit!" Urban swore as he blinked one more time and opened his eyes just in time to see an assassin bringing his scimitar down upon him - ready to slice him in two. Urban raised his rifle and blocked the scimitar's deadly blow. But just barely. Metal clashed against metal.

Urban risked a quick glance towards the others to see how they were faring and wished he hadn't. The assassins were just too fast - inhumanly fast. Urban watched in horror as the assassins _dodged_ bullets and then brought their scimitars upon the commandos - severing heads and limbs from bodies. Red blood sprayed through the hot desert air.

"The strong survive, the weak die. The strong survive, the weak die." The eleven-year-old assassin chanted as he dodged three bullets and sliced the head right off a commando while wearing a gigantic grin on his face.

Urban shuddered at the unsettling sight. Child soldiers. That was just wrong on so many levels.

In mere seconds, six commandos had been killed and the rest were barely managing to hold their own against the assassins. Urban, Jay, Chloe, and Dale had so far miraculously survived. Chloe was on the ground with an assassin straddling her and trying to cut her head off. Chloe was also using her rifle to block the deathblow. The assassin was speaking to her in a strange archaic language that Chloe didn't recognize. It sure as hell didn't sound like Pashto.

Dale was running, shooting at the assassin who doggedly pursued him, and avoiding scimitar swings with lithe moves. _I'm proud of you, little brother._ Urban thought as he watched his brother's display of skill.

"Chloe!" Jay shouted in concern as he somehow managed to shoot the assassin in front of him. "Get off of her, you bastard!" Moving fast, Jay was suddenly next to the assassin and pointing the muzzle of his rifle against the assassin's temple. The shot rang out and the assassin fell over on top of Chloe. Dead.

Chloe quickly pushed the dead assassin off of her and Jay gave her a hand up. "Thanks." She said. "But I almost had that guy."

"Sure you did, honey." Jay smirked.

"What was he saying to me?" Chloe asked curiously. Jay knew more than sixteen languages, and had studied Pashto and Dari before coming to Afghanistan for their mission, so there was a good chance he'd understood the assassin.

Jay frowned. "That language...it wasn't like anything I've ever heard before. It seemed _ancient_."

Beel chuckled at the humans' cluelessness. "Fools."

Urban noticed that the assassin he was grappling with was distracted by what was happening with Jay and Chloe. _Chance!_ Urban took out a concealed dagger with his left hand and wasted no time in imbedding the thing in the assassin's heart.

"Nooo!" The assassin cried out, and the golden glow left the man's eyes. The man's eyes returned to a drab brown color. It was like the man had been demon-possessed or something, but that was _crazy_. Impossible.

More shots were fired and Urban spun to see that his brother Dale had managed to shoot one of the assassins. "Alright, bro!"

The corners of Beel's lips dipped into a frown. Menace began to radiate off of the man in waves. "Oh, you'll pay for that, commandos."

"Fall back!" Jay shouted to the remaining group of six. "We must retreat!"

"Right." Urban fell in line next to Jay and Chloe, and Dale quickly joined them along with the other two remaining commandos. Following Jay's lead, they all took off running, entering a side street where they kept on running through the now pitch-black town. Night had officially fallen and the dim moonlight sucked.

The commandos could sense that they were being followed and turned around to shoot at the shifting shadows from time to time. "We need to find a more ideal spot to battle them. They currently outnumber us. For now, we'll just keep moving and try to take them out one at a time." Jay said as he adjusted his glasses.

An eerie, dark cackle floated through the air and seemed to be coming from all directions within the town. A chill went down Urban's spine. Something was coming. Something evil. "You guys...something's not right here. Those assassins back there - their eyes were glowing." Urban felt the need to point out; even if his comrades ended up thinking he was crazy.

"I know. I saw it too." Jay admitted with a heavy sigh. "But that's not important right now. What's important is staying alive so we can report what has happened here. We also know our enemy _can_ be killed...regardless of what they really are. If we can - we must complete our mission at all costs."

The group ran through the narrow streets, zigzagging, and hoping to lose their pursuers in the maze that was the town. However-

One of the commandos cried out. Urban spun around, rifle raised, to see a huge black tentacle had wrapped around the man. The texture of the tentacle appeared glossy and squishy. For a second, Urban couldn't believe what he was seeing. "What the hell is that? Are you guys seeing this?" Urban demanded as he opened fire on the tentacle. This was like something out of an alien horror movie all of a sudden.

"We see it." Jay shot back. "Keep it together."

The tentacle whipped back and out of sight, taking the screaming soldier with it. The soldier's screams were ended abruptly as an ominous crack filled the air.

"Fuck. Keep moving!" Jay barked out.

The unit continued to run...but another black tentacle shot out at them from their left this time, and wrapped around another commando.

"Don't let it take me!" The commando cried, horror in his eyes.

Urban opened fire upon the tentacle, but Jay shot the commando right between the eyes as he was dragged off. Urban gave his friend a disbelieving look. "Jay...?"

"Trust me. That was an act of mercy. We have no idea what the hell that thing is or what it's capable of. Come on. We have to keep moving!" Jay insisted, his expression grim and resigned.

Chloe put her hand on Urban's shoulder. "Come on, Urban. We just have to stick together. It's just us now."

Urban nodded. "Yeah."

The foursome continued their flight, until-

This time the tentacle appeared from out of nowhere on their right. It shot out, wrapped around Dale's body, and began to crush him.

"Dale! Let the fuck go of my brother, you bastard!" Urban shouted as he shot at the tentacle and two bullets imbedded themselves in the tentacle. An inhuman shriek ripped through the air that seemed to vibrate the walls and ground around them. The tentacle along with Dale began to retreat. "Dale! No! Let him go!" Urban started after his brother, but Jay grabbed his arms from behind and held him back.

"No! Urban!" Jay shouted. "He's...gone."

"No!" Urban yelled back. "Let me go, you bastard!" He couldn't believe Jay had just stopped him from going after his brother. Because of Jay, Dale was...Dale was...!

"I'm sorry. But...we have to go." Jay said softly.

"Urban, _please_." Chloe said, a tinge of desperation in her usually steely voice.

Urban glared into the dark pool of shadows where his brother had been dragged into and all he wanted to do was go in there after his brother. But he couldn't. His best friend Jay and Chloe were still alive. He had to protect them, and more importantly he had to help protect Chloe because she was pregnant. This was supposed to be Chloe and Jay's last mission before they went home and started a family together. The money they were going to make on this mission was going to be used for a down payment on their dream house.

"Okay." Urban grunted as he allowed himself to be dragged away. Tears stung his eyes and he angrily brushed them away with the back of his hand. _Dale...I'm so sorry. I failed to protect you...little brother. But I have to help protect the new life that's inside of Chloe._

"This way. In here." Jay directed them into a three-story, abandoned building. They made their way through the building, spotted a staircase, and took the stairs to the roof of the building. They exited out onto the roof. "We'll be able to see the bastard coming from up here." Jay said. "Stay in the center."

"What do you think it is? Some kind of military robot?" Chloe asked.

Jay raised an eyebrow at Chloe. "You watch way too many sci-fi movies, honey. That's no Chappie."

"It looked like some kind of monster to me. Like a kraken...you know from _Pirates of the Caribbean_." Urban put his two cents in as he looked around the rooftop, rifle raised.

"Oh, shoot. I never got to see that movie." Chloe pouted. "And now...I probably never will." She placed a hand over her lower abdomen unconsciously.

"Don't say that, Chloe. You will live. I'll protect you. As soon as the monster is spotted, Urban and I will distract it, and then I want you to run, Chloe." Jay declared. "That okay with you, Urban?"

"Yeah, man." Urban agreed.

Chloe shook her head vehemently at the two men. "No...I could _never_ abandon you guys. I know that you're planning on dying, Jay, but...if you go, I go too. We're going to go out fighting together in a blaze of glory! Let's take this mother fucker with us!"

"Chloe...God you're so amazing. I fucking love you." Jay said as he cupped the back of Chloe's neck and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

Chloe melted into Jay's arms.

Urban smiled at the couple sadly since that could very well be their last kiss. He kept a lookout while his friends made out and then- "Holy shit...guys...it's here." Urban said as he watched the inky black tentacles crawling over the side of the building and moving towards the three of them.

Jay and Chloe quickly broke apart and aimed their rifles towards the monster. "Let's kill this fucking monster!" Jay snarled. "Ready! Aim! Fire!

"Die, monster!" Chloe began to shoot at the creature.

"This is for Dale!" Urban opened fire upon the creature aiming for the tentacles.

A pained shriek rent the air but the creature continued its approach anyways. The creature heaved itself up and over the edge of the roof and revealed itself fully to the three commandos.

"What the fuck...is that, Beel?" Urban breathed as he looked at the monster. It was half-human half-octopus. Beel's upper body was that of a man wearing a hooded jacket while his lower body consisted of eight enormous, black tentacles with suction cups on them.

"Impossible." Jay murmured as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

"It is him...just look at the swords that are strapped to his back. So Beel is some kind of monster...then? Or maybe he's an alien." Chloe suggested.

Beel cleared his throat. "I am no alien, female. I am the demon known as Beelzebub."

"Whoa, hold up. Beelzebub? You mean like from the Bible? One of the first angels to fall along with Lucifer?" Urban questioned, his mind whirling. He was a good Catholic boy and knew his shit when it came to the Bible.

"Demons aren't real, Urban. They don't exist." Jay said firmly and pushed his glasses up his nose.

Beelzebub chuckled darkly. "Oh yes...I don't exist. You're only dreaming...this is just a nightmare and when you wake up you'll be safe in your bed with your lovely wife, Chloe." Beelzebub's attention turned to Chloe and he licked his lips, revealing an abnormally long tongue. "Such an exquisite female. I wonder what she will taste like."

"Don't fuck with me!" Jay let out a roar as he charged Beelzebub and fired his rifle.

Beelzebub brought up his tentacles to shield his upper body from the bullets and then with one of his tentacles he grabbed onto the hilt of one of his scimitars and unsheathed it.

"Look out!" Chloe called out a warning.

Too late.

Beelzebub swung the scimitar at Jay and the commando managed to twist out of the way, but the scimitar still cut deeply into Jay's side - dropping him to his knees. Jay put a hand over the wound to try and keep his guts inside, and to staunch the blood flow. He began to see dark spots in front of his eyes and blinked his eyes rapidly as he stubbornly tried to clear his vision. He couldn't pass out. Not now.

"Jay!" Chloe ran towards him and the tentacles came after her next.

"Chloe, watch it!" Urban fired his rifle at the tentacles while trying to provide cover for Chloe, but they still found her. One wrapped around the female commando's waist and lifted her right up off the ground. She screamed.

Urban had never heard her scream before and it thoroughly unnerved him. "Fuck!"

"Chloe! No!" Jay shouted in alarm.

"Bastard! Let her go!" Urban demanded as he continued to fire his rifle at the demon relentlessly.

Beelzebub just chuckled at Urban's futile efforts. The monster unsheathed six more scimitars so that there was now a scimitar in each of his tentacles except for one that had Chloe. "If you want her...come and get her, pathetic human."

Somehow Jay found the strength to stand, but his legs were trembling from the effort. "Get your filthy hands off my wife!" Jay charged Beelzebub, unsheathed a dagger, and attacked with a battle cry.

Urban tried to cover Jay as best he could with gunfire, but there were just too many tentacles. It was like fighting eight people at once.

Jay dodged slashing scimitars and jabbing tentacles, and miraculously managed to drive his dagger into the tentacle that had Chloe. However, another scimitar came thrusting forward towards Jay at that moment.

"Jay, look out!" Chloe cried out in dismay.

This time Jay was stabbed right through the chest. Blood gurgled down Jay's chin. "I'm so sorry, Chloe. I love you. Urban...protect her..." Jay requested as he sunk to his knees and then crumpled over onto the roof floor. A pool of blood began to form around his motionless body.

Chloe choked on a sob and she shook her head in disbelief as she stared down at Jay's prone body and the pool of blood that kept on expanding around him.

"Jay! You fucking demon!" Urban ran towards Beelzebub and fired.

Beelzebub moved his scimitars through the air swiftly and actually blocked the bullets with the blades. _Fuck!_ Urban knew he was a goner. He tossed the rifle aside and put his arms out to his sides. "You know what? Go ahead and kill me, torture me, or whatever the hell you want, you sick bastard. But let Chloe go!" Urban demanded with a fierce expression on his face.

Beelzebub smiled cruelly. "Trying to play the hero, are we? How valiant. But I think...not."

"You know what?" Urban said as he reached into his pocket and pulled the pin out of a grenade. "Fuck you! I'm taking you with me!" He charged forward with the grenade held in his palm.

The last thing Urban remembered was the demon snatching the grenade out of Urban's hand and wrapping all of his tentacles around it before there was an enormous explosion. Urban was blasted back through the air and then all he knew was darkness.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Urban! Snap the fuck out of it, man!" Came Levi's sharp voice.

Urban realized that he'd completely zoned out and frozen up solid at the sight of those all-too familiar tentacles.

A creature began to rise up out of the pool, revealing that he was half-man half-octopus. The creature was wearing a black hooded jacket, and the hood was pulled down low to shadow his face. The jacket was open in front revealing the man's pale, muscular chest. But then below the creature's waist his body was a mass of eight black octopus tentacles that were several feet long and had suction cups on them.

"Holy shit. Talk about déjà vu." Urban breathed, wondering if Levi was seeing the same thing.

"Urban! Get your shit together. Go get Lashanda and get the hell out of here. I'll handle him." Levi said firmly.

Urban gave Levi a look of sheer disbelief. "You can't be serious...besides, I know this guy. He's a demon. He wiped out my entire unit back in Afghanistan. You don't stand a chance."

Levi did a double take towards Urban. "What did I tell you before? Trust me. I can handle him. Now, go!" He backed away from the pool, luring the demon out of it.

"Aw hell." Urban rubbed a hand over his buzz cut in a frustrated gesture before he took off running towards Lashanda. A tentacle went for him-

But Levi was there to tackle it to the ground. "Go!" The merman shouted when he saw Urban hesitate.

Urban managed to reach Lashanda. He put his gun away, whipped out a dagger, and cut through the ropes that were keeping her tied to the sewer pipe. The bodyguard swooped Lashanda up into his arms and put the flashlight between his teeth. Urban ran with Lashanda in his arms for the exit of the chamber. Another tentacle went for him.

Levi released the tentacle he was grappling with and executed a back flip. He ended up in front of Urban and Lashanda and caught the tentacle that had been heading towards them. Once again Urban seemed to hesitate upon leaving Levi behind. "Keep going! Don't look back. Hurry!"

Urban nodded his thanks and took off through the exit pipe. _I'll be back, bro._

Levi looked over his shoulder at Urban and Lashanda as they made their escape. Phew. _I can't believe I feel so relieved. I can't believe I'm actually risking my life for humans. Wonders never cease._ He turned his attention back to the demon in front of him. "Who the hell are you?"

A sinister smile curled the man's lips and that eerie smile looked like it stretched from ear-to-ear like the Cheshire cat. "Your worst nightmare." The demon said before using his tentacle to slam Levi into the concrete wall.

The back of Levi's head cracked against the concrete causing him to see stars and his breath was knocked out of his lungs.

The demon had released Levi right before impact, and the merman quickly avoided getting snatched by an incoming tentacle again. Levi ducked and dodged tentacles as he took off running around the edge of the circular chamber.

When clashing with one of the tentacles was unavoidable, Levi punched and kicked the tentacle but...his blows seemed to have no affect as they bounced off the thick, rubbery appendage. _Fuck._ _I need a weapon. A weapon..._ Levi's gaze scanned around the chamber. The creature was impossible to fight without his trident...

"You've really gone soft, Levi." The demon cackled at Levi. "Is that the best you've got?"

_How does he know my name? Or did he overhear Urban and I talking?_ Levi spotted a sewer pipe and used his superhuman strength to rip it off the wall. "No, it isn't." Levi slammed the sharp end of the pipe into one of the tentacles.

The demon hollered in pain. "Oh, you'll pay for that!" The demon sent multiple tentacles flying towards Levi at once and he was unable to avoid them. One tentacle wrapped around Levi's ankle and tugged, effectively tripping him up.

The other tentacles swiftly wrapped around Levi's legs and arms, and began to drag him towards the pool. _Oh fuck!_ Levi glanced back at the pool with wide eyes.

"Let's reveal your true form, shall we?" The demon drawled.

Levi's brow furrowed. "How do you know about that?"

"You feel nothing as you gaze upon me, truly? It saddens me that you don't remember me. We used to fight together side by side in countless battles, you and I...thousands of years ago." The demon revealed.

"Thousands...?" Levi continued to struggle as the tentacles pulled him towards the pool. Despite his efforts, he was ultimately dragged into the pool of water and his legs transformed into his fishtail, which ripped his pants apart and destroyed his boots. _Fuck...I'm so fucked._

Once the transformation was complete the demon lifted Levi out of the pool to get a good look at him. "So this is your cursed form. Look at you...you're like a fish that's been caught by a hungry octopus." The demon laughed evilly. "You know, you're lower in the food chain than me, Levi. Octopus eat fish just like I'll eat you...after I gut you first." The demon used one of his tentacles to remove the steel pipe, yanking it out from his flesh. He held it up in front of Levi, and pointed it towards Levi's heart. "I'm returning this to you." He stabbed Levi right through the heart with the pipe.

Levi let out a gasp of pain, and black spots swum in his vision. _Dammit...if only I had my trident this bastard would be dinner. I'd slice him up, bread and then fry the bastard in oil. Garnish with parsley._

"Now, I'll split you open and spill your guts. This should be fun." The demon cackled as he began to push down on the pipe.

Levi cried out from the pain despite his best efforts not to.

"Let him go, you creepy bastard!" Came Urban's shout.

The demon and Levi turned to see Urban standing next to the pool with a nine-millimeter raised before him. Urban's gaze flicked over Levi's tail, but quickly refocused on the demon.

The demon frowned at the unexpected appearance of the bodyguard. "I think not."

"Suit yourself, asshole!" Urban opened fire on the demon.

As the bullets went whizzing through the air \- the demon raised his tentacles and shielded his body with them. The demon grimaced as the bullets pierced his flesh. "That fucking hurt, lowly human." The demon sent a tentacle flying towards Urban.

"Look out!" Levi yelled out.

"Oh shit!" Urban swore as he was knocked backwards. He hit the wall and slid down it while struggling to remain conscious.

"Now, where was I? Ah, yes, dissection time. Such fun. I'm sure your human friend is curious to see what your insides look like and if they're similar to a human's." The demon sneered.

Urban sat up, his vision swirling. "No...don't do it..."

The demon frowned at Urban's response, and began to move the pipe slowly downward anyways.

Levi bit down on his lower lip, not wanting to give this bastard the satisfaction of hearing him crying out in pain again. However-

Urban watched as suddenly some invisible force appeared to cut through the tentacles that were holding Levi. The demon hollered in pain and outrage. "What the...!"

A bright light flooded the chamber and then materialized into...Urban blinked and rubbed his eyes, sure that he was seeing things. "An angel?"

A stunning woman with long, curly, white-blonde hair, ice-blue eyes, pale skin, and silver armor with menacing spikes on it had appeared, hovering over the pool with her wings outstretched behind her.

"An angel? What the fuck?" The demon swore angrily.

"Yes, I am an angel. Archangel Uriel to be exact. I am Levi's guardian angel and I won't let you harm my charge." Uriel announced, tilting up her chin in a haughty manner.

"Uriel? Ah, I remember you...you're the pathetic female that was always following Levi around like a bitch in heat." The demon sneered in disgust.

Uriel's eyes narrowed at the demon's familiarity. "Do I know you, demon? Wait, you can't be..."

Levi had dropped down into the pool at this point, and had yet to emerge from the water. While the demon and angel were yakking it up, Urban decided to use this distraction to dive into the pool after Levi, who was sinking fast. Urban swam down, reached Levi, wrapped his arm around the man's torso, and began to haul him up towards the surface. They broke through the surface and Urban swam Levi to the edge of the pool.

Urban pushed Levi's heavy body up onto the edge, got out of the pool, and dragged Levi the rest of the way out of the pool. The bodyguard turned Levi onto his back to assess the damage. "Holy fuck." The steel pipe...it looked like it'd gone into Levi's heart...

Uriel saw what Urban was doing and noticed that Levi had passed out from the pain of being split open. "You'll pay for hurting my charge, demon." Uriel held up her sword in a two-handed grip and a fierce wind began to swirl around her. The wind began to wrap around her sword's blade. "Cutting Wind Attack!" Uriel swung her sword forward towards the demon.

The demon raised his tentacles to shield his main body from the attack and several tentacles were cut off. "You meddlesome bitch...this isn't over. I _will_ destroy him...eventually." The demon called out before he sank into the pool and disappeared. The entire pool turned black in the demon's wake, probably from ink that the creature had chosen to release into the pool to aid in his escape.

Uriel flew over and gracefully landed next to Levi. She reached out, grabbed the steel pipe that was still imbedded in Levi's chest, yanked it out, and tossed it aside.

Urban looked up at the angel with a hopeful expression on his face. "Can you help him?"

"I can heal him, yes." Uriel said as she knelt by Levi's side and put her hand on his bloody chest. "Your feelings of hope and friendship for this man are giving me the power I need to save him. Thank you, human."

"No...thank you." _This time...please...don't die...my friend._

A white glow surrounded Uriel's hand and was passed into Levi's body. Before Urban's eyes Levi's wounds began to close. Urban couldn't help it...he looked down at Levi's fishtail. He swallowed. "Is he really...a merman?"

"Levi's identity is much more complex than that." Uriel said.

"I see."

"Will you still be friends with him now that you know he's a merman, or will you treat him differently? Or perhaps...will you betray him? Sell his secret to the highest bidder?" Uriel asked coldly.

"What? No...even if he's a merman...he's still Levi. He's still the guy who just risked his life to save Lashanda. He's still the guy that cooks up the most incredible food for my friends and I. I'd be honored to be considered this man's friend. I'd never betray him." Urban said firmly. He was also a little pissed off that this angel felt so lowly of him. He had integrity, dammit.

Uriel nodded, looking pleased. "Good...Levi is strong, but...he has many powerful enemies. Levi's greatest weakness is his heart. He's too kind - even if he pretends not to be. I fear his love for Vivien Tempest will ultimately lead to his destruction. All legends are based on truth. You know of the story of _The Little Mermaid_ , correct?"

"Yeah, who doesn't?" Urban raised his eyebrows at the angel.

"Well, then you know how the story ends, correct? When the little mermaid is unable to kill her beloved...she returns to the sea and turns into sea foam. After that she becomes a spirit of the air. If Vivien does not return Levi's love..." She shook her head sadly.

Urban's eyes widened. "Whoa, wait a second. What are you trying to say? That Levi will turn into sea foam?"

Uriel did not respond.

"Fuck." Urban rubbed his head in an agitated gesture. "This is some heavy shit. But don't worry. I've got his back. I'll do whatever I can to help him."

"Good." Uriel removed her hand. "His injuries have been healed but he's lost a lot of blood and so will be weakened. Also after he dries off his tail will disappear...and he'll be naked. I suggest tying his jacket around his waist. We wouldn't want him getting arrested for indecent exposure again, now would we?" There was a note of amusement in her voice.

Urban smirked. "Hell no." The bodyguard agreed as he stripped off Levi's leather jacket and tied it around the man's waist in preparation for his tail to disappear.

Uriel tilted her head as if hearing a voice, coming to her from above. "I must go now. I leave him in your care, human."

Urban nodded. "Leave it to me."

Uriel disappeared in a flash of light.

Urban ran a hand over his buzz cut. "Man...I wonder if I'm dreaming." He watched as Levi's tail dried off and the man's legs returned. "Holy shit." Urban pinched his arm. "Ow. Guess, I'm not dreaming. So Levi's a merman and playing the part of the merprince in the movie. How reckless is that? Why would he...?" He shook his head.

I fear his love for Vivien Tempest will ultimately lead to his destruction.

"Vivien...she must know the truth. That's probably also why she picked Dylan over him. Fuck." Urban looked down at Levi with a pitying look on his face. "It sucks to be you right now, bro." He picked Levi up, and put the man's arm around his shoulders. The man weighed a ton! "Let's get the hell out of here." _Don't worry, bro. I'll help you win Vivien's heart...so that you don't end up like the little mermaid and turn into sea foam._

Vivien and Teresa were waiting for Urban and Levi's return while standing next to the open manhole. Lashanda was still unconscious and had been seated upon the ground of the alley with her back against the wall of the club for support. When Urban suddenly started to push Levi up through the opening, Teresa and Vivien immediately rushed over to help haul him out.

"What happened to him?" Vivien demanded, upon seeing that Levi was unconscious, and the only clothes he was wearing was his jacket that had been wrapped around his waist.

Urban remained silent as he set Levi down on the ground because he needed a moment to collect his thoughts. "He fought against that serial killer dude...and lost."

"Levi...lost." Vivien looked down at Levi thoughtfully and frowned. She wanted to ask Urban if Levi had come into contact with saltwater, which would explain why his clothes had disappeared, but Teresa was standing next to her with a concerned look on her face. The actress shook her head, deciding she would talk to Urban about what had happened some other time. "Urban, think you could take Teresa and Lashanda home?"

"Of course. What about you?" Urban asked.

Vivien blushed. "Well, I'll...take a taxi home with Levi. Since he's injured I don't think it's such a good idea to leave him alone right now."

Urban grinned at her suggestion. "Good idea. He's lost a lot of blood so he'll probably be pretty weak. He might not be able to move on his own so you might have to bathe him...like give him a sponge bath or something. Oh, and feed him by hand. You'll have to nurse him back to health." The bodyguard said in a serious tone while trying to keep a straight face.

Vivien's blush deepened. "Urban, geez, I know what you're up to." The actress huffed before she hefted Levi up and put his arm around her shoulders. She was an action heroine and so was able to support his weight.

"Guilty." Urban admitted with an unrepentant look on his face.

"See you soon." Vivien said as she started to walk out of the alleyway with Levi.

"Vivien, wait!" Teresa called out and ran up to her. "Please tell Levi 'thank you' when he wakes up."

Vivien smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, I will." She exited the alleyway and hailed a cab.

***

Levi awoke to a pounding headache. He groaned and sat up, only to discover he was on Vivien's couch in her hotel suite at the Fairmount Hotel. And he was naked...with only a bed sheet covering the lower half of his body. He swallowed thickly and looked around the living room, wondering where Vivien was. The last thing he remembered was that demon starting to slice him open like a fish.

"Hey." Came a familiar, heart-wrenching female voice.

Levi looked up to see Vivien approaching him with a tray of food held in her hands. "Hey." His voice was gravely and he swallowed to clear it. "Hey." He tried again.

Vivien set the tray down on the coffee table that was next to the couch and Levi saw that there was a bowl of soup and a glass of water on it. "How are you feeling?"

Levi looked down at his chest and noted that he was fully healed already. Only a faint scar remained where that bloodthirsty demon had started to slice him open. _What the fuck?_ Levi didn't normally heal that fast. The merman put a hand to his chest, feeling confused and bewildered. The last time someone had injured his heart it had taken days to recover. But from the looks of things his heart had been fully healed. Something else must have happened down in that sewer. And what was with everyone wanting to cut him open? "I feel...okay. Just a little weak."

Vivien nodded as if this response was what she expected. "Urban said you lost a lot of blood."

"Urban did?" Levi knew he had a lot to speak to the bodyguard about. Like how the fuck he'd been healed and what the fuck had happened to the demon? Had Urban actually managed to defeat it somehow? "Do you know what happened down there? How did I get here exactly? The last thing I remember is fighting that serial killer..."

"Urban brought you out of the sewer. He said the serial killer got away." Vivien informed him.

"Shit." Levi ran a hand over his mohawk in a frustrated gesture. "Son of a bitch."

"Don't worry about that. Just worry about getting your strength back. Oh, and Teresa wanted me to thank you as soon as you regained consciousness. You saved her sister, Levi." Vivien took a deep breath as if to steel her nerves. "I also want to thank you."

Levi flushed. _I saved a human life. Unreal._ It was an odd feeling but not an unpleasant one. "Ah...it's nothing. Forget about it."

Vivien shook her head and spoke in an adamant tone. "You risked your life to save her. She must be important to you..." The actress trailed off while looking uncomfortable.

Levi shrugged. "She's just a kid. I don't like people picking on kids."

Vivien felt a wave of relief pass over her at Levi's words. "Oh, I see. Look, Levi...down in the sewer did you come into contact with saltwater?"

Levi thought back to what had happened and nodded grimly. "Yeah."

"So...Urban _saw_ you?" Vivien nibbled on her lower lip.

Levi nodded. "Yeah...but I don't think it's going to be a problem."

"Why do you think that?" Vivien arched an eyebrow at the merman.

Levi shrugged again. "Just a gut feeling."

Vivien cleared her throat. "So anyways, Urban told me that you would be too weak to feed yourself and that I should help you..." She blushed nervously as she trailed off.

Levi blinked at her cute reaction. "I can feed-" The merman cut himself off, and his eyes widened in realization. _Hot damn!_ He owed Urban one. _Urban, my homie, you rock._ Levi leaned back against the armrest and tried to look as pathetic and weak as possible. "Yes, please."

"Alright, well, I made chicken soup." Vivien sat on the edge of the coffee table, put the tray on her lap, spooned up some soup, and brought it to Levi's mouth. "Say 'ah'."

Levi's brow furrowed. "Why must I say 'ah'?"

Vivien stuck the spoonful of soup into Levi's mouth and giggled. Levi chewed and swallowed. "You know, I don't really know. It's just something humans do when they feed each other."

Levi opened his mouth obligingly. "Ah." He felt like a baby chick keeping its mouth open so that its mother could feed it a worm. He was glad his fellow chefs weren't around to see this because truly they'd never let him live this one down.

Vivien fed him another spoonful of soup. Levi chewed and swallowed thoughtfully, savoring the flavor of the soup. "This soup isn't bad, woman."

Vivien laughed and it sounded like wind chimes. "I didn't make it. It's _Progresso_."

"Progresso?"

"Soup in a can."

"Ah, I see."

"I suck at cooking...I've always been too busy to learn how, but I can heat things up in the microwave."

"You don't need to know how to cook because you have me. Whenever you're hungry just give me a call and I can come right over and cook for you." A cocky smirk formed on his face. "I would never let my woman go hungry."

Vivien blushed at Levi's words and chose to ignore the whole 'my woman' thing. "Ah...really? I wouldn't want you to go through the trouble."

"It's no trouble. Cooking for you would be my pleasure." Levi insisted.

"That so." Vivien fed Levi another mouthful of soup to hide her embarrassment and her guilt. In the silence that followed, Vivien fed Levi the rest of the soup until it was finished. The actress set the tray aside and gave Levi a questioning look. "Are you still hungry?"

Levi's eyes were burning but with a different kind of hunger. "No. My female has me well taken care of."

Vivien felt her cheeks heat up as her blush deepened. She wanted to remind Levi that she wasn't 'his'. And that she had a boyfriend. But she didn't. Vivien looked Levi over with a critical eye. "You were down in the sewer, you know. Ah...Urban said you probably wouldn't have the strength to bathe yourself and that I should give you a sponge bath."

Levi's brow furrowed. "A sponge bath?"

Vivien gulped. "I would bathe you by hand." She waved her hand through the air.

Levi's eyes widened before going hooded. "Oh." _Fuck, yeah. Urban West...you sly dawg. I am so buying you a bottle of Lagavulin the next time we meet up._ Levi could feel his blood heating at the idea of Vivien bathing him by hand. The merman tried his best to act nonchalant about it. "Sure. Whatever."

Vivien stood up. "O-Okay. I'll go get the bathing stuff." The action heroine ran off to her bathroom, got out a basin, filled it with hot water, and found an enormous, natural sea sponge to use to clean Levi's body with. She added a little liquid bath soap to the water and moved her hand around in the water so that it sudsed up.

Vivien took a deep breath to steel her nerves. She was feeling incredibly nervous for some reason. She was about to give Levi a sponge bath and also felt incredibly guilty about it. After all she wasn't technically single - she was going out with Dylan Black! She had a boyfriend! _I'm so bad, I'm so bad._ But Levi was a fallen hero who needed her help. Yeah. She was just acting as his nurse. (Even though she didn't have a license).

It's not like Levi could have gone to a human hospital because he was a merman. So this was her duty. Her responsibility. Yeah.

Vivien entered the living room with the basin and sponge in her hands, and approached Levi. She set the basin down on the coffee table, put the sponge in the warm water, and wrung it out slightly.

The actress knelt besides the couch and gulped. "Uh...I'll wash your face first so please close your eyes so I don't get soap in your eyes."

"Sure thing, princess." Levi obediently closed his eyes.

Vivien reached out and began to gently clean Levi's face with the sponge. She'd never gotten to admire his face so closely like this before. His face was beautiful and had masculine features - a square chin, Roman nose, thin but kissable lips, and eyelashes that were long for a man. His hair was silky and sky-blue. Levi's ear piercings were so sexy. She wanted to suck on the hoops in his ears and play with them with her tongue. He truly had this otherworldly appearance to him. "Okay, you can open your eyes now." Her voice was breathless.

Levi did and their eyes met, and Vivien gasped. There was such passion, such emotion in the dark blue depths of his eyes. For a moment, she felt like she was looking through a snorkel mask into the deep sea at a reef filled with a myriad of colorful tropical fish and vibrant sea coral. Vivien gulped and put the sponge into the basin and wrung it out again. She turned to face Levi. "I'm going to wash your chest now."

"Knock yourself out."

Vivien liked the sound of Levi's voice. It was a low, deep rumble. She figured she was lucky that he could speak to her so easily like this. In _The Little Mermaid_ the mermaid had had to give up her voice to be with the prince. Vivien scooted closer and began to run the sponge over Levi's chest, over his strong pecs and sensitive nipples.

Levi's breath hitched as she touched his nipples with the sponge and he tried to control his body's reactions to her closeness and touch. It was a losing battle. That rod of flesh between his legs had a mind of its own and began to harden.

Vivien ran the sponge down over his six-pack abs and then over the shark bite scar. Levi had other smaller scars that Vivien hadn't noticed before. This man had really lived a hardcore life. He was a battle-scarred warrior. He'd been through so much that it made Vivien's eyes water. This man deserved to find happiness. True happiness. This man didn't deserve to have any more pain or suffering in his life. Vivien didn't want to hurt him. If only he didn't love her...

Levi reached out and brushed one of her tears away with his thumb. "What's wrong, princess?"

Vivien gasped. "No, it's...nothing...it's just..." She ran the sponge over the shark bite scar. "Does this still hurt?"

Levi shook his head. "No."

The actress let out a sigh of relief. "Good." She returned the sponge to the basin and wrung it out. She started to wash Levi's arms next. Vivien moved the sponge over his powerful biceps and then down to his long, fingered hands with calluses. A warrior's hands.

Vivien returned the sponge to the basin and wrung it out. Her heart began pumping harder inside of her chest because...it was out of guilt. Yeah. She cleared her throat and turned to face Levi. "I'm going to wash your legs, okay?"

"Go right ahead." Levi's voice had gotten deep and husky.

Vivien arranged the sheet so that it covered only Levi's crotch. She then began to wash Levi's legs, starting at his feet, and working her way up. When her sponge went over his inner thighs Levi gasped and his hips bucked off the couch.

Vivien looked up. "Sorry I-" But then her words died in her throat when she saw the enormous tent in the bed sheet that was formed from his obvious erection. Levi was aroused, and who could really blame the poor guy?

The actress felt herself salivating as she remembered what Levi's cock looked like...it was so big and pink. Delicious. _Mmm._ Vivien unconsciously ran the sponge closer to his crotch.

Levi moaned and his hips bucked again.

Vivien licked her lips and looked up at Levi to meet his hooded gaze. "W-Would you like me to clean you _there_ too?"

"Hell yes." The merman said through gritted teeth.

Vivien slowly removed the bed sheet to reveal Levi's magnificent erection. As she looked at it - it pulsed as if it could sense her gaze upon it. Vivien reached the sponge out and was about to touch it when there was a sudden knock on the door. "Oh crap!" Vivien jumped, pulled her hand back, and tossed the sponge into the basin. She quickly covered Levi's crotch with the bed sheet guiltily. Her cheeks bright pink.

Levi just smirked lazily as he watched Vivien panic. He found her panicky behavior endearing.

Vivien stood up and looked away. "Coming!" She hurried off to answer the front door. The door was opened to reveal none other than Dylan Black.

"Hey baby, how are you doing? I heard about what happened last night, so I was worried about you. I brought a cake to make you feel better." Dylan announced as he held up a cake box.

"Dylan...oh hey...uh..." Vivien tried to resist the urge to glance behind her. "Now's not really the best time..." _I almost had my hand on Levi's dick just now. I must be the worst girlfriend ever!_

Dylan ignored her and marched into the suite, set the cake down on the kitchen island, and then spotted Levi on the couch. The merman was futilely trying to conceal his arousal with the bed sheet. His black eyes narrowed.

Black eyes. Levi's own eyes widened as he met Dylan's angry gaze. _No...it couldn't be. Could it?_

Dylan was human, right? He didn't feel like a demon? Levi reached out his demonic senses and couldn't feel any demonic energy coming from Dylan. He scowled. Actor Dylan Black...couldn't be Mr. Octopus, could he? Levi's mind was whirling with possibilities. Although maybe he was just being paranoid?

Levi clenched his hands into fists at his sides. Even though he'd just had his ass handed to him by Mr. Octopus if it turned out that Dylan was the serial killer...he would die protecting Vivien if it came down to that. _I won't let you have her._ Levi thought possessively as he glared daggers at Dylan.

_She's already mine._ Dylan thought as he glared back, and put his arm around Vivien's shoulders to prove his point, as a silent battle was being waged between the two men.

_No, mine!_ Levi mentally shot back.

Vivien stepped between Dylan and Levi, and caught them glaring at each other. She rubbed her temples. She could feel a headache coming on. But she supposed that's what she got for creating this love triangle she now found herself stuck in. "Oh boy, here we go again."

To be continued in...the grand finale _Hollywood Merman Revelations_. Coming soon 2015!

###

Final note:

Other works by the author:

Rockstar Ghost

Rockstar Ghost Resurrection

His Heavy Metal Heart

Wicked Bartender

Wicked Bartender Redemption

Incubus Chocolatier

Incubus Chocolatier Retribution

Bitch Heiress X Samurai Butler

Bitch Heiress X2 Samurai Butler

Samurai Superheroes Saga:

Cowboy Samurai X Badass Android

Geisha Assassin X Smartass Hacker

Foxy Yokai X Punkass Cyborg

Sir Genkaku Host Club

(Books 1, 2, 3, and 4)

Sanky Panky Pirate

Sanky Panky Pirate Part II

Hollywood Merman

Hollywood Merman Revelations (coming 2015)

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