The Sea Calls Us Home

Mermaids Are Better Than People

Fili had a plan, or at least a vague maybe a third of a plan sort of plan. He only had the end goal and the first few steps figured out. Step One: Fili, Kili, Collin, and Bran all work on the same boat for a stint. Step Two: Kili and Bran actually talk and work things out. The plan ends with the awkwardness going away and everyone being friends again.

So far it hadn't worked. It had taken weeks just to get them all on a boat together, although part of that was because Bran took a session off considering he had been in surgery and had a lot of broken ribs and internal bleeding. Kili had come in and seen how Bran was doing when he was still in the hospital, but he hadn't gone in to actually talk to Bran himself. He was still too angry to look at his old friend, and he continued to give Collin the cold shoulder. Fili knew it didn't help that Tauriel had not come to see Kili since her release. She had no reason too, and both Fili and Kili were glad she was staying away, but they missed her.

But the plan was finally in motion, although it was two weeks into the four of them all working on the same boat and Kili and Bran had somehow managed to not speak to each other. Which by all rights was impressive, there was only so much space on a crabbing boat and they were all on deck working at the same time, but it was getting on Fili's and Collin's nerves.

Collin insisted that Bran was willing to listen to reason, but whenever Fili brought up the topic of what had happened Bran got defensive and paranoid. But he did seem guilty, so at least that was a step in the right direction. And Collin had promised Fili that he had talked with Bran, Bran just wasn't ready to own up to what he had done and admit it yet. Frustrating, but Bran was like that, and he always came around eventually.

Now if only Fili could get Kili to consider talking to Bran and forgive him.

That task seemed more difficult than getting Bran to admit he was wrong, and Fili wasn't sure how to approach it. It was like Kili knew whenever Fili was about to bring up Bran and Collin in conversation and he would always manage to either leave the conversation or change the topic before it could even happen.

The whole thing just made Fili want to hit his head against a wall for an hour, it would probably be less painful than dealing with the tension between all the friends whenever they were near each other. Which, when they are all working on the same boat, was most hours of the day. The miserable weather and lack of crab only made things worse, and everyone was grumpy with everyone else.

These thoughts were pushed back in Fili's mind, as he needed to keep his attention on his work in the dangerous environment. The sea was not being kind to them, and the sky was just as angry with them, and there were multiple times the waves had crashed over the deck and knocked him down. It was exhausting work and he would be happy when they finished this string of pots so they would be able to go inside where they would at least be sheltered from the elements. After one such wave swept over the deck and he had to hold onto the equipment to stay upright, and as he reoriented himself he heard the words no sailor wanted to hear:

"Man overboard!"

Fili looked up in panic, doing a quick head count to see who was still on board as he rushed to the side of the boat to look into the water. Only one was missing from the deck, but he couldn't see anyone in the water.

"Where is he? I don't see him!" Kili shouted over the sound of the water, already holding onto a life preserver to throw into the water when he had a target.

"There! I think that's his head and arms!" Collin pointed and Fili saw Bran disappear under a wave, his stomach clenching in fear.

Bran hadn't even realized he was in the water until he was under the waves, he had been soaked on deck and there was so much water on the ship he was shocked to find the floor no longer under him. The layers of clothing meant to keep him warm while he worked pulled him down, making him heavy and struggling to swim back to the surface. He managed to get his head above water to take in a breath of air and wave to be noticed by the other deckhands, but before he could shout another wave rolled over him.

Panic set in as the water churned, pushing and pulling him like a rag doll, and everything was so dark he couldn't tell which way was up. He tried to swim toward the light from the ship, but it looked wrong, it was too small, and moving in the wrong direction. His eyes widened in fear and he let out a scream, wasting precious air as he flailed and tried to swim away as he recognized the shape approaching him. The shape, in turn had recognized him and darted toward him.

She looked at him critically for a moment, teeth revealed in anger and indecision before she made up her mind. His mindless thrashing did him no good; she wrapped her arms around him, a hand covering his mouth and nose, and she pulled him down into the water.

"Oh God where is he?!" Collin was screaming in panic, about to jump into the water himself even though it would do no good. Kili grabbed him and pulled him back, latching onto secured equipment as the boat pitched sharply, Kili's quick reaction keeping Collin from being washed over like Bran as water rushed past them.

"We have to go back! We can't leave him!" Collin continued to shout once the water was out of his mouth and the boat rocked back to a more level position, shoving Kili away and looking back over the side of the boat to look for Bran. Kili, like the others, was spitting sea water out of his mouth and in a near frantic panic for his friend, but unlike the others he noticed a light on the deck that had not been there before.

"Tauriel?" he whispered, not that anyone could hear him over the shouting and roaring waves. In her arms was Bran, coughing up seawater, and she looked up at Kili, flicking her tail. She had used the violent rocking of the boat and the waves to launch herself and Bran onto the deck.

"Bran!" Fili noticed what had distracted Kili, his shout heard by the others who looked and rushed toward Bran. Tauriel did not stick around, immediately jumping toward a ledge and diving back into the waves, not eager to be around humans. Kili looked over the railing for her but she had disappeared, going deeper under the water where it was safer. Feeling something between relief and sadness Kili looked back to his friend and rushed over to help the others get Bran inside.

---

"That was it, wasn't it?" Bran muttered, catching Kili's attention. Kili looked up from where he was sitting at the table in the kitchen, lost in thought.

"You're up already? You should be resting," Kili didn't answer, feeling odd. This was the first time they had spoken in weeks.

"Hungry. But that was it, wasn't it? The thing that pulled me out of the water. Taurus?" Bran asked again, rummaging through the kitchen supplies to find something warm to eat.

"Tauriel," Kili replied with a chuckle after a moment of thought.

"Whatever, it's a weird mermaid name," Bran grumbled, helping himself to some of the coffee Kili had made for himself as he decided whether or not he wanted to bother making food or not.

"Our names are probably weird to her," Kili said nothing about Bran taking some coffee, not sure if this meant they were okay now or not. He still was angry with Bran for hurting Tauriel, and Bran had yet to apologize.

"So. Uhh," Bran scratched the back of his neck and sat down across from Kili, looking everywhere but where Kili was.

"Can... can I meet it?" Kili stared at him in shock for a moment.

"You want to meet her?" Bran glanced at Kili before taking a drink from his mug of coffee.

"Well... I mean... yeah. It- I mean... She. She saved my life, I guess? I thought she was going to drown me, I know I would have..." Bran stumbled over his words and Kili could tell the redness in his face was in part from embarrassment.

"I... I'll let you know when I'm going out to look for her again," Kili offered, not sure how to feel. On the one hand, Bran hadn't apologized or admitted he had done something wrong, but he at least now saw that Tauriel was not a bloodthirsty monster out to kill him. But he also was worried about Tauriel, how would she react if he brought someone who had hurt her? Would she decide she couldn't trust him anymore, or would she react more violently and actually hurt one of them for what they had done to her? And in a very selfish part of himself, he also was not sure he wanted to share. Showing her to Fili was one thing, but he was uncomfortable with the idea of so many people learning where and how to find her. But when Bran wasn't being a grumpy idiot he was very good at keeping secrets and protecting his friends.

"Great! That's... great!" Bran managed to say, his voice shaking from nerves. He seemed to be having some worries and doubts of his own. But when Kili looked up at him they managed an awkward smile at each other. They weren't sure where it would go from there, but at least they were talking to each other again.