Willow sighed as she rolled to look at the ceiling the next morning. She'd just gotten to sleep when Jessica's snores had started. The girl had a powerful set of lungs, Willow would give her that. She'd been tossing and turning all night.

Willow curved her back to feel it crack all the way up her spine. Sighing with relief, Willow changed quickly and made her way to the kitchen where the rest of the maids had already started to make breakfast.

Gale continued to snooze, he had been awake most of the night, his mind burning with his desire to leave this place and head out to the ocean. What sleep he had was filled with vivid dreams of playing amongst the coral reefs and chasing dolphins amongst the ocean waves.

He yawned and stretched not wanting to miss breakfast. Someone usually brought a bucket of fish for him in the morning and he swam toward the kitchens to see if anyone had a bucket ready for him.

"What's for breakfast this morning?" Willow asked as she entered the kitchen where the two other maids were bustling about the kitchen.

"Just put some toast in." Jessica said before introducing her to the other maid, Sarah. Sarah was a mousy girl who simply nodded in reply to the introduction.

Willow nodded and put toast in the toaster before turning to see Gale in the tube. "Sarah." Jessica chided as she fried up another egg. "Do you feed the fish boy?" She asked, her hand on her hip.

"I can do it." Willow offered, wanting to speak to Gale again but also feeling sad for the Sarah who looked as if she wanted to cry for forgetting.

"The buckets in the cupboard." Jessica sighed, pointing to the cupboard beside Willow. Willow took the bucket before nodding to Gale and walking out of the kitchen and towards Gale's room.

He felt almost like flipping for joy when he saw willow enter the kitchen. He refrained from waving to her. He didn't know if she'd get in trouble with the others. He watched them converse and couldn't help but smile when she grabbed his fish bucket.

He swam quickly, getting ahead of the girl to his little oasis. He swam to the edge of the pool waiting for the door to open. It wasn't too far for her to toss the fish in, he eyed the sot in the fence that allowed the passing of small items. He knew the master would not be up yet. After a long meeting away he tended to sleep in and rest the day after. he wondered what the dinner tonight he had mentioned would entail. Whatever it was, he would think about it when the time came. For now, it was breakfast time.

"Hi Gale." Willow said excitedly as she approached the gate. Setting down the bucket, Willow sat beside the gate and passed through a small fish. "How'd you sleep?" She asked shyly.

Gale flipped his tale happily.

"hi Willow! Honestly sleep wasn't that great...Is that a *insert fish name here*?" He went after the fish and dug in, raw and everything. He frowned slightly when remembering his troubled sleep but then grinned as he dug into his breakfast. At least it was always the best imported fish for him here.

Willow fought to keep her nose from wrinkling as Gale ate, she personally wasn't a fan of fish but the last thing she wanted to do was offend him. "I didn't sleep so well either." Willow shrugged as she passed through another fish. "The other maid snores and it kept me awake." She admitted, blushing as she didn't mean to speak badly about Jessica. Especially when she'd been so nice to her.

he chuckled.

"I once knew a whale that snored.... He would wake up all the others for at least a mile with his rumblings." He took the other fish, the first one looking mostly of bones.

"I was thinking of home actually. I..." He faltered and then pushed on, perhaps now was the time to ask.

"I don't want to be stuck here, but I can't get out by myself, and anyone who helped me would be at risk. The master would not look highly of anyone who would help me to escape." He eyed her questioningly, a small hope in his chest. He warned her and hinted at his need for her. If only she had the courage to help him. She would be able to find him human clothes and she could probably even get a key to the gate from the master's room. now would be a perfect time as the master was asleep and home. The key was sure to be somewhere close to him.

Willow sat, shocked, for a moment as she passed a fish through the gate. "I can help you." Willow smiled. "I'll help you escape but where would I bring you?" She asked shyly, she wasn't fond of this new home and she'd been looking for something exciting to happen to her all her life. Helping a merboy escape was certainly something exciting, in Willow's eyes anyways.

his eyes widened.

"Are you sure? It could, or most likely, be, very dangerous. I can't think that the master would simply let us leave. but... I think there is a chance." His eyes teared up a little in hope, relief and gratitude. He reached a hand out to touch the bars and reach toward her. Perhaps fate had brought them together.

Willow smiled as she reached out for Gale's hand through the small gate and entwined their fingers. She had to admit to herself that she had a bit of a crush on Gale, as unconventional as it was. And maybe it was selfish of her to think that once Gale was free that he'd return her feelings but the hope was still there. "I don't mind." Willow smiled. "But how do we unlock the gate?"

He felt such joy and a little of something else...something he couldn't identify as yet. He felt warmed by her fingers embrace and he smiled warmly at her.

"Thank you Willow, just knowing that you want to help me, brings me much happiness. To free me, we will need two things. The key to the gate. It will be in the master's quarters, near him. Exactly where I do not know, but as he slumbers this morning, it may be a good time to attempt to retrieve it. The second thing i will need is some human clothes to blend in once I am out to the cage. it will make sneaking away much easier."

"Alright." Willow smiled as she put a few more fish through the cage and wiped her hands on her worn out pants. "I'll find the key and some clothes." She smiled as she let go of Gale's hand and walked ot the door quietly, shutting it as silently as she possibly could.

Making her down the hallway and up a flight of stairs, Willow found the master bedroom where she could hear the master snoring loudly. Looking around the hallway, Willow opened the door quietly and peeked inside where the master's wife had left and the master continued to snore on. As she took a look around the room, Willow spotted a small key beside the bed with a fish key chain.

He was too nervous to eat anymore, he paced, or rather swam back and forth at the front of the pool. Every minute he was sure something bad had happened. he started to swim faster and faster as time went. He actually almost got a little whirlpool going.

Thoughts ran through his head. would she make it? Would she get caught? If she did what would the do with her? Could he get her out of trouble if she did? His fretting became the center of his mind. He could only wait and hope.

Willow edged her way to the side of the master's bed. His wife had left earlier to visit her friends in town, something Willow was grateful for. Willow reached for the key quietly before the master's hand reached out and gripped around her wrist.

"Well, well. Such a pretty young thing." The master said, his voice low and husky. "I bet you came down here to thank me personally for your job." He added, moving to snake his hand further up her arm.

Willow took a deep breath, sucking up her dignity before replying. "Yes." She said, faking a blush as she reached behind the master and gripped her fist around the key. "I'm so...grateful." She said coyly as she tried to pull away.

"I bet you are." The master smiled greedily as he tried to pull Willow closer to him.

Willow felt her heart swell as she heard what was probably Jessica's footsteps in the hallway. "Your wife." She said quickly, her eyes wide with fake fear. The master let go of her quickly and rolled over in his bed, falling back asleep in seconds having lost his interest in Willow.

Willow smirked as she slipped out of the master's bedroom before grabbing a pair of pants and a long shirt that the master had worn in his younger years and had kept in hopes of losing his large stomach. Willow smiled triumphantly as she re-entered Gale's room, the key and clothes in hand.

Gale immediately stopped pacing and perked up at the sound of the door. he peered over, relief flooding his face as he saw her standing there.... 'she was safe!'

he looked and sure enough in her arms, she held everything he had asked her for.

"Your amazing!" He exclaimed happily. he swam to the edge and put his hand to hold the bars, peering closer at her.

Willow smiled shyly as she set the clothes down and unlocked the door of the gate before handing the clothes to Gale and turning away so he oculd change. She felt incredibly dirty after what'd almost happened with the master, fearing that Gale could see what'd happened as if it was painted on her face.

He watched as the gate was unlocked in who knows how long. he quickly changed both to human form and into clothes. This was too good to be true. He wanted out and going before his dream bubble burst. he put a hand upon willow's shoulder, turning her around. He smiled, he hadn't been this close to anyone since the, well he didn't want to count the master of the house.

Willow smiled up at Gale, taking his hand in her's. "How's it feel?" She asked quietly, pushing the thought of the master out of her head. "Being free that is." She added, selfishly enjoying how right it felt to be close to him.

"Well, were not free yet! Come on, we got to get out of here before they find out." He closed and relocked the cage do0r. He then went to grab Willow's hand. he wanted to be out of here as soon as possible. He would only feel safe when he was back at the sea.

"If we can make it to the ocean, I can protect us and keep us hidden. But I have no idea where this is...are we even close to any sea?"

"There's village that's about a half hour walk from here." Willow said, remembering her carriage ride there. "There's forest on either side of the road to hide us and the village is right along the ocean shore. Its very pretty." She remembered.

Linking their fingers, Willow looked around the hallway before rushing Gale to the staircase and quickly flying down the steps.

He ran with her. Stumbling a little not used to using his human form much. He smiled, this in itself was fun. If only there wasn't danger involved.

"We can start there then and get better instructions there. Maybe there's a river we could use or something as well...." He eyed the hallways and stairs and tried to walk as quickly and yet quietly as possible. He didn't want to run into anyone if he could help it. Someone would be sure to raise the alarm.

Willow smiled as she slipped into a side room along one of the main hallways. "I don't think they're going to let us out of the front door." Willow smiled shyly as she walked over to the library window and opened it quietly. "But we'll have to run towards the forest." She said before slipping outside of the window and waiting pateintly for Gale to cross through as well.

"clever girl..." he nodded and followed her carefully out the window. He crouched low against the wall looking around for anything or anyone that might be in view or get them caught.

"Careful of the Gardner over there. he's a bit off from us, but lets not chance it." He took her hand and he walked as quickly and as low as he could toward the forest.

Willow smiled as Gale took her hand again as they walked towards the woods. Sighing as they reached the forest, Willow pulled Gale quickly behind the cover of the trees. "We're free." She smiled. "To the ocean?" She asked as she led him towards the small village.