Ideas and Rejects

G/t bonus idea: Big Blanco likes...

A/N: Since more was requested and I had this idea brewing anyway...here's a fluffy snippet for ya'll to enjoy!

The nets were in and the sun was high. Nothing to do but wait while Jackson drove the boat back toward Vestin Harbor. Horatio decided to lay down for a nap until they pulled in. Privilege of being the captain was having his grandson take over some of those duties. The kid was a good sailor...and he was old and tired. It worked out.

But, fifteen minutes into his snooze he was interrupted by a loud thump and a sudden jerk of the boat. Horatio's old eyes opened wide as his senses tried to become coherent.

"Wh-what?! What did we hit?" he struggled to sit up.

He didn't hear the engine anymore and that worried him immediately, "What happened? Jackson!"

"Grandpa..." Jackson was grinning and pointing toward the starboard of their boat.

Horatio stood up with a groan and then saw the unmistakable tall back fin of Big Blanco rising just out of the water in front of them. His enormous white tail flashed out beneath the waves beyond that.

The old fisherman was at the front of the boat in an instant, on the warpath, "BLANCO! You son of a bitch! Get the fuck outta the way!"

He looked down in the water, realizing the merman had the bow gripped in one hand, preventing them from moving. Slowly, his head and upper torso rose out of the water. His loud popping noise (Jackson guessed it was like whale sonar) filled the air.

"FUCKER! Let go!" Horatio shouted, slapping the gunwale angrily.

Big Blanco, however, didn't move. His head cocked to the side as Horatio raved at him.

Jackson was trying to gain his grandfather's attention through his cursing and yelling.

"GRAND-PA!" he shouted with enunciation.

"WHAT?!" he shouted back.

Jackson was trying not to laugh but pointed to the long toolbox near the helm.

Horatio immediately understood what he was meaning, growled, and wheeled back at Blanco, "I ain't got none of that shit today! Let go of my boat!"

Big Blanco warbled at him, popping some more.

"NO! I ain't got any!" Horatio yelled.

The huge merman narrowed his eyes slightly before he sank under the water and let go of the bow of the fishing boat.

"Geez! Hurry up and get the engine started before..."

Suddenly the entire boat leaned over, nearly toppling both men. Horatio was pissed and was calling Blanco every name in the book as he struggled to gain balance. He gazed out over the side of the boat to see Big Blanco had his entire vessel resting on his stomach, effectively "beaching" it.

"DAMN IT! Get your scaly ass out from under my boat! I swear if you break my rudder, I'm going to fry you up and serve you with chips you big white bastard!" Horatio yelled over the side.

The boat bounced and swayed with Big Blanco's movement as he bobbed unworried in the water. They were a bath toy.

"You'd better give him what he wants, Grandpa!" Jackson begged but was laughing.

"I ain't got anymore, I'm tellin' ya!" Horatio protested.

His grandson flipped the toolbox open with his foot and revealed the plastic bag, hiding beneath some other bags. Horatio saw it after he pointed it out and his old eyes went skyward.

"Gods damned oversized fish stick...eating all of my marshmallows." he snatched up the bag of big marshmallows and shook it over the side of the boat, "HERE!"

Upon seeing the shiny bag waved over the water, the enormous merman submerged, freed their boat, swiveled around, and rose out of the water for his treat. Horatio glared at the giant merman and reached into the bag to grab one of the puffy white delicacies. Big Blanco focused like a dog on a treat.

Horatio's favorite "quick" snack was a peanut butter sandwich with a big marshmallow squished into it....his version of a fluffer-nutter. So, he kept those three items guarded on his boat. One day he was making his special sandwich when the wind caught one of his marshmallows and cast it into the sea. Big Blanco just happened to be around and noticed the white morsel bobbing on the water. Curiously he ate it and from that moment on the giant merman was hooked.

"These are MY marshmallows you know?" Horatio growled.

Big Blanco clicking loudly as he opened his toothy mouth. Horatio chucked the marshmallow inside and it disappeared. A deep, rumbling warble shook the air. (his happy noise) He opened his mouth again for more.

"Greedy fucker...you'll eat the whole bag!" Horatio complained tossing another into the merman's mouth.

"They're probably stale anyway." Jackson mentioned, enjoying the show.

His grandpa treated Big Blanco like a cat that he claimed he hated and never wanted and would constantly complain about it. But...he'd still feed and pet it.

"But then I have to BUY more!" he chucked two more to Blanco, "You planning on bringing me some fish to pay for those marshmallows, you moochin' bastard?"

Big Blanco warbled, blinking his silvery eyes and moving the elaborate fin like protrusions of his gill flaps.

Horatio popped one big marshmallow in his own mouth and chucked the rest to Blanco.

"Yeah...kinda stale." The man admitted but still ate his. He shook the empty bag in front of Big Blanco, "SEE? Now you ate 'em all. I ain't got no more." He waved a "shooing" hand at the giant, "Now beat it. We've gotta get home. And tomorrow you'd better bring me some big fish if you want to make up for these marshmallows you snarfed."

A deep chirping came from Big Blanco as he dipped beneath the water, enormous fin and white tail flipping in the air before diving. Just as Jackson was about to start up the boat again the whole thing surged forward really fast.

"Shit! BLANCO!" Horatio yelled, falling into the helm wall.

The giant merman was pushing with his hand against the back of the boat, speeding it forward at a speed Horatio wasn't sure his boat could handle.

Jackson laughed, just keeping the rudder steady, "Looks like we won't use any fuel to get home this time!" he smiled, "Pretty good for a bag of old marshmallows!"