Atlantis

Chapter 4

Hera was quite literally the happiest creature on earth at this moment in time. She hadn't known Vik for more than a few days but she felt like she's known him all her life. It was just so fleeting and the thought of him made her heart pound uncontrollably rapidly. She was unable to go to sleep that night. All she did, all she could do, was stare at the ceiling and out of the window and at the edge of her bed. All she could manage to do was stare.

She eventually tired of this, and sneaking around Cyrus's room, exited the house and swam behind The Commons the watch the current. The waves always soothed her.
However, this time, it didn't have any effect. The waves made Hera even more restless, yearning to swim to the surface and wrap her arms around Vik again and again and again.

"Morning, can't you come sooner? Please...?" She begged, shutting her eyes and leaning back, letting herself float higher. "I'll do anything..."

"...Anything, you say?" Hera heard a voice say, making her jump.

"W-what? Who are you? Where did you...where did you come from?!" She panicked, raising her fists in self-defense.

"Calm down, my lovely. You are no stranger to me." The merman said, inching closer to Hera, who backed away even further.

"Who are you, then?"

"I...well...you probably don't remember me, but...I'm..."

Hera, who was ever so confused, tilted her head sideways and looked into this man's eyes. They looked familiar.

And then...it hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Daddy...?"

"Yes, sweetheart!" Hera's father said, taking her hand. But almost immediately, Hera snatched her trembling hand away.

"You...you...where were you? You left! For..fourteen whole years! What the hell, Dad? Or should I even call you that? What kind of mer-person does that? What kind of merman does that?!" Hera exclaimed, making a scene, but not caring in the slightest.

"You...you know about your mother, don't you?"

"Yes! Yes I do! I don't need the story, or the excuses. Just because of that doesn't mean you can just...abandon your daughter!"

"You don't understand, Hera..."

"Yes I do. I understand perfectly. Unless you can make up for fourteen more years right now, I don't want to hear a damn thing. Come find me when you're ready to be a father."

And with that Hera stormed off back towards her house, nearly blinded by tears, prepared to tell Cyrus everything.

She would get her wish, as Cy was there, pacing back and forth, mumbling something to himself.

"Cy!" Hera called, and he immediately turned to her.

"Hera! Where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick about your ass for an entire hour!" Cyrus yelled at her, but instead of replying with a sarcastic answer as she usually does, Hera just looked at him and burst into tears.

Cyrus felt guilt take over him and he wrapped his arms around the crying child. He remembered the first time he'd done that. About fourteen years ago...
*****
Cyrus had not slept a wink, yet he was hopelessly tired. There was something keeping him from being in peace. It seemed to be a noise of some sort, but he'd thought somebody would have sorted it by now.

He tried pulling the pillow over his head, he tried drinking warm milk, he even tried counting sheep, whatever that's supposed to do. But nothing helped. So he just had to take action himself.

Cyrus sluggishly swam out of the door to his small home and inspected the sound. He followed it and tracked it down until it became very clear to him. It was a baby. Who was crying. And alone.
His heart broke as soon as he laid eyes upon the little girl. He slowly bent down and caressed the infant's cheek. She quieted slightly and turned her big hazel eyes to him.
Cyrus wiped his sweating hands on his pajamas and picked up the baby mermaid. Her teensy arms wrapped around Cyrus's neck. She had stopped crying now, and her eyelids were growing heavy.
Oh crap.
Cyrus thought suddenly. He would have to take care of her. He couldn't just...leave her here. She could die alone, even though she probably belonged to a couple who was worried sick about their infant.

But no. Cyrus had made a decision. He was going to care for her, and make her his own. After all...it's not like he could have any of his own anyways.

And with that, he stole away into the cold, dark night, the infant, which was now fast asleep, in his arms.
*****
"Hera...what on earth happened? Why are you crying?" Cyrus asked, concerned.

"My...r-real...my real f...father...he...he..." Hera stammered before breaking down again.

"He what...? What?!"

"He showed up! He talked to me! And I...sent him away!" Hera explained, guilt palpable in her trembling voice.

"...it...was probably the right thing to do, Hera." Cyrus attempted to comfort his adopted daughter.

"...was it?" She asked him, and after a moment of tearful silence, Cyrus grinned and wiped the tears from Hera's face.

"Yes, sweetheart. Yes it was."

Hera smiled and took Cyrus's hand. She looked at him for a moment. She saw that tears swam in his eyes. She pondered his words.

"Do you really think so?" She asked, any sadness previously felt completely hidden.

Cyrus nodded, and turned away from his daughter.

"Or is it just because you don't want me to forget about you?" Hera asked.

Hera giggled as her father and best friend's cheeks turned redder than his hair. And he was a hardcore ginger.

"You're...you're a smart girl, Hera." Was all he said.

She just nodded and led him to the door of their house.

"And just so you know, Cy," Hera started, once Cyrus had tucked her back into her bed. "You are irreplaceable."
*****
Cyrus's heart pounded harder and faster than it ever had in his entire life. He had just discovered that the child he found was Gina and Ray Loch's daughter. And Gina had just been killed by the humans in the boat that had been circling for a few days. But Ray...was nowhere to be seen.

This pissed Cyrus off. How could you just abandon your own daughter like that, especially after just losing your wife!

But no matter. Hera was his now. Hera Loch was now Hera Grace. That sounded better anyway.

Poor Cyrus had grown so attached to the infant mermaid. It already seems as if she was his own. But some people were looking for Hera, he knew, because Gina and Ray costed a fortune.  It made Cyrus feel terribly bad for Hera. Going from being a spoiled rich mermaid, to being a poor one, that lived in a hut.

But if anybody wanted to take Hera away from him, well god dammit, they'd have to go through hell and back. He wasn't losing her. He couldn't. Not now. Not ever.