White sands and photography....

You shouldn't have come back down here... Nic spoke weakly as he regained conciousness and opened his eyes to find himself as a merman again. Zeus Almighty why did this have to happen to him now? Yet he did realize that this meant Nicki had been forced to turn him into a half fish. He sighed and wrapped the girl close to him and leaned his head against her shoulder for a second. I tried to get there but it didn't seem to be fated.

"Fate seems out to get you," Nicki responded tiredly, letting Nic draw her in. She didn't have any energy to resist his advances. Her jeans and shirt were ruined, the jeans had torn to shreds in the transformation and her shoes had perished in a similar fate. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Nic shook his head. I'm fine...just didn't have enough time to get to the hatch before the tunnels filled. At least now he had the curse and would be able to visit the tunnels anytime but Nic didn't like the cost it had taken to get that ability. He moved away from Nicki and sighed. Sorry for that...I don't know why I... Nic swam down into the water and toward the throne room. He didn't have the courage to say that he had hugged Nicki because he had been scared he'd died.

Nicki swam after him, her hair floating around her head like some sort of Halo. Her dark brown hair held tints of red underwater.
"How long are we going to wait until we go up to the surface," She asked, struggling in pulling her shirt over her heat to show her swimsuit top. She eventually got it off and she left the shirt floating up and down in the water.

Nic turned back to Nicki and felt his eyes burn slightly. We can go back now. Just, I might have a broken ankle when I change back to human. He smiled barely and then swam up to the shirt while heading toward the surface.

Nicki followed behind him, watching his tail flash in the water. It was weird seeing another half fish like her.
"You get out first," She said, speeding up slightly, her bare skin brushed his tail as she did so. A mertail was cool and firm, but textured with scales.

Nic sighed and turned around to look at Nicki. He kissed the girl and then looked into her eyes briefly before nodding. Thank you for coming back to save me. With that, he grabbed onto the edge and pulled himself up, quickly drying off and changing back to a human.

Nicki was startled with the kiss but she sank into it after a few seconds.
"What other option did I have that wouldn't result in me hating myself for the rest of my life." She offered him a smile and ran her thumb along his jaw. She removed herself from his grip. She waited till he was dry before pulling herself up and she pulled him down to give him another kiss, removing the transformation. After pulling away she dried herself and stood. Then made a beeline for her cabin to grab some clothes to put over her swimsuit.

Well I'm glad you saved me. Nic said to himself after Nicki had run off. Quickly he stood up and ran into the cabin to grab a pair of dark denim jeans and new sneakers to put on. With that thought in mind, he picked up the backpack with all of the electronics in it and then stepped into the cabin slowly. He looked into the back of the cabin and then slipped through another door and out into the trees behind. Walking along the trail he came across a cave and slipped in to start setting up the security cameras. Nic kept two laptops and put the third one in a hidden alcove to control the cameras. He stepped back out and walked back to his cabin to meet Nicki again.

Nicki changed into a clean pair of shorts and a black tank top. Lil yawned, laying across the bed that was sagging under her weight. Nicki ran her fingers through her thick bluish fur and Lil licked the back of her hand, uncurling from her position. Lil ran out the door before Nicki did. Nicki put on her flip flops and walked outside.

Nicolaus walked slowly through the groups of campers and nearly stumbled into Nicki before catching himself and stepping around her and turning back to face her. He'd been caught up in his own thoughts and hadn't been paying attention. Hey, are you feeling better now?

"A little," Nicki said, "I really doubt there could be anything to distract me at the moment."
She sighed and began the process of pulling her hair back into a braid. Her mind wandering back to the moment when the cavern was filling with water and the fraction of a second of when she thought Nic had been dead.

Nic smiled as he felt the wind pick up slightly and heard the soft rustle of the trees and leaves. He was pretty certain that even with how attentive Nicki was right now that he could still surprise her in one way or another. So you never explained why it is you would hate yourself if I died down in the tunnels. Nic said these words as he stepped closer until they were about a foot away from each other. His voice had gotten deeper and smoother as he spoke and the last words were also softer than the rest.

"Well," Nicki said looking up at the sky, not paying attention to his location. "If you could do something to save somebody's life would you do it?" She countered. "If I had made the choice and walked away I would feel guilty and dislike myself for the rest of my life. Besides letting you drown is against my better nature."
Nicki looked back at him, her eyes a slightly darker shade than they had been.

Nic followed his heart as it told him to move and how to act by leaning closer to Nicki right as she looked at him and wrapping her in his arms just to kiss her passionately on the lips. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind and worries as well as all of the doubts and pain escape him and to just hold the moment. Slowly Nic turned off all of his thoughts completely and stood there not even caring that people were now staring at them. All that mattered was that he was still alive and it was because Nicki had been there to save him. The wind in the trees picked up and he felt as if the gods were creating a barrier around them to allow him and Nicki to have the moment. Finally Nic pulled away and he smiled calmly. Thank you for saving me...I honestly had believed I'd died and it was great to wake up in your arms. Thank you Nicki.

The horrible think about Nic was he had impeccable kissing timing. He had her trapped up against the cabin wall they had been walking by, arms around her waist, and he was giving her an impressive kiss then and there. Nicki's hands slid up around his neck and tangling in his hair. She couldn't hear the wolf whistling from several Apollo and Aphrodite kids, her blood was pounding so loud. When Nic pulled away Nicki's eyes were a bright shade of silver blue.
"D-don't mention it." She said just before all the blood rushed to her cheeks.

Nic shook his head before reaching over and getting rid of the fake tattoo on his body. It had already mostly disappeared and he had only been trying to see if he'd liked the thought of the tattoo. He really hadn't so Nic got rid of it before realizing he had silver hair again. Damn water had washed that away as well. Well oh well. No problem...I love you though and I will still be glad you did that. Nic allowed his hand to slide down to Nicki's hand and he intertwined his fingers through her's.

Nicki reached up and ruffled his hair that had turned silvery, her cheeks still slightly stained with blush. Then she realized there were several boy's wolf whistling still. Nicki turned and gave them a look. Apparently her look was terrifying enough to make them shut their pie holes. Nicki slid out of Nic's grasp and she started down the path again.

Nic smiled devilishly at the boys and then waved to them before walking after Nicki. What was that about? He watched her out of the corner of his eye.

"Apollo boys and Aphrodite boys are stupid... most of them anyway." Nicki said. True she had met some pretty idiotic. She bit her lip and wandered ahead of him, Lil came barreling around the corner and rubbed up against her legs, getting in between her and Nic.

Nic nodded calmly as he watched Lil run up in between him and Nicki. It was strange how at first he had been semi scared of the tiger but now it didn't even faze him. Suddenly Nic stepped down on a rock and his ankle slipped and brought back the pain of the broken bones. He gasped in pain and fell down to a knee while tears sprang to his eyes. All around them people were stopping and staring while whispering about him proposing to Nicki but Nic didn't care because his mind was screaming at him for forgetting about his busted ankle. Nic bit his lip and felt the blood well up slightly until he could stand, or more of move, before falling again.

Nicki stopped, realizing Nic had stopped moving.
"Oh my goodness, I forgot." She hurried back over and slipped an arm under his and helped Nic up.
"Come on let's get to the infirmary," Nicki said, helping him. She would allow him to lean on her. Nicki was tougher than she looked.

Nicolaus Reed, son of Styx and someone who prided himself on his strength, was now limping down the path and trying not to whimper as his foot touched the ground. He gritted his teeth each time someone he knew passed by and then he saw Austin briefly as the son of Nike turned and gaped at them as he passed holding onto Nicki for all the strength he could gain. Nic felt the wind blow through his hair but it no longer seemed like a barrier but more of a wall to keep him away from the others. He smiled through the pain and watched as the infirmary rose up in front of them and he saw the many people rushing about around the building. He was almost there and even if he was injured, Nicki was here with him. You seem to be my protector now. Did you ask Zeus for that job or did you just take it on by yourself? Nic asked the question softly as they entered the building and he was hit by the wall of antiseptic in the room.

Nicki just grinned and helped him sit down.
"I just help where I am needed. Let me take a look at your foot."
Nicki removed the shoe and sock carefully.
An apollo healer hurried over to help and the healer touched his ankle lightly, their healing touch seeping into Nic's ankle. While the healer worked Nicki went and retrieved bandages and some nectar. She handed the nectar to Nicholas and passed the bandages to the healer.

Nic laughed as he listened to Nicki and then he watched as the Apollo kid helped. He could feel the soothing calm of the healer flow into his bone and Nic opened the Nectar to take a drink. Nic felt the liquid move down his throat and leave a tingling in his body. So that is a yes. If it weren't for you then I would have died a few times already. Thank you Natalie.