Heyyoo, guys! So, I'm back with another little one-shot Spandy story… thingy, lol. This kind of idea has obviously been done a lot before, but there are so many different variations of it that I figured, why not write my version of it? Lol. I got this idea I think after seeing the episode 'Bubble Troubles'. This is probably gonna be kinda lame… oh well, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own SpongeBob SquarePants or any of its characters.

The Only Solution

It was an average warm and sunny day in the underwater town of Bikini Bottom. Nothing out of the ordinary was really taking place… well, except maybe a little something going on inside the large Treedome of Sandra Cheeks.

"You! Straighten up, you! You're standin' out of line, you!... wipe that look off your face," Sandy commanded, stepping up to each helper-robot that stood in a long line in the middle of the dome.

As usual, Sandy was always looking for some kind of crazy, over-the-top experiment or invention to work with; nothing gave her a bigger thrill than to sit down with her books, think as hard as she could and drink multiple cups of coffee until she came up with something that would wow the townsfolk. Or if not them, she enjoyed 'wowing' herself every once and a while.

This time, she had really outdone herself. There sat a massive, circular-shaped swimming pool that was made out of steel. It sat near the middle of the dome, a couple of acorns had fallen from the oak tree and into the water.

Sandy was sure that the news of this fun little 'experiment' would spread around town, or at least she hoped.

It almost seemed the squirrel was running out of ideas as a scientist. At least, that was the rumor that was going around town. Some people apparently thought her experiments were old news; saying that she didn't know how to have fun with them, they seemed to think her work was 'dull' or 'boring'.

Well, she wanted to prove them all wrong. She wasn't boring! Heck, her experiments were anything but boring, most of the time anyway. She wanted to prove that her experiments were fun. And she figured it was summertime, which was a time for swimming and swimming pools, which were both fun, so why not?

Just then, two good ole' friends of hers' were merrily skipping along outside, minding their own business. Or, just laughing obnoxiously as they always did.

"Dahahaha! That's a good one Patrick. Boy, I never realized how many funny stories you had to tell,' said SpongeBob, laughing and wiping away a single tear of joy from his eye.

His pink, childish and innocent friend walked alongside the sea sponge. "Ahahaha, if you think that was funny, you should hear about my mornings with the toilet," he said.

SpongeBob's smile faded. He cleared his throat. "Uh, y-yeah I think you've told me about your um… AHEM, 'troubles'."

"Well, don't you find them funny?" asked Patrick, becoming defensive.

SpongeBob rubbed the back of his head. "Well… maybe just a little funny. But for the most part, it's just kind of disturbing."

Patrick scoffed. "Well, at least my troubles are entertaining. Unlike the stories about Gary's litterbox." He said, crossing his arms over his chest.

SpongeBob abruptly stopped, spotting the massive swimming pool through the see-through dome of his friend (and secret crush). "Speaking of disturbing. Look, Patrick!" he said, pointing straight at the pool.

His friend shrugged. "I don't see what's so disturbing about it. Haven't you ever seen a pool before?" he cocked a brow at him.

"Oh, Patrick. Of course, I have. But I don't ever recall seeing one in Sandy's Treedome," said SpongeBob.

"Well, why don't we go ask her what it's doing there? Maybe she'll let us play in it!" he clapped his hands together excitedly.

"Great idea Patrick! Hmm, but I don't have my swimming trunks… I'd have to swim in my regular clothes…" he scratched under his chin. "Oh well, guess there's a first time for everything!" the two then proceeded to head towards the entrance.

"You get used to it. I do it all the time." Said Patrick, smiling cluelessly. SpongeBob blinked at the usual yet still unusual thinking of his friend.

The two entered the dome, being sure to grab their water helmets and placing them securely over their heads. They were astonished at the size of the pool, as well as the number of robots that stood in a long line.

"Wow, Patrick. What do you think Sandy is doing with all of this?" asked SpongeBob.

Patrick shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe she's gonna have all the robots compete in a swimming race,"

SpongeBob chuckled. "Oh, Patrick, the things you come up with, pfftt," he scoffed.

The sponge and starfish approached the squirrel, who was deep in thought as she looked down at her clipboard, tapping her pencil against her chin.

"Hiya, Sandy!" SpongeBob greeted.

Sandy grunted as she swiftly turned around, making a karate stance. SpongeBob and Patrick gasped, holding onto each other out of fear. "P-please, don't hurt us…" cried Patrick.

"Y-yeah, we just saw the swimming pool and wanted to 'dive in' to what you were up to. Haha, get it? Dive in?" SpongeBob nervously joked.

Sandy rolled her eyes. "What were y'all thinkin', sneakin' up on me like that?" she placed her hands on her hips.

Patrick shrugged. "We do it to Squidward all the time," SpongeBob leaned in towards him. "Uh, Patrick, I don't think that's a very good example to use."

"Why not?"

"Because he's always kickin' your sorry behinds outta his place," Sandy chuckled, making SpongeBob blush. She knew them all too well… she especially knew him.

"So, Sandy, where'd you get this swimming pool anyway?" asked SpongeBob curiously.

She scratched the back of her head. "Well…"

Flashback…

"Ahh, there ain't nothin' as calmin' or relaxin' as a cool dip on such a hot day. And the best part is, I'm doin' it for free! Arg arg arg arg arg arg!" Mr. Krabs chuckled as he floated in the pool that sat in his backyard. The crustacean had entered a summer contest from his favorite magazine, Cheapskate Monthly. And long story short, he won the massive pool. Well… he did win it, after 'negotiating' a bit with the publishers. (And by negotiate, he really meant threaten.)

He sighed, leaning back against his claws. "This is better than bathin' in money!" he said.

Meanwhile, inside Sandy's Treedome, Sandy was working on a device that teleported large objects; specifically, swimming pools. "Just a few more wires…" she said, staring down at the black, egg-shaped contraption in her hands.

"Finished! With this, I'll be able to detect a swimmin' pool within a hundred miles around here. Now, let's see…" she spoke aloud, turning a dial on the contraption, causing a high-pitched mechanical sound.

"Ohh, money, money, money! I love touchin' it, I love sniffin' it, I love makin' it, it's everythin' I need. Money, money, money, ohh, money… give it all to ME!" Mr. Krabs sang, belting out the last note in his glass-shattering high voice.

Suddenly, the pool began to tremble. Mr. Krabs' eyes flew open. "Was I really that obnoxiously pitched?" he asked. Then, out of the blue, the mechanical noise could be heard. He covered his ears and jumped down from the edge.

"What in Neptune's Kingdom is goin' on?!" he stared up at it as it vanished into thin air. He stared blankly. "I should've known better than to trust them penny pinchers that run that catalog." He sighed, shaking his head.

His daughter Pearl stuck her head out of her bedroom window. "DADDY! Keep it down! I'm trying to talk to Eric!" she shouted.

Mr. Krabs furrowed his brows. "Hey, who's Eric?" he asked suspiciously.

Pearl bit her lip. "Uhhh… my math teacher, BYE!" she slammed her window shut.

End of flashback

"It's… a long story. But it don't matter none how I got it here. I'm conductin' my most excitin' experiment yet!" said Sandy, shaking with excitement.

"What is it?" asked SpongeBob, smiling.

"I'm havin' all my robots compete in a swimmin' race!"

Patrick smirked and looked at SpongeBob. "The things I come up with, eh?" SpongeBob rolled his eyes.

"What made you want to do this sort of thing, Sandy?" SpongeBob asked.

"Oh, I'm tired of doin' the same ole' experiments. They're either too boring or 'dull', at least, that's what everybody in town seems to think." She rolled her eyes, feeling self-conscious. "So, I wanted to do somethin' sorta different. I wanna see how these robots react to doing something competitive," she continued.

"Aw, you shouldn't feel pressured to do something so extreme or out of your comfort zone! I think you're perfect just the way you are," he smiled sweetly at her.

Sandy cocked a brow at him, a smile crossing her lips. "You… think I'm perfect, SpongeBob?" she asked, flattered.

He bit his lip and nervously chuckled. "W-well, what I meant to say was your experiments are perfect, heh heh… "she stared blankly at him.

"I mean… nobody… can be… perfect, right?" he sweated. Sandy tapped her foot.

"Nobody except for Patrick-Man!" Patrick chimed in.

The two stared at him. "I like to pretend to be a superhero at night when everyone's asleep, hehe," he giggled.

"Alrighty then! You fellas wanna stick around and watch?" she asked, returning to her good mood.

"Gee Sandy, this sounds kinda dangerous… are you sure this is gonna be safe? What if the robots short out from the water?" asked SpongeBob.

She waved him off. "Aw, heck. I wouldn't worry about that. Robots have roamed all over town before,"

"Which proves?" asked Patrick.

"…Y'all… live underwater… or have ya forgotten?" she asked, peering at him.

He stared blankly. "Pssh, whatever. As long as we get to play in the pool when the race is over!" he jumped up and down excitedly.

"Sandy, pardon my endless curiosity, but this really doesn't seem like much of an 'experiment', what exactly are you setting out to prove?" asked SpongeBob.

"Oh, trust me, it is. I'm settin' out to prove that I ain't all just about 'business'. My experiments are fun, and what better way to prove that than with this?" she said, gesturing at the massive pool.

SpongeBob wanted to agree with her, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something, he wasn't sure what, but something was definitely going to go wrong with this 'experiment.'

"Okay… if you say so, we'll stick around and watch," said SpongeBob, allowing a small smile to cross his lips.

"Hot dog! Y'all are gonna get a real show," she said, turning towards her robots.

"Do we get popcorn?" asked Patrick.

"Alright, all of you, get in the pool and form a neat starting line," she commanded. The robots did as they were told and slowly marched towards the ladder of the steel pool.

She watched every one of them, except one, climb the ladder. She furrowed her brows as she walked over towards the lone contraption. "You! quit standin' around and get into that pool," she spoke sternly.

"I do not wish to." It spoke in its monotone voice. She placed her hands on her hips. "Y'all are gonna wish you hadn't said that if ya don't get to that ladder."

The machine stared at her. "Whatever you say, Miss Cheeks…" she nodded and turned her back on it. Little did she know the robot had somehow formed a pair of eyebrows… and the expression it made with them was not friendly.

It marched its way towards the ladder. The three watched as it slowly climbed. But once it reached the edge of the pool, it froze. "I do not wish to swim." It said.

"Dang flabbit!" she cursed. She turned towards SpongeBob and Patrick. "It looks like that little varmint needs some rewirin'. Will you two please go into my tree and find me a screwdriver?"

"Sure. What kind?" asked SpongeBob. "A flat-edge." She replied.

"You mean there's more than one kind of screwdriver? What is this world coming to?! Advancements in technology are moving too fast!" said Patrick. SpongeBob grabbed him by the arm and dragged him towards the tree.

Sandy rolled her eyes at the starfishes' stupidity and headed up the ladder. "What is your dang problem?! I thought I wired you right the first time…" she pulled open a little compartment on the side of its head and examined the inner workings of the contraption.

Suddenly, the robot stiffened up more than it already was, almost as if it was offended by her touch. It furrowed its brows

It turned to look at her. "I do not like to be touched."

"What do ya mean? You wouldn't even be walkin' or talkin' without my touch! I built ya, for corn's sake. Although, I sure as heck don't remember programmin' ya with an attitude," she peered at it.

Its eyes glowed a bright red. Sandy was taken aback by its frightening glare. "What in tarnation… "

Meanwhile, in the oak tree, SpongeBob and Patrick rifled through several boxes trying to find a screwdriver. "Oh, I wish Sandy wouldn't listen to the people in town. Her experiments are whacky and crazy enough as it is. I don't want her getting hurt," said SpongeBob, concern evident in his voice.

Patrick flung random items behind him. "Oh, what's the big deal? She's been to the moon for crying out loud, I don't think she could get any wackier or more dangerous than that,"

SpongeBob shook his head. "Aha! I found it," he said, holding up the screwdriver.

"Found what?" asked Patrick. "The Screwdriver… that's why Sandy sent us up here, remember?" asked SpongeBob.

Patrick shrugged. "I was just looking for a bag of popcorn." SpongeBob blinked, then stood up. "Well, let's bring it to her. I just want this to be over with."

Putting on a smile, SpongeBob made his way down from the tree, his pink friend following behind him. "Well, this was the only one we could find, Sandy. I hope it works- SWEET MOTHER OF PEARL!" he shouted, dropping the tool.

The two watched in horror as the robot held Sandy's head under the pool water. The sound of her gargling could be heard as she struggled to free herself of its grip.

"Patrick, we've gotta do something, that thing is evil!" he looked around frantically.

"Here, use this!" said Patrick, handing him a baseball bat.

The sponge stared at it. "Why do you have a baseball bat?" he asked.

"In case anybody calls me 'tubby'." He smiled. SpongeBob then felt even more disturbed than he already was. He shook his head rapidly and climbed up the ladder.

He stood just below the robot. "Hey! You… squirrel-drowning goon!" he shouted, catching the robots' attention.

It turned its head and glared down at him. Before it could react, SpongeBob grunted as he swung the bat as hard as he could, knocking the contraption off the ladder and sending it flying towards the ground.

He anxiously climbed up the rest of the ladder and pulled Sandy up out of the water by her shoulders. "Sandy!" he cried, staring down at the unconscious girl of his dreams.

He latched his arms underneath her underarms. "Patrick, she's too heavy for me to carry her down. You're gonna have to catch her," he shouted.

"No problem! Send her down!" said Patrick, stretching out his arms. Just when he thought he could handle anything, the squirrel came hurtling towards him so fast, he didn't have time to change his mind.

Splat

Her unconscious body landed on top of him, squishing him. SpongeBob quickly climbed back down the ladder. "Good job Pat," he said, oblivious to the sight in front of him.

Patrick gave a thumbs-up. "No problem." He said, his voice muffled.

SpongeBob once again latched his arms underneath her underarms and gently dragged her body to a clean patch of grass.

He panted as sweat dripped down his face. Once he found the perfect spot, he laid her down on her back. He bent over, placing his hands on his knees in exhaustion.

Once he caught his breath, he looked down at the lifeless-looking squirrel. A million thoughts and emotions flooded his mind and heart, his pulse picking up speed and a lump forming in his throat at the thought of losing one of his best friends… and his secret love.

He got down on his knees beside her. "Sandy… Sandy, wake up! Speak to me!" he placed a hand on her cheek. Her color had turned pale and her eyes were forming dark circles around them.

He felt her wrist, catching a faint pulse. "Patrick, she's still breathing!" Patrick walked up to them. "Wasn't that thing holding her head under the water?"

SpongeBob nodded, unsure of what to do. "Yeah… but she's not waking up. She's so pale… oh, Patrick, I'm scared! What are we gonna do?" he looked up at him with teary, desperate eyes.

"Easy! She inhaled all that water, that's why she looks the way she does. And if I'm correct, squirrels need air, don't they?"

SpongeBob stared at him in disbelief. "Yes… they do. But… what are you getting at- "

"One of us needs to give her some air, duh!"

SpongeBob thought about it for a few moments before his eyes widened. "Y-you mean… one of us has to…"

Patrick nodded. Of course, he had to pick a time like this to be smart. SpongeBob shook his head. "Oh, I-I don't think it's a good idea if I do it… my breath stinks. You do it, Patrick,"

Patrick backed away. "Oh no, I'm not getting near that mouth of hers," he shook his head.

"W-why not? You've done it before, remember? When we ruined the dome's air supply?"

"Oh yes, I remember. I also remember the pain from her fist hitting my face. I've still got the bruise!" he argued. "Besides, you're the one who's nuts about her," he continued.

SpongeBob blushed. "W-well, I wouldn't say I'm nuts, exactly- "

"OUR FRIEND IS DYING AND IN NEED OF OXYGEN AND YOU'RE OVER HERE WORRYING ABOUT EMBARRASSING YOURSELF! JUST DO IT, MAN!" Patrick shouted, making the sponge flinch.

"O-okay, okay…" he turned his attention back to her beautiful yet ghostly white face. He stared at her for a few moments as he mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do.

"Never thought I'd have my first kiss like this…" he thought. He then lifted off his water helmet, allowing the water from it to come crashing down over his head.

He bit his lip. He then heard the sound of heavy breathing, but it wasn't coming from Sandy. He looked up to see Patrick bent in half, staring at him and waiting for him to make his move.

"Uh, Patrick… could you maybe turn around?" he asked.

Patrick scoffed. "Pssh, whatever. At least she's not gonna punch you when she wakes up," he crossed his arms over his chest and turned around.

"We don't know that yet, Pat…" he sighed. "Here goes nothing…" he took in a deep breath of the dreadful air around him.

He gently opened her mouth a bit with his thumb before placing one hand under her neck and the other on the back of her head, slowly lifting her up towards himself.

"Please, dear Neptune let this work, don't say this was for nothing… I don't wanna lose her…"

He inched her closer and closer, she was soon just centimeters from him. He shut his eyes tightly and covered her lips with his. He tried not to let the emotion and deep, tender feelings of their lips meeting get to him; even though they threatened to overwhelm him.

He then forced the air from within himself into her mouth, filling her lungs with life. Patrick slowly turned his head and took a peek at the sight.

SpongeBob couldn't help but feel his heart pound and practically melt with emotion at this moment. Here he was, trying to save the life of a dear friend, and he was allowing his ridiculous feelings to get the better of him.

After a few moments, he could feel her head start to twitch. His eyes flew open and he pulled away, staring down at her.

She began to tremble. She suddenly let out a gasp and began to cough up water. SpongeBob and Patrick smiled, both overjoyed upon knowing that she was going to be alright.

SpongeBob still cradled her neck and head in his arms as he stared down at her. Her eyes then fluttered open as the color returned to her face. Her eyes searched the room until she found his blue orbs gazing at her.

"What… huh? W-what happened?" she said groggily, slowly sitting up.

"You almost died, silly! Jeez, you air-breathers have terrible memories," said Patrick, shaking his head.

She furrowed her brows. "I remember that part. I built that dang thing with leftover parts from an old invention that also turned evil. I guess I shouldn't be stayin' up late buildin' stuff… I get tired and lazy," she shook her head.

"Oh, Sandy, we're just so happy you're okay! You had us so worried," said SpongeBob.

She smiled at him. "Aww, I'm sorry you guys. I guess you were right SpongeBob, this was too dangerous. I guess I need to listen to advice from a good friend who's always lookin' out for me, instead of my own ego…" she smiled weakly at him.

"It's okay, Sandy. We're just glad you're safe," said SpongeBob, smiling.

"Yeah! And you didn't even punch him! Lucky," said Patrick, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sandy stared at him. "Why would I punch him?" she questioned. Just then, she noticed a strange yet familiar taste in her mouth. She smacked her lips together. "I don't remember eatin' any Kelp-o this mornin'…"

SpongeBob's face turned bright red. Realization then dawned on the squirrel. "Uh… so… that mechanical varmint tried to drown me… "she said. SpongeBob nodded.

"Which means that I inhaled water… "he nodded again.

"And therefore, I needed someone to give me air… "she stared at him. He gulped and smiled sheepishly.

He then noticed the dull expression on her face. He shut his eyes tightly and braced for impact. "Okay, make it quick…" he said, expecting her to punch him.

Instead of getting a punch in the jaw, he was met with a pair of lips on his. His eyes flew open as he realized what was happening. She held onto his shoulders as she firmly pressed her lips into his. Dear Neptune, was this how people from Texas took their anger out on others?

Patrick's jaw was on the ground at the sight. After a few brief moments, she pulled away, gasping for air. SpongeBob's mouth was hanging open. "W-what'd you do that for?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Sandy searched for an excuse. "Uhh… I-I still feel like there's some water in my lungs. Listen to em' crackle," she forced a few coughs out, hoping he'd buy it.

"But wait… he didn't know you were gonna do that…" Patrick pointed out.

"So?" she scoffed.

"So, how was he to know to blow any more air into your mouth?"

Sandy's cheeks turned pink from his question. Boy, this was awkward.

SpongeBob smiled, still blushing red. "Heh, what do you guys say we go for a swim?" he suggested.

Sandy chuckled nervously. "Great idea, SpongeBob! Haha… "they tried to avoid eye contact with each other.

Patrick scoffed. "Psshh, this is ridiculous! I try and save her life, and she hits me. He tries to save her life, and he gets to go swimming!"

A/N: Thanks for reading!