The Value of a Friend

"Hey! Hey! Wait up!" The regal blue tang swam up to her shark friend, a look of concern on her usually happy face.

Bruce reluctantly turned to face her. He really needed to be alone for awhile, but he could never turn down Dory. There was just something in her innocent ruby eyes that he couldn't deny.

" 'Ello, Dory." He noticed the worry in her eyes and frowned slightly. "Is everything alright?"

"No! Everything is NOT okay! Why weren't you at the meeting today?"

Bruce flinched. So she had noticed. He'd hoped that she'd forget and he wouldn't have to explain himself. "It's just that…I've 'ad a lot on my mind lately," he admitted.

"You're not thinking of quitting, are you? Remember, 'Fish are friends, not food!'" There was no fear in her voice – only concern for her friend. Suddenly, she smiled. "Hey! I remembered it that time!"

Bruce hesitated. How could he tell her about what had happened? How could he tell her that only a day ago, he'd flown into a frenzy and become the thing he hated most? He'd tried to resist it…He really had! But this time Chum and Anchor hadn't been there to stop him, and the bait dangling from the site of the boat had smelled SO good! Once again, he'd fallen off the wagon. Once again he'd failed. And he felt so guilty about it! True, the fish the humans used to chum the water were already dead, but that was beside the point. A fish was a fish, and one of his best friends just happened to be a fish, too! He'd been purposefully trying to avoid her since his little slip-up, partly out of guilt and partly because he feared for her safety. He told himself that was the reason he hadn't been at the FEA meeting, but in truth, the reason he hadn't shown up was because he had, indeed, been having second thoughts about giving up his old habits. Of course, he never wanted to harm Dory or Marlin or any of his other fishy friends, but giving in to temptation was so much easier…Maybe if he could just stop fighting his natural instincts and behave like a normal shark he could forget that the fish had names and faces, that they had feelings, that they laughed and cried just like him…Maybe…

"Helloooo! Anybody home?" Dory's voice snapped him out of his internal debate. "What's the matter," she teased, "catfish got your tongue?"

Thinking of any fish being close enough to his mouth to touch his tongue made his mouth water, and he shuddered in self-disgust. Of course, she hadn't meant anything by it, but it still bothered him. Now, how to begin?

"Dory, do I…do I frighten you?" He almost dreaded her response. For her own safety, it would be better if she still somewhat mistrusted him, yet a part of him desperately wanted her to say no, wanted a true fishy friend who wouldn't desert him at the least little mistake.

"No."

He sighed. He was afraid she'd say that. "Maybe you should."

She said nothing but tilted her head in confusion, urging him to continue.

"Do you remember 'ow we first met?"

"Well, sure!" She smiled brightly. "Marlin and I were out looking for his son, Fabio when you invited us to a party, and then we found the mask. P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney!" she stated proudly.

She had conveniently left out the part where he'd nearly had the two bite-sized fish as an afternoon snack, he noticed, either out of kindness or because she'd simply blocked that out of her memory. He guessed it was probably the latter, but he wasn't sure. Knowing Dory, even if she had remembered, she wouldn't have brought it up because she wouldn't want to upset him.

"Do…do you remember anything else?" he prodded. "Like 'ow you got the mask?" He bit his lip, anxiously waiting for her to take off swimming away as fast as she could when the realization hit her.

"Uhmm…no." She looked confused and frustrated. "Why? Did something important happen? Were you having the party because it was your birthday?" She gasped. "Oh, my goodness! I didn't forget your birthday, did I?"

Bruce smiled gently at her. That was Dory, always supposing she was the one at fault, never placing the blame on someone else…Even if that someone happened to be a hungry shark! "No, Dory. You didn't do anything wrong…" He looked down shamefully. "I did."

"Well, I'm sure whatever it was, it wasn't that bad," she tried to comfort him.

He frowned. She really had no idea what he was talking about, no recollection of the event. He really didn't want her to have to relive that day, but he had to tell her sooner or later. "Dory…I…I made a mistake…and I almost 'urt you. And then today there were these 'umans a-and they chummed the waters and I tried to stop, I really did, but – " The great white was near tears, and he buried his face in his fins.

Dory swam up and put a fin on his shoulder. "Hey. Hey, it's okay."

"N-no it isn't!" he sniffed. "I could 'ave k – " The realization of what he was about to say hit him like a slap in the face. "I could 'ave killed you," he whispered.

"But you didn't," she answered.

"B-but what if it 'appens again? Wh-what if Chum and Anchor aren't there? I don't wanna 'urt you! I don't wanna be a monster." He sighed. "Maybe it's stupid for me to think that a shark can give up fish."

She looked him straight in the eye. "I don't think it's stupid. And you're not a monster. You're my friend." Such simple words, yet the meant so much. Bruce could feel himself tearing up again.

"I guess I nevah apologized for that…I'm sorry, Dory. I'm so, so sorry!" he choked.

"Sorry for what? Acting like a shark? You can't help that! Don't ever be sorry for who you are! You're doing your best, and that's what counts…Everyone makes mistakes. I mean, look at me! I can't remember diddly squat, but you guys still like me the way I am, and I still like you just the way you are!"

"Yeah, but your problem can't 'urt anyone."

"Maybe not on the outside, but it does hurt their feelings when I forget their name or their birthday or something else important. And sometimes I think that's worse. I hate forgetting all the time, but I'm getting better every day, and so are you!"

Who would have ever thought that a forgetful little fish could be so full of wisdom? She probably didn't realize how much her words meant, but he was glad to know that someone cared, someone understood.

"Sometimes I just…I just wanna give up, Dory. It's too 'ard! I mean, I don't wanna 'arm anyone, but I'm just not strong enough. I'm not good enough."

Dory frowned. This was not the joking, happy-go-lucky shark she knew and loved. She hated seeing her friend so upset, but what could she possibly do to help? Then, suddenly, she brightened. "I bet I know how to cure you!"

" 'Ow's that?" he asked, clearly interested.

She smiled mischievously. "Ya gotta close your eyes, first!"

Bruce eyed her suspiciously. "What are you up to, Dory?"

"You'll see! Now, close your eyes!"

"Alright…" The great white closed his eyes and covered them with his fins, but curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't resist peeping over the top of his fins.

"No peeking!" she shouted, and he promptly closed his eyes again. "Okay! Now think of something happy!"

"Dory, I don't see 'ow this is goin' ta help – "

Before he could finish the sentence, he was interrupted by someone laughing. And he had been so depressed before that it took him a minute to realize the laughter was his own! He opened his eyes to see Dory swimming just beneath him tickling his stomach!

"Goochie, goochie, coo!"

And what started out as a few chuckles progressed to a deep, rumbling laugh. To some fish, it might have sounded threatening, might have made their blood run cold. But Dory knew better. All she heard was her best friend having a good time, a sound she'd missed a lot lately.

"Hahahahaha! Dory," he begged between laughs, "Dory, stop! That tickles!"

"That's the point!" she laughed.

The two friends chased each other around the coral and the anemones until they could barely breathe from laughing so hard.

Bruce was still chuckling when they finally stopped to catch their breath near the edge of the drop-off. Dory stared up at her shark friend, glad to see that he was back to being his usual cheerful self. She smirked as though she'd just won a bet. "Made you smile!"

Bruce grinned. He remembered why he'd given up eating fish now. Not every shark was lucky enough to have friends like Dory…They didn't know what they were missing.

"Thanks, Dory."

She was still smiling, but her stare was blank and slightly confused. "For what?"

It saddened him to think that she had already forgotten their rather serious discussion, but the forgetfulness was a part of who she was, and he loved her for it. No matter how many times she forgot, he'd always forgive her, and something told him that she'd always forgive him, too.

"For bein' a great friend."

He felt something brush up against his left fin and noticed that she was hugging him…or at least, she was trying to! Considering the size difference, they were a rather comical sight. But Bruce didn't care.

"You're a great friend, too!"

"Dory!" In the distance, she could faintly hear Marlin calling her home. She pulled back from the hug and prepared to swim back to the anemone. "Well, I guess I should go…So…see ya at the next meeting?"

"Yeah. I'll be there."

As he watched her swim away, he couldn't help but smile. Forgetful though she was, she truly was a great fish. And if she could see past his faults enough to find something good within him, then maybe, just maybe, he could find that something within himself, too.