Finally...The last chapter! This one took longer to type because it's a decent length for once.^^

Oh, and guess what? My wig came in! It's black, it's long, it's curly, and I love it~3

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this final chapter!^^ As usual, read, review, and (hopefully) favorite!

…

"Where we located you and your e%ceptionally fish-like new friend."

The words came from a voice far deeper and stronger than Kanaya's, and Nepeta rapidly turned around to find it's owner.

"Equius!"

She was overjoyed to see her closest friend again. It seemed like so long ago since she had last seen her dear, sweaty dufus, but really, it'd only been this morning, hadn't it? She was no longer sure, after all that had happened, her memories seemed hazy. Equius glared at Eridan in a very intimidating manner, then finally turned back to her.

"I am...very glad we were able to find you…" Equius hesitated before adding, "...alive, of course. I would have been very displeased to find you otherwise."

"And I'm furry happy to see mew!" Nepeta laughed, throwing her arms around her friend, "100%!"

"100%..." Equius repeated, hugging back as gently as he could manage with one arm, while patting her even-messier-than-usual blonde head with the other.

He'd always been awkward, even when they were kids. He was constantly growing taller and stronger and never seemed to have a full grasp of how to control his long limbs or his insanely superhuman strength. However, he was kind...all of her crewmates were. She was lucky to have them. They were the best friends...no, the best family, a girl like her could ask for, and everyone of them, like her, called the Signless home.

Family...that's what they all were.

Somehow, Karkat no longer seemed like an exception.

The realization of this struck her like violet electricity.

So many things had happened that day...so very, many things...and in all that chaos, she hadn't noticed it, but her love for Karkat was now...not gone, exactly. It was...sort of...calmed. Like the waves at the end of a big summer storm at sea. She loved Karkat, but not anymore than she loved the rest of her crew...the rest of her family. The romantic love she once felt was now more like how she loved Equius, more like how she'd love a brother. The realization was much less shocking than she ever thought it would be, and that realization was followed by another…

"Equius?" Nepeta asked, sliding out from her friend's strong grasp, grinning ear to ear, "can mew help me put Mr. Ampurra back into the ocean?"

"Gladly."

Equius scooped Eridan up, much to Eridan's horror, and threw the scaley youth over his shoulder. They left the cave side by side, Eridan complaining loudly all the while.

…

Once their little group reached the shore, Equius promptly chucked Eridan into the water, enticing much cursing and angry fish puns from the mer-boy. Nepeta reached out, tugging the end of Equius' shirt. He looked down at her, and Nepeta looked up at him to meet his gaze.

"Can mew leave me alone with Ampurra? Just fur a bit?"

Equius' brow wrinkled with worry, and he hesitated to leave.

"I'll be fine, I purrmose," She smiled up at him warmly, "I'll call fur you if I need any help."

Equius remained stone still.

Nepeta understood.

"I'm not going anywhere, Equius."

Equius awkwardly shuffled his feet, leaving marks in the sand, "I realise that...it is simply that I just found you again…and I do not know your aquatic friend well enough to trust…"

Nepeta reached out to squeeze his arm.

"I know. I'll be carefur."

"Are you abso100tely certain?"

"Yes," She gave her friend a fast hug, "100%."

Equius smiled, patted her gently on the head, and finally left, turning back to see her every now and then as he went to reassure himself of her safety. She turned to Eridan as soon as Equius was out of sight, and sat down on the dry sand. The sun was finally going down after a very long and hectic, but adventurous day. Eridan swam up as close as he could , laying down on his back in the shallow water, looking up at Nepeta.

"Wwell," he began comically, "Today shore has been somefin, hasn't it?"

"It has," Nepeta laughed, "but mew nefur answered my question."

"Wwhat question?"

"Back in the cave, befur the rocks fell, I asked mew why mew saved me."

"Ww-wwell," Eridan stammered, "I, um...oh cod, this is embarassin...ya're gonna think I'm a creep…"

Nepeta cocked her head, smirking, "If boiling a crab alive, a mouth full of fangs, and magic lightning pawer don't scare me off, I don't think this 'swill' either."

Eridan smiled nervously, the fish pun easing his nerves a little.

"I wwas just swwimmen around, looking for...somefin. I don't remember wwhat it wwas, it seems like so long ago…"

He fidgeted, his tail sending ripples through the water.

"...Then I saww ya...fallin into the wwater, and I...I don't knoww…"

He took a deep breathe, even though he didn't need his lungs to breathe, then continued.

"...but nomatter wwhat, I kneww I couldn't let ya die…"

Eridan pulled himself up, then sat up on his tail so that most of his body was out of the water, and he was closer to Nepeta.

"...I didn't wwant ya to die."

He looked away, but Nepeta had already seen his eyes change in the fading light of the sun from violet to a deep shade of pink. She smiled, grabbing his face in both of her small hands.

"Are water dwellers supposed to do that?" She joked, "That pink thing?"

"Y-yeah." Eridan stopped trying to look away, and met her eyes, moving his face closer.

Neither one knew who started the kiss, and neither one truly cared.

As they did, Eridan pulled Nepeta into the water, closer to him, and they stayed like that. Kissing and holding each other close until long after the sun had gone down and Nepeta's clothes had soaked through.

….

THE END.

Happy ending! Weeeeee!

The best part is this is now my very first completed, multi-chaptered fanfiction!

They grow up so fast!

For more cute, fluffy, lovey-dovey gunk, read "Mew should smile more!".^^