Sage laughed and nodded. "Always," he noted, just wrapping his tail around Remy tighter and curling in under his fin, since it was large enough to be a blanket of sorts for them both.

Remy smiled softly and curled right into Sages chest. "I love you..." he whispered.

.

When Sage went out hunting for lunch later that day, Remy found himself looking out their window, down on town square. At the very bottom, there was a tiny, protected area, the nursery. There were dozens of pale orange, softball sized eggs, each nestled into a scallop seashell. Each one would become a child, for a mer-couple to raise. The nursery wasn't open yet, but as soon as it would, there would be couples lined up. He wanted one. He always went the day after it opened, when the crowds calmed down, but they never let him have one. Remy was even kind of friends with one of the nurses, Ally. Ally always had to tell him no, but she did so gently.

Sage had smiled softly, repeating the phrase to Remy.

....

While he was out hunting, he was sifting through the sand in order to find clams and other types of sea shells, as well as crabs. When he saw something orange half buried in the sand, he cocked his head curiously and moved to scoop it up. His eyes wide ed when he realized it was an egg...what was it doing all the way out here? Had the baby survived? He moved to swim back to their home quickly, flying through the cave entrance and opening his mouth to tellr ney, then closing it. What was he even going to say? "Er....I found this in the sand," he finally noted, holding the egg out to him. "Is...is there a way to see if it's still ...ok?" He suddenly hoped it was. That they could raise it.

Remys eyes widened at the sight of the egg. He rushed over to it, gently lifting it out of Sages hands. He gazed at it, holding something precious in his hands. He really wanted to keep it, to raise it. He examined it, it was healthy. Remys eyes saddened as he shook his head. "We hafta turn it in to the nursery... we'll get in trouble if we keep it..." he mumbled.

Sage wrinkled his nose slightly. "how much trouble," he asked, eyeing the egg. Though, the nursery might be the best place for it....he wasn't sure what the right decision was. "Well, I'll just have to make sure we get to keep it once they check it over," he finally decided.

"They could kick us out of town... or kill us..." he mumbled. Remy shook his head sadly. "No... they won't let us keep it... they'll take it away... we're not allowed to have one..." he sniffled on the verge of tears.

Sage sort of wrinkled his nose. "Were Already outcasts. Hell I'm not even a merperson," he noted. Though, killing would be an issue, so he just sighed. "Then we threaten not to turn the egg in," he grumbled. He could be more stubborn than any old nurse. "We'll get an egg. This egg. I don't care how," he added, pecking Remys lips lightly.

Remy sniffled and shook his head. "We can't. Someone will find out and they'll just take it and kick us out..." he mumbled, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks.

Sage sort of groaned and shook his head. "I'm not giving up that easy," he protested. There had to be something they could do. "They don't know who I am...I haven't been in town. Could we just have me go get it the day everyone lines up?"

Remy shook his head, crying. "No... you can't... they know, they give you the same looks they give me... we have to turn it in... I can't risk losing my home... I worked too hard for them to even let me stay here..."