Chapter Text
When Heinz woke up the first surprise he had was that he had in-fact woken up at all, the next thing he noticed was that he was still under water. He immediately put his hands over his mouth but realized that he wasn't actually having any trouble breathing. He looked around and saw he was in some kind of under water cave. The light that was coming in suggested it was sometime the next day. He let his hands fall to his lap but instead of feeling the fabric of the pants he had been wearing his hands brushed against something smooth and scaly. Looking down Heinz saw instead of the pant clad legs he was used to he saw a brown and white tail.
A tail!
“The fuck!?” Heinz said jumping back and hitting his back on the cave wall.
What was going on!? What had happened? Why did he have a tail? Where was he? He could feel himself beginning to freak out.
Perry apparently chose that moment to return from who knows where, and seeing the distress on Heinz’s face immediately swam up to him.
“Hey, hey it’s ok.” he said taking Heinz’s hands in his own gently. “Just look at me. Yea that’s it deep breaths, in…. And out. Like that yes.” He said gently stroking his knuckles with his thumbs.
After a few minutes of this Heinz felt himself begin to calm down.
“You.. you can speak?”
Perry huffed out a laugh. “I’ve always been able to speak. It’s just that you can understand me now”
“How? What… what did you do to me?”
Perry at least had the sense to look a little guilty when he answered, “I gave you merlite.”
“Merlite?”
“Yes. Its an ancient recipe for a substance that can turn a human into a mer.”
“You made me a mer? Why?” Heinz gasped.
“You were going to go to prison. For freeing me! I couldn’t let you do that, and this was the only thing I could think of on short notice. I’m sorry I did it that way I should have tried to explain it better to you before I gave you the merlite. I just… I didn’t want to lose you again. I’m sorry.” Perry said looking down like the sandy floor of the cave was now the most interesting thing in the world.
Heinz sat there contemplating what he had just learned and the situation as a whole. Perry had in his own way freed him from his own form of captivity, one that while harsh would still temporary. In exchange he had been given a more permanent solution almost ‘trapped’ in a new way. But was he really trapped? What would he be missing on the surface?
His family? Neither of his parents ever really seemed to care what he did with his life. When he became a biologist they still acted like he had some how disappointed them or didn’t even acknowledge it. Even after he was getting recognized for his discoveries and accomplishments they were never impressed. His brother, their favorite, was not much better. At least he recognized Heinz's accomplishments but he still acted like he was some how better than him because he became a politician. Sure Roger would play nice in front of the cameras or for the public but there was a reason why he had gone low contact with his brother years ago. That and they never really recovered from that one summer.
If not his family what about his career? He had spent years dedicated to the study of marine life. Spent countless hours and money on school and internships to get here. But here there were no debts, and really what better place to study ocean life than in the ocean? He could spend hours watching coral reefs, explore the deepest caves or ravens, fallow along migration paths up close and personally. The possibilities were as endless as the ocean it self!
And Perry. Perry would be right with him.
“You do realize you’re stuck with me now right?”
Perry’s expression seemed to brighten as he looked up with his smile. “Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Heinz returned the smile and even huffed out a laughed. “This is still so weird. If you had told me when I started that job that it would end with me not only reuniting with my childhood best friend but also as a mer, I would have laughed in your face. Perry just shook his head and laughed, they seemed to be doing a lot of that now, and held out his hand for Heinz to take. Heinz reached out and took his hand happily.
“And yet, I don’t think I would have it any other way either.”
“Come on,” Perry said leading them out of the cave, “lets go meat my pod.”
“Do you think they'll like me?”
“They'll love you. You and my nephews will get on like barnacles on a rock.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
It took about a week to reach the territory where Perry’s pod lived. Part of why it took so long to travel was a combination of Perry helping Heinz adjust to his new body and Perry himself getting tired more easily that before. Heinz hypothesized that the tank he had been kept in had been to small for him to properly exercise in, citing multiple cases with other captive marine life.
During their travels Perry taught Heinz how navigate the ocean and how they used the stars to navigate at night in open water. Heinz was surprised to fine that some of the constellations were the same for humans and mer just with different names.
Eventually they made it out of the open waters and into an area with shallower waters. There was a kelp forest not to far to the west and a collection of rock formations. As they got closer Heinz’s anxieties began to nag at him again. What if his family didn’t like him or saw some reason not to let him in? They were hundreds of miles away form any mainland he would have nowhere to go. Seeming to sense this change in mood Perry looked back at him grabbing his hand.
“Its going to be ok. I promise.”
Heinz let out a breath and nodded deciding to trust his friend.
Perry just smiled at him before his head snapped in front of him.
The sound that had gotten his attention was a low call that sounded like a whale but not quite. Perry’s eyes went wide as his face went though a range of emotions and squeeze d Heinz hand before opening his mouth and letting out a very similar call.
At first nothing happened then a few moments later a small figure poked out from behind one of the rock formations. Heinz didn’t get a good look at it before an orange blur came speeding towards them. Perry let go of his hand so he could wrap both arms around the blur that Heinz could now see was a child, a child that was currently trying to melt in to Perry. A second green haired child fallowed and buried themselves in Perry’s chest as well. All the while the orange hared child between sobs and chirps was blubbering out apologies.
“I’m sorry Uncle Perry, I’ll...I’ll never go out in open water alone again...Ever. I missed you so much. I’m so sorry. “
“Hey, hey Phineas it’s ok. I’m ok.”
“No its not! You told me to come back but I didn’t listen and then you…you...” The boy just buried his head back in to his uncle’s chest as he continued to cry.
“Perry?”
Another mer was swimming up to them, this one an adult with brown hair.
“Oh my god, is that really you?”
The other adult wrapped an arm around Perry’s shoulder. Perry wrapped an arm around the other mer as well.
“I don’t… You’re alive. How? They boys, they said you were taken by humans. We all thought…”
“Well I had some help.” Perry said turning to Heinz.
Heinz just gave a small wave.
“Lawrence, this is Heinz. He helped me escape the humans and get home.”
“Wait, Heinz? Like boy from….You gave him merlite!?”
“He was going to be put in jail. For freeing me!”
“To be fare,” Heinz interjected, “It most likely wouldn't have been a life sentence or anything, probably just a few years and maybe a large fine.”
“You helped Uncle Perry?”
Heinz looked over this time it was the green hared boy that was looking at him.
“Yes I did.”
“Well I bet its quit the story and I would love to hear it but we should probably get back. Everyone will so happy to see you and want to hear the story as well. I bet you two are also starving.”
Perry nodded, then with one arm still around the boys he reached his other hand out to Heinz who took it as they swam towards the rocks.
When they made it back they were immediately swarmed by the other members of the pod. Everyone had questions and Perry promised to explain everything later. When they asked about Heinz he simply said that he had helped Perry get away and back home.
“Well then he’s staying with us right?”
“If he wants to.” Perry said looking to Heinz.
Heinz just smiled, “Well you’re here, where else would I want go?”
Perry smiled back giving his cheek a little nuzzle that had Heinz blushing.
And just like that he was part of the pod.
Epilogue
The news article and Heinz’s response went viral.
Overnight the narrative seemed to change and an investigation on the Danville Aquarium was launched. It was discovered that many of the encloses, including the ones open for the public we not up to code. There was evidence of not only neglect but abuse for many of the animals.
Maggie and Harry came forward during the investigation that many of the concerns that they voiced had been brushed off a nd they naively accepted it as normal. Due to their positions and willingness to cooperate with authorities, Maggie and Harry were let off with essentially a slap on the wrist.
Monogram how ever. With all the violations found during the investigation the Danville Aquarium was shut down. And with Heinz’s apparent disappearance and the circumstances surrounding it, well it didn't look go for him.
Back in the ocean as promised Perry and Heinz explained everything, not to everyone but just the five immediate family members. First their shared past then events at the aquarium. In return Lawrence filled them in on what had happened while Perry was gone. Apparently he had been gone for about 5 weeks, just over a month. Phineas and Ferb had came home crying about humans and their uncle getting captured. They had held on to hope that he would make it back to them for as long as they could but as time went on they had slowly lost that hope.
As time went on and Heinz got used to his new body and way of life he found that he didn’t miss the surface world. Really he had everything he had ever wanted down in the ocean. Enough time for countless adventures, a family that loved him, and his best friend. A friend that hopefully, with a little courage could be something more.