I see Coral has had problems being a single parent just like Marlin. Marlin became overprotective and Coral seems to have buried herself in her work.
Oh, noes! Forgot to update in a while!
Thirteen:
“Nemo, can you do me a favor?” Nelle asked. “When you go to school today, ask your teacher about mermaids. Get him to tell you as much as possible.”
“Okay…why?” Nemo inquired.
“I’ve heard very rough legends about them…like, what if mermaids are dangerous killers? They’re part human, you know.”
A breif memory of fish-killing people like Darla raced through Nemo’s thoughts, and it made him tense. “Like Darla,” he mumbled.
“Who?” Nelle wanted to know.
“It’s kinda a long story…” Nemo said. “I could tell you some other time. Um, we better go. Dad’s probably looking for me now, and after this, he’ll never let me out of the house again!”
“Remember to ask your teacher about mermaids. We need all the facts we can get.”
“I will!” Nemo said. Then he went off.
A few seconds later, he returned, laughing to himself. “I don’t know the way back.”
Nelle laughed along and showed the way.
Coral exited the old cave. It was full of great treasures, indeed. But she could think about those some other time. There was still one last hope…
She swam over to Marlin’s home. With Nemo’s potential sibling instincts and Marlin’s past experience, they could find Nelle in no time. The rest would fall into place…hopefully.
Marlin got up and the very first thing that struck him was the fact that Nemo wasn’t there.
“Nemo? NEMO!”
That was about when Coral arrived. She was close to crying.
“Marlin…I’m so terribly sorry for…what happened last time. I just…it was all happening so fast…but now, Nelle’s run away. Nemo told me that you searched across the ocean for him…kids and their tall tales. But still, you probably did have an experience in finding him in big places…”
“Coral, I’m just glad you’re talking to me again. I don’t know where to start…” Marlin said, trying to control the whirlpool of colliding exclamations in his head.
“Well, Nemo’s gone, too!” I’ll explain about the ‘across the ocean tall tale’ to her some other time.
“But…why? I mean, I think I know why Nelle did it, but- but you, you must have been a better parent than I was…” Coral stammered.
“What are the chances they’re together at the park? Or at school early?” Marlin wondered. “Come on, we’ll go look together.”
Nemo and Nelle encountered a little something in the way of getting home.
“Nelle…please tell me you know what that is,” Nemo whispered uncomfortably.
“I would…but I don’t really…” Nelle mumbled frightenedly.
There was a dark, gloomy shadow over the waters. But the source of the shadow was nowhere to be seen.
In a moment, it all faded away, and the dark water cleared as if nothing happened.
Confused and dumbfounded, the two just pushed it to the back of their minds, and proceeded.
“That’s funny; Dad’s not home.”
The anemone was empty.
“Do you think we’re in the right place?” Nemo wondered.
“Could be…Maybe he thought you went to school already?”
“But then where could he be? And besides- he knows I always let him take me to school,” Nemo protested.
“Then how about you come with me? We’ll hang out at my secret hideout. Then you’ll have a good excuse to be missing at school- I’ll let you take some of my collection to show and tell.”
“Really?” Nemo’s face brightened up. He had been longing to share with someone- anyone- about what he saw at Nelle’s cave.
“Sure.”
“But what about Dad? He’ll freak out again if I’m a day gone, but I don’t know where he is,” Nemo said.
“I don’t know. But maybe he’ll think to go find Mom and talk to her, and if Mom lightens up about work and listens to him, maybe they could be together again. Just a day gone, without us in the way.”
“You don’t know Dad well enough,” Nemo said, but Nelle didn’t hear it.
Coral and Marlin had searched the park and where school started. Not a sign.
Later, they stopped by to rest at the museum to talk.
“Marlin, when you see Dory again, can you tell her I’m very sorry if I offended her about leaving when she arrived? I guess I was just nervous around people I don’t know outside the family…but then, Nemo told me that she helped you rescue him, and, well, it sounded so sweet to me that I couldn’t stand the thought of what I did in her presence.”
“Coral…it’s alright. Dory probably forgot it anyways.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Besides, Dory forgets everything,” Marlin chuckled. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”
“Oh, really?” Coral laughed. “I’ll bet she’s a big hit with little kids. She seems like it. Might make a great babysitter, too, if she likes the job, that is.”
Then, a frown conquered her temporary smile. “Marlin, I’m very worried. I always trusted Nelle to go wherever she liked, as long as it wasn’t miles away, but now I’m afraid she won’t come back.”
Marlin tried to think about what Dory would say. The light-hearted blue tangfish would have been an expert at calming fish down…well, it didn’t quite work on him, but her words did at least help…
“They’ll be okay. Free-spirited ones still do come home,” Marlin reassured. At least, this time, I hope.
“I’m winning, I’m winning!” Nelle exclaimed playfully as she raced Nemo to the cave.
“Not for long!” Nemo shouted as he closely caught up.
Nelle did win, but very tightly. As she went into the cave, she gasped in terror.
“This is too weird! It’s all empty! All of my things are gone!”
“What?” Nemo hurried after her in and was utterly shocked.
Who could have found the place and taken everything in sight, without a trace left behind?
Wow…the mystery is starting to creep upon the entire family. I could feel the suspence in this chapter. It really made one start to be careful about stuff around them. Who is that behind me…what was that noise? Everything looks suspicious now…
Great Chapter.
Review-9.5/10
Neat! I like how Marlin actually thought of what Dory might say in this situation. Nice to see she influenced him a little.
Hey, guys. I would just like to apologize that I kept you waiting so long for the next update and am still keeping you waiting. 
Man, I’ve gotta get an update soon! I lost my ideas for what happens next, and it’ll take me a while to retrieve them because my brain seems to be frozen at the moment.
I’m so so so sorry! My mind’s been concentrating on other work lately. All I’m asking is that you still remain interested and please be patient with me. Thanks.
that’s okay…take your time…we’ll wait.
No prob. Better to wait and let some ideas come to you rather than write weak chapters just for the sake of keeping up with it.
Please finish the story, im really enjoying it, im hooked, your really good. I love the plot 
