The Octonauts and the Overfishing Incident (complete)

Chapter Eighteen

They found the Gup A parked about half a mile away north in the morning. Once Tweak reported both it and Cera missing, it was easy for Dashi to use the Gup Finder to find where it was. It was empty when the Captain found it floating in the water. It was very close to the coast, to a small town.

"Cera must have taken it then got out at the town," explained Barnacles, sipping at his hot chocolate. The Octonauts were all sitting in the HQ drinking cocoa.

"I guess she had places to be," said Dashi, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor holding her cup in both hands.

"Family, maybe?" wondered Peso.

Nobody knew. Cera didn't seem the type to be very family oriented, but who could really guess? No-one was particularly worried about her though. She had already proven she could look after herself.

Kwazii leant back, taking a gulp of warm cocoa which was held in one paw. The other arm was draped casually around the back of Tweak's chair, which nobody really questioned. "I'm just glad I'm out from under that net. That was uncomfortable!"

"That's right," agreed the Captain. "We did it. We saved the fish, Hawkeye and his crew have lost their ship and Tweak's wrist is okay."

The engineer grinned in mock indignation. "But Peso won't let me go back to my workshop until my cast's off."

"No," said Peso sternly. "You have to recover first. Two weeks."

"Two weeks?" complained Tweak, her ears twisting up.

"Two weeks," confirmed Peso. "And I'll keep you in the Sick Bay if I have to."

"Yes doctor," Tweak said meekly, but the grin was still on her face.

"Just you try and stop Tweak working," joked Kwazii.

"I will," answered Peso seriously, but with a small smile.

Suddenly Dashi noticed something. "Tweak, what's that on your cast?"

Tweak looked down at the large thick white bandage that enclosed her left wrist, now covered with messages from her friends in different handwriting. But there was something else, a new message that hadn't been there before. Beneath Kwazii's messy illegible scrawl and Dashi's large pink bubble writing there was another small message in unfamiliar handwriting. It was small, written in a neat italic font and read simply 'Thank you. Cera.'

Tweak couldn't help a smile. "I guess she did care a little after all."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I blame you completely, of course."

Hawkeye sat on a large boulder on the deserted island, glaring around him. He was furious with the world at the moment. His fishing operation had been ruined by those Octonauts, he had missed the chance to make more money in thousands and now he would have to start the operation all over again in a different area with a new ship, and another few months in hand. But ships cost money, and so did employing sailors, even if it was partly by use of fear. At least Cera had been gullible enough to fetch him the briefcase, which contained all his important documents and the money he had made over the last few months from trade in the black market. It was a shame he hadn't got to sell the Octonauts as slaves, that would have been entertaining.

"Um, sir?" ventured the sailor who he had been blaming before. Hawkeye remembered he was there, and raised a hand, shooing him away with a vague motion.

"Don't bother me. I'm checking my documents now, go away."

"But what will the future of our enterprise hold for us, sir?" the dog asked, his ears pricked up in anticipation. "You promised after this fishing haul, sir, we would get leave to go and see our families, sir."