"Okay. Now that we're done with supper and the table's been cleared for the night, why don't we get ready for some pool time?" asked Martin Stovall, which brought a huge smile upon the faces of everyone else present.
"Come on Eric. Let's take your things to my room first, and then we'll meet my folks outside," suggested his fiance Julie Stovall, even as her parents were heading out the rear door of the Stovall residence to their backyard.
"Y-your room?" stammered Eric Anderson, for he had never been there before. "I thought we were spending the night in the cabana again."
"Normally we would, but it doesn't have an alarm clock, and everyone has to be up early tomorrow morning to attend at least the first part of the Harper-Jenkins wedding," answered Julie, even as she grabbed Eric's over night bag from where he left it on the living room sofa before leading him upstairs.
Eric was in awe of what he saw upon entering Julie's bedroom.
The whole space was done over in delicate sea tones, with a large 4 poster bed, coral shaded lace curtains, and all the other accessories one would normally associate with a young teenage girl who also happened to be a were-mermaid.
"Come on silly. There'll be plenty of time to gawk later, once we're alone for the night. Now start getting ready for some swimming," urged Julie, even as she started undressing in front of Eric, since most weres had no concerns about nudity in front of their brethren.
Eric couldn't help but stare at the beautiful girl before him even as he got undressed. Eric had told the truth when he said Julie Stovall was the best thing that ever happened to him, even before finding out she was a were-mermaid and she eventually ushered him into were society on that magically afternoon when they gave each other their virginity while declaring their love for their future mate, as evident by the single pearl necklace Julie proudly wore around her neck, the were-mer version of an engagement ring.
"Well, I see somebody's interest is peaked," quipped Julie, while reaching out to caress her future husband's hardening shaft, "but there'll be plenty of time for that too, later. Can't keep your future in-laws waiting," she advised Eric, while handing him a large towel.
With that Julie left her bedroom stark naked and headed back downstairs, with Eric following and failing to wipe the huge smile off his face.
Outside, around the Stovall family's fresh water swimming pool, since no aquatic were liked chemicals in their water...
"Okay everybody, gather round," began Martin Stovall, standing next to his wife Melissa. The fact that they were both naked too didn't bother either teenager. They were expecting to see this between seeing the adult's clothing lying on the back porch and were-mers preferred swimming au natural whenever possible.
"First off, a friendly reminder. Don't stay up too late tonight because we're getting up early in the morning to be at the church by 8 to witness Jennifer Harper marry Harold Jenkins. We'll be taking both cars," he said, while putting a loving arm around his wife, "because unless Chief O'Hara says otherwise, I intend to be there for the second ceremony in my official capacity as Mayor while Miss Harper confronts both her family and this creep from Alabama," he added, referring to Dieter Wilhelm. "Your mother will be bringing you all back here.
"But for tonight, since Eric is the newest member of our pod, and I seriously doubt he's had much true swimming practice," said Martin, while winking at his daughter, "we're going to have some friendly, family races!" he announced.
"In what format?" wondered Eric.
"From the shallow end to the deep end and back again, the longer length of the pool," explained Martin, while indicating the rectangular shape of their pool. "Me versus my wife. Mother versus daughter. Father versus daughter, daughter versus fiance, father against future son-in-law, and fiance versus future mother-in-law.
"But we will also be racing in each stage of our transformations too!" announced Martin, which actually earned an "ooooh!" from the teenagers. "First round, as we are now. Then each round after that will be within the next stage of our transformations as we work our way up to full scales and tails. Ready?"
IN THE FIRST ROUND...
Where they swam against each other in the buff, as is...
Martin actually beat his wife, but only by the length of his somewhat bigger hand, for he managed to touch the edge of the pool on the return lap first.
Julie was beaten by her mother the same way, but daughter managed to beat father by a couple of seconds.
Yet while Eric lost to both Martin and Melissa Stovall, the race against the teenagers ended in a tie.
IN THE SECOND ROUND...
Where they swam against each other in their Stage 1 forms, with just the webbing between their fingers and toes visible...
Husband and wife were tied. Each adult beat the teenager they were paired against, but once again Eric and Julie wound up tied at the end of their race.
"I'll admit, for someone who's only been a mer for a few weeks, Eric's doing pretty good, but Julie isn't throwing these races to him, is she?" Martin whispered the question to his wife while everyone was taking a break before the next round of races. The adults were on one side of the pool together, while their younger opponents were on the other, snuggling up next to each other affectionately.
"Considering how competitive our daughter is, I seriously doubt it," replied Melissa. "But love makes one do strange things, so either your suspicion is correct, or Eric's trying his very best to please her," she surmised, while lovingly leaning against her husband in the pool.
IN THE THIRD ROUND...
Eric paused and shivered in pleasure as the blue-green scales formed on his legs while his feet elongated into full flippers. The only thing more pleasurable than experiencing his own change was watching the same Stage 2 transformation happen to Julie, the were-mermaid of his heart.
In this round of races, Julie easily won against her parents, while Melissa just edged past her husband for the win in their competition.
But while he lost against both adults by the barest of margins, Julie Stovall versus Eric Anderson ended in another tie!
"I know this is all just for fun, but you're doing pretty good Eric," admitted Julie, while sitting next to him on the bottom of the shallow end of the pool, resting before the final round of their friendly contest. The fact that they were totally submerged was no issue to someone who could breathe under water. "Mom and Dad both looked worried in that last match they were going to lose to you, and they almost did."
"Thanks. You're pretty good too," said Eric, before kissing his lady on the cheek.
"I thought you said there weren't too many swimming opportunities back in Minnesota?"
"What I said was that I wasn't much of a swimmer before I met you," he politely corrected her.
"Then how..."
"I'll let you in on a little secret," said Eric, leaning a little closer to his fiance. "I honestly don't know whether or not this has anything to do with it, but do you remember that special day when we first consummated our love and I had my first transformation?"
"That moment is forever etched in my mind and heart," replied Julie, while looking directly at her one true love.
"Well, the only conscious thought I had on my mind when it was happening was that I wanted to become the best were-mer I could be, for you. So I guess that came true," he added with a huge smile on his face.
"Aw..." said Julie, before passionately kissing her beau.
IN THE FINAL ROUND...
Individual legs merged to form the full tail of each were-mer in the fresh water swimming pool.
But upon trying to run the first heat, Martin and Melissa Stovall discovered that they were too evenly matched, so their race ended in a tie. Melissa was also surprised when the race against her daughter ended in a tie too.
Julie managed to beat her father, and Eric lost his race to each adult.
But now it came down to the final match: Eric versus Julie in full tail.
Both contestants looked at each other. Their eyes held grim determination while they stared at their opponent.
"On your mark..." began Julie's father.
"Whatever happens, I love you my Jewel," said Eric with a smile.
"Get set..." said Martin Stovall.
"I love you too honey," replied Julie.
"GO!" yelled Martin, as both racers began to swim.
Martin and Melissa Stovall watched Eric's blue-green tail fluke kept pace with their daughter's goldfish toned one.
When both disappeared under the water near the edge of the deep end of the pool, neither adult thought twice about it.
But moments later, when they realized there was no immediate sign of either teenager on their way back to the shallow end, Melissa turned to her husband and said, "Martin?"
Quickly, both swam after the racers, but stopped when they spotted them.
"This race ended the only way it could, in another tie," realized Martin, as both saw Julie and Eric embraced in each others arms and sharing passionate kisses together.
"Mister Stovall, would you like to..." began Melissa.
"You have to ask?" said Martin, as he wrapped his arms lovingly around his wife.
It wasn't long before two happy were-mer couples were romantically enjoying the company of their respective mates underwater.
{{And for those keeping score, Martin won 5 races and Melissa 6. With all the ties, Julie only won 4 races. Yet despite not winning any races at all, Eric believes he won the greatest prize of all having Julie's love.—tmw.}}