Dottie poked her head out of the water and scanned the area over.
Then she saw Cooter while he moved in the water after the airship.
“No Air Alien will get my friends,” Dottie said then she dove under the water.
Inside Airship 3, they Hazel, Stephanie and Carlos were on their butts in the airsuits while the craft was moving to the rhythm of the waves.
They all looked scared since they were still in outer air and the water level was a couple of inches above the floor.
In the ocean, Cooter up to his chest in water and his eyes it up with joy. He was two feet from the airship and saw it on a wave heading in his direction. “Come to papa,” he said while he held out his hands ready to snag the airship off the wave.
Then wave tossed the airship in the air toward Cooter.
Airship 3 was a foot from Cooter’s reach when Dottie suddenly jumped out of the water and snagged the airship with her mouth.
Cooter stood in the water in disbelief while he watched Dottie go back in the water. “I don't think so,” he said and looked determined.
From the beach, Alma, Gertie, Polly and Zoe all watched while Cooter dove in the water after Dottie.
“Get it!” Billy cried out.
Then they saw Dottie come out of the water and Cooter had his arms and legs wrapped around her body.
Alma, Gertie, Polly and Zoe all watched in shock at the sight of Cooter wrapped around a dolphin.
“He's beating up that poor dolphin!” Alma cried out in horror.
The ladies all got furious over that sight.
Under the water, Dottie swam deeper and deeper into the water. Cooter still had his arms and legs wrapped around her body.
Dottie swam down to the bottom while Cooter held on tight. Then he reached around with his other hand and tried to pry open her mouth.
It was dark inside Airship 3.
“Where are we?” Stephanie asked.
“Something ate us,” Carlos replied.
“Melvin?” Hazel called out.
Melvin didn’t answer.
“Melvin!” Hazel cried out in a panic thinking Melvin died.
Dottie swam along the bottom of the ocean and headed toward the Gulf of Mexico.
Cooter was running out of air and started to get scared so he let got of Dottie.
He swam up to the surface of the water.
On the beach, Alma, Gertie, Polly and Zoe watched along with Billy for signs of Dottie or Cooter.
“I’m thinking the bum drowned,” Alma told her friends.
Billy looked scared while he looked at the waves and couldn’t find his uncle.
Then after a few minutes, Polly pointed at the waves 20 feet out in the water. “He’s over there,” she called out.
Alma, Gertie, Zoe, and Billy looked in the direction she pointed and saw Cooter while he swam toward the shore.
Billy looked happy while Cooter swam closer to the shore thinking he had the airship with him.
Five minutes later, Cooter walked exhausted out of the surf.
The second he got to the sand, he dropped to his knees to catch his breath.
“Where’s my spaceship?” Billy quickly asked while he looked down at Cooter’s hands.
Cooter looked sad. “That stupid dolphin ate it!” he cried out and his eyes welled up at the thought of losing his prototype for his get rich scheme.
Billy crossed his arms and pouted over losing his spaceship toy.
Cooter looked back at the ocean and looked like he wanted to cry when he saw his Cadiallc floating out to sea. “My car!” he softly cried out. Then he felt the presence of someone and he turned around and saw Alma, Polly, Gertie, and Zoe who stood near him and they were all furious.
“You're a meanie!” Gertie yelled at Cooter.
“Meanie? I didn’t do anything,” Cooter snapped back and he wasn’t in the mood to be dealing with a bunch of old ladies.
“How dare you beat up an innocent dolphin!” Alma yelled at Cooter.
Cooter looked a little baffled. “Beat up a dolphin! I didn’t beat up a dolphin you bunch of batty old ladies,” he snapped back at them.
Alma, Gertie, Polly, and Zoe all removed their purses off their shoulders and grabbed the straps. They all immediately started beating Cooter’s head with their purses.
“Ahhhh!” Cooter yelled out and jumped up on his feet.
Cooter ran down the beach with Alma, Gertie, Polly, and Zoe chasing him swinging their purses.
Billy ran after them. “I want my spaceship!” he cried out.
Everybody on the beach watched the show and some captured the moment with their cameras.
Meanwhile, back in Aquaticville, Rodney paced around the NASA control room in deep thought.
“Ah sir. There's still no sign of them. What should we do?” one of the engineer fish asked from his console.
Rodney continued to pace around the room in deep thought.
Rodney's eyes welled up when he got to a part of the room where nobody would see him.
“Should we terminate our monitoring?” another engineer fish asked from his console.
Rodney paced around the room a few more times while he pondered a response. “No, I’m not going to give up yet. Keep on monitoring,” he replied while he continued to pace around the room and all he could think about was Stephanie and Hazel. Then his blood started to boil while his thoughts drifted off to Melvin.
Back at the bottom of the Gulf, Dottie swam the sandy bottom and opened up her mouth. She spat out Airship 3 and it floated to the bottom.
She swam around in a circle above the airship.
The air chamber door opened and Hazel, still in her airsuit, dragged Melvin out by his tail fin.
Stephanie and Carlo stepped out of the airship still in their mechanical airsuits.
Hazel placed Melvin on the sandy bottom. She quickly sucked in water, bent down and exhaled the water into one of Melvin’s gill.
He didn’t respond to her first aid efforts and Stephanie and Carlos looked worried.
Hazel sucked in more water and exhaled it into Melvin’s gill.
Melvin coughed and came to life and he opened his eyes and saw Hazel looking down at him. He leaned up and kissed the bubble of her helmet.
Hazel unlocked and removed her helmet. She leaned down and kissed Melvin on his lips.
A little while later, Melvin had Stephanie, Carlos and Hazel out of their airsuits and they were outside Airship 3.
“I guess it’s time we head back to Aquaticville, Hazel and Stephanie,” Melvin said.
Stephanie and Carlo looked at each other.
“Stephanie, you dance better than my wife. I want you to be my Mambo queen! Come with me!” Carlos said to her while he held out a fin.
Stephanie looked at Carlos then she looked at Melvin. “I’m sorry Melvin. I guess I never did love you. I was just in love with marrying a hero, but destiny calls,” she said with love in her eyes while she glanced over at Carlos.
“But you father will put me in jail if I don’t bring you home,” Melvin replied and looked concerned.
“Hazel can tell daddy how you saved me. Also tell him that I’m in love with Carlos and I’m going to live the life as a Mambo dancer by Cuba,” she replied.
Melvin thought about her suggestion and looked at Hazel.
“Don’t worry Melvin, daddy will believe me,” Hazel said.
Melvin swam over to Carlos. “You're getting a good fish Carlos. Take good care of her,” he said.
Hazel swam over to Melvin and stayed by his side.
Stephanie swam over to Hazel. “And you're getting a good fish little sis. And I never told you this, but I was always proud of you for being so smart. You did a fantastic job with the airship,” she said then hugged Hazel.
“Well, its time we all go back home my dear,” Melvin told Hazel.
Stephanie and Carlos swam off in one direction holding fins.
Hazel and Melvin waved goodbye.
“How about a ride back home?” Dottie offered.
“Sure,” Hazel replied.
“Good, hop on my back,” Dottie replied.
Hazel and Melvin swam to the back of Dottie and held on to her dorsal fin.
Dottie swam off in the direction Aquaticville.
Later that day at the NASA control room, Rodney continued to pace around the room and got more and more depressed.
Then an engineer fish jumped up from behind his console. “Rodney, Melvin and Hazel have been spotted one hundred feet from Aquaticville, but without Stephanie,” the engineer called out.
Rodney swam over to his console in front and quickly picked up a phone. “Barney, Melvin’s been spotted one hundred feet from Aquaticville, I want him arrested and placed in prison immediately,” he called out into the phone. He slammed the phone down and swam to the door.
“This mission is over,” he called out to the engineers the second he arrived at the door.
Rodney left the control room.
The engineers flipped switches and their consoles turned off.
They all swam over to the door and left the control room.
Dottie swam toward the Aquaticville cave, which was 50 feet away.
She stopped and Melvin and Hazel swam off her back.
Then Barney and two of his deputies, Warren and Toby, rushed over to Melvin and Hazel.
Melvin, you're under arrest for the kidnapping of Stephanie by Air Aliens,” Barney yelled out while Warren and Toby were ready to spring into action.
“You can’t do that!” Hazel replied being defiant.
Rodney swam over to Barney. “Oh yes I can little girl and I should arrest you for stealing NASA property,” he yelled out while he floated by Barney’s side.
“But you can’t do that, daddy! He brought her back, but she left with Carlos,” Hazel pleaded with her father.
“I don’t trust him. After all, he lied about being a hero,” Rodney replied and looked serious.
“But I also saw Stephanie come out of the airship!” Dottie told Rodney.
“She’s not here and that’s what matters!” Rodney replied.
Barney motioned for Warren and Toby to arrest Melvin.
They both rushed over and each grabbed one of Melvin’s fins.
“Melvin, you have the right to remain silent because what ever you say will be used against you in the Aquaticville court. You have the right to a fish attorney and one will be appointed to you,” Warren told Melvin.
“Escort him off to prison,” Rodney ordered.
Barney swam off and Warren and Toby escorted Melvin in Barney’s direction.
Hazel’s eyes welled up at the sight of Melvin being carted off to prison.
“I hate you!” she yelled at her father then swam off toward Aquaticville.
Rodney wasn’t concerned with Hazel’s attitude toward Melvin as he never reversed an order.
Dottie looked mad at Rodney and she turned around, flicked her flukes and created some motion in the water that sent Rodney tumbling away.
She had a smirk on her face while she swam away.
A little while later, Barney, Warren and Toby escorted a frightened Melvin to Sand Quentin prison.
The front gate of the prison was a rusty metal door with dripping with green slime.
Barney knocked on the gate with his fin. “It’s Aquaticville Police Chief, Barney, I have a prisoner. Open up,” he yelled out while he knocked on the gate again.
The gate creaked open and a crab guard named Butch appeared. “What’s the prisoner’s name?” he asked.
“Melvin,” Barney replied.
“Bring him inside,” Butch responded.
Warren and Toby escorted a frightened Melvin through the front gate of Sand Quentin.
The front gate squeaked while Butch closed it.
Melvin thought his life would be over and all he could think about was Hazel while Warren and Toby escorted him to the slimy green front door where there were two other crab guards watching them arrive.
“We got the prisoner,” the one crab guard said while the other one opened up the door.
Barney, Warren, and Toby watched while the two crab guards took Melvin inside the prison building.
They turned around and swam back to the front gate.
A little while later, Melvin was escorted by two other crab guards down a dimly lit hallway where jail cells were on both sides.
They pushed Melvin into a dimly lit jail cell where green slim dripped down the walls.
They closed the cell door and Melvin’s eyes filled with tears.
Later that day, in Rocky’s living room, he sat on the couch while June prepared dinner in the kitchen. He was half interested in the WET news on the TV.
“We have breaking news update from NASA,” Barbie Waters said to the TV audience.
Rocky perked up and was interested in the news.
“We just learned that the Aquaticville cops just arrested Melvin for the kidnapping of Stephanie by Air Aliens,. He’s now in the Sand Quentin prison,” Barbie told the TV audience.
In a reef not to far from Cuba, Carlos and Stephanie danced in his living room and they stopped the second they heard about Melvin. They floated by the TV for the rest of the WET news broadcast.
“Our sources also tell us that Melvin’s trial will start tomorrow in the Aquaticville court house,” Barbie Waters told the audience.
“Melvin’s in prison,” she called out and looked worried.
“We’ll just have to help him out,” Carlos replied.
Stephanie kissed him on his lips.
The next day arrived and two crab guards escorted Melvin out of his jail cell.
They escorted him out of the prison building and to the front gate.
Butch opened the front gate and Barney, Warren and Toby waited outside.
Barney, Warren and Toby and the two crab guards escorted Melvin to the Aquaticville cave.
Later that day, the courtroom in the Aquaticville courthouse was packed while everybody wanted to see this famous trial with Melvin.
Barbie Waters was in the back of the courtroom and took notes for her later broadcast.
Rodney along with Hazel, Barney, Warren, and Toby were in the front row.
All eyes were on Melvin who floated in the box by the Judge Roy’s desk.
They just finished hearing Hazel’s testimony that they stole Airship 3 to rescue Stephanie and that she left to live with Carlos.
“I love you,” Hazel mouthed those words to Melvin when he glanced into her eyes in the front row.
He smiled and her words made him feel a little better.
A chubby older prosecutor fish, named Perry, floated near Melvin. “So, did you see the Air Aliens coming in your direction?” he asked.
“Yes I did,” Melvin replied.
“And what did you do?” Perry asked.
“I hid in a cave,” Melvin replied and lowered his head in shame.
“You hid in a cave. And where was Stephanie?” Perry asked.
Melvin looked at the eyes in the courtroom that waited for his response and he got nervous. “She was outside,” he replied.
“She was outside. So you’re telling me that she was outside when the Air Aliens approached?” Perry asked.
Melvin looked at the eyes in the courtroom that were fixed on him for an answer. “Yes,” he answered and hung his head lower in shame.
“She was outside while you hid in a cave when the Air Aliens approached. So, you stayed inside the cave when the Air Aliens kidnapped Stephanie and didn’t try to save her. Is that correct?” Perry asked.
Melvin looked at all the anxious eyes that waited for his response. “Yes,” he replied then dropped his head lower in shame.
“There you have it your honor, Melvin allowed the Air Aliens to kidnap Stephanie and stole one of NASAs airships and he along with Hazel, concocted the story that Stephanie is living with some Cuban Mambo dancer called Carlos. Now we can’t blame Hazel because she fell in love with Melvin and was tricked into creating his lies. And now the prosecution rests its case,” Perry told the Judge fish then he swam back to this table.
“Thank you Perry,” the Judge responded then he looked at Ned the nervous defense fish behind another table. “Does the defense have anything else to add?”
No sir,” Ned responded.
Then Judge Roy looked at Melvin who looked ashamed. “I Judge Roy find the defendant Melvin,” he said but then the sound of Latin music was heard from the back of the courtroom and he stopped talking.
Everybody in the courtroom looked and saw a small Latin band play a song from conch shells while they swam down the aisle to the Judge Roy’s desk.
The audience in the courtroom was stunned then they saw Carlos and Stephanie Mambo dance down the aisle after the Latin band.
“Stephanie!” Rodney cried out the second he saw her dancing with Carlos.
Stephanie and Carlos rushed over to Judge Roy.
“Judge, I would like to testify that Melvin and my sister Hazel flew the airship and rescued me from the small water world that the Air Aliens held me as a prisoner,” she blurted out.
“Yes your honor, Melvin also rescued me from the bonds of the Air Aliens,” Carlos added.
Judge Roy looked at Stephanie, Carlos, and Melvin then he looked at Rodney’s happy eyes that Stephanie was alive and back in Aquaticville. “Based on this new evidence brought forth to the courts, I hereby dismiss the Aquaticville verses Melvin case. Court dismissed,” Judge Roy called out.
The courtroom erupted in cheers over the news.
Rodney rushed over and hugged Stephanie.
Melvin looked stunned for a few seconds while it sank in that he would not be spending the rest of his life in prison.
Hazel rushed over and hugged Melvin.
Stephanie swam Rodney over to Melvin and Hazel.
“Dad, I believe you have something to say?” she said while she nudged Rodney.
Rodney extended a fin of which Melvin shook. “I'm sorry Melvin. I made a huge mistake and owe you an apology,” he said then hugged Melvin.
Hazel looked so happy.
Carlos placed a fin around Stephanie.
“Melvin, I've decided to put you in charge of NASA when I retire. Since you performed that rescue mission, you have what it takes to take the helm of NASA,” Rodney told him with another handshake.
“Thanks, but I don't deserve the job,” he replied while he looked at Hazel. “She does as she's the true hero. This rescue mission couldn't have happened without her,” added then kissed her.
Hazel placed a fin around Melvin. “Plus we have another life long mission to start!”
“We also have a life long mission to start,” Stephanie added while she snuggled to Carlos.
Rodney looked happy with both of his daughters getting married.
Later that day, Rocky and June looked depressed while they watched the TV for news about Melvin’s trial.
“Barbie Waters here for WET news outside the Aquaticville court building. The trial of Aquaticville verses Melvin was wrapping up and a guilt verdict about to be handed down by Judge Roy when new evidence surfaced at the last minute. Stephanie showed up with her Latin lover, Carlos and told Judge Roy that Melvin in fact rescued her from the water world prison of the Air Aliens. Based on Stephanie’s sudden testimony, Judge Roy dismissed the case against Melvin. He’s a free fish and now deemed a true hero with a wedding in the works,” Barbie told the TV audience.
Rocky and June's eyes lit up with joy.
Rocky grabbed June by a fin and danced her around the room.
“My son's a hero! My son's a hero!” he sang out in joy.
“I'm gonna be a grandmother!” June sang out in joy
They continued to dance with joy around the living room.