Title- H20: Road to the Future
Summary- Set after season 3. This story begins one month after graduation and chronicles the girls' lives as they attend university and cope with boy problems and family issues, not to mention reuniting with a few people they would have liked to have never seen again. Mainly Cleo/Lewis with hints of Rikki/Zane and Emma/ Surprise.
Disclaimer: I do not own H20: Just Add Water nor am I making any profit off of this story.
Author's Note: I am not from Australia, nor have I ever been, so any information in this story is going by research that I have done. Because it never tells us where in Australia the girls live, I have decided that they live in a small suburb near Melbourne. Also, this chapter contains major spoilers from season 3, so if you've watched none of it, I suggest you not read this until you have.
"Emma!" Cleo screamed as she and Rikki ran onto the beach to get to their friend. Emma turned toward them with a smile and opened her arms for her two best friends in the world. When they all hugged, there was an instant connection and familiarity that had been absent since the day Emma left. All three of them had felt empty for an entire year, and now they finally felt whole again.
Cleo withdrew first, wiping the tears from her eyes while Rikki squeezed the other blond once more before moving back and looking at the brunette. Emma too had tears in her eyes.
"Will you both stop it, already?" Rikki asked while nudging both girls. "We're all together now. No need for the water works."
"I know, Rikki." Cleo wiped her eyes once more. "It's just that it's been such a crazy year, and everything is finally all over and we have our best friend back."
Emma let one more tear fall, earning her a look from Rikki.
"Yeah, yeah, we all have had a hard year. But everything is done. Over. So quit with the tears, both of you."
"Rikki's right. We shouldn't be standing on the beach crying. I have a lot of stories to tell you two, and I know you've got things to tell me. We have a lot of catching up to do."
"Ah, that we do. And I know just the place to go."
Rikki grabbed Emma and Cleo by their arms and lead them on the familiar path to the one place where they could always relax…above water.
"Welcome to the Juicenet café!" Rikki announced as she and the other two came up to the ramp that lead to the inside of the establishment. Emma looked right at home, albeit a bit confused while Cleo looked more than a little surprised.
"Rikki, what happened to…'Rikki's'?" Cleo asked with a surprised pause at the fact that she was repeating her friend's name twice in one sentence.
"'Rikki's'?" Emma walked to the front of the entrance before turning back to the girls. "What is 'Rikki's'? This is the same café that we've always gone to."
"That is a story that should be told over a juice. Come, ladies." Rikki replied and entered ahead of the girls, who were still confused. Walking in, Emma was surprised to see that the set up for the Juicenet café was quite different than she last remembered it, while Cleo's surprise stemmed from the fact that it wasn't like the place she remembered it being only a few weeks ago.
While Rikki ordered them all juices, Emma and Cleo found a booth far away from the other customers that decided to sit inside. As they sat, Emma and Cleo looked at each other smiling.
"I am just so happy to be back home. Aside from the renovations here, it's like nothing's changed, you know?"
Cleo shook her and gave a sheepish smile. "You have no idea how wrong you are about things not changing. There's so much we have to tell you about what happened after you left."
Emma frowned. She knew that look Cleo was giving her. It was the look that told her that whatever was going to be said, there was something that she wasn't going to like very much. And though Emma also had stories that she knew the girls wouldn't like, she wanted to start with something positive to lift their spirits.
"Here you go: A hot chocolate for Cleo and two mango splashes for us, Em." Rikki sat down once she's passed out the juices, earning her a pleased look from Emma.
"Wow, I see that things have changed. Since when have you become so considerate, Rikki?"
"Haha, don't get used to it. It's only because you've just got back. Everything will be back to normal very soon."
"Oh, I'll bet." Emma said with a smile and sipped her drink.
It was quiet for a few seconds, each of them sipping their juices and thinking about how they were going to begin the all important conversation. So much had happened to each of them, all involving danger and adventure.
Emma looked between the two of them and instantly saw that their stories would be much more detailed than hers, once again knowing that there would be portions that she would not enjoy.
"So Emma, how was traveling the world?" Cleo began, absentmindedly swirling her straw around in her cup. Rikki's head popped up to look at the blond across the table from her.
"Well, before I get started on my trip, I want to hear about what's been happening here. And I also have a bit of news for you. It's a surprise, though."
Rikki and Cleo looked at each other smiling at Emma's blushing cheeks before turning back to face her.
"Ah, let me guess; it's about a boy." Rikki concluded.
"Oh, how is Ash? We haven't seen him in ages!" Cleo asked, but Emma shook her head.
"It's a surprise. You'll see in a few minutes and I'll explain everything after that."
They both nodded, and Emma immediately encouraged them to tell her about the past year, leaving no details out. Cleo started first, going into how they met Bella at the beach and finding out that she had a tail. Emma was shocked, but not utterly surprised. She knew that there had to be more girls like them around the world, but she didn't think there would be another one in the area. Nevertheless, she listened raptly as Cleo told her about the moon pool and how the three of them found Will unconscious, and how he told a story of the water shooting from the wall and coming alive in the pool.
Emma now knew why Cleo looked a little concerned when she told Emma that things had changed. One of the things Emma missed most about being home was the moon pool. It was her place, as well as Rikki's and Cleo's. To think of anyone being down there worried her, but then to hear a story about the water was something else.
Cleo then got into telling her how they invited Bella to be part of the team, but that Will also came as part of the deal because she liked him so much. Rikki took over from there, explaining how obsessed Will had become with Mako island and the moon pool. When she told Emma about Will learning that all Cleo, Rikki and Bella were mermaids, Emma interrupted.
"So you mean to tell me that the only way he was going to help save Rikki's life was for Bella to tell him that you are mermaids?" Emma was angry, and Cleo and Rikki couldn't blame her for being so. After hearing it posed that way, it does seem very obsessive that Will would stoop that low just to find out something that wasn't any of his business.
"He didn't know I was in such trouble that it was violent, but I understand why you're angry. He did help save my life, though. I can't be angry about it for long."
Emma nodded, still a little angry, but urged them to continue to tell her the story regardless. Just as Rikki was about to begin again, Emma turned her attention from them to the entrance and motioned for someone to join them.
"Here's the surprise." Emma said, and when Rikki and Cleo turned around they came face to face with…
"Byron?" Cleo exclaimed while Rikki looked on in shock.
"Hey there Cleo. Rikki. Good to see you both again."