Revealing the Secret
Disclaimer: I do not own H2O
-Cleo's POV-
I couldn't take my hands off it. My mermaid necklace. It felt so good to have it back. It felt right to have it back. Charlotte didn't understand about the necklaces. Just like Ms. Chatham told us. They belong in a group of three. Three mermaids each one with only one of the three powers. Three friends who belong together in a group. Three sisters in everything but blood and that was what Rikki and Emma were to me. My sister mermaids.
"This is turning out to be the worst kept secret." Rikki said and it took a minute to realize what she meant. She was looking at Charlotte. True our secret has been revealed a couple of times. There was that whole thing with Dr. Denman, but we had managed to cover that one up. In fact, I trust everyone who knows our secret, even Zane. That is everyone, but Charlotte. We had to have fate she wouldn't tell and maybe she wouldn't. On some level, now that her powers are gone, I believe she'll let us be. I don't think she wants any harm to come to us.
"And I'm about to make it a little less secret." It took us a minute to realize what she meant. She wanted to tell Ash. I could understand her want. Both Rikki and I have boyfriends who know, but telling Ash would be a big thing. It was changing his life forever.
Looking at Lewis I remember when I told him. Okay, so I didn't really tell him and he wasn't really my boyfriend then. I had been so stupid back then. My fear of the water had consumed me. This transformation had scared me and I couldn't find the good in it. Rikki had taken to being a mermaid right away and if it wasn't for the swim team Emma would have to. I just wanted it to be gone though. Most of all I wanted to tell someone. Talk to someone about it besides Rikki and Emma.
They had put parents off the table right away, even though I had wanted to tell my mom. Now I could understand. Our parents wouldn't have understood this. They would have wanted to control it or try to find some way to fix it. They wouldn't have understood. Emma and Rikki had also said no to Lewis. More then anything I had wanted to tell Lewis, but deep down I knew I had to keep the secret.
I was such an idiot with that pool party. How could I have even thought of going there? The answer was I wasn't thinking. I was such upset that being a 'mer-freak' was going to keep me away from the party. I was thinking about how uncool we would be for skipping it and I went. It was so stupid and when Zane threw me into that pool I thought it was over. My secret would be revealed. I would be put in some research lab, but I knew that I would make sure that they never found out about Emma and Rikki. I wouldn't have told. Then I just got lucky. Everyone suddenly just went inside, well everyone besides Lewis.
I had tried to tell him before the tail appeared, but that didn't happen. I held out my hand to him. I had needed him. I saw the look of fear in his eyes. He didn't understand. Rikki and Emma were right. No one would understand, but I had to try to make him. I needed him. "Please," I begged. I don't know what caused Lewis to get over his fear, but when he took my hand I knew right then he would keep the secret. I didn't know then I was changing his life forever.
If Lewis hadn't found out our secret then maybe he could be with a girl who is not fish. Maybe him and Charlotte could have worked out. If Lewis hadn't known our secret, Charlotte would have never known our secret. She probably would have never set foot on Mako Island, never had found the Moon Pool, and never gotten mermaid powers.
Where would we be if Lewis had never known our secret. We probably wouldn't have let anyone in. Being too paranoid that we couldn't trust anyone. It would be just the three of us. Hiding out together in our little group. Being the weird unsociable trio. Actually come to think about it without Lewis the problem with Dr. Denman might have never happened, but there was no point in thinking about what ifs. Our lives our what they are, but when we tell someone our secret we have to be sure about it. We have to believe that they will protect us and hope they are loyal to us. As soon as they know the secret their lives will be different and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing for someone who doesn't have powers.
-Rikki's POV-
"Are you sure?" I asked Emma. I wanted to make sure she was absolutely sure she wants to tell Ash. Emma didn't answer right away and I knew she was thinking this over. This was not a decision to make lightly. You had to really think about it.
I don't think anyone has thought of this, but we can't leave behind us a bunch of boyfriends who know our secret. It would be to risky, so there was no dating around for us. As soon as you tell someone you're committing to them in way that was more final then marriage. You are going to need the person you tell for the rest of your life because you need them to keep your secret.
Zane enters my mind at that moment. I remember when I first met him. He was a jerk and I had hated him. I had even stolen his spark plug just to mess with him. Well everyone knows how that one ended. It took a while for me to see him differently. It was on that balcony where he just seem so different, but I knew I couldn't date him. Not with him chasing after that sea monster.
Then he saw Emma swimming away as a full mermaid. Well he didn't know it was Emma, thanks to the red hair. I knew I had to do something when I heard him talking about mermaids. So I agreed to date him as long as he dropped the mermaid thing. That didn't happen though.
When we were captured, I remember the look on his face when he saw us. I didn't think he would help, but he was amazing. He got Lewis out and helped us escape. Then we broke up and he left town for a while. When he came back I knew I had to stay away from him. All common sense told me to stay away from him. Emma told me to stay away from him, but for some reason I couldn't. I was just drawn to him. Then he found out again. That our powers weren't gone. At first I didn't know what he would do, but he has been great keeping the secret. I'm sure he will aways be great.
"Are you sure?" I once again asked Emma since she still hadn't answered me.
Emma took a deep breath. "Yeah I'm sure." Emma finally answered.
"Go tell him." I said and Emma walked to the counter where Ash was. I hope that Ash was as good with this secret as Zane and Lewis. I hoped Emma was as lucky as Cleo and me. I also hoped that Ash was ready for this. His life was about to be turned upside down.
-Emma's POV-
I slowly walked over to the counter where Ash was working. "Hey Ash," I said and he turned to look at me. I saw him smile a little and I smiled back. "There's something we need to talk about."
'Okay," Ash said. "Talk."
"Not here. I need to tell you something." Ash looked confused, but followed me into the cool room.
"Okay, what's so important that we couldn't talk about it out there?"
"Well, I guess you might have realized that I've been keeping something from you." Ash nodded. "Well I wanted to tell you..." I stopped there not knowing how to tell him this secret. I couldn't just say I'm a mermaid. He'd think I'm insane. I tried to remember how Cleo and Rikki told thier boyfriends and then I remembered they didn't. Zane and Lewis just found out. After they saw us there was some explaining, but they already knew. This would be the first time we actually told someone
"Emma, tell me what?" Ash asked.
"It's hard to explain." I do I start? The beginning. Do I tell him about Rikki, Cleo, and me getting stuck on Mako. It woud be a long story and complicated. I'm not even still hundred percent sure how this exactly happened to us. How do I explain it? It would be so much easier to just show him. Then I thought, why not just show him? "It would be easier to show you."
"Show me?" Ash asked confused.
"Yeah," I said with a smile, but then I thoguht of something. Telling him this secret would change his life forever. How could I do that without letting him know first. "Before this happens though I need to explain just a little." I took a deep breath trying to think how I would word this. "Once you know my secret there is no going back. You will have to keep this secret from everyone. You'd have to cover for me and it will change your life forever. Are you sure you want to know?"
"We're not talking about anything illegal, are we?" Ash asked. I looked at him shocked. How could he think I would do something illegal.
"NO!," I said and slapped him on the arm for even suggesting that.
Ash took hold of his arm where I slapped him faking that it hurt. I gave him my 'are you serious' look. "Okay sorry. You can't blame me for thinking it with the way you were talking."
"It's just that if anyone found out it would be very bad for me and Cleo and Rikki. People would want..." I didn't know what to say. Ash waited for me to continue. "People wouldn't understand. I don't know if you would understand."
I needed to explain a little more. "Rikki and Cleo have gotten lucky. They found someone who understands. Someone who will always be there for us and I need to know if you're going to be that someone for me. If you can't be as great as Lewis and Zane are. If you can't be willing to be there for the three of us for always. To protect our secret for the rest of your life then tell me now. I'll quit, walk out of the cafe, and you'll never see me again because I need to find my one. The one who will be like Lewis and Zane."
There was silents for a minute and then Ash spoke. "Zane knows!" I nodded. "If Zane knows and can deal with it then I can too."
"This isn't about some guy thing between you and Zane." I was pissed that he responded like that. "This is about me and whether or not I can trust you to tell you about the most amazing part of my life." I shook my head. "This was a bad idea." My natural instincts to protect our secret kicked in. I couldn't let Ash know about us if the only reason he wanted to know was becasue he was jealous Zane knew. "You're not ready to know."
I started to walk away, but Ash took my arm and pulled me back. "Emma, I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have said that." I looked at him. It didn't change anything. I couldn't risk our secret just because I wanted what Cleo and Rikki have. "I'll keep your secret to the death if I have to. I'll protect you, Cleo, and Rikki with me life, even if it means being friends with Zane."
He was serious. I could tell by the look in his eyes right now without knowing he was willing to keep our mermaid secret. Let's hope he will feel the same once he finds out. "Okay," I said. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"The beach," I said walking out of the cool room. Once out front I found Rikki, Cleo and Lewis at a table drinking juices. "Guys, come on. We're going to the beach."
It didn't take long for them to realize what I was doing and they got up to join us. As we were walking out Zane walked in. "Zane, come with us to the beach." Rikki said. Zane looked at us and then saw Ash with our group. He too realized what we were doing and ditched his friends to come.
Once at our privet little place on the beach, where I once told Lewis we were naked to get him to leave, Rikki, Cleo, and I took off our tops to show the bikini top we were wearing underneath. The boys sat on the rocks as we slowly ran, as we have done a couple of times before, to the water. Before we touched the water we all looked back at our guys. We smiled and then ran into the water. Once in deep enough water we jumped into the waves. One secret about being a mermaid, you don't feel anything when you change. There is no weird feeling of transformation when your legs disappear. It's just one minute you have legs, the next you have a fin. You only hurt yourself if you fall over and hit your head on something. Once we were turned we dived under the water letting Ash see our tails for the minute while they were in the air.
I didn't stick around to find out what Ash's reaction was. I didn't turn around to see his face, maybe I was a little too scared to. I didn't hear what he said. I left all the explaining and questions up to the boys. Lewis could probably do a better job then we could explainig with all the notes and research he has done for us. Also Zane and Lewis know better what the boys in our group have to do for us besides just keep our secret.
Right now I looked over at Rikki and smiled. She smiled back and nodded. It was time for another race. I would deal with Ash's reaction later. There was always time for that, but after everything that happened to us this year it was time for us to have some fun. I wanted to have some fun doing what had always been my favorite thing; swimming. I wanted to have some fun with the two most important people in my life. Two people who were truely my sisters; my mermaid sisters.
AN: okay, that's it I'm done. I wanted to write this becasue, well I was board. Oh and like half way through this story my spell check decided to quit and I couldn't figure out how to turn it back on, so there might be some spelling mistakes I didn't catch. REVIEW.
