Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters, nor have I ever done anything like this for real, nor do I ever plan to.

Mermaids' Night Out

Emma POV

Plink. Plink. Tap. Tap. What was that? It almost sounded like someone throwing rocks at my window and then knocking. I turned over groggily to look at the clock beside my bed. It was 11 o'clock at night. What in the world? Then I looked at my window. Rikki?! What the heck? Slowly, I climbed out of bed to go open the window.

"Rikki, what in the world are you doing here, at this time of night?" I asked sleepily, and annoyed.

"Not just Rikki. Hey, Emma," Cleo announced, both of them way too excited for the time of night.

"Cleo!? Would one of you please explain what is going on?" I whispered, annoyed.

"Ok, well, here's the thing," Rikki started; I gave her an exasperated look, but she continued, "I don't know about you, Em, but I, personally am sick of not being able to go out and have some fun anymore."

"Rikki, what are you talking about?" I asked her, still annoyed. It was 11:05 at night now and I wanted to get back to sleep. Whatever she and Cleo were up to could wait, or they could do it without me. If whatever it was included the cover of night, it couldn't be anything good, anything legal, especially with Rikki involved. "Rikki, we have fun all the time. We hang out at the juice net, at school, we go for swims to Mako, to reefs, we have water fights, girls' nights in…What's going on? Then, let me go back to sleep." I complained.

"Emma, listen to yourself. The things you've mentioned are mostly normal activities, school, juice net, everyone has girl nights in; we might have other means, but everyone has water fights, and Mako is normal, routine, for us. The only thing really fun you mentioned, out of the norm, was the reefs. Okay, so, actually, I guess what I want to do would be a normal thing, but it has a little twist to it, for us, and when we're going."
"Rikki! Get to the point!" I was tired, annoyed, she didn't sound like she was up to any good, and Cleo was just nodding and look at me with a happy, fun, giddy, little smug in her face.

"Jeez, don't get all impatient. You're going to love this!" My exasperated glare had her finally, continuing on to the plan with a smile, and shake of her head, probably at my impatience. "Alright, alright, jeez, okay, so here's the plan." She looked really excited about something, really pleased with herself too, Cleo still had the expression on her face, except now she was nodding enthusiastically. This couldn't be good. Rikki, finally, got on with it "So yeah, I'm tired of not being able to go where I want because there might be too much of a risk of water. We're changing that tonight. We're going to be in charge of that tonight, and we're going to do what we want to. We are going to the marine park and we are going to enjoy the rides." Rikki smiled, happy with herself.

"Rikki, you know perfectly well why we can't go to the marine park, even if we wanted to," I added grudgingly. I had missed the rides since we became mermaids. Now it was Rikki who was exasperated.

"Yes, Emma, that's why we're going when no one will see us," At my blank look, she explained, seeming kind of annoyed she had to explain this, "Emma, you, me, and Cleo, and, I guess Lewis too, are having a night out, at the marine park, tonight, right now. We're going to break in, with Cleo's help, she knows and has access to the controls and security of the park because of her job, and then, once the cameras are taken care of, we are going on the rides. Lewis will be in control of the controls, since we'll have tails, and so we don't have to steam dry every time."

She couldn't be serious. Break into the marine park! So we could have some old time fun with a new twist! I don't think so! She's crazy! We'll be caught, arrested, I'll be grounded for life, and then my parents will never speak to me again, not to mention my reputation, and school.

"Rikki, tell me you're kidding!" I whispered, disbelievingly. She shook her head no.

"You're crazy! We'll be caught, we'll be seen, and we'll be arrested, and then shipped off to a lab and then the circus! My parents will kill me!"

"Emma, we're not going to get caught, and your parents aren't going to know. This will be fun. Trust me. We're wasting time. Coming or not? Cleo and I are."

I couldn't believe this, because, one, it was stupid and illegal, and two, because I kind of wanted to go, but, no! , this was irrational, we would be caught, and then…I tried be logical.

"Ok, Rikki, just hang on a second, here. Have you even actually called Lewis yet? Talked to him about this?"

A guilty look came over her face. I would take that as a no.

"Well, then, Emma, can I borrow your cell phone?"

This was impossible. I wasn't doing this. I should tell her no, go get another phone, go to Lewis herself, if she was going to do this, which I could tell she was. That's what I should do; I'd already told how stupid this was. Instead, though, almost of its on accord, I grabbed my phone off my bedside table and handed it to her. What was I doing?!

"Rikki! Wait!" I whispered. She just smiled and ignored me as she dialed the number. We could hear the other end of the phone, since she'd come to sit on the bed, and Cleo had followed her. I heard it ring a few times first, he was probably asleep. Ring. Ring. Ring. Don't pick it up, don't pick up, I silently pleaded. If he didn't pick up, Rikki might wait, might, no, probably not, she'd probably go anyway and just take more time and make things harder for themselves. Rrii…

"Hello?" Lewis answered, his voice thick with sleep.

"Lewis, it's Rikki. Wake up, and get your but out of bed."

"Rikki? What's wrong? Are you all okay?" Lewis asked, concerned, expecting there to be a probably. I don't blame him, why else would we be calling him, I looked at my clock, at 11:15 at night? Though, I guess, considering the illicit activity Rikki was planning, there was a problem. Not that she would see it that way.

"We're fine Lewis, but we do need your help. We're going out tonight, to the marine park. It would be seriously helpful if you could work the controls."

"Wh, what?" I heard his disbelief, "Rikki, you can't go to the marine park."

"Yeah, we can. Cleo has access to security and controls and you'll be there to work the rides, so no one will be there, and no one will see us." There was astonished silence on the other end of the line.

"What about Emma? She can't be happy with this. Didn't she tell you this was stupid, crazy?" he asked, reaching.

"Yeah, several times, but if you go, she'll come to." I glared at her, eyes wide, I didn't say that, but, it was probably true. Wait, no! No, it was not! Lewis could go, but I would not have any part of this! He was quiet again, and then he said the last thing I wanted to hear.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. You guys should get out some, have some fun. If you can take of the cameras, sure, why not, I'll help.

"Great. See you there in 15 minutes." Rikki said, pleased.

"Wait, 15 minutes. Wow. Um, okay, though, fine. 15 minutes, I'll be there." And they hung up.

"Great. Okay, Emma, get up, get dressed, let's go," Rikki said.

"Rikki…" I started, but I didn't really know what to say, a part of me did want to go, but the rational side of me said absolutely not.

"Emma, you know you want to go. So stop complaining and coming up with excuses. Come on. It'll be fun, but not without you there, our night out, for a change." Rikki insisted. And I did. Next thing I knew, we were meeting Lewis a block away at the marine park, to get the details worked out.

"Ok, so here's the plan. Cleo, you brought your uniform, right?" Cleo nodded, Rikki continued, "Good, so put it on," she did as Rikki went on, "Now, you've got your card?" Another nod. "Okay, so just walk right through the gates like you forgot something or were called in to check on one of the animals; that can be your excuse later, too, if someone asks. So, yeah, actually, go to the main office and turn on the lights to a dolphin pen or something. Go out to it and do a quick check, so we have the alibi, then head back to the office, like you were satisfied and had gone back to get your keys. But, instead, you go up to the security office and turn off the cameras. Before we leave, Lewis will make it look like there was an electricity short-out. We could even pick up the wind and have a little rain. Actually, yeah, keep up the pretense. You'll turn out the dolphin pen light, and that'll be the cue. You start some rain, and Emma will pick up some wind and then freeze it into hail. When it's hail, you'll be free to shut off the cams, then, dim the lights by the rides, dim, not on full, we don't want to attract attention. When they're on, we'll head on through the gate, meet you there, we'll get Lewis by a control, and then this night'll get on! Got it?" she whispered. Cleo nodded, so did Lewis. Rikki looked at me.

"Emma? Emma, this is going to be fine. Nothing can go wrong," she assured me. I wasn't quite so sure.
"You really have put some thought into this. How long have you been planning this?" I realized, and asked, not really sure if I wanted to know the answer. She shrugged, "About a week. Come on, please. You're here, might as well." I sighed, she was right, in theory. I was here, and we would have a perfect alibi, things should go great, but when do things ever go as smoothly as expected? I sighed again and nodded.

"There's our Emma," Rikki agreed enthusiastically.

Cleo walked off towards the marine park and we heard the gate open and then shut. A few minutes later we could see the lights go on near the dolphin pen and we knew Cleo would be walking out and looking around, checking, for the alibi. We heard the door shut as she went back inside.