A/N: Because I don't have enough Mako ffs going at the moment (note: heavy sarcasm). What can I say- doing one-shot after one-shot has made me crave continuous plot, which coupled with my rising Zyla shipping has resulted in this. The summary will be rewritten whenever I summon the creative skills required. I like to reread it and then just sit there and bathe in how melodramatic it sounds.

This chapter is fairly irritatingly enigmatic, but I promise that Chapter Two will bring more explanations than questions.

The pairings in this will be the usual: Zyla, CamNixie, and DavidSirena, although one of those pairings is more in danger than the others. I hope you enjoy :)


Chapter One: Uncertainty

Cam

Cam really ought to thank the others; After all, because of them he was becoming an excellent cook.

No longer spending his evenings over at Zac's binging on takeouts and screwing around on his x-box, Cam now spent most of his free time at home with his mother. It was a pretty sad reality, but better than the alternative. The problem was that there was no longer anyone for him to go out with, and parading himself around outside alone just made the isolation worse. At least at home he could pretend that the outside world wasn't the living hell it had become.

And so, with nothing better to do, Cam had taken on the duty of cooking dinner every night. His mother worked late most evenings, so she'd never been a great candidate for family dinners anyway. As for Cam's father, the man was never around, perpetually off on business trips, although what exactly it was that he did Cam would never know.

Before Cam's betrayal, if he ever had been home from Zac's apartment in the evenings, his mother would normally just shove something in the microwave and zap it, 'ready in under five minutes' just like the packets promised. Cam had never minded, but had also known that she wished she could put more time into raising him and doing normal, everyday things like cooking dinner. So, to relieve her of the guilt, he'd started making it instead. Considering how she was the only company he had left, it seemed a wise idea to take good care of her.

One evening, just over a month after Cam had stolen the Trident, Cam was calmly stirring a wooden spoon in a saucepan of simmering chilli when the phone rang. "I'll get it," his mother called from the front door, having just arrived home. She hurried through into the kitchen, her blonde hair coming loose in flyaway strands from its bun. Giving Cam a quick smile she made a dash for the phone, which was located right before the stove where Cam was cooking, perfectly within his reach. "Don't want to disturb you and your cooking," she explained with a small smile as she picked up the phone. "That smells delicious."

Turning her back on Cam, his mother walked briskly off out of the kitchen into the entrance hall, still not having pressed the answer button on the receiver. Her attempts at hiding the phone call from him were hardly subtle, and so with a mix of suspicion and curiosity Cam turned down the radio volume so that he could eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Hi honey," his mother said softly, her voice quiet, and yet even from the kitchen Cam could still hear the waves of emotion layered through it. She sounded gentle, affectionate, but to his ears the warmth seemed tinged with pain. Call it a son's intuition or whatever, but he'd always possessed a knack for being able to tell when his mother was upset or despondent. In her whispered answer, there was a particular brand of sadness worked into her voice that gave away the caller.

His father.

"Yes, yes, I know, I got your message," his mother continued, and Cam could hear her footsteps as she paced up and down the corridor. "No, I didn't want to tell him until you were sure. You know how disappointed he gets when you cancel. Yes. You're sure this time?" His mother posed the question with a sharp scepticism that Cam had heard develop in her over time, building with each promised visit his father failed to attend.

There was a pause, and then a sigh of relief. "Oh honey, he'll be so happy. I'm so happy. That's brilliant news. Yes. Yes, I'll go tell him. I love you." And then the phone clicked off and the house fell quiet.

Cam's mother returned to the kitchen with the phone cradled to her chest like a long-lost, recently found precious object. Her eyes were distant, dropped to the floor, and a small, unconscious smile lined her lips. Cam knew what that look entailed, and he froze in response, his body tensing rigid with a fear he wished he'd grown out of by now.

"Oh Cam," his mother said with a sigh, finally raising her eyes to meet him, "I've got such wonderful news."

"Dad's coming back," Cam said flatly, cutting her off. He hated when she got like this, the hope in her eyes and the lovesick smile nauseating. She never seemed to learn that no matter what her husband said, he'd never keep to his promises. They hadn't seen him in over a year- how long would he have to stay away until she realised what a bastard he was?

"Yes," his mother said, and her dreamy expression dissolved at the bitterness in Cam's voice. "Yes, he is Cam. And I know that in the past he's let us down on that hope before, but it's different this time."

"That's what you always say," Cam said, feather quiet, barely audible. He knew that he sounded like a brat whenever he spoke of his father, but the alternative was living like his mother, filled with pointless hope, waiting for it to be shattered for the hundredth time. His way was safer.

"I know I do, but this time it really is Cam. This time, he's not just coming down for the weekend. Cam, you're father is moving back home, to stay."

Saying nothing, Cam stirred the chilli. It was threatening to boil over and would burn soon if he didn't turn down the heat. He kept on stirring. "To stay," he repeated, smirking like it was a bad joke.

"Yes Cam, to stay," his mother said firmly, a spike of frustration peaking in her voice. She didn't seem to appreciate him ruining her fairytale ending.

"Right."

Exhaling shortly, his mother disappeared briefly and then returned with her briefcase clutched in one hand. She came over to Cam's side of the kitchen counter and then set the case down next to him, unzipping it. From within she withdrew a thin paper folder. "Here," she said, handing him the papers before reaching over and turning down the heat on the hob he was using. "You go read these, and I'll take care of the chilli. Deal?"

Still refusing to speak out of sulky protest, Cam reluctantly took the folder she'd offered him and handed over the spoon. He shuffled off to the kitchen table, scuffing his feet as he walked, and then took a seat, dropping the folder down on the table with a loud 'whump'.

Flicking open the folder, Cam slid out the papers it contained with a purposeful air of disinterest, casting his eyes across them dismissively. Then his blasé act faltered and he leaned closer, staring. He leafed through the rest of the papers, checking each one for some kind of catch. No loopholes could be found.

His father's transfer papers seemed one hundred percent absolute, even the finer details such as his new income sorted out. "Your father will be working locally from now on. He's got a contract down here for a minimum of eighteen months," Cam's mother narrated aloud from the stove, humming as she worked. "There'll be no more trips abroad, no more being stationed at some post that's god knows where. He's going to live here, with us."

Unable to believe that it was true, Cam checked and rechecked the papers detailing his father's transfer and new job position, waiting with increasing panic to find the loophole, his father's way out. No way could he be staying there, in their house, with them.

"Aren't you excited, Cam?" His mother asked quietly, and he could hear in her voice how his response had hurt her.

"Yeah," Cam lied, feeling sick to his stomach. "And he's staying here in this house, with us?"

"Yep," his mother confirmed gleefully, smiling as she swayed back and forth to the tune of her humming. "He'll be here waiting for you when you get back from school tomorrow. We're all going out for a family meal as a welcome home treat; I'll book us in somewhere really nice, I promise."

"Great," Cam mumbled, looking down at the papers and the big red stamp of 'TRANSFERED' emblazoned across the front page. So now even home was no longer safe, a haven from his problems outside. The ones inside were going to be far worse.


Lyla

There were many occasions upon which Lyla felt the deep, compelling urge to fight Nixie, so to be allowed to do such a thing was pretty much her idea of heaven.

"God, you are so slow," Nixie jeered from behind her, cackling before disappearing again.

That day for class, Rita had taken the three girls out to Mako Island for a bit of practical survival training. They'd ventured into the most tangled depths of the Island's forest, ensuring that their tracks were covered and the way was sealed, until Rita had finally called for them to come to a halt. "Today," she'd said, a smile that was far too devilish for a normal teacher playing upon her lips, "you're going to get a bit of practical experience.

"Nixie, Lyla, I want you two to go first. You have the whole of the marked area within which to practice," Rita said. She gestured to where she had used her powers to seal off the rest of the Island with vegetation so as not to be interrupted. "The aim of this exercise is a balance of self-defence and attack, so that you have confidence in both skills should the situation ever demand it."

"Wait, you're letting me fight her? Like, actually fight her? No lectures or punishments involved?" Nixie said incredulously, jabbing her thumb in Lyla's direction to gesture to her.

"Yes Nixie, I am. But the two of your are to remember that this is only a simulation, and in reality you two are friends," Rita reminded them sternly, her teacher demeanour and voice returning. "You will not be using your powers on one another directly, but rather to manipulate your surroundings to your advantage. The aim is to incapacitate your opponent, not harm them. If I think that things are getting out of hand then you will be stopped immediately. Being able to control your powers is just as important as being able to use them."

"Yes Miss Santos," Lyla and Nixie said in unison, Nixie rolling her eyes whilst Lyla just smirked. Having a proper head to head with Nixie was exactly what she felt like doing that morning, feeling unusually restless and in need of a good venting session. It was simply unfortunate that Nixie would have to be on the receiving end of that requirement.

And so with Sirena and Miss Santos sat up on the hillside, watching over them, Lyla and Nixie had been let loose on one another.

"Oh, slow am I?" Lyla retorted, spinning around to see where Nixie had spoken from. She'd vanished, and Lyla was quickly discovering that Nixie had been holding out during training sessions. She'd never known that the brunette possessed such advanced camouflage skills, completely invisible in the surroundings of trees, rocks and vines.

Crouching down low, Lyla moved her hand through the air and with it great reams of plants sprang up, shielding her from view. She needed to get a better idea of where Nixie had vanished to before she could attack. If only they were allowed to harm one another, this would be a heck of a lot easier.

Before she'd settled on a plan, however, she became aware that something cold was dripping on her. Looking up, she saw that Nixie had summoned a raincloud directly above her, raining down upon her skin. Lyla barely had time to register this fact, however, before she felt a tingling sensation and fell backwards.

"Nixie, that's cheating," she yelled furiously, giving an indignant flip of her tail, which was useless on land.

"Nixie used her powers wisely, Lyla. That's perfectly within the rules," Rita called out from her perch up on the hillside, well within ear shot.

"See," Nixie's disembodied voice jeered from out in the darkness of the forest, "told you I was better at this than you."

Scowling, her restlessness quickly bubbling up into white-hot fury, Lyla prepared to defend herself. Nixie thought she had won, so now doubt she would get cocky and reveal herself to get some last minute mockery in. When she did, Lyla would be ready.

Glancing around, she spotted three small rocks coated in moss lying beside her, hidden amongst her newly grown reeds. Extending her hand towards them, Lyla gently lifted them into the air. She then levitated several others, bringing them all to hover around her, spinning in carefully controlled circles to form a cloud of rocks around her.

Let Nixie see if she was so very confident when she found Lyla surrounded by rocks, all ready to attack her. Not that Lyla was really intending on hurting Nixie, certainly not by throwing rocks at her, she wasn't that much of a psychopath, but she'd love to see the Nixie's face when she thought she was about to lose, painfully.

"So, finally ready to admit how slow you are?" Nixie teased, brushing her way through the vegetation, drawing into sight. Her cocky grin faltered, however, when she spotted the numerous hovering rocks all around Lyla.

"Hey, Nixie," Lyla said calmly, her own smile positively wicked, "finally ready to admit how slow you are?" In an act of mock theatrics, she jolted the rocks so that they appeared for a moment to be hurtling towards Nixie, before catching them, bringing them to a stop.

Nixie, however, didn't know that Lyla wasn't really a psychopath and that she wasn't really going to hurt her. Her face awash with terror and anger, the brunette stretched her arms out and yanked the rocks out from Lyla's control, into hers. She drew them back, hoisting them higher into the air. Still acting on instinct, she spun them round and sent them flying right back at Lyla.

Lyla barely heard Rita's scream of, "Nixie, no! Don't!" Over the sound of her own racing heartbeat, blood pumping in her ears. Panic overtook her, and in one last helpless attempt to protect herself she flung her arm out towards the rocks, turning her head aside, unable to look. What she was trying to do she didn't know, anything would have been nice, anything that could stop her from dying.

There was a bright flash of green, and then came a series of loud cracking noises that resonated across the forest, so loud that surely all of Mako had heard.

Breathing rapidly, on the verge of hyperventilating, Lyla slowly turned back around to witness what had happened.

All around her, the shattered remains of rocks littered the ground, reduced to nothing more than dust. Not one had hit her, although some of the dust now coated her tail.

Stood just before her, Nixie stared on, her eyes wide with shock, and for once the mermaid was speechless. No witty comebacks, no jokes, nothing.

"Lyla, Nixie!" Called the voice of Sirena, who had dashed down from the hillside just after Nixie had started to turn the rocks on Lyla. She broke into the clearing, flushed in the face and out of breath, but still able to witness the aftermath of the fight.

"What happened?" She asked, staring around at the crumbled rock.

"Lyla, Nixie, Sirena. Stay right where you are," Rita ordered from up on the hillside. She spoke the command with absolute authority, and yet it did not quite mask the way in which her voice shook. The girls all looked at one another. If Rita was frightened, then what the hell did that mean for them?

Moments later Rita pushed through the tangled bushes and joined them in the small clearing, her eyes immediately going to the rocks. She covered her mouth with her hand, falling still, and simply took in the sight for a moment.

"What was that?" Sirena asked, looking between the three of them. "All I saw was a bright flash of green light, and then I heard the cracking."

"Whatever it was, it wasn't mermaid," Nixie said coldly, and she now watched Lyla, her eyes narrowed with caution. "Certainly not like anything mermaid I've ever seen before."

"Rita?" Sirena asked, fidgeting uncomfortably at the accusation in Nixie's tone. She looked over at their adoptive aunt with nervous hope, awaiting the denial of Nixie's statement and the assurance that everything was alright. Unfortunately, the adult mermaid could not give it.

"We need to get home. Now," Rita said after several more tense moments of silence, finally awakening from her reverie.

"But-" all three girls said together.

"No buts. Sirena, Nixie, help Lyla dry off. I'll meet you all back by the shore."

Without a second word to any of them Rita turned on her heel. She gave a practiced flick of her hand and all their artificially created vegetation wilted into the ground, clearing the way. With that, she left.

"Something's wrong," Sirena said, stating the obvious as she crouched down by Lyla. "Something's really wrong if even Aunt Rita's scared like that."

"Yeah, something's wrong alright," Nixie seconded, and still her eyes were fixed on Lyla. She hadn't joined Sirena by her side, still standing, her arms folded across her chest protectively. "What was that Lyla? First you try to kill me, then that?"

"I wasn't trying to kill you," Lyla snapped back irritably, although in truth she was more terrified than angry. She herself had no idea what the green flash had been, but the nagging voice in her head was telling her that she had caused it. "The rocks were just a trick to make you stop, so I had a chance to get you back."

"And the green light? The rocks breaking?" Nixie continued, demanding answers.

"I don't know, alright?" Lyla said, focusing on drying herself off to avoid meeting the others' eyes. "I don't know."

Chewing her bottom lip, Nixie mulled over Lyla's words for a moment before relenting, coming to sit beside her and help dry off her tail. "Rita knows," she said quietly, watching as Lyla's scales poured off steam.

"Think she'll tell us?" Lyla asked, nodding gratefully at Nixie for the help. In that moment of uncertainty, she no longer felt the urge to hit Nixie, rather the wish to keep her close. She felt as though she were going to need all the friends she could get to get through this, whatever this was.

"She'll have to," Nixie said, drawing back as Lyla's legs reformed. "Because whatever it is, it's going to be trouble. For all of us."


A/N: So, I hope my addiction to cliffhangers hasn't made you grind your teeth too much. This will hopefully be updated once a week on average, and please, if you enjoyed, feel free *nudge wink nudge* to review :P