Disclaimer: I do not own H2O or any of its Characters

3 Months after Graduation...

Cleo was sitting in a booth at Rikki's Cafe waiting for her boyfriend Lewis when she received a phone call from Emma.

"Hey, Emma. So do you know when you're coming home yet?" she asked excitedly.

"Actually that's why I called. We will be back by the end of the week," Emma answered matter-of-factually.

"That's great," Cleo said then added, "Em, there is someone we want you to meet. Her name is Bella and she is like us."

On the other end of the line Emma frowned. Had her two best friends replaced her while she had been away?

"Emma, we want you to know that she was not a replacement for you and she really wants to meet you."

"How?" Emma asked, wondering how her best friend had known what she was thinking.

"I know you Em. You were thinking Rikki and I replaced you but we didn't we just added another friend to our little group."

"But a fourth mermaid?! You do remember what happened with Charlotte right?"

"Yes. But Em she wasn't created in our pool unlike Charlotte. She became a mermaid in a moon pool in Ireland when she was nine."

Emma listened and then asked what Bella was like and what her power was. Cleo let her know everything that she wanted know and then asked if they should get Bella a matching locket like theirs.

Emma loved the idea and told Cleo to have Max make one for Bella and that she wanted to be the one to give it to Bella. They talked for a few more minutes and then said goodbye.

Just as Cleo hung up, Lewis walked in with Rikki, Bella and Will. They came in and sat down right beside her.

"Guys, you will never believe this but Emma's coming home at the end of the week!"

"That's great!" Rikki exclaimed excitedly which had the others looking at her in shock. She was known for her sarcastic remarks so her being excited was a little strange for the rest of them.

"What's great?" Zane asked coming over to their table.

Rikki merely glanced at her ex then looked away. She wanted to stay mad at him he had after all betrayed her one too many times. Yet she still felt pulled to him somehow but she couldn't trust him.

Zane simply smiled, he had thought of a foolproof way of getting Rikki back. He had fired the reason behind their breakup. He knew that the reason she had broken up with him was because of Sophie (Will's sister). He should never had let her kiss him. He knew that it was wrong and he should never have kissed her back. Then there was the fact that she had destroyed the girls sanctuary and it had taken a few months to clean up the mess. That had been the last straw for him. No one hurt his friends and got away with it. He had had enough and had fired her just before Cleo had come in.

"Emma's coming home at the end of the week and I was thinking we should throw her a welcome home party," Cleo suggested.

"Cleo, as much as I agree with you aren't you forgetting something?" Zane said.

"And what would that be?" Rikki questioned sarcastically.

"The full moon is this weekend and we really don't want a repeat of last month do we, not that I minded?" he returned flashing a mischievous grin at his ex- girlfriend who turned scarlet at the mention of the fiasco the month before.

Rikki turned red at the memory. She really didn't want a repeat of that night. She didn't want to give Zane another reason to try and get her back, not that she didn't enjoy watching him try. They all stopped and looked at him. It was true last month had been a very interesting full moon. The girls had all gotten moonstruck and had proceeded to try and seduce the boys. "You're right. We really don't want a repeat of last month," Rikki said a bright red blush gracing her cheeks.

Changing the subject Cleo spoke up, "Guy's we have to figure out something. Perhaps we can get Ash to come back too. It would be good to have the whole group back together again."

"Who is Ash?" Bella asked

"Ash was...is Emma's boyfriend. He left for school in New Zealand shortly after Emma's family left to sail the world. He said that he would be back though." Rikki stated.

"And he knows about...you know...," Bella began.

"Yes, he knows. He was mad that she didn't tell him but he got over it." Cleo returned.

"Sounds familiar," Bella and Rikki said at the same time, as they looked over at Will and Zane. Both remembered the reactions they had received when the boys found out their secret.

As they were talking four older women walked into the cafe and sat close by. They could easily hear what was being said and they smiled. Soon it would be time to reveal all.

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Emma stepped off the yacht after a year away. She breathed in the salty sea air and smiled. She was home. She followed her family back to their house and went up to her room. It was good to be back. She changed quickly and told her parents she was going to see if Cleo was home and left the house. Instead of going to Cleo's she went to the pier and jumped in before turning into her mermaid self and making her way to Mako.

When she got there she was shocked by what she saw. The Moon Cave was not in the condition it was in when she had last seen it. There was rubble on the floor of the cave and there was a gaping hole in the wall of the cave. She wondered what had happened to it and was determined to ask the girls when she saw them. She left Mako and returned home.

When she got there she checked her phone and found a text from Rikki saying to meet her at the cafe. She shrugged and left the house and headed to their old hang out which had been bought by Zane when the place had gone out of business. She walked in and was greeted by all her old friends.

Bella hung back from the well wishers. She really wasn't sure why she was so nervous, she shouldn't be, after all Cleo and Rikki talked about Emma all the time and she felt like she had known the other girl for years. She was about to go greet her when she saw Rikki and Cleo practically dragging the blonde over towards her.

"Hi," was all she could manage to say when they stopped in front of her.

Emma looked Bella up and down and then turned towards her two best friends, "Hey, can I have a moment alone with Bella?"

Cleo and Rikki nodded and turned to go order something from the bar. Meanwhile Emma turned to Bella. "I heard how you came to be friends with Cleo and Rikki and there is something that I would like to give you. I know that you gave them the moon crystal necklaces as a sign of friendship and I want you to know that I don't mind. But here," she said handing a small box to the startled girl before her. "We thought that you should have one of these too."

Bella opened the box to find a locket exactly like the ones Cleo and Rikki used to wear only with a light green gem. "Emma, I..." then she remembered the gift she had gotten for Emma. She quickly retrieved it and handed the equally small box to Emma.

"What's this?" Emma asked opening the small package.

"Just a little something to show you that even though we just met I consider you a friend."

Emma looked at the blue crystal on the white cushion, "Bella, I...thank you so much."

Just then a young man walked into the cafe. He seemed a bit shocked to see just how changed the place was. He looked around and spotted the young woman that he had not seen in a little over a year. He didn't realize just how much he had missed her until the moment he saw her again. He slowly made his way towards her. He stopped right behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.

Emma felt someone behind her and turned to see who it was. She gasped in shock when she saw the young man whom she had not seen in a year. "Ash...you're here!" she cried as she threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"I missed you too," he whispered trying to hold back the chuckle that threatened to get out at her enthusiastic greeting.

Meanwhile Zane had cornered Rikki and was practically begging her to take him back.

"Rikki please," Zane begged

"Zane, why can't you get it through that thick skull of yours that I can't trust you. Every time I turn around yet another girl is throwing themselves at you and you do nothing to thwart their advances. How do you think that makes me feel? You were the first boy to understand me. I thought that you cared about me but I guess I was wrong."

"Rikki, I do care for you. I love you. And no matter how much you try to deny it you love me too. And I will will always try to get you back. You're it for me."

Rikki having turned away from him quickly did an about face and stared at him like he had grown another head. "What did you just say?" she managed to whisper.

He warily stepped forward and ran a gentle hand down her soft cheek. "I love you Rikki Chadwick and I will never stop no matter what you say or do. I love everything about you."

"Then why?" she asked for the first time in her life letting her guard down.

"I don't know. But I promise you from now on no one is ever going to come between us again."

"How can you promise me that, Zane?" she asked a hint of vulnerability lacing her voice.

"Because it's a promise I have every intention of keeping and you will just have to trust me," he answered.

She stared at him trying to see if he was being sincere. She looked into his chocolate brown eyes and could see the love he claimed to feel for her. She sighed, "Fine, but I' only saying yes, because you won't stop hounding me until I give in. But be warned, you do anything to mess this up again and I will roast you alive," she said with fire in her eyes.

Zane grinned and grabbed hold of her hand, "Thank you, Rikki, I promise you will not regret this." He had no doubt in his mind that she would follow through with her threat.

They walked back to were the group was sitting all together. After saying hi to the newcomer and welcoming him back they began to talk about old times.

Cleo who was leaning against her boyfriend Lewis suddenly sat up and asked, "Guys, do you think we should tell our parents at least about our secret? I mean it's getting harder for me to find excuses to not touch water at home and I know that Dad is getting suspicious."

They all looked at each other. Each was wondering the exact same thing. They talked about it and then it was decided that on the full moon they would tell the parents their secret.

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