Author's Note: I know I said this in the first author's note, but just to reiterate, I had this written long before Mako Mermaids was a thing. I wish to be clear on that in case there's any confusion as to what I'm basing my story on. Seasons 1 and 2 of H2O is the only inspiration I draw from. Not even Season 3, which I have not seen. Many, many thanks to those who have taken the time to review!


ii

Lewis paused in his efforts to wipe the beads of sweat that had developed on his forehead. It was cool in the cave, but his research was laborious. He spent most of his days and nights there now, by and above the moon pool: collecting samples, taking notes, and studying every aquatic creature that even faintly resembled the makeup of his mermaid friends.

He would have much rather hung out at the Juicenet with Cleo and the girls, but it was too awkward deciding how to act around her. More than likely he'd end up brooding silently across the booth, adding little to the conversation and caring even less about the activity around him.

Not to mention the constant presence of Charlotte anytime he tried to be alone with them.

Cleo's kindhearted nature—and an accident with a sprinkler—had made it so she was the first to show Charlotte around at school and make her feel welcome. From such she'd latched on to her in desperation to make friends in a new place. It was almost as hard for Cleo, Rikki, and Emma to get away from her as it was for Lewis. Mako Island was the only place they were safe from her incessant badgering and need to be accepted; although Cleo didn't visit Mako quite as often as before. He knew it was his fault for always being there. She felt as awkward as he did when they were together; totally unsure of themselves, just like before. Like fish on land.

But he was not giving up on his project, even to make Cleo more comfortable. Science would show him how to get her back, he was sure of it. There had to be something here; in the rocks maybe or the water itself that would help Cleo with her powers. She was right about one thing. He did not understand about being a mermaid if it meant they had to break up.

He glanced at his watch and grimaced. Moonrise had already begun, and tonight was a full one. He usually helped the girls board up the house they stayed at during a full moon and hung about until the danger was ended. He grabbed his phone to ring Emma and tell her he was coming, but he'd be a bit late.

His phone was dead. Lewis narrowed his eyes at it. He couldn't remember the last time he'd charged the thing.

Fine. There was more than one way to net a shark. He reluctantly began packing away his tools to set out for Emma's place. He was always there for them during the full moon and he wasn't about to let them down now.

As he stooped to pick up his algae sample, his foot knocked against his salinometer and sent it rolling straight into the moon pool. Lewis groaned and peered into the water. The salinometer was borrowed from the school lab and he was not prepared to have Mr. McLaren point him out as an irresponsible bloke.

After tossing aside his shoes and hat he dove in after it. The water was perfectly clear and his eyes hardly stung when he opened them to find the tool. He swum straight for the bottom where the salinometer had sunk to and surfaced with it clutched in his hand. He tossed it on land, grumbling about borrowed equipment and shaking the water from his hair. He was soaked to the skin when he climbed out of the pool.

On his way back to the mainland he started coughing violently in the night chill. His sinuses felt funny and his head ached. By the time he anchored his boat and double checked his equipment box, his eyesight was growing bleary. He decided it would be best just to go home and sleep. The girls could handle one full moon without him. They were always shooing him away this time of the month. They wouldn't miss him all that much.

Thinking only of his throbbing muscles, he plunked down on his bed and fell fast asleep.

-x-

The morning dawned without any fanfare.

Lewis shuffled to the bathroom in his half-sleeping state—normal for this time of the morning—and turned on the shower. He stripped down to his grundies and waited a minute or two, putting his hand under the nozzle to test the water temperature.

"Eh… decent," he mumbled to no one in particular.

He stepped in, blindly reaching for the soap. Lewis thought his legs must be in rebellion when they began to wobble. He looked down, ready to chide them for acting so weird when the unwarranted bubbles that swirled around his entire body made him stumble back and fall.

Stunned for a moment, he did nothing but sit. But awkwardly, as his posterior was all wrong.

First of all, his legs were gone. In place of them was a very long appendage covered in shimmering blue scales.

A tail. Lewis had a tail.

"Ah, stupid!" he cried aloud. "I should have known!"

This wasn't happening. It was a dream. No, a nightmare, actually. There was no way that he was a… that he'd transformed into… "No, no, no, no."

He sputtered and scooted away from the running water as best he could.

He'd always thought the girls were elegant, fantastic super humans with amazing powers. He never thought of the difficulty of everyday tasks except where he was called in to help. Sure, he knew how hard it was to drag one of the girls out of the water, and over time had learned how best to keep a tail hidden, but it was totally new having the problem on his end. Literally.

Lewis glanced down again, panicked for a moment. A vital part of his male anatomy had retracted. That was just great. If anyone wanted to question his manliness now, he wouldn't bother to argue. And he was never going to dry off with his tail directly under the shower's trajectory. Maybe he could push the water away from him like Cleo did. He tried a few times without any luck.

Well if he couldn't move the water, maybe he could freeze it. He shot his hand out towards the shower head without creating the slightest decrease in temperature.

He didn't even bother trying to steam it.