My apologies in regards to this chapter. I didn't plan for it to be so big when I started writing it, but it got a bit out of hand and grew rather long, not to mention certain plot related issues showed up and took things in a direction a bit different than I initially thought. As a result, certain elements I had hoped would be featured in here will have to wait at least until next chapter.

All the same, I hope you enjoy the final result.

In regards to something that will show up in this chapter, please note I know very little about both the workings of moving to another country and about Australian foster care. I tried to do some research, but it was less helpful than I would have wished, so I hope you forgive me for the copious amounts of artistic license I may be taking. If anyone wishes to correct me on anything, please don't be afraid to do so.

Chapter 2 – Fast Friends

After all the ashes had been carried away by the water, Alana dropped the urn and its lid onto the sea bed, and she and Evie swam back to the surface. With their heads above water, Evie could now hear Alana sniffling, and it only took a few moments before a drop that definitely wasn't sea water started flowing from her left eye. She moved her right hand from Alana's back so she could put an arm over Alana's shoulders and used her left one to wipe the tear from the redhead's face as comfortingly as possible.

Alana kept sniffling, and more tears started flowing down her face, now too many for Evie to wipe them away without bothering her. She tried to pull Alana closer for a hug, but the redhead immediately removed herself from Evie's arm and got away with a stroke from her arms. Evie got the message.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice muffled by the urge to sniffle. "I'll get myself together."

Evie approached Alana with a movement from her tail. She wouldn't try another hug, at least for now, but she reached through the water and held Alana's hand.

"It's alright," Evie said. "If you want to cry, cry. It helps." A familiar unpleasant weight started to settle in her chest at what she was about to say. Even now, it always did when she talked about this subject. "I lost my mother when I was eight. I know what you're going through."

Sympathy burst through Alana's features. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but time and again she closed it without saying anything, as if she was trying to think of something to say to that, but nothing would come to her.

"I'm so sorry to know that," she finally whispered.

Tears started to flow out of Alana's eyes again, as if learning about Evie's mother had brought them back forward. On impulse, Evie swam forward and hugged Alana. For just the tiniest of moments, the redhead stiffened, but then, like a card castle under an unexpected impact, she wrapped her arms around Evie and burst into sobs, her head on Evie's shoulder. Evie ran her fingers through Alana's hair and hummed soothingly into the redhead's ear, once more hoping that the physical contact would be enough to convey at least part of the sympathy and comfort she wanted to give.

Hidden behind a coral outcrop that matched her tanned skin well enough for her to go unnoticed at a first glance, she tried to think about what to do as she watched the unidentified mermaid hug Alana. As far as she could tell from here, the hug seemed genuine, but without listening or even being close enough to see everything, she could be missing a lot of important things. And even if the hug was genuine, she had known Alana for longer, she could probably give more comfort than a random stranger.

Or she couldn't.

After all, she had known Alana for over three months and had never shared her secret. If she showed up now the poor girl might have a heart attack at seeing her.

And even if Alana accepted what she was without a flinch, she had been forbidden from coming here, much less showing up in front of her in her true form.

She might as well have obeyed, given how at a loss she had been when the other four mermaids started attacking Alana. As much as she had wanted to do anything to help, her confusion and fear had left her hovering on her spot, unable to do anything but watch.

Perhaps there had been more truth to the stories she heard about her kind than she would have liked to think.

In the end, she had been thankful beyond measure when those three mermaids had stopped the nasty quartet, and before anything serious could happen to Alana as far as she could tell. And now one of them was comforting her, which could only be good.

Still, as much as she knew that she was doing nothing here, and that Alana seemed to be well, she remained where she was, although she had no idea why.

Evie didn't care to measure how long she spent holding Alana. All she knew was that she held the younger mermaid in her arms and hummed soothingly as she caressed her hair, while the redhead shed what had to be days' worth of tears on her shoulder.

Evie remembered crying a lot when her mother had died, but she didn't think she had cried so much at once. Had Alana cried at all since her mother had died? Had she even had someone to lean on over the last days?

The very thought caused Evie's heart to clench. Losing her mother had been horrible, and taught her far too much about how unfair life could be, but she'd had her father, and the rest of her family, and Zac, and Carly, and all her friends. If she had been alone then, she didn't know what would have happened. Even now that she was older, if something comparable happened and she had no one to support her, she figured she would go insane.

Slowly, the sobs faded into hiccups. Evie didn't stop holding or comforting Alana when that happened, but after hiccupping for a few instants only, the redhead tried to pull back from Evie's arms. Although she had the feeling Alana still needed more hugging and comforting, Evie allowed her to get away. After all, they were still practically strangers, and if she got uncomfortable with Evie, hugs and soothing sounds would be pointless or even bad for her.

Alana sniffled.

"I'm sorry," she managed to say through a stuffy nose. "Here I am pouring my eyes out on a stranger's shoulder."

Evie smiled and rested her hand on Alana's shoulder. "I told you, it's alright."

Alana didn't flinch away this time. "Thank you."

Evie gave Alana's shoulder a tiny squeeze and then removed her hand.

The two of them remained there, keeping themselves at the same spot with impulses from their tails. Evie tried to think of something comforting to say, but having known Alana for less than an hour, it was hard to think of the right words. She didn't even know the circumstances behind Alana's mother's death, and asking about it would stir bad memories. She could suggest that they went for a swim through the reef, but if Alana's mother had wanted her ashes to be spread here, it must be because there was something special about the place, and if Alana started dwelling on those memories right now, she might get even sadder. Evie would never even think Alana should forget about them, but maybe now was too soon. So maybe she should take her for a swim somewhere else. But then again, swimming itself might bring Alana memories of swimming with her mother.

It might be better to take Alana to do something on land. Perhaps they could go to the marine park, or on a walk, or go eat somewhere, or go window shopping. She couldn't think of anything on land that would be comparable to the sights the sea had to offer, but it should be easier to get Alana to think about something other than her mother there.

Trying to sound casual, Evie said, "You know, I was about to go have lunch somewhere. Do you want to come with me? My treat."

Alana's eyes narrowed, as if she was finding it confusing, if not downright suspicious, that a mermaid would say something like that.

"What sort of lunch?" she finally asked.

"I was thinking of a human lunch," Evie clarified. "Go to a café or a restaurant and order a meal." Alana seemed about to gape now. A flicker of fear rose within her; she'd never shared this fact with a 'new mermaid'. All the others she had met knew the truth about her from the beginning.

She took a deep breath, and then explained, "I'm a land girl. I only turned into a mermaid when I fell into a moon pool about six months ago."

A glow of understanding flashed in Alana's eyes. "So that's how you knew what the urn was."

It might be just Evie, but it seemed that the redhead's posture relaxed after learning Evie was a land girl. "Yes," she confirmed. "That's how I knew what the urn was, and that's why offering land food is my first choice. But if you want, I can catch food and make it the mermaid way. I'm far from the best in the pod, but at this point, if I had to survive on the sea, I could manage."

Evie chuckled bashfully, and Alana let out an amused giggle. But then her eyes trained on Evie's right hand, and narrowed in suspicion once more. "If you're a land girl, why do you have a moon ring?"

Evie tried to think of the humblest and least scary way to explain the truth. "The pod's leader gave it to me when I was accepted as an honorary member." She grinned bashfully. "I still can't use it very well, though."

Alana's suspicion vanished, and she gave Evie a comforting smile. "Rest assured, you're already better at it than me. I don't know how to use mine for anything other than to wear it on my finger."

Her arm shook afterwards, as if she was about to put her to her mouth like people did when they realized they'd spoken too much.

"So, do you want a land lunch or a marine lunch?" Evie asked as if she hadn't noticed the gesture or the strangeness of Alana's words, which caused the redhead to relax.

But Evie did think that it seemed odd for a born mermaid with a moon ring passed on to her by her mother, who just had to be a mermaid as well, to not know how to use a moon ring at all.

After a few seconds, during which Alana seemed to be thinking about what to say, she replied. "I can't impose on you for either. Stopping those four bullies, rubbing my back and giving me a hug was already more than I had the right to ask. A lunch is far too much."

"Really, it's not," Evie said, trying not to sound demanding.

This time, Alana spent even longer without answering.

"I don't know… it just doesn't seem fair," she eventually managed. "I don't have anything to pay you with. As in, really don't have anything to pay you with."

Evie did not reply immediately. What she mean by 'really not have anything to pay you with?' Was she thinking Evie wouldn't believe her for some reason? Or was there something else? They still weren't close enough for Evie to feel she had the right to ask, but she could keep trying to offer her lunch.

"I told you, that's not an issue," Evie said in what she hoped was a good reassuring voice. "I don't mind paying your lunch at all."

Alana blinked a few times, as if she was somehow trying to summon a proper answer with it. Evie had the feeling the redhead wanted to accept the offer. Evie hoped she would. As much as she knew they would have to part ways later today, and that it might even be possible she wouldn't see Alana again, she wanted to be there for her for as long as she could.

"But don't you have anything else to do?" Alana tried to say. "I wouldn't want to get in the way of your plans for the day."

Evie shook her head. "I have the rest of the day free, and I'm glad to spend it with you."

What a relief she had taken the day off. While she had never imagined she would spend like this, she thought it was a better use than any of her initial ideas. But Alana still didn't seem convinced.

"But how do you know I'll even be good company? You may hate being with me. I'm not exactly the best person to be around right now."

Evie reached forward and held Alana's hand.

"I'm willing to take that chance if you are."

Another silence followed, for quite longer than the previous ones. Evie waited as patiently as she could. Part of her wanted to keep insisting, but she was already skirting on the edge of pushiness. As much as she wanted to help Alana feel better, she knew she couldn't force her to come with her. All she could do was hope she would accept.

Eventually, Alana let out a deep sigh.

"Alright, I'll go." The corners of Alana's mouth curled upwards in a small smile as she said that.

Evie tried to act casual rather than let her relief at Alana's acceptance show through.

"Right then. Just wait for me to tell Nixie and Lyla I won't be joining them in their race after all, and then we can go."

Alana nodded in agreement, and Evie then swam away to look for the two mermaids.

It was difficult to be sure from where she was, but it seemed that the other mermaid had gone away while Alana remained there. If she wanted to tell everything, she needed to do so now, in case the other mermaid returned or others as nasty as the initial four showed up.

But the same old dilemma kept presenting itself. Would telling Alana the truth really be the right thing to do now, when she could have done so over three months ago, after she first figured out Alana's secret? She might go through a whole range of reactions, many of them potentially unpleasant. And again, she had been forbidden from telling Alana the truth. But she had also been taught that honesty was the best policy.

So she again remained where she was, keeping her blue eyes trained on Alana and keeping herself on the same spot with impulses from her tail while she tried to come to a decision.

This is a mistake, Alana thought as she floated at the spot where Evie had left her before she went to talk to the two mermaids she had mentioned.

She shouldn't have accepted Evie's invitation for lunch, especially one that would be paid for rather than caught in the sea. She shouldn't have accepted anything from Evie, from her offer to stay with her to the hug. But Evie had come across as so gentle and warm, and Alana had wanted a hug like that so badly over the last week, that when Evie hugged her, she had just broken down. And when she had offered her lunch invitation, though Alana had wanted to refuse, her loneliness and sadness had won over her attempts to do so in the end. Somehow, being with someone who had gone through the same thing as her and was being understanding and sympathetic rather than beating her or taunting her made her feel better in some way, and Alana didn't want it to end so soon.

Still, she would have to put an end to it, for her own safety. If she and Evie continued to meet, whether here or anywhere else, she would be in danger, and sooner or later, she would be killed. Not that Evie was a problem. As kind, caring and earnest as she was – due to being a land girl turned into a mermaid rather than a born mermaid, Alana couldn't help but to think – she still wouldn't be able to do anything if this mermaid pod found her secret. If they found out that she was a mermaid of a kind whose existence was not tolerated by mermaid laws, far more inconceivable than a land girl falling into a moon pool. From today on, she had to avoid Mako as much as possible and do her best not to run into Evie – or any of those other mermaids – anywhere else.

She knew she could just leave now and stand Evie up. Evie would have no way to find her, because as nasty as mermaids could be, they weren't sharks. They wouldn't be able to sniff a trail or taste it in the water, and once the bubbles she made dispelled they wouldn't be able to see where she had gone. But the weak part of Alana, the part that wanted companionship and longed for someone who didn't interact with her out of duty or because they wanted to hurt her, wanted at least some sort of break from the aching loneliness that hadn't left her since her mother had died. So she waited for Evie to come back, and even found herself looking forward to her companionship.

And before she knew it, Evie was surfacing again in front of her.

"I'm done," she reported. When Alana said nothing, Evie went on, "Do you have any place in mind to have lunch?"

Alana thought for a bit. She was far from the ideal person to ask such a thing to. She hadn't been in the Gold Coast for long, and she hadn't been able to go out for leisure a lot since then, and most of her outings had been underwater rather than on land. But there was a place that had come to her mind, one where she'd had lunch a few times, and which she had enjoyed enough to want to go back there.

"I do," she replied.

Evie gestured toward where Alana knew land was. "Then lead the way."

Alana dove with a tail slap on the surface, gave a look at Evie to make sure she was behind her, and then shot off toward shore, the other mermaid keeping up with her.

Having shifted her position so that the other two mermaids wouldn't see her as they sped off, she watched the remnants of their trails dissolving into the water.

It was the price to pay for having taken so long to come to a decision. The other mermaid had returned before she could do anything and gone off with Alana toward land. While she could easily follow them undetected in the water, it would be more difficult to follow them on land without being spotted. She knew how to use invisibility, but there was always the danger of anyone crashing into her, especially if Alana and the other mermaid went to a busy place.

It might be better to let it go. After all, she had gotten what she wanted. She wanted to see if Alana would be alright. From what she had seen of her interactions with this mermaid, it seemed that would be true, at least for the time being. There was nothing else she could do for now.

But once more, she couldn't help the feeling of loss that came from knowing she could have finally had a friend who was also a mermaid and had wasted her chance just because her family had told her to.

Oh well, I can always try to change their opinions once more. She thought.

The idea cheering her up a bit, she turned toward land herself and, after making sure no mermaid was around to see her, started swimming away from Mako Island just as fast as Alana and the mermaid she had swam off with had done.

Their swim ashore ended when they reached a calm deserted beach, full of rocks tall enough to hide them while they dried themselves with their heating powers. Once they were back to their human forms, Evie could see that Alana was wearing a light blue t-shirt that went with her eyes, pale yellow shorts, and white flip-flops; Evie herself was wearing her white t-shirt with yellow sleeves, a short skirt, and black strappy sandals. As open footwear could easily get full of sand, both of them took it off and went barefoot toward a fairly low stairway that lead out of the beach.

"Is that café you mentioned too far?" Evie asked as they sat down on a rock to shake the sand off their feet and put their shoes on before climbing the stairs.

Alana, who had a much easier time sliding into her flip-flops than Evie did with strapping her sandals, replied, "Not really. If we walk on that direction…" she pointed on the general direction behind Evie "… for a… short while, we'll get there."

Something clicked in Evie's mind at those words. While a 'short while' was vague, she knew one café in that general direction, not too far from here. It was the same one where her cousin Suzie had worked for a while, before the then new manager had fired her because she got one order wrong. Evie still remembered Suzie going on and on about it when they talked for the first time after she was fired – and also remembered the twist of poetic justice when, months later, the café almost went under, partly because the manager who fired Suzie apparently was not that good at her job herself. Last time Evie had heard of the place, it had been rescued by sheer miracle, apparently thanks to a bank loan that by all means should have been impossible to get, its owner taking some lessons in management, and sheer dumb luck. But that had been years ago. For all she knew, the place had gone bankrupt again since then and been replaced by something else.

"Something wrong?"

Alana's voice took Evie away from her musings.

"No, not at all. I was only thinking I might know the place you're talking about."

Alana gave her another of her small smiles. "Well, you probably know just about everything in here better than me. I've only been here for a little over three months, besides a short visit when I was seven."

Evie finished strapping her right sandal and moved to the left one. "If it makes you feel better, I'm sure I'd be even worse if I went to wherever you're from, as I don't think I've ever been there."

"I'm from Lahinch," Alana supplied. Reading the question in Evie's face, she added, "It's at County Clare, in Ireland."

Evie had no idea where that was, but she knew such a thing only proved her point.

"I'd definitely be even worse off then. I never went to Ireland." She finished strapping her sandal, but both she and Alana remained seated. "The closest places I've been to are England and Scotland, and I've never been to either more than once." She chuckled, remembering a certain peculiar episode of that trip. "We weren't even meant to go to Scotland, but my father took me there after I begged him to." Hoping it would make Alana laugh, she added the reason for said detour, "All because I wanted to see the Loch Ness monster."

Her hopes came true; Alana laughed a very clear laugh at the end of the explanation.

"Did you manage to?" The redhead asked when she stopped laughing.

"In my defence, I was nine," Evie pointed out with a mock-annoyed look. But Alana kept muffling laughter, and soon Evie chuckled herself. "But let's just say I thought it would be much easier than it turned out to be."

She then stood up from the rock, and Alana did the same. As they walked up the stairs, Evie added, "But now that I mention it, I actually think it might not be so impossible. After all, mermaids shouldn't exist either according to what all humans say, and yet here we are."

Alana nodded. "Point taken. Although at the same time, the ocean is much bigger than the Loch Ness. It's far easier to hide several human-sized mermaids in it than to hide a population of supposedly big monsters in a comparatively small lake." Alana smoothed down her shirt and carried on, "But then again, I never went there to look."

They reached the end of the stairs, and started moving along a path paved with concrete blocks that lead along the sea.

"Well, let's just hope the ocean isn't hiding anything particularly big and nasty, or next thing we know, we'll have to face a Kraken," Evie quipped, which prompted Alana to grin a bit, but this time she didn't chuckle.

"Well, it'd still be easier to hide a population of Krakens in the ocean than to hide a population of big monsters in a lake, even one the size of the Loch Ness," she remarked. "At least as long as the Krakens weren't too big."

Evie smirked. "Point taken," she quipped, doing her best to echo Alana's tone. Once more, the redhead grinned.

Then, in her normal voice, Evie added. "But I promise, if you want to see anything here on the Gold Coast, I'll take you there. I can't promise I know what's under the water as well as I should, but I know the land part well enough after living here all my life."

Alana smiled a bit. "And if you ever go to Lahinch, I promise I'll show you around as well." She then started rubbing her hands together, interlacing her fingers and then pulling them free time and again, as her gaze lost itself in the distance. "Though right now, I just hope I'll be able to go back there myself."

Concern flickered within Evie.

"Is there any reason you shouldn't?"

In spite of her attempts to keep her voice normal, her concern made it much more subdued. Alana kept interlacing her fingers and rubbing her hands.

"At this point, I don't know. I wasn't meant to be here as long as I ended up staying, and I don't know what someone like me would need to do to go home."

Evie's heart gave a small jump inside her chest, but she held back the worried question. She had the feeling that this time, Alana would tell everything herself.

After another of her moments of silence, the redhead started speaking.

"I only came to the Gold Coast because my mother was given an offer to enter an experimental cancer treatment program, conducted by a supposedly really good researcher."

Evie suppressed a gasp. This was one thing she hadn't been counting on: that she and Alana lost their mothers in exactly the same way, albeit at different points in their lives.

"All the travelling and living expenses were covered, and the treatment itself also was, so…" Alana trailed off, but there was no need to finish.

It did seem a bit strange for a doctor to cover so much of a patient's expenses, but for all Evie knew, he might just be rich and kind-hearted enough to spend his money for good things.

"What is that doctor's name?" Evie asked.

"Colbert Thomas," Alana replied.

Something clicked in Evie's head at that name. Doctor Blakely had mentioned it once or twice, and she had read it in a few scientific magazines. She couldn't remember any specific details, but he should be reasonably important in his field to show up like that.

"And you say he actually covered all expenses?" Evie insisted.

Alana tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes, he paid for everything. The plane, the rent, the food… It did seem odd at the time, but I checked, and he apparently does it for everyone who tries his treatment methods, whether they come from China, from South Africa, from Alaska…"

Well, if he did that for everyone he treated, he must be simply kind enough to cover his patients' expenses. Evie didn't think she had heard of someone like that before, but it didn't seem like something that should be forbidden. The money was his, he had the right to spend it, he was putting good use to it, and if he was spending money earned through illegal means he would have already been caught for sure, given how such a thing would draw attention to himself.

Evie refocused on Alana's conversation when she heard her continue speaking.

"Either way, he did it with us as well. But because we didn't know how long we would be staying here, the move here was handled as if it would be permanent." Alana sighed as if she was in pain. "So now I'm here to stay, and in your government's hands at that."

Evie suppressed a wince. She had never ended up in such a position, but she was familiar enough with those things to know it wasn't a pleasant place to be in, if nothing else because those who ended up there were, from a legal point of view, alone in the world.

"Didn't that doctor do anything to help it?" Evie insisted. For someone so apparently kind and thorough, he either had made a big mistake or had one huge ulterior motive.

"He took care of me until the funeral, and handled the funeral as well, but legally, he doesn't have any right to have anything to do with me. So off to the foster system I went."

Evie suppressed another wince.

"Looking back on it, there probably was a lot of paperwork I could have signed that would have allowed me to be sent back to Ireland, back when we were still in the process of coming here," Alana carried on. "But back then I just…"

Alana slowed to a stop. Evie could see her eyes starting to glisten, and her hands frozen in the same spot, right in front of her navel with their fingers interlaced. Evie thought back on her mother's final days, and how she had felt back then. All her thoughts had been focused on how much she wanted her mother to get better, and she had spent day after day looking for anything that might help her. She had sung to her, read to her, hugged her, begged her to get better, anything at all if it meant her mother would be healed. Although she had only been half Alana's age, she imagined that even now, if she had to go through something as complex as getting anyone into an experimental treatment program in another country, she'd leave out half of the important paperwork, and potentially get in trouble down the line because of that.

Evie reached toward Alana and rested a hand on both of hers'.

"I understand," she whispered.

Alana sniffled, tears again running out of her eyes.

"The worst part is, at one point, I really thought it would work. When my mother entered that program, she already didn't have more than a few weeks left according to just about every doctor we talked to. But two whole months went by after she started the treatment." A sob paused her speech. "And for a whole month after that, she even started slowly getting better. But then, a week ago, when I went to say good morning, she just… she just was…"

Another sob followed. Evie's heart started to grow heavier. If she had to guess, this was even worse than what had happened with her mother. It had been hard enough to watch her get steadily worse; she couldn't imagine what it would have been to have watched her get better and then lose her.

Once more, Evie hugged Alana; this time, she instantly hugged her back, and again started crying into Evie's shoulder. This wave of sobs lasted for less than the one off the coast of Mako Island, but as they were on land, there were others to see, and they drew the attention of a few passers-by. Some looked at them sympathetically, others made their best to make it seem they weren't looking at all, and others yet looked at them as if they were crazy; those, Evie warded off with her best glare in less time than they could say 'dive'.

When they parted, Alana's face was full of tear streaks and the shoulder of Evie's t-shirt was soaked; this time around, there was a reason to be thankful tears didn't bring mermaid transformations forth.

"I'm sorry," Alana sobbed. "I know I have no business dumping this on you, but it seems I can't help it."

Evie gave Alana a gentle smile. "You don't need to apologize. Like I said, crying helps. And I know we haven't met for long, but we're friends, aren't we?"

Alana's eyes seemed to double in size, as if the idea had been inconceivable to her.

Had she even had a friend before?

Well, she does now. Evie thought. If she accepts me, at least.

"Yes, we are friends," Alana finally said.

Evie again held Alana's hand. "And friends are there for the good and bad moments, aren't they?"

Alana thought for a bit. "That's what I heard. But I've already made you be here for far more than I had the right to. And besides, I shouldn't even be crying so much to begin with."

Evie held Alana's hand more tightly for a moment. "You feel however you're feeling. And it's natural to be sad. She was your mother, you loved her, and it's only been a week. There might be cause for concern if you are still like this in a year, but it's perfectly fine for you to be like this now."

Alana remained silent; either she wanted to stop talking about this or she didn't know what to say. Evie waited for her to decide where to go next. After a few moments, she kept going on the same direction they had been taking, but, subconsciously or not, she kept holding Evie's hand. Evie allowed her to do so.

After a minute or so, around the time they moved from the path of concrete to a stretch of grass that extended along the water, Alana tried to pull her hand free. Evie let her, and they again walked side by side, in silence this time around while Alana wiped the marks of her tears off as well as she could with her hands. Evie wished she had brought a handkerchief, but she had stopped carrying a purse after she became a mermaid, and her pockets weren't particularly spacious. The serviettes at the café would have to do, once they got there at least.

Shortly after Alana pulled her hand free, Evie started watching a familiar building grow in the distance. Although she had only been here a few times, and the last had been years ago, around the time Suzie was fired, it still was pretty much the same. The pointy roof looked just like she remembered, there were still outside tables with chairs and couches, and there was still a small pier not far from its entrance – very convenient if either she or Alana had a sudden transformation into mermaids and needed to rush to the water, Evie couldn't help but to think. And when they approached enough to read the neon sign over its door, Evie saw that it still had the same name: Rikki's.

"Is that it?" she asked Alana.

"It is," the redhead replied.

There was no need to reply to such a comment, but as if nature or fate had decided to provide them with a light hearted moment, Alana's stomach chose that exact time to utter a growl, low enough that no one seating at the outside tables raised their head, but loud enough for Evie to listen. The redhead blushed – very noticeably given her pale complexion – and Evie chuckled.

"And we arrived right on time, it seems," she joked.

Alana's blush deepened, but she chuckled herself. Before either could say anything else, Evie's stomach also growled, which prompted a burst of louder chuckles from both of them as they went in and picked a table.

One of the good things about being able to switch forms with magic was that everything about her human form seemed to come back to place the moment she left her mermaid one. Her clothes would be impeccable, her hairstyles would reassemble themselves, and her keys, money, and cell phone would be in her pockets in a condition as good as if they had never been exposed to water, even they always ended up in that state for at least some seconds, before she entered her transformation into mermaid.

So, it was with no problem at all that, after taking a large detour through the sea to make sure no one from the pod was following her and then going home through a very twisted path for further safety, she took her keys out of her pocket (carrying them there was a necessity, as purses weren't taken away or restored by shifts between forms) and opened the front door. The amount of turns she had to give to the key meant the door was locked, which she knew meant no one was home. As such, she closed the door without any concern, and, after crossing the vestibule, went upstairs to her room.

But after walking only five steps, she froze at the sound of a very stern and very angry male voice.

"Welcome back, young lady."

Her heart pounding in her ears and her tongue bunched into a ball in her throat, she turned toward the source of the sound. And the moment she saw it, all her fear gave way to annoyance. Rather than her father standing in front of the couch with his arms folded and a very angry look on his face, it was her brother, also standing in front of the couch, but with his hands clenched into fists and jammed onto his hips in a macho posture reminiscent of a bodybuilder's and with a teasing look on his face.

"Where have you been until this time?" he said in the same mock-stern voice he had used to make it seem he was their father at first.

Her fists clenched, she stomped down the stairs and then over to him, her wavy elbow-length black hair trailing behind her like a cape. As soon as she got to him, she reached up and clobbered his upper arm.

"Don't do that, Praveer! You almost made me jump out of my scales!"

Although they were of approximately the same height, almost at 180 cm each, he was brawnier than her to the point he almost didn't feel her hit, but he still rubbed the spot with a mock-pained expression. But now that she had vented her frustration, she glanced at the spot she'd hit to make sure she hadn't done any harm.

If she had, it was nothing that could be seen, but given that Praveer, like her, had gotten their mother's tanned skin, bruises weren't easily visible, at least if they were slight.

His act lasted only a few seconds before he teased with a grin, his brown eyes twinkling, "How could I have done that? You know you're on legs right now, don't you, Neelam?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Instead of cracking jokes, answer the proper questions. Where are Mom and Dad? Do they know where I went? Are they mad if they do?"

Her brother's look grew into a more serious one. "Don't worry, I covered for you. I said I didn't know where you were, and suggested you had just gone out for a walk. I don't know how much they believed me, but Mom's at work, and Dad said he went to collect samples, so if they didn't fall for it, they aren't that worried either. Yet."

Neelam sighed in relief, in spite of Praveer's final incisive jab.

"Thanks, bro. You're the best."

He gave a theatrical bow with his arms spread at the waist. "Always happy to be of service."

Again, she rolled her eyes, as he stood up and tucked several strands of neck-length black hair away from his face.

The two of them sat down on the couch, her brother again looking more serious.

"So, did you get to see Alana like you wanted to, or did I have to lie for nothing?"

"I did," Neelam replied. "It wasn't easy to find her, but I did."

Praveer clicked his tongue. "I bet it wasn't easy," he deadpanned. "How is she?" he added in a concerned tone.

Neelam thought for a bit about what to say. She didn't want her brother to know what kind of trouble she had almost ended up in – not after she had promised she wouldn't get into any trouble when he accepted to cover for her if he had to – but both her parents had taught her not to lie, and both them and Praveer always seemed to know when she did anyway.

"She seemed to be well when I last saw her," she said airily. "She even made a new friend."

"A scaly friend or a human friend?" Praveer questioned.

Neelam tried not to grumble. Praveer being the perceptive sort had seldom done any good when they were younger, and it tended to be the same way now. She knew it was useful to be like that - his perceptiveness had even be useful to her on occasions - but she still didn't particularly like being on the receiving end of it.

"It was another mermaid," she admitted. "The local pod ran into her. A few didn't seem to be welcoming her at all at first, but then they were stopped, one mermaid helped Alana with her mother's ashes, and then the two of them started talking, with a long hug in-between. A while later, the two of them swam away together a while later, so things were going in the right direction."

Her brother tapped his fingers on the back of the couch after she finished. He always tapped his fingers on something when he was thinking of what to say.

"We should be happy for her, then," he said. "She needs a friend after what happened to her mother."

Neelam tried not to scowl. "We could have been her friends. If I had just told her everything, we could have been there for her. We could be there for her right now."

Praveer's eyes narrowed. "You know that Mom and Dad forbade you from telling anything, don't you?"

Neelam sighed in exasperation. "How could I not? You and them repeat that to me at least ten times a day."

Her brother smirked as he reached over and pinched the end of her nose. "It's the best way to make sure it sinks in."

Neelam smirked herself as she spotted a joke her brother had walked right into.

"Does that mean I should annoy you about getting a haircut more often?" she teased as she curled a strand of her brother's hair around her index finger.

He unraveled his hair from her finger; she let him. "I like it the way it is just fine, thank you very much," he stated. "And don't even try to compare the two. My hair doesn't have any impact on our lives regardless of how long it is. You telling the truth to Alana could be very dangerous."

Neelam tried not to groan. She had heard that a hundred times, and on a rational level, she knew they were right. But it was just so frustrating to have been so close to having a friend like her and not even be able to be her friend properly.

"Look, I'm not saying you can't see Alana ever again, and you know neither Mom nor Dad ever said it either," Praveer appeased. "You can still keep in touch with her. I'd even say you should keep in touch with her, because she can't have too many friends at a time like this. You just need to stay quiet about what you are, like you have done so far."

Neelam slapped the couch's seat in frustration.

"Why must I?" she shouted. "I'm sure she won't snitch on me to all the pods she encounters or cut me up for sushi or throw me into a tank."

"Mom and Dad said that you can't," Praveer stated. "And until they change their minds, you'd better do as they say from now on. You may have gotten away with it this time, but I can't keep covering for you if you keep sneaking out, and what's more important, you can't expect that pod not to notice you if you keep swimming by their home."

The last bit did have some effect. As much as part of Neelam wondered how bad a mermaid pod could actually be, she had seen enough of the things they did to still be uneasy about the idea of running into one. If she hadn't, she probably would have rushed in to help Alana rather than stayed back overcome by her fear. If those three mermaids hadn't shown up to stop the other four, who knows what might have happened.

"I guess you're right," she relented. "Mom and Dad aren't idiots, and I'm grown up enough to know that they do mean well and lay out those rules because there is genuine danger involved. I just wish things didn't have to be like this."

Praveer sighed. "I know the feeling."

They sat there in silence for a few moments, the only noise that of a few seagulls who picked that moment to start squawking.

"Do you think there's any chance things will be different some day?" Neelam eventually asked. "That there won't be any need to hide from mermaids and I can have friends like me? Heck, do you think that I can ever have friends at all?"

Her brother shrugged.

"I don't hold the future in my hands. Anything can happen. And you know what they say: 'hope is the last to die'."

True. Land people did have that saying. And as far as she was concerned, Neelam still had that hope. But besides being old enough to know that her parents meant well and were trying to protect her, she was also old enough to know that having hopes by itself wasn't enough. People had to work for what they wanted, and so did mermaids.

And she wouldn't give up on what she wanted without working for it a bit more.

From the moment they settled into the café, the afternoon seemed to fly by. As they ate fish burgers and sipped their drinks – an orange juice for Evie, a watermelon one for Alana – their conversation went on, and it ended up breaching all sorts of subjects. It started about their respective countries, with Alana asking Evie things such as how it felt to basically have summer for the whole year, what sort of interesting places there were to see, and the differences between the Gold Coast and Lahinch as far as being underwater went. Evie answered her questions the best she could, telling Alana about places like Purling Brook Falls, Surfers' Paradise, and even about the nearby suburb of Mermaid Beach, which had gotten its name not because of any mermaid but because of a cutter named HMS Mermaid, the vessel where the one who named the area had been at the time. Evie also talked of more personal places, like the park she had gone to since she was little and the beach she had used to go to before her transformation into mermaid prevented her from doing so, in the same manner as before at least.

She also asked Alana about Lahinch, and listened with interest to what Alana had to tell about the place. Although it was a small town, with only around 700 people, and had been a mere hamlet with only a few fisherman's huts until the 18th century, its story went all the way back to the Middle Ages, while the Gold Coast's had only truly started less than 200 years ago. Alana spoke of Lahinch's landmarks, most prominently the centuries old local forts and the ruined Dough Castle, which currently only had a tower left. Like Evie, she also ended up sharing more personal things, such as the area's best spots to catch crabs and a beach where there were waves that were really fun to ride.

At some point – Evie hadn't even thought of checking the time – they ended up paying for their food and leaving the café, but the conversation carried on as they went on a walk by the water, far enough from it not to be caught off-guard by a stray drop but close enough to jump in fast if they were somehow sprayed by sprinklers or something else. Evie deliberately did not broach anything else related to Alana's family, and the redhead did not bring the subject up either. The most personal thing Evie ended up sharing was how difficult it had been to quit triathlon, although it had become a necessity after she was rendered unable to touch water without growing a tail. Alana had confessed she had trouble knowing how it felt, as she had been a mermaid all her life and thus couldn't know what it was to be anything else, but she had also sympathized.

By now, after practically the whole afternoon had gone by, the two of them were sitting on a bench by the water, watching the sunset. Due to the Gold Coast's location, the sun's wasn't going under the sea when it set, but all the same, there were pink and orange streaks growing through the horizon, and at least for Evie, the feeling of relaxation that came from looking at them was no less prevalent than on the sunsets she'd seen at sea. Just as it always happened, when she looked at the setting sun, it seemed that all her problems went away and she was at peace with everything and everyone.

All the same, there was just something more magical about watching the sun setting at sea than on land. And a few moments after the thought came up, Evie realized she and Alana could enjoy that much more easily than most who were currently watching the sunset on land.

She turned to Alana and voiced her idea.

"You know, we could enjoy an even better sunset if we went to watch it at sea." She stood up. "Do you want to come?"

Alana's eyes sparked with interest and she started to nod as she stood up as well, but then, her eyes widened as if something had come over her.

"No. I can't do that," she said. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Why?" Evie asked, trying not to sound as alarmed as she felt. "What's wrong?"

A sad look came over Alana's eyes. It only remained there for a few instants, but it was long enough for Evie to notice. What was going on?

"Nothing's wrong," she explained. "I just remembered that I need to get back to my group home rather soon, or I'll be in trouble."

Ah. Evie thought, a bit calmer. The group home must have some sort of curfew that Alana would do better not to violate. But the relief was all too brief. If that was what Alana was afraid of, it really would be better for her to go before she could be out past hours, assuming she wasn't already. From a glance at her watch, Evie figured she wasn't, but all the same, it was better to be safe than sorry. The ideal would be if Alana didn't have to go back to that group home, but anything Evie could do to change that would take days or even weeks, not hours.

"Do you want me to take you there?" she offered. "It might be better if I explain that you were only out so late because I distracted you."

"You don't need to," Alana reassured. "The curfew isn't that harsh. I can still get there on time even if I walk."

Evie believed her, but she still didn't like the idea of letting her go like that. She would have already been uncomfortable doing so only on the first minutes after she met Alana. Now that she had gotten to know her and care about her, she liked even less the idea of letting her go to a home full of people she didn't know, probably without anyone actually caring about her, and with some maybe actively bullying her.

"I can go with you anyway," Evie insisted. "I don't mind."

"But I do."

Evie tried not to look hurt at the statement. Alana must have realized the mistake in her words, because she looked horrified the moment Evie forced her expression to remain normal.

"I mean, you've already done so much for me. You paid me lunch. You listened to me." Alana's eyes moistened a bit. "Truth being told, over these last few hours, you've been the best friend I ever had. But I know I can't just hoard you."

Evie didn't know what to say to that. She knew she didn't have the right to force her way into Alana's life… but she worried. That was it. All she wanted was to be sure Alana would be alright.

"I'll be alright," the redhead pointed out as if she'd read Evie's thoughts. "Really."

Evie could tell the redhead was trying to convince herself as much as Evie. She wished she could just keep hammering on until Alana relented. She even wished she could just invite Alana to her home and have her stay there – she'd most certainly be better off than any group home of the foster care system. But Evie also knew she couldn't be so invasive all of a sudden, given how little they actually knew each other, and that taking Alana to her home would be seen as kidnapping from a legal point of view. If Alana wanted to go alone, Evie couldn't stop her.

But she could do something else.

"Alright," she said.

She then took Alana's hands off of her shoulders and held them in her own. "But if you want to find me again, you just need to go to the Ocean Café." She gave her the place's address, and added, "I work at its clothes shop, and I'm typically there in the afternoon. If you show up, I promise I'll make time for you."

Alana started speaking as if she was going to refuse the offer, but no sound came out of her mouth, as if she was trying to think of the right words. Evie again did her best to remain patient and not press her to say anything.

"Alright," Alana at last said. "Thank you for the offer." She smiled. "And thank you for today. It was the best day I had in a long time."

"I'm glad I could help," Evie said with a smile of her own.

Then, the two of them shared a hug, the first one they shared without any crying involved, and also the shortest, although it still lasted several seconds, and Alana seemed reluctant to let go. But eventually, at a snail's pace, she started pulling away. Though it felt comparable to having a tooth pulled, Evie let her.

"See you," Alana said with one last smile.

Then she turned around and walked away. Her pace seemed normal, but Evie had the feeling she was hastening it. Evie couldn't tell whether it was because Alana was out past curfew after all or because she was trying to get away from her. She could only stand there until Alana vanished into the distance, and hope that somehow, the redhead would, like she had said, be alright.

Once more, there is a fancast of new characters who show up in this chapter. However, please note that only 'important' characters will be fancast. By this I mean I will not fancast 'extras', mainly because I'd run out of actors too soon. Thank you for your understanding.

So, here goes my fancast for two more characters.

Neelam - Jessica Green (who played Kiki in Lightning Point, or, as USA readers might know it, Alien Surf Girls)

Praveer - Avan Jogia (who played Beck Oliver in Victorious and Danny Desai in Twisted)

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Again, I'll try not to take too long to update the next one.