Sirena's POV

I feel so useless just sitting here. One of my best friends, no technically sisters, is in danger and I'm doing nothing about it. I know what Rita told us, and I normally would never think of disobeying her, but… I can't help but think she's wrong this time. I look around the grotto. Other than Poseidon, I'm alone. Rita's at the school, for a meeting or something, and Lyla went swimming. She's said she needed to clear her head, and then she's going to keep an eye on Zac. Rising to my feet, I leave the house. I head to the café. When I walk in, David walks up to me.

"Hey Sirena. Do you want something to eat?" he asks. "We have a new special, Clam Chowder Soup."

"Sure, David. Thanks." I answer. I sit down at one of the tables and stare out at the ocean. A few minutes later, David sets a bowl in front of me. Steam wafts up from it and I have to admit, it smells really good. I smile at David, and he sits down across from me.

"So I hear you're going to the marine lab tomorrow." I comment. David nods.

"Yeah for a school trip." He replies. "Any chance you're going to?" I shrug.

"I want to, but Auntie Rita says I shouldn't skip school. I'm still trying to convince her to let me come." I say. I tentatively take a spoonful of the soup, making sure not to drip the hot liquid on myself.

"Well I hope you can." David states. I smile.

"This is really good." I inform him, taking another bite.

"Glad you like it." David says cheerfully.

"Sirena!" I turn at the sound of my name. Lyla is standing in the doorway to the café, beckoning me to come over. I turn back to David.

"I think I have to go now." I tell him.

"Oh, alright then." He says, sounding disappointed.

"I'm really sorry." I apologize. I place some money on the table, before going out to meet Lyla

"What is it?" I ask.

"Rita will be home soon, I don't care what she says, we're going with her." Lyla declares.

"But how are we going to do that? You know what she said." I tell her.

"Just come on" she says. I sigh, but follow her back to the house.

Rita is already inside when we walk in.

"Hey girls. Everything is set for the trip tomorrow. What do you two plan to do while I'm gone?" Lyla crosses her arms.

"We're coming with you." She states. Rita sighs.

"Lyla you know you can't" she reminds us.

"Please Rita, we want to help, Nixie's our best friend." I beg.

"Sirena, what if you get found out? You won't be able to help Nixie then." Rita says.

"We won't, we'll be careful. Rita please." I promise, my voice cracks. Rita sighs.

"What would I even tell the students? They know you don't go to the school." Rita asks.

"Tell them it's for school. You could say I'm doing research and Sirena's helping." Lyla suggests.

"Alright, you can come." Rita caves. "But you have to promise to listen to me, no matter what you think. Deal?"

"Yes." I cry "Thank you Rita." I hug her.

"You girls best stay here tonight. We leave early tomorrow morning. I have a spare bedroom upstairs. Let's get you both settled for the night." Rita says. Lyla nods and we both follow her upstairs.

Nixie's POV.

I stare at the box of prawns. For once I no longer have an appetite. All I can do is worry. That was the only secret keeping Lyla, Sirena, and Rita from being discovered, and I just blew it. the door shuts loudly as Dr. Taylor leaves. The second she's gone, Diana spins around and stares at me, I look down at the white tiling on the floor.

"Explain." Diana demands.

"What is there to explain?" I ask.

"Everything. How does that happen? Why does it happen? What triggers it? Everything Nixie." She exclaims.

"I don't know how or why it happens, it just does. It only occurs when I'm dry, but its really hard to explain." I mumble.

"So when you're wet you have a tail and when you're dry you have legs? How much water does it take to return you to your original form? Or is this even your original form."

"More or less, just one drop, and yes, I was born with a tail and I intend to die with a tail." I state

"One drop? Wow that's inconvenient. Alright I have one last question for you. Why was it such a big deal? I mean what's wrong with Janice knowing?"

"Because it's dangerous." I exclaim. Diana raises her eyebrows questioningly.

"How?" She asks.

"Mermaids have died from drying out. Not all of us can do that." I say.

"Oh… Wait hang on. So you're not the only one. There are more of you?" She demands.

"My pod is gone." I state. "And I've never met others." Not a complete lie. My pod really did leave and Rita used to be part of it too, I think. Diana lowers her eyes.

"Oh, um I'm sorry." She apologizes. "It can stay secret." I nod. "Can I at least see how it works?" I hesitate. I really should be trying to keep my powers a secret, not that I can use most of them anyways. Diana notices my hesitation. "It's not draining on you is it?"

"I'm not sure." I admit honestly. "Its never been something I've had to worry about."

"Well don't worry about it. I do have to go anyways." She says, standing up and leaving the room. The moment she's gone, I pull myself out of the water and wait.

Ten minutes later, I'm dry. I stand up at run to the door. I try to pull it open, but its locked.

"Great." I mutter. If only I could actually use my powers. I could unlock the door and be home free. With a sigh, I begrudgingly head back to the water and slip in.

Diana's POV

I walk down the hall; I'm supposed to meet Janice in the lunchroom for one o'clock. I glance at my watch, its twelve fifty five. I walk into the lunchroom. Janice is sitting at the table with a coffee and a banana nut muffin.

"Hey." Janice greets.

"Hi." I reply. "How are the sea otters doing today?"

"Much better. They're recovering well. Ossie's fever has broken and Nayla is up and about. I say another week and they'll be able to go home." Janice answers happily. The two sea otters had been brought in about two weeks ago after getting caught in an oil slick on the opposite coast. Ossie was really sick, and Nayla was injured.

"That's great." I say. "So what's on the agenda for the rest of today, and tomorrow while we're talking about it?"

"Well tomorrow the high school children are coming remember?"

"Oh yeah I forgot. That should be interesting." I comment. Janice nods.

"And today Sarah is going to take a look at Nixie." Janice informs me. Sarah is our well-renowned sea vet.

"That's good. When are we doing that?" I ask.

"You and Sarah will go in about twenty minutes. I have some paperwork to sort out for tomorrow." Janice states.

"Hey what are those kids going to be doing tomorrow anyways?"

"Just see the different wildlife, learn about the program. The usual." Janice replies.

"Do you plan on letting them see Nixie." I inquire.

"I plan on it, if Sarah's report goes well." Janice says.

"I have a feeling Nixie won't be too thrilled with that." I state.

"No probably not, but she could generate a lot of funds for the center. It will benefit our research, and help with the wildlife protection program. I think I'm going to go through with it." Janice admits. "Now go meet Sarah, I have that paperwork to do." I nod and head out the door. I find Sarah in the main lobby.

"Hey Diana." She greets cheerfully.

"Hey Sarah how are you?"

"Great. So who's my patient?" She replies.

"They didn't tell you?" I ask puzzled.

"No they did, I meant a name. Gosh isn't that amazing. I never once thought it was a possibility. What's it like?" she gushes. I motion for her to follow me. I answer her as we walk down the hall.

"Her name is Nixie. I didn't really think they could exist either. And she's sweet. Young, and insanely stubborn, but sweet." I unlock the door to Nixie's pool and we walk inside. Sarah sets her equipment bag on the floor and walks over to the edge of the pool. Remembering my first alone encounter with Nixie I decide to warn her.

"Sarah don't stand so close." I warn.

"Why?" she asks. At the same moment Nixie breaks the surface in an eruption of water droplets. She dives back down, smacking her tail against the water, so a large amount of H2O flies at Sarah, drenching her hair and clothes.

"That's why" I reply with a laugh. Nixie's head pops up from under the water. she laughs.

"That wasn't funny." Sarah exclaims glaring form me to Nixie. The young mermaid shrugs.

"I thought it was pretty funny." She comments.

"Nixie, you can't keep doing that to people." I tell her.

"Well it's not like there's much else to do in this stupid tank. It's just a joke. If I don't do something I'll go nuts." She exclaims.

"You sure you're not already crazy?" I ask. She gives me a sour look. "Besides, you've got us, you can't be all that bored."

"Oh yeah great. Every time one of you comes in here, I end up a science experiment." She mutters.

"Okay well, let's not forget why we're here. Diana let's get started." Sarah suggests.

"Get started on what? Who are you anyways?" Nixie asks.

"Right, Nixie this is Sarah. She's a doctor. She's just going to take a look at you." I explain.

"Yeah no see, I'm not sick, so I'm going to pass." Nixie says.

"Sorry Nixie, not an option, out." I state. Nixie glares at me before hauling herself out of the water.

"Do I have to do this?" Nixie asks uncertainly.

"Yes. It's for your own good." Sarah replies.

"Well, shouldn't we do this in the water?" she suggests hopefully. Sarah shakes her head.

"It will be much easier and faster out here." She explains.

"You'll be fine. Just do what Sarah tells you too." I reassure her.

"Can you lie on your back please?" Sarah says. I half expect Nixie to refuse, but she complies. I hope Nixie's spirit isn't breaking. If she gives up, there'll be no chance of her getting back to the ocean. Sarah pulls on a pair of medical gloves. She takes a thermometer out of her bag.

"Here, put this in your mouth." She tells Nixie.

"It doesn't look very edible." Nixie states. "And I'm not really all that hungry." Sarah laughs, and I stifle a few giggles.

"You don't eat it." Sarah informs her. "it's just supposed to go under your tongue. It will tell us your body temperature." Nixie take the thermometer and sticks it in her mouth.

"How long is it supposed to stay in my mouth." She asks.

"Just don't speak or it'll take longer. Relax." Sarah says. After a few moments, she takes the thermometer from Nixie.

"Well, its not the same temperature as our bodies, but her temperature is quite similar to what you'd find in a healthy dolphin or seal, so I'd say its normal." Sarah says. I nod and write notes down, knowing Janice will want a full report. Nixie shifts uncomfortably on the tiling. Sarah rolls out a thick beach blanket.

"Here lie on this. It's not the most comfortable, but at least it'll provide some cushioning between you and the floor." She says.

"Thank you." Nixie says, shifting onto it. Sarah nods. I stand ideally as she finishes her evaluation.

"Alright, we're done." She says. "Do you need help getting her back in the water?" she asks me. I shake my head.

"No you go. Janice will want your report." I say, shooing her out the door. I turn around to find Nixie slowly standing up. She must have dried off. "Come on you should get back in the water." I state, walking towards her. Nixie ignores me and bolts for the door. I catch her arm as she runs by. "Nixie it's locked." I inform her. "You can't open it." She sighs.

"Guess there no point in asking you to open it?"

"No, you know I can't" I say.

"This isn't right." She exclaims angrily. Her face a mixture of pain, anger, and longing. "I just want to go home. Is that too much to ask?"

"No. or at least it shouldn't be." I reply.

"Then why? Why keep me here? I don't even know why you brought me here in the first place." She cries.

"Because at the time you needed help. Don't try to tell me you didn't. As for why you are still here, because Janice hasn't okayed your release yet, she's in charge of that."

"Then when? When can I leave? I don't like it here anymore that you'd like being stuck on a reef with a bunch of hungry sharks." She states. Pure sadness fills her eyes and I feel really bad.

"Honestly… I don't know. Nixie you're special, more than I expect you to understand. I don't know if Janice plans to release you at all. As cruel as it sounds, your existence alone is a huge scientific discovery." I explain. Tears begin to well up in her eyes and her shoulders slump in defeat. I begin to realize how devastated she must be. Nixie doesn't strike me as someone who cries easily. She sinks to her knees.

"I just want to go back. I don't belong here." She admits.

"I know." I say sympathetically. Her eyes flash.

"No you don't. You're not locked up like a prisoner. You haven't been pulled away from your home, and stuck in a tiny box. I belong in the ocean, I'm a part of it, and now I can't even hear waves lapping at the shore. You have no idea what that's like." She shouts. And she's right, I don't know how that would feel. I wish I could comfort her, but who am I kidding. I'm one of the people keeping her here. I think I'm going to talk to Janice about this. Too much longer and Nixie might fall into a depressed state, which will make returning her to the ocean much more difficult.

"Look Nixie. There's a tour group coming around tomorrow. A bunch of kids from a nearby high school will be coming here. Janice wants to show you off to them." I tell her. She shakes her head.

"No" She refuses firmly. I sigh.

"I know you don't like the idea, but making Janice happy makes her more likely to do things for you. I know from experience. She'll be much more cooperative with releasing you if you make her happy, than if you fight her every step of the way." I inform her. Nixie doesn't reply. Instead she gets up and jumps into the water, disappearing below the water. Before she went under I thought I heard her say something. It sounded like,

"I'm not a possession, and I refuse to be put on display like one." I smirk at her stubbornness, but I can't help but worry about what that might mean. Janice had a point when she said Nixie could bring in money. The center was struggling. If we didn't find some funding soon we could go under, but using Nixie might wind up making her a permanent exhibit, which I didn't want to do. I sigh and walk out the door, with many conflicting thoughts running through my mind.

Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. I hit writers block, plus school and the swim and water polo teams have been taking up a lot of my time. I'll try to update faster from now on. Btw I'm open to suggestions. If there's something you want to happen, mention it and I'll see if I can incorporate it into the story. As always reviews are loved. Thank you to all of you who have been leaving them.

-mermaid