Okay, so onto chapter ten! The stuff starts to get a little more intense now, and I'm sorry if there are a few errors here and there, I tried to go over it as much as i could before putting it out. On the bright side i do have a lot more chapters I'm going to be putting up, so i hope you enjoy. Please R&R, i do like reading your feed back good or bad. I am still unsure on the dynamics of Bella and James, but i have the basic plot rolling faster now, and hopefully i can incorporate a few other things i have been planning for future chapters, hope you enjoy!

-Mirah

"Where are you little mermaid?" James whispered as he walked through the town directly parallel to Mako Island. He was going to follow his Marine Biology teachers wisdom to search within the radius of the little fishes home. She had to be somewhere around here, or perhaps floating off the coast somewhere lost in the sea, wherever she might be, he was going to catch her and bring her in.

James walked on a docking area for fisherman, and scanned his surrounding, spotting a lone man of wide girth, fixing his nets and getting ready to go out on his last afternoon run before bringing everything in.

"Can I help you mate?" He asked looking up from his netting.

"Yeah, the names James Bancroft, I have a few questions to ask you if you don't mind. I'm from a Marine Biology research center and study area. I'm working for an apprenticeship there through my college." He said holding out his hand to the man.

"Mr. Sertori, and I don't mind answering a few questions." He said with a cheery smile.

"Excellent." James said flipping though a notebook. "Have there been any recent sightings of mysterious or strange creatures in the sea?"

"Your not one of those monster hunters are you? Here to see the mythical 'mermaid' are you?" Mr. Sertori asked a hint of a skeptical smile on his face.

"There have been rumors of mermaids?" James asked eagerly.

Mr. Sertori laughed and finished fixing his net, putting it aside as he face James with a serious look on his face.

"To many like you have caused trouble around these parts, and I'm not bout to have another one snooping around here. Now tell me truthfully, are you really from some big institute?"

"Yes sir." James said earnestly.

"Well then…I suppose if you're really onto it, you can talk to Zane, he's the one who claims to have seen one himself. You might find him at the local café." Mr. Sartori said taking off his hat and moving the net onto his boat.

James nodded and thanked him, and quickly ran off the docks, in search of this Zane person who could hold some clue to his search.

"Good luck there mate!" Mr. Sartori called out "the sports completely bonkers." He mumbled moving back into his boat.

James found the café near a small docking area near the fishing area. A bright pink neon sign red 'Rikki's' and there was a quaint air about the place. Inside there was music playing and someone singing as teens and locals poured in, looking for something to do this Sunday afternoon. He stood on the outside; glancing first at the water, then back to the crowded café that stood before him.

"Come on little mermaid girl, show your face." He whispered as he walked inside, melting into the crowd as he made it to the counter, and up to a tall short hair red head who bustled about the kitchen making smoothing and drinks for the customers.

"Hello." He said as the girl turned to him.

"What can I get you?" she asked handing someone a drink as she pulled out a small pad of paper.

"I'm looking for a Zane. You wouldn't happen ot know where he is would you?" James asked as the music switched.

"Yeah, over there." She said pointing to a shaggy haired teen talking with a blonde haired girl slightly shorter than him.

"Thanks." He said as he moved to where the two stood. Once again he pulled out his pad of paper and with a convincing smile, tapped on Zane's shoulder.

"Hello mate. James Bancroft." He said holding out his hand as the teen reluctantly took it and stared at the black haired green eyed collage student in front of us.

"Zane Bennett. Can I help you?" He asked.

"I'm looking for a mermaid." James said flat out.

The color seemed to drain from the girl face as Zane looked stunned. He just stood there as the blonde haired girl turned and walked to where a brown haired girl stood listening to the live band that played.

"What's it to you?" Zane asked trying to regain his composure.

"I'm here form a Marine Biology and Biotech lab through my collage and I am doing a project on marine life and the odd creatures that roam our seas. I was told that you could help me."

"Hold on, what are you on about?" Zane asked, still to stunned.

"Come on mate, I know you know something. If you help me we could both go down in history as the men who discovered a new species. I believe that you really did see the mermaid, because I saw one off the coast a little under two weeks ago."

Zane shook his head and gave a weak smile as some of the color returned to his face.

"Look mate, I think you have the wrong guy. I was just saying that stuff to get attention back then, and it made for good for publicity and stuff like that. I just needed the money to go salvage a sunken ship and nothing more."

James shook his head, putting the notepad away as he turned earnestly to Zane.

"Look, you have my word I won't steal all the credit." He said.

"Sorry mate. I've got nothing for you, I thin kall that talk about mermaids and stuff is rubbish." Zane said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Yeah well, thanks anyway. Maybe you'll listen up later, here's my card of you change your mind." James said handing Zane his card and heading toward the counter to order a smoothie. As soon as he received his drink from the red headed waiter he turned toward the stage where the music was coming from.

With a loud cough, James nearly choked on the drink as his eyes fell upon the lead singer. A girl with bright blue eyes and long blonde hair stood singing, and recognition instantly flashed through his mind as he set his drink down.

"Is everything all right sir?" The waitress asked as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Yeah everything's fine. Who's the girl up there singing?" James asked.

"That's Bella. She comes and sings every now and then, when she's not off distracting my brother from his work. Why?"

"Oh, I just thought I recognized her from somewhere."

James set down his drink and let out a cough as he tried to regain his composure. How interesting that fate would lead him here, or perhaps it was just good deductive searching and science.

"Are you sure you're okay." The girl asked handing him a napkin as his coughing came to a halt.

"I am now." He said with a wide smile.

R&R