Hello everybody. Thanks for the reviews. This is chapter is a little long but I hope you like it.

~firechild 16~

Chapter 10

Cleo's POV

I placed my hand around my bare neck. I can't believe she stooped so low! I had to tell Lewis. I slowly got up to my feet. I groaned from the pain I still felt. Charlotte will pay for what she did. She could hurt me but when it comes to my child there will be hell to pay.

I hurried to Juice Net when I saw Lewis putting my locket around Charlotte's neck. She turned around and gave him a big kiss on the lips. I saw her look at me; taunting me. How could Lewis just let her wear my locket? Lewis pulled away from the kiss and turned around.

He looked at me and gotten angry quickly. "Cleo what are you doing here. Don't you have someone else to go to. Like your child's father?" I placed a hand on my belly. He knows! "Lewis I-"

He shook his head at me. "Stop it Cleo. You lied to me and cheated on me!" Cheated on him? I never cheated on him. Who would ever give him that idea?

I looked at Charlotte who was smirking at me. How could she do this. God Lewis. You can't believe her. "Lewis its not-"

"Please just stop with lies! I thought we were close but you just turned out to be a two-timer. At first I thought I loved you and you just broke my heart." I felt tears fill in my eyes. "Lewis please! I-" He shook his head at me. "Go Cleo. I never want to see you again."

I saw him grab Charlotte's hand and sat back down in the chair. I felt like my air was stuck in my throat and I began to feel uneasy; like the world was spinning. I didn't know what to do. I turned and ran out the Cafe and went to the beach. I sat down in the sand and stared out at the water.

She was right. I am pathetic. I don't deserve to be a mermaid. Why is everything becoming so hard. The only time everything is okay is when I'm in the ocean. A safe place. A place where nothing can happen.

I looked down at my feet and saw the tide splash near them. I looked up at the water. It looked so inviting. I could go anywhere. Get away from everything. It would just be me and the baby.

That's all that really counts right? I know the baby will be a mermaid. We could live out there together where no one could harm us. I got up to my feet and ran to the water and dove in. I felt my tail appear like always. I swam away just leaving my problems behind me.

~Few Hours later~

Emma's POV

I wonder where Cleo is? Really haven't seen her today. Rikki and I were in my room doing homework. I looked up from my textbook and looked over at her. "Rikki do think Cleo is okay? She looked really upset at Juice Net."

She dropped her notebook on her lap and gave me a look. "She's probably fine. I think we kind of scared her today. We shouldn't have said that. She has enough to worry about. She hasn't even told Lewis about the baby yet." I sighed and sat up. "I know but I have a feeling something bad has happened to her. I don't know. It's just a feeling." Rikki sighed and smiled at me. "Please. I bet Cleo is at home now feeding her fish and just doing homework like we are doing."

I laughed. That did sound like something Cleo would do. I guess I'm over reacting just a little but I couldn't shake the feeling off. What if their was something wrong?

My phone began to ring. I wonder if it's Cleo. "Hello, Cleo?" I spoke into the phone. "Emma please tell me Cleo's there," panicked into the phone. "No she's not."

I heard him groaned and make a nervous sound. "Well is she with Rikki. Please say she's with Rikki," he begged. "No she's not. Rikki is with me. Mr. Sertori what's going on?" He sighed again so sadly. "It's Cleo. We had an argument today and she took off. I haven't seen her in hours. Emma I'm worried. She's never been out this late. Please call everyone you know who have seen her."

Cleo's Missing! I turned to Rikki. " Of course. We'll come over quickly." I turned off my phone. "Rikki we have to go. Cleo's missing."

Together we ran to Cleo's house. Rikki knocked quick and loud on the front door. God I know I had a bad feeling. I hope Cleo's okay. Please let the baby be okay too.

The front door opened and Mr. Setori studded there; looking so worried. "Oh I thought you were Cleo." We walked into the house and saw Kim on the stairs looking worried. I wouldn't blame her. If Elliott was gone I would be worried sick. I wouldn't know what to do.

"We called everyone," Rikki told them. "No one has seen her. She would never do something like this. I hope she's okay." Mr. Satory began to pace. "I'm going to go call the police." He walked out the room with Kim following him.

"Maybe she went to Mako," Rikki thought out loud. "Well lets hope so." Together we ran out the house and went to the beach and dove into the water. We swam around Mako but we didn't see her. We looked at every rife and the cave but she was nowhere to be seen.

God Cleo where are you? We swam for hours just looking. We found nothing and the sun was setting causing it to be too hard to see. We swam to the beach and walked along it calling out her name. We never found her.

"Cleo where are you," Rikki yelled out. "Look Rikki lets call it a break today and pick up in the morning when the suns ups. She wouldn't take off like that. Who know maybe she will come home in the morning." Rikki gave me a look. "And what if she doesn't. What if she hurt or something happened. I wouldn't forgive myself if anything happened to her or the baby. We can't stop looking!" I sighed and wrapped my arm around her.

"We won't stop looking. Look Rikki I'm scared too. More than anything. Cleo is my best friend and I feel like I'm letting her down but we need sleep and the next morning we come out here and look for her. I promise we will find her." She nodded and we walked to her house. I called my mom and told what was happening. She said I could stay over. She said she would keep a look out for her.

~The Next Morning~

Lewis POV

I was walking to Juice Net when I noticed a mom carrying her young daughter. They smiled at each other when the young girl's dad come over and took her and put her on his shoulders. Just looking at that made my chest hurt. Once I thought I would have a future like that with Cleo but that dream was crushed before it could begin.

She told me I was smothering her. Please! I bet she was cheating on me way before that. She just couldn't tell me the truth. Well good riddance with her. I hope she gets what's coming to her. I was in front of Juice Net when I heard my name being called.

I turned around and saw Rikki and Emma running towards me. They both looked worried. I bet they knew too. They all lied to me! "What do you guys want? I have to meet Charlotte; the only person who doesn't lie to me for once."

"Lie to you? What are you talking about?" Rikki demanded. And more with the lies. "I know that Cleo's pregnant guys. She cheated on me and you didn't even tell me. What types of friends are you." They both looked at me confused. "Lewis what are you talking about, " Emma demanded.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't play dumb. Charlotte told me everything. Cleo was already seeing someone else even before we broke up. Cleo found out she knew and tried to bribe her not to tell me but giving her your locket. I can't believe you guys."

Rikki stepped forward; glaring at me. "Cleo never cheated on you Lewis. She loves you. You should really talk to that psycho girlfriend of yours because yesterday she threatened Cleo to hurt her and the baby if so much as told you. You should ask her the real story of what happen. I thought you knew Cleo better than that. No wonder she ran away." Ran away? "What do you mean she ran away," I yelled. Emma pulled Rikki back next to her.

"Cleo ran away and has been missing since yesterday. We came here to ask for your help but I guess you really don't care do you since you think so lowly of her. Come on Rikki lets keep looking." They turned and left when Rikki stopped and turned around. "Another thing. Cleo never told you she was pregnant because she didn't want you to give up on your dream. How do you think of that." She ran and caught up with Emma. I felt like I was about to be sick.

I grabbed onto the chair outside and sat down. What the hell is going on here. Cleo lying, her running, her being pregnant, her cheating on me. I don't know who's telling the truth or not. "Hey there are you are,' I heard Charlotte.

I looked up and saw her smile at me. "Did you lie to me?" I stood up and looked at her dead in the eye. "Everything you said. The reason you have that locket. Was it all a lie." She held the locket nervously. I got my answer. I can't believe I believed her!

The things I said to her. Oh god I messed up. I turned and walked away from her. I had to find Cleo. God I hope she's okay. And the baby. My child.

I heard someone running after me. "Lewis where do you think you are going," Charlotte demanded. I turned around. "Tell me the truth, did Cleo give you that locket." She smiled at me. "Of course not. I made her give it to me; well it took it a little persuasion and had to hurt them a little."

Them! "You attacked my baby too," I yelled in her face. She crossed her arms. "Lewis I was trying to help you. A baby would ruin everything for you. I tried to handle it so you wouldn't have to and besides; that baby is probably dead now after I got done." I couldn't look at her. "Charlotte I thought you were the perfect girl for me but you are just a monster. We're done."

She looked taken back a bit. "Done? Are you breaking up with me." "Yes. You attacked Cleo, lied to me. The things I said to her! I just hope she forgives me after all that. You just better hope the baby is okay or will never forgive you. Just say away from me and Cleo; as well as my baby too." Her jaw dropped. "Lewis you don't understand. That baby is too dangerous to live. Yesterday Cleo used her and that things power against me in Juice Net. There's no telling what it can do!"

"Well that's mine and Cleo's problem. You stay away from them. I mean it or you will have a big problem on your hands." I turned away from her and started looking around the beach for Cleo. God where could she be. Maybe Max could help me out. I hurried to his house and saw him filling up his boat.

"Max I need you help," I said out of breath. He turned around and looked at me worriedly. "What is it?" I finally had my breath back. "It's Cleo. She ran away yesterday and I need help finding her. Do you know where she could be!" He sighed; not a good sign. "I don't know Lewis. That is a big ocean." "Please Max she's pregnant! I need to know where she is."

He held his chin and looked out to the water. "When Gracie would want to be alone she would go to Triton's Reef." My eyes widened "But that's a shark breeding ground!" He looked at me and handed me squid chum. "Then you have to hurry. Cleo might be in more danger then we both think." I nodded and ran to my boat. Please Cleo if you're okay try to hang on.

Cleo's POV

At first I thought this was a good idea but now not so much. I thought being on my own would be a good thing but here I am with sharks around. I could swim away but I just too tired. I have swum for 24 hours. I wish Lewis was here.

I tried to hold on to the coral as tightly as possible. I've never been more afraid in my life. I hid deeper in the little empty hiding spot when I spotted a shark coming towards. I tried to move in deeper. I don't want to die like this!

I want to be with my family, to raise my baby, to see him or her smile. Take their first step. Call me mama. Please god I would anything to live. I closed my eyes; not wanting to see it coming when I heard a speed boat over head.

It slowed to a stop and chunks of squid fell into the water and a bunch of red stuff. The shark turned away and speed to the squid mush. I swam a little forward when I saw someone dive in. I moved back quickly and watched the person swim around when they spotted.

They swam in front of me wearing a snorkel and google. It was Lewis. He looked at me with his hand left out. Why is here. He told me himself that he never wanted to see me again but here he is.

Why should I even go with him. All the mean things he said to me. Accusing me being one of them. I moved closer to the rock and held onto it. I watched him look at me with pleading blues and stretched his arm closer to me; like he was begging me to go with him.

Is he really here to save me or is just playing cruel joke on me. I looked into his baby blue eyes and saw sadness and regret in them. I smiled and reached my hand out to him and held it. He smiled under the snorkel and nodded. He pulled me out of my hiding space and together we saw to the surface.

I swam to land and crawled up on the sand and dried in the sand; watching my tail disappear and I was wearing my clothes like before. I saw Lewis drive his boat to land and pushed it onto the sand. He hurried to me and lifted me up on my feet and held me tightly and I felt him caress my hair back. "Oh Cleo I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you. Please if there anyway you could forgive me. I was so stupid to think you would cheat on me with someone else. I want you to know that no matter what your decision is I am right here and I want to be in this baby life. I'm begging you please let me."

I looked at him completely shocked and felt woozy on my feet. I felt my legs buckle and I fell forward. "Whoa careful there," he said catching me. "Lets sit down. I have a feeling you're exhausted." He put his arm around my waist and helped me sit down on the sand.

"So how did you find me here," I asked him. "Max helped. He gave me the squid chum." I looked away from him and looked out at the water. "So does your girlfriend know you're here." He sighed.

"Actually ex-girlfriend and right now I don't care what she thinking right now." He looked down at his feet. " I'm sorry," he said aloud. I turned my head away from him. "What you said really hurt but I kept wanting you to come after me, but why did you even come? You think I'm a two-timer; so thought you wouldn't even bother with me anymore."

He flinched from my words. "I'm sorry I believed Charlotte's lies," he apologized. "At the time with you not talking to me and rushing off I thought it was true. I'm really sorry Cleo and I hope you will forgive me and if possibly let me part of our baby's life." I shook my head. " Lewis you don't have to do that. You have a future and raising this baby will distract you, causing to slack on your work and lower grades. I can't let you do that."

He reached down and grabbed my hand. "Cleo it's my decision. I don't care about anything but to know that my child knows I for him." I gave him a look. "-or her. Cleo what I mean is that I know it will be hard but to know my child is safe, happy and loved is all I need. Please Cleo." I pulled my legs to my chest and looked down at the sand.

"Give me one reason why I should," I demanded. I felt his hand on my knee. "Because this is why." I looked at him and saw him lean in and kissed me softly passionately on the lips. I froze at first when I lifted my hand and held his cheek and returned the kiss.

We pulled away and rested our foreheads together. I smiled and looked up at. "Well I guess my answer is yes. You can be in the baby's life." He looked at me worriedly. "As friends?"

I shook my head and kissed him again and laughed. "Well I know my answer now." He wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my head. I wrapped my arms around him his waist. I snuggled up to him when I felt his hand caresses my belly bump.

I smiled up at him and looked out at the water. I felt complete now; I was with my family once and for all.