Hey lovelies! So this has been sitting on my computer for a bit. I finally have time to upload it! Another chapter will be coming along shortly as I am on Holiday break for a month or so. Wanted it to be longer, but I thought it would be best to include what I was thinking about in the next chapter. Anywho, enjoy!

Cleo sat on her bed cross-legged. She was dressed in a simple white sun-dress and held a picture of Lewis in her hands. Her eyes brimmed with tears as her mind spiraled with the events of the day that she had already experienced and what she still had to go and do.

Her family knew her secret. Not only that, but she had told them everything about her. Everything. She stared at her hands as she held the precious image of Lewis. The webbing was gone, but her hands felt tingly and constricted. And her legs were itching like crazy. Falling asleep in that bathtub had been a horrible mistake. It had taken almost an hour for her change back. She knew that part had freaked out her dad and Sam almost more than anything.

All in all, they were taking it well. Sure, she was banned from the ocean and any other body of water for the rest of forever, but they trusted her enough to go to Lewis's memorial. Kim was having issues with it, still muttering words of 'freak' and 'monster' under her breathe every time they passed in the hall. Cleo worried that she was going to tell Eliot or try to sell her to the news.

But there was so much she was thinking about, that worry fell low on her priority list. She had to trust that her dad wouldn't let Kim sell her out. They still loved her, and for that she couldn't have been more grateful. Were they freaking out? Yes, but they at least hadn't locked her in her room.

Her phone buzzed on the bed next to her and she spied the text from Emma. She'd called the gang after things had calmed down and explained that her family knew everything. Yes, she'd explained, everything. Emma was now texting that she was on her way so they could walk to the beach together for the memorial. The others would meet them there.

Cleo felt the tears spill down her cheeks. In her gut it felt so wrong to be going. She hadn't had a dream of Lewis or any news from him. Her heart broke every time she thought of him out there somewhere probably being experimented on. But she had no leads or proof of it. Cleo knew that some of her friends thought that Lewis was actually gone. Shaking her head vigorously, she had to dismiss that thought again. She would know if Lewis was dead…wouldn't she?

Sniffing she stood from the bed, leaving the picture behind, and trudged out into the hall and down the stairs, ready to face the hardest part of her day.

-h-2-o-

Ms. Chatam stood on the dock outside of Rikki's Café, staring up at the slowly darkening sky. Twilight was on its way and it was her favorite part of the day. It was when the ocean was in such a wonderful stage of transition and activity. The waves rolled and the fish took on a feverish action as they swam into their depths for the oncoming night. It was also when predators tended to be most fierce. And not just in the ocean, she knew. Ms. Chatam needed to worn her young friends, but something held her back. Fate was working hard against them and she didn't know if she should be helping them to fight back or instigate it along.

Decisions, decisions. Ms. Chatam wrapped her ocean colored shawl about her shoulders as a cool breeze caressed her back and tossed her hair. Tonight was going to be interesting.

-h-2-o-

The beach was strangely quiet with the amount of people gathered at the shoreline. Cleo felt the tears brim to her cheeks again as she stared at all the people who had gathered to remember Lewis. He had been so involved in everything and a good friend to so many people. As she and her friends made their way through the crowd she heard words of condolences. Cleo wanted to throw their words back at them, insisting that Lewis was still out there.

Emma, Rikki and Bella crowded around her was the only thing keeping her grounded and from breaking into a fit of hysteria. Cleo spotted Lewis's family at the shoreline and she gave Lewis's mom a hug. His mom wrapped her in shaking arms as she gasped into her hair. His brothers stood by looking grave and drawn. Lewis had been the youngest of the three and his two older brothers looked a bit lost without him around.

After a few minutes Ms. McCarthy released Cleo and looked into her eyes.

"Oh dear, you were so good for him." Tears streamed down the older woman's cheeks. "He loved you so much. I just knew after school that the two of you were going to spend the rest of forever together."

That did Cleo in. She burst into tears and collapsed to her knees. All the tears and hurt and uncertainty she had been feeling for the last two months since she had lost Lewis poured out of her. She felt her friends gather around her, and then her family was there, along with Lewis's. So much love but she still felt this gaping hold inside. Was he really gone?

The sun slowly sunk towards the horizon as candles were passed out to the swelling crowd. The lap of the waves was their background as the sky lit with brilliant shades of pink and orange. Cleo dragged herself to her feat, grabbing a candle, watching the ocean she loved and hated.

One by one the crowd filed towards the mound of flowers, pictures and mementos that created a pile where the waves ebbed. A lantern hung nearby and each person would light their candle and press it into the sand around the pile. As the crowd came forward they were forced to move back as the rows of candles grew.

The gang and Lewis's family went and then Cleo, last of all. She stared desperately at the candle in her hand. So many emotions tore through her in a tumult that threatened to sink her into a depth of despair she didn't know if she would be able to recover from. She gazed at the pictures of Lewis at her feet. His bright smiling face with those intelligent and kind eyes. The smile that could make her knees wobble and create wonderful butterflies in her stomach.

The candle hung, unlit, at her side as she watched the sun make its final descent. The flickering candles created a soft halo of light around her, giving the scene an ethereal feeling as she watched the horizon for a final hope. A tiny boat bobbed off in the waves in the distance, but there was no flash of a blue tail or any other sign that Lewis was out there.

Letting go she lit the final candle and then sank into the sand, her white dress flaring upon the ground. Feeling her heart clench and break into a million unfixable pieces she placed her candle among the others. The sun sank below the horizon and the crowd slowly began to melt away. The candles flickered and one by one burned out while Cleo continued to sit there in silence, staring at the ocean. It had given her so much, but now it seemed it had taken everything from her. And it wasn't done. She only had maybe a week left as a human and then she knew that she would be joining the ocean permanently.

Cleo didn't know how long she had been sitting there for when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Slightly startled she looked up and was surprised to see Ms. Chatam. The old lady sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shaking shoulders.

"My darling mermaid, your heart is broken."

Cleo, drained and numb inside, simply nodded her agreement.

Silence stretched between the two as the stars twinkled behind the meandering and wispy clouds in the inky sky overhead.

Ms. Chatam took a deep breathe, breathing in the intoxicating scent of the ocean at night, the palm trees making whispering sounds in her ears. She knew what she needed to do. The real questions was if Cleo was able to make the sacrifice she was about to ask of her.

"As the swaying trees whisper, the oceans respond in kind."

Cleo shook her head. "I don't want riddles Ms. Chatam." Cleo felt a red hot anger swell in her chest.

"It's not a riddle dear. It's destiny."

Cleo jumped to her feet, startling her older friend. "Destiny?!" She screeched the word out through clenched teeth. "What of it?! I want nothing more to do with this! The one thing that I thought I could always trust, being a mermaid, has turned against me and my friends! It has taken the boy I thought I would love forever. Why should I listen to your horrid riddles about destiny?!"

Ms. Chatam gaped at the young mermaid. So much anger and hurt!

"Cleo, love, calm…calm." She held up her hands in a soft sitting motion. "Listen to what an old mermaid has to say. Let your heart heal for a second."

Cleo burst into tears. "The only thing that can heal my heart is what broke it in the first place, but everyone believes he is gone!"

Ms. Chatam gave her a small, warm smile. "My dear Cleo, since when did you ever get anything good by listening to the noisy voices around you? You have always been strongest when you have looked inside, deep into your heart and listened to yourself."

Cleo's voice was raspy and soft when she finally replied. "But my heart feels empty. How can I listen to something that I don't think is working anymore?" She collapsed next to Ms. Chatam. "What do I do?"

"Like I said dear; as the swaying trees whisper, the oceans respond in kind. When one true heart yearns, dreams can be your guide." Ms. Chatam gently cupped Cleo's face so she could look at her. There was so much despair in those eyes that she knew she had to do this. This would be a way for her to allow destiny to be followed, but her heart as well.

"I have something to give you. Something I found while researching and discovering. I've had it for a while and hoped one day it would be of use." Ms. Chatam dropped her hands and dug gently into the pocket of her over gown.

"If I give this to you Cleo, you have to follow destiny. It may be painful and you may find more hurts along the way, but it will all work out. Do you trust me on this?"

Cleo stared out at the ocean again. Did she trust Ms. Chatam? What else was she to do?

"And what is my destiny?" Her voice shook as she asked.

"Why, dear, don't you know? You are to be a strength to your friends and to this world. For one so young you have learned so much. You and your friends will do so much good for this troubled planet. But you need your Lewis to be able to do so."

Ms. Chatam opened her hand. On her palm rested a small silver ring. It looked like a mermaid tail that wrapped around so the fin met the base. On the base sat a gorgeous pale blue stone that seemed to glow softly in the moonlight overhead. Immediately Cleo felt drawn to it. Her fingers crept towards it and she lifted it carefully to examine it closer.

"What is it?"

"From what I could find, it's a moon ring. That stone is a very refined version of the stones in the necklaces Bella made for you. It has the power to store moonlight and use it to your will." Ms. Chatam smiled. "It is magic, Cleo. It has guided me to help you and your friends and now you need it more than me."

"Magic?" Cleo would have been skeptical if she hadn't been a mermaid and hadn't been able to feel the gentle power that pulsed out of the stone.

"Yes dear. Use it to find Lewis. You and your friends need to go get him. And when you have succeeded, you will be able to use the ring to embrace life to the fullest." Ms. Chatam placed the ring on Cleo's finger and smiled.

"Lewis is out there?" Cleo could barely whisper. She had known it but she had almost given up that sliver of hope.

"Of course dear. Now take your friends and go find him." Ms. Chatam stood up and walked away before Cleo could say more.

Cleo sat there, stunned, confused and with her emotions in another uncontrollable tumult. As she thought of Lewis the ring on her finger seemed to glow brighter. It was going to lead her to him! She jumped from the sand in a run and chased up the beach. She had to get the others. There was no time to lose!

In the shadows of the palm trees a figure watched the exchange between the two women and listened closely to the revelations. Pieces were beginning to fall into place and understanding crept into the viewer's mind. It all made sense now. And now she could get what she wanted. Life was about to get a whole lot better for her. But she was going to need help. She thought back to who she hadn't seen that night and knew in a way that he would help. Oh, yes. Everything was coming full circle. She was going to need to be quick if everything was going to work.

Cliff hanger! Enjoy them because there are only a few more left! Reviews are love, and now would be the time for ya'll to let me know if there's anything you want to see happen before the end. Happy Swimming!