"You'll stay until tonight, then?" Emma asked, after she had processed everything she had been told.

"I have to leave before sunset," Tess replied, her head in her hands. Suddenly, her head shot up.

"Don't tell Father!" she begged.

"Oh, my Tessie, he will be more understanding than you think," she consoled her.

"I don't want him to know. I don't want anybody to know!"

"Other than me?"

"Well, yes, other than you," Tess admitted.

"And Anthony?"

"What?" she asked. "Why would he know?"

"I think he might have figured it out," Emma replied, raising her eyebrows.

"It's his fault to begin with," she complained.

"From what I understand, he saved your life."

"So?" she challenged, pouting like a small child.

"No matter, my darling girl," Emma changed the subject. "We'll make it all better. I have already helped one poor girl today, as best I could. Her name is Helen and if you see her tonight," Emma registered the shock on Tess's face. "Yes, if you should see her tonight, tell her that I will have both of you safe and back on land as soon as possible. I think I have a score to settle with this… monster. Does she have a name?"

"I don't know," Tess admitted honestly.

"We'll find out," Emma said, nodding. "As for now, we must celebrate your return!"

"Maybe if we didn't make a fuss…?"

"No, it won't be a fuss, just a small little party in your honour. Would you like that?"

"Oh, yes!"

"And we will find this man, the one who can help you. I also thought I would never find a man who could love me as I was," Emma reminisced.

"What do you mean?" Tess wondered.

"I never cared to tell you that before I met your father, I was a servant in my stepmother's household, sleeping amidst the cinders and never rising from my knees as I scrubbed all of the floors."

"Mother!" Tess exclaimed, perceiving her in something like a new light.

"Well," Emma waved it off, "All that is past now. Those who might have hurt me then are dead, and their ghosts are not coming back to haunt us…"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sylphide, standing in her cave, looked absolutely delighted as she peered into the mirror to see Emma speaking with Tess.

"…their ghosts are not coming back to haunt us…"

"Are you so sure about that, Lady de Winter?" Sylphide said with a monstrous smile, which showed her strangely pointed teeth. "Quite sure?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Later that day, just as the sun was beginning to set, Tess slipped out of the house. Her reunion with her father had been a joyous one, and Dominic had thought that he might die of happiness, knowing that his two children were returned to him. However, true to her word, Emma kept her promise and did not tell him of Tess's secret; instead, she made up a lie about Tess needing sleep and sent her to her room, whence Tess slipped out when nobody was looking.

She ran down to the beach and found an isolated spot. After having checked several times that nobody was around, she slipped off her velvet gown (which she had donned upon returning to her home) and hid it among a patch of rocks. Then, she walked into the water, wincing at the unpleasant sensation of legs being turned into a tail.

She looked back at her family's chateau, whose windows were just now being lit with candles. They seemed to wink at her, inviting her to go home for the night and sleep in a warm, soft bed, for once. But, if that was the case, then they were mocking her. She could not sleep in a bed, ever again, unless she should find someone. Somebody… She started to hum to herself, a wordless little melody, quite sad, and she floated on her back, still looking at her home, not moving as rapidly as she should have, considering the fact that she was still in the shallows and it was not completely dark.

"A man who will love me as I am," she thought to herself. She looked at her golden tail, which practically glowed in the light of dusk. "And why shouldn't a man love me as I am? Am I not equally as beautiful now? Am I not still the same pers—"

Her thoughts were brought to a standstill when she floated right into somebody.

Oh, NO!

Petrified, she turned around and quickly pulled her tail farther down into the murky water. She had hoped and prayed that it might be Helen, whom her mother had told her about and who was probably still in these waters.

No such luck.

Standing in the water, which came up to his waist, was a handsome young man. Very handsome. He had blonde hair that spilled over his forehead in ringlets, and the most brilliant grey eyes. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought Apollo himself was standing before her. But that was the very crux of the problem. He was standing.

"You startled me!" Tess complained, (even though she was in no position to complain), folding her arms across her nearly bare chest, out of modesty.

"I'm sorry," the stranger said, staying where he was. "I'm a bit startled myself."

"Don't come closer!" she squealed, trying to pull further into herself. It was not yet completely dark, and she couldn't risk anybody seeing her like this. A scrap of sunlight could give her away.

"I'm not," he replied crossly.

"W-what are you doing, swimming out here, by yourself, at night, anyway?" she managed to ask, after ascertaining that he was not coming nearer and it was getting darker.

"I might ask you the same question," was his sarcastic reply.

"I asked first!" Tess exclaimed, almost eager for an argument with this impertinent young man.

"Well, I saw you change and I thought you might—"

"You what?" she shrieked, suddenly terrified. All of her worst fears were confirmed.

"No, it's not like that, Miss." He was anxious to calm her, but she could not respond, in her fear.

"What do you want from me?" she moaned, finally.

"Your help," he mumbled, flushing crimson.

Tess's fear melted into surprise.

"With what, exactly?"

The young man continued to blush and said nothing.

"Well, what is it?" she pressed.

"Ahm…" he began and, not knowing how to finish, gave up speaking and gestured weakly to something next to him in the water.

"What!" Tess exclaimed, looking closer and recognizing the glint of scales.

"So, you see," he interrupted her before she could speak again, "We're birds of a feather. Or.,. Mmm…" He once again lapsed into silence, grinning sheepishly at his own half-joke.

"How?" she wondered. "I didn't think that there were any—"

"Others?" he finished for her.

"Well, yes!"

"Did she tell you that?"

"Who?"

"That witch. Sylphide."

Tess bit her lip. That was the creature's name, then.

"Did she do this to you?"

The stranger started to roll his eyes, but did not continue, out of deference for the concerned girl in front of him.

"She did," he affirmed.

"Why? And when?" she asked. "Surely not before me…" she added, to herself.

"Only a few weeks ago," he replied. Then, frowning, " I think. It's hard to tell without a watch and calendar."

"But why?" she pressed.

The young man massaged his temple and then extended his hand to Tess.

"My name is Victor," he said brightly.

"That doesn't answer my question," Tess said with a scowl, ignoring his outstretched hand.

"You're not exactly polite," he observed. "I'll tell you why once we're properly introduced. So…" he prompted.

"Theresa," she mumbled, as if begrudging him the knowledge of her name.

Victor smiled and took her hand in his own.

"Theresa," he repeated. "Well, then, I'll keep my word. Only," he raised a shoulder, "Can we go somewhere farther…" he gestured with a hand in the direction of the open water.

"Oh! Yes, of course!"

A/N: Another character… This is getting complex! Don't worry, I know how to tie up all the loose ends. This is going somewhere! Many thanks to my reviewers. I would appreciate it if you could leave me a word or two if you read this and enjoy it! (Oh, and I am already anticipating that most people won't like my omission of a reunion between Dominic and Tess. I wasn't sure how I wanted to do it, so I left it up in the air; I may change this in rewrites. Plus, it is 4 am, and I have a philosophy class in a few hours!)

Much love to all,

Titania