Chapter 37

"How is Saturday?" Lewis asked Alan

"I'm free. This is going to be great!"

"We'll go over and have lunch and there you can meet a few mermaids."

"Over...?"

"To Mako,"

"Why are we going to Mako?"

"It's where we live." Lewis replied,

"Live? Are you the rumoured millionaires who bought the island off the government?"

Lewis nodded.

"Oh, by the way, Rikki said if you told she'd roast you alive – and I can say she means this literally," Lewis said.

"Literally?"

"Mermaids have certain paranormal powers,"

"Oh." Alan said.

OoOoO

Alan anchored his boat in a bay that Lewis had described. He sat down on the sand and waited for his friend to arrive. A few minutes later Lewis emerged from the trees holding hands with Cleo. This was the first time Alan had seen her since before the revelation that she was a mermaid. Alan looked at her in a new light, he chastised himself however as it was obvious nothing about her had changed. She was a regular woman who looked about twenty years of age. She seemed nervous. Lewis had told him that he and Cleo had grown up together and were the same age; however, looking at them now, Lewis looked at least five years older...

'It must be a mermaid thing' Alan thought. He got up and went to greet them.

OoOoO

Over the years, everyone had learnt what to expect from humans seeing evidence of magic for the first time, the guests all had very similar reactions to their island village and the fact that they were all half fish.

Lewis and Cleo walked Alan up the well-worn path to the private section of Mako. His breath was taken away once he saw the peculiar buildings. At first, he had the same reaction but once Cleo explained how they were made he went over to feel the substance the walls were made of. Bella was more than happy explain what she thought it was. Alan had a more scientific approach to the whole thing. He started asking the same questions that Lewis had when he was younger.

"Mate, I've been trying to figure this out for years. A very wise old woman just told me to put it down to magic. It definitely saved me a lot of brain pain, believe me," Lewis said.

"I hear you would like to see a few of us in mermaid form," Cleo said. Alan nodded enthusiastically.

"Come with me."

OoOoO

Alan followed Cleo down the well-worn track to the rocky outcrop and slid down the entrance to the Moon Pool cavern. Alan looked around in awe, he saw the moon pool, and a pile of towels in the corner. His breath hitched when his eyes settled on what, or more precisely, who was in the pool itself.

"Alan, I'd like you to meet my daughter Jennifer and Rikki's daughters, Charlie and Leila. They were born mermaids," Cleo said.

"Hi!" they chorused.

He knelt on the edge of the pool.

"Nice to meet you girls," he said quietly, struck by the beauty of their tails. Cleo dived into the pool herself and was a mermaid in seconds.

"This is just incredible!" Alan exclaimed, "Thanks so much for showing me,"

As Alan and Cleo chatted about mermaids at the moon pool, Rikki surfaced and scowled once she saw who was there.

"What is he doing here?" Rikki asked rudely.

"He wanted to see a mermaid in person Rikki, You said he could come."

'But not here!' Rikki replied via mind speak. 'Charlie, Leila, why are you here?'

'We volunteered Mum," Leila said.

"You three should go home now,"

"No." Leila said

"Can we go swim on the reef?" Charlie asked verbally.

"Alright, don't be too long," Rikki replied. She went a sat on one of the convenient steps as the three girls sped out of the moon pool.

Alan was just watching the exchange silently.

"Alan." Rikki addressed him.

"Nice to see you again Rikki,"

"Mhm," she nodded absently.

"I must say, you look stunning with tails, both of you,"

"Thank you." Rikki replied stiltedly, "Anyway, I must be off." She pulled herself out of the pool, flapping round like a fish out of water to roll onto her back.

"Ah, do you need some help?" Alan asked, watching her struggle.

"No. I'm good." Once on her back she stretched her hand out and steam began to rise off her tail.

"Are you doing that?"

"Yes. Yes I am. My mermaid power is boiling water and...this," The now human Rikki shot a bolt of lightning down the cone, not too far from Alan.

"Rikki!" Cleo exclaimed.

"No, it's fine that was amazing!" Alan smiled once out of his shock. This was not quite the reaction Rikki was looking for.

'Don't be so rude,' Cleo chastised Rikki. Rikki ignored her and left the moon pool. She was not sure about Alan yet.

"Sorry about Rikki, she finds it hard accepting new people," Cleo said.

"It really is fine. What is your power?" Alan asked Cleo

"It's not really as dangerous as Rikki's..." she trailed off and stretched out her hand forming the water into various shapes before sending it back into the pool with a splash.

"Cool."

Cleo pulled herself out of the water.

"Could I...touch it?"

With an amused smile Cleo gave him the go ahead.

"Its slimy," he said to himself.

"I'd hope so," Cleo said, "Otherwise I'd probably be sick...or human."

"Right, I didn't mean to say that aloud." Cleo just laughed. With a flick of her wrist, droplets of water from her body went flying into the pool. Once again, she was in her human body.

Together they went back to the village to socialise and have that lunch.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! Tell me what you are thinking. I will update ASAP.

The Taylor Swift concert was absolutely amazing, one of the best times of my life :)

Thanks so much to Sophia68696, gabisamore, Arocksprpl2, and Paradox Tremors for reviewing the previous chapter, it means a lot.

Also a special mention to Separate Entity for reviewing a lot of chapters in 'A Fishy Tale' and gotdraco for reviewing that story too. I hope you guys are enjoying the sequel.