Authors Note:

I forgot to put this in the first chapter, but it should be well apparent by now that I don't own this. Just here to have some fun.

So glad to see so many of you are eager for this. Makes me happy and motivated to post sooner rather then later. Several of you want to see Laura hook up, to that I'll just say wait and see. Beyond that please enjoy and constructive feedback is always welcome.

Chapter 2:

Telling the Boss

It took a whole week between talking about telling our supervisor and actually telling him. We tried several times during then to do it but we each chickened out. One good thing we did learn was that we had the same supervisor, Laurie.

What finally got us through it was finding that small fact out. It changed our plans from each telling him alone to us telling him together. I guess there is something to be said for having a friend there for support. We chose a day we both worked and planned to arrive together and tell him first thing.

I woke up the morning of the big day so nervous I was jittery even before drinking my usual coffee. I almost chose to forgo it this once until Bella grabbed my arm seconds before I pulled a repeat of last week.

"Let's not do that again shall we?" She said.

"Yeah. Definitely. Let's not." I noticed my hands were shaking as I turned off the water in the sink. "Why are you up so early?"

"I'm a bit nervous about today too." She confessed. "What you and Cleo are about to do is kinda scary for us all. It's unlikely, but not impossible, that he'll figure out that your closest friends are the other mermaids. I keep going over all the worst stuff that could happen and it's kept me up most of the night."

"Well either you should get some sleep or join me for a pot of coffee. I don't think it's gonna matter much either way."

"I'm going to meet Rikki and Emma over at Emma's house in a bit. Maybe I'll calm down enough with them there to catch a quick nap." She turned and headed back towards her room.

"Well I hope it helps, but please do try not to worry each other more. We'll call or text as soon as we finish telling him to let you know it's all OK." I said as I headed to my room and my much needed coffee.

"You can't be sure it'll work out." She moaned.

"Sure I can. Power of positive thinking." I called back.

"Well that'll help." She said unconvinced.

I laughed a bit. "Fine I'll think optimistic and you think realistic and we'll meet in the middle."

"Middle of what?" Cleo called as she came in the front door.

"We're just having a philosophical debate on the power of thinking positive." I told her.

I heard her take a deep breath and then pause for a bit before responding. "Well I guess it can't hurt. Right?"

"That's the spirit!" I called out now finished with my third coffee. I looked at the pot and considered a fourth when Bella came in and took the last for herself.

"You drink enough as it is and you're jittery enough all ready." She said lifting the cup to drink.

"Careful that's still hot." I tried to warn her but was too late. The hot liquid had burned her tongue and she jerked the cup away too quickly and spilled some on the back of her hand. I quickly grabbed the cup out of her hand, put it on my nightstand, and then grabbed her shoulders and turned her so her back was facing my bed just in time for her to fall over as her tail formed.

"Ouch! Damn it!" she exclaimed. I was a bit surprised. I'd never heard her swear before, even mildly.

"Cleo! Bella needs a towel." I called out to the main room. "You stay here and I'll get dressed." I cooled the cup of coffee off. "If you still want that it's safe to drink now."

"Erggh!" Bella practically snarled out while yanking on her hair as if she wanted to pull it out. I managed to spare her dignity by not laughing out loud as I grabbed my outfit for the day and borrowed her room to get dressed in. I passed Cleo in the hall as I did so, noticing that Cleo looked just as nervous as I did. This did not bode well.

By the time I got dressed and was back to my room Bella was dry and had carried the coffee into the kitchen where she liberally added sugar and milk to it. I didn't comment, to each her own. Instead I gathered up my stuff for the day. I was skipping breakfast for the simple reason of being to nervous to have any sort of appetite I figured I'd grab something at the park afterward if, no when, it went well.

"Cleo it's 6:30, we should get going." I told her. She nodded, gathered up her stuff, and after a wave to Bella followed me out the door.

We walked in silence for most of the way there. Exchanging only a short who goes first question and answer run when we were crossing the parking lot to the employee entrance. In the end we just decided to just do it at the same time.

After a quick stop in the break area to store our personal stuff in the employee lockers we when hunting for Laurie. It didn't take us long to find him as he was at Ronnie's tank giving the overly playful dolphin his breakfast.

"Laurie," I squeaked.

"Let me try," Cleo offered. "Laurie!" She called in strong if only slightly higher than normal pitched voice.

Oh yes. The picture of calm we were not.

"Morning Cleo. Laura. What's up?" He called out to us with a wave before tossing another squid to Ronnie.

"Um... Is there somewhere we can talk?" I asked him. "Just the three of us. No interruptions or eavesdroppers?"

"Uh. Sure. Is something wrong?" He asked us looking worried.

"We hope not." Cleo said. "But we need to tell you something important and we don't want it getting out to others."

"I though you were with that guy Lewis." He said completely misunderstanding.

"While I have no quarrel with those that live that kind of life that's not what we want to talk to you about." I said. Cleo hadn't been able to say anything, she had just turned a bright red.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't assume." He tossed the last squid to Ronnie. "Well follow me. We can talk over in my office I guess."

He led the way to his office. We'd both been here before, Cleo to check in with him and me when being introduced to him, and it hadn't changed much. A desk, a few chairs, a computer, and his degrees hanging on the back wall above a well organized book shelf. He only came in here do to paper work, his real job was with the dolphins and other marine life in the park, and if he could ditch the paperwork he'd never come in here at all.

"So what's up?" He asked. "You're not here to quit on me I hope."

"Nothing like that." Cleo started

"We just felt we should clarify a few things with you." I finished.

"Like what?" He asked, clearly confused now.

"Like why I never got dive certified." I said.

"And why I won't go in the water with the dolphins." Cleo said.

He leaned forward. "OK. I'm all ears."

I looked around the office as if seeking inspiration when I saw a half full pallet box of bottled water on the floor next to his desk. I reached down and picked one up.

"Do you mind?" I asked. He shook his head. "Thanks." I opened the top and after a shared look with Cleo quickly flicked my wrist, splashing us both. "Sorry, but honestly, it's quicker this way."

"What do you..." he started but he broke off as our transformations took. His eyes bugged out and he shot to his feet.

"Breath." I instructed him, and he gasped in a quick breath.

He slowly walked around his desk to get a closer look. "This is... just... just, well, unbelievable." He finally stammered out.

He quickly turned and after double checking the lock on the door slumped back against it. "Well it certainly explains a lot." He blew out a deep breath. "Does anyone else know? Here at the park I mean?"

"No." We answered together.

"Just you." I said.

"We'd kind of prefer if it stayed that way. You understand." Cleo said.

"Well I guess I can understand that." He said returning to his seat behind the desk. "Well I guess the first thing you should know is I have read the official reports and documentations, and I am well aware of your protected status. That said it puts me in a bit of a bind as there are tasks that, you Laura, will be required to perform that would almost definitely reveal this.

"As for you, Cleo, you are one of the best dolphin trainers I have ever instructed or worked with, and I have long wanted to promote you to full trainer, but we both know that means getting in the water with the dolphins both in training and at the shows. Which it's clear you can't, or won't, do."

"Well we hoped by showing you that we could figure out a way around this. We really like it here and really want to stay, but this does tend to make being around water in public difficult." I said.

"Uh... you wouldn't happen to have a towel handy would you?" Cleo asked.

He quickly grabbed two from under his desk and handed them to us. "I keep several in here in case I have to run in here after working with the dolphins and need to dry off." He explained seeing our perplexed looks.

"Ah! Makes sense." I said. We started drying off.

Laurie stared off into space while we did that. He was clearly thinking things over. You could almost see the gears turning in his head.

Just as we finished getting dry his gaze settled back on us, a decision clearly made in his eyes. I mentally crossed my fingers.

"Well I see the only way to have you two continue to work here and be able to perform your jobs is if we were to tell more of the staff." He held up a hand to stop us from objecting. "But before that I would first hold a meeting with the full staff, disguised as a mandatory training lecture about mermaids, and make it clear that mermaids are protected and then we can see what the general opinion is before picking a few to tell first. If you feel comfortable that is.

"Other then that you'd be stuck in the lab running all the tedious tests that require little to no ability to do," he said pointing at me. "And you would be stuck as an apprentice trainer until you chose to move on to a different job." He said pointing to Cleo.

We groaned. Neither of us thrilled at those prospects.

"We'll have to talk to the others first." I said.

"Others?" His face lit up.

"You read the research you should know exactly how many of us there are even if you didn't know our names." I pointed out.

He laughed. "Darn. I though I could get you to slip up there. Can't blame me for trying though."

We groaned again.

"Well in the short term I guess we'll have you continue as you are Cleo, and Laura you can continue with getting to know the staff and animals here at the park. I'll make it clear that you're finding it difficult to find a dive class, this being the off season for it, and so you won't be tasked with anything requiring you to get in the water just yet." He looked at each of us in turn, "that work for now?"

"Yeah. That'll work for now," I said. Cleo nodded her agreement.

"Great!" He jumped to his feet. "Let's get to work for the day. Man this just so amazing!"

The rest of the day was very stressful for us both. We sent a text to the others to let them know and then continued with our daily routine. The whole time Laurie had a look on his face that clearly shouted I know something so cool and you don't. Eventually we had to take him aside and point it out to him. We faked it as if we needed to ask him a question about something. Thankfully it worked and he toned it down during the second half of the day and things went a bit smoother.

Just before we left he called all of the training and marine care staff over for a general announcement. On Monday he planned to give a mandatory lecture on dolphins and everyone was expected to attend one of the two sessions he would be scheduling Then he wished us all a good afternoon and let us head out.

"What are you doing?" I asked him after everyone else except Cleo and myself had left.

"Well I figured that just in case you all agree to give the green light for the lecture it might be best if the staff is used to getting one every week or two. They won't think as much of it, and if the response is bad it won't make them as likely to try to figure out why mermaids were suddenly brought up." He explained. "I'll start with a few of the species we have in the park then do a few on species we don't have and include mermaids in that. It should help keep it a little lower profile which you seem to want."

I shared an impressed look with Cleo. "Not a bad plan."

"Not bad at all," Cleo finished.

"Thank you." He said. "Now get out of here and have some fun this evening."

We laughed. "Sure thing. Cleo what do you think? Swimming or shopping?" I said.

"Oooooo... that's a tough one. Let's ask the others." She answered. We laughed again and took off before he could comment.

We were in good spirits on the walk back. The others were still at Emma's so we headed there. Her mother greeted us at the door with a big hug each and an insistent tug to come inside. Something we hastened to do as her hands were soaked from what ever she'd been doing before we arrived. We barely made it to the carpeted family area before we both pitched forward and fell to the floor.

"Oh shoot." Mrs. Gilbert swore looking down at her hands. "I'm so sorry about that. I'll let the others know you're here and I'll find you a towel." Suiting action to words she headed to the stairs and yelled up. "Emma. Rikki. Bella. Your friends are here and I'm afraid I forgot I'd been washing the veggies for dinner before greeting them."

She came back to us with a pair of bath towels she'd grabbed from the down stairs bathroom. "So sorry about that dears. You think I'd be used to it all by now."

"Don't worry Mrs. Gilbert," I started.

"Lisa dear, your like family to us you know."She corrected me.

I chuckled. "Lisa then. Please don't worry to much about it. We're kind of used to this sort of stuff happening. It's just a lot easier with you actually knowing so we don't have to run for a closed room and have you standing out here confused."

The others had arrived to hear the end of my conversation with Lisa, and were quick to agree it was much easier with them knowing.

"Yeah, Mom, don't stress to much over it. These things happen and it is so much easier these days with you guys knowing."

Rikki shook her head and snatched the towels away from us. She had a wry grin as she started to dry us off. "Sorry but this is really much faster. Though why you don't just dry yourself this way more Laura is something I wonder about."

"I usually forget I can these days with the four of you around able to do it all so much better than me anyways." I said.

"Ah. I right. Well your done." She said.

We stood up and folded the towels back up and put them back in the storage at Lisa's instance. We then gathered on the couches where the others were quick to start in on us for details of the day.

"So what happened. Your message said it went well and you'd give more details later," Emma started.

"Well it's later and we want to know." Rikki finished for her.

"Relax guys. I think that's why they came here first after all." Bella said.

We all shared a laugh and then Cleo and I filled them in on all the details and his plan to handle it.

"And so he's going to give lectures to the staff on some of the other species we do have and then a few lectures on ones we don't have and he'll then work one in on mermaids if we all agree to let him." I finished up.

They looked thoughtful for a moment. "So basically he hope that they won't find it too odd when he brings up mermaids if they are part of a series of these things as opposed to just being told about out of the blue." Bella summed up his plan.

"That's the idea." Cleo said.

"So how much time do we have to think about this?" Emma asked.

"He's hoping to have one every week or every other week. I think he wants to see how much resistance there is to it on Monday before he decides when to have the next one." I answered her with my best guess.

"Well that gives us at least a week or two to decide," Rikki said. "So we can take our time with this one."

"Yeah." Cleo said. "Well he also told us to go do something fun this evening. So what do you guys feel more in the mood for swimming or shopping?"

"Well we did just get paid today." Emma said while exchanging a look with Bella.

"And I could really use some new shoes and accessories for summer." Rikki said.

"The new summer fashions did just arrive in stores too." Bella added.

"Just be home in time for dinner at 5:30." Lisa called from the kitchen. "Will you girls be joining us tonight? You all more then welcome too if you like, and it would be nice to have the company."

Rikki and Cleo each had their phones out to contact their parents while I just shot a quick look over to Bella who just nodded.

"Bella and I are in," I said.

"Me too," Cleo answered. "Sam said yes and she'll let Dad know"

"Thanks Dad. Love ya." Rikki finished her call. "I'm in too, Dad actually loves that you guys are so welcoming to me. He still worries about me you know."

We tackled Rikki in a group hug then gathered up our purses and headed out. We had a blast trying on stuff and ended up coming back loaded down with new stuff. When we got back to Emma's house her father took one look at all the stuff we bought and just shook his head mystified at how we always ended up with so many bags. Elliot just asked why we needed all this new stuff when we had closets full of stuff already. Lisa just started going over everything commenting on how nice some of the stuff would look on us and oohing and ahhing over some of our finds.

"Elliot just let it go. It's a girl thing I don't think we're meant to understand." Emma's father told his son.

We enjoyed a nice, if overly healthy, dinner with Emma's family. Afterward we still went for a swim. The corals looked so beautiful in the fading light of the setting sun. Things were getting so confusing for us these days that we made sure to enjoy the simple stuff any time we could. We would be glad we did by the time this was all over.