slaymaids season 1

by hvj

a remake about h2o just add water, where the girls have to fight demons and stuff like in charmed and buffy

19. We all scream for somebody to love

Thanks to WALIXELA, the idea of this story was totally hers.

We all scream for somebody to love

Emma, Rikki, Lewis and Cleo are walking towards school. They just saw Cleo using her powers on Kim.

"So what happened to not using her powers aside from when we absolutely have to?"

"I did absolutely have to do it. You know my sister… Alright you guys don't know what it is like, you don't have little sisters."

"I have a little brother and he can also be a little annoying sometimes."

"Hey, Rikki you are quiet."

"You know when you get a song stuck in your head and you can't seem to get it out?"

"Yeah, tell me about it. I couldn't get the Charmed theme song out of my head for like three years."

"Alright, well, I have absolutely no idea what this one is and it's driving me crazy."

"How's it go?"

"I'm not gonna sing it for you."

"Why not? Maybe we'll recognise it."

"Okay." She starts humming something. "Anything?"

"Nada."

"I'm thinking if you try it again with a little bit more oomph, you know, maybe some choreography, and Cleo could back you up with some old-school beat box?"

"Why did I know that I would not get any help out of you crazy people?"

She walks away. Cleo, Emma and Lewis follow.

"Oh, come on, wait a minute. Wait."

-h2o-

An ice-cream truck is driving down the street playing the same tune Rikki was humming. It stops in an alley. A boy walks up to the window.

"Would you like some ice cream, little one?"

"Yeah."
The ice cream man shows his face. "You didn't say please." The boy gets sucked into the truck and screams on his way in.

-h2o-

That evening, family dinner isn't really fun at Cleo's place. "Look I don't know what this crazy fight between you two is about…" Kim and Cleo both start doing their stories. "Quiet. I don't want you two behaving like this when Angela arrives tomorrow."

"Angela?"

"Your cousin, dummy."

"Her parents have been going trough a rough path lately, she it would be good for her if she could have a happy family feeling while she is here."

"Do we have your support on this?"

"Can I have a padlock on my bedroom door?"

"Can I have a new sister?"

"Girls!"

"I promise I won't let Cleo annoy me."

-h2o-

Rikki is asleep in her bed. In her dream she is in a snowy playground. A little girls screams for help. She runs through the playground over to her mother right when Rikki's alarm wakes her up.

-h2o-

Rikki walks out the door to get the newspaper. She looks around and hears the same tune that has been stuck in her head. She walks back into the kitchen where she gives the newspaper to her dad.

"Rikki, sit down, there is something I need to tell you."

-h2o-

Rikki is sitting on the bench in the park, where Zane finds her. "Morning, sunshine." Rikki ignores him. "Okay, how about, uh, cloudy with a chance of showers?"

"I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Nothing pressing. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's nothing."

"Rikki! I know you well enough, speak!"

"One of my dad's friends called last night. He works in the Chester hotel and he swore that he saw Eleanor walking through the lobby."

"Eleanor? As in your mom Eleanor?"

"As in she hasn't spoken to me in ten years. And now she's probably in town, and she hasn't even bothered to call us. Yes, that would be the one."

"Why do you think she's here?"

"I don't know. And I am not going to go out of my way to find out."

"Wait, you're not even curious? Come on, Rikki. I mean, she is your mother."

"No. Like I said before, I've come to terms with her lack of parental involvement. You know, some people just weren't meant to have the Rockwellian Portrait, the house, the two car garage, the picket fence, the Golden Retriever, and the doting mum and dad."

"Okay, so you don't have the typical family, but she is still your mom Rikki."

"No, Zane, she isn't. Not since the day she left me. I only have a dad, okay?"

"And you have other people that love you too." He kisses her on the cheek. "Shoot, I gotta go. If you want to have lunch, I'll be up on Knob Hill in the park, okay?"

"Okay."

Rikki gives him a quick kiss on the cheek, but he pulls her in for a big one. When they pull back away there is a smile on her face.

"Now that's the Rikki I like most."

He gets up, but she grabs his shirt and pulls him back.

"Not enough."

She pulls him back down and sits down on his lap so he can't get away. She starts kissing his neck.

"Rikki, although I love what you're doing, I really have to go. I have to talk to someone."

"Can't you just stay a couple of minutes longer."

She looks at him sadly.

"I guess it isn't that important that I have to…"

That was all he could say before he was sucked into another kiss.

-h2o-

Emma and Byron are sitting outside the juice net café.

"It's nice to have you all alone for me one for once."

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon Emma, you're almost always busy with something. If it isn't work, then it's school, then it's Rikki and Cleo and sometimes you don't even say were you are going, then you are just gone."

"Well you have me now."

"Yeah, that's true. Let's try to enjoy ourselves then."

Byron and Emma lean in closer, but before there lips can touch, they are interrupted by a cough. They both look up to see Zane staring down at them.

"Emma, could I speak to you?"

"Dude, can't you see Emma's busy."

"Busy, with you? Even she can get better then that."

"What jealous that you don't have a girl of your own? Or jealous because I'm with Emma? I heard the rumours that you had a thing for her."

"Oh please, that was in twelfth grade, can anyone say ancient history? And for the fact, my taste has grown and definitely changed."

Before Byron could come up with a return, Emma interferes.

"Alright, guys enough is enough. Five minutes Zane."

Zane gets a few feet away, Emma tries to follow him but Byron takes her hand so she can't go any further.

"Emma! What are you doing?"

"Byron, relax, it's Zane."

"You know what? I'm out of here. You can spend the rest of the day with Zane if you want."

"Byron!"

But he's already gone. Disappointed in Byron, Emma stops before Zane.

"Alright, it better be serious enough for you to disrupt…"

"It's about Rikki."

"What about Rikki?"

"I heard that her mother was back in town."

"So?"

"She was clearly upset by it."

"Why? And how do you know about this."

"Well I saw her in the park and she told me… She was on the phone. I think she needs a friend to talk about this."

"Whoa, am I getting this right? Are you actually caring about someone else then yourself for a change, and to make matters even more weird, Rikki?"

"Can you just check up on her later? I think she is still going to be in the park in the afternoon."

Zane leaves, leaving Emma confused.

-h2o-

Cleo and Lewis are walking in the marine park, following Kim and Angela.

"You got the whole of the gold coast and you bring them to your work?"

"Well Angela really wanted to go body boarding and here I at least know where the water dangers are. By the way, thank you for coming."

She hooks her arm in his arm. He gives a kiss on her hand.

"Well I can't stay long, one of my brothers needs a hand with his computer."

Kim and Angela turn around.

"Can we go on the volcano ride?"

"I thought you hated rides?"

"Angela wants to go in it."

Cleo looks at it.

"Well there is a lot of water."

"So, it's not like you're allergic to it?"

"It's alright Kim, if it's too hard for Cleo."

"Fine, I guess if you want to go on it, you can. Lewis."

-h2o-

Zane and Rikki are sitting on a bench eating lunch.

"So, Cleo said that Angela is a really nice girl and…"

"You're dodging."

"Right, what would I be dodging?"

"It has to do with your mom."

"Why do you insist on pinning everything that I do on my feelings or lack thereof for my mom?"

"Rikki, you say you're over it, but you say it so much that I have this feeling that the person you're trying to convince is yourself. And believe me, having a distant mom is better than having no mom at whole."

"I'm sorry Zane, but my feelings for my mother are in the past which means it really has no place in the present." A girl starts humming the tune. "There it is."

"What?"

"That song that has been stuck in my head all week. Don't you hear it? Somebody's humming it." Rikki runs over to a little girl and Zane follows her. "Hi. Hey. I was wondering if you could tell me what that song is you're humming."

The girl points to an ice cream truck that drives by.

"Okay, riddle solved. Now you can stop humming that stupid song. So I think we were in the middle of you trying to make a strong argument of why you're not gonna go to see your mom." Rikki continues to stare at the truck. "Rikki, if you keep ignoring me, my feelings just might actually implode." Rikki runs off towards the truck, with Zane on her heels. Emma just comes into the park and sees Zane and Rikki going to the ice-cream truck. Curious as she is, she also goes to the truck but to the other side.

"The truck pulled up and no one budged, and did you notice? There are no parents."

"Okay, connect the dots for me, please?" Rikki walks off again. "Uh, preferably standing still." Zane follows her. "Do you have a hankering for a snow cone? Rikki, we're in the middle of a conversation."

"Yeah, well, something's wrong."

"Yeah, I know that. Why don't you talk to me about it?"

"Not with me, Zane, with this, alright? I have a total déjà vu coming on."

"Okay, so first you're humming weird songs, now you're having flashbacks?"

Rikki and Zane walk up to the truck when they hear someone screaming for help. Rikki runs around the truck and find Emma holding a girl's legs. She is being sucked into the truck. Rikki also grabs her legs and they succeed in pulling her back out. The ice cream man pokes his head out the window. Emma, Rikki and the girl all get sucked into the truck. Zane also comes around the truck to find no one there.

"Rikki?"

-h2o-

Rikki and Emma are in the snowy playground from Rikki's dreams.

"Uh, alright, where's the little girl?"

"I don't know. I was holding onto her and then..."

"We have to find her."

"Well, first we have to figure out where the hell we are."

"Well, I'm just gonna take a wild guess and say that we're not still in the ice cream truck."

"Or even worse, we are still in the ice cream truck."

They hear children in the distance.

"Emma…"

"I know, I hear it too." They hear a noise which gives them a fright. "Alright, if there's a way in, there's definitely a way out."

The ice cream man comes up behind them.

"Who are you?"

Rikki and Emma both scream. Emma tries to freeze him but it doesn't work. Then Rikki tries to melt the snow beneath his feet but is also doesn't work.

"No powers."

"I'm not surprised."

A hole opens up above them and the ice cream man runs away. They hear more noises.

"Okay, something tells me he was not running from us."

"Okay, let's go."

They start to run off but a little boy comes out of the bushes.

"Help! Please help me."

They go over to him.

"Help you from what?"

"The nothing."

"Is that the man that we just saw here?"

"It's up there." He points to the hole in the sky. "It comes for you, for everybody. When it gets you, the only thing left where you stood is nothing. You never know when it's coming, and you never know who it wants. We try to hide, but he keeps finding us. Hurry, it's coming. In here." He runs towards the bushes. "Come on. Come here, in here."

Rikki and Emma follow him in the bushes. They crouch down beside a tree. The nothing starts to suck. A girl comes out of the bushes near by.

"Wait for me!"

"Run!"

"Help!"

The girl runs towards them but trips and falls over.

"She's not gonna make it."

Emma runs towards her. The girls gets sucked up into the nothing.

"Emma, come on."

Rikki pulls Emma back into the bushes.

"She was right there."

"Emma, it's not your fault. Our powers don't work here, we know that now. We'll be better prepared next time."

"Does that mean that you're gonna save us?"

"Us?"

"There are others just like me, hiding, trapped here by the ice cream man. If he doesn't want you here, that must mean you have the power to save us. We should go. The nothing will be coming back. He always does. Come on. I'm Ari by the way."

-h2o-

Cleo is on the phone while Lewis, Angela and Kim are still on the attraction.

"Emma, it's me leaving you another message after leaving Rikki another message. I tried you at work, but they said you never checked in after your break, so where are you guys? Uh, look, just call me."

She hangs up when she sees Lewis, Angela and Kim coming towards her.

"I'm out of here."

"Lewis, wait." But he is already gone. "Look, I'm responsible for you two and I'm sorry but you can't go on the ride again. Not on your own."

"We're not babies"

"Not without Lewis."

"Why did he have to leave? Can we go body boarding then?"

"No! look there is my boss Mitch, he's really interesting."

-h2o-

An hour later, Cleo, the mermaid, is lying on her bathroom floor next to a pelican. She picks up her phone and dials a number. She doesn't get an answer. She tries another number with the same response. "Where are you guys?"

-h2o-

Still in the ice cream truck are Emma, Rikki and Ari.

"Are we going in circles? This looks like the exact same playground."

"In this place, everywhere you go looks the same. That's how the nothing gets you. Only a few of us can find our way."

Emma slaps Rikki on the arm. She gasps.

"Why couldn't you get a boy-band song in your head like everybody else?"

"Alright, just tell us everything that you know about the mean ice cream man."

"Just that he's the one that put us here."

"Alright, so is he in change of the nothing?"

"I don't know. I guess. The others are gonna be so happy to see you. We've been wishing and hoping that someday someone would come and save us, and now you're here."

"Well, we're gonna do whatever we can to get you out of here. So why don't you take us to your friends?"

"Through here."

He walks off. Rikki touches a swing and looks around.

"I dreamed of this place."

Emma turns around.

"What did you say Rikki?"

"Last night, I had a nightmare of this place. I was also here, but I was younger, seven or eight. I was so scared and then suddenly my mom was there, I ran over to her and she picked me up and got me out of here."

-h2o-

Cleo is back in her human form and calls her last resort, Lewis. He finally picks up.

"Lewis. It's about time."

"Cleo, I told you that I was busy."

"Look, I just have one teensy favour. Have you seen Rikki or Emma, neither of them will return my phone calls. Actually they can't because neither their phones are on. And I know I'm probably just being paranoid, but can't you check around a little."

"I'm sure it's fine. They're just..."

"Please Lewis, it's one teensy favour."

"Why don't you try to find them? They are probably out swimming."

Cleo looks at the pelican at her feet.

"I have other obligations, Lewis please."

"I call you back."

"Thanks Lewis, love you."

"Love you too."

-h2o-

Emma and Rikki are standing in front of three kids, Ari, another boy and a girl.

"Alright, is that all of you?"

"All that's left."

"Are you gonna save us?"

"We're gonna try."

"Alright, I think the only way out of here is to go through the person that..." Emma sees the ice cream man standing near by. "Put us here in the first place."

"The ice cream man? But how are we supposed to find him?"

"Something tells me that's not gonna be very hard."

"Why not?"

"Oh, because he's right over there." She points to him. The ice cream man runs away. "Okay, you kids stay here. We'll take care of the good humour man. Let's go."

Emma and Rikki run after him.

"There he is, by the slide."

"Alright, oh, hey, wait. Look at that." They see a hole behind a slide. "What does that look like to you?"

"The street from the back of the truck."

"That's right. The way out. Okay, all that we need now are the, uh..." The kids come up to them. "Hey, we were just coming to get you. Come on, we're going home."

"Come on, come on, come on." A girl goes up the slide and jumps out of the truck. "One down." A boy jumps outside. "That's another one."

The ice cream man sees them.

"No!"

"Ooh, hurry! Git!"

Ari jumps out.

"I'm going next."

"Okay, but go."

"Get away from the door!"

Rikki jumps out and so does Emma.

-h2o-

They are all outside the truck. Everyone moves away from it except Ari. "Ari, come on, hurry up." The ice cream man grabs Ari by the shirt. Ari grabs the ice cream man's wrists and the ice cream man screams in pain as Ari burns his arms. Ari pushes him back in the truck and closes the door. "Oh, my God."

"Actually," Ari turns towards them and his voice goes demonic. "quite the opposite."

"Okay, we need to keep him away from the other kids."

"I don't think they'll listen to you. You're not the boss of them."

The other kids come closer.

"Did you do it?"

Ari nods.

"Say thank you to the mermaids."

"Thank you."

They laugh and run off.

-h2o-

Cleo is sitting next to a box with a pelican inside while Lewis tries to calm her.

"Lewis, where can they be?"

"Why don't we try focusing on the positive? They're together."

"That's it? That's your positive? Because I've got a list mile long in the negative column. They've been gone all day, Lewis."

"I'm sure they're fine."

"You don't know that."

"Cleo, any minute now they are gonna walk through that door with a perfectly good explanation."

Emma and Rikki walk into Cleo's sitting room.

"Cleo!"

Cleo looks at Lewis, he looks stunned.

"See?"

"Emma? Rikki?"

Cleo goes over to them and hugs them.

"Where..."

"Were we? Oh, I would like to know the same thing."

"All that we know is that we have to go back."

"Wait a minute, is this demon related?"

"We thought the good guys were bad guys, and in trying to vanquish them, we helped the real bad guys, which were dead ringers for good guys."

"Was that English?"

"How about we fill in the blanks as we try to research this thing?"

"Good idea."

"Yeah, do you guys mind if I sit out in this research session? I have a pelican to worry about."

"A what?"

Cleo gets up and takes the box.

"I'll explain when I come back."

-h2o-

Emma's flipping through a book.

"So, he's a demonic dog catcher, and he uses ice cream as bait? Great news for the lactose intolerant demons."

"Nothing in here on the demon kids who escaped."

"That we helped escape."

"Hey, I found a fairytale on the internet, it's about a candyman that lures evil kids and a big hole that sucks them up."

Lewis makes a funny face.

"What?"

"According to this story he is mortal."

"What? Do you remember when demons look like demons and innocents look like innocents? Who changed the rules on us?"

"Wait, if he's mortal, how does he do it?"

"It's not him."

"Bingo. It's the song. It says, the candyman plays the Devil's Cord, which is a series of notes that when sounded together specifically attract demon kids like moths to a flame."

"More like moths to nothing. That's what's inside the truck, nothing. That's why he pulls them in there. The nothing is the only thing that can vanquish them."

"So they might be pint-sized, but they're bad asses."

"Alright, but if they couldn't get out on their own, how did you guys?"

"Because he let us out. He tried to save us."

"And that is all that is wrote, literally. Uh, the nothing doesn't discriminate. Good or evil tastes the same."
"Now the only person who knows anything about the escaped meanies is stuck on the playground and is in serious danger of becoming lunch himself."

"Right, and our powers don't play, not in this situation. I mean, Emma and I tried everything to get back in, but the door wouldn't budge."

"Well, not everything."

"Hmm? Mind sharing with the room?"

"Rikki had a dream about it. She was in the playground with her mom."

"It was a dream."

"No, you told me that it felt different, like a suppressed memory."

"What a minute. You were there? How? When?"

"Only one way to find out."

"Right, but I don't even know where she is, never have, not even now, when she might actually come in handy."

"Well, we can try. Do you know where your dad's friend saw her?"

"Emma, this is..."

"Huge. I know, and I'm sorry, but we need her help."

"So what am I supposed to say to her? Hello mom, do you maybe remember this playground in an ice cream van because I need you to go back in and help us vanquish some demonkids?"

She looks at the Emma's and Lewis' face.

"Do we have a choice?"

-h2o-

The other demon boy stands on a sidewalk staring at a burnt body beside a bush. An ice cream truck is parked on the side of the road. Ari and the demon girl walk up to him.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Killing."
"No kidding. Did anybody see you?"

"Thought I was supposed to kill. Was it fun?"

"He screamed a lot."

"Cool."
"So what do we do now?"

"Well, I guess we waste even more time while we pick up after you."

"But you said all we have to do is find the truck..."

"Not any truck, the truck. I already got rid of the ice cream man, remember? The only people we might have to kill to get to the right truck are those mermaids."

"But..."
Ari walks over to the truck.

"And if you would've paid attention, you would've known that. And you also would've known..." Ari opens the back door of the truck. "That this isn't the right truck. Now, I like killing just as much as the next demon, but right now we gotta be smart. And trashing every regular old ice cream truck that we see is not smart."

"But it's fun."

"And we'll have lots more fun when this is all over."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, but first do you think you can clean up this mess?"

"I was waiting for you to say that."

The girl starts blowing towards the body. It doesn't take long before it disappears.

-h2o-
Rikki and Lewis are sitting outside the juice net café. Emma comes up to them carrying a couple of drinks.
"Welcome to club Switzerland."

"Alright, could we just curb the sarcasm there? I just didn't really feel like inviting her to my home for tea and cookies."

"She's your mother, Rikki, family."

"This is business, alright? And don't even think about giving me that look. If she gives us any useful information on the playground, I will be the very first one to thank her."

"And then send her packing."

Byron approaches them.

"Well, well look who we have here. It's Emma and what a surprise she is with Rikki and Lewis."

"Byron, uh..."

"And to think I almost felt sorry for ditching you this morning."

"Byron can we talk later, this isn't a good time."

"Well, it never is with you Emma. Then you have this situation and then that one. I'm just tired of it."

"I'll call you later when you have cooled down."

"Oh please, and when will that be? Tomorrow at least if you don't forget about it or busy with other more important stuff."

"I'm sorry if you think that I should turn my whole life upside down for you but…"

"No, let me tell you something first, I'm done. You can have you secretive life and all the time you want. I'm out of here."

"Byron, please. You don't mean that."

"Yes I do."

"Can't we work things out?"

"Yeah, maybe when you tell me your secret." Emma looks down. "I thought that would be your answer because that's your answer to everything, nothing. Bye Emma, have a nice life."

Byron turns away, Emma wants to go after but Rikki stops her.

"Emma, please I need your help."

"Right."

She sits back down. A woman in a fancy suit walks up to them. She looks at Rikki.

"Well, you have grown into a beautiful young woman, I must say. Oh don't look at me like you've seen a ghost." She holds her arms open. "Well, would it be too much to ask for a hug?" Rikki doesn't move. Eleanor puts her arms down. "I guess it is." She sits down. "You don't know how wonderful it feels to see you again. I really missed you."

"How about we just cut to the chase?"

"Uh, Rikki, she just got here. Can't that wait, like, five minutes?"

"So, how about you just tell us everything that you know about the playground?"

"What playground?"

"Don't play dumb with me, I know you were there, somebody's hurt, so we need to get back inside."

"I know that place was going to bite me in the future."

"Just tell me how you got in, and we can handle it from there."

"Alright. Yes, I was there. I went in after you, and it was the last thing I ever did as your mother. You were home with a cold. You must've been about six. Your dad had some errands to run, so he left me home in charge of you. You had asked me to read you a story. You used to love that. But the cold was too much for you. You only lasted a page or two. When I left your room you were still sleeping. I never heard you come downstairs. You must've been looking for a glass of water or me. And that must've been when you heard it."

"The song."

"I mean, I heard a truck drive by and stop a few doors down, but I didn't think anything of it. It was an ice cream truck. How was I to know? But somehow you did. And you must've gone in the living room following that song. And that's when you saw it happen. A little boy not much older than yourself."

"Yeah. He was standing by the truck, and something pulled him in. He was so scared."

"And you ran out to help him."

"Just like yesterday."

"When I saw your bed empty, I lost my mind. The door was wide open, there was a truck parked outside. I mean, I had no idea what I was getting into but I just had to go."

"You saved Rikki."

"But I lost her afterwards."

"Well thanks for the information, but we have to go now."

"Rikki, please, can't we talk."

"Sorry, but time is money, if there is one thing you thought me, it was that."

Rikki gets up and leaves her mother behind. Emma and Lewis follow her.

"Okay, so the story said the candyman is mortal. That's why he can go through the door and we can't, right?"

"So, Lewis, I think it's your time to shine."

"I'll call Cleo."

-h2o-

Emma and Cleo are walking down the street with Rikki and Lewis walking behind them. They walk into an alley.

"Okay, well, this is it."

"Uh, but there's nothing here."

"Wait, we lost the truck?"

The demon kids stand behind them.

"Yeah, but we gained company."

The demon girl blows them away. They laugh.

"Oh, those kids so need to be grounded." The kids run off. "Oh, I don't get it. Alright, why pick a fight and then run?"

"Speaking of running, we should run because they're getting away."

"No, we can't do that because we have to get back into the truck."

"Not all of us. Come on, Emma."

Cleo and Emma run after them. Lewis and Rikki stay behind.

"The truck's been towed."

Lewis points to a no parking/tow away sign. Ari watches them from near by.

-h2o-

They move to the junk yard. They walk over to the truck. "This is where he pulled us in, but since he's still trapped inside, I'm guessing the only way in is through the exit." Rikki tries to open the door but it won't budge. "Ugh! Alright, let's just do this. Lewis." Lewis opens the door without a problem. They go inside the truck. "This would be a lot easier if things stopped moving. We left him right here. Unless..."

"The nothing."

"I saw what it did to those children. What if we are to late?"

"Well it can still do things to us if we don't act quickly."

"Get out while you still can."

The ice cream man is sitting near by.

"Oh, my God. I am so sorry. I didn't know."

"The mistake was mine. You're one of the chosen ones, you were saving innocents. How could you know they weren't?"

"How did you know?"

"Let's just say we both have friends in high places. The moment I mistakenly pulled you and your friend in, I was alerted and sent to save you."

"And you get this in return."

"It's getting closer."

"Alright, so you got us out of here once, now it's my turn."

They help him stand up.

"The children, you must get them back inside the playground."

"We will, and you're gonna help us do it."

"I disabled the truck. You'll need to fix it, play the song."

"Don't you dare. You stay with us."

"Inside..." Lewis pulls a small glass tube out of his shirt pocket. "It's for the truck."

"It's almost here. You go first, okay?"

"I can be replaced, you can't."

"No!"

He pushes them away and the nothing sucks him up.

"Rikki, it'll be back. We've gotta get out now! You didn't fail. The only way you fail is if you don't get back and do what he asked. Come on."

-h2o-

Cleo and Emma are on a sidewalk.

"Why don't they ever run into a well-lit room with nowhere to hide?"

"Well, we know they're somewhere, and I know what's gonna give them away."

"How could you..."

"Shh!"
They see the demon kids near by.

"Why do I get the feeling these kids weren't looking to pick a fight? They were just looking for the truck and we crashed their party."

"But we're like a mile ahead. I mean, we know where it is."

They hear in on the conversation.

"It's in the junkyard."

"Oh. Did I say a mile?"

"Okay, so they know, but it's three of us versus three of them. We're even, and bigger."

More demon kids walk up to Ari and the other two.

"Uh, sis, I think you need to count again. When in doubt."

"Bring reinforcements."

"All's that left for us to do is destroy the truck."

"Rikki!"

"And Lewis. Let's go."

-h2o-
Emma and Cleo walk into the junk yard.

"Do you think they're here already?"

"Probably."

"Do you think they know that we're here already?"

"Probably."
The kids laugh in the background.

"Okay, do they do that because they think it's funny or just to freak us out?"

"All we have to do is hold off the demons until Lewis and Rikki get out." A demon kid scratches their fingernails along a car. "Okay, I think they're surrounding us."

"No, don't say that. We're not surrounded until they're all around of us. Okay, how bad could the odds be? I mean, sure there's a whole bunch of them, but we're mermaids, right? And you have the power to..." A demon kid hits Emma over the head with a car part knocking her unconscious. "Emma! Are you okay?" She sits Emma up against a car. "Alright, you little brats. Bring it on."

-h2o-

Rikki and Lewis are still in the truck.

"Head for the slide. Up at the top, that's our way out."

Rikki starts to get sucked up by the nothing.

"Aah! Mommy!"

"Hold on, Rikki!"

Lewis grabs Rikki's arms.

"Mommy, I need you."

"I've got you. I'm not leaving without you."

"Mom!"

"I've got you. Oh, God."

He pulls her out.

-h2o-

The kids surround Cleo. A demon boy jumps on Cleo's back and she throws him into the other kids, knocking them to the ground. She sees buckets of water nearby and uses her powers to surround them all with a water snake. The demon girl blows Cleo away, she loses her concentration and the water snake falls to the ground, making the children all wet. They laugh and walk over to her. Rikki and Lewis get out of the truck and Rikki uses her power on the kids, making the water on them boil, they run away.

"Alright, any ideas what to do with this?"

Lewis looks at the glass tube.

"I'll try."

"Alright, we'll buy you some time." Rikki helps Cleo up. "Hey, need a hand?"

"I need about ten."

The demon girl comes out behind a truck, still wet.

"Oh, you need a little time out, missy!" Rikki uses her power on the demon girl. Lewis opens up the bonnet of the truck and looks for a place to put the glass tube. A flame flies out of the demon boy's hand heading for Rikki and Cleo. They jump behind a car. "Oh, Lewis, hurry!" Ari walks up to Lewis and Cleo makes a huge water canon to make him back away from Lewis. Lewis puts the tube in its place. The music starts playing and the kids walk over to the truck and get sucked into it. Emma regains consciousness and Cleo goes over to her.

"When I decide I wanna have kids, you remind me of this day."

A guy walks in the junk yard.

"What are you doing here?"

"You fixed my wheels. Thanks." They all look confused. "I'm the new ice cream man. Everything's happened the way it was meant to. I was sent over to take over. It's my time. Speaking of which, I'm running kind of late as it is, so, uh, thank you. All of you."

"Good luck."

The guy gets in the truck.

"Something tells me I'm never gonna look at a creamsicle quite the same way."

"Hmm."

"Rikki, can I talk to you?"

"About what?"

"I think you should talk to Eleanor again, because in the truck you yelled…"

"I know, but I… I don't know what to do."

She walks away defeated.

-h2o-

That evening, Angela is brought home by the police. She lost her way in the city and was so scared that she learnt her lesson about getting what you want when you want.

-h2o-

Eleanor is in her hotel room when there is a knock on the door. "The door is open." Rikki comes in. "Rikki, what a nice surprise." She stops packing.

"So you're leaving again?"

"Yeah, well you made it pretty clear you don't want me here, so…"

"Just one question. Where have you been? I don't understand. If you can afford a room like this, why didn't you help out when dad and I were once again in dead? We actually could've used it then."

"I didn't come back earlier because I was afraid I might disappoint you."

"Too late."

"Please sit down."

"No thank you."

"Always in a hurry, Rikki. You skipped crawling and went straight to walking."

"Oh, we're sharing memories. Well, I've got one of my own, your back walking out the door."

Eleanor looks around. Behind her stands a vase with flowers, she takes the flowers out and throws the water at Rikki. Rikki quickly runs into her bathroom and closes the door behind her. she falls for over and uses her powers to get back dry. A minute later she comes out of the bathroom, all dry.

"Nice reflexes. Now, let me get this straight. You have the power to heat water or to make it disappear?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know what you are."

"But how…"

"My two sisters and I were also the chosen ones once. But when I found out I was pregnant with you, I didn't want that dangerous life anymore and gave my powers up. But apparently it didn't help much. You were already chosen. I thought that if I gave my powers up, you would have been save, you wouldn't have to live dangerously, that one of your cousins would have the gene."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't just become a chosen one. One of the three needs to have the magic already in her."

"So that means?"

"Your grandmother Lily was also once a chose one. And my grandmother Julia and her mother Erica and so the bloodline goes on."

"But I only became one this summer."

"Probably because it was time for another generation, you must have felt the pull."

"No, it was accidently."

"Alright then. Tell me how did you became a mermaid?"

"Cleo, Emma and I were at sea in this boat when the fuel got up, so we went for Mako Island. Cleo fell into a cave, Emma and I went after her and we got into the moonpool."

"So you are telling me you didn't push the others towards Mako instinctively? You didn't go into the cave deliberately? You didn't wait just long enough at the pool for the moon to come? Think about it."

Rikki thought back at that particular day and had to admit her mom had a point. She was the one who wanted to go out on open sea, the one who wanted to peddle towards Mako, the one who followed Emma into the cave although her mind said no and the one who insisted on getting Cleo into the pool.

"So what, it was destined."

"Yes, it was."

"How come I never met my aunts?"

"I did something they never forgave me."

"What? Leave them?"

"Sort of. Like I told you, I gave up my powers, but I didn't know that giving up my powers would also mean they would lose theirs."

"So if…"

"If one of the three gives her powers up, the others lose theirs too."

"Oh mean, this is just so freaky, but I still don't get why you left."

"After you went into the truck when you were six I realised you had the mermaidgene. I wanted to find a way to stop you form becoming a mermaid, so I could give you a normal life. But I realised that you were going to become a mermaid someday now, so I wanted to come back to inform you in time. When you came with the playground story, I knew I was too late. I know it is a lot to take in, but can't you try to maybe see it from my perspective and forgive me?"

"I don't know mom." Eleanor laughs. "What?"

"You called me mom, I can't tell you how much I missed that word. So I'll just stay right here so we can maybe try to take little steps to each other again?"

"I guess we can try."

"Oh Rikki come here."

She holds open her arms and after a moment of hesitation Rikki gives her mom a hug. As her head lies on Rikki's shoulder her mother smile changes to an evil grin.