Everything owns to the rightfull owners.

I know it took me some time to upload this chapter, but I was never satisfied with the chapter, i'm still a little sceptical, but I thought I have to download it eventually if I ever want to begin at the second season. So one more chapter and then this story is finished and I can start with the second season. If you guys would like a second season?

So comment, tell me what you think and please don't be too hard for me.

During the morning Jenny finds Rikki sunbathing behind some rocks on the beach. "I thought I would find you here."

Without opening her eyes, a smile forms on Rikki's face. "Good morning to you too Jenny."

"Do you think it's wise lying here like that?" She points to Rikki's tail and looks around. "Anyone could have seen you by now."

"Light up a bit Jenny, you start to sound like Emma."

Without even trying to keep her straight face, Jenny bursts into a laugh. "Alright then." Jenny moves over to where Rikki is sitting. "Move over." She pushes against Rikki's tail to get some place, but instead she gets a premonition. A mermaid is lying on the ground in a cave while an old witch is standing over her. The mermaid has a shell pressed against her chest and blood is running from it. The witch starts to get up like she has seen something behind her.

Rikki sits up straight when she feels Jenny tensing beside her. She puts a hand on Jenny's shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, but someone else isn't go to be."

-h2o-

Emma, Cleo and Rikki are sitting on Emma's bed while Jenny explains what she has seen. Emma sits up straighter. "Are you sure it was a mermaid?" Jenny nods. "And that it wasn't one of us?" Jenny nods again. "So someone is in danger, a mermaid, but we don't know who it is, where she is or when this is going to take place." Hesitantly Jenny nods again. "Okay and how do you suggest we find these things out?"

While sitting down on the bed too, Jenny starts explaining. "I have found a spell in the book to search for a fellow lost witch, maybe if we change it up a little bit, you guys can use it to find a fellow lost mermaid. And in my premonition, it was an underwater cave, so the ones who aren't helping with the spell can maybe search the cave."

Emma sits up. "Alright, Cleo and I will search for the cave and Rikki will help you with the spell. Okay?" She looks around and when she notices that no one objects, she stands up. "C'mon Cleo, we've got some fishing to do."

Emma leaves the room and Cleo stands up to follow her, but before leaving the room she looks at Rikki and Jenny. "Fishing, Emma can sure pick her words."

Suddenly Cleo is jerked by her hand out of the room. "C'mon Cleo, we haven't got all day."

Jenny turns to Rikki. "Alright, we first need to get my stuff and then we can start."

"Is it alright that I talk with Zane first? He has been texting me like crazy for the last hour, I think something is up."

"Alright, I will get the stuff then. I'll come back in a half-hour."

"Thanks Jenny, you're a doll."

Jenny stands up and leaves the room. "So I have been told."

-h2o-

The doorbell rings and Rikki opens the door. She takes Zane's hand. "C'mon, I don't know when Emma's parents are going to get home, we'll have more privacy in Emma's room." She takes him into Emma's room and closes the door behind him. When she turns back around, Zane immediately starts kissing her. Rikki pushes him away and smiles. "Although I like it, this is not why I called you over."

"Really? Inviting a guy to a bedroom could give him the wrong thoughts." He starts kissing her neck, making her lose concentration.

"Zane…" She pushes him away and sits down on a chair. "Now what was so urgent, you've been nonstop texting me."

"My dad has found something new to sponsor." He leans against the desk. "A marine biologist. I just wanted to warn you because she seems very interested in Mako Island."

"Is this by change a certain Dr Denman?"

"You know her?"

"Yeah, she has been here before. Almost discovered our secret."

"Our?"

"Yeah, yours and mine secret, right?"

"I guess, why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I didn't think it mattered or that she would come back."

He kneels down in front of her chair. "Rikki, this stuff matters to me. No more lying."

"Well technically it wasn't lying, it just wasn't…" Zane looks at her with a sceptical face. "Fine no lying, I promise."

"Is there anything more that I need to know?" Rikki turns around on the chair, so she is facing away from Zane and looks at a picture of herself and Cleo and Emma. "Alright then I'll promise that I will try to keep your secret a secret whatever it takes."

-h2o-

Jenny finds Rikki alone in Emma's room. "Is Zane already gone?"

"Yes, he came and went."

"Alright then, I already added the herbs to the pestle as I thought you needed more time. Okay let's begin then." She sits down on the ground with the pestle in front of her and Rikki sits back down next to her. She hands Rikki a paper. "Alright say this aloud while grinding the pestle."

"What did you put in there?"

"A pinch of rosemary, a sprig of cypress and a yarrow root. Now grind." She puts the pestle in front of Rikki.

"Alright." With an unbelieving face, Rikki starts grinding the pestle. "I feel stupid."

"C'mon, you are never going to find the mermaid when you don't start chanting."

Rikki clears her throat. "Power of the mermaids rise. Course unseen across the skies. Come to us who call you near. Come to us and settle here." A wind blazes trough Emma's room before settling down. "Did it work?" Both Rikki and Jenny are looking around the room as if the mermaid is hiding somewhere

"I don't know."

Rikki drops her hands and looks straight towards Jenny. "Wait, what do you mean with 'I don't know'."

"I mean that I have never used this spell before."

Rikki smacks Jenny against her arm. "Oh that's just great, who knows what we just did, there might be a demon knocking on our door in a minute?" Suddenly the doorbell rings. With shocked eyes Rikki and Jenny look at each other. "Or ringing our bell?"

With a lot of caution, Jenny and Rikki sneak up to the door. Rikki puts out three fingers and one by one she puts down a finger. When the third finger is down Rikki pulls open the door quickly and both she and Jenny stand in fighting position. They find a shocked blond girl in front of them. Jenny elbows Rikki. "I think that's her."

"Hey my name is Mylie, I think you called for me."

-h2o-

In the meantime Cleo and Emma are searching the ocean for the underwater cave. After some searching, they come up for air. Emma looks over the water, no land in sight. "This is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Let's get back, Rikki probably already found this mermaid by now. Maybe she can help us with the location."

"You go, I have a feeling there is still something out there."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just go, I'll be fine."

"Okay, but if you're not back within the hour, we come searching for you."

"Emma, really I can take care of myself." Cleo dives into the water not hearing Emma's snort.

-h2o-

Three mermaids and Jenny are packed in Emma's room. Mylie is pacing up and down the room. "I don't understand. I still have two days, she promised me a whole month."

Emma stands up and leads Mylie to a chair. "First stop pacing because you're making us all nervous." She sits back down on the bed. "Secondly explain who you're talking about and for what you still have two days?"

"To find love." Everyone looks disbelievingly at Mylie. "You don't understand what it's like to be a mermaid." Everyone keeps on looking at Mylie disbelievingly.

Emma raises her hand. "Hello, mermaids." She points to herself and Rikki.

"Yeah, but also still humans. I also used to be half of both. Tired of fighting demons I chose for freedom. I swam in the open sea all day, explored endless wonders. It was heaven for the first few hundred years."

Rikki stops. "Wait, hundred years?"

"Yeah, once you choose to leave your human side behind, we can spend eternity at sea." Mylie stands up and starts circling Emma's room, looking around. "Our hearts turn, well, some say as cold as the water. But sometimes a mermaid gets lonely and her heart warms and she wants more."

Mylie stops in front of some photos. Emma gets up and stands next to Mylie "Is that what happened to you?"

"The ocean's floor is littered with bones of mortals who died for love. I had to know why." Mylie's fingers caress a picture of Emma and Byron. "If a mortal professes his love to a mermaid, she becomes human. The sea hag agreed to give me legs but if I don't find love before her deadline I have to give her my immortality."

Mylie keeps looking at the picture of Emma and Byron. "The sea hag?" As Rikki speaks up, Mylie startles out of her daydream and turns back around.

"But I did find love, I mean I think I did. But I might be dead before I get to find out for sure. Craig's getting on a plane to New York soon."

"If your boyfriend's love can make you human why don't you just tell him you're a mermaid?"

"You mean that I'm a genetic freak with a fish tail coated in glandular slime?"

"The mermaid raises a good point." Suddenly Jenny finds herself stared down by the other two mermaids in the room.

Emma takes Mylie's hand in hers. "It will be alright, we'll protect you against the sea hag and will find Craig for you, don't worry. But could you maybe tell us where the sea cave is?"

"Oh no, you can't go in there as a mermaid. She has extreme powers over the waters."

"Well so do we."

"No you don't understand, she is extremely powerful and can easily influence you into doing what she wants. And you just can't underestimate her powers. She has control over rainstorms, hurricanes ... Even tidal waves."

"Alright, then we will avoid a confrontation by finding this Craig for you?"

Suddenly Cleo storms into the room and starts pacing in front of the others. Without warning she comes to a halt. "We've got big problems. What's-her-face is back in town?"

Rikki stands up from the chair she was sitting in and sits down on the bed next to Emma. She holds up her dumb and index finger. "Could you be a little more specific than that?"

"Oh you know the blonde who always flirted with Lewis and almost got away with a part of our DNA."

"Oh the marine biologist, the cute one."

All of the sudden Rikki finds herself on the other side of Cleo's cold look. "Cute? Her eyes stand way too close together." Suddenly Cleo becomes aware of the fact there is a new face. " Oh hey."

Mylie stands up and holds out her hand. "You must be Cleo. You have a very big underwater fan base."

"Really." Cleo smiles nervously. "Me?" She blushes until suddenly her face turns angry again and she looks back to her friends. "Oh yeah, that's not the only problem. She discovered the moon pool. I saw some footprints that were definitely not ours."

"This is bad."

Unexpectedly a phone starts ringing. It appears to be Rikki's phone. "It's Zane."

Emma looks at Rikki. "You can't be serious, we're in the middle of a crisis and you want to go and meet with your boyfriend."

"Zane says it's urgent."

Emma wants to say something else, but Mylie cuts her off. "Let her go. You need love in your life." While avoiding Emma's scornful eyes, Rikki smiles thankfully towards Mylie and gets out of the room.

As soon as they are out of the room, Emma turns towards Mylie, "I don't think you realise in how much trouble we really are."

-h2o-

Zane is waiting for Rikki beneath some trees in the park. His face is the first thing Rikki notices. It is full with anger and sadness at the same time. The second thing she notices is the picture he is holding in his hand. The picture that was going to change everything. "What's wrong? You sounded tense on the phone."

Without saying a word he pushes the picture in Rikki's hands. It's a picture of a mermaid. You can't see who but Rikki knows its Cleo from the way she is swimming. Confused Rikki looks up to Zane. "I don't understand. How…?"

"Dr. Denman has been monitoring Mako Island closely. This picture has been taken this morning. Because my dad is sponsoring her research, I could hold an eye on everything. Lucky for you, I did. I think only Dr. Denman and I saw the picture before I smashed the equipment. Too bad she already called my dad and he practically disinherited me. So who is it?" Rikki looks back from the picture into Zane's eyes, which are full of anger. "For whom did I let my father throw me out of the house?"

"Zane you know that I…"

"No." Zane cuts her off sharply. "No, I know this isn't you. I know your body well enough to know that this…" Angrily he points to the picture. "… Isn't you."

Rikki looks around. Several people have stopped to watch their fight. Concerned that they will hear something that's not for their ears, she tries to calm Zane down. "Zane calm down, people are starting to look."

As if he hasn't heard her, Zane continues shouting. "This morning you promised me no more lies and in return I would do everything within my power to keep your secret safe. I kept my part of the deal, now it is your turn." He calms down a little and talks further in a calm tone, which frightens Rikki even more than his shouting voice. "So I'll ask it one last time. Who is the mermaid in the picture?"

Rikki doesn't know what to do except shaking her head. "Zane I…" She looks to the ground. "I promised."

"Yeah, well your word is not worth much cause if I recall correctly you promised the complete truth to me too. So what is it going to be?"

Rikki fights back the tears that are building in her eyes. "I can't."

"I see. That's all I need to know then."

While looking over her head, he walks past her. Forgetting the picture, Rikki runs after Zane who is getting on his motor cycle. "Please Zane, don't go. We can talk this out."

"There is only one thing I want to talk about. Too bad that you don't. This is your last chance Rikki, what's more important, your secret or me?"

"I don't like ultimatums, if you would really love me, you wouldn't do this."

Suddenly Zane starts laughing. "You know what's funny, you didn't even answer my question. Now if you would be so kind…" He puts his helmet on. "… and get out of the way." Still fighting against her tears she shakes her head. "Fine." Zane backs away and before she can stop him, he races away.

She looks after him and a few words leave her mouth in a whisper. "Don't leave me."

-h2o-

Back in Emma's room, Emma is alone with Mylie, as Cleo and Jenny are out looking for Craig. "You love him too, don't you?" Emma looks up from the book she is reading. Mylie signals with her head towards the picture of her and Byron. After a thought Emma nods. "Does he know?"

"What?"

"About your tail?"

"No, I never told him."

"He has the right to know, you know. At least before it gets serious. I blame myself that I have waited so long to tell Craig the truth."

"Yeah well the difference is, with you the tail will disappear afterwards. With me it's kind of part of the package."

"Even more reason to tell him. How do you expect him to love you completely if he doesn't know you completely?"

"Well, if it was that simple. Cleo, Rikki and I made a pact never to tell anyone about us."

"Do their boyfriends know?"

"Yeah."

"So what other excuse do you have?"

-h2o-

Cleo and Jenny head into the airport where they see Craig getting his ticket from the counter. "Thank you, Mr. Wilson, have a nice flight."

Craig walks away from the counter and while Cleo stands at a distance so she could possibly stop him if he tries to get away, Jenny approaches him. "Uh, Craig? Craig Wilson?"

"Yeah."

"I have a message for you, Mylie sent me."

"Let me guess. She sent me a singing telegram. No-no, strip-a-gram, that's more Mylie's style. Shocking and unexpected."

"I'm a friends of Mylie, she sent me here because she needs to speak with you."

"Why didn't she come herself?"

"That's a good question, there's a good answer, I just can't tell you what it is. But it's good."

"Let me get this straight. You're a friend of Mylie's, I've never met you, I've never even heard of you, and you know more about her than I do. Is that right?""

"No, not more about her than you do, just a little secret, well, a big secret."

"Well, I'm tired of Mylie's secrets. Okay, I'm tired of her moving closer to me and then running away and I'm just tired."

"There's a really good reason for all of this and one day you guys are going to sit down at a nice seafood dinner and laugh about this. But until then you really need to trust her."

"Well, right now I need to catch a plane. Excuse me."

He heads for the gate, but Cleo steps in front of him. "Craig, her life is in danger."

-h2o-

Defeated Rikki enters the house. She finds Mylie and Emma inside of Emma's room and without saying a word she gives Emma the picture. "Oh no, Cleo!"

The next second Jenny, Cleo and Craig walk into the room. "You called?" Emma shows Cleo the picture. "Oh god. Who took this?"

"Dr. Denman."

Able to take a look at the picture, Craig nods appreciatively. "Nice costume."

"Actually…" Cleo looks towards Mylie and nods her head to the others to follow her outside of the room.

-h2o-

Once outside of the room. "Oh god, this is horrible, we can't go into the waters ever again. Who knows how many cameras she has put out there? And what if she finds out the girl in the picture is me?"

"Calm down Cleo, deep breaths." Emma strokes Cleo's back in soothing circles. "Rikki, who has seen this picture."

After a sigh and letting herself sink to the floor. "Only Denman."

"Good. Now we only need to find a way to make others not believe her."

Out of the blue Jenny jumps up. "I've got an idea. What if a mermaid shows herself to Denman alone and then later when Denman is around people to prove her point, she won't turn but stay human."

"Good plan, only problem, whenever we touch water we turn, we can't stop it."

"No but if everything with Craig goes as planned, Mylie won't have a tail anymore. So we just have to prevent him from saying anything right now." Both Emma and Jenny's eyes grow big when they realise what she just said. As quickly as they can they storm into the room.

Noticing that Rikki is awfully quite, Cleo sits down next to her on the floor. "Hey is everything alright?"

"Sure."

"Rikki, you don't have to keep your façade up against me."

"Zane, he is…"

Emma storms out of the room. "We were lucky, we stopped them right on time and they agreed to help us. Is something wrong?"

Rikki gets up. "Nothing important." Looking concerned towards Rikki, Cleo also stands up.

-h2o-

They have luck when they find Dr. Denman alone on her boat. Emma is standing next to Mylie. "Alright, you know what to do. Jenny and Cleo are on the look-out so no one will come by by accident and I will be watching to protect you if anything does go wrong." Mylie nods her head and takes a step, but Emma takes her arm to stop her. "And don't forget, go immediately to the beach on the right, Rikki will be waiting for you there with Craig."

Mylie nods her head again and picks up the full bucket. "You know you can go to Byron if you want to? I'm sure I'll be alright with just Jenny and Cleo looking out for me."

"No that's alright, I rather be here."

"No you're not. Go Emma before it is too late."

Emma shakes her head. "No I can't, not before talking to the girls. We made a promise to each other and I plan on keeping that promise."

"Just make sure that you don't wait too long."

Mylie steps in front of Dr. Denman's boat, making sure to make a lot of noise, so Dr. Denman would look. 'Accidently' she trips and makes the water fall on her. Loudly and clear she speaks up. "Oh no, what did I do? The water…" She changes into a mermaid. "… Makes me change into a mermaid as soon as I touch it." She looks up to Dr. Denman's boat and sees her pointing a camera. She waits another second and then jumps into the water.

As planned, Rikki and Craig are waiting for her on the beach. Craig goes to her and takes her head into his hands. "I love you Mylie, from the first time I saw you." He kisses her and her tails disappears in bright lights.

-h2o-

"Showtime." Emma pushes Mylie and Craig into the Juice Net Café where Dr. Denman has gathered all her associates. She just showed them the picture when Mylie and Craig walk in.

"There she is." Everyone looks around. "Watch." Dr. Denman picks up a glass of water and pours it on Mylie who takes a shocked step back but doesn't change.

Angry, Craig looks towards Dr. Denman. "Who do you think you are? Throwing water at people."

Unbelievingly Dr. Denman looks around towards the sceptical faces of her associates. "Wait, it probably wasn't enough water. She takes the hose from behind the counter and sprays Mylie completely wet. "Why won't you change?"

Dr. Bennet lowers the hose. "I think I have seen enough. Gentlemen." All of her associates follow him outside leaving Dr. Denman al alone.

-h2o-

Back at the beach, Rikki is sitting on the sand. Cleo comes towards her. "Hey, why didn't you come for the showdown? I'm sure you would have loved it."

"Yeah, well next time maybe."

Cleo sits down next to Rikki. "What happened?"

"I had the worst day ever."

"Why?"

"Zane knew it wasn't me in the pictures so he confronted me. He wanted to know who it was. I couldn't tell him. I wanted too, but I just couldn't. He gave up his dad and I didn't even have the courage to tell him." Rikki looks towards Cleo with tears in her eyes. "He left me." Rikki puts down her head on Cleo's shoulders and starts crying uncontrollably. "He left me and he is not coming back. Everybody I love leaves me."

Cleo puts her arms around Rikki and pulls her closer. "Everything will be okay. Nobody is leaving anymore."

-h2o-

Dr. Denman is taking her stuff of her boat and steps unto the docks. "Quite sad to see such a talent go to waste." Dr. Denman turns around and sees an old woman standing before her.

"I'm sorry, have we met?"

"No, but I know who you are. Who I am is not that important." Dr. Denman puts her stuff down. "You see doctor…"

"There is no need to for the title, I'm no longer a doctor."

"Alright then Ms Denman. I'm here to make you a deal. A deal that can get you you're reputation and respect back."

"I'm sorry, but the only way to do that is to prove that…" Denman looks up to the old woman and takes a deep breath. "…That mermaids are real. Which I'm sure you won't believe."

"You're right I only believe what I see. Lucky for the both of us that I have encountered a couple of mermaids already."

"You… you did? Where?"

"Oh well that's only something I can tell you after we make the deal."

"What deal?"

"I want you and me to work together so we can catch them."

"And what do you want to do with them once you get them?"

"I'm researching their powers. You can prove to the world that you're not crazy and get your respect and reputation back. So do we have a deal?" The old hag holds her hand out and after a moment of hesitation, Denman shakes it, a smile forming on their faces.