Here's the next chapter! (I say that a lot.)

Disclaimer: I do not own The Little Mermaid.

Chapter 16: Leaving Home

"Eric, are you sure we should do this? What about my father and sisters?" Ariel asked her husband, looking out towards the sea.

"We'll find a house that's really close to the sea. Besides, it's only temporary. Plus, our daughter will be safe, and so will your father." Eric put one hand on Ariel's shoulder and the other on her waist. Ariel couldn't help but worry.

What if this is a bad idea and Remidima still found Cat?

Cat was the main one she was worried about. Ever since the incident at the beach a week ago, bad things had happened to Cat. Right now, the worst one was that she broke her ankle two days ago during their rescue.

It was already night time and the girls were all supposedly in bed, but not Cat. She had her ear pressed against the door of her parent's room so she could listen. Even though her ankle was broken, she was able to get out of bed and hobble to the door like she did when she was younger.

There had only been one time where she got in trouble, since she started to cry too loudly. Even though it was years ago, the thought of being caught again was frightening. It was the night melody had run away.

*Flashback, six years ago*

"Ariel, don't worry. We'll find her," Eric said. Ariel was feeling so guilty for yelling at her daughter. She knew this was her fault. She had thought that all her daughters would understand. Now, she had supposedly thought that her six other daughters were all downstairs.

Little did she know that her youngest was just outside their door listening. Cat didn't understand what was going on. Who went missing? She just listened to her parents.

"Remember, Ariel," Cat's father said, "Melody will turn up soon."

Cat gasped and started to cry. What she didn't know was that her parents had heard her. She felt the door open, screamed, and fell forward. She fell on her back and hit her head on the linoleum flooring. As Cat sat up straight and rubbed her head, she felt her mother's hands on her shoulders and stood up.

"Cat," her father said sternly, "What were you doing outside our door?"

"I-I was j-just…" Cat hesitated. She didn't know what to say and finally told the truth. "I wanted to know what happened to Melody. Why she wasn't here. That's all, daddy."

"Well, now do you know?"

Cat nodded and started to cry again. She buried her hands in her face. Cat loved Melody the most out of all her sisters.

"Oh, sweetie," her mother cooed, kneeling in front of her. "I know you miss her, but we need you and you sisters to help find her, okay?"

Cat nodded once again and smiled. Her mother smiled back, wiped away her daughter's tears, and gave her a comforting hug. Then, she looked back at Cat and said, "Now, don't do this again, okay, sweetheart?"

Cat nodded for the third time, but she knew she was probably going to do it again, anyways.

*End of Flashback*

Cat shook her head, pushing all those thoughts to the back of her mind, and continued to eavesdrop on her parents. It was her mother who was talking again.

"I'm not sure if this is safe for Cat," she said. "It's an awfully long way from home, and she'll miss all of her friends, for sure!"

"Ariel," her father said, "I know you're uncomfortable with moving far away from her true home, but think about what good it will do her if she stayed here. If we don't move, Remidima will have a better chance of kidnapping her, since she already knows her way here."

There was silence. Cat knew that meant her mother was thinking.

It had only been about two minutes when Melody, Kanade, and Ara tiptoed into the hallway. There, they saw Cat kneeling on her right knee with her left ear pressed against the door. The cast around her right ankle made proof that it was indeed their youngest sister, Cat.

"Cat!" Melody whispered. Cat jumped, whirled around, and signaled for her sisters to be quiet. Then, she turned around and pressed her ear on the door again. Melody motioned for Ara and Kanade to follow her. They tiptoed towards the door and knelt next to Cat.

"Cat!" Melody whispered again. "What are you doing?"

"None of your business, now, shush!" Cat hissed. She rolled her eyes, but luckily her sisters didn't see her. She didn't like it when her sisters always nagged her about little things.

Melody hated it when Cat (or any of her sisters) wouldn't tell her what's going on, especially when they were hurt. She knew Cat was hiding something. Melody put her hands on her hips and whisper-yelled at Cat angrily,

"Princess Katrina Renosso Gutierrez Sarianada! You'd better tell us what's going on or else we are going to take you back to our room!"

Cat bit down on her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. She knew that whenever a princess was called by her full name and it wasn't to introduce her, the person was dead serious, and she had to respond.

Cat hated that rule of royalty, but knew she had to do what she had to do. She slowly turned towards her sisters, still biting her lip and keeping her eyes closed. She was trying to resist telling them what was happening, but before she could, she heard her mother sigh, and Cat signaled to let her sisters know to wait for a minute.

She pressed her ear against the door and heard her mother say,

"You're right, Eric, we should move. It's for our daughter's own good."

"I'm glad you agree," her father said. "Now, let's go to sleep." And with that, Cat heard the rustling of blankets. She motioned for her sisters to be quiet, got up, and sort of tiptoed her way down the hall with her sisters following right behind her.

When they got to their room, Cat found Anna, Estar, and Quellie all standing in front of her with their arms crossed and glaring at her. Cat gasped as she heard the door close behind her. She could feel the other three sisters standing in the same position.

Cat turned around and shyly smiled at Melody, but Melody just pointed to her bed. Cat hung her head and climbed back into bed. She knew she was going to get reprimanded by her sisters. She had been before, and for the same reason as well.

Cat still hung her head as she sat in her bed. She didn't fully look up at her sisters, and she didn't make eye contact with either of them. All she did was look at the corner of her eyes and hoped they would relax. When she was that they were beginning to relax a little, she did as well.

"Cat," Melody said gently, but sternly. "What were you doing out there again?"

Cat looked up at Melody.

"I… I…" Cat stuttered out. She couldn't find the right words to say. Finally, she let out a sigh and said, "I'm not sure. I guess it was just a force of habit that when there's something wrong, I end up eavesdropping on mom and dad."

"Well," Ara said, "at least we know what happened, but Cat, how many times must we remind you? A proper princess-"

"Never eavesdrops on the king, queen, or any royal conversation no matter what," Cat finished her sister's sentence. "I know, I know, but I just can't help it."

There was silence. After about five minutes, Melody spoke up saying,

"Well, now you know again for probably the one-hundredth time! Go get some sleep."

Melody gave Cat a hug and kissed her forehead, then went back to her own bed along with the others. Melody always seemed like their mother to Cat. She never quite understood it, but maybe that was just because they had grown so close to each other since Cat was born.

As Cat lay on her bed and drifted into sleep, Cat started to look back on her life and on all those times her sisters had been there for her. Then, she closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.

Next one is coming soon!