Beth didn't have classes the next day so she went to the beach right after breakfast. It didn't take long for Charlie to show up and Beth wasted no time telling her about the potion she had pocketed.

"This is supposed to give me legs?" Charlie looked at the bottle skeptically.

"Well only when you're dry. When you get wet again your tail grows back."

"But you said the woman you got this from said it was only cough medicine. That the idea of it being a potion was just the delusions of her grandmother."

"I know but something tells me she's not exactly one hundred percent honest all the time."

"Still I'm not sure if I should drink this. What if it has some side effects? I know the old sea witch would sell brews that always had some negative effects."

"Like?"

"Well she once sold a merman a potion that would stop him from aging but that would also cause everything and everyone around him to stop aging as well. His family had to leave him in order for their younglings to grow and he could never stay anywhere very long. He would have to spend his entire immortal life alone."

"Ouch. But I don't think you have anything to worry about. The only side effect is your human form is temporary."

"I suppose. You're sure that's all this will do?"

"Positive. Rosie didn't mention anything else."

"Okay so the potion is safe but...I don't know, growing legs seems very drastic. I mean I know that's technically the only way I can obtain evidence to prove my theory about human beings but I'm a little worried about what my parents will think."

"What's the big deal? You won't be human permanently. You can change back into a mermaid easily. When this is over you can still go home to the sea."

"Then I guess I really don't have anything to fear."

With her hesitation turned to assurance, Charlie pulled herself from the water and on to a nearby rock which had become dry in the sun, and removed the lid from the clear bottle. She brought the tip of the entrance to her lips and drank that small yet bitter liquid in one swallow.

"It's putrid." She almost gagged.

"Well if it turns out to actually be cough medicine then I'm not surprised. There really is no other remedy that tastes as horrible. I remember one time I had a horrible cold which kept me coughing and hacking all night, Alastor had to hold my nose to get me to open my mouth so he could force that nasty syrup down my throat."

"I'm beginning to think that this is just human medicine. Nothing is happening."

"That's because you're still wet. Let's wait til you dry off."

"Very well. So what's the plan if this works?"

"First we introduce you to my brother."

"Why him?"

"Because he's living proof that humans can be decent. Oh you'll love him. Ladies already call him a prince."

"He's a prince?"

"No that's just a metaphor."

"What's a metaphor?"

"A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. When ladies call him a prince they mean he's good-looking and charming like one."

"Oh...Well I personally don't know a thing about him but I can't deny that he is handsome."

"You've seen him?"

"I think so. He has chestnut brown hair and tanned skin? Wears spectacles?"

"Yeah that's him! When did you see him?"

"Oh I saved him from drowning the other night. I accidentally lured him into falling off the edge with my singing. I'm terribly sorry for that. I didn't mean to, honest. I thought I was alone when I sang that night."

"You saved him? I knew it! I knew someone had to have helped him! He swim to save his life!"

"He can't swim?"

"No. He's afraid of the water. Always has been, since he was a boy."

"Why? I've seen plenty of humans take pleasure in swimming even though they can't live below the waves. You yourself is among them. Why is he different?"

"It's complicated, he doesn't like to talk about it and I don't think he would want me telling it to someone he's never met."

"Fair enough. Do you think he'll like me?"

"If I didn't then I definitely wouldn't be trying to introduce you to him. He's funny about women especially ones closer to his age but I think you would be the perfect exception."

"How do you mean?"

"I just think that he would really like you. You seem to be just his type."

"His type?!" She squeaked. "Oh no! Don't tell me that you're actually considering trying to betrothed me to this man."

"Huh, I didn't think you would know what 'his type' meant."

"There are some human phrases I have yet to learn the meaning of but the one couldn't be more easy to decipher. And of all boldness, how dare you try to arrange my betrothal."

"It's not a betrothal. I'm not trying to marry you off to him. I just think you two should get to know each other. See if you would make a good couple."

"You're crazy. He's a human, I'm a mermaid, it would never work between us. Not to mention it's unbelievably cliche. Do you know how many mermaids have swooned over human sailors the minute they see them?"

"Well yeah but don't sailors pretty much do the same with mermaids? They fall in love."

"That's not love. What the mermaid feels is infatuation with a male specimen she's not familiar with and eventually she becomes bored with him, what the human feels is lust for a female who's upper body could rival that of Venus but one look at the fish tail and that lust is gone. Either way throughout history there has never been a human-mermaid relationship that has worked out. She either drowns him or he leaves her for a human woman."

"But you don't even know my brother."

"So? You don't know my friend who's a dolphin but you're not going to mate with him, are you?"

"Okay you've made some valid points but can't you at least be friends with him."

"I see no harm in befriending him."

"Great! I'll make up a guest room for you. Our accommodations are very lovely."

"Now wait just minute, I'll befriend him but in what world does that automatically mean I'm going to move in with him?"

"You're not. You're just going to stay with us for awhile. After all how can you really observe humanity if you don't see us in our natural habitat?"

"I suppose that does make sense but I'm not sure if-"

Suddenly she was cut off by the feeling of a strange sensation running through her body. It started out like an awful crap from her abdomen and when the pain ceased there was still discomfort. The process of her tail splitting and her scales turning to skin made her tremble so. She almost passed out but she willed herself to stay conscious. At long last the transformation was done and she looked down to find a pair of pretty white legs in place of her tail.

"Wow it really works." Beth said amazed.

Charlie was utterly stunned. For a moment she couldn't even speak. All she could do was just sit there and exam each detail of her new appendages. She ran her fingers over the pale flesh and wiggled her new toes a few times. She bent her new knees and even raised one of her legs up a little. She couldn't believe it. She actually had human legs.

"Uh-oh. I just realized that we have a little problem." Beth said.

"What?" Charlie asked.

"You're...You're naked."

"So? I've always been naked."

"But humans prefer not to go all natural."

"Oh that's right, you hide your bodies. No problem. I can fix that."

She wrapped herself in her long, thick hair.

"Is that better?" Charlie said.

"Not exactly." Beth said. "I'm going to go get you some clothes. You just stay here and out of sight. Don't let anyone see you, especially a guy."

Beth hurried back to the house and began combing through her closet for anything Charlie could wear. Unfortunately nothing she had could possibly fit that woman. So she decided to give her one of Alastor's shirts. She dug around in his closet until she found one that was very long and would definitely cover the important parts of Charlie's new body.

"Beth what are you doing in my closet?" Alastor asked her.

"Oh...Um...Well...Alastor can I have a friend stay over?"

"Friend? What friend?"

"My new friend. Charlie."

"A boy?!"

"No, no, no. She's a girl. Technically a grown woman but female I assure you."

"What are you doing making friends with a grown woman?"

"We met on the beach yesterday."

"Beth I don't think it would be very appropriate to invite an adult woman whom you just met to stay in our house."

"But she's homeless."

"That's even worse. Homeless people are usually druggies and thieves."

"Angel is a druggie."

"Ex druggie and I know him. I don't know this friend of yours."

"But she's not homeless because of drugs, she's homeless because...Because...Because she grew up in a commune."

"A commune? You mean she's a hippie?"

"Yeah. The new age type. They don't believe in eating meat or living in houses or even wearing clothes."

"She's not wearing any clothes?!"

"Yeah but she's realized how messed up that is and has decided to rejoin normal civilization. But she needs help. That's where we come in."

"No Beth! If she needs help we can send her to a shelter."

"A shelter?! Have you no soul?!" She said dramatically. "Do you know the kind of men there are in shelters? Men who would gladly take advantage of a naive and innocent young woman who is not accustomed to wearing clothes. None of them gracious gentlemen like you."

"Beth she's a stranger. We don't know anything about her and from what I hear she's very questionable. For all we know she could be dangerous."

"If you met her you'd know right away that she wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I'm sure a lot of people said that about Hitler in the beginning."

"You could at least meet her. Talk to her. You always say that you're a good judgment of character. If you're mental radar doesn't pick up anything then that means she's cool right?"

Alastor thought for a moment.

"Come on, you can't just ignore a lady in distress."

"She can wait in the house until the police arrive to help her."

"Don't call the cops! At least not until you meet her."

"Fine. But she's not staying."

"We'll see."

"She's not!"

"Perhaps."

"Beth!"

"Well let's go, we better not keep her waiting."