A Wish on a Full Moon
I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 20: The Denman Affair (part 1)
Rikki looks around while her hands move in front of her, her tail moving in motion with the water. She smiles as she takes in the wonderful view of the ocean. The luxurious, colorful reefs. The many different styles of all types of fish as they swim past her, both in schools and alone. The strange, yet beautiful creatures of the ocean. And the two dolphins who are currently swimming alongside her.
She looks over to one of the dolphins and can't help but smile as it cackles at her when it returns the look. "Rikki, wake up," she could've sworn that was what she heard, the lips of the dolphin moving along with the voice. She stops swimming and turns to the dolphin, frowning. Suddenly, the water around her becomes violent, shaking tremendously, and the voice gets louder. "Rikki, wake up!"
Rikki lunges forward in bed, her eyes shooting open, gasping for air. She looks around the room frantically, the room that was mostly empty; until she notices Emma beside her bed, shaking her awake. "It's about time you woke up," Emma grins, already dressed for the morning. "Huh?" Rikki said, deeply confused as to why she was here. Suddenly, the memories from last night flood her brain. Groaning, she plops back down onto her pillow and buries her hands into her face. "Oh great, we're still here," Rikki complains.
Emma chuckles and backs away from the bed heading towards the bathroom. "Yup. Now get up. We need to go get breakfast. Cleo, Kim, and Bella left already so hurry up." Rikki groans again, but this time, she grudgingly gets out of bed and prepares for the day.
Making their way to the breakfast room, they find Bella, and several of the older people already in their seats, eating breakfast. They can only assume that Bella must have been awake before them since Cleo and Kim weren't there yet.
When they open the door to the buffet room, they notice that the food has somehow changed. It was no longer seafood, or the familiar drinks; instead, in its place, was eggs, both scrambled and sunny side up, toast with jelly on the side, grits, fruit slices, milk, orange, apple, and grape juice, and so much more. It almost made Rikki want to drool. They both hurry to get their plates, along with everyone else. And get back to their seats from the day before, where Cleo and Lewis await them.
"You two sure took your time," Cleo teased. "Mrs. Early Bird here was a little late getting up," Emma joked. "Well maybe next time, you should use your power to wake me up, or maybe the new one," Rikki shot back, raising an eyebrow. Emma sighs, still confused about how the water from last night was turned into jelly. It couldn't have been her. Could it?
"I'm telling you guys, it wasn't me. I freeze things. Not turn stuff into jelly. I didn't do anything!" "Then how else would it have happened. It couldn't have been me or Rikki. It's nowhere near close to the relation of our power," Cleo mentioned, tilting her head as she takes a bite of toast. "I don't know," Emma shrugged, eating an apple slice.
"Will you please quiet down! Some of us didn't get much sleep last night," Lewis whined, rubbing his eyes. "Seems like you're not the only one," Cleo said, nodding her head to Charlotte, her dad, and Denman, as they all seem to be holding in the urge to yawn, stretching their limbs out to keep from falling back asleep. "Hopefully, it won't be as bad tonight," Rikki muttered, going back to her food.
Meanwhile, Bella pokes at her pancakes with a fork, distracted by the conversation she just heard. Not the mentioning of the sleep, but about the mysterious jelly that seemed to have appeared in a cup last night. She remembered them talking about it when she came out of the bathroom last night, but now that they were bringing it back up again, she couldn't help but get nervous over the thought.
She was so afraid that somebody would find out the truth. She was for sure that Mrs. Chatham already knew, after all the hints she kept picking out at her. And the other mermaids are already getting a little suspicious over the jelly stuff. What was she going to do? She had no one hear that she knew very well. Her dad wasn't here, unable to help her in this situation, the only other person besides her mom that knew the truth, so that really left no one else for her to trust. She left out a breath, deciding to think of what to do later, and continues to eat her food. Silently in her mind, cursing the strong-smelling soap that made her sneeze last night.
"Okay, is everyone ready?" Harrison asked as the Gilbert's sat down, the last ones out of the buffet room. They all mumble in agreement, nodding their head. "Well then, let's get this show on the road," Harrison muttered, pressing play on the remote as the screen flashes blue for a second before fading.
[Cleo, Emma, Rikki, and Lewis walk along the beach. The four of them enjoying their time together before they part ways for the day. They listen in as Lewis rambles on about his latest research.]
Lewis: "I have been working all day, every day. And I think I'm getting close to figuring out what your transformation's all about."
"It sounds like you need a break," Sam said.
"Did you get close?" Kim asked. "Not yet," Lewis replied.
Emma: "Lewis, we've kind of figured that one out for ourselves."
Rikki: holding her shoes. "Yeah, for me it was the tails." Looks over at Cleo. "Was it the tails for you, Cleo, or –."
They chuckle at her sarcasm. "I didn't need the smart remark," Lewis mentioned. "Well, someone had to say it," Rikki smirks. "I think he meant why," Ash commented.
Cleo: "Ease off on Lewis. He's trying to help."
Lewis: "Exactly! Science, science is the key that unlocks the door to the mysteries of life. But, you don't much care, do you?" They walk up the path leading to the grass, Cleo taking the lead as Lewis trails behind.
Rikki: turns to him. "No."
He copied my saying, Denman smiled. "Seems more like magic is," Elliot commented.
Lewis: "Look, guys. In the next week or so, I'm going to have an opportunity to – well to –." His smile falters, turning into a frown. "Forget it." They stop in front of him as Rikki faces him.
"To what?" Will asked. "You'll see." To make a mistake, Rikki frowned.
Rikki: "Lewis! Speak."
Lewis: looks at them and perks up, smiling as they listen. "Okay. There's someone arriving today. She's doing dolphin research at the marine park. Her name's Denman." Cleo and Emma look at each other.
Denman gulps, eyes widening in fear as she realizes this part of the viewing is about her. She glances around nervously as other people around her give her a look before going back to the screen, probably assuming that it was nothing to worry about. She only hopes that they don't react too harshly about it.
Bev raises an eyebrow as she looks at the blonde. My roommate? Well, she did raise her hand earlier about knowing the secret. Is this how she found out?
Lewis: gets even more excited. "She did her Ph.D. at twenty-one! Can you believe that?"
Bev looks at her in shock. Ph.D.?! So, she's a doctor? But, how did she find out about them? Her grip tightens on her armchair as she tenses up.
"That's impressive," Ash commented. "Thanks. It was nothing," Denman chuckled, brushing it off as she feels a little hot all of a sudden from her nerves rising.
Rikki: shrugs, not interested at all. "I'm tingling."
Lewis: claps his hands together. "These days she's one of the world's leading experts in aquatic mammalian cellular evolution."
"Well, someone's been doing their research," Harrison remarked, remembering how he researched her as well before he invested money in her project.
Lewis: "If I can tap into her research –."
Emma: tilts her head. "And how are you going to get access to a scientist like her, Lewis?"
Lewis: squints, thinking. "I have my methods." Emma laughs quietly to herself.
"What does that mean?" Bella asked. "It means that he emailed me a resume, every single day," Denman sighed.
Rikki: "No way. You're not going to tell a real scientist about us."
Elliot gasped, leaning forward in his seat. "You didn't, did you?" "No! I wouldn't!" Lewis exclaimed, a little hurt that someone thought that. "No," Cleo said, before glaring down at Zane. "He didn't."
"Real?" Charlotte asked. "He's not a scientist," Rikki mentioned. "I'll still take it as a compliment," Lewis smiled. "I wouldn't," Bella mumbled.
Lewis: gestures to himself. "Guys, it's me! I'll be careful." Stops his pleading and points at Rikki. "What do you mean 'a real scientist?'"
They laugh at his slow realization of what Rikki meant, even Denman can't help but give a small smile.
Emma: leans forward with her hands in her pockets. "She can't know about us."
Rikki: shrugs. "What if she wants to dissect us?"
Cleo: "What if she goes public on us?"
The families of the girls begin to worry about them. Worried that she did something to them. Worried that something bad happened to the girls. Could this be some kind of foreshadowing?
Denman hugs herself, trying to keep others from seeing her shake nervously. She was terrified of what people were going to think about her. Of what people were going to do once they find out the truth about what she did. Of course, she realizes she could have gone about it in a whole different way. But she was so blindsided about being the first scientist ever to discover the existence of mermaids, of all the money she could get, of all the fame she would have, that she didn't realize all the risks of it all.
She didn't even think about the poor girls and how they felt about it. She didn't even think about them still being human. Admittedly she did regret it some, but it was too late now. What's done is done. She couldn't take it back. Although she would love to know more, she could only hope that she wouldn't get shredded to pieces for her mistakes.
Harrison looks away as he thinks the same thing that Denman does.
"That is what scientists do," Max points out.
"Sounds like a bad idea to me," Kim said, crossing her arms.
Lewis begins feeling guilty about the whole thing. He should've believed them in the first place. He sighs and leans back. This was going to be a long episode.
Lewis: "She's a marine biologist. And she'll have equipment that makes the stuff at school seem like, toys." They look down, Emma smiles. "If you guys want answers, I need access to it and her research."
"Sometimes the answers are right before your eyes," Mrs. Chatham said, confusing everyone else, who ignores it as they try to get used to her confusing ways now.
"No, you don't," Max said. "And what makes you say that?" Lewis asked, only getting a smile from Max in reply.
Rikki: "And how are you going to do that without spilling your guts about us?"
Lewis: thinks about it, before smirking and fidgeting around a little. "I was thinking charm." He moves in-between her and Emma as they start walking again.
Cleo: arms crossed. "No. Seriously."
"What charm?" Zane scoffed. "Resumes isn't charm," Denman said.
Lewis: walks ahead of them a few steps. "Come on, guys. All I'm asking is that you trust me."
Emma: they look at her. She shrugs then looks at Cleo. "Ok. We do need to know what's happened to us."
Denman raises her eyebrows, a little surprised that she agreed to it so easily. They allowed it? Don thinks, a little suspicious of hearing about this Denman person.
"I think it's a bad idea," Ash muttered.
Rikki: "You'll never get to see her, anyway."
Lewis: "Ah, yes, I will." Turns to Cleo, slightly waving his hands around. "Cleo?" She shrugs and they smile.
"You used her job as access?" Don asked. "Yeah," Lewis admitted sheepishly.
[Later that day at Cleo's work, she and Lewis walk past the dolphin tank, where several of the dolphins swim laps around the pool as they head to the lab. Lewis knocks on the door and opens it, peeking inside.]
Charlotte tenses up at seeing the dolphins, trying her best to calm herself down. In all honesty, she was getting a little annoyed about seeing all the dolphins, and a little about her fear.
Cleo: "Lewis, we're not supposed to be in this area!" They walk inside the lab, leaving the door wide open, and start looking at all the equipment spread out on the tables and counters: scopes, test tubes, vials, and a laptop with a tail on it as her logo.
"Yet you follow him in anyway," Rikki sighed.
"Is that a mermaid tail on your laptop?" Annette asked. "Yeah, I thought it was unique," Denman said. Turns out it isn't.
Lewis: is jaw-dropped by all the technology, taking it all in. "Oh, talk about heavy duty. What do you think she looks like?" He messes around with some of the stuff on the table.
"You didn't know?" Zane asked. "Well, I didn't look up pictures," Lewis remarked.
Cleo: "She spends a lot of time in the water. Maybe a prune?" She smiles jokingly at Lewis, who holds up a vial that contains some kind of orange liquid in it, looking at it, then puts it back down.
They laugh at her attempted joke, imagining it as if it were true. "Why thank you, Cleo," Denman chuckled, forgetting about the momentary nervousness. "Sorry," Cleo apologized. I wish, Rikki scowls.
"You spend a lot of time in the water too, yet you don't look like one," Kim said, pointing out Cleo's flaw in her joke, who rolls her eyes at her sister's comment.
[Denman walks into the room, still facing the hallway as she smiles and laughs, flipping her hair behind her back when she turns and sees them. Cleo's smile falters when she sees her and takes a step back in shock. Lewis looks at her, then does a double-take and begins staring lovingly at her.]
Lewis's face reddens with embarrassment as the room roars with laughter. Denman raises an eyebrow, surprised that she never noticed that look before. "Oh my gosh! I know that look. You had a crush on her!" Kim exclaimed. "Well, she was pretty, I'll admit that," Lewis said, trying to rub the redness out of his face. "Dude, she's like ten years older than you," Zane said, slapping Lewis's shoulder.
"That was quite an entrance," Will joked.
Harrison inhales deeply as he begins getting nervous as well. He'll admit, he was a bit curious as to how Denman knew the girls before they discovered what they were. But at the same time, he was worried about how the others in the room will react once they find out what the two of them did.
Denman: walks closer to them. "Can I help you?" Lewis shakes his head, staring at her, trying to speak.
Lewis: stutters. "You're the Dr. Denman?" Cleo glances at him.
Denman: nods. "Yes. I'm Dr. Denman." Lewis lets out a breath, smiling widely, and chuckles. He glances over at Cleo before looking down at his resume.
Lewis: "I'm Lew – Lewis McCartney. It's McCartney. Um –."
"Couldn't make it more obvious, could you mate?" Zane laughed. "A little nervous are you there, Lewis," Ash teased along with him.
Charlotte pouts, jealous that Lewis was gawking at this scientist. Of course, he does it to Cleo, but this is another person! Someone new. And she didn't like it. she scowled at the thought of him being with her. Unbeknownst to her, Cleo was thinking the exact same thing.
Denman: "Lewis McCartney." Shakes his hand. "Are you the one who sent me forty-eight emails about the research assistant's position?"
"Forty-eight?!" Neil said surprised. "Wow, you were desperate," Rikki said. "I needed to use her equipment," Lewis explained.
Lewis: still shaking and holding onto her hand, he nods and smiles proudly; glad that she noticed. "Yes, I am."
Denman: gives him an awkward smile. "Wow. You must be very keen." Cleo notices him still shaking her hand and elbows him, but he still holds on. "Either that, or a stalker."
"Probably the second one," Emma said. "I am not!" Lewis shouts. "Then why don't you let go of her hand?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow. "I – I – I cannot explain my past actions," Lewis muttered in response.
"Seems like we were right about him. And Cleo wasn't kidding about the way he acted," Rikki whispered to Emma, who nods in agreement.
Lewis: laughs in surprise. "A stalker!" He finally lets go of her hand and she looks at Cleo who gives her a small grin. "This is Cleo." He looks at her, and they look at each other.
"Nice first meeting," Bev chuckled, a little happy that her daughter and roommate got to know each other before this. "The only nice meeting we ever had," Cleo said quietly, but loud enough for her mother to hear. She frowns upon hearing that, wondering what in the world she meant. Did they meet again after this time?
Lewis: continues smiling as he looks at his resume and hands it to her. "This is my resume, if you'd like to –."
Denman: takes the resume from him and she returns the smile, looking at them both. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you, Cleo, Lewis." Cleo nods and smiles in return. Lewis gives her a big grin.
"Did you keep the resume?" Lewis asked. "Hmm, I don't know. It probably got destroyed like my other stuff did," Denman spat.
Denman: "Let me say, I find your attitude admirable." Cleo gives them a weird look. "Science is the key that unlocks the door to the mysteries of life."
"Wait a second, that was your saying?" Rikki asked in shock. "Wow, Lewis you really were a stalker," Zane chuckled, shaking his head in astonishment.
"It might be the key for the mysteries of life, but it isn't for magic," Mrs. Chatham reminds her.
Cleo: steps in front of Lewis, trying to block his view. "So, mind if we take a look at what you're up to?"
Denman: lays a hand on Cleo's shoulder, lightly shoving her to the door. "I'm sorry, I'm actually at a crucial stage of something at the moment." Puts a hand on Lewis's shoulder, and he blushes at the touch as they walk to the door. "But I will take a look at your resume. Ok?"
Rikki and Emma's eyes widen, and they gasp in shock and anger. "Don't touch her!" they yell, scaring the others as they jump in surprise. "Why do you three keep acting like that?" Don asked, staring cluelessly at them, trying to figure out what was going on. "No reason," Emma quickly said, as they turn back to the screen. "What the heck is going on?" Bev whispered to Don who shrugs in reply.
Rikki glares at Denman. Don't even think about harming any of my friends!
Lisa glances at Neil, remembering that Emma told them about her being a marine biologist and discovering their secret. Was this when it happened?
Lewis: "Ok." Cleo leaves as Lewis turns around in the hallway to see her closing the door. He smiles at her eagerly. "Bye."
Denman: "Bye." Lewis leans back to see her for one more time while she slowly closes the door. Shutting it completely, she turns around and smiles, silently laughing.
"Very obvious," Ash remarked. "That was weird," Bella said.
[The three mermaids walk down the trail, not too far from the rocky edge behind them. Cleo talks about the incident.]
Cleo: "Dr. Denman. Ha! More like Dr. Baywatch Babe." The other two smile, giving her a knowing look.
"Jealous?" Lewis smirks, earning a nudge.
"Cleo!" Bev scolded. "It's alright Mrs. Sertori," Denman said, chuckling at the nickname. "Oh, um, we're … divorced," Bev said hesitantly, looking down while Don looks away from her, feeling a little upset. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just ass –," Denman tried to explain but Kim cuts her off with an angry huff. "Well, you assumed wrong."
Cleo: hands on her hips. "What does she know anyway?"
"More than you," Kim scoffs.
"Pretty much everything in marine biology," Denman mentioned before glancing over at the girls. "Including cellular mutation." This earns her a glare from the girls. Bev noticed this and watched them, utterly confused. She trusted the doctor, so why didn't they?
Emma: "Well, I googled her. She wrote some important paper as part of her Ph.D. 'Mutations in Aquatic Mammals.' She's got a bit of cred."
"Pretty good for a young age," Sam said.
"Know your enemies, right Em?" Zane whispered, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. She glances at him and gives him a slight nod.
Cleo: "Ah, she got lucky. I bet she's not even a real blonde." She laughs as Emma scoffs, surprised that Cleo would ever say that. Rikki gives her a look as if asking, 'was that even necessary?' "What?"
"Cleo, do you want to be grounded too?" Don warns her. "What for?" Cleo asked, clearly offended. "For insulting her for no reason. She hasn't done anything to you," Don lectured. "Yes, she ha –," Cleo shouts. "This was before that!" Emma hissed, holding Cleo's arm to prevent her from admitting anything else. Cleo looks at her and huffs, crossing her arms and slouching in her seat.
Cleo: looks at them both and shrugs. "I'm just concerned about Lewis, and how he's feeling right now. You should have seen him before. I mean, what if he gets so influenced that he tells her about us?" She looks at them again as they all walk off.
"Oh please, I'm not that stupid!" Lewis scoffed. "The cell sample she had says otherwise," Rikki muttered to him, causing him to pout.
[A few minutes later at the Juicenet, they meet up in their usual booth questioning Lewis, who is sitting next to Cleo, while the customers around them go about their day. Some of them are currently playing pool. Rikki and Emma sit across from the two.]
Emma: "And what exactly are you going to say to her, Lewis?"
Lewis: "Have a little faith, please! All I want is access to her lab. That's it!"
"We couldn't at the time with the way you were acting," Emma commented.
"Seems like more than just her lab," Zane muttered.
Emma: "You're a sucker for a pretty face."
Lewis: narrows his eyes. "A pretty face? What, you think I noticed whether she was pretty or not?"
"Why yes, yes you have," Bella smirked. "You went all googly-eyed on her," Elliot said. "I'll take that as a compliment," Denman joked.
Lewis: "I'm a scientist. Besides, she wasn't that special anyways." He lets a smirk fall on his face.
"No, just her looks," Cleo mumbled jealously.
[His phone rings that was lying on the table. Picking it up, he looks at the name on the screen and his eyes light up in excitement.]
Lewis: "Ooh, it's her." He jumps up from his seat, walks away from the booth, and answers the phone.
"Wasn't that special anyways," Rikki mimicked, causing others to chuckle around her and making Lewis embarrassed.
Cleo: leans in closer to the others. "He's got her phone number programmed into his phone already." They watch him as he steps in front of a guy playing pool with a buddy, interrupting their game. The guy steps back and holds his pool cue up to avoid hitting Lewis.
Lewis: smiles dreamily while talking to her. "Dr. Denman, how are you today? Uh-huh." He giggles and turns around.
"Wow, I was really insane," Lewis said, raising an eyebrow at his attitude change. "And obnoxious," Rikki comments.
"You laughed like a girl," Kim giggled, making Elliot laugh too. Denman chuckles silently as she watches the scene.
Rikki: "Nervous laughter. Not good." They continue watching him as she leans into her hand.
Lewis: walks in front of the other guy playing pool and begins twirling his hair. "Oh, yeah."
Emma: they frown, looking at him strangely. "Is he, twirling his hair?"
Zane barks out laughing. "You went full-blown love-struck for her!"
Lewis: "Absolutely." He hops onto the pool table, sitting on it, right as the guy was about to shoot. The guy stands up slowly, glaring at him. "Funny. You're really funny. You've got a great sense of humor." Emma gags.
"Okay, let's see. You got compliments, flirting, giggling, twirling hair, and completely zoned out. Yup, that sounds like a crush," Bella said, counting on her fingers. "Had," Lewis corrects her.
Charlotte pouts. He never told me I got a great sense of humor.
Cleo: looks at them. "We're in big trouble." They shake their heads as he continues sitting on the pool table as the other guy tries to shove him off it with his arm. Lewis ignores him.
"I hope not," Don said. "Not now," Cleo muttered, the other two nodding along.
Lewis: "Yeah. No, I'm ready to do some work experience. Any time you want me, day or night." Cleo shifts uncomfortably, looking down. "Really?" He smiles and nods. "I'm counting the minutes." Hanging up the phone, he gets up from the pool table and goes back to their booth. The guys are able to enjoy their pool game now without any interruptions.
"Well at least he sounds like a good worker," Harrison said, shrugging.
"It was only a daytime job, Lewis," Denman reminds him.
Emma: "Well, I'm convinced. You can't be trusted."
Lewis: sits down and leans back, looking confused. "What?"
"All because of a phone call?" Neil asked. "It was more than that, dad." Only I said it too early, Emma thought.
Emma: "Lewis, forget about her for a minute. This is us we're talking about." Narrowing her eyes, she begins speaking slowly. "Do not reveal anything to her. Do you understand? We've got a lot riding on this." He leans further back, resting his head against the booth, and huffs, closing his eyes. Cleo watches him.
"She's not wrong," Ash admits.
"And you still didn't listen," Rikki complained.
"You mean, a lot swimming on this?" Will said, laughing at his own joke. Rikki looks over to Emma and jabs a thumb in his direction. "Can I hit him?"
[During a show at the marine park, in the back by the dolphin pool, Lewis heads to Denman's lab with his backpack on and knocks on the door.]
Lewis: "Dr. Denman?"
Denman: in the pool, next to a dolphin who cackles. She is in a wetsuit as she looks up after her name was called. "Lewis!" He turns around and smiles at her, nodding. "Hey." He walks over to the railing to get closer. "Lewis, meet Marge." She lays a hand on top of the dolphin and she squeals in response.
"That's, a cute name," Charlotte said quietly, stuttering as she got the sentence out. She holds onto her mother's arm, trying her best not to show her fear, trying her best to beat her fear. Annette can't help but give Charlotte a small smile, glad that she was at least trying to get over her fear.
Denman: looks at her. "Marge is helping me out with some research, too. Isn't she beautiful?"
Lewis: takes off his backpack and walks over to the ladder near the shallow water, looking at Denman. "Oh, yes."
"What research?" Sam asked. "Just a study on dolphins and their behavior with humans," Denman answered as Sam nods in understanding.
"You, weren't talking about the dolphin, were you?" Ash asked, pointing to the screen. "Uh, no?" Lewis winced, regretting having to answer that.
"They all look the same," Charlotte said, crossing her arms shakily. "They might, but they all have their differences, especially in their personalities. Some react differently to us than others," Bella said as Cleo immediately thinks of Ronnie and how he always reacted around her. "How would you know?" Emma asked. "Uh, I used to meet dolphins all the time on my travels with my dad," Bella admitted, not completely telling a lie. She did always meet dolphins, just not in the normal, well, human way. She would always befriend one on her swims. More importantly, what did she mean by 'us?' Rikki thought, glancing at the girl curiously as if she were onto something.
[Denman walks into the shallow water, leaving the dolphin's side, and gets closer to the deck. Next to the ladder, she holds up a waterproof camera and hands it to Lewis.]
Denman: "Hey, can you take this for me?"
Lewis: smiles. "Yes, I can." Denman unzips her suit, revealing a bikini top under the suit. Lewis blushes and looks anywhere but at her as she attempts to take it off.
"Like something you see?" Zane teased as he leaned closer to Lewis for him to hear. "Ow!" he yelled, feeling a sudden pain at the back of his head, and he turns around as he rubs his head, only to find Rikki glaring at him. "Thanks, Rikki," Lewis said, smirking, not even looking their way.
Denman: pausing as the wet suit remains on her arms and she turns to him. "Can you, give me a hand with this?"
Lewis: eyes widen. "Yes, I can – yes, I can, I can do that." He puts down the camera and brushes his hair out of his face.
"Seriously?" Cleo scoffed. "What's wrong with that, Cleo?" Kim teased, knowing why. "Nothing!" Cleo pouts, crossing her arms; the same reaction that Charlotte does as she gasps and narrows her eyes.
Denman: "Thank you!" Lewis pulls it off her arms and she lets it hang around her waist.
Lewis: "There."
Denman: "Ah. Thank you." Turns back to him. "Ok. Now, let me show you where you'll be working." She walks up the steps past him. Lewis watches her and grins, wiggling his eyebrows, and follows behind her. Marge cackles and swims off.
Denman chuckles awkwardly, not comfortable with the attention she was giving him. "Well, at least she seems normal right now," Cleo suggested to the other two, knowing that sooner or later, she'll be acting crazy on-screen.
"Has your eyes popped yet?" Kim asked jokingly. "You need to blink eventually," Will said.
[In the lab, Denman, back in her normal clothes, puts on a lab coat while talking to Lewis about how she started her career. Lewis carefully holds up a green vial, looking at it.]
Denman: "So, my work in the Galapagos Islands took a bit of a left turn, and that's how I ended up studying cell mutation in mammals." Lewis puts the vial down and walks around the table.
"What happened in the Galapagos?" Lisa asked. "A failed mission. But, if it weren't for that, I wouldn't have realized what I really enjoyed working with. I realized I loved studying cell mutation," Denman fondly says, smiling about the memory. The girls glance at each other, worried about her little hobby.
Denman: Lewis grabs a large yellow vial and she quickly, yet carefully, takes it from him and puts it down gently. "Who knew it would generate so much, interest in the scientific community?" They chuckle.
"A little too much interest," Emma muttered under her breath as she glances at Harrison.
Lewis: looks at all the equipment and rubs his hands together, circling around the table. "Incredible."
Denman: "I beg your pardon?"
Lewis: turns to her. "Hm? Oh, this equipment – I – I've read about it, but it's – it's, wow." Stares at the scope, holding his arms close.
"You don't have those at your school?" Max asked. "Only the ones that look like toys. But these are huge compared to the ones we have," Lewis told him.
Denman: smiles and nods. "Mm-hmm. Well, this is what you get when people throw money at your next research project."
Lewis: "That's fantastic."
"What's your next project now, Dr. Denman?" Cleo asked, with no resent. Denman stares at her, surprised that she got any respect for being called a doctor, and the fact that there was no anger to her tone. She hesitates before deciding to answer nicely. "Cell mutation in dolphins." "What happened to your last one?" Sam asked a little suspiciously. "I, uh, lost interest," she replied, rubbing the back of her neck, casting her eyes downwards.
Lewis: sighs. "So, which piece am I on?" Denman glances sideways before walking away as Lewis gasps upon seeing, to his left, another object. "The electron microscope? No." Standing up straight, slowly he turns to another. "The ion evaporator?" Waves at it, but then sees another machine and walks to it, as Denman walks back up with a mop behind her back. "The atomic absorption photometer?"
"How about, none of the above?" Rikki said, rolling her eyes. "I could've worked on them," Lewis said, trying to defend himself. "Not a chance," she remarked.
"Did you forget what your mission was?" Kim asked. "No, I just couldn't do it yet," Lewis explained, "I didn't have a test sample yet."
"You are such a nerd," Zane said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Denman: "How about we start with a mop?" Holds out the mop for him. Lewis smiles, grabbing it. However, as she walks away, his smile falters.
"Why not let him?" Annette asked. "There were too many breakable and expensive machines around. He seems like the clumsy type," Denman explained. "You would be correct," Rikki points out.
[That evening, he met up with the girls at Cleo's house in the kitchen, where he found them getting dinner ready: Rikki grabs the pizza out of the oven, Emma gets the drinks out of the fridge, and Cleo gets the cups from the cabinets.]
Cleo: looks over at Lewis, who is at the counter. "You mopped floors?"
Rikki: puts the pizza box on the counter beside him. "And that helps us how, exactly?"
"It doesn't," Elliot said, confused. "It helps me keep my station clean," Denman points out. "And it gives me work experience," Lewis shrugged.
Lewis: they all look at him. "Guys, I know what I'm doing. I have access to her lab. All I need now is a fresh DNA sample." Cleo and Emma place the juice and cups on the counter as Lewis grabs some nail clippers. "Say, a toenail clipping?" All three blondes turn to Cleo while Emma places her hands on her hips.
Cleo: rolling her eyes, she sighs. "Ok, ok." Holds her hand out for them and Lewis gives them to her, grinning. She holds it up and observes it.
"You touched someone else's toenail? Gross!" Kim gagged. "Trust me, it gets far worse than that," Cleo winced, remembering the ear wax and hair.
That sample was from a toenail?! From her? Denman thinks, eyes widening; never realizing that it could have possibly been from someone she actually met before discovering it.
[The next day at the marine park, Lewis quickly makes his way to the lab, where he finds Denman at work on a machine when he barges in. She looks at the door upon hearing his voice.]
Lewis: shuts the door. "Oh, I just missed a couple of benchtops. I thought I'd come back and – and get them done." Putting his bookbag down, he gets closer to her as she looks at her clipboard.
"Benchtops? That's your excuse?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow at the blonde boy. "Even Cleo is better than lying at that!" Kim scoffed, causing Cleo to smile.
Denman: "Very thorough." He looks at her.
"And you believed him?" Ash said dumbfounded. "Not one bit," Denman grinned.
Denman: gestures to her work. "Ok, well, I'm kind of, in the middle of something, so –."
Lewis: "Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, don't let me stop you. I'm sure I can handle a few old benchtops." She returns to her work, staring at her clipboard and the machine as he walks over to the counter and begins wiping the benchtops off.
"I sure hope so," Rikki shook her head. Since you can't seem to handle one little sample.
Denman: looks over at him and nods. "Ok. I'll leave you to it."
Lewis: "Ok." He sprays the counter as she walks out the door and shuts it. Quickly, he puts the spray down and gets to work. He takes out the vial containing the toenail from his pocket and puts on his glasses. Opening the vial, he lays the nail down on a napkin before carefully cutting a sample of it off with a blade and tweezers. While glancing at the door, to make sure no one was coming in, he lays it on a slide and puts the rest of it back in the vial. Lewis places the slide under the scope and was about to put a drop of water on it while looking in the scope when Dr. Denman opened the door.
Denman: "Having fun?"
"Busted," Elliot laughed.
"Next time come up with a better excuse," Ash commented. "There was no next time," Lewis sighed.
Lewis: jumps up, looking at her in shock. "Oh, I was just –."
Denman: walks closer while clasping her hands together, smiling. "Hey, relax." Nods in the direction of the scope and raises an eyebrow. "I knew you couldn't resist. Benchtops? Please." Lewis looks down guiltily.
Cleo sighs, slightly glad that he didn't get in trouble for breaking the rules. Yet only hoped, that he wouldn't make things worse; even though she already knew the outcome.
Denman: "So what are you looking at?"
Lewis: "Oh, nothing. Just something that I found at the beach. It's sand or something, but – it's nothing special."
"That's worse than the benchtops!" Kim yelled.
Rikki stares at the screen, curious as to how he somehow forgot about the other sample, while Emma looks on in worry.
It is so much more than 'nothing special,' it holds an unlimited value of magic and friendship. Something that is worth protecting, Mrs. Chatham thought.
Denman: "There's no such thing as nothing special. Everything has its own story to tell."
The trio looks on at her in surprise. Amazed that she would give out some great advice like that. Realizing that she was right. Everything does have a story to tell. Just like their lockets, as they each grab onto them, thinking about the legacy that these objects hold; the adventures the lockets have been through, both past and present. To them, although they would never admit it to her, her words sounded great.
Even Bella and Charlotte were astonished by her wise words. My story? It's nothing compared to theirs. I did it alone, besides my parent's help. But they worked as a team to help each other out. Theirs is far better compared to mine, Bella thought, before looking over at the doctor herself. But, what about hers?
Charlotte looked at her mother, thinking about her grandmother's story, and curious if both her and her mother would ever find out more about her. Unknowingly, Mrs. Chatham and Max were also thinking about Gracie, a little upset that her story turned out differently than they expected. Don, however, was thinking about Mrs. Chatham's story and what it could be, as he knows that he didn't receive the full story that Max had told them last night. He steals a glance at her and can only think of what she could possibly have to do with all of this.
Lewis: looks at his watch. "Oh, is that the time? I, ah – I gotta get to school." Grabbing the vial and putting it back in his pocket, he begins laughing nervously. Lewis walks by her and grabs his backpack, and waves goodbye, which she returns, and leaves, shutting the door. And completely forgets the rest of the sample lying on the slide under the scope.
"You idiot! So that's how she seen it!" Rikki shouts. "I already apologized!" Lewis exclaimed, feeling even more guilty than before. "That doesn't excuse your actions," Rikki shot back.
"Rikki, that's enough. What's done is done and it can't be changed. More importantly, we fixed the problem, remember?" Emma told her, a hint laced in her tone as she gives her a look, hoping that she would understand. Which luckily for Emma, Rikki did, as the memory of the full moon where they lost their powers 'forever' came to her mind. She looks back over at the other blonde and huffs, crossing her arms. "Right!" "Are we missing something?" Bev asked, curious as to what all the fuss was about. "No," Cleo said quickly.
[When the door shuts, Denman immediately lays down her clipboard and looks into the microscope. She glances at the computer screen, which shows the cells.]
Denman: "What have we here?" When she puts some water on the sample, the cells immediately begin to vibrate at the touch. She looks back into the microscope and observes what happens, before looking back at the screen and sees the cells have completely flipped, changing after ten seconds into something different. The DNA has ultimately altered. She stares at the screen, stunned, then looks between the sample and the screen, before finally speaking. "Oh my gosh."
She raised her hand before, admitting that she already knew the secret. So, is this how she found out? Bev thought, gulping as her nerves began racing and her heart began beating faster; terrified that something bad was going to happen to her daughter. Worried that something might happen to her DNA sample. But her roommate and hopefully soon-to-be friend wouldn't do that to her, to her own daughter, right? Of course, they didn't know each other then, but to experiment on someone, another human, that would be horrible.
"That's not good," Will frowned. "No, it isn't," Lewis said, others nodding in agreement.
"So, your DNA was changed? Not just the appearing tail? And also, the toenail for example, it doesn't have to be attached to you for it to change as well? Just be a part of you?" Sam asked, a little shocked by the discovery, but also wanting to ask a lot more questions. Emma squints, not expecting that many questions. "Um, yes, that's why we call it our human skin and mermaid skin, and I guess so," Emma shrugged, chuckling at all the questions she got. Sam reddens a little in embarrassment, not realizing how she got so amazed by their adventures. Don looks over at Sam and chuckles quietly to himself. Unable to help it as he noticed her cheeks turn red.
"You need to be careful with your limits on how far you're willing to discover things, Lewis. If you try to go over, it can cause some serious damage, not on what you try to discover, but in your own life as well," Max mentioned, causing Lewis to look down and mutter quietly. "I already have," as he thought of the breakup with Cleo.
[Lewis walks on the path near the dolphins, heading back to the exit when he slowly comes to a stop and begins to pat himself. After realizing what he had done, he tenses up and runs back to the lab.]
"Took you long enough," Rikki mumbled. "Rikki," Emma warned. "It could've been avoided," Rikki tried to say. "Not with Harrison's plans, remember? The resort he wanted to make on Mako Island?" Emma whispered.
[Lewis knocks on the door and comes in. Denman is sitting on her stool at the table, writing down some notes when she looks up at him.]
Lewis: "Dr. Denman, I think I left my, my ah –."
Denman: "Your slide?" Grabs the box and holds it up.
"My DNA," Cleo scowled.
Denman: "I know it's not sand, Lewis." He glances around nervously. "In fact, I'm not sure what it is." Holds it out to him.
Lewis: "Ah, it's – a private project." Taking the box, he opens it and peeks inside, noticing the sample still on the slide.
"That just makes it sound worse," Annette said, shaking her head.
"Do you need lessons for making excuses?" Kim asked. "I was put on the spot," Lewis said, trying to defend himself.
Denman: nods. "Ok, that's fine." Lewis was about to leave when she stops him. "So, listen. Um, I'm doing another dive tomorrow, and I need some assistance. Feel like doing some work experience?"
Lewis: smiles, a little relieved that she didn't mention the slide anymore. "Oh, yeah, that sounds cool."
"More mopping?" Zane teased.
Denman: "I'll see you then."
Lewis: "Ok. Yeah." He points at her with the box in his hand, then opens the door and leaves. When the door shuts, she opens another box, revealing another sample that she had cut off, on a slide. She picks it up and looks at it.
"So, she is a better liar then," Kim said, eyes widened in fear for her sister.
"You stole my daughter's DNA?!" Don yelled, jumping up from his seat. "What did you do?" Kim asked, trying to be brave. "Why?" Bev said gently but worry shown brightly in her eyes as she looked at the marine biologist. Her hope declining that her roommate didn't do anything, as more evidence piles up. "I, just, wanted to know. Nothing like that was ever seen before," Denman said guiltily, looking away. That's not the whole story, Rikki thought, looking down at the doctor.