a/n: This chapter is from Nate's POV. His chapters will be named after The Cab songs, whereas Cleo's are Taylor Swift songs. This chapter does have adult topics mentioned. It's very brief, and it is PG-13 in wording. However, Nate's comments may make people uncomfortable. He has always been shown to be a flirt, making the girls uncomfortable. They're both adults in this fic, but anything else related to the topic will be either mentioned briefly in this manner or fade to black if it ever approaches it. Let me know what you think of Nate's POV and if you'd like more of it? I felt like it would be a good way to show he hasn't quite changed, but might be a good way to show his change through some chapters as the story progresses. Thanks!

Chapter 5: Risky Business

Nate had been searching the internet all night. Every single thing related to mermaids either went back to a children's show or somehow ended up on a website that had "xxx" or "hub" in the name. Okay, so maybe he had somehow ended up on those last few websites every other time he was using the internet, but that night he wasn't trying to end up there. He was curious, actually curious about it all. Sure, there might have been some curiosity in that regard, but he was trying to be respectful, or maybe he didn't want to… y'know… with a fish. Though if that fish was Cleo or Bella, he could change his mind. Or if it was both of them at once.

He had to get his mind out of the gutter. He shook his head, looking up, yet again, 'real life mermaids' in an attempt to figure out more about them. Just like the million times before, there were a lot of ads for mermaids for children's birthday parties. Nate could not believe that there was literally nothing on the internet about actual mermaids. Some else would have had to see at least one. There must be videos or pictures? He closed his computer and tossed it to the end of his bed. Eventually he would circle right back around to the same websites as before, and he did not want to go there again.

Once more, Nate texted his best friend, the one who knew the freaking secret the entire time…

Message: Zaddy

Nate: How could you freaking keep this from me?

Nate: MERMAIDS?

Nate: THE GIRLS ARE MERMAIDS? AND YOU KEPT THAT FROM ME?

Of course, Zane was in the middle of the ocean, with one of said mermaids, and he wasn't going to respond for probably weeks or months, but at least Zane would know that he knew.

Two days of searching the internet ended up with nothing. Cleo had told him she would answer any questions she had, but he had given up his only copy of the video he had taken of her. The video that would have gone viral and made him famous. Curse his good heart for actually feeling terrible for taking the video… Curse his good heart for not making copies, but how did Cleo know that was his only copy? He smirked as he walked towards the juice bar.

"Cleo… baby…" Nate sat in the booth next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He held his grip stronger when she tried to get out from under it.

"I'm not your baby." She said back, eyes trained on him.

"You might want to be nicer to someone who knows your secret." He kept his voice at a normal volume. He hoped that she would be smart enough to be nice to him, even before he told her the 'secret' of his own.

"Don't call me baby, and I might be." He could tell that Cleo was getting upset with him, so he pulled her closer.

"Someone who still has a video of you." He whispered, and he could feel Cleo freeze in his arms. "That's better."

"Remove your arm." She fought her way out of his grasp and pressed her back against the wall. The look in her eyes was fiery.

"Okay, okay. Now, I've got more questions for you." Nate took her juice and sipped drink with a smile.

"And I've got more for you. Like what do you mean you still have a video?" Cleo said through her teeth, still with the hot ass look that told him maybe he shouldn't be messing with her.

"Did you really think I wouldn't save a copy?" He asked as he drummed the table with his free hand. He watched Cleo look around them. No one was close enough to hear, and on top of that, he was sure that no one really cared. Why would anyone care about two people having an innocent conversation?

"Maybe I thought you had changed." After having heard the tone in Cleo's voice, Nate almost felt bad for lying. He had given her the only copy, but how else was he supposed to get any more information out of her? Being honest? The thought had him laughing on the inside.

"Cleo, baby, you should know better." Nate set the juice down and held out his hand to her. "Let's take a walk, and you can answer more of my questions."

Despite what he thought was Cleo's better judgment, she took his hand and followed him outside. Nate didn't let go, keeping her close to him. He swung their arms between them as they walked. He kept glancing at her face until they reached the same park they had spoken in earlier that week.

"Can you just ask your questions?" She still didn't try to pull her hand away. He could tell that she did not want to hold his hand or answer the questions, but it didn't stop him.

"Okay, so, basics." Nate started. "How do you… go to the bathroom? You said water turns you? What about when you pee?"

Cleo's immediate burst of laughter took him off guard. He didn't expect her to laugh at such a simple, serious question, but there she was, practically doubled over. He pulled his hand away and stared at her like she was insane.

"I'm serious, Cleo. Wouldn't that… you know… tail?" Nate gestured down at his legs. This clarification only seemed to make her laugh even more. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Do you want me to spread your video everywhere?" He asked. He furrowed his brow down at her, and the laughter ceased.

"No– no." Cleo caught her breath, slowly starting to walk again. "No… It's just… that's the first, real question you're going to ask me? How do I pee?"

"It's a serious question." Nate looked at her shocked. Had no one asked her that before? That seemed like a serious first question most people would ask.

"Bodily fluids don't affect it." She looked almost… curious at the thought herself. "I mean, it's never caused me to turn. Sweat either." She added the last part fairly quickly. Nate nodded, accepting the answer. Another question came to mind, one more on the… side of the internet he happened to frequent, but he held his tongue. He had more questions, and that one was surely going to end the conversation. His curiosity was still piqued though, and he made a mental note to ask that question before the day was over.

"Are there others? You, Bella, Rikki, Emma? There have to be more than just you four." Despite hours on the internet, the closest thing he found was an article from the 1950's about another mermaid sighting on the Gold Coast. In the 1950's, these girls definitely didn't exist.

"Well… we don't know of any others currently." Cleo stopped and sat on a bench nearby. Nate followed and looked at her. He was trying to decide what the look on her face meant. Currently?

"What do you mean?"

"Charlotte was one, for a while." Nate was sure that he looked certifiably insane at that revelation, but with how obsessed Charlotte had been with Cleo and Lewis, he probably shouldn't have been surprised.

"Was?" Nate questioned. "What do you mean, was?"

"There was a special full moon where her powers were taken from her." His mouth was agape. How could she just… say that? As if there were full moons that weren't special? She had said the full moon had turned her into a mermaid, but only special ones could take them away?

"It's magic, Nate." Cleo looked over at him, and it seemed that she could see the confusion on his face. "There's not an explanation for it."

Magic. Magic. It was magic. Nate still could not wrap his head around the fact that it was just magic. Sure, he wasn't a science nerd like Lewis, but there had to be an explanation. It couldn't all just be explained as 'magic.'

"But there were others? Besides Charlotte?"

"Yes. There was a group of girls in the '50's. It's where our necklaces came from." Cleo held out the silver locket, and suddenly it all made sense. He had heard Zane discuss the lockets with Rikki before, and had heard the two of them fight about Miriam over it.

"But they're not anymore?" Nate thought about the women in the pictures from the past. He recognized the name of one of them, Miss Chatham. He should have known that there was something weird about that woman, weirder than the normal weird anyway.

"No. Same thing as Charlotte. That's how we found out that it was possible."

Nate still didn't understand, but the idea of "magic" made everything a little bit better. He was trying to find an explanation, but he still couldn't imagine a realm of possibility where mermaids and magic… existed. He was living in it. It wasn't a different world. He just hadn't known where to look before.

"Okay. Can I ask you a weird question?" Nate asked, turning his head to look back at Cleo. He worried that maybe it was the wrong time to ask, but he still had it on his mind. The thought wasn't going to leave until he asked it.

"You mean the bathroom question wasn't the weird one?" She seemed to be in a better mood than before. Maybe it was going to be the best time to ask it.

"How does… you know… Work?" Nate gestured with his hands. Cleo's eyebrow raised, and he really hoped she wasn't going to make him explain it.

"Water touches our skin, ten seconds later a tail appears." She stated, gesturing down at her legs in a similar way he had just done himself.

"No, I mean…" Nate leaned in and whispered, "you know… sex?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Of course you would ask that." Cleo's voice had never sounded so angry before. He had also never seen her turn such a bright shade of red. He backed away as she stood up, pushing himself off the bench to follow after her. He wasn't sure he had ever heard the language out of her mouth.

"No, not because I– Well not that I—" He started, but he wasn't sure that he was making a case for himself. He couldn't say that he wouldn't want to if she asked, but well… He wasn't asking because he did. "I'm serious, Cleo. I just want to know."

"You can ask Zane that question." Cleo continued walking in the direction of home. He had to wonder why she would specify that he could ask Zane.

"Rikki would kill me!" He called after her. She turned around, her face still the same shade of bright red. Her arms crossed, and he almost thought she looked… embarrassed.

"And you think I won't?"

"No." Nate shook his head. "You're Cleo." She would never actually try to hurt him. She was too nice to actually hurt him.

"Ask Zane if you're curious. He'd have a better answer than me." Cleo was quieter as she finished her sentence. He suddenly understood, but he still felt the need to continue.

"I could ask Lewis." Nate said with a shrug, and he watched as Cleo's face turned even redder.

"He'd kill you."

He chuckled, stepping closer to her. "Or he wouldn't know. Just like you don't know." Nate smiled. He took another step towards her, and leaned in. "So I could still be the first." He whispered. He patted her on the shoulder and walked off, feeling proud of himself.

"Until next time, Cleo."