𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃: h2o - just add water
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IT HAD BEEN SIX DAYS SINCE THE EVENTS REGARDING THE FULL MOON HAD HAPPENED. since then, life in the gold coast had been as normal as it possibly could be for alexa and her friends. they had to be cautious of their actions and if they were in any risk of exposing the mermaid secret then they'd have to come up with a convincing lie that would convince anyone.
even though alexa had to lie to protect herself and her loved ones, she hated doing it. lying may be deemed as acceptable depending on your reason to lie but to a certain extent, it may be viewed as unacceptable. by creating a lie, it would only set up a relationship that would only be destroyed in the end.
those were the consequences. and alexa refused to let anyone suffer from her actions. she had realised that she was getting close to niall, a boy she had never expected to come into her life. he had alexa baffled from the moment they had first met and although the two had agreed to a mutual agreement on staying on good terms (due to byron and emma's feelings for one another), they still bickered time and time again.
sure, alexa and niall may have started off on the wrong foot but their friendship was slowly growing stronger by the day. it had only been two months ago that the two had met at school and progress was being made day by day.
but alexa should've known that their friendship was doomed from the very beginning but she couldn't help but take a leap with him when he was at his most vulnerable state when niall was on his own due to byron's time being occupied with training for the school swimming sports competition, specifically the 100m.
"whenever you feel alone or you just want to talk or hang out, you're always free to come to me." alexa told the henderson, "just know that, i'm always here."
alexa blamed herself for getting close to niall and being the reason why her three friends possessing the ability to transform into mermaids and their abilities over water. if she didn't leave her kingdom to stay at the gold coast, maybe they wouldn't have come across the moon pool on the day of the full moon which gave the three girls their powers and a metamorphosis whenever they made contact with water and maybe she wouldn't have come across niall at all.
but there was always more pressing matters that had to be alexa's top priority where she can't take a moment to focus on her own problems that had risen ever since her three friends became mermaids.
emma was down at the docks where she met the mysterious woman that cleo met whilst she was at work who was called miss chatham who owned a houseboat called the 'lorelei' which broke free due to the mooring line as it was frayed through. due to the mooring line being broken, it broke free and scratched zane's cowling.
to make matters worse, zane brought mr hendrix (the harbour master) to miss chatham and emma who informed the former that she had unpaid mooring fees that went back five years as well as reminding her of the several requests that had been made from the people who owned a boat at the docks asking her to maintain her vessel according to regulations.
the news that miss chatham had received regarding her eviction and her houseboat created a wave of emotions that she had trouble controlling. from stress to frustration that had overwhelmed the woman that it had caused her to collapse onto the floor of her houseboat with a hand on her chest.
the group had all met up at cleo's house as emma had informed them of the events that had gone down earlier today. they were sat on the staircase that led to the upstairs area of the sertori household where alexa was sat beside cleo as she rested her back against the wall.
"the ambulance guy said it could've been more serious." emma notified the group, referring to miss chatham who had suffered a heart attack after hearing the news that she was going to be evicted, "she'd stopped taking her medication."
"poor lady." cleo spoke up with a sad look on her face.
emma cut in, "her name is miss chatham." she told the sertori.
"well i'm just relieved that miss chatham is alright after suffering that heart attack." alexa chimed in with a small smile on her face.
"is she that weird old lady that lives on the boat?" lewis questioned from beside the gilbert with his arms crossed.
"yeah, that's her." emma confirmed, "how do you know her?" she inquired curiously.
lewis lightly shook his head, "no, i don't. i've just heard about her." he added, "she lives on that leaky old wreck. no friends. no family. all alone."
cleo pointed out to the group, "she's the one that seems to know all about the full moon and our powers... and our tails as well as lex's family who told us what they know of mako island."
"cleo has a point." alexa cut in, "my family told us all they know about mako island and about how every blessing came a curse. the full moon gave the three of you a power over water and a metamorphosis whenever you guys make contact with water but by the full moon gifting you a gift, the full moon had also cursed you three. that's all we know about the full moon so maybe miss chatham is the only one who could give us more information about this entire situation."
emma piped up, "i hate to say it but lex is right. we don't know anything else about what has happened to us and as much as i despise going to someone who knows our secret and who we do not know at all, we may not have any other choice." she turned to face lewis, "what else do you know about her, lewis?"
"some people say she's a witch." lewis replied, having heard the rumours that had gone around about miss chatham.
"and if they said she was an easter bunny, would you believe that?" rikki retorted as her eyes narrowed in disbelief at lewis. if mermaids exist, surely there would be the possibility that there were other supernatural creatures out there that remained in hiding that the group were unaware of. at this point, the group would have to remain open-minded of anything that came their way.
"there was a time i didn't believe in mermaids either." lewis shot back which the four girls couldn't help but exchange a look with one another as they shrugged their shoulders in agreement to the mccartney's words.
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THE FOUR GIRLS HAD COLLECTIVELY AGREED TO MEET UP AT THE GILBERT HOUSEHOLD THE NEXT DAY SO THAT THEY COULD DISCUSS THEIR NEXT STEPS REGARDING MISS CHATHAM. whilst cleo and emma have met her, that only left alexa and rikki left to meet her. whilst miss chatham seemed to know things that the four girls didn't, alexa didn't perceive her as a threat. if she knew that herself and her three friends were mermaids, she would've probably told the world a lot sooner and everyone would've discovered that mermaids exist which would put the entire mermaid faction at a risk of being science experiments.
but her dad once told her to remain open-minded of any situation she would ever come across. miss chatham hadn't done anything to harm alexa or her friends so the rooney silently prayed to herself that the woman wasn't another threat to the four girls.
alexa and rikki met up at the juicenet cafe before they walked in the direction of the gilbert household. they were surprised that it was lisa who opened the door and not their friend but they simply smiled at the woman who opened the door further to allow the two girls inside the house.
cleo was unable to join the two girls on the walk to the gilbert household as she had to complete a few house chores that her dad had instructed her to do before she could leave.
so the chadwick and rooney made themselves comfortable in the gilbert household as they sat on a high chair beside one another. whilst alexa was sipping on a glass of water, rikki was dipping her finger in the sauce that was provided with the crackers on the plate.
"so where's emma?" rikki questioned lisa. the two girls had been waiting for the blonde gilbert for about twenty minutes and she still hadn't arrived for the meeting they'd have about miss chatham.
"um, i'm not sure. she just said she was going out for a while." lisa answered as she took a sip of her coffee.
"alright. we said we'd all meet here. but, that's alright, no hurry. i can fill in time." rikki replied as she tasted the sauce that had been provided with the crackers on the plate.
"well, cleo told us that she'd join us later since her dad instructed her to complete some house chores." alexa added as she took a sip of water that was given to her by lisa.
the front door of the gilbert household had been opened which indicated that someone had entered the house which had gained the attention of lisa, "sounds like her now." she said as she placed her mug of coffee on the counter.
alexa and rikki both stood up from their seats by the counter and made their way through the living room that would lead them to the front door.
rikki began, "it's about time. where have you—" she trailed off as she noticed that emma wasn't alone. the gilbert entered the house with another woman by her side which caused rikki to pause for a moment before she finished, "— been?"
alexa had no clue who she was but she sent a polite smile to the woman who reciprocated the gesture back to the rooney.
"don't stare. it's rude." emma scolded the blonde chadwick who stared at her friend and mysterious woman in disbelief. the gilbert guided the mysterious woman further into the house, "this is miss chatham." she introduced the mysterious woman to alexa and rikki who blinked in disbelief. the woman that emma had brought home with her was the one who had been evicted from her house boat by the docks and the one that cleo was referring to who would visit her at work, "miss chatham this is—" she began.
but emma didn't get the chance to introduce miss chatham to her two friends as she was abruptly cut off by miss chatham who sent the chadwick a beaming smile, "— you must be rikki?" she asked.
"uh, yeah." rikki replied with a wide smile that showed off her teeth, although it looked a bit more like a grimace as she confirmed miss chatham's question.
miss chatham's eyes flickered from rikki to alexa who stood beside the chadwick, "and you must be alexa?" she questioned the rooney with a knowing smile plastered on her face.
alexa didn't know whether to perceive miss chatham as a threat or as an ally. the group had already faced many threats that threatened the mermaid secret from being exposed and they were incredibly lucky that they had been able to escape the threats. emma may had brought her to the house and cleo may had met her before-hand during a shift at the marine park but that didn't mean that alexa would trust her.
whilst cleo was the shy yet empathetic girl out of the four mermaids and rikki being the sarcastic and hard-headed girl that she was and emma remained the perfectionist with the confident aura that she possessed with a hint of the need to ensure that everything remained in her control. as for alexa, she took up the role of being the mother of the group with a reassuring smile that would hypnotise anyone in her path. she was the one where the three would go to her for advice and a shoulder to lean on if needed. not just that but she had now become their blanket of security and guiding light through the whole mermaid situation.
whilst alexa was the reasonable individual out of the four mermaids, the amount of times that the mermaid secret had been at risk of being exposed just further pushed alexa to be the knight in shining armour for the three mermaids. she would hold the sword and use it to vanquish the people who would come close to discovering the mermaid secret.
soon enough, alexa decided to be nice to the older woman. she sent a polite smile that was seen as a simple action of politeness but secretly spoke a silent warning to the older woman to not mess with her friends and herself, "yes, that's me. it's lovely to meet you miss chatham."
emma guided miss chatham further into the house. she called for her mum, "mum? we've got a houseguest." she informed her mum, "the hospital discharged miss chatham. she'll be fine if she takes her medication and gets some rest. i thought this would be a good place for that. ok?" she gestured the older woman to sit on the sofa in the living room.
"er, that'll be fine, darling." lisa responded with uncertainty evident in her tone as she shrugged her shoulders. she held out her hand as a gesture for a handshake to miss chatham, "hello. i'm lisa." she introduced herself.
miss chatham shook lisa's hand with her right hand before she used her left hand to grasp onto lisa's hand tightly, "i don't want to be a bother but emma insisted." she tugged lisa's hand closer to her figure, "she can be very strong-willed."
lisa smiled widely at miss chatham, "yes, i've noticed." her eyes flickered to meet emma's who stood beside her mother, "could we have a word, please?" she questioned her daughter as she walked out of the living room to the kitchen for privacy.
"sure." emma replied to her mother as she followed her out of the living room and to the kitchen to chat with her mother.
this left alexa with rikki and miss chatham. an awkward silence filled the room. no one dared to say a word. the rooney decided to sit on the sofa facing miss chatham and rikki was quick to follow her movements as the two girls made themselves comfortable on the sofa that faced miss chatham.
this was the first time that alexa felt uncertain of what to say to the older woman. she was aware that miss chatham knew that herself and her three friends were mermaids but she was surprised that she hadn't outed them to the whole world. alexa had to remain cautious of everything that was happening so that it wouldn't spin out of control.
she was known for being the reasonable girl out of the group. but right now, she couldn't be reasonable. not when the mermaid secret had been at risk of being outed many times which gave alexa the idea to plan her movements ahead of the people who pose as a threat towards the mermaid secret so that her friends, family and the mer-people were safe.
the awkward silence that filled the room felt unbearable for alexa to handle anymore so she broke it, "i'm truly sorry about what happened back at the docks, miss chatham. if there's anything i can do, you're free to come to me." she said with a small smile on her face. whilst she felt wary of the presence of miss chatham, she ultimately decided to cast aside her worries so that she could get to know the woman who cleo would talk about.
"yeah, what she said." rikki replied as she nodded her head in agreement with an awkward smile on her face.
"that is very kind of you, girls." miss chatham responded with a beaming smile plastered on her lips as she hugged her handbag close to her chest.
the conversation was put to a halt when cleo had announced her presence, "sorry i'm late." she said as she entered the gilbert household since the front door had been left open. she noticed miss chatham who was sat on the sofa in the living which caused the brunette sertori's eyes to widen in surprise. she trailed off, "i..."
miss chatham turned her head towards the front door where cleo had entered the gilbert household. she greeted the sertori with a bright smile, "hello, cleo."
cleo slowly walked over to miss chatham. alexa could clearly tell that she was hesitant to walk over to miss chatham so she sent a reassuring smile to the sertori that eased her nerves, "oh. hi." she greeted the older woman who held onto cleo's elbow as a sign of reassurance that she was here not to harm her or her friends.
the interaction between miss chatham and cleo had been cut short when lisa and emma had returned from their private conversation in the kitchen, "miss chatham, if you'd like to come with me, i'll show you to the spare room." lisa told the older woman as she held out a hand to help the woman off the sofa. meanwhile, emma sent a tight-lipped smile to miss chatham with her hands clasped in front of her.
"oh, you're very kind." miss chatham complimented lisa as she stood up from her seat on the sofa with her handbag hugged close to her figure. she lightly tapped emma on the cheek as she walked off with lisa upstairs in the direction of the spare room in the gilbert household.
once lisa and miss chatham were out of earshot, alexa and rikki stood up from their seats on the couch and made their way towards emma and cleo.
"you brought her here?" rikki questioned the gilbert in disbelief.
rather than replying to rikki's question, emma shot back another question, "what could i do?" she informed the three girls, "the harbour master wants to move her boat from the marina. he says she can't stay there."
"but you brought her here." rikki pointed out as she gestured to the gilbert household.
emma assured the blonde chadwick, "just for a while." she added, "we'll try and talk to the harbour master. make him see some reason."
alexa chimed in, "i'm just glad that you were there to help her, em." her eyes flickered to cleo's who looked worried about the entire miss chatham situation, "whilst that was a noble act that you have done, we still have to be cautious of her." she added.
cleo nodded her head in agreement to the rooney's words, "lex is right, emma. this old lady knows about us." she worriedly questioned the gilbert, "what if she says something to your mum or dad?"
"she won't." emma stated firmly, "she's smart, and i'm sure she's discreet." which earned an eye roll from the blonde chadwick.
"you hope." cleo corrected the gilbert. whilst emma was adamant in her words, the three girls remained wary. none of them properly knew miss chatham well enough to make a firm decision on whether she could be trusted with the mermaid secret. they couldn't rule out the fact that she knew that the four girls were mermaids. she could either be a threat to them or an ally that could help alexa's friends discover more about the mermaid heritage that they had become a part of.
"look, cleo, lex, we're probably worried about nothing." emma waved off the worries that both the brunettes had regarding the older woman. she turned to face cleo, "i mean, has she ever actually said to you, 'i know you're a mermaid?'"
cleo shook her head, "not in those words exactly. but everything she said about the full moon turned out to be true, didn't it?" she added, "not to mention that lex's family also told us about the full moon in more detail including how mako island was formed. and we can trust them but can we really trust miss chatham?"
cleo's words had rendered emma speechless as she no longer had the words to defend miss chatham. she turned to face rikki expectedly waiting for her to say something only to receive a blank look from the chadwick so she turned to face alexa with a hopeful look in her eyes.
alexa clasped her hands tightly together and held them behind her as she remained silent for a moment. she reasoned with the gilbert, "i understand that you believe that miss chatham is no threat to us but we have to be careful, em." she suggested, "if we find enough evidence that proves that miss chatham means no harm to us then we'll see what she has to say about the mermaid situation. besides, she would know better to not tell anyone about mermaids existing in the real world." which earned a nod of the head from rikki and cleo.
the gilbert maintained eye contact, wanting alexa to change her mind about miss chatham. the rooney and gilbert stared at one another, neither of them backing down from the challenge. alexa remained firm in her decision as her stare remained unwavering in emma's direction. she would not back down from her words and that was final.
once emma had realised that there was no way to sway alexa's mind, she sighed in defeat before she reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. she should know that once alexa made her decision, it was impossible to change her mind.
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ONCE THE DECISION HAD BEEN MADE REGARDING MISS CHATHAM, THE FOUR GIRLS STAYED OUTSIDE OF THE GILBERT HOUSEHOLD FOR FRESH AIR. it was clear as day that tensions were high between the four girls because of a disagreement regarding whether miss chatham could be trusted. whilst cleo and rikki believed that miss chatham could not be trusted, emma fully believed the complete opposite. meanwhile, alexa was stuck in the middle of the debate but she was slowly leaning on cleo and rikki's side (mainly because she wanted to be cautious of the mystery behind miss chatham).
the four girls had gone back inside the gilbert household after they had gotten enough fresh air outside. they walked past miss chatham who was conversing with elliot and lisa about the 'lorelei' (her boat) which she couldn't get rid of. whilst emma went to sit beside her mother on the couch, cleo, rikki and alexa sat on a smaller couch as they remained wary of miss chatham's presence.
"we had so many happy memories on her." miss chatham stated, reminiscing about the memories that she and her late husband had on the lorelei. she paused for a moment when she noticed that emma had returned and took a seat beside her mother, "oh, look, emma's back." she added with a knowing smile, "she knows a lot about the water." she knew that her words held a double meaning, one that alexa and her three friends could easily decipher behind her innocent words. the double meaning that miss chatham's words held caused emma to exchange a look with the three girls who sat on a separate couch in the living room.
emma found herself turning to look at the rooney for any sort of advice that could be helpful in this moment. no matter the disagreements that had been made between the four girls, they'd always come back together at the face of danger. alexa mouthed to the gilbert, "stay calm. mention something about swimming to her to catch her off-guard."
the blonde gilbert took a deep breath to calm down her racing nerves before she smiled at miss chatham. she replied, "oh, i don't think so. i don't swim competitively anymore."
"right." miss chatham responded, "'not competitively'." she ensured to emphasise with a knowing smile plastered on her face that made emma feel uneasy. the older women changed the subject, "still, the lorelei has served me well. if i had to start her, i'm sure the motor will start."
elliot couldn't help but inquire curiously, "and what if it doesn't?"
"you just have to make the water work for you." miss chatham replied to the youngest gilbert who turned to exchange a look with his mother in confusion who remained silent. the older woman turned around to face the sertori, "right, cleo?" she asked, referring to the job she had at the marine park where cleo used yellow gloves so she won't get water on herself and thus triggering her mermaid side at the contact of water.
cleo's eyes widened in shock at the mention of her name, "what?" she exclaimed. in response, the older woman simply smiled at the sertori who quickly added, "oh, no. i wouldn't know." she shook her head vigorously.
the conversation was luckily cut short when the telephone rang which gained lisa's attention as she stood up from her seat on the couch beside her two children and made her way to the telephone to answer whoever was calling.
whilst lisa went to answer the telephone, miss chatham had held her hand out to grasp onto cleo's silver oval locket that was originally emma's but she had given it to cleo who was mesmerised by the piece of jewellery, "gracie." was all miss chatham had said which earned looks of confusion from the four girls.
alexa had noticed that cleo had remained uneasy after miss chatham had brought her into the conversation and had invaded her personal space so she grabbed onto cleo's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze to assure the sertori that she was safe.
like clockwork, lisa had walked up to miss chatham and held the telephone out for her to grab, "for you. it's the harbour master." which luckily earned a sigh of relief from the brunette sertori.
rikki whispered quietly for alexa and cleo to hear, "now she's getting phone calls here."
miss chatham lightly laughed as she held the phone to her ear, "hello?" she greeted the harbour master, "what?" she let out. she was silent for a moment as the harbour master spoke to her over the telephone, "but.. but you can't." she replied brokenly, "well, no. but, you can't!" she exclaimed. she looked at the telephone only to realise that the harbour master had ended the call.
there was a momentary silence that filled the living room of the gilbert household before emma broke it, "what is it?" she questioned the older woman. it was the question that everyone wanted to ask but refused to do so after witnessing the heartbroken look on miss chatham's face so they had remained quiet.
"they're, um... they're taking my boat away from me." miss chatham stated quietly with tears pooling in her eyes. she continued, "they say i can't use it anymore. it doesn't meet their silly regulations. it's all i've got and they're taking it away."
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AFTER HEARING THAT THE LORELEI WAS GOING TO BE TAKEN AWAY FROM MISS CHATHAM, EMMA HAD COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THE FOUR GIRLS TO REVAMP THE LORELEI SO THAT IT COULD FIT THE REGULATIONS THAT THE HARBOUR MASTER HAD. it was clear that the lorelei held a special place in miss chatham's heart as she had made many memories on that boat with her late husband. the lorelei held a lot of value to miss chatham as it was one of the main sentimental objects that made her think of her late husband.
by revamping the boat, it would mean that miss chatham wouldn't have to stay at the gilbert household anymore and everyone would be able to get on with their lives. whilst emma's mind was set on helping out miss chatham, rikki expressed her dislike for the plan to the three girls as they made their way to the docks towards the lorelei. meanwhile, alexa thought that it was the best solution they had so that miss chatham wouldn't try anything to reveal the mermaid secret that the group had worked hard to maintain as a secret to the world.
the four girls each held a rolling brush and a can of paint in their hands as they walked up to the lorelei.
"rikki, it's her home. we've gotta help her." emma told the chadwick. the two blondes had been arguing back and forth about whether they should help miss chatham whilst alexa and cleo remained silent through the argument. it had become normal for the two brunettes to remain silent whenever the gilbert and the chadwick had a disagreement.
"you're kidding. it's a pile of junk." rikki pointed out as she gestured to the lorelei which was right in front of the four girls.
emma reasoned with the chadwick, "a coat of paint will spruce it up." she turned to look at rikki directly in the eye, "now stop arguing and start painting."
"it needs more than paint." rikki told the gilbert. the chadwick was doing her best to reason with emma who remained firm in her decision to revamp the lorelei, "it needs a new boat." she added.
rikki wasn't wrong. miss chatham had the lorelei for so long that it didn't fit the harbour master regulations and in addition, the lorelei created a scratch on zane's cowling and even if the four girls revamped the lorelei, it may not be enough for the harbour master to let miss chatham keep her boat.
"rikki being negative. what a surprise." emma commented with an eye roll.
rikki snapped in frustration, "get real! we can't do this."
alexa chimed in with a small smile on her face, "have some hope, rikki. maybe if we give the lorelei a brand new coat of paint, it would be a good start. that would mean miss chatham would be one step closer to being able to live on her boat again and everything would return back to normal." however, alexa and the three girls knew that not everything could return back to normal now that miss chatham knew that the four girls were mermaids.
"and even if you did, it's not gonna make a difference." the harbour master stated as he announced his presence to the four girls, referring to the cans of paint that the four girls held in their hands. he walked up to the four mermaids, "i know you're trying to help, but you're wasting your time." he told the four girls. he explained, "the boat's got rust all through its structural framework. do i need to go on? she's better off without it."
miss chatham strode over to mr hendrix (the harbour master). she stated firmly, "that is your opinion. not mine. i'll be leaving now. thank you." she moved past cleo and alexa and made her way towards the lorelei with determination evident in every step she took.
but before miss chatham could step further towards the lorelei, the harbour master grabbed her by the arm, "you know you can't do that. i've referred this matter on. the boat has been impounded by the water police. it's not seaworthy."
"it's my home. i live here." miss chatham claimed to the harbour master. she made many memories on this boat and she refused to have the lorelei taken from her.
emma cut in to the conversation, "miss chatham, they're just doing what they think is right. they're trying to help." she grabbed miss chatham by the arm and attempted to tug her away from the lorelei.
"i want to get my things." miss chatham told the gilbert in distress, "they're just after my treasure."
emma assured the older woman, "let's just go home, back to my place. we'll talk about it there." she pulled miss chatham away from the lorelei with the harbour master following behind them to make sure that miss chatham wouldn't try anything.
cleo, rikki and alexa followed behind as they carried the cans of white paint and rolling brushes. together, they stayed behind emma and miss chatham the entire way back to the gilbert household.
alexa had no idea what miss chatham was referring to as her 'treasure' but she knew soon enough that she was bound to find out one way or another.
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ONCE THE FOUR GIRLS AND MISS CHATHAM HAD ARRIVED AT THE GILBERT HOUSEHOLD, THEY DID THEIR BEST TO EASE HER WORRIES ABOUT HER TREASURE AND THE LORELEI. to their relief, it worked. miss chatham had distracted herself by busying herself into making dinner for the gilbert family including alexa, rikki and cleo. she had a recipe for clam chowder that alexa had never tried and when she did, she knew that she had to show this new piece of food to her family back at the atlantica kingdom.
the gilbert family plus alexa, cleo, rikki and miss chatham were sat by the kitchen table after everyone had finished their plate of clam chowder.
"that was delicious." neil stated. he was not wrong, alexa truly loved miss chatham's recipe for clam chowder.
"well, i can't take all the credit." lisa held her hands up in defence as she loaded the plates that had been used for tonight's dinner into the dishwasher, "this was miss chatham's recipe for clam chowder." she informed her husband.
neil complimented miss chatham, "well, it was brilliant." referring to the recipe for clam chowder.
"well, thank you." miss chatham thanked neil, "i'll help you clean up." she stood up from her seat beside elliot, wanting to be a good house-guest for the gilbert family.
"no, nonsense." lisa waved off miss chatham's offer for help. after the eventful day that miss chatham had, the last thing she needed to do was overexert herself. she turned to face the sertori, "cleo, could you help get miss chatham nice and comfortable on the sofa, please." cleo nodded her head and stood up from her seat beside alexa. lisa turned to face miss chatham, "and don't forget to take your medication." she reminded the older woman.
cleo guided miss chatham into the living room by the arm as they both sat on the couch. she ensured that the older woman had her medication as alexa and rikki entered the living room and sat on the couch that faced the tv. soon enough, after talking to her parents, emma joined the group and sat on the table so that she was facing cleo and miss chatham.
the four mermaids listened intently to miss chatham's words, "friendship. that's the most important thing." she took a moment to take a proper look at the features that each of the four girls had possessed. she placed her hand on cleo's knee, "i appreciate what you're trying to do for me. but the burden you carry is too great to carry alone." which caused alexa, emma and rikki to exchange a look as they were aware that she was referring to the fact that they were all mermaids.
however, it seemed that cleo didn't register miss chatham's words as quickly as the other three girls. she questioned, "wait? what burden?" when she noticed the looks on her three friends, she realised that what miss chatham referred as a 'burden' was the mermaid secret, "oh. that one." she stated in realisation which earned a light laugh from miss chatham as she patted cleo's cheek in affection.
miss chatham then turned her attention to alexa, "you carry a different burden, alexa." she reached her hand out to grab alexa's and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "but from what i've seen of you, you carry yourself quite well and i have no doubt that you will continue to do so." referring to her status as a royal princess of the atlantica kingdom. she leaned into alexa's ear and whispered quietly so none of the girls could hear, "make sure to cover up your birthmark." she advised.
alexa nodded her head at miss chatham's words and made a small note in her head to cover up her crown birthmark that was on her left shoulder. she was wearing a white lace trim dress that had rose patterns on the waistline with thin white straps that held the dress in place. her hair was her natural beach waves with a headband that was secured at the crown of her head.
miss chatham's next words were directed to the four girls, "when you're different... it helps if you have friends who understand." she gestured to the four girls who were sat in the living room of the gilbert household. she looked down at the floor as she instantly thought back to her friends, "i had friends."
"did they... like, did they dress like you?" rikki asked the older woman as she gestured to the outfit she was currently wearing.
alexa sent the chadwick who was sat to her right a warning look. she scolded, "rikki. you can't say something like that, it's rude."
miss chatham sent a thankful smile to the rooney before she answered rikki's question, "this was long ago. we were... younger. i wasn't always this old." she tilted her head with a thoughtful look on her face, "or maybe i was." she had a sad look on her face as she thought back to all the memories she had made with her friends.
emma furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "when you say 'burden', what do you mean?" she questioned curiously.
miss chatham closed her eyes for a brief moment and let out a tired sigh. she revealed to the four girls, "when it got too great for me, i had to give it up."
cleo's interest had immediately piqued up. when the three girls had discovered that they could transform into a mermaids at the contact of water, cleo was the last one to fully accept what had happened to her. she refused to go into the water with the three girls and did her best to come up with excuses so that she wouldn't have to go swimming with them in their mermaid forms, "you can do that?" the sertori asked miss chatham with curiosity evident in her tone.
miss chatham stood up from her seat on the couch beside cleo, "it's getting late." she stated as she avoided answering cleo's question, "i think we should all be in bed." she suggested to the four mermaids.
"but it was just starting to get interesting." rikki pointed out which earned a tired sigh from miss chatham. she wanted the older woman to answer cleo's question as her interest had only enhanced further when miss chatham avoided giving an answer to cleo's question and suggested that the girls had to go to bed.
"rikki." alexa quietly scolded the blonde chadwick with a warning look as she lightly elbowed rikki in the arm.
"sorry." rikki replied quietly. the group knew that rikki would never apologise for anything as she would always remain adamant in her choices. it was clear to everyone in the room that the rebellious rikki chadwick held a soft spot for alexa rooney.
emma stood up from her seat across miss chatham and cleo, "miss chatham is right. it's getting late." she agreed with the older woman.
"goodnight girls." miss chatham told the four mermaids with a light nod of the head.
emma held onto miss chatham's hand. she politely asked the older woman, "would you like me to show you to your room?"
miss chatham declined emma's offer, "no, it's alright. i know where i'm going." she assured the gilbert before she walked off in the direction of the guest room.
"see you tomorrow, miss chatham." cleo called to miss chatham as she left the living room of the gilbert household.
alexa stood up from her seat, "well, miss chatham is right. it is getting late. i better be going."
cleo nodded her head in agreement, "lex is right." she stood up from her seat on the couch and made her way to the front door of the gilbert household with the three girls following shortly behind.
the four girls each bided a 'goodbye' to one another before they went their separate ways. they were all completely unaware that miss chatham was not in the guest bedroom of the gilbert household but she was at the docks as she made her escape with the lorelei.
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IT WAS ONE THING THAT SOMEONE LIKE LEWIS WHO KNEW THE MERMAID SECRET AND COULD BE TRUSTED BY THE FOUR GIRLS BUT SOMEONE AS MYSTERIOUS AS MISS CHATHAM REALLY LEFT ALEXA ON EDGE. she didn't know much about miss chatham other than what cleo and emma had told her. yesterday was alexa's first encounter of the infamous miss chatham who warned cleo about the effects of the full moon. and what miss chatham said was true because emma and cleo had experienced it first-hand.
alexa had decided to put some distance between herself and miss chatham. cleo and rikki had both decided that they would do the same thing for now as they still remained on the fence of whether they perceived miss chatham as an ally or a threat.
whilst cleo had her shift at the marine park and rikki was swimming in the ocean in her mermaid form which had become a regular thing for the chadwick to do, it allowed alexa to have some alone time for herself.
before alexa had discovered that miss chatham's boat was being taken from her as it didn't fit the regulations that the harbour master had, her thoughts had been taken over by a certain boy called niall henderson. she hadn't spoken to him in six days since cleo had fallen under the influence of the full moon.
rather than going to the spot at the beach where niall seemed to find her every single time, the rooney had either been at the moon pool in mako island or at the secluded part of the beach where the palm trees were tall enough to hide her from prying eyes.
by avoiding niall, it would mean that he wouldn't have to suffer from her actions anymore. he was better off without her and whilst he and alexa started off on the wrong foot, it didn't mean that he deserved to suffer for her actions.
it was obvious that alexa was overwhelmed with anger for herself as she believed that she was the cause of all the events that had occurred. from being the reason that her three friends that could transform into mermaids at the touch of water as well as their abilities over water to when niall had fallen under the control of the siren call and could've easily been lured to his death if the full moon had stayed any longer when cleo was still under its influence.
now that alexa had time to herself, she could finally take a moment to focus on her own problems without having to feel guilty of not being there for her friends every hour of the day.
so alexa was currently at the secluded part of the beach where the palm trees hid her figure from the world. she held a conch shell that was a gift from her dad when she had visited her family back at the atlantica kingdom tightly in her hands. it had been a month since she had visited or heard from her family since life at the gold coast had been hectic.
by busying herself with the events that had gone down previously, it would allow alexa to avoid talking to her family. but alexa finally had time for herself and she needed advice now more than ever. she had done her best to avoid the inevitable of going to her family for advice.
after the breakdown that alexa had when ariel went to visit her at the gold coast, she had thought that her next steps would be to just ignore what she would consider to had been the lowest point of her life and to continue life as if it didn't happen.
she had ignored the breakdown that she had and continued on with her life as she knew that there was always going to be more pressing matters to attend to. the mermaid secret was always at risk of being exposed and alexa had to keep her guard up or else something could've happened which alexa may not be able to take care of if she showed any sign of weakness.
she had to remain strong. not for her friends, family and the mer-people but for herself. because if she showed any sign of weakness then her judgements would be clouded by her emotions. and alexa would do everything in her power to ensure that her friends held a strong front so that nothing could harm them in any way.
so alexa thought it was best for everyone that she would ignore the breakdown that she had and continue with her life as it hadn't had happened at all but it seemed like it was a temporary solution as emotions had never felt higher than ever for alexa rooney.
she felt guilty for the fact that niall and a group of boys could've died the night when cleo fell under the influence of the full moon, she felt angry that she couldn't control her emotions when she let that breakdown get to her but most of all she felt frustrated that all of this might had never happened if she never stepped foot in the gold coast.
if alexa remained at her home in atlantica kingdom and continued her duties as a princess, the entire series of events that had led up to today might had not happened at all. her friends could be ordinary girls living an ordinary life. emma could swim competitively, cleo could work at the marine park without having to feel nervous around water and rikki could be freed of the burden that being a mermaid had over her head.
so that's why alexa was currently at the secluded part of the beach where the palm trees hid her from the world. she held a conch shell tightly in her hands as she silently contemplated to herself whether she should ask for her dad's advice. she had tried to handle everything in the gold coast on her own but right now, she just needed some advice but most of all. she just needed to hear her dad's voice.
alexa held the conch shell to her mouth, "dad, are you there?" she held the conch shell to her ear as she waited patiently for a response.
a moment later, alexa could hear a response from her dad, "alexa, i haven't heard from you in a month. is everything alright?"
the rooney instantly relaxed at the sound of her father's voice. she never realised how much she had missed her dad, "uh, i thought i was. but i don't think i am, dad." tears began to pool in her eyes but she refused to let them trail down her face.
"what is it, alexa? you know you can talk to me about anything, right?" king triton reminded his youngest daughter. after the death of his wife, he vowed to always be there for his daughters no matter what and no matter how far alexa went, king triton would always remind her that he would always be there for her.
alexa took a deep breath to calm down her racing heart. all of the events that had happened in the gold coast had drove alexa to her breaking point that she was practically crying on the conch shell to her dad, "are you angry at me for leaving the kingdom to pursue my dreams of living a normal life?" she couldn't help but ask over the conch shell as she ran a hand through her brown wavy hair.
king triton heard the cries of his youngest daughter over the conch shell and it had shattered his heart. this conversation wasn't between a king and a princess but between a daughter and a father. alexa needed her father and he would always be at her beck and call, "i am not angry with you, alexa. you're my daughter and i love you. i would forgive you for anything but this is your life and you are choosing to live it on your own terms. how could i be angry with that? in fact, i'm proud of you for making your own choices because i want you to be happy. and that has always been a priority of mine that i had always wanted for you and your sisters."
alexa wiped the tears that had trickled down her face with her hand, "but i let you down. i broke tradition. i walked away from my birth right and it isn't right." she pointed out.
"alexa, you always come through for the kingdom when it is absolutely necessary. and you will never let me down because you have already made me proud by doing something which makes you happy. i am proud of you for taking control of your happiness because not all royals do that. no matter how far you go, you will always be atlantica's princess." king triton assured his youngest daughter.
"i may have not let you down but i let my friends down." alexa stated, "if i had never visited the gold coast, maybe they wouldn't have discovered mako island or the moon pool and thus, they wouldn't hold a power over water and a metamorphosis at the contact of water. all the series of events that had let up to now might have not happened if i never had left atlantica kingdom." she ranted to her father.
"you can't change the past, alexa." king triton pointed out, "perhaps in another world, your friends could've discovered mako island differently but either way, they still would've been gifted a metamorphosis at the contact of water with a power over water. you can't blame yourself for what happened at mako island. it was completely out of your control." he added.
"but what about the full moon?" alexa questioned her dad. she had stopped crying but her eyes were bright red and anyone could tell that she cried from the state of her face.
"every blessing comes with a curse, alexa. nature would never stand for something like this so every strength must have a weakness to keep nature in balance. whatever happened during the full moon was and never will be your fault." king triton told his youngest daughter, wanting her to understand that she shouldn't have to blame herself for something that she can't control.
"i just... i just feel so helpless right now." alexa told her father honestly, "what can i do?"
"be there for your friends, have trust in them and talk to them whenever you're feeling sad." king triton advised, "and most of all, don't be hard on yourself, alexa. you need a clear mind for whatever lies ahead. they need you, alexa."
alexa was never the type of girl to talk to her friends about her problems. as a princess, she was supposed to handle everything on her own. by maintaining a strong front where no one would dare to pick her apart for being the youngest out of her sisters. it was why she never spoke up about her issues, not wanting to be a burden to her friends since there was always more pressing matters that had to be addressed which consisted of the mermaid secret always being at risk of being exposed.
"i'll try my best, dad." alexa told her father, "thank you for the advice. i really needed it. and.. it was so good to hear your voice." she told him.
alexa could practically visualise the smile that king triton had on his face, "of course, alexa. i will always be there for you. i'm just glad you're alright after not hearing from you in a month. just next time.. please stay in touch with me or your sisters as frequently as you possibly could."
alexa nodded her head even though her father couldn't witness her doing so, "of course, father." she could hear shuffling over the conch shell which must be indicating that whatever was happening at atlantica kingdom must had gained her father's attention.
"as much as i enjoyed chatting to you, alexa, i must go. there's some matters here that i must address urgently. stay in touch and stay safe. i love you." king triton said to alexa.
"i love you too." alexa told her dad over the conch shell before she placed it inside her tote bag. she then pulled out a printed photo of herself and three girls that don had taken of them when they had a sleepover at cleo's house a few weeks ago.
alexa couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face as she looked at the photograph in her hands before she hugged it to her chest.
no matter what happened, alexa rooney would never regret meeting cleo sertori, emma gilbert and rikki chadwick.
they would always be her light. and no matter what dark tunnel alexa would find herself in, she would always have the three girls as her light in the pathway that led to the horizon.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: i have blessed you all with a new chapter! i hope you enjoyed this chapter as it may take some time for the next chapter to be uploaded since i'll be very busy with school.
poor lex, she's blaming herself for everything but she'll learn that she can't control everything.
a fact about this story is that if i didn't use kira kosarin for the face claim, i would've either used adelaide kane or rebecca breeds.
what do you love about alexa? and what has been your favourite 'alexa' moment in this story so far?
anyway, thank you for taking the time to read my story. it means so much and i hope you all have a lovely day :)