I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 17: Moon Spell (part 1)
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[At the Gilbert's house, Emma and Elliot prepare the house with party decorations: balloons, streamers, and other colorful stuff. Emma is in the living room checking her list on the clipboard in her arms, when she sees Elliot trying to tie some black balloons on the stair rails.]
Emma: walks over. "Make sure you tie them tight. It has to be a double knot." Notices the color of the balloons. "That's wrong. We can't have black balloons."
Elliot: "Sorry." Ties some more balloons, glancing over at her.
"The color is fine. It didn't matter to me," Neil shrugs, smiling because he knows what this day is. "It's a party dad, not a funeral," Emma replies. "What party?" Charlotte asks. "It was a surprise party for me. It was my birthday." "Oh, well happy late birthday then," Ash says, causing Neil to chuckle.
"How many parties do they have?" Bella mutters.
Emma: "It's a party, Elliot. Happy, cheerful." She turns as the door opens and Cleo and Rikki walk in.
Rikki: sees the black balloons and spreads her arms out wide. "Welcome, to my gothic world."
Emma: "That's not funny."
"It is to me," Elliot laughs. "And that's why there should be no black balloons," Emma points out.
Emma: "It's my dad's birthday. It's an important night." They, excluding Elliot, who remains on the steps, walk to the living room.
Rikki: "I can't believe you organized this whole thing by yourself. It's very, um, efficient." Touches some of the balloon strings that are floating close to the ceiling.
"You organized a party all by yourself?" Sam asks. "That must've been tough," Will says. "Not when you're an organized person and have a schedule," Emma smirks. "Too bad it didn't matter anyways," Rikki says, making Emma's smirk falter.
Emma: to Cleo. "Have I told you about the seafood?"
Cleo: rolls her eyes. "Only twenty-five times." They walk into the kitchen, Cleo and Rikki stay on the other side of the counter.
"You must've taken it very seriously then," Ash comments. "I needed it to be perfect."
Emma: "Tell your dad it needs to be fresh, and it has to be his best stuff. We need to have it here by 7:45." Points at her. "Better write that down." Cleo grabs a pen and writes it on her hand.
"And it was," Cleo says. "It's always my best," Don says proudly. Hmm, maybe I can see if he would like to work with the restaurant on getting some, Annette thinks.
Rikki: "You seem a bit tense."
Emma: "I'm not tense." Forces a smile.
Rikki: Points to her own jaw. "You're grinding your teeth."
Emma: "It's called a smile, Rikki." Rikki pouts.
"No, that's tense," Zane corrects her. "I was a little stressed," Emma says sheepishly. "A little?" Rikki says, raising an eyebrow.
Emma: they look at Elliot as he walks past them to the balloons at the end of the counter. He was about to tie them when she stops him. "Elliot, don't just do yellow and black. Get some other colors."
Elliot: "Alright, alright. Gee." Annoyed, he grabs a balloon and tosses it at her head as it bounces off. Rikki and Cleo hold a laugh while he walks away.
They chuckle at the sibling's interaction. "She was bossy," Elliot shrugs. "Just being critical," Emma smiles.
"Again, nothing wrong with the colors," Neil reminds her. "It looks like a bee though," she whines, "I wanted it to be perfect." She lowers herself in her seat, pouting. "Instead, I ruined it." "How?" Max asks. "It'll show soon," Lewis says.
Emma: "If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself." She cocks her head slightly and gives a know-it-all, small smile. She hands them both a paper from her clipboard, of the schedule for that night. "The night's itinerary." She looks at them before glancing at the clipboard while reading it. Cleo looks at the paper. "Ok, we'll do meet and greet from 8:00 until 8:40. Dad arrives at 8:50."
Cleo: "And what if he doesn't?"
Emma: "It's squash night. Regular as clockwork."
"You had a schedule for a party?" Ash asks. "Yeah, why?" Emma says. "They're meant to be relaxing and fun. Not on a need-to-know basis, or ran by a schedule," Ash argues. "If it was going to be perfect –," Emma says, but gets interrupted by Rikki. "Which it wasn't." Emma nudges her to get her to hush and continues her explanation. "Then it needed an itinerary."
Emma: they go back to reading the itinerary. "We'll have surprise and congratulations until 9:00 pm. And refreshments whilst Elliot plays oboe until 9:10." She pauses before starting again. "At 9:40, the seafood will be served."
"You play oboe?" Bella asks. "Yeah, I love music," Elliot replies. "No way, me too. I like to sing," Bella smiles. "Looks like he's already making a new friend," Lisa whispers to Neil.
Rikki: points at the schedule and Cleo glances at it. "You've got a gap between 9:10 and 9:40."
Emma: gives her an obvious look. "That's when I read my speech."
"You had a speech? For a party?" Will asks, looking mortified. "That's not a party!" Ash says. "Yes, it is," Emma remarks. "Parties don't have speeches," Ash says, shaking his head. "Hers does," Cleo says. "But, you never spoke," Zane says, looking confused.
Emma: flips to another page. "I've timed it at twenty-six minutes and forty-five seconds, approximately," The girls give her a shocked look, glancing at one another before turning back to her. "Leaving a little over three minutes for applause and congratulations." Cleo nods, looking amused.
"You wrote a speech, that long?!" Lewis yells in shock. "How long did that take you?" Sam asks. "About a whole day," Emma shrugs.
"Please tell me we won't have to hear it," Kim sighs, too tired to hear it.
Rikki: "Sounds more like a battle plan than a party."
"Exactly! Not. A. party," Ash exclaims, Emma rolls her eyes. "Every party needs order," Mrs. Chatham says.
Emma: pouts, ignoring her. "I need to test out my speech." Clears her throat, turning the page, and reads it. Cleo listens while Rikki focuses on the schedule. "Dear dad, happy birthday to the most magnificent, debonair, generous, and kind dad in the entire world." Rikki drags herself to the stool at the counter, scratching her head, and sits down, looking at Emma. "Where do I start? At the beginning, of course, day one. I'm born." Cleo nods, liking it. "The first person I laid my eyes on was you. Father and daughter smile." Rikki hangs her head low. "It was love at first sight." She glances over at Rikki.
"How did you know he was the first person?" Rikki asks. "They told me, and from the pictures," Emma says, pointing at her parents, who smile, loving her speech.
"You did not want to listen to it," Terry chuckles. "You'd be correct," Rikki sighs. "Luckily, it wasn't all of it," Elliot says, hearing it from the stairwell.
Cleo: "That's beautiful." Gives her a genuine smile.
Rikki: not even looking at them. "Eh, needs some editing." Emma glances at her before looking back at the speech, double-checking.
"It is beautiful, but very long for about a thirty-minute speech," Bev remarks. "Make it shorter, or give him a card," Zane shrugs. "I wanted it to be meaningful."
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[Later on, at the marine park, Cleo is in uniform, working another ice cream shift, when she sees Mrs. Chatham heading her way. She walks up and hangs on to the bars of the stand.]
Mrs. Chatham: "I've come to warn you."
"You again?" Don says, narrowing his eyes, Bev hits him lightly on the arm for him to stop, and she turns to look at the elderly lady. "Warn her? What about?" Bev asks worriedly. "Is something bad going to happen?" Kim asks in the same tone. "Relax, nothing bad happened, to me," Cleo answers them, then lowers her voice so only the other three could hear. "Not this time at least." "Only through time will you know," Mrs. Chatham says, confusing everyone, including Max as he raises his eyebrow.
Cleo: shakes her head, giving her a small smile. "Warn me about what?"
Mrs. Chatham: holds up her finger, and leans in closer with a serious look. "Don't ever talk to sea perch. You can't trust those fish."
They start laughing, all seriousness aside. "Yeah, ok," Bella says, rolling her eyes while chuckling, getting over her worry from before.
"That's what the big deal was?" Kim laughs. "Nope," Cleo replies, before turning to Mrs. Chatham, wondering what she meant. "And what was that even about Mrs. C?" "I was only joking dear," she chuckles.
"I knew it, she was crazy," Don sighs.
Cleo: "Why would I talk to fish?"
Mrs. Chatham: "Listen carefully. It's very important." Narrows her eyes. "You must not look at the moon's eye."
They quiet down from their laughter, deeply confused by what she means. "But she was fine at nighttime," Bev shrugs. "Most nights at least," Cleo mutters.
"What does the moon have to do with all of this?" Harrison asks. "Everything," Emma whispers.
Bella frowns, her worry building back up, beginning to realize once again that maybe she did know something.
Cleo: "The moon's –?"
Mrs. Chatham: "The full moon. It's dangerous." Cleo glances around nervously. "Do not look at it, or its reflection." Looks up for a second. "And when it's out, do not touch water, whatever you do."
"The full moon? How can something they can't even possibly get near be dangerous? That's insane," Don scoffs. "Dad –," Cleo warns but gets cut off. "No Cleo, she's clearly crazy, just stay away from her." Cleo looks at him shocked, wide-eyed, and filled with hurt. "But dad, she's not!" "Cleo. I said, stay away. She's the one that's dangerous," Don glares, jabbing a thumb at the elderly woman. Cleo huffs angrily, and crosses her arms, trying her best to keep from tearing up. Mrs. Chatham sighs, shaking her head. He will learn eventually.
Denman, completely confused, raises an eyebrow. "How do you know?" Unfortunately, she gets no response.
Bella stares at the screen, wide-eyed and shivering. Crap, she does know! But how?!
Bev and Kim glance at one another, remembering Cleo mentioned earlier during their break that the full moon does weird things to them. But what? They decide not to bring it up now, after Don's little outburst, it might make the tension in the room worse.
Max nods, understanding where she was going with this.
Cleo: "But –."
Emma: "Hi, Cleo." Cleo looks Emma's way, where she and Rikki walk up from the other side, the former with shopping bags. Cleo looks back and finds that Mrs. Chatham disappeared again.
"Great timing Em," Cleo says. "Sorry," Emma winces.
"How do you do that?" Elliot asks. "That's a secret," she chuckles. "Really?" Elliot asks, eagerly. "No, I just walked faster," Mrs. Chatham smiles.
Cleo: looks at where Mrs. Chatham was and leans in closer to them. "Did you see that?" They look to where she is facing but see nothing. They frown slightly, then look back at her. "That old woman. She was just standing there."
"And here I thought you were crazy," Rikki chuckles.
Rikki: confused. "What old woman?"
Cleo: "She knows about us." They listen closely. "She said something about the full moon being dangerous."
"Dangerous how?" Denman asks, her questions for all this 'magic' growing even more. "In many ways different ways," Max answers, grinning, only confusing the scientist even more.
"So, you do know," Bella mutters quietly, loud enough for her to hear though as Mrs. Chatham looks at her and smiles. A chill of fear runs up her spine at the thought of someone knowing her secret; someone she doesn't even know!
Emma: shrugs. "I didn't see anyone."
Rikki: shakes head. "Me neither."
Cleo: "She told me not to talk to sea perch," They try not to laugh. "and something about reflections, and beware the full moon."
"She was just pulling your leg on that one. It's an old inside joke from back in the day," Max chuckles.
"She's crazy. There's nothing wrong," Don stubbornly says; Cleo shakes her head in disagreement. "Dad, I think we should listen to her," Kim says carefully. "No. Absolutely not!" he shouts. Bev sighs. Maybe he will finally begin to understand why I left.
Rikki: "Sounds like she had a bit too much sun."
Cleo: shrugs. "There's something different about her."
"You are odd," Denman says to her, causing her to chuckle. She's right, Bella thinks, her heart beating rapidly as she tries to calm herself down.
Emma: holds the shopping bag up and pulls out some pink heels with a jeweled butterfly at the toes of it, laying them in her hand. "But not as different as these. Gorgeous, aren't they?"
Cleo: smiles. "They're really nice."
"They're pretty," Charlotte says. "Those are cute," Sam agrees. "Can I borrow them?" Kim asks, eyes shining. "No Kim," Cleo sighs, but smiles a little.
Byron: walks past them, smiling at Emma. "Hey, Em."
Emma: "Oh, hey Byron." Smiles and flips her hair back. Cleo smirks.
"You totally have a crush on him," Bella smirks, her fear beginning to wash away. "No, I don't," Emma scoffs." "Don't deny it."
Rikki: mimics her hair flip, smiling playfully. "What's this all about?"
Emma: not looking at her but seems incredibly happy. "Don't be stupid. There's nothing going on." She finally looks at her and shrugs. "Byron? Forget it." She smiles as she says his name.
"I didn't say there was anything going on," Rikki grins.
"Denial," Bella sings playfully. "He seems into you," Annette mentions. "He's just being nice," Emma sighs.
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[That evening, Emma prepares the tables for tonight's guests. She sets some plates down as Lisa watches her from the counter.]
Lisa: "I feel a bit guilty just hanging around."
Emma: goes up to her. "Thanks mom, but, I really want to do this on my own."
"Why? You were clearly stressed," Ash asks. "I should've helped," Lisa says, feeling a little bad. "I kind of felt guilty about how I've been acting. Was hoping this could make up for it. Plus, I really needed the distraction," Emma admits. "Em, you were the distraction," Rikki jokes.
Lisa: wraps an arm around Emma's shoulder, pulling her close. Emma smiles at the gesture. "I am so proud of you, sweetheart, and I know your dad is too."
"I sure am," Neil says. "Thanks, dad," Emma smiles.
Lisa: points to her. "And I think tonight's party is going to be one that we remember for a very, very long time." They smile and she kisses Emma's cheek as they look around at the decorations.
"It sure was," Elliot laughs, remembering how she acted. "And it's definitely one that we won't forget," Neil says, laughing along with his son. Emma blushes, but it turns to confusion once she notices Rikki laughing as well. "What?" Rikki stops laughing and then points to the screen, "Well Em, seems like you're going to be remembering this night forever as well." Emma squints her eyes before widening them in realization. "Oh no!" She covers her face, trying to hide from the oncoming storm of embarrassment. "I think all three of us will be remembering those 'certain nights,' Rikki," Cleo winces, hoping that her first full moon wasn't as bad as Emma's.
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[That night of the party, Emma greets the guests at the door as Cleo and Rikki walk up slowly behind her, discussing a certain subject.]
Cleo: "I can't stop thinking about what that old woman said. Beware the full moon."
Rikki: whispers. "We're mermaids, not werewolves." They glance at one another and stand next to Emma.
"Really? I couldn't tell," Kim says sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
"Are you sure? Cause Rikki's attitude seems like one. She's really agg –," Lewis chuckles but stops when he sees Rikki glaring at him. "I'll shut up."
The girls get nervous, taking deep breaths. Similar to the screen, they glance at one another, preparing themselves for whatever reactions they might receive as the time ticks down for another secret to be revealed: the full moon's effect.
Emma: "Aunt Thea!" She smiles as her aunt walks in, with her mother sitting down in a wheelchair. "I'm so glad you could come." Thea smiles and Emma bends down and smiles, grasping her grandma's hand. "Hi grandma, you look gorgeous tonight."
Grandma: "So do you, sweetheart." Thea rolls her into the living room.
"Kind of wish they were here," Neil mutters to Lisa. "Oh, maybe we should tell them afterwards?" Lisa asks, looking over to Emma to see if she was okay with it. "I don't know," Emma says uncomfortably, shifting in her seat, thinking as she looks around the room. "Seems like a lot already knows. But, I'll think about it." Neil nods, hoping his daughter would agree to it; hoping that she can get a better relationship with her aunt and grandmother.
Emma: Harrison and his girlfriend, Candy, walk-in. "Dr. Bennett, it's great you could come."
Harrison: shakes her hand, glances at Candy. "I don't believe you met Candy." Places his hand on her back.
"Candy?" Ash snorts, unable to contain his laughter. "I'll have you know that she's a lovely person," Harrison defends her. "She's just lazy," Zane mutters under his breath.
Emma: "Hi Candy. Love your dress."
Candy: shakes her hand, smiling. "That is sweet."
Emma: to Harrison. "I'm so pleased all dad's business associates are coming tonight."
"We're not just business associates, we're friends," Neil informs her, smiling. Harrison looks down, hearing Neil's statement, feeling guilty. Hopefully, we will still be after this whole mess exposes me.
[They smile and walk into the living room as Zane and Miriam walk in; neither one of them sparing her a look. Miriam clings onto his arm as they walk into the living room.]
Zane: "Place looks great."
Emma: waves them off. "Thanks, Zane."
"Why did you invite them?" Cleo whispered to her. Emma sighs, whispering back to her. "Zane is, like mom said earlier, an old family friend. So I had to. She's just an extra." "Why weren't we there?" Bev asks. Don, who is over his little temper tantrum from earlier, responds calmly. "I think I had to work that night. You had Kim."
Emma: Lewis walks in with a gift in hand, taking it all in. "Lewis, right on time."
Lewis: "Yes, well I am a sucker for parties."
Emma: "Good. I need you to stand on door duty whilst I get some drinks." He holds up the gift and she takes it from him as she, Cleo, and Rikki walk back into the living room, smiling, leaving a displeased Lewis.
Charlotte giggles at his reaction for having to work.
"Way to leave me hanging," Lewis says to them. After hearing no reply, he glances over and sees their faces pale from troubled thoughts. Seeing Emma shaking, he realizes that this is the moment that they were dreading. The moment where Emma somehow got moon spelled.
[Emma walks into the kitchen and sets some dishes up, when the full moon rises, shining brightly through the kitchen window. Emma slowly turns toward the sink, feeling the moon's powerful pull, as the lights fade around her, only showing the glowing blue lights of the full moon through the blinds.]
Everyone quiets down, focusing on the scene, deeply confused by what was happening. Don frowns, wondering what was going on. Denman quickly glances over at Mrs. Chatham, before returning to the screen. Is this what she meant? That it attracts the mermaid's attention or something?
[The party continues around her, the guests intermingling as she slowly steps closer to the punch bowl, almost as if she were in a trance-like state. She looks down at the punch bowl and sees the reflection of the moon. She blinks rapidly, before choosing to stare at it, in a daze, standing completely still, enwrapped in the moon's effect.]
Emma shivers, just seeing this happen to her, freaking her out just a little bit.
Neil and Lisa look on in worry, curious as to what was happening to her. "Emma, what's going on?" Lisa asks with a shaky tone. "The full moon, that's what," she replies. "The full moon? What does that have to do with any of this?" Neil asks, deeply confused. Before she could respond, Don cuts her off. "Nothing! It's just a bunch of nonsense." Cleo, who is fed up with her dad's denial, finally speaks up for herself and the others. "Dad! You're wrong. It has everything to do with this," she waves to herself and the other two mermaids. "Mrs. Chatham was right about it, and we should have listened to her the first time." Don stares at Cleo, shocked that she would argue back at him. But, could she be right? He furiously shakes his head and lets a breath out.
Rikki sighs, deciding that since Cleo has already spoken up, she might as well too. "Cleo's right. The full moon affects us. Once we look at the full moon, or its reflection, we can't control it. Sometimes in good ways, and sometimes in bad." Don frowns, still refusing to believe it. "And, uh, what's the case for her?" Ash asks concerningly, pointing at Emma. 'Uh, I'd say bad."
Denman narrows her eyes, trying to understand this, and how it is even possible. It affects them? But how? And why?
Mrs. Chatham sighs, remembering her first time getting affected by it; wishing that someone could have warned her and her friends.
Bella looks on with curiosity, always wondering what happened during a full moon's effect. Now is a good time to learn, especially from others since she can't remember any of her full moons.
Kim and Bev stare at the screen, wondering if this is what Cleo meant about the full moon effect, she mentioned from before; about how it can affect them weirdly. With Don's little tantrum, maybe they can learn more about it later.
Charlotte watches intensely. However, she wasn't focusing on the screen. She was trying to remember what her grandmother used to say to her in her stories. She was always mentioning the full moon in them when she was telling her stories. Could this be what she meant? But, how did she know? How does Mrs. Chatham know? Annette rubs Charlotte's arm, gaining her attention back, and she nods at her, knowing that she was thinking the same thing.
[Lisa walks into the kitchen and opens the fridge. She bends down, looking for something when she turns around and notices Emma standing still, dazed out.]
Lisa: her voice, sounding faded. "Emma." The lights brighten back up and Emma slowly turns to her. Lisa frowns at her in concern. "Em. You alright?" Emma looks back to the bowl, still somewhat in a daze of awe, before slowly going back to what she was doing before the trance. Emma grabs a tray of food and walks past her mother, ignoring her, as Lisa shrugs it off.
"I should've known something was wrong," Lisa says, shaking her head. "I could've gotten you out of it." "It's alright mom," Emma sighs, "and you wouldn't have been able to do anything to stop it anyways. Once it affects us, we stayed moon spelled for the rest of the night." "Moon spelled?" Sam asks. "That's what we call it. It's basically where when one of us sees the full moon, or its reflection like Mrs. Chatham said, we react very differently from how we usually are. You never know how someone is going to act and what is going to happen. It's unpredictable. It changes every time," Cleo says, trying to explain it in the best way she can, Sam nods in reply.
"So even though she's not looking at the moon anymore, it still affects her?" Annette asks. "That's right," Cleo confirms. "So, it affects her, how?" Elliot asks, worried about his sister. "You'll see," Lewis winces. Zane tries remembering that night, about if anything happened to her. The only thing he remembers is her acting strange.
[Emma takes a bite out of a pastry that was on the tray and walks up to Zane, Miriam, and Candy in the living room, the latter two having a chat. She looks Miriam up and down and holds out the pastry she bitten from to her.]
Emma: "I think you'd like this one."
Miriam: and Candy's smile falters. "Gross." Rikki watches the strange exchange going on.
"Ew," Kim says, gagging. "Why would you do that?" Will asks in disgust. "I wouldn't! That wasn't me! I don't even remember it," Emma shouts, embarrassed by her actions as she points to herself. "What do you mean? Why don't you remember?" Lisa asks. "Because after we get moon spelled, when we wake up, we can't remember anything that happened," Rikki explains. "Well, this ought to be really interesting for you, Emma. After all, I think it was the weirdest party anyone has ever experienced," Zane chuckles.
Emma: plops the pastry back onto the tray and looks at Candy. "You look way too young to be Zane's father's girlfriend." She glances over at Zane.
Candy: "I beg your pardon?"
Emma: shrugs, smiling. "I guess you're just after the money, though." She walks away from them, leaving them stunned as Zane laughs silently.
"You're right about that," Zane says, not caring if he offends his dad or not. "About what?" Harrison asks, with a stern tone. "About both," Zane replies. It's the same way with Miriam as well.
Rikki: steps right in front of her, blocking Emma's path. "What is wrong with you?"
Emma: pats her cheek. "Nothing's wrong with me, Rikki, baby. I'm fantastic." She walks up to Harrison.
"Actually, you were totally bonkers," Rikki says. "Absolutely crazy," Elliot laughs.
Harrison: "I wish I had a daughter who went to all this trouble for me." He grabs a pastry and grins at her. Rikki watches from a distance.
Does that mean you didn't want me? Zane's smile slowly fading away as he thinks of what his father meant.
Emma: squints her eyes. "You've got a lot of hair growing out of your nose there, Harrison. It's a real forest." His smile falls and he covers his nose.
They burst out laughing, hearing Emma speak as Zane wipes the tears away from laughing so hard, completely forgetting about what his dad had said a second ago.
Emma's face pales as she quickly apologizes to him. "I am so sorry Dr. Bennett! That isn't like me at all." "It's alright. It's kind of funny now, looking back on it," he chuckles.
Rikki: runs up and grabs her arm. "We were just on our way to the bathroom." Emma glances at Rikki before smiling at Harrison as Rikki drags her away. "We'll catch you later." Rikki plasters on a smile. Thea, who was standing behind Harrison, listening in, looks at his nose from over his shoulder. Harrison, getting a glimpse of Thea beside him, turns to her and she quickly turns away.
They begin laughing more at Thea's actions, even Emma smiles at her aunt. "Guess you could say she was being a little nosy," Ash chuckles. Neil shakes his head at the boy's joke while chuckling at his sister.
[Emma, who is walking by the counter, still being dragged by Rikki, stops, and grabs a water bottle from one of the guests. They all step back in shock as she tips the bottle over, pouring water all over the floor. Cleo and Lewis jump up as they and Rikki watch her in shock.]
Emma: "I love the look of water." They all gasp, surprised by the mess she was making.
"You always did," Elliot shrugs. "Not funny, Elliot!" Emma snaps, red with embarrassment.
"Glad I didn't come home during this," Neil mutters to Lisa, who nods in agreement.
Cleo: steps in front of Emma and spins around, facing the crowd as Emma finishes spilling the water and watches them over Cleo's shoulder, smiling. "She's overtired. She's been working really hard to get this party right. I'll take her outside for some fresh air." She grabs Emma's hand and pulls her to the back door, but Emma stops her as she looks at her aunt.
"You have gotten really good at lying," Kim says. "When you have to do it so often, it gets pretty easy," Cleo shrugs. Bev and Don shake their heads, the latter slightly frowning as he now begins to see what the full moon can do, starting to believe this 'nonsense.'
[Thea bends down to whisper in her mother's ear, who is on the couch in the living room, sitting next to Elliot, and Emma notices her skirt.]
Emma: "Aunt Thea," Thea looks up at her. "your skirt, did you steal our picnic rug?" Thea stands upright, feeling offended as the other guests around her laugh, looking at her skirt as well. Emma smiles, waving to them as Cleo drags her away. Thea looks down at her skirt.
They chuckle, but oddly agree with her moon-spelled self. "It does look like it," Neil shrugs. "I need to apologize to her," Emma says before sighing and looking at the other three. "This is going to be a long, embarrassing night, isn't it?" "Definitely," Lewis nods.
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[Cleo leads Emma outside near the pool deck, filled with lounge chairs.]
Emma: "Have you noticed how weird people look? Their legs just don't look right."
"Weird?" Will asks, glancing down at his legs. "I think she went full-blown mermaid at that point," Rikki shrugs. "She did later," Lewis muttered.
Cleo: "You need to sit down." They stop by one of the chairs closest to the pool and sit down.
Emma: "Now, take fish. They're sensibly designed." Looks at her legs.
"Although they are pretty, I wouldn't say there's nothing wrong with my legs," Sam chuckles.
Cleo: "Can I get you anything?"
"Like maybe a coffee, a blanket, an ice pack?" Charlotte suggests. "I wasn't sick, I was just under the influence of the full moon," Emma sighs.
Emma: sighs happily. "I'd love a cheese sandwich on rye bread with sardines." Smiles at Cleo as she tries to get up, but Emma stops her. "Actually, forget the cheese and the bread. Just bring the sardines."
"Sardines?" Don raises an eyebrow. "Gross!" Kim says in disgust. "Yuck!" Elliot shouts.
"Now that's way worse than black current and alfalfa juice," Kim says. "Agreed," Emma says, holding her finger up, then looks over at the other three with a little hope in her eyes. "Please tell me I didn't eat that?" They don't respond, only awkwardly turning to the screen, not sparing her a glance.
Cleo: stands up and slowly answers, before turning to her. "Ok. Don't go away. I'll be right back." She walks back inside.
"You left her alone? Did you really think that was a good idea?" Kim asks, raising an eyebrow. "Did you think she would listen to you in that state?" Rikki asked, shaking her head. "No," Cleo sighs.
[Emma turns to look at the pool for a second before looking up, right as the full moon comes out from the clouds. She stands up and slowly walks by the pool while keeping her eyes on the moon, as if it were pulling her towards the water. It leads her to a small pier close to her house. She walks closer, before taking her shoes off and rushes to the end of the pier. She sits down and lays her shows down next to her. Staring at the water, the reflection of the moon shines in the ripples of the water. She turns back to look at her house with a sly grin, before diving into the water, flicking her tail.]
"She warned you not to touch water," Max sighs, knowing it only makes things worse. Elliot and his parents look on in worry. "What's going to happen?" Elliot asks. "Don't worry, I was okay. I think. Well, besides the goofy part of me," Emma says, giving Elliot a reassuring smile.
"Where did you go?" Bella asks. "Not sure, but it'll probably show," Emma shrugs.
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[Back inside, everyone is hiding in the living room and the kitchen, waiting for Neil to walk in. As the door opens, Neil steps inside and closes the door, locking it. He walks into the living room and turns the lights on, where everyone jumps up and yells surprise. He lays his stuff down and looks at them all in shock.]
Everyone: "Surprise!" They laugh and smile at him.
Neil: he chuckles along with them and opens his arms up wide and gives his wife a hug, smiling excitedly. "Well, this is, this is a surprise. Oh, thank you darling. This is more than I expected." Elliot comes up and hugs him.
Lisa: waves it off. "Oh, don't thank me. Thank Emma. She did everything." She gestures to all the decorations and guests.
Emma gives a small smile. Happy that her dad was surprised, but a little sad that she had to miss his reaction. "Sorry I had to miss it, dad." "It's alright sweetheart. We understand," Neil says, smiling at her.
"I helped too," Elliot mutters while yawning, reminding them about the balloons. Neil laughs and rubs his son's head.
Neil: looks at Rikki, who is mixed in with the crowd, as he carries Elliot along. "Well then, Rikki. Where is that perfect daughter of mine?"
Emma brightens up a little bit more at being called the 'perfect daughter,' glad that her father thought of her that way.
Rikki: "Uh, I'll, I'll just go find her for you." She drops her arms and walks over to Cleo, who is in the kitchen trying to open a can of sardines. Neil hugs his mom and kisses her on the cheek while Rikki talks to Cleo.
Cleo: "I can never get these things to open." Keeps attempting but fails every time as Rikki holds her hand out to help, with a disgusted look on her face.
Rikki: "You want to eat sardines?"
"Who would want to?" Cleo says, wincing. "Emma," Lewis mutters, earning a nudge from Cleo.
Cleo: hands the can over to her. "No. They're for Emma."
Rikki: about to open it but pauses. "Where is Emma?"
Cleo: "She's outside. Where I left her."
"Actually, she is currently out on a swim," Bella corrects her.
Rikki: gives her a look. "By herself, outside?" Still holding the can of sardines, they rush to the back door.
"Never leave a moon-spelled mermaid unattended," Max mentions, Lewis nodding in agreement. Denman glances over at the older man, wondering how in the world he knows that.
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[Emma twists around while swimming ecstatically underwater near the reefs. Popping her head up for air, she smiles and spins around in the water like she was dancing, near Mako Island. With a full view of the moon, she smiles at it, then goes back underwater.]
"You went to Mako?!" her family shouts in worry. "Apparently so," Emma says in shock. "Why?" Rikki sighs, rubbing her eyes. "How am I going to know? Ask my past-moon spelled self," she says, waving to the screen.
"Huh, so that's what she meant when she kept asking us about Mako," Lewis says, now understanding her strange requests from her enchanted self.