I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 23: Dangerous Waters (part 2)
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[All of them go back to Cleo's house, where Lewis meets them. He is currently on the house phone, searching for the one that calls himself 'Barry Rollins.' Emma sits next to him by the counter with a notepad and pencil.]
Lewis: "Is that right? Well, you sound very active for your age. No. No, no it was lovely talking to you. Ok, bye." Emma scribbles out a name on the notepad in front of her and slams the pen down while Lewis ends the phone call. He puts it down on the counter. Cleo and Rikki walk into the kitchen. Rikki stops while Cleo continues around the counter and walks into the kitchen.
"Please tell me you didn't call every Barry that you saw in the phone book," Kim sighed, shutting her eyes. "Yeah, we did," Emma said. "While that's a good tactic, if he gave you a false name, then it goes nowhere," Ash said. "The only thing that went anywhere was the phone bill. And that was up," Don said, narrowing his eyes at Lewis. "I hope you're going to pay for that one, Lewis." "Don't worry dad. I did. It was my idea," Cleo mentioned.
Lewis: "Uh, I've tried ever B. Rollins in the phone book. And the only Barry is a seventy-five-year-old and has a plastic hip."
Rikki: "That's not him."
Lewis: "Oh, he did only get it a couple of weeks ago."
Rikki: looks away. "Not him."
Lewis: "Back playing balls already, he reckons. You sure he's not your man?"
Rikki: looks up. "Trust me."
"Mocking me wasn't any help," Rikki said. "No but it was fun," Lewis smiled.
Emma: turns to her with a look. "You must be feeling pretty stupid right now."
"Emma!" Lisa scolded. "It was the truth," Rikki muttered, feeling glum. "Don't act like you don't make mistakes either, Em," Neil warned. Emma looks down, feeling bad about it, knowing her parents were right. "Sorry, Rikki." "It's alright. I deserved it," she said quietly.
Rikki: rolls her head. "Well, what –."
Emma: "Ok, let's recap what we know. You've been supplying wild fish to some strange guy who's been selling them off the pier."
Cleo: "And that's illegal."
"Gee really? Didn't know that?" Kim said.
"Way to state the obvious, Cleo," Rikki chuckled.
"No need to be so sarcastic about it," Elliot told his sister.
"So, you were involved in a crime," Bella said. "I didn't know what he was doing at the time!" Rikki said, defending herself. "I got out of it as soon as I found out."
Rikki: gives them a sarcastic look. "Gee, guys, do you think that could be why he used a false name?" She walks off as the other three look at each other.
"Yeah, that could be why," Charlotte mused.
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[Rikki locks herself in the bathroom. Emma, Cleo, and Lewis lay on Cleo's bed. The two girls wear their sunglasses, hiding the anger in their eyes, trying to get her to come out. Lewis and Emma lean against the bed frame with Cleo behind them.]
Emma: "Come on, Rikki. We need to sort this out."
Rikki: walks out of the bathroom and sees their body language. "What?"
"Why are you two wearing sunglasses indoors?" Sam asked. "We thought it would get her attention," Emma admitted. "Plus, they were really cute," Cleo said with a small smile. Bev shakes her head in amusement, missing her daughter's reasoning.
Emma: and Cleo take off the sunglasses and she narrows her eyes at her as if she were right about her all along. "I figured there was something going on."
"Then why did you let her get all of that stuff for you?" Bella asked, raising an eyebrow, and crossing her arms. "I may have caved in," Emma admitted sheepishly.
Rikki: "What do you mean?"
Emma: gives her a smug look. "With the amount that you were spending. How much do you get paid at the marine park, Cleo?" Doesn't even look at Cleo.
Cleo: "9.75 an hour."
"That's not bad," Annette commented. "It is compared to what I was making," Rikki mumbled.
Emma: "And how much were you getting paid?" Asking Rikki.
Rikki: shrugs. "Not much more than that." Emma tilts her head, giving her another look. Nods her head after seeing the look. "Alright, yeah, it was a bit more than that."
"Are you kidding me?" Emma sighed. "It's not that hard to admit the truth."
"It was a whole lot more than that from the looks of it," Sam said.
Rikki: snaps when she sees them continuing to stare at her. "Fine, ok, yeah it was a few hundred dollars more than that. But I was working hard." Emma laughs silently to herself, looking away.
Lewis: "And it is a niche market." Emma continues giving her a displeased look.
Rikki: "Hey, you two were happy enough letting me spend up big, on you. You could have said something, but no." Shakes her head.
"She has a point," Bev said. Emma looks down shamefully, knowing they were right.
Lewis: "Rikki, didn't you ever think there was something sus about him? I mean not even once?"
Rikki: "What can I say? He didn't look bad."
So, she was going based off his looks, Zane said, feeling a teensy bit jealous.
Emma: "He was doing business out of the back of a boat handing out big lumps of cash. Hello!"
Rikki: looks hurt, then looks away for a second. "We don't all have your vast underworld experience, Emma." She storms off and they watch her leave the room before looking around. Emma settles on looking down at her feet.
"She has a point, sweetheart. You shouldn't scold her for it. She got out of it; it's done with. Just leave it in the past," Lisa sighed, rubbing her head. "I wish she had just left it alone," Emma said quietly, knowing that they don't know about the trouble Rikki was getting herself into.
[Rikki walks downstairs, with the other two girls, plus Lewis being last, following.]
Emma: "Ok, I'm sorry. At least you found out before you got into any real trouble."
Lewis: "Yeah, and you did make quite a good deal of money out of it." They all turn to him as Rikki makes it to the bottom of the stairs, with them still on the staircase. Lewis leans against the railing and shrugs. "That's me being supportive."
"Those are both good points," Zane shrugged.
"Your support system needs to be better," Rikki told him.
"You didn't get into any trouble, did you?" Terry asked, raising an eyebrow. Rikki doesn't reply, only looking away, not daring to look her dad in the eyes. This only increases his worries.
Rikki: looks up at them in anger. "This isn't about the money. He strung me along, made me feel like I was some dumb kid." She takes off her necklace and places it on the end of the railing.
"You were," Kim coughed. Cleo leans over and whacks her in the arm.
Emma: "He's probably done this loads of times."
Cleo: "I'm sure you're not the first one, Rikki."
"I feel bad for the ones he did string along. He shouldn't make people feel like that," Sam said, shaking her head. Feeling sorry for the ones that crossed his path.
"Probably the first mermaid that he has done it to," Will muttered. Ash looks over at the guy, overhearing him. What is up with him and his obsession with mermaids?
Rikki: "Yeah, but I'm the one who is going to get even." She walks towards the door when Emma stops her.
"What? No, Rikki. You should just leave them alone," Terry warned her. "Yeah, you never know what they could do," Annette commented. They don't know what I could do, Rikki thought.
Emma: "And the best way to do that is to tell the police."
"Yes, I agree. Call them," Lisa urged.
Lewis: nods. "Ordinarily, yes, but in a case like this they require quite a deal of evidence to gain a conviction."
"He's right," Max said.
Rikki: "And I don't need evidence. This guy's a creep. And I'm going to do something about it." Walks closer to the door and grabs the doorknob.
Emma: "Like what?"
Rikki: "Just watch." She opens the door and leaves, shutting it behind her.
"Rikki!" Terry yelled in worry. "I'll be fine dad. It's in the past and I'm still here," Rikki sighed.
"What did I say? Never to go alone," Max reminded them.
Emma: "Ok, just because she won't call the police doesn't mean we can't."
Cleo: nods and pulls her phone out, dialing the number. "Good idea."
"At least you listen," Bev sighed.
Lewis: grabs her phone and stops her from calling them. He walks down the rest of the stairs and looks back at them. "Um, one of the things the police will ask is how Rikki happen to come by the fish she sold this guy." They both sit down on the steps, listening to him. "What's she going to say? Oh, no, no, no, it's ok. Trust me. I'm a mermaid." Gives them a look.
"Well, she could, but then that could, you know, destroy the secrecy and expose them to the whole world," Ash said, causing Bella to shutter.
Emma: sighs. "Alright. We might have to bend the rules a little for this one." Glances at Cleo.
Lewis: "Oh, coming from you, that's big."
"Gasp. Emma bent the rules? I can't believe it," Elliot said, faking shock and rolling his eyes. Emma giggles and fakes a pout. "I can bend the rules when I want to." "Sure, you will," Rikki sarcastically said.
"Please tell me you two didn't get involved as well," Don said, rubbing his nose. "Sorry dad," Cleo said sheepishly.
Emma: "Let's not overreact. Rikki's not crazy." She looks over to Lewis, who raises his eyebrows.
Lewis: "Sometimes she's crazy."
Cleo: looks at Emma. "Sometimes she's really crazy." Lewis shrugs when they glance at him. They look at each other before silently agreeing to go after her.
"Hey!" Rikki shouted; the others laugh. Even Terry cracks a smile, despite his worry.
"Shows that you didn't pay much attention to me, Emma," Rikki smirked.
"Where were we for this?"Don whispered to Bev, who shrugs in response.
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[At the marina, "Barry" was rinsing his hands off in a bucket of water, then picks it up, and dumps it into the bay. Rikki walks up, holding her blue shirt crumpled up into a ball, on the deck above him. He looks up at her when she throws it at him.]
Rikki: "Use that."
"See you decided not to wear your new shirt," Emma realized. "Only because I didn't want him to compliment my eyes again," Rikki scowled.
Terry can't help but feel nervous about this confrontation. He better not do anything.
'Barry': begins wiping his hands off, then looks back up at her. "Ha. Don't tell me you got more fish already."
Rikki: "So you can sell them to a pet shop?"
"It was a café, not a pet shop," Lewis corrected her. "Not the time, Lewis," Cleo said through gritted teeth.
'Barry': face falters. "Aye, you figured that out."
Rikki: puts hands on her hips, giving him a small smile. "Did you really think I was that dumb?"
'Barry': leans against the boat. "No, I didn't. I just thought I'd spare you the boring business details."
"Well at least he was honest," Bella shrugged, wincing.
"I did," Lewis chuckled, earning a whack to the back of the head, surprisingly from Cleo. "Hey! What was that for?" "Leave her alone. She's done been through enough for this one," Cleo hissed.
Rikki: "What? Like you're a crook?"
'Barry': frowns. "Hey, you've done alright. A lot better than flipping burgers for a living."
"I'd rather do that than be a liar, a criminal. A jerk," Rikki scowled.
Rikki: "Oh, so that makes it alright to lie to me and manipulate me?"
'Barry': walks closer, away from the boat. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm not going to go and increase your cut and that's all there is to it."
"Don't call her 'sweetheart'!" Terry yelled. "Uh, dad? He can't hear you," Rikki said, stating the obvious, but can't help but smile that her old man was sticking up for her.
Zane narrowed his eyes, daring for that crook to make a move.
Rikki: shakes head. "I don't want an increased cut. I don't want anything more to do with you. And I'm not your sweetheart." Cleo and Emma run-up, and grab onto the gate, spying on her. Not too far, but close enough to listen.
"Atta girl. You tell him," Terry said, fuming.
"Ah, so you did follow me," Rikki chuckled. "We didn't want you getting hurt," Cleo told her.
"Just be careful you two," Neil told them.
'Barry': throws the shirt back at her. "You know that color does suit your eyes."
Quit flirting with her you creep! Zane scowled.
Cleo: "Let's go." Tries to go after her, but Emma stops her.
Emma: grabs Cleo's arm, holding her back. "No, not yet."
Cleo: "But she needs our help."
Emma: "I don't think so. I'm sure all she wanted was a chance to show him what she really thought of him." They watch as "Barry" gets in his boat and launches out, with Rikki watching him go. "Now that she has, she'll do the smart thing and realize the best way to deal with him is to contact the police."
"You don't know me at all," Rikki said, shaking her head. "I wish that you would have at least," Emma sighed.
[Rikki starts chasing after his boat, running on the upper level of the marina. Cleo looks on in shock.]
Cleo: "Or not." They start to go after her. But a man close by on the other side of the gate begins to spray some crates off with a water hose, forcing them to remain where they are and wait.
"Rikki," Terry groaned in frustration, heartbeat racing with fear. "I got this, dad," Rikki sighed. "Uh, we got this," Cleo corrected her. "We?" Neil asked. "You followed her too?" Bev sighed, her face turning into a look of worry.
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[Rikki quickly chases after the boat.]
[A few minutes later, the fisherman gets done cleaning the crates and turns the water hose off. Emma and Cleo climb the edge of the gate around him while he was distracted. Suddenly, he looks around when he hears a splash.]
[Rikki slows her speed down and continues searching for where the direction of the boat went.]
"All three of you?" Will asked. "Isn't that a little too risky?" Ash asked. "They work better together as a team," Mrs. Chatham spoke up.
["Barry" walks down the dock with a crate in his hand. Hidden in front of his boat, was Rikki, floating above the water spying on him angrily. She watches him walk through a gate, then ducks underwater.]
"Are you trying to give yourself away?" Kim asked sarcastically. "That is not very hidden," Lewis remarked.
[Emma and Cleo quickly speed to where they believe Rikki went, then come to a halt. They look around before Emma taps Cleo on the arm and points forward, then continue swimming in that direction.]
I hope those girls can get there in time to stop her, Terry thought anxiously.
"Please hurry," Zane whispered so quietly, almost no one could hear him. Almost. Lewis raises an eyebrow and glances at him, curious as to why he would say that.
[Rikki runs down the dock and into the gate, pausing every now and then to not be seen or heard as she sneaks through. She looks around before sneaking over to a blue warehouse building. Around the corner from her is the entrance to it, the door. Spotting it, she quietly opens it a tiny bit, just enough for her to peek inside, seeing what all they had. She notices all the fish tanks, the fish, all their other equipment, and "Barry."
Then she spots a woman rush up to "Barry," cup his face into her hands, then kiss him. Rikki narrows her eyes into a glare as she sees them embrace into a hug, the woman leaning her head onto his chest. She continues watching them, not noticing when a man comes up behind her and grabs her shoulder. She turns around to look at him.]
They all gasp, most of them at least, as they see her mission fail, wondering how in the world she was going to get back safely. "Uh oh," Elliot said quietly, worried about his friend.
"Rikki," Terry said slowly, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands over his face, trying to stop worrying and think about the fact that his daughter is here and that nothing happened. Hoping that nothing happened at least.
Zane taps his foot anxiously and watches in despair. Not noticing that Lewis was watching him. Hmm.
"You got to be sneakier than that next time," Kim mentioned, with a little hint of worry in her tone. She doesn't want Cleo to know that her friends have kind of grown on her, especially with their new development. With the secret gone, it almost feels like a clean slate for her and her sister. That they can start fresh with one another. "Let's not let there be a next time," Rikki commented.
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[They roughly shove her into a chair, Rikki not even phased by it, with two guards standing beside her. "Barry" walks onto the other side of the table and sits down in the chair, propping his feet up on the table. The woman with "Barry" walks behind him and puts her hands on his shoulders, staring at the intruder. "Barry" glares at her, wondering how she was able to follow him.]
"You sure don't look scared at all," Ash mentioned, knowing that if he were in that situation, he probably would be. "I was angrier than I was anything else," Rikki shrugged, hiding her mixed emotions on how they'll react about her exposing their powers.
Emma and Cleo look at her, knowing that she's a little anxious about the reaction she'll get from her little revenge. She looks at them and they nod in return, letting her know that they were on her side about this, no matter what.
'Barry': "How'd you find this place?"
Rikki: "Followed the smell."
They chuckle at her remark. Although, they know that this was a serious issue, the fact that she remained calm through it all and replied quickly yet sarcastically, it was just too funny.
Terry couldn't help but chuckle either. Of course, he was terrified about what they were going to do to her. Or at least try to do to her. Even though she was in a scary situation, she still remained the same.
Zane continued watching anxiously, a little angry that they shoved her roughly.
Woman: "Let me deal with her." She looks at her furiously.
'Barry': pats her on the hand. "That's alright. You think this is funny?"
"A little bit?" Rikki snorted.
"How could you be so calm?" Charlotte asked. "I knew I had the upper hand," Rikki said.
'Barry': "I've got way too much money invested here to let a dopey kid like you blow it." Rikki looks up and sighs, annoyed about being called a kid. "Now, who else have you told about it?"
Rikki: shrugs. "Greenpeace."
"You don't take threats seriously, do you?" Will smirked. "They weren't threatening to me. Unlike someone," Rikki said, lowering her voice at the last words, looking over at Denman.
'Barry': "Trust me, kid. This is no time to be joking."
"Be careful, Rikki," Lisa said worriedly. "Don't worry. I'm fine," she sighed, not looking forward to these next few minutes.
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[Emma and Cleo swim up next to a ladder by the dock, close to "Barry's" boat. They look around, trying to figure out what to do next.]
Cleo: "So, where to now?"
"You could go save her!" Kim said, waving to the screen.
Emma: "Wait a second." Looks over at the boat. "That's his boat, isn't it?"
Cleo: "It's a boat." She nods over to it. "Let's check it out." They go back under, swimming over to it.
"Yes, Emma. It's his boat," Rikki said, rolling her eyes.
"Why check it out, when you can go help her!" Kim shouted in annoyance. "Well, if it weren't for them checking it out, we wouldn't have had our evidence," Lewis smirked. "What evidence?" Annette asked. "Oh, you'll see," Emma smiled.
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[Back in the warehouse, "Barry" continues interrogating Rikki, who denies him any information as she rolls her eyes.]
'Barry': stands up, leaning over the table. "You tell me where you found those fish and maybe I'll be nicer." Rikki thinks it over, smirking as he leans in closer. "I'm only going to ask you once, sweetheart."
"Don't. Call. Her. Sweetheart," Terry huffed.
Rikki gagged, hearing him call her that again. She couldn't stand it. Zane pouted, hating him calling her that. Knowing that had to have bothered her.
Rikki: "And I'm only going to tell you once. Don't, call me sweetheart." The woman behind "Barry" smiles wickedly.
"Like father, like daughter," Rikki grinned, looking over at her dad.
'Barry': "You're in a long way out of your depth here."
Rikki: looks over his shoulder and notices a water container. Smirking, she gets an idea. "You'd be surprised how far out of my depth I can go."
"Oh. I smell an idea forming," Lewis smiled.
Terry looks at her confused, curious as to what she was planning. Only hoping that it can at least get her out of there safely.
'Barry': sits back down and leans back. "Have it your way."
Rikki: holds out her hand next to her seat, beginning to use her power. "You guys get accident insurance in this line of work?" Slowly, she starts curling it into a fist, the water in the tank of the container begins to boil, bubbles rising to the top of it.
"Using powers in front of somebody. I thought you were keeping it a secret," Denman mocked. "As Emma said, we decided to bend the rules a little. Besides, she was hiding the fact that she was the one doing it," Cleo explained. For now.
'Barry': looks over at the tank, noticing it begin to bubble. His face turns from anger to confusion. "What?"
Rikki: shrugs. "Terrible if, ah, one of you were to get, oh, I don't know, scalded." Above them, the pipes begin to rattle, the room getting hotter by the second as she continues to curl it into a fist slowly. "I hope you'd be covered." "Barry" looks up, noticing the pipes were shaking.
"And his walls begin to fall down, now," Rikki commented.
'Barry': "It's hard to get insurance in our line of work."
"Really. I wonder why?" Charlotte sarcastically said.
Rikki: "Pity. I sense an accident waiting to happen." She closes her hand even further, almost into a complete fist. The pipes shake even harder. Bubbles increase rapidly in the tank.
'Barry': looks at it a little worriedly, then puts his walls back up and turns back to her. "Yeah, maybe, but not to me."
"It better not be to her," Terry warned. "Oh, don't worry dad. It was to him," Rikki smiled.
"Can't beat a mermaid," Emma grinned. "Make that three mermaids," Cleo said proudly. Four, Bella thought.
Rikki: "Yes, to you." She closes it into a complete fist and the pipes above them burst, releasing hot steam from above. "Barry" and the others run out of the way, right when the tank beside him explodes, causing water and steam to rise from the top of it, spraying everywhere.
Rikki winces, knowing she will probably get some backlash for them discovering that she used her powers on others. She takes a deep breath, readying herself for the oncoming comments about how she shouldn't have. But there was none.
"Woah! That's a lot of power," Elliot gawked.
"You were able to explode them. That's awesome!" Kim said, causing Rikki's worried frown to turn into a small smile, glad that she wasn't getting any negative comments.
"Although it was dangerous to risk exposing yourself like that, I must admit, it would be good to help fight back with and save yourself," Neil mentioned. "And you got the upper hand as well, literally," Ash chuckled.
"She still kept it hidden by the looks of it. There's no way they would've been able to explain what was going on," Harrison said.
Zane smirked, glad that she was able to fight back, glad that she was getting her revenge. But most importantly, glad that she was getting to safety.
"That's my girl!" Terry shouted. "Dad!" Rikki chuckled, unable to stop the smile from growing even bigger.
Bella stared at the screen wide-eyed. She used her powers out in public. What happened to keeping this a secret? For over 5 years I've been keeping this a secret, with only my parents knowing. And she goes to blow it off, just for revenge? She huffed in thought, a little upset that all their hard work was beginning to crumble.
[One of the guards back up, looking up at the pipes, when one behind him on the wall burst open, releasing hot steam everywhere. He turns around, right as he accidentally backs into it. The guard screams in pain, throwing his hands up to cover his face.]
"Watch out, it's hot. Oh no, too late," Kim said with a dull tone. Her parents laugh at their daughter's comment, forgetting about the serious situation for a moment.
"That had to hurt," Lewis winced. "Good," Terry remarked.
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[Emma and Cleo run up the dock and past the gate, heading towards the warehouse, searching for Rikki.]
Emma: "I bet she's here somewhere."
Cleo: they stop running and look around. "So which way now?"
"Oh, that's easy. Just follow the screams of pain and the steam coming from the building," Ash chuckled, pointing to said building on-screen.
[Right on cue, the door to the warehouse swings open with steam coming out. Plus, the guard that was sprayed by the hot steam runs out, covering his head, trying to stop the pain as he continues screaming in agony. He stumbles around the wall and over a water hose, trying to leave.]
Emma: they wince, beginning to realize just what caused him that much pain. She points with her phone to the building and grins at Cleo, who has a look of shock on her face. "I'm, thinking that direction."
"Gee, what made you think of that? The guard screaming his head off or the steam coming from inside the building," Kim said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I like her," Rikki pointed out, making Cleo chuckle.
Emma: opens her phone and dials a number, then holds it up to her ear. "Lewis, it's me."
"You called Lewis? Why? What's he going to do from so far away?" Charlotte asked curiously. "Oh, easy. Call the cops and tell them the location," Lewis shrugged. "Should've done that in the first place instead of going through all that trouble," Bev said. "Wasn't enough evidence to prove it," he replied.
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[Back in the warehouse, Rikki stalks toward "Barry," who is now backing up towards the door as she mocks him.]
Rikki: "Who was it you were saying was out of their depth?"
'Barry': "I guess I made a mistake."
Rikki: "I guess you made a big mistake."
"Seems like you were way in your depth," Will smirked.
"It looks like you were enjoying watching him suffer," Denman mentioned, glancing at her. "He tried to harm me in the first place. And besides, I was out for revenge. I wasn't going to kill him or anything. Just make him learn a lesson," Rikki explained. "Sometimes those lessons go a little too far, Rikki," Emma whispered.
["Barry" turns and runs out the door, while another guard grabs Rikki by the arms when she wasn't looking, holding her back.]
Guard: "Barry, I've got her!"
"You really need to start checking your surroundings," Ash commented. "Yeah, I guess I was too distracted by the look of pure terror on his face," Rikki said with a small smile, realizing that she may have been going a bit too far coming soon.
[Rikki struggles to get out of his grasp, as the woman from earlier hides behind the desk, watching them. The guard steps in a puddle of water, and immediately the water begins rising around his feet and up to his knees. He lets go of Rikki and she watches in surprise as the guard has trouble trying to stay on his feet, trapped in the water. In the window, Cleo twists her hand, using her power to do so. She steps aside to let Emma go next, as she raises her hand and freezes the water that surrounded him. The guard gasps and falls to the ground, stuck in a block of ice. Rikki looks over to the window and smirks, where she sees her two best friends smiling, giving her a thumbs up.]
"Now that's what I call teamwork," Max smiled. Sure, he didn't like them using their powers in public, but if it were to save one of them, he would let it slide. They were good people after all.
Their parents smile at them helping their fellow mermaid friend out. Glad that they were able to save her in time.
More of them using their powers. Seriously?! What's the point of keeping it a secret from the whole world if you're just going to show them off! Bella thought bitterly, wishing she could've used her powers in public some like that. But she knows what the consequences would be: exposure.
[The woman runs out from hiding behind the desk and stops in front of Rikki and holds her hands up defensively. Rikki looks over at her, who looks at her warily in return. She steps slowly around Rikki, keeping an eye on her. Rikki follows her every movement, then spooks her, leaning forward.]
Rikki: "Boo!"
[The woman screams and runs to the door. Quickly, she halts and turns around. Once again holding her hands up in defense, as she backs out the door slowly.]
"What a scaredy-cat," Kim laughed along with Elliot.
"You sure frightened them," Lewis said. "In their defense, I probably would be too if all of a sudden weird stuff begins to happen, right when a strange girl came out of nowhere," Rikki shrugged, understanding their point of view. She thought the same way when Mrs. Chatham showed up out of the blue.
Cleo: and Emma sees her trying to flee. They glance at each other before Cleo decides to take action. "I've got it." twisting her hand once more, the water hose next to where the lady was, suddenly comes to life, spraying water wildly. It dances around her feet, causing her to jump around while yelling. The force of the water knocks her off balance, and she falls, sliding into a stack of equipment, including a bunch of barrels, knocking her out.
"Way to go, Cleo," Don rooted.
"Yikes," Annette winced.
"I'm not sure what's worse. Getting knocked out by a water hose, or hot steam," Cleo said. "Both would be quite painful," Max interjected. "True," Cleo nodded.
Cleo: tilts her head as Emma grins. "I suppose she'll have a headache in the morning."
"Eh, she would've been in jail by then, so who cares," Lewis shrugged.
Emma: smiles at her as they look at each other, but then it falters once she realizes something: Rikki was missing. She looks around frantically. "Where's Rikki?"
"Uh-oh," Rikki muttered, knowing she'll get some comments for this next scene.
"Where did you go?" Elliot asked. "Uh," Rikki tried to say before Terry cuts her off. "One of those thugs didn't grab you again, did they?" Terry asked anxiously, his heartbeat racing some more. "No, no. I just, uh, still had business to do," Rikki said slowly, yet shamefully, knowing that she went too far.
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["Barry" tries to get his boat ready for launch, when he looks up and sees Rikki walking threateningly down the dock, towards him. He stands up and begins backing away in fear.]
'Barry': backing up, he points at her, looking furious, yet terrified at the same time. "Stay away from me." Rikki continues walking closer, not daring to take her eyes off him as he continues walking backwards.
"Someone sounds scared now," Kim mocked, not realizing the intensity of the situation.
'Barry': points at her again. "Get back!" Stepping once more, he suddenly loses his balance, swinging his arms wildly in the air as he falls off the edge of the dock and into the water. He comes up, gasping for air, and looks up at her.
"There we go!" Ash shouted happily.
"Ah, revenge is best served cold and soaking wet. Right, Rikki?" Zane smirked, glad that it was over. Or so he thought. After receiving no reply, he looks over at her, where she remains still and clinging to the arms of her chair. "Rikki?" Terry asked in concern.
[Rikki looks down at him menacingly from the top of the dock. Then she holds her hand out, quickly clenching it into a fist. The water surrounding "Barry" turning into hot, bubbling water from the reaction as steam begins to rise.]
'Barry': looks around, noticing this, then looks up at her. "What is this?"
The crowd remains silent, as they watch her intensely, wondering what in the world was she doing. Was she wanting to hurt him? To cause him physical harm? Or, was she planning to get rid of him?
[She continues closing it into a fist, the water getting hotter by the second, as Emma and Cleo run up next to her, seeing what she was doing.]
Emma: "Rikki, stop it!"
Rikki: not even looking at her. "Not until I say so."
"Rikki, you're going to hurt him!" Kim shouted in worry. "Yeah, I realize that," Rikki sighed sadly.
She, she was trying to harm a human? Bella thought worriedly as she glanced down at her own hands. She knew he humiliated her, made her feel awful. But to go out and use your powers for evil like this, was it worth it? Bella knew she couldn't do it. Not that she could harm people with her powers anyways.
Denman glared at the screen. So, this is what her power is used for. Harming people. I knew she was dangerous. "You didn't want Lewis to expose your secret earlier, yet you're willing to reveal that you have powers to a bunch of criminals?" she asked while rubbing her forehead. "Well, when you put it that way ... yeah," Rikki shrugged. "You're both the same to me," Zane muttered about Denman, but also surprised by this change in mood from his on-screen girlfriend.
Cleo: "Rikki, you can't do this."
Rikki: "Looks like I can."
"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should," Mrs. Chatham reminded her.
"Please, Rikki, just stop it," Elliot begged her pleadingly. "Don't worry kid. I do," Rikki told him before turning to her friends and smiling. "I just needed some sense knocked into me."
Cleo: "You're better than that."
Rikki: "He made a fool of me."
Emma: gestures to him. "And we've made a fool of him. You've gotten even." 'Barry' yells, the water continuing to boil. "Anything else you do, is just you wanting to hurt someone. Is that who you are?"
"No, no it's not," Rikki said, looking down sadly. "It's okay, Rikki. It was just an emotional build-up. You did the right thing though, letting him go. Not hurting him," Emma said, patting her shoulder.
Terry looks in concern, knowing she had to be emotionally hurt by him. He knows his daughter though; she would never intentionally hurt someone on purpose. He knows that she will do the right thing.
[She looks down, her facial expression softening as she looks at Emma, then back at the dirtbag floating in the water, noticing his gasp of air, shortening by the second. Finally, she changes her mind and swipes her hand, undoing her fist into a flat palm, making the water stop as it calms down. He looks up at her in shock, where she remains glaring at him menacingly. In the distance, police sirens can be heard.]
"Phew!" was heard throughout the crowd, relieved that she didn't do any physical harm to anybody, or worse. Well, except for the hot steam guy. They were going to let that slide.
Terry smiles, glad that he was right about his daughter. He knew she couldn't do it. He knew she wouldn't do it. And he was happy that her friends were there to support her. He wasn't the only one though.
Cleo and Emma's parents smile at their daughters proudly, plus Rikki. They were happy that they were able to stop her in time. To get her to listen and to keep her from going too far. They might not have liked her almost harming somebody, but they were glad that she stopped before it was too late. They knew there was good in her.
Bella gives her a small smile as a form of an apology for giving her the benefit of the doubt. She should've trusted her mermaid instincts and known that she wouldn't ever do something horrible like that. That they wouldn't do it. And maybe she was wrong, maybe there are some times where you do need to use your powers openly. Maybe, just maybe, she should give them a chance.
Zane glances at her and gives her a smile, which she returns. She was utterly glad that someone didn't judge her the whole time during this mess.
Denman stares at the screen, both in shock with a mix of guilt. She misjudged her. She thought that she was going to hurt him, but she was wrong about it. She was wrong about her. Denman looks down, having second thoughts about these past few events.
Emma: glances behind her, hearing the sirens. "We better get going." She grabs Rikki's shoulder as they run towards the gate as the sirens get nearer.
"So, wait. He surely would've told the police about her having powers. They didn't question you about it?" Kim asked. "Who would've believed him?" Lewis scoffed. "They probably thought he was crazy," Rikki chuckled. "Even though he was right," Sam muttered.
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[They met up with Lewis back in Cleo's room. The three girls are on the bed, listening to Lewis, who is sitting in Cleo's chair against the wall.]
Lewis: "As soon as I found out what was in the warehouse, I knew it would be enough for the police."
"See? Told you," Lewis pointed out. "No one said you weren't," Cleo told him.
Rikki: "But they'd get what they deserved."
Emma: laying on her stomach, turns towards Rikki who is leaning against the head of the bed. "Yeah but, let's not make a habit out of this. Otherwise, we're going to end up in the newspapers." Lewis nods in agreement.
"Agreed," several people in the audience say, raising their hand. Rikki chuckles, nodding along. "Okay, agreed."
"I can already see the headline: 'Mermaid Heroes Save the Gold Coast Once More.'" Will looks around, noticing the looks he was getting, and blushes a little. "A little too much?" "Yup. But you weren't wrong," Rikki stated.
Cleo: "People say fish aren't very intelligent." They look over at her fish tank, where her little friends swim around. "But look how peaceful they are." She looks at each one of them before turning back to her friends. "Even though they're all different, they all get along." They all smile at the remark.
"Those are some nice words of wisdom, sweetheart," Don smiled at her. "You did that on purpose, did you?" Rikki asked him, narrowing her eyes in a joking matter. "It was unintentional," Don told her as she turns back around. "Maybe."
"It's true though. Each one is different, but they get along so well, as a team. That they make the perfect friendship. Just like you guys," Max said, making the other three smile as they look at each other.
Rikki: "Until they eat each other."
"Way to ruin the moment," Zane chuckled, loving her quick remarks.
Cleo: changes subject. "Anyway, I've decided what I'm going to call my new fish. Because Rikki got it for me. I'm going to name it in honor of her."
"You named a fish Rikki?" Sam winced at the name, thinking it wasn't right for a fish. "Not exactly," Cleo smirked.
Rikki: looks around, unconvinced. "Rikki the fish?"
Cleo: "No, hot stuff." They laugh at the new name. Lewis scoffs.
The crowd laughs along with them. "You know what? It fits just right," Bev smiled. "I agree. So that's where the name came from," Don nodded.
Rikki: smiles ecstatically. "Hot stuff, really?" She looks over to the fish tank again, and her face softens as Cleo looks at it too. "You know what, Cleo? You're right. They are beautiful."
"Wow, two people said I was right. I wish I could've recorded this," Cleo joked. Emma scoffs. "Well too bad. Because it's never going to happen again." "For once, I agree with her," Rikki points up.
"They are beautiful," Charlotte sighed admiringly. She enjoyed the fish; they weren't as threatening as the dolphins were.
[The bedroom door opens, and Kim steps in, addressing Cleo.]
Kim: "Mom's just about to start making dinner. She told me to ask you guys if you want to stay."
Lewis: perks up, pumping his fists in the air. "Great!"
Rikki: "I'm starving."
"Oh gosh," Bev chuckled, remembering what she cooked that night. "What?" Sam asked. "The dinner I cooked that night was fish," she whispered, as Sam laughs along with her.
Cleo: "What are we having?"
Kim: "Fish." She goes back out, closing the door.
They chuckle at the unsuspecting meal. "I think we had enough fish that week," Cleo mentioned.
Lewis: "Oh, no." They all go into a hysterical fit over the irony, taking one last look at the fish tank.
"Well, that was, something," Neil said, breaking the awkward silence that came over the room after it was over. No one wanted to bring up what happened. No one wanted to cause any problems. Because they knew it wasn't their situation to help with. They knew it was personal.
"Well, now that is over with. May I suggest we move on?" Rikki coughed, clearing her throat. Everyone nods in agreement. She obviously wanted it forgotten about, not wanting to deal with it any longer. Guess I'll have to talk to her later then, Terry sighed as Harrison handed him the remote and he pressed play.