I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 31: Shipwrecked (part 2)
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[Later that night, while everyone was asleep, Mrs. Chatham snuck out of the Gilbert household and into the streets, making her way to the marina. She walks down the dock and stops at the gate, clinging to it as she sees her boat. A smile takes form as she stares at it with rememberable enjoyment.]
Mrs. Chatham: "Did you miss me?" Sighs then makes her way to her boat.
"You snuck out?" Elliot said in a bit of surprise. He knew she wasn't there the next day, but he just thought she left that morning. Not in the middle of the night.
"I didn't hear the door open," Neil said. "Nothing would stop me from getting to my Lorelei, Mr. Gilbert," she said, eyeing him.
[She turns on the lamp inside the boat and makes her way to the control panel with a determined look on her face.]
Mrs. Chatham: "Alright, Lorelei, don't fail me now." She turns the key, attempting to turn it on. The motor makes a few odd noises then stutters to a stop. She sighs and tries again, turning the key once more. This time, however, it was a complete success, as the motor roars with a weak life and the water goes through the pipes in a cycling pattern. She laughs in victory and hits the control panel lightly. "Twenty years since I've heard that sound."
"I have to say, for a boat that old and not moving in that long of a time, that's quite impressive," Don mused.
"Not bad for an old-timer," Harrison added. Mrs. Chatham turns to look at him, giving him a small glare. "I meant the boat," he corrected himself while chuckling.
[She puts her hand on the lever and moves it forward slowly, inch by inch. Her boat begins to make its way out of the harbor as she turns it around in the outgoing direction. However, as she's turning it, she doesn't realize how close she is to Zane's jet ski.]
"Oh, I'm not going to like this," Zane said, covering his eyes. Though he couldn't help but peak anyways.
"Ya know you really should watch where you're going," Lewis winced. He was a fan of boats too, but he wasn't sure he would go this far for one. "I'm aware, Lewis. Now," Mrs. Chatham huffed.
Mrs. Chatham: "That feels better." She turns the wheel a little bit more. Unfortunately, though, this causes the boat to scrape harshly against the jet ski. The scraping and grating noise caught her attention, as she turns to look out the window and fix her direction of steering.
"That does not make him feel better seems like," Will said as he winced from the look of horror he saw on Zane's face. It almost looked like he was going to cry.
Mrs. Chatham: sees what she hit. "Oh, dear, he won't like that."
Mrs. Chatham looks up to Zane and gives him a sincere and apologetic look. "Forgive me, Zane. I was too reckless. I should have been paying attention. I'm truly sorry." Zane looks at her and slightly nods. He was a little upset, but he knew he shouldn't take it out on her for past events. That and with the crowd around him right now, it seemed not like a good idea to lose his temper at the moment. "It's alright. And I'm sorry too. I acted reckless as well. It's my fault that you lost your boat. I should've been more careful."
"It's okay. Those things can be replaced. But you can't," she said, pointing at him. A smile lights up on his face with a tint of red from embarrassment at the cheesiness. It seemed like he and Mrs. Chatham were going to be getting along quite well as friends.
That's when an idea popped in his head. "Hey, dad? Do you know of any places that can remodel boats?" he whispered into his father's ear. "Son, if you're thinking what I'm thinking. Then I'm all ears. We'll talk about it after the whole theater thing ends," he whispered back, with a proud smile on his face, in which Zane returns.
[Mrs. Chatham travels out into the open sea, without stopping or turning back. Heading to who knows where.]
"Just where on earth were you planning to go?" Max said, a bit surprised by her actions. "Where do you think?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He looks at her, then nods slowly in realization as he mumbles the words. "Mako."
"For someone so wise, you sure do make a lot of mistakes," Denman said out loud. Mrs. Chatham laughs. "Well, I'm still human. I make mistakes just like everyone else." Denman nods then pauses. Wait, what does she mean by 'still human'?
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[Elliot makes his way downstairs and opens the fridge the next morning. He bends over, searching for something as he moves stuff around. Meanwhile, Emma runs downstairs, searching the kitchen and the living room in a bit of a panic.]
Emma: sees him and jogs up to him. "Elliot, have you seen Mrs. Chatham? She's not in her room and her things are gone." Elliot shrugs in response then goes back to rummaging through the fridge. Emma sighs then heads for the door.
"How can you possibly lose a 65-year-old woman?" Harrison chuckled. Probably the same way you lost your son sometimes. You never noticed, Rikki scowled, thinking of his past selfish actions.
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[Emma walks to the marina. She arrives on the docks, searching for Mrs. Chatham, only to find her boat has gone missing too. Pausing in her steps, she looks around to see if she hasn't gone too far, when Zane walks up next to her.]
Zane: frowns, noticing the damage done to his jet ski, as it sunk halfway into the water. "What's this?" Anger rises in him, done being patient. "That old bat. She did this." He begins walking toward his boat.
"And the trouble starts, now," Ash pretended to look at a watch and taps his wrist.
"Is this, when it all began?" Harrison gulped nervously, looking at his son with worrisome eyes, hinting about the whole boat incident. Zane looks down, a little afraid to see himself in another deadly situation. But there was a bit of curiosity that peaked his mind as he wondered who could have saved him during it. It had to be Rikki; she did it once, she would've done it again, plus she has superspeed in the water, she could've made it on time. Or maybe it was the red-haired mermaid he had first seen before. He had no clue who it was, and he never saw her again after that. Maybe he will find out during this whole screening thing.
"Yeah," he reluctantly admitted, trying to prevent himself from sounding weak. Harrison took a deep breath, trying to be brave for his son. But in all honesty, it's not easy when you see someone you care about in danger and knowing there's nothing you could do about it. The only good news was that this was in the past and Zane is still here with him now. Though that doesn't help his nerves at all.
Emma: calls out to him, trying to get him to stop. "Zane, you don't know that."
Zane: Turns to her, still marching for his zodiac. "Yes, I do."
"It's quite obvious who could've done it. I mean who else besides the last person who caused damage?" Annette said. "Maybe Nate. He uses Zane's stuff all the time," Lewis answered. "True. He is quite reckless with them as well. And sometimes he doesn't even ask," Zane thought.
Zane: "Right. That's how she wants to play it. She doesn't know who she's messing with." He unties his boat and cranks the motor up.
"Play what? It was an accident. You act like she did it on purpose," Cleo scoffed. "Yeah, clearly I can see that now," Zane somewhat shouted causing Cleo to slightly flinch, a little taken aback. He didn't mean to though and didn't even notice with his nerves still shaking.
Emma: "Zane!" But she was too late as he immediately took off, away from the docks, and in the direction he assumed she went in. Unable to follow him, Emma went to find the only person that she knew could help: Lewis.
"Why didn't you stop him?" Bella asked. "Because he would've seen me in the water. I couldn't risk it," Emma hesitantly answered, wondering if Zane has figured it out yet. She never told him the truth, and she was for sure that Rikki didn't either.
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[Emma runs into the Juicenet café, searching for her friend. She turns around and finds him reading a book.]
Emma: "Lewis, I need you." She runs up to him and grabs his arm. He looks at her in surprise as he puts the book down and grabs his hat off the table. "Well, I need your boat and I need you to drive it." He quickly grabs one last bite of his snack before she drags him out the beaded-curtain doors.
"Well that's one way to ask for help," Will laughed, not understanding the tension that some of them had. "Why didn't you drive his boat yourself?" Charlotte asked, surprisingly not even jealous of her needing him, but curious as to why she didn't if the situation was so serious. "Because that would be rude and I don't know how to drive one, and I couldn't risk getting wet. Not exactly a good look for me trying to drive with a tail," Emma said, gesturing to her legs. "And besides, he had the key. I would've had to go to him anyway."
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[Out in the open water, Mrs. Chatham continues on her expedition towards Mako, at a slow and steady pace. She smiles as her boat continues roaring to life.]
Mrs. Chatham: "Good girl. We're making good time."
"I'm surprised she lasted that long out in the open," Harrison commented. "I beg your pardon?" "The boat! I meant the boat!" Harrison exclaimed. Again, with this?
[Right then, Zane makes haste towards his target as he sees her boat not too far up ahead. Mrs. Chatham turns around, looking out the window as she hears the roar of another, stronger, motor. She gasps as she sees her 'favorite' docking buddy heading right for her. Zane begins circling her boat, trying to cut her off. Full of fear, she quickly tries to make the boat go faster. Unfortunately, though, the engine stutters to a stop. She tries again, but it fails, and the boat freezes in place out in the open water.]
"Oof, bad timing," Ash winced. "Yeah, no kidding," Rikki huffed.
Zane: still circling her boat, shouts at her as she looks out the window. "You can't run, old lady. No one wrecks my jet ski. You're not getting away with it." He slows his boat down and parks it next to hers.
"To be fair, she did try fleeing from a crime scene," Sam pointed out. "Yeah, you're right. But that's still no way to treat someone," Emma sighed, not noticing Zane shake his head in disappointment at himself.
"Will you quit antagonizing her? You're going to give her another heart attack!" Kim yelled. Yeah, a bit too late for that, Zane scoffed.
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[Lewis jumps in his boat, hat on his head, trying to crank it up as quick as he can.]
Lewis: "And you can't swim because?"
Emma: unties his boat for him, then stands up straight as Lewis gets the engine to start. "Zane's out there chasing her. He'd see me." She climbs into the boat and sits down, looking ahead of the canal. "Hurry up, Lewis." He quickly speeds his boat off to wherever their troubled, bickering friends were.
And that plan ended up failing anyways, as he saw my tail, Emma sighed, feeling a little down. She always felt that, if Zane never found out the existence of mermaids, then maybe the whole thing with Denman would've never happened. But who knows, maybe it would have since she found Cleo's DNA sample.
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[Back at Mrs. Chatham's boat, Zane hops on board and enters the doorway of her cabin.]
Mrs. Chatham: holds her hand out to him in defense, panicking. "You stay away from me." She quickly tries to start it again, but Zane pulls her back.
Zane: "Forget it lady. Don't even try it."
Mrs. Chatham: "Don't touch me."
"Just leave her alone!" Elliot shouted, upset that he was messing with his friend.
"Zane, this is going too far," Cleo huffed, a little angry about how he was acting. "Yeah, I know," he breathed out, getting nervous for the upcoming drastic events.
"That motor is probably useless now anyways," Denman said. "It is now," Chatham muttered under her breath.
Zane: "Don't get excited."
"She's not excited, she's terrified," Bella narrowed her eyes. "You're scaring her!" Kim shouted, surprisingly worried for her.
Zane: steps in further as she takes a step back. "I want compensation. You wrecked my jet ski! I want money."
Mrs. Chatham: hands shake weakly, holding them out to him, shakes her head no. "I don't have any."
Zane: "Don't lie to me."
"She's not," Emma scowled. "Zane, did you forget that she was homeless," Lewis whispered to him. "Not exactly. All I thought about was the treasure I heard," Zane whispered back, guiltily.
Zane: "You've got treasure here. Somewhere." When he turns to look, Mrs. Chatham grabs him by the arm of his shirt, getting his attention as she has a frightened look in her eyes.
"Not that kind of treasure, you moron," Rikki muttered.
"Her treasure has no value," Charlotte reminded him. That's what you think. It's a one of a kind. Made specifically for each girl. There's only three in the world. It is valuable, not just in price, but to them as well. And to me, Max thought with a small smile.
Mrs. Chatham: "You can't have that."
Zane: starts getting in her face with a crazy, menacing look. "Can't I? Just watch me."
"Zane, quit it! You're going to give her another heart attack," Lisa said worriedly. "Too late for that," he said quietly.
[Immediately, Mrs. Chatham starts gasping for air, clutching her heart from the pain as her face contorts into a look of agony. She slowly lowers herself onto the couch; Zane follows on the way down, as she still holds onto his shirt. She winces, then passes out, unable to handle to pain anymore. Zane looks at her with worry and regret.]
"You have got to be kidding me," Kim mentally slaps her forehead as the worry washed over her face for the elderly lady.
"Huh, so you weren't kidding about having a few," Max frowned.
"Why do you keep getting yourself in those situations?" Denman asked. "You do what you can to protect the things you love," she added.
"You're nowhere near a hospital. How are you going to get back to shore safely?" Ash asked. "By us. That's how," Lewis pointed at him and Emma.
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[At that moment, Emma and Lewis head towards the same direction, when Lewis sees Mrs. Chatham's boat.]
Lewis: points at her boat while holding onto his hat. "There's the Lorelei. Look. Near the Mako Island mangroves."
Emma: looks in the direction he points then back at him. "He's already here."
"Why wouldn't he be? He was far ahead of you two," Annette mentioned. "I was kind of hoping he would steer off in the wrong direction," Emma shrugged uncomfortably.
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[Zane begins checking her wrist for a pulse, hoping he could find one. He looks at her with worry when he turns his head at the sound of a boat coming up. He leaves her side and runs out of the boat to find Emma and Lewis parking beside the zodiac as they grab on to his boat straps. Emma looks at him with a glare when she sees him run outside.]
Mrs. Chatham smiled slightly, a little relieved that even though he was angry with her, he was still worried about her. Well, worried enough to at least not want her dead to say the least. It was still sweet though.
Zane: panics. "It wasn't my fault. I didn't do anything."
"Liar," Emma muttered.
"You yelled at her and tried to steal her 'treasure.' I think that counts as something," Bella accused. Zane only shakes his head in regret, too nervous about what was going to happen soon. Too scared to see it happen again.
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[Lewis leans in closer, listening for anything, when he hears her breathe. He leans up, his eyes widening at the realization: she's still alive.]
Lewis: "She's still breathing."
"Thank goodness," Max whispered breathlessly. Though he chuckled a bit, since it was dumb of him to think so since she was still sitting next to him.
Emma: looks over to Zane, then walks over to him and gestures towards the lower level of the boat. "Zane. There's gotta be some pills down there, go and have a look." Emma and Lewis go back to trying to wake Mrs. Chatham up while Zane ducks below deck and searches for the pills.
"Why would they be there? I thought she was taking them at your house," Charlotte asked. "She was. But she took all of her stuff with her. Including her medicine," Emma replied.
[Zane begins searching everywhere. Her shelves, under the curtains, by her bed. He looks over the railing when Emma ducks in the doorway to look at him.]
Emma: "Did you find anything?"
Zane: pauses to think. "Uh..."
Emma: gets impatient. "Come on, Zane. She needs to get into Lewis' boat. She needs a hospital."
"Give him some time. He just got down there," Bev said. "We didn't have time," Lewis said for her.
Zane: looks around frantically. "I don't know -."
Emma: "Zane. If she dies now, it will be your fault."
[Zane goes around the corner when he sees a pill bottle. He grabs it and looks at the name of it then hands it to Emma.]
"Way to put pressure on him," Cleo whispered.
Emma winced, realizing how harsh she sounded. Of course it was his fault that she had a heart attack, again. But she didn't need to say out loud that it would be his fault.
Cold-like always, Emma. Cold-like always, Rikki sighed, shaking her head.
Meanwhile, Bella was trying so hard not to jump up and down in excitement by seeing the pictures on her walls. There were drawings of close-ups of dolphins and mermaids. Proving even more that she might be, or was, a mermaid. She was so happy that her hopes were at an even higher chance now. But there was still a small part of her that was in a bit of denial, she was trying her hardest to ignore. How did he not notice?
[They lay Mrs. Chatham on some pillows in Lewis' boat. Lewis and Emma both quickly get in next to her.]
Emma: looks up at Zane, who was still on the Lorelei. "Thanks, Zane. Come on, let's go. Get in."
"Oh so now you want to be nice to him," Rikki teased. "He helped her out. It was the least I could do," Emma rolled her eyes. "And was saving him the least you could do too?" Rikki lowered her tone, sounding more serious. Emma sighed and shook her head. "It was either that or let him die."
"Then who would've driven his zodiac?" Ash asked. Emma thought about it for a moment then shrugged. "Good point." Plus, it was a good excuse for the saving story.
Zane: gets to the door. "She'll be alright. I'm staying."
Emma: "Zane, if you touch any of her things –."
"Don't you dare," Cleo glared.
Zane: "I'll catch up."
Lewis: looks at Emma. "There isn't time to argue. Let's go." He starts the boat up and turns the boat around, heading back for the mainland as Emma sits down, checking on Mrs. Chatham as they leave.
The problem is, you never did catch up, Emma gulped nervously. This was it; he was soon about to find out what happened. About who saved him. And why she never told him, even after finding out their secret.
[Zane closes the door to her boat.]
That's where I made my biggest mistake. I should've never closed that door, Zane thought, hearing his heartbeat faster.
[Inside the lower deck, Zane continues his search again. This time for something special. The treasure. However, during his search, he knocks aside an oil lamp that was hanging on the ceiling. The lamp sways side to side, leaking the oil onto the railing, and dripping below deck onto the hot engine, sizzling from each drop.]
"Oh god," Zane whispered. It was his fault after all. He had thought it was from not being cranked up in so long. On second thought, that was the biggest mistake I've made, Zane thought once again, his heart feeling like it dropped to the ground, eyes widening as regret and guilt filled every part of his body.
"Oh no," Harrison muttered, leaning forward in his seat. He knew where this was leading. This was worse than the sharks. They didn't know how the explosion started, but they do now.
A few others, like Don, Kim, Neil, and Lisa, along with a few others who knew about the incident, began murmuring to one another, a little worried about having to see this for themselves. Yet a little curious as to how he got out if the door was jammed like he said it was.
Zane: opens a small cabinet. Inside the cabinet laid an old divers helmet on top of a safe, leading him to believe he found the treasure. "Hello." He opens up the safe, and moves stuff around, searching for what he thinks is valuable. He shifts around, an old clock, a picture frame, several beautiful seashells, and then he finds a small red box.
"Where did you find that?" Bev said, a little shocked as she talked about the helmet. Mrs. Chatham remained quiet, too focused on the red box, afraid that her treasure might get damaged in his hands. She got it back safely and they were on better terms, but who knows what he would've done with it.
Zane: grabs the red box and opens it. He drops the lid on the ground and picks up what was inside the box: a locket with a white jewel on top. He looks at it disappointedly then drops it on the floor. "So much for the treasure."
Max gasped. "You still got it," he said very happily. She nodded silently, too upset to speak. She should've never had that oil lamp in there. It was too dangerous in the first place.
[As more oil leaked onto the engine, it began to create small sparks. Smoke swirled around it. One last spark, and the engine gave way, blowing up the back of the boat, where Zane still stood and blasted several holes through it. The violent shaking, the loud crumbling noise, and the destruction was enough to toss him around and knock his head into the wall. He fell down on the side of the bed, unconscious as smoke rapidly formed inside and out of the vessel. Unknowingly, his own boat began to slowly drift away, no longer near the flaming boat. Water filled in everywhere; from the holes, under the door, and began to fill every nook and cranny, making the boat begin to sink.]
The murmuring ceased, and in its place were frightened, shocking gasps. Especially from the ones who didn't know about it; some gasps, some screams, flinches. It was a chaotic mess. Lisa covered Elliot's eyes once again, this time he let her. But they all did one thing together while they were doing so; they looked at the teenager who lived through it all. They felt sorry for the poor boy, he's been through so much. Sad, guilt, worry, fear, there was so many emotions they felt towards him that it was a surprise that no one went and gave him a hug right now. Which Rikki was trying so hard not to do right then and there.
She really didn't want to lose him, especially after telling him that she loved him, and watching this felt like that's what was happening. She didn't want to watch him suffer. To see him think he was about to lose his life. Not again. But she knew that they needed to keep their relationship a secret, but she also knew he probably didn't want any kind of physical contact at the moment. No hugs, no kisses, nothing. Just like her, she knew he would rather be left alone to deal with it and work things out. And from the looks of it, everyone else understood that too.
Everyone that is, except Harrison, who Zane was only allowing him to be around right now, as he gripped Zane's arm so hard, that neither one of them was noticing Harrison's knuckles go white. And Zane didn't seem to mind, or notice, since both of them were currently staring at the screen with a look of sadness and alarm.
Zane was trying so hard not to close his eyes, he wanted to watch; he was terrified though. He couldn't hear the gasps, the screams. He couldn't see the looks of regret or guilt or sadness that everyone was sending him. The only thing he could hear and focus on was the screen. He wanted to watch. He wanted to see who saved him, he wanted to know what happened and why they did it. So he kept his eyes open, not daring to blink. He didn't want to miss not one bit of this terrifying, unfortunate event.
Harrison stared at the screen, just like Zane. But unlike Zane, he wished he wouldn't see it. He didn't want to watch his son almost drown, he didn't want to see the pain and suffering he went through. But for some reason, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the screen. It was like he was frozen, too worried he might miss something important, too frightened to say something. So, the only thing he could think of to do was to hold on to Zane's arm, to keep himself together, and for dear, life it seems like since he doesn't realize how strong he was holding on to him.
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[Emma and Lewis were still driving the boat, not knowing what was going on yet. Mrs. Chatham's eyelids began to flutter, beginning to come out of her unconscious state.]
Zane let a nervous breath out, the gasps and screams are now gone, once again replaced with the murmurs, this time a little louder though. I figured they were too far gone. They came back for me after I floated back up. Emma did at least. It had to be either Rikki, wherever she is, or the red-haired mermaid, whoever she is.
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[Meanwhile, back at the Lorelei, the sinking begins to get worse, as the water quickens its pace inside the vessel, sinking it further underwater. It was almost halfway when Zane popped up from the water, gasping for air and clenching his injured head. Out of breath, he stands up, wobbling, and lurches for the door. Trying with all his might to get it open, but it wouldn't budge. The boat is going down deeper now, as it is at chest level, just a little way past the halfway mark now, still quickening its paste, decreasing the level of oxygen. Zane backs up then swims to the door, trying to open it again, grunting and clenching his jaw as it fails once more.]
"I know this is a really bad time to say this now, but, why didn't you try busting out one of the windows?" Will suggested, shrugging awkwardly. Zane, still looking at the screen, glares then rolls his eyes, still anxious about the situation he was watching. "Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I was too busy panicking and didn't think about it. Hey, maybe next time when I nearly drown again, I'll try that," Zane spat, the sarcasm flying from his mouth.
Ash hides a snort, trying not to laugh at his sarcastic remark due to the horrible incident that was happening right then.
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[Lewis continues flying his boat over the waves, trying to get to the hospital as fast as they can. An explosion is heard from behind them, and he suddenly stops the boat and quickly faces where the noise came from. Him and Emma put their attention onto the now sinking, smoking Lorelei.]
Emma: frowns. "Oh, no."
Zane tilts his head, a little confused as to what was going on. He thought they hadn't heard or seen the explosion. He never knew that they stopped, figuring that they must've dropped her off at the harbor and then came back to find him floating on top. What were they planning to do?
Lewis: turns back to her, letting go of his hat. "Where's Zane?"
Probably still on the boat, you dimwit, Rikki thought, trying to prevent herself from shaking.
Emma: "I can't see him."
"Probably because he's still on the boat!" Kim shouted. "Not the time, dear," Don hushed, turning back to the screen.
[Zane continues trying to get the door open, beating on it to try and get it loose. But nothing happens. The water level rises to his shoulders.]
Stupid door, Zane thought, as his heart began to pound more in his ears.
Emma: "I'll have to go down."
Zane's head pops up, finally looking away from the screen and looking back between the screen and Emma. "Wait, what?" he said, sounding really confused. Emma let out a shaky breath. If he couldn't figure it out then, he was definitely figuring it out now.
Meanwhile, Zane was trying to fit the puzzle pieces together, trying to understand if this was true or not. Was Emma really the one who saved him? This had to be a joke or something. Emma hated him. Maybe somebody else came for him while they were talking about it. Yeah, that had to be it. It had to either be Rikki or the redhead. It was impossible to be her, even if she was the closest one so far as they know of.
Lewis: "You can't. He'll know your secret."
"I don't really think that matters right now," Harrison huffed, worried for his son.
Mrs. Chatham: awake, still lying down, her head being propped up by Emma's arm. Her voice sounding hoarse. "She doesn't have a choice. Do you, Emma?" She raises her hand up weakly to Emma's cheek as they both look down at her.
Emma: looks at her, and makes her mind up as she looks at Lewis. "Make sure she gets to the hospital, Lewis."
[Zane continues trying to get the door open, as the water began to rise above his neck.]
Zane's heart drops once more, his hopeful thoughts starting to fall with it. It sounds increasingly more that she could've been the one to save him. But, it couldn't have been. Right? It had to be someone else. His breathing began to calm down, as he began to think it over. Did Emma tell me the truth? What exactly happened while I was out?
[Emma stands up, and dives into the water.]
Lisa and Neil tense up, worried for their daughter's safety, yet hoping that she got there in time to save him. Though they already knew the outcome, since he was alive and all, but still. They were in the moment.
"I can't believe it," Harrison whispered, surprised that she saved him. Guess he couldn't figure it out till then either.
Zane's jaw dropped, all his hope, gone. All his thoughts on who saved him, gone. Because he now knows the truth. "It was you. This whole time," Zane remarked, almost chuckling at how dumb he felt for not being able to figure it out. Even with all the huge clues that was shown to him during this. Especially since she was there! The closest one to him! How stupid can I be? He thought as he began rubbing his face, trying to ease his nerves. He finally found out who, and it was by the one person who hates him the most. Now the real question is, why? Guess he'll have to get answers later.
Emma looked down, trying to avoid the stares that everyone was casting her way. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she answered Zane's comment. "Took you long enough." To her surprise, he began to chuckle lightly at this, a small smile on his face that she saw. And then slowly, Harrison began to do the same. Are the Bennett's going insane today or what?
Mrs. Chatham: looks over to Lewis. "Stay with her."
Lewis: looks guilty. "I can't. You need a doctor." He quickened the pace of the boat once more and left Emma to save the day.
"He's right and you know it," Max almost sung. "Don't remind me," she sighed, tempting to roll her eyes.
[Emma transforms into her mer-form and swims steadily for a moment before speed swimming as fast as she can towards the sinking ship.]
"Hurry, Emma," Elliot said weakly, clinging onto his mother as she hugged him back.
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[Zane, now no longer able to walk, swims near the door, his head almost touching the ceiling now as he is panting for the last bit of air that was left. Outside, the water pulls the boat further into the ocean, almost to the tippy top. Zane looks around frantically, seeing outside the window that this was it. This was his last chance. He holds his mouth up to the ceiling, nearly kissing it as he began to suck in as much air as he can. Finally, with one last breath, he plunged underwater and went for the door, with a look that says this was his last chance. His last hope.]
The crowd remained quiet, except for a few gasps here and there, as they watch with fear and worry, hoping that Emma will make it on time. Zane sighed. This was it, he was about to watch himself fail, once again. He really wished he could've been stronger to tear that door off the hinges. Maybe I should've taken Will's advice. Guess I was too stupid and blindsided by my ego to notice. And I'm still too stupid since I couldn't even bother to think for one second that it was Emma who saved my life.
Harrison holds onto Zane even tighter, still neither one of the Bennett's noticing.
[The boat goes completely under, now given in to the deep blue. Zane tries pulling on the door once more, hoping that it would budge. But with no progress, he grunts and blows out a few bubbles as he bangs his hand against the door in a desperate attempt. He continues trying to pull the door open, push, anything. Sadly, he couldn't hold on any longer, as his muscles gave way, and got too weak to be able to mess with the door. He slowly sank back, as his muscles became too heavy to move.]
"Oh my god," Annette whispered, feeling terribly bad for him. And for his father as well. Having to live through this again, while also having to watch your son go through it, must be a painful experience.
Harrison though, was unknowingly holding his breath. Only thinking and repeating the same words in his head. Come on, Zane. Don't give up! Please hurry, Emma. Go! Go! Go!
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[Emma comes to a stop, the boat now in her sight. She swims over to the continuingly sinking boat. She goes to the door and looks in the window to see Zane on the ground, floating against the control panel, with a hopeless, dead look on his face. A look that clearly says he's given up. That it was over. That he was going to die.]
Denman looked down for a moment, that look Zane had was the same look she had when she saw the girls turn back human. Her dream of discovering something that was only in myths to be real, gone. All her hope was gone. And that was the look she had when she completely gave up. At least, for him, he was given a second chance. Meanwhile, any second chance for her dream vanished with their powers.
[Emma looks at the door, as she began trying to budge it open. She pulled and pulled just like Zane did, before she backed up, and twisted her body, forcing her tail to sling into the door, leaving a large dent in it.]
The crowd perked up and looked at the door in shock. He couldn't even make an inch of it open, and she was able to leave a dent in it?! How strong are they? "That didn't hurt you?" Denman asked in surprise. "No," Emma said quietly.
Don frowned. He remembered what the door looked like when Zane showed it to them. If she was able to make that big of a dent in it, and not be hurt, then their tails must be very durable. Even a human would've hurt a bone or two just trying to make a dent like that on her own. And she didn't even flinch!
[Emma banged her tail against the door once more, and finally broke the door off its hinges and she pulls the door open with a screeching noise. Zane barely flinched from the booming noise he heard, from her tail, thinking it was another explosion. He slowly turned his head to see the door cracked open, and then a strange, scaly, orange tail swam away. He couldn't figure out what the creature was, or what kind of sea critter would have that kind of tail, as he slowly closed his eyes, slipping into the darkness.]
So that's how the whole mermaid hunt started, Denman hummed. She always wondered how he got the stupid, yet brilliant, idea in his head.
Zane felt his pulse finally going back to normal as a small smile slipped on his face. So that's how it really happened, huh? And if I had to guess, she must've waited until I blacked out until she pulled me up to the surface. He looked over at the girl in question, and seen her avoiding his gaze, looking anywhere but at him. He slowly shook his head as he turned back to the screen. Oh, Emma. We have so much to talk about. He tried to pull his arm up but noticed that his dad was latched onto it. He was going to say something but decided to wait until his dad knows for certain that he wasn't hurt.
Lisa and Neil's tension doesn't leave, as they now understand where Zane got this whole mermaid idea from in the first place. And it turns out he was hunting their daughter all along. Their fears and worries increased even more while Harrison's worries decreased a little.
"Thank goodness," Elliot breathed, glad that she got there in just a nick of time, not noticing the tension that his parents were currently feeling.
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[Later at Mako Island, Emma kept her distance from Zane, who was lying unconscious, face down in the sand, still drenching wet, keeping an eye on him in her now, human form. She walks up slowly as he starts to cough the water out that he inhaled from the incident. He goes into a coughing fit as he begins to shake weakly, and slowly gets up, and feels the sand. He frowns, looking very confused on how he got there, on land, when he was just trapped underwater in a boat just moments ago. He looks around, when he notices Emma, and sits up straight.]
Everyone let out a huge breath of relief, especially Harrison. "Thank you so much, Emma," Harrison let out, all his worries finally leaving. "You're welcome," she said hesitantly.
"Uh, dad? You can let go now," Zane chuckled, as he looked down at his arm and tried to lift it up. Harrison looked at him confused, before looking down and noticing that his hand was holding onto Zane's arm. "Oops. Sorry," he laughed, a bit embarrassed as he let go, leaving a red mark on Zane's arm, who just rubbed it off.
Emma: "It's alright. You floated up, I dragged you to shore." Zane looked to his right, where his zodiac was now docked in the sand.
"You went back for the boat, so you could have it as evidence?" Charlotte assumed with surprise in her voice. "Clever," Annette smirked.
Zane: looks at her, still a little befuddled. "But, but I-I went down. I couldn't get out."
Emma: winces, then looks away for a second. "Somehow you did. You're lucky."
"You are lucky that she got there in time," Neil huffed, still upset that it was his daughter, this whole time that he was hunting down.
"I can see now that was a lie," Zane said, looking over at her. She had to have pulled him out. There was no way he could have gone to the surface while being unconscious. He was sure of it. But he still couldn't understand why she went through all the trouble of risking her secret, while also hating his guts. It didn't make any sense.
Zane: "There was something down there." He stands up straight, slowly, and stares out at the ocean. Emma looks away toward the water, terrified of what he might have seen. "Something ... I don't know." He looks down, still unsure of what he saw, before looking over at her. "Did you see anything?"
Emma: shakes her head, looking down at the ground. "No."
"Wow, Emma, you lied. I didn't know you had it in you either," Rikki lightly teased, trying to forget about her boyfriend drowning and to change the drastic mood in the theater. "Not now, Rikki," Emma said through gritted teeth.
Zane: starts walking towards her, with a determined look on his face. "Yeah? Well, I saw something. And I'm gonna find out exactly what it was." He stands next to her, and they turn to each other before looking back at the ocean.
"And thus, the whole mermaid hunt begun," Cleo muttered.
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[The next day at Emma's house, her and Mrs. Chatham sit on the couch, discussing the last adventure that the Lorelei had. Mrs. Chatham, who was now released from the hospital and back at their house, sat on the couch covered with a blanket as Emma sat next to her.]
Emma: "I've got something for you." She hands Mrs. Chatham a small box, and she accepts it with a grateful smile.
"Of course it's going to show this one as well," Emma said quietly, feeling bad for Mrs. Chatham. Guess she was right; they weren't the only ones that were going to have to deal with a secret being revealed.
Mrs. Chatham: opens up the box, and her smile falters into a complete look of shock as she looked up at Emma with hope, whispering to her. "My treasure. You found it." She quickly picks the necklace up with ease, dropping the box.
"That's it? That locket was your most valuable treasure?" Kim asked skeptically. "Yes, like I told you before, it's what holds the most memories for you. That is your greatest treasure," Mrs. Chatham smiled, not even bothered by her biggest secret fixing to be revealed. "Besides, it's what's on the inside that counts."
I should've known, Charlotte thought with a sigh. She did tell us last night that those lockets were a matching set, for her and her friends.
Emma: "It wasn't easy. It's pretty dark down there now." Mrs. Chatham looks back up at her then sighs as she grabs Emma's hand. Emma returns the gesture by holding her hand. "I'm sorry about the Lorelei." Mrs. Chatham looked her up and down, knowing that she means it, then looks down at the locket and opens it, showing Emma a picture of her and her three friends. Julia, and Gracie, all three with a tail, just like theirs.
The crowd once again erupts with a bunch of gasps as all of their jaws drop. They all eyed her carefully, questioning if this were real. Even after fifty years, the picture was still there, Max thought with a beaming smile.
"Y-you're a, a, mermaid?" Denman reluctantly stuttered out. Out of all her theories, this was definitely not one of them!
The real question is, who took the picture, Terry thought, as he glanced over at Max. It had to be him. After that whole story he told them, it would make perfect sense that he would know just like how Lewis knew.
Don stared at the screen in horror. He was not expecting this. This whole time, he was thinking that she was up to something. Because of how she knew the secret without any proof. Because of the way she kept acting. And how she was warning them. But it turns out, she really was trying to protect them, to teach them.
"I told you she wasn't a threat," Cleo whispered to him. He left out a breath, finally easing off his worries for his daughter and a small grateful smile filled its place. Because now he finally understood why she acted that way and did what she did. He didn't have to worry about her being around Cleo anymore. Because there was no way a mermaid would harm a fellow mermaid. Right?
"I knew it!" Bella yelled, jumping up in excitement. Which she quickly sat back down after covering her mouth from her accidental shriek. "You did?" Cleo asked in a bit of shock. "Uh, it just seemed a bit obvious after the whole burden talk. That and the mermaid drawings that were on her boat," Bella winced, trying to find an excuse, hoping it would work. "Oh ok. Yeah, that was a little suspicious," Cleo nodded in understanding. Bella sighed in relief, not noticing Mrs. Chatham smirking at the four of them.
Charlotte and Annette both stared at the screen in shock. Not because of Mrs. Chatham being a mermaid. But because she knew and was friends with her mother. And not only that, but her mother was a mermaid! And yet her mother never told her about that? All these years, she kept telling her to stop with the silly mermaid stories. Now she wondered if they were true and were actually the adventures she had in the sea. She flinched slightly when she heard Charlotte begin to speak.
"Mom, that's –!" Charlotte tried to say, pointing to the picture, but was quickly stopped by her own mother as Annette clasped a hand over Charlotte's mouth, preventing her from whatever she was going to say. "Don't, say it out loud," Annette whispered to her. Charlotte removed her mother's hand from her mouth and gave her a strange look. "What? Why? Did you know about this?" Charlotte whispered back. Annette shook her head and grabbed her daughter's cheeks with both of her hands.
"No. No, I didn't. She never told me about this before. But this isn't something that should be shared right now. They just found out that she was a mermaid," she said, nodding her head towards Mrs. Chatham. "If they find out that Gra – your grandmother was one as well, then we would have a whole lot of questions and people to deal with. Especially with a scientist being in the room." Charlotte glanced down at Denman, seeing that she was already questioning Mrs. Chatham and Max with a load of questions they didn't want to answer.
"You said you had to give it up before. What did you mean? That you're no longer a mermaid?" she heard the doctor ask, only getting a nod in response but no further answers.
Charlotte looked back at her mother when she heard her speaking again, clearly having seen the scene as well. "And besides, we don't know the whole story yet. For now, this stays between us. We'll talk to Mrs. Chatham tonight in our room about it. Other than that, the secret stays between the three of us. Understand?" Annette raised her pinkie to Charlotte, hoping that she will keep it quiet. She knew how curious she was with things and will go so far as to get some answers. She only hoped that she would keep this promise.
Charlotte thought about it for a moment. Seeing their story, and what they had to go through. She understood; they had a lot to deal with in their daily lives. And her mother was right, if they found out about her grandmother, they would get loads of questions. Then those three girls wouldn't be the only ones being chased by scientists, but them as well to see if they have any mermaid DNA.
Charlotte nodded her head quickly and wrapped her pinkie around her mother's, making the pinkie promise. "Got it." Annette let out a breath and nodded in response, getting back in their seat. They were going to be having a long, complicated talk tonight. She finally was getting some information about her mother, deep secrets she never knew about. But one thing for sure is, she did not want anyone else to know. She wasn't honestly sure if she wanted to know for herself or not.
"So that's how you knew all that stuff," Neil nodded in realization. "That makes total sense now." They all begin nodding in realization as well as they heard what Neil said, now getting what she meant with all her mysterious hints and knowledge of their 'burden.' Slowly, yet surely, they turn back to the screen, and continue watching the episode while sneaking a curious glance her way every 5 seconds.
Mrs. Chatham: rubs the necklace. "It was 1955. I'm the one on the left."
"Wow, you're an old mermaid," Kim said out loud, getting hushed once again not just by her mother, but by the entire audience as well. Mrs. Chatham, to Bev's surprise, laughs about it. "No, I'm not one anymore. I said goodbye to those days a long time ago." "Oh," Bella said a little deflated. Unfortunately, I was right about that one too.
Emma: "I thought so." She nods and smiles at her.
"So, you already knew before you gave it to her?" Lisa asked her. "Yeah. It was already open when I found it. It must've happened when Zane dropped it on the floor," Emma responded, nodding in Zane's direction.
Mrs. Chatham: chuckles and pats Emma's cheek before looking back down at the picture. "And Julia, and Gracie."
Annette let out a shuttering breath at the mention of her mother. Used to, it wouldn't bother her, but now, since she knows the truth, it means so much more. She felt so conflicted. She was upset of course, that her own mother, her own blood would keep this from her.
Yet she felt a little happy because she felt closer to her mother more than ever. It seemed like they had grown apart the older they got. And when she had Charlotte, she came around more. And that was the only way they connected, because of Charlotte.
Emma: "Where are they now?"
Mrs. Chatham: hesitantly closes the locket. "Gone."
Max looks down, a little saddened by the thought of his loved one, gone forever. Unknowingly, Annette felt the same way, as she felt like they could've gotten a whole lot closer if she knew the truth, instead of her mother being so distant from her.
Mrs. Chatham: looks back at Emma with a grateful smile. "Thank you. This means more to me than anything." Emma smiles back at her when she sees her mother come up to them from the kitchen.
"You're welcome," Emma said to her quietly, with a proud smile.
Elliot smiled, glad that she got to get back her most valuable treasure, of her most secretive memories. And glad that he got to know his friend a little better now.
Lisa: has the phone held up to her shoulder as she talks to Mrs. Chatham. "I've got the retirement village on the line. There's a vacancy if you want it."
Mrs. Chatham: they both look at Lisa, then back at each other. "You've done more than enough for me." Turns back to Lisa. "I'm sure I'll like it there." They both nod and smile at each other.
"And it is a lovely place, by the way. Thank you for suggesting it, Mrs. Gilbert," she told her. "You're welcome. And like I said before, you can visit anytime you like." "Even with the recent news?" Mrs. Chatham asked, raising an eyebrow. "It doesn't change a thing," Lisa nodded, getting a smile in return. It changes so much for me, Bella thought. So much for us, Charlotte and Annette thought.
Lisa: turns around and brings the phone back up to her ear. "She'll take it."
"You didn't want me there no more?" Mrs. Chatham teased. "You were lovely, Mrs. Chatham. But we couldn't keep you there forever, my apologies." "It's quite alright, dear. I understand. And I knew I had to move on somewhere," she sighed.
Mrs. Chatham: looks back down at the locket, before whispering to Emma. "I will miss the excitement." Gives her a look.
Emma: smiles at her, with a knowing smile. "I bet you will." They look across the room, where a similar picture of Emma, Rikki, and Cleo stood in a frame, except they were in their human form, their arms wrapped over their shoulders, smiling at one another.
"Looks like I won't miss any of it now," Mrs. Chatham chuckled as she stood up and clapped her hands together. "Now, how about we all go grab a bite to eat. I don't know about you, but I could use a snack," she told everyone. They all look at each other, and slowly nod, standing up from their seats. They weren't starving, but it wouldn't hurt to get a snack. Plus, it could help them take time to figure out what all they discovered just from this one episode. Each one of them felt differently from it, that they weren't sure what they were feeling anymore.
"Are you sure this is the right time for this?" Max whispered to her as he stood next to her. She nodded in response. "Yes. We could all use a break after this one. They need time to get their mind set straight. And besides, I feel like there are several people that need to be talked to, including me from the looks of it," she said as she nodded to where Bella was now walking her way.
"Excuse me, uh, Mrs. Chatham? Could I have a word, please?" Bella asked awkwardly. "Why certainly," she replied. She nodded to Max, who nodded back with a chuckle, and began walking toward the bustling crowd that was walking through the buffet door. Though they were all thinking differently, he knew they had one thought in common that was going to be stuck there for a while.
Mrs. Chatham was a mermaid.