A Wish on a Full Moon

A Twist in the Tail (Part 2)

I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.

Chapter 62: A Twist in the Tail (part 2)

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[Moments later, Zane returns to Mako Island. He slides down the land entrance into the first known cave-turned-lab area. Harrison notices his missing son's presence.]

Harrison: next to Denman at her lab as she finishes setting it up. They both turn to him. "Glad to see you've returned, Zane."

"Surprised you noticed," Lisa huffed as she narrowed her eyes at him. Harrison squirmed in his seat, slightly guilty as he knew she was right.

[Zane ignores him and walks directly past them and into the main area where the moonpool was and the rest of the equipment. Zane bends down in front of the girls who were still in the pool, leaning against the ledge.]

Emma: glares at him. Rikki and Cleo next to her. "We've known each other since we were three years old, Zane. How could you do this?"

"'Known each other' instead of friends, huh?" Zane asked, finally hearing her words. He had ignored her comment the first time. To be fair, he was on a time limit to save their scales. "We weren't friends back then and you know that," Emma rolled her eyes as she looked at him. "Well, how about now?" Zane asked as he turned to her. Emma hesitated with her answer before replying. "... that's still debatable." She returned to the screen. Zane let a small grin escape, as he knew that was Emma's way of saying maybe.

"Money. Greed. Fame. Answers. There's a lot a brat would do to get what he wants," Kim listed off.

"I see you're still angry," Ash commented. "How could I not be? I was trapped in a room full of scientists and old family friends! And besides, if my parents and the rest of you can hold a grudge for this long for it then so can our onscreen selves," Emma argued. "I thought you said we weren't friends," Zane's grin grew wider. "I said we were family friends, not friends. There's a difference," Emma huffed.

Zane: looks around him to make sure no one was listening then looked down at his watch. Whispers to them. "Get ready to leave." Rikki and Emma look at one another as Cleo gives Zane a strange look at his words, making sure she heard him right.

"Hey, don't question it. Just do it, prepare yourselves," Kim said, her eyes wide. She still didn't really believe that Zane was helping them, but any chance that her sister has of escaping they need to take.

"I normally wouldn't say this, but you girls need to listen to him," Neil said urgently as he pressed forward in his seat. "Trust me dad, we were prepared," Emma chuckled before smirking.

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[The screen zooms in on Zane's zodiac, off the coast of Mako Island. Down below, Lewis swam in his regular clothes with goggles, a breathing tube, and flippers, the anchor held tightly in his grip as he carried it to the underwater entrance. The anchor was held in place by a rope connected to the boat. Lewis reaches the gated entrance and latches the anchor in place behind the bars of the gate. He then swims back toward the boat.]

The crowd gasped before getting even more excited and filled with hope, all of them either leaning forward in anticipation or jumping up and down in their seats (Kim and Elliot ... and maybe Don.) "Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please," Kim quickly stated. "Please work, please, please work," Don pleaded, clasping his hands together.

"It has to work. It's metal against metal. And with force coming from the boat, it must," Max said, a wide grin on his face at the brilliant idea. "Hah hah, you clever boys."

"Zane I can't believe I'm saying this. But if this works, you're a genius," Bev said, her breathing quickened. "Thanks?" Zane said, sounding a bit unsure. "Don't thank her yet. Only if this works," Neil warned. Zane might be trying to turn over a new leaf, but Neil would only accept it if he could get them out of there. But even if he did, how was he going to get out of there? After all, he still had to go through the loony doctor that he calls a dad, and Dr. Demon. ... Okay, maybe Kim's nicknames aren't too bad. It's a little catchy in this situation, Neil thought with a slight shrug.

"Boy I really hope there's a new spark plug in there," Will said, eyes wide.

"You didn't change clothes first?" Sam asked. "There's no time to change into a diving suit. My friends were in danger!" Lewis exclaimed. "Besides, there wasn't one aboard," Zane responded.

"I still say that if we had used our tails, we would've been long gone by then," Rikki told them. "No one was disagreeing with you, Rikki," Cleo said.

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[In the moonpool, Rikki raises her clasped hands to her chin, she shakes her head at him with a raised eyebrow. Emma and Cleo look at him as if he were joking.]

Rikki: "If this is some trick."

"Well, she has every right not to believe him. I mean, I still don't," Kim shrugged. "After dealing with his pranks for months on end and then finding out he was involved with the trap, it was kind of hard for me to believe that he had a change of heart and wanted to help us," Rikki said a bit sheepish. "Can't blame you there. I'd have a hard time believing it too. I still do," Sam admitted.

"If it's a trick, then there's fixing to be one less person in this room!" Don yelled, his face red in fury. "Make it three," Terry glared at them, Zane gulped as he saw his girlfriend's dad's radiate anger.

Zane: shakes his head. "No trick." He looks to the entranceway, hearing Denman's voice echo as she gets closer with Harrison and the others. He backs away and whispers to them once more, one hand on his watch as he eyes it. "Get ready." The girls look at him once more before the mad doctor enters the room.

"I know you don't like to Rikki, but please, for once in your life, listen!" Terry begged. "Don't worry, dad. I was," Rikki said with a small smile.

Dr. Denman: walks back into the main room and looks at the girls. Harrison walks in behind her. "Ok. Who's going to be first?"

"No one! You stay away from them! Leave them alone!" Bev shrieked in hysteria.

"Get away from those girls," Neil fumed, no more smiles, no more games. He was not letting anyone mess with them.

"Did you think they were going to volunteer themselves? After you forced them to be there?" Bella scoffed with a shake of his head. They might feel hopeless, but mermaids weren't stupid. They weren't going to try and get it over with. They'd be as stubborn as possible as her parents always said.

"Hurry, Lewis!" Kim yelled. "Patience, young one," Mrs. Chatham said. "I'm out of patience. They need to get out of there, now!"

[Zane looks down at his watch and presses a button. On the outside of Mako, Lewis sat soaked from his dive in the driver seat as he too stares down at his watch, which turns out to be a communicating device. The device beeps, signaling for the plan to take action.]

"Paired watches? That's smart," Max said, a grin on his face. He knew this had to work. He believed this had to work. One thing he learned fifty years ago: magic always wins. Whether it's against the magic user, or with it, it always won. "Comes in handy when you get stuck on a desolated island with no signal," Zane remarked. "Yeah, that would've come in handy back then," Rikki muttered to herself in amusement.

[Quickly, Lewis whips around and turns the key, the boat comes to life. He shifts the boat into gear and immediately roars the engine up and takes off. The anchor rope descends into the water the further Lewis got on the zodiac. On the other end of the rope, the anchor latches onto the bars and pulls it along but catches onto the locks that keeps it in place. The gate and anchor refuse to budge any further. The engine dies down as the anchor holds it in place, neither one going anywhere.]

The room remains silent, all eyes on the screen. Most of them hoping that this plan will go through, while two of them stay mute with emotionless expressions, already knowing the outcome with a few others. "Come on, come on, come on," Elliot mumbled. "Move it, you stupid boat!" Kim shouted, her legs bouncing in anticipation.

Rikki, Cleo, and Emma smirk at one another knowing their family's worries would soon disappear, and be replaced with happiness, excitement, and most of all, relief. They were when it happened to them. And they couldn't be even happier than they were today.

"You got this, Lewis!" Charlotte encouraged with a shout, quickly covering her mouth before she embarrassed herself even more.

[Lewis becomes even more determined, as he revs the motor up once more and shifts it back into gear at maximum speed. On the other end, the anchor pulls on the gate with full force and yanks the gate free from its locks, and opens the underwater entrance once more.]

"YES!" Everyone (mostly everyone) cheered and clapped, releasing the breaths that they knew they were holding. Rikki covered her ears from all the excited shrieks and squeals coming from everyone, especially from Kim. They jump up from their seats hugging one another in excitement and eased relief.

Bella hugs Will without even thinking, just too excited to finally know that the girls had a chance to escape now. It was proof that despite the danger the girls were in, they will always find a way out of the darkness. Nothing could stop mermaids. Well, besides water, both their strength and greatest weakness. Will stumbled at first, shocked by the girl's sudden outburst but gives her a quick hug back in response as the girl let go, trying to hide her blush. Will turned and suddenly met Ash with a chest bump, the two boys thrilled with laughter.

Mrs. Chatham smirked as she crossed her arms and legs. She knew they would get out somehow. She always knew though since they did tell her what happened. Not to mention she sensed the troubling magic coming from them for miles.

Max couldn't help but chuckle as he shook his head. "Even when mermaids get into trouble, they're always finding a way out."

"I owe you big time, Lewis. Next fishing trip is on me!" Don said as he patted him on the back.

Bev hugged Don without thinking then quickly grabbed Lewis and hugs him, happy tears rolling down her cheeks. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Lewis looked back at Cleo, who gives him a nod, then back to her mom and gives her an awkward pat on the back. "Uh, you're welcome. Mrs. uh, Mrs.," Lewis grimaced, still unsure what to call her. "But you shouldn't thank me. It was all Zane's idea." Bev let go of him and wiped her tears as she stared teary-eyed yet extremely grateful toward Zane. "Oh, thank you, thank you so much, Zane. You're a life saver!" Zane smiled sincerely at her, but spoke to them all, as he knew they were all thanking him according to the matching smiles that they all expressed. "You're welcome."

Terry's head fell into his hands with a huff. He rubbed his forehead before looking back up at Zane with glimmering eyes. "Thank you. Thank you for saving my daughter," he whispered the first part. Zane gave him a small smile and nodded his head in response. He understood. He understood how Terry felt. Just to see Rikki free again as she flapped her tail into the air one last time was the most he felt at peace in a long time, like the battle inside him between his true self and daddy junior finally ended.

Kim clapped as she jumped up and down, giddy with excitement, then hugged Cleo so tight as if she were going to lose her again. "Kim, I might can hold my breath for a long time, but I still need air," Cleo chuckled as best as she could, but still hugged her sister back. "You can breathe later," Kim said, her voice muffled through her sister's shirt.

Harrison couldn't help the small smile on his face. Even though this was the moment they were outsmarted, the moment he lost; he didn't care. He was glad to know the girls got out of there just in time. Literally, because Denman was about to force them out of the water before the huge thundering sound happened, which turns out to be the cage breaking free that Lewis had just done. And most importantly, he was proud of his son for doing the right thing, something he couldn't see for a long time.

Denman looked around. To see all the excitement coming from everyone, the happiness. She couldn't help but feel a small smile tug its way through. And yet, she began to feel even more guilt, sadness, and regret. They loved these girls. They loved their friends. They were able to see something that she couldn't see for a long time. Behind their tails, their powers, and all the magic; they were still human. And she was too blind to see it. They loved them no matter what. And she nearly took it all away. That's not what a scientist does. That's what a monster does.

Elliot ran over to his sister, his mom finally releasing him, and gave her one of the biggest hugs he could. "It's alright, El. I'm alright," Emma smiled as she held her brother by the shoulders and then hugged him once more.

Lisa held onto Neil as silent happy tears escape and lets out a deep breath. She was happy. Happy to know that her daughter could escape ... wait a minute.

"Hold on." "What's wrong?" Neil asked, his embracive happy mood gone the moment his wife had spoken, and worry begins to fill back in its place. "They still need to escape," she said as she grabbed his arm again. It was like a record-holder has screeched, as everyone paused in their little celebration and stared back at the screen. She was right. They were still in the presence of the mad, or soon-to-be mad, doctors. Quickly as they had celebrated that short moment, they run back to their seats and face the screen, tension filling the air.

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[On the other side of the underwater entrance, the sound reverberates and echoes throughout the mooncave. The girls turn back to the underwater entrance and smile at one another and Zane, knowing exactly what that sound is. They're freedom. Zane matches their smiles.]

Dr. Denman: looks down at the pool then back to Harrison as the other enemies in the room look around. "What was that?"

"That is the sound of failure. Your failure to be exact." Kim smirked.

"Freedom. It's the sound of freedom," Bella sighed with a wide smile.

"If it weren't for the serious situation I would joke around and say it's wedding bells," Will chuckled. "You just did," Rikki rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I'm gonna enjoy this," Charlotte grinned wickedly.

"I'd say now is the time for a little payback," Annette mentioned. "Now is the time to escape," Lisa reminded. "Which you should do. Right now!"

Rikki: grins widely, all three of them matching as they glance from Denman then back to Zane. To Denman. "That was the sound of goodbye."

"You have got to teach me the ways of your words," Kim laughed along with many others. Not much of a funny laugh, but more of just pure happiness, thrilled for them to be able to leave. "In another time," Rikki chuckled.

"Oh, Rikki. Never change," Mrs. Chatham chuckled as she shook her head.

[The girls quickly duck their heads underwater and head for their now fully open exit. Harrison and Denman watch them leave in shock, that their only chance of fame and fortune were leaving. Zane watches them with a wide grin as Rikki heaves her tail up into the air and lets it down with a splash, the last showcase of her tail. The three mermaids zoom out of the moonpool and through the underwater entrance, heading back to the mainland as fast as they can.]

"Wooh!" Ash fist bumped the air, many others clapping at the fantastic lifesaving scene. Lisa finally held a hand to her chest, feeling the tension leave her body. Her daughter was safe. She was finally safe. Bev let out a deep breath as she covered her mouth, happy tears continuing to fall. "Thank you, thank you," she whispered.

"Oh, thank you Zane! Okay, forget everything I said. Except for the snobby rich comment," Kim said with glee. "Understandable," Zane shrugged.

"It's good to have you back, Rikki," Terry brightened as he rubbed Rikki's head. "Who said I ever left?" Rikki playfully frowned as she swatted his hand away. Terry sighed before he admitted something he felt ever since that startling discovery in the last episode. "Well, after watching this, it felt like I lost you. I already lost your mother. I can't handle losing anyone else."

It's true. While watching this, Terry couldn't help but think that he was losing his daughter just like he had lost his wife. Though she left for different reasons, she had a choice. Rikki didn't. And if something did ever happen to them, and she was taken away for good without him knowing any reason why; his first thought would be that she went to go find her mother. He knew how much she missed her, despite what she told everyone, it was always in the back of her mind, just like it was in his. Rikki's smile faltered slightly before letting a small one rise back up. She knew what her dad meant, she thought about it all the time truthfully. But she could never leave her dad. He was always there for her, and she will always be there for him. "Awe dad. You can't get rid of me that easily," she smiled as she gave him a side hug.

Neil let out a deep breath as he closed his eyes, fighting back against the tears of relief. They were safe, they were safe. But for how long?

Bella looked at the mermaids, then at Lewis and Zane in shock, letting out a surprised laugh as she did so. She couldn't believe it. The girls got captured by a scientist, and they escaped their evil clutches. They were able to do so because of their friends, ones with no powers and no tails. Only their smarts. And Bella couldn't help but wonder, if she were in their situation, would she be able to escape? She had no other friends knowing of her situation, but her parents did. Would they be able to get her out like that? Would they be able to save her in time? Or would Denman capture them, just like she did with Lewis?

[Denman and Harrison look at the now empty moonpool in shocking disbelief, not believing that their prized possessions were now gone.]

Dr. Denman: looks over at a still smiling Zane in anger. "You did this?" Everyone turns to Zane as his smile disappears.

"Uh oh," Elliot winced. "Ok, maybe now is a good time for you to leave too," Ash said. "Agreed," Bella nodded, a bit worried for the new hero.

"Maybe we shouldn't have left him behind," Cleo grimaced as she looked at the other girls. "What did you want us to do? Go back and let him hop on our back? We couldn't drag him under with us," Rikki remarked. No matter how much she loved her boyfriend, she knew he could handle himself in that situation. She saw it in his eyes when he first told them to be prepared. He was ready to defend himself. But them going back? There was no way they could after that. If they showed up again out of nowhere, they would do everything they can to stop them from leaving again. They wouldn't let them lose their chance again. Denman proved that the second time. She wasn't planning on stopping.

"Zane can handle himself, Cleo," Emma reminded her. "Yeah, Mr. Bennett wouldn't let his own son get hurt," Sam said, though she was questioning her belief. "I wouldn't go so far as to say that," Lisa mumbled as she eyed the screen. She's never seen him this angry before.

Harrison: storms over to Zane, wide-eyed and ferocious. "What you've done here is unforgivable. You're a fool, Zane."

"Why don't you go take a long look in a mirror? Underwater," Don narrowed his eyes.

"Better be eating your own words, Harrison. Because trust me. What you've done here is unforgivable," Neil announced. "You're the true fool," Lisa argued. "Worse than a fool. A monster," Bev added.

"You're one to talk," Kim scoffed.

"Sounds like you should be scolding yourself," Rikki scowled. Though Zane did tell her that they did get into an argument after they had left, she never knew all the details. And it seems she was getting the gist of it.

Zane: sly grin and shakes his head. "You spend half your life criticizing me. Have you looked at yourself lately? When did you become a liar and a thief?" Zane begins to walk off, but Harrison grabs him by the arm and turns Zane back to him. Denman and the others watch angrily in the background.

"I understand the liar bit, but where does the thief part come in?" Will asked. "He stole our kids," Terry remarked with a stern glare. "Point taken," Will nodded.

"It's about time you get a reprimanding," Sam huffed, arms crossed. "It's about time he stood up for himself," Annette said.

Harrison: "Do you understand what we've lost here? What we've both lost to –?"

Zane: cuts him off. "You?" Harrison's eyes widen even more, confused.

"I understood alright. Loud and clear," Zane said.

"He's right," Max said.

"Hmm, I dunno. Is it your sanity? I'm pretty sure that's the answer," Bella said in thought. "You lost a lot of things that night, and still are. Including us," Neil answered, Harrison glancing down to the floor with his flooded guilt. "Something tells me you're about to lose more than just fame and fortune," Sam said as she understood where this was going.

Zane: "Cause I'll tell you exactly what you've lost. Me." Yanks his arm out of his grip and walks out of the mooncave. And as Zane leaves, he leaves behind his father. Harrison slowly glances away, his gaze long faded away out into the distance as he heard Zane's words. He lost him. He lost him. His own son. Harrison's eyes soon fill with dread, regret, and immense guilt as he realizes that Zane was right.

"Can't say that he doesn't deserve it. Because in a way, he does," Ash shrugged. "Yes, but no matter what a person does, even a parent, it's still incredibly hard to lose a child," Lisa sighed, feeling slightly bad for Harrison. Oh, she was angry with him alright, very angry. But she knew how it felt to lose a child. She felt the same way when Emma first quit the swim team, and never knew why until a few days ago. She always thought it was her fault in a way, and even though she and Emma seemed close, their relationship grew distant it felt ever since that day.

"I'm sorry, dad," Zane said as he turned to his dad. "No, son. I'm the one who should say sorry. After everything I've done," Harrison replied. "It's all my fault." Harrison could never forget that day. Not because of the mermaids, but because of all the pain he caused his son. He just never knew how bad it had built up until that day when everything was finally released. Me. You've lost me. It echoes through his mind consistently. And even though they made up a while back, he couldn't help but feel like it was still there, and always will be. A constant reminder of what he did lose but gained back. "Yeah, but I'm the one who started the mermaid hunt in the first place."

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[At Emma's place, the front door opens and in walks Emma along with Cleo, Rikki, and Lewis rushing in behind her. Lisa walks around the corner of the living room with a cup of tea in hand. She looks at the door to see the girls and Lewis there, paying no mind to their startled features.]

Lisa: "Oh. Emma, you're home." Turns to the living room to the unexpected guest waiting on their couch. Emma looks over at her mom, the others watching her behind her back. "Come and see who's here." Smiles as she sits on the couch and sets the teacup down on the table.

"And boy I'm glad she was home," Lisa sighed. Now, at least. At the time, she knew Emma would be back home, or at least expected her to. But now she knew their secret, she was a lot more worried than she was back then. Had she not shown up, she would've been extremely worried, wondering what had happened to her. Would Mrs. Chatham have told them about their daughters' secret if they never showed back up? Would they have had time to save them?

"Impossible. They couldn't possibly beat them there with their super speed," Max told them. "Unless they had to wait up for Lewis," Bella countered. For their sake, she hoped that they didn't. "Actually, the moment the gate came off, I headed straight back to the mainland. I knew the girls could get out on their own after it was off," Lewis informed. "And we can catch up to ole slow poke over here," Rikki grinned as she nudged Lewis.

"Oh no. Who is it?" Kim said in worry. "Please tell me they didn't find you," Neil said, panicked. "They didn't, but someone else did. Don't worry, dear. It wasn't anyone who would dare hurt them," Lisa smiled as she glanced down at the older woman. "I believe it was a friend that they needed for support."

Emma: walks into the living room with the others and finds Mrs. Chatham there sipping a cup of tea. "Mrs. Chatham." The older woman glances at all four of them as Lewis shuts the front door.

"Mrs. Chatham?" Elliot asked, perking up. "Oh, it's just you," Bella sighed in relief with many others. That's the exact person they need right now. Only a fellow mermaid person, ex or not, would understand their situation or even knew about it. Mrs. Chatham ought to have some wonderful advice or help she could offer. Bella was curious however if she had ever been in a situation like this. Sure, they knew about the Karl problem, but that was nothing compared to this. This was so much worse. It was a mermaid's worst nightmare. It was hers.

And now it'll probably be haunting her for a long time. However, she only had seen it. She hadn't lived it like the others. And even though she was grateful she hadn't, and hopefully never will now that she knew what to watch out for, she knew that the nightmares were and probably still are a whole lot worse for them.

"I know I ask this a lot, but how? How do you always show up at the right moment?" Ash asked. "I wouldn't say the right moment. The right moment would've been moments ago when they were captured. Where were you then?" Don frowned. "I might know a lot about mermaids and magic, but I'm still a sixty-five-year-old woman. There's not much I can do," Mrs. Chatham told him.

"Please tell me you have something up those long sleeves of yours," Kim said a bit hopeful. "You got any ideas on how to get them out of this little situation?" Bev asked, matching her daughter's expression. Mrs. Chatham smirked along with Lewis. The other girls roll their eyes, still annoyed by the trick she pulled on them. It worked but was still aggravating. "I might have a few."

Max glanced over at his old friend. He believed in her; more than anyone else did. Aside from the girls at least. But if there was anyone who knew of a way to get them out of this, it was her.

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[The group of five makes their way up to Emma's room to discuss the problem further without any prying ears. Cleo storms into the room first, followed by Rikki, Mrs. Chatham, still with her cup of tea, and Emma and Lewis.]

Cleo: "And if we'd stayed, we would have –."

Rikki: cuts her off by finishing her sentence. "We would have been in a circus by now." Cleo turns to her then sits on Emma's bed. Rikki plops down next to her.

Emma: "Or sushi."

"Out of the likely it probably would have been the circus," Ash mused. "Just saying," he held his hands up in defense from the many stern glares he received. "Actually, you'd all probably be in a tank right now in a lab somewhere," Will stated. "Not helping," Bev huffed in a worried tone to the two boys. "Sorry."

"Should you really be discussing it before the door is shut when your mom is still around?" Charlotte asked, still a bit nervous. Even though Lewis had escaped, and the girls were now free, all thanks to Zane, Denman and her cronies were still on the loose. They could pop up anywhere at any moment. "We were more worried about a group of lunatics discovering our secret and hunting us down rather than our family finding out," Rikki said bluntly. "I didn't hear anything anyway. I was busy cleaning when they went upstairs," Lisa sighed and shook her head. I should have known something was up.

"I see you all developed Cleo's overthinking personality," Kim tried to joke, but even she was in no laughing matter. "It comes with almost being turned into a science experiment," Emma said in a deadpanned tone.

Cleo: "What can we do?" Emma sat on the bed next to Rikki. Mrs. Chatham pulls a chair up from Emma's vanity to get closer to them. Lewis shuts and locks the door behind him.

"At least someone shut the door this time," Kim said. "Again, there was a lot more to worry about than a locked door," Rikki remarked with an eye roll. "Well, it was for safety reasons. Both for any prying ears and in case Denman was to show up at your house," Lewis shrugged. "She would have to get through me first," Lisa scowled, eyes narrowed. "She'd have to get through all of us," Don said. "You weren't even there," Cleo raised an eyebrow. "I would've found a way!" "You wouldn't have come to our house and take them away, would you?" Elliot asked the young doctor, but he never got an answer. Only an avoided, guilty gaze. To be honest, at that point, she wouldn't have known what to do. If the girls haven't returned to Mako Island when she got the report, then she might would have. The old her at least.

Rikki: "Do we have to leave town?"

"Do they?" Bella asked, eyes wide as frantic thoughts came to her mind once more. Is that what life as a mermaid would eventually become? Always being on the run? Always having to hide? Sure, there's some beauty in it all, but there's also a more challenging side to it all once you have to live through it. "Considering they're still here, I sincerely doubt it," Will said, gesturing to them. "Oh," Bella said, slightly relieved. She nearly forgot about that. So, what did they do then? How did they get out of this mess?

"Not my girl. No," Terry shook his head, refusing to ever leave again. Not again. After all the memories she's been making, her friends who practically became family, the adventures she's had. He never wanted to take that away from her again. But it seems like Denman was already doing that to them.

Lewis: turns to Mrs. Chatham with a worried expression. "We've really got to help them, Mrs. C."

Mrs. Chatham: nods. "Yes."

"To the leaving town part, or ...?" Don asked as if there was more to it. "I think she was talking to Lewis," Bev said quietly.

Mrs. Chatham: points to the girls as she sits down in the chair. "And you're right. Those people are never going to let you alone."

Emma: nods her head in defeat. "So it's hopeless."

"No, Emma. Don't give up. Not now, you can't quit," Lisa begged, looking at her daughter as if she were going to start crying again. Emma was never one to give up so easily. She always found a way to find a solution and get something accomplished. And Lisa knew she could do it again.

"So that's it, you're just gonna give up?" Kim asked in disbelief. "That's just what they want. Don't give in; then they will win," Annette said.

Rikki: "I don't believe that. If we can fight, we should fight."

"If you're going to battle, don't act on instinct. You need to think before you do," Sam reminded them.

"Normally I wouldn't encourage you to fight, but in this case, I say to kick their tails!" Terry shouted the last part. "Then you'll just be on their level," Max said with a shake of his head. "By getting on even ground? I think so," Rikki scoffed, turning his answer around.

Mrs. Chatham: looks down at her teacup. "Or ... maybe you should just ... give up."

"What?" The room erupts in a shocked tone. "Yo-you're telling them to give up? Are you insane?!" Kim yelled. "What is wrong with you?!" Bev snapped, her hand smacking the armrest.

"They can't give up. Then what would be the point of going through all that trouble of getting them out of there," Ash said, infuriated.

"Oh yeah, you definitely need to fight now," Terry mumbled, glaring at the older woman for telling his daughter that.

"Mrs. Chatham, why would you say that?" Lisa gasped, her husband gripping her hand as he tried to keep from letting his anger out. Despite what she had said, she was still a friend of theirs, and a mentor to the girls. She had to have some reason to say that, right?

Max looked over at his friend with a questioning gaze. "That's not what the Louise I know would say. What are you planning?" he whispered. Mrs. Chatham smirked as she whispered back, staring at the screen. "Let's just say, it's a very special night for them."

Denman looked up at the elderly lady with a curious gaze. What was she doing?

Mrs. Chatham: the girls all glance at her, their hope beginning to fade when she speaks up again. "Your powers, that is. And being mermaids."

"WHAT?!" The room erupts once more, this time even louder than before. "Th-they – they can do that?" Neil stuttered skeptical. "But – but how?" Don asked, completely clueless as to how. "At certain times," Mrs. Chatham stated, keeping it simple.

"Wha – no!" Kim said, jaw dropped. "Cleo, don't listen to her!"

Elliot was silent. Months ago, when he thought he knew his sister's secret, he wanted to expose her. Now that she was exposed, it was by people who were evil, not his sister. And now they were having to give up their powers because of them? He couldn't help but feel guilty that it was slightly his fault for seeing his sister as a monster back then, and now the real monsters think the same thing. But he didn't want his sister to give up. Not like this. There had to be another way.

"That's impossible!" Charlotte shouted. "If Mrs. Chatham says it's possible, then it's possible," Annette told her calmly, glancing over a said person. She believed her. There had to be a way for her mother to not be a mermaid anymore. They must've found a way.

Max looked at Mrs. Chatham in shock, before a small grin slowly made its way to his face. He bit back a laugh as he tried to hide his smile. Ah, so that's the plan, he thought. The full moon. He knew just as much about the full moons as she did. He might not have known the mysteries behind it or what would happen to mermaids when they do get moonspelled, but in this case, he at least knew what type of full moon it was. And it was a very special one. Not like the one that comes every fifty years; that one isn't for another year. No, this is one that they needed right now, that would solve all their problems.

"But being a mermaid is who they are. They can't just give it up," Bella argued. She was angry. She was a mermaid, yet she couldn't believe it. She's been a mermaid for seven years now and never had she or her parents found a way to get rid of her powers. Not that she wanted to, she loved being a mermaid. Sure, there were some downsides to it, like not getting a drop on you in public, but it couldn't compare to the powers that she had and the pure amazement of it all. She was a mermaid through and through, and she would never, ever give it up. And she was sure that the girls wouldn't either. But with the problem they were having, would they?

Yet, there was something aching in the back of her mind. She saw the girls with their powers, their tails in person. She saw it all. Yet, here Mrs. Chatham is, claiming that there was a way to end this madness once and for all, and unfortunately, it's something that nobody wants, not even themselves. But when she glanced at Mrs. Chatham, she saw the sparkle of mischief glittering in her eyes. And she knew then, this wasn't it. This was just the beginning.

Lewis: looks at her in disbelief. "Wh – they can do that?"

"Why did you ask it like that?" Charlotte asked. "Because when I first found out about their secret, not only was I trying to figure out how, but also figure out a way to get rid of it. It was hard for them to keep a secret, and Cleo didn't like it at the time. I was only trying to find a way to help them out," Lewis explained. "And, if they were to get rid of it, maybe there was a way to get it back."

Mrs. Chatham: lifts her tea. "Only at special times. Very special moment." Rikki looks at her eyes wide, Cleo and Emma watch carefully. "Like tonight." Lowers her teacup back down. "As I said, it's not just any full moon."

"You forgot about the full moon?" Bella asked. "We were a little busy trying to save our tails," Rikki mentioned. "Your tails? You didn't save them, we did," Lewis scoffed, pointing to him and Zane, the latter gesturing to himself like he was invisible.

"To be fair, we all forgot about it too," Sam said, gesturing around the room. "Oh yeah, that was tonight," Will oohed.

"Well, if it's not just any full moon, then what is it?" Neil said, a bit impatient. "I'm not going to spoil everything, just keep watching," Lewis quipped.

Lewis: looks up in realization. "Tonight's a lunar eclipse."

Mrs. Chatham: leans in. "Exactly. The full moon is one thing. But the lunar eclipse makes it very special. If you were in the moonpool during the eclipse, it would draw away your powers."

"So, a lunar eclipse is what takes their powers away?" Bella asked, a bit nervous. There's been a few lunar eclipses in her time as a mermaid. But she never experienced one. Whenever a full moon came out, she stayed in her room locked up for the whole night with windows locked, curtains covered. Everything. Her parents pretty much 'moonproofed' the house like the girls and Lewis did. There were a few ... incidents, but she was lucky enough to have never gone out during a lunar eclipse. Otherwise, she wouldn't be a mermaid right now. "Well, a full moon is what gave it to them, it makes sense that a lunar eclipse is what takes it away," Sam reasoned.

Annette frowned. A lunar eclipse? Mother never mentioned anything about a lunar eclipse in her stories.

Denman sighed. Of course, out of all things, it was a lunar eclipse that had stopped me. She was glad, however, that it did end her reign of terror. Unfortunately, it came with a cost. Their powers taken away, forever. And it was all Mrs. Chatham's idea, an ex-mermaid. She must've gone through the same thing and lost her powers too. That must be how she knew what to do. Denman too had forgotten about the lunar eclipse, the whole thing slipped her mind over the existence of mermaids. But then again, she was a marine biologist, not an astronomer.

"So, it's just pure luck that this all happened on a 'special' full moon," Charlotte scoffed. "Special my tail. It's awful," Sam said in concern. "Better than them getting locked up and taken away from us again," Don eventually said, a bit sad that Cleo had to give up something that she loved so much. It might've taken a while, but she has grown to admire it. It was a special part of her; very special indeed.

"If you give up your powers, your tails, then you're just letting them win," Terry argued. He didn't want this. He didn't want Rikki and the others to give up a part of themselves. No one did. He knew the other parents were right, but this isn't how it should go down. It should be their choice, not when there are no other options left. "If they get captured again, then they will still win. This is a lose-lose situation. They have no choice," Neil countered with a sigh. He hated that it had to come down to this. But what other choice do they have? Emma just couldn't go back to them; she couldn't get taken away from them again.

"You just became mermaids and now you have to give it up? Why are you telling them this now?" Kim frowned. "No better time than the present. Cleo wanted to give up being a mermaid before. At one time, they all did. They needed to see the true beauty of what it's like being a mermaid, and stick through it together, and not apart." Not like we did. Mrs. Chatham told them.

Rikki: shakes her head. "No way. That's not an option. We haven't gone through everything we have just to throw it all away." Cleo looks at her then glances down at the floor.

Mrs. Chatham: "I understand."

Bella sighed. She had to understand. Mrs. Chatham used to be a mermaid herself, so the only way she knew how to get rid of these powers was if she had gone through a similar moon cycle. It must be how she lost her powers.

Mrs. Chatham: "But without your powers, you are of no use to those people, are you?" Gives them a comforting, caring smile.

"I hate saying it. But she's right," Ash admitted. "But then they would be getting rid of a part of themselves." Kim was baffled and highly confused. If their powers were taken away, then how did they still have them? She knew, for she saw her sister and the others use their powers and seen their tails, but kept her mouth shut due to the threats that were still in the room. If they found out, they might try to capture them again. So how did they get them back?

Lisa didn't want this. But she'd rather have Emma than not have her at all. With her powers gone though, maybe she can rejoin the swim team. But, if that was the case, if they lost them a couple of months ago, wouldn't Emma have rejoined by now?

Lewis: looks at them, shaking his head slightly as he tried to get them to understand. "She's right." They look up to their human friend. Lewis shrugs then crosses his arms. "You don't have a choice." They glance at one another once more, feeling defeated. But this time, it was in a much different way. They could win, but it came with a cost.

"Why didn't you tell them that it's only for twelve hours?" Max whispered to her. "Shh. I told them the truth, just not the whole truth. I told them what they needed to know," she whispered back with a grin.

"We should not have left you with her," Rikki scowled as she shook her head. Lewis smiled smugly. "Don't give us that look, we got our comeuppance," Cleo smirked.

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[Denman's boat has now returned to its spot on the marina, now in public view as they think of what to do next now that their old plans have failed. They needed to regroup and come up with a new one on how to get their 'precious treasure' back. Most of the crew walks around unloading their stuff and getting ready for their next assignment. Denman looks down at her laptop, trying to form an idea for the girls as Harrison paces back and forth, something heavy on his mind.]

Harrison: to Denman as he finally stops pacing, his mind now made up. "I'm pulling out."

"It's a little too late for that, don't ya think?" Neil asked eyebrows raised; still angry from the choices he has made. No, in his mind, Harrison went too far, he couldn't just let it go now. Harrison had fell far down the rabbit hole and far past forgiveness.

"You think just because you want out now, all because of what your son said, that you can be forgiven? That everything you had done can be forgotten?" Don scoffed with a shake of his head, eyes narrowed. "Yeah, right. I don't believe it," Terry said.

"Oh, so now you don't want to go through with it," Charlotte said sarcastically. A little late for that buddy!

But Lisa thought otherwise. Zane's words have really gotten to Harrison, he was finally listening to his son. He was no longer looking at dollar signs, he was looking more at the valuable insight: his family. He was finally understanding what was more important to him. ... that's where the new Harrison came from, this is where he had a new start. Where he wants to begin anew. But can he do that with what they've all seen now? With everything that has happened, can he be forgiven? Lisa didn't know if she could forgive him, not now. She was still angry just like her husband.

But maybe within time, if his actions continue to get better, then maybe things will eventually fade away. It shows a little bit in this scene as he is choosing to give up instead of moving forward with their plans. He chose his son over money. It shows that no matter how much he had acted during this entire time onscreen, that he didn't want to lose his only family left.

Dr. Denman: glances up at him then back to her laptop, seeing if he was serious or not. She laughs quietly to herself. "Well, if you do that, you won't be getting any royalties from the mermaid research."

"Why would I want that? I'd rather have my son than any of that," Harrison stated, not caring who heard. The parents glanced at him, some in shock, some in disbelief, some in surprise, and some (mainly Lisa) had a small smile on their faces, proud of what or whom he was choosing.

Zane smiled proudly at his dad, glad to know he made this decision on his own. All he needed was a little push to finally see what he was losing. "Thanks, dad," Zane said. "Anything for my son," Harrison smiled back, all guilt disappearing within that second.

Harrison: walks around the table. "I don't care."

"You did before. What changed?" Neil asked skeptical. "His son. His son changed his mind," Lisa told him, surprising her husband. She knew what it was like to have a child angry at her. Emma and Elliot have been a few times before. Although it was never like this, she would always find a way to make things better and talk things out. She could only hope that the Bennett's could do the same. "Zane did," Harrison admitted.

Dr. Denman: grins at him. "You've seen these girls. Their powers are incredible."

"And it's enough to take you down if need be," Cleo mumbled. Although they did to a certain extent, they never had to use their full strength. Cleo always did wonder though, if Denman ever came after them again with their new powers, how far were they willing to go to protect themselves? She hoped she never had to find out, but with the way things were going now, it won't be long before they had to find out.

"Incredibly powerful," Denman whispered, correcting herself. She just never realized how powerful they were until they last saw each other. She knew they could use their powers over water, but she never realized that they could use them in their human forms as well. She had assumed it was only when they had tails.

"They are powerful, and that power is something you will never get," Bella said determined, being careful with her choice of words, but she felt like she had to express herself. She couldn't keep everything hidden.

Harrison: "Yes, I have seen those things. But I've been blind to other more important things. My son, for example." Denman's grin slips away, replacing itself with a furious gaze. "I think my energies are better spent putting things right."

Dr. Denman: "Your loss."

"It's not my loss. It's my gain," Harrison remarked.

"Look at what you've done. In the end, you're the one who caused your son to be driven away. Not Denman, not the girls, but you," Annette stated "You think some good deed is going to change our minds?! Well, you're wrong," Don declared.

"You're a lot more blind than you think if you believe by leaving, that it'll automatically fix all of your mistakes," Bev scoffed. "You're right, I was. It didn't fix itself, but after a little bit of time and talking, we decided to work on our relationship, and try being better to one another. A little father-son bonding I guess you could say," Harrison said.

[Before he could say anything else, rapid beeping noises blare through the boat. Greg, who was focusing on the laptop nearby reports to Denman what the radar has picked up.]

Greg: "Three objects moving fast." Harrison and Denman turn to him.

"Objects. They're people! Have you not learned?" Don scoffed at the first part.

Dr. Denman: looks down at her own laptop. On the radar, it shows three red dots speeding their way toward an island. Mako Island. "Heading for Mako Island." Looks back up at her crew. "Get him out of here. Let's move." She rushes off toward her cabin and past Greg. The assistant walks over to Harrison, who has a distant worried expression, the latter then turns back to him.

"Oh, not again," Kim whined, her head falling back against the chair.

"No, no, no," Bev began to mumble to herself, rocking herself back and forth in fear for the worse.

"Girls, what do you think you're doing?" Neil asked in disbelief, his wife's eyes widen in worry. "Getting rid of all our problems, dad," Emma said a little grim, trying her best to hide her smile. She didn't like the trickery at first, but since it stopped Denman from going after them, she was completely fine with it in the end. Ya know, once they got their payback on Lewis. But trying not to ruin the surprise for her parents once they find out was going to be a challenge.

"Why didn't you just take Lewis's boat back to the moonpool?" Ash asked. "We wanted one last swim together. If we were going to lose our powers, we wanted one last time together as mermaids, even if we were in a rush," Cleo sighed. "Not to mention, the last time all three of us were on a boat together, we ended up turning into mermaids. Going back like that just to lose our powers would only ruin the memory," Emma mentioned. Bella understood. If she were there in their situation, she too would want one last swim before the inevitable. But the one thing she didn't understand, was how they still had their powers. This was far too believable for it all to be fake, and Mrs. Chatham wouldn't just lie to them.

"The good thing is that they will be there first before Denman, so that way they can at least prepare themselves," Sam said in a hopeful tone.

"Rikki, you should've known better than that," Terry mentally facepalmed. "Well dad, as you used to say, 'one last ride'," Rikki said with a small smile, remembering her father's quote before his motorcycle had broken down. "That was from a movie!" he exclaimed.

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[A view of Mako Island is shown before it reveals the mooncave. Some of Denman's equipment was still laying around, having been left behind in case she was to return, or if a few certain others would. The girls slowly walk in one by one, Emma, Cleo, and Rikki, all three of them staring at the moonpool below their feet.]

Cleo: breaks the silent tension. "I much prefer swimming in."

"We all do, Cleo," Emma said. "It's more enjoyable," Rikki sighed.

"And I much prefer the three of you not being there by yourselves," Neil commented in anticipation. "We'll be okay dad," Emma said. "Yeah, I don't believe you. The last time you said that you were captured by some crazy scientists," Kim said, arms crossed.

"A return to the crime scene," Will commented. "It's our home, not a crime scene. It was just invaded," Cleo remarked.

"Well, the bright side is that with them taking the land entrance, they now have the upper hand since they can use their legs," Max said, biting back a smile. He knew what Mrs. Chatham was up to. And he knew that she didn't like tricking them, but what other choice did she have? Because from what they've seen so far, two out of the three of them are not very good at hiding how they feel.

"What was the point of swimming there if you were going to go through the land entrance instead?" Elliot asked. "In case there were any more traps or cameras. But we should've known that she would have a radar in the area," Emma said.

"Why were you there so early, the full moon wasn't above the cave yet," Ash pointed out. "We wanted to be able to have some time to ourselves before ... ya know," Rikki sighed. Bella nodded in understanding; she too would need to be mentally prepared before they did the unthinkable. But what choice did they have? They couldn't go back to being chased by a crazed scientist for the rest of their lives. But still, giving up your powers unwillingly? It's something no mermaid wanted to do.

Rikki: "And if Denman had set more traps underwater?"

Cleo: ignores her question, the three of them standing in the sandy cave as they look around at all the equipment. "Looks like she's given up."

Emma: "She's not the type. Come on." As the three of them walk over to the middle of the cave, their eyes all remain on the mysterious water below them.

"At least one of you remembers," Don grumbled. He didn't want this, but as he said, he'd rather his daughter be safe than be on the run for her whole life.

"Your right, she isn't. And she's on her way right now," Annette worried.

"Why didn't you go with them, Lewis?" Charlotte asked with a frown. "Well, they needed some time to themselves. Plus, Mrs. Chatham held me back. We had a little ... chat you could say," Lewis snickered, having trouble holding it in.

[Cleo looks up at the cone of the volcano. She watches as the bright full moon slowly starts creeping in around the edge of the cone.]

Emma: and Rikki watch. "The moon's fully overhead." Rikki glances back down to the pool, where the water reflects the full moon light.

The room remained silent as they all stare at the screen. This was it. The girls were giving up their powers. As much as they wanted to, they couldn't stop them. Lisa sobbed quietly at the aspect. She didn't want this for her daughter, but there was nothing she could do about it. This happened so long ago, and she never knew about it till now. She knew how much they loved their mermaid life. They all did, even the ones who were causing the pain. None of them wanted this, but the girls had no choice.

Bev felt a tear fall down her cheek. This was different than the ones before. This one was silent, with nothing else behind it. No anger, no worries or concerns, no happiness or fear. Just sadness.

Annette grabbed her daughter's hand gently. The two knew what it was about. It was too much of a reminder of her mother. She was reminded of her mother's tail, and now she was going to watch three random girls get theirs taken away, just like her mom had. It pained them to see them have to go through the same thing. They enjoyed it so much, just like Gracie did, until now.

Will sighed, he was going to miss seeing the sight of a mermaid.

Denman couldn't help but feel, this was all her fault. And it was, she couldn't pin the blame on anyone else, not even Harrison or Zane. It was her own actions that led to this.

Neil kept in his pent-up anger. Emma and her friends were having to give up their unique magical lives, one that only a few have had the chance to experience in decades, one that they only had for a short amount of time, and they had to give it up on such short notice. All because of some very selfish people, one of them being someone he had trusted, and that trust was thrown into the bottom of the moonpool

Mrs. Chatham glanced away as she held Max's hand. It was her suggestion, yet it reminded her too much of what happened with Gracie. What happened with them. They didn't know it at the time, but when they had lost their powers for those twelve hours, Louise and Julia were miserable. They loved their mermaid powers. And they were so relieved when they had returned afterwards. Little did they know that one little mermaid was very upset when she found out what she still was.

Bella stared at the moonpool, with it being so calm, and the full moon almost overhead, it felt so calm. The calm before the storm, she thought. It was supposed to be mesmerizing, but she never felt so terrified, and she was sure the girls were too. Having to lose their powers. Yet one thing she couldn't figure out was, how did they still have them? She wasn't stupid, she saw them use their powers in the dorms. She too had shown hers to them. So, what really happened?

Emma: looks at the moonpool a bit sad. "Funny, eh? Thought this would last forever."

"Us too," Elliot said, sad for his sister and speaking for all of them.

"And you were right yet again, Em," Rikki whispered with a grin. "Shh!"

Rikki: gives her a small smile, then holds Cleo's hand and the brunette holds Emma's. "What will you miss most?"

Emma: "I'll miss surfing without a board."

"That's true. You could do that," Neil said with a sad chuckle, remembering how Emma enjoyed it so much. "And it was really, really cool," Elliot said, wiping a tear away. "And it'll never be the same with it," Lisa let out a breath, glancing down.

Cleo: "I'll miss how I could make water do anything I wanted. That was great." Nods.

The Sertori family glanced at one another. That was the thing about Cleo, she feared stuff that she couldn't control. And water was always on the top of that list. And since she could control the water, and the water had moved with her when she swam, she no longer feared it and saw the beauty. Now that she was losing her powers, would she revert back to her old ways? Fearing water, fearing everything she couldn't control?

Kim was still confused. They actually seem like they're losing their powers. They really believe it, Kim thought. And that was what confused her. How could they lose their powers, yet still have them?

Rikki: nods along with her. "I'll miss how cool it all was." Cleo smiled with her.

The room smiled at the fond memories, of both as mermaids and humans. From the time they first swam together and saved the turtles (and Cleo) to the time they were dancing away in the Juicenet Café, having the time of their lives.

"It was so cool," Elliot and Kim said simultaneously, earning a small chuckle from most of them.

"And I never thought I'd have a daughter as a mermaid," Terry sighed with a small smile. And it seems to be coming a reality.

[The moon pool suddenly begins to bubble, but not from the full moon, since it wasn't completely above the moonpool. This was from a different source.]

Cleo: glances at Emma in confusion. "Is that supposed to happen?"

"No, it's not," Lewis scowled, leaning forward in his seat. He knew what would go down, but he was ready to defend them, mainly from the protectiveness of their families if needed. The others glanced around nervously at Lewis's words.

[Denman pops up from the bottom of the moonpool, her head breaking the surface, in her scuba gear, goggles, and breathing tube. Greg and another assistant pop up beside her. The girls quickly back away, startled by the return of the scientist.]

Dr. Denman: swims to the edge, the assistant next to her doing the same. Gives them a stern look. "Stay right where you are." The trio of humans climb out of the pool and stand opposite of them. Holds her hands out in front of her. "We don't want to have to hurt you."

"Aww, that's cute. You think you could hurt them," Kim mocked. "It's even cuter that she thinks she can make the calls," Rikki smirked.

"You don't get to tell them what to do. They have the upper hand here," Sam said. "They're more powerful than you will ever be," Max said. Denman chuckled lowly to herself. "Trust me. I learned that the hard way."

"You hurt them, we hurt you," Don narrowed his eyes.

"Bummer, wish we could say the same," Terry said as he cracked his knuckles.

"Oh, how the tables have turned," Charlotte grinned.

"Really, it should be them that should be afraid," Bev said.

"You're gonna regret that," Bella smirked, noticing their wet clothes. It's a great advantage for the girls.

"The worst timing strikes again," Ash sighed with a shake of his head.

Rikki: "I wish we could say the same."

"Ah, Rikki, I like your thinking," Terry smirked, tapping his head.

"Oh, this will be fun. So much fun," Kim smiled smugly. "I'm gonna enjoy this," Lewis said as he leaned back and got comfortable.

[Cleo steps up, clearly very angry, and raises her hand up toward the moonpool. Denman looks back at the pool and watches as a big pillar of water rises from the pool next to Greg. Cleo grunts, thrusting her hand out toward the assistant next to Denman, and the water pillar blasts him backwards and lands in the sand with a thud, unconscious.]

"Way to go, Cleo!" Kim cheered. "Knock 'em dead, honey!" Don encouraged with a yell. "Dad, he's just unconscious," Cleo said.

"That's got to be the best display of your powers yet," Elliot smiled wide. "And quite possibly the last," Lisa said a bit sad, reminding everyone of what the girls were there for.

Denman sighed as she shook her head. She should've known that they could use their powers on land. She had assumed that they could only do it when they were mermaids. She thought wrong.

[Greg hops out of the water behind them. The girls turn to him as he stands up and charges at them. Cleo lowers her hand, and in turn, Emma raises hers up next. Greg comes to an immediate halt unwillingly, feeling like he could barely move. A glance down at his suit, and he realizes it was turning into ice, starting from his feet and rises to his neck.]

Greg: groans in pain, face contorted into one of pain from the burning cold ice. "Ah!" Pulls at the neck of the suit, but it refuses to tear, the ice too strong. He tumbles back into the wall, unable to do anything.

"You were warned," Rikki shrugged. "That's what he gets for messing with our girl," Neil said, Lisa nodding along with him.

"His skin stayed red for a good while, but surprisingly he didn't get frostbite," Denman informed them with a hum, trying to distract her mind. "We do not care," Kim scowled. "Bummer that he didn't," Terry scowled.

[The girls then turn to Denman, the last enemy standing, and all three raise their hands together, ready to use their powers on her if need be. Denman looks at them in fear, never realizing just how strong they were, not knowing of their true strength until now.]

"You don't even know what Rikki's power is, but looks like you're about to find out," Terry said. He didn't care what he said about the warehouse incident. That was more because of Rikki's anger. This situation was far different. This, this was survival instinct. They had to do what they needed to do to be able to go home.

"I'm more curious as to how their powers will be like combined," Will said in thought. "It's ... something," Cleo said, the three glance at one another uncomfortable as they thought about one thing: Lewis.

Dr. Denman: seeing as they weren't willing to back down and were prepared to use them again, Denman finally gives in. She walks around the unconscious body lying next to her feet and holds her hands out in defense. "Enough. Ok?" The girls watch her, their arms still raised and ready. "I want you girls to consider an offer."

"Really? You were going to bargain for their lives?" Bev scoffed. "You might wanna bargain for yours," Don narrowed his eyes.

"Aw, we don't get to see Rikki use hers. That sucks," Kim pouted. "Well, we already know what it's like for her to use it on a human, I don't think we want to see that again," Elliot shifted uncomfortably. He remembered what happened with Barry, and he remembered what she did to his sister's and Cleo's skin for when they were 'sick'. Although it didn't hurt them, it still made him worried about what else she could do. Her powers weren't scary, and she wasn't scary. It was how they could be used that made it scary. As they say, 'with great power comes great responsibility.'

You are in no position to make an offer," Neil stated. "And they're not dumb enough to accept it, especially from you," Annette said. Denman glanced down. They were right. She was in no position to make any offers. She was just terrified and desperate to be able to get what she wanted, that she never thought about what the girls felt like. And now that she sees it, they were more terrified than she was, and were only using their anger to fuel their powers. And she deserved it. She deserved the physical pain and suffering that should've come. But it never did. Instead, she only got the mental and emotional pain from her failure, from her actions, from her breakdown. From everything."

Emma: narrows her eyes. "It's too late." They lower their arms as a bright light shines through the room. They look toward the cone of the volcano and Denman follows their gaze. There, in the cone, shone the moon at its fullest. The light of the full moon's rays shines down onto the moonpool, making it bubble mysteriously and magical, causing the cave glows a bright blue. Denman glances down at the pool in confusion. "It's time." The three hold each other's hands then look back at Denman. "We're giving our powers up."

"You just had to do this to them, did you?" Lisa sniffled. "They didn't want to give this up, they don't want to do this. But they have no choice because of you!"

"You will never see them as human, will you? Even when you're talking to them, negotiating with them, you still don't think it," Terry shook his head. Everyone else glanced at one another with either sad, concerned, or angry expressions. And all because of one person. They were giving up their livelihoods, their magical life. "That's okay. Because we don't see you as human either. Just a beast wearing a lab coat," Bella hummed, arms crossed.

Rikki: "When we enter the water, we're giving up everything."

Dr. Denman: frowns at them in confusion. "But why would you give up being mermaids?"

"Oh, it's simple. Because you tried to ruin their lives!" Bev snapped. "Because of you. Because of your assistants, and Harrison. Everyone that wants to exploit them, all because of them being mermaids," Bella shouted in anger.

Cleo: "Because of people like you."

Emma: nods. "There will always be people like you trying to exploit us." Denman frowns even more, realizing their reasons. "The only thing left to do is to give this all up."

"I wish it wasn't the only option," Elliot pouted. "Something tells me it isn't," Kim mumbled to herself, still thinking about their recent power usage.

Dr. Denman: shakes her head. "No, you can't."

"You don't tell them what to do," Ash said. "You're not in charge there. It's not your domain," Bella glared. In a moonpool, the mermaids are the ones in charge, not the people who invade it.

Cleo: glances at her then back to the moonpool as they take a step toward it, hand in hand. "Yes, we can."

Dr. Denman: "Please, if we work together."

"Work with you? Hah! That's a joke," Charlotte laughed.

"And why would they wanna work with you? The same person who captured them," Lewis replied.

"Boy, you really must be desperate now," Max chuckled. "What kind of mermaid would work with a scientist? They'd have to be even crazier than them."

Rikki: shakes her head, they take another step. "Not interested." They reach the edge of the moonpool and glance at one another, giving reassuring looks. They take one more step, then jump into the bubbling water.

"Aside from the dangers they faced, this almost reminds me of when they first found the moonpool. So much has changed since then," Will said. "Almost like going down memory lane." "If this is memory lane, we took a wrong turn somewhere," Rikki raised an eyebrow at him. "And it's all changing now, like them," Ash commented.

"If it weren't for them having to give them up, this would almost look cool," Elliot said gloomy.

"Too late to turn back now," Harrison sighed, glancing down. Zane bit his lip, preventing himself from smiling. Rikki had told him what Mrs. Chatham had done. And just as he promised, he kept it from everyone, including his father. It wasn't a risk he was willing to take.

[Denman watches the scene unfold. The girls pop back up, now in their mermaid forms.]

"Wait, I thought you were losing your powers," Ash pointed out. "We are, but it takes time. Like how it takes ten seconds for us to turn into one, it also takes a while for us to well, unbecome one," Emma explained. "It doesn't happen immediately," Cleo added. "Geesh a little slow on the uptake," Rikki mumbled.

[Glowing bubbles rise toward the full moon. As it does, the lunar eclipse begins. A shadow slowly makes its way over the moon. The girls look down at their tails, seeing that they were still there. They look back up once more at the moon and find that it's completely covered by the shadow, blocking all of its light. Within a minute, a ray of moonlight pops out on the other side of the covering, more powerful than ever, and shines down onto the girls, making Denman have to cover her eyes. The light fades in the cave, and the full moon moves on, the shadow creeping away from the moon. Both split ways from the volcano. The girls now look back down at themselves. No longer were tails there, but now their feet and clothes remain.]

"It's done," Lisa whispered. "It had to be done, it had to be done," Bev mumbled to herself as she tried not to cry anymore.

"So, that's it? No more mermaids?" Elliot said, feeling hopeless. "No more mermaids," Emma sighed, hating to lie to her brother. But it'll be okay, if this thing keeps going, it'll show what really happened with them, and his happy smile will be back on his face. "Sorry bud," Rikki patted his back.

"Back to normal, just like that. As if it never happened," Bella turned to them and frowned, wondering why they were avoiding her gaze. But it did, it did happen. And they did lose their powers because they're back in their clothes and feet and no tail, she thought. So how did they get them back? Did they wait till the next full moon and gain them back? Did they have to wait that long? I would be miserable if I had to wait that long. I hope I never have to go through this.

Kim was highly confused, crushed. How could they have lost their powers and gotten them back? Was it like being grounded or something and for only a short amount of time? She's seen them use their powers, in person! She knows they have them back. But how could this be possible? With a huff, she leans back and crossed her arms. There was no point in questioning magic, maybe it'll get explained later on, like they always do. Besides, she wasn't going to snitch on them, not when the screen is doing it for her. She didn't need to get in any more trouble.

"I – I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to. But now that I'm seeing it for myself. You really did lose them," Charlotte said in shock, mouth slightly ajar. So, this really did happen to them. So, this had to be the same way her grandmother lost hers. That's how Mrs. Chatham knew about it. Because they had to go through a similar event.

"Something so powerful, so beautiful, taken away," Ash said sadly.

The parents glance at one another. They didn't want this, but it had to be done. And now their kids will be safe. But was it worth it? To see them be so sad, to lose a part of themselves?

[The girls glance at one another, sad. Their tails are gone. A part of them gone. And they missed it so much. Denman watches not in amazement, but despair. She no longer has a reason to go after them. The three humans paddle over to the ledge. Emma climbs out of the pool first.]

Emma: stands up and walks over to Denman, soaking wet and no tail popping out. Narrows her eyes at Denman. "It's over." Leans closer. "Why don't you just go home?" Behind her, Cleo and Rikki pull themselves out of the water and stand on their feet. The trio walks together out of the cave, leaving Denman behind with her unconscious assistants still lying on the floors. Denman stares at them in disbelief, having a hard time accepting the girls' fate then looks up at the cone of the volcano, finding nothing left of the full moon or the eclipse. And she stood there, all alone. Consciously alone at least.

"This must be the last we see of Denman," Sam said. "I hope," Bev said. "Good riddance," Kim hummed. "Well, you're in luck," Denman said. "Oh, great, you're still here," Kim rolled her eyes. "Well at least she won't be shown on the screen anymore," Cleo said, trying to cheer her up. "Doesn't help much," she grumbled.

Denman sighed. It took her a while, but she had learned to accept it, just like she knows that they had to accept that they were back to normal. Their mermaid lives were over. Because of me.

Harrison glanced away, this was his fault too. And there was no way he could take it all back. If he could take their pain away and the pain he caused his son, he would. But there was nothing he could do to change the past. Nothing.

"It's over. It's finally over," Lisa said, her eyes closed tight. "But not in the way it should have been," Neil stated.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[The next day, or twelve hours later to be exact, Rikki and Zane walk along the beach, heading back to the pavement as they carry their shoes in their hands.]

Rikki: now that she was human again, she decides to bring up something she never had a chance to do the day before. "I wanted to thank you for helping us."

"You were a big help, Zane," Cleo grinned. "Yeah, we would've been toast if you hadn't been there," Emma chuckled awkwardly. "We owe it all to you, Zane," Rikki smiled brightly at her boyfriend. "I can't believe I'm saying it, but thanks, Zane. Thanks for saving our kids," Neil nodded reluctantly. "Well, I guess I owed it to them after the number of times they had to save me," Zane chuckled, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Keep getting in danger like that, and you might just get even with him one day," Lewis laughed to himself. "There better not be any more danger," Don said, giving Lewis a warning look. "Kidding, kidding."

Zane: "It's the least I could do under the circumstances."

"No kidding there," Kim huffed.

"You did a lot more than you think Zane. You saved our daughters," Lisa informed him, smiling proudly at him. "And that is something we will be forever grateful for," Neil agreed. "Don't sell yourself short, kid. You did an amazing job. Not many people would be brave enough to do what you did and stand up for what you believe in. It took guts," Terry said.

Zane: sighs. "It's over, isn't it?" The two walk up the sandy ramp.

"The impending doom? Yeah, I think it's long gone," Ash answered. "Actually, I wasn't talking about that," Zane admitted. "The tails? Yeah, that's gone too. I'm gonna miss all the mermaidness," Will sighed, glum. "Not that either," Zane rolled his eyes. "Then what?" Bella raised an eyebrow.

Rikki: "Well, this doesn't really feel like a relationship that's going anywhere, does it?" Faces him as they keep walking.

"What? You broke up?" Bella asked in surprise. That was odd, they still seem super friendly with one another. "Yeah, with everything that happened, and everything before that, we just realized that we needed to step back from it. We needed to work on ourselves, then we could start working our way to being boyfriend/girlfriend again eventually," Zane explained with a sigh.

Though he didn't like the long break away from Rikki, it was something they both needed. His time in the lame boarding school made him see that and helped him realize just how much he cares about Rikki, tail or no tail. And especially when he found out that Rikki has returned to her unordinary life, it was a break she needed to be able to get used to it again and recover from the aching pains that were mentally scarred into her mind from the horrifying events she had just gone through. Especially after the last full moon they experienced.

Terry raised an eyebrow in surprise, though he wasn't sure why. Rikki did say they had argued on several occasions and even broken up at one point. And it seems like it was an agreement they had both made. But she also told them that they were still back together. So, when did that happen? Was there more to the story?

Zane: shakes his head. "No, and that's another thing I'm sorry about."

Rikki: shrugs. "It's not your fault. I think, we're just, too different."

Zane: smiles. "Maybe."

"Well at least you're ending it on good terms," Bella said, trying to sound optimistic.

"I think a break from all the craziness is exactly what we needed," Rikki nodded. "And cue the other craziness," Emma mumbled, getting ready for the even bigger reveal.

"Definitely not our Karl," Max whispered. "He never was. Because, unlike Karl, he learned," Mrs. Chatham whispered back.

[They come to the end of the ramp, and when they do, Harrison drives up and parks. Zane and Rikki look toward him, Zane grins and waves to him. Harrison returns the wave and smiles, propping himself up against the window.]

"You again," Don scowled. "Easy, Don. It seems like he comes in peace," Bev warned him. "In peace or pieces?" Don questioned.

"So, you decided to show your face again. How very brave of you," Sam huffed. "And stupid," Charlotte added.

"Keep your distance, Bennett," Terry frowned, glaring at the screen.

"What are you doing there? Getting more mermaid research or are you searching for more mermaids to kidnap?" Kim said, sounding suspicious. "I was just there to pick up Zane. We were going to hang out for the day. Take a break from everything and try to get it off our minds," Harrison sighed. "I think that is what we all need," Max chuckled.

Rikki: smiles at the two of them. "So you're speaking to your dad again, I see."

"You're not mad at him?" Bella asked. "No," Rikki shook her head. "But he tried to turn you into a lab experiment!" she exclaimed. "Yeah, I was angry then. But when Zane told me what his dad had done by pulling out of the project, I decided he deserved a chance too. If Zane could change, then there was no reason that Mr. Bennett couldn't either," Rikki argued.

"I didn't know that you quit speaking to him," Neil frowned. "Yeah. The uh, last thing I had said to him was everything that went down in the cave. I didn't talk to him again until he told me that he too had left the mermaid hunt," Zane explained.

Zane: turns to Rikki. "Yeah. He's making an effort, and so am I." Glances back at his dad and smiles bigger.

"Anything to get my son back," Harrison smiled.

"So far so good I suppose," Zane chuckled. "Definitely better than it was before," Rikki grinned.

Rikki: "New beginnings all around."

"Especially for the three of you," Ash grimaced slightly.

"You didn't miss being a mermaid?" Will asked. "Oh, I did. But I couldn't mull over it the whole time. We did what we had to do to protect ourselves. We knew what was going to happen. I was sad about it, but I wasn't going to let it bring me down. I decided to see it as a fresh new start," Rikki informed. "We all did," Emma agreed. "Yeah, and that backfired on us real quick," Cleo muttered.

Zane: "Looks like it." Nods then holds his hand out. "Friends?"

Rikki: shakes his hand and smiles and nods back. "Friends."

"Bummer. I was really enjoying the Zikki ship," Bella pouted. "... Zikki?" Rikki gave her a weird look, Zane doing the same. "Yeah, it's your names together. Zane and Rikki. Zikki," Bella explained it to them, a few others joining along. Some nodding in agreement, others finding it very odd. "Don't say it again like it'll make it better," Rikki said with a disgusted sound. "Please don't ship our names. That's weird," Zane frowned. "Weirder than mermaids?" Bella raised an eyebrow as if daring him to continue. "It's adorable," Sam chuckled. "We're not together anymore!"

Lies. They were. But they couldn't tell any of them yet. The only ones who knew were Rikki, Terry, and most likely Mrs. Chatham since she always knows everything.

[Zane runs off toward the vehicle, leaving Rikki alone to watch them. Zane opens the door and climbs in next to Harrison in the passenger seat and buckles up. Rikki watches the two talk with smiles on their faces, her own matching theirs. She was happy for them. She was happy for Zane. She walks off back toward the beach as Zane and Harrison drive away in the opposite direction.]

"Well ... you've got a long road of recovery ahead of you, Harrison. So, sit back. It's gonna take a while," Don said, reaching a decision. Maybe Harrison still has a chance after all. "Frankly I think all of this is," Lewis shrugged.

"It's good to know that you're at least trying to work on your relationship," Bev nodded.

"You really have changed then. Just not in the way we thought," Neil said before quickly adding. "You're still not off the hook though." "Yeah, there's no way we can just forget about that," Terry agreed with a nod. "I know. And I know it'll take a long time to earn your trust back and I owe a bunch of apologies. But I'm hoping that within time, we will be able to amend something of our old friendship," Harrison remarked. "Maybe. Maybe so," Lisa stated. "Or maybe something new, who knows."

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[Down at the beach, Rikki reaches their special private place filled with many memories, one of them being where they had their first swim as mermaids. Rikki walks up onto the rocks nearby and drops her shoes down, then walks toward the water with a smile on her face. Her smile brightens once she reaches the water and steps in, letting the waves brush against her feet as she holds her hands out freely. She felt free.]

"Oh, crud. Welp, this is fixing to get ugly," Rikki winced. "You could say that again," Cleo matched her expression. "This is –." "She didn't mean literally," Emma rolled her eyes as she cuts Rikki off. "No, no I meant it," Cleo added.

"You look at peace," Elliot said. "I felt it," Rikki replied. But not for long.

"Well, if you're happy Rikki, and safe, then that's all that matters," Terry stated with a nod. "Yeah, if you're happy, then we're happy," Neil nodded in agreement. "You won't be saying that for long," Rikki rubbed her neck sheepishly as she mumbled to herself.

Bella and Kim leaned forward slightly in their seats in anticipation. If they did get them back, then it had to be sometime soon. With her touching water now, all they had to do was wait and find out if it were a trick or not, or if they had gotten them back somehow. Even though it only lasts for ten seconds, the suspension was killing them; their patience was thin.

[But that breath of relief was cut short. After ten seconds, Rikki's smile drops, and her eyes widen, as a familiar magical tingle feeling takes place. It was like a record scratch. Her head jolts down toward her legs and sees some familiar bubbles quickly rise from her toes to her head, replacing it with water, then quickly into her mermaid form.]

Rikki: falls with a splash. "Woah!" Rikki looks down at her lower half, the return of her tail left her in shock.

"What the?!" everyone's mouths dropped open. Mrs. Chatham, Max, Lewis, and the girls bit back a laugh at everyone's reaction. Zane had to bite his tongue and fake being surprised. He couldn't let Emma and Cleo know that he still knew. "Surprise!" the girls sang, smiling sheepishly.

"I knew it!" Kim squealed, clapping her hands in delight.

"Oh, that's a relief," Bella mumbled to herself. She wanted to know if their wait time for the return of their powers were long or not. At least she knew now they didn't have to wait almost a whole month. That would've been awful.

"But – but how?" Ash asked in shock. "How is this even possible?" Charlotte asked, completely gobsmacked. "We didn't even know it was. It just came out of nowhere when we touched water. But we did get our answers, just not in the way we wanted," Emma grinned. "Don't worry, you'll find out soon," Cleo giggled. "If we had to wait, then so do you," Rikki responded.

"You're – you're still a mermaid?" Denman asked in shock. Denman couldn't believe it. She was a mermaid. She was still a mermaid. But even she seems to be surprised that she still has her tail. But wait, if she was still a mermaid, then that means ... Denman thought, looking back up to the screen. With the return of Rikki's tail, everyone has forgotten about the scientist in the room. "Don't even think about it," Terry warned, still staring at the screen in both shock and amusement. His daughter was still a mermaid. His daughter was a mermaid! The thought could only make him laugh.

"This is a whole other level of weird," Elliot said, completely confused. He was happy that his friend, and hopefully his sister, got her powers back, but he was confused about how. They lost their powers; they had proof of it. So how did it return? Was it temporary? It had to be for them to suddenly come back.

"Did you know about this?" Harrison looked down to Mrs. Chatham, whose face remained neutral the whole time, however, a small grin cracked through when no one was looking. Harrison then turned to his son. "Did you?" Zane shook his head. He couldn't the girls know. He promised Rikki. But he did wink when his dad continued to stare at him.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[Cleo sat in the bathtub ... with a tail hanging over the tub. Cleo looks shocked at its return, wondering how it could still be there.]

Kim gasped. "Cleo!" She pointed to the screen, and everyone followed her finger.

"Again?" Will laughed. "This is just like when you first found out." "Yeah, with her in the bath, and Rikki falling to the ground. All we need now is Emma swimming in the ocean and it'll be like we've gone back in time," Ash laughed. "Well technically we did since we're watching the past," Lewis rubbed his chin in thought. "And it wasn't the ocean," Emma grumbled with her arms crossed.

"You too?!" Don shouted in surprise. Bev looked at the screen wide-eyed, frozen in shock before she let out a shocked laugh. Cleo was still a mermaid. And it seemed that Cleo was surprised about that revelation too. "I can't believe this," Don shook his head with a small smile. "Believe me, we couldn't either," Cleo rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Yes! Two down, one more to go," Kim whooped. I was right, I was right, I was right, kept getting sung in her head.

"This is amazing," Sam grinned from ear to ear.

"Some luck it is around the Gold Coast," Ash continued to laugh.

"I don't know who's more surprised, us or the two of you," Neil chuckled. He had a feeling he knew who was next.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[Rikki and Cleo rush up the driveway to Emma's house. They climb up the steps to her back porch, and find her in the swimming pool, with a tail. They bend down to her level as Emma paddles closer to them.]

"Emma?" Lisa asked, eyebrows furrowed. "Well, that explains why she never rejoined the swim team," Neil tilted his head. Of course, there was a pattern to this. And of course, his feeling just had to be right. He was relieved nonetheless, being a mermaid was a part of Emma. He didn't want her to lose her other half.

"And that makes three," Kim held up her fingers in glee.

"That's great, Emma! You got your powers back," Elliot smiled, ecstatic. He was happy for his sister. He never wanted his sister to lose them and hoped that she never will.

Denman continued to stare at the screen in shock. All three of them ... I was tricked! But how? I saw them lose their tails. They saw them lose their tails! How could this happen? Ugh, magic is so confusing! She was frustrated of course to fall for some prank, but she was ultimately glad that the girls' powers had returned. It means that she didn't ruin the girls' lives as she had originally thought. It means they could go back to their normal, magical, lives without her being in the way. It means they could be themselves again and be with their families. It means so much, and she was happy about it. Because she had already made her mind up about one thing a long time ago. If they ever got their powers back somehow, that she wouldn't go on a wild fish chase ever again. And she meant that promise.

Cleo: and Rikki look down at her, completely clueless as to how their powers could have returned. "The same thing happened to us. We came to warn you."

"A little late on that," Kim smiled smugly.

"Could've warned me a little earlier," Emma pinched her fingers together. "We did. We sent you a text, but you didn't answer," Cleo gave her a look. "Which is why we rushed over there. We didn't know if something had happened to you," Rikki finished. "Well, we're glad nothing did," Neil said as he glanced down at the doctor. She hasn't moved in a good minute. Probably still in shock like we all were. But her finding out about their secret again could lead to nothing good.

Emma: "But Mrs. Chatham was really clear. We gave away our powers."

Lewis: "Only for twelve hours." They turn to the steps at the sound of his voice and find him climbing up. He winced at the sight of Emma stuck in the pool.

"Huh?" Ash frowned. "Twelve hours?" Will asked, confused as well. "Oh, the time the lunar eclipse ended," Ash thought in realization.

"You knew about this?" Don turned to him. "I may have," Lewis laughed sheepishly. "I told him," Mrs. Chatham chuckled, outing herself. "Mrs. Chatham?" Lisa asked in disbelief, her eyes wide.

"Care to explain?" Terry raised an eyebrow. Lewis only gestured to the screen.

Rikki: "What do you mean?"

Lewis: "I – it's temporary. During a lunar eclipse, the moon pool draws away your powers for twelve hours."

"I still can't believe this is all from a full moon," Sam shook her head. "And now a lunar eclipse," Don chuckled.

"Oh, thank goodness," Denman sighed in relief, putting her head in her hands. For the first time in what felt like a long, long time, a smile grew on her face, and all the stress and pent-up guilt that she felt before was gone. She could finally breathe.

Harrison chuckled to himself with a shake of his head. "Of course."

Annette frowned, clueless to when it comes to her mother. If Gracie hadn't lost her tail permanently to the lunar eclipse, then what did she lose it to? The only thing she did know, the answers lied in the one person who shared the same connection with her: Mrs. Chatham.

"No fair, in our twelve hours, we never got a chance to enjoy it without a tail," Cleo pouted. "Well, if we were told earlier, we would have, Lewis," Emma said, giving her friend a pointed look. "Don't whine, you already got your revenge," Lewis scoffed.

Emma: "She didn't say that."

Lewis: "She did to me. She said that if you guys believed that your powers were gone forever, so too would Dr. Denman." Cleo and Rikki's confused frowns drop and turns into one of annoyance. Lewis laughs. "It's funny because, she told me not to tell you." Lewis continues to laugh, but when he sees the annoyed looks and the vengeful one that Emma had on her face as the three of them share a look then stare at him, he becomes nervous.

"I can't believe you did that to them. That was mean," Max chuckled along with Mrs. Chatham. "Well, I had to. We both know that those girls would've blown it if it weren't believable," Mrs. Chatham waved it off. "Fair point."

"You shouldn't have done that to them, but under the circumstances, I can understand why," Neil said, though he too couldn't help but laugh at the prank that was pulled on them. "Guess you do still have a few tricks up your sleeve," Will grinned. "Mrs. Chatham!" Bella laughed in shock. "And Mrs. C strikes again," Zane snickered with a shake of his head.

"Oh, I know those looks. You better start running," Kim giggled mischievously. "Wish I had," Lewis grumbled.

Lewis: Bounces on his feet. "What's up?"

"You," Cleo smirked. "Hah, hah," Lewis sarcastically laughed. The others looked at the mermaids and Lewis weird until they turned back to the screen and found out why.

[Seconds later, Emma was out of the pool thanks to Rikki's heat powers, and Lewis has taken her place. The boy was now soaked head to toe while being dangled above the swimming pool from a constant flowing water jet by Cleo.]

Lewis: "Come on, you can't do this! Where's your sense of humor?" Lewis screams from a top of the water jet as he continues to be dangled and points at them. "Woah!"

The room gasps in shock then bursts into rounds of laughter that never seemed to end. "Honestly, you deserved that," Charlotte wiped away a tear as she continued to laugh. "Me? I was just relaying the message. Haven't you ever heard of 'don't shoot the messenger?'" Lewis asked, holding a hand to his heart, offended. "Unless the messenger happens to be our friend," Rikki quipped with a smug smile.

"How did you do that to him?" Ash asked curiously. "Do you wanna find out?" Rikki raised an eyebrow. "Say no, it is not as fun as it looks," Lewis said, making a cutting motion with his hand. "Nope, I'm good," Ash remarked. "For the record, Rikki dried me off after I had climbed out and then we surrounded Lewis and pushed him in. The rest is history," Emma told Ash.

"Can I go next?" Elliot asked, thinking it was fun. "No, Elliot," the whole Gilbert family had said. "Aww, you're no fun," Elliot pouted. "We've had enough kids in danger for today," Lisa told him. "Man, I wish I could do that," Kim laughed as she watched her sister threaten Lewis.

"I did say not to tell them," Mrs. Chatham chuckled. "Well, I knew they'd be mad, but not that mad!" Lewis exclaimed.

[The girls stood to the side of the pool, Emma now with legs as they enjoy the revenge time they were having with Lewis. Cleo has her hand outstretched to keep her powers going.]

Emma: arms crossed. "Next time he'd better remember who his friends are."

"Don't you mean what his friends are?" Will smiled, glad to have the mermaids back.

"Oh, trust me, I remember," Lewis huffed. "And who their families are," Don said with the others nodding. "Because we would've been the second ones to come after you." "I'm just relaying a message!" "And look where that message got you," Bev laughed, glad that her daughter was standing up for herself.

"That power definitely has some perks," Bella giggled. She loved her power, but after seeing theirs being used so much throughout these episodes, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have one of theirs instead. However, no matter what, she will always enjoy hers. It was hers and hers alone. And no one else could take it from her. Not Denman, not even a lunar eclipse.

Lewis: "Whoa. Whoa! Whoa-a-a-a!"

Rikki: to Cleo. Hand on her hip. "Leave him like that for a couple of hours."

"So, what would you do if someone came up during that time?" Sam asked curiously. "We would drop him, wait till they left then get right back to it," Cleo answered. "It happened, several times," Lewis said in annoyance.

"Could you really use your powers for that long?" Annette asked, impressed. "Yup. I think that was the longest I've ever used them. It was pushing it, but I had a lot of anger built up that I just couldn't let it go to waste," Cleo smirked. "And you just had to take that anger out on me," Lewis griped.

Lewis: points to Cleo while still being held up in the air by water. "No, no, no. Don't you listen to her, Cleo. Whoa-a-a-a!" Gets tilted to the side.

"I'm enjoying this," Kim smiled.

"Did you think I was going to listen to you?" Cleo raised an eyebrow. "One could only hope," Lewis shrugged.

Cleo: nods, ignoring him. "Yeah, no one messes with mermaids." The three smile at one another, excited about the return of their magical lives.

"Aww, too bad we don't get to watch the whole thing," Kim whined.

"Well, that was certainly ... interesting," Sam sighed. "It was definitely informative that's for sure," Annette admitted as she glanced between the awkward scientist and the mysterious woman.

"Welp looks like more adventures await," Will said as he noticed the screen's edge flicker blue then go away. And the fact that they were still, had to mean there was more. "And those adventures can wait, we need to talk," Don stated as he gestured to his family and the others. "Agreed, let's go Emma," Neil said as he and Lisa stood from their seats. Cleo and Emma groan as they too were forced to go along with them. It was going to be a long chat it felt like.

Rikki shrunk into her seat, hoping her dad wouldn't see her. But when she saw him towering over her, arms crossed, she knew it was an epic failure. "Nice try. Move it," he points toward the door that the rest of the Sertori's and Gilbert's were heading for. "Fine, fine," she reluctantly sighed and stood from her seat, begrudgingly making her way toward the long-awaited speech.

"Mrs. Chatham, would you care to join us?" Lisa asked, hoping she would say yes. "Why not?" she smiled, and slowly stood from her seat, following the others. As Neil held the door open for the others, he noticed one person that wasn't with them. "You too, Lewis." Lewis flinched as he was caught, then quickly joined the rest going through the door space and into the girl's dorm, since it was the biggest.

The door shut behind them, leaving the rest in the theater room, alone. The others didn't mess with them but didn't hide their glaring daggers, making sure to keep their distance. The only ones to stay close and didn't follow the other's examples were Max and Zane. Harrison and Denman glance at one another in worry. They knew nothing bad would happen to the girls, maybe just a small lecture. But what about them? What was going to happen once those doors opened?