A Wish on a Full Moon

The One That Got Away (Part 2)

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

Chapter 69: The One That Got Away (part 2)

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[Later on, after Charlotte had left, Cleo went straight to one of the café computers to search the school's website to find more information about this so-called fire. With Emma standing by her side, clearly annoyed that Cleo needed to thoroughly check her story all while during her workday.]

Cleo: "A fire destroying all the school records? A little convenient, don't you think?" Raises a skeptical eyebrow, a tone of disbelief.

Emma: has a pained and annoyed expression, hand on her hip. "Not really."

"Well, it's not the first time a fire has happened at a school. It won't be the last either," Max commented.

"The only convenient thing about it is that it destroyed all the records at the end of the school year when finals happen to be," Harrison reminded. "That had to be the reason it happened. It's just too coincidental," Ash applied. Charlotte let out a shaky breath. "Everything okay, Char?" Lewis asked, noticing the way she was acting. Charlotte flinched then tried to calm her features, giving him a small smile. "Oh, yeah. Totally. I'm fine." Lewis frowned but didn't comment on it. Totally fine, he could even hear the sarcasm screaming in his head.

Cleo: looks down at the computer screen, typing in the school website address. "Something like this must be mentioned on the school website." Types it in and the website loads, pulling up the entire school webpage, of events, news, and announcements. Including a certain one that Cleo needed to read.

Emma: "And?"

"It was," Cleo sighed, rolling her eyes as she saw Emma's smug look. "On this week of 'Cleo was wrong,' ..." Rikki amused.

"With something as important as a fire, they're required to inform everyone of the damage and what problems it may cause," Sam stated. "Unfortunately, a constant reminder," Annette sighed, whispering to herself.

Cleo: grimaces and straightens back up after finding the results in defeat. "It's mentioned on the school website."

"Told you," Emma beamed in victory. "We've already been over this. Twice," Cleo scowled. "Yeah, but sometimes it needs to be rubbed in someone's face just a couple more times," Rikki teased.

Emma: reads from the website. The very top of the page shows the school logo and the name, Rosewood Secondary College. "'Work will start in the next few days on the new office block. The old one, which was destroyed by fire earlier this year' –." Gives Cleo a pointed look.

Cleo: rolls her eyes. "Okay, there was a fire." Gestures to the screen. Upon hearing the loud sound of the beaded curtains, they turn toward the door to find Charlotte has returned, walking inside the establishment for another drink, her school bag in hand.

"So, we've heard," Kim said in a deadpanned tone.

"Just your point getting proven wrong even more," Rikki laughed.

"I should've talked to them more. Then maybe I would've realized what they were up to, and could've stopped them when I had the chance," Charlotte whispered to her mother, her whispery tone slightly cracking as she was on the verge of tears. "It's alright, dear. If they figure it out, there's nothing we can do about it now. We can only hope they understand," Annette whispered back, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Charlotte put her head on her mother's shoulder, trying to fight back the tears.

Cleo: and Emma leans closer to the computer to prevent Charlotte from spotting the webpage they were stalking. One of choice and one not so much of a choice. "'The fire, which was caused by a person or persons unknown, was started in the art room.'" Cleo straightens up with her arms crossed, a smirk of victory on her face.

"What?!" Nearly the entire audience gasped, aside from Cleo, Emma, and the obvious suspects. Charlotte's eyes widened; shock and horror feeling her features just like many others around her. Unlike them, which was full of surprise and realization, hers was of fear and regret – again – of a secret she kept for so many months just like the girls that was fixing to be revealed, and it was one that was going to kill her to be brought up again.

"You didn't say that it was in the art room!" Don shouted. "If I recall, you said you were unaware of where it was started nor what caused it," Neil frowned at them, his suspicions growing like many others. "We – we didn't, we didn't know. They must've discovered the fire's whereabouts after we had left," Annette stuttered out, a panicked look on her face.

"But you would've known that it not only destroyed the school records and the office, but the art room as well. Yet you didn't mention a single thing about it. Why's that?" Sam interrogated, eyebrows furrowed. "It wasn't important," Annette tried to shut down all suspicions, unaware of her daughter hyperventilating next to her, looking side to side frantically. "A fire starting isn't important?" Lisa argued. "Where it started wasn't important," Annette argued back. "But the location of where it began is important. It narrows down the suspect list by very much, because if I had to guess with it being an elective room, and a room only certain individuals are allowed in, was by an art student," Harrison explained. "But why would an art student cause a fire?" Lewis asked.

"It was an accident!"

Charlotte snapped, shouting at the top of her lungs, and immediately clamped a hand over her mouth. Another round of gasps, this time from everyone in the room other than the redhead herself. Everyone's eyes were wide, as they realized what that meant, of her revealing the most important information to their little investigation and the big secret she accidentally revealed to all: Charlotte was the one who started the fire. "Charlotte!" Annette hissed, eyes burning into the back of her head.

"Charlotte?" Lewis looked at her in startling disbelief. "Y-you were the one to start the fire?" Emma stuttered. She felt speechless; she didn't know what to say. Whether from Charlotte's outburst or from the fact that Cleo was actually right about something ... for once.

I knew it! I knew something was up, but did anyone listen to me? Nooo, they thought it was just my jealousy – not that I was jealous, Cleo thought with a small hint of pride. She knew something was wrong from the beginning. She could feel it, she just wasn't sure what at the time.

Charlotte looked at everyone, her breathing heavy. She could see their emotions, the fright, the wonder, the concern, the anger, the sadness, the regret. But when she looked at her mother, she could see something similar: regret, sadness. But the most important one of all: defeat. And she knew what that meant. There's no point in hiding it now. Time to give in. Charlotte sighed, her head hung low. "Y-y-yes. Yes, I did it. I – I was the one to cause the fire," she admitted ever so quietly.

Murmurs began to fill the room, all around the Watsford's, so much could be heard and unheard at the same time. But they knew what they were all thinking. Why? "Well, what did you do that for?!" Ash exclaimed. "Why would you set your school on fire?" Bella asked, a slight tone of fear seeping into her voice.

"I told you, it was an accident," Charlotte sighed in defeat then turned to her mother, tears in her eyes. Annette sighed, deciding to help her daughter out. "Like you said, Harrison, it was during the finals for all of the students, and everyone has been studying like crazy for their exams. Well for the art students they had to do something slightly different." "The art teacher challenged us to make something like we've never made before. The thing is, I know so many different art styles that it was a bit difficult to find one that would peak my interest. The due date was coming up close and I still had no idea of what to make. But when I was helping mom out at the restaurant one day, I got an idea from watching one of the chefs light a match. Matchstick Sculptures. So, after planning and literally buying a bunch of matches," Charlotte said in a crackly tone, but her mother cut her off.

"With permission from me and the school," Annette added in a small voice.

"I got to work on it as soon as school started back over the weekend. With it being due by the end of the week I didn't have much time. I was attempting to make a 3D sculpture of my mother's restaurant, in and out. I was working both during extra periods and lunch breaks, yet it still seemed like I had so much to do. By Thursday it was over halfway done, yet it would still be close to being finished by its due date," Charlotte paused as she sniffled and wiped her eyes. "By lunch that day, I worked extra hard on it, lighting matches, blowing them out, sticking them where they belonged. One of my closest friends begged me to join her for lunch that day, claiming it had been too long. And since I had skipped out on breakfast that morning to get a head start on the project, I figured it wouldn't hurt if I hurried and got right back to it. Boy, that was a big mistake," Charlotte said with a sad chuckle.

"Why, what happened?" Cleo frowned in confusion. Everyone turned to her and gave her a stern look. Cleo ooh'ed in realization. "Oh, yeah. Sorry," she grimaced.

"Anyways," Charlotte sighed. "I put the project down and the teacher locked the doors so no one would mess with our projects. But ... we didn't think about the windows in the room. The blinds were wide open, and it was a very hot and sunny day," Charlotte's tears began to run down her cheek. Emma, Bella and even surprisingly Cleo and Rikki were beginning to feel bad for her. This was a very tough confession for her and must have felt like she was reliving it. "The firefighters had informed us of what happened. Apparently, the sunrays were too close to my project, and somehow got it so hot that it sparked some of the matches back to life. Next thing you know, the entire art room was on fire by the time we got back. By the time the firefighters were able to stop it, there were no office records or anything of it left. No office, a few classrooms were gone, half of the cafeteria, even the library, and no more art room," Charlotte erupted into sobs and Annette had to pull her into a hug and pat her on the back in an attempt to calm her down.

"What – what happened next?" Elliot asked cautiously, all of them listening intensely to the story of the Watsford's past. "Wh-when the schoolboard discovered what caused the fire, they knew immediately who to put to blame. Since – since Charlotte had to get permission to use matchsticks," Annette announced.

"Well, why in the world would they give her permission to use them if they knew such a thing was dangerous?" Neil argued. "Because she was one of their top students. Wasn't she?" Terry eyed her. Annette nodded, silent. They always give the top-of-the-class special treatment, Terry hummed in thought.

"Due to all of the damage, the school was shut down for the rest of the semester, students were passed automatically since over half of the exams were destroyed. While students were happy about that, the school board was angry. Very angry," Annette looked down, distraught. "They wanted to expel me," Charlotte muttered in her mother's shirt, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Expel you?!" Lewis asked, eyes wide. "Did they think you would do it on purpose?" Bella scoffed. "But you told them it was an accident, right?" Kim asked, hopeful. "We tried. They didn't care," Annette said, almost sounding angry about it herself as she thought of the council.

"When we found out about them discussing her expulsion, I immediately withdrew her from the school," Annette continued. "What's the point of that if she was going to get expelled anyways?" Zane asked. "To keep her record clean. An expulsion wouldn't ruin it forever," Harrison sighed, feeling bad for the poor girl. "Exactly," Annette nodded. "After talking about it, we knew none of the other schools nearby would accept me after hearing that awful news," Charlotte finally turned her head from her mother's shoulder and looked at them with red puffy eyes. "So, we didn't have no choice but to move," her mother said, still rubbing Charlotte's back.

"So, the new restaurant chain story. You made that whole thing up?" Emma asked. "Not exactly," Charlotte grimaced. "That part was actually true. I was already planning on opening another restaurant here in the Gold Coast, and figured, 'you know what? This would be the perfect place for us to start over'," Annette said with a small smile. "And so, we did. After a rough summer of moving here and unpacking, signing up for a new school all while fixing up the restaurant, we finally got settled. It took us a while, but it felt like we had a new fresh start," Charlotte joined her on the small smile, though her eyes were still puffy.

"And I ruined it all for you by digging into something I shouldn't have," Cleo said, feeling guilty. "I guess people were bound to find out. We couldn't keep it hidden forever," Annette admitted. Annette tried her best to protect Charlotte from her past, but as they say, the past always comes back to haunt you. "It didn't help that you did," Emma scolded Cleo lightly.

Rikki glanced to the side. In a way, their story was kind of similar to them. Though they weren't mermaids and her and the girls hadn't started any fires – aside from Rikki a couple of times, only minor ones – or anything, they did have a secret they understood to keep, to protect themselves and the ones they loved. It was why the three of them, plus Lewis, tried so hard to keep it under protection. And now they weren't alone; Charlotte and Annette were in the same pool. I guess, in a way, everyone has a secret they keep to protect, both themselves and others.

"I'm sorry, for digging into your privacy," Cleo admitted guiltily. On multiple occasions. "It's okay. I'm sorry we kept this a secret from you," Charlotte said with a light chuckle. "It was your business, not mine," Cleo shook her head. "And I guess I'm sorry too. For lying to you all about the truth," Annette let out a sigh, her hand now on her daughter's shoulder, her puffiness starting to disappear, yet her daughter's spirit almost seems relieved and slightly uplifted from the brunette's apology. "It's alright. We understand," Don told her. "You were just trying to protect your daughter," Lisa gave her a sincere smile. "And anyone who is willing to protect their children is okay in my books," Neil smiled, giving her an approving nod. "Yeah, we're cool," Rikki grinned along with her dad.

"Plus, it just means we know a little more about you. It's not going to change a thing," Sam commented. "Yeah, I mean, we're literally watching lives about girls we knew our whole lives, and come to find out that their mermaids," Km laughed. "If that doesn't change our viewpoint of them, then yours won't either," Harrison stated. "It shouldn't matter about one's past. It's in the past for a reason. It's about what choices they make in their future that is so important," Mrs. Chatham informed.

"Just as long as you don't start any more fires any time soon," Lewis chuckled lightheartedly, the light atmosphere now fallen in the room. He eventually realizes everyone was glaring at him and he stops. "Too soon?" A bubble of water gets splashed in his face. "Ya think?" his mermaid best friend called out. Charlotte giggled upon seeing Lewis's soaked face. "Thanks, Cleo." "Hey, he deserved it," she shrugged.

Charlotte wiped one more time at her eyes and cheeks, making sure that every bit of evidence of her crying was gone, a small smile on her face. "Can we just move on, and forget this has ever happened?" You know there is no way that is something they can forget, Annette inwardly sighed. "We can certainly try," Emma returned her small smile. "We can try, but we all know my onscreen self won't stop. Again, sorry about that," she quickly apologized to the redhead once more. "I told you already, it's fine. Let's just move on and forget about it," she sighed slightly, more relieved now than she was before. All her tension from before was mostly gone.

Then out of nowhere, Zane bursts into laughter. "So you had to literally get out of town." Everyone glared at him, the glares worsening from the Watsford's and the mermaids. Rikki slaps him across the back of the head, Harrison quickly joining in that matter. "You are literally the worst." "I was only kidding," Zane whined, rubbing the back of his head. And you know you love my 'terrible sense of humor.' With a scoff and a shake of her head, everyone turns back to the screen to continue on, hoping to make Charlotte's wish come true about forgetting her unfortunate past.

Emma: realizing what her friend meant. "Cleo, you can't seriously –." Before she could continue the rest of her sentence, Lewis enters the café and shouts, cutting off whatever Emma was going to say.

"I seriously thought so," Cleo finished for her. And how right was I? "Who would've thought she was right about something being off," Denman mumbled. "Never doubt a mermaid's instincts," Mrs. Chatham grinned. "Unless it's Julia's," Max muttered.

Lewis: walks into the café, toward the red-head. "Hey, Charlotte." Said girl turns around upon hearing her name and finds Lewis walking up to her, preparing for another day of working on the weather tech. Emma and Cleo too turn toward him upon hearing his voice. "You ready?"

Charlotte: bends down to pick up her bag off the floor. "Yeah. All set."

"Let me guess. More work on the weather device?" Sam guessed. "Yup," Charlotte answered. So much fun ... not.

"Were you getting paid for this?" Annette asked curiously. "I was getting paid by spending time with a friend," Charlotte blushed, glancing down. "But it's taking up an awful lot of your time, dear," Annette countered. "I don't mind, mom. It wasn't all that bad," Charlotte declared. "It could've been worse. She could have had to do a bunch of experiments," Rikki interjected with Cleo nodding.

Cleo: gains some courage and walks toward the two. Emma tries to stop her but it's too late, and frowns in wonder about what Cleo will do. "Lewis." Stops behind him and smiles. Lewis slows to a stop then hesitantly turns around upon hearing her voice, giving her a questioning look as to why she was talking to him. Waves at him. "Hey. How's it going?" Charlotte stands in the background, her back turned, but watching their interaction.

Lewis: keeps it short. "Fine."

"You're making this awkward again," Kim pointed out, in a high-pitched tone.

"Kind of funny seeing the two girls in the background watching, knowing this wasn't going to go well," Ash snickered. "You mean with Emma watching Cleo and Charlotte watching Lewis?" Will asked. "What else would I mean by two girls in the background watching?" Ash sarcastically asked. "I dunno. They're in a café full of customers," Will retorted. "You don't know that it wasn't going to go well," Cleo argued. "Did it?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "No," Lewis beat her to it; Cleo pouted.

"Save yourself the trouble, Cleo. It's not worth it," Rikki sighed, starting to feel bad more for Cleo's actions. "Too late," Cleo grumbled.

Cleo: shrugs. "So ... you've been hanging out with Charlotte."

"Very observant, Cleo. Keen observation," Lewis joked. "Very funny," she sarcastically said, rolling her eyes.

"Way to make it obvious. You made it sound like you've been spying on him," Bella stated. "Which she was," Rikki added. "Was not!" Cleo scoffed. "What else do you call hiding behind a boat and watching him and Charlotte like a hawk?"

Lewis: glances back at Charlotte for a second then nods at Cleo. "Is everything okay?"

Cleo: furrows her brows and shrugs again. "Yeah. Everything's fine."

No, I wasn't fine, my best friend was hanging out with someone else besides me, Cleo frowned. "I know that look. I tried to warn you that it wasn't the right time," Emma mumbled low. "I know, I know," Cleo grumbled.

"And it turns out, it wasn't fine," Lewis sighed, seeing how Cleo was acting onscreen completely changed his view of how Cleo obviously felt about him ... or in this case still felt about him.

Lewis: "Cause if there is a problem, we – we can talk."

Cleo: "There's no problem." Gestures to Charlotte and scrunches up her face like she was confused. "Go. Have fun." Gives him a small grin.

"I think we should've," Lewis looked at her. Because there obviously was a problem. I wish she would have talked to me instead of bottling it all up again. "I think so too," Cleo admitted quietly, glancing back at him. "Lovebirds," Rikki mumbled under her breath, as she saw the two gazing into each other's eyes.

"Obviously there was a problem," Kim said, voicing Lewis' thoughts. "She gets this stubbornness from you," Bev whispered to Don. "That's one of many," Don smiled at his daughter.

Lewis: "Okay then." Looks sad then turns away. Behind him, Charlotte picks up her bag again and walks to the door where she meets back up with Lewis.

Cleo: lets out a silent breath in defeat and whips back around to Emma, walks back over to her and the monitor, and tosses her hands up in the air in defeat. Emma shakes her head in disapproval, arms crossed as she leans against the table the computer was lying on. Cleo does the same next to her. "'Go. Have fun.' I'm such an idiot." Cleo grimaces and the two go back to watching the two 'friends' at the café door.

"Well at least you admit it," Rikki grinned. "Takes one to know one," Cleo stuck her tongue out. "What are you twelve?" Rikki shot back, then after a moment proceeded to do the same. "Hey! We're not that bad!" Kim and Elliot exclaimed at the same time. "Elliot, you're eleven," Emma frowned. "Not for long. My birthday's coming up soon," he said ecstatically. "You gonna plan this one too, Em?" Rikki teased. "Hope so. Just preferably not on a full moon this time," Emma chuckled.

Charlotte: pulls out a ceramic shaped-vase from the bag. It was blue and had a few hole punctures on several sides. One part of the ceramic was higher curved than the other, while the other side was lower-curved, over halfway. Beams with pride at her craftiness. "Here's my masterpiece."

"Uh, what is that?" Kim squinted in disgust. "Kim don't be rude. It's obviously uh – a uhm ..." Bev stopped talking, unsure herself of what it could be. "Help us out here," Sam frowned, confused just as everyone else. "It's not really anything. It's just a vase I made for the weather device," Charlotte explained, laughing at their strange expressions. "Why does it look like that?" Elliot asked. "Elliot!" Lisa shushed him.

"It's okay. It's okay to call it ugly. I know it was," Charlotte laughed. "Then why did you make it like that?" Emma asked out of curiosity. "It was the only way to balance the weather device. It was majorly unstable. So, with the added weight, it would make it balance much better." "And the reason for the holes?" Will pointed at the holes. "For the pipes and the other gadgets on it to stick through, for the added weight," Lewis spoke for her. "Still weird," Kim shook her head.

Cleo: "Look at that. What a piece of junk."

"Cleo!" Bev and surprisingly Don hushed her. "It's okay. It was rather strange," Charlotte laughed, knowing there was no way she could make it prettier. That's why she painted it blue, to at least give it a bit of color so it wouldn't look so hideous.

Emma: frowns at her. "What?" Obviously doesn't see what Cleo sees. They watch the two go through the beaded curtains, the odd-looking ceramic still in Charlotte's hands as they leave the café. "She's into ceramics."

"I did say that," Charlotte confirmed. "And she is," Annette added.

"At least someone remembered," Lewis grinned, and gave a pointed look to Cleo, who once again rolled her eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with it. It's just ... unique," Bella nodded.

Cleo: "Oh, sure." Looks back to Emma, then glares slightly back at where they left. "She says that, Emma. But did that look like it'd make it into a gallery?" Cleo straightens and marches off after them.

"It wouldn't," Charlotte shook her head. "You never know. Some things that are so ugly, they find oddly beautiful. Something I'll never understand when it comes to art," Zane mentioned. "We noticed," Emma said in a deadpanned tone.

"She did say. And it was true," Emma grinned in victory. "Fine. You win ... again," Cleo groaned.

Emma: sighs. "Cleo, don't. Just leave it. Cleo!" Calls after her, but her brunette friend wouldn't listen.

"I should've listened," Cleo grumbled. "I did try to warn you. Again," Emma shook her head.

"Okay, now I'm really interested in seeing what happens," Rikki said giddily. "You just love watching me be tortured," Cleo whined. "Yup!" "It's Rikki, what do you expect?" Terry chuckled.

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[Outside, now at the marina, Cleo walks up quietly behind Lewis and Charlotte who had their backs turned to her, blocking the view of their faces and standing quite closely to one another.]

Charlotte: "I don't know what you think, but she's a bit unstable." Cleo frowns upon hearing that, assuming she was talking about her.

Lewis: "Oh, I agree. Totally unbalanced." Her frown increases even more upon hearing Lewis join in on the 'rude comments of her'.

"Excuse me?!" Don shouted, nearly jumping out of his seat. "How dare you talk about Cleo like that!" Bev said, fuming. "Dad, dad. Calm down, it's not what you think," Cleo groaned. "What else could it be?" Don argued. "It sure sounds like it," Bev said, not even going to point out that Cleo ignored her. "Believe me, I thought the same thing," Cleo grimaced. "Oh, so that's why you got so upset. You thought we were talking about you," Lewis started laughing as it dawned on him. "It does kind of sound like it," Charlotte giggled along with him. Sounds like something I would say, Kim shrugged.

Charlotte: hands on her hips, shrugs. Looks down at something. "It's not surprising, given her shape." Cleo walks closer, slow steps so they wouldn't notice her coming up and focus' on their conversation.

Lewis: "No. Sometimes I think I was the only thing keeping her together." Charlotte laughs.

"If it's not Cleo you're talking about, then who?" Ash frowned. "It better not be Emma," Neil narrowed his eyes. "Or Rikki," Terry scowled, giving him a warning glare. "It's not. I promise it's not," Lewis put his hands up as a precaution. "It's more of an it, rather than a whom," Charlotte laughed at their reactions, the others becoming more confused as it goes. Cleo lowered herself in her seat, preparing for the embarrassment. "You better have a good explanation for this, or else someone's about to get their tail whooped," Max laughed.

Cleo: furious after hearing that comment. Storms up to them, shouting. "The only thing keeping who to – get ... her?" Stumbles on her comeback when Lewis and Charlotte turn around and she finds Lewis holding the weather device in his hands, now with Charlotte's odd-looking ceramic holding it up at the bottom. Her fury decreases as soon as she sees the strange device in his hands and slows to a stop in front of them as she realizes she may have gotten the situation wrong.

"Oh. Oohhh," Ash began to realize. "Is that the she?" Will squinted. "Yeah. She's a beauty, ain't it?" Lewis asked with pride. "No," came from many of the audience members; his smile dropped.

"Why would you call it a she?" Don shook his head. "Because most technology is," Lewis explained. "Plus, what he named it kind of fitted it," Charlotte shrugged. "Do I want to know?" Kim whined. "You're not gonna have a choice in that one," Cleo remarked, biting her cheek.

Lewis: holds the device away from his face, the device spins wild from the wind. "W.A.N.D.A, my Weather And Nautical Data Analyzer." Glances at the device, Cleo frowns in confusion. "Last time I tried to set her up, she collapsed."

Charlotte: nods. "She was a bit unbalanced."

"You've got to be kidding me," Rikki said. "Why would I joke about technology?" Lewis asked.

"You're right about the name, it fits. But still, it's kind of funny after thinking about it with the comments from just before," Annette grinned.

"Nice name," Denman tilted her head. "What else would it be called?" Max chuckled.

"So why was she falling?" Emma asked. "Because it was too top heavy, and there was too much weight to one side; the pipe wasn't strong enough to hold it together," Lewis explained.

"Next time can you just say W.A.N.D.A's name first, that way it won't be a total mix-up?" Cleo whined. "There won't be a next time," Lewis gave her a small smile. Because I don't want to hurt you if that's what you thought.

Cleo: points at the device, gives them a small smile. "'She' is?"

"Yeah. She is," Kim giggled. "Not you." "You thought it too," Cleo griped. "We all did," Don chuckled. "Yeah. Your dad was about to pounce on me because he thought I was talking about you," Lewis jabbed a thumb at said person.

Lewis: "Yeah. It's the shape." Gestures to the shape. "But then," Nods a head at Charlotte and adjusts the device in his hands. Charlotte grins at him. "Charlotte made this ceramic stand and now she's rock solid." Cleo tilts her head at it.

"The stand makes total sense now," Cleo said. "Even after all your rude comments?" Emma raised an eyebrow. "Right. Sorry, Charlotte," Cleo grimaced. "It's fine. As I said, it wasn't for the artistic mind. Just for ... W.A.N.D.A.," Charlotte bit back a laugh. But it couldn't stop Zane as he finally let it out, barking loud with laughter. Cleo rolled her eyes, and soon Rikki, Elliot, Kim, and a few others joined him too.

Lewis: "So, what are you doing out here?"

"We go out there all the time. It's a nice walk down it," Rikki countered. "Yeah, although sometimes we do need something from you or Mr. Sertori's boat. We've been out there a lot in these past episodes," Emma reminded. "You girls aren't afraid of getting knocked off into the water?" Neil asked. "We can't be afraid of every drop of water all the time, dad," Emma said. "But that's not a drop of water. That's a whole body of water," Lisa told her. "If we do end up falling in, no one really thinks anything of it. Most just assumes we can swim to the shore again or don't notice. Usually the latter," Cleo shrugged. "Other times, if we get splashed, we just duck behind a boat and dive in," Rikki snuck a glance at Zane, knowing what's coming up soon.

Cleo: hesitates. "Just, passing by." Lewis and Charlotte watch in confusion as she turns around and hides a grimace. She walks back toward land, passing Zane and Nate as they go to the former's zodiac. As she goes, the former two go back to their task of setting up the device.

"Thought maybe you needed something or wanted to talk. Or swim," Lewis mentioned. "Not stalk me." "I wasn't stalking!" Cleo fussed. "Yes, you were," Emma, Rikki, her sister, and Bella said in unison.

"What are you two up to?" Harrison asked. "Nate wanted to go fishing for a change, so I figured, why not?" Zane said.

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[Outside of the café, Cleo leans against the counter, bummed out. She sat on a stool with Emma scolding her from the other side.]

Emma: leans over the counter, scolding her friend for not listening. "See? You can trust him. You're gonna give this up now, right?"

Cleo: tosses her hand up in defeat, rolling her eyes. "Right."

"As if," Rikki scoffed. "Sure, you are," Kim sarcastically said. "I was," Cleo defended. Until someone accidentally left their diary. "So, what changed? If you were going to, then what changed your mind?" Sam asked. "I think I might have an idea," Charlotte crossed her arms.

Emma: walks around the counter, an apron around her waist now, a cleaning rag in hand. "There's nothing going on. You just need to put this all behind you."

Cleo: annoyed from the scolding. "Okay."

"She won't," Kim stated. "She didn't," Emma huffed.

Sounds like the same pep talk I've been giving myself lately, Charlotte thought of the times she kept telling herself that Cleo and Lewis were meant to be, not her and Lewis.

Emma: walks over to an empty table and notices a purple diary lying on the table. Picks it up and flips it over, looking for a name but never once opens it. "Someone left their diary here." Shows it to Cleo then looks back at it, continues to look for a name or a hint of who it belongs to on the cover.

"At a public café? What kind of klutz leaves behind their diary?" Kim squinted in confusion. "It was mine," Charlotte stated bluntly. "Oh ... sorry," Kim at least had the decency to look guilty.

"That was a mistake, showing it to you," Rikki chuckled, glancing over at Cleo. "It was a mistake saying it aloud," Cleo groaned, knowing things were about to get worse for her.

"You didn't notice it was gone?" Will asked. "I always write in it during the mornings of any recent events that happened in my life. A lot more especially after moving here. I started doing it as soon as I was done with my science homework, or at least when I had enough of it. But I didn't realize how much time had passed while I was writing in it, and realized I was going to be late meeting Lewis; so I had rushed packing and still had to go pay for my drink that I hadn't noticed I didn't grab it," Charlotte explained. "It's dangerous leaving such a thing with so much valuable information inside. You never know who wants to snoop," Sam shook her head. "Yeah, you never know," Emma narrowed her eyes at an uncomfortable Cleo.

"Is that the new one I got you when we moved here?" Annette asked curiously. A new diary for a new life, a fresh diary for a fresh start. "Yeah, it was. The other was already full," Charlotte grinned. "At least it was in the same spot I left it, meaning most likely no one had read it." Until now.

Cleo: stands up and points at it as she realizes who had sat there before. "You mean Charlotte left her diary here." Grins at Emma. "This is where she was sitting." Tries to take it from Emma, eyes wide.

"Oh, I know that look from anywhere," Kim grinned, eyes wide. She had that exact same look when she had a mischievous plan. "Cleo, if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, you better not," Don warned; Cleo squirmed in her seat. "I tried –," Emma tried to say but Cleo cut her off. "I know you tried to warn me. I've heard enough of it," she snapped, Emma continued to have a smug smile on her face.

Emma: holds a tight grip on it, tries to keep her from taking it. Chuckles slightly as she knows what her brunette friend was thinking. "No, Cleo, you definitely can't."

"It's good to know that you weren't trying to look at it either, sweetheart," Lisa supported, seeing how her daughter had the opportunity to look inside but didn't. Emma cared for people's privacy. She wasn't going to ruin it by taking it away from them or by looking inside someone's personal thoughts in a book. "Thanks, Emma, for not looking in it by the way," Charlotte gave her a small smile. "I did try not to," Emma grimaced, as she was reminded that Cleo had pretty much forced her into looking.

"Cleo, that's a bad idea. A very, very bad idea," Bev shook her head. "Perhaps you are my sister after all," Kim giggled.

Cleo: looks down at it, then gestures toward the outside counter, a big smile on her face. "I won't. I'll just put it safely behind the counter." Tugs at it.

"No, you won't," Bella remarked. "Jealousy at its finest," Rikki laughed.

"Don't you dare, Cleo," Don warned once more. "We both know where this is going, dad," Cleo sighed in defeat.

"Will it be behind the counter if you take it, or will it be in your greedy hands?" Zane chuckled. "You're one to talk about greed," Lewis frowned at him, not liking where this was going but he already knew what happened as Cleo had tried to out Charlotte that same day by showing them the diary, yet it had all backfired on her. He honestly felt bad for her, but Cleo should've known not to read someone else's private thoughts when she had the same thing happen to her long ago with Kim.

Emma: tugs back. "I'll put it behind the counter."

Cleo: pulls back. "It's okay, I'll do it."

"Will it be behind the counter, or will you be behind the counter reading it?" Will asked. "I don't know, it never happened," Cleo rolled her eyes in annoyance from all the questions.

"One's trying to protect it, the other's trying to snoop. Who will win?" Ash commented. "I think we both know who will," Emma sighed.

Emma: pleads with her friend, trying to get her to stop. Pulls at it once more. "No, it's really best if I –." Suddenly Cleo lets go of tugging and pushes it down to the ground, forcing Emma to let it go as it falls out of her grip. It lands on the ground with a thud, the book now wide open.

Cleo: does a false grimace, holding her hands to her side, trying to pull it off as an accident. "Oops."

"Grounded," Don stated. "But, dad," Cleo pleaded. "I said grounded," Don refused to budge. "But it fell open. I didn't touch it," Cleo whined. "It was still your fault. You know you were trying to look at it and I can already tell by the situation that you had read it. Grounded. And don't make it worse," Don frowned at her. Cleo bit back a reply and sunk in her seat, seeing that she was grounded some more. At this rate, it might end up being my whole summer stuck in the house with Kim. "Cleo," Bev sighed, shaking her head.

"Emma should've been the one to have it. With the way you've been acting, you couldn't be trusted with it," Sam frowned. "Emma would've done the responsible thing and put it away, away from prying eyes," Lisa added, glancing at Cleo when she said that last part; Cleo pouted.

"Yes, that totally looked like it was an accident," Zane said in a deadpanned tone.

Emma: gives her a stern glare then looks away with a wince as she realizes the diary was wide open. "Cleo."

Cleo: "My fault."

"Yes, your fault. And it's your fault that you're grounded. You can't blame anyone else but yourself," Don told her. "We know," Bella said.

"Thanks for trying, Emma. It's nice to know someone tried not to evade my privacy," Charlotte grinned at her then gave Cleo a knowing look. "Yes, yes, I've heard it all before," Cleo waved it off.

"Honestly, Cleo. You've been through this with Kim before, you should've known you shouldn't stoop to the same level," Bev scolded. Cleo glared at her, refusing to respond. Who's she to say what I should and shouldn't know?

[Cleo bends down and picks it up, the words 'Meet R.J.' written in humungous letters on one side of a page. She stands back up and holds it up for her to read when those peculiar words catch her eyes.]

Cleo: leans closer to Emma to try and get her to peak. The blonde sighs, choosing to not look. Frowns at the name. "R.J.?" Turns the page. Emma, hearing the name finally gives in and looks over Cleo's shoulder. "'Meet R.J.'"

"Uh, who's R.J.?" Bella frowned. "Is he a friend from your old school?" Ash asked. "It's more like what is R.J.," Charlotte giggled, leaving most of the audience confused. "You really had me mixed up there," Cleo laughed slightly at the reminder. "R.J. isn't a whom, it's a what. R.J. stands for Romeo and Juliet. You know, the play?" Charlotte explained as most of everyone ooh'ed in realization.

"Why do you have it written in there?" Kim asked curiously. "Kim, that's not any of your business," Bev scolded. "It's okay. It's out in the open now. Literally," Charlotte said to the mother before turning back to Kim. "Well, it was supposed to be for my eyes only, and since I knew what R.J. stood for, that's the way I ended up writing it to make it much simpler to remember. Plus, that's what us in the theater group call it," she explained. "Oh, you're in the play? That's great! I love plays," Sam beamed. "Yeah, the school is putting it on. We're going to be performing it before winter break. You all should come and see us perform," Charlotte nodded. "Count me in!" Sam gushed. "You know I was already going to be there," Annette chuckled. "I wouldn't mind watching it," Emma grinned. "Add our family to the list as well," Lisa nodded in agreement.

Cleo: turns to another page and finds a cut-out picture of Charlotte and some other guy kissing, cut out in the shape of a heart. With big pink letters above it that says 'Meet R.J.' The two girls look at it in slight shock. Emma ooh's at it. Cleo grins in victory with a nod, believing she was right that Charlotte was off about something. "R.J." Grins at Emma who shrugs then they both look back at the diary.

"Ah, so you are my sister. I knew we were related!" Kim laughed.

"It's not what you think, Cleo," Lewis chuckled lightly. "I know that now," Cleo huffed.

"So, what's with the picture then?" Bella asked. "That's a cut-out picture of the poster. It was too big to fit in my diary, so I had to cut it down to fit. The heart was a symbol of Romeo and Juliet's love," Charlotte explained. "It made it seem like you had a boyfriend though," Cleo mentioned. "Well, you shouldn't have been looking," Emma quipped. "And neither should have you," Neil told Emma, seeing that she too had eventually joined in on evading the Watsford girl's privacy. "Grounded. One week." Emma sighed, accepting her punishment. "Yes, dad." Thanks a lot, Cleo.

"It does look like you were in love with him. The heart shape and kiss don't help," Ash pointed out. "Don't forget the whole 'R.J.' written like ten times," Elliot added. "Had me fooled," Cleo grumbled.

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[Meanwhile, Rikki returns to the dirt track. There weren't many people there now: a couple of bikers riding down the track, the stands empty.]

"Why is there hardly anyone there?" Elliot asked. "It just opened not too long ago. It's still morning time and normally most people come right before lunch," Zane answered, not knowing that Rikki had gone there. Was she looking for me?

"What were you doing there again?" Emma asked. "What do you think?" Rikki sighed quietly. I was hoping to find him there.

"Seems so different without all the engine noises. Still a few but not as much," Will commented. "It's almost a peaceful atmosphere," Annette said. "I like it," Harrison picked on Zane. "No loud noises to drive me insane."

[She walks past a couple of bikes parked in front of the bleachers with her hands in her pocket, watching the riders on the track, seeing if she can spot the familiar bike of the Bennett. After not seeing them, she climbs up the bleachers and sits down in the middle, watching the bikers with a distant look. Down below her, two bikers walk over to the parked bikes in front of the bleachers. Rikki looks at the one in black, hopeful that it was Zane, but once the two take off their helmets, it's revealed only to be a teenager with dark hair, laughing and talking to his friend. As they walk off, past their bikes, he points to the track, preparing to go again. Rikki looks back out to the track with a sad expression.]

Rikki looks to the side, avoiding her friends' gazes. She didn't want to see their pity. They had a similar expression to the one Rikki had onscreen. Emma felt bad for Rikki, she knew the feisty blonde missed Zane. She missed his witty comebacks, his sarcasm, his act of selfishness, his cocky attitude. She missed him. But she still felt that Rikki needed to stay away from him, for her own protection.

Terry glanced at his daughter, both onscreen and the one with him. She obviously wanted to talk to him. What about, he had no clue. He had to assume it had something to do with their relationship, both current (onscreen) and the past.

"You're right. It is a different atmosphere," Sam whispered to Annette.

Zane watched Rikki with a similar distant gaze. She was looking for me. He felt guilty for all the trouble he had caused her recently and he should've apologized to her properly, but Nate had wanted to go out on the boat that morning, and he wasn't aware that Rikki would show up at the track. He assumed she would avoid him for a couple of days to think things through and cool off. Wouldn't be the first time, won't be the last. If only he knew how much more trouble he would cause due to listening to Nate, he would've stopped it when he had the chance.

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[After leaving the track, Rikki walks down the marina – not long after Cleo had left from embarrassing herself – figuring that the second place to look for Zane would be at his zodiac. And she was correct. Only this time he had Nate with him ... again. They were preparing the boat for launch, the boat already cranked to life, when Rikki stops in front of the boat. Zane's back was turned to her so he didn't notice, but Nate did. He taps Zane on the shoulder and points up at Rikki on the dock.]

"Of course, you found him," Emma sighed. "So, you finally found him," Max amused. "Well in a small area, there's only so many places to search. Zane only goes to so many places: the track, the docks, and the café," Rikki counted off.

"Rikki, have you been following me?" Zane teased. "Zane, that's where just about nearly everyone in the Gold Coast goes," she said as if it were obvious.

"I'm surprised we didn't run into each other. That had to be right after I left since I had ran into the two of you on the dock," Cleo said. "I thought you had talked to her," Zane shrugged. "Nope."

Zane: turns and sees Rikki. Puts down the rods he was working on and talks to Nate. "Keep her running. I won't be long." Climbs out of the boat and walks a few feet away with Rikki to keep him from overhearing. Nate has an annoyed look on his face that he has to wait a little longer to go fishing. They stop after a second and he turns around and faces her, her back to the zodiac.

"With his patience, you better make it quick," Harrison said. "I was right. It wasn't long," Zane mentioned, knowing that this was going to be tough for Rikki. Her secret was about to be revealed to him, again. Because he had literally run her off.

Rikki: "I've been doing some thinking and there's a few things we need to get straight."

"You cooled down quicker than I thought you would," Zane chuckled lightly. Rikki didn't say anything, only bit her lip from her nerves. This was it, this was the moment she's been dreading the most; even more than the Denman episode. The moment when Emma, Cleo, and Lewis would find out that she had revealed the secret again to Zane and had kept it from them along with their relationship. And she was not looking forward to their reactions, if there were any.

Zane: cuts her off. "Look, if you've come here to tell me that we can't possibly be together, then I'll save you the trouble: we can't possibly be together."

"Well, that was easy," Lewis shrugged. "That's what I've been saying all along," Emma sighed. Why does no one listen to me?

"No way that was real," Bella shook her head. "It wasn't," Rikki admitted quietly.

"Why not?" Terry asked, wondering if Zane thought something was wrong with her. "I thought that was what she wanted. For me to stay away," Zane said. Not at all, Rikki thought.

Rikki: raises an eyebrow, taken aback. "Is that what you want?"

Zane: "No." Laughs and smiles. "What's the real problem?"

"You know what a girl wants, huh?" Ash joked.

"The real problem is that she can't tell you," Emma remarked. "I would just like to point out that I already know again," Zane raised a tentative hand. "Yeah, because of this," she gestured to the screen. Zane held back a snort. Yeah, definitely from this.

Rikki: bites her cheek and looks to the side, thinks it over once more and nods at him with a small smile. A serious look in her eyes. "Okay, but you've got to promise that –."

"Were you going to tell him?" Cleo asked, eyes wide. "I was just going to make him promise not to trick me again," Rikki replied a little too quickly. "You were going to tell him. Unbelievable," Emma scoffed with a shake of her head. "Well, why does it matter? He already knew the secret once," Rikki exclaimed. "Sure, and why don't we just tell Dr. Denman again while we're at it?" Emma sarcastically asked. Rikki frowned then waved to said doctor. "She already knows again!" "He hunted you once. What makes you think he won't do it again?" Lewis asked with a raised eyebrow. "Because he already saved our lives once before. That I'm sure he would do again," Rikki said determined.

"Besides, I didn't have a choice anyways," Rikki said defeatedly. "What do you mean?" Cleo asked, brows furrowed. "Oh, you're about to find out," Rikki said bitterly. Thanks to that dimwit in the boat.

Nate: whines as he cuts her off. They turn to him in the boat. "Come on! Can we go already?" Waves to the boat.

"His patience is going to get him hurt one day," Harrison shook his head. "It was fixing to," Rikki griped, clenching her fist.

"Wow, he is so terrible at waiting. It hadn't even been a minute," Bella mentioned. "The world's worst at it," Zane sighed, staring at the screen.

Zane: leans to the side to look at him. "Yeah, in a minute, Nate." Nate continues to grow annoyed. Turns back to Rikki.

"That minute ain't going to last long," Bella said. "You got that right," Rikki muttered.

Rikki: shakes her head and looks away. "Forget it. I should go." Begins to walk back to the landing, but Zane gently grabs her arm and pulls her back.

Zane: "No, no, no. Rikki, Rikki." She turns back around and gives him a 'what?' expression. Come on, I mean, you obviously wanna tell me something." Rikki glances to the side, biting her lip in deep thought.

"No, just go," Emma shook her head. She wasn't supposed to tell. She's not supposed to tell.

"I did want to, but thanks to Mr. Patience he forced my hand," Rikki grumbled, loud enough for Cleo and Emma to hear. Cleo gasped, getting an idea of what Rikki meant. "He didn't!" "Nate was left in charge of the boat, what do you think?" Rikki spat. "Worst decision I've ever made," Zane shook his head, glaring at his best friend even though he hasn't done it yet. "That is so mean," Cleo said. "Nate forced you?" Emma asked skeptically, believing it might've been Zane that caused her to force the secret out instead. "Yes! Who else would be 'Mr. Patience'?" Rikki sarcastically exclaimed.

[Nate, having enough of waiting, decides to take matters into his own hands. He turns to the gears and revs the motor up, causing water to splash all over Zane and Rikki.]

Zane: shocked by the sudden wave of cold water. "Whoa! Ah!"

Rikki: gasps in shock from the splash, and not just because it was a little cold, but now because her fish timer was ticking, leaving her with no choice but to oust the secret to Zane. "Oh!" Throws her arms up in the air in surprise. Nate cackles at them, finding his little prank hilarious. Furious. She and Zane throw their hands to the side and glare at him. "You idiot!" Takes a deep breath, eyes wide.

"If it wasn't for my ten-second countdown, I would've strangled him," Rikki glared.

"Oh, no," Emma let out a shaky breath. Rikki was right, it was Nate's fault. And due to it being a busy day on the marina, along with Nate and Zane being there, she couldn't run off and dive in without one of them noticing. She had no choice but to tell Zane. "So that's what she meant. She really had no choice. He literally forced her hands," Cleo said, eyes wide. "Or in this case, I'd say tail," Will worried. The girls and their parents, especially Terry, glared at him. "Too much?"

"That little – urgh! He's just so infuriating! I just wanna strangle him," Cleo shouted, holding her hands up like she was choking him. "You weren't the only one," Rikki and Zane said simultaneously, glaring at the laughing Nate along with everyone else.

"Hang on, why are you mad? You didn't even know the secret yet from the sounds of it. For the second time at least," Ash asked. "Hello? Did you not see me get splashed with water as well?" Zane scoffed. "Yes, but you weren't the one that was about to sprout a tail in ten seconds," Rikki remarked.

"I think you're going to have to introduce me to your friend someday, Zane. I'll gladly show him what happens when you mess with a Chadwick. Specifically my girl!" Terry glared at the screen, struggling to choose between anger and worry for his daughter, as she was now in danger of her secret being revealed. "Gladly," Zane replied. He never really got to yell at Nate about how he really felt during that and how much he screwed up, but he couldn't explain any of that without letting on about Rikki's secret.

"What a jerk," Charlotte said in disgust. "That is so much worse than what Zane did before," Annette commented. "Ya think?" Rikki raised an eyebrow. "Don't bring that back up again," Zane whined.

"Oh gosh!" Bella gasped, many others joining her. Her heart pounding, she watched in fear as Rikki was soaked with water. A mermaid's worst nightmare. One of them at least. And if she didn't get out of there in the next ten seconds, that nightmare was about to become a reality real quick!

"It was not even five minutes! You couldn't just wait five minutes?!" Kim exclaimed. "The worst patience I have ever seen," Harrison shook his head in disbelief. "And this is why I'll never let Nate touch my zodiac again," Zane sighed.

Nate: mischievous smirk. "What? It's only water!" Continues to laugh.

"Yeah, water for you, but a ticking time bomb for her!" Bella shouted.

"You're right, he is an idiot," Terry shook his head. "You have no idea," Rikki scowled.

"Get out of there, Rikki!" Elliot yelled, worried for her. "Not without raising any suspicions, I couldn't. Not enough time," Rikki sighed.

Rikki: turns to Zane, with wide, frightened eyes. "Help me."

"Wha – why would you tell Zane?" Lewis yelled. "Well, what else was I supposed to do? Stand there and become a tourist sight?" Rikki scoffed. "She had no choice," Emma replied to him, extremely tense; Lewis looks taken aback. "Even if it seems like the worst option, he was the only option. She didn't have a choice but to get Zane's help." "With it being the middle of the day, I'd have to assume there were a lot of people around the marina at the time. She couldn't just run off and hide or dive in somewhere without someone seeing her. Not to mention with Nate there, he would've seen something with her running off. There was nowhere to run. She needed his help," Neil theorized.

"A lot better than Nate finding out at least," Cleo said hopefully. "He didn't find out, did he?" Lisa asked, deeply concerned. "No! Of course not. The whole world would know if Nate had found out!" Rikki exclaimed.

"Time's a tickin bud, now help a girl out!" Will tapped his watch.

"Why didn't you just run for it?" Don asked. "Without explaining myself? That would just make it more suspicious, especially since Zane knew the secret once. I had to wait until Nate had his back turned," Rikki mentioned.

Terry's heart nearly shattered. He never heard his little girl sound so helpless before. Not since her mother had left. She sounded so scared, so terrified, so weak. And he wasn't there to support her, to help her, to protect her. He wasn't there for her at all. The only one she could rely on at that moment was a boy she was still debating on whether to trust or not, when her own father couldn't be there. Though from the outcome, with them together again, he believed that she made the right decision. He knows she's safe now, but having to see her go through this in the past was enough to scare him himself.

[Zane looks at her confused, but she only looks more scared by the second. She glances at the water as a hint then back to him. She takes deep breaths, trying to stay calm, but she was extremely terrified, unsure of what to do.]

"Take the hint already!" Cleo snapped impatiently, her foot tapping away nervously. She nor Emma never knew about this situation, and they are starting to see why for themselves and why Rikki never told them. They would've flipped out if they find out Rikki had to risk her secret in order to protect the secret.

"You could've given me a bit more of a hint," Zane told her. "With your jerk of a friend nearby to overhear? Not a chance!" Rikki shook her head. "So instead, you chose to spill the secret to someone who can't be trusted with subtle hints and nods," Lewis sarcastically stated. "How many times does it have to be said? I had no choice!" Rikki said the last part slowly.

Zane: looks toward the water and finally gets it. Eyes wide, he grabs her carefully by the shoulders, and takes a shaky breath. He now understood. Rikki was in a lot of danger and running out of time. Glances back toward the water and nods. "Get out of here now. Now!" Pushes her away and she quickly runs as fast as she can down to the end of the marina. Zane watches her go for a second then goes back to his boat to distract Nate.

"It's about time you got the memo," Bella huffed, slightly relieved. "And not a moment too soon," Mrs. Chatham said, having been counting down the seconds in her head. She was glad to see Zane really had changed his ways and immediately helped her out of that situation. If it weren't for him, the secret would've been exposed to the world. If it weren't for him, Rikki's life would've never been the same, and not for the better. It was rare to find people that you could trust in such a situation like this. Very rare. She would know.

"This better work," Emma said, clinging onto both Cleo and Rikki's arms. "Oh, relax. You know it did. Otherwise, this viewing wouldn't have been needed. The whole world would've known about the existence of mermaids by now," Rikki rolled her eyes.

Terry was glad to see Zane willing to help out his daughter. Now he only hoped she would get out of there in time.

"Hurry, Rikki," Kim said. "Run, Rikki, run!" Elliot encouraged.

Zane: climbs into the boat, facing Nate – the latter's back to a runaway Rikki – still cackling about the prank he pulled. Bends down and glares at him. "It's my boat, Nate. Don't mess with it."

"You did tell him to keep it running," Lewis grimaced. "Yeah, and that was my mistake," Zane sighed. "Actually, he told him to keep it running. Not to rev the motor up. He shouldn't have messed with it," Will corrected. "Still, I should've never left him in that boat alone," Zane shook his head. "It's not your fault he has the worst patience in the world. It's almost non-existence," Harrison mentioned. "Are you kidding? It doesn't exist! It's more mythical than mermaids," Sam argued.

Nate: "What's the problem? Lighten up." Zane looks over Nate's shoulder and watches Rikki turn and dive into the water. Nate hears a splash and turns around but doesn't see anything, not knowing where Rikki went. Zane glances at a questioning Nate, nervous. Looks around. "Where'd she go?" Zane looks out in the distance.

Everyone breathed out a sigh of relief once Rikki made it into the water unseen by all eyes – except for Zane, but he was an exception – and that she got away without Nate getting suspicious. "Thanks, Zane," Emma breathed a deep sigh of relief. Their secret was safe once more thanks to Zane. Wow, I never thought I had to say that again, she thought. "Yeah, thanks, Zane. You're a lifesaver," Cleo gave him a grateful smile. "No problem," he nodded, returning a small smile.

"Thanks for distracting Nate for me," Rikki chuckled. "Not that hard to do actually," Zane laughed with her. "He was a little suspicious as to where you had gone but quickly chalked it up to thinking you had gotten onto another boat." "Like I said, he's an idiot," Emma hummed. "Normally I'd get on to you about name-calling, but I'll make an exception to this considering he nearly risked Rikki and you girls' lives," Neil remarked.

"I guess it's okay for him to know again if he was willing to protect Rikki. Maybe it means he'll keep the secret," Cleo whispered to Emma. "Yeah, maybe," she whispered back, but she was still suspicious of it. Something still seemed off about all of this.

"That's for Rikki and Zane to know and for you to never find out," Bella commented.

"Where did you go?" Terry asked her in concern. "The one place on the Gold Coast that could cool me off," Rikki said, thinking of her safe place. "Mako Island," they all voiced.

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[Now at Mako Island cooling off in the moonpool, Rikki – now in her mermaid form after a narrow escape – leans against the water ledge, stares at the cave walls and the sand covering the cave floor. Footsteps could be heard echoing throughout the cave, getting louder and approaching her. She turns toward the land entrance and finds Zane walking in.]

Zane: stops and stares at her for a moment, slightly shocked but then quickly lets it fade. Trying to figure out what to say, jabs a thumb toward the land entrance. "I knew I'd find you here."

"How'd you know?" Bella asked. "After they had temporarily lost their powers, Rikki explained to me their whole story: how they became mermaids, their connection to Mako and the full moon, their powers, their swims, and how they always like to hang out in the moonpool. It was the first place I thought of to check," Zane answered. Rikki gave him a small smile, happy to know that he remembered every single detail of their story.

Zane: "It's okay." Lowers his hand. "I'm alone." Walks further into the cave.

"You shouldn't even be there," Lewis argued. He didn't trust this one bit. "Why? He's proven himself and he needed to check on Rikki," Cleo frowned. "No, he hasn't." "Yes, he has. He proved himself the moment he chose to help Rikki escape. He could've stopped her or tried to expose her, but he didn't. He chose to protect her and the secret," Emma argued back, surprising nearly everyone about her defending Zane, including Rikki and Zane. Rikki figured that she would've been upset after finding out that Zane knew the secret again. But after finding out it was completely by accident, she supposed Emma found reason to believe Zane might have good intentions this time. Let's hope so. Because if she's reacting nicely to him finding out again, she won't be very happy with us dating and keeping it hidden from them again, she winced at the thought.

"Seriously, you're defending him?" Lewis asked in disbelief. "He did help Rikki. I'm not trusting him completely, but that earns a few points in my book," Emma shrugged. Lewis sighed, having to accept that there was another out there that was in on the secret, along with everyone else that is. "And let's not forget who reacted faster. Him immediately helping Rikki after finding out, or you Lewis, who took his sweet time after seeing my tail, denying helping me, then finally accepted the reality to help," Cleo gave him a pointed look. "Okay, to be fair. Zane found out after a second time, mine was first. Not to mention, Rikki was still in her human form and was much easier to help than a mermaid stuck in a pool," Lewis countered.

"So, what did you do to Nate then, kick him out?" Ash asked in a joking matter. "Yes," Zane said seriously. "After he done that to us, I was 'too angry to fish' so I told him to go home." "Should do that more often," Harrison mumbled.

Rikki: turns away. "So now you know."

"Again," Neil chuckled.

Zane: slowly walks closer to her, gestures to her tail. "Yeah, you're still .... You're still a uh –."

Rikki: cuts his stuttering off, irritated. "A mermaid, Zane. I'm still a mermaid."

"Cat got your tongue?" Lewis quipped, still a little iffy about earlier. "More like a fish did," Will snorted. "Well, I didn't know how to put it into words," Zane exclaimed. "She's still a mermaid. How else is there to explain it?" Max chuckled. "So, was it more surprising to find out she was still a mermaid or does the first time take the win?" Terry asked him curiously. "Probably the first time. It would've been worse, but I did know that mermaids existed before finding out who they were," Zane remarked. "Yeah, gotta go with the first time. The first time is always the worst," Lewis nodded in remembrance, surprising himself that he agreed with Zane. The difference between their first time finding out the secrets was that Lewis didn't believe in the existence of mermaids whereas on the other hand, Zane did.

Zane: stands in front of Rikki, then bends down in front of her in the sand. "That's, what I meant." Glances to the side, a silent sigh escapes.

Rikki: glances up at him and bites her lip, an awkward atmosphere between them. Changes the subject. "Thanks for covering for me with Nate."

"Owe you big time for that one," Rikki admitted. "Me too," Terry agreed. You've already paid me back by trusting me again, Zane thought with a small grin. "And I would do it again too." "Glad someone would," Cleo raised an eyebrow at Lewis. "Oh, go back to being jealous," Kim teased. "Hey, if I would've been there, I would've helped," Lewis said.

"She thanked someone. Quick, someone start recording!" Emma dramatically gasped. "Aye, cut it out," Rikki rolled her eyes, though everyone could see the matching grin she had on her face.

Zane: "No problem." Silent for a moment, then speaks up again. "You should have just told me."

"What would she have said? That's a difficult story to tell," Don mentioned. "How about, 'oh by the way, I'm still a mermaid' as a start?" Zane said.

"Well, I tried, but someone interrupted me," Rikki scowled. "You should've talked to us first before trying to tell him. I know you didn't have a choice, but before, you still could've," Emma sighed. "I did. But you shot the idea down and told me to stay away from him," Rikki told her. "For good reason. But now I can see I was slightly wrong," Emma reluctantly admitted. Rikki returned the smug smile and Emma shot up a finger. "Slightly wrong. We'll see how this goes." Emma gestured to Zane with an 'I got my eye on you' look. Zane held his hands up in defense. He didn't want to get on a mermaid's bad side, but he was truly more afraid of Rikki than he was of stone-cold Emma.

Rikki: raises an eyebrow. "Really?" takes her arms out of the water and crosses them on the rocky ledge, rests her chin on her arms. "And what would you have said? What would you have done?"

"Great, now I'm starting to sound like Emma," Rikki pouted. "Consider that a good thing," Emma smiled smugly. "How is becoming you a good thing? One of you is already enough," Rikki told her. "Likewise." "Having both of you is enough," Cleo rolled her eyes.

"I would've been surprised but I would've accepted it," Zane told her. "Really? You wouldn't want to go on another mermaid hunt?" Lewis raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I've proved myself plenty of times. I helped distract Nate from Rikki and I helped them escape a certain other situation," Zane pointed out as Denman tried to ignore the slight jab at her. "Twice. You've helped us twice," Emma counted. "Still better than nothing," Zane shrugged. Emma sighed; he had a point. It seems like they didn't have a choice but to trust him. It was a long road ahead of them, but it was a start. Then again, everyone here already knew their secret and they have no choice but to trust them all. And she had no reason to believe that they would expose them, it just felt like a bigger risk to their already exposed lives.

All of a sudden, another thought popped into Emma's head. "Hey, wait a second. If the timeline is right according to this episode and until the present, you've known about the secret for at least a couple of weeks," Emma frowned in realization. Rikki grimaced as Emma turned to her. "You had plenty of chances to tell us then that Zane found out. Why didn't you?" "Well, for several reasons. One, because I knew you would tell me 'I told you to stay away'. Two, because I thought you would react way worse than what you did earlier," Rikki mentioned. "You would have," Cleo nodded in agreement. "And three," she hesitated with a sigh. "You're about to find out reason number three."

Zane: "Look, I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you, but this time it's different." Rikki stays quiet, glances away for a second, conflict shining in her eyes. Gives her a small smile. "Come on, Rikki, just risk it. I don't care. About this." Gestures to her tail. "About everything." Rikki looks up to him.

"You sure cared a lot about that when you were out mermaid hunting and telling the whole coast," Bella commented.

"If you didn't care about that side of her, you wouldn't have saved her life just moments ago," Mrs. Chatham said with a knowing smile.

"Risk the secret? She's already risking it enough with you knowing," Kim scoffed. "Not much of a risk anymore since there's a whole lot more people that now know to protect them," Sam grinned as she gestured to the whole room. "I don't think that's what he meant about risking it," Ash mentioned, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Zane: "Let's get back together." Rikki glances away once more, thinking about his words.

Emma and Cleo's eyes widen, the rest of their face remained neutral as they both stare at Rikki, the feisty blonde avoiding their gazes with a wince. Yet when she glanced at Lewis, she had to do a double take as a wide grin was on his face. "Why are you smiling like that?" she asked him. "Wha – me? Nothing. I'm not smiling," Lewis replied a little too innocently. "Yes, you were." "Just ... waiting for confirmation," Lewis shrugged, the grin still on his face. Now confused, she decided to risk a glance at her two mermaid friends, only to find that they were no longer shocked, but were pouting, almost like they ... lost?

"Of course, this is what it's about," Will grinned. "Risk the secret and risk dating you? Wow, what a twist," Kim sarcastically said. "You mean a splash?" Elliot giggled. "You really know how to ask a girl out, don't you?" Ash asked, sarcasm lacing his tone.

Terry leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, watching the scene expectantly. He had a feeling they had to have gotten back together as soon as the secret was out again; he just didn't think it would be this soon. Then again, the Bennett boy had shown himself to rush into stuff when he finally figures out what his heart wants: Rikki. One example being the events after their time on the hotel balcony.

Zane: glances down then back up at her. "Look, for a long time I was the only one around here who believed in mermaids." Pauses for a moment, a small grin appears on his face. "I can handle it."

"Yeah, we know," Harrison chuckled. "I hadn't heard anyone else hollering at the top of their lungs that mermaids are real," Don laughed with him. "Uh, excuse me. Who was right all along here?" Zane raised a cocky eyebrow. "And who should keep their mouth shut more often?" Emma raised an eyebrow back. "Emma! Be nice," Lisa warned her. "Yes, mom." Zane bit back a smile.

Rikki: fights the conflict within her shown on her face. Shrugs her shoulders, bad memories from before coming back to her. Shakes her head. "I wish I could believe you."

"So do we," Emma bit her cheek. She knew Rikki wasn't talking about the secret anymore, just their past relationship. But it's going to take time for her to trust Zane again. It's been so long since she was able to. Since they were kids. "After everything that's happened. They're going to need some time," Neil said, glancing at his daughter. He knew Emma had it rough growing up with Zane, the boy always had been a little bit on the ... spoiled side per se, but his daughter was never one to toss away a second chance. If Zane was willing to try, then Emma would be willing to give a second chance.

"Well at least there's no Miriam in the picture to ruin it this time," Charlotte said. "That's a plus," Kim added.

Zane: leans forward on his elbows so he could be at Rikki's level, his face inches from hers. "Listen carefully. I can handle it." Slowly, the two lean in and kiss. As they separate, Zane smirks and nods at her. "Believe me now?" Slowly, a smile appears on Rikki's face.

"That didn't take a lot of convincing," Bella smirked. At least that's one ship saved. "Ugghh, I don't want to see that," Terry complained, his eyes shut.

Rikki shifted uncomfortably in her seat, waiting for her friends to yell at her. Instead, nothing came. Not the type of yelling she expected at least. "Will you wipe that smug look off your face already?" Cleo snapped. "It shall remain there till the end," Lewis's smug smile only grew bigger, nearly jumping up and down in his seat with excitement. "It's not confirmed yet, so knock it off," Emma rolled her eyes. A frown of confusion was written all over Rikki. "Am I missing something?" she asked them. "Nope!" the three said simultaneously, refusing to meet her eyes, almost as if they were afraid to give something away. But what? Rikki glanced between her mermaid and human friends, completely clueless as to what was happening. What is going on?! Am I in some sort of twilight zone?

"I think she believes you," a wide grin spread onto Kim's face. Lisa and Neil quickly cover Elliot's eyes. "Why do you keep doing this?" Elliot whined, unable to see what was happening on the screen. "I'll take that as a yes," Annette smiled. "Let me guess, so sweet?" Bev grinned at Sam who nodded eagerly.

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[Meanwhile, back at the café, Cleo is back in the storage room with Emma flipping through the diary as if she's read it a thousand times, all while Emma is still trying to work.]

Cleo: "It's all here in the diary. R.J., R.J., R.J.." Looks up to Emma. "She's meeting with him next week."

"Them. I was meeting up with them next week. As in the theater group?" Charlotte giggled, the mix-up she still found quite humorous. "Yeah, I kind of got that now," Cleo winced.

"Oh, yes! Here we go again," Kim squealed with delight. "You just love seeing Cleo get humiliated, don't you?" Bella chuckled. "She's my sister, it's a requirement," Cleo groaned, rolling her eyes. "Love it? It's the best thing ever! It's the greatest thing we've seen so far. Aside from all the mermaid stuff that is," Kim remarked. "You got that right," Will agreed. About the mermaid stuff, not the whole, you know, watch a sibling suffer from their own humiliation kind of ordeal. He never got to experience that much with Sophie considering she never really embarrassed herself. With them being on the boat a lot and away from most people, all they could really do was swim. The most she ever did that made him laugh was do silly forms in the water or watch her try to learn how to drive a boat. That part was hilarious, till she nearly got them killed.

Emma: shrugs, having enough of it. "Alright!" Picks up an empty basket and places it on the shelf. "Maybe R.J. is her boyfriend." Turns to Cleo and places a hand on the freezer door. "But isn't that a good thing?"

"It's not my boyfriend," Charlotte corrected. "I get the gist now, Char," Emma chuckled.

"Only you would see it as a good thing. To Cleo, it's revenge now," Ash nodded at the diary. "Revenge for what?" Will asked. "For trying to steal her Lewis," Kim said as if it were obvious. "I'm not an object you know," Lewis told her. "Still, Cleo was your best friend till you broke up," Kim shrugged. Charlotte blushed in embarrassment from Kim's statement.

In a way, it was kind of like that. She did want to get closer to Lewis and she did have – had – feelings for him, but she also wanted to get closer to the girls too, and make more friends. She just didn't know how. Lewis seemed like the easiest to approach. The girls always seemed so secretive together, it sort of felt like a little club of just their own. Now she knows why. And she could understand why. They had to protect one another, watch each other's backs.

Cleo: confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think?" Zane asked. "I don't know, I was too busy being obsessive at the time," Cleo huffed, rolling her eyes as a few others snickered at her remark.

"It meant, you were safe. There was nothing going on," Bella explained. "Yeah, I got the memo," she snapped. But it was exactly what I thought, just not in that way. There was no boyfriend, and she was making a move on Lewis.

Emma: rolls her eyes as she has to spell it out for her friend. "Lewis and Charlotte are just friends." Cleo sighs and rolls her eyes.

"Exactly. Just friends," Lewis repeated. He didn't want to be in another relationship, he just wanted to be with Cleo. But he couldn't talk to her like everything was normal when it wasn't. It was too much to handle. Much more than the mermaid secret. Charlotte glanced down, a bit sad at his reminder. He only wanted to be friends. She was deciding to be just friends, she just had to keep reminding herself that. For Lewis.

Emma: "Look, Cleo, I know you still have feelings for him. But all this has to stop."

"That wasn't so hard to read," Rikki said. "You're one to talk, Mrs. Kiss-the-Rich," Cleo shot back. "I might have deserved that one. But I'm not going after his money," Rikki liked to let everyone know.

"Yea, stop it before it's too late," Sam warned her. "A little late for that," Cleo winced.

Cleo: looks down at the diary. "And it will ..." Emma goes back to putting baskets on the shelf. "Right after Lewis finds out about R.J.." Cleo eyes Emma, the latter turns around and gives her an annoyed look.

"You just never know when to give up, do you?" Ash chuckled, the audience groaning in complaint. "Nope. She keeps going until she's gone too far," Emma sighed. "You go too far, and you'll end up drowning," Mrs. Chatham informed.

"Why does no one listen to me?" Emma complained. "Why do you always have to give advice?" Rikki asked. "Why are you always right?" Cleo complained back. "Why are you asking all these questions?" Lewis added in. "Zip it, Lewis," Rikki said.

[Emma walks out of the storage room and back behind the counter with a determined Cleo right behind her. Unlike the blonde who had to take customers' orders, the brunette stands at the end of the counter and stares at the other end where Charlotte and Lewis were standing next to each other. The two were in a conversation, unaware of who was staring them down. Hearing Charlotte's giggle seems to set off a bomb in Cleo, as she hides the diary behind her back and marches forward.]

"Wait, Cleo, no don't!" Don shouted, trying to stop her. "That's a very bad idea, Cleo," Bev warned. "A terrible, terrible plan," Emma sighed. "You're not going to embarrass her, you're just going to end up embarrassing yourself," Sam said. "Found that out the hard way, didn't you?" Ash winced. "You got that right," Cleo hid her face, not wanting to see this go down again.

"And let the fun begin," Rikki said with a small grin. "Oh, this is going to be great," Kim said in excitement.

"Do you really need to try and oust my daughter?" Annette questioned with a frown. "She's done nothing wrong." "I know," Cleo said, her voice muffled from behind her knees.

Cleo: stops behind Charlotte, a customer sat at the counter in between them. To Charlotte, quite loudly, gaining the attention of her, Lewis, Emma who was on the other side of the counter, the unfortunate teen sitting in the middle, and several other customers who happened to be nearby. "You need to explain a few things."

Charlotte: turns to her, quite confused. Tilts her head. Lewis stares at the brunette with a frown, not liking her attitude toward his new friend. "I do?"

"Why do you look mad?" Cleo asked. "Because I was a little upset. You didn't really need to cause a scene like that, and the way you spoke to Charlotte was a bit rude. She's my friend, I don't like my friends being spoken to that way; you know that," Lewis explained. "Oh," Cleo said a bit gloomy. She didn't think about how Lewis would've felt at the time. She was just so determined to prove that Charlotte was in the wrong, that she only ended up wrong herself and now she found out she had hurt Lewis's feelings ... again. "You were mad, I was more confused than anything. And nervous, part of it made me think it was about my old school," Charlotte admitted. "You hid your nerves well," Emma told her with a comforting smile.

Cleo: "Yep. Right now!" Slaps a hand onto the counter near the customer. The teenager between them senses the rising tension, grabs her book, slides off the bar stool and walks away. Charlotte, Emma, and Lewis look at Cleo in slight shock then watch as the counter customer leaves. Emma frowns at Cleo.

"Well, that was awkward," Kim said. "Not as awkward as this," Charlotte laughed.

"Was that really necessary?" Sam asked. "That was a little uncalled for," Bev frowned. "Everything about this was uncalled for," Emma corrected.

"I bet she had a story to tell her friends after that," Denman chuckled.

"Way to go, Cleo. You made more of my customers leave," Emma sighed. "She didn't come in for several days after that." "After what she just got put in the middle of, would you?" Will asked. "It was not part of my intentions," Cleo said a bit ashamed. "Neither was stealing a diary, yet here we are."

Charlotte: steps forward, puts a hand on the counter, and tilts her head. "About what, exactly?"

Cleo: "About everything." Shakes her head. "About how nothing with you seems to add up."

"What exactly didn't add up?" Harrison asked. "To be honest, I'm not so sure anymore. I just got too caught up in the whole diary thing I think," Cleo shifted uncomfortably. "It was mainly on the whole R.J. thing and her getting friendly with Lewis." "There's nothing wrong with me making friends with other people, Cleo," Lewis told her gently. "I know that ... now," she muttered.

"The only thing that didn't make much sense was the whole school on fire incident. And even then, we didn't think it was linked to her until she confessed," Neil stated. "Can we – can we not mention that incident again?" Charlotte said a bit sad. "Oh, yes. Sorry about that," Neil quickly apologized. "It's alright. It's just ... tough to think about." Denman gave her a look of sympathy. She understood; she felt the exact same way whenever her incident was brought up. Thanks to Emma and her little threat, she didn't have to worry about that as much. Every once in a while, a little slip-up, sure, but not constant like she thought.

Charlotte: raises an eyebrow, slightly amused as she was still unsure as to what she was talking about. Lewis listens closely. "Like?"

Cleo: frowns. Behind her, other customers nearby listen in on the drama. "Like ..." Brings the diary out from behind her back and holds it up. "R.J." Lewis crosses his arms and leans against the counter, looking at Cleo in disbelief.

Charlotte: looks at it in shock and snatches it from Cleo's hand. "Have you been going through my diary?"

"I was very surprised to find you with her diary. To think you would sink so low to look through someone else's privacy. You always protect your own secrets, why snoop through Charlotte's?" Lewis told her. "I wasn't thinking clearly," Cleo blushed with guilt. "Oh, obviously," Kim scoffed. "Zip it, Kim. You have no room to talk," Cleo snapped. "It's different when it's my sister's diary. It's a whole other level when it's a stranger's," Kim shot back.

"How did you not notice that it was missing until now?" Annette asked her. "I was so busy helping Lewis with his weather project that I didn't really notice it was gone," Charlotte said.

"And all evidence is now laid out on the table," Ash said. "No, it's not. It's in her hand," Elliot frowned. Ash chuckled. "I have a few things I need to teach you." "Can you leave the 'excuse lessons' out of it this time please?" Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Sure thing," he laughed.

Cleo: "No!" Raises her hand up to her shoulder. Charlotte looks at her in shocked disbelief before looking down at her diary; hurt filling her features.

"Yes!" nearly everyone shouted. Cleo winced.

"Once you mentioned R.J. I knew you had to have read it. The only people that even knew the meaning of 'R.J.' was everyone in the theater group," Charlotte said.

Cleo: stutters slightly for an excuse. "Well, I may have found it and it kind of fell open." Shrugs.

"We both know that was a lie," Emma scoffed. "After seeing you two have a tug-of-war over it, that excuse isn't going to play over this time," Lewis chuckled. "Didn't even believe it the first time after she lied about reading it," Charlotte said. "No need to lie about it, Cleo. You're still guilty. And still grounded," Don confirmed causing Cleo to pout about the reminder of her grounding.

Cleo: takes the diary back from Charlotte. "And there was a photo." Charlotte's frown increases about the diary being taken from her once more. Flips through the pages until she finds the one that started this whole mess. 'Meet R.J.' scribbled in big red letters with a photo of Charlotte kissing a boy. Holds it out for her and Lewis to see. "It's all there. You can admit it to Lewis." Smirks, thinking she was right.

"And this is where it goes all downhill from here," Emma winced. "It's not going to be pretty," Lewis shook his head.

"There's the jealousy we all know and love," Kim teased. Cleo glared at her, her cheeks blushing with embarrassment.

"There was nothing to admit. It wasn't true," Charlotte shrugged, feeling slightly bad for Cleo after all the humiliation. But then again, she did try to humiliate her first.

[Once she sees the picture, Charlotte bursts into laughter. Lewis glances back at the staring crowd around them then back at Cleo in disapproval.]

Cleo: smirk falls, glances at Emma then back to Charlotte. "Why are you laughing?"

"Because I thought it was hilarious you thought I had a boyfriend. You had it all wrong," Charlotte giggled. "It was quite amusing," Lewis grinned. "They're not wrong. And I –," Emma added. "Ah! Don't say it. Don't you dare," Cleo cut her off, holding a finger up at her in warning. "Okay. I won't," Emma smirked and turned back to the screen. "She tried to tell you," Rikki finished. "Rikki!" Cleo glared. "What? You told her not to say it. You said nothing about me," she smirked. "It was a little funny," Bella admitted.

"Jealousy can be a tricky emotion. But it's something you shouldn't listen to," Mrs. Chatham informed.

Charlotte: points at the photo with an amused expression. "This photo is from my theater group. We're doing 'Romeo and Juliet.' 'R.J.'." Takes the diary back from her. Giggles as Cleo continues to falter. "These meetings are rehearsals." Turns to her bag and opens it up, pulls out a smaller version of the poster, and hands it to Cleo. "Here." Smirks. Cleo looks down at it to find the same picture from before of Charlotte and a guy kissing, but a much larger print. It shows them in old-centuries clothes and in big letters up top, 'Romeo and Juliet.'

"Why didn't you start spreading word about the play more?" Lisa asked. "Because at the time there wasn't an official date yet. And that poster was just a replica of the original. They gave each of us a copy of the original since that was the first poster ever made for it. This was just a test run," Charlotte answered.

"Nice poster," Sam smiled. "Thanks. Now all it needs is a date," Charlotte smiled back.

Charlotte: cocks her eyebrow, tilts her head. Cleo looks back up at her. "Anything else you need explained?"

Cleo: bummed out. Shakes the poster. "Nope, that pretty much does it." Winces at it. Charlotte snatches it back from her, glares, and stuffs it back in her bag. Charlotte picks her bag up and storms off, leaving the café and Lewis behind. Cleo, still holding her hand up from where the poster was once in it, glances at a very disappointed Lewis for a moment, then runs off in the other direction, upset.

"Charlotte, I know she shouldn't have evaded your privacy and called you out like that, but there was no reason to give her the same attitude back. You know the saying, 'treat others as you wish to be treated'," Annette whispered to her in a scolding matter. "You're right, mom," Charlotte muttered back with a sigh before turning to Cleo. "I'm sorry, Cleo. I shouldn't have been so snotty to you." "No, it's okay. I deserved it. I've done much worse to you as we all saw. I should be the one to apologize. I'm sorry for evading your privacy, multiple times, and for trying to humiliate you," Cleo apologized.

"You've already apologized for it. Several times in fact. It's okay, we're cool now," Charlotte gave her a small grin which Cleo quickly returned. "Thanks." "At least that's settled," Don sighed. Bev glanced away. She'll get over that quickly, but not my absence.

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[Later on, at the Sertori house, Cleo returns home and resorts to scarfing down ice cream in her parent's office, her feet propped up in the chair. She was eating another spoonful when a knock was heard from the front door.]

Cleo: shouts upstairs. "Kim! Someone's at the door!"

"Why didn't you answer it?" Cleo asked her. "I was in my room. You were closer," Kim said. "I was busy," Cleo excused. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize eating away your sorrows was considered a chore," Kim apologized, sarcasm lacing her tone; Cleo rolled her eyes.

"Great, now I want ice cream," Elliot huffed, his parents chuckled. "Me too," Bella pouted. Too bad I can't make that with my powers. I wonder if Emma can.

Charlotte snorted, biting back a laugh but a few giggles escaped. "What's so funny?" Cleo frowned. "Sorry, I just find it quite ironic. I went home and did the same thing," Charlotte let her laughter out now. "No way!" Cleo joined in on her laughter. "Yeah!"

[Without missing a beat, the person on the other side of the door knocks again. Cleo rolls her eyes in annoyance and stands up, heads for the door, the ice cream and spoon still in hand. As she nears the door, she stuffs the spoon in her mouth so one hand could be free to open the door. The door now open, she finds Lewis on the other side.]

Lewis: steps in. "Can I have a word?" Cleo takes the spoon out of her mouth.

"Perfect timing, as always," Ash shook his head.

"You didn't even give them time to answer. That was way too short of a time," Bella said. "Yeah, careful Lewis, you don't want to pull a Nate," Rikki scowled, thinking of ways she could get back at the spoiled moron for that prank he did. "I knocked fast the second time because I heard Cleo shout, so I knew she was home. I wanted to talk to her," Lewis explained. That's a first, Cleo thought. "As we can tell," Will said.

[The two sit on the couch, keeping a few feet of space between them, the atmosphere quickly feels awkward between the two. Lewis stares at her, making Cleo uncomfortable. Lewis glances away, fiddling with his fingers as Cleo sets the ice cream carton down on the living room table and leans back in her seat. Avoids his gaze and chooses to stare straight ahead.]

Lewis: decides to start the conversation. "I wanted to talk about today."

"My day was great, Lewis. Thanks for asking," Cleo said in a deadpanned tone.

"At least someone was finally making the first move," Emma groaned in relief, glad that Lewis was taking the first step in trying to fix their current relationship. "Someone had to. And since Cleo wouldn't own up to it, that left me," Lewis shrugged. "There wasn't much to talk about. I was wrong, Charlotte was right. End of story," Cleo shrugged as if it were nothing. "Charlotte wasn't the only one that was right," Emma smiled proud. "Uh, you're leaving a lot of details out of there," Will said. "Not much to talk about? Are you kidding?! You had a whole night's worth of stuff to talk about," Kim exclaimed. "And not one bit of it she would give up," Lewis sighed.

Cleo: huffs. "Lewis, forget it, please." Glances at him, guilt written all over her features.

"After this ends, please don't bring this up ever again," Cleo pleaded. "Hmm. I'll think about it," Rikki acted like she was thinking. "Rikki," Emma gave her a look. "Fine," she rolled her eyes. "Way to take all the fun out of it," Bella grinned.

"He came all the way there, for the first time in what? Forever? And you want him to forget about it? That's not gonna go away so easily," Ash shook his head. "After all that? How can he forget?" Will chuckled.

Lewis: shakes his head. "No, no. Hear me out. All that stuff you said about Charlotte." Cleo glances at him again, slightly annoyed, arms crossed. "I was thinking that maybe you were – and this is just a thought," Gives her a look. "that maybe you were a little ... jealous?" Cleo looks away, avoiding his gaze.

"That's exactly what it was," Bev mumbled. "Maybe?" Will asked. "A little?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "More like a lot," Elliot giggled, Neil pats him on the shoulder to tell him to stop. "Gee, I wonder what made you think that?" Kim grinned, tapping her chin in thought. "It was so obvious," Bella added.

"You're not denying it," Emma told her, a small smile on her face, glad that her friend was finally letting some of her feelings out ... or so she thought. "Not for long, she isn't," Lewis frowned.

"I wasn't jealous," Cleo denied. "Yes, you were," Emma and Rikki said. "I've seen everything that went down in person. I know what it was," Emma added.

Lewis: "Charlotte's just a friend, Cleo. Not like us. We're ... good friends."

"Not at the moment, you weren't," Ash stated bluntly. "What are you talking about? We are good friends. The best of friends," Cleo argued. "Cleo, ever since you broke up, Lewis couldn't even talk to you or look you in the eyes without getting sad. This is the first time you two are actually having a conversation other than when you are passing by. And you just got done accusing his friend of being a cheat," Emma reminded. "Well, when you put it like that ..." Cleo's frown falls. Emma was right. She really hadn't been as good of a friend to Lewis as she thought. She only hopes after all this she can fix that. With both him and Charlotte.

Charlotte let out a sigh, once again about being reminded she was just a friend, still trying to remind herself of that status as well. She couldn't affect Lewis's relationship with Cleo. She just couldn't.

Cleo: quiet. "Yeah, I know." They look at each other.

Lewis: "And if you've changed your mind about us, then, hey, just let me know." A bit hopeful, nods.

"That might've been a little too soon, bud," Zane winced. "Coming from the expert," Lewis said a bit snarky. "After trying multiple times to win Rikki back, yeah, I'd say I am," Zane replied.

"Then wasn't the time, Lewis," Cleo said. "Then when is?" Lewis asked, a small bit of hope still remained. "... I don't know," Cleo eventually shrugged. Hopefully soon. Hopefully when I'm ready. Lewis sighed and glanced away, still choosing to be patient with Cleo. Whenever she's ready, he'll be there.

Bev looked up at the screen, hoping Cleo would change her mind. But as soon as she heard her daughter in the room answer, her hope deflated. Why wouldn't Cleo just say yes?

Cleo: fights back a pained expression then looks back at him. "Lewis ..." Gives him a sorrowful look, shakes her head slightly. "I just wanted to find out more about her. If she's getting close to you, she's getting close to our secret."

"Quit being so stubborn and just tell him!" Bella spat. "He's in the room," Cleo jabbed a thumb at him, her face flushed red. Said boy waves a hand at the blonde. "So? He already knew," Bella pointed out.

"Well, you sure found out a lot about her alright," Annette scoffed. "A little too much I might say," Charlotte mumbled.

"Just because she was getting close to him doesn't mean she's any danger to your secret. Lewis knew what was at stake. He knew what it means to you girls. I don't think he was willing to risk your lives just for a new friend," Neil mentioned. "Plus, thanks to the screen, she already knows the secret," Sam reminded. "Yeah, now. But she didn't know of it back then," Cleo said. "You say that like it was so long ago. It was two weeks ago," Emma mused.

Lewis: painful expression. "That's all?" Quiet. Cleo glances away, bites her lip. "You're just protecting your secret?"

"Ah-hem. Our secret," Rikki gestured to the three of them, mentally adding Bella to the mix. "Not the time, Rikki," Emma shook her head with disapproval.

"No. That's not all," Bella declined. "That wasn't it at all," Will corrected.

Cleo: looks back, nods. "Yep. That's all."

"Just tell him the truth. He'll understand," Sam encouraged. Yeah, and want to get back together, Cleo thought. But Cleo wasn't ready for that. Not until she figures out how to deal with the mom situation. It was going well, but due to her return, it felt like she was back at Phase 1 all over again.

"Liar," Kim spat. "Kim, not now," Don warned, seeing the sadness behind Cleo's eyes onscreen. She didn't want to, but it felt like she had no choice. And it's all thanks to Bev no doubt. How can she not see how much she has affected them? And it's only getting worse.

Lewis: looks down, deflated. "Okay. It's good to know where I stand." Looks back at her, now hopeless. "See you around." Jumps up and heads for the door.

Cleo: watches as he stands up and rushes for the door, her sadness grows. As the door opens, her eyes flick side to side, conflict arises. She leans forward in her seat, about to stop him. "Lewis, wait!" But before she could even get the full sentence out, the door slams shut. Lewis was gone. She lowers herself back onto the couch, now feeling worse than before.

Lewis perked up upon hearing his name be called. He didn't know she had tried to stop him, already outside by the time she could get the words out. Now he felt guilty for leaving so sudden. If he had known she was trying to stop him, he would've listened to her.

"Why didn't you go after him?" Bella frowned. "Because I had no right to. I'm the one that made him angry, why would he want to listen?" Cleo answered gloomy. "Y-you know, Cleo. If you would've said that a second sooner, I would've stopped and listened," Lewis reluctantly admitted. "Really?" Cleo said, a hopeful smile. "Yeah," Lewis nodded. "But I didn't hear you. I was already out. I'm sorry." "It's okay, I should've made up my mind quicker. Maybe I should've told you in the first place," Cleo said, a small smile on her face. "Maybe," Lewis chuckled lightly.

"At least she tried," Annette said, a bit optimistic. "But she was too late," Sam said, bringing her back to reality. "It's never too late to stop trying, as Zane has taught us," Harrison chuckled as he glanced at his son.

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[Back at the tracks, Zane and Rikki walk side by side down the path toward the entrance ramp. Zane was back in his leather outfit, with him pushing his bike as they walk and the helmet in his other hand as he listens to Rikki ramble.]

Rikki: holds up two fingers. "Okay, there's two conditions to us getting back together. Number one, you have to keep our mermaid identity a secret."

Lewis perked up even more upon hearing that, getting all jumpy again. "Ooh, hear that Emma?" he asked, a wide cocky grin on his face. "It's not official," Emma rolled her eyes. "Yet," he smirked. "What is going on with you three?" Rikki said, completely clueless. "Keep watching. You'll find out soon enough," Lewis laughed excitedly. Rikki huffed in frustration.

"Our mermaid identity? You told him about us too?" Emma asked with a frown. "Actually, he figured that part out on his own. For once," Rikki answered. "For the record, I had assumed so. Since Rikki was a mermaid again, I figured you two were as well," Zane nodded at them. "And when he asked me if you two were mermaids still too, there was no point in lying about it. As I said, he already knew everything about the secret," Rikki added with a shrug. "Makes sense. If Rikki was still a mermaid, then it would be just as obvious that you two still were," Denman mentioned. Though if I had known that a second time, I'd be questioning it as well.

"Of course, more conditions," Harrison chuckled. "That's my Rikki," Terry said with a proud smile, glad to know she was happy again. So, this is when they get back together.

Zane: shakes his head. "No problem. What's the other catch?" Looks back at her.

"Huh, that was easy," Emma said a bit surprised. She figured it would take a bit more banter to get him to agree to it. Then again, if he was so willing to protect Rikki before they got back together, then it shouldn't be that hard to persuade him while they were in the mists of getting back together. "It's not that hard. I was going to keep the secret anyways," Zane implied. "I just had to make sure," Rikki said a bit sheepish. "Did you really think I'd blab? Where's the trust?" Zane joked. "Probably still on Denman's boat," Lewis muttered. Emma shushed him.

Rikki: hesitates. Puts her hands in her pockets. "We don't let Cleo and Emma find out we're back together. Promise?"

"Hey, what about me?" Lewis asked, slightly offended. "Sorry, mermaid's only," she grinned. "Wow. That really hurts, Rikki. Right here," he puts a hand to his heart, pouting. "Ah, get over it you wimp," she groaned.

"Too late for that now," Cleo mumbled. "If only you knew back then it was being broadcasted to everyone here," Terry laughed.

Zane: "Promise."

Rikki: "Seriously." Looks serious at him.

Zane: nods. "Okay. I promise."

Emma grinned slightly upon seeing how serious Zane was being to Rikki about her conditions. Even though she didn't like that it was about her and Cleo, he was still doing it for her. Like he was trying to make things right. Zane did care, and this scene shows it right here. It wasn't much, but it meant a lot to Rikki. She had to admit, she thought it was sweet of him like Sam would say.

Rikki: glances away, a small smile on her face. "And we can't be seen together in public. You'll have to say goodbye to me here."

"You said two conditions. That's three," Kim pointed out. "It was a part of the second condition. I learned that mistake from last time," Rikki said, thinking about when they were caught at the movie theater.

"You make a tough bargain for, Chadwick," Zane chuckled. "And if you want me, you can deal with it, Bennett," she smirked. "Stop the flirting. Not in here," Elliot gagged. "I agree with the kid. Not with me around," Terry shook his head, Rikki laughed. "Dad!"

"But then you'll hardly get to see each other," Sam realized. "We saw each other when our friends weren't around. But it didn't matter to us. As long as we knew where we stood and she was happy, it didn't matter," Zane shrugged. So sweet! Sam gushed.

Zane: silent laugh, kicks his stand out for his bike and turns around to her with a big smile. "You sure make a lot of rules, don't you?"

"Yeah, for someone who normally hates rules, you sure do have a lot," Emma turned to her. "And for someone who makes a lot of rules you tend to break a lot," Rikki remarked, matching her grin.

Zane: shakes his head and nods in acceptance. "Okay, okay. I'll play it your way." Rikki smiles at him. "You know where to find me." Glances at the track then back at her. "Whenever you wanna see me, just call. Okay?"

Rikki: smiles wider and nods. "Okay."

"And where would that be?" Max asked. "My house of course. And the track," Zane replied. "It was our special place," Rikki smiled. "I guess the invitation could be extended to our house as well," Terry sighed, accepting his daughter's new relationship ... again. "Really, dad?" Rikki asked, a bit surprised. "Yes. With supervision of course," he quickly added. "Dad!" Rikki complained. "I like the way you think, Terry," Harrison chuckled. "Of course," Terry nodded. If they can hide a mermaid tail, then they can hide anything.

"Trust me. She didn't call as often as you think," Zane grinned as he saw Bella's face falter. "I didn't want to make it seem suspicious," Rikki shrugged when she saw her friends look her way.

[Zane leans in for a kiss. Rikki leans in slowly with a smile.]

"Oh, come on. Not again! I said I don't want to see it," Terry quickly covered his eyes. Rikki rolled her eyes at his childish antics.

[With his arms behind Rikki's back, he brings up his helmet that was still in his hand and puts it over his face, blocking the kiss. Rikki looks at him in slight surprise. Zane raises his eyebrows at her, his helmet now on, and turns around. With the stand now back up, he rolls it down toward the ramp.]

"Nuh uh uh, not in public," Zane teased, wagging a finger at her as a few of their friends and others laughed with them. "Thanks for the save, Zane," Terry let out a breath of relief. Rikki scowled playfully at her dad.

"Okay, gotta admit. That was funny," Sam laughed. "It was amusing," Rikki admitted with a smile.

[Rikki shakes her head in amusement and follows him down the path. At the ramp, Zane turns the motorbike on and hops on, speeding off down the track as he does so. Rikki watches him go as she walks by, then walks away to return to her supposedly regular life. Zane continues down the track, speeding up, dirt flies everywhere as he goes.]

"Well, that was something," Neil said, filling in the silence. "Definitely an interesting one," Don agreed. "Okay, it's over," Rikki sighed, half expecting her friends to be angry and yell at her by now. The other half wants to know what in the world her friends were up to.

"That pretty much confirms it," Lewis continued to grin. Emma sighed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay." What they did next was absolutely shocking to the feisty blonde. Cleo and Emma both reached into their pockets and pulled out twenty bucks each ... and handed it over to Lewis who had his palm held out for it. Lewis took the cash and laughed to himself as he counted the now forty bucks in his hand. "Nice doing business with you girls." Realization dawned on her, her eyes widen even more.

"Wait, wait, wait ... you guys betted on me?!"

"Yeah," Lewis nodded. "Pretty much," Cleo said. "Were you expecting otherwise?" Emma replied. "Actually, it was both you and Zane, but yeah," Lewis explained briefly. "Since when?" Zane asked, astonished. "When did you guys bet on this whole thing?" Rikki asked in astoundment. "Well, to be honest. We had a feeling you guys were still dating," Cleo rubbed her neck sheepishly. "Actually, I had a feeling, while Cleo said you wouldn't hide it from us, and Emma claimed that you two weren't dating," Lewis said cheerfully with a cackle. "Okay, Emma. That was pretty dumb of you. And again, I'm gonna ask. When did this happen?" she pointed at Emma.

"During one of the breaks, when you two went and talked," Emma answered. "You two were taking a while, so we joked around and said you two were probably making out back there," Cleo added. "Better not have," Terry spoke over. "Anyways, Lewis believed that you two were back together again. I said that there was no way you wouldn't tell us about it again. And Emma said you weren't going to get near him again," Cleo finished, giving Rikki a pointed look.

"And I said, if she's done it once, she'll do it again," Lewis smiled smugly, flapping his forty bucks in hand in their faces. "We kept arguing, and we stupidly made a bet with him that you weren't dating. Twenty bucks to whoever got it right," Emma narrowed her eyes at a gloating Lewis. I don't know whether I should be annoyed that you betted or proud that Lewis knows when to make a good one. So, I'll go with both," Rikki high-fived Lewis.

"Soooo ... are you two cool with us dating again?" Zane pointed at them. Emma and Cleo glanced at each other. "Well, at first when Lewis brought it up, we weren't," Cleo admitted. "But seeing all you did for Rikki and are still willing to keep the secret, I don't really see a reason for us to be mad. I mean, yeah, we're annoyed that you kept it a secret from us, Rikki, but we understand," Emma sighed with a small smile of what Rikki thought was approval. "You were just trying to protect the secret and what made you happy," Cleo smiled. "Well, as long as you two aren't mad about it," Rikki let her shoulders sag in relief.

"The only thing I'm mad about is losing twenty bucks to Lewis," Emma scowled playfully at him. "Whine all you want. Because ... I was right and you were wrong, I was right, and you were wrong," Lewis began to sing, taunting her.

Alright, alright. Who's got the remote? Let's start another one before I freeze his lips together," Emma groaned in annoyance. "Can you do it anyways?" Rikki asked. "Pretty please?" Kim begged. "I'll stop. And here," Lewis cut out the obnoxious singing and handed Emma the remote. "Thank you," she replied and held the remote out and pressed play.