Another You, Another Me, Another Now

[JosieTash]

Story Title: Another You, Another Me, Another Now

Type Of Story: Long fic

Main Characters: Charlie, Joey, Ruby, Geoff, Rachel, Tony, Martha and 4 newbies – Bella, Cleo, Emma and Rikki.

BTTB Rating: T/A

Genre: Action, Romance

Does story incl spoilers: No

Any warnings: sexual references [i.e. same sex ‘ships]

Summary: A plane crash leads to the discovery of the world’s most AMAZING secret

Notes –

This fic is set in a similar “world” [‘ships/living arrangements] to the current spec [end of 2009] H&A, with a few changes –

1. Joey/Charlie [Jarlie] are soooo together – and living at Leah’s house

2. Leah & Miles are togther – Leah & VJ live at the VPH, as does ….

3. Bambang – who Miles/Leah are caring for, after he took to Romeo [like the way he did to Martha in real H&A]

4. Same sex marriages are legal throughout Australia.

5. I have NO idea about computers & hacking, so just go with me on the hacking storyline that takes place in this fic.

CHAPTER 1

“Will you marry me?” says the slightly anxious, but way excited, Charlie.

“Of course I will”, replied the OVERJOYED Joey, “I want to be with you forever”

Jarlie tenderly lip lock – before they REALLY start to pash!!!!

They are alone in the candlelit lounge room of the house they live in with Ruby. Charlie is sooooo pleased she’s had a 2nd chance with Joey – who returned to the Bay about a month ago. As soon as they saw each other again, Jarlie just KNEW they the still had something …….. something permanent, everlasting!!!

Jarlie had been dating ever since, causing no end of gossip for the likes of Colleen - but neither of them cared that a same sex ‘ship isn’t exactly the norm for Summer Bay. Both took heart that since Joey’s return, many people [especially Charlie’s daughter Ruby] have well & truly supported their ‘ship.

Jarlie kiss & cuddle seemingly forever after the proposal – before they think bout calling their many friends to tell them bout the planned public surprise announcement that they are to make.

Before the phone calls begin though, Jarlie wait for Ruby to come home [from her date with Geoff]. As soon as Ruby enters the house and sees Jarlie, it’s like she can sense what’s happened – and Jarlie not being able to keep their hands off each other “probably” helps.

Ruby, with the biggest smile on face, says “hi, step mum” …… and Jarlie respond by group hugging Ruby – with all 3 of them thinking that this has been such a full on year, with Jarlie take 1, the revelation that Ruby is Charlie’s daughter, Ruby diagnosed with diabetes and now Jarlie take 2 – incl the engagement !!!!

The next day, Jarlie, Ruby, Geoff, Rachel, Tony, Aden, Romeo, Irene, Miles, Leah, Alf, Nicole & Bambang all get aboard the Blaxland – with only Jarlie & Ruby knowing exactly why.

As the Blaxland sets off form the wharf, Jai & Annie are on a flight from Japan to Sydney. The 2 bayside teens are on their way home form the opportunity of a lifetime – a 6 month scholarship in Japan. Both LOVED their time overseas, but are now especially keen to be with their families & friends again.

Also on the large passenger jet is blonde teen Emma Gilbert. Em’s been globetrotting with her family [mum, dad & little bro Elliott] for the past year or so. They live on the Gold Coast - and a day or 2 in Sydney will be the last stop of their round the world holiday. As mush as she’s LOVED travelling the world – all those many languages to learn & speak, all the cooool places that she’s seen – Emma has REALLY realised that absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Emma has 2 UBER great friends, Cleo Sertori and Rikki Chadwick. Sure, the trio has been emailing, chatting on the phone and on webcams, but its just not the same as a face to face catch up on all the goss with her besties.

Emma is also keen to meet [face to face] Cleo & Rikki’s new friend Bella Hartley. Like with Rikki & Cleo, Emma’s chatted to Bella via webcams etc, and Emma REALLY likes that, just like Rikki, Cleo and Em, that Bella isn’t exactly who she seems – Bella is living a double life …. just a single drop of water turns each of these 4 supposedly ordinary teens into MERMAIDS!!!!

Just like Emma, Rikki & Cleo, Bella is human, well, humanoid, most of the time – but whilst Emma, Cleo & Rikki have “only” had been with tail for about 3 years. Em recalls that she was AMAZED when Bella told her she's been a mermaid since she was NINE years old, i.e. Bella’s been this way HALF her life.

As Emma occasionally looks out the window, seeing endless blue ocean below, Em hopes now that there are 4 in their little mer-group, it should relieve some of the awkward tension between them – that has stopped Emma, Rikki & Cleo from turning their friendship into something more.

Emma starts to daydream – about kissing Cleo, whilst Rikki & Bella are also lip locked. Em then imagines herself kissing Bella - with Rikki/Cleo likewise.

The daydream ends when Em hears a loud BANG and the plane starts to shudder!!!!!!

Some of the passengers start to scream before they hear the pilot announce “ladies & gentlemen, we’ve experience a MAJOR malfunction. Listen carefully to the flight crew for instructions. We’ll do all we can, but you MUST prepare for a water landing”!!!!!

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!!!!!!!!

[JosieTash]

~JarlieFanEver~ ...... sooooooo glad you like it. this is the 1st fic I've posted here in about 2 years. the others focused on Maddie .... ironically, given taht Bella is also played by Indiana Evans.

Scotcaz22, hope you like Chapter 2.

Red Ranger 1, after a planned H&A/h2o crossover that never went anywhere beyond te synopsis, i liked tat way that this story just fell into place nicely.

belgshep, coooooooooooooooool that you LOVE that tile and everything else ....

CHAPTER 2

Here are pics of the newbies .... in both land AND sea mode ..... [and I've added 2 pics of Jarlie to Ch 1] ......

The newbies [in humanoid mode]………

1st season left to right – Emma, Cleo, Rikki / 2nd season Lto R – Charlotte Whatford, Rikki, Cleo, Em / 3rd season – Cleo, Rikki, Bella [all publicity pics]

The newbies [as mermaids] .......

Bella Hartley [publicity pic]

Cleo Sertori, Emma Gilbert, Rikki Chadwick [h2o series 1, epsidode 18]

The usually calm & collected Emma is soooo in a no win sitch – if her family [who DON’T KNOW her mer-secret] weren’t with her, she could simply just use that tail of her to quickly swim way form the watery crash scene but she knows that that’s not an option. Emma’s not religious, but right now, she’s praying for a miracle … that will keep this plane [that’s descending at a great speed] she is in out of a harsh crash into the ocean below.

Emma’s friends Rikki, Cleo & Bella are, at that same moment, in the moon pool on Mako Island – the mysterious place where Emma, Rikki & Cleo were transformed into mermaids. Rikki, Bella & Cleo, with the skin all moist & kinda glowing and their tails beneath the surface of the water, are having a teen girly chat when ….

Bella "I’m seriously thinking bout getting that skirt, the sky blue one with the …….……….. Did you just hear that?"

Rikki "YOU heard Emma!!!!!!"

Cleo "She’s in trouble"

The girls, despite all their non human skills, aren’t telepathic – and yet, each of them heard Em’s cry for help. The trio know Em’s sitch – and with the abilities Bella &Cleo have, they should be able to cushion the impact …. but there’s no time to waste thinking bout it right now, as Rikki & her friends HAVE to get to where the plane is expected to crash.

The trio quickly, REALLY quickly [like warp speed in Star Trek] begin the several hundred kilometre swim from Mako Island [of the coast of the Gold Coast] down to where the plane is expected to ditch into the ocean. All 3 are swimming somehow faster than they have before. Rikki remembers the only time that her fingers & face especially have been buffeted by the water [as they "fly" through it, with their hands "torpedoed" in front on them … see mer-Bella pic] is when Em & Rikki swam UBER quickly to save Cleo, who’d been caught in a fishing trawler’s net.

Whilst all that is going on, off the coast of Summer Bay, Ruby, Geoff, Aden, Rachel and their friends are celebrating the Bay’s newly engaged couple – Jarlie. Miles is recoding all that’s happening on a digital camcorder. Jarlie are soooooo kissing & cuddling and their friends are muchly overjoyed that this couple are on top of the world.

They all hear the sound of a plane, a very large passenger jet, and what they CAN hear sounds louder than it should. All eyes are to the sky when the passenger jet, with its nose pointed towards the ocean, comes below the clouds!!!!! Leah, Jarlie, Ruby and the others are VERY worried – but at least the Blaxland itself is pretty far away from where it looks like the plane will crash.

As the pilots attempt to get the plane into the best possible angle [for when it hits the water], Bella, Rikki & Cleo surface - having covered the hundreds of kilometres in hardly any time at all. The trio are mush closer to the expected point of impact of the plane than the Blaxland. Bella, as she "warp drived" down the coast, thought of the perfect plan - because, as well as having a tail and being able to stay underwater for ages etc, Bella can also control water with her thoughts - and a quick Spiderman like twisting of her hand & wrist. Bella's ability is to turn water into a jelly like substance - with that, Bella thinks that she should be able to cushion the impact of the plane when it hits the ocean. Cleo's also been deep in thought - she knows the Bella's jelly power dissolves when a decent amount of weight comes into contact with the jellied water.

Rikki [whose heating/boiling water ability isn't relevant here] "So I'm guessing that the two of you have thought of Cleo using her power to back up what you can do Bella"

Cleo "Yeah, I'll use my power [to manoeuvre water into various forms] to manoeuvre the water directly beneath where Bella jellies the surface"

Bella "This is soooooo the biggest thing that I've EVER done with my power. I mean, preventing a plane crash form being UBER bad .... I'm worried"

Rikki "We know you can do it, Bella"

Cleo "Yeah. You’ve been a mermaid since you were NINE ... getting this precise enough so we can help the plane AND don't get the jellied water filmed by satellites ...."

Rikki "Or by people on the plane ...."

Cleo "Yep, should be a sinch for you, Bella"

Bella [beaming voice] "Thanks for the BIG vote of confidence"

In the air, not that far from the surface of the ocean now, the pilots of the passenger jet try to angle their plane so it hits the water at the same/similar angel to the jet which landed miraculously, with NO loss of life, in the Hudson River in New York earlier this year. The pilots do all they can, and are totally on top of their game, but the mech failure they had won't make this easy. As the plane descends, the pilots are able to get it to the point where the nose is point slightly up. The angle should be similar to the Hudson crash now - so the engines don't hit the water and cause the plane to rip in two.

As Jarlie & their friends [about 3 kms away] look on - in the hope that the plane crash won't be catastrophic, Miles has the video camera focused on the plane.

In the water, Cleo raises her arm out of the water, whilst Bella does the same. [see pics below for arm/hand action]

The plane is REALLY not far from the surface of the ocean now, and the pilot & crew have told other passengers to brace for impact - AND given them post crash instructions. The pilots have done all they can - but the plane is still going too fast, even if it hits at the "Hudson miracle" angle.

Bella & Cleo can see where the plane will hit. Bella - with the plane seconds form impact - uses her power to jelly the water directly below the fuselage ... with Cleo strengthening the jellied water with her power.

The plane hits the jellied water ........................

Water power Emma [publicity pic]

LtoR ... Water power Bella, Rikki, Cleo [h2o seies 3, episiode 26 - I believe, i.e. we've not seen the S3 finale, but this pic "works" for what is to happne to that ep]

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!!

[JosieTash]

Hope you all continue to enjoy …incl the additional info that I’ve incl before the start the chapter below !!!!!!!

Oh, and i should be psoting chapters daily in the forseable future.

Notes –

1. The title of this fic comes form one of my all time fave songs ….. the emotionally gut wrenching “Another Now” by Kate Alexa …….

2. Kate also sang “Always There” which Ch 7 used in its H&A 2004 Olympic cliff-hanger ads – when Psycho Sarah killed Noah and herself .…….

3. when I said long fic, put it this way, the handwriteen draft is pushing 140 pages … and chapter 3 below starts atop page 11 of the draft !!!

4. If you’ve not seen “h2o – just add water”, here’s a quick character/characteristics comparo ….....

Emma reminds me of Ruby, Cleo of Annie, Bella is Nicole-ish, but the clearest comparo is for Rikki - she’s just like the insanely sublime GYPSY!!!!!!!!!!

CHAPTER 3

“It’s so good to see you again, Emma”, says Dr Linda Denman.

Emma quickly opens her eyes. She’s in mer-mode [all tails & scales] and is strapped in several places [stomach, halfway down her tail and her wrists] to a table – with a blonde marine biologist [that Em sarcastically refers to as Dr Baywatch Babe] standing next to the table, hovering over her.

This is soooooooooooooooooooo Emma Gilbert’s worst nightmare!!!!!!!!!!! ……

Only kidding ….. [Note - You can thank John Marsden’s AWESOME “Incurable” for the idea !!!!!] …….

The plane hits the jellied water ... momentum surges the plane forward a little, but what Bella & Cleo did has saved the lives of the MANY people aboard the plane.

The pilots & crew of the plane quickly ascertain the sitch aboard their craft – the pilots are SOOO pleased that there only appears to be minor cuts & bruises from the impact. The pilot himself is, well, not overawed by the sitch – but even with faith in his own abilities and those of his crew, the word miracle [one even beyond what happened on the Hudson] seems to have occurred. As the plane launches its inflatable exit shutes and the crew ready the inflatable rafts, the crew see a boat, the Blaxland, heading in their direction.

In the water, Rikki congratulates Cleo & Bella – but with the downed plane nearby and the Blaxland heading this way, Bella, Rikki & Cleo dive deep into the ocean – and head for the beach they can see in the distance.

Aboard the Blaxland, Alf radios the coast guard, informing them of the downed plane, whilst on the aircraft, Jai & Annie are thankful. Thankful that they are alive AND that they’ve only each got a few abrasions. It’s the same story for Em & her family. Emma is VERY worried that the front page story tat is this plane crash will be replaced by the story of the century – a living, breathing 100% genuine article MERMAID!!!!

Emma can’t risk getting on one of the wet inflatable exit shutes. She hopes for another miracle – and gets it when she hears ppl talking bout a boat approaching. Emma thinks to herself now if I jumped from the plane to the boat, there’s a LOT less chance of my mermaid-ness being discovered. Emma’s parents know bout her fear of water and speak to one of the plane crew. As Em’s plight becomes known to many of the passengers not yet aboard the life rafts, most of the ppl are understanding – but Emma’s dad defends his daughter when another passenger suggests that Em is attention seeking.

Emma & her family are the last passengers left on the plane – and after the inflatable shute is detached, Emma, her family and pilots & crew from the plane get aboard the Blaxland. Rachel immediately starts to tend to Emma & the others. As that’s happening, Geoff answers his phone – its Annie, and Geoff almost can’t believe it that it’s her plane that crash.

Within minutes, Jai & Annie are on the Blaxland – as a number of rescue boats have arrived to take the other passenegrs to shore. Rach is worried about Emma – who now seems to be dazed and incoherent. Rach phones for an ambulance to be waiting for them at the wharf.

On the main beach of Summer Bay, Rikki, Bella & Cleo [in land mode] can see the various boats [that rescued the ppl form the plane] heading towards the shore. They hope that Em & her family are ok. They also see several news helicopters that are now on the scene. As much as they want to know what’s happening to Emma, they know that they just can't be at the wharf when the boats arrive – its like, Em’s parents would wonder how they got here so fast.

The trio run to the nearby Summer Bay surf club and use the public phone to call Emma’s mobile. Emma’s mum answers the phone – she’s surprised that Cleo know bout the plane crash already. Cleo covers by saying it’s already on the TV & radio news. Cleo is concerned when she hears that Emma is being taken to hospital.

After the call ends, Cleo tells Bella & Rikki what’s happening. All 3 are worried as none of the 4 teens have EVER been to a doctor since they become merbabes. Rikki and the others know they can do things with, and in, water that most ppl can only dream of. They however also have NO idea if their internal organs are the same as when they were completely human. Bella’s been with tail for a lot longer that the others, but none of them have taken the risk to discover if they are different. After all, what if they have 2 hearts or something else that would get a doctor asking more questions, doing more tests, and what if the tests they do involved water ……. Its like, hello to being dissected!!!!!!!

Without revealing that they are Bayside, Bella & her friends are keen to get Emma out of the hot zone. As Rikki etc wonder what to do, the likes of Annie, Jai, Romeo, Ruby, Geoff & Nicole enter the surf club.

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!!

[JosieTash]

Red Ranger 1, h2o screens on Nickelodeon in the UK – indeed, Nick UK played showed the 1st 10 eps [of 26] of the latest season of h2o recently.

As this is muchly a H&A/h2o crossover story, here are a few links with should help you …..

1. Official h2o s3 trailer - with Indiana Evans singing the theme song …. and, like Indiana, Luke Mitchell’s been in both H&A and h2o ……………….

2. The Nick UK h2o site …….. http://www.nick.co.uk/shows/h2o/default.aspx

Sue, sooooo glad that you are really enjoying AYAMAN !!!

CHAPTER 4

The SB teens are all talking bout the plane crash, including Jai & Annie being on the plane - and being treated by medics for abrasions. Although Rachel and the ambulance officers were keen for Jai & Annie to go the hospital, both assured Rachel that they’d head there at the slightest hint of trouble – and the other teens also assure Rachel that they will keep a close eye on Jai & Annie.

This meeting of old friends, reunited after the plane crash, gives Bella an idea …

Bella [to Rikki & Cleo] “Hey, how much would Em have told her family bout me? Like, would she have given them my non-mermaid life story?”

Cleo “Em knows that you & your fam [family] move around a lot”

Bella “this sounds great. I’ll ask someone here about the hospital. Actually …. “

Cleo “I’m on it”

Cleo [public phone] rings Emma’s mobile – Emma answers this time. The chat is brief – no mobiles to be used in hospitals, but it allows Cleo to know where Em is [which room etc] AND that Emma’s been able to avoid having any tests that may cause alarm for the med staff - and get Em dissected.

Bella approaches the local teens chatting nearby, but is taken aback when ….

Annie “Maddie, what are you doing here? Where you on the plane that crashed too?”

Bella “Sorry, you must have me confused with someone else. My name’s Bella”

Annie “You look like a friend of mine – I mean, you REALLY look like them … identical twins even”

Bella “Anyway, a friend of mine was on the plane, Emma Gilbert. Where’s the local hospital? I heard that she was taken there”

After Annie gives Bella directions to the hospital, and goes back to talking to Geoff, Ruby et al, Bella, Rikki & Cleo exit the surf club – and as they do, Bella tells her friends bout the mistaken identity thing, which prompts …

Cleo ”There’s a bit of that going round. I thought I saw Will in there, but I heard someone call this guy [who looks like Will] Romeo”

As the trio head for the bus stop Annie pointed out to them, the comment bout Will leads the girls to chat bout the non existent love lives. Bella likes Will, but she knew that he wasn’t “the one” so they broke up recently. Rikki’s not been seeing anyone since she & Zane broke up and, with her great friend Lewis studying overseas, Cleo’s also not been on the dating scene.

As the girls walk along, a car pulls up beside them. It's Irene, who tells the girls that Annie felt bad bout being so “short” with them when Bella asked for info bout the hospital.

Bella & her friends accept a lift to the hospital from Irene, and soon after, when they arrive there, Rikki & Cleo are a little apprehencious to go inside. Irene wonders why – and Cleo & Rikki tell her Irene that their parents “might” not appreciate them being Bayside. They both assure Irene that they haven’t run away form home, but its just that they don’t want to get “grilled" by their parents - which they will if Emma’s parents see them. Irene is sceptical but she also has dealt with enough teens to know when to intervene or not.

Irene “So Maddie, sorry, Bella, you don’t seem to be in the same boat as your friends?”

Bella “My parents know I’m responsible, so short of being actually admitted to a hospital, they let me do my own thing – as long as, like, until the end of last year, that I was getting good grades at school – I’m out of school now”

Irene “Sounds like you’ve got an old head in young shoulders”

Bella “You would too, if you’d lived my life. Oh, and it helps that I’ve not actually met Emma and her parents in person. I’m new to the Gold Coast – well, relatively new”

Irene “So you’re all from the Gold Coast, and you’re here, and your friend just happened to be on that plane that crashed” ……

and whilst Cleo looks a tad guilty, Rikki & Bella have a confident “we’re-not-telling-you-anything-else” look on their faces, so Irene doesn’t push the point.

After she enters the hospital, Bella looks for Emma and as she does, Bella sees Elliott in the corridor. Emma’s little brother, who has only seen photos of Bella, is surprised but pleased to see a kinda familiar face in the hospital where his sister in being treated.

Bella & Elliott head for the room that Emma is in, and with Bella a few steps behind Elliot, Em’s bro enters her room and is about to say “look who I found” when ….

Emma [having seen her friend arrive at the doorway to her room] excitedly says, “BELLA!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Bella gets to Em’s bedside & they waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay hug.

Like Elliot, Em’s mum & dad AND Emma are kind of shocked Bella is here – but they are all pleased. After Bella formally introduces herself to Em’s parents, and says she just happened to be in the Bay when she heard of the plane crash on the radio, its like too much has happened today to question the weirdness of all that.

Whilst Bella is chatting to Em’s folks, Emma is thinking/hoping/imagining that Cleo & Rikki are also nearby. Em sensed the crash landing was better than she thought it would be, given what the pilots were saying. With Bella’s abilities, Em thinks that Cleo too must have helped in the plane cushioning process.

When Em sense that her parents are done talking to Bella, Emma says “Mum, Dad, Elliot, I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to talk to Bella alone. You know, to talk bout all the usual teen girl stuff – boys, plane crashes, clothes”

Bella smiles, as so do Emma’s fam. After Emma’s parents & Elliot have left the room, Em waits just enough time [for her fam to be out of earshot] before …..

Emma “Are Rikki & Cleo with you?”

Bella “Yep, they’re outside the hospital – to avoid you family …. too many explanations. Anyway, Em, you’re a LEGEND!!!! …. getting that message to us”

Emma “I so don’t know how I did that. You three were in the moon pool, weren’t you?”

Bella “How did you guess?”

Emma “I’m glad you all were – and that you saved me. Can you even imagine if that plane hit the water at a high speed?”

Bella “Don’t even think bout it. Having said that, I’m looking forward to seeing you in your other form”

Emma “Likewise – since you were 9, amazing!!!!!!!

Bella “Muchly – and as much as it was great to keep the secret all to myself all this time, having you 3 in the same sitch is just AWESOME !!!! [pause] Hey, we’ve got to get you out of here somehow, if you ….”

Emma “Yeah, the more I stay here, the more tests they’ll do. I’ll speak to the doctor bout that when she does her rounds soon”

At the VPH, Miles, Leah, Romeo, Nic, Alf, Jai, VJ and Bambang are all trying to take in all of the events of today. To put themselves into a more happy place – after the shock of the plane crash, they watch the footage Miles took of Jarlie’s engagement party aboard the Blaxland AND of the miraculous – no loss of life – plane crash. They enjoy seeing how OVERJOYED Jarlie are as they publicly announce that they are engaged …. with their wedding to be as soon as it’s legally possible.

Miles & the others then see the footage of the plane crash – its especially weird for Jai, being able to see footage of the plane [from the outside] ditch into the ocean.

As they as all watching, Nicole notices something. She gets Miles to rewind the footage a bit – and they ALL see what Nic noticed. Just below the plane, JUST before it crashed, the surface of the water seemed to be different in colour to the rest of the ocean. Whilst Jai kinda joked bout divine intervention, they are ALL intrigued by what’s happened – after all, whatever/however this stuff got there, it seems to be the reason why the crash landing wasn't so bad.

Alf & the others speculate – they haven't heard that planes these days have the tech to make this kind of thing happen to water – maybe they do, and it’s just a case of Miles & the others not knowing that they can.

Jai is especially keen to know just what this is all about – so he looks at the video more closely. As he does so, Annie arrives at the VPH and she too is VERY interested in the crash footage. As they watch, Miles & Romeo are on the Net – looking for something to explain the different colour of the water below the plane. There’s nothing on there to suggest that planes these days have the ability to do any of this. There’s no info on any of the news websites bout the different coloured water just below the plane either. Jai & the others know that withy such a story, video footage like this – even without the water weirdness – could be worth a fortune to the newshounds.

Annie [having come up with her own theory] says “Jai, Miles, Romeo, you’re ALL looking at this the wrong way – there’s nothing to explain. It’s a miracle ….. a REAL miracle”

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!

[JosieTash]

Red Ranger 1, I couldn’t help but take advantage of Indi & Luke being in both …. and towards that end of this story, there’ll be a great in joke line from Cleo [about another character that Phoebe Tonkin, i.e. Cleo, has portrayed].

I really liked the scene tween Irene & Bella etc at the hospital, esp. Irene “So you’re all from the Gold Coast, and you’re here ......"

Btw, h2o is form a GREAT Aussie children’s TV producer. You may/may not have seen/heard of some of his shows ….

http://www.jonathan-m-shiff.com.au/

Oh, and "Dance Academy" that "Jai" is in is from a woman who "cut her teeth" in the industry on shows like h2o

CHAPTER 05

Jai “Annie, I know you have your faith, but that seem incredulous to me”

Annie “That’s what miracles ARE. Besides, just try to prove I’m wrong”

Jai “I will, just give me time – I mean I’m not trying to deliberately belittle your faith, I’m just more a science guy”

Annie “Look at it all you want. Indeed, let’s look at the footage as closely as we can – so I can prove to you that it was a miracle”

Outside the hospital, Rikki & Cleo find a public phone and call their families. Rikki’s dad Terry is a little concerned that Rikki just hopped on a bus like that without telling him 1st. Terry however knows Rikki & Em are VERY close – indeed, it’s GREAT that his traditionally loner daughter has REALLY connected with Emma & Bella & Cleo

Cleo also phones home …. It’s like ….

Kim [Cleo’s 10-ish yo little sister] “Sertori house, Kim speaking”

Cleo “Is dad there?”

Kim “We’ve been looking everywhere for you. Dad’s freaking out. You’re soooooo in trouble”

Cleo “Just put him on, you little brat”

Kim “OK, OK, OK”

Don [Cleo’s dad] “Cleo, where are you? Sam [Cleo’s step mum] & I are worried”

Cleo “We saw footage on TV that Em was on the plane that crashed in the ocean off the coast of New South Wales. Me & Rikki just HAD to hop on a bus. We had to see Em. She’s like family … and we hadn’t seen her face to face in about a year. Sorry I didn’t call you sooner - just worried bout Emma”

Don “I guess I can understand that. If there’s a next time …”

Cleo “Yeah, I’ll DEF call you before I take off”

Don “You don’t sound like you are on a bus. Surely, you aren’t where the crash happened ? Unless the diver thinks he’s Craig Lowndes [3 time winner of the Australian Touring Car Championship AND 4 time Bathurst 1000 winner]”

Cleo “No, at a bus stop – taking on more people. Not long before we set sail again. Will call you when we are in town where the crash happened near. Talk to0 you then, bye dad”

After the calls ends, Rikki sees Bella approach them. Bella assures them that the doctors haven’t done any potentially revealing tests on Em, and how GREAT it was to see Emma face to face. Rikki & Cleo tell Bella bout their phone homes – Bella isn’t surprised at how typically obnoscious Kim was. The trio loosely calculates that it will be another hour before Rikki & Cleo can, without suspicion, enter the hospital.

Bella heads back inside the hospital, to keep an eye on things – maybe even back up Emma if the doctors are keen to do some tests that might/will reveal too much. As she heads for Emma’s room, Bella realises that Emam’s return to Oz IS her dream come true. Sure, it would have been better, a million times better, if Emma wasn’t in a plane crash – but even that’s not so bad. Bella thinks that herself, Emma, Rikki & Cleo are sooooooooo connected that, somehow, they heard Emma’s plea AND were able to save her.

Outside the hospital, Rikki & Cleo, separately, are having similar thoughts to Bella, including that although they know that they are GREAT friends [besties forever in fact], each of the 4 girls, unbeknownst to the other 3, harbors ROMANTIC !!!! feelings for the other 3.

Cleo LOVES her friends – and she’s NEVER has these sorts of feelings for another female before, and with those thoughts in her head, Cleo imagines herself right there & then pashing Rikki – and then Emma and Bella. Of course, Rikki is having similar thoughts of kissing each of her fellow mermaids.

Geoff, Ruby & Aden are now at the VPH - they too are looking at THAT footage, as are the newly engaged Jarlie. Ruby has a beaming smile when she sees her mum & Joey kissing and not being able to keep their hands off each other. Ruby is distracted [looking at Jarlie] when …..

Nicole “What was that???”

Jai “What was what?”

Nic “Rewind it a bit – I thought I saw something. [Jai rewinds the footage a little] THERE!!! Bottom left of screen”

Ruby “Yeah, I see it”

Charlie [suddenly in police mode] “Nice work, Nicole, Can we pause and enhance that?”

Charlie loves it when Joey, behind her, wraps her hands round Charlie’s waist as Jai pauses the footage and enlarges the bottom left of the screen. All are surprised when it looks like they can see, side on, what appears to be 3 long haired HUMAN FEMALES in the water!!!!!! – with 2 of them having an arm seemingly pointed towards the plane!!!!!!

Annie [kinda mockingly] “See, it IS a miracle!!!!! Those angels – they saved us !!!!"

Charlie realizes that this isn't the most unheard of thing in the world, humans in the sea – not the angels bit [too “out there” of Charlie’s liking]. She grabs her mobile and calls Hugo. After he answers the phone ….

Charlie “Did you have a dive booking today?’

Hugo “Yes”

Charlie “Were you anywhere near – or did you even see the plane crash?”

Hugo “No, my dive group were nowhere near there. Why?’

Charlie “Do you know of any dive tours that might have been near the crash site?’

Hugo “No. Charlie. What is this all about?”

Charlie “Miles was filming my engagement party [Charlie looks lovingly at Joey, her fiancé] and he also has filmed the crash and although we had to magnify the vision, it look like there are 3 people in the water not far form where the plane crashed”

Hugo “Sorry, I haven’t heard of anyone diving near there. Are Jai & Annie OK?”

Charlie “Well, Annie saw the footage of the 3 people and I don’t know how serious she is when she said that it was angels who saved them. Anyway, thank you for your help Hugo”

Hugo “Sorry I don’t know more – and congrats on your engagement. You and Joey are an ACE couple. Actually, how’s Ruby taking it?”

Charlie “She’s calling Joey “step mum” already – I think she’s kidding when she says that. Hope she doesn't think that Joey’s an EVIL step mum”

Hugo “Well, we KNOW that Joey’s got good taste in women,”

Charlie “Why, thank you. Anyway, my brain is on overload. I’ve GOT to find out who these 3 ppl are. Bye, Hugo"

Charlie puts her mobile in her pocket and then says “Miles, I’m going to have to have that footage. We’ll send it to some police analysts. Actually [as she looks at Joey], I’ll get Watson & Avery to come and collect it”

Ruby “Good on you, Charles. Hey step mum, you’ve soooooo mellowed Charlie. Good work!!!!”

Charlie [to Joey] “Mind if we check out this footage till Watson & Avery get here?”

Joey “IF you WAAAAAY make it up to me in the bedroom tonight”

Charlie smiles as Ruby says, “TOO. MUCH. INFO ………. gorgeous step mum”

Oblivious to the video footage, Cleo & Rikki enter the hospital. It’s been enough time for the supposed bus to have made to Summer Bay. Emma is ecstatic when she sees her friends and all 4 girls [incl Bella, of course] are sooooo very pleased to be in the same room. A hospital room isn't their 1st choice - actually, its sooooo the last place they’d want to be, but there’s some good news at least. Emma tells her besties that Dr Rachel did some blood tests. Emma was kinda worried … but if Rachel DID detect any weird [mer-] anomalies in Em’s blood, she hasn’t told Emma about them.

At this point, Rachel enters the room and says “Emma, I see more of your friends have arrived”

Rikki “Yeah, as soon as he heard bout the crash, we just had to get here. Em’s not our sister, but she’s sooooo our bestie …”

Cleo “And a plane crash is so not the way to end a holiday”

Rachel “Hey, speaking of that, my friend Leah told me that her man Miles took video footage of the crash. He was on the boat that you jumped onto Emma. Leah also told me that Charlie, a police officer, has seen the footage and it’s so weird. There are 3 people in the water not far from where the plane crashed, so the police are going to check it out.”

Rikki, Bella & Cleo don’t say a word, or even change the expressions on their faces, and neither does Emma, but all 4 are UBER worried. How good is the footage? Will people like Irene and the others be able to tell that it’s Cleo et al? Will Rikki, Bella, Emma & Cleo end up dissected ….… or in a freak show - all because Bella & her friends stopped a plane crash from being far worse that it should have been?????

Pics of 2 of my fave Craig Lowndes race cars ......

2001 Gibson Motorpsort "Green Eyed Monster" Ford Falcon V8 Supercar

Y2K Holden Racing Team Commodore V8 Supercar

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!

[JosieTash]

Red Ranger 1, glad you are WAY enjoying – and about the 4some, I thought bout 2 + 2 but couldn’t really decide who with who ….. although I do esp. LOVE the way that Emma & Rikki “bounce” off each other!!!

I love that our free to air networks HAVE to produce a certain amount of children’s TV each year. Also, its good pre-soap star spotting, i.e. many of the actors who’ve been in Blue Water High have scored roles in the likes of H&A or Neighbors. It’s funny that whilst I wasn't overly keen at times on Rebecca breeds’ character Cassie Cometti in BWH, I took to Ruby because she’s different to Cassie AND it was fun seeing Bec on screen in 2 shows on the same day last year – Rebecca finished filming BWH [a weekly series] that scored her role in H&A !!!

Indeed, here’s a clip of Rebecca and some other familiar faces [H&A’s “Joey”, “Brendan”, “Pat”, “Bonnie”] form BWH. It’s my fave Cassie Cometti moment [”We DO have a choice”] …..

Oh, and the girl who plays Bridget [aqua & black kini] plays Rikki in h2o.

Sue, glad you are enjoying too. Couldn’t help bout mention CL!!!!! and cool comet bout “no good deed ….”

CHAPTER 6

The logical side of Emma’s brain especially thinks that even if the police can see/prove that it was Rikki, Cleo & Bella in the water in the vid, how could they prove that the girls used their water powers to ensure the plane crash was much less worse that it should have been? That's the logical side though. The other side worries about the police proving that its Cleo et al in the water, and will want them back in the water again , and then its hello dissection !!!!!

Bella “Doctor”

Rachel “Call me Rachel”

Bella ”Rachel, that footage sounds amazing. Em’s my bestie, so could you tell me where your friend lives. I want to see it 1st hand – before the news people etc get their hands on it.”

Rikki, Emma & Cleo all see what Bella is doing - it would be kinda weird, indeed very weird, for Rikki & Cleo to be at the hospital for “3 seconds” and then bail – to see this vid footage.

Rachel “I’ll take you there if you like. I’m not actually on a shift at the moment. I just wanted to be here if there was any post crash trauma with your friend. Now, we’ll just keep her in overnight for obs. Anyway, I better phone Leah, she said something about the police wanting to see that footage, well, officially see it – as Charles is a cop and she's seen it. It was her engagement party that they were filming”

Bella & her friends soooooo hope that the vid is NOT yet in official police hands, so when Bella & Rach reach a nurses station, Bella is please when Rach tells her[whilst on phone] that Charlie has agreed to let Bella see the footage before the police officially get their hands on it.

After Bella tells her besties bout the plane carsh footage …..

Cleo “Rachel, do you mind if my friends & I, including Bella, chat for a bit – won’t be long”

Rachel “No rush, Charlie’s holding the footage at the VPH till we get there” [Rachel exits the room]

Rikki “Cleo, what’s this all about?”

Cleo “Well, this is a pretty small town, and that Irene lady was pretty cool, and 2 of the ppl who live here were on that plane …”

Rikki [cutting in] “Is this leading anywhere?”

Emma “Cleo, are you saying what I think you are saying? – because if you are ….”

Bella “It could work. Better that 1 town knows than the whole world”

Rikki “OH!!!! Can we REALLY trust these people?”

Emma “Do we want to trust it to scientists who’ll see the footage, or even the police? If the vid is good enough, they’ll see it‘s you – and maybe want you back it the water”.

Cleo “I think we should vote. I personally think that we should show these people that it’s us – and HOPE that there are other ppl here as cool as that Irene lady”

Rikki “I will say, she was good. I’m not sure about this though.”

Emma “We’ll have to tell our fams our secret too. I don’t know what Elliot will say – this is the BIGGEST deception ever”

Bella ”No, it’s not. I’ve been a mermaid half my life and my parents don’t know”

Emma “Ok, you win”

Cleo “Kim’s gonna have a field day with this.”

Rikki “So whilst you 3 sound like you are wavering, I say that I’m in. I mean not everyone in every town is the same, but, I can’t say it enough, that Irene lady was cooool. She didn’t pry too much. If she’s there AND the 2 ppl we saved, I think it will help. Oh, and if we ARE going to tell, Bella, I’ll go with you – to quick dry you, or me … so we can show them what we are, what we can do”

Emma “OK, with the hardest part out of the way – getting Rikki to say yes”

Rikki “Tell me that I didn’t just fall for a ploy?”

Cleo “No ploy - We’ve just maybe got a few more family issues. You & Terry look pretty “tight” to me. OK, I’m in – we should tell”

Bella “My vote makes 3 yes’s!!!! So Em, are we unanimous?”

Emma “Put it this way, I suggest we tell ALL our fams together – at Cleo’s house. Seeing you & Kim on home turf when we tell will be worth telling our fams this wonderful secret of ours. So yep, it’s a yes from me. All for one and one for all. Btw, this footage of you 3 makes me feel sooooooo much better”

Bella “I don’t know Emma well enough, can someone translate that?”

Cleo “I’ve known Em my whole life – and I don’t know what she is talking bout”

Emma “Well, when I saved Zane when Miss Chatham’s boat was sinking, he did see my tail AND did a drawing of it – but you 3 were actually captured on film. So yeah, I feell better now”

Rikki “Emma, you’ve been ALL around the world, seen soooo many new things and ppl and places AND …. You haven’t changed a bit. Still the same know it all that I love. Bella, the day I met Em & Cleo, we had just entered the moon pool cave and almost straight away Em comments about how the pool is connected to the ocean, because of the tidal rings. Then she just dives into the moon pool .… the ocean could have been miles away, with all kinds of underwater obstacles, but Em just dived in there. I don’t think I’ll EVER forgot that” [see pics below for Zane seeing Em's tail, and her dive into moon pool]

Rikki & Bella exit Emma’s room and they head off with Rachel to the VPH. As they travel …..

Rikki “Rachel, do you know someone called Irene, red hair, cool lady, who lives in this town?”

Rachel “Sure do. Why?’

Bella “We’d like her to be there at the VPH. She drove me, Rikki & Cleo to the hospital.

Rachel “My phone is in my bag – look for Roberts in the contacts list”

Rikki finds Rachel’s mobile and phone Irene ……

Irene “Hi Rachel”

Rikki “It’s actually me, Rikki – one of the teens you drove to the hospital”

Irene “And you’re ringing me on Rachel’s phone?!?”

Rikki “She said I could. Rachel is driving Bella & I to the VPH. There’s video footage of the plane crash and we’d like you to be there. You were soooooo nice to us”

Irene “So this isn’t bout your parents being worried about you?”

Rikki “No, that's fine. We’ve called them – as soon as we logistically thought was possible. Sorry to put you on the spot, but can you be there?”

Irene “You’re in luck, girly. Annie just phoned me”

Rikki “Annie was on the plane”

Iren “Yep, and I’m her guardian”

Rikki “OH, then we REALLY want you there”

Irene “Sounds suspicious enough to pique my interest, darl. I’m heading to the VPH now”

Soon after, Irene, Rachel, Rikki & Bella all arrive at the VPH. Indeed, Rachel arrived just moments after Irene. They all notice a police car is parked near the house, but Rikki & Bella aren’t THAT worried - just more ppl in this town who’ll know, and HOPEFULLY keep their mouth SHUT.

Rachel, Irene, Bella & Rikki enter and Joey LOVES it when Charlie, as usual, is in take charge mode … such a strong, sexy fiancé …..

Charlie [not in uniform, btw] “I’m Senior Constable Buckton. This better be good. Now, what’s all this about?”

Bella “I’m Bella, and well, I’m about to save your & your fellow officers lots of time & money”

Rikki “Hi, my name is Rikki and the girls on the vid [deep breath] are Bella, myself and our friend Cleo”

Charlie “Watson, Avery. Take these two and their friend to the station”

Zane sees Emma's tail [h2o series 1, episode 11]

Em's dive into the moon pool - and yes, the moon pool is below the cone of an ancient volcano [h2o series 1, episode 1]

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!

[JosieTash]

Red Ranger 1, I esp. LOVE writing authoritative Charlie against the rebellious Rikki. Hope the pics in the chapter below AND the two I’ve just added to Ch 6 help you with the h2o’s girls’ world.

Sue, it will be a bit of time [a few chapters I’m guessing] before Kim etc hear & see the scaly truth … but your can expect some [i think, hope] GREAT Kim & Cleo banter.

Hope you both/all enjoy the latest chapter below

CHAPTER 7

Bella “Wait!!! It’s a LITTLE more complicated than that. We DIDN’T have anything to do with what caused the plane to crash but [pause and UBER deep breath] we CAN tell you bout what you’ve seen in the vid.”

Charlie “What do you mean?”

Bella “This is going to get a bit visual. Do you mind?”

Charlie “I say again, this had BETTER be good.”

Rikki “Mind if we see the vid – especially just before the plane hits the water. The different color water bit. Yeah, pause it on that.”

Miles “I’m on it. [gets the vid to just before the crash] There.”

Bella “That’s good, you can see the water just below the plane is a different color, lighter …. Well, I should have asked for this when the video was being set up, but I need clear jug or vase of water.”

Charlie ”Girls, you’re loosing me with all of this.”

Rikki [sarcastic & annoyed, i.e. typically Rikki] “We’ll get it ourselves if we have to.”

Leah “No problems. I’m so curious bout all this. [Leah goes to sink and fills a jug with water – then places it on dining table]. Will this do?”

Rikki “It’s perfect. [deep breath] Are you set of this, Bella?”

Bella [deep breath] “As much as I’ll ever be. [another deep breath] Here goes.”

Bella raises her right arm – twisting it in a Spiderman like action as she does [see water power Bella pic in Chapter 2] ………

and the clear water in the jug is now a different color, much like the different color water just below the plane. [see pic below of Bella crossing a creek, with stepping stones created with her power]

Charlie and the others are more than stunned. It’s like who/what/when/where/why and a BILLION other questions.

Bella breaks the amazed silence “If someone would tip that “water” out, it would help things along.”

Ruby moves towards where the jug is, but Annie [who is closer] reaches it 1st. more shocks as Annie tries to tip out the water, and Charlie and the others now see that it’s been turned it a jelly like substance – as it SLOWLY tips out on the table.

Bella “Now, could someone put their hand on the jellied water …and you’ll see why NO scientists will EVER detect, in the ocean, residue of what I did.”

Charlie puts her hand firmly on the jelly … and there are more shocked looks when the jelly turns BACK into water!!!!!!! ….. splashing on the table and some goes on the floor !!!

Charlie [after composing herself] “What just happened, girls. I want answers.”

Rikki “What happened is what’s been happening to Bella half her life. It’s not been as long for myself, Cleo & Em - but here’s another visual demonstration.”

Nicole “I’m ready for ANYTHING. Like, did you SEE that???”

Rikki [after she sits on the floor] “Trust me, its better if I’m like this. Now, can someone put just even a single drop of water on my arm.”

Nicole “I’ll get one of those eye dropper things. [goes to kitchen drawer] Found it.”

Charlie “Mind handing that to me, Nicole?”

Nicole “No probs.”

Nic hands Charlie the eye dropper and she puts some water in it form the tap at the kitchen sink. Charlie walks back to where Rikki is sitting [on floor near dining table]. There’s apprehension from Charlie and the others when Rikki raises her arm with her palm to the ceiling ….

Rikki “My power doesn’t work that way – that’s Bella’s thing.”

Charlie “OK, but if I don’t get answers – REAL definable answers, we’re going to the station.”

Rikki “You want REAL answers – then even a SINGLE drop of water on my skin will, well, [deep breath] it will START to answer your questions.”

Charlie indeed wants this cleared up, and with Alf, Irene, Rach, Ruby & everyone else gathered round, puts a SINGLE drop of water on Rikki’s right palm.

10 seconds later, Rikki’s WHOLE body goes ALL translucent – like she’s 100% water!!!!!! The translucent affect last mere seconds – and when Rikki’s body re-appears, looks of shock & amazement are EVERYWHERE !!!!!!!!

Rikki’s clothes are gone, her hair is now wild & free – rather than the 2 pigtails that it was in ….

BUT, most of all, in place of Rikki’s legs & feet are now a golden ….orangey …. scaly ….. TAIL !!!!!!!!!!!! …. with a sizable fin on the end …… AND, on top half of her bod, scales that form a kinda kini top – covering most of Rikki’s breasts !!! [author note – well, h2o IS a kid’s show]

[see pic below of Rikki’s 1st EVER transformation … ‘capped oh so WONDERFULLY, incl the translucent phase]

Time seems to have STOPPED !!!!!!!!!

The open mouthed looks of SHOCK in the room are all around [except for Bella, of course].

It’s JOEY who breaks the silence ……………..

Bella crossing a creek, with stepping stones created with her jelly power [h2o series 3, episode 2]

.

Rikki’s 1st EVER transformation – hence the UBER look of shock [h2o series 1, episode 1]

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!

[JosieTash]

Red Ranger 1, SOOOOOOOOOO glad you are enjoying. I LOVE this story … added another scene to the draft last night …. A REALLY cooooool one [towards the end of AYAMAN] between Bella & Martha.

I love how Charlie is trying to keep control of a situation that is sooooooooo far from the normal [even SB normal] that it’s not funny.

Sue, cooooool comments – more pics to come for various bits & pieces as they are appropriate [eg Rikki using her power to quick dry a fellow merbabe !!!]

Oh, and I soooo couldn’t help but incl everything to do with Joey below. The Charlie, Ruby etc banter was soooooo worth it.

CHAPTER V8

Joey “This is SOOOOOOOOOO coooooooool !!!!!! I’ve been at sea most of my life. I LOVE the sea – and the reason is that I always dreamed/hoped that mermaids are REAL …. and now there's a mermaid just a few steps away from me. Rikki, can I touch your tail?”

Rikki “Go ahead.”

Joey crouches beside Rikki and runs her hand down Rikki’s tail - form her waist right to her tail fin.

Joey “I just touched a mermaid!!! O-M-G!!!!!! This is SOOOOOOOOOO coooooooool !!!!!! [Joey looks up at Bella] Are you a mermaid too?”

Bella [after she sits beside Rikki] “1 drop of water and you’ll find out.”

Charlie hands Joey the eye dropper who uses it to slightly wet the arm of Bella, who, just like Rikki, changes into a mermaid!!!!

Alf ”I thought I’d seen EVERYTHING in this town!!!!”

Joey “This is soooooo AMAZING. Can I touch your tails both at once [Rikki & Bella nod and Joey runs her hand down what, in human form, is the girls’ thighs] Oh My God!!!! I’m getting tingles now [Rikki smirks at Joey, so Joey says inquisitively] What???”

Rikki “I said that same thing – the tingles bit - when Em & Cleo 1st showed me what they can do with water.”

Ruby “So, we’ve seen Bella in action with the jelly. So what can the rest of you do?”

Rikki “Emma can freeze water, and Cleo can, like, maneuver it – she could probably turn a single drop of water into an ocean .. maybe. Now to show you what I can do.”

Joey “Wait. Before you do anything, were you 2 wearing loose fiting tops when you got here or …..”

Bella “No, we’ve DEF got bigger breasts when we’re with tail. We don’t know why. Lung capacity? Old wives tales bout mermaids attracting sailormen … and women, I see .. with bigger “puppies”? Honestly, we just don’t know. Btw, congrats on your engagement, Joey & Charlie.”

Joey & Charlie [simultaneously] ”Thank you.”

Rachel “Is that why Emma was so, well, not difficult but [tries to find the right word]”

Rikki “Yeah, when you took a blood sample, we didn’t know if it’s still totally human blood. It’s like we know our human blood is still red, because we’re girls. We don’t know if our blood is a different color when we are mermaids – too scary, kinda, to know. Anyway, we appear to be as a normal as any of you when we are in “land mode” – we eat, sleep, have urges, go to bathroom, laugh, cry. [pause] Anyway, time for me to show you all my power.”

Joey “Wait!!!! Rikki & Bella, sorry, I don’t think I’ve EVER wanted to do this before, well aside from with Charlie’s, but, can I …..... touch both of your cleavages at the same time? [looks at Charlie] Charlie, this isn’t a sexual thing. Yours beat these girls’ [puppies] oh so easily.”

Ruby “Step mum, WAY too much info bout Charlie’s puppies.”

Rikki “Bella?”

Bella [thinking this strange request could help the mermaids’ cause] I’m OK with it - Can’t think of anytime that another girl wanted to touch my puppies.”

Rikki “Ok, but this is going to be the last time you touch us before we TRULY talk to you ALL.”

Joey “I almost can’t believe I’m doing this!!!”

Ruby “Neither can the rest of us, step mum.”

Joey [still crouched tween Rikki & Bella] reaches towards the girls’ mer-cleavage, and it’s a weird feeling for both Rikki & Bella, as Joey place her right hand on Bella and left hand on Rikki.

Joey, having had her hands on Rikki & Bella for about 15 seconds, stands up and says “ Sooooooo thank you girls, and BIG thank you Charlie for letting me.”

Charlie “You can make it up to me in the bedroom tonight.”

Ruby “CHARLES !!!!!!!!!!”

Charlie “I know, too much info.”

Rikki “Anyway, getting BACK to the point.”

Rikki raises her right arm parallel with her “thigh”. Her fingers are spread eagled initially, before she forms a fist ……

Steam starts POURRUING off her tail … and moments later, when all the steam is gone, Rikki is BACK in “land mode”!!!!!

[see pics below of Rikki quick drying Cleo]

Joey “OK. NOTHING in my life is EVER going to top these last few days. Charlie proposes to me AND now, I’ve met, touched, 2 MERMAIDS!!!!!!!! Bella, do you mind staying like that [as a mermaid] for a bit longer?”

Bella “Should be OK. Rikki, mind doing the rest of what we came here for?”

Rikki [after standing up] “Got it covered. [deep breath] The reason why Bella & I told and showed you ALL of this is …. that we don’t want that vid to get into official hands – like the police, no offence. The MOMENT it does, ppl are going to want us in the water, sooner or later, and, well, HOPEFULLY all have seen what happened to Madison the mermaid in the movie “Splash” ….. captured by scientists and all. Well, Em, Cleo & I LIVED that for about ½ an hour. It was THE scariest moment of my life!!!!!!!! [deep breath]......

[see pics below of Madison in “Splash”]

Rikki [continuing] “We NEED you ALL to keep our secret !!!! Oh and in case your are wondering, only SEVEN ppl in the world know – aside from the 4 of us, and now, all of you. NONE of those ppl are family member, btw. We’ve been ULTRA careful, and trying not to beg, but Annie & Jai were on that plane – and they could be in a lot worse way than they are IF Bella & Cleo hadn’t used their powers to cushion the impact of the plane.”

The Baysiders take in ALL this BIG new info, and, once more, it’s Joey who is 1st to respond …..

“You’ve got my vote – I don’t have to, but it would be nice if I could see Emma & Cleo as mermaids too.”

Alf speaks next “Girls …………..

Madison ["Splash!" - Darryl Hannah, Tom Hanks] is exposed as a mermaid and then, literally, embracing her tail whilst in captivity.

Rikki uses her power to quick dry Cleo’s tail [h2o series 1, episode 2]

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!

Note – the end of Chapter 8 is atop page 45 of the handwritten draft

[JosieTash]

Red Ranger 1, I love that Joey being a deckhand just fits perfectly into the thing bout young girls [for starters] being obsessed with mermaids. I will say that its ironic that her interest in the girls is just like Will with Bella in h2o series 3 - i.e. Bella REALLY likes him, but is emotionally hurt that he is more interested in her as a mermaid [initially] than he is of her as a woman. See below, for the various reactions - I enjoyed tuning each of the responses to the various H&A ppl, and I esp. liked what i wrote for Ruby & VJ.

Sue, i ADORE Charlie & Ruby.... best mother/daughter pairing since Lorelei & Rory in "Gilmore Girls".

Oh, and here's a link to the h2o soundtrack .... i LOVE listening to it whilstb i'm typing out AYAMAN !!!

CHAPTER 9

Alf “Girls, i admire your courage – telling us like this. Your secret is safe with me”.

Annie & Jai [simultaneously] “We’re with you.”

Ruby “It’s in the vault with me. I mean, its like when i was diagnosed with diabetes this year, and the way the likes of Charles & Geoffery treated me – well, I imagine what would happen to you is THAT times, I don't know how many million. Charlie, you can't let that vid get into official hands.”

Watson “Senior Constable, what’s the plan?”

Charlie”I’m not on duty, so i’m hanging back on my decision – BUT if we ALL agree on this, it’s in the vault ..... forever. I know that is BIG, but we HAVE to ALL make a decision before Watson & Avery head back to the station.”

Rachel “I’m with you, girls. Actually, i can probably work on the sly to give you some more medical knowledge on what you are now – in your human form anyway.”

Rikki “We’ll have to speak to Em & Cleo bout that.”

Miles “I’m in – after all, until a few years ago, to the likes of Irene, Leah & Alf, I was just Sally’s imaginrey frind, Milco.”

Irene “Count me in, but waht’s the REAL deal bout how you got to the Bay?”

Bella “We, like, “heard” Em’s plea for help – just after she heard the plane was going to crash in the water. Don’t ask us how – we didn’t, we DON’T, have that kinda of telepathic ability tween us – but, somehow, we just KNEW where the plane would crash.”

Irëne “Is it true that you are all from the Gold Coast ?”

Rikki “We all live there currently.”

Jai “And you got to the Bay, from the GOLD COAST, in such a short time. How is that even possible ???”

Rikki “You know how the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars goes into hyperspace, or the ships in Star Trek go to warp – that’s what we can do with our tails. We can swim conventionally too, but yeah, we hyper drived here. Oh, and Em told me that out tails are GREAT for bashing in the door of a sinking boat, when she saved my ex b/f Zane.”

Rachel “I can see why someone tried to get their hands on you. Not that I would know who you are talking about, but who did that to you?”

Rikki “We call her Dr Baywatch Babe, and that all I’m saying.” [see pics below]

Nicole “I’m in – but, if you don’t mind, how? where? EVERYTHING did this happen?”

Bella “I hope it doesn’t change your vote, but that’s in OUR vault.”

Nic “But you said that you weren’t born this way?”

Bella “Nope. When the 4 of us were born, we were all as human as you are now.“

Nic “Were you, like, abducted by aliens or something?”

Bella “No, what happned to us happened on Earth.”

Rikki “So, has that changed your vote?”

Nic “No, your secret is in the vault, but [points to Bella] like if that happens to you everytime with just 1 drop, i don't think that I could deal with that.”

Bella “Sorry Joey, I NEED my legs back. Rikki.”

Rikki uses her power to change Bella baack into her humanoid form, and although they saw it happen to Rikki not long before, Miles and the others are slightly agog that Bella is back the way she was before she changed into a mermaid – same clothes, some shoes, her skin less glowing than it is in mer-mode.

Bella “Nicole, you look like a bright girl. Indeed, from what I hear, YOU were the one who 1st saw BOTH the jellied water AND us in that vid. I'm sure you can handle this ... having a tail and all, and avoid changing when you DON'T want to. We take SOOOOO many precautions these days but they're, like, matter of course to us – like using bodywash instead of water, baths instead of showers, BUT it's ALL worth it . I NEVER want to loose my tail – it’s part of who I am now.”

Romeo “I’m in. Bambang, what do you think, little man?”

Bambang give the girls a BIG thumbs up.

Bella “BTW, since a few ppl have called me Maddie, I should point out to you Romeo that I used to go out with a guy called Will ...... who could seriously be your identical twin looks wise. Hope the fact that Will & I didn't work out doesn't change your vote?”

Romeo “No way!!! I especially don’t want to see 4 very DDG girls being locked up.”

Bella “That’s VERY good to know.”

Leah “VJ?”

VJ “You're like superheroes - with superpowers and I know your secret idenity. It's sooooooooo in the vault with me."

Geoff [delib mockingly - to get a comment from a former enemy] “You’re God’s creatures – I’m in.”

Aden [taking the bait] “And you wonder why I call you Bible Boy. I’m on your side girls, but all this “in the vault” stuff, does this mean that, say, Roman or Morag or, dare I say it, Colleen, can’t know?’

Leah “Good point. What are we going to do bout this? Like, trying not to single you out Rachel, but are you going to tell Tony bout this?”

Rachel “It’s not like I can keep it from him.”

Leah “And whilst we are talking our families, Bella & Rikki, did you say that your families DON’T know bout this? [bella & Rikki nod] If i’m going to keep your secret, you HAVE to tell them. I know teens keep stuff from their parents, but THIS is TOO much.”

Alf “What if we call an unofficial town meeting, so we can keep the secret in this town?’

Rikki “Won’t that kind of thing attract reporters? That lands us in the same boat as to if the police get their hands on THAT vid.”

Avery "Beautiful AND smart. I'm in."

Charlie "Watson, which way are you voting? I'll say that right now, since everyone else is, I'm on the girls' side."

Leah "Hang on !!! Rikki & Bella, you HAVE to promise to tell your parents. Likewsie with Emma & Cleo."

Bella "Rikki, are Em & Cleo going to KILL us if we say yes?"

Rikki "Yeah, Elliott and Kim will have sooooo much fun with this - but we've, they've, got no choice."

Cahrlie "Watson, for or against?"

Watson "I'm with you girls - I don't want to see innoccent ppl imprisoned."

Charlie "Rachel, when can Emma be discharged form hospital?"

Rcahel "Now that I know that it's just her understandable reluctance to tests, and nothing more than that, I should be able to discharge her within the next 1/2 hour."

Rikki "So what then?"

Charlie "I'd say we gather small-ish groups like this, with the 4 of you, to tell ppl ... and although I'm not really one to talk bout keeping secrets [looks at Ruby], your parents' ARE to be told."

Bella "This could get "fun" .... but it will be worth it."

Rikki [sceptically] "I hope."

Over the next few hours, Emma is discharged fom hopital adn then the 4 mermaids, accompainised by Charlie, Rachel & ALf, talk to EVERY resident of Summer Bay - and, via phone, to the likes of immedaite family out of town, like Morag, Roman, Sally, Lucas and [although she's not "technically" immediate fam - close, she's Ric's fiance !!!!] Maddie. Many, MANY shocked looks later, Cleo & her friends return to the VPH - joing that ppl who were already at the house are Tony, Gina and [local councellor] John Palmer.

EVERYONE in the Bay [and their immedaite fams] have AGREED to the keep the secret but .....

John Palmer "Girls, I've got one proviso for ALL of this. We STRONGLY urge the 4 of you to MOVE here to Summer Bay."

Charlie "AND my fiance has a request."

Joey "Emma & Cleo, let's see what you can do AND it would be cool to see all 4 of you as mermaids - right here, right now."

Cleo [to her fellow mermaids] "Guys, if we move here, no more Kim. SOOOOOOO sign me up!!!!!"

Emma "Does this mean we will be kinda like prisoners in your town?"

Dr Denman, aka Dr Baywatch Babe - LOVE the hairflick entrance into the room in her very 1st h2o scene. [h2o series 1, episode 8]

Dr Linda Denman in the moon pool cave - with one of mer-scales in her hand. [h2o series 1, episode 25]

Emma, Rikki & Cleo are photographed entering the moon pool. [h2o series 1, episode 25]

A photo of Rikki, Cleo & Emma taken by Denman's underwater, motion activated cameras. [h2o series 1, episode 25]

Emma, Rikki & Cleo LOCKED in the moon pool ... "courtesy" of the EVIL "Dr Baywatch Babe". [h2o series 1, episode 26]

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!

Note – the end of Chapter 9 is towardsthe bottom of page 50 !!!! of the handwritten draft.

[JosieTash]

Sue, hope you enjoy both your hols AND, when you rtn, all the AYAMAN chapters that I post whilst you are away. Naturally, right now, I can’t say how far I’ll get into the story before you rtn, but I’m only planning on NOT posting chapters on Xmas Day, Boxing Day and most likely New Years Day – so there’ll be plenty of cooooool AYAMAN action to scope out.

Actually, since I have a laptop – sans Net connection though – the next catheter after this one below cold be quite lengthy, depending on how mush I feel like etc typing on Xmas etc Day.

Glad you are LOVING this, and it was cooool trying to work out just the right response from each person – and although Ricky wouldn’t have gone there, I love that Bella told Romeo bout herself & Will, as it seems like a Bella thing to do [Cleo and maybe Em would have too – esp. Cleo]. Oh, and with you said bout Rikki’s "i hope”, I REALLY liked Cleo’s “no more Kim” line!!!

Red Ranger 1, the imaginary friend bit with Miles just SOOOOO suits this sitch. Glad you are enjoying. Intriguing thoughts bout Nic wanting to be a merbabe !!!!

Oh, and with what yourself & Sue were saying bout Charlie needing to keep an eye on Joey [comments after previous chapter], I WILL say that the mer-girls DO cause one ‘ship to break up ... down the track a bit [i.e. page 95 of the draft – I DO like to go all “War & Peace” when I write fics.]

CHAPTER 10

John Palmer “Definitely not!!! You’re free to swim etc where ever you want to, like the Gold Coast whenever you want, but we want you to live here. You’re 4 young VERY smart girls – you can do anything, you’ve proven that. I mean, Bella, since you are NINE!!! and you’ve kept a secret like this from the ppl closest to you, your parents. Our town could do with GREAT ppl like you.”

Rikki “We’ll want to be this on our OWN turf – like tell our fams at, say, Cleo’s house. What’s the deal breaker? How long do we have?””

John Palmer “2 weeks should give you enough time to do what you have to do.”

Charlie “Do you agree to those terms?”

Emma [after having looked at her 3 GREAT friends] says excitedly “YES !!!!!!!!” we’ll head off home straight away, BUT not before Joey gets her wish. Cleo, you 1st”

Cleo [with a clear jug of water in front on her on the table] raises her right arm and, with her arm parallel to the ground, constantly moves her fingers minutely, kinda like she’s turning a tap. A column of water rises out of the full jug of water. As the column of water heads towards the ceiling, Ruby, Joey, Rach & the others notice that the jug of water is still full to the brim like it was. [see pic below of Cleo showing the same water column thing to Emma & Rikki.]

Emma then does her thing. She, like the other mermaids, raises her right arm so it’s parallel to the ground. Her hand is in a stop sign like position, pointed at the jug with the column of water rising from it. The water [coulomb AND in tee jug] is now FROZEN solid. [see pics below – and of Rikki’s attempts to discover her power ].

Joey is SOOOOO in heaven, whilst the others are in awe of these seemingly ordinary teenage girls.

Joey is waaaaaaaaaaaaay keen to see all 4 of them with tail, and she says “Sorry, Leah & Miles, have to make a bit of a mess now.”

She picks up a 2nd jug of water, and, with Em & her friends sitting side by side, the water hits them ALL. Joey is TOTALLY in heaven – 4 SUBLIME mermaids before her .... and the rest of the ppl in this room.

Annie “I said it was a miracle that I was saved. I’m STILL right – MERMAIDS saved my life!!!”

It takes a while to convince Joey to let Rikki quick dry the girls back into “land mode” but when they have ....

Emma “So, what’s going to happen to the footage?”

Cleo “Part of me wants it kept. It’s like, there it is on film that we saved ppl. Bella?”

Bella “I’m with you. It could be our downfall, but it would be great to se that when I’m like when I’m, maybe, cursing my tail. Rikki?”

Rikki “I’m skeptical, but yeah, the happy feeling outweigh the bad ... BUT Miles, you HAVE to keep that footage WELL hidden – totally lock & key, VERY in the vault.”

Emma “You all took the BIGGETS risk for me. Yeah, I’ll go with you on the vault idea.”

Bella “Em, we’re like sisters. There’s NO way we weren’t going to try.”

With the tape issue settled all 4 mermaids head back to the Gold Coast with Emma’s family. Part of Emma & her fam were keen to get back on the horse and fly to the Gold Coast, but they opt for a bus.

Along the way, Emma tells her parents & Elliott that, when they return home, she’ll have a BIG announcement to make. Elliot’s especially curious but he gets nowhere trying to ask Bella & co various questions, so he EVENTAULLY gives up. “

It’s quite late at night when the bus arrives at the Gold Coast. Bella & her friends decide its best to make the announcement morrow.

That night, Bella is able to convince her UBER busy mum & dad to come to the Sertori [Cleo’s] house morrow. Likewise, Cleo contacts Bev, her bio mum [who split from her Cleo’s dad bout 2 years ago], who agrees to the curious proposal. Don, Cleo’s dad, is concerned but Cleo insists that she REALLY like Sam [Don’s wife of about a year] and that Cleo invited Bev because of how BIG an occasion that is.

Next day, Bella, Cleo, Emma & Rikki are all “slightly” on edge. By 9am [the time all agree to be at Cleo’s house] Em & her fam, Rikki & her dad and Bella are all at the Sertori house. Bella’s parents arrive soon after [9.07am to be precise] ADN they aren’t really that apologetic bout being late. Indeed, Rikki takes offence when both of Bella’s parents say tat they have another meeting to attend at 9.45am.

Rikki [uber sarcastically] “Bella, I take it back. Someone with an IQ of MINUS 150 !!! could have kept this secret form your parents!!!”

Bella’s dad “You insolent little girl. How DARE you attack the way that we have raised our daughter.”

Rikki “Actually, you’re right. I should be PRAISING you. The way your daughter turned out to be SOOOOO self reliant is AMAZING. To deal with what she’s had to ON HER OWN, I’m in awe – how she’s done it is quite simply unfathomable.”

Bella’s mum “Rikki, isn’t it? [Rikki nods] What ARE you talking about?”

Rikki “Cleo, it’s showtime !!!”

Emma’ parents and ALL the other gathered family members are a little surprised when Emma, Rikki, Cleo & Bella sit side by side on the floor.

Cleo [with an “I’m ready as I’ll EVER be” sound in her voice] “Kim, tip one of those 4 jugs of water [on the bench nearby] over the 4 of us.”

Kim [apprehensively] “But .....”

Cleo [cutting in] “We PROMISE not to retaliate.”

Kim [sarcastically] “Said the spider to the fly.”

Cleo [annoyed, as always, with her sister] “Kim!!! Stop being such a pain and do it.”

Don “You better have a good reason for this.”

Emma [the voice of trust & reason, as always] “Trust me, Mr. Sertori. We do.”

Don “Kim, you heard your sister.”

Kim throws the water in the jug so it hits each of the 4 girls sitting on the floor, and there are even BIGGER looks of shock on the faces of the fams of the girls that there were from the ppl Bayside – ESPECAILLY from Emma’s fam [who really REALLY have a NO SECRETS policy] ......

Kim “Cleo, I KNEW you were WEIRD, but I didn’t know that you are THIS weird.”

Emma’s mum [uBER shocked, and this is the 1st thing that comes into her head] “THIS is why you gave up competitive swimming!?!”

Rikki “NO she hasn’t, Mrs. Gilbert. Em might not have legs when she's in the water anymore, but she’s SOOOOOOO as competitive as ever. I’ll defeat her one day.”

Emma “You wish.”

The barrage of comments/questions continues ……

Cleo discover her power, bests Zane [dark jacket] and shows Rikki & Emma what she can do [h2o series 1, episode 1]

Emma discovers her power – after Cleo looses concentarion whilst using hers. Emma confirms power with the vase. [h2o series 1, episode]

Rikki & Emma's 1st mer-swim together. Emma is the one swiming on her back btw. Also, Rikki's 1st unsuccesful attempts to find her power - with various hand actions. She discovers her power in episode 2. [pics below for h2o series 1, episode 1]

TO BE CONTINUED !!!! [on December 27] !!!!

Note – the end of this chapter is atop page 56 !!!! of the handwritten draft.

PREVIEW

Before this mer-tale ends, Rikki and her friends WILL regret NOT destroying THAT plane crash footage.