'Psst,'

Charli and Nixie frowned at each other, before looking down at the drainage port.

'Sirena?'

'You're alive!' Sirena sighed with relief, 'We thought you'd be hurt,'

'No, they just keep dousing us with water,' Nixie replied, hissing the second part to place emphasis on it. Sirena's eyes widened as she looked at Charli, who looked exhausted.

'We're working on a plan to get you out of there,' she promised them, 'Charli, do you think you can still walk?'

Charli shook her head tiredly. 'I'm using all my energy to keep my legs,' she explained, 'I can only hold it for another hour, maybe even less,'

Sirena ducked out of view as the deckhand appeared, throwing a bucket of water at the two again, grinning at Nixie before running off.

'D'you think you could stop pouring water over the freezing human?' Charli called out, 'I wouldn't mind a towel, or something.'

Sirena grimaced as Charli's call went unanswered. 'I'll tell the others to hurry,' she told them, before dropping back into the water and diving under the boat, torpedoing away as fast as she could.

Charli and Nixie looked up as Schmidtt stopped in front of them. 'Having fun?' he asked, Looking at Nixie.

'It'd be a lot more fun if I wasn't sopping wet,' Charli replied. Schmidtt ignored her, smiling at Nixie as he crouched down.

'You're gonna be famous, y'know,' he told her, 'The first live mermaid captured. People will pay millions to see you,'

'Great, I'll be the richest fish in the display tank,' Nixie remarked drily. She could see Charli was shivering, 'I figure you'll want my co-operation on this, right?'

'Your co-operation doesn't really matter,' Schmidtt told her, running a finger along her tail. She flapped it at him, knocking his hand away.

'I think it does,' Nixie shot back, before disappearing. Schmidtt's eyes widened in shock, and he stood up.

'You can't show off something you can't see,' Nixie told him, still invisible. Schmidtt grimaced.

'Fine. What do you want?'

Nixie reappeared, 'Let us go,'

Schmidtt laughed. 'Nice try,'

'It was worth a shot,' Nixie nodded at Charli, 'Fine. Get her a towel and stop throwing water over her. And something to eat wouldn't go astray,'

Schmidtt regarded Charli carefully. 'This is some sort of... human partner?'

'Call her my handler,' Nixie replied, 'Towel. And food. And,' she tilted her head, 'Let her change into some dry clothes,'

Charli glanced at Nixie. That would mean they would be separated, for at least a few minutes. What was she thinking?

Schmidtt hesitated, and Nixie arched an eyebrow. 'How much money would people pay to see a seemingly empty tank?' she asked. Schmidtt's eyes narrowed.

'Fine. What do you eat?'

'Lobster would be great,' Nixie glanced at Charli, 'Make it two,'

*~X~*

Caleb felt himself being shaken awake, and blinked blearily.

'Zac?' he looked at the clock beside the bed, 'It's nearly midnight,'

'We need your help,' Zac told him, tossing him a shirt, 'Get dressed.'

'I'm tired,' Caleb rolled over, pulling the covers up under his chin, 'Can't it wait until morning?'

'Nixie and Charli were caught by poachers,' Zac told him. Caleb rolled back over, staring at him. 'We need your help,'

Cam hesitated, then threw the covers off.

*~X~*

Charli gazed warily at the crewman as he shoved her roughly into a cabin.

'You have five minutes,' he told her, pulling the door shut. Charli grimaced at the clothes that had been dug up for her - clothes owned, ironically, by the deckhand that had been drenching them every five minutes.

She sat on the bed, letting her concentration down, and let out a soft moan as she transformed back into her true mer-form. She held her hand out over her tail, drying it as quick as she could.

Schmidtt was the one who opened the door, and he stood in front of her, arms folded.

'Your friend is something special,' he commented. Charli looked at him carefully.

'I kinda figured,' she replied.

'Where did you meet her?'

'A long time ago, way out at sea,' Charli lied, 'I don't see why it matters, though. You're gonna sell her or put her on display, and separate us,'

'If you can talk her into... cooperating,' he hesitated, 'I might not drop you overboard,'

'Is that what you were gonna do to-' she cut herself off, remembering that Cam had given a fake name, though not recalling what that name had been.

'Your friend, Josh?' he tilted his head, 'Maybe,'

'Really gallant, you are,' Charli snorted, 'Just take me back on the deck,'

Schmidtt shook his head. 'You're not going back on deck unless you agree to my terms,'

'Empty fish tank,'

Schmidtt opened his mouth to respond, then frowned, staring at her intently. 'Your hair's different,' he stated. Charli shifted nervously.

'What do you mean?'

'It was wet,' he replied, 'And red. Now, it's dry, and brown,'

Charli rolled her eyes. 'Um, I have a towel,' she told him, 'Did you consider that I maybe took a few seconds to dry my hair as well? Seeing as, I dunno, there's this thing called a head cold, that really sucks?'

Schmidtt shook his head, reaching forward and grabbing a strand of hair in his fingers. 'It's completely dry; like it's been that way for hours,'

'Yeah, my hair dries fast,' Charli slapped his hand away, 'Some people are lucky like that.'

'And the colouring?'

'Salt in the water neutralises the dye I used,' she lied. Schmidtt didn't look like he believed it for a second, but she decided to push it, 'If we're done with the Grand Inquisition about my physical attributes, can I go back on deck now?'

Schmidtt eyed her uncertainly. 'Fine,'

*~X~*

Caleb swallowed nervously.

'He's not doing it,' Zac told Tory.

'You have a better idea?'

'Zac, it's fine,' Caleb told him. Lyla folded her arms.

'It is not fine,' she told him, 'This is almost as crazy as Charli's plan was,'

'Except this time, we'll know Caleb won't end up stuck,' Sirena pointed out, 'I think it might work,'

'"Might" isn't good enough,' Zac cried, 'What if we're wrong? You're just gonna keep handing them more of us?'

'Zac, relax,' Caleb nodded to Tory, 'I'll do it,'

'Thanks,' Tory smiled, 'Let's not keep Nixie and Charli waiting too much longer, then,'