The sun was setting when the girls arrived at their homes. They went to their respective houses. When Rikki went to her home, her dad wasn't there to her relief, and she went straight to her room for a nap. Cleo had no such luck.

"Where have you been, young lady?" Don Sertori demanded after emerging from his den when Cleo walked through the door.

"Just…" kidnapped, plucked apart, and experimented on. Oh, and there were monsters too. "out with the girls."

"You could have at least told me you were going out, Cleo. I was worried sick about you all day," her father scolded. Since her recent disappearance episode, it was important now more than ever for Don to be aware of Cleo's whereabouts, out of fear she'd run off again. Cleo swallowed thickly and blinked the tears that pricked her eyes.

"I'm sorry, dad," she replied softly. She went upstairs to her room quickly, passing Kim and ignoring whatever comment she to her, and closed the door. Cleo collapsed onto her bed but couldn't fall asleep. Instead, she stared at the ceiling and let her body sink into the mattress. Everything ached. She longed for sleep to take her, but every time she closed her eyes, she'd see the glass tanks, bright lights, the faces of the monsters leering at her.

And then a thought crossed her mind-what are those scientists being arrested for? Sure, all the information on the mermaids was supposedly destroyed by Rikki. But did Lewis call the cops because three girls were kidnapped? What if the police ask questions? It was this very reason that she, Emma, and Rikki never pressed charges against Dr. Denman. The mermaids promised they wouldn't press charges against her for their kidnapping in exchange for her silence for everything. At the time, the girls were convinced that their powers were gone, but even so, they still had to protect themselves and their island.

But Lewis knew all this. So he couldn't have called the cops on an organization for kidnapping girls, right? She wondered if it was Zane or Ash-maybe they thought they were doing the right thing. But this might not be over for them. What if it never will be?

Emma didn't go into her house yet. Instead, she sat outside on the curb with her chin resting against her arms on her knees. She replayed the day's events over and over again in her head, especially the last hour. She didn't know what she was thinking. She didn't want them to get away-those vile scientists. She couldn't let them get away so easily, after what they've done to her and her friends. She didn't want them to be able to walk away unscathed after they picked her apart and sliced her open.

But she didn't mean to get so carried away either. Emma didn't know what she was thinking. She never used her powers directly on a person like that before. She only used her powers close to people, to scare them or something like that. But she would never even conceive of deliberately trying to hurt someone. She was going to hurt that doctor, if Rikki and Cleo hadn't stopped her.

"Emma!" the call of her name from Percy and Annabeth snapped Emma from her swirling thoughts. She lifted her head from her knees and saw the two demigods jogging towards her down the sidewalk.

"Hey, you okay?" Percy asked, dropping to one knee at her side. Emma swallowed and nodded.

"You didn't get hurt, did you?" Annabeth questioned. Emma shook her head.

"No, I'm fine." Annabeth frowned at the blonde, unconvinced.

"Dude, that was so cool what you did back there!" Percy exclaimed. "With all the ice and my sword and when you swam so fast-it was amazing! I had no idea you could do that!"

"Thanks," a smile tugged on the corner of Emma's lips. "And speak for yourself."

"Hey, maybe we should head inside? Your moms might be worried," Annabeth suggested with a hand on Percy's shoulder. Emma nodded and the cousins rose and the three strolled up to the front door.

Suddenly, Emma stopped in her tracks and released a gasp as a thought entered her mind. She just remembered something incredibly important.

"What's wrong?" Percy and Annabeth demanded with concern.

"I forgot today's my mum's birthday!"

"Well, hey, that's okay. The day's not over yet. We can still do presents and cake-"

"I had a whole surprise party for her planned!" Emma insisted. "My dad and your mum were supposed to keep her busy all day while I got the house ready for the party. What am I going to do?"

"It's okay, Emma. I'm sure you're parents will understand," Annabeth reassured. "C'mon, let's just go inside and figure this out."

Emma immediately started coming up with solutions to the problem. Maybe nobody has arrived yet. Maybe she still had time to get the house ready. After all, all of the decorations were in her bedroom closet. With Percy, Annabeth, and she could call her friends over to help set everything up. Ash could pick up the birthday cake on his way over while she got in touch with her father. Ask him to buy her some time. She'd have to get all the trays of food ready and make the drinks. People are going to start coming any minute now-

When Emma set foot through the front door, she was greeted by a rainbow of streamers and brightly colored balloons. Her Aunt Sally came bustling around the corner and when she saw the three teenagers, a look of relief came across her features.

"Oh, good. It's just you guys. I thought you were Lisa," she breathed.

"Hi, mom," Percy greeted cheerfully, bringing a kiss to her cheek.

"Aunt Sally-did you do all this?" Emma gasped. Sally beamed at her.

"Not by myself." They moved to the living room, where Elliot and Paul were blowing up the last of the balloons together. Sally returned to the kitchen, where she was placing the finishing touches on the food trays. The entire first floor was entirely decorated with all of Emma's party decorations, the streamers, balloons, and tall, sparkly paperweights on all the tables. A "Happy Birthday Lisa" banner hung along the one wall, and presents were neatly piled off to the side in one corner.

"There you are!" Paul exclaimed from behind his balloon.

"We've been looking all over for you guys!" Elliot complained. Percy and Annabeth eyed Emma, who plastered on a smile for them.

"Sorry, Elliot. Something...came up," she lied.

"That's fine. Aunt Sally was prepared. I got the decorations out from your closet," Elliot explained cooly.

"Why don't you guys go upstairs and get ready? Everyone's coming soon, and Neil's bringing Lisa back in an hour," Sally urged. "You too, Elliot. You've been such a huge help to me!"

Elliot finished his balloon, which Paul tied, and followed Emma and Annabeth upstairs. Percy, on the other hand, went over to his mom with the widest grin.

"Mom, you're not going to believe this," Percy said in a low tone. "Emma's a mermaid!"

"What?!" Sally yelped, her eyes widening in shock. She blinked, reeling. "A mermaid? Are you serious?"

"Yeah! I saw her today. Isn't it amazing?"

"But how? She wasn't when you guys were little. And Lisa never told me-"

"Well, did you tell Aunt Lisa about me?"

"No, not exactly…" Sally bit her lip. She hated that she kept Percy's birth father a secret from her sister but she knew that she was better off not knowing. It was for the better, for all of Lisa's family. Sally shook her head. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know exactly. But isn't this just the coolest? Now I have mythology on both sides of my family!"

Sally giggled and rolled her eyes, "once-just once-I wish I could have a normal vacation!"

They shared some laughter before Sally encouraged Percy to change into nicer clothes for Lisa's birthday party. Emma texted her friends to remind them about her mother's party, while she responded to Zane's asking if it was still happening. Sally didn't know about the cake details, since Emma had assured her long ago she'd be the one getting it, so Emma asked Ash if he could pick it up on his way, which he happily agreed to.

The guests started to arrive. Rikki and Cleo were the first to arrive, Cleo with her dad and sister in tow. Lewis also came early, and he immediately approached the three girls who stood in the corner.

"Hey, are you guys okay? Did they hurt you? What happened?" he asked. The expression on the girls' faces fell. Lewis could see something flash in their eyes-pain, it seemed. Rikki's lips formed a tight line, while Cleo shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"We're fine, Lewis," Emma reassured. She had to believe that.

"We shouldn't be talking about this now," Cleo pointed out. Lewis looked at them sympathetically.

"Lewis, what'd they get arrested for?" Rikki suddenly asked. It was the question that burned within all the mermaids. "Are the police going to be looking for us?"

"Nope. I made sure of that," Lewis gave them a proud smile. "You see, the people who kidnapped you were the L.A.I.U.S. Project. The organization is illegal here, so they're arrested for having their boat docked here for over a week. The name of the boat was a disguise for them, but there is proof of ownership."

"Won't they-I don't know-get a bail or something?"

"I don't think so. Considering the vice president was wearing her uniform at the time of her arrest, it means that she was working while on Australian soil and Australian waters. It means that an illegal organization was operating in the country it's illegal in. So, in terms of the whole legal stuff, it doesn't really matter what they did to you. Not that it doesn't matter in general. It actually matters a lot to, well, me, and-you know-Ash and Zane..."

"I don't know, Lewis…"

"I know you guys have been through a lot. But you can rest easy now. Those people aren't going to bother you ever again. We made sure of it," Lewis said warmly. The girls tried to return his smile, but it was hard. Thinking about those scientists were hard. This party was supposed to distract them.

More people began to arrive. They were mostly friends or colleagues of Neil and Lisa. Zane came with his dad. Ash came later with the cake and it was promptly hidden in the fridge. Music played to entertain everyone while everyone grazed the food and drink available. Despite the cheery atmosphere, Emma did not feel such. She couldn't get comfortable. Her mind constantly wandered. She wondered what would've happened if Percy and Annabeth never came to their rescue. Would the scientists hold her forever? Or would those monsters eat her? And then she wondered-would monsters try to eat her again?

And she had so many questions for Percy. Emma was positive he'd have questions for her, but he was preoccupied socializing. It appeared that Percy's energy knew no bounds. She didn't want to bother him now. Like Cleo said, now wasn't the time. And besides, Emma was desperate to stop thinking about her horrible day. She tried to distract herself by reconnecting with other relatives and coworkers of her parents.

"Just leave it alone, Zane," Rikki groaned when her boyfriend pulled her aside down the hallway to ask her about the day.

"I think we need to talk about what happened, Rikki," Zane protested.

"What are you? A therapist?" she snapped. "Look, there's nothing to talk about. A scientist captured us. I sunk the boat and we got away."

"C'mon, Rikki. There's more to it than that."

"No, there isn't! And besides, this doesn't concern you anyway."

"This doesn't concern me?" Zane stared at his girlfriend in shock. "Rikki, anything that happens to you concerns me. I'm your boyfriend and I care about what happens to you. I'm just trying to be there for you."

"Well, I didn't ask you to."

Zane narrowed his eyes at Rikki, "don't be like this, Rikki."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Zane."

"You're not actually mad at me," he accused. "You're just angry because it's easier that way."

"Don't be ridiculous-"

"I know you, Rikki," Zane continued. "When you get mean, it's because you're hurting. You'd rather push people away so they don't see that."

For a moment, Rikki didn't say anything. Zane was right and she knew it, but she didn't want him to be. She didn't want to feel the pain anymore. She believed that if she just ignored it, buried it, and refused to acknowledge it, it will all go away. And she could forget that whole thing ever happened.

"We really oughta get back to the party," Rikki said quietly.

"We don't have to," Zane countered. Rikki shook her head.

Just then, Sally received notification that Neil and Lisa were on their way. That was Rikki's chance to get out of the conversation and as much as Zane wanted to talk about it, he knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with her like this. The house darkened and everyone hid in the living room and kitchen, waiting for Lisa to come through the front door. Just as she stepped into the living room, the lights came on and everyone sprung out from their hiding spots, yelling out "surprise!" Lisa was badly startled but she started laughing delightfully.

"Oh my goodness!" she cried. She looked at Sally and Paul standing nearby. "Did you do this?"

"It was all Emma's idea," Sally beamed. Lisa looked at her smiling daughter and pulled her into a hug.

"Happy birthday, mum."

"Oh, Em. You didn't have to do all this for me."

"Of course I did," Emma pulled away. "You've done so much for this family. You deserve to be celebrated."

And the celebration began. The music turned up, the lights dimmed, and everyone approached Lisa to wish her a happy birthday. Emma led the party to sing happy birthday to her mother as she brought out the cake with lit candles. The house was filled with "hip hip hooray!" chants as Lisa blew out her candles and kissed her children on their heads.

It was after the cake was served that Emma slipped away from the party. It went unnoticed, for everyone was too preoccupied enjoying the sweet treat. This was only temporary-Emma just had to get away. She started to feel unusually claustrophobic and a headache was forming. She went to the end of her dock, slipped off her heels, and sat on the edge, letting her feet hover over the dark water. She stared at the moon's reflection on the water's surface. There was a part of Emma that wanted to slide off the edge of the dock and drift to the bottom of the canal. She wanted the water to envelop her and carry her away. She didn't want to swim anymore-she just wanted to float.

"You know," Percy's voice made Emma jump from her spot. "The party's inside."

"Percy, you scared me," Emma said coldly.

"Mind if I sit?" It didn't matter if she did, because he already kicked his shoes off and took a seat beside her cousin. "So, about that race…"

"God, Percy…" Emma fell back and laid on the dock, staring up at the sky. Percy laughed.

"I'm just kidding," Percy paused. He wasn't sure if he should say what he was about to say. "So that's why you gave up swimming, isn't it?"

Emma sat up and didn't say anything for a moment.

"Yeah," she replied with a nod. "I can't touch water. One drop and I turn into a mermaid."

"One drop!?" Percy gasped. "Seriously? That's it?" Emma nodded. "Oh gods-I'm so sorry for all those times I tried to splash you. I was just trying to get back at you because you wouldn't race me."

"It's okay, Percy. You didn't know. And besides, it's not that big of a deal anymore."

"When did you become a mermaid? How did it even happen?" Emma was hesitant. It was always weird explaining herself to others. And it suddenly felt even more difficult with Percy. He was her family. They've known each other their entire lives. He was practically a brother.

"C'mon," Percy urged, playfully bumping his shoulder into hers. She sighed. She knew she'd feel better once she told him her story.

"It happened when I was fifteen."

Emma told him everything. Once she started talking, she couldn't stop. She told him everything about how she became a mermaid with Rikki and Cleo, how she discovered her powers, all of her problems with Dr. Denman and then her problems with Charlotte. She told him about the full moons, the planetary alignments, the enhancement of her powers. She told him everything. And he listened intently, occasionally asking questions that led to Emma going on about other mermaid adventures.

"How come you didn't tell me sooner?"

"What was I supposed to say? 'Hey, Percy! I haven't seen you in four years. But guess what, I'm a mermaid! Wanna watch me grow a tail?'"

"Yeah!"

Emma rolled her eyes but smiled. "Well, what about you, huh?" she quipped. "You never told me about your powers either!"

"That's different! The more people who know, the more danger they're in. Those monsters today? Those are a regular thing. Maybe not those monsters, but lots of monsters are always coming after me. Because I'm a demigod."

"You're the son of Poseidon," Emma stated, much to Percy's surprise. "That's who your birth father is? He wasn't actually lost at sea?"

"Wait, how did you know that?"

"It's a long story, but Cleo met Poseidon. She said that he told her you were his son."

"What!?" Percy cried. "Cleo met my dad!? When did this happen!?"

"When she ran away. Cleo tried to tell me...but I wouldn't listen to her. She tried to tell me that he chose the three of us to be mermaids. And she told me that all your scars were from wars but I told her it was because of that car accident when you were twelve." Emma paused. "Percy, was that really a car accident when you were twelve?"

Percy's face darkened. He looked away from his cousin and stared at the water.

"No," he finally said. "I mean, yeah, it kinda was. There was this minotaur…"

And so, Percy told Emma everything. He had much more to say than she did, talking about all of his quests and adventures over the years since his arrival at Camp Half-Blood. And, of course, Emma had many more questions than Percy had, so the conversation was extended because of that. He told her about Annabeth, Grover, Luke, and Kronos. And then he told her about the Giants and Gaea and being switched with Jason. He even ended up talking to Emma about Tartarus, something he hasn't spoken of since he was there, and how his friends saved the world a second time. Emma could hardly fathom such concepts but Percy told her how everything worked-how all the mythologies exist today, mostly in the States. He told her about his brother, Tyson. But most of all, Percy couldn't tell her enough about Camp Half-Blood. It was obvious to Emma how much that place meant to him.

"Wow," was all Emma could say once Percy finally finished. She folded her hands across her lap and stared at them intently. Her head was tilted so far down that her hair fell over her shoulders and covered part of her face. But Emma didn't care. She was so overwhelmed by this information. Everything made sense now. This was why she hasn't seen Percy since they were eleven. This is what her Aunt Sally was so upset about when she overheard her conversation with Lisa. This explains why Percy has changed so much since they were kids. And Emma was so consumed with her transformation that she didn't even notice Percy's.

The tears started rolling down her cheeks now. Emma squeezed her eyes shut but she couldn't stop them from falling onto her lap. Her body stiffened in an attempt to hold back her sobs but it only caused her form to start shaking.

"Hey-hey, what's wrong?" Percy asked, gently placing a hand on the mermaid's back. Emma coughed out a sob. She balled her hands into painfully tight fists, still trying to resist the tears.

"I've been so cold to you, Percy."

"Well, it is your power."

"I've been hard on you, Percy. I've been so mean to you, ever since you got here. It was totally unfair to you. I should've never treated you that way. You never deserved it-any of it. But I was so...consumed by my own problems. I was just trying to get by without sprouting a tail. And they aren't even real problems! God, this is nothing compared to what you've dealt with. I've been so self-centered, Percy. I'm so sorry." Emma finally gave into her sobs. She buried her face in her hands and cried into them.

"Hey, hang on!" Percy protested. "Don't you dare do that to yourself, do you hear me? Don't you dare belittle yourself like that. Don't you dare invalidate your problems. Just because they're not the same problems doesn't invalidate them."

"Oh, please, Percy," Emma finally looked at her cousin. "You have to deal with monsters trying to kill you for the rest of your life. Me? What have I got to worry about?"

"Look, Emma, this isn't a contest-"

"I wasn't trying-"

"No, you weren't. But listen, you can't do that to yourself. You're trying to erase your very real problems. And you can't do that. That's not fair to you."

"It doesn't change the fact that I've treated you so unfairly," Emma said quietly.

"Emma, I know why you did. You had to protect your secret. And you weren't only protecting yourself, but also Cleo and Rikki. Gods, I can't even imagine what would happen to you if this got out. Those scientists would've only been the beginning…" Percy ran a hand through his hair. The very thought of losing Emma like that again gave him so much anxiety. "Your monsters are human."

The mermaid hung her head and cried. The tears dropped onto the skirt of her dress; she didn't even bother to wipe them at that moment. She suddenly felt all of this emotion wash over her like a tsunami, consuming her entire being, and she didn't even know what to do with herself. The fear of a repeat of today had her shaking. And as she tried to dismiss those thoughts, she thought about Percy going home tomorrow. And he will have to keep doing what he's been doing. He'll have to keep fighting. The unfairness of it all...it sickened her.

Percy watched his cousin cry. While there were many times Percy felt like he barely knew Emma, it was an unusual sight to see her cry. He wasn't sure how to console her without her pushing him away again. Now more than ever, they needed to stick together. He wondered how such a thing could be possible, considering the fact that they lived on opposite ends of the world.

"I don't hate you, Percy," Emma finally said, very softly. "I never meant what I said this morning. Any of it. It was selfish and inexcusable."

Percy whistled and then snorted, "this morning feels like it happened a week ago." His expression turned more serious, yet gentle. "Quit being so hard on yourself, Em. I said some pretty crappy things too. And I'm really sorry about that."

Emma suddenly lifted her head and let out a small laugh, wiping her tears with the back of her hands.

"What's so funny? You're not going to turn into a mermaid now that you touched your tears, right? How does that work?"

Percy's confusion only made Emma laugh more. She shook her head and waved him off, "no, idiot. Tears don't count. I'm laughing because, well, don't you get it? If we had just told each other the truth, we could have avoided that heated argument altogether. But we both thought we were doing the right thing-not telling each other."

The demigod smiled brightly, "yeah, I guess you're right."

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"You know, go through everything that you go through-the monsters, the fighting, the danger-and still be so...happy-go-lucky?"

It was Percy's turn to burst out laughing loudly. "Me? Happy-go-lucky?"

Emma nudged his side for his obnoxious outburst and groaned, "you know what I mean."

"Well, sarcasm helps."

"I'm trying to have a serious conversation here, Percy."

He was still laughing.

"I know, I know. And to answer your question, seriously," Percy wiggled his eyebrows at the last word before turning his expression serious, "I'm never alone. I have my friends, I have Annabeth. And I have my family. I have my brother, and my mom, Paul, and now you and Aunt Lisa and Elliot, you know? I have people I can rely on. People I can trust, people who got my back and I've got theirs."

"Hm. It must be nice, having people that are like you around. It's just Rikki, Cleo and I." Ever since Emma met Louise Chatham, she's always wanted there to be more mermaids. Not in the sense where girls are just lining themselves up on Mako Island, but she wanted to be around more people like her. Lewis has been absolutely incredible to her and the girls for the past two years but it wasn't the same, not like having others who dealt with the same things.

"Well, there are mermaids out there. But they look nothing like you," Emma arched an eyebrow at her cousin curiously. "For starters, you're way uglier."

"Percy!" Emma punched his arm and he only chortled.

"Listen, Em. It's not just you three anymore. You're part of this whole world now. We're really not so different after all," Percy reassured. "Now you've got me and Annabeth. And I know you have those guys, and your family to support you too."

Emma pursed her lips and broke eye contact with Percy, instead staring at her feet hovering over the water. After telling Percy everything that has happened to her, she never brought up her parents or Elliot, because they've never been much involved in her mermaid adventures. They don't even know.

"What?" Percy asked, noticing her change of mood.

"My family doesn't know."

"What!?" he cried. "Your mom? Your dad? Elliot? You didn't tell any of them?"

"How could I!?"

"How could you not!? They're your family, Em!"

Emma scowled. It was among Emma's first decisions when finding out she became a mermaid to not tell her family. There was no way that she could just sit down with them and tell them that she now grew a tail ten seconds after touching water. There was no way they could understand. And even if they did, if they knew her secret, she'd be putting them at risk with her. If anything happened to her, it would hurt all of them.

"Percy, have you ever seen, Splash?"

"What is it, a movie?"

"Yeah, it's a movie about mermaids with Tom Hanks in it. Anyway, when Madison-the mermaid-is splashed with water and is publically turned into a mermaid, government agents take her away. Allen-that's Tom Hanks's character-was her boyfriend but he didn't know that she was a mermaid. But despite that, Allen gets kidnapped by the government too and they study him just as much as they do with Madison because they think he's a merman too. He's not and the government eventually releases him. My point is...is that I can't tell anybody this secret. Because if something happens to me, they might get hurt too."

"C'mon, Em, that's just a movie."

"Yeah, I get it, it's fictional, but it's a risk I'm not willing to take. The less they know, the better they safer they are."

Percy rolled his eyes, "that's a load of bullshit."

"Think whatever you want, Percy. You can't change my mind. I know I'm doing the right thing," she stated firmly.

"That's what you tell yourself."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look, maybe you think you're doing the right thing, but the only person you're protecting is yourself. In reality, you're just afraid that if you tell them, they'll reject you," Percy said.

"Now that's a load of bullshit," Emma scoffed. "I'm not afraid-"

"Yes, you are! You shut people out, Em. You put up these walls so no one can get through, so you can protect yourself. Why else would you tell your boyfriend before you tell your family?"

"Because-"

"Because it's easier to cut ties with a boyfriend than with your family," Percy cut in.

"It isn't so easy, Percy. How am I supposed to tell my parents that their daughter is suddenly now half-fish? How could I possibly explain that to them? They were crushed when I quit the swim team. They wouldn't know what to do when they find out that their daughter isn't even the same species as them! It's easier to tell a boyfriend-because he doesn't have these preconceived notions of me. He hasn't known me for all seventeen years of my life. So as shocking as it is to find out I'm a mermaid, it doesn't...it doesn't destroy seventeen years of being a family…"

Emma didn't like admitting Percy was right, but he was, and she never had even realized it until the words came out of her mouth.

"But, Em, they're your parents. It won't change the fact that your their daughter and how much they love you. Aunt Lisa and Uncle Neil are some of the best parents around-trust me, I know bad parents," more than he would have cared to, "and they will understand. You have to trust them."

"What if they don't, Percy? Then what?"

"But they will, Em. You worry too much, you know that?"

Emma bit her lip, uncertain. She had banished the thought of telling her parents and brother her secret a long time ago. Perhaps it could make her life easier-and theirs-if she had told them. It certainly made it easier telling Ash. He's been nothing but supportive. Even if they were to break up tomorrow-which Emma, for the record, had no intention of doing such-she still felt confident that her secret would remain safe.

Percy did believe that Emma worried too much. He watched her brow furrow, evident that she was mulling his words over. The last thing he wanted was to cause her more worry, though, but it was clear he was. He is suddenly starting to regret what he said. Percy didn't want to dismiss Emma's fears. As silly as they sounded to him, he knew they felt very real to her. But he knows his cousin is making her life harder than it needs to be. She shouldn't be handling this all by herself.

"You don't have to do it now," Percy finally spoke, wrapping an arm around the mermaid. She, to his surprise, leaned into him. "You don't have to do it tonight or tomorrow or even next week or next month. But I still think you should do it, Em. Tell them when you feel the time is right."

"You really think it will work out?"

"I'll bet you a thousand dollars."

"Too bad you don't have a thousand dollars."

"Fine, I'll bet you my sword. That's Celestial Bronze, you know! And it's one of my most prized possessions. If I'm wrong, Riptide is yours."

That earned a giggle, "you got yourself a deal."

The cousins sat in silence for a little while longer. They stared at the moonlight reflecting off the water. The music from the house was audible but faint. The water swished and splashed below them. They inhaled the scent of the salty ocean air. They weren't ready to return to the party just yet. Both Emma and Percy just needed a moment to take it in, the gravity of their truths and how to move forward.

And they were undisturbed. Annabeth, Cleo, and Rikki watched them from the windows. All three of them knew they were better to be left alone. There was much to be discussed. Annabeth had her own burning questions to ask the mermaids and took the opportunity to ask them while the rest of the party was preoccupied stuffing their faces with cake.

Rikki was in the middle of sharing a moonstruck story when the girls noticed Percy and Emma separate on the dock. The demigod got to his feet but the mermaid did not-not just yet. She wanted a minute alone before returning to the party. Emma knew it was rude of her to not be with her mother right now but she just...needed a little longer.

Once Percy made it back into the house, he immediately joined Annabeth's side.

"How'd it go?" she asked him. Rikki and Cleo stared at him, eager for his answer.

"Good. Really good," Percy replied with a goofy smile.

"Why isn't she coming in?" Cleo questioned. "Is Emma okay?"

"She's fine, I promise. She just wanted to sit for another minute, is all."

Rikki and Cleo gazed out the window at their blonde friend. They hoped Percy was right. It was really hard to feel fine right now.

However, Neil started looking for his daughter. He asked Ash if he had seen her and Ash promised him he'd go retrieve her. Ash had known where she was and went out to the docks.

"Hey, Em," he called out to her softly. He didn't want to startle her, but she was.

"Hey," Emma returned after recovering from her startle and looking over her shoulder to him.

"Your family's looking for them. Do you want me to tell them that you'll be there in a few?"

"No, it's okay," Emma rose to her feet and slipped her shoes back on. "I'll come in now. There isn't anything wrong with the party, is there?"

"No, not at all. At least, not that I'm aware of. But I think your dad just wants to talk to you," Ash answered. He looked at her sympathetically. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You've done more than enough for me, Ash," Emma smiled warmly at him and slid her palm into his. "You've been so incredible. I promise you that kidnapping is not something that happens to me on a regular basis."

"It doesn't matter. Bring it on. For you, I'd do anything, Em." And Ash really meant that. It made Emma's face turn bright pink and her heart flutter the entire walk back to the house. She wondered how she got so lucky with this guy.

"You have no idea how much you mean to me." Emma pressed a kiss to the corner of Ash's mouth before pulling away to find her father. In the meantime, Ash gathered with the rest of the chatting teenagers around one of the couches in the corner.

"Ah, there you are, sweetheart," Neil greeted Emma as she approached him. Neil had something really important he wanted to tell his family, but he ultimately decided against it. So when Emma asked him if he needed something, his response was that he simply wanted her to join them in the festivities with her mother. He kissed her forehead before she went to go spend time with the woman of the night.

"Emma!" Sally's exuberant greeting was so loud it startled Percy as he tried to pour himself another cup of punch.

"Are you two enjoying the party?" Emma asked, but she had her answer by the beams Lisa and Sally gave her. She also wondered if it could be due to the amount of wine they had been drinking throughout the night.

"This night has been so wonderful, Emma. Thank you so much for all of this," Lisa said contentedly.

"You've raised her so well, Lis," Sally complimented as she touched Emma's hair affectionately.

"I don't know how I did it," Lisa protested humbly.

"I can't tell you how proud I am to be her aunt. She's so strong-smart-kind-magical-"

"Magical?" Emma repeated with an arched eyebrow.

"Oh, don't worry, you two. You don't have to hide from me anymore. Emma's secret is safe with me." Emma's face fell, Percy dropped his cup in the punch bowl, and Lisa furrowed her brow.

"Secret? What secret?" Lisa asked. "We don't keep secrets in this family, Sal."

"It's okay, Lis. I know that Emma is a mermaid-"

"Mom!" Percy yelled, immediately moving to her side. Emma stood there frozen, stunned, unable to speak or even breathe. Lisa only looked more puzzled.

"What she means is-" Percy quickly said but his words faltered. How was he supposed to twist this around?. "-is that, uh, she's had too much to drink already."

"What?"

"What is that, your fifth glass of wine, mom?" Percy looked into his mother's eyes pleadingly. "Aunt Lisa, I know she's your sister and all, but have you ever seen her drunk before? I swear, she goes off to a whole 'nother world! She got so caught up in her, uh, awe of Emma that she started to compare her to a mermaid."

"Really?" Lisa asked, looking at her sister. Sally hasn't had that much to drink this evening. Enough to feel buzzed, but she definitely was not drunk like Percy was insinuating. But judging by the expressions on her son and niece's faces, Sally suddenly realized that Lisa had no idea Emma was a mermaid.

"I thought you knew what I was saying, Lisa. I was saying that Emma was like a mermaid," Sally lied. The look of relief that came over Emma's face confirmed Sally's assumption. Lisa looked at her sister, then to her nephew, and finally at her daughter. She herself has had a few glasses of wine and would admit that things were starting to get a little fuzzy. Once she finally understood what Sally was saying, Lisa burst out into giggles.

"Yeah, I suppose she is! With her swimming records and all," Lisa agreed.

"C'mon, mom, maybe you should sit down for a sec." Percy gently pulled on his mother's arm and led her away from Lisa. Once they were far enough away from her, he leaned in and said in a hushed tone, "Aunt Lisa doesn't know about Emma being a mermaid!"

"How can she not know? That's her daughter!" Sally protested quietly.

"I know, I know. I don't get it either but Emma didn't tell any of her family members and we can't be the ones spilling it."

"Percy!" Emma's more familiar icy tone rang in his ears as her hand latched onto his shoulder. She has never been more grateful to have her house filled with loud music and energized chatter. It permitted more private conversations in the most public places. "You told your mom my secret?"

"What? I was excited because now I have mythology on both sides of my family now! I thought it was cool!" Percy defended as Emma glowered.

"Emma, I'm so sorry," Sally stepped in. "I had no idea. I promise your secret is safe with me, dear."

As often as Emma gets angry with Percy, she could never do the same with her kind Aunt Sally. Her cold expression began to collapse and her shoulders relaxed. She didn't like what Percy did, but she knew she could trust her aunt. After all, she had her own secrets to keep from Lisa too. Emma tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before nodding at Sally.

"It's okay. Like you said, you didn't know," Emma said half-smiling.

"I know you have your reasons for not telling your mother your secret, but I really think you should." Emma's half-smile turned into a frown. She saw it coming yet she still didn't like hearing it. Sally gently stroked her niece's blonde hair. "She's your mother and she'll love you no matter what."

Emma swallowed and nodded. Sally pulled her in her embrace.

"And you know I'll love you know matter what," her aunt added. Emma was the first to break from Sally but she was smiling, gratitude twinkling in her cerulean eyes.

"Thank you, Aunt Sally."

"Emma!" Lisa beckoned from the kitchen. When Emma turned to see, she saw her mother standing with a very cheeky-looking Rikki. Lisa's one hand was waving her down between the bodies of people, while her other hand held a couple of photo albums.

"Lisa! Are those the photo albums?" Sally gushed, quickly rejoining her sister.

"You bet they are!" Rikki answered brightly for Lisa, winking at the stunned Emma and Percy.

"Oh, God."

"Oh, gods."

Naturally, this attracted the attention of the other teenagers of the party-Annabeth, Cleo, Zane, Ash, and Lewis. Once Lisa and Sally flipped through them, Cleo asked if she could see them and brought them to her friends.

They were filled of pictures from Emma and Elliot's childhood. While there were many pictures of Aunt Sally and Percy-and, unfortunately, Uncle Gabe-there were more pictures of Emma with Cleo or Zane.

"Hey, Em, why are you crying in this one?" Lewis asked, showing her a picture of Emma and Percy as toddlers, sitting together in a bathtub. Emma's face was all red with her mouth hanging open, clearly balling her eyes out. They could almost hear the loud cries from the toddler. Meanwhile, Percy was grinning at the camera with the widest smile. His hands clutched a yellow rubber duck.

The photo earned a groan from Emma.

"Don't you see? My rubber ducky was stolen," Emma answered with a slight bitterness to her tone, as if she was still bothered by having her rubber duck taken from her. Her response prompted the others to erupt into laughter.

"Jeez, Percy, you were cruel!" Annabeth teased.

"Yeah, yeah," Percy muttered with an eye roll but there was still amusement on his lips. Emma too couldn't help but be amused by the pictures. There were other pictures of Emma and Percy, like with food splattered all over their faces. There was one where Emma and Percy were riding bikes with training wheels, Emma's bike had pink tassels and Percy's had flames painted on it. There was one with Emma and Percy in a swimming pool, Emma wearing a swimming cap and goggles on her forehead while Percy had sunscreen still visible on his face. The assortment was endless. Emma and Sally, Percy and Neil, and lots of babies running wild and naked, much to Emma and Percy's embarrassment.

The party lasted for another couple of hours. Everyone was having the time of their lives celebrating Lisa's birthday. But the teenagers were mostly celebrating their victory and the safety of the mermaids. For once, Emma actually wanted to drink alcohol to help her relax. But she, along with Cleo and Rikki, discovered that the alcohol tolerance for mermaids was much higher than that of a human.

Eventually, people began to peter out. It was getting late and Percy would have to leave to go back to the States the next day. After remembering this, Lisa and Sally drank more wine and had a long, emotional conversation.

Upstairs, in Emma's bedroom, Emma, Annabeth, and Percy stayed up talking. Now that they had gotten through each other's stories of the past five years, they were buzzing with questions for each other. It was weird, for Emma and Percy's perceptions of each other were so radically changed, but it was also exciting.

The three talked until they ran out of energy. By then, it was getting late and the tired was setting in. All three of them went to bed with smiles on their faces, something that hadn't happened to any of them in a long time.

In the morning, Emma's natural ability to wake up early had suddenly failed her. Normally, Emma awoke around seven, even after she quit the swim team. Sleeping until eight felt too late into the morning for her. This morning, she slept much past eight.

The blonde lifted her heavy eyelids. She knew she must have slept good if it was this difficult to wake up. She lazily lifted her head to check the clock on her desk and when the time finally registered in her head, she immediately shot up. Emma looked over to Annabeth's air mattress, which was empty. In fact, the sheets and blankets were folded neatly and placed atop the pillows. Emma's next instinct was to look at where Annabeth kept her duffel bag, but it was nowhere to be found in her room.

They couldn't have left yet, could they? Emma thought. Her heart started racing and she jumped out of bed. They wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. Aunt Sally would never. But what time was their ship? What if they had to leave and Emma slept through the goodbyes?

As soon as Emma opened her bedroom door, she heard their voices. Her shoulders sagged with relief. She pulled her mussed hair into a ponytail as she made her way down the stairs. When she came to the landing, she saw her family spread out throughout the first floor, everyone helping to clean up. Elliot seemed to be taking a break at the kitchen counter while Lisa threw plastic cups in a trash bag.

"Good morning, Em!" Elliot greeted his sister cheerfully, catching the attention of Lisa and Neil.

"Mum, you shouldn't be cleaning up after the party that was thrown for you," Emma scolded as she entered the kitchen. "I'll take care of it."

"Oh, it's no big deal. I'm responsible for half of this mess anyway!" Lisa dismissed casually. Emma sighed, knowing that she wasn't able to stop her mother. She only wished she had gotten up sooner so she could have beaten her too it.

"So nice of you to join the rest of us," Percy teased from the living room. Emma scowled and decided to ignore her smug cousin.

"I'm glad you're up, Emma," her father spoke, approaching her. "There's something I wanted to tell you."

Suddenly, all eyes were on her. Emma furrowed her brow and swallowed. It was always so hard for her to tell what her father was thinking. It was much unlike her mother, who's expressions always gave away exactly what she was thinking.

"Is everything alright?" Emma asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes everything's alright," Neil assured with a grin. "Now, I didn't want to tell you last night because I didn't want to take away from your mother's birthday party."

"And you wouldn't have! You should have just made the announcement last night," Lisa huffed.

"What announcement?" Emma questioned.

"I was promoted yesterday," Neil replied with one of the widest grins she's ever seen on him. It was contagious.

"We're going to travel the whole world together!" Elliot chimed.

"Wait, what?"

"I am now in charge of multiple branches overseas and so we'll have to move. We'll be moving around a lot this next year," Neil explained. Emma's smile slowly fell from her face.

"We're moving?" Emma repeated. "What about school?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. We'll get it arranged for you to finish high school," Lisa reassured. "We know that you won't be spending your last year with your friends, but this is going to be a wonderful opportunity. It'll be one of the best experiences of your life!"

Emma forced a smile but it didn't quite reach her eyes. The news of her father's promotion should be another celebration. He'll be getting paid better, he'll be getting the recognition he deserves, and they'll get to travel all over the world! It would be foolish to not be happy.

And Emma's heart was breaking. To say that she liked living here would be an understatement. For one thing, Emma has never lived anywhere else in her entire life. She's been living in this house since she was born. Not only that, but how could she go so far away from Mako? From Cleo and Rikki?

Oh God, how was she going to tell them? Or even Ash for that matter? Ash was studying at university but she wondered how the long-distance would work for them. But she couldn't break up with him either. And to think that Emma wouldn't walk across the same stage as her best friends to graduate? It was overwhelming.

"Well...this is great news!" Emma quickly said after realizing that there was a long pause. She immediately hugged her dad. "I'm so happy for you!"

Percy and Annabeth knew she was lying.

"When do we leave?" Emma asked, pulling from Neil.

"It's not until the end of summer. There are still things that we need to get in order," Neil answered. "Are you really okay with this?"

"Yeah, you flipped out the last time we went on our traditional family trip!" Elliot reminded, much to Emma's displeasure.

"Of course I am," Emma reassured. "I mean, I'm definitely surprised. And it will be a big change, but change is inevitable, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's very true," Lisa agreed with pride in her tone, proud of her daughter's wisdom.

"And this means we might get to see each other more," Sally pointed out. "That is if you ever get to the US."

"I'm sure we'll be spending plenty of time in the States," Neil responded and the adults began conversing when and where they'll meet again. Everything was uncertain right now. Neil wasn't even entirely sure exactly which places they'll be going to.

Still, Emma couldn't shake one thought from her mind: what about Cleo and Rikki?

But now wasn't the time to worry about Cleo and Rikki. It was now time for Percy to leave with Annabeth, Sally, and Paul. Emma's family drove them to the place where they would board their ship. They had two take two cars, Lisa driving one and Neil driving the other. When they arrived, Cleo and Rikki were there, completely unaware of the truth Emma was just given earlier. Seeing them was a pleasant surprise for Percy and Annabeth, but it only made Emma's stomach twist.

Lisa and Neil helped Sally and Paul with their luggage. Lisa was trying to refrain from crying but was failing. Everyone double checked if they had their boarding passes. There were hugs and promises and congratulations triple checks to make sure that they really had everything.

"I don't want you to leave. You only just got here." Lisa and Sally were crying now. It wasn't long until they became incomprehensible between their sobs.

"I know you haven't been here for very long, but we're really going to miss you," Cleo confessed as she hugged Annabeth, and then Percy.

"We'll miss you too," Annabeth agreed. "And I'm definitely coming back here. Aside from the whole LAIUS Project, this was definitely one of the best vacations I've ever had."

"You better come back!" Elliot held her to her word. "But maybe next time I'll see you again, it'll be in New York! Wouldn't that be so cool? You can show me where you live!"

"You can count on it," Percy promised. He offered his hand for a high five, which Elliot eagerly slapped. Then, Percy turned to Emma, who remained quiet. But before he could say anything, Rikki threw her arms around Percy in a tight squeeze.

"Uh, Rikki?" she was holding on longer than comfortable.

"What? Can't a girl say goodbye?" Rikki complained, lowering her arms.

"Yeah but you don't have to be so weird about it," Cleo protested.

"Who's being weird?"

"Just be careful not to fall into the water again, Rikki," Annabeth warned, smirking. Rikki's jaw dropped open at the comment-how did they know?

Percy moved to hug the still-quiet Emma. For whatever reason, but it was this moment that made her realize how much taller Percy was than her. She nevertheless sincerely returned his embrace.

"I don't know when I'm going to see you again," Emma admitted sadly. Even if her family was traveling the world, there was no telling what was in store for them. Or for Percy and Annabeth. By the time her family gets close to New York, they could be on another quest. The world could need saving again. There was no way to know. It could be another five years before they see each other again and this time, that thought broke her heart.

"You can always swim for it," Percy suggested. He wanted so badly to take her to Camp Half-Blood, to show her his world. But now it was hers too. He knew she'd fit right in. It would be so good for her to be among others like her-others of mythology. She could meet Grover and Chiron. She could even stay in his cabin. Although, she probably wouldn't care for the climbing wall.

Finally, Percy released her. Emma was shaking her head.

"I can't make it that far. Not all the way to New York from here, at least. And even if we were within swimming distance, I can't promise I'll be able to get away from my parents," Emma said defeatedly. Suddenly, Percy just got an idea.

"You don't have to go to New York. I can meet you halfway-in California. What do you say?"

"I don't know, Percy…"

"You have the drachmas I gave you, right?" Annabeth asked. Emma nodded. "And I wrote down the incantation for you. I know it's not the same as a phone call but…"

"No, it's perfect. I can't wait to try it out," Emma reassured.

"You really think some god is going to listen to us?" Rikki asked skeptically.

"You'd be surprised."

It was difficult for Emma, Rikki, and Cleo to wrap their minds around the existence of Greek gods. It made sense, given that they're mermaids, but to know that gods exist? That those myths they studied in their history classes all actually happened? It was unimaginable. And they didn't want to think about what that concept would do to Lewis.

The cruise ship's horn blared painfully in their ears and signaled that it was time to board.

"Come on, Percy, it's time to go!" Sally called, her eyes filled with tears. Emma quickly hugged Sally and Paul and Annabeth before giving Percy one last hug.

"I'll see you soon," Percy promised. Emma's eyes pricked with tears but she blinked them away. She swallowed her sobs and squeezed him tighter.

"See you soon," she repeated each word carefully, as if she was struggling to believe it. And she was. It was so hard to define what "soon" was but no matter when that time would come, it wouldn't be soon enough for either of them.

Sally, Paul, Percy, and Annabeth all began to board the cruise ship. They waved back to the Gilberts, Cleo, and Rikki. Percy met Emma's gaze over his shoulder and he nodded once, waving his hand only once. It wasn't just a promise they had made between each other-it was a reminder, to remind Emma what she had owed to herself, to rely on others. Emma did not want to tell her family her secret. The thought terrified her. Percy may have a good point and it will haunt her, but...it just was too hard.

Emma returned his nod and wave. The demigod turned back around and lowered his head when he felt the tears threaten his eyes. Quickly, he rubs his eyes to rub the tears away.

"It'll be okay," Annabeth spoke, as if reading his mind.

"What if something happens to her? What if more monsters go after her and I'm not there?"

It was one of his greatest fears. He blamed himself for attracting the monsters during their visit, but now knowing that they were after her all along, then that means more would come. And Emma would be defenseless. She's not trained like he is. She doesn't have Celestial Bronze or Imperial Gold. She should be coming with him so she can be safe and they could spend more time together. If anything happened to her...there would be nothing Percy could do. They were half a world away from each other. If she got hurt...Percy would never be able to forgive himself. It would be his fault.

"She'll be okay," Annabeth said certainly. "She's tough. You've seen what she can do, and she's got Rikki and Cleo. They can take on anything."

"If more monsters come, will it be our fault?"

Annabeth was wondering the same thing. Before they came to Australia, the mermaids had never been attacked by monsters before. And then they arrive, and Emma gets attacked twice. The monsters were after her, not the demigods, for her flesh, but Annabeth wondered if the mermaids were found in the first place because of the demigods' presence.

"We can't think like that, Percy," she finally answered. "You can't think like you just ruined her life. We can't play the blame game-no one would win. It isn't anyone's fault when a monster attacks."

Percy swallowed and nodded, wiping more tears from his eyes before they escaped down his cheeks. His girlfriend was right. She always was.

"She's my sister," he stated with his voice cracking. Annabeth slid her palm into his and squeezed.

"I know. And I really believe that if you didn't have each other, you'd both be in a worse place right now."

As Emma watched her relatives depart, Cleo and Rikki both wrapped her in their arms, sandwiching her between them.

"It's okay, Em," Cleo comforted. Emma didn't realize she was crying until now. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks and dropped onto Cleo and Rikki's arms. She sniffled and released a small sob. She leaned into her friends for support.

"I'm going to miss him so much," the blonde confessed quietly.

"Ha! You wouldn't have said that the last time we stood here," Rikki said lightheartedly. Her tone turned more serious, "but I guess we were different people then too, weren't we?"

Rikki sounded like it has been years, not just a matter of days. But it didn't make it any less true. Emma, Rikki, and Cleo felt like they were different people, between what happened with Charlotte, to what happened with the scientists and manticores. After rethinking what Poseidon had told Cleo, they began to feel a greater purpose in themselves.

After the emotional goodbye, Emma told Cleo and Rikki she wanted to meet up with them later; the usual, the midnight swim, with the light of the moon and stars above them, illuminating Mako Island. She was going to have to break the news to them now. She knew waiting would only torture her. Rikki called Zane, asking him if she could see him. She had some apologizing to do. Cleo went to Lewis's fishing spot, knowing she'd find him there. She took a seat on the dock and let her feet dangle over the water. She didn't say anything and Lewis didn't ask. He knew she simply wanted to be.

Emma also arranged a date with Ash for tomorrow night, when they were both off work, so she could break the news to him and work out whatever challenges it brings to their relationship. They're going to make this work. She wasn't going to give up on him.

And Emma wasn't going to give up on her family either.

Emma was the last one to walk through the front door of the house. She closed it behind her and didn't move from that spot, not even releasing the doorknob.

"Um, mum? Dad?" She called very softly after forcing down the lump in her throat. Lisa and Neil turned around and looked at their daughter curiously. Lisa has since recovered from her sadness of her sister's departure in the car ride back. With a shaky sigh, Emma uncurled her fingers around the doorknob and looked at her blood, her family.

"Can I talk to you about something? You too, Elliot-it's-it's pretty important."

THE END.