Replaced

Chapter 34

Second Guessing and Exposure

Author's notes: I don't own anything except for my OC's Lorelei and Wayson Chatham, Morgan Thompson, Jessie (Jessica) Dove, and David and Derek Smith.

Also for the person (or people if there was more than one, I can't remember right now) I'd love to bring in the Mako Mermaids characters; but unfortunately with all the OCs that I've added it would be just way to many Merpeople to keep track of. So Sorry! :(

"I'm going to the beach." Lorelei announced.

The rest of the merpeople, not to mention their boyfriends looked at her aghast.

"You can't be serious." Bella said. The look on the other mermaids face changed her mind though.

"You can't Lara." Wayson protested.

"She doesn't know about us." She argued gesturing to herself and to her brother. "We'll be fine."

"Yeah, until you get splashed, or a drink dumps on you, or someone shoots you with a water gun..." Morgan pointed out.

"I'll be careful."

"Besides, you're forgetting the fact that your precious boyfriend, Kris ," Jessie spat the name like a curse. "Has evidence of you as a mermaid."

"They're right." Emma agreed. "It's too risky."

"It'll be fine." Lorelei told them. "Besides I'm going crazy being cooped up in here." She glanced at Max. "No offense."

"None taken," The elderly man responded. "But they're right. It's way to dangerous for any of you to be going out while they have evidence of Mermaids and Mermen. I'm sure Louise would agree."

"I do." Louise confirmed. "None of you can leave until we destroy all evidence of your conditions."

"Does it really matter?" Lorelei asked.

"What kind of question is that?" Lewis asked, "Of course it matters."

She avoided all of their gazes. "Kris already knows about me. He probably already suspects Jessie after her little parlor trick she pulled when rescuing me. I don't think he knows about Wayson though... or the rest of you."

"Don't forget that Denman had evidence of David and Derek's scales." Will added in. "And she already suspects Charlotte, Morgan, Cleo, Emma, Rikki, and Bella of being mermaids." Worry was etched upon everyone of their faces.

"What are we going to do?" Cleo moaned.

They looked at each other trying to come up with a fool proof plan. "Maybe it's time to bring in the expert on hiding away." Derek suggested.

"What are you talking about?" Zane demanded.

"Let's just say our family, in particular our father, had a very interesting history." David told them.

"Are you sure your dad will go for it?" Charlotte questioned them. "I mean he looked pretty angry when you guys told him we were all planning to reveal ourselves to the world."

"Yeah, but we've changed our minds since then." David commented. "Maybe he'll be more willing to help us now."

"It's worth a shot." Derek offered.

The others looked really confused. "Okay, will one of you three please explain what you're talking about?" Ash asked pointing to David, Derek, and Charlotte in turn.

"Our dad is a natural born merman." Derek said.

"What?!" The rest of them exclaimed.

"Our dad was born a merman." Derek explained. "Our mother is human though." The twins remembered their conversation they had with their mother after their dad had stormed out. They thought about the decision long and hard. Was it really worth it to be hounded day and night by the paparazzi? They'd never have a normal life again. They would constantly be watching their backs. They'd be in the public's eyes basically 24-7.

They talked to their dad and agreed not to go to the public with their merman sides and in Charlottes' case mermaid side. But how long until one of them, two of them, or heck even all of them were discovered? All it took was one drop of water and they'd be done for. They could be exposed just like that. Then their whole lives would change.

"Maybe we should just ride this out and enjoy our normal lives while we can." Derek added as an after thought.

"Look we're going to get exposed sooner of later." Lorelei said. "And I want to make the most of having a normal life while it lasts."

"If you're going, then I'm going too." Wayson said determined.

"Okay, anyone else?" She asked. They all just looked at the two of them in complete and utter disbelief. "Alrighty then." The two siblings went on their way.

Lorelei and Wayson Chatham laid on their towels on the beach. They were far away from the water's edge.

"Isn't this nice?" Lorelei commented. "Just relaxing on the beach with no worries."

Her brother scoffed in response. "I still think we shouldn't be here."

"Oh relax would you?" She told him. "Nothing's happening; everything is fine. There's no reason to freak out."

"Not yet." Her brother said grimly.

"You worry to much Wayson."

Something inside the merman snapped. "Why are you acting like everything's alright?" He demanded. "Everything is basically going to hell for us. Everything is about to change as we know it and you're having a beach day. You're acting like it's another ordinary day, like there's nothing wrong when there is Lorelei!"

"Don't you think I know that?" She snapped back. "I know that everything is screwed up Wayson. I know that everything is going to hell; But I can't acknowledge that or else I'll fall apart and I can't afford to do that now."

His eyes softened at his sisters words. He pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry Lore."

"I'm sorry too." She admitted. "I'm sorry that I told him anything. Now we're all in danger."

"Even if you hadn't told him, Sophie still would have gone to Dr. Denman with the evidence from the twins." Wayson explained. "It's not your fault and it's not theirs either; So don't blame them, yourself, or any of the others. It was bound to happened eventually. It was only a matter of time."

It was all going fine until someone walking past them spilled a glass of water on Lorelei. Most of it hit the mermaid but a few drops fell on her brother too. The splash of water hitting the both of them shook them out of their emotional sibling bonding moment.

Their eyes widened in panic. They jumped up from their places on their beach towels and ran towards the ocean. If only they had had a few more seconds, or if they had been closer to the beach...then they would have been fine. Then they would have been safe.

They had just made it a few steps into the shallow beach water when the change took place. They turned to water for a brief second before changing into their Mer forms. They began to drag themselves forward into the water.

Camera's flashed. People began to surround them. They were touching their tails, grabbing them. They managed to glance back towards their beach towels. Standing there by their towels with an empty water glass was Kris, Karl's grandson.

He seemed mildly surprised to see that her brother was also a merperson but he got over the shock quickly enough. The people closed in around them. They felt as if they were suffocating. Then they came.

"Hey leave them alone! Get away from them!" It was Byron Jones, Emma's old flame that came to their rescue along with...was that their father?

"Get away from my children!" He said furiously. He and Byron pushed through the crows. Byron quickly grabbed Lorelei's hands and pulled her into deeper water, while their father did the same for Wayson. Shooting the two of them a grateful look the two Mers sped off into the water and towards the beach near Max's boatshed.

When they arrived they were greeted with stony silence and the only background noise was the Television playing. It was the news channel.

"Today on the Gold Coast of Australia a young man and women ran into the ocean. You may think that is ordinary behavior but look what happened as they ran into the water." It showed a video of the two of them changing to water for a brief second before they fell forward with their tails in plain view of the camera. It showed them being surrounded by people. "

Think that's normal?" The reporter commented. "I don't think so. In addition to that another young man identified as Byron Jones the surfing champion of Australia is seen pulling the young mermaid into deeper waters so that she can swim away. The merman is pulled into deeper waters as well but by an older man.

How does Byron know the mermaid and merman? Was he aware of their identities? Did he know them personally? Or was he trying to help out his fellow creatures? Byron has always seemed to be concerned about the marine life and the environment surrounding it. Was this just another one of his good deeds for the sea life?

We don't have many details about the mermaid and merman as of now. As soon as we find out more we'll let you all know. So what do you all think? Is it an elaborate hoax or is it the real thing? We'll be back with more after the commercial break."

Emma muted the TV and the others turned to face them. "We're sorry." Wayson said. "It was Kris he came out of nowhere and spilled water onto us. We couldn't make it into the water in time." The two of them looked absolutely devastated by the turn of events.

They others were all angry at them for allowing themselves to be exposed; but at the same time they felt bad for them. They could tell that they felt absolutely awful. In addition to everything that had happened...they'd never be left alone again. Their lives would be a media circus.

"Wait there's more." Charlotte gestured to the Television set. Emma turned the sound back on and they continued to listen to the broad cast.

"And we're back with the breaking story of a mermaid and merman on the Gold Coast of Australia. Two of who seem like normal people after getting a glass of water spilled on them begin to run to the water. Before getting into deep water, they change right before everyone's eyes. They seem to turn to water for a brief second before appearing in mermaid and merman form.

From what our research has gathered the two Merfolk seen in the video are locals of Australia's Gold Coast. A brother and sister, named Wayson and Lorelei Chatham. The man that pulled Wayson the merman into deeper water was if fact their father, Justin Chatham. It seems as if their father was aware of their condition as merpeople. But you notice that when the water touches him he doesn't change at all. It doesn't affect him, so why does it affect his children?

Has he always known that his children are merpeople? If so how did they come to be that way? Were they born that way or did something happen to change their biology? Could their mother have possibly been a mermaid?" The reporter turned to the person sitting next to her. "This just came in. It seems that the boy who in fact spilled water on them knew their secret before doing so. He intentionally forced them into their mermaid and merman forms. He said and I quote 'My grandfather had always believed in mermaids. He was called crazy and ridiculed. When I found out the girl I was dating was a mermaid I knew this was my chance to prove my grandfathers' claims right. To show the world that he wasn't crazy.'

"Wow, that's some pretty hardcore stuff right there." The reporter said to the audience. "I can't help but feel sorry for the mermaid though, Being betrayed by the guy you love? That's heartbreaking stuff. No matter if your fully human or not."

Lorelei looked like she might start crying at any moment when she heard the reporter sympathize with her situation with Kris. Wayson put an arm around his younger sister comfortingly. He wanted nothing more than to hunt him down and make him pay for what he had done to his sister.

But he couldn't do that especially not now. He and his sister would both be in the publics eye from now on. They might never have a normal life ever again. So they might as well make the best of the situation. The merman pulled out his cellphone and sent their father a text to tell them where they were so he wouldn't be concerned for them.

They all glanced at each other worriedly. They needed another plan and they needed one fast. "I think it's safe to say that you all need to get out of the Gold Coast fast before anything else happens." Max told them. They agreed with him. They needed a place to escape from all of the craziness. They needed a way out.

Author's notes: What do you all think of this turn of events? What do you think should happen now? Are you happy with this chapter or do you think that something else should have happened first or instead of this?