H2O: Just Add Mermen

*Takes place during season 3 however Emma and her family never left but Bella has joined the group so there are 4 of them. They all have their boyfriends (who all know they're mermaids) and the problems with Rikki and Zane have all be resolved so that they are still a tight couple and Lewis has not gone to America.*

It started out as a day like all others before it and presumably how all others after it would have been. That was before the moon went all screwy on them. Lewis still kept a close eye on the moon patterns – most of the time. Now-a-days it seemed though that the moon effect was gone. Bella, Emma, Rikki and Cleo figured that they had gotten over the effects of the moon. That once they had faced it they had taken control of that part of their mermaid lives. But Lewis didn't realize the moon still had surprise in store for them. Certain events that none of them could have seen coming.

Rikki and Zane had been at the Café as usual, running things. Bella was with the band, including Lewis, practicing songs for that night's crowd. Emma and Ash were at her house doing homework, and Will is off practicing his free-diving, ever trying to catch up to his amazing mermaid girlfriend. As the day progressed they all met up for lunch, discussing the latest gossip at school, all the homework they had to do, or had already done. Just a typical average day.

Lewis was on his laptop, poking around at different things.

"Lewis, we haven't done a check on the moon in a while." Rikki sat next to Zane, who was playing with her hair. "Mind looking at it for us?"

With a small exasperated huff, he pulled up the once frequently visited sites. "The moon, as you are already well aware, is tonight." He paused. That was new.

Emma automatically perked up. "What is it Lewis? It's just an ordinary moon, right?"

Cleo got her usual look of worry. "Lewis?"

Bella and Will were just confused. Until recently Bella had not even realized the moon could have such an effect on mermaids. She figured at some point it must have done the same thing to her, but she had been a mermaid for so long she probably got over it years ago. And Will had never experienced moonstruck mermaids before. Both of them felt a small sense of dread enter the pits of their stomach. And Ash, being the smart guy he was, was just going to let the girls handle it. They knew what to do and he didn't want to interfere.

As Lewis stayed quiet Zane began to get agitated. "Come on man. Is there something wrong with the moon tonight?"

Lewis looked up at the group, a slight downcast in his eyes. "I'm not really sure. Apparently it's a blue moon tonight. And I don't remember Miss Chatam ever mentioning it before." He gulped. "It could just be like any other moon, or it could affect you guys."

Cleo sighed. "Which means we will be staying in tonight, right?"

Emma nodded. "There's no sense in risking it. I don't want to get moonstruck. Especially if it's going to make me tired for tomorrow's test."

"Aren't we being a bit dramatic about this?" Rikki announced after rolling her eyes at Emma. "We haven't been moonstruck in months now. What's to say that this is going to be any different?"

"I'm going to agree with Rikki on this." Bella looked around a little nervous. "I don't remember ever being moonstruck before. And I'm sure there must have been some other blue moon since I became a mermaid. Wouldn't I have noticed myself acting strange? I don't think we really have any reason to worry over this."

Cleo thought that over. "That's true." Then she turned to Emma. "I'm sure Bella and Rikki are right. It's just a second full moon this month. There's no reason that should make it any different from all the others. We probably have nothing to worry about."

Lewis wasn't convinced. "I don't know. Blue moons happen every few years." He looked over at Bella. "And no offense, but you've never had another mermaid around to tell you if you've acted weird." He looked at all of them again. "Plus there hasn't been one since you other three became mermaids. I just think we should use some caution towards this. At least until we know the affects it will have."

Ash finally piped up. "I think you girls need to listen to him." Will nodded. "I don't want to see any of you getting hurt."

Zane gazed down at Rikki. "Whatever you decide. It is your decision after all."

Rikki ran her hand down her face in frustration. "Why don't we all just think about this for a bit? The moon doesn't show for a few hours. How about we all get together at say Emma's house in two hours and decide then what we'll do after we've all thought about it?"

Bella looked at her odd. Rikki wasn't normally the rational one.

"Until then, I'm going for a swim with Zane to the moon pool." She stood up, pulling her boyfriend with her. "See you all then."

And with that they left. Bella sighed. She should have known.

It was two hours later. Rikki, Zane, Bella, Will, Emma, Ash, Cleo and Lewis were all gathered at Emma's house. Her dad and mom were out for the moment, taking Eliot over to a friend's house and then heading out for a date.

"I still think we should moon proof the house and then have you girls stay in." Lewis was not going to budge on this.

"Come on Lewis. It's just a second moon. I really don't think it's going to have any effect on us." Rikki folded her arms, pacing across the floor.

"I agree. From what I can tell there isn't any reason we should worry." Bella added. She sat on the couch, curled up next to Will.

"You have to think about it Lewis." Emma was sitting on Ash's lap. "If it was going to affect us you think Miss Chatam would have said something at some point or another."

"Sorry Lewis. But I don't think we need to worry." Cleo folded her arms, the point obviously decided.

Lewis sighed. "Fine. But if you girls end up moonstruck and create havoc, I am not going to clean up your mess after you."

Ash gave out a laugh. "Come on man, it can't be that bad."

There was an awkward pause.

Zane, not liking the silence, decided it was time for them to go do something. He and Rikki had never made it to the moonpool. Zane had gotten a call from Sophie saying they were needed at the Café for a bit. They were just barely able to make it over to Emma's house in time.

"Why don't we just all head to the moon pool?"

Lewis rolled his eyes. Did Zane just purposely try not to get it sometime?

Zane noticed the obvious looks of bewilderment. "It makes sense. The girls obviously don't want to be in lockdown tonight, and none of us guys seem willing to let them out of our sights."

"That's actually a really good idea." Ash smiled over at Emma. "What do you think?"

Before she could respond Bella piped in. "Sounds good to me." She pulled Will up with her. "Let's go."

The boys were crowded into Zane's Zodiac while the girls lead in the water. They were all laughing and having fun, but a sense of nervousness still dwelt in some of them. Lewis was still convinced that something bad was going to happen, but Cleo and the other three didn't seem worried at all. And he knew from experience that when a mermaid had made up their mind about something, it was easier to pull teeth than try to convince them otherwise.

At the moonpool the boys sat on the floor and the girls staid in the water.

They hadn't been there for more than half an hour when the moon first started to show over the tip of the volcano that harbored the moon pool. Lewis knew something was off when the moon light hit the pool and the bubbles began to show. Except instead of the normal gold bubbles and flakes, these strange green strands of light began to lift up from the water.

"Hey guys?" Everyone turned to look at where he was pointing.

"Get the girls out of the water!" Zane was the first to react to the strange phenomenon.

Rikki had already partially pulled herself out and Zane and Ash pulled her out the rest of the way. Emma was next, followed by Cleo and then Bella. As soon as Bella was fully out of the water the moon pool went out of control.

They watched, helpless as the green ribbons of light lifted up and began swirling all over the cave. And then the water level began to rise. As it lapped over onto the dry ground of the sandy floor, Lewis knew they were in trouble.

"We need to get out of here!" Will tried to lift up Bella, but the weight of her tail made her too heavy.

Before they knew it the water was up to the boys calves and the girls were being wrapped in the green light. Each boyfriend reached out for their mermaid, not wanting anything to happen. As soon as the human boy was touching the mermaid, the green light transferred to them.

Lewis gasped as he was surrounded and covered in the strange green glow. He looked over and watched the same thing happen to Will, Ash and Zane. Bella, Cleo, Emma and Rikki watched helplessly as the green ribbons began to pull all the boys into the heart of the pool.

"Lewis!" Cleo tried to grab Lewis and pull him back, but the green light wouldn't let her move.

Emma tried the same thing with the same results.

"Will!" As Bella called out the strange green light around the boys began to change to the familiar gold color.

Rikki began to panic. "Zane! You need to get out of there!"

"Try to resist it Ash!" Emma knew those gold bubbles. That was the same thing they had seen the night they became mermaids.

But try as they might, the boys couldn't pull away. Seconds later they were wrapped up in the gold bubbles as the moon centered over the moon pool. Lewis felt a strange feeling flow through him. Like a surge of energy. Will held his breathe as the water surrounded him, not fully understanding what was going on. But a little voice in the back of his mind kept whispering to him that he was somehow changing. Zane's eyes went big as he watched the gold bubbles rise into the moon lit air. This was it. He knew there was no way they were going to come out of this unscathed. And Ash was trying to block it all out. Maybe if he didn't think about it, it wouldn't really be happening.

After a breathtaking moment the moon continued on its path and the moon pool returned to the calm serenity it was normally at. The water level was normal, there were no mysterious bubbles. Only four mermaids and their four bewildered human boyfriends.

Everyone stared around, a tense feeling passing from one to the other.

"I say we go back to Lewis's idea and head to my house." Emma glanced at everyone else.

And, of course, they were all too eager to agree.

*DUN, DUN, DUN! Cliffhanger! Let me know what you guys think. There are way too few stories on here of the boys from H2O being turned into mermen, and I have always loved the idea. Next chapter soon – probably sooner if I get reviews. (hint hint) Thanks again!*