A/N: Hey Peoples! New chapter! Wooooo!

Disclaimer: I don't own H2o, but my daddy does! :)

Yeah right…I wish…

CHAPTER 2

Sophie's POV:

I opened my cell phone and hit the "3" button, Will's speed dial. I pressed the phone to my ear and listened to it ring once, twice. Then he finally picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Sophie," I said.

"Oh, hi Soph, how are things?" I was in Japan, visiting my parents. They still were traveling, and this was the second time that they had been in Japan. The last time they had been here was when I was fifteen, seven years ago. We got so comfortable that we stayed for two years. I made several friends, one in particular that I had kept in touch with ever since, Akiko Toshina. She was a year younger than me and had been battling cancer ever since she was ten years old. I had only been in back in Japan for three weeks now when the worse had happened.

"Well, mum and dad are doing fine, they're thinking about maybe moving again, maybe to Argentina this time, you know they have friends there. They said they might make a stop in Australia on their way down."

"Oh, wow, that sounds…great, I haven't seen them in a long time." He sounded strange, as bit jumpy maybe, but I just blamed it on myself.

"How long until you get back?" He asked. I sniffed slightly, "Wait, are you crying? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I mean no," I answered sadly, taking a seat heavily.

"What's wrong?" He sounded genuinely concerned.

"Do you remember Akiko? The girl who used to come over our house in Japan all the time? The only one of my old friends that I've kept in touch with all this time?"

"Yeah, the one who was sick, right?"

"Right," I said, "Well, she passed away yesterday."

"Oh my god, Soph I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"

I sniffed, "Yes,"

"Really?" He sounded skeptical.

I sighed, "Fine, no not really." I dabbed at my eyes with a tissue I held crumpled in my hand. Hiding things from my little brother was practically impossible, even over the phone. "Anyway, I have to stay longer, the wake is in a few days and the funeral is next week. Will you be okay by yourself for another week or so?"

"Oh yeah, I'll be fine, no worries, stay as long as you need." He sounded relieved. Maybe I was imagining things. "Give my love to mum and dad, tell them I can't wait to see them," he continued.

"Okay, I will," I said. "Love you,"

"Love you too, take it easy alright? I'll see you soon,"

"Okay, bye"

"Bye,"

Will's POV:

I hung up the phone with a sigh of relief. Sophie wouldn't be back for a few more weeks. That would give me extra time to figure out how on earth I was going to hide my secret from her. With the girls it was easier. None of their family were expert swimmers and divers. Sophie and I swam together all the time, even now that I wasn't in training. Now what was I supposed to do about it? I couldn't suddenly just become allergic to water after practically living in it for the past eighteen years of my life. I had no idea what I was going to do. Just then my phone buzzed. I turned it over and saw a text flash across the screen.

Hey man, just got back in town; haven't seen you for a while. Mind if I come over? Cleo told me everything.

It was from Lewis, I didn't know that he was coming home, but then again, I hadn't spoken to any of the girls for almost a week. So Lewis knew everything, at least that saved me a long drawn out explanation. I quickly typed out a message in reply.

I scrolled through my list of contacts and found Lewis' number; it'd been awhile since I had last used it. I pressed the send button and then put down my phone. I needed a distraction from all this mess, I missed Bella like crazy, and even though I would have lots of problems once Sophie got back, I missed her too. I hadn't made all that many friends at school besides Bella and the girls, or at least none that I would want to hang out with during the summer. It had been too risky to get close to anyone then because of the girls, and since I had had Bella, I hadn't really cared, but now that I had this annoying habit of growing a tail after I touched water, it was even harder because I didn't know who I could trust. The truth was that I really couldn't trust anybody but those who already knew the secret. It was too dangerous, I couldn't get caught, and if I did I knew that it would only be a matter of time before the girls were caught as well. Maybe Bella and I weren't dating anymore, but I still cared about her more than anyone else, and Rikki and Cleo had become like my sisters. No, I couldn't ;let anything happen to them because of my own stupidity. I'd never forgive myself if something did.

For about another hour or so, I busied my self with making some detailed sketches of my latest editions to my fossil collection; I'd been finding more and more of them lately as I could swim as far and as deep as I wanted. I was just labeling the sketches when I heard a knock at the door.

"It's open!" I called from my place at the table. I heard the door open behind me just as I stood up. Lewis poked his head through.

"Hey, long time no see!' he said. I grinned

"Great to see you mate," I said, slapping him on the back, "how are things?"

"Good, I think," He shrugged, "so, I heard about the slight, err…transformation that occurred while I was gone,"

I sighed, "so Cleo told you everything?"

He nodded, "and beside all the catching up I have to do, I also have a few other things," He set his back pack down on the table, grunting from it's weight.

"What on earth do you have in there?" I asked, amused.

"Just a few necessary items for the tests I need to run."

I frowned in confusion "What tests?"

"The ones I need to run on you," he replied, digging a notebook out of the pack. "All the girls went through standard physical tests when they became mermaids, and I plan to run the same ones on you, plus a few extras now that we know more about mermaids…errr…and mermen."

"I don't know if I like this idea or not," I said suspiciously, watching Lewis unpack about a dozen test tubes and instruments that I'd only seen in a doctor's office before.

"Oh come on, man up mate! The girls put up with it, trust me, it'll take only about an hour at the most. Maybe even less than that, and the information gained with doubtlessly be invaluable to my research in the future, seeing as you're the first merman with whom I've come into contact with."

I shook my head; "You make it sound like I'm a specimen,"

He shrugged, "for the moment you are, my specimen anyway, and if you want to avoid becoming complete stranger's, I suggest you let me run these tests. The things I find could prevent a lot of problems later."

I thought about this for a second. Finally I shrugged and nodded, "what's the harm? Go ahead,"

Lewis broke out into a grin, "Thanks a lot mate!" he said, shaking my hand vigorously, "I own you for this,"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," I muttered, taking a seat at the table, eying the all the equipment warily and wondering what the heck I had just gotten myself into. "Let's just get this over with."

Two hours later I had been poked, prodded, pulled, and pushed in every single way I knew possible, and even some ways that I DIDN'T know were possible. I was out of breath from all the land speed drill that Lewis had made me do while he timed me with a stopwatch, and from all the breath holding tests. My arm and leg were sore where he had taken blood samples, my throat hurt from all the times he had made me cough or say "ahhh" sand I had bruises from the six million times that he had made me transform. I stood up.

"Are you done yet?" I said exasperated, scratching the back of my neck, just one of the many places where he had poked me with something or another.

"Almost, almost, just be patient," Lewis said, "comparing the contents of two test tubes.

"Dude, what are you doing?"

"Checking the response scales from your tail had to two different chemical, that' all."

"I rolled my eyes, "honestly, what good is that going to do? How is it going to accomplish anything?"

"It would far to long to explain, just trust me, okay? And besides, I'm all finished, that was the last test."

I let my breath out in relief and collapsed on the couch. "Finally."

Leiws chuckled, as he put all his stuff away, "So," he began, "how've you've been besides this whole merman thing?" he asked, floppibg in the chair next to me. I shrugged.

"Okay I guess, Sophie's away; she won't be back for another few weeks, nothing else really." I was trying to avoid the topic of Bella, but I knew Lewis wasn't that dumb.

"Come on mate," Lweis said, turning serious, "you know what I mean, what's up with you and Bella?"

I shifted my hands restelessly, "I was waiting for for to ask that,"

"Cleo told me you weren't speaking to each other, that the last time she saw you together youb look ready to kill each lother. When I left it appeared that you were joined at the lip."

I frowned, "you mean 'hip'"

He chuckled, "no I meant LIP," he emphasized. I groaned and angrily threw a pillow at him.

"Whoa, dude chill, I was obly kidding," he defended himself. I stood up.

"Unfourtunately I didn't find it funny," I said sourly.

Leis stood up as well, "wait, so you guys seriously hate each other?" he asked confused.

I sighed exasperated, "is that what Cleo told you?"

"Something along those lines, yes,"

"Well then believe her and leave me alone," I mumbled.

"Will, I'm not dumb enough to believe something that's obviously not true. If you were mad at Bella, you wouldn't be acting like this." He paused; I said nothing.

"You still want her don't you?"

I whirled around in mix pf surprise, relief and anger. I wanted to yell, scream, just anything, bit I just nodded my head. "That obvious?" I said blandly.

He grinned, "kind of,"

I sat back down, "What am I supposed to do?" I moaned, "I want her back so much but I'm almost afraid to talk to her after what happened last time, but I…" my voice trailed off and I buried my head in my hands.

"But…what?" Lewis persisted.

I sighed and lifted my head slightly. "I love her," I whispered.

Lewis smiled, "Of course you do; you think I didn't realize that by now?" He said matter-of-factly. I looked up, "What should I do? You went through something like this with Cleo, what now?"

At that Lewis stopped smiling. "Will, in all honesty, I think that's something you need to figure out on yourself. You know you love Bella, you're acknowledging it, now it's just how far are you willing to go to get her back." I stood up quickly.

"I'm willing to do anything, everything, I don't care what or where…I just want her back." I said impulsively.

Lewis looked at me for a few seconds, "I know," he said softly, "I've been there before. Just take it slow. Don't rush things." I nodded silently.

"Well, I've got to be going," Lewis finally said, breaking the silence. He picked up his bag and was almost out the door when he turned suddenly, "Will, one more thing,"

I looked up, "yeah?"

"I know you're willing to do whatever it takes to win Bella back, but you need to prepare yourself for one possibility."

"And what's that?" I said, almost dreading the answer.

He sighed, "you need to prepare yourself for the fact that if all fails, and she's moved on than there's nothing you can do. Remember it's her life too." And with that he turned and walked out the door. I clenched my fist several times, trying to concentrate on something other than my wildly beating heart. No it wasn't possible. She couldn't move one with her life, not without me. Not my Bella, she wouldn't…

Would she?

A/N: So Sophie's out of town for a bit longer…hmmmm….Lewis is back and we get all the cool Will/Lewis friendship. This story is going gooood..! :)

Lol, anyway, things are about to heat up BIG TIME, so if this story isn't already on your alerts, I would totally suggest adding it. All it takes is the push of a button…come on I know you want to! }:-) Haha Please review, I'll try to update as usual after two-three reviews. Thanks so much for reading!

Ella