Moon and Sea - h2o fanfiction

4. Day After the Funeral

"Can you believe we're about to do this?" asked Rikki as she sat down at the breakfast table with Lewis and Emma.

After her conversation with Lewis earlier in the morning, Cleo, along with her sister and Sam had gone out for a walk. None of them felt like eating but they did feel like being together. No one reproached them. It was the day after the funeral, it'll be a while before any of them would gain back their appetite.

"I know it's weird." Agreed Lewis. "But it'll make Cleo feel better."

"Can't we just get her some ice cream?" Rikki rolled her eyes.

"She just wants to take a look at her father's boat." Said Lewis.

"But she's not gonna find anything!" exclaimed Rikki, exasperated.

"Exactly. She'll take a look around, find nothing and she'll be able to put this all to rest." Explained Lewis.

"Lewis, she wants us to break into a possible crime scene!"

"Didn't the police say it was an accidental drowning?" asked Emma.

"Yea but Cleo's got it in her head that someone's killed her father." Replied Rikki.

"Then it's not really a crime scene." Said Emma. "Look, we all know that Cleo is a sensitive person. She's always been the sweetest out of all of us. She'd worry about hurting her fish's feelings! But she's not stupid, and if she says that the story doesn't make sense than I believe her and you guys should too."

"Emma, if we're caught, all our reputations are ruined. I make my living selling books; I can't ruin my image. That'll call everything into question. People might start mistrusting me so much they try to look into how I find my artifacts. And what institution will ever hire or offer grants to Lewis and Cleo if they get a criminal record? We can't go around breaking and entering like thieves, and we especially can't be so stupid as to do it right under the cops' noses!" Defended Rikki, rather aggressively.

"She's our friend and we need to be here for her." Answered Emma.

"That's easy for you to say." Scoffed Rikki.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Emma.

"Well no one is exactly concerned about these things in your line of work." Said Rikki, bluntly.

"At least I'm not letting down my friends because I'm too worried about what other people think of me!" Shouted Emma.

"Girls, calm down." Lewis interjects. "No one is letting down anyone. We're going to help Cleo and we're not going to get caught. And whether she turns out right or wrong we're gonna help her through it. Now, not getting caught will be ten times harder if you guys are fighting the whole time."

"He's right." Sighed Emma. "I'm sorry I yelled. Getting caught would interfere with your work life and you have every right to be concerned about that."

"Yes, I do." Agreed Rikki.

"Rikki are you really not going to apologize to Emma?" Asked Lewis.

"Apologize for what? What I said is still true. Nobody cares about this sort of thing in her field. I never said there was anything wrong with that."

"But the way you said it-" started Lewis.

"Thanks Lewis. I appreciate your help but it's ok." Emma interrupts.  "For now, let's focus on what we have to do. Let's go over Cleo's plan one more time."

Cleo and her sister made it back home at noon. Sam had chosen to go to the cemetery to see her late husband's grave again.

"Well If I was in a relationship with someone like that I would want a divorce too!" said Cleo as she walked in with Kim.