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🐬🐚🏄🏻‍♀️🌊🌅🐟🐙

"Stranger Danger"

(2x01)

🐬🐚🏄🏻‍♀️🌊🌅🐟🐙

Melody's fingers drummed against the steering wheel for the first time in the last hour since she let her little sister, Rain, be in charge of music. Finally after almost an hour of Olivia Rodrigo and Disney, Rain switched to Taylor Swift which Mel actually enjoyed.

"How much longer Mel? I'm bored.." Rain asked from the passenger seat of her dad's- well now hers blue Jeep as they drove down a basically deserted highway.

"I don't know check the maps, you have my phone remember?" Melody replied taking a deep breath before silently hoping they were close as her little sister was starting to push her buttons.

Mel declined any offer of a plane ticket from her uncle Galen and decided to drive to her new town against her sisters wishes, but she knew if she didn't drive her car wouldn't be there for at least a week and would go insane without it. After the accident the state ruled that against her pleas of emancipation, and ruled in favour of her uncle Galen, getting custody of the two of them, much to her displeasure.

He was a nice guy, really she had nothing against him, just the fact he outright refused to move to the coast and made them move- made her move away from her beloved ocean and therefore her only connection to her birth mother.

In reality her uncle had no real clue why she was so against moving, he had no idea his niece was a mermaid.

She had no idea if or how she was going to tell him.

"It says we are 10 minutes out of town." Rains voice cut off Mel's thoughts as she turned the music down.

"Ok.. wanna text Uncle Galen and tell him? He said he'd be home but you never know with him." Mel asked Rain hoping her uncle was home so she could just hide away from everyone and relax but her hopes were quickly crushed when her phone started to ring with Beacon Hills Hospital calling.

"Hello?" Rain answered quickly throwing Melody's phone on speaker so they could both hear.

"Hi Rain, is Melody there?" Galen's voice sounded through the speaker but she could barely hear it over the sound in the background.

"Ya I'm here Galen, where are you? We are almost in Beacon Hills." Mel asked furrowing her brows knowing full well that her uncle wasn't where he was supposed to be.. like usual. Galen was a bit of a work a holic but since he was a doctor, Melody couldn't be too mad at the man.

"I'm at the hospital there been an incident, I'm sorry girls. Can you meet me here? I'll give you the house keys and everything. I shouldn't be too much longer, I'm just taking to the police." Galen apologized over the phone making Melody roll her eyes, she knew this was gonna happen.

"Yes, I'll head over there instead, what floor are you on?" She asked nodding to Rain to switch the maps around.

"4th floor north side, I'm really sorry again girls this isn't how I wanted the welcome to go." Galen apologized again making her feel bad for being so upset.

"It's okay, Galen, really it's not your fault." Melody apologized softly sinking down in her seat as she drove hearing the phone click off.

"This sucks." Rain complained setting up the phone so her sister could see the maps.

"I know, I know." She muttered leaning her head against her arm resting on the window.

"I can stay in the car right?" Rain pleaded.

"No way! If I gotta go in looking like crap so do you." Melody whipped her head to her sister with wide eyes.

"You know I could've left you alone and went to live with my aunt." Rain sassed crossing her arms with a glare to her sister.

"I know.. You keep reminding me. You're still coming in though." She murmured back trying to push the little jab in her heart away at reminder of how her sister could just up and leave her.

The rest of the ride was silent as the pair pulled into beacon hills and soon enough the hospital parking lot.

"How the hell this town is allowed to be a part of California is beyond me." Mel sighed dramatically getting out of her Jeep her brown eyes widening at the packed parking lot.

"Amen to that sista" Rain sassed speeding to catch up with Melody's fast pace.

"Let's just get this over with please Mel, I'm tired." Rain complained following her sister into the elevator.

"You're not the one that drove hours on end today. I want to sleep just as much as you." She groaned rubbing her face trying to hold back her anger at her little sister pushing her buttons.

The pair walked out the elevator only to be met with more police and nurses running around all looking to be in a panic.

"Why is this hospital so busy? I thought this was a smaller town than Crescent Cove?" Rain asked meeting her sister's equally as confused face.

"It is, something big must've happened." She answered finding her Uncle in the crowd.

"Just sit here okay? I'll be back in a minute and we will leave." She let Rain to a seat nearby seeing her sister rolling her eyes and slouching into the seat.

Melody turned around walking towards her uncle who looked exactly the same since she last saw him at the funeral, other than looking extremely exhausted.

He sported a dark blue pair of scrubs that brought out his blue eyes with the classic white doctor's coat, his hair was pointing everywhere like he had just woke up before running to work.

"Melody? Hey, I'm sorry." Galen walked over to meet her running a hand down his tired face before engulfing her in a hug.

"Hey Uncle Galen, it's okay, not your fault but what's going on? This hospital is nuts." Mel asked pulling away after a moment.

"Two recently awoken coma patient just up and left out the window without their clothes, the police are trying to find them and I am trying to help and manage patients." He explained before a soft groan escaped his lips. "I totally forgot the keys in my locker, just wait here a sec. Shoot how was the drive?" He went to leave but stopped worried about his niece.

"It was long, Rain made it longer and I'm ready for a long sleep but no crashes and no car issues. Now go get the keys." She laughed back leaning against the nurses station happy for a moment of peace.

However that was interrupted when two male voices started to loudly argue across from her, and with a quick glance it seemed to be the sheriff and some skinny boy sporting a buzz cut.

"- What the hell are you still doing here?" The sheriff asked the boy holding his arm.

" Um, providing moral support?" The boy sassed back and by his tone Melody thought they might be a father-son pair.

"Uh - huh. How 'bout you provide your ass back home, where you should be."  The showed sassed right back making a giggle escape Melody's lips and the boys head turned to frown at her.

"Okay, I can do that too." He replied turning back his father.

"Yeah." The sheriff nodded

"Mm..."  Mel held back more giggles as the pair having a stare off. They definitely were father son.

"We're gonna find her, so don't worry." The father finally conceded walking away after patting his son on the shoulder.

After watching his dad for a moment as he turned the corner before walking in front of the new girl. He couldn't deny the girl was gorgeous even with bags under her eyes, her dark brown almost black locks were thrown up into a bun and she was sporting a Crescent Cove track team crewneck with a pair of sweats and lavender slides.

"Who are you?" Stiles asked furrowing his brows as he stopped in front of the girl.

Melody raised her brow at the boy feeling a little uncomfortable as his brown eyes seemed to be staring into her soul.

"Uh.. stranger danger?" She replied starting to back away with a smirk, knowing the kid was harmless but she really didn't want to talk to anyone.

"Wait! I'm stiles, Stiles Stilinski. Now I'm not a stranger see?" Stiles smiled at the girl who only narrowed her eyes at him.

Just as she was about to respond her uncle appeared behind the boy.

"Mel!" He yelled fast walking down the hall.

The boy turned to her uncle and back to her with a smirk knowing he just won their little battle.

"Mel, wait Stiles? What are you doing here?" Galen stopped between the pair looking at them confused.

"So Mel?.." Stiles smiled.

"It's Melody. Stiles here was just trying to get my name which you have just given him now.. thanks Galen." She explained letting a breath go looking to her uncle slightly annoyed.

"Oh well know you know each other, sorry stiles I gotta talk to my niece and I bet your dad wants you home." Galen smiled to the boy leading his niece away who was currently very annoyed at said uncle.

"Here are the keys, I texted you the address but I'm sure you remember how to get there anyways,  just follow the directions to the lake. Your room is the basement, I got it redone for you and Rains is upstairs. If you hungry there's food in the fridge but we will go shopping tomorrow for what you like. I'm really sorry I'm not there tonight Mel." Galen explained handing the keys over with a smile.

"It's okay, we will see you in the morning, go save some lives." Melody smiled taking the keys.

"See you in the morning." Galen nodded walking off.

"Uncle Galen!" Mel yelled after him stopping as he turned around.

"Thank you." She smiled wholeheartedly watching her uncles face light up.

"You're welcome" Galen replied before running down the hallway.

Melody walked out thanking the gods Rain was still where she was supposed to be.

"Got it?" She asked getting up to walk by her sisters side.

"Yep, come on. I'm tired." Melody said forcing back a yawn.

•••

Mel had no problem following the directions to the house, like Galen said she remembered they way easy enough.

The house was built a walking lengths from the lake thank god, the one thing that made moving to Beacon hill semi livable, even if it wasn't the ocean at least she had some place to swim.

The house was huge and obviously newly remodelled, as they walked in the girls were met with a surprisingly light modest house that was full of photos from her uncles travels.  It was nice, but it was anything but home for Melody. She missed the calming waves of the sea and the smell of salt always following her, oh and plus less rain.

"Rain your rooms upstairs. Uncle Galen says if you hungry that we are welcome to anything. I'm downstairs if you need me." Mel explained after unloading the car and locking the front door behind the pair.

"Whoa wait you get a whole floor?" Rain started to complain.

"I'm too tired to argue Rain. Im older than you and Galen only originally had an extra room so this is what happened. If you need me come find me, goodnight." She told Rain thankfully shutting down her fit before it started.

Mel was relieved to hear she had her own space, it would make keeping her secret a lot easier and having a place to hide from her little sister was a plus.

Walking downstairs she shut the basement door behind her as she let out a breath.

She was met with a large open bedroom with a bathroom connecting and white paneled walls. When Galen said she would have the whole basement, he really meant the whole basement.

Her boxes of things were piled against a wall along with her old surf board she refurbished into a painting. One of the boxes was literally just dedicated to her findings she made while swimming, it contained shells and even an old binocular from a ship wreck off the coast. She spent so much time researching the area and spend a weekend finding it, her dad lied to her stepmom saying she was at her friend's house. That was her dad, ever since she went through puberty and grew a tail her dad was alway her best buddy, helping her explore, helping her with her magic and letting her sneak out to swim.

A silent sob escaped her lips as she opened the box and lifted up the top shell. She'd lost everything. She lost her last connection to her mother, her partner in crime, her best friend and most of all, she lost her dad. The one person she could always count on and it sucked.

Sitting down on her bed, Melody let her tears run as she clutched to that shell like it was her life line.

After a while the tears stopped, not because she wasn't sad but she had run out of water to cry.

Taking a deep breath Mel got up to get ready to sleep, thankfully all she needed was in her bag. So she opened the bathroom door grateful to see a standalone tub in the centre.

Soon enough her long orange tail was hanging half out of the tub as she rested her head against the tub and shut her eyes relishing in the moment of peace.

Melody wasn't going to lie, she was scared of whatever was to happen next but all she needed to do was survive. Survive the next 2 and a half years in this hell hole of a town and then she can leave to hopefully find her mom.

••••