Wow, this update was a long time coming, huh? A lot has happened since June of last year - oh god, so much - but tldr; I moved out of state, got a new job, and had to get my life back on track after having been unemployed for several months. Not to mention there was a hurricane in the meantime, and I had my writing energy diverted to an RP group I joined last year (Yes, it's a Disney RP, yes, I play Jim, and yes, he's dating the group's Ariel, what are you trying to say?).

All of this to say that this is a story that I keep coming back to despite that all, and still have a lot of love for. The plot as it is now is rather long, I can probably get 35+ chapters out of it, but I do want this fic to have a conclusive ending. This fic was written with a very specific purpose in mind aside from getting my ultimate OTP together; this is a fic about growth and change, and how our experiences and mistakes shape us. It's a common criticism that Ariel "doesn't learn anything" by the end of her story, and I wrote this fic to explore exactly why that's not true (I'm also of the belief that Ariel's story is less-so about giving up her life under the sea for her life on dry land so much as it's about Ariel escaping an emotionally-abusive household and finding her own agency and learning to forgive her abuser once he realizes the error of his ways, but that's another discussion).

It'd feel really silly to leave this story unresolved, wouldn't it?

So thank you to everyone who's left reviews and favorited and followed this fic, to the people who reached out on Tumblr to me about this fic ( the links to those blogs are on my author page, if you're curious lol), and to all my friends who have encouraged me to work on this fic and have been so excited to see it completed. A big shout out to my long time friend Cookie, my roommate Shelby, and my RP partner and Ariel, Reanna. Couldn't have done it without you guys!

Without further ado, enjoy! And don't worry, the next chapter should be out within the month.


Verdaya was a coastal country, protected from the world by the ocean and tall cliffs on one side, and a wild forest and harsh mountain ranges on the other. The palace was built near the very tip of the peninsula, the location chosen carefully by the founding king. According to the journal of his first wife, he had intended it as a way to act as gatekeeper for his people, putting himself between them and the wildest parts of the world. 'Let the mountains protect our eastern border;' he had said, 'and I shall guard the west.'

'I just think he likes to watch the sea,' his wife had written in response.

While the palace was under construction, built into the cliffside by some of the world's finest stonemasons, a town blossomed next to it for all the visiting architects and the young sailors and fishermen hoping for a fresh start for their families. The town was named Montressor, and became one of the most prosperous ports in the country.

Docks popped up all along the Montressor coastline, only broken up by the occasional cliff that jutted out past the sand and cut off the beach from view or access. Hidden pockets like this existed all over, visible only from sea, and remained relatively untouched by man.

As the sun was just beginning to set, it was near one of these unexplored coves that a head broke the water.

They looked around carefully, coming closer to the sand to get a better look once they were sure there was no one around to see them. There were no signs of life on this quiet part of the beach (save for the small crab that had crawled onto the sand shortly after they had peeked their head out of the water, and was now scuttling across the small beach and looking it all over critically), though with the tide low, there was a way to cut around the cliff, only partially submerged in water. The bay was clear of ships, and when they swam to check that the way to the next beach was actually passable, they stopped for a moment to watch the people moving in the windows of the nearby building. An inn.

The red crab looked over and gave the mermaid a nod and she nodded in return before waving up her sister from below. "It's safe for now," she whispered when the second head broke through the water. "But we had better put up a barrier, just in case." Her sister nodded, swimming back a ways from the shore so she could see the whole cove, and lifted her hands. They glowed a soft gold as she murmured under her breath in a language so old, even the earth itself had almost forgotten it. Golden magic rushed across the surface of the water and up onto the beach, climbing up the cliff and across the grass until a large portion of the cliffside seemed to glow.

Satisfied, the first mermaid ducked back under the water and whistled the all clear, motioning for the rest of her family to come up. "Alana's got the barrier up," she said with a smile. "No risk of humans wandering over while we do our thing."

"Thank you, Aquata," King Triton said, squeezing his daughter's shoulder before leading the way to shore. The rest of his daughters followed after, Alana having already perched herself on a rock and was admiring the way her tail gleamed in the dying light while she waited. Her sisters joined her on various rocks surrounding the cove, not wanting to risk beaching themselves but still wanting to be as close as possible. Only one of Triton's daughters swam bravely towards the sand, and Ariel settled herself easily where the water only came up to her hips. The rest of her tail lay in front of her, still under the water.

"All clear, siy'ah," Sebastian reported as he made his way towards the royal family, stopping by where Ariel was seated to give the king a salute.

"Thank you as well, Sebastian," Triton said, acknowledging his long-time adviser with a nod. He looked back at his youngest daughter and his expression shifted into something close to resignation, and Ariel felt guilt settle heavy in her stomach. "Are you sure this is what you want, Ariel?" he asked quietly, and after a moment, Ariel nodded.

"If it's not, I'll be back in a month and you can all rub it in my face," she joked weakly, and Triton's face fell even further. The water rose as he swam closer to his youngest daughter, setting his trident in the sand and taking her hands in his own.

"Ariel," he sighed. "That's not what I want. I don't want you to fail." He cradled her cheek in his large palm, and Ariel sunk into his touch; holding his hand close with her own. "I just want you to be happy. We want you to be happy."

Her sisters nodded from their perches, though Ariel noticed that Attina wasn't looking at any of them, her lips pressed together in a hard line.

"If you should ever need to come home," Triton said, "for any reason, you know how to call me, correct?" Ariel nodded. Placing her hand in the water, ripples spread out from her palm and rushed through the water in a wide circle. She knew that if Triton had been in Atlantica, he would have still been able to feel the vibrations, and he nodded in response. "Good girl."

Ariel smiled at him, and Triton pushed his fingers back through her hair gently. "Land or sea, I will always love you," he murmured, and Ariel felt tears begin to well in her eyes.

"I love you too, Daddy," she said, and several tears ran over her cheeks when Triton scooped her up into a large hug. There had been a time where there was no place safer in the world to her than in her father's arms, wrapped up so completely that she knew nothing could reach her. Now, as he let her go, she clung to him for just a moment longer, like she could press her love and gratitude below his skin where he would always be able to feel it, even when they were separated.

Triton was smiling when they finally did pull apart, albeit with a sad sort of happiness and pride that many parents felt when letting go of their child. "I have one more thing for you, Ariel, before you go," he said, waving for Andrina to come closer. Ariel's expression shifted into confused curiosity, trying to get a better look at what Andrina was carrying. Ariel already had everything she would need from the sea with her in her bag. Many things she would have to buy in town, but she had scoured her grotto and several shipwrecks for anything useful she could find in preparation for her journey. What else could her father possibly have to give her?

Unafraid of the shore, Andrina handed their father something wrapped in old sail cloth, patched over with seaweed in several places. Triton unwrapped it carefully, and Ariel leaned as close as she dared, trying to see what lay inside. It was an old necklace, blue cord knotted skillfully in whorls and curls around a piece of beautiful green sea glass. Tiny pearls were knotted around the edges, all worked together so delicately that Ariel couldn't fathom how anyone could be so precise and nimble-fingered.

"Your mother made this before we were married," Triton explained, and Ariel gasped softly, her eyes wide. "I used to go to the market every day, just to see her and watch her work. I bought so many of her pieces for my mother and sisters I was sure they were sick of me. This is one piece Athena kept for herself, however. And I want you to have it."

"Daddy…" Ariel said, voice catching in her throat. She remembered the stories of how her parents had met, told to her and her sisters by a smiling Athena and a bashful Triton, sometimes even while Athena made little bracelets and necklaces for her daughters. Athena the clever jewelry maker being slowly (and rather awkwardly, Athena had teased) courted by a young Prince Triton. Ariel had her jewelry from her mother kept safely in her room at the palace, far too precious to bring with her to land and risk loosing.

"Please wear it while you're away," Triton continued, carefully bringing the necklace over Ariel's head and settling it around her neck before pulling her hair out from underneath. It fell a few inches lower than the golden shell Ariel wore, and Ariel brushed her fingers against it shakily. "See it and remember that you are now, and always will be, a princess of Atlantica. No matter where the tides take you."

Ariel nodded, more tears falling past her now smiling cheeks. A piece of her mother to take with her to the shore. Ariel couldn't think of a more perfect gift. "Thank you so much, Daddy," she breathed, smiling up at her father beautifully, and he smiled in reply.

"Of course." The sun was starting to sink into the sea much quicker now, and everyone knew they were running out of time. "Best get you on your way before the sun sets," the king said, pushing himself back into deeper water and taking his trident with him. Ariel's sisters had already said their goodbyes before they left the palace, and now they all watched with equal parts curiosity and fear as Triton set the tip of his trident in the water. They had never seen a Mer lose their tail and become human before, but Ariel just relaxed, bracing herself for the pain. This was honestly the worst part, but she wouldn't cry, no. This was what she wanted.

Golden magic moved across the surface of the water, drawn to Ariel until it met her skin. It felt like sunlight, Ariel mused in wonder; warm against her skin and scales, and nothing at all like Ursula's magic. There was no pain as she was lifted into the air, only a rush of warmth and what felt like the static that filled the air just before a lightning storm. Ariel hovered for a moment, hair caught in an invisible current, and then, in a moment, she had legs.

It was so instantaneous that she wasn't sure she would have noticed had it not been for her sisters' gasps, but sure enough, her emerald tail was gone and replaced by two, tan, human legs. Ariel giggled in delight, wiggling her toes even as she continued to hover in the air, and Triton smiled. Pointing the trident at Ariel, another wash of magic rolled over her, and when Ariel looked down she was wearing a beautiful dress, almost like the one she had worn when she had toured the kingdom with Eric so long ago. The skirt was a deep sea green, like the clearest waters in Atlantica, and stitching of the same hue moved across the black bodice in curling, kelp-like designs. The white undershirt dropped past her shoulders and only went to her elbow, and Ariel was still looking over the design in wonder as she was set carefully back down.

… And her legs promptly collapsed under her.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" she quickly reassured her family, all having moved closer like they were going to beach themselves to help her back upright. "Just give me a moment, it's been a while."

"I daresay 'dat was mor' graceful than your first attempt, Ar'yal," Sebastian commented with a small grin as he scuttled closer, resting his claws over her hand in a show of support. Ariel laughed, scooping the crab up and pressing a kiss to the top of his head as he grumbled good-naturedly.

"Yah, ya did t'at too."

"Ariel?" Attina asked, fluttering nervously in the shallow water. She swam back and forth, not daring to come closer, but looking like being away from her baby sister was killing her.

"I'm alright," Ariel repeated, smiling so widely she thought her cheeks might crack. "Standing is a lot different than swimming, I just have to get my muscle memory back."

Muscle memory! From her legs!

It took a few minutes, and more than a few ungraceful, giggling tumbles into the sand while her sisters gasped, but by the time the sun was halfway below the waves, Ariel was standing solidly on the sand. She was smiling so broadly she could swear she could feel the joy radiating through her whole body, and as she took a small turn on the beach and watched her skirt flare out before settling back against her legs, Ariel's joyous laughter bounced off the cliff walls and echoed back out to sea.

Her hair was already dry and catching in the evening breeze, and the young princess let her head fall back, eyes drifting closed, as she let the salty wind pull at her gently. The waves rolled gently against the shore, the gulls cried overhead, and Ariel took a deep, weightless breath as two tears rolled down her cheeks.

Oh, how she'd missed this.

Finally looking back at her family, Ariel's heart soared when she saw the smiles on most of their faces. Attina and Triton were smiling as well, but there was a heartbroken resignation behind their smiles. Ariel loved the land as much as she loved the sea, but it was hard to reconcile that when the ocean was all you knew, all you loved. Ariel knew that, and understood it to a point, so she didn't hold it against them. They had agreed to let her go at all, didn't that mean something?

"I love the dress, Daddy," Ariel said, catching the skirt in her hands and swishing the soft fabric back and forth around her knees. "And the legs. Thank you," she said, smiling at him wetly. "Thank you so much."

"Remember, it's only for a month," Attina said, pulling on her fingers anxiously. "Or shorter, if you decide you want to come hom-"

"Tina," Andrina admonished lightly, flicking her tail at their eldest sister.

"Just, be back at the end of the month, alright?" Attina finished quietly, and Ariel didn't hesitate to walk out into the water to give her eldest sister a big hug.

"I'll be here," Ariel said with a nod. "I promise." Attina returned the hug easily, stroking back Ariel's hair and pressing a soft, salty kiss to Ariel's temple.

"Be safe, Minnow," she whispered, hugging Ariel tightly before slowly letting her go. Ariel reached out to her other sisters as well, who all gave her hugs and teary 'Good luck's before 'shoo'ing her back towards the shore. The skirt of her dress was dry in moments, and Ariel looked up at her father with a delighted grin that made him chuckle.

"Go on," he ushered gently, reaching out to hold his daughter's hand one last time. "Don't want to be late."

"I'll see you soon," Ariel promised, giving her father's hand a squeeze before gathering her red bag off the sand. She looked down at Sebastian, smiling wryly at the old crustacean. "Sure you don't want to tag along?" she asked playfully, and Sebastian scoffed.

"I'm a composer, Ar'yal," he reminded her, "not a babysitt'ah."

"Oh, but you did such a good job the first time!"

The crab's deadpan look sent Ariel into a laughing fit that nearly sent her back into the sand. "I'll check in," Sebastian finally acquiesced, smiling at the young princess. "Make sh'ore ya' aren't gettin' into trouble."

"Me?" Ariel said, ignoring Aquata's amused scoff. "Never!"

With that Ariel gave her family one last good bye and began to pick her way carefully along the shore. The sand slipped and moved under her feet, but Ariel was happy to find that the memory of how to balance on her new legs was coming back quickly. She made it to the outcropping that cut off the section from the beach from the rest of the shore and looked back just in time to see her family start to vanish beneath the waves. Attina was the last to go under, watching after Ariel anxiously until Ariel waved at her, and then slowly diving back under.

For the first time that night, Ariel was alone.

The young woman ducked under the overhanging stones, not bothering to pick up her skirt as she made her way around the outcropping that was visible thanks to the low tide. She picked her way carefully around, mindful both of her balance and the risk of sharp rocks piercing the soft, new skin of her feet, and finally made it to the other side without much issue. Taking a moment to catch her breath, Ariel looked at the building on the top of the cliff and felt her heart knock around excitedly in her chest. The Benbow Inn.

The cliff it rested on wasn't terribly tall, maybe only three lengths taller than Ariel was on her new legs, and there was both a set of stairs leading to the docks and a long incline that led from the beach to the cliff, naturally carved out of the stone wall and softened by sand and the occasional slat of wood. Ariel began to carefully climb up the ramp, sometimes having to use her hands as well with her rear sticking funnily in the air, but it was worth it to see the inn up close for the first time.

It was a large building, four stories high, and Ariel knew from Jim's description that there was an attic on top of that as well. It was crafted from stone and wood, artfully used to highlight the structure of the building, though to Ariel it almost looked like the stone had grown naturally from the cliff and they had just built around that. The grounds were well-tended and there was a vegetable garden on the side of the inn, along with a garden with all sorts of beautiful flowers and plants for the guests to walk through on the other side. There was even a stable on the other side of the road, and there were several horses being tended to by a young man with straw blond hair. The roof tiles were red like the rest of the buildings in the kingdom, but even still, there was something about the building that made it entirely it's own.

Ariel clutched the strap of her bag between her shaking hands, toes curling and uncurling in the dirt that lined the path to the building that loomed in front of her. She had seen it a dozen times from the ocean; often hiding under the docks that jutted from beneath the small cliff like bony, reaching fingers and watching the humans mill about their day. How many times had she met Jim at those very docks, only to watch him disappear back into the inn he called home when the sun began to rise? How many times had she stayed hidden in the shallow water, long after any sane merperson would have left, just to watch the going-ons through the large bay windows?

And now, here she was, mere inches from the front door; a new shot at a life on land hers for the taking. If only she just reached out and knocked.

The sun had finally set, the warm pinks and oranges of dusk fading into purples, blues, and blacks. The princess knew from her many visits to Jim in the past that this was the time of night when most of the guests would be heading to bed and the front dining area would be quiet and empty. Hopefully Jim would be one of the employees cleaning the tables and readying the inn for the night, but seeing as he had only come back from a long voyage a few days ago, Ariel's expectations weren't high. She'd just have to ask around until someone brought Jim to her or brought her to Jim.

Unlike her last foray on land, Ariel wasn't going to waste any time with mistaken identities. She was going to spend her first night as a human again in her sailor's arms, or get really, really tired trying.

Taking a deep breath, Ariel carefully tested the knob, letting herself inside when it gave easily. The room was warmly lit by a large fireplace at the back of the room, sconces along the walls helping to make the room bright and inviting even after the moon had risen. Circular tables filled the room, most with chairs turned over and stacked on top, and a wiry man was sweeping the floor and whistling under his breath.

"Ah, was wondering when you were going to come in!" Ariel jumped at the voice, spinning to come face to face with a woman with thick, brown hair and smiling blue eyes. She laughed, dropping a rag in a bowl of soapy water. "You were staring at the door for so long we weren't sure if you wanted to come in or sleep on the stoop," she teased, not unkindly, and Ariel unconsciously relaxed. Those blue eyes were so familiar… they put her right at ease.

"Sorry," Ariel said with a shy, nervous laugh.

"It's no trouble, sweetheart," the innkeeper said, waving her hand dismissively. "Come on and have a seat, I should still have some stew warming on the fire. Hungry?"

Ariel's stomach grumbled, answering for her. "A bit," she admitted, "but, uh, is it okay if I come in?" Both women looked down at Ariel's bare feet, covered in salt and dirt from the short trek from the beach to the Benbow.

The woman gasped. "My goodness, what happened to your shoes?"

"They got ruined by the saltwater," Ariel lied easily. "I'm sorry, I didn't bring another pair with me…"

"It's quite alright, sweetheart," the woman said, giving her feet one last considering look before looking up at Ariel with a wry grin. "My son has made bigger messes in the past, a little dirt is nothing. You come have a seat and I'll get you a rag to clean that dirt off with."

"Thank you," Ariel said earnestly, feeling a weight lifting off her shoulders as she was allowed inside. The flooring was warm and smooth beneath her feet, and Ariel was struck again by the incredible reality she found herself in. She was human, with legs and feet and toes and clothes, and she was only a few floors away from Jim! It was like a dream, and she never wanted to wake up.

Ariel sat herself carefully at one of the tables with the chairs still on the floor, draping her bag over the back of her chair. The innkeeper came back with a small basin with a rag hanging over the lip, setting it down for Ariel to slip her feet into. "Were you looking to rent a room tonight, Ms…"

"Ariel." The princess answered the unspoken question with a smile, bending down to wet the rag and begin to clean the bottoms of her feet. "And yes ma'am. Um, did you say you had a son?"

The woman was spooning something thick and delicious-smelling into a bowl from a cauldron over the fire, and nodded as she made her way over. "Yes, my boy Jim. He just got back from a long journey over-seas, and I swear he managed to drag half the western continent back with him when he came home."

Ariel laughed in giddy delight, smile threatening to split her cheeks. "So you must be Sarah!" she exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. Sarah paused as she placed the bowl on the table by Ariel's elbow, regarding her curiously.

"Yes, I am," she said, straightening so she was standing in front of Ariel at her full height. "How did you…"

Now that she knew that the kind woman was in fact Jim's mother, the familial resemblance was impossible to miss. Her hair, though run through with streaks of silver at her temples and through her ponytail, was the same chestnut as her son's, and they had the same mouth with the deep Cupid's bow and fuller bottom lip. And the eyes! Jim's eyebrows were thicker and Sarah's eyes were larger, but they were the same grey-blue of the sky just before a storm. No wonder she had made Ariel feel so welcomed.

"I'm a friend of Jim's," Ariel explained, still smiling widely. "He's talked so much about you! It's an honor to finally meet you, ma'am!"

Sarah's smile was still tinged with confusion, but she accepted Ariel's outstretched hand and shook it firmly. "The pleasure is mine," she said. "I'm sorry, I don't think Jim's mentioned you…"

"He probably wouldn't have, my family is very private," Ariel said with a shrug. "He actually doesn't know I came to visit. It's a bit of a surprise."

"I see… Do you want me to go fetch him, or would you like to wait until the morning to see him?"

"I mean, if it's no trouble," Ariel began, pulling nervously on her hair, "could you bring him down? It'd be kinda weird to sneak up on him in the morning, wouldn't it?"

Sarah laughed - albeit a bit tensely, Ariel noticed - and nodded. "Yes, Jim's not a huge fan of surprises," she said, and Ariel rolled her eyes in understanding.

"Don't I know it," she grumbled, thinking back once again to the first time they met.

Giving the ex-mermaid one last, odd look, Sarah began to make her way to the stairs that led to the second floor. "Well," she said, "I'll go see if he's available. In the meantime, you just… stay here."

"Yes ma'am!" Ariel chirped, smiling gratefully at Sarah as she disappeared into the upper levels of the inn. When she was out of sight, Ariel went back to scrubbing the dirt and sand off her feet and calves, trying not to make more of a mess as the water in the basin got dirtier with each pass of the rag.

Once she was satisfied with the state of her new feet, Ariel carefully stepped out of the basin and stood upright, facing the stairs. She smoothed out the front of her dress quickly, making sure the bodice lay flat and the skirts weren't rucked up oddly. She ran her fingers back through her hair next, fussing and pulling at the long strands as she debated what to do with the unruly mass of waves. Did she leave it back, or pull it over her shoulder? On the occasions that she and Jim visited in the tide pool long enough for her hair to dry, he would often pull her hair to one side as he played with the curling strands. So Ariel pulled her hair over one shoulder and took a deep, nervous breath.

She turned to look at the wiry man she had spotted before, who had paused in sweeping up the dirt she had tracked into the inn - whoops - to watch her fuss with an amused grin. "Do I look okay?" Ariel asked, a little shyly, and his eyebrows furrowed behind his large, circular glasses.

"What?" he asked, voice too mild to be called a bellow, but too loud to be anything else. He gestured at his ears, and Ariel's mouth formed a small 'O' in understanding. He must be deaf, she mused, or at least hard of hearing.

"Do I look okay?" she asked again, speaking slowly so he could read her lips as well as signing as she spoke. Ariel had worked harder with Gabriella to learn sign language after the whole "Sold My Voice For Legs" thing, but she didn't know if the signs they used under the sea were the same as the ones used on land.

Either way, the man's face lit up in understanding, and he nodded enthusiastically as he gave her a big thumbs up. Ariel giggled, signing a quick 'Thank you' before turning back to face the stairs. She waited with her hands clasped in front of her body, determined to be patient despite how badly she wanted to race up the stairs and find Jim herself.

Just when Ariel was starting to believe that she'd be stuck waiting in the dining room forever (although Sarah had only gone upstairs five minutes ago), there was a loud crash from one of the upper levels, followed by a familiar voice shouting "What!?" Ariel didn't know whether to be concerned or amused, and eventually settled on "Nauseatingly Anxious" as footsteps began to pound through the inn, waking several patrons and startling complaints out of the ones who were just getting ready for bed. The loud noise got closer and closer, descending the staircase at a rapid pace, and anxiety clutched at her stomach like a vice.

What if he didn't want to see her? What if he was mad at her for coming to his home unannounced? What if he thought her legs were ugly, or that she didn't look as beautiful away from the magic of the sea? What if he sent her home?

'No,' Ariel thought, taking one last, deep breath. 'I won't run from Jim like I ran from Eric. Not again. I'm going to see this through.'

All of her carefully gathered bravery shot off like a startled school of fish when a large figure crashed into the wall as it barreled down the stairs, stumbling slightly on the landing before all but falling down the last few steps into the room. Jim was wearing only a pair of sleep pants, his chest bare and heaving with each heavy breath. The bottom of his face was wet, and Ariel wondered if he had been getting ready for bed himself when Sarah had gone to get him.

He stared at her, eyes wide and jaw slack, as he stood at the base of the stairs; clutching the railing for support. More than a little startled herself, Ariel could only stare back, breathlessly awaiting his response. His mouth worked silently around words that couldn't seem to form for several moments, then he suddenly began rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes vigorously. He dropped his hands and stared at her in even greater shock, like he had expected her to vanish like a mist, and the action was so goofy and so Jim that Ariel's worries seemed to melt away, and a soft smile bloomed on her lips.

"Jim," she started with a laugh, taking a step forward. Whatever else she was going to say, however, got lost in her yelp of shock as her wet foot slipped on the floor, sending her crashing to the ground in an undignified heap.

"Shit, Ariel!" Jim stammered, finally moving as he ran towards where she had fallen, dropping to his knees at her side. "A-are you alright?" he asked, hands hovering awkwardly over her body as she pushed herself up. Her carefully-mussed hair now fell in a wild mess in front of her face, and Ariel silently bemoaned her bad luck as she blew it out of her eyes with a huff.

"I pictured this going a lot smoother in my head," she grumbled, using his hand to help pull herself up to her knees. Jim didn't respond, instead staring at her small hand in shock where it was nestled in his. He gripped her hand slowly, releasing and holding it again several times before looking at the confused young woman in amazement.

"You're real," Jim breathed, and Ariel rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"Yes," she said in exasperation. "I don't think a wraith could make that kind of noise falling on its face-"

"You're real," Jim said again, with more confidence this time as his free hand moved up to push her messy hair out of her face and cup her blushing cheek. Ariel leaned into his touch with a soft smile of relief, her embarrassment quickly being replaced with a soul-deep sense of rightness that made everything feel warm and floaty and gooey.

"Yeah, Jim," she sighed happily, pressing his hand closer to her cheek. "I'm real."

Over the almost year and a half that Ariel had known Jim, she had seen all sorts of different smiles on the sailor's face. His teasing grin when he said something smart, his bright smile as he got to explain some human contraption to the eager mermaid, the content quirk of his lips as he napped beside their tide pool - Ariel curled peacefully in his arms. Nothing, however, compared to his crooked, elated smile that lit up the room the moment she said those two simple words.

Ariel found that it was suddenly very hard to breathe. She wanted to remember this feeling for the rest of her life.

Jim laughed, practically shaking with it as he lunged forward, pulling the beaming mermaid off her knees as he hugged her close. His face was pressed into her neck, whispers of her name and various curses muffled by his laughter and her skin. Ariel joined him in his giddy excitement, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck until the space between them was all but gone. He smelled like soap and something Ariel could only identify as Land, and she promptly wanted to drown in the scent until it was all her nose could remember.

"Ariel," Jim chuckled against her neck, mouthing at the skin with quick kisses that made her shiver. "Clever, pretty, devastating Ariel." He said her name like a prayer, and she melted against him.

"Jim," she sighed lovingly, running her fingers through his cropped hair and pressing a soft kiss to his brow.

They stayed like that for several moments, a frozen tableau of two lovers reuniting after what like eons apart. Her calves were burning with the awkward position she found herself in - half upright and still half kneeling, and pulled tight against Jim's bare chest - and she reveled in the feeling. Everything about this moment, from her cramping legs to Jim's warm arms around her back, felt right, and Ariel didn't need a month to know that this was where she belonged.

His arms shifted, and Ariel shrieked as she suddenly felt herself leave the floor. Jim stood, his hands holding her thighs tightly and keeping her legs braced around his narrow hips, and laughed at her startled expression and sudden tight grip on his shoulders. He spun her around with a grin, and she began to giggle and laugh elatedly with him as she clung tightly to his torso.

"How are you here?" Jim asked, still smiling brightly as he held the young princess off the ground, fingers laced together under her to keep her from falling. "I'm not complaining, of course, but I- I mean, you have- I didn't think it was possible!"

Ariel beamed at him, cupping his jaw in her palms and pressing a teasing kiss to his nose. "It is if you know the right people," she replied cryptically. "It's not permanent for now, but that's kind of why I'm here?"

Jim's smiled dimmed. "Is that something we need to be worried about?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed as his mouth curled into a small, determined frown. Ariel kissed the corner of his lips, and his smile spread back across his face.

"Not tonight it isn't!" she said with a bright laugh. Jim joined her after a moment, his nose bumping against her own.

"Okay, okay, in that case," he began, taking a few steps forward and setting Ariel down on a table that already had a few chairs stacked on top. He began to pull away, but Ariel caught him first, bringing him back towards her face until their lips almost brushed. Jim knew her well enough at that point to know what she wanted without words, and his hands curved carefully around her waist and ribs as he kissed her. It was slow and soft, a gentle caress that left her feeling warm and pliant when he pulled away a second time, smiling widely. This time, she let him.

"Let's get a look at you then." He took a long step back, bringing her hand with him so their fingers could interlock, and Ariel simply giggled in response. She kicked her feet back and forth, feeling almost shy as his sharp eyes roved over the planes of her ankles and the form of her legs under her skirt.

"I like the dress," he said to start, smiling as Ariel ducked her head with a shy smile. "Where'd you get it?"

"It was a gift from the same person who gave me the legs," she told him.

"No shoes?"

"I may have forgotten about those."

Jim laughed, pressing a quick kiss to her palm before releasing her hand. His hands went towards her feet, but he stopped and looked at her questioningly before his calloused hands met her skin. Endlessly charmed and amused, Ariel nodded her consent; sighing happily as his hands carefully cupped her heels. She pulled her skirts up to just below her knees, fingers curled into the sea green fabric as Jim examined her new appendages.

"How is this even possible?" he asked, voice full of wonder. Ariel's toes curled and unfurled as his thumb swept carefully along the arch of her foot, the ex-mermaid giggling in response.

"Well-"

"James Pleiades Hawkins!"

Sarah's voice came from the stairwell like a clap of thunder, startling both young adults horribly. Jim immediately dropped Ariel's feet like they had scalded him, jerking upright and taking several steps back from the shocked woman as the matron of the inn stood before them. Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion and her arms were crossed over her chest, and Ariel's stomach twisted into a knot. She'd been so worried about Jim's reaction to her appearance that she hadn't even considered how his mother would take it.

That was very quickly proving to be a mistake, Ariel thought as she curled away from the elder Hawkins' cutting eyes.

"Ben, would you be a dear and lock up the front?" she asked the worker that Ariel had totally forgotten was still in the room, Sarah's eyes never leaving the two guilty adults in front of her. Jim met Ariel's eyes for a half-second, shrugging apologetically as his mouth pulled into a grimace, and she could only return his look sheepishly. It had been her secret that had caused this particular blunder into his family's blindside, she could own up to at least that much. She just hoped there was time to rectify this misunderstanding before it spiraled away from her control entirely.