Had a nightmare coming up with a title for this one. Probably not the best one, but "Gala" just didn't seem appropriate.

After some deliberation, I think I've decided to abandon the one-shot collection and go back to doing solo works like "Aegis" and "Homecoming". I might just be crazy, but for some reason I seem to be getting more comments/reviews out of those than I am on these. Without those, I can't write a thing.

The camping chapter might have just been a crummy piece, so I decided to do at least one more to see where it get me.

Either way, I'm not going anywhere just yet. More works shall still follow, in one form or another.

Enjoy.

"You ladies ready?" Ben finished buttoning up his shirt as he stepped into the bathroom where Ryn and Maddie were sitting in front of the mirror.

"Just… about…" Maddie moved her fingers through Ryn's hair, working the strands together. "There. What do you think, Ryn?"

Ryn examined her reflection, turning her head at various angles in an attempt to see the braids Maddie had woven in her hair from any direction she could. Maddie had left her own hair straight for this occasion, but Ryn had requested them.

As always, Maddie hadn't been able to refuse her mermaid.

"I like them." Ryn tilted her head back to look at Maddie directly rather than through the mirror.

"Good." Maddie leaned down and kissed her girlfriend on the forehead. Only then did she look up to regard Ben, giving him the once-over in the process. "Mmm… looking good, Ben. We might need to get you into formal wear more often."

"Yes." Ryn agreed a little too enthusiastically for Ben's liking the moment she looked up at the man. Lovely, now the women were teaming up on him again. Well, two could play that game.

"Pot meet kettle, Mads." It was Ben's turn to take an eyeful of Maddie's dress, Ryn's too for that matter. Ben wasn't the only one. Maddie's choice of outfit had caught the attention of a certain mermaid. "Maybe we should get you into dresses more often."

Maddie's grin twisted into a scowl at having her words rebounded back at her.

"Yes." Ryn repeated, every bit as eager as before, her leer shifting over to Maddie. "Dresses pretty on you."

Ha! Now who was ganging up on who? Ben wanted to say those words aloud but decided against it. He may have the advantage now, but Maddie would spin that right back at him before long. Best not to press his luck.

"We can debate clothes later." Ben knew Maddie was snagged between her irritation at wearing dresses and her desire to please Ryn. Time to bail his girlfriend out. "We should probably get going."

"Good idea." Maddie wasted no time getting up whatsoever. It was almost comical, but Ben stifled his laugh.

Once the trio were piled into the car and on their way, Ben remembered what they were doing. It was some retirement party, for whom Ben couldn't remember. Unlike the last social event, Ben hadn't been guilted by his father into going. Instead, his mother asked him to come.

Ben wouldn't lie, not even in his own head, that he'd grown estranged from his family in recent years. Not intentionally, but it happened regardless. Ever since the troubles of Bristol Cove died down, Ben had taken steps to making amends.

Dividing his time between the rescue center and his role as an environmental consultant for Pownall Seafood had been a great step in that direction, even if it wasn't Ben's original intention. He could have quit and gone right back to his old life before Ryn came along, but that just didn't sit right with him. Family was family, it was high time Ben stopped leaving his out in the cold.

Nobody was more ecstatic than Elaine Pownall to see Ben finally getting along with his father and brother. She'd been trying to at least get Ben to put in an appearance now and again for years. Yet, here was Ben, doing her one better and taking a job in the business.

Naturally, when Elaine asked Ben to join in on the festivities, he agreed. She even asked him to make sure Maddie came along. It would seem the matriarch of the Pownall family not only always remembered Maddie's name now but had grown to accept the sheriff's daughter for her son. Ben was over the moon when he figured that one out. Of course, this left the proverbial elephant in the room unmentioned.

Ryn.

How does one tell their mother that they are currently dating a woman and a mermaid at the same time, and that said mermaid is shared between the man and woman? What was he supposed to do, walk up and say "hey mom, meet my other girlfriend, Ryn"?

Dear lord, was it a mother thing that was making Ben feel like a little boy again?

Maddie at least had things a little easier. She had just the one parent and Dale had little in the way of complaints. Possibly helped by the fact he knew Ryn was a mermaid and that normal relationship logic didn't apply to her. Elaine had no such knowledge.

Ben contemplated canceling at the last second, his mom would be upset but she'd get over it. Maddie managed to not only convince him otherwise, but to also talk him into introducing Ryn to the elder Pownall.

It felt a little foolish, but Ben badly wanted his mother's approval of Ryn. He was making such great progress in bridging the divide between all of them, he'd hate to wreck it all now. Although, if given the choice between his family and his relationship with Ryn and Maddie, Ben had no reservations about choosing the latter. He just hoped that's not what would happen.

"You okay?" They had just parked the car, and Maddie was already catching on to Ben's worries. Judging by the way the hairs on the back of Ben's neck stood, Ryn had too. Maddie had just made the query before their girlfriend could.

Ben chuckled, the sound coming out a lot more apprehensive than he had been hoping. "Yeah, I'm totally fine. Come on, the party has already started."

Absolute lies, but Ryn and Maddie didn't need to know that.

"Ben." Ryn brought a hand to Ben's shoulder from the backseat just as he touched the door handle. She said no more, just the three letters of his name. Yet it was enough to shatter the false confidence Ben was trying, and failing, to project.

"No, I'm not okay." Ben sighed. He should have known better than to try and hide from them. Maddie might be occasionally foolable, but Ryn was too attuned to her mates for Ben to slip past. If Ben wasn't a scientist, dating a mermaid or no, he might suspect her of having some kind of supernatural BS detector.

"Don't worry so much." Maddie patted Ben on the leg. "Everything will be fine."

"It's just…" Ben hesitated. "I want her like you both, you know? It took her forever to get used to you, Maddie."

"I know." Maddie knew better than to say something like 'oh she'll approve of you dating two women'. Not when she knew it wasn't a guarantee. The best she could do was be supportive, and that is exactly what she would be.

"I sing?" Ryn suggested, her chin coming to replace the hand on Ben's shoulder.

"Good idea!" Maddie beamed. "Might help steady your nerves."

"Just don't calm me unconscious." Ben leaned his head into Ryn's, lips raising in the slightest of smiles. "Although… I wouldn't complain about missing the party."

With Ben's blessing, Ryn began her song.

The moment the first note of the song reached Ben's ears, he knew this had been a great idea. The sound washed over his body, bringing with it a wave of peaceful calm. Ben felt his muscles going slack, his heartrate slowing down from racing to a resting beat.

Beside Ben, Maddie was leaning into the mermaid. Her own eyes closed, Maddie reveled in the serenity Ryn's song brought them. She didn't need to be soothed, but that didn't mean she couldn't savor the sensation.

After all, Ben and Maddie were the only humans who Ryn's song had this effect on.

Ryn's lips were close to Ben's ear, and they were still in the tight quarters of the car. She didn't need to sing very loudly, but she kept her voice even lower so as to not accidentally put Ben to sleep. That could easily be done but would defeat the purpose.

Ryn sang for what could have easily been hours to Ben's senses. When she stopped, and Ben noticed the car's clock, he saw it had been less than a minute.

"Feel better?" Ryn questioned.

"Definitely." Ben took a deep breath, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. "No point in just sitting here. Shall we, ladies?"

They must have been quite the sight.

Here was Ben, walking arm in arm with another woman, and Maddie on the opposite side arm in arm with the same person. Oh yes, there were looks, and a lot of hushed whispers. Not that Ben cared, let the rabble talk. They didn't know what they were missing out on.

Not everybody could truthfully claim half the heart of a mermaid.

"You sure you didn't want to walk in the middle?" Maddie teased, her mirth barely contained. "Isn't it every guy's fantasy to come to a party with two beautiful women on his arm?"

"True." Ben agreed, not bothering to deny that one. "But I got better."

"A beautiful woman and a mermaid?"

"Nope." Ben gave Ryn and Maddie a long look. "A sea goddess and an angel."

"Aww…" Maddie threw Ben a fond smile.

"Now if you guys don't mind, I'd rather get this thing with my mom over with." The calm Ben had gained by listening to Ryn's song wouldn't last forever, and he'd rather not freeze up in front of his mother.

"One sec, I need to hit the bathroom real quick." Maddie ducked away before Ben could make a peep.

All Ben could do was watch the direction she went and grumble to himself.

"It will be okay, Ben." Ryn squeezed Ben's hand softly, but firmly.

"We'll just wait here until she gets back." Ben planned out loud. "Then we go find my mom. As long as she doesn't…"

"Ben! There you are!"

There was no way in holy hell Ben's luck could possibly be this bad. Yes, he was hallucinating, and that voice didn't belong to who he thought it was. As soon as he turned around and saw the speaker, he would find his nerves just made it sound like his mother.

Following the sound, Ben found to his horror he was right the first time. There she was two tables over, Elaine Pownall. Ben's mother, and the last person Ben wanted to see right now.

"We run." Ryn proposed, pulling Ben down by the arm to whisper. "People… hide us. Escape."

"I like the way you think." Ben really did, and the idea was all too tempting. "But no."

They could have used the people around them for camouflage, most hadn't taken seats and the crowd was quite thick. They'd easily be able to make a break for it. Ben could have pretended he didn't hear his mom calling for him. The trio could then circle back once Maddie returned.

It seemed silly for Ben to run from Elaine. This was his mother, not some fire breathing dragon. No, Ben would not run and hide, he'd stand with Ryn right alongside him.

Steeling himself for the battle to be, Ben and Ryn forged through the crowd. It took no small amount of willpower to release his mermaid's hand before Elaine saw them holding hands.

"Hey, mom." Ben greeted his mother with a quick kiss on the cheek, as was his custom. "How are you doing?"

"Just fine." Elaine smiled. "I'm so glad you could come, where's Maddie?"

"Bathroom break." So far so good, Ben wasn't feeling the urge to freak out nor was he hyperventilating. Why was he so worried, anyway?

"And who's this?" Elaine asked with genuine curiosity when she realized Ben wasn't alone.

Ah, there was the worry and fear making their screaming comeback.

"Hello, Mrs. Pownall." Ryn shook the older woman's hand, the greeting and gesture having been rehearsed many times beforehand. "I am Ryn."

"Ryn? What a lovely name." Elaine knew something was afoot but couldn't figure out exactly what. "How do you know my son?"

"She's a foreign exchange student from Belgium." Ben answered on Ryn's behalf. "She's been learning English while finishing up her degree here in Bristol Cove by working down at the rescue center."

Every son should hate lying to their mother, and Ben was no exception. Maybe one day she could be clued in to Ryn's identity, but that was not today. No, it was safer for Ryn if Elaine remained in the dark.

"Not that I don't mind seeing Ben's friends, but what brings you to the party?" Elaine was catching on, she knew Ben didn't like these gatherings. Bringing Maddie was one thing, but you don't bring a coworker to a party like this. Not only that, Ben and Ryn were standing awfully close together for simple coworkers.

"I am his… girlfriend." Ryn could be blunt sometimes, but this really wasn't the time for it. Oh well, the damage was done.

"Oh… I'm so sorry things didn't work out with Maddie." There was a time Ben would have accused his mother of being happy to see Maddie gone, but this time she seemed genuinely saddened. "Wait, I thought you said she was in the bathroom?"

"She is." Ben was scrambling, trying to figure out what to say and getting nowhere. He knew he'd screwed up, he should have just chickened out when he had the chance. Now he was caught like a fish on a hook. "Maddie and me are both here with Ryn."

Knowing the jig was up, Ben abandoned all pretenses of subtlety, and moved an arm around Ryn's waist to pull her into his side. Faster than the eye could blink, the mermaid had her own up around him. She must have been resisting the urge to do that this whole time.

"I don't understand." Elaine was understandably baffled.

"What's to understand?" Every bit like the angel Ben had described her as earlier, Maddie arrived delivering salvation. Coming up behind Ryn and Ben, the woman put an arm around both. "We love Ryn, and she loves us. Can't get any simpler."

"But, it's…"

"I think we're done here." Maddie was having none of Elaine's objections, not even allowing the other to speak. "I saw an empty table over there."

"That… didn't go like I hoped." Ben lamented once they were far enough away. Honestly, he wasn't even sure himself what he hoped. Still, he'd take confusion over disappointment and anger any day.

"Sorry if I kinda dragged you away." Maddie apologized. "You just seemed like you could use a rescue."

"No, we absolutely needed the rescue." Ben smiled some. "You were awesome."

"I am, aren't I?" Maddie grinned, finding them a table on the edge of the dance floor. "How are you doing, Ryn?"

"I am fine." Ryn was largely unaffected by meeting Elaine. Ben wondered if mermaids even had some kind of ritual for the same occasion, or if they ever met their mate's parents. He'd have to ask Ryn about it later.

"Wondering what they're doing?" Ben followed Ryn's gaze out to the dance floor. A faster song was being played by the band and the people were moving along to the beat. "They're dancing."

"I see before." Ryn continued watching. "In water."

Ben allowed his imagination to run with the thought. He'd seen mermaid movements underwater, but how do they dance? They had singing, but no music, or did they? Hmm… what do mermaids use for music, another thing to bring up to Ryn later.

"Perfect." Maddie exclaimed when the song ended and a slower one came on. "What do you say, Ryn? Want to learn how humans dance?"

"I would like that."

"I can hold the table while you two have fun." Ben would have plenty of time to take a turn with Ryn later. There would be many songs before the night was out.

"Nope, you had to suffer through your mom. You get to teach her." Maddie had other ideas, all but shoving the pair out onto the floor. "Go."

"Alright, alright." Ben wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Taking Ryn by the hand, he led her out onto the floor. The mermaid eagerly following. "Must be pretty different than what you're used to, huh?"

"Different, yes." Ryn scanned the people all around. "Humans must be lonely."

"We stand like this…" Ben guided Ryn's arms to wrap around his neck, her fingers lacing together upon his skin. His own arms wound their way around her waist, holding the mermaid close. Most of the time, Ben didn't notice the height difference between the two, but right now it was painfully obvious. "Now we just sway back and forth. Lonely?"

"Before, humans dance alone." Ryn took her eyes off the people around them to focus on Ben's. "Now, pairs. No more."

"So?"

"In water, we move together." Ryn explained. "Are humans not lonely?"

"Huh." Ben pondered his girlfriend's words. He knew from Ryn that merpeople were a deeply collectivistic species, more so than humans. It shouldn't be surprising that this applied to their dancing too. "I never thought about that before."

No more words were exchanged. Ben had Ryn's singular focus, and Ryn had Ben's. Each becoming lost in the other's eyes, bodies swaying to the soft melody.

An eternity passed in less than two minutes, the song coming to it's inevitable end.

"It is over?" Ryn hid her face in Ben's chest, but he could hear her disappointment. "I like this… slow dancing."

"Don't worry." Ben couldn't help smiling at the cute sight, his hand coming up subconsciously to stroke her hair. "There's lots more songs still to go. But we better give Maddie a turn before she goes nuts."

They were at the table for a whole second before Maddie was pulling Ryn back to the dance floor with the promise of a lesson in 'faster dancing'.

Ben didn't mind sitting this one out. He had his turn already, and like he said before, there would be many more. Ryn wouldn't mind taking a break on the third so Ben and Maddie could share a dance. He was wondering if it would be a slow or fast one. The order had been random so far.

"There you are." Ted Pownall appeared, sliding into Maddie's vacant seat. "Been looking all over for you."

Of all things Ben expected tonight, it wasn't for his father to show up out of thin air. He knew the man was here, but Ben thought he might have a hair bit more warning. Watching his girlfriends on the dance floor must have been a bigger distraction than he thought.

"Hi, dad." Ben recovered quickly. "Need something?"

"I heard an interesting rumor a little while ago."

"Really now?" Ben had a feeling he knew exactly where this 'rumor' came from. Specifically, from who. "And what's that?"

Ted didn't answer with words, instead motioning with his head out to the dance floor where Maddie was attempting to walk Ryn through the steps of a faster dance. She wasn't having much success from what Ben could see.

Ryn might be the epitome of grace in the water, but on land? Not so much. Poor Maddie was going to have some seriously bruised toes by the time the night ended. Not that she'd ever complain.

"Let me guess, she sent you to give me a lecture about my life choices?" Ben guessed. His defense of Ryn and Maddie already forming within his mind. Ben might have badly wanted his mother's approval, but he was fully prepared to unleash armageddon on his father.

"Somewhat." Ted was at least honest. "But I'm not going to."

"What?"

"You've always had great taste in women." Ted shrugged. "And you're a grown man who can make his own decisions. I just wanted to see you three for myself."

"And?"

"For your sake, I hope this Ryn isn't as headstrong as Maddie, or you're in trouble." Ted laughed, completely unaware of just how right he was. "But between us guys?" Ted leaned in close to make sure only his son would hear him. "I think we can both safely say you've hit the jackpot."

"Uh… thanks, dad." Ben was still trying to process what just happened. His mother didn't like his relationship with Ryn and Maddie, but his father did. When the hell did he stumble into the Twilight Zone?

Oh, right. Likely about the time he started dating a mermaid.

"Enjoy your night." Ted winked, clapping his son on the shoulder before departing.

Ben watched him leave to go mingle with other guests. "Well, that was weird."

"Slow dancing better." Ben was startled from his thoughts when Ryn arrived, throwing her considerable weight into the chair in an annoyed huff.

"It wasn't that bad." Maddie chided the mermaid, but her laughter took most of the bite out of the act. "Quit being dramatic. So, Ben…"

"Yeah?"

"May I have this dance?" Maddie grinned ear to ear, hand extended out to Ben.

Ben arched an eyebrow. "Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

"Maybe. But I stole it."

"In that case." Ben took the offered hand. "I accept."

This is probably going to be the last addition to New Experiences unless I feel otherwise. If so, I'll go back to posting stuff as individual works.

I originally expected these chapters to be much shorter, hence the need to put them in a collection. I was a little surprised at the length each came to, so it would be easy to make future ones separate.