The sun's rays beamed through the thin violet curtains hung over the cracked window and shone right to Eric's dozing form. His eyelids began to flutter open, inhaling the sea salt scent that wafted into their chambers. He eyes closed in complete elation fondly remembering the previous night's engagement and foreplay shared with his beloved. After 15 years of marriage, Ariel still had the ability to make him blush furiously. She possessed that undeniable charm and arousing persona which made the moment all the more rapturous.

His eyes descended down to see her snuggled on top of his toned chest, snoozing contently. He gingerly wove a hand through her lavish crimson locks while the other hand idly massaged her bare back. An immediate shiver traveled up his spine when he felt her leg twitch on his leg. Eric shook his jet-black mop top and leaned in closer to her.

A soft melody crept into his mind. A song that would never grow old of hearing. A song that made Eric go weak in the knees. A tiny grin formed on the corner of his lips as he gradually began to close his eyes. He hummed causally through the silence as he continued to hold his wife. And the song that he hummed to, was none other than the one that Ariel sung to him when she rescued him from utter peril.

Ariel awoke quietly when she heard the vibration of Eric's chest. Her eyes fluttered open, but she lay there silently, listening to him hum to the song she had sung in her grotto, and to him on the shore, a day she would never, ever forget. She resisted the urge to move, enjoying the feel of his hand on her back.

But gosh was she exhausted. Her muscles ached, more than they usually did, and she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Strange, but she shook it off as nothing.

She could feel his breath on her neck, and quietly, she started to hum along with him, closing her eyes again as a smile began to form on her tired lips. The memory of her singing in her grotto with Flounder was vibrant in her thoughts.

His wife's voice rang through the room. Music filled the air as the couple continued to hum. Never had he thought, when he was an eighteen-year-old boy, that his life would be this prosperous. He once thought that he would never find her. After all of that time of scourging every for the mystery maiden, it never occurred to him to look under the sea.

Mermaid or human, she was his love and life. And that was never going to change. His eyes flickered open and he gazed down at her humming form. He ceased his humming for a moment and just listened complacently to her harmonious voice. "How did that song go again?" Eric murmured in a deep voice. His hand that occupied her hair ventured down to her waist. He secured his hold on her as he inhaled her intoxicating scent. "I was partly in a daze, so I don't remember much of it." A dimpled smile graced his features as he leaned down. "Will you sing for me, my little mermaid?"

Ariel stopped humming when she heard her husband speak, and a smile crept onto her face. Pulling the blanket up over her chest, she turned over so that she was facing the ceiling, saying nothing. She kept her eyes closed, hugging the blanket close, and took a deep breath.

A flood of memories enveloped her mind, seeming as if it were yesterday. She remembered the words perfectly. So in a quieter, slower tone than usual, Ariel began to sing.

"What would I give to live where you are?… What would I pay to stay here beside you?…"

His smile did not fade throughout her passionate melody. HE could not suppress the undeniable love that was stored deep inside of him. He felt utterly overwhelmed with this new-found love for her whenever she opened her mouth in song. His eyes traveled down to her delicate form with her voice melodiously singing out the whimsical words. His cheeks flushed a light shade of magenta when she sang the words, "Just you and me. And I can be, part of your world."

Eric drew out a long, content breath as she sweetly sang the last word. Eric snaked his arm around her waist and dragged her closer to him. He gently rested his messy raven hair on top of her patch of fiery locks. "I think that song gets more beautiful every time you sing it love." Eric complimented with a charming grin on his face. A thought suddenly struck him, a thought that has never occurred to him before. His gaze drifted down to hers where their eyes both locked. "Ariel, any merman would battle a monstrous sea witch to have your hand in marriage." Eric paused for a brief second before continuing, "What made you choose me?"

Ariel suddenly opened her eyes, blushing slightly when she complimented her. But when he asked his question, she could tell by his voice that he was anxious, almost jealous. She turned to face him, now on her side, her head resting on his chest. She looked up at him, her thin eyebrows giving him the same worried expression. She reached up, gently touching his face.

"Well, when I was that age, I wasn't really looking for love," she explained. "My only concern was becoming a human. I never planned on falling in love with one." She paused for a moment, a flood of memories rushing through her. "But when I saw you on the ship that day, on your birthday… Something just clicked. As soon as I saw you, I knew I wanted to be with you. Of course, I had only climbed up the side just to get a closer look at humans; I wasn't looking for one to love me." She stopped for a moment, suddenly feeling very shy.

A shiver surged down his spine from her fragile touch on his face. He could not resist the faithful love that was shown through her sea blue eyes. When she recalled her memories to him, Eric recounted his own memories from his 18th birthday. The memory will never fade away. No matter how traumatic it might have been, he always thanked his lucky stars for Ariel saving his drowning form. Her little speech just proved to him of how much she deeply cared and loved him.

"Ariel, you sacrificed your life in the sea to experience life on land. And I am the luckiest man in the world to be apart of this journey with you." The sailor prince planted a sumptuous kiss on her forehead before securing his loving hold on her. "I'm just glad that Triton allowed me to marry you." Eric chuckled lightly as he playfully rolled his eyes. "But I'm just glad to he's my father in law." Eric paused as his eyes gazed away in the distance. "I'm happy to have a father figure back in my life again."

As Ariel listened to him, her content gaze turned into a frowning one. She knew it was difficult for Eric to talk about his father, and although Grimsby had been his guardian, she knew he was more of an advisor and teacher than a parent. Saying nothing, the redhead pulled herself closer to Eric, wrapping her arms around his neck as she gazed at him empathetically.

"You know, you're like the son he's never had," she reassured him. "Just think about it. Before us, he didn't even break the surface. He hated humans, ever since.." she paused, trying to regain her composure, "ever since my mother…" She couldn't finish, but she simply shook her head. Now was the time for her to reassure him, not the other way around. "You changed him. Even I couldn't do that. Not Sebastian, not my sisters, no one. Just you."

Eric nodded his head, intently listening to what Ariel had to say. He stroked her hip when she choked about the subject of her mother. He tended to think every now and again that, deep down inside, Triton still had a deep seeded hatred for him. But Eric realized that he wouldn't be lying in this bed with Ariel 15 years later if Triton truly despised him. A tiny grin formed at the corners of his lips as he lowered his gaze to Ariel. "It's nice to have to have a father around. My parents would have adored you. But since Grims is considered my guardian, he simply loves you just as much as me." He gave his lovely wife a dimpled smile, exposing his pearly white teeth.

His hand traveled up to her stomach and laid it on top of her belly button. He nuzzled his tussled raven-haired mop top against her red, tangled curls. "Did you know we've been together fifteen years, love?" His hazy eyes drifted down to her, with a dazzling smirk appearing on his handsome face. "Did you know how much I cherished every waking second of those years?" he questioned in a hushed whispered, with his mouth grazing her ear.

Ariel grinned up at him, so happy that he was in a better mood. She placed her hands on top of his, burying her face into his neck. "Hmm… That long already?" she murmured, kissing him gently. Fifteen years with her prince. And it seemed like so much less. Amazing how fast time went in the human world. She still wasn't completely adjusted.

Just then, a gust of wind blew through the large window in their room, making Ariel's teeth chatter as she got as close to Eric as she could, pulling the blanket even closer.

Noticing her distress from the cold breeze, Eric assisted in pulling the sheets closer around them. He looped his strapping arms around her frame and hugged her close. Her admirable touch brought his world to motion as his eyes gazed up at the ceiling. Another thought struck him. Not now. He couldn't mention that. The very last thing he wanted to do was ruin this blissful moment. Eric peered down at the high-spirited mermaid resting upon him.

He lowered himself to her level with a dimpled smile gracing his elegant features. "So, tell me Miss Mermaid," Eric began as he began planting innocent kisses upon her tender neck. "why do you have to be so darn adorable?" A dazzling smile sneakily crept upon his lips beginning the second round of abundant kisses

Ariel giggled, leaning her head back to expose her neck as she enjoyed Eric's affection. She was so happy, unable to imagine a more perfect way to spend their morning.

But she had a feeling that something was wrong. She wasn't sure what, but after being with Eric for so long, she could tell when he was hiding something from her, even if it was only to not upset her. Turning her head back to look at him again, she locked eyes with him, looking at him questioningly. "Everything's okay, right?" she asked innocently as she began to bite her lip.

He could sense her quizzical expression peering up at him. Eric's eyes latched onto her innocent one's and he exhaled heavily. He started back up again, quickly reviewing the conversation in his mind. He hoped that she would take his thought on the subject into consideration and not flat out reject to the possibility.

Just as Ariel was about to question him once more Eric interjected, "What do you think about having another child?" the sailor prince asked with a confident voice as his eyes gazed down to her. He spent a majority of his free time contemplating about having another child. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind that he loved Melody, but one more child to love and to nourish wouldn't hurt anyone. It's true, he felt the cold, harsh sting of reality that his little princess was growing up and would no longer be the same little girl that begged him to read her a bed time story. After a few moments of silence Eric began his speech over why this should happen "Ariel, this has been on my mind for quite some time and I won't let you do anything you don't want to do and I feel that bringing another child to the world will bring the family together-" Eric continued to ramble to Ariel.

When hearing Eric's question, Ariel's eyes flew open and she felt butterflies in her stomach. She sat up abruptly, but smoothly, staring ahead as she listened to him. However, she soon became aware of the nervousness in Eric's voice as he rambled on and on.

She turned her head to look at him, then gently reached out to grasp his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "It's okay," she said simply, giving him a small smile.

To be completely honest, the idea of another baby never even crossed Ariel's mind. Of course, a few years after Melody's birth, when she was still very young, the redhead had considered it once or twice, but always disregarded it as unnecessary. But she didn't want to disappoint Eric, that was for sure. She wasn't objected to having another baby, but she knew she needed to think about it first. Moving her gaze downward, she set her eyes on the faded, but very much still there, stretch marks near her hips from Melody's pregnancy. She stayed silent, taking a strand of fiery hair in her fingers, twirling it around absentmindedly.

What if she couldn't do it again? It had been 13 years since she was pregnant; almost as long as she had lived as a mermaid. She remembered pain, and worry, wondering for all those months if their baby would be… normal. Ariel's genes could still have traces of mermaid in them, and what if.. What if this time they weren't so lucky? What if the baby was part.. mermaid? It would be seen as a monster, unaccepted by the whole kingdom. Already having insecurities of her own regarding acceptance, she knew that that was the last thing she wanted for any child of hers, especially after seeing how Melody was when she thought she wasn't "normal."

All these thoughts running in her head, she sat there quietly, continuing to weave the strand of hair between her fingers.

'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!' Eric thought irritably to himself. He made her more distressed than she should be. It was just a suggestion! Why did he have to take the baby proposition out of context?! Eric sighed heavily and reeled her closer to him. He lightly brushed his lips against her crimson lock. His hand slithered up her smooth arm and linked their fingers together. He idly weaved both of their hands through her lush patch of red hair.

"Hey," Eric paused seeing her eyes still cast down. "Look at me love." his voice oozing with warmth and affection. His other hand directed her chin to his adoration gaze. "I love you. More than anything and anyone. And I could not be happier with the life that we are living together." He let a moment of silence slip between them. "It's whatever you wanna do, Ariel." Eric gave her hand a gentle squeeze before closing his eyes and waiting for her response.

Ariel finally looked at him, studying his expression. She thought again for a moment. Another baby wouldn't be so terrible, would it? She could get through it, and if… If the baby wasn't.. normal, then the trident must be able to fix it, right? It could change her from mermaid to human at any time, so why not one little change, only once?

Now that she thought about, she did miss being able to hold a newborn in her arms, teaching it to walk, talk, seeing its expressions as it learned. And it would give her another chance to do things right; not to keep her past life a secret, as they had mistakenly done with Melody.

A smile crept onto her face. She kept her eyes locked on him, leaning in and resting her forehead against his. "Yes," she whispered, already giddy with excitement. "We can try. I love you, too."

His eyes snapped open and instantly locked on to hers. A mix between appalled and excitement crossed his face. His twinkling eyes peered down a t her, with a smile plastered on his face. "We can try." Eric repeated as he puckered his lips and placed them upon hers ever so smoothly.

Eric's beating heart practically leaped out of his chest. What he would give just to make his wife smile that award-winning smile. That certain smile that dazzled the crowd. The smile that could cease all conversations and stare at her radiant beauty. He snuggled against her petite form. Her soothing touch giving him uncontrollable chills. "You know, I always wondered what it would be like to have a boy in the family." Eric stated in a hushed tone. His breath trickling down her ear.

Ariel saw Eric's face completely light up, and she immediately knew she had made the right decision. After kissing him, she pulled away, one hand still around his neck while the other reached up to touch his cheek briefly as she studied his elated expression. The only thing she ever wanted was to make him happy. She then laid down against him, basking in his warmness, suddenly feeling very small and vulnerable.

"A little boy.." she mused, mostly to herself, a smile forming on her face. She giggled at the thought.

Once he saw that bemused smile creep onto her features, Eric couldn't help but let out a delighted snicker. He felt a warm soothing tingle surge through him when he felt her smile against him. He traced tiny circles on her belly, hearing her harmonious giggle as he continued to trace.

The sailor prince nodded his head casually with a gleaming smile gracing his lips. "Yeah. A little boy." His mind wondered what he would look like. Would he have Ariel's or Eric's hair color? Would he have Ariel's or Eric's eye color? All these questions swirled through his mind. He exhaled through his nose and drifted his gaze down to met hers. "We're in this together, love. No matter what." He pecked a delicate kiss upon her smooth forehead and laid back against the fluffed pillows.

Ariel placed her hands on his and laid back against him again, enjoying the sensation. She almost forgot that she wasn't pregnant. Not yet.

She bit her lip with a chuckle, saying, "But the only problem is, I'm not pregnant." She blushed a bit, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"I know you're not pregnant now, love." Eric growled seductively at his blushing wife. He drew himself closer to her, making this morning beside her more intimate. He collided his lips against her, with his eyes closed. He let the sumptuous kiss linger for a few moments before opening his eyes and lowering his forehead to hers. "Let's say we add another member to the family." Eric stated with a charming grin plastered on his handsome face. He began another round of passionate kisses on her face, eager to be next to her.

Ariel stayed silent as she pulled herself up again, grasping Eric's neck with her petite fingers as the blanket slid off them. A smile grew on her lips before they met her husband's, closing her eyes tight as she relied on her senses. She pressed her body against his as an image formed in her head.

Her arms, holding a small, sleeping baby.