What If

----A story saying: What if Ursula never became Vanessa and bewitched Eric.

"Eric, if I may say, far better than any dream girl, is one of flesh and blood, one warm and caring, and right before your eyes." Grimsby gestured to the window above their heads, where Eric saw Ariel combing her hair with a fork in her strange yet endearing manner that made his heart warm.

His ward already having retreated inside, Eric reflected back on Grimsby's words. He had always thought that people only fall in love once, that they only have one soul-mate in the world. For the longest time he had believed it to be the woman who rescued him from certain death after the shipwreck. The woman with the beautiful voice that made his spirit soar. Since his rescue, she had always been on his mind and the song was always being sung in his head. Only recently had this mystery woman been forgotten, when he was in the company of the young woman he had found on the beach.

She looked so much like his dream rescuer. Finding her on that rock Eric had believed his prayers had been answered: she had finally returned. But finding out that she couldn't speak, those hopes had been dashed like wreckage on the rocks.

Spending time with Ariel, however, Eric had entertained the thought of falling in love with other women besides his guardian angel, as he had come to call her.

Eric had fallen in love with Ariel. He would not go to his Guardian Angel, even if she did show up.

Having come to his conclusion, Eric threw his flute into the sea, cementing his abandonment of his unhealthy obsession, and then proceeded to enter his castle.

Ariel heard a knock on her door and quickly motioned for Sebastian to hide. When he was tucked away under her pillow, she opened the door and immediately brightened when she saw Prince Eric standing there.

He looked at her nervously and smiled. Anxious to break the silence, he said the first thing that came to mind. "Are you comfortable?"

She nodded fervently.

"That's good." It was hard keeping up a conversation when only one of the party could actually talk. Ariel looked at him with eyes shining brightly.

"Ariel..." He started, breathing deeply, "I want to tell you that you've made me happier than I've been in a long time. You're the one woman that I have actually felt comfortable around." A brief thought of the Princess of Glauerhaven popped in his head. Ariel dropped her head and smiled.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that, even though we've only known each other for a few days, I love you."

Ariel let out a breath she seemed to be holding in forever. She put her hands to her heart and gave out the biggest smile.

Eric closed the remaining distance between them and took her face in his hands, sweeping back a few strands of long red hair. He slowly lowered his lips to hers and they met in a kiss.

Ariel felt a warming sensation in her throat that traveled through her entire body. They parted and she looked deep into his eyes. "I love you too" she whispered.

(A/N: Well... turned that out whilest watching "Gilmore Girls." Twas fun.

I was just inspired to write something other than X-men fanfiction... and since I watched the Little Mermaid the other night.. Yep. Short and sweet. Very short.

Read and Review.)