(Raise your hand if you fell in love with Rumplestiltskin after watching the first episode. *looks to see how many have raised their hands* Wow. So many. *grins stupidly.* Yeah, so I was watching 'Skin Deep' (which furthered my love for dear, old Rumple) and when I heard the Evil Queen mention a mermaid I flipped out! I LOVE the Little Mermaid and couldn't help but think of what story would take place if the creators of the show ever decide to make an episode. So here's what flew into my mind.)
(Oh! I suggest listening to 'Call of the Sea' by David Arkenstone while reading through the beginning of this chapter. When you get to the second half, when it takes place in StoryBrooke, listen to 'Little Talks' by Of Monsters and Men.)

Chapter One
What Would I Pay?

"Mmh-hmm, hmmm, mmh, hm," the mermaid hummed as she gracefully back stroked along the water's surface. She opened her eyes to look up at the blue sky above her and smiled. With a flick of her green fin, she dived into the water and swam a little ways before darting back up and to the surface, gaining a little bit of air, and then splashing back down.

Her father, King Triton, would be furious if he knew his youngest daughter was swimming so close to the land where many humans inhabited the area. Why did he forbid the merfolk to have any contact with humans? During the sixteen years of her life, she grew up hearing stories of humans and longed to meet one, but her father wouldn't allow it. In fact, that was why she was out here right now, swimming alone. She and her father had gotten into another fight.

Every year she would beg her father to let her got to the humans just once, and every year he said the same thing, "No." She became so angry with him that she swam away from the palace and went to her secret place; a grotto filled with human artifacts. The grotto wasn't too far from the underwater city she called home, but it wasn't too close either. She took special care to make sure she was never followed or discovered with human objects. Her fish friend, Flounder, usually helped out.

After spending a few hours at her grotto, organizing her treasures, she decided to go out for a swim at another of her secret places. It was at an inlet a few miles from a castle and its village. Many humans came to the inlet to have a picnic or go for a swim.

The mermaid floated up to the surface once again and brushed her red hair away from her blue eyes. "Still a child," she sighed aggravatedly, remembering what her father had said to her during their argument.

"It's not safe for you to go near humans! You're still a child," King Triton told his daughter, shaking his head.

"I'm sixteen years old! I'm not a child anymore!" The little mermaid insisted, angrily.

"Ariel, there's something wrong with you if you want so desperately to see some creature that would bring you great harm!"

"There's nothing wrong with me. You don't even go near humans, so how can you say that their vile and evil? Because they have legs? Because they live on land? Does that make them evil, father? Sirens have legs and live in the sea, but they are far from good!"

"Sirens have the sense to drown humans when they have the chance!"

"They're wicked creatures and I'm ashamed to swim in the same ocean with them! Don't you see, father? Sirens and Merpeople are so different. One kind is good and the other is evil. Don't you think it's the same way up on land? Not all humans can be evil! Please, let me prove to you-."

"You are to never go anywhere near them! As your king and father, I forbid it! Have you lost your senses completely?" Triton shouted. His words stung. That was when Ariel swam off for her grotto.

Ariel looked up at the sky to see that the sun was beginning to vanish from the horizon and the moon was nearly hanging overhead. Pale moonlight reflected off the water around her and she sighed in disappointment. No humans had come to the cove today. More particularly, he hadn't come today.

A few weeks ago, Ariel had rescued a man from drowning. A storm had come from out of nowhere and tore the man's ship apart. He was knocked unconscious before he fell into the sea. Ariel had been trailing along after the ship, curious about the humans on board. She saw the sailor limply floating in the water and threw her father's orders aside. She couldn't just let him die! Ariel caught hm up in her arms and swam a good many hours before finally laying him on the sandy shore of her favorite inlet. The sailor had been unconscious the entire time.

Ariel had gotten a good look at his face as she watched over him. His hair was black, his face was handsome and young, probably around her age. Did humans count their age the same as the Merpeople? She felt a fluttery sensation in her heart as she had stared at him. She began to sing to the sailor, hoping he could hear her. Ariel's time with the sailor was cut short when other humans arrived and spotted the two of them. She had dived back into the water and swam a safe distance away, watching until they were gone. She hadn't seen the sailor since then and it made her feel sad.

Shaking herself out of her memories, Ariel swam closer to the shore. She decided to take a rest on one of the rocks that were piled along the wall of land that made up a portion of the cove. Ariel pulled herself onto a rock and let her tail stay in the water. "Hhmmm- mmh-hm, mmh- hm, mmm, mmm," she hummed. If there was something she loved to do more than collecting human objects, it was singing. Singing…. "Oh no!" Ariel moaned. She suddenly remembered the concert that she was supposed to have performed in that took place hours earlier. It was just as well that she had missed it. She didn't feel much like singing in front of anyone after her fight with father.

"Mmmh-hm,hm, hm, mmmh- hm, hm, hm." Ariel leaned back, placing her upper body weight onto her palms as she stared at the moon and stars. Did humans like to look at the moon and stars too? Did they appreciate its beauty?

The sound of whimsical laughter interrupted Ariel's thoughts and she quickly turned her head to look where it came from. Two figures, a male and female, were running towards the cove. Ariel ducked down and peeked out at them from behind her rock. Excitement filled her as she watched the couple pretend to be at a grand ball and dance with one another. Ariel loved to watch humans dance. It looked so beautiful; she longed to dance as well, but that would require legs to do so. Dancing wasn't the only thing she longed for though… she longed to see her sailor again. The couple paused in their dance and gazed at one another for a long time. Then, slowly, their heads inched closer and soon their lips touched.

Ariel felt her heart flutter. A kiss! Love! She adored watching couples who were in love. It looked so pure. How could creatures who felt such emotions like love be evil? If only her father would give the humans a chance and see that the only things that made Merpeople and humans different were legs and fins.

Ariel watched in awed wonder as the man picked up the woman in the middle of their kiss and spun around, making the female laugh in delight. They looked so happy. Ariel let her head rest against the smooth surface of the rock. "I wanna be where the people are," she whispered. "Up where they walk, up where they run, up where they stay all day in the sun...wandering free." Unlike herself; she was trapped by her father and his rules.

The couple soon went away and Ariel perched on her rock, dreaming about what it might be like living on land. "What would I give if I could live out of these waters?" she asked herself, aloud. "What would I pay?" She was not expecting to be answered.

"What would ya pay, indeed, dearie?"

Ariel gasped and looked up at a higher leveled rock and saw a figure standing on it, watching her with gleaming eyes. She gasped and moved to dive back into the water but the figure held out his hands. "Hold up now! I'm here to grant your wish, not harm you!" Ariel had already leapt off her rock and swam a few feet away, but hadn't dived under water yet. She turned back to look at the shadowy figure with a curious expression. The man giggled. "That got your attention," he sing-songed, his voice slightly echoing back to Ariel.

Ariel cautiously made her way back to the man, stopping two feet away from the rock she had been sitting on moments ago. "Who are you?" she asked.

The figure made an 'Ah' sound and hopped off the rock and landed on the one Ariel had used. He gave a low bow, precariously balancing on the rock as he did so. "Rrrumplestiltskin!" he trilled. "At yer service." He slightly raised his head to meet Ariel's eyes and extended out his hand for hers. Ariel nearly gasped when she caught sight of his crazed eyes. The irises were a deep shade of brown and rather large. They seemed to be able to look right into a person's soul.

Ariel slowly placed her hand in Rumplestiltskin's. He smiled and placed a kiss on her hand. "A pleasure to meet a princess of the sea," he said. Ariel snatched back her hand.

"How did you know-?"

"I have my ways, dearie," Rumplestiltskin replied, straightening up. "Now about your wish…" he began and tilted his head down a bit, playfully cocking an eyebrow at Ariel.

"What wish?" Ariel asked.

Rumplestiltskin sighed and eased down into a sitting position, letting his elbows rest on his knees. "How quickly we forget," he muttered. "Don't you wish to be able to live among the humansss?"

"Well, yes, I, I do-."

"I can help ya, dearie." Rumplestiltskin steepled his fingers together and tapped them against each other. Ariel narrowed her eyes at him. His eyes were gleaming devilishly and his smile turned into a grin, revealing dirty teeth. She gave an almost imperceptive shake of her head and used her fin to push her back a few inches. She didn't like this man.

"You're unhappy, aren't you princess?" the imp suddenly asked. To Ariel it sounded as if he already knew the answer. A slight breeze wafted past the two of them, moving Rumplestiltskin's brown hair and causing Ariel's skin to prickle. He pointed a long finger at her when she still didn't answer. "I'll take that as a yes."

Ariel suddenly found her voice again. "Do not assume my answers for me, sir."

Rumplestiltskin made an exaggerated show of looking apologetic for his forwardness. "Pleasssse, do excuse me."

Ariel undid the space she had put between them. "You said you could help me?"

Rumplestiltskin lifted both eyebrows and quickly lowered them, his ever-present smile widening. "That I did."

"How?" Ariel asked, tilting her head to the right.

Rumplestiltskin pulled his hands away and gestured with his right. "With a bit of magic," he answered.

Ariel moved closer without even realizing it. Her blue eyes were wide. "Magic? Humans have magic?"

Rumplestiltskin giggled. "Oh, no, dearie; not all humans." He pointed at himself. "And I'm not human." Ariel's brow wrinkled n confusion. He looked human… slightly. His skin color was different from the humans she had seen; a greenish-gold hue. His eyes… his eyes were the biggest hint that he wasn't the same as humans.

"What can you do to help me?"

By now, Ariel was at the base of the rock Rumplestiltskin was sitting on. She was too fascinated to remember that she felt uneasy around this creature. Rumplestiltskin bent over, hands clasping his knees, as he stared into Ariel's eyes. "I can give you legs," he whispered, almost secretively.

Ariel nearly forgot to keep moving her fin so she could stay afloat. "You'd do that?" she asked, eagerly. Could it really be possible? She could search for her sailor!

Rumplestiltskin reached down and cupped a hand under her chin. "For a price," he answered.

Ariel blinked. "What?"

Rumplestiltskin removed his hand from Ariel's face. "All magic comes with a price, dearie." He caught the displeased look in Ariel's eyes. She pulled away and gave a disgusted shake of her head.

"I knew it. I just knew it!" Ariel angrily sent a splash of water in the imp's direction.

Droplets of water landed on his pants and on his coat. Rumplestiltskin took note of this and gave her an exaggerated pout. "Now that's not a very nice thing to do, dearie. Especially to someone who just offered to grant yer wish."

"If I pay you! I thought you were doing this out of kindness." Her hope of finding the sailor was gone.

Ariel turned to swim away but Rumplestiltskin called out to her. "Wait, princess!" For some reason, she didn't go, but she didn't turn around to face him either. Rumplestiltskin stood to his feet and put a hand to his chest. "I make deals, dearie. Nothing, not even magic, is free. Aaall things come… with a price. Do you really think you'll find happiness under the constant watch of your father?"

Ariel's breath halted for a moment. How did he know these things?

Rumplestiltskin pointed a black-finger nailed digit towards the mermaid. "Think about it, princessss. When you change your mind… I'll meet you back here at this same time."

Ariel spoke very carefully, trying not to let the imp hear the quiver in her voice. "I will never change my mind."

Rumplestiltskin's grin turned feral. "Like I said… when you change your mind."

Ariel dived into the water and hurriedly swam away from the cove and Rumplestiltskin. The imp giggled and knelt down to skim his fingers in the water. "Till we meet again, Princess Ariel."

Morgan awoke with a start as her alarm clock buzzed loudly near her ear. She squeezed her eyes shut as she covered her ears with her pillow. "Shut up!" Morgan thought. She blindly searched for the clock and banged her fist on the button when she found it. Morgan sat up, red hair messy and in need of a good brush. She rubbed her eyelids with both hands and heaved a sigh before looking at her clock for the time. Her blue eyes flew open. "Oh no!" She was going to be late for school!

Morgan threw off the sheets and jumped out of bed. She tripped on the covers and fell with a thud to the wooden floor. "Ouch!"

"Morgan; is that you?" Morgan's father, Tyron Waters, called from the first floor.

"Of course it's me; who else could it be?" Who else would her father expect to find in the two story house they lived in, which was located almost on the outskirts of the town, Story Brooke.

Morgan leapt to her feet and hurried to her closet. She rummaged around and pulled out a blue tie-dye shirt and blue jeans. The sound of her father's footsteps coming up the stairs made her quicken her pace as she finished pulling on her pants and searched for a pair of shoes. Man, if she was late to school again…

Tyron opened the door to his daughter's bedroom and found her hopping on one foot while trying to put on a shoe. Morgan froze when she caught sight of her father standing in the doorway. He sighed and put his hands on his hips. "Morgan," he moaned.

"Oops," Morgan thought. She gave a cheesy grin and suddenly lost her balance. She collapsed onto the floor.

"Looks like I'll have to drop you off at school on my way to work," Tyron said. Morgan blew a strand of red hair away from her face and smiled, apologetically. "Are you ready?" Tyron asked. Morgan nodded and got off the wooden floor boards. "Come on."

They went to the stairwell and Morgan grinned as she habitually slid down the bannister. "Morgan, I've told you before; don't do that. You could hurt yourself."

"Always so protective." Morgan let out a heavy sigh.

"Don't talk to me in that tone of voice," Tyron teased. Morgan smiled at her dad. Only he was allowed to joke about her disability. He never made her feel bad or inadequate about being born a mute.

Tyron led Morgan to his truck and opened the door for her. She slid inside and wrinkled her nose at the strong aroma of fish that resided in the vehicle. Tyron was a fisherman. He owned a small store that sold fresh fish to the people of Story Brooke and his job is what earned Morgan the nickname of Fish Girl at school.

She didn't really fit in with the rest of the crowd. She couldn't speak and her only way to communicate was with sign language, but most high school students didn't want to learn sign language, so it was hard to strike up a conversation with people. The only student who knew sign language fluently was Florence Fisher. His mother was deaf and so he learned signing at a very young age. When Morgan met Florence it was like a ray of sunshine was finally smiling on her. She finally had someone she could talk to.

They had to pass Mr. Gold's pawnshop to get to the school. Morgan slowly inched down into her seat, as if to hide herself from the owner of the shop. Mr. Gold; a lot of people in town didn't like him and for good reason. Morgan felt a little afraid of him.

The vehicle was pulled into the school parking lot and Morgan gave her father a quick kiss on the cheek before hopping out of the car. Her father honked the horn at her. "Hey," he called. Morgan turned to look at him. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Tyron asked. Morgan stared at her father, confused. A smile broke onto her face when she realized what he was referring to. She bent her hands to form a heart shape and held it up for her dad to see. Tyron mimicked the motion back at her and drove off, smiling.

Morgan took off running the moment her dad pulled away. She pushed open the doors to the school and dashed down the halls to her first class of the day; Geometry. She peeked through the small window in the door and saw the teacher had his back turned while he was writing something on the white board. Morgan slowly turned the door knob and eased the door open; she tip-toed into the room and made a 'shush' motion to a few students who noticed her entrance. They smiled and held back some laughs. Morgan made it to her seat and sat with her hands folded on top of her desk.

"Finally decided to join us today, Miss Waters?" the teacher asked, without turning from the board.

Morgan winced. "He must have eyes in the back of his head."

….

(Well, I wanna know what you guys think so far. I hope this chapter was too your liking. Please let me know!)