The water was warm, the sun warmer on my back as I thrust into her, the waves rolling around us as we sank into the chilly sand. Bella gripped my shoulders, arching into me as she groaned my name. I buried my face into her neck as I rocked into her, lost in the intensity of the moment

Bucking Bronco had become another game entirely. A far wetter, sandier one. I had chased her around the beach, knowing full well she wanted to be caught. She squealed and laughed as I grabbed her around the waist, falling into the water and kissing her until we were both breathless. Moments later my boxers and her T-shirt were being tossed around in the waves and she was trapped underneath me, our wet bodies sliding together—both of us wanting and ready. The feeling of her warmth and the sounds of her pleasure drove me toward my release—fast.

I could never have her enough. Countless dishes had been broken from being swept to the side in the kitchen, towel bars had to be rehung, doors reinstalled—we left a trail of destruction since coming here to this small piece of paradise. Both Carlisle and Jasper insisted they'd seen my bare ass so often they could pick it out in a line up. I informed them to stop dropping by unannounced and stick to their side of the island. Bella simply giggled and told them it was a great ass and she hated to see it covered up. She hung a bell by the edge of the beach and told them to ring it before they came too close, but the breeze that flowed round the island moved it so often I was constantly yanking up my pants, so I tore it down and decided they could yell instead.

Hovering over Bella, I kissed her, gathering her into my arms as I slid us both back into the warm water of the ocean, letting it wash away the sand and the remnants of our passionate coupling.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, her head resting on my shoulder as the water swirled around us. "You owe me breakfast."

I chuckled. "I do."

"I want pancakes."

"Good thing since it's one of the few things I can make."

"Then we need to go into town."

"Need, Mouse? What's up? You out of backgammon checkers? You've been eating them like…well like candy."

She giggled. "They are candy, Edward."

I laughed with her. We had a real backgammon board and pieces now, but Bella still liked using jujubes—besides the fact she loved eating them, they made it easier for her to cheat.

"So a candy run—is that what's on for today?"

"I need a few other things."

I nipped her lobe, tugging on the soft flesh. "You're being very mysterious. You got some big plan MacGyver? Busting out someone in the local jail? Blowing up a bank?"

She leaned back, her expression now nervous. "No."

I kissed the end of her nose. "I'm teasing, Bella. Whatever you want to go in for is fine."

"I need to go to the drugstore."

"Okay."

"I have a theory about something and I need to test it out."

"So we're going into town for a test?"

"Yes," she whispered.

Something about her expression made me pull her a little closer. "What kind of theory are you testing, Bella?"

"That you made me pregnant."

My eyes widened, and I tightened my grasp on her even more. "Mouse…pregnant? Like with a baby?"

She grinned. "Very good, fuckwit. Yes. Pregnant with a baby." She ran her fingers through my wet hair. "Your baby," she added tenderly.

"Our baby," I whispered against her mouth, my heart racing with joy over the news.

"Ours."

I buried my face into her neck, letting her words sink in.

A baby.

"I'm going to be a daddy."

"Yes, I think you are."

"We'll be our own family. Us. You, me and the baby."

She nodded; her eyes bright in the sun.

My mind raced. If she was pregnant, we needed to decide our future. We couldn't stay on this island forever. She needed a doctor and to be monitored. Babies needed a lot of things. We needed a house. A plan. We needed to make the decisions we'd been putting off for far too long.

It was time to move forward again.

I swept her into my arms, heading toward the shore. "We need to go into town. Then after you prove your theory, we need to talk to Carlisle."

~o0o~

Carlisle grinned, clapping me on the shoulder as Esme hugged Bella, exclaiming her delight. I smiled proudly.

"I guess you're gonna be a grandpa, Carlisle. At least an honorary one."

He chuckled. "I'd be honored to step in for my brother. It's the closest I'll get to being one."

Bella smiled. "He'll be lucky to have you, Carlisle. Both of you."

He nodded, exchanging a look with Esme.

"What?"

He sighed. "We need to talk."

I wrapped my arm around Bella. "What's going on?"

"I talked to Jasper today."

Jasper and Alice had left about six weeks ago, heading to their new life in Texas. We missed them, but hoped to see them soon.

"And?"

"He spoke with Garrett. There's been some chatter."

"About?"

"A few of Aro's more loyal people have been talking about finding the agents who destroyed him."

Bella shivered, and I tugged her closer.

"Our names are buried, Bella, and they were false anyway. It's fine." I glared at Carlisle wondering why he was saying this, now, and in front of Bella.

"An attempt was made on Emmett."

Bella gasped, and I wrapped her in my arms. "Did he survive?"

"Yes. He's disappeared now—so has Rose." He fixed me a look. "I think we need to change our plans and disappear as well. We need to make a decision."

There was no decision to make. I wouldn't risk Bella or our child.

"Fine. How deep?"

"Out of the country."

"Europe?"

Bella pushed back. "No. I don't want to go there."

I cupped her face. "Baby, I told you this might happen. We have to disappear. Leave the country." I drew in a deep breath. "And we won't be back."

"Does it have to be Europe?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Canada."

"What?"

"When I was in my teens, my dad took me to a place in Canada, right by the ocean. I loved it. It was a little town on the East Coast. I've always wanted to go back there."

I looked at Carlisle and Esme. Esme sat down at her laptop and brought up a search engine. "What was the name, Bella?"

"Ocean Edge, Nova Scotia."

~o0o~

Six years later

I pulled up the long driveway, getting out of the truck. I drew in deep lungfuls of air, the salty tang of the ocean breeze filling my senses. In all the years we'd been here, I never got tired of the heady scent. The snow and cold wore on my nerves, but the rest of the year made up for it.

We had left the island not long after Carlisle had told us what happened to Emmett. Using the contacts he had, we had new identities waiting for us, and we safely arrived in our new country. Not even Garrett knew where we were. He didn't even know we planned on disappearing until after it happened. It was better that way—safer for everyone. We didn't even let Jasper know where we were for two years, only keeping in touch with an email account Carlisle used on occasion. Now he and Alice visited every so often, travelling to different parts of the East Coast and driving to see us. They were happy in their life on a small Texas cattle ranch. The money I had given them made life a little easier. Emmett had contacted Carlisle once, and we knew he was happy and safe with Rose somewhere in Italy. That news made us all happy.

We became Edward and Bella Swan, since her name was never mentioned in any report. She was thrilled, and I was proud to carry her name. Carlisle did the same, taking Esme's name, and the small town of Ocean Edge welcomed the Platts and Swans warmly.

And seven months later, we warmly welcomed our son, Colton Cullen Swan, into the world.

We rented a house, and the first week we were there, Carlisle and I discovered the local bar. It was run down and failing, but housed a treasure trove of nautical items. The owner told us how a newer bar not far outside of town had pushed him to the brink of bankruptcy with its modern décor and large selection of imported beers which appealed to the tourists.

Carlisle fell in love, regardless of its state, and once he found out the owner was planning to close it, we bought it. We spent months renovating it, all while keeping the theme intact, but adding some modern touches, as well as a topnotch kitchen. The day the doors reopened, The Tides was a huge success with tourists and locals. In the off season, it became the local watering hole. We spent our days there and in the small, private office over it, hiring locals to run it in the evening.

To this day, Carlisle and I monitored our past. The small town of Ocean Edge had no idea how well screened every person who walked through the front doors of the bar was, as the computers upstairs worked tirelessly with facial recognition and other programs that were run—Carlisle used his computer and hacking expertise constantly. We were both relentless in making sure our family was safe. And in doing so, we ensured the safety of the people in the town as well.

We found a house one day, not far from town that had been used as a bed and breakfast. Right on the ocean, it was perfect for us. Two large halves linked by a common area, which the owners used to use for the customers to relax in. We lived in one half, Carlisle and Esme in the other, and the middle area was now our family room. Most nights and weekends we were all in there. The view was spectacular, no matter the season, and it was filled with adults and kids, toys, games, books and movies—and laughter.

Our lives contained so much laughter now.

Although Esme ran the kitchen in the bar, Bella helped out when needed in the busier times. Her soups were a local favorite, often making Carlisle and I chuckle with memories. She and Esme also worked on the foundation, which aided countless people monthly—and all done anonymously.

Life was simple here. We worked hard in the summer and fall when the area was busy with tourists, and the rest of the year, we enjoyed the quiet beauty of the area. It was a good life, pretty much perfect in fact, mostly because of who I shared it with.

Bella came around the corner, holding our daughter, Charlene Esme, or Charley. as we called her. Both of them smiled widely at me, and Charley reached out her chubby arms so I could swing her into mine and nuzzle her curls. Leaning over, I kissed Bella's mouth. "Hey, Mouse."

"Hey. How was your day?"

"Busy." I grinned. "I had to rough up a customer."

"Really."

"Yep. He got lippy. I had to cuff him—make a citizen's arrest."

"Oh, busy indeed. Some things never change, do they…?"She lifted up on her toes, close to my ear. "Fuckwit?"

Turning my head, I brushed my mouth over her ear. "Careful, Mouse, I still have those cuffs. I'll use them later if you're lippy."

"You like it when I'm lippy."

I smiled against her skin, feeling her slight shiver.

"I do."

"Daddy!"

I looked down the driveway, to see my son running toward me, grasping something in his hand. I handed Charley back to Bella with a wink. "We'll finish this conversation later."

"I look forward to it."

I kissed her hard and fast, then stepped forward, dropping to my knees as Colton flung himself into my arms.

"Hey, bud! How was school?"

"Good! I made you this!"

I looked over the picture, grinning. I was pretty sure the figures in it were our family, but I wasn't sure what we were doing. There was a lot of blue in the picture. "Are we, ah, on the boat?"

"Yeah!" he exclaimed gleefully.

We exchanged high fives, and I was glad I had guessed right. "Good job!"

"Will you hang it in the bar?"

"I will. I'll show it to everyone." Colton was a favorite at the bar and in town. His bright, sunny disposition made everyone around him smile.

"Okay."

He squirmed out of my arms, to run over to Bella. She lowered herself down so he could kiss his sister's head and get some love from his favorite person in the world. His mother.

I watched my family, a warm glow in my chest. Bella was smiling as she listened to him chatter about his day. Charley nestled against her chest, while Colton's hand rested on Bella's cheek, making sure he had her undivided attention. They were my world—the reason for my existence. We had built a life here—a safe, quiet life we both loved—far from the violence of my past, and the loneliness of hers.

Bella looked up and our gazes locked. The same thrill went through me now as did years ago. She was my beacon and light. My children were my anchor.

Feeling that tug, I walked over to join my family, scooping up my son and wrapping my arm around my wife and daughter.

"Come on, family. Let's go inside."

~o0o~

"Daddy," Colton asked around a mouthful of burger.

"Chew first, buddy."

He giggled, chewing fast. He was just like Bella. When he had a question, he couldn't wait. He wanted an answer.

"I hafta tell a story at school."

"Oh yeah? What kind of story?"

"How I was born."

I looked at Bella, confused.

She smirked. "Not like that, Edward. We're supposed to tell him how we met."

"Oh."

She arched one eyebrow at me. "Remember he's barely six. It needs to be short—the edited, modified version."

I took a huge bite of my burger to cover my smirk. Telling him I was an undercover hitman for hire and his mother was homeless and watched me kill someone would certainly cause a few people to talk. I chewed thoughtfully for a few minutes then grinned as I spoke.

"Well, bud, one day while daddy was at work…"

"In the bar?" he interrupted.

"Not this bar. Another place. It was called, ah, the 'warehouse.'"

Bella snorted, and Colton looked at her. She smiled and smoothed his hair off his forehead. "Daddy's funny."

I ignored her teasing.

"So," I drawled. "I was at work…and Mommy came in—she was hungry, so Daddy made her some sandwiches." I leaned forward. "And you know what? Mommy didn't even say thank you."

His eyes widened. Bella was very firm on manners. "She didn't?"

"Nope."

"Did you give her a time out?"

"I did. She was really grumpy that day."

"How come?"

"She hadn't gone to bed early enough the night before."

"Oh…" He nodded. Our Colton liked his sleep.

Bella rolled her eyes and stood up, lifting Charley out of her chair. "Daddy was a little grumpy that day too. He yelled at Mommy," she pointed out.

He looked confused. I rarely ever yelled. "You did?"

"Only because I wanted her to eat."

"Did she?"

"Yep, bud. She did. She realized Daddy was a smart man and she'd feel better if she ate."

"Did she say thank you after? When she wasn't so grumpy?"

I snickered as I met Bella's eyes. Memories of that day and the years that had passed drifted through my mind. Our history was rich with love and laughter—and lots of thank yous.

"She did. And she thought Daddy was so handsome and smart, she married him." I held up my hands in triumph.

"Oh."

Bella kissed Colton's head. "Eat your supper. Your sister is out and I'll go tuck her in. Daddy can finish telling you his story." She shook her head. "His fairy tale, more like it."

I wrapped my arm around her waist, kissed Charley's head, then pulled Bella's face close to mine.

"It is a fairy tale, Mouse. Our fairy tale."

She cupped my face, smiling down at me. "I know. My hero. You were my hero, Edward."

Colton clapped his hands. "Daddy is your hero, Mommy?"

Her eyes were warm as she gazed at me. "He is, baby. Daddy is a hero to all of us."

I smirked at her.

She leaned close and brushed her lips over my ear. "I love you."

"I love you, Mouse," I murmured.

Her teeth nipped sharply, making me yelp.

"My hero…but you're still a fuckwit."

I grinned as I watched her leave the room.

I always would be both.

And I was good with that.

And there it is, my friends. Thank you for coming along for the ride. Many thanks to my prereaders and my lovely beta. I will be away for a while, but will be back with a new story in December. And you never know what might pop up in between. Take good care, and again, thank you.