Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

Chapter 58 – I Do Times Two

A year after Lee and Gopher's wedding …

Saturday, May 7th

Masen burst through the front door and slammed it closed behind him, briefly enjoying the crashing sound it made—music to the angry tide roiling within him. "Mom!" He didn't wait for a response before calling out again. "Mom!"

"In the laundry room," Esme called back.

Masen stalked down the hallway, so blinded by his anger that he didn't hear the sound of giggly squeals growing closer.

"Masey!" Carly squealed loudly as soon as he walked into the room. "Masey, Masey, Masey, Masey, Masey," she sang as she held up her arms and opened and closed her little hands.

"After I see Mom, Carly," Masen promised.

Her reaction was immediate—her lower lip turned out in a pout and her eyes grew wide and glassy. Seeing her so sad and knowing he'd caused it had him feeling even more miserable, but at least he could fix this problem. Having caved to his baby sister, he lifted her up into his arms and submitted to her slobbery kiss.

"Happy now?" he asked her, truly wanting her to be.

She smiled and then laid her head full of soft, wispy brunette hair on his shoulder.

He hugged her tightly. "Love you too, Carly."

"That's what I love to see," Esme said, smiling at them. "My two kids loving on each other."

He smiled in return and gave her as much of a hug as he could while holding a wiggling and giggling baby sister. But his good humor was short lived and he pleaded with his mom for help. "Mom, you have to help me or I'm going to lose my S-H-I-T with this wedding stuff."

Esme frowned. "What's wrong? I thought everything was coming together."

"No, it's coming from all sides but none of them seem to understand the concept of working together." He paused to try to calm his rising anger some and ran a distracted hair through his harassed hair.

"Breathe," Esme demanded as she gripped his shoulder.

"There's no time for breathing."

"Then sing."

"Mom."

"Sing, Edward." Her furrowed brows and crossed arms made it clear she would not be taking 'no' for an answer.

Masen let out a heavy sigh as he thought of the lyrics to the song Esme always had them sing when life was overwhelming them. He tried to relax and focus on the comforting weight of his little sister hugging on him as he began to sing.

"Took my love and I took it down."

Esme added her voice to his and they sang the rest of the first verse together. "Climbed a mountain and I turned around.

And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills

'Til the landslide brought me down."

"Better?" Esme questioned as he sucked in and let out a long breathe.

He nodded.

"Good. Now tell me what's got you so worked up."

"Bella's stressed, I'm stressed, neither of us are sleeping … You'd think there would be nothing left to decide with only a few weeks left and yet they're constantly calling Bella with questions and options and opinions for the most ridiculous s-h-i-t. It's gotten so far out of hand and Bella's too sweet to say anything and I'm going to lose what little temper I have left and tell them all to F-word off."

"Kid, you know you can't do that," she consoled while rubbing a hand along his back.

He tried hard to keep his voice level for Carly's sake but he was entirely too agitated right now to maintain much control. "Why! It's supposed to be my wedding, right? Why can't I be unreasonable for one moment the way they've been being for months now? They've manipulated her feelings from day one, turning what should be a special occasion into an insane circus. And I know they purposefully pushed her into accepting a date so close to our departure for this season, hoping we would cancel the season. Now we don't have time for a honeymoon, the only part of all this insanity that I was actually excited about."

"Well …"

"Well what?"

"Who says the honeymoon has to come after the wedding?"

"No one, I guess, except tradition."

"You and I have always been ones to make our own traditions. Think about it, Edward. A long weekend honeymoon to a destination you two really want to experience. You book it this week, leave for it next weekend, and then you come home rested and regrouped for the final two week stretch before the big event. No one has to know about it but you and Bella."

Just the thought of a weekend completely alone with his kapu was enough to ease some of the stress pent up in his body—it was all he really wanted right now. He'd done everything he could to make the wedding planning fun for Bella but he had proved no match for the Cullen Cousins. He'd failed her and he'd been floundering ever since to find some way to make things better for her—for them. There was a place she'd been dreaming of visiting for years and it just so happened that it would make a wonderful honeymoon spot.

"Mom, you have no idea how good that sounds," he told Esme.

"Oh I wouldn't say that. I just watched your entire body relax just from thinking about it momentarily. The actual trip should do wonders for you and your language."

He rolled his eyes at her smirk. "I spelled out the really bad words."

"Which isn't going to work forever you know. The repeating of words has already begun."

Masen looked down at his little sister, catching her toying with the shark's tooth hanging around his neck. Bella had found the tooth during their California trip last summer and had turned it into a necklace and given it to him.

"She's always listening even if she doesn't fully understand," Esme told him. "Especially if the talker is her big brother, her own personal super hero."

"Masey," Carly stated with all the exuberance a one year old is capable of mustering.

Masen smiled and gave her a little squeeze. "I love you." He tried to pass her to Esme but she was having none of it, her little arms clinging tightly to his neck.

Esme snorted instead of helping him out. "Looks like you're going to be putting her down for her nap today. The Octonauts are already in the DVD player." She gently touched the patch of purple under his eye. "Looks like you could use a nap yourself."

Masen shook his head, making his already wild hair fan out more. "I can't sleep until Bella can again."

"Then you better get busy booking that honeymoon. Your office is literally around the corner."

He looked at her hopefully. "Can Carly help? And then as soon as we're done I promise I'll make sure she goes down for a nap."

Esme smirked. "Kid, we both know she doesn't help so much as try to fit every loose object in her mouth." He was just about to admit she was right when she suddenly caved. "Then again, if you're focused on keeping her hands free then you aren't upset with the cousins."

He had a huge smile on his face as he leaned in and kissed Esme's cheek. "Thanks, Mom."

"Anything for my kids."

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

Thursday, May 12th

"Lilo, please," Bella pleaded as she took another sample away from her cat. She picked her up and cuddled her close, taking comfort in the feel of the soft fur against her cheek. Lilo allowed it for a bit before extracting herself and prancing off, probably to find Lizzy to see what trouble they could get into together.

Bella sighed as she surveyed the coffee table overflowing with fabric samples. She had the beginnings of a headache on top of not having any opinion at all about what kind of napkin her guests used at the reception. At least she was down to the small-detail decisions and past all of the big ones that required multiple conference calls that were mainly everyone yelling over each other about what she should choose.

She wanted to be thankful her family was doing so much for her and Edward but it was hard when all she'd really wanted was a small wedding with comfortable clothes and no big fanfare. The wedding they were being given was far, far from that and included so many details, like napkins and the holders that would go around them.

"Hey, kapu!" Edward yelled out. "Where's your passport?"

"Should be in the safe," she answered while comparing 'blue cool' and 'blue bouquet' swatches.

"That's where I'm looking. I don't see it."

"Small blue accordion file folder." A snort escaped her as she realized she was looking at blue swatches while Edward was searching for a blue folder.

Suddenly, their conversation fully registered in her scrambled brain and she looked up to see his shadow on the wall outside of her office. "Why do you need my passport?"

"Found it!"

"Great. Why do you need it?"

"Reasons."

"Edward."

He didn't respond.

"Edward."

Still nothing.

He might not be giving any answers but he'd certainly piqued her curiosity. She got up from the table and headed for her office to find out what he was up to in there.

She found him sitting on the corner of her desk wearing his most mischievous smile and holding their passports. "What are you doing?"

"Wrong question," he teased.

"What's the right question?"

"What are we doing?"

"And?"

"Look and see," he said, offering her the passports and the tickets she now noticed tucked inside them.

She had to read it twice to make sure her tired eyes weren't playing tricks on her. "Belize? We're going to Belize!"

He nodded. "Home of the Great Blue Hole, one of the most scenic dive spots on the planet, and a personal favorite of Jacques Costeau." His hands gripped her hips and pulled her to stand between his legs. "Oh and a top must-see on my kapu's personal list of travel destinations."

She could feel the ridiculous size of her smile as she leaned in to kiss him. But the moment was ruined by her pesky brain pointing out that they had no time to take a vacation. She tried not to show just how sad it made her to pass up such an amazing trip. "We can't go to Belize, Edward."

"Why not?"

"Because these tickets are for this weekend."

"Yep. Leaving Thursday and returning Monday. Oh wait! That's today! Four hours from now in fact. Guess we better get busy packing."

"We can't go."

"I'll pack for you if you want."

She laughed at his offer. "I'll end up with an empty suitcase if you pack for me."

"Yeah but think of all the baggage fees I'll save."

"Sure because baggage fees were definitely on your mind and nothing at all about me being sans clothing for days on end."

"You're always encouraging me to find ways to save money. I'm just following your lead."

"Edward," she said, trying to be stern and not laugh.

"In fact, let's go all out with our money-saving endeavors. I'll leave my suitcase empty too. We'll only use them to bring back souvenirs."

"Be sensible."

"What's not sensible about maximizing suitcase usage?"

"The part where the wedding is only a little over two weeks away." She wished she didn't have to be responsible and stay put but there was no other choice that she could see.

"Exactly why this is the perfect time for a weekend getaway," Edward pressed. "Plus, you vetoed an actual honeymoon so that we didn't have to re-plan the entire season for MMR."

"It's not the team's fault the army of wedding planners insisted on the one location that had no other dates available."

"I think it was a ploy to keep you land-locked."

His honesty spurred her own. "I know they did it on purpose, just like I know they were motivated by fear. They haven't come around on the whole shark thing yet. Once again, I'm really sorry my family is getting in the way."

"I'm just as at fault for caving to family desires." His frown morphed into the excited smile he'd had earlier. "I insist we return to the main topic here. Which books do you want me to toss in your bag? You get a two book maximum."

"You're serious about this?"

"How do tickets and passports fail to convey my seriousness?"

She bit at her lip, wanting so badly to run down the hall and start packing for the amazing trip he was offering. She also didn't want to disappoint anyone. "We can't."

"We can. We will. We are. Belize, Kapu. The Great Blue Hole."

It was such an enticing offer, and she had always dreamed of diving there. Having the chance to dive with Edward would make it even more amazing. Besides, it really wasn't that many days away and all of the big decisions had been decided and confirmed.

"Kapu, there's no reason we can't go. Only Esme and Carlisle know about our impending escape and will run interference. By the time anyone realizes we're gone, we'll already be on our way home. Think about it … No one will be able to reach you for an entire weekend. No decisions will require your input. No checklists will need your checking. Just you and me relaxing at our complete leisure and then taking the dive of a lifetime together."

She smiled at him as she wound her arms around his neck. This amazing man had once again thought of everything, most especially her happiness. "How did I get so lucky?"

"You walked into my bar."

"I did."

"And now I'm going to take you away to Belize."

She squealed as she let herself fully accept that this trip would happen, and gave him a full hug, causing him to laugh. "Thank you."

"I'm going to wait and collect my thanks in Belize."

She could hear the smirk in his voice and she rolled her eyes at it. "I'm sure you will."

He spun her to face the door and pushed against her lower back. "Go. Pack."

"I have to finish the one task I was already working on."

"You get twenty minutes and then I'm packing for you."

"Do not touch my suitcase, Edward Masen."

"Don't make me, Bella almost-Masen."

She spun around to face him, resting her hands on his chest. "Have I told you today that I love you?"

His lips turned up in the crooked grin she loved so much. "Probably but just to be sure you better tell me again."

"I love you, Edward."

"I love you, kapu." He kissed her tenderly but backed away when she tried to deepen their kiss. "If you want that hour, you better go now. I've had visions of you bikini-clad in my mind all day and I can't be held responsible for my actions if you keep kissing me."

"Belize. I promise we'll end our drought there."

"Lucky me." He gave her one last small kiss and then let her go. "I'm going to pack Lizzy and Lilo's things up and run them over to Mom's house. Carly is excited to help babysit, which basically just means Lizzy and Lilo will have far too many cheerios while we're gone."

She grabbed his arm before he could get too far, needing him to know just how much this gesture meant to her. "Mahalo."

He pulled her into his arms, holding her as close as possible. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe Mau Loa, kapu."

She smiled as she scratched his scruff. "Not long now before we make our forever official."

"Only on paper." He rested his palm over her heart. "It's been official where it counts for a long time now."

She groaned and pulled herself out of his arms. "Get out of here. Stop making me want to do nothing else but kiss your cute face."

He laughed and stole a kiss before disappearing out the office door, calling for their furry buddies.

She stood there for a moment thinking of how lucky she was to have met him and fallen in love with him. She also thought of how she'd gotten them both into this mess, caving to Carlisle and Alice's pleas to accept the offer from the Cullen Cousins to let them throw her the wedding of her dreams. Not a lot of it resembled her dreams these days, except that it was absolutely happening this year. They'd wanted her to put it off until next year but the most she'd been willing to give them was an extra three weeks. She was supposed to be excited for the arrival of May 24th because she would end the day married to Edward. Right now though, she wanted it here and done so the cousins could go back to Cali and she could go back to her life here with her 'ohana.

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

Friday, May 13th

Masen and Bella collapsed into the warm sand, panting from their run and laughing at the freedom of having nowhere to be and no decisions to make. Their moods hadn't been this light in months and he made a mental note to thank his mom once again for suggesting they sneak away.

Since they'd arrived in Belize late last night, they'd had to wait until the sun came up this morning to get a good look at their home away from home. Not that they'd minded at all the view of the star-filled sky they'd had from their very comfortable bed.

They were staying in a thatch cabin literally on the water and only connected to land by a long, wooden dock. The cabin was situated so that a breeze was always flowing through and no one could see inside unless they were in the water or standing on the dock. The only rooms were the bathroom and the bedroom with its small dresser, a single nightstand, and a large bed—not that they needed anything more than the bed as far as Masen was concerned.

Snuggled together in the dark with the sound of the waves and their matched breathing, they'd found a deep, peaceful sleep together, something they'd both sorely needed. They'd slept all through the night and if not for the alarm he'd set on his watch, they might have continued on through the entire morning. But he hadn't wanted them to waste any of their limited time here so they'd gotten up and taken a run together, something they hadn't been able to do in a long time.

Lying there in the sand, thinking about all the things they hadn't been able to do, the guilt hit him all over again for failing to deliver on his promise that their wedding and all of its planning would be low-stress. The only defense he had was that when he'd made the promise, he'd had no idea the Cullen Cousins would come barreling into the picture.

He shook his head to toss away those thoughts. This time alone with his kapu was just for the two of them and he was determined to make the absolute most of it. On the plane ride over, a tiny idea had popped into his head and had steadily grown into a plan he could actually execute—if she wanted it as much as he did.

He squeezed Bella's hand until she turned her head to look at him. "Marry me." He stated it with all the certainty and conviction he possessed where she was concerned. She was his kapu and he would never let her go.

"Always," she answered immediately—too fast for her to understand his meaning.

"Marry me here, just for us. Not for any other reason than you want to be tied to me in every way possible for the rest of our lives."

She sighed and sat up, crossing her legs in front of her. "We can't do that. Everyone is so excited about this wedding."

"I know," he said as he turned and propped himself up on his elbow. He would have said more but he could tell that she had more she wanted to get off her chest.

"Alice, Lee, Whit, and Gopher—they've put so much time and effort into the planning to make sure we get at least a few things we really want. And they've gone above and beyond with keeping the peace with the Cullen Cousins. And the Cullen clan is coming from all over California to be with us. Jake and Leah will be there. All of our friends with all of their families … We can't disappoint them."

"I don't have any intention of denying them their big family event with all the bells and whistles and other ridiculous amounts of crap we were forced into adding."

"Then why even start this conversation?"

"Because all that stuff … All that preparation and stress—that's not for us. That's for the families we love. This would be just for us. A lifetime memory that only belongs to us, part of our private history together."

He could see in her brown eyes that she found the suggestion appealing but still had reservations. He sat up completely and took her hands into his. "Kapu, let's have this first bit of our future just for us. Let's forget everything that's waiting for us back home and do this for ourselves. And then when we do go home, we'll be relaxed and we can give our family the joyful event they're all dreaming about."

He couldn't help ending his plea with a joke. "Besides, two anniversaries are far better than one." But now that he was thinking about it, a secret anniversary where he had her all to himself sounded like the best idea he'd ever come up with.

Since she still hadn't answered yet, he playfully tackled her into the sand and growled against her neck. "Two anniversaries, kapu. One where I worship you as the sacred blessing you are to me and one where I don't mind sharing you with our family because I'll have already had you all to myself. Marry me."

She sighed as she buried her face against his neck. "No one gets married twice in two weeks."

He lifted up enough to see her beautiful face and those lovely brown eyes that so often told him if he was doing right by her. "We've never been conventional. Why start now?"

She snorted and then immediately blushed.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

He smiled, sure that nibbling at her neck would get him the answers he wanted. "Then why are you blushing, kapu?"

She surprised him by pulling her neck away and saying, "Reasons."

He stuck his lower lip out in a pout. "I bring you to Belize and you repay me by being mean."

"You love it and you know it," she said with a laugh. And then she shared what had been on her mind to cause her blush. "Standing almost naked in your project room, groggy and needing to pee, and completely distracted by the ring on my finger and the panic on your face."

It was his turn to snort. "Definitely not conventional."

She smiled while scratching his scruff in that way that drove him crazy. "And yet I can't think of a proposal I could have loved more."

His smile filled his face. "I think I'm hearing a 'yes' here but I'm going to need confirmation."

She took hold of his face and kissed him so energetically that he quickly found himself breathless. "Is that enough of a confirmation for you?"

"That was definitely a solid 'maybe'," he teased.

Loud laughter burst out of her and seeing her so carefree made this trip worth every single penny to him. "You can be so horrible sometimes, you know that?" Her smile was far too big for him to take her seriously.

"You know what I am all of the time?" He quickly answered, not wanting to give her time to slip in one of her smart ass comments. "In love with you."

"With smooth moves like that, it would be positively tragic to deny ourselves the thrill of a secret wedding and the many anniversaries that will follow."

He scooped her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "Thank you."

"I do have a question though."

"What's that?"

"What's going to happen when you spill your guts to Esme and I confess to Carlisle?" she asked with a smirk.

He chuckled. "We relentlessly tease the first to break and then swear the parents to secrecy."

"I fully support this plan," she said as she leaned toward him. He matched her leaning and started a long, slow kiss that left them both ready to head back to the cabin for a little privacy and a lot more kissing.

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

Saturday, May 14th

Unable to stay asleep, Bella scooted out of the bed and went to the doorway to get a better look at the moon's reflection on the water. It should be impossible for her to be wide awake after the whirlwind day they'd had together, running around to gather the necessary documents to get married while also looking for outfits. They weren't going all out or anything but she'd wanted something a little nicer than his board shorts and her bathing suit cover-ups they'd brought along.

Picturing Edward in his chosen outfit and herself in the dress she'd picked up, it had her smiling more than she had in a very long time. She had expected at some point to feel a little guilt about them marrying without their 'ohana present, but it never came. She figured it was probably because she was so certain they would understand. It also helped that they would be there for the massive wedding in a couple weeks.

Something nearby caused a loud splash and her mind turned to today's other big activity—the dive of a lifetime. She clearly remembered being a small child sitting in her father's lap while the soothing voice of Jacques Cousteau explained the history of the Great Blue Hole and shared images of its beauty. There would be multi-color parrotfish, gorgeous butterfly fish, and huge, beautiful sea turtles.

There would also be sharks.

She frowned at the water as her mind started to tick off all the facts she knew about the three species that made their home in and around the hole. Nurse sharks hung out in the sandy areas of the reef system surrounding the hole. Caribbean reef sharks spent their days on the natural ledges of the limestone walls that encased the hole. She wasn't really concerned about either species since they tended to prefer staying buried in the sand to dealing with humans. It was the blacktip sharks that worried her. While everything she'd read said they avoided humans just as much as the other two species, they were larger and quicker and therefore more dangerous if they decided today was the day to investigate a human.

The fact that she was standing here in Belize, with every intention of completing this dive, it finally allowed her to entertain the idea that Edward might be right—that she might be like her dad after all. This dive had been a big dream of hers for a very long time and it was only hours away from coming true. She was being smart in preparing herself without delving into overthinking. And her strength was definitely showing in the tight control she had over her anxiety. She had fears but she also had every intention of pushing past them to complete this dive.

Edward's strong arms encircled her waist and his warm cheek felt amazing pressed up against her cooler one. "Kapu."

She smiled as she melted into him, loving how he always seemed to know when she could use a hug. "My dad would love this place."

"So would my mother. Esme says that when we're in a place Beth would have loved, we have to enjoy it twice as much."

"I like that. I like the idea of us enjoying a place so much that they feel it too."

They stood quietly together for a bit, soaking up the beauty of the night sky. They spotted Gemini at the same time, their arms lifting almost in sync to point out the constellation.

Edward hugged her tighter and then asked, "Thinking about the dive?"

She nodded. "I'm feeling some nervousness but mostly I'm excited."

"It'll be amazing." He smiled against her neck and then teased her by saying, "You'll have so much to tell everyone back home that it'll take forever to get you to shut up so I can kiss you."

A small snort escaped. "You say that like you wait so often."

"Not my fault," he whispered between kisses to her collarbone. "You're nearly impossible to resist."

She turned to face him—and to keep him from muddling her brain until she had the answers she needed. "Are you going to get close to the sharks tomorrow? I'd like to know so I'm prepared for it and not just caught by surprise when I turn and see you petting a shark."

"If the opportunity presents itself, then I'll take full advantage. But I won't be seeking any sharks out. This dive isn't about the sharks. It's about us. We've both pictured taking this dive throughout our lives and here we are about to take it together, something we never could have imagined. I'm excited to dive with you and the only sight I'm going to be actively searching for is the smile on your face."

"Mahalo."

"Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu." He smirked as he took a step back while pulling her forward.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, knowing full well what he had in mind from the hungry look in his green eyes.

"We may have ended the drought earlier, but there is still a mighty thirst that needs quenching," he replied while continuing to walk her toward the bed.

"What about being rested for the dive?"

He picked her up and then set her down in the middle of the bed, seeming to consider her question while lowering his body over hers. "Trust me, kapu, when we're done, you're going to sleep very soundly."

He ended up being absolutely right—and gloating about it all morning long. Thankfully, he'd stopped the gloating once they'd gotten on the boat, choosing instead to distract her from her nerves by tossing out fake ideas for wedding vows, each more ridiculous than the last.

"I've got the perfect one," he told her as they neared their destination and the boat began to slow. "I vow to always put the toilet seat down."

"That's not fair," she cried as she gave his shoulder a shove. "You already have to do that to keep Lizzy and Lilo out of the toilet water."

"Oh that's right. Totally forgot," he replied with a shrug.

"You forget nothing ever," she challenged.

Rather than deny it, he proved her right. "You were wearing a white sundress with blue flowers. You came in with your hair down but it wasn't long before you pulled it up into a ponytail. Your heart was beating so fast that I could see it just below your ear here," he said, trailing his finger along the spot.

It sent a shiver down her spine and made her legs feel unsteady enough that she leaned against him to be sure she stayed on her feet. "I wish I could remember that night with so much detail. I just remember seeing green, feeling warm skin, and kissing soft lips."

"Then you remember the important parts," he assured her, giving her a tight hug. "Boat's stopping."

She nodded. "I felt it when it first started to slow."

"We're going to dive the Great Blue Hole, kapu. This is a lifetime moment."

His excitement was so palpable that it calmed her nerves some and brought out a smile. "We're going to make a great memory together," she said, hoping for a no harm, no foul experience with him.

Twenty minutes later, they entered the water in their scuba gear with Edward having gotten permission to use his lucky mask instead of the one provided by the crew. It was amazing how clear the water was and how far out they could see all around them. They headed for the reefs first, having already discussed saving the hole for last.

Almost immediately a large sea turtle appeared and swam over Bella's head. She reached up and managed to slide her fingers along the underside of its shell. The turtle turned and started to circle her, seeming to enjoy the fact that she was twisting to follow it. And then as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared into a school of bright yellow surgeonfish.

Bella and Edward followed their dive group to the reef system and were greeted by a group of peach anthias. The further in they went, the more types of fish they saw. There were white and orange striped butterfly fish, angelfish with gorgeous markings and purple bellies, and the always interesting looking parrotfish. It was the only species Bella knew of that always looked like it was laughing at a funny joke.

The sand in the area was so white that it looked more like powder than sand. The nice thing was that it made any kind of markings at all stand out so Edward had no need to point out the nurse shark hiding just below them, though Bella was glad for it all the same.

After enjoying the reef for a bit, they started to make their way back to their starting point and their main destination. They both came to an abrupt halt when a juvenile great grouper suddenly appeared atop the piece of reef closest to them. It watched them with its large eyes for a good twenty seconds before swimming off toward a large school of sergeant majors swimming a few feet above them.

Edward used his hands to sign Are you okay?

Bella gave him a thumbs-up and then pointed ahead, indicating her desire to keep going with their planned activities.

He quickly tapped her shoulder and signed the question again.

She knew he wouldn't move an inch until he was completely sure she was okay so she gave him a response that was certain to reassure him. Groupers are only scary when they're as big and as hungry as Gopher.

A shadow passed over them at that moment and she froze as she caught a glimpse of what had made it—a blacktip shark. It was at least four feet long, making it an adult shark. Each tip of its fins had the black shading the species was known for while its belly was a crisp white. She couldn't tell if it was tracking the two yellow goatfish swimming beside it or just traveling peacefully with them.

She tapped Edward and pointed out the shark to him, knowing both that he'd already seen it and that the gesture would reassure him that she was fine and had her anxiety firmly under control.

They waited for the shark to leave the area and then made their way to the guide waiting to take them down into the blue hole. From the angle they approached at, the hole seemed like a dark, gaping mouth—a creature out of a science fiction movie like Star Wars or Dune.

It was amazing that just a few feet down there were already so many shadows and so much less visibility. They continued descending slowly along the limestone wall. Bella couldn't quite believe she was really doing this with Edward even as she watched him run a hand along the wall. Like he'd said last night, they'd both dreamed of this for most of their lives and here they were actually doing it—and doing it together.

As they reached twenty feet down, Bella paused to look up and was astonished at how the walls made an almost perfect circle cutout to the blue waters and bright sun above them. This had been made by nature over thousands of years and it was beautiful and mysterious and everything she'd ever dreamed it would be while also being so much more. She hoped she'd be able to describe it right in her journal later.

At sixty-nine feet down, a natural ledge came into view—along with a group of eleven reef sharks resting there and ignoring them completely. Edward and Bella stayed just long enough for Edward to be satisfied with his inspection of the sharks before moving on with their guide.

The dive down continued until they reached one hundred feet and the large stalactites hanging from the cavern ceiling, carved out by erosion at least as far back as the last ice age. The shadows were much more numerous here and the guide had to flip on a flashlight for them to properly survey the cave he'd brought them into. Bella knew there were people who took this dive and only saw rocks. They didn't view this as a marvel, as part of the history of the world and this magnificent ocean. She wondered if she would be able to properly appreciate it if she hadn't grown up watching Jacques Cousteau. She also wondered what her father would think if he could be here seeing this with her. And Carlisle—her uncle would unquestionably love this. She would have to make sure he got to take this dive at some point. She would absolutely jump at the chance to do this a second time—sharks and all.

They were only able to spend about fifteen minutes exploring the cave before they had to start their slow rise to the surface. It was surreal to watch the light gradually growing closer to them. It became even more so when two blacktips decided to swim back and forth along the opening when they were about thirty feet from the surface. The sharks stayed much longer than Bella was comfortable with before eventually moving on toward the reefs. While she was in no danger of panicking, she also wasn't able to fully relax again and she continued to check behind her until they were aboard the boat and out of their suits.

Edward stopped swiping at his hair and hung his towel around his neck as he faced Bella. "Alright, kapu. Honesty time. How was it?"

"It was everything," she said with a huge smile. "I don't even know where to begin describing what it was like and what it meant to me. It's absolutely going to be a favorite memory and I can't wait to detail it in my journal." She stood and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body into his. "Thank you so much for this trip and for making this dive with me."

"This smile on your face …" he said as he traced her lower lip with his thumb. "This is everything to me." He leaned in and kissed her tenderly, warming her from her lips to her toes.

She let out a happy sigh as she melted into him, causing him to chuckle. "Definitely a lifetime memory," she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"All part of my diabolical plan to keep you loving me."

"Well it's working so keep at it." Her smart-alecky comment had them both laughing.

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

Masen was practically vibrating with pent up energy as he tried to patiently wait for Bella to finish getting ready. He had paced around the small cabin for a bit before deciding it was increasing his angst rather than releasing it. He'd then let himself fall backwards onto the bed and now he was staring up at the ceiling while tapping his feet on the floor.

The bathroom door opened and he shot up from the bed, hoping his kapu was about to step out dressed and ready to go.

She stepped out but she was far from ready, wearing only a towel with her hair still wet and in disarray.

"How much longer?" he asked as she pulled her hairbrush from her suitcase.

"You might as well calm yourself because it's going to be awhile. I just got out of the shower."

"I told you we should have taken one together to speed things up."

She giggled at him. "It's so cute how you sound like you actually believe that. We'd still be in the shower doing anything but getting cleaned up."

"Your fault for being so lovely and irresistible," he teased as he reached for her.

She playfully smacked his hand away. "For someone who wants me to get ready quickly, you sure are doing your best to distract me." She stopped in the bathroom doorway and looked back over her shoulder at him. "I know what you can do while you wait."

"What's that?"

"Explain your thought process on us getting married here. We both know you have more thought behind this than you want a secret anniversary." She didn't wait for his answer before going back into the bathroom, this time leaving the door wide open.

"What if I don't?" he asked, staring at the empty doorway. "What if I just decided it right there on the beach yesterday morning?"

"Then your very core has been altered and I'd like to know the how and why for that. Either way, you're explaining yourself to me, Edward."

He smirked at her bossy tone, loving that she was never afraid to challenge him. He walked over to the doorway and peeked inside, finding her fighting with the tangled ends of her hair. It amazed him how she could be so patient with him while at the same time having zero patience for her hair.

"Gimme," he said as he held his hand out for her brush. She passed it over and then watched him in the mirror as he brushed and talked. "These past couple of years with you … It's hard to put into words how completely unexpected it's been in every way. I've told you before how I never expected to be in any kind of long-term relationship, much less to be getting married and becoming a husband. I didn't think I had it in me to step back from my work life to carve out a personal life, not without feeling resentful for giving up that time when I could be changing the world.

"And then all of a sudden, there you were. You were beautiful and fiery and stubborn as hell, but then you were also patient and kind and so damn supportive. All I wanted to do was spend time with you and get to know everything about you. Work was still important and is important, but so are you. I haven't always done the best job of making you feel that way, that you're the center of both of my worlds."

He turned her to face him, wanting her to look at him and not his reflection. "I know you love me and trust me, but I also know there's doubt that I created with bad choices and quick judgements. I want to erase those doubts but more than that, I want to make it so that no matter what stupid thing I say or do in the future, you never question how very much I want you in my life. And I want to give you what I promised you—the low-key wedding we talked about. I want us to get married on our terms in the way we want. I want you to see this—to see me fully embracing my ability to be the partner you need and accepting that I deserve to have you and have our life outside of work. And because I do have a selfish side, I want to be with just you, just my bride for as long as I can have you before I have to share you with our families again."

The tears that had been standing in her eyes finally slid down her red cheeks as her soft palms caressed his face. "You are not the man I expected or even the man I first met, but you are absolutely the man I will never let go. I'll marry you as many times as you want."

He grinned as he hugged her against his body. "I think twice is plenty."

She laughed against his neck, having buried her tear-dampened face there. "I love you, Edward. I love every bit of you, even the things that drive me crazy because it all makes you who you are."

He smiled into her hair as he teased, "Then I guess you better finish getting dressed so you can marry me."

"In a minute. I'm not done with this hug yet."

He let her hug him for as long as she wanted and when she was done, he finished brushing her hair out before leaving her to dress at her leisure. He was still excited to get going and get married but he was also relaxed now and completely secure in the belief that they were equally ready to get married today and again in two weeks.

He had just finished confirming the surprise he'd setup for her this morning when Bella stepped out of the bathroom again. Masen nearly swallowed his tongue as he took her in, wearing a dress showing off her every curve while remaining elegant and sophisticated—a perfect mix of lovely and sexy.

"Is it too much?" she asked, her nose crinkling as she looked down at her outfit.

"It's perfect," he assured her.

Her shoulders relaxed as a smile curled her lips. "There's no such thing as perfect."

He lifted her hand and kissed her wrist at the pulse point. "But if there was, it would be you."

"Are you trying to get me married or into bed? Because I really can't tell right now."

"Oh it's absolutely both. But married first, kapu."

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

On a white sand beach in Belize, standing between palm trees bathed in late afternoon sunlight and wearing mirror smiles, Edward Masen held Bella Cullen's hands and promised her a future of happiness, adventure, and unwavering love and support. She in return promised him what they both knew he needed and wanted most—a balanced life of work and family.

As they leaned in to share their first kiss as husband and wife, a light rain began to fall and they paused to look up at the raindrops falling from the sunny sky above.

"Elizabeth?" Bella questioned in a whisper.

Masen nodded solemnly, remembering Bella's face when Esme had first shared her theory on Beth making herself known for important events. The most recent examples had been Carly's homecoming and Esme's wedding. Her quickie marriage to Carlisle had been on a sunny day without a cloud in the sky and yet it had started to rain just like this as they were walking down the courthouse steps. And on the day they'd brought Carly home from the hospital, the sky had been cloudless and gorgeous and the rain had only lasted a few minutes before disappearing completely.

Masen's somber expression began to melt away from the power of his excited smile as he caught sight of the object solidifying above them. It was only right that she get a sign from her dearly departed as well. "Charlie too," he said as he pointed out the rainbow to his kapu. "He's wishing us good luck."

She giggled. "Our secret is already out. That's a new record for us."

His smile widened as he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "They came all this way, the least we can do is give them a show."

"Oh the least," she agreed, tilting her face up towards his.

Their first married kiss at their first wedding was sweet and loving—and parent appropriate. Not so much for the second kiss. That one was a breath-stealing, heat-making, wild ride that lasted longer than the drizzling rain and accompanying rainbow. Had there not been someone there to break them out of their bubble, they might have stayed there long enough to miss out on the surprise he'd arranged for his kapu.

By the time they reached their destination, the sun had set and the first night stars were coming out. It took a little convincing but Bella finally gave in and closed her eyes, allowing him to bring her around so she could get an unforgettable first view of her surprise.

"Now," Masen whispered, standing right behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist.

She let out a gasp and gripped his forearms as she took in the picture-perfect view in front of her. "It's like something out of a fairytale."

He had brought her to a restaurant nestled back between trees and plants, setup as an open pavilion with vines covering the roof and curling around the wood posts at the entryway. Fabric curtains hug from the sides while chandeliers gave off light and a golden glow over the many tables of all shapes and sizes covered in white linen tablecloths.

"It couldn't have a more appropriate name," Bella said as she discreetly pointed out the sign above the entryway.

"So you like it?"

She turned in his arms, showing off a big, happy smile and caramel eyes. "I love it. This is amazing, Edward."

"I wanted to do something special for you."

"You know all I need is you, right?"

"Are you seriously trying to change your tune now that we're married?" he asked, pulling off a believably surprised tone despite how badly he wanted to laugh. "You specifically told me that you required perks for putting up with me."

Her cheeks immediately turned pink. "I did say that but I didn't mean—"

He cut her fumbling excuse off with a tender kiss. "Ready for a romantic dinner, Mrs. Masen?"

Her stomach answered before she could, giving out a loud growl that had them both laughing. "Tonight, I'm fairly certain I am the luckiest person in the world."

"Kapu, I promise it's a tie between us."

After enjoying a romantic candlelight dinner, they headed back to their cabin and changed into their swimsuits for a moonlight swim. Bella was initially anxious about being in the water in the dark but with a little coaxing and a few well-placed kisses, Masen was able to convince her to give it a try. He had always loved getting to aimlessly swim but something about sharing it with his kapu and having her truly enjoy it made him relish it even more.

Not wanting either of them to get too tired, he suggested they end their swimming in favor of a shared shower. Bella readily agreed and it wasn't long before they were standing under the hot water sharing steamy kisses and goofy laughter over the times they'd nearly been walked in on in the past year by various members of their 'ohana. She suspected it had become a game for Whit but Masen was certain it was a secret bet between his two best friends—Lee and Whit enjoyed embarrassing him far too much in his opinion.

It was as Masen started to prep his final surprise for Bella that trouble found him, starting with him slipping in a small puddle of water and nearly falling on his ass in the bathroom. Had it not been such a small room, he wouldn't have been able to use the sink and counter to regain his balance.

He let out a shaky breath, hoping this wasn't a sign his plan was going to fail; this was the only part of the day he'd really put a lot of thought into. The restaurant had been luck, a jewel he'd stumbled upon during his conversation with the owner of the shop where he'd bought his pants. And the swimming had just popped into his head once he'd seen how bright and low the moon had been. But this part he'd been thinking about since yesterday so it had the potential to go sideways on an epic scale. He still hadn't figured out why his personal plans tended to fail so spectacularly. Bella could have told him if he'd asked her—he was too invested and his lack of focus to everything else around him led to disaster, the same reason she'd ended up stung by the ray in South Africa.

Making his way into the bedroom, he told himself he had to calm down and take his time—and almost immediately stubbed his toes on the edge of Bella's suitcase. His ensuing howl of pain could have rivaled any wolf in a forest baying at a full moon. The stabbing, throbbing pain had him rushing to sit down and get his weight off his foot, leading to him landing hard on his ass and missing the sound of Bella's brush being dropped in the bathroom. He didn't hear her bare feet running across the hardwood or her calling his name. He only became aware of her when her hand settled over his shoulder.

"What happened? Where are you hurt?" she asked, kneeling beside him.

He was still trying to breathe the pain away so he only waved a hand at her.

Her own hands immediately went to her hips as her worried brown eyes narrowed with exasperation. "Edward Masen, what have I told you about that hand-waving bullshit?"

Despite the pain and his ruined plan, he found himself laughing. "You'll never hurt my hand. You like the way it makes you feel too much."

She lightly swatted him on the back of the head, a habit she'd picked up from Esme and Lee. "Clearly no damage was done to your mouth."

His lips curled into his shitty grin as some of the pain in his eyes turned to glee. "Does this count as our first married fight? Because I'm absolutely up for makeup sex."

She was trying hard not to laugh—he could tell by her twitching lips. "We haven't even had regular married sex and you already want to jump to makeup sex?"

He leaned in close to kiss her neck while whispering his words, knowing the heat of his lips mixed with the cool night air would make her shiver. "Kapu, I don't care what kind of sex we have just so long as I get to put my hands and my lips and my body all over yours."

She let out a groan while pulling away from him.

"Come here," he pleaded as he reached for her.

"Nope," she replied as she pushed his hands away. "You're perfectly fine and in no need of my help."

"I'm injured," he protested, sticking his lower lip out in a pout.

"Right because injured people so often try to make someone fall for their sexiness."

His pout immediately turned into a smirk. "You think I'm sexy?"

She laughed and finally gave in, letting him pull her down and into his arms. "You are a mess, Edward. A giant, gigantic mess."

"So you tell me often," he said, smiling into her hair. This playful moment with her had him feeling so lucky and happy that the throbbing in his toes was barely a blip on his radar. It also caused his tongue to loosen and the question that had been swirling in his head for a long time now popped right out. "What did I ever do to make you fall for me?"

"Oh that's easy," she said as she turned her head to see his face. "You opened your heart for me. You let me see how deeply you love, how fiercely you protect, and how determined you get to make dreams reality for your family—your 'ohana." She smiled and scratched his scruff the way he loved. "After seeing all of that, how could I not fall in love with you?"

His answer was a kiss full of his love and thanks with an edge of possession—for the rest of their lives, she was his love and his luck and no one else's.

"So was there ever an injury or was this all an elaborate ploy to get another kiss from me?"

"Oh there was an injury," he promised. "I stubbed three of my toes on the corner of your suitcase."

"The wheels or the actual hard-shell?" she asked as she leaned across him to get a look at his foot.

"I think a bit of both."

"Edward!" Her head whipped around to look at him. "You're lucky you didn't break any toes!"

"It's not like I intended to do it," he defended. "I was trying to get the cell phone out of my bag."

The concern in her eyes turned to curiosity. "Why did you need the phone?"

"I was just going to see if there were any messages for us." It was technically part of the truth, just not anywhere close to all of it.

A smirk appeared on her kiss-swollen lips. "You were going to call Esme, weren't you?"

"No."

"Tell the truth."

"I swear, I was not going to call my mom."

"Then why check the messages? You never check messages without returning calls or at least texts."

"Reasons."

"Oh no you don't," she replied as she sat up completely. "You are not getting away with 'reasons' this time."

"Then because."

"Edward." It wasn't her tone but her crossed arms that did him in; that was her final phase of stubborn and he knew nothing else would happen tonight until she got her answer.

"Because I didn't want the phone for the phone part, not really."

"Then why did you want it?"

"I'll show you," he offered.

"I'm waiting," she replied, her arms still crossed.

He got to his feet and found the phone, then waited in silence for it to turn on while Bella watched him with that suspicious look in her eyes. He couldn't wait to erase that look and replace it with the one he loved best—happy caramel eyes.

He got the item ready to go on the phone and then put it aside to help her to her feet. "I wanted you to have something you knew was just for you tonight." He smirked as he added, "A perk for promising me forever with you."

He tapped the phone and a slow country song began to play out of its speakers.

"What's this?" she asked as he pulled her body flush against his.

He answered without rubbing the bridge of his nose but only because his hands were locked to her hips. "A meaningful song for the first dance between a husband and his lovely wife."

"But you don't dance," she replied, smiling as she curled her arms around his neck.

"Always for you, kapu." He sealed his promise with a soft kiss to her lips.

When helping Whit to choose the music for the big event, Masen had vetoed this song, finding it too personal for the largely unknown crowd that would be staring at him during the first dance. But here with only the moon and stars to witness, it was unquestionably perfect for his kapu. From the way she was holding tight to him, he was comfortable with believing she felt the same way.

When it got to the part of the song that had first grabbed him—and made him veto it—he found himself singing the words to her. "I guess I'll never really know how I deserve someone who loves me so."

There were tears in her eyes as she looked up at him, but he knew they were good tears because her eyes were still that warm caramel color of her happiness. "You deserve it just as much as I do. Believe it, please."

"Aloha Au Ia 'Oe Mau Loa, kapu."

"Always," she promised as she rose up on her toes to reach his lips for a kiss that left them both lightheaded.

He scooped her up and brought her over to the bed, laying her down gently before crawling above her, needing to feel every inch of her skin pressed against his. Her need was just as strong and they warred for control of the kiss, her fingers tangled in his damp hair while his own gripped the sides of her pillow out of fear of gripping her body too tightly.

It wasn't long before kissing wasn't enough for either of them and they fought to free themselves from the towels keeping them apart. Masen ended up on his back with Bella looming above him, wearing only a soft smile and those lovely brown eyes.

"Pro to this position is your hands being able to touch me everywhere," she said as she linked her fingers through his. "Con is that your sweet ass is out of reach."

He snorted and that got them both laughing. "I'm glad you were right," he said as he moved his hands around to her back and drew her closer. "Laughing is proof we don't need perfection, just to love each other. And I plan on loving my kapu all night long."

"Your first plan as a husband—I approve and suggest immediate implementation."

He did just that, leaning up to capture her lips in a searing kiss. He was unable to decide where he wanted his hands most so they wandered up and down her body, touching her in all the secret spots he'd discovered in their time together. Her own hands tugged at his hair while she leaned harder into him, making it impossible to break their kiss even if he'd been stupid enough to want that.

The foreplay went on until she couldn't stand it anymore and lifted up enough for him to adjust and then help her slide down. Like every time before, the feel of her wrapped around him took him to a place where only they existed. The only sounds were their moans, the only sights were her muddy brown eyes and flushed skin, and the tastes came from her sweet mouth and salty neck.

She took control of their frenzied love-making, pushing herself up and bracing her hands against his abs. It forced them to slow their pace but it also changed the angle and depth. The new feeling was so intense that he found himself not trusting himself to reign in his strength again so he gripped the edges of the pillow beneath his head, ignoring how desperately he wanted his hands around her breasts. He focused his attention instead on thrusting up each time she slid down. The tension building between them was so thick that he knew they weren't going to last long, even with the slower pace.

They lasted only slightly longer than he'd expected—she came first and so hard that it triggered his own orgasm and left them both spent and satisfied. He curled his arms around her, pulling her sweaty body against his own and pressing a tender kiss against the crown of her head. They were both completely unaware of the mess of feathers coating everything around them and the ruptured pillow they'd shot out from.

Laying there trying to catch his breath, Masen's mind turned to how his world had shrunk from an entire planet and its vast oceans to this woman lying in his arms. He regretted nothing. It wasn't just the euphoria of good sex making him think that either. He believed it just as strongly and deeply as he believed his mothers were the best women to have ever walked the earth and that sharks deserved respect and long lives. Bella's love in all its many forms was completely and unquestionably priceless. And his alone.

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

Tuesday, May 24th

Bella couldn't stop her giggles—and she really was trying her best. But how could she when Edward was literally covered from neck to toe in fabric. Her barefoot beach bum had been drowned in layers.

"Bug, while I adore your laughter, this may not be the best time for a giggling fit," Carlisle whispered as they continued their walk down the aisle.

"He's so uncomfortable, Uncle Carl." She giggled again and noticed that Edward was now smiling. Either he'd heard her giggles or knew what she was thinking or both.

"He's wearing it just for you."

"He would wear it for Esme or Carly or even Lee," she automatically replied, knowing how deeply he loved them all.

"Yes, but he wouldn't be happy about it. For you, he even considers it worth it. He told me so himself earlier today."

Bella's eyes welled up with tears as her heart rammed against her chest. Edward's everyday gestures always made it hard to doubt his love was sincere but sometimes the depth of it took her by surprise.

They came to a stop just a foot away from Edward, and Carlisle turned Bella to face him. He lifted her veil back and gave her cheek a soft kiss. "Walking you down the aisle today has been an absolute honor. I have every confidence that your marriage to Masen will be fulfilling in all the ways you need and desire. And no matter what transpires, I will always be here at your side when you need me."

Bella threw her arms around her uncle and hugged him with all of her might. She knew it would annoy the cousins but she didn't care about wrinkles in a dress—she cared about the man standing in front of her, the surrogate father and wonderful uncle she was so lucky to have.

"Be happy, Bug," Carlisle whispered into her ear before pulling away. He smiled at Edward as he placed Bella's hand into his. "We know how priceless she is—never forget it."

"Never," Edward promised him. They waited for Carlisle to join Esme and baby Carly in the front row and then turned together to face the officiant.

For their second wedding, they recited traditional vows and exchanged the wedding rings they'd picked out months ago. Bella had been happy to see the simple pink gold band she'd fallen in love with at the store but once Edward had shown her that he'd had "kapu" engraved on the inside, it had instantly become her most prized possession. After his heart, of course.

Bella had also been the one to pick out Edward's ring, spending weeks scouring stores and internet sites until she'd found the perfect one for him. It looked more like wood than metal and was smooth with a matte finish, allowing it to be worn in and out of the water without issue. It also held an inscription inside, only a single word with a great deal of meaning for him and Bella. She said the word to him as she looked up into his excited blue eyes and slid the ring past his knuckle, "Always."

In his excitement he forgot that there was more to the ceremony and started the first kiss as husband and wife sooner than he was supposed to, causing the crowd to laugh at his exuberance. He even looked a little red in the face once he realized what he'd done, but that grin on his face told her he would not be apologizing for that kiss. She was so glad they were long past the days of him regretting their kisses.

Once the ceremony was truly at an end, they shared a very sweet and publicly appropriate kiss before turning to face the humongous crowd of family and friends who had come to share this day with them. They walked down the aisle together, just as they'd practiced over and over during the rehearsals, and then out the double-doors so that they could have a moment alone while the room was rearranged for the reception.

They had barely settled onto the bench for a rest when the double-doors opened and the misfits poured out into the hall.

"I cannot believe you missed your cue and kissed her early after all those rehearsals," Lee said as she plopped down next to Masen.

"She's just sore she owes me twenty bucks," Whit announced.

"You guys bet on our wedding?" Bella asked with a laugh, not the least bit surprised by it.

"There's also a bet about the dancing," Gopher informed her. "As in will it or won't it happen."

"It will," Alice stated confidently. "Masen promised Bella there would be a first dance. He won't break a promise to my sister."

"There will be a dance," Edward acknowledged. He smiled at Bella as he kissed her ring finger. "Just with a slight twist thanks to my beautiful and very understanding bride."

Bella smiled at him and then leaned in to lay her head against his shoulder. She had been more than happy to agree to his compromise and relieve some of his stress.

"You guys are going to come out on the floor with us," Edward explained. "If I have to get up there in front of all these people I don't know, then I'm going up with my 'ohana."

"Remind me again, is the dancing before or after the toasts?" Lee questioned. "Because if it's after, you might not want us up there after all, Mase."

He laughed as he put an arm around her and squeezed her tight to make her squeal. "You can pretend all you want but we both know you aren't going to embarrass me today."

"You're right, Mase. She won't," Whit agreed. And then he smiled in a way that made Edward stiffen beside Bella. "We will."

"Don't worry," Bella whispered into Edward's ear. "I've seen a copy of their toast and it's not that bad."

"Before we get called back into the room, do you guys still want to open your presents out here in private?" Alice questioned, holding up a large silver gift bag.

"Can I give you yours first?" Bella asked Edward.

"Sure, if you want."

Alice pulled the wrapped gift from the bag and passed it to Bella.

Before she gave it to Edward, she had a short speech she'd been practicing for days, wanting to get the words just right so there wouldn't be any room for misunderstanding on his part. "I thought a lot about what my gift to you should mean. My first thought was that it should be something to show you how happy I am that we've taken this next big step together. But then I realized you already know that. And if you know I'm happy and that I love you, what else would you want to know? I thought you'd want to know that we're a family now. We have our big, beautiful 'ohana, and then we have our family of you and me." She placed the square box on his lap and said, "So with that in mind, Alice and I decided you should have this from Charlie."

Edward pulled the paper off in the slow, deliberate way he always opened packages. He then gripped the edges of the box and popped the tape free. After tossing a few of the packing peanuts at Lee, Whit, and Gopher, he reached his whole hand in and pulled out the treasure inside—at least Bella hoped he'd consider it a treasure the way she and her sister did.

"Dude!" Whit exclaimed at the first sight of the gift.

"A mariner's compass," Edward said as he held it up and the sunlight glinted off the gold compass set atop the wooden box.

"Bella, it's gorgeous. Are you sure you really want to do this? To give this up?" Lee questioned.

"I don't see it as giving it up. I see it as sharing it with my family."

Edward's smile was her smile—the one of pride and love and amazement that he only ever gave to her. "I'll take the best care of it," he promised. After sharing a sweet kiss with Bella, he turned his attention to Alice. "Thank you for this, Alice. I know it's not easy to part with anything from a lost loved one."

Alice shrugged, but it did nothing to distract them all from seeing the tears in her eyes. "Like Bella said, we're not really letting it go. We're just sharing it with you."

Whit put both arms around her and hugged her tightly. They were all proud of Alice's growth in the past year and the hesitation to invite her on outings was completely gone now—she had become a true misfit.

"Gopher, would you hand me the bag so I can give Bella her gift?" Edward's asked, having handed the compass to Whit so he could get a closer look at it.

Bella didn't miss the look that passed between Gopher, Lee, and Whit. Whatever this gift was, it involved Elizabeth in some way. It was the only time they ever looked this nervous to do something Edward asked of them.

"This is old," Edward said as he placed the rectangular package on Bella's lap. "It's been through a lot, kind of like me. But maybe since you found a way to love me, maybe you could love this too."

Bella's fingers shook as her nerves kicked in. This clearly meant a great deal to Edward and the absolute last thing she wanted was for him to think she was disappointed in any way.

But once she actually had the gift in her hands, she couldn't for the life of her understand how he'd ever thought for a second she wouldn't love it. It was a wooden jewelry box with an ornate design on top and a small key hole on the front. Edward pulled the tiny key from his pocket and unlocked the box for her.

She lifted the lid and immediately the quiet hall filled with the gorgeous sounds of Debussy's Clair de Lune.

Lee gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. Gopher had his arm around her before the first of her tears fell from her shocked eyes.

"You finally fixed it," Whit said solemnly, his own watery eyes fixed on Edward's face.

Bella was surprised by how hard she was suddenly finding it to look away from her friends to face Edward. She'd never worried about what her face might convey like this; then again she had never been this worried about him misreading her feelings.

"Dance," Alice blurted out. "This should be your first dance. To this music. Here, just with us." Her sister's suggestion proved to Bella just how true Alice's change had become—she could see what her sister and new brother-in-law needed at that moment and was giving them a way to have it.

Edward coughed and rubbed his cheeks roughly before standing up and passing the jewelry box to Lee. He then offered his hand to Bella and she actually needed it this time to get up on her shaking legs. The enormity of what he'd given her—that box had traveled the world with him, never far from his reach. He'd not only taken the time to fix it, he was entrusting her with its safekeeping from here on out.

There wasn't a dry eye in that hallway as Edward and Bella shared their first dance to the music pouring out of Elizabeth's jewelry box. They were all deeply aware of how meaningful this moment was and of how lucky they were to be a part of it, witnessing two damaged hearts being reborn through loving and letting go while never forgetting.

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

Masen was trying very hard to seem unconcerned about the toast his two best friends were about to give but apparently his feet hadn't gotten the memo because they were tapping away at the floor, thankfully hidden away under a thick white tablecloth.

Bella's fingers gripped his jaw and turned his face to hers. "Relax, please. They love you. They won't embarrass you. Her lips twitched and the smile she'd been fighting finally appeared. "Much."

"Not helpful, kapu," he responded.

"You're smiling now instead of that scowl you had going. Seems helpful to me," she said as she traced his smile with her thumb. "Besides, what have you got to worry about? The important part is done—we're stuck with each other forever. This is the part where you just sit back, relax, and enjoy everyone celebrating us."

He took her hand into his and linked their fingers, watching the light bounce off her new ring as he shared what was bothering him. "I don't want them saying a bunch of stuff these people won't understand."

"It doesn't matter if they get it because it's not for them, Edward. It's for you. It's to show you how happy they are for you and for us."

"Can't they just do that later in private?" he asked, scowling once more. It wasn't that he believed they would say anything mean or hurtful, it was just that he didn't want to be asked to explain any of it because he'd seem rude when he refused. The cousins had enough reasons to consider him unfriendly and he didn't want to add any more to their lists.

"Do I have to get Carly for you?" she threatened. "You know you can't stay in a huff when she's got your attention."

He snorted as he put an arm around her. "No. I want my attention to be all yours today."

"That works out great since that's what I want too," she teased as she pressed her hand to his smooth cheek. "I miss your scruff."

"Me too but Mom really wanted me to clean up for you. She said you wanted it too but didn't want to ask me and have me think you don't like how I normally look."

"That's not quite what I said to her but yeah, I didn't want you to feel like you had to shave and get a haircut. Especially since you were already stressed about all of this."

He turned his head so that no one in the crowd would see him nibbling at her neck. "Belize fixed that problem."

"Belize was wonderful," she said with a happy sigh.

"I particularly enjoyed your outfit on that Sunday."

A snort escaped her. "We didn't get dressed or even really leave the bed on Sunday."

"Exactly why I enjoyed it so much."

"You're a mess," she said, finally pushing him away from her neck. "How quickly you go from worried about the crowd in front of us to forgetting they're even here."

"I haven't forgotten. Just hoping I can convince you to duck out early."

"Not happening."

"Not even if I promise to do—"

She cut him off by putting her hands over his mouth. "Behave now or behave later. Your choice."

"That's not actually a choice, kapu."

"Then I guess you're behaving now, aren't you?"

"You two do realize we can all see you, right?" Whit asked.

"Don't clue them in," Lee fussed. "They're the best entertainment at this thing."

"We needed their attention anyways," Whit told her. "It's toast time."

Masen stiffened as his friends stood—Bella must have noticed because her hand was suddenly caressing his neck and giving him something else to focus on besides his unease.

Whit smiled as he addressed the crowd. "Before we begin, we would like to thank all of you for being here with us today."

"We know many of you have traveled far to join in our celebration of Masen and Bella," Lee added.

"Now for the roast." Whit shot a quick look at Masen as his smile widened. "I mean toast."

"Pretty sure the first one was the right one," Masen muttered.

Bella lightly pinched his neck. "You know they aren't going to really roast you at your own wedding."

Her words had him relaxing into his chair. "You're right."

She leaned in closer and whispered into his ear. "They'll wait until your birthday."

He nearly snorted but managed to cover it up by planting a kiss in her hair.

"For anyone wondering, yes Masen absolutely needs two best friends," Whit said to the crowd.

"One to answer his call at two in the morning and help him research his next big idea," Lee stated as she shared a quick glance and smile with Masen.

"And one to be up long before the sun is up to go out with him and test it," Whit added. "Lack of sleep is the rare downside to being best friends to a genius know-it-all."

"While he takes great pleasure in being right every single time, Masen's pride doesn't actually come from proving us wrong," Lee explained. "It comes from having accomplished his ultimate daily goal—keeping us safe. What we refer to as no harm, no foul."

"If any of you here today are worried for Bella, we promise you have absolutely no reason to be. Masen's commitment to her is unbreakable, unparalleled, and undeniable. You could not buy a better bodyguard for her."

"Or find a man who loves her more," Lee shared. "Masen will show his love in ways you may not understand. He'll take Bella scuba diving in Bali. He'll show her the flying rays in the Sea of Cortez. And yes, he'll bring her cage diving with sharks. Not because he's pushing her to be an adventure seeker but because he's helping her to achieve the dreams she's shared with him."

"He'll also let her pick the movies they watch, even when she wants to watch a rom-com. He'll find first editions of her favorite books, scouring every shop in whatever town we're currently in. And despite all of his protesting, he'll do the things he has zero interest in, like dancing in public, and he'll take pleasure in it simply because she's happy."

Masen smiled at his kapu, soaking up the love in her caramel eyes for a few seconds before giving her forehead a tender kiss. Everything his friends were saying was the complete truth—he'd do just about anything for Bella.

"A happy Bella leading to a happy Masen is still new to us," Lee admitted. "Her first impression with us wasn't much better than Masen's with some of the Cullen cousins. He and I were protesting a restaurant that had started serving shark fin soup, both of us mad as hell and wearing t-shirts that read 'Don't be afraid of sharks. I'm one hundred times more likely to rip your throat out than they are'."

A collective gasp and a few chuckles came from the crowd—Masen didn't even have to look to know the laughing was coming from Carlisle, Esme, and her girls. They had been endlessly entertained by his accidental terrorizing of the cousins. And apparently still were.

"They were so focused on Masen that they missed the fact that Bella and Gopher's shirts were also shark-themed, though they'd chosen humorous messages," Whit shared with a chuckle. "Gopher's simply said 'Sharks need hugs too' with a cartoon shark hugging a teddy bear. His was cute. Bella was the one in the scandalous shirt," he said, turning to look right at her and causing her to immediately blush bright red.

Lee chuckled. "No one noticed that hers said 'I never dreamed I'd grow up to be a super sexy shark lady but here I am, killing it'. Then again, not many of you have gotten to see her in her element, to see how truly bad-ass she is out on the water. She is Masen's equal in every way, and we are truly lucky to have her in our family and on our team."

"Bella is the balance we never knew we needed," Whit said as he and Lee reached for their champagne flutes. "And as we raise our glasses to celebrate the next step in the beautiful life she and Masen have built together, we wish them every happiness and gift them this promise … 'Ohana Mau Loa. Family Forever."

Masen noticed Lee putting her glass down while everyone else was taking a drink and figured it was because she was close to crying and she'd need to grab for her napkin. He stood and grabbed his best friends up into a tight hug, thanking them for making the toast meaningful without oversharing.

Whit snorted. "All these years and this asshat still doesn't get that we know what he needs better than he does."

"If he knew, he wouldn't need us so I'm fine with this arrangement," Lee replied, still sniffling away.

"I'd need you for other things," Masen assured her. "I always need someone to beat at surfing."

Lee laughed. "In your dreams, maybe. In reality, I'm still on top."

"You're both damn lucky I've got a gimp leg," Whit told them. "Otherwise you'd both be chasing after me with no chance of passing me."

"I just adore how you two always have such inventive excuses for why you lose to me," Lee said with her signature dark chuckle.

"While I hate to interrupt the best friend fest going here," Bella said as she poked her head into their little circle. "Alice is ready to give her maid of honor toast."

"If you were gonna worry about a toast, Mase, it should have been this one," Lee said as they took their seats again.

"I was in the beginning but then Alice promised me her toast was centered on Bella," he shared. He caught Alice's eye and gave her an encouraging smile, something that still felt new but no longer felt odd.

"Bella is the kind of big sister that you read about in storybooks," Alice shared with the crowd. "She looked out for me, never let me be sad for long, and supported my ideas no matter how big or small. And then one day she didn't. I couldn't understand why she was refusing to leave, why she wouldn't just come home with me where it was safe. In my confusion, I put all the blame on Masen. It was a cowardly act and I'll always be ashamed and apologetic for it—and also lucky that he forgave me and gave me another chance. At the time I thought he was taking my sister away from me but now I know that he was freeing her for all of us, but most especially for her."

Bella gave Masen's hand a tight squeeze and he wished he could see her face to know how she was taking this toast but he didn't dare dislodge her—she was leaning completely against him with her head resting against his chest and just under his chin.

"This newly married woman sitting here with us today, this is Bella as she was always meant to be," Alice continued. "This is a woman who doesn't suppress her love of the oceans, she fully embraces it instead. This is a woman determined to enact meaningful change in the world, to leave it a better place than how she found it. That's something many of us work towards. I volunteer for charities. Many of our cousins who are lawyers do pro bono work. Uncle Carl has a scholarship in our dad's name. For Bella, her way is to study marine life and explain to us why conservation is necessary for all of our futures. We're helping the people but she's fighting for the planet. And she's confirming every day why she's my favorite super hero.

Alice turned to face Bella and Masen. "I don't have the words to express how incredibly happy I am for both of you, that you found each other and have made this beautiful life together. I love you guys and I couldn't imagine there ever being a better big sister or brother-in-law. I'll never stop worrying about you when you're on the boat but I'll also never stop supporting you and the important work you do." She raised her glass, glanced at the crowd, and then focused her attention on Bella and Masen once more. "Congratulations for today and good luck for your trip."

When Bella stood to hug her sister, Masen stood with her. He even willingly hugged Alice and allowed it to last for more than a second. They had come so far in their relationship and although there was still so much about her personality that puzzled him, he considered her both friend and family.

With the toasts finished, Masen found it much easier to enjoy the party. He didn't even complain once during the dancing portion—and there was much more dancing than Bella had told him to expect. But since the majority of it had involved his arms being wrapped around his kapu, he had zero desire to complain.

Just as he and Bella had been the ones to see off Lee and Gopher, they did the same at his wedding. Gopher gave them each a giant bear hug, and more than one reference to a wild wedding night. For her part, Lee gave them a gift that was absolutely priceless—the honor of being the first to know about the baby growing inside of her. Masen's only thought in that moment was how happy he was for his friends, especially the best friend who had stuck by him through bad decisions and no decisions, which often were worse than the bad ones. There would be time later to delve into the risks and precautions, but right now, there was just Masen hugging his best friend and finding joy in her joy.

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

A sunny April day five years into their futures …

"Rori. Rori look this way for Mommy." Bella's call to her daughter went ignored. Her baby girl was far too busy sitting happily between her father's legs, just as absorbed as he was in the dolphins swimming a few feet away from their sailboat.

Rather than feel left out, Bella spent her time memorizing every detail of this moment with her husband and daughter. Rori was the spitting image of Edward, especially the hair and eyes. Her personality was much closer to Bella's, though she did have her daddy's ability to zone out the world and focus only on what was right in front of her. She also had her Aunt Ali's love of hugs and Bella still found herself endlessly tickled by Edward not really knowing what to do with that. He of course loved getting hugs from his baby girl, but the frequency and duration of them puzzled him. His little sister Carly liked hugs but not all the time the way that Alice and Rori did.

Edward and Rori came out of their trance at the same time, with her looking up to him and his eyes finding hers, putting huge smiles on both of their faces. Bella quickly snapped a photo of them.

"Rori, look here at Mommy," Bella called.

Rori looked at her toes instead.

"Aurora, you are making this much harder than it should be," Bella said with a laugh.

"You have a million pictures of her, kapu. And that's not even an exaggeration."

"She's ten months old today, Edward. She'll only be this age once. It's worth documenting."

"I'm not disagreeing with that. I just think it's a little much to expect her to pose for all of your documenting."

"If it was you—"

He was able to cut her off with just his smart ass grin because she knew exactly what he was going to say. "I'd be happy there was a little girl to photograph at all."

"Dada," Rori called, reaching for Edward.

He lifted her up, sending her giggles pealing through the air. "My Aurora Grace," he said as he planted a kiss on her chubby cheek. "As lovely as the dawn and as spunky as your mother," he said as he smiled at Bella.

"Masen!" The high-pitched shout had come from the beach and it instantly had Bella laughing and Edward looking guilty.

"You're in trouble," Bella sang as she settled Rori in her lap.

"She's not the boss of me," Edward challenged as he steered the boat toward the shore.

"Puh-leeze! Carly's been getting her way with you since the day she was born. If that doesn't qualify her as one of your bosses, I don't know what will."

"I'm only taking us in because I need to change before we leave for soccer practice."

"And you're helping Carlisle coach her team because she batted her pretty little grey eyes at you."

Edward ignored her comment. "What time is lunch again?"

"One-thirty. Since we've got so much to go over for the wedding, we thought it would work out better if we let all the little ones take their naps first. Plus, that gives you guys time to come back from practice and shower and change. Alice has learned to put up with the little ones stinking but not so much for the rest of us."

"Little ones," Edward mused.

Bella was sure he was thinking back to when he'd been unable to believe even a long-term relationship was in his future. Now he was happily married with a sweet baby girl who adored him. Not only that but he had two siblings now, his mom and Carlisle had six-year old Carly and a three-old year boy they'd named Ethan. Lee and Gopher's baby had turned out to be a boy as well. He was a giant ball of energy and one of Lizzy's favorite people to play with. Bella couldn't help chuckling as she recalled the lengthy process of picking out his name. Gopher had nearly convinced Lee to name him Matt Murdock McCarty—he'd wanted to be able to nickname his son Daredevil McCarty. He'd almost gotten away with it too but then Whit had shared that Matt Murdock really was the name of the Daredevil comic character. After that, Mattie's middle name became Joseph after his grandfather. Not that any of it mattered since Mattie had turned out to be quite the little daredevil after all.

Edward had barely gotten the boat tugged ashore when he was attacked from behind. Mattie had hold of his left leg and Ethan was wrapped around his right.

"Ugh! Get off him," Carly demanded, stomping her foot into the sand. "You're holding my coach hostage."

"Uncle Masey, can I please come?" Mattie asked as he unwound himself from Edward's leg.

"You've got to ask your mom and dad first," Edward told him. "And you need sunscreen," he yelled after the little flash of boy that was already halfway to the backdoor. Esme's home had become Edward and Bella's not long after Esme had found out she was pregnant with Ethan. She and Carlisle had needed more space for their growing family but neither Esme nor Edward had wanted to part with the home so Bella had suggested that she and Edward buy it. With as much time as Edward spent in his shop, it had just made sense. And now that they had Rori, it was the perfect place to raise a little girl who shared her parents' love of the water.

"There's my sweetie," Esme cooed as Bella passed Rori to her. "Such a sweet grandbaby," she said as she enjoyed a hug from Rori.

"Ethan, Rori's stealing your hugs," Edward said to his little brother in hopes of getting free.

"Mommy has more," Ethan stated confidently.

"I'm going to toss you out to sea if you don't let go of my Masen," Carly threatened. "I can't be late."

"Young lady," Esme said, locking eyes with her daughter. "Your desire to be punctual does not grant you the right to threaten your little brother. Apologize and do not let it happen again."

Carly sighed heavily and in that moment Bella saw more of Edward than either Esme or Carlisle in the little girl. "Sorry."

"Thank you. Now go up to the house and ask your father to help you move your bag from our car to Masen's truck."

Carly immediately and quietly obeyed the order.

"Some days," Esme said with a sigh as she looked to Edward. "I can deal with her rarely sleeping after putting up with it from you all these years," she confided. "But that deep rooted desire for structure and punctuality are just so hard to get used to dealing with. I don't know how Elizabeth handled it with you at that age. I never realized how easy I had it since you were old enough to take the bus if you didn't want to wait for me."

"Hey at least you know it gets better," Edward told her. "And honestly, Mom, she only seems bad about it because of how low-key you are."

"I just wish she didn't get mean with it, especially towards Ethan."

Edward chuckled. "How is that any different from the way I am with Whit and Lee?"

Esme blinked for a second and then her eyes widened with realization. "My precious baby girl has become a full-fledged misfit."

"You're getting slow, Mom," Edward teased. He then turned his attention to Ethan, prying his arms off and tossing him over his shoulder. "No more octopus arms for you," he said over the giggles of his little brother.

Esme chuckled at her sons. "That is still one very impressive fireman's carry, Kid. You can use it tonight when you help tuck your siblings in after dinner."

"Airplane, Masey! Airplane!" Ethan demanded.

"Not right now, little man," Edward replied, setting his brother down in the sand. "I've got to put the boat away."

"Can I help?"

Bella jumped in, knowing how much Edward liked to put the boat away alone. "You can help me and Aunt Lee put together some snacks for our trip to the park."

"I want shark fruit snacks," Ethan yelled as he started hopping toward the house. "Last one is a rotten egg," he called out to them. He definitely shared the Cullen and Masen competitive streaks and loved to try to turn everything into a competition.

"Thank you," Edward said as he leaned in for a kiss from Bella.

Bella's smile filled her face. "I love you."

"Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu."

"Aloha," Rori called from Esme's arms, waving her little hand at them.

"Yep. Definitely the repeater stage," Bella said with a giggle. "You're gonna have to watch yourself."

Edward smirked and pulled her body flush against his. "I'd rather watch you."

"Later if you're good," she promised. "Family first. Carly's game, Alice and Whit's wedding planning, and then family dinner at Esme and Carlisle's."

"Edward won't be going anywhere until he undoes this ridiculous knot," Esme announced.

Bella chuckled, having been frustrated by Edward's knot tying many times. He didn't trust having only the clasp to keep Rori's life-vest on so he had added a rope belt to it and tied this knot that was a cross of a sheet knot and figure eight knot. She no longer even tried to deal with the knot, she just held Rori while Edward untied.

"Still doesn't want to trust the vest, huh?" Gopher questioned as he joined them.

"It's not a question of whether or not I trust the vest. It's putting my trust in a piece of plastic that can break," Edward shared.

"Yeah, but the plastic already has a backup," Gopher said as he worked at the knot. "There's also the zipper."

"And a belt," Edward said, snorting at Gopher's failed attempt with the knot. "Move aside and watch a pro."

"Sure, just point him out first," Gopher deadpanned.

Esme and Bella both laughed which got Rori laughing too.

"Uncle Gopher is being mean to Dada," Edward told Rori as he easily and quickly unleashed the knot in her belt.

Gopher snorted. "You think this is mean? Wait until you see all the things I teach her this summer. Mattie and I have a whole list to get through, and that's before we even hit Spain."

With the success of the intern program and Mattie's arrival, Gopher had decided to reevaluate his role with the team. While he'd still wanted to be part of the team, he'd also wanted to prevent Lee and him from losing time with their son. He'd decided to step back and just be the chef so that he had the time and ability to care for Mattie while still being a useful team member. This summer, he'd also be watching out for Rori. Bella had already missed a season and didn't want to miss another, especially since they were headed to Spain this time to study basking sharks. And though he wasn't one to admit it to anyone other than her, Edward hadn't wanted to leave Rori for the summer either.

"I'm going to miss this little one so much," Esme said as she hugged Rori. "It's only because I know she'll be in her Uncle Gopher's very capable hands that I'm okay with it."

"Daddy," Mattie yelled as he wrapped himself around Gopher's legs.

Gopher scooped Mattie up, making him laugh.

"Mommy said to ask you if I can go with Uncle Masen so please say 'yes'," Mattie announced.

"Did you pick up the Legos all over Uncle Masen's floor?"

"Uncle Masen and me haven't finished building the boat yet, Daddy. And I only made Mommy and Uncle Masen and you. I wanna make Aunt Bella and Uncle Whit too."

Gopher patted the pocket on his son's shorts. "Who are you carrying around?"

Mattie giggled and unzipped his pocket, pulling out the Lego figures of his daddy and his uncle. "Just these."

"Just these," Gopher repeated with a snort.

"I still can't believe my misfits have been immortalized in Lego form," Esme said with a shake of her head.

Edward smiled his shitty grin. "One of Lee's brighter ideas, getting a set commissioned after the team."

"Speaking of bright ideas," Esme said as she shifted her eyes to Edward. "It's a really good thing you took Carlisle up on his offer, Kid. With his buy-in money, you were able to upgrade to a bigger boat and update nearly all of MMR's equipment. Plus, you got one hell of a partner in the deal."

Edward shrugged as if it hadn't been a very long and detailed process. "He had the manufacturing contacts to make our idea of selling the lens hood a reality."

"I'm eager to try the hoods out with our new cameras," Bella excitedly shared.

"That new kitchen," Gopher said with a happy sigh. "And with all the new space, we won't feel like we're on top of each other."

"He's speaking for himself," Edward said as he smirked at Bella. "Because I have every intention of being on top of you."

"And now that we have enough extra rooms for Mattie and Rori to share one, you can actually enjoy a few baby-free bedroom nights," Esme pointed out.

"The eternal wing-man," Edward joked as he grinned as his mom.

"You better stop plotting with your mom and get busy putting your sailboat away before Carly comes back down here to collect you," Bella warned him.

He frowned at her. "I am not afraid of my little sister."

"You keep telling yourself that."

He smiled as he pulled her into his arms. "How about instead I tell you how lovely you are?"

"Who would have ever thought that beneath the surface of the volatile, know-it-all I stumbled upon in a bar one night, I'd find one of the best men in the world."

"Not one of but The best, kapu."

"What about Whit?"

"That guy? Oh don't worry about that guy. He learned all his moves from me," he joked.

She smiled as she wound her arms around his neck. "Have I told you today how much I love you?"

His lips turned up in the crooked grin she loved so much. "Probably but just to be sure you better tell me again."

"I love you, Edward."

"Lucky me."

"Lucky us," she corrected before pulling his lips to hers for a loving kiss.

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

A/N:

And this sadly and happily brings Beneath The Surface to an end. Thank you all for joining us on this incredible journey of discovery, acceptance, and love. This story allowed us to share our passion for and love of the ocean and sharks, and trade stories with all of you about marine life encounters. We hope you've all had just as much fun reading as we've had writing. I hope each and every one of you has your own little band of misfits to share your adventures with. :) EA has posted the pictures for this final chapter over on the Masen Marine blog for all of you to enjoy.

For those always in search of a good read, EternallyAddicted is hard at work on a new project. Her story "Blown Away" will center on two people fascinated by tornadoes and the storms that cause them. She's currently hard at work on building the characters and I'm already nudging her for more for all of us to enjoy. Make sure she's tagged as a favorite author so you don't miss the notification when she posts the first chapter :)

One last note - we wanted to acknowledge that we took some author liberties with this chapter as far as the secret wedding in Belize. They would have had to be there a lot longer (at least fifteen days) and sign a lot of forms. We just wanted to give them the uncomplicated wedding they'd both imagined.