Author's Note:

Thanks to Twilightzoner, for recommending this story on The Lazy Yet Discerning Ficster blog:

If you’re looking for something lighthearted and also suitable for younger readers, take a look at Life, Liberty and Pursuit by aerosoldac, again, another author I mention in the AU section as well. Here we have Navyward and Bella as young star crossed lovers, and both are faced with realistic decisions about whether you should let a new love change the course of your life. The author approaches the subject matter with honesty and humor.

Chapter 1 – Moonlight

EPOV

The boat was gently rising and falling as we made our way out of the bay and towards the open water. I had wanted to come to the bow of the ship ever since we had boarded, but had to wait until everyone was settled. I had suffered through dinner with my family and now I finally had time alone. The moon was nearly full, reflecting off the waves like shimmering silver fish just below the surface.

Shortly after boarding I had studied and memorized the ship’s floor plans, which was no small feat given there were over 15 decks. I had already decided that Deck 4, one of the pool decks, had the most forward position and would provide the best unobstructed view of the sea. I had underestimated just how far above the sea I would be—with several decks still below me, I was easily fifty feet above the water. These cruise ships were just enormous, as big as an aircraft carrier. I loved it.

The sea spray didn’t come close to reaching me, but the air was still filled with the salty smell of the open ocean. The ship was going only about 5 to 10 knots as we moved out of the bay. The steady breeze blew warm tropical air through my light shirt and my unzipped jacket whipped gently around my waist. Once we got out on the open water, it would probably be too windy to stay above deck. At least I would be able to enjoy it while it lasted.

I closed my eyes, lifted by the smell, the gentle whoosh sound of the waves far below, and the serenity of the empty deck. I had halfway expected company on deck when I went came up, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it deserted. From my perch at the bow, no passengers or crew in sight either above or below, the Miss Liberty could have been a ghost ship swiftly sailing out into unknown waters. I had been very much against the idea when mom proposed we take this cruise, relenting only because she wanted one last family outing before Alice and I left home. But a few nights like this would make up for having to tolerate the family-cruise-director-time during the day.

I took a deep breath of that ocean air, opened my eyes, and turned to fish my iPod out of the flapping pocket of my jacket. A little Debussy would fit just right. As I turned I saw someone—a girl—standing down the port side of the ship, just under the overhang from the deck above. With the glare of the moon and the shadows falling on her face, it was difficult to see her. She probably wanted to come outside for fresh air, as I had. Just as I was about to wave to let her know I wasn’t some kind of creep, she ducked her head and turned away. She quickly crossed to the other side of the deck, going under the overhang. Guess I scared her off. Good job, Edward.

I turned back to trying to capture my iPod, when I heard a slight muffled sound and a splash coming from the back of the deck. I froze, listening—a sloshing sound, coming from the direction of the pool? My feet were running before the thought formed in my head—did she fall into the pool? It was only 20 yards to the pool, another 10 down the side. The pool was inky black with a sheen of moonlight obscuring the water. I could barely see her, ghostly white hands thrashing, already under the surface and swallowed by the blackness.

My EMT training kicked in—I needed a floatation device, a life buoy, or anything that would float. A drowning person will grasp and pull down on anything they can reach—it was reflexive and they couldn’t control it. If I went in after her without one, we would both drown. My eyes raked the deck, covered with cushionless chairs and tables. There—hanging on the wall just outside the pool house. I grabbed the ring and dashed back to where I had seen her hands. There was nothing but black churning water. I jumped in.

The water was shockingly cold for a warm summer night. I was blinded by the water and the dark. With one arm hooked around the ring, I flailed around with my free arm, trying to find her. Suddenly I felt her hands bashing against my arm, grasping for something. Pulling the ring down under the water with me, I quickly evaded her grasp, reaching down to firmly grab her around her waist. Arm locked around her, face turned away as she grabbed panic-stricken at my shoulders and head, I kicked towards the surface. As we broke through the water, she finally got a firm hold on my shirt. She was clutching at my shoulders, coughing, choking and spitting up pool water. We weren’t far from the edge of the pool.

“You’re okay. I’ve got you,” I murmured softly to the side of her head, trying to calm her as she gasped for air. With a couple kicks, I towed her to the edge, and tossed the ring up on deck. Her body was convulsing with coughs, but I still had a good grip on her. Holding her tightly around the waist, I heaved myself up on deck and then hauled her up with both hands and gently laid her on the deck.

Oh my god, she’s beautiful.

Her soaked shirt clung to her pale skin, both shimmering white in the moonlight, like some ethereal doll. Her shorts revealed long legs that stretched out, ending in delicate feet—one with a red Keds tennis shoe, the other being lost to the pool. She was shaking violently with her continued coughing and sputtering.

You idiot! You’re supposed to be saving her, not ogling her!

I rolled her on her side, letting her hang her head down to the deck as she continued to cough up pool water. If she had swallowed a substantial amount she might throw up, and I didn’t want her choking. Her long dark hair was splayed across her face, hiding it. I carefully swept the wet hair off her face and tucked it back behind her head. She was shivering. My jacket was soaked, but it was lightweight and would at least provide a wind barrier. I shrugged it off, shook it once to get the water off, and laid it over her.

She was still coughing and gasping as I quietly said, “We need to get you out of the wind.” I quickly scooped her up, silently thanking Emmett for the brutal workouts he had put me through these last three months. She felt light and I easily carried her to the pool house a couple yards away. I set her down on a bench inside, out of the wind.

There were stacks of pool towels at the desk, waiting for the next day’s tourists. I grabbed two and wrapped them around her, one over the other, front to back. I didn’t like the way she continued gasping for breath.

“Can you talk?” I asked, knowing that talking meant enough breath to be out of danger of needing some kind of respiratory help.

She nodded, still shaking and wheezing. I repressed a smile.

“Please say something,” I asked again.

“No,” she said, between coughs.

“No?” I almost laughed, unable to stop the grin now.

“No, thank you?” she coughed out.

I laughed out loud then. She was in shock. I tried to reign in my laughter—it wasn’t kind to laugh at near-drowning victims who were in shock. She seemed to be able to speak, so she wasn’t in imminent danger. Her coughing was starting to settle a little. Still, she needed to see a doctor.

I stood up, saying “We need to get you to the ship’s doctor.” I held my hands out to help her up. “Can you walk?”

She nodded, taking my hands and standing up. I decided I had better help her with the walking part, just in case her shock went into overdrive. I pulled one of her hands over my shoulders, hooked around my neck, and slipped my other arm back around her waist holding her firmly to my side. It was a good thing I did, because just then her knees completely buckled.

“Whoa, steady!” I said. “We can do this, just lean on me.” I held her tightly, feeling the shaking of her cold body on my side, and started walking us to the back of the pool house. I knew there were stairs just outside the door that would take us down one level. The ship’s doctor was on that level, on the starboard side if I remembered correctly. She seemed to strengthen a little as we hobbled our way towards the stairs.

Through the door and into the hall, I stopped at the top of the stairs. They looked extremely steep for us to negotiate in her still shaky condition. I decided it would probably be better if I carried her again. It would have been more stable if I had carried her over my shoulder, but I didn’t think her stomach could take it. Without a word I released her hand and bent down and scooped her up under the backs of her knees. As I straightened up, suddenly her face was only inches from mine and I felt the air go out of me as I looked into the warmest brown eyes I have ever seen. I stared dumbly at her for a moment, until another coughing fit took hold of her and she turned her head into my shoulder. Released from her gaze, I tried to remember what I was doing.

Don’t trip, don’t trip, don’t trip, I thought on my way down the stairs, holding tightly to her as she continued coughing, then gasping for air, and then coughing again. Finally we were down the stairs. I set her down again, stealing a look at her face as I hooked her arm over the back of my neck. I half-carried her down the starboard hall towards what I hoped was the infirmary. Her skin was luminously pale, even inside with the warm cabin lights. Her wet hair was plastered all over her head and clung to the contours of her neck and throat. She looked like a drowned cat, and she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She had a determined look on her face and didn’t look at me again until we reached the door of the doctor’s office.

The door to the infirmary was only slightly open. I kicked it open the rest of the way, revealing a very small cabin. It was stuffed with a raised cot, a desk bolted to the floor, and a few cabinets hopefully filled with medical supplies. I was not impressed. At the desk sat a short, older woman with unnaturally red hair tied up neatly in a bun on top of her head. Margery Cope, R.N. read the nameplate on her desk.

“Oh my! What happened to you, dears?” said nurse Cope, startled by our sudden appearance. She hastily put down the romance novel she was reading and scurried around the edge of the desk.

“She fell in the pool,” I explained quickly. “I think she may have taken in some pool water.” I watched nurse Cope carefully, unsure of the quality of medical care my patient was about to receive.

“Come, sit down, dear,” Ms. Cope said, soothingly, guiding her to the cot. “What is your name?”

“Bella,” she managed to get out in between coughs. Bella—what an interesting name. She was still coughing, more sporadically and with less intensity, but I didn’t like it. I considered calling my father.

“Is there a physician on staff on the ship?” I asked, trying not to sound too urgent.

“Well, yes, but first I think we need to take a look at Bella, before we call the doctor,” replied Ms. Cope with a somewhat disparaging look at me. I didn’t really care if she felt I was encroaching on her territory—I wanted a real doctor to take a look at Bella.

“Can I use your phone?” I asked, already moving to the table.

“Um, okay,” she said, turning back to Bella and removing the towels that were still draped around her. “I’m going to listen to your breathing, dear,” she said as she fumbled around for her stethoscope.

I was already dialing our room number and my father, Carlisle, picked up immediately. As quietly as I could, I said, “Dad, I have a patient for you. I need you to come down to the infirmary.”

One thing I loved about my father was that he always took me seriously. Mom would have panicked first, asked several questions, and then finally gotten to the business at hand. Dad simply said, “It’s on the third deck, right?”

“Right. Starboard side, near the front of the ship.”

“I’ll be right there,” he said, and hung up before I had a chance to say ‘thanks’.

Ms. Cope had managed to get her stethoscope out and was listening to Bella’s breathing. Bella was staring determinedly at the floor, trying to take deep breaths at the nurse’s commands, but was continually interrupted by further coughing. I looked her over carefully. She was very pale, but I wasn’t sure that that wasn’t her normal coloring. She still looked a little shaky, but overall seemed unnaturally calm for having just nearly drowned. She had no right to be so beautiful, just sitting there soaked, clinging to my jacket.

Ms. Cope had finished her fussing. “Your lungs sound clear, Bella. I think with a bit of rest, you’re going to be fine.” She turned away to put away her stethoscope and pick up the wet towels. Bella then looked up at me and got the strangest look on her face. Her eyes went wide and she seemed as if she was about to keel over. In an instant I was by her side, just as she started to tip sideways. I caught her by the shoulders and steadied her, holding her to my side with my arm wrapped around her waist again. Her head slumped against my shoulder, and I thought for a moment she was passing out. But then she steadied herself, placing her hand on my chest to hold herself up. She lifted her head up and shook it a little, seeming to try to clear it.

She looked up into my face and I was captured by those warm brown eyes again.

“You okay?” I asked softly, my voice somehow lost.

“Dizzy,” she replied softly, looking deeply into my eyes until another coughing fit took hold of her. Dizzy…I didn’t like the sound of that. Just then, to my immediate relief, my father walked into the small cabin, knocking softly on the door as he did.

“Edward, is this our patient?” he asked with that gentle bedside manner voice that I recognized so well. He looked over Bella briefly and then glanced at nurse Cope, who was staring at Carlisle with something between outrage and attraction. With his boyish good looks, blonde hair and tall, lanky build, he tended to send women’s hearts aflutter. My father especially seemed to inspire that reaction in nurses of all ages, much to my mother’s amusement. I imagined she would have been less amused if my father had ever shown any interest in anyone but her.

“I’m Dr. Carlisle Cullen,” he explained quickly. “Do you mind if I take a look at our patient?” he asked, beaming a smile at the befuddled nurse. She shook her head slightly, breathless. In two steps he was at Bella’s side.

“Bella fell in the pool—I think she may have ingested some pool water,” I briefed him. Looking at her still encased in my arms, and not really wanting to let her go, I added by way of explanation, “I think she’s dizzy.” She shook her head and pulled away from me, showing the good doctor that she could sit up on her own. Reluctantly, I released her.

“Well, Bella, do you mind if I take a look at you, to see how you’re doing?” he asked gently, setting his black bag down next to her and taking out his stethoscope. She nodded her assent. I stepped back to give them room, watching her carefully in case she decided to take another head-dive off the cot. But now that Carlisle was here, I was sure that she would be okay. He was the finest doctor in Forks, Washington, our hometown—but he could easily have been head physician at any hospital he chose.

He quickly, soothingly, checked her breathing and her pupils. He asked her to count his fingers and answer some standard questions, checking for concussion or oxygen deprivation.

“What day is it?” he asked, checking her pupil dilation once again with a flashlight.

“Flag Day,” she answered.

Carlisle raised his eyebrows, glancing quickly at me. I tried not to smile.

“Flag Day?” he asked, looking back at Bella.

“Saturday?” she tried again. “June fourteenth,” she stated finally.

Carlisle smiled, looking relieved. I glanced at the calendar Ms. Cope had hanging on the wall. I knew it was Saturday, but I honestly didn’t know if it was the fourteenth or not. I smiled involuntarily when I saw small red letters on the calendar—Flag Day.

Looking back at her and grinning, she glanced at me before looking back at Carlisle.

“Well, Bella, I think you’re going to be fine. You’re going to need some warm clothes and a long rest. But if you have any trouble breathing, or start to feel dizzy again, I want you to call me immediately. Do you understand?” She nodded. “Are you traveling with your parents?” he asked.

Bella nodded and whispered in a hoarse voice, “Cabin 535.”

“Nurse, could you please ring Bella’s parents and ask them to come get her?” Carlisle commanded, and the nurse immediately got on the phone and started calling.

Carlisle, having packed up his bag, turned to me and looked at me as if to say “Are you all right?” I nodded and said, “I’ll stay until Bella’s parents arrive.”

He nodded and then smiled warmly at Bella. “Goodbye, Bella. The next time I see you, I expect you to be completely recovered, okay?”

She smiled weakly and nodded as Carlisle left the infirmary. I went to stand closer to her again, telling myself that I wanted to make sure the she didn’t faint, or worse. She didn’t seem to mind, smiling at me in between coughs, but not speaking. In short order, a tall solidly built man rushed into the small cabin, which hardly seemed big enough to hold him. He didn’t look old enough to be Bella’s father, but his wildly panicked look left few other possibilities.

“Bella!” he croaked out, rushing to her side. “Are you okay?” He threw his arms around her, a little too roughly for my taste given her condition, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m fine, Phil, really,” she said, smiling grimly, gasping a little.

“But the nurse said you almost drowned!” He was definitely panicking. I decided it was time to jump in.

“Um, the doctor was just here, and he said she was going to be fine,” I said, trying to be soothing.

He looked at me strangely. “Who are you?” he asked, just a little suspiciously.

“My name is Edward Cullen, sir. I, um, helped Bella when she fell in the pool.”

“Oh,” he said, trying to process this. “You rescued Bella?” he asked, putting two and two together.

“Um…” I started, not wanting to make a big deal of this, but before I could say anything I was wrapped in the same bear hug that Bella had just endured.

“Thanks, kid!” he said, enthusiastically, causing me to smile a little in spite of the utter embarrassment of the situation. When he released me, I could see that Bella had her face in her hands. Phil was drawn back to her as well.

“Bella, honey, are you okay?” he asked again.

“I’m okay, Phil. I just need…” she paused to cough again, “…to get some warm clothes.”

“Right, yeah, come on honey, let’s get you back to the cabin. Your mom is freaking out, anyway.”

Her eyes went wide. “You told her?”

He held his hands out, looking helpless in spite of his massive size. “She picked up the phone! It was all I could do to keep her in the cabin while I came to get you.”

Bella rolled her eyes and made to get up off the cot. I could see how unsteady she was and quickly held her by the elbow, one hand at the small of her back to steady her. Phil gave me a strange look and wrapped his arm protectively around Bella.

“Thanks, um…” he fished for my name.

“Edward.”

“Right, thanks, Edward. I’ve got it from here.” He guided her toward the door, holding her more firmly now, obviously sensing how unsteady she still was. She glanced back at me as they headed out the door, a small smile on her face. I felt an odd emptiness when they were gone. I just stood there for a moment, collecting my thoughts, and then decided that perhaps I could use some dry clothes as well. I left Carlisle and Esme’s cabin number with nurse Cope, in case Bella needed further medical assistance. I wound my way back through the ship to the cabin I shared with Emmett, exhaustion descending on me like the night.