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The Admiral's Daughter
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 1941:
It was a very happy birthday to me. I had received my first real assignment in the Navy and it had brought me to Hawaii. The land was beautiful, the women were plentiful and the work was hardly enough to be constituted as work.
As soon as I hit the island, I reported to my commanding officer, Admiral Swan. He was a serious looking man who spoke mostly in one syllable grunts. After a brief meeting where he outlined some of the expectations he had of me, I was pointed in the direction of the airfield where I would be spending most of my time.
I'd tried to fly for the first time at the age of five. I'd climbed up to the roof of our house and jumped with a pair of wings made from cardboard. I hovered in the air for less than two seconds before I came crashing to the ground. Luckily, my father was a doctor and was able to patch up my scratches from the fall. Unfortunately, I spent the rest of my summer in a cast with a broken leg. Even though that 1st time wasn't a success, ever since then, I'd wanted to fly.
The first time I went up in the air above Pearl, I could hardly catch my breath. I'd been on the island for months working my way up to getting into the air. But, once September hit, I was free to fly as I wanted and I took advantage of it the first shot I got. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I never wanted to come down from above the clouds so I stayed until the sun set. My superior officer didn't like that very much and I was ordered to report to Admiral Swan for an ass chewing.
When I stepped into Admiral Swan's office I was greeted by the face of an angel. She looked young. Her hair was chocolate and she was nibbling on her lip while she spoke softly on the phone. She must have been a civilian since she wasn't in any type of uniform and I found that odd. Every other command office I had been in had some lowly private answering the phone. As she hung up the phone she raised her eyebrows at me while focusing on the top of my head. I quickly removed my hat from my head and gave her a nod.
"Um, Ma'am, I'm supposed to report to Admiral Swan this morning," My voice started out low and became more confident as I spoke.
"He's expecting some show off pilot this morning, that wouldn't be you would it?" Her angelic voice teased me and I craved to hear more of it.
"That's my name, "Show Off." I gave a nod and a smirk to go along with it.
The angel stood from her desk, knocked on the door once and entered without waiting for acknowledgement. I felt my eyes widen at the act but my shock grew even more when she spoke again.
"Daddy, Lieutenant Cullen is here for you," she hooked her finger in my direction as I heard the grunt of a response from the Admiral.
I took my ripping from the Admiral like a man. His grunts and barks were intimidating, but even worse was my punishment. I was grounded for a month. The closest I would get to my plane would be to wash it and service it. Her wheels weren't allowed to leave the ground and if they did, I'd be in the brig. I was mad. I had just gotten back in the air and it felt unnatural not to be in my plane, any plane for that matter. Keeping me on the ground was the worst punishment ever, especially with everything brewing in the world right now.
When I went to leave, Admiral Swan's daughter called my name, well sort of. "Hey, Show Off!"
"Yes Miss Swan?" I responded with a small grin.
"It's my birthday today." She spoke softly and to the point, similar yet so different from her father.
"Happy Birthday ma'am." I gave a nod.
"My girlfriends are taking me out tonight dancing, you….maybe I'll see you?" Her lip was between her teeth again and I couldn't stop looking at it.
"I don't think the Admiral would like that Miss Swan." I shook my head and watched her face fall into a sad grimace.
"It's Isabella. Bella actually. And if that's how you feel about it… fine. I… I shouldn't have wasted either of our times." After that she stomped off into the Admiral's office and I heard the shouting start. I let myself out but couldn't get her out of my head the rest of the day.
My fellow flyboys Emmett and Jasper had been stationed with me in Pearl and had met a few of the guys from some of the Navy boats. They weren't pilots but they were pretty swell guys. Jasper and Emmett had watched the one guy Jake, in a boxing match with a guy twice his size and he'd won. They'd lost money betting on him but after a chat they became friends. Jasper had been bugging me to go out with all of them and meet his new lady friend. He swore she was the love of his life and that it had been love at first sight. I didn't believe in any of that but if it made my buddy happy I was willing to go. On the inside, I wondered what the odds were that Jasper's lady was friends with the Admiral's daughter. Would I see her again? Did I want to see her? What would I even say?
Isabella was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. The pin up girls in magazines didn't have anything on her. Her legs were long, shapely and were attached to what my Mama called "childbearing hips." They were wide but not large. She looked like a woman not a little girl. Isabella's small waist and innocent looking face drew me in like a magnet. I was desperate to see her again but was terrified of what the Admiral would do if he found out.
"Ed, you coming man?" I heard Emmett's booming voice yell through our barracks.
"I'mma comin," I hollered back shaking my head to clear my jumbled thoughts.
Making my way out of the barracks, I saw Jasper waiting, decked out in his dress uniform.
"Tonight's the night boys. I can just feel it." Jasper said in his smooth southern drawl.
We piled up in a taxi and made our way to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel where they were having an outdoor dance party with some native dancing as well as the popular dance music. It was meant to be a party and I was heading straight for the open bar.
Jasper waited over an hour before his lady friend arrived. I was half way through a bottle of Jack when I heard the squeal and saw a small girl running directly towards my friend.
He caught her small frame around the waist and she peppered his face with kisses all over it.
"I'm so sorry we're late. It's Bella's birthday and I had to get her all dolled up. I've missed you every second we were apart." The small girl's voice was bell like but anyone could hear the sincerity in the words. I envied Jasper for having that kind of relationship in the short time we'd been here on Pearl.
It didn't register until later, when I felt a soft hand tap me on the shoulder, that Jasper's girl had mentioned the Admiral's daughter.
"Excuse me, Show Off? I.. it's my birthday. I ... um, told you earlier and well the girls gave me champagne and I thought 'why not embarrass myself at least once more before the day was over?" Isabella's giggle indicated that she had had more than a few glasses of the champagne her friends had and I had nearly dropped my glass on the bar when I heard her.
"Isabella," I started to say.
"It's Bella. My friends call me Bella." She tugged on my jacket and was eyeing the dance floor. "This is my favorite song and I want to dance ….. and I want you to dance with me."
I obliged and allowed her to drag me to the middle of the floor. I wrapped my arms around her small waist which was tantalizing in her tight dress that while modest, somehow looked positively sinful. We swayed slowly with her head on my chest. I tried to keep my hands from roaming and I heard her singing along to the words of the song.
"You really shouldn't be involved with me Isabella." I tried to sound stern and intimidating even though everything else inside of me was begging to pull her impossibly closer.
"My name is Bella. I've already told you that." She looked up at me with her deep brown eyes and I couldn't take my eyes off of them. "I'm an adult, Lieutenant Cullen. I choose what I can and cannot do."
"It's Edward." I gave Bella a smirk and continued, "I don't think the Admiral would take too kindly to his daughter hanging around with one of his pilots."
Bella rolled her eyes as the song changed. It was more upbeat and I saw the way her eyes lit up when she heard it. I gave Bella a small swirl and then dipped her, my lips coming up her neck, ghosting it, but never touching her. I could feel her heart beating so hard in her chest and we didn't stop dancing together for the rest of the night.
Jasper's girl, Alice, lived on the same road as Bella and the Admiral and they had ridden to the hotel together. That meant I couldn't walk her home, to the door, kiss her goodnight. Not yet.
"Tell me I can see you again." I begged holding onto Bella while Alice called from the taxi for her. Jasper was trying to pull me away but I wasn't ready to let go.
"Any time. I'm helping my dad out in the office until he gets a replacement for his secretary. He caused the last one to have an asthma attack and they got discharged." Bella giggled and fiddled with the buttons on my jacket.
"I have no plans on seeing Admiral Swan unless I have to." I twirled her hair around my finger. "I have to see you, alone. Please?"
Bella was about to respond when Alice pulled her away from me and put her in the car yelling about how they couldn't be late.
"Ed, what was that?" Jasper asked with a smirk on the way back to the barracks.
"That was my future wife. I can just tell." I told him in a daze.
"Seems to be a lot of that happening lately. I sure hope it doesn't have anything to with this war that's going on. I mean she is the Admiral's daughter." Jasper was trying to joke but you could hear the seriousness in this voice.
"There's something about her. I haven't stopped thinking about her since I first saw her this morning." I then went on to explain to Jasper about getting sent to see the Admiral and how Bella and I had met earlier.
Following that night, I saw Bella as often as I could. We were both busy, her still helping out the Admiral and me trying to get back my wings. But every spare moment, we tried to see each other.
The first night I took Bella out alone, we went to the theater. Afterwards, we held hands and walked along the beach. At the end of the night I walked Bella home and it was there I was greeted with Admiral Swan's glare once again. Bella immediately intervened and before I found myself on the receiving end of his hostile grunts, she told him she was old enough to make her own decisions. It was funny to listen to the Admiral whine to his daughter when he realized she had her mind made up.
"Why's it gotta be one of my pilots Bells. Couldn't you find a nice civilian boy?"
"Daddy, do you want me to spend time with someone who's not joining up because they are too scared to fight for what's right? What exactly would I do with a man like that?" Bella's voice argued back. "Now go be nice and don't scare my boyfriend off or I won't cook for you for a month."
I heard the front door slam and slid my hands into my pockets trying to seem like I wasn't listening when the Admiral came off the porch.
"You don't get to laugh, boy. If any one heard me get laid into by that tiny slip of a daughter, my reputation as a big bad admiral would go out the window." Admiral Swan sounded dejected but you could see the small smile on his face. "She's all I have you know. I'd do anything for her. Anything Cullen. Do you understand?"
"Sir, yes sir, Admiral Swan, sir." I gave him a salute and he waved me off.
"Cullen, that girl is wild about you. Don't screw it up." Admiral Swan left me there and went inside.
Before I could leave Bella came running out of the house and launched herself at me in a similar way I'd seen Alice do to Jasper the first night. She hugged me tight and after a while I helped her down to the ground. Brushing my hand across her cheek I felt it heat with a blush that caused her to look away from me.
"Bella Swan, I'm going to kiss you now. I hope that's alright?" I spoke softly whether afraid the Admiral would hear me and shoot me or just because this moment meant more than any other moment in my life.
"I think that's more than alright." Bella's eyes flashed to mine and her breath slightly shook as she exhaled.
I leaned in, my hand still on her cheek, softly caressing it and pressed my lips gingerly to hers. The first touch came experimentally, barely a touch before I pulled back but Bella was having none of that and grabbed the back of my head to pull me down for more. It felt like our lips touched forever, exploring one another, learning each other as we kissed. Bella pulled away first, breathlessly.
"I have to go," she spoke softly and backed away up her porch and into the house.
I stood there for longer than necessary unable to unroot myself from the spot. Bella Swan had me hooked.
We fell in love faster than anyone could imagine but sometimes we fought almost as much as the Germans and the British. Bella was fiery and independent. She didn't like me taking care of her or shielding her from things going on in the world. Most men wanted a woman who cooked and cleaned and ignored politics but Bella wasn't any of those things and her ferocity intrigued me more than anything.
Finally Admiral Swan got his replacement secretary leaving Bella without anything to occupy her days. It was then the Admiral Her introduced her to a Navy nurse named Rosalie and she began volunteering at the clinic on base. She wasn't joining the Navy but the work made her feel productive and she was very passionate about what she was doing. Every time I saw her she regaled me with stories of people she'd met or of things Rosalie had taught her.
Rosalie was a tough as nails woman. The first time my friend Emmett met her he proposed marriage. She swiftly kneed him in the balls and moved on to dancing with no less than five other men throughout the night. Emmett chased her around the island for weeks before she finally gave in and agreed to a date.
Bella thought it was romantic. Her friends were in relationships with my friends and she and I were in an exciting and committed relationship. Life was seemingly perfect.
December 1941:
December in Hawaii was a lot different than December in Chicago where I was from. Normally I would have been bundled up and chattering from the cold. Instead, Bella was frolicking along the beach in a dress with a small sweater while I sat watching her in slacks and a button up shirt. It was a beautiful evening and I was completely in love with the smiling girl in front of me.
"Edward!" Bella called for me. "Come on!"
I couldn't stop watching her. I stood from the sand and moved to embrace her but she moved away engaging me in a game of chase. My legs were longer than hers and before long I had caught up to her and snatched her up into my arms. Bella's giggles filled the air and I thought, for probably the millionth time since I met her, that life couldn't be any better than this.
Bella spun in my arms to face me and I held her steady. Her chocolate brown eyes met mine and I suppressed the urge to kiss her just so I could look at her a little longer.
"Are you listening to me Edward?" Bella shook me out of my thoughts.
"Sorry love, I was so enraptured in your beauty I didn't hear a word you said." I gave her my signature smirk and she rolled her eyes even though it was the truth.
"I said Rosalie is going to cover for me this weekend. We can spend the whole weekend together." Her eyes shined with mischievousness. "My dad is going out on one of the ships doing some kind of inspection or something."
I'd heard about the Admiral being out at sea this weekend and while I was desperate to get some alone time with Bella, I hated to deceive my commanding officer.
"I can't wait to be alone with you" I told her honestly. I wasn't sure exactly how liberal Bella was about carnal pleasures but I knew I was tired of being on borrowed time with our kisses. I ached to run my hands through her hair and grind my body to hers.
"Edward?!" Bella's hand waved in front of my face as she laughed. "Come on, we're supposed to meet everyone for dinner."
Dinner was an event. Jasper proposed marriage to Alice and she gladly accepted. Bella's eyes gleamed with promise as she looked at me. "Soon" I had mouthed to her.
It was true. I knew I wanted to marry Bella. I knew it like I knew how to fly. There was nothing that could stop me from making Bella my wife, not even the looming threat of war.
While we celebrated Jasper and Alice's engagement, Bella and I danced. Alice was gushing over wedding details already claiming Bella as her maid of honor and choosing the colors and the date. I heard her mention the spring. Jasper gave me a nod and he had a permanent grin etched on his face. Instead of feeling envious of him like I did the first time I'd met Alice, now I could understand how Jasper was feeling.
I walked Bella home and we sat on the porch swing for a while until Admiral Swan came out the door to tell Bella it was time to come inside. She reluctantly went without too much of a fight but Admiral Swan stayed put.
"Cullen, I need you to watch my girl this weekend." Admiral Swan eyed me carefully.
"Always sir, I won't take my eyes off of her if I see her. I can check on her down at Rosalie's if you'd like." I gulped down the guilt based bile.
"I'm not an idiot, boy. I know you're going to be spending the weekend with my daughter. Did you think I wouldn't find out about your boys covering your duties this weekend while I'm conveniently away?" the Admiral's eyebrow rose and his mustache twitched with what seemed like slight amusement.
"Sir, I can explain," I tried to reason.
"There's nothing to explain, Cullen. I know my daughter. She has found something she wants and now she's going to keep it." His eyebrow rose impossibly bigger, "You are going to make an honest woman out of her eventually, right?"
"Sir, we just met six months ago, I didn't think you'd be keen on me," I coughed to try and find my words, "I would have asked months ago but I was too afraid to ask your permission."
Admiral Swan waved me off, "If I gave you permission Bells would have my balls strung up like all these Christmas lights she had you hang."
I had to chuckle. That was one of mine and Bella's more amusing fights. She wanted lights hung everywhere and asked her dad to help. He claimed to be too busy and said he'd send someone over to help.
I got the assignment and took it gladly. Bella was more commanding than her father. She was very particular about the placement of each and every string of lights. Every decoration had it's place and after two hours I had had enough. I started just placing things where I thought they would look nice. The afternoon ended with Bella threatening to push me off a ladder and me telling her she was insane.
We didn't talk for two days and it felt almost like the end of the world. But, on the second day, Bella showed up at the airfield to apologize. I had been in the air when she came. After touching down, I climbed out of the cockpit and stood on the wing. Bella stood there mouth agape as she stared me down.
Admiral Swan was waving his hand in front of my face. "Son, I don't even want to know what you're thinking about. I just want your promise that you'll keep an eye on my girl. Remember she's all I have Cullen."
"Is something going on Admiral?" I questioned. I knew things in the world had gotten worse and everyone was on alert but nothing specific was being said.
"I can't say but just keep watch. I'm trusting you." With that the Admiral retreated back into his house leaving me bewildered and confused.
When the weekend came I escorted Bella down to the docks to see her father off. She hugged him tightly.
"I hate whenever you leave," Bella pouted.
"I know Bells but we've always done this. Plus I know you won't be alone." He gave her a look. "You'll be with Rosalie."
Bella looked guilty and nodded her head. "I know Daddy but just be careful please?"
"Always am. I'll see you in a few days." Admiral Swan gave me a look and I gave him a salute to send him off.
Bella and I walked hand in hand to the car that was going to escort her home. She was quiet, too quiet and I didn't like it.
"I'm sure he'll be fine Bella. Nothing's going on over here anyway. Not with the peace talks with Japan," I tried to comfort her.
"I just have a bad feeling Edward, I'm sorry." She climbed into the car more subdued than I had ever seen her. "I'll see you later for dinner?"
"I'll be there." I leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek before closing the door. Watching Bella drive off I swallowed down the worry I had for her and made my way to my duties for the day.
"Oh boys, look it's Cullen. He thinks he's Mr. Perfect since he's screwing Admiral Swan's daughter," one of the other pilots taunted. "I've been here since before the sun was up and where were you? Snuggled up in her bed?"
I hauled off to swing at the bastard when I felt two pairs of arms pull me back. Jasper was whispering to me that he wasn't worth it while Emmett's large frame seemed to scare him off some.
"Don't talk about Bella that way. Next time I won't let them stop me!" I glared at him as I shrugged the boys off me.
Jasper and Emmett followed me and we got to work on the guns aiming system. They just weren't accurate. The hits were all over the place on the target and that wouldn't work for when we needed them.
Emmett, Jasper and I spoke often of the United States involvement in the war. Jasper thought the peace talks would work and eventually the British would overpower Hitler and the rest. Emmett was gearing up for a fight and was ready to go at a moment's notice. Me, I just hoped it wouldn't come to us fighting. I wasn't afraid to fight. I wasn't afraid to die. But, I was afraid the perfect life I had pictured with Bella would be shattered.
The rest of the day went off without a hitch. I felt the jitters coming over me as the afternoon closed in. When I was finally free from my duties I scrammed out of the barracks faster than I ever had.
When I got to Bella's she was sitting on the porch swing reading a book. She didn't even notice me approaching and I took the opportunity to just watch her for a moment. She was beautiful. She was perfect. She was mine.
I took the porch steps two at a time to quickly reach the top. My footfalls alerted Bella to my presence. She sat up, placing her book down, with a giant smile on her face.
"Edward…" she seemed surprised to see me.
I scooped her up and carried her into the house. It wasn't the first time I was inside the Swan house but it was the first time we were alone. Bella's hands went to my jacket and she attempted to push it off my shoulders. My hands were wrapped around her shapely legs and I felt the lack of stockings under her dress. I let out a strangled groan when I felt her soft skin.
"Bella, sweetheart, wait." I put her down and separated myself from her at least by a few feet.
"Edward…." Bella pouted.
"I just want to talk first, that's all. You .. didn't you make dinner?" I cringed as soon as the words left my mouth.
"Is that what I am to you Lieutenant Cullen? The little wife who will cook your dinner and have it waiting for you when you get home?" Bella reached around until she found a shoe and then launched it at me.
I knew Bella's tendency to throw things and was able to quickly move out of the waI.
"You think you're God's gift to women with your perfect jaw and your stupid arm muscles and your 'ohh I can fly a plane and shoot people'! Newsflash Edward, you aren't the only one in the world that can do that!" Bella screamed at me and kept chucking shoes in my direction. As I dodged each one, I wondered where they had all come from and hoped she was about to run out of her supply.
"Bella, that's not what I meant!" I said as I pleaded my case. "I just didn't want to jump into bed with you the moment we were alone."
"Jump into bed? You think I want to jump into bed with you? I wouldn't jump into bed with you if you were the last man on Earth!" Bella shrieked. "Get out! Just get out, you...you ruined everything!"
She stomped up the stairs and I heard her bedroom door slam. I fell into the couch nearby and put my head in my hands. This was not what I expected to happen this weekend with Bella.
A little while later Bella came down the stairs taking each step gingerly. Her eyes were red and her hair was a mess.
"You're still here" she whispered quietly.
"I'm not ever going anywhere Bella, not unless I'm ordered to." I spoke from my spot never taking my eyes off of her.
Bella made her way to me and stood between my legs. She hiked her skirt up and climbed into my lap to straddle me.
"I'm so sorry Edward, I hate when we fight" Bella spoke in a very hushed tone.
I didn't say anything. Instead I ran my fingers through her hair and held onto her tightly. We didn't move from this spot for what felt like the longest time. Bella cried some, talked a little but never moved away from me.
When the darkness of the evening came through the windows I finally made a move and picked Bella up bridal style. I moved toward the kitchen and sat her on the kitchen counter. We didn't speak as I opened the fridge and began to make us some sandwiches. I could feel Bella's eyes on me as I moved.
When I sat the plates filled with food down on the table, Bella climbed off the counter and joined me.
"It's not the worst fight we've ever had." I gave her a small grin and picked up my sandwich to eat.
Bella examined the sandwich then looked at me with bewildered eyes. "You know how I like my sandwich."
"Of course I do, love. I love you and I want to know everything about you." I reached across the table and grabbed her small hand.
"Did I ruin our weekend, Edward?" She squeezed my fingers, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Nothing can ruin this weekend, Bella." I assured her. "Now eat, then we're going to go join everyone else for some dancing. How's that sound?"
Bella nodded more demurely than I'd ever seen her. Later that night we went out with our friends like we did quite often. Bella was quiet and closed off from me but her friends got her to laugh and joke around. They danced together a few times and each of us guys danced with our girls.
On the way home I held Bella's hand. While I still felt she was a bit closed off, I couldn't tear myself away from her. When we reached the house Bella made a move up the porch but I pulled her back.
"So, that's it? You're just going to go inside and what … send me back to the barracks?" I kind of growled out to her.
"Edward," Bella sighed, "I thought you were following me inside."
I gulped and stuttered out a response, "You, inside, us, um together?"
"Yes Edward. I thought we were going inside." Bella pulled me up the porch with her. "I was talking to the girls about our night together. I wanted to be prepared since my mom isn't around."
Suddenly, my pants felt extremely tighter. "I thought you were still mad at me for our fight earlier."
"Never, now come on!" Bella grinned and once we were inside, she removed her small jacket and hung it up before reaching out to take mine.
The first time Bella and I were together I'd like to say it was full of magic but it wasn't. We fumbled like the virgins we were, but it meant everything. As I laid with Bella's head on my chest, naked as the day I was born, I knew I couldn't picture my life without her in it. This night only solidified the future. I drifted off with a smile on my face and not a care in the world.
I woke up less happy than I was when I had gone to sleep. The bed was empty and Bella was nowhere in sight. As I exited the bedroom I could hear the radio playing and Bella softly singing along. The smell of food and coffee assaulted my senses and I hurried toward the kitchen.
As I came up behind Bella, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pressed my lips softly to her neck. "I didn't like waking up alone, love."
Standing in the kitchen in just my button down shirt and a fuzzy pair of socks, she giggled and fought her way out of my embrace. "Edward, I was trying to bring you breakfast in bed."
"I'd like to say I'm sorry, but the image of you cooking in just my shirt is going to fuel my imagination later when I have to go back to the barracks." I reached and grabbed a piece of bacon off the cooling plate and made myself a cup of coffee.
We ate breakfast and then showered together. It was quiet for a Saturday and that's the way I liked it. Every time the phone rang and it wasn't her father calling to check in, Bella seemed to get jittery. But, later when Alice and Rosalie called to check in, she blushed and excused herself to the other room to talk to her girlfriends.
I ended up on the porch sitting on the swing waiting for her to finish her conversation. People walked by and eyed the house curiously. I made sure to give them a wave. The thing about Pearl was that people had too much time on their hands and took too much pleasure in gossip.
Bella joined me an hour later, a book in her hand and a small blanket. We sat until the sun set, curled into one another.
I danced with Bella in the living room after dinner. It was the most perfect night we had shared so far. There wasn't a single argument and it all just felt so natural, being together.
"Come down to the beach with me?" I whispered softly in Bella's ear.
She nodded and made haste in following me out the door. Bella's house wasn't far from the beach and we danced along the road twirling and laughing as we went.
Once on the beach, Bella moved away from me and I fell into the sand and leaned back on my forearms.
"Hey Bella?" I called watching her play in the water.
"Hey Edward?" she responded in a sassy tone.
"What do ya think about marrying me?" I didn't move from my spot and kept my eyes locked on her.
Bella stopped moving and turned to face me, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Are you asking?"
I gave her a small shrug and my signature smirk. "I might be?"
"Edward Cullen if you want me to marry you, you better get down on your knees and ask me properly!" Bella stomped her foot playfully with an accompanying smile on her face.
I maneuvered to reach into my pocket and pulled out a small box.
"I think I'm supposed to have something like this to go along with it, right?" I teased opening the box to show the small ring to Bella.
It wasn't much but one day when everything was settled, I'd get Bella the grandest ring she'd ever see. But for now, this ring would be enough. Enough to make her mine forever.
"You're serious?" She asked fiddling with the sleeves of her jacket.
"Bella, please, marry me?" I moved onto my knee in front of her, the moon shining above us as we stood.
"I will, Edward. I will." I slipped the ring on her finger, stood up and pressed my lips to hers before scooping her up and twirling around until we fell into the sand.
"You're going to be my wife!" I whispered trying with no avail to keep the sand out of Bella's hair.
"I've always known that one day I would be Edward. I've known since you walked into my dad's office and I called you "Show Off"." Bella grinned, finally catching sight of the ring which was now on her finger, "Oh Edward, it's beautiful."
"I'll get you a better one, one day." I felt my cheeks heat with embarrassment.
"You'll do no such thing! I'll keep this ring forever and give it to our son to give to his bride and so on and so on." Bella got up, attempting to pull me up with her.
"You've got it all figured out, don't you?" I teased her. Yet after getting up, I followed Bella like I knew would. I would follow her anywhere.
"Of course I do. First, we're going to have a son and then another, and then, we'll have a sweet baby girl who will be wrapped around your finger." Bella danced a little ways ahead of me as she spoke.
I chuckled but couldn't help but picture the future with her. Would our children look more like me or like her? I hoped a girl that looked like her would be in our future.
"Edward?" Bella's voice came from further away than I thought she was and I looked up to see her leaning against the door of the house, yet I was still standing in the middle of the street.
I ran up the porch steps and hoisted Bella up, opening the door and then promptly kicking it closed with my foot. My lips tangled with Bella's all the way to her bedroom and she made haste in stripping me of my outer clothing as much as she could.
There was no stopping us. Bella had made me the happiest man in the world and I couldn't wait to have her.
Placing Bella's feet on the floor of her room I watched as she reached for the zipper of her dress letting it fall into a puddle on the floor.
She was mesmerizing. In our frenzy of making love for the first time, I must admit I didn't take the time to appreciate the way Bella looked. I circled Bella, unhooking my belt, letting my pants hang open. My lips peppered her shoulders softly and Bella inhaled sharply.
"Is this okay?" I asked as I pushed the slip off her shoulders causing it to drop down to join her dress which was already on the floor.
"More than okay. Touch me, please?" She whispered before biting down into her lip hard enough I thought she might draw blood.
My hands explored Bella's body and I have never felt anything softer. While I knew my hands were rough, she never complained once.
Bella and I spent hours making love. Just when I thought she was ready for it to be over she'd roll us one way or another. Sometimes she liked to take control, sometimes she'd like to give me all the control over her small body. I had to admit that I wasn't complaining either way. Seeing Bella move atop of me, her hips rotating against mine, was one of the most erotic things I have ever seen.
When finally we were both sated, Bella and I dressed and went back outside to the porch.
As Bella spread out a blanket over us on the swing, she curled into me and whispered "It's so beautiful out tonight Edward. I don't want to ever forget anything about this night."
Before long we both dozed off after enjoying the very last bit of our most perfect night.
December 7th, 1941:
Breaking through the peaceful haze of my sleep, I could hear the zoom of an airplane. Even half asleep, I knew there was no way my guys were up and training this early. Deciding to ignore the sound, I groaned and pulled Bella close to me when we heard the first explosion. Bella jumped up off the swing with a scream. It was then my eyes opened and I saw just exactly what was happening before us.
"NO!" Bella screamed, her eyes trained in the direction of Battleship Row.
Before I could reassure her that things were fine, a car pulled up to the curb and I saw it was Emmett and Jasper. Both Alice and Rosalie were with them and as I ran toward the car, the girls bailed out and started running toward Bella who was still seemingly in shock on the front porch.
"It's the Japs, we need to go. There are Zero's everywhere!" Jasper's haggard voice said.
Emmett beat on the steering wheel of the car, "We have to go now!"
"Someone better get me in a damn plane!" I growled.
"No!" Bella screamed again, tumbling down the porch steps and into my arms. "Edward, you can't!"
Cradling her face in my hands, I said, "I have to Bella. I have to do this. I know you understand. You know what all of this means."
"My Dad, Edward! I can't lose you too!" Bella cried into my chest.
Taking a step back, with my hands holding firmly to her shoulders, I looked into her frightened eyes and said "You don't know that anything has happened to him Bella. You have to stay strong." Just as I started to take her into my arms again to try and console her, another blast went off and the guys started freaking out.
"We have to go NOW, Ed!" Emmett growled.
Instinctively knowing there was not another minute to waste, I removed myself from Bella's arms. "Bella, go! Go with Rosalie, take Alice. You guys get to the clinic and get it ready. There's going to be a lot of people needing help." Thankfully Rosalie appeared at my side and grabbed a hold of Bella in order for me to make my way to leave.
"I love you Bella. I'll see you as soon as this is handled."
"I love you. Be safe." Bella sniffled.
As I turned away from her and sprinted to the car, I silently hoped I hadn't just said goodbye to her for the very last time.
The boys and I got to the airfield in record time. What we found was a mess. All the planes were shot up and there were bodies everywhere.
"Get me to my plane, Jasper. Now!" I ordered. I just hoped I would find my plane still in one piece.
I quickly confirmed with Emmett that as soon as he could acquire some fire-power, he would lay down some cover and serve as our eyes and ears on the ground.
"Emmett, you take the guys to the tower." I pointed behind him, to a place where he'd have a good vantage point and would be able to radio us to tell us where any of the Zero's were coming from.
"Jazz … you're with me. You and I are going to head up and take some of these guys out."
The small group of guys followed the orders and Jasper and I got settled into the cockpits of our planes. Once started up, Jasper took off first and got up quickly. I followed suit and we split directions.
"Battleship row, Jazz." I called through the radio.
"Got it, Ed." Jasper replied. "Watch your six you got three incoming."
Jasper warned me in just enough time to move out of the way of a spray of bullets coming my way.
Emmett came across the radio and announced "We took one out with the fifty!"
Jasper and I cheered and continued working to take out our own targets. I got the kill first, taking out two at once. I shot through the engine of the Zero and he swerved taking out his own guy. Jasper banked to the left and caused the two following him to crash into a building he'd flown by.
From our vantage point we could see the devastation was extensive. I watched as the Arizona started to sink after being hit with some kind of bomb. There was smoke everywhere. Bodies were floating in the water. It was the worst thing I had ever seen. There were no doubt massive casualties and those lucky enough to have survived would be severely injured. With that, my thoughts turned to my Bella. I silently prayed for her safety and I sincerely hoped she and the girls had made it to the hospital. They were going to be needed by so many.
Returning my full attention to the task at hand, Jasper and I were joined by some other flyboys and together we took out as many of the Japanese planes that we could. But, while we may have been able to limit any further destruction, the damage had been done.
When we had successfully cleared the airspace of enemy aircraft and I grounded my plane, my first stop was to the hospital. Jasper and Emmett followed suit. As soon as we arrived, we saw Alice.
"You're here. You're alive!" She sagged in relief as Jasper took her into his arms.
"How can we help?" Jasper asked.
"Blood, we need blood." Alice hurried us into a room where they had glass coke bottles rigged up with tubes and others were already donating.
"Bella?! Alice, is Bella here?" I asked at the same time Emmett asked for Rosalie.
"Yes. They're both here and they're swamped. Rose said that Bella's been a Godsend. She's really holding it together." Alice reassured me as she set me up to give some blood. "You can tell though, she holds her breath until she sure that the next person that comes in isn't you."
I gave her a nod and tried to relax my hand hoping the blood would pump faster.
"I saw the ring, congratulations!" Alice offered with a weak smile.
Nodding again I gave a bitter chuckle. "Thank you Alice. Unfortunately, I suppose we'll be putting that off for a bit, now that it seems World War II has just begun."
Once Emmett, Jasper and I had donated blood, we were recruited by a Petty Officer organizing the search and rescue mission looking for the sailors still trapped on some of the mangled ships.
Since I still had not been able to put my arms around Bella, I was torn between staying to see her and going to help. But, I knew if Bella found out I had stayed behind because of her, she'd fuss and fight me all the way down to Battleship Row herself, then she'd offer up her own help.
Seeing the carnage from the air was one thing. Being up close and personal was completely another. There were people screaming, people drowning, people trying to climb out of the water and there wasn't much that could be done.
"Hey I need the torch here! These guys are about to drown!" I heard Emmett yell as he banged on the hull of the ship.
"That's Jake!" Jasper replied. "Get him out of there Emmett!"
There was a small hole where you could see a hand come through and Jasper grabbed it while water spewed from the hole.
Before long the hand went limp and Jasper lost all sense of composure. "He's was just a kid! A kid who lied about his age to get out of his little shitty town. Dammit!"
It was the worst feeling being this close and not being able to help at all.
"Cullen!" I hear my name yelled and turn to find Captain Masen standing on a boat pulling survivors out of the water. "Cullen!" He called again.
"Sir, what can I do sir?" He waved off my formality.
"The Swan girl, is she safe?" He asked.
"She's at the hospital, helping treat the injured. Why?" I felt my eyebrows furrow together.
"Admiral's dead. He was on the Arizona when she went down." Although he sounded calm his words hit me like a ton of bricks.
Bella was going to be devastated. Suddenly the idea of one more man dying made me feel as if I would suffocate. So, I doubled my efforts and tried to save every man I could. Jasper and Emmett worked tirelessly right by my side as if they sensed my desperation.
As the sun started to set, we watched helplessly as ships sunk to the bottom of the bay. We were simply unable to save those that were still locked inside. While it felt as if we were giving up, there was simply no more we could do. The next phase of the mission would be to search for and recover the fallen so they could be returned to their families.
"Go, check on your families, everyone reports to your commanding officer at 0600 tomorrow." Captain Masen ordered. He must have noticed the sad and confused looks on our faces when we thought of our commanding officer, Admiral Swan because he quickly turned our way and added, "Fellas, you boys will report to me and we'll get your orders sorted out."
As we turned to head away from the pier, Captain Masen hollered out, "Oh and Cullen, Whitlock, damn good flying today!"
We booked it back to the hospital to get to the girls. When we arrived, people were laid out in front of the building, some dead, some dying, some hanging on with minor injuries.
It was Rosalie that we saw first. "Oh Edward, I'm so glad to see you!" she said as she pulled me into an uncharacteristic hug. She was covered in blood and grime just like the rest of us. "Someone told Bella about Admiral Swan. She's… Oh Edward, I'm sorry."
I gave her a solemn nod as she directed me to where I would find Bella. Just as Rose said, I found her in what was supposed to be the kitchen of the hospital. There she was, scrubbing all the medical instruments they had used on the hundreds of injured patients all day long.
"Bella?" I called trying not to spook her. "Bella, love, are you alright?"
"I have to get the blood off! It won't come off my hands!" she cried dropping whatever was in her hands.
"Bella, it's okay to take a break." I cooed trying to console her.
"It's not Edward. It's not okay. My dad didn't take a break." Bella sobbed.
"I'm so sorry about the Admiral Bella. I loved him too!" I wrapped my arms around her and she melted into my arms.
"I don't know what to do Edward. My dad, he's gone and I don't know what to do." Bella's cries became louder and her words were tangled with her sobs.
"I'm here Bella. It's you and me. We'll figure it all out together. I promise." As the words left my mouth, the horrors of the war I had just witnessed flashed in my mind and I hoped I wasn't making a promise I couldn't keep.
As if Bella had shared my thoughts, she lashed out. "Edward, we're at war. You're part of the military. If you think you'll be here with me long, you're delusional."
I knew she was hurting and I wasn't going to fight back with her. But, before we could continue any further, Rosalie poked her head into the kitchen and said we were being ordered to go home for the evening.
We rode to Bella's in silence. As soon as we arrived, we went straight into the bathroom and showered together. We also cried together and I wasn't ashamed because the spray of the shower hid most of my tears.
We both knew that things were changing. I was probably going to be shipped off to war and I hoped for it honestly. It was who I was. I was a soldier. I would avenge the Admiral, the men in my company and every single person affected on this island. I had no doubts about all of that. The one thing I worried about was Bella.
"Marry me." I whispered in the shower.
"I said I would, Edward." She spoke so soft in response I barely heard her.
"No, I mean marry me before they send me off." I was aware I sounded desperate.
"Shhh, we don't know anything that will happen. I'm so sorry about what I said before Edward. I know you are going to be with me." Bella cooed to me this time. Her hands moved over my face wiping away my tears as the shower sprayed on my face.
"Even if I don't get sent, I'll volunteer Bella. I have to. Do you understand?" I implored her.
"I do, I understand it all Edward. I've never been more afraid in my life. I was so scared every time I saw someone come in that clinic today. I was scared I'd find you, hurt or worse, dead. I couldn't imagine it. I never once thought my dad would be in danger." She cried some more banging her hands into my chest slightly. "I'm so selfish. I was worried about you while my dad was out there dying all alone."
"He wasn't alone, Bella." I assured her even though I didn't know the actual truth, "They said he was alerted to an issue and was trying to get back to prepare. Apparently the information came in just a little late."
"Apparently." She laughed humorlessly. "Everything has changed, Edward. I don't know who to be in this war."
"Be my wife, wait for me to come home to you.". I was begging again.
Feeling the water turn cold, Bella turned the shower off and walked silently out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. When I went to the bedroom to dress, she was nowhere to be found but there were clothes laid out for me on the bed.
I knew where I'd find her. The front porch swing meant something to Bella and I wasn't sure exactly what her connection with it was. As I approached, she sat there, staring out into the night.
"I'll never forgive you if you go and die in this war Edward." She spoke but didn't move.
"I can't promise that Bella." I wouldn't do that to her. I wouldn't. She knew the risks.
"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to not be the hero all the time." She turned and I saw just how red her eyes were from crying.
"Marry me." I demanded more than asked.
"I will. I will." She cried and dropped her head in her hands. "Everything is going to change, Edward. I'm afraid."
Neither one of us said anything else the rest of the night. We simply sat silently in each other's arms. As the sun rose, I knew I had to report to Captain Masen.
"Bella?" I nudged her softly. "Go inside, go to bed and rest. I'll be back in a while with news."
She yawned and shook her head. "I think I'm going to head to the hospital to see if I can help anymore."
I gave her a small smile and a kiss on the forehead before leaving.
As I had half-expected, Captain Masen already had orders for us. Emmett, Jasper and I, along with the rest of our company was getting shipped to German. We were promised that once it came time to get retribution on Japan we would be involved, but for now, the rest of the world was at war and now that we were involved, the United States had to show them exactly who they were messing with.
Just as I had hoped, Bella and I were married before time for us to deploy. Jasper and Alice made the decision to marry before we left as well. But, poor Emmett wasn't so lucky. Rosalie refused. Although, she promised to say 'I Do' the moment he he stepped foot back on Pearl.
I cried the night I found out Bella might be pregnant and I would be shipping out before she was sure. I wouldn't have the greatest contact with her while we were gone. I didn't even know when I'd be home. But my Bella soothed my fears when she promised "I'll write you and I'll be here waiting for you to come home!" Bella's lip wobbled as she spoke but I could tell she was trying to be brave.
"I love you, Bella Cullen and nothing in this world is going to stop me from coming home to you." I kissed her fully on the lips.
September 1945:
I was finally going home. I was worse for the wear of course. Every soldier in the world was but, I was alive and that was more than I could say about most of the men I'd met over the last few years.
As our military transport plane approached the island, I looked out the window as my leg shook with uncertainty. What if my wife didn't need me anymore? She had been on her own this whole time. What if she met someone else? Could she even love the man I had become?
When I stepped off the plane and my feet touched Hawaiian soil for the first time in years I finally felt like I was home. As I looked at the crowd of people who had gathered to greet their returning loved ones, my eyes searched for just one certain pair of eyes. I scanned the crowd and lifted up on my toes to find her.
"Edward!" I heard her voice call before I saw her and I craved to hear it again. "Edward we're here!"
Finally, my eyes landed on her. She was waving only one hand because in the other was a toddler who was waving his arms, copying what his mother was doing.
When I finally came to a stop in front of them they launched at me. I dropped my bags and held them both tightly not wanting to ever let them go - ever.
Bella pulled back before I was ready to let go. Looking between me and the small boy in her arms, she cleared her throat, shot the boy a wink and gave me a mock salute. "Captain Cullen, please meet your son, Edward Anthony Cullen, Jr."
As soon as his name rolled off her tongue, an immense amount of love shot into my heart and began to pulse through my veins. "Well, Edward Anthony Cullen, Jr, I am so very glad to meet you." I barely managed to croak out as tears began to pool in my eyes.
"You're my daddy!" He spoke to me clearly and I looked at Bella with a surprised look. "Mama showed me your pictures. She said you was keeping us safe from the bad peoples."
"I was but I'm home now." I swallowed the lump in my throat unable to take my eyes off of both of them.
"That's right. You're home now. Right where you belong." Bella grinned.
I wouldn't have made it through the war without her. She was my rock and I couldn't imagine what would have happened to me if I had not had her to anchor me. When she found out she was pregnant she wrote to me. She wrote to my commanding officer. She wrote to anyone who would receive her mail. She wanted to make sure I got the message loud and clear.
I wanted to go home in that moment. I begged to go home, but I was refused. Bella wrote to me sometimes twice a day and I craved every single word she wrote. Her letters sustained me.
But, now she was right. I was home, right where I belonged. Bella drove us home and my son, EJ, as he told me he liked to be called, chatted my ear off the whole ride. He told me stories of Aunt Alice and Aunt Rosalie.
"How's Jasper?" I whispered. He'd been injured badly and had been sent home to recover. Jasper was wounded in a mine field but had managed to save ten other men before he was evacuated himself. His injuries led to the loss of his leg and the last time I had seen him, he wasn't in a good place mentally.
"He's adjusting." Bella said and then gave me a sad smile.
Once we were home, I felt the smile creep across my face when I saw the porch was still the same. Our swing still there. The only difference was that now there were small toys all over the porch and strewn throughout the house.
"I'm so glad you're home!" Bella squealed as she squeezed my arm and EJ pulled me to go and play with him.
My life was different than it was when I left Hawaii, but now I had my family. And, my family would make every pain and every horror that I dealt with during the war slowly fade to be just memories. For me, that made it all okay.
"Edward, don't forget we have Emmett and Rosalie's wedding this weekend. Now that Emmett is home, Rosalie has to say 'I Do'!" Bella called from the kitchen and I had to laugh.
EJ was playing with a set of planes and I gave him a grin. "I'm just like you, Daddy! Flying my plane, getting them bad guys."
I hoped my son would never have to experience what I did but it thrilled me to no end that my son, who I didn't have the privilege of knowing for his beginning years, knew me and wanted to be just like me.
The rest of this life was going to work itself out now that the war was over. Bella and I could have that happily ever after and live in peace. I couldn't wait to see where this life took us.