A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. Volleyball has taken up all of my time along with school and graduation exams coming up soon. Gah! Crazy life, but I'm here now, so I'll let you read.
P.S. This chapter is pretty much all fluff, so all of you fluff lovers out there should be rejoicing. :)
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Chapter 10: The Song
(Bella's POV)
I woke to the sound of an angel's voice. "Bella," the angel said quietly, shaking my gently. "Bella, you need you wake up."
I opened my eyes and thought that I really had died last night and gone to heaven. An angel really was sitting in front of me, my guardian angel. But for some reason, this angel looked just like…
"Edward?"
He smiled his crooked smile and chuckled softly. "What time is it?" I asked, my voice still sounding groggy.
"Breakfast just ended, but I saved you some, if you want it," he said, nodding his head towards my desk.
I sat up, still a little stiff from last night, and smiled at him, setting my feet on the floor. "Thank you."
"It's no trouble at all," he said. He looked like he was debating with himself about something before he raised his hand and gently brushed away some loose hair that had fallen into my face. I was a little shocked at the gesture, but didn't say anything about it. In fact, I sort of liked the feeling that coursed through my body when he touched me.
No, Bella! You're not supposed to like the feeling! Not at all! a voice in the back of my head screamed at me. And it was right in some senses. For most of my life, I hadn't been able to tolerate the sight of a man, let alone the touch of one, and now I was actually enjoying it?
But how can you not enjoy the feelings that someone as handsome as Edward gives you? another voice asked. In another sense, this voice was right as well. Edward did have a way of making my insides do strange things. I've never acted this way around any other person.
I let out a sigh and pushed both voices into the depths of my mind, leaving them to contemplate on another day.
Apparently Edward heard me. "Is everything alright, Bella?" he asked, concern in his velvet voice.
"No, nothing's wrong," I said, hoping he would drop the subject.
"Alright," he said, dropping the subject, but still sounding unsure. "I'm going to check on the crews. Make sure their not killing each other." He cracked a smile at that.
I laughed. "You have fun with that."
"Oh, I will. I make everything fun," he said, smirking.
I rolled my eyes, a smile on my face. "Just go on." I got off of my hammock and made my way over to my desk, where my breakfast was. Edward laughed as he headed out the door of the cabin.
I shook my head at him after he was gone and started to eat my breakfast. Which after last night, was very good.
This was really nice of Edward to do this for me, even though he didn't have to. He'd saved my life twice now. He didn't have to deal with the follow up details.
And yet he did. He was there when I woke up the first time I passed out drunk (albeit a strange awakening, but nice nonetheless). He was there to catch me when I fell. And he was there to save me when I needed it. It brought a smile to my face as I continued to eat my breakfast.
(Edward's POV)
I walked out of Bella's cabin and closed the door behind me. I loved the fact that I could call her Bella now. The name fit her perfectly as well. Bella, beautiful. It fit very well. And she truly was beautiful, inside and out, even if she didn't have the greatest reputation.
I turned around at the sound of a few wolf whistles and some applause. "What's the captain doing in the other captain's quarters?" I heard Emmett ask, a smile on his face.
"Nothing that you need to know about," I said. "And even if you did need to know, which you don't, I wouldn't tell you. You'd have to find someone else to."
"So does this mean that our little Eddie's become a man?" Emmett asked, the smile still on his face.
I looked up at him with a look of confusion on my face. "What?"
"God, and you thought I was the dense one. Have you done the deed? Made our other captain a woman?"
It took me a moment to understand what he was saying and then I understood. "God, no, Emmett! I brought her breakfast and that was it," I told him, leaving out some of the other parts that I wanted to keep to myself.
He gave me a skeptical look. "Alright, if you insist."
"Yes, I insist," I said before I left him to his work and went to check on everyone else.
(Bella's POV)
That night…
After I had finished breakfast this morning, I went out onto the deck and found out that we had been making good time when we left port early this morning.
Now I was leaning against the railing of the Dawn, just thinking and humming mindlessly. The both crews had both retired for the night, so I was the only one on deck. My hair was held back with a bandana, keeping it from blowing it into my face.
"You have a beautiful voice," someone said from behind me. I jumped and spun around to find Edward walking towards me.
I felt my cheeks heat up as I blushed. "T-thank you," I stuttered out. Come on, Bella. Can't you say two words without stuttering around him?
He chuckled and came to stand next to me. He was looking at me in a way that I had never seen him do before. Then he was closer to me then he was a second ago and my breath hitched and stopped completely. He brought his hand up and gently slid off the bandana that was holding my hair up. My hair tumbled down passed my shoulders and started to blow gently in the wind. Edward ran his fingers through my hair gently, smiling a small smile the entire time. "I like it when you wear your hair down," was his explanation. I could only nod, seeing as I had just regained my ability to breathe.
I could feel the heat of his body radiating off of him, he was so close to me. The mixture of his heat and the coolness of the ocean breeze made me shiver. Edward noticed. "Are you cold?"
"A little, but I'm fine," I said, looking away from him.
"Are you sure?" he asked, concern in his emerald eyes that seemed to glitter in the moonlight. The way that he was looking at me made me shiver again (but in a good way, I think). "Well, that answers that question," he said, shoving himself off the railing.
He walked behind me and then I jumped when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist from the back. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"Keeping the captain warm, of course. Can't have the captain getting sick, now can we?" he asked as he pressed his chest to my back. The heat of his body warmed me almost instantly and it felt extremely good. I knew that he wasn't going to let go, so I leaned back against him, relishing the moment.
We were quiet for a moment, and then Edward asked, "What was that song you were humming earlier? It was beautiful."
"It was a song that my mother used to sing to father and me when I was young. She taught it to me before she died. My father used to sing it to me before I went to sleep after she died." I said this quietly, not wanting to shed any tears because of the memories.
"Will you sing it for me, please?" he asked, just as quiet. I smiled and complied with his wish. (song on website)
Somewhere beyond the sea
Somewhere waiting for me
My lover stands on golden sands
And watches the ships that go sailing
Somewhere beyond the sea
He's there watching for me
If I could fly like birds on high
Then straight to his arms I'd go sailing
I felt Edward lightly kiss the top of my head and then he rested his chin on the top of my head as I sang.
It's far beyond the stars
It's near beyond the moon
I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon
We'll meet beyond the shore
We'll kiss just like before
Happy we will be beyond the sea
And never again I'll go sailing
Sailing
Edward tightened his grip on my waist and I looked up at him as I sang. He smiled down at me and I smiled back and continued with my song.
We'll meet, I know we'll meet beyond the shore
We'll kiss just as before
Happy we'll be beyond the sea
And never again I'll go sailing
Sailing
No more sailing
No more sailing
When I finished, I was smiling, remembering the times that my mother sang this to me and my father.
"That was beautiful, Bella," Edward whispered into my hair. He pressed his soft lips to my temple. They seemed to linger there for longer than his other kisses, but I didn't say anything.
I giggled a sad giggle. "The song wasn't necessarily true when it can to my parents' whereabouts, but it was right about everything else."
"I'm sure they loved each other very much," Edward whispered.
I leaned back against his chest and sighed. "They did," I whispered, agreeing with him.
Edward and I were quiet for a while, neither of saying anything. The only sound that was heard was the sound of our breathing and the gentle lapping of the waves hitting the side of the ship below us.
He sighed after a few minutes of our comfortable silence. "I think it's time that we went to bed. It's very late."
I sighed as well. "I guess you're right," I said and he unwrapped his arms around with one last kiss on the top of my head. The sinking feeling that coursed trough my body when he did was one of the strongest I had ever felt in my life.
We walked back over to the captain's quarters and walked through the door. "Good night, Bella," Edward said, before he turned and started to head towards his room.
"Edward," I said, before he could make it all the way. He turned around and looked at me. I walked over to him and raised myself onto my tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for listening tonight," I whispered into his ear.
I lowered myself down onto the floor and saw that he was smiling. He nodded in response and then turned and walked into his room without another word.
I sighed when the door between us was closed. The feelings that had come over me today were some of the strangest, and most wonderful, that I had ever felt. The urge to feel them again was excruciating.
I made my way over to my hammock and removed my boots before laying down. I closed my eyes and dreamed my very first dreams of Edward Masen.
A/N: Well, there you go. I hope you liked it. And, once again, I'm sorry for the wait. And thanks for the reviews. I want to try to get to 100 with this chapter, I'm at 88 at the moment so only 12 more. It's not that hard. I'll take a two word review, if that's all you want to write. Alright, I'm going to stop rambling now. I'll update as soon as possible.
The song that Bella sings is on my website, so check that out. It really makes the scene better if you listen to the song with it.
Peace!
Kitti