Hey everyone. Thought I'd give ya some BPOV this time around. She may be speaking again, but there is a lot going on under the surface. Also a lot of Whale Wars events. And some E/B fluffiness. Please let me know what you think.

BPOV

Only hours ago I was nearly weightless beside Edward, flying in his helicopter over the vast expanse of the arctic ocean. Feeling an incredible sense of peace wash over me, even if just for a moment.

The water, the sky...the beautiful man beside me...for a moment nothing else existed. Not James, not Aro, not the whalers or the gun sitting in between our seats.

It was all gone. Completely swallowed by the beauty and danger of what was around us.

I knew I should have been afraid. I had heard my fair share of horror stories about sailors lost in the arctic. I knew the risks. But I couldn't be afraid. At least not for myself. If this water wanted to take me, there wasn't much I could do. I didn't have much to lose. I wasn't afraid of death.

I was afraid of losing Edward. It worried me to learn that he usually took these flights alone. It was the reason I had begged to come along, knowing full well the risks of his task.

I used to welcome death when I was aboard The Nomad. In my darkest hours I had prayed for it to just end, yet I never had the courage to try and end it myself. Now, as I learned more about Edward and his family, I was ashamed I had ever felt that way.

To the Cullens, life was so precious. Every life. Whether it be a human or a whale. To them, life was worth fighting for. As we flew in mostly silence, I promised myself that I would do the same from now on. I would fight for the right to live. I would use this journey as my second chance.

It had been such an emotional night. One I would never forget. Dredging up the turmoil of my past had been painful and yet....liberating. Being alone for so long, I finally felt as though I had someone on my side. A family on my side.

I could feel myself becoming attached to them. The danger that faced them brought out a side of me I hadn't known I obtained. I was becoming fiercely protective of them. To imagine even one of them hurt.... I couldn't bear the thought.

To imagine Edward hurt....fucking broke me.

As he had kissed my palm on the copter, I thought I was dreaming.

When Carlisle had asked the family to stay behind, I was reluctant to leave Edward's side. Something about this man was drawing me to him like a magnet. It was unexplainable.

My heart had attached itself to his without my knowledge or permission. It had only been a few weeks, but I knew I was in deep. His pain was my pain. His worry was my worry. His joy was my joy.

Is this what love really is? Could I call it love? No other word I could think of seemed to describe this warmth within me. But I held the word captive. I was in way out of my league.

And I couldn't let myself love him. After this was all over, I would have to leave. To start over again. A new name, a new town...everything had to be changed if I wanted to keep myself and those I loved safe.

As Carlisle called me back to them, my eyes filled with tears. I was family? I was family. And when this ship docked again, I would have to leave them. I would have to disappear.

Would it always be this way? Would I always have to run from those I loved just to keep them safe? Would it always hurt to love this much?

I did my best to keep my composure as I listened to Carlisle give us some insight on the Yushin Maru.

Carlisle and Esme were such peaceful, passionate people. Even in the face of the cruelty of humans, they were so wary of using violence. Carlisle hated guns. I could see the rest of his family weren't too fond of them either.

"...if things go wrong and we have to protect ourselves, we don't have the choice. I wish there was another way...."

The Cullens grew quiet. I wanted to help. Badly. In my head I ran through my list of chemical artillery. Maybe this time, I could use my tools for a good cause instead of a bad one.

"I know another way." I said. All eyes were on me.

Gulp.

"A few ways actually." I continued, shakily. "Ways you can get your message across without hurting anyone. Not to mention, making it impossible for them to finish their work."

"I'm listening, Bella." Carlisle said with gentle encouragement.

"Do you have any supplies of methocel on board?" I asked, cautiously. James had been especially fond of these little devils. "It is often used as a thickening compound for food... would you have any available, Rose?"

"I'll go look." she answered, immediately rising to her feet and heading towards the pantry.

"Methocel?" Esme said, looking confused.

"If I can get it in powder form, I can make methocel bombs..."

"Bombs!!!?" came a chorus of voices.

"Let me explain," I raised a hand, trying to calm them. "I pack the methocel tightly in paper packages. If we can get close enough to the ship to throw the packets on to their deck, they might do some damage. When the methocel breaks open onto the deck it just looks like a powdery mess. But the more water added in attempt to clean it up, the more slippery the deck becomes, making it almost impossible to walk on."

A sly grin appeared on Carlisle's face.

"That's genius, Bella! What else have you got up your sleeve?"

"Well it may take a while to make, but it could be useful in the future. I used to make butyric acid bottles....its basically the ultimate stink bomb. We could make a prop fouler or some flashbangs...."

I let myself start to ramble some of the less violent tools I had created for James. Often times his orders not only held these on their lists, but also deadly gas bombs or other devices that would cause deafness, blindness...you name it. These he sold to more of his serious clients. I was ashamed when I thought of what I had created and the people I had created it for.

But now I hoped that I could help. That my skills could be used to send a clear message and a nonviolent one.

I stopped rambling scientific jargon when I noticed the silence in the room. I slowly stopped moving my mouth and looked around. Everyone was looking at me with wide eyes and open mouths.

Shit. Was there something in my teeth? I ran a hand through my hair, not knowing what that looked like either. It had been a long night.

"W-what's wrong?" I asked hesitantly, looking to Edward for answers.

He shook his head and laughed, his eyes still wide with surprise as he looked at me. "Nothing's wrong, Bella....it's just..."

"It's just what?"

"Bella," came Carlisle's voice. "You've just changed the game plan. And things have definitely turned in our favor." He smiled approvingly. He took Esme's hand in his.

"Let's do it."

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Luckily, Rosalie had a decent amount of methocel in the cargo hold. Since most of the foods she made consisted of hot broth or soup, she always ordered some to keep in the hold in case things got a little thin.

I used the supply sparingly, hoping to make enough but to save what I could for the future.

I felt Edward's eyes on me, watching me carefully as I sifted through the powder, trying to make it finer, harder to clean up. I could do this shit blind folded by now.

In quick, easy motions, I measured the powder and packaged it, wrapping it perfectly and taping it into neat, taught bundles. Edward sat down beside me.

"Can I help?" he asked. I smiled at him and nodded. "Just show me what to do."

I measured out the methocel and placed the amounts in the center of the packaging paper. Slowing down my movements I showed him the perfect way to package it. It had to be tight enough to break on contact, but not tight enough to break in our hands.

He caught the hang of it, although he was slower at it. My years of practice left me with quick instinctive movements that finished the job quickly. Soon Alice had joined us, watching closely.

I started laughing out loud when I saw her doodling all over the brown paper bombs. Each one of them decorated with her handy work said, "Love Whales."

Alice Cullen was beyond adorable. Edward caught on to her and started chuckling as well, only to have Alice stick her tongue out at him.

Esme entered the room, catching our attention.

"Bella, Edward, why don't you two get something to eat and catch some sleep."

I looked up at the clock. It was almost eleven am. So much had happened in one night! My stomach, as though trying to make a closing argument in a courtroom, growled loudly, making me blush red.

"Are you sure there is enough time to sleep?" Edward asked. I was thankful he couldn't hear my stomach.

"Yes, you'll have time. The Yushin Maru is on the move. We are working to catch up to her. You both have done so much. Grab something to eat and get to bed for a few hours. You'll need your strength. I'll wake you as soon as we are in range."

She leaned down and kissed the top of Edward's head before leaving.

I followed Edward out the doors, almost audibly sucking in a breath as he reached for my hand again in the hallway. He wanted to hold my hand?

Get it together, Bella.

Rosalie made us some amazing grilled cheese which I hungrily devoured. I hadn't realized how hungry I was. I was so happy to be eating regular meals. I was much stronger now than I had been just weeks ago thanks to Rosalie's cooking.

After I had finished, she made us both a cup of tea and left to go find Emmett.

Being alone with Edward was peaceful and calm. There was something about him that just put me totally at ease. I just felt...safe. Breathing in deeply over my steaming cup of tea I gave him a soft smile with sleepy eyes.

I was drained. Emotionally, physically, mentally. When I looked up at Edward, I saw the same exhaustion written all over him.

"Are you feeling it too?" he grinned.

"Oh, you mean the utter exhaustion? Yep. I'm definitely feeling it." I laughed, taking a sip of my tea.

"Alice says you've had trouble sleeping at night." he said, his face more serious now. I nodded.

"It's not so bad..." I said, not wanting him to worry too much. "I just have...nightmares sometimes."

"Nightmares?" he asked curiously.

"About James, chasing me. Or my dad." I took a deep breath. "Or you."

Before he could say anything in response to that I continued.

"I know I wasn't scheduled for a radar shift last night, but I was hoping that if I stayed occupied, I would be able to avoid the nightmares for a night." I shrugged.

Edward's long elegant fingers traced the rim of his tea mug, his expression one of deep thought. After a moment he looked up at me.

"Can...Can I show you something, Bella?" he asked.

My tea mug still in hand, I followed him down the narrow hallway outside the galley and down a long corridor past mine and Alice's cabin.

I let my eyes wander over Edward as I followed him. I followed the mess of bronze hair on his head, down his neck, over his sweater, where I could see his shoulder blades and the strong V of his back.

And his ass. Oh my. Focus, Bella.

At very end of the passage was a small door with a round porthole window. Edward opened the door for me followed me in. I could feel his hand on the small of my back, guiding me inside. It sent sparks up my spine.

The room was small, and cluttered with books. It reminded me a lot of my room back at home and my bunk on The Swan 197. The bed was made...sort of. Charlie used to do the same thing, just pulling his covers up and calling it a day. It must be a guy thing. It made me smile.

Edward ran a nervous hand through his hair. "This is...uhh..this is my room." I looked up at him and grinned, spotting a faint blush on his cheeks. Something especially attractive about him was how shy he could be.

It was absolutely adorable.

I looked across the room to see another bunk, this side of the room more empty.

"That's Emmett's side." Edward explained. "He...well...he likes to stay with Rose most of the time."

He was watching me carefully as I took in his room. I hopped up onto his bed to get a better look at the books he kept on the shelf above. The man was well read. I fingered the spines of each novel, twisting my neck to read the titles.

Underneath the books were rows and rows of CDs. I was pleasantly surprised to find Debussy tucked away along with The Shins, Billie Holiday, Alexi Murdoch....he had excellent taste.

I felt his weight on the bed as he sat down behind me and reached across my shoulder to find one CD in particular. He was so close, I could feel his warm breath on my neck as he reached over me, pulling out a worn case.

"Sometimes when I can't sleep, I listen to this." He said, handing me the case. "I don't know if it will help you, but it's yours if you want it." He blushed again.

I smiled up at him thankfully, but I didn't want to leave yet. So instead I found his player and popped in the CD quickly, settling back down beside him. I pulled his blanket up over our legs as I sat down, noting the look of surprise on his face. Also noting that the look of surprise was accompanied by a crooked grin playing on his lips.

I blushed, hoping I wasn't being too forward as I sat down next to him. It had been a while since I was close to a man. And I wanted to be close to Edward. Even if just for a little while longer.

I listened as the sound began to trickle from the radio. There were no instruments, no voice or words....but the sound was mesmerizing and dream like. It was a sonar recording of whale songs.

"That's incredible, Edward." I said, eyes wide as I listened to the harmonic tones of these beautiful creatures. "Thank you." I whispered, looking into his vivid green eyes.

Before I could stop myself, I placed a small kiss on his cheek, giving both of us blazing cheeks and foolish grins.

The dream like quality of the whale songs must have effected us both, because before I knew it, I was falling asleep, still sitting up, resting my head on Edward's broad chest. His heart beat slowing to a regular pace and his breath becoming slow and even.

This was heaven. I let myself give in completely to my subconscious. No dreams haunted me, no evil men were chasing me. I was just here. Sleeping in Edward's arms.

I didn't know how much time had passed when I finally awoke. I opened my eyes slowly, finding myself in a different position than before. I was on my side, with my upper half laying across Edward's lap, my face turned towards his torso and my arms wrapped around his waist.

I looked up to see Edward still fast asleep. He was still sitting up, but he looked comfortable, leaning back on his pillows. His arm was on my back, as though he had almost been cradling me.

His face was even more perfect as he slept. His long lashes cast perfect shadows on his cheeks. His full lips were parted just slightly and his eye brows were knitted in a dream.

I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to kiss him so bad.

I was wide awake now. Hyper aware of how close we were. My thoughts were racing. He had never moved me or tried to get away from me. His arms were around me like he wanted to hold me.

Did he want to? Did he like this as much as I did?

Jesus, Bella. Shut up.

What do I do now? Do I get up? Or should I just not move and enjoy this as long as I can? What if he wakes up and realizes how uncomfortable he is with me just laying in his lap?

What if he thinks I'm a clingy, emotional freak? What if...what if...what if...

Suddenly I felt soft fingers on my cheek. I looked up to see Edward looking down at me with a curious expression on his face.

"What are you thinking about?" he said, concerned. Obviously my mess of thoughts had appeared on my face because Edward was reading my expression suspiciously. "You looked anxious. Did you sleep okay?"

I carefully sat up and stretched. "I slept wonderfully."

"No nightmares?"

"None whatsoever." I smiled. He grinned back at me.

"So the CD worked it's magic?"

I doubt it was just the CD. I nodded, laughing at his triumphant smile.

I heard movement from outside his door and nearly jumped into his lap when Emmett crashed through.

"Edward - oh! Heyyyyyy Bells!" He gave Edward a knowing grin and a wink.

Boys.

"Dad wants you in the air. We're in range now and he needs a pair of eyes from up top before we come up on their port side. Want me to come along?"

Edward and I both rose to our feet. Time for reality.

"Sure thing, Em. Just let me grab my gear."

"Okay, but just make sure we're back in time for the fun. I want to throw some shit at those assholes. Bella save a few packets for me, okay?"

"Of course." I laughed. With that Emmett turned on his heal and headed up to the top deck. Edward was throwing on his boots and looking around the room for various warm pieces of clothing.

He was almost ready, but seemed to be missing something. He ruffled through his closet, looking up and down for it. I spotted what I thought he was looking for hanging on his bed post.

I pulled the wool scarf from its hiding place and held it reverently in my hands.

"Is this what you're looking for?" I asked. He stopped his fruitless searching and turned to me, smiling with relief when he saw the scarf.

I bit my lip nervously. I didn't want him to go. All the worst scenarios were running through my head. I imagined the copter plummeting into the sea, carrying him along with it. And me, helplessly stuck on board unable to do anything but watch.

I shuddered at the thought.

Taking a step closer to him, I wrapped the scarf carefully around his neck, making sure it was knotted and warm enough. Edward watched me carefully, his expression one I couldn't quite read. When I was finished, I let my hands rest on his chest just a moment too long.

"Just...just be careful. Please." I said in a small voice, unable to meet his eyes. I felt the pad of his thumb on my cheek.

"Always, Bella." he promised.

Before I knew it I was watching from the wheel house as the copter lifted off into the blue, afternoon sky. Tensions were high on board. Everyone was anxious.

All the crew members, including me, were geared up in thick, wintry coats and pants. My supply of methocel bombs were being kept in a container on top deck.

I joined Alice as we listened to Edward's radio transmissions, waiting for news of the harpoon vessel we were about to confront. The vessel that was now speeding through the waves at an alarming rate.

I heard Edward's voice patch through the radio.

"Dad - Dad they've got Minke's to their port bow. There's guys at the harpoons. You've gotta catch up to them. Now. The whales are going at least 17 knots to get away from this ship."

"Alright, Edward. We're moving as fast as we can."

"No-no...Dad...you have to hurry. Oh my God...Dad..."

I heard panic over take Edward's voice and fear gripped my chest. I ran to the window and looked out. We were close enough now to see clearly. Only a few hundred yards separated the two vessels.

I left the wheel house and looked to The Yushin Maru. I sucked in a breath of icy air as I saw it.

There was blood in the water.

Sorry about the cliffie. I promise to update soon. :) Please review and let me know what you think.