A/N: Okay… so sorry I put some of you in tears. I was almost in tears writing it. Anyway the story must go on.

Chapter 11

When I woke in the morning Edward had gone. The bed was too cold and the sun was too bright. I got up and threw a blanket over my curtains to block out the sun that decided to show up on a completely dreary day.

My phone buzzed and I rolled over and picked it up. "What?" I groaned into the phone.

"Hey Bella! A couple of us were going to savor the day today and head over to Port Angeles to go kayaking. Do you want to go?" Mike's too hopeful voice came over the phone.

I immediately chastised myself for not looking at the caller ID. "Um, I'm feeling sort of melancholy today. I wouldn't be much fun." I looked up at the ceiling trying to find objects in the dots.

"Aw, that's why we're getting together. We rarely get sunny days. Please Bella. If you don't go Angela will be all by herself." Mike practically begged me.

He knew if he would pull the guilt card I would give in. "Fine, but I'm not going to enjoy it."

I could just see him smiling on the other end of the phone. "Great! I'll swing over around ten to pick you up!"

"Bye Mike." I yawned and slammed my phone shut. What a horrible wake up call.

I crawled out of bed and into my bathroom. On the mirror was taped a simple white envelope with my name written eloquently in Edward's calligraphy. I pulled it off the mirror and opened the envelope carefully so it wouldn't tear too badly. I unfolded the paper and my eyes ran over the words.

Good Morning Beautiful,

I already miss you. My heart aches a thousand times only from the pain of leaving you. Don't mope around though… have fun. Do something you've never done! Try new things and succeed at them.

PS. Keys to my truck are in the ignition out front.

Keep my heart safe,

Edward

I guess it's like they say… it's the simple things in life.

EPOV

My phone vibrated against my leg signaling that my alarm was going off. My eyes flickered open and darted toward Bella's beautiful face. She was sleeping deeply mumbling my name every few minutes. I slowly slid my arms out from around her and stood up heading toward the shower. I grabbed a towel from her cabinet and slipped into the shower going through the routine of the day.

When I finished drying off and dressing I walked back into Bella's room. She had shifted positions and her arms were subconsciously searching for me. My phone buzzed and I had a text from Jake saying he was outside waiting for me. I ran into the bathroom and taped the letter on the mirror. Bella was still sleeping soundly so I walked over and placed a light kiss on her lips and then another one on her forehead.

I slipped out of the house and grabbed my suitcase from the cab of my old truck. Jake was sleepily behind the wheel of the car and nodded in greeting as I climbed into his Rabbit.

"Good morning." He yawned.

I shrugged. "Not really, let's go before I change my mind." I groaned.

He laughed. "Told you so."

We arrived in Port Angeles roughly thirty minutes later and it didn't take long before we were loading up the old busses and heading toward our destination. I had dozed off to sleep when the sound of an air horn stirred me from my dream of Bella.

"Okay! You are about to go through thirteen weeks of pure hell! This is where we will separate the boys from the men. Do you hear me?" A burly man dressed in camo shouted at us.

"Yes sir." Everyone shouted.

"What did you say?" He yelled back.

"Sir, yes sir." They all yelled and I joined in sitting up straight.

"That's what I'm talking about. Consider this your last day in the life of a regular civilian. Your life changes now!" He sat down and everyone relaxed.

A couple of hours later Jake slid into my seat and slumped down low. I didn't understand what he was doing until I heard Bella's musical laugh.

"Mike! Don't you dare touch me!" She yelled.

My eyes grew wide. No cell phones were permitted at boot camp unless you wanted them confiscated. "Jake, what are you doing?" I whisper shouted.

He grinned his signature grin. "I'm talking to your girlfriend. Do you want to talk to her? Mike's trying to worm his way into her heart."

"Mike! If you tip that kayak I'm going to get those La Push boys over here to get you. I have them on speed dial! Now stop trying to tip Angela!" She yelled at him through fits of giggles. My heart leaped. I thought she would be down in the dumps… leave it to Mike to aggravate the mess out of someone.

"Yeah, let me talk to her." I grabbed the phone from Jake and pressed the ear piece to my ear. "Bella?"

She gasped. "Edward? Oh Edward I miss you." She breathed into the phone. Her mood went from happy to depressed in two seconds flat.

"I miss you too. So, you went kayaking?" I tried to cheer up her mood.

"Yeah, Mike guilted me into it. I wish you were here though. I'm hopeless without you helping me." She giggled.

I tried to stifle a laugh. "Only thirteen weeks." I sighed.

"I love you Edward." She whispered into the phone.

I didn't have time to reply because someone snatched the phone from my hand. I looked up to see the drill sergeant guy with Jake's phone in his hand. "What ARE you doing?" His face was deep red with anger.

Jake grew tense and I looked over and he was trying not to laugh. Leave it to Jake to be the one to laugh when we were going to get hell from this guy. "Um, I was just talking to my girlfriend."

The drill sergeant laughed a rumbling laugh. "Oh really?" He picked up the phone. "Hello? Is this Mr. Masen's girlfriend?" He said into the phone.

I heard Bella's innocent voice come over the phone. "Yes."

He laughed. "Well, NEVER CALL THIS NUMBER AGAIN." Then he used a word that a man should never call a lady.

That sent me over the edge. I jumped up and grabbed the phone from him sending him flying backwards as the bus came to a halt. I started throwing punches at him and he used one hand to push me back into the seat as Jake held me back.

"It's not worth it dude." He whispered under his breath.

A man dressed in Dress Blues came up the steps and examined the picture in front of him. "You." He spoke to me and gestured with his finger for me to follow him. I stepped over the man on the floor and followed the man out of the bus. I realized that we were at the camp.

I hesitantly followed the man into the barbed wire fence and into the offices. The cool air hit me and it helped to cool down my tension. He led me into an office marked Headmaster Grey.

"Please sit." He gestured toward the leather seat.

I tried to read his masked expression as I took my seat in the squeaky chair. "Listen sir, I'm really sorry for my actions. He just called my fiancé something and I couldn't let him degrade her like that." I looked at the floor ready for an outbreak.

"I understand son. Just be thankful that guy isn't your drill sergeant. I admire your guts though. No need to apologize. Don't let it happen again though." He stood up and patted my back. "Now get out there!"

I stood up and saluted him. "Sir, yes sir."

I walked out of the office and silently said a prayer thanking God for letting me out of there alive. I found our bus outside and Jake tossed me my bag as I fell into line. "Right, right, right, left, right." Another man was leading our line toward some shabby looking barracks.

We marched in and it was every man for himself on finding a bed. There were about ten bunk beds along two walls. Jake and I darted for a bunk to share. He took top and I took bottom. I barely had time to throw my bag on the bed when I heard a shrill whistle come from the double doors.

"LINE UP!" Someone shouted.

I scrambled from where I was and stood in salute as the man (who I assumed was the drill sergeant) walked down the middle of the two rows of guys. "When I or someone higher rank than you walks through the doors, you will salute them. Is that understood?"

I placed my hand against my forehead in a salute. "Sir, yes sir."

"Very well. You are expected to be ready by 6 am sharp. From there we will have our morning 5-mile run and then breakfast. After breakfast will be our drills. After drills is lunch. For the rest of the day we will have classes. You will have shower break until dinner. After dinner you have free time. We will rotate different schedules every other week. Sometimes we will have classes in the morning and then drills in the afternoon. You have Sundays off every week. The weeks that we have drills in the afternoon are the weeks you have Saturdays off also. On Saturdays you need to be back by 1 am. On regular days lights are out at 12. " He looked us in the eyes. "Is that understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" We all yelled back.

He turned on his heel and as he walked out the door he yelled. "Dinner at 5:30."

Everyone calmed when the door had slammed shut. I turned back to Jake and he grinned. "Welcome to your new life buddy."

I sighed. "Yes, welcome."

A/N: So… Edward's off to boot camp. He got caught talking to Bella. Edward never gets caught! Anyway hope you liked it. I'm completely beat from the Seafood Festival so I hope it's good!

Review like you know you should!

Kayla