^^TotS^^

EPOV

"Good morning," Bella calls out cheerily, approaching my car. I would've come into the hotel lobby to find her, but she beat me to the punch and met me in the parking lot. She's got her anvil backpack slung over her shoulder, her hair is up in a high pony tail, and she's wearing sinfully short denim shorts and a pink top tied at her stomach, showing off her midriff.

Wow. With just a simple hello, she captures me with the same gregarious nature she's had since we met up again on Sunday. And physically? Man, her outfit seems to only enhance this pull I'm feeling inside me whenever I'm within ten feet of this girl or even talking to her on the phone.

"Morning. How's the double earache?" I question, concerned, while doing my best not to study her slender thighs.

She scrunches up her nose in an endearing way, not that I notice or anything, and shrugs. "Still hurts a bit, but it's not tender to the touch the way it was on Sunday. God Bless the Motrin," she chuckles, strapping on her seat belt.

She gasps and points to my legs. "What? No black socks and sandals?"

I let out a throaty chuckle. "I decided to play that card when you least expect it. Keep you on your toes, you know? If you knew it was going to happen today, the thrill of it would be lost!"

She giggles at my ridiculous answer. "I see. So you want to knock my socks off on the day you have your socks on…this isn't your first rodeo, is it cowboy? Well played, my friend," she nods, knowingly and then smiles again. "So where to, Cap'n?"

I roll my eyes, smirking, as she throws my rank at me. Perhaps I should tell her that I'm about to be promoted to Major. "Well, if you haven't eaten breakfast yet, I know of a phenomenal place for pancakes…sound good?"

"Sounds great! I love pancakes. Is it in downtown Honolulu?"

"Nahh, it's back in Kailua," I say, realizing just how ludicrous it sounds that I drove all the way out here, and we're basically driving back to my neck of the woods now.

Her eyes pop open and she juts out her chin. "Well, why the heck did you offer to pick me up? I could've driven out to your base if we were going to start the day out by you!"

Logic isn't registering at the moment. I knew I wanted pancakes from Boots and Kimo's; it's been over eight months since I was there last. Plus, I'm supposed to be the tour guide …what kind of leader would I be if we didn't start our day with the best breakfast on the island? This HAD to happen.

I dismiss her concerns with a wave of my hand. "It's no big deal! We can find some stuff to do up near Kaneohe. I can show you around the base up there. There's a great hiking trail with three peaks that my Marines have spoken about. I've never been, but it sounds like the views from the summit are amazing. Would you be up for it?"

"Well, it just so happens I have plenty of supplies in my little bag of tricks here," she says, pointing to her backpack.

I raise my eyebrows in challenge. "Yeah, I think we both know that your 'little bag of tricks' ain't so little. What does it weigh today?"

She busts out with a 'pshhaw', as if I weren't the one on the receiving end of the clobbering last weekend and don't know what I'm talking about! Silly girl.

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic. I think today, it's like, twenty pounds at the absolute MOST!" She puts both her palms up, stressing her point. If she slugs me again on the nose, I suppose I'll be able to measure its gross tonnage. I'm hoping for an injury-free day for both of us, though. I have no interest in wasting any more Bella-time at Tripler, that's for sure.

"Okay, then. What've you brought with you, so I know what we can aim for?"

She pulls her sunglasses down over her eyes and then starts tapping each finger, rattling off everything that's taken up residence in her bag today. "A whole new change of clothes, bathing suit, towel, sunblock, bug repellant, camera, two bottles of water, a few oranges, trail mix, granola bars, socks, sneakers and some other girly toiletries that you probably wouldn't want me to detail."

I lean forward, checking the oncoming traffic and huffing through my smile. "Yeah, please don't fill in the blanks for the girly stuff. I'm on estrogen-powered overload after spending a few days last week with my mom, sister and niece back in Monterey."

"Kept you up late doing your hair and painting your toenails, did they?" Her face is crinkled up in question while nodding, looking like she's feeling sorry for me. This girl.

"THE most putrid shade of pink! I specifically asked for a deep sangria and they slapped a double coat of bubblegum on me! I'll never go back to that salon," I deadpan, going right along with the joke until she crumbles into a fit of hysterics.

"Don't you just hate it," she's gasping for air through her laughter, "when they screw up the polish?"

I just shake my head, disgusted. "Like you wouldn't believe."

She's doubled over at this point, clutching her stomach. "Stop! I'm getting a cramp from laughing! Should I prepare myself for more of the same as the day goes on? You had me in stitches through most of that ER visit and then even more so with your people-watching commentary at the pharmacy! Are you always this funny?"

I shrug, smiling that I've made her laugh so much, so early in our day. "I'd like to think I have a good sense of humor…it gets kinda dusty when you're barking orders all day and doing…y'know…house calls." I cringe at the end of my statement. I told myself a dozen times last night I was going to steer clear of CACO talk. Ugh.

She huffs, nodding, as her laughter subsides. "Yeah, I'd imagine you don't really get to show that side of yourself too often." She draws in a big breath. "I can't imagine what that must be like for you," she mutters quietly, then turns to stare out the passenger window.

"Hey," I call out softly, to avoid startling her from the somber moment that leveled the humor surrounding us thirty seconds ago, "no CACO stuff today, okay? If you ever want to know about my job, I promise I'll share some stuff with you another time, but for now, I've got pancakes and hiking on the brain."

She smiles and in my periphery, I can see she turns to look at me.

"Fair enough," she says, nodding.

^^TotS^^

"Holy. Flurking. Schnit!" Bella exclaims, her eyes rolling back in her head and her mouth glistening with the remnants of her latest bite of mac nut pancakes. I do my best not to stare at the tiny dab of creamy syrup that's sitting on the corner of her mouth.

Oh, how the creative yet vulgar mind could wander on that visual, but NO, not going there.

I nod, eyes wide. "Told you," I exclaim, pointing my fork at her. "You think we could've eaten this well in Honolulu? Hell, no. This—" I circle my fork through the air, acknowledging the restaurant as a whole, "this was a necessity. Boots and Kimo's is known for their macadamia nut pancakes and special syrup!"

She moans and groans, shaking her head from side to side as she enjoys another bite. I moan and groan too, inwardly, but for a whole different set of reasons.

"I might need to come back here before I leave this island," she adds before taking a drink of milk, but right now I'm stuck on the idea of her leaving the island. Not the most pleasant thought at the moment.

"You leaving already? You just got here!" I smile and grab my orange juice, trying to stay cool as a cucumber.

She chuckles. "No, I have several places I want to check out on Oahu, but I also know I have lots of plans to enjoy the Big Island, Maui and Kauai, too! I have to figure out how to make my calendar work around everything I want to do. Suddenly I'm worried the entire summer might not be enough, hahaha."

I smile at her giddiness. "Sounds like you have quite the summer planned, well, imagined is a better word I guess, considering you have no solid plans. This is the only island with military bases and lodging, though," she nods as I continue, "I mean, aside from a few Coast Guard stations and recruiting depots. I take it you'll be forking over most of your hotel expenses off Oahu, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I assumed would happen. It's no big deal though, I've saved up for this trip for a couple of years now; I'm ready for anything!" She grins and shoves another forkful of pancake in her mouth.

I wipe my mouth and drop my napkin on my plate. I demolished my short stack and Portuguese sausages in record time, I'd been craving them for so long. Bella's enjoying her full dining experience, though. Savoring every bite, it seems. You won't hear me complaining. I'm having a little too much fun watching her mouth and the facial expressions that accompany her gratification.

Ten minutes later, Bella pushes her chair back and pats her completely flat, non-existent belly. "That was freakin' phenomenal. Good call on the pancakes." She gulps down the last of her milk and stands. "I just need to use the bathroom quickly and then we can take off, 'kay?"

"I'll be here." I smile as she grabs her purse and walks off. I flag down the waitress and pay the bill for our breakfast. As I'm placing the money for the tip under the sugar caddy, Bella returns.

"Should I grab the waitress to give us our bill?" She questions, reaching for her wallet.

"Oh no, I took care of it. We're all set!"

She smiles pensively, "You didn't have to do that, Edward. But thank you. Breakfast was awesome…the food and the company."

I grab my keys and shades from the table. Putting them on, I grin and say, "Couldn't agree more."

^^TotS^^

We choose to only hike up the first of the three peaks at Olomana. The stories of the treacherous trails between the second and third peak are nothing to sneeze at. As we're climbing the more than sixteen hundred feet of elevation, Bella tells me how her parents would freak out if they knew she was being such a daredevil. I hear about how she grew up on Long Island in New York, in the modest town of East Islip where her parents still reside. Her parents are teachers, and though they never pressured her toward that career, she knew she always wanted to be an elementary school teacher as well. She attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington to study and met her late husband there.

"Mike was visiting with a friend for the weekend because they were planning to enroll the following semester as a part of the university's cooperative program with the local military bases. Mike was stationed at Lejeune at the time, the satellite courses were in New River and Wilmington was only an hour south of there," she shrugs. "It all worked out. The friend he was bunking with for the weekend ended up hooking up with my roommate at a party. Since I was basically kicked out of my dorm so they could get it on, Mike and I went to a local pizza joint and hung out there until they closed at three in the morning."

I'm smiling, listening to her story. "So where did you go when you had to leave the pizza place?" I ask when we pause to drink from our bottles of water.

"We ended up in the common room lounge of my dorm, watching movies until we passed out. He was sweet," she recalls. "Nothing happened between us, but we exchanged phone numbers and email addresses since we were suddenly thrust together because my roommate, Bree, and his best friend became an item. Mike and I didn't officially go on a non-platonic date for another five months. By then, we were best buddies and it just felt comfortable and fun to be together. When he asked me to marry him after my graduation, I didn't even hesitate. My parents were best friends before they got married, so it felt right. And it was right for those two years…and then…well, you know the rest…" she trails off and starts walking again.

As we continue to ascend, we play it smart and safe and grab onto the ropes the trail offers when we feel it necessary. One and a half miles of steep uphill climbing later, we see the summit is within our grasp. "Come on, Cap'n…race ya to the top!"

She takes off with her laughter still floating in the air behind her. I chuckle and pick up my speed, having no intention of attempting to pass her on this narrow and hazardous trail. I know she just wanted to lighten the mood from where her story ended a little while ago.

Once we reach the top, breathing heavily and gulping down the remaining water in our bottles, we pause to take in the view.

"God, this is incredible," she sighs and bends down to rifle through her pack, pulling out her camera.

The three-hundred sixty degree vista is absolutely amazing. We can see the Mokapu Peninsula, home to the Marine Base and parts of Kailua. Looking out toward the Enchanted Lakes subdivision of Kailua, the view even extends to the two islands of Mokulua in Kailua Bay, and the Lanikai Pillboxes. It's an incredible bird's eye view. Behind us is deep forest green for miles of mountainous miles.

I shake my head in awe, appreciating the majesty of the moment, and I look over at Bella. Is she swiping a tear from her face?

Careful to mind my footing, I step closer to her. "Hey…you okay?" I ask, genuinely worried.

She smiles and wipes her fingers across the apples of her cheeks. "I'm fine, really. These tears are maybe eighty percent appreciation for the natural beauty that God created and the other twenty percent is a combination of pride that I'm taking this trip on my own, mixed in with sadness knowing Mike will never see it."

I inch a little closer to her, not wanting to crowd the moment with words that fall flat or apologies that aren't really mine to make, so I just stand silently next to her for a couple of minutes. She takes a few deep breaths and turns to me. "I'm good now. It was a moment…it passed," she smiles and then holds up her camera.

"All right you. You have a longer wingspan than I do, so you get to take the self portrait of us up here. Deal?"

I grin, happily taking the camera from her, and we turn so the best view of the ocean is behind us. Before I take the picture though, I turn to her on a whim and speak the thought that just popped into my head. "Bella…I think Mike has the best view of all right now."

She presses her lips together, her throat swallowing tightly as her eyes get glassy once more. "Thank you," she whispers, "I think you might be right."

We reposition ourselves once more for our self-portrait. In the moment before I push the shutter, I feel her tip her head toward mine, fairly close to resting on my shoulder, and my smile rapidly grows to ten times the size it was just a second ago.

After taking three shots to make sure we got at least one good one— I was under strict orders— we share a pack of peanut butter granola bars, down another bottle of water and gear up to start the trek back down.

"I'm gonna be exhausted when we reach sea level, you know?" She laughs, turning toward me. "I hope you didn't plan to teach me to surf or anything this afternoon."

I laugh at the thought. "No. No surfing lessons today, although that does sound like fun. But I guess you want me to cancel that all-night dance competition I entered us in, huh?"

This time it's her laugh that barks into the air. "Only if you hold me on your hip the whole time; otherwise, you're gonna need to call up one of the lovely ladies who have been blowing up your phone today," she snickers and stumbles a bit, but rights herself before landing on her ass.

"Ladies? What ladies? I'm a lonely old soul," I joke back. Has my cell been ringing today? Yes. I ran into Maggie at the PX yesterday. She was supposed to be my date to the Marine Corps Ball last year before I got the last minute word that I was getting deployed. I suppose she's waiting for that date. I also received a call from my sister making sure I was still alive, because I completely forgot to call them when I got back to Hawaii. I was a bit preoccupied with the brunette currently blazing the trail in front of me. The third phone call I got was, in fact, from a former friend with benefits, Leah. She's a fellow Marine assigned to a different company at Kaneohe. She's a First Lieutenant, so for now, I could still date her if I wanted and not get into fraternization issues with my command, but as soon as I pin on for Major, she's off limits as far as I'm concerned. One up, one down…that's the policy that we have to follow. But again, my thoughts have only been on Bella since she sat next to me on the plane. I'll have to call Leah back eventually, but for now, I let it go to voicemail. Three phone calls…that's it.

Bella quirks her eyebrow at me. "Lonely old soul, huh? I don't buy it…you're what? Thirty maybe?"

"Thirty-three actually, less than a month from thirty-four if I'm being honest," I reply as we navigate down a steep decline, hanging onto the ropes while we take tentative steps.

"Thirty-four! Sheesh! You are an old man!" She cackles and I sprinkle some water on my hands and flick my fingers at her neck, causing her to squeal but then confess that it feels good because of all the sweating. "Well anyway, it sounded like several people were trying to track you down earlier!"

"Aside from my sister, the others weren't anybody important enough to disturb our breakfast or the hike."

She chuckles. "I bet they would disagree, sir! Seriously, how are you not lazing around in a girlfriend's bed right now? Having a hula girl give you a private show in your living room?"

"Listen to you! If you must know, I'm presently in between relationships, and that's the way I like it."

Bella stops short and grabs her ankle, pulling it tightly behind her thigh, flexing her quad. She starts to wobble, so I step forward as she reaches out and puts her hand on my wrist to gain her balance.

"Hold up a second. You like being single?" she asks, incredulously.

Since we're pausing for a moment, I find a rock and allow my heel to drop off the edge, giving my calf a stretch that feels so good it borders on orgasmic.

"Well, I don't know that I like being single. I certainly don't stay away from…company…to put it nicely," I watch her shake her head with an adorable smirk on her face, "but in my line of work, seeing what I do in a combat situation…performing my CACO duties when the worst occurs," I look off toward the ocean gathering my thoughts, "I guess I just think it's better not to get attached. I've witnessed too much heartbreak." I switch ankles and continue. "My dad was killed in a Cobra helo crash when I was nine years old. I don't think my mom's ever fully recovered." After Bella finishes stretching her other quad, we start walking again.

"So you'd rather go through life without surrendering to love? To protect what your heart probably wants desperately, but you let your head talk you out of it?"

I raise my eyebrows at her analysis. "If you want to look at it that way…then yeah, I guess so. Why would I want to do that to somebody I professed to love?"

She shrugs as she grabs the rope on a particularly perilous drop. "It just sounds like you're assuming the worst will always happen…seems sad."

I laugh sarcastically and nod. "Yeah, well…when the worst does happen, it's really sad."

I hear her hum and we continue down for another twenty minutes or so in veritable silence. At the next almost-plateau, we stop for more water, and she takes out two oranges, offering me one in silence.

"No, thanks. I'll just take the water."

She peels the rind and bites into a section with a slight grimace.

"No good?" I question, surprised.

She shrugs, seeming unimpressed. "They're not clementines. I can't wait for my cuties to come back in season. I swear I can go through a crate in a few days. They're so freakin' juicy and sweet."

I smile at her description. "Juicy and sweet, huh?" Sorta like her. "When are they in season?"

She purses her lips in thought. "Around late October is when I start seeing them in North Carolina stores and it usually lasts through February. After that, I have to subsist on these poor excuses for sweet oranges, but they just don't cut it."

Silence descends again but then Bella speaks up. "Listen, I didn't mean to insult you back there about your attitudes about relationships. And I'm really sorry to hear about your dad. I just see things differently, I guess."

I'm kind of shocked hearing her thoughts on the matter. Of all the people on the planet, I would think she'd understand wanting to minimize the possibility of heartache. Her husband was killed and she lost a baby all inside of two weeks a few years back. I don't even know how she's still standing right now, to be honest.

"No offense taken. I just saw what my dad's death did to my mom. That's why my sister and niece still live with her. Lauren—that's my sister— is worried to leave. They've been best friends for as long as I can remember. I guess Lauren's worried my mom will be too lonely if she and Bailyn take off."

Bella smiles. "Bailyn's your niece?"

I nod, mirroring her smile. "Yeah, she's my little goofball. The way her four-year-old mind works is just hilarious. She cracks me up all the time. She demanded that we Skype at least three times a week while I was in Afghanistan, and I followed those orders whenever I was able. My mom and sister would walk around in the background and check in with a quick hello, but Bailyn would talk my ear off for at least twenty minutes every time we were on the computer together. She's a hoot." I laugh thinking about all the wacky things that come flying out of her mouth.

Bella looks at me skeptically. "You sound pretty enamored with that little girl. You sure you're not daddy material, Captain Masen?"

I shake my head. "Honestly, I can't see it. If I don't want to commit to a wife, I certainly wouldn't want to just have a kid with any random girl - a kid who'd be out there relying on me for the rest of his or her life," I shrug, resigned. "It's just not for me."

Bella's lips twist and she bobs her head. With a final lift of her eyebrows, she declares, "Well, I hope you change your mind someday." She stands up and dusts herself off. "I think you'd make a great daddy."

I smile because there's really nothing else to do. I've never even allowed myself to think about marriage and children. I'm trying to circumvent pain for everyone. It just seems like the right thing to do.

It's hard to imagine my life any other way at this point. I'm content with the way things are…at least I have been. But that thing that Bella said about not surrendering to love. That was awfully dramatic, right?

I mean, come on. I've made it almost thirty-four years without the need for commitment to a wife and children. I haven't gotten close to what I believe 'surrendering to love' would feel like. I really don't think my head has talked me out of anything.

I'm good. It's all good.

^^TotS^^

After the hike, I brought Bella back to my house to allow her to freshen up. She asked if we could go to the Honolulu Zoo before I dropped her off for the evening. I haven't been to a zoo in I don't know how long, so it sounded like a great plan to me.

We grab a quick lunch at Subway on the base and eat it in the car on our way back to Honolulu. We made a great team because we were both craving two different kinds of chips. She got the honey-barbeque Frito twists and I got the Cool Ranch Doritos, so we're happily sharing our bags and munching on our subs.

We've finished eating and are almost through the surrounding national forest reserves on Likelike Highway…and if I'm not mistaken, I hear Bella humming something.

I bend my head toward her and furrow my brow in concentration. "Is— is that— are you humming the theme to Jurassic Park right now?"

She gets a huge smile on her face and starts "da-da-da'ing" the Jurassic Park theme at the top of her lungs. I almost swerve off the road from her volume and my convulsive laughter.

"I'M SORRY! I just couldn't take it anymore! How can you look at all of these crazy green, forest-covered mountains and not sing that theme song? It's impossible!" She's stating her case as vehemently as possible. Her hands are waving around in the car pointing out my window and hers. "Look at this place! Wasn't it filmed here or something? I feel like a freaking herd of Brachiosaurs are gonna come stomping out of the hills!"

I shrug nonchalantly, figuring I can get a rise out of her with my non-reaction. "I don't know. I've been driving these roads for nearly three years and I've never busted out in song. I think you're just weird." I start laughing, no longer able to keep my cool.

"Well, clearly you're a robot! If there's a Jurassic Park tour, you're totally taking me on it. That's your penance for calling me weird."

Yeah, I have to confess, spending more time with Bella really isn't going to feel like penance, but I continue to play along anyway.

I sigh, dramatically. "If I must."

"You must!" She spits back and then continues her serenade for the next ten minutes until we emerge from dinosaur valley, as she dubbed it.

^^TotS^^

The visit to the Honolulu Zoo is a blast. Bella literally danced her way from exhibit to exhibit. We've seen every imaginable mammal and bird the island has to offer…and reptiles coming out the wazoo. There were zookeepers and staff wandering around with different lizards and birds that visitors could pose with for pictures. Bella insisted on holding every available animal we came across. That girl held a bearded dragon, a baby American alligator and a young red-footed tortoise. Then, in the aviary, she was giddy holding a scarlet macaw and a palm cockatoo.

I stood next to her; I took the pictures for her, but I never held or even desired to touch the animals.

But Bella did. Every time a new opportunity came along, she jumped right in.

Then, to my continued amazement, she started dancing willingly on the walking path when some girls in grass skirts attempted to gather a crowd and showcase some of the traditional moves for the dances seen at luaus. With the solid drumbeats in the background, Bella joined in without a care in the world…laughing, smiling, waving at me…and without one visible shred of embarrassment.

She's just fearless. I can't wrap my head around it. For someone who has gone through such a trauma to be embracing life in such a way…it seems inconceivable to me.

But I'm witnessing it with my own eyes. In everything she's done and said today, and even when we were getting reacquainted on the plane and in the hospital, she's simply captivating...there's no better word for it.

^^TotS^^

"It's been a fun day, sir."

I groan, jokingly. "I swear, every time you say 'sir', it sounds like Marcie talking to Peppermint Patty and it makes me laugh. People address me as 'sir' every day, but when you say it…I don't know." I shake my head, trying to form a coherent sentence. "You're jumbling up all sorts of stuff in my brain...but in a good way."

"Oh, good! It sounds like you could use some jumbling!" She chuckles, patting my thigh as she moves to open the door handle of the car. "So what's on your roster for the rest of the week?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing."

She smiles, brilliantly. "My choice?" She claps and her gears start turning. "Well, I think you owe me a Jurassic Park tour…and possibly some surfing lessons…but what I really want to do next is head over to Pearl Harbor to visit the Arizona and the Mighty Mo…interested?"

"Definitely," I reply, thrilled that she's just booked another outing for us.

"I'll need to recover tomorrow. I'm sure my legs will be screaming when I wake up…but Saturday? Is that okay for you?"

"Perfect. Looking forward to it." She opens the door and gets out, but bends down to pop her head back into view.

"Thanks for a wonderful first taste of Hawaii, sir," she giggles and winks, shutting the door behind her.

I roll my eyes and smile, shouting, "You're welcome, Marcie."

I watch her head fall back in laughter having heard my retort. She spins around to face me, still walking backward and puts her hand up to her ear in a "Call me" sign so we can solidify plans for Saturday.

No reminder needed, Bella. Talking to you again is at the top of my to-do list.

Military terms:

Lejeune - Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, located in Jacksonville, North Carolina

New River - Marine Corps Air Station New River, helicopter base in Jacksonville, North Carolina

PX - postal exchange, a military store located on a base which carries everything you could need (usually) bandaids, books, shoes, stereos and everything in between. You want it, the PX probably has it. The size of the base will dictate the size of the PX and the selection of items that it carries, but in a pinch, it almost always comes through!

"pin on" - a phrase used when referring to an upcoming promotion where you 'pin on' your new rank

"one up, one down" - jargon used for the fraternization policy the Marines need to follow; this can refer to dating as well as hanging out socially with friends. Officers and Enlisted Marines are technically not supposed to be hanging out socially with each other. Large gaps in ranks should not exist either, regarding dating and social friendships. There are MANY gray areas, though. Existing relationships prior to joining the service as well as prior to promotions are taken into account. For our purposes here though, soon-to-be Major Masen would be advised to stay away from 1st Lt. Clearwater ;)

Marine Corps Officer Ranks - in case you were curious: 2nd Lieutenant, 1st Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier General, Major General, Lieutenant General, General

A/N: Team Cabana saves me on a daily basis. Whether it be real life, fake life or tossing around ideas for Spearward and Spearella/Adventurella. Thank you from the bottom of my Yummy heart to Cejsmom, Born, Jules and Momo. You can tell I've spent entirely too many years down south when I say, "y'all rock!" *insert epic groan and get me back to Jersey, pronto!*

And a special thanks to my very own Major who's been the military technical advisor for all things Marine Corps since I hit the publish button. I've been a USMC wifey for almost nine years now and I still have to double check my acronyms, policies and procedures! When discussing the fraternization policy, his answer was usually, "yes and no". Drove me bonkers. Give me a straight answer, dude! You can tell it's a government-run operation with all the red tape and shades of gray! ;)

Come join the fun over on Facebook at The Cabanaboy's Playground where Spearward is the topic du jour, but the Cabana Boy is never far from our hearts. And a special thank you from the Cabana Boy to all the new readers and reviewers of Last Call! So glad you're enjoying that adventure, too!

Speaking of the devil, Last Call was nominated for Best Rec'd Fic of 2012 on the Rob Attack blogspot! Go Callward! If you haven't gotten a chance to vote yet, hop on over there and vote for your fave! So many amazing stories to choose from! www . robattack .wordpress . com

Thank you so much to all of my readers, reviewers, tweeters, pimpers, alerters, favoriters and lurkers! You being here makes me smile! It's been hard to get to review replies this past week because I was writing this chapter and now I'm now writing my LC outtake for Hurricane Sandy. I hope to get back to review replies asap!

xo, Jen