So the group consensus is that you'll happily endure any kind of natural disaster, as long as Spearward—preferably naked— is with you. Fair enough.

A couple of little time jumps in this chapter. Pay attention to the details. ;)

^^TotS^^

EPOV

"So, power's been out since Monday afternoon?"

"Yeah. We didn't even have a chance to lose the cable, power went first. The wind is nuts out there." I crack my neck from side to side just as the bathroom door opens. Bella's draped in a towel with another wrapped around her head like a turban, droplets of water slinking down her delicate collar bone. On cue, my pajama pants get a little tighter. How my dick can have any residual energy whatsoever is beyond me. I try to shift gears and return my attention to the phone call to give the family jewels some respite. "How's Kalia doing?"

Riley sighs. "Good, I guess— I dunno. It's not easy. Every day is a challenge, but she's hanging in there. She's excited for us to get out to Japan. Can't say I blame her…everywhere we look we have a memory of Nalani." His voice strains on the last few words he utters. "It'll be better for us to start over and to have you guys close again. There are days I feel like I'm sinking further into quicksand. No matter what I do or say to try and turn the day around for us, it only gets worse."

We're silent for a minute. There really isn't anything profound to say. I can't take away his pain, and it leaves me feeling gutted. All I can do is listen and know I'll be there to help him when he and Kalia get out here.

"Sorry I just dragged our conversation down."

"Don't be, Ri. We're just looking forward to having you guys close again," I gruff, choking back the emotion. "There's safety in numbers."

"Yeah, there is." He sniffs before clearing his throat. "I'm gonna go. Tell Bella I said hi, and don't forget our plane gets in around noon on Sunday."

"We'll be there. See you soon, brother."

I end the call, tossing my phone on the couch next to me and scrubbing my face in frustrated sadness. I get a sick feeling in my stomach every time I think about how broken Riley is. I know he's thankful to have Kalia but at the same time, he's unable to grieve in his own personal way for Nalani because he has to be strong for her little sister. It's really similar to what my mom had to go through after my father was killed. She couldn't take her time to sort out her feelings and grieve his loss on her own terms…she had to step up and be there for me and Lauren.

It's an unbearable pain that I can't begin to wrap my head around. It makes me treasure all the more every moment I have with Bella.

We've been back together for a month now, and I'm more certain every day that our time apart brought us back stronger and healthier than ever. So sure, in fact, that I know I'm not going to wait too much longer before I give her a ring. I love her; she loves me; we belong together, and that's the bottom line.

"How's Riley?" Bella emerges from my room wearing one of my green undershirts and a pair of my sweats. With the heat off in the building, there's a chill in the air that definitely calls for clothing today. I reach out for her and she positions herself on my lap, running her hands over my shoulders and clasping them behind my neck.

I don't respond but instead wrap my arms around her back and tip my head forward seeking the comfort of her embrace. She kisses the back of my head, weaving her fingers through what little hair she finds back there.

Eventually I utter the words, "He's wrecked." My voice is muffled against the soft, coconut-smelling skin on her neck. "They're looking forward to getting out here just to get away from all the memories of Nalani. I don't know how he puts one foot in front of the other every day."

She tightens her arms around me as we sigh in unison. When I lift my head to find her eyes, I'm met with her tear-stained cheeks.

"We'll make every day count, Edward. Our vacation was phenomenal because we enjoyed each moment and created countless memories. But this," she whispers, pressing her hand over my heart and then hers, "This is no longer just a vacation fling. We've both learned the hard way that there are no guarantees in life. We're meant to be forever."

"I don't want to wait, Bella."

She laughs though another tear falls from her eye. "Who's stopping you, Major?"

I capture her lips in a soft kiss that doesn't stop until we have to come up for air. "Do your parents know how serious I am about you?"

Her teasing smile gets me every time. "Are you looking for permission and a blessing from Charlie and Renee?"

I lean back on the couch, my hands running up and down her thighs. "I think so. I mean, I've never done this before and I want to do it right."

"Oh, you do it right, buddy," she giggles, wrapping her fingers around my dog tags and pulling me toward her again this time for a searing kiss. "Every. Single. Time." She punctuates each word with a flick of her tongue against mine. When she starts squirming on my lap and my dick manages to come to life for what seems like the two hundredth time in the last forty-eight hours, I stand up, hoisting her higher in my grasp and make my way toward my bed.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," I groan as she licks and bites at the scruff on my jaw. "But I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to stand on a little sturdier ground than, 'I consistently rock your daughter's world, sir. We'd really appreciate your blessing.'"

I throw her on the bed while she's in a fit of giggles at my blunt imaginary speech. I fall forward and plant my arms on either side of her head before dipping down to stop her laughter with my mouth once again.

"Okay, maybe you could spruce up the speech— ahhhhh— a bit," she whimpers as I suck on her neck, while grinding my hips between her legs. "But let's worry about that later, okay?"

I continue to swivel and rock into her as Bella drags her feet up the backs of my legs and starts tugging my sweats from my hips. She arches her body into mine when my mouth travels over the thin material of the t-shirt, and my hot breath taunts her erect nipple below.

"Later."

^^TotS^^

BPOV

This unplanned vacation has spoiled me terribly. Getting back into the swing of things on Tuesday is going to suck big time. Typhoon Sanba ended up lingering off the coast of Okinawa for three full days. Granted, the winds died down as it crossed over the island, but the military wasn't taking any chances and we remained in TCCOR-1E for all of Tuesday and Wednesday before being downgraded to TCCOR-1R on Thursday. The all-clear was announced Friday morning, but as luck would have it, it was our fall break long-weekend for the Columbus Day holiday, so school was already cancelled through Monday.

The commissary is mobbed on Friday when we go to replenish all the food we've gone through while holed up at Edward's BOQ. Emmett and Rosalie invite us over on Saturday afternoon for a barbeque and then the four of us spend the evening at American Village wandering in and out of the ornate Japanese clothing stores and taking a few rides on the enormous Ferris wheel.

Edward and I spend Saturday night at my place and then get up bright and early in preparation for the arrival of Riley and Kalia. We meet up with Emmett and Rosalie at the WestPac Inn and fully stock their refrigerator and cabinets with enough food and drinks to hold them over until they get settled into their apartment on Camp Foster.

"There he is," Emmett pipes up first, having spotted Riley in the crowd. The glass dividing doors swing open and closed as passengers trickle through the security checkpoint. That was something that astounded me upon arriving on Okinawa. Security checks the tags of your luggage and makes sure the numbers match up so that you don't wander off with the wrong bag. I've never been through any other airports in the world that take such care to ensure the right people have the right bags.

Kalia's face brightens when she sees us standing there waiting for them. "EDWARD!" The little girl does a running leap into my boyfriend's arms and he swings her around, their combined laughter filling the air. The look of relief that washes over Riley's face is remarkable. Relief that Kalia's laughing, or maybe just relief that we're all together again. Whatever it is, when he hugs me, it's bone-crushing and desperate...completely heartbreaking.

I get down on my knees and wrap my arms around Kalia when Edward releases her. "Hey, sweet girl."

"Hi Bella," she says with a smile. "I'm so happy you got a job here and not in Korea."

I cup her face with my hands and give her another kiss on her forehead. "I'm glad, too."

"I have a secret I want to tell you," she whispers, conspiratorially. "It's about your job."

"Oh, yeah?"

She nods, her eyes wide with excitement. "I think Nalani made the switch." I smile at her words, though my tears suddenly threaten. "I think she knew I wanted you here and even that Edward would want you here, too."

I pull her into my chest, stifling the sob that wants to erupt from within. "Oh, sweetie." I lean back from our embrace and brush her hair away from her eyes. "I think you might be right."

"You girls okay over here?" Edward asks, crouching down to our eye level and gently putting his arms around both of us.

Kalia's precious smile and the twinkle in her eyes give me a spark of hope that she and Riley aren't too far gone. God knows it won't be easy, but we're all together now…we'll carry them through this.

"We're perfect," I promise with a wink.

^^TotS^^

"Need me to stay late for anything, Bella?" Mallory calls to me from the back of the classroom.

"Nahh, I'm good. I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks again for your help today, Mal." I collapse into my desk chair, having just seen the last of the students out the door. Not only did we have an entire week off between the typhoon conditions and then the long weekend for Columbus Day, but our first day back was a field trip for all the kindergarten classes up to the Churaumi Aquarium. I'd already prepared my colleagues for the dolphin show and the questions we would be fielding after we get an eyeful of dolphin penis. Shockingly enough, only a couple of kids said anything out loud. I'm happily relieved that I probably won't have to deal with any phone calls from annoyed parents.

I lay my head down on my desk in front of my computer, too exhausted to deal with the mess staring at me. It's a disaster in here. Still so many crates and boxes of my personal teaching supplies and materials that need to be sorted through and organized into filing cabinets. Whenever I get a free moment, I rifle through a box and find something that applies to the current curriculum. Then it just ends up in a pile of random manila folders on my desk.

I decide to straighten up a bit, and it only takes me about ten minutes to dig my way to the bottom of the stack before I reach the blotter and calendar that sit in front of my computer. My eyes are instantly drawn to last week— last Wednesday, specifically— and a gigantic pit instantly forms in my stomach. Chills shoot up my spine and I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

Holy shit.

In red Sharpie marker, October 10th at four in the afternoon: Depo renewal.

I'm frozen. Panicked. I missed my appointment and had no chance of remembering because it was written on this calendar in a school that was shut down all last week. And even if I had remembered the appointment, all the clinics were on lockdown mode anyway.

And to top it all off, I've been having unprotected, non-stop typhoon sex with my boyfriend.

Oh, my God, I think I'm going to be sick.

^^TotS^^

"What do I do? What do I do?" I'm pacing back and forth in my classroom, quite literally freaking out on the phone.

"Bella, first you relax and get your head together." My mom's words are calming but at the end of the day, they're only words. I'm still the girl who could be pregnant.

"God, Mom! We're just starting to get the hang of living in the "day-to-day" together. I know he's serious about me, and of course I am about him…but a baby? Now? He'll have a fucking heart attack if I've gotten pregnant. He's trying so hard to get past all his fears, I know this will throw him for a loop. We never even broached the topic of kids!"

"I think your first call needs to be to your doctor. I'm sure they're backed up with all sorts of appointments and non-emergency procedures that couldn't be completed last week because of the storm. And your next stop is to the store for a test."

I fall into a beanbag chair, rubbing my forehead and trying to mentally rewind the last week of my life. I don't think I'd be as worried if I knew that I was still in my two-week window to get my shot with the old one still being effective. But I know for a fact that I'm out of my safe zone and have been for at least four days.

"Okay, I have to run to the PX. I'll call you later with the results."

"All right. Stay calm and know that whatever happens, you'll get through it together. And Dad and I are always here for you, Bella."

"Thanks, Momma."

^^TotS^^

"Hey baby. Just calling to check in. Give me a buzz when you get a chance. I'm still at the office, but I was going to swing by with a pizza later if you're available. So call me. Love you."

Listening to Edward's voicemail only makes the nervous knots flare up more. I missed his call when I was in the PX and I don't have the stomach to call him back until I take this test. I need to know the results before he hears my voice sounding like a bumbling, stuttering moron.

As soon as I hung up with my mom earlier, I called my doctor and got an emergency appointment for tomorrow morning. I let my secretary know that I'd need Mallory to watch my class for an hour or so before I'd make it in for the day. All the bases covered at this point, I'm ready to tackle the next step.

I've got my jeans around my knees and I'm dragging my undies down while my teeth are tearing at the packaging of the test all before I make it to the bathroom in my apartment. I chugged a bottle of water during the car ride home so I'm definitely ready to empty my bladder. Following the instructions to the letter, I soak the test and cover it up when I'm finished. Three minutes have never taken so long.

Taking a deep breath and sitting on the edge of the bathtub, I grab the test from the counter, flip it over in my hand and swallow tightly staring at the answer.

Negative.

Thanking God and all the saints in heaven, I run a lap of happiness around my kitchen and living room. Don't get me wrong, I most definitely want to be a mother one day and the thought of making babies with Edward Masen has the bald eagles flapping about wildly in my belly. But…let' be reasonable here. We are not ready to have a baby yet. Selfishly, I'd like a little more time alone with him before we add a baby to the mix, let alone the fact that we've never ever discussed how he feels about children outside of Bailyn and Kalia.

I return his call, now that my stomach is no longer caught in my throat.

"Hi."

"Hey there, I was about to give up on you and bring my pizza to Riley and Kalia," he chuckles. "Are you home right now?"

"Yes, I'm here. Sorry I missed your call earlier. I'm definitely in the mood for pizza."

"Great, I'll be there in ten."

^^TotS^^

My appointment the next morning greatly helps to allay my fears. I pee on a stick for my doctor, and this test yields the same result as yesterday. After giving me the Depo injection, she reminds me that I should use a backup birth control method for the next week to ensure safety. As much as I'd like to ignore this minor catastrophe and have Edward be none the wiser, he'd certainly get suspicious when I suddenly hand him a condom, so coming clean is my only option. Rather than sit on it, I'm just going to tell him tonight.

While I'm rinsing our dinner bowls and plates and he's adding them to the dishwasher, I decide it's as good a time as any.

"So, I need to tell you something."

"Okay," he says, plunking down the detergent packet into its cup and locking the machine to start the cycle. "What's up?"

I step back and lean against the kitchen island as he's drying his hands. "Umm, I had a bit of a scare yesterday."

He turns around with furrowed brows. "What kind of scare?"

"Pregnancy."

His face drains of color and he takes a deep breath. "I take it you know the answer, if your scare is past tense?"

I nod rapidly. "I do. We're safe. But it got me thinking— we've never even talked about kids. Is that…are— are they something you think about?"

Without responding, he steps forward and wraps me in a tight hug, his face buried in my hair, sighing heavily. Not quite the answer I was looking for, but I'll take it for now. When he pulls back, he gently kisses my lips and then holds my hand as he walks us over to my sofa.

Once we're situated comfortably, we turn to face each other and he's smiling, tucking some hair behind my ear.

"A baby, huh?"

My eyes widen, and I shrug sheepishly. "Almost."

"Okay, if we're going for complete honesty here...I never wanted kids." He winces in pain before backtracking. "That sounded awful. It's not that I never wanted kids, it's just that I never allowed myself to think further than casual dating," he reasons. "You know my demons. Having children was just never in the equation for me."

I swallow my sadness and nod, trying to listen without wearing my broken heart on my sleeve, but I find myself no longer looking directly into his eyes.

"But…with you in my life now, all the past algorithms are null and void. You're the first and only woman I've ever pledged my love to. I want to embrace everything this life has to offer." He tilts my chin up to ensure eye contact. "And if that includes babies, nothing would make me happier."

My shoulders sag in relief, and I attack him with kisses. While straddling his lap, we're suddenly laughing and making out as he threads his fingers through my hair.

"Is that the answer you were looking for, Clementine?"

One more peck. "Very much so."

Concern mars his features all of a sudden.

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking. Does your…past medical history adversely affect your ability to conceive or carry a baby to term?" I can hear the fear creeping into his voice.

I sit back on his lap and start fiddling with his dog tags. "Well, my condition, which is cervical incompetence, will never go away unfortunately. If I do get pregnant, they'd kinda stitch me up around the fourth month to keep my cervix from thinning out or dilating too early."

"Okay. And would you be bedridden?"

"Not necessarily," I say, shaking my head. "My doctor would give me strict instructions on what I can and can't do until the time comes when the baby would be safe in case I went into labor." I shrug. "Lots of women have healthy babies even though they deal with this. Tragically, as was my case and is the course for so many others, there's no way of knowing you have this complication until it's too late."

Edward pulls me forward and we hug, my mind wandering back over the day when this kind Marine in my arms— a virtual stranger at the time— raced me to the hospital when my water broke one afternoon, and I wasn't even twenty weeks pregnant.

Everything happens for a reason. I certainly didn't know it at the time. How could I have ever predicted where I'd be three and a half years later?

"But…with all that said. It's not an issue. I'm not pregnant and we don't have to worry about any of this stuff until sometime down the road." I smile, thrilled of where this moment of honesty took us.

"I love you, Bella," he confesses, our eyes locked. "No matter what you might've told me tonight, nothing can scare me away from you. I'm not going anywhere."

^^TotS^^

I glance at the dashboard clock again, my newly-French manicured fingernails clicking annoyingly against each other to keep busy. Dammit, I hate being late.

"Relaaax, so we're missing part of the cocktail hour. We'll get there in time to grab a drink and find our table before the ceremony begins."

I nod, now wringing my hands. "I know, I just get all fidgety when I have to walk into a room and everyone turns to stare at the latecomer."

He reaches over and threads his fingers through mine. "Well, that just comes with the territory and especially tonight, baby. People are going to stare because you're spectacular…there's no way around that."

I roll my eyes with a grin. I've never been great about accepting magnanimous compliments.

"And I'll never apologize for being late. It's your own fault, you know."

My jaw drops. "My fault? The lies you tell, Major! You're the one who couldn't keep it in your pants, buster. I was ready to go when you showed up at my doorstep looking all... hungry and stuff."

He laughs out loud but doesn't back down. "Hey, you looked good enough to eat," he replies with a wink and a shrug. "It had to be done." He trails a finger up my bare arm and across to my nipple which is standing at attention now that we're talking about being hot and bothered.

"Perv!" I snap with a smack to his shoulder, only egging on his laughter and silliness.

"You love it."

I snort in response, scouting the parking lot for available spaces. "Yeah, I do."

Once we get inside, Edward immediately goes to the bar to get us a drink while I find our seating assignment. It's a sea of hundreds of men and women in their dress blues. Eye candy everywhere. The ballroom looks elegant with the enormous Marine Corps cake off to the side. Several groups of friends are taking pictures together and the line for professional pictures has dwindled to only three remaining couples.

"We should get our pictures taken before the ceremony starts," I whisper in his ear when he returns to our table. He nods, grabbing my hand and we make our way over to the photographer.

I hear a whistle from behind us and turn to find Emmett and Rosalie coming in from outside.

"Looking good, you two!" Rosalie compliments, coming up and hugging us both. "Oooh, I love the beadwork on your dress!"

"Thank you. You look gorgeous, as always Mrs. McCarty," I reply.

"We'll see you inside," Emmett says pulling Rose his way. "Cutting it close there, Major Masen!"

We laugh at Emmett as he taps his watch, scolding us for being fashionably late.

Thankfully, we step up, smile brightly for the photographer and return to our table all within ten minutes.

After the invocation from a chaplain and the opening remarks from the commanding officer of Camp Butler, Colonel Greenwood, the commanding officer of the Wing, steps up to welcome the officers and their dates to the 237th birthday ball of the United States Marine Corps.

"Before we begin, I always like to have a little fun with my officers. So, I have several things to give away tonight. I have a few cigars for the officer who traveled the longest distance in order to attend tonight's ball."

A few shouts back and forth across the room determine that a Captain who just got back from Afghanistan yesterday is the happy recipient of the prize.

"How about someone celebrating a birthday today?"

A female lieutenant turns out to be the only one in the room who shares a November 10th birthday with the Marine Corps.

Colonel Greenwood chuckles when he looks at his notes. "How about a couple who got frisky right before coming to the ball?"

Much to my mortification, Edward leaps up, both hands high in the air. "Yes, sir! Right here!"

The other couples at our table are roaring in laughter as my man proudly jogs up to the podium to receive his bottle of champagne. Across the room, I see Emmett standing, cracking up and hollering like a loon, just before I bury my face in my hands feeling my body temperature rise a good twenty degrees. Catcalls and whistles of congratulations go on for at least thirty seconds after Edward joins me back at our table.

He puts his arm around my shoulders and kisses my temple as I try to burrow into his armpit.

"I cannot believe you just did that," I squeak.

He's cackling, his smile beaming. Fuck, it's hard to stay mad at him when he looks like that.

"I'm not ashamed…are you?"

I sigh, totally exasperated, but totally in love. "No, you crazy man. I've just never had my sexual activities broadcast to about two hundred of my boyfriend's colleagues."

"Meh," he blows me off, but then follows it up with a wink and a smirk. "I'll make it up to you later."

^^TotS^^

"You're sensational," he grunts between kisses while we attempt to rid each other of our ball attire as quickly as possible. One quick unzipping of my deep purple gown, and I'm standing before him in heels and violet panties. His uniform, on the other hand, is a fashion cryptex that has to be dismantled in a particular order or we'll never get him naked.

And that's simply unsat— as my major would say.

Belt, collar, jacket, cuffs, belt, pants, shirt: the winning sequence.

His hands trail down my body creating goose bumps in their wake. I love feeling the muscles of his shoulders and upper arms flex under my fingertips as he allows his hands to wander my body, rediscovering all the sensitive spots and pulse points that send me soaring.

He walks me backwards until my legs hit the foot of my bed and I tumble indelicately onto my fluffy duvet. Like a predator, he kneels on the bed and follows me while I wriggle my body up until my head is supported by pillows. I watch intently as he kisses his way up my legs, pausing at the elastic of my panties and dusting his lips back and forth along the seam. When he starts to lick and nip further up my stomach, the weight of his dog tags is oddly noticeable as they hit the apex of my thighs and clink more than usual until they come to a stop below my rib cage because he's teasing my nipple.

With his next nibble, I hiss, reaching to pull his face to mine. Our kiss is feverish and bruising, wet from the sliding of our tongues. I grasp at the chain around his neck, feeling a scraping sensation over my chest that isn't normally there.

My actions cause him to stop kissing me as he rests his weight on his left forearm. Our eyes flicker to each other before we both focus on the tags that dance and clank between my breasts.

When I hold his dog tags in my hand, a brilliant sparkle catches my eye in the moonlit room. My fingers separate the two rubber-encased metal slabs and I find a ring dangling in between them.

A shiny, sparkly, incredibly stunning diamond ring.

I look up at Edward, his half grin in place as he reaches behind his neck, removing the chain from his body.

I scramble to sit up, and he does the same. Both of us, in only our underwear, have a silent staring contest with each other and the ring.

"So, I've been walking around with this next to my heart for the last two days," he says softly with a self-conscious shrug. He unfastens the clasp on the chain and pulls the ring off. "I know there are people who plan grandiose scenes for moments like these, but I feel like everything we've been through has been so elaborate that it was silly to try and top it."

I giggle, feeling tears gather in my eyes.

"I'll never understand the pain you and I had to deal with at different times in our lives, but I know that without those instances, we'd never have found each other to begin with. I believe now that everything happens for a reason, whether we like it or not." He takes my left hand in his and starts rubbing his thumb back and forth across my knuckles. "I'm the planner and you're the spontaneous one. I'm the realist and you're the dreamer. You run toward the fire while I suit up in fireproof gear armed with an extinguisher and a bucket of sand."

This time I snort and swipe away the tears rolling down my cheeks.

"There was a time, not so long ago, that I believed it was safer to never get involved because of the inevitable pain I was convinced was always waiting in the wings. But after knowing you— and loving you— these last six months, I realize that there had never been a reason to settle down because I hadn't met the right girl yet," he chuckles. "It took a physical assault and a painfully bloody nose for me to open my eyes and find the girl of my dreams."

I shake my head, still laughing at his silly, heartfelt words.

"We may not have known it the first time we met, but a plan was set in motion that day. And I, for one, refuse to stand in the way of destiny any longer. We started out on an adventure together in May. However long our 'forever' lasts…I just can't imagine not having you next to me for the journey, Bella. So how does adventuring together forever sound to you?"

I lean forward, cupping his strong jaw in my hands. After a gentle kiss, I murmur against his mouth. "An adventure with you? For the rest of my life?" I spread my fingers out, inviting him to slide the ring into place. "I'd love to."

Our kisses resume, but there's a passion and a promise evident that wasn't ever official until tonight. This man wants me forever. And I can't imagine anyone else I'd want next to me for the rest of my life.

I feel so lucky, so blessed. I know without a doubt that this— us— we are meant to be.

Edward slides my panties down my legs and rids himself of his boxer briefs. He's holding my hands next to my head as he positions himself and pushes forward joining us fully. Heated, open mouths, soft sighs and moans continue until we reach a fever pitch. His pelvis thrusts and swivels, determined to bring us the most pleasure possible.

I cry out in gasping breaths when he hits that spot and rocks into me relentlessly.

"Yessss, baby," he groans as my walls squeeze around him helping to tip him over the edge.

Our dance slows and he allows his weight to fall on me. I love this part. This closeness. The feeling of our rapid heartbeats, the smells, the tender kisses that follow the desperate desire.

This is all mine. For the rest of my life.

^^TotS^^

EPOV

"Bella's not here yet?" I ask, closing the sliding screen door behind me while Riley flips burgers on the grill.

"Nope. Maybe she got held up at work or something?"

I shrug and pop the top off a bottle of Corona. "I guess. It's Friday though, she's usually able to jet out after the kids get dismissed."

"You guys talking about Bella?" Kalia chimes in, curling up in the lounge chair on their deck. "She said she'd give me a manicure tonight because of the Sadie Hawkins dance tomorrow. She might be buying me polish."

"Listen to you, Sadie Hawkins dance," I tease. "And you agreed to this?" I direct my question at Riley who's gritting his teeth.

"I signed up to be a chaperone, dude. She can dance, but she knows big brother will be watching."

Kalia giggles and rolls her eyes. "Riley, you're not gonna harsh my mellow tomorrow night, are you?"

"Harsh your mellow?" he repeats comically, raising the spatula in an overly dramatic threat. "I'll harsh your mellow, all right! Here for five weeks and already I'm hearing stories about Matthew and Ty and Dylan. Don't make me crazy, kid…I've got enough grey hair without you adding to it."

Kalia and I laugh at Riley's tormented speech. It's all in good fun but at the same time, I know he's on high alert for boys. Rosalie and Bella took Kalia bra shopping last weekend; I thought Riley was going to have a stroke.

"What's up, campers?" Emmett booms from the dining room. I give Rosalie a kiss as she peeks her head out onto the balcony. We're running out of real estate out here though, so I grab my beer and the plate of hot dogs Riley just took off the grill and we head back inside.

"No Bella?"

Just as Emmett says her name, the front door opens, and my gorgeous fiancée walks in.

"Here I am!" she announces with a haggard smile. "Better late than never."

I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head. "Mmmmm, you feel good in my arms. Rough day?"

She whimpers a bit but pulls back with another smile for me. "I'll be okay. My stomach hasn't been right. I don't know. Mallory said she wasn't feeling good either. We both had chicken salad from the cafeteria for lunch." She shrugs and tips her head into my chest.

"You ready to eat, Bells?" Emmett asks, starting to make plates for the group.

She winces, grabbing her stomach. "Yeah, maybe just a burger, Em. Thanks."

Kalia bounces up to Bella who produces three different shades of pink nail polish. They grab Rosalie and head back toward Kalia's bedroom when she announces they need to match the color to the dress perfectly. I notice Riley chugs the rest of his beer after hearing that.

An hour later, we're all sitting around the table, starting a game of Phase 10 and discussing who's cooking what for our Thanksgiving feast next Thursday, when Bella abruptly excuses herself. I don't know how long she's gone for, but when she comes back to the living room, she looks wiped out though she's acting flustered with what little energy remains.

I stand to get a better look at her face. "Babe?"

"I'm sorry," she confesses, shaking her head. "I've gotta get home and lie down. I really don't feel well." She looks out at the group. "Sorry, everybody."

I rub her arms up and down. "I'll come with you. Let me drive you home."

She shakes her head. "No, no, please. Just give me tonight and I'll call you tomorrow."

"What? No way. Let me take care of you. In sickness and in health, right?" I joke and she gives me a half smile.

"Nahh, I'll be okay…eventually." She rises on her toes and kisses me softly. "I love you."

I quirk a frustrated brow. "Are you sure? I really don't like the thought of you being alone."

"I'm sure," she mutters into my chest, kissing me there, too. "I promise."

"All right," I sigh in defeat. "Love you, too. And I'm calling you when I wake up in the morning."

She nods and waves to the crowd. Everyone shouts their goodbyes, and I slump down in my chair feeling bummed that my girl seems to be so under the weather.

After our game is over, Emmett and Kalia start playing an intense game of Wii tennis while Rose and I coach from the sidelines. Emmett is doing a lot of smack talking for a guy who's losing to an eleven-year old girl.

"Edward!" Riley shouts my name and I leave the two competitors to continue to duke it out on the virtual court.

"Yeah," I answer, walking into the kitchen where Riley is pacing frantically. "What's up?"

"Look at this." Riley shoves a plastic stick in my face. It sort of looks like the thermometer I saw Lauren use on Bailyn when she was a baby.

"Okaaaaay. What are we looking at here?"

He stares at me like I'm a nutcase. "Are you serious? This is a fucking pregnancy test…and it's positive!" he whisper-shouts, waving it around wildly until I see the very distinctive blue plus sign.

Riley smacks his hands on the top of his head and continues pacing. "Why, WHY would there be a fucking positive pregnancy test in Kalia's bathroom trashcan? I think I'm gonna hurl."

I take the stick from him, holding my hands up. "Okay, calm down. There is no way that this is Kalia's. She's a baby! She is not having sex!"

He looks at me with his eyes popping out of his skull. "Haven't you seen Sixteen and Pregnant?"

I scrunch my face in confusion. "No, but even if I did, those girls are sixteen! Kalia is ELEVEN! Does she even have her period yet?"

"I don't fuckin' knoooow," Riley groans, burying his head in his arms and slumping over on the counter.

"Hang on, let's get Rosalie in here," I announce brilliantly, knowing he and I are in way over our heads. "Rose, can you come here for a sec?"

When she walks in, she's met with the image of Riley with half his body draped on the counter. "Uhhh, everything okay in here?"

I shake my head and breathe in deeply. "Riley found this in Kalia's bathroom trashcan." I show her the stick and her eyebrows shoot up. "You don't think—"

She starts shaking her head. "No way! I mean, no…there's no way. Bella and I were just talking to her last weekend about feminine stuff."

Riley's face gets even more flushed, and I find myself with a lump in my throat at the thought of Kalia and even Bailyn going through those…changes.

"She hasn't gotten her period yet, Ri. This isn't hers, honey…no way. Calm down." She rubs her hand across his back to attempt to ground him from continuing to spiral out of control.

Riley shrugs. "So whose is it? She didn't have any friends over in the last couple of days." He snorts, "It's not yours is it?"

Rosalie chuffs with a wry grin. "I wish, but no. Not mine."

"Why weren't we invited to the party?" Emmett asks as he and Kalia join us in the kitchen.

"Well, if it's not yours and we know it's not hers," he points to Kalia who looks confused as hell. "Who does it belong to?"

We all stare at the test in silence until my mind starts racing and the answer settles in my gut.

Of course. The pieces fall into place without a doubt in my mind and I decide to speak up.

"Uhhh," I clear my throat. "I have a feeling I'm gonna be a dad."

Military Terms:

TCCOR- Tropical Cyclone Condition Of Readiness - TCCOR-1E (Emergency) means actual winds of 50 knots or greater are occurring and all outside activity is prohibited aka, lockdown. If the military police find anyone outside of their homes, they can be arrested. TCCOR-1R (Recovery) Destructive winds of 50 knots are no longer occurring. Actual winds are 34-49 knots. Nonessential functions remain closed unless directed by the commander. All but emergency essential personnel are required to remain in their quarters. All-Clear - Hazardous conditions and winds are no longer present and people can return to their normal duties.

"Unsat" – unsatisfactory

A/N: I haven't thrown out a good cliffie-ish scenario since Last Call…you've gotta give me a pass on this ending. But it's not even a cliffie…so, yeah. Just trust in Yummy. It's all good.

Now before anyone argues with me about pregnancy tests, protocols and time-frames…believe me, it's ALL possible. First-hand knowledge right here. And yes, though the clinic on Okinawa where I found out I was pregnant gave me a blood test eventually, they FIRST made me pee on a stick. They're not going to waste the time, money and energy on a blood test and lab work if a simple urine test doesn't yield a positive result. That may not be your Dr's procedure, but it's how the Kinser Naval Clinic on Okinawa works. Just wanted to put that disclaimer out there. As for those first couple of negative results…well, obviously it was WAY too soon after conception to give Bella an accurate reading. Gotta love those false negatives that give you an eventual SURPRISE! (Been there, done that…have the 7-year old kid to prove it.)

And while I'm at it, before any of you ask...YES the Colonel at one of the USMC Balls on Okinawa gave away some fun prizes for random categories and YES he actually asked who got frisky right before the ball and YES, the Major (then Captain) jumped right the hell up as the entire ballroom exploded in hysterics. SMH. Can't help lovin' that crazy man of mine.

Thank you to my fabulous Team Cabana. They turned this sucker around in less than 60 hours in order for me to post within my two-week time frame. Love those ladies.

To all of you who are reading, reviewing, alerting, favoriting and pimping…my continued thanks, love and appreciation. I wouldn't be here without you. When life returns to normal, I'm praying I'll get back to consistent review replies. Forgive me until then. Your words of encouragement help so much.

I'll be contributing a sidetake to the Christmas Wishes Toys for Tots fandom compilation if anyone's interested in donating to a fantastic cause that my Major Hubs and Spearward champion. It'll be the Skyping session where Bailyn first sees Bella and finds out they're back together as well as learning they'll all be together for Christmas. Interested? Please go to triple w*christmaswishescompilation*blogspot*com to donate. Just replace the asterisks with periods. You may donate up until 11:59 pm EST on 12/24/13, and the compilation will be released on 12/25/13. Hope you will consider helping out!

And finally, Thanksgiving is coming soon and the Major is coming home for a long weekend, yahoo! If I don't get the next chapter posted by my normal two-week deadline, I promise it'll be in your boxes before week three hits. Some family time will definitely be my priority. And while I'm at it, early wishes for a Happy & Blessed Thanksgiving to all my American friends...and anyone else around the world who has a rockin' feast on November 28th!

xo, Jen