A/N: My duckies. You're all over the map with your reaction to Alice.

Just remember that while we know Edward and Bella are meant to be, if you were Edward's sister, and he had the propensity to get too serious too fast, you maybe might be just a wee bit wary of him falling hard for a woman he met a week ago literally 25 minutes after she got out of a nine year relationship. Don't worry! Something tells me it will work out okay. ;)

No one liked crying. People said it was necessary, part of the grieving process, but Bella didn't buy that. Besides, these were the same people who said Jasper didn't deserve her tears, her sorrow, or her grief, so that was confusing.

It wasn't like what Jasper had done to her that day had turned off her love for him. They'd been together nine years. For the most part, it was the muscle memory that killed her. The things she was just used to. There were shows she couldn't watch without automatically reaching for her phone to call Jasper—they'd watched certain shows together whether in person or on the phone. When a weekend appointment at work popped up, she checked their shared calendar only to remember she knew for certain she had no plans with him.

All of that hurt. She was so sick of the sting in her eyes when she missed him. She was sick of the terrible twist of her heart and the persistent ache in her chest. She wished with everything in her she could reprogram her head, if not her heart. The endless, unanswerable questions drove her crazy.

What would she have done if he'd come to her instead of making a decision for both of them? What would she have done if he'd told her that, in the course of one day, he'd decided to send his life in the exact opposite direction they'd been traveling for nine years? That he was moving to be a person he'd actively fought being? That he was moving to a city she would hate to live in, where her job would have been all but impossible to do? And even if she could do her job there, would she have decided to follow him when it meant giving up a scholarship and all the progress she'd made toward her degree?

What would she have done if she'd had to make a decision overnight? It was a moot point, but that didn't stop her brain from turning over scenarios.

Now, the tears were threatening again. She'd clenched her teeth as she set about the task of removing Jasper from her space. She'd gathered all the random items that had accumulated in her apartment over the years, ignoring the sting as she viciously pushed memories out of her head. His clothes. His books. His toothbrush and an electric razor. She tried not to remember the way he'd tease her skin, rubbing his chin on her cheek when his stubble got out of control.

Bella slammed the box shut, gnashing her teeth, but it was no use. She started crying. By the time she wrote Jasper's name and address on the damn thing, she was sobbing. Frustrated, she kicked the box before she curled up in a ball and let the misery have her for a few minutes.

When the worst of it had subsided, Bella dragged herself to her feet. She headed for the shower. She had plans to see Edward in an hour, and that made her feel better.

~0~

You couldn't really see the open ocean from the Maritime museum. The museum was a collection of ships and submarines semi-permanently moored to a dock in the San Diego Bay. Bella found the ocean peaceful when she was out in the water or listening to the waves roll up on the beach.

The bay, like most heavily-trafficked bodies of water, was a bit dirty and a bit noisy to be truly peaceful. Still, the scent of the salt air, the sound of the gulls, and the movement of the water was soothing. Bella sat perched on a bench, watching the traffic out on the water.

"J'adore la mer," a voice said near her ear, sending tingles down her spine. "Si beau, si mystérieux ... si plein de poissons."

Bella sucked in a breath. French was sexy as hell; no one could deny that, but there was something familiar about the words. She thought about it another moment before she laughed and turned around, finding Edward's face close to hers. She laughed again, a little more breathless this time, and smiled a him. "'The ocean. So beautiful, so mysterious, so full of fish?' That's a line from French Kiss."

He grinned. "You've seen it?"

"I have a thing for old school Kevin Kline. He was hot in that movie, and that was the funniest part."

"I'm a sucker for a witty rom-com." Edward came around to sit beside her on the bench. "How goes the Resistance, General Organa?"

Bella shook her head. "This analogy could get confusing really fast. What's the Resistance in this case? And is What's-His-Face supposed to be Han Solo? Because, you know, Leia was still pretty happy to see her ex-husband. I'm not so sure what I would do if Jasper came back, but it would probably involve my foot and his nuts."

"Well, that was a little deeper than I was expecting it to go."

Bella pressed her lips together to keep herself from speaking, but it didn't work. "That's what she said," she muttered under her breath. She crinkled her nose and then glanced at Edward to see if he'd heard.

He had, and it was clear he was trying not to laugh. When his eyes met hers, they both lost their battles. They each chuckled.

Maybe it was because he was a new friend—the only person in her life who had no idea what she was like as part of a pair—but being with Edward always made her feel calmer. It was so easy to smile around him, and such a chore with almost everyone else.

"So, shall I regale you with ghost stories so you can mock me relentlessly now?" Edward asked.

"Relentless is a pretty dramatic word. I mean, don't get me wrong. There will be mocking, but it will be light teasing. Over in less than a minute."

Edward sighed and nodded with mock-gravity. "Light teasing and over in less than a minute, huh?"

She tried. She really did, but then she saw the mischief in his eyes, and she snickered. "That's what he said."

"I've never said that."

Her cheeks flushed. He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck, and turned his head to nod in the direction of the furthermost ship. He cleared his throat and took on a narrator tone. "So, the Star of India. The ship was built in the 1800's. Life aboard a ship, even a trading vessel such as this one, is never easy. Any number of deaths occur on ships from everything from accidents to illnesses.

"Though not the only deaths on board the Star of India, the ghostly phenomenon is mainly attributed to two notable deaths. The first is said to be that of a teenage stowaway named John Campbell. Put to work to earn his room and board, the boy tragically lost his foot on the rigging"—Edward pointed to the high masts and let his hand fall to the floor as he spoke—"and fell to the the deck over a hundred feet below. The fall crushed his legs, and he died from the injury three days later."

Bella shuddered, trying not to imagine what it would be like to survive an injury like that when you were stuck out on the ocean before the advent of the Coast Guard or any way to get to a hospital.

Edward leaned closer, continuing the story. "They say that Campbell most often manifests in the form of a cold spot." He tickled a spot on her back, making her suck in a breath. "Like a cold hand touching you at the spot where he fell."

"Stop that." Bella smacked at his arm. "Cold hands my ass."

He waggled his eyebrows. "The other notable ghost is that of a Chinese crewman."

"With no name, huh?"

Edward shrugged. "I'm just telling a story."

"Oh, right. Do continue."

"So, a crewman—Chinese or otherwise—was in the chain locker where the chain for the anchor is stored when the anchor is lifted."

"What the hell was he doing there?"

He gave her an exasperated look. "How the hell should I know? If you have a Ouija board, we can ask him later. Can I go on?"

She waved a hand, and he continued. "He was there for whatever reason when the Captain ordered the anchor brought up. The sound of the anchor being brought up covered the sound of the crewman's horrified screams."

Bella shuddered because that image was horrendous too, but she couldn't help her next question. "How do you know his screams were horrified if no one heard him? How did anyone know he screamed at all?"

"I'm pretty sure that part was assumed because he was being crushed to death by a huge chain."

"Oh, well. I guess that would make anyone scream. You're right."

"He's said to be the source of another cold spot near the chain locker." They both shivered, and Edward shrugged. "Besides that, some people have reported a general feeling of anxiety in the crew quarters, which is where dying men would have taken their lasts breaths. And, much more pleasantly, you can sometimes smell fresh baked bread in the kitchen and dining areas." He waved a hand. "Then the usual objects moving by themselves and footsteps heard when no one is supposed to be around."

"Right, because it's not like the ship is docked next to a really busy street. The idea someone could have been stomping around when they weren't supposed to is impossible."

Edward stood up. "Well, come on then. If you're not afraid, let's get going."

The Star of India, while slightly creepy below decks, didn't scare Bella. Nor did the HMS Surprise, a Royal Navy replica ship that had been used in Master and Commander and one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, though, Edward's Jack Sparrow impersonation was frighteningly bad.

The third ship on their lineup, though...that might prove to be a different story, though not because it was haunted. It lay low in the water, a rusted black, decrepit looking monstrosity. The Soviet submarine B-39 was one of two subs in the museum, and Bella just didn't like the looks of it.

She was trying to think if there was a smooth way to suggest they didn't really need to explore the submarines when Edward's phone rang. "Give me a second," he said, striding down the dock so he could answer the call in private.

That left Bella alone with the sub. It was a weekday, so there weren't a lot of people milling the area. It figured. She tried to tell herself it was ridiculous that even the sight of the sub made her nervous. Sure, she got a touch of claustrophobia when spaces were tight, but she wasn't even standing on top of the sub.

Whether it was ridiculous or not, Bella got more and more nervous as she approached the sub. "Uh…" Bella peered down into it. "Perfectly normal," she muttered to herself. "People go down in these things all the time and no one dies." She leaned over the entrance and hissed through her teeth at the darkened metal and machinery below.

"Bella?"

She yelped and jumped. Then, she gasped as she tilted toward the hole.

"Whoa." Edward grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back to safety. She clutched the front of his shirt, her heart pounding a mile a minute. "Are you okay? Why are you so jumpy?" His eyebrows arched. "Wait a minute. You're not spooked, are you?"

"What? No." Bella chuffed and glared over her shoulder at the hole. "Look, let's go see the San Salvador instead. This thing isn't that interesting." She took a step in that direction, but Edward tightened his arm around her waist, hauling her back.

"You're scared of the ship."

"No."

"Okay, then let's go." He took her hand, pulling her in the direction of the submarine.

Bella dug her heels in. "Nope. No. That submarine is the yawning maw of evil, and I'm not dumb enough to be fooled. I've seen this horror movie."

"It's safe. It's been floating here since 2005, and it didn't sink during the Vietnam War."

"It did so sink. That's the point of a submarine. It sinks and creeps around. It sinks, and comes up, and sinks and comes up." She moved her hand up and down. Edward smirked at her, and she felt her cheeks heat. "That's what she said. Yeah, yeah, you pervert."

He laughed and bumped her side. "If you really don't want to go down, we don't have to."

"That's what…" She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, fine. We're both perverts." She stared pensively at the sub.

"Haven't you ever been in a submersible for work or class?"

"Not yet," Bella said with a sigh. "I want to go. And you know, it'll probably be different. This thing is a death trap."

"That hasn't killed anyone."

"Yet," Bella grunted in response.

"If you want to look around, I'll be right there with you," he said. "You know, so you won't be alone?"

Bella had a brief image of him putting his arm around her. That would be nice. Like in a haunted house. She was a strong, capable woman, but she couldn't deny how much it soothed her fears to have a strong, capable man to hide against when things were threatening to pop out at them. She'd feel safe in his arms; she knew it.

Where the hell had that thought come from? Bella shook it off and smirked at him. "That would be great if it were ghosties and ghoulies I was afraid of, but if the damn thing sinks, you holding my hand is only going to keep me from swimming to safety."

In the end, though, when Edward descended the ladder to take a look, Bella decided it couldn't possibly be that bad.

She was wrong. She was only halfway down the ladder when she froze, gripping the rungs like a vice so her knuckles went white. She started to tremble, and her airway started to close ever so slightly.

"Bella?"

"I think I need help," she said around a gasp.

He'd climbed back on the ladder and when she felt his hand warm against her back, some measure of relief went through her. "You're all right. I have you." His hand stroked up and down her back. "Up or down?"

"Down. Down." She'd been struck by the simultaneous fear of falling and of being consumed, trapped, drowned. She needed her feet on solid ground one way or another, and up didn't seem possible when she was trembling like she was.

"Okay. Take a step. I have you." He stepped down one rung from where he'd been. Bella took a deep breath and took a shaky step down, knowing she couldn't fall that far when he was braced against her the way he was. "Okay, one more step. Down."

Edward worked her down four more rungs before he leapt to the bottom. He put his hands around her waist, and pulled her down onto the steady ground. Her breathing was sporadic. She'd turned into his embrace, her hands spread wide on his chest as she tried to get her bearings. "Sorry," she whispered. She huffed. "Sorry. I don't…" She swallowed hard, shame beginning to creep in around the subsiding panic. "I don't know what the hell just happened."

"It's creepy as hell down here; that's what happened. Jesus Christ."

Bella raised her head. "What the actual fuck?" The sub was dark, glowing red in some places with lights flashing in others. There were strange noises, including voices, in the distance. She had to look above them to where the sun was still shining brightly to assure herself she hadn't actually set foot into a nightmare scenario. Her hands fell to Edward's waist and she gripped him to her tighter. "What the fresh hell is this?"

Edward, peering over her shoulder, scoffed. "It's a living exhibit. It's a recording meant to simulate something that actually happened on this sub."

"Oh, hell. That's Russian. They're speaking Russian. That's extra levels of creepy." Bella tore her eyes away from the red lights and looked at Edward.

"So...let's get out of here?"

"Yes, please."

They both scrambled as fast as they could back up the ladder. The fact that Edward went up behind her kept Bella from imagining she was being chased, but she was still shaky when she emerged. The instant that Edward joined her, she grabbed his hand, and they hauled ass back to the dock.

There, they looked at each other. They were both flushed and slightly out of breath both from the exertion and the adrenaline. Now that they were back in the sunshine, their flight felt kind of ridiculous. Bella couldn't keep a giggle from escaping, but the second it did, she and Edward were both laughing.

"So. How about that San Salvador?" Edward said.

"Gee, why didn't I think about that?"

~0~

As it got toward evening, Edward and Bella opted for the optional harbor cruise. Since they both knew the sights of the bay, they weren't listening to the narration, but enjoying being out on the water.

They sat with their heads bent together so they could talk quietly and not disturb the tourists who might actually be interested in the guide's speech.

"So, what's your Disney Bucket list?" Bella asked.

"Oh, wow. Let's see. I want to see the little boy ghost on Haunted Mansion."

She gave him a dubious look. "You really think some mom dumped her kid's ashes there?"

"You really think it hasn't happened?"

Bella made a face.

Edward nodded. "Your turn."

"Club 33."

Edward shook his head. "Doesn't count."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because that's on every Disney fanatic's list."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Fine." Her hair kept whipping into her face. She couldn't seem to get it tucked back right.

Edward reached out, his fingers in her hair, helping her. She froze at the jolt that went through her. When had his face gotten so close?

They stared for one, two, three pregnant heartbeats, and Bella's mouth went dry. "Um. Swing dancing."

"What?" He blinked.

"My bucket list," she said, trying to remember what they were talking about. "Did you know they have swing dancing right by that place where you see all the princesses between Fantasyland and Frontierland?"

"The Royal Theater at the Fantasy Faire. I know it."

"Always wanted to do it." She shrugged. "But I can't swing dance."

His grin was blinding. "I know someone who can."

A/N: True story. The day I went aboard the sub I'm writing about, I was absolutely alone. My mom's knees were too bad to climb down, and it was a weekday, so no one was there. I climb down, and everything is dark and RED and there are voices speaking in Russian (with a crackle like over the radio).

I mean… I still explored it, but I kept thinking skeleton hands were going to reach out from the bottom and grab me. YIKES.