Beneath The Surface

by MyBella

One summer, an internship in Africa, bloodlust, sharp teeth, and a boatload of fear are all that stand in the way of Bella Cullen landing a job at the Atlanta Aquarium - As long as she doesn't count cocky shark expert Edward Masen on her list.

49. 49 From Predator to Prey

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.

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Chapter 49 – From Predator to Prey

Sunday, August 17th

Lee held her steaming coffee cup in both hands while intently keeping watch on the kitchen.

Bella giggled at her friend's intense focus. "Are you worried they'll set the place on fire?"

"No I'm worried they're up to something. They're getting along and Whit is helping cook. The only thing he ever wants to do with food is eat it."

"Maybe it's just more proof they really are getting along better."

"Maybe. Doubtful, but maybe. I completely agree Masen and Gopher have turned a corner but Whit cooking—that's something else entirely."

"Why do you suppose the guys 'turned a corner' as you put it?"

Lee finally pulled her eyes from the kitchen and set them on Bella. "Because Masen's biggest worry happened and disaster didn't follow. When Gopher was fighting to catch the attention of that angry shark, his personality was out in full force, hence all the interesting language he was using. Masen's fear has always been that Gopher's personality outshining his professionalism will lead to injury or worse. Seeing and hearing Gopher take things personally and still be a controlled professional gave Masen the ability to finally relax and fully trust him as our teammate, something he's been struggling to do for a very long time."

"It's amazing how different they are together now than when I first arrived. I'm sure it's a weight off your shoulders too, finally having your boyfriend and your best friend getting along."

Lee's smile shone on her lips and in her bright eyes. "It's going to take some getting used to but I'm loving every second of it."

"Ladies, we present you with a thoroughly delicious breakfast," Gopher announced as he set a huge plate of French Toast onto the table.

"And an awesome idea for your consideration," Whit added.

Lee looked to Bella. "Told you they were up to something."

"It's a good idea," Masen assured her.

"The last time you three came up with a 'good' idea together, it involved tequila in Aruba and you three nearly getting us all kicked out of our resort."

Bella looked to Edward, confused by the location. She wasn't aware of any shark species living there that would grab his attention. "What were you studying in Aruba?"

Esme chuckled while sliding past the guys to sit beside Bella. "He was studying the female form, right alongside our dear Whit."

"And not the least bit covert about it either," Lee confided.

"We were on vacation," Whit defended. "And, Esme, you were the one to order us to relax and enjoy the sights," he reminded her.

Esme crafted a perfectly fake pout. "Yes, I was so innocent back then. So unaware of the type of peaks and valleys you two were interested in exploring."

"The hell you were," Edward responded with a loud snort. "You personally pointed out at least half of them to us."

"I was merely admiring the fashion senses of those young ladies," Esme replied, wearing that same shitty grin Edward often sported.

Bella smiled at Esme. "Wing Man?"

"He is my kid. Someone has to look out for him." She took hold of Bella's hand and gave it a motherly squeeze. "Of course, that's now something I get to share with you."

Bella lifted her eyes to Edward and grinned mischievously. "Then I'm going to have to know more about this Aruba trip so I know what bad behaviors to watch out for."

Lee chuckled. "I am thrilled to share this story with you, Guppy. It's one of my favorites of their attempts at bonding."

"You labeled it bonding," Edward replied. "We still stand by the term 'young adult misadventure'."

Lee rolled her eyes at him. "Fine then. Their first misadventure was to take tequila shots without keeping track of how many they'd each had."

"Rookie drinkers," Esme said with a sigh. "I thought I'd explained fully the dangers of imbibing beyond inhibitions but clearly not."

"You explained just fine, Esme," Lee assured her. "These knuckleheads just thought they were bulletproof."

"We are larger specimens so theoretically our increased mass should have given us a higher tolerance than she experienced," Edward stated.

"Yeah? How'd that logic work out for you that night?" Lee challenged. When he didn't respond she continued with the story. "Their second misadventure was deciding to best each other in a sport chosen by coin flip. It was between racing horses on the beach and playing tennis at the courts. Thankfully for the horses, tennis won out."

"Who won at tennis?" Bella asked, her eyes shifting between Edward and Lee.

"The court," Lee answered with a chuckle. "Their competition barely lasted ten minutes and in that time they all received injuries with effects that lasted a few days. First—"

Edward jumped in at that moment. "Nothing major happened, Bella, and it's not worth wasting your time by recounting it."

From the way Whit was scratching at his chin and Gopher was rubbing his shoulder, Bella was fully convinced Edward was full of shite. She turned her attention to Lee. "You were saying?"

Her friend chuckled. "The first injury went to Masen. Whit was testing his swing and accidentally whacked Masen in the face with his racket. It started to swell right away and Mase ended up sporting a colorful eye area for days."

"The least complimentary was the angry purple with the yellow border," Esme helpfully added.

"And you guys didn't think to stop right then?" Bella questioned, surveying Edward and Whit.

Both men shrugged.

"The next injury went to Whit," Lee shared. "And while he and Masen both swear it was an accident—"

"It was," Whit and Edward chorused.

Lee kept talking as if she hadn't heard them. "I've never been completely sure since no matter how drunk Masen gets he can still do math in his head perfectly and this incident was completely trajectory based. Masen served his tennis ball directly to Whit's sensitive area and took him right down to the ground. Whit walked and sat very carefully for a couple days after."

Esme snorted. "Poor boy. He carried his pillow with him everywhere that first day but its feathery folds were no match for the soreness of his nethers." Her phrasing had them all cracking up laughing.

"What about Gopher?" Bella asked when she finally got control of her laughter.

Lee pursed her lips as she looked up at her boyfriend. "This one. I swear he was trying to crack his skull open that night. He decided to run full speed at the net, planning to jump over it like 'any superhero worth his salt'. That last bit is a direct quote from that night. Anyway, he somehow got tangled up in the net, flipped over it, and landed so hard on his shoulder that it bruised and he couldn't lift it fully for a couple days."

"I milked that soreness," Gopher proclaimed. "And that net wasn't regulation size. That thing was definitely taller than a regular net."

Bella shook her head in disbelief. "Did any of you see a doctor for your injuries?"

"No, despite our many protests," Esme answered. "They felt it would only make the resort's manager more eager to kick us out."

"Apparently the security guys witnessed our mayhem on camera," Whit shared. "When we hit the lobby, the manager had all these waiver papers he wanted us to sign. He wanted our written word that we wouldn't sue the place for our injuries."

"These yahoos were too preoccupied to sign, though," Esme said. "They were far too busy arguing over who won the tennis match while I worked on sweet talking the manager into letting Lee and I take them upstairs rather than calling the paramedics and authorities."

Lee chuckled. "Yeah, I ended up coaxing them into an elevator by promising pizza, and with them out of the way the manager became much more receptive to Esme."

"In the end, we were not kicked out but we were asked to stay off the tennis courts," Esme confided. "All in all, it was one of our more successful family vacations."

Bella looked around at all of the nodding heads and couldn't help laughing. "It's amazing how different the meanings of words become around you guys."

"Like 'good' when put with 'idea' by these three," Lee agreed.

"It was a good idea when we used it off the coast of Valencia, Spain," Whit argued.

"We captured some of the most informative photos of Blacktip sharks in the Balearic Sea ever seen before or since," Edward stated. Bella knew he believed this was a fact and not just bragging, just like she knew how it would sound to those who didn't know him.

"Everyone got a turn and it was a no harm, no foul day," Gopher chimed in. "Plus, it was one of the coolest missions we've done."

Lee's tone was tight as she stared at Edward with wide eyes. "You can't be seriously suggesting this. Not here."

"Why not?"

"Because Blacktips are nothing like Great Whites. Blacktips tend to be five feet in length and are actually labeled 'timid' in comparison to other species. They stay at safe distances from divers and tend to travel in small groups. They are basically the introverts of sharks. The Great White is infinitely bigger and very much aggressive." Lee narrowed her eyes and seethed between clinched teeth. "Do not shake your head at me, Masen. Great Whites breach for fuck's sake! You are not going to be hanging off the side of our boat with a harness being the only thing between you and a behemoth's mouth!"

Bella's gasp of surprise somehow turned into choking and coughing with Gopher patting her on the back.

Edward was undeterred by Lee's anger and oblivious to Bella's coughing. "Blacktips are a lot like spinners. They might not necessarily breach but they do leap out of the water and spin three to four times before landing."

"At the end of food runs in the middle of large schools of fish!" Lee paused and took a steadying breath. When she spoke again, her voice was calmer but her eyes still burned with angry fire. "Mase, I can understand the draw for you, I really do, but this risk is unacceptable. Just as it was unacceptable on that day to continue photographing the Blacktips when larger, faster, and more aggressive Blue Sharks entered the area."

Edward turned to Whit. "You talk to her. She's determined not to listen to me."

Whit pulled on his ponytail for a moment. "Actually, bro, I'd forgotten about those Blues. Now that I'm thinking about them, maybe Blacktip versus Great White isn't a level enough comparison."

"But the size difference works in our favor," Gopher argued. "We can spot the Great White before it ever gets close enough to breach, giving us plenty of time to pull back when needed."

"You have literally lost your mind if you think we're faster than those sharks," Lee told him.

"Why the sudden doubt in our abilities?" Masen asked.

"Why the sudden lack of safety concerns?" Lee countered.

Things quickly devolved between Lee and the guys into a mass of angry yells about personal fear versus professional research and what did and did not constitute an actual risk. To Bella it felt like she was watching a very weird and very loud tennis match, her head swiveling toward each new angry voice as she tried to keep up with the conversation.

She became so inflamed by the guys dogged determination to push on with this idea that she actually stood up in her seat. "Hey!" she yelled as loudly as she could. Once they were all focused on her, she asked, "How many breaches have we caught on camera that we didn't know were coming?"

Masen and Whit didn't answer and she had the feeling that was on purpose.

Gopher replied but he sure didn't say it very loudly. "Enough to make our idea bad."

With her chest heaving and heart hammering from anger and anxiety, Bella locked eyes with Edward. His lips parted and she braced herself for whatever asinine comment he was about to make. She kept her eyes locked on his with her head held high, hoping he would catch the physical clue that she would not back down on this topic. She would fight him on this until he saw actual reason and not just the plan in his head.

For just a second his expression morphed from determined to curious and she spotted a tiny inkling of doubt in his steel grey eyes. But then it passed and he merely stood there like a statue, saying nothing and giving nothing away.

Bella bit back her disappointment and shared her thoughts on this debacle. "I wish I could say I understood the draw of this plan the way Lee does, but all I see is a risk that should be absolutely unacceptable to all of you. Friday, not last week, Friday we came face to face with an angry Great White and he was completely unpredictable and wholly aggressive. He not only jumped out of the water to attack the cage multiple times, he attempted to ram the boat. Knowing that kind of shark is in these waters, how could any of you consider dangling your body over the water? How can you believe, even for a moment, that the extreme potential for bodily harm is an acceptable risk for this team? For this family?"

Esme gripped Bella's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Let's all take a breath." She looked pointedly at Edward. "And a moment to compose our thoughts on this heated subject."

Bella took her breath and then her seat, keeping her eyes on Edward the entire time.

"It seems to me, my dear misfits, that the excitement of this summer has caused some of you to forget the founding tenant of MMR … Family above all. No matter how enticing a location may be, no matter how close you are to that perfect shot, you will never risk harm to yourself, your teammates, or this family."

"Mom—"

She silenced him using only her stern expression. "Edward, be very careful of what you say and how you say it. As the leader of this team, your words carry a great deal of weight and should be wielded with utmost care, especially on the rare occasions where the team is divided."

He clenched his jaw and grabbed a handful of his hair but didn't speak.

"Ladies," Whit said as he looked to each of them. "I apologize for my part in bringing this idea to the table. I was excited by the prospect of the pictures we would get but excitement is no excuse for not thoroughly vetting a plan before bringing it to the table. I'm sorry for the worry I caused, the anxiety I can see in each of your faces."

"Everything he just said times ten," Gopher stated. He looked only at Lee while saying, "I'm really sorry."

Edward joined the conversation but after hearing what he had to say, Bella really wished he'd kept silent. "I don't appreciate having my dedication to my family questioned."

"We don't appreciate having to question it," she responded.

His only visible reaction to her statement was the tightening of the lines around his mouth. "Perhaps it was the lack of papers in my hand that made it seem like this idea was rash and impulsive. Regardless, I assure you all that every eventuality was considered in calculating the final risk to each of us. It is because we work so flawlessly that I gave merit to this idea in the first place."

"Did you give consideration to the emotional impact if someone slips up for that one second it takes for things to go horribly wrong?" Bella demanded to know.

"I did not because I did not entertain the idea that any of you would neglect your duty." That steely look in his eyes persisted but the lines around his mouth relaxed. "However this might have seemed to any of you, I promise you all that I would never put you in harm's way. There's nothing on this planet that means more to me than all of you."

Lee spoke up this time. "While we appreciate the abundance of confidence you have in us, you need to appreciate that we are human and prone to mistakes. Some mishaps aren't even really our own fault, like the line getting pulled taught across your hand that day."

"Considering the emotions of your team would also be appreciated," Bella added. "We get that logic rules your world but in return you need to get that emotions play a big part in ours."

Whit grabbed Edward's shoulder and whispered something to him that had him shaking his head. They argued back and forth in whispers for a minute or two and then Whit's voice went to full volume as he demanded, "Just do it, bro."

Edward huffed and then looked from Lee to Bella. "Everyone wanted me to stop being completely analytical so I did. I took a plan that had worked in the past and merged it with what I thought we'd all enjoy—a new approach to documenting our subject. Now you two are saying you don't trust me and these guys have backed off on supporting the plan."

"It's not about trusting you," Bella and Lee echoed.

"It's about not trusting an apex predator twice your size and so many more times your weight to be within biting range of your body," Lee told him.

Bella nodded in agreement and then gave her own explanation for shooting this idea down. "Edward, I can't push you out of my way, much less harm you with a punch, even with one of my best slugs, but when it comes to you and a shark, you're basically papier-mâché. It's got nothing to do with trusting you and everything to do with respecting the awful and awesome force of a Great White."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his eyes dropping down to stare at his bare feet for a moment. When she could see his eyes again, Bella knew right away that he still didn't get their objections but he'd respect them.

"It's already turning light out so let's just table the idea and stick with our original plan for today," he announced. "Any questions or comments before we get started?"

"I have something to say," Esme declared. "While no one is truly happy with the result of this conversation, I want you all to take a moment to appreciate that you were able to be respectful, express your views, and listen to the opposition. This is a big deal because this team is no longer solely comprised of shark admirers. You are all on the right path and I hope pointing that out to you will help to keep you on it."

"Esme, what are we going to do when we don't have you as mediator anymore?" Lee asked seriously.

Esme grinned. "You'll call me. I will only ever be a phone call away from my misfits."

"Yeah, well, right now breakfast is calling," Gopher said as he plopped down onto the booth bench. "Let's get to eating so we can get to working."

"Now that is a plan we can all agree on," Whit replied as he joined Gopher at the table.

Edward snagged an apple from the basket on the kitchen island. "I'm going to check the weather report one more time. You guys eat and then grab your gear."

Bella had a feeling his escape to the helm had a lot more to do with the argument than with the weather. She thought about going to talk to him but decided in the end it was better to let him have his space and get his mind focused on the day ahead of them. There would be plenty of time for them to talk tonight—and for him to truly understand why she and Lee had shot down his idea.

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Gopher's giggles were currently the loudest sound and for the first time ever it wasn't causing Masen to twitch with concern. He knew he could trust that if the conditions changed so would the man's demeanor, just like during the cage dive on Friday.

"This gal is acting a lot more like Lizzy than a shark," Gopher commented before letting loose another round of his exuberant giggles. He was thoroughly entertained with his job of tugging around the rope with the floating balls to keep the small shark interested while the guys photographed it.

"Lead her this way a little so I can get a good picture of her outline," Whit directed.

"Follow the rope, sweetheart," Gopher said as he gave it a tug to his right where Whit was standing. "That's a good girl."

Masen snorted at his left, waiting with the other still camera for his own photo opportunity. He'd asked Lee and Bella if they'd wanted the other still camera slot but they'd decided to work in the crow's nest keeping watch for approaching sharks and manning the mounted video camera trained on the guys. He was pretty sure they were up there discussing him and what they considered to be a bad idea. He'd given in today for the sake of the team but he was not done with the idea by far. There was a way to present it to get them to agree—he just had to find it.

"Give it up, bro," Gopher said in his rarely heard serious tone. "Following that road is only going to leave you a lonely boy."

"Listen to him, Mase. He's right on this," Whit encouraged.

Masen snagged a couple shots of the shark using its flexibility to twist itself around while he questioned his friends' advice. "Let me ask you guys something … How much of your jumping ship was their argument and how much was not wanting to upset them?"

"Both," Whit replied. "In terms of logistics, if we stopped for the Blues, then we shouldn't start for the Whites. On the personal side, I don't want to follow through with anything that makes them seriously concerned for our safety."

"You said it yourself, Mase. Sometimes it's more important to protect the mental than the physical," Gopher pointed out. "Wise words from a wise leader that aptly applied to today's disagreement."

"This is no different than you objecting to Esme's idea of keeping a blue-ringed octopus around," Whit shared. "Whenever she brings it up, you have the opportunity to site all the ways in which it's a dangerous creature but your go-to answer is always 'It's too deadly to be anywhere near my mom'. For Lee and Bella, these sharks are too deadly for the three of us to be hanging from the side of the boat."

Gopher nodded in agreement with all that Whit had said. "He's right. And the bottom line for me is this, there's no info we're gonna get from doing it that we can't get by safer means, bro. Case closed. End of idea."

"She's tired of us," Masen said, lifting his chin to indicate the small Great White that had been chasing their rope.

The radio beeped and then Lee could be clearly heard. "You've got another small shark approaching from your left side back. About ten yards out."

Masen had the radio clipped to the shoulder of his shirt so he was the one to answer her. "Thanks, Lee."

"Welcome. Over and out."

He thought about saying something else but figured he'd leave things alone until he could be face to face with her. He really did hate to upset her, even more than he hated for his ideas to be shot down without complete investigation. But maybe it might not hurt to consider that my idea of complete and theirs is a little different, he reflected.

"We have definitely confirmed these sharks are just as attracted to shiny metal strips as tigers and bulls," Whit stated. "We've been averaging two sharks an hour over the past four hours, mostly small and with a couple medium size beauties. That's a high point for today already, bro."

Masen ignored the comment, not finding it a mood lifter at all right now.

When the newcomer was finally in range, Gopher was the first to spot it. "Blacktip, right? An adult?"

Masen borrowed the binoculars from him and double-checked him. "Nailed it, bro. She's about four foot long. Another foot and she'll be at her maximum length."

"Let's see if I can't entice her to come closer." Gopher coiled up his rope and then launched it out as easily as if he was releasing fishing line from a pole. "Snake it left to right a little and see if she gets curious."

She did get curious and she followed the end of the rope all the way to the boat.

"She's feisty," Whit said with a chuckle. "She's mid-twist and snapping at the end of the rope. I can't recall us having seen that before."

"Gopher, see if she'll come toward me a little," Masen directed. "I want to try to get a lengthwise shot of her so we can properly estimate her length later.

The radio beeped and this time it was Bella updating them. "There's an indistinguishable shadow hanging right at the back of the boat. It's kind of blob shaped. We thought maybe a small school of fish but it keeps disappearing and reappearing, like something diving down and then coming partway back up. And it just disappeared again. Be on the lookout guys, we've got no idea what this thing might be."

"Will do," Masen assured her, already leaning over the railing to try and spot this mysterious 'blob'.

"Should we look too?" Gopher asked.

"Not both of you. You keep your eyes on the blacktip and Whit can watch the water around you. I'm going to walk toward the back of the boat and see if I can't find it." Just as the words left his mouth, Masen spotted the oddly shaped shadow and the slightly more defined difference of the creature's color against the water's tone. He had no idea what it was but he felt certain he knew what it wanted.

There was no time to warn the guys or to get the rope out of the water. They were powerless to do anything but watch, and even that was difficult since it was over and done within a split second. The creature charged up from beneath with its mouth open wide, swallowed the shark in a single bite, and then slid back into the water. All Masen had clearly seen of the creature was the pointed ridges along its spine.

An undetermined sea creature capable of swallowing an adult blacktip shark whole—what the fuck could do that? Masen asked himself while staring at the water rings left behind by the creature's downward dive.

"What the fuck was that?" Gopher shrieked, yanking the rope half up the wall of the boat on the first tug. He had it completely in the boat on the second pull and then he launched it clear across the deck as if it had grown hot in his hands.

"That shit is what sea monster legends are made of," Whit shouted, pointing at the now calm water below them.

Lee's shouted question could be heard on the air as well as through the radio. "You guys okay?"

Gopher could only repeat his earlier question. "What the fuck was that?"

Masen shook his head slowly and then spoke into the radio so Bella and Lee would hear his answer too. "I don't know. I'm going to have to watch the video in slow-mo for clues so I can research it and find out."

Gopher's jaw dropped. "How can you not know? You always know."

"It was so quick, bro. Not even Mase's eagle eyes could keep up with whatever the hell that was," Whit told him.

"Then I say we watch this video now because I'm not putting that rope back in the water until I know whether or not I could be on that thing's menu."

"We'll pop the tape out and be down in a moment," Lee reported.

Masen could see her outline as she moved toward the camera but he didn't see Bella's. His first thought was she might be packing up the binoculars already but then he realized it was much more likely that she was having one of her panic attacks after an unexpected moment like this one. He wanted so badly to know if she was okay but he didn't want to embarrass her by asking over the radio or climbing up there after her. He had to trust that if she needed him, she would ask for him.

Fifteen minutes later, they were all watching the video together for the first time. Bella seemed fine but she was also sitting right up against him and he knew she wouldn't be if not for this mysterious creature—she'd be keeping her space until they talked about this morning's argument. They'd already figured out together that space between them gave him time to figure out on his own how he'd screwed up—or time to ask Whit if necessary.

Masen decided to play back the recording at regular speed first to verify the incident had happened as quickly as it had seemed to play out. It had. The creature had come up from under much like a Great White during a breach but it did not come out of the water. It was just there and then it wasn't, leaving only those ridges visible as it dove down with its prey—an adult shark.

"It went poof!" Lee yelled out.

Masen's head jerked in her direction, not able to reconcile in his head that her voice had really said those words. "What?"

"It went poof," she insisted, jabbing her finger toward the television.

Masen turned to Whit for help in deciphering their friend. "What is she doing?"

"How the hell should we know? She's your best friend," Whit answered, laughing at Masen's shock and Lee's uncharacteristic behavior.

"I know what it is."

Every head in the room swiveled toward the sound of that voice—toward Bella.

"What do you think it is?" Lee asked.

Bella blushed from having all eyes on her but she answered with as much confidence as when she'd first spoken up. "Epinephelus lanceolatus, the Great Grouper. They can reach lengths of 8 feet and weigh as much as 660 pounds, which is what makes them able to swallow other marine life whole, even ones that are half their size."

Masen went straight for the book shelf and his marine encyclopedia while Whit asked for more information from Bella. "How do you know? Have you seen one before? Have you seen one do that before?"

"The Georgia Aquarium has this species and it was assigned to me for my oral presentation in the first round of interviews," Bella explained. "These groupers live in the Indo-Pacific and can be found in the Red Sea, South Africa, and Australia. They usually prefer deep water and shallow reefs, caves, and shipwrecks so I'm not sure why it was all the way at the surface like this, but I know it's a Great Grouper. Those ridges along its back are unmistakable."

"So besides swallowing a fucking shark whole, what else do these massive mothers eat?" Gopher questioned.

"Sea turtles, spiny lobsters, crabs, and pretty much any type of fish it wants. There have been a few cases of a diver being attacked, but in each case the diver was a spear fisherman and the grouper was defending itself."

Gopher let out a breath. "Good. Last thing I need is another animal that thinks I taste like chicken."

Masen finally found the creature in his book and he read aloud the entry to the team. "Great groupers are ambush predators, choosing to lie in wait for their meal to cross their path. They have a large mouth that expands and protrudes to create a strong suction to swallow whole their food. Their eyes function well in dim light and also rotate to spot approaching prey without having to move their heads. These abilities allow them to occupy the upper end of the food chain.

"They are inquisitive and fearless, and prefer to munch on fish, octopi, young turtles, sharks, and even barracudas. They have even been known to attack divers such as the spear fishermen who try to harvest them.

"These groupers are protogynous hermaphrodites, which refer to organisms that are born female and at some point in their lifespan change sex to male. However, sexual maturity doesn't occur until the grouper is 20 years old so fishing removes the largest, and oldest fish first, along with the chances of reproduction and continuing the species. This has landed them as 'vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List."

Masen looked up from his book and surveyed his team. Gopher and Whit were staring at each other with identical shocked expressions. Lee had a smirk on her face that he just knew meant she would take this incident as her ultimate validation for scrapping his idea this morning. And Bella—Bella was staring directly at him. He couldn't name the expression on her face since he'd never seen it before. He only knew it made him feel like cringing and apologizing in equal measure.

"So tell us again how it is that you researched this place but didn't know about that big ass mother?" Gopher questioned.

Masen glanced over the encyclopedia page again before answering. "My research covered the geographical areas we would drop anchor, along with the depths we would most likely visit. This fish shouldn't have been anywhere near where we were."

"Well shit," Whit said as he plopped down on the arm of Gopher's chair. "We've got half of today left, all of tomorrow, and then we pull stakes and go home. Is this new discovery going to wreck our final hours?"

Bella answered before Masen could. "There's no reason it should. Great Groupers are opportunistic. Had we not been keeping that Blacktip in one little area, the Grouper most likely would have avoided the boat and we'd have never known it was there."

Masen struggled to wrap his head around the fact that she had just encouraged them all to keep going after witnessing the predator she feared become another creature's prey.

"Masen?" Lee called. "What do you think?"

"Bella's right," he stated. "There's no reason to quit. We finish investigating our theory on shark curiosity today with the metal strips and the rope, and then tomorrow we have our final cage dives, water samples, and hopefully a hell of a lot of breaching footage."

"And the Grouper?" Gopher asked.

"Becomes part of the daily and our history," Masen replied.

"Having just eaten, it's highly unlikely it will come back this afternoon," Bella shared. "Even if it did by some chance, Lee and I now know what we are looking at and will be able to warn you much sooner."

"So let's see some hands," Masen told them. "All those in favor of getting back to work, raise them up high."

His own hand was the first in the air, followed closely by Whit and then Bella. Lee shrugged and then lifted her own, leaving Gopher as the last team member to cast a vote.

"What the hell?" he said as he got to his feet. "If Guppy's game, then so am I."

"Am I the new metric for cowardice?" she asked him.

"Not cowardice, little fish. Healthy restraint," he assured her.

She pursed her lips as she thought about it and then smiled fully. "I can live with that."

"Come on," Whit said, laughing as he hooked an arm around her shoulders. "Let's get back to work before Mase whines that we're wasting daylight."

Masen watched in awe as Bella and Whit walked right out the door. He looked to Lee who seemed just as surprised and then she shrugged and followed after them.

"Hell of a woman," Gopher said as he got to his feet.

"Both of them are."

Gopher grinned and gave Masen's shoulder a hearty squeeze. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Now let's go wrangle some sharks, bro."

That was an idea Masen could definitely get behind, especially since their time here was growing shorter by the minute. He wanted to get in at least one more amazing and memorable experience before he had to leave these beautiful sharks behind.

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

Bella settled into the pile of pillows and balanced her journal on her knees. It had been a long day and in addition to the various animal sightings she would get to document, she knew she had a long side note ahead of her.

She took care of all of the marine life details first, saving the Great Grouper and its impressive "catch" for last.

Side Note: Second to last day today and second most eventful of the summer. The team was divided on a suggested plan for the first time since I've been here. Meetings are always so professional that it was a little jarring to see it dissolve into personal remarks, even if it was only for a short time. I have a theory about why it happened that way but there's a good chance I'm completely wrong about it. I'm hoping tonight's entry will help me to resolve the disconnect I'm feeling.

Trust is maybe the hardest part of life to master. It's difficult to build, tough to give, and sometimes impossible to restore. It also can be illusive in that you are so sure you're giving and taking easily only to find out that you've barely scratched the surface. For me, trust is my default. I want to trust the people I'm with. I expect that I can trust them mainly because I know they can trust me. I thought I understood that others are different and that trust is much harder for them but I don't understand. And it's not the concept of finding it hard to put trust in others that I'm struggling with. It's the expectation that others will not trust you and therefore not believe in or support you. Edward equates trust with that kind of belief and support. It makes him blind to the other person's true intention, which is usually protecting him in some way. I'm concerned about the level of struggle we'll have with this issue but also hopeful that eventually we can change his default so that he at least considers other options before deciding he's not being trusted.

It's hurtful when he's so mistrusting. I know I shouldn't take it personally when I know it's never done maliciously—he's wired differently. He has different expectations and reactions based on his own life experiences. I don't fault him for that, but I do hope we can change it. I want him to know that when I disagree with him, I'm never revoking my support of him or my belief in him. I'm just seeing the situation differently. I can't imagine a moment where I would ever question his devotion to protecting this family, and that certainly wasn't my issue today. My problem was that I could see the blind-spots in his critical thinking. I could see where the risk to the mental was so much more than the physical, a line of thinking he taught me to pursue.

The physical dangers were enough on their own to draw a line and reject the plan. Adding in the mental only served as absolute proof to me. All that guilt he's felt about my run-in with the ray magnified and spread across the team—I couldn't support an idea with that level of consequence.

How do I explain myself where he can understand when I'm not even sure I'm making sense to myself? Maybe just go with the fewest words and the simplest truth? I was fearful for the family I love with all my heart.

I'm nervous to talk with him tonight. I'm worried he's already convinced himself he knows my thought process on this issue and therefore won't pay attention to this entry or the words I share with him in person. I'm even more afraid I won't be able to understand his reasons for believing his plan carried an acceptable risk. We have to be able to see the other side—not agree with it, just see it. It's vital to being able to communicate and to keeping both sides of our relationship healthy.

I've just read through all of this and I can't think of anything to add. Guess that means it's time to get out of my own head and see if I can't get into Edward's at least a little.

Bella closed her journal and left the comfort of the pillow pile. She took a couple deep breaths and reminded herself that her calm would influence his, just as her anger would spike his. This would be where both of us being passionate people causes us trouble, she thought as she looked down the hall to the light spilling out of the office.

"You're a Guppy, not a chicken," she chided herself. "Just go down there, show him the journal, and have a productive conversation."

She lifted her head high and made her way to the office as if she was fully confident in the outcome.

She found Edward standing at the whiteboard, staring at the notes there and rolling a marker between his hands.

"Looking for something in particular?" she asked.

He glanced at her and then back to the board. "Not sure. I have a feeling there's something here but I have no idea what."

She came into the office and settled into her spot on the corner of his desk. "It's a puzzle, which you love."

He turned away from the board and plopped down into his chair. "What brings you by?"

"This," she said as she passed her journal to him. "And hopefully a conversation after you read it."

"Think I'll have questions?"

"We both already do."

His eyebrows lifted up but his eyes stayed on her journal entry. "This morning?"

"You had to know we would talk about it."

"I figured but also hoped we could just let it go."

"Read my entry first and then see if you still want to just let it go."

He rocked his chair back and settled deep into it, bowing his head over her journal.

Bella decided to give herself something to do while she waited for him to finish reading and focused her attention on the whiteboard to see if she could solve his mysterious puzzle.

He'd erased all of the notes they'd used to write the daily and replaced them with the major data collected from the three Great White tags. To her it was a bunch of numbers but she knew to him it was a glimpse into the secretive lives of these creatures. It truly amazed her to know that he could look at this jumble of numbers, decipher them, and imagine a day in the life of an apex predator. She hoped it was a skill he could teach her in time.

Sooner than she expected, Edward tapped her knee with her journal. "Here."

"What did you think?" she asked after setting it down on his desk.

"You say you trust me and in the very next breath you say I have blind-spots. Which is it?"

"Both. It can be and is both. Unless you've suddenly become the first perfect human to ever exist and are no longer capable of making mistakes."

"I'm not saying I'm perfect. Just very, very careful with my team."

"I know that. You've shown me that. But at the same time, I've made observations that for whatever reason you didn't see. I honestly believe that's what happened today."

"And I believe you reacted to imagined danger instead of potential danger."

"I'm sure you do. Look, Edward, I understand and expect there will be times that the team participates in activities that will fall within our acceptable risk range while being too dangerous for me to join in. You all have been at this much longer than me so it's bound to happen. Today was not one of those times."

"Because you and Lee said it wasn't."

"No it's more than that!" she insisted. "Look at how many times we had a rock solid plan and something completely unexpected still happened." She recited a list to him, lifting a finger up to represent each incident. "Think back to the cradle and that shark that knocked you into the water with its tail. There was the seal coming to the skiff and us having to pull it out of the water. Then there was the shark grabbing the line at the last second and cutting your hand. When you were out at Cape Point some of the sharks came from directions that were never expected because of the shallow waters in those areas. And we just had that angry shark suddenly appear during our cage dive."

"But those were all isolated incidents."

She held her hand and its five raised fingers out to him. "If you only look at each day as a separate event, then sure. I'm asking you to step back for a moment and look at the summer in its entirety. Can you really say these are all still isolated or can you admit that when looked at from this vantage they create a pattern of unpredictability that raises the risk outside of what's acceptable?"

He pressed his palm against hers and tangled their fingers together. "Come here."

She hopped off the desk and let him tug her over to his chair where she ended up sitting on his lap with both of his arms wrapped around her.

"You really see it as a pattern of unpredictability?" he asked.

"I do. And it's because I do, that I was against this idea."

"The mental comment you made in your journal, what did that mean?"

"Think about how guilty you've felt about my run-in with that ray. Would you want your team feeling that way? Would you want me to feel that way?"

"Never. You know that. But, Bella, why would you feel guilty?"

"Because I would have allowed my teammates to participate in an activity beyond the acceptable risk level."

"How is that any different from supporting a safe plan that ends up resulting in an accident?"

"An accident is unforeseeable by definition. A dangerous plan, however—Edward, why do I get the feeling that you're still fighting to be right on this?"

"First of all, I don't see this as a right or wrong situation. Secondly, you said you wanted us to understand each other so I'm asking questions that dig into your thought process."

"What about your thought process? When are you going to explain that to me?"

"Like I said this morning, I took a previously successful activity and merged it with our footage task, expecting that it would be fun and different for everyone. I had planned for us to be anchored right below the railing, keeping us from casting shadows on the water and leaving the only item of interest be the metal strips hanging from the buoys. There should not have been any reason for a shark to breach, and even if they did, we would not have been within reach. All precautions you and Lee would know about if I hadn't been cut off at the knees this morning."

Bella sat up and twisted to see his face. "Those are great precautions, Edward. They really are. But they're not enough. Not here and not with this species of shark."

He leaned his head against the back of the chair and scrubbed his face with his hands. "We're moving in circles. You argue your point, I argue mine, and we're still on opposite sides at the end of it."

She pulled his hands from his face to see his eyes and know for sure that he was paying attention. "I don't think we have to agree in order for this to be a productive conversation. I think we can meet in the middle and still completely disagree. You need to feel that I trust you were being your usual cautious self. I need you to understand my issue with your plan had nothing to do with trusting you as my leader and my partner. If we can both do that, then it doesn't matter if we still disagree."

"Alright," he said as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her wrist. "I don't have any experience with that kind of thing but I'll try it."

"Will you also agree to work on your habit of assuming my disagreement is the same as not trusting you? Because it really isn't, Edward. I trust you with my life every day but that will never mean that I agree with everything you say and do."

His eyebrows lifted up. "Habit?"

"You did the same thing when your hand was hurt."

"Okay, maybe I have done it a couple times but that doesn't make it a habit. And besides, what else am I supposed to think? Why else would anyone disagree with a perfectly logical plan?"

She smiled and ran her hand through his mess of hair. "Silly Edward, all your logic and you still can't grasp this one thing … the rest of the world bases their choices on feelings and beliefs as much as facts. Only a small portion of the world can tune it all out and look only at the numbers the way that you do. That makes you special and wonderful in so many ways, but it also makes you blind sometimes. My disagreement is not a lack of trust but a belief that no matter how logical the plan may be, it is just as much at the mercy of the unexpected as any other plan."

"So basically, you're saying that no matter how much you trust me to protect you, you felt the shark still had the upper hand with my plan?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, excited by the possibility he was starting to see her viewpoint. "That's it exactly. I trust you and I admire your work greatly. I think you do an amazing job of finding all the trouble spots and shoring them up to protect your team. But sometimes that's not going to be enough. Sometimes man versus predator just shouldn't be tested."

"But it's never man versus predator for me. We're not here to fight these sharks. We're here to learn from them, and learn about them to protect them."

"But that doesn't make us part of their world any more than studying a cloud makes us part of the sky. It's always a versus situation because we are the anomaly in the water, the curiosity to be investigated—an investigation that only occurs with teeth because as you said sharks don't have tongues like puppies do."

He grabbed her and pulled her tight against him, growling against her neck and making her squeal. "Use my own damn words against me," he muttered before growling again.

"No regrets," she blurted out through her laughter.

"Smart ass," he said as his hold relaxed into a hug. "Maybe you do have something with this agree to disagree idea. I still think my plan would have worked flawlessly, but I can see why you feel otherwise."

"And you know without a doubt that I trust you?"

"That's going to take some work," he admitted. He lifted her left hand, catching the overhead lights on her ring. "But for now I can say I do believe you wouldn't be wearing this if you didn't trust me to love you and protect you."

"I can live with that for now."

He chuckled. "Glad to hear it."

"I'm glad we had this talk."

"That reminds me … Since we're having such an honest discussion, I'd like you to explain the curious email that appeared in my inbox today."

"What kind of email?"

"The kind where I've been selected as a finalist in a contest I never entered."

"Oh that."

"Oh that? That's your response?"

"Well not all of it."

"So explain."

"There's not much to tell. You took an amazing photo, I happened to see an ad for a contest, and I submitted your work for you. I know it's not usually your thing but this just seemed like such a good fit for the photo and a great opportunity for you to get more recognition for your photography skills."

"Which photo was it?"

"The one you took at Cape Point where the seal just barely got away from that big female Great White. Usually that sort of photo unnerves me but this one—It's beautiful, Edward. It's artistic and thought-provoking and real in a way that's hard for still photos to convey."

"Sounds like you were pretty impressed with this photo."

"And with the talented man who took it."

"Is that supposed to keep you out of trouble, sucking up like that?"

"I mean it," she promised him. She also added, "And if it helps, that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

"I get that you had good intentions here but you also betrayed my trust so you're gonna need to make this up to me, kapu. I need a lot of reassuring this won't happen again."

She turned her head to look at his face, catching sight of his shitty grin. "Is that so?"

"Lots," he assured her. "In fact, why don't you start right now?" He tapped his finger against his lower lip and said, "Just put your lips right here and kiss me. Show me how sorry you are for going behind my back."

"And then?"

"You'll see. I have so many ways for you to show your remorse."

"What about yours for being so stubborn about your plan this morning?"

"Oh don't worry, kapu." His hand slipped under her shirt and his voice dropped to that velvety tone that made her entire body heat up. "I plan to make sure you forget all about this morning, and this is one plan I know you'll enjoy from slow start to satisfying finish."

"Masen, are you—" Lee pushed her lips together to keep quiet even as her snort sounded off in the room. "Yep. All made up with your kapu."

Bella jumped off of Edward so fast that she nearly toppled over and would have if she hadn't grabbed the corner of the desk. "Talk! You two talk!" She scooted past Lee and headed straight for the door at the end of the hall where she hoped to hide in her pile of pillows until she stopped wanting to die of embarrassment.

Lee's voice followed her down the hall. "No sex in the office, Mase. That's your rule."

Bella's hand touched the handle and the solid feel gave her a little bit of relief. For a tiny second. For the one little second before Edward's hand settled over hers and his body pushed hers into the door.

His other hand rubbed against her belly under her shirt while his lips grazed her ear. "Did you really think you were going to get away from me that easily?" He didn't give her a chance to answer, choosing instead to put his mouth on her neck and growl, knowing damn well it made her weak in the knees no matter how hard she tried not to be affected by it.

"Mase, you better take your horny ass into your room," Lee warned. "Because I promise if you stay in this hall, I'm going to video every second and Carlisle will be the first to see it."

"Fucking nudger," he muttered.

As soon as Bella felt him pull back, she spun around and tried to go under his shoulder to get away. He somehow stepped back and leaned down at the same time, causing her to run right into his shoulder and allowing him to easily drape her over it.

"Edward!" she exclaimed, feeling a little dizzy from the sudden change. She caught a flash of Lee smiling and then saw nothing but the back of the door he'd just walked her through and kicked shut, cutting off Lee's cackling laughter.

He dropped her onto the bed and crawled above her, not giving her even the briefest chance to squirm away. "Did you really think you were going anywhere but my bed?" he asked her.

"What if I wanted to go upstairs and read instead?"

"You could if you wanted, but we both know you don't. You want to be right where you are."

"You don't know that for sure," she challenged, knowing damn well he could see in her face how much she was enjoying this.

"Better make sure then." He closed that tiny bit of space he'd left between their bodies, melding their mouths together in a kiss. As passionate as it was, she wanted more but he wasn't giving it this time—he was purposefully holding back so she'd have to be the one to deepen it so she couldn't pretend any longer that she didn't want to be right here with him. She tried to resist, to show she could be just as stubborn, but all too soon she gave in and showed her hand. She grabbed a handful of his hair to prevent any pretend escape from him and then slid her tongue into his mouth.

His breathy laugh coated her kiss-swollen lips. "Kapu, let go of my hair please."

"Sorry," she whispered as she massaged the spot where her hand had been. "Does it hurt much?"

"Not at all." He yanked his shirt off and tossed it to the side. "I just need to feel your hands in other places."

"Here?" she asked, sliding her fingers along his sides, right where she knew he was ticklish.

He pulled her hands from his skin and pressed them into the mattress. "How do you do that? How do you ignore how bad you want me, even just long enough to tease me?"

Finally she had a reason to be the one smirking at him for a change. "What makes you think you know how bad I want you?"

"Because of how bad I want you. Because you've told me you love me the same way I love you."

"But I'm the one always losing my balance around you."

He chuckled and moved beside her, tracing her face with his fingertip. "Kapu, just because you see me standing doesn't mean you haven't knocked me on my ass. You constantly leave me in a state of awe around you, like when you convince me agreeing to disagree is a real thing that can work for us. Or when you look at me like you are right now, with want and need and love coloring your eyes to dark chocolate. I see that look and I just have to kiss you everywhere." He slid one hand under her shirt to rest against her back and used the other to pull her onto her side so he could lift her leg over his. "I have to touch you and make sure for the millionth time that you're real and mine."

She framed his face with her hands and gave him a soft, slow kiss. "Definitely real and definitely yours."

"Kapu," he murmured, trailing kisses along her collarbone. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe."

"I love you too. Now show me your master plan for us."

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

Monday, August 18th

"Stop," Masen ordered, knowing full well Bella would ignore him.

"This is quite the bruise," she commented with a giggle.

"It's barely a bruise."

"I beg to differ."

"It's my ass. Pretty sure I'm the authority on it."

"I agree you're an authority on being an ass, but I'm the only one that can see your ass and this is a definite bruise."

He grabbed the sheet and yanked it up over his head, completely covering his body from her gaze and her giggles. "Brat."

She pulled at the sheet until she was able to slip her head in next to his. "Hi."

"Still a brat."

"Still hilarious that you rolled right off the bed and landed on your ass so hard that you got a bruise from it."

"Come here," he growled as he pulled her under his body, setting off another round of her giggles. As hard as he was trying to pretend he didn't find her funny, his lips still wouldn't stop trying to turn up into a smile. "Why are you being so mean to me this morning?"

She pressed her hands against his stubble and leaned up enough to brush her lips against his. "I love you."

His smirk immediately popped out at this golden opportunity she'd granted him. "That's not going to get you out of trouble."

"How long have you wanted to use my words against me?"

"Why whatever do you mean, kapu?"

His alarm went off at that moment and she took that as an excuse not to answer and to wiggle out of his hold.

"We can't be late for breakfast on our last day," she told him as she headed for the dresser they now shared.

"I can't fight your logic right at this moment, but tonight is a whole other story."

"Is that going to be our nightly thing now? Debate and then explore?"

He hugged her from behind and pressed their cheeks together. "You could just agree with me so we could get to the exploring faster."

"Never," she said before kissing his cheek and slipping away from him.

"Damn lucky," he muttered to himself, smiling wide as he pulled fresh clothes from his dresser.

They dressed quickly and then headed up to have breakfast with the team which would immediately be followed by the final morning meeting of the season. Masen was never exactly happy to reach the end of the season but this year had the added anxiety of not knowing what he'd be doing once he got back home. He'd still spend the first week finishing out reports, but after that it would all depend on what he and Bella decided together. Starting off with no plan and then creating a plan with someone else—he was really going to have to work on thinking before speaking with this project.

"Morning!" Lee greeted as soon as she noticed them.

Masen could tell from the smirk on Lee's face that she had been sitting up here just waiting for him and Bella to arrive so she could tease them. Bella, however, was completely unaware. He considered warning her for a second, but after all the ways she had teased him last night and this morning, he figured it was only fair to get in a little payback, especially when he could have it without being directly responsible for it.

"Why don't you go sit and I'll fix our coffee?" he offered.

"Okay, but don't skimp on the cream like last time." She kissed his jaw and then headed for the booth where Lee was camped out.

Masen worked on putting coffee into two cups while keeping an eye on the table.

"Morning, Guppy!" Lee happily greeted.

Bella grimaced at Lee's overly bubbly tone. "Don't say 'morning' like you don't know what you did. You threw me to the wolf last night."

Lee smirked. "Nice try, but from the sounds I heard coming out of that room, you enjoyed every growl, lick, scratch, and bite from that wolf."

Bella groaned and slumped down in her seat, not even bothering to try to cover up her bright red face. Masen had never seen her so embarrassed that she didn't at least attempt to hide. He felt a little bad for sending her over there alone but not enough to go over there himself, not after seeing Whit headed for them.

"Ladies," Whit greeted as he sat down beside Lee. He gave Bella a friendly smile and then sipped at the coffee he'd been carrying around with him. "That was some full moon we had last night."

"Did the light keep you up?" Lee asked.

"Nah." Whit's friendly smile turned devious. "It was the noises. What's that band you like that sings that one song, Lee? Just Like Animals?" He leaned his head back and loudly howled for all to hear.

Gopher clamped a hand on Masen's shoulder as the two of them stood in the kitchen laughing hard enough to shake their large frames.

Masen watched in awe as Bella's fish-face morphed into calculating. She stared straight into Whit's eyes as she told him, "Such a shame your jealousy is so strong that you wasted your night dreaming up ways to tease me."

"Wow," Lee breathed. Masen knew all her expressions and tones and he knew right now she was as impressed as she was intimidated.

"And you," Bella cried, leveling a finger at Lee. "You're just as bad as he is."

"Oh, put away the fake outrage," Lee replied with a chuckle. "You know how we are and you know we can't pass up the chance to tease and torture."

"Where we really that loud?" Bella asked, her voice much lower now that she was feeling her embarrassment again.

"All we heard was a big thump and then your laugh, which we only heard because we were in my room playing poker with Em and Alice," Lee assured her.

"Alice played poker? Was she any good at it?"

Lee confirmed with a nod. "That little card shark beat us all."

"Excellent poker face," Whit added. "My lady has skills."

"Okay, so now that we're all besties again," Lee teased. "How about you tell us what the thump was?"

"No thanks," Bella replied, once again blushing.

"Don't you think Mase deserves some teasing?" Whit asked. "Especially since he's hiding in the kitchen after knowingly leaving you here to be tortured by us?"

Bella's eyes immediately cut to him but he pretended not to see and kept his eyes on the cream he was pouring into her cup.

Gopher chuckled beside him. "Bro, your ass is so busted that Humpty Dumpty feels sorry for you."

Masen put on his best innocent expression and met Bella's gaze as he approached her with her coffee. "Coffee with cream as requested," he said, smiling as he slid in next to her.

Bella narrowed her eyes at Masen and then looked away to Lee. "So that thump—"

"Come on, kapu," he pleaded. "I was just making coffee over there. Don't let those two get me into trouble."

She smiled as she pressed her hand against his chest and for a moment he felt sure she would kiss him. Instead of a sweet kiss he got a sassy reply from her. "Oh but, sweetheart, you do that so well all on your own."

"They don't need more material."

"Either you tell them or I will. I'm not going to be the only one getting teased this morning."

He did the only thing he could think of for this situation—he kissed her until she was too breathless to speak.

"Cheater," Lee and Whit accused.

"Told ya'll he was a slick fucker," Gopher said as he set a plate of biscuits onto the table.

Masen started to laugh but it was quickly replaced by a yelp of pain caused by the pincer grip Bella had on his ear. "Kapu, that hurts!"

"Maybe it'll bruise like your ass did after you rolled right off the bed last night," she said, eliciting a round of gasps immediately followed by raucous laughter from their friends.

He stared at her in shock for a second and then grabbed her up in a hug that made her squeal. "Can't believe you."

"You can and do," she answered with a laugh, uselessly trying to push him away.

Between her smile and her caramel eyes, he couldn't find it in him to be annoyed with her. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why don't I mind at all that you just did that? Why do I feel like it's another part of you I love?"

"That's not the question," Whit informed him. "The question is how in the hell did you roll off a King size bed?"

"Let's just say I was distracted," Masen replied, casting an accusing glance at Bella even as he smiled at her.

"We knew you had skills, Bella, but not like that," Lee teased.

"What can I say?" Bella replied with a shrug and a smirk. "I'm full of surprises."

"Before any of you take this conversation down a path that turns us all into thirteen year olds, let's eat our biscuits and start the morning meeting," Masen commanded.

"Is this so we don't ask about the bruise on your ass?" Gopher questioned.

Masen shot him a dirty look. "It's so we can be prepared for our last day in False Bay. Unless you all have decided you don't want to work."

"Work first. Ass questions later," Whit said, making the other laughs.

"Just work," Masen warned.

"Sure, sure." Lee was smiling far too wide for him to believe her. There would be questions tonight when the final daily was done—and despite whatever protests he came up with, he was sure there would also be answers.

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

"That's it. The last daily has been filed and saved," Edward said as he looked up from the laptop.

Bella reached over and caressed his cheek. "You seem sad."

"I like working."

"And now you have to stop and transition from team leader to just being yourself. That must be exhausting."

"Sometimes," he admitted, smiling as he toyed with her bracelet. "Sometimes we've had such a busy season that even I'm ready for a break."

"Busier than this one?" she asked, having a hard time imagining things being more active than they had already been.

He chuckled at her. "Hard to imagine, huh? But we have had busier. We've had times when almost every day was a great weather day and times when our subject was so numerous that to stop for a break seemed like a waste no matter how tired we might have been."

"You're not really one for breaks anyway."

"I like taking breaks with you."

"Only as long as I bribe you with kisses and snacks."

He only smiled in response.

"So I know this is the unofficial end—a fact that Whit, Lee, and Gopher are upstairs toasting with beers right this minute. What's the official end?"

"It tends to come about a week after we get back home. Most all of the reports will have arrived for the samples we had to send out. I'll go over the data initially and make notes on how it relates to any theories we posed at the time of collection. Then I'll turn it all over to the team for their review. Once we're all agreed, Esme helps me update all of the dailies that pertain to the reports. When that's finished, I back up all the computer data that we collected onto an external drive and it goes into storage with all of the hard copies from the boat. All that's left then is for me to complete and send in whatever reports are required by the agencies and contributors we partner with."

"That's a lot for you to do on your own."

"It is, but so is getting the boat ready for storage. Lee and Whit oversee it with Gopher's help. All of the leftover supplies and food have to come off the boat, along with trash and recycling that we can't discard here. Then the entire boat has to be washed down inside and out. Every device that won't be used during storage needs to be unplugged. The engine needs to be inspected thoroughly. There's a lot to do to get Galeos ready for an extended docking."

"Bet there's a checklist for that," she said, half joking.

"A very long one," he agreed.

That much work ahead of him plus all of the personal decisions they would need to make—the last thing she wanted to do was pile more obligations on to him. "With all the work you still have ahead of you, should I just go to Florida and get out of your hair? You can work the way you're used to and I can visit my friends for a bit before I leave them."

"Come here," he coaxed, giving her hand a light tug.

She hopped off the corner of the desk and joined him in his chair. "I feel like you already have so much on your plate."

"I do but I'm looking forward to going with you to meet your friends and help pack your things. It's our first official plan for our future and I'm honestly excited to share that with you."

"Second official," she corrected, holding her hand up and catching the light on her ring. "This is the first."

He hugged her tight against him and kissed her temple. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'm really happy to hear you're excited for us to go together."

"What are my chances of getting you to promise not to torture me in front of your friends the way you did this morning with our family?"

She turned her head to see his face and found him faking a pout with his lower lip stuck out. "Oh, please!" she exclaimed, laughing as she got up from the chair.

"You wounded me on numerous levels, kapu. I may have emotional scars from your torture."

"That wasn't torture," she promised.

"Yeah? Then what was it?"

She grabbed the arms of his chair and leaned in, counting on the closeness of her lips to distract him. As soon as his eyes dropped to her mouth she knew she had him right where she wanted him. "That was trying to get even with you for letting me take all the teasing, and honestly I don't think I'm there yet. I need a true sign of your remorse."

The weight of his hands on her hips felt as natural as breathing to her, and yet it also felt strange to be so familiar with the sensation so quickly.

"Anything you want," he promised while trying to pull her closer.

She only brought her lips nearer, pressing them lightly along his jawline and eliciting a deep groan from him. She could hardly believe the power she had over him, to make him feel needy for her this way. He allowed her this power by allowing himself to feel her love to the same unfathomable depths she felt his for her. No matter how plain or unattractive she might feel on her own, she knew that with him she would always be lovely just as he would always be handsome to her. The attraction and desire they felt for each other was just as strong and deep as the love they shared. If they protected this piece of themselves above all else then she was certain all obstacles could be faced and resolved. Not always to both their satisfaction, but resolved nonetheless.

"I have plans for you," she shared, making her way up toward his ear.

"Plans to embarrass me?"

"Why would I tease you in front of my friends? I'm not mean."

"You are. You're being mean right now."

"How?"

"By not kissing me."

"Like this?" she asked, moving her feather-light kisses to the corner of his mouth.

His dark green eyes closed in pleasure. "More," he pleaded in a rough whisper.

She kissed only his upper lip. "Is that enough?"

His eyes popped open and his hands tightened around her hips. "It'll never be enough, kapu."

"For me too." She let go of the chair to take hold of his hands. "Come here."

He followed her without comment, without complaint, without competition, and with complete love and trust. Of all the adjectives she'd heard used to describe them this summer only one seemed wholly appropriate right now—Lucky.

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

A smile spread across Masen's lips, an outward sign of the happiness he was feeling internally. In this moment, lying here skin to skin with Bella, everything was exactly what he wanted it to be. He was settled in a way he'd never been able to achieve on his own. Of course, the minute he got out of this bed all the thoughts and plans and potential paths would come roaring back into his head, but right now it was just the two of them and it was everything. If it weren't for his family, he'd stay right here, but there were traditions to uphold and they meant as much to him as his family.

"What are you thinking?" Bella whispered, her fingertips grazing the underside of his jaw.

"That it's a shame we need to get up and get dressed."

She pressed her lips against his chest and he could feel her smile. "I thought you'd gotten over your aversion to cuddling."

"It's not always about you, kapu," he teased. "I have a family tradition to uphold and if we don't get upstairs soon, Esme will send the nudgers to get us. I don't have to tell you the teasing that will follow if that happens."

Bella immediately sat up to look at him, her curiosity rushing her words together. "What tradition? Is it a family one or a team one? Probably both with how you guys are with each other. Am I invited? What about Uncle Carl and Alice? Are they invited?"

Masen just laid there smiling at her, waiting for her to either tire herself out or stop for a long breath. He'd experienced this curiosity rush of hers often enough to know it was best to wait it out.

"It doesn't involve sharks at night does it? Because if it's a night dive out here—but I don't think it would be. Then again, there's no telling with you guys. You're all so brave and have done things I could never picture myself doing, like hanging off the side of a boat to get pictures of sharks. But then I never thought I'd do a cage dive and I did and it was great even with the crazy shark." She paused but it was so brief that he wouldn't have been able to say anything if he'd wanted. "Why are you smiling at me that way? What are you up to?" Her eyes widened and she let out an embarrassed groan. "I'm having an Alice moment. Sorry."

"Don't be," he said as he reached out and gripped her arm, tugging her down to lay against him again. "I love how excited you get, even when it makes you ask silly questions like if you're invited after I just said we needed to get upstairs."

"Did I mention I was sorry?" she asked, giving him that devilish grin of hers that made it nearly impossible for him to resist kissing her.

"Be serious for a second?"

"Of course," she promised, leaning up on her elbow to give him her full attention.

"I don't mind you getting so curious that you ask silly questions. What I don't like is you still not grasping a very important concept—when I say 'family', it always includes you and Carlisle and Alice. We're ʻohana now."

Her smile filled her face and turned her eyes caramel. "I love our 'ohana."

"Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu."

She leaned in and placed a tender kiss on his lips, humming in enjoyment. But just as quickly she was talking again. "So what's the tradition?"

"We barbeque on the deck—Esme mans the grill with me so that Gopher can relax with Lee and Whit. When the food is ready, we sit down together and I say a few words about the team and our accomplishments over the season. I point out one big moment each team member had and then thank them for their hard work. Esme usually says a few words too and then we spend the night eating and enjoying each other's company." He chuckled as memories of his best friend dancing flashed through his mind. "And Lee dances. Lee always has music on and dances."

A knock on the door was followed by Esme's voice. "Edward, you have five minutes to come upstairs or we're all coming in there. Your choice."

"We'll be right there, Mom," he promised as he jumped out of bed. He grabbed all their clothes from the floor and tossed them onto the bed. "Get moving, kapu. She's serious about that five minutes and no doubt timing us."

That warning got Bella moving so fast that she put her shirt on inside out the first time. After helping her get it on straight, he quickly pulled on his own clothes.

Bella suddenly stopped brushing her hair and turned to look at him. "I can't believe you allow a grill on the boat. What if a piece of charcoal falls? Or an ember hits the deck in just the right way?"

"Propane grill," he revealed. "For the exact scenarios you mentioned, along with the potential of someone knocking over the grill."

"You really do your best to plan for every eventuality."

"Every day," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "I'm glad you're here to share in our tradition."

"Me too. I happen to love barbeques." Her smile faltered and her nose crinkled. "Well as long as Jacob isn't in charge of the grill. He can make anything taste like dog food. It's a special talent we all wish he didn't have."

Masen laughed as he slipped his arm around her shoulders and led her out of the bedroom. "I can promise you'll love my cooking. Lee can't even find something to complain about with it."

Bella grinned and teased him. "That is high praise indeed considering her life-long mission is to bust your chops as often as possible."

"You picked up on that, huh?"

"It could hardly be clearer if it were bedazzled and covered in glitter."

"Let's hope it never is," he said as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Perfect timing," Esme greeted, handing Masen a tray of hamburger patties. "I just finished making our super secret barbeque sauce." She reached for the drink on the kitchen island and passed it to Bella. "Sangria from my girls. They always send me off with a bottle for celebrating the end of our season."

"I can't wait to meet them. They sound like so much fun," Bella replied.

"They're the best."

"The best until they're the worst," Masen corrected. "Just promise there won't be any arrests when you have Bella with you."

Bella and Esme looked at each other and then smiled at Masen. "We make no promises."

Masen scowled at them but just as quickly his lips pulled up into his shitty grin. "I've got the fix for you," he warned Esme. "I'll have a chat with Carlisle."

"Oh, sweetheart, that's a nice thought but oh so wrong." Esme's words caused Masen's jaw to drop, and her smile widened at his shock. "Carlisle firmly believes what we ladies get up to together is our very own business."

"Pretty sure he's not going to see the corruption of his niece as not his business," Masen countered.

Bella snorted. "Corruption? It's just a few of your mom's friends, Edward. Don't be so dramatic."

"Yes, Kid, don't be so dramatic," Esme echoed.

Masen couldn't find the words to respond so he just shook his head and went outside.

Whit was standing in front of the grill and one look at Masen had him lifting an eyebrow. "What?"

"My mom and my kapu teaming up is a very bad thing for me."

Whit snorted. "No shit, bro."

"What's worse is I can't tell if they're just messing with me or if they're serious," Masen confided while starting to set the hamburger patties onto the hot grill.

"That is a problem."

"So how do I tell?"

"You don't."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"I mean you can't distinguish so don't bother trying. If you assume they're messing around, then they'll be serious just to mess with you. And if you take it that they're being serious, of course they'll just be messing around but they'll still go through with it so they might as well have been serious."

"That's … What?"

Whit chuckled at Masen's confusion. "It's women, bro. They are mysterious creatures and we love them that way."

Masen had no response for that so he turned his focus to the hamburger patties.

While Masen and Esme prepared the food, the team enjoyed each other. Lee and Bella were busy with the music, playing a crazy variety, while Alice chirped about what kind of music was good for weddings. Whit and Gopher had somehow suckered Carlisle into a card game but it looked like they were regretting the choice from the pile of pennies stacked on Carlisle's side of the table.

"Have you thought about your speech?" Masen asked as Esme brushed their homemade sauce onto the meat.

"I have. You?"

"Got it all sorted out."

"But?"

He grinned over her catching that tiny hint of hesitation in his voice. "But I'm not completely sure about Bella's. I start off professional but then I find myself slipping into personal territory."

"Then don't fight it. Revise all of your comments to include both sides of your relationship with each of them. They are all the most important people in your life and they should hear it."

"They do hear it."

"True, but it's also true that you can never tell them too much." She closed the lid of the grill and turned to face him. "Practice on me. Give me my speech now."

"And deny Carlisle the joy of watching you squirm? Mom, that wouldn't be nice of me and you raised me to always be nice."

She pursed her lips at him. "I should totally take back my invitation to help you. But I love you enough to help you and still not deny you your joy of repeating it for his benefit."

He gave her his shitty grin. "Yeah but the squirming won't be authentic then."

She shifted her weight and planted her hand on her hip. "Really? You really want to go there? Or might you be wise enough to accept my offer of help without further comment?"

He blew her a kiss and then said, "Thanks, Mom."

"Get to practicing," she ordered with a smile.

"Okay, straight face," he said, passing his hand in front of his face as he made himself be serious. "Esme, you are the glue that keeps this entire operation together. Every season you handle the business side all on your own so that we can focus on the research. You also bring a touch of home everywhere we go and remind us of the importance of maintaining family time between all of the research.

"This season has had more change than all the years before it and at every turn you have been there for me to listen, to guide, to keep me from taking myself too seriously, and to love. You were here for me all the times I needed you most and I am the luckiest son simply because I have you as my mom."

Esme took hold of his face and gave a tender kiss to each of his cheeks. "Kid, you make both your moms so damn proud. Don't you for a second think any differently."

"Food!" Whit yelled out.

Lee and Gopher immediately picked up the chant. "Food!"

Carlisle surveyed the three of them and smiled wide as he lent a fourth voice to the cry of "food" sailing into the air.

Masen tilted his head in Carlisle's direction and asked his mom, "Are you seeing this?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes and it's wonderful. It's good for him to clear his mind and just have fun."

"A sense of humor is a must around all of us."

Esme lifted the lid of the grill and grabbed the tongs. "The other must is feeding this bunch so let's get this food over there before we have a mutiny on our hands."

Once they'd all had a chance to enjoy a first course and a drink, Masen refilled all of their glasses and then started his toasts to his team. He recited his earlier speech about Esme and was surprised to see her just as teary-eyed as she had been the first time. Of course, the second Carlisle put his arm around her she was all smiles again.

"And just think, Edward," Bella called out. "If we'd stuck with your stuffy rules, you wouldn't have had so many meaningful conversations with your mom. Plus, we'd only just now be allowed to do more than kiss and hold hands."

Masen had to grin—he was too proud of her sneaking that in, knowing he would have done the same if roles were reversed.

"Was it worth breaking your rules, Mase?" Lee asked. Her smile told him that she was absolutely going to make him say it out loud.

"They were some of the worst rules I've ever come up with," he admitted. "I'm thankful for the two nudgers who helped me realize they deserved to be broken."

Esme somehow cleared her throat and managed to look innocent.

"And one supportive and ingenious wing man," Masen amended.

"Me next!" Lee said excitedly. "What's my contribution this season?"

"Lee, your out-of-the-box plans led to productive days when all of my own plans for us failed. We know far more than we ever intended about the penguins and birds in this area, knowledge that allowed us to better understand the signs of predation and to choose our locations with more accuracy. Another big bonus to us was your language skills, helping us to get stories from the locals, and making sure we didn't overpay for supplies."

"High-five, Babe," Gopher congratulated, holding his hand out to her.

"Lee, there's one more thing I want to say," Masen announced. "You're able to speak to us in the unique ways we each respond to and that is a skill we all benefit from daily, especially me. You know when to let me focus and when to pull me out of my head. You also know when to call me on my bullshit, like when I make unrealistic rules for myself. You have my sincerest gratitude."

She wiped at her wet eyes while smiling wide at him. "Asshat."

"Love you too," he replied with a chuckle.

He shifted his focus to his other best friend and Whit immediately lifted his eyebrow in anticipation. Masen laughed again and shook his head at his best friend. "Whit, I say this every season but I mean it more than ever this time. You are the backbone of every mission. You never complain about your assignments and you're always willing to switch with a teammate in need. We are also lucky to have you treating our wounds, both physically and emotionally. You have kept me together in many ways this summer and I appreciate you and our friendship all the more for it." He pressed his hand to his heart and sincerely added, "Mahalo, bro."

Whit's lips curled into a grin. "I should be thanking you instead, Mase. A summer nudging you is a summer like no other."

Masen rolled his eyes and then moved on to Gopher, making his expression stern. "You!" he said loudly, leveling a finger at him that caused him to shoot up straight in his chair. "You asked me to give you more responsibility this season. You said you were ready for it." Masen finally let loose his smile. "You were right. You, my friend, captured our first tag of a Great White—a monumental moment in the history of our team. You also saved our cage from damage. And those are just the big highlights. All season long you handled big and small jobs that made a difference, from helm duty to underwater photography. You were our go-to-guy this season and we are damn lucky to have you as part of our team." He leaned over the table with his hand extended and added, "I'm proud to call you my friend."

Gopher clamped his hand over Masen's and gave it a good, strong pump. "I've always had your back, Mase. Now you just see it for yourself."

Masen acknowledge the truth of his comment with a nod and a grin. And then it was time to face his kapu. "Bella, I'm not sure where to begin with you. It's been an honor and a privilege to be your mentor, to help you grow and watch you gain confidence and become an essential member of this team. Your drive to understand pushed me to become a better teacher more capable of explaining to novices. Your willingness to help with every task, no matter how small, gave each of us an extra hand and a partner to share the responsibility. Even if I hadn't been lucky to fall irrevocably in love with you, I would still have found it difficult to let you leave our team. You bring a different perspective to all we do and that view gave us some of the most memorable parts of this season, especially our time at Cape Point."

He paused, knowing the team would want to congratulate her and they did so loudly and exuberantly, bringing out that bright smile of hers that warmed him like she was his own personal sun.

"I should really be thanking all of you," Bella said, still locked in a hug with Lee. "You took me in as a teammate, became my friends, and opened your family to me. I owe you all so much."

"You're 'ohana, Guppy," Whit told her. "All ya gotta do is love us. And tease us every so often. Keeps us all from taking ourselves too seriously." He leaned back in his chair and pointed a long arm at Masen. "Especially that one right there."

Bella reached out and took Masen's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "Thank you."

He smiled and kissed her wrist, causing her cheeks to turn that soft shade of pink he loved on her. "Kapu, who I am with you is who I really want to be. You make me want to hold on tight and never let go. Every part of my life has been better with you in it; I'm excited to share more moments with you and make more memories we never want to forget."

She tugged on his hand and got him to lean down for a tight hug. She whispered into his ear, "I love you so much, Edward."

"Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu."

Masen stood up straight and looked to the last two members of his 'ohana. "Carlisle, I'd like to thank you for your support this season. You backed Bella's choice to apply for the internship and later to join us. You were here for her first cage dive and we all know that meant the world to her. I also need to thank you for Esme, for making her the happiest she's been in a very long time. Mahalo."

Carlisle smiled. "With such remarkable women, how could we do anything less than give them the support and happiness they so richly deserve?"

"There's going to be some summer lovin' tonight after a panty dropper like that," Gopher joked, making the others crack up laughing.

"And finally we come to Thumper," Masen announced, grinning at a wide eyed Alice. "You were the biggest, roughest summer storm we've ever weathered. I think we all came out of it a little wiser and kinder. Your blog post had the highest number of views of any this season and quite a few of the commenters said they would be making donations to conservation efforts. Thank you for giving us a true, honest shot, and for allowing us to get to know the real you."

As soon as he was done, Esme rose from her chair. "Edward, thank you for your words of encouragement, gratitude, and love. You are a hell of a team lead, Kid, and we could not do this job without you.

"My misfits," she said, lovingly gazing at each of them. "The growth in each of you this season has been tremendous and I could not be prouder of you. Our journeys are diverging slightly but never for a second fear that our relationships will do the same. Just because I'm not on the boat doesn't mean that I'm not with you. Modern technology puts me a push of a button away so if you need me just jam the hell out of that button and I'll be here for you. Always. Because you are my misfits, my loves." She raised her glass of sangria and toasted, "To the end of another successful season and to the beginning of our next adventures."

"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"

A/N:

Big thanks to reader annaharding! She provided us with the video of the grouper eating the blacktip and we knew we had to include it into the story. It's rare that we find examples of sharks becoming the prey and this one is simply amazing with how quickly it happens. You can find the link to the video on our blog page at masenmarineresearch at blogspot dot com

Eternally Addicted would like you all to know she gives her deepest apologies for this chapter taking so long to get to you lovely readers. She claims it was real life but we all know she was just busy swooning over Edward's romantics gestures for his kapu. She says you're all welcome to message her and yell at her – or share in her swooning.