Chapter 21

The next morning at 8, we were up and eating. We then loaded up two cars with all our gear and headed for Long Beach marina where the yacht was kept.

We loaded everything onto the boat. There were weights, air tanks, and nitrox tanks as well waiting for us. Emmett pulled out the underwater scooters.

As we were getting ready to shove off, I said, "Guys, please wait a minute, I'll be right back." I went into my room slipped on my bathing suit and shorts plus my dive booties and put my hair in a pony tail. I went back out back and said, "Let's go now. I can help you shove off. What you guys aren't saying anything?"

"I know the booties look ridiculous, but I can finally wear shorts again."

Jasper came out of the trance first, "Come on Bella, you look amazing. Let's go and yes you can dress like that all you want. Emmett, are you driving? We'll get the lines for you. Eddie, when you come out of shock, get sunscreen and a hat. Come and help us."

Off we went and ten minutes later we were on our way. I sat down on deck near the boys. Jasper took the sunscreen and hat from Edward. "Here Bella to protect your face. And get some sunscreen on yourself. Those legs are white and Carlisle will kill us if we bring home a lobster instead of the snow angel."

After I took care of my legs, stomach and arms; Edward quietly offered to take care of my back. We cruised, talked and drank water going across the Pacific Ocean. The swells were amazing. We even saw dolphins.

Two hours later we got moored into Catalina and Emmett and Jasper went and checked us in. Edward and I started on lunch and we all enjoyed it. We slowly got all of our gear put together and we went out in our dingy to our first dive site. We went to tie in and I said, "Wait. Can I please free dive to tie us in?"

"Be our guest." So I did, oh my god that felt wonderful. I hadn't in a while and I had missed it. Once I returned to the boat, Edward slipped in and helped me get my BC on. Down under the ocean the two of us went, I kept checking my gear. When I looked up once, I saw a baby sea lion swim right out of the kelp followed by momma. It was amazing. I tucked my hands into my chest and we just swam. I remembered my breathing which controlled how deep or shallow I went. After forty minutes, we had circled back around to the small boat including our safety stop. We all slipped our gear off. I got into the boat and so did the boys. Edward said, "I'll get your gear, Bella."

"No, Edward, remember I have to prove to you that I can do everything myself." I then heaved my gear into the boat with me. I unzipped all the top layers of wetsuit because I was warm and rolled them down.

All of a sudden, Emmett said, "That suit was a bad choice for you, Bella."

"But Emmett, it's the one you picked."

"Yes, it is. That's when it was in a magazine and not wet on a real woman."

I looked down and Edward looked over. "Oh shit!" I just pulled my Lycra suit back up.

"Better Emmett."

"Yes, but no complaints from me either way. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm…" Then there was a splash because Edward knocked Emmett off balance and he fell in.

Emmett came up and said, "What man?"

"Remember, Carlisle told us to be gentlemen and the rest of that line would not have been."

"Oh yeah." We then got Emmett back in the boat and headed back. We changed out air tanks and then headed back out. This time we were near kelp. When Edward and I descended, I pulled out my knife and decided to show them my skills that were quickly coming back to me. Edward tried to stop me, but I just kicked harder. After I went through the kelp, Edward came through with me; but Emmett and Jasper came around from the side. Edward wrote on the board 'stupid'.

I wrote and said 'wait until you see the kelp forest I have on one of the corners of my islands'.

Edward wrote 'sry.'

We continued exploring and finally after a safety stop, we returned to the boat and back to the yacht.

We had a few snacks giving us some service interval time. We then switched to nitrox and prepared our scooters. We took the yacht this time. We were going to do two dives further around the point.

Fortunately, before we got in, we figured out there was a pretty nasty rip current. I suggested, "Let's just jump in together and sink, we will ride the current and come back with the scooters. Edward said, "Very calmly, are you sure you're up for this Bella?"

"Yes."

"Alright you two, are you ready air on and no air in your BC?" Emmett said.

"Yep, see you around 50 feet down okay?" Edward and I went in first and it was so much fun. I was remembering riding these with my dad. Edward was easily at my side, Emmett and Jasper caught up to us. After thirty minutes, we started to head back. I was glad we had the scooters. Edward insisted on helping me this time. We were soon on the yacht, then we grabbed Emmett and Jasper's scooters and yes, I managed to easily help Jasper out.

"Damn," Emmett said. "Are you sure you were not a boy in some other life Bella?"

"I don't know, Emmett."

"That's just what I do. I always help." We switched out our gear and went looking for a spot with a smaller rip. We actually went to the back side of the island.

"Emmett, would you like to dive with me this time?"

"Of course, I would Bella. Edward, you don't mind do you?"

"No, be my guest."

"Ready," Edward asked.

"Yep," Edward helped me up and I walked to the edge of the boat.

"Be careful and I'll see you down there," Edward said.

I looked at Emmett and said, "Ready, Emmett. I'll see you about twenty-five feet down."

"Yep," and then in I went. Once I surfaced and told them okay, I emptied by BC and slowly headed down. I looked over my shoulder when I heard the splash and Emmett was soon following me. Edward was third and Jasper was last in our group of four. We swam and saw fish and found plenty of crustaceans on the bottom. This time I went around the kelp, but when we got around the kelp, I came to an abrupt stop because there was a blue shark in front of me. Emmett bumped into me, but got stopped as I pointed. Then Edward and Jasper started swimming over us and stopped as well. Suddenly, I couldn't see because my mask was gone. Emmett took my arm. Jasper's flipper had caught my head.

I breathed calmly and sunk out of Jasper's flipper reach and Emmett handed me my mask back. I put it on. Then cleared it and waited for my eyes to adjust from all the salt. Emmett signaled if I was okay? I then signaled okay.

By then Edward and Jasper, where down to us and again asked if I was okay. I signaled okay then shark and as we turned around; he had swam away. So we calmly, just headed back to the boat. We did our safety stop and Emmett got out of the water and then helped me out. I dropped my gear and then I helped Edward.

He said, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Edward. I'm fine."

Jasper said, "Bella, I'm sorry."

"Jasper, it's no problem. Seriously, I'm fine. Relax boys."

"Well, Carlisle will kill us if we bring you home injured."

I walked over to the fresh water shower. "Can you guys handle if I rinse off back here first before we leave?"

"Bella, hold on. Have a towel at least."

"Okay."

I rinsed out my hair, then I peeled off the wet suit, top half, then the jumpsuit came next. "Boys turn around, I am about to lose my skin if you don't want to see anything." They all did. I pulled off my skin; I rinsed my hair one last time. Then, I turned off the shower and wrapped the towel around me.

"Guys, I'll refill all the tanks. How's that?"

"Be our guest." They rinsed the gear and they rinsed off in the shower, as well.

As I was filing the tanks, I started to remember all the scuba diving I had done with my dad. Once we were done, I asked, "Can I drive us back to the dock?"

"Be our guest." I pulled anchor and away I went. I was listening to the boys' conversation down below me.

"She's really good. It's all like second nature to her," Jasper said.

"It is," Edward said.

"Let's go ashore to a restaurant for dinner tonight," Emmett said.

"Sure," Edward said.

I just continued navigating and when we got back to our slip, the boys tied us up.

I came around. I was so thankful they had left me alone upfront. I hadn't been on a yacht in the US until today then adding scuba diving and driving the boat around I suddenly missed my daddy very much. I went around and headed for my room to get into dry clothes and cover up my ankle so I could take my booties off. I then went out to the sitting area. "Bella, make yourself beautiful. We're going to take you to dinner."

"No, thanks, Emmett. I would rather stay here. You guys can go; I'll just lock myself in my room. I'm kind of tired from all the diving today."

Then Jasper's phone rang. He stepped away and said, "It's Carlisle; I'll be back."

Edward touched my arm as I started to walk to my room. "Bella, are you really okay?"

"Yes, Edward. I'm fine. Like I said, you guys go eat."

"No, you know; we can't do that. I'll stay here with you and I'll make us some dinner."

"Fine, Edward. I just want a salad or something light." I then went into my room and closed the door.

JPOV

"Hey, Carlisle."

"No everything is fine. Four dives already. She's amazing; she's just like one of us."

"Alright, Carlisle. I got it; she is almost just like us."

"We're all going out for dinner tonight."

"We will Carlisle."

I came back around the corner and Emmett and Edward were just staring at each other.

"What guys?" Jasper asked.

"She doesn't want to go to dinner," Emmett said.

"Is she okay?" Jasper asked.

"I think so. If you guys want to go to dinner and troll for girls, be my guest. I'll stay with her," Edward said.

"Cool. Let's go Jasper," Emmett said.

"You two get the bunk beds," Edward said.

"Thanks buddy," Jasper said.

"No problem, you know you don't fit on the double bed. The bunk beds are at least extra long."

"I know."

Emmett and I got ready and as we left I said, "See you later, Edward. If you need us, just call."

"No problem. Have fun."

EPOV

I finished up the fajita salads. I made raspberry lemonade and knocked on Bella's door. "Dinner."

"Fine. I'll be right there."

"Thanks for making dinner, Edward," and we sat at the table and ate.

"Bella, are you really okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"What has you so blue?"

"I don't know, Edward."

"Let me get a goodnight sleep and I'll be fine in the morning. I'm sure."

"Bella, another thing is that people who are dating share their problems."

BPOV

"I understand, Edward. I don't really have a problem, though. Maybe it's just getting to that time of the month. I don't know. Edward, thanks for dinner. I'll go clean up then I'm going to go to bed.

"Okay, Bella, if you need me, I'll be out here.

"Thanks, Edward." I made quick work cleaning up the galley and then I went to go to bed. "Good night, Edward," I said.

I climbed into bed and cried myself to sleep. Today was the first day in probably five years that I really missed my daddy.

EPOV

I had heard Bella crying and talking about her daddy. It must've all been in her sleep. I didn't know what to do. Finally, after an hour of it had passed, I called Jasper and Emmett to come back to the yacht. I told them that it was Bella related, but we weren't in trouble because if I hadn't Emmett would have come with guns a blazing.

"What is it?" Jasper asked when he got back to the boat. "You look really upset."

"Go listen at her door; she's been sobbing for an hour and talking about her daddy. I want to go in and wake her up and hold her, but what about all of this could be trudging up all these memories?"

"I don't know," Emmett said.

"Jasper, maybe if you quietly walk in and sit in the chair, you could calm her down," I suggested.

"I can try."

So he did, it worked for all of ten minutes. Then she returned to the dreams, tears and crying for daddy.

"Edward, you're going to have to wake her up. Go change into your pajamas and then let's see if you being on the bed with her will calm her down," Jasper said.

"I hate this."

When I returned, Jasper came back out of Bella's room, "I have it. She said just the right thing in her sleep. The answer is so obvious; we missed it."

"What Jasper tell me?" Edward said.

"You guys, the last time she scuba dived was with her father on their yacht. All of today brought back memories to her. They're all happy memories except that her father is no longer with us. Edward, my basic psych classes would tell me to wake her up and tell her. Then offer to hold her hand or something while she goes back to sleep," Jasper said.

"Good night, Edward," Emmett and Jasper said trying to get me to smile.

I looked back and said, "Make sure the alarm is back on."

"We got it."

I went in and nudged Bella on her side. Bella said, "Go away, daddy. It's too early for diving. No, it's not sleepy head. Let's go."

BPOV

Then the voice changed to my favorite velvety voice. "Bella, wake up, please."

"What Edward is everything okay?"

"Yes, we're fine. Honey, do you know you have been in a nightmare, crying and calling for your daddy for the last hour?"

"No," then I felt my face and could feel the tears.

"Beautiful, was that one of the last things you did with your father before he passed away?"

"Yes, we always dove together at least twice a week."

"I'm sorry, Bella. Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

"No, that's okay," and then I leaned on Edward's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I guess I didn't know how this would affect me until today."

"Bella, you don't need to explain. You're talking to the guy that thought you were going to leave us on Hell's River because you stunk as a tour guide. Come here?" and he leaned his arm around me and pulled me in close. "Now, close your eyes and try to go back to sleep."

"Thanks, Edward, you're a great friend and boyfriend. You should've sent Jasper in to just calm me."

"We did. It worked for all of ten minutes. Good night, Bella." Using his fingers he kissed his lips and laid them gently on my lips.

Bella fell asleep on my shoulder, but her head kept falling down. Just before she hit my lap, I had a pillow in my lap for her.

I brushed her hair from her face. Jasper poked his head in and I gave him the all clear sign. Then I was like wait a minute. Jasper came in and I did hand signals to get her to lying down then I lay down and we put Bella's head on my chest. Jasper agreed and we started moving around. Soon, we were laying down with my arm draped over Bella.

Jasper, threw two spreads over the bed in case one of us or the other needed a blanket. Then Jasper went to bed.