Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of Twilight. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

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BTS Army15: Thank you for reviewing!

rosieroo24: Thank you!

Musikrulesok: I love having many different parts to tie up in stories; when I finally reach the payoff, it feels like it's been a big adventure. Thank you for your review!

ColdOnePaul: Thank you! I so enjoy parallels between the Cullens and Mir, but especially Carlisle and Mir. Uh, well, Embry's change was a huge part of Chapter 17: Arbitration. So yes, definitely changed. Hm, can't say on timing of other wolves, but we'll see as we go along. ;) Thank you for reviewing!

xenocanaan: Happy New Year! Thank you so much for reviewing!

Honey Evans: Your parallel comparison between chapters 19 and 20 is wonderful. Gratefully, Todd's vs Carlisle's fatherly love is a fairly easy contest for Mir to choose to victor. :) Thanks for you lovely review and Happy New Year!

Notes:
The beachcombing shop in this chapter is inspired by John's Beachcombing Museum in Forks, Washington.

Let me tell you, Mir will drive you a little crazy at some moments with her repetitive thoughts of some people – some person, that is. Anywho! :D

Happy New Year, ladies and gentlemen!

Previously – MirPOV; Mir considered past week/Cullens/Todd would-be actions/Carlisle fathering. Mir wondered own strength, Edward said find out. Cullens talked Lewiston, cognitive dissonance. Carlisle/Edward/Mir to Michigan, stayed Munising house, Edward showed Mir old room. Carlisle cooked, Carlisle/Edward/Mir to Lewiston, spot Mir disappeared, Mir considered Todd v Carlisle. Mir realized moving forward important. Carlisle/Edward/Mir to Lansing, Mir let go of Holden lookalike. Plan to buy lookalike if not sold 6 months, Mir felt drawn. Fridge bad, mice problem, Carlisle to fix, Edward/Mir to town. Edward/Mir talked past week, Mir grateful of Edward, Edward nearly spoke but didn't. Edward/Mir lunch, Edward talked what Mir missed. Jacob called, Jacob/Mir talked Embry, Jacob/Quil to meet Mir next day, Jacob to pick spot. Edward/Mir casual drive, Edward/Mir to Marquette, Mir paralleled green house/1st Forks snowfall, Mir guessed why hesitant of 'home' last winter. Mir recalled cemetery, graves parallel Mir grandparents but different. Mir realized Edward would recall memories from her childhood even if she couldn't.

Chapter 21: Appearance

Whirlwind ice and evergreens flooded the scenery on our return trip to Munising, Edward's speed back to its standard impossible rate for the entire drive.

From the moment Edward parked in front of the Cullens' pale green Munising house, I noticed a tinge of variation from the house's original design.

"I told Carlisle you would notice," Edward remarked, smirking.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you are supremely observant," Edward murmured, smirk expanding on his lean face. "Even in the midst of depression, you notice a world of details."

"It's the porch," I realized, staring at the expansive cedar porch with fresh eyes now that my darkness had peeled back.

Metal patio furniture with a distinctive patina had been added to the porch's dynamic since we left for lunchtime, as well as two bronze urns placed either side of the front door.

"Edward?" I prompted the lean vampire with narrowed eyes.

Smiling more than smirking, Edward nodded at the front door. "Just head inside."

Heaving a sigh, I shook my head and did as Edward requested.

Stepping through the front door turned my expression – completely lacking in shock – to face Carlisle standing at the side of the room where the least décor had been placed.

By the looks of the space, whatever furniture had been placed in storage now resided in spots focused on the living area, dining room, and kitchen – not to mention a new piece or two that Carlisle had undoubtedly purchased during my extended trip with Edward.

In the kitchen, a new yet vintage-styled cream refrigerator had replaced the retro brown monstrosity of before, matched well to the creamy cabinetry. Now, the room's few spots of dark color were contained in the rich cedar counters, as well as the black base and stove top of an old-fashioned, four-door cream oven which sat between green shelving and a display of hanging pots and pans.

In the dining room, a magnificent slab of natural red cedar laid atop two halves of a gigantic tree stump, combining to make one of the sturdiest and most beautiful dining tables I had ever seen. Red cedar also made up leather-upholstered chairs; most definitely a more Victorian style of chairs than the unique modern dining table they accented.

A few feet away, the living area paid court to cream armchairs patterned with spring green peacocks. Between the two chairs stood a small, round, cedar tabletop on a bold, curving brass stand. Carlisle had even brought down the sofa I slept on the previous evening – a sueded piece colored somewhere between ground turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger. Despite the seemingly spicy and audacious color, it looked very fine amidst the green and cedar of the house's color scheme.

"What, may I ask, is all of this?" I inquired of the doctor, my head tilted off kilter as much as Esme's when she scolded Emmett.

"Esme and I talked at length about this," Carlisle began peaceably, plainly unfazed by my exasperated frustration. "You have made some strides towards peace here – with your father, your grandparents, and even the events which might have ended your first life. You may have reason to return here in the future, for whatever reason, and we both want this to be a place you would be able to stay. If you are ever out of money or on the run... it wouldn't cost you a penny and it would be safe."

I opened my mouth to speak, but Carlisle raised his hand for one more moment.

Breathing in as I refrained from speech, Carlisle continued as if a war awaited him, "That is why Esme and I agreed you should outfit this house with items of your choosing. It will, after all, practically be your house from now on. We thought you could brainstorm ideas while we are here. Sometime in the new year, we will return to implement your plans. For now, I have put into place whatever was stored from our last stay. You may use all of it or none it. Everything is up to you, Mireille."

"How will I keep up with it, if I'm still in Forks?" I wondered, wide eyes swinging between father and son like a birdie bouncing racket to racket across the net.

"Esme would love to take you on an occasional cleaning trip." Edward shrugged easy and light. "If not, we'll find a suitable company or individual to do it for us. Just as we do for Isle Esme."

In a swift second, Edward's placid face turned mischievous. "You would be a great help in finding the appropriate company, I'm sure."

Allowing the mildest tilt of my lips, I reached out and shoved my hand against the vampire's chest. Laughter erupted from Edward's throat as he let his stone body move fluidly with the gesture.

Sighing from the bottom of my diaphragm, I folded both arms over my chest and stared at Carlisle. "Knowing you, Esme, and Edward as I do, I have the feeling I can't argue my way out of this."

Restraining a much broader smile, Carlisle gazed on me with sparkling golden eyes. "Rosalie and Alice might also have something to say about a refusal."

Rolling my eyes didn't solve anything, but it got across the general feeling anyway. Carlisle and Edward chuckled together and thoroughly ignored my useless expression.

"Then I thank you... Where do I start?"

Carlisle gave a simple breakdown of what the Cullens had not stored from their last stay, a bed first on the list, and what might need replacing or updating in the house.

After taking the time to put my leftovers in the new and working refrigerator, I followed Carlisle and Edward into the living area. Carlisle magically produced colored pencils, tape measure, and paper, while Edward helped me out of my coat along the way; he could not seem to help himself from such gestures.

Sketches, measures, colors, and textures flowed from pencils to paper, taking up the center of every page I used. Along the margins, notes and reminders of every kind cluttered the empty space. Edward offered his perfect recall to prevent me having to write so much, but I liked having the notes available whether the Cullens stood near or not.

Unexpectedly, my trip with Edward to Marquette slipped into the crevices of planning and sketching. Carlisle's gentle care and its great similarity to my grandparents began to hover over me. It took a moment of thought to understand why the realizations I made in Marquette kept coming back around to front of my brain, but when I did understand, I immediately stopped sketching with a sharp inhale.

After that horrible night of isolation the previous December, I had made Carlisle a promise – one I intended to keep.

"Carlisle."

"Yes, Mireille?" the doctor answered pleasantly, turning from the book he entertained to face me on the other end of the sofa.

"When we were in Marquette, I realized something important," I admitted, rolling a blue pencil between my fingers before setting aside all of my materials completely and holding Carlisle's kind gaze. "There was something I tried to figure out for a long time, but eventually I forgot about it... until today."

"And what was that?"

"I'm sure you remember my isolation last year, just before Christmas?"

Carlisle's expression dropped into deep concern within one heartbeat of time. "Yes, I certainly do. This situation with the Wilderness book reminded me very much of that time."

"Well, during that time – last year, I mean – you came up to try and help me. I would have accepted your help in a second, if I had even understood what was wrong."

"You were very confused until Rosalie spoke with you," Carlisle expanded, nodding.

"Even after she helped me understand," I continued quietly, "I still felt confused about what you said to me earlier that night. Something about it struck me. As much as I wanted to tell you why, I didn't have an answer myself. So I promised you that when I found out, I would tell you."

"Have you found it now?" Carlisle wondered softly, reaching out to grasp my shoulder.

"I think so. It's actually very simple. You see... you reminded me of my grandparents. That same gentle care, the same understanding and patience. You offered to talk it through and you tried to help me comprehend, but you didn't force me to confront it before I was ready. When I couldn't say anything, you just comforted me. My grandparents would have done those same things. With the first snow reminding me of those few Christmases at my grandparents' house, such a familiar form of love just made it all the harder to face them being gone."

Carlisle made a move to speak, brows furrowed in a pain of his own, but I held out my hand to forestall his concerns much the same way he had stopped me from debating about the house less than an hour before.

"It's not that way now," I let Carlisle know upfront. "Being loved by a real parent... it's something to be appreciated. It makes me remember the good moments more than the bad. I've finally been able to move forward and accept the present more than the past. Most of that's down to you and Esme."

"We are honored to have the opportunity to love you," Carlisle murmured, pulling me across the middle cushion and under one arm.

Hugs seemed to be the theme of the day, but I could hardly complain. Life's darkest understandings had begun to change into something bright. Even the wolves would seem a light circumstance to indulge after this reconciliation of my life.

Not a minute later, I sat beside Carlisle rather than at the other end of the sofa, pencils and papers back in hand. Halfway through yet another sketch of the dining area's possibilities, my cell phone broke the comfortable quiet.

Hurriedly, I snatched up the phone. "Jacob."

"I found just the spot," Jacob responded, quick and quiet. "When you're on the 101, there's this place just past La Push Road. Jonah's Beachcombing Shack. Pretty isolated and it's surrounded by huge displays all around the yard."

"Sounds like a good spot. Anything special you need me to do?"

"Just park by the big display areas. Less chance of your car being seen. We'll meet you outside."

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Setting the phone aside once Jacob ended the call, I wondered for the thousandth time how I became involved in such knotted circumstances.

"I assume Jacob's first communication came while you and Edward were out," Carlisle estimated, features pulled with new concern.

"I was just about to eat when he called," I offered, sighing. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you."

Waving away my response, Carlisle reassured me, "You were rather distracted with my revelation about the house. I think we can move past that, don't you?"

Smiling at the conciliatory gesture, I nodded and reclaimed my pencils and paper.

Seeing as Jacob's phone call ended almost as soon as it started, I had found little time to focus on the implications of the agreement or the location or anything else during our actual discussion. With nothing but thinking time afterward, my fears tried to resurface as they always did. If the pack considered the secrecy of the tribe at threat, even on a whim of assumption, it was always possible they might claim the treaty broken. Yes, Sam had made promises with us, but if he was anything like his grandfather Levi, I worried for the implications of potential hidden loopholes.

Shaking off the deteriorating line of thought with a reminder that Sam wasn't a replica of Levi, I forced myself to concentrate once more on finishing my sketches and ideas for the house instead of worrying all over again. There was no reason Sam, Jared, or Paul would follow Jacob and Quil into Forks.

Try as I might, the damage was done. Long after exhausting my brainstorming attempts, eating dinner, watching Edward bring the spice-colored sofa back upstairs, and finally laying down to sleep, worries rushed back in with the strength of a torrent. Ceiling beams far above played silent witness to the creased brow and frowning lips of my darkened expression while cyclical fears of the pack's assumptions once again dominated my head.

"Talking helps," Edward's subdued voice reached me from the other side of the room. "Or so I've been led to believe."

"Sorry."

"No need to be," Edward assured me. "You don't have to share your every waking thought with me."

Slowly I turned my face towards the lean vampire where he lounged between cedar beams, my brows lifted high.

"Irony won't kill us any more than sunlight," Edward retorted to my unspoken, mercurial sense of humor.

"Jacob's worried about Embry," I broke through with a small sliver of the thoughts bandying about in my mind, ignoring the abruptness of my shifting conversation. Edward neither needed nor expected more of my sarcasm anyway.

"Of course he 's worried," Edward conceded. "Embry is one of his best friends."

Restless with my considerations now out in the open, I flung my body out of the cocooning blankets and paced my way to the balcony doors in bare feet. Despite the house's adequate heating, the floor cooled my every step, yet I didn't mind.

"That's exactly why I find the pack's and the elders' secrecy so ridiculous," I pointed out, though of course Edward already knew my feelings on the matter. "Why should the others have to worry this way? They're obviously going to be wolves. Quil is growing into it even faster than Jacob right now."

"At least Jacob and Quil have the opportunity to stick together for now," Edward suggested. "Embry has become caught in the middle of everything – between his mother, his best friends, his new pack, the elders, and his only outside ally."

"Outside ally?" I wondered dubiously, looking back at him over my shoulder.

Pursing lips considerately, Edward answered as if it should be obvious. "You, of course. "

"I talked him down from panic, Edward," I argued, brows diving even deeper on my forehead. "I didn't exactly rally around him."

"When we left their territory, Embry trusted you," Edward persisted, leaning forward over his knees. "Granted, he was also confused about our family, considering the pack's ancient memories of the first vampires they encountered. The damage caused would be difficult to move past, even with our peaceful treaty marking us as different."

"That's what worries me," I explained, scrubbing over the mess of my hair with a rough hand.

"I may be shooting myself in the foot by saying this... but try not to worry."

"You really are trying to shoot yourself in the foot," I remarked even as my eyes focused on the fuss of cold white across the back of the estate. The undisturbed land was actually quite beautiful in the pale moonlight, every tall, spindling pine and thick, heavy spruce dusted by a flock of white trimmings.

Appearing at my side, Edward stared at the side of my face rather than at the winter landscape which captured my attention.

"You have a way with people," Edward stated low, his words a brush of air over my face. "I don't doubt Embry still trusts you. Neither should you."

"Well, if all else fails," I brought up far more brightly than warranted, "Bella will be here in less than a month. I'm sure she'll quickly become a middle ground influence."

Slow breath steadily escaped from Edward's nostrils, the breezy yet weighted sound informing me I had pressed on a ticklish subject at the wrong time. Reminded of the impossible argument in Seattle more than a year earlier, and the Los Angeles confrontation before that, I firmly believed Edward and I would never again degenerate to such a sad state of affairs. Nevertheless, the idea taunted me with creeping tendrils of worry.

"For the present," Edward decided quietly, making a visible effort to appear neutral, "let's just move forward with what we know for certain."

I neglected to confirm the recommendation out loud, but Edward heard the easing of my thoughts as clear as day. Silence fell over us both in the dark of the vaulting attic. Overlooking a snow-covered expanse of forest fettered by both shadow and moonlight, Edward and I shared nothing more than the view of the quiet world below, standing together at the balcony doors until I began to drowse where I stood. Edward helped me back into the cocoon of covers on the sofa to sleep until we left in the early hours.

Pale, glistening sunlight graced our return to Forks late that same morning, my mind just as clouded as the sky above. Grateful for the few hours of sleep I had been able to gain, I greeted the rest of the family with all the relief I felt for their visible well-being.

Esme, in particular, I had a difficult time releasing enough to sit down to an impromptu meeting about my incoming talk with Jacob. Much debate over the content and quality of my potential responses flooded the main floor of the Cullen home. Finally it was decided – as per usual – that my gift would serve the best judge. At that point, I had to leave or else risk being late to the shack Jacob mentioned; I didn't argue Alice and Edward taking all of my supplies for the church out to the car at high speed.

Jacob and Quil made no visible presence when I pulled into a well-surrounded part of the grass-and-gravel parking area at twenty minutes past twelve. I forced my heart not to worry just yet. Praying for an easy meeting, I stood from the Acura and redirected my edgy mind to the huge displays Jacob had mentioned over the phone.

An immense buoy-covered tower and its equally immense buoy-covered base marked a large percentage of the east side of the shop. Along the north side, multiple tanks boasted hanging anchors and buoys, a strange kind of fencing for the unusual business. Most unusual of all, one impossibly lengthy tank lay across the entire west side of the lot, also covered in anchors and buoys. Examining the largest tank more closely, I wondered who on Earth had found the gargantuan piece and why it had ended up lost out in the vast ocean. A shipwreck, perhaps, but I guessed I would only know if I asked the owner – hopefully.

With my extremities getting chilly and my mind entertaining a wistful desire to have worn a warmer coat, a voice finally called from behind me a little after twelve-thirty.

"Ray!"

The name should have given me a huge clue, it really should have, but waiting in the cold and growing exponentially more worried as the minutes passed, I wasn't quite up to my usual speed and turned with relief.

My slight smile dropped away once I matched face to voice.

"Tyler."

I had never expected Tyler Crowley, of all people, to show up at such a place at a such a time. My gift had given no warning and distracted as I was, I hadn't allowed my natural instincts to catch on either.

"Hey, hey, Mur-ray!" Tyler grinned like a fool, swaggering more than walking as he approached me, hands tucked into the pockets of his junior varsity jacket. Ever since the football team received their jackets in August, Tyler seemed glued to the shiny new item which symbolized his athletic prowess and attracted many of the high school girls to his side.

Despite Tyler's continuously blind beliefs, I was definitely not one of those girls. Even in my own high school years, no amount of self-consciousness had ever drawn me to such an overinflated ego.

"What brings you out in this weather?" I asked stiffly, more than obviously disinterested while my eyes dotted the surroundings in a search for Jacob or Quil.

With a quick look at my watch, I repressed a groan. It was already twelve-forty. Where were they?

"I always take a run through town on the weekends," Tyler answered proudly, quite blatantly not catching on to my mood.

"In the middle of December?"

The thought would not be suppressed and I could only guess Tyler couldn't bear to go out in public without his coolness on full display. Another irrepressible thought wormed its way into my head as I considered how many homes along Tyler's so-called 'run' probably housed girls from school.

My cynicism had grown full-scale terrifying lately, I had to admit.

"Yeah, the cold is great for running." Tyler grinned almost every moment he talked.

Such a ridiculous grin should, I decided, be outlawed by nature itself.

"Sounds like torture to me," I muttered, recalling my initial sprint through the cold forest with a grimace.

"What are you doing out in the cold?" Tyler asked, eyeing my singularly nonathletic jeans, boots, hat, and coat.

"Admiring the display," I answered with a careless gesture towards the tanks.

An unhappy thought struck me. Maybe Jacob and Quil had shown up, but knowing I didn't want my classmates to overhear, they had left or taken refuge inside to escape the cold.

"You look like you're pretty cold," Tyler hinted and swiftly followed up, "My varsity jacket's pretty warm after my run. Want to try it?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to take your jacket from you, Tyler."

Grinning in a way I suspected to be an attempt at his typical flirtation, Tyler rephrased himself all too easily, "We could always share."

"No, we couldn't," I remarked, a decided bite entering my tone. As usual, Tyler didn't pay any attention.

I wished quite strongly for Jasper's intimidating presence to suddenly appear, but I suspected that wouldn't play out well if Jacob and Quil ever actually showed up.

"Mireille, aren't you freezing out here?"

Turning at the new voice, I watched with wide eyes at another unexpected appearance arrived at a meeting that was supposed to be secret.

Groaning once again tried to overtake me, but I pushed it away with much greater force than before.

Embry Call certainly looked little like the young boy who had joined our trick-or-treating group two months earlier. Tall, muscled, and light on his feet, even in winter gear he didn't actually need, Embry stood with a very imposing figure now.

"Who are you?" Tyler interrupted rudely before I could speak. Under better circumstances, I would have laughed at Tyler's visible confusion, but he looked the newcomer over and sported a possessive expression I had to stop myself from slapping off.

If I had fingernail marks in my palms by the end of the whole farce, I would be giving Tyler vampire-worthy glares all the following week at school.

Or I would ask Rose... Yes, that was a much more effective plan.

"I wasn't talking to you," Embry retorted, glancing over the track pants Tyler wore. "Shouldn't you be running somewhere, instead of standing here bothering people who don't like you?"

Caught absolutely off guard, I wanted to laugh out loud. As it was, I bit my lip to prevent a grin breaking free.

"You don't know how she feels!" Tyler spluttered, losing his grinning cool more thoroughly than before.

"She has a name," Embry bit out through gritted teeth.

Worried all over again as I took stock of the anger in Embry's features, I immediately regained a sense of responsibility.

"Go home, Tyler," I reprimanded the teen, no nonsense brooking my tone. Esme's influence certainly came out in a crisis.

"Whatever," Tyler uttered, spinning away and stomping back towards the main road.

While Tyler made his way down the road at a stalk, I took a second to text Alice. I could just imagine her panic.

Nothing wrong. Just talking. I'll call at the church.

Once Tyler had disappeared further south down the 101, I turned to look up at Embry's nigh impossible stature with wired nerves.

He wasn't shaking, thankfully, so I took that as a good sign. In fact, he didn't even look all that angry.

Testing the waters, I offered, "Thanks. I was about to slap him."

"He's annoying. 'Mur-ray' is annoying, too."

I floundered for a moment. "You mean... you were there all along?"

"I might have been," Embry confessed, abashed.

"What are you doing here in the first place? I'm supposed to meet Jacob and Quil."

"I know. That's kind of why I'm here."

"You're not allowed to tell them the secret, are you?" I asked hopefully.

"Oh, no, still can't do that," Embry confirmed with a sad shake of his head. His new, slightly shaggy hairstyle ruffled against his forehead. "Mostly, Sam was worried you might tell Jake and Quil the secret. I figured you might not be happy to see them after what happened with Paul last week, so I said I'd meet you first."

Heaving a sigh and a heavy eyeroll, I wondered sharply, "Are they all here?"

"Uh..." Embry trailed off meaninglessly, eyeing the west side of the lot from the corner of his eye.

Releasing a frustrated huff, I headed around the large tank display and turned sharply towards the edge of the trees, Embry close on my heels. Sure enough, three young men waited just out of easy sight. It took a good, hard squint, but I finally saw them and marched straight towards their hiding place through the dead brambles and plants.

"No one keeps secrets and promises as well as you, do they?" I confronted them instantly, bringing a smug grin onto Paul's face. "And don't consider that a compliment!"

"We had to know if you would tell them," Sam put forward before Paul could intervene. The two shared a look and Paul reluctantly backed off.

"So you'll sit there and spy," I accused, tossing eyes into the air. "They're both going to change. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. For some reason you think a sudden shock of the supernatural is better than slow incorporation. It's just the reverse. Sam, you ought to know that better than anyone!"

Ripe red anger flooded Sam's features before he could conceal it, followed immediately by a tight mask.

"You don't understand what we go through," Sam responded with a face of stone.

"I understand what I went through!"

No one responded to that, least of all Paul, who had the decency to look away.

"They're coming down La Push Road," Jared informed us quickly.

Sam held my gaze for an extended minute and I knew he wasn't going to budge.

"They're going to keep rebelling against your prejudice!" I snapped. "I'll keep my word, despite your doubts. Maybe if you gave other people a little trust, they would feel the same for you."

Walking back through the edge of the trees, newly frozen for my extended time outside, I stomped towards the car with an extra set of feet following on the hard ground behind me.

Without turning around, I remarked, "Embry, I can't let Jacob and Quil see me with you."

"I know."

I turned around to face him with another roll of my eyes. "Let me guess, you listened in on that conversation, too?"

Fidgeting where he stood, Embry shrugged, embarrassed. "I listened in on both of Jake's phone calls."

Throwing my hands into the air, I couldn't find an adequate reply anywhere in my repertoire.

"Mireille, I just wanted you to know I believe you," Embry concluded quickly, glancing over his shoulder. "It's... tough, you know... I trust what the wolves saw all those centuries ago, but I also know I can trust what you say. It's just hard to put those two things together and make sense to the other guys."

"You've been trying to make sense to them?"Amazed, I look at the teenage wolf in a new light.

"Yeah. I told them Jake would still want to fight their bias, too," Embry admitted, scratching the back of his head. "That might be part of why Sam shut down so fast... Listen, I have to go. They're just around the corner."

"Go. And thank you."

Nodding once, Embry trotted into the trees and blended into the background, leaving little more noise than the wind as it began picking up and the faint sound of a low conversation drifting over from La Push Road.

Jacob and Quil had bundled up in full cold weather gear, clearly having walked the entire way. Both wore tight, disgruntled expressions that I doubted had anything to do with the weather. Quil didn't appear to have grown any since we last met and Jacob had sprouted less than an inch since we saw each other at Leah's birthday.

Relieved a little by the clear slowing of growth, I settled my worries down almost completely by the time both boys reached me in the lot at fifteen minutes past one o'clock.

"Sorry we're late," Jacob spoke the moment we came close. "Dad and Old Quil held us up."

"Don't worry about it."I assured him.

"You look as cold as I feel. Let's go inside."

"No argument from me." I half laughed, hurrying alongside the boys as we jogged into the beachcombing shack's side door and gathered together just past the doorway of the small, heated entryway.

Quil's teeth chattered as he shook off the edge of the sudden wind we just escaped. Between the three of us, our hands rubbing together made up a world of swishing noise in the effort of generating circulation.

Several minutes later, Jacob exhaled and took off his scarf. "Whoo. That was a quick winter chill."

"No kidding," I agreed, keeping on my own scarf as I examined what could be seen through the inner doors of the entryway.

Messy and overfull, but vaguely organized by item type, the shop felt like a store mostly for fisherman and bohemians. Beautiful glass orbs rested in a rope and net enclosure, heaps of fossils and stones covered tabletops, and bins along the way had been filled with oddities in mass collections. I suspected Esme would find a great many creative ideas in the chaos, something which brought a small smile onto my wind-reddened face.

"I think I can make my mouth move now," Quil finally spoke, breathing out with a whoosh. "I bet no one is in here today."

"Don't guarantee it," I warned him, recalling Tyler's ridiculous appearance in the area.

"What's that mean?" Jacob asked, visibly concerned.

"I ran into my classmate, Tyler Crowley, a little bit ago."

"Which one is that?" Quil squinted with deep concentration.

"He dressed as Michael Jackson for Halloween," I explained.

"Ohhh..." Jacob drew out the knowing sound, joining Quil with a smattering of sarcastic laughter.

"I remember that guy," Quil stated irritably, eyes rolling. "Ladies man, right?"

"Seriously, does he ever quit with the girls?" Jacob scoffed. "I was surprised the other guys never ran him off that night."

"Especially Edward," Quil laughed.

Smiling at the memory of Edward's growling and furious eyes the night we went trick-or-treating, I just shook my head. "No, Tyler never really quits."

Having little else to say – and even less desire to say anything – about Tyler Crowley, I led the way with tentative steps through the interior doors of the shack, small bells ringing overhead as we entered.

A heavily bearded younger man in plaid stood behind the register counter at the far end of the store, calling out to us with a lackadaisical smile and a wave. "Welcome to Jonah's Beachcombing Shack. How are you today?"

"Colder than the arctic," I replied dryly.

The man laughed understandingly with us. "Well, feel free to warm up with a cup of coffee at the end of the register. My name's Cal. If you have any questions, let me know."

"Sure about the coffee?" Quil asked, already heading that way.

Cal waved us onward. "Oh, yeah. Help yourself."

"Thank you, Cal," I accepted his offers with a single nod and a smile.

"Yeah, thanks, man," Jacob added, throwing out his hand in gratitude.

For a few minutes, all was mostly silent in the store while the three of us wandered around, warming ourselves up and window-shopping. Ball-shaped buoys wrapped in rope caught my eye, along with a swarm of driftwood in fascinating shapes, and a wall chock full of colorful glass bottles in every shape and size.

"Those are for marking off mooring and swimming spots," Jacob explained of the rope-wrapped ball buoys.

"Thanks. I wondered what they were for. What about those?" So saying, I turned to point at the lovely glass orbs I had earlier noticed through the door.

"Those are fishing floats," Jacob explained. "They were used to hold fishing nets and lines out in the water. Not so much anymore, but I guess it used to be a big thing."

"They're pretty, anyway," I admitted, ducking my head as Jacob laughed.

At the far back of the store, Jacob and Quil finally came down to the last dregs in their foam cups and eyed my still-full beverage in confusion.

"Isn't that going to get cold?" Quil asked, no longer bundled up in his layers. Jacob fared much the same.

"I don't drink coffee," I admitted, shoulders at last eased back from their tension. Even in the heat of the shack, I had still needed an extra jolt of warmth after my extended time spent outside. "But I'm not above holding a cup of hot liquid to warm my hands and steam the tip of my nose."

Both boys laughed aloud as they threw away their empty cups in a trash bin near the front door. Hesitantly, I considered Jacob and Quil's much faster return to warmth and wondered if their slowly changing physiology already had an effect on body temperature in some subtle manner.

"You want it?" I reached out with the cup. Jacob shook his head, but Quil didn't hesitate to take it.

"I think we're good to talk," Jacob announced lowly while Quil took time to enjoy his second cup of coffee. "So, Quil told me you made a rough copy of the treaty map."

"Only thanks to Quil and Leah." I made sure not to mention Embry's role in the interlude.

"Embry was there, too," Quil spouted darkly. So much for keeping Embry out of it. "After you dropped them off by the Sol Duc, Embry walked off with Leah on the trail and she hasn't seen him since."

It took all of my willpower not to wince at the lies Leah had been forced to tell. After facing the lies of Sam, Harry, and Sue, I felt positive Leah wanted no more lying in her life. Yet here she had lied for Embry, right to his best friends.

Leah and Embry might have spoken again about the need for secrecy, I supposed, but I didn't know for sure and I didn't want to speculate too much about Leah at the moment. She had not left my presence happily, even though I did believe she understood my position before she walked away.

"Has anyone seen him at all?" I tried, wary of the boys asking me again if I had seen Embry since Leah's birthday. If I was forced to lie so blatantly now, I would seriously consider taking a crowbar to Sam's thick skull.

Jacob and Quil shared a reluctant gaze before Jacob slowly confessed, "Seth saw him a couple days ago."

"Where did he see him?"

"At Emily's place."

Keeping my face frozen allowed the boys to think me stunned, but in reality, I knew I couldn't possibly hold anything approaching genuine shock on my features. Not in front of them; not when I knew the truth.

"You're sure about this?"

"Oh, yeah," Jacob nodded solemly. "Seth wasn't making it up. He even saw Embry with the same tattoo Sam's gang wears."

"I'm sorry." Even if I hadn't known the truth, I couldn't have found words for the mixture of fear and grief on the two boys' faces. Their best friend had seemingly walked away, joined a threatening gang, and disappeared from the real world. Quil and Jacob surely feared being next, just as Bella had assumed in New Moon.

Nothing would fix any of this until they understood the truth themselves.

"I guess we can't change it now," Quil expelled with a sharp breath, tossing his second empty cup into the garbage so strongly it bounced off the rim and onto the floor.

"Yeah, I guess not,"Jacob agreed, watching his remaining best friend pick up the foam cup and toss it far more gently into the bin. Shaking himself, Jacob added ruefully, "I'm glad you thought of grabbing my drawing paper, Quil."

The stockier boy shrugged. "Nothing big."

"We're good, right?" Jacob turned to me expectantly.

Holding those dark eyes and wishing I could just tell the facts, I forced a convincing smile even as my unique ability screamed against telling the secrets buried in my mind. "We're good."

Why did my gift always have to enforce silence? I wished fervently for an answer that would not come.

"Cool," Jacob closed the topic, then added, "because we got you something."

"Consider it a Christmas present," Quil tacked on, pulling a small, flat package from his overlarge coat pocket at the same moment Jacob did so.

"Guys, come on, I don't need anything," I resisted helplessly, knowing there was no use before I even argued. As stubborn as I could be, it seemed all of my closest friends could match it point for point.

"Sure, sure." Jacob waved me off with his standard phrase from the books. "Blame Leah. Quil got the idea from her."

"I sure did," Quil accepted, puffing up his chest with pride.

Twin expectant faces stared me down when I opened my mouth to protest and I sighed.

"Okay. Hand them over."

Each hand full of a flat, lightweight package wrapped in string, I sat on a worn wooden stool hidden amongst the cluttered items combed from the ocean. With each hand, I undid both strings before unwrapping the simple brown paper with something of an idea what the gifts might be.

Blame Leah indeed.

As sure as I had imagined, two dreamcatchers appeared to my eyes in their plain wrappings.

From Quil, I received a thin circular frame with one central brown bead and string woven across the middle, dropping down with a multitude of fluffy feathers and more brown beads. Aqua string stood out marvelously against the caramel brown tone of the feathers.

Around a flat, sanded wood circle, Jacob had wrapped gray string in an intricate design reminiscent of both flowers and stars. Three gray and white feathers hung from the bottom without any other ornamentation. For its simple design, the dreamcatcher from Jacob stood out as just as much a work of art.

"They're beautiful," I murmured, a real smile filling out my face. "Thank you, Jacob, Quil. It's very kind of you."

Quil shrugged. "You've been through a lot of crap with us."

"Yeah, and we're still rebelling against this mess," Jacob concurred more determinedly than I had ever heard.

Chuckling and shaking my head, I re-wrapped their lovely gifts and stood from the chair.

"What's next on the agenda?" I asked rather than argue. I had already warned Sam, plus Embry had done the same. Besides, I now had free pass on Quileute land. At least now Jacob and Quil wouldn't get into trouble for hanging out with me.

"I turn fifteen on January fourteenth," Jacob offered. "Dad's having a little thing at the house. Just a few people. We're having a bonfire the next night, too – not all about me, of course. Do you feel up to it again? I know Leah's birthday was rough and the first bonfire wasn't a great night either, but..."

"It's a month away," I mentioned, taking a moment to appear as if it took some consideration. "I guess I can try again. It's worth it."

"Great," Jacob thrilled, knocking knuckles with his palm. "Charlie's definitely going to be there this time, so don't worry too much."

"I'm glad he'll be there. But I have a little sooner time to hang out."

"When's that?" Quil wondered eagerly along with Jacob. Their rebellion had become twice as important now that Sam had 'stolen' Embry away.

"My birthday is in January, too," I explained, feeling cheerier than I thought I would. "Come and hang out for a few hours on the third. Plus, Carlisle and Esme will also have a little party for my school friends the following Saturday. It's a week before your bonfire. Why don't you both come to that, too?"

"Sure, that's perfect!" Jacob exclaimed.

Quil nodded along. "Yeah, that's great. You know, birthdays are probably going to become a thing with us. Well... hopefully not like Leah's went, but you know what I mean."

Jacob and I laughed together over the prerequisite.

Details for our future meetings soon fell into place with a few quick explanations, then the boys bundled back up to make their cold way back home.

"You know what, forget this," I told them determinedly as we forced our feet back into the chill air. "I'll drive you both home."

Neither boy looked prepared for such a suggestion, but I didn't wait for an argument. The Acura had been heating up for a few minutes already and I couldn't imagine not giving Jacob and Quil that benefit.

Given my obvious stubbornness and the wicked wind that had risen to a steady clip, neither teen argued.

By Jacob and Quil's mutual insistence, I headed to Quil's house first and then moved on to Jacob – all so I wouldn't be alone until I was already on my way out of La Push. Appreciating the sweet gesture – although thanks to Sam's agreement it was no longer necessary – I pulled to a stop in front of the familiar little red house.

Billy Black waited on the porch for his son, who walked past him without a word or a look. When the door slammed shut behind his teenage son, Billy exhaled a firm breath, glanced towards my car with a single nod, and headed inside as well.

Deep, rich evergreens and empty brown branches rolled past the window at a slow blur, broken only by the opening of La Push Road onto the 101. Breathing a marginally relieved sigh, I gladly made my undeterred way to Pastor Weber's church.

Alice didn't give me a chance to call, instead blowing up my cell phone the instant I pulled to a stop in the church parking lot.

"What the hell happened?"

The sharp bark of command shouldn't have surprised me.

Edward, I corrected myself, not Alice, had preempted my efforts at calling. I could even hear Alice berating Edward in the background of the call, her wind-chime voice rougher than normal.

"Will you calm down?" I asked loudly of Edward, rolling my eyes for what must have been the hundredth time that day. If I had been standing, I would have thrown a hand on my hip. "Embry overheard Jacob's calls to me. The pack didn't trust I would keep my word about secrecy, so they came to listen in. I confronted them, they left, and that was that. Jacob and Quil still don't know anything and both still want to rebel. They're coming over for my birthday and I'm going to the bonfire for Jacob's birthday. That's all. Satisfied?"

"Fine. When are th—What, Alice? I'm trying to—"

"Just shut up and give me the phone, Edward." Nothing could cover up my snort as Alice firmly intruded on Edward's manhandled phone call. "Mir, please ignore my fool of a brother. He wouldn't take your text as confirmation of your safety – or, I might add, my vision of you walking through the store with Jacob and Quil not long after."

Partly offended and partly touched, I sighed helplessly. Edward had been very close to my personal demons the past week and it stood to reason he retained vestiges of worry and fear despite my recovery.

"Alice, put that nutcase back on the phone, will you?"

Distant laughter and nearby scoffing echoed through the line before Alice could answer me. Indeed, Edward didn't give his sister a chance to say a word before he came back on the phone with great offense.

"Nutcase? I was merely concerned for you safety and well-being!"

"I appreciate your concerns," I pacified Edward slowly, sounding more like a kindergarten teacher speaking to her class than one friend speaking to another. "What I don't appreciate, however, is your peevish attitude when I haven't done anything to deserve it. Nor has Alice, come to that."

Sharp breathing dominated the phone line until Edward finally heaved an enormous breath.

"I apologize, but I..."

"Ah, ah, ah," I stopped him in second, wagging my winger at empty air. "Apologies don't feel sincere when you add a qualifier."

From the grumbling Edward produced in response, I could imagine his eyeroll as if he stood beside me. A smile tried to overtake my lips.

"I apologize. Simply, completely, I apologize. When you disappeared from Alice's vision, I panicked..."

"I can picture it, Edward. I do know you."

Hefting a weighted laugh, Edward sounded truly calm at last. "Would it be quite insane if I joined you there?"

Slightly perplexed by the request, I shrugged. "I don't see how it would hurt anything. If you really feel the need."

Feel the need Edward did, speeding up in the Volvo not five minutes after our phone call ended. For the first time in a long while, I took notice of the black sport marks shaped like my scratching efforts last November. Laughter escaped me without warning when I stood from the Acura.

"You're incorrigible," Edward accused with a smirk as we met on the sidewalk.

"Thank you." I wasted no time hugging Edward reassuringly. "For the compliment and for worrying about me."

Ben and Austin pulled into the church parking lot at a speed contrary to Edward's crack-of-the-whip pace, ending our chance at discussion for the rest of the evening.

In spite of the interruption on our time, Edward rapidly became a welcome addition to the decorating team and his presence eased my mind against agitation when things failed to work out the way everyone had expected. The cardboard box fireplace wouldn't hold the weight of stockings. Six snowflake tablecloths had been cut too short by the manufacturer. Pine cones knocked around by mistake had become detached from their star toppers and cork bases. Balloons wouldn't stick to the cups they were attached to – an attempt to make them appear like C9 bulbs on a strand of Christmas lights. Throughout it all, no matter how frustrating, Edward kept me calm and rational.

As the decorating expedition came to a close with much chatter and friendship, Edward rushed to help Conner when the boy nearly dropped the church's small nativity set on the floor. Given an opening, Angela caught my arm and pulled me to a halt while I put on my coat.

"What's the matter, Ang?"

My tall human friend spent innumerable minutes looking over calm features and the ease that found its unexpected way into blue eyes after such upheaval.

"You're better," Angela wondered, a surprised little smile lighting her kind face.

"I am. Thank you for talking to Edward. It was thoughtful of you."

"It's what friends do," Angela negated, head shaking side to side. "You... don't regret coming here, do you?"

"I could never regret coming here," I confessed, throwing caution to the wind for one brief moment. "Occasionally, I just need time to work through the rough spots in my life. And... a little tender care from the people who know me best."

Tilting her head to the side, Angela fluttered her light brown gaze behind me and back, then finally nodded. "Good. I'm glad."

Smiling again, Angela walked away without another word, helping Austin with a spectacularly stubborn bottle of glitter glue that wouldn't close. My eyes followed her progress in confusion.

Checking behind me with a mild frown, I tried to figure out what caught Angela's attention, but all I saw was the small nativity set Conner and Edward had set up along the side windows.

Nothing struck me as significant and I shook off the strange sensation I was missing something, hurrying home with Edward so we could change for the Hospital Christmas Party that night.

So much had changed in a year. Each day brought a new milestone or an unexpected revelation to ponder. An awkward introduction to Forks' citizens had been clouded by rumors. Meeting almost every one of my human friends for the first time at the Webers' church, fearing every word I spoke would hurt the Cullens' chances of staying in Forks, even the tiny moment I realized bingo could be incredibly boring... Every memory flooded back when the Cullens walked beside me into the church fellowship hall for the second time.

No longer a protective ring congregated around one of its own, the Cullen family spread out amongst the people of Forks with familiarity and relative ease. Esme indulged gardening and cooking conversation with the other mothers, Carlisle filled out a circle of fathers laughing over the antics of their children, and all the young people struck up talk of the mundane school day and the less mundane crafting fun we had shared so many times over the last month.

I had once worn flats to avoid damaging my back. Now, I wandered the room in heels to match my Yuletide outfit, unafraid because my back had healed. I didn't worry over my words, knowing exactly which ones were the most effective and sincere without giving away the Cullens' greatest secrets.

Catching my eye from across the room, Edward smiled just shy of showing his teeth, and I returned the expression with clear understanding.

Coming back to the house after having spent an enjoyable evening watching an ugly sweater contest, overseeing a candy cane hunt, and playing Christmas-inspired bingo with stocking stuffer prizes, I found my soul reaching a state of real peace for the first time in months.

For all the pains life had given, even up to the last week, things were surprisingly wonderful. Until Bella Swan arrived in Forks, at least. With Bella's luck, there wasn't a lot of peace to be had in the coming days.

But I didn't want to think about that just yet.

"Then don't," Edward whispered, leaning in towards my ear and rushing away before I could see his face.

Glad only that the lean vampire felt playful rather than morbid, my lips lifted yet again that night and I headed upstairs to change.

At the second floor landing, Carlisle called out to me. "Mireille, would you join me a moment?"

Turning around, I more than happily stepped over to the doctor waiting in his office doorway. Falling under Carlisle's arm was easy and I let him draw me into the warm, antiquated space beyond. Esme waited on the green sofa, a ready smile on her motherly face. Gentle hands patted the space beside her, inviting me to a seat I would never refuse.

Caught up under Esme's arm next, I watched Carlisle pace a few steps from one end of the sofa to the other, until Esme delicately cleared her throat and prompted her husband into speech.

"Forgive me." Carlisle chuckled a little and faced me straight on. "Mireille, there is a certain experience which I have examined many times since this summer. Only this past week, I went so far as to invest in the experience, as a means of cheering you up – or so I hoped. I realized you might find it disingenuous if the event were meant to lift your spirits or extract your troubles rather than to truly share this experience with you."

"What experience are you talking about?" I wondered, brows knit together and lips dipping downward. I could think of nothing the Cullens hadn't already shared with me.

Carlisle and Esme shared a special look full of indulgence and affection, then Carlisle offered me mischievous eyes and asked a single, stunning question.

"How would you like to spend Christmas… in London?"

A/N: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed Chapter 20: Aftermath!