Author's Note: Okay, so I left the door open for a continuation of these stories and the world that I created but didn't really think I would revisit it. And then suddenly, just when I thought I was going to take a break from fanfiction to focus on my original fiction because I was out of ideas and nothing I had started on already was calling to me, this story hit me. (Thanks, coronavirus! No really - I'm under self-quarantine for preventive measures and have SO MUCH time on my hands for writing and plotting right now.) And in such a way that I could maybe close things up for Mara and Embry AND Cecily and Demetri. Or not. For now, I'm considering this the final part, but I'm not closing that door completely.

This is a direct continuation to both "The Turning of Cecily Stewart" and "What Happened in the Forest" so I suggest you give those two a read before continuing on. Unless you don't really care, then by all means continue. ;)

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Mara huffed slightly as she pulled the heavy box out of the back of the pick-up truck, wondering just what exactly Embry had packed in there - rocks? He hadn't had much to move in, thankfully, but the few boxes and suitcases he had brought seemed to all weigh about 100 pounds each. Well, that was likely an exaggeration, but it felt that way.

She made a mental note to get into the gym more and start lifting weights.

"Mar! I told you I could handle carrying everything in," Embry called out, grinning as he jogged down the driveway towards her and quickly took the box from her arms as though it weighed nothing. He then bent down and kissed her cheek. Even though she had on a heavy coat, he was in a t-shirt and athlete shorts, causing Mara to silently curse his wolf genes for making him a walking furnace.

She was constantly cold now that the winter chill was in full swing.

"Well, forgive me for wanting to help," she replied, slipping slightly on a bit of lingering slush on the driveway.

"You already helped by clearing out space for my things," he said as she put the tailgate back up and followed him into the house. "And you said that you were in charge of dinner tonight so that I could unpack."

"I know… but wanted to do more since I'm excited that my boyfriend is finally moving in," she said, a smile on her face. The last four months had gone by quickly with Embry driving to Seattle every weekend. But he was finally here.

For some reason, Mara felt like she was finally an adult. She was in a committed relationship with a wonderful man, who was now living with her.

"How did your mom take the news?" Embry shouted, already starting towards the stairs.

Mara paused in taking off her coat, her small bubble of happiness popping as she felt her cheeks heat up. She was suddenly glad that he couldn't see her, otherwise he would know that she was lying.

"Oh, well…" she started as she pulled her coat off and hung it up, then started to the kitchen.

Before she had made it, he was grabbing her waist and turning her around to face him. Stupid shapeshifter genes that made him faster than the average human.

"You didn't tell her," he stated, a frown on his face. "I thought we discussed this."

"Well… I mean, can you blame me? You know how she is," Mara whined. "She likes you, but she's not going to be happy about… this... and she won't understand why you're already moving in." Embry just stared at her. "She doesn't know about the wolf stuff."

"So, where exactly does she think I'm living? And you know she'll figure it out the next time she comes over," he replied. Mara sighed.

"I know. I'll tell her. I promise. Before she comes to visit," she said. Embry just raised his eyebrows at her. "I promise!" He then smiled and pecked her on the lips. "Now… I need to start on dinner."

Mara managed to extricate herself from his arms, albeit slightly reluctantly, and turned to walk into the kitchen. Embry walked over and sat at the island as she set about to pulling pots and pans out.

"How was work this week?" he asked casually.

"Eh, the usual. Simmons still making my life hell while Richard feeds me the occasional interesting story with his usual, 'Chin up, kid. You'll be getting the big stories soon enough,'" Mara replied dryly.

"Simmons still pissed about the story going nowhere?" Embry asked.

"Yep," she said. "I mean, I almost feel bad for him. He keeps digging at it and then I occasionally step in and throw him off. Which goes completely over his head. And I can't tell him that the reason the leads died out was because it was a vampire that was responsible. And he's dead."

Embry couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the thought of Mara messing with the grumpy, seasoned crime reporter. She had gotten rather good at throwing him off the truth over the last four months. And getting away with it.

"Does Richard know he's still looking into it?" he asked, a slight bit of concern filling his eyes. Mara snorted as she looked over at him.

"You honestly think he'd still be looking into it if Richard knew he was?" she asked. Embry laughed and shook his head as Mara turned back to dinner preparations. "But I have to admit… Seattle's gotten a bit boring."

"What? No juicy murder to keep you entertained?" Embry quipped. Mara shot him a look.

"You know what I mean," she said. "So… what all do you have left to do before class starts next week? Get all your books ordered?"

"Yea. Should be here this week. And I think I have some sort of transfer student orientation on Friday," he said. Mara glanced over at him again.

"You ready to be a college student?" she asked, grinning. Embry was quiet a moment and then nodded, starting to smile in return.

"I am. It'll be nice… only having to worry about class and homework. No going on perimeter checks or looking out for rogue vampires," he said. "Coming home to you every day."

"That's the part I'm looking forward to," Mara said before walking over and kissing him. He glanced over at the stove at the pot of boiling water Mara had just put on, and then looked back at her, his eyebrows raised.

"You know… I'm not that hungry at the moment…"

Mara let out a small shout as he stood and threw her over his shoulder and then stepped over to turn off the stove.

"Embry Call!" she shouted, banging her fists against his back. "There are better ways to get me in bed!"

"Yea, but this way is more fun," he replied as he quickly made his way to the stairs and then up, Mara laughing the entire way.

Once they reached their bedroom, he flopped her down on the bed, then quickly moved to take his shirt off.

Mara wondered if she would ever get used to the sight of Embry without his shirt on. It always seemed to take her breath away and she couldn't help but once again thank his wolf genes. He then crouched down, crawling up the bed until he met her lips in a heated kiss. Mara laid back down, pulling him with her, though he managed to keep all his weight on his forearms, lest he crush her.

Mara wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer.

"Now this… I could get used to this every day," she said, looking up at him with a playful smile. Embry chuckled before kissing her again. He had just slid his hand up under her shirt when the doorbell chimed. "Ignore it," Mara ordered before starting to kiss his neck.

"Could be the neighbors. They know we're home," he said, though his eyes fluttered closed. God, he didn't want to stop.

"They'll come back later if it's important," Mara replied as she rolled her hips against his. Embry hissed slightly at the contact. It was getting harder to fight her off as he felt her lips move back up his neck to his chin.

The doorbell rang again.

Mara sighed as she laid back on the bed and Embry rolled off her.

"I'll take care of them," she said, sitting up and looking over at him. Her eyes traveled down and then back up. "Better be ready for me."

Embry chuckled as he sat up and watched her walk out of the room.

How had he gotten so lucky?

Mara sighed as she plodded down the stairs and then over to the front door, cursing her neighbors and their timing. She straightened her shirt and placed a smile on her face before she pulled the door open. She was surprised to find a young, incredibly attractive couple standing on her doorstep that she didn't recognize. The woman held a large gift basket, but both were dressed in what looked like church clothes.

Jesus Christ, if they were Jehovah's Witnesses, heads would roll.

"Hi, neighbor," the man said brightly. A bit too brightly. Great, Mara thought. Jehovah's Witnesses had moved into the Clarks' house across the street. They were her neighbors.

"Hi," Mara said, reluctantly.

"We just moved in across the street and wanted to introduce ourselves," the woman said, smiling just as brightly. Though Mara couldn't help but think she had the most beautiful voice ever. It was light and airy, like a spring day. Great. She had neighbors who were Jehovah's Witnesses who were also inexplicably attractive.

"I'm Lila and this is my husband Bruce."

"The Walkers," he added, sticking his hand out. Mara shook it, noticing that his hands felt a bit cold through his glove. Just how long had the two been walking around the neighborhood handing out baskets?

"Mara Winslow," she said. "My boyfriend Embry lives here as well. He's, um… upstairs at the moment."

"Really nice to meet you," Lila said. "I just… put this together. Wanted to do a little something for the new neighbors." She held out the basket. Mara accepted it, finding it odd, but thoughtful. Okay, maybe they weren't Jehovah's Witnesses. Glancing at it, she saw a few of her favorite scented candles. And a large package of her favorite chocolate.

Definitely not bad people, she decided.

"Thanks, you didn't have to do that," she replied.

"Oh, well, Lila used to work at a florist, so she can whip up a bunch of this in no time," Bruce said, chuckling.

"Guilty," Lila added. "But we wanted to introduce ourselves. And maybe sometime soon we can have you and Embry over for dinner. It's nice to find another young couple in the neighborhood."

"Sure. Nice to meet you," Mara replied, starting to step back. As happy as she was about the gift basket - and the fact that her new neighbors didn't seem to be crazy people - she did have a half-dressed wolf upstairs waiting for her.

You know, priorities.

"You as well!" Bruce said as she shut the door. Mara looked down at the basket and then walked over and sat it down on the island. She then hurried back upstairs.

Embry could smell it before Mara even reached the room. He was up on his feet moving towards the bedroom door when she walked in and stopped, noting the look on his face.

"Who was that?" he growled, his body bristling.

"Just… new neighbors. What's wrong?" she asked, stepping closer to him. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, his eyes opening as his entire body went rigid. She was coated in the sickly scent of two vampires.

"They're here," he said. "More." Mara's eyes widened as she looked down at her hands and then up at Embry.

"I knew there was something off about them. No one is that cheerful. Though I thought they were Jehovah's Witnesses," she said, frowning.

"Gotta get over your thing with Jehovah's Witnesses, but not the point," Embry said.

"Right. Our new neighbors are vampires," Mara said, getting back on track. She looked towards the bedroom door. "They looked so normal. I mean, really beautiful, but mostly normal."

"That's what they want you to think," Embry said, already walking towards the door.

"What are you doing," Mara shouted, reaching out to stop him. He turned to look at her, his protective instincts starting to take over. He had to do whatever he could to protect her. And that meant killing the cold-blooded vampires that had just moved in. "Embry… maybe we should talk to them first? They seemed nice."

"Why?" he growled. "They're only here for one reason."

Mara backed up from him slightly, a tinge of fear entering her eyes as she took in his tense posture. Embry took a deep breath and attempted to calm down. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Mara. He needed to keep control of himself.

Plus he had already destroyed her deck and dining table once. He didn't want to add more house renovations to the list.

"But, what if they're like the Cullens? They could be here to blend in," she countered.

"Not all vampires are like the Cullens," he replied, fighting to keep his voice calm. "If I leave them alone, they could slaughter everyone."

"You don't know that," Mara shouted back. "Maybe we should… call the Cullens. Before you go and try and kill them. You barely took care of the last one and that was with help. We're looking at two vampires - not one." He didn't reply. Mara pulled him into her arms, the scent of vampire overwhelming the smell of lavender that usually coated her and calmed him. "I don't want to lose you."

He sighed and kissed her head, knowing she was right as the instinct to shift and fight started draining from him and rational thought took over. It wouldn't do for the entire neighborhood to see a giant wolf running around. Not in broad daylight. If he did anything, it would need to wait for the cover of night. And he didn't want to say it out loud, but she was also right about taking on both of them on his own.

He'd need the others.

"Go take a shower. You reek of vampire," he said. Mara just stared up at him. "I'm not going to do anything while you're in the shower except call Jacob." She smiled and pecked him on the lips, then turned towards the bathroom.

"You sure you don't want to join me?" she called out, swaying her hips slightly. Embry followed her with his eyes, feeling the desire from earlier starting to well up in him again.

Maybe the phone call could wait.

She had already pulled her shirt off and dropped it on the ground and was moving to shimmy out of her pants. That was all it took for him to make a decision.

Mara had just disappeared into the bathroom, the water now on. Embry waited a bit then hurried in, finding Mara already under the water. She wet her hair down and looked over at him, smiling crookedly as she beckoned him to get in.

Yes, the phone call could definitely wait.

Mara looked over from the stove, a look of worry on her face as she watched Embry on the phone. She wasn't even sure why she was cooking - she wasn't even hungry - but she needed something to do with her hands otherwise she would be pacing and Embry was doing enough of that for the both of them.

While what turned into a rather long shower had temporarily distracted both of them, they were now fully focused on the current crisis.

"Yea, two of them," Embry said, pacing in front of the island. He glanced over at Mara.

"They just… came to the door and introduced themselves to Mara." He kept pacing. "Man and woman, yes." He stopped and looked over at Mara. He then sighed and walked over, holding the phone out. "He wants to talk to you."

Mara stepped away from the stove and took the phone.

"Hey, Jacob," she said lightly.

"What happened?" he growled. She winced slightly.

"Sheesh, how was I supposed to know that two vampires were going to show up on my doorstep!" she nearly shouted.

"Sorry," Jacob said, sounding much calmer. "What happened?"

"Well, I was helping Embry move his things in," she stopped and glanced over at him, her cheeks turning slightly red, "and then the doorbell rang. I answered it and there was a couple. Really beautiful, you know and all that. They gave me a gift basket. Said they just wanted to introduce themselves. Then they left."

"And that's it?" Jacob asked.

"Yea, that's it," she said. "Said they live across the street. Oh wait, they said they wanted to have us over for dinner sometime." There was silence on the other end as she looked over at Embry.

"Give Embry the phone," Jacob ordered. She held it out and he took it back.

"Yea?" he asked. He nodded his head. "Okay. Got it." He then hung up.

"What does he want you to do?" Mara asked, her eyes filled with concern as she walked up to him. Embry sighed.

"Keep an eye on them, but nothing more," he said. "He's calling the Cullens. I'm not supposed to approach them or shift. Not until we know what they want."

"Okay," she said, nodding. "I'll help."

"No, Mara. You're staying far from them," he said sternly. Mara rolled her eyes.

"If you're just watching them, then there's no harm in me helping," she said, planting her hands on her hips.

"This is not a story for you to follow, Mara. We're talking about vampires! Or have you forgotten how dangerous they are?" he shouted. Mara eyes widened, but then she narrowed them, stepping closer to Embry.

"Get this straight, Embry Call. If there are vampires in my neighborhood, then I'm going to do whatever I can to help keep it safe!" she shouted back, stabbing him in the shoulder with her finger. If he weren't so worried about her well-being, he would have laughed at her attempts. He barely registered the poke as it was and from the way she grimaced, it hurt her more than it hurt him.

"Right, and do you remember how well you did against the last one?" he asked. Mara didn't say anything, just scowled up at him.

"Do you remember how well you did up against the last one?" she shot back. The two glared at each other a few moments.

"You're not going near them," he said. "But you can watch from the house." Mara thought it over. He could tell that she wasn't completely happy with the compromise, but she would take it. She nodded and turned back to the stove, finishing up dinner.

"So… the day you move in and vampires move in across the street," Mara said, glancing over at him, her playful smirk back on her face. Embry couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of it. He had moved to Seattle to get away from this. "How you think they're going to handle a werewolf next door?"

"Not a werewolf," he said.

"Right. Shapeshifter," she corrected.

"Probably not expecting that," he said, moving to grab some plates from the cupboard.

"Why do you think they're here?" she then asked. "I mean… moving into a suburb. Doesn't really seem like… vampire stuff."

"And what do you know about vampires?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at her, though he was smiling. Mara snorted.

"I know enough," she said. "But you have to admit that it seems out of character." Embry sighed and nodded.

"Maybe? I mean, the subdivision is small and rather secluded, but outside of the Cullens, I've never heard of vampires settling down," he said. "Did you see their eyes?"

"Must have been wearing contacts. They weren't red or that weird topaz of the Cullens," Mara replied, moving the food over to the island. "Otherwise I would have known immediately."

"So we don't know what kind of vampires they are," he said, sitting down. Mara walked around and sat next to him.

"Well… whatever reason they're here for. We'll figure it out," she said, smiling at him. "Together." Embry just stared at her. "Together ."

"Fine. Together."

Mara smiled happily as she turned to her food.

"Tuck in. You're going to need it."

I'm almost halfway through writing this one and got it all plotted out. Kind of excited about it even though I never thought I would revisit this series. It's been fun getting back into Mara and Cecily.

Hope you guys enjoy!