Making Up

Mara walked into the diner and slid into the booth across from a nervous Mike. He kept glancing around the restaurant, worried someone would see and tell the chief. He had asked Mara to meet him at a place the next town over just to be safe.

"You still look like hell. Didn't you take a nap or something?" he asked, noticing she still had her sunglasses on. Mara just stared at him and then silently put them up on her forehead. After Embry had left, she went back to going through her notes again, but ended up breaking down into tears.

She told herself that it was because of exhaustion. Or maybe it was because her period was about to start. And that it had nothing to do with the fact that she had gotten into a fight with Embry.

After one look in the mirror, she knew she looked horrible – the dark circles that were starting to form under her eyes didn't mesh well with the puffiness that set in after she had cried for about an hour.

"Christ, Mara," he said, staring at her.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "What do you have for me?" She flagged down a waitress and ordered a coffee. Mike looked around and then pulled out a folder from his bag and slid it across the table. Mara opened it slightly, her eyes widening.

"Are these the crime scene photos?" she asked softly. Mike reached over and slammed the folder shut.

"Not here," he said. "And I will lose my job if the chief finds out I gave these to you." Mara looked up at him and nodded, putting them into her bag.

"So why now?" she asked. Mike sighed.

"I told you. I've had my suspicions since the first death. Something just doesn't add up," he said. "But from the beginning, the chief keeps insisting that it's an animal."

"Why have you waited until now to do something?" she asked.

"It's just me that thinks this. And I told you. I tried to meet with you to share what I thought earlier. Just you seemed a bit busy with the guys in La Push," he said. The waitress returned with a coffee and Mara took it, waiting until she walked off to answer.

"Momentary distraction," she said, before taking a sip. Mike just stared at her. Mara squirmed under his gaze. "And I thought they would give me something."

"Did they?" he asked.

"Just enough to make me think they're in on it," she said. "Well… not all of them, but some of them." Mike took a deep breath and let it out. "But it doesn't matter much. The SIB is in town looking into it. Whatever little information I was getting is sure to be cut off now. I just hope they get to the bottom of it."

Mike sat up, confused.

"SIB? I don't remember the chief saying anything about them," he said. Mara studied him.

"Yea… three of them. Two women and a guy. Though one of them… I swore I've seen her before. She had red hair," she said.

"I'll check into it," he said. "See what I can find." Mara nodded as she heard her phone buzz from her bag. She reached in and pulled it out. It was a text from Embry.

I'm sorry. Can we talk?

She sighed as she put her phone down.

"Your editor?" Mike asked.

"Friend," she said. "Keep me in the loop." She then tossed some money on the table and stood, taking her bag with her. Once she was outside, she stopped on the sidewalk and pulled her phone out, looking at it. She started walking towards her car. She got in and sat in the driver's seat.

She didn't want to fight with Embry. She knew that ultimately, it wasn't his fault. She was angry with the chief. And tired. She was on the verge of breaking her father's rule about letting her emotions get the better of her. Sighing, she pulled her phone out and dialed.

"Mara," he said, the relief apparent.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier," she started.

"No, I'm sorry," he said.

"You were trying to help," Mara said. "And maybe you're right… I'm getting too worked up. I didn't really sleep last night. I haven't been sleeping much since I got here."

"I have a suggestion," Embry said.

"What?" she asked.

"It seems you need to get your mind off things," he said.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Come out to La Push. Some of us are having a bonfire on the beach," he said. Mara frowned.

"Isn't that dangerous?" she said.

"We'll be safe on the beach. There will be enough of us," he said. Mara thought for a moment. The thought of seeing him again. Maybe snuggling up on the beach. She shook her head slightly. Maybe it could help clear her mind so she could focus.

"Alright. What time should I be there?" she asked.

"Meet at the beach around 7 pm," he said.

"Okay," she said.

"Oh, and do me a favor," he said.

"What?"

"Take a nap," he said, laughing softly. Mara smiled.

"That is the first thing I'm going to do," she said.

Mara reached over and grabbed the six-pack from the front seat before getting out of her car. She could already see the fire. After a nap and shower, she felt better. A lot of the anger from that morning had disappeared, though she was still concerned about the case. But she would put it aside for tonight.

"You made it," Jacob said. Mara turned to see him walking up to her, a smile on his face and another six-pack in his hand.

"Yea… Embry convinced me," she said, offering him a smile. She tucked her hair behind her ear and followed him down a path to the beach. "Still don't understand why you guys are having a party on the beach with a rabid bear or cougar out there." Jacob chuckled.

"Trust me, if anything's out there, we'll take care of it," he said, glancing at her. "And good choice." He motioned towards the six-pack in her hand.

"Mom always told me to never go to a party empty handed," she said.

As they neared the fire, Mara saw there were a few logs put around it with a decent size group either standing or sitting. Emily and Sam were manning a grill, while she recognized Quil, Jared and Seth. She didn't know the others. And she didn't see Embry.

"So, you're the reporter," a woman said, walking up to her. She had a guarded look on her face as she sized Mara up.

"Yea, Mara," Mara replied, holding her hand out. The woman stared at it, then shook it.

"Leah Clearwater," she said. "I'm Seth's older sister."

"Right… Sue's daughter," Mara said. "I had dinner with her and Chief Swan yesterday."

Mara looked around, seeing Seth over on the other side of the fire with a few others, laughing. She looked back over at the grill as Emily waved. She smiled and lifted her hand to her.

"He's over there," Leah said. Mara looked at her, confused. "Embry. You're obviously looking for him." Mara followed where Leah was pointing and saw Embry walking up towards them. He had an apologetic smile on his face.

Mara felt her breath catch in her throat. Even though she had been mad at him earlier that day, she completely forgot why as soon as she saw him. Leah stepped away as Embry walked up to her.

"I'm glad you came," he said softly. Mara nodded and looked down at the sand, hoping the dark hid her blush. And the fact that all she wanted to do in that moment was to throw her arms around him.

"I brought refreshments," she said, glancing up at him as she held out the beer. Embry took it.

"Cooler's over here," he said.

Mara felt herself relax after she settled on a log, working her way through a hamburger and a beer. Part of her was shocked by the sheer amount of food they had brought, but seeing how everyone ate, she was starting to worry if there would be enough.

She was sandwiched in between Quil and Embry and sat silent, listening as they all launched into various stories. Embry had introduced her around the group and through observation and listening she had deduced who the couples were and was starting to pick up on some of the group gossip.

After a while Embry got up to toss Mara's plate, while Jacob took his spot.

"So, what do you think?" he asked, glancing down at her.

"You guys really are close knit," she said, looking up at him. "By the way, who is this Nessie everyone keeps mentioning? Your girlfriend?" Jacob stared at her a moment before smiling.

"You don't miss a thing, do you?" he asked. Mara shrugged.

"Comes with the territory," she said, looking over to see Embry chatting with Paul by the coolers. He looked to the ground and smiled shyly as Paul laughed loudly.

"You should give him a chance," Jacob said. Mara looked at him, her eyebrows raised. "He's a good guy. And he really cares about you." Mara frowned slightly.

"We just met," she said.

"Still… you guys are good together," he said. Mara tilted her head to the side, studying Embry. "Just think about it." Jacob got up as Embry made his way back to her side.

"What's that look for?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, smiling at him.

"Have a good chat with Jacob?" he asked. Mara laughed softly.

"Maybe," she said, glancing at him. Embry reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. "What are you doing?"

"Let's take a walk," he said. Mara laughed again, letting him lead her away as she held tightly onto his hand. There were a couple whistles from the group, causing Embry to frown over his shoulder. Once they were farther away, he looked down at her. "I really am sorry about earlier…"

"You don't have to apologize. I needed sleep. I overreacted a bit," Mara said.

"I don't think you're crazy," he said, stopping to look down at her. Mara gazed up at him. "And I meant what I said. I'm here to help you."

"I appreciate it," she said. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him what she learned from Mike. She still hadn't looked over the photos yet. But she stopped herself. Embry frowned slightly.

"What is it?" he asked. Mara shook her head.

"Nothing," she said, smiling as she started walking again. They continued on in silence a bit.

"Can I ask you something?" Embry finally said.

"What?"

"Why do you use your mother's last name?" he asked. Mara stopped and looked up at him.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"I, ah, well… please don't be mad, but I looked you up after our date," he said. "I was curious about your dad," he said. "Why didn't you tell me he was a Pulitzer winner?"

Mara was silent as she looked to the ground. For some reason, she didn't feel betrayed. She was planning on telling him eventually. But not this soon. She looked up at him finally.

"If you looked that up, then you know about how he died," she said. Embry nodded.

"Suicide," he said. Mara frowned.

"You must have only read the early articles," she said. She took a deep breath.

"What do you mean?" Embry asked.

"My dad didn't kill himself," she said. "I knew it the second I walked into the study. But… no one would listen to me. I was only 15 and they thought I was… acting out of trauma. Even my own mom." Embry was silent, waiting on her to continue. "But apparently I wasn't the only one. Some of his colleagues at the paper – one of them being my current boss. They kept looking into it and eventually got the police to reopen the investigation. It turns out that he was murdered because of a story he was working on and they made it look like a suicide."

Embry's eyes widened.

"Oh my god, Mar," he said, his heart dropping into his chest.

"As for why I go by Winslow instead of Carpenter… As you can imagine, my father got a lot of attention in the media world. And his death did as well. My mom went back to her maiden name and changed mine as well so we could get a break from it. Also, I knew I wanted to go into journalism, and I wanted to know that I made it because of my own hard work and talent – not because I was the daughter of a Pulitzer winner," she said. "Richard, my editor, is the only one on staff that knows." Embry nodded.

"I'm, wow, I'm so sorry, Mara," he said, pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms around her. Mara sighed as her eyes drifted closed for a moment. "I see why you're so invested in finding the truth." Her eyes flew open. She could feel it start to bubble up. She wanted to tell him her secret, but she wasn't completely sure how he would react.

"There's something else," she said. She stepped back so she could look up at him, but not out of his arms. "I… this is going to sound strange… but… just promise me you'll keep an open mind." Embry studied her a moment.

"Does it have to do with what you were doing at the clearing today?" he asked. Mara's eyes widened. "I kind of picked up on that." Mara swallowed.

"The reason why I knew that my father was murdered was because… I can sense when a murder is committed," she said. Embry stared down at her, his face unreadable. "It's like… there's a heaviness in the air. It settles on the place were a life is taken intentionally. And a… scent. It's a bit different than dead body smell. It was in the study the night I found my father, but I didn't think it was anything… that it was just in my head. But when I shadowed crime reporters after that and they took me to crime scenes… I kept feeling it again. So much so that I knew it was real. I also was there when my grandmother died from cancer and… the feeling wasn't there. So, I know that it only happens when someone is killed intentionally."

Embry's eyes widened as it hit him. This was how she knew the deaths weren't animal attacks.

"You felt it at the accident sites," he said. Mara nodded, surprised that he seemed so willing to believe her.

"Yea. That's how I know that Chief Swan is at best, incompetent in his job, or at worst, covering up murder," she said. "But I don't have any proof or evidence and I can't publish until I have evidence." Embry was silent. "Say something. I'm worried you really do think I'm crazy now." Embry smiled down at her.

"I don't think you're crazy. I think… I think you're gifted. And you're amazing," he said. Mara just blinked.

"Really?" she asked, confused. Embry chuckled. "Honestly I'm surprised you're not calling the looney bin or something."

"Mara… trust me. I am a firm believer that there are some things in the world that we'll never completely understand or be able to explain," he said. "Like I said, you're not crazy. Believe it or not, I've heard crazier things."

"Like what?" she asked. He chuckled.

"Another time," he said. Mara smiled as relief filled her face.

"Well… I am… very happy. I've never really told anyone any of this. I mean my best friend knows about my dad, but I've never told anyone about the whole… murder spidey sense," she said. "I'm not even sure why I told you."

"I think… when we meet people that we're truly meant to connect with, time isn't an issue," he said. "It happens because it's meant to happen." Mara chuckled.

"Why am I not surprised that you're a romantic," she said.

"Oh, I can get even more romantic than this," he said, grinning.

"Are we talking like dancing in the moonlight? Reciting poetry? Sweeping me off my feet?" she asked, a smile playing across her face. Embry thought for a moment.

"More along the lines of…" He bent down towards her, looking deeply into her eyes. He gently brushed his lips against hers first, and then waited. Mara smiled before pulling him down to her, full-on kissing him. She didn't care if anyone saw them. Or that she had literally just met this guy. It felt right.

They only broke the kiss because the whistles were echoing from the bonfire. Mara laughed as she looked over at the bonfire and then hid her face in Embry's chest as he pulled her closer.

"God, this is embarrassing," she said.

"You'll get used to it," he said. "I have."

"Guessing we should get back to the party," she said, glancing up at him.

"Probably," he said as they started walking back, though he kept his arm around her. Mara stopped suddenly and looked up at him.

"Oh, and well, sure it doesn't need to be said, but… can you keep this between us?" she asked. "I, ah, I don't really tell anyone about my dad. And the whole sensing thing… I don't think that everyone would understand like you." Embry nodded and plastered a smile on his face.

"Don't worry about it," he said, bending down to kiss her cheek before they started walking again. He fought to cover his frown, knowing that it wasn't going to remain a secret. As soon as he phased again, the whole pack would know. And that Jacob would insist on telling Sam and the others. But he would deal with that later. For the moment, he wanted to focus on what was going on right now.

"Well, well, well," Paul said, walking up to the two as they came back to the fire. "I totally called this." Mara laughed.

"Right," she said, not believing him.

"I totally did!" he shouted. Mara rolled her eyes.

"I'm getting another drink. You want one?" she asked, looking up at Embry. He nodded. She walked off heading over to Emily and the coolers.

"Looks like things are progressing," Paul said. Embry nodded.

"That they are," he said.

"Embry," Sam said, walking up to him. Embry sighed. He figured this would happen, though he had hoped he would wait until after the party had ended. Sam motioned for him to follow as they stepped away from everyone and over towards the treeline.

"So…" Emily said as Mara stepped up.

"I'm really beginning to feel like you all are psychic or something," Mara said, bending down to the cooler. She pulled out two beers and looked up at Emily.

"I just knew that you two were good for each other the first time I saw you together," she said. Mara straightened up as she looked over, seeing Embry walk off with Sam. She smiled as she sighed happily.

"There's just… something about him," she said. "I've never felt this way about… anyone."

"I know that feeling," Emily said. Mara looked over at her.

"Was it like that with you and Sam?" she asked. Emily nodded.

"I just knew," she said. "And I think it'll be the same for you and Embry." Mara's eyebrows flew up.

"I… well… I don't know about that," she sputtered. Emily just laughed.

"Trust your instincts, Mara," she said, placing a hand on her arm. Mara nodded and smiled.

"Thanks," she said. She then started off towards Embry and Sam, a smile still firmly on her face.

"What's this? Is Mara in love?" Paul shouted at her. Mara stopped and looked over at him, eyes wide as the others laughed. He had his arm wrapped around his girlfriend Rachel.

"What's this? Paul still in elementary school?" she shot back with a grin. Everyone else started howling in laughter as she walked towards Embry and Sam again, chuckling to herself.

"Is it working?" she heard Sam asked. Embry was silent. "You're supposed to be distracting her." Mara stopped suddenly, her smile fading as she took in the two. Sam's face was stern but Embry's back was to her.

"Distract me?" she said, getting both of their attention. Sam's eyes widened as Embry spun around to look at her. "From what?"

Neither said anything.

"What are you distracting me from?" she said, this time louder.

"Mara, it's not what you think," Embry said, walking towards her. Mara took a step back, dropping the cans of beer in the process. She laughed harshly.

"I…" she started. She felt her chest tightened as she looked at the ground. She then whipped her head up to stare at him, her eyes going cold. "You do know what's going on. And you're helping the chief cover this up."

"Mara, I can explain-"

"No," she said. "I trusted you. I… I TRUSTED YOU!" She then started running across the beach towards where the cars were parked.

"MARA!"

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Her heart was pounding as the tears started pouring down her cheeks. She knew she shouldn't have let herself just go with it. Katie was wrong. Emily was wrong. Everyone was wrong.

"How could I be so stupid," she muttered to herself as she scrambled up a hill, tripping as she made her way through the trees to her car.

"MARA!"

She didn't bother looking behind her as her car came in sight and she reached into her pocket for her keys. Fumbling, they fell to the ground with a thud. She quickly dropped down, searching for them in the dark.

"What is it that pains the fair lady?" a smooth voice said. Mara froze, the voice sending fingers of fear up and down her spine. She looked up, seeing a man standing several feet away, smiling at her. He had dark hair and his skin nearly glowed in the moonlight. "You are far too beautiful to be crying, my dear." He then closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. He opened his eyes again and smiled at her. "Far too… delicious."

It wasn't necessarily what he was saying that scared her, but the way he was looking at her. She froze in terror as chills broke out over her body. He grinned as he started towards her.

Run, Mara! RUN! she thought, though she couldn't will her limbs to move.

From somewhere behind her car, there was a loud snarling. Mara looked to her right, just in time to see two of the largest wolves in her life bound out towards the man. She fell back against the car, her feet not making purchase against the ground. A scream froze in her throat as she watched in horror as a red brown wolf leapt at the man, taking him in his jaws. The man started to fight back as the two tumbled back into the trees.

A whining to her right got her attention as she whipped her head over to see the second wolf – gray with black spots – peering at her. It took a tentative step in her direction, causing Mara to scream and try to move away. A howl got the wolf's attention. It looked at Mara one last time before running off. As soon as it was gone, Mara scrambled to get her keys, her hands shaking as she unlocked the car and threw herself inside. She didn't even bother to put on her seatbelt as she started it and peeled out of the parking area, speeding towards the highway and then back to Forks.

For a few moments, she felt like she was hyperventilating as her hands gripped the steering wheel and her entire body shook. She knew that she had to get back to her motel. Her brain was firing so quickly, she couldn't even think of what to do after that.

But somewhere in her head, something stuck out. The second wolf… she couldn't help but feel like there was something familiar in its eyes.

Upon going through chapters, I realized that I accidentally skipped one in posting. Hence why this is now chapter 11 and not 10. So, recommend going back and rereading chapter seven. Sorry about that!

Thanks for reading and following!