La Push smelled like salt and smoke, the kind that clung to clothes long after the fire burned down.
Charlie moved easily across the sand, greeting familiar faces with nods and quiet smiles. Renee stayed close, not because she needed to, but because this was his history she was stepping into.
Harry Clearwater spotted them first and waved them over with a grin. "About time you brought her out here," he said, clapping Charlie on the shoulder.
Sue followed, warm and welcoming, eyes kind but observant. "We've heard all about you, Renee. Honey & Hearth's reached the coast."
Renee laughed softly. "I promise the pastries travel better than I do."
Billy Black joined them a moment later, taller than Renee expected, his presence solid and easy. He shook her hand firmly, eyes flicking briefly to Charlie before settling back on her.
"Good to finally meet you," Billy said. "Anyone Charlie brings out here usually sticks."
Charlie snorted. "That's not ominous at all."
Billy's grin was immediate. "You'll learn."
Nearby, Sarah Wilde waved them over, her engagement ring catching the firelight as she spoke animatedly with Sue, who had gone back by the fire after saying hi. When Sarah noticed Renee, she brightened.
"So you're the one," Sarah said with a laugh. "Guess it's catching."
Renee smiled. "Looks like it."
As the bonfire settled into a steady glow, the conversation drifted easily—old fishing stories, weather predictions, shared memories that Renee listened to with interest rather than intrusion. She asked questions, not to pry, but to understand the shape of Charlie's past.
She felt it—the difference in the land.
Forks held stillness like a held breath.
La Push breathed.
The system remained quiet, respectful. No alerts. No warnings.
This wasn't a place that needed interference.
It was already held.
---
Charlie sat beside Renee on a driftwood log, his arm resting comfortably along her shoulders. "Feels right, bringing you here," he said quietly. "They're… family, in their own way."
"I can tell," she replied. "They've been anchoring this place for a long time."
Billy caught her eye across the fire, his gaze steady but neutral. Measuring in the way of someone used to noticing when something fits.
Renee inclined her head slightly, offering respect without explanation.
Billy nodded once in return.
That was enough.
---
When they left, the tide whispered against the shore, moonlight stretching across the water. Renee glanced back once, at the embers glowing low and steady.
Some futures didn't need rewriting.
They needed continuity.
Charlie squeezed her hand as they reached the car. "They like you."
Renee smiled. "I like them too."
La Push receded into the darkness behind them, held by memory and guardianship, long before any storm would dare approach.