A/N: On with stupid plot bunny.

Chapter two

The sky was getting steadily darker as they covered ground, Jacob paying no heed to speed limits. Inside the car, all was silence.

Edward had already gathered that their destination was somewhere in Louisiana- where, precisely, he didn't know. Jacob's thoughts were well-guarded with the practiced ease of someone with years of experience, and Edward wondered why. As far as he knew, Edward himself was the only one who could read minds, and he certainly hadn't been anywhere near Jacob's in a long time.

The buildings, homes and trees passed in a blur that Edward didn't bother to distinguish separately. His mind retreated to the semblance of sleep he had perfected in his exile.

Then, breaking the stillness, the shifter spoke up. "Can get a bit bumpy ahead. Hold on tight."

Edward accordingly straightened, scanning the area for hints of another supernatural mind. He detected nothing, so he turned to Jake curiously.

Just then, there was a resounding BANG and the Corolla began spiraling sideways.

"Shit." Jake let forth a stream of expletives, struggling to get the car under control. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel even as the car slowed. "The bastards saw us."

He took a sharp left that made Edward's head spin, and suddenly, they were crashing through foliage.

"The fuck?" He cried as Jacob speeded up, giant oaks passing like blurs.

"Are they still behind us?" Jake barked, paying no attention.

Edward looked over his shoulder, but saw nothing. He tried telepathy again.

"Left." He said. "Now, now!"

Jacob didn't ask any questions, something he would be eternally grateful for. He took another hair-raising turn, just as a Hummer appeared out of nowhere, crashing through the trees, heading straight through the path they had just swerved away from. It continued onward, unable to maneuver the same spin as their car.

Jake speeded through, and before Edward knew it, they were on the main road again. After a couple of miles, Jake slowed to near-human speeds gain.

"Okay." Edward breathed deeply, feeling a massive supernatural headache coming on. "Why were humans chasing us?"

Jake didn't take his eyes off the road. "'Cause they want to off us."

"Yes, but humans?"

*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)

Jacob turned his head this time, and leveled Cullen with a speculative look. Apparently, the vampire had been protected from the uglier turns the Volturi consciences had taken.

"Big, bad vampire-powered humans." He corrected. "Your lovey-dovey leaders employ humans, too."

Cullen was silent. "They're not my leaders." He said, at length, in a tight voice.

Jake raised his eyebrows and reserved comment. He glanced at the rear-view mirror out of habit, and saw that the road behind was as deserted as the one in front. Not too strange, for this time of the night. Or morning. Whatever. It was past two am, anyway, and the Volturi never attacked at this time. Whatever creepy vamp idiosyncrasy that was responsible for that piece of luck, Jake didn't know, but he was thankful.

After a while, he got tired of the silence and turned the radio on. The thing had crap reception, but he kept it on anyway. The car was crackling with tension, and that was the last thing he needed. He just wanted to get back home, and try and put all this past him.

Jake wondered, vaguely, what he would do once the Cullens had their happy reunion. Stay? Or run some more?

Cullen made a sound, and Jake looked at him sharply. He showed no signs of knowing what Jake was thinking. He merely was annoyed with the radio.

Jake felt a smirk curve his lips, and turned the volume up. Cullen-baiting never got old.

*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)

Edward gritted his teeth. Just when he thought Jacob might have grown up, he went and shattered the illusion. He now remembered how hard it was to have a good opinion of the shape shifter- it was almost as if he wouldn't let him. Even before their lives crashed down around them, Jacob had been very careful to keep him irritated, even in the middle of doing something ridiculously selfless.

Edward pushed that unwelcome thought away from his mind and tried to weave through the static and get to the song. After a while, he surrendered the fantasy. Jacob had, with uncanny preciseness, stumbled upon a frequency that was just pure static. How typical. The noise was grating sharply on his nerves, made a thousand times worse by his preternatural hearing.

Jake shot him a look of pure mischief and challenge, and Edward all but growled. He crossed his arms, and prepared himself for the long haul. He would show that idiotic puppy that immortal always trumped over annoyance.

"Aren't you tired?" he asked, with a courteousness he was far from feeling. It worked, because Jacob looked startled.

"Nah. Not yet." Jake said, glancing out from his window. They had been driving for almost five hours straight, and dawn was breaking in the east.

Edward, at this point, was beyond tired of his companion's mysterious tactics, which he preferred to keep in the dark. He already had found out that it was futile to try and pick up the shifter's thoughts- they were too complicated and well-guarded.

Then, without warning, Jacob pulled up in a parking lot just as Edward was about to relapse into his thoughtless state. The sign near the building read BLUE WATERS MOTEL in neon lettering, with the vacancy sign. Edward wasn't surprised. As far as he knew, this was the middle of nowhere. They were the only people to be seen, and other than their car, Edward only saw two motorbikes in an inconspicuous corner in the lot.

He looked at Jacob inquiringly, not really expecting answers. Much to his surprise, Jake shrugged. "Call it a night?"

He nodded.

They got out of the car, and the toll of the car chase and the long hours of driving showed on the shifter. Edward made a mental note to offer to drive the next time. Not that Jacob would agree, but it never hurt to try.

They walked inside, Edward scanning the area telepathically. There were less than five people in the motel, not counting the staff, and only two of them were awake, playing monopoly. Edward smiled slightly, imagining himself and Jake staying up playing board games.

Jake caught the smile. "What's so funny?"

He detected no animosity in the tone, just a hint of incredulity. Edward shrugged. "Nothing." He said, quickly.

Jake's lips twitched. "Weird." He commented.

"Right back at you."

Jake rolled his eyes, and strode over to the reception. A bleary-eyed teenager passed him a key, and he nodded curtly.

There were two beds in the room, and Edward was amused by the fact that Jake forgot that he didn't sleep. Before he could comment, Jake had collapsed on the one near the door.

"Keep watch." He commanded in a muffled voice. "Might as well use your whole not-sleeping thing."

Edward scowled. It was going to be a long day.

A/N: This was originally meant to be Leah/Edward, but I really couldn't imagine Leah not killing Renesmee.

Thoughts?