Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Hitchhiker
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Prompt: Spectacles

"What did he tell you?" Jacob asked me when I went to visit him at his shop the next day. He was running a quite successful engine-repair business. Mostly because his only competition was Dawlings, and they charged a fortune, whereas Jacob was relatively cheap, and more than willing to go diving through the junkyard to find parts for those who couldn't afford new.

I was currently lounging on a dirty, grease-stained couch in his office, trying to stay awake. He had handed me a coke, telling me I was a hazard on the road in my condition, but I wanted to be here as soon as Edward had left, wanting to hear what Jacob thought.

"Only that he was a vampire and that I should ask you about wolves," I yawned, the caffeine obviously not doing its job.

"Do you believe him?" He was in front of me now, handing me another coke with a snigger.

"I'm not sure, it's not like he's tried to suck my blood or anything." The can popped open with a hiss, and even though it was warm, I drank it down, grimacing at the bubbles.

"That you know of," he chuckled as he resumed his place at his desk. Shoving papers out of his way he leaned down on his elbows and fixed me with a stare. "My great-grandfather knew the Cullens, even has pictures of them to show succeeding generations of my people."

I was shocked. It was impossible to think that the Cullens were that old, but it wasn't like vampires aged, I guessed. Only, didn't they all look ancient in the movies? Well, it wasn't like people kept personal photos of vampires, tucking them in amongst the family portraits or vacation shots. I choked on the thought of a scrapbook entry listing 'Our visit with Count Dracula.' And now it turned out that Jacob had exactly that, what's more, he was currently digging through his desk, muttering that he had it around here somewhere.

My exhaustion fell away, replaced by anticipation when he pulled out a yellow photograph and handed it to me. It was easy to recognize all of them, only Alice and Jasper were missing, except the ancient Native American who was wearing spectacles but otherwise looked incredibly like Billy. The Cullens were all smiling, and Carlisle was shaking hands with Jacob's ancestor.

"That's Ephraim, the chief of the tribe. This was taken when they made the treaty," he explained, pointing to the picture as he sat beside me. I did glance at the man he indicated, but what blew me away was that all the Cullens looked just as beautiful on film as they did in person. That, and the fact that it was most definitely them, they hadn't aged a day, and this picture was at least seventy-five years old, judging from the clothes.

"What treaty?" I asked him, remembering Edward saying they had one with the wolves.

"They don't bite or kill a human and we don't take them out, or reveal what they are, to anyone who doesn't phase." He just sat there, grinning, while I absorbed that. There was something there that didn't quite register. I knew I was missing it, and that it was important.

But, what he said did tell me one thing, they didn't bite people? "How do they feed?" I asked him and wondered why he rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, Bells? You spend time with this guy, who tells you he's a vampire, and you don't worry he's going to suck you dry?" The whole couch was shaking as he laughed. "I swear, you never think about self-preservation, do you?"

I wanted to be mad at him, but when I thought about how calm I was when I woke up in the car to find Edward driving it, it was impossible to not admit he was right. Still, he didn't have to laugh at me, so I backhanded him.

"Ow!" I yelled, feeling like I had just hit a wall. "What are you wearing under that shirt, a metal plate?"

He chuckled at me while taking my hand, checking to see if I had hurt myself. "Nah, it's a wolf thing."

Fixing him with a look, I decided it was time to get a couple answers. "Well, as long as I don't care about self-preservation, why don't you explain the wolf thing?"

With a sigh he stood up and reached a hand back to me. "We're going somewhere?" I asked him as he pulled me to my feet.

"Yeah, this room is too small. Let's go for a walk."

I was hard pressed to keep up with him as he led me to the edge of the woods. Part of me wondered if it was so I couldn't figure out who he was talking to when he flipped open his phone and hit a speed dial button, but it didn't keep me from hearing what he said. "I'm going to show her. Why don't you come to where the forest meets the beach? It'd probably be best by water."

Whomever he was talking to must have agreed, because Jacob hung up and continued to lead me through the woods over to where I had once attempted cliff diving. "Is this another crack about my lack of self-preservation?" I asked him, pointing down the cliff face.

"Nope, it's about getting your vampire here without having him cross over boundary lines," he said, pointing down to the water where I could barely make out someone swimming in our direction, fast. It didn't take me long to realize who it was, and I could feel the smile splitting my face.

But then the smile faltered. "What do you mean, boundary line?"

"They technically aren't allowed onto our land, but since I invited him." He gave a little shrug to indicate that it was all right.

By this time Edward was climbing up the cliff face, making me think of The Princess Bride. "Inconceivable," I muttered, causing Jacob to snort a laugh, and it seemed like Edward's shoulders were shaking as well. Judging from the smile he gave me as he neared, I knew he had heard me.

When he crested the cliff he fixed his eyes on me, holding me spellbound as he crossed to where I stood and took me into his arms. Crushing me to his chest he captured my lips until Jacob cleared his throat. Then, with a smile, he turned to my friend with a smile. "All right, I've got her. Let's do this, dog."

I really like The Princess Bride. 'Inconceivable' is one of my favorite lines, along with 'I don't think that word means what you think it means.'

Yep, I'm still running on not enough sleep, so I'm loopy. Sorry... Hope you like the wolves and vamps getting along as well as I do!