Auto Mechanic, a twilight fanfic

Disclaimer: While the attempt has been made to be medically accurate, some artistic license has been taken, and statements made by Carlisle and other medical personnel are not to be regarded as authoritative.

Do not post without permission. Do not copy/print without including the above disclaimer in its entirety.

A/N: The date of this story is correct for my alternate history, as described in my profile. Barbie

Police Chief

You wouldn't expect a police car to break down on the side of the road, especially when it had just been in the shop for preventative maintenance. The whole fleet really needed to be replaced, but in a town this size where were we going to come up with the money for that?

So I sat staring at a dead dashboard. Aside from changing the odd tire, I knew nothing about cars; it could be something as simple as a loose screw, and I'd never be able to fix it.

I would have to call for a tow, which was beyond embarrassing. Especially since my brother-in-law drove the only tow truck in town; if I called him he'd tell the story at every family gathering the rest of our lives.

Suddenly I thought of one other option and grabbed for my cell phone, quickly dialing the number of one of my officers. "McCarty?"

"Yeah, Chief? What's up?"

I winced slightly; Officer Emmett McCarty never did speak to me with as much respect as he should. In fact, he was almost as likely to give me a hard time about this as my brother-in-law was…but at least I could order Emmett to keep his mouth shut. "How far are you from the station, McCarty?"

"'Bout a mile; why?"

"And you drove your jeep to work this morning?"

"Sure. What's the problem, Chief?"

I sighed. "Stupid cruiser broke down on me; I'm stuck just past mile marker ten heading east on Route 90. Can you come out and give me a tow to a service station?"

"Sure thing, Chief. Be there in about twenty minutes."

He hung up before I could question his time estimate; it was at least thirty minutes from here to the station.

I had been waiting ten or fifteen minutes when a shiny red convertible pulled up behind me, and a gorgeous blonde got out of the driver's seat. Wow, if I were a couple years younger…

But I groaned mentally; the last thing I needed was a witness to my predicament. I turned the key far enough to roll down the window as she walked up. "Is there a problem, officer?"

Was it that obvious? "No…I'm just watching for speeders." As if that was believable; no one with any sense put a speed trap on an empty road like this. "Thanks for the concern, but you can move along, ma'am."

She smiled, leaning against the cruiser and running her fingers through her hair…this girl had nerve. "Actually, I think I'll just stay here if you don't mind… I'm waiting for someone."

Waiting for someone? Who would she meet out here in the middle of nowhere? She wouldn't be brazen enough to carry out a drug deal right under my nose, surely… "I do mind," I said firmly. "Just get back in your car and drive on."

"Mmm."

It was as if she knew my hands were tied; I could hardly arrest her, even on suspicion, with no way of taking her back to the station.

And then I spotted McCarty's jeep driving up, and nearly groaned again; now she would know for sure I had broken down.

As McCarty jumped out of the jeep, the girl sauntered up to him. "Going my way, stranger?" she purred.

McCarty smiled slowly. "Might be, babe."

I cleared my throat nervously. "It's illegal to proposition a police officer."

The girl laughed, and McCarty slipped an arm around her waist. "Not when he happens to be your husband."

I blinked; husband? The blonde hooker was married? To McCarty? "Even so, I think in public, when he's in uniform…" I trailed off, looking away as they locked lips in a passionate kiss.

By the time McCarty turned his attention back to me, I was sure my face must be beet red. "Chief, my wife Rosalie," he introduced briefly. "So, what's wrong with the car?"

"It just died on me," I explained shortly; I really didn't see why he'd had to involve his wife in this.

"Did you try restarting it?" she questioned.

"Of course I did!" I snapped. "Look, Mrs McCarty —"

"Easy," McCarty said, the hint of a threat behind his quiet voice. "Come on out."

I sighed and did as he said. To my surprise, Rosalie McCarty sat sideways on the driver's seat and began tinkering with the dashboard. "Ma'am —" I protested; she glared up at me and I fell silent.

"Well, Rosie?"

She shook her head as she got up. "Can't do anything here."

"'Kay; let's hook her up then."

"Need any help?" I questioned.

"Nah; me and Rose've got it. Give me a hand with this chain, babe."

In a short time, they had the cruiser hooked up to the tow bar behind the jeep.

"Hop in, Chief," Emmett told me. He wrapped his arm around his wife for a final quick kiss. "Meet you there, babe. Watch your speed."

He pulled himself into the driver's seat as I was still figuring out the straps and buckles of the off-roading harness.

I looked up as Rosalie McCarty sped off, her convertible going zero to sixty and beyond in less time than I imagined possible. McCarty made a noise in his throat that was very like a growl as he started the jeep. "Come on, Rose; you know I can't go over seventy towing the cruiser!"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You let your wife speed like that?"

He snorted. "What 'let'? She wouldn't do it if I was in a position to do anything about it…or on second thought, maybe she would…"

I imagined he was thinking of favors she could withhold to get back at him for ticketing her, and flushed red again.

"Hey," I realized suddenly. "This isn't the way to the garage, McCarty."

He snorted. "They just had your car for a tune-up; you really want them fixing it?"

"Not much choice, is there? Only other repair shop is that gas station other side of town."

McCarty grinned. "Actually, get the right mechanic and that would be your better bet…but Rosie'll have my head if I take you there." He spun the wheel, pulling into the parking lot of the police station.

Rosalie McCarty stood leaning against the building, idly tossing a wrench in the air as a handful of rookies stood staring at her.

As McCarty jumped from the driver's seat, she tossed the wrench to him without warning; he caught it easily and stalked toward her menacingly. "What did I tell you about speeding, babe?"

"You didn't have your radar."

"Didn't need it, Rosie."

She laughed. "So, what are you going to do about it?" she mocked. "Report me to Carlisle?"

He snorted. "Yeah, right, Rose."

She reached out and tapped his nose. "You can't do a thing about it, Emmett, and you know it."

He shrugged, looking at me helplessly. "What can I say?"

I shook my head as I walked toward them. "A police officer's wife really ought to set a better example, ma'am."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please!" Taking the wrench from McCarty's hand, she smiled suggestively at him. "Jack it up for me, Emmett?"

"Sure, babe."

I shook my head in confusion as he put the jack in place and cranked the car up with little apparent effort. "McCarty…you don't mean to say your wife is going to fix my cruiser?" Even with her hair tied back in a handkerchief she looked like the kind of girl who would be helpless even changing a tire…who would be afraid to even turn a screwdriver for fear of breaking a fingernail.

McCarty grinned as he stood up. "Sure; Rosie's the best mechanic around here…bar none, babe."

She snorted. "You'd better say that," she retorted, diving under the car. "And for your information, Chief, just because I'm blonde doesn't mean I'm dumb and helpless! Hand me the ratchet, Em."

I fell silent; she didn't seem like the type of person you wanted to get in an argument with.

Some minutes later, she emerged from under the car, a smear of grease across one cheek. "Anyone got a piece of paper?"

"Sure," I offered.

"Thanks." She leaned it against the car to write, then handed it to her husband. "These are the parts I need."

He raised an eyebrow. "You realize I don't know what any of these are, babe."

She snorted. "Just give it to the mutt; he'll know."

"And what are you gonna be doing in the meantime?"

"Oh, there's plenty to do on this engine…the mechanic who tuned it up should be sued for malpractice. Even Edward could have done a better job!"

"Edward's the third best mechanic around, babe."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please."

McCarty shrugged and turned toward me. "Coming for the ride, Chief?"

"I guess." I joined McCarty in the jeep, and he drove to the little gas station with its garage on the side. "Hey, Jake!" he called, jumping out of the jeep.

I swallowed as a dark-skinned man came out wiping his hands on rag; I had thought McCarty was big.

"What's up, Emmett? Don't tell me blondie's in such a snit she's making you come to me for repairs."

He snorted. "As if. No; she needs these parts for repairs she's doing on the chief's car."

The man glanced my way with a nod of acknowledgement, then took the list McCarty handed him.

"You got it all?"

"Yeah; the one part that's not common stock, Alice called two weeks ago and told me to order one. Wait here."

He disappeared, returning in several minutes with his arms loaded. "I can let you have these wholesale; two oh three sixty."

McCarty pulled his wallet out and handed him several bills. "Give the change to Nessie."

He grinned. "She doesn't really save coins anymore."

"Aw, keep it anyway."

"Right. Forty cents. Thanks a million, Emmett."

"You want more? I can give you —"

"No; I don't need bl – Cullen money. Thanks anyway."

McCarty shrugged, shoving his wallet back in his pocket.

"McCarty, that really should have gone on the police expense account. You know the policy about donations…"

He raised an eyebrow. "What; they think I'm gonna try to bribe myself? See ya, Jake."

"Right. Hey, Emmett, here's one for blondie; why did the blonde try to steal a police car?"

McCarty shook his head.

"She saw '911' and thought it was a Porsche. You tell her that, all right?"

"Not a chance, Jake. I pass one of your jokes on, and I'll be the one in the doghouse…if she doesn't just kill me outright," he muttered under his breath.

Jake only chuckled as he turned to go back into the garage.

"Is he…family?" I questioned as we drove away.

McCarty shrugged. "Brother-in-law, sort of. My brother-in-law adopted Jake's wife's younger brother."

"Ah…I see."

"Got your parts, babe," McCarty called as he jumped out of the jeep at the station.

"Bring them over," she called from under the car. "I'll need your help under here, Em…you have a change of clothes?"

"Yeah; be there in a minute, babe."

He disappeared and returned wearing battered jeans and a torn flannel shirt. "Okay, Rosie; what do I need to do?"

With his help, she had installed the parts sooner than I had thought possible. Pulling the bandanna off her head as she stood, she shook her blonde hair free. "That should do it, Chief."

"Yeah…um…thanks, Mrs McCarty."

She snorted. "No one calls me that; I'm Rosalie."

"Rosalie, then. How much do we owe you?"

"Nothing."

"I can't let you do it for free, Mrs — Rosalie; it's against policy."

She smiled meaningfully, cutting her eyes toward Emmett. "Oh, I didn't say I was doing it for free…"

I swallowed and tried not to imagine the form her "payment" was going to take.

"Got anywhere I can change?" she asked. "I don't want to get grease on my car seat."

"You can use the locker room," McCarty told her; "I'll guard the door."

I shook my head as they disappeared. I was sure it was somehow against policy…but I had yet to win an argument with either of them today.

I didn't take the cruiser out until the next day. At first I thought it hadn't started, and then I realized the quiet purr was actually the motor running.

It responded like a dream. I found myself wishing a call would come in so I could turn on the sirens and find out how fast this car would go now.

Forget about replacing the fleet; all we had to do was have Rosalie McCarty come in and tune the cars up. Her price was certainly one we could afford…

Hey, maybe I'd even look the other way if I ever caught her speeding.

The End

I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!

Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie