25. Motorbikes

JasperPOV

It had been so amusing to see Jacob's panic when Quil played a trick on him, but I was aware of the level of suspicion he had toward us, and Edward could read it in my mind as I assessed them. All three of them had a baseline suspicion and confusion directed toward the three of us, always underneath whichever emotions were otherwise prevalent. They were overwhelmingly excited at the moment, now that we were at the motor bike track, trying on helmets and strapping on protective gear. In fact, if I hadn't been controlling my gift for over a century and a half, I would likely be bouncing off the walls the way Alice usually does. I simply channeled their excitement into Edward and Bella so it wouldn't overwhelm me. Alice had enough excitement on her own. I doubted I would ever need to send excitement her way.

I knew the Quileutes were battling between their intellect and their instincts. Their intellect claimed vampires and werewolves were mythical creatures. Their instincts warned that we were inhuman and dangerous predators. Their experience with us thus far told them we were friendly, compassionate, and loving, able to appreciate humor. Yet the legends they had been taught from the cradle said we were heartless monsters, unable to coexist peacefully with humans, our natural prey. Their minds cried out that the legends couldn't possibly be true, but if they were, then we were their natural enemy. The reality of us was the source of major confusion for their subconscious minds. The subconscious was busy gathering evidence and pointing out clues that matched us with the Cold Ones in the legends. At the same time, the subconscious was gathering evidence and clues showing thedifferences between us and the Cold Ones in the legends. The subconscious struggled to fit the pieces together, to make sense of the puzzle we represented.

Thankfully, boys will be boys, and they were easily distracted from their internal struggles with the roar of the dirt bike engines and the sight of the dirt track, complete with dips and jumps. I knew their subconscious minds continued to work though, even while they played and joked and laughed. We were careful to give them space, not standing too close to them, so they wouldn't feel intimidated. I constantly monitored the slight edge of fear they all felt. For now, the level was low enough that it merely added to their pleasure, the way a roller coaster or haunted hay ride provides an adrenaline rush. They all had an edge of rebellion too, knowing they were associating with the forbidden Cullens, which would earn the wrath and disapproval of their parents. The knowledge of their rebellion was also fueling their excitement.

I saw Edward strapping safety gear onto Bella. He was using every option they had. He had made her wear chaps over her jeans and a bulky but sturdy jacket over her sweater. She had on gloves, knee pads, and elbow pads, as well as shin guards and wrist braces. I wondered if the poor girl could even walk in all that gear. She reminded me of the little kids in their snowsuits who were unable to move their arms and legs in all their snow gear. I sampled their emotions. Edward was incredibly concerned, worried, and protective. Bella was mildly irritated, but mostly resigned, as she patiently allowed him to plaster her with protective gear.

"Edward," I mentioned, walking over to them. "I think Bella should ride behind me for the first loop." He glared at me, and I felt his jealousy and resentment wash over me.

"Relax, dude, I'm not going to steal your girl," I assured him. "I have experience riding with a passenger, so I can help her get the hang of it, while knowing how to control the bike if she leans the wrong way. You have never ridden a motor bike at all, though I know you'll pick up the skills rapidly. I know I would feel more comfortable if you tested out the limits and responses of the machine by yourself first, before taking on Bella as a passenger."

He nodded reluctantly at my logic, sighing as he realized he couldn't kiss Bella through her helmet. I chuckled as I felt her disappointment when she realized the same thing. He settled for embracing her, whispering, "Be safe." She nodded and winked at him, before coming eagerly to join me. I felt her excitement build now that she was finally going to see some action.

"Don't worry, Edward," I called to him as I escorted her over to my bike. "I probably won't take her over the jumps, well not the first one anyway."

Bella chuckled, but Edward growled at me, stalking toward us angrily.

Relax, bro. I'm just messing with you. You know I would never endanger your mate.

He stopped and nodded stiffly, watching her climb onto the bike behind me. His jealousy spiked again when she wrapped her arms around me.

Like she can even feel me under all this padding you've strapped to her.

He grinned and relaxed, quickly collecting his own gear and heading to another bike.

"Hold on tight!" I shouted to Bella over the sound of the motor. She squeezed her arms tighter, and I pulled out onto the track, gradually increasing the throttle to give her time to adjust to the speed. Soon we were flying, and I could feel her excitement and her fear. So far the thrill was outweighing the fear, so I kept going.

The Quileutes were already working on their second lap. Embry had his own dirt bike he rode on the reservation, which he had generously shared with Jacob and Quil, so all three of them already knew how to ride. I turned my gaze to watch my beautiful wife as she sailed effortlessly over a jump. She had ridden with me many times, so she was very comfortable. I felt her joy as she flew through the air and her pride when she landed cleanly. I could also feel the Quileutes' awe and wonder as they witnessed her finesse. So far everyone was having fun, even Edward.

I pulled to the side once we finished the lap and waited for Edward.

"Thanks, Jasper! That was awesome," Bella exclaimed as she got off the bike. I predicted she would stumble in the process, having come to know her over the past week, so I already had my arm out to catch her when she did indeed stumble. I couldn't help smirking at her chagrined expression as she realized what I had done. Edward pulled up nearby and beckoned for Bella to join him. As soon as she was safely away, I opened up the throttle all the way, peeling out, and raced to join Alice. As soon as I was beside her, she matched her pace to mine, and we flew around the track in tandem, swerving gracefully around the other riders in our path. I knew from an aerial view, it would look like we were dancing.

After a few laps like that, I wanted to have a little more fun. I forgot about our audience, as this was one of the activities Alice and I usually did without the rest of the family. So, I challenged Alice to motor bike X games. She laughingly accepted. On the next jump, both of used the air time to do a handstand on the handlebars, coming back into our seats just before we hit the ground. Of course, for us, it was easy to calculate the necessary timing and strength wasn't an issue. At the next jump, we each did a backward flip, our eyes on each other. The other riders didn't exist for me at that time. It was just me and her in our own little love bubble.

We continued doing various tandem tricks, each adjusting for the other to keep us together, performing the routine we had perfected over the years. It wasn't until the final jump that I remembered where we were and who was watching. Normally, our final trick was to french kiss in midair, after which we would park the bikes and make mad, passionate love together under the stars. As my brain processed the realization that we couldn't kiss while wearing helmets, the knowledge of our location flooded back to us. I saw the same comprehension dawn in Alice's eyes as well, and we both looked around for our family and friends. We landed the jump and headed for the exit. We had attracted quite an audience apparently. In addition to our group, there were about ten other guys and gals watching us from the bleachers. I ducked my head when I heard their applause and whistles.

"Wow! You guys were awesome!" Bella shouted, running up to hug us. "How long have you been working on that routine?"

"A few years," Alice admitted with a smile. Edward looked at us with surprise.

"It's one of the things we like to do when it's just the two of us," I confessed. "Now you know our secret."

"Wow! Do you think you could teach me some of those tricks? Please?" Embry begged enthusiastically. I took off my helmet and smiled at him.

"Soon, probably, in a month or two, if you're still interested at the time," I offered. I had no doubt that such close exposure to our family would trigger their gene early. Once he was a werewolf, it would be safe to teach him, as he wouldn't be as breakable and would heal rapidly from any injuries. I just wasn't sure he would still be interested in learning from me once he became a werewolf.

"Cool! Me too!" Jacob and Quil pleaded. I nodded and smiled.

"I'll be willing if you are," I agreed. Right now they couldn't imagine anything making them change their mind about me teaching them, but I knew things wouldn't be the same once we were officially on opposite sides.

"Well, I want to do a few more laps, if you don't mind," Jacob stated. We waved him and the other two off to continue their fun. Several of the people from the bleachers were heading onto the track as well. Alice and I went to turn in our gear and then sat on the bleachers watching the various riders. A couple of them actually knew what they were doing and were performing tricks like Alice and I had. One of the them thought he knew more than he actually did. He was attempting tricks he wasn't ready for yet. He was going to get hurt if he didn't tone it down a little.

Edward and Bella joined us on the bleachers, divested of their gear.

"Where have you been practicing motor bike stunt driving?" Edward inquired curiously, peeved that we had managed to keep it a secret for so long. I chuckled at him.

"We have a plot of land in Oregon, where we built a track for ourselves and a garage for our bikes. It's our private retreat where we go for our 'Alice and Jasper' time," I responded. A few memories of our time together there passed through my mind and Edward shuddered.

"I'm sorry I asked," he muttered. "I really didn't need to see that." I shrugged. Hey, what I chose to do with my wife when we were alone together was none of his business. If he didn't like the images in my head, he should mind his own.

"That guy seems to be struggling a lot more than the others," Bella observed, watching the same guy I had noticed earlier.

"He's pushing his limits. If he pushes any harder, he'll probably lose control and crash," I predicted. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, the accident happened.

The guy had been trying to do a one-handed trick when he lost control of the bike. His legs flew out behind him, and he lost his seat. As he felt himself falling, I could sense his panic and embarrassment, but he foolishly kept hold of the bike.

"Let go!" I screamed to him, but it was too late. He hit the ground, with the bike going in one direction, and he in another.

We vampires immediately started holding our breath, suspecting blood would be freely flowing from one of his injuries. We ran at human speed to help him. When we got close, Edward ran on ahead. He had been through medical school twice and would be able to assess the guy's condition. I watched him perform a rapid exam. Meanwhile, the Quileutes had joined us and were watching Edward, Alice, and me closely, while radiating suspicion and concern. Sure enough, the guy had a small laceration on his neck that was bleeding slightly. We were all in control, since we were holding our breath. I did tense a bit when I saw the crimson on his neck, but Alice squeezed my hand and Bella distracted me by tugging on my shirt. I looked down into her deep brown eyes.

"I have faith in you, Jasper. Remember, you are strong," she whispered, her eyes gleaming brightly. I could feel the waves of love and trust she sent me, and I knew I would be strong enough to resist, no matter what. I smiled and nodded at her and she grinned back, before crouching down beside Edward. I knew Edward heard the exchange, but he chose not to acknowledge it.

"He's mostly fine, a few bumps and bruises. The helmet saved him from a serious head injury. His only real issue is a dislocated shoulder. He should have let go of the bike when he felt himself falling. Jasper, hold him please while I get his shoulder back into joint," Edward announced to the crowd.

I nodded and eagerly went to lend my assistance, thankful of my new self-confidence. I carefully restrained him. Once I was in position, Edward turned to the patient.

"I'm afraid this is going to hurt a lot. But it'll be almost all better once I get it back into position. You'll just be a little sore for a few days. If I leave it until you can get to a hospital, you'll be in a lot more pain," Edward explained to the guy. The guy groaned and nodded. As quickly as humanly possible, Edward fixed the arm back into its socket. The guy screamed during the process, but calmed quickly once it was over. Within a few minutes, he was able to get up off the ground and limp his way to the office. Edward and Bella went with him, providing moral support. Alice and I wheeled his bike back where it belonged, clearing the track for other riders, and the boys brought their bikes in to park them. We all joined Edward and Bella in the office, where we could see the guy already looked heaps better.

"Great job! I'm really impressed!" Jacob enthused, clapping Edward on the back. Edward was careful to shift so Jacob wouldn't hurt his hand. The other boys crowded around us too, getting closer than they had before. Their smell was interesting, rather like the odor of clean dog fur, which wasn't unpleasant, but also wasn't appetizing. I filed the observation away for later.

"How'd you learn how to do that?" Quil wondered.

"My dad taught me a few little tricks of the trade. You never know when they might come in handy," he boasted. The boys all nodded. They knew Carlisle was a doctor, so Edward's response made sense to them.

"Hey, would you like to come back to our house and join us for dinner?" Alice suggested. They exchanged glances, before happily agreeing. Their suspicion and confusion was at an all-time low, having witnessed us in close proximity to a bleeding human without any loss of control on our part. They were now 90% sure we couldn't possibly be vampires.

On the way back to the cars, I heard the boys joking in whispers, not realizing we could hear every word.

"I hope when we join them for dinner we aren't on the menu," Quil laughed.

"Yeah, you notice they didn't say anything about us eating," Embry teased.

"I guess it's the best of both worlds. They can serve venison. First they drink all the blood, then they cook the meat and serve it to us," Jacob joked. Personally, I thought it sounded like a good idea. I could tell Edward and Alice agreed with me. Poor Bella was out of the loop, since she didn't have our super hearing.

"How efficient!" Quil taunted.

"Well, our ancestors did teach us not to let any part of the animal go to waste," Embry encouraged gleefully.

"Sure, as long as we don't have to watch them drink it," Jacob commented.

"I don't drink…wine," Quil quoted Dracula. They all three burst out laughing. The fact that they were comfortable joking about it was a really good sign. Bella's plan was working well so far.

They piled into the SUV with Bella, while we vampires slipped into the Volvo. We pulled away quickly, wanting to get out of hearing range before allowing our own amusement to pour out of us. If Edward hadn't had vampire reflexes, he'd have crashed the car for sure, as hard as he was laughing. Alice calmed down long enough to call Esme and warn her of our impending invasion and the dinner invitation. Poor Esme now has to throw together a meal fit for three growing teenage boys and one small slip of a girl. Being Esme, she happily rose to the occasion, surprisingly not angry with Alice for thrusting this responsibility on her at the last minute. At that moment, thinking of my adopted mother, my beautiful wife, and my supportive family, I felt truly blessed.

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I am soooooooooooo suckie..... I dont know if i can continue this story.... So sad i know.... Lets see if i can write more... This was written forcefully.... :\