I let Jacob lead me down the steps and toward the driveway before I saw what was waiting for us and had to stop to lose my mind.

"The bike! You brought the bike!" I threw my arms around him and squeezed for all I was worth, not that he could likely feel the difference.

"Well, I'm still not sure the whole riding a bike to prom thing is a good idea but..." Jake considered the sky for a moment. "We could at least show it off a bit around Forks, right? Grab some lunch while we're at it?"

He pulled away from the hug, waving a hand for me to follow. I ignored that for a moment to take in the world. The sky was the perfect cloudy grey of promised rain, the drizzle in the air causing light to glint off the metal of the bike and Jake's forearms, bare beneath the rolled-up sleeves of a flannel shirt.

I should have worn something nicer, I realized, just before Jacob tossed me a giant sweatshirt and a helmet that would have ruined my hair anyway.

"Come on, Swan. We're losing daylight."

"That is a precious commodity here in Forks," I said as I pulled on the sweatshirt and was enveloped by his scent. I redid my hair in a more convenient braid and slid the helmet on, not bothering with the chin strap. "Do you get too hot with this stuff on?" I asked as I arrived at the bike, standing opposite my boyfriend with the bike between us.

"A little." He reached out and tugged on the helmet, gently adjusting the fit and then buckling it beneath my chin. He kept his hands at my face, letting on thumb reach up and stroke my cheek. "Helmets are also a liiiiittle too expensive to wreck with a transformation."

"Ah."

He pulled back and threw a leg over the bike, kicking the stand out of the way and steadying the machine beneath him.

"When you're ready," Jacob said lightly.

"K."

I copied him, throwing one leg over the seat and then settling into a comfortable spot. "We going to talk about---" I trailed off as I wrapped my arm around his waist and suddenly realized just how close we were going to be for the whole afternoon. My legs were already bumping against his thighs and when the bike got moving there was no way I'd be able to keep from sliding up against his back. My hands, resting on his stomach to hold myself secure, could feel his muscles as he moved to check the bike was ready to go.

It's just a hug, I told myself. You weren't... 'embarrassed' by the hug.

"Genevieve?"

"Um... the, uh..." I tucked my head down as he started to crane to get a look at me, giving up and curling against his back with my tightest grip. "Go."

"Um, ok. If you're sure." Jake rolled the bike to the end of the driveway, glancing for traffic and then hesitating again. "You're still good with this? You seem nervous."

"I AM GREAT PLEASE DRIVE."

Jacob laughed. "Let me know at a stop sign if you need to walk for a bit."

Then we were off.

...

Much as we'd joked about showing off, we kept to the side roads for the most part. A few turns and stops and then we were building speed and making our way through the backwoods. Every so often he would tell me to hold tighter and do a trick, weaving or pulling a wheely with strength and dexterity he probably hadn't had before the transformation. I cheered and laughed in encouragement and once caused him to swear by giving a quick kiss on the back of his neck that resulted in a very steep swerve.

"So.... sorr.... I'm sor..." I was laughing too hard to get it out.

"I take it you're no longer nervous," Jake replied drily. He slowed down and shook it off, waiting until I hugged tight again before he sped back up. "Let's stop up here at the overlook?"

"Sure."

He pulled up and I clambered off, tugging the helmet and sweatshirt as the lack of wind flying by left them feeling a bit too warm. I walked off as Jake parked the bike, following a short little dirt path through a few trees and finding a breathtaking view of the dark waves a few dozen feet below and the swirling grey sky stretching up from the horizon.

I haven't told Jacob I love him, I thought. I haven't asked him if he really wanted this soulmate nonsense. It was too nice having... this. Having fun. It seemed unfair to him to take those kinds of risks in the few moments we had safe and alone.

I tugged the hair tie from the tangles of my bun and let the wind play with my hair, working out the knots and creating new ones in exchange. There was a little smile on my face as a few spots of rain splattered down and I raised my hand, waiting to see if one might choose me as a target. When one finally did I laughed aloud and turned to see what was taking Jacob so long with the bike.

He was already standing there, leaning against a tree, just watching. There was a little half-smile on his face as well and his eyes were soft as they met mine.

"Jake?" I asked quietly.

He walked up to me and linked his hand with the hand I'd left at my side, peering down at the little puddle of water still resting in my other palm. "Good catch."

"Sure."

We fell silent and watched the water for a little bit.

"You said you wanted to talk," Jacob said finally, right as I was starting to shiver again. "I'm guessing it's about visiting your mom?"

"How..." I screwed up my face. "Is that... Why would Cullen want you to lie about that?"

Jacob sighed. "Let's sit?"

"Sure."

I dropped into a criss-cross position and watched him do the same, pulling his hand up to give a quick kiss to his knuckles. That was getting easier, at least, though we really needed to progress on actual kissing and I hadn't let myself think about... but that was a whole other thing.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Remember how I said... I told you; Paul scented a new scent a while back?" He watched me nod, looking relieved when I had no further reaction. "It's the redhead again."

"Oh, lovely." I frowned.  We both shuddered and I felt the bite on my arm pinch with psychosomatic pain. "But that's nothing new."

"No." Jake let out a laugh and leaned back to look over the ocean. "But Edward's all worked up at how close she got. So while we work on catching her, he wants Bella away. But he wasn't sure Bella would fall for it without inviting you too... And I don't think he wants you hurt either." He admitted.

This was probably the only way Edward could have gotten any less than an insult from Jacob. I, on the other hand, needed him to care about Jake's safety... something he'd likely rather die than do.  "But..."

Jake looked at me questioningly. "But?"

"But that leaves everyone... a wolf down and two vampires down." I licked my lip, deep in thought. "And I'll have to see my mom."

"Gen..."

"But we could make sure nothing sneaky is going on with Dick and Isabella while they're away." I screwed up my face, eyes closing against yet another onslaught of decisions to make. "No secret species changes."

"Hey." I felt warm hands cup my face and sighed in relief, suddenly relieved of the cold that had been creeping in. "We're in this together, right? The pack will be alright. It's one vampire."

"One. Just one." I repeated, my eyes still shut tight.

"You saw what we did to the bloodsucker in the forest, right? And that was just Sam and me. They'll be fine."

"All of them?" I opened my eyes to search his face.

I saw him consider a joke and dismiss it. "All of them. Sam, Leah, Paul, Quil, Jared, Embry. All very tough." Jacob waited to make sure I accepted that and then dropped his hands. "All wondering when you're going to come hang out again, too. Leah told them about the hangout and Paul is very jealous."

A genuine laugh broke out and I stood, Jake following a moment later. "You're joking."

"Nope. I believe he said something like 'I thought I was her best wolf buddy.'"

"Oh, poor baby." I giggled.

Jake shook his head, walking back toward the bike as I struggled for composure.

"Maybe I should have lied about that." He glanced back at me, bringing on another fit of laughter. "You are seriously going to get me killed by one of those two. You know that right?"

"Should I bring him a teddy bear?"

"Oh my gawd, Gen. He will murder me. Not you. Me."

I continued chuckling the entire ride back to town for lunch.

..

Author's Note: I wrote this with a migraine and its been a while so please let me know politely if I messed up anything haha. Hope ya'll enjoyed some good old Gen and  Jake time <3