I don't own anything Twilight that belongs to the great Steph Meyer. I do however own a lot of pictures of Joe Manganiello for he is my inspiration for Peter in this story, lovely beard and all. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

I would also like to mention that Peter has a lot to say at times, and his words are not classified as "wholesome" or "family oriented" please take caution in reading if you are under the age of 18. Mature themes lay within my story.

Crimson Knight

Chapter 2

Jasper and I headed back to the Cullen place at a pace a little faster than a human run; we weren't really in any hurry to get back. He asked me something I'd been waiting for since I got here.

"Peter, do you still have your Harley in storage down in Seattle?" he said with a devious smile on his face. I couldn't help but smile as well. I knew where he was going with this one.

"Yeah, I keep it down at Nayeli Storage there just outside of Seattle. It's heated and everything. I don't worry about it being there during the winter months. When do you want to go riding? Are you sure that Alice is going to be ok with this? You know what happened last time." I couldn't help the evil grin that splayed across my face.

"You didn't just seriously ask me that did you? What the fuck Peter! We're vampires, we don't forget shit, and besides that fact, Alice brings it up all the damn time. Now, how could I forget what you did? Alice, she practically flipped when we bought the new bikes when you visited last time, she warned me about 'getting thrown in the slammer' again. She said that if it were to happen again that she would let us 'cool off' a little in the tank and that she wouldn't be in any hurry to bail our asses out of jail anytime soon!" Jasper said laughing.

I was damn sure itching to go riding with my brother; it's been so long since we've been able to just hang the fuck out together. Usually Alice didn't approve of us going out riding. She always felt that I was gonna raise too much Hell for Jasper to be involved in. We got into a good bar fight once, but we actually fought each other that time. We had stopped at a little biker bar outside of Denver and shot some pool while throwing back some Jack. I made him a stupid bet that I could sink all of the balls with one shot. Well the fucker shot me so full of fear that I was shaking, and I missed the 3 ball. Needless to say, I was pissed!

My right hook came in contact with his face before the smile fell from it. He then punched me back laughing at me when his fist actually made contact with my face. This time was one of the only times Jasper has ever gotten a hit in on me since I learned the ins and outs of my shield. Our brotherly fight caught the eye of some good ol' boys thinking they needed to fight as well. Let's just say that the place was in shambles when the 5.0 showed up. We could've fled the scene or resisted arrest, but we thought it might be in our best interest to play nice at this point. It would've brought too much attention to us.

Whiskey is one thing we can still consume other than blood, and it not have to come back up. We don't drink it too often because the shit takes longer to absorb than blood does. The fucked up thing about it is, we can feel its warmth, but we can't get a buzz from the shit. Fuckin' figures! A nice stiff drink is something that I do miss about being human. When shit gets to you, sometimes you just need to blow off some fuckin steam, so, on occasion; Jasper and I try to blow off some steam. It works in a way, but not really all the way.

"After I get cleaned up, I'll run up to Seattle, get it out of storage, get her cleaned up, and I'll need your truck of course. When do you want to take off?" I asked needing to know how much time I had to get her in riding order. It's been in storage for a good while up there.

"I believe this weekend would be great to go if you'd like." He stated with a grin.

"Alright Jas, I'll get it cleaned up, get my riding gear out of the storage as well, and I'll be ready to hit the road the day after tomorrow." I was excited, I couldn't fuckin' wait. I needed to just get out with my brother, take some time and just ride, and feel the wind across my face.

"That works great for me Pete." Jasper was happy about going as well. I think we needed some time together.

We got back to the Cullen place shortly after 4 am. Sure as a fuckin' vampire lives with no pulse, Alice was there to meet us at the damn door, hands on her hips and tapping her foot. The look on her face it was perfectly clear that I was sure as shit not gonna stop and see what the fuck she wanted.

"Good morning Alice," I teased as I went directly past her and straight up to my room, grabbed a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt and headed to the shower.

"Jasper!" I heard her whine from the safety of the shower. I'm not crazy, but for a little vampire, she really pops like a firecracker.

"Jasper, you're going out riding with Peter again this weekend?" She went on to chide him.

"Well I sure as fuck didn't buy the motorcycle to sit in the garage and collect dust now did I Alice?" He threw back at her. "I'm going riding with Peter this weekend, and I will continue to ride whenever I want to go. I miss my brother; you know we need this time. I won't be getting thrown in jail; I can assure you of that." She must have been locked into a vision because it took a few moments for her to respond to him.

"Fine Jasper, I give up. I don't see anything that you need to worry about at this moment. I just worry about you is all. I love you. I know you don't get much time with him, have fun while he's here, ok." She said in defeat. I was doing a mental fist pump for my brother; he grew some balls pretty fast. Usually he gives in; he must need the time away as much as I do.

I got out of the shower and dressed in the jeans and t-shirt I got out. I dug out my hiking boots and put those on as well, grabbed my keys along with Jasper's truck keys and headed out the door towards Seattle. I borrowed Jasper's Silverado, so I could load my bike into the back. I wouldn't be able to ride it back here; I'd winterized it not knowing when I'd be back for it. I didn't usually travel in a vehicle, I liked running most places, but there are times when I do like to ride my bike or drive a nice truck like this.

It didn't take me long to get there, load it up and head back to Forks. I made sure to grab my riding gear tote. I kept my leather in there along with a helmet for when I do get the bike out and ride. Why the fuck do I use a helmet? It's mostly for show. Usually I just go in my leather pants, jacket, boots, and wear a pair of riding gloves and some shades. Sometimes when it's sunnier, I wear the helmet to protect me from sunlight when I wanna sneak out in it. A little sparkle is ok, but it's not cool to for a grown ass man to sparkle like a fuckin' disco ball while cruisin' a Harley Night Rod Special down the highway at 100 mph. I am content with everything I am as a vampire. Everything except the fact I sparkle like a damn disco ball in the sunlight. No wonder vamps of old used to get keyed in as coffin dwelling assholes. No thanks.

The trip to Seattle and back to collect my bike was pretty relaxing. The sun was just peaking behind the clouds now, it looks as though Forks is gonna have one of its rare sunny days. That meant that Jasper got to hang out with me today at the house instead of going to high school. Why they still did that was beyond my comprehension, especially him. He has survived a human war, and then a vampire war on top of that shit, only to reduce himself to act like a high school student for several years every time they moved. How fuckin' lame.

He explained it to me before, but damn he's Major Jasper Whitlock, the most feared vampire warlord! I am his second in command. Just our names alone give vampires the need to fight or flight their asses away from us. Put us together and well, vampires just don't fuck with us; let me put it that way. And now, my brother is reduced to dealing with petty high school shit every damn day now. I know he hates it; he does it because he wants to keep Alice and the Cullen's happy; it just makes his life easier, less hassle, but to deal with the emotions and hormones of high school students every day. That's insane.

I unloaded my bike from the bed of Jasper's truck and parked it in the back garage where I got it from. Rose was in the smaller garage where the bikes were. She was always in there doing something. This time it was oil changes for them all. I'm not sure why, but I asked her if she needed any help. That was my mistake.

"Do I fucking look like I need help asshole?" She said as she tossed her hair behind her shoulder. I wondered if that was a trick question. I couldn't help but laugh a little earning me that famous Ice Bitch glare.

"Hey now Rosalie, I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to ask you if you did need some help since I was gonna be out here anyways. Fuck! Tense much? I'll just be over here outta your way, ok." I walked over to mine and Jasper's bikes and grabbed a few shop towels out of the bin. My baby was in need of a good wash, wax and oil change, not to mention a bit of a tune up, if you will. I couldn't wait to get her on the open road. I spent about 2 hours getting her ready to go. I just took my time; I had nothing else I needed to do at the moment. This is something that I enjoy, so I do it at my own leisure.

"Jasper." I said at a normal tone knowing that he'd hear me and be down shortly. He was in his study with Alice talking about some hunting trip the family wanted to go on.

"Yeah Pete, what's up? Did you get her all cleaned up?"

"Almost as shiny as you!" I couldn't help but poke. Jasper hated the sparkles just about as much as I did.

"Fuck you Peter."

"Well Jas as much I like you, hell, I love you most days, but I'd never fuck you! Not even if you begged me t-"and with that we were rolling across the floor and out of garage door. Rose was all kinds of pissed off cause he rolled right over her dirty oil drain pan dirtying her pristine garage floor. We'd pay for that later on.

I had dropped my shield just as I saw Jasper fly at me out of the corner of my eye. This surprised him, though, because he actually hit me, not my shield. What can I say? I wanted to tussle with my brother. It's something we've always enjoyed doing. It keeps us on our toes so to speak, keeps us ready for a fight, you never know when you're gonna need to. That's one thing he taught me when we were with Maria's army. Always be ready for a fight, no matter the circumstances.

Twenty minutes and one pissed of Rose later; we were cleaning up the spilled oil on the floor of the garage, laughing at the look on poor Rose's face. This was priceless. Fuckin' priceless. Jasper had lost his shirt and half of his jeans, sticks and shit all thru our hair. I, at least, still had on most of my pants.

"I got you fucker." Jasper taunted me.

"You would've bounced off of my shield like a little rubber ball if I hadn't taken it down Jas. I wouldn't be so damn smug if I were you." This was a true statement on my part. Jasper would have bounced off the shield had I not taken it down. He still likes to gloat when he gets a hit in. Either way, I had fun. Just as the thought left my mind when I heard the pussy, he was upstairs whining to daddy again.

"Carlisle I don't think it's a wise idea for him to still be here. He is still a human drinker after all; we have a treaty with the wolves as it is, and if he doesn't stick to the hunting rules around here, we can very rightfully loose that." Edward's little boy rant rang thru the house. Here we go again!

"Motherfucker!" I roared as I slammed down the cleaning supplies I had in my hands. Jasper was pissed as well. He knows better than that. They all know I hunt out of town. I've had enough of this shit! What the fuck is he up to? I took off out of the garage with Jasper hot on my heels.

"Edward son, you know we would never turn Peter out. He's Jasper brother. He has been all these years. Son what's wrong? You've never had this much of a problem with him staying in the past." Poppa Cullen had a point as well. What the fuck is up? I was in Eddie boys face before he even attempted to open is little vampire boy mouth. I stood 3 inches taller than Edward so we were nose to mouth at this point with Jasper on my right.

"What the FUCK is your problem Edward?" I sneered. He was gonna give me fuckin' answers and he was gonna give them to me NOW.

"I don't know why you're hanging around here now. You've been here for well over 2 weeks. You've never stayed this long before, why now?"

"Why does it matter to you how long I stay? Are you my brother? Do I invade your space? Do I take the clothes off your back for my own? Do I eat your food? NO I don't. So why the bitchin'?" He cringed at my words, because at this time, I was invading his space. I was all up IN his shit. He tried to back up, but I just stepped right back up to him again. I was never afraid of a vampire before, so I wasn't about to be afraid of a little boy vamp now.

"If you're gonna act like a man Edward, then be a man, tell me to my fuckin' face what the FUCK the problem IS!" I roared. The windows shook with its intensity. This got the attention of the house. Every vampire that resided there was instantly in the room, but still no words from Edward.

Silence.

Jasper was the next to speak.

"Carlisle, I'm not sure what's going on here, but my brother doesn't bother anyone here, he pretty much stays to himself. Do you want me to ask him to leave?" Jasper sounded hurt by his own realization that this might be something that he wanted.

"No son, Peter is more than welcome here, always has been, and always will be. I'm not sure why Edward has difficultly with his visit at this time." He stated.

"Does no one see my problem? He's a human drinker! Here, in Forks!" Edward finally spoke, looking me right in my crimson eyes. I grinned. I knew what was up now; Jasper caught the drift as well.

"Well now we see the problem don't we, Edward." I mocked him. "We can't have a human drinker around your poor little human pet now can we?" Collective gasps shot thru the room.

"Bella is not my pet." His words are almost a whisper, "She's my mate."

"Why would you think I desire draining your 'mate' Edward? I wouldn't think of it, but maybe that's not the problem, is it? You do think of draining her, don't you?" His eyes fell. The truth was out there. He actually looked a little ashamed.

"She's his singer, Peter. Edward is always worried about the smallest of problems where Bella is concerned." Alice's low voice rang out in the silence.

"Well now, we all know the way around that debacle, don't we, Edward." I glared at him knowing his response.

"No! I will certainly not take her life away from her. I love her too much to do that. She will live out her human life as she is meant to without interference from me." He said sadly.

"I see your problem little boy, but I will not harm her, and, deep down, you all know it." With that, I left the room. I headed upstairs to clean up and grab a new change of clothes. Things downstairs erupted instantly.

"You know Edward, Peter has had my back for over 100 years. We have done many questionable things in our time, but to harm someone that our family members loved….that would NEVER fuckin' happen, and for you to assume that he would, well, that just pisses me right the fuck off!" Jasper was projecting his anger at this point; I had my shield up, of course, but I felt his emotions rollin' off of it.

"I'm sorry to upset you Jasper, but I'm just concerned over Bella's safety is all. I love her too much to lose her like that a-." Edward whined out but Jasper cut him off too soon to hear it all

"I don't give a fifth of a fuck!" Jasper growled out. Fifth of a fuck? What the hell? Did Jasper just say that? He must be pissed off.

"Jasper, honey, come hunt with me. Edward needs some time to think about what he really means by all this, and you need to calm yourself from these emotions in the house. Peter is ok; let's get a hunt in real quick. You're a little on edge." Alice got him to go outside with that. I finished in the shower and got dressed quickly. As I slid my shirt on, a light knock on the door came, and I could smell Carlisle there.

"Come in, Carlisle."

"Hello, Peter." He said while stepping into the room.

"What can I do for you? Am I still welcome here?" I asked. I was pissed off still, and only time would ease that. I'd had enough of Edward's little vamp tantrums.

"Son, you are always welcome here; you know that. I want to apologize for Edward's words a few moments ago. He's been on edge since he's found his mate was a hu—"I interrupted. I didn't need to hear this bullshit anymore.

"Carlisle I will not accept an apology on behalf of someone who won't apologize. If Edward wants to seriously apologize, he needs to be a man and admit when he's wrong. You coddle that boy way too much. You all know I have more control over my bloodlust than everyone in the house, apart from you, Carlisle. Every time I visit I hunt outside of your hometown. I would never put Jasper in that kind of predicament EVER!" I spit out at him, disgust layering every word. He knew I was still very much pissed off about his whole fucked up situation. Why accuse me of this shit now? I'd never hurt his precious little Bella. I just didn't know why I wouldn't, other than the fact that she is intriguing.

"Very well, son, I'm sure he'll apologize to you once he calms down. With that, please feel free to stay as long as you and Jasper deem necessary. And by all means, please, make yourself at home."

"Thank you Carlisle." I said as he turned and walked out the door.

A few moments later, I flung myself across the bed with one of Jasper's war history books. He said that the accounts of the Civil War were never documented properly. I had to read this particular book and find out why he felt that way. Jasper and I had had many arguments about the war all throughout our lives together, most of them stemming from the fact that I fought for the North and he fought for the South. Even despite this fact, I fought side by side with him for many years in the vampire war. It didn't matter where we came from as long as we were there for each other at the end of the day. There, in the war, we had formed this bond of brotherhood that could never be broken. Not by anything. No matter the cause, no matter the force, we'd always be there for one another till the day we die our final death.

"Peter! Get your ass down here." Jasper called up the stairs to me; I must have been really engrossed in the book because I didn't hear them come back.

"What do you want Jas?"I asked as I came down the stairs. The sun was starting to set and I'd wondered where the day went. I really must have zoned out there for a bit reliving the accounts of the war. Jasper was in a better mood now, the gold in his eye much brighter now that he got some blood in him.

"What the fuck were you doing up there, bro? I called your name 3 times before I heard you stir around, and don't you dare tell me sleeping asshole. I know better than that shit!" We laughed. I really did tell him I was sleeping once. This has been many years ago, but I really did tell him I was sleeping.

"I was reading your war history book and thinking about things. I didn't hear you come in, and I didn't hear you call my name that many times. Sorry, I don't know how it didn't register to me. What's up? What do you wanna do now? I do need to get some more jeans and shirts. My stock I brought with me is getting low now thanks to your ass this morning." I was looking at Alice by the time I was done talking; she looked way too excited about me needing clothes.

"Oh, hell no, Alice. I buy my own clothes and pick my own shit. We're not going down that road again, firecracker!" I had to make sure she knew that shit was not gonna fly, not now, not ever.

"Pete, it's fine. I want to get a few things before we leave tomorrow; it's a good idea for us to do now. Sun is down far enough we can head out to Port Angeles if you'd like." He said grabbing his truck keys while looking at me.

"Alright, let's go." I said following him out the door. I didn't see Edward anywhere. I thought that maybe he was still sulking in his room, or he might be stalking his human. I don't know. We were silent for awhile in the truck, Jasper whistling to the music every now and then.

I just watched the scenery go by and thought a little about Bella and the draw Edward had to her. I knew I was drawn to her, as well. I just didn't know the depth of it, or the circumstances behind it. We had decided to take a longer trip and head toward Seattle instead. We were parking the truck to get out at the store when Jasper finally started to talk to me.

"Alice told me the family wants to go on one of those weekend long hunting trips next weekend. She thought that maybe we'd stay behind and have some time with you while they were away if you'd like. If you didn't want to stay that much longer, then we'd go with them." He looked as though he was lost at what to do. So I helped him out with his problem.

"Jasper, I told you I'd stay for awhile. I'll leave when you get tired of me being around here. I'm not letting Edward run me outta town when I'm here to spend time with you." His face light back up. I was happy to stay with him too. I liked Forks, and I really wanted to stick around for awhile.

"Great. That's a plan. I was really hoping that you'd want to stay longer. I know it pissed you off about Edward earlier, but please just let his bullshit roll off your back. I really appreciate you not taking his head off earlier today. Had it been a few years ago, I know you'd never have hesitated in doing so." We laughed because he was right. Maybe I've become more of a wuss in my time of peace as well.

We went into the simple store and picked out a few things Jasper needed while I picked up several types of shirts to wear while I was here and a few more pairs of jeans and boxer briefs. I also bought a new pair of black leather biker boots for our ride tomorrow. I couldn't wait to get on my bike and just ride for hours only stopping for gas. We checked out and started for the truck when it happened.

Jasper and I both caught the scent on the breeze, heads snapping up in unison. Vampires! Unfamiliar human drinking vampires. They must've just spilled blood because you could smell it in the air. I immediately threw my shield over Jasper. This was second nature to me when we were near each other and danger was in the shadows.

Jasper gave me a look of appreciation for the shield, his eyes already turning back to their original shade of gold. We dumped our packages into the seat of Jasper's truck and shut the door. We stood there looking at each other while weighing the options of what to do. Do we go and forget that we came across them, or do we find out who they are and what they're doing in the area?

I'd like to send my thanks out to all who have reviewed; it really means so much to know what's on your minds. Thank you to all who have read my story as well.

I need to send out a SPECIAL THANKS to a few lovely ladies for their help.

Juliangelus-You're a great friend thanks for pre reading my shit. For without you I might have never had the courage to post this. Love you Sis! Please check out her Jasper/Bella fic it's called 'Tiger Stripes' it's awesome!

And to Mynxi you are one heck of a gal, you are also one of the reasons I began writing this down. Thanks for your encouragement!

And last but certainly NOT least! The wonderfully amazing noncanon4me It's you girl who keep me in line with comas and the run-ons that spew out onto the paper.

Please review let me know what you think