"Hey Raina," Nikki said as she entered her apartment and found her sister sprawled on the couch cup in her hand.
"Hey you where have you been?" Raina answered questioning the where abouts of her sister as she looked at the state Nikki was in.
"Out playing baseball with some friends of mine. So what brings you here I thought you were on vacation with Uncle Kirk." Nikki answered back smiling as she hung up her jacket.
"I was but I thought I'd cut it short and see you and Destiny. Speaking of Des where'd she get off to?" Raina asked.
"She's still with our friends but she'll be along. She got banged up and our friend's father is a doctor." Nikki answered wondering how she'd explain any more if her sister kept getting any more curious about the people she'd spent time with.
"That's got to be nice especially since you and Destiny can barely go anywhere without one of you almost killing yourselves." Raina answered grinning. She could tell Nikki was being cryptic about these people so there must be something unique about them.
"Thanks brat." Nikki replied returning the grin. "So you hungry?" she asked trying to change the subject.
"No, I raided your fridge while you were gone but don't worry I didn't eat it all and yes I cleaned up my mess." Raina answered watching as Nikki stepped into the kitchen and came out a couple of minutes later with a mug of hot chocolate."So how long do you expect Destiny to be gone?" Raina asked curiously.
"Not too long she was almost all patched up." Nikki replied as her phone suddenly started going off. She pulled her phone out and checked it before answering. "Hey Alice what's up?" Nikki said keeping an eye on her sister.
"Edward and Bella are bringing Destiny home. Carlisle said she needed to soak her knee but it should be okay. He also wanted me to make sure that you made it home safe and sound." Alice answered cheerfully.
"Yeah, I got home just fine, Carlisle worries too much. What made Edward and Bella bring her back I thought that Emmett was dying to come raid my apartment again?" Nikki asked noticing the raised eyebrow that Raina was now giving her.
Before Alice could say anything there was a loud 0bang heard in the background followed by a "but babe…" from Emmett. "Rose is pissed off again, Nikki," Alice finally answered sighing.
"Oh good gravy, tell me she's not mad cause I jumped in Emmett's arms again trying to make sure he didn't get the ball?" Nikki replied smiling at Raina and miming that she'd explain later.
"You know how she is Nikki she doesn't like anyone but her messing with Emmett. Carlisle and Esme are trying to calm her down but she's wrecking their room again." Alice answered her frustration bleeding into her normally sweet tone of voice.
"Should I come back over and try talking to her again?" Nikki asked shaking her head at Raina who suddenly raised both eyebrows.
"No, just be careful and let us calm her down before you try that. We don't need another all out fight between you two." Alice said her vision clearing. "Hey Destiny's home and I saw you had company I'm going to let you go have a good night Nikki." Alice answered her voice becoming cheerful again.
"I will thanks for the warning pixie brat. See you guys tomorrow if there's a house left for tomorrow." Nikki replied hearing another crashing and a growl.
"Night Nikki," was Alice's reply before the phone went dead.
Nikki hung up the phone and shook her head, "Don't ask it's a long story." she answered Raina's gaze.
"I've got time to spare," Raina stated looking up as three more people entered the apartment.
"Hey brat we're home and boy did you get Rosalie riled again." Destiny said before turning and noticing Raina.
"Yeah, so Alice told me." Nikki answered grinning at Edward. "Hope you don't plan on going home anytime soon for a headache session." she added as Edward rolled his eyes playfully at Nikki.
"You'd think she'd learn when to take a joke. It's not like it didn't help us get the run in." Bella answered smiling at Raina though her instincts screamed danger in a way that they hadn't outside of dealing with a member of the Volturi for some time.
"Yes, but Rose is Rose and she doesn't take anything lightly besides it really was a dumb idea on my part." Nikki stated closing her eyes briefly.
"So are you going to introduce me or do I have to make guesses here as to whom these people are?" Raina interrupted her own senses on overload. She could tell that they were different but couldn't lay her finger on exactly what it was that was different about them.
"Sorry, Raina these are some of our friends Edward and Bella. Guys our oldest sister Raina," Nikki said pointing out the two then smiling at them as she introduced Raina.
"I might have guessed you look somewhat like Destiny and Nikki," Bella answered politely nodding at Raina.
"I don't know to be flattered or annoyed by that." Raina chuckled shaking her head a bit at them "The only thing similar is the shape of our faces. And a mother." She amended at Nikki's sticking her tongue out at her playfully.
Everyone smiled, "Well guys I guess it could be worse at least we don't share a body." Destiny answered causing Nikki to almost spit out her drink.
"That'll teach you to drink anytime your sister's high on medications." Edward answered as Nikki swallowed and promptly flipped him off.
"Do I even want to know what you gave her?" Raina asked the dark red eyebrow raising as she eyed Destiny.
"It wasn't I that did it you can blame Carlisle I mean my father for that one." Edward said chuckling.
"Knowing Carlisle he gave her something that will knock her out in about thirty minutes." Nikki answered as they all sat down.
It was obvious that Raina was at best awkward in most social situations and Nikki saw that she was sitting in a strategic place that kept both Bella and Edward in sight while offering her multiple ways out of the room, "Not many people call their father by their first names." Raina commented in a seemingly absent manner half perching on the ottoman her feet up under her shape.
For awhile no one spoke, and Nikki finally broke the silence looking to the pair, "When are you going to go see about Rose's temper tantrum?"
"I figure we're going to hide here if that's okay with you a bit and let the storm blow over I mean really it's stupid what she's all up in arms about." Edward said shaking his head noticing finally the more striking difference between the three females. Bella's gaze flickered between his expression and the newcomer, Nikki's eldest sibling apparently, trying to gauge his thoughts.
"Pardon me, bathroom." Raina said abruptly when the silence became oppressive and darted up the stairs to the appropriate room.
"Bit strange," Bella commented as she heard the door close overhead.
Despite herself Nikki chuckled, sipping her hot chocolate, "Raina's ... difficult sometimes and doesn't usually stay long periods of time," She said a bit sadly shaking her head, "She's not good with people as a whole and kind of unpredictable with her moods, and what she'll do."
"She looked half ready to bolt out the back when we came in." Edward spoke up quietly.
"That's Raina, as apt to run as she is to stop and chat. She surprised me by stopping by she had been on vacation with Uncle Kirk and Uncle James. She .. gets weird around people. Please don't take it personally." Nikki explained her fingers itching at the gold chain around her neck knowing that she couldn't break the confidences of either side to bridge the differences.
"She's your half sister if I understood her flippant comment?" Bella asked changing the subject as the toilet overhead flushed.
Nikki nodded, "We have the same mother, different fathers. Mine's ... different her's is…" she trailed off as Raina appeared the expression on her face dark at the mention of Camtamin.
"Not worth the effort used in his initial creation." Raina growled darkly the anger and the sting clear in her tone causing both Bella and Edward to back up a bit, now that was somewhat familiar that was like someone else they knew.
"Si-is," Nikki called Raina's attention fully to her, "Come on sit down they don't bite."
"Uh huh and I'm the monkey king of China." Raina replied jumping off the last three steps of the stairs.
"No, no, no, no I keep telling you I'm the Monkey King of China, Des is the Monkey King of India and you're the Monkey King of England." Nikki laughed as the teasing diffused the temper brooding behind her sister's mood. "Come on, we won't discuss that waste of oxygen anymore." She said patting the spot on the couch next to her, even if she knew that if Raina truly went to bolt out of the room there was little that she could do to stop it.
Bella noticed immediately the familial similarities between the sisters – the pose they sat in almost side by side and though she didn't want to see it the slight flinching shudder that coursed through Raina's petite frame when Nkki's fingers brushed over her shoulder to dust off a stray strand of almost violently red hair from her shirt and the glance backward was wary despite being quite aware who it was. In the way Nikki and Destiny seemed hardy and strong, she realized this female seemed fragile, almost … weak… though a glance into the liquid amber eyes told her plenty – this one was far from any of those things and she was all of them rolled into one being. Somewhere their paths had diverged and Bella surmised that Raina's had been the harder of the two, though she had equally no doubt that getting her to talk about it was not going to go well.
"So how long will you be visiting up here?" Nikki said changing the topic again drawing the others' attention to herself again even if her question was for Raina.
Raina shrugged vaguely, "I dunno awhile maybe. Couple of days… couple weeks I didn't get that far when I left Kirk's."
"Kids drove you nuts did they?" Nikki grinned in understanding, "Sis that brood would drive a saint to drinking I think."
"Overload." Raina said simply giving her sister a look that begged her not to make her explain that term and what its implications were.
"Yeah, I bet that chaos did just about put you through the floor." Nikki said with a sympathetic smile before looking to Bella and Edward, "Well the way Des and I are different… Raina's different and more different than we are." She said her explanation equally as vague as she noted that Raina, like herself wore a particular chain around her neck though hers was golden Raina's was a delicate shining silver. "But it's not a discussion for now," she said tugging at her chain as a subtle clue to the two giving Edward a poignant look For the love of God don't push her to talk about it… even our mother won't discuss most of it.
All right. What's with the anger-wave she shot off with the mere mention of her father?
Bad blood Nikki answered Edward calmly, I don't know how long she'll stay we might want to let Des sleep and get this over with since Raina's not going to buy the whole usual cover story. God knows I didn't after ten minutes.
Almost on cue Edward's phone rang in his pocket and almost without realizing what he'd done it was in his hand in a rapid blur Raina's eyes were wide watching his rapid-fire conversation with whoever was on the other side. It was a brief conversation in which he grinned faintly hanging up, "Someone needs to tell the pixie to get off the pixie sticks." Edward chuckled despite the unease he felt, "She wants to have you and your guest over for dinner now."
"Now but- I just – " Raina blinked stammering looking between Edward and Nikki, one in bafflement and the other for help.
"Come on, something you'll learn maybe if you stick around long enough is we don't usually argue too much with Alice." Nikki said laughing pulling Raina to her feet ignoring the glare from her sister, obviously used to it. "Might as well get it over with so we can see what the pint sized monster wants now."
"Probably a rematch on the baseball game." Bella laughed, "Girls vs boys never ends well around here."
"Ain't that the true love," Edward chuckled pulling her to him for a moment as they headed out to the car. "I'll drive I'm sure it'll be late before Alice gets around to telling us what she actually wants."