"Welcome, I hope we didn't intrude with Alice's abrupt invitation," the tall brunette said with a warm smile at Nikki as she gave her a hug comfortably noticing immediately that the petite redhead hung back and gave her an appraising 'do not touch me' look.
"Not at all we were just sitting and talking with Bella and Edward anyway." Nikki said smiling at Raina's familiar look, "Esme, this is my eldest sister, Raina. She's visiting... awhile." She finish keeping her body between Raina's and Esme's and said in a soft undertone, "Raina's not rude really... she's just not real good with people all the time."
Esme nodded and opened the door wider so they could enter, and the smell of food – typically rich comfort food hit their senses and she smiled faintly, "I didn't know whatever Alice wanted all this for but .. you know the saying in this house we don't bet against Alice."
"That you don't." Nikki laughed noticing that Raina ventured curious despite her nerves toward the many shelves of books laid about the living area, "Most of them are Dr. Cullen's – Carlisle's." she called to Raina, who nodded absently scanning the books to calm herself. Nikki looked to Esme apologetically, "She's a little weird sometimes but her heart's in the right place usually."
"Under the sternum one hopes." Carlisle's melodic voice answered Nikki's comment startling Raina half out of her senses dropping the book and uttering a literal yelp as she spun toward the sound her eyes wide shaking.
"Nice going, Carlisle scare the lady into a heart attack why don't you." Alice said buzzing into the room.
"Nonsense," Carlisle smiled at her, "You'd have told me if I was going to want to insert my foot into my mouth to prevent me from scaring a guest." At her peal of laughter and hovering around Raina well aware of the cautious, wary gaze being given to Alice by her he shook his head, "I do apologize my dear I didn't mean to startle you."
"Its fine," Raina replied her voice not quite steady yet – and they heard that her heart rate hadn't fully slowed from the surge of adrenaline resulting from her startle, "Happens all the time."
"Well if you laid off the caffeine once in awhile," Nikki teased laughing as Raina crossed her eyes.
"You leave my caffeine addiction out of this." Raina's smile was feral, "You won't like me without my caffeine."
"Probably turns the kitten to a hell-cat." A new voice said from atop the stairs as a loud crash was heard from above. "Mind if I come down here so Rose'll stop whacking me with anything she can pick up?"
"She'll forgive you eventually." Alice said with a grin, "Might wanna invest in some pretty roses though and let us know when you want us out of the house please. Some things I don't wanna hear to go along with seeing." She grinned cheerfully appearing again this time in the doorway to the kitchen, "Esme the casserole's almost done and I gotta go chase Jasper out of the arboretum again."
Raina perked up a bit at the mention of an arboretum her gaze turning toward Alice's, "There's an arboretum here?"
"Sure come on I'll introduce Jasper on the way then." Alice said brightly her grin pure mischief, "need to get that out of the way anyhow."
"Jasper?" Alice called sweetly into the room as she bounced into the room, followed cautiously by Raina who was slowly piecing together that this family wasn't the typical family, in fact she wasn't entirely sure already that they were exactly human though she kept that thought to herself.
Hanging back by a tree that easily dwarfed her already petite size Raina took the moment to observe the two of them together and then independently the small smile toying at her lips as she watched the tender moment from the outside perspective. Bouncing and buzzing and almost forever cheerful dark-haired Alice standing next to the much-taller statuesque male, the honey blond hair dangling around his ears and able to see the almost imperceptible turn toward Alice when she approached even if she recognized that she wasn't unnoticed at all golden eyes tilting to meet her own amber ones.
"This is Raina, one of Nikki's sisters." Alice explained smiling sweetly at him, the adoring look up at him screaming to Raina she knew something they didn't and might never. "Raina this is my Jasper." She smiled again as he stiffened then relaxed as he saw that not only was the petite – smaller than even his Alice female posed no obvious threat aside from the beating heart calling to him for its end. As well he recognized that his unease and even the lust for the blood itself calmed as the faintly heart-shaped face tilted in a small smile and she vanished from the room without a word but somehow Jasper felt that there was some sort of unspoken understanding even if he didn't even understand what.
"Fascinating." Alice chirped at him brightly her arms around his waist, "I've seen you do that a billion times. but nobody's ever done that mojo on you before."
"I didn't think anybody could.' He admitted quietly bending his head to kiss the top of hers, "I love you, Alice."
He didn't have to hear her nonverbal response to feel the crest of emotion and the steadying force of it as she looked up at him, "You're half-fascinated after three minutes." She said matter-of-factly. "Cause nobody does that to you." At his nod she smirked at him, "I know. And yes before you ask, we're always going to be okay. Forever you and me." She grinned at his stunned expression and flounced cheerfully out of the room. "Esme's expecting you downstairs, Jazz."
Jasper smiled to himself, long used to Alice's sometimes cryptic messages and words shaking his head once as he headed downstairs where the chaos of a dinner with guests was already in full swing.
It was immediately apparent to him that the redhead most definitely was an empath – the room sang with a different energy ranging with her emotions and moods in fact and she tensed picking up on him, though he had already figured out her location and even the difference between the two sister's heartbeats, one was slightly more rapid than the others.
They hadn't gathered around the table as was Esme's usual insistence and he saw that it had to have been Raina's idea since she had already surmised that something was up and only she and Nikki were balancing plates on their knees eating a bit.
"So when exactly were you planning to tell me you brought me to a vampire coven home Nikki?" Raina asked casually as if she'd simply asked for her sister to pass the butter.
Blinking Nikki managed the appropriate shock, "What do you mean?"
"Don't play cute with me little girl I was born at night it sure as the Power stands wasn't last night." Raina replied coolly, "I'm not blind and I sure am not stupid."
"Look, just like we can't go around tellin' others about us they can't either." Nikki replied carefully.
"They didn't and furthermore I asked you. And unless I missed a memo from Luke you're not vamping out any time soon." She shot back.
"I'd have had to tell you eventually, I just don't want any more bullshit with the Volturi about other people knowing about vampires. Granted it's not like you didn't know since you've dealt with pretty much every other known race at least once."
"Yeah living with your dad pretty much guaranteed that." Raina smiled faintly setting the plate down mostly emptied, and looked to Esme, "You cook quite well by the way and thanks. I'm not as bitchy with a full belly."
"Most kittens aren't." Emmett commented, "Mostly they get sleepy with a full belly."
"Since I'm not interested in waking up dead I'll be passing on the nap fang-boy." Raina smiled sweetly at him, "Though I don't think you'll be biting anyone until your Rose get done being ticked off."
"Oh you're cold," Nikki laughed at Emmett's shocked expression, "Might as well throw in the towel there Emmett she can go all night and probably most of tomorrow for that matter."
"I got a question," Jasper drawled the tone sending a shiver up Raina's spine uninvited and drew the amber gaze to his golden one her brow arched, "Exactly how're you two sisters you don't look older enough to even be "older"."
Raina's laughter was a quiet one as she shifted to curl her feet up under her turning toward Jasper and Alice, "By the count of years of my home I am nearly six hundred and sixty-seven years, by the turning of your world as best as Nikki and I can ascertain makes me nearly thirty-three years old." She said simply tilting her head at him as she watched the shock and the confusion on his face and knew the others were trying to process this tidbit of information.
"Am I understanding you correctly," Carlisle said recovering first his calm nature showing through as he got to his feet with care approaching her watching as the small hand darted into her sleeve and the wrist connected with his to prevent any real contact with the vampire her gaze however steady. "That you are not from this planet."
"Didn't stutter did I Doc?" Raina quipped lightly smiling a bit, "No touchy please I don't like it and I'm pretty sure your wife wouldn't like redecorating hm?"
Carlisle smiled faintly at the sarcastic bite to her tone and words, "And physiologically there's no notable difference between you and the average human female?"
"Far's the doctors where her father lives can ascertain it's essentially the same. I get to go from zero to oh-my-gods-I-hate-you in .01 seconds once every three to four weeks, I eat around six times a day due to metabolism – which drives my sisters insane because I'm always hungry and I can really fuck up someone's day if they piss me off." Raina replied her tone flat but serious.
"Reminds me I gotta go grocery shopping if you're staying long, she's seriously not kidding about the always eating bit." Nikki smiled faintly at Carlisle. "And given that our mother procreated successfully – several times with a confirmable human male we can ascertain that reproduction is possible. If of course she actually decided to tolerate someone that near." Nikki said catching the hand that shot out at her.
"Hey I stay the hell out of your bedroom keep your dirty imagination the hell out of mine." Raina replied with a small snarl.
"All in the interest of science and medicine," Nikki protested feeling Raina's fingers dust the top of her head, "No abusing your sister!"
"Now now you two play nice, last thing I need is one of you two drawing blood hm?" Carlisle chided gently.
"Spoilsport." Nikki stuck her tongue out at him even though she realized what that was actuality – a way for Raina to cope with the anxiety and it was easing it to an extent, "You're ready to run aren't you?" she said quietly to Raina looking at her intently.
"You know me and crowds of any kind." Raina replied squirming away from Carlisle's proximity and it was a jolt even for him to realize exactly how petite she was – perhaps five feet maybe a bit more but certainly not much if at all. Raina glanced at the glasses on the table which were shaking, "Yep time for me to go before I break things… seriously…" she stuttered not quite able to contain the outburst and as the glass shattered on the table she darted for the door hearing the glass crack then splinter as it closed behind her running toward the woods.
"What in the world?" Carlisle murmured quietly looking at the glass shards on the table, having heard too the door shatter.
"Minor kinetics, at least that's what my dad called it. Not quite enough to be refined but enough if she gets riled up at all it can make an unholy mess of things." Nikki said uncomfortably, "And she really … really doesn't do crowds even small ones well."
"Can I ask a real personal question about her?" Jasper queried carefully his features deliberately blank can calm.
"Yeah but I reserve the right to whack you senseless if it's too far out of line." Nikki answered carefully choosing her words.
For a few minutes Jasper didn't ask the question instead taking the time to phrase his question carefully, "Do you know what left her incapable of attachment or even for lack of knowing a better word, intimacy with anyone at all?" he asked slowly.
The guilty look on Nikki's face made it clear she knew at least partly what had happened, "Even if I knew the whole story – and I only know the bits and pieces I've pulled out of her quite literally at that." She sighed quietly, closing her eyes, "She doesn't really let even Des or me in. I think I can safely tell you that if you expect her to want to trust any of you you're going to have to be willing to put up with her oddities, one being the fact she detests being touched. And I mean at all. I barely get away with it and I'm her sister."
"I can somewhat understand why," Jasper drawled thoughtfully, his expression grave, "it causes literal pain for some people who are able to feel and affect other people's emotions and that ability can seriously screw with your head."
"And the destructo-baby thing is pretty wild." Emmett said as Esme cleaned up the shards of glass and spilled liquid, "Pretty scary too for a human I mean."
"It's a defense mechanism," Rose broke in from the stairwell calmer than she'd felt in what seemed like a long time, "A way of keeping other people out, one could presume, to keep them safe."
"She's always been like that before you ask. I don't know I guess having gone through a lot as a child she's learned to be alone." Nikki added eyeing Rose as she came the rest of the way down the stairs.
Rose looked at Nikki briefly then turned going to stand next to Emmett in an almost possessive stance. "At least she's likable. She could a total bitch." She stated her gaze shifting to Nikki then back to the group as a whole.
"Once you get to know her better she'll not run as quickly. So Alice what was it that you called us here for anyway?" Nikki asked changing the subject. It was obvious to everyone Nikki was trying to keep peace between herself and Rose.
Alice looked to the ground as if finding her shoes suddenly interesting. "Alice what is it you're not telling us and quit singing that damn song in your head it's bad enough Nikki does it when she doesn't want me to know her thoughts." Edward stated finally catching and holding Alice's gaze.
"It's the Volturi, they're on their way and it seems that Nikki, Destiny, and now Raina are their targets this time." Alice answered dropping her gaze. "There's a lot of hurt going to happen before their visit's over but also there's happiness from this visit too and a new member." She added.
Nikki's eyebrow rose, "Oh boy just what I need the ding-dong squad causing shit with my sister. That's going to go well ... like a keg of beer at an Amish village." She said with a sigh, "So when's doomsday and what do we do about the inevitable explosion of my sister?"
"I'm not one hundred percent sure cause Aro keeps changing his mind on when to come. I do see them coming but until he's definite on a day I can't say." Alice answered as her eyes glazed over and another vision came.
"Alice what is it? What are you seeing?" Jasper asked taking her hand.
"They're on their way Aro's decided and sent Jane, Alec, Demetri, and Felix here. They should be here in two or three days." Alice said her vision clearing again. She glanced at Nikki her emotions enough that Nikki could feel the fear she radiated for her.
"Crap, why can't these people leave me and my family alone?" Nikki fumed sighing heavily then looking at Carlisle. "What do we do? If these idiots try anything with my sister she's going more than postal on them. If you think mine and Destiny's temper is bad you've not seen my sister truly pissed off." Nikki added shaking her head.
"First step's going to be convincing Raina back inside and managing to keep her from well tearing down the house while we explain as much as we can. Might want to have Destiny picked up as well." Jasper said calmly, his tone grave but using his military background to begin solving one issue at a time.
"Bella and I will go get Destiny." Edward answered getting a nod from Bella.
Carlisle smiled, "Well that leaves getting Raina back inside."
"That's best left to me," Nikki added sighing, "Jasper would you; Emmett and Alice come with me?" She asked watching as Alice and Jasper nodded and Emmett looked to Rose.
Rose was obviously not happy about this and nodded reluctantly her fingers toying a moment with his hair, "Just be careful, okay especially with Aro and Marcus coming with Caius too."
"We will, Rose." Alice said merrily as she steered Jasper out the door behind Nikki, "Chill a bit okay everything will be fine, trust me."
Rose sighed, "You I trust Alice, it's everyone else right now I don't know what to believe." Rose muttered as she watched them leave.
Esme's hand rested on Rose's shoulder comfortingly, "If Alice says everything will be fine everything will be eventually."
"I know," Rose sighed, "I just don't like it."
Esme smiled quietly, "I know you don't dear, and it's okay honey."
Once outside Nikki sighed heavily heading in the direction of a large tree not far from the baseball field, "Hey Emmett for what it's worth I'm sorry for causing you and Rose to fight." She muttered not stopping or lifting her head up to look at Emmett.
Emmett shrugged, "Rose and I fight off and on, it's part of the package deal for us. What do you suggest about telling your sister?" he said changing the subject again.
Nikki shrugged, "Not sure; I know telling her a lie is out she'd read through that in a flat second. But telling her the whole truth out here might get this forest flamed." Nikki said as they reached the edge of the field and began cautiously crossing it not noticing till almost too late the three figures standing to their right.
"Well, looks like the Cullen's took one of their human pets for a walk." Jane sneered.
Nikki looked up and rolled her eyes, "Looks like the whore and her entourage are trying to find a new place to screw in. What Aro get tired of hearing you four." Nikki smarted back watching the tree for some sign of her sister. And there wasn't one though Nikki was sure Raina wasn't far, and she kept her tone level as she watched Jane's agitation grow. "What kitty got your tongue or something Jane surely not?" she added a moment later as the foursome seemed uncharacteristically quiet.
Jane growled at Nikki turning her gaze toward her brother. "Please deal with them so we can talk in private my dear brother?" Jane said low enough that she thought Nikki couldn't hear her.
Alec smiled but as he was starting to concentrate of freezing the Cullens he was knocked to the ground from behind causing Nikki to automatically raise her shield. 'Thanks for the help, Sis.' She added mentally as she smiled at Jane and Alec.
Raina grinned lightly tapping her foot against the back of Alec's head, "Bad dog no biscuit." She quipped easily watching as he squirmed against her light weight watching her sister "I'm guessing these be part of this Volturi you mentioned hm, Nik?" she said conversationally as if there was nothing at all unusual about the events, or that she was standing on the back of a vampire.
"Only just four of the little ones and my guess is that the big kids aren't coming unless you four can't handle three little bitty humans am I right Jane." Nikki said grinning at her sister as the others looked on amazed at how Nikki and Raina were interacting.
"Quite the welcoming party," Raina said dryly tilting her head at Nikki, "Well genius-boy here tried the old freeze frame routine what's blondie's shtick?" she said picking out the current ringleader of the menagerie.
"Yeah they think they're something anyway. Blondie aka Jane thinks she can use her power to cause the illusion of pain but the only problem is it doesn't work on me and now it won't work on Alice, Jasper and Emmett." Nikki responded laughing as Jane growled at both Raina and Nikki while backing up some to put distance between the groups.
Raina rolled her eyes and yawned hugely unimpressed, "Bo-ring. All she'll get is a good migraine around here."
"Pretty much sis, so Jane what brings you here and why is Aro trying to be an ass to me and my sisters?" she asked turning a glare on Jane.
Jane growled, "My masters want you and your sisters to die." She launched herself at Nikki. Her snarl was loud enough that all could hear.
"Now now Jane that's not the way to make friends and influence people," Emmett said snatching her by the back of her neck and lifting her up off of the ground, "Least of all those two ladies." He said letting her dangle hissing, red eyes flashing at him.
"Let me go you stupid oaf." She demanded angrily of him glaring as she kicked at him.
"Sure Emmett put the baby down and she'll learn what it's like to play with the big kids." Raina smiled darkly at him ignoring entirely Jasper's attempt at diffusing the situation with a calming presence.
"You couldn't hurt a fly without the element of surprise," Alec ground out angrily as he got to his feet.
"Want to test that theory there pal?" Raina replied flatly shifting her weight so that she was between the four of them and Nikki folding her arms over her chest calmly, the iciness to her tone startling Jasper causing him to take a half-step backward. On one hand the image was comical – Raina was at least six inches shorter and close to thirty pounds lighter than her sister and yet the pose was a protective warning one as she glared at Alec, "Bring it if you dare." She said looking between the dangling Jane and the recovering Alec, utterly unafraid of either one. "I've played with bigger, meaner and smarter than the two of you put together."
"We'll see about that," Jane snarled as she wrenched herself free from Emmett who backed up a few steps as Jane advanced on Raina the childlike face becoming blank as she met Raina's cool distant gaze the red eyebrow arching as if silently asking 'Is that the best you can do?' as Jane crumbled in a screeching scream, writhing on the ground in pain. "It's real easy to make it stop," Raina crooned turning away from her, "Just stop attempting to attack me." She said taking a few dismissive steps away from the four Volturi as well the others heading toward the Cullen home. "Take your friends and go home," Raina said over her shoulder looking at Alec who was pulling Jane to her feet, "And tell your masters to stick their heads up their asses and blow bubbles."
Nikki ran to catch up with Raina as she covered the distance to the house and stepped over the broken glass the grimace apparent as she squared her shoulders and opened the door as the others seemingly appeared around her smirking faintly having guessed they might have the super-speed gift. "I should have stayed with Kirk and the brood." She muttered giving her sister a side-glance shaking her head before walking inside.
"Everyone is okay?" Carlisle questioned as Jasper stood by the door watching as the two sisters faced each other.
"Jane'll have the migraine from hell after trying her shit on Raina and found out that it bounced off of her with no effort on her part." Nikki explained as she steered her sister past Carlisle to the seat she'd taken earlier that evening quietly pushing her to sit down pointedly ignoring the dark warning look from Raina.
"Wait – what?" Edward said as he and Bella helped guide Destiny into the house "What was that?"
"Alec, Jane, Demetri and Felix tried to take on Raina and found out the hard way that my sister's not the usual run of the mill. We'll see where it all goes." Nikki summed it up in short as they settled around the room.
"Okay I want an explanation of who all these people are." Raina said as Jasper deliberately seated himself diagonally from her, his golden gaze settling on the confused and mildly angry woman.
"The Volturi are akin to a governing body over vampires," Carlisle said sitting in his preferred chair as Esme sat on the arm of it his arm wrapping fondly around her side, "Spearheaded by three vampires; Aro, Marcus and Caius. You've met several of their more potent guards, Jane as you noticed has the ability to make you believe that you are in excruciating pain, and the other three have their own unique gifts." He spoke calmly, sighing once, "And apparently you three have gathered their attention."
"Cute." Raina said dryly, "But my question would be why other than the obvious answer being that we're aware of vampires and that you all and they obvious are such."
"That could be it exactly," Rose broke in carefully, watching as Raina's gaze snapped to her, "Our existence could be revealed to humans and they're mighty pissy about that."
"The technicality is that no one told Raina that we are vampires," Esme said quietly "She figured it out on her own, and her comments were not directed toward any of us, but at Nikki."
"I don't think that they are concerning themselves with that, merely that they know about us at all is enough to gather the attention of the Volturi." Edward said quietly, "Though I think that I'm getting mighty tired of seeing the terror triplets."
"We all are but we don't have a lot of choice, since Jane said that they want us dead." Nikki said quietly her own fear of this rippling through the room, amplified by Raina's innate projection of emotions.
"They can want it," Alice said thoughtfully perched contentedly in Jasper's lap, "But they're not going to be allowed to have it."
"Explain them to me," Raina said getting to her feet, "One by one, rank and so-called importance irrelevant." She continued pacing catlike across the wood surface of the living room drawing herself inward Nikki noticed pulling a long battered braided leather twine from a pocket twisting it in her hands as she waited for someone to speak.
Carlisle broke the silence but not her stride, "It's easiest for me to go down the line beginning with Aro, one of the three leaders, who can read your mind if he touches you, I expect your aversion to touch will be most distressing to him. His brothers, Marcus and Caius can sense relationships and Caius has no known particularly unique ability except perhaps arguably the ability to manipulate. Jane, you've met and Alec too and obviously to you my dear are of little consequence. Demetri however could become one, with his ability to track anyone he seeks to find once he has seen them. Felix is perhaps the one I would be concerned with, and would recommend learning how to fight against because he is a skilled fighter." He said thoughtfully, watching her pacing and taking in his words.
"Might not be a bad idea, I don't want him coming up against Nikki or Des – of the three of us I've got the most experience fighting at all." Raina said absently still processing the information, "Sounds like I need to be sure not to come in contact with Aro at all physically, for two reasons. My aversion to touch and no way do I want anyone else in my head it's a dangerous enough place with just me in it."
"I'll say it's a damn busy place." Edward piped up earning himself a glare from the tiny woman, "Sounds a lot like a horde of angry bees in there. If you really want to know."
"That's because my head's my business and I spent years learning how to keep people out of it." Raina replied without even turning to look at him.
"Can't really argue with her on that one," Bella commented quietly smiling at Edward, "Most people – or vampires for that matter get pretty ticked off with someone always poking into their thoughts."
"In the morning, I want you and Jazz to work on fighting against a vampire, if anyone can teach you without anyone having a meltdown it'd be Jazz." Alice piped up comfortably settled into his grip well aware that neither of them were particularly pleased with her wish.
"You little vampire need to lay off the sugar." Raina recovered her balance and spoke first eyeing the female vampire with the distaste of someone looking at something foul, "Because you've done melted your cheese into the cracker."
Despite herself, Nikki began laughing at Raina's expression and more at Alice's confusion, "What my adorably blunt sister means is you've done lost your mind if you think it's a good idea for anyone, least of all – sorry Jasper – another empath ever come in physical contact, I mean she could have broke the living room if she hadn't gotten out earlier."
"I agree with Alice Raina needs the training and Jasper is the most skilled of all of us with his military background." Carlisle said shaking his head subtly at Jasper's protest.
"Well it probably wouldn't do Destiny and I any harm training as well considering the last time that we came up against butt head and his band of ding dongs. It might actually make it easier on Raina. What do you say Jazz feel like giving out some training and some refresher courses?" Nikki answered smiling wryly at Jasper and winking at Alice.
"Sounds fine with me but I'll need volunteers or should I say guinea pigs to take the beating from Destiny and Nikki," Jasper answered chuckling at Edward and Emmett.
"Fine, I'll do the training but I need to know when we're starting this and where we're doing this." Raina stated glaring at her sisters.
"Well, Jazz when do you feel up to this wonderful adventure or should I say when does the guinea pigs feel ready to get their asses handed to them?" Destiny asked laughing.
"We'll start tomorrow morning if that's good for you girls?" Jasper answered. The girls nodded their heads in agreement.
"Well I'd better get everyone home for the night and hope and pray that Jane and the brat squad don't decide to try and pay a visit." Nikki answered as Raina shot up and Edward helped Destiny up.
"We'll keep tabs on you through the night." Carlisle answered helping the girls to get in the car and gone.
