"Beautiful, now show me something else," Alice approved the classic look of the pants and knit sweater and waved Raina back into the dressing room laughing as she heard the mutter.

"Slave driver."

"All in the name of beauty dear," Alice chirped delightedly, "Have you unearthed that darling light blue dress yet I'm dying to see if Nikki's right that its perfect or not."

"It is." Nikki grinned resting her arm on Alice's shoulder, "You'll see."

Five uneasy minutes later Raina emerged in the dress, her face showing her dislike but Rose beat Alice to the punch circling her critically but the smile crept across her features. "My goodness, Nikki's outdone herself this time. Fits perfectly around here," she looked at the curve of the dress and the hemline, "Maybe a little long for my taste but that's okay too, the right heel and that'll be just fine too." She said looking over the pale blue halter dress that shimmered with movement, giving the illusion of wearing an icicle, flaring out just a little to offer needed movement.

Alice bounced practically out of her shoes as her eyes glazed then cleared brightly as ever, "And I know just the thing to go with that." She grinned as Raina groaned, "Come on spoil sport live a little. It's fun its shopping."

"Its torture." Raina muttered vanishing to redress in her own clothing again handing the sales person her discards and deposited the "keeps" into Alice's waiting arms.

Checking her watch Nikki laughed as they walked to the checkout, "No wonder you're cranky its lunchtime. Alice do you know a good place to get a bite to eat?" she distracted Alice a moment.

"Of course, I was having so much fun I lost track of time." Alice answered handing the clerk her credit card smiling. "I know just the place for a little girl talk before we go finding shoes and accessories," she frowned watching as Raina bound her hair up and decided to push the envelope just a little bit more, "And maybe find someone skilled to take care of that," she flipped the ends of Raina's hair dodging the playful swipe glad that the woman was relaxing around them finally.

"Eat first, then we talk about grooming habits." Destiny chimed in saving both of them from an awkward moment.

The café was small, cozy and not particularly busy yet as the server showed the six of them to an out of the way booth, watching as they climbed into the booth three on each side. "Can I get you anything while you wait?"

"Dr. Pepper," Destiny and Nikki said in unison as the others gave their answers and the server vanished again as they began talking in low tones.

"Lovely little place, I come here sometimes when I need a little space that's why we're getting odd looks," Alice explained smiling at the waitress, Jeannie. "Hi!"

"How are you?" the server smiled brightly recognizing the woman, "Brought friends this time huh?"

"Sisters and friends yep." Alice laughed, "had to do some shopping, and shopping's more fun with friends but we got hungry."

"Same as always you get what Cook makes but its good – a rich beef stew and his coffee's out of this world."

"Coffee sounds like a dream," Raina answered perking up at the mention of caffeine.

A few minutes later Jeannie placed the requested drinks on the table and said, "In another few minutes the bowls will be ready and I'll drop them off is there anything else you all need?"

"No, I think we're pretty good once the bowls get here." Alice chimed in smiling brightly, "But thanks."

"So," What's the topic for the lunch meal?" Destiny asked picking up her spoon to take a bite of the stew.

"Old boyfriends, or crushes." Alice said instantly looking between the five of the others.

"Aw, Alice who really wants to revisit their childish crushes," Nikki protested.

"Only because you don't want to talk about that on-off thing you had with Tommy that ended not that long ago." Destiny teased poking Nikki's shoulder with a smile.

"Ugh don't even go there." Nikki groaned even as Alice lightly kicked her from under the table.

"What about you and Jazz," Destiny asked changing the direction trying to get Raina to relax as she was quiet and tense on her other side.

"It was nearly instant fireworks when we met. Of course, I had the benefit of knowing ahead of time that he and I would meet when we did." Alice nodded cheerfully watching Raina's expression lightly.

"Oh check you out, playing innocent." Nikki chuckled, "what was the kid you went out with casually Des – Nicky wasn't it?"

"He wasn't that bad," Destiny nodded with a chuckle, 'just a little too clingy to be a permanent guy."

"He was horrible," Nikki laughed waving her spoon for a moment, "Clingy and bossy and totally driving Des up the wall if they went out more than two or three times in a row."

"Everyone knows about us – Bella and me," Rose put in as the laughter died down, "And I'll puke if Alice tells us about her and Jasper in detail. Which leaves you," she looked to Raina who was shaking her head.

"Nothing to tell," Raina answered swallowing the lump of ache in her throat, "Really there isn't."

"Well you've talked a little about Kielan with me," Nikki pressed gently reaching for her shoulder around Destiny's back, "And I know that it hurts, cause you two were close."

Raina leaned into the backrest closing her eyes against the swell of memory and grief brought forward anew, "If there had been one for me," she began speaking not entirely steadily, "It would have been Kielan." She admitted slowly, "but he died a long, long time ago."

"Not so long ago as it doesn't hurt as if it were new." Bella commented quietly watching Alice's reactions.

Amber eyes flickered to Bella's as she managed to get enough control over her reactions to prevent harm to the nearby glasses and bowls, "Kielan was my best friend, my comfort and in some ways my first love." She sighed once, "I told him the entire time we were growing up and when we became – " she cut off running her fingers along the silver chain around her neck, "Teammates, that I was going to be the death of him one day. Turns out I was right." She lifted her mug and took a sip of the cooling liquid inside, "I haven't even now figured out why and how Kiel wasn't affected by my abilities – I could do damage to everyone around me – everything – and he never got hurt or cared if he did, but even skin to skin I didn't hurt and he didn't." she sighed placing the mug on the table again looking to Alice, "Soleil killed him because he got in her way of me. Even in death he was trying to protect me." She closed her eyes the tears burning the back of her eyelids, "the last thing he said to me before he died, was that he was glad his sacrifice hadn't been in vain. I wish it had been reverse." She said softly.

'No damn wonder she avoids Jazz,' Nikki thought to herself with a small frown changing the subject again, "I guess that explains why you don't let the boys all that close."

"Nikki, I don't stay anywhere that others can form an attachment to me and become weapons for Soleil to abuse in order to get to me." She said sighing.

"You're a bit late there," Bella commented with a chuckle, "'the boys are already staking dibs on keeping you more or less out of harm's way and let's not even go into how Nessie feels about you." She hesitated before continuing daring broach a notoriously sensitive topic for Raina, "And Jasper's rather attached to you being around already, even if he sucks at showing it."

Raina frowned deeply shifting uncomfortably in the booth, "Then I've already stayed too long."

"Or not long enough." Alice mused with a smile remembering what Jasper had told her not many days before, "let's not forget our current…guest…" she said looking to Nikki who squirmed saved by Jeannie.

"I've brought your check for whenever you're ready." She said setting it down on the table near Alice.

"Not a thing to talk about yet." Nikki said as Alice pulled her card out again to pay for the meal. "really I mean he's still a member of the Vulturi."

"Bull to you," Raina answered Nikki, "you ought to know better." She said though she took some mercy on her, "But first we figure out what Felix is actually up to then we figure out what's going on in Nikki's head about him hm?" she said looking to Alice who nodded.

"Sure, can do." She said smiling a bit reaching for Raina's hand hesitating at the last second, "Attraction is attraction and it doesn't give two damns if it is appropriate or not or even if it's wanted. Just try to lower your guard and just find out what draws you two together. You can't hurt my feelings by doing it. And if you are going to I'll be the first one to speak up." She promised as they piled out of the booth, "Now as a gesture of good faith let's go get our hair played with by someone who knows what to do with that unruly hair of yours."

Nikki laughed watching as Raina glared a little at Alice's comment, "Be careful there Alice sis hates anyone messing with her hair."

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with cutting it yourself," Raina stuck her tongue out at Rose's horrified expression, "Not everyone gets hair that behaves like yours so nyeh the rest of us get to compensate however works."

Alice turned and smiled, "Come on Raina please let us do this. I promise I know just the place to have your hair done and you'll never want it done anywhere else. I've taken Nikki and Destiny there just ask them they like it." Alice said a hint of a whine in her voice.

"Would you like some cheese to go with the whine you got going there?" Destiny crinkled her nose even as they steered toward the salon regardless, "And yes, they're good but are you sure you really want Raina in an environment with sharp pointy objects and plenty of breakables?"

"Sure why not?" Alice shrugged briefly as she opened the door to the salon, "We're here anyway."

"Brat," Raina hissed at her back as she was dragged along inside.

"Have fun guys I'm going to find a nice place to sit out of the line of danger," Nikki said stepping to the side of the doorway.

"Oh no," If I gotta go in so do you," Destiny's arm snaked around and grabbed her pulling her inside as well.

Nikki snorted as Rose grabbed the other arm helping Nikki in and plopping her down behind her sister who was standing with Alice talking to the receptionist. "I'm going to get you two for this. I had back roll seat where I could see but not get hurt and you two had to drag me front row didn't you." she hissed smiling.

"Hey all the better to see you with." Rose laughed as within a few moments Alice had arranged for basically the takeover of the salon- which Nikki and Destiny noticed that none of the stylists seemed the least bit concerned while Raina noticed the fact that all of the windows were heavily tinted to block the light from outside.

Nikki grinned as the stylists began guiding each of the girls to a seat. "Okay let's see what we can do to make you look beautiful enough for this event you're going to." the stylists muttered picking at Raina's hair and smiling. Nikki was on Raina's right Alice on her left each with the stylist pulling brushes through their hair.

It was a different kind of challenge to remain still as the stylist lifted the straight-edged razor after having her hands through Raina's long, but baby-fine hair and paused, "You're okay with me cutting off about four to six inches off of this? It's a beautiful color."

"So long as there's a way to pull it away from my face I'm all good." Raina decided warily watching the razor in the stylist's hand carefully in the mirror.

"Leave enough to play with," Alice suggested smiling over at the young woman, "she has a hair twirling habit when she gets tired."

"All right then, let me see what I can come up with. I assume too that you prefer a style that can be dressed up or casual with minimal effort." She said gesturing once toward the discarded claw clip on the nearby counter.

"That's me, in a nutshell. Keep it simple, stupid." Raina quipped with a small smirk as the stylist frowned.

"Don't take her personally," Nikki chimed in giggling, "My sister's a compulsive smartass – she can't help herself."

"Oh check you out!" Destiny laughed, "Playing Miss Innocent over there – you're so full of it your baby blues are gonna turn brown!"

Before long the stylist watched as Alice's critical eye examined her work on the new look for Raina's baby-fine hair and nodded as she stood up to spin a moment.

"It'll do," she said approvingly as Raina turned to pick up her clip from the counter and tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear, "it'll do nicely actually to see it down for once."

Raina stuck her tongue tip out at Alice as the pixyish vampire paid for the stylists' time and together the group headed toward home, Alice's mind was full of the things they'd learned and shared together and fuller of possibilities. I really hope this time that these visions are right, they usually are. She thought to herself as they piled into the cars packing the bags securely into the trunk of her car.