Chapter Eight: Practical Jokes

A/N: still overwhelmed by the response, but no new reviews, since that last two chapters, but I am writing and posting this pretty fast.... Eight chapters in and I only started it yesterday!

We spent the night desigining my room, and looking through catalogs. Alice had taken my new measurements and we picked through outfits, and Jane talked about a boutique she knew in milan that she could get access to after hours because it was run by one of our kind. They had briefly discussed shopping, but Alice killed that idea because she did not want to push our luck, well my luck with my control. I had run away from Gianna, but that could have been a fluke. Alice said that it took her years before she could do that. Her visions let her avoid humans at first, plus the world was not as crowded when she was changed.

As the room brightened from the sun coming in through the window, there was a knock on the door. Alice looked at me and said "Don't worry Bella you'll do fine, just let them have their fun!" I gave her a puzzled look as I walked to the door and answered it to see Felix and Demetri there.

"So, Bella, uh, you see... uh..." Felix was stammering. "Spit it out, Alice warned me something was up. What do you want?" Demetri shouldered past Felix and walked into the room. "Well, you are unlike anything, and have control like nobody has ever seen, and we would like to play a practical joke, but we kinda have to hurry."

As the girl in phoenix who didn't fit in I was usually the butt of practical jokes, but nobody did anything really spiteful to me, and I could laugh at a good joke now and again as long as nobody got hurt. "What did you have in mind?" I asked. "Well, Gianna gets in in about 15 minutes, and Felix and I thought that it would be funny to introduce her to our newest member in a memorable way...."

I was not sure I liked where this was heading but Alice had said to go ahead, so it can't be too bad, she wouldn't let me do something evil. "Oh,,,,, Alright..."

"Excellent!!"Felix exclaimed pumping his fist into the air. "So," Demetri began "Felix and I hide in the cloak room in the lobby next to Gianna's desk. And we put the word out for everyone to stay out of the lobby this morning, and once Gianna gets comfortable you stalk into the room and say hello!"

Now that was positively awful, I glanced at Alice, and she was nodding and all smiles, and in spite of myself I gave a little laugh. "OK, I'll do it, but you guys will owe me big time! And you had better stop me if I lose control!" They both began laughing "This is going to be hilarious, we already moved the surveillance cameras to get it all!"

We left my room and walked to the lobby. When Felix and Demetri were in place, Alice Jane and I went to the security room to watch the lobby feed and wait for Gianna. Jane was smiling ear to ear in a grin that put the Cheshire cat to shame. "I can't wait, this is going to be hilarious! I hate that Gianna. When she first started she made the mistake of talking to me like I was a child, I know I am small, but I am hundreds of years old! And of course Aro wouldn't let me zap her! I shouldn't have asked first...."

"Uh, we aren't going to get into trouble are we?" I asked "No, it isn't like Demetri and Felix would let you get around or over the desk at Gianna, and despite your newborn strength they could hold you long enough for her to get away if you did snap!" After Jane said that I felt better, I was going to be careful, but I was going to enjoy this too. I still remember when I first got here how smug Gianna was and how she flirted back at Felix, like she was so superior for being in on the secret.

On the monitor in front of us we watched Gianna walk in and put her purse in the drawer and log into her computer. She picked up the phone and call Aro. "Master, I am here, I will have your morning correspondence done before 8am. Is there anything else you need me to do before then?" a pause as Aro answered then "Very well master, I will have that for you right away."

Jane took off her cloak and handed it to me "Here, this is a little small, but put it on, Gianna won't notice, and it will allow you to cross the lobby and get close to her before she realizes something is very wrong!" I grabbed the cloak and after looking at Alice and seeing her nod and shoo me from the room "Go! You are going to be fine Bella!"

I put the hood up and let it hang over my face blocking my identity from Gianna as I glided into the lobby, "glided" me I was still coming to terms with being graceful. As I approached the reception desk, Gianna continued to type. When I stood in front of the desk she looked up and I pushed my hood back. "Hello Gianna!, my don't you smell nice this morning!" She gulped. I heard her heart falter then began pounding. "UHHHH, Bella, right?" I smiled at her, flashing my dazzling teeth "Yes, good memory Gianna. I was wondering, they said I should see you about arranging something to eat........" I let the unspoken threat hand in the air. I could almost read her mind I could see the panic in her features, as she tried to figure out what she had done wrong that would cause them to sacrifice her to a newborn. I growled and leaned menacingly over the desk. I could hear Alice and Jane Giggling in the security room down the hall, and Felix and Demetri in the closet behind her. Her heart was pounding and her eyes suddenly rolled back and she fainted. That is when I lost it. I did the literal rolling on the floor laughing. Demetri and Felix came out of the closet and Alice and Jane joined us all laughing.

When into the lobby strode Caius, and he did not appear amused, as usual. "OOPS!" said Jane.....

"Just what is the meaning of this!" Screamed Caius.......