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Chapter 18 - Sparring

When I came back into the house, Liam was gawking in stunned surprise at Beto and Mello engaged in a plastic sword fight on the stairs, Ella and Kensey singing a medieval round with Walseka at the top of their lungs while prancing in a circle and Near laying sprawled in the hallway putting together a puzzle and wearing a look of massive disgust. A pretty mild first encounter, really.

"Welcome to Wammy's." I spoke up joining him as Anne tried to quiet the girls down a few decibels before they grabbed her hands to drag her into the dance with them.

Liam turned to face me, his hazel eyes wide. "This is everybody, right? I've counted ten people besides Annie."

Oh how I wished to let him believe this falsehood, but I sighed and shook my head. "There's a few more, but not to worry, they aren't all this boisterous."

"Boisterous." He repeated in a daze, jumping when Beto crashed into him, still brandishing his toy weapon.

"Never surrender!" the tyke piped up as Mello approached, holding his sword out with a humorous sneer.

"Good for you to say so, for I have no mercy." He announced dramatically taking a swipe at Beto and of course hitting Liam instead.

"Yipe!" Liam cried out, clutching his arm.

"MIHAEL!" I shouted, grabbing the sword out of his hand and in one quick motion turning it on him, my fencing tutoring finally being utilized. "Enough is enough!"

Liam staggered a few steps before sinking to his knees, his face taking on an expression of severe pain. "No, no, he got me. It's all over. Annie, Annie luv! Avenge me!" He toppled over to his side and went limp. The kids giggled and my sword clattered to the floor. I truly shouldn't have been surprised.

"Anne," I addressed my sister as her boyfriend lay prostrate on the marble floor. "I think Liam will do fine here. He's as crackers as the rest of us."

Anne twirled Ella in a circle and laughed. "I'm glad you think so!"

I turned to make a droll comment to L but realized he was nowhere to be seen. A mild ache hit my middle as I remembered the last look I'd seen before he had left me speechless outside. It was probably better he had went off on his own when he was in those type of moods, but I was disappointed all the same.

I glanced back down at Liam, still lying on the floor motionless with his tongue hanging out. Near had abandoned his puzzle to stare at him and appeared almost fascinated which certainly took some doing.

"Do you plan to be dead all day or are you going to meet Mr. Wammy?" I asked, my hands on my hips, slightly amused.

"Ah, Annie, is this your young man?"

Liam's eyes flew open as Wammy had come from the west wing, his hands behind his back wearing a rueful smile. He jumped up to his feet and snatched his beanie off of his head holding out his hand. "Er, Mr. Wammy, it's a pleasure to meet you, sir, no, an honor! I hope you don't mind, just having a bit of fun, that's all."

Wammy shook his head gravely. "Well we can't be having that. One person starts having fun and it turns into an epidemic. Difficult to stop that kind of thing, you know." He sternly eyed Liam over the top of his bifocals, most likely terrifying him.

Liam gulped and I hid my smile. Before he could say anything else, Wammy laughed and slapped Liam's back. "Just joshing you, lad! Well, Annie, come here, dear! So this is the elusive Mr. Cornell, eh?"

Anne left the girls and reached the two of them, suddenly shy. "Yes, sir."

"I'm not elusive of my own choosing, mind you," Liam had warmed up to Wammy fairly quickly. Not surprising since they were both horrid pranksters. "She kept postponing my visit. There was the day when she said everyone had the measles..."