Clothe fell in graceful swirls around your legs as you made your way down the stairs to join the congregation of blonde hair the swept across the lavish dining room. Cristal chandeliers hung from the ceiling above your head, casting a brilliant glow around the occupants of the room. You tilted your chin up, smoothing the last wrinkles out of the dress you had been conned into donning for the Greeting before stepping down onto the tile, heals snapping smartly onto the hard surface. Faces turned your way, some smiling, some scowling, some so tense you were sure they would break. You met them all and glided out onto the floor.

Your name was called from your right and you looked over, pausing in your steps as Catherine and Ollivier appeared out of the mass of color and fine clothing. Catherine, as always, looked like she had stepped out of a book of fairy tales, smiling with the radiance of a thousand suns. Ollie looked the opposite, as if she might bite anyone who stepped closer. True to form the Brigadier General was still in uniform, blue and gold standing straight and proving who she was.

"Evening Catherine," you greeted before throwing a sour look at the general to your right, "I don't see why I had to come Ollie."

"Because," her voice whipped with the harsh winds of the north and she cast a critical eye on your other relatives, "if I have to suffer through this horse shit so do you."

Well, you couldn't really argue with that logic. Olivier's hatred of these kind of events was publically known, and you had been charged with keeping her from murdering guests on more than one occasion. Your ability to do so may end soon if you don't stop calling her by that nickname.

"Oh, but this is going to be so much fun!" your younger cousin cried, practically gleaming with delight, "everyone is here and we haven't seen each other in so long!" Catherine's near permanent optimism had never seemed to rub off on you, something that was a bit of a shame. It would be nice if you could see the glass half full all of the time.

"There are some people I would rather not see," you had never agreed with the Briggs woman more in your life. You mother would be arriving tomorrow, Sophie had told you, which was more than you could have hoped for. If only you might keep yourself busy and out of her sight until then.


You pressed your back against the foliage, breathing heavily while your heart pounded in your ears. Shouts sounded from all around and you strained to hear more. There was nothing you were able to distinguish you slowly pushed yourself up, peaking over the edge of a hedge and ducking back down when blue eyes shot in your direction. Shrieks resounded from behind you and you knew you had to move again.

And move you did, scrambling under a low hanging branch and along the path. You could see your way out from there. Just another few hundred yards, a clear sprint. But you would be wide open to an enemy attack, something that Ollie would surely kill you for taking the risk of. But there was no other choice. With a deep breath you launched yourself forward, out into the open.

Shouts of recognition hit your ears as you poured on the speed, feet beating against the manicured lawn. Just a little more…

You never made it. Looking back you never stood a chance, not against them anyway. Ten bodies slammed into yours and you found yourself pinned to ground, the base of a dog pile that consisted of your cousins, Katrina, Amelia, and Richard, as well as you second and third cousins, Xander, James, Jessica, Harold, Guy, and Jonathan, and your brother Leonardo.

To be blunt, you were crushed.

Under ten tiny bodies of your youngest relatives, none older than nine.

"Off, off you foul beats!" you cried, squirming comically under their small forms, limbs tangled everywhere. You managed to get your hands under your chest and push yourself up, children clinging to you every which way. Rich or poor some things were always constant, children being one of them.

"Having trouble there?" you glanced up through tangled hair and fingers to find Olivier standing over you, arms crossed over her chest and saber hanging from her waist. For once she had left her military uniform behind, replacing it with slacks and a loose button up shirt.

"Me? Don't be silly, this game has been- owe! Watch the hair!-passed down through the Armstrong line for generations! Harold get your elbow out of my side," with a mighty groan you threw yourself up, standing and holding your feet under you. All at once they fell off, landing in a tumble on the grass.

"You volunteered for this?" a single blond brow rose and you shrugged, leaning on one hip as the gaggle of children started a game of running around the general.

"Someone had to keep an eye on the munchkins while everyone else was socializing, and no one will go anywhere near Leo after that stunt he pulled last Christmas, which leaves him with me. And while I was at it I figured I might as well keep the rest entertained. Perhaps you'd like to join? We're going to start a game of capture the flag."

From the gleam in her eyes you knew you had made a mistake.


Three hours later and your team had been thoroughly whipped by the newly christened Bears. It was around that time the children were collected by their nannies and you and Olivier, who was in a much better mood now, found yourselves shipped off to get cleaned up before the outdoors lunch.

That part of the day went well enough, your mother pretended you didn't exist and you did the same, hiding between the bulk of Alex and Amue. The same things happened at dinner, and against at breakfast the second morning, and lunch again. Dinner your last night you didn't even bother to go to, taking it in the kitchen with Olivier and, for some reason, Catherine.

It was nice, and when you left in the morning there were no questions about your job or confrontations with you mother. Ollie caught her train a few minutes before you did and before you knew it you were on your way back to Dublith. Thoughts of the town knotted your gut with anxiety and you curled up in your seat, closing your eyes. Maybe it would be easier to just run away again.