Sluuuurp.

Edgar jumped a little at the noise and looked up. Nny was staring at him, sipping at a cherry freezie. He'd been following him all along. He must have actually stopped at the gas mart on the way, after all he did have one of his precious freezies. So maybe they took the car. Todd was standing just behind him, peering at Edgar in that way that said he was worried. Just great. He brought Squee…er, Todd.

"This doesn't look like the gas-mart." Nny stated, looking around.

"Are you okay Mr. Edgar?"

"I'm…I'm fine." He lied.

Todd looked like he might cry. Edgar felt terrible. What was it that he had planned anyways? Was he just going to abandon this poor boy and leave him all alone with Nny? Granted Nny would never hurt him but…but Todd just wouldn't believe that, probably ever. He needed someone to take care of him. As guilty as Edgar felt he also was furious with Nny for using this against him. He knew that Edgar hated fighting in front of Todd, and that he would avoid it at all costs. Johnny knew it, he knew. Edgar could see that smug little smirk working its way onto his face. Two could play at that game. Edgar turned to Todd and in a flash had worked the car keys out of Johnny's pocket.

"How bout you go wait in the car while Nny and I talk?"

"Um, o'tay." He mumbled.

"Lock the doors and scream really loud if someone tries to break in, okay?"

"O'tay."

"Can I get a hug?"

Todd rushed out from behind Nny and into Edgar's arms. Smiling Edgar pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head. After that he let him go, gently nudging him in the direction of the door. When Edgar glanced up at Nny he hoped to see the smirk gone, but yet it was still there, even after Todd courteously shut the front door behind him.

"Aren't you the perfect parent?" Johnny sneered, "Don't you mean, while your father and I argue?"

Edgar stood, his fists clenched at his sides. "Why did you bring Todd?"

"Why shouldn't I have?" Nny retorted.

"You know why!" Edgar yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the maniac.

"Do I now?"

"You use him like a little shield, because you know that I won't fight with you in front of him!"

"You say that like I'm afraid of you!"

Edgar didn't respond to that, he merely snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. Nny growled and lunged towards him. They both fell to the floor. The only real discomfort Edgar received from the action was having the wind knocked out of him. Despite his disturbingly skeletal frame, Nny had managed to tackle him at a high enough speed to do that much. At first Edgar was preparing himself for the smiley face swords he knew so well. But when Nny hauled back one tiny, effeminate fist Edgar couldn't help himself. He laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" Nny screeched. Edgar could tell he was truly infuriated; his voice had reached its all time high.

"You!" Edgar stuttered out.

"Stop it!" His assailant shrieked. One tiny fist crashed into his jaw and made his face smack into the carpet.

Edgar almost wished he could stop; but after Nny had hit him his howling laughter turned into a case of the giggles. It hadn't hurt at all. Well, granted it had hurt a bit, he'd probably have a bruise but, compared to the bone cracking agony of the machine he'd been set up in? It was nothing. Still, all the same he had no desire to have Nny keening like a banshee while he continued to batter his face with his small ineffectual fists. Eventually he might knock a tooth out. Someday.

He reached up and caught Nny's fist in his hand and smirked at him. "You done?"

"Done? What do you mean, done?"

"Oh and could you stop that?"

"WHAT?"

Edgar cringed at the noise. "That god awful racket."

"Maybe I should just leave you alone to be invisible again."

No. Nny no longer appeared enraged. In fact, he looked like he'd calmed down a great deal. He regarded Edgar with a twitch to his lips, like he might laugh, or cry, or yell. He wasn't sure which it would be.

"After all, that's why you came back here wasn't it?" Nny growled. "You ran away cuz you're just like the rest of them. You say you'll stay, you change my life around, and you bring Squee into it and then decide that you're going to leave?"

"I should have done this ages ago!" He'd started out calmly and slowly escalated back to his previous trill. Suddenly his swords were in his hands and Edgar felt panic consume him.

He threw himself forward, using his left elbow to jab into Nny's ribs and push him off of him. He got to his feet and was torn. His head was jumbled from the adrenaline but he still had a few coherent thoughts. Most of them involved Todd. He couldn't just run, but what if he fought back and hurt Nny? There wasn't a chance of calming him down at this point. Edgar whirled around and barely avoided a sword aimed for his neck. The last time he got a hold of Nny and got him to relinquish his swords had been blind luck; Edgar could admit that to himself now. He backed away, ducking and dodging until he felt the kitchen counter stab into his back. He reached around behind his back, and finding nothing lost all ability to think. He pulled his head back and then wrenched it forward into Nny's face. He heard a crack and hoped it hadn't come from him.

For a few minutes all Edgar could see was stars. His head ached abysmally and his vision was a little blurry. When he'd felt like he could see again and wouldn't fall over if he let go of the kitchen counter, Edgar looked around. He took only a few steps and managed to fall to the ground. Groaning he propped himself up on one hand and stared at the floor. Nny was lying on the floor, unconscious, blood spreading across the linoleum from under his head. Edgar could see that blood was dribbling out of his mouth. All he could think to do was to grab Nny by the neck and hold him up so that the blood in his mouth could spill onto the floor instead of into his windpipe. There he sat, his hand clasped around Nny's neck, his body limp. What now?