A Good Edd Is Hard To Find
Summary:
The Ed's encounter with Bro takes a dark turn as the savage sibling concocts a dangerous game for Eddy and Double D. The race is on for Ed, Eddy and the kids of the cul-de-sac to save Edd from Eddy's brother. Friendships will be questioned. Sanity will be strained. Will the Eds be separated for good?
Triggers include Pedophilia, Child Grooming, Child Abuse, Sexual Assualt, Possible Dub-Con, Drunken Behavior, Alcohol Abuse, and Physical and Verbal Abuse. Other warnings include Violence and Language.
Pairings include BroEdd and EddyEdd. Subtle Hints at other pairings, but BroEdd and EddyEdd are the main two that will be focused on it.
This is being co-written by DuoXKouga and Battygirl.
Authors' Notes:
DuoXKouga: We're still alive.. Deepest apologies to everyone for the long delay! I've been really sick lately and have been unable to do my part. So sorry...
Battygirl: Hey look! We're not dead, see! I apologize profusely for the delay in updating. I just finished my last week of this past semester and it was pretty rough and then DuoXKouga kept getting sick and…just so much getting in the way. I'm off for the summer, though, so we'll try to work more towards the fic. Anyway, we hope you enjoy the chapter, but maybe try to leave a comment if you can. Even a nice message is welcome for a new chapter.
Chapter 14: A House Is Not An Edd
"And…here we are…" Eddy sighs, glad to be finished with their tale.
He's leaning back against the chair he's sitting in, looking exhausted just from describing the events leading up to this moment. He'd been careful to leave out any and all mentions regarding the specifics of what Terry had done to Edd while the boy had been captive. As far as he's concerned, it's none of her business to know that. Still, after everything he had revealed, Grace is sitting in a chair opposite him, her hand over her mouth as she gives him a thoughtful look. Her other hand rests on her knee as she anxiously bounces her leg. The group can tell just from looking at her that she's unnerved by what she's heard. After a few moments of silence, she finally speaks.
"Why didn't you kids go to the police?" she asks, her voice shaking slightly.
Eddy fidgets uncomfortably and shrugs.
"Like I said…my brother told us we couldn't…" he replies, "We were scared he'd hurt Double D. Guess it didn't really matter either way, though…"
Grace sighs softly and cards her fingers through her hair, pulling a few strands loose from the messy ponytail. She rises to her feet.
"I need a smoke…" she grumbles as she walks to the door, rubbing her eyes tiredly.
When she's out the door Eddy rises to his feet as well. He notices, briefly, that the sun has set completely by now. The darkness outside is broken only just by lights on tall posts scattered about the trailer park. He turns to the hallway. He should really check on Edd…
Before he can enter the hall, however, Marie steps in his path.
"Hold on there, shrimpy," she snarls, "I wanna see my boyfriend!"
"Not a good time, Kanker," Eddy spits back through his teeth.
"Oh no," she snaps, "Not again. I've waited long enough! I wanna see my Pumpkin now!"
Eddy groans, tugging at his hair in anger. He returns his attention back to Marie to scream at her, only to find Ed standing behind her, looking concerned. The larger boy pushes past her and approaches Eddy before leaning down to whisper into his ear.
"Eddy, Double D wants to talk to you," he nearly whimpers. He's still upset about everything that's happened and it's most evident in his voice. "B-Back in the room…"
Eddy regards him carefully before nodding to him.
"Alright, Ed," he replies, "Let's go." He glances at Marie and casts her a half-hearted a sneer. "You wait out here, got it?"
"No!" Marie argues, "I want to see—"
"Shut up!" Eddy demands, "Fuck me…I'll bring him out in a second, alright. Just stay here and shut the fuck up."
Marie pouts as he stomps past her to walk down the hallway. Upon reaching the door, he knocks on the wood.
"Dee?" he calls softly, "You okay in there?"
A moment later, the door opens slightly and Edd peeks out. He glances around a bit to be sure Ed and Eddy are alone.
"P-Please, come in," he stutters, stepping aside to let them in.
Eddy glances back at Ed.
"Wait out here, okay, big guy?" he asks gently, "Make sure that Kanker bitch doesn't try anything stupid."
Ed nods affirmatively as Eddy enters the room, shutting it behind himself. In the room, Eddy can see what Edd had chosen to wear. A simple polo shirt and baggy shorts. There didn't seem to be any shoes that fit him, leaving the boy to stand barefoot in the room, but the clothes are at least an improvement. Unfortunately, the hatted boy is looking rather uncomfortable.
"You okay?" Eddy asks hesitantly.
He realizes that it's a stupid question, but he's not sure what else he can say at this point. Edd shifts a bit on his feet, rubbing his arm nervously.
"Why…Why would you go to such lengths for me?" he asks shyly.
"What do you mean?" Eddy asks, confused.
Edd shrugs; "I heard you talking to that woman…Everything you and the others went through…All for me. Why?"
Eddy's eyes go wide.
"Why?!" he gawks, "The heck do you mean 'why'?!"
Edd bows his head ashamedly, wincing at his tone. Eddy's taken aback when he spots this. He hasn't seen Edd this uncertain since…No, he can't recall such a time. Even when they'd argued in the swamp, Edd still looked confident. Still looked sure of himself, even when his friends had taken advantage of him and later, when all was forgiven. He grits his teeth, silently cursing whatever his brother had done to Edd to take away what little confidence the boy had.
His shoulders relax and fall as he takes a deep breath to calm himself. He can't get angry. Now's not the time for that. When he's calm, he returns his focus to Edd. Stepping forward, he grabs Edd's arms gently, drawing the taller boy's attention.
"Look, Edd," he paused, trying to choose his words carefully, "You…You're my best friend. There's no way I could have just left you behind."
"But…after all you've gone through…"
"Doesn't matter," Eddy snaps back, "Me and Ed weren't about to just abandon you like that. You said it yourself back at the swamp. We're all we have." He grins as he takes another deep breath. "And nobody breaks up the Eds."
A small smile breaks out on Edd's face before he throws his arms around his smaller companion in a tight hug. Eddy grins, returning the hug as gently as possible. They remain for a few moments, enjoying the small moment of reprieve.
It's broken, unfortunately, by a loud bickering out in the living area.
"Calm down, Marie!" Lee's muffled voice attempts to soothe.
"No!" Marie's voice wails back, "I've been patient! I've waited long enough! I wanna see my Double D!"
Edd cringes at the sound of her screams, clinging tighter to Eddy. The shorter boy groans in annoyance and pulls himself away from the hug to glare at the door. Fucking bitch…
He glances back at Edd hesitantly; "You okay to go out there? She's just gonna keep bitching and moaning until you do, but me and Ed can try to shut her up if you'd rather hang out back here…"
Edd looks to consider it for a moment.
"DOUBLE D!" Marie's voice shrieks.
Edd winces again, but gives a weak nod regardless.
"I…suppose I could make the effort…" he mumbles.
Eddy can see the uncertainty in his eyes, but decides to take the chance. If nothing else, they can sequester themselves back in this room should this little meeting take a bad turn.
Eddy takes Edd's shaking hand in his own, giving the anxious boy a moment to collect himself before opening the door. Ed's startled by their sudden exit and steps aside. His eyes are locked on Edd, watching for any signs of distress. He's tense as Eddy leads Edd down the hallway. Even Ed, simple as he is, can see how uncomfortable the smarter boy is right now. He doesn't like it one bit.
As they exit the hallway, Edd shrinks in on himself some. He can feel the eyes shift to settle on him. A wave of sickness washes over him, compounding his discomfort. Despite this, he does not succumb to his nausea. Taking a few deep breaths, he tries to calm himself.
"Double D!" Marie sobs, startling him.
He clings to Eddy's arm, bracing himself as she rushes toward him. She grabs his arm none too gently and yanks him into a tight, painful hug. Edd whimpers as she clings to him. There are tears in her eyes, but a wicked grin on her lips.
"I missed you so much, boyfriend!" she cries, nuzzling him.
Edd winces as her grip tightens. She pushes him away just enough to look down at him as he cowers.
"How about a kiss, cutie?" she coos.
Edd's eyes are wide as a different voice echoes in his mind at those words. Not Marie's shrill, feminine tone, but a deep, scratching voice that he's sure will haunt him for the remainder of his days. His heart races as he struggles against her grip.
"N-No! No!" he gasps, "L-Let go of me! Stay back!"
Marie's startled as he wrenches himself away from her. It's not the typical reaction she and her sisters receive from the Eds. Sure, the boys would scamper from them, screaming, but never in terror such as this. Edd clambers over to his taller companion, hiding behind him and weeping. He clutches his hat desperately, tugging it down over his eyes and ears.
Gritting his teeth, Eddy steps into Marie's way when she makes a move towards Edd. The shorter Ed shoves her away as the tallest begins ushering their shaking friend back to the bedroom.
"Back off, Marie!" he snaps.
"But I was just—"
"He doesn't wanna see you, alright?!" he growls, "Leave him alone!"
Without waiting for her to counter, Eddy races back to the bedroom to check on Edd.
"You okay, Sockhead?" he asks as he shuts the door behind him.
When he turns to look at his two friends, he finds Edd quaking on the floor, holding the sides of his head and sobbing into Ed's jacket. Ed's wrapped his arms around him, doing his best to comfort the boy.
Leaving the door, Eddy rushes to Edd's side and kneels beside him. Ed gives him a helpless look, unsure how he can offer any comfort to his dear friend. Eddy winces. Of course he can't help. As far as Eddy's aware, Ed doesn't even completely understand what's happened to their shivering comrade. Terry may have blatantly told them, but Eddy's not one hundred percent certain that their simple friend would have been able to comprehend any of it, let alone know what he can do to help the boy.
Of course, he's not sure what he can do either…
"D-Double D…" Ed whimpers shakily, "Are you okay?"
Edd doesn't respond. Tears are falling fast past the fabric of the hat, cascading down his cheeks as the boy tries desperately to calm his breathing. With little other option, Eddy resolves himself to rubbing Edd's back, hoping the action would be enough to soothe him.
It takes several minutes, but Edd's sobbing eventually dwindles away to a few hiccuping breaths and sniffles. His grip on his hat has slackened and his hands have fallen to his lap. He's still leaning against Ed, face buried in his friend's jacket. It's unnerving for his friends to witness, as Edd barely seems bothered by how filthy the garment actually is in favor of keeping his face hidden.
Finally, Edd sits up, rubbing fiercely at his eyes to wipe away the tears.
"M-My apologies…" he mumbles, "What you both must think of me…crumbling into a blubbering mess over something as miniscule as that…"
Eddy rubs the back of his neck uneasily.
"Don't sweat it, Sockhead…" he shrugs, "It's that stupid Kanker who fucked up." He flashes a smirk at Ed. "Aint that right, Lumpy?"
Ed nods, giving his own usual, goofy grin. Looking between them both, Edd smiles gratefully.
"Thank you…" he breathes, "I don't know what I'd do without you two here…"
Eddy puffs his chest out proudly; "Forget about it, Sockhead. Like I said; nobody breaks up the Eds."
Ed throws his arms around his smaller companion in a tight hug.
"We'll always be here for you, Double D!" he cries, sounding happy for the first time in days.
Edd giggles a bit at the overzealous embrace as Ed nuzzles him affectionately. It's so refreshing to finally relax with his dear friends again.
The bliss doesn't last long, though, as they hear a bit of a ruckus going on outside. The sounds of cars pulling up to the trailer, followed by a few honks. The boys share a look before rising slowly to their feet. As they exit the room and walk down the hall, Edd looks more and more uncomfortable.
Entering the living area, they find the trailer deserted. A wave of fear washes over the three. For a mere moment, they worry that the new arrival is, in fact, a malevolent one.
"Kevin!" A female voice cries in relief, "My baby!"
Their worries are assuaged in that motherly display. It really is their parents. With that in mind, the three shuffle over to the door, bracing themselves for the onslaught of overprotective clinging. They're nearly blinded when they first step out. A few of the headlights are aimed right for the door and were left on by the adults fresh on the scene. After a moment to adjust, they can observe the groups around them.
Kevin is being held in a vice grip by his mother. A tall woman with fiery red hair wearing a leather jacket over her tight-fitting blouse and torn jeans. She's sobbing as she kisses all over his face and as his father kneels beside her, joining the embrace as best he can. The man looks like the typical biker; worn leather jacket with spiked studs on the shoulders over a dingy wife beater and baggy jeans. He has shaggy ginger hair, which looks closer to brunette in the little light. Behind the three is a beautifully maintained motorcycle, confirming the family's biker status. The man looks nothing like what Edd would have expected of an employee of a candy factory, though it doesn't surprise him to see the shared interest in bikes. The red-head's cap has fallen to the ground from his mother clutching him tight. He looks to be trying to maintain a tough facade, but is crumbling fast as he succumbs quickly to the feeling of his mother's arms and kisses.
Rolf is farther away, sandwiched between an older couple. He is standing, chest puffed out as he regales them with the tale of their excursion and of his bravery in the face of danger. The older man, though trying to appear standoffish, cannot hide the proud grin that is creeping onto his face at the boy's actions and how well he'd cared for the others in his stead. The Eds just barely overhear him praising their little shepherd for showing such great care to his wayward flock.
The Kankers are huddled far opposite Rolf's small reunion with a single woman. Even if the girls weren't near her, the boys would be able to guess her relation. The Kanker matriarch is a salty-looking lady with a gruff voice. They can just barely make out an anchor tattoo on her right arm, revealed by the rolled up sleeves of her work shirt. Her straight, red hair is pulled up in a tight pony tail and her bangs rest over her eyes. She's looking to her girls with pride, praising them for the lengths they'd gone to protect their boyfriends.
"Ed!" the boys are startled at the shrill voice that calls suddenly through the night.
Their attention is brought up to a blonde woman wearing a frilly dress stepping out of one of the cars. The makeup she's wearing is heavily applied over her eyes and lips and she looks none-too thrilled to be there. Out the driver's side of the car steps a red-haired man with a scruffy-looking beard and wearing blue coveralls covered in oil stains. He looks more concerned than the woman and is quick to run forward past her.
"Mom!" Ed cries tearfully, throwing his arms out and running to them, "Dad!"
He runs into his dad's arms first, which Edd is startled to find. Ed's mother, upon reaching him, looks less angry as she joins the hug, momentarily satisfied in her joy of having her son back in her arms. Ed pulls himself away from them for a brief moment.
"D-Did Sarah make it home?!" he sobs, "Is she okay?!"
Ed's mother bristles a bit and she opens her mouth to yell at him before the boy's father intervenes.
"She's just fine Ed," he assures him, "Nazz brought her home safe and sound."
"You should have stayed with her, Ed," the woman scolds.
Ed tries to make an excuse to explain why he couldn't, but Edd and Eddy don't hear it. It's at this moment that another woman's voice breaks through the reverie.
"Eddy!" the shortest Ed's mother cries as she scoops the boy into her arms, a cigarette falling, discarded to the ground, "Oh! My sweet little baby!"
"Mom!" Eddy whines, trying to play it off, "C'mon, mom! Not in front of the guys!"
His mother doesn't hear him; "My baby! My baby! I was so worried about you! Running away like that! Not even a note! I was so scared!"
A larger woman, she's wearing a pink, pinstripe dress and her brunette hair is held back by a red bandana. Eddy's father approaches shortly after. He looks angry, but there's still relief in his eyes as he starts scolding Eddy for running off the way he did.
Edd chuckles a bit. It really is sweet that the parents are so affectionate with their children. Punishments will surely be meted out — he can see the urge to punish alight in Ed's mother's eyes — but for now, it seems that they're just glad to have their 'babies' safe in their arms again.
"Eddward!"
Edd cringes at the tone of his own mother's voice. It seems they've finally arrived on the scene…Brow furrowed, he turns to his parents as they approach him. For a moment, he considers running to them for the inevitable 'loving family embrace' like the rest of his friends had. He hesitates, however, upon seeing the angry looks in their disapproving eyes. Where relief and affection filled the faces of the other adults, Edd can only find in his own parent's expression disappointment, irritation and — his heart throbs in hurt — shame.
Both are very tall and slender as well, adding to their imposing appearance. The two are wearing neatly pressed suits. Edd imagines they must have come straight from work. Their black hair is well-kept and neatly combed and the glasses pushed up the bridges of their noses are spotless, offering no obstruction to the angry looks they're giving their shivering son. Edd shrinks in on himself, bowing his head contritely as they stand before him.
"Look at you!" his mother scolds, "You are absolutely filthy! And where are your clothes?! And your shoes!"
Edd wrings his hands together, not sure how to tell them. He opens his mouth to explain, when his mother raises her hand to silence him.
"Never mind," she sighs, "It's not important." She bears down on him. "Your father and I are told you were abducted from an amusement park. Is this true?"
"Y-Yes…" Edd stutters meekly, "E-Eddy's older brother, Ter…T-Terry…He—"
"Do not stutter, Eddward," his father interrupts.
"Eddward, do you understand why this happened?" mother asks.
Edd's caught off guard by that.
"Wha…What?" he mumbles.
"You ran away from home," his mother explains, "This is what happens to naughty children who disobey their parents."
The boy is flabbergasted by her words, but is unable to argue as his father continues.
"You ran away from home," he lists, "You left a tremendous mess throughout the house that your mother and I had to spend hours of our busy schedule cleaning up, and you left the front door standing wide open; allowing a plethora of thieves and any manner of animals and insects into our home."
Edd's shoulders slump as he absorbs this.
"And because you ran away from home," his mother adds, "You made yourself susceptible to the possibility of someone taking advantage of a misbehaving child."
Said child cannot offer a cohesive response.
"You see, Eddward?" his mother sighs, "Your actions have consequences."
The boy's jaw drops. He can hardly believe what he's hearing. His fault. That's what they're saying. Everything that happened to him — everything that Terry had done to him — had been his fault. He feels sick.
"Well, Eddward?" his father presses, drawing the boy to return his focus to them.
His mother's hands are on her hips, "Are you going to just stand there, mouth agape? Or are you going to take responsibility for your actions?"
Edd bows his head in disbelief. He looks down at his own body. He runs his hands over the bruises that are easily seen on his arms. Moves his fingers to ghost over his face. A bit of pressure. He flinches. Yes, the bruises on his face that he can so clearly remember from the mirror are indeed there. He's bathed in the bright headlights from the cars. Surely they can see them? His breathing is labored some as he begins to hyperventilate in his desperation. He glances at his friends. The others are far too distracted by the kind words and loving embraces from their own families. A pang of envy accosts him. How badly he wishes he could receive the same treatment.
"Eddward!"
His attention snaps immediately back to his parents, who are nearly glaring at him for daring to remain silent to their statements.
"Do not ignore me!" his mother demands, her voice wavering slightly.
"P-Please…" he begs tearfully, "Didn't…D-Didn't you miss me at all? Wuh…Weren't you at all worried when you heard what had happened to me?"
They're visibly taken aback by the sudden questions, but attempt to write it off.
"Well of course we did, Eddward," father assures him, "And of course we were worried about your safety…"
In his hurt, Edd finds no sincerity in his tone.
"We're just…so terribly disappointed in your lack of judgement," his mother explains with a weary sigh, "We expected so much more from you."
Edd grabs the edges of his hat, bowing his head. His parents had never been very affectionate towards him — or each other, for that matter — but he always believed they still loved him. They loved him, but they wouldn't show it well, or perhaps didn't know how to show it.
Now, however, he begins to question it. Surely, if they loved him, they wouldn't scold him like this after everything he'd been through. They may not know the extent of his ordeal, but surely they should be more considerate knowing that their only child had been abducted? Can they not see his bruises? Can they not judge from his appearance that he's been through a hell they can only imagine? Isn't the immediate reaction upon seeing their child in such a condition to express concern? Isn't the proper response to being reunited to show relief and love?
Instead, he finds himself receiving none of that. Terry's words ring in his head. Sounds like your folks don't give a damn either way…Who the fuck would come for you…You ain't good for much more than fucking. Who would waste their time trying to rescue some fuck toy…No one else would ever want a worthless little thing like you…
Eddy watches from his mother's arms. His blood boils with each cold statement Edd's parents make to their son. He can see Edd shaking, his shoulders hunching as he tugs his hat down in his anxiety. The boy is breaking down again and his parents just keep making it worse and pushing him closer and closer to that breaking point. Growling, Eddy manages to wriggle from his mother's grasp. Ignoring her protests, he runs to Edd and stands between the crumbling boy and his parents.
"Back off!" he demands, "Don't you think he's been through enough?!"
Edd's mother is unfazed, and even appears incensed by the boy's audacity.
"You would do well to stay out of this!" she demands, "I would hazard a guess that you are the one who influenced our son to run from home to begin with. You always have been a horrible influence on our Eddward. I imagine it's your fault all of this happened."
Eddy falters. She's not wrong about that…
"Come along, Eddward," the woman sneers, "We must get you home right away to get you cleaned up."
Edd's father pushes Eddy aside and puts his hand on Edd's shoulder. The meek boy doesn't fight as he's led to their car. He tries to think positively as he's settled into the back seat. At least they'd personally come to pick him up. That's a sign of love, right? His parents take their seats up front, speaking between each other.
"Perhaps we can still return to work after dropping Eddward off at home?" mother suggests, "Do you think they will pardon our absence until then?"
"I can't say," father sighs, "We did waste a great deal of time with this venture. I fear it may take a lot of effort to convince them to overlook our unscheduled egress. But they may understand given the circumstances."
Whatever his mother says next in response, Edd doesn't hear it. A burden. That's how they see this — how they see him. They hadn't stated it explicitly, but the boy can read it in their expressions. He bites his lip, trying not to cry. The physical pain Terry had inflicted upon him was nothing compared to this. Never before has he felt so…alone.
Eddy watches the car pull away. He wants to scream at those two more than anything. However, he admits that, as long as Edd is safe, it's fine. He's going home now with his parents and far away from his brother.
…His brother…
It hits Eddy like a ton of bricks and he wheels around to face his parents again.
"Mom! Dad!" he cries, "We gotta go! We gotta go find Bro!"
"What?!" his mother gawks, "Haven't you seen enough of that horrible little —"
"Honey," his father sneers, "I'm pretty sure he means we need to deal with Terry."
The woman pouts, looking less than thrilled.
"But we just got our baby back!" she whines.
"Yeah, but Terry's gone too damn far this time," the man snaps back, "We gotta deal with this now." He glances at Eddy. "Get in the car. We're goin' to find yer brother."
Eddy doesn't need to be told twice. He races to the car, waving a quick goodbye and a 'see ya later' to Ed before climbing into the back seat. His parents join him shortly after thanking Grace for watching their children while they drove out this way. They start up the car and, within moments, they're off.
Eddy gives them directions as best he can. They can't take the car into the woods the same way he and the others had traveled, leaving Eddy and his parents to find a different route. It feels like ages to the boy. His knuckles are white as he grips the leather on his mother's seat. He dreads what will happen when they find Terry again. What will the man say? Would he try to twist it around on Eddy? Who would his parents believe? Given his brother's track record, Eddy doubts highly that they'd buy into whatever the abusive adult would say, but the anxiety is still there.
Finally, they pull up to the trailer. The lights illuminate the purple-painted metal and the door standing open. Eddy feels his heart drop into his gut.
The van's gone.
He doesn't wait for his father to stop the vehicle before racing out toward the trailer. Ignoring his mother's protests, he barges in.
"Bro!" he cries, "Bro, get out here, now!"
No response. There's no sign of life in the trailer at all. He runs down the hall. A peek in the bathroom. The plaid jacket is gone. To the bedroom. The light is still on, the sheets still strewn about, but no sign of an occupant. It looks as though the place had been abandoned for a couple of hours. After inspecting the trailer as thoroughly as he can, Eddy races back outside. Panic has taken him and he can't hold the tears back.
Terry's gone.
Edd sat still the entire way home. His parents never glanced back to look at him and he could only look down at his hands as they rode home in silence. He looks up when light seeps into the window. Outside, he can see street lights, indicating that they had entered their small town. It won't be long before they reached the cul-de-sac. Soon enough, he watches as they quickly pass the familiar houses until they reach the Rethink Avenue.
When they finally pull into the driveway, the boy feels no less upset. The car shakes as the engine cuts off, and his parents open their doors to step out. Unbuckling himself, he slips out of the car and looks up at his mother, wincing as she takes him by the arm. She leads him up the walkway as his father unlocks the door.
Once inside, she lets go of his arm and turns to look at him. She steps out of her shoes before slipping on her slippers. His father follows suit before heading for the kitchen. Before Edd can enter the house, his mother shoves the bunny slippers that had also been waiting by the door towards him
"Put these on your filthy feet," she demands, "so you do not soil the clean carpet."
He obeys the order, of course, and follows them further into the house after closing and locking the front door behind him. He follows his mother, a little hesitant as she approaches the stairs. She glances back over her shoulder at her son, motioning for him to hurry up. He rushes after her.
Following her upstairs, he's lead to the bathroom. She pulls out a towel from the closet after flipping the switch on along the wall, flooding the room with light.
"Run a bath for yourself, Eddward," she instructs, her tone hard and a bit sharp as she sets the towel on the counter. He winces a bit, but nods as she turns back to the door. "I will return shortly with a suitable change of clothes for you."
After she leaves, Edd turns the tap for the bath to start the water running. He tests the temperature until it's warm without being too hot. Closing the lid on the toilet seat, Edd sits down to wait. He swallows down the lump in his throat. The last few baths he's had have been far less than pleasant, but he feels to exhausted emotionally to remain upright in another shower. At least he can sit and relax for a while in the bath. A moment later, his mother returns, a set of folded pajamas and a fresh pair of bunny slippers resting in her arms. She places the bundle onto the counter before turning to him. She gives him a look that he can't describe. A mixture of sorrow, anger, and disappointment. With a sigh, she turns to step out of the room again.
"Clean yourself up, Eddward," she requests wearily, "You are absolutely filthy."
With that said, she shuts the door and Edd listens as she walks away. His heart sinks into his stomach and his shoulders slump as a wave of despair washes over him. His parents are absolutely furious with him. He had hoped so desperately that they would give him the slightest bit of affection when they returned home, but he realizes now that it may have been a far-fetched desire.
Resolutely, he turns back to the tub and shuts off the water once it's reached a decent level. There's no use dwelling on that now. Perhaps after a bath, he can spend some time with them before bed? After slipping his hat off rather reluctantly, he turns his attention to the clothes, pulling the shirt off and unbuttoning the pants. The shorts slide down to the floor to pool around his ankles, the borrowed underwear following shortly after. Bending down, he picks up the discarded clothing and folds them before setting them aside.
He steps into the tub, the water sloshing around his body as he leans back, relaxing for the first time since his escape. Again, he find himself reminded of the baths he'd taken back at the trailer. A shiver races up his spine and he feels a wave of nausea accost him. He shakes his head of such thoughts to banish them from his mind as he grabs the bar of soap. Washing himself would prove the perfect distraction. Lathering his hands, he begins the tedious task of scrubbing himself down.
His hands shake as his fingers graze over the numerous bruises that cover his body. He follows the trail as they travel lower and lower. When his gazes reaches the large gathering of bruises at his hips, the memories accost him. He doesn't even realize that tears have started to fall down his cheeks as he begins washing his skin rather harshly. Filthy! Filthy! Filthy!
Sounds like your folks don't give a damn either way if all they do is get pissed at you for stupid shit like that…
Edd flinches as Terry's voice echos through his head and he stops scrubbing. His skin aches and has turned a bright red. He brings his knees up to his chest, hands reaching up to grab at his hair. He tries to forget those cold, cruel words as the tears fall faster.
If your folks cared so much, you wouldn't be worrying about cleaning up after yourself when you run away from home…
Edd stifles his cries as he tries to comfort himself. Terry can't hurt me…His heart is racing as he tries to reinforce his own thoughts. I'm home. I'm home…Safe and sound and far…far away from that horrible man.
Terry's voice won't stop ringing in his ears.
Your parents ain't comin' for you — if they even know or care that you're gone…
His parents had come for him though. They had come for him and brought him home to safety. Their disappointed faces flash in his mind, making those positive thoughts diminish. They didn't act like they cared. In fact, he recalls that it seemed more like a burden for them. Perhaps Terry had been right…? The mere thought makes him even more miserable.
He's more sluggish in his movements as he robotically returns to washing himself. Once he's thoroughly scrubbed clean, Edd rises from the tub and drains the water. He dries himself off slowly before pulling on the pajamas that were left by his mother. He slips the new bunny slippers back on before tidying up the bathroom.
Gathering up the dirty clothes and soiled bunny slippers, he turns the light off and exits the bathroom. He makes a quick detour down the hall, depositing the clothes and slippers into his designated laundry shoot. Once he's laundered the garments, he'll be certain to send them back to that lovely woman in the trailer park with a well-written thank you note.
He retreats to his room for a moment. On the bed, he sees the suitcase he'd prepared before their excursion and the clothing he'd set out have gone. A quick glance into his closet and dresser drawers solves that mystery, revealing them to have been neatly stored away. The mass of notes he'd been writing, only to fold up and discard, are also gone. It would seem that, in his absence, his parents had cleaned up here too. There had been a mess when Ed had barged in. He supposes they must have assumed everything else to have been part of that clutter.
With a sigh, he retrieves a new hat before leaving the room again. He slowly makes his way downstairs, where he's sure his parents are waiting for him. On his way down, he wonders just what he'll say to them. He knows he has to reveal what Terry had done to him. Knows he'll have to make them aware of the extent of his abuse. But how?
His heart drops into his stomach when he enters the living room.
Empty.
He peeks into the dining room and the hallway before entering the kitchen where the light has been left on. Opening his mouth, he begins to call for them, stopping only when he spots a piece of paper on the table. He walks towards it, despair bubbling in his chest as he recognizes what it is. Despite the many covering the walls and various appliances, this one looks very out of place. He barely manages to suppress the soft whimper as he picks up the sticky note.
Dear Eddward,
We've returned to work. Eat something and go to bed.
Mom & Dad
The note slips from his hands as it sinks in. His parents hadn't even bothered to stay home with him. To make sure he was okay. To reassure him that he was loved. Tears cascade down his cheeks as he slumps down to the kitchen floor, burying his face into his hands and weeping loudly.
Eddy is glaring out the window, seething as his folks drive back towards the cul-de-sac. Terry had run off and was out there somewhere. It infuriated him knowing that that smug bastard had gotten away. He grits his teeth as he thinks of all the pain Edd had suffered at the hands of his lecherous, abusive brother. It would make him sick if it didn't make him so angry.
His father had ranted for half of the journey after leaving the trailer, but has since resigned himself to driving in silence. Though, he has a feeling that hush can be attributed to him asking why they and the other parents hadn't called the police when they'd first realized their children were gone. After a few weak excuses, the two adults had lapsed into quiet. Eddy had accepted none of their words, leaving him feeling slightly resentful.
His mother glances back at her son through the mirror. She's just as upset as she is, knowing that her eldest had run off and could be dangerous. She wants to offer him comfort – that one day he would pay for his crimes – but a part of her finds it difficult to think so ill of one of her children, even after everything Terry had done.
As they enter the cul-de-sac, Eddy takes in the surroundings. His eyes glance over all the cars parked in the driveways, indicating that all of his friends had made it home safely with their families.
Well…almost all of them.
His eyes land on Edd's house before growing wide in horror upon seeing the empty driveway. Lights are on in the house, suggesting that someone is indeed home, but perhaps not everyone. His blood boils. They wouldn't!
The car pulls into his driveway and Eddy hops out before his parents can. His mother cries out in shock as her son begins to run towards Edd's house.
"Eddy!" she shouts, placing her hands on her hips, "you get back here right now!"
"I'll be right back, mom!" Eddy cries back without stopping, "This is important!"
He continues towards his friend's house, racing up the empty driveway before reaching Edd's front door. His fists are shaking as he knocks on the wood and as he waits for an answer. When he receives none for a few moments, he knocks again. This time he hears footsteps approaching before a tiny voice calls out to him.
"Wh-Who's there…?"
"It's me, Eddy," the shorter boy answers, brow furrowed.
Eddy can hear the sigh of relief before Edd opens the door.
"G-Greetings…Eddy…" he stutters.
Biting his lip, he averts his gaze in thought; uncertain if he should let his friend inside. His parents would be most upset, he imagines, but if he doesn't, Eddy probably won't leave.
With a sigh, he decides there's no harm in letting him in and steps aside. Eddy shuts the door behind him, glancing around the room. He finds himself lost in disbelief with this confirmation that Edd's parents are gone. Anger is quicker to take him. To think they would just leave their son home alone after what he's been through. That they wouldn't bother to stay with him while he's suffering. It makes him sick.
He clenches his fists in anger before turning to look at his friend. It's now that he can spot the dried tears visible on Edd's face, along with his swollen, red eyes. The boy had been crying again. Stepping forward, he embraces Edd, who tenses up some. It takes a few moments, but the taller boy finally returns the gesture and Eddy can feel his friend sniffle and shiver.
"Where are your parents, Sockhead?" Eddy asks, pulling away to look his friend in the face.
Edd looks down, the sadness seeping into his eyes only serving to infuriate his companion.
"I…I'm afraid they…they had to return to work," he answers softly as he rubs away the tears threatening to fall again, "Th-They left me a note…"
"They didn't even bother to stay with you?!" Eddy gawked, his voice raising in volume as he stared at his friend incredulously, "Even after you told them what Terry did to you?!"
Edd sighed weakly, eyes locked on the ground in his shame; "I-I didn't tell them…"
Eddy looks stunned before the anger returns, flashing across his face.
"Why the hell not?!" he demands.
"I didn't have a chance…" Edd answers, "They left before I could. And even if they hadn't, I doubt I'd have been able to…"
"The heck do you mean?"
"I don't want them to be more disappointed in me than they already are…"
"Edd, c'mon!" Eddy groans, "They're not—"
"Eddy, they barely looked at me on the way home!" Edd cries out as tears blur his vision. His shoulders slump down as he clutches at his hat. "They're so disappointed in me. So upset. I…I don't think I can bear any more of it if they were to discover what…what Terry did to me…What he made me do…"
Edd trails off and Eddy can only listen as he friend sobs his answers out. His anger ebbs as he acknowledges the obvious: his friend is hurting deeply. His parents hadn't even bothered to care for their child after they'd returned home. Hadn't even bothered to comfort their son who now believed that they hated him. So terrified was he of their rejection that he doesn't feel that he can even reveal what had happened to him. The emotional trauma is too great. He briefly considers informing Edd about Terry's disappearance, but decides it's most certainly not the best time for that. He couldn't bear to upset the boy any further.
Realizing that words are useless, he pulls his friend in for another hug, rubbing Edd's back gently in an effort to reassure him. It did nothing to quell his anger, of course, and inside he was still raging over the injustice Edd has faced. Damn them. Damn Terry! Edd doesn't fucking deserve this!
When Eddy felt Edd calm down, he let the other pull away from the hug.
"Y'know, you can always stay with me for the night…" the shorter boy offers softly.
Edd shakes his head in denial; "Thank you for the offer, Eddy, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline. I feel that Mother and Father would only be that much angrier if I did that…"
Eddy watches disappointed as his friend rubs his eyes before reaching up to wipe the tears from his cheek. Edd winces as Eddy places too much pressure on one of the bruises. A thought occurs to the shorter boy, who digs around in his pocket for the bottle he'd taken from Terry's trailer.
"Did they even care that you were in pain?" Eddy asks as he grabs Edd's wrist and places the bottle in his hand, "Did they even give you anything for it?"
Edd's eyes are wide as he looks down at the bottle before he trying to hand it back to his friend.
"Eddy, we've been over this," the taller boy nearly whimpers, staring at him pleadingly, "I can't take these!"
Eddy's hand returns to Edd's face, gently touching the hatted boy's cheek.
"Just hold onto 'em, okay, Edd?" Eddy urges, "At this rate, you might need 'em." Eddy glances to the door. "I better get going…My folks'll come looking for me if I don't get home right away." He pauses, looking over Edd's face. Averting his gaze, he grasps the taller boy's hand. "I care about you, okay, Edd? Even if you think they don't. I do."
Leaning up, he places a soft kiss to Edd's cheek before retreating to the door.
"I'll see you later…"
With that said, Eddy walks out the door to head home, leaving his friend to gaze down at the bottle, lost in his grief.
DuoXKouga: Leave a review/comment and we'll see you all in the next chapter! BYE-BYE!