A Good Edd Is Hard To Break
Summary:
After a few months recovering from his ordeal, Edd may be relapsing. With family and friends who don't listen or understand, temptation becomes all too easy to give in to. Will Edd submit or can his friends save him from making the biggest mistake of his life?
Triggers include: Pedophilia, Child Grooming, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, Rape, Dub-Con, Stalking, Mental Instability, Psychological abuse. Other warnings include Violence and Language.
Pairings include BroEdd and EddxEddy. Subtle hints at other pairings, but those are the main two that will be focused on.
Author's Notes:
DuoXKouga: Hello, everyone! We're back with a chapter and I really want to let everyone know that I'm doing okay. I'm not 100% but I am getting better. So, please enjoy this chapter!
Battygirl: Hello everyone. So, before we begin, I'd just like to give a big thank you to everyone who left such nice comments about the hiatus. I felt so guilty for doing it, so your understanding was very much appreciated. But I've kept my promise! We're right back on schedule and I'm already working on the epilogue.
That all being said, I really hope you enjoy this chapter. That break really helped me get back on track and I think this should be good. At the very least, I'm pretty pleased with it. Please don't forget to review after reading. For those who left signed reviews on the hiatus chapter, unfortunately, you will likely not be able to leave a review if you're logged in (because is dumb like that and you can only leave one review per chapter), however, anonymous reviews ARE enabled, so please don't let that stop you from telling us what you think.
And with that, please enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 14: Feint Heart Never Won Fair Edd
"No you do not!" Valerie cries with a grunt as she tries so hard to restrain the boy.
"Fuck you!" Eddy snaps back, tugging against her grasp, "We gotta go after them!"
"No you will not!" Valerie argues, "And mind your language, young man!"
She jerks him back and the boy loses his footing. Ed is at Eddy's side in moments, quivering in fear of the adult's wrath.
"You will stay here!" Valerie demands, "Call your parents and tell them to come here immediately!"
"You call 'em if you want 'em here so damn bad!" Eddy sneers.
"Watch your language!" Valerie snaps back, "You will do as I say and let the authorities handle this."
"Hah! What'dya think they can do about this?!" Eddy guffaws, "Those fuckers aint been able to catch my brother in the months we've been back and all the time he's been following Double D. How's that sittin' with ya, by the way? If you'd just fucking listened to your own kid, we wouldn't be here, now would we?!"
Valerie's jaw clenches; "You will show me some respect." She pauses, gathering her thoughts momentarily. "Samuel and I had no way of knowing this was…real. Michael said there was no possibility that that man would come back just for Eddward…"
"Michael…?" Eddy thinks about who she's referring to before it occurs to him; "You talkin' about that quack doctor you were sendin' Sockhead to?" He starts tugging his hair in frustration. "How fucking stupid are you?! That guy clearly wasn't doing his fuckin' job!"
"I thought I told you to watch your language!" Valeri shouts.
Before their arguing can continue, there's a loud knock on the door, startling the woman. She shifts her gaze from Eddy, to the living room, then back to him. It's now that they notice the red and blue lights flashing from the window.
"Stay here," she dictates, shoving the phone at him, "Call your mother and father. Now."
Eddy groans, begrudgingly taking the device from her. He doesn't want to — We're wasting precious time! — but he knows he should probably get his folks involved. If nothing else, maybe his mother and Edd's would start arguing and give him and Ed a chance to slip out the door.
"Hello?"
"Hey, mom…" Eddy sits up a little bit, "Um…Can you come over to Double D's house…? Dad too?"
"Well…yes, of course, sweetheart," he can hear the concern in her voice, "Is everything okay?"
"Uh…No," Eddy shakes his head, though he knows she can't see, "It's really not…Um…Bro is…He…"
"We'll be right there."
He's startled by the click on the other end of the line. Well, at least she didn't make him say it…Glancing at Ed, he decides against calling his parents next. He's quite sure Ed's mother would only respond negatively and they don't need that now. Not like that bitch would give two shits anyway…
Edd's mother returns as Eddy sets the phone down. There are two police officers with her. Outside, he can hear a few barks and more talking. They brought the dogs…? He sighs. Yeah, that's probably a good idea…
"Alright, Eddy…" he turns back to Valerie as she stands before him, taking several deep breaths to calm herself, "Please tell these gentlemen what happened."
Eddy grimaces; "Why? You know what happened."
She scowls, her lip twitching as she holds back a barrage of insults fueled by anger and disgust. She takes a breath to calm herself.
"You were here when the incident occurred," she explains through her teeth, "You would be better suited to explain that to these men. Now, please…"
Eddy sighs, his shoulders slumping. A guilty feeling is gnawing at him. He knows he has to tell them, but a part of him feels regret for selling out his brother — his family — to the police. A glance at Ed, who's gazing at him so pitifully and begging with his eyes to do whatever he can to save their friend, makes the decision for him. Biting his lip, he glances at the men.
"My…M-My brother came in while we were watching a movie," he explains, "And he took our friend, Edd."
Ed starts bawling at that, urging Eddy to pat his back to comfort him. One of the officers jots something down on his notepad.
"Can you give us more information…?" the other asks, glancing at the boy.
Eddy thinks carefully about this. He opens his mouth to continue, but is interrupted by a groan from the door. They're startled and turn to find Samuel stumbling inside.
"Darling!" Valerie gasps, racing to his side, "Oh dear, what happened?! Where…Wh-Where's Eddward?"
He shakes his head, panting as he's led to the table to sit down.
"I couldn't…" he licks his lips, grimacing at the taste of blood, "Couldn't stop him."
"Samuel," Valerie stoops down to her knees beside him, "Samuel, dear, where did he go? Where did he take our son?"
Again, the man shakes his head.
"Ran into the woods…" he explains, "Near the creek…Don't know where…"
"Is there any more information you can provide for us, Mr. Vincent?" the officer with the notepad asks.
Samuel shakes his head, this time looking more lost.
"There was a…a vehicle…" he explains, "By the creek…He abandoned it…when Eddward managed to run, but…" He looks like he's on the verge of tears. "I don't know what happened next…"
Valerie lowers her head to sob into her husband's knee, too distraught to do much else.
"Wh-Why did you not try to follow him?" she whimpers.
"I told you…" Samuel sighs back, "I can't do this on my own. I knew you'd call the police so…I thought that was the best solution."
"Do you have any idea where he might have gone?" one of the men asks.
"Somewhere into the woods…"
The officers turn to each other, one speaking into his radio in some jargon Eddy didn't care to decipher. He instead focuses on Ed, leaning close.
"Alright, Burrhead," he hisses, "Let's get outta here while these guys are distracted and go find Double D."
Ed's brow furrows as he makes his war face and he nods curtly. Without another word, the boys slip out of the house, undetected by the conferring officers and the grieving parents.
"I can take you to the creek if that would—"
"Where is he?!"
The group jumps, startled by the sudden shout from the living room. Eddy's mother soon appears in their line of sight, stomping past the officer trying to stop her. Her husband lags behind her, his face very red.
"Ma'am, please," the officer stutters, "You can't be here."
"Don't you tell me where I can or can't be," Janine snaps back, "My baby is here and I want to see him now."
Finally, she enters the kitchen and puts her hands on her hips.
"Where's my baby?!" she demands.
"Please calm yourself, Janine," Valerie sighs back, "He is right here."
However, when she turns to where the two should have been seated, she finds them gone. She bolts upright and whips around. With wide eyes, she turns back to her fuming guests.
"I…I swear…" she stutters, "He was here a moment ago…"
Terry peeks out the grimy window, surveying the little surroundings he can. The pleasurable numbness is finally subsiding, allowing him to be more alert. His clothing still feels a bit too hot to be wearing, but he tries to ignore it. He refuses to look at the quivering form leaning against the wall to his left.
Legs folded and held to his chest, Edd's been reduced to sobbing softly to himself. His discarded hat is clutched to his chest in a weak effort to cling to something in his hurt. His shoes and socks are lying discarded several feet away and he'd only just managed to pull the rest of his torn, rumpled clothing on over his aching body. The bruises he'd hoped to never see again cover his arms and hips where Terry had held him too tightly. The reddish-purple hickeys are splashed over his neck and shoulders, going up as far as his jaw.
He wonders how long they've been here. It couldn't have been that long, right? However, the darkness around him seems to have faded. It's definitely still night — that much he can tell for sure — but his eyes have finally adjusted completely to the limited light. At least an hour…maybe…? How has no one come across this place yet? Isn't anyone looking for him?
He chances a fearful glance at his captor. Of course he'd expected the sexual assault — he regrets to note that that's become the norm at this point with him — but something about it seemed…odd. He's not sure he understands what prompted it this time. What about his rejection had set him off? Eyes back down to the ground, he struggles to understand.
Meanwhile, Terry finally turns to him. He grimaces when he sees the boy crying still.
"Alright, Princess," he snarls, "Quit yer blubberin' and get up. We're leaving."
Edd hesitates, his toes curling as he tenses up.
"F…F-Father m-may still be…a-at the creek…" he mumbles, shivering in fear, "He-He'll try to stop you again…"
Terry scoffs at that.
"Bullshit," he sneers, "You really still think him or that bitch give two shits about you?"
Edd winces at that; "O-Of course they do…They…Th-They love me…"
Terry cackles in response. When he calms a moment later, he gives Edd a dark grin.
"That's real fuckin' adorable," he chuckles, "That you'd actually believe that. Those two couldn't care any less about you if they tried."
Edd furrows his brow, curling in on himself a little more.
"But…B-But…" he stutters, "F-Father was…he was trying so hard to s-save me…He…He must care about me…"
"I wouldn't bet on it, sweetheart," the man sneers, reaching into his jacket pocket.
He then reveals a small stack of folded pamphlets and tosses them towards Edd. They scatter and flutter to the ground in front of the boy, who observes them anxiously. When they've settled, Edd pulls his hat onto his head, a few crumbs of dirt tumbling to the floor from the fabric. Pulling himself closer, he's able to just make out what they're advertising.
Names of mental health facilities emblazon the front of each brochure, mocking him in their neat, sometimes fanciful type. One has a note taped to the front, which Edd picks up to read.
I've compiled a list of several facilities and I've already made a number of calls to a few of them. I believe any one of these places would be a good fit for Eddward. Please, inspect these pamphlets thoroughly and contact me at your earliest convenience so we may discuss further options.
Michael.
Edd pales at the name. Doctor Underwood has already gone this far? How long this been an option to him? His heart aches. Had he done this at his parents' request? Had they asked for this information from him? More importantly, though…
"Wh…Where did you get these?" he asks finally, glancing up at the man.
Are they really from his doctor? Could Terry have faked his signature somehow?
"Found 'em stuffed in the mailbox when I stopped by while you were at school," the man explains.
"But…you said Mother and Father were…"
"They weren't there when I first stopped by," Terry admits, "When I got there, the place was empty. Then that shrink showed up with those. When no one answered the door, he left 'em in the mailbox. So I swiped 'em."
Edd bows his head as he absorbs that. His chest feels tight and the fog has come back. Tears are burning his eyes and blurring his vision.
"D'ya get it yet, Princess?" Terry asks in that mocking tone, "Yer folks are gonna send you away because they don't want you anymore. But they don't want me to have you because they're more worried about how that'll make them look. If they 'save you', they still look like the caring parents and can say that leaving you in some nut house is gonna help you. But really, they just want you to be alone."
He watches in twisted delight as Edd slumps down a bit further, looking so dejected and lost. Like the limp little rag doll he should be.
Finally, he's getting somewhere.
"Now, get up," he demands again.
This time, there's no hesitation. While sluggish in his movements, Edd rises shakily to his feet. Terry turns back to the door and starts moving aside the blockade he set up. Behind him, Edd clings feebly to the pamphlet with the note before tucking it under his hat. A reminder of what he must leave behind.
Voices outside stop him completely and Terry grits his teeth in annoyance. He can't identify them immediately. Taking a step back, he grabs the front of Edd's shirt.
"You keep your mouth shut," he warns through his teeth, giving the boy a frightening glare.
Edd glances from him to the door, eyes wide as this choice is provided to him. If he screams, he'll be punished severely by Terry, but perhaps rescued as well. Though that will likely result in being punished anyway by his parents and sent to some asylum. If he's silent, however, Terry might have a chance to escape and will almost surely hurt him again anyway. His options are bleak and horrible. He thinks of his parents and hesitates, too afraid of what they'll do to him.
Weakly, he nods, making the man lessen his grip.
The voices grow louder and they're able to discern what's being said and who's saying it.
"C'mon, Lumpy!" the scratchy voice of Eddy snaps in a hushed tone, "I think I heard somethin' over here!"
It hits Edd in that instance what he'd neglected to take into consideration in his sorrow. Not only is he leaving behind his parents and the mental hospitals, but also his dearest friends, who've been fighting so hard for him. He feels cold, unsure what to do.
Terry, however, looks more than pleased by this revelation. Only Eddy? And probably that idiot friend of his? Too easy. Letting Edd go, he walks over to what's left of the blockade to finish moving it. The child behind him gasps softly as he realizes what's happening. He's at Terry's side instantly.
"N-No, please!" he begs in a hushed tone, "P-Please don't hurt him."
Terry glances at him, his brow cocked. He grimaces in disgust and grabs the boy's slim wrist.
"So that's how it is, huh?" he growls, "No wonder you won't tell me what I wanna hear."
Gritting his teeth, he shoves Edd to the ground.
"Fine," he turns his attention back to the door, "Then I'll just get rid of that little…distraction…"
As the man moves the last of the obstacles, Edd clambers back to his feet.
"Please no!" the boy cries pitifully.
Ignoring the pleas and whimpers, Terry instead pulls Edd to the right of the door once it's clear, clamping one hand over the boy's mouth to silence him. He grins deviously as he waits. It's not long, though, before the door is thrown open. He braces himself against the door swinging open on them in an effort to protect himself and his captive.
Ed's the first to appear in their line of sight, looking warrior-like in his stance. He's followed closely by Eddy, who's looking just as angry, but more frantic. Taking his brief moment, Terry shoves Edd aside before lunging forward towards the unsuspecting boys.
"Ed! Eddy!" Edd cries desperately, "Look out!"
Terry's fist connects with Ed's cheek as the boy turns, eyes wide. He's sent to the ground, grunting in pain. Ed curls up some, groaning in pain and holding his aching cheek. Before Terry can fully enjoy that little victory, however, Eddy latches himself onto his brother's back. He's swinging his fists wildly in a vain attempt to hit him as hard as he possibly can. Edd, meanwhile, cowers near the door, unsure what to do or how to help.
They struggle for a while before Terry gains the upper hand again, throwing Eddy off. The boy cries out in pain, holding his arm. Ed sees his friend land on the ground and quickly rights himself. Stumbling to his feet, he charges the man.
While Terry's distracted, Eddy sits up and looks around. He spots Edd by the door and makes a beeline for him. His left arm is held gingerly to his side and he winces with each scurrying step he takes.
"Dee?" he asks breathlessly, "You okay?"
A quick glance back at his brother without waiting for a response. Before he can react, Ed is thrown off and back to the ground with one hand. With the other, Terry's grabbed the discarded chair. It strikes the back of Ed's head, knocking him unconscious. Panic takes Eddy as he struggles to pull Edd to his feet.
"C-C'mon!" he cries, "W-we gotta get outta here, Sockhead!"
He doesn't get far before Terry is upon them. The man snatches Eddy up, grabbing him by his collar.
"Stay the fuck away from him, you little shit!" he snarls, shaking the boy a bit.
Eddy grits his teeth, forcing a smug grin.
"Go ahead, Bro," he sneers, kicking his feet a little, "Do whatever you want to me. Double D's mom called the cops on ya…They're already at the cul-de-sac and I bet they're gonna be at the creek at that car you were tryin' to drive off in." He both delights and fears the way his brother's eyes narrow in frustrated anger. "You're already fuckin' caught."
With a low growl, Terry's hands switch from the collar to directly around his brother's throat. He starts squeezing, hoping to wring every last breath from him. Edd pales and feebly grabs the sleeve of the plaid jacket.
"P-Please!" he begs, "D-Don't hurt him anymore! Please! I-I'll go with you! I w-won't try to run! I swear! I'll do anything!"
He receives no response other than a glare before Terry returns his focus to Eddy. The smaller boy is gasping and gagging in his desperate bid for a gulp of air. Edd tugs on the jacket more fervently.
"Please, Terry!" he cries, "I beg you! Let him go!"
Terry suddenly reaches out and grabs the front of his shirt. With only one hand around Eddy's throat, the boy is able to start catching his breath. He still struggles, but is weak in the man's grasp. Terry's cold eyes bore into Edd's own as he glares down at him. Tugging Edd up towards him, he leans into his face.
"Then tell me what I wanna hear," he demands in a low voice.
Edd winces at that and averts his gaze shyly. He's immediately drawn right back to Eddy when his friend starts gagging again. The hand around his throat is squeezing harder, cutting off his air again. A warning look is in Terry's eyes now, daring Edd to hesitate any longer. Squeezing his eyes shut, Edd bows his head contritely.
"I…" he mumbles, biting his lips, "I-I…l-lo…"
"Louder."
Edd winces again and takes a deep breath. A shameful glance at Eddy before a fearful turn back to his tormentor.
"I…I l-love you…"
This seems to do the trick. With a grin, Terry releases his grip on Edd before tossing Eddy back at Ed, his anger assuaged for the time being.
"Good boy," he praises, petting Edd's head affectionately, "Now, I think it's about time we get outta here…"
Grabbing Edd's wrist, he exits the shack, but goes no further than a few steps. Where the hell do we go…?He glances around, unsure. Eddy had claimed that the cops are already in the cul-de-sac. That rules out his parent's place or Edd's and likely that abandoned house he'd been bumming around in. The cops are probably around his car, too, so he can't head that way. Dammit!
Before he can actually make a decision, however, tiny hands and his brother's small body desperately latch around his leg. With a loud, angry cry, he starts kicking at the smaller boy, hoping to knock him off. In the shack, he can hear Ed groaning as well, indicating he's starting to come to. Growling, he doubles his efforts to kick Eddy away.
"Get the fuck off me, you little shit!" he roars.
Finally, Eddy loses his grip and he's kicked a few feet away, moaning in pain. Ed, meanwhile, is starting to realize what's happening. Eddy curled up on the ground and Edd's wrist held in Terry's tight grip. Scrambling to his feet, he charges again, stumbling a bit, before colliding with the man once more. Terry releases his grip on Edd as he's knocked to the ground to tussle with the dimmer Ed.
Eddy starts to push himself up, glaring at his brother as Ed receives punch after punch. He turns to Edd, who's shivering near him. Too scared to help, and too scared to run. He's alerted by a sound in the distance. Wide eyes are locked in one direction as he tries to discern just what the sounds are. Eddy furrows his brow, curious as to what's got Edd's attention and follows his gaze. He's starting to pick up on it too. Whistles and barking.
Ed yelps as he's knocked off again and Eddy scurries over to him. Terry glares at the two of them, clenching his fists and stepping toward them.
"I'm gettin' real tired of this, Pipsqueak…" he snarls.
Eddy tries to ignore that as he shakes Ed's arm.
"C'mon, Burrhead," he pants shakily.
Ed groans as he rubs his head; "No more, Eddy…"
"C'mon, Ed…" Eddy urges in a hushed tone, "Just one more time."
"Everything hurts…" Ed whines, pouting.
Eddy glances back at his brother, feeling so terribly helpless. On the sidelines, Edd cowers from the fracas. Afraid to get involved and anger Terry even more. However, when the man nears his fallen friends, he reluctantly approaches him.
"T-Terry…" he whimpers, grabbing the hem of the plaid jacket. The man turns to him with a grimace. "P-Please…Leave them be. L-Let's just go…"
Terry swats the boys hands away from him.
"Since when the hell do you tell me what to do?!" he snaps, backhanding the child and sending him back to the ground.
Eddy winces before shaking Ed again.
"C'mon, Ed," he pleads in a whisper, "For Double D. We need Lothor!"
Ed sits up, wide eyes locked on his fallen friend. Edd rubs his cheek where Terry hit him, but he doesn't stand up again. Instead, he remains on the ground to wait for this all to be over.
Anger flares within him and Ed's face contorts in rage as he glares at the man. He nudges Eddy aside and opens his mouth to release a mighty cry before tackling Terry again. A mass of limbs and fists being wildly thrown around. Ed manages to dig his feet into the ground a bit and uses the leverage to start leading the man back into the shack. Eddy follows, eager to lock his brother in once Ed incapacitates him.
He stops in the doorway. Ed's lost his grip and is being strangled by Terry.
"Let go of him!" Eddy screams, charging for them.
Edd watches him helplessly from the ground, still quivering. The sounds from before grow louder and he glances back. Figures are approaching. He hears a familiar voice and he cringes. Panicked, he forces himself to his feet, backing up towards the door. He slips inside, covering his mouth and praying they hadn't seen them. Glancing up, he spots Terry and his friends.
Eddy's on the ground, struggling against the foot on his back that's holding him down. Ed's being held up slightly. His legs kick wildly in an effort to escape as he tries to pry Terry's hands away from his neck. The voices outside are getting closer and closer. Edd's breathing becomes ragged as he holds his head. What do I do?!
Whatever choice he could have made is robbed of him as a new figure rushes past him, eyes locked on the struggling group within. It's a bit too dark to see him fully in this light, but Edd recognizes him instantly as he reaches down and grabs one of the broken legs of the chair. Terry still hasn't noticed the newcomer as Ed's kicking starts to weaken. Samuel raises the broken wood.
"Leave those boys alone!"
Edd's already shaking body falls to the ground at the sound of his father's voice. He watches, wide-eyed as the chair leg is brought down hard against the back of Terry's head. The man's hat is knocked off his head and he releases Ed in his shock and pain. Stumbling away, he also allows Eddy to breathe again.
Holding the back of his head, Terry turns to glare at Samuel.
"You again?!" he snarls, "Don't you ever fucking give up?!"
"If you know what's good for you," Samuel begins in as threatening a tone as he can manage, "You will stay away from my child!"
"Fat fuckin' chance," Terry spits back.
Without another word, he charges the older man. Samuel reads his actions and dodges, his eyes wide. Desperately, he strikes him again, aiming for the same spot he'd hit before. That's enough to make Terry lose his footing and fall. Gritting his teeth, he starts to lift himself back up, but doesn't get too far before Samuel swings the chair leg again. And again. And once more after that.
Finally, Terry lies motionless, his consciousness lost for the time being. Samuel stands over him for a few moments, panting heavily. Outside, the police are nearing the shack. He's sure Valerie isn't far behind.
Ed and Eddy scuttle over to Edd, who's desperately trying to appear smaller, too shaken by everything that's happened to move otherwise. Their arms are around him, enveloping him in a sorrowful embrace.
"We're so sorry, Double D!" Ed slurs through his panting, still winded from his struggle.
"Yeah," Eddy concurs, "I'm sorry…I should've tried harder to stop him and…"
Edd returns the hug, tears trickling down his cheeks. He doesn't say anything in response. Only embraces them back. Samuel turns to them, the chair leg slipping from his fingers.
"Eddward…?" he mumbles.
His legs are weak beneath him as he stumbles over to the trio. Edd peeks up at him before cowering fearfully into Ed's chest. Brow furrowed, Samuel lowers to his knees. The group flinches at the sounds of the officers storming inside the small place. Ignoring the rights being read to the man slowly recovering, Samuel instead urges Eddy away and pulls Edd away from Ed to embrace the child himself.
"Eddward…" he starts to weep, squeezing the boy tight, "I'm so sorry…I should have listened…I…I'm so sorry, Eddward."
"Samuel?!"
Edd cringes again at the sound of her voice. Valerie runs in, slipping past the officers. She offers Terry no more than a look of disgust before turning her attention to Edd. Covering her mouth in horror, she joins her husband on her knees and hugs them both.
"Oh, my poor, sweet boy!" she sobs, rubbing his back.
Outside, they can hear Tony's angry voice arguing with the police about what to do with Terry. Janine slips inside, but pays no mind to her oldest. Instead, her eyes lock on Eddy.
"My baby!" she cries, running to him to pick him up.
She pulls Ed into the embrace as well, seeing how tired and how deeply in pain the poor boy appears to be.
"Oh, Eddy, my baby," she coos, "I'm so glad you're safe…"
"Eddward, sweetheart…" Valerie whimpers, "I am so sorry. I am so sorry I did not listen to you."
Edd looks between them, a look of confusion the only expression he can manage. Such remorse from two people who don't seem to want him any more…He shoves them away and holds his head, unable to process this. Out of the corner of his eye, he only just spots Terry being dragged from the shack, his hands bound behind his back. For a brief moment, he feels regret, wishing he'd not fought back so much. Then he wouldn't be here.
He hears Eddy's father screaming at him outside, but his foggy mind isn't registering the words. Bowing his head, he blinks away the tears.
"Eddward, what is wrong?" Valerie gasps, trying to pull him back into her arms.
He flinches away, shaking his head.
"P…P-Please…" he whimpers, "P-Please don't…d-don't send me away…"
"Send you away?" Valerie echoes, "What are you talking about?"
"P-Please!" Edd sobs, "I-I'll do anything. I-I'll even attend sessions with D-Doctor Underwood again just…j-just please don't send me to one of those places!"
"Eddward, your mother and I have no intention of…" Samuel pauses, realizing that he certainly made it seem that way before.
To better emphasize his point, Edd removes the pamphlet from under his hat. It's significantly crumpled, but the writing on the doctor's note is still legible. He doesn't look at either of his parents as he holds the pamphlet in his quivering hands.
"D-Doctor Underwood left this at our home…" he explains in a mumble, "T-Terry said he found them in the mailbox…" His crying worsens. "Why…Wh-Why would he give you these if you w…w-weren't already thinking about l-leaving me at one of these p-places?"
Valerie stares at the paper in awe, slowly reaching forward to take it from the boy.
"He compiled a list so soon…?" she breathes, "I wasn't expecting…"
"Eddward, I assure you," Samuel speaks carefully, "Your mother and I…Yes, we were…we were discussing options with Michael, but nothing's been…decided…"
"P-Please…" Edd mumbles, "I-I don't want to go to one of those places…T-Terry said you…y-you didn't want me anymore…b-but please…Please don't send me to any of them…"
"Eddward," Samuel huffs, "Whatever that man said to you…Surely you know that none of that is true?"
Edd's eyes remain locked on the pamphlet.
"That was…" he murmurs sorrowfully.
His parents glance from Edd to the pamphlet and back again.
"That's different…" Samuel replies shakily.
"Eddward, sweetheart," Valerie breathes, "Your father and I…we love you so much. I…I apologize that…That we do not show it properly as often as we should."
"We were only doing what we thought was best for you," Samuel nods, "But we see now that we were wrong."
"Can you ever forgive us?" Valerie asks, cupping his cheek.
Edd searches their faces for deceit, but isn't sure what kind of sign to look for. With a frown, he bows his head. Lost and afraid. He's no idea where to go from here. He can only hope that the two will stay true to their word and that when he goes home, it'll be to stay.
DuoXKouga: Thank you so much for reading! Please leave us a review and we'll see you all in the Epilogue!