Edd's father was in his coma for a week. Edd called Kevin everyday. Angie made sure her Chicago sorority sisters checked in on Edd and his mother and helped out in whatever they needed. When they brought Mr Vincent out of his coma, he was surprised to see his son home, but couldn't do much to commuicate because he was still on a respirator. Once Edd and Tammy explained what happened, he was stunned and saddened. The entire situation was mind boggling. He would later say that he would rather Edd come home by invitiation rather than by situation.

He stayed in ICU another week, and by then it was Thanksgiving. Ang's sorority sisters made sure the family had a real Thanksgiving dinner even though they were in the hospital. On Black Friday, Christopher was moved down to a general recovery room. Edd Facetimed with Ang when she and Melissa went surfing in LA and Skyped with Kevin and Nazz as they had a small traditional meal in San Francisco.

It wasn't the way he wanted to meet his boyfriend's best friend, but they did find they had plenty in common besides loving Kevin. She was as big a nerd as he was, and worked as chemist at the local candy factory. Making the sweet treats she grew up eating was a dream for the blond and now she had it. And she had plenty of stories to tell about the redhead, much to the redhead's chagrin.

Edd took as much time as he dared working on lab reports through Anderson's company intranet. The rest of the time, he was making sure that his father's medical bills were taken care of, that his after care was in order, that his mother ate and got her 8 hours of sleep. The law firm his father worked at moved all of his cases to other partners and he wouldn't take a new case on until he was ready.

Edd checked the mail at the house every other day. He came home and cleaned the entire house the day his father was moved out of the ICU to his general recovery room. It wasn't until December 1st that he noticed that a blue TransAm would pull up 10 minutes after he got to the house and wouldn't leave til he did, but always in the opposite direction he was going.

On December 3rd, he knocked on the car's window.

"Want to tell me why you're stalking me, Marie?," he asked coldly as he folded his arms across his chest after she rolled her window down.

"Just making sure you're ok."

"Don't."

"Edd."

"Stop it, Marie."

She sighed.

"Look, I get that I screwed up, but c'mon Edd, ya gotta give me a second chance!"

"No."

"Why not?! I'm apologizing here!"

"Oh, so that's all it takes!? An apology and everything is just A-Ok?! No, Marie. That's not how this works! That's not how any of this works! You never respected me. You have disrespected and ruined every friendship and potential relationship I ever could have had in junior high and high school. You don't get any chances. Go and don't come back. If I see your face near me or my family uninvited ever again, I will call the police on you."

"What? The same police who put your pops in the hospital?," she scoffed.

Edd gave her an incredulous look.

"A criminal put my father in the hospital, Marie. And what you're doing is criminal. Go. Now."

"This isn't over, Edd," she said as she started her car.

"Yes, it is."

Marie's violet eyes went wide and Edd turned towards that lovely baritone sound.

Kevin

"KEVIN!," Edd screamed as he threw himself in the arms of the man he missed more than anything.

"Hey, Baby," Kevin chuckled as he tried to maintain his balance from Edd throwing himself at him.

"Who the fuck are you?!," Marie yelled as she turned off the car and got out.

"His boyfriend."

Edd's grin at this was huge. Marie was pissed. Edd never smiled at her like that. He barely smiled at all the entire time they were dating. She just thought he was being nervous and shy. It was starting to dawn on her that what they had was forced by her and merely tolerated by him. Til it wasn't.

And now the redheaded Adonis in front of her got Edd's smiles and probably his everything else, too. She never had a chance. But she wasn't going down without a fight.

"Ok, Mr Boyfriend, where the hell where you when he needed you?!"

"How do you think he got here!?"

She bristled at this but drove on.

"Look here, Carrot Top, I'm the one who had his back til he ditched me. You're only good enough for him til you ain't. So watch your back. And just know that Mommy Dearest still loves me. I was his first. The first always finishes last."

"Kevin, I'd like you to meet my first crazy ex," Edd said sarcastically. "She was my first kiss and first restraining order."

"Not funny, D," she said as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Not trying to be funny, Marie," Edd said coldly. "Go. And don't come back."

"What the hell was she doing here, Edd?," Kevin asked as she drove away and Edd led him to the house.

"I have no idea. I just noticed a few days ago that she would show up about ten minutes after I did whenever I came home and would leave in the opposite direction of wherever it was I was going. And how the hell did you get here?!," Edd asked as he let them in the house.

"Heh, you swore. (Edd shot him a sideways glance at this as he took his coat) Well, there's these devices that they call airplanes, Edd, that transport people across the country faster than any car or train ever could."

"Ha ha. You know what I mean! What about work?"

"Delegated."

Edd cocked a brow. Kevin sighed.

"I'm only here for the weekend. I missed you. I had a few things moved around and I'll be here til Sunday."

It was Wednesday. Edd sighed and wrapped him up in a hug.

"God, I missed you," he whispered as he nuzzled his neck.

Kevin lifted his chin and gave him the sweetest, gentlest kiss. Edd was about to take the kiss deeper when he heard a car door slam and his mother bid her driver her farewells.

"And my mother is home. I swear it's the Science Fair all over again."

"What?!"

Edd blushed.

"Let's just say that thanks to my parents, I didn't get past second base til I got to college."

"Society has finally caught up with you," Kevin said with a wink.

Edd just socked him in the arm as he went to let his mother in.

Tammy had never seen her son so happy with one person. Not Angela. Not Max. Definitely not Marie. Kevin Barr made her Eddward happy. Really happy. Her misgivings to his sexuality aside, she had always wanted Edd to be happy. He was happy with his job. He was happy with his life as a whole in San Francisco. And now he was happy with this Kevin.

She watched the redhead like a hawk. Unlike her reserved son, Kevin was a bit of an extrovert. But Edd didn't seem uncomfortable by his forward nature. Occasionally, Edd would take the lead. Especially when they went out on the town during Christopher's naps or tests. Watching Edd drag Kevin around Chicago was adorable. And Kevin was happy to follow after the scientist.

But soon the weekend was over. And Edd was sad all over again. He didn't want to leave Chicago with his father still in the hospital but he didn't want Kevin to go, either. As they cuddled up in Edd's bed, Kevin tried to think of ways to soothe the genius but was coming up blank. Christmas was still two weeks off and Edd wasn't in the mood to think of the holiday because it meant two weeks til he saw Kevin again.

Seeing that the worst of his recovery was over, Christopher sent his son back to San Francisco.

"No arguments, Son. You're going back. You've taken care of everything as best you could. Your mother can take care of it from here," he told Edd over lunch.

Edd wanted to argue. But he really wanted to get back to San Francisco, if only to be with Kevin. He was all caught up on work and could take half days and work from home until Christmas. Which meant more time with Kevin. He was gone nearly a month and they had a lot of catching up to do.

His mother gave her blessing as well and drove them to the airport.

"Now, the physical therapist will be calling to make his appointments as soon as they release him from the hospital," he told her as they unloaded their bags from the trunk of her BMW.

"I know, Son."

"And make sure to get copies of all his discharge papers for the insurance company."

"I will."

"And...," Edd's mind went blank.

"Babe?," Kevin asked him, concern swirling in his greens eyes.

"I think he just realized that he has nothing to worry about," Tammy said, crossing her arms and giving her son her best I told you so look.

"I suppose you're right, Mother," Edd said blushing.

"I am, now go. You don't want to miss your flight."

"I love you, Mommy," he whispered into her high bun as he gave her a final hug goodbye.

"Love you, too, Son."

Drawing Kevin into a hug, she said, "Take care of him, Kevin. And I'll see you both at Christmas."

"Will do, ma'am."

And as she got back into her car, Edd grabbed his hand and drug him through the airport. He couldn't wait to get back home to Kevin's condo in San Francisco.