The main characters belong to their respective creators.

Chapter 5

"Hey, Double Adorkable, glad to see you could make it to school dude, said a handsome teal haired boy. Grabbing the raven haired boy in a warm hug.

"Greetings Nat, I haven't missed your forwardness." Grinned a gap toothed smile. "I had to come by and submit some homework in person."

"Who's minding the store, if you are here?"

"A nurse that comes in from time to time to help out. She knows not to upset any routine"

"Hey Double Dee, seeing all your popularity now, we shoulda hurt Kevin years ago, we'd be ruling the school by now."

"Don't be silly Eddy, that's nothing to joke about." Double Dee retorted an angry blush coming upon his face.

"Oh don't get your panties in a twist Dee, Shovel chin would have gotten a laugh out of it. Anyway we're cool. A couple of weeks before the accident we sorta came to an understanding"

Double Dee looked around the hall and saw the Jocks standing over near the door that led into the cafeteria. Noticing the raven haired boy looking their way they waved and went into the lunch area.

"Hey Double cutie, hows Kevin doing, will he be up and about soon, or do you have him in some form of bondage relationship and have him locked in his room so can you tap dat booty?" said the teal haired boy wiggling his eyebrows at Edd.

"Now now Nat not everyone is as booty crazed as you are."

"But dat ass Dee, dat ass." Grinned Nat evilly

"I will admit he does have a nice one for sure Nat, but I would never take advantage of Kevin like that:" Dee blushed a cute pink and flicked his tongue across his gap in his teeth. Picking up his bag he headed on to the next class. He had a scheduled meeting with all his teachers and all of Kevin's teachers to get through.

He explained to each of Kevin's teachers that he had a plan and a method that when the red headed boy regained consciousness he would implement to bring the red headed boy up to class speed and make graduation possible with his class mates. Finishing up this task he left the school and headed back to the cul-de-sac.

He walked into the room and looked at the Kevin then towards the monitors. He saw they were as they were supposed to be. Turning to the Nurse, he asked, "How has it been going."

"Oh just the same, tho I did feel as if he were restless, but still no movement. You told me that he smiled on occasion but I haven't seen any facial activity since I've been here."

"Watch closely" Edd walked over and took hold of Kevin's wrist checking the pulse

He heard a gasp from the Nurse and looked down at the freckled face on the pillow. Slowly the placid face took put on a serene smile.

"I see it Mr. Vincent, he does smile when you are here, I didn't believe it, but I see it."

Yes Mrs. Anatucci, he once told me that he would smile at me to let me know he loved me. We were very young at the time, and even though we've grow much since then, he still smiles to let me know he is my friend."

"Do they think he will ever gain consciousness?"

"My parents believe that as soon as he has healed what ever is holding him back he will be awake again."

He, could see them standing over his still form in the bed. His dork, who had promised to never desert him no matter what, was there. He smiled and his body there on the bed took on a smile as well. He realized that over the past years he had really put his dork through a lot. He had bullied him and hurt him emotionally so many times. He had even placed his reputation and popularity ahead of his Double Dweeb. Hey, Double Dweeb do you remember the first time I called you that? It was the day you were crying because those other kids had called you bad names. Remember I said that I would call you that same name, but that when I did you had to remember that I Love you Dork is what I meant. And that if I called you Double Dork, it meant that I doubled the love for you. Please Dee, come back and be my friend. Please. I know I've hurt you in so many ways, If only you could forgive me and let me back into that closeness we felt as kids. I'd do anything, give up anything, I'd even give my life for you Double Delight. Oh hell, I been hanging with Nat too long. He watched as a smile broke out of Edd's face. Oh that smile, it drove him nuts, that cute gap. That is so sexy Dee, every time I see that smile I want to kiss you, but then I want to kiss you to make you smile...

He was standing right behind Double Dee when he said that close to the raven haired boy's ear. Just then he saw the thin boy reach up and wave his had by his ear as if to brush off a fly and look around to see if he could find the offending creature.

The nurse had left, and Dee walked over to the desk and was looking at a small carved box on the desk sitting next to a velvet ring box with PCH embossed on it. He knew that box and Kevin had made two of them in woodworking class. It held a secret compartment that if one knew how to, could open the box. Kevin had told him that he had put his most prized possession in his. Dee knew how to open the box because he had the same box on his desk at home. The box could only be opened if one knew which of the craved letters and symbols to touch. He picked up the box and pressed K.A.B.. he thought to himself if Kevin knew he would kill me but for some reason I just have to look.

Kevin stood beside Dee as he had picked up the box and looked at it. "Look in the box Dee, you know how to open it"

A small tray slid out with a lock of black hair in it. "Oh, my hair is one of Kevin's prized possessions." I never knew that, he then noticed a small snapshot in the tray of Dee smiling with his gap fully exposed. Double Dee remembered that day. Kevin had whispered in his ear, some form of sexy flirt and Dee had blushed and smiled; then Kevin snapped the picture. It was the same day that the red haired boy had given him the matching box.

Do you remember the second compartment Dee? Did you ever look in your box Edd? In both compartments. He saw Double Dee looking closely at the box.

Double Dee looked closely at the box and saw a heart on the top of the box bringing back another memory of that day and what Kevin had told him about the box.

"OH, I just remembered there's a second compartment in these boxes" Dee suddenly remembered the second compartment. How to open it, the emerald eyed boy had not told him the combination for his second compartment. But had only said that one day he would find out. Dee darted out of the room and ran down the stairs calling out to Mrs Barr that he was just running over to his home for something and that he would be right back. That Kevin was doing good. Dee ran to his home, unlocked the door and sprinted up the stairs to his room. There on his desk sat the identical box to the one he had been looking at in Kevin's room.

He grabbed the box and ran back across the road to Kevin's house and back into Kevin's room. For some reason he wanted to be near the red headed boy when he opened the box. He pressed K.M.V. And the tray opened and Dee saw a lock of red hair and a bit of red cloth he had placed there. It had gotten torn off during a scuffle between Eddy and Kevin and had come lose when Dee had picked up the hat and given it back to Kevin. Double Dee had placed it in his box as a prized possession. He sat and looked at the box trying to remember what the second code was.

"K+DD"

K+DD sprang in his mind, Dee felt as if someone had whispered it in his ear. He quickly pressed the letters on the box and the little heart lifted up and inside was a ring. Dee gasped and pulled the ring from the box. It was Kevin's class ring with a tiny note attached that said "Be Mine" Double Dee looked at the ring. Tears sprang to his eyes. All this time it had been there and Dee never knew. Why had he never looked in there before. Oh, yes that was the day that when Kevin had given him the box, and some of the football players had walked by and called Kevin to come with them. Kevin had put on his bully attitude and said "Outta my way Dork!" and started to walk over to them. Eddy had said something and they got into a scuffle. During that scuffle Kevin's hat had gotten knocked up and Dee had picked it up and handed it back to Kevin saying "Excuse us Kevin, I'll be more careful next time."

He had placed the small box in his pocket and simply forgot about the second compartment. Dee looked at the ring and smiled. He remembered that Kevin had worn the ring a few days and then simply announced that he had lost it, when people noticed it was missing from his finger. He had also stated that there was a huge reward for the person that found the ring. Several of the girls that hung around him had been pestering him to let them wear his ring.

"Oh, Kevin, you took such flak from everyone about being irresponsible and losing your ring." It was worth it Dee, I only wanted you to wear my ring." On the desk lay the replacement ring that Kevin had worn since his mother had purchased for him. Dee picked it up and looked at it, inside it was engraved with K+DD. The raven haired boy looked up and over at the bed and said "Wake up you idiot, we need to talk . NOW!"

Kevin walked over to the bed willing himself to wake up, but something held him to the spot where he was standing. What was holding him back. He was afraid of going back, what if he hurt Dee again, what about his reputation or his career. He so wanted to make his parents proud. "Dad!"

"Yes, son?"

"I'm afraid, There are so many things that could go wrong, I don't want to hurt Double Dee ever again. I want to make you proud, I know you had your heart set on me being a football star and getting a scholarship to a good school."

"Thank about your priorities son, which do you want to achieve more, fame or love? Which means more to you? When you figure this out, you'll get what you want in life no matter what. Just remember that to those that matter, it doesn't matter who or what you are. And as for those that feel the other way don't matter. Remember that other people's opinion of you is none of your business. You live your life for yourself not them. Make you and those you love top priority in your life. I'll still be proud of you no matter what you do in life. Now get your ass back in the game of life and score that winning touch down for yourself."

Double Dee stood next to Kevin's bed looking at the ring. He reached down and put it on Kevin's finger, It looked right, but didn't feel right. He pulled the ring off again and looked deep into the emerald stone that so matched those eyes that Edd loved so much. He slid the ring on his finger, it was a lose fit, Kevin's fingers were thick, so much thicker than Dee's long slender fingers. Dee looked at his hand with the ring on it. It looked and felt so right. "Yes, Kevin I'll be yours if you would only open those beautiful eyes and look at me. But, I am afraid that if you did I would drown in them."

Dee heard what sounded like a sigh come from Kevin and looked at his face. Emerald eyes were looking directly at him. They traveled to the ring on Double Dee's finger and back to those blue eyes. There was a question in those eyes that Dee knew the answer for. He shook his head, and smiled at the emerald eyes."Yes" he whispered. "We will talk about it more when you are up and about"

Just then the door opened and the eyes shut as if they were synchronized. "Dee, is everything all right? I though I heard you shout a moment ago.

"I just told Kevin that it was time to wake up, now, and said now just a bit loud. I was hoping it would get a reaction."

Mrs. Barr looked at her son's face, "Something looks different, Dee, he looks more relaxed. Just to have my baby back, up and around. You know he would be so pissed to hear me say that. He would yell 'Oh Mom! At me"

"Language Mrs Barr." Dee said and they both laughed.

She looked at Double Dee and saw the ring on his finger and smiled.

"So, that's where it went, and he told me that he had lost it," Mrs. Barr said smiling.

"It was lost, I just recently found it. It was in this box that Kevin had made. The lady of the house took up the box and looked at it, the small tray holding the red piece of cloth and then the heart shaped compartment that had held the ring. She smiled at Dee and said, "I'd rather see it on that finger than any of those girls he usually brings around here. She grabbed Dee and placed him in a tight hug and kissed his cheek. You two will make a beautiful couple, I can't wait to take wedding pictures to show off to all my family and friends."

"Hold on, let's not get ahead of our selves. One of the main players in this opera isn't on the stage yet. We don't know what will happen in the next act." Dee said patting the older lady on the back. He thought to himself. For someone who came from a family that had little demonstration of love, these Barrs sure were a touchy feelly bunch, and he loved it. He remember all the times that Kevin would touch him, whether it was lovingly or to punch or shove him or even just bump into him and blushed.

"What is it Dee, why are you blushing?"

"I was just remember all the times I would be walking down the hall in school and accidentally bump, into the head Jock, no matter how careful I was being. It seemed to happen fairly often. He would give me a smile and say "Watch it Dork! And then go off with his friends laughing at me.

"I'm sorry Dee, if Kevin was so hurtful to you. I can understand how it must have felt to you, but why are you wearing his ring if he was so hateful to you.?"

"But it wasn't hateful from Kevin, he had once made a pact with me about calling me a dork. When we were tiny boys. Some kids had been teasing me and calling me a dork, he kissed me and told me that he would call me a dork, but that when he did I should remember that 'I love you Dork is what he meant. That was the day you saw us behind the rose bush.

"So that's what was going on, the little brat was so proud of himself when he came in side. I later heard he was bullying you and got on to him about it. After I whipped him for it, he said to me through his tears that you understood that he wasn't being mean to you. Kevin always did want those he really loved to be happy."

They both turned and looked at the red head on the bed, and both caught their breath when they saw emerald eyes looking back at them.

"Mom?" it was a whisper so quiet that only wistful ears hoping for some form of sound from a truly loved one could hear. If some stranger had been there they would not have heard it, Only thought it a breath from the patient.

Tears of joy overwhelmed the lady and she couldn't find her voice. So she reached out and touched herself where her heart was, she touched Dee's heart and then reached down and touched Kevin's heart and drew a circle. A look of pure happiness came into the emerald eyes.

"That's the look I want to see there, Kevin. Now hurry up and get better so that we can go out and celebrate and let the world know our joy!"

"Mrs. Barr, may I ask about the heart touch and circle thing, it seems to run in your family, because Kevin has done that to me several times over the years. He always said it meant we were friends for ever."

"His dad come up with that when we were dating. He said that it meant we were coupled in love for ever. When we got married and Kevin came along, he would touch his heart, touch my heart and then touch Kevin's heart and draw a circle and said that meant that our love for each other and Kevin was for ever no matter what. He did that until he passed away. Even in his last moments he called Kevin and I over and touched each of us and then himself on the heart and drew the circle saying our love was locked in love for eternity. That when Kevin found love, we should continue the tradition. I did it that way so that he would know that I was happy for him in his choice." and hugged Dee again.

Suddenly Mrs. Barr got an aha moment look on her face. She turned and walked over to the desk and picked up the ring box and opened it. "I found this one day and wondered who this belonged to." She held the box out for Dee to see.

In the box was a single strand of hair tied like a fishing lure in a ring shape. There was a note in the box that said "One day my true love will wear my ring. I love you so much and I can't wait for that day."

"You know Edd, I've often wondered whose hair that was, I watched every time Kevin brought a girl friend home, but he never seemed to bring home any girls with black hair. Mostly blondes." She hugged Dee again and looked over to the bed and saw a blush on her son's face.

"You better hurry and get up from there or I'm going to steal all of your man's lovin, Kevin." and winked at her son. She turned and kissed Double Dee on the cheek and gave him another hug. Then turned and stuck her tongue out at Kevin.

Just then the Dork's phone started buzzing. "It's mother calling, let me see what she wants. Greetings Mother,"

"Whats going on Eddward? I was alerted that Kevin's monitors have had an increase of activity in the last few moments."

"He is awake and alert, and having an interaction with his mother and I"

"Has he spoken or moved son?"

"Only one word so far, but his eyes are alert and showing emotions." Edd had unconciously sat on the edge of Kevin's bed while speaking to his mother. While speaking to her the arm next to Dee moved closer to the raven haired boy's leg, until it was touching him. Double Dee looked down at the hand and the fingers moved in a beckon motion. Dee place his free hand over Kevin's and the fingers closed around his.

"Mother, he moved his hand. And closed his fingers."

"Good, good. I'll let you get back to you and Mrs Barr celebrating this achievement. I sense we have overcome some hurdle. Fill me in when you email me your nightly report Eddward."

"Yes mother, I sure will." Dee ended the call and turned to Mrs. Barr and said, "I should have know that they would have alerts set up to check on Kevin."

Just then Edd's phone chimed twice, he had received two text messages. "They're from mother and father. When Dee opened the messages he was startled to see the icon of a pointing finger, a circle and a heart." he turned the phone and showed Mrs Barr and then held the phone so that Kevin could see. "How could they know?"

Chime!

Mother: check your email son.

Double Dee grabbed his lap top and opened his email. He opened the email from his mother and read:

Son, your father and I both had this dream last night. In this dream, your father and I were sitting in our room and a tall muscular red headed man with green eyes walked up to us. He said his name was Richard Barr and that he was Kevin's father.

He said he wanted to include us both in a tradition of his family, so that we could understand and that he wanted to know how we felt about you and Kevin in a relationship. We both assured him that we were completely happy in your decision and felt we could love Kevin as our own. He then held up a picture of his family, I recognized Mrs Barr and Kevin in the picture. He touched each of them where their heart would be, drew a circle with his finger, walked over to the picture on my desk and touched you the same way and drew the circle. He then approached your father, touched him and drew a circle, then he came over to me, said excuse me and then touched me over my heart and drew a circle.

He then looked at us and said, now our hearts were locked as a family in love for eternity. What could this mean son?

As Edd was reading the email out loud, tears spring to Mrs Barr and Kevin's eyes. In his reply email Double Dee explained that Mrs. Barr had come and told Dee about having the same type of dream. It must mean that the father who had passed on was showing that he approved of the budding relationship.

A/N I will be starting a big project for work tomorrow, so it may be a few days before I get to the next chapter. We still have a ways to go, so hang on for the ride. I know how the last chapter is set, but there is much that has to lead up to it. Thanks for reading. Also in an upcoming chapter I will be introducing an OC based on myself, a poet who writes a poem for Kevin and Edd.