(ZephyrSamba here! Just wanted to answer a question I'm getting: For anyone wondering where Ed/Eddy is in a particular chapter…Well…they're grounded – stuck inside without much to do! As such, I plan on having them trade off every other chapter (first Eddy, then Ed, then Eddy, then – well, you get the idea). Whaddya think? I certainly don't mean to deprive anyone of their Ed/Eddy fix, but even the great lumpy one and his loudmouthed little pal are having a hard time finding all that much trouble to get into at the moment ;)

Okay, that's it – now back to the regularly scheduled program. Thanks to those of you who've reviewed and made suggestions thus far!)

*****

"RRRGH!!" Eddy seethed at the sight of the now-blocked view out his window. Okay, so maybe he'd been pushing things when he'd tried to sneak out that window – but that was no reason for his parents to board it up. Now he couldn't even keep tabs on what was going on outside!

He wondered if any of the other kids missed him. Rolling his eyes, he snorted. What was he thinking? Of course they missed him! Without him, who was there to add spice and excitement to their useless lives? Even now they were probably all sitting around just scratching and drooling, wishing he were back.

Hey…maybe they'd come bust him out! He could see it now – Nazz would take the lead since she'd want him back the most. She hid it well, but Eddy knew she had a little thing for him – didn't she giggle girlishly every time he walked by? And with her influence even Kevin would be roped in…Eddy snickered at the idea of that jealous jerk having to help rescue him. Eddy'd be sure to rub it in his face once they finally freed him from this room-turned-prison.

Let's see…Nazz…Kevin…Who else? Rolf would probably lend a hand, although you could never be sure about him. Eddy made a face. What can you say about someone whose idea of a wild evening was a rousing family game of 'How Many Eggs Can I Fit in My Mouth?' No doubt about it, the guy was weird.

Either way, everyone else was sure to be in on the jailbreak. Well…almost everyone – Sarah was probably glad he was gone, but that spoiled brat just couldn't deal with anyone who actually had the guts to stand up to her. Eddy smirked. Just look at her choices for playmate and for not-so-secret crush.

Come to think of it, Jimmy probably wouldn't be helping, either – the little twerp never did anything without Sarah's say-so. Eddy'd even tried to help him get a life once, that time he'd begged so pathetically to be just like his 'Uncle Eddy,' but Jimmy let him down almost right away. Well…let down, double-crossed – same difference. The little creep never really had the right stuff to be a con artist anyway. Besides, he'd probably just get in the way of the escape efforts.

And speaking of getting in the way, Eddy hoped Jonny kept out of the whole thing. Every time Jonny was around, disaster for Eddy seemed to follow – the kid was trouble. Or actually…Plank was trouble. Sometimes Eddy almost – almost! – got the feeling that Plank – not that he was real, of course – didn't like him…Always staring with those blank eyes…smiling, but somehow still so disapproving…As if he saw things he didn't like…

Eddy shuddered, then shook his head dismissively. Forget Jonny and his stupid board, who needed 'em? Some people just couldn't handle reality – it was pathetic, really.

No matter, Eddy had more important things to think about. The kids would be here any minute now; he needed to be ready. Leaning back in his chair, he propped his feet up against his dresser and practiced his smuggest 'what took you so long?' look.

*****

Edd strolled down the street, pondering where he should go next. He could head over to the park and see what Jonny and Plank were up to…or perhaps he could go see if Kevin needed assistance with his daily bicycle maintenance…or –

"Hey, Double-D! C'mere!"

…Or, he could go find out what Sarah wanted. He sighed inwardly. "Y-yes, Sarah?" He took his time in walking over to her yard.

Sarah was sitting at a folding card table, decked out in a yellow sundress and a floppy pink hat. Spread out on the table before her were plates of cookies, delicate cups and saucers from her mother's good china collection, and a flowery teapot.

She beamed at him and shoved a doll off the chair next to hers. "Come join our tea party, Double-D!"

Edd edged back towards the street. "Um, why, thank you for the invitation Sarah - but I was just on my way to go meet Eddy – "

"No you weren't, you big liar – Eddy's still grounded just like my stupid brother! Come onnn, you don't have anything else to do!"

Edd had never seen anyone actually flutter their eyelashes before; he'd always thought that was just a cartoonish cliché. "I-I'm sorry, Sarah, I really can't join you right – "

"Oh phooey – I don't think Double-D wants to play with us, Sarah." Edd initially hadn't even seen Jimmy, surrounded as he was by a host of similarly dressed teddy bears nearly as large as himself. Now he noted that Jimmy did indeed stand out, if only because he was the only one not smiling.

Sarah's own coquettish smile quickly disappeared. "Yes, he DOES!" Her own chair was knocked backwards as she half-stood and stabbed a finger towards the proffered seat. "Sit DOWN, Double-D!"

Edd gulped and sat down. Sarah's ire vanished as she poured him a cup of imaginary tea. "T-thank you, Sarah, that's…very kind of you." He sipped his 'tea,' wondering yet again how he always seemed to get into these situations.

"Gee, Sarah, Double-D isn't dressed for a tea party," Jimmy nudged the teddy next to him. "Even Mr. Cuddles has nicer clothes." Was it Edd's imagination, or was there a hint of enmity in Jimmy's voice? "I know! Let's give him a makeover! Pretty wardrobes are my specialty!"

Sarah clapped her hands. "Good idea, Jimmy!" She grabbed Edd's hand and yanked him towards her house. "Come on, Double-D, this'll be fun!"

No doubt about it, Jimmy was definitely smirking. Ever since Eddy's doomed attempt to transform him into his protégé, Jimmy had had a certain…sneakiness…lurking just beneath the surface. Edd sighed. Eddy seemed to have that effect on people.

He eventually abandoned his futile attempts at freeing his hand from Sarah's carelessly crushing grip and let himself be dragged along. As he passed Ed's basement window, he cast it a longing glance. True, Ed's room was a roiling petri farm for every single-celled organism known to man, but at least there he was never subjected to frightening tea parties and unwanted 'makeover' ordeals. He hoped Ed was having a better day than he was.