Eddy could hear the padlock clicking back into place as soon as the door closed. He grumbled at the dinner his mom had just delivered.

"This stinks." Resting his chin on one hand, he idly pushed mashed potatoes around his plate. "I'm never getting out of here."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, Eddy!"

Eddy glanced up, but of course nobody was there. He slowly returned to his meal.

"Um, Eddy?"

Great, now he was hearing voices. It almost sounded like Double-D, too. Wouldn't that be just his luck – stuck listening to the little yapper for the rest of the week, no way to shut him up or anything.

"Eddy, look at – oh, right!" Eddy continued to stare at his food, but he could've sworn he heard somebody…drinking something? He smirked. Probably be wearing his underwear as a hat soon.

"There, much better! Hi, Eddy!"

Something tugged at his sleeve, causing Eddy to glance up involuntarily. He coughed out a mouthful of pork chop.

"Double-D!" He poked his friend. "It's really you! I'm free! Man, I could almost hug you!" With a shock, he realized he nearly was about to hug Double-D. Catching himself in time, he grabbed him by the shoulders instead. "And just what the heck took you so long, huh?" He shook him a little, for good measure.

"W-well, Eddy, it's been quite a day! You wouldn't believe the indignities I've endured at the hands of our fellow neighborhood inhabitants, it was – "

"Oh, I see!" This time he meant it when he shook him. "I've been cooped up in here like some animal, while you've been out livin' it up with the rest of those yahoos, eh?"

"Eddy, please! I assure you, I was hardly 'living it up'! My efforts were categorically ineffective in – oof!" Edd fell to the floor as Eddy released him.

"Yeah, whatever," Eddy grumbled. "At least you're here now, finally. So tell me, Houdini," he gestured towards the boarded-up window and sealed-off air vent, "how're you gonna get us out of here? Or did you just drop by to keep me company?"

"It's all been accounted for, Eddy!" Edd proudly produced a crowbar from his pocket. "That window appears to be our best option – I believe we can simply pry off those boards and be well on our way before anyone even realizes you're gone." He trotted over and applied the crowbar. "Nnngh! – yes, in just a matter of moments we'll both be – rrrgh – free as the proverbial bird! Just a – nnngh! – just a little more…"

Eddy rolled his eyes as Edd put both feet on the wall and pulled at the crowbar with all his might, only to end up in a heap on the ground. "Outta the way, Orville, lemme show you how it's done!" He spat on his hands and reached for the crowbar.

Suddenly he paused. "And you're just gonna help me escape, huh? Just like that, no complaints about me disobeying my folks?" He looked back over his shoulder at Edd. "Nothing to say about that 'parental ring' thing?"

Edd smiled weakly. "What, can't I initiate a somewhat out-of-character 'adventure' of my own every now and again?"

"No, Sock-head, I don't think you can." Eddy's eyes narrowed. "Just what are you up to?"

Edd held his gaze for a moment, then dropped his eyes with a shrug. He concentrated on plucking Chunky Puff crumbs out of the rug fibers. "Well, Eddy," he sighed, not looking up, "as I'd started to explain, this has been a rather disheartening day for me. I was singularly unsuccessful in my attempts at establishing a stronger bond with any of our residential peers."

Eddy rolled his eyes. "Big surprise, if you talked to 'em like that." Expecting another endless, hard-to-follow explanation, he glanced around for something more entertaining. His gaze fell on his half-eaten dinner, and he grinned mischievously back at Edd.

"Y-yes, well, be that as it may," Edd continued, still staring at the floor. "Even with the rest of the cul-de-sac around, I finally came to the realization that I was feeling - well - " He tried a different approach. "You know what things are like around here – Jonny has Plank…Sarah and Jimmy have each other…Rolf has, well, his animals and his family…even the Kankers have each other. Forgive the sentimentality, but…I missed myfriends." He pushed the crumbs into a pile. "So if I have to bend a few rules to help the two of you for the time being…well…I suppose I can live with that."

Eddy blinked. "Uh ... huh." He guiltily dropped the heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes he'd just scooped up. "That's really…" He coughed. "... I mean, you know - it's really ... all right, look, we oughta get back to work or we'll never be out of here." Turning, he focused on the prying the boards off the window in uncharacteristically pensive silence. "So, uh…so…So how'd you get in here in the first place, Sock-head? This room's locked down tighter than Fort Knox!"

Edd looked up at Eddy, now working with new intensity on the window. He smiled. "Truth be told, I simply followed your mother in when she opened the door – it was simplicity itself what with my invisibility po – " he gasped. "T-that is, I - uh…I-I took advantage of a phenomenon commonly referred to in neuropsychological circles as the 'cognitive blind spot,' in order to generate an SEP field that obscured…"

Eddy's eyes glazed over. Jeeze, you'd think Double-D was trying to bore him into not listening. Still – much as he hated to admit it – after three days alone Sock-head's familiar rambling was almost welcome. Almost. Eddy grinned despite himself.

He'd let him finish, just this once.

*****

"Really, Eddy, I'm not too sure about this abrupt return to status quo." Edd wrung his hands as he followed Eddy. "I had hoped we could spend a few moments strategizing first – after all, it was our impromptu efforts at effecting Ed's escape that landed us in this predicament in the first place!"

Eddy strode onwards. "Forget it, Sock-head, we don't have time! Just - think fast, will ya? You'll come up with something good this time!"

"But Eddy, it would only take – "

"It'll only take forever if you don't can it!" Eddy rolled his eyes. "I already let you explain that 'neur-o-psychological' thing of yours for a whole half hour, what more do you want?! Anyway, just think of poor Ed!" He glanced back and grinned. "Stuck in that stinky ol' basement all alone, no fresh air, nothing to do – think what that must be doing to that little brain of his!"

Edd sighed. "I suppose you're right, Eddy, let's – " Suddenly, he was interrupted by a shrill squeal. "Good heavens! Jonny's not taken to tickling Rolf's livestock again, has he?"

"Nah, that sounded like it was coming from Ed's!" Eddy started running. "Let's go, Andretti, get the lead out!"

At Ed's house they followed the shrieks to the backyard. Eddy ground to a halt and suppressed a snicker as he took in the scene before him.

"Surrender, pasta fiend!" Ed perched atop Jimmy's stomach and waved a fistful of something slimy and dripping under his nose. "Reveal the secret plans of your dark spaghetti masters, or face the wrath of the angry meatball!"

Jimmy, arms pinned to his side by a mottled-grey toilet seat, tried once more to call out for help through a mouthful of meatballs nearly as green as he was.

"Oh, this is so very wrong!" Horrified, Edd rushed forward. "Ed, stop, you're – "

"Double-D!" Ed launched himself at Edd, bringing him down in ecstatic tackle. His exuberance suddenly vanished, however, and he held Edd out at arm's length.

"Why, h-hello, Ed!" Edd grinned nervously, dangling in Ed's grasp. "I certainly wasn't expecting to see you outside…um, Ed?"

Ed sniffed him suspiciously. "Hmm…" Prying Edd's mouth open, he stuck his head inside for a quick look. "Nope, no spaghetti sauce!" Finally satisfied, he hugged him tightly. "It is really you, Double-D! I am so relieved!"

Edd frantically wiped Ed-germs out of his mouth. "Of course it's me, Ed, whom did you think it was?"

Ed dropped his friend and turned to glare at Jimmy. "This traitor to his planet said that you were a Spaghetti Man just like him!" He caught Edd in a headlock and noogied him. "But do not worry, Double-D, I know you are just a lizard!"

Eddy snickered. "I dunno, Ed, those arms of his might be made of spaghetti..."

Ed gasped. "Eddy!" He galloped over and engulfed Eddy in a bear hug. "This is just like 'The Return of the Three Muskrat Ears!'"

Edd giggled. "I believe you mean 'Three Musketeers,' Ed."

"That's just what the doctor ordered, Double-D!" He picked Edd back up and hugged both friends even tighter. "All for one, and one for the Gipper!"

"All right already, this ain't a greeting card commercial!" Eddy squirmed out of Ed's grasp. "Quit wastin' time, it'll be dark in a few hours! We've gotta get to work if we wanna make up all that cash we missed out on this week!"

"What?" Edd looked dismayed. "Eddy, I didn't free you just so you could rope Ed and myself back into one of your scams so soon!"

"I know!" Eddy grinned and ruffled Edd's hat. "That's just why you need me, buddy – you've still got so much to learn!"

"But Eddy, it's been such a long day already, couldn't we just enjoy – no, wait!" Edd tried to pull away as Eddy grabbed him out of Ed's arms, but he soon found himself being dragged along once more. "Stop! What about Jimmy?"

"Yeah? What about him, Sock-head?"

"Eddy, we can't just leave – " As Edd gestured back towards Jimmy, he noticed for the first time the pink flecks of polish still clinging to his nails. Blinking, he stared at his fingernails for a moment, then looked back up at Jimmy.

Well, it wasn't as though he were actually injured. And he'd surely extricate himself from that toilet seat on his own, eventually.

Edd dropped his hand back to his side. "Well, as you were saying, Eddy, it will be dark soon." He tugged his shirt free of Eddy's grip and calmly strolled back towards the street. "I hope you have a particularly quick-to-execute scam in mind?"

For once, his not-so-clear conscience kept its mouth shut.