Disclaimer – I own nothing but this photo of Laurence Llewelyn Bowen... HOTTIE!!! -Huggles my LLB-

A/N – Hey, just gotta try and wake up before writing the next chapter... lol. If there is a random string of letters anywhere in this chapter you'll know it's because I've fallen asleep on the keyboard... Anyhoo, chapter 13! Whee! But first a big thank you too my regular reviewers –huggles you all- and to my new reviewers!!! -Throws out party streamers- Yippee!!! So, hope you enjoy!

Dedication – Dedicated to the lovely Tesn Morlock after I had to throw him out of my house today after only mere seconds of him appearing... and for leaving him alone with the skary girl... I'm sorry... I hope this makes it up to you!


Closeted Secrets

Ed yawned stridently and rubbed his hand up and down his aching back. The floorboards of his basement were not exactly the most comfortable accommodation for the night, but he didn't mind. Double D had been in trouble, and he needed Ed to help him.

Ed loved to be needed by his best friends, true, they often called upon his services to do the lifting, the carrying and the more physical aspects of their regular scams – the dirty work one may call it – but it was not very often that they truly needed him for support or advice. Sometimes he would feel just that little bit jealous of Eddy and Double D. They seemed to be so close. Whenever either of them were in trouble, they would call out to the other for help. Of course, Ed would never let this bother him too much. He knew that he could never be anywhere near as intellectual as Double D, nor as sharp as Eddy, but when the opportunity arose for him to comfort Double D's fragile spirit and soothe Eddy's fiery temper he would be more than willing to take on the challenge – whether he ended up successful or not.

A loud crash echoed from the basement immediately rousing the boy from his half dazed state as he realised what that sound meant. Eddy had come to visit! He bounded down the stairs from the living room knowing that at any second he would be greeted by Eddy moaning about whatever mess Ed had left underneath the window that had 'broken' his fall. Eddy must be alone too, as they had gotten older and taller neither he or Double D could comfortably fit through the window and so were resigned to having to use the front door, but Eddy, being just that little shorter, was still able to utilize the shortcut, and steer clear of Sarah. Sure enough, as Ed reached for the door to his basement bedroom he could hear Eddy's heated voice growl.

"Ed! You idiot! Why'd you leave all this stuff in my way?" Ed entered the room and grinned as he watched Eddy fume about the deep red paint that now pooled around his feet, staining the bottoms of his pale baggy jeans. Ed had shoved most of his model painting kit into a pile beneath the window in a meagre attempt to tidy his room the night before. Normally he would not have bothered, but he knew how tidy Double D liked to be. He would do whatever he could to make him seem more at home.

"Hi Eddy!" Ed scampered over to his friend and enveloped him in a large hug. Eddy stood and returned his friend's embrace, normally he would have fought desperately to push the red haired boy away from him, but not today, today he needed that contact, that feeling of love and acceptance that he could only ever find in the hearts of his best friends. He was not sure how Ed would react when he found out what had happened to Double D, so he felt he had better make the most of what was left of the warmth of their friendship.

Ed was surprised when he felt Eddy's arms wrap around him. Normally Eddy would be belligerent toward him when offered such a show of affection, but this time he had simply and tenderly hugged his friend back. Ed pulled back, confused by this change in behaviour from his usually brazen best friend. Was something wrong? Was Eddy upset? No, Whenever Ed had seen Eddy upset, the blonde would be angry, furious even – but never poignant – that was how Double D would act. So why? Was it something he had done? Had he done something to please Eddy? He doubted that this kindness stemmed from the failure that had been Ed's driving school... Maybe Double D had told him what a good host he had been last night? Yes! That could be it! Satisfied with this explanation, Ed released his friend and set about picking some of the now crimson soaked items from the floor in an attempt to save them from too much damage.

Eddy sighed and sat on the small purple bed. How he wanted to tell Ed everything that had happened, to let his pride and his ego take a fall and just allow himself to be comforted and loved by the taller boy. But he knew that could not happen. He was Eddy, a strong leader, impassive and composed. Nothing could threaten him, nothing could beat him, nothing would ever keep him down. Though, Eddy knew that the mask he wore was only skin deep. Inside he was a coward. Easily offended and most defiantly reliant upon those around him. But, no matter how he felt within, he knew that he needed to be strong. To front his emotions and not let anyone, not even Ed, know exactly what was going on inside his mind.

A loud crash echoed through the room as Ed dropped one of his paint tins to the floor, creating yet more mess and allowing the red paint that already lay in a small lake around Ed's feet to mix with the newly spilled yellow. Eddy sighed to himself as Ed ran around frantically looking for a cloth to mop the colours up with. If Sarah were to find out what he had done she would tell mom for sure, and he was already in enough trouble for falling asleep last night while he was supposed to be watching his fiery sibling. Ed could be so clumsy, but Eddy guessed that was all a part of his somewhat charm. He had grown a lot taller over the last few years, towering over even Double D by at least a few inches and had now become very broad, muscular even, after so many years of physical labour, following Eddy's commands. His hair had grown considerably, and fell about his face in a disarray of wild red, which contrasted to deep blue eyes, the same shade as Sarah's, framed by tanned skin and boyish features.

Satisfied with the job he had done mopping the paint from the floor, Ed turned back to the blonde sitting on his bed and grinning.

"Look what I found Eddy! My old hairbrush! Can I brush your hair eddy? Huh? Please? Can I?" Eddy looked questioningly at his friend and cringed. The brush was falling to pieces, obviously more than a few years old and very much neglected, forgotten under the many piles of junk that littered Ed's bedroom, and was worryingly covered in the yellow paint that Ed had spilled earlier... and were those bite marks on the handle? But, one look at Ed's pleading face and Eddy knew he could not resist, not today. He just did not have the strength.

"Fine" he sighed, as Ed bounded over to him beaming brightly at the opportunity to play with his friend's hair. He set about lightly combing the blond strands, remembering to be careful so as not to hurt the shorter boy, and finally, when satisfied with the job he had done on the shorter spikes he moved round to brush the longer pieces of hair that fell around Eddy's face forming a makeshift fringe.

Despite himself, Eddy had to smile at Ed's gesture. True, it was not much, but to Eddy, Ed was there when he needed him the most, and that loyalty and friendship, no matter whether Ed was oblivious to it or not, was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Your hair is so pretty Eddy, nice and soft, just like a kitten... Double D's hair is pretty too, but I don't think he'll let me play with it... I don't think he likes it all that much..." Suddenly, something sparked inside Ed's mind – a memory that morning, of the tears, the sadness, the pain. Double D's pain. Ed silently condemned himself, why did he have to forget so often? Maybe Eddy knew why Double D was so upset?

Ed ceased his playing with his friend's hair and stepped away from his friend, ready to question him about whatever he might know, but was stopped as his gaze dropped to Eddy's pocket, or more precisely, the black material that was hanging from inside the pocket. Ed recognised it immediately – how could he not? He had seen it practically every day since he could remember, but never separated from it's owner. A strange emotion washed over Ed, something he could not quite distinguish. Anxiety? Concern?

Suspicion?

Eddy realised why his friend had stopped, why he had suddenly fallen silent and dropped his gaze to the floor, unable to face the questioning stare that was haunting his friend's face. Tears blurred his vision. Was he about to loose the one last person that he held close?

"Eddy?"


Heh heh... Chapter 13... so what do you think??? You would not believe how much soul searching I had to do in order to post this – I was so sure it sucked, but maybe I'm just paranoid... Please review and tell me what you think!!! Oh, and chapter 14 will be hitting your screen over the weekend – stay tuned!