Edd was worried as he walked through the front door of a house that was supposed to be his. It didn't feel like home and it had gotten smaller than his memory of what felt like just days ago. It was all so overwhelming to him but outside was worse, people he couldn't remember expecting him to remember nine years that are gone completely.

Eddward had one saving grace, the only comfort in the mix. A new friend who didn't push the memories. A friend who was willing to start over like strangers. To Edd, they are strangers, everything is new and they are starting from the beginning.

Edd loved his mother, he did, but she was just as distant and just as confused with motherhood. She treated him like an unwelcome guest, one that she would dance around with the subject of leaving, someone she didn't know how to be blunt with. She was uncomfortable around him.

He realized soon after waking that she didn't know him at all. She couldn't explain even half of the hobby items in his room. He found the recent sticky notes left by her and his father, they left a sour taste in his mouth.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Edd's head turned towards the door, his mother was answering it before he could protest or even escape to his room.

"How may I assist you, Mr. McGee?" She asked politely.

Eddy looked past her and smiled at Double D. "Hey Dee, mind if we talk? I just…"

Eddward nodded and his mother protested, "He needs some rest."

Double D spoke up "Mother, it's alright, I wouldn't mind talking for a moment with….Eddy?"

Eddy nodded to confirm his name, never thinking he'd ever had to do that with Double D again before this moment.

His mother moved from the door and watched as Eddy removed his shoes and dawned the house slippers, she was impressed to see a rowdy teen following her house rules without needing to be told or reprimanded.

Eddy followed Double D up to his room to talk about whatever Eddy had come there for.

Eddy closed the door and sighed "Dee...I know you don't remember me, but maybe I can help trigger some memories with some interaction with things from your past. So….I was wondering- if you don't mind, that is…"

Double D gave him a look that begged to get on with it.

Eddy came out with it "Would you come out tomorrow and try out some things we used to do? It's probably going to take us all day to go through it all but if anything brings the memories back then it'll be worth it."

Double D felt a bit rushed but nodded stiffly to confirm his reservation for that day to be spent with him and his tricks to try and bring back the memories.

Eddy smiled briefly, hope glimmering in his eyes. He needed to get his best friend back or he'd feel lost. Not that Ed wasn't a best friend too, but Ed didn't have the same wisdom that Double D had, Ed was a different person and could help in other ways. Both best friends were important to Eddy.

Double D was happy he could bring that look to this strange person claiming to be his friend. If they were friends then he was willing to give anything a try to help along the healing process to ease the worries of those around him.

Eddy didn't know what came next, he couldn't talk with Double D like he used to. What could he realistically say?

Double D cleared his throat with questions on his mind "I….hope you don't mind if I ask you a few things?"

Eddy looked surprised but was pleased that Edd had answered his question unknowingly. "I'll answer them the best I can."

Double D asked the obvious "How close of friends were we?"

Eddy smiled fondly, "We were and hopefully we can still stay best friends."

Double D nodded and asked "So you know just about everything that has to do with me? Favorite color, hobby, everything?"

Eddy grinned, puffing out his chest with pride "Yes I do!"

Double D nodded and blushed embarrassed with the next question he would ask. "Did I have a significant other? And have I figured out my um…...sexuality?"

Eddy blanked for a moment and chuckled, "You're single, and from what I know, you've had an attraction towards women before but that switched when we hit puberty and you realized you only have sexual attraction towards men."

He felt a bit embarrassed talking about his friend's sex life but was happy to provide the needed information.

Double D nodded and thought for a moment "Do I still wear my hat?" He asked as his fingers slid to the brim of his hat, knowing that he was missing it when they had all come to the hospital.

It was foolish to ask if they had seen him without it despite wanting to ask. He was always so adamant about not wanting anyone to see the ugly thing, but now all the hat covered was the half-shaved and bandaged head.

Eddy nodded and sighed "You were never seen without it until the hospital…..and yeah. Now everyone knows but we don't expect you to go without it unless that's what you want. We'd all be fine with whatever you decide."

Double D took a moment to appreciate the admittance "Thank you, Eddy…"

The questions went on, mostly about the objects in his room and the sticky notes. But the topic of himself as a person was seemingly abandoned, he knew who he was now, at this moment, and he didn't need anyone to tell him anything otherwise.

Eddy was all too happy to explain the objects around the room, the sticky notes made him angry but he explained them as best he could without sounding too bitter.

Double D took the information in stride. His five-year-old mentality was still aged, certain things he had learned early on to make him age faster than he should've. However he was still little in his mind, and he was excited to play outside with the new knowledge gained.

Eddy felt like he was talking to the child once again, getting to know him all over again. He was relearning things that he had long forgotten but he learned them with the knowledge he gained over years, every word had a different meaning, this child wasn't weird, he was different because he had to be.

A broken child who grew up too fast, having been taken care of by his parents for the first few years before a nanny was called and then he was left alone to his own devices, not knowing what to do would be troublesome for his parents so all those years he had been learning to take care of himself so they could stop wasting money. Eddy hated Double D's parents for this reason, but he was much more delicate with this child in a teen's body.

Double D asked one last question before Eddy would lead him outside. "Did I ever get to have at least something of a childhood?"

It was a heavy question, the hope in Edd's eyes made Eddy want to cry. "Of course, I made sure there were years of things to do that only a child could. No adults or growing up allowed."

Double D grinned from ear to ear, a smile he hadn't seen in a very long time. It made his chest ache, the need to wrap Double D into a hug and sob was almost excruciating. Eddy braved a grin of his own and noticed it was taken as genuine.

Eddward's mother watched as they hurried outside to go to the playground, Edd stating where they were going as he ran. His mother felt melancholy, she didn't get to watch him grow up this way, she only saw the after effect of the few years. The height, the age in his features, the crack in his voice as he spoke. How often has she actually spent in this house?

She watched them hop as they pulled shoes on while making their way down the road.

Eddy felt like a kid again, he hadn't played on the playground since "Mondo-A-Go-Go". God, that was a year. My brother really did a number on Dee back then. We just sort of…...grew up...or at least I finally did. Dee was already there.

He watched as his friend jumped onto the swing, he was so happy. Eddy wondered when his best friend had stopped being happy. He wouldn't hold that thought long because Dee was staring at him with this big goofy grin, waiting for him to join.

Eddy and Double D swung side by side like they had when they were kids, except this time they didn't jump. Their excitement as they went higher had drawn the attention of the cul-de-sac teens and soon it was like they were all kids again, playing in the old playground like their childhoods were still in action.

Kevin was doing tricks on the top of the monkey bars, Johnny and Plank holding onto those bars for dear life under Kevin.

Sarah and Jimmy squealed with delight as Ed spun them on the Merry-Go-Round.

Nazz was sliding down the slide with Nat gettin on right behind her.

Rolf was in the sandbox building a pig sculpture. But it wasn't long before Kevin hopped off the monkey bars and pulled the chortling son of a shepherd to the basketball hoop so they could do trick shots with the old ball that still kept it's dusty shape.

Double D was happy with how everyone was so cheerful, they may have been teens but it was as if he could see the kid versions of them running around.

Eddy with his three little hairs as he stood on the swing instead of sitting. Double d couldn't help but snicker.

Kevin with a mullet, Nazz still chubby, Sarah and Jimmy didn't change much but the head gear was more noticeable and Sarah wasn't looking so developed. Edd smiled fondly at these few thoughts.

Rolf looked less harry but still tall.

And Ed was shorter but still similar to the person he was now, just less aged and more pimply. His smile started to crack as it dawned on him.

Edd realized he remembered their names. All except the teal haired boy. But he remembered what they used to look like and their names. How would he even tell anyone?

Did he want to tell anyone when they were having this much fun?

Double D watched and kept his mouth shut. He'd wait to tell them.

And then there she was. Marie Kanker, standing in the alley by the playground, staring at Eddward Vincent like he was a ghost.

Double D looked at her with confusion and she had to keep from running to him, she saw the lack of recognition in his gaze, he didn't know her. She didn't have the right to crowd him like she wanted to, she didn't have the right to hang off of him like a smitten lady with her overly lovey dovey boyfriend. He didn't know her anymore and she never got to meet this Eddward Vincent. The child that was so studious and well written.

She could only stare as the tears welled up, her heart breaking at the sight of the teen boy who had the air of a child to him. Those memories they built together had been erased and she wanted them back.

Double D brought her presence to the attention of Eddy. With the gaze of those brown eyes boring into her, determining whether or not she was safe. He always looked at her like this when she enters his vision, it would fade but she knew why he was so on guard with her and her sisters. She couldn't blame him.

Eddy's gaze softened and he waved her over, she let out a shaky breath and walked over ever so slowly. Keeping her eyes on Double D.

Her hair obscured the view on her right, but she was used to it.

Double D stuck out his hand with such a big grin, one she had never seen before, he looked so happy. Why did she not get to see it before? Oh….right.

She shook his hand gently with a sad smile. "Hey…..how ya feelin'?"

Double D shrugged "I'm happy to be out of the hospital. I can't recall ever having so much fun on a playground before….I hope my memories can prove me wrong when they come back."

He sighed and swung his feet idly as the swing rocked softly. "Pardon me, I should introduce my-"

She interrupted "Eddward with two d's…..I know….we call you Double D."

Double D tilted his head "Double D? But why?"

Eddy realized he never explained the nickname or that he even had one "Well um...Dee, it's cause Ed and I share your name. It's easier to distinguish us this way. His full name is Edward Hill. I'm Eddy McGee….you're Eddward Vincent. Just makes sense cause he has one d and you have two and i have a Y….It was um."

He stumbled over the explanation, but Dee got it.

"I understand, it's as if we just go together. It just makes sense."

He smiled so kindly at his friend and without warning, Eddy started to sob, it brought down the dam in Marie's eyes. They both sobbed as if they were recalling the fond memories of a dead friend. Double D felt as though he should apologize and he did, over and over as they hugged him like he was going to disappear if they didn't hold on tight enough.

The others took notice and the childish fun was over, they all felt that resounding sadness but not everyone would cry. Rolf was too strong to cry, or at least that's what he told himself.

Nat didn't know Edd well enough to get so emotional but he still cared enough to feel the sting in his vision.

Kevin turned to keep his tears hidden. Nazz saw it through her sobs.

Jimmy and Sarah didn't seem to cry, but they did comfort each other with the sadness in the atmosphere.

Johnny broke the sadness with a call of "I bet the candy store is still open, we could grab a few jawbreakers. Your favorite is blueberry...right Double D?"

Eddward blinked "Jawbreakers? Mother would never allow that." he looked down.

Eddy sniffled and laughed "Oh she's not gonna be happy when she finds out you've had at least one a month for about three years after you moved here. You slowed down when we turned eleven cause you wanted to save your money. But I remember wanting to make sure you could still have one so I would come up with scams to get quick quarters…...heh….we weren't very popular because of that but it was fun."

Then Kevin had braved to turn around after wiping his tears "Did you all forget, My dad works at the jawbreaker factory, I have boxes of them in my garage. Let's just grab a few instead of wasting money."

He led them through the Cul-De-Sac to his house, the memories of yesterday fresh but no one bringing it up as he opened the garage to show boxes upon boxes of free range jawbreakers that Kevin would sell in a week.

"Eddy, you like the Tokyo flavour, right?"

Eddy nodded and caught the jawbreaker as it was thrown at him.

Kevin named off the next one he grabbed at random, recognizing it by color and speckles "Nazz, Bubblegum!" He tossed it to her and she fumbled it for a second before popping it into her mouth.

Rolf perked up when Kevin threw him one. "Candied Beets!"

Sarah called out "Do you have an everlasting?" Her answer was a jawbreaker being thrown her way. She caught it without issue.

He found the blueberry one and held onto it as he searched more. He smirked and yelled "Ed, curry surprise!"

Ed was like a dolphin catching a fish as it was thrown to him.

"Johnny, RootBeer and Queen's Choice?" Johnny grabbed both from Kevin before he could throw them. One was for Plank.

"Nat, heads up man. I got Tutti Frutti coming your way." He threw it like a football and Nat caught it readily.

"Jimmy, Peaches N' Cream or Peppermint?"

Jimmy called out "Peaches!" and ran over, he was never good at catching.

Kevin held up Freeze-Me "Marie, catch or retrieve?"

She smirked, "Throw it red." Marie caught it no problem.

He turned and held up two jawbreakers. Red Hot and Blueberry.

Kevin made his way to Edd and handed the Blueberry one to him.

Double D couldn't help but smile, he felt his mouth water as he examined the jaw breaker and stuck it into his mouth slowly, unsure of what to expect but loving the flavor, he got to experience it for the first time yet again.

Kevin couldn't contain his joy from Double D's reaction, it was his favorite look now.

Eddy took note of the way Kevin was looking at Dee, he'd tease about that later.

Right now though? They were content with this moment. It was so peaceful.