Edd picks up the phone and answer, getting up from his bed , rubbing his face to ward off the sleepiness.
Edd : HI, Chuck, what times is it ?
Has to stifle his yawn a bit while answering the phone .
Chuck : 3 a m . Look kid , I didn't call if it wasn't serious and it's serious.
Edd can tell something about what Chuc about to tell him is unlike anything he has ever heard before.
Chuck : Remember the Flacily family , the one I used to work as a broker for back in the day ?
Edd : Yeah , you used to tell me story about them after you took me in .
Chuck : Well , they have been fighting a nasty war upstate for the last few months and neither they nor their enemy are going to win anytime soon .
Edd : What is your point then ?
Chuck : They want me to set up a truce . The paperwork and agreements have already been made but they still need me to host the meeting and signing.
Edd : Isn't that a good thing ?
Chuck : Edd . They won't sign cause of you .
Edd is confused at what he just heard .
Edd: Wait, wait , hold on . what ?
Chuck : They have been watching me and notice that I have been working with you for the last few months . Before you arrive, I was considered retired and unrelated to the family business. Then when you began to work for me , I tested the water a bit . What I didn't expect was that I was already neck deep back into the water . They want me to test my loyalty by making you endure the passage .
Edd : the passage ?
Chuck : Trust me , it's better if you only hear about it . Look , I wouldn't have call if I didn't have a choice . Edd , it's either you or my family and I can't lose them . I'm sorry if I put you in a dangerous spot but ...
Edd : But you already told me that when I first joined.
Chuck : So , can I ask you one last favor ?
Edd looks up to the ceiling .
Edd : How much can you give me ?
Chuck : Money ? My entire share , 1 million. I just want my family safe .
Edd : And mine taken care for . I'll do it . Give me the time and date , I'll be there .
He hang up then just crouch over , punching the ground as hard as he could from the anger he felt. How he was building a life that he could be happy with only to see it ends before he could make it last . Thinking about Marie and how he could never see her again but he owes Chuck this much , if it wasn't for him , Edd would have taken his own life by now . Guess buying a few more months can be quite costly. He receives a message from Chuck , informing him that he will do passage at 11 pm at the Flacily family safe house . With that , all seem destined to end tonight. Edd can't go back to sleep so he gets up and clean himself up then heads off to spend probably the last day of his life with the only one that matters the most in his heart . Walking in the cold snowy night , Edd reaches Marie's place at 5 in the morning . No souls in sight , just a dark winter early morning . He goes through the back door with his climbing and lock picking skills, checking to see is her parents are here or not . No surprise, they aren't. Edd quietly makes his way up to Marie's room then when he enters, he finds a soundly asleep Marie , rolled up in her blanket like a burrito which amused him . He sits on the bed , pushing the few strand of hair of her peaceful face to get a good look at his love . She opens her eyes then smile then talk in her sleep .
Marie : Is that really you , Edd or I'm still in hangover ?
Burying her face into her pillow .
Edd : You are still drunk . I'm just your imagination.
He giggles a bit , whispering to her .
Marie : If you are really my imagination then you would need to be in bed with me right now .
She rolls to the other side to invite him in . He wants to spend every second he has with her but he knows she won't let him leave if she wakes up so he makes a tough choice .
Edd : Here , let me put you at ease .
He gives her a kiss on the cheek then promise .
Edd : If you are truly my love then I will walk my way back from hell to be with you . Till then , sweet dreams.
He leaves the room and her house as he gets on his bike and ride to the place to get ready for the meeting. The place is packed at 10 as the two sides are seated inside a large room , weapons in hands with Chuck at the middle , sitting at a table where the leader of both side are constantly staring at each other .
Flacily God father : Where is this boy of your , is he bailing out on you , Chuck ?
Marrone Leader : If he does then , we will just have to make your daughter endure the passage for him .
Chuck : No , you can't.
He gets scare but then Edd enters the room .
Edd : You won't, cause I'm here .
Announcing his arrival as the two family inner circle meet Edd for the first time . Let just say , some of the younger member are interested.
Flacily God father : Have to say , you look quite young for someone of this line of work but now the question remains .
Marrone leader : Will you endure the passage?
Edd looks at Chuck who is praying that Edd would save his family then over to the rest of the room who are just thrilled to see what will happen.
Edd : I accept only on the condition that Chuck's and my family will never have to drag into this business ever again .
Flacily God father smiles at Edd as he tells his chosen soldier for the test then Marrone does the same . Both escorts Edd to another room , walking past Chuck . Edd can tells from his lips that he thanks Edd for his sacrifice to which Edd simply smiles then turns away as he is lead into a dark room . The rest of the members leave as only the two leader stay to signs the truce but , the show must start .
The TV on the wall turns on as Edd is being tied to a chair with the two solider standing in front of him .
Soldiers: Any last words ?
Edd raises his head up and smile : I have a promise to keep so make it quick .
With that the show starts as Edd is punched over and over on the face . Left , right , left and right till blood spatter on the floor after they knock him down to the ground. Pulling him back up , put him on the chair again only to see he is still smiling with blood dripping out of his cut lips and cheeks . Again and again as the clock ticks , Edd endure as he is knocked down so many time then get back up till the ropes on his wrist become loose . They later hang up on the wall then beat his body to a pulp but he is still getting up . Now with only one eye open , can't even push his body with his arms anymore as they broke both arms with metal baseball bat . torso litter with bruises the size of a volleyball but still , swinging his body side to side , on his knee , looking up to the camera with a smile . The soldiers goes for one last combo before the one hour timer runs out . They punch him , tossing him over to each other , hitting everywhere they could except for the balls as even mobster has rules . With the clock strike zero , they get one last upper cut on Edd as blood fly upward from his mouth then he falls on his back .
Flacily God father: Look like he survived , at least till the clock runs out . Rules are rules then .
He stands up .
Marrone: Our war is over . Your family is safe and you are compensated for your efforts.
The two leaders shake hands then leave the room as the soldiers exit the dark room, cleaning their fists with towel . Chuck hurry into the room to give Edd some help but to his surprise, Edd limp his way out of the room , body broken , bloody and beaten but still smiling.
Edd : I have a promise to keep .
Coughing up blood .
Edd : See you around , Chuck .
He begins to limp his way out of the safe house despite Chuck constantly asking to let him help but Edd refuses . Just keep walking onto the long highway in the dark , not skipping a beat , not letting the agonizing pain stops him . Chuck gets his boys ready to give Edd medical help when he finally gives in but despite that , he stills keep walking with a smile on his face all the way back to Peach Creek. Chuck make sure nobody stops Edd from getting to where he is heading , clearing a path for him while Edd keeps dragging his bloody body back to where his heart lays . It's late already yet Marie is in her room , un able to sleep despite it's way past her bedtime. Checking the clock again , it's 3 am already. She has just finished a book of homework in hope that it would make her sleep but it failed to do anything. She has called Edd multiple time but he didn't answer . Fearing something might be wrong then she remembers this morning when he promised her that he will walk back from hell to be with her, her heart calm down a bit then the door bell rings . Her brain begins to get into panic mode as she is taught to never open the door so late at night but something is telling her to go there . Going down to the kitchen to grab a frying pan then slowly tread to the door , peaking through the hole . It's too dark to see but she knows someone is there so, ready her pan , one hand on the doorknob then she turns .
Edd : HI, I am ..
Coughing up blood , falling on his knees .
Edd : a man of my words .
then just slouch down as he finally made it .
She drops the frying pan , kneels down and lift his head to see how bathers he is but yet he still smile .
Marie : Oh my God, what happened, who did this to you .
Getting a good look on how badly he is right now , seeing all the blood on his body .
Edd : You gave me ... strength...to live .
He finally gave out , falling into her arms as she tries to carry him inside but she is not alone as Chuck and his boys arrive on the scene to give Edd the medical help he needs . Marie get confused on what is happening as she tries to stop Edd from being carried off .
Marie: He needs help , I can't let you take him .
Chuck : Don't worry , we are his help . Get him to a bed , we will take care of him from here.
Two guys carry Edd inside and into her parents bedroom as the rest carry medical supplies with them . Spraying disinfectant around the room then seal it tight as they undress him and begin to patch him the best they could while Marie can only wait with Chuck outside, praying for some good news .
Chuck : You don't need to pray , he will make it . He drags himself 10 miles to get back to you . He won't give up so easily.
Marie : What happened?
She asks him , on verge of tears .
Chuck : He pays me back more than i ever gave him . I owe him more than ever , that is all you need to know . Get some rest , I will call you when he wakes up .
The rest of the day , Marie could only watch and wait as Edd is hooked up to so many machines to keep himself alive . He lasted a full hour while most can only endure 5 minutes . They are surprised that his organ didn't die on the spot like so many before. Marie is allowed to stay by his side but only her . She called in sick to everyone to give her some private time , saying it that she has got bad virus and needed to be isolated . Her friend respected her wishes and basically only contact her via phone or messages . Sitting next to him , hearing his laborious breathing with the breathing aid in his mouth . His face is so batter that many would think he is Frankenstein monster but she can recognize him , no matter how ugly he gets . Days passed and things are looking better , his wounds are healing faster and faster by absorbing IV bags in the dozen , like he drinks 1 every hour or so but it does to do the trick . His breathing becomes much smoother while his face begins to heal , the bruises fades away , only leaving the cuts behind . His body is slowly getting back together, only his bones are still healing at a sluggish pace . On one Christmas eve morning, Marie is just sleeping beside his bed when a wrapped hand caress her face , tickling her a bit which cause her to wake up to Edd is finally awake after 4 days out cold , still one eye open and smiling.
Edd : Good morning my love .
Marie can't believe her eyes as she jumps and hugs which makes Edd gasp in pain .
Marie : Oh my God, I'm so sorry .
She gets off of him , calling in Chuck to see Edd . The doctor and Chuck rushes inside to find Edd awake , bed ridden but awake .
Chuck : Jesus kids , you gave me a heart attack .
Edd : I would be giving you a handshake if both my arms aren't broken .
Marie gets a text from her parents that they will be home tonight to drive her and meet up with the whole family upstate for the holidays. She wants to cancel it so bad to be with Edd . Her expression gave Edd the hints.
Edd : Is there something wrong ?
His voice is still sluggish due to his broken jaw .
Marie : My folks will be home tonight but you need to .
Chuck : Don't worry , we can relocate him now , he is good enough to be moved . I will keep you posted on his condition when you are with your folks .
Chuck calls in his crew to get ready to move Edd , packing up the machines while cleaning the entire house to cover up their track . With everything finished, they begin to move Edd into the backyard where Chuck's truck is parked . They load Edd up into the truck then with one last goodbye to Marie, they drive off . Marie goes back inside to get ready her things as well , to leave tonight.
