This is my last upload. Thanks guys. You can't imagine how grateful, and how heartbroken I am right now.

That's all.

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Kevin had woken up early and had insisted that they spend some family together before he headed to work, where he would be testing a new model of motorcycle for the rest of the afternoon. He had strapped their daughter to his chest, running around in his pajamas and attempting to make pancakes. Edd had laughed, watching at he got flour all over himself, his mussed ginger hair dusted with white. Eventually they had made the best blue-berry pancakes, Kevin sitting happily on the counter while Edd chose to sit in a chair. Kevin loved his pancakes with all sorts of toppings, like syrup, whip cream and strawberries, while Edd preferred nuts and butter.

The young ginger had then quickly showered and dragged his husband and daughter to the local park, the baby still attached to him as he walked along the small wall surrounding the park. They had enjoyed the sunshine and clear skies for over an hour, Mia's giggling encouraging Kevin to bounce her lightly, doing a goofy dance that had made Edd laugh. When they got home, Edd had laid Mia down for a nap, coming back to find that Kevin had taken his beloved beanie and refused to take it off. Silently, as to not wake the baby, Edd ran after his husband, trying to get the hat back. It ended when Edd managed to catch him, pinning him in his arms, holding on tightly as the ginger squirmed to try and escape. In attempt to end the persistent wiggling, Edd tickled him, making Kevin burst out in surprise laughter, his legs giving out and the hat falling off his head, forgotten. Edd continued to tickle the freckled young man until he begged him to stop, hardly able to get a breath in from all his laughter.

After they had both calmed down, Kevin had pulled Edd to the kitchen to start another round of cooking fiascoes- he had recently become obsessed with the idea of being able to cook for their daughter. It ended with a slight food fight after Edd had cracked an egg in Kevin's bright hair (he was considerate enough to pull the boy's hat off right before). Kevin got his revenge by pointing the kitchen sink at Edd's shirt a moment before blowing flour all over him, creating a sticky mess that clung to Edd's clothing and face. The freckled young man couldn't keep his laughter in when his husband gave him a hard look, his face still covered in white goop.

While the cookies they had made were baking, they cleaned the kitchen. Edd was a stickler for cleanliness, and when Mia had been born, Kevin had been more than willing to curb to his husband's demands. They got the entire place cleaned and sanitized just as the cookies were done. They each had two of them, Edd laughing when Kevin burned his mouth on one by eating it too quickly. After that, Kevin and Edd had done various projects around the house, doing laundry and putting up a few more of their pictures on the wall, which they hadn't had time to do since moving in.

Just as Mia woke up, Kevin left, kissing his baby on the forehead and his husband on the lips, promising to be home before dinner. Edd had then tended to the baby, feeding her and giving her a bath before they both had crashed, falling fast asleep until the phone started ringing, the noise seemingly piercing in the cold, still air. It took a moment for Edd to wake from his deep nap, his body aching. He had really needed the sleep, as he hadn't gotten much lately.

When the phone went off, then, it was no surprise that Edd was less than pleased. He groaned, attempting to turn over and ignore it, but Mia's sudden cries at being awoken stirred him. He sat up, scowling and looking around confusedly, trying to silence the digital screeching while also rubbing the baby's back in an attempt to comfort her.

He grabbed for the device, pressing the 'talk' button and holding the phone up to his ear.

"Yes?" he snapped, not wasting time with pleasantries as he felt whoever was interrupting his nap deserved no such courtesy.

"Mr. Vincent?"

"Indeed."

"My name is Meredith- I'm a nurse at the Wasatch Mountain Hospital. We have you listed as the contact for Kevin Thomas Barr. Is that correct?"

Edd straightened, his eyes shooting open in silent alarm.

"Yes, he's my husband."

"I see. I hate to inform you, Mr. Vincent, but Kevin has been injured in a serious accident involving a large passenger van. I cannot give much information, but he is in critical condition. We would like you over here as soon as possible, as he will be going into surgery in less than an hour. Is there-"

"I will be there in ten minutes."

"Good. Come to the ICU, on the second floor."

Edd slammed the phone down, grabbing his weeping child and stuffing his feet into his shoes as he ran through the house. He snagged his beanie, the baby bag, his phone and a jacket in record time, all the while murmuring soft things to the baby clawing at his dog tags. He ran out to the car, putting the poor child in her seat hastily before dumping the rest of his things in the passenger seat, grabbing his phone and pressing the first speed dial, waiting impatiently.

"Salutatio-"

"Kevin's in critical condition. It was an accident on the road. How fast can you be at the hospital?"

There was a pause. It could have been no longer than a second or two, but if felt like an eternity. Edd almost snapped and starting yelling when a calm voice came back on the other end.

"We will be there in less than an hour. I will call you when we are near for the room number."

"Alright. Bye."

"Eddward."

"What?" he demanded, taking a hard turn and wincing as he bumped the curb in his panic.

"We'll be there soon."

The tall man swallowed, trying not to let his emotions overcome him. "Okay."

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Edd was directed down a brightly lit hall, Mia strapped to his back and now fast asleep. The same woman on the phone had been waiting for him in the lobby and quickly pulled him down a series of corridors, telling him a brief description of what had happened. As far as she knew, Kevin had been going across an intersection and had been hit by the van who had run a red light, hitting him on his left side and driving them both into the light pole on the sidewalk. While Kevin had managed to avoid the pole itself, the weight of the crash had pinned him between his bike and the van, crushing his legs and feet. It took the paramedics a few minutes to get him out, but they were successful. The ginger had lost a lot of blood and his legs were so damaged the doctors feared he could not keep them, but they were hopeful. He was minutes away from surgery.

She paused in front of a door, turning around and holding a hand near Edd's chest to stop him.

"If he is awake now, he may not respond. He may not even remember you or anything else. That is common among those going through physical trauma and shock. Try your best to stay calm, and please avoid touching him as we don't know the exact extent of his injuries yet. Okay?"

Edd nodded, his throat too dry to speak. She then turned back around, opening the door and allowing Edd to enter. It was a darker room, with a large bed in it hooked to dozens of machines, tubes and wires. There was a slight smell to the room- it was like blood and burnt rubber. On the floor was a pile of bloody clothing, broken metal and a cracked helmet Edd recognized.

He took a step closer, slowly, afraid as to what he would see. He wasn't wrong to be fearful, either.

Because among the wires, the tubes, the blood, the metal lay a young man, his bloody face hardly recognizable. He had at least three things connected to his mouth and nose, as well as multiple other contraptions on his head, chest, arms, neck and even his ears. Edd could have tried to understand what they all did, but his eyes couldn't stray from the pained expression on the ginger's freckled face as he shut his eyes. His breaths were shaky and shallow, his chest moving only slightly with each frail breath.

"Pumpkin," Edd breathed, horrified. A small whimper came from the mouth of the patient, the sound soft and broken. It made Edd's eyes fill with tears and he shook, aching to reach out and remove all the equipment from his husband's face, if only to see him properly. He heard a small crinkling noise and looked down to see Kevin's small hand, though bandaged heavily and connected to an IV, reaching for him, the small fingers extended slightly.

Edd couldn't help himself, a half sob half laugh coming out of his mouth. He let his fingers grasp the boy's hand lightly, if only to prove to himself that Kevin was in fact, alive. The warmth in the boy's digits gave him hope, though it was slim.

After a moment the baby stirred, reminding Edd that their daughter was still there, though she was being mercifully quiet. He took his hand back, reaching behind himself and grabbing the small girl slowly, hoping not to wake her. He then crouched, replacing his absent hand with Mia's in the boy's grip, letting his fingers close around the baby's tiny fist. Edd placed a hand over Kevin's, their little family connected together. Edd's heart dropped as he silently begged that this would not be the last time.

"Please don't leave me," Edd whispered, two shiny tears running down his cheeks as the possibility of his husband's death loomed over him. It couldn't- wouldn't happen. No, life had been far too unkind to take one of the only people he cared about. Life wasn't so cruel as to take the one thing he had tried so, so hard to gain, would it?

He didn't know.

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After about a minute or two the doctors rushed back in, forcing Edd to leave so they could start the surgery. During which time, Edd was able to give a blood transfusion for Kevin. As he was finishing, the Doc and Kevin's father arrived, both of whom also supplied blood transfusions for the boy. Kevin's father gave two upon his insistence (he threatened three nurses).

After which they all crashed in the waiting room, Kevin's father all but passed out and the Doc rocking the sleeping baby slowly, his face white with blood loss.

It had been silent between them for the last couple of hours. It would take about four hours for the major surgery to be completed, and there wasn't much they could do while they waited, though their bodies were drained and their nerves were fried. Kevin's father eventually fell asleep, slumped in the chair he occupied, a hand resting on the doctor's knee, who sat beside him.

The doctor moved Mia's small curls from out of her face, bouncing her lightly as she slept comfortably in his arms.

"Have you met with the police yet?" he asked Edd quietly, curiosity nagging at him.

"No. I believe they are with the people who caused the crash."

"I wonder if they are injured."

Edd sneered. "If they aren't, they will be."

The Doc gave him a sympathetic look. Edd wouldn't hurt them- they both knew that. He might want to, but he wouldn't. Kevin's father, however... he would be much harder to convince.

"He could lose his legs."

This caused the doctor to look up, startled.

"Oh no."

"And if not, he may never walk again."

The doctor shook his head, his eyes closed. It was very difficult to imagine how Kevin would cope with such an injury- it would be horribly debilitating.

"If he survives," Edd added, his voice cracking. He shrugged, throwing up his hands in an exesperated way. He then ducked his head, running a hand under his hat and through his hair.

"If he even survives."

The Doc sighed silently, looking down at the sleeping angel in his arms. He wanted to promise the young man across from him that everything would work out and that there was nothing to worry about- but the young man was too smart for that. They didn't know if Kevin would recover, if he would keep his limbs or even if he would live through the night. They had been given so little information, anything was possible.

So, instead of saying anything he simply leaned forward, handing the swimmer his little child. Edd accepted her gratefully, holding her a moment before resting his head just above hers and listening to her deep, calm breaths as she dozed. She was warm, soft and she was most definitely alive- and for some reason, it brought a lot of comfort to the dark haired man. He held her tighter, blocking out everything except the sound of his precious baby's breathing.

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Two hours later the doctor woke them all up (except Mia, of course) and sat with them, starting by stating that 'he will be fine'. He then explained that the accident had all but destroyed the bones in Kevin's legs and knees, and they had to give him several plates and screws to replace the broken and missing pieces. He'd also been severely cut by part of his bike that had embedded itself into his side- it hadn't hit anything vital, but it would require another surgery and a lot of physical therapy to help him get back to normal.

"The blood transfusions were probably life-saving. The shrapnel in his upper legs and stomach caused him to bleed so much we didn't think he would be able to keep going. But the extra blood was just what he needed. He is still sedated right now, and the second surgery is going to take place in a few hours- we're waiting for a specialist who just got back from being out of the country. If you'd like to go see him, you can, but I can only allow two people in the room at a time."

Dee and Kevin's father had gone in first, since the tall ginger was going out of his mind and would not let go of the doctor's hand. They went in silently, though the taller of the two swore his heartbeat was so loud it could wake the dead. Most of the vital machines had been taken away, leaving the young boy with only an oxygen tube connected to his nose and an IV in his right arm. Dee put his hand on the boy's upper arm, pulling the boy's horrified father closer, leading the tall man's hand to his son's shoulder. Kevin's father could barely register it all and stared at his left hand, which now was slightly wrinkling the hospital gown on his boy's thin shoulders. He could see a splattering of freckles on the boy's partially exposed shoulder, as well as a thin scar that ran from the base of his shoulder to his collar bone.

"Oh God," the man shuddered. While the boy's face, shoulders and arms were all scratched and bruised, it was nothing compared to his stomach, chest and legs. They were so heavily bandaged they were unrecognizable. Blood slightly discolored all the wrappings and made the man sick. He could do nothing, say nothing and instead just stood there, dumbfounded, as he let the seriousness of his son's injuries sink in.

Dee had always warned him that motorbikes were dangerous, and working in the ER, the football player now understood why. He also felt guilty. He was the one who had encouraged his son to ride, and had even helped pay for the boy's first bike. It had all been good fun then, but now it made him want to throw up.

"I'm so sorry Junior," he whispered, wishing the freckled boy could hear him. But he received no response from the sedated youth. And though he looked peaceful now, the jock knew that he would be in a good amount of pain when he woke up.

Dee stirred him out his musings, setting his curly haired head on the man's shoulder, his hand on the man's back comfortingly.

"He's very lucky."

Kevin's father shut his eyes, annoyed. "Why, because he was stupid enough to ride a bike and most accidents would leave him dead?"

The doctor's hand moved, rubbing the jock's back. "No, because he was taught how to be strong, and that will make all the difference in his recovery. Trust me. You should be proud."

Kevin senior let his shoulders relax, moving so that he held the thin doctor in his arms. He didn't say anything- he didn't need to.

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When the two men came back out Edd jumped to his feet, quickly taking their place in the small, dark room. He had given Mia back to her grandfather, and he now he kneeled next to the medicated ginger, running his fingers along the length of the boy's arm. He grit his teeth, knowing that even if he yelled, Kevin would not hear him.

"Did you think you were going to die?" He whispered, holding his husband's hand to his cheek lightly. "Was there any time to think before you were hit? Did you think about leaving Mia and I behind? Was there anything you'd wish you'd done?"

Edd remembered Kevin mentioning wanting to go camping as a family when Mia was older. He had mentioned that his father knew how to fish, and he wanted to learn it for his own child. He wanted to teach Mia how to fix a car, and for some reason thought it was necessary that she learn piano. He cooked more than he ever had in his life, learning various recipes he thought Mia would like when she was older. He often joked about how he and Edd would react to her first boyfriend or girlfriend. He said they could play as good cop and bad cop- and while he wanted to be the intimidating one, he couldn't keep a straight face to save his life. That, and Edd wasn't very keen to strangers and wouldn't make a very convincing good cop.

Kevin had wanted to be the parent he was lucky enough to have. He wanted to be at every play, every soccer game, every parent teacher conference. He believed in being a central part of his daughter's life, spending countless hours with the child, reading, singing silly songs and talking with her, though she couldn't possibly understand him and would never remember. He called her his princess, his queen and even his little ladybug, rubbing his nose against her own affectionately. He often claimed that Edd had a special connection to the girl, and that was true, but Edd doubted there was ever a more dedicated parent than Kevin. While Edd knew there hundreds of books on parenting, the ginger had never read a single word of them. He just knew what to do with the baby- like he had some sort of sense. The taller man never tired of watching his husband make faces at Mia in public, completely oblivious to the stares. People had already started reacting negatively to the couple and their child, but the young ginger never seemed to notice. He was always the optimist, and cared far more about his baby than the stares he got. Luckily, because of Edd's angry persona, stares was all they'd ever gotten thus far.

They were a family. They were together. He didn't care if Kevin had scars, a wheelchair, or no legs at all. He just had to get better. If not for Edd, if not for their precious new baby, if not for his father or for Dee...

Then for himself.

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The doctor came through the door, met by Edd and Kevin's father, who both jumped to their feet when he arrived. He beckoned them to sit back down, giving them a simple smile and a reassuring nod. Kevin's father sent a text to Dee, who had gone back to Edd's house to give Mia a bath, letting the man know that his presence was needed. The doctor sat across from them, shaking both of their hands briefly.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Walker. I just got out of surgery with Kevin. It was successful, but he was quite injured. I won't go into the details of what we did just yet, but let me assure you we did everything we could to help him gain back his mobility as soon as possible. The scarring, unfortunately, was quite extensive and he may not ever get back the same range of mobility he originally he had, but if I'm speaking honestly, he's very lucky- most wouldn't be able to walk again. As far as recovery goes, he will be wheelchair bound for at least nine months, and he will want to get physical therapy before he walks again. We can talk out the specifics later. He should actually be awake by now- we moved him downstairs to the recovery unit, if you'd like to visit him. Shall we?"

The doctor stood, accompanied by the two other men. They were directed to another floor, one much brighter and quite a bit louder, with nurses bustling about from room to room. They were directed to the end of the hall, to a closed door. The doctor ushered them in, leaving them to their reunion.

The ginger was propped up on a large bed, his fiery locks sticking out at weird angles amongst a pile of white pillows. His face was incredibly washed out, his eyes closed. His lower body was covered in bandages, though they looked much better than they had before. Upon them entering his eyes fluttered, his face breaking into a lazy smile, his eyes closing once again.

"Sup?" he croaked, his non-nonchalant greeting getting a scoff from his father and an emotional smirk from his husband.

"Hey Junior," Kevin's father said, taking to one side of the bed while Edd took the other. "How ya feelin'?"

"Just dandy," Kevin smiled, opening his eyes. He took a deep breath, speaking slowly. "I can't feel anything, actually. Most of me is numb. How long have I been here?"

"Over twelve hours," Edd answered, taking the boy's hand.

"Where's the Doc?"

"With Mia. He's on his way," Kevin's father supplied, shrugging. "I'm gonna go wait for him, actually. He doesn't know where we are." The tall men exited, leaving the younger males in silence. Edd just stared, not knowing what to say.

"To answer your questions, yes, not really, yes, and I only wanted to say goodbye," Kevin said, his bright green eyes lifting to Edd's face.

"What?"

"You asked me questions."

Edd started. "Between surgeries? You heard those?"

"I don't know when they were- but yeah."

This surprised the former bully. He hadn't thought Kevin would ever hear him, especially when he seemed to heavily sedated.

"But," Kevin said, staring at the door hard, his brow furrowed in thought, "it was different than I thought it would. I was mad, cuz I didn't want to die, but... it wasn't that bad."

He was lying, of course. It was pretty bad. But he didn't want Edd to know that.

Edd swallowed, his throat aching. The idea of his husband being killed in an accident was almost too much for him to take, and his mind automatically flashed to seeing his husband's dead eyes, lying in a pool of his own blood, his mouth open slightly and his body mangled in a mess of machinery.

"I'm sorry."

Edd opened his eyes, looking down at the ginger currently tilting his head back at him.

"What are you sorry for?"

Kevin stared at their entwined hands, gathering his thoughts. "I should have been more careful. It wasn't just the other guy's fault, I was being kind of careless. And now," he sighed, looking down at himself with a hopeless expression "and now look at me."

Before Edd could answer the door opened up, revealing Dee with a wide grin, Mia in his arms as he rushed over. "You're awake!" he announced cheerfully, coming to Kevin's side and sitting in the chair comfortably, bouncing the sleeping baby with ease. Kevin's father was right behind him, squatting down to his son's height, balancing on his heels with one hand on Dee's arm.

"Hey guys. Hey princess," he greeted, smiling warmly. Dee asked him a ton of questions, as any doctor would, gathering enough information to diagnose and predict the boy's injuries. It was comforting to Edd to know the other dark haired man was there, as he trusted his opinion over any of the other medical people in the hospital.

It wasn't long before the surgeon came back in, outlining a detailed schedule for Kevin's recovery. It was going to be long and painful, but the ginger just seemed happy to be alive and with all his limbs to boot. The doctor called him very lucky.

He was a lucky man indeed.

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The sound of screeching tires made him jump, and he had just a moment to look over his shoulder before something big, white and metallic slammed into him, his hands ripped from the handle bars and his body jolted from its position on the bike. The impact of the initial crash was nothing compared to the second crash, and he screamed when he was pushed between two metallic bodies. His head snapped back, and his helmet cracked with the force of it all. His hands and lower body were trapped, the pain so overwhelming that his vision was hazy. He tried to move, but it hurt so badly he decided to stay still. He looked down a moment before gagging, the sight of his own blood making him sick. Thick, warm liquid was everywhere, turning the shiny metal silver a dark red.

Oh shit. This is bad, isn't it? I'm stuck. I'm stuck! Is anyone there?! Get me out! I'm bleeding- it's everywhere! There's so much of it...so much...am I dying? Is this what death feels like? Oh shit. Oh shit! Oh shit, no! I'm DYING! I'm going to die here, and they're going to pull my body out in pieces! They're going to wash my blood from the broken pieces! Oh god oh god no I can't die! I have, I have...

Edd! Oh God, someone call Edd. Where is he? He needs to be here! Oh god, where is Edd? My husband! Edd! Damnit, I can't die without him! I can't I can't I'm stuck oh God someone please please get Edd. He can fix this. I can't die. I can't. I can't leave him. Oh god please. Please don't let me die. Nonononono! Edd! EDD DAMNIT HELP ME!

"There's someone under there! Sir! Sir?! Can you hear me?! We're going to get you out of there! Just hold on, hold on! Sir?!"

Hands attempted to detach part of the bike from his side, the movement causing him so much pain he managed to let out a piercing scream once more before blacking out.

Edd...help...

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He awoke, breathing heavily. He couldn't move well, and he wouldn't dare even if he could. Movement hurt more than he cared for. He closed his eyes, sweat beaded on his upper lip. He heard someone stir next to him in the darkness, a light sigh coming from the man next to him, a hand landing on his chest, a face snuggling up against his shoulder lightly.

"Sorry," the ginger gasped, knowing his heavy breathing had woken up the swimmer. The dark haired man shook his head, wrapping his arm around the boy carefully. "I was already awake. Mia just went back to sleep."

"Oh," was all the boy could manage, the emotions from his nightmare still stuck in his throat. Edd moved, detaching from him long enough for him to sit up, pulling the freckled man's head into his lap, his long fingers moving into the fiery red hair that stood out at awkward angles. Kevin ached to hold his husband, but his injuries prevented him. He could barely hold the man's hand, as he wore thick bandages and it hurt to put that much pressure on his palms.

It was hell.

"Shh. Relax. You're tensing up again," Edd chided, massaging the boy's temples in an attempt to get him to go limp. Kevin obeyed, letting out a breath. Edd had been more than patient with his injuries, doing almost everything for him that he could, which had been life saving. Kevin felt terrible for being so needy, but the taller man assured him it was for the best. Kevin's father and Dee had been been sharing the guest bedroom, staying to help take care of Kevin and Mia for the weekend until everything got settled. Dee's advice and optimism kept them all from losing their minds, and Kevin's father was a needed comfort for Kevin.

"You're okay. Just relax. I have you. I have you. Relax," Edd whispered, rubbing circles in Kevin's locked jaw. The boy reached up, taking the man's hands in his own loosely and placing them on his chest, just wanting the taller man's warmth. He couldn't be as physically close as he wished he could, but it would have to do. Edd understood, letting the ginger's hands fall into his own, his arms draped over the boy.

Edd leaned down, giving the ginger a soft, lingering kiss. "You're okay. I have you."

"Never let go," Kevin instructed softly.

So he didn't.

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Kevin sits down, pulling on his pant legs to stall before looking at you, a weak smile on his lips.

"Hey. I, uh, just wanted to talk for a second. This is it, yknow, and I- I dunno, I just wanted to say thanks, I guess. Thanks for letting me, and Edd, and dad, and Mia...for letting us be here. We didn't think it would ever come this far, and now that it's over...it's hard. I don't want to say goodbye just yet. I don't wanna lose you, and I don't want you to forget me. But, uh, that's life, I guess. Isn't it? And I think we're better off, honestly, because I've got my life to live and you've got yours. I just want you to remember that no matter what happens, we'll always have this memory, won't we? We'll always be there, if you need us," he says, his voice cracking and his shiny eyes looking at your earnestly. "So please don't forget us, okay? Cuz I'm not gonna forget you. I don't even want to do this, I don't want to move one, I don't want to say...goodbye. Good luck, wherever life takes you. You're smart, you're strong and I know you can do whatever you want to do in life. Okay? Just...don't forget it.

Oh.

And...goodbye."

*hugs and kisses*

THE END

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ANXIETY, THE PREQUEL/SEQUEL IS UP AND RUNNING.

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