Week's later Marie wakes up to the feeling of a chill running down her spine. "That is creepy." She says rubbing her arms with her hands trying to shake off the feeling of dread that has come over her.
"Everything ok Marie?" Edd asks sitting up in the bed.
"Yeah, I just had a chilling sense of dread, like something bad is coming."
Edd leans over and kisses Marie on the cheek. "I'm sure nothing bad is going to happen." He says thinking over his plans for the day. He has an interview for a job with the public transportation office, and he is sure that he is going to land it.
"Yeah, you're probably right, so when's the big interview?" Marie asks moving past the bad feeling she had.
"Later this afternoon."
"You're going to land it Double Dee, I'm sure of it."She says before kissing him. Marie knows how smart Edd is and has no doubts about his chances of getting the job.
"Thank you Marie, I feel good about today."

Edd lets out a long sigh as he walks down the sidewalk. He'd thought the interview had gone perfect, he answered every question with the right answer, was polite and had his résumé in perfect order. But despite all his preparation and planning, he was "not what the Public Transportation Office was looking for".
"I have this degree and won't be able to use it for what I want" He says pulling his tie off in frustration. 'I need to get a job. I have a child that is coming and I need to be able to provide for it. I can't rely on Mother and Father for ever.' He thinks kicking himself as he waits at a crosswalk.
He'd chose to walk the whole way back to the apartment wanting some time to think and clear his mind. As he's walking he sees a "Help Wanted" sign in the window of a coffee shop.
Edd stops and looks at the sign. 'It's not what I would like, but a job is a job at this point.' He thinks contemplating the idea of working at a coffee shop.
Edd went into the shop to inquire about the job, the lady behind the counter told him that the owner of the shop isn't there but he could fill out an application and she'd leave it for the owner for when they come in. Edd filled out the application and thanked the lady before returning to his walk home. 'At least I tried.' He thinks feeling a little optimistic.

When he eventually gets back to the apartment he sees that the door is unlocked. "Strange, it is not like Marie or May to leave the door unlocked." He says opening the door.
Once inside Edd sees that the lights are on and he looks up at the light confused, again leaving the lights on is something Marie nor May would do. As he looks at the light he sees something in the corner of his eye. He looks over at the kitchen and sees there is a woman in a red long sleeve shirt and blue jeans with red hair leaning against the counter flipping a kitchen knife in the air with one hand, the same knife May had pointed at him when she threatened him about Marie.
"Um, who are you?" Edd asks very concerned who this person is.
"Don't remember me?" The woman flipping the knife asks.
The voice sounds familiar to Edd. "Lee?" He asks wondering if it is the sister to his girlfriend that is in the apartment.
"Yes. So... you went and got Marie pregnant?" Lee says looking Edd right in the eye with eyes that were as sharp as the knife she was flipping.
"I can assure you that it wasn't intentional Lee." Edd says not taking his eyes off the knife.
Lee didn't believe Edd. "She finally got her life going after spending too much time obsessing over you." She says not taking her eyes off of Edd. Lee knew from the very beginning that it was Edd that Marie was upset over when they moved and that her cactus was his, it's why Lee tied to get rid of it so Marie would get over him. "And now here you are dragging her back.
"I'm sorry Lee, but I'm not here to ruin her life." Edd says as the door opens.
Marie had asked her boss if she could take an extended break so she could come back up to the apartment to see how Edd's interview went. She hadn't set up anything to make a "big deal" over it yet, but she was already making plans. But when she enters the apartment she sees her older sister flipping a knife and glaring at Edd."Why the heck are you threatening my boyfriend Lee?" She yells at her sister.
"Cause you went and made that mistake." Lee said as she pointed at Marie's stomach with the knife.
"It's not a mistake Lee. Yes our child was unintended, but calling it a mistake is something I will not tolerate." Edd says standing up to Lee.
Lee is impressed by Edd standing up to her, when they were kids Edd was always quick to cower and run. "Alright then, I won't kill ya for this yet Double Dee. But if I find out you skipped out on Marie or hurt her, I will hunt you down." She says pointing the knife at Edd again before putting it down on the counter. Deep down Lee knows that Edd wouldn't do anything like that, but she still wanted the threat to be there, so her sister would know that she is still there for her.
Lee then moves to walk to the door. "If he EVER does anything you don't like or runs, call me and I will be here to remind him what a Kanker is." She says to Marie.
"While you may not trust me Lee, I will never do something like that. I will always be there for Marie and our child." Edd says once again standing up to Lee.
Lee smiles. "Then prove me wrong. These are for you and May." She says holding up a pair of envelops to Marie.
Marie takes the envelops and Lee finishes her walk to the door. "Date is in four months, you better be there." She says before walking out the door and closing it.
Marie runs over to Edd once the door is closed. "You ok? She didn't hurt you did she?" She asks patting Edd's chest looking for stab wounds.
"I'm fine Marie, but I think she did scare a few years off my life."
Marie pulls him into a hug. "Good. So how did today go? Is my super smart boyfriend going to be working for the city?"
Edd lets out a long sigh and hugs her back. "I won't be." He says, his ill mood from earlier in the day returning.
Marie pulls away from Edd enough so she could look him in the face "What? Why?"
"I was not what they were looking for apparently." Edd says looking away from Marie.
Marie move's his head back to look him in the face. "I'm really sorry Double Dee. They are wrong for not wanting you, you're really smart and it's going to be their loss not having you."
Marie's words of reassurance makes Edd feel a little better about not getting the job he wanted. "Thank you Marie, I don't know what I'm going to do now. I put everything into getting a job with the Public Transportation Office."
"You'll find something Double Dee." Marie says with a caring smile.
"I know, but I really want to be able to provide for our baby."
"Hey, we'll be fine. You might have to get a job that sucks, but only till you find something better."
"I did put in an application at a coffee shop a few blocks away."
"See, you're already moving past the bull shit the city did."

Later that night Edd and Marie are laying in bed waiting for sleep to take them. As he looks at the wall, with his arms around Marie, he thinks over the day. He didn't get the job he wanted and worked for for the past several years. 'I don't know what to do now.' He thinks as Marie snuggles closer to him. Every night since they started their relationship Marie would almost always sleep facing him with her head against his chest. He looks down at Marie and an idea comes to him.
"Marie, are you still awake?" He says hoping she hadn't fallen asleep.
She opens her eyes and looks up at him. "Yeah, what's up?"
"Well I was thinking about taking a trip back home." Edd says telling her of the idea he had.
"Oh…" Marie says feeling sad that Edd would be away for a while.
"And I was hoping you would like to come with me."
"Oh." She says her sadness gone. "I guess I could ask for some time off work."
"If it would be too much trouble we don't have to go."
"No it's cool, but why do you wanna go back to Peach Creek?" Marie asks wanting to know Edd's reason for wanting to travel to Peach Creek.
"I think I need to see some familiar faces and places after today."
"I understand. I'll talk to my boss tomorrow and see when I can take a few days off."
"Thank you Marie, I think just a day or two back home will be all I need."
"Hey we're a team after all. If one of us is feeling down, were both going to feel down." Hearing Marie says this fills Ed's heart with a warm feeling he hasn't felt in a long time.

"Holy balls is it cold!" Marie says pulling her dark gray zip up hoodie closed against the cold.
"Don't remember how cold the Midwest can be?" Edd asks as they walk to a car rental shop outside of the airport in Lemon Brook, a larger city a few miles away from Peach Creek.
"No I don't, plus I'm pregnant and all so that has to be affecting me too." She says wanting to escape the cold as soon as she could.
"Well spring is colder here then back in New York." Edd says opening the door to the rental shop.
"Don't care don't care, I just want to get inside." Marie says almost running into the shop.

As they drive down the streets of Peach Creek, Edd driving so Marie could enjoy the ride, Marie looks out the window at the passing scenery. "This all looks nothing like I remember it."
Not taking his eyes off the road Edd says; "Well it has been over ten years, a lot has changed."
"For the better or worse?" She asks looking the window to him.
Edd pulls to a stop in front of the stop sign at the entrance to the cul-de-sack and looks over at her. "Something's were for the worse, but a few have been for the better." He says smiling at her.
Marie understood that he was talking about her and returns the smile. "So why didn't your folks meet us at the airport?" She asks as they drive into the cul-de-sack.
Edd pulls the rental car next to the driveway of his childhood house. "Mother and Father are still at work for…" He says looking at his phone to check the time. "About another half hour. So it should only be about forty minutes till they arrive."
"Mind if I take a nap then? I feel a little jetlagged." Maire asks stretching her arms above her.
"Go ahead." He says putting his phone back into his pocket.
Marie leans over and kisses Edd before she grabs the seat handled and pulls it so the back of her seat falls backwards.
Marie closes her eyes and was quickly asleep, and as she napped Edd watched her. 'She is a great girlfriend.' He thinks as she rolls onto her side and a lock of hair falls in front of her face.
Edd leads over to move the hair back behind her ear, but once the hair was back in place Marie grabs his hand, laces their fingers together and pulls his hand to her chest.
"I thought you were sleeping." He says quietly in case she is.
"I am." She says not opening her eyes.
"Really?"
"Yep, this is all just me sleep acting." She says as a sly grin comes to her face.
Edd laughs. "You're adorable Marie." He says as his heart fills with love for her.
Edd didn't bother to try and pulls his hand away from Marie, it was a bit unconformable for him to sit like that, but it was a small price to pay to hold Marie's hand as she napped.
Edd closes his eyes himself thinking it couldn't hurt to rest while they waited for his parents. But just as he starts to relax the sound of a car pulling into the driveway in front of them causes Marie and him to open their eyes.
"That your parents?" Marie asks moving her chair back up.
Edd looks at the car. "That is my Father's car, but my Mother was always the one to get home first."
"Well it looks like there are two people in the car." Marie says squinting at the car.
Edd unlocks the car doors so they could get out of the car. "Hum, maybe." He says opening the car door.
As Edd and Marie are getting out of their rental car, Edd's parents were getting out of Edd's fathers car.
"Hello Mother, hello Father." Edd says as he approaches his father's car.
Edd's father, an older man with hair just like Edds in a dark blue suite, closes his door and looks over at his son. "Hello Eddward, we didn't expect you for another hour."
"Our plan made good time." Edd says as Marie and him approach his mother and father.
Edd's mother, a woman in a maroon suite, looks at Marie. "It's good to see you Eddward, and whom is this?"
"Mother, Father, this is Marie my girlfriend." Edd says gesturing to Marie. "Marie these are my Parents, Pam and Jake."
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Vincent, it's nice to meet you." Marie say being polite as she could to Edd's parents.
"Hello Marie. It's nice to meet you." Pam says looking down at Marie's stomach. It was obvious to Pam that Marie is pregnant, Marie is starting to show that she is so it's not that big of a secret, and her eyes grew a little wide.
Marie saw Pam looking at her stomach and decides to get it out now instead of later. "Yeah, got a little one on the way." She says patting her stomach.
"Is it yours Eddward?" Jake asks looking from Marie to his son.
This time it was Edd that grabbed Marie's hand for strength. "Yes it is Father." Edd says squeezing Marie's hand for confidence as well as out of fear at what may come from his parents.
"An-and did you PLAN on having a child Son?" Pam asks seeing her son's future spiraling downward in her mind's eye.
"We didn't, we just-"
"Were in the moment, and ninety eight percent means that there is that two percent chance of a surprise." Marie says cutting Edd off. She guessed Edd didn't want to tell them the truth and doubted that his parents would want to hear it. "But Edd has been very supportive of my choice to keep it."
"Well it's... reassuring to hear that you are wanting to do the right thing Eddward." Jake says also seeing nothing good for his son's future.
"Thank you Mother, Thank you Father. I know this isn't how you would like to find out that you're going to be grandparents, but it is a relief to see that you not mad." Edd says as the weight that he'd been carrying around of how his parents would react to Marie being pregnant lifts off his chest.
It hit Pam that she is going to be a grandmother several years before she ever thought she would and has to move one of her feet back to stop herself from falling from the shock. "We could never be mad at you Eddward, we've always known you couldn't do anything to upset us. But tell us how you met Eddward." Pam asks wanting to know more about the mother of her grandchild.
"Well actually I originally knew Marie when we were younger."
"Yeah me and my sisters lived here with our mom for a couple of years before we moved to New York with my step dad."
"And did you play with Eddward and his friends?" Jake asks trying to remember Marie from the friends Edd had as a kid.
"Us Kanker's were never really invited to play." Marie says bending the truth of how the other kids treated her and her sisters.
"Kanker, is that your stepfather's name?" Jake asks.
"Na, my dad let me and my sisters keep our mom's last name. He didn't want to change who we are ya know."
Pam looks to Jake who is looking at her. They both remember hearing about the Kanker sisters and the hell they use to raze in Peach Creek and are shocked to see their son with a text book "Bad Girl". "Well its rather interesting to see that after all these years you found each other."
"Yep, I guess it was fate" Marie says with a big grin as she looks at Edd.

After visiting with his parents for a little while longer, Edd found out that Jake surprised Pam by picking her up early from work and taking her out to an early dinner, Edd excused himself and Marie to go visit some of the other kids of the cul-de-sack before it got late.
"So who's all left from back in the day?" Marie asks as Edd and her walk hand in hand down the sidewalk.
"Well last I heard Jimmy and Sarah are still living with their parents, Rolf is taking care of his grandmother, and then there is Ed and Eddy also still living at home."
"Do ya not want to see them?" Marie asks.
"No, despite the way Eddy has acted he is still my friend."
"Ok, I just don't want you doing something you don't wan-"
"Double The Ed Boy! Is it you that Rolf sees?" Marie and Edd hear being yelled at them from across the cul-de-sack.
Edd and Marie look to where the yelling came from and they see the dark haired foreigner Rolf waving at them as he walked across the street dressed in an old yellow shirt and work worn jeans.
Edd and Marie walk into the road to met Rolf. "Hello Rolf, it is good to see you." Edd says holding his hand out to Rolf to shake.
Rolf takes Edd hand and shakes it. "Ed Boy, you should have informed Rolf of your coming, I would have prepared The Fish of Returning in your honor."
"There is no need to Rolf, how is your grandmother?" Edd asks as Rolf let go of his hand.
At the mention of his grandmother Rolf frowns. "She has moved on to the halls of our ancestors last winter."
Edd felt terrible for bringing up Rolfs grandmother. "I'm terribly sorry Rolf."
"It is fine, Naa Naa went in peace. And it was nice to see The Old Country when I went to add her ashes to the family hill."
"It sucks that you lost your gran." Marie says also feeling sorry for Rolf.
Rolf looks at Marie with a puzzled look. "Rolf is not sure of who you are. Your voice sounds familiar, but Rolf is still unknowing."
Marie couldn't help it as a slightly evil grin comes to her face. Being back in Peach Creek has reminded her of the chaos she and her sisters once spread throughout the town. "You saying that you don't remember a Kanker when ya see one?" She asks hoping that Rolf will over react.
The color drains from Rolf's face slightly, but he doesn't react like Marie hoped. "Ah Marie yes? And with The Ed Boy? Something you are not telling me Ed Boy?" Rolf asks looking at Edd.
Edd is amazed that Rolf isn't over reacting. "Yes Rolf, Marie and I are dating."
"And you are with child yes? Greta was right."
"Greta? Your friend from your homeland?" Edd asks remembering the name of Ed's once pen pal that turned out to be a friend of Rolf's from his homeland
Rolf smiles."She is not just a friend Ed Boy, she and I are to be married soon."
Edd and Marie's eyes grow wide. "You're getting married Rolf?" Edd asks shocked.
"That is what I said Ed Boy. When I was back in The Old Country she was a source of kindness and after we, how do you say, hit it off? And she came back here with me."
"Wow, well grats then Rolf, but how was your lady right?"
"Oh, Greta is gifted with cheese reading. She saw the coming of an old friend with new life in an old fear in this morning's goat cheese." Rolf says explaining what he meant.
Marie isn't sure if Rolf is telling the truth about Greta and "cheese reading". "Ok… well we were on our way to see Eddy… and we should be getting back to that." She says not wanting to talk to Rolf anymore. What little she did interact with Rolf back in the day was nothing compared to the conversation that is happening now and Marie doesn't want him to say anything more about her child and of reading the future in dairy products.
"Ah yes, the short Ed Boy who works with everyone's filth." Rolf says looking in the direction of Eddy's house.
"What do you mean Rolf?" Edd asks confused.
"The short Ed Boy drives around in that green filth truck and empties those metal cans in front of the houses."
"Oh, Eddy must be working for the sanitation department picking up the trash." Edd says finally understanding what Rolf meant.
"Yes, it is good to see that he has gotten employment. Though he still tries to sell Rolf many pointless things."
"Oh dear." Edd says. When Rolf said Eddy has a job Edd thought that Eddy had finally moved past running scams on people, but then Rolf said Eddy still tries to sell him pointless things and that brief moment of hope ended.
"Yes well, you have a good visit yes? And you must come by on the morning, I will have a gift of fertility for you Ed Boy." Rolf says patting Edd on the back before he walked back to his house.
Once Rolf was out of earshot Marie turns to Edd. "Could we not go get his gift tomorrow?" She asks a little worried as what Rolf's gift would be.
Edd lets out a little laugh. "We don't have to, I'm sure it would be something quite strange anyway." He says pulling her into a hug.
"Thank ya Double Dee." Marie says leaning up to give him a kiss.
As they stood in the road of the cul-de-sack kissing, and not paying attention, an old beaten up truck comes speeding in and just barely misses them.
"What the fuck!" Marie yells and Edd and her jump back. "You almost hit us you asshole!"
The driver of the truck comes to a screeching halt and the driver door opens. The driver, a short man in dirty old jeans and equally dirty flannel shirt with all his hair shaved off and a five o'clock shadow that looks like it's three days old gets out. "What the hell is your problem?" The driver yells back.
"You almost hit us Eddy, you know the speed limit of the cul-de-sack and you were clearly going well over it." Edd says scolding his friend.
"Oh, it's you." Eddy says recognizing Edd. "What are you doing back in this shit dump?"
"We came to see Double Dee's parents, if you weren't such a dick we would have told you that we were coming." Marie says really mad at Eddy for almost hitting them. Lately Marie has been more self aware of what she was doing to keep her and her baby as safe as she could, and a truck speeding past them put her in a bad mood.
"Like I care what a traitor and a trailer bitch dose." Eddy says crossing his arms.
Marie was about to rip into Eddy for calling her a trailer bitch, but Edd beat her to it. "Take it back Eddy." Edd says taking a step towards Eddy. "You can ignore me and shut me out of your life, but you will not speak ill of Marie."
Eddy doesn't do as Edd asks. "Why should I take anything back? Her and her sisters are the biggest failures ever seem in this town." Eddy says pointing at Marie.
This time it was Marie that snapped back. "We're failures? We all finished school with good grades. AND I have a great job ya trash man."
"Ooo, so what? Should be an idiot like Double Dumb Ass here and go fall for that crazy bitch of a sister of yours?" Eddy says spitting onto the ground in front of him.
"Ha! Like Lee would ever fall for a real failure like you. She's getting married to a guy that isn't a self center dick." Marie says laughing at Edd. "David cares a lot for Lee and he treats her how she deserves."
"Psh, like I care." Eddy says still not caring about how Marie and her sisters lives have improved.
"I have no idea how Double Dee turned out so great when he had a friend like you Eddy. You are a failure and you just drag people down with you."
Marie's words struck Eddy deep. "The best day in the world was when you three left, everyone in this city cheered when we found out that you left." Eddy says taking one final jab and Marie hoping to win the argument.
"Enough Eddy! I love Marie and if you can't accept that and move on from what happened over ten years ago, then maybe they can't be friends anymore." Edd says. He is done with Eddy and trying to mend their friendship. Edd takes Marie's hand and they walk away from Edd.
"Like I would ever want to be a friend with a TRAITOR!" Eddy yells at them as they walk away.
"You ok?" Marie asks as they walk concerned for Edd.
"I will be, but I think I need to rest for a while if that is ok with you." Edd says holding back tears from having to end his friendship with Eddy. It was really hard for him to say it, but it had to be said.
"Yeah that's ok with me Double Dee."

Later that night Edd and Marie are lying together in Edd's old bed in his former bedroom of his parents' house. He is still upset about ending his friendship with Eddy, but it had to be done if Eddy wasn't willing to accept him and Marie being together then he isn't someone Edd should have in his life. He also hadn't intended to say that he loves Marie, but as he thinks about the woman he is holding in his arms he knows that he does love her.
Carefully Edd slides out from under Marie so he could leave the room to use the restroom. Quietly he walks out of the room and into the hall and crosses in front of his parent's door in his path to the restroom.
"You really think they are going to keep it?" Edd hears his mother says through the door.
Edd stops and listens to the conversation his parents are having. "I don't think the will. I think Eddward just had Marie say that they were keeping it to try and appease us, you know how much he values our option of him." Edd heard Jake say through the door.
"I hope you are right, a child at his age could ruin his career path." Pam says.
Edd couldn't believe his parent and what they were saying. 'So they don't approve of what Marie and I want to do.' He thinks as he uses the facilities in the restroom.

Once Edd was back in his old bedroom he looks at Marie sleeping in the bed. 'I don't care what people say, I want to be with Marie.' He thinks as he walks over to his desk. Edd is too awake to try and go back to sleep, so he chose to do the one thing that would always clear his mind. He pulls open the top draw of the desk and looks around in the back of it. Buried deep in the back is a small wooden box. Edd takes the box out and sets the box down on his desk and opens it, inside the box is a few things from Edd's childhood that he wanted to keep safe. He looks past the various nick nicks in the box and removes a key. When he picks the key up he sees a black cloth band. Looking at the familiar piece of cloth Edd smiles and takes it out too before putting the box away. The key is the key to the lock on the window of his room, and quietly he unlocks it and climbs out of the window onto the roof of the house.

The cold wind blowing into the room through the window wakes Marie up. "Double Dee?" She says wondering where he has gotten too. She looks at the open window and guessed that he went out the window. She gets out of the bed, pulls her sweater on and then sticks her head out the window. "Are ya out here Double Dee?" She asks looking around for her boyfriend.
"Did I wake you up Marie?" Edd asks looking down at her from his spot on the roof.
"The cold wind did." She says as she climbs out onto the roof.
"I'm sorry about that, I just needed some air." He says offering a hand to Marie to help her out of the window.
"It's ok Double Dee." Marie says as she sits down next to Edd. "So why did ya need some air? Still upset over Eddy?"
"It's been this whole trip, it did not go as I thought it would have."
"I'm sorry sweetie, you want to sit out here and look up at the stars? I haven't seen them in a long time." Living in New York City makes it almost impossible to see the starry sky.
Edd smiles. "That is what I used to do when I came up here."

Edd and Marie sit on the roof of the house looking up at the stars. "You know, you are the first person I've ever brought up here." Edd says as Marie moves to lean against him.
"It's nice up here, I can see why you like it up here." She says resting her head against Edd.
"It was my quiet place. Whenever life was getting to me or I needed to clear my thoughts I would come up here at night." Edd sticks his hand into his pocket for warmth, the other is around Marie and despite the cold he doesn't want to move it. When his hand enters his pocket he felt the cloth band and pulls it out.
"I think I should return this to you." He says holding the band out to Marie.
"What is it?" Marie asks taking cloth band from Edd.
"Well the day after you left Peach Creek Ed, Eddy and I went into the trailer park to see if it was true that you left and I found this, I recognized that it was yours and chose to keep it."
"Wow, I remember this. I stole it from the mall when I lived here, I can't believe you kept this." She says looking the band over.
"You needed a cactus to remember me by, a piece of cloth was all I needed."
Marie puts the band onto her wrist and holds it out to him. "How do I look?"
"As rebellious as when you were younger."
"Heh, bad to the bone for life." She says with a smile. Thinking that Edd has had enough time to calm down so she can ask him a question she has wanted to ask since earlier in the day. "Hey Double Dee, did you mean it, what you said to Eddy about me?"
Edd looks over at Marie. "That I love you?" he asks guessing her question.
Marie couldn't help it as her cheeks turned slightly red. "Yeah."
Double Dee smiles and kisses her on the cheek. "I thought it was obvious that I do."
"I know, I just want to hear you say it."
Edd chuckles. "I Eddward Vincent, love you Marie Kanker." He says saying what Marie wants to hear in the most official way he could.
"I love ya too Eddward Vincent. God it sounds funny using your real name." Marie says before kissing him.
As they sit on Edd's parents roof kissing Marie thinks back on the first time she kissed Edd late at night in his bedroom.

As Marie lands on the ground from climbing off the roof she half wishes Edd hadn't left his window open that night. Leaving might have been easier for her if she hadn't gone to see Edd.
'This was such a bad idea.' She thinks as she makes her way to the alley leading to the trailer park. 'We were doing so well keeping it together and now it's going to shit.' Marie whips the tears out of her eyes. "But hey, we got one more kiss in on him, and it was a good one." She says trying to lift her own spirits. "Who knows maybe he won't think I'm rotten and come looking for me."
Marie turns down the alley and into the darkness of the unlit path. "Oh who the hell am I kidding? Double Dee could never love me, I'm too much of a bully to him and his friends for that to ever happen. Still I got his cactus." She says looking at the small potted desert plant in her hands. "I think your name is Jim, well welcome to the life of a Kanker Jim." She says stopping at the fence separating the alley and the trailer park. "I promise I'll take good care of him Double Dee." She sets Jim down and starts pulling on one of the loose boards of the fence not wanting to try and jump it with Jim.
When she has one loose she picks Jim up and turns to look back down the alley at where Edd's house is. "I wish I could have been nicer to ya Dream Boat." She blinks away a tear before going through the fence.

"I hope this night doesn't end like the last time we kissed at your folks place." Marie says happy that she did choose to go see Edd the night before her family left Peach Creek.
"I don't think I'll be staying up for several hours trying to figure out what happened to me." Edd says telling her what he did after Marie visited him late that night over ten years ago.
"Well that's good to hear."

Edd intended for Marie and him to spend some time with his parents and maybe visit with some of the other residents of the cul-de-sack. But after the interaction they had with Eddy and the conversation he heard his parents having he decided that both ideas were not a good idea. So instead Edd and Marie are driving around the town seeing the sights and reminiscing over the past.
"I remember that gas station!" Marie says pointing at a building as they drove past it. "I stole all kinds of stuff from that place… which I know I shouldn't have done and was a bad thing to do."
"Well it's good to hear you say that." Edd says with a smile. Despite how unenjoyable the majority of the events of the day before were, this day has been rather fun for Edd, just driving around with no goal.
"Heh heh, can't be a really bad girl forever." She says leaning back in her seat. "So what time is our flight back to New York?"
"Early tomorrow morning, so we should probably get to bed early tonight."
"We should hit up someplace for some lunch." Marie says feeling a rumble in her stomach.
"Getting hungry?" He asks pulling up to a red light.
"Yeah."
"Anything you are in the mood for?"
"Hum… something from a ma and pa restaurant sounds good."
"I know the perfect place." He says as the light turns green.

As they drive down the road to the restaurant Edd had in mind Marie sees an old, but failure sign. They are coming up on the Park and Flush and Marie feel nostalgic for her old stomping grounds.
"Hey Double Dee, think we could stop by the trailer park?" She asks as the entrance to the park comes into view.
Edd isn't too sure why Marie would want to visit the trailer park, but they don't have any real plans for the day so don't have a schedule to keep. "Sure we can." He says tuning into the trailer park.
As they walk through the trailer park Edd looks around at the various trailers parked in the park. "I haven't been here in a very long time." He says as they approach a failure lot.
Marie stops a few feet away from where her own trailer once sat and looks at the new trailer parked in the old sky blue trailers former place. "Ya know, I hated this place, but not that trailer. Yeah this is a shit dump of a place to live, but that trailer had some great memories in it. It's where we first met and where my sisters and me plotted out schemes against you and the other kids. For so long that was home." She says remembering all the times she had in Peach Creek.
"What did your parents do with your old trailer? I don't recall seeing it at their home." Edd asks wondering what was done with the trailer.
"Mom sold it and bought us three our first car, though Lee took it with her to Jersey when she bailed."
"That must have been difficult, your mother selling your old home."
"It was a little sad seeing my old home go." She says agreeing with Edd.
He then takes her hand and laces their fingers together. "Remember Marie, home is where your heart truly lies."
Marie squeezes his hand. "Then I guess MY home is right next to you."
Edd smiles at Marie. "I love you Marie." He says as he starts to think about never wanting to not be with Marie.
"I love ya too Double Dee." Marie says thinking the same as Edd.

"I'll be right back Double Dee, I need to pee really really bad." Marie says as Edd and her exit the gate of their plane back to New York.
"Why didn't you use the restroom on the plain?" He asks shouldering his backpack of clothing he brought with him.
"Cause I don't trust them, I've heard of people getting stuck on them and I don't want that to happen." She says holding her own bag out to Edd, not wanting to take it into the restroom.
Edd didn't have the heart to tell her that those stories she's heard are all fake. "Ok I'll wait for you Marie." He says tossing her backpack over his shoulder on top of his.
Marie kissed Edd on the cheek before running off to the restroom. Edd smiles as he watches Marie run for the restroom as he leans against a pillar near the gate. 'This trip didn't achieve what I wanted, but it was still nice to see Peach Creek again.'
"Edd?" Edd hears a familiar voice say and feels a sense of dread wash over him. Slowly he turns around and sees Vicky standing a few feet away with a suitcase in hand.
"He-ello Vicky…" Edd says stuttering out of fear.
"Hi… how have you been Edd?"She asks obviously trying to make small talk with Edd.
"Good, and yourself?" He asks being polite.
"I'm ok... it's nice to see you again."
Edd doesn't feel the same. Not seeing Vicky made what happened easier for him to deal with. But now he's standing face to face with his ex girlfriend he cheated on with his now girlfriend and he feels the guilt of what he did come crashing down onto him. "It's nice to see you are doing well."
"I-I want to apologize for how I acted, I shouldn't have yelled at you and hit you."
"It's quite fine Vicky, saying I didn't deserve it wouldn't be wouldn't be true."
"I… I, want you back Edd, throwing you out of my life was the worst thing I have ever done." Vicky drops her suitcase and runs to hug Edd, but Edd doesn't hug her back.
"I'm sorry about how our relationship ended, but it is just that Vicky. Ended." He says pushing her off by the shoulders.
"But I-"
"Made your choices, just like we did, and you need to accept the fact that you and Double Dee are over." Marie says cutting Vicky off as she approached the two.
Vicky looks at Marie and sees her stomach. Added with the fact that Marie was there, Vicky was able to put together that Edd and Marie are involved together more then she thought they would have been. She starts to cry and to her and Edd's surprise Marie pulls her into a hug.
"I'm sorry Vicky, I really am." Marie says comforting Vicky. "Life can really suck sometimes, but we have to be strong and keep moving on with our lives."
"I'm sorry…" Vicky says crying into Marie's shoulder. "But I can't help it, I still love him."
"I know it hurts, trust me I know, but we can't live in the past. Our lives keep going, and we have to go with them."
"But… I … gave him… my… heart." Vicky says between sobs.
This outburst of love driven sadness stumped Marie, she was doing her best to comfort a person she should have every right to hate. But right now Marie couldn't bring herself to feel anything more then sadness for Vicky.
"But you took it back Vicky. Even if I brought it upon myself, you still chose to push me away." Edd says almost at a lost for words at Marie showing compassion to Vicky.
Vicky pulls away from Marie and looks from her to Edd. She wipes her eyes clean of the tears and then says; "I… good bye Edd." She hangs her head, walks over to her suitcase to pick it up and then walks away from them.
"You ok Double Dee?" Marie asks as they watch Vicky walk away.
"That was hard to do, but it's like you said, we made choices in our lives and for better or worse we have to live with them." He says pulling Marie's backpack off. "That was a rather nice thing for you to do for her."
"I could tell she needed it, I have a knack for seeing a broken heart." She says throwing her bag on.

"Hey May, you home?" Marie yells as Edd and her enter the apartment. "May?"
"I don't think she is home." Edd says closing the front door of the apartment.
Marie looks at May's door and sees a piece of paper taped to her door. "What the heck is this?" she says dropping her bag and walking over to her sister's door. She takes the paper off and sees that it has; "For Marie and Double Dee" written on it.
"Does she want us to go into her room?" Edd asks reading the few words over Marie's shoulder.
"I guess." Marie says before opening the door. When she opens the door Edd and her see that everything of May's is gone from the room and all there is in the room is a crib.
Marie looks at Edd with a puzzled look, and he returns the look. Together they approach the crib and see another piece of paper in the crib.
Marie picks up the second piece of paper and sees that it's a hand written from her sister.

"Marie and Double Dee, it should be obvious that I've moved out, but I want you to know that it's not because of anything you two have done. I guess I should start by being upfront with you that I've been dating Barry sense shortly after Double Dee moved in. I could tell right away that you two would eventually end up together and I thought he would distract you enough that you wouldn't notice that me and Barry finally started dating officially. We'd gone on a few dates here and there since you and Scott broke up but I didn't want to make it worse on you, me having a BF and you not, so we didn't officialize anything. But now you and Double Dee are together, which makes me really happy for you two, you're starting a life together and soon a family. But this apartment, despite it being awesome, it's just not big enough for three adults and a baby. But as luck would have it Barry asked me to move in with him not too long ago. At first I was a unsure about it, we Kankers stick together, but Lee seems to be doing well on her own, so I think we will be fine being apart too. I love you Marie and I will miss all the crazy times we've had, but we can't be roommates forever.
Oh and Double Dee, I heard what Lee told you, and I just want you to know that I kept the knife and I will fuck you up if you hurt my sister.
Your best friend/ little sister May.
P.S. I talked to Dad already, he's cool with helping you two out with rent till Double Dee finds a job."

"You ok Marie?" Edd asks once he was done reading May's letter.
Marie reads the letter a second time. She is a little upset that May hid the fact that Barry and her have been dating, though it does explain why Barry has been in a good mood for months and why May hasn't been home as much. But she is more upset that May moved out. Marie never thought the day would come when her and May wouldn't be roommates, May is her best friend and they had a lot of fun living together for all these years.
"When we decided to move out together I always thought we'd be together, when we were growing up we didn't have friends. It was always just us three, and Lee was more of a boss then a friend, so May was the closest I had to a friend." Marie says wiping a tear out of her eye. "Living together was some of the most fun I had. We yelled at each other, laughed together and followed no one's rules but our own. Which wasn't much past no walking around naked."
"I'm sure you'll still see her Marie." Edd says putting his arm around her shoulders to comfort her.
"I know I will. But it's not going to be every day, and that is going to be hard getting use to." Marie rolls to her side and wraps her arms around Edd.
Edd wraps his other arm around Marie and hugs her tight. "I'm here for you Marie, we are together and I think we will have fun together."
Marie lifts her head up from Edd's chest. "I know we will. Now I need to go make a phone call, a certain blonde headed chef is about to get an ear full for lying to me."

Epilogue.

Edd did get the job at the coffee shop, and he was not a fan of it. He is a fan of coffee yes, but he was not a fan of how chaotic the job was. Every day was too different for Edd, there would be days where the shop didn't get much business, and then there would be days that the line at the counter never seemed to end. It also didn't help that shop didn't give him much on hours. But despite his dislike for the job Edd stuck with it because he needed a job to help Marie out with the expenses of the apartment and obtaining all the things a new baby would need.

A month and a half before Marie was due to have the baby Edd's mother called him and asked him when he would be coming back to Peach Creek now that he was done with school.
"Do your folks not understand that ya want to stay in New York?" Marie asks as Edd sets a plate of grilled cheese sandwiches down on the table in front of her for dinner.
Edd had already told her about the conversation he had with his mother, in which he didn't give his mother a definite answer. "I think Mother thinks we would move to Peach Creek."
Marie rips one of her grilled cheese sandwiches apart. "Well I don't want to move." She says before taking a bite out of the sandwich. Frequently Marie has been craving cheese and every time Edd has made her a meal involving cheese.
Edd sits down at the table across from Marie with his own plate of grilled cheese sandwiches."I know, and I don't either. I like it here in the city."
"So what are ya going to do?" She asks wondering what Edd wants to do.
"I think, I should talk to them in person about this."
"Like flying back to Peach Creek talk to them?"
"Yes. It would give me the opportunity to fully move my belongings out of their house while I talked with them."
Marie sighs and frowns. She knows she shouldn't fly this close to her due date and she doesn't want to be without Edd.
Over the past few months Edd had become quite adapted at reading Marie. "It would only be for a few days. And before you ask, I'm sure I can get Mother and Father to pay for the ticket." He says reassuring her and answering her question before she could even ask it.
"Humph, you better come back." She says knowing full well that he wouldn't abandon her, she just wanted to tease him.
Edd knew that she was joking, but her comment made him think. He's already knows he doesn't want to not be with Marie, but he's never thought more on what his future with her would lead too. "I promise to you Marie." He says picking the right words. "I will always come back to you."

This time Edd flew back to Peach Creek on a Saturday so his father was able to pick him up from the airport, rather than renting a car.
"Thank you for picking me up Father." Edd says as he enters his father's car.
Jake smiles, he's missed his son over his years at New York University and he enjoys the times that Edd has come to visit or the summer vacations from college. "No problem Son, your mother is quite happy that you've come home again so soon. She's making your favorite dish for dinner she's that happy you are home."
"Macaroni casserole?" Edd asks naming the dish his parents would make for him when an attempt at bribery is planned for Edd.
"What else would it be Son?"
At the thought of having a cheese themed meal Edd lets out a quiet sigh of sadness. He takes out his phone from his pocket and unlocks the screen. On his phone is the text message conversation he had with Marie after his plane landed.
She made him promise to text her when he landed, she was going to be at work so a phone call wouldn't be doable, and he did just that.
"My plane has landed Marie." He'd sent to her when he got off the plane.
Just a few seconds later he got a response back. "Good to hear, now maybe my stomach will calm down."
"Feeling ill?"
"No, I was just really worried about you."
"Afraid my plane wouldn't make it?"
"Maybe…"
Edd had laughed at her response. "Don't worry Marie, I wouldn't let the plane crash."
"How would you have done that?"
Edd grinned as he typed out his response. "With the power of love."
He didn't get a response back from Marie for over a minute and had started to worry as he waited for his father.
When he finally did get a response back he again laughed. "That was so cheesy that dropped the drink I was shaking."
"I'm sorry I made you mess up at work Marie."
"It's cool, I just told the dude that I felt the baby kick (which it totally did when you told me you were turning off your phone earlier) and he believed me. Though I think my boss is going to send me on prego leave at the end of next week cause he "doesn't want me slipping up anymore" at the bar."
"I'm sorry you're going to have to take time off sooner then you wanted too."
"Eh, I'll be ok once I have my Love Muffin back." Love Muffin is the pet name Marie came up with for Edd one night when he came home from the coffee shop he works at with some uneaten muffins.
Edd smiled and responded back to her; "I love you Marie, and your Love Muffin will return to you soon."
"Love ya too DD." DD is Marie's personal way to type out his name in a text message.
Edd sighs again as he looks at the last message Marie sent him, it's only been a few hours but he already misses his girlfriend. He exits out of his text messages to the home screen of his phone and his heart pings with sadness of not being with Marie again. He'd changed the background on his phone to the picture Marie took of them kissing in front of the giraffe's at the zoo.
Jake looks down at his son's phone and sees the image of Edd and Marie. Seeing the photo of Edd and Marie reminded Jake of how Pam and him where when they were in their twenties. "Miss you're gal?" He asks as they drive down the highway out of Lemon Brook.
Edd puts his phone away. "I miss both of them Father."
"Both of them?"
"Marie and our unborn baby." Edd says smiling at the mention of his unborn child.
"Oh… It's nice to see that you care about the child." Jake says a little worried that his son is investing too much into the child that hasn't been born.
"I don't just care Father, I know without a doubt that I love my child and Marie."
Jake just barely kept himself from swerving the car. "That is a rather bold statement Eddward."
"It is bold, but it is true Father."
Jake didn't know what to say. Before Edd was born Jake too loved his child before being born, but Pam and him were together for a couple of years before she became pregnant. "I hate to say it Son, but I believe that you're rushing into this commitment."
His father's words cut Edd deep, but he knew it wasn't going to be an easy weekend with his parents. "I resentfully disagree Father. It was a series of unfortunate events that have lead to my current situation, but I am rather happy about what has happened."
"But what about wanting to get a job with NASA?" Jake asks bringing up the one think his is sure will make his sin reconsider his choices.
"I guess I should be honest with you about that Father."

For the rest of the car ride back into Peach Creek and into the cul-de-sack Edd explained everything to his father. Edd told him of changing from wanting to work at NASA to wanting to work in public transportation in New York, and of not getting the job and found a coffee shop to work at. But he also told his father about how Marie kept his spirits up when he didn't get the job he wanted and was supporting and reassuring him every time he felt down.
Jake wasn't too convinced for most of Edd's story until he said; "Marie is like a great fire of life, she is spontaneous to the point of being unpredictable. But she is a warm, caring and accepting person, and I am sure my life would have very little joy in it if I hadn't met her again."
"You… you really do love her, don't you?" Jake asks thinking that maybe him and his wife were wrong about Marie.
"With everything I have Father."

There was still some time before dinner was ready when Jake and Edd arrived in the cul-de-sack, so after greeting his mother Edd went into his room to start packing things up to give away or ship back home to New York.
"So, did you talk to Eddward about the choices he is making?" Pam asked after kissing her husband when he entered the kitchen.
"I did." Jake answers.
"And?" She asks wanting to know if Jake had swayed Edd.
Jake sits down at the round table in the kitchen. "And I agree that this isn't the most fruitful choice for him to make, I think it's what is going to make him happy."
Pam sits down next to him. "But he could be throwing away his future and talent."
Jake places his hand on top of Pam's. "We can't dictate his life anymore, he might be missing out on opportunities, but those choices are for him to make."
Jake and Pam talked more and they came to an agreement that Edd is old enough to make his own choices in his life and if they kept trying to control him he could end up cutting them out of his life and they didn't want that.

Edd never went to talk to Eddy while he was in Peach Creek. He knows he should try and mend his friendship with Eddy, but Eddy's dislike for Marie was more than Edd was willing to try and change.
Edd also informed his parents that they don't need to send him an allowance every month anymore. He told them that he wants to take care of himself on his own, which showed his parents that he is grown up. Most of the contents of his bedroom Edd gave away to various charitable organizations, but he did keep his books, some clothing, his box of keepsakes and a few other things of importance.
But throughout his stay with his parents, Edd missed Marie. He was sitting at the kitchen table eating dinner on the night before flying back to New York. He had talked to Marie earlier that night on the phone, both of them are looking forward to Edd's return, but he still missed her deeply.
"You ok Son? You've hardly touched your food." Pam asks watching her son poke at his food with his fork.
"I am fine Mother, I'm just missing Marie." Edd says with a sigh.
"Oh, I'm sorry you miss her."
Edd looks up from his plate of food and turns to his mother. "I know it's rather silly to be missing someone I'll be seeing tomorrow."
"It's not silly Eddward, it's love." She says patting his arm. Pam still believes that Edd is making a mistake in choosing to not pursue a carrier where his genius would be used to its full potential, but she agreed to let him choose his own path in life. Though watching her son over the past few days has shown her just how devoted he is to Marie. He never acted like this when he was away from Vicky, what she saw was till death do us part level of devotion to the once terrorizer of the neighborhood, and that made her happy for her son.
Edd couldn't believe that he is feeling embarrassed by what his mother said. "Mother I… um, thank you?" he says unsure what to say.

The next day as they were seeing Edd off Pam kisses Jake on the cheek. "I think you are right about our boy, this girl might be what he needs."

Edd knew the coffee shop job wouldn't be enough once the baby was born and he was always on the lookout for a better job. And as he was filling out paperwork to check Marie into the hospital he got a call that, had he never ran into Marie again, should have been the best call in his life.
"Eddward, I'm glad I was able to get a hold of you." The voice on the other end of the phone line says.
"Professor Walrts?" Edd asks guessing who was on the phone.
"Yes, how have you been the past couple of months?"
Edd looks down at the paper work he is working on. "Been a bit of a roller coaster the past few hours, but all in all pretty good."
"Great! Listen the reason I called is that I have a friend who happens works at Kennedy Space Center, and he is looking for a new assistant."
Edd couldn't believe what he heard. "An-and you have called me and told me this because?" He asks needing to know the truth.
"Well obviously I said you were my best student and would be perfect for the job." Edd almost drops his phone. "You wouldn't get to do much real work for a while, but it's a foot in the door."
"I… I don't know what to say sir." Edd says almost dropping his pen.
"Just say you'll love the job, you deserve it Eddward."
Edd looks down at his paperwork and sees Marie and his name written by his own hand. This is a job Edd is sure he would enjoy every day, but he couldn't ask Marie to uproot her life and give up her dream job and move to Florida. "I appreciate the offer, but I have a family starting and I could never ask that of Marie."

Marie's delivery went through without any complications, though Edd is sure that she cracked one of the bones in his hand. Marie gave birth to a healthily little girl with red hair, just like her mothers, and sharp green eyes full of knowledge, like Edd's.
"So what name do you want to give her?" Edd asks sitting on the side of Marie's bed as she held their daughter.
"It's a tradition in the Kanker line to name the first born after your grandparents, so her name is Cindy."
"After your grandmother?" Edd asks guessing who the name belonged to.
Marie smiles. "Yep."
"Did you know your grandmother?"
"I didn't, but the tradition must live on." Marie says, her smile growing.
"What would happen if Lee or even May has a girl of their own?" Edd asks curious about how the tradition's rules work.
"Um, well I guess they can name them after our grandpa." Marie says laughing at the idea of her sisters naming their kids after their mother's father.
Edd laughs with Marie and then kisses her on the forehead. He then genially touches Cindy's cheek with the back of his finger. "She is the most adorable child I have ever seen."
"Yeah, we made a very cute baby." Marie says looking at the baby in her arms.
"Do you still wanting to give her your last name?"
"Yeah, it's the deal we made Double Dee."
"Just wanted to make sure."
"Hey Marie, you in here?" A failure voice says loudly from the doorway into the hospital room.
"Lee, please keep your voice down, Cindy is asleep." Edd say as he gets up from the bed to intercept Lee.
"I'm not here to see a screaming kid, I'm here to see the newest Kanker." Lee says lowering her voice like Edd had asked for.
Edd stands aside and watches Lee walk over and sit down next to Marie. "How ya doing?" She asks Marie.
"Tired and in a little pain, but she's healthy and that's what is the most important." Marie said closing her eyes as she starts to feel sleep coming.
Lee looks at her niece. "Ya did good sis."
Marie smiles. "Thanks. Double Dee could ya put Cindy in her bed? I think it's time for a nap."
"Of cores." Edd walks over and carefully takes his daughter from Marie. As he holds Cindy and walks over to the infant crib next to Marie's bed he feels' his heart swell with love for his daughter. Edd lays Cindy down and covers her with her blanket. "Ok Lee, I think it's time we let Marie get some rest." He says turning to the sisters.
"Alright, give me a call if ya need anything Marie." Lee says standing up from the bed.
"K." Marie says as she gives her a thumbs up.
"I'll come by later with some clean clothes and some stuff to keep yourself entertained."
"Ok Double Dee."
Edd kisses Marie on the forehead and says; "Love you." Before Lee and him left the room.
Marie didn't respond back to Edd, on the count that she was asleep by the time he kissed her, but he knew she loved him just as much as he loved her.
"Ya did good too Double Dee." Lee says smacking Edd on the back. "But don't think I still won't kill ya if you fuck up."She says glaring at him.
"Trust me Lee, I will do everything I can to be the best father Cindy deserves." Edd says hiding the pain from Lee's back slap.
"You better be the best for both of them." Lee says before turning and walking away from Edd.

Edd left the coffee shop shortly after Cindy was born and started working at a pizzeria, he was able to make more money and had better hours then what he was getting at the coffee shop. He enjoyed this job more then the coffee shop, but he always kept his eyes out for something better or places that he could use his degree.
Marie was given plenty of time off from work to take care of Cindy and to recover, but she missed her job and wanted to get back to work. Initially they were not sure what to do the few times neither of them had time off from work to watch their little girl, Marie's mother lived too far away and May was working more then the both of.
Luck happened to be on their side on this as they were at the store shopping. Once again they ran into Mrs. Stuvengoff as they walked around the store. Mrs. Stuvengoff agreed with Marie that Cindy is a beautiful baby girl. They talked some more as Marie held Cindy in her arms, they talked about May moving out, Lee getting engaged and of how they are not sure what to do once Marie starts working again. Mrs. Stuvengoff then told Marie and Edd that she could help watch Cindy when Marie or Edd couldn't. At first Marie turned her offer down, she didn't want to make Mrs. Stuvengoff travel into the city on their account, but she then told them that she is living with her son. He, "is far too much of a lazy boy, he needs his mother around still" and she had been keeping him from slacking off all the time.
"Well guess it couldn't hurt if you wanted to help when we both have to work."Marie says finally accepting Mrs. Stuvengoff's offer to watch Cindy.
Mrs. Stuvengoff's turned out to be a very good babysitter for Cindy, and every time Marie or Edd tried to pay her for sitting she would turn them down saying she couldn't accept it and they could put it away for Cindy's future.

Shortly after Cindy's second birthday a former classmate of Edd's got him a job working at an office building as an office assistant. Again it wasn't what he wanted to do, but it was the best for his family and that's what is important for Edd. He worked at the office building for almost two years getting coffee, making copies and answering phones. Quite a few times he would fix a problem one of the other workers of the office was having with their computers. After helping someone with their computer problem Edd's boss offered him a job on the IT team of the building. It wasn't the best use for his degree in engineering, but he is able to use some of his skills he learned and got him benefits that help with razing his daughter. Plus he really enjoyed it, so that was a plus to the job.

As Cindy grew Edd and Marie saw how much she inherited from her parents. She's mischievous like Marie was as a child, but also clever and good at figuring problems out like Edd. Which lead to her getting into all kinds of trouble. Doors were the first thing she figured out how to get past and eventually Edd and Marie stopped locking the bedroom doors of the apartment.

After the five year anniversary of their relationship Edd was started to think that it was time to make it official that he wants to be with Marie for as long as she wants him to be in her life, which is obvious that she wants him around for the rest of her days. So after talking to his mother and making secret plans with Cindy, Edd was set to make the following Christmas one that he is sure Marie would never forget.

Edd, Marie and Cindy were invited to stay the night at Marie's parents house for Christmas eve along with Lee, David and their little girl Harley, they named her after David's grandmother because Marie "Jacked the name that should have been mine to give".

"Ok Mr. Geffy we need to be quite." A little redheaded girl says quietly opening a door with one hand and clutching a worn out stuffed giraffe toy in the other. Slowly she walks across the room to a bed where two people are sleeping. With the skill of having done it many times in the past she climbs up onto the edge of the bed and takes aim at the small space between the two adults sleeping. Once she has her trajectory planned she takes a deep breath. "Mommy Mommy! Daddy Daddy!" She yells jumping and landing in the space she aimed for.
Her yelling and jumping into the bed woke both of the sleeping adults. "Good morning to you too Cindy." Marie says rubbing her eyes. Marie's daughter does this wake up so much that Marie and Edd are no longer surprised by it.
"Morning Mommy! Morning Daddy!" Cindy says as she crawls over to sit on her father. "Wakey wakey Daddy, Grammy is making breakfast."
Edd was already awake, but he knew faking being asleep would be best way to trick his daughter. Quickly he opens his eyes. "I am awake, but I am not your father, I am the tickle monster." He says as he starts to tickle Sidney.
Cindy immediately starts to giggle and thrash around as Edd tickles her. Marie watches Edd and Cindy play with a smile, but that fades when she notices something off about her daughter's hair.
"Cindy, what is that in your hair?" Marie asks making Edd stop tickling Cindy.
Edd also see what Marie is talking about, there is streaks of blue in her red hair.
"Aunt Lee did it last night, she said you would like it." Cindy says with a big happy grin.
Edd sits up and looks more carefully at Cindy's hair. "I guess this is what we get when we choose to go to bed early."
"She also said this would make you proud." Cindy lifts the sleeve of her night shirt showing her parents that she has "Kanker Life" on her arm.
"Seriously? I'm going to kill her." Marie says thinking that her sister tattooed her daughter. But Marie's mind wasn't fully awake yet and she didn't see that it was written with marker and not a tattoo.
"I think it's washable marker Marie." Edd says rubbing the writing with his thumb.
Marie rubs her eyes again and then sees that Edd is correct. She then sighs. "God, how the heck did Mom handle three Kankers, when I can barely handle half of one sometimes." She says falling back onto the bed.
Edd looks over at Marie and then whispers to Cindy; "I think it's time for our little surprise."
Cindy's eyes grow wide as does her grin and she jumps off the bed and runs over to Edd and Marie's bags. Cindy comes running back to the bed with a small wrapped box it her hand. Edd helps Cindy back onto the bed and takes the box from her.
Marie didn't see this happening because she was looking up at the ceiling of her once bedroom, now a guest room, reminiscing about the room. It was this ceiling that she lost hours looking at as she suffered the heartbreak she had over Edd. But that time is long past and she hasn't shed a single tear over Edd.
"Mommy." Cindy said crawling over to sit on her mother's lap. "Merry Christmas Mommy."
Marie looks at her daughter. "Merry Christmas to you too Cindy." She says smiling.
"Daddy and me have something for you."
"Oh?" Marie says looking over at Edd.
Edd had moved into a sitting position on the bed facing Marie.
"My mother sent me this at my request, it must have been fate that it arrived yesterday before we left." Edd says holding the small box out to Marie.
Marie looks from Edd to Cindy and then to the box. "What did she send you?" She asks taking the box from Edd.
"You have to open it to see Mommy." Cindy says patting her mother's stomach out of excitement.
Marie looks at Edd with a raised eyebrow before looking at the box in her hands. Slowly she takes the wrapping off the box and sees it's a small black felt covered box. Marie knows what the box is before she even opens it, but once she does and her suspicions is proven correct she looks back at Edd. "You can't be serious." She says not believing that Edd has just given her a ring.
Edd smile and Cindy giggles. "I am Marie."
Marie looks at Cindy. "Has this been what you two have been keeping from me?"
the little girl can barely contain her excitement."He hehe, yeah Mommy."
"You want your dad and me to get married?" Marie asks her daughter.
"Yes Mommy."
Marie takes the ring out of the box. "So what do you have to say for yourself?" she asks looking at Edd with the ring between her thumb and index finger.
"You want me to say it don't you?" Edd asks feeling butterflies form in his stomach.
Marie grins a sly grin."Do it right or not at all."
Edd takes the ring from Marie. "Marie Kanker, will you marry me?"
Marie looks from Edd back to her daughter. "Hum… What do you think Cindy? Is your Dad good enough for me?"
"Daddy is the best daddy." Cindy says with the most serious look a five year old could have.
"Fair point." Marie says agreeing with her.
"Can I take that as a yes?" Edd asks getting anxious.
Marie leans over and kisses Edd. "You had me at "quite fond of you" Double Dee." She says quoting what he said the night they started dating.
Cindy claps her hands and jumps at her mother hugging her. "Yay Mommy Daddy!" Cindy is obviously happy about her parents getting engaged.
Edd takes Marie's hand and slides his mother's ring onto Marie's finger. "I love you Marie."
"I love you too Double Dee." Marie says looking at the ring on her finger. Getting a ring from Edd was something she never thought she'd get when she was a teen growing up in this very room. But now that she has one, she is glad that she made it through the journey that has lead to her sitting on this bed with the love of her life and the child she has with him.
"I love you too Mommy and I love you too Daddy." Cindy says hugging Marie even tighter.
Marie hugs her back. "We love you too Cindy."
"Come on Mommy, we got to tell Grammy and Grampy and Auntie Lee and and and."
"We'll tell them all Cindy." Edd says cutting his daughter off because she was getting too excited. "But let's just enjoy this moment together for a little bit longer."

The End.

Welp, thats the end to this fic. It's shorter then my other stories, but this one was planned to be shorter. I hope everyone who's read this enjoyed it. I know Vicky wasn't the most flushed out character, but she's a character I created from nothing and I guess I'm just not that good and creating all new characters. In my mind Eddy turned out this bad compared to my other stories Eddy because he didn't have someone there keeping him in check like Lee did in the other story. I also didn't write anything more for Ed because I wanted to focus on the Kanker sisters in this story. They are apparently considered some of the most evil female characters from the late 90's. Which was part of my influence for this story, they just needed time to grow up to be seen as more then the mean girls we've seen from the show.
I know my writing isn't the best grammar and sentence structure wise and I plan on working on it, I need to be more descriptive and use says a lot less. I heard someone says something once about when you create something and even if only one person views it and likes it, then you have made something great. And that's why I want to improve my skills before I start working on the next story. I have ideas for another Edd and Marie, a multiple universe crossover and this Digimon one that I've been toying around with for a while.
It's going to be a while till I post again, so until then thank you for reading and keep being awesome.

Linken88.