WELCOME TO CHAPTER 2 OF "HOME IS WHERE THE ED IS!"

It's been over 6 months since I've updated! SORRY GUYS! I'm back (for) now! lol

If you follow this story as well as some of my others, I am planing to update all (majority of) my chapter stories this month! That's right it's SEPTEMBER UPDATE!! (I'll think of a better name later lol) That doesn't mean that I will update a certain story more than once. I truly have no idea so just sit back, favorite and comment on this as well as my other stories and relax!

I also want to say thanks to my friend on Tumblr who is my beta reader for my stories lately. These stories would be a complete mess if it wasn't for her!

I hope you enjoy this chapters as well as the ones to come!

About this chapter:

There are still some things that need to be explained about the Ed's lives as they grew up away from the Cul De Sac. So be patient.

Also, a character makes an appearance at the end. DON'T SKIP AHEAD!

Comment and fave and I will see you guys later! =)

Thanks for sticking with me these last few months. I appreciate it! 3

Ed lead us to the back of a house at the end of the street.

"Is this Ed's old house?" I asked Eddy. My question was answered when Ed opened the glass window leading to his old bedroom.

The smell was horrendous! There were multiple smells coming from that room you couldn't pinpoint just one.

"Geez, Ed! When was the last time you cleaned your room?!" Eddy exclaimed while holding his nose and quickly backing away from the retched odor.

"This is the first time I've been here in15 years, guys." Me and Eddy looked at each other. Before we could ask Ed anything, he jumped through the window.

"Ed, can't you smell that?" I asked while still holding my breath and nose.

"Yep!" I could hear Ed inhale the foul odor loudly. "It smells like home!"

"Just leave the window open so that this place can air out, Double D." Eddy directed before climbing through the window to join Ed.

"Curse my sense of smell!" I threw my suitcase in first then cautiously made my way inside.

"Damn, it's dusty in here!" Eddy choked. "When was the last time you cleaned your room, Ed?" Eddy repeated.

Ed stopped in his tracks and thought for a second.

"I don't remember," he replied with a rather large smile on his face.

I walked over to where I last remembered the light switch to be and flicked it on and off a few times.

"Ed, either your switch is broken or perhaps you need to switch you light bulb" Ed just ignored me. I was too tired to repeat myself and just left the matter alone.

"Where exactly do we sleep?" I looked around the room, and the only appropriate place I saw was a purple mattress in the corner of the room. If my memory serves me right, that mattress was fiddled with all sorts of germs and bacteria that came from Ed's... odd body.

"Yeah, Ed! Where are we suppose to sleep!" Same old angry Eddy.

I could hear Ed contemplate that question.

"We can sleep on my old mattress."

Since Eddy was standing in the shadow of the streetlight that had traveled it's way inside the cold, dark room I could see him lose all emotion in his face as he stared at our friend.

"I don't think so. Didn't you have a couch in here?"

"Oh yeah! We can sleep there!" Ed quickly grabbed me and Eddy and slammed onto what felt like the old couch that I remembered. I couldn't see so all I had was an estimate.

Clouds of dust emitted from the furniture which caused us to cough uncontrollably.

I tried to get away but Ed refused to let me go.

"ED! LET US GO!" Eddy shouted.

"Nope!" Ed just held onto us tighter. When the dust settled and our wheezing finally ceased I felt something warm lay atop of us.

"Here, so we wont get cold!" I heard Ed said. All I could to was laugh wholeheartedly. Ed still hasn't changed and neither had Eddy. They didn't seem to be mad at me either. I'm so glad.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Eddy," I smiled. "Goodnight." I snuggled close to my large friend and drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~~The Next Morning~~~~~~~

I awoke to the bright light of sun shining through the only window in Ed's room. I lifted my upper body up and stretched out my bunched up bones and soon hopped off of the raggedy purple couch. It took my mind a few minuets to register where I was as well as what had happened last night.

'That's right... I'm home. With my best friends.' A smile crept its way onto my lips. For the very first time, in a very long one, I was truly happy. The feeling I had at this very moment was difficult to express, but I'll try for your sakes. It felt like... I was invincible, and nothing could touch me. As if a sudden burst of wind were to come, I would drift away happily. It may sound odd to you, but it doesn't to me.

A gust of wind shot through the open window. It was freezing outside. I made my way over to the window with my arms wrapped tightly around my midsection, pulling my jacket close. I had forgotten how cold it got here.

'I think this room has had enough airing out for now.' I closed the window and sighed in relief.

When I turned around, I noticed that only Ed was the one to occupy the tattered recliner. Where had Eddy run off to? I checked every room in the house. (knocking before I entered, that is.) As I walked through the house, I had noticed that there wasn't any furniture in the entire house. It was also literally covered in dust! I had to hold my jacket over my nose and mouth so I wouldn't choke to death.

When I couldn't find him in the house, I decided to look outside despite the fact that I didn't want to endure the brute fall wind of Peach Creek. As soon as I opened the front door I saw Eddy sitting on the single concrete step leading up to the house.

"There you are." I closed the door behind me softly as to not wake up Ed. I tied my trench coat tightly shut and crossed my arms as I leaned up against the door.

Eddy turned to look at me for a second. He was smoking a cigarette. He turned back around and deeply inhaled the toxic fumes before putting it out on the ground before him. He never said a word to me.

After a few moments of silence and listening to the whistling wind, I decided to try and spark up a conversation with him again.

"So, what are you doing out here?"

He didn't answer my question, but he did speak to me.

"I really missed this place, Double D." His voice was a whisper which is something I'm not used to.

Wait. What does he mean he missed the Cul De Sac? Hasn't he been living here these last 15 years?

I was going to bring this to his attention, but he spoke again just as I was opening my mouth to speak.

"I'm sorry."

Did Eddy just say he's sorry?! I don't think I've ever heard him say that word before! He's much to egotistical for that!

"F-for what?" I asked nervously. I need to get to the bottom of this.

He sighed. "For just leaving you and Ed like that. It was my parents' fault, I had no control over it. I'd understand if you guys never wanted to speak to me again."

I walked over to the end of the lone stair and sat next to Eddy. The smell of the cigarette was still strong, even with the wind blowing the way it was. He looked at me, and that's when I got a good look at his face for the first time. He had a thin, triangular beard at the tip of his chin and a light mustache. His hair was still in it's spiky form from when we were kids, and his facial structure was the same as well. He also had small golden loop earring on the bottom lobe of his right ear. His physical physique has also gotten a tad thicker, too.

Eddy must have been comparing my looks now to when I was just 13. The same I had been doing to him. I could tell by the way he was looking at me.

"Eddy, it was I who left 15 years ago. What are you talking about? I should be the one to say they're sorry."

He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "What are you going on about, Sockhead?"

I know he says this in an endearing way, but I'd wished he would stop with the 'Sockhead' already.

I guess I should start from the beginning.

"On the night of our football game against the Apple Cove Fighters, I returned home to find a moving truck in my drive way. When I questioned my parents about it they told me that they didn't approve of you and Ed and that we were moving. We left 8 hours after that to a place called Blackberry Fjord where I have stayed until now. I've tried countless times to contact both you and Ed by letter, since Mother and Father kept a close eye on me whenever I used the phone, but I never received a reply from either of you. All of the letters returned to me with 'RETURN TO SENDER' stamped on it."

I could feel myself choking up. This was a very difficult subject for me. The feeling of having the only two people who ever loved you to just completely ignore you killed my heart.

"I was sure that you and Ed hated me for just leaving at a moments notice." I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. They came rushing down. I'm 28 years old, I shouldn't be crying like a child. "I'm so sorry, Eddy..." My voice quivered. I buried my face in my frozen hands. My gloves were in my backpack by a sleeping Ed.

Eddy didn't say anything for a while. He just sat there as I cried.

"It all makes sense now," he said to himself.

I looked up at him through blurry eyes. He looked at the empty street ahead.

"Huh?"

"Ed's dust covered house, the reason why he said he hasn't been 'home' in the last fifteen years. And also why I could never contact you or Ed." By now, I have dried my face and could see Eddy's eyes become glazed over.

"All this time..." He never let a tear fall but his voice did crack.

"Eddy...?" He turned to look at me.

"I haven't been here either, Double D. My parents shoved me in their car and took me away from here as soon as me and Ed came back from fixing up the field that night. I was afraid that both of you hated me for just leaving like that!"

In that instant, Eddy went from being depressed to angry in a nano second. He shot up to his feet and headed towards Ed's room where he was still snoring away. I was right behind him.

"Wake up, Mono-brow!" Eddy slammed open the door and tipped over the chair where all three of us were sleeping just the other night.

Ed mumbled something in his sleep and didn't wake up for a good five minutes after having his face met the hard floor.

"Eddy, what is your problem?!" I didn't understand what was going on.

He completely ignored me and began shouting at Ed, who was now standing beside me, while he paced around the room.

"Ed! Do you remember the night we played against the Apple Cove kids?"

"How could I forget, Eddy? That was the worst night of my life.." I saw the hurt in Ed's eyes.

Why was that night such a sore subject for all three of us? Unless... Oh no..

"What happened?" Eddy commanded.

"When I came back from helping you clean up the football field, I could hear my parents shouting from outside. They've never done this before, so I was scared. As soon as they saw me they stopped." Ed stopped talking for a second.

"I asked what was going on, and my mom said that we were moving and for me to grab my things quickly. I didn't understand what was going on. She explained that she didn't like you guys and all the dangerous things that we've been doing over the years and that me and her were leaving Peach Creek."

"What about Sarah and your father?" I asked.

"I asked the same thing, and she told me that he had a job that he didn't want to leave and that Sarah did nothing wrong and would be staying with Dad."

Suddenly, there was a loud crack. Eddy had punched a hole through the bedroom door.

"Good lord!"

"Eddy?"

"I knew it! Those bastards planned this! They hated us so much that- dammit!" It looked like he was going to punch another hole through the door but instead swung it open it and left the basement.

"Oh, my..."

"Double D, what's wrong with Eddy?"

I took my gaze off the hole and looked up at Ed. He's grown even taller. We all have but Ed grew the most. He has to be somewhere around six feet now. Six feet with shaggy red hair and sideburns and that same old unibrow.

I couldn't help but sigh. I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out. I understand that they just wanted the best for us, but there were other methods of doing so.

I explained to Ed about what was happening. Apparently, he thought that me and Eddy hated him for leaving. The same thing me and Eddy had thought.

When what I said finally sunk in, he began to cry. I believe a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Just like the rest of us.

-CRASH!-

"What was that?"

Ed and I made our way towards the sound. It was Eddy.

Some how he had acquired a large amount of rocks and was throwing them at his old house. The crashing sound came from one of the rocks hitting a window.

"Eddy, what in heavens are you doing?!" Just like before, he didn't answer me.

I don't even think he knew I was even there. He just kept hurling rocks at the house, never missing a beat. Some actually hit it (the front door, a window and other parts of it), and others missed completely. I think I heard him mutter something along the lines of "You ruined my life!"

"Hey! If you don't cut that out, I'm gonna call the cops!" a voice shouted.

Eddy stopped in mid swing. Something in that sentence must have triggered him and pulled him back into reality.

"What the hell do you think you're doing anyway?! What has this house ever done to-" As the person spoke to Eddy, he walked up to him from his house next door.

It was Kevin.

DUN. DUN. DUN!