Chapter 4

"I Don't Want This"

It wasn't home. But it was the best they could do for the time being. Fungalburough was a tiny town in Wiltshire. And by tiny, it only had a single McDonalds and a small family owned green grocer's. None of the five occupants of Tom's car were going to complain. Each was exhausted, terrified, and hungry. Matt was the only occupant who was not also covered in dust and blood. Throughout the frenzied drive into the countryside, Edd had had time to study the two women, been able to talk with them. It was oddly calming to all occupants, and slowed the frantic heart rates of all concerned.

Katy, a pretty blonde with bright blue eyes, had been in London with her friend Louise to visit their grandparents, who resided in the same old-folks home when they were lucky enough to hear the call go out on the radios. The dozen or so geriatrics had been loaded into a van and sent off, then the two girls set off. When the strafing had started, they were among the first to be hit, and one of the bullets had struck Louise across the leg.

"Why were you three in London?" Katy asked, trying to keep a somewhat normal conversation going, gripping Louise's hand.

"Edd was in the hospital. He just got discharged," Tom answered, watching the road with a feverish expression.

"Why was he in the hospital?" asked Louise.

"Car crash. Coma. Cardiac arrest."

"Oh, er… I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Edd tried to smile weakly, though it didn't feel quite right at the time.

Now they stood in front of the small bed and breakfast. The faded hand-painted sign that hung above the door said "Barf's Bed and Breakfast", coupled alongside a lovely vase of wildflowers, swayed gently in the breeze that passed down the dark streets, lit only by the occasional Victorian lantern and the yellow warmth of the pubs along the street. Two rooms were very expensive with their dwindling money. Most of theirs had been spent on petrol and burgers, and Katy had only a credit card. But when they explained their situation, the kind old woman shook her husband's shoulder, screamed their story into his ear again, and let them have the rooms for half price.

Edd collapsed on top of the first bed he came to in the larger of the two rooms the moment Matt and Tom left to search for some food and use the toilet.. Both had two beds, a rolling heater in a musty corner, and a large window that opened up to a dark back garden. He was absolutely exhausted. His head hurt. His bones hurt. His chest hurt. His heart hurt. He wanted to be sick. He wanted to just fall asleep and wake back up in the hospital, because then none of this would have happened. It would have all just been a bad dream. It had to have been a bad dream…

"Hey, Edd…?" Edd lifted his head a couple inches off the bedclothes to see Louise and Katy standing tentatively in the doorway, the former supporting the latter.

He struggled to push himself up into a sitting position, hampered slightly by his broken arm before giving a sad, tired grimace of a smile. "Yeah?"

"We just… We wanted to thank you, Edd." Genuinely surprised, he raised an eyebrow, prompting Katy to stammer, "I mean, you and Tom and Matt didn't have to stop for us! You could have kept going and left us and gotten out of… There far faster than you did. And we're just… We're so grateful that you did. Just… Thank you."

Edd genuinely smiled, a faint one, but a real one nonetheless in his bemusement. "Well, I guess we couldn't just leave you guys to die, surely?"

Louise snorted. "Yeah, that'd be a tragedy to lose me, right?" It was one of the few times she had spoken so far. Edd noticed the slight buck-toothed overbite and the slight, almost unnoticeable lisp.

"Yes it would!" Katy cried, looking sharply at her red-headed friend and taking her arm. "Don't you dare say that." Louise scoffed before Katy turned back to Edd, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. Thanks again, Edd."

The two girls closed the door, leaving and arguing in soft voices, leaving Edd lonelier than he was before. He truly was drained of all energy. He collapsed back onto the musty smelling pillows with a soft moan.

He was asleep within the next few minutes.

But dreams were fickle fiends. And dreams don't allow one refuge from reality.

"Do you really think he can do this?"

"He has to. He signed that contract when he gave his word."

"But then you go meddling with fate, stopping those bullets from hitting him and his friends."

"His time is not yet come, Lou. I couldn't just sit back now that he's agreed."

"Edd?"

Edd awoke with a start. Matt was leaning over him, his strained and tired face masked by shadows, his green overcoat folded over his crooked arm. He glanced past the ginger at the glowing red light that was the alarm clock, which read it was just past midnight. He let his head fall heavily back again onto the pillows.

"Whad issit?" he slurred sleepily, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. "Whas up?"

"We're back. Thought you'd might like some food. Tom's bringing some to Katy and Louise right now."

"What do you have?"

"A couple pasties. Some sandwiches. Case of Coke. Nothing amazing." Something told Edd that Matt was in just as much shock as himself, Tom, and the girls. It was most likely the fact that he didn't add some comment about he himself being amazing. That, and the occasional tremble of the freckled ginger's lower lip.

"No. I'm not hungry." This was not a lie. Edd's stomach heaved and twisted at the thought of eating anything. "Though, I certainly won't say no to a Coke."

He sat up with a stifled yawn as Matt rummaged through the crinckling plastic grocery bag, emerging with a red can, a small sandwich, and a miserable expression. He handed the Coke to a puzzled Edd without looking at him, crawled on the foot of his bed, and started to unenthusiastically unwrap his sandwich.

"Are you okay?" Edd asked, shifting so that he was closer to his friend and readying himself to perform the reassuringly familiar motion of cracking open his Coke. Matt shrugged, looking away. "What's wrong, Matt?" Edd attempted again, watching the ginger closely. He mumbled something incoherent. "What?"

"I wish... I could be more like you guys..."

Edd felt his jaw drop in shock. Matt, who loved his own reflection more than breathing, wishing he was more like Tom and himself? It was unheard of. Impossible. Matt continued, looking at his sandwich with tears in his eyes.

"I was just... So scared. This wasn't like anything we've ever seen before. And you and Tom... You didn't even think twice before running out of the car and getting Louise. You could have died. And I just sat there... Useless..."

Tears were now flowing freely down Matt's freckled face as the uneaten sandwich fell to the floor, and he wrapped his arms around his chest, choking back sobs. Momentarily lost for words, Edd draped his unbroken arm across his friend's shoulders, silent for a moment before he found something to say.

"Matt, let me tell you something; I was dead terrified. I didn't want to leave the car, to be honest, and I almost didn't."

"But you did."

"You said it yourself, it wasn't anything like we've ever seen before."

"I'm such a coward. If it weren't for you and Tom, those girls Katy and Louise would have been dead. I would have as good as killed them."

"Matt, what on earth had gotten into you?" Edd asked, removing his arm to grip his friend's shoulder and looking at him in mild shock. "Why are you acting like this?"

"I don't know!" Matt wailed suddenly, throwing his head back before letting it fall back into his hands. "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know! I don't know what's going on with me and I don't want it! My gosh Edd, I don't want it, I don't know what's happening to me, and I don't want this! I just don't know anymore!"

There was the soft thudding of footsteps, and the door was flung open by a frightened and exhausted looking Tom, followed closely by Katy and the crippled Louise. "What's wrong? What just happened?"

But Edd was too busy trying to quiet his wailing friend to answer, wrapping his arms around him as best he could with the cast, fighting a wail of misery of his own trying to escape his throat.

Tom walked forward cautiously, as though afraid Matt were simply baiting him, luring him in for an attack. He reached a hand out, hesitated, and squeezed Matt's shoulder before letting quickly go. Edd followed suit, allowing his hand to rest on his friend's arm a moment longer. Matt choked out one last sob and opened puffy red eyes, sniffing and grimacing with embarrassment and more unshed tears.

"I'm sorry guys," he said quietly, wiping his eyes with his jacket sleeve. "Could I... Have some alone time?"

"Sure," Edd nodded, immediately moving of the bed. He touched Tom's elbow as he passed, both of them watching as Matt curled his knees up to his chest, back to them. Katy hesitated by the door as the two young men passed, then walked inside.

Edd watched as the lay a hesitant hand on Matt's hair, stroking it for a moment and murmuring only Matt could hear, then turned and followed everyone out of the room

The door clicked quietly behind them.

A/N Welp, this was going to be longer, but then... Hrm, IDK. kinda crap, huh? Pretty mainstream fanfic, with all the crying and the hugging and all, buuuut, welp, it happened :T -_-'

So... Hopefully things will pick up speed again next chapter. I got some plans, and so does Edd as a matter of fact. And in case it wasn't clear, there was no way Edd and his gang could have survived escaping London. I was trying to get the point that was protecting him from afar. IDK, I thought it was cool.

Anyway, hope you guys like it! I'll be working on chapter 5 now, as well as "Dear Angel, Dear Demon" and "Barriers and Broken Mirrors" (I AM TAKING REQUESTS FOR THE LATTER IF YOU WANT SOME SILLY OTP ONE SHOTS DONE, but I have 4 outlined ships that I am doing only). keep an eye out for those, kk? Also, comment please! Love yourselves andHAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

~File 13

*Edit* OH I just forgot to mention; Katy and Louise are based off of real people! Louise is calweir (go see her Deviantart, she deserves more love), and was one of Edd Gould's friends in real life. Katy is Katy Pegg Hargreaves, Matt Hargreaves' wife in real life. So... Yeah, these aren't really OCs, kinda not really. *cough*MattxKatyShipWarningInTheStorySoBeware*cough* ALSO I'm not going to be updating for a few days I don't think because I'm going to a convention in Reno, NV for a competition. Wish me luck! ALSO ALSO, GO CHECK OUT MY WRITING CHALLENGE ON MY STORY "HIS WORLD: THE ONE AND ONLY!
LOVE Y'ALLS!

~File 13