I do not own "Ed, Edd N Eddy" or the cover pic. It belongs to Nintendo-Nut1 from deviantart.

Debt

Double D awoke early, not really even getting to sleep after the...event he endured, just as the sun was shining over the horizon. Not wanting to waste any of the precious time he had he began to go through his morning routine. Breakfast, with his prescribed medicine as instructed, followed by caring for his personal hygiene. He was delayed with his routine due to his still recovering body.

Double D took four steps out of his house before pausing and turning around. What he saw was something that surprised him as much as it confused him.

"Ed?"

His dear friend, Ed was buried up to his waist in the ground.

"I feel the life in the soil moving around me, becoming one with me." Ed spoke as he gazed into the distance with a glazed look in his eyes.

Double D gave his large friend a once over in complete and total shock. This had to be one of the most ridiculous things he had ever seen and it still wasn't top five of Ed related strangeness. With that thought, Double D continued on his way.

. . .

Double D knocked a sweaty fist against the door as firmly but as politely as possible. Strangely enough, the sweat all from his nerves this time. There was a hint of fear yes but mostly the perspiration came from a more physical strain. It really bothered Double D how long it took him to move.

Where on Earth could they be? He wondered as the minutes passed by without so much as a sound.

It wasn't common for Edd to feel impatient but this wait was driving him mad. Looking down at the door handle he couldn't help but wonder if it would turn. Dare I? He wondered as he felt a rare combination of bravery and impulse, something he usually kept in reserves. Before he realized it his hand had grabbed the knob and began turning and found that the door wasn't locked. He knew that he needed it if he wanted to move forward with the Kankers. I dare!

With closed eyes he pushed the door opened and braced himself for impact be it vocal or physical. Yet, as nothing came he felt enough courage to open one eye. Nothing. And so he opened his second eye. There was no one there.

"Hello!" Edd called, testing the waters. Nothing, the trailer was empty.

Not wanting to be caught halfway in the doorway by any suspicious neighbors he made his way inside, closing the door behind him. As Double D looked around he realized he had his work cut out for him.

"Messy messy messy!" Was the only chant that could be heard as Double D cleaned. All thoughts of how his body ached were put from his mind as he brought order and cleanliness. So much cleanliness.

Laundry: Washed-Dried-Folded.

Dishes: Washed-Dried-Stored.

Trailer: Dusted-Washed-Aired.

The grueling process took Double D a total of several hours with it now being just past noon.

"Oh shit!" A voice gasped, drawing Edd's attention.

He was so focused on his tasks at hand that he didn't notice the Kanker sisters as they entered the trailer. He turned to see that Marie and her sisters were in an equally stunned state. They had yet to notice their uninvited guest.

"Move!" Lee ordered as she began pushing her sisters. "Before we get shot!"

The trio took a few steps outside, making sure they weren't being spied on by the nosy neighbors. They didn't need people telling rumors that the Kanker Sisters were into breaking and entering.

"Hey!" May exclaimed as she looked around.

Her older sisters followed her example and saw that they were in the right place. This was their trailer. Their much shinier trailer. It seemed that whoever changed the inside decided to put some effort on the outside as well.

The sisters shared a glance with each-other trying to get an understanding but was met with equally confused gazes. With a nod, the two youngest pushed Lee towards the door. With a glare at her sisters, Lee took a hesitant step forward. When the door opened they were greeted with the last person they expected to see in their trailer. Willingly.

"Double D?"

"Greetings!" Edd stated happily. "I'm glad you've arrived. I have just finished cleaning the trailer as well as-is something wrong?"

"You...cleaned?"

"Yes. May, the cleaning product you mentioned inventing was simply marvelous." Double D complimented. "I must learn the ingredients so as to reproduce the effect."

"N-No problem." She stated, blushing from the praise.

"...How did you get inside." Lee demanded.

Flinching, Edd took a step back before answering. "T-The door was unlocked." He trembled. "I-I did knock."

"And you still came in." Marie asked.

The question didn't have the usual teasing that he was familiar with when dealing with the Kankers. It seemed like a genuine question.

The Kanker sisters said nothing as they stared at the poor boy, which scared him more than anything they've done in the past. The last time he had seen the sisters this unsure was when he and his friends tricked them with reverse-psychology. Yet he wasn't here to drive them away. Yet, the Edd felt as if he had crossed some kind of unspoken line.

"I'll just go...water Ed." He stated as he made his way out.

. . .

He managed to take another step into the woods before he felt every muscle in his body lock up from sheer pain. It was like he was being stabbed in the gut but the knife was never removed. If anything it was going deeper and deeper. Not to mention his arms felt as if someone was jumping on them. Suddenly the world was tilted and he fell to the side. The crutches did nothing to balance him or slow his motions. He collided with the tree next to him but thankfully avoided hitting his head.

I...I can't move! He thought.

His mind may have been a bit blurry from the pain but even he knew what his issue was. He had forgotten to take his pain pills as scheduled. A sloppy mistake for someone as organized as he was. Still, he couldn't fathom how suddenly the pain struck once they wore off. Part of him had expected a gradual growth, giving him time to obtain his medicine.

His arm were a shaking mess as he tried to move it. Slowly, so painfully slowly he raised the limb to his pocket.

Got it! He thought with satisfaction.

Now I just need to...need to...He couldn't open it. Try as he might, he just couldn't open the bottle! He couldn't muster up the strength to simply turn the bottle cap. Not that it would do him much good since he couldn't even get his fingers to grab the cap.

Double D continued to try and untwist the cap but it was no good. As the seconds ticked by into minutes and the pain increased he became more desperate.

Eventually his desperation mixed with his frustration and the bottle slipped from his grasped. He attempted to grab for it before it rolled away but his action only aggravated his growing pain. He could only lock up and watch helplessly as the bottle rolled away. Soon, he couldn't even see it. He couldn't see anything. He had closed his eyes because of the pain and couldn't bring himself to open them. All he could do was curl up and suffer.

. . .

How long had he been curled up in pain, the last conscious part of him wondered. One minute. Five minutes. An hour. How much longer would he have to stay like this?

Suddenly, he felt something at his mouth. Whatever it was was trying to pry his mouth open! Not that he could resist any harder than he already was with how strongly he had locked his jaw. Still he could feel whoever it was as they invaded his mouth.

Whoever it was got past his lips and carefully slid two fingers along the inside of his mouth between his gums and inner cheek. They did so while carefully avoiding his teeth. At the far back of his mouth he felt something slip in and fall to the back of his throat. He swallowed it more on reflex than anything. Whoever it was repeated this process once more with the same results.

Then his head was laid onto something soft but firm.

He didn't know how long he continued to lay there but as time passed he began to feel better. The muscles that were like fire began to sooth as he slowly relaxed them.

Now that his head was clearing he understood that he had been given his medicine. Someone had come to his rescue again.

"Thank you." Edd stated after finally gaining enough relief to talk.

It was awhile before Double D finally attempted to sit up only to collapse down again, thankfully his savior was able to keep him up. Carefully, as not to get any further debree on his face he began to clean the tears from his eyes. He felt no shame in them as they were a biological part of him. Though he wished he felt the same about the sweat stain he seemed to have left on his savior's leg. Following the limb up he saw that it was none other than Marie Kanker.

Marie was silent a minute longer as she eyed him, watching him gather his strength. Her mind couldn't stop racing. Seeing him down like that was enough to bring back all of those feelings that she had felt during the incident.

"What do you want?"

"Pardon?"

"You show up in our trailer." Marie began. "Then you clean and clean and then leave with no fuss. I don't buy it. We can take care of ourselves. We've been taking care of ourselves and our mom does more than enough for us."

"T-there seems to be a misunderstanding." Edd spoke as he raised his arms in surrender. "I didn't mean to overstep in any way nor imply a lack of parental care. I simply wanted to convey my gratitude for the effort you and your sisters put in for me. It seems th-"

"NERD!"

"...I wanted to do something nice as thanks." Double D stated. "I didn't want to imply anything bad. I just remembered how you and your sisters often talk about wanting someone to do your chores and..." He trailed off, having said his piece.

Marie glared deeply at Edd as if looking for any signs of a lie. Maybe it as the way he sweated and shook in fear or maybe it was the way he didn't break eye contact. Either way, she believed him.

"Come on you fragile boy toy." Marie grunted as she helped him up.

There was a groan of pain from Edd but he didn't protest. He had been on the ground far longer than he would have liked and his soiled clothes needed a wash. As did he.

They stood there in silence, Edd thinking of something to say as Marie watched his mind race. Now that he had her alone there was something that had been on his mind since the day he first met the Kanker sisters.

"Why me?"

"You never pushed." Marie stated without looking at him. "Lee likes Eddy because he's squirly. May thinks Ed is big and strong and...cute. You try to use words when things get serious."

Double D had always known the Kankers to be open with their emotions but he hadn't expected such a straight forward answer. Nor had he expected such an answer. He had always seen himself as a person of reason but to have someone else notice him for it. Admire him for it. There was nothing he could do to stop the blush.

"I...admire your c-confidence." Edd was beginning to feel warm under his collar. "You make bold declarations and then move to take action with no hesitation."

Edd did all he could to look away from Marie's visible eye but he could still feel it. It was like she was piercing his being and seeing what was beneath the surface. And from the smile on her face she liked what she saw.

"Double D, did I hear you right?" Marie asked as she pointed her ear to him. "Are you complimenting a Kanker?" She giggled. "Go on, profess your love to me."

He coughed into his hands to try and keep his composure but continued to darken into an interesting shade of red at Marie's words. This wasn't going how he had planned, mostly because there was no plan but he continued on.

"T-Though I've never approved of violence, I admit to being left breathless at your...aggressiveness." He continued though he became calmer as he did. "I envy you. There's never been any hesitation in anything you've done nor a hint of regret. I wish...to be like you."

Marie continued to stare which continued to make Double D hot under the collar. There was just something about that lone-eyes gaze she had that seemed to make him freeze.

Double D suddenly felt the air get knocked out of him as out of nowhere Marie tackled him back to the ground. He looked up in fear as Marie smirked down at him. Straddling him so that he couldn't escape, not that he had a chance to begin with, she spoke.

"Tonight." Marie spoke. "Dinner at my place. It will be a magical evening. And you'll get to meet Ma Kanker."

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