Author's note; Hola my beautiful humans! it is I, Dean, here to kill you people with another boring and long one shot of mine. Anyways, it's a companion story to the 'His Dream' story and like always, i hope you people love it. and I'm sorry if the years is all wrong and stuffs
Dedication: a special thanks to Prissy(nannygirl) for helping me with the little details of the story and stuff. This one is for ya girl.
Disclaimer: Man, I wish I did own these idiots. But sadly I don't.
So, Enjoy!
Red Forman walks to his front door with a six pack in his left hand. He lets out an exhausted sigh as he stopped in front of his green front door.
Damn it. He knew he should just make those dumbasses buy these beers for him or at least drive to the nearest store. But somehow, that loud one manages to convince him to have a little old fashion walk, so he could be much healthier. But after he experienced the walk of 35 minutes to get to the nearest store and walk back home; Red started to wonder, what kind of power does this little brunette have to make him walk to the store, then it hit him. She's his favorite from the other dumbasses.
After regaining his breath, Red reaches out and grasp for the door knob and he smirks a little. It's funny after almost 32 years living in this house, he still couldn't recall using the front door or he couldn't even remember any idiots that've ever came here using this door.
Still smirking, Red open the door and is welcomed by a sight of a few stacks of boxes in his living room and next to the stairwells is a few boxes that hasn't been taped shut yet. There's a few words scribbled on the front of the box , like; 'crap', 'more crap' and 'lots of crap' and there's a few stack with a beautiful and cursive writing on it that says; ' the stuffs you need', 'photos of me and my perfect family' and 'some ugly plaid shirts'
Red pursed his lips into a tight line at the writings, knowing too well who did that. Then a tall but lanky man walk down from the stairs with a few small cardboard boxes in his hands.
"Dad" the man that's known as his son calls out with a girly squeak, making the old veteran to rolls his eyes in annoyance. "I couldn't feel my fingers" he gasps behind the stacks of boxes, "Help me!"
Red walks past his son, clearly ignoring him as he made his way past the stack of boxes in his living room and turn on the TV before sitting back in his pea soup chair and crack open a can of beer as a football match started to play.
Eric lets out an exasperated huff and puts the boxes in the middle of the carpeted stairs and walks down the stairs and stand behind the wall that's dividing the living room and staircase. "Wow, thanks dad. You're a great helper" he says with sarcasm as he clasps his skinny hand on his father's shoulder and gives him a mocking thumbs up.
Red tore his gaze from the game and looks at his son weirdly. After Kitty left all of them because of cancer three years ago, Eric has lost his spark. He didn't make any star wars reference, he didn't make any smartass comment to anyone those past three years , he didn't try to make any lame ass joke or burns to anyone and he didn't laugh or smile as much as he used too. And that was the time he realized something; his girly, dumbass kind of son is gone when his mother did. And silently, it killed him inside to watch his son like that.
But then one morning, when he was relaxing in his seat in the kitchen, sipping his morning coffee and reading the morning paper, suddenly, Eric came in and hugged him, saying how much he loves him and says that he would never leave his side no matter what.
It actually creeps him out when his son said that but Red knew, from that day he has gotten his son back.
Breaking from his little trance, Red lets out a cough before turning back to his game, "I have much better things to do than see you gasping like a dead commie" he groused as he took a swig from his drink
"Well you know what?" Eric squinted his eyes at the older man who's still hasn't move his eyes from the game "If Luke wanted me to help him carry something, I would happily help him. Even if it's small"
Finally, Red tore his gaze and looks at his son with an empty look, "So, you're saying, you're proud that you made your son a pansy ass, smart mouth, dumbass?"
"Straight damn I- wait, No!"
Red lets out an evil smirk before continues to watch the game, leaving Eric to mumble under his breath. Then the room fell into silence as Eric started to organize the boxes that've been scattered by the staircase for a while now, and Red still didn't move an inch except for the time he reaches out to his left and grab another can of beer
"Hey dad" Eric calls out as he still arranging the boxes. "what made you move to Florida?"
Eric stops his work for a minute and turns to his father when he notices that Red hasn't answer his question yet. "Dad?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he says before chugging half of his beer "it's to get away from you dumbasses"
"Aww" the nerd cooed mockingly as he puts his hands on his chest, "I knew it that I'm at least a part of the reason for you to leave" he playfully bats his eyes at his father as Red scowl at him.
"Stop being so weird"
Eric chuckle a bit, then slowly, he made his way to the couch and sits on the armchair and Eric gives his father a tender look. "What I meant dad is, why now?"
Red turns to his son and for the first time Eric saw something that he had never seen before in his father's eyes before; Lost, scared, and loneliness. Slowly Red turns back to the TV but not really paying attention to it this time.
Then the old veteran spoke in his slow and soft voice. The voice he rarely uses to anyone unless it was to Kitty. "She's not here Eric" he says "it's just not the same"
Eric pulls out a sad smile on his face and clasps his hand once again on Red's shoulder and gives a little squeeze as if giving a little energy to the old man.
"But you're dumbasses are" he stated to his father "and like you always says, even if you kick us all out and lock the basement door or even the sliding door, we always make our way back in for you"
When Red turn to his son, Eric could see the appreciation in his eyes, the balding man cough awkwardly; "Yeah, Kitty would kill me if I lock it"
Eric lets out a playful grin and arch his brow up to his dad. "and yet, you still didn't lock the door after she's gone"
Red scowl at his geeky son. "Don't make me lock this house when I'm gone, Dumbass" he threatens
"But I thought you were giving this house to me and Donna before you leave" Eric points out to his still smirking father. "And I could always lock the house before I leave" Red says with a winning smirk, making his son to perplexed for minute.
"Hey guys!" Kelso yells from the top stairs. He had a dopey grin on his face and a pale blue chest in his hands. "look what have I found! A treasure chest!" he exclaims excitedly and made his way down but was oblivious to the box that Eric had left on the stairs as his eyes are fixed on the old and dusty trunk only.
"I bet there's a tons of- Ahh!" the idiot of the gang shrieked as he practically flew from the stairs after he accidentally kicked the box in front of him. Making the blue box to fly as well and at the same time opened a bit, making a few items in it to spill on them back of the front door next to Kelso, who's whining about his eye.
Eric helps his friend stand up to his feet as Red looks at the two men and the mess that they've caused, again. Red shakes his head in annoyance. Kelso looks at the boxes that have been scattered around his feet and a little panic rose to his chest as he caught Red's reaction to it. "These boxes were invincible!" he exclaims stupidly, hoping to ease Red's anger from him and it did when Red is looking at his son angrily.
"Who would know?" Eric squeaks as he hid behind Kelso, trying to hide from his father's death glares, "Those weren't really the best place to put your stuffs"
Red's vein is popping; his eyes is bugging out from its socket, his hands are curled into a fist, getting ready to meet a face or two and his voice is itching to come out to yell at these two dumbasses for screwing up these two easy task. He opens his mouth, but the words didn't came out as his eyes caught a white lacey clothing on the floor next to a few envelops and some broken frames.
Slowly he walks to the clothing and photo frames and he felt all air is leaving his body as he slowly picks up the two items; it was Kitty's old wedding dress and their wedding photo.
Red sat in his den with Kitty's old wedding in his left arm and their wedding photo in his other. The pale blue chest sat there at the end of his shoe tip. He had just made Kelso and Eric clean up the mess they'd just made and carry the old blue trunk and place it in front of him. He could not believe it. He hadn't see that piece of junk for almost 31 years now.
The pale blue trunk that sat in front of him is his and Kitty's memory box; as she would like to call it. They would always keeps the stuffs that meant the most to them in this old box and they would open it on Christmas Eve, next to their fireplace as they reminisce every photo they had taken and every present they had given to each other.
But after Laurie was born 31 years ago, they had to forget their little tradition and they left their little 'memory box' up in the attic, collecting dust and cobwebs around it; until now.
Red traces the top of the trunk. He could still feel the small scratches on the wooden box from all of those falls and bumps in these past years ago. Slowly Red open up the lid of he trunk and cough a bit as he was revealed to a wind of dust hitting his face. He waves the dust away from his face, then a big grin, a grin that no one, not even Jackie, had ever seen it before, cracked onto his lips.
He picks up a picture frame that had a white envelop tied to it at the back. It was their first date together at the drive in. He could see the nervousness on his younger self face as he wraps his arms around a happy looking, small blonde's shoulder. The girl arms wrapped itself onto his waist, completely oblivious to the other man nervousness. And that made the older Red to chuckle.
Then Red untie the envelop and took out the old worn out white paper. He remembered this one. It was a letter he wrote to her after their first date. Slowly he reads it.
Dear Kathy,
Thank you for going out with me last night.
I hope we could go out once again.
I will see you later, Goodbye.
Yours truly,
Reginald.
Once again, Red chuckles at his younger self. He couldn't believe that before he went out to war, he was a pansy ass. A much worse one than any of his son could ever be. And damn, he hadn't call Kitty by that name for a long time now. Who would knew? That one name could bring back a thousand memories from their first kiss to the day he proposed to her.
After he puts back the picture and the envelop back in the trunk, he picks up a pearly white photo album that had just caught his eyes. It's a photos of them and their family; their crazy, mismatch, weird family. He traces the hard cover before slowly opens it.
He smiles at the picture of him and Kitty in front of their house; their home. He had Kitty in his arms as she looks giddy in the picture. There's a little writing that he quickly recognized as his wife's writing. 'Our home sweet home' it says with a few small hearts around it. This was the time when they finally got their own home after almost three years living in a small apartment, just living next to his mother's old building. Yup, old times.
Slowly, he turns to another page and small crept onto his lips. It was a picture of him holding his newly born daughter as he sat in a rocking chair; with the words under the picture that says; 'Red with his little baby girl'
The old veteran shakes his balding head at Kitty's writing. Everyone always says that Laurie's his baby girl but to him it was never wrong for a father to shower his little girl with love and attention.
Red turns to the next page and is welcome by a picture of a little young boy wearing a baseball hat with a few dirt on his wet face, sitting on the porch with Kitty kneeling in front of him. Kitty with her soft and warm smile, has her hand on his knee as she had just finished putting a little bandage on his scraped knee and her other hand is on the boy's head; patting it lovingly.
'Eric has a little boo – boo from baseball' it was written under the old picture.
This time, instead of smiling, Red rolls his eyes in annoyance. This is when Eric was four and he taught the boy some sport. But who would knew?, the boy ran away when the ball was thrown to him, making him to fall and ending it with a scrapped knee.
Turning to the next page, he had to hold his urge to roll his eyes again at the picture. It was a Halloween picture of the dumbasses kids with his little girl and her friend, that Rockwell kid. In the picture, Eric was dressed in frog costume and standing next to him is his princess, Donna but she doesn't look happy or even comfortable in that piece of clothing. Next to her is a small Jackie Burkhart with braids in her Dorothy costume and red shining shoes; in the little brunette arm, held a small stuff puppy that Red used to give once upon a time before. And Hyde, who's standing behind her gave a weird glance to the little girl from behind his large aviators on his nose. The little Hyde wore a pirate costume with a big pirate hat that's covering half of his face. In front of him is Kelso, wearing a prince attire with a long fake sword in his hand. But in this picture, he had to wear an eye patch from the last 'incident'. Standing next to Hyde is Laurie and Brooke as they wore a cute matching witch outfit. Laurie lets out a wicked smile to the camera as her Brunette friend just offer a shy one. 'The kids first Halloween!' it written under the picture.
Shaking his head, Red turns to another page and lets out a genuine smile at the photo. It was taken on Mother's day, 1981.
At the drive way, Kitty is standing between Kelso and Fez, looking happy as a wide smile stretch across her face when two childish babies wrap their arms around her. Kelso is giving his dopey grin as Fez closed his eyes and leans onto the older lady's shoulder with a happy looks on his face. On the vista cruiser, Hyde looks at them with an amuse look on his face as Eric stood beside him, looking a bit uncomfortable by the situation.
Red smiles after he turns from a page to another. There were thousand photos that had been taken by kitty from all these years. Their honeymoon in Florida, Eric's first birthday party, Laurie's dance recital, Hyde in his dirty clothes as he wrestles Kelso on the dirt, Donna holding a bat as Red teaches her from her side, Jackie with flour on her face as she held out a cake that spelled, 'happy birthday Mr. grooch', Fez's sitting in the vista cruiser's driver seat, looking nervous as Red sat next to him looking relax, but his hand gripped onto the door too hard and a picture of Kelso held out a tooth as he shows the camera his toothless mouth. Then he enters the picture where all of his dumbasses actually grew up. From Eric and Donna's wedding day to his little grandson; Luke first birthday. Then a picture of Hyde and Jackie standing at the backyard of their house with a warm smile on their faces to a family picture of the couple and their twins, Zachary Led Hyde and Jennifer Lynn Hyde. A picture of the Kelso's greeted his sight, Kelso held his little girl in his arm with a dopey grin as the little girl in the picture did the same thing and next to them is Brooke giving them a warm smile as she held a young Danny Kelso in her arms. A picture of Fez and Laurie greeted his sight, even though he didn't like Tonto but that didn't mean he need to forbid his daughter from falling in love him. It was a picture of a party as Laurie smiled at the camera and puts her hand on her pregnant belly as Fez stood next to her with his mouth full of candy and rubs his hands on her belly as well.
It was a happy moment and he couldn't believe that kitty had just spent most of her time putting together these photos and at the same time being a mother that always be there for these dumbasses. She definitely his gal alright.
As he reaches to the final page, red lets out a sad smile. It was a picture of him and Kitty, kissing under the mistletoe on Christmas 1980. He slowly traces the cursive writing under the photo; 'my perfect life'
Red slowly closes the album with a sigh. As he was about to put down the album, an envelop fell from one of the pages that he had skipped a bit. Scowling, he put down the big binder aside and picks up the white paper. He looks at it with puzzlement on his aging face, he didn't remember leaving Kitty a letter after their marriage. Curious, he opens up the envelop and pills out a paper, more to a letter to him and it is from… Kitty. Then he started to read it.
Hello there dear,
I'm guessing that you've found my letter. Well finally! So anyways, am I still there? Babying everyone of my babies or am I up there? Relaxing with my father and enjoying some peach schnapps in my hands?
Red, I know it's maybe hard for you to cope that I might not be there for you anymore, but you were the one to say; 'Better to let go than hold on' so now honey, I'm letting go.
Red, after almost a year I've stayed in this hospital room, I've been reminiscing about our old tradition. Oh, how I miss to sit by the fireplace and read your love letters to me as we listen to some old Christmas songs together.
I really missed that, don't you?
But since I was diagnosed with cancer, I notices that you look scared and alone. And I don't want that; because you're the one that get scared easily and you certainly the one who loves the alone time the most, buy I'm afraid, I couldn't be alone with you anymore.
You're brave Red Forman.
You've fought for our country.
You've threaten every men who laid their eyes on me.
And you even protect our children and I'm not saying only Eric and Laurie, I meant our basement kids.
Don't let my passing scare you, you're not alone honey. You've got the kids around for you. And like you always says, they're just like locusts that just won't go away. I know you could make it through life Red and so you know, I'll be waiting for you up there.
Okay now, the nurses are going to inject some drugs in me. And I hope Lassie isn't putting some cheap drugs in me or there will be head rolling. And Red one more thing; stop threatening to lock Eric or the kids out of the house or believe me, when you get up here, there will be hell to pay… Bahahaha. Okay, I'll see you soon honey, and I love you.
Yours truly,
Kathy Forman
Red smiles at the letter and looks up slowly. "you're still my gal Kathy" he stated under his breath as he shakes his head in amusement, "still my gal"
"you know Hyde" Eric calls out his adoptive brother, who's sitting on the old kitchen chair he took from the basement with his arms around his wife to hold his Rolling Stone magazine as Jackie files her nails and reads the article Hyde is reading. Hyde looks up from his reading and arch his brow up at Eric.
"it would mean a lot if you help us loading these boxes into the truck" the scrawny man says as he wipes the sweats off his forehead.
"yeah!" Kelso chimed in as he puts the box into the moving truck and wipe his sweat too. "I'm too pretty to be sweating"
Hyde lets out a sly smirk, "Nah, that's cool" he says in a Zen manner, before continuing to read his magazine, leaving the two still growing men to scowl.
Then Donna, Brooke and Laurie came out of the house with a pitcher of lemonades, a few cans of beer, empty plastic cups and a big bags of M&M in their hands. "yeah guys" Donna says as she puts down the jug of lemonades on the table next to Hyde and Jackie, after filling the empty cup with it and gives it to her still panting husband. "the both of you didn't even lift a single box today and all you guys did was comment on how we work" the now back red head says as she crosses her arm across her chest.
"okay, first of all, it was Jackie who commented. Not me" Hyde stated as he waves his hand to the small brunette on his laps who seems still oblivious to their surroundings. Then the former rebel continues, "and besides, me and Jackie were the ones that packed all of theses stuffs into these boxes, so really, you guys actually don't have any saying in this" he stated coolly before continuing on his article.
Eric waited for his wife to fight back, but the red head just looks at the couple blankly with her jaw dropped, slowly he rose her hands in a 'I give up' manner and shakes her head slowly. "fine you win"
"Aww!"
"Boo!"
Donna turns to the two men then she notices something. Someone is missing, well not 'someone' it's more to a group of young, sweet, innocent, two faced kids are missing. The she asked aloud, "Where's the kids?"
Finally looking away from her manicured fingers, Jackie looks at her best friend and point to the drive way with her file, "Luke, Danny and the twins are playing basketball at the drive way"
"Lil' Ricky got stuck being a victim to another Julie's nail paints in the basement and I think Betsy is with them too" Eric spoke from behind as he sat next to the mail box with a beer in his hand and Kelso had just landed his head onto Brooke's shoulder as the sweet librarian just offer her husband a warm smile as she wipe the sweats on his fore head with her sleeves.
"Yeah, and Jen says that she's going to make Luke kiss the ball if he lost" Hyde says too but didn't look away from the magazine in his hand.
"Oh no" Donna scowl. "She actually might do that" and with that Donna quickly made her way to the other side of the house. Then the quiet ex mother whore finally spoke, "wait, where's Fez?" she asks with a confused face as she held the bags of M&M tightly in her hand, it's supposed to be his reward for his hard work, but Laurie don't see him anywhere. But she was quickly too caught the snickered smiles and laugh the three men were trying to hide.
As Laurie was about to ask them what they had done to her husband, a few boxes fell out of the moving truck, and they were greeted by a sight of a sweaty Fez, hoping down the truck. "Sonofabitch!" he yells at the truck and strutted his way to his wife. He turns to his still snickering friends, "ok, which one of you sonofabitch block my way out with those boxes?" he asks hotly as his chest heaved crazily, "I was just having a little nap and it's not funny after the fourth time you bastard!"
Laurie threw them a deadly look before sitting him down. Kelso smiled goofily but was hit on the shoulder by his wife; "Ow damn!" he hissed as he rubs his aching shoulder "Oh come on it's funny!" he explained to his wife, but she just shakes her head incredulously at him.
Then once again, the front door was open and Red walk out with the pale blue chest in his hands. He walks past the dumbasses and ignoring their weird look as they just watch their father figure put the old trunk in the back of the moving truck.
"Mr. Forman?" Brooke calls out "What's that?" she asks as she stood on her feet and looks at the old box, a bit interested. Red turns to the taller brunette and gave her a smirk. "something special"
Then Kelso jumped onto his feet, a bit excitedly, "I know! It's a treasure chest!" he quickly made his way to the older man and puffed his chest to the old veteran, earning a weird scowl from him, "and you were just giving half of it to me right?" he says, as if he was picking up a lady from a bar, then Jackie spoke from Hyde's laps, "Now that's just ridiculous Michael" she says. "I'm his favorite, of course I got half of his wealth"
Then a scoff from the blonde came out, "I'm sorry are you even related to him?" Laurie snarled at the raven beauty. "besides, everyone knows the little girl beats the favorite right daddy?" she turns to her dad and bats her eyelashes to him, as her husband followed suit, "Daddy?"
Red scowl at that, but then Eric spoke, "Whoa, guys you're missing the most important person here" he stated but earn answers that he wasn't fond with;
"me?" Laurie ask,
"my lollipop?" Fez chimed in as well
"The packers?" Hyde threw in his two cent to rile his brother up
"my adorable baby girl?" Kelso says with a confuse look on his face
"What?" Eric says a bit frustrated "me, I'm talking about me"
And with that, everyone started to laugh, even Brooke as she tried to hide it behind her hand. Angry, Eric yells at them, "yeah laugh all you want, I'm the one who graduate college, so that makes me the most lovable!"
And with that, the yelling, screaming and burning fest commence.
Red looks at the dumbasses in front of him yelling at each other as they trying to prove their point. And he had to smirk at that. His dumbasses. Kitty's dumbasses. Their dumbasses. His family really did grown, and damn he's really proud with each one of them. Slowly looking up at the blue clear sky, he lets out a small smile. "I'll be meeting you up there soon, Kitty"
The end.
Author's Note: So? how was it? Awful? not that great? well it's not that great after i read it again... but i could hope for some review from you guys... Anyways humans, i'll see you later on my next story! Tata! -Dean
