0. The Trip Fix

Steven stood in that hotel room and was still standing there, even in his protests. The silent trip through back roads towards nowhere, defied his wants and aggravations. A couple stops at a few bars along the way had not helped an ounce and he was beginning to wonder if the Gang back in Point Place fucking nowhere Wisconsin knew he was off the grid. It had been a week- a fucking week- and he had nothing to do with any of them. It felt kind of liberating. It felt fucking sad.

Driving through Virginia and u-turning at the Georgia-Florida line was boring, while the winding path towards Texas showed more good times than not. Steven was contemplating returning home while somewhere in fucking Kansas when he took the last sip in to drunkenness and forgot about his worries. For the time being. From where he was a week ago to the backseat of his car, shitfaced and snoring with a short, tan chick who he swore was a spy for the Russians but didn't give two flying monkey fucks and was naked on the floor- he was doing alright. In his own, fucked up, Bud Hyde kind of way.

The current dream was filled with different endings and a newfound pride in sticking around in that hotel to work things out.

His untrimmed curls almost got cut as the door slammed shut and his eyes squinted open. Thankful he was in his boxers, he noticed that his spy from the night before was gone. He thanked god and then took it back, unsure of if that was an appropriate thing to think towards the man upstairs and kind of not caring anymore.

Mentally fucking off breakfast, he soon stumbled back out of the vehicle and back in to the bar.

Point Place wasn't going anywhere and neither was his future.

..

Kelso was out of that hotel room within ten minutes- of course grabbing his hair care items and hot new pair of jeans. He returned to the Forman's house with enough juicy details that the entire town knew he was over exaggerating. Hyde had not been crying and no Kelso did not kick his ass. And in the wake of the incredibly perfect story, Donna sent around the truth after a long phone call with Jackie- Kelso was practically shunned.

Taking his exile in stride, Michael Kelso rededicated himself to the police force and spending time with his daughter. This gave him occupation and meaning for the following months, something to live for. It wasn't until he realized no girls wanted anything to do with him, anymore, that he really started to see the bigger picture.

In an attempt at reaching in to his daughters life more, Kelso swore off sex with anyone but Brooke (because he had to get it somewhere and nowhere else).

Donna and Red started a bet on how long he would last because Brooke had recently started dating a rich doctor and wasn't putting out.

..

Other than the previously mentioned shenanigan's regarding Michael Kelso and is ever lacking sex-life, Donna had really and truly been dedicating herself to her studies. When she wasn't studying hard and contemplating moving out, she and Kitty were recording tapes to send to Eric every week. Those afternoons together helped bring the women together even more and soon they couldn't wait to get in that living room and talk their sweet little hearts out.

Even though he was in Africa doing some good, Donna couldn't help but miss him more and more each day.

And she soon started wondering if Africa could be a place for the both of them.

..

Eric Forman was feeling extra good about what was happening in Africa, his students helped him break in to the culture and their parents where extra supportive in his efforts. The tapes from his mom and girlfriend back home were a warm reminder of what the community he was in was working towards, no matter how slowly. But the thing that kept him going the most was the monthly visits form Fez. He didn't have much else to do and was making even more money at a salon in Point Place, washing hair and he was even starting to learn how to cut it. So his money went to seeing his best friend and candy.

After a few months, everything seemed to reach a certain pattern.

A good pattern, Eric wasn't sure could be accomplished back home.

..

Jackie attempted the Chicago job. It was exactly one week later that she was unsure of how to function with the news from Point Place that there was actually no news from Steven Hyde. The one thing occupying her mind more than she'd admit to anyone but Donna. So it was the following week when she packed up the hotel room she oh-so-eagerly switched to and headed home.

She found a pretty good job editing a fashion magazine, surprisingly published in Wisconsin and moved into a small apartment closer to the office than Point Place. Sucking it up, she took the bus back and forth between home, work and Donna's- no one else was really around the Forman's house during that time. Jackie anxiously waited for Steven, just to know he was alive and kicking and simultaneously continued to beat herself up for the situation she had gotten the three of them in. There was too much she pushed around in her mind those few months, that she needed to tell Steven.

A total of three months and two weeks later Steven decided to grace Point Place with his return.

And with that came a heart-breaking letter from Eric.