Central Perk was aloft with the usual Thursday afternoon chatter, New Yorkers loudly commentating, chewing gum, and drinking coffee at the same time - but perhaps none were more indignant then the long-limbed redhead on the couch, surrounded by her best friends from childhood - a stocky man with brown hair and a silver ring on his left finger sat to her right, his chair turned and his hands on the back of it, a short but now fairly muscular figure with both a suit and a foreign accent to her left of her, and a curly-haired character with sunglasses and a neat blazer over a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt perched on the arm of the sofa.

"There's nothing to tell! He's just some guy I work with!" Donna exclaimed sipping her coffee and bouncing her knee. Fez raised his eyebrows suggestively and snorted.

"C'mon, you're going out with the guy! There's gotta be something wrong with him!" Kelso replied dramatically, chomping his gum.

"So does he have a hump? A hump and a hairpiece?" Hyde asked, smirking and bumping fists with a laughing Fez. She rolled her eyes.

"Wait, does he eat chalk?" Fez said suddenly. The group stared. "What? I don't want her to go through what I went through with Carly - eugh." He frowned. Hyde patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. Donna set her cup on the table and furrowed her brow.

"Okay, everybody relax. This is not even a date. It's just two people going out to dinner and..not having sex."

"Sounds like a date to me." Hyde muttered. Kelso shifted uncomfortably in his seat and moved to the cozy armchair beside Hyde.

"Whatever. Who wants to hear a real story?" He sparked a cheesy grin. "About a dream I had." Hyde threw a pillow at him. "Hey! Alright, so I'm back in high school, I'm standing in the middle of the cafeteria, and I realize, I am totally naked."

"So what? I've had that dream?" Fez shrugged.

"Then I look down, and I realize, there's a phone... there."

Donna sniggered. "Sounds about right."

"All of a sudden," He continued. "the phone starts to ring. And it turns out it's my mother, which is very weird, because- she never calls me!" Kelso threw his arms up in the air. Hyde shook his head.

The sound of rain became more apparent as the doors open and closed once more, a navy-clad figure with an umbrella miserably stumbled into the cafe. Donna's chest pounded sharply for a moment.

"Hi." Eric half-whispered, staring at the fireplace.

"This guy says hello, I wanna kill myself." Kelso muttered. Donna elbowed him.

"You okay, Eric?" She asked. "We haven't seen you in a while." Hyde furrowed his brow, sensing a slight tension.

"I just feel like someone reached down my throat, grabbed my small intestine, pulled it out of my mouth and tied it around my neck..." Eric moaned, plopping down next to Hyde and Fez.

"Cookie?" Fez asked.

"And yeah, I just uh, I've been hanging upstate for a few months. Because of- " He winced.

Hyde cleared his throat. "Carol moved her stuff out today."

"Ohhh." Kelso grimaced. Who? He mouthed at Donna. She shrugged.

"So this Carol works upstate?" Donna asked. Eric winced, harder.

"Coffee?" Fez offered, slurping his third cup.

"I'll be fine, alright? Really, everyone. I hope she'll be very happy."

"No you don't." Hyde corrected.

"No I don't, to hell with her, she left me!" Eric huffed. Donna raised an eyebrow.

"And you never knew she was a lesbian..." Fez asked. She coughed on her drink. "Missed opportunity." He tutted.

"No! Okay?! Why does everyone keep fixating on that? She didn't know, how should I know?" His voice grew louder.

"Want a megaphone, Eric? I don't think Coney Island heard you." Donna quipped. Eric turned and rested his head on the velvet couch, rolling his eyes. "Coffee?" He took it, somewhat awkwardly and spilling just a little on Fez before anyone noticed.

"Alright Foreman, look." Hyde pursed his lips. "You're feeling a lot of pain right now. You're angry. You're hurting. Can I tell you what the answer is?"

"What?"

"Strip joint! C'mon, you're single! Have some hormones!"

"Ugh." Eric rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, look at him. He couldn't have hormones if he tried." Kelso bumped his shoulder.

"I don't want to be single, okay? I just... I just- I just wanna be in a relationship, one that's going somewhere, you know? Somewhere with a future. Married, even, someday." He moaned. Hyde sighed and shook his head. Donna danced her fingers on the sofa uncomfortably, when all of a sudden - the doors burst open once more. A brown-haired bride, soaking wet, doe-eyes wide with panic.

"And I just want a million dollars!" Fez gestured dramatically. The bride turned around. Hyde's face went pale.

"Oh my God - Jackie?" Kelso half-yelled. Donna bounced out of her seat.

"Oh my God, Donna! I just went to your building and you weren't there and then this guy with a big hammer said you might be here and you are, you are!" Jackie half-laughed, half-sobbed, and launched herself into the tall woman's arms. Donna glanced at the rest of the group and led her toward the couch.

"Jackie? Is that you?" Fez asked. "Coming back for more, ah? Well I suppose you could've given a call first, but given the-"

"Shut up, Fez." Donna demanded. Jackie had spare traces of mascara running down her cheeks, but forced a wild grin.

"Michael!" She opened her arms. Kelso embraced her, grinning. "Ohmygod, I am so glad to see you? How's your..not-fat little girl?" Jackie asked.

"Amazing! She's three, and she can walk!" He exclaimed. Donna raised an eyebrow. "What, I couldn't at her age." He defended.

"Hey." Eric exclaimed, snapping out of his misery momentarily."Long time, no see!" He fumbled and reach to hug her in her enormous gown.

She turned to face Hyde. "Hey, Steven!" Her voice grew higher and she stumbled as Eric's umbrella opened before she could reach him. Hyde pressed his lips together and grinned at her before sitting back down awkwardly. Eric patted him on the back. Jackie slumped in the middle of the couch silently.

"So you wanna tell us now, or are we waiting for four wet bridesmaids?" Donna prompted. She sighed.

"Oh God... well, it started about a half hour before the wedding. I was in the room where we were keeping all the presents, admiring them you know? And I was looking at, like, this gravy boat. This really gorgeous Lamauge gravy boat. When all of a sudden. I realized that I was more turned on by this gravy boat than by Barry!" She exclaimed. "And then I got really freaked out, and that's when it hit me: how much Barry looks like Mr. Potato Head." Jackie made a face. "You know,I mean, he always looked familiar, but... Anyway, I just had to get out of there, and I started wondering 'Why am I doing this, and who am I doing this for?'." Hyde raised an eyebrow. "So anyway I just didn't know where to go, and I know-" She gestured at all of them. "that we've drifted apart all these years, but you guys were the only people I knew who lived here in the city." Jackie sniffed. Fez put a hand on her shoulder.

"Who weren't invited to the wedding."Hyde remarked dryly.

"Ooh, I was kinda hoping that wouldn't be an issue..." Jackie groaned, putting her face in her hands.


Donna's apartment was quite spacious for the rent fee - then again, she'd inherited it from her mother, who had moved for a couple months there on a whim when her actor-boyfriend tried Broadway once instead of pilot season. It was blue, which contrasted with her hair, but she didn't mind. The couches were comfy and stylish enough, with the help of Kelso's lifting muscles and Fez's eye for interior decorating. Some Zeppelin postings, a gifted to her by Hyde, hung amongst various photographs from her childhood. The gang slouched in the living room, Eric laying miserably on the armchair with Donna sneaking worried glances at him during the commercial breaks. Hyde stared straight ahead and tried to ignore Jackie's yabbering on the phone in the kitchen.

"Daddy, I just... I can't marry him! I'm sorry. I just don't love him. Well, it matters to me!"

He shifted. "I thought she got emancipated when she was seventeen."

Donna shrugged. "They're speaking now. How else could she have paid for the wedding?" Eric groaned. Kelso kicked him.

"Look at her. It's like she's gone backwards or something." Donna whispered.

"Haven't we all?" Kelso kicked Eric again.

"Come on Daddy, listen to me!" Jackie demanded and stomped her foot. "All of my life, everyone has always told me, 'You're a shoe! You're shoe, you're a shoe, you're a shoe!'." The gang turned. Hyde nonchalantly went for a soda, ducking from her flailing arms. "And today I just stopped and I said, 'What if I don't wanna be a shoe? What if I wanna be a- a purse, y'know? Or a- or a hat! No, I'm not saying I want you to buy me a hat, I'm saying I am a ha- It's a metaphor, Daddy!"

"You can see where he'd have trouble." Hyde quipped quickly.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Look Daddy, it's my life. Well maybe I'll just stay here with Donna." They shifted their gaze toward her expectantly.

"Well, I guess we've established who's staying here with Donna!" She smiled sarcastically.

"Well, maybe that's my decision." Jackie snapped. "Well, maybe I don't need your money. Wait! Wait, I said maybe!"


Jackie heaved, breathing deeply into a paper bag. Donna tried to calm her down while Kelso rubbed her shoulders, Fez and Hyde picking at snacks on the dining table.

"Just breathe, breathe.. that's it. Just try to think of nice calm things..." She pleaded, Jackie on the verge of tears. "You've done this before!"

"I know..." She whined.

"Raindrops on roses and rabbits and kittens," Kelso started, wildly off-key. Hyde turned around, annoyed. "..bluebells and sleighbells and- something with mittens... La la la la..."

"I'm all better now." Jackie snapped.

"What, Betsy loves that!" He defended and started toward the kitchen.

Okay, look, this is probably for the best, y'know? Independence. Taking control of your life." Donna insisted, pushing back her hair.

Fez opened a pack of chips and sat next to them. "And hey, you need anything, you can always come to Fez." He grinned. "Me and Hyde live across the hall. And he's away a lot." Jackie gaped.

"Fez, stop hitting on her! It's over! And it's her wedding day!" Donna smacked his shoulder.

"What, like there's a rule or something?" He demanded. From the kitchen, Kelso and Hyde sniggered. Eric, slightly cheered up by Jackie's far worse plight, answered the buzzer.

"Please don't do that again, it's a horrible sound." He exclaimed.

"It's, uh, it's Paul."

Donna's head whipped around. "Buzz him in!"

"Who's Paul?" Eric asked.

"Paul the Wine Guy, Paul?" Hyde popped a grape into his mouth. "He finally asked you out?"

Jackie grimaced. "Paul's an ugly guy's name."

"Wait, Jackie - I can cancel." Donna offered sympathetically.

"What? No, go, but I wanna hear about it later!" She demanded. "You can leave me here with...them." Kelso licked the yogurt of the flimsy plastic lid. Jackie shuddered.

"Eric? Uh, you gonna be, alright?" Donna asked hesitantly.

"Uh, not really -" He choked.

"What?"

"No, go on! It's, uh, Paul the Wine Guy!" Eric half grinned. Donna swung open the door, revealing Paul - a tall, handsome, and apparent wine guy.

"Hey, Paul! This is..." She gestured to the room. "Everybody." Jackie waved from the living room in her wedding dress. "Everybody, this is Paul."

"Nice to meet you." He met Donna's gaze.

"Give me two minutes." She showed him out the door. Jackie took a soda from Kelso and sat herself at the table.

"So, Jackie, what are you doing tonight?" Eric asked, bemused. She stared at him.

"Well, I was kinda supposed to be headed for Aruba on my honeymoon, so nothing!" Jackie snapped.

"Right, you're not even getting your honeymoon!" Eric moaned. Hyde raised an eyebrow. "God.. No, no, although, Aruba, this time of year... talk about your...big lizards..." Jackie scoffed. "Anyway, if you don't feel like being alone tonight, Kelso and Hyde are coming over to help put together my new furniture."

"Yes, and we're, uh, very excited about it." Hyde took a swing of Pepsi.

"Well actually thanks, but I think I'm just gonna hang out here tonight." She shrugged.

"Alright." Kelso clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Fez, you wanna help?"

"I wish I could but..." He chewed his candy bar. "I don't want to."


Eric's new apartment was well-sized, while decorating with an unfortunate yellow color and void of any furniture. He squatted and squinted at the instructions. "I'm supposed to attach a brackety thing to the side things, using a bunch of these little whim guys. I have no brackety thing, I see no whim guys whatsoever and- I cannot feel my legs."

"What's this?" Kelso gestured at a piece.

"No idea." Hyde replied. They jumped up. "Done with the bookcase!"

"All finished." He exclaimed. Kelso picked up a can. "Hey...isn't this Jackie's favorite beer?" He enunciated. Hyde grimaced.

"What? I mean seriously what happened? It's like she graduated and we never saw her again, until, like, today." Kelso huffed.

"Well, she also dumped Fez." Eric suggested.

"Wait, that happened?" Kelso furrowed his brow.

"Maybe she went through the whole group and got bored." Hyde suggested, not meeting their gaze.

"Hey, what about-" Eric began.

"Oh c'mon, you don't count, you and Donna were practically had a marriage."

"A planned wedding anyway." Kelso muttered. He slouched.

"Yeah, well that didn't work out. And neither did this one."

Hyde belched. "Foreman, let me ask you a question. The upstate chick, she got the furniture, the stereo, the good TV- what did you get?"

"You guys."

"You got screwed.

"Yep."


"Oh my God!" The restaurant, Paul's restaurant, was gorgeous and packed with people. A bit fancy for her comfort, but the food was amazing. Donna plucked at her pasta, her Midwestern accent thickening in exclamation.

"I know, I know, I'm such an idiot. I guess I should have caught on when she started going to the dentist four and five times a week. I mean, how clean can teeth get?" Paul shrugged.

"My... friend's going through that right now, he's such a mess. How did you get through it?" She pursed her lips.

"Well, you might try accidentally breaking something valuable of hers, say her-"

"-leg?"

"That's one way! Me, I- I went for the watch."

"You actually broke her watch?" Donna grinned, trying to forget about the promise ring in her dresser, unbroken.


"You know," Eric began. "What if there's only one woman, for anybody? And I never find her. I never find her, and Kelso does?" He marveled.

Kelso smirked. Hyde shook his head. "What are you talking about, Foreman? That's like saying there's only one flavour of ice cream for you. Lemme tell you something. There's lots of flavours out there. There's Rocky Road, and Cookie Dough, and Bing! Cherry Vanilla. You could get 'em with Jimmies, or nuts, or whipped cream! This is the best thing that ever happened to you! Welcome back to the world, man! Grab a spoon!"

"I honestly don't know if I'm hungry or horny." He responded.

"Stay the hell out of my freezer." Kelso retorted and clutched his beer protectively.

"C'mon man." Eric recoiled. "The hell happened to you?" He demanded. "It's like talking to a Hyde that never graduated high school. Jeez. What happened while I was gone?"

Hyde twisted his mouth. "A lot, man. Hey, you're the one who chose to stay behind. Without Donna."

"Until my dad pushed me out. And I met Carol." He sipped his beer. "She ended up moving here by chance. Then upstate. "

Kelso smirked. "Yeah, I mean...Look at you guys. Single, drinking beer, complaining about your parents. You know, who ever thought me and Fez would be the most successful? I mean, he's got a business, I've got a wife, and kids.."

"One kid. And I barely trust you with that one." Eric quipped.

"Seriously. What's with you and Donna? And you and Jackie? You made a face when she came in Hyde, like this - " He contorted his features. "That's the face Betsy used you make when she-"

"Shut up."


"Ever since she walked out on me, I, uh..." Paul swallowed nervously and picked at his pasta.

"What?... What, you wanna spell it out with noodles?" Donna laughed.

"No, it's, it's more of a fifth date kinda revelation."

She raised her eyebrows and grinned. "Oh, so there is gonna be a fifth date?"

"Well, ever-ev-... ever since she left me, um, I haven't been able to, uh, perform. ...sexually."

Donna spit out her drink.


"No, but seriously man."

"Cut it out, Kelso."

"No, I wanna know too!" Eric complained. "Jackie walked out on her wedding in a designer petticoat dress and is screaming at her rich daddy for not understanding her. You're bitching like an angry teenager who never left my basement. It's like you both reverted back to your old selves."

"Yeah, says the guy who's girlfriend's a lesbian."

"Hey, you know who my other girlfriend was, though? Donna!" He snapped.

"Yeah, speaking of that. What's up with you and her man?"

"Lay off me, asshole."

"Hey-" Hyde punched him in the arm.

"Hey!" They started wrestling with each other, Eric losing but no less determined.

"HEY!" Kelso yelled. "You know what would make us feel better?"


Eric flailed as he laughed, and laughed, and laughed, for a solid five minutes, back against the newly-reassembled furniture.

"Foreman. FOREMAN." Hyde smacked him on the head. "Get it together man. You're gonna break the bookcase."

"I really, really shouldn't be doing this." Kelso giggled. "I mean, really."

"Yeah, dude. Brooke's gonna murder you. Now who's gonna have their intestines all up in a twist, huh?"

"Shut up about your insides before I rearrange them, Foreman. Kelso, you can sleep at my place tonight."

"Thanks, man. Yeah, I love her, but she's so uptight about, you know, everything - like last week, she wouldn't even let me finish my seventh beer."

"Seventh, man? Jeez. You'd think we were still in high school. Speaking of which-"

"I'm not talking."

"Technically, you are talking. To all of us. Right Now. Chhhhh, that's so funny - "

"So. Donna and I get back together. Then she gets this internship in the city and wants to go even though I'm still getting my state teaching license. The long-distance thing didn't work out. Next."

"I'm not talking."

"Chhhhh..."

"Yeah, yeah, anyways. Tell us about the pretty girl, Steven. Come on. I shared mine."

"It's nothing. I haven't spoken to her since I left town. Heard she got engaged to some rich deadbeat orthodontist from Kenosha. Just where I thought she would end up."

"C'mon, man. Jackie wasn't like that when you two were together."

"He's right. Especially one that looks like Mr. Potatohead."

"Maybe she got back with her family again. I dunno. It's none of my business."

"Huh. Maybe that's what happens when you eventually lose touch with the people that really know you."

"Wow." Eric, Hyde, and Kelso paused, then burst out laughing into the smoke-filled apartment, sounds carrying throughout the building.


"Isn't this amazing?" Jackie exclaimed, wearing sweatpants, no makeup and her hair held in place by a butterfly clip, but attempting to grin all the same. A pot of coffee dangled from her hand. "I mean, I have never made coffee before in my entire life."

"That is amazing." A red-eyed Eric tipped his mug, his words slightly slurred together.

"Congrats!" Fez exclaimed before taking a sip - then promptly spitting it back into his mug. Eric discreetly poured the liquids into the plant coffer.

"Morning!" Donna exclaimed, coming out of her room and brushing her hair back with her fingers.

"Morning." Paul echoed from behind her. Hyde raised his eyebrows.

"Morning, Paul." He nodded.

"Hello, Paul." Jackie grinned.

"Paul, was it?" Eric quipped sarcastically.

They walked to the door "Thank you, so much." Paul said gently.

"We'll talk later."

"Yeah." She kissed him and he walked out the door."

"That wasn't a real date?! What the hell do you do on a real date?" Kelso inquired.

"Shut up, and put my custard back."

Hyde stood up and tugged at his cuff sleeves. "All right, kids, I gotta get to work. If I don't input those numbers,... it doesn't make much of a difference..."

"You still work for your dad?" Jackie listed her head to one side.

"Yeah. At their office in Manhattan. But on the bright side, I'll never get fired no matter what I pull." He grinned.

"And Donna's a writer for the Times. So, like, you guys all have jobs?" She faced Donna.

"Yeah, we all have jobs. See, that's how we buy stuff." Jackie scowled.

"I work at Hershey's Headquarters in advertising. I have truly reached the American dream - with a lifetime supply of candy bars!" Fez declared. She giggled.

"I'm a security guard at Rockerfeller. Someone's gotta provide for the family." Kelso leaned back in his chair. Eric frowned.

"Doesn't Brooke for work for the Met?"

"Yeah, well does she get to carry a gun?" His hands went to his holster.

"Get that thing away from me!"


The office was slow that day, the city apparently having nothing to offer but a string of hot-dog stand arsons covered by the Queens reporters. Donna's desk was cluttered, and had a few photos of her friends, family, and cat. She rearranged her notes while Frannie entered her cubicle with a cup off coffee, grinning.

"Hey Donna!"

"Hey!" She put her notes down and grinned. "How was Florida?"

Frannie paused. "You had sex, didn't you?"

"How do you do that?" She laughed.

"So? Who?"

"You know Paul?" Donna smiled.

"Paul the Wine Guy? Yeah, I know Paul." Frannie scoffed.

"You mean," She furrowed a brow. "You know Paul, like I know Paul?"

"Are you kidding? I take credit for Paul. Y'know before me, there was no snap in his turtle for two years."


"Of course it was a line!" Hyde said, signaling the waitress.

"Why?! Why? Why, why would anybody do something like that?" Donna cried, tugging angrily at the pillows.

"I assume we're looking for an answer more sophisticated than 'to get you into bed'." Eric retorted. Donna shot him a look.

"What would you know about lines, anyway? You've dated like, two girls?"

"Hey! Three if you include Big Rhonda. She was the best I've ever had." She snorted and smacked him with a newspaper. He grinned at her, for the first time in months. Their gaze held for a second as Donna's smile faltered.

Kelso paused, then sniggered. "I can't believe you didn't know it was a line!" Donna punched him in the shoulder. "Ow! JV wrestling, man!"

The doors busted open and Jackie burst in, carrying ten percent of her weight in shopping bags. "Hey! Guess what?"

"You got a job?" Donna piped hopefully.

"Are you kidding? I'm trained for nothing! I was laughed out of twelve interviews today." Jackie plopped down on the couch and dumped her bags next to Kelso.

"And yet you're surprisingly upbeat." Eric observed.

"You would be too if you found John and David boots on sale, fifty percent off! They're my new 'I don't need a job, I don't need my parents, I've got great boots' boots!" Donna gaped at her.

"How'd you pay for them?" Hyde spoke up.

"Uh, credit card." She mumbled.

"And who pays for that?" Fez pressed.

"Um... my... father."


"C'mon, you can't live off your parents your whole life." Donna rubbed her back, the group staring at the literal cards on the table in front of Jackie.

"I know that. That's why I was getting married." Jackie pouted. Hyde rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, 'cause you'd be an amazing trophy wife."

"Shut up, Steven. " She swung around.

"Hey! No fighting!" Fez demanded. "Or I get all the credit cards."

"You ready?" Kelso asked.

"I don't think so."

"C'mon, cut. Cut, cut, cut,..." Jackie breathed deep, braced herself, and sliced them to pieces before she even had time to think.

"Yes!" They all cried, thumping her on the back.

Donna hugged her and patted her hair. "Welcome to the real world! It sucks. You're gonna love it!"


Eric was sprawled out miserably next to a curled-up Jackie, half asleep against the pillows. The end credits rolled as Donna yawned and rose from her armchair, clothed in pajamas. "Well, that's it." She turned off the program. "You wanna crash on the couch, Eric?"

"Nah, gotta go home sometime." He nodded and stood up, stretching.

"You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah." He half-smiled again, catching her look of concern only briefly before it was replaced with a casual stare.

"Hey, Donna!" Jackie exclaimed, albeit sleepily. "Look what I found on the floor." She held aloft a silver trinket, and Donna smirked.

"Yeah, that's Paul's watch. Give it here." Donna dropped it on the carpet and stomped on it, causing Jackie to laugh and Eric to jump.

"Well, goodnight everybody." Jackie murmured, still clutching her pillows as she stumbled into her new room.

"Goodnight." They echoed. Eric made a grab for the last chocolate chip cookie, accidentally seizing one of Donna's fingers as they aimed for the same thing.

"Sorry!"

"No no no, go."

"No, you have it, really, I don't want it." Donna pleaded.

"Split it?" Eric offered.

"Okay." He cut it into two even pieces and handed one to her, grinning softly.

"So." Donna mused.

"So." Eric chewed his cookie.

"You like the city?"

"Yeah. It's...different." He stared out the window. "Good different. A lot louder, more vibrant."

"Yeah. Um - " She cleared her throat. "You still would've liked it if you'd moved here with me? Or-" Donna inspected her nails, a bitter feeling overtaking her.

"Donna, it...it wasn't the right time." Eric swallowed his emotion, a headache coming on. "I'm sorry."

"For not moving? Or not calling me when you did?"

"I was with Carol! And you, you have - Paul the wine guy -"

"Do you have any idea how hard it was to move out here?" She stood up. "I was alone until those - stooges showed up! My best friends!"

"Didn't Kelso already live here?"

"Alone with Kelso!"

"Fine!"

"Fine." They both huffed and sat down. Donna rubbed her neck with her hands. "I'm sorry, Eric. I just, haven't been able to get it out yet. I'm fine."

"It's fine. I''m sorry. I'll just - I'll go." He sighed and stood up, grabbing his jacket. Donna headed toward her room slowly, a deep frown etched in her face. As he walked towards the door, a line of pictures nailed to the wall caught his eye. One of Donna's graduation, her family, one of Betsy and Jackie, then - a framed photo of them. Seventeen, carefree, leaning against the Vista Cruiser. "Hey."

She paused. "Hey." He gave a small, but full smile.

"Nice picture."

"Yeah." Donna grinned. "Kitty gave me that."

"Yeah I'm - sorry, Donna."

"Yeah."

"We're okay?"

"Always."

"Okay." Eric's smile grew wider. "We'll talk in the morning."

"Goodnight." Donna smirked.

"Goodnight." He stole one last look at her and winked before closing the door behind him.


Donna slumped on the couch at Central Perk next to Hyde, who fingered at his empty mug. Kelso gestured at his bills wildly. "I can't believe what I'm hearing here..."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing here." Fez sang under his breath, flipping through the newspaper.

"What?" Donna shook her head. "I-I said you had a-"

"What I said.."

"Would you stop!" She snapped. Fez looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, was I doing that again?"

"Yes." The group chorused.

"Hey." Jackie walked up to the group, apron-clad, in minimal makeup with a pencil stuck in her ponytail. "Anybody want more coffee?" She muttered.

"Did you make it, or are you just serving it?" Hyde grunted.

"Just serving."

"Sure." He stuck out his mug. Jackie made a face at him.

"Kids," Kelso paused. "New dream... I'm in Las Vegas. I'm Liza Minelli..."


introductory note: hi! thanks so much for reading. obviously, this is a crossover/au piece inserting the characters and canon of that 70s show into the friends sitcom. my updates can be sporadic, but i invested in this plot and intend to follow it through. i do have a grand plan for this story; i probably won't do every single episode and i will revise/shift the overall storylines and dialogue a bit to fit the characters and eventual endgame. this fic is somewhat of a 'fix it' set post s8, nothing about the characters have changed, but keep in mind i have not watched season 8 so some post canon accuracies might be inconsistent. i apologize. how many episodes i end up tracing, any chapters outside of the friends canon i might write, and the length of this story are all up to you! please give me your feedback/criticism and any suggestions/preferences for where you'd like to see them go or how you think they could fit into future storylines. writing fanfiction for me is somewhat collaborative between the author and the audience, and my main purpose is to serve unsatisfied fans using one of my other favorite sitcoms as a vehicle. a few things to note: carol will not have a baby, kelso and brooke are married, and the endgame couples will most likely make their relationships sooner then the show made them. thank you so much!