Author Note: …. Because my faithful readers asked so nicely….last chapter of 2010 - Happy New Year!

T7S

Chapter 04Homer Simpson Hair

T7S

"…Jackie…hey, it's me. Call me about Red's party. I'll be home this weekend. You have my number…"

T7S

Jackie kicked the door shut with her foot as Eric and Ben put the bucket of chicken on the coffee table. Ben went into the Burkhart kitchen for paper towels. He knew this home almost as well as his own. He was just a kid when Uncle Jack got out of prison and died a couple years later. Still, this was like his second home.

Jackie smiled and clicked on the remote. "Remember, for every Star Wars, we watch an SG-1 episode."

Ben swiped his hair away from his face, "Yeah Dad, you need to know who all the characters are. Comic Con is almost here and I don't want you embarrassing me."

Eric looked at Jackie. "How can I embarrass my son at a convention? Everyone dresses up!"

Ben gave his dad a "sheesh" expression. "You called Teal'c the guy with the gold forehead! He's a Jaffa from the planet Chulak."

Jackie winked at her old friend, "God, Eric! Everybody knows that!"

Eric surrendered and reached in the bucket for a drumstick. Jackie laughed, "Hey, I'm gonna check my messages. I'll be back."

-o-

Jackie breezed through the work related calls, taking notes and numbers and her last call was from Steven. The sound of his voice on her machine gave her a little thrill. God, if she returned his call right away she might seem too eager and if she waited until tomorrow….too aloof. She didn't know this new Steven Hyde. He was older and more mature…did he still have his hair?

Jackie looked in the mirror over her desk. She still had a nice trim figure and crossing her fingers, no gray hair yet! There were a few lines around her eyes and mouth that were easily covered with makeup but she earned those! The years she took care of her dad caused her quite the bit of worry so who cared if she had a wrinkle? If Steven was that fastidious then maybe he didn't deserve to see the real Jackie Burkhart! Besides, maybe he had to wear glasses for real and not to hide behind.

She sniggered as she imagined him wearing something like Elton John would wear on stage. No, maybe a pair of glasses that magnified so those blue eyes were huge. She giggled and decided she'd call in the morning. Where in the hell did he live? Well, he'd either get a wake up call or he would already be awake.

That man had a party to attend and needed to confirm his presence! Wait until Mr. Forman found out. He'd be so pleased.

T7S

Eric opened the email from KelsolovesDemi and had to laugh. His old childhood friend never really grew up, he just left the neighborhood. Kelso wrote:

Dude!

I just got the best job in the world! I'm working "Security Detail" at the Smithsonian. Isn't that awesome? It's like the biggest toy store in the world! There's giant airplanes hanging from the ceiling, rockets and a spaceship, oh man, I can't wait to start work on Monday!

Don't worry; we'll still be there next month for the party. Betsy said she's having trouble finding your sister but she'll keep trying and Brooke sends her love.

Tell your mom she's still sexy!

Kelso

Ben wandered into his dad's room. "I'm bored. This taking the year off thing is old already. I wanna get a job." Eric spun in his chair, "Son, you only graduated just a few months ago and at the top of your class I add proudly. How can you be bored?"

Benjamin flopped back on his dad's bed. "There's nothing to do around here and Comic Con isn't until July…."

"You want to go see Uncle Marty?"

"He wears diapers dad. No thanks, I'd rather listen to Grandpa talk about your ass and his foot."

Eric grinned, "It's just not the same when Red wears dentures. What about that new electronic store at the mall? I heard there are openings there." Ben shrugged but didn't immediately dismiss the idea. "Dad…Would you be upset if I said I wanted to see Mom?"

"Donna?" Eric winced at the squeak in his voice. "Um – no, I would never stop you from wanting to visit your mother." Eric swallowed around the lump in his throat, "Why….has she contacted you?"

Ben shook his head. "No. I just wanted to see what was so great about Panama that she had to leave her family. No one talks about her and it's like she forgot me."

Eric got up and moved to the bed sitting next to his son. "Tell you what. Why don't you call the US Consulate's office tomorrow, leave your name and number and let's see if she calls back this time. It's not an emergency so let's not freak her out. If that doesn't work, we can try going through the Wall Street Journal Ex-Pat desk."

Ben smiled that smile so like Eric's own - the Forman smile. "You're welcome son. It would be a miracle if we could get your mom to show up for the party!"

-o-

Steven was having his cantaloupe and oatmeal out by the pool. He inherited the huge palatial estate WB owned and shared it with Angie. No one ever swam in the beautiful blue waters and once a week; gardeners came out and trimmed the bushes into animal shapes for parties that didn't exist anymore.

In fact, Hyde spent most of his time in his huge bedroom or the den. The den was his "office" while his half-sister lived on the other side of the estate. The "White Barnett" was Steven's nickname. Still, he was a recognized producer and made many millions of dollars in his own right. Yet, the money never brought him happiness and it kept him hidden away from panhandlers who came in the guise of friends.

His real secret delight was donating pianos and violins and other musical equipment to public elementary schools. He remained anonymous and would be tickled when a reporter would comment on the story and the donor's name was never revealed. If only Jackie could see him then. If only he still had someone like Jackie that would be proud of him. If only.

His cell phone rang with the midi tune of Bon Jovi's Blaze of Glory. He answered, "Good morning Jackie."

"What? How - how did you know it was me?" she stammered. Hyde smiled – he caught her off guard. "Well, I don't give my personal number out to that many people and I assigned a ring tone to your call."

"Really. What is it? Elton's The Bitch is Back?"

"No, but that's something I should have thought of." He laughed. "Back to the party…It seems I'm free and you can put my name on the cake."

"Yay!" Jackie cheered. "Mrs. Forman is going to love it. She really misses the gang. Red talks about you but it's usually at night when he's tired and he's concerned that it's too cold in the basement."

Wow…that took Hyde back to his first weeks at the Forman's and the little room in the back of the basement was the only place he wasn't in the way. Red always tried to be gruff and tough but was a dad through and through. It was odd that the memories of a cold orphan would be the ones going through Red's mind these days.

"Steven? Are you still there?"

Hyde shook his head, "Yeah. I was just remembering. How does he look?"

Jackie sighed. "The same. Thinner and he has Homer Simpson hair."

"What?" Hyde laughed. Jackie giggled and replied, "You know, that little couple pieces of hair that refuse to fall off? Mrs. Forman would rather he was bald than have him trying to comb over those three hairs."

Hyde was trying to hold back a guffaw. Red was almost 90 and even his hair was still stubborn! "Tell me about Kitty." For nearly the next half hour, Steven relaxed in his chair listening to Jackie fill him in on old friends and gossip from the neighborhood he knew so well. He liked listening to the cadence of her voice and wondered what she was looking like as well. That question would be answered next month at the party.

"Jackie." Steven said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have a camera on your laptop?"

"Sure, why? Are you into that kinky phone sex?"

He laughed, "Depends on what you think is kinky. No, really…I just wanted to see what you looked like."

Jackie replied, "I'm 30 pounds overweight, I've got a white streak down the center of my head…I mean seriously, I look like Pepe Le Pew and I wear orthopedic shoes. Does that turn you on?"

He snorted. "More than you know doll, more than you know."

T7S