~JACKIE BURKHART~

A month had passed, and with it everything changed without anything really changing at all. The year 1979 had arrived, and now there was eleven months left of the '70s. The end of the decade and I was a completely different person from the Jackie of the start of the decade.

But right now it was about waiting. It was the end of January and it seemed like my future loomed closer each day. Only five months now until I moved to Racine at the end of June. And as each day passed, I grew more and more anxious. Anxious for it just to get to June already, but also anxious about living on my own. Not to mention how I still had no idea how I was going to pay rent…

I had to keep reminding myself that it wouldn't be all that different from how I was living now: alone in my parent's house. So I knew I could do it.

I focus my attention back on the present and stare at the waffle on my plate. I prod at it with my fork, but realize that it was probably cold at this point, after sitting untouched while I got lost in my daydream.

Mrs. Forman must read my mind. "Jackie, your waffles are probably cold by now." She reaches across the sink to grab my plate. "I'll just give you a warm one. How does that sound?"

"Really, Mrs. Forman," I attempt feebly. "That's okay. I'm not all that hungry."

"Of course you are," she negates, sliding my plate back over to me with a piping hot waffle on it.

When I told Steven – when Donna told Steven – about how I was living alone in my parents' house again, he had agreed not to push me to move back in with Donna, as long as I promised to accept some help. For instance, I had agreed to eat breakfast and dinner at the Forman's three times a week. At first I had argued that I was fine, but he then told Mrs. Forman, who had insisted upon it as well. I had learned my lesson pretty quick too. If I went too many days without eating at their house I was pestered by the two of them until they finally saw me put food in my mouth.

"Okay, so this hubcap is busted," Steven announces as he walks in through the sliding door, shaking snow off his coat. He drops it on the kitchen table next to Red, who is already dressed for work, then joins me at the kitchen bar. Mrs. Forman hands him a plate of waffles as well.

"Rust," I state before moving some food into my mouth. "Mr. Forman, have you noticed all the salt on your road lately?"

"I've noticed," he mutters, staring off at nothing in the distance. (1) After a moment, he focuses back on Steven. "We'll work on your hubcap tomorrow, son. Today, I'm spending the day ice fishing," he says fondly.

Mrs. Forman looks up from the sink eagerly. "Well I'll come with you. Grab a fishing stick for me," she offers her husband.

"I don't want to go." Red's demeanor contrasts greatly from what it was moments before.

"What? Why not?" Mrs. Forman dares to ask the dangerous question.

"Because I don't want you to go."

"Alright, I'm outta here," Steven interjects. "Come on, Jackie. This could get ugly."

"I'm way ahead of you." I hop out of my seat and lead the way down to the basement. As Steven eases the door closed behind us, I hear their argument pick up again.

"Twenty bucks says Mrs. Forman goes ice fishing with him," I tell Steven as we make our way down the stairs.

"No way. Red goes ice fishing for the solitude. He'd not go before going with Kitty," Steven says as he takes his seat.

"You're on," I say diplomatically as I join Donna and Eric on the couch.

Michael and Fez are here too, and now that we're all together, Eric speaks up. "What are we doing today, guys?"

"I'm going to karate class," Donna says around the lollipop in her mouth. "Jackie, you should come with me."

"What?" I balk, turning sideways to look at her. "Are you crazy? That's so…" I amble through my head for the right word. "Sweaty," I decide.

"I just thought maybe you'd want to learn some self-defense since you're going to be living on your own soon," she reminds me.

I feel a stifling burst of heat spasm up my body, and I chance a look in Steven's direction. He has turned his head away, but his knee is bouncing up and down. He and I were…okay. We'd worked things out after the whole Christmas party debacle. But his denying my request to live together was still somewhat of a sensitive spot and I needed to say something before things got any worse.

"I guess I have nothing better to do." I come up with the most basic excuse. "And anyways, we all know how much I love to do mannish, unladylike things with you."

"Great." Donna drags out the word. "This should be fun." She gives me such a forced smile that I can't help but return it with a genuine one of my own.

I follow Donna out the door, zipping my coat up to defend against the cold.

"So, when did you start taking karate?" I ask curiously as I struggle to keep up with her wider gait without slipping on the icy sidewalks.

"This is my third class," Donna starts. "Point Place Junior College provides me with free lessons. Today is Buddy Day, where you can bring a friend for free, which is why I asked you."

"Really?" I'm taken slightly aback. "You chose me over Eric?"

Donna's silent for a moment. I look up at the sky. Not only was it cold, but the gray sky almost blended in with the snow on the ground, as though the winter had leeched out all the life and left us in a world devoid of color. It was times like this when I really missed the sun.

"While Eric is weak, yes," Donna starts, pulling me out of my darkening inward thoughts. "I thought this would benefit you better. Like I said, pretty soon you're going to be living on your own. You almost are, already."

This again. "I'm fine," I say weakly.

"Really, Jackie?" Donna turns serious. "Because its been a month and you haven't been able to find a job. How are you going to pay for your apartment?"

"I'll find a way." I grow defensive.

"Jackie – "

"Look, Donna," I cut her off. "Yes, I was hoping for you or Steven to live with me and help pay the rent. But that's not happening with either of you. And I understand. You both have home's already. And families. You aren't ready to give that up yet. So I have to do this on my own. And I will find a job and figure it out," I say curtly.

"How do you know that?" Donna pushes forward.

"I don't. But if I don't stay positive, I'm going to give up. And this is the first grown-up thing I've done for myself, and God, I want this, okay? It has to work. There's no other option."

"Okay," Donna says flatly.

We walk in silence for a few minutes and I mull over our conversation. Donna made some points. Maybe this self-defense karate stuff would be good for me. Because I was going to make this work. Like I told Donna – she and Steven already have homes. I have a house. I was going to make myself a home, if it was the last thing I did. Whatever means necessary.

"Alright," Donna says, her breath coming out in crystals of moisture. "We're here."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

~STEVEN HYDE~

I watch as Jackie follows Donna out the door without a second glance in my direction. When Donna mentioned the living arrangements, I hadn't been able to look Jackie in the eye. But now I regretted not watching Jackie closely because I hadn't the slightest clue where her head was anymore.

Or maybe I was just being paranoid.

That was entirely possible, considering how much had come out of my mouth after The Argument of last month. I'd had no other choice but to let myself be open and vulnerable to Jackie, lest I risk losing her. But now I was uncomfortable, because that meant that she had the power to crush me, something I had never given anyone the power to do.

I was only just learning that Jackie wouldn't do that. That Jackie was different.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

~ERIC FORMAN~

Hyde's moody expression worsens, turning to one of brooding regret as he watches Jackie and Donna walk out the basement door. Seeing his emotions displayed so obvious on his face was…disconcerting, to say the least.

"Oh. Look at our poor little tough guy." I reach forward and pat him on the knee, resorting to the typical sarcastic banter we exchange in order to lighten things up again.

"I think someone needs a tickle." Kelso joins in with his own joke.

"No." Fez shakes his head from his spot next to Kelso. "I'm okay." And Kelso shoots him a look filled with disdain.

"Look, Hyde." I turn to him with a flourish, switching tactics seeing as the banter and jokes weren't working. "We're your best friends, and we're here for you. Okay, we're not going to let you go through this thing alone."

Even through his shades I can see him roll his eyes. "Would you shut up, Forman? I'm fine. Jackie and I are fine," he says tersely.

But I know its not true, based solely on his body language. He was tense, sitting with his arms crossed and lips adhered together tightly. Hyde rarely ever grew this tense, so when he did, you knew it was serious. And I was beginning to think there was only one way to fix him and turn him back into the kicked back, aloof guy we all knew and loved.

I think Kelso is on the same page as me. "No. You know, Eric's right. We're going to do what guys do for each other." He hops over to the front of the couch to address Hyde. But before he can say anything else, Fez pipes in.

"A massage train?" he guesses, and as always he has no clue.

"No," I say slowly to Fez before looking back at Hyde. His expression has grown dull. Clearly he was tired of this conversation. But I had a feeling he'd like what was next. "But we did get you a present."

I turn and nod at Kelso, certain he knew where I was going with this. He shoots straight for his jacket and pulls out a joint from his pocket. I glance over at Hyde. He says nothing, but I see his eyebrows rise over the top of his shades. After a moment, he sighs and scoots his chair in closer. Before long, we're sitting in the circle, the smoke filling our eyes and minds with nonsense and sweet, sweet ignorance.

"This is a great present, guys." A smile slowly relaxes on to Hyde's face moments after his second hit. "I especially like the teeny white paper you all wrapped it in."

Kelso's smile, on the other hand, was the one he typically wore during these sessions, filled with obliviousness and thoughts only he ever found funny. "Yeah, the only thing that could ruin today is if the Russians set off that Russian death ray that's pointed at the White House."

I narrow my eyes at him and lean forward to take my second hit. Maybe then he would be making more sense. "No seriously." He sees my look. "I read about it in a magazine."

I pass the joint to Fez before addressing Kelso. "Kelso, that was The Flash. And it is a comic book."

"I love comic books," Fez starts, moving off on his own tangent, having passed the Circle and now heading in his own direction. "I wish I had thought bubbles…do you see anything?" He concentrates on the air directly above his head.

"Kelso, the Russians don't have a death ray." Hyde moves us back to the Circle. "But they do have a stupid ray, and its pointed directly at you."

I can't help but smile at the sweet burn, even as Kelso argues the death ray again. It meant that the old Hyde was in fact back, and our present had worked. I get so worked up in patting myself on the back that I don't even notice that Kelso has picked up the phone and has asked for the White House.

"Kelso," I groan, searching for a way to get him to hang up. "I'm – I'm not allowed to make long-distance calls without permission," I go ahead and admit.

Kelso ignores me, having become stubborn to prove he's right. The Circle is now officially over, especially with my growing concern over Kelso's intentions. Fez steps over the table to take a seat on the couch. I chance a glance in Hyde's direction. He's no longer smiling, but at least his expression is neutral now, rather than the dark ruminating one from before.

I focus my attention back to the idiot on the phone. "Kelso, if you ask the White House if there's a Russian death ray, they're going to have you committed," I attempt again. "So yeah, I say go for it." This time it's the reverse psychology that I take a crack at.

"Well, obviously they won't admit it. There'd be panic in the streets," Kelso says scornfully, as though I'm the one being ridiculous here. "That's why I gotta trick 'em into talking about it. It's what us cops call 'tricking them.'"

And before I know it, Kelso is jumping in his seat because the dumbass actually reached the White House.

"Hello, hello…White House? Yeah. Yes, I have a couple questions." There's a short pause. "Yes, um, how well is the President protected?"

I lean forward in my seat. Man, I knew Kelso was stupid, but sometimes he still managed to surprise me.

"Well, uh…because someone wants to hurt the President, that's why," he continues.

For instance, this was one of those times that his stupidity astonished me. I can't help but laugh.

"You're damn right it's a threat!" Kelso raises his voice now. Hyde is leaning forward in his chair now too. "It's a terrible threat on the President's life."

Hyde, Fez and I are all laughing at Kelso now, and he starts laughing along with us, completely oblivious to his own supreme idiocy.

"Huh? Where am I right now?" He stands up and immediately the laughter dies from my lips. No, not even Kelso would be stupid enough to – "I'm at Red Forman's house in Point Place, Wis – "

The three of us immediately lunge from our seats and take down Kelso. Hyde manages to pry the phone away from Kelso and hang it up before he can do any more damage.

"You idiot, you just told them where we are!" Hyde shouts.

"So?"

"Kelso, you just threatened the President's life." Hyde continues his incredulous rant. "They're going to come here and arrest us."

"No, no. I'm not threatening his life." Kelso shakes his head, getting worked up like a little kid who's just been scolded. "It's the Russians who have the Russian death ray."

"You didn't mention the death ray," Fez reminds him.

"A-ha, so you admit that there's a death ray." Kelso points at Fez.

I drop my head in my hands. I don't look up until I hear the stomping of feet on the stairs. Hyde is heading up to the kitchen.

"Wait, where are you going?" I follow him.

"I'm going to watch for the feds," Hyde bristles. "I'm not going down without a fight."

Fez follows immediately behind me, and a few moments later, Kelso begrudgingly follows. As I take my place in front of the window in the den, it occurs to me that perhaps all this paranoia was embedded by the marijuana.

But then I remember what Kelso did. He legitimately threatened the life of the President. He told them our location.

Yep. The feds were definitely coming.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

~JACKIE BURKHART~

As soon as we walk into the studio, a girl about Donna's age rushes up to us. She has strawberry blonde hair pulled back in a braid and is wearing the most God-awful white karate gi and yellow belt I have ever seen. I do my best not to cringe.

"Hey Donna! Ready for class?" she says cheerily.

"Uh-huh. I just have to go change," Donna says before turning to face me. "Jackie, this is my friend Wendy. We have a few classes together at the Junior College. And Wendy, this is Jackie."

Wendy waves at me, but continues to look at Donna expectantly. It takes Donna a moment to realize that Wendy was waiting for Donna to explain how she knew me. "Oh, um…Jackie and I used to go to high school together. She's my, uh…best friend."

I had kind of zoned out, but hearing those last two words brought me roaring back into reality. I open my mouth to say something, but before I get the chance, Donna is grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me to the changing room.

"Okay, here's your gi." Donna hands me one of those hideous uniforms. "And I asked my instructor, but we're out of white belts so you'll just have to borrow one of the spare yellow belts."

"Donna, you told Wendy – " I start.

"You can change in the bathroom." She points down the hall. "I'll see you on the mats."

"Okay," I take the gi from her and head to the bathroom.

The gi and belt look even worse than I expected, I observe as I join Donna and Wendy on the floor where they are warming up.

"This is a nightmare," I announce. "White suit with yellow belt? Okay, Jackie O couldn't even pull this off on Easter."

Donna rolls her eyes, but I'm spared from her comments when a formidable man wearing a black belt walks over to us. He's probably six feet tall, at least, and wears an expression filled with daunting control and precision.

"Donna-san, you brought a friend?" His voice is strong and clear.

"Yes, Sensei. This is Jackie." Donna grins as she turns to face her instructor. I shoot Donna a look filled with derision before facing her instructor as well.

"Welcome, Jackie-san." He tacks on that extra part at the end, taking me slightly by surprise. "Today, we'll be focusing on self-defense. Let's say someone is accosting you in a dark alley."

"Oh, that doesn't work for me," I blurt, unable to help from interrupting him. But something about this scenario was putting me on edge. "I'd never be in an alley because I'm not poor." That's not why I was uncomfortable, but it was the first excuse I could come up with given Donna's critical glare.

"And if I even was ever in an alley," I move to drive the point home, "I'd have a boy with me to protect me."

"Jackie, you're not always going to be with a guy," Donna says, as though I didn't already know this. "Remember? Hyde's not moving in with you."

I glare at her, but then Sensei starts to speak again. "An assault can happen anywhere, Jackie-san," he says and I suppress an eye roll. "The point is, someone wants to do you harm."

I take a breath and step forward, ready to continue my argument. I had a lot of work ahead of me.

o-o-o

Some roundhouse kicks, blocking systems, and cat stances later, I watch as Donna practices what she called the 'three combination' on her instructor. It involved her blocking a punch, landing her own in his gut, then grabbing his shoulder to flip him over.

After lots of arguing, I had finally won, but had agreed to stay and watch Donna during her class. Now watching her instructor slump on the floor, I give her a big round of applause as she shouts something that sounds like the word 'hut' and backs off from her opponent.

"Good, Donna-san." Her instructor rises impossibly faster than he fell. He bows at her then turns to face me. "Jackie-san!" He shouts that annoying version of my name again. "Would you like to try the move Donna-san just performed?"

I groan, dragging my feet out onto the mat. This was probably the millionth time he and Donna had tried to get me to practice too. "Ugh, but none of this self-defense stuff applies to me. Okay, I've said it before and I'll say it again." I pause. "Everyone loves me." I drag out each word slowly.

"You don't understand," Sensei says, and I have to admit: his persistence was almost as great as mine. "I am a stranger who wants to hurt you."

"Nah, I'm not buying it." I shake my head.

"Okay, Jackie. Let's say he's not a stranger," Donna's voice says from behind me, and I turn to face her, crossing my arms, doubtful that she could say anything to convince me. "Let's say he's someone who already hurt you. Like when Kelso and Hyde cheated on you."

I subconsciously take a step away from her, surprised at the anger I suddenly feel toward my friend. How dare she bring this up? Michael, well, he and I weren't right for each other. And while his cheating on me did hurt, I never would have ended up with Steven otherwise. And yes, Steven cheating on me with that nurse hurt too, but I now could understand that he hadn't been trying to hurt me, but was simply recoiling from the hurt I had inadvertently caused him because he really cared about me and loved me.

But as if my self-confidence hadn't been hurting enough, Donna had to go ahead and bring it up again, like punching a bruise that was already blooming purple and blue.

"They cheated on you, as if Jackie Burkhart weren't special at all." The sneer in her voice was painful to listen to, I'd admit, but I knew she was just trying to set me off so I'd practice that 'three combination.'

"Watch it, Donna," I warn her, moving my hands to my hips.

"I mean…" Donna glances around the room. "I mean, I thought Jackie Burkhart was special."

"Donna, please." I resort to begging her now, no longer caring if I embarrassed myself in this room full of tacky white and yellow cotton.

"It hurt when they cheated on you, right?" Donna ignores me. "Right?" I don't say anything, but Donna isn't waiting for a response either. "Then let out that hurt through karate. Prove that nothing a guy can do to you will ever hurt you. Because you are Jackie Burkhart. And you are special."

Unable to meet Donna's eyes until now, I see her nod encouragingly at me as I slowly break. Then, without worrying about the consequences, I turn back to Sensei-san.

"All men are bastards!" I charge at him, and he's so surprised that he jumps backward as I advance on him using all the techniques I had watched Donna practice this afternoon. I throw in all the brute strength my tiny body possessed and aim it at my target.

"They lie and they cheat and they break hearts." I aim my knee at his gut and he doubles over but quickly recovers. "And its not Jackie-san. Its Jackie, just Jackie. Nothing more than Jackie. Get it right, Dork-san!" And to finish off my tirade, I kick him square in the groin, causing him to keel over. He doesn't get up as quickly this time.

I flip my bangs out of my face and turn to Donna, unable to prevent the smile that blooms on my face. "I love karate." I laugh at Donna's stunned expression.

She recovers after a moment and nods. "Me too."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

~STEVEN HYDE~

A van, two more Circles later, and we all find ourselves watching as Forman whispers into a vacuum cleaner. Under any other circumstance, I might've found this ridiculous, but right now I couldn't figure out why.

All that mattered was that the vacuum cleaner was bugged and the feds were onto us.

"You're looking for Michael Kelso," Forman whispers to the machine, and I can't help but chuckle at his feeble attempts at sleuth.

All the 'evidence' we disposed of must've made Kelso slow – correction: even slower – because it takes a moment before he reacts. "Quit it!" he struggles.

"No, I'm not gonna quit it, okay?" Forman raises his voice. "This is all your fault. You called the White House!"

"My fault?" Kelso tosses back. "This is Hyde's fault." He points at me, and I was honestly starting to feel sick enough at this point, that I mightn't've cared. "Cause he's the one having girlfriend issues with Jackie so we had to be nice to him."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Fez jumps in before I have the opportunity to rip Kelso's throat out. "Go easy on the kid! Not moving in with Jackie was the biggest mistake he ever made. Remember? We were talking about it earlier. Behind his back."

"Shut up, Fez," I say, now really growing angry. "If I wanted your advice, I'd kick you in the 'nads."

"Oh, in that case, my advice is please don't kick me in the 'nads," he begs.

I shake my head. "Look, I said it before and I'll say it again. Jackie and I are fine. So you can stop with all this petty pity party crap!"

I inadvertently make eye contact with Forman, and he must understand because he quickly changes the subject without being too obvious. "Hey guys, you know what? Maybe the FBI has an opinion. Cause they're listening to us. Remember the v-a-c-u-u-m?"

It's a testament as to how wasted I am when considering how long it takes me to pick up on what Forman is saying. "He spelled vacuum," I realize.

"Whoa, whoa. Vacuum has two u's in it?" Kelso says incongruously. "Nah, that's messed up."

Fez decides to be the voice of reason. "Well, maybe we should turn it on and see if it's really a vacuum. And if it is…maybe we should tidy up a bit."

With all of us in mutual silent agreement, we all take a step back and Kelso reaches for an umbrella by the door and hands it to Forman. We each brace ourselves as Forman reaches forward with the umbrella, aiming for the power button.

And then the room explodes with noise.

o-o-o

I watch as a group of dogs fly out the back of the van and run away from us down the street. A sudden weight slides off my shoulders and I think I've had enough.

"Look, I don't know if it's the fresh air talking," I sigh. "But I'm starting to think this whole thing is just our imagination."

After our fourth – or was it the fifth? – circle, I had begun feeling more sick than relieved, if that was even possible. I'd begun to have my suspicions after we destroyed that vacuum cleaner, but now standing here without a coat in this Wisconsin January, watching as a bunch of dogs run from the van doors we'd just open, I was really beginning to think this whole government thing really was just a conspiracy derived by our own intoxicated minds.

Forman takes a step forward, lowering his lightsaber in the process. "You know what, you guys? Maybe we just need to let this whole fantasy world of ours go," he admits, but immediately condones his own statement. "Whoa," he says after almost hitting Fez with his plastic toy. "Watch out, man. I almost just cut you right in half there."

And then, without another word, we silently move back into the Forman house, leaving this whole conspiracy behind with the empty van.

We file back into the basement, and I slump exhaustedly into my chair, more than ready to forget the disaster of today. Unfortunately, Kelso refuses to let it go, and almost ends up calling the White House again to ask about the vacuum. Thankfully, Forman stops him this time, before he even can reach the phone.

"You don't get to touch that anymore." Forman swipes at Kelso's arm with his lightsaber which he had yet refused to put down.

"So Hyde…" Kelso turns his focus away from the phone and back on me. "Guess we pretty much failed at making you feel better about Jackie, huh?"

Instead at yelling at him for the thousandth time about how Jackie and I were fine, I opt for something else.

"I haven't burned out this hard in years, Kelso, and I'm exhausted. And that's why I'm waiting for Jackie to get back from karate so she can use her new skills to kick your ass for me."

I figured it would go in one ear and out the other, and it did. That's why I couldn't wait until Jackie actually did kick his ass. And I knew she would, after we told her and Donna what Kelso had done today.

What I was not expecting however, was that Jackie and Donna would come running into the basement fifteen minutes later, panting like they'd just been chased down by a pack of rabid dogs.

And I really never expected for that to be the truth.

Oops.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

~JACKIE BURKHART~

"Oh, I feel so good," I thank Donna voraciously as we turn the corner on a sidewalk on our way back to the Forman's. "This is so much better than staying home all day fretting about my future."

"You were a total badass," Donna discloses, still in shock from my attack on Sensei before.

"Well, I'm not afraid of anything," I say ostentatiously while shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly. But then I focus my gaze on the sidewalk ahead of me…to find a group of wild dogs headed straight for us. "Oh my God!" I screech, immediately turning and heading in the opposite direction.

Beside me I hear Donna scream as well, and then we're both flying back in the direction of the karate studio.

The dogs start to gain on us fast, and even the tiny Chihuahua bares its sharp teeth violently, causing me to pump my legs harder and faster. Donna is a few paces ahead of me, her longer legs working to her advantage.

I glance behind me to see the dogs even closer than before, and when I face forward again, I see Donna has disappeared altogether. Fortunately or unfortunately, I wasn't sure, I don't have time to worry about her as I dive into an alley on my left and find a giant pole I jump on to avoid the dogs.

The pole isn't very steady, but I still my breath as I hear the scampering of feet approach.

And then fade as they pass the alley, having been running too fast to pick up my scent.

I wait a moment before jumping off the pole, I peer my head around the corner and see the dogs still running, now a block away.

"They gone?" Donna says from behind me, and I nearly jump out of my skin.

"Yeah, but we better hurry," I whisper, and together we sprint back to the Forman's.

I can tell that we're both relieved when the Forman house comes into view, and I practically fall into the basement when I swing the door open.

"Oh my God, there was a pack of wild dogs loose." I immediately start to explain to the stricken looking guys sitting catatonically in the basement. "I had to climb to the top of this giant thing to get away from them."

Donna turns to me, an odd expression crossing her features. "That was me," she says.

Well, that explains it.

"Dogs, huh?" Fez says slowly.

Donna and I exchange brief looks before she turns to Eric. "What did you do?" she says, a dangerous note lacing her voice.

"Nothing," Eric grows defensive, waving around one of his Star Wars toys in the air. "We…Kelso thought there was a death ray so he called the White House and the feds came, but…" He sighs. "It was just a vacuum," he concludes.

"Okay, I'm cutting you guys off. Where's your stash?" Donna says, immediately knowing what the cause of this is.

"It's all gone, man," Michael admits, his voice distant.

I shift my eyes from Michael, to Fez, to Eric, until finally resting my gaze on Steven. I'm slightly taken aback when I see him already looking at me, as though he had been expecting this.

"Steven, what's going on?" I try this time.

"Kelso's an idiot. Will you kick his ass for me?" he says.

I shake my head, confused.

"Maybe later." I step around the table then take a seat on his knee. "I'm exhausted."

"You and me both." He exhales, but reaches his arm around my waist to pull me close nonetheless.

Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Forman enter the basement, both dressed in appropriate winter attire, Red equipped with his ice fishing gear. I sit up straight.

There's a scowl spread on Mrs. Forman's face that makes Donna immediately step out of her way.

"From now on, you're going ice fishing on your own," Mrs. Forman mutters to her husband.

Mr. Forman rolls his eyes, but continues moving his fishing gear back into Steven's room.

I shift on Steven's knee to look him in the eyes. I'm close enough to his face to see his eyes widen behind his aviators.

"Mrs. Forman, did you go ice fishing with Mr. Forman today?" I ask her, but I don't break eye contact with Steven.

"Yes," she grumbles. "But I refuse to ever go again."

I see the resignation in Steven's eyes. "Twenty dollars coming up," he says as he reaches into his pocket.

I slap his arm playfully. "Forget the money. Just kiss me." I reach forward and he meets me halfway. We don't break apart until we hear the sounds of angry stair climbing.

We both glance up to see Mrs. Forman storming up the stairs.

"Man, my mom looks mad," Eric observes.

I feel Steven chuckle next to me. "Just wait until she sees her vacuum."


Footnotes:

1 – Later in season seven (episode 22, I believe) we find out that Red spent Eric's college money on saving the muffler shop. We discover though, that before this he attempted other methods, one being going as far as pouring salt on the roads to rust cars' mufflers. This is a reference to this (only it didn't work out exactly as Red planned, and Hyde's hubcap rusted instead).


Chapter 4 is based on the episode "Street Fighting Man" and will be posted on the day this episode aired: February 9th.