When Morning Comes

Flashing forward to season 2 again, we start where we left off in chapter 1.

Hyde woke up as he always did after the change; cold, sweaty, and just a little bloody from the shackles. Looking around the room he could see that it made it mostly intact. The mattress was still in one piece, the safe was still on its legs and the lone recliner in the room was not torn or ripped. The meat Kitty made had been eaten, the plate tossed into a corner.

Glancing at the clock he saw that he still had ten minutes before Red came down to check on him and remove the chains. Sighing he laid down on the mattress pulling a blanket over him. Closing his eyes, he tried to remember what happened to him after Red closed the door. During a werwolf's first year it is not uncommon for them to have no memory during their change. Over time he should gain control of himself but he still could not remember what happened to him when he was furry. The last thing he could remember was Jackie smiling at him just as the door closed. Frustrated Hyde rolled on the mattress to face the door in five minutes it would-

"HYDE!" A banging sound came from behind the door. Suddenly it burst open to reveal Kelso, shirt missing, pants opened and hair a mess. Shutting the metal door, he jumped on the mattress beside Hyde grabbing him by the shoulders. "You have to hide me," he shook.

"Kelso, get off you stink," Hyde said pushing the other boy away and putting the blanket over his nose.

"I know but listen, I was with Laurie-"

"Kelso I am well aware of who you were screwing last night," Hyde interrupts. The two had been sneaking around for months, while Kelso was still with Jackie. Unfortunately for him, he could smell it every time they were together.

"Anyway, I was sneaking out of her room but Kitty was in the kitchen and Red was outside. So you know! " Kelso says nodding his head up and down, looking at Hyde expectedly.

"Kelso it's early, I'm chained up, I'm not wearing a shirt and your stinking up my room. So, I'm only going to ask this once." Hyde takes a deep breath, "What the hell do you want?" He shouts at his annoying friend.

A soft thumping came from the stairs. The five minutes was up and Red was on his way down. Fear started to fill Kelso's eyes "Hide me," he whispered.

"Hide you where?" Due to Hydes nightly antics, the room had been stripped bare. There was nowhere Kelso could hide Red could not see.

Looking around the room Kelso's eye landed on the blanket Hyde was still using to cover his nose. "AH-HA!" he shouts grabbing the blanket and placing it over his head.

"Kelso," Hyde knew his friend was shy a couple of brain cells but could not believe he was trying to pull this off.

"SHHH," his friend hissed from under the sheet.

The door opens to reveal Red, still in his pajamas and robe, holding a cup of coffee. He immediately spots the person hiding under Hyde's blanket and sighs, "Kelso what the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm not Kelso, I'm Fez." He replies in a fake British accent, not even remotely sounding like their foreign friend. "I was looking for some chocolate but since none is here I 'm just going to leave now," he says, standing up and heading for the door blanket still on his head. "Good day."

"Kelso-," Red says but Kelso interrupts him.

"I said good day."

Red doesn't stop him as he leaves, too tired to deal with his son's stupid friend. He gives Hyde the cup, who gratefully starts to drink down the warm liquid. "Do I want to know?" Red asks his adoptive son.

"Probably not," Hyde replies, as Red removes his chains.

By the time the two made it up to the kitchen, Kitty had already packed the table with eggs, bacon, pancakes, and toasts. Eric and Laurie were already seated while Kitty moved around the kitchen getting orange juice for her two children. Red takes his seat at the head and immediately grabs the newspaper. Hyde takes his seat between the two siblings. Kitty gives everyone a glass of orange juice before sitting down.

"Ok, everyone dig in!" She says smiling at her family. For a while, the only sounds in the room were forks scraping against plates and the cling of glass. Eric and Hyde, the most enthusiastic eaters, grabbed second portions in a matter of minutes while leaving Red the biggest piece of bacon which was his favorite.

"So Steven," Kitty says interrupting the silence, "I noticed Jackie was over last night."

"Mom, Jackie is over almost every night." Eric blurts through a mouth full of food.

"Does she kiss Steven every night too?" Kitty says in a giddy teasing voice causing Eric to choke on his food. Hyde to his credit kept his Zen but internally wished Mrs. Forman would just shut up.

"SHE KISSED YOU!," Eric yelled in his winy voice.

"No man, it was on the cheek," Hyde answered annoyed at his friend for acting like an ass.

"She did kiss you!"

"Look, after you guys left she helped Red with the chains and yeah she kissed me. It didn't mean anything, we don't even like each other." Hyde's said, his zen starting to crack.

"Oh I don't know, you don't kiss someone you don't like," Kitty teased.

"Kitty," Red stepped in, "leave the boy alone."

"Come on Dad it's sweet, beauty and the beast but more like the rich girl and the dirty stray," Laurie sneered enjoying Hyde's discomfort. "I wonder if Jackie has sprayed her house for flea's yet?" She asks Hyde mockingly.

"I don't know, has Kelso treated his crabs yet?" Hyde retorts losing his cool. Laurie had always been able to get under his skin, rubbing his status in his face.

"Your dating Kelso?" Red says surprised, anger building in his voice with each word.

Laurie looks at her mom for help but Kitty just asks "You have crabs?" Kitty being a nurse was seriously worried for her daughter, especially knowing how sexually active she was.

Reds face started to live up to his name. "Is that why that moron was here this morning?"

"She kissed you!" Eric gabbs not hearing a word the family has said earning him a look from everyone.

A long silence descends on the table before Hyde says "Hey don't I have a therapy session to go to," hoping the break up the awkwardness.

"Guess I'll take you since breakfast is ruined," Red says getting up from the table.

"Daddy." Laurie starts but Red quickly cuts her off.

"Laurie the next words out of your mouth better be, I'm breaking up with that idiot. If not I don't want to hear it," then looking at his adoptive son says, "Move it." Not wasting any time Hyde gets up from the table leaving a distressed Eric, Kitty, and Laurie behind him.