Authors Note: I know it's been so long. But i come bearing a pretty good chapter with a cliff hanger ending. If you saw bits of october road then you'll recognize one of the scenes in here. It's actually what inspired me to write this whole chapter. Eric seems like a real jerk but he had to. If you dont get why i'll explain at the end of the chapter. As always please review.

Jumping off the Water tower:

Chapter Four: I wish the real world would just stop hassling me

Hyde woke up the next morning with more determination in his step than ever. He wanted to know why Jackie kissed him the night before and he was going to find out no matter what.

"Steven, are you going somewhere?" Kitty asked as Hyde walked up the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Yeah I'm looking for Jackie. Did she leave already?"

"Actually she's over at one of her friend's house. Do you want me to show you where?"

"Uh yeah actually I kind of need to talk to her." Hyde said as Kitty wrote the address down for him.

"She always leaves us the address so we know where she is. We worry you know." Kitty said as Hyde nodded then walked out the door.

"Where's he off to?" Red asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"To find Jackie, Red I think something happened between those two."

"Stay out of it Kitty," Red said as he sat down and opened his paper.

"But Red,"

"No I mean it Kitty. What happens between those two kids stays between those two."

"Fine, you just take the fun out of everything." Kitty said as she set Red's breakfast down and he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah I know."

Hyde stared at the house as he worked up the courage to go inside and talk to Jackie. After several attempts to walk to the door he finally made it there, and rang the door bell before he had a chance to chicken out again. However Hyde wasn't prepared for who was going to answer.

"Hello," the guy said as he stared at Hyde.

"I'm sorry I think I have the wrong address." Hyde said as he started to turn around.

"Are you looking for someone man?"

"Uh yeah actually…Jackie Burkhart wouldn't be here by any chance would she?"

"Yeah she's right inside. Come on in." He said as he opened the door and let Hyde in.

Hyde walked inside and looked around as he heard the door close behind him.

"Are you a friend of hers or something?" Jackie's friend asked as he walked towards the hallway.

"Uh sort of."

"I'll go get her. You can have a seat in the living room." He said as he pointed to the couch.

Hyde nodded then walked over and took as seat as he waited for Jackie.

"Steven," She said as he walked into the room.

"Jackie, can I talk to you?"

"Yeah sure, hey we'll be right back." She said as she led Hyde outside.

"Who's that?" Hyde asked once they were outside.

"A friend, Steven what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Why did you kiss me?"

"Why did I kiss you? That's what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Yeah, I mean why did you do it?"

"It was a moment of weakness…one that'll never happen again."

"Jackie, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Are the feelings that you once had for me…still there?"

Jackie looked up at the sky and sighed, "Yes, but it can never happen…I learned that a long time ago." She said before she walked back inside.

Hyde walked up the driveway just as Eric was walking out of the house. "Eric, man can we talk?"

Eric walked over to Hyde and glared at him. "I don't get it."

"You don't get what?" Hyde asked as he stared at Eric.

"How come they told you before me? I'm their actual son you're nothing. Why did you get to know first?"

"The only reason I learned about Red first was because I asked. I knew something up and didn't expect them to tell me but they did."

"That's bullshit." Eric said as he shoved Hyde. "You don't deserve to even be in this house. Not after everything you've done. You don't deserve anything."

"You can't take this out on me Forman."

"Wanna bet." Eric said as he hit Hyde in the face then kicked him in the stomach until he passed out.

"Steven, honey wake up," Kitty said as she put her hand on Hyde's arm.

Hyde opened his eyes and looked around. "How'd I get here?"

"Michael and Fez helped bring you in. Honey what happened?"

"Nothing I just…I fell okay." Hyde said as he sat up.

"Steven please tell me what happened."

"Nothing I just fell alright."

"Steven did you and Eric."

"No…I have to go." Hyde said as he stood up and left the room.

Red watched him walk out and exchange knowing glances with Kitty before he walked out the front door.
"Eric," Red said as he walked into Eric and Donna's house.

"Hey dad," Eric said as he stood up and walked to his father.

"Sit down dumb ass." Red said as Eric scowled and sat back down.

"What did you do?"

"What do you mean what did I do?"

"I know something happened between you and Steven and he wouldn't talk about it so now it's your turn. So tell me dumb ass what did you do?"

"I dealt with a problem."

"You dealt with a problem? What by beating the crap out of your best friend."

"He isn't my best friend anymore dad."

"Oh yeah I forgot about that," Red said as he sat down, "Get over it son."

"I can't just get over it dad."

"Yes you can."

"I can't and I don't get how you just up and forgave him for everything."

"I forgave Steven because he had a rough life and he never once talked about any of it. And I respect him for that because real men don't talk but sometimes…you have to and Steven instead of talking to someone wrote it down in a book. And yes I'm not exactly proud of what he wrote but he got it out. That I'm proud of him about, and I can forgive him for it."

"Why?"

"He needed to vent…that's all it was."

"You forgave him so easily after what he did to you? What he wrote about you?" Eric said as the bitterness seeped through his words, before walking away from his father.

Hyde stood outside the window as he listened to the exchange before turning around and walking home.

Hyde walked in the living room and found Mrs. Forman sitting on the couch folding clothes. "Is Red in the kitchen?" He asked as she nodded.

"Steven it was Eric wasn't it?" Kitty asked as she turned and looked at him.

He only nodded slightly before walking into the kitchen.

Hyde walked over to Red and sat down beside him.
Red set the book that he had been reading down and it was only then that Hyde realized what it was.

"I never meant any of it." He said as he stared at the cover.

"Of course you did Steven." Red said as he stared at him.

"I shouldn't have."

"Steven you had an extremely rough childhood. One that has left you with a lot of pent up angry and for years I wondered if that anger would ever be expressed the way it needed to be. Then you wrote this book and all of that angry and resentment at everything came out. I know you've always been jealous of what Eric has had…that's be obvious for years and honestly I don't blame you. If I had been in the same position as you I would have been too."

"What I wrote about you…"

"It's in the past Steven. I don't had it against you at all."

"I am grateful you know."

"I know."

"I also know the truth."

"That I didn't want to take you in?"

"Yeah,"

"It's true Steven. I didn't want to. I couldn't afford it and I didn't want to take you only to have to kick you out a few months later. But you surprised me. And I don't regret it at all. Taking you in was one of the best decisions of my life. Regardless of what you wrote about me or if I wanted you to live here or not I have always and will always think of you as my son." He said as he placed his hand on Hyde's shoulder before getting up and walking into the living room.

Donna walked up the Forman's driveway and sat next to Hyde on the hood of the Camino. "She still looks brand new."

"I take better care of her than myself most days." Hyde said as he looked over at Donna. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to apologize for my husband."

"I'm not angry at him if that's what you think. Eric is angry at me and I deserve it."

Donna stared at him as if she was trying to find something that was missing. "You've changed."

"Is that a good or a bad thing?"

"I think it's good."

'Well it's better than what I was I guess."

"Yeah, I guess so." Donna said as she smiled at him.

"So something happened between Jackie and me."

"What?"

"She kissed me last night."

"I was waiting for it. You know Hyde she loved you ten years ago and honestly I don't think she's ever stopped."

"I should probably talk to her shouldn't I?"

"Depends…do you care about her?"

"I don't know her well enough yet to care about her. But we have a lot in common so that's a place to start."

"Just…don't hurt her. She's been through enough and she doesn't need it from you."

"I won't." He said as he smiled at her before walking back down the driveway.

Hyde knocked on the door and smiled when Jackie's friend answered it. "Back again?"

"Yeah I need to talk to her again."

"Sure come on in. Jackie your friend is back." He yelled as Jackie walked into the room.

"Steven, what's up?" Jackie asked as she walked over to them.

"I just…okay you need to introduce us Jackie because I feel really weird not knowing who this is."

"Oh sorry, Steven this is Randy, my boyfriend." Jackie said as Hyde and Randy shook hands.

"Your boyfriend?" Hyde asked as he stared at Jackie.

"Yeah my boyfriend,"

"Oh…um damn well um I have to go I just remembered something I have to do. I'll talk to you at home Jackie." Hyde said as he opened the door and left.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing just Steven being weird." Jackie said as she led Randy to the living room.

"Hey isn't he that guy that wrote that book."

"Yeah," Jackie said as she smiled at Randy.

"What do you think?" Hyde asked as Kelso and Fez dragged Eric into the building.

"I think this is a waste of time. What do you want Hyde?" Eric asked as he pushed Fez and Kelso off of him.

"I want to open that store we talked about…and I want to do it in this building. I've already talked to the owner and we can start building tomorrow if we want. I've got some money saved up so money should be a problem." Hyde said as Eric walked over to him.

"You can't buy my forgiveness Hyde."

"Yeah I know that, and beating me up wont change the fact that Red is dying." Hyde said as Eric glared at him.

"What did you say?"

"I said you can't take that out on me Eric. I didn't do that. I'm not the one who's dying."

"We'll see about that." Eric said as he shoved Hyde so hard he flew through the glass window and landed on the cement outside.

Kelso and Fez ran out the door and over to Hyde. "Hyde!" Kelso shouted as he crouched down beside him and felt his neck for a pulse.

"Kelso look," Fez said as he pointed to the pool of blood that was starting to form under Hyde.

"Eric call 911 now!" Kelso yelled as Eric pulled out his cell phone.

"Jackie," Donna said as she ran into Jackie's room.

Jackie pulled away from Randy and glared at Donna. "What?"

"It's Hyde…something happened and he's in the hospital."

"Is he alright?" Jackie asked as she stood up.

"I don't know…the guys said he took a really bad fall and that there was a lot of blood."

"Alright I'll meet you outside." Jackie said as Donna nodded and left the room.

"I have to go Randy."

"No I understand and I'm going with you."

"Are you sure?" She asked as she looked at him.

"I'm sure. Let's go baby." Randy said as he followed Jackie out the door.

"Mr. and Mrs. Forman," the doctor said as he walked into the waiting room.

"Doctor how is Steven?" Kitty asked as she ran over to him.

"We're prepping him for surgery. He impact on his head may have damaged his brain but what we're going to do is fix the cuts and things on his backside. We wont know much about the head injury until after the surgery."

"Is he going to be alright?"

"The damage to his back is repairable, but we wont know about the rest until after the surgery." He said as he squeezed Kitty's hand then walked away.

"How is he?" Jackie asked as her, Randy and Donna ran into the waiting room.

"He's going into surgery now. They wont know a whole lot until after it though so we're in for a long wait girls." Kitty said as Jackie sat down and tears came to her eyes.

"Mrs. Forman what happened?" Donna asked.

"I'm not sure, but whatever it was I know my son had something to do with it." Kitty said as she put her head on Red's shoulder.

"Eric," Donna said before she walked out of the waiting room.

A/N: Okay so Eric is like this because of two reasons...one he feels betrayed by not only his best friend but his father. Hyde got to learn this huge secret before he did and Red has always treated Hyde better than Eric and it's finally coming out. Two he is losing his dad and it's hurting him in a way he cant explain. And i wrote the Eric parts from my own memories. My father died of Colon Cancer almost 4 years ago and i got very angry and resentful of everyone for a long time. I wrote Eric in that memory because losing your father isnt easy and Eric isnt dealing. But trust me after what he just did to Hyde and the wrath that donna is going to inflict on him will wake him up. As always please review.