DISCLAIMER: I've asked Santa for the rights for Christmas but I don't think I will be getting it…

Ch34…Plan A…

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It had taken ten minutes before her hand could even touch the handle that opened the door to her childhood. After five minutes she hesitantly began to twist the knob pushing the door open and crossing the threshold before she could chicken out. The air was stale and smelt faintly of the cheap incense the gang often used to cover the lingering smell of pot. The deep freeze was humming happily and the washing machine was loudly banging along. But it felt all wrong. The seats were empty, the TV blank and silent. She shivered and leant back against the door, that same cheap incense she had complained about, clinging to her clothes no matter how many times they were washed, it was now soothing somehow, familiar. It wasn't exactly the basement itself that was causing her nerves; she still entered in there with trepidation for each counselling session. It was the small snub of a room hidden in the back only accessible by those who knew it existed, which was a lonely few. Her footsteps were soft barely leaving the grimy floor as she slowly made her way to that dank, depressing space that was one of the first places she ever truly felt at home.
Smoke, beer, peppermint and one smell that was just Hyde clung to the room. The tiny cot was shoved against the wall the same ugly blankets scrunched up on it the dark pillowcase disguising the bright and fluffy pillow Jackie herself had bought him. There were candles scattered here and there, next to radios and a stack of records. It looked almost exactly as she remembered it, no sign of that the stripper whore had ever been more than a horrible nightmare. The drawers of his cupboard were pulled out and shoved in overflowing with shirts and jeans and other stuff the top cluttered with notebooks filled with his tiny handwriting which she knew were his journals. They weren't what she was looking for, it should be near the back, partially hidden from view. The corners were creased but the image on the front was remarkably unblemished despite it not being in a frame. A tiny slip of a girl pulled back against a handsome boy who was rather surprisingly smiling his bright blue eyes shining against the backdrop. Junior prom. They hadn't even been together then and the whole gang had laughed it off none had noticed that in the photo both of their hands clasped together tightly, fingers interlaced. He still had it. She cradled it in her palm being careful as though she were afraid it would crumble into nothingness. Crawling onto the cot she placed her head on the pillow and felt her eyes flutter closed, the picture she held tightly against her chest. It was the most comfortable she had been in months, she was home.

***

It dug into him clawing at his back and creating on odd texture with his pants and he loved it, leaning down he inhaled deeply exalting in the smell of mouldy old furniture.
"Uh, Fez?" Donna asked as her foreign friend licked at the couch hugging its arm, which was held together with gaffer tape. The boy in question looked up at his four friends dubious expressions and smiled hastily.
"There was a smudge of chocolate." Fez made a face and picked at his tooth. "I don't think it was chocolate."
Eric shook his head widening his eyes at Donna his face at direct odds with his heart which was pretty much leaping at having almost the whole gang together again in the basement.
"Guys! Focus!" Donna glared at each of her friends, it had taken so much of the morning to get them to talk to Eric and come with them to the basement, it had cost Eric several frogs to the arm each from Fez and Kelso as well as the promise that if he ever caused another food fight he would immediately call them both.
"How exactly do you expect to get Jackie to talk to you? She loves talking but she can give the worlds best silent treatment. Remember that time Hyde said he thought that Bruce Lee could beat up the Fonz? She would come over specifically and stare at him without talking or whisper with Fez look over at him, giggling and then continue staring." Kelso reminded them helping himself to a Popsicle, old friend how he missed you. Eric shuddered.
"That week was hell, she even recruited mum and Red into freezing him out. I never thought I would be so thankful when she started talking again."
The four friends shared a small laugh, though Donna's sounded hollow.
"Well I got to them first." She explained, Eric raised his eyebrows. "Okay so I got to Kitty first and she promised to get Red to help."
Fez too was now sucking on the popsicle, a little too enthusiastically for Eric but it was Fez and thus normal.
"So what is this brilliant plan to get our group back to its former greatness?"
Kelso smirked his smug little smirk his arms crossed behind his head.
"It can't be better than what I did."
Eric held in his groan, perhaps this was the one in a million chance that Kelso's idea wasn't terrible.
"What did you do?" Donna asked, everybody heard the silent now at the end of the question.
"I painted over the water tower to show Jackie how much we love her."
Kelso watched as the other three looked at each other, two of them looking increasingly worried.
"Please don't tell me you wrote Michael loves Jackie again because we just got two of them out of the hospital the last thing we need is you in their and Hyde in jail for trying to kill you!" Eric complained his hands running through his hair. Donna smiled at his theatrics, she really had missed him.
"Okay calm down their Obi Wan, what did you paint Kelso? Another pot leaf?"
He looked insulted, another pot leaf? The old one was still visible.
"No! Way better! Do you remember our yearbook quote?"
Fez nodded his head slowly.
"Yes but why are you bringing this up? Tell us about the water tower damn it!"
Donna got it first groaning loudly, a shriek a few minutes later confirmed that Eric too now understand.
"You tagged the Water Tower and put my name on it? Red is going to kill me! I can read the headline now. 'Son murdered after father kicks through ass clear into stomach.' Kelso!"
Donna winced at Eric's high pitch; despite the minor legal problem Kelso's idea hadn't been half bad, it was actually kind of sweet in his dopey Kelso way.
"You're right Kelso my idea isn't as uh, epic as yours. I went for something a little more subtle."
Fez snorted as Donna explained the plan of attack, there was no way his princess would fall for such an obvious ruse, she wasn't Laurie!
"Oh Donna, poor sweet Donna. All Pam and no Jackie make Donna a dumb, dumb girl. My goddess will never, ever fall for such a plan. How did you get Miss Kitty to agree to this?"
The red head in question's cheeks turned the same shade as her hair.
"thegrakds" She mumbled as all three boys strained to hear.
"Ah what was that Donna?" Eric squeaked.
"Three grandkids when we're married." Donna repeated weakly, Eric paled instantly. "But look we can't be bothered by that right now. Mrs Forman is going to get Red to pick up Hyde and drop him her and then somehow convince Jackie to get here too, she said it would be a combination of a fake counselling session, heaping guilt about growing old in an empty house and manipulation."
"Well at least now we know where Laurie gets it from." Kelso commented completely serious.
"So now all we do is wait and hope that they can somehow get those two to come to the basement and not just break down the doors when they realise we're all locked inside?" Fez asked, sounding oddly optimistic, he wanted this to work.
"Uh yeah, I guess so." Donna said leaning back into the lumpy couch. "What should we do?"
Three identical grins graced the boys faced. "Yeah not going to happen, that's our last resort! Kelso just turn the TV on."
"Ooh I think this is the episode of Gilligan's Island where Gilligan destroys their chance to go home."
Donna and Eric looked over at Fez who was now engrossed in the TV, they wanted their group back together again, the missing burn from Hyde at such a boneheaded remark, the girlish giggle of Jackie and then congratulations to her boyfriend on such a wonderful burn. They wanted it all back.

***

His trusty el Camino had made the trek to their spot easily, he'd barely paid attention it was almost as though the car knew where it had to go; a car that had a mind of its own. It was like something Kelso would think up. He had been chagrined to find a shiny car parked in their spot, it felt wrong and his anger boiled up beneath his skin. No one else was ever supposed to be there, it was meant to be their spot. His anger dissipated somewhat as he recognised the car and then the two people sitting in it. He had blanched at the thought of his two parental figures coming to his private place to do that. It took a few minutes for him to realize that they were both just sitting in the front seat of the Toyota, although the way Red's shoulders were slumped showed that it was argument he was not winning. He debated leaving, Jackie obviously wasn't here but curiosity got the better of him.
"Steven! We've been looking all over for you!" Kitty all but shouted in his face.
"Not to be rude by why are you looking for me here? How do you even know about this place?" He asked scratching his ear. Red opened his mouth to no doubt grunt an answer only to be cut off by Kitty.
"Jackie told us silly! She's at the house right now with Mina, she said it was an emergency and we were to find you straight away."
It was a half lie; Jackie had told her about their place, she just hadn't sent them there. Given the sullen look on his face at breakfast it had been easy enough to go to the clearing and wait for him to show up. It had just taken a complex lie involving Packers tickets and beer to get Red to come along.
"Why didn't she just call me at Grooves?" Hyde wondered aloud.
"Oh dear she tried but Leo answered and thought he'd won a radio contest." Kitty laughed nervously and clapped her hands. "She sounded absolutely frantic, I just shudder to think what she needs to tell Mina."
As expected Hyde seemed to snap to attention her words really sinking in.
"Thanks for telling me Mrs. Forman, I'll just head home then."
"We'll follow you!" Kitty yelled out the window ignoring her husband's grunts. "Hush it Red, this will all work out! You'll see!"
"You'll see alright. You'll see my foot up their asses if this goes wrong." Red promised his eyes glowering at the road. "Why can't we just stay out of it for once Kitty?"
Somehow he managed to complain without sounding like Eric, it was an honest question.
"These are our babies Red and you know if we let them make all their own decisions they'd be lost! Now hurry up we can't let Steven figure out what's going on. You follow him down and I'll look for Jackie, since she wasn't at the clearing I think I know one other place she might go."
Red stared out at the road, this was revenge for all those commies he'd killed, he just knew it. Wasn't having a pansy ass son punishment enough?

***

Hey guys,

for Christmas Santa decided to give my muse a sister and now they are playing happily in my mind. I've had this part of the story; the group's reformation planned out for a while. I always knew the only way to get Jackie and Donna to talk would be to put them in the same room. If alone Jackie would have probably taken down Donna like she did Laurie. The boys are in there to prevent this, although Fez and Kelso are probably secretly hoping for a girl fight. A Jackie/Donna reconciliation may or may not happen, I have my personal preference but I need yours so please let me know which way you would like this to go. Next chapter we will see what happens now that are favourite group is together again and just how exactly Kitty, Red and Brooke will be helping things along from the outside.

So I hope everybody has had a Merry Christmas! And enjoy my own gift to you; my story.

PS. Thank God, Christmas is over because my job totally ate up my writing time. I really wanted to have this posted last week!