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Author's Note: Hi there everyone! How are you all doing? Hope you're doing well and having a great week! Today I have for you wonderful readers a new chapter of 'Two Weeks' Yay! So very sorry that it took so long to post, although I am keeping up with the posting once a month—month isn't over yet! lol I'm trying to update more often but with these chapters being the longest plus other stories I'm working on it makes it a bit difficult, though of course your reviews and words of encouragement are what help motivate me to finish a chapter and keep writing more! Just a couple of things before we get started because ei know your eager to read the new chapter. First off, please remember I am not a doctor, nurse, or anything like that nor am I training to be one, am taking a couple of health classes this semester but I don't think that's really gonna help me here too much lol. Second thing, this chapter is a lot longer than the usual chapters 8,000+ and I nearly pulled an all nighter on a school night mind you so please excuse errors and it would really mean a lot if you took the time to review this chapter. On the topic of reviews I would like to say thank you once again to all of you very awesome readers! Your words are so generous and I am s happy that you all are still enjoying this story after all this time! Thank you! Oh and btw you lurker/guest readers don't be afraid to leave a review yourself I do accept anon reviews :D I lve hearing from all my readers! And lastly, if you all could take a few minutes today to pray, think or do whatever it is you do, for the safety of those over in Louisiana where the latest hurricane has hit, this includes one of our own, Marla (Marla's Lost), thank you. Okay I think I'm gonna wrap up now because I wanna get at least two hours sleep before I've gotta get up and start the day. Thanks so very much once again! Hope you all enjoy this longer chapter! Please lemme know in a review if you can, and please, Enjoy!
Jackie Burkhart sat in the pea soup colored armchair, flipping through one of the old photo albums that had been brought out earlier while only half listening to Kitty answer Steven's latest question. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in what Kitty gave as a reply to the questions—she really was enjoying being able to learn more about this woman she'd always seen as a mother figure—it was the darn boring questions that Steven was coming up with. No one could possibly come up with an interesting answer to questions like 'Which Darrin from Bewitched was the better of the two?'
Steven was loosing his touch with the question. He needed to do what she said and take a break from filming, she could take over for abit, go take a nap or find something to wake up him and snap him out of this dull marathon of questions. Maybe he just needed a little caffeine...maybe she should have bought him that root beer…Oh well!
With a small smile playing on her lips, Jackie flipped to a new page of pictures of Laurie and Eric as babies. There were a lot of them, but that of course was no surprise to Jackie. What did surprise her a bit was that there were no baby pictures of the rest of the gang. Sure, Kitty wouldn't have been able to take any of the photos but maybe they could have given her some to put in with Laurie and Eric's baby photos—she was always saying they were all her babies. Suddenly a thought entered Jackie's mind and she closed the book with a snap and shot up in her seat.
"But I guess with Darrin number two the episodes were more…"
"I've got a question!" Jackie announced excitedly, cutting off Kitty's answer.
Behind the camera that was now shooting Jackie, Hyde frowned, "Damn it, Jackie you can't keep interrupting Mom's answers to my questions."
"I can when they're boring questions." The brunette retorted.
"They're not boring."
"Uh yeah. They are."
"No they're not."
As an argument began to breakout Kitty stepped in before it became to out of control, "now hold on, hold on. Steven, honey why don't we give Jackie's question a listen? It could actually be a question that's more interesting.
"Wait," he said as he started to read between the lines of Kitty's words, "does that mean you think my questions are…"
"Boring!" Jackie exclaimed happily before throwing in a triumphant, "Burn!"
Frowning slightly Kitty shook her head, "No, no. that's not what I meant." She began to justify, "I just meant that maybe Jackie's question will be interesting enough to spark some more interesting questions from you."
Hyde still wasn't quite convinced that that was what Kitty had really meant but he did appreciate her coming up with a pretty believable story. "Fine." He agreed with a grumble and then added, "But if it's not an interesting question, we drop it and Jackie, you've gotta leave the room for the next half hour."
"Deal." Jackie was quick to agree as she bounced onto the sofa next to Kitty, the photo album still in her lap; She swiftly smoothed out her hair and sat up a bit straighter, "Okay Steven make sure you get me in the shot too."
"Alright." He agreed but in reality had zoomed in so much on Kitty that only Jackie's left arm was in the shot.
"Okay Mom, I was looking through this photo album. Which by the way could use some more pictures of me in it." Jackie said as she started to set up for her question, even opening up the scrapbook, "And I saw a bunch of baby pictures of Laurie and Eric…"
Kitty leaned in closer to Jackie, looking down at the open picture album and her smile stretched, "Oh yes. Weren't they the cutest little babies you'd ever seen?"
Now that Kitty was closer to Jackie it forced Hyde to zoom back out and catching on film as Jackie glanced down at the baby pictures again and then shrugged her shoulders. "We'll they're not as cute as I was, but they're not that bad looking either."
By the large smile on Kitty's face it was unclear whether she'd heard Jackie's statement or not, she just continued to grin and look at the photos of her babies as babies. Hyde however had heard the statement as was getting tired of this set up slash introduction for a simple question that he was still sure was going to be something dumb like where she bought her maternity clothes.
"Get on with the question, Jackie." his voice was heard ordering.
"Right." Jackie nodded and then cleared her throat, sitting up again and leaning forward some towards Kitty as she asked, "Mom, what was it like when you held Laurie and Eric for the first time?"
"Damn."
A giggle escaped Jackie's lips as she heard her ex-boyfriends mutter before hearing Kitty's voice speak over any other mumbling he may have been saying to himself. She smiled happily and almost excitedly, looking at Jackie rather than the camera and Hyde.
"Oh Jackie, honey, that is a great question!" she exclaimed and Jackie's proud smile made another appearance; Kitty's own smile grew as she turned back to the camcorder shaking her head lightly before beginning, "Oh I'll never forget that feeling I had when I first held each of my babies in my arms." She finished with a reminiscent grin now in place.
Jackie watched Kitty, finally feeling that feeling of eagerness to hear her answer to the new question. Her questions really were so much better than Steven's! "Really?"
Kitty nodded, still seeming to be off in her own world, "I remember right after Laurie was born, I was still so drowsy and tired from the drugs they'd given me but I was able to hear her first cries and it was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world."
Wearing a confused expression on her face Jackie looked at the camera at Hyde who had his own look of perplexity behind the camera.
"And then later when I woke up I was in my room and Red was already there holding Laurie. He got to be the first to hold her. And at that moment when I first saw him holding her I could already see she had him wrapped around her little finger." the blonde woman on the sofa continued adding in a little giggle and not noticing the looks on her adopted children's faces, "Then when I got to hold her…I just…I couldn't believe that Red and I had made this beautiful little baby."
"Laurie was such a precious baby with her blonde baby curls and her big blue eyes. They were always looking around with such wonderment, even on that first day. That's when I knew she's was gonna be one to want to go off and explore and try new things!"
"I think you mean go off and explore and try new people, Mom." Hyde corrected with a light snicker.
The younger woman sent a faintly disapproving look to the camera man—only faintly because she was doing her best not to laugh—before turning her interest back to Kitty, "What about with Eric?"
Her smile grew at the question, "With Eric made sure I was the first one to hold him. After being in labor for eight and a half hours I told Red I'd betterbe the first one to hold him. And the second the nurse put my baby boy in my arms I was in love." she shared feeling herself tear up, she smiled and wiped the corner of her eyes fingertips, "You know Eric looked so much like Red when he was a baby."
Hyde smirked as he asked, "You mean bald and cranky."
"Of course that all passed with time." Kitty stated after nodding her head to Hyde's previous question.
"Too bad the same can't be said for Red."
While Kitty was busy frowning at the camera Jackie realized her question hadn't been exactly been answered. Instead it seemed to have had its words twisted about to make a whole new question. Kitty had said it was a good question hadn't she, so why hadn't she answered it?
Determined to get her question answered Jackie repeated herself, "But how did it feel? Were you happy?"
"Of course." Kitty said grinning.
"Did you cry?" Jackie asked.
Kitty nodded, "Yes, I did."
Feeling frustrated and wanting more details Jackie went on, "Did you feel like you had found a pot of old? Did you feel like you had so much love in your heart that you thought it would explode? Did you wanna shout it to the world about how beautiful your baby was?"
"Yes. Yes. And yes." She replied her smile growing as she began to explain, "Jackie honey I know I said your question was a good question and I meant it. It is a very good question..."
"You said a great question before." The brunette reminded with a pout.
Laughing Kitty moved her head up and down again, "Right, right. A great question. And it is a great question because it's a question that's not an easy one to answer." she gave a short pause and then began to clarify herself, "The way I felt the first time I held both Eric and Laurie for the first time, I could never sum that up in one word. I don't think I could sum it up in one page. When I held them in my arms for the first time I felt a feeling that I don't think I could ever put into words but one I'll never forget."
0o0o0o
"You know, Red's never really one to follow what anyone tells him to do, especially when he wants to do the opposite." Jackie said aloud to Angie as the two of them walked down the snow covered pathway from The Forman's front door, "But I guess there are to voices he always listens to, Kitty and Laurie's. But I guess this time he's more concerned about protecting her than listening to her…Guess some father's do those kinds of things for their daughters." She said as she suddenly thought of her own father and the not so close relationship she had with him, then again it was better than the one she had with Pam.
Angela smiled lightly, "I'm sure your voice is on that list too, Jackie and even if it's not I'm sure Mr. Forman would try and protect you the same way."
"Oh yeah, I know it is." Jackie said with a matter of fact kind of tone, "I'm his favorite after all."
The two women shared a small laugh as the continued down the trail walking at a slower pace and not so they would lower their chance of slipping in the cold slush.
"So how is Mom?" asked a concerned Jackie, as good of a time as she had getting out of the house and spending time alone with Eric, she did feel bad about not being there when Angela was checking up on her surrogate mother, "Sorry I wasn't there today while you were checking her. Brooke and I had gone grocery shopping and then Eric and I put everything away." She explained, holding back the urge to ask where the nurse stored her peanut butter.
"That's fine, don't worry. Steven and Mr. Forman were there and of course Mrs. Forman. And I even got to meet the famous Lucy." Angie shared stilling smiling, "She really is a sweet child."
Jackie nodded, "She is, isn't she? But…but how's Mom?"
"Well I increased her morphine intake a tad pit more as she requested. There was also some talk about ways to help her be able to stay in bed from now on." Angela informed going into nurse mode and summing up the recent visit she's had with Kitty. "She told me there were a few more aches in her body, which is from being in bed for so long its normal for bedsores to form. I also made a few suggestions about some light foods she may want to try just to help her body gain some strength. Things like unbuttered toast…I left a list on the nightstand in her room."
Again Jackie nodded but this time her eyes seemed to be focused on something in the street as Angela went on.
"Overall, I would say that Mrs. Forman is, well she's…"
"She's getting even worse…isn't she?" The brunette finished for her.
Looking at the jeweled colored eyes that were now staring straight at her allowing her to see the worried and fearful unshed tears in them, Angela felt horrible. It was times like this that she wished her childhood dream career had been something that didn't involve bad news, something like the career her friends had dreamed of. Like becoming an astronaut.
The nurse took in a deep breath before moving her head up and down, "It's what's expected in these situations, Jackie."
"I know, I know." The younger of the two repeated, as she brought her hand up to rub her eye, "I guess I'm just kinda hoping one day you'll visit and tell us she's improved and she's gonna get better. I guess we're all sort of hoping that."
"Yes, we are." Angela agreed with another nod of her head.
Two faint smiles were then exchanged by the two women.
And though Angela knew she couldn't give Jackie the news that she wanted to hear or the new she, herself, wanted to give, she still had a few positive points she could make, "But you know, for a woman who's going through all that she's going through, Mrs. Forman is actually doing very, very well."
"Really?"
"Yes. Mrs. Forman isn't my first patient who's been this ill. I've had patients before who would increase their morphine at least three times a day to help with their pain. Mrs. Forman only seems to increase it whenever I'm here and even then it's never by very much." She paused frowning some as a possibility came to her, "I suppose it could be because she was a nurse and knows what kind of side effects come from the drugs, but still she's managing to go through her pain on a low dose of morphine when really she could have just about as much as she wanted. That's quite impressive."
A proud smile began to appear on Jackie's lips as she heard Angela's speech.
"I've also had patients that who fall into comas and never wake up. And some patients I've taken care of are as if they're living in their own little world, a world in their past. Most of them can hardly recognize their own children." She continued on before remembering to make another point, one that wasn't as positive, "Now, I'm not saying that none of this will happen to Mrs. Forman nor am I saying that all of those things will happen to her because I don't know. Only time will tell."
"But what I am saying is that right now Mrs. Forman is a strong woman who still hasn't given in and instead is still trying to fight this disease from taking over completely. After all she's alert, she knows who you all are. She may sleep a lot but again that's a normal side effect for her medicine. She still talks about each of you constantly and she knows almost everything that's going on in her house. And from what I've heard there's a whole lot of things going on in there."
Assuming that Angela had learned of all the events going on in the house from Kitty, Jackie wrapped her arms around her shivering form as she spoke softly, "Yeah, even more than she thinks."
While Kitty had been informed of most of the big events happening that had happened during the last few days in The Forman house, things Like Laurie returning and having Fez's child, Hyde and his 'secret' crush on Angela, she even knew about Fez and Kelso getting stick in the washer and dryer; however as far as Jackie knew Kitty had no clue to what was going on with her and Eric and their exes.
"Are you planning on telling her?" Angela suddenly asked.
Jackie's brow furrowed with confusion, "Telling her what?"
"About the things she doesn't know about yet." She continued but that only seemed to make Jackie's frown deepen so she added, "About the tension that's built up between you and Eric and Hyde and Donna."
"How do you know about that?"
"Steven might have mentioned what happened the other night when you and Eric were caught kissing in the kitchen, earlier when we were talking." She informed, hoping she'd made the right call in bringing the subject up.
The instant she saw Jackie's confusion fade and become socked and angry she realized her hopes had been dashed.
"Oh he did, did he?" a wide eyed Jackie asked, already knowing the answer, "Well did he also mention his own reaction and how he said if he'd known what was going on he would have put a stop to it?" her fury was building up more and more she didn't even wait for an answer, "Can you believe that? He wanted to put a stop to something in my life. Something that doesn't even concern him!"
Angela shifted nervously as Jackie continued on with her rant.
"We've been broken up for over three years and he thinks he can control my life! And let me tell you, when we were together he didn't even try to control my life, back then I was the control-y!" she declared with a raised index finger, "I bet he didn't mention any of this, did he?"
"Well not exactly but…" Angela began but was cut off.
"I thought so." Jackie muttered while re-crossing her arms out of anger and not to protect her form the cold as she'd done before, "Just like I bet he didn't tell you anything about him being married to a stripper!"
A scowl appeared on Angela's forehead at this new piece of information, "A stripper?"
Jackie gave a firm nod, "A bleach blonde bimbo stripper."
"Bleach blonde…" Angela started to say but quickly reminded herself that she'd opened the wound and now need to help bandage it; she shook her head of the thoughts of Steven being married to a stripper before she spoke up again, "Jackie, I really shouldn't have said anything but I did because I really do think you should talk to Steven and hear him out…"
"Hear him out?" she repeated in an exclaiming, scoffing tone of voice, "On what? On the plans he has for me on how to run my life? Did he come up with a new plan, one that fits Eric now? because that would really be so helpful!" her last statement leaking with sarcasm and anger.
Angela sighed while pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "Jackie, it really isn't my place to say…." She began to say but then realized how dumb that sounded, if it wasn't her place to say—which it still wasn't—she shouldn't have said anything. But she did. And she couldn't just leave with Jackie this angry it would do no good for anyone, "I just figured you all were trying to patch things up with each other without having Mrs. Forman find out and it upsetting her. I was only trying to help."
Hearing this caused the wheels in Jackie's mind to start turning. She wanted to help? Maybe she could…she said she and Steven had talked earlier and they were obviously getting closer…maybe Angela could talk to Steven for her. Steven wouldn't get mad at her if he really liked her. Or maybe she could just be in the room when Jackie sat down to have her talk with Steven, that could work too.
"Well maybe you could help. Like maybe you could…" before Jackie could finish sharing her idea of Angela standing between her and Steven when she talked to him, Angela interjected with her one idea."
"The only help I think I can do is give some advice." She began, "And that's just to remember that every time you assume you make an ass out of you and me. Only this time it you and Steven."
With that said Angela turned around and headed to her parked vehicle leaving Jackie to stand there and think over her words.
A frown crept up onto Jackie's face, she wasn't assuming anything. Was she? No, of course not, Steven had said in his own words that he would have put a stop to what was going on with her and Eric if he had know what was going on. He's even said he was the one who controlled her life…wait had he actually said that last part?
"Just give him a chance to explain." Angela called out, breaking Jackie form her thoughts.
Jackie looked up and saw Angela climbing into her car. She couldn't let her leave like this. Angela could be right and maybe Jackie had done some assuming and maybe she didn't need to just talk to Steven but she needed to hear what he had to say to. It might still not work out very well and they might still end the conversation still mad at each other but it would be nothing compared to how angry Steven would be if he found out she had broken one of their golden rules and told Angela about…her.
"Angela, wait!" the younger woman hurried over to the driver's side of the car, despite not being dressed in any warm winter attire, and waited for Angela to roll down the window, "You know she wasn't really a bleach blonde bimbo stripper."
"She wasn't a stripper?"
"No she was." Jackie answered without missing a beat, "She was also a bimbo, blonde, and a whore." She paused having to remind herself of the point she was trying make, "But she wasn't really bleach blonde. It looked kinda natural."
When she saw that Angela still didn't appear to be any more relieved Jackie went on.
"And Steven only married her because he thought Michael I did something, that we totally didn't do, and he drove off to Vegas and got really, really drunk." She explained and then made sure to add in another important detail, "But they weren't really married. It turned out that she was already married to some old guy…This isn't helping any is it?"
Still not able to believe that something like this had actually happened in real life Angela shook her head, "No. No, I'm afraid not. I'll see you later, Jackie."
Moving a few steps away from the car and further into the middle of the street Jackie waved her had as she watched Angela's car drive away from the house. She did feel bad about bringing up something Steven had tried to bury behind him but she did try to fix and make it sound better, no one could say she didn't try.
0o0o0o
Red Forman marched into the kitchen ready to forget his plan of eavesdropping through the door and instead throw up that same door and go straight down into that basement even if it did upset his daughter. He wished that she would understand that he was doing it for her and Lucy. It wasn't because he didn't trust or think she could do it on her own because he did; it was that damn sneaky foreigner who'd gotten her pregnant in the first place that he didn't trust. Sure, Red knew it took two to tango but he was almost positive it had been Tattoo who had been the one asking for the dance. And if he did any denying of that dance or say or do anything of the sorts, Red was going to teach him a new kind of dance—one that ended with Red's foot up his ass.
Just as he reached the shut door Red began to have second thoughts. Maybe he should at least give the eavesdropping thing a try. He might be able to hear a lot more than he thought he would. And it would save his from making a scene and most importantly keep Laurie from getting mad at him.
With that last thought in mind, he grabbed onto the doorknob, turned it to the side, and was about to push it open when he remembered that sporadic squeak of the basement door. He didn't want to take the chance of that squeak being made and giving him away, however that didn't mean he was giving up either. There was always Plan B.
Letting go of the handle Red slumped his shoulder slightly, craned his neck slightly, and pressed his ear against the teeny tiny crack between the shut door and the molding of the doorway. He was so preoccupied with trying to make out any kind of sound coming from the lower level of the house that he never noticed the figure behind him come in from the dinning room entrance. But the figure saw him and quickly caught onto what he was up to; crossing their arms across their chest, they smirked.
"Red, what're you doing?" was the question asked and a laugh had to be held in when they saw Red startle and jump a bit.
As soon as Red turned around and saw who it was standing behind him he scowled, "Damn it, Steven." He growled, "What the hell are you trying to do? Give me another heart attack?"
"Sorry, man." The younger man apologized but kept his smirk in place, "What're you doing?"
"Uh…nothing, nothing." Red lied. It was bad enough Jackie had figured out what he was going to do, he didn't need anyone else knowing, at least not before Jackie spilled the beans to them, but that meant he needed an excuse—fast. "I was just um…checking, checking for terminates by uh…"
"Listening to the walls?" Hyde finished for him, his smirk growing into a small smile as he shrugged his shoulders, "Guess it's better than catching you talking to them."
The frown Red wore deepened as he stared at his adopted son, "What are you doing down here? I thought you were talking to Kitty."
"I was but she fell asleep so I left so she could get some rest." He informed and seeing the concern in Red's face he went on to add, "Don't worry, she's' fine. Said she was tired from her medication. And this time I made sure she was really asleep."
Knowing that Hyde had found out about Kitty's fake sleeping idea, Red couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
Hyde gave a small smile as swell but tried to hide it by shaking his head, "Man, I can't believe you went along with the whole thing."
"Steven, she got her way before she was sick, what made you think any of that was gonna change now?"
"Yeah, you've got a point." He agreed, uncrossing his arms and bringing his left hand up to scratched the back of his neck, "So did you uh walk Angie out?"
"No, I had Jackie do it."
Not giving it much thought of having Angela out there talking to his ex-girlfriend since they had talked many times before, Hyde gave a simple nod of his head, "Oh. And Lucy's with Laurie?"
"Yeah." Red replied with his own nod and moved just an inch or two closer to the spot he'd been trying to listen through.
Catching his movements made Hyde's smirk reappear. He'd already put the pieces together and figure out that Red was trying to eavesdrop on the conversation going on in the basement and since he was never really interested in the rest of them Hyde knew Laurie or Lucy had to be down there, of course now he'd found out it was both of them. Still, despite already knowing that this was what his surrogate father was up to Hyde wanted to hear it from the man himself an din the meantime he could have some fun with it.
"Hey Red, you want me to go check out the Vista Cruiser with you right now?" he asked knowing very well of the father figure's determination to fix that old dinosaur of a car, "Since Mom's asleep and neither one of us is doing anything. I mean you gotta be done checking for termites now and I was thinking maybe you should try checking the..."
"Yeah, yeah, maybe later, Steven." Red said not looking at Hyde as he spoke the words but at the basement door. He was beginning to worry that he was missing it all.
With his smirk still playing on his lips, Hyde continued to pester the older man knowing very well that he wanted him gone so he could go back to spying on the conversation he had not been invited to be a part of. He flattened his smirk as best he could while trying to remain serious as he began to talk again, "Red, man, you know you don't have to talk to walls. If you need to talk to someone about all this stuff with Mom you can talk to me or Jackie or…"
"Oh shut up." Red ordered wearing a scowl on his face, now he knew Hyde was just messing with him and he didn't have time for any messing around. "Laurie's down there introducing Lucy to Chico and she wouldn't let me go down there with her because she wanted to do it on her own. So I'm staying out here to make sure I don't have to clear up a space on the wall in my den for a mounted foreigner head."
After letting out a short chortle at the image that formed in his mind of Fez's head hanging in Red's den with the familiar frightened look still plastered on his face, Hyde decided his father could use some reassurance if not for his sake, for Fez's.
"Red, he's not gonna hurt either one of them." He started to say, "I mean this is Fez. The same guy who side steps ants so he won't step on them because he thinks the ant has a wife and kids and two pet larva waiting at home for it."
That didn't seem to help very much and it definitely wasn't making the point that Hyde was hoping it would. A almost horrified expression had appeared on Red's face as he realized that guy was the father of his grandchild.
Noting the look Hyde swiftly added, "Hey it could've been worse, Red. Could've been Kelso."
"True." Red soon agreed, "The keys to the car on the counter, I'll be out there in a few minutes."
Hyde turned his head to look at the ring of keys resting on the counter top but then turned back to Red, watching him go back to his listening spot, "Nah I think I'll hang around here a bit." He said in his zen tone of voice, "I missed the first act but I wouldn't mind catching the radio version of the second half."
Red straightened himself out and looked at Steven in a very stern manner, "This isn't some damn matinee. Steven. I'm not doing this for entertainment. I'm doing this to help protect my daughter and granddaughter.
" I know." Hyde nodded and then started to walk farther away from Red and closer to cabinets of the kitchen and opening one of the cupboards, "Which is why I figured you'd need one of these."
When Hyde swung himself back around he revealed to Red the two tall drinking glasses in each of his hands. Walking back to him, Hyde handed one of the glasses out to him and Red reluctantly took it frowning at it a bit confused. Soon though the message of what he was supposed to do was very apparent when he saw Hyde place the top part of the glass against the kitchen wall and then place his against the opposite. Without another word, Red mirrored his son's actions and was surprised to find that with this simple daisy etched glass he could hear things in the next room almost as clearly as he would if he were in the room himself.
0o0o0o
"Aye, she'd going to hate me, I know it." A heartbroken Fez cried to his friends who were still seated beside him on the basement sofa while their daughter contently finished eating her candy bar.
Brooke was the first to try to comfort him again, "Honey, she's not going to hate you. She's a little girl. Little girls don't hate anything except, bugs, dirt, and broccoli."
"Hey those are the same things you hate, buddy." Kelso pointed out before reaching a conclusion he eagerly shared with the room, "That makes you a little girl. Burn!"
As soon as the word left his mouth, Kelso received a very scary looking glare from his wife which caused his large dopey grin to disappear as he looked down with shame and muttered a barely audible, "Sorry" to his best friend.
Shaking her head, the young woman continued, "You're her father, Fez. Every little girl loves her daddy."
"But she does not know I am her daddy." The foreigner was swift to remind, "I am a stranger to her not a daddy. I was not there to hold her or read stories to her or sing her to sleep. I was not there to see her first steps. I did not do any of those daddy things."
Her heart went out to the man sitting next to her and Brooke tried desperately to make him feel better or at least get him to smile—it was almost scary seeing such a distressed Fez—"Fez, those things don't make you a father. And if you really wanted to, you could still do all those things with Lucy….well expect for the first steps thing. But Michael didn't get to see Betsy's first steps but you know Betsy still adores him."
Fez furrowed his brow slightly as he thought over Brooke words, never noticing the frown that had formed on Kelso's own forehead behind him.
"Hey! I was there for Betsy's first steps!" he protested firmly, "I taped it and everything…well upside down but still!" in the middle of his argument he soon realized his wife had only said that to help Fez feel better. "Oh. You were trying to…Oh."
While husband and wife exchanged looks, Fez stood up from the sofa and headed for the side door of the basement.
"I have to go." He said sounding as if his mind were elsewhere and his words had come out as an instinct.
Brooke stood up but didn't follow him, "Fez, don't go."
"Yeah, man, don't go, cuz if you go and Laurie comes down here and finds you gone she's gonna get mad." Kelso started to explain, "And I've seen Laurie mad and…and I don't wanna go through that again." The memory of an angry Laurie flooded his mind and the tall pretty man became shaken up, "I won't go through it again!"
Holding his jacket in one hand and his other hand grabbing onto the door knob of the exit, Fez turned around to see Brooke rubbing her palm on his frightened friend's arm as effort to comfort and soothe him.
"I will be back." He told the couple, "I just…if I want Lucy to love me and not hate me…I'm going to need a lot more Hershey bars. I'm going to the Gas-N-Go. I shall be back."
"Fez, wait, man." Kelso called out stopping the foreign man from stepping through the now open door and causing him to turn and look his way, "You think while you're there you can get me one of those foot long hotdogs they have there?"
Long strands of brown hair flew in the air as Brooke whipped her head around to glare at her husband, "Michael!"
"What?! He was going there anyways! God, Brooke!" Kelso exclaimed in a very Kelso like fashion.
After letting out a small but clearly frustrated sigh, Brooke stepped away from Kelso and walked closer to where Fez was standing. In a very gentle manner, and without saying a word, she took his hand off the door and into her own hand and then pushed it shut before leading him back over to the couch. She aided him into a seat before taking one herself.
"Fez, buying more candy for her isn't going to make Lucy love you more…" she began to say before getting interrupted once again.
"I don't know Brooke." Kelso said, ready to share his thoughts, "I mean the Fezs do love their candy."
Wearing a shy smile, Fez nodded his head, "That is true."
Obviously irritated by the constant interruptions and pointless comments, Brooke was ready to kick Kelso out of the room but decided to do it in a nicer, less obvious way. Looking up at him she began her plan, "Michael, why don't you take Betsy upstairs to watch some cartoons up there on the bigger television set."
"But I'm helping." He replied sounding hurt and wearing a small pout.
"I don't think you are, sweetie."
"Yeah, I am. Look watch." Kelso said determined to prove her wrong, he walked behind the sofa and then kneeled down propping his elbows on the back of the furniture and grinning largely at his grim looking pal, "Hey Fez, man, remember that time I dropped my wedding ring in the toilet and got my hand stuck in there when I tired to get it out?"
A tiny smile cracked onto Fez's lips, "Yes."
As the memory came back to the two men it became harder and harder to hold in their laughs and soon they were laughing right out with some good ol' belly laughs. Meanwhile Brooke sat there with confusion written all over her face. She had so many questions, one of them being how the heck did Michael's wedding ring end up in the toilet and why was this the first she was hearing of it? However, she knew that wasn't important now and decided to focus her attention on a another question.
"Michael, what was the point of telling that story?" she asked.
"I made him laugh." He said shrugging as if it were simple, "I helped."
Fez nodded, "He did help a little."
"Well I'm happy to hear that. Though I'm not so happy about the actual story." She said her smile flattening when she looked over at Kelso for a second or two, "Do you mind if I try to help to?"
Seeing the timid head shake Brooke smiled slightly.
"This isn't really about you being worried about Lucy hating you because you know she won't. And you're not worried about not having enough candy either." Brooke started and when she didn't hear any objections she went on, "You're worried about being a father. About being a good one."
The brown puppy dog eyes of Fez became wide with fear as he stared at Brooke and nodded his head rapidly, "Yes, yes, yes. It's all happening so fast! I'm…I'm scared."
"I'm sure." She said sympathetically placing a claming hand over his trembling one, "Michael and I at least had nine months to help prepare ourselves to become parents. You've had less than an hour."
An envious frown made its way to Fez's face, "You bastards."
"Wait a minute, Fez. You're not really worried about being a dad, are you?" Kelso asked once again joining in on the conversation.
"Yes." The other man nodded, now feeling more than a bit embarrassed.
"That's crazy!" Kelso exclaimed and it seemed like with just those two little words Fez's nerves were put at ease, "I mean if I can be a great dad then you're gonna be like an awesome dad!" he continued but paused to think over what he'd just said and how they were somewhat incorrect, "Well more like a great dad like me….well maybe not as great as me but almost."
Instead of being hurt or upset by Kelso's words Fez found himself agreeing with them as he nodded along understandingly while Kelso rambled on.
"Plus we're gonna be Daddy Buddies, remember? And our daughters are gonna be best friends just like us. And we can have Daddy Daughter Days where we can take them to the park and the carnival and the petting zoo…well the ones I'm still allowed in." he added sleepishly, "Oo! And Sunday's can be Sundae Days when we can go for ice cream!"
By this time both men were wearing very large matching smiles and Brooke didn't have the heart to point out to them that Lucy lived with Laurie in Madison not Chicago.
"Oh I bet the girls would love having ice cream every Sunday." Fez stated, showing his interest in Kelso's ideas.
"Hey yeah, we could take them too!" Kelso nodded eagerly.
Fez looked up at his friend, "Thank you, Kelso. Thank you too, Brooke." He smiled more, showing his relaxation, "I am feeling much better."
"I'm glad." Brooke said with her own smile.
"Me too." Kelso agreed but as a thought dawned on him he realized maybe he wasn't as glad as he thought he was, "But you know, there's still that chance she might still laugh at you. So maybe you should go get those extra candy bars as a back up."
Fear set itself back into Fez's eyes, "You're right, Kelso."
Kelso grinned as he watched Fez stand back up and head back towards the door he had tried to escape through minutes ago, "And don't forget my hotdog!"
"Michael!" his wife screeched out.
"What? I'm hungry!" came his weak defense.
While Brooke began to scold her man child of a husband, Fez started to sneak out the back door when suddenly a new voice brought him to a halt.
"Fez? Where're you going?"
Silence filled the room as the foreigner turned around and saw Laurie walk down the last two steps of the basement staircase. He wondered how much of his conversation with The Kelsos she had heard but he immediately stopped wondering when his attention became focused on something else. The little girl in her arms.
Though she had some of her face hidden in Laurie's neck, Fez could still see that she was a beautiful little girl. She definitely took after her mother and for that he was very grateful but there was still a happy flutter in his stomach when he saw that she really did have his eyes. She looked so sweet and innocent he knew he couldn't just leave her—even if it was to get her more candy—his heart had been captured.
"No where." He answered and then shut the door, "No where at all."
"Good." Laurie said in a small voice as she began to step further into the basement and closer to Fez who had also began to move closer to the sitting area in the room, "Fez, this is Lucy." She began and then looked down at her little girl, "And Lucy, I want you meat someone very, very special."
Father and daughter stared at each other; one pair of eyes filled with amazement and the other seemed to show fear. Finally Fez managed to snap himself out of his trance as he recognized the fact that Laurie had left it to him to tell Lucy he was her father.
He smiled at her, "Hello, Lucy. I…I am…I have candy, would you like some?"
Loosing his nerve to break the big news to her, Fez reached down and grabbed the Hershey bar off the round table and handed it to Little Lucy. But the little girl made no grab for the chocolate or any other kind of movement, in fact she only seemed to stare back at Fez while clinging tighter to her mother, looking to be on the verge of tears.
Fez caught the glimpse of the trembling lower lip and quickly began to panic, "No, no, please don't cry. Or laugh at me. I… you don't have to take the candy."
"Geeze, the kid didn't take the candy?" Kelso said from the sidelines, "Maybe she's not really Fez's kid."
"I'll take it, Uncle Fez!" Betsy happily shouted as she threw her hand in the air.
Brooke could feel her face getting hot from her family's actions, quickly she tried to excuse themselves out of the room, "Um I think we should probably go. This is really is more of a family moment."
"Oh okay, babe." Kelso agreed, "I'll catch up with you and Betsy later."
"Michael."
He frowned, "What me too? That's not fair!"
"No, no. Please stay." Fez said cutting into the mini squabble, watching as Laurie sat herself and Lucy down on the couch before sitting down himself, "You are my family and so you are her family too."
Brooke was touched by the statement and smiled while Kelso showed that he had also been touched but in a much more Kelso like way.
"Alright, we get to stay!" he exclaimed with a fist pump.
"Damn it! Kettlehead gets to be down there and I don't?!" a familiar voice seeped through the walls and into the basement.
Instantly recognizing the voice Laurie scowled, "Daddy!"
She waited a few good seconds to make sure there were no other remarks from her father. She hoped he had stopped listening in on the conversation but had a good hunch that he hadn't; releasing a small sigh at the thought she looked at Lucy who she had scooted off her lap and onto the cushion of the couch. Even though she didn't want to rush this, with her father listening in she knew it would only be a matter of time before he was down here threatening Fez with a foot up the ass. And it didn't look liked Fez was going to be able to tell Lucy himself so that left her with the job.
"Lucy, baby," she said in a soft voice, "this is your daddy."
"Daddy?" she repeated as she stared back at him.
"Yes, yes, that is me. Hello." He said a bit awkwardly, "I am sorry that I have missed some big things in your life but I will make up for each of them with a new candy bar. Your mommy says your favorite is Hershey bars." He grabbed the Hershey bar once again, "Here, you can have this one now. You don't have to eat it now if you don't want to."
Gradually Lucy reached out her little hand and grabbed the candy bar from Fez.
"I like candy." She shared with him in a little voice that sounded even lower with her looking down at the candy.
Fez smiled, "I like candy too. I always have some with me."
Lucy's head shot up and her eyes filled with wonderment, "Always?"
"Always."
There was another moment of silence as Lucy appeared to be thinking over the words she'd just heard. At last she looked up from her candy and back at her father.
"Then I like you." She informed with a nod of her head before she moved herself farther away from Laurie and closer to Fez.
Fez hadn't expected to have his little girl sitting so close to him so soon and he definitely didn't expect her to climb onto his lap and make herself comfortable, but that's just what she did. And Fez couldn't think of anything that felt better at least not until he wrapped his own arms around Lucy and got to hug and hold her for the first time. That feeling…that feeling was indescribable.
Once he'd unwrapped his arms from her, but kept one arm behind her, Lucy quickly went to work on trying to open her Hershey bar. She seemed to be having a bit of trouble and so it was Daddy Fez to the rescue.
"Here let me help you." He said taking the candy bar into his hands and making a slit in the wrapper, "You tear it at the corner and then pull it this way, see? And instead of taking big bites you should break up the pieces into the mini Hershey bars that are there."
Lucy watched in fascination as the man whose lap she sat on cut the big Hershey bar into little ones that were perfectly shaped—not even Mommy could do that!
Fez placed a few of the candy pieces into Lucy's small hand and continued with his candy lesson, "Now your candy will last longer and you can even save some of it for later or share it." He paused before adding in a another valid point, "But you don't have to share it. Candy is very important and should only be shared with people who are important to you. People you love."
The little girls eyes went from Fez to the candy to Fez again as she connected what it was he was trying to tell her.
"Candy for Lucy." She said placing one of the small chocolate pieces on her lap and taking another, reaching out to put it on Laurie's lap, "Candy for Mommy." She paused almost hesitantly, before grabbing Fez's hand and placing a mini Hershey bar in his palm, "Candy for Daddy."
Being called Daddy for the first time almost made Fez brake into tears but he managed to hold it together as she smiled at his daughter, "Thank you." He looked across the couch to her mother and repeated, "Thank you."
With tears brimming at her eyes Laurie smiled and nodded in reply.
The spectators also found themselves a bit chocked up, "Isn't that sweet, Michael?"
"Yeah." Kelso agreed before letting his smile shrink and crossing his arms over his chest, "Still wish I would have gotten that hotdog though."
Brooke only shook her head at his words before going back to watching the sweet scene in front of her.
Author's Note: And that would be Chapter 48 of "Two Weeks" Hope you liked!
Will Red join the others in the basement? Will Jackie follow Angie's advice and give Hyde the chance to explain? Will Angie want Hyde to explain about his fake stripper wife? Will Lucy get to be part of the Daddy Daughter Days? Will she leave back to Madison with Laurie? And will Kelso ever get his hotdog? Confused? You won't be after the next chapter of "Two Weeks"
Until next time, thanks for reading, hope you liked, please review and lemme know what you think, stay tuned, take care, and have a nice day!
