1984-
"Eric Foreman you dumb, stupid-" She began as soon as they had gotten back to her house. Tyler and Betsy had gone for a sleepover at Mimi and Grandpa's, so the adults gathered to catch up at Jackie's house.
"Jackie." Steven cut her off, grasping her hand comfortingly. She flushed, and took a deep breath.
"Why did you never tell me Steven called?" She asked.
Donna's face is what she noticed first. The red head punched him. "Ow!"
"You talked to Hyde, ya dillhole?"
"I had to raise my baby alone-"
"Enough!" Eric suddenly yelled. "I have no clue what any of you are talking about."
"Cut the shit, Foreman, you wrote down my number. March of 1980, I had just moved in with Julie." He defended himself.
"Hyde, I genuinely have no clue what you are talking about." He repeated slowly.
"You were eating marshmallows. You couldn't stop because they were red. You told me you'd call back." He furthered. Eric's brows furrowed.
Donna's face fell in realization.
"You talked to him the day he got his wisdom teeth out." She deadpanned. Jackie laughed at the memory.
"We convinced him his gauze was marshmallows."
Hyde blinked.
"So you never called back because you never remembered." He spoke in realization.
"I still don't know what any of you are talking about." Eric shrugged.
"See, Doll, I told you." Steven turned to her. They were still standing in the entry way, all bundled up. He removed her hat and scarf gently, and when she sat on the bench, he gingerly took off her shoes.
"Yeah. Steven told me I wasn't allowed to stab Eric until I heard him out." She nodded.
"Steven, when did you get so wise?" Eric spoke in a girlish tone.
"I know where your bruises are." He threatened. The phone rang.
Jackie reached over and picked it up. "Hello?"
"Jackie, it's Angie!" The girl spoke on the phone. "Girl it has been too long! What's up!"
"Hey, Ang. We're all just hanging out at my place. Fez and Laurie should be here soon. Kelso's wife just had a baby so they're at MGH." She spoke. "Why don't you come over?"
"Well, Julie and I-"
"Bring her too! I can't wait to meet your girlfriend, I've heard all about her from Steven!" She gushed.
After she hung up, she stood. "Your sister is coming." She nodded, hobbling into the kitchen. "We need food. I'm thinking pasta-"
"You are not cooking."
"But-"
"You can supervise." He offered, pulling out a chair from the kitchen table. She scoffed, but complied. He rifled through the cabinets, and upon discovering there were no tomatoes, the men decided to take the trek to Eric and Donna's to receive them.
Donna sat across from Jackie, and gave her a pointed look.
"Did you guys bang?" She asked. Jackie scoffed, blushing.
"No."
"Something happened."
"Okay, fine. He let it slip that he talked to Eric, and nobody ever called him back. Then he told me how he could have come home on his own... He was just so mature and responsible. He was-"
"Uh huh, yeah. This is Hyde we're talking about." Donna reminded her. "He's been gone for four years."
"But he's different now. I'm not saying I'm gonna get dirty with him as soon as I can. Even though I have webs. It's been like, a year." She rolled her eyes.
"Jackie. I just... Don't want you getting hurt."
"I'll be fine."
"You can never say no to him."
"I'm-" The doorbell rang. "He stopped me."
"Hyde stopped you?"
"Yup."
"Huh." She muttered. Jackie hobbled to the door after telling Donna to stay seated.
She opened the door to see Angela, and a small brunette that reminded her of herself.
"Hey, Angie!"
"Jackie, it has been far too long! Where is my stupid brother?"
"He's getting tomatoes so he can cook me dinner!" She moved aside. "Come in the house, ladies it's freezing out."
When they were inside, they stood in the hall. "This is my friend Julie."
"Steven already told me." She deadpanned.
"Oh, thank Lord!" Julie gasped, drawl showing. "It's so nice to finally meet you! I'm Julie, Hyde's best bitch." She nodded. Angela snorted.
"Not so shy, I see."
"The gay pokes through, Ang, why do you think I ran from Georgia? People just know as soon as I open my mouth."
"Welcome to Dairy Land, Peaches." Jackie joked. Julie let out a hearty laugh, removing her beret. Shelby sniffed at them curiously, and Julie scratched behind her ears. They entered the kitchen, and Angie graced Donna with a hug as they caught up.
When the door opened again, Steven and Eric walked through the door. Eric was giggling like a school girl, and Hyde's face was pink with embarrassment. He had a white knuckle grip on his tomato cans. He thrust a finger at Donna.
"My niece in that stomach of yours better be a girl. I hope it's a girl. Then your girl, can paint his nails pink."
"But you left it on!"
"Like I know how to take it off?"
"Calm down, Stevie." Julie added in.
"Stevie!" Donna laughed.
"Guys, cut the crap. He's enjoying being a Dad." Jackie butted in, grabbing the pasta out of the fridge.
"Damn, Doll. You buy fancy pasta." He commented. She smirked.
"Only the best for the original princess." She joked. He had always called her that.
He kissed Julie, then Angie both on the cheek. "We've hardly had any time to hang out." He apologized. "I've been... I've... Had... You know."
"We know." They spoke in unison.
"Jackie, your house is beautiful!" Julie beamed. "I never in a million years thought I'd find someone with such gusto and taste similar to mine!"
"Do you read Ga-"
"vellon Design magazine!" Jackie squealed with her.
"Stevie, you've been replaced. Miss Jackie, she's my new GDB!"
"GDB?" Eric and Donna asked.
"Gavellon Design Buddy." Steven deadpanned. "Replace me all you'd like, but if I have to knock down any more walls or pull up any more floors, I'm gonna move into the basement."
"What about Ty?" Jackie laughed.
"She can have your old bedroom, and when she reaches the age where she starts to sneak out, I'll sleep in my sleeping bag by the front door." He nodded, matter of factly.
"You have this all planned out." Donna narrowed her eyes, suspiciously.
"Well, yeah. I didn't expect Jackie to tell me to stay. Kitty was gonna help me fix up the basement so I could move in until I get myself settled." He admitted. "But, now I'm sleeping in the guest room."
Donna nodded, eyes narrowed. He narrowed them back. "You got a problem, Big Red?" He was half joking, the nick name gave that away.
"Just seems quick."
"What seems quick?"
Jackie smacked Donna on the arm with the pasta bag, and suddenly he realized what she was talking about.
"I'm focusing on working to fix what I broke. All that will come later on." Hyde waved her off. "Not now. Maybe later, but right now it's too fresh and chaotic."
He started making his bolognese.
As he listened to his friends talk and bond, he smiled as Julie and Jackie started bonding. By eleven, everyone had filed out, and the two were seated on the couch, going through photo albums.
"What about that one?" He pointed to a baby picture with pasta sauce all over her face. They were passing a joint back and forth.
"Kitty made ravioli and she made it into a game. Sauce everywhere. All over me, Eric, Donna, Red."
Steven laughed at the thought of Red with sauce on his face. He handed the joint toward her. "I'm all set with this. Do you want more?" She shook her head, and he pinched it out between his fingers.
A record by The Beatles played lowly in the background.
"So, you moved in with Julie in 1980."
He nodded his head. "Yeah. Relapsed that May."
"That fast?"
"Well, see, I had chronic relapses until I finally admitted to myself I needed help, and that my home life fucked me up." He mentioned.
She nodded in understanding.
He coughed. "Did it hurt?" She tilted her head in confusion. "Giving birth?" He clarified. She laughed.
"Um, yeah, like I was trying to squeeze a watermelon through a hole this big." She made a circle with her thumb and index finger.
"Ouch."
May 1980-
She had just spoken to him.
Twenty minutes ago.
When she got home last week, he was acting funny. But he shrugged it off, and so had she. She finally caught him. She found an empty pint of Jack in his passenger seat.
When she got home, she wanted to yell, but she calmly opened the door to their shared apartment, and he broke down in tears.
His speech was slurred, but she understood him.
She was stunned, but she agreed to help him through his tragedy. He didn't need detox, but she accompanied him to meetings and he appreciated her keeping his secret from his family.
Until one day she came home to his empty bedroom. He was gone, nothing but a note.
Went to detox, be back next week.
-Hyde
She picked up the phone.
"Steven?"
"Nah. It's Julie."