A/N: I'm baaaaack. This chapter was a struggle, but here it is anyway. Don't hate me if it's a little bit fillerish... we're still in the building blocks stage, but the pace will pick up soon, I promise. You probably noticed that I renamed the story. I hope I didn't confuse anybody too much, I promise I won't be changing the name any more; it was just kind of one of those things where I knew what my story was gonna be but I didn't have a title for it yet, so I just picked a bland one. I'm happy to say that I like the new one a whole lot more, and it will explain itself in future chapters. I hope this goes without saying, but I do not own "Drops of Jupiter", nor am I in any way affiliated with the band "Train". It's just one of my most favorite songs... I'd definitely recommend a listen if you haven't heard it before.
And, as always, thanks so very much to everyone who reviewed last chapter. You guys rock :)
"Maybe the past is like an anchor holding us back. Maybe you have to let go of who you were to become who you will be."
She'd dyed her hair back to red. That was the first thing he processed, as he took a step closer and grabbed onto the edge of the table so tightly his knuckles turned white. It was slightly curled, and cascaded down her back like a waterfall. For a moment, he couldn't look away. She wore a black headband and a professional looking skirt and pressed white blouse; she was clutching a small black briefcase in her right hand. Her beautiful hazel eyes were just as vibrant as ever, but they betrayed how surprised she was; her lips slightly parted and her eyebrows quirked. But still, she looked... better than ever.
"Hello, Donna," he murmured when he'd regained the power of speech, his greeting accompanied by a small grin - a knee-jerk reaction.
She, on the other hand, didn't seem to know what to say. She opened her mouth, and then closed it again. A small smile flashed across her face, too, for just the briefest of moments before it disappeared again, replaced by a practiced detached expression.
He'd been about to say something, anything, when suddenly Donna's legs were pummeled by Natalia.
"Mommy, Miss Kitty took us to the park today, and I got to go on the SWINGS!" You'd think that Natalia had just declared that she'd qualified for the Olympics, such was her level of excitement, and her daughter's outburst seemed to jar Donna back into the present. She tore her eyes away from Eric's, and smiled at Natalia's wild hand gestures. "...'cause an ANT was on his shoe! Isn't that funny, Mama?"
Eric, in the meantime, was standing awkwardly in the corner. He felt strange; like he was in someone else's house instead of his own, and his brain was working furiously to put together the pieces. His eyes traveled up and down the scene in front of him; Donna's professional clothing, the leather briefcase at her feet, and the child that was resting comfortably on her hip.
"...And then after snack, we got to color pictures, mommy! I picked a flower, cuz I know you like 'em."
Donna smiled, but Eric could see that it was obviously forced as she slid her daughter to the floor. "That's great, baby. You wanna go get it so you can show it to me?"
"Yeah!" Natalia bellowed appreciatively, and barreled through the swinging kitchen door towards the living room.
With the energetic four-year-old out of the picture, an uncomfortable silence fell across the room. Eric was still reeling, his eyebrows lifted so high they almost disappeared in his hairline, and Donna took a deep breath and held onto her briefcase strap a little tighter.
"So you're a mom, huh?" Eric had finally come to his senses, and he swallowed hard as he moved a couple of steps closer. "I, um. I didn't know that."
Donna just smirked. "Well, there's a lot you miss when you vanish into the ether for five years."
Eric just nodded, defeated. He supposed he deserved that. Donna was fidgeting uncomfortably, bouncing her weight from foot to foot. He racked his brain desperately for something to say; anything. Luckily, he was saved, though, when Donna broke the silence.
"So," she started, eying him uncertainly, "I didn't, um, I didn't know you were back."
"Oh. Yeah. It was all kind of... kind of sudden. My agent wanted me to come back for the weekend, just to, you know, get some inspiration or whatever." He made a 'whatever' face, but her unamused expression didn't change.
"So you leave..." she trailed off, waiting for him to finish her sentence.
"Sunday."
"Of course you do." She raised one eyebrow before releasing a sigh, confusing Eric. He was about to ask if that was a good thing or a bad thing when Natalia bounded through the door, clutching a piece of paper with a sloppy purple flower drawn on it.
"Lookit!" She thrust the paper under her mother's nose, and Donna ooh'ed and ahh'ed politely.
"It's very good, Talia. We'll have to hang it up on the fridge." She held the paper up for Eric to see, and he caught the message her eyes were flashing him.
"Oh, wow." He nodded, eying the blob of purple and green that really looked more like a rhinoceros than a flower. "I like it."
Natalia giggled at all of the praise.
"What do you say?" Donna prodded her child gently, in the tone that mothers across the universe have perfected.
"Thank you, Mr. Eric," Natalia recited, clasping her hands behind her back and hopping from foot to foot anxiously.
Donna nodded, and pressed a hand against her daughter's back lightly. "Okay. Why don't you go wait for me on the driveway. Just be careful that you don't go near the street. I'll be right there."
Eric watched Natalia skip out the sliding kitchen door out of the corner of his eye, a slight smile on his face. She really did look just like Donna; right down to the red converse on her feet. But her eyes... there was something about her eyes...
He was interrupted when Donna cleared her throat, and he looked at her. "Well, um, it was... nice seeing you again, Eric," she ventured half-heartedly, gathering her briefcase and adjusting her suit jacket.
But Eric was already sick of the small-talk, and he moved to grab her arm as Donna started to move around him towards the door. Thoughts of the last summer he'd spent here were swirling through his head; thoughts of carefree love, an all-night goodbye celebration at the end of that September, and a little girl with auburn hair and green eyes.
"When was Natalia born?" The question came out as more of a demand that he'd planned, and Donna's eye wouldn't meet his.
When she looked up at him again, though, her eyes were set in a sort of cold determination. "June of 1980." There was a beat, and they both stared at each other so long Eric began to wonder if they were in a staring contest he hadn't been informed of. "She turned four on the 24th," Donna offered in a kinder voice, but it still cut Eric to the core.
"Four?" He repeated, his eyebrow raised as he tried to do the math in his head without making it obvious.
"Four." Donna confirmed, raising her eyebrow, too.
That appeared to be the extent of their conversation, as Donna's shoulder slumped, and she moved to slide around him once again. She stopped with her hand on the door handle, though, and turned just enough to make eye contact with Eric.
"But, don't worry," she told him in a soft voice, after checking to make sure that Natalia was out of earshot, "She's not yours."
"Peg-leg Pete's Swashbuckling Pizza Parlor?" Eric read the sign aloud to himself in disbelief.
After his encounter with Donna, he'd decided to go for a quick walk while his parents showered and got ready for dinner. He'd started out on the trail behind the park, but about half-way through he'd gotten thirsty and decided to stop by the Hub and grab a Coke or something.
But apparently, his teenage hang-out was under new management, Eric noted with disgust as the fluorescent pirate sign hanging above the door "Arr'd" at him amicably.
Still, a quick glance at his wristwatch told him he had another half hour to kill, so he followed a young couple in the door and was immediately taken aback. There wasn't an untouched square inch in the place. The linoleum had been replaced with the fakest looking wood he'd ever seen before in his life, each table sported a ship-in-a-bottle centerpiece, and "A Pirate's Life For Me" blared over the loudspeakers. He was about to turn around and head right back out again when he heard someone call his name.
"Forman! FORMAN!?"
Sure enough, there sat Michael Kelso, not ten feet away from Eric. He was sitting by himself at a table; it was the same one they always used to sit at when they were in high school, although now it had the imprint of a scull carved into the tabletop instead of a red checkered table cloth. He was waving spastically, a huge grin on his face.
"Hey, man! I didn't know you were back!" Kelso engulfed Eric in a bear hug as soon as he was close enough, and Eric grinned and patted his old friend's back. "Here, get anything you want, my treat." He waved a waitress over, and grinned at Eric. "This place is great!"
"What can I get you?" The blonde waitress snapped her gum impatiently, and Eric wrinkled his brow. Since when did this place use waiters?
"Uh, I'll just take a Coke."
"You mean a bottle of rum?" Snap.
Eric just blew out a chuckle through his nose and lifted his eyebrows. "That works, too."
When she left with his order, Eric turned back to Kelso. "Yeah, I'm just back for the weekend. It's good to see you." He smiled the first genuine smile he could remember in such a long time, and sat down in the chair Kelso was eagerly gesturing to.
"You too, buddy, you too! God, I mean, you're like this big shot writer guy, now, man. Your book was so awesome!"
Eric just grinned. "Wait a minute. Michael Kelso actually read a book?" He teased him lightly. Kelso just got a sheepish look on his face.
"Well, um, actually, no. I saw the movie, though!" His voice dropped, and he leaned in conspiratorially. "And can I just say thank you for going easy on me. I mean, I didn't even have a name in the credits, just 'Dumb Guy at Bowling Alley'."
"Oh, Kelso, man," Eric fidgeted nervously, but Kelso cut him off before he could go on.
"Oh, no, no. Believe me, it's fine. I mean, I saw what you did to Donna and Hyde, or should I say "Dawn and Seek." He tried to wink, but it came off as a weird twitch.
"You know, that wasn't - I mean," he sighed, and his shoulders dropped. "Well, anyways, look, man, I'm sorry. About the whole movie thing. If I offended you in any way-"
"Oh no. The only way you could've offended me was if you hired an ugly guy to play me. Rest assured, I greatly appreciated the Steve Martin cameo."
The topic soon turned stale, so Kelso caught Eric up on all of the small town gossip: Kathy McCray and Tom Ripley were engaged, Marsha Lewis's little sister got suspended from high school for lighting up during Math class, and Kelly Johnson had flunked out of college. Soon they were laughing just like old times, but when the small talk ran out, Eric cleared his throat. "So, man, how's your life?"
Kelso's grin stretched so wide Eric was sure it would fall off his face. "Great, man. Brooke and I, we got married last year."
"That's right," Eric nodded. "My mom told me about that. Congratulations, man. And how old is Betsy now?"
"She turned six two weeks ago."
Eric just smiled. "That's great."
"Here," Kelso dug into his back pocket and produced a billfold. "Wanna see a picture? I've gotta use the, heh, head." He motioned in the direction of the bathroom, and Eric nodded, smirking.
Eric inspected the picture as Kelso scampered off. It was a family shot; Kelso, Brooke, and Betsy were all dressed in blue jeans and white shirts. They looked like they were on a beach. Eric's eyes lingered on the way Kelso's arms were wrapped protectively around his family. This wasn't the friend he'd left behind. This was some responsible family man. Sure he was still just a tad vain, and sure he still loved pirates, but he was, well... grown up. Eric smiled, and reached into his pocket for his pen so that he could jot his thought down on a napkin. Maybe his agent wasn't crazy. Maybe there was inspiration to be had, right here in Point Place.
But, speaking of inspiration's sake...
After a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure that no one was paying him any attention, Eric slid over onto Kelso's chair, which was nearer the wall, and ran his fingers along the knotty wood, right near the ridge where the edge of the doorframe ran into the smooth texture. Even though they'd sprayed some cheap, glossy covering on the walls since his last visit, he couldn't help wondering if it was still here...
His fingers moved of their own accord; they knew the spot, knew the feel of the worn old heart-shaped, initial-filled carving, yet it appeared to be in vain, because the only thing he found was the declaration "Lexi luvs Zach, 4real", and, of course, the obligatory "where's the beef?" inscription from some kid who thought he was original.
Biting back a sigh, he barely returned to his seat before the bathroom door swung open, and Kelso plopped himself down across from him with a lopsided grin. Eric knew that Red and Kitty would be almost ready to go by now and that he really ought to be heading home soon, but he couldn't help but quell just a little bit of his curiosity. "So, Kelso, how's everyone else doin'?" Read: how's Donna doin'?
Kelso, of course, did not pick up on his cue. "Oh, you know, pretty well. Jackie and Fez are still dating. They still live in our old apartment on Fifth. And Hyde is working at this new record store they put in at the mall about three years ago; I think he's the assistant manager, now." He blinked, and appeared to be trying to remember if he forgot anyone. "Oh, and Donna. Um," he looked at Eric unsurely.
"I ran into her today at my parents' house," Eric offered nonchalantly, chewing lightly on the tip of his straw.
"So then you know?" Kelso looked nervous.
"I know that she has a daughter that no one told me about, yes." He leaned forward in his chair and set his Coke down heavily. "Seriously, man. What's the deal with that?"
Kelso just shrugged. "Oh, right. Natalia. I dunno. It just didn't seem like the type of thing you tell somebody over the phone. Besides, it's not like you're the dad or anything."
Eric leaned back in his chair once again, eying Kelso. "So I've heard."
Kelso, blessedly unaware of the way Eric's shoulders had knotted up, began casually, picking at his napkin with a straw, "Donna says the dad's some doctor from out east. She hooked up with him at this party a couple weeks after you left. He flew back to Boston before she found out she was pregnant, and I guess she's just never told him." He shrugged his shoulders and glanced up. "I mean, we've never even met the guy."
After a well-timed burp, Kelso continued. "But, I mean, it's not like Big D ever needed his help or anything, that's for sure. Bob left the house to Donna when he moved to Florida three years ago; she and Tal live there now. Donna writes for the newspaper. They get by just fine, man," Kelso patted Eric's arm reassuringly, obviously misconstruing the look on Eric's face as concern for their well-being.
Eric just nodded, limply, still struggling to process all of this new information. He must have had a strange look on his face, because when he looked up, Kelso was staring at him oddly.
"You okay, man? Cause you look sorta weird. Like that time I ate too many Pringles and got sick in the airport bathroom." He paused and sort of looked off into the distance for a moment, a goofy smile on his face. "Man, that was awesome." He shook his head for a moment in wonderment of the apparently fond memory, before snapping back to reality when Eric sighed.
"I don't... I dunno. It's just like.. I guess everything is a lot more different than I'd thought it'd be. Kinda like, well, nothing's the same anymore." He couldn't help it that his tone was gloomy and he had to restrain his eyes from wandering over to the bald spot on the wall.
Kelso just nodded, in a moment of rare maturity. He was probably thinking about squirrels, but his eyes were present. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, you haven't been back since..." He squinted his eyes, trying to remember.
"1979," Eric offered glumly. "That September."
"Yeah. Well, you know, things change, Forman. Even in Point Place." His expression was teasing, but Eric picked up on a bitter edge to his voice that indicated that this conversation was probably over.
"Right," Eric nodded and took one last sip of his soda. "Well, thanks a billion for the soda, buddy. You're sure I can't pay for it?" He pulled his billfold out of his back pocket and waved it in front of Kelso's face tantalizingly, but Kelso just chuckled.
"Nah, I got it man." They both stood up awkwardly. "But, hey, do you wanna maybe get together later on this week? Shoot some pool? Or, hey, we could go to a Brewers game or something..."
Eric just frowned remorsefully. "Can't. I leave Sunday."
He felt like he'd just kicked a puppy, what with the way Kelso's face completely dropped. "Oh yeah. Oh, that's right. Um, okay then, ah, I'll just... I'll see you later then."
"Don't worry, man. I won't be a stranger anymore," Eric flashed him a half-hearted grin. "I think I've already burned too many bridges."
The two men said their goodbyes, and Kelso sat down in his booth again, smiling wistfully, thinking about his friend. The blonde waitress approached him with a tray of food. "One Buccaneer Burger kid's meal," she recited in a bored tone of voice, setting the plate down in front of him. Kelso just pouted at her.
"But my friend just left. I'm not even hungry anymore."
She just snapped her gum at him, unamused. "Don't care; still have to pay."
Up Next: Kitty and Red host a barbeque, and Eric faces some more demons...
Please review!! :)