*** Meanwhile in Hyde's Room***

Jackie rushes in to find his room empty. The only thing left is a note on his cot. She picks up the note and reads out loud:

"Mrs. Forman, thank you for your hospitality. Your kindness is greatly appreciated and will never be forgotten."

Steven

PS I'll be in touch

Jackie's eyes begin to water as she gasps for air; her heart sinks deep into her stomach as her greatest fear turns into reality. Steven is gone, she'll never be able to tell him that she has chosen him, how she feels, how much she truly loves him. She lays down on the cot and remembers all the time they had spent together in this very room, all the times they snuggled, all the talking, all the wonderful times are now just memories, nothing new to come, for Steven is gone.

Jackie emerges from the room walking into the main portion of the basement it was empty. She decides to go upstairs and deliver Steven's note to the person he had intended it for. Mrs. Forman was in the kitchen as usual.

"Mrs. Forman, I found this note addressed to you in Steven's Room" Jackie said as she handed to note to Kitty.

"Oh, Hello Jackie, Thank you" Kitty replied as she took the note from Jackie. "What, Where is Steven?" Kitty asked Jackie "Ahhhh, I don't know he didn't tell me anything, I was hoping you knew Mrs. Forman" Jackie moped. "Well Jackie, it seems to me that Steven has left, maybe you kicking him to the curb like last nights trash, has forced him to leave, did you ever think of that? Huh did you" Kitty ranted as her menopause kicked in. "Oh dear, I am so sorry Jackie, sometimes I don't know what comes over me.. Is it hot in here or what? I think Red is trying to kill me." Kitty tries to divert attention away from her outburst.

Jackie just stood there trying not to cry, but there was no use. She burst into tears. Kitty nudged Jackie to sit down. "Here, Jackie why don't you just sit down and I will make you some lunch. We can talk this out and see if we can figure out where our Steven went."

Kitty walks to the fridge and takes out preparations for a sandwich, when Red enters the room. "Red, Steven has run away." Kitty says "Oh yeah? Then why is the loud one still here?" Red chuckles. "Red, this isn't funny. He's really gone" Kitty frowns as she hands Red the note left by Steven.

"Eric, get in here!" Red yells. Eric runs into the room, "What, I didn't do it, really I didn't" he weakly states to his father. "What are you yammering about now? Why do you look so guilty? I'll figure out what you did" Red replies "Eric, Steven has run away. Did you know he was going to do this?" Kitty asks her son. Eric just looked at Jackie as she sat at the Forman's dinner table with her head down sobbing. "Eric, answer your mother. Did you know what Steven was up too?" Demanded Red. "No, No sir, I had no idea." Eric said as he was still looking at Jackie. "Wow, Hyde's really gone? How do you know this?" Eric asked Red Red handed Eric the note. "Donna come in here" Eric turned his head and hollered towards the living room entry door. Donna entered the room " Eric made me do it, it was against my better judgment and it will never happen again" Donna pleaded to Red. Red rolled his eyes, "Now you? What the hell is going on around here? Eric don't think I won't figure out what you're up too" Red says as he's looking at Donna. Donna more puzzled than before looks to Eric for an explanation. "Donna, Hyde as run away, he left this behind" Eric filled Donna in as he handed her the note. "Oh my god, what a dill hole" Donna exclaimed, "Why would he do that, I didn't think he was that upset, that he would leave the confines of the basement." Jackie picked her head up from the table. "Donna what? That upset? Why was Steven upset" Jackie could barely get her words out. "Well you know Jackie, you came into the basement looking for Kelso. Hyde heard you, we all assumed you picked Kelso." "What! Oh my god! How could this happen?" Jackie now sobbing more than before. "Yeah Jackie, what did you want with Kelso?" Eric asked. "I wanted to tell Michael we were over, over for good and that I picked Steven." Jackie still sobbing, that no one could really understand her. "What, could you repeat that? This time in English less Soblish" Eric asked. Donna slugged Eric in the air. "Dill hole" she said under her breath. "I said, I wanted to tell Michael we were over, over for good and that I picked Steven" Jackie said getting angry at her predicament. "Jackie, why didn't you talk to Hyde first?" Donna asked? "Because, I wanted to tell Michael, so I could tell Steven it was over and I never had to be alone with Michael again, but what does it matter now, Steven is gone and I am alone here with all of you!"

Jackie got up ran back over to Donna's house. She ran straight to the bedroom her and Donna share. She buried her face in her pillow and cried some more.

** Back in the Forman's Kitchen**

Red, Kitty, Eric and Donna all stood speechless staring at one another. "Well, what's for lunch?" Eric asked Kitty breaking the silence. "Eric, how can you possible eat at a time like this?" Kitty asked her son "Steven is alone somewhere thinking that Jackie has chosen Kelso." "Dumbass, don't upset your mother" Red barked. "Now Kitty, what's for lunch?" "Red, Neither you or Eric will eat again until Steven is back home where he belongs" Kitty is now frantic; it has finally set in that Steven is gone. How could this happen, she has loved him like her own son, she has made him dinner, did his laundry, nurtured him as any loving mother would. "Go, Go find Steven!" She yelled, "Bring my Steven back!" "Son of a bitch" Red pushed his chair back grabbed Eric by the arm, "Com'on Dumbass #1, Let's go retrieve Dumbass #2 so we can eat dinner tonight!" Donna stood in awe as she watched Red and Eric jump into Red's corvette and drive off. Donna looked at Kitty who seemed to be entering the "Menopause Zone", Donna turned and ran away herself.

The phone rang.. Kitty walked over to the phone, snatch it up and yelled into the receiver "I mean it, NO ONE EATS UNTIL STEVEN IS HOME!" "Mrs. Forman, its me Hyde." A calm voice soothes Kitty's nerves. "Steven, Oh Steven, where are you?" Kitty rejoices "Ah, just outside of town, I thought I would call and let you know I am ok, and that with Jackie and Kelso together, I couldn't stay." "Ah, honey, that is nice but Jackie has chosen you, you need to come home and talk to her." "What? Are you sure Mrs. Forman?" Hyde tries to keep his cool. "Yes, I am sure, now come home, come home now!" "Alright, don't tell anyone you have talked to me, ok" "Ok, dear, just come home". Kitty hung up the phone, walked over to her secret stash of wine. She poured herself a glass and set off for the living room.

To Be continued.