Chapter 6

We Know What You Did

     There was a light candy snow on the sidewalks in Point Place, Wisconsin.  It lightly clung to the trees outside as it fell against the backdrop of streetlights making the Forman's house look like a Christmas postcard.  Donna cut the pre made sugar cookie dough log and put the discs on the cookie sheet.  She wished Megan wanted to help her.  She KNEW this was going to happen. 

It wasn't something that she wanted to be right about.  She hated seeing her daughter in pain even if she did deny that she was in that very state. Megan swore up and down to her parents that nothing happened between herself and Hunter.  Hunter did the same with Jackie and Hyde.  But something happened on the last night of their Thanksgiving holiday visit.  Donna and Jackie were the angst queens so they both could tell that something wasn't right between Megan and Hunter, especially since days before they caught them sneaking into the laundry room to make out.

Even Hannah wouldn't say anything to her Mother, but that was only because she didn't know the reason for her brother's and Megan's break up. Jackie and Hyde's plane should be landing soon and Eric went to the pick them up at the airport because they didn't feel like renting a car as seeing Hyde was too cheap and Jackie figured they could just take Donna's car or the van if they wanted to do some last minute shopping as it was two whole days before Christmas.  You try and give your kids the best advice hoping that they'd learn from your mistakes, but sometimes they have to go through the pain themselves.  Megan wasn't crying and was doing her best Donna-esque front.  Eric couldn't even get her to open up.  Something definitely happened between them.  When they all said their goodbyes after their Thanksgiving visit, Hunter was in a corner and didn't even say "goodbye" to her.  He had his head down the whole time, thinking no one would notice.  But everyone noticed.  And even if they hadn't noticed Hunter, Megan's silence would have been the giveaway.  Another clue was the lack of interest on the computer for Megan for anything other than schoolwork since she wasn't talking to Hannah anymore, she just went on to check some of her favorite websites such as the Teens in Wheelchairs forum that Donna recommended to her when she turned twelve.  Donna set the timer for twelve minutes and went to check on Megan.  It hurt her that her daughter's semi confiding in her stopped and she didn't know if it had anything to do with any of the lectures her and/or Eric had given her, but it was not the best feeling in the world when your kids don't want to talk to you.

"Hi, Megan."  Donna said, as Megan finished her first Christmas vacation book.

Charles Dickens', "A Tale of Two Cities".  Even though they were broken up. She still missed Hunter so much. 

"Mom—are they here yet?  I don't feel like going up there.  Please, don't make me." 

Donna noticed for about a month, her daughter really didn't even look her in the eyes anymore.

"All right.  I won't."  She kissed her on the cheek, before sadly heading upstairs

to check on the sugar cookies.   They used to have fun putting the red and green sprinkles on them together and sometimes they would use Kitty's old aluminum cookie cutters in the shapes of Christmas trees, bells, reindeers, and Santa heads.   She missed those times.    If only her daughter would talk to her.  Didn't she already know that she could tell her Mother anything?

     Hunter was miserable.  He felt his wall go up, which was easy considering he was Steven Hyde's son after all.  He missed Megan so much.  Damn, did the parents have to be RIGHT?  They both said some hurtful things to each other.  They tried to act like nothing was wrong but the folks knew, they ALWAYS knew.  He didn't say anything to his Mother or Father.  Hyde even tried to get his son to open up to him privately when Jackie and Hannah were out Christmas shopping but Hunter thought it was laughable that his Dad would try to get anyone to reveal their true emotions, even his own son, considering he was Mr. Zen.  He had a part time job washing dishes at the diner with his friend Thomas.  He didn't tell him anything, either.  At least he let it go, which was more than he could say for his parents.  He had the present all picked out that he wanted to buy her when he saw the circular on Thanksgiving because he knew he would have his own money to buy it with, and then before the holiday was over they had to have their first argument.  They were getting their luggage off the spinning circle.  Why did his Mother always travel with so many bags?  All you needed was one sturdy suitcase and maybe a carryon, but he was so miserable he didn't even bring his sketchpad or pencils.  There was Eric waving with his scrawny arms and his Father had to make a caustic comment.  Hunter was going to be in the same house as Megan.  Why did they have to fight?  It hurt him so deeply.  It hurt them both.   He didn't want to think about that moment, but like Megan, he couldn't stop thinking of what happened.  Maybe, Eric was right about saying promises you couldn't keep after all.

~The Thanksgiving Holiday Flashback~

~The last night at Jackie and Hyde's~

     Since their laundry room aka 'the make out secret room' was found out, they figured it was best to just sit and watch TV together in the living room and do their kissing and selective touching when no one else was present.  Hunter helped her out of her chair and they sat next to each other on the sofa.  They figured after what happened last time that they better not be horizontal on the sofa.  He covered their legs up with his Mother's afghan.  They were kissing because no one was in the room.  Even Frenched each other a couple of times, when Megan spotted a diary on the coffee table. 

"Let's read Hannah's diary!  It'll be good for a laugh.  Plus, I want to know what she's written about me." 

Hunter picked it up, "I know we shouldn't," he smiled, "But let's do it anyway."

He flipped to the middle.  "—'Michael and I went to the Hub'—whoa—this isn't Hannah's diary!  This is my Mom's diary!"  He threw it back on the table.

"Hunter, read more.  There might be some ammo in there that we can use against our hypocritical parents later."

"Okay," he picked it up again, and went to the last entry written in the year 2000.  "Dear Diary—I am finally Mrs. Steven Hyde!  I found this diary when I was doing some cleaning and noticed there was two pages left.  I know I have other diaries, but they're in storage somewhere.  But the fact that this diary started with me

loving Michael Kelso and ends with me and Steven finally tying the knot. I think that's very special. I'm so happy right now.  It wasn't my grand dream wedding—the first wedding ceremony to Steven was ruined when Michael through Brad ruined our day.  Donna and Eric were able to get remarried that day. It was supposed to be a DOUBLE wedding!  I was jealous of that for a long time.  However after Steven walked out on me when I kept putting off rescheduling the wedding, due to Brad's twisted mind. (Which I don't feel like writing about right now) Steven was right to do so.  I should have been able to confide in him.  I didn't think, I would be in Eric's old house, sitting on Laurie's old bed, getting married to Steven who just woke up from his nap to find us all around him.  Tiffany was so cute; I really don't want her to grow up.   Brad and his sexual bribes didn't matter, (thanks so much, Donna!), Donna's affair with Steven and the abortion didn't matter—" Hunter was on autopilot and didn't realize the significance of what he just read until he heard Megan's voice.

"STOP!  Hunter—what the hell?"  Megan asked just like her Mother

"My Father slept with your Mother?"  He made it a question.

"Mom cheated on Dad with Hyde?  And HE got her pregnant?" 

Hunter didn't know where it came from, but he stood up to face her, "I don't like your tone, Megan.  It takes two you know."

"I don't care if you don't like my tone or not, Hunter. Your Father knew my parents were together—and he's Dad's best friend, how could he?"

"You don't even know the time they had the affair.  It could've been when they were divorced."

"No—it was earlier.  How are you able to justify your Father's wandering d***?"

"Well, maybe your Mother wouldn't have reached out to my Dad if she felt satisfied with Eric in the first place."

"So, this is my Mom's fault?  Didn't your Dad ever hear of the word decency?  How about NOT cheating with your best friends girl?"

Megan was trying to picture the timeline in her head.  It had to be during her parent's long engagement before their first marriage.  She knew there was twenty year or so odd gap before the parents reunited and rekindled their friendships—and DIDN'T---Her Dad and Hyde---

"Megan, don't YOU talk about MY DAD.  Unless you want to apologize for YOUR FATHER almost trying to KILL him."

"Don't YOU talk about my Dad, Hunter.  You know he was strung out on drugs at the time!"

As quickly as they shared their tender moments, it seemed to be over just as swift.

"That's such an excuse, but I'd expect that from a Daddy's girl."

Just a few days ago he defended her honor when a punk popular kid harassed them, they were able to "dance" with each other, French kissed each other for the first time, and now they were in the middle of what their parents had done decades ago.  She didn't want to cry in front of him. 

When it comes right down to it, you have to defend your parents when people talk bad of them, don't you?  Even if the person saying the bad things was one of your childhood friends and the supposed love of your life?  You are supposed to defend your family at all costs.  Weren't you?

"Go away, Hunter.  I NEVER want to see you again."

"With pleasure, Megan."

They didn't think about the endless family gatherings they had to attend at one another's houses as they were too caught up in their hurtful words to each other.

Hunter went to his bedroom and cried, as Megan held back the tears because she knew once she started crying she was never was going to stop.  The parents were RIGHT.    Megan pretended to watch TV just incase EricDonnaJackieORHyde came in the room she would just say she was watching a movie and maybe they'd leave her alone—or better yet, she tried to stay calm so she wouldn't fall on the floor, she had to remember this sofa was lower than the one in her house and she put herself in the lying position and pretended to be asleep.  She didn't think that kiss fifteen minutes ago with Hunter would be their last.  At that moment it was the worst pain in both Megan and Hunter's lives.

~End flashback~

         Donna poured the tea and ate about six of the sugar cookies.  She was always a sucker for holiday splurging but she was also depressed about her daughter and knew she was only eating the cookies out of a coping mechanism.

"Are you going to eat all the cookies?"  asked a gentle Jackie

"No—I'm sorry," She slid the plate over to Jackie, "I have a lot on my mind."

"The kids?  Me too.  Steven and I still don't understand what happened.  Hunter will not say anything at all."

"Neither will Megan.  She tries to act like everything is all right---"

"So does Hunter.  All he does is go to school and work—he hasn't drawn much at all.  That's very unlike him."

"All she does is go to school—she was supposed to get a job, too, but she's too upset, so Eric and I haven't forced the job issue."

"What are we going to do?  We can't force them to talk, but something is so obviously wrong with them, we have to do something."  Donna replied in an almost Jackie-esque way.

"I have no idea, Donna.  Where did our Husband's go?"

"I think Eric is trying to get Hyde to help him with the Christmas lights."

"Now that's entertainment."  Jackie tried to smile, but it didn't work because all she could think about was Hunter and Megan's pain.

     'Damn, they're here' Megan turned off her hearing aid and took her glasses off and put them on her end table.  She was doing a great deal of pretend napping lately.  At that moment she was glad to be paralyzed otherwise she might have felt the need to run up and see Hunter.  There was no such need as her heart pulled away from her chest.  She missed him so much, but she didn't want to see him.   She hoped she wouldn't have to eat dinner with them; maybe she could fake a cold.  She closed her eyes, but did not sleep.  She hoped Hunter was feeling just as lousy as her.

      "Are you ever going to tell me what happened between you and little Miss Imperfect?"  Hannah asked Hunter as they had the Forman living room to themselves.

"Shut up, Hannah!"

"I knew this was going to happen, you two did not belong together.  Was it a pity relationship because she's crippled?" 

"I refuse to dignify that with a response."  Hunter ran upstairs to lock himself in the bathroom for privacy.

'Megan, I miss you so much'

      Eric and Hyde were getting frustrated with the outside Christmas lights and gave up fifteen minutes before dinner.  Donna whispered to Eric that Megan did not want to join them at the table and told him to take a tray down for her.  Jackie noticed that Sgt. Donna seemed to bark orders at her Husband, and far be it from Jackie to get involved (!)—She was done with being nosy, her only concern was making sure her family was loved and taken care of.  The sight of her beautiful son with his head down at the table made her very sad.  He was always the quiet one of the family but something with Megan made him lose his self-imposed inhibitions.  He actually liked to converse with her even before they became romantically interested in one another.  She brought out something wonderful in her son and just like that it was gone. 

"Do I have to eat?"  Hunter asked in a whisper

"Son, you didn't eat all day."  Hyde said, wondering what could they possibly have fought about?

"Fine.  I'll just have the applesauce."

"That's not enough, why don't you have---"

"Mother—"  'Don't say it like Tiffany does'  "I'm fine."

Donna felt bad for the both of them.  Megan didn't want to face Hunter and she was going to have to sooner or later and Hunter couldn't eat and had an unbecoming sullen look on his young face.  She hoped Eric could get Megan to eat something she needed to keep up her strength, as she was susceptible to colds, another by-product of her birth Mother's addictions. 

      Eric cleaned off her desk and made room for her dinner plate and wow her Mother let her have a can of regular soda with her meal.  Megan woke up to the scent of mashed potatoes and gravy.  It was usually one of her favorite foods.  She could feel someone was in the room.  It was either her Mom or Dad.  She put on her glasses and upped her hearing aid.

"Hi, honey, since you won't come upstairs and eat, I brought you a tray down."  Eric kissed her cheek.

"Thanks, Dad."  She wasn't hungry; she could dump it all in the toilet later.

"You need to keep your strength up."

"I know.  I'd like to be alone now---to eat."

"Okay."  Eric hated not being able to do anything to make her feel better.  It tore him up seeing his daughter hurting so badly.

"Bye, Dad." 

"I miss you so much, Hunter'.

1:45AM

     Hunter gave in to his hunger pains at one forty five in the morning and tried to find something to snack on in this house.  There was too much of whole grain wheat anything, but there was a small loaf of Wonder bread in the refrigerator, it should've just had a neon sign that said "ERIC" on it.  Then he spotted the cookie tin on the counter and he was about to take out a few cookies and pour himself a glass of milk when something rose up inside of him.  That little annoying voice in your head that tells you the difference between right and wrong like "we don't steal penny candy in the grocery store, Hunter" said Mom when he was three years old and they took his crayons away before they realized that he had a true artists talent and they made him put his spare change in the tin even if he wasn't going to get any candy for a month after that!  He put the cookies back in the tin, grabbed two plastic cups with Christmas decorations on the side, the milk ('skim? yuck!') and hoped that he was doing the right thing.  He went downstairs to Megan's basement bedroom.  He put the cookie tin, cups, and milk on her desk.   He walked over to her bed—he wanted to die on the spot.  She was so beautiful.  Really beautiful in the glow of the nightlight and the moonshine coming from the window, he didn't want to scare her so he gently tapped her on the shoulder and made sure to hand her, her glasses.  She didn't know what to do at first except to put in her hearing aid and turn it on.

"Hi, Megan."

"Hi, Hunter."

He brought the cookie tin over to her and placed it on her end table.  She took a cookie because she was absolutely famished.  He poured the milk, god, it was just like water.  His Mother bought way better groceries than Donna.

At the same time they both said, "I missed you."

"No, you first."  They both replied in unison again.

They shared a small laugh.   "Go ahead, Hunter."

"Megan, I was watching THEM at the dinner table and if Mom, Dad, and your parents can be friends and hang out and stuff and go to each other's houses on holidays, WHY in the Hell are WE fighting? Because I hate it—it's been the WORST month, ever.  Let's just leave our parents past where it belongs—in the past."

"Lay down with me."  He put her milk cup on the end table with the cookie tin. 

"I'm sorry for all the bad things I said about your parents and especially YOU." He replied as he got in the bed next to her.

"Me too."  The only one who didn't get talked about in a bad light was Jackie.

"I love you."  They both said at the same time again.  They both laughed at how much they were in synch with each other.

"Hunter---"

"Yes?"

"What are you waiting for?  Are you going to kiss me or do I have to wait for an invitation?"

"I thought you wanted to cuddle first."

"Later."  They kissed as if they were never apart. 

Five minutes later they heard a loud bang coming from upstairs.

"S***!  What was that?  What if it's your Dad? Or worse yet--your Mother!"  Hunter jumped out of the bed

"Well, go up there and see who it is, then come back."  After all it could just be Hannah.

"What if they tell me to go back to bed?"

"Tell them you were in bed!" 

"Megan, now is not the time to make jokes," He kissed her on the lips, "If I get sent back upstairs, you'll know why." 

He took two sugar cookies out of the tin before he left, but he didn't care for that terrible skim milk so he didn't think of putting that back in the refrigerator.

"Just incase you don't come back tonight, I love you, Hunter."

He kissed her softly on the lips again, "I love you, too, Megan."

Hunter walked quietly up the ramp and tried not to make any noise and hoped to just get a glimpse of who it was in the kitchen.  'Oh, f***'.  It wasn't Donna or Eric it was HIS Father.  He stayed there for what seemed like an eternity trying to find the best time to sneak back up to the guest room.  Hey, where did his Father get the cake from?!  When he thought he had a clean getaway he tried to get passed his Father and back upstairs without him knowing.

"Hunter, get your ass back here."  Hyde laughed.  The kid was a certain character.  He had the best of both of his parent's traits. He loved him to bits.

"Dad—Who are you, the great and all powerful Wizard of Oz?"

"Yeah—and because I can smell your soap."  It was ocean marine blue in a big bar, one of the few things he liked from his Mom's salon.

'Damn'.

"Hunter, I don't want you to think I was eavesdropping on your conversation with Megan on purpose, because I wasn't.  You don't have to tell me exactly what your fight with Megan was about—but was it about us parents?"

"Kind of."

"You and Megan have a great love and you don't deserve the torture that all of us went through to find happiness.   And you don't deserve to lose that love because of US over anything we said and did to each other.  I liked what you told Megan, I wish you realized that earlier.  Instead of letting this fester for about a month.  We are all friends, Forman, Donna, your Mother, and myself.  There is NO reason for you to lose Megan over things that happened before you kids were even born that had absolutely nothing to do with the both of you."

"I know that now, Dad," Hunter yawned, "I'm tired.  I think I am going to go bed now. Goodnight."  Hunter stood up.

"Upstairs."

"Yeah, I know.  God, how long WERE you listening?!"

"Until I dropped the whipped cream can."

"What makes you think I was going to go back downstairs?"

"Hunter, I'm a man, too.  Do you think you invented it?  But I am happy the two of you made up and are back together."

"Dad, can you give me a ride into town tomorrow?"

Hyde smiled, "Yes, I will take you shopping so you can buy Megan's Christmas present."

"How did you KNOW that's what I wanted to do?"

"Because I AM the great and all powerful Wizard of Oz—and Christmas is only a few days away.  Call it the process of elimination."

Hyde didn't expect his son to hug him but at that moment Hunter was so happy that he gave his Father a small hug around the shoulders.

"Love you, Dad." 

"I love you, too, son."  

Hunter exited the kitchen, wishing he could go back downstairs and return to Megan's arms again.

It had to be about the affair with Donna or Forman's Coke addiction that made the kids go at it, but he wasn't about to bring those bad memories up again.  He finished the cake, deciding to bring the can of whipped cream upstairs for some Jackie Fun seeing as he dented the can when he dropped it.  He was happy that the kids got back together.  They didn't deserve the angst that he and Jackie and Forman and Donna went through.  It wasn't glamorous or cool.  It was a pain that Hunter and Megan DID NOT NEED in their young lives.  They deserved their happiness right from the start and they certainly didn't need to be fighting about their parents and almost risk losing their relationship over it.  He put his plate and fork in the sink and went upstairs himself with the whipped cream to surprise his Wife with. (She was sleeping, but she'd scream one of her delightful screams and it would result in a very intense and satisfying making love session.)   Those kids deserved the best and Hyde made a vow that night --as long as God gave him air to breathe he would make sure Hunter and Megan would not lose anything so precious again as their love for each other.   Hyde shook up the can as he opened the door to his and Jackie's guest room. 

Knowing that both Hunter and Megan were happy and back together life was good again.