Chapter 11
The Ticking Time Bomb
(Special thanks to fireflower, for planting the seed for this storyline)
December 30, 2015
Jackie decided once Eric's fever was an acceptable ninety nine degrees, which you can get just by running up the stairs a few times, never mind having the flu, to treat all the grown ups to a fancy dinner. Hyde didn't want to wear a jacket and tie and told Jackie to keep that in mind because he knew how overboard she could go on these types of things. She also told Donna in private that it would be good for her and Eric to have a nice, uncomplicated evening out and they could even sit at a separate table to discuss their problems if they wanted to. Megan and Hunter had plans to see The Nutcracker. Hunter was not into ballet, but when Megan told him the day before that she always wished she could take dance lessons during one of their conversations, he went out later on while she was doing her Christmas break reading assignment and went to order the tickets. Jackie didn't know if Tiffany had plans or not, even after their after Christmas shopping trip she still didn't know if her daughter had any romantic interests or not, and Hannah could be trusted alone in the Forman house. Or so The Parents thought.
30 Minutes
Tiffany woke up to a loud thumping sound. She crashed on the sofa after a tense dinner with Hannah, she "made" Easy Mac and told her to shut up and eat it. She looked at the clock on the entertainment center, shouldn't Megan and Hunter have left for their date already? 'Sh**, now I have to get up.' Tiffany got up as Hunter swung open the swinging kitchen door with all of his strength.
"WHERE is SHE? I'm going to f***ing KILL her!"
Tiffany always had an affinity for Hunter and hated to see him upset and hurt.
"What happened, Hunter?"
But he didn't answer Tiffany as he ran up the stairs, ready to pounce on his sister.
Tiffany didn't know if she should follow Hunter upstairs or go downstairs to check on Megan, she figured the latter. Tiffany braced herself for the unknown as she sped walked down the ramp to find Megan sitting on her bed, crying.
"Megan,"
She did not look up for a few seconds, that's when Tiffany saw that she wasn't wearing her glasses. All Megan saw was a blur, but she KNEW it was Tiffany, because her "T" rolo link chain, although she couldn't see the letter was swaying and she was wearing her signature perfume.
"Christ! Did the loser take your hearing aid, too?"
Megan understood some of what Tiffany said and nodded. Tiffany decided to help her back in her wheelchair so she could keep her company in the living room. She felt so bad (not pity) for Megan; she knew Hunter would NEVER go the ballet for anyone else but her. Under normal circumstances Tiffany would never want to see a man hit a woman, but if Hunter wanted to kick his twin's ass it was fine with her and she'd lie to their folks and say that she did it, if need be.
Tell Me Why
Hunter pounded on the locked door of the guest room that Hannah was staying in.
"OPEN UP THE DAMN DOOR, HANNAH! SO, HELP ME, I WILL KNOCK IT DOWN!"
Hannah took a deep sigh and opened the door.
"What exactly is your problem, Hunter?" She looked at her watch, "Shouldn't you and Megan be on your little love date?"
"I want Megan's glasses and hearing aid, and I WANT THEM NOW."
"I don't know what you're talking about. Maybe, she misplaced them."
"FINE," He turned around and headed straight to Eric and Donna's room, "Have it your way."
She ran after him, panicking when she saw him reach for the telephone.
"Who are you calling?"
He took the piece of paper that his Mother gave him out of his black jeans pocket, "Take a wild guess, Hannah—You have sixty seconds to give me what belongs to Megan, but either way, I'm calling,"
He dialed the number of the restaurant as she stood in the doorway. He wasn't bluffing as he asked the person on the other end for either Steven or Jackie Hyde.
"Keep standing there, Hannah, maybe you'll freeze, you heartless wench,"
Jackie's heart was beating in her throat, there was never a dull moment.
"H-hello?"
"Mom, I'm sorry to interrupt your dinner, but there's something that I need to tell you."
He just wanted to be with Megan and not have to deal with this bull****. How DARE his sister---
Megan fell asleep on Hunter's shoulder as Tiffany kept a watch on Hannah to make sure she didn't try to put Megan's things back in her room so they'd look like she had indeed misplaced them. He didn't like the ballet but he knew how much Megan was looking forward to it when she saw the advertisement in the paper, which led to their conversation about her wishing she could have taken dance lessons. Their time with each other was extremely limited as the Hyde family was flying back home in the afternoon on January first. He heard the car doors slam shut and he kept his arms around Megan. He watched them come in one by one, Eric was going to comfort his daughter but when he noticed that she was asleep and in Hunter's arms he quietly kissed her forehead, which led to Donna, who looked nice when she wanted to look that way, followed by his parents. Heart on her sleeve Jackie's heart broke when she saw Megan, and Hyde called for Hannah to "Come downstairs NOW."
Tiffany ran down the stairs, "I watched her like a hawk."
"Hi, Daddy, I'm sorry that Hunter stupidly interrupted your dinner out."
"Don't play innocent with me, you have thirty seconds to give Megan what belongs to her."
Megan opened up her eyes, she heard muffled sounds, she recognized the blurs as Eric, Donna, Jackie, and Hyde. She hated not being able to see without her glasses.
"We are EXTREMELY disappointed in you, Hannah." Jackie said
"I DIDN'T take them." She huffed
Hunter kissed Megan on the cheek to let her know that he was going to stand up.
"LIAR!"
There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide for Hannah Kitty Hyde, as she looked at all the parents, she was always her Father's little girl, and he looked at her with disgust like he did when Tiffany had her youthful problems.
"Daddy!"
"Hannah, you are on my last nerve, I'm not going to tell you TWICE." Hyde said
"FINE! Okay, I took Megan's glasses and her hearing aid. HAPPY?! But, I'M NOT SORRY! She gets coddled even when you people don't realize that you're doing it! If it's not about Eric and Donna's precious marriage it's about MY BROTHER and HIS USELESS CRIPPLE OF A GIRLFRIEND!"
That brought back terrible memories of the Thanksgiving dance when All Star dill hole Nash Winkler said exactly that statement in the school parking lot and Hannah agreed with him.
Hunter slapped her hard across the face, "DON'T YOU EVER CALL MEGAN THAT!"
"Okay, we're NOT going to hit each other," Jackie said, although she understood why Hunter did it.
"DAMN YOU, HUNTER! Damn you ALL!" Hannah ran upstairs, she knew she'd get the double barreled Mom and Dad lecture and punishment, but she DID NOT CARE.
"She's NOT getting away with this, come on, Jackie."
Hunter held Megan as she cried again.
"I need Coke," Eric, thought out loud, "I'm not going to DO IT. I just need it. Hunter, may I?"
"Of course, Eric."
Hunter understood that Eric wanted to comfort his daughter. Donna made a mental note to talk to Eric about that "needing Coke" quote later on, she didn't even ream his ass properly for his purchase of the "needing to possess it, but not use it" vile that he threw away because Hyde was a good friend who didn't want to see Eric go down that dark path again.
"Lollipop," he hugged her tight, "It's going to be all right."
"I'm sorry to have such a thoughtless sister." Tiffany said, she hoped her Mom and Dad were giving it to Hannah good. She went outside for some air.
Donna mumbled something about going to the kitchen to make some tea as Megan clung to her Father.
Hunter was very angry (and he was never one to really lose his cool) that his evening with Megan was ruined that he wandered in the kitchen to get some tea for himself and Megan once Donna had the water boiled.
How could Hannah, his own f***ing twin sister do this to Megan? He didn't care if they weren't best friends anymore, it was a sh***y thing to do.
"Hannah, you have a lot to answer for," Hyde straddled himself across the chair, "And if we have to stay here all night, we will. What you called Megan was WAY OUT OF LINE."
"How could you do such a thing to Megan?" Jackie asked
Hannah stood up despite the feeling she had of the room spinning.
"Don't you hear yourselves? How could I do such a thing to Megan? Nobody cares about the HURT she caused me. We were BEST FRIENDS for years, we drift apart, and then she suddenly FALLS in love with my brother?! You ALL see her wheelchair, even when you say you don't."
Hyde looked at his watch, "We'll discuss this in more detail, but right now, I want you to get Megan's things and bring them to her."
She went to the closet and took out her suitcase; she put Megan's glasses and her hearing aid in the zipper compartment.
"How could you?" Hyde re-asked for Jackie and himself.
"Guess, I'm not your little girl anymore, am I, Daddy?"
She took the items carefully out of the suitcase versus an hour ago when she threw them in a careless fashion.
"What are we going to do with her, Jackie?" Hyde asked, when she left the room
"I don't know, Steven, Hunter is the only one who hasn't rebelled."
"I know. And she better come back up here or I will tack on another month for each minute she stalls."
Jackie kissed her husband on the head, "I'll go back down there to make sure that doesn't happen, I'll be back."
Jackie was right, Hunter was the only one of their children who didn't rebel, the sofa incident and NYC trip aside, and he was a good kid, who NEVER gave his parents any trouble. It was moments like this, that he hated being someone's parent.
Eric noted the symbolism of when he let Hunter go back to comforting his daughter. He felt like he sort of "gave her away" that night. She might have clung to her Father and needed his hug, but she craved the embrace from her boyfriend. It was a different kind of comfort.
"Eric," Hannah said, as she came down the stairs, "I'm sorry."
She handed him Megan's personal belongings as he looked at Jackie on the stairwell, "I don't think you are, Hannah."
"Okay, back upstairs young lady, we're not done talking to you."
Eric gave Hunter Megan's affects and went into the kitchen.
He gently put her glasses back on and it was like somebody put the ALL of the lights back on. He handed her, her hearing aid. She put it in. It felt good to be able to see and hear properly.
"Thank you, Hunter." She kissed him on the cheek.
"You're welcome. Your Mother's making tea, I think it's ready now."
"I'm not thirsty. I'm so pissed that Hannah ruined our evening out."
"You're not the only one. And even though, I know she's going to be punished, I still don't think I can ever forgive her for what she did and said to you."
Eric came in, "How are you, Megan?"
"Good, Dad." He smiled, only after he noticed her smile.
"Hunter," Eric took out his wallet, "To make up for what Hannah did—here's some money take Megan out, you two can stay out two hours past curfew—"
"No way," Sgt. Donna appeared, "One hour past curfew."
'Can't you give it a rest, Donna?' their conversation at the restaurant was more stale than the breadsticks on the table, before the phone call came that had them all sprinting out of there.
"Thanks, Eric. Do you want to go to Starbucks, Megan?"
Hunter hated trendy and corporate places such as Starbucks, but it wasn't that far from the house as he didn't still didn't have his learner's permit yet.
"Sure. I wish it were still The Hub. Give me a few minutes to get ready." Megan replied, she wished she grew up in her parent's time. It seemed more 'innocent' back then.
She needed a few extra minutes to freshen up her face, but to Hunter despite her tearstains, she looked beautiful to him. And she always would.
The Punishment Fits The Crime
Jackie needed to have a woman-to-woman chat with Donna as she told Steven to keep the bed warm for her; she brought out her 'beauty ambulance'
case and put it on the kitchen table.
'Oh no' Donna thought
"Where's Eric?"
"I don't know, he probably went to bed early, since he still has a slight fever."
'I hope she doesn't want to talk about MY marriage.'
Jackie opened up her mega train case and took out her honey almond exfoliating scrub.
"Donna, please get me a dishtowel and a bowl of water. Hannah is going to make her official apology tomorrow at breakfast, but I want to say how sorry I am over what happened."
Donna gave Jackie an old dishtowel that was in the back of the cabinet and a green plastic bowl filled with lukewarm water.
"I'd like to say, don't worry about it, but—she hurt my daughter. Even though Megan despises the ground I walk on right now. I'm still her Mother---"
Jackie took the top off of the scrub and then wet her face, she couldn't wait to put this all over her face and scrub the Hell out of it.
"I know, and I'm sorry. She is getting a job," The job she had wrapping Christmas presents only lasted two weeks, "For five months all the money will go
to a charity that you and Eric decide."
Donna liked that punishment. It fit the crime.
"I think Megan should pick where the money goes."
"Fair enough. I hope her and Hunter are having a nice time." Jackie said as she scrubbed her face clean.
"Me too, do you want a cup of tea?"
"I already had two, thanks. What I can really use is a glass of wine."
"Me too. I have a great burgundy in the fridge."
"Is there still cheese left for crackers?"
That's what Jackie needed; a facial, some wine, cheese and crackers, and a woman-to-woman talk with Donna before making the beast with two backs with Steven later on.
"I think so."
"Do you want to give yourself a facial?"
"Um, no—I'll stick to the wine, Jackie."
Donna said as she poured the wine into the glasses her and Eric got as part of their second wedding present from one of their relatives. She wondered how Megan and Hunter's date was going? She hoped it was young and carefree like it should be.
Hunter and Megan didn't say much, it's not that they didn't want to talk to each other; they just wanted to enjoy each other's company that night without useless words. They drank their Frappucinos and shared an apple danish with
with mocha swirls. Not being able to hear properly without her hearing aid was one thing to Megan, but if she never could see Hunter's face again—she didn't want to think about how 'blind' she was without these strong prescription glasses that she had to wear ever since she was three years old.
"Hunter," she spoke softly, "Do you want to know what my eyes are like?"
"What?"
She took off her glasses, "I want you to see what I see, and since these are intense lenses, it'll give you an idea."
He didn't know what she was driving at, but if it was important for Megan, than it was important to him.
"Wow," he said after he put the glasses on, "It's like all the colors in the paint box smeared." He took them off and gently slid them across the booth.
"So—" she started to say, as she put her glasses back on
He cut her off, "Megan, you aren't about go into your 'I deserve better' speech, again, are you? Because we're not going there."
Hunter held her hand.
"No, I'm not. I just wanted you to see though my eyes, that's all."
"I can't apologize enough for what happened tonight."
"You have nothing to apologize for Hunter."
"Hannah is dead to me now." Hunter replied as he finished his coffee.
"I really don't want to talk about her."
"That's fine by me," he smiled, "Do you want the stroll home or should I call for a taxi van?" he looked at his watch.
"The stroll."
Going out for a stroll with her boyfriend (fiancée-well---) was one of her most favorite things in the whole world. Sometimes, they'd stop for a kissing break, or just to look at the scenery, it was definitely in her top five list of things to do with Hunter Hyde.
"Just make sure you button up your coat!" Megan laughed
"Jackie's not here!"
"I love you, Hunter."
"I love you, too, Megan. I wish we could have the house to ourselves."
"I know—but Sgt. Donna will be lurking around since she's sleeping on the sofa now."
Hunter thought if Chill Pills really existed Donna should take them by the case load, some people NEED to medicated and she was definitely too high strung, he noticed.
"Wake up early, tomorrow. Wendy might want to play with Captain Hook."
She loved watching him blush.
"Megan,"
"What?"
"You know what!"
"No, I don't. You're so cute, when you get all bashful, Hunter. You know what I think? Sometimes, I think you believe that I can do better than YOU—well, if I can't say that you can do better than me, then don't find you it—um, hypocritical?"
"Touché."
"You know what I would do right now, if I had legs that worked?"
"I'm almost afraid to ask, Megan."
"I'd take my leg and go up yours, and maybe I'd take a detour to Never Never Land."
"Megan!" He quickly put his hands over his face, and she laughed
"I'm a woman, Hunter—do you HEAR me ROAR?"
Donna used to play that old Helen Reddy song all the time, when she would clean the house and Megan was little. It was a goofy little song that she remembered.
It amazed her that she thought about her Mother positively for one small moment.
"YES." And Hunter blushed some more.
"After our coffee, I'd like to go the pharmacy."
"What for?" he asked softly
"I guess that you'll have to wait and see, Hunter. La la la la la la." She sang
"Come on, tell me—"
"La, la, la, la. Just some solution."
"What—wait—Oh, I know what you mean. Get the one with the orange top."
"Why's that?"
"You know why."
"Say it, Hunter."
"Why do I have to say it, Megan, when you all ready know why?"
"Because I want to hear YOU say it."
"Because it's," He made sure to lower his voice, "warm."
"You are so CUTE! Let's BLOW this popsicle stand."
'Oh God, you don't want to TRY THAT next, do you, Megan?'
"Okay. Maybe the pharmacy is closed." He looked at his watch.
"Maybe, it's not, sweetie pie," She couldn't wait to ram her tongue in his mouth later on. "I love you."
"You already said that."
"I think it bears repeating. Be prepared to be kissed when we get home."
"What if I don't want to?"
"You want to Hunter," she finished her coffee, "You want to." She smiled bright.
He loved her so much. He didn't want to leave her on New Year's Day, he wished there was a way he could stay in Point Place or she could come to Pennsylvania. But he knew the parents would NOT go for that idea. He never wanted to be apart from the woman he loved. He was going to hate leaving her.
Later that evening
"Donna, what are you doing?" asked Eric, coming down the stairs for a glass of orange juice
"Flashing the light on Megan and Hunter."
"Are YOU watching them kiss?"
"Eric, we altered their curfew due to what happened, and it's past that time now."
"They ARE home. You make such a BIG DEAL out of stuff. Remember when WE USED TO make out in the driveway? Let them have that, Donna."
"What did you come downstairs for?"
"To get a glass of orange juice."
"Then get it—because you don't want us to have this argument."
Donna looked out the window and noticed Hunter wheel Megan around the house to the basement entrance.
"Leave THEM alone. You don't see Jackie and Hyde down here. You want to know why? Because A) They trust their son and Megan and B) They actually have sex and fell asleep satisfied."
"Eric, they had their date, their curfew is over, and it's time for Hunter to go upstairs to bed. Those are the rules."
"Do YOU even hear yourself? You are NOT the same Donna that I fell in love with."
He went in the kitchen because he didn't want to have this argument.
"We'll talk later,"
"Don't you mean you'll bark at me later?"
She sighed, Eric was SO impossible. "You DON'T OWN me, Eric."
He watched Donna go down the ramp, to ruin Megan and Hunter's goodnight kisses, that crazy militant middle aged woman was definitely NOT the same woman that he fell in love with all those years ago. She changed into someone barely recognizable. Eric poured himself a small glass of orange juice and finished it before Donna came back into the kitchen. He went back upstairs to his cold and lonely bed. He wanted nothing more than to have the real Donna back in his life and his bed. Damn Hyde. He was definitely the lucky b******. Why couldn't Donna be more like Jackie? She carried herself like a true woman should. He didn't want to think about what that meant exactly as he was too tired, he just knew that Jackie was a BETTER woman than Donna, Eric thought as he drifted back into yet another restless, unsatisfying sleep.