He was angry. He was seriously angry. Hyde had never been this angry to his knowledge. His life was seriously sucking. His relationship with Cat had been going great. They had some things in common, and then, from out of nowhere, Jackie had to show up and turn his world upside down. Not that he'd minded. He was in love with her. He had admitted that to himself long ago. It was just that he wasn't ready to admit it to her. Now, to screw his life up even more so, his 'loving' parents, Bud and Edna, were back in Point Place in order to make him feel even more like a complete sell out. Why did he care? Why after all these years did he still care? It was driving him crazy. He had to get out. He was on his way to meet Taylor, Leo's friend who had been hooking him up ever since Leo left to reclaim his wife and kids. What's a better way to get rid of your problems than with a good, old-fashioned toke?
He graciously thanked the trafficker for his purchase. Seventy-five was steep, but it would last him and the gang awhile. They had always depended on him for the stash. Of course, who could blame them? He was the only won who could buy it without getting caught. Knock on wood. Hyde didn't even realize the meaning of this faux paus until it came true. The cops had caught him. This was his second offense for possession! Red was going to burn him at the stake. If he ever got out on bail, that is.
*~*~*~*~*~*
The five friends sat in the basement in the sacred circle. They realized they had not had a good smoke in a good while. So, they opted to forget about the display upstairs by lighting up. It was always a good way to mask the real world. They just put on an LP, smelled the incense, and drifted into their own world. They had always had good memories in the basement. It was just too bad they could remember few of them.
" I really could care less about Bud and Edna being upstairs. I mean, Hyde deals with things in his own way. We shouldn't stop him. If he wants to go out and get drunk, let him go out and get drunk. Hell, if I didn't know he needed to be alone, I'd go with him!" Eric exclaimed.
" Amen. I think we just need to back off. Hyde is and will always be Hyde. Let him deal without our pestering him. No matter what we do, Hyde will eventually do it his own way. That's just who he is." Donna concurred.
" I mean, Hyde's my friend and I don't want to see him get hurt, killed, or something or other. It just doesn't seem right for us to just sit back and let him handle it." Kelso said, for the first time in his life, logically.
" Steven is a big boy, Michael. He can deal with his problems without us. If we were Batman and Robin, Superman, or Wonder Woman at the Hall of Justice, it would be different. We aren't super heroes. So, Steven can rescue himself." Jackie replied.
" Oh, I love that cartoon! It is just so funny. I wish I had the power to turn into water like the Wonder Twins!" Fez exclaimed
Fez looks out into the ceiling and begins to fantasize what they would be like as super heroes rescuing their friend.
" Fez," exclaimed Donna and Eric walking into the hall dressed in purple matching outfits " we're the Wonder Twins!"
" I'm Wonder Woman!" Jackie squealed, holding up her silver bracelets trying to practice for fighting off evil.
" We're Batman and Robin," Kelso began, looking at himself and then at Fez in his green, red, and yellow spandex. His eyes were also covered with the infamous black mask " if we're the dynamic duo, then who's Superman?"
" Hyde isn't here to portray Superman, dumbass!" Fez exclaimed.
" Then, where's Hyde?" Eric asked.
" We're going to rescue him!" cried the foreigner.
" Fez that is not at all how that would happen." Eric said, now back in the basement.
" How do you know, skinny boy?" Jackie asked.
" Jackie, you were just happy because you got to have Wonder Woman's accessaries." said Donna.
" I could so kick serious ass with those." the brunette replied, punching the air with her fists.
" You know if Luke Skywalker were here, he would...." Eric began
The five glared at him.
" Let me have my fantasy, dammit!" he yelled
" Eric, I'm Luke Skywalker!!!" Jackie yelled, pulling at her costume.
" Foreman, you better have a damn good excuse for this!" Hyde shouted walking unto the Millennium Falcon dressed like Princess Leia with a headband with two braided buns on the side. Although, you could still see his frizzy, curls sticking out.
" Eric," Cat moaned " I am not Han Solo!"
" Why am I always Chewbacca?" asked Kelso, taking off the furry head.
" Shut-up, Chewy!" Cat ordered.
Then, Fez and Donna walked out as R2-D2 and CP-30. " We are not freaking robots!" the redhead bolted.
" I could have made you bad!" Eric said, taking off his white helmet as one of Darth Vadar's soldiers.
" Then, who's Vadar?" Kelso asked.
Just then, Darth Vadar steps out and takes his helmet off. The gang suddenly realizes it's Bud Hyde.
" Why am I Luke Skywalker?" Jackie asked.
" Well, you and Cat are like Han and Luke fighting for Leia more specifically Hyde." Eric explained.
" Foreman, you make a better chick than I do!" the scruffy, hellion burned.
" Hey, when did you get here?" asked Fez, back in the circle.
" Where the hell were you?" Donna asked.
" Jail." he said dryly.
" Again!" the five yelled.
" You guys, don't get your panties in a twist. Hyde called me and I came and bailed him out." Cat explained.
" Does Red know?" Eric ask him.
" Steven. Better yet, do your parents know? They're still upstairs." Jackie replied.
" I don't care if Bud and Edna know anything." he said gruffly.
" Why did you call Cat instead of us?" Eric asked.
" I knew if I called here that Red would find out. This way, he'll never find out unless the police call. I doubt they will considering I'm 18. I'm not a minor anymore, and they can't call my legal guardian without my permission. And I, sure as hell, didn't give it to them!"
" Smart. Why did you get the cuffs? Wait, let me guess. You went to visit your old, pal Taylor."
" Bingo." he said, pulling the bag out of his pocket.
" You still have it!" Donna exclaimed.
" Of course, you think I'm gonna spend seventy-five dollars, spend the afternoon in jail, listen to a biker thug cry on my shoulder because he's swears up and down he didn't kill his wife, and not get what I purchased! You must be off your rocker!"
They all laughed. " That's our Hyde." Cat opined.
*~*~*~*~*~*
" So Bud, you're starting a garage." Red said, taking a swig of his beer.
Kitty, because his heart was doing so well, let him have a few.
" Yeah, my brother Lester gave it to me after he went to prison. I don't know, something about paying his taxes in fake Jefferson's."
" That's real....lovely Bud." Kitty replied, before sipping her fourth glass of wine.
" I want Steven to work and help me get the business off the ground."
" Steven has good hands and does all his own work on his car. He won't let a mechanic touch it, but I don't know how willing he'll be, Bud. He also has a job. He works as one of the chefs at the hotel downtown. He's actually real good at it. After Leo closed the Fotohut, he went to work for the hotel. He enjoys it." Red said.
" I want to at least offer it to him. We can still hope."
" I'm still glad that our boy has graduated high school. He's the first in both of our families to do so." Edna said.
" He's got lots of potential. I think he's going to start with the other five at UW next fall. After Red had his heart attack, they decided to wait until the next fall semester so they could wait on Jackie and start school together. I think he's finally made the decision to go. He, after all, did get accepted." Kitty told them.
" That's wonderful, Kitty. Although, I want to spend some time with him if he'll have me." Bud said.
" If I'll have you, huh Dad." Hyde said as the seven walked into the living room where they were sitting.
" The Foreman's told us about Wisconsin! That's so wonderful. Go Badgers!" Edna exclaimed.
" Edna, you don't want to get me started." he said harshly.
Eric winced. Hyde had been calling his mother Edna since he was thirteen years old. Eric had never understood. When they were younger, he had just thought it was cool, but now, it scared him. Hyde had never had a true relationship with his parents, and it bothered them.
" Son, don't talk to your mother like that."
" How dare you! How dare you say that to me! Edna's my mother? That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. Do you want to know who I consider my mother," he pointed to Kitty " this woman right here is who I consider my mother. Ever since I was a little kid, she baked me cookies, knitted me sweaters, and gave me advice. She did all the maternal things I could ever dream my real mother would do. She even taught me how to dance! I have so much respect for her. She's a nurse, she's a wife, and she's a mother. She's been welcoming me into this home ever since the first grade. Bud, never ever tell me any other woman is my mother other than her. She's isn't by blood, but that doesn't really matter much to me anymore."
Kitty began to cry. It wasn't a crying spell caused by menopause, but she was truly moved. " Oh Steven, that is the sweetest thing I've ever heard!"
" Man, that was like totally nice of you." Eric said.
" Steven, that was so sweet." Jackie said, reaching up and kissing his cheek.
" Thanks, Jacks."
" Yeah Hyde," replied Cat wrapping her arms around him " you're such a big softy."
He put his hands on her back " I am not." he answered dryly.
" You are too you big, teddy bear." Donna said rubbing his hair.
" Hyde said something nice! The apocalypse is nigh." Kelso chaffed.
" I am not a teddy bear, and Kelso, I'll give you twenty bucks if you'll explain to me exactly what the words apocalypse and nigh mean,"
Kelso just stayed quiet.
" That's what I thought."
" I take it you don't want to help us with the garage." Bud replied.
" What garage?" he asked.
" You're Uncle Lester gave me his garage to fix up and get the business started again."
" Isn't Uncle Lester in prison?"
" Yeah, but he isn't getting out anytime soon. So, I'm here for the time being."
" You're actually staying! That's a laugh."
" We plan to, yes. So, will you help with the garage. Red tells me you're a wonderful mechanic."
" I suppose, but if you end up leaving again. Don't bother ever coming back."
" Thank you for giving us another chance."
" I'm not making any promises."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Night had fallen onto the town of Point Place. Red and Kitty had put up Bud and Edna in Laurie's room for the time being since she and Fez had bought a place across town. Eric had given Donna the 'signal', and she had come over earlier. Now, this gave him free reign of hers and Jackie's bedroom. He had walked over and climbed up the tree beside the window. He had become an expert tree climber thanks to Bob and Joanne locking the front and back doors every night. He hadn't been able to sleep a wink. Jackie lay in his arms practically knocked out, and he could even get in a good hour.
" Jackie, wake up." he whispered.
" Steven, go to sleep. I'm tired." she said drowsily laying her head on his chest.
" Jackie, please."
" Steven, not again. I'm tired. Maybe in the morning."
" Not that you pervert. I need you to talk to me."
" All you wanna do is talk! You don't wanna have sex with me?" she said springing up.
" I do, but that is beside the point."
" No, it's not! You don't love me anymore. Our passion is gone."
" There is nothing more in the world I would rather do than have my way with you, but right now, my mind is heavy-laden with thoughts. All I want is you to talk to me, and you're not doing that."
" I'm sorry. I'm up. Speak your mind." she said, sitting up and crossing her legs Indian-style.
" Do you think Bud and Edna are telling the truth? Do you really think that they'll stay?" he asked.
" I don't know, but what I do know is that you're a very good person for letting them back in your life. I know you don't trust them, but trust me, they are still your parents. You know how they are, and if they leave again, they leave. You just have to not let it phase you like it has in the past. Go on with your life, and be who you are. Don't let yourself turn into your father. I know what it feels like to be parentless most of your life, and you have to be strong and be yourself."
" Thanks."
" Don't mention it. Now, can we please go to sleep?"
" I don't know, I think we should try and bring the passion back in our relationship." he said smirking
" Now, who's the pervert?" she said kissing him softly.
" I am not a pervert. I am just simply a man who has a completely natural sexual drive."
" Don't forget to add overactive to that list of adjectives."
" You're the one that said I didn't want to have sex."
" You're the one that has another girlfriend to have sex with. Who knows? You might have overdone yourself today."
" Jacks, you know that's not true."
" How do I?"
" I promise. You are the only one I have touched ever since we got back together. Sure, I've kissed her, but not full on either! I haven't so much used my tongue in her mouth let along anywhere else."
" Funny. I have put up with her for long enough. I have been great about it, but I can't help it that I have this little voice inside my head that's saying you're being unfaithful. It's almost like you're cheating on me all over again."
" Baby, I promise that I'm not unfaithful."
" Break up with her. If you really want to be with me, break up with her."
" Consider it done. First thing in the morning."
" Thank you. Now, are you going to put that drive into practice?"
" Consider me a Trans Am."
" Fast and Dangerous? Hmm, I like that." she said while he kissed her neck.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sorry it took so long to put out this chapter. It, like some of the others, did not want to be written. I wrote it four different times before posting it. Thank you all for your support. This story though is drawing to a close. This next one, however, will not be the last chapter, but I do believe there will be maybe three possibly four more chapters. Unfortunately, Cat will play a dominant part in the next chapter so be prepared. Although, it won't be her last. *Evilly grins* If you are wondering, Waiting for the man is double entendre in this chapter. Did you catch it? Peace Out