Project Restoration Chapter 4: 'Cause we're all we've got

Author's Note: All of you who have commented, you are all amazing and wonderful. And you rock my world. Seriously. I love writing but I'm always so nervous about sharing my work, its the "they're all gonna laugh at you" syndrome. But you all make it so much easier to write and post quickly with your encouragement. I've decided there will be ten chapters, so if you have any headings you'd like a particular character to reflect on let me know! Thanks again, and I hope you like this Chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own the show or the characters, or sadly the wardrobe. Hyde's band t-shirts rock. It's hard not to look sexy with Zeppelin across your chest. And long live tight jeans. Okay I'll stop now, but I'm convinced I was born about 20 years too late.

BACON:

Hyde expertly dodged that splatter as the bacon hissed and sizzled in the frying pan. He hadn't had to cook in a while, but it was kinda like riding a bike or falling off a log or something. He'd woken up earlier than usual, his stomach grumbling hungrily. He heard the shower running, and taking a quick scan he realized it must have been Jackie as everyone else still seemed to be sleeping soundly. Knowing Jackie's showers could last seemingly for hours, he had decided if he couldn't be clean he could at least be fed. And that was how he found himself scavenging through Kelso's kitchen, making a nice, big Saturday breakfast for his friends.

He realized last night hadn't been the miracle quick fix they'd all hoped for. He wasn't surprised that things had been awkward and slow going, but that didn't mean he had to like it. So he thought the breakfast might be a nice ice breaker for day two.

On Saturdays Mrs. Forman always made a big breakfast, with eggs and ham and sausage and toast and bacon. And how he loved that bacon. And the way its smell, warm and salty, always seemed to linger in the house well into the afternoon. Somehow, after living with the Formans for the past few years, bacon was the smell of home. And he hoped that everyone would understand the gesture.

As Kelso returned from a walk with Prince and Jackie emerged, her hair still wet, from the bathroom, Donna and Fez started to come out of their slumber at the strong smell of breakfast invading the apartment. Before he had even finished the scrambled eggs, Hyde found he had four friends seated at the kitchen table, mouths almost watering at the sight of the feast he had prepared. Finally placing the skillet on the table, he sat down next to Kelso and watched as they all dug in. He felt satisfied as they all filled their plates. And Hyde took a bite of his own bacon, content.

HOT SHOWER:

Jackie learned somewhere way back when Michael had cheated on her the first time that a hot shower could be a good friend. Sadly, a shower could not give you advice or accompany you to the mall. But a shower could listen to you without interruption or judgment. And wipe away your tears when you needed a good cry. And could envelope you in a hug of warm steam when life seemed too complicated and confusing to go on. She'd turned to her shower every time she'd had a fight with Michael, and she'd like to think it was part of how she'd gotten through all his cheating and running away.

But then came Steven, and he'd ruined the comfort of the Hot Shower. She was now reminded of him every time she stood, pounded by the warm beads of water.

Once when they'd been caught in a rain storm while going for a walk she'd gotten drenched to the bone and could not stop shaking. She ran as fast as she could, and it just made the wind whipping by her body cooler on her skin. She had never been so cold. As they got to the Pinciotti house Steven had been worried she'd catch pneumonia she was shivering so badly. Since no one was home he led her straight to the upstairs bathroom and turned on the shower, as hot as it would go. Testing it with his hand to make sure it wasn't going to scorch her, he then undressed her quickly, taking but a moment to unbutton her blouse and unhook her skirt. Underwear still on her, he'd picked up her tiny form and set her inside the shower. Swiftly removing everything but his boxers, he stood in the tub beside her and held her tightly too him as the hot water beat down on her shoulders, streaming down his arms, flowing around their legs. When she'd finally stopped shaking he'd kissed her on the forehead, and held her to him with all his might. Then he got out first, not even bothering to dry himself off, and held open a big, fluffy towel for her to step into. Wrapping her tightly to keep in the new found warmth, he kissed her on the forehead again, his lips lingering a bit longer this time. It had been one of the first times she'd thought to herself, "He must love me."

But he didn't love her anymore.

So she had taken nothing but cold showers since he'd left her in Chicago. She had been nothing but cold without him anyway.

But today, for some reason she could not quite describe, she had turned the shower to Hot, and let it get nice and warmed up before stepping in. She let the water fall on her, around her, warming her bones like they hadn't been in months. And when the memories flooded her, the thoughts of his gentle kiss and his loving concern, she let them. She stayed in that shower until the water began to lose its heat, until her skin began to wrinkle.

As she dried herself off and slipped the day's clothes out of her bag, she decided that a hot shower with even just the memory of Steven was better than any more cold showers all alone.

SUBTLETY:

Fez was usually pretty straightforward. Even with his innuendos more was flat out stated than implied. But just because he didn't normally exercise subtlety didn't mean he couldn't appreciate it.

Hyde's friendship was expressed in subtle ways, and Fez appreciated that.

Like how he had woken up that morning to find Hyde's coat as his makeshift blanket. He knew that it was a subtle way of saying, "we're still friends even if things are weird right now." Or how Hyde had made breakfast for all of them, Fez knew that was a subtle message too. Fez had learned from Hyde that to act with subtlety didn't negate any of the meaning of things, in fact often it was quite the opposite. When Hyde had shaved his beard for Jackie, well that had been worth at least a hundred of her I Love You's. He hadn't had to say it to show it, and somehow that made it mean more.

So as Fez and Donna washed and dried the dishes, and Jackie neatly put them away, it was a subtle way of thanking Hyde, not only for the meal, but for the vote of confidence in their group's friendship that was behind it. And Fez hoped his curly-haired friend could see that.

And as Fez silently gave Donna's hand a squeeze while she prepared to call Eric for the first time since the break up, he hoped she could see that was a subtle way of saying, "I'm here if you need me."

And he truly hoped Kelso could see that this entire trip to Chicago was not just a weekend vacation with some friends but in fact a subtle way of screaming, "We miss you! Come home, you son of a bitch!"

PHONE CALLS:

After a delicious breakfast, Donna was feeling great. The conversation had not lagged at all, and they all seemed genuinely happy to just be with each other and laughing again. Even Hyde and Jackie had kept from pointed insults and kept their burns to matters of scruffiness and being spoiled. And she thought she might have caught Hyde staring fondly and amused at her best friend as she discussed with her old self's enthusiasm all the shopping she could do here with Fez.

Now that everything had been cleaned, Kelso and Hyde had taken Prince to the park, and Jackie was laying down for a nap. Fez sat in the living room watching Kelso's small TV and Donna was struck with a sudden urge, really more like a need, to talk to Eric. She had asked Fez if he thought it was a good idea, and he had smiled and nodded. She knew Fez wished Forman would come home soon too. And after making sure the time in Africa was appropriate, and convincing herself that her and Eric would always be friends, if nothing more, she began to dial the number.

Her hands were shaking as she pressed each button down. Fez came over and squeezed her hand, and she was thankful for the reassurance. She smiled at him as he left the room to give her more privacy.

She heard a voice answer, and it took a second to find her own. "May I speak to Eric Forman, please?"

Politely, the line asked her to hold for just a moment.

Then came a man's, "hello." And she couldn't keep the instant smile off her face as she heard her Eric for the first time in weeks.

"Hey," she replied, sure he could hear her grinning.

And her heart melted at the excitement she heard in his voice as he realized it was her and began to ask a hundred questions all at once. Soon they were giggling over Eric's students comparing him to a gazelle and over the Clown-Stealing incident that had happened not too long ago. When after an hour, the funny stories and their consequent laughter subsided, Donna felt like she could bust with happiness as she heard him tell her with almost tangible sincerity, "Donna, I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"So this Randy guy, he treating you good." She smiled slightly, she could hear jealousy in his tone.

"Yeah, he's nice. Kinda thin and goofy, like I like 'em." She was relieved when he laughed.

"Donna, you know, I didn't mean that I didn't love you. Because I do. I think I always will. It's just, I just don't know how we can-, you know when we're-, I just… I don't want to hold you back." Donna's eyes were tearing. He'd said he still loved her. She'd process the rest in a minute, she just needed to relish the feeling. Okay. Now, what had he said about holding her back?

"Donna?"

"Oh, yeah?"

"I should go." She noticed how sad he seemed about it.

"Okay, I hope I didn't keep you from anything important, I just…we all miss you, and I wanted to hear your voice."

"I'll call you soon."

"Bye, Eric."

"Goodbye."

"Oh and Eric…"

"Yes?"

"I still love you too. Just so you know."

As she hung up she couldn't help but beam. Right now Phone Calls we're her favorite thing on Earth.

ASK:

If he wanted to know something, Kelso's best bet was to simply ask. He often wasn't bright enough to trick information out of anyone, or to deduce things based on the facts. So when he found himself seated in the Vista Cruiser on the way to the park, with Hyde at the wheel, he let curiosity take over. And he asked.

"So how's the married life?"

Hyde looked at him oddly. "Fine, I guess."

"Samantha still a stripper?"

"Yep."

"That still hot?"

Hyde smirked. "It's got its perks."

"Does that make up for the fact that you don't love her?"

Kelso couldn't believe that he had actually had the guts to ask that. But he really wanted to know.

"What do you mean, man?"

Oh, Kelso could not believe it. Hyde was playing dumb. Well for once Kelso could explain something to him. "You still love Jackie."

"Shut up, man." Hyde's tone had a warning quality that Kelso completely ignored. They had great eye doctors in Chicago.

"No. You do. I know you do, Hyde. I'm right there with you. I can tell what it looks like when a man loves Jackie Burkhardt because I see it every time I look in the mirror. But the difference between us is, she still loves you back. So I'm asking, why is it that you are the one who's married to someone else?"

Hyde didn't look at him. Hyde didn't say a word. Kelso watched his best friend's jaw clench slightly, and though he knew it was a bad idea, he decided to keep pushing.

"You see, Hyde, we're all in a bit of a funk. We'd been together for years, the whole group of us, doing the same thing every day. Sure we might have played a bit of musical partners and we might have taken some classes and worked some jobs, but ultimately day in and day out, there was the six of us, in the basement, and that was our world. And then Eric decided to go outside, to leave the basement for something bigger. And Jackie, didn't want to leave, but she had to, because being just a girlfriend in that basement got to be too small. And you left, and came back with reality at your heels in the form of a wife you barely knew. And everything was changing in big ways, and it was moving way too fast. And the basement didn't quite look the same and we all retreated to our own lives, I even retreated so far as Chicago. And now we're6 close friends who can't seem to talk to each other anymore. It's not that we don't want to, we still all care about each other and want things to go back to how they were. But yet the silence continues because somehow we got this crazy idea that you can never go home again, and that growing up sometimes means growing apart."

Hyde looked completely dumbfounded, throwing disbelieving glances at him. Kelso knew he had never talked like this before, and that Hyde was probably wondering what the hell he'd smoke to get this wise? But desperate times called for desperate measures, and when it came to his friends, Kelso wasn't as dumb as they thought.

"But the thing is, Hyde, that's bullshit. We can go home anytime we want to. We can grow up right along side each other, just like me, you, and Forman had been doing for like 10 years. All that needs to happen is for us all to look at each other and say, 'I'm here.' Well, I'm here. And I'm going to be here for life, so again I ask: Why are you still married to Sam?"