A/N: Happy Father's Day! This chapter kinda goes along with the theme...

Anyway, I'm dead tired and I have a 6AM shift tomorrow so I regret to inform you that I may not survive lmao RIP me


Week Two

Day Two

It's a warm Sunday afternoon and Hyde is finishing giving Betsy an early bath. As usual, they had gone to the park, only this time the little girl ended up rolling in the mud with some dogs she had befriended. Hyde had to hose her off a bit before carrying her back to the apartment for a thorough bath- before Jackie got back since he knows she'd flip out if she came home to a muddy toddler.

"Alright, I think you're good now," Hyde says as he dries Betsy off with a fluffy towel. "You'd better stay clean for the rest of the day, 'cause we're not doing this again, you hear?"

"Okay," the toddler replies.

"Good," Hyde nods. "Arms up," he instructs so he can dress her. When she complies, he helps feed her tiny head and arms through the correct holes of the oversized Led Zeppelin shirt he picked out for her to wear. He then gently brushes her hair out of her face. She smiles brightly at him, emphasizing her chubby cheeks. "You're too cute for your own good, you know that? It's hard to stay mad at you." He tickles her chin, causing her to giggle and push his hand away in response.

Hyde stands up and walks out of the bathroom, Betsy on his heels. "Just don't follow any more dogs into mud puddles. Think you can do that for me?" he asks.

"I think so," she says.

"Alright, now what do you want for lunch?" he questions, going over to the fridge.

"Mac n cheese!" Betsy shouts and looks up at him hopefully.

"I don't know if you've been good enough for mac and cheese today," he jokes, pretending to hesitate even though he's already reaching for the milk and cheese.

"Please, Daddy?" Betsy pleads.

Hyde freezes. She didn't just...did she? He turns around to look at her directly. "What did you just say?" he asks.

"I said 'please'," she repeats.

Hyde waves his finger. "Not that. The other thing."

"Daddy?" the little girl asks, looking slightly confused.

Hyde inhales sharply. So he hadn't imagined things. She'd really said that. "No, no, no. I'm not your dad. Kelso's your dad."

Betsy stares at him in confusion.

"You remember Kelso, don't you?" he asks eagerly. When he doesn't get a response, he runs into the other room to retrieve a photo of his late best friend. He returns with the photo and shows it to Betsy, pointing to her biological father. "This is your dad. Come on, man. You remember him, right?"

Betsy's gaze flickers between him and the photo, but she still doesn't say anything. Her stare is almost blank.

"Please say you remember him," he desperately begs, voice cracking. This can't be happening already.

The little girl stares hard at the photo, trying to see what Hyde so desperately wants her to. There's a hint of recognition in her eyes, as though the memory of her parents are within reach and she just has to grasp it, and Hyde thinks she's starting to remember. "I know if you try hard enough you can remember," he encourages. But full recognition never comes. It's clear that as time goes on, Kelso is quickly fading into a distant memory.

And Hyde hates it.


The sound of keys turning in the door lock jolt Hyde from his thoughts. He's been listening for that sound all afternoon, anxious to talk to Jackie about what happened with Betsy earlier.

"Hey, guys," Jackie greets once she opens the door. "I'm home!" She sets her purse down and goes over to give Betsy a quick kiss on the head, as always. She then turns to Hyde. "So how did things-"

"Jackie, I need to talk with you," Hyde interrupts, jumping up from the couch. He eagerly grabs her wrist and pulls her into the next room.

"O-kay," she says, confused, but going along with him anyway.

They're alone, but Hyde stills looks around before he speaks, keeping his voice low. "Jackie...Betsy called me Dad. "

"Really?" she asks. Betsy has been referring to her as her mom for a short while now, and she was curious as to when the little girl would start referring to Hyde as her dad.

"Yeah! She was just like, 'Can I have some mac and cheese, Daddy' or something," he explains, mimicking her voice. "Can you believe it?"

"Aww," Jackie coos. "Steven, that is so cute."

His eyebrows furrow. "What? No, Jackie, it's not cute. I'm not her dad- Kelso is!" Hyde insists. "I don't want her to forget that. It's not," he takes a deep breath, "it's not fair to him." It's really not. Kelso and Brooke weren't like his parents or Jackie's parents; they deserved to be remembered because they actually cared about Betsy. Kelso worked up the courage to choose to have an active part in Betsy's life, he worked hard to prove to Brooke that he was responsible enough, and he even moved to Chicago to be closer to her. And Brooke was dedicated from the very start. They would have never willingly left their child, unlike Jackie and Hyde's parents.

"Oh, Steven…" Jackie looks at him sadly. She's still sad about Kelso and Brooke being gone and she's also sad that Betsy is remembering them less and less. But she also knows that it's natural for Betsy to recognize her and Hyde as her caretakers and start to refer to them as such. "We knew this was coming. She's still so young, she was bound to start calling us mom and dad sooner or later."

"Well, yeah," he admits reluctantly. "But not this soon." He doesn't know how much time won't be considered 'too soon', or if there's any amount of time that won't be too soon, but he knows this feels weird, almost wrong.

Jackie bites her lip. "I think it's been longer than you realize. Especially for Betsy. In proportion to the rest of her short life...it's been a significant amount of time. Do you understand that?"

Hyde takes a few steps away from her, rubbing his temples. He feels a headache coming on. "I-I guess. Doesn't mean I like it."

She sighs. "I know you might not want to think of ourselves as Betsy's parents, at least this soon, but that honestly is what we are to her now. That's how she sees us, and as sad as it is that she's moving on from Kelso and Brooke...well, we should be happy that she even has the ability to move on and still have a somewhat normal family. I think we should just let it happen. I'm pretty sure Kelso and Brooke would understand that. In fact, I'm pretty sure they would want that."

Hyde is silent as he takes in her words. She's being logical, which is usually his expertise, but this is just...something harder for him to accept. He knows she's right, though, as uncomfortable as it might be for him. "Yeah," he admits, "you're probably right. It's just weird. I don't want her to forget him is all."

Jackie steps closer to him and gently touches his arm. "And she won't, not really. She might not be able to keep a clear, personal memory of him, but with your reminders, he'll never be forgotten. I'm pretty sure she'll appreciate that when she's older. And I'm sure Kelso would appreciate that, too."

A spontaneous, totally Kelso-y idea forms in Hyde's mind, something Kelso would most definitely approve of. He turns to Jackie. "Are you up for something you might think is slightly crazy?"


"I cannot believe you convinced me into taking a toddler to the water tower," Jackie says when they arrive at the infamous Point Place water tower. Betsy's in the car seat in the back, quiet and content. She rather enjoys car rides; they seem to soothe her.

"I can't believe you agreed to it," Hyde replies smartly.

"Oh, believe me, the only way we're doing this is on my terms," she informs him. "I just left that part out before."

Hyde's eyes narrow. "And what 'terms' are those?"

With a devilish smile, Jackie pulls out the backpack-like baby carrier from behind her seat. "You have to use this."

He holds her gaze but doesn't match her smile. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are," she states like he doesn't have a choice. "How else were you planning on carrying her up there?"

"Ya know, hold her with one hand and climb up the ladder with the other," he explains with a shrug. Okay, now that he's saying that out loud, maybe he didn't really think this through. But he doesn't want to wear something as embarrassing as a baby sling.

Jackie makes a face. "Steven, there is no way you're doing that. That's so unsafe. The only way I'm letting you bring her up there is with this," she insists, once again gesturing to the baby carrier.

Hyde stares at her hard, but she stares right back, and he knows she's not budging on this one. "Alright, fine," he rolls his eyes. "But if I see a camera flash go off, I'm outta here."

"Deal," Jackie agrees, smiling innocently. She quickly kicks the camera she brought further under the seat and out of sight.

Two minutes later, Jackie's helping Hyde strap Betsy to his chest in the baby carrier. Once she's satisfied with it being secure enough, they begin to climb the ladder up the water tower. Hyde and Betsy go first with Jackie following, climbing up behind them. She keeps her eyes on them, making sure Hyde is firmly grasping the metal rings. She's not quite sure what she's supposed to do if they do start to slip, but it makes her feel better to watch them closely.

"Where we going?" Betsy asks curiously.

"You'll see," Jackie hears Hyde answer her.

Finally, Hyde and Betsy reach the top. Jackie breathes a sigh of relief when she sees Hyde safely step onto the platform. She also reaches the top a few seconds later, and Hyde offers her his hand to help pull her up onto the platform beside him. She gratefully takes it, her own hand slightly tingling once he lets it go. Rubbing her hands on the legs of her pants, she tries to wipe off the fuzzy feeling. She's a grown woman, not a high school girl anymore. Jeez.

"Alright, we made it," Hyde says. "Now help me take this thing off."

"I don't know," Jackie hesitates. "There's a good chance Betsy inherited Kelso's falling-off-the-water-tower-gene, and a two-year-old falling from this height would not be good. This is already the Charlie Richardson Memorial Water Tower, we don't need to add 'and Betsy Kelso' to the title." She crosses her arms.

"I'm not gonna let that happen," Hyde reassures her. "And I know you won't either. I won't let go of her, I promise."

"Fine," Jackie says, throwing her hands up. "But if you let her fall, I'm letting you fall. Only it won't be an accident if you know what I mean."

He mock-salutes her but knows she's completely serious. "Yes, Ma'am."

Jackie helps him free himself and Betsy from the carrier. They set her on the platform and Hyde immediately takes her small hand in his. Holding her hand firmly, he walks her over to the railing at the front of the tower.

The sun is just beginning to set over Point Place, basking them in a warm orange glow atop the water tower. The three of them stand in silence for a few minutes, taking in the magnificent sight. For Jackie and Hyde, the sight is familiar- more than familiar, actually. They have countless memories from this very place, most of them including the friend they both miss so much. For Betsy, it's a whole new experience. This is the first of many memories she'll make here.

"You know, Betsy," Hyde finally breaks the silence, "this was your dad's favorite place."

Betsy's face scrunches in confusion. "Daddy?"

"Yeah, your real dad; Kelso," Hyde reminds her. Once again, he takes out the photo of his late best friend and shows it to her. She reaches out and touches Kelso's face in the photo. "I don't know how much you remember him, or for how long, but I'm not gonna stop telling you about him. Because he was a great guy and a great dad and you deserve to know about him."

Jackie's eyes soften and suddenly her throat feels a bit too tight. She meets Hyde's gaze, and in that one look, she sends him a consoling message: I miss him, too.

Hyde clears his throat and sits down on the platform, back against the tower and legs hanging over the edge. He places Betsy on his lap, keeping a firm hold on her, and continues to talk to her. "Well, anyway, I just wanted to bring you here so you could share something with him. And...I guess it's alright if you want to start calling me Dad or whatever. Just know that I'm only the stand-in."

With a sad smile, Jackie sits down next to Hyde against the tower. She thinks the mood needs lifting, so that's just what she's going to do. "Hey, Betsy," she says, "did you know both of your 'dads' have fallen off this water tower? Yep, Kelso used to fall off here every year since like, the fourth grade or something. Each year we would place bets on what month we thought he was gonna fall off." She catches Hyde's eye and laughs at the shared memory. "And Steven here has also fallen off of the water tower and he ended up hurting his neck. Yeah, they could both be kinda dumb." She nods at her own statement.

Betsy twists around to inspect Hyde's neck for any leftover trace of injury.

"Hey, the only reason I fell is because I was pushed," Hyde defends. He does not want to placed in the same category of Kelso when discussing the stupid things he's done.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot. Donna is stronger than you," Jackie teases.

"Not stronger, just...strong," he says in an attempt to make it sound less lame. He fails.

Jackie rolls her eyes. "However you wanna put it. All I'm saying is, you and Kelso- even Eric and Fez- have all managed to fall off of this stupid thing. And I, on the other hand," she flips her hair, "have not."

"Oh, yeah? We could fix that if you want," Hyde says, playfully slipping his hand on her back and lightly pushes her as if he's about to shove her off the edge.

When she laughs, Hyde swears it's the most beautiful sound he's heard in weeks. "Steven, stop!" She fights the pressure of his hand.

"What do you think, Betsy? Should we push her off the tower so she can join the club?" he asks the toddler.

"Nooo! Don't push her!" the little girl insists.

"Alright, fine, for your sake," he pretends to give in to her high demands, retracting his arm.

Smiling, Jackie swats his arm. "You're an asshole," she says, but for the first time in a long time, she doesn't really mean it.

"Hey, watch your language around the kid," Hyde half-seriously scolds her. "We don't want her to turn out like-"

"You?" Jackie asks, eyes twinkling.

He shrugs in return, the slightest of smirks on his lips. "Hey, man, if she doesn't turn out like me, I'll consider my job as her legal guardian a success."

Again, Jackie lets out a laugh, and time seems to slow down for Hyde. She leans forward in the process of laughing, shoulders shaking slightly and eyes squinting shut. The setting sun causes her skin to glow luminously. Hyde watches her the entire time, mouth going dry. She's so beautiful, it still takes his breath away. And as cheesy as it is, he truly believes her outer beauty only reflects what's on the inside; she's beautiful inside and out. He often tries hard not to think about her like this, about how he had the perfect woman by his side and lost her because of his own pride and stupidity, but he can't help it in times like this. More than anything, he wishes he could deserve her. He wishes he could be the man she wants to be with.

Her laughter slowly ceases, and once she recovers, she looks over at both Betsy and Hyde, smiling softly. Betsy's eyes are drooping as she starts to drift off to sleep against Hyde's chest. "I really think she's gonna turn out alright. Even with us as surrogate parents," she says, rolling her eyes.

Hyde shrugs. "Yeah, we could always be worse, I guess."

"See? Exactly," Jackie spreads her hands out in emphasis. "We just have to keep telling ourselves that."

"Or we just have to be better parents than Eric and Donna'll be," he suggests. "Long as we do that, we'll be good. 'Cause I mean, come one, otherwise, that would be embarrassing."

"Well, we're already hotter than them, so we have that going for us," Jackie points out.

"Yeah, that's true. Not that it takes much to be hotter than Eric," he jokes and they both chuckle.

A comfortable, content silence falls over the couple as they watch the sky change colors in each other's company. In front of the beautiful sight, they're both caught up in their own thoughts. Their thoughts mainly consist of how light they feel, without a trace of drugs in their systems, just enjoying the other person's presence. It's been a while since they felt like this, and it's so good, so right.

Jackie turns to Hyde, a soft smile gracing her lips. "This was a good idea, coming out here. Thanks for convincing me to do it," she says genuinely. She then scoots over closer to gently lay her head against Hyde's shoulder and rest one of her hands on Betsy's back. Her hand lightly touches the one Hyde is using to hold the napping little girl. She closes her own eyes, basking in the peaceful moment.

Sitting on the water tower in the setting sun, with Betsy curled against his chest and Jackie resting on his shoulder, Hyde swears nothing has ever felt so right. In that moment, he vows to be the person they both deserve.