A/N: Hey guys, this is a short chapter, I know. In my mind, it sort of acts as bridge chapter- this is the end of Part 1, in my mind. It is important, though- definitely not a filler.

Also, before you read, you should know that there is a pretty significant description of Eric's physical appearance in this chapter. If you don't know who Mike Nesmith is, I suggest googling "Mike Nesmith, young" and looking at images of him. (The "young" part is definitely important.)

It will make sense once you read. Thanks as always for your reviews and support!

( One month later)

It had been several weeks since Eric had first arrived in Chicago, and a month since he had met his new band of friends. In just that short time, he had formed real bonds with each of them. Their help and friendship had introduced him to so many experiences and a whole plethora of knowledge about life in the city. Their guidance was at times life saving, and Eric was much more street wise because of it. And of course, he appreciated them for their friendship and company, the same way he loved his friends back in Wisconsin. The four became very fond of him, too. Outside of the group, Eric had also been introduced to many interesting people, so he did have a network of acquaintances and friends as well.

After about a week of hanging out with his new group, Eric had realized that if he was going to continue to sleep in a hotel, or eat, he was going to need a job. Hoping that his friends would be able to help him, the teen had asked for their advice. Valerie and Ritch had shared a glance and immediately invited him to work at the record store.

"I usually say that you should never work where you hang out," Ritch had said. "But we'd be happy to have you here."

He'd accepted on the spot, and worked at selling records, helping customers, and delivering new vinyls to the clubs that Ritch and Valerie had deals with.

Usually at this time of day he would be at work, hanging out with friends, or getting dinner. But today was different; the evening was setting in as the young Forman strolled along Lake Michigan. It had been hot all day, but a strong breeze was now making the temperature more tolerable. Eric was alone, winding down and enjoying the leisure time. Only a handful of couples were out with him, taking advantage of the pleasant day. He was spending the time contemplating all that had happened to him in the short time he'd lived in Chicago...

As a young kid, Eric had been a big fan of 'the Monkees' television show. They all were, even Hyde, as much as he'd deny it. They were the Beatles for the kids who were too young to really "get" Sgt. Pepper. Besides the fun and wacky plot-lines, the fictional-band-turned-real was a big deal for Eric and his friends. The Monkees were always being disrespected, and treated as young "weirdos" by the adults they encountered. And when Red would say those weirdos were lazy for growing out their hair to absurd lengths, and for not getting real jobs, the show made Eric question Red's ideas. So what if the characters' hair was long? They were talented musicians, and every week they got into some awesome adventure. They were good people, regardless of hair length. Looking back, Eric didn't know if he would have thought to let his hair take on his standard bowl cut without that small step in his life.

Of all the characters on the show, Mike had always been Eric's favorite. It was no surprise then, that in this new stage of his life, Eric would grow out his hair even longer, and it vaguely began to look like Mike's had on TV.

Red and Kitty would die if they saw it. Without it being cut or monitored on a regular basis by the critical standards of Red, it had thickened and grown. Eric did nothing but comb it so that the part was a bit more defined- it did the rest by itself. The hair had grown far past his ears, but it moved like a wave over his forehead so that it never got as long as Aaron's or Ritch's. It almost covered his left eyebrow, but Eric hardly noticed it, and was careful to trim it before it ever got any lengthier than that. The teen had tried to grow a beard or even some sideburns to complete the look, but he had always been "hairless," as his mother liked to say, and growing facial hair turned out to be a bust. Even with a clean-shaven face, the hair made him look older and more mature.

But it wasn't just the hair. He'd bought new clothes too- more jeans, less slacks, and shirts that didn't drown him in fabric. He even saved up for a new suede jacket-trimmed with wool, like the one he'd left in Point Place, but of better quality.

Physically, he was still tall and thin, and otherwise unchanged. But as a person, he had grown into an independent young adult. He noticed it in himself quite often these days.

And he was loving it.

His new job was not only a step up from "Price-Mart Stockboy" but it was a more social occupation. He was meeting and dealing with people from all walks of life, which was exciting, even if not every customer was entirely pleasant. In fact, the less pleasant customers made him better at handling himself in tight spots and difficult social situations. Eric's general awkwardness was slowly disappearing, though his sarcasm and "twitchiness" remained a fundamental part of his personality- in fact, these traits endeared him to others. He was the same witty Eric, he just did a better job of not putting his foot in his mouth.

He also carried himself with a bit more self-assurance, which added to that older, more mature appearance he was sporting these days. His view of the world was changing along with his personality. This meant that his view on people was changing too. Particularly, where women were involved.

Eric truly hadn't known many women in his life. There were a few relatives, teachers, and acquaintances he knew from town, and the occasional (rare) female classmate that actually showed any interest in him. Those he did know were few and far between. There was his grandmother, who had been unpleasant right up to her death; the fact that she died under his watch had traumatized him and further made it difficult to think about her. (Eric still tried not to think about that whole experience.) There was his sister, Laurie, although she too was unpleasant, and often absent, off partaking in dangerous and reckless behavior. These relatives, though strong in personality, always made life uncomfortable or even at times unbearable for Eric, so he'd never seen them as people to respect or model himself after, despite the love he felt, deep (deep) down for them.

There was Jackie, who was so vain and mean that Eric didn't like her as a person, regardless of gender. She and Eric were friends, truly, but only showed it on the rarest of occasions. Even though Jackie did have her moments of brief wisdom or generosity, she often followed that immediately with a rude remark or a fight with Kelso. So when Eric regarded her as a pain, it was a matter of personality, not of sexism.

Of course, his mother was the most prominent and probably the most positive female figure in his life. She could do everything, and even though she was often balancing many tasks at once, she was never too busy to be there for him when he needed her. Kitty knew so much, and was so kind….Eric secretly viewed her as the best person he knew.

The only other truly positive female figure in his world had been Donna. He had adored everything about her. She was one of the smartest people he knew (only Kitty and Red could possibly surpass her in his opinion) and definitely the smartest person their age. She had dreams bigger than Point Place, which at one time was hurtful to him, but now Eric understood it. Everything about Donna had at one time captivated him, including her passion for her own rights, though that passion had sparked a few tiffs between them over the course of their relationship.

Looking back, he had to admit that he'd had his sexist moments. They always occurred accidentally, a creation of his own awkwardness. Giving Donna panties as a joke, expecting her to settle down once they were married to raise their children; these were some of the things she'd taken issue with. In Eric's defense, that was what all of the best women he knew ended up doing. His mother, his grandmothers, they had all settled down and gotten married, raising two kids each. That was what women in Point Place did.

But once he'd spent enough time in Chicago, he learned that settling down was not what most young women were doing nowadays. Even if they didn't have plans to go to college or start a career, like Donna, the women Eric encountered were both energetic and kind, both free-spirited and professional. They partied hard, they worked, they dated frequently and they dressed the way they wanted to. But that didn't mean they compromised their own morals or integrity. The women he met were like a combination of Laurie and Kitty: flirty, feminine, kind and intelligent. Not to mention successful. He now saw why Donna might want that sort of life.

It was interesting spending time with Joy and Valerie. They were the first close female friends he had, that weren't related to him, that he didn't hate, or that he wasn't in love with. Not only that, but one was married, and one had been a groupie!

Only in Chicago.

Or rather, only outside of Point Place.

The more time Eric spent away from his parents, the more he appreciated them. Now that he was supporting himself he was slightly more aware of the financial struggle they must have faced when Red lost his job at the plant. Their parents tried to keep up the pretenses that they were fine, but Eric, and even Laurie, could see that things weren't all that great. They'd almost lost the house. It was truly a miracle that one, (or both) Forman parents didn't split, like Hyde's parents had done.

Or like Donna's mother had done.

It always came back to her. Even after all this time, weeks after they last saw each other, and over a year since they'd broken up….and there was something preventing him from letting go.

Love had something to do with it, yes, but there had been no real closure. Neither of them had ever really moved on- they had each tried seeing different people, but it never clicked with anyone, since they'd never moved on from each other.

It was a cycle of misery that he fully intended to break.

Eric had come to Chicago for a multitude of reasons, some of which he'd found along the way. He came to learn, to live, and to change.

The really cool thing about it was that he'd come to learn about the world, which he did, but he learned even more about himself.

He found out what real responsibility was. He had learned that he wasn't that bad a dancer, when he put his mind to it. He realized that he did in fact have that "Forman Rage" inside him somewhere- that you could push him around to no end, but the moment you moved in on a loved one, he'd let you have it. Apparently, he now enjoyed drives and walks by himself, because he liked the peace and quiet. He found that while he'd never been the best leader, people listened to him. Joy had even said something about him being a good teacher...

Eric was more aware of the world. He was more aware of others, and of himself. That alone would make him unrecognizable to anyone who had known him before.

…..

After a month of such heavy self-actualization, Eric still wasn't ready to go home. He liked it too much here in Chicago. And he felt no pressure to leave any time soon- it was the end of June, school didn't start for quite a while.

Between working and hanging out with his friends, he'd been trying all sorts of new things. Valerie knew all the best restaurants, and made him try some pretty exotic foods. Hanging out in a record store 24/7 exposed him to some bands that he had never heard of, or that he'd never fully appreciated until then. He'd been to several more discos and nightclubs, with and without his friends, and had even seen a few sporting events, despite his usual indifference to athletics. Furthermore, he'd consumed enough alcohol to the point where it was just another beverage, another part of life. It had once been taboo, something that required a specific amount of sneaking and lying. Here, he never once got carded.

He was definitely having an adventure.

The sun was going down and the tides were rising. Eric turned to let the breeze blow in his face, his hair blowing back and exposing his forehead. A deep breath brought in that nice blend of summer, lake, and city that was quickly becoming home to him.

And there was still much more to do.