A short transition chapter, but still important. Enjoy, guys!

...

After getting arrested, being dumped, going to a Pink Floyd concert, attending an afterparty, hooking up with a groupie, and being hospitalized from a bad trip all in the span of a few days, Eric decided he needed to take it down a notch.

While some people are drastically changed by even one bad experience with acid, Eric was for the most part able to shake it off. He was more concerned with this turmoil over whether or not he should return to Point Place. He felt as though he wasn't truly ready to stay in Chicago permanently, wasn't ready to start a brand new grown-up life, he also didn't feel like he belonged in Point Place anymore. He was a nowhere man, he didn't belong in any one place for the time being. He was okay with that for now, but he couldn't live this way forever.

His biggest fear about leaving Chicago was that he would go right back to being his old self. Not that there was anything wrong with his old self, but Eric liked the version of himself that he was now: independent, wiser, more mature, even a bit kinder, but still sarcastic and twitchy. Not to mention the fact that the long hair and new clothes (they fit him instead of drowning him!) made him look far more attractive and interesting. Same Eric, just better. Remastered, even.

But he worried that the moment he returned home, he would fall for Donna again, would go back to wearing his baggy clothes, would fear Red, cut his hair, and continue the antics that had taken up so much of his time and patience.

Also, Eric worried that if he went back now, he would be sucked in to the world of Point Place, with no hope of escaping. Sure, he still had no problem with settling down there when he was older….but he couldn't stand the thought of going to the nearest college, returning home, marrying some girl he didn't love, and dragging his feet through some career with the hopes that maybe he could save enough to put his kids through college so that the cycle might repeat itself. If he was going to settle down in Point Place, it would be when he was ready, not when he felt obligated to.

Furthermore, Eric thought that surely his new friends, who were the greatest group of people he'd ever met, would surely forget about him and go on with their lives once they said goodbye. Should he choose to return to Chicago, he didn't want to redo those awkward few days by himself.

On his next day off, almost a week after he checked out of the hospital, the teen went for one of his walks. But this time, instead of pacing the edge of Lake Michigan, he headed back towards the Sears Tower.

He hadn't been in the building since that night when he'd met his new friends. It was daylight this time, but that hardly altered Eric's love for the city as he looked down over it from above. He had fallen in love with Chicago, mostly because it had been surprisingly welcoming to him from the moment he'd arrived. It was a pity that he didn't have the time to really explore it, block by block. But he promised himself that it would happen one day.

Resting his forehead against the window, Eric considered the options in front of him. He was in a wonderful spot for a person of his age. He could buy a car with the money he'd saved up and tour the country. He could move on to the next adventure…New York, perhaps? He could stay here indefinitely, get a real job, and just work his way up the ladder. Eric smiled slightly, seeing himself in a work suit, working in some stuffy office. He wasn't sure exactly what he wanted to do with his life yet, but the more Aaron talked about teaching, the more Eric considered that path. He could work five days a week, and still remain in the city, clubbing with his friends and experiencing the seventies head-on. He was young now and he would be young for quite a few more years- and having weekends and summers off sounded like a perfect way to get by. (The teaching and inspiring of young minds sounded pretty good, too.)

He could go home, face the consequences of his actions, and basically live his last year of high school in a limbo. Returning home wouldn't actually be that horrible. Besides, he knew his friends would want to know what he'd been up to…

Sighing, Eric opened his eyes and stared down at the city again. He was at a crossroads. If he decided to stay, he would have to check out his hotel and work somewhere that would pay him enough to get his own place. He could tell that this little vacation was winding down; if he stayed in Chicago, the real world would begin. That wasn't such a bad thing, but there would be no going back once he committed.

Eric had an idea of what he would end up choosing, but he wanted to talk it over with his friends first. They always gave the best advice. Despite his usual stubborn pride when it came to personal matters, this was too important to screw up.

One more long look, and the young man turned away from the windows. While he wasn't electrified the way he had been the first time he looked out over Chicago, the feeling of excitement and possibility never ceased. Not for one moment.

...

Returning to the record store, Eric was prepared to ask his friends for their opinions on what he should do. Instead, he found Joy and Aaron out front, much in the way they had been when he first met them.

"There you are," Joy smiled. "We tried your hotel room, but you didn't answer."

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I went for a walk. What's going on?"

"Are you up for dinner tonight? Work was boring and I want to do something fun," Joy said. "You can only get so much coffee and file so many papers before you're ready to kill someone."

Eric smiled. "Sure. Are Ritch and Val coming?"

"Yeah, they're changing right now," Aaron said.

Soon enough they were joined by their married friends, and the group of young adults made their way to the nearest restaurant.

The location they chose wasn't all that fancy, but that was a good thing. The food was decent, as were the prices, and everyone had a good time.

"So, do we go home, or continue this night out?" Ritch asked, draping an arm around Valerie as they exited the establishment.

"If we are going to go somewhere, I want to use the restroom here first. It's cleaner," Joy said.

"Good idea," Valerie agreed, following her friend back into the restaurant.

"What about that dance place down the block?" Aaron suggested.

"A club?" Eric asked.

"No, more like slow dancing, mostly." Eric hadn't been out to a nightclub or party since the incident after the concert, and his friends were respectful of that.

"That's great, I'll sit there and drink while you guys dance," the teen said. He didn't mean for that to sound so sarcastic; it actually sounded like a pretty great idea.

"No way, there are always lots of chicks there hoping to get swept off their feet. And not scary girls with pills," Aaron said, earning a laugh from his younger friend.

"Sounds good to me, but is it crowded at this time of night? There might be a wait to get in," Ritch said.

"How 'bout we run over there and check it out, while you wait for the girls? Come on, Eric," Aaron said. "It isn't far. We might get back before they do."

The Wisconsinite followed his musician friend down the sidewalk and matched his brisk pace. When they reached their destination, Aaron looked through the windows of the building.

"Not too crowded," he commented. "No wait to get in. Looks like a good time."

"Then let's get the others," Eric suggested.

"Sounds like a plan."

They turned and walked back the way they came.

"Maybe next week we could-" Eric was saying when a sketchy looking man approached them.

"Hey man, got a light?" the guy asked.

"No, sorry," Aaron said, quickly sidestepping the stranger before the worst could happen.

"That's rude," the guy said, grabbing Aaron's arm and spinning him around. "How bout you give me your wallet to make up for it?"

"Look, man, I don't want any trouble-"

"Too late," the guy snarled, whipping out a large switchblade and holding it up where both young men could see it.

Eric saw the weapon and every joint in his body seemed to lock. A vaguely familiar feeling rose in his chest. It was the same emotion he'd felt when that jerk David insulted Red's intelligence (after he revealed that his father was closing the plant). It was the same feeling he felt when Casey Kelso revealed that he lied about loving Donna…or when Red kicked Hyde out for getting busted for possession. It was the Forman Rage.

Seeing his closest friend being threatened by some lowlife caused the rarest side of Eric to rise to the surface.

"Hey buddy," Eric started, and when the mugger whipped his arm to direct his blade at the younger man, Eric punched him right in the face.

The man fell in a heap, his nose bloody- surely broken.

"Dammit, my nose," he said.

Aaron looked at his friend, incredulous. Then he turned and regarded the moaning man on the ground, who was trying to get up with one hand, holding his face with the other.

"We'd better get out of here."

The two rushed out of the alley and down the street, not stopping until they had put a block in between themselves and their attempted mugger.

Once they were sure they weren't being followed, both young men doubled over, out of breath.

"Th…Thanks, Eric. You really didn't have to…thanks man. I owe you one."

"Let's just call it even," Eric panted. "You've already done the same for me."

"I owe you a beer, at least," Aaron said, straightening up and putting his arm over Eric's shoulder. The two went back in the direction of the restaurant to meet up with the rest of their companions.

"Hey, just trying…to earn my keep," Eric said, still huffing from the unexpected exercise. His dad was right about his athletic ability, that was for sure.

Aaron frowned at the remark. "You do know you don't have to earn your friendship with all of us, right?"

"Yeah," Eric said, uncomfortable. He hadn't meant to take the conversation to this place. "I was just kidding. Though this does make us even from my first mugging."

"Dude, we've gotten you arrested, drugged up, and hospitalized. We were even a while ago."