What? Three chapters in one day? I must really love you guys! Let me know what you think! :)

...

After the day's madness, Eric decided that it was best to wait and ask for his friends' advice the following day. So, when he showed up to work at the store the next morning, he was surprised to see the place empty except for his four best friends, all conversing over the check-out counter.

When the bell over the door dinged, announcing Eric's arrival, they little group all whipped around to see him, expectation so clearly on their faces that Eric stopped; they were talking about him, he could tell.

Ritch, Valerie, Aaron, and Joy all came up to the teen, lined up like four parents about to lecture the same kid, and at first Eric thought this was some sort of intervention. However, it wasn't anger or concern on their faces, but amusement.

"We have something for you," Joy said, her hands hiding something behind her back.

"Okay...Not that I'm complaining, but why? You didn't have to…"

Aaron grinned as Joy handed the teen a tiny bundle. Once he unwrapped it, Eric regarded the contents with surprise.

A key sat in the middle of the wrapping, silver and mundane as a nickel.

"Oh wow," Eric said in sarcastic delight. "A key."

"We have one for you too," Valerie said as Ritch handed the second bundle over. This key was a coppery color, but it was also plain and unexciting.

"Please tell me these go to a car and an apartment," Eric said.

"Close," Ritch smirked.

"The silver one goes to our apartment," Aaron said, putting his arm around Joy as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"The other one goes to our flat," Valerie said. "The back door, actually, not the front door to the shop."

"This is great, but why…?" Eric asked again.

"We know you're eventually going to have to go back to Point Place," Joy said. "And we know that you really don't want to leave Chicago. But we also know that you'll be back, probably sooner than later. And when you do, you can use these."

"Hell, you'll probably need a roommate or something while you get your life started," Aaron said. "And it would be nice to split the rent three ways instead of two."

Eric widened his eyes. "You're saying….?"

"We're saying that you are our friend, and that we care about you, and that we want you back whenever you're ready to return to Chicago," Valerie said.

"You're one of us, man," Ritch clarified further. "Just because you're going back to school for a year or two doesn't change that."

Eric was mildly overwhelmed. It looks like the decision had been made for him, and he could not have been happier. So, as it turned out, his friends wouldn't forget him after all. His worries dissipated.

"I mean, I used to go on tour for months at a time with the band," Aaron added. "And Joy's been gone for long stretches, too. This won't be any different."

"You guys are too nice," Eric said, ducking his head and shifting his weight, his hands finding the pockets of his jeans in embarrassment.

"Hey, we're just happy we found someone who will work at the store for cheap," Ritch joked.

"I…thanks," Eric said, not sure how to respond to such open kindness.

"Don't mention it," Aaron said.

"You know, I wasn't ready to go back home," Eric said. "But now, I think I am."

None of them looked surprised. "We knew you'd say that," Joy said.

…

After a long night of alcohol and music spent in the record store (absolutely no drugs, since everyone was still somewhat shaken over their youngest's episode) Eric returned to his hotel room, and started to pack his bags. He wasn't as sad about the whole thing as he originally thought, probably because he knew he would be back very soon. He had already called the concierge in the hotel and requested a list of the best colleges in Illinois. Heck, even if he just decided to drop in for the summer before his freshman year of college... no matter where in the world he ended up attending, Eric had a hunch that he would see his friends again before he started at a university, well over a year away. Joy had even suggested driving up to visit him some weekend in the fall. The idea of his four Chicago friends spending any time in Point Place entertained the teen to no end. He could imagine Red's disdain and Kitty's near-fear at their unpredictable, yet very grounded lifestyles. He could imagine Joy turning down Kelso so smoothly that the dork would think he had a date, and Jackie's jealousy over the girls' clothes. Hyde would love the gang and beg to hitch a ride to Chicago with them.

Even without the four accompanying him, Eric suddenly became very anxious over how he would be received. He knew his parents and friends would be happy to see him, but how would they react to his appearance? As groovy as the girls in Chicago found his long "Nesmith" hair, he wasn't so sure his dad would see the appeal.

Eric filled his backpack with his belongings: his wallet, which had only ten dollars less in it now than it had when he arrived, his map and his pocket knife, as well as a few other personal effects he accumulated over the summer. There were a couple of new records, a pair of aviator sunglasses that he secretly adored, and various other odds and ends. Eric had thrown out his old clothes by the end of June, and he now had enough new clothes that he had to put them in a military-style sack, which he slung over his shoulder. He checked out of the cheap little hotel, realizing he was actually going to miss it. Before walking down to the record store for the last time that summer, the young adult stopped at the bus station to purchase a ticket for the afternoon shuttle out of town. It would take him as far as Madison, Wisconsin, and he intended to hitchhike the rest of the way there.

In the record store, his friends were waiting to say goodbye. Luckily, it was only noon, and Eric's bus didn't leave until three, so they had time to spare. He'd wanted to stay longer, but knew that it was important he get home early in the evening, just after dinner time, while his whole family was still awake.

Joy hugged him first, and he laughed.

"I'm not leaving for another three hours."

"I know, but I can't help it."

"You've got the keys we gave you?" Valerie asked. "Your license, your wallet, your clothes?"

"All here, Mom," he teased, and she couldn't help but hug him too.

"Okay, let's not get too mushy, here," Aaron said. "Or Ritch'll start crying."

Joy just smiled at her boyfriend and went to the counter to retrieve her purse. She pulled a stuffed envelope from the bag, and handed it to Eric.

"What's this?"

"Some of the pictures I took over the past couple months. Don't worry, I kept a few for myself."

The young man smiled as he looked through the thick stack of polaroids. There he was, grinning at the camera as he sorted stacks of albums. There were Valerie and Ritch, holding beers and leaning against each other in some bar or club. The three guys behind bars, in jail. The girls hugging Eric. Aaron attempting to teach Eric how to play the guitar. The sweet photos went on and on, and it was funny to watch Eric's clothes and hair slowly morph into the style he sported now.

"Thanks," he grinned at his friend. "I love them."

"Here," Valerie said, pulling a pen and notepad from one of drawers behind the counter. "Write your address and phone number in Point Place."

"Oh, and make sure you get our numbers too," Joy chimed in.

Aaron and Ritch looked on in amusement as the girls smothered Eric with love.

Eric tucked the photos, and the list of addresses and phone numbers, into his backpack.

Unfortunately, the time went by far too quickly. When it was a quarter to three, Eric and his friends walked down to the bus station together.

People were already starting to board the bus to Madison by the time they arrived, and Eric turned to his older friends, suddenly panicked. Did he want to leave? He wasn't so sure anymore. How was it that he was more afraid to leave Chicago than he had been to run away to Chicago? And why was he really so frightened of Point Place?

Sensing his alarm, Joy immediately moved to hug him again. This time, she didn't break away, but held the embrace.

"You're gonna have a great year," she promised. "And I will come visit you, even if I have to walk there."

"I'll be walking with her," Aaron chimed in.

Eric hugged Joy back as tightly as he could; Joy was the first female friend he'd ever had that he didn't either hate or feel attracted to. Valerie ran a close second, considering she looked out for him, counseled him, and generally treated him better than his sister Laurie ever had. When Joy pulled back and went to stand by Aaron, Valerie stepped forward. Despite her petite frame, she gave a powerful hug.

"We only met you a few months ago," she smiled. "How did this end up happening?"

"You all felt sorry for me, I think."

"Only at first," Ritch smiled, stepping forward to give Eric a short, masculine hug. Aaron quickly followed, crushing Eric in a vice grip.

"Take care of yourself, kid. Don't go too crazy on your eighteenth birthday."

Eric snickered and stepped back.

"Last call for Madison, Wisconsin," a stubby bus driver called out from his seat behind the wheel.

Trying and failing to steady his erratic heartbeat, Eric gave all of his friends one last smile.

"Thanks guys," he said, then turned to board the bus.

"Call us when you get home so that we know you made it okay," Valerie demanded of him, and he smiled. Just when he thought she couldn't sound more like his mother, she outdid herself.

Handing the bus driver his ticket and finding his seat, Eric took in a deep breath. He looked out the window, where his friends caught his eye and waved. He waved back, and the bus pulled out of the station.

…..

The bus was crowded, and Eric had to squeeze himself and his belongings into a seat against the window. Despite his discomfort, he thought only of how he was going to act when he reunited with his family. He rehearsed what he would say and do over and over again in his mind. The teen prepared himself for Kitty's tears, Red's anger, Hyde's questions. He decided it would be best if he told them where he'd gone the moment they asked. There was no point in lying or keeping the reality of his whereabouts a secret- they couldn't stop him once he was home, right? When they asked why, he would tell them a piece of the whole story- he would say that he needed to do something in his life that was exciting, and that he knew they would have come after him had he told them where he was going from the start. It wasn't the whole reason, or even the main reason why he left, but it would do. His parents wouldn't like the answer, but it was plausible, and it was far less harsh than "I wanted to get away from you, and Donna, and my friends, and the entire town because I felt suffocated, and I needed to learn things and do things you have never experienced in your life."

In his preoccupation with his thoughts, it didn't occur to Eric just how different he was since he'd hopped on the bus to the Windy City.

It had taken almost eight hours to get from Point Place to Chicago at the beginning of the summer. This time, it was much easier, since the bus took him halfway to his hometown in just under two hours. It still wasn't as fast as driving, but since it was a direct route to Madison, with no stops, Eric couldn't complain. However, he still had about an hour's worth of driving before he would make it to Point Place, and there were no buses heading to that general area for the evening. The young man really didn't feel like walking or hitchhiking, but it appeared he had no choice.

Luck was on his side. When Eric collected his bags and stepped out of the bus station in Madison, a large Price-Mart delivery truck pulled up to the fueling station. Eric recognized the vehicle in an instant.

"Hey!" he called out, running over to where the truck driver was pulling the gas nozzle from its holder.

"Hey," he said again when he reached the man. "Steve, right?"

The middle-aged man regarded Eric in suspicion. "Do I know you?"

"Well, probably not. But you deliver stuff to the Point Place Price Mart, right?"

"Yeah…"

"I used to be a stock-boy there."

"Okay," Steve said, wondering where on earth Eric was going with this.

"Are you going to Point Place now? Could you give me a ride?"

"Sorry, kid, I'm heading home to Kenosha right now. Not going anywhere near Point Place."

"Kenosha's close enough. Could you drive me there? I'll pay you twenty bucks."

"I guess so," Steve said in hesitation. Eric sighed in relief,

"Thank you."

The drive to Kenosha was mostly quiet; Steve wasn't much of a conversationalist, which was quite alright with the young Forman. When they reached the town's city limits, Steve dropped Eric off at the first bus station and headed home, not giving the kid another thought.

It was almost a quarter-to-six when he stepped out of the Price Mart truck, which was great- he was right on schedule, with no stroll down the highway required. If he'd ended up walking, he most likely wouldn't have arrived in Kenosha for a while longer.

As he opened the door to the station and peeked inside, Eric prayed that there were buses running at this time of day. It was still very early, the sun wasn't setting for another hour at least, so his odds were good. Point Place was still approximately forty minutes while driving, so there was no chance of him walking the whole way there and making it home before Red and Kitty went to sleep.

The girl behind the ticket counter was in no mood for pleasantries.

"Yeah?" she barked as Eric approached her.

"Hi, uh, do you still have any buses to Point Place tonight?"

"We have one leaving in fifteen minutes, and one leaving at eight."

"I'll take a ticket for the one in fifteen minutes, please."

He paid for his ticket, then sat in one of the chairs on the opposite wall, bouncing his foot, trying to quell the doubts that had arisen during his first bus ride of the day.

At seven o'clock, Eric boarded the nearly empty bus. Placing his bags on his lap so that no one would take them, the teenager leaned back into the seat and closed his eyes. Given the summer night, and his denim jacket, he felt very warm, but he didn't mind. He intended to wear it when he first saw his parents; it covered his forearms, namely the scar on his arm. The lesion wasn't very noticeable or scary looking, but he didn't want to have to explain it to Kitty his first night home, and she was bound to notice it if it wasn't covered. In the meantime, he hoped to get in a quick nap before he faced his family. Traveling was tiring enough, and he had a feeling that it was gong to be a long night.

Eric opened his eyes when the bus came to a stop, and realized that he'd slept through the entire drive. Combing his hands through his hair, he gathered his belongings and warily stepped off the bus and into Point Place.

He was home.

Eric didn't have much time to feel the gravity of the situation, since he desperately wanted to avoid running into anyone he knew. It wasn't even eight o'clock on a summer night, and his friends, classmates, anyone might see him and recognize him. He figured that the whole town must have heard that he was gone, and Eric really didn't want to have to explain himself to anybody tonight, considering he was about to do a lot of that with his family.

Fortunately, Point Place wasn't a big town, and the walk home would be quick.

….

Eric was surprised by the mix of emotions that hit him when he turned the corner on his street and saw the Forman house -his house- only a few yards away. There was a sense of love, a homesickness that he hadn't felt in weeks, and an ice cold fear. Relief, dread, excitement, anxiety.

From this far away, and from this angle on the street, Eric couldn't tell if anyone was home. Maybe this was a sign from the universe telling him he should go back to Chicago….Eric resolved to go up to the house, but decided that if absolutely no one was home, he was turning around and trying again tomorrow. He'd rather sleep in a motel outside of town than wait in the dark to surprise his parents.

Eric crossed the street so that he wouldn't have to pass the Pinciotti driveway, as running into Bob before he made it home was the absolute worst case scenario Eric could come up with…except, maybe, running into Donna.

He walked down the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street, hoping to high heaven that his friends weren't out in the driveway playing basketball tonight. The teen drew closer to his house, coming to a stop right across the street from his destination.

Well, the light was on, and the Vista Cruiser was in the driveway. However, Eric thought it would be best to enter through the front door, in case his family was in the back having dinner. It would definitely be awkward to walk in while they all had food in their mouths- his parents might choke in their surprise, and the last thing he wanted was to have to resuscitate Red and Kitty before being bombarded with whatever was in store for him inside. No, best to go through the front door.

As he walked further down the pavement and up to the house he'd lived in his entire life, nervousness gripped him once again. It was almost like stage fright. What was wrong with him?! His parents surely wanted to see him, and even if that were not the case, Hyde certainly would.

Suddenly, he wondered if he should ring the bell, or walk right in? He had his house key in his backpack, but he decided he should knock, or ring the bell before he entered the house, so as not to startle his family. A full minute passed as Eric stood on the stoop, considering his next move. Finally, he took a deep breath, calmed his anxiety, and came to a decision.

He rang the doorbell.

...

Trust me, folks. This is not the end at all. In fact, this is the end of part two, as I imagined it. (The first part ended with Changes) Tell me what you think!