A/N: Thanks for those of you who have reviewed. I know that this seems pretty standard right now, but I hope that I can make this idea my very own.

Disclaimer: I don't own 70s SHOW or anything else that's obviously not mine.

Ash left Folwell Hall and began the walk to Dinkytown. She was meeting Jackie for lunch at Vescios, a great Italian restaurant that was a favorite. Ash tied her wavy brown hair into a ponytail, and took in a breath of the summer air. She crossed the street, and began the walk to the restaurant. She thought about her plans for the evening, she was going to see TWISTER with her friends Maddie and Sam, and looked at the stores in the little area Bob Dylan used to call home. Dinkytown had a large turnover rate, as students are notoriously fickle in the business world.

There was a new one that piqued her interest. She hadn't been to Dinkytown in awhile, so this place called 'Grooves' was unfamiliar. She looked in the window, and grinned. Music! She looked at her watch, and thought for a second. She had ten minutes before meeting her Mom, so that meant she had fifteen minutes because Jackie was notoriously late all the time. So she walked into the store. Independent music stores were hard to find these days, so this place thrilled her. She perused the aisles, and found the section she'd been seeking: hard rock. Jackie was not into hard rock when she was young, and Paul would joke that it must have been inherited from her Dad. Jackie would usually shoot him a look, as if to say 'not even remotely funny', and Paul would drop it. He was a lawyer now, and had a successful practice. When Ash was little and would watch 'Twin Peaks', she thought that her uncle Paul could pass as agent Dale Cooper, and that didn't change as he got older. He was still the spitting image of Kyle McLachlan, 'Showgirls' notwithstanding.

She picked up a Twisted Sister CD, and the owner of the store walked out from the back room. She looked up, and examined him. He had on a Who shirt, and retro sunglasses hid his eyes. He looked to be in his thirties, but had a look about him as if he had the knowledge of someone much older. He nodded at her a little, and she nodded back. She went back to looking at the CD, and put it down.

"Do you have any White Zombie?" she asked, tossing her hair.

"If I do it'll be there," he said, reading the rock magazine. She snorted, and kept looking at the CDs.

"What about Duran Duran?" she asked. That was her other musical pleasure. 80s. He put the magazine down.

"Are you serious, kid?" he asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she retorted.

"Because they're kind of before your time," he said.

"Yeah well, I'm retro I guess," she said.

"Yeah I guess," he stated.

"How's business in Dinkytown?" she asked. "It's kind of notorious for sinking businesses."

"Well, business is fine, but it doesn't matter, I have a perfectly successful store back in Wisconsin," he stated. "I'm just trying something new here. If it tanks, whatever, I just go back across the border."

"Why'd you come here in the first place?" she asked, reading the song list of the White Zombie.

"Eh, needed a change," he said. "Small town Wisconsin can get to ya."

"So urban Minnesota was the place to be, I hear ya."

"Well, it seems pretty cool. For Minnesota." She nodded, and brought the White Zombie CD up to the counter. "You look familiar, have you been in here before?"

"Nope," she said. "I rarely bike to this part of town, but I have a summer program at the U this week and I'm meeting my Mom for lunch."

"Ah," he stated. "Well, your total is twelve seventy five." She pulled out her red wallet, and laid money on the counter.

"That's allowance money well spent," she said. He was just looking at her now. It kind of creeped her out. "Are you okay?" He nodded.

"I swear I've seen you somewhere before, that's all," he said.

"Well I've never been in here before, and I wouldn't be caught dead in Wisconsin," she said. "Even if my Mom is from there."

"Sconnies unite," he said, pumping his fist in the air. She giggled, and nodded a little bit. "Well enjoy the CD."

"Thanks," she said, and put it in her backpack. "Maybe I'll be back sometime. I like independent stores better than corporate chains. Corporations suck."

"Damn right," he said. She smiled politely, and left the store. Steven Hyde watched after her, wondering why she looked so damn familiar, but was preoccupied with other customers who walked in as she walked out

Ash sat at the table with her Mom.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "I got a little caught up at a music store down the street."

"Well Paul isn't here yet either, but I've had a lot of time to look over the menu, so I hope you know what you want because I do," Jackie said, sipping her water. "How was your program this morning?"

"It was pointless," Ash said. "Mom, I know how to write, you didn't have to sign me up for this lame class."

"If it gets you out of the house and doing something this summer that isn't watching TV, I'll sign you up for it," Jackie said. "Besides, you liked this class last week."

"I like it, I do," Ash said. "I just know a lot already."

Paul Hodge then walked into the restaurant.

"Paul, over here!" Jackie said, waving.

"Hey Paul!" Ash said, pleasantly. Paul kissed both of them on the heads, and sat at the table.

"How are my favorite women?" he asked.

"If you keep calling us that you'll never get a woman who'll stick with you," Jackie said.

"You're so obsessed with finding me a girlfriend," Paul said. "Ash, how was your workshop today?"

"They didn't tell me anything I didn't already know," she stated. "It's a waste of time."

"You just said you liked it not three minutes ago!" Jackie exclaimed.

"It's fine."

"I think I'm going to get the spaghetti," Paul said, observing the menu.

"Mom, are you getting a salad?" Ash asked.

"No, I think I'm going to go a little crazy and get lasagna," Jackie stated.

"Oh my GOD, are you SERIOUS?" Ash asked, sarcastically. "Because THAT would imply CALORIES."

"You think you're so clever," Jackie said. "Look, I know this is weird eating habits for me, but I think I can indulge every once in awhile, don't you?"

"Duh," Ash said.

"You heard her Jackie," Paul said. "Duh."

The waiter came, and they ordered. Paul ordered the spaghetti, Ash went with stuffed shells, and Jackie changed her mind at the last minute and went with the salad after all.

"Wuss," Paul said.

"I know," Jackie said. "So a new music store, huh? Anything good?"

"You mean ABBA?" Ash asked. "I didn't look. I got White Zombie. And it seems okay, I may stop in sometime again this week, who knows when I'll be back in this neighborhood after this Writing Workshop is over."

"Fair point," Jackie said.

"So you remember you're going to Mom and Dad's for dinner Wednesday night."

"Yes," Jackie said.

"I remember," Ash said. "Are you going to be there?"

"Yep."

"Well good, you owe me a game of hoops," Ash said.

"Where did this love of basketball come from?" Jackie asked. "It's not me, I know that much."

"Maybe Dad," Ash said, absentmindedly, and then wrinkled her nose. "Sorry."

"Not a problem," Jackie said. "I wondered why he didn't come up in conversation as much as he used to."

"What's the point?" Ash asked, sullenly. "I learned a long time ago that you didn't like talking about him and now I have no interest. He doesn't know I exist and he probably wouldn't care, am I right?"

"That's bleak, Ash," Paul said.

"I don't know if he would," Jackie said.

"That's ALSO bleak, Jackie," Paul chided.

"I mean, you never told me anything beyond the fact he lives in Wisconsin, which is a no brainer, by the way, and by the time you were willing to tell me I'd stopped caring," Ash said. "He's just that guy who did you wrong, as Paul says."

"Just like a surrogate big brother," Jackie said, smiling at Paul, who raised his glass in acknowledgement. "Well, it doesn't matter. We did okay, right?"

"Eh, as fine as a teen will admit," Ash said. She smiled at her Mom, and Jackie smiled back. "Were you as cool as me when you were a teen?"

"Kiddo, I was captain of the cheerleading squad," Jackie said, proudly.

"So…That's a fat NO," Ash said. Jackie pursed her lips at her daughter, sardonically.

"I'll tell you one thing, snarkiness may not be inherited but you didn't learn that from ME," Jackie said. Ash smiled, and leaned back in her chair.

"Probably me," Paul said. "Jackie, tell me again how you do the great pyramid move."

"You better watch it," she said.

Ash looked in her mirror once she got home from the movie. It was nine thirty, her Mom would be home in an hour. She brushed her hair before bed, and examined her features, like she always did. As much as she said she didn't want to know about her Dad, she did see what might have been his genetics. The most obvious were her eyes. Her Mom had green and blue eyes, an anomaly that Ash herself did not share. Her eyes were blue, but not a deep one like Jackie's one eye. No, hers were a steel blue, very pale. And her face was more prone to a smirk than her mother's sultry smile.

She put on 'AstroCreep 2000', and leaned back on her bed. White Zombie filled her room and her ears, and she swung her feet to the music. The phone rang, and she grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ash."

"Paul, do you have no life outside our family?"

"Nice, really nice," Paul said. "Is your mother home yet?"

"Nope, she's closing tonight," Ash said, sitting on her bed. "What do you need?"

"Well I wanted to warn her that my parents have invited yet another potential suitor for her to dinner," Paul said.

"Hilarious!" Ash said. "What's he like this time?"

"He's an orthodontist," Paul said.

"How exciting for my mother," Ash said.

"Well, if you need braces and it works out…"

"I'll tell her you called, and I'll warn her," Ash stated. "I hope that now I'm officially of dating age they don't try setting me up. Their track record with Mom is not good."

"Nor is it with me," Paul said.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later this week. And thanks for the ride home today."

"Any time, kiddo. Have a good one."

"Night." She hung up, and put on her pajamas. As usual, it was flannel boxers, and a worn out band shirt. Jackie wasn't exactly a fan of Led Zeppelin, so Ash had to wonder where the shirt came from, but now it was hers and it was vintage. What more could she ask for? She held her hand up in the air, making the 'rock on' symbol, and headbanged to the song

After class on Tuesday, Ash was about to start the long but pretty bike ride home, when she walked by Grooves. She looked up at the store, and felt compelled to walk in. She chained her bike to a light pole, and strolled inside.

Hyde was sitting behind the counter. The teenage girl from the day before walked in. She began strolling the aisles, and he looked back at his book.

"Do you have any Asia?" she asked from across the store. Another customer looked at her like she was nuts, and Hyde looked up from his novel.

"You did not just ask for Asia," he said.

"Sure I did," she said. "Why not?"

"Because it's Asia!"

"Well I like them," she stated matter of factly, and continued to walk up and down the aisles.

"First it's White Zombie, then it's Duran Duran, NOW it's ASIA?" he asked.

"I like to think I have very eclectic tastes. Maybe later it'll be Cinderella. Ha, found it," she said. He went back to reading his book, having given up on the girl's music sense. She strolled, and stopped at the counter. She poked the book to get his attention.

"What?" he asked. She looked at the spine of the book.

" 'The Art of Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance'," she read. "Sounds weird."

"It's pretty good, I suppose." He began reading again. She thought for a second, and poked it again. "What?"

"What about Poison? Do you have them?" she asked. He set his book down again, and smirked at her.

"Kid, you really have no clue about music, do you?" he asked.

"Sure I do!" she exclaimed.

"You've yet to prove this to me," he muttered. She was going to say something snide, when her worst enemy from her workshop walked in. Adrian Lawson. He was a handsome young man, but Ash thought he was too much of an egomaniac to fall for his looks. It didn't matter if he had pretty green eyes or a small teenage stubble across his face, and a sly smile that just screamed 'I'm a rebel'… Cuz she wasn't into that kind of thing. She rolled her eyes, and he looked over at her.

"Oh, hello Ashleigh," he said. "Did you enjoy class today?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, leaning against the counter, trying her hardest to remain cool. Or 'Zen' as her mother would say sometimes. "What are you doing here, Adrian?"

"I'm picking up a CD for my sister," he said. She nodded, and then looked back at the CDs so as to send him the hint that he was a total tool. He looked at her CD, and smirked.

"That's a little before your time, isn't it?" he asked.

"Probably," she said, still aloof.

"Well, Asia is Asia," he said, paying for the CD. "Figures you'd like that stuff."

"Probably," she said, huffily, and he nodded.

"Have a good night, Ashleigh," he said smarmily, and left.

"Ass," she stated, and then flipped him off.

"Wow, you've got it BAD for that guy," Hyde said, and she spun around to look at him.

"Oh what do you know?" she demanded, slamming down the Asia CD, and stormed out of the store. Hyde chuckled, and went back to work. Funny kid.

That night she was on the phone with Maddie, blasting 'More Human Than Human' on her CD player.

"Ash, you can't let this guy Adrian get to you," Mandy said. "He probably gets off on it."

"I know, it's just really hard not to be irritated!" Ash exclaimed, and then smiled. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Babysitting Tyler," Maddie said. "You?"

"Waiting for Mom to get home and in general fighting my writers block," Ash answered.

"That's your worst ailment," Maddie said. "You nerd of gargantuan proportions. Why not come over here? We'll watch 'Pretty in Pink'."

"I hate that movie."

"Since when?!"

"Since always!" Ash answered.

"Well fine, but I still think it's romantic."

"So does my Mom, but my Uncle Paul points out that the whole movie builds up for Duckie and Andie to get together, but then the studio hacks told them she had to get together with the rich guy," Ash said. "It's crap."

"I'm going to hang up on you and go watch it before you ruin it for me too," Maddie said.

"Okay. Oh wait, before you go, have you been to that new music store in Dinkytown?" Ash asked.

"I'm never in Dinkytown, Ash."

"Well you should go, the guy has a good selection."

"Sure sure. Have a good night."

"Yeah, night." She hung up, and walked to the kitchen. She poured herself some juice, and leaned against the counter. Claudius jumped up on the counter. She rubbed him behind the ears, and he looked up at her with his one eye. People thought it was weird that she had a one eyed cat until they actually got to know him. Then it was no big deal. He knocked over the orange juice carton.

"Dammit Claudius!" she snapped. "Man, we got trouble now… Well, ya got trouble my friend. I say you got trouble, right here in River…" She paused. Why was she singing 'The Music Man'? She HATED 'The Music Man'. Jackie loved it, and Ash would always complain about how Harold Hill was a total dick… She then had a brilliant idea.

"Cat, you've cured my writers block!" she exclaimed, kissed his head, and ran upstairs.

Jackie returned home, and found Ash typing away on the computer in the office.

"Isn't it a little late to be doing your workshop stuff?" Jackie asked.

"No, because you can't force art," Ash said. "And I'm going to show Adrian Lawson that I'm the best writer in class, no matter WHAT he thinks."

"What are you writing about?"

"How Professor Harold Hill from 'The Music Man' is a total psychopath," Ash answered.

"He's a WHAT?!" Jackie asked.

"And how Marian the Librarian's 'brother' is actually her illegitimate son with 'Uncle' Madison or whatever the heck his name was," Ash continued. "I call it 'The REAL Trouble in River City'."

"You are such a ghoul!" Jackie exclaimed. "Why take such a beloved musical and just ruin it?!"

"… Because it's such a beloved musical," Ash said, plugging away. Jackie sighed angrily, and left the office. "Night, Mommy!"

"Oh good NIGHT," Jackie called, and Ash smiled wickedly.

Across town, Hyde was closing up Grooves when he looked at the Asia CD that was still on the counter. What a weird girl, he thought. And yet he hoped she'd be back soon. Little did he know that the next time she was in she'd change his entire existence.

TBC

A/N 2: Next chapter is the BIG CONFRONTATION. Should be dramatic...