After a few more hours on the road, Hyde had finally reached California. He was intrigued by this new place he would be calling home. Everyone he drove by was either tanned, half-naked or both. The city was so vibrant and illuminated. Never had his sunglasses come in handy more than now. The sun was beaming and he suddenly felt incredibly overdressed. The fall in California was warmer than in Wisconsin, and he felt foolish with a leather jacket and winter boots on. Luckily, W.B.'s place wasn't too far, and he would be able to change out of those clothes.

He quickly made it to Los Feliz and found the building he would be living in. Hyde was taken aback at how fancy it was. He knew W.B. had money, but he hadn't realized just how much. He couldn't wait to see what the actual apartment looked like.

As he was going to park his car near the front of the building, a valet walked up to him and asked to park the El Camino. Hyde shook his head. He was the only person who drove this car. Even after all the changes going on in his life, he needed to keep something consistant and his car was definitely it for him. Since Leo gave it to him a few years before, the car was Hyde's most valuable posession. Not only did it remind him of Leo, it also reminded him of his relationship with Jackie. They had build so many memories in that car, both good and bad.

He found another parking spot across the street from the building, got his small bag and headed to the apartment. When he finally saw the apartment, he was beyond impressed. The ceilings were high and a large chandelier illuminated the living room. The wooden floors looked freshly polished and the white, crisp furniture made the place look much bigger than it already was. I can get used to this he thought. Compared to the small space he had come to call his own, this was definitely a step in the right direction.

Not bothering to unpack, Hyde tossed his bags aside and looked around for a telephone. He promised Kitty he would call as soon as he made it to California to let her know he was alright. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of the older lady. Being able to call her mom if her wanted to was something he was still getting accustomed to, but having the option was great. Especially since his own mother had denied him very early during his childhood. She hated when he called her mom because it reminded her of the "dreams she was forced to give up to have him."

Edna always made sure to remind Hyde how much she sacrificed for him and he figured that's why she felt so entitled to make his life miserable. He could hear her so clearly still, "I brought you into this world when I didn't have to. Sometimes I wish I would have made a different decision, who knows where I would be today."

As a child, it tore him apart knowing that his mother regretted having him and that she could so easily tell him her life would be better without him. He tried so hard to make her see that she made the right choice in keeping him, that he was worth the sacrifice. He would clean the house whenever he got back from school and she wasn't there. Whenever she had his "uncle" over he would make sure to stay out of her way so she could have a good time. He would even wear the same clothes over and over again, even if they were dirty, so she wouldn't have to do laundry as often or spend money she could have spent on booze. He sacrificed so much of his own childhood to please her, to gain her approval, but to no avail. He quickly learned that no matter how much he tried, she would never appreciate him, never deem him worth it.

If truth be told, that's what made him jaded from an early age. He knew his life would do a turn for the worst very early on, way before Eric broke that stupid diorama in school that he got blamed for. Throughout his life he heard the expression "it takes a village to raise a child" and he always thought that his village was really screwed up and because of that, he would be too.

He quickly spotted a phone by the sofa and began dialing the number to Point Place. It rang a few times and he was surprised to find that no one answered, and reminded himself to try again later. He then decided to call another person he agreed to call. Jackie.

He took a small piece of paper out of his wallet, the same one Eric had given him in the hospital a few weeks prior. He dialed the number written on it and hoped someone would pick it up.

After a few rings, Jackie answered her phone sounding a little groggy.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hey, did I wake you?" he replied.

"Who is this?"

"Steven. I'm sorry if I woke you up but you told me to call once I got here."

"Steven, hi. You're in California already?"

"Yeah, just got in."

"Okay good, I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks...were you sleeping?"

"Yes, I guess I fell asleep."

"I'm sorry I woke you up."

She laughed. "You've apologized already."

"Yeah..I guess I have, huh?"

"Mhm. What are you plans now that you're here?"

"Well, I'm going to get settle, but hopefully I can start working on opening the store sometime next week. W.B. gave me the address for a few places so I'll check them out."

"Good, it's good to have a plan."

"Yeah...listen I hope this isn't sudden or anything but I would really like to see you, If you're okay with it I mean."

"Did Steven Hyde just admit he wanted to see someone? You can't be Steven. Who are you and what have you done with him?" she joked.

He laughed. It was good that she could still be silly with him, but he wanted her to see that he was not the same guy he was then. Well...he was trying not to be that guy.

"I just figured you know your way around and I need a guide if I'm going to live here now."

"Ah.. true motives revealed. I'm being used for a tour."
"Hey, consider it your good deed for the day."

"A pity tour, how lovely."

"Exactly, are you willing to help out a needy man."

"As long as the only needs I meet are those involving scenery."

"That's all I'm asking for."

"I can definitely show you around."

"Are you free anytime this week? I was hoping we could meet soon so I don't get lost by myself."

"Um...I'm free around 12pm tomorrow. I'm not sure if that's too soon" she said nervously. It was too soon for her to prepare herself to face him, but she wouldn't have another day off for a week or so and she didn't want him to think she was avoiding him.

"Tomorrow sounds good."

"Oh,,,,okay well, there's this diner on Hollywood Boulevard that's really good. It's called Joe's Diner, you shouldn't have a hard time finding it. We can meet there at 12, is that good?"

"Yeah that's good, but a diner? I would have expected you to pick somewhere a bit more fancy."

"I'm not that person anymore Steven."

"Yeah..."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Sure."

"Bye Steven."

"Good bye Jackie."

He hung up and his excitement to see her was overshadowed by her last statement. "I'm not that person anymore." Throughout his trip, the idea of her being someone different scared him the most.