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Author's Note: Hiya everyone! Sorry I'm a day late, and so late in the day! Wanted to post earlier but my internet connection was giving me a hard time. But everything's all fixed now…for now. And I've got the latest chapter! Not the longest chapter, but longer than last weeks…which was also very tardy. Um Anywoo quick reminders. I am not a doctor or a nurse or anything in the hospital doctor area. Do have a doctor's appointment coming up but it's just for some shots…still trying to figure out how to get out of those. Thanks so much for the reviews you guys, I love them and you guys! And please new readers or those of you who have been reading but not reviewing, it's never too late to leave a quick note! Well I really don't have much to say so lets go on with the chapter. Enjoy!

Hyde switched the camera to his other shoulder once again—the thing was pretty heavy—before asking his surrogate mother the next question.

"So you and Red were together while he was in the war, right?"

"That's right." Kitty replied with a smile and a nod, "When he was fighting over in Korea we were together. We were a little past courting but weren't engaged yet."

Hyde nodded behind the camera, "So did you guys do the whole Hollywood cliché thing? The sending photos, care packages, exchanging letters?"

"Steven." Kitty said shaking her head slightly, "Those aren't clichés. Those are things people really were doing. Including Red and me."

Kitty's small smile grew as she began to recall a certain memory in her mind.

"Then when Red came back home, we did another 'cliché.'" She said, still smiling, "I ran into his arms and gave him a big welcome home kiss. And Red promised me we'd never be apart that long ever again. And now over thirty years later, he's kept that promise."

0o0o0o

"Forman man, hurry up and get down here!" Hyde called from his old chair.

"Be right there, Hyde!" Eric yelled from up in the kitchen.

The gang were all down in the basement, except for Eric who'd been upstairs for the past five minutes. Hyde impatiently was sitting in his regular chair by the washer and dryer. On the old beaten up sofa were Fez, Donna and Randy—in that order. Kelso had taken up the lawn chair, with his wife happily on his lap. And Jackie was sitting on the floor between the couch and the lawn chair with Little Betsy, a pile of Barbie dolls and Barbie clothes scattered around them.

"What do you think of my new outfit?" Betsy had her doll ask Jackie's.

"Oh, Barbie!" Jackie exclaimed moving the blonde doll in her hands, "I love it. And to celebrate your beautiful outfit we should go shopping for more clothes. And shoes!"

Betsy looked up from her toys and up at her godmother. "Aunt Jackie, you play Barbie's a lot better than Uncle Fez."

"Well of course I do Betsy." Jackie said happily with a large smile as she pulled the little girl in for a hug, "I don't dress Ken up in Barbie's clothes."

Fez looked up from the large bag of M&Ms he was eating and his happy content face changed into an angry defensive look as he moved his eyes to Jackie and Betsy.

"Well excuse me, but it is not my fault that Ken looks so good in purple!" he declared loudly.

Jackie only brushed off his comment with a wave of her hand before going back to playing with Betsy. Meanwhile Donna couldn't help but smile and shake her head as she recalled the scene she had witnessed only a few minutes ago.

Fez throwing a fit because the two girls wouldn't let him play with them. He was really upset and his tantrum showed it. He kicked, pouted, stomped his feet, and was just about to reduce to tears when Brooke managed to settle him down.

"Nice with that bag of candy, Brooke." Donna stated to the librarian.

To keep Fez's tears from coming, Brooke had pulled out the bag of M&Ms from her purse, she had luckily left in the basement. And as soon as the bag was in Fez's hand he forgot who Ken and Barbie were.

Brooke merely shrugged her shoulders, "With these three kids, having candy close by comes in handy at come point or another."

Ignoring the conversation that was about him, Fez continued to enjoy his candy. He grabbed a handful of M&Ms and then dropped them all into his mouth, to only reach back into the back as he continued to chew.

"Ah, M&Ms the delicious candy of chocolate over chocolate with little…" Fez's thoughts were interrupted as he looked at the round blue candy he held in his hand.

He gasped loudly catching everyone's attention

Randy frowned, "What's wrong Fez?"

"This M&M…it does not have a little 'm' on it!" the foreigner said still in shock as he examined the piece of candy, "It is a 'w'!"

Out of the six pairs of eyes in the room, one remained on a Barbie doll, four pairs trolled their eyes, while one pair bulged out animatedly.

"No way!" Kelso shouted and then jumped out of his seat and sending Brooke to the floor with Jackie and Betsy. "Lemme see!"

Kelso then quickly made his way to his best friend's side eager to see the 'one of a kind' candy. He'd forgotten all about his wife on the floor and just left her to watched his action with a deep frown on her forehead.

"Michael!" she called out.

"Huh?" Kelso asked sounding confused until he saw the tall brunette on the floor, he then walked back over to her, "Oh sorry bout that Babe."

Brooke excepted her husband's extended hand and let him help her onto to her feet. She had thought he would say more or even give her a quick apologetic peck on the lips; instead though he just rushed back to where Fez was. But it didn't upset Brooke too much, at least he'd helped her off the floor.

"Oh man, can I hold it?" Kelso asked in a hopeful voice.

Fez glared at his man pretty friend, "No, I found it you sonofabitch!"

"Fez!" Brooke exclaimed along with the other two women in the room.

"But I wanna hold it!" Kelso shouted, ignoring the girls.

"But I found it!"

"Forman!" Hyde shouted almost angrily, but was really just annoyed with his two friends arguing over the candy, "Hurry the hell up!"

Randy looked over at his former employer and tried not to laugh, "Hyde, he said he was coming."

"Yeah, why are you rushing him down here?" Donna questioned with crossed arms, "What's the big deal?"

"Nothing, alright." Hyde said not sounding too convincing, "I just have some stuff to say and I need you guys to all be here. But Forman's take his sweet…" a glare from Jackie got him to change his next word, "…butt time getting down here. I don't have all day. There's things I've gotta do."

Jackie nodded while she used the small pink brush to comb the Barbie doll in her hand, "You're right Steven, you do have things to do. After all, you miss one episode of your soaps and you'll be lost for the rest of the week."

While most of the group covered their mouths to keep from laughing at Hyde who was glaring at his ex-girlfriend from behind his sunglasses, both Fez and Kelso did the exact opposite.

"Haha Hyde watches soaps!" Fez exclaimed as he pointed his finger at the curly haired man.

"It's one soap."

"Haha Hyde watches a bar of soap!" Kelso laughed.

"Yeah, that's real funny Kelso." Hyde replied Zenly, "You know what else is funny? Turn that M&M upside down."

Fez and Kelso's laughs slowly died down as they heard Hyde's words and eyed the chocolate candy suspiciously. The two men looked at each other before Fez ever so carefully did as Hyde had said.

Once the blue candy had been turned around, both men felt a strong feeling of disappointment. The 'w' with a curved bottom they thought they had seen printed on the chocolate shell was actually just a regular lower case 'm.'

"Aye!" Fez whined throwing the candy back into the bag.

"Aw man." Kelso said as he sulked back to the lawn chair, "So much for us finding an inposer."

It was just a few seconds later that Eric made his way down to the basement, a small box in his hand.

"Sorry bout that. I was looking for something to eat but all there really is, is this box of Jell-O." he said as he neared his friends, of course he was exaggerating…but not by very much.

Fez's disappointment about the not fake M&M was soon a thing of the past, as his face lit up and reached for the Jell-O box.

"Oo! Oo! I want it!" he pleaded, "Give it to me!"

Donna furrowed her brow slightly, "Fez, you know how to make Jell-O?"

"What make?" Fez questioned with his own confused frown, "I'm eating that sucker like a Pixy Stix!" he declared before a dreamy smile appeared on his face as he thought about the powdered candy, "Oh Willy Wonka, what will you think of next?"

Eric shook his head and tried not to laugh, "Here Fez, knock yourself out." He said handing him the box and then looking over at his brother, "Mom's right we've gotta go to the grocery store."

"Yeah, alright Forman I'll put it on our list of things to do." Hyde replied in annoyed tone of voice, "But right now we've gotta make another list…"

"Oo can it be a list of best candies?" someone with an accent asked hopefully.

"No!" Kelso shouted before Hyde could answer, "We just make a list of the hottest chicks on TV!"

Fez nodded eagerly, "Oo that does sound like more fun."

"Number one's Jeanie!" Kelso shouted just as Fez declared something quite similar.

"Number one's Samantha!"

The two men slowly turned to look at the other. They glared angrily at each other. And then they were off in another one of their pointless battles.

Eric ignored the argument, that really only consisted of the names of the two women, and walked around the room to find somewhere to sit. He walked behind the couch and stopped infront of the old shower—the area where Jackie and Betsy were sitting.

Smiling, he crouched down next to the little girl.

"Hey Betsy," he greeted, "are you having fun playing Barbies with Jackie?"

"Uh huh." Betsy nodded her head and then lifted up her doll for Eric to see, "Doesn't Barbie look pretty?"

"She sure does. It looks like she's ready to go out to a fun party."

"She is!" Betsy said happily with a matching smile. The little girl was excited that someone knew what her plans were for Barbie even before she'd said them.

Eric smiled back and then looked over at Barbie in her purple aerobics outfit. "Well Barbie, have fun. But don't stay out too late young lady."

Hearing Betsy giggle, Jackie could help but let the twitching corners of her lips turn into a smile. Eric really was good with kids. Seeing him here with Betsy, it looked so natural. Maybe it was because he was a teacher.

Jackie kept her smile in place, maybe shrinking it just abit, as she expected Eric to look over at her and flash her one of his boyish grins. But he didn't. He didn't even look her way. He just stood back up and continued his journey to find a seat.

The grin on Jackie's face was now gone as she watched him walk away. How could he have not looked at her? She was Jackie Burkhart! And now he was taking a seat over on the Johnny Carson ottoman, one of the farthest seats from where she was sitting.

It was like he was avoiding her…like she had avoided him…

"Alright listen, we're not making some list of hot women from television, that would totally have Jeanie as number one…" Hyde began to explain.

"Yes!" Kelso exclaimed with a fits pumped in the air.

Hyde ignored the outburst and went on, "We're making a list of shifts." He explained grabbing the pen and paper he'd left of the round table.

"Shifts?" Brooke repeated.

"Yeah, for taking care of Mom." Hyde nodded, "Angi…Angela suggested it. This way we're all able to sit and visit with Mom, spend time with her like she wants; but since we'll be upstairs in her room she'll still be resting and taking it easy."

Jackie frowned slightly, she'd torn her attention off Eric when Hyde had said the word 'shifts.'

"So it would be like she was in the hospital?" she questioned, the whole thing sounding very familiar.

Hyde shrugged his shoulder, "Yeah, I guess you could put it like that."

Donna deeply frowned as she stared at the curly haired man she'd known for almost twenty years. She couldn't believed he was doing this.

"Hyde." She said, sounding upset, "Randy suggested that like two nights ago!"

The feather-haired man next to her nodded in agreement, "Yeah, and you like totally shot me down."

"I did?" Hyde asked with a confused scowl, "I don't remember that…do you guys?"

While Brooke and Jackie were ready to say that they did—that had been when they had joined in on the plan and made it one that would help Eric see Kitty—Kelso and Fez were ready to play along with Hyde.

The young foreign man shook his head, "Nope."

"Who's Randy?" Kelso asked pretending to sound baffled.

Hyde and Fez laughed along with Kelso while Jackie and Brooke showed their disappointment in the boys on their face. Eric just remained quiet and tried to keep his mind on something else. He didn't feel right in helping his friends tease his ex-girlfriends fiancé. Of course he didn't wanna defend the guy either.

Donna rolled her eyes and shook her head as the three laughing hyenas continued. Next to her, Randy looked anything but happy.

"You know, sometimes I feel like you guys don't want me here." He told the group, in a tone that was a mix between angry and hurt, "It's like you never even hear a word I'm saying."

Hyde stopped his chuckling and looked to Fez, "Hey Fez, did you hear something?"

Fez bit his lip and speedily shook his head and then burst out laughing, getting everyone else to join in. By that time, Brooke and Jackie were unable to keep their upset glares in place and had to let out a few giggles. And even Eric, who tried to keep his concentration on an old candy wrapper under the sofa, had to laugh; but covered his mouth with his hand so not to get in trouble.

"Randy said that you dillholes." Donna said sounding more annoyed than upset.

Kelso looked over at the couple and acted surprised, "Hey Randy when'd you get here?"

Randy looked about ready to stand up and leave this roast for him. Hyde took notice of the young man's appearance and decided to put an end to what he'd started.

"Alright Randy man, take it easy. We were only joking." He explained, "It's something we do with the new members of the group."

Hyde's words did come to Randy as some sort of relief. It was nice to know that they were only kidding…and it was a sort of welcoming into the group. He really was the newbie to the gang.

"I don't remember going through any of that." Brooke said out loud from her husband's lap. After all before Randy came along she was the newest member.

"That's cause you're a girl. And you were pregnant when you first started hanging around here." Hyde reminded, "Can't do anything to a pregnant woman."

Kelso nodded in agreement, "Yeah. Plus you came into the group cause of me and that's like a free pass through all the burns and stuff like that."

"Yeah, it's cause you were pregnant." Hyde said dryly, "Now back to what's important. Randy I know you suggested it and I figured since you've kinda already gone through this with your grandparents you'd help us out and make sure things don't get out of hand."

Randy lifted his chin and looked away, still slightly bothered from minutes earlier, "Maybe."

Hyde sighed before making his offer, "I'll give you the newsiest Journey album at half price."

"I'm in." Randy said almost too quickly.

"Alright." Hyde nodded, "I'm thinking we go with the whole two people at a time…maybe for a couple of hours say two maybe three. And I figure the kid here can go in pretty much whenever…" he said pointing at Betsy with the pen before starting to write on the sheet of paper.

"Donna, you and Randy probably wanna go in together. And Brooke you and Kelso cause you can keep him under control." Hyde went on and the two women nodded, "And you guys'll probably be getting the shifts during the day, the shorter ones. And the rest of us well get the longer ones at night."

"It'll be you and me, Fez. Then Forman you're with Jackie. Whoever has the last shift for the day will stay there for the rest of the night…"

"Oo yay! Slumber party in Miss. Kitty's room!" Fez cheered happily.

"No way Fez," Hyde said with a shake of his head, "I'm kicking you out after the third hour."

"But why?" he sulked.

"Cause you're Fez."

Fez's pout disappear and he nodded, "Good point."

Jackie tuned her ex-boyfriend out as she rambled on about the different times that could be set as shifts. She couldn't believe he had set her up to share her shift with Eric. What could have ever possessed him to do that? Sure she had suggested it herself the night the shift topic had first come up. But that was before. Before the kisses. Before they both started acting weird around the other.

She turned her attention to her soon shift partner, thinking he'd be looking over at her, feeling just as surprised as she was. But once again she was wrong and Eric wasn't looking at her, but instead had his eyes on a talking Hyde.

"So then I guess we'll start tonight which means you guys with the day shifts will start tomorrow." Hyde explained as he wrote things down on the paper, "let's say about seven is when Forman and Jackie'll going and then at about ten Fez and me will take over. Everyone ok with that?"

The majority of the room replied with a 'yes' or nodded their heads. And that was good enough for Hyde.

"Alright then." He said standing up from his seat, "I'm gonna go upstairs and check on a few things. I'll work on the schedule then show it to you guys at dinner."

"Check on things? Like if Melinda woke up from her coma yet?" Jackie asked teasingly, still upset with him.

Hyde stared back at the tiny brunette, "It's Melissa who's in the coma." With that said Hyde turned back around and headed up the basement stairs.

"Hyde, man wait up." Eric called out before racing over to the stairs and leaving the others to carry on with what they were doing in the basement.

Once the two men were in the kitchen, the conversation began.

"What's up, Forman?" Hyde asked looking down at his watch; he only had a few minutes.

"Uh nothing." He lied, "I was just wondering if we could like change partners. Like you and me could take our shifts together."

"That would leave Jackie with Fez, though." Hyde stated the obvious, "That's pretty cruel, man."

Eric nodded his head, "Yeah ok, ok. Um how about….how about if I wait for Red to come home and then take my shift with him."

"Yeah, I don't think so man." Hyde replied, "I don't even think Red's gonna follow this whole shift thing. Why don't you wanna be with Jackie?"

"No…no, it's not that. It's just…" Eric struggled, "Why'd you put the two of us together?"

"I saw you guys." Hyde said with a shrug.

Eric's eyes widened with fear. Had Hyde seen them kissing last night?

"What?" Eric asked in his high pitched squeaky voice.

"I saw the way you guys've been acting. Real chummy around each other." Hyde went on, "I figured you'd wanna spend some more time with your new buddy."

Eric ignored the slight teasing in Hyde's voice and started to think. When he saw Hyde move her wrist watch closer to his face, Eric smirked at his friend.

"Go watch your soap, Hyde." He said holding back a laugh.

"Thanks man," Hyde replied patting Eric on the back before dashing out of the room, letting Eric drift off into his own thoughts again.

Meanwhile only a few feet away, on the other side of the basement door, stood Jackie Burkhart.

She had headed up the stairs to get something for Betsy to drink, but stopped from entering the kitchen when she heard the two voice. She had heard almost the whole thing. How Eric wanted to switch shift partners. Why Hyde had put the two of them together. And how Eric would have rather had a shift with his father—whom days ago he was afraid of seeing—than with her.

Things couldn't go on like this. Something had to be done.

0o0o0o

Upstairs in the master bedroom, Hyde sat in the armchair looking through the photo album Eric had brought up last night while Kitty remained asleep in her bed. It had been about twenty minutes since the episode of Days of Our Lives had finished, and Melissa was still in her coma.

Hyde smirked as he looked at the series of photos on the page. He'd take off his glasses and so he could see the pictures a lot clearer. They were of him, Eric, and Kelso making funny faces and grinning widely for the camera. They really shouldn't have been so inviting to the camera when they were younger, because that encouraged Kitty to keep taking all of those photos in their teenage years.

Of course right now, Hyde would give anything to see her smiling behind a camera again, taking thousands of different photos.

The somewhat comfortable silence came to an end, as Kitty began to moan in her sleep.

"Red…" she called out, her eyes still closed, alarming Hyde, "Red…" she repeated just abit louder this time.

Hyde put the book off to the side on the floor and leaned closer to Kitty, gently taking her hand in his.

"It's ok Mom." He said softly, "I'm here. It's me, Steven."

There was a moment of silence and Hyde had thought she'd fallen back into her slumber.

"Of course it's you, Steven." Kitty said still sounding drowsy as she opened her eyes, "Who else would you be?"

Hyde didn't say a word, but Kitty could see something in the expression he was giving her. And when she put that look together with the dream she had just woken up from, she had a good feeling at what had happened. And she felt slightly embarrassed about it.

"I was calling for him, wasn't I?"

Hyde slowly nodded his head, "Yeah."

Kitty gave a shy smile before closing her eyes once again. Hyde watched her carefully as he mentally debated if he should tell her the truth or not.

"Um Mom, I promise I won't call him." He began, it wasn't a lie because he'd already called and now he was waiting for Red to call back from the airport, "But…you want Red here don't you?"

Hearing her adoptive son's question, Kitty opened her teary eyes.

Of course she wanted Red here. He was her husband and she missed him. She wanted him to come back home soon, before she got even worse. She didn't want his last memories of her to be of her too sick and weak to do anything on her own. And she…she just wanted him here with her.

Sure, she had her children here surrounding her. And she loved having them all here together. But it wasn't the same, she still wanted Red.

When she was with Red was when she felt the safest, the most taken care of. Just him holding her in his arms made her feel so much safer, so much better. And she wanted to feel that way now.

Looking up at Hyde once again with her misty eyes, Kitty nodded her head.

"So much."

Author's Note: And that would be Chapter 25 of "Two Weeks" Hope you liked!

When is Red coming home? Will Hyde tell Kitty about Red coming home? What does Jackie have planned? Will she and Eric remain shift partners? How will the shifts work out? And when will Melissa wake form her coma? Confused? You won't be after the next chapter of "Two Weeks"

Until then, thanks for reading, hope you liked, please review and lemme know what you think, stay tuned, take care, and have a nice day!