Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Author's Note: Hello All! Yay! Aren't you guys excited? I posted on a Monday! Sure it's really late on a Monday but it's still a Monday! Yay! Lol Sorry about not posting last week, I had every intention to but that was the same day my classes started and I really didn't wanna feel the rush and stress so early on so I decided to skip the week. Hopefully though this long chapter makes up for it, apparently sort chapters for this story don't go very well…or maybe it was just last chapter what ever it is I hope you all enjoy this chapter a lot more. Um couple of notes as always. First off I am not a doctor nor am I training to be one, I haven't even seen an episode of House MD in like five days, because I finished my DVDs and need to buy the new one but can't cause my parents said they'd get it for me for my birthday, but that's soo far away! Ok not really it's less than two weeks away but still! Anywoo I digress. Second note, can you believe it has already been a year, well more than a year since I first started posting this chapter and we have officially now ended the first week. WOW! I would like to take a few seconds to thank all of you who have taken the time to read this story, esp those who have stayed with it since the beginning, you all continue to inspire me and this story would probably been left in my USB if it wasn't for you all. So a hug THANK You and many cyber hugs! Third I hope you all enjoy the chapter and if you can please review and lemme know your thoughts even if you're a first time reviewer for the fic! Thanks for all the support once again you guys, you're all awesome. Hope you like this chapter, please review if you can and Enjoy!
"What made you want to make this video, Steven?"
As Kitty asked her question from behind the camera, Hyde continued to look annoyed infront of it—still trying to avoid eye contact with the device.
"I don't know…I wanted to make the video cuz… I had nothing better to do." Hyde joked with a smirk playing on his lips.
"Steven."
"You know why Mom." He replied in a mumbled response after he sighed a heavy sigh, "I told you remember?"
Kitty nodded, "I know, I know. But the kids who are watching this video don't know. So why don't you share it with them?"
Another loud exhaling breath left Hyde and he shifted in his seat slightly, keeping his eyes off the lens of the video camera, "I wanted to make the video so the kids…"
"What kids?" Kitty quickly interrupted.
"Uh…the kids watching this video." He answered giving his mother a puzzled expression, she had just been talking about them not a minute ago! And besides what other kids were there?
Kitty gave a smile, "Why don't you address them instead of me."
Hyde knew Kitty's words were more of an order than a suggestion. He was also aware that there would be no point in fighting it…and even if he did try to fight it he end up answering even more questions. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them back up and looking at the camera—wishing once again that he hadn't left his shades down in the basement.
"I wanted to make this video so you kids, could get to know your Grandma Kitty better." Hyde started to explain to the camera and to whoever was watching this tape in the future, "Especially those of you who didn't get to meet her."
"I want you kids to be able to put more than a face to her name…be able to see what an amazing she is." He went on, using present tense because he couldn't bring himself to use the other, "And I kinda also did it for us. Me and the gang, Red too. I figured we could put on the tape whenever we were missing you and be able to see you and listen to you. Who knows maybe when we watch the tape we'll even get some help to a problem we're having."
"I guess…I guess I wanted to make the video for a lot of reasons." He concluded and gave a short pause, "But none of those reason included me being infront of the camera."
Kitty caught the pointed look her adopted son was sending her on camera before she let out a small giggle.
"Oh well." She said with a shrug.
"Yeah oh well." Hyde repeated, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, "Oh well you've had your five questions and now it's time to get back infront of the camera."
Hyde then proceeded to stand up and walk over to Kitty, ready to take his camcorder back. However Kitty wasn't ready to let go. Literally. She held onto the large camera and moved herself farther away from her son to keep him from reaching and grabbing the camera.
"No, I haven't asked all of my five questions." The older woman protested while still shooting shots of Hyde attempting to retrieve his camera, "I only asked three."
"Yeah, but you wasted the other two when you were asking about my future and Angela." He reminded
A grin broke out on Kitty's face, "How did you know I was talking about Angela?"
Hyde froze and he stopped trying to get the video camera back, he just stared back at his smiling surrogate mother looking like a deer in the headlights.
"See? Now that's six questions."
0o0o0o
Down in the basement, the scene taking place looked very similar to one that use to take place almost everyday in the room years ago—adding and taking out a few people of course.
Hyde was lounged back in his old kitchen chair, his arms crossed as usual. To Hyde's left on the couch were Kelso, Brooke, and Donna; in that order.
Kelso was grinning one of his doofus like smiles as he watched the TV screen in front of him and kept his right arm over his wife's shoulder. Brooke was enjoying being close to her husband and she leaned her head against his shoulder, tuning in and out of the show on the television set every so often. All the while Donna sat beside the couple but keeping a good amount of distance between them, her arms crossed over chest as she glared angrily at the television as if it were Tom and Jerry's fault that she hadn't heard from Randy.
The adults had turned on the cartoon for Betsy when she'd come home from her shopping day with Uncle Eric and Aunt Jackie. However not two minutes after the opening titles of the first Tom and Jerry cartoon had started, the littlest Kelso brought out her new game and begged her Uncle Fez to play with her. Of course she didn't have to beg very much.
"Aye! This is not fair!" Fez whined from his seat on the floor infront of Betsy, "My hippo is never hungry! I always get the hippo that is on a diet!"
The foreign man's cries caught the attention of his friends and they each turned their heads in the direction of where Fez and Betsy were sitting on the floor with the Hungry, Hungry Hippo game between them.
Fez didn't see his friends interested expressions—some were wore it more than others—behind him and so he continued with his griping.
"Even the Hungry Hippos who are not playing have eaten more than my hippo! Every time I feed it, it just spits it back out!" he turned his head to look at his friends a serious look on his face, "I think he may have a problem."
That earned him a good chuckle form Hyde and a giggle from Brooke. Kelso looked at his friend with his own look of concern, for the hippo, and Donna rolled her eyes before turning back to the TV.
Betsy let out her own innocent laughter when she saw her uncle's face.
"I win again!" she shouted happily and then clapped her hands with excitement—something she must have picked up from her Aunt Jackie.
Fez looked back at the small girl and knitted his brows close together while trying to keep his voice serious and intimidating, "Yes, yes you won. Again. But this time you won…a visit from the Tickle Monster!"
There was a loud playful squeal released even before Fez had reached his little partner in crime—and Hyde wasn't quite sure which one of them had let it out, but he still continued to watch the scene unfold infront of him.
Fez captured the little girl in his arms before attacking her ticklish spots under her arms with his nimble fingers. Soon a series of happy carefree giggles came out Betsy mouth while she squirmed and tried to escape the Tickle Monster's grip. Fez's own laughter could be heard during the time as well.
As Hyde watched the two he couldn't help the grin that was creeping up on his lips. Fez would make a great dad to Lucy. Forman was right, Laurie had nothing to worry about there. Sure, he was probably gonna be upset for not knowing sooner but that would quickly pass and he'd be laughing and playing with his own little girl. Fez was a big kid himself and that would probably help the situation. In fact the only problem Hyde could see about Fez being a dad was that he'd now have to share his candy with the little one.
"Hyde, you're smiling." Brooke pointed out, smiling her own smile and breaking Hyde from his thoughts.
"Huh?" he asked slightly confused by the fact that he now had three pairs of eyes looking at him, "No…no. I wasn't smiling."
Donna's frown deepened, "Yeah, you were. What's up with you?"
"Nothing." Hyde answered almost too quickly.
He couldn't tell them about Laurie and Lucy—especially with Fez in the room. Well he could have, after all he and Laurie were never close so he had no problem there, but it just wouldn't feel right. And plus he was pretty damn sure when Laurie did tell Fez it would be one hell of a show and he didn't wanna miss that. It was bad enough he was missing the one with the Formans.
"Nothing's going on. Can't a guy just smile?"
"Yeah…"the blonde replied not sounding convinced at all, "But you're Hyde. You don't smile."
Behind his shades Hyde rolled his eyes at Donna's comment, but before he could respond Kelso jumped in with his own words.
"Hey, that's not true Donna. I've seen Hyde smile plenty of times." He argued, "Like…ha ha. Like whenever we were…"
The dopey grin that had made an appearance on Kelso's face soon dropped to the floor as he realized what he was about to say. The only times he could remember seeing Hyde smile was when all of them were sitting in the basement…in a circle.
"Hyde, man if you're smiling cause of why I think your smiling, you gotta get outta here." Kelso ordered in a very serious and un-Kelso way, "I don't want that stuff around my baby girl!"
Releasing a slight chuckle at Kelso's facial expression, Hyde looked over at where the man-pretty man was pointing and saw Betsy still trying to free herself from the raft of the Tickle Monster.
"Don't worry man…it's nothing like that." Hyde assured looking back at those on the old sofa, "The kid's my godkid and besides I'm done with…circles."
Hyde's words were words that three of those in the basement never thought they'd hear Steven Hyde say—Fez even stopped tickling Betsy when he heard them—they were also words that confused one of the members of the sofa group.
"Circles?" Brooke asked perplexed
Kelso ignored his wife and even unwrapped himself from their embrace so that he could move himself to the edge of his seat, "Seriously dude? You're like done, done?"
"Yeah, man." Hyde said with a shrug, he really didn't see the big deal bout it, he hadn't been in a circle for a few years now.
"No!" Fez said in complete shock, his eyes and face matching his astonished tone.
Hyde gave a slight laugh, "Yeah."
"You're lying." Donna accused.
"I'm not lying Donna." Hyde firmly stated; he was now getting annoyed at both the fact that his friends were having such a hard time believing him and at the bothersome and difficult way Donna was acting.
The tall blonde remained unconvinced, "If you've been out of circles for so long why haven't you told any of us?"
"Just didn't seem important." Hyde retorted with yet another shrug of his shoulders.
Brooke tried to follow along, she did, but without knowing what a circle was she was completely lost. And so she decided to try again.
"What the heck is a circle?" she asked no longer looking just at her husband but at the others in the room as well.
This time it was Donna who ignored the librarian's question and came up with her own.
"So if you're smiling because of a circle, what are you smiling about?"
"I told you, nothing." Hyde repeated himself, "I'm just smiling, alright?"
"Yeah…well stop it!" Kelso practically shouted in a tone he tried to make sound demanding and tough but instead sounded more like scared and frightened. "It's freaking me out!"
"Yes. It is scaring me too." Fez informed in his own shaken tone. Hyde looked over at the foreigner and just to scare him even more, made his smile grow, "Ayyee!"
Hyde shook his head as he stood up from his seat, "Alright well if you guys are done trying to figure out why I'm smiling, I'm gonna get started on dinner." He informed already heading for the stairs, "Anyone wanna come with me to McDonalds?"
"Oo me! Me!" Fez exclaimed just before jumping up in the air with his hand raised up high, "But I sit shot gun and I want a Happy Meal! They are giving Hot Wheels toy cars." He informed with a shy smile.
"Ah!" Kelso yelled out clearly showing how excited he was, "Get me one too! No wait four, get me four."
Simultaneously Donna, Brooke, Hyde, and even Fez turned their heads to the kettle head of the group each of them with their own curious frown. Betsy on the other hand thought her father's idea was a good one and was bout to ask for the same thing when he started explaining himself.
"What?" Kelso asked as he took notice, "Those burgers are really small! And the more meals the more cars!"
Shaking his head again Hyde headed up the stairway, happy that some things about his friends never changed but also knowing that there was no chance in hell that he was getting the doofus four meals. Fez meanwhile, nodded and smiled in approval towards his friend before following Hyde up the wooden steps.
A few moments of silence passed after Hyde and Fez made their exit before Brooke turned her head to Kelso.
"Am I ever going to find out what a circle is?"
Kelso turned to his wife with a frown that looked like one he would wear if she had asked him if he liked firecrackers.
"Uh it's a shape, Brooke!" he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world adding an exasperated lift and drop of both his arms.
0o0o0o
"So after I talked to Casey I called Uncle Marty and asked him to call you, Mom and find out anything he could." Laurie explained to her parents as the three of them sat in the master bedroom.
Red in the nearby armchair, wearing a straight face as he tried to taken in his daughter's story. Kitty remained lying in bed but this time had her granddaughter tucked under one arm as the little girl snuggled against Kitty's shoulder lost in her dreams. And Laurie stayed in her seat at the foot of her mother's bed.
"He called me back right after he talked to you…and he told me…and I…I just knew I had to get over here." Laurie continued trying to fight back the tears she hadn't expected to form.
She had already told her story to her brother and his friends downstairs in the kitchen and she hadn't shed a tear then. But this time, this time it was different. This time she was telling her parents. Finally, after all these years of wanting to but being afraid to she was finally telling them everything she'd been through and done. The reasons she had been away from home for so long. And the fact that her father could still be upset and disappointed in her—which she knew he had every right to be—helped turn the facet to the waterworks.
Laurie looked to her mother, "I am sorry for not coming sooner Mommy…I am so sorry…"
"Oh Laurie." Kitty said already sounding close to tears, she hated seeing any of her children crying because it made her cry, and she raised up right arm for a hug since her left one was still around Lucy, "Oh come here honey."
Not having to be told twice, Laurie leaned down to embrace her mother while making sure not to disturb her sleeping daughter. She hugged Kitty and blinked a few more tears as she mentally wished she had hugged her more often whenever she was home.
"It's ok Laurie." Kitty assured in a soothing voice and gave a quick kiss to the top of her daughter's head, "It's alright. You and Lucy are here now…that's all that's important."
Laurie tightened her grip on her mother as she furiously nodded her head; that was exactly what she thought and exactly what she wanted to hear.
Meanwhile a few feet away Red continued to sit in the armchair and watch the scene infront of him while he let Laurie's story sink in. It was a lot to take in but he was glad Jackie had persuaded him into taking the time to listen to it. Because while it was long and just as the tiny brunette had said there would be there were parts he hadn't liked but it was informative and he did need to hear it and know about it.
Red cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the two Forman women.
"You know Laurie, there's one thing about your story that I find almost unbelievable." He stated out loud.
As Laurie looked at her father, her eyes wide and watery with worry, Kitty shot her husband a warning look.
"I can't believe Marty actually had the guts to keep something like this from me." Red finished his thought with a small smirk.
Once she heard Red's mild joke Kitty let out a sigh of relief, she had been nervous about what he going to say, before she let out a small giggle. Laurie laughed a bit herself before she straightened herself out and looked at her father, bracing herself for the moment of truth.
"So does that mean you forgive me, Daddy?" she asked in a small but hopeful tone of voice.
Red stared back at Laurie noticing that the innocent, childlike appearance he usually saw when he looked at her wasn't the only way he saw this time around. This time he saw some of the innocence but he also saw worry, concern, maturity. And that's when he realized it. Laurie wasn't that little girl with pigtails and ribbons in her hair, playing with her baby dolls in her room, anymore. She now had a real baby to take care of, she was an adult.
There was a slight pain in Red's heart as he noticed this. After all no father wants their little girl to grow up. But every father knows they have to.
"Laurie, you were gone for well over the year you had told me you'd be gone for before you left." Red began to say keeping his voice firm but soft at the same time, "You never contacted me or your mother, not even when you found out about her. There was no phone call or quick letter to let us know you were ok let alone that you had a daughter."
The young blonde woman just nodded her head and Red went on.
"But you're my daughter and now you have your own daughter, with the foreign kid…but she's still your daughter and…my granddaughter." There was a tug at the corners of the elder Forman's mouth and it soon turned into a slight smile, "I never could stay mad at you, how do you expect me to be mad at you and my granddaughter?"
Laurie quickly returned the smile before she stood up and walked over to Red to embrace him in a tight embrace. As soon as his daughter's arms were around him Red wrapped his arms around her holding her just as tight as she held onto him.
Sniffling and letting her tears fall on to her father's shoulder Laurie spoke in a small voice, "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, Kitten." He replied trying to hide the emotion in his voice and then turned his head to place a quick kiss on her cheek.
Kitty smiled as she watched the scene in front of her, it had played out almost exactly how she had told Laurie it would. She knew her husband wouldn't stay angry or hold a grudge over Laurie or her daughter, but even though she knew this scene would happen she was very happy when it was set into motion. Now Red would be spending some time getting to know their granddaughter too. Kitty was sure that he'd love her, after all in the short time she herself had spent with the little girl Kitty could already see that Lucy was a wonderful little girl.
Kitty found herself turning away from the father daughter moment and looking over at the newest addition to the family, wishing she had slash could spend more time with her. She blinked back a few tears and then looked back at Red and Laurie hoping to stop her tears.
Glancing up and at his wife, Red noticed the glassiness in her eyes. Right away he knew the reason behind the tears, and the grip Kitty seemed to have around their granddaughter was a pretty big hint—Red was actually surprised the kid hadn't woken up.
The couple caught the other's eyes and Kitty gave a weak smile that Red returned before unwrapping his left arm from Laurie and reaching it out towards Kitty. Giving an even feebler laugh Kitty grabbed her husbands hand and gave squeezed it as hard as she could—but that wasn't very strong—before Red tightened his gasp on her hand—making sure he wasn't holding on too tight in fear of hurting her.
As he held his daughter in one arm and his wife's hand his other hand, Red looked over at the child sleeping on his bed. Kitty was right, she did look a lot like Laurie when she was little and that made Red smile.
"You know she may be part foreigner," he started to say, "but I'm happy to see she takes mostly after you."
"Except for the brown eyes." Kitty reminded as Laurie and Red ended their hug but Red kept his hand holding Kitty's.
Laurie nodded as she sat back on the bed and smiled at Lucy, "And her love of candy."
Red cleared his throat as Kitty gave a soft giggle, "Um…speaking of Haji…he's staying here too."
"I know." Laurie answered with a nod.
Kitty knitted her brows together as she studied her daughter's face hoping to find the answer there, but didn't. "You are going to tell him about Lucy, right?"
Silence filled the room as Laurie watched her sleeping daughter's peaceful face while trying to figure out the best way to explain this. She didn't want to make and tell another long story but it wasn't that easy to explain.
Taking a deep breath Laurie answered her mother's question, "I wanted to…but now I…I'm not so sure…what do you think I should do, Mommy?"
"Honey, I think you should tell him." Kitty replied.
Red nodded in agreement, "And as surprising as it is, I think you should too." He paused and turned his head to the bedroom door, "What do you two dumbasses listening at the door think?"
Both Kitty and Laurie followed Red's eyes and looked over at the bedroom door just in time to see the door be pushed open by Eric as he walked into the room ready to share his thoughts on the subject. Meanwhile Jackie stood behind him, still out in the hallway, her hand covering her eyes. She had tried to stop him, she did really, but it was no use.
"We think you should tell him Laurie. I mean he's gonna find out eventually and…"Eric drifted off as he stopped in his tracks and his facial expression dropped to the floor before he looked over at his father, "And I just caught what you did, Dad. Good one, sir."
Jackie ignored both of the Forman men. Eric as he looked both embarrassed and frightened of what his father would do next and Red as he shook his head with a frown indented on his face as he looked at his son. Instead the former cheerleader kept her attention and eyes on the young blonde woman as she made her way into the bedroom.
"Laurie, when we talked downstairs you seemed pretty set on telling your parents and Fez about Lucy." Jackie reminded, wearing a slight frown because of the concern of her foreign friend mostly, "What happened?"
"I don't know." Laurie replied with a sigh, "I did wanna tell Fez, I planned on it…really I did. I know one she's going to ask about him and I want to be able to at least tell her that she'd met him. But now I'm…I don't know how he'll react and that worries me." She went on, looking at the faces of each those in the room. "I'm gonna tell him that he has a four year old daughter and just turn his whole world upside down. Really who knows what he'll do."
The room was quiet as the two couples listened to Laurie's words, their own thoughts and feelings taking place in their minds.
Kitty nodded along taking in what Laurie was saying and trying her best to understand where her daughter was coming from. Red was ready to accompany Laurie when she told Alibaba about their daughter—he'd also be taking his hunting rifle with him of course. Eric was feeling that weird sympathetic feeling towards his sister again and no matter what he did he couldn't seem to shake it off. And Jackie, while she could see where Laurie was coming from, knew there really wasn't anything to worry about with Fez—he could only stay mad at a person for a couple of hours, unless you stole or ate his candy then it could be a whole day before he talked to you again.
"And it's not that I'm worried that Fez will hate me. Because really that's the last thing on my mind." The young mother continued, "I'm worried about how he'll feel about Lucy. She doesn't deserve to get hurt, especially because of something I did, something I kept from him. I don't want her getting hurt."
Laurie watched her sleeping daughter again—ignoring the other eyes upon her—and absently ran her hand over the little girls back. Suddenly Kitty reached over her hand, that had seconds ago been holding Red's, and took hold of her daughter's hand. In response Laurie looked up and over at her as she began to speak.
"Laurie, one of the worst parts about being a mother is seeing your baby get hurt. Whether it be a skinned knee or heartbreak from a crush." Kitty began to share, "Seeing them hurt, hurts you. And so you try to keep them from being hurt, you protect them, you worry about them. You worry about them not looking both ways when they cross the street, you worry about them when they put their heart on the line, you worry about them when they stay away from home for so long."
Kitty took a small pause to make sure Laurie was paying attention, "But honey, sometimes all those worries turn out just to be worries and everything works out just fine. I know you're worried about Lucy, about what'll happen if she meets Fez but aren't you still worried about what'll happen if she never meets him?"
All Laurie could do was nod, that was the exact debate going on in her head. well that and that tiny bit of her that feared Fez would try to take Lucy away from her because she was an unfit mother, which he had every reason to think the last time they'd scene each other she could barely take care of a plant, but she'd changed now and Lucy was her life; she couldn't lose her.
Of course this didn't sound very much like something Fez would do, it was more of something her guilty conscious had made her think of, and so she pushed it into the back of her mind and concentrated on the debate of which could cause more pain to Lucy having her meet Fez now or later…or even never.
"You know," Red called out tearing Laurie from her thoughts, "mothers aren't the only ones who do alotta worrying."
Laurie gave a slight smile at her father's words as she started to feel guilty once more. But this time it wasn't guilt for not telling either of them about Lucy it was guilt for making them worry so much about her. She had never taken that into consideration, she didn't think they even thought of her after the first three years she was gone. Not knowing what else to do and not wanting to do anything else, Laurie leaned closer and put one arm around Red's neck and the other around Kitty's shoulder so that she could chug them at the same time and when she felt their arms around her she tightened her grip.
Looking on at the scene was a slightly misty eyed Jackie who was wearing the tiniest of smiles and beside her stood Eric with a blank look on his face.
Eric shook his head in disbelief, "She's home for not twenty four hours and already she's back to being the favorite!"
"Ehem, second favorite remember?" Jackie remind as she gestured towards herself.
"So what with Hyde that makes me like…"he took a few seconds, still shocked by his placement as his parents favorite, "Fourth?"
The tiny brunette next to him shrugged her shoulders, "Actually now that there's Lucy…"
"Oh come on!" he almost shouted causing Jackie to cover her mouth as she tried to stifle giggle.
Meanwhile Laurie pulled out of the hug with her parents and replayed their words to her again in her head. It was good advice, and she'd wished she had held onto the other advices they had given her when she was younger. She went back and forth trying to imagine and come up with every possible consequence and outcome that could happen if she told Fez and the ones that could happen if she didn't. In the end she knew what she had to do. Laurie wanted Lucy to at least meet her father now instead of having questions about him for the rest of her life; and who knew maybe everyone would be right and they really would hit it off.
"I'm gonna tell him." She shared out loud and could almost hear the sighs of relief, "But…not today."
Kitty frowned at her daughter, "Laurie…"
"I am going to tell him mother. Soon. Just not today. I'll tell him while I'm here, but I don't wanna do it today." Laurie cute her mother off and began to explain her reasons, "I don't want Lucy getting scared from meeting so many people all in one day. I'll tell Fez tomorrow." Maybe.
"Well Laurie, I guess that does sound reasonable." Kitty replied, Laurie explanation hitting Kitty's newest soft spot, "But honey, if you don't tell Fez today you and Lucy will have to stay away from him…hide from him. I don't know how you're going to do that."
"Your mother's right." Red stated with a nod as he shifted in his seat, "I am housing the whole Beatles group here."
Eric's face lit up as he heard what his father said, "The Beatles? Really Dad? They're pretty cool…"
"Not to me." Red retorted and Eric's happy smile dropped.
"Don't worry about us." Laurie said, ignoring her brother's actions, "Lucy and I will just stay in my room for the rest of the night."
In that moment the occupants of the bedroom froze. Jackie felt the most awkward, since she was the one who now stayed in that same room Laurie was talking about. And Eric was ready to back out of the room itself. Red and Kitty looked over at the other, neither one of them wanting to be the person to tell Laurie the matter of the situation.
Finally Red decided to speak up and inform his daughter in the fashion of pulling off a Band-Aid—quick and hopefully painless.
"Kitten," the elder Forman began as he cleared his throat, "Jackie moved into your old room a few years back."
"Oh." Was the only thing Laurie could think of.
Part of her was upset, wondering how the yapping midget cheerleader could be living in her room now. And then there was the other part of her who slightly understood. She had been away for along time, she couldn't really expect her parents to leave the room as a personal shrine to her…she had hoped they would but couldn't expect them too.
"Laurie, honey, it was when I was really sick." Kitty started to explain in a soft voice, "Jackie moved in to help me and your father and Steven out."
Laurie only nodded and changed the subject, she really didn't want to talk about the childhood bedroom no longer belonging to her. "Well then Lucy and I will just go to a motel."
"You are not taking my granddaughter to a motel." Kitty said firmly, tightening her grip on the small girl, before an idea entered her mind, "Oh I know, you and Lucy can stay with Jackie tonight."
"What?" everyone seemed to ask out loud and if they didn't say it out loud their facial expression was doing a good job of getting that message across.
"Sure, I'm sure it'll be fun and this way we can leave everyone else who isn't in this room in the same places that they've been sleeping so they won't know Laurie and Lucy are even here." Kitty went on, "Steven will stay in his room, Fez is down in the basement, Donna and Randy will keep sleeping on the sofa bed, and Michael, Brooke, and Betsy will still be in your old room, Eric. And you Eric honey, can sleep in the basement where Steven and Fez are…well Fez really, because Steven will be in his room. And Laurie you and Lucy can stay with Jackie in Jackie's room which used to be your room. Is everyone ok with that set up?"
The room remained silent, but the only one still looking both confused and still slightly astonished was Eric. The two girls who were being told to share a room really didn't seem to bothered or effected by it at all. Red still seemed abit puzzled by his wife's explanation and so he looked over at her.
"I'm still sleeping in here with you, right?" he questioned.
Kitty smiled at him and nodded, "Yes, Red."
Red returned the nod, "Then it's alright with me." He announced causing Kitty to giggle and shifted herself abit so she could rest her head on his shoulder.
Hearing his parents talk about sleeping their room gave Eric an idea and he wasted no time in sharing it.
"Hey wait, why don't Laurie and Lucy stay in here with you guys instead?" he suggested, "You can spend some more time with Laurie and your granddaughter, and then everyone else can just keep there usual sleeping arrangements."
Jackie was shaking her head and smiling because she knew what he was up to. Laurie frowned at her brother with confusion because she didn't know what he was up to. And Red who also knew what he was up to, glared a steady glare at his son.
"Oh sweetie, that would be a great idea." Kitty told him, her head still on her husband, "But with me getting sick in the middle of the night, I don't want to be constantly waking up Lucy or Laurie."
Eric nodded showing that he understood but was really trying to think of another reason to keep this sleeping arrangement from actually happening. He didn't want to sleep with Fez, he wanted to sleep with Jackie! And he wasn't talking about sleep like sleep he really meant sleep. Like they'd done last night, that was nice, really nice.
"But…but you can't have both Laurie and Jackie sleeping in the same room." He tried again.
"Why not?" his father asked.
Eric swallowed, "Because there'd be too much evil in the room and…something could happen."
He knew his answer was weak. He couldn't help it. He was starting to see that neither Laurie nor Jackie were complete evil. But just because they weren't complete evil didn't mean they wanted to share a room with each other. With that idea in his head, Eric swiftly turned himself to face both young women.
"Come on, you guys…you don't really wanna share the same room do you?" he asked in a hopeful voice.
"Why not?" Jackie asked fighting back a smile as she shrugged her shoulders, "We shared Michael's van that time at Van Stock."
Laurie nodded her blonde locks in agreement, "Yeah and if I could handle her then I can handle her now." She said to which Jackie began to glare at, causing Laurie to roll her eyes, "Relax, I meant because she doesn't seem so bad anymore."
Jackie's glare quickly turned into a bright smile and Eric nodded along at his sister's words. She was right and he could relate to what she'd said…but he still had to get out of sleeping in that basement.
"But what about…" he began to say only to be cut off by his father.
"Eric, that's enough." Red declared in a firm voice as he pointed his index finger at him, "You can either sleep in the basement or sleep with my foot in your ass."
Eric nodded, "Basement it is then."
From the corner of his eye, Eric could see a certain brunette pixie giggling at his expense and so he turned around to catch her in the act. However when he looked at Jackie, she'd stopped her giggling but continued to wear her growing smile as she locked her eyes with his and then nudged her head slightly towards the exit of the room.
Instantly Eric got the message and nodded in agreement before deciding to be the one to announce their exit.
"Ok well since we've got the whole sleeping arrangement in order we're gonna go." He said to his family, "give you guys some privacy."
Red frowned in return, "So that you two can go back to listening at the door?"
"No, no. Not this time." Eric replied, "Scouts Honor."
Eric then proceeded to lift up his left hand with his three finger extended and his thumb and pinky finger bent, creating the proper Scouts sign…but with the wrong hand. Jackie was quick to notice and corrected him by pulling down his raised left and lifting up his right. Eric smiled nervously before he made the same sign with his right hand and then quickly grabbed Jackie's wrist making a dash for the door.
Kitty and Laurie both knitted their brows with confusion as Red watched the scene while shaking his head back and forth.
"I can't believe you went in like that." Jackie said as she laughed at the memory of the two of them getting busted for listening at the door.
Eric shrugged with the slightest of smiles on his face, "Yeah well it seemed to work out in the end. Especially for you."
"What do you mean?"
"Now you get to share your room with Laurie instead of me." Eric reminded, he was abit bother that it was only him who was trying to keep Laurie from staying with Jackie. He knew Jackie wasn't thrilled with the idea but she was letting it happen with out a fight.
Jackie looked up at him, "Eric, I don't wanna share my room with your sister."
"Right, but given the choice…which you were," he was quick to add, "you'd rather share your room with her than me."
There he went again, talking himself down. Jackie hated when he did that and she shook her head before explaining her actions or better yet, her non-actions.
"Look Eric, the reason I' ok with sharing my room with Laurie is because we're in the middle of our first date." She reminded and he nodded, "And so the next time you'll be allowed in my bed will be after our third date." She finished with a smile.
"Oh…ok." He said now understanding her reasons but then caught on to what she said, "Wait what? That wasn't part of the agreement…Was this like in that invisible fine print with my pieces of luggage?"
Jackie smiled and nodded, "And you know you can expect a few new pieces of your luggage soon."
"Really?" he asked hopefully.
"Yup." Jackie smiled and nodded.
Eric smirked in response, "So could I trade in those pieces for a night in your room?"
"Nope." Jackie smiled and shook her head.
With his own smile in place Eric shrugged his shoulders, "Had to give it a shot."
Keeping her smile in place Jackie took a step towards him, "You know we never did have our Good Night Kiss, so technically our date still isn't over."
"Very true." Eric nodded in agreement, "I'm sure we can probably get a good few more minutes in it too…"
"Eric." Jackie called his name getting him to stop talking, "Just because we're staying with in your parents house doesn't mean either one of us have a curfew." She reminded, "We're adults, not teenagers…the night belongs to us."
As Eric watched the brunette take another step, making the distance between them even smaller, he took a gulp and remained silent. He saw her smiling up at him and he wanted to smile back but it was like his face was paralyzed with shock. His could feel his heart racing as she neared him even more and kept her eyes locked with his. Eric opened his mouth and then…
"Hey Jackie! Eric!" Kelso's voice called from the living room, "Dinner's here!"
Having the moment ruined the way it was caused each of the two to smile, they knew they should have seen something like that coming. They were after all staying in a very, very full house.
Eric lifted a finger to make a point, "Ok, someone has got to tell them that the night belongs to us."
Laughing at Eric's statement, Jackie latched her hand on his arm and lead him to the staircase. They both wanted to continue their date, with just the two of them; but they both knew that even if they decided to go on with their date and ignore Kelso's calling they'd end up sitting in the kitchen eating whatever take food that had been brought in, with their friends. Either the guilt would get to them or some one would come up looking for them and bring them downstairs anyways.
0o0o0o
Dinner time really wasn't all too eventful but it did have a few moments. Like when Kelso pouted, stomped and did every other form of whining when he didn't get the blue Hot Wheels car and then made an even bigger fuss when Fez had gotten it. Fez ended up giving in a trading in his toy car for Kelso's along with half of handsome man's fries.
There was also the part during the meal time when Betsy asked who would play Hungry, Hungry Hippos with her and her Uncle Fez, both Jackie and Eric volunteered; however they had expected to play later on like the next day, they didn't know what to do when the little Kelso disappeared into the basement only to return with the game and ready to play. They ended up playing at least five rounds with the little girl.
The subject of Laurie and Lucy remained unspoken of, but when Jackie and Eric had first entered the kitchen Hyde looked at them silently questioning them for some details. Jackie kept her mouth shut and pretended she didn't see Hyde's looks as she dug into the paper bags for her meal. Keeping his silence as well, Eric answered his adopted brother with a few message contained looks, and soon Hyde nodded with understanding.
The table was filled with random and fun chatter, just as a kitchen table that was seating a group of friends should be. However there was one guest who remained mute for most of the time. Donna. She was still upset about the events from last night and the fact that she still hadn't heard from Randy—that same fact had her worried abit as well. Though for the most part Donna had kept mostly to herself she had been caught smiling and even releasing a quick chuckle a few rare times.
These moments at the dinner table seemed to be the only time that they were all in the room together—even if they didn't want to be there—with the exception of Red and Kitty and now Laurie and Lucy. But that didn't diminish any of the moments, because it was during that time of the day that the old basement gang, with a few new members, got to reconnect, and laugh as they recalled old memories and created a few new ones.
That time spent at the table really flew by and no one seemed to realize how long they had really been sitting there. The group was really too busy enjoying themselves and so it came to a shock to each of them that it was already hours into the night. When the gang finally started picking up their takeout messes they headed off to their respectable sleeping areas—with the exception of Donna who went down to the basement for a little while longer.
Jackie and Eric made their way into the living room and walked towards the stairway. Each of them wished they had continued their date with just the two of them but neither of them regretted the decision to join their friends for dinner—especially since the evening had remained drama free for the most part. They very well could have continued their date for a few more hours but it had been a pretty long and eventful day, they were both equally tired.
"So," Jackie said as they lingered near the bottom of the staircase, "time for the awkward first date ending, huh?"
Eric nodded and smiled weakly, "Yup, just call me Mr. Awkward."
"That's not what I meant." Jackie argued looking at her date as she tilted her head to the side.
"I know, I know." Eric replied honestly as he nodded again and then looked at Jackie, "You know Jackie, I had a really good time with you today. I hope you did too."
The raven haired beauty nodded and smiled, "I did."
"You think we could do this again…maybe without the little chaperone, my disappearing sister returning, or fast food dinner with friends? Some time soon?" he asked hopefully.
"I think so."
Almost instantly a smile sprung to Eric face and that made Jackie laugh.
"You know...now that we're closing up our first date and saying goodnight," Jackie started to say as she climbed up on the first step from the floor and then turned back around to face Eric who remained standing off the staircase, "I think it's time for our Goodnight Kiss."
"Oh? Is it really time already?" he asked trying not to sound too anxious, but wasn't doing a very good job at it. Still it made Jackie laugh and he was falling more in love with that sound each time he heard it.
Jackie nodded a 'yes' and Eric took that as signal to move closer.
Once Eric's body was less a few inches away from Jackie's, he wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and she moved hers around his neck; their eyes on the other the entire time. They leaned closer slowly at first but when their lips touched the embrace went from slow and anxious to passionate and hot.
Eric held Jackie closer to him and Jackie tightened her arms around Eric, neither one of them wanting to let go or end the kiss.
It was a good few minutes before the couple breathless pulled away from the other's lips, keeping their arms around their date and the eye contact that had started the kiss.
"Goodnight." Jackie said in a soft voice.
Eric opened his mouth to give his own goodnight but as he watched her knew he wasn't ready to say goodnight just yet; so instead he leaned into Jackie and created another passionate lip lock.
Jackie didn't pull away or try to stop him, she saw the kiss coming but she didn't do anything to stop it. She wanted this second Goodnight kiss as much as he did and so she welcomed it with open arms.
"Sweet dreams." Eric told her once they had ended this kiss.
Jackie only nodded in response before she pulled Eric closer to her and used her lips to capture his in another ardent lip lock.
"See you in the morning." She said looking up at him.
Looking at the pixie with his eyes wide as he tried to catch his breath Eric wasted no time in starting up yet another fire filled kiss.
When their fourth Goodnight kiss came to an end Jackie stared at Eric as she waited for him to say some different form of 'goodnight.' Eric knew why the pair of beautiful mismatched eyes were looking at him but he couldn't think of any other type of 'goodnight.' He kissed her again because he wanted to kiss her again…he had to kiss her again.
"Um…don't let the bed bugs bite?" he tried.
Jackie laughed a soft laugh at his answer and she tore her eyes away from his to look upwards as she did. The broken eye contact lasted only a few minutes and then the duo were back to looking into each other's eyes.
"If we don't stop now, we could be here all night." Jackie informed.
A smug smile made its way to Eric's lips, "All nighters are pretty fun." Jackie smiled as she shook her head and Eric nodded as he saw her actions, "I know, I know. Enough kisses for tonight."
"Right." Jackie nodded with her smile still in place.
Carefully Jackie and Eric untangled themselves from the other and then slowly started to head to the places they'd be sleeping; Jackie in her room and Eric in the basement. However before Jackie took a step onto the next stair, Eric turned back around and caught her hand, causing her to look back at him.
"Goodnight Jackie." he said before he placed a quick but loving kiss on her hand, "Sorry. I couldn't resist."
Author's Note: There you go! Chapter 35 of "Two Weeks" Hope you liked!
What will happen when Laurie tells Fez about Lucy? How will Eric's night in the basement with Fez go? Will Laurie and Jackie sharing a room be as easy as they think? How will Kelso and his family react to the news of Laurie and Lucy? When will we hear from randy again? And what pieces of luggage will Jackie be giving Eric this time? Confused? You won't be after the next chapter of "Two Weeks"
Until next time, thanks for reading, hope you liked, please review and lemme know what you think, stay tuned, take care, have a nice day, and thank you all so much again!