Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Author's Note: Hello everyone! How are you all doing? Hope you're doing well! I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I honestly didn't realize almost a whole month had passed. I should probably keep some kind of calendar close by but with it being summer you're lucky if I can get tell you what month we're in lol. Before we get started with this next chapter I just wanna go over a few things. First off I apologize again for another shorter chapter. Sorry guys, it was going to b a tad bit longer but I decided to save the scene for next time, hopefully that'll mean a sooner update to this story or a possible update to one of my older dustier stories. *crosses finger* I also wanna give a big thank you to each of you because with the last chapter I reached my 300th review here! Yay! Cake and cookies for everyone! Big thank you to That70sShowLover315 for being that 300th review. And big thank yous to everyone who has left any review on this story whether it be just one or one on every chapter like Marla—who I give another great big thank you to! Each and everyone of the reviews, all of your wonderful and encouraging words are what help me continue to write this story when I feel like I should stop and move onto to something else. Thank you to each of you! You're all so very awesome! Oh and a thank you to SuperNeos2 who suggested the question in the video, thanks again and be sure to check out his story, it's a bit gory but definitely a nail biter! And remember if you have an idea for a video question feel free to share! As always please remember I am not a doctor nor am I training to be one watching a House rerun as we speak but don't think that counts. Thanks so very much for all of your marvelous support it means more than you guys know! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Please lemme know in a review if you can and please, Enjoy!
"Who would you say is your favorite actor?" Hyde asked his surrogate mother.
"Archibald Alexander Leach." A petite brunette answered for the older woman as she breezed into the room from the kitchen, holding a carry-out tray with two drinks in her hands, "Better known as the British American actor, Mr. Cary Grant." She stared at the camcorder, shaking her head lightly, "Everybody knows that."
Hyde scowled behind the camera's eyepiece, upset by her return and the way she had not only answered the question that had been direct at Kitty but she was mocking it too! He knew it was a common and simple question but he had a good reason to ask it—or so he thought.
"The kids watching this video don't know that." He pointed out.
Jackie scoffed as she sat on the sofa beside Kitty, "We'll be lucky if they even know who Cary Grant is."
"Oh that better not be true." Kitty warned in a stern voice when she caught Steven nodding his head; she looked between the two of them as she continued, "Especially if I'm not here. It will be your job to make sure those future generations know about all the great old Hollywood actors and actress. And Cary Grant better be at the top of that list."
"Yes, ma'am." The pair agreed with a nod of their heads.
Kitty smiled a pleased smile, "Good."
"Oh here Mom," Jackie started to say as she took one of the paper cups out of the holder, "I got you one of those Strawberry milkshakes from Fatso Burger."
"Oh thank you, dear." Came Kitty's reply.
Watching and filming Jackie hand over a cup and straw to Kitty who happily took them Hyde furrowed his brow. And he furrowed it even more when he saw Jackie take the other drink out stab the top with the straw and begin to take a sip.
"Fatso Burger?" he asked confused. "Where's my drink?
Jackie pulled the straw out from between her lips and looked at the man behind the camera, "Oh you mean the nice cold bottle of A&W Root Beer that you asked for?"
"Yeah."
"I didn't get it." she simply said before going back to her own milkshake.
"Why not?" he questioned—his voice calm, steady, and Zen.
She shrugged her shoulder before explaining, "I knew you had really just sent me out to get your stupid root beer so you could get a few more video segments without me in it. So I decided to give you those segments and a few more too."
"True." Hyde admitted before adding, "But I also really wanted that root beer."
A grin stretched onto Jackie's lips, "I knew that too."
While Hyde's face dropped at the sight of the former cheerleaders mischievous smile, Kitty looked over at him looking slightly concerned as she tried to think of something to make him feel a little bit better. It didn't take too long for an idea to enter her mind.
"Oh Steven, I'll go get another cup from the kitchen and I'll split my shake with you. I don't think I'll be able to finish it anyway…" she said as she stood up from her seat on the couch.
Hyde shook his head, "It's alright, Mom. Jackie got that milkshake for you and…I really wanted a root beer anyway."
"Steven, stop being such a big baby." Jackie retorted with an eye roll, "If you want a root beer you can go out and buy it yourself." Her smile quickly reappeared, "I can take over the video making for awhile."
Now he knew exactly what she was up to. This was more than her burning him by not bringing him his root beer and instead using the money to buy herself and their adopted mother milkshakes. She was trying—once again—to take over the video. Not wanting her to satisfaction of knowing that he had even considered it for a split second, he firmly held onto the side of the video camera and focused it back on Kitty.
"So what would you say is your favorite movie?" he asked smirking at the glare Jackie was sending in his direction.
0o0o0o
Down in the basement Michael Kelso sat on the left arm of the old sofa looking quite distressed. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his head hanging down with a worried and almost saddened expression on his face. Beside him were the two important women in his life, trying their best to comfort him. His wife stood at his side, rubbing his arm in a soothing manner while Little Betsy sat on the seat of the couch patting her father's knee in hopes of cheering him up—she never liked seeing her daddy upset.
The trio were so absorbed in their little family huddle that not one of them noticed the door of the small back room open as their foreign friend walked out. It wasn't until Fez closed the door behind him that they heard the outside noise and their heads looked up—though Kelso's head did more of a shot up moment—and turned behind them.
As soon as he saw his best friend a look of relief appeared on Kelso's face before he released a smile. Not two seconds passed before the police officer pushed away from his family and hurried his way over to Fez, instantly wrapping his arms around the shorter man and pulling him into a death gripping hug. Fez was both surprised and confused by the actions but didn't question it, mostly because before he could even form a question to ask Kelso had already started to speak.
"Oh Fez, buddy! You're alive!" Kelso cried into Fez's shoulder and then pulled away to look at him with a very serious look on his face, "Don't ever do that again!"
Kelso dropped his head back onto Fez's shoulder and hugged him even tighter. While trying to get some air so he could breathe, a confused Fez looked over at his best friend's wife for some type of help.
Smiling, Brooke stood up from the seat she had just sat down in and began to explain her husband's actions, "When Michael saw Laurie leave Hyde's room but not you he thought she had killed you and taken your soul for her eternal youth or some silly idea like that."
"Eternal life, Brooke, God!" came the exclamation from Kelso as he at last pulled out of his embrace with his friend; though stayed close by, not yet ready to leave his buddy that he was sure he had almost lost forever, "And it's not a silly idea. When we were six, Eric said he saw her do it to a kid that used to live in neighborhood, Rob Struthers."
Brooke shook her head, "Michael, there is no Rob Struthers."
"Yeah, not anymore!" Kelso fired back.
Usually at a moment like this Fez would have stepped in to try and help Kelso make a convincing point by agreeing and backing up whatever he said, but right now he could have cared less about Rob Struthers and whether or not he existed or ever had. He wanted to share with his friends the news that Laurie had given him. After all they were more than his friends, they were his family and he couldn't wait to tell them that their little family had grown!
"No, Kelso." He said with a small shake of his head, "Laurie did not take anything from me. She gave me something."
Swiftly, Kelso pulled off his hand—that had been resting on his friends shoulder—and stepped two or three big steps away from Fez.
"It's not contagious, is it?" he asked worriedly.
Fez's smile started to grow more and more as he replied, "No. It is something that is wonderful. Magical. And has changed my life forever."
At first Kelso was puzzled by what his best friend was saying but then he replayed the words in his head and put them together with the smiling, dreamy eyed expression that Fez was wearing and he came to a conclusion that only Michael Kelso could come up with.
"Ah man! You guys totally did it! And in Hyde's room! Burn!" a grinning Kelso shouted and then threw his open hand up in the air, "I call dibs on telling him!"
While Brooke gave her excited husband a warning look and Betsy was giggling at her daddy's actions, Fez only smiled more as he continued on with the sharing of his big news.
The foreigner shook his head, "No, no, Kelso, it was not sex."
"Oh." Kelso said sounding disappointed as he lowered his arm that was soon smacked lightly by Brooke.
"Laurie has given me the news that I, Fez, am a father!" he announced his voice full of pride and wearing a smile that matched perfectly, "I have a little girl."
Even though they had been in the room when Laurie was talking to Fez—when he was conscious and unconscious—about their daughter and technically they already knew that he was a father, when they saw how happy and excited he was when he shared the news with them, Brooke and Kelso couldn't help but feel the same way.
Brooke was glad to see that Fez had stooped his fainting episodes and had come around to the idea of being a father and Kelso was thrilled with the fact that one of his friends was a dad too! They could be Daddy Buddies! With great big smiles on their lips the married couple began to clap and cheer as they congratulated their friend—no one ever noticing the unhappy little figure that moved farther away from the happiness being shared near the couch.
Walking towards Fez with open arms Brooke gave him a warm hug, "Congratulations, Fez. This is so wonderful."
"Thank you, Brooke." Fez said with a smile when they ended their hug.
"Yeah Fez, man, this is awesome! High five!" Kelso exclaimed lifting up his waiting palm, "We both knocked up chicks without being married to them!"
Brooke's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she heard those words, "Michael!"
"What?" Kelso asked confused by his wife's sudden screech; however one look at his young daughter and he realized his mistake, "Oh, oh right. Um…we both impregnated chicks without being married to them!"
Placing her hand up to her forehead Brooke shook her head as she tired to shield out the image of the twosome high-fiving each other beside her. Kelso and Fez grinned largely, happy to have found another something that they had in common, when an idea suddenly struck Kelso.
"This calls for a celebration!" he shouted cheerfully as he placed his left hand back on Fez's shoulder and moved his right hand to the pockets of his pants; his smiled dropped some, "Aw man, I left my fireworks in my other pants."
"Yes and I left those other pants at home." Brooke informed, knowing her husband's next move would be to run upstairs and tear their luggage apart looking for those pants.
"Aw man!"
"Aw come on, Brooke!"
Feeling like she was talking to two small children, Brooke shook her head and firmly stood her ground, "You'll just have to find another way to celebrate Fez becoming a father."
Though they were both wearing disappointed scowls they still managed to unhappily mutter, "Fine."
"Oo I can pick up some cigars!" Kelso declared excitedly.
"Yes!" Fez nodded and grinned but then paused as he remembered the disgusting cigars they had smoked when Betsy was born, he scrunched his face in disgust before adding, "But make sure they are the candy kind."
The tall man pretty man nodded knowingly, "Of course!"
Relieved to hear that her husband and his friend had found a substitute for a firework celebration and this substitute did not include any source of fire—at least it shouldn't, with these two you never really did know—Brooke turned her head to the seating area of the basement and found her daughter silently sitting in the old lawn chair.
"Betsy, don't you have something to say to your Uncle Fez?" she asked the young girl.
"No."
"It would be nice if you congratulated him, honey." Brooke tried again.
But Betsy wasn't budging, "No."
Brooke's brows knitted closer together, "Why not?"
"Because." She began to answer her mother but turned to glare at her uncle, "You said I would always be your number one little girl."
Her statement made the smile on Fez's face begin to fade as he became filled with guilt. And it didn't help when the little girl's father began to talk and agree with her.
"That's true man." He said with a nod, "I was there when you said it."
Fez's smile had now completely vanished. However before he could day anything or even think of anything to say, Betsy's mother spoke up hoping that she could get her to understand and stop Fez from feeling any sort of shame.
"Sweetie, that's not fair." Brooke began to say in a motherly tone as she sat on the side of the couch closest to the lawn chair, "Your Uncle Fez has a daughter now, his own little girl, who he's going to love very much. But that doesn't mean he's going to stop loving you, right Fez?"
"Yes, yes." The young foreign man quickly agreed and walked over to where the two girls were, taking a seat on the round table infront of Betsy, "You will always be my number two little girl. That's still good, right?" he asked in a tone full of hope.
Stubbornly the little girl replied, "No."
Scooting closer to Betsy meant him having to get down on his knees, but this little girl was a very important person in his life and he didn't like it when she was mad at him and so he kneeled down infront of her and began to speak in a soft sincere voice, "Betsy Boop, you may not always be my number one little girl but you will always be my number one little niece. Is that better?"
There was a long moment of silence as Betsy thought over the words, then finally she gave her answer.
"Yeah." She said with a smile and one nod of her head.
Fez released his own smile that grew in size when he felt Betsy's little arms wrap around his neck, he soon threw his own arms around her tightening their hug. Both Brooke and Kelso watched the scene from afar, a grin on each of their faces.
"And now you are my number one little niece just like I am your number one uncle." Fez concluded when they broke up their hug.
"Number two." Betsy corrected while lifting two fingers up in the air.
"Number two? What the Hell?" Fez asked in an outrage.
"Uncle Casey has a pool." She explained in a matter of fact tone. "But you'll always be my number one Fez."
The corners of Fez's mouth twitched and he nodded again, "I can live with that."
Niece and uncle embraced in a another tight hug and while Brooke thought it was a very sweet scene to witness she couldn't hold in her excitement—or questions—any longer.
"So Fez, when do you get to meet her?" she asked, referring of course to Lucy.
"Soon. Laurie is going to go get her and bring her down here so we can meet." He explained while gazing up at the top of the basement steps. Any second now his daughter would be coming down those steps. He smiled even more when a thought suddenly hit him, "Oh that reminds me."
The family of three watched Fez walk over his pile of suitcases over by the deep freeze and pull out the medium sized one before walking back over to the sitting area of the basement. He dropped the suitcase, flat on the top of the spool table, snapping open the buckles and flipping the top open; looking like the characters in movies who were opening up suitcases filled with money. Fez's suitcase may not have been filled with cash but it did have another kind of loot.
Candy.
The good sized suitcase was filled completely with candy! Various kinds of chocolates, gummies, lollipops all neatly organized by name and taste. Brooke frowned when she saw the contents, not believing they had brought a suitcase full of candy among their other bags of belongings, and Betsy and Kelso gazed at the suitcase and its candy as if it were a glowing box of treasure calling their name!
Fez didn't catch any of their reactions and was instead scanning through the chocolate bars, soon finding what he was looking for, a milk chocolate Hershey's bar.
"Laurie say Hershey bars are her favorite candy. I'm going to give her this to get her to like me more." He explained his plan to those in the room.
"Fez, that's sweet but you don't need to bribe her with candy." Brooke began to say, "I'm sure she's going to love you with or without candy."
While he was appreciative for Brooke's kind and reassuring words, Fez still couldn't help but still feel those butterflies flapping around in his stomach. While playing with his fingers, as best he could with the chocolate bar in his hand, he admitted anxiously, "I'm so nervous."
Brooke smiled and placed a kindly hand on Fez's arm, "It's alright. It's a good nervous, right? Everything's going to be great."
"Yeah, buddy." Kelso agreed, finally tearing himself away from the candy suitcase, "Unless when she meets you she starts crying or laughing at you."
A worried look crossed Fez's face, "Why…why would she laugh at me when she meets me?"
"Dude, I laughed at you when I first met you! You were all funny with your accent." Kelso recalled with a large dopey grin before doing his best to impersonate Fez's unique accent, "Good day! I say good day!"
As Kelso burst out into another fit of laughter, Fez felt even more butterflies enter his stomach.
"Aye no…" he said sounding scared, "Do you think she will really laugh at me?"
"Oh no, Fez. Michael's just playing around." Brooke said while glaring at her chuckling husband,
"Betsy Boop?" Fez called the little girl ignoring the yelp of pain in the background that came from Kelso when Brooke pinched his side, "Do you think Lucy will laugh at me when she meets me?"
The girl's eyes were still stuck on the stash of candy but she still managed to give a response—a bit unconvincing response but a response, "No….Can I have some candy?"
"Yes, yes. Take whichever you want." Fez said not sounding like he wasn't paying much attention either until he added, "Except the Hershey bars."
Brooke and Kelso exchanged worried looks with one another. Fez was sharing his candy? Without being told to? The poor guy really was scared! Looking over at their now pacing, fretful friend Kelso began to feel even worse about the comment he'd made earlier…well he felt bad not worse after all it was a pretty good one.
"Hey Fez, man. Brooke was right I was just kidding." He said hoping to calm Fez's nervousness.
Fez stopped his pacing and turned around to face his friends but his worry was still showing in his eyes, "But what if you are right? What if she cries or laughs at me…what if hates me?"
The weight of that question made Fez slowly sink down onto the couch and before he knew it Kelso and Brooke were sitting next to him; Brooke sitting on his left and Kelso on his right. Betsy was still absorbed in searching for the perfect candy in the stash.
"Fez, she's not going to hate you." Brooke said firmly but in a soft, soothing tone.
"Yeah man, she's gonna love you." Kelso tried, while putting an arm around the foreigner's shoulder, "I mean any kid would love to have you as their dad…well any kid expect for my kid cause she loves me and wouldn't trade me for anyone else in the world, right Bets?"
Betsy—who was now back in the lawn chair eating a Butterfinger candy—nodded her head, "Right." She paused as a memory came flooding back to her, "'Cept when you forgot to pick me up from school. I'd trade you for another daddy that day."
Hearing this revelation, Brooke looked over the worried Fez and glared angrily at her panicked looking husband. She wasn't saying anything and that frightened Kelso even more. Thinking quickly he reached into Fez's candy suitcase and pulled out Brooke's favorite candy.
He lifted up the Kit-Kat bar to her and smiled a small hopeful smile, "Candy?"
0o0o0o
"And done!" Jackie happily announced as she closed up the cabinet she had put her last item away in.
"Great, me too." Eric said with a smile, still standing by the refrigerator he had just finished filling, "I think we deserve a little TV break."
Smiling at the suggestion she nodded her head, "Okay. But I'm in charge of the remote."
"Yeah…wait what? No! I'm in charge of the remote, it was my idea." Eric was quick to remind Jackie.
"Yeah but I put away more groceries than you did." Jackie pointed out smiling as if she's already won the argument.
"That's not fair. We weren't even keeping track."
"Eric," Jackie began to say, "I put away four full bags, you put away two."
"Well it's still not fair." Eric argued weakly, already seeing that he needed to come up with a more convincing argument; soon one hit him and he raised a shaking finger as he began to share it out loud, "You…you went to the store and picked everything out, you knew there were more things that went into the pantry than the fridge. For all I know you gave me the easier job purposely so that later when I suggested watching TV you would be able to be in charge of the remote."
Jackie stared at Eric in disbelief before shaking her head, "Eric, I didn't do any of that. But I can't say I don't like the way things turned out, because I do." She added with a grin, "With me in charge of the remote we won't have to watch some geeky science thing."
A frown indented itself onto Eric's forehead, "What makes you think we'd watch some geeky science thing if I were in charge of the remote?"
"Because you're you. And you're a teacher. Also known as an adult nerd." Jackie informed as if it were common knowledge.
Feeling more offended than hurt, Eric knew he couldn't take this sitting down, "Well you're a girl! With you in charge of the remote we'll probably end up watching something girly, like…The pink…pony…make-up channel."
Trying to hold in a laugh, Jackie lifted a perfectly shaped eyebrow, "The Pink Pony Make-up Channel?"
"Yeah." Eric nodded trying his best to stay composed and make it seem like he really knew what he was talking about, "You guys don't get that channel here? It's really popular over in Seattle."
This time she couldn't hold in her giggles and the sound of Jackie's laughter filled the air. It was a sound Eric was beginning to love more and more each time he heard it, and as it had done before it caused him to let out his own carefree laugh. The pair continued to share the chuckle as Jackie pushed open the swinging door to enter the living room with Eric right behind her. However, as soon as they saw the yellow sofa and the two occupants sitting on top of it, their laughed was quickly stifled.
"Hi Donna. Hi Randy." Jackie greeted.
"Oh hey guys." said Eric hoping that the moment wasn't as awkward as he felt it was, "I almost forgot you guys were still in here."
Staring at the seated couple Jackie tried to read their facial expressions and body language to figure out how things had gone between them—knowing Steven Hyde, Mr. Zen Master, for so many years had given her good practice, "So…is everything okay?"
"Yeah…" Randy nodded but was interrupted before he could say more.
"Eric." Donna said, now standing up and looking Eric right in the eye, "Can I talk to you?"
He nodded his head, "Oh yeah, sure Donna. I mean it's pretty obvious that you can since you are talking to me right now so…" he joked.
Donna did not look very amused, "I mean alone."
"Oh." He said his voice no longer sounding very playful.
Looking over at Jackie he hoped to get some help from her but all she did was ignore his worried expression and raise up both her eyebrows while making her eyes wide silently giving him the message to 'Go!' He nodded back at her and turned back to Donna.
"Okay. Yeah." He nodded heading back towards the kitchen, "Come on."
Without saying another word, Donna strode her way into the kitchen walking through the swinging door that Eric held open for her. Eric looked at Jackie once more, still feeling nervous about going and talking to Donna alone for the first time in years, but seeing the little thumbs up sign from the former cheerleader made him smile and gave him just the right amount of confidence to push him through that doorway.
Once Donna and Eric were out of the room the area was filled with a silence that wasn't exactly awkward but wouldn't be called comfortable either.
"So uh…The Pink Pony Make-up Channel?" Randy asked breaking the silence with the conversation he and Donna had overheard minutes ago, "Yeah you know, I don't think we get that channel upstate either. We do get The Pink Horse Make-up Channel, but I don't think that's really the same."
Jackie smiled politely before letting her eyes scan over the room—to anyone watching the scene they would have guessed she was searching for an escape.
"Hey Chatty Cathy." A voice called from behind Jackie causing her to turn around and find Laurie Forman entering the living room from the same doorway Eric had just left through, "I thought you were the one dating my dorkward brother."
"Yeah. I mean we're not really dating exactly. Well we are but not exactly…" Jackie suddenly frowned, why was she suddenly stumbling over her words? Maybe she'd been spending too much time with Eric. She cleared her throat before giving it anther go, "We haven't been on any dates yet. Well except for one but it wasn't really…"
Not patient enough to go through the whole explanation again, Laurie rolled her eyes and interrupted the babbling brunette, "Yeah, well whatever you guys are doing, did you know he'd out there alone with the bottle blonde Amazon?"
Puzzled by the name it took Jackie few seconds before she figured out who Laurie was talking about "You mean Donna?"
"Yup." She nodded and before Jackie could explain that she knew and they had just gone out to talk, Laurie continued to speak, "Who knew Little Brother was such a chick magnet—that didn't involve actual baby chickens that is."
Now Jackie Burkhart was a mature young woman. The years when she dated Steven were the years that she first began the transition from Daddy's Precious Princess to Mature Young Woman, the recent years with the events of Kitty's cancer had helped complete that transition. However—just like with many other people—there was still a bit of the immature teenage Jackie buried in her that managed to make its way out every now and then. Like the 'Get off my boyfriend' situation years ago with Michael and Steven.
History seemed to repeat itself and before she realized what she was saying the words left her mouth as she looked at Laurie and asked in a demanding to know type of tone, "What did you see?"
"Relax, Tinkerbelle." Laurie said with a light laugh, "They're not doing anything. Yet." She added just to show the old Laurie was still in there too, "But you know, for someone who's 'not exactly dating' him, you did get pretty jealous when you thought he and Donna were up to something."
"I wasn't jealous. I was worried." Jackie argued before she realized what she'd said, "But not for me. For Randy. Donna's Fiancé."
Then remembering that the two had yet to meet since this was the first time Laurie had been home in years and the days before Randy hadn't been here, Jackie began with the introductions.
"Laurie, this is Randy. Randy, this is Laurie, the former whore of Point Place."
Randy stood up and extended his hand in Laurie's direction, Laurie took his hand and shook it, smiling in his direction before turning her head back to Jackie.
"Is this the Eric Kelso crossover?" she asked in barely a whisper. When Jackie nodded her head, Laurie looked Randy over once more before shrugging her shoulders, "At least he'd got more of Kelso's looks."
After making that statement the blonde let go of poor confused Randy's hand—he wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not—and headed over to the living room staircase.
"Wait, where're you going?" asked Jackie.
"To go get Lucy."
Jackie looked at Laurie trying not to smile, "Does that mean Fez is…speaking English again?"
"Yeah." Laurie nodded, "Well what he calls English."
The girls shared a laugh that Randy soon joined in on. When laughter died down Laurie began to speak again, her smile staying in place.
"He wants to meet her. He's even getting her her favorite candy so he can give it to her as a present when they meet." She shared with them.
"Aw! That's so cute!" Jackie gushed with her own smile, that did sound like something her foreign friend would do. He, of course, had every right to be mad at first but everyone knew he wouldn't stay that way for very long. The image that Laurie painted made Jackie smile even more, she had to see this in person! "Come on Randy, we've gotta get good seats for this!"
She then stretched her hand out and grasped it onto Randy's pulling him up from the seat he had dropped himself into a minute or two ago. Laurie watched the scene with an angry frown but didn't say a word. Jackie and Randy were only a few steps away from the kitchen door when a voice from above stopped them in their tracks.
"Both of you sit right back down." Red Forman ordered as he descended down the living room stairs with Lucy in his arms and Angela right behind them, "If Laurie wanted an audience for this then she would have assembled you and the dumbasses to watch. But she didn't. So stay out of there."
Knowing it was never wise to argue with Red Forman Jackie dropped Randy's handed and pouted with disappointment. Meanwhile Laurie turned to her father, who was now by her side at the bottom of the steps—and smiled up at him.
"Thank you, Daddy." She said in her innocent-little girl voice.
"But Mr. Forman, that's not fair." Jackie protested—suddenly understanding what it was like to have a sister, who always got her way—"I already missed the first half."
Not saying a word, Red looked at Jackie and shrugged his shoulders causing Jackie's pout to reappear. Seeing this as a good a moment as any Randy began to walk behind the couch and over to the older man.
"Uh Mr. Forman," he started to say, "I'm sorry I haven't been around much since you here, sir but…"
"That's nothing to apologize for, Randy." Red said in a very serious tone after taking two or three seconds to remember the kid's name.
Randy chuckled lightly and nodded his head, "Well um I just wanted to say that I really am very sorry about…you know, what's going on with Mrs. Forman."
There was an somber kind of silence that followed when Red gave a firm nod of his head before lowering his gaze down to the carpeted floor as if avoiding the eyes of the other occupants in the room. Then after a moment he cleared his throat and looked back up, staring straight at Randy.
"You still can't go into that basement." He said sternly.
"Well I gave it a shot." Randy replied in a joking manner that soon switched to a more frightened one when he saw the intimidating glare Red was sending him, "I'm just gonna go and sit over here…" he pointed to the sofa as he began to make his way back to it, "Find something to watch. Maybe The Pink Pony Make-up Channel."
His last comment earned him several weird looks; Jackie's being the least, she was trying not to laugh, and Red's being the most, what kind of dumbass channel was that?
"Um, Mr. Forman." Angela said, at last speaking up, "I really should be going now."
"Oh right." Red said as if just remembering that the young nurse was in the room, he then looked at Jackie and pointed a finger from his free hand in her direction, "Jackie, go walk Angela out."
The petite brunette frowned at the suggestion, "Me? Why me? I mean no offense, Angela." She was sure to add in while looking at the nurse, "It's just getting to watch Laurie tell Fez about their daughter is like…one of those eclipse things. It's a rare and entertaining moment you want to be able to see in person."
"Oh, I understand. I actually caught the first half." Angela informed with an understanding smile.
"You caught the first half?" Jackie repeated and when she saw Angie nod a smile sprung into place, "Well then it would be such a shame if you missed the second half. Come on!"
Jackie waved the other young woman over towards the swinging door that she was already headed for once again.
"Jackie." Red called out in a warning tone, halting her actions immediately. "The only people I want down in that basement are Laurie, Lucy, and Tarzan, along with myself."
Laurie turned to her father wearing a scowl, "Daddy."
"What?" he asked returning the frown, "I keep the place dumbass free and I'm not allowed in?"
"That's right." She seriously replied but kept her voice in the sweet tone she usually spoke to her father in.
"Fine." The balding man muttered with a small sigh before moving his attention to the little girl in his arms, "Lucy, if that man in the basement does or says anything to make you or your mom sad, you yell for me and I'll go down there and stick my foot up his…" remembering the pair of pure ears, he changed the last word to a more G rated word. "butt. Okay?"
Lucy giggled in her grandfather's arms, "Granpa say 'butt!'" she said covering her face with her hands and erupting into another fit of giggles.
"I guess I'll take that as an 'okay.'" Red said as he watched his laughing granddaughter.
Laurie shook her head at her father, trying not to laugh along with Lucy, "Daddy, you shouldn't have said that to her."
"She needs to know that she'll have at least one man there to protect her no matter what." Red declared firmly, his face softening some as he went on, "And that goes for you too, Kitten."
"Thanks Daddy." She said smiling before holding her arms out, "Come 'ere, baby."
Wordlessly Laurie took Lucy into her arms, never even commenting on the slight hesitation she felt from her father when she took her from his grasp. She knew he was worried about them and didn't want either one of them to get hurt, but after talking to Fez, Laurie also knew that Fez wasn't going to hurt her or Lucy. She flashed her father one more reassuring smile before she and her daughter disappeared behind the swinging door.
"Okay Angela, I guess I should walk you out now." Jackie said still a bit disappointed about missing the 'show.'
Angela smiled a silent thank you and then the two young ladies headed to the front door. Just before Jackie opened the door Angela turned around to say her goodbyes when she suddenly noticed that Red was no longer standing near the staircase.
"Mr. Forman?" she called.
Swiveling herself around Jackie saw the same sight Angela saw; Red standing near the entrance of the kitchen, his right arm already pushing open the door.
"Mr. Forman, you're not gonna follow Laurie down into the basement are you?" Jackie asked in a mock parenting tone, hands on hips.
"No." he replied with a deep frown, "I'm just gonna listen in by the door."
"Mr. Forman!"
"Kitty always says taking pictures of you kids is her God-given right as mother." Red began his argument with the reminder, "Well, doing whatever I can to protect you kids is my God-given right as a father."
Author's Note: And that would be Chapter 47 of "Two Weeks" Hope you liked!
How will Lucy and Fez's meeting go? Will Lucy laugh at him? What does Donna want to talk to Eric about? Will Red get caught listening in on the conversation in the basement? Will Jackie get to catch the end of the 'show?' And what is the Pink Pony Make-up channel? 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, and have a nice day!