ʚ ɞ

And I've made up my mind

I ain't wasting no more time

Here I go again on my own

Goin' down the only road I've ever known

ʚ ɞ

"Steven!" Both Jackie and Kitty call out as the two men enter the kitchen.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Eric mutters as the women usher Hyde over to the counter.

"Oh, honey, no you're not.. You're just not the groom, that's all." Kitty laughs.

"Well, Forman's my best man, you've got to include him, too." Hyde says, wrapping his arm around Eric's shoulder.

"Really, man?" Eric grins. Hyde just nods as Kitty begins to clap her hands together.

"Oh, both of my boys, on the altar! This is so exciting! I can just picture it now."

"Well, then, Eric, you're picking up a lot of responsibility. Firstly, you need to free your calendar for the entire month of November. We're getting married on the twenty-second. The autumn colors match my features so perfectly." Jackie chimes as she begins to picture her wedding again. "I still have yet to call Donna and ask her to be my maid of honor." She picks up her pen and writes a note on the top of the page. "Steven, thank you for reminding me!" Jackie jumps off of her stool and wraps her arms around her fiance.

"So, now that leaves the groomsmen and bridesmaids!" Kitty chirps.

"Oh, well, I guess I can ask Fez and Kelso if they want to." Hyde says, sliding into one of the chairs at the table. "Jackie, we have another ten months 'till the wedding, how 'bout we worry about this tomorrow? We just got engaged today." Hyde tells her, his head beginning to hurt after all this wedding talk. He hadn't realized how much actually went into it. She is actively scribbling something down onto the notepad in front of her.

"I just want to figure out the basics right now. And, me and Mrs Forman are having so much fun, why would we stop?"

"Yeah, Steven, we're bonding! She's going to be my daughter-in-law!" Kitty grabs Jackie's hands, realizing what she just said, "You're going to be my daughter!" Kitty gleams. Eric walks between them and lifts the wine bottle that was sitting on the counter, it was empty, just as he figured. He heads to the fridge and pulls out a can of beer - he bought a case of cheap beer to keep in there so Red couldn't accuse him of drinking his own. He grabs a piece of pizza and also sits down at the table besides Hyde. Jackie moves back to her stool after collecting a slice of pizza as well.

"Alrighty, so Donna is your maid of honor, who are going to be your bridesmaids?" Kitty inquires, obviously not wanting to stop their wedding planning.

"Well, Brooke obviously has to be one of them. I'm just debating on the other one.."

"You could ask Laurie, sweetie." Kitty says, only because she wants to see her daughter dolled up at a wedding. It'll probably be the closest thing Kitty will have to Laurie getting married. Eric and Hyde look at each other, biting their tongues after heating what their mother just suggested.

"Mrs Forman, why would I ask Laurie! She's a back-stabbing bitch who stole my boyfriend from me!" Jackie spits out, still angry at Laurie after all these years.

"Oh, honey, that was just Michael! He's going to be in the bridal party, after all. I just think it'll be nice, considering she is part of this family." Kitty tries to explain to her. "It was just a suggestion, sweetie. It's your wedding." Kitty effectively calms the situation. Jackie begins to calm down, and takes another sip of her wine. "But, think about it, sweetie. If Laurie hadn't gotten between you and Michael, you wouldn't have found Steven! Think of it as a blessing in disguise." Kitty reaches across the counter to place her hand on Jackie's. She sniffles and considers her options here. She could have Eric and Donna paired together, then Brooke and Kelso, and Laurie and Fez. Oh, that would be the perfect revenge! Making Laurie have to spend the whole event with him, that would be a total burn!

"Y'know what, Mrs Forman. I'll consider it. It may not be that bad of an idea." Jackie smiles, thinking of her plan.

"Jackie, you're cool with the devil partaking in your wedding?" Eric jokes with her.

"Eric, you used to say that about me. Now, look at you, playing a role in it!" Jackie laughs, pointing out the irony of his statement. "Eric, admit it, you like me!"

"Jackie, I'm not admitting to anything. I'm doing this for Hyde," he picks up another slice of pizza. As he's chewing, he thinks about what she just said. She's right, he does, sort of, in a sister way, like her. Their banter does remind him of him and Laurie's relationship. Having Jackie around for life may not be that bad..

"So, Forman, you've got anything else to say?" Hyde says, gesturing towards the looming topic of his return to Africa. Forman brought up his departure in the basement, now, he's just returning the favor. Eric looks over at him with an "eat shit" look. He wanted to do this when he wanted to. But, he recognizes he did not give Hyde the opportunity to do the same.

"Mom," Eric clears his throat, trying to pull his mother's attention, "I - uh- haven't been totally honest about Africa." He looks up and sees his mother staring back at him. He goes silent, waiting for her reaction. Surprisingly, she just starts to laugh.

"What, was it scarier than what you wrote back?"

"No, Mom." he sighs, not wanting to ruin the moment. "I'm going back."

The only sound Eric hears in return is the shatter of the glass Kitty is holding.

ʚ ɞ

Donna and her father arrived at the university just after 11 in the morning, hitting the rush of all the other students also moving into the dorms before the semester started. Bob had to circle the parking lot twice just to find a spot. After beating a station wagon full of kids to the spot, he puts the car in gear and turns to face his daughter.

"I guess this is it. We're here," he starts to frown and reaches across the bench seat to hug her again.

"Dad, I'm not even in the dorm yet. We still have a couple hours until goodbye," she tries to reassure him, but he still holds her tight in his grasp.

"I know, honey, but I can't help it!" he tells her as he pulls away. They walk for what seems like forever to get to the building that is holding the check-in. Bob pulls open the heavy doors for his daughter and lets her walk in front of her. They are greeted by a girl behind a large desk, with tons and tons of cabinets and shelves surrounding her. By her attitude, she's likely some sorority girl who was forced to volunteer.

"Last name?" the girl at the desk asks her.

"Pinciotti - P, I, N." The girl retrieves an envelope from the filing cabinet behind her.

"Here you go. Good luck," the girl says flatly.

The envelope contained the location and key to her dorm. Each step of the way felt like a step towards independence for Donna. Eventually, with the help of several guides on campus, they find the building that Donna will be living in. They make their way up to her dorm, where she finds out she has the pleasure of living on the fourth story of a building without an elevator. "417, 417," she repeats in her head. That is the room she will be living in for the next 4 months. She finds it on the left side of the building, towards the end of the floor. She stops in front of it and turns to look at her dad.

"If you thought the car was 'it', this actually is." she jokes with him.

"Oh, honey, I don't know if I'm ready for this. I don't want to see you go!" he cries.

"Dad, I'm not going anywhere! I'm just going to be an hour away while I get my education. Is that really all that bad?" She tries to comfort him as she places the key in the door.

"I guess not.. I'm just gonna miss my baby girl so bad!" He says as she opens the door to the room. The room has plain cinder block walls, a tile floor, and two beds neatly pushed to opposite sides of the room. It is clear that Donna has a roommate, as half of the room is decorated with posters and various other things.

Several hours later she was finally ready to start unpacking and ready to settle into college life. Her father stuck around with her, introducing her to people who walked by, and tried to intimidate any boys who looked at his baby girl the wrong way. As the sun was setting, he knew deep down that it was time for him to go. The thought alone brought tears to his eyes as he hugged his daughter again.

"Donna, you need to know that I am only a phone call away. I will be here if you need me. Please need me." he bursts out into tears again. She accepts his embrace again, hoping that this will be the last one of this trip. She opens the door and begins to walk him back out to the car. "Now, this is it! I have to say goodbye to my baby!" he wails. "I just love you so very much!"

"I love you, too, Dad. I'll call you, alright?" she promises him as she opens his car door for him. He gets inside and rolls down the window.

"You promise?"

"I do. I'll see you soon, don't worry." she tells him as he puts the car in gear. She blows him a kiss goodbye as he backs out of the spot and leaves. A sudden sharp pain hits heart, as she realizes that this is truly it. Her new life has started as of right now.

She turns around and heads back to her dorm, where she finds the door to her dorm slightly ajar. She gently pushes the door open to see her new roommate standing in the center of the room, her first time being in the room since Donna arrived.

"Hi, you must be my new roommate. Name's Majorie," the girl tells her, holding out her hand. She's a thin girl, with bouncy Farrah Fawcett-esque brown hair. Her face is spotted with freckles, and she has a natural blush covering her cheekbones.

"Donna," she accepts her roommate's handshake.

"Well, Donna, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same here," Donna grins, and moves over to her side of the room. She picks up the gift that Eric gave her and takes out the picture frame. She sets it on her bedside table, beside her alarm clock.

"That your boyfriend?" Majorie asks, curious to learn more about her suitemate.

"Something like that." she smiles.

ʚ ɞ

"You're what?!" she yells at him. Very rarely does Kitty raise her voice, but right now, she is fueled with wine and pure rage. "You're leaving me again?"

"Mom, calm down," Eric says, standing up to approach his mother. Hyde shakes his head, as he knows the last thing you say to an angry woman is to calm down. "Yes. I'm leaving." He wraps his arms around her. "I'm going back for four months." She clings to him as the words strike her heart.

"When are you leaving?" she sniffles, feeling better in his arms. He winces as he knows she's really not going to like the answer to her question.

"Monday."

"Monday? Goddamn Monday?!" she pulls back from him. "It's Friday for Christ's sake!"

"Mom, look, I'm sorry. I meant to tell you sooner," he says, reaching out to place his hand on her shoulder. "I haven't been totally honest about the whole Africa thing. I'm sorry." She takes in his words and thinks about what he just said. Tears start running down his mother's face, the thought of his departure is obviously upsetting her. But, she can't stay mad at her baby boy forever.

"You said it's only four months this time?" she asks him, trying to find light of the situation.

"I need to volunteer for a year for the scholarship. I was there already for eight months, I just need to do the four that are left. After that, I'll be back." he tells his mother, soothing her nerves. "Mom, the work I do there is so rewarding. The kids I get to teach, the mentors I have met, it has all been so outstanding. I need to finish this, Mom, for me." This is the first time he's ever opening up about what he was doing there. He wasn't lying, a part of him felt like his work there wasn't finished. He needed to go back.

"Mrs Forman, think about it. We'll be so busy with the wedding, you won't even notice he's gone! Those months will just fly by," Jackie chimes in, trying to help calm the situation.

"Yeah, she's right. By the time he gets back, we'll be half-way done planning. He'll just have to show up and get sized for his suit!" Hyde jokes, appreciating that Jackie figured out how to change the subject. Man, was she great.

"Picture him in the suit, matching with Steven!" Jackie nods towards Hyde, acknowledging that they were both on the same page: calm down Kitty. She loved how well they worked together.

"Oh, well, maybe you kids are right.. It won't be that bad this time." Kitty says, getting back on her stool. "Well, Jackie, we need to pick out your colors for me to picture it properly!" she exclaims, moving her mind back towards the wedding.

"Go, I've got this covered," she mouths at him, nodding her head towards the door. He leans over and kisses her cheek. He knows he picked the right chick. "Mrs Forman, let's call Donna. We need to fill her in!"

ʚ ɞ

About an hour later, Eric and Hyde find themselves at the top of the water tower. When you live in a small Midwestern town, there's not many things to do besides going to obscure places with your friends. They sit on the platform, legs dangling, Eric smoking his way through this pack of cigarettes, as well. As he pulls another one out of the carton, he flicks his wrist towards Hyde, offering him one.

"No thanks man, I'm good." Hyde brushes his hands on the tops of his thighs.

"Suit yourself," Eric says, lifting his cigarette to his lips and lighting it.

"Man, what has gotten into you? What's with the smoking?" Eric sighs, knowing Hyde was going to bring it up again. Hyde cared a lot about his friends, but he also knew exactly how to get under their skins when they were least expecting it.

"I picked up the habit in Ghana. They didn't have any pot, but cigarettes weren't hard to come by. So, I smoked them instead - honestly, I smoked them a lot. Probably more than I would like to admit" he tries to explain, placing his free hand behind his head. "I was going through several packs a week, it was really my only way to relax."

"So, you got pot now, why are you still smokin' 'em?"

"I'm addicted, dude." he chuckles, taking a drag from the one burning in his hand. "When I asked you for one in the basement, it's 'cause I was getting twitchy from not having one. I smoked my last pack the night before and I hadn't replenished it yet."

"Twitchier than normal? Man, you must really need 'em!" Hyde jokes, understanding where his friend was coming from. Regardless, he wished Forman would stop doing it. He can't tell him what to do, as he was the occasional smoker himself, but he knows how disgusting of a habit it can be. He can't recall a time where he saw Edna without a cigarette hanging from her hand. He knows how putrid that smell can be, how it will linger in your hair and clothes forever. Eric must understand, too, as Hyde noticed he always reapplied cologne whenever he entered the house.

Eric finished his cigarette and rubbed it out on the metal platform they were sitting on. He places the butt in the pile he had formed next to him. He rubs his hands together, bringing them to his mouth to blow hot air onto them. He isn't used to the cold at all after spending nearly the last year in the Sub-Sahara. He's wearing his heavy navy and orange coat, zipped up, with a scarf around his neck. For a boy from Wisconsin, he didn't seem like it with the amount of layers he was sporting. He starts to consider taking a hot bath once he gets home. Hyde, on the other hand, is just wearing jeans and a long-sleeve thermal shirt. See, he was dressed like a proper Wisconsinite!

"So, what was it like out there?" Hyde asks, truly curious as to what his friend was up to all those miles away.

"Where do I start? It was so fucking awesome, man." Eric begins to think back on his time in Africa. "When I landed there, I was so freaked out. I was an outsider in a new country. They put us on this bus - there were five of us volunteers - and took us to a village in the northern part of the country. There, we met the most amazing kids. So many bright kids." he turns to Hyde, "if you had told me when I left that I would have enjoyed it this much, I would have called you a liar. Now, I honestly can't wait to go back. I actually kind of miss it."

Hyde nods, not expecting that answer. Forman hadn't written him nearly as many letters as he did, and when he did write back, it was brief. He only responded to what Hyde was telling him, and not actually sharing what he was doing.

"Meet any chicks there?" Hyde grins, wanting to make Eric twitch some more. His question worked, as Eric pulls another cigarette out of the pack next to him and lights it.

"Well, yes and no. As I said, there were five of us there volunteering. Three guys, two girls. I got close with one of them, her name's Leslie. Real nice girl, easy to talk to. But, she had a boyfriend back home, just like I had a girlfriend. Nothing went on between us. We were just friends. Actually, she's the closest friend that I made." he assures Hyde, not giving him the answer that he was hoping for.

"Well, will we ever get to meet this Leslie?"

"Maybe, at the airport when we come back in May." Eric lifts his wrist to check the time on his watch. "Shit, dude, it's past two am. We should probably get going."

"Cool with me." Hyde brushes his hands on his pants once again and moves to go down the ladder. "Do you think they're still up talking about the wedding?" he calls out to his friend as they both move down.

"Hyde, man, be serious here. They're going to be up talking about that wedding 'till November."

A/N: I'm not quite sure how Kitty would have reacted to Eric leaving again. In my first draft, I actually envisioned a screaming battle between Eric and Red. Obviously, I scrapped it since I found it a little too unrealistic and too harsh for my liking. I am satisfied with how this draft turned out.

The next chapter will include a time jump to May.

As always, any feedback is welcome and appreciated!

Lyrics and title are from Whitesnake. I own nothing.