That 70s Show fanfic: It Was Only a Matter of Time (3)

[jennickels]

It Was Only a Matter of Time
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
That 70s Show
Jackie/Hyde
rating: PG-13

Jack and Hyde work through their problems after Hyde finds Kelso in Jackie's Chicago hotel room (AU after season 7 finale). [start from the beginning: Chapter 1]

don't own... wish I did, but I don't. No infringement intended.

Chapter 3: What Now?

A few minutes later he pulled up in front of the record store. He knew something was wrong before he even got out. WB's car was out front and he could hear yelling from in side. Uh oh, Hyde thought.

He slowly made his way inside the store. The place was a wreck. The milk crates they used to hold the records were toppled. Records, or more accurately, pieces of records littered the floor. The posters had been ripped from the walls and someone had spray-painted "disco sucks" on the wall. He stood in the doorway gaping. WB came out of the store room screaming at his assistant.

"Steven! What the hell happened?"

"I don't know," Hyde muttered.

"Well, didn't you lock up last night?"

"Uh, well," Hyde started. He was in a load of trouble. His first impulse was to concoct some conspiracy explaining what had happened but WB was standing there all fatherly. He had trusted Hyde to run one of his stores. No one had really trusted him with anything before and he messed it all up.

"Dude, this place is a mess."

"Leo, man, what the hell happened?" Hyde yelled.

"Looks like someone trashed the place. Probably those kids that came in last night."

"Didn't you ask them to leave? Or lock up?"

"Why would I lock up. This isn't my place. That's your place, man."

"But, I left you in charge," Hyde said, frustrated.

"Wait a minute," WB interrupted, "you left this…pot head in charge of my store? What were you thinking?"

Hyde was still wondering that himself. It had seemed like a perfectly logical thing to do at the time, but looking back-maybe his judgment had been clouded by his urge to go see Jackie. He felt his stomach squeezing tighter.

"Steven, I don't understand-"

"I'm sorry, WB. I had some personal business to attend to."

"Steven, this store is personal business. What could be more important?"

Only the most important moment of my life, Hyde thought. Sadness swept over him again, thinking of how things might have gone. WB waded through the mess to the cash register. He hit a few buttons and the drawer popped open with a ding.

"Great. It's empty. Steven, I don't know what to say."

Hyde did. He was the world's biggest screw-up. How could he have thought leaving Leo in charge was a good idea? Hyde massaged his temples. What the hell else could go wrong?

"Hey, man, don't worry about the cash. I got that."

"You do?" Hyde asked, hopeful.

"Yeah. I got it right here…somewhere." Leo padded down his shirt and pants. "Oh yeah, here it is." He handed Hyde a wad of bills. Hyde counted it out.

"Leo, there is only $40 here."

"I know, man. It was a busy night; lot's of kids in here returning albums." Leo smiled.

"Did you ask to see any receipts? Did it ever occur to you that they were just taking records from the store and trading them for cash from you?" Leo looked surprised, then disheartened. Hyde handed the monety to WB. There had been over $300 in the store when he had left. Looking around, he knew that the damage to the stock was more then Hyde had in the bank.

Hyde looked at his father. "I am so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking last night. Jackie left the other day and I went to get her back. I guess I ahd a one track mind. I will make this up to you if you just give me another chance."

WB looked his son over. He had only known Hyde for a few months but he felt he knew him pretty well. Hyde put on a good show but it was all posturing. If you looked close enough you could easily see his feeling, who he really was. He put his arm around Hyde's shoulders.

"All right. We'll figure something out," he said. Hyde looked at him gratefully. It was the first break he had gotten in awhile. "For starters," WB said, "I don't want that hippie in my store anymore. If you need help, hire another manager."

"I can do that?"

"Sure. I don't expect you to run this store by yourself all hours of the day."

Chapter 4