That 70s Show fanfic: Homecoming (3)

[jennickels]

Homecoming
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
That 70s Show
Jackie/Hyde
23,369 words
rating: PG-13

Twenty years ago Hyde left Point Place without so much as a look back. What happens when he suddenly finds himself back in town and trying to restart his life?  Will his friends take him back? 

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

Chapter 3: The Basement

Hyde, Eric and Donna had spent most of the day drinking beer and catching up on twenty years of lost time. At eight Hyde finally excused himself. He had been on the road most of the day and the night before-he was exhausted.

Eric helped him bring his suitcases down to the basement. The place hadn't changed a bit. It was dark and dingy and Hyde swore he could still smell the faint scent of his youth.

"Well, you know where everything is," Eric told him, setting his bag on a small cot. The two stood staring at each other for a minute. Eric seemed like he had something to say but just shook his head, clearing it. "It's good to have you home, man," he finally said.

"It's good to be home." They exchanged a quick hug before Eric left him alone to contemplate his old room. Hyde moved his bag and sat on the cot. It was the same army surplus one he had used as a kid. The room had obviously been used for storage; boxes were piled neatly along the back wall. Hyde examined the handwriting on each one. Most were marked as "Eric's things" or "baby clothes." But one caught his eye-"Steven's things," was written across the side in black permanent marker. He carefully slid the box out from under one marked "Red's winter things" and set it on the cot. He took a deep breath and broke the tape holding it shut.

Slowly he unpacked the box feeling more and more awful as he did. He had left in such a hurry that he never even made it back to Point Place. He had just left it all behind in a fit of jealous rage. Better then killing someone, he guessed. He felt sad imagining Mrs. Forman carefully packing away his things when she realized he wasn't coming back. Along the side he found a note in Red's scratchy writing.

"Steven-
We gave your crap to Good Will."

Hyde grunted. They had saved a bunch of his concert shirts he collected and his personal things. Under the shirts were his comb and toothbrush, a book he had been reading, a notebook he used to write his conspiracies in, and a picture. He set the frame on the shelf next to his cot and started at it.

She was so beautiful, he thought and wondered what she looked like now. Probably the same, just as perfect as always. Hyde caught himself wondering what Jackie would think of him. He sucked his gut in, but gave up after a few seconds.

"Ugh," he grunted, falling back on the cot. Donna hadn't said if Jackie was coming to the party and he struggled with conflicting emotions on the matter. On one hand he was itching to see her (he could barely think of anything else,) but on the other hand he was dreading facing her. He sighed. Even after twenty years, dealing with Jackie was just as complicated as ever.

It didn't take him long to fall asleep after putting the box away and making up the cot. He woke to the sound of voices outside his room. He rolled over and pulled his pillow tight to his ears. The voices came in waves. They would start soft, then crescendo to a squealing laugh, then drop back to whispers. The effect was comforting to him. How many times had he laid here listening to his friends in the morning?

After awhile he started getting hungry. He grabbed his watch from it's place on the shelf next to the picture of him and Jackie. He squinted to see the numbers. Maybe I need glasses, he thought before turning on the lamp next to the bed. 1:45. Hyde groaned. He was really hungry now and that meant he had to go past the kids. He didn't want to bother them.

"Oh well" he muttered and cautiously opened the door.

"My mom's been acting really weird lately. She's been, I don't know, like jumpy. I'm worried about her."

"Aww, Stevey's worried about his mommy, that's so sweet."

"Shut up."

"Ow, that hurt."

Hyde listened to the conversation, an odd, out of body kind of experience. He had recognized the second voice as Shawn Forman. He didn't know the first but he had a really good idea who it was. He waited, not sure if he should interrupt. He realized he was holding his breath.

"I think she's hiding something."

"Like what? That she's a bitch. We already know that. OW! QUIT DOING THAT!"

"Quit talking about my mom!"

"Oh my God. Do you two ever quit?" Hyde knew that voice right away.

"Kelly!" he yelled, storming from the room.

"Dad!" Kelly jumped up from the couch, sliding her hands around to her back. "What are you doing here?"

Hyde surveyed the scene and felt his temper rise. Kelly had been sitting on the sofa with Shawn. Mike was sitting in an old recliner to the right of her. Kate was on a folding chair across from the couch, blocking the TV that was tuned to MTV. And the curly haired kid from the picture was straddling an old chair that looked to match the desk in his room.

The scene was all too familiar. The five kids looked utterly horrified. They hadn't even tried to cover up what they were doing. Hyde walked up to his sixteen year old daughter, hand out. She looked down, ashamed, then handed him the joint. He could tell she was crying already, as was Kate Forman. The boys just stared, wide eyed.

"Upstairs. Now."

The kids bolted for the stairs. Hyde sighed. The irony of him giving a drug awareness speech hadn't been lost on him. He took a hit, blowing the smoke out slowly.

Chapter 4