That 70s Show fanfic: Homecoming (5)

[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 5: For Old Time's Sake

The rest of the week went by fast. Hyde spent most of his time getting caught up. Mrs. Forman had come over on Thursday. She looked spent, like the years hadn't been good to her. She had lost some of her spunk. Her hair was white and permed into a tight curl. The ends had started to frizz making it stick out a bit on the sides. Her eyes looked tired and sunken in, but Hyde noticed a little of her old spirit in them when she saw him.

"Steven," she had exclaimed, hugging him tight. "You've been gone too long." She started crying. God, Hyde hated when women cried, especially when he was the cause.

"I know, I'm sorry," he had whispered, not knowing what else to say.

Fez and Kelso showed up on Friday afternoon. Kelso pretty much hadn't changed at all. He was still a bug dumb lug.

"Kelso, man, I can't believe you're still a cop," Hyde told him. It was actually a freakin' miracle. Heck it was a miracle Kelso was still alive after all the crazy things they had done as kids. Hyde wondered how many times Kelso had fallen off the water tower since he had been gone.

"Yeah, crazy ain't it? They even made me a sergeant. I don't know how that happened." Kelso laughed.

"It was probably because you slept with half the review board," Fez answered.

"And I would have slept with the other half if they had been chicks." Hyde snorted. Kelso sure hadn't changed a bit. Fez had though. Yeah, Fez was bigger now. About seventy pounds bigger to be exact.

"What do you do now, Fez?

"I own a chain of candy stores," he answered matter-of-factly. Hyde coughed, choking on the burger he was eating. He quickly washed it down with his beer.

"You're kidding?"

"Nope," said Donna. "Fez's Sugar Shack." She started giggling like a school girl.

"And Fine Chocolate Emporium," Fez added. That explained the weight gain, Hyde thought.

The five of them were sitting around the basement like old times. Hyde was surprised at how easy it was to slip back into his old life. He looked around, eyeing each friend with a devilish grin spreading across his face.

"So, anyone up for a circle?" he asked, pulling the confiscated joints from his shirt pocket. "For old time's sake." Donna gasped. They all stared at him with varying degrees of shock on their faces.

"Are you kidding?" Fez asked, confused.

"I never kid about the circle. The circle is sacred, man."

"I'm a cop, Hyde. I could have you arrested for that." Hyde shot him a look that said, "please," and rolled his eyes.

Eric started laughing, uneasily.

"Come on, you guys. You haven't gone soft on me, have you?"

"But what if the kids catch us?" Donna asked.

"I wouldn't worry about them. I think they're scared of me now."

"Why's that?" Kelso asked pulling a chair around to the other side of the coffee table, blocking the TV.

"Where do you think I got the stash?"

"What?" All four of them were staring at him. Hyde just grinned and searched his pockets for his lighter.

"Don't worry. I gave them the talk and all that," he said, still searching. He finally found it and sat waiting for the okay from the rest of the gang. They were still staring at him, mouths open. Finally Eric laughed.

"Oh man, that is funny. I knew I smelled something weird down here."

"It isn't funny, Eric. Our kids our doing drugs."

"So," Kelso said. "We did this all the time."

"Kelso, you're a cop."

"I was a cop back then, too. And I still did it. I'm in," he said, pulling his chair closer.

"I'm in too," Fez said. "I don't have to worry about my baby girl. She was safely at home."

"How do you know?" Hyde asked. "I found Kelso's kid here. Hey, I even found one of my own kids here." He decided not to bring up meeting Steve. He didn't want his friends to get all uneasy, thinking they had to talk about it all. Right now all he wanted to do was light up and remember the old days, when things were simpler.

"Well. I know Skylar was at home because I have alarms on all the windows and doors."

"Fez is very over-protective of his little girl," Donna said. "Ever since she started dating Mikey."

"You shut up, you whore. It will be a cold day in the candy factory before Skylar goes out with one of Kelso's dumbass kids," Fez said, his eyes filling with anger.

"Well, I wouldn't want my boy shacking up with that little hussy anyways. Always prancing around in those tight pants and halter tops. What a tease."

"Why are you looking at her pants, you pervert? You stay away from her and keep you're little hooligan boy away, too." By then both men were standing toe to toe, jabbing fingers in each other's chests. Finally Eric broke it up.

"All right, you two. I want you both to kiss and make up."

"No, I will not. He called my baby a tease."

"Well you called my boy a dumbass." They were both in each other's faces again.

Donna had had enough. "Stop it, both of you. Mikey is a dumbass and Fez, I'm sorry to say this, but, Sky is kind of a tease. Now sit down and drop it, okay?"

"Yeah, man. You're already ruining the circle," Hyde commented. "So are we ready now? Or does anyone else want to throw a tantrum about their kids?" They all looked at Donna.

"Damn. What the hell. For old time's sake."

A half hour later Hyde had a serious buzz going on. He felt almost giddy and Hyde didn't get giddy. He tried hard to keep his neutral façade but he was enjoying himself too much.

"What are you grinning at?" Eric asked.

"I was just thinking about the last circle I was in. Red caught us. It didn't seem funny then, but looking back-it was hilarious. Especially since I caught the kids doing the same exact thing the other night." They all laughed then got quiet.

Maybe it was the pot talking but Hyde had to say it-"I'm sorry I bailed." They all looked at him surprised. The Hyde they knew would never have opened up like that, even in the circle. But he had changed a lot over the years and now he knew there were times when you needed to say certain things-before it was too late.

"It's okay," Donna said, squeezing his hand. "You're here now, and that's all that counts." It wasn't true but it made Hyde feel a little better. His friends had forgiven him without a second thought. Jackie, on the other hand, wouldn't be so easy on him. The group had gone silent again, slowly passing the joint around the circle. Hyde was about to tell them he had met Steve when they heard the sliding door open and the sounds of footsteps up stairs. Their eyes went wide.

"Crap," Hyde said and they hurried to clear away the evidence.

"The back door," Eric sniggered, pushing Fez along. Hyde heard feet on the stairs and some voices.

"I wonder where they are?" It was Shawn talking. That was all Hyde heard before they all burst out the back door and stumbled up the stairs. They were all high and feeling it. He felt like laughing, laughing until it hurt. God he missed this. He missed being with his friends. He missed circle time. And, he admitted to himself, he missed Jackie. He hoped she would be at the party tomorrow.

Chapter 6