That 70s Show fanfic: Homecoming (14)

[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 14: I Know Where You Live

Hyde lowered himself onto his cot and tried to get comfortable. He smiled as he drifted off to sleep thinking about the night. Despite almost having his nose broke and embarrassing himself horribly with the bunny slipper story, the day had gone rather well.

Taking Jackie up to the point had been a split decision. He wasn't even sure if she got the significance of the place. Hyde remembered the first time he had taken her up there. She had kissed him that time too-their very first kiss. She had the same effect on him even back then when he insisted he couldn't stand her. There was always something about her kisses that sent a shiver down his spine and sent all his sense into overdrive. Every aspect of the night became etched into his mind: the cool, crisp Autumn air; the smell of Jackie's lavender shampoo; the way the moonlight glinted off of her eyes; the touch of her soft lips on his.

He woke sometimes later to voices in the basement again. The kids really hadn't bothered him since he had caught them the week before. They usually left the moment he came down to go to bed. He flipped on the light just long enough to see that it was 2:30. He tried to go back to sleep, to slip back into the dream he had been having, but every time he started to he heard the kids laughing.

"Shawn, stop. You're going to wake up my dad," Hyde heard. He sighed. Two-thirty in the morning and his daughter was over here making out with her boyfriend. He shook his head, trying not to think about his baby girl with a guy. He felt a headache coming on, one that would last the next fifteen years. He heard Kelly giggle louder. "No, Shawn," she laughed. Hyde had enough.

"Kelly, go home!" he yelled through the door. He heard a startled yelp and then the basement door slamming. Finally it was quiet. Hyde settled back into bed, scrunching the pillow under his head. He wasn't sure if he could handle Kelly dating. At least it was with Forman's kid.

The next morning Hyde woke up to a relatively quiet house. Donna and Bob were having breakfast in the kitchen. Hyde ran his hand through his hair then poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Morning sleepy head," Donna giggled. Hyde glanced at her as he yawned. He grabbed a plate off the counter and spooned some eggs onto it. "What, no bunny slippers this morning?" Hyde stopped, the spoon hovering over his plate. He dropped his shoulders and shook his head.

"I swear, Jackie doesn't know how to keep her big fat mouth shut," he muttered. Donna started laughing.

"She called about an hour ago," Donna said with a big smile on her face.

"What time is it?" Hyde asked. He rubbed his eyes and tried to keep from yawning again as he sat down. He was just getting up and Donna had already talked to Jackie long enough to find out about the damn slippers.

"About ten," Bob answered. "We've been waiting for awhile for you to get up. I was about to leave. So, Donna tells me you're interested in buying my house."

Hyde sipped his coffee, then cleared his throat. "Yeah, Bob. I really can't keep staying here. Damn kids everywhere, always waking me up in the middle of the night while they make out with my daughter."

"What?" Donna asked.

"How much are you asking?" Donna looked confused but continued to clean up the dishes.

"Well. Last time I put it up for $130,000 but no one wanted to pay that," Bob said sadly. "I was asking 125 this time."

"That's cool, Bob, I'll pay the 130."

"Really? You really want to buy my house?" Bob sounded surprised. Hyde nodded, chewing on his cold waffles. "Oh goodie. I better go tell Elsa and call my real-estate agent right away."

"He seemed almost giddy," Hyde said to Donna after her dad left.

"Uh, huh. What was this about Shawn and Kelly?"

"Never mind. I'll deal with it. What did Jackie want?"

Donna smiled again. He could tell she was picturing him in the bunny slippers again. "Nothing, just to talk. You guys were out kind of late last night. What were you doing?"

"Didn't Jackie tell you?" he asked putting his plate in the sink. He poured another cup of coffee and willed himself not to yawn. He just wanted to go back to bed.

"No. She said she couldn't remember much after dinner. She said something about miniature golf and a lot of beer," Donna giggled. "You went miniature golfing at MissingLinks didn't you?"

"How'd you guess?" he asked sarcastically.

"So what happened after that?"

"Nothing. We just drove around for awhile and talked. Then I took her home." Donna eyed him and he fought to keep a smile from spreading across his face. He couldn't help but think of how he felt holding her in his arms again. It had felt so comfortable-so right. Donna looked at him for a long time, like she was trying to decide if he was telling the truth.

After his little talk with Donna he ran upstairs to take a shower. It felt nice to lean against the cool tiles and let the water wash over him. He used to do that a lot when his life seemed to be out of control. Sarah always complained because he used up all the hot water. He wondered what Jackie really wanted that morning. Was she calling to tell Donna all about the great night she had or had she really not remembered and wanted Donna to get the details from him. He hoped she remembered because he sure couldn't forget.

He got out of the shower and threw on the t-shirt and sweat pants he had been sleeping in, then went back to the basement to get dressed. Shawn was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal when Hyde went by.

"Don't go anywhere. I want to talk to you," he told Shawn. Shawn looked at him, mouth hanging open. He looked frightened. Hyde smirked as he got dressed. He should be scared, he thought, messing around with my daughter. He grabbed his shoes and went back to the kitchen. Shawn was still sitting at the table, but he hadn't eaten much of his food. He swallowed hard when Hyde sat next to him to put on his shoes.

"So… how long have you been dating my daughter?" he asked nonchalantly. Shawn shifted uncomfortably in his chair, staring at his food.

"Uh, um, just a couple of weeks," he mumbled.

"That's cool," Hyde said getting up.

"It is?"

"Yeah, it's fine, Shawn. At least you're not a Kelso," Hyde laughed, patting Shawn on the back. Shawn snorted. "Only," Hyde continued, turning around in the doorway as he walked out, "no more sneaking around and late night visits, okay?" Shawn nodded. "One more thing. You better treat her right. Remember, I know where you live." Hyde smirked at Shawn's horrified reaction.

A few minutes later he was parked behind Jackie's car in her driveway. He rang the bell and tried to think of an excuse for coming over so early after their late night. Steve answered the door looking like he just woke up.

"Hyde, what are you doing here?" he asked surprised.

"Hey, Steve. How ya doing?" Hyde asked, slipping past him and going into the living room. He glanced around feeling a little nervous. Steve stared at him for a moment then shut the door.

"Mom's upstairs. You want me to go get her?" Hyde looked up the stairs then back at Steve. Steve didn't look all that happy to see him.

"No, that's okay."

Steve shrugged and flopped down on the couch. "What did you guys do last night? Mom never stays out that late." Steve picked up the controller to his Playstation and unpaused the game he was playing.

"Uh, we went miniature golfing," Hyde said, sitting next to Steve on the couch.

"Funny, I didn't know MissingLinks stayed open 'til one." Steve sounded mad now and Hyde was starting to feel a little guilty.

"Let me guess, you don't want me, uh, hanging around your mom, do you?"

"The word you are looking for is dating. And not really. You broke her heart once and I'll be damned if I let it happen again," Steve said, raising his voice. He tossed the controller at the TV and shut the Playstation off with his toe. Hyde followed him into the kitchen.

"Steve, we're not dating. We just went out for dinner and hung out. What's the big deal."

"The big deal is," Steve said, shoving his finger into Hyde's chest, "is that my mom is still in love with you and I don't want to see her get hurt again. She's been through enough. You seem like a nice guy, Hyde, and I'd like to get to know you better, but from what I've heard throughout my life you are nothing but bad news."

Hyde was taken aback at Steve's attitude. They had been getting along pretty good until now. "And what exactly have you heard about me?"

"Well, I know you cheated on my mom, for one. Um, you are a liar and a cheater by nature. You were a stoner in high school." He paused waiting for Hyde to comment on his accusations. Hyde just stared at him straight faced. "And you left. One sign of trouble and you bail. What the hell kind of guy does that? An asshole, that's what kind and that isn't the kind of guy my mom needs." Steve met Hyde's eyes and neither backed down.

"So you think you know me, huh? We only met a week ago and you think you know all about me?" Hyde was a little pissed that this kid was trying to call him out. Hyde took a deep breath. What the heck am I doing, he wondered. I'm about to get into it with my nineteen year old son. It's not worth it, man.

"So, you're not going to deny it?"

"What's to deny. I was all of those things, once. People change, Steve. You're not the same guy you were two years ago, are you? Heck, you're probably not even the same guy from last week. I don't want to fight about this. We both want the same thing for your mom-we want her to be happy."

Steve leaned against the refrigerator and looked up at the ceiling. "I just don't want her to be sad anymore."

"Me neither," Hyde told him.

"Do you really think you can just come in here after twenty years and start where you left off?"

Hyde finally looked away from Steve. He was actually hoping that exact thing but really didn't think it would happen. There was no way Jackie would forgive him. But didn't Steve just say that she was still in love with him?

"You're still going to go out with her, aren't you?" Steve asked looking at his shoes. Hyde didn't know what to tell him. He wanted to be able to tell Steve that he would leave Jackie alone if that was what Steve wanted but he couldn't. All he could think about was Jackie and the kiss at the point last night. He wanted to be with her more then anything. It was killing him to even think about giving up his chance. Steve must have taken his silence as a yes. "Just promise me you'll treat her good. Her other boyfriends were never really that nice."

Hyde put his arm around his son and gave him a quick hug. "Your mom is damn lucky to have you, you know that? I promise I'll treat her good, and you too, Steve. I owe you guys a lot."

"Hey, and if you ever do break her heart again, remember, I know where you live." Hyde smiled at him and ruffled his hair. Just like his dad, he thought.

Chapter 15