This is a companion to my story "The Renewal," a Jackie and Hyde fanfiction about the summer they got together when Donna and Kelso were in California. "The Renewal" is narrated from Jackie's perspective, and this companion is the same story, except slightly more condensed and written in the perspective of Hyde. This piece is not meant to be read as a stand alone, and only once "The Renewal" has been read would I recommend reading this companion. If you have read "The Renewal", I really hope you'll read this because it gives some insight to Hyde's view of many of the events that happen in my story. If you want to read "The Renewal," here is the link.

Disclaimer:I own none of the characters of That '70s Show. Nor do I own the intrinsic plot lines of the Jackie and Hyde relationship starting over the summer that Kelso and Donna were in California, or of the odd dynamic between Fez and Fenton. I do not own some of the character dialogue toward the end of this manuscript, it is straight from episode 1 and 2 of season five of the show. Certain parts of the manuscript were based off of past seasons, which I also have no ownership of. All this is accredited to the owners of the television show: The Carsey-Werner Company, LLC. All that I own is the sub-plot of this story and the text of this manuscript (besides that taken directly from the show).

NOTE: Also, a huge shout out to nellies5446 for encouraging to write something form Hyde's point of view. I am so incredibly blessed to have you as a fan of my story, "The Renewal," so this one is for you. Here is the first chapter...

o-o-o-o-o

Most people would leave a bucket of dead, offensive and foul-smelling fish they found in an empty parking lot right where it was. I, on the other hand, never missed an opportunity to capitalize on ruining someone's day.

It was simply a matter of who. And when the hubcap fell off of Kelso's tire, I knew it was meant to be. It was for him.

I recruited Fez, because, you know…the more the merrier when it came to burning Kelso. However, our plan had trouble coming to fruition when not only Kelso, but Jackie, Forman, Donna and Casey all showed up in the Forman's driveway, where Kelso's van also happened to be.

What went down next with Forman, Donna and Casey was a lot more foul then my dead fish. And then, when Kelso and Jackie found out that they weren't allowed to go inside and 'smell the fish', so to speak, they got into Kelso's van, and headed for the Hub, leaving me and Fez with the fish.

"Well, there goes that plan," Fez says now, shrugging and sitting on one of the porch chairs.

"No way, man. You can't give up that easily. We're going to the Hub," I take the bucket of fish and tie it into a garbage bag so that it wouldn't spill in the Camino.

"I don't know, Hyde. What if we get caught?" Fez worries his bottom lip. "We already almost did."

"No way man. Kelso and Jackie are on a mission to get back together, remember? Kelso gets to kiss another girl at the Hub or whatever, and you know that Jackie is going to keep putting that off. We have plenty of time," I open the driver's door of the Camino.

"Okay," Fez decides, standing up. "Let me just go downstairs and get my candy before we go."

"Whoa, whoa. Fez," he turns back to face me. "Not that much time."

Fez nods sadly, but gets into the car without another word.

We find Kelso's van in the parking lot behind the Hub. Parked next to it is Jackie's car, and I'm almost tempted to put some of the fish in her tires. I decide against it however. The Lincoln was too nice.(1)

I get the fish out of the bed of the Camino and open it up. The harsh, coarse smell of death and decay wafts out of the bag and up my nostrils.

Nobody ever said burning Kelso would be easy.

I shift the bucket between Fez and I and we lean over the tire. I remove the hubcap and begin to fill the depression with dead fish.

We are interrupted again, however, when we hear footsteps racing up behind us.

"Michael and I are getting married!" Jackie runs up to us.

Crap. She probably wondered what we were doing with dead fish kneeling over her fiancé's van. I mumble some excuse, but I don't think she even notices what we're doing because she quickly jumps into her car and races out of the lot.

"They're getting married?" Fez exclaims, the fish he was holding slipping out of his grasp and back in the bucket.

"Who cares man?" I start to fit the hubcap back into place. "Jackie just left so Kelso will be coming soon. We need to fill the rest of these before he gets out there."

We quickly fill the three other hubcaps with our putrid fish. Then at the risk of getting caught, I secure each of the hubcaps into place for good measure.

"Let's go back to Forman's man. See what's up with him," I say once I've finished.

Fez stands up as well, grinning from ear to ear. "I can't wait to see Kelso's reaction."

o-o-o-o-o

As we would come to find out, we'd never get to know Kelso's reaction. That however, was a small, insignificant detail in comparison when the real drama unfolded.

"Wait, what's going on here?" I asked, getting comfortable on the bar stool in the kitchen when Fez and I returned. Forman and Donna were nowhere to be found, instead, the kitchen was filled with the grave faces of their parents…and Jackie.

And the room is silent. It almost made me sorry I asked. Just when the silence began ringing in my ears however, Red speaks. "Donna is living in California with her mother."

At this same exact moment Forman comes through the swinging kitchen door. He stops in his tracks. "What?"

"Uh oh," I comment.

Forman briefly glances at me before looking back at his father. "Donna's in California? Oh man, this is all my fault." Now he looks at the ground.

"Is this because you wouldn't take Donna back after she dated Casey?" Red never tolerated Forman's idiocy, especially when it came to Donna.

"You what?" Jackie growls at Forman.

He points back at her, the only defiance left in him flaring up now. "Don't start with me. You were the one to set her up with Casey!"

"Yeah, because you dumped her!" Jackie negates.

Mrs. Forman manages to get everyone to cool off again, however it proves to be a futile arrangement when the telephone rings. From my seat, I can actually feel the tension in the room coil up again.

And when that coil springs, all of its energy is aimed forcefully at one person, practically knocking them right off their feet.

Mrs. Forman's voice is the coil whistling through the air as it hones in on its target. "Donna wanted me to tell you that…Michael is with her on the way to California."

The coil hits its target right in the center of the chest. It's Jackie.

o-o-o-o-o

Mrs. Forman sends everyone away so she can talk to her. I'm sent to the basement.

My hand wavers over the paper bag. But in the end I decide against it. It was against my better judgment and belief to run away from your problems. And I didn't want to be some even more pathetic version of Donna, or especially Kelso.

And anyways, the stash was for living life, not burying it.

And in the long run, I realized I was glad to have remained clearheaded. Because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to remember the dead fish in Kelso's tires and how the stench would follow him out of Wisconsin and all the way to California.

Footnotes:

1 – Was it really the car Hyde was concerned about? ;D