I disclaim. I own nothing.

Chapter 9

All things must change to something new, to something strange.--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Dumass."

"That's funny."

"Huh, I thought it'd be Star Wars."

"Can you say Dada? Come on buddy say Dada."

"Dumass."

"I think he is saying daddy."

"Hey, man, what the hell is this."

Hyde looked up at the annoyed customer. "Excuse me."

"What is this crap? Where are the tunes?"

"This crap," Hyde began with barely restrained anger. "Is my kid's first words. Got a problem with that."

The irritated customer noticed the underlying violence in Hyde's voice. And growing up in Point Place new the store owners reputation. "Uh, no, actually I don't."

"Good." Hyde gave a curt nod before going back to the stereo to rewind the tape again, when the bell over the store's entrance announced a new customer. It was obvious that Fez was in his pissed off mode, as was apparent by the way he was angrily gnawing at a sugar daddy.

"What's up, Fez?"

"One day those sons of bitches are going to pay. They took all my candy. And I know they were in on it together." Fez fumed. "Last time they stripped me naked, covered me with honey, and left me in the backyard. Then they took all my candy."

"Well at least you got to keep your clothes this time."

"Yes. Clothes covered in honey."

Hyde grinned in admiration. Different variations on the same burn. Classic. He wanted to ask Fez what he was doing there, since his friend hadn't set foot in his store since before Jackie left for Chicago, but didn't think he should press his luck. Especially when he noticed Forman walk in with RJ.

It might not have been the coolest move, but Hyde practically ran around the counter to greet his brother and son. "Hey," He gave Forman a brief nod before crouching down in front of his kid. "How's it going, kid?"

"Cool." RJ answered absently as he gazed wide eyed around the store. He turned to grin at Hyde. "Beatles?"

"You like the Beatles." Hyde jumped up quickly. Nearly tripping over his feet on his way to retrieve the album. "I have some of their stuff." Arriving at the corresponding bin, he was momentarily at a loss. He didn't know what his kid liked. He knew a moment of panic as he searched through the bin. How was he suppose to be a good dad when he didn't even know what music his kid listened to?

"Lennon." Eric came up besides Hyde. Flipping through the LPs Hyde had, he pulled out the album he was all to familiar with. This wasn't easy for him. But watching Hyde last night, he knew that his friend wouldn't be able to stand Jackie with another guy. He'd get involved, he'd work on Jackie until he got her back, and Eric didn't think Jackie would be able to survive getting hurt by Hyde again. So for her, for their son, Eric realized what he had to do. " 'Beautiful Boy' is one of his favorites. Jackie sings it to him, so again, he thinks its about him."

Hyde glanced up at his best friend. Looking at the album, he saw an olive branch, and quickly gripped on to it before it could be snatched back. "Thanks."

"So, uh," Eric gestured toward where RJ was jumping happily on the couch. "Jackie, Donna, and Brooke went for the final fittings for their dresses. I figured maybe we could hang out here today." And maybe Eric hoped that RJ could change Hydes' life the way he changed his. There was something about being a father, he knew, that put things in perspective like nothing else. Eric loved his son, would not give him up for anything in the world, but he understood that Hyde needed to get to know RJ as well

Speechless, Hyde could only nod. He didn't pretend to know what Eric was feeling. After he'd gotten home the night before he spent a lot of time thinking about what both his fathers had told him. His son and Jackie had been taken care of and he had Forman to thank for that. It still gutted him, the thought of Forman and Jackie together, but it was something he realized he had to deal with. Because it seemed that he was physically incapable of giving up on a life with Jackie. And Eric was obviously a large and ver important part of Jackie's life

It was impossible not to see how happy she'd been last night. And he wanted to be a part of that; her life, her happiness. He wanted to be a part of her every smile. It would take some time. But what did he have if not a whole lot of time.

"Hyde?"

Brought back to the present, Hyde looked at his kid bouncing happily on the couch, then to the man who'd been his brother. The man who was partly responsible for his kid's happiness. "What?"

"It is cool if we hang out here, right?"

"Oh, yeah, man. Sure." Hyde shifted uncomfortably, enough of Red Forman's son not to be comfortable expressing his emotions. "Thanks Forman."

"For what?"

"He's so happy." Hyde smiled as his little boy jumped off the back of the couch, only to run around back to the front to resume his jumping. "That kid knows someone loves him."

"He's a great kid. Best part of my life."

"I just want to watch him, man. I feel like I can watch him for days."

"The night we brought him home from the hospital Jackie and I just sat besides his crib and watched him. We didn't even sleep, just stared at him."

Hyde tried to fight back the bitterness he felt. But it was hard to get past something that was so deep rooted. He resented Eric his parents and home. Resented Eric his hot girlfriend. Now he resented the memories Eric had with Jackie and RJ. And he didn't want to be this bitter and angry anymore. It wasn't good for his son. It wasn't good for the life he wanted to have with RJ and Jackie.

"The pretty people are here!" Kelso announced in his usually loud fashion as he all but pulled the door off its hinges upon his entrance. "Daddy and me day can officially begin."

"Daddy and me day? You guys do this often."

"Once a week." Eric confirmed. "We usually do it on Saturday, but..."

Hyde nodded as he walked back to the couch. "So, what do you think of this one, kid?"

Immediately recognizing the cover as one his mommy always played, RJ grinned. " 'Beautiful Boy'. I'm mommy's beautiful boy."

Hyde grinned. Jackie wasn't going to be happy until this kid was as vain as she was. He wished he'd been a part of this. They had routines and songs and days. They had memories and moments. These little habits that families had. "Who was with her? When Jackie went into labor, who was with her?"

Eric laughed. "Funny story."

"Oh!" Kelso nearly dropped Betsy in his excitement, his hand shooting in the air. "Let me tell this one."

***

"Oh no, Eric," Jackie clutched her stomach dramatically. "The baby's coming."

Eric jumped up from the couch. "Oh, Jackie. What ever shall we do? I'm not nearly smart or good looking enough to deal with this. I wish Kelso was here."

"Well it's a good thing I am." The front door was kicked open and Kelso stood on the other side wearing his uniform. "I'll get the baby out." In two strides he was at Jackie's side. "I know the area, so this should be quick." Reaching under Jackie's dress he pulled out a screaming infant by the feet.

***

"Kelso." Eric deadpanned. "Babies don't come out feet first."

"I know that, Eric. Like I was saying..."

***

Jackie was on the couch this time. A sheet tossed over her legs, feet propped up on Kelso's shoulders.

***

"Hold up." Hyde gave Kelso an angry look. "I don't think I like where this is going at all."

Eric laughed. "Jackie didn't give birth at home, man. You're not even trying to be accurate."

"Alright. Fine! Why don't you tell the story than."

***

"Eric? Eric?" Jackie could barely lift her feet as she shuffled from her bedroom to the couch where Eric lay sleeping. "Eric! Get up!"

Eric hit the floor with a painful thump. "Ow, Jackie. What the hell?"

"It's time."

Groggy and in pain, Eric rested his head back on the floor. "Time for what."

" Charlie's Angels. What do you think, dumbass?"

Somehow her tone of voice cut through the fog in his head. "Oh, shit." He managed to scramble to his feet. "It's time. Time, time? How do you know?"

"Just a feeling I had. Oh, and the puddle of water at my feet!"

"Okay. Okay, Jackie just try to remain calm." Eric ran his hands frantically through his hair. His heart was beating a thousand times a minute. "I think the first thing we need to do is call Donna."

"Donna's at school, Eric. We can't call her."

"But Donna knows what to do. How are we going to know what to do if Donna's not here to tell us?"

***

"Burn!" Kelso shouted gleefully as he bounced Betsy on his shoulders. "Eric, you totally freaked out man."

"I wasn't the only one."

***

"Damn, Jackie. I think you're bigger today then you were yesterday."

"Shut up, Micheal."

"Kelso, thank God." Eric came out of the back room with an arm full of Jackie's clothes. "We need your van. Jackie's having the baby."

"The baby! She's having the baby now! Oh God," Kelso turned and ran face first into the wall. "Ow, my eye."

***

"And, ah, burn." Fez chuckled to himself. "Good one, Fez."

"That's not funny, man. I could have gotten a scar."

"And that," Eric turned RJ until he could look the little boy in the eye. "My son, is why we always watch where we are going. Now where was I...."

***

"Everybody calm down, I called my dad." Eric announced from where he was standing on the couch. "He said that we should get Jackie to the hospital."

Jackie, who was standing besides the door with her bag, rolled her eyes. "I swear to God, Eric, if I give birth in the back of Micheal's van...."

Making sure to keep the bag of peas pressed to his eye, Kelso stood from the chair. "Well, I can't drive with one eye."

"I have to hold Jackie's hand." Eric was beginning to panic. "They made it very clear in all the birthing classes that my main job was to hold Jackie's hand. I can't drive and hold her hand, no one said anything about driving and holding her hand. I'm a simple man, I can't do both."

"Oh my God, you guys will never believe the day I just had." Stepping into the apartment, Donna was fully prepared to launch into a rant about unfair professors and crap bosses but was halted by the sight of her boyfriend standing on the couch, Kelso with his bag of peas, and Jackie just besides the door. "Do I even want to know?"

"Thank you God. Donna I've never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life." Jackie clutched her best friend's hand. "Don't even put the keys down we have to get to the hospital."

"Jackie, are you in labor." Donna immediately grabbed the bag from Jackie's hand. "I can't believe you two dillholes were goofing around at a time like this. Do you know the kind of pain she's in? You just wait until I tell Red."

***

"Man, Red went nuts." Kelso was grinning behind a pair of 3-D glasses, no one knew where he even got them from. "If it wasn't for Eric's mom, he would have actually put his foot in my ass."

"Yes, Mr. Red was very upset." Fez concurred. "Especially after he found out Hyde wasn't coming. He threatened to put my candy up my ass because he was sick of hearing me chew." His face turned down into a pout. "I didn't even have any candy."

Hyde tried to ignore the comment about him not being there. "How did Jackie do?"

Eric laughed. "Oh, I don't even know if I can properly convey in words the utter hell that experience was."

***

"Eric. Eric, I changed my mind. I really don't want to do this."

As promised Eric was besides Jackie's bed, her hand clutched tightly in his. "I think you're kind of stuck now, little devil."

With a strength that surprised both of them, Jackie yanked on Eric's arm until they were eye to eye. "Listen hear string bean, you don't understand what I'm going through. Remember that time your mother described childbirth. You know the thing about the snake and the antelope."

Wincing at the imagery, Eric nodded.

"Well, it feels exactly like that, but worse. I don't think the human body's designed for this kind of pain."

"Actually that's exactly what it's designed for. At least the female of the species."

"Donna's maybe, with the hips and all, but not me. I'm petite."

"Well maybe you should have thought about that before you were so free with the milk."

***

"That's when she punched me right in the mouth. If it weren't for the nurse I think she would have actually tried to kill me."

The record store was empty now, Hyde having closed down awhile ago. RJ and Betsy were taking full advantage, running around and under the tables. It was clear that these were two kids use to having their run of places. And literally running all over their dads. Hyde honestly didn't know how Kelso and Forman were able to continue on smoothly while two kids climbed all over them.

"But I must say I'm impressed that you stayed, Eric." Fez gave his friend a proud nod. "Normally when you bleed your running around screaming and crying. But you held your ground, cried like a baby, but held your ground."

"I couldn't go anywhere if I wanted to. Jackie has a grip like a damn bear. Every time I'd think she couldn't hold me any tighter....she would."

"But she was right about that snake thing." Kelso was now fixing the paper glasses on his daughter's face. "Brooke threatened to shove a bowling ball up my nose just so I could understand and said even that wouldn't really compare."

"Good thing for Jackie, RJ was so tiny." Fez added. "You and Jackie did a good job, Eric, he was like a little porcelain doll." His gaze shifted to the little boy currently trying to climb onto his shoulders. "Unfortunately you both went horribly wrong somewhere."

Eric grinned. "Hey buddy, Uncle Fez just called you a bad boy."

RJ leaned over until he was practically laying on his belly on top of Fez's head. The pout that formed on his mouth rivaled Jackie's. "Uncle Fezzie, I'm go cry."

Fez broke instantly, pulling the little boy down until he settle RJ on his knee. "Oh, look at this face. No one can stay mad at this face. I'm sorry little buddy. Forgive me?" To sweeten the deal, he handed the little boy a five dollar bill.

"Yep." RJ frogged Fez on the arm before jumping off the couch and running around the room with his money.

"Uncle Fezzie?" Betsy stood in front of Fez, big brown eyes watering.

"Oh, here ya go, princess." Fez handed over another five dollar bill.

They all laughed as the two kids began to jump in place making plans to buy an ice cream store with there five dollars. Kelso seemed to think that was an awesome idea and promised to one day buy Betsy an ice cream store all her own. When she ran over and gave him a tight hug and loud smacking kiss, Kelso preened.

"Man, that kid is the best thing I've ever done. Accidentally or on purpose."

Seeing the truth of that statement in his friends eyes, Hyde smiled. "You really love being a dad."

"It's awesome. No one will ever look at you the way your kid does. Oh!" Kelso was just about to raise his hand but caught himself. "Guys, you know what I just realized. We totally just had a circle without film, man. We had a circle where we talked about our kids how weird is that. And you know what, it was like our best circle ever."

Hyde thought there was no way he could argue with that.