Saturday night, Izzy was in the basement with Kelso, Fez, Eric, and Donna. Kelso was holding a, as Donna called it, "nudie magazine," while the two other boys were gathered around. Donna and Izzy stood behind the couch, watching them judgingly.

"Hello!" Kelso giggled, flipping the page. "She is just my type. Naked."

"I, too, like the naked ladies." Fez said. "I find them so... naked."

"Yeah, that's realistic." Donna scoffed.

Izzy giggled and began to mock the magazine, making her voice high and breathy as she said, "I think I'm gonna change the oil in my car, but first I need to take off everything except my cowboy boots!"

"Well sure, if you're in bare feet you could slip on the oil. Come on Izzy, think." Eric said.

Kelso glanced over at the article beside the picture. "Woah! Surefire ways to pick up women. What kind of lonely losers read this stuff anyway?"

"Gimme." Fez said, taking the magazine from Kelso's hands. "Look deep into her eyes, and use her name often, showing that this conversation is just for her." He cleared his throat and stood up. "Hey, Izzy. I think they're onto something, Izzy. What do you think, Izzy?"

Donna ran up to Izzy, holding her arms down. "Oh god, Izzy, resist it! Resist the overwhelming urge to take your top off!" Izzy laughed and pushed Donna off of her.

-

At lunch that day, Izzy noticed Hyde seemed to be acting off. Apparently Kitty did too, so when she sat down at the table, she patted him on the shoulder and said, "Oh Steven honey, you haven't touched your sandwich. Do you feel okay?"

Hyde nodded. "Yeah. Just not hungry."

"Oh, Steven," Laurie said. "Are you finally tired of freeloading?"

Izzy scowled. "Leave him alone, Laurie."

"All I'm saying is that Daddy works real hard and nothing here is cheap!"

"Except you."

"Believe me, I'm not cheap."

Eric rolled his eyes. "Fine. Free. Whatever."

"Hey, Honey, I'm home!" Izzy turned to look at the kitchen door, and in walked Hyde's boss at the Photo Hut. Hyde talked about him a lot, and though Izzy had only seen him once before, he wasn't easy to forget.

"Hi, Leo." She said with a smile.

"Oh good. The hippie's here." Red huffed.

"Hyde, man," Leo said, clapping a hand onto Hyde's shoulder. "Your dad came by lookin' for you, man." Izzy froze. Hyde's dad? Hyde's dad left years ago, what's he doing talking to Leo? "Which is really freaky, cause I thought this bald dude was your dad."

"Thanks, Leo." Hyde said quietly, getting up and exiting the kitchen. Izzy watched as he walked away, her brows furrowed with concern. She looked over at Eric, as though to say What's happening? Tell me. Tell me! And he just shook his head slightly.

Leo sat down in Hyde's seat and picked up his sandwich, which made Izzy giggle and try to put Hyde out of her mind. Kitty didn't help with this, though, for she just looked at the twins confusedly and said, "Steven's father is in town?"

"Yeah right, like he even knows who his father is!" Laurie snickered.

"Laurie, stop!" Izzy whined. "That's so not nice!"

"Isabelle, do you know something about this?" Red asked calmly.

She shook her head. "No, Daddy. I don't."

"Eric?"

Eric shrugged. "Laurie's a bitch. I- I mean! We bumped into Hyde's dad last night. He's been back in town for, like... a year. Hadn't even talked to his own son."

"Cool, egg salad." Leo grinned.

"Well, I- I'm gonna talk to Steven." Izzy said, starting to get up.

"You know what Izzy, I really wouldn't do that." Eric set his hand on Izzy's shoulder, getting her to sit back down with a frown on her face. "Hyde really likes to... bottle those things up."

"Good for him!" Red said. "That's where those feelings should be kept!"

"Well, what is he going to do, pretend he doesn't have a father?" Kitty asked.

"Kitty. This is a family issue, and, for once, it's not about our family. Look, the bond between a father and son is... complex... and subtle- you wipe that damn smirk off your face, Eric!"

"Red, when we took that boy into our home, it became our job to see him through thick and thin. And now it's thick. Or thin, I don't know. But he needs us!"

"Cool, egg salad, man." Leo said.

"Good. Stick your nose in where it doesn't belong," Red said. "Go ahead!"

"Okay, will do!" Kitty hit the table lightly with a smile. "Bud's coming over for drinks tonight."

"Mama, do you really want to invite an alcoholic over for cocktails?" Izzy asked. "I can make him a nice Shirley Temple instead."

"Ooh, good idea, Isabelle! You do that, and... and he can fill up on cheese!"

-

"Woah, man! Look at all the different nuts, intermingling in one bowl!" Leo said in amazement, examining the glass dish that was on the coffee table in the Formans' living room. "It's like Nutstock, man!"

"Kitty!" Red called to his wife. "I think we should rethink our 'Don't throw Leo out on his ass' policy!"

They were in the living room later that day, waiting for Bud to come. Kitty and Red had asked Izzy and Leo to be with them when he came, so that Hyde wouldn't feel cornered. This was, obviously, Kitty's idea.

"No no, Leo stuck around because he cares about Steven." Kitty said.

"Plus, I can't find my shoes, man!" Leo put his feet up onto the coffee table, showing that he definitely had his shoes on.

"Hey Izzy Bee, what's goin' on?" Hyde asked, throwing an arm around her. She was sitting on the arm of the couch, keeping the open spots for Hyde and Bud as per Kitty's request. Izzy said nothing, just smiling faintly up at him as Kitty spoke.

"Good news, Steven!" Kitty said, clapping her hands together. "Your dad's coming over tonight!"

"Screw that!" Hyde said, taking his arm off Izzy and storming into the kitchen.

"No, Steven, it's a good thing! I think!"

"I got nothing to say to him!"

"Oh, we have fancy nut mix!"

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Red got up to open it. Standing there was a man who Izzy assumed was Bud. "Hey, Red!" Bud cheered. "Remember me?"

"Course. I wasn't the one passed out in the gutter."

Bud chuckled and walked through the threshold. "Yeah, I had this weird condition where I'd drink a case of beer and fall down." He and Red laughed at this, but Izzy couldn't figure out the humor. "Hey, Red, man! You're lookin' good! Have you lost, um, hair?"

Red smiled awkwardly. "Steven'll be right out."

"Hey man," Leo said to Bud, "nice shoes. Hey, are those mine?"

Kitty walked out of the kitchen, her arms around Hyde to ensure he joined the group. He had a stony look on his face when he saw his father. "Hello Bud."

"Hi."

Hyde turned to Izzy. "Can we go now?"

"It's 'May I go' and Mama says no." Hyde sighed and sat down next to her. Since she was sitting on the armrest, she was able to set her elbow on his shoulder and play with his hair, trying to calm him down. He responded by snaking an arm around her waist silently.

"So, Bud. Can I get you a drink?" Red said snarkily. Izzy and Kitty started laughing loud and uncomfortably, then locked eyes with each other and quickly stopped.

"A drink! A drink of soda! A nice drink of soda, Bud! Plus, we have cheese!" Kitty said, a wide, awkward smile on her face.

Bud chuckled. "Soda sounds great, Kitty. Yeah, I'm off the hooch."

"Oh, really?" Izzy asked. She leaned in close to Hyde. "So, uh, no more boozing."

"I heard him." Hyde whispered.

"Yep. I can finally see clearly." Bud said.

Leo nodded. "Isn't it great, man?"

"It is! I've got a job, an apartment, a color TV-"

"Ooh!" Kitty said. "A color TV, that's nice."

"Wow, Bud. Doin' great now, huh?" Hyde asked, a tight-lipped smile on his face. "Color TV? Man, I remember when I was a kid. I didn't even have a father." A silence fell on the room, and Hyde took his arm off Izzy and got up, walking out through the kitchen.

There was a moment of silence, in which Izzy stared down at her hands and all the adults looked at Bud awkwardly.

"Well, well!" Red finally said. "Who could have foreseen this terrible-"

"Oh, can it, Red!" Kitty huffed, leaving the room as well.

There was another moment of silence, until Bud turned to Izzy. "So, you're dating my son?"

Izzy's eyebrows were raised in shock. "No. No I'm not." She paused, then stood up. "I'm gonna go stress bake some cookies. Good to- It was nice- Bye, Bud."

-

Later on, Izzy sat in the circle with Fez, Hyde, Donna and Kelso.

"Jackie didn't even give me the time of day." Fez whined. "I hate this stupid how-to magazine." He flipped the page and saw another picture of a nude woman. "Oh, I didn't mean it, I love you!"

Hyde chuckled. "Hey Fez, check this out." He pointed at a paragraph in the magazine he was holding. "Tight pants turn a man's derriere into a lady's dream. And an open shirt shows a sexy chest and an irresistible joy-de-vee."

Izzy giggled and handed him a cookie. "It's joie de vivre, doofus."

"Okay, Izzy Bee, not all of us took French in school. Or cared enough to learn."

"I always thought my joie de vivre was in my pants." Fez wondered quietly.

"Okay, I can't believe I'm asking you guys this," Donna said, grabbing a cookie from the plate in Izzy's lap. "If any of you losers had a girlfriend, would you still look at those magazines?"

"Hey," Kelso said, grabbing a cookie of his own. "I had two girlfriends. And a little action on the side. Still looked at those magazines."

"Hey! Ask before you take a cookie!" Izzy whined.

"Kelso, you had action on the side?" Hyde asked, taking a cookie.

"Steven!"

"What?! You're a good baker!"

"True."

"Shut up." He grinned. "Who was it, Kelso?"

"You don't know her, she went to Sacred Heart." Kelso giggled.

Donna scowled. "Okay, anybody here have an opinion who's not a skeevy pig?"

"I'm glad you asked, Donna." Fez said. "If I had Jackie, I would never look at those magazines. Unless she is on the phone. Or going shopping, or... took a short nap."

Izzy rolled her eyes. "Men are pigs, Donna. You can't expect a pig to ride a horse."

Hyde gigged. "Izzy Bee, that makes no sense."

"You're saying men aren't pigs?"

"I'm not saying that at all. Look, Donna. This is just the way guys are, okay? I mean, if Forman was actually dating the 'naughty campus co-eds,' he'd be locked in the bathroom lookin' at pictures of you."

"Pictures?" Kelso perked up. "Izzy? Donna? Are there naked pictures of you-" He was cut off by Donna jumping over the table to tackle him.

"Oh! Knee him in the groin!" Hyde cheered.

Izzy's eyes went wide. "Holy shit, she did it!"

-

"So. How's your cocoa?" Kitty asked, once Izzy had gotten Hyde to sit at the kitchen table. The two girls sat on either side of him, and he set one hand on Izzy's knee as he picked up his mug to take a sip.

"Chocolatey good. Thanks, Mrs. Forman."

"Well, that's just great, because I think your father has really changed, he isn't the same man I used to know and the marshmallows make it extra good!"

"Mama!" Izzy breathed. "No!"

"Well, at least you knew him, Mrs. Forman, cause I never did."

Kitty looked down at the table sadly, and Izzy rubbed her hand against Hyde's bicep. "Yeah, but this can be your chance, bubs." Hyde looked down at her, his eyes soft. "Maybe now you can make some new, happy memories. I mean, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Kitty smiled at the two and rested her chin on her hand. "It would be."

Hyde took in a slow breath. "No thanks." He stood up, heading for the basement steps.

"Are you sure?" Kitty asked. "Cause I- I think you may be bottling things up."

"I'm not bottling anything up!"

Izzy looked at her mom. "He's bottling it up."

"Oh, he's definitely bottling it up."

-

Izzy was on the Vista Cruiser that night, laying across the hood and feeling the rain on her skin. Her eyes were closed, and Hyde could see the pure joy on her face when he exited the kitchen. He had his bag draped over a shoulder, and he stood there, unsure whether or not she knew he was there.

"I think rain is... peaceful." She mumbled, opening her eyes and looking around the dark sky.

"How'd you know I was here?" Steve asked, standing beside her. She sat upright and looked sideways at him.

She chuckled. "Your footsteps aren't exactly light, Steven." She paused. "What are you doing out here?"

He looked at her, and for a moment he lost himself in her blue, blue eyes. "Just... thinking."

She looked down at the driveway, watching the rain patter onto the concrete. "Me too."

"You're shivering." He said quietly.

She smiled into the darkness. "Yeah, well it's cold."

Hyde stood up and went back into the house. She looked at the place where he was standing, wondering why he came out here for such a short amount of time, until she felt the rain stop and a blanket go over her shoulders.

She looked up and saw Hyde holding an umbrella over her. "Is that better?"

She smiled and patted the spot next to her. "Sit."

He sat.

He held the umbrella over the two of them and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he rested his head atop hers. The two of them sat there in silence, simply enjoying the sound of the rain and being close to each other.

"I'm moving out." Hyde said quietly.

Izzy moved her head to look at him. "What?"

"Bud offered me a room. I'm heading over there right now."

She pulled out of his arm slightly, and he let it drop. "I... why?"

"I figured I should take your advice. Try to make some new memories, and maybe..." He trailed off. "Maybe get to finally know my dad."

"Is that why you have your bag with you?" She asked quietly. He nodded. "When did you decide this?" Her voice was soft, but Hyde could tell she was hurt.

He didn't say anything. He just looked down at the concrete.

"Right after the cocoa."

Izzy bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm gonna miss you."

Hyde looked down at her, a small smile on his face. "I'm still gonna be around, Izzy Bee. I'm not moving outta town."

"It won't be the same." She looked down and picked at her nail polish. Her cheeks turned red as she said, "I like having you so close."

He chuckled. "Are you crying?"

"No, I'm not." She mumbled.

He smiled and placed his hand on her cheek. He used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "Fine. You're not. It's just the rain."

"It's just the rain."

He brushed a wet lock of hair out of her face. "I should get going." She said nothing and just rested her forehead against his shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, Izzy Bee."

"Yeah." She whispered.

He handed her the umbrella and slowly got off the Vista Cruiser. Izzy wrapped the blanket tighter around her as she watched him walk away. Before turning the corner, he looked back and gave her a small wave. She returned it, and just like that. He was gone.