Disclaimer: I don't own That 70's Show - that includes characters, plots, or anything else, in case you didn't already know.

So, I love Jackie/Hyde. I wanted to try my hand at making Fez/Jackie work, though, while still writing some nice Jyde angst. This is what came out of it.

January 3rd, 1980

"So," Donna popped a French fry into her mouth, "you and Fez are… really, officially official then?" Jackie dropped her gaze to her own basket of fries, trying to sort out her own thoughts. Finally, she sighed and dropped her head against the top of the table.

"I thought so. I mean, I think we are. It's… after the New Year, after our kiss, things were really good. They are good," Jackie mumbled unconvincingly. Donna's forehead scrunched up in confusion.

"C'mon, Jackie, tell me more. Fez was your soul mate, wasn't he?" she probed, knowing Jackie well enough to tell she wanted to spill her heart out about whatever it was that was going on. Jackie shot up, crossing her arms and huffing at her best friend indignantly.

"Fez is my soul mate, Donna! I love him." She suddenly deflated, running her hands through her hair. "I'm just… I want this to work out really badly." Her voice was no more than a whisper, and for a moment Donna wasn't too sure what to say. Jackie had only really dated two boys before Fez, and those relationships had ended on a horrible note. She shouldn't have been too surprised that Jackie was a little wary of getting close to another of her friends so soon.

"Jackie," Donna said, trying to be understanding, "I don't know what you're so afraid of – you shouldn't be. Fez isn't like Kelso… or Hyde, for that matter. There's a much bigger chance of you breaking his heart than the other way around." Jackie fixed her hair, seemingly realizing she'd messed it up before, and then turned back to Donna, eyes defensive.

"I know that! I just… Ugh, sometimes I think…" her voice softened and yet again, her gaze dropped to her food. Donna swallowed heavily. This was not how Jackie Burkhart usually behaved. "Sometimes, I think that they broke me. Michael and Steven, I mean. They both broke my heart so many times. Even Fez did, before we got together! I'm just terrified that this won't be it, Donna. You and Eric are back together now, and-!"

"Kind of," Donna squinted, and then she stuck another fry in her mouth before continuing, "We're still working things out, y'know."

"Ugh," Jackie wrinkled her nose in disgust, "swallow, much?" Donna made a grunting sort of noise and stuck her tongue out, her half-chewed food displayed for all to see. Jackie squealed and jumped up, turning to leave.

"Alright, that's it, I'm leaving!" she called, annoyed. Donna's laughter rang in her ears, and she was about to turn back when Eric suddenly stepped into The Hub. Jackie paused as her friend's face softened, and then she offered a half-hearted wave before actually leaving. She'd been joking before – she really did need to talk to Donna more than what she had – but she knew that she wouldn't be able to with Eric hanging around.

Jackie found herself wandering toward the Foreman household. She had no idea when exactly that had become her home, probably sometime after she started dating Michael, but she could think of no other place to go. She hoped Fez would be there – he was really good at comforting her. Smiling slightly, Jackie rubbed her arms over her arms, which were covered in goosebumps.

Fez was good at nearly everything when it came to her. He was so sweet, he did anything she wanted… it was exactly what she'd dreamed of in a man. She had always had to settle… but, for once, she actually felt that maybe she had found a man even better than her. It was a new feeling, wondering if she wasn't good enough for him. Kelso had cheated on her so many times, and even though he'd hurt her over and over again she kept thinking that maybe he'd learned his lesson. He couldn't do this to her again. She had been so wrong…

And then she'd gotten together with Steven, and she loved him even more, so much more, than she had ever loved Michael. She had imagined a wedding with both of them, but with Steven, she'd gone even further and hoped for a future. In the end, it was his commitment-phobia and refusal to share his feelings that forced Jackie to start questioning him. She couldn't take it anymore – the way he was treating her as if she was just some fling.

But with Fez… Well, things were so different with him. She had never looked at him in that way before. He'd always been the perverse foreigner. She'd called him gross and disgusting and stinky and every other mean thing that could've come to her head. But somewhere between high school and where they were now, he'd matured (a little), he'd also grown muscles (huge muscles, at that!) and turned… hot. He wasn't the perverse foreigner anymore – he was the sexy foreigner. The sweet foreigner, the kind foreigner, the doting foreigner, and the adoring foreigner: the perfect foreign- perfect man. And she would get laughed at and made fun of, but for once in her life… Jackie didn't care. She didn't care what other people though.

Because it was Fez, and he was more than that.

Promptly, Jackie stopped walking and after she blinked a few times and gathered her bearings, she understood why. She had arrived outside the Foreman's home. "Hmm," she cringed, wondering how she'd gotten so ditzy in the past minutes she'd failed to notice where she was even going.

"Fez? Fezzy!" she called loudly, looking around. No one was in the kitchen so she made her way to the basement, calling her boyfriend's name a few more times. Frowning as she stepped into the dimly lit room, she noted with a grimace that the only occupant in the room was Steven.

"Have you seen Fez?" she asked, crossing her arms impatiently.

"Why? You already found another boyfriend?" Hyde smirked, a cruel smile lifting his face. Jackie made a face at him, irritated beyond measure.

"No, Steven! I told you all, Fez and I are never going to break up!" she huffed before situating herself into the middle seat on the couch, staring determinedly at the flickering television before her. Hyde rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Right, sure. Never going to break up. Anyway, I think he's gonna be back here after work. He had to pick up a shift because some lady quit," he grunted. Jackie narrowed her eyes but nodded jerkily. They sat for a few minutes in tense silence before Hyde groaned and straightened up, desperate to remain Zen in her presence. "Do you have nowhere else to be?" he demanded.

Jackie blinked a few time. "No!" she finally called back shrilly, and Hyde mimed shooting himself. Her glare deepened. "What's your problem, anyway? We were doing fine, and now all of a sudden you're being as big of an ass to me as you were when you first brought Sam home!"

Hyde gaped at her, lost in disbelief. Finally, he let out an almost hysterical laugh, struggling to bury his anger deep, deep down. "Why am I pissed at you again? Hell, I don't know! Maybe it's got something to do with you dating Fez. Him, of all the guys in the universe! I mean, going back to Kelso would've been pathetic enough, but I could live with it. But, Jackie, you crawling to Fez is so freaking weak of you that I… shit Jackie, I just pity you so fucking much." His scowl was set deep within his face. Jackie reeled back, clearly in shock. She didn't know what to say. Hyde probably hadn't said as many words as that in the last five months of their relationships. The thought sent a burning rage flaring down her throat.

"You know what, Steven? Fuck you! It's not weak of me to fight for Fez! Fight for someone who can love me as much as I love him!" she began, tears threatening to spill over. "I just want to be with someone who won't cheat on me or shut me down or betray me over and over again! God, I doubt Michael loved me and… shit, sometimes I wonder if you ever loved me, too!" she seethed, her eyes burning. That was all too much for Hyde and he shot to his feet, Jackie following suit.

"You have no clue, Jackie! I was almost going to… God, I was actually going to propose to you! That would've been my worst nightmare! I loved you, and even though I don't anymore, you don't have the fucking right to say I didn't!" he snapped. Jackie stepped back, flustered and angrier than before, if that was possible.

"I have no right? I have no right to say that you didn't love me after you cheated on me with a nurse? After you shut down whenever I asked you the smallest question? After you broke up with me before I could even explain what was going on? After you married a fucking stripper?" she screamed the last part and then shoved his chest as hard as she could. He stumbled back a few steps, but caught his bearings and continued to glare at the tiny ball of endless irritation before him.

They stood there for a long time, breathing very heavily and staring at each other with utter disdain. Finally, Jackie's chin wobbled. She had had enough, and soon she was collapsing on the couch, burying her hands in her face, and bawling her eyes out. Hyde felt awkward and a little – just a little – guilty, but he wasn't sure what to do. Finally, hesitantly, he sank down beside her.

"You n-never even apologized for what you did to me with Sam, Steven. Maybe you did it because you cared about her a little, but what did you mostly do it for? You did it to hurt me. You know you did. I never thought anyone could be so cruel. But you were," Jackie whispered, her eyes exhausted. "God, you broke me Steven! I'm damaged!" Her voice sunk to that of a mouse's, and Hyde fought the urge to run as fast as he could.

"Oh, don't give me that shit. You can spew bullshit all you want to anyone else, but not to me. Hear that? Never to me." His voice was firm, and for a moment Jackie pretended that things worked out, and Steven was still her Puddin' Pop and she could look up and kiss him and everything would be just fine…

And then Fez flashed across her mind. Fez, who she loved and who loved her – the one person she could never hurt. Numb, Jackie pulled away. She wanted Steven back, because a small, teeny tiny part of her still loved him.

But an even bigger part of her loved Fez, and she knew she would never be able to leave him after all they'd been through. She opened her mouth to speak, and even though she knew it was going to be one of the most painful things she would ever say, she said it anyway, "Steven, I want to be with Fez. This isn't some stint to get you back, and I'll promise that on my own life. We need to just… leave each other behind. We need to get over each other."

She squeezed her eyes shut tight and refused to cry even more. She wouldn't do it. She wasn't weak, like Hyde had suggested. She was strong – she had to be strong. Without a word, Hyde grabbed her chin and pressed a firm kiss to her cheek.

"I want to kiss your mouth. Feel your lips one last time," he whispered. Shaking, he dropped his hands and then moved back to his chair, adopting a Zen expression. Sighing, he grumbled, "I need a fucking circle, man." Jackie's expression softened.

"Goodbye, Steven," she murmured before rising and heading to the door. She hesitated for a moment, just as Hyde was getting ready for some 'relaxation time'. "I'll… see you tomorrow," she said, an unasked question resting on her lips. Hyde froze, and then nodded.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."