Title: Untitled
Rating: M
Summary: I wrote this more than three years ago when Hyde cheated on Jackie with the nurse. It drove me crazy how they had her trying to get Hyde back that next season. Hello! Who got cheated on? And bonus. He did it on purpose. (burn him in hell!!) This is how I thought it should go. If I get enough reviews I may just do a couple more chapters.
Disclaimer: I do not own that 70's show. If I did Kelso and Eric would have never left, Hyde wouldn't have married a stripper, Donna would be the best friend she is supposed to be, and Jackie would not have ended up with Fez. (Fez??)
Jackie Burkhart sat in the Forman's basement in what had been unofficially dubbed Hyde's chair years ago. She sat with her legs crossed and a Cosmo magazine was being flipped through as she chatted with Donna about clothes. Yup, her tomboy lumberjack was coming around very nicely. Just the other day she offered to go with Jackie to the mall.
Jackie's dark hair was in a ponytail as the ends curled down her back. She'd taken special care in dressing this morning as it was her first time back in the basement after her and Steven's breakup 5 days ago. Her deep red long sleeved button up blouse was Hyde's favorite and she wore a navy blue skirt and black knee high boots. In her ears were gold hoop earrings.
Donna sat on the end of the couch closest to her and Eric sat on the other side of Donna, his arm draped around her shoulders, as he watched Charlie's Angels. Fez was on the farthest end of the couch and Kelso was in the lawn chair directly across from Jackie. Hyde was on his way from work as Eric had informed her, giving her an easy out if she needed it. The guys (Eric and Fez) didn't know the exact details of the breakup and after receiving a fierce glare from Hyde when asked about it, and later when they brought it up to Donna and she threatened to break every bone in their miserable bodies, Fez and Eric wisely decided to drop the subject. Kelso was still a dumb ass and thought he had an easy in with Jackie, Master plan in the works, he'd decided he was going to get that girl back. Hyde be damned.
Donna had a long talk with Jackie after catching up with her at the hub. She'd been noticeably absent from the basement also. She'd spent the past 5 days sitting with Jackie in the silence of their bedroom offering her support even if Jackie had kept quite about what they came to call "The Incident" after her initial reaction of sobbing uncontrollably on Donna's shoulder. Avoiding Hyde at all costs because Donna knew he would ask about Jackie and she knew that she would end up saying something horrible about one of her oldest friends. She'd also skipped out on basement time so she wouldn't end up blurting the truth to Eric after Jackie swore her to secrecy.
"Aye," Fez said sucking on a lollipop. "I love this show, beautiful woman kicking ass, with tight clothes and perfect hair."
"Yeah, they're hot." Michael Kelso said never dragging his gaze from the TV.
The basement door opened and Hyde walked in, his head down. Jackie ignored his presence as he lifted his head finally noticing her voice as she talked with Donna who immediately stopped talking.
"Hey Hydeཀ" Eric said too loudly giving a forced chuckle trying to break Hyde's gaze from Jackie. It had been an awkward five days around Hyde. He was usually pretty quite but this week he could have been dead. He only moved from his seat to eat and use the bathroom. Last night he had finally gotten off his ass to go to work. "Um… how was work… good? Oh," He nodded as if Hyde answered him. "That's nice."
Hyde shut the door behind him softly. "Hey, Jackie." He said testing the waters.
"Hyde." She answered back never looking up from the magazine.
"The tension in this room…" Fez shook his head.
"Can we go somewhere and talk?" Hyde had moved so he stood between Kelso, in the lawn chair, and the arm of the couch where Fez sat.
"No." She answered simply, turning the magazine page.
"Come on, Jackie. I just want to talk to you."
She slammed the magazine shut and tossed it on the coffee table in front of her. It slid across to the end in front of Kelso teetering precariously on the edge before falling to the basement floor. "I don't care." She shrugged.
"You don't care?"
"Yeah… you know… the same way you didn't care enough about our relationship." She crossed her arms and stared at the TV. Her eyes hadn't made contact with Hyde yet.
"Alrighty then," Eric spoke up. "How about we just enjoy this incredible episode of Charlie's Angels."
"I'm enjoying this." Kelso motioned between Jackie and Hyde.
Hyde reached down smacking Kelso in the back of the head. "Shut your trap."
"Ow…don't take it out on me." Kelso rubbed the back of his head, he shook his head making his bangs fall from his face. "Its not my fault that Jackie dumped you. I told you what was going on. Now you lost her and I'm getting her back." His smug smile fell away when Jackie glared at him.
Jackie finally rolled her eyes and stood. "I'm gonna go. I'll see you later, Donna."
"Okay." Donna said passing Hyde a glare. "You want me to come with you?"
"No, you stay. I'll be alright."
"Jackie, I want to talk to you." Hyde said.
"Yeah, well we can't all get what we want. Take me for instance; I wanted you to be different. I wanted you to be faithful to me. Didn't happen, did it?"
"Whoa, wait. Somebody draw me a map 'cause I'm lost." Eric said after staring between the two.
"Aye, Eric, you slow son-of-a-bitch. Hyde cheated on Jackie, pay attention." Fez stuffed another piece of candy in his mouth.
"What?" Eric turned to Hyde. "Tell me you didn't, man." Hyde was silent.
"He did…with a nurse…at that damned convention." Jackie said to Eric keeping her eyes off of Hyde.
"Yeah, she was pretty hot." Kelso added.
"Jackie, can we talk about this alone?" Steven asked motioning to his bedroom.
"Yeah, we're gonna go." Donna stood quickly pulling Eric and Fez up with her, Kelso reluctantly stood too.
"No, stay. You're gonna listen through the door anyway. Might as well have a front seat."
"Jac-" Fez began.
"SIT"
The four immediately sat back down.
"Okay, Steven, you've got a captive audience. Say what you have to say so I can leave." Her hands were on her hips as her foot tapped impatiently as she waited for his excuses. They always have an excuse.
"I'm so sorry."
"You said that. You keep saying that."
"I never meant to hurt you."
She stopped him before he could continue. "Yes you did, cause you're a man. And the general population of men sucks. Except Eric, who's obviously devoted to Donna and if he wasn't she'd kick his ass, and Fez, who's too excited about having one woman that he wouldn't mess it up for another woman. So, like I said, men suck. You pin all your hopes on them and they do nothing but disappoint you time and time again. And then for every mistake, for every time they hurt you, they pull out another reason from their back pocket, all shiny and new, and that's supposed to make you feel better. Guess what--it doesn't."
"I know."
"Well, do I look like a shit eater?"
"No."
"So, why are you feeding me this 'I'm sorry' crap?"
He sighed. "Because I am sorry." He ran a hand through his curls in frustration. "Tell me what to do. How do I make this better?"
"You don't. You can't." She fought back the lump in her throat. "I expected it from him."
He gave her a confused look and Fez spoke up. "Expected what."
"I expected Michael to cheat as soon as we started dating. And I took him back every time because I was ready for it."
"What?" Donna voice cut through the silence after Jackie's confession.
"I knew I couldn't trust his promises. I mean its Kelso. He's a big, dumb, way too pretty, man-whore who walks into doors. You can't expect much from him, but that he'll cheat. So when it happened I was ready for it. I mean, don't get me wrong, it hurt every time…but I got over it and I took him back. It was consistent. He'd cheat, apologize, buy me a really nice present and I'd take him back. It was our ritual. And somehow I made him fit into my childish fantasies, so it wasn't about us anymore. It was about the future I wanted for us." She rubbed her temples. "The rich, beautiful cookie cutter family. But then he surprised me. He ran off to California and it didn't hurt. I was relieved because I knew then, that it was over…that we'd never be that fantasy. Then again I was terrified because I wouldn't have that Kelso crutch to lean on. I wouldn't have that consistency. Years I spent shaping him, molding him, bossing him around. All I had to do was give that leash a quick yank and he stayed in line for a couple of weeks.
"Then me and you…so, not expected. I had gotten over my crush on you and I never gave you a second glance. All of a sudden We were together and I was actually happy. I was growing and maturing and you helped a lot. You told me exactly what you thought of me. And you never let me boss you around. Sure you were a sucker for my tears, but usually you stood strong. All my life I got whatever I wanted by batting my eyelashes, and I could not get you to bend to my will. And I loved that.
"I loved the fact that you didn't buy me a necklace, or dumb unicorn, but you shaved off the beard that you were so proud of to make me smile. You didn't go out and get me a cute pink, furry sweater but you gave me your favorite t-shirt which meant a whole lot more. And you pretend like your listening to me when I talk about clothes, even though I know your not and you nod at the right times. Or how we've been together for almost a year and you never pushed me into having sex. When you hold my hand you run your thumb across my knuckles. Whenever you kiss me, you twirl a strand of my hair around your finger. You always let me go first without even thinking about it. When we sit next to each other you put your arm around my shoulders or your hand on my knee. It was the little things that I loved about you that had nothing to do with Michael.
"But you never trusted me and that was okay, cause I trusted you enough for the both of us. You told me once how you hated to see me cry… It never crossed my mind to be on guard with you. I never for a minute thought that you would pull a Kelso. But you did, and I wasn't ready. I wasn't prepared, it wasn't expected, and I got disappointed," she wiped impatiently at a tear that ran down her cheek. "I got hurt." Her voice cracked. "You broke my heart like Michael never could. And what's worse, you did it on purpose. You wanted to hurt me."
"You were there every time I cried over Michael. And you comforted me, even though you didn't want to. You told me I could do better than him. I really thought I did. I guess not." She picked her jacket up off the chair folding it over one arm.
"Jackie-" Hyde moved toward her and she took two steps back, shaking her head. He stopped his hand dropping uselessly to his side. How he wished he could take it all back. Rewind time. Anything to erase that look on her face. She'd always stared up at him with something akin to adoration in her eyes. Like he was her hero. Even when she didn't even like him. She always turned to him for comfort. She always had that 'Jackie Smile' to send his way. What had he done?
"There is nothing you can say to me to make this right. You saw," she shook her head and looked at her friends that sat motionless in the chairs. "All of you saw what Michael did to me. Give me one good reason why I should listen to you." She sniffled crossing her arms over her chest.
He could give her plenty of reasons but none were coming to him right at that moment. So he stared blankly at her.
"You can't even give me one reason." She shook her head again walking around behind the couch toward the door, so she wouldn't have to pass him.
Her movement snapped him to attention and he spun quickly his heart pounding. She was almost to the door her hand reaching out for the knob. "I love you…" He said softly. "Jackie, I love you." He said it louder his voice stronger.
She froze staring at the door, her hand gripping the cool knob. Eric's mouth dropped open his chin almost hitting his knees. Kelso's eyes had gone wide, and round. Donna was grinning from ear to ear.
"Tell me something I didn't already know." Fez was rustling through a brown paper bag trying to pick out what candy he would eat next.
"You said that already, too. And for a split second I almost believed it. Not this time." Jackie turned to him slowly, her breath stuck somewhere that wasn't her lungs. She walked up to Hyde so she was standing directly in front of him. She stared up at him. "You can't do that," her voice wavered. "You can't say that… You don't really mean it."
"Yes, I do. I love you, Jacks. I think I've loved you forever, but I was too stupid to realize."
She was staring down at her feet now. "I have waited so long for you to say it. And then I didn't need you to say it, cause sometimes you would just look at me and I knew. Now," she tilted her head back to stare up at him, "I don't want to hear it. Now I want you to take it back."
"No."
"Take it back."
"No."
"Steven, I don't want you to love me…cause I don't love you, not anymore." She was looking to the side of him now.
"You're lying," he stated. "You still love me. I can see it your eyes. I saw at the hospital after Kelso fell off the water tower and I see it now."
She was quite for a few moments when all of a sudden her fist was flying forward toward his jaw and it made a sickening thud when it connected. Hyde's head snapped to the side and she immediately retracted her fist cradling it with her other hand. "Damn it!" She moaned.
Everyone's mouths dropped open in shock. Hyde wasn't surprised, he saw her fist flying at him days ago. He was just waiting for the moment she would get angry enough. But he hadn't expected it to hurt that much. She hit as hard as Donna. Damnཀ
He flexed his jaw muscle. "God…"
"Don't presume to tell me what I feel and how I feel for you, you dumb ass." She pushed his shoulder and Hyde stumbled back two steps clutching his jaw.
Kelso jumped and stood beside Hyde a grin lightening his face. "Burn! Looks like I'm getting Jackie back," he said laughing right before Jackie's fist flew out again, this time hitting him. "Damn, Jackie! You hit me in the eye."
"Shut up, Kelso. You are a cheating bastard, too!" She shook her hand. "Ow." She stuck her hand out to inspect the damage to her knuckles. "And you made me break a nail, you good-for-nothing, lying, cheating, sluts." She glared at the two young men. "You are so lucky, that I too beautiful to go to prison and there are witnesses in this basement right now cause I would do you both serious harm."
"Why can't you be normal like Eric and Fez?" She grumbled making her way back to the door. She stopped looking at Hyde. "Maybe I still do love you…but that doesn't mean I'm ever gonna forgive you. I don't know that I really want to." With that said, she stormed out of the basement door.
"You love her?" Eric stood up. "and you told her? You-what…I don't believe this. I thought she was the devil man. She put voodoo on you didn't she?" Eric gasped painfully. "Which arm hurts when you are having a heart attack?"
"Your left, you dill-hole." Donna answered, then looked at Hyde. "Aww, you love her. And she… punched you… hard. Your jaw is turning colors. Maybe you should get some ice." Donna cringed at the bruise.
"Hello, can I get some attention." Kelso moved his hand from his eye. "It's swelling. She damaged my face."
"Oh, I love that girl." Donna was laughing again.
"You too?" Eric moaned. "Is there anyone else that doesn't love Jackie, besides me."
"I love candy-" Said Fez.
"Thank you."
"-and Jackie." He finished.
Eric clutched his chest. "Heart attack."
Jackie stood in the center of the bedroom that she had shared with Donna the past few months. In less than 42 hours she would be alone once again. Her friends were graduating. Donna and Eric were moving to an apartment in Madison right after graduation, which was tomorrow. She sighed softly, she would probably never tell anyone, but Donna was the older lumberjack sister she never had. She was gonna miss her. Hell, she begrudgingly admitted to herself, she would even miss the too skinny Eric.
She sighed again, deeper this time, sinking onto the edge of Donna's bed taking in the duffle bag that Bob Pinciotti had given to her just for the camping trip the entire basement gang was going on as their last hoorah before graduation. She wasn't really looking forward it, Her, Jackie Burkhart, sleeping on the ground? Ha! The things she did for a pouting Fez. He was using that deportation card, milking it for all it was worth. He gave her the eyes, the same eyes that she used to get her way. Damn that horny foreign bastard for picking up on the wide misty eyed technique.
Donna said that most likely Kelso and Hyde would argue over her the entire time. Good, she thought bitterly. I hope they beat each other to death. That would be some great entertainment. She stood dragging the bag to the door grunting with its weight. Just because she was going camping in the middle of the woods didn't mean she had to look bad doing it. And maybe her looking extremely hot, would force Michael and Steven to fight before they ever left the Forman driveway. Saving her from having to go along on this damned twisted Partridge family vacation. Hateful foreigners.
She groaned her displeasure at the offending object that she had to drag down the stairs. No way would she make it. Big Lumberjack Donna: most likely. 95 lb. Jackie: not a chance. Her saving grace came in the form of a skeleton (Eric). She gave him her brightest smile as he loped up the stairs. "Eric," she said cheerfully. She tilted her head to the side as he stopped in front of her. "Do you think you could help me with my bag?" She questioned giving him her best Jackie innocence.
"Uh…Let me think about it." He paused. "No."
"Please, Eric." She would have to use her heavy artillery with this one. "Please, I've never asked you for anything. You are one of the only respectable men on this planet. You are the greatest guy on earth cause you make Donna happy which makes me happy. And I haven't been happy in the past couple of days." She let her eyes water and sob choked through. "I can't believe he…he cheated on me." She was really sobbing now and she wrapped her arms around Eric's waist burying her face in his chest. "What's wrong with me?"
"Oh, well look at the time…" Eric made a big show of looking at his watch. "If I don't get this bag down to the van, we're gonna be late." He pried Jackie's arms from around his waist, then picked up the duffle and swung it over his shoulder with a grunt. "I'll let you pull yourself together." He mumbled bolting down the stairs.
Long live the Queen. Jackie smiled, straightening her shirt. "Works every time."
She sat in the back of Kelso's van. The very van that she had sex with him numerous times, the van where he'd had sex with Laurie Forman. She glared menacingly at the blonde haired girl that sat in the front between Kelso and Fez. She was still furious that they had allowed her to come along. Blonde whore. Jackie pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and resting her chin on her knees. She refused to turn her head to her left where Steven sat not more than a foot away. She could feel his eyes burning into the side of her face, and she desperately wanted to deck him again. "Dumb ass." She muttered rubbing her fingers over her bruised and swollen knuckles. It actually felt quite liberating feeling her fist make contact with Hyde's jaw. Damn horny foreigners, and hot scruffy orphans.
And now they would be stuck taking graduation pictures, Kelso with a black eye, Hyde with a bruised jaw. Those pictures would follow them around for the rest of their lying, deceitful, insincere, dishonest, corrupt, immoral, cheating lives. And every time their gazes would pass over their graduation picture they would remember what they did to Jackie Burkhart, and how she didn't take it lying down. Oh no, she was no longer a pitiful ball of sobbing teenage girl whose sun rose and set depending on how her boyfriend made her feel. No, Jackie Burkhart matured. She was no longer naïve, watching the world through rose tinted glasses.
Donna sat across from her giving Hyde a glare here and there, and sporadically shooting sympathetic glances his way. She was torn, Jackie didn't deserve to be cheated on, of course. But Hyde was panicked, trying to leave before Jackie left. Trying to shield his heart. He went about it the wrong way. He should have talked to her, but that's Hyde. A man of few words, but when he speaks its from the heart.
They pulled into the parking spot, and before Kelso could stop Jackie had the door open Jumping out quickly trying to get away from Steven's gaze. She made a big show of looking around even though she could care less where they were, Jacquelyn Burkhart-camping. The world is coming to an end. She shouldn't have come. Her tent would be barely five feet from Steven's and she didn't know if she would be strong enough not to smother him with a pillow while he slept or, even better, jump him and tear the clothes from his body. Yes. She was pissed at him. But he was still hot in his own scruffy, poor, aloof way. And yes, he broke her heart, but what little jagged pieces she had left, loved him.
A shout snapped her out of her musings and she turned just in time to see Steven and Michael yanking back and forth on her duffle bag.
"Let go of the bag, dumb ass." Hyde's voice was low and menacing as he stared up at the tall goofy young man in front of him.
"You let go of the bag." Kelso yanked it toward. "Your just jealous cause me and Jackie are gonna be making out tonight in our tent."
"Over my dead body, Kelso." Hyde yanked the duffle bag back. No way in hell was he going to stand aside and let that idiot get Jackie back. He'd never felt for any other girl what he felt for her. And he'd be damned if he let Kelso take that away.
"Yeah, well…that can happen…Hyde!" Kelso yanked on the strap again.
"Do you really want to test me? You know how bad you are at them." Hyde yanked the bag toward him, his crystal blue eyes cold and calculating.
"Well not this one," Kelso said indignantly. Pulling on the bag again. Him and Jackie were meant to be together. She just didn't know it yet.
"Kelso, let the damn bag go or I'm gonna kick your ass." Hyde had finally had enough.
Frustrated Jackie threw her arms in the air and stomped over to the two teens. "Give my bag," she pulled on it and it didn't budge both men refusing to let it go. "I said, give me my bag you idiots. Or I'm gonna kick some ass." She tapped her foot. "Now." They dropped it and unprepared for the sudden weight Jackie stumbled forward.
"You guys are so freaking selfish, you know that?" She pulled her bag away from them, lecturing them the whole way. "This is not about you and the way sucky things that you did to me. Fez is being deported! Do you know what that means? Obviously you don't care." She scoffed. "But, I don't know why I expected some form of maturity from you two. You can't even not cheat on your girlfriend. Why should you care about never seeing one of your best friends ever again?" Her back was to them and she whipped around to pin them with fiercest Jackie glare she could muster. "Hello, I'm Jackie Burkhart! I am the meanest, snobbiest, most self-centered and beautiful girl in all of Point Place and I came out here with my friends to camp in the woods, need I remind you, because Donna and Eric are moving and Fez is leaving the country. And though I hate to admit it, God help me, I will miss them, and I will not let your stupid egocentric attitudes ruin my or their good time. I will tie you to a freaking tree if I have to."
Hyde had the grace to look guilty and Kelso frowned staring at his feet. "Now go find us a clearing to put up our tents." She pointed to the woods and they quietly did as instructed. Jackie triumphantly followed after them as Fez picked up her bag and came up behind her, Laurie trailing behind. Damn horny foreigners, and hot scruffy orphans, and too-pretty idiots, and blonde whores.
"Donna," Eric began swinging an arm over her shoulder. "I'm afraid, I'm gonna have to dump you. I'm only attracted to the manly girl in the group, and it seems Jackie has dethroned you."
"Amazingly, she's bossy. But it works for her. Eric, pitch my tent." Donna said demandingly.
Eric laughed. "Ah, Donna, I already have a tent pitched."
They sat around the fire in their circle, when Kelso finally figured out that the wood burning in the fire was his guitar. He jumped up trying to push Hyde and for a minute Jackie stood there smirking. So they would kill each other a little later than she hoped. Maybe the double murders would still be able to save her from sleeping on the cold hard ground of the woods in the middle of Wisconsin. They argued more. She frowned. Maybe not. Their bickering was only serving to grate on her nerves. Damn horny foreigners, and hot scruffy orphans, and too-pretty idiots, and blonde whores. She stomped her foot.
"I knew you would break up the band Yoko!" Eric, watching his friends tumble around on the ground, shouted. "Somebody should stop them… Donna."
Donna frowned. "Me? Why don't you stop them? Their your pig-headed friends."
"But you're stronger than me. You can kick their asses if they don't stop." Eric gestured toward the brawling men. "they'll hurt me."
Donna stared at him.
Jackie threw her hands in the air. "I'll do it." She moved toward them and then glared over her shoulder at Eric. "And I'm not Yoko!!" Damn horny foreigners, and hot scruffy orphans, and too-pretty idiots, and blonde whores, and skinny Star Wars freaks.
Eric snorted and looked away when Donna elbowed him in the ribs.
Jackie moved closer to the fray her hand reaching out to grab Hyde's collar. "Okay, stop." Hyde's hand moved up and pushed her back a few steps.
They ignored her. too mad at each other, blind rage burning in Hyde's ice blue eyes, blank anger shining brightly in Kelso's. "Michael, Steven, stop." She stood beside them now as Steven rolled over Kelso on top of him. Kelso's elbow flew back after his fist connected with Hyde's chest. His elbow hit Jackie square in her stomach and she stumbled backwards and landed on her butt. Everyone immediately froze. Hyde pushed Kelso off of him and sat up his gaze locked on her.
Jackie sat on the ground her legs spread out in front of her, her hand over her stomach, her eyes were wide with shock. They hurt her. They actually hurt her. She felt tears burning the back of her eyes.
"Jackie, are you okay?" Donna stepped squatting beside Jackie who hadn't moved.
"Help me up." She said to Donna softly turning her big green/blue gaze to Donna.
Donna nodded glancing quickly at Hyde and Kelso before standing and pulling Jackie up with her.
"Jackie-" Kelso began moving toward her.
"Stay away from me. Both of you." She said walking away with Donna.
"Eric, come." Donna snapped.
"Coming." Eric called. He turned to his two stunned friends. "I would stay with you but…" He trailed off shrugging.
Hyde nodded his eyes never leaving where Jackie and Donna had disappeared inside a tent.
"I didn't mean to… I didn't see her." Kelso mumbled.
"Make sure she's okay." Hyde said softly. "Tell her…" He cleared his throat. "Never mind. Just make sure she's okay."
Eric gave a curt nod and moved to Jackie's tent.
They had missed their graduation. Waking up late, rushing to clean up their campsite and then realizing that Laurie and Fez had taken off with the van. They rode home in the back of a truck with pigs. Jackie Burkhart was so disgusted she couldn't speak. Sleeping in the woods is one thing…But rubbing up against pigs…Eww. Just thinking about it made her nauseous.
"I am going to take a long hot bath, and then slit my wrists." She pushed herself off the Forman's kitchen counter. And made to walk passed Steven and Kelso who leaned on the other.
"We have to talk," Steven said stepping in front of her his hand out to stop her from moving.
"We have to talk," Kelso said from behind Steven.
"I don't want to talk about love." Jackie said lowly. "I have brown stuff on the bottom of my jeansཀ" She glared menacingly at them. "I am taking a bath. And I swear on everything holy, if any of you try to stop me I will kick you in your 'Sunshine State' and you will be singing falsetto for the rest of your miserable life. Now move!" She pushed passed Hyde and then Kelso and made her way to the sliding glass door.
This time it was Donna who stopped her, standing up from the kitchen table. "Jackie you should just get this over with. Because they are driving us," she made a motion between her and Eric, "crazy."
Jackie's hands jumped to her hips and her mismatched eyes fixed on Donna. "Donna, I was in a truck with dirty animals and hay. You may not realize this, cause I'm trying to stay calm, I'm trying not to plot the deaths of Fez and Laurie, but I have severe rage flowing through my veins. I am ready to savagely bludgeon someone, anyone, to death with my pig shit covered shoe. So, Donna, my wonderful Amazon, get the hell out of my way." She smiled sweetly and batted her long dark eyelashes. Damn horny foreigners, and hot scruffy orphans, and too-pretty idiots, and blonde whores, and skinny Star Wars freaks, and red head lumberjacks.
Jackie sat beside Donna on the couch in the Forman basement. "I'm not crying over her this time. I'm not a stupid naïve little girl anymore." She pushed a dark curl behind her ear. "I knew she'd come back eventually. I mean, she always does. But I'm not falling for it this time. And I'm not gonna…I care this time." Her voice cracked.
"God, Jackie." Donna threw her arm over Jackie's shoulder pulling the smaller girl closer. "I'm so sorry."
"What was she thinking, Donna? In the driveway? Where I spend most of my time?" Jackie's eyes filled with tears and she sniffled. "God, I hate her."
"I know," Donna nodded rubbing soothing circles on Jackie's back. "I know."
The basement door opened and in trooped the guys minus Kelso. Hyde's laughter immediately died seeing the hot tears rolling down Jackie's cheeks. "Jackie what's wrong?" He sat on the other side of her while Donna continued whispering soothing words.
"My mom is back." She choked out.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Eric said moving toward the freezer for a pop-sickle.
"No." She said giving Eric a look as she pulled her head off Donna's shoulder. "It's never a good thing. Where have you been all these years?"
"Obviously not caring what happens in your life." He plopped down in the seat closet to the freezer across from Fez who was in the lawn chair.
"Eric, don't be a dumb ass." Donna warned narrowing her eyes on her fiancé.
"What?" Eric shrugged. "She asked."
"I hate her so much. How could she? The slut." She turned from them and stared at the blank TV screen. Her mouth dropped and her eyes widened. "Oh, my god. My mother is a whore." She sobbed.
"I know." Donna hugged her again. "Shh, I know."
"And Kelso…" Jackie threw her hand over her mouth. "Oh, I'm gonna be sick."
"Jackie, what happened?" Hyde asked again getting frustrated with her broken sobs.
"I can't… I can't…" She wailed.
"Aye, Jackie. What happened?" Fez said just as frustrated as Hyde.
"My mom," she began, "was doing it with Kelso… in his van… in this driveway." Jackie screeched. "I saw his ass and saw my mom's face. And… and… and… Donna you finish."
"And it was nasty… Kelso, our Kelso, was schtooping Jackie's mom in your driveway, Eric. We were innocently passing, when we heard the moans. And Kelso said Pam… so we thought it was Pam Macy, naturally." Jackie's sobs grew louder and Donna paused to give her comfort. "We thought lets mess with them. I looked through the window 'cause I'm the tallest… and I noticed that she wasn't a blonde like Pam Macy. Jackie took a peak and she screamed… And I heard Kelso scream Jackie, and her mom screamed Jacquelyn… and little Jackie almost passed out… so I grab her and half dragged her, half carried her in here. Two minutes later… the van was pulling off and we haven't seen Kelso or Mrs. Burkhart since.
"Wait a minute, Kelso and Jackie's mom…" Eric clapped his hands. "Why that lucky boy… I mean, what a dill hole."
"Oh, that bitchཀ" Jackie screamed. "The two biggest whores in Wisconsin. Even bigger than Laurie and that's a lot of whoring." She sniffled. "I hope she gets fat, and wrinkly and… and all her hair goes gray. No, I hope all her hair falls out and she gets a venereal disease."
"Oh that's… nice." Donna said.
"I hope Kelso gets gang green on his penis and his balls drop off in the shower." Jackie was smiling now, and she put her hand over her mouth to cover her giggles. "Can you imagine his face?" She was out right laughing. She wiped away her tears a smile still plastered on her face. "Oh. That makes me feel a lot better."
They were silent for a minute. Until Fez spoke up. "So Jackie was your mother naked?"
Jackie looked at Fez and then her face crumbled and she began sobbing again turning to bury her face in Hyde's shirt while Donna stroked her Back. "My mother's a whore."
"But I like whore's Jackie…" Fez said which only caused her to bawl louder.
The basement door opened. "Hey guys."
Jackie sobered up and turned to him. "You son-of-a-bitch." She stood breaking away from Hyde's embrace. "I could kill you where you stand." She leaped over Donna's legs and had Kelso pinned to the floor before anyone could blink. "You stupid slutty, son-of-a-bitch. You dimwitted baboon." Her hands were wrapped around his neck as she tried to shake some sense into him.
"Jackie, let him go. He's turning blueཀ" Eric was the first to wrap his arm around Jackie's waist to pull her off the taller young man who was rapidly fading out of consciousness.
"Jackieཀ Get off of him." Hyde grabbed her other side and the two young men finally separated the petite cheerleading brunette from the stunned teen beneath her.
Kelso stood shaking the black spots that dotted his vision away. "Jackie what… " He took a step closer to her and she backed away.
"My mother Kelso. My mother." She pushed Hyde and Eric off of her, not angry but now the hurt was seeping through. "How could you? You were my friend, Michael." She wiped away her tears. "You guys are the only people I actually trust. How could you?"
"Hey, Jackie. I'm sorry." Kelso had his hands out palms up. "I'm so sorry."
"The last six months, that's all anyone has said to me. 'I'm sorry, your father's going to jail.' 'I'm sorry but we can't find your mother in Mexico.' 'I'm sorry but we can't work in your house anymore because there is no one to pay us.' Or 'Jackie, I'm so sorry that I cheated on you on purpose with a nurse.' Well, I'm tired. I'm so tired. I can't do this anymore. I can't…" She looked at everyone's sympathetic faces. "I have to go." She moved to the door.
"Jackie--"
"I'll see you later, Donna." She stopped when she felt a hand gripping her arm.
"Jackie, stay." Hyde said.
"I have to be alone right now. But I'll see you guys later." She pulled her arm away and disappeared out the basement door, leaving them staring at where she once stood.
"I'm over it. That was last week. I am a whole new Jackie Burkhart." At their stares she smiled. "I'm serious. I'm over it. Don't you think it's time for you to let go, too?" Jackie let her warm blue/green gaze pass over her friends.
"Jackie, your mom is still in town. How do we know you won't go all Bruce Lee on her?" Eric tilted his head to the side his eyebrow raised in question.
"Everybody, I'm fine. I'm perfect. The world is beautiful. Full of sunshine and rainbows." She gave them a grin and focused her attention back at the TV screen. They continued watching her throughout the movie. "Okay, you know what? Stop staring at me or I will kick your asses."
"well, there's the Jackie we all know and love." Donna said finally accepting the fact that Jackie was okay. Jackie was upset that her mom hadn't come and checked up on her, especially when everyone else had seen her in passing throughout the week, but she was getting over it.
"I'm hungry… anybody else?" Eric stood and stretched.
"Sure, let's raid the refrigerator." Hyde stood up too making Jackie who had been seated on his lap have to stand also. They were slowly but surely getting their relationship back on track. They weren't boyfriend and girlfriend yet, but they were making their way back to that.
Jackie sighed following Kelso, Eric and Donna, and Fez up the basement stairs, while Hyde walked behind her, his hands on her hips.
She was so busy relishing the fact that she had gotten the chance to vent her frustrations a week ago keeping her from an emotional collapse that she didn't notice everyone freeze in the kitchen. Her eyes locked on another pair very similar to her own and her smile faded as quickly as it came somewhere in between her trek from the basement to the kitchen.
"Hello Jacquelyn." Pam Burkhart's hair was immaculate as well as her clothes and her beautiful golden tan. She gave a small smile to her only child, her eyes quickly taking in the boy with his hands on her daughter.
Jackie snapped to attention when Hyde's hands dropped from her body. "Oh, this… this is just great… this is perfect." Her eyes moved to Mrs. Forman who sat beside Pam to Red who stood by the sliding glass door to Mr. Pinciotti who sat at the table across from Mrs. Forman. Her friends were all staring at her wondering what she would do.
"Jacquelyn you look so beautiful." Pam smile grew wider.
"For those of you that don't know who this is, meet Pamela Burkhart. My mother, the whore." Jackie announced. "So, mom—and I use that term loosely—what are you doing here? Did you finally become sober enough to remember you had a daughter?"
"Jackie." Donna said softly.
"Oh, Mrs. Forman. You might want to move away from her, I don't want her to get any of her slut diseases on you 'cause you're a good mom." Jackie's gaze moved on to her mother. "Bet ya never heard those words together? Huh, Pam? Good and mom?"
"Jackie, sweetheart. Don't." Kitty Forman said.
"So how was the trip to Mexico? Or was it the back seat of a car at the Texaco, cause, you know, I get those two confused."
"I came back to see you." Pam said pushing a light brown curl over her shoulder.
"Back? Back? Its so funny you should mention back, since you spend so much time on yours." Jackie leaned against the counter. "And you say you came to see me. But you've been in town for a week, that I know of, and haven't had the time to come and see me once. You sure did make the time to see the roof of a certain van, didn't ya? Cause once again, you were on your back."
"I wanted to get to know you better." Pam sighed.
"By sleeping with my ex-boyfriend. Nice." She gave her mother a thumbs up. She was getting it all off her chest if it killed her and everyone in that kitchen. "Well, just so you know, Steven is next. And just for shits and giggles, you might as well do Eric and Fez, too."
"I woke up one day and realized I knew nothing about my daughter so I hopped on the first plane back here. Baby, I'm sorry."
"Did you hop on the first plane, or the first pilot? Cause there is a difference, Pam." Jackie shook her head. "I'm done here. Have a safe trip… Actually, don't. Cause here's to hoping that your plane gets dumped in the middle of the ocean. When you're the only person on it." She turned to leave. Paused and turned back to the people in the kitchen. "Oh hell… Might as well say it all now in one fell swoop."
"Jacquelyn, stop it."
"NO, Pamela. You stop it. Stop pretending you care. Guess what, we all know you don't. I'm not falling for it again. It hurts me worse every time you walk away. I'm not putting myself in that position just to be disappointed again."
"Jacquelyn, I have so much to make up for--"
"Jackie."
"What?"
"My name is Jackie."
"I don't want you to hate me. You're my daughter, my little girl."
"Your wrong. I'm not a little girl. And I'm not your daughter. I have no mother."
Pam stood abruptly, turned and walked out of the sliding glass door.
"Aurgh!" Jackie screamed. "I hate her."
"Jackie she sounded sincere." Kitty chirped.
"You don't know her like I do. That's the same speech I've been getting all my life. All of you are feeding into her grand performance." Jackie leaned against the counter again, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Go talk to her…"
"Steven, I--"
"Go talk to your mother. At least she's here." He shrugged.
"Don't do that. Don't throw your life in here to make me feel guilty for finally saying what I've waited my whole life for." She shook her head. "I'm not going after her." Everyone continued to stare. "I'm not." She was weakening. "Damn it. This is not the Brady Bunch. Life long problems don't get solved in thirty minutes." She turned away from them. "Oh crap." She stood straight and walked to the door. "When she leaves me again, and I need a shoulder to cry on…all of you, with the pointing fingers and the accusations, better be ready with the comforting words."
Jackie stomped out of the glass door and found her mother pacing up and down the driveway. "Why are you really here? Why do you keep coming back?"
"I want to make it up to you."
"You can't… You can't keep doing this to me. All my life you've never been around. You leave for a year or two and come back for a couple of weeks baring gifts. You buy me new stuff and then your gone again. You break my heart every time you go. I can't go back into this destructive cycle, cause this time when you leave, I don't know if I'll be able to survive it." Jackie ran her hands through her hair. "You gotta stop doing this to me, mom."
"Whenever I finally get comfortable, you come in like a tornado and you tear everything up again. Then you leave me to pick up the pieces in the wake of your devastation. I'm not doing it anymore."
"Fine, Jackie. I don't why I bother." Pam threw her hands up in the air in surrender. "Your stubborn, just like your father. See where that landed him."
"Yeah, in prison with a wife who's a selfish, snobby, bitchy, drunk. A whore." Jackie turned going back to the Forman house, realizing she left the sliding door open and everyone in the kitchen heard the words that were exchanged in the brief conversation.
She walked in the kitchen, mumbled a quick left my purse and disappeared into the basement.