Figure it Out
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Chapter One - False Hope
Chicago - Jackie and Kelso's apartment - 1983
Jackie awoke early in the morining after an uncomfortable's night sleep, her face looking worn out and tired. She blinked a few times trying to wake herself up and stared up at the ceiling trying to remember what it was like to be loved. If she was lucky, she would look to her side and find her fiance, he would tell her that she looked beautiful, they would kiss, and he'd tell her that he loved her. She knew he wouldn't be there and knowing for sure he wasn't there would make her miserable, but she decided to take her chances and look over to where her fiance should be sleeping soundly. She slowly turned her head only to find an empty space, rubbing her head with her hand, she sobbed quietly. She didn't know his exact where-abouts but she knew he was waking up next to some whore who he barely knew and this thought tore her up inside.
'When did things get so bad?' She thought. 'Am i not enough for Michael? Is that why he cheats on me every chance he gets? Or is it because i let him? He tell's me he'll never cheat again and i forgive him knowing he's lying. Knowing that he's already thinking of where to go to pick up another girl.'
Part of her believed Michael when he told her he wouldn't cheat again, she always thought..this'll be the time when he realised what he'd done wrong and just how much he loved her...False hopes. She knew she was kidding herself, but she couldn't stand the thought of being alone. Besides Michael bought her stuff, he wanted to marry her and he was going to give her everything she wanted... everything except true happiness.
'I should be happy with what i've got'
She heard the door slam and turned her head towards the door knowing that any second now Michael would stumble in smelling of perrfume and holding flowers that were meant to make her feel better. She wiped the tears from her cheek and got out of bed and stood up bracing herself for Michaels excuse for being out so late. She was getting pretty used to hiding her feelings from Michael, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he'd hurt and humiliated her. The door slowly opened and Michael entered looking a mess he walked a few steps to the side then back again. Jackie knew he either had a hangover or was still drunk.
'Hey babe, i bought you some flowers' He said slurring his words as he held out some red roses towards Jackie. 'Your favourite.' He could barely keep his eyes open.
Jackie's heart sank, her favourite flowers were Lilies, but she was so tired of arguing with Michael she just smiled plastically, graciously took the flowers and said 'yeah... they're beautiful.' She sounded dissapointed but Michael didn't seem to notice.
'Anything for my one and only' He practicall sang this but in a way that was so guilty that even he didn't even believe himself, but he knew she wouldn't bother pressing the matter any further,
'I have to go shower, we have to go over to Point place today. Donna and Eric's baby shower is today.' She exited the room, and knew without looking that Michael Kelso was smiling smugly to himself knowing that once again he'd gotten away with it.
After she ran the shower so it was at the right temperature, she stepped in and let the water fall down her face as she cried. She knew that she had to be strong but she also knew that Michael had made her weak. After years of cheating on her and letting her down he had finally broke her. She couldn't see a way out of this, and she couldn't really care enough to try. She wasn't even sure if she loved him anymore and as this sudden realization kicked in, she let out a gasp and started sobbing even harder. She had to lean against the wall of the shower with both hands to keep her stable. Loving Michael was the one thing that made her forgive him each time he cheated, its what made her say yes when he purposed, it was everything that she had built her life around for the past ten years. Now she didn't have that and she stayed with him anyway.
'Whats wrong with me?' She whimpered to herself silently.
The Formans Living room - The Baby Shower
- That Evening 5:00pm
Lots of people are in the living room talking excitedly amongst themselves, the whole gang is there, besides Jackie and Kelso who are caught in traffic. Kitty stands up and taps on her glass with a spoon and the room falls quiet.
'As you all know, Donna and my boy Eric are expecting their first child three months from now. My boy Eric...' She looks upset 'My boy Eric...is all grown up' A few tears run down her cheek. 'He... doesn't need me anymore...'
'Is it me or is this starting to sound like the speech she made at our wedding?' Eric smirks at Donna and she giggles back at him silently.
'But...im... im going to be a grandmother...yey!' She gives one of her famous laughs.'and i am just so happy that Eric and Donna have their own family, through all the ups and the downs in their relationship, they've made it and i couldn't be happier for them' She then looks at Red and raises her eyebrows and he looks away. ''Red... don't you wanna say something?'
Red looks annoyed. 'Oh.. damn!' Red goes to where Kitty is stood.
'Oh boy..' Eric say's to Donna bracing himself awaiting Red's painful speech.
He turns towards Eric. ' So Eric, when you started going out with Donna, i was suprised... what could you possibly have to offer her? Then when you got her to marry you, i was stunned, i thought.. 'hasnt she had enough of you already?'. And now... you've knocked her up and i just have one thing to say.' He raises his glass to Eric. 'Don't screw this up dumbass or you'll have to answer to my foot in your ass!' He looks around the room. '...cheers' Everyone mutters 'cheers' unsure of what to make of Red's speech.
Kelso and Jackie in his van.
-Same time
'This is all your fault, if you hadn't come in drunk then we'd have been ready a long time ago Michael!'
'Dammit Jackie! Be grateful i came home at all!' He was yelling at her for no reason she could see, why was she being punished for him cheating.
'What's that supposed to mean?' Jackie could feel her stomach turn as her anger was rising.
'It means that i could leave you anytime i wanted Jackie, i get plenty of offers' He continued to shout.
'It's a pity you dont turn any of them down!' At this point she was yelling at him too.
'Whatever, i don't care anymore.' The van fell silent.
After a few minutes Jackie finally decided what had to be done. 'We need to talk' Jackie said hesitantly, they were only making each other miserable so why should they be in a relationship like that, she knew what she had to do, she just didn't know if she had enough courage.
'What have i done now?!' He had now started speeding up.
'I don't think this is working' She said in a quiet voice, her anger had completely dissapeared, she wasn't even upset. She felt nothing.
'You don't think what's working?'
'Us Michael! I think we need somtime apart'
'What?.. are you breaking up with me?' Michael had stopped shouting and was now also talking in a quiet voice.
The Formans living room - The Baby Shower
Later that evening - 5:45pm
Hyde goes over to Eric and Donna. 'Hey i got the baby something.' He hands Donna a small bag.
Donna looks touched. 'Oh Hyde, you shouldn't have' She opens the bag and pulls out a tiny Led Zeppelin shirt - Baby Size. 'A Led Zeppelin shirt!' She smirks.
Eric looks amused.
'Yeah, i thought you'd like that' He takes a mouthful of his beer and goes to sit on the chair looking slightly drunk.
Fez walks over to Donna and Eric and stands in front of them looking nervous.
'I too bought the baby something.' He hands them and packet of Jelly Babies. Eric takes the packet and looks at it.
'Fez this packet is empty' Eric looks at him knowing that he would have ate the candy on the way here.
'What?!... He sold me an empty packet of Jelly Babies! The sons of a bitch!' Fez walks off pretending to be annoyed and pulls some loose Jelly Babies out of his pocket and puts them in his mouth.
Eric and Donna just smile.
'We brought the Baby something too.'
Donna turns to look where the voice was coming from and see's Jackie stood there not looking too happy from her conversation with Kelso but she was at least trying to look happy for Eric and Donna. Jackie hugs Donna.
'So what d'ya bring the baby?'
Jackie holds out a soft Unicorn teddy.
'Mr Fluffy Cakes?' Donna looks at Jackie surprised. 'But he's your favourite! You love him'
'Yeah, but i love this baby too.' Donna and Jackie smile at eachother.
'Jackie!' Donna hugs Jackie smiling.
Hyde watches Jackie from the chair, and the corners of his lips curve upwards at Jackies sweet gesture.
'So Jackie... where's Kelso?' Eric asks Jackie looking around.
'Er.. i don't know, he was with me a minute ago.' She lied, she knew exactly where he was, he'd spotted one of Donna's friends on the way in, he told Jackie he was going to see Mrs Forman but she knew he was going after Donna's friend...and did nothing to stop him.
'I couldn't have done anything to stop him anyway, we're broken up now.' She just wished that he'd wait untill after the baby shower before everyone found out. She didn't wan't to ruin this for Donna.
She went and sat next to Eric on the couch and noticed Hyde sat on the chair. He looked good she thought, cleanly shaven, more... grown up. She hadnt saw Hyde since she and Michael went to live in Chicago. Hyde had never really liked her, he was always calling her names but she always gave as good as she got. They just lost contact. Jackie realised she was staring at Hyde and noticed that Hyde was looking at her, probably wondering why she was staring at him. She looked away and decided to change the subject.
'So.. Steven... still living with the Formans?'
'Nope' Hyde said quickly, thankful that she started talking. It had only just occurred to him that he had been staring at her. He noticed that she called him Steven. Most people calling him Steven annoyed him but coming from her he didn't really mind. 'I've got a apartment down the road.'
Jackie looked and saw a mirror on the wall that wasn't there last time she was here, she looked at it and could see Michael kissing another girl behind her. She was surprised that it didn't bother her much. He was humiliating her in front of all her friends and she didn't know why but she was quite happy to sit here and talk to Steven. Hyde looked past Jackie and saw Kelso kissing the girl. His first instinct was to smile and to nod his head untill he realised Jackie was in the room and he realised what Kelso was doing.
'Jackie would be heart broken if she saw him kissing her...why do i even care? ...i mean... i don't care.'
He looked at Kelso then back to Jackie, he wanted to get her away from Kelso and the slut before she saw them.
'Er... so Jackie, why don't you come into the kitchen and get a drink with me.' Jackie looked at Hyde and saw him looking from her to Kelso trying to remain Zen but she knew exactly what he was doing, she always thought she could get a pretty good read on Hyde even through all his Zen.
'Is he trying to protect me from getting hurt?'
Jackie gladly accepted his offer and they both wen't into the kitchen.
'I can't believe he did that' Jackie thought. 'He didn't want me to be hurt by seeing Michael kiss someone else.'
'Steven?'
Hyde looked at her and she was smiling and he noticed how hot she was. 'Kelso's such an ass'.
'Yeah Jacks?'
'Thankyou'
'For what?' He looked confused.
'You didn't want to me to get hurt, because Michael was kissing another woman so you brought me out here.'
He looked at her unsure of what to say, her eyes were shining. He wasn't used to people thanking him, especially Jackie, he tried to keep his Zen, but instead said something he didn't mean to.
'I just didn't want Kelso to get caught'
Jackie looked at Hyde and unfortunately for Hyde her eyes started filling up with tears, but she wouldn't let herself cry in front of him. Although, Hyde could see he hurt her he didn't say anything. He didn't even mean what he had said, he was just trying to protect himself from getting close to anyone.
'How could i have been so stupid?' Jackie thought. She didn't know what to say.
'Listen Jackie-' He began but she interupted him.
'No its fine... really. I just thought you were trying to be nice to me for once.' Hyde could see she was obviously not fine. He wondered why she wasn't more upset that Kelso was cheating on her in a room full of people. He opened his mouth to talk but she cut him off.
'I guess it was just false hope' She gave him one last dissapointed look and let a few tears fall from her eyes as she walked away in the direction of the basement. Hyde stood still not knowing what to do. It wasn't his fault Kelso cheated on her, he hasn't done anything wrong, he didn't care.
'Why do i feel so guilty then?' He thought putting his hands on the back of his neck, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. Those words cut right through him...False Hope.