Disclaimer: I do not own That '70s Show, if I did the eighth season would not have had stripper wives, Jackie and Fez, or Africa.
Second Disclaimer: Any references to places real or imagined have been used solely for entertainment purposes and no monetary gain on my behalf...Please Enjoy! :)
Edit!: I switched the name of Jackies daughter with the reporters so it should say Jackie's daughter is SIDDRA and the Reporter is Cordelia. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for the reviews ch2 coming soon!
This takes place sometime after season seven, Jackie was supposed to go to Chicago, but went to live with her cousin Carolyn in Manhattan instead. This is just about three years after that decision...
Jackie:
The telephone rang just as Jackie Burkhart pulled the cookies out of the oven and put them on the plate. "come get them Siddra I have to answer the phone, but remember they're hot!" she called to her two year old daughter in the living room. She set two on a plate for her daughter on the table alongside a glass of milk and slipped into the den to answer the phone.
"Hello?" Jackie answered. " Jackie? its Donna How are you!?" Donna Pinciotti excitedly asked her old friend. " I'm doing good, I was just baking some cookies for an afternoon snack." "cookies?" Donna asked incredulously "You haven't gotten fat have you?" "God no! Donna don't be ridiculous, I do have a roommate to share them with and besides I'll probably bring most of them into work, I love to see the models pained expression in the presence of sugar and carbs! Anyway How have you been?" "Well," Donna began excitedly, "I'm getting married!" "Oh my God Donna that is so great! Who's the lucky guy? Is he rich?" "No, well not your kinda rich I guess, he's rich in so many other ways..." Donna trailed off daydreaming about her future husband. "Well who is he?" Jackies shrill voice cut in to her thought. "Its Eric!" Donna replied excitedly "We finally picked a date, and booked a church, a band a caterer and everything!" "Well I'm happy for you if you're happy but I've always said you could do better than Eric, scrawny, geeky, Star-Wars lovin' Eric..." Jackie muttered the last part under her breath. "Jackie i heard that!" Donna scolded. "Sorry." "Anyway," Donna continued, " the reason I called you is because I wanted to ask you if you'd be my maid of honor?" "Oh my god Donna I would Love to be your maid of honor. When's the Wedding? Where is the wedding." " Well its in two weeks in Point Place. We wanted to get married in the town we plan on spending the rest of our lives."
Jackies heart sunk, there was no way she could go she'd promised herself when she'd left nearly three years ago she'd never return to Point Place again. But she didn't know how she could possibly say no to her oldest and dearest friend. Plus More unsettling than returning to her former hometown was the paralyzing fear that he'd be there. Jackie knew she wasn't ready to see him again, in fact she had very serious doubts she would ever be ready.
"What day is the wedding on?" Jackie asked. "Saturday at four o'clock, dinner at 6, and the dance starting at 8. But I need you there the night before for the groom's dinner, Kittys hosting it so you know it will be interesting!" Donna laughed. "And then I was thinking after you, me, Brooke, and Laurie can go out for some last minute bachelorette fun!" "Lauries going? God why Eric doesn't even like her?" "I know but Kitty insisted so she's my fourth bridesmaid. So what do you say?" "Gee Donna Idk I have a lot of work here in New York fashion week is coming up and my boss The Diana Legano wants me there for every second..." Jackie trailed off. "That's tough," Donna agreed "But I feel like I never get to see you anymore since you moved to New York and I miss you, We all miss you." yeah I'm sure Eric misses me a whole lot," Jackie began sarcastically "Probably as much as Ste-" "it doesn't matter" Jackie said catching her mistake. "I wont be able to get out of work" "Hmm well now I don't know what we're gonna do, no maid of honor and no best man either" Donna replied suspiciously. "What do you mean no best man?" Jackie asked. "Well Hyde can't make it either he's on tour with his band." "Really? you now if it is two weeks away I suppose i could get everything ready for fashion week and let my assistant implement it all..." Jackie answered. "Really? Oh Jackie that would be great thank you! So I'll see you in two weeks than?!" "Yep see you in two weeks Lumberjack!" "Love you midget."
Jackie hung back up the phone and walked into the kitchen to check on Siddra and the cookies. Unfortunately Siddra was nowhere in site and the milk and cookies looked like they hadn't been touched. "Siddra!" Jackie called, "Siddy where are you?" She went into the living room and stopped in her tracks. Siddra was sitting in front of the tv screen mesmerized by song that was being sung by a band. Jackie recognized the song right away, it was the song she switched off every time it came on, on the radio or wherever, she would never listen to it. But the song ended and Siddra was still staring intently at the screen. It looked like a woman was now going to interview the band members who had just played the song. The camera swept over to the lead singer and the first question was directed at him. "Your songs are very hard rock but your lyrics are beautiful," the pretty blonde interviewer began in an English accent, "most of those lyrics are about unrequited love, is there someone in your life that got away." The camera spanned the band and zoomed in on his face, Siddra touched the image as he paused to answer. "Well Cordelia..." Jackie swallowed hard and wiped a tear from her eye. Looking down at her beautiful daughter she thought to herself maybe returning to Point Place wasn't such a good idea after all. She quickly shut the tv off afraid to hear any more. Siddra spun around and gave her a confused look " Mommy no like tv?" two year old Siddra asked. "Not this show, not anymore," Jackie answered, " come on," she continued pulling her daughter into her arms, "I made you some cookies and they're waiting for you in the kitchen." Siddra's face lit up and Jackie knew the tv program had been forgotten at least for one of them.
He was standing on stage giving an amazing performance. The crowd was going wild and he felt wonderful. He scanned the crowd looking out at all of his fans, but stopped dead when his eyes fell on her. She was standing in the center looking up at him with a longing look in her multi-colored eyes. It had been so long since he'd seen her; he had to talk to her nothing else mattered, not the band, not the crowd, not the show just her. He called out her name and began running towards the edge of the stage. He jumped down and tried to push his way through the crowd. There were so many people in his way and so much noise and chaos going on around him he feared he'd never reach her. He lost sight of her and began to panic, pushing people out of the way not caring what happened. He searched and searched the crowd but could not find her. He called her name over and over but she never answered he'd lost her again.
Hyde:
Steven Hyde woke with a start. He sat up so fast he bumped his head on the bunk above him. He shook his head and climbed out of his bunk. He walked over to the mini fridge hoping to find a water but of course all they had was beer. He took one anyway, popped the top open and settled down on the couch. He thought about his dream. He hated that dream. He had it all the time. It wasn't always at a concert that he lost her, sometimes it was a the beach and she was swept away by ocean waves, other times it was a burning building, or she was being kidnapped. Anyway it happened he could never get to her in time and always lost her over and over again. He was pretty sure what the dream meant, he felt it everyday: he was an idiot for letting her walk away and no matter what he did he could never seem to get past it. Hyde got up and went to the front of the bus to talk to the driver. "Hey Ted," he called "where we at?" "Just outside of ," Ted replied, "We should be in Point Place sometime tomorrow morning." "Hmm..." was all of Hyde's response. "How come you're awake anyway?" Ted asked, "I figured you rockstars would be tired out after last nights show. It was way killer!" Hyde smiled at Ted's attempt at pop slang. "Weird dream I guess..." "yeah that can be a bummer I'd recommend a shot of whiskey but I see you've already got a beer" Ted laughed. "Yeah apparently this is all we keep in our fridge," hyde answered "go figure." "Well I think i'll try to go back to sleep wake me when...no don't wake me you know I hate being woken up." Ted laughed again and Hyde headed back to his bunk. He sighed to himself as he laid down, even after all this time she still haunted him literally.
Jackie:
Jackie checked her makeup in the mirror of the lobby at Manhattan's Waldorf Astoria Hotel. She was late for supper but she was always late and she knew by now her fiance didn't mind. Jackie had met George Hilton (yes of Those Hiltons) during a photo shoot her cousin Carolyn a fashion editor had arranged for her. George always told he he had fallen for her instantly but what had hooked him was her laugh. Not just that it was a beautiful and infectious laugh but that it had gone along with the misstep she'd taken that day and nearly knocked over one of the light stands. If she could stay comical through that he said, she was his girl. He'd asked her out right there and then. Jackie had been hesitant at first but after much cajoling from Carolyn saying how rich he was and how important he was in the fashion and magazine industry, (He was CEO and Chief Editor Of Mystique Magazine after all!) Jackie agreed to go out with him. She had a wonderful time on their first date (Dinner and a Broadway show,) their second date, (Dinner and Dancing) and their third date (VIP passes to fashion week in New York,) but what Jackie liked most about George was how he seemed to understand that she'd just gotten out of a difficult relationship and was more than willing to take things slow. Even his proposal had been perfect in that sense, (He'd rented out the ice rink at rockefeller center and had an accompanying orchestra, and their own personal icecapade show detailing their relationship, he even got gold medalist Dorothy Hamill to play the part of Jackie,) he asked her if they could hold off sleeping together until after the wedding. Since they hadn't already and Jackie was in no rush she'd agreed. And now here they were still months away from their wedding and she had to tell him she had to go home.
Jackie walked up to the hostess booth and requested George Hilton's table. "Right away miss," the hostess answered quickly leading her across the restaurant to her dutifully waiting husband. "Jacqueline darling, you look gorgeous this evening!' George drawled standing up to hug her and kiss both her cheeks. " I finished those looking over those blue pages you sent me this afternoon," Jackie replied sitting down. Since dating George he'd promoted her from fashion model to fashion editor at his company. "Jackie no work talk tonight, it's friday, a beautiful evening, and we'll have the whole weekend to spend together." "Right, about that listen George I hate to put a whole damper on this evening but there is something I have to tell you." "Of course Jackie," George said reaching over the table to hold her hand, "you know you can tell me anything." "Well," Jackie began, "I think I have to leave tomorrow for home, Point Place, and I don't think I'll be back for a few weeks. You see my friend, well my best friend really, Donna is getting married to her lifelong sweetheart, another good friend of mine and she's asked me to be her maid of honor, and I really feel i need to be there for her." "Jackie of course you do! you take all the time you need sweetheart, besides your absence will give me the time to train in my new assistant Freddie. Freddie Marshall have you met him? He is simply hilarious you simply must!" The rest of the evening was spent with George prattling on about his new assistant and the upcoming fashion week. Jackie however was lost in her own thoughts and particularly worries about her upcoming trip. She was excited to see Donna and Eric, both of their parents of course, and she wanted to see how Brooke and Michael were. She had been so pleased when she'd received their wedding announcement, they were perfect for each other Brooke kept Michael out of trouble and Michael kept Brooke light hearted and not so serious. She also couldn't wait to see Fez and catch up on all the latest gossip she'd missed. She hoped he had found someone by now. She was excited to introduce Cordelia to everyone. There was only one little hiccup, one person she was not exactly excited and not exactly nervous no more along the line of terrified to see. Terrified with just the smallest glimmer of hope.
Red & Kitty
Red Forman was happy. He had just grabbed his favorite beer, and some pretzels, sat down in his favorite green chair and was just getting ready to watch the Packers game when his wife breezed in through the kitchen. "Oh Red turn it to channel 6 quick!" Kitty said excitedly settling down on the sofa. "Nope sorry Kitty can't do it the packers are playing, you're going to have watch your girly lifetime rape movie downstairs." "Red channel 6 is not lifetime and not all those shows are about rape!...Just most of them. Anyway," Kitty continued shaking her head, " Steven's band's interview is going to be on! and we need to watch it! Oh! what if he mentions us!? We'll be famous Red! We'll have to change our phone number, we could end up on Carson!" "Kitty...none of that is going to happen, but fine we can watch Steven, but during the commercials I'm switching it to the game." Red said with finality.
The Interview
The Zenmasters had just finished playing their soon to be number one hit "Without You (there is no Rock and Roll)," when they got seated on the couch for a live interview by Cordelia Redgrave from Alternative Press Magazine. She turned toward Steven Hyde the lead singer, and began. "Steven, Sorry Hyde, I like many fans know you prefer your last name over your first. Hyde, A lot of your songs are hard rock but your lyrics though beautiful seem to be about unrequited love, was there someone special in your life that got away?" Hyde laughed "Well I don't really like to go into my past but, I think there's always that one person, maybe your first love, the one that got away. I think a lot of people can relate to that and that type of first loss and pain is awful but it can really provide an artist with some strong material and I think that comes out real well in our lyrics."...
Jackie
Jackie Burkhart stepped off the plane at the Green Bay airport. She clutched Siddras hand and looked around nervously. She wasn't sure who her mother would send to pick them up at the airport. "Jackie? Is that you my Goddess?!" "Oh my God Fez!" Jackie screamed turning around and throwing herself into his arms. "What are you doing here?" "Mrs. Burkhart sent me after she caught me skinny dipping in your pool this morning!" "Well I'm glad she did, Fezzie! I haven't seen you in forever! How've you been? What've you been up to? You look good!" "Thank you my darling and you are as beautiful as ever, and who is this little angel?" "This is my daughter Siddra, Siddra this is a good friend of mine fez." "Nice to meet you Mr. Fez." Siddra said offering Fez her hand to shake. He quickly took it and said "Jackie she is just perfect! Now let's get your bags to the car and I will tell you ladies everything on the way to Point Place." Fez said heading toward to baggage claim.
Twenty minutes later all three were in Jackie's parents lincoln with Fez driving and catching them up on all the gossip.
Later...
The car pulled into Point Place gliding past the "Welcome to Point Place Sign! Don't date Kelso." Bringing with it a flood of old memories for Jackie. Snacks at the Hub, pep rallies at the old gym, vandalizing the water tower, swimming in the reservoir, hanging out in Eric's basement, and countless romantic dates around town with him. There had been happy memories sure but the whole town felt tainted since he broke her heart all those months, years now ago. Jackie sighed as she realized Fez was pulling into her old driveway. Time to face the music or rather parents she thought. "Here we are my queen and new little princess," he said indicating Siddra, "Home sweet home!" Jackie brought Siddra into the foyer while Fez unloaded the car. "My darling beautiful granddaughter!" a shrill voice screamed and Jackie looked up to see her mother, Pamela Burkhart racing down the stairs.