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After the Smoke Cleared

Chapter one, one

It's been days since Hyde quit the circle, and he was feeling good. He started seeing and thinking clearly, and now he was sitting in the basement painting a model car. With his new found brain cells came other thoughts, something he couldn't get off his mind. He started thinking about his relationship with Jackie and where it went wrong. Maybe it was when he found her in bed with Kelso? Or was it when he ran off to Vagus and in a drunken state, married a stripper? No it could've been the way he treated Jackie this past year, and the fact that he'd stayed married to Sam. Why did he stay married to her? He didn't like her that much, and the sex wasn't that great.

"Man, why did I flush my stash?" He asked himself as he finished painting the front end of the model car. He then looked around the basement and realized there were a lot of old memories of him making out with Jackie, them sitting together on his chair or on the couch. He remembered sleeping with her, their arms around each other, or making love in his room. That was over now she was with Fez, and he was alone. "I quit the circle but I think the fumes from this paint are getting to me." He said under his breath as he heard footsteps.

"Steven what are you doing?" Jackie asked walking over to the couch.

"I'm painting a model car, I've been doing a lot since I've quit the circle."

"You quit the circle?"

Jackie stood there and listening to Hyde ramble on about how he had a bed trip, and felt it was time to quit smoking. As she stood there listening, she couldn't help staring, he looked so hot. What? No she was with Fez now she was over Hyde, was should be is over Steven. Is she? The way his strong arms felt about her small body, the way his beard felt on her creamy porcelain skin. The way his soft lips felt against hers, she loved everything about him. No he hurt her by running off and marrying that stripper, then staying married her. He said he was happy for her and Fez, only he didn't know how much that hurt after he said that.

"Jackie are you listening?" Hyde said pulling her out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"I'm going for a run, tell Mrs. Forman I'll make a salad later."

"Yeah sure."

After Hyde left the basement, he sat on the stairs leading outside, thinking about everything. Why had he not told Jackie how he felt when they were alone in the basement just now? Why did he say he was happy for her and Fez? He wasn't happy for them he hasn't been happy all year, because he lost Jackie. He could go back in there and tell her how he feels, admit he was wrong and bag for forgiveness in hopes she'd take him back. Oh who was he kidding she was with Fez and very happy.

Just as he was about to get up and walk up the stairs, the door opened. He saw Jackie standing there with tears in her eyes. "Steven I just called Fez and broke up with him."

"Why?" Hyde asked as he sat on the step he was on before.

"I'm still in love with someone else."

"Well I hope you and Keslo are very happy."

"It's not Michael." She said as she walked out into the stairwell, and closed the door.

"Who is it then?"

"It's you. It's always been you." Jackie sat next to him, and continued. "I know things between us have been bad this year, things happened that shouldn't have happened. I was wrong for giving you an ultimatum then leaving before you had a chance to talk to me. I was scared that you didn't want to marry me and that you'd reject me, and I couldn't stand to see that happen. That day when I came back to the basement to talk to you, and you said have a nice trip, it was all I could do not to brake down in front of you and cry; knowing you didn't want me to stay in Point Place with you."

Now the tears in her eyes were coming faster and harder then before. Hyde took off his sunglasses and looked right into Jackie's eyes. "I wanted you to stay but I didn't want to hold you back from your dream of being on TV." He wiped tears from Jackie's cheeks, with his hand. "When Sam left why did you run to Fez? That list you made is that really what you look for in a man? Have you forgotten all the times I was there for you, when Kelso hurt you?" For the first time in his life Hyde had tears in his eyes, and didn't bother hiding them from anyone.

"I thought you were over me, so I said I was over you."

"I've never gotten over you. The way I've been treating you this year, was horrible and that's just my way of saying I still love you."

"Well you sure have a funny way of showing it." She said with a small laugh.

"I know, and I'm sorry if I hurt you." Hyde took her hands in his. "Everything that happened last year, Chicago, that whole naked Kelso thing, That's all in the past; I don't care about that any more."

Jackie leaned in and kissed his lips, looping her arms around his neck. Hyde reopened by pulling her closer to him and held her. The kiss was hot and felt new, like they've been apart forever, though it was only a year. They broke the kiss after a while.

"Steven I'm so glad we're back together. I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too." He got up and she soon followed suit. They opened the door and walked back into the basement.

The End.