A/N: Thanks for the great reviews! You guys are awesome! I accept anonymous reviews now, so if you don't have an account then you can still review!!
This entire story is dedicated to BloodyLyra. She has continued to be my biggest supporter and a really great friend on this site. So thanks a bunch Mina! I hope this story is a fitting dedication.
Also all chapter titles of this story are Maria Mena songs. She's awesome!
Chapter 2: Sleep to Dream
Hyde, Jackie, Kelso, Brooke, and Mrs. Forman sat in awkward silence in the Forman living room. Since Jackie had walked through the sliding door and announced her pregnancy, no one could think of a word to say. Hyde sat there in shock, just staring at Jackie. It was official. He had lost her. He realized that Jackie had truly moved on with her life. Everything they had was now gone. She was carrying another man's baby. He was probably incredible, Hyde thought to himself, this lucky SOB who got the privilege of being father to her child. She, Jackie Burkhart, the most amazing woman on the face of the planet. It broke what little was left of Hyde's heart. God I fucked up. It could have been me. It Should have been me.
Jackie sat on the Forman couch speechless, probably for the first time in her entire life. She kept trying to avoid looking at Hyde, but with a gravitational force stronger than herself, her eyes were drawn to him. That is how it always was. There was a force that drew her to Hyde, like a moth to a flame. Jackie never really understood it, but it was powerful, very powerful.
"So Jackie…" Mrs. Forman began nervously. "What are you doing in Point Place?"
"Oh I'm moving back." she responded, also a ball of nerves.
"Oh my goodness! That's so wonderful!" Kitty shrieked as she pulled Jackie into a fierce hug.
"Thank you Mrs. Forman." Jackie smiled.
"Is your boyfriend moving here with you." Hyde asked quietly, keeping his eyes glued to the floor.
"My boyfriend?" she asked with confusion.
"Yeah. You know Jackie, the father of your kid." Hyde said irritated.
"Oh I uh..," she paused nervously "I don't have a boyfriend Steven. It's just me."
"What?! Did the bastard bail on you? Tell me where to find him and I'll set his ass straight."
Hyde stood up in fury. How the hell could this guy be so stupid? If there was one thing Hyde hated, it was parents who bail on their responsibilities. It happened to him and to Jackie and he would be damned if he let it happen to her baby. Jackie may not technically be his to worry about anymore, but he would always be concerned about her, always.
"No Steven calm down." Jackie stood up and placed her hands on his shoulders as she continued to speak softly "There is no father Steven."
"What? Jackie, you expect us to believe you're the next virgin Mary. Believe me, I know all to well that's not true." he couldn't help but smirk slightly at the memories of his and Jackie's hot sex life, former sex life that is.
"No silly. I was artificially inseminated." she smiled up at him. It threw her, how quickly Hyde was there to defend her. Just like the old days.
"God Jackie, why the hell would you do that?!" he shouted, pulling away from her.
Jackie was taken aback. Why the hell was Steven so angry about this? "Steven, what's your problem?"
"I just can't believe you Jackie! You're so fucking impatient. Everything has to happen right away. You can never just wait. I mean, did it never occur to you that maybe I…" he paused, catching himself. That maybe I wanted to be the father of your children.
Jackie stared at him in shock, wondering if he was really saying what she thought he was saying. Finally Hyde gathered enough composure to continue "That I don't know, maybe there's some guy out there who would want to have kids with you someday?" he added sheepishly, not meeting her eyes.
It wasn't exactly what she'd hoped he'd say, but it was close. Jackie sighed and began speaking quietly "I used to. But lately, I guess I've kind of given up on that dream. I have always wanted to be a mom so I figured, why wait for a guy who will never come? So I got inseminated." she said sadly.
Jackie hated both the honesty and the deception of her words. She despised lying to Hyde about the rape. All she wanted was to run into his arms and tell him what happened. Ask him to save her, like he always did. But those days were gone. On the other hand she hated that she wore her pain on her sleeve. Pain he had caused.
Hyde ached inside at her words. His Jackie, the eternal optimist, the hopeless romantic who always believed in true love, was gone, because of him. He had broken that part of her spirit. The part that he outwardly cursed while they were dating, but secretly loved most about her.
"Aren't you worried about doing this on your own?" He asked gently, finally making eye contact. God this woman was beautiful, and the glow of pregnancy only increased her beauty, as if that were even possible.
"Yeah a little." She was terrified, truth be told.
"Oh well honey, you won't be alone. We are here for you every step of the way!" Kitty burst into tears, once again hugging Jackie.
"Thank you Mrs. Forman." Jackie spoke sweetly to the woman she considered a mom to her.
"So honey, where are you going to be living?" Kitty asked with concern.
"Well I think I'll just stay at a hotel until I find a place." she replied.
"Oh no you won't missy. You will stay here." Kitty said in full on mother tone.
"No Mrs. Forman, I couldn't possibly."
"Yes you can and you will! You can stay in Laurie's room." Kitty smiled cheerfully.
"Well…thank you Mrs. Forman, but I'll move as soon as I find an apartment." Jackie said adamantly.
"Oh don't be silly! There's no rush! Yay one of my babies is back home!" she shouted cheerily. "Okay Michael, Steven, lets get all of Jackie's things from the van!" The boys followed a bouncing Kitty out of the room, leaving Brooke and Jackie alone together.
"So Jackie…remind me again why we can't tell them what really happened?" Brooke asked her friend anxiously.
Jackie thought about that night. It had been an excruciatingly hot summer night. The only thing that enabled Jackie to finally drift to sleep was the cool night breeze from her open window. Little did she know that, that open window and the fire escape outside it would enable someone to attack her, to take away her sense of trust and control, to nearly destroy her. She remembered his smell. The smell of stale cigarettes and cheap cologne. Jackie could swear she had smelled that smell before, but she couldn't place where. She remembered filing police reports that lead to nothing. They had no idea who had done this to her. If only she hadn't opened her window. Maybe it wouldn't have happened. All Jackie could think was that it was her fault. She couldn't have them pitying her. She didn't even deserve their pity.
"I just can't tell them Brooke. I just can't." she said solemnly.
"Okay, but really Jackie you should. I mean, they are the closest thing to family you have."
"I have you too." Jackie smiled at her new best friend.
"Oh sweetie, of course you have me." Brooke began to tear up as she took Jackie in her arms.
"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Kelso shouted enthusiastically "Now take your tops off!"
"Ugh Michael!" they shouted in unison.
Later that evening, most of Jackie's things had been moved to Laurie's room. Red had come home and they all enjoyed a peaceful dinner together catching up. Afterwards, everyone gathered in the living room. Jackie and Hyde sat on the couch with Kitty between them. Brooke was sitting on the Piano bench while Kelso was being Kelso on the stairs. He appeared to be jumping up and down on two of the steps in particular. Red looked up at him in disdain.
"Kelso, what in the hell do you think you are doing?" Red asked with disgust.
"These two steps make an awesome creaking sound. I'm making music!" he shouted with his signature goofball grin.
"Is it possible that you've gotten even dumber?" Red asked irritated.
"Yes it is." Kelso replied sincerely as he continued his hard rhythm of jumping.
"Just then there was a cracking sound followed by a loud banging. Everyone turned to see Kelso's form drop out of view, along with most of the staircase. As wood broke and plummeted and dust rose from what was left of the staircase, a single screech could be heard followed simply by…
"Ow my eye!"
They stood gaping at the huge hole in what was the staircase. Red leaned over and looked down the huge hole to the basement. There on the basement couch, covered in dirt and wood, laid Michael Kelso clutching his eye.
"Son of a bitch!" Red yelled at the top of his lungs. He marched down to the basement, followed by the others. Kelso stood up and dusting himself off and looked up at the hole above him.
"Oh awesome!" he shouted.
"Awesome?! You broke my staircase you kettle head!" Red approached Kelso with fury.
"But Red, look at that hole!" Kelso pointed upward with glee.
"My foot is about to drill a hole in your ass!" Red stepped toward Kelso.
"Duh Red, my ass already has a hole." Kelso added simply.
"That's it!" Red grabbed Kelso's collar as Kitty ran up to them.
"Okay Red that's enough." she attempted to calm her husband "Let's just be thankful that no one got hurt."
"Fine" Red began to relax a bit "But this dumb ass is fixing the stairs!" he gestured to Kelso.
Kitty surveyed the wreckage in the basement and made her way over to Jackie.
"Well honey I'm sorry but I don't think your going to be able to stay here until we fix the stairs. I will not have you trying to get up those broken stairs when you are pregnant. It's too dangerous, and this basement is a wreck, so I don't think you could sleep down here either." Kitty said sadly.
"It's okay Mrs. Forman, I can find a hotel." Jackie assured her.
"Oh I hate the thought of you in a lonely hotel room by yourself, when you're carrying my grandbaby in there." she patted Jackie's belly gently.
"Your grandbaby?" Jackie asked surprised.
"Of course! You know I think of you all as my own."
Hyde watched as the woman he considered his mother and the only woman her had ever loved hugged each other tightly. They were family. The closest thing he had ever had to it anyway. The thought of Jackie in some hotel didn't sit well with him either.
"Mrs. Forman, Jackie can stay with me." he spoke up.
Everyone froze and stared at Hyde. Kitty smiled widely "Oh Steven, that's a wonderful idea!"
"No, no I can't Steven." Jackie replied in shock.
"Come on Jacks, I have an extra room, and I live right down the street. It's perfect." a smile crossed Hyde's face at the thought of having his girl so close again.
Jackie felt tingles all down her spine at his use of that nickname, and at his unusually generous offer. She had always dreamed of living with Hyde and having a baby, but this was not the way she pictured it, them not being together, moving into his extra room, having a baby from a rape. None of that was in the cards for her, yet here she stood, in that very situation.
"But Steven…" she began to protest.
"But what Jackie? Look this doesn't have to be permanent." he spoke rationally.
Doesn't have to be permanent, Jackie wondered what the hell that meant. This was all too bizarre.
"Well…" she wasn't sure exactly what to say. Never in a million years did she think she would be in this situation.
"Come on Jacks, it will be fine. I promise." Hyde surprised even himself with his kindness. He wasn't sure this was such a great idea. He knew that he and Jackie could never be together again, and that pained him enough, but living with her everyday and not being able to touch her, to kiss her and make love to her the way he so desperately wanted to, would be a whole new level of torture. But Hyde just knew this was right. He couldn't explain his rationality even to himself, but this was the rightist fucking thing he had ever done, not that that is saying much.
"Well…okay…but just until I find my own place." Jackie agreed.
"Great!" he shouted with glee "I mean cool." he attempted to cover his excitement with Zen.
"Well then it's settled. I don't think we should try going upstairs until we get a professional to look at it so Jackie, I'm afraid we can't get to your stuff till tomorrow." Kitty said sweetly.
"That's okay Mrs. Forman. I should be fine tonight. I just want to get some rest." Jackie replied with an awkward glance at Hyde.
Hyde took that as his cue "Well I better get Jackie home."
They all exited the basement, with Red muttering death threats to Kelso under his breath. Jackie stood outside of the el Camino saying bye to Brooke.
"So, are you sure you can handle staying with Hyde?" Brooke asked worriedly
"I guess we'll find out." Jackie answered with a nervous smile.
"Call me if you need me." Brooke said softly.
"Thanks, I will. Bye!" They hugged tightly as Jackie got into the passenger's side and closed the door behind her.
Being in this car brought back many memories, both bad and good. She looked over at Hyde sitting behind the wheel. He smiled softly at her. God that smile could melt her heart faster than anything in the world.
"You ready?" he asked sweetly. That voice was pretty fucking incredible too.
"Yeah" she answered.
Once they got to Hyde's apartment, he showed Jackie around. It was a pretty nice place, it could use a woman's touch though, she thought. But it felt like him. It was the strangest feeling for Jackie as she stood in Hyde's apartment. She could feel him all around her, encompassing her, and it felt amazing. It felt like home.
"So here is your room." Hyde lead her into a simple room. It was empty except for a bed, a small dresser, and some files on the floor, Grooves paperwork, she assumed.
"It's not much, but it should be okay." he said quietly.
"Listen, Steven, thank you for letting me stay here. You didn't have to." Jackie said sincerely.
"It's no problem, I wanted to." Hyde's reply was barely audible.
"So I think I'll just get some sleep." she said tiredly.
"Oh okay." he paused "You want to borrow some clothes to sleep in?"
"Yeah thanks. That would be great." Hyde left the room and returned with a t-shirt and some sweats for Jackie.
"Here you go." he handed them to her "The bathroom's over there, and you know where the kitchen is. Help yourself to whatever you need. If you need me just come get me."
"Thanks Steven. Night."
"Night Jackie." he left the room and closed the door behind him.
Jackie slowly undressed. She pulled the sweats on and as she placed the shirt over her head, she inhaled the greatest scent in the entire world. The scent of Steven. Jackie breathed him in deeply and felt a surge of happiness rush through her body. God how she had missed this feeling. How she had missed him. She laid back in bed and allowed a million wonderful memories of Steven to flood her senses. Feeling at peace, she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Jackie felt pressure on her body. Someone was choking the life out of her. She tried to plead for the life of her baby, but no sound came out. The man continued his attack. She couldn't breathe…
"Help me!" she screamed, awakening from her terrible dream. Jackie's breath was ragged and tears stung her eyes. She grabbed hold of her belly and sighed in relief. Just then Hyde rushed into her room in a panic.
"Jackie what's wrong?" he asked concerned.
"I…I…just had a nightmare." Jackie's tears began to flow.
Hyde saw the fear in her eyes as she sobbed out loud. He sat next to her on the bed and put his arm around her.
"Hey. It's okay. It's gonna be fine. Shh" he held her and comforted her the only way he could.
Hyde rocked Jackie back and forth gently as she drifted off to sleep. Jackie knew that the last thing she could do was begin depending on Hyde, but right then, at that moment, safe in his strong arms, she found the peace she needed to drift off into a pleasant sleep.
To be continued….
A/N: Hope you like it so far! There's A LOT more in store so please keep reading and reviewing! ANONYMOUS REVIEWS ACCEPTED!
