Chapter 2

Author's note:

Jackie cried her entire drive home. Jackie cried all the way to her apartment, waving off anyone who tried to approach her with looks of concern. Jackie knew all her carefully applied make-up was ruined but for once in her life she simply didn't care. She pulled her keys out of her purse, still sobbing. As she fumbled to find the correct key she dropped her keys. "Damn," she muttered trying to wipe her eyes, the hallway wasn't brightly lit so she really needed her bleary vision to clear up. A man's hand came into focus as he bent down to pick up her keys for her. "Thanks," Jackie said preparing to give whoever helped her out her best fake smile. Her vision finally cleared up and she looked up at her benefactor and froze. "Oh god, what do you want?" Jackie demanded quickly trying to wipe her tears away.

"I want to talk, Jackie," Hyde said handing her her keys with a stern look on his face.

Jackie quickly opened her door and entered her apartment, preparing to slam the door in Hyde's face as soon as she entered. He stuck his foot in the door to prevent her from closing it on him. "I'm serious, Jackie," Hyde said with a grunt. He could tell when Jackie was going to be exceptionally difficult and she had that look on her face now.

" Well, I don't want to talk to you!" Jackie snapped and kicked him as hard as she could in his shins. She quickly slammed and locked the door while Hyde grabbed his shins and howled in pain in the hallway. "Leave me alone, Steven or I'm calling the police," Jackie yelled tossing her purse onto the table by the front door.

"Damn it, Jackie. Why don't you grow up? I just came here to talk to you and you're acting like a brat," Hyde hollered pounding on her door with his fists.

"That's it!" Jackie screeched opening the door and grabbing Steven Hyde by the collar. For once she had the satisfaction of seeing his zen mask completely falter, it was almost too bad that she was too enraged to care. "You wanna talk buster?! Fine, we're talking. Let me make myself clear. You will sit down, Shut the f*** up and listen to everything I have to say to you. You'll get your turn but I've got a lot of things I wanna say to you and for the first time in your life you're gonna scrap the attitude and really listen to me you immature pick of crap or I'll stuff my foot so far up your ass, your eyeballs will pop out!" Jackie screamed into Hyde's face as she pushed him onto her sofa. Hyde sat frozen on her couch, unable to speak. Jackie had never talked to him like that before. They had traded insults but he had never seen her go ...nuclear on someone before. It was scary and for some reason he couldn't understand strangely attractive.

Jackie's eyes danced with anger. The rational part of Jackie's mind was telling her for once in her life, just shut up and once he said his piece he'd go away. The part of Jackie that was in control of her right now, had simply had enough of Steven Hyde's crap. She tore his sunglasses off of his face and threw them onto a nearby chair, glaring at him the entire time.

"All I ever asked of you was a little respect, a little affection and a little assurance that I really did mean something to you. You failed me three out of three. I guess our relationship must have been a great big joke to you because the more I showed you I loved you the more scorn and ridicule I got. But you know what? I took it, I loved you so much I took it because I thought maybe just maybe as long as I did that you would see that I'm not Edna or anyone else who has used abused and abandoned you. Joke was on me, truth was you didn't care. You only told me one time that you loved me and that was because you just got your ass dumped for cheating on me. Was it pride? Did you just want to be the one to dump me? I wonder about that now. Oh yes, then there was the time I asked you if we had a future. This one is my personal favorite," Jackie said coldly. She curt off his retort with an angry hand gesture and glare. "I wasn't wanting or expecting an immediate proposal a promise would have sufficed. I was pregnant and I just wanted to know you would have married me for me not because you're back was to the wall and you had no choice," she hissed throwing his long ago speech to Eric Foreman in his face. "Excuse me for just wanting to be sure that I was loved. I can see how immature and selfish that was. I should have been more like you, push the people who love me the most away with a sneer and a few hateful words. The more hurtful the better, you know just to get the job done faster. I should have just jumped to the worst possible conclusion on every occasion and caused as much trouble as I could. That would have been the mature thing to do," she said sarcastically. "Then maybe I should have ran off to Vegas and married a whore too. You know just to let you know how much I hate and despise you. After that I should have rubbed him in your face and made you watch us make-out; even listen to us have sex. Afterall, why would that hurt anyone? Its not like they'd feel like their soul was being ripped out piece by piece or anything," Jackie continued to rant, not caring about the tears streaming down her face. "I'm sure you wouldn't have minded if the gang welcomed the new whore with open arms, your best friend included and pushed you out like you were nothing. I'm sorry, Steven I can't be like you. I can't spend my life running away from things like love and commitment. You see I'm so immature that I want to plant some roots down and watch them grow. My family may have given me things, but love wasn't one of them. The feeling I crave is the very feeling you despise so say your piece and get out of our lives. I won't let you hurt this baby like you have me," she finished slouching down in a nearby chair with tired resignation.

"I'm sorry. I guess I never thought about it that way," Hyde whispered, feeling like a giant heel. He'd come to Chicago filled with anger and outrage but now he was feeling shame. He wished he could argue with her but he found that he couldn't; not really. He wished she'd look at him but she was just sitting in her chair looking tired and resigned. " Look, Jackie. I'm the father I know that. I have the right to be in my kid's life," Hyde said feeling uncomfortable.

"Technically, yes. You'll have to take me to court to do it though," Jackie said shrugging. "I don't think you will. You've always ran from commitment, Steven. For once in your life, do the right thing and just start running now instead of later," Jackie asked in a pleading tone. "Because if you run now, no one gets hurt. You run later you'll mess up a child's life," she whispered rubbing her temples.

" You don't think much of me do you?" Hyde said starting to get angry again. Jackie finally met his eyes and waited a moment before speaking again.

"Not anymore."

"Any one seen Hyde?" Donna asked coming into the Foreman's basement a few weeks later. Kelso and Fez were tossing candy into each others mouths and laughing.

"Not since the night he came back from Chicago," Kelso said munching on his candy. "Boy he was really ticked off!" Kelso said laughing.

"He had every right to be, moron!" Donna said wacking Kelso's arm in annoyance. "Jackie doesn't have the right to keep his kid from him! She's just being bitchy!" Donna exclaimed sitting down beside Kelso, looking at him angrily.

"Actually, Donna. Yeah she does," Kelso said standing up. "You and Hyde treated her like crap and now you act all high and mighty. Like you're God or something," he said ignoring Donna's angry sputtering. "This isn't your business, Donna. I know its hard but try butting out. I think Jackie's done taking orders from you," Kelso said gesturing to Fez. "Face it, Donna since Samantha came along; you stopped really being Jackie's friend at all," Kelso said before Fez closed the door behind them.

"I'm sorry. Let us know if there's anything we can do. She was a good woman," an older woman quietly said shaking Jackie's hand. Jackie nodded her thanks and greeted the next person automatically. Funerals had never been Jackie's forte but this one was taking its toll on her. Her mother had died a few days ago and the time since then had been a big blur to her. She cursed herself silently when once again she caught herself wishing Steven Hyde was here with her.

"Hey, Jackie. " sobbed Bob Pinciotti coming up to embrace Jackie. He was one of the first people Jackie had called after she heard of her mother's death. As Jackie remembered it, he was the only one that had cried. Donna's father was a good man and the way she figured it, he must have really loved her mom. "How you holding up, kiddo?" he asked wiping his eyes.

"I've been better," Jackie admitted quietly. Bob nodded in understanding.

"Look, I know that you've got a few more people in line to talk to but how about you and me get together afterward to talk?" he asked giving her another hug. Jackie nodded and wiped away her own tears. Pam and Jackie may not have been that close but she was still Jackie's mom. Bob was probably one of the few people to understand that.

"Um, I'm sorry. Jackie," Donna said coming up behind her father to give Jackie a hug much to Jackie's surprise. "If there's anything I can do to help let me know," Donna added looking as awkward as Jackie felt. Jackie guessed she shouldn't have been surprised that Bob would have brought his daughter along and despite everything that had happened between them Jackie was really glad that Donna had come.

" Thanks, Donna" Jackie whispered giving her a little hug back. Donna looked like she was going to say something else but Brooke and Micheal Kelso were next in line and they were sending some silent message to Donna. Donna shifted her weight uncomfortably for a moment and then left.

"We're sorry, Jackie," Kelso said pulling on his tie in discomfort. "Its a real shame about your mom. She had some killer boobs," he said sincerely. Brooke looked at him mortified.

"Its OK. That's just Micheal's way. Believe it or not you'll get used to it in time," Jackie said giving a half-hearted snicker. Brooke gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek making Jackie promise to call her soon.

When Brooke moved down the line of mourners, Jackie was greeted by none other than Steven Hyde. "Sorry to hear about Pam," he said uncomfortably. Jackie was so surprised that he was there that she could only nod. "Are you doing alright?" he asked quietly with concern. He had almost decided not to come but Donna wasn't finished backing out of the Foreman's driveway before he was knocking on the side of the van. Jackie affected him like that.

"Yeah, I'm holding up OK. Thanks for asking," Jackie said sincerely. Her and Hyde stood looking at each other for a few awkward moments; each unable to speak. "We don't have to hug, we can just shake hands," Jackie finally suggested trying to break the tension.

"Its ok. I don't mind the hug," Hyde whispered giving her a gentle squeeze. The baby chose that moment to kick and both of them froze for a moment before pulling away.

"It was nice of you to come," Jackie said gently pulling herself away and giving him a slight smile. "I really appreciate it," she added quietly. I wish I could stop loving you, this would be so much easier Jackie thought unaware that Hyde found himself thinking almost the exact same thing at that moment.

"Sam, we need to talk," Hyde said later that night as his wife tried teasing his earlobes with her tongue. "Damn it, Sam I mean it," Hyde said finally bolting out of their bed. Sam gave him a pout he was sure was supposed to be sexy but instead he found aggravating. "I've been thinking," Hyde began before Sam hurled herself at him in a kissing frenzy. "Its over," Hyde said detaching Sam's arms from around him. A task easier said that done. She reminded him of a horny barnacle.

"You're just getting confused again. Let me help. I'll take off my clothes," Sam said with a dim smile. She was almost completely undressed before Hyde could stop her.

" No, Sam. You need to go back to Vegas, I'm divorcing you." Hyde said firmly taking hold of her shoulders in an attempt to get her to listen to her.

"You can't do that. I was already married," Sam said resuming her strip tease.

"What?!" Hyde exclaimed. Oh please this isn't happening. I did not just ruin every thing with Jackie for the sake of a marriage that never existed, Hyde thought desperately. From the look on Samantha's face that was exactly what he'd done.

"I only married him cuz he bought me stuff. I married you cuz I was bored and you're cute,"Sam said nibbling his lower lip.

"Pack your stuff and leave," Hyde commanded pushing her away roughly. He quickly spun around and barreled out the back door.