The Storm
Author's note: I want to thank everybody who is reviewing. It really motivates me to keep going! I hope you enjoy Chapter 2!
"Jackie?" Donna knocked on the doorframe of the open door. She looked around the small hospital room before finally smiling at her friend.
"OhmygodDonnayou'rehere!" The other girl practically leapt out of bed, knocking over a tray of food. "I mean, things are just so crazy right now!"
Donna allowed herself to be led back to the bed and sat down. Jackie sat too, positioning herself to face her friend.
"Your hair grew back pretty fast," Donna observed. "For three months you had a bald spot right there-"
"So are my parents really gone?" Jackie interuppted. "My dad's in prison and mom just vanished?"
"Yah, Jackie." Donna looked down and traced little circles in the blanket with her indext finger.
"And we're not in high school?" The other girl drew her knees up.
"We graduated three years ago," her friend agreed. "Kelso moved to Washington and got married-"
" 'Married'?" Jackie's face crumpled. "He's married? And not to me?"
"You two broke up a long time ago," Donna explained. "But you're still on good terms. You're even godmother to one of his children."
" 'Children'?" Jackie's eyes filled with tears. "So my dream life with my perfect boyfriend is over?" She sniffled. "So what about you and Eric?"
"Living together," Donna shrugged. "We both work and go to school."
"And Fez?" Jackie looked towards the window. "Is he still here?"
"Yah," Donna nodded. Her eyes lit up. "Also married-to Nina."
When no registration crossed the other girl's face, Donna cleared her throat awkwardly. "His first girlfriend," she explained weakly.
"Is it true about me and Steven?" Jackie looked down this time, brushing her fingers over the ring mark.
"It surprised everybody," Donna said, smiling. "But you two are very, very in love."
"I don't want to be." Jackie shook her head stubbornly. "Steven Hyde is white-trash, imbecilic, and a big pothead."
"You have to remember," Donna explained carefully. "That it's been four years. A lot has changed."
"well not for me, okay?" Jackie moved herself from the bed and angrily paced the room. "I pictured my life at twenty to be rich and happy with the perfect fiancee or husband swooning me everyday!" She laughed a little, shaking her head. "Not living in a crack-shack engaged to the boy I hate the most."
"Speak of the Devil," Donna said, narrowing her eyes towards the doorway. Jackie spun around and frowned when Steven nodded at her. He jingled a pair of car keys. "Got you all checked out," he said.
Jackie made a face. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
Donna stood up and slapped her thighs. "Well, I'd better get home myself. Eric's making lasagna, and the spaz that he is, he makes a hell of a lasagna."
"Donna, give me a ride to my house," Jackie ordered, staring at Steven, her arms crossed.
Donna glanced at him, and he shrugged, stepping out of the way.
--------
"Home sweet home," Donna remarked as they stepped inside the large Burkhart house.
It was dark and empty. Empty of people, anyway. The air was cold and Donna rubbed her arms for warmth. She looked around. "Anything else?"
"No, I'm good," Jackie said, taking a few steps forward. Donna left and Jackie moved from room to room, only feeling more lonely. When she reached her bedroom, she stayed in the doorway. It was perfectly neat and tidy, her bed made and the floor spotless. It was definitely not the way she'd left it.
She took a hot bath and changed into some PJs, curling up under her covers. Even with the heater on, she was cold, and it didn't take long for the tears to flow. For a straight hour she sobbed into her pillows, wishing for life to return, or at least a shoulder to cry on.
A knock at her bedroom door made her jump and she hid under the covers. She heard the door open followed by a familiar voice. "Jackie?"
She wiped at her eyes. "What do you want, Steven?" She sniffled. "How did you get in?"
"You gave me a key." She felt him sit at the foot of her bed. "Look, I know when you were sixteen, we hated each other's guts, but Jackie, things are different now." He sighed. "I know it's hard to believe, but if you could just trust me for a little while-"
"What do you want me to do, Steven?!" Jackie flung the blankets off of her head and sat up. "Smile and hold your hand and pretend nothing is wrong?"
"No." He was so calm about it that a tiny part of her calmed down too. "What I want you to do is to trust me when I tell I love you."
"Yah." She rolled her eyes and wiped tears from them at the same time. "I heard that from Michael six million times and looked what happened there."
"Are you hungry?" It surprised her that he didn't even fight back. "Why don't we go back home-to my place, I mean, and I'll fix us something to eat?"
Jackie hesitated, but she was lonely and scared. Steven took her silence as a yes and stood up. "My truck's outside."
"Can I at least get dressed first?" Her sharp edge had returned.
"All of your good clothes are at the apartment," he replied. "And I don't want to have to wait on you to try on fifteen-million different things just to eat a late meal in private."
--------
The apartment was actually kind of nice. Clean, decorated, warm and friendly. Photographs littered the wall and various shelves and tables. Several of them showed the two of them together. Jackie paused to stare at one resting on an end-table. It was in a silver frame. Steven was holding her bridal-style, kissing her. Even though it was only a picture, Jackie could tell they had been laughing.
"How does lemon-herb chicken sound?" Steven asked, rubbing his hands together.
"How long does it take to cook?" Jackie asked.
He waved his hand in a so-so manner. "Twenty, maybe thirty minutes."
She sat at the table and watched as he simmered chicken in a pan, sprinkling it with spices and lemon juice. He steamed rice and chopped fresh string beans. A warm aroma filled the room, and the sounds of sizzling and clanking sounded welcoming.
"When did you learn to cook?" She asked, sipping at the peppermint tea he'd made for her.
"I worked for a hotel kitchen for a few years and then just applied to culinary school," Steven replied, preparing two plates. He brought them to the table. "Graduated this past spring-still working in the hotel, but as a certified chef."
Jackie stared at him and skeptically took a bite of her chicken. Her eyes lit up. Steven grinned over his glass of iced tea. He watched as she cleaned her plate, and after dinner served brownies and milk.
"These aren't special brownies, are they?" Jackie frowned, inspecting her dessert carefully.
"I haven't messed with the stuff in years," Steven said. "They're clean, and so am I."
"So how did we start dating anyway?" She asked.
"You talked me into it," Steven said, raising his eyebrows.
Jackie stopped chewing. "I'm being serious."
"So am I," he shrugged. "You caught Kelso being a manwhore and tried to make me the rebound guy. I resisted and resisted, but eventually gave in."
They watched a movie together, Jackie in the recliner and Steven spread out on the sofa. When it ended, Jackie glanced at the clock. Steven followed her gaze with his eyes. "Want me to drive you home?" He asked.
Jackie yawned, but nodded. It surprised Steven, and hurt him a little. He did as he was told and followed her into her house. They both shivered a bit from the cold.
"So I'll take the rent's bed," Steven said.
"What?" Jackie frowned. "No, you'll go home."
"Jackie, I'm not leaving you here by yourself." The way he said it, so forceful but casual at the same time, well, it made just a little red creep onto the girl's cheeks.
"Fine!" She tossed her hair. "But don't try anything!"
"Wouldn't dream of it," he groaned. "After all, it'd be totally inappropriate to seeing as how we sleep in the same bed everynight."
"I mean it, Steven!" She pointed a finger at him. "And sleep on the couch!" She pointed to the sofa.
------
The sound of thunder woke her up. It had always scared her, ever since she was little. Jackie climbed out of bed and walked over to the window, peeking out of the curtains. Thunder sounded again and she screamed, covering her ears and closing her eyes. Footsteps sounded quickly and Steven flung her door open. "Jackie?"
Jackie turned to him, but just as she started to speak, another clap rang out in the sky and she started to cry. Steven recognized it, used to her astraphobia, and made his way towards her. She was trembling and whimpering, and she allowed herself to be embraced by his strong arms.
"Hey, hey," he said quietly, rubbing her back affectionately. "It's alright, Jacks. It's just thunder."
He kissed the top of her head before he could think about what he was doing, and she pulled away from him. She stared at him, her brows furrowed skeptically and she placed a hand to her forehead. "You said you would stay on the couch."
"I heard you scream," he defended.
"It doesn't matter-" She cried out at another blast and started to cry again. "God, I hate this!" She sobbed and shook her head, her tear drops hitting the floor like rain.
Steven hugged her again and Jackie cried into his shirt. They stood like for several minutes, and once the storm began to die down, Steven led her back to her bed. She didn't sit down.
"Maybe," she sniffled. "Just for tonight, you could sleep in here with me." Quickly she added, "On the floor."
"You're the boss," Steven shrugged. He left and returned with a pillow and blanket. He situated himself on the floor and Jackie climbed back into bed, rolling over so she could face him.
"Why are you so determined to get me to like you again?" She asked sleepily. "I'm being a real bitch, I know I am."
"Well, you're always bitching about something, so that's nothing new," Steven joked. "But I guess I'm so determined because I really don't want to lose you." He looked at her.
"How much do you love me?" Her eyes were drooping. "I mean, Michael told me that all the time. It didn't mean anything."
Steven stared up at the ceiling. "No, it didn't. He never treated you the way you deserved to be treated. I saw that long before we happened."
A smile tugged at the corner of Jackie's mouth. "You did?"
"Do you remember that time we went skinny-dipping at the resovoir?" Steven asked, grinning. "And you told Michael you were sick and ready to leave?"
Jackie nodded. "Yah."
"He didn't want to leave, but I took him outside and told him if he didn't take you home then I was going to beat the shit out of him."
Jackie laughed. It was music to Steven's ears. He smiled and continued, "I think I love you more than I've ever loved anybody or anything else in my entire life."
"Really?" She moved closer to the edge.
"I really believe you are my life," he said quietly, looking into her dark eyes that sparkled in the dark.
Jackie blushed, and turned over. "Goodnight, Steven."
"Goodnight, Jackie."
To Be Continued...