Shattered
Chapter 2 – Another Time, Another Town, Another Everything. But It's Always Back To You
A/N – Still don't own anything
Fez's alarm went off, waking him up for a new day. He yawned and stretched, and got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. He stopped by Jackie's closed bedroom door and frowned when he heard loud snoring coming from the room.
He hadn't seen much of Jackie over the last two weeks. After she left the basement a few weeks ago after fighting with the gang, Fez went outside to see if she had gone to the car for a drink. He didn't see her there, but didn't think much of it, thinking she walked back to the apartment like she had done many times before. When he got home that night, she wasn't there. He tried not to worry, and go out looking for her because he didn't want to see overbearing. He heard them come home that night around 3:00 A.M. They came stumbling in, laughing and being loud. Fez didn't get out of bed, hoping it would be just a one night thing.
Two week s later it was still happening. She would sleep all day and then be out all night. He had met the Greg character once during the last two weeks. After four nights of her antics, he stayed up for her, wanting to talk to her.
Fez sat on the couch in the living room impatiently. It was 3:00 A.M. and knew Jackie would be walking through the door any minute. Ten minutes later, she opened the door and stumbled in, with the guy closely behind.
"Fez!" Jackie exclaimed when she saw him sitting there. She ran over to give him a hug. Fez could smell the alcohol and cigarettes on her breath.
"Jackie, what are you doing?" He asked her.
"Giving you a hug! I haven't seen you in days!" She exclaimed. "Oh! Greg, this is my roommate Fez and my best friend! Fez, this is Greg."
"Jackie, you're drunk," Fez stated.
"Duh! Well, good night!"
She jumped off his lap and dragged Greg into her bedroom.
Fez scowled again before walking into the bathroom. He decided that he needed to finally intervene, and help her before she hit rock bottom.
Jackie woke up in the late afternoon with a raging headache. She looked over to see Greg had already left, which was typical. She would meet up with him later that night.
She walked into the kitchen to grab a drink. She found a note on the table from Fez, asking her to meet him at the Forman's later that night. Jackie laughed, and crumpled the paper and threw it out. She was planning on never setting foot in that house ever again.
She sat down with a vodka on the rocks, and prepared to get ready for another night of booze and drugs with Greg.
Fez sat in the Forman kitchen scowling. He had asked Jackie to meet him at the Forman's so he could talk to her with them. He wasn't surprised she didn't show up, but was still disappointed.
He walked down the basement stairs with a scowl on his face, and sat in the lawn chair with the scowl in place still.
"What's wrong little buddy?" Hyde asked from behind Sam, who was sitting on his lap. Fez's scowl deepened when he saw the blonde on his lap. He looked over to the couch and saw Donna and Randy making googly eyes at each other. His anger rose even more.
"You guys are all sons of bitches!" Fez exclaimed and crossed his arms.
Donna looked over at Fez curiously. "What the hell was that for?" She asked.
"I have barely seen Jackie in weeks. She is off self-destructing with booze and alcohol and romping around with some guy named Greg, and it's all your faults!" He screamed.
Donna rolled her eyes. "Fez, how can you blame this in us? We didn't sleep with Kelso in Chicago," she said.
"She didn't sleep with Kelso!" He screamed. "And you are definitely all to blame! You Hyde, running off to Vegas and marrying the first whore you could find and breaking her heart. And you Donna, befriending that whore when you're supposed to be Jackie's best friend. And then ignoring her so you can flirt with hair boy over here! She has been dealing with so much hurt and pain, and you guys are too involved with your crappy lives to care!" Fez exclaimed.
Hyde stared at Fez. "Did you say Greg?" He asked Fez.
"Yes, you son of a bitch!" Fez said.
"Greg White?" He asked Fez.
"I have no idea. I have only met the son of a bitch once. He just looks like bad news. He's got her doing some kind of drugs, I just can't figure out what," Fez explained.
Hyde's face turned white. "If it's who I think it is, this guy is bad news. I know him through Leo. He's hard core into cocaine," Hyde said.
Sam looked down at Hyde. "Why do you care?" She asked Hyde.
"Because like I said, this guy is no good for her. For anyone," Hyde said.
"So what? Jackie deserves to end up in a ditch," Sam said.
Four pairs of shocked eyes turned their looks towards Sam.
"What the hell Sam! Just because you don't like Jackie doesn't mean you have the right to say shit like that!" Donna yelled.
"About time you defend your supposed best friend," Fez muttered.
"Fez, look, you're right. I was too caught up in my own life to know what was going on. And I feel extremely guilty. What can I do to help?" Donna asked.
"I had left her a note asking her to meet me here tonight, but she didn't show. I am going to speak to the Forman's and ask them to come to our place to help me talk to her. But, I don't think you should come. I don't want her to feel ambushed," Fez said.
Donna nodded, with tears in her eyes. How could she have been so insensitive and blind? If anything happened to Jackie, she would feel terrible.
Hyde cleared his throat. "Well, uh, I hope it all works out man," Hyde said hiding behind his Zen.
Fez sighed. "I'm going to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Forman," he told the gang as he got up and walked up the stairs.
Hyde stood in the back of Charlie's Pub, observing Jackie at the bar with Greg. She was laughing hysterically, all over the scumbag. Hyde gritted his teeth. He couldn't believe she had gotten herself caught up with this guy.
Jackie shakily got up and stumbled towards the bathroom. He figured now was his chance. He walked towards the bar and took the seat where Jackie had been sitting.
"Hey man, that seat is occupied by my date," Greg said. He turned to see Hyde.
"Steven Hyde," Greg said.
"The one and only," Hyde answered.
"What are you doing here dude? I haven't seen you in ages."
"Yea, well I came here because I heard you've been hooking up with Jackie Burkhart," Hyde said.
Greg chuckled. "Yea man. She's a good time. What's it to you?" He asked Hyde.
"Stay away from her man," Hyde said. "She's too fragile right now," he added.
"Oh I get it," Greg said. "You're the guy who she was with that up and left her and married a stripper, when he wouldn't commit to marrying her."
Hyde gave Greg a strange look.
"Look man, I'm not sleeping with her if that's what you think. I could see how vulnerable the girl is, I couldn't go through with it. Then she started talking. And man she's annoying as hell. But I'm lonely myself and craved the company," he explained.
"You're not sleeping with her, but you got her hooked on coke?" Hyde asked.
"Look man, that was her own choice. I just offered."
Hyde shook his head. "Look man, just leave her alone and get out of her life. She can't be doing that shit," Hyde said.
Greg took a sip of his beer and sighed. "Alright dude. I got a warrant out for my arrest in this state anyways. I'll leave tonight," Greg said.
Hyde got up from the bar stool and slapped his hand on Greg's back. "Thanks man," he said.
"You want to stay for a beer?" Greg asked. "Jackie should be back in a minute."
"No thank man. Don't mention I was here either," Hyde said as he walked out the door.
Jackie woke up the next afternoon, nauseous and with a headache like usual. This was really getting to be a pain, but she had didn't know any other life anymore.
Jackie had stumbled in the door of her apartment the night before, alone for the first time in two weeks. Greg told her before the bar closed he had a warrant out for his arrest in the state of Wisconsin and had to leave that night. Jackie had given him a kiss goodbye and watched him go. She wasn't upset. She had nothing invested in the relationship. And if she really wanted to blow anymore lines of coke, she knew were to score it now anyways.
She stumbled out of bed and walked towards the kitchen, eager to grab a drink. She was shocked when she walked out and saw Fez there, along with the Forman's.
Kitty gasped at the sight of the girl she considered another daughter. She was thinner than usual, she had dark circles under her eyes, her lips were chapped, and her hair was thinning. The fire that used to burn bright in her eyes was also gone.
"Fez? What are you doing here? Why aren't you at work?" Jackie asked.
"Jackie, we are here to talk to you about what's been going on," Fez said.
"Nothing is going on," Jackie said.
"Jackie, you're out all night, you sleep all day. You smell like booze and cigarettes, and I know you're doing drugs," Fez said.
"Drugs? Fez I'm not doing drugs," Jackie said as she crossed her arms.
"Hyde said that guy you have been hanging out with is big into cocaine," Fez said.
"Steven should really butt out of my life," Jackie snapped.
"Jackie, honey, I really think we need to get you some help," Kitty said.
"No offense Mrs. Forman, I'm fine. I don't need any help. From anyone. Just…leave me alone!" Jackie screamed.
She ran back into her room and locked the door. She stood crying with her back to the door for a few minutes, as she listened to Fez and the Forman's try to reason with her. She knew they were right, but she wasn't ready to face those demons yet. She heard them say to let her be for now, and they would try again later. Jackie then started to throw clothes together in a bag.
She would be gone before they could try again.
Hyde groaned as he woke up the next afternoon, the night after he went to the bar and talked to Greg. He noticed Sam wasn't in bed or in the room. He walked into the basement and found her sitting in his chair with her arms crossed looking pissed.
"Hey," he grunted to her.
"Hello Steven," she said.
"You seem pissed," he said.
"Well you would be too if you listened to me all night moaning some other guy's name all night long," she said.
Hyde looked at her confused. "What are you talking about?"
"After you came home from the bar last night, to be Jackie's night and shining armor, you came to bed and started saying her name as soon as you fell asleep," she said.
"You have no idea what you're talking about," Hyde said defensively.
"Should I record you next time?" She asked him.
They sat staring at each other for a few minutes. Finally Sam broke the silence,
"I'm leaving," she said.
"What?" Hyde asked.
"You're clearly still in love with her. And I don't deserve that," she said.
"You knew that in Vegas," Hyde said.
"I know, I shouldn't have come here. But once I found out we had drunkenly got married, I felt I needed to come here and try to make it work. But I was so wrong. But, it's also ok," she said.
Hyde watched as she stood and started to gather her belongings. She stopped and kissed Hyde one more time.
"I'll send you the divorce papers in the mail. Go save her."
