Jackie's feet hit the plush carpet hard, her restless fingers reaching for the phone; the very first thing she did was ring the Forman's, pacing with a hollow ache in the pit of her stomach.

What if she'd just thought she heard Daniella that morning, what if she'd just wondered back to her old house after the crash, what if he wasn't…

"Hello?"

Kitty's tender, chipper tone was a welcomed gift "is Steven there?"

"Um, no I'm sorry honey, he spent last night at his father's, but he should be by later, do you want me to pass on a message?"

Kitty had always had trouble with Steven moving in with Bud, even though he still spent the odd night in the basement. He was her boy; his home was with them, so she couldn't bring herself to call Bud's Steven's home.

Maybe she knew, knew that he'd let Steven down again.

Leave him again.

"No, no that's okay Mrs Forman, I'll just see him later… thanks."

"You're very welcome dear. Bye now."

"Bye."

Jackie smiled into the dial tone before sucking in a breath of perfumed air.

Clutching the phone to her chest Jackie prayed a little thank you to her Fairy Godmother.

He was okay.

He was out there.

Alive.

So, with a renewed vigour she finally got up, ready to get started on her plans… because she was pretty sure that changing the future required planning if she was going off any of that sci-fi stuff Eric was into.

She managed to find an outfit she didn't completely hate, did her makeup and hair to perfection, because hey, car wrecks, time travel and your ex-boyfriend suddenly not being a corpse could all really mess with a girl's beauty sleep.

Not that Jackie needed it, of course.

Just as she was about to sit down with a pen and paper, with no idea what she was going to write, Daniella barged in with a look of unwavering resolve; so, with Daniella's insistence because she missed breakfast yesterday, Jackie sat at the overly large dining table with her parents, pushing her eggs around her plate as she watched them. It was weird!

I mean they were sitting there like they didn't have a care in the world, her father reading the paper as her mother tucked into a grapefruit and taking small sips of her mimosa. Jackie remembered how she used to yearn for these moments, to have her parents in the same room and just be with her.

Now she was wondering how bad it would look to make a run for the door.

Sighing into the nagging silence Jackie reached for the small plate of bacon in the centre of the table only to hear her mother's shrill tone of disapproval "ohm, honey, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I want bacon."

Pam smiled, her usual sickly-sweet dazzling smile that was used the mask the poison spewing from her mouth "but do you really need it?"

At her mother's condescending tone Jackie shoved the entire strip into her mouth and smiled, speaking as she chewed "Yes!"

"Jackie, that's no way for a lady to behave, especially a Burkhart lady! Jack, do something!" Pam was clearly disgusted by the display, Jack however didn't seem to care as he idly flipped through his paper; not even bothering to look up as he spoke "Kitten, listen to your mother."

Pam gave a triumphant smile, knowing that her teenage daughter was prone to do whatever her father deemed fit, craving his approval and love… but Jackie wasn't really that desperate girl anymore, so she just smiled, standing to her feet as she grabbed the bowl of bacon and shovelled all it into her mouth.

Now this seemed to catch her father's attention, both her parents watching her slack jawed as she smiled around a mouth full of food "mmm Ba-con!"

She didn't stick around to hear whatever it was they were going to say, her mother's outrage, her father's annoyance. Honestly, she remembered when she'd have done anything for their approval, but after spending years watching Kitty Forman dote on her children, even ones that weren't her own, praising and loving them, and seeing how Red took the time to scream and yell and try and make them learn a lesson, trying to toughen them up for the big bad world: Jackie decided her parents could stick it!

Jackie knew better now, knew that shiny expensive gifts didn't make up for empty seats at ballet recitals or sending your assistant to parent teacher night!

She'd spent years squirming under her mother's judgemental gaze, she was never pretty or slim or as 'Pam' enough as she could be.

And Jack had no idea who his daughter was, yes, he loved her, showered her with gifts, would do anything for her; except spare his time that is.

After she left her house Jackie just drove and somehow seemed to have parked near the Forman's, she didn't dare go in, didn't even get out of the car. No, she just sat there for a bit watching Steven and Eric play a little one on one; the sight made her heart swell.

Her boys…

She'd spent the last hour just driving around, she needed to figure out what she was going to do, some sort of strategy.

She realized her life, the one she'd left in 1983 wasn't really worth thinking about, the only things there for her to actually miss were Eric and his parents, and maybe school but Jackie knew she could get them back.

Yeah it sucked that right now Eric could barely stand her, but if they could get past everything once then they could do it again.

Right?

She just had to love this version the way she loved her own, show him the person he gave up his precious Donna for; she could do that.

Because she needed him, needed that skinny boy to love her and hold her and make some stupid joke that somehow made it all better.

Jackie figured not snapping at Donna was going to be a challenge, trying not to look at her and see all the things she hadn't don't yet; betraying Jackie, hurting Eric.

It was going to be hard to not hate her… bitch.

The part with Steven is what that scared her most.

Donna's words flooded her mind when she saw him, he drank himself into an early grave because of her, loving her, hating her.

Jackie wanted more than anything in the world to just run up to him, kiss him, maybe wait to recreate veteran's day like she had so many times in her head. Telling him how much that kiss had truly affected her, how all those feeling knocked her off her Prada pumps and scared her into denial-land.

She remembered, once when they lay on his cot, warm and safe, him telling her how that kiss had changed things for him, he'd started to want her, then it got worse, until he reluctantly admitted to himself he liked the annoying-ABBA-loving pest.

If she'd have been honest then, maybe he would've too.

They'd have been together, had more time.

But that was just to selfish… it was all she wanted in the world, but she couldn't do that to him again, hurting each other over and over until…

His death had destroyed her… she could live with his hate, even his indifference. At one time it was more pain than she thought she could have ever managed to bare, but seeing him, lying cold and still and gone, in a suit, they tried to bury him in a fucking suit!

He'd have hated that!

Kelso was the one that put his glasses on, almost like that would somehow wake him up and have him laughing in their faces at the most perfect burn ever accomplished.

But that didn't happen.

Jackie realized in that moment that it would be selfish no matter what she did. She could rob both of them of all the beautiful moments they had, that deep connection that had ripped them both to shreds, or she could drag him back down that road so easily, but history repeats right?

He'd be gone.

She'd never survive it.

Not again.

Either way she'd lose him.

She didn't know what to do, so she did the only thing that made sense…

"That'll be $35.50 please."

Jackie smiled as she paid the cashier and grabbing her bags; nothing like a little retail therapy.

She was pretty grateful for the savings bond her grandparents set up, it was just a few hundred dollars, but it was enough to hold her over until she got a job because like hell was she touching a penny from her father.

Over those years she'd learned the value of a dollar, like how much more she liked that dollar when it was and had always been hers, not having to ask for anything because she damn well earned every cent.

It made her feel powerful and she liked it.

What she didn't like was how overly soft her clothes felt, all that expensive fabric was starting to make her itch. Rationally she knew it was crazy, I mean it was Cashmere for god's sake!

The sweater felt like it was to tight, which was ridiculous, but she was suffocating in it.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a grungy little store, it wasn't a store that Jackie of 77' would have even glanced at, it had band posters and rock stuff messily displayed in the window.

Jackie 83' however was drawn it the store like a moth to a flame.

There was a large rack of t-shirts, categorized only by the band names that had been scribbled onto some paper and pinned to each clothing rale.

She blindly grabbed at a familiar Zeppelin shirt, the cotton blend felt a little rough under her soft fingers.

Comforting.

"You lost?"

Jackie turned on her heel to see a girl just taller than herself, what was left of her buzzed off hair was brown, a giant rose tattoo gliding down her left shoulder and a the most perfect makeup Jackie had ever seen besides her own, soft pinks and creams, she also wore a name tag pinned where her nipple supposedly was.

"Yes, actually…" Jackie leaned only slightly to read the name tag "Teddy, I need a few new shirts… you'd never believe what happened to my old ones."

Teddy's sceptical hazel eyes laugh while scanning over the cheerleader "Yeah we don't exactly do Captain and Tennille here, try the store two floors down, seems like it would be more your scene… Princess."

Jackie's arms folded over her chest, smiling her best bitchy smile "Wow, so you're one of those… how awful for you."

"What are you talking about?" the punk girl was clearly confused and if she wasn't working would have probably bruised up Jackie's pretty face "you're a bigot."

"ex-fucking-cuse me?" now Teddy stood hands on hips. Looking truly offended as Jackie just carried on speaking and rifling through the shirts, picking out a few as she spoke "I just think it's so sad, you know, I mean this is the 70's for gods sake, yet people still shove everything into a box. Like you, if I were like you, you know, prejudiced." The girl's nostril's flared in rage as she was thoroughly burned by the cheerleader "I'd peg you as an uncivilised angry lesbian with severe daddy issues. Thankfully me and my purse are a little more open minded."

Jackie was waiting for the rage, the bitchy comment, she did not expect the girl's almost manic laughter as she nodded her head "okay, I guess I deserve that."

"Well you shouldn't judge a book by its perfectly wrapped cover!"

Teddy eyed the girl with mild awestruck awe "I guess I just see cashmere, I think… bitch."

"I'm Jackie Burkhart, bitch is on my birth certificate; that doesn't mean I have to be a cliched bitch."

"so, 'Princess' how can I help you?"

Jackie gave the girl her best smile, enjoying the rush of clearly winning over the stranger.

I mean come on, she's Jackie Burkhart. She liked to win at everything so… yeah.

Our little brunette was feeling a lot more relaxed after her little spree, she was wondering where to head next, food maybe? Oh, maybe a pedicure!

"Jackie!"

With a whip of her hair Jackie stood wide eyed at the joy filled eyes that greeted her "Fez?"

The boy skipped up to her and Jackie wasn't sure what she was meant to do, she was meant to see him later… when she had a plan!

"A little Sunday delight I see!" he had his hands on his hips, eyeing her bags with a small nod of approval before meeting her gaze.

These eyes had never shed tears over her.

Never looked at her with awkward estrangement.

Never seen her naked… well as far as she new because yeah, this is Fez we're talking about.

"Give bags to Fez."

She was broken from her little trance and smiled "Fez you don't have to, I was actually thinking of…"

"I said, give bags to Fez!" he was relentless and stubborn, waiting with expectant hands and a look of adoration.

God didn't even realize how much she'd missed him.

Handing over the various shopping bags Fez lifted his chin with a look of pride "where to my goddess."

"The beauty parlour."

His face lit up like a Christmas tree as her arm linked his "Ai, good. Many pretty ladies and their magnificent mockatons for Fez to woo!"

Jackie bubbled up a laugh, her chest warming at the old comfort she found in the boy.

The rest of her day had been a wash of small indulgences she hadn't had in years, yeah sure she and Eric would shop but he mostly came for the candy and to have Jackie choose out some outfits, Fez had always had a keen sense of style and knew what colours highlighted her best.

She'd really missed that little pervert.

Hours later, as the sun was falling out of the sky, they walked into the basement with her haul while Fez seemed more than a little confused with the information he'd just received "but why? How could this happen to my beautiful goddess?"

"Wait, what's happened? Tell me!" Kelso jumped gleefully off the freezer while the wind was almost knocked out of Jackie when she saw Hyde, sat in his chair, shades in place and ignoring the commotion for the tv "Hey, pipe down, Three's Company's on."

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as Kelso waited, impatiently tapping his foot "Well? Come on guys tell me what happened!"

"Yeah, did our poor little Jackie get into the pill cabinet again?" Eric mocked her from the sofa, his arm slung around the back of his girlfriend.

"Nothing happened, Fez is just overreacting." Jackie took a seat in the lawn chair, kicking her heels away from her aching feet.

Spending money was demanding work.

"Overreacting? For goodness sake woman you're getting a job! This is an underreaction, my perfect princess will be working, with people, it's unholy I say!"

"Fez come on…"

"Good day!"

"Fezzie…"

"I said good day!" with that the foreign boy stormed out with a shaking slam of the basement door.

Jackie laughed low in her chest.

Fez storming off, another thing she'd missed.

Turning back to the others she noticed all eye's in the room staring bug-eyed at her "What?"

"You want a job?" Donna looked at her like she'd shaved her head and talked to her condescending way that Jackie certainly didn't miss.

"What did you get summoned back to Hell?" Jackie's glare at the redhead was dampened by her boyfriend's joke as she shrugged "my throne was getting cold, and I'm dragging your skinny, twitchy ass with me! You can rub my feet…"

Eric gave good foot rubs, he's give her them when she'd had a particularly crappy day, letting her rabble and whine, nodding along and giving her advise that usually had her throwing cushions at him.

"Burn!" Kelso smiled that stupid dopy Kelso smile.

"Wait, why the hell would you want a job? Your dad's like the richest guy in town." Hyde was leaning forward, Three's Company forgotten, with hand clasped together over his knees.

"It just seemed like time, I mean people get jobs right and I can't just live off my Daddy's money forever" What was she meant to say, 'yeah I cant take my dad's money because I don't know if its from the mouth of someone who actually needs it and it makes me want feel guilty!'

Being a good person kind of sucked.

Jackie blamed the Formans' and the years of exposure to their moral influences.

"To be fair Jackie you used to tell me all the time 'I'm going to live off my dad's money until I find a rich husband to take care of me.' So…" Kelso just gave her a dopey look as he snatched a bag of pretzels out of Eric's lap.

"Yeah well that was a long time ago Michael, I was clearly misguided, I mean I was dating you!"

"Burn!" Hyde's low chuckle and nod of approval made her chest tighten.

"Jackie!" Kelso fixed her with an offended look, for about two second "Okay, okay good burn."

"Yeah, people get jobs, but you? Don't your people just cry when they want stuff or stamp their foot and it appears?" Jackie couldn't help it, if it had been anyone else in the room she knew it wouldn't have bothered her, but it was her 'best friend' so yeah, Jackie sneered "believe it or not Donna but you're not the only girl in the world who actually wants to be successful, just because you shove it in peoples' faces all the time doesn't make you some soul warrior, so get over yourself!"

"Burn, damn Jackie you're on fire tonight!" Kelso was clearly enjoying the show while Eric tried not to laugh at his girlfriend's obvious shock at being told off by the cheerleader.

Hyde was just sitting back in his chair, a small smile on his face.

Like a light flickering to life over her head Jackie clapped giddily "Oh I got you guys some presents."

"Presents? oh, is this like that time you said you were giving some stuff to Goodwill then just dumped a bunch of clothes at Donna's… because I gotta say Jackie, that pink sweater vest still gives me nightmares." Eric was smiling, moving to sit on the back of the sofa, cocooning a flushed and embarrassed Donna between his knees.

"Actually, Fez has that." Kelso chipped in absently.

The brunette moved to riffle through her bags "it's just a little thank you for taking such good care of me yesterday."

First was Donna, mostly because she had helped yesterday, kept asking if Jackie was okay, if she could do anything; her high and mighty attitude aside, and Jackie Burkhart would never be called ungrateful.

Spoiled, sure. Vain and bossy, totally but never ungrateful.

Donna gave the store wrapped gift a sceptical glance, tearing off the paper to reveal only half of the gift "make-up." Donna nodded, clearly not impressed "Thanks Jackie."

"You're welcome, oh and don't worry I got you an Autumn pallet, because honestly Donna you have to stop trying to pull off summer colours. They make you look blotchy!"

Michael shoved past Donna, jumping around like a five-year-old "Me next! Me next!"

She presented her ex with a small box "Oh! A slinky!"

"Wow thanks Jackie!" Snatching it from her Kelso gave her a tight hug before rushing out to try his new toy.

Turning to Eric he fixed her with his smartass smile "let me guess, an angry scorpion?"

She handed him the neatly wrapped box, watching his face intently as he ripped the brightly coloured paper. Eric looked at the box in complete shock before offering Jackie the same look of awe "G.I Joe Man of Action with life like hair!"

"I wasn't sure if you'd have it but the lady at the store said it was the latest so…"

"Wow, Jackie, thanks. Seriously… thank you."

There it was, that goofy, childish smile.

Jackie was half tempted to staple his face that way.

"You're welcome. And finally…" Jackie delved into one of the bags she brought from Teddy, Hyde's gift was wrapped in newspaper because Teddy told her they didn't gift wrap and it was all she had to hand.

Despite her appalling fashion sense, she was pretty nice, even gave Jackie a few eyeliner tips.

Hyde eyed the gift like it was about to bite him, setting it on the table "thanks, but no thanks."

"What?" Jackie's face fell hard.

"Look man, I don't know what your play is here, but I'm not Kelso, you can't buy me." She watched him stand, that ache in her chest.

"Steven…"

"Look save it, okay, I don't know what's going on with you, this creepy crush you have on me just because I felt bad for you is getting old and now this lame ass 'thank you' stuff, it's all bullshit. So just cut the crap!" he said all this without looking at her, instead riffling through the freezer and hoping Kelso hadn't eaten the last cherry popsicle.

A fresh box.

Victory!

When he turned back it was like being punched straight in the teeth. Those annoyingly adoring big brown eyes were staring straight at him, glazed over and shiny with unshed tears, teeth gnawing away at her bottom lip.

Crap.

"I just wanted to do something nice…" she barely managed to get the words out as she ran for the door, shopping bags forgotten.

She made it to the Forman's garage before the flood gates opened.

It wasn't his words that hurt her, made her want to rush out of the basement like her hair was on fire. No, it was his tone. The same tone he'd used during those last few years, to cut her down, to hurt her, frankly it would have been kinder to just kick her in the face… okay…maybe not the face but still.

Fuck this was so hard!

"Jackie?"

Turning towards the darkened street Jackie tried to stifle a sob and gently rub the corners of her eyes to fix any tear smudged make up "Hey Mr Forman."

Red stiffened, hearing the strain in her voice "Oh god, what did the idiot do this time? Hang on, I'll get Kitty!"

She turned with a shake of her head, swallowing around the lump in her throat "No, no thanks Mr Forman. It's fine. I'm fine."

He shifted uncomfortably, he was Red Forman for gods sake, he survived war and having dumbass kids, but a crying woman…Well what man was equipped for that?

"Right. Good." He was just going to come out a tweak with the Toyota, maybe have a beer.

She was just stood there for a second and then he noticed she was actually going to leave, no sob story or whining.

He felt bad for the girl.

"Um, hey why don't you give me a hand with the Toyota, you can hold the flashlight."

a wave of relief washed over him at her cheek-splitting grin before she tried to compose herself "I'd like that."

"Great. But no girly-feeling Crap!"

"Whatever you say Mr Forman." She instantly felt calmed as he popped the hood, this was her Zen, well this and the Mall.

Just as she shone the touch into the mass of metal she looked to the man that had been better to her than her own father "um, Mr Forman…"

"What?"

"Did you know your water pump's leaking?"

Back in the basement Donna was glaring at her childhood friend, arms folded across her chest "Nice work Hyde."

"What? Oh, I didn't want her crappy gift so I'm the bad guy?" groaned from his chair.

Eric was fingering at the G.I Joe box and nodded "actually, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but yeah!"

Hyde fell into his seat and threw his feet on the table "Oh, come on. This is Jackie we're talking about!"

"I don't know man, she seemed like, genuinely upset." The words felt strange even to Eric's own ears, I mean he was defending Jackie, aka Satan, for goodness sake.

Donna stood with a shake of her head "I can't believe you, I mean yeah, Jackie's been kind of spaced since yesterday, but she actually does something nice and not completely selfish for once and you throw it back in her face!"

"Exactly, why the hell would Jackie freaking Burkhart do that, huh? She has an angle man, chicks like her always do." Hyde ripped the wrapper off his popsicle, ignoring the way Jackie's teary eyes were burned into his head.

He headed seeing chicks cry.

Seeing her cry.

"Wow, Hyde I didn't know you could be such an asshole!" Donna was glaring pure rage because yeah, Jackie was abrasive and mean and selfish, but she wasn't all bad.

She listened when she and Eric had problems, gave her advice.

Jackie could be pretty cool sometimes.

God had she just thought that?

Whatever, Hyde was an ass!

"Donna, man, come on." Our rebel watched as Donna quickly stormed up the stairs stopping for only a second to shout back "Dillhole!"

With a shake of his head, feeling the sticky cherry starting to drip onto his thumb, Hyde was faced with the judgmental eyes of his best friend.

"Oh, come on Forman, not you too!"

Eric just held up the action figure and frowned "look at this, the devil got me a gift, with life like hair! And this might be me going into shock or having just sold my soul for a G.I Joe but I really think she was just trying at the whole being nice thing, man."

Eric gathered Jackie's bag's, hoping to leave them at Donna's for her, before fixing Hyde with a stink eye "I hope you're proud of yourself."

"Man, it's not like I knew she was going to start getting all weepy and crap is it?"

"no, but you made me defend the devil Hyde, THE DEVIL!"

*SLAM*

When Eric reached the back yard, heading for Donna's house he was surprised to see her stand wide eyed on his porch "Donna…"

But before he could pass over the bags and agree Hyde was an ass the burly redhead twirled him towards the garage.

What. The. Holy. Skywalker?

Jackie was half covered in grease, hair and sleeves pulled up while elbow deep in his dad's engine.

"Well that should hold for now, but I'd hold off on driving unless you have to until you can get a new pump."

"God bless you, Jackie." Red smiled at the girl, handing her a rag to clean off.

Red was smiling.

Like, actually really smiling!

The couple stood in shock at the scene even as Red walked over to them, that smiling falling far off his face as he leaned in with his usual annoyed, angry stare "That girls the only one of you idiots that isn't completely useless, so I don't know which one of you dumbass's upset her, but fix it! Or your going to extra upset when I shove my foot up your ass!"

"Hey, I should be getting home." Jackie seemed to sneak behind him and offered them a half-hearted smile.

It was nice, working with Red, it helped her, grounded her.

She didn't even care that she had motor oil under her finger nails.

"Well Jackie, thanks for your help."

"Anytime Mr Forman."

Eric and Donna where just blinking at her as Red disappeared into the house and Jackie reached for her bags "Thanks."

"Um, Jackie, since when do you know about car's?"

The brunette just shrugged at Donna's question "there's a lot you guys don't know about me. Okay, I'm going now."

"Wait Jackie, about Hyde…"

She just raised her hand to stop them, both looking guilty about their friend's harsh behaviour.

"It's fine guys, really. I mean, was Steven a complete jerk, yes, but I have been acting kind of crazy lately… so whatever, all I want now is a hot shower and some food." She gave them her best smile, it was hurting her face.

"So, I can stop feeling crappy now?" her smile was smaller, real as she nodded to Eric "yes, besides it's not like you were an ungrateful jackass to me was it?"

Eric wiped the non-existent sweat off his brow, clearly relieved "well thank god for that."

"You're sure you're okay?" there it was again, Donna caring.

It made Jackie shudder… "I'm Jackie Burkhart. I'm perfect, duh."

They watched her walk off, head held high, covered in grease and bags in hand, with no idea she was going back to an empty house, tear stained pillow and memories of a life they'd never lived "is it just me or are things getting like, seriously weird around here?"

Donna offered him a quick nod "Oh yeah."

"thought so."

All this while Hyde was left alone in the basement with his popsicle half melted and Jackie's unopened gift screaming at him.

"Damn it."

Throwing the popsicle in the trash he tore into the newspaper.

His jaw slacked.

Staring at the jacket, yep, a denim jacket that just happened to have the Zeppelin angel and band name sown into the back.

Well fuck.

Yep, he was an asshole.