(November 1977)

"Thanks for punching that guy for me," said Jackie, beaming up at him.

Hyde shrugged, "No biggie. He was kind of an ass."

She grinned wider, handing him the beer she'd swiped. "I got this for you, anyway. As a thank you."

"Stealing beer from Red, huh?" He clinked it against her soda, "That's officially your final lesson. Grasshopper's all grown up."

"Not gonna teach me how to hotwire a car?" Asked Jackie, smiling in a coy little way that might have been called flirty.

Without really knowing why, Hyde smiled back. "It's a date."

(June 1977)

Red's corvette was sparkling in the summer sun, almost like it had tiny diamonds encrusted into the paint job. She'd had to pull her sunglasses off her head to shield her eyes from the glare. She wasn't a fan of the accessory herself – her eyes were in her top 3 features, why would she hide them? – but it was all part of her plan.

The three most important things in making someone fall in love with you were the following: proximity, familiarity and similarity. She'd learnt that in her psychology class, even though her teacher had warned that those three alone weren't enough to forge a connection with someone. But it was a start, and one Jackie was employing. Proximity was easy, even if going back to the basement made her toes curl. Familiarity she already had on her side, but similarity was trickier, not least because she'd spent the lesser part of three years distancing herself from Hyde in every way. She couldn't start babbling about her father's business trips or her mother's alcoholism in case Steven thought it was just a play – she had to ease him into the idea. And by wearing sunglasses, he'd see a reflection of himself in her that might just lower the barrier enough for her to slip through.

She stalked over the road, her clogs clacking against tarmac, though with each step her confidence wavered. Mr Forman was crouching by the driver's door, buffing in polish with an old rag, and Jackie quickly decided that a small detour couldn't hurt.

"Watcha up to Mr Forman?" She asked, skipping over. Red looked up at her.

"What's it look like?"

Figuring that was rhetorical, Jackie sat down beside him, making sure her skirt covered her butt so she didn't get burned by the hot concrete. She smoothed out a pleat, studying Mr Forman's profile. He looked surly, even though Kitty said he found tending the car therapeutic.

"Is Eric driving you crazy?" She asked knowingly, giving him a sympathetic grimace. She could only imagine the kind of moping Eric was doing with Donna gone.

Red huffed out a breath of air. "He barely leaves his room. You know, at least before he came out to go to school. Now Kitty puts a plate of food outside his door, and then half an hour later she collects an empty dish. And I've tried yelling at him," growled Red, growing agitated, "and it did nothing!"

Red shook his head. "I threatened him with work, foots in asses –" he threw down the rag, "– it's making Kitty mental!"

Wisely, Jackie decided not to comment that it was obviously affecting him as well. She chewed on her lip.

"Mr Forman? Surely you must have guessed that Eric would get all gross and depressed again if Donna left, right?"

He shrugged.

"Well, how come you let her leave? Mr Pinciotti I could understand, y'know? Donna's so the strong one in that family, but I thought you would have at least, I don't know, yelled more."

Red sighed, picking up the cloth and toying it between his hands.

"Jackie, when you're a parent…" he frowned at the door, pursing his lips. "Well, you know your kids are gonna do stupid things. And you try to teach them right from wrong, tell them how to keep their head screwed on tight, but sometimes… Donna's a good kid. A summer in California is not so bad, for an act of rebellion. Hell, when I was 18 I was so desperate to get out of the house I enlisted!"

He suddenly turned to her, pointing a finger warningly. "Now, I'm not saying that was bad. But Laurie moved in with a man, for God's sake! At least Donna had the good sense to tell us before she ran off."

He paused and scratched his chin. "I also may or may not have sent Kelso a few choice words and a road-repair kit to make sure she got there safely."

Jackie smiled and patted Red's arm. "Aw!" she cooed, "Y'know Mr Forman, you don't act like it but I think you really do care about us!"

Red smiled at her, covering his hand with her own briefly. "Well, so long as you don't go telling anyone."

He let go and stood up, so Jackie followed suit, taking that as her cue to leave. It seemed Red was much more emotionally in-tune than he let on. She pondered something briefly before deciding it couldn't hurt.

"Mr Forman? Can I ask you one last thing?"

"Sure. So long as it's not stupid."

Jackie didn't really know if it qualified as not-stupid, but she went ahead with it anyway.

"Well, you're a man. Do you believe in soulmates?"

Red chuckled as he packed up his gear. "Jackie, there are many things in this world that only dumbasses believe in. The lottery. Putting cheap oil in a car and expecting it to run fine – that being part of the National Guard makes you a war hero." Here, Red shot a dirty look at the hedge that hid the Pinciotti house from view. "Before I met her, I would have said that soulmates were one of those things too."

Jackie scrunched up her nose in thought. "But once you met her you just… knew? Just like that?"

Red nodded. "And then I married her. Haven't regretted it yet."

"Aw," said Jackie, smiling at him. Her heart didn't feel any lighter, but she appreciated what he was telling her. "Thanks Mr Forman."

She waved and headed into the kitchen, hoping that if she asked nicely, Kitty might make her a sandwich.

Walking back from the Fotohut in 90 degree weather was no easy feat, and all Hyde had wanted was a nice, cool beer to ease the steady stream of sweat running down his back. He didn't have the money for gas, not since Leo upped and disappeared to who knows where. He was about three feet away from the sliding door and the refreshing sanctuary of an air conditioned kitchen when he yanked his hand back, cursing God and whatever other deity was up there laughing at him.

Freaking Jackie, of all people, was sitting right between him and his prize, chatting up Mrs Forman.

He changed course and stomped down to the basement, letting the door clang open. A breath of cool air hit him, but it wasn't free from the mugginess that had been clinging to his skin since early that morning. He scowled and sat down on the couch – the cool fabric of his shirt, damp with his own sweat, taunted him, making him want to recoil the same way he did when he touched wet food in the sink.

Hyde scratched at his neck, nails digging into the grimy film. Fuck summer, man. Give him a blizzard any day of the week over this hellish nightmare. He deliberated for a while on whether it was worth trying to sneak past Jackie in order to shower. On the one hand, he'd been successfully avoiding her for four weeks now, and that seemed like one hell of a streak to break. He was also slightly… concerned (certainly not worried) that seeing her might cause him to do something he regretted. He always seemed to, when she was involved. First it had been taking her to the mall and letting her buy him boots. Then he'd gone and punched Chip for calling her a bitch, like that was some kind of insult to him. Which it wasn't, because Jackie was bitchy.

He shuffled a little in his seat.

It didn't make sense, but the most plausible explanation he could chalk it up to was that without Kelso, Jackie became a whole lot more likeable. Maybe Kelso's stupid really was rubbing off on them. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

Of course, there was also the simple fact that he stunk.

Groaning, he pulled himself from the couch and trudged up the stairs. If he was lucky, he could nip through into the dining room without being seen.

"But, I mean, is stubborn really a deal breaker? Stubborn can be good, right? I mean, maybe he'll be stubborn about buying me a really expensive pair of earrings, even though I tell him we simply can't afford it. Although of course we'll be able to, because it's me and I'm rich."

Jackie took a deep breath, her voice floating into his ears from the kitchen. "Not that all money should be spent on pretty things though, y'know? Like obviously we'll have to eat, and stuff. I mean, a diet can be a good thing of course – oh, you'll never believe it, but Lucy Phillips is finally going on one, thank god, but anyway, you know, I think quiet, or something – reserved? – is also on there too and that's good, right? I like to talk a lot, and I don't think I should have to sacrifice that for anyone, and –"

"Okay!" cried Mrs Forman. She laughed, and Jackie shut her mouth, finally. Hyde paused at the top of the stairs – he really needed to move, else she'd see him, but he was kind of interested in their conversation. Just for pure, anthropological research, of course.

"Okay, honey, well, all I can say is that 'stubborn' is not a deal breaker." Mrs Forman reached out and patted Jackie's hand. "Red and I both have stubborn written on our lists, even if you might not think it to look at us."

"Really?" Jackie slurped on her drink – was that lemonade? Hyde scowled. He could have been in there, freshly showered and drinking that instead of her, but no, he was caught standing in the hallway eavesdropping on a conversation he shouldn't even care about.

"Really," said Mrs Forman. "Our fights used to last for days and days, sometimes, because neither of us would give in."

"Oh," said Jackie, looking dejected.

"But we worked it out," added Kitty hurriedly, "That's what a marriage is all about, sweetie. And it wasn't all bad – that's how we got this house!"

Jackie perked up.

Mrs Forman giggled. "I remember – the real estate man wanted something ridiculous for it, but Red beat him down. Oh, not literally, of course," she added at Jackie's surprised face, "But he wouldn't leave the property until they settled on a deal Red liked. And that worked out perfect, didn't it?"

Jackie nodded, staring at Kitty with rapt attention. "You are so right, Mrs Forman."

Hyde pursed his lips. The last thing he needed was Jackie coming to some crazy conclusion that they were perfect for each other. Red and Kitty might have worked it out, but that wouldn't work for him and Jackie. And the house thing? If anything, it would be Jackie's nagging that won them the house. She'd be calling up every day, making ridiculous arguments about how the house was beautiful and therefore needed a beautiful couple to live in it. God, she could be so – persistent.

The realisation woke him up better than any cold shower, and he decided he'd heard enough – too much, even. The paper in his pocket burned hot, but he ignored it. If Jackie wanted to figure out a plan to trap her soulmate that was her business. He didn't care, because it wasn't him.

It wasn't.

Jackie banged her fist on Eric's door, hard. So, maybe she'd come up to talk to him partly so she could avoid Hyde some more, but mostly she still felt bad for Kitty. And the elder woman had just given her some valuable advice – it was the least she could do to return the favour. Jackie was, admittedly, somewhat to blame for the situation.

"Eric!" She yelled, hitting the door again. "Hey, scrawny!"

There was no reply. "I'm not leaving until you answer!"

"Dammit, Eric, I'm trying to say sorry, here!"

There was a loud thud, and then: "Go. Away."

"NO!"

Jackie waited ten seconds, tapping her foot impatiently. "Okay, you know what? You've forced me to do this. I've got GI Joe out here and his head is coming off in 3… 2… 1…"

The door remained resolutely shut, but Jackie wouldn't give up. She was stubborn and persistent and she liked it that way, dammit.

Suddenly, the door opened. Eric looked terrible – his un-shaved stubble had come in patchily, and he had huge bags under his eyes. The sun deprivation must have been making him paler, and by god did his room smell.

She scrunched up her face as she was hit with stale, sweat-infested air. "That's disgusting," she said, but braved her way through it.

She yanked open his curtains and forced the window open, hitting things off his desk as she did so. She didn't care very much – it was all crappy, geeky toys anyway. Could you even call it a desk if it was smothered in stuff?

"Eric, this is terrible. You can't live like this."

Eric stared at her.

"I was doing just fine until about five minutes ago," he said, and shuffled back to his bed, landing face-first on the mattress. "I knew you didn't have GI Joe."

Jackie rolled her eyes at his mutterings and crossed her arms, tapping her foot. "Look, Eric, I haven't got time for you to be all gross and mopey, alright? I only came up to tell you that, yes, Donna got her list and it wasn't great. But that really wasn't why you broke up, okay? I mean, it kind of was, but you probably would have broken up anyway. You were being kind of jerky."

Eric peeled himself off the bed slightly so he could look at her out of one eye.

Jackie took a deep breath, trying to convince herself that she wasn't really betraying Donna if it was for her own good. "Look, Donna was really upset when she got it, okay? But not because she realised how incompatible you were, or anything, or because she thought it wasn't you. Her mom and dad were breaking up, and when she found out they weren't soulmates she worried you guys would have the same end because on paper you seemed so different. You being all gross and controlling panicked her that you wouldn't be able to work it out in the long-term."

"So… Donna and I are soulmates? She made it sound like we weren't."

Jackie rolled her eyes and sat down on the edge of Eric's bed, trying to be motherly, even if she flinched a little as she did so. She patted his hair once, wrinkling her nose at the sensation – didn't the boy own conditioner? It was like touching straw.

"Of course you are, stupid. Even Steven could have told you that."

Eric glared at her, but she didn't care. If he wanted sympathy he should have talked to his own mom when he had a chance.

"Right. Thanks Jackie."

She shrugged. "So, are you good now? Able to eat and – for the love of god – shower?"

"Yeah." Eric sat up slowly. "I messed up, didn't I?"

Jackie bit her lip. "You both did. But you'll still work it out."

"Maybe." Eric looked down at his hands. "She just… she needs to come back."

Jackie glared at him. "No, idiot. Donna needs this time, alone, to get her head screwed back on. She'll come back before school, I'll bet you anything."

Eric eyed her curiously. "How come you're being so nice about this? Donna was kind of a bitch to you."

She shrugged. "Well, yeah. Telling you lot about Ste– my list wasn't cool, but she's my best friend, y'know? I'll just drag her to the mall heaps when she gets back to make up for it. Plus, she did apologise. Forgive and forget!"

Jackie tapped his knee twice, and then, figuring that this counted as her good deed for the next three weeks, got up and left. Hey – all the moping was getting her down, and the weather was way too beautiful for that.

She walked down to the basement, thinking hard about Donna. She'd stewed over it for a month, but she felt alright about it. Maybe distance really did make the heart grow fonder? If that was true, it would be another point in her favour with Hyde, and that was enough to have her skipping down the last few steps to the basement.

She flung herself onto the couch next to Hyde. He looked up, obviously surprised, but didn't say anything.

"Hey Steven," she chirped, stealing one of his corn chips.

About thirty minutes later he silently offered her what was left in the bag, and 20 minutes after that he passed her a popsicle from the fridge.

It was a start, and Jackie grinned.