JACKIE

It had been an exhausting two days hell it had been an exhausting year but last night and today topped it. Last night seeing my little girl heartbroken broke me, and now sitting beside Steven Hyde, on the way to his house where I will be sleeping with our daughter he had no idea about and my son who is another man's child. I was wore out.

I glanced over at him and it happened again. Every time I looked at him it all came flooding back. Every touch, every breath everything we had came rushing back, my senses were running in overdrive and every time he moved or any sound escaped him, I jumped a little. He looked great, better than he did 14 years ago, he was older.

He cleared his throat and looked at the rear view mirror then at me. "I… uh, I don't have much furniture so I only have one extra bed so you'll have to share it for tonight but tomorrow I will get two more." He whispered.

"Oh okay, Steven. That's fine, I mean… Are you sure it okay if we stay with you? I mean if it's weird or if you felt on the spot I would completely understand." I told him.

"No. I want you here." He said as we pulled into a driveway. It was long I could tell. This new Steven would have made the old Jackie so happy but he made the new me very nervous, I knew how to handle the old him.

We got to the house and it took my breath away. It was perfect, everything I ever wanted and suddenly I wasn't nervous anymore. I was petrified. "This is beautiful." I said awed. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't tiny either. It was an English style Tudor with ivy going up the side. Perfect.

"Thank you. I just finished it." He said getting the luggage out of the trunk. I Reached back and gently shook Lolly's knee. "Hey, wake up baby. Why don't you Steven with the bags while I get your brother." I told her.

"Okay mommy." She said getting out. It took me back every time she called me mommy. No matter how big she thinks she's getting or how big she looks she's still my baby. I got out and opened the back door. When we got in Steven had took River from me without hesitation and Charlotte and I followed.

We got upstairs and he opened the first door we came to and went in. "Sorry it's only one bed tonight." He said laying River down.

"Its okay, Steven really." I told him.

Charlotte didn't say anything just crawled in next to River and pulled him to her. "Goodnight" She told us. I smiled and walked out.

Steven came out behind me and shut the door. "That's nice. That she loves him." He said.

"Yeah, she wants to protect him against everything." I told him.

"She's amazing." He told me sincerely.

"Thank you, Steven." I said. There was so much more I wanted to say and I could tell he did too. However instead I went down and got our luggage and went to the room. Luckily there was a bathroom so I changed and went to bed.

The next morning I got up to and empty bed and freaked out a little. I ran downstairs and didn't see them so I ran into the next room and they were there. All of them. Steven was flipping pancakes and Rhys and Lolly were standing beside him laughing. "Mmm, what smells so good?" I asked coming up behind River and putting my hands on his shoulders.

Steven jumped and dropped a pancake on the floor enticing another laugh. "Morning." He said bending to pick it up.

I chuckled and walked to his cabinets looking through them. "Um, Steven…" I said.

"Yes?" He asked putting pancakes on the table. "Would it be okay if I uh.. bought groceries?" I asked.

"What?" He asked looking up. "Oh yeah! Of course sorry. I'm rarely here so I don't buy much but yeah, sorry I have money in the jar over there just take whatever." He said.

"Oh no I have money just needed permission." I told him.

"Since when does Jackie Burkhart need permission for anything?" He asked.

"Since Jackie Burkhart became Jackie Lennox." I started walking to the table and noticed my daughter staring at me with a knowing smile. "What?" I asked her.

"Nuffin, Ma. Nuffin." She said grabbing the Syrup.

I watched as she dug in and my son join her. I cleared my throat loudly. "Excuse my rude children. Steven. Thank you for making breakfast." I told him.

"Oh right sorry thank you, Hyde." She said.

"Yes. Thank you." Rhys followed.

We ate breakfast and Steven said he had to go to the store and asked if Lolly could go. I told them that she was grounded but I wanted them to get to know each other so I said only if she worked and actually worked so they left.

Rhys and I got dressed and set out for a mommy and sons day out. First we went to the furniture store and picked out new beds. Then we went and bought so new towels and linens. After that we went to the store and bought some food. Next we headed to the record store to bring Steven and Charlotte lunch.

We walked into the record store and saw WB talking to them. WB turned and saw me "Missing girl!" He said walking up to me and wrapping his arms around me.

"Hi, WB." I said.

He leaned in and whispered in my ear "He's been waiting for you. He always waited." He said and stepped back.

I Looked at him and shook my head. "I know. I'm sorry." I told him. And I did know. I knew as soon as I saw that house. When I walked in and it was just like I described to him 15 years ago in the middle of the night on his old cot. It was my home, the place I went in my head when I was scared or sad. It was my happy place and he had built it in real life. That knowledge terrified me.

We had lunch with everyone then me and River went to what was once The Hub. I knew seeing it again would make me nostalgic but standing in front of this run down, abandoned building broke my heart.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" River asked.

I looked down and realized I was crying. I bent and picked him up. "Yes baby." I said. "You know, Mommy loved this place when she was younger. Not as much as I love you, but I loved it here." I told him.

"Do we live here now Mommy?" He asked.

"No, baby. We still live in New York. Do you like it here, Rhys?" I asked him.

He shook his head "It's quite."

I didn't know why but I decided to call the number on the building. I don't know why I did it but I did. 1 hour later I had laid down$50,000 for the hub. I still wasn't sure why I did it. I spent the rest of the day thinking about it and was still stuck in my head as I stood in the kitchen cooking. Before I knew it I Steven and Charlotte had came home.

Charlotte walked into the kitchen "Mom!" She said walking up behind me and kissing my cheek.

"Hey, Baby." I said turning to her. "Did you have a good day?" I asked.

"Oh my god-" She said and went off on her day laughing and throwing the conversation to Steven then back to her. Eventually we all sat down to eat. "Oh, I got new beds, and they're rentals so if you don't want them when we leave we you can send them back." I told Steven.

"Oh speaking of which, Mom. I was talking to Hyde about it and he said that maybe I should pick a room and make it my own." She said.

"Oh." I said putting my fork down and grabbing my wine. "That sounds, that sounds good." I said picking my fork back up.

"Yeah, I just figured whenever you worked out when she'd come to stay she should be comfortable." He choked out.

"No, it uh, it really sounds nice." I told him.

"So can we go tomorrow, Mom?" Lolly asked.

"Of course, sweetie." I said.

We talked through dinner, and dessert. After dinner we sat in the living room and watched TV. At 9 I had the kids call Jude and then got River ready for bed. Charlotte picked out the room in the at the end because it was biggest and had a bathroom. I put Rhys' bed in the middle since it was smaller. I moved my things into-ironically-the room next to Steven's.

After I got Rhys to sleep I was walking back down stairs when I heard Steven and Charlotte talking. I stopped and listened for a moment.

"Yeah, Luckily Moms always been strict with my grades so it shouldn't be too hard to do. She said.

"Sounds like a good plan. It'd be cool to read your work one day." Steven said.

"Yeah I really want to write for Rolling Stones or Spin." She told him.

"I promise I would put every issue on Grooves wall." He said to her.

I sat down at the top of the stairs, listening. I listened to them for a long time. They were getting to know each other and it was beautiful. They sounded like Jude and Lolly before things went bad but more. It sounded easy for them.

I looked at my watch and it was 11:30. I stood up and walked down. "Okay, young lady, it is nearly 12. You need to head on up." I told her.

She sighed and got up. "Okay." She bent down and kissed Steven on the cheek. "'Night, Hyde." She said.

She came up to me and threw her arms around me. "Goodnight, Ma." She said kissing my cheek then she ran up stairs.

I stood there a minute then Steven cleared his throat. "Could uh, could we talk?" He asked.

I walked to the couch and sat next to him. "Sure." I said.

"Look. I know you and Jude need to talk about first but I uh I just want you to know I want to be a part of her life, and I'll take whatever I can get. I wont pressure you about it but I just want to know if after you leave, I will get to see her again." He said.

"Oh, Steven of course. I mean can I tell you something?" I asked.

"Yeah. Absolutely." He said.

"I bought The Hub today." I confessed.

"Wh-What?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. I was standing there looking at this old dilapidated building that I loved so much and I just decided. I knew I would need something to do when we came here to see you, so I bought it." I told him.

"Really?" He asked. "You do plan to come back?"

"Yeah, Steven I never wanted to keep her from you. Like I said before I always expected for you to find out and be apart of her life. I'm her mom, that what being a parent is about. I have to do everything I can to make those kids happy. I have to do everything I can to ensure they have a good life and right now she needs you." I told him.

He looked at me a minute "So The Hub?" He asked "What are you going to do with it?"

"I'm not sure but I figured I would fix it up slowly and also my non profit has a branch in Milwaukee so it'll divide my time between the two, and I figured I would start looking for an apartment tomorrow." I said.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because I'm going to need a place to live." I said

"What's wrong with here?" He asked.

"We can't live here with you, Steven." I said.

"Why not?" He asked offended

"Because this is your house." I said confused.

"I like having you here, Jackie. All of you, it's nice." He said.

I thought about it for a minute. "Okay, well talk about it again before we leave." I said standing up. "Thank you, Steven. Really." I said.

"I mean it Jackie." He said standing. "I really do want you- all of you here." He said and walked past me and up the stairs.