A/N: Yay, I finally have an update up. Sorry for keeping most of you waiting so long. I loved the feedback I got from my last chapter. I was a wee bit nervous about it since I know most haven't attempted a funeral scene yet. I love hearing from you guys. This chapter is pretty much getting things out in the open for these two. Enjoy and review!

Jackie woke up to a completely dark room and a warm, familiar body next to her. It took her a moment to realize she was in her own bed, in her own apartment, cuddled up next to Steven Hyde, and naked for that matter. She snuggled her face closer into his arm which was draped over her body. They were spooning, one of their favorite sleeping positions.

It was well into the night now, and Jackie slowly remembered how she and Hyde spent the past few hours together. Having sex and sleeping in each others arms had been something on the top of Jackie's wish list for quite some time. Jackie took a deep sigh and relaxed underneath Hyde's body as she tried to lull herself to sleep again, but for some reason, something just didn't sit right with her…. Something telling her she shouldn't be enjoying this moment so much.

Images of pain cut right through her chest. Sam waltzing through the Forman's door announcing her position as Hyde's wife, Hyde burning her and calling her a bitch in front of everyone, all those nights she spent wishing for this very moment.

Jackie felt sick and angry. It only took just a little bit of sympathy and kind words and she was already in bed with him again. It was always so easy to fall into old habits with him.

Not this time. Now she was raging. She threw his arm off of her and jumped out of the bed. She began to rummage around trying to find her clothes that were flung across the floor.

Hyde felt his arm jolt and he immediately woke up to the sight of Jackie angrily searching for her clothes on the floor. Confusion blurred his sleepy mind. "Jackie what are you doing?"

His groggy, oblivious voice sent chills up her spine, and not the usual chills his voice gave her…. no these were angry chills. "I'm getting away from you." She said as she buttoned her blouse up. It was the only item she could find in the mess and decided to just bolt for it.

Hyde's body quickly responded and woke up to the tone of her voice. "What do you mean you're trying to get away from me?"

Jackie jerked her head and stomped her foot on the ground. He began to put his own clothes on, still not taking his eyes off of her, waiting for her answer. "Well in the midst of all the sex we were having, I forgot I'm supposed to be pissed off at you."

Hyde walked towards her, "But Jackie... OW!" Jackie had kicked him in the shins and stormed off to her bathroom. The sound of the lock clicking hurt a little more than the kick did.

Hyde stood still for a moment trying to get a grasp on what just happened. He should have known it wasn't going to be that easy for him. He didn't deserve to have it that easy. He hobbled to the door and pressed his body against it. He could tell Jackie was leaning on the other side. "Jackie, come on… come out of the bathroom."

"NO!" Jackie said through a shrilled voice and a sniffle. Damn she's crying.

"Jackie…." It came out drawn and pretty pathetic, but he really had no idea how to get out of this. He was dreading this moment. He knew it would come eventually. He slid down the door and sat against it with his back. What am I suppose to say to her?

They both sat against the thin, wooden door. The distance between them was miniscule but it felt like a mile. They had put up too many walls never broken down.

Hyde heard Jackie's light sobs from the other side of the door. No, don't do that babe. Please anything but that. He ran his fingers through his hair trying to figure out the words to start. He hadn't planned any of this out. He really wasn't sure what he could say. He was never good with words. How was he supposed to make the worst thing in the world sound good enough for her?

Jackie wasn't sure what she wanted. One part of her wanted him to just go away and forget that this moment ever happened between the two of them. But a very large part of her ached for him to do anything he could to try to win her over again. But that was their problem in the first place, wasn't it? She always expecting things out of him that she knew he could never live up to.

"Jackie…" His voice was different, less pleading. It was the kind of voice he used when he wanted to tell her something important. She could tell he was no longer standing but practically sitting right behind her. Jackie turned her body to face the door and put her hand against the wood. Was that his heat she could feel? Please Steven, please tell me.

"Look, I know you're upset… about…. well, everything. And, I'm sorry." Jackie listened closer. There has to be more. "Look, I'm not good at saying this. You know that, I know that."

Yes….

"I love you Jackie."

Jackie felt her heart constrict in both happiness and pain. This all seemed so familiar before.

"You don't mean that." She screamed. "That's what you said last time when you cheated on me with that nurse. You're just saying that to get me back."

A mix of failure and rage began boiling inside Hyde. How could she not see that he loved her? Maybe not now, but then. Then he had shown her in any way he knew how, just without saying the words. Wasn't that enough? Was his efforts just taken in vain and she couldn't see how hard it was to let her know that?

"Damn it Jackie!" She felt him punch the wall beside the door frame. Her body immediately tensed and her tears seemed to stand still.

"Is that all you think I am?" He was yelling now and she could tell he was mad as hell. Her stomach coiled and she felt like a frightened little girl. "Did you think after all we went through when we were together, that I never loved you? Do you think that I would stoop so low to Kelso's level and lie to you about that? Fuck…."

Jackie leaned her body against the door and stroked the wood with her fingers, hoping that maybe he could somehow sense her. She was too afraid to come out though. "You know…" He began speaking again, but his voice was much quieter now and it seemed very tired. Hyde hesitated a moment and wondered if he should tell her. He had to though; it might be his last chance. And didn't he tell Edna he wouldn't let her or anybody control his life anymore? He had to bite the bullet, stop pussyfooting around and just tell her. "You know, it hurt so much when Mrs. Forman gave me that note you wrote. It was like you didn't trust me at all."

Jackie's breath stopped and it felt like a knife had stabbed into her chest. "Wh-wh-what do you mean?"

"That note you wrote, telling me you left for Chicago anyways. You couldn't even stick around for my answer. It was like the 2 years we were together meant nothing at all to you." It was harsh. Probably the harshest thing someone had ever told Jackie. It hurt more than when Kelso told her that he couldn't be with her because she made him feel bad about himself. New tears began welling in her eyes again.

"But I came back." Her voice quivered with urgency. "I came back and all you could say was "Have fun in Chicago."

"I was pissed off Jackie!" His voice rose again. She then heard him sigh. "I figured at the time if you couldn't trust me enough to wait for my answer… then fuck it."

"So why did you come back for me?" She had to know… If he told her what she thought he came for… to ask her to marry him… she wasn't sure how her conscience would take it.

"I don't know. I mean, I do know. I wanted to tell you all of this." He sounded distant with his words. "I wanted to tell you to come back with me, to stay with me."

Jackie's heart twisted inside her chest. Why did she never think about it this way before? How could she not have sensed his pain and saw through his zen exterior like she had so many times in the past.

Oh yeah… Sam happened.

"So…" She began. She tried her hardest to hold her voice steady and keep the tears back. "If you loved me so much, and wanted me to stay…. Why did you have to run off to Vegas and marry Sam?"

"Because," Hyde swallowed back his answer. This is the part where he got stupid with them and made all the mistakes. "I was just so pissed off when I saw Kelso in that towel. And I know, I know nothing happened. But, it was almost as if I didn't care if something happened or not. I knew that that same bullshit was never going to end. It was always going to have to go back to him."

"Only because you make it go back to him!" Jackie sighed. He was always so insecure when it came to her and Kelso. She knew she didn't exactly help much, what with the "get off my boyfriend" fiasco and then prancing around, pretending she had so much trouble choosing between the two. She knew neither of those helped with his insecurities about it. But he could have stayed and found out the truth. Jackie stroked her hand against the door again. She really hated this door. It was meant to protect her from everything about him. Now she just wanted to see him while they spoke.

Hyde heard the light little click of Jackie unlocking the door. He stood up from his seat and slowly opened it. Jackie stood by the counter not looking up at him but not looking down either. She looked so hot in her blouse and panties, but so small and innocent with her tear stained cheeks and slightly tangled hair. She glided towards him and he wrapped his arms around her small frame and she buried her face in his chest. He nestled his face in her hair and he could smell the expensive shampoo she used. Their hug was filled with everything they wanted to say, all the sorries and all the 'I love yous'.

Jackie pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes. Hyde cupped her chin and his thumb rubbed her rosy cheek. He smiled down at her as she gazed up at his, her eyes dancing in the moonlight entering through her bedroom window.

"Steven, I'm sorry, for not trusting you. I was just scared." Hyde wrapped his arms around her again and held her close. "It's okay, I don't care about that anymore."

"Really?" Jackie sniffled again and wiped away more tears.

"Yes."

More sniffles, "Good." And more sniffles. And then Hyde felt his body being pushed away from her and before he could react, he felt tiny hands pushing on his chest causing him to walk backwards a few feet and lose his balance right about to the bed. He looked up at Jackie and saw fire in her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side.

"Now you're going to tell me why the hell you stayed with that shank whore and left me alone and wallowing for months you jerk!" Jackie screamed and kicked Hyde in the shins again.

"OW!" He immediately gripped his leg to apply pressure. "That hurts and you aren't even wearing shoes."

"I know." Jackie gave a little cocky smirk and sat down next to him on the bed waiting for his answer.

"Well…"

Damn she's impatient

Hyde tried to collect his thoughts as the pain subsided. "I don't know Jackie. I didn't even know I married her and when I did, I just knew I fucked up big time and there was no way in hell you would take me back."

"So you stayed with someone you didn't love because you assumed I wouldn't take you back?"

"Would you have?" He cocked a questioning eyebrow at her.

Jackie's face scrunched up a little and she looked down at the comforter. "I-I don't know…But that's not the point." Confidence illuminated Jackie's face as she looked Hyde in the eyes again. "You broke my heart staying with her Steven and you were so mean to me afterwards. How could you do that to someone you love?"

Hyde ran his fingers through his unruly hair. Life sucked. This sucked! Hyde felt like bolting for it right then. Just tell her the typical "I don't know" and if she likes it, fine, and if she doesn't… well her loss.

But he knew all to well it wasn't just going to be her loss. He had played this game with her one too many times before and it always ended with him making an ass of himself and her leaving in tears. So, why not just tell her the truth, and if she likes it, great, and if she doesn't… well….

"Look Jackie…" He turned to face her to make sure she knew he really meant what he was about to say. "We had been through so much, and I had no idea how to fix any of it. I knew that I hurt you really badly, and you didn't deserve that. I had really, really fucked up and you didn't deserve someone who would just keep screwing you over. I just thought… " He looked down at his lap and sighed. "I just thought that it would be easier for you to get over it if you hated me."

Jackie was stunned. She wasn't expecting this kind of answer. "Well… it didn't."

They were both silent for several minutes as they lost themselves deep inside their thoughts trying to figure out where to go from here. Was this really a settlement? Did they completely understand each other yet? Jackie felt like it was a no.

"Steven…" she laughed a little and he grabbed her hand. "You know what our problem is?"

"What?"

"We just have way too many trust issues. You don't trust me about Michael and I don't trust that you really love me."

"I always thought that you just knew." He squeezed her hand and pulled her in closer to his body.

"I never just know Steven." Jackie groaned. "I have to be told, constantly just to make sure."

"How about if I promise I will every once in a while." Hyde smiled down at her as she met his playful gaze.

"More than once every 2 years and you have yourself a deal." They sealed their agreement with a gentle kiss.

"And now do you know that I don't love Michael. I love you and only you."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out when you told him no when he asked you to marry him." Jackie grinned and climbed in Hyde's lap and kissed him again, this time with a little more force and passion.

"Wow." Hyde said after the kiss was through.

"What?"

"I just thought I would get more of a fight out of you about all of this. Not that I'm complaining."

"Well," Jackie smiled. "I will yell about this to you for the rest of your life, but I just want to get some sleep now. Besides, you have been a lot more open than I thought you would be."

Hyde leaned in and kissed her again. They both crawled up to the end of the bed and settled in under the covers. Hyde lounged on his back while Jackie snuggled onto his side and rested her head on his chest.

"I love you Puddin' Pop."

"I love you too Dollface." It still was hard to get out, but it was easier than the first two times he said it. It would just be something he had to get used to, one more wall needing to be torn down.

For several minutes they both drifted off into their own little worlds, which were completely filled with each other. Jackie listened as Hyde's rapid, rhythmic breathing began signaling he was almost asleep.

"Steven?"

He stirred slightly, "Yeah?"

"Will you move in with me?"

Hyde opened one eye and looked down at her. Is she serious? We just got back together.

"Really?" Hyde slowly lifted his body so he and Jackie could face each other. Jackie moved up and leaned on her elbow looking shyly at him as she anticipated his answer. "Yeah, since you know… the Formans are leaving in like a week."

"Yeah… that is true." Hyde looked at his girlfriend and couldn't help but notice how gorgeous she looked at moments like these. "I would love to babe." He grabbed her face and pressed his lips to hers as she anxiously welcomed him to her mouth.

They both soon drifted off to sleep, the first time in a year feeling whole again.

A/N 2: Once again, I do accept anonymous reviews, so don't be shy, let me know what you think.