A/N: Reviews make my world go 'round, so much thanks to those who reviewed last chapter! :D Anyways, chapter 7 is here, so I hope you guys like it!
Disclaimer: I do not own "That 70's Show" or any of the characters. This story is merely for entertainment purposes, and I am not getting paid in any way, shape, or form.
Previously:
"Can you keep a secret?" Jackie asked. Fez looked at her with a serious expression.
"No," he replied. "You should know that by now, Jackie." Jackie laughed bitterly. She reached in her pocket for a bag of MnM's.
"How about now?" she asked. "And there's a lot more where that came from." Fez considered it for a moment.
"Okay," he finally said, taking the candy and grinning. Jackie couldn't believe what she was doing. She was actually going to tell Fez about the entire incident.
"You can't tell a soul," Jackie said. "You have to promise me."
"Jackie, I-,"
"Promise me!" Jackie said, raising her voice. She then softened her voice as tears filled her eyes. "Please." Fez simply nodded.
-((*))-
Chapter 7: Confession:
"Are you okay?" Fez asked her. Jackie shook her head.
"That man… he was in Chicago raping innocent women," Jackie said, trying to remain calm. "Fez, there was no car accident." Fez's eyes went wide.
"Jackie… you were-,"
"Raped," Jackie finished. She brushed away a tear, and then suddenly broke into sobs. "And I thought that if I just came here, things would get better, but… Fez, that man - he's here. He followed me to Point Place!"
Fez was speechless. He didn't know what he could say.
"That man at the mall the other day… the one that came up to me and stroked my cheek. That was him," Jackie continued. She took a shaky breath. "I didn't know he was really serious when he said he would follow me everywhere I ran… that he would find me everywhere I hid… that I was his."
"That SON OF A BITCH!" Fez shouted in anger. His MnM's spilled out of the bag, but he didn't bother to pick them up.
"SH!" Jackie shushed him frantically. "He might even know what we're talking about right now! He's everywhere, Fez. He knows everything."
"Jackie, did you call the police?" Fez demanded. Jackie shook her head.
"No… that's why I wanted to talk to you…" she whispered. She blinked back more tears, but they only ended up streaming down her cheeks anyway. "I don't know what to do anymore," she said hoarsely. "He wrote me a note saying that every step I take leads me closer to him. What if I call the police and he comes after me and kills me? What if I don't call the police and he still comes and kills me? Fez, what if he's in this car right now?"
"Relax, Jackie, he is not in the car," Fez said, though he turned back to check the back seat just in case.
"I can't help it! He's ripping my sanity apart!"
"Jackie, you must call the police. Fez will protect you," he promised. Jackie shook her head, still crying.
"I don't want you guys to get hurt," she protested. "And if I tell the police, everyone else will find out about this whole thing, and they'll treat me different! I just want to be the old Jackie! I just want things to be the way they were, Fez! Is that so wrong?"
"Jackie… I… I just can't believe it," Fez said, shocked.
"Yeah there was a time when I couldn't believe it, either," Jackie mumbled. "But I'm kind of starting to realize that things probably won't return to how they used to be."
"So that was the real reason you did not want any hugs," Fez concluded. Jackie nodded.
"I can hug people, because I feel in control, but the moment anyone's arms wrap around me, I freak out…"
"You have to do something, Jackie," Fez warned. "There are not many moments when I am serious, but this is one of those times."
"But what can I do?" Jackie asked, begging for an answer.
"You can call the police and come clean to our friends about this thing," Fez suggested. Jackie shook her head.
"Anything besides those two," Jackie said. "I can't have them know… especially Steven."
"Don't you think you should trust them enough to tell them the truth, though?" Fez asked.
"It's different when it's actually happened, Fez," she sighed. "Sure, before it happens you can talk all you want about how honest you could be with everyone if it happened, and how it wouldn't be your fault, but then it happens… and you can't be honest with everyone. And no matter how many times you assure yourself it's not, you still can't help but feel like it's your own fault."
"Jackie, you should report this," Fez said firmly. "Melissa didn't, and look where it got her."
"I guess so," Jackie replied.
"I shall keep you safe, my goddess," Fez swore. "And I shall keep your secret safe, although I do wish that I hadn't sworn not to say anything… I just feel like Hyde has the right to know, since you two are together."
"Maybe I'll tell him someday," Jackie said, nodding. "But not right now. I could barely get the guts to tell you, Fez."
"And for that I am thankful. I am glad that you decided to finally tell someone. It is not healthy to keep negative energy within you."
Jackie was shocked at how deep Fez was being right now. Sure, it was a serious matter, but still. She would have expected Fez to crack a few jokes or something.
But she was glad to have opened up to someone. And since Fez was probably the most suspicious, she'd picked the right person to tell the truth.
"Let's go home," Jackie decided.
"Sure," Fez agreed as he started up the car and began driving.
"And Fez?"
"Hm?
"Thanks."
Fez grinned sadly.
"You are welcome."
-((*))—
"What the hell do you want?" Jackie shouted as she continued running. The man chasing her wasn't too far behind.
"You're a pretty young girl," he said. "Isn't it obvious?"
"I have a boyfriend who could kick your ass," Jackie threatened as she quickened her pace.
"Don't be so sure," the man snickered. "He may be at a bit of a… disadvantage against me." A gunshot was suddenly heard and Jackie screamed.
"Get out of here!" she cried.
"And who's going to make me?"
"Steven!" Jackie yelled, even though she knew he was miles and miles away. "Donna! Fez! Michael! Help me!"
The man grabbed onto Jackie's ponytail roughly, pulling her back and restraining her from escaping.
"What's your name, sweetie?" Jackie struggled against the man, pulling and pushing and screaming in pain as her hair was tugged.
She reached in her pocket and grabbed the pair of scissors that she'd put in there earlier that morning for a project at work. She snipped off the ponytail that the man was holding, and then she took off running again.
"You can run, and you can hide, but it won't do any good, Jackie," he said in a polite, yet menacing voice. Jackie was panicking too much to realize how creepy it was that this man already knew her name.
Jackie shot up, screaming again. She looked around her. She was in Laurie's room, and everything looked like it was in order. She reached her hand up to feel her ponytail – it was still short from the incident. She'd been lucky to happen to have scissors that day.
But it still did not save her.
Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door.
"Come in," Jackie said quietly, assuming that it was Hyde. He always came in after her nightmares to make sure that she was all right.
But when the door opened, it wasn't Hyde at the door.
"Hey beautiful," the evil voice whispered. It was him.
Jackie screamed so loudly that she thought for a moment that she may have broken her vocal chords or something.
"Jackie! Jackie! Wake up!" Hyde shouted, shaking Jackie awake very gently. Jackie gasped as she opened her eyes.
"What's going on?" she asked. Hyde shook his head.
"I don't know… were you having another nightmare?" he asked. Jackie nodded.
"Yes… this one was the worst yet," she said stiffly. Never before had she woken up into another dream.
"You wanna talk about it?" he offered, but Jackie shook her head fiercely.
"No," she replied firmly.
"Did you still wanna see a counselor?" Hyde asked. Jackie sighed, shrugging.
"I don't know yet," she answered honestly. Maybe she would ask Fez his opinion…
Hyde stayed with her for the night, lying by her side by not daring to wrap his arms around her. She didn't respond well to being held anymore. Hyde wished that he hadn't been such an idiot. He wished that he hadn't assumed the worst and broken up with Jackie. Maybe she wouldn't have had the car accident if he'd just been a little more patient. If he'd gotten her to open up to him about her being fired. If he'd convinced her that it was okay and he'd convinced her to come home. Maybe she would be in his arms right now if he had done this.
But he didn't, and he felt like more of an idiot than Kelso.
"Steven," Jackie whispered in the darkness.
"What's going on, dollface?" he asked softly.
"I want to try something…" she mumbled as she slowly scooted closer to him and pulled his arm around her. She took a few deep breaths before relaxing. She then sighed. "Much better."
Hyde smiled as he pulled the covers overtop of them.
-((*))—
"Mornin', Puddin' Pop," Jackie said brightly as she kissed Hyde from the other side of the register.
"Mornin' doll," he said, grinning. "Sorry I had to leave so damn early. But I had work today. And I didn't wanna wake you."
"It's okay," Jackie assured him. True, she had been fairly disappointed when she woke up alone this morning, but she understood that Hyde had work today, so she decided that she would just say good morning to him at the record store. "I'm just glad to see you now."
"Excuse me, excuse me!" an older woman, who was probably in her later 40's, called as she approached the register. She pushed Jackie out of the way and Jackie tensed up for a second. "Young man, do you know where the Doris Day records are? She was my favorite singer." Hyde snorted, shaking his head.
"Doris Day?" he asked. "We don't sell that crap here. We sell-,"
"Young man, I am looking for a Doris Day record. Can you help me find it?" she asked, interrupting Hyde.
"I already told you, lady-,"
"This is a record store, for gosh sakes!" she cried out. "Not some club for partying! We don't have time for chit chat!" She grabbed Hyde's shirt and tugged. "Now come on, let's get some Doris Day!" Hyde rolled his eyes, sighing.
Jackie laughed from a distance as poor Hyde was tormented by this Doris Day-obsessed woman. But her giggles were cut short when she met the gaze of her stalker, standing quietly in the back of the shop.
"Fuck," she muttered, trying her best to remain calm. Part of her wanted to march right over there and tell him to leave her and her friends alone. And part of her wanted to scream and run out of the store.
Neither part won, because she just stood there, frozen in fear. He grinned menacingly at her.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Jackie whispered, even though she knew he wouldn't hear. It was better that way, anyway. She didn't want to speak with him. She didn't even want to see him.
But there he was.
He walked up to her slowly.
"Hello, Jackie," he said. Jackie felt chills go down her spine. "Wow, we just keep running into each other. Funny… coincidence, wouldn't you say?" Jackie didn't say anything.
"Loud girl?" Leo said suddenly, coming up to the two. "Loud girl! Man, it's been a long time! How've you been?"
Jackie didn't say anything still. She was afraid to speak, afraid to move, afraid to breathe.
"What happened to your arm?" Leo continued. Jackie just gulped.
"You look a little pale, Jackie," her stalker commented in an unusually honey-sweet voice. "As pale as a ghost." Jackie kept her mouth shut. "Tell you what, beautiful. Why don't I take you home? You look like you might need some rest." When Jackie didn't respond, the man grabbed her arm. Before he had time to try to haul her off, Leo interrupted.
"Hey, man, you can't take her home," he said, shaking his head. "Hyde'll get real' mad."
"Hyde? Ah yes," the man said, as though he was recalling a memory. "The curly-haired white trash that my Jackie seeks love and comfort in."
"Yeah!" Leo said, nodding. He had a goofy grin on his face. "That's him."
Jackie wished that she could say something, but her throat had a lump too large to swallow.
"He'll be okay with it," the man snickered. "He doesn't have a choice in the matter."
"Okay," Leo replied. "Hope you feel better, Jackie." The man started leading Jackie away. He still had a fierce grip on Jackie's arm.
"Where are you taking me?" Jackie finally managed to squeak.
"I can't tell you," he replied. "Obviously you can't keep a secret. And neither can your foreign friend. No amount of candies will keep his mouth shut for long. You and I both know this is coming to an end, so why prolong it? Why wait? Why wait when your life can be mine now."
To be Continued…
A/N: Will Fez really keep his promise not to tell anyone? Or will he end up spilling the beans to the others? Where is Jackie's stalker taking her? What will happen to Jackie? Stay tuned! :D
PS: Reviews rock! *hint hint*
-Peace&Love—
Best Wishes,
FuzzySlipper19
