Church was boring, as usual, for everyone. Well, everyone except Kitty who made each one of the kids shake hands with the pastor before they left. After being squeezed together for an hour and a half, the gang was happy to get back to the comfort of the Forman's basement.
"That was the longest hour and a half of my life!" Hyde exclaimed. He sat in his chair, tossed his jacket onto the floor, and loosened his tie. "How do business people wear suits everyday?"
"Air conditioners, that's how." Eric answered, coming in behind him and flinging himself onto the couch.
"Try being pregnant and wearing a dress that barely fits you," Donna complained as she and Jackie came in and stood by the door.
"What about me?" Jackie whined. "I'm the one that's wearing a dress I wore when I was 14. It barely even fits."
Kitty's voice interrupted their conversation, "Eric! Steven! Red needs your held in the garage!"
Eric and Hyde shared a 'What does he want now?' look, simultaneously shrugged their shoulders, and headed outside.
Jackie and Donna moved away from the door, allowing them to leave, and sat down on the couch.
"Could my dress get any smaller?" Jackie groaned as she tried to pull it down. "I think every guy between the ages of 15 and 24 in the church was checking me out when we walked in."
"Especially Hyde," Donna remarked.
"Steven? No, he's over me." Jackie shook her head.
"Jackie, are you serious? Every conversation I've had with him in the past few months always start with him saying how pretty you are and ending with him saying he regrets what happened in the past year."
"Does he really still feel that way?"
"Of course! Why else would he offer you the empty room in his apartment?"
Jackie took a moment to think and sighed. "I don't think I'm over him either."
"Well there's a shocker." Donna said sarcastically, rolling her eyes while doing so.
"Donna, I'm serious. I think I dated Fez just to prove to Steven that I could date other people also." Jackie confessed. "In the beginning I really like Fez, though along the way I stopped. I guess I just stayed with him to make Steven jealous."
"What are you going to do about it?"
Jackie stared into space. "I don't know, I really don't know."
~~~ . . . ~~~
Easter dinner was like most holiday meals in the Forman house. Kitty said Grace; Eric commented on how Laurie wasn't there (again); and Red promised to stick his foot into Eric's ass if he didn't shut his mouth.
"Where's Fez? I though he was coming to eat here." Kitty questioned the kids, Hyde no where to be found
"He's going to the Kelso's for dinner. But Kelso was supposed to stop by here later, so he might come then." Donna answered, piling her plate high with food.
"I better leave before then," Jackie murmured under her breath.
Red asked a question this time, "Where did Steven ago."
"He left an hour ago, but didn't say where he was going." Eric responded as he stuffed mashed potatoes into his mouth like he hadn't eaten in days.
As if on cue, Hyde walked through the dining room door and slipped into the seat next to Jackie, the only empty one at the table. "Sorry, I had to take care of a few things." He removed his glasses and stuck them in his pocket.
"It's fine, just as long as you're here now." Kitty replied. She turned to Jackie, "What's going on with you? Moving in and all."
"I'll have to go pick up my things after dinner at the apartment. I w as hoping I could stay in Steven's old room."
"That shouldn't be a problem. We'll just have to move a few boxes around."
"I'll bring you to get your things." Hyde spoke up.
"That'll be great. I really appreciate it, Steven." Jackie seemed relived. At least if Fez is there I'll have someone to watch my back, Jackie thought to herself.
Suddenly, the front door opened and the voices of Kelso and Fez could be heard. Kelso appeared in the doorway first. He held his daughter Betsy in his arms and Brooke stood behind him. "Hey, guys! Long time no see!" He shouted, bothering his daughter a little.
"Oh, if I would have known you were coming early I would have set up more seats." Kitty instantly got up and started for the kitchen.
"Oh it's fine, Mrs. Forman. We already ate," Brooke said back.
"Steven and I were just leaving. Take our seats." Jackie grabbed Hyde's hand, slipped past Kitty, and ran out the back door, just as Fez showed up. Once they were outside, Hyde and Jackie could hear the faint sound of Kitty shouting at them to finish their dinner.
"Ignore her. I don't want to see Fez anyway." Jackie said as she took her seat in the front of the El Camino.
"Jackie, you can't hide from Fez forever. Just like you couldn't hide from me or Kelso when our relationships with you ended." Hyde tried to explain. He got into the car, pulled out of the driveway, and turned a corner.
"I know I can't. I just need some time away from him." Jackie stared out the window. I didn't want to break up with you, she thought.
The rest of the car ride went on in silence. Hyde pulled into the apartment parking lot where he lived as well as Fez. Jackie did not say a word as she and Hyde got into the elevator. She only spoke once as Hyde pressed the elevator button for floor 4.
"Steven, Fez's apartment isn't on the 4th floor."
"I know." Hyde smirked.
Jackie groaned while trying to figure out what Hyde in mind. For the twentieth time that day she played around with the bottom of her dress trying to make it magically get longer.
"That dress looks good on you." Hyde said as the elevator doors opened.
"You think so? It feels really weird on me. I guess that's because the last time I wore it I was 1 dress size tinier, 2 inches shorter, and half a cup size smaller."
"Hyde grinned and moved his eyes toward Jackie chest. "I forgot about that last part."
"Yeah right." Jackie rolled her eyes and folded her arms to prevent Hyde from looking. "Can you just hurry up so I can get my stuff?"
"Calm down, I just need to get something." Hyde found his door, fumbled with his keys, and managed to get the door opened.
"Where's the bathroom?" Jackie asked in an impatient tone.
"It's the second door on your left." Hyde turned toward the kitchen while Jackie headed down the hallway.
Just as Hyde reached for something in the fridge, Jackie shrieked with glee and excitement.
"Steven!" Jackie screamed as loud as she could. "Why did you do this?"
Hyde appeared in the doorway and admired what he had done. Before Easter dinner, he had moved all of Jackie's stuff from Fez's apartment and placed it in his spare bedroom.
"I did it because I know you wouldn't be happy at the Forman's. Kitty and Red are great and all, but with everything that's going on with Eric and Donna I know you wouldn't enjoy it."
"That's not the real reason, is it?"
Hyde took a deep breath as he thought of what he was going to say. "Jackie, when I broke up with you it was on an impulse. I was so angry I got married to a stripper who I didn't even love. I wanted to kill myself every time you even mentioned Fez, let alone see you with him. Everyday I realized that I made a huge mistake and I was determined to get you back."
Tossing her purse on the ground, Jackie flung herself into Hyde's arms and planted a kiss on his lips. She could feel a few tears coming down her face.
After a few minutes of continuing as they were, Hyde broke it off. "We have to get back to the Forman's."
"Can't we just stay here?" Jackie pouted.
Hyde fought hard to beat his urges. "C'mon, we can rub the fact that we're back together into Kelso and Fez's faces." Hyde picked up Jackie's purse and handed it to her.
Jackie smiled as she followed her once-ex-boyfriend out the door. For the first time in more than half a year she knew she was doing the right thing.
