Hyde woke up a few days later to a sleeping Jackie beside him. She looked so small and fragile lying beside him and he stared at her trying to memorize her face. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment and she stared up at him and tried to form a smile on her tired face. He leaned forward and brushed her lips against hers gently.
"Good morning." He whispered.
"Morning Puddin Pup." She said shutting her eyes again.
He knew she was exhausted, the medicine and tension was getting to her. "I have to get to work." He whispered in her ear as she continued to fall back to sleep.
She mumbled an: "Ok." Against his cheek.
He kissed her one last time before getting out of bed and he started to change out of his pajamas. He ran upstairs and ate some breakfast and then came back down to get his jacket and to say goodbye to Jackie again. He leaned forward and kissed her sleeping form she just rolled over in his bed and snuggled into the sheets. He smiled before shutting the door behind him to let her rest. When he came out, Eric was sitting on the couch watching TV.
"Hey man." Hyde whispered.
"Hey. Is Jackie in there?" Eric asked.
"Yeah…she's just really tired. Do me a favor and make sure no one wakes her up?"
"Yeah sure." Eric said. Hyde nodded his head as if saying thanks and just stood there for a moment staring at his best friend. And for the first time, Eric saw real emotion and pain on his best friends face. "Hey man…she's going to be ok."
Hyde snapped out of his daze and tried to smile at Eric. "Oh yeah…I know. Of course she is going to be fine…" He said not so convincingly.
"And just because they didn't find a match in any of us…it doesn't mean there isn't one out there for her." Eric said.
Hyde looked at Eric again and swallowed hard and tried to pretend like everything was ok. "Yeah man I know. I'm gonna head to work…so just ya know like I said let her sleep…if you need anything…or she does…you know the number to Grooves. I should be home around six."
"Alright…" Eric said knowing that Hyde wouldn't want to talk anymore about the problem. "See ya later man."
"Yeah…see ya."
Hyde walked out the basement door and felt the burning sensation behind his eyes but he told himself he would not cry. He took a deep breathe, breathing in the cold Wisconsin air. He walked to the El Camino and put the key in the ignition listening to the engine pur. As he drove to Grooves he thought of his first night back with Jackie after he had cheated on her with the nurse
Hyde lay in his bed watching Jackie as she slowly flipped through the pages of her Cosmo magazine. He smiled every time wrinkled her nose at something she didn't like…or raised an eyebrow at something she was reading. Finally, Jackie looked up from her magazine and stared at him with a slight smile on her face.
"What?" She asked referring to him staring at her.
"Nothing…" He said nonchalantly as he rested his head on his elbow still staring at her.
"No seriously…why are you looking at me like that?" She asked starting to feel nervous. "Is there something on my face?" She asked touching her cheek gently.
He smiled and took her hand away and kissed it gently before shaking his head. "No…" He whispered against her palm.
"Steven…" She begged, pouting every so cutely.
He smiled as he heard her say his name that way…he closed his eyes realizing just how much he had missed it. And her…when he opened his eyes again he saw her staring down at him desperately wanting to know what he was doing.
"Look Jackie…I was just looking at you ok?" He said suddenly feeling nervous around her.
She sighed somewhat sadly and nodded her head before returning back to her magazine. "Ok Steven…"
The way she had said his name that time made him realize she was sad…that she was still hurting from everything that had happened to them. He felt that painful tug at his heart remembering just how badly he had hurt her. Now that he had her where he wanted her again…he knew he needed to keep it that way. He took her magazine out of her hands and put it on the table beside his bed. She looked up at him with her piercing mismatched eyes that made his heart melt every time he looked at her. He positioned himself over her, his lips hovering just above hers. He could feel the soft tickle of her breathe against his lips and he knew that she could feel his. He smiled as her eyes fluttered shut for a moment due to the closeness they were sharing.
"Steven…" She whispered.
That was they way he liked her to say his name…soft and sweet, filled with so much love it shocked him. "Jackie…I love when you say my name." He said.
She squinted her eyes up at him not understanding what he meant. "Steven I don't understand."
He smiled at her innocence. "It's just…I normally don't like people to call me Steven…ya know everyone calls me Hyde."
"Except for the Foreman's." She said.
"Yeah…but with them ya know…their adults. Their like my parents…but you…" He started not sure how to say it. "Ok look at first…I hated that you started to call me Steven…but the way you say it…its just…it feels right." He looked her in the eye to see if she understood what he was trying to say to her. By the expression on her face he could tell she didn't. "It just sounds different the way you say it." He tried again.
"Do you mean this in a dirty way?" She asked obviously referring to the way she said his name in bed.
He smirked at her. "Well yeah sure…that's great. But it's not really what I meant…although now that I think about it…it does apply to this too."
"Steven…what are you talking about!?" She asked now getting frustrated.
He laughed. "See! Just there you said it in a different way too! It's like…you have so much emotion in your voice when you say it…like there you were frustrated with me. And then sometimes you say it in this way that just…it…God it just makes me feel like I'm worth something ya know?" He asked desperately searching her eyes hoping that she got it this time.
She smiled at him. "Steven you are worth something." She whispered stroking his cheeks softly.
"And there…you just…I don't know…I missed you." He said softly.
She smiled and leaned up and kissed it him passionately on the lips. "I missed you too Steven."
"I want you to know that I really am sorry…"
"I know Steven…I know." She said seeing the turmoil in his face thinking about how much he had hurt her.
"And I won't do that again…I promise. And I…ya know…"
She held his face in her hands and saw it there…he didn't need to say it. Not right now…she saw that he loved her in every way possible. "I know you do."
"Um…did you mean it when you said you didn't…?" He asked sounding hurt.
"No…" She whispered looking anywhere but in his eyes. "I didn't mean it when I said I didn't love you…I was just hurt.
And I wanted to hurt you because you hurt me."
"Oh…"
"Look Steven it doesn't matter…that's all over now. Were back together right?"
He smiled at her. "Yeah Jacks…were back together. And I want you to know…that I will always be here ok? I'll take care of you now…"
"I know Steven…I know."
He kissed her again before lying beside her and pulling her against his side holding her tightly to him.
When Hyde pulled up the parking lot at Grooves…his own words repeated in his mind. "I'll take care of you now…" He sighed and tried to stop thinking about the tiny brunette lying helplessly in his bed at home. And there was nothing that he could do to help her…this time it was out of his hands. He walked into Groove's and didn't even notice his Dad behind the front desk. He just walked to the back room and sat down at his desk putting his head in his hands. WB walked in and knocked on the door softly.
"Come in…" Hyde groaned.
WB came in and sat down in the chair in front of the desk. "Hey Son."
Hyde took a deep breathe and tried to rid himself of his Jackie thoughts. "Oh WB…hey man I didn't see you out there."
"Yeah I noticed…" He said staring at his son with a worried expression.
"Yeah…I must be tired or something." He said rubbing his eyes to get rid of the tears that were threatening to spill over.
WB sighed and looked at his son whom he knew was trying to stay strong in front of him. "So…how is Jackie?" He asked.
Hyde put on a fake smile. "Oh ya know…she's great man." He said leaning back against his chair.
"Angie told me that they couldn't find a bone marrow match." He whispered.
Hyde looked up at his Dad. "Yeah…um not yet at least."
"Steven…are you ok?"
Hyde looked up at him again and just stared at him for a moment. "I…" He stared, trying to decide if he should open up to him or not.
"Steven…son…talk to me. Are you ok?"
Hyde looked at his Dad again and took a deep breathe. "No." WB nodded his head and was about to speak when Hyde started again. "It's just…it's like I can't do anything to help her." He stared. "She just looks so helpless…and small…and she's usually so lively and happy…and I know she is trying to pretend its all ok…but we both know its not. I promised her I would take care of her…but I can't help her this time. There is nothing I can do to make this better…or make it go away. And if she…if she…" He stood up kicking his chair back. "WB…if she dies…I will never be able to forgive myself for not fixing this." He said with such emotion WB was shocked.
He didn't know his son that way but he knew that he had to help him now. "Son…its ok." He tried to reason with him.
"Damn it! No its not! My bone marrow didn't match to hers and now…now she might die!" He yelled.
"Son…that is something you can't control. You just have to be there for her now…let her know that you love her…that in itself will help her."
"Dad I…"
WB's eyes widened as he heard his son call him Dad…he looked so young and sad and WB's heart broke. "I went to the hospital this morning…"
Hyde looked confused. "I don't…I don't understand."
"They tested me…" He whispered.
Hyde took a step towards him and stared into his eyes hoping that he was about to say what he thought he was going to say.
"What…?"
"I'm a match." He whispered.
Hyde's heart flipped and pounded in his chest, his breathing hitched, his eyes filled up with tears and his body tensed up. "You…you're a match?" He asked as if in disbelief…needed to hear the words again.
"I'm a match…" He said again.
"Dad I…"
They said they could perform the operation as soon as Jackie is ready."
"You…you would do this for us?" Hyde asked softly.
WB smiled at his son and patted his shoulder. "Yes. I know how much you love her…and I just want to see you two be happy. As soon as she is ready…I'll do it."
Hyde stared at his father with such a happy yet sad smile he didn't know what to do. He stood their for a moment before throwing himself into his Dad's arms and hugging him. "Thank you…" He whispered. "Thank you…"
WB smiled against his sons shoulder and patted his back gently. "You are welcome son…"
"I…can I go tell Jackie?" He asked pulling away from his Dad.
WB smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah sure. Angie can handle things here. Go home and be with Jackie…and call me when you sort everything out."
Hyde grabbed his keys and coat and ran to the office door before turning around again to smile at WB. "Seriously Dad…thank you."
"Of course son…of course."
Hyde practically ran to his car and drove as fast as he possibly could to the Foreman's house. He pulled open the basement door and saw Eric and Jackie sitting on the couch watching TV. He had a huge smile on his face and Jackie looked up at him curiously.
"Steven…what are you doing home? I thougth you had to work." She said.
"WB's bone marrow matches yours." He said.
Eirc smiled at his friend's words and looked over at Jackie who was just staring at Hyde, tears coming down her face slowly.
"What…?"
"WB…he got tested at the hospital this morning and he got tested. He's a match Jackie…he's going to give you his bone marrow."
"Steven…I…I can't believe…he…Oh my god…" She whispered as she cried.
"Wow this is great news…" Eric said.
Hyde smiled at Eric and nodded and then sat down beside Jackie taking her hand in his. "Babe…" He said slowly.
"He would really do this for me?" She asked in disbeleif.
"Yeah…he said he would."
"God…Steven…"
"Everything is goin to be ok Jackie…I promise you. Now that we have a match…it's going to be ok now. You are goin to be ok."
She smiled up at Hyde and kissed him gently. "I love you Steven."
"I love you too." He said kissing her gently, feeling a little pressure and pain lift from his tense shoulders as he pulled his girlfriend against him, kissing the top of her head. He just hoped that it would stay like this…that once this operation was over…they would be able to be like this forever.
Hey guys! Sorry it has been taking me so long to update! Its just that it is the end of the school year, and between finals, my senior friends grad parties and commitments...I'm hardly home anymore. I'll try to update faster next time! What do you think so far? Let me know! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW:D
