Chapter 9

A.N. Merry Christmas to all my wonderful readers and I wish you all the best for the season. If you're wondering what I would like for Christmas, it begins with an r and ends in view!

5th November 1980, Chicago

"I can't deal with this," was Jackie's muffled moan from where her head was buried in her arms.

"What did he do wrong now?" Brooke asked in long-suffering tones.

Jackie raised her head, her mood switching from melodrama to annoyance. "He doesn't do anything wrong, Brooke! That's the problem."

It had been five weeks since she had traded her 'Miss' in for a 'Mrs', five weeks of spending weekends with Steven. She had made a token protest when he turned up that second weekend, muttering the words "restraining order" under her breath. Steven had argued that wasn't going to work now because they were married to which she had smugly replied "Who do you think 90 per cent of restraining orders are taken out against? Husbands and exes, that's who!" But they both knew it was an empty threat.

So even though she took no steps to stop it, Jackie was still opposed in principle to Hyde's continued presence in her apartment. Even if he did know how to cook. Or how to make her laugh. And he could tell with just one look when she was worn out and would make her rest.

"Since when is perfection a problem?" Brooke asked.

"Because it lulls me into a state of false security," Jackie retorted. "I know how this scene goes – just when I think he has really changed and all our problems are behind us, BAM! we'll have a fight, he'll get drunk and before you know it he's married to a stripper."

"I don't think he's likely to do that again," Brooke replied thoughtfully. "I mean, that's the kind of height-of-stupidity move a person achieves only once in a lifetime."

"You have to give Steven credit. He's already proven himself capable of two such moronic moments so far. I'm sure he's good for a third."

"Alright, so what brought on this latest meltdown?" Brooke questioned. Jackie leaned back into her friend's squishiest armchair and began the tale of Hyde's latest crimes against her as she gently stroked Betsy's hair; the 18 monther had fallen asleep on Jackie's lap after an imaginary tea party with her godmother.

"Well, there's the way he's always nagging me to rest more and to stop working such late hours – like I can afford to get on Brewster's wrong side and risk my job when I've got a child to support!"

"You don't believe Hyde would help out if you got fired?"

"Not enough to risk my baby's future. The current Steven might but who knows what he'll be like 5 months from now."

"Distrustful much?" Brooke murmured.

"Hey, that man went from being my best friend and lover to the ex-boyfriend from hell overnight," Jackie rebutted. "I've got a right to second guess."

"Still, that doesn't seem enough to explain why you've turned up on my front door begging for a place to hide-out from him."

"I'm not putting you out, am I?" Jackie asked. She mentally congratulated herself for asking the question; the old Jackie would not have been capable of it.

"Oh, it's fine," Brooke said casually. "I mean, Bernie was going to come around tonight to watch the new BBC production of Henry V on cable, but it's no problem." Jackie raised an eyebrow. "We're just friends, Jackie," Brooke said sternly.

"So you keep telling me," Jackie answered. "Over and over and over. You could do a lot worse than Bernard, you know. Underneath all that unappreciated artist angst, he's a pretty decent guy."

"Hey, can we just stick to your love-life, please? Just because I've finally found someone to talk to about higher subjects than baby formula and teething rings doesn't mean I'm going to fall all over him like some desperate sex-starved woman who hasn't been with a man since Molly Hatchet toured the Midwest."

"Oh, please, Brooke! You don't know the meaning of sex-starved," Jackie griped. "Imagine this scenario; you haven't been with a man for 4 months, your body is pumping out so many hormones that you're ready to jump anything with a Y chromosome and then throw into the mix having to live with a man who walks around in his tight concert tees and those dirty, threadbare jeans and he smells so good and then he accidentally brushes up against you and your whole body blushes with the thoughts that jump into your head…" Jackie moodily stared ahead, lost in her thoughts. When Brooke clicked her fingers in her face, she jumped. "Right! Yes. OK, so you want to know why I'm sitting here on a Friday night instead of going home to Steven? Well, it's because of last Wednesday night. I had an appointment with my OB for my first ultrasound," Jackie said.

"And Hyde didn't want to go with you?" Brooke asked sympathetically.

"Oh no. I never even told Steven about it. He lives back home during the week and well – you know – it's hard enough keeping my distance from him as it is."

"Well, you are living together."

"We are NOT living together," Jackie insisted. "I've explained that to you. He is like a prowler that breaks into my flat every weekend. He is there against my will and has no connection to me whatsoever!"

"Except that you're married to him and having his baby," Brooke pointed out.

Jackie paused a beat. "Well, yeah, except for that. So anyway, I was waiting in the OB's exam room in that shapeless hospital gown they inflict on you when who should walk in like he's got every right to be there?"

"The doctor?" Brooke hazarded. Jackie gave her a look. "Just kidding."

Last Wednesday…

"Steven!" Jackie cried in astonishment. "What are you doing here?"

"Where else would I be?" he answered. "You didn't think I'd miss our kid's small screen debut?"

"But how did you – "

"I saw the appointment on your calendar," Hyde explained. Just then Jackie's doctor walked in.

"Well, Miss Burkhart, how are we feeling today?" he asked, too busy looking at Jackie's chart to notice Hyde.

"Well, my wife and I are feeling fine," Hyde answered. "Can't answer for this Miss Burkhart person, though. Do you know who he's talking about, honey?"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "You'll have to forgive my husband, Dr Footit."

"That's alright, nothing to forgive," he answered, slightly mystified.

"The appointment's not over yet," Jackie said ominously.

"Riiight. Let's just see how that little bundle of joy inside you is doing, shall we? If you'd like to lie down Miss – uh, Mrs…"

"Hyde," Hyde said and moved to sit down next to Jackie. "Call her Mrs Hyde."

"O-kay," Dr Footit said. He drew Jackie's gown aside to bare her stomach. "So, Mrs Hyde, have you been feeling any more discomfort in these areas?" His fingers lightly pressed down on her abdomen.

"Hey!" Hyde objected. "Are you supposed to be touching her like that? Isn't there a nurse who does that kind of – intimate stuff?"

"Mr Hyde, I assure you, I am merely examining your wife," the doctor explained nervously.

"Listen, pal, the only man who gets to do that kind of examining to my wife is me," Hyde intimidated.

"Steven, would you just sit down and shut up," Jackie snapped. Hyde did so, grumbling in the process. But when the doctor ran the scanner over Jackie's stomach and a rapid thumping noise pulsed through the ultrasound speaker, he forgot all his grievances and sat up in shock. "What the hell is that?"

"That's your baby, Mr Hyde," the doctor replied. "If you'll look to the screen, you can see the foetus is already well developed at 17 weeks."

Jackie and Hyde both gazed in wonder upon the miracle captured on the grainy black and white monitor. Without thought, Jackie reached her hand out to Hyde and he squeezed it in his own.

"That's our baby, Steven," she whispered. "Oh, Steven."

Hyde was blown away by this strange sensation that was gripping his heart. What had been theoretical before was suddenly a reality. "Our baby," he repeated in awe. He looked at Jackie's glowing face, her eyes shining with happy tears, and as though it were the most natural thing in the world he leaned down and kissed her. And because it was the most natural thing in the world, Jackie just as unthinkingly kissed him back.

"Oh Brooke," Jackie said sadly. "I am in soooo much trouble."

…………………………………………………………………..

When Jackie arrived home, she opened her door a little apprehensively, expecting an interrogation from Hyde as to why she was over an hour late. Instead she faced an empty apartment.

"Huh," Jackie said to herself. She peered into Hyde's room to see if his duffel bag was in there. It wasn't. "I guess I'm finally rid of him," she said to herself, saying the words aloud to prompt the feelings of relief she should be feeling and take the place of what felt suspiciously like disappointment. It didn't work. "Damn it!" she cursed, kicking the table leg. She was hopping on one foot, rubbing her big toe in pain, when the front door suddenly opened and a familiar curly head peeked around.

"Hey," Hyde said, looking distinctly harried.

"Hey," Jackie replied stupidly, still standing on one foot.

"Look, there's something I have to tell you," Hyde began, entering the apartment, "and we don't have much time. But before I begin – what's with the stork imitation?"

"Oh, I, uh, just stubbed my toe," Jackie explained. "Which reminds me, where the hell have you been?"

"Miss me?" Hyde asked with a smirk as he made his way to the kitchen and started pulling out pots and pans.

"No!" Jackie denied. "What are you doing?"

"Making dinner," Hyde said. "How many steaks are in the freezer?"

"I don't know. There should be enough for us."

"We'll need four."

"Four? Why would we – " Jackie froze as she noticed Hyde's guilty expression. "Steven, what did you do?"

Back in Point Place earlier that day

"So, how's married life treating you?" Eric asked Hyde as he passed the pipe to his friend.

"Can't complain," Hyde answered stoically. Then he grinned. "Well, I usually could but the circle has a way of making me forget the things that are bugging me."

"Man, I can't believe you're going to be a dad," Kelso said. "I'm telling you, Hyde, it's awesome! You can play with toys and watch cartoons with your kid and if anyone catches you doing it, you just pretend you're only doing it for your kid's sake. Suckers!"

"I do not understand why we are not allowed to come and visit Jackie as well," Fez whined. "I miss my radiant goddess – and I want to see the rockmelons."

"Fez, I've told you before. She's still pissed at you guys."

"But that is why we must see her. Once she sees these sorry puppy-dog faces, how can she not forgive us for… whatever it was we did wrong. What was it again?"

"I'm not sure," Eric said with a frown. "Man, we were so wasted that night."

"Look, guys, Jackie's going to come around, but she only has so much forgiveness in her and right now I need every ounce of it for myself. If you lot turn up it could redirect her mercy away from me."

Kelso nodded in understanding. "Hyde makes a good point. After the way he spiked her drink, took advantage of her and got her pregnant – hell, Gandhi himself would have kicked him in the nads for that!"

"Thanks, Kelso," Hyde said sarcastically. "And for the last time, I did not spike her drink – I didn't even realise she was drunk! I'm having a hard enough time convincing her of that, I don't have the energy to drum it into your thick skull." Hyde stood up and backed away from the fumes. "Well, I'd better start putting my things together for the weekend." Hyde smiled at the thought of seeing Jackie again. After the kiss they had shared last Wednesday, he felt that he was finally breaking through her resistance. He reached into his pocket for his wedding band which he slipped onto his finger. He did not wear it around the house as Red and Kitty were still unaware of his state of affairs. The strange nature of his latest marriage was not something he felt he could explain to his foster parents. "Now remember, Foreman, as far as your parents are concerned I'm still doing that weekend business training course in Milwaukee."

"Oh, come on, Hyde, you think I don't know the drill by now?" Eric retorted, rolling his eyes. "I'm not a complete dumbass. It's not like if you forgot to remind me I'm gonna sit down to breakfast and say 'Hyde's in Chicago visiting his wife and could you pass the maple syrup'."

"Foreman, I've learned to never underestimate – " Hyde's caustic comment was cut short by the high pitched shriek that rang out from the top of the stairs. He looked up to see Mrs Foreman staring down, a basket of laundry scattered around her feet where it had fallen in her shock.

"Oh my God," she cried, running down the stairs. "Steven – are you married?"

"What? No, no, of course not," Hyde denied, holding his hands up in innocence while mentally throttling Eric. Of course, Mrs Foreman would see the glint of gold on his finger and before he knew it she had yanked his hand towards her.

"A wedding ring," she gasped. "It's true!" she looked up at Hyde with trepidation. "Oh Steven, you haven't been hanging around those strip clubs again, have you?"

"It is nothing like that, Miss Kitty," Fez spoke up for his friend. "This time Hyde married the girl he is in love with, not the girl he is in drunk with." Hyde turned an exasperated face on his loose-lipped friend when Kitty let out a delighted squeal that made his eardrums ring.

"Jackie!" she cried. "If you love her it can only be Jackie! Oh Steven, I am so happy for you," Kitty reached her small arms around her surrogate son and hugged him with all her strength. "I didn't want to mention it at the time but I was so upset when you brought that Sam home and broke Jackie's heart."

"You were?" Hyde wheezed. Kitty loosened her grip.

"Of course. You're like a son to Red and me, Steven, and we have been so worried about you this past year. But if you've won Jackie back, then that shows you have got your life back on track. Oh, I just know you two are going to be so happy together and bless me with lots of grandbabies!"

"Wow, you're like one of those psycho's, Mrs Foreman," Kelso said, impressed.

"I beg your pardon?" Kitty cried, offended.

"You know, one of those people that can sense things," Kelso explained. "Because Jackie and Hyde are halfway to delivering on the whole grandbaby thing."

"Kelso," Hyde barked in warning. But he was too late. Kitty was looking up at him with shining eyes and the widest smile he had ever seen.

"A baby? You two are having a baby?" Soon she was jumping up and down, her hands covering her mouth. "Oh, this is wonderful! Wait until I tell Red."

Back to the present…

"So now they both know?" Jackie cried.

"Yep," Hyde answered, flipping the steaks in the frying pan.

"Oh, this is a disaster," Jackie moaned. "How am I ever going to face them again? What will I say?" Just then the doorbell rang three times in quick succession.

"I think you'd better figure that out pretty soon," Hyde advised. "Because they kind of invited themselves to dinner."

"What?!!" Jackie looked at a sheepish Hyde in disbelief. With a squeal of pure aggravation, she stepped towards the front door but was arrested by Hyde's hand grabbing her arm.

"Jackie," he said urgently, "I need you to do something for me." Jackie raised her eyebrows incredulously, but Hyde ignored it. "I need you to not let on about the situation between us."

"You mean the way you strong-armed me into this temporary marriage?" Jackie said bitingly.

"Yeah, that." Hyde released her and gazed pleadingly into her eyes. "I didn't realise it before but I really put them through a bad time when I married Sam. I don't want them worrying about me again, thinking I've made an even bigger mess than last time." Jackie's mutinous pout wavered under his appeal. "Please, Jackie."

The door bell rang again insistently. "Well… alright. But just so we're clear I'm doing this for them, not for you !"

"Thank you, Jacks," Hyde said with relief.

"Hey, are either of you dumbasses going to let us in?" Red's angry voice could be heard behind the door.

Hyde took Jackie's hand and tugged her towards the front door. Opening it wide, he greeted the Foremans, winding his arm around Jackie's waist. "Hey, Mr and Mrs Foreman! Welcome to our home."

A.N. Watch out next week – I am turning up the heat!