(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 10

"So, buddy" Eric asked as he heard his friend coming down the stairs, "How'd it go with the bitch... Mom!" he yelled suddenly when he actually tore his eyes away from the TV and turned around, only to realise it wasn't Hyde coming down the basement stairs at all but his mother.

"Oh, Eric!" Kitty giggled, clapping her hands and practically bouncing up and down, "I just left the room for a minute but that was all it took!" she grinned, "Jackie and Steven, they are just so darn cute together, and I knew it"

"So they're talking and actually getting along?" Eric checked.

"Well, they were talking, now they're... they're getting acquainted" she said with a look, and Eric's stomach turned over.

The idea of Hyde and Jackie making out, which he assumed was what his mother meant, it made him feel a little queasy. Of course it could be worse. Fez's brief description of a fantasy he'd had about Big Rhonda, now that had been way worse, but this was still decidedly unsettling.

"Mom, shouldn't you get up there and, y'know, break them up?" Eric suggested after a moment, "I mean, Dad will be home soon and..."

"What the hell are you people doing in my kitchen?!" the booming voice of Red Forman echoed down from above, and Kitty and Eric ran one behind the other, back up the stairs.

"Red, Red, now calm down!" his wife insisted, as she arrived in the room.

"No, damn it, Kitty, I'm pissed!" he said, slamming the newspaper down on the counter, "I do not expect to come home after a long day and find some random kids using my kitchen like their own private..."

"Inspiration Point?" Eric suggested, really wishing he hadn't attracted his father's attention at that particular moment.

It had been much better when Red was just yelling at Hyde and Jackie. Why he'd felt the need to jump in, Eric had no idea, and quickly moved to stand behind Kitty, hoping his father would forget he was ever there.

"Look, we're sorry, Red" Hyde told him, "We just..."

"We just forgot where we were" Jackie said for him, loving that in spite of the sudden audience, Steven still had his arm around her shoulders, as she kept her own around his waist.

The smile on Jackie's face just wouldn't shift, and she didn't want it too. All this had gone even better than she ever could've planned. Not only was Steven willing to admit that he cared, but he'd kissed her like she'd never been kissed before, made her feel things she never knew she could feel from a single kiss. He really liked her, she really liked him, it was all working out pretty much perfectly today, and the best part was, it didn't seem like he was about to deny what they had or run away from her. That was her real fear, if she was willing to admit to having any. They'd kissed before, he'd been nice to her before, but never in front of anybody else, and it almost always ended with him regretting any good feeling towards her. Maybe not this time, it seemed not so far, and Jackie was elated.

"Now, come on into the living room, Red, and I'll fix you a drink" his wife urged him, pulling him by the sleeve til she'd got him into the next room.

He went without too much protest, but he glared at the kids in his kitchen til the door finally blocked his view.

"Okay, that was a little embarrassing" Jackie admitted.

"Really?" Eric checked, "Cos personally I just thought it was funny" he chuckled, until the pair turned and glared at him in stereo, "Hey, do not look at me in that tone of voice!" he complained, before disappearing through the sliding door.

"Sometimes he is such a freak" Jackie shook her head, laughing lightly at the boy's antics.

"I heard that!" he called from the driveway, before continuing to walk away.

"At least he can go fix things with Donna now" Hyde pointed out, "Maybe she'll be in a more 'giving' mood now she knows I... used the dreaded S word" he physically shuddered when he said it and Jackie look oddly at him, "Sorry. The S word is sorry" he explained and she nodded her head.

"I knew that" she lied, and he knew it too.

"Yeah, sure you did" he smirked, and she glared daggers at him.

"Steven" she snapped, startling him a little, before the smile found it's way back onto her face, "Shut up and kiss me"

"Yes, dear" Hyde agreed, as he did just that.

Jackie was loving this, not just having Steven here kissing her, not just knowing that he really cared about her, not even just the fact she had some power over him now. What Jackie loved most was the woman she was becoming, the woman she was pretty sure Steven Hyde was falling for.

With Michael, she realised, she'd played it all wrong, she'd tried controlling him but she was mostly too soft with him and he walked all over her. Steven had shown her how to have some spine, how to be strong and stand up and fight when she wanted something, and yet also to tone down some of her bitchiness and be a little more open to understanding other people. He probably didn't even know he'd done it, but he had, and for that Jackie was grateful. Poor guy had no idea he'd gone and taught her exactly what to do in order to get him to like her.

"Y'know what, Steven Hyde?" she said between kisses, "I think you might just be stuck with me now"

"Wanna know the really scary part?" he asked her, though he wasn't really looking for her to venture an answer, "That actually sounds cool" he admitted with a smile, before resuming kissing her.

"Donna?" Eric called, as he tapped tentatively on her bedroom door, and pushed it slightly open.

"Eric, you're supposed to wait til I say come in when you knock!" she yelled, "Not just come barging in because you want to"

Eric winced at her tone, and apologised immediately for the simple act that was today a heinous crime just because he was a guy and Donna was in one of her feminist snits. Of course, he could probably fix that by telling her Hyde had done the right thing with Jackie, and by agreeing with her whilst she rammed home the point that all men are jerks. Then maybe, just maybe, he'd get some touch tonight!

"So, I thought maybe you'd like to know" he said, coming to sit beside her on the bed, "Hyde made up with Jackie"

"Made up?" Donna checked, "You mean he actually stopped being a dillhole for five seconds and apologised to her?"

"Yeah" Eric nodded, "There were apologies and then something disturbing with tongues and..." he shuddered, "I really can't talk about this" he shook his head violently, looking quite green.

"Oh my God" Donna smiled, "They actually figured everything out? That's awesome"

"I guess" Eric agreed, "It's all good... if it puts you in a better mood" he muttered the last part, though the red-head still heard him and glared a little, "Did I mention that I love you?" he said with a nervous smile, "Especially when you're fighting for what you believe in" he added, pointing a finger emphatically.

"So" Donna smiled at his efforts to please her, as she came to stand in front of him, "What was this thing you were telling me about, with tongues?" she asked with a look in her eye that pleased Eric to no end, as he threw himself at her and they landed in a haphazard pile of limbs on the bed, kissing like it was going out of style.

It was only two days since the ice queen thing had kicked in, and yet Eric had missed this. He was seventeen years old and male, making out was what he lived for, at least until Donna decided to give it up so he could stop being a virgin. That was going to be the greatest of days, even better than seeing Star Wars, Eric was sure.

"Hey, Forman" Hyde smirked as he met his friend on the driveway a while later, "Looks like a certain hot redhead was feeling a little more giving towards her scrawny neighbour boy, huh?"

"Oh, man" Eric grinned, "Could you and Jackie maybe split up and get back together a few more times?" he asked, "Cos I'm tellin' you, man, it puts Donna in a good mood when things go her way!" he said, with huge amounts of joy that made Hyde chuckle.

"Yeah" he nodded, "Given the nature of this twisted thing between me and Jackie, I'd say the odds are pretty good for a couple of fights per day on average" he said, hands in his pockets as he shrugged, "But hey, what can you do?"

"Did you two already break up?" Eric frowned as he glanced between his friend and the patio doors into the kitchen to see Jackie all alone, "Because, my God, that has to be the fastest turn around ever"

"No, man, she just has to finish her Home Ec project is all" Hyde explained, "Could take a while too, since I just heard her ask Mrs Forman 'Which one is the flour again?'" he faked a high-pitched girly voice and Eric laughed.

"So, you waiting around for Jackie or..." the boy started to ask, but Hyde quickly shook his head.

"No way, Forman" he said firmly, "I mean, I'll admit I like the girl and everything, however weird that sounds, but I don't want to be Kelso, man, waiting around for her and doing everything she asks" he gestured, "There is only one boss of me, and that's me" he said.

"Oh yeah, me too" Eric agreed, making Hyde chuckle as he walked away.

"Yeah, if your name was Donna" he laughed as he disappeared off the drive and out of sight.

"Whatever, Hyde!" Eric called after him, walking backwards to the door, and letting himself in, "At least I'm not dating... a wonderful girl like Jackie" he said with a big smile as he remembered she was right there standing in her kitchen, "Because I'm just not good enough for a girl like that" he said, with a snap of his fingers, "Darn the luck"

"That's sweet, Eric" Jackie nodded, looking both amused and confused at the same time, "But you're right, you and Donna are much better suited. You've both kept your standards low, and it's all worked out for you" she smiled, really not knowing that what she said might be insulting.

Eric didn't say a word, just headed back down to the basement, intending to stay there til he was sure Jackie was gone. It was crazy to think she was Hyde's new chick, but less so when she burned him like she just had. Maybe she didn't do it as deliberately as her boyfriend but it all had the same effect, Eric mused, as he flipped on the TV and laid down on the couch. Hyde was a boyfriend, and Jackie was his girlfriend, the whole thing messed with Eric's head way more than any amount of time in The Circle ever had. As he lay there thinking about it all, sleep overtook him, and the most horrendous of dreams set in...

Eric looked over at the door as it swung open and Jackie swept in wearing a glamorous ball gown, her hair piled up on her head, and a corsage at her wrist.

"Wow, Jackie, you look... fancy" he said, for a lack of a better word.

"I know" she agreed, patting her hair, "but wait until you see my escort" she grinned, arms making a flourish of movement towards the door as it swung open once again and in walked Hyde in a tuxedo, complete with bow-tie, his hair cut short and sensible, and shiny shoes on his feet.

"Woah, Hyde, man" Eric shook his head, "What the hell happened to you?"

"I changed for my lady" he said, in a tone that was far too proper, as he took hold of Jackie's hand, "I have given up all kinds of smoking and any kind of fun in my life"

"Isn't it wonderful" Jackie beamed, as she leaned in to kiss her man, the couple getting far too into the moment for Eric's liking.

With a scream he woke up, sitting bolt upright on the couch, feeling nauseous.

"No, no, you can't do that to my friend, Jackie!" he was yelling, when thundering feet on the stairs caught his attention.

"What did you say to me?" asked the very girl he'd been yelling about, only she looked so different to the unicorn loving, pretty in pink, girly girl that he was used to.

Now dressed in denim and leather, punk-rock Jackie stomped down the stairs and stood before Eric with her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer to her earlier question.

"Dear God" Forman swallowed hard, vaguely wondering how Jackie suddenly looked kind of hot in tight jeans and a leather jacket.

"Hey, Forman!" Hyde caught his attention as he came in the back door, "You checking out my chick, man?" he checked angrily, as he came to put a territorial arm around her.

"If I thought he was" Jackie told her boyfriend, "I'd kick his ass so hard he'd cough it up" she said, with a wicked glint in her eye.

"Isn't she great?" Hyde smirked, before kissing his girlfriend soundly on the lips.

This time when Eric began to scream, he woke up for real and was glad to do so. Hyde turning into a male Jackie, or her turning into a female Hyde. Neither was overly appealing, though the latter would be favourable.

Either way, it seemed he was going to have to get used to the situation, as was Kelso and Fez, who would both no doubt be jealous of Hyde having Jackie with him now. Eric just thanked the forces above that he had Donna, and asked them as desperately as any seventeen year old virgin could, that one day she might just, as Kelso so eloquently put it, do it with him, before something vital decided to fall off from lack of use!

To Be Continued...