Hey guys! Once again thanks for the feedback. I hope you like the new chapter! I'll be moving back into school on Monday but I will hopefully be able to update again before that. Read and then let me know what you think of the story! :) THANKS!


The next morning, Hyde woke up after a peaceful nights sleep. He yawned and opened his eyes before realizing that he wasn't alone in bed. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that Jackie was curled up against him in his bed.

God…he had forgotten how warm and soft she felt beside him.

He had really missed this.

She looked so at peace beside him and it made him feel happy. Last night she had seemed so anxious and upset about everything and it broke his heart. He too had been worried about a lot lately but having her back in his life made him relax a little. He didn't realize how insecure she still was about everything and he just wished he could make her feel better about it all.

He knew that if she woke up and realized they had fallen asleep together it would freak her out more. He slowly detached himself from her embrace and crept out of his room as quietly as he could. He went into the kitchen and started to brew a pot of coffee for them and tried to wrap his head around everything that had been happening lately.

He knew what he wanted out of this friendship with Jackie…he wanted her to learn to trust him enough so that they could get back together eventually. But he was starting to worry that they weren't heading in the same directions…

He was rubbing the back of his neck and yawning as Jackie walked slowly into the kitchen with a small smile on her face. "Good morning…"

He nodded his head towards her and smiled, "Morning…"

She walked over to the table and sat down on one of the chairs before pulling her leg up against her chest, "So um…I didn't plan on sleeping here last night."

He stared at her for a moment and could tell she was nervous that something had happened, "I slept on the couch if that's what you are worried about." He responded quickly.

Her face softened and she rested her cheek against her knee, "Oh…okay."

He smiled and poured both of them a cup of coffee before bringing it over to her at the table, "Do you have to work today?"

She shook her head and took the cup, "No. Not until tomorrow."

He lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip, "You want to hang out today?"

"Don't you have to work?" She asked curiously as she let the cup warm her hands.

He smirked and took another sip, "The beauty about owning your own store is that you get to decide when you do and don't work."

She laughed and shook her head, "Are you sure you can do that? Isn't the store kind of new still?"

He sighed and put his cup down on the table, "Jackie I may have matured a little when I moved out here and decided to open a new store…" He paused and rubbed the stubble on his chin, "But I'm still me...I have no problem skipping work."

She laughed again and replied, "Okay…but I have nothing to wear."

He rolled his eyes, "Can't you wear what you wore yesterday? I'm sure it's dry by now and it's not like anyone saw you wearing it."

She scoffed, shocked by what he had said, "Steven! I can't possibly wear the same outfit two days in a row!"

He groaned, "Well can you bare to wear it for like fifteen minutes while we go to store and buy you a new outfit?"

Her face lit up at his words, "You're willing to go shopping with me?"

He sighed and stood up, "Well…you know you seemed upset yesterday so I figure it will help cheer you up…" He shrugged and coughed nervously, "Or whatever…"

Jackie jumped up excitedly and ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "Give me five minutes and I'll be ready to go!"

He couldn't help but smile when her lips touched his cheek quickly before she ran off towards his bedroom to change into her clothes from yesterday. When she was gone, Hyde pressed his hand to his cheek reveling in the tingling feeling her lips had left there.

God he loved that girl…


Twenty minutes later, Jackie was happily rummaging through the racks at one of the stores down the street from Hyde's apartment. He was standing in the corner praying this wouldn't take much longer because he was already bored out of his mind.

Jackie walked over to him holding up to shirts that were exactly the same except for the color, one in red and one in purple, "Steven…which one goes better with my skin tone?"

He sighed and let his head fall back, "Come on Jackie…you know I don't make fashion choices. I hate this crap…"

She pouted and jumped up and down anxiously in front of him, "But St-e-ven!" She exclaimed in a high pitched voice, "I need help!" He lifted his head again and looked back at her nervously, "Which color looks better with my skin tone?" She asked again.

He groaned and looked between the shirts and Jackie, "I don't know…the red one?"

She scoffed and dropped the shirts down at her sides, "You didn't even look long enough Steven! Because if you had looked long enough you would have realized that the purple one is the right choice!"

He narrowed is eyes at her, feeling extremely confused by her statement. "Why did you ask me if you already knew the answer to the question?"

"Because if we are going to be friends I need to know you can help me with such crucial decisions!" He said poking him in the chest.

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest to glare at her, "Jackie…friendship is usually based on a lot more than clothing decisions."

"Oh what do you know?" She said turning away from him and walking back towards the racks and starting to sort through them all again.

He laughed and followed close behind her, "I'm starting to regret suggesting we do this."

She looked over at him and saw just how bored he actually was and began to feel guilty about dragging him around the store. He was being so nice to her and had taken the day off of work to spend some time with her to cheer her up. She smiled and picked up the purple shirt again and a pair of jeans in her size before turning back to him.

"Okay I'm ready." She said with a smile.

He stared at her in disbelief, "What?" He looked at his watch and shook his head. "No way. We've only been here for like ten minutes…you need at least two more hours just to pick out the crap you need to try on. And then you'll spend another hour trying to decide which one makes your ass look better before throwing it all back on the racks and starting over."

Jackie chuckled and shrugged, "This will be fine for today. Let me just pay for them and I'll change so we can go."

"Seriously?" Hyde said staring directly into her eyes, "Jackie…are you feeling okay? Did you actually get pneumonia from the rain yesterday? Are losing it?"

She chuckled and put her hand on his arm, "No. We can go I know how much you hate shopping." She stared to walk towards the dressing room before Hyde nervously called after her.

"Wait uh…don't you need like…" He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck not looking at her, "Do you need to go buy…um…I mean don't you need like stuff for like under your clothes?"

Jackie smirked at how nervous he was and she shook her head and started to walk towards the dressing room again, "I can go commando for a day. You always liked when I did that didn't you?" She teased.

Hyde's head snapped up and he watched her walk away with a lot more sway in her hips than he had seen lately. Damn her…she was good. She was very good…


Ten minutes later they were walking down the street together, Jackie happily sporting her new outfit. She was talking a mile a minute as they strolled along the street and he was trying to ignore the image of Jackie without any underwear under her clothes. As she continued to ramble on, she reached into her bag to take out an umbrella because it was starting to rain.

She linked her arm with his again and pulled him close so that they could both stand under the umbrella. "The only thing I don't like about living here is all this damn rain!" She scoffed holding him close.

Hyde shrugged as they walked along, "I don't know…it's not so bad."

"Do you think you are going to go home for Thanksgiving?" Jackie asked as she listened to the steady sound of the raindrops on top of the umbrella.

"Mrs. Forman will kill me if I don't so…" He paused and then smirked, "Yes."

She laughed, "I haven't really decided what I'm going to do yet. It's still two months away but Red's already asked me about it at least ten times."

"That's because Kitty wants you there too. Everyone does…" Hyde said shrugging, "We can always fly back together if you don't want to go alone."

She shrugged, "Yeah…but that's not really what I'm worried about…"

"So what are you worried about then?" He asked looking over at her with a confused expression, "You're just going home…"

She shrugged and looked at the ground as they continued to walk together, "I know…but I feel like everything's different now…"

He was quiet for a moment before responding, "So what…are you never going to go home?"

She shook her head and looked back at him, "No…not never but I think I need a little more time still…"

"Well like you said…its still two months away. You don't have to make any decisions right now." He said.

She nodded and squeezed his arm, "I suppose you're right." They were quiet for a few moments as they walked along together before Jackie stopped and pulled on his arm. "Did you hear that?"

He looked back at her and tried to listen carefully to whatever it is she was hearing, "Hear what?"

Jackie tugged at his arm again, "That! That right there!"

"Jackie seriously…I don't hear anything." He said looking around, "What are you talking about?"

"Wait…just…listen really close…" She said anxiously looking around the stores and alley near where they were standing.

Hyde rolled his eyes and was about to respond when he heard a whimpering sound, "What is that?"

"You heard it?" Jackie asked pulling him towards the alley beside them.

"Yeah…but what is it?" He asked following her.

Jackie stopped near a couple of boxes in the corner and looked nervously at him, "What if some homeless guy pops out and tries to kiss me?"

Hyde rolled his eyes, "Jackie I think we would notice if there was a guy under those boxes…and most people don't make those type of noises."

She frowned and stared at him, "But what if it is?"

Hyde sighed and shook his head; "I'll punch him in the face okay?"

She smirked and then knelt down beside the boxes and nervously lifted them up. Immediately her face softened and she gasped and reached for Hyde's arm pulling him closer.

"Steven it's a puppy!" She shrieked.

Hyde knelt down beside her and looked under the boxes to see a wet and dirty fluffy little puppy dog, "What are you doing under there little buddy?"

Jackie reached in and pulled the small dog into her arms, "Aww…she's shivering."

Hyde looked around to see if there were any other dogs or clues to where this cat came from, "She's a mess…"

"What happened to you sweetie?" Jackie asked scratching the dog behind her ears, "Where's your family?"

Hyde sighed and reached over to pet her, "I don't know if we should be touching her…she might have like rabies or something."

Jackie whimpered and looked up at Hyde with her famous pout, "But Steven we can't just leave her here…she's all alone and I think she might be hurt."

Hyde looked at the dogs leg and noticed there was blood there and he sighed, "Jackie we can't just take a dog…especially one that is hurt."

"Well can we take it to the vet or something?" She asked holding her close as the dog nervously licked Jackie's hand.

"I don't know Jackie…I don't really like pets…" He said grimacing as he stared at the dog some more.

Jackie pouted again and whispered, "But Steven…"

He groaned and stepped aside, "Fine…let's go get my car and we can go to the animal hospital down the road."

Jackie's face lit up and she looked down at the dog, "Here that sweetie? We are going to take you to the Doctor to get you all cleaned up! And we'll even feed you and give you a nice warm home!"

Hyde groaned and followed her as she carried the dog back towards the street completely ignoring the rain. This was going to turn into much more than he was willing to handle.


At the animal hospital, Jackie and Hyde were standing in the examination room as the Vet started to clean up the dog.

"So you just found her in an alley?" He asked as he and his assistant scrubbed the dirt and dried blood away.

"Yes. Can you believe that someone would abandon such an innocent little thing?" Jackie asked as she bent down in front of the table and tried to comfort the small dog.

"Unfortunately…a lot of people abuse and abandon their pets." He said looking back at Jackie, "There are plenty of cats and dogs that need a good home…"

Jackie looked back up at Hyde with a big smile, "Steven we should adopt her!"

Hyde smiled at the Doctor and pulled Jackie up by her arm and over to the corner of the room, "Jackie…let's talk about this for a second."

She sighed and looked back at the dog who was crying again, "But Steven she is so adorable. And she needs a place to stay! We can't abandon her like her other owners did…"

"But Jackie…" He whispered nervously.

"We were abandoned too Steven…" She whispered with a small pout, "Don't you remember how scary and lonely that feels?"

Hyde sighed and looked over at the dog again who stared up at him with her big brown eyes. She was pretty cute…and people seemed to really enjoy dogs so why not?

He sighed again and looked back at Jackie who was staring at him with pleading eyes, "Well it's not like we can adopt her together? We live in different towns…"

She shrugged, "But we can spend time with her together! And if you want she will spend the majority of the time with me…"

Hyde nodded his head slowly thinking this may be one of the bigger mistakes of his life but he knew this would make Jackie happy, "Well then I guess we can adopt her…"

Jackie jumped up and down excitedly and hugged Hyde before turning back to the Doctor who was wrapping the Dog's leg. "Did you hear that girl! You have a new home!"

The vet smiled and stood up as he scratched the dog behind her ear, "This is a big commitment, you sure you are up for it?"

Jackie nodded and bent down to snuggled the dog again, "I am definitely up for it."

He smiled and nodded, "Well she has a pretty big gash here on her leg and some other cuts and bruises. She also is a bit to skinny for my liking so you're going to need to put her on a eating schedule to fatten her up a bit."

Jackie smiled and kissed the dog's nose, "Okay! What kind of dog is she anyway?" She asked staring at the dog's white and black furry coat.

"She's a border collie." He said.

Jackie smiled and looked back at Hyde, "Steven she needs a good name…"

"Just name her Lassie or something." Hyde said shrugging not really caring what they named her.

Jackie rolled her eyes, "Steven! You need to really think about it!"

Hyde bent down beside Jackie in front of the dog and stared at the big brown eyes. The dog seemed to be staring right into his soul, just like Jackie often did and he knew he was in for a lot of trouble with these two. Slowly the dog reached her injured leg out as if she was reaching for Hyde and his icey heart melted in two…

"Damn you dog…" He whispered leaning forward to ruffle her head.

Jackie smiled, "See…you already love her don't you?"

"Jackie we've talked about this…I love Cameros, Zeppelin and French fries." He shook his head adamantly. "Nothing else. "

Jackie rolled her eyes and scratched the puppy behind her ears, "Oh don't listen to him sweetie, he's a big softie. You'll see!"

"Whatever." Hyde said rolling his eyes as he looked back at the dog, "What are we gonna name her?"

"Oh! I know!" Jackie said excitedly, "Mary Tyler Moore!"

Hyde scoffed and looked over at her like she was crazy, "We are not name our dog Mary Tyler Moore, Jackie!"

She pouted and turned back to the puppy, "But why not?"

"Because it's a stupid name…" Hyde said looking back at the dog, "She needs to have a cool name so everyone knows what a badass she is for surviving the way she did."

Jackie rolled her eyes, "Well remember she is a girl…"

Hyde nodded slowly and then a smile spread on his face, "What about Sadie? You know like "Sexy Sadie" by The Beatles?" He asked as he continued to scratch the puppy gently.

Jackie smiled and looked intently at the puppy, "What do you think girl? Do you like that name? Do you want to be Sadie?"

The puppy just barked happily and licked them both on the hand and Hyde smirked, "Well I'll take that as a yes."

Jackie smiled and kissed her head, "Well then you are officially Sadie Burkhart Hyde."

The vet smiled at them both, "Well congratulations you two. I think the three of you will be very happy together."

Jackie smiled and stood up as she scooped up Sadie in her arms, "So we'll have to go to the store and get her all sorts of stuff right? A leash and collar, food and a bed and everything like that."

"Yes." The vet said as he handed her a prescription, "And you should give her these for the pain right now and I want to see her again in a week to asses her injuries."

Jackie smiled and handed Hyde the paper, "Okay. We'll be here!"

"You guys are doing a very good thing taking this little girl in." He said scratching Sadie behind the ear.

Jackie smiled and held Sadie up beside her face, "Well who could resist that face?"

Hyde and the vet watched Jackie walk out of the examination room to go make another appointment with the secretary. Hyde was about to follow her when the vet called out to him.

"You and you girlfriend make a good couple." He said as he started to wash his hands in the nearby sink.

Hyde's heart did a back flip in his chest and he smiled shaking his head, "Oh…she's not my girlfriend. We're just friends…"

He nodded in surprise and apologized, "Oh I'm sorry…you just seem so much in synch. I just assumed…"

Hyde smiled and put his hand up to stop him, "Don't worry about it. We'll see you next week Doc. Thanks."

With that he walked back out into the lobby and found Jackie waiting by the door with Sadie in her arms.

She smiled. "Everything okay?"

Hyde nodded and held the door open for the both of them. "Yup. Everything's great."


Later that night at Hyde's apartment, Jackie was sitting on the floor playing tug of war with Sadie with one of the new toys they bought her. There was a big fluffy pillow bed beside the couch they had bought, bowls and food for her, her medicine and a plethora of other toys laying around too.

"Aww Steven look how feisty she is!" Jackie said as she continued to tug at the rope.

Hyde smirked from his seat on the couch as he sipped on his beer, "Yeah she is pretty cool…"

Jackie smiled and scooped up Sadie before joining Hyde on the couch, she placed Sadie down between them and smiled. "I can't believe you agreed to this…"

Hyde chuckled, "It's not like I ever really had a choice in the matter did I? The moment you laid eyes on her all bets were off…"

Jackie smiled and leaned down to kiss Sadie who happily licked back, "She is just so stinking adorable…how could we have abandoned her?"

Hyde reached between them and scratched Sadie behind the ears, "I guess you're right…"

Jackie looked back at him nervously, "Steven…would it be okay if I stay here again tonight?"

Hyde looked back up at her nervously, his heart hammering in his chest as he answered her. "Well…yeah I guess so. But don't you have to work tomorrow?"

Jackie shrugged and turned her attention back to Sadie, petting her gently on the back as she whispered. "Well yeah…but I can just go to work straight from here. And besides…it's Sadie's first night and she's probably still a little confused and scared. She needs her Mommy and Daddy right now…"

Hyde smiled as he heard the innocence in her voice, and hell it wasn't like he minded if she stayed over or not. "Well then yeah you can stay…"

Jackie looked back up at him with a brilliant smile and lifted Sadie up again, "You heat that baby? Daddy says we can stay!"

Hyde just chuckled as she lifted the dog up to his face and she licked him on the cheek gently, "Okay…okay! But…she is not sleeping in my bed!"

Jackie pouted again, "Aww but Steven-"

He put his hand up and pointed at her sternly, "No but's Jackie…"

She whimpered and held up Sadie close to her face, "But this is her first night in her new home…think about how scared she must be still!"

Hyde shook his head adamantly, "No way. Not happening Jackie. If we start letting her sleep in our beds now she will never learn her place."

Jackie pouted some more and then scooted away from Hyde, "Fine. If she has to sleep out here on her bed then I will sleep here with her."

Hyde rolled his eyes, "Jackie don't be ridiculous. You can sleep on my bed and I'll crash on the floor in my room. Sadie will stay out here tonight."

Jackie shook her head, "No way! I will not let my baby suffer out here all by herself. She needs me…" She said as she walked over to Sadie's bed and placed her down gently.

"Jackie she's a dog…not a human…" Hyde tried to reason with her.

Jackie looked back at him with a determined look on her face, "Even still…she has feelings you know Steven! Dogs can learn to be zen like you!"

Hyde rolled his eyes again and then stood up, "Fine…whatever. I'm exhausted…I'm heading to bed. I'll see you two nut jobs in the morning…"

Jackie scoffed and leaned down to Sadie and whispered in her ear, "Daddy didn't mean that Sadie…he's just being a sour puss."

"I'd rather be a sour puss than a psycho talking to a dog like it's a baby." Hyde called after her as he continued to walk to her room.

Jackie reached for a couch pillow and threw it at him, "Oh I hate you Steven Hyde!"

He smirked as he ducked away from the pillow and snuck into his room, "Keep telling yourself that doll…"

Jackie pouted some more and then made herself a bed on the couch. She pulled Sadie's bed up beside her on the floor and turned out the light before crawling onto the couch and sticking her hand on the ground for Sadie to snuggle into. She smiled when she felt Sadie lick her hand and rub her back against her arm as she slowly began to shut her eyes.

Everything was going well until the rain started up again…but Jackie tried to ignore it. That was until there was a giant crack of thunder making her jump a foot off the couch and Sadie to start howling from her bed on the floor.

Jackie scooped Sadie up quickly and threw the blanket on the couch over them both to try and protect them. Sadie snuggled up in the crook of Jackie's neck as another crack sounded through the room and Jackie whimpered.

She tried to hold out but after twenty minutes of the thunder storm, Jackie quickly wrapped herself and Sadie up in the blanket and ran over to Hyde's bedroom door. She slowly opened it and walked to the side of the bed where Hyde was already fast asleep since thunder never bothered him.

"Steven…" She whispered reaching a hand down to poke him gently.

"Hmf…" He grunted in his sleep before he rolled over onto his back.

Jackie was just about to poke him again when another crack of thunder happened and she jumped on the bed with Sadie in her arms and buried her face into Hyde's neck. He jumped up too, totally freaked out by the sudden presence of someone beside him and he looked around quickly.

"What the hell?" He screamed into his room.

Jackie scooped up the covers that he had been using and threw them over herself and Sadie who was howling louder now. Hyde looked back at the lump beside him and sighed as Jackie's muffled voice came through the blanket.

"Turns out Sadie is afraid of thunder…" She whispered.

Hyde chuckled and shook his head, "Oh and you aren't?"

Slowly Jackie peeked her head out from under the blankets just enough so that her eyes were showing and she shook her head, "No…"

Hyde was about to respond when another loud crack echoed through the room and Jackie practically wrapped herself around his body with Sadie squished between them. Hyde laughed and tried to free his arms so he could try and comfort them both.

"Jackie's it's just a bit of thunder…" He said rubbing her back as she squeezed him as hard as she could.

"Yeah well…it's scary!" She mumbled into his chest.

Hyde sighed, "I don't want the dog sleeping in my bed Jackie…"

Jackie slowly lifted her head and pouted at Hyde again, "But…but it's thunder and lightening Steven!"

"Jackie…" He warned her as Sadie finally freed herself from Jackie's tight embrace and snuggled up next to Hyde and rested her head on his leg.

He sighed and looked down at the small pup who was also staring up at him with sad pouty eyes. He looked back at Jackie who was shaking now and he remembered just how much she hated thunder…except when it meant she got to spend the night with him in the basement wrapped up together on the cot.

Those had been good nights…very good nights if he remembered correctly.

He sighed again and once again realized he could never say no to Jackie in situation's like this…and now with the dog he was in even more trouble.

"Oh fine…" He said falling back onto the bed.

Jackie giggled and snuggled up next to Hyde as Sadie crawled up onto his chest and settled herself between them.

"See Sadie…I told you your Daddy was a big softie." She whispered to her.

Hyde groaned and just wrapped his arm around Jackie. "Shut it Jackie…"

She laughed again and snuggled into Hyde as she felt sleep take over. The thunder wasn't bothering her now that she was safe in Hyde's arms and she forgot all about the fact that this was probably something friends didn't ever do…

"Goodnight Steven…" She whispered against the crook of his neck.

Hyde held her close and reveled in the feeling of her warm breath against his skin. "Yeah…goodnight Jacks…"

As he held her close with Sadie safely nestled between them he was beginning to wonder how much longer they were going to keep up this 'just friends' charade…One more night like this in his arms he was surely going to crack…


So what did you think? I hope you liked it! Let me know by sending in a review!