CHAPTER 11

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Eric returns from his walk to find Jackie sitting across from her suitcase, which is completely packed. Their eyes meet for a moment and he already can tell what she's about to say.

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"You're not coming back with me to Point Place." he tells her.

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She plays with her bottom lip for a moment then answers. "I can't."

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He nods. "I figured as much. If I were in your shoes I wouldn't either."

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"I'm glad you understand" she whispers.

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"That doesn't mean I'm happy about it" he flatly replies. "Where are you going?" he asks as he sits next to her on the bed.

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She grabs his hand and interlaces her fingers with his. "I thought maybe Chicago. Michael and Brooke are there and my mom called an old modeling agent she used to use. She says he has some T.V. connections, so I figured maybe I could get a job working on a talk show or the news or something. Oh, and I emotionally blackmailed Pam into giving me a buttload of money to live off of for a while so I'm good on that end."

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Eric smiles. "You're a total badass Jackie Burkhart. Who knew?"

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She scoffs. "Only everybody."

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"You sure you're going to be okay all alone?" he wonders, concerned for her.

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"No. I'm not sure of anything, but I know I have to try. I can't be more alone in Chicago than I've been over the past six months in Point Place" she rationalizes.

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He looks in her eyes. "It's good to see the old Jackie back. I've kind of missed her."

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"Me too, but don't ever call me old, Eric. I'm the new and better Jackie" she grins.

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"Gotcha" he says, his smile beginning to flag.

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"You're going to be okay too, you know" she assures him. "Just focus on the things that are important to you."

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He scratches his chin. "I want to be doing something that makes a difference, maybe with kids. I don't see myself staying in Point Place either. I mean, the world is so big and there's so much to see, you know?"

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Jackie nods. "What about your love life?"

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His brow furrows. "I want to be with a strong woman. Somebody who challenges me and isn't afraid to be herself. Somebody calm and even-keeled, because I can get a bit, you know..."

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"Twitchy?" she laughs.

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He laughs with her. "Yeah, I guess that's accurate. I suppose I just want a woman who really gets me and accepts me for who I am. It also wouldn't hurt if she's hot."

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The little pixie smiles. "You know who you just described, right?"

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He looks down and kicks his feet against the floor. "Yeah."

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She turns his head towards her and looks deep into his eyes. "Eric Forman, you are one of the most amazing people I've ever met. I know you wonder what she sees in you, but I get it, and I'm the prettiest girl in Wisconsin. She's not going to find somebody better because it doesn't exist. I'll bet you think she's going to leave you some day for some other guy like Casey, but I know for a fact that she doesn't want anybody else and never will. She wants you."

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"Jackie, it's nice of you to say all those things, but you don't know all of that" he says, shaking his head.

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"I do so! She was devastated when you left for Africa. She wasn't herself and she turned into this horrible bitch, and that's because half of her went to Botswana. That proves that she needs you just as much as you need her," she exclaims. "And I know she's depressed, but maybe if she saw a doctor or something, maybe they could help?"

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"Do you really think we could work it out this time? I mean, I left her-again- and I'm pretty sure she wants to kick my ass," he guesses.

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"When you and I...um...you know, did what we did...did you feel anything? I mean besides the obvious, because I am gorgeous. Did it feel like it did when you're with her? Has anybody ever made you feel that way besides her?" she challenges him.

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He nods his head and points at her. "You, my clever padawan, are ready to graduate to a full-fledged Jedi Knight."

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"I will take that dorked-out answer as a no, which means you have no choice but to make it work. If you want her bad enough, you'll do whatever it takes" she asserts, "even if it means dealing with her demons."

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"Why doesn't that same logic apply to you and Hyde" he asks.

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Jackie takes a deep breath and lets her head drop into her hands. Her head aches and thinking about Steven only make it feel worse. "Both people have to be in love for it to work" she answers simply.

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Eric gives her an incredulous look. "You don't think he loves you?"

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"He married somebody else after telling me he wasn't ready for marriage and then stayed with her and don't even get me started on the cruelty" she breathes again, trying not to cry from the bad memories beginning to flood in. "What about that screams 'in love' to you?"

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"I don't know what to say. I mean, as your friend, I'd tell you to stay as far away from him as you can possibly get and not to look back," he states.

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"Good advice" she interjects.

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"-But as his friend, I'd tell him that he was never happier than when he was with you, and that you made him a better person. He's stubborn and he's scared of his own feelings. It's just how he is, but you can't take what he says and does at face value, because you know better than anybody that what he says and how he feels are usually two different things" he explains.

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"I know, and I'll always love him. Trust me, I've tried not to" she admits reluctantly. "But it's time for me to move on and see what else is out there. I deserve better" she declares.

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Jackie stands up and pulls her bag towards the door.

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"Can I drive you to the airport at least?" he offers.

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She shakes her head no. "I have a cab coming and you need to get on the road" she smiles sadly.

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"Will you ever come back?" he wonders.

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She shrugs. "Maybe. Look, I'll never stop being your friend Eric, so you don't have to worry about that. I'll call you when I get there, but can you do me a favor and please don't tell anybody else where I've gone—even Donna? I just want to be forgotten about. It's easier like that" she decides.

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"I promise won't say anything, but Jackie, come on. Nobody could ever forget about you, even if they desperately wanted to" he chuckles as he leans in to kiss her goodbye.

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She wraps her hands around the back of his head and kisses him with feeling, not as a lover, but as a friend who loves him. They push their foreheads together and take one last look, knowing this is a moment in time that will never be repeated and most definitely won't ever be discussed. Neither of them thought they'd ever connect like this, and it surprised them in more ways than imaginable.

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"Thank you" Jackie whispers as tears start to fall silently from her eyes. "You have no idea how much this meant to me".

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He shakes his head to agree. "Yeah, I do" he says as he opens the door of their room for her as she walks through it.

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"See you in the mirror world, Eric Forman" she shouts as she wheels her luggage down the long hallway.

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"Live long and prosper, Jackie Burkhart" Eric smiles as he gives her the Vulcan salute.

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Two days later.

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Hyde walks into the basement and throws his jacket on the couch. Kitty is downstairs doing laundry. She hears him come in and turns around to greet him.

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"Hi sweetie. How was your trip to Chicago?" she asks as she fills the laundry basket with warm clothes from the dryer.

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"It was good. Great actually" he says with enthusiasm.

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"Well well well" Kitty smiles. "This is certainly a change. You don't normally sound this excited when you come home from a day of work."

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"I don't normally do this kind of work" he replies as he walks over to help her lift the full basket on to the chair.

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"What were you and Angie up to. I can't wait to hear all about the exciting world of rock-and-roll! Don't forget me when you're famous" she laughs as she begins folding the clean clothes.

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"We're putting together a concert series, so we had to meet with a bunch of artist's agents and reps to convince them to sign up their talent to our roster" he explains.

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"Well that sounds very important" she says very seriously, despite the fact that she barely understand a word of it past 'concert series'."

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"Yeah" he agrees as he sits in his usual chair.

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Kitty suddenly has a strange feeling that her foster son has something to tell her. She usually has a sixth sense when it comes to her children, Steven especially, which is ironic considering he's the least forthcoming. "Is something bothering you, Steven?"

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"Me? Uh, no." he answers quickly, trying to avoid having a difficult conversation right now. He knows he's going to have to take the hit sooner or later, but he's only just processing the information himself and he wants to have his thoughts together before he drops the bomb on the Formans.

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She looks at him like he's lying, because she knows for a fact he is. "Steven...you can tell me. Does this have to do with a certain miniature brunette with a loud voice and questionable whereabouts?"

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He hasn't even thought of Jackie being missing since the whole job thing came up. He definitely doesn't want to start thinking about her now, but talking about anything is preferable to breaking Mrs. Forman's heart. "You know" he shrugs, hoping for a quick and painless end.

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"Eric called five hours ago from outside of Springfield, so they should be home any minute" she mentions. "Do you know what you're going to say to her?"

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He didn't. Even if he had planned on speaking to her, he definitely had no idea how to say the things he wants her to know without her bolting or giving him a slap to the face, because honestly he deserves both. "I hadn't given it much thought". A lie of course, but the shame coursing around his body is starting to make his skin burn hotly.

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"But Steven, how do you plan on getting her to forgive you if you're not even thinking about what you're going to say?" she wonders, completely miffed.

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"Yeah, I don't really see that happening, Mrs. Forman" he says as he shuffles slowly to the outer stairs. "I blew it."

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Kitty puts the shirt she's folding down. "Steven Hyde, you need to make things right with that girl and you know it. If you can just get her to listen to you, and you tell her how you really feel, she'll give you another shot. She loves you."

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He nods in agreement. "I'm gonna go get some air, if you don't mind" he says as he lumbers up the steps to the driveway.

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Kitty scowls as she angrily folds the rest of the clothes.

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Hyde steps out into the fresh cold air and feels it seep through his thick wool jacket, his Packers sweatshirt, and past his undershirt to cool his overheated skin. No sooner has he walked to the end of the pathway that the vista cruiser comes sliding into the driveway.

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Panic shocks his senses awake as he looks around at the scene of the crime and shudders. He can't see her for the first time here. Encountering her in the same place that he eviscerated her last is only going to give her nasty flashbacks, which she'll certainly take out on him verbally. Or worse yet, she may cry.

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As he turns to walk back to the basement, he hear his name being called a few times.

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"Hyde! Turn around, man!" Eric yells as he struggles to catch up through the thick snow.

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Tempted to keep walking, Hyde's curiosity gets the better of him as he notices the absence of a familiar abrasive voice he expected to hear. "Hey man" he says casually as he turns to face his friend.

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Eric looks at him with a mixture of disgust and pity. This kid has been his best friend for as long as he can remember, and even his brother for the better part of three years, but the look on Jackie's face when he told her he'd do anything not to marry her cannot be scrubbed from his brain.

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"How was your trip" Hyde asks snidely with a good measure of sarcasm.

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"It was great, actually" he responds as he fishes his duffel bag out of the back seat.

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"Where's your girlfriend? Did you drop her at home before you came here?" he wonders not-so-innocently.

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"Something like that. Where's mom?" he asks, unsure of which door he should take.

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"Basement" Hyde blurts out as he decides to go for a walk.

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The drapes in corner window of the opposite house flutter shut.

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Donna slides to the floor of her room and tries to get her bearings. God the sight of him is good, but she just can't go over there all gangbusters and expect him not to be overwhelmed. She'll just have to wait until later, she decides. Let him settle in.

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She looks at the clock and notices two minutes have passed since the last time she checked.

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That's long enough, she thinks to herself as she runs down the stairs and grabs her coat.

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Hyde walks along the road, not sure where he's headed, but in the back of his mind there can only be one place.

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As he approaches the small apartment complex in front of him, he still has no clue what he plans on saying, but he does know for sure that he needs to say something. He's moving to Chicago in a few days—at least, that's his plan—and if there's even an iota of a chance she might forgive him, that she wants him to stay in Point Place, he's going to take it. The clock is ticking though, and regardless of the inconvenience to her, he really needs to get an answer now—even if he has to provoke her into revealing her feelings about him through a fight.

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"Oh Hyde!" a deep yet feminine voice sings out from behind him.

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He turns around, only to come face-to-face with Fenton. Definitely not the chick he came here to see.

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"Happy New Year, doll" he coos, purposely appropriating the nickname he uses for Jackie.

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Hyde groans. "Right back atcha, Fenton. Kind of in a rush right now though. Gotta go talk some sense into Jackie" he divulges, hoping it will stave off the onslaught of Fenton's unrelenting brand of double entendre and sexual innuendo.

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"Jackie's not here. She's gone" he tells him, finding it odd that he'd have no idea.

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He looks at him in shock. "What do you mean by gone?"

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"I mean gone, studmuffin. Like finito. She's moved." he clarifies, still wondering how he got this piece of information before her friend did.

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Completely stunned, Hyde wonders where Forman might have taken her. "Is Fez up there still?"

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Fenton's demeanor sours. "Ugh, who cares about that low-rent Erik Estrada? Am I right? It's more fun to hang out when it's just us."

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"Uh...I gotta go" Hyde says abruptly as he runs up the two flights of stairs to Fez's place.

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Eric and Kitty are catching up in the basement when Donna comes scrambling in. She attempts to appear surprised to find him there. "Oh. Eric. I wasn't expecting to see you here?"

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"But I told you he would be home around now" Kitty reminds the confused redhead.

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"Okay, fine. I saw your car pulling in and I ran my ass down here so fast I'm still in my slippers" she admits, pointing to her shoes.

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Eric breaks out into a smile. He forgot how cute she is when she's flustered.

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Kitty looks back and forth between the kids and realizes she should probably leave them alone to talk. "I'm gonna, um, bring this laundry upstairs now. You two have a good time catching up and try not to argue" she says tersely, followed up by her signature laugh. "And, I'll just..." She runs over and steals the keys to the vista cruiser out of his hand. "There" she exhales in relief. "Have a fun chat!" she wishes as she runs upstairs without the laundry basket.

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Donna and Eric stare at each other for a moment in silence.

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"I like your hair" he says, noticing her change in color.

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She examines a lock of her hair as she walks down the stairs into the basement. "Thanks. The blonde was fun for a while, I guess, but I feel more like myself this way."

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She reaches the bottom and they stand awkwardly eying each other.

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"Where's Jackie?" she asks as she sits at one end of the couch.

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He looks down, unsure of what to say. "She's doing okay" he answers a different question as he sits on the opposite end of the couch.

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"I'm...I'm really sorry I attacked you that night" she sincerely offers. "I think I had a lot of anger stored inside of me and it came out in a weird way. I mean, of course you're not to blame for Hyde fucking up his entire life. I kind of am" she tells him quietly.

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Eric looks at her like she's nuts. "You got Hyde drunk in Vegas?"

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She laughs. "Well, I'm not responsible for him getting himself married, but I do feel responsible for him staying married. That was uncool to do to Jackie and just bad bad advice."

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"How are you coming to all of this just now?" he questions, curious as to how she achieved her epiphany.

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"I talked to your mom a lot, who made me realize Hyde's been doing pretty badly since he ran out on Jackie. Then I spoke to Hyde, who pretty much admitted it was the dumbest mistake he ever made and that he's miserable. I don't know why I didn't see it. I think maybe part of me was glad Jackie was suffering, because I was suffering too. I know it's selfish, but they do say that misery loves company" she confesses, embarrassed of her behavior.

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"Why were you so miserable?" he asks, apprehensive of her answer.

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She lowers her eyes as they begin to well with tears. "I guess I just felt lost without you here."

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Any frost remaining on Eric's heart melts instantly as he watches the woman he loves cry in front of him. He scoots closer to her and rests his hands on her knees. "I didn't know what it was doing to you" he whispers almost to himself. "I'm sorry I left you. If I'd known, I wouldn't have..."

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"You wouldn't have what, Eric?" Donna asks rather coldly as she leans her head up, causing tears to rolls down both cheeks.

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"I know now I've been selfish, and that I made a lot of decisions without taking into account how they might affect you" he admits. "Jackie made me see that."

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She wipes the tears from her cheeks with the backs of her hands. "Jackie actually defended me?"

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He nods. "Well, I mean, she wants me to be happy, and when I do stupid things to hurt us, it doesn't make me happy."

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"So what? Are you guys like, best friends now or something?" she wonders jealously, not sure which one of them she's jealous of.

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"Something like that, I guess" he shrugs. "She's way deeper than I gave her credit for being, and pretty smart too."

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Donna nods in agreement. "Yeah. Guess I really fucked that relationship up too" she sadly notes.

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"You and Hyde really did a number on her. I mean, Hyde's like a brother an all, but if he weren't, I swear I would break his nose" he complains angrily. "Or I'd have to have you do it" he smirks, which earns him a smile.

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"I probably owe her that. Is she around? She's next in line on the Donna Pinciotti Apology Tour" she jokes.

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Eric's face tightens. "She left. For good" he clarifies, as he breaks the terrible news.

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Donna's face crumples up and she fold into herself, crying so hard she doesn't make a sound. He closes the rest of the distance between them and rubs her back.

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"She had to, you know? There was nothing for her but bad memories here. She wanted a fresh start and she deserves if after what she's been through" he explains as he consoles her.

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The feeling of his hands on her back makes the entire area tingle and flush. She feels distracted from her pain, but in no way relaxed. She finally comes up for air, red-faced and swollen. "I'll never be able to apologize now. I won't be able to make it right" she sobs. "Do you know where she is?"

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He shakes his head no.

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"Hyde's gonna freak the hell out" she realizes as she covers her mouth.

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"Yeah, I don't really give a shit about Hyde right now" he snaps.

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"He wanted to try to make things up to her" she informs him.

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"I don't know. She was so broken when we left here and now she's...man, she's just so brave. Her parents are a bunch of assholes who barely know she's alive. Jackie's like this little lost girl with nobody looking out for her, and she's just picking herself up and moving forward. She really inspired me, you know?" he looks at Donna earnestly.

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Donna feels a twinge of envy pinch her heart, as she looks deep into his eyes, searching for signs of love for her little friend. This is her greatest nightmare, and she suspects it may have actually come true. "You didn't...you're not a little in love with her are you?"

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Eric sighs as he decides how to proceed with this. "I do love her" he tells her, causing her heart to immediately stop beating. "But I'm not in love with her" he continues, resuscitating her vital organ. "I'm in love with you."

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"Where does this leave us?" she wonders anxiously.

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Eric continues rubbing his ex's back with one hand and takes her chin with his other. "I know we have a lot of stuff to forgive each other for, and maybe there are some things we need to change about ourselves, but I want to try. I have to try, if you will."

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Donna's insides explode and fizzle like pop rocks as she launches herself at her once-again boyfriend, kissing him with everything she has in her. She slides her lips over and under his, probing his mouth with her tongue, running her fingers through his soft brown hair. She kisses him hard and fast, over and over again until their lips are swollen and chapped and they both come up gasping for air.

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"Wow" he exclaims, letting his hands roam up and down her taut arms and back.

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"I missed you so much" she says, her voice catching. "I won't make the same mistakes again, honey. The depression...I'm working on it, you'll see" she promises.

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He cups her face in his hands and smiles. "We'll work on it together, okay? I missed you too, you're the reason I came home, you know" he declares as he kisses her softly this time. "I won't leave you again, ok? I love you."

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Donna curls up onto her boyfriend's lap and strokes the stubble on his face. "All of that other stuff doesn't matter to me, when my best friend's gone. I'm just glad you're home."

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"Wanna go sit on the vista cruiser for old time's sake? I'm pretty sure our 'spare parts' will fuse nicely to the hood with all the ice" he offers jokingly.

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"I can think of somewhere warmer you can put your spare part" she smiles at him with her eyes.

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A/N – Time jump coming up next.