The Choice of a Lifetime

Choice Two – Naperville, Illinois – Off Into the Sunset

A year later. Jackie has taken Kelso back.

Love grabbed Paul's arm. "What? Why? He cheated on her! And she…she and Steven…" She rubbed her forehead; it ached.

Paul nodded, his expression solemn. "I know. Brooke managed to convince her of how much Michael loves her. And Michael wrote her a song."

Love looked at Paul. "Really?" She smiled. "Do I get to hear it?"

Paul shook his head. "No. But the lyrics were…well…"

"Just recite them."

He rolled his eyes, but complied. "Jackie, please take me backie. I swear I'll get the knack see."

Love wanted to laugh, but also wanted to cry. "She took him back because of that?"

"He also wrote her a letter. Oh, and he bought her more flowers. A lot more flowers. And some jewelry."

She nodded. That made sense.

After talking with Brooke, and extorting much more jewelry and flowers and silk scarves out of Michael, Jackie puts aside – but doesn't forget – her doubts, and she and Michael reunite.

Much to the chagrin of a certain someone…

"I can't believe Hyde just took off." Michael Kelso shook his head with a grin, his arm wrapped around Jackie. He smiled at her. "Although, I am kinda glad he did. He was getting a little too violent. Kept hitting me for no reason."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "No, he was hitting you because you are an idiot, Michael, and kept making fun of him for not having a girlfriend." She looked tense, and scooted away from Michael. "God, do you have to be all over me? I can't breathe, Michael!"

Kelso stared at her as she moved away from him to the other end of the couch. "What is your problem, Jackie? You're like…you're like…"

Fez, standing behind Kelso, spoke up. "Oh, just say it, Kelso. She is bitchy." He leaned down and whispered to his buddy. "She probably is having her monthly visitor."

Jackie heard, and glared at Fez. "Shut up, Fez!"

Love raised her eyebrows. "She's really upset. I thought she'd be happy, since she and Michael are back together." She pursed her lips, and talked more to herself than to Paul. Heck, he wouldn't give her any answers anyway. She pretty much had to piece it together herself. "But obviously Steven was upset when she picked Kelso and took off. And that's why she's upset."

Paul nodded. "You're quite perceptive." She looked at him curiously, as if she suspected he was being sarcastic. He smiled. "I'm not surprised."

She grinned. "Yeah, well.." She rolled her eyes. "I'll keep watching."

Eric sat on the washing machine, idly sucking on his Popsicle. "Yeah, well, I'm getting a bit worried. He wasn't in the best of moods when he left."

"Yeah." Donna shook her head. "I just hope he hasn't gone and done anything stupid."

The basement door opened, and in walked Hyde. He looked rough, his clothes the same as he'd been wearing a month ago when he'd left, slightly rumpled. He stood near the record player, tossing his bag on the ground as if nothing odd had happened. The others stared at him, no one entire sure of how to react to the sly smirk that crossed his lips. "Glad everyone's here. Got someone I want you all to meet." He looked over his shoulder towards the still open door. "Okay, Sam!"

A tall, thin, willowy blonde walked in. She was dressed in blue hot pants and a black tube top. The outfit left little, very little, to anyone's imagination, and all the guys stared at her.

Jackie and Donna raised suspicious eyebrows.

Fez smiled. "Well, well, who is this?" He licked his lips.

As did Kelso. "Who cares who she is, Fez. She's freaking hot!"

"This," Hyde said, as he put an arm around the smiling girl's shoulders, "is Sam. Met her in Vegas at a nudie bar."

"I'm a stripper," Sam chirped proudly.

Jackie stood up and glared at both Sam and Hyde. "A stripper?"

Hyde's eyes locked onto Jackie's, even as the others gasped and murmured their surprise. "A stripper," he confirmed. "And also…even better…she's my wife."

"WHAT?"

Kelso looked at Jackie with a frown. "Damn, Jackie, why are you yelling? So Hyde married a stripper." He grinned at Hyde. "You married a stripper! Awesome!"

Love shook her head. Hyde was staring at Jackie proudly, like he was glad she'd turned pale. Like he was glad her lower lip was trembling. "Oh god…Hyde married some slutty stripper, and Jackie…god, can't he see how upset she is? Doesn't Kelso see how she's got tears in her eyes?" Her face flushed. "Doesn't Jackie realize why she's so upset?"

Paul shook his head. "Yes, Hyde knows she's upset. And he likes it. Kelso doesn't notice Jackie's tears. And yes, she knows why she's so upset, but she can't admit it to anyone, not even herself." He reached out and took Love's hand. "We need to fast forward a few minutes."

After the initial shock, the gang extended varying degrees of welcome to Sam, from Fez, Kelso and Eric's enthusiastic hellos to Jackie and Donna's less than perky grumbles. Hyde decided to go upstairs to inform the Forman's that he'd returned, wisely advising Sam to stay downstairs for the time being, and Jackie, being Jackie, followed him.

"Steven, stop." Jackie caught him just at the top of the staircase and grabbed his arm. He turned, giving her an impatient sigh, and she returned it. "What in the hell did you do?"

He crossed his arms across his chest. "I got married, that's what I did. To a hot girl."

"You married a whore, Steven," Jackie snapped. She shook her head and swallowed hard. "You may not know it now, but you made the biggest mistake of your life." She looked down and twisted her fingers together. "She's not gonna make you happy."

He shifted on his feet and took his glasses off. His eyes burned with a mixture of anger and amusement. "You sound jealous, Jackie, and guess what? You have no right to be. You've made it perfectly clear that I'm just a guy you go to when you feel like crap. I'm done with that, Jackie. Okay? You got it? I'm done."

Jackie smiled, but the smile was weak, her mismatched eyes glistened with tears, though she looked directly into his. "I just think…I'm not jealous, Steven, I just…" She looked down again.

"She is too jealous," Love snapped.

Paul nodded. "True."

"I just think you can do better. So much better than a slutty stripper."

He took a step down to her, his face, for once, revealing his feelings. He looked hurt and angry, and most of all, exhausted. With one finger, his index finger, he lifted her lowered chin, then gripped her jaws to keep her from looking away. "I tried to do better, Jackie," he said quietly, his voice low and thick. "Better didn't want me."

She nervously licked her lips, then parted them. Her eyes narrowed. "But…Steven, what?"

He rolled his eyes. "You, Jackie. I wanted you, you didn't want me. Okay? You got it, now?"

"Ste…Steven…" Jackie's face paled further, and she seemed lost. Stunned. "I didn't…I didn't think that…I mean, we wouldn't have…" A teardrop, just one, fluttered from her eye and slid down her cheek.

"Whatever. Just…go back to Kelso and worry about him." His tone was bitter and stinging. He turned and walked up a few steps, then stopped. He didn't turn. "He'll cheat on you again, Jackie. You know it, and I know it…everyone knows it." He turned only slightly, just enough so his eyes could find hers. "He'll probably have more babies with other women, and you'll just take him back." He started to move up the stairs, but again stopped. And this time, he turned completely around.

She stared at him.

"You can do better too, Jackie." He smiled, sadly, with a slight shake of his head and a disdainful quirk of his lips. "But you won't."

He left, and she dropped her head into her hands. Her shoulders shook. When she lifted her head, to gaze up at the space he'd just abandoned, her lips bore the smile that only comes with tears. Streaks of those tears sullied her beautiful face. "You're my better, too," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I just didn't think…didn't think you…oh god…"

Love gripped the collar of her robe in her tight fist, her eyes feeling bitterly wet as she watched Jackie sink to the steps. The tiny girl sobbed silently, and Love shook her head. "Oh…she's in love with him, just like he's…but he's married, and now she…" She turned to Paul. "What does she do?"

He rubbed a comforting hand over her back. "We'll soon see."

A few weeks later. Jackie has not been spending much time in the basement, or with Kelso. And he's confused.

Kelso and Eric drove down Bailey Road, heading for the 7-11 to pick up some beer and chips. Kelso grimaced and held the steering wheel of his van, affectionately nicknamed the Shaggin' Wagon, a bit too tightly. "Man, I don't know what's wrong with Jackie. Since Hyde came home with his hot stripper wife, she's been moping around. She doesn't even wanna go shopping."

Eric shrugged. "And that's a bad thing? You used to complain about her always wanting to go shopping."

"Yeah, but at least when she's shopping she buys me stuff." Kelso gently eased his foot onto the gas pedal as the light in front of him changed to green. "And I need some stuff, Eric! God!"

Eric looked out the window. "Well, I don't know what to tell you, buddy. Except that I'm not really missing Jackie and her Donny Osmond obsession all that much." He looked at Kelso. "You know, she is the devil."

Kelso ignored his friend and stared hard at the road in front of him. "I just wish I knew why she's all…WAIT!"

Eric's eyes widened and his arms shot out to brace his hands on the dashboard. "Kelso!" he yelled. The van came to a sudden and violent stop, thrusting both of the passengers forward in their seats. After he'd fallen roughly back to the seat, Eric glared at the driver. "What the hell, man?"

Kelso grinned. "Sorry, Eric, but I got it! See, Jackie's been upset since Hyde came back married. He's married, man! SHE wants to be married! That's what her problem is!"

Eric nodded slowly. "And the solution to this problem is…"

"I'm gonna ask her to marry me!"

Love's eyes widened. "Oh my god…is he serious?"

"Keep watching."

A few days later, the gang – minus Sam, who is working - has gathered, as usual, in the Forman basement. Hyde is sitting on his chair, Donna and Eric are on the washer and dryer, Fez is on the couch, and Jackie is standing in front of the television set. In front of her, Kelso is on one knee.

He held a small black box to her, open to reveal a diamond ring. The diamond wasn't huge, wasn't small, but it sparkled beautifully, and her eyes locked on it.

Kelso smiled nervously. "I know I've screwed up, Jackie, and I know that I have a lot to make up to you. You've been so…"

Fez interrupted. "Bitchy."

Jackie glared at him. "Shut up, shampoo boy."

Kelso cleared his throat. "You've been unhappy lately, and I thought, what would make Jackie the happiest? And then I thought, getting married, because that's all she's ever wanted. So…" He took a deep breath. "I love you, Jackie, and I want you to be happy. Will you marry me?"

Jackie's eyes filled with tears. Her chest expanded, though she didn't appear to intake any breath. She stared at Michael, her lips parting. "I…" She looked to her left, at Steven.

Love had to smile at the scowl Jackie was receiving. "I guess someone else is jealous, too, huh?" For some reason, that scowl made her feel good. Made her tingle. It could be because Steven, despite his scruffiness, was darn hot, especially when he was brooding.

Paul nodded. "And he always will be."

Love shook her head. "It's so screwed up." She wondered if life on earth was required to be screwed up this way.

"If the wrong choices are made, then yes."

She glared at Paul. "Can you read my mind?"

He grinned. "When I choose to. Now watch."

"Jackie? Why are you looking at Hyde?"

She gasped softly and snapped her head back towards her boyfriend. "I…Oh, Michael…I…." Her eyes closed, her jaw clenched.

Love closed her own eyes. "She's thinking about what Steven said, that she can do better. And that Steven is her better." Her eyes opened, and she smiled sadly. "It's too late. She knows it's too late."

"Jackie, I really, really love you."

Her eyes opened, and she did her best to smile. Her eyes flittered to the ring. It was pretty, not as big as she'd always dreamed about, but very lovely, and she knew it would look wonderful on her finger. And Michael…She studied his eager face, those soft brown eyes, tender lips, incredibly manageable hair. They'd been through a lot, had good times and bad, and…her parents loved him. It would be a good life. He was so much like her. They had similar interests, similar abilities. And she could train him to be the husband she wanted. "Yes," she whispered. "I…yes, Michael…I'll marry you."

Love looked away as an excited Michael Kelso leapt to his feet and picked Jackie up in his arms. She felt….

Trapped.

Again.

"Okay, Love, it's time to go. You've seen your choices."

She felt Paul's hand on her back, and she turned to him. "What does that mean?"

He smiled and caressed her softly. "It means you must make your decision."

She closed her eyes.

Two choices.

One decision.

And none of them would be Steven Hyde.