A/N: Sorry if you thought it took so long to publish this chapter, but real life bite me a little this week. That said, I have to announce that I'm not always going to make it to Friday, because me and my beta have other stuff to do too. But I will finish publishing this work, so don't worry about it.
Thank you all for your birthday wishes and comments in the last chapter, thank you! And as always, a big thanks to NannyGirl for helping me get this together and check my crappy English. You are the best!
Heart Like Yours
Chapter XI – A Ghost Calling
Jackie's lips were a thing of beauty, but her hands on his skin will remain forever his favorite feeling in the world. The noises that she made always kept him in the moment, gazing at her pretty face as their bodies moved and that thing between them became stronger.
This, he remembers, shouldn't be happening. He didn't plan for it, and neither did Jackie, but that's what always happened between them.
It was something that had life of its own, always moving and finding ways out of his hands and control. She only had to be in close proximity and his entire body was already reacting to only the sound of her breathing and the smell of her hair.
Like tonight. The bed frame slammed against the wall and her moans filled his entire mind with foggy love words, and pleas for her to stay, even when she was not going anywhere and they were living together.
"Stay—" he said.
Hyde had tasted too much of the good stuff, dancing in the palm of her hand since he first kissed her. Those months he spent looking as she let herself be fooled again by Kelso were pure torture and his body had craved her more, and more.
"Steven…" she moaned, and his mouth covered hers, tongue doing its magic.
All those stories he heard before, about the body getting used to good sensation, turned out right the second he couldn't stop kissing her that next summer. He had become addicted to the way she made him feel ever since, and once he lost her, he also lost himself—
"What—" Jackie tried to ask when he stopped, but she immediately got the clue once he was giving his back to the mattress and was tugging her softly to be on top. "You really like that, don't you?"
"It's a nice view." he answered with a smile, the room was too bright but nothing was as full of light as her smile in that moment.
Why did he fucked up so bad the next day? In that moment, he didn't thought about it, he only enjoyed the way she had let him in again and how she moved above him.
"Oh," she moaned, "it really is a nice view."
Laughing, his fingers grabbed at her waist and helped her guide their movements as the room started to get brighter and brighter. He frowned, remembering they had seen the sun appear, but this was too much.
"Staaaay…"
Something pinched at his side, he was stabbing himself with her night stand, probably, but she was almost there and he couldn't just steal that from her. It kept hurting and hurting—
"Stay—"
Until it all went white, then black, and moist filled the corner of his eyes.
"Wake up!"
December 4, 1982. Point Place's General Hospital – Waiting Area. 06:33 am.
Crap.
This is why he was never having a kid, ever.
"God-daddy?" Betsy pocked his cheek with her tiny finger, it was cold as the devil and the silence of the hospital wasn't helping. Hyde wanted to turn around on whatever he was sleeping on and ignore the little girl. "God-daddy, wake up!" she insisted, this time opening his eyelid and he hissed.
"Jesus Christ, kid…" he murmured, finally opening both eyes and squeezing them before looking down at her. So he was sitting. "What is it?" he had fallen asleep on the waiting area.
Betsy didn't say anything, she was balancing her body like when she was trying to lie or to convince her mom to let her play in dirty places. Hyde prepared himself for the 'no' he was giving, but when the girl looked up at him with too serious eyes, he stopped.
"I need your help, I have to see a new friend."
"What new friend?"
The girl looked at her sides, like watching for any intruders that could interrupt her and Hyde yawned. This was going to be a long, fucked up day, just like the one before.
"Her name is Harley. We have to find her."
"Who?"
"Harley?"
It stuck on his mind, like if something was trying to be remembered but the only image he had at the moment was of him and Jackie on her bed, two years ago. It was a memory that he both, hated and treasured. The last time he touched her, but in what circumstances? He hated it.
"Are you okay, god-daddy?" Betsy frowned.
"Yeah, just—didn't sleep well, kiddo."
"I didn't sleep much, too." she said, Hyde looked at her and examined her chubby face and long brown hair. She looked like Kelso's mom, but her nose and lips were totally Brooke's. Just like her brilliant mind. "Are you gonna help me? Harley's mommy told me you will."
"What?"
She didn't said anything else, but instead looked back at the hallway were her parents were now walking towards them, easily talking to The Formans and Bob. Fez wasn't there, Hyde imagined the man probably walked past him and entered Jackie's room without waking him up.
He was alone in the waiting area, which meant Forman, Donna and Milo were in there.
"Let's go, god-daddy."
"Where?"
"It's over here, come on!" she took his hand and tugged him away from where the other adults were walking.
Hyde gave a last look to Jackie's door and sighed, the warmth of her body was still on his fingers and he wished his mind would stop with this crap already.
~0~
December 4, 1982. Point Place's General Hospital – Harley's room. 6:42 am.
When the door opened, Jackie expected to see Harley's aunts back and knew a little about the girl's situation somehow. But instead, there was nothing, a head peaked inside, she knew those curls maybe too well and her eyes opened wide and her head moved to one side.
"Is she the one?" he said, Jackie stood from Harley's bed and observed as Betsy came into view, stepping inside and looking at the little girl on bed, then nodded. "Good."
Steven closed the door and Jackie wondered once more what they were doing here. Had he seen Harley's aunts yesterday after the news about Kat? Maybe, all her friends went to give their condolences to the family. But he had been in her room and with The Formans as everyone else was away, so how… why was he here? With Betsy, also.
"Who's she?" he looked at Harley and Betsy looked up at him.
"A friend." was her answer and Jackie went directly to Betsy, following her until the little girl went down the bed. "I found it, god-daddy!"
"What you found?" he said, looking at the door like taking guard.
"Her mommy told me her bag was here, and here it is!"
"Well, if she told you, of course it was going to be here. What now? We take it to her?"
"Steven?" Jackie said to him, even knowing he wouldn't be able to hear or see her. "Kat is dead, idiot!"
"We can't, god-daddy. Her mommy is in Heaven."
Steven finally seemed to understand what was going on, Jackie took a look at him and realized he was still half asleep. Every time he was sleepy, he didn't function as a human being after an hour awake and with his coffee. But more important now, he looked at Harley, then at Betsy.
"When did her mother tell you about this bag?"
Betsy had opened it, looking for something inside and she took out a notebook. "Yesterday, while I was sleeping."
"Bets…" he started, Jackie's heart went wild.
Could it be possible that Kat was still here? Maybe in like, another level, something like that? Was Jackie like in the purgatory and Kat had already transcended to Heaven but needed something? She slapped her own face, feeling anything anyway. She was starting to get crazy, alright.
"Bets, what are you talking about?"
In that time, Steven had crossed the room and was now on Betsy's eye's level, one hand on her shoulder and the girl smiled at him, showing him the notebook.
"She said you were going to ask." opening the notebook, she started to pass the pages. "So she told me to tell you to trust me."
"Betsy, this is not funny. You have to respect the dead."
"Well, I know!" she said, showing him the page she had found. "Here, this is Harley's dad. Her mommy wants us to call him and tell him what happened, that Harley needs him."
"Betsy…"
"Steven, listen to her!" Jackie said, looking at the number in the notebook. "Betsy, what else does Kat needs?"
"We are going to your parents now, I'm sorry." Steven answered. "This is not a game."
"Harley's mommy said god-mommy is here, too."
Jackie stopped all thoughts in that second, looking at Betsy with wide open eyes. Had Kat truly talked to her? Was this really happening? Finally, someone would know. Maybe this way she could get some help and finally wake up.
"She said, you won't believe me." Betsy said, "But she said that in that case, I should tell you—"
"Betsy." Steven called, his voice sounding strong, maybe too loud, it made Betsy walk away a few steps. "Enough."
"No! No, Steven!" she tried, and stopped the second she saw his face. There was just one time she saw that face before. Chicago. "Steven?"
"Don't be mad at me, god-daddy!" she said, "It's true! Kat said god-mommy has stuff to take care of first, and that she will—"
"ENOUGH."
"She said you love her!"
The room went silent then, only Harley's vital sings between them and Jackie felt like passing out. She looked at Steven, waiting for him to react, but he was just looking at Betsy with that rage he shouldn't have for her.
Betsy seemed to look for something to help her in her memories, but Steven talked first. "Kat. Our friend?" Betsy nodded. "Betsy, you shouldn't be playing with this. I know it's hard and that you are sad for Jackie, but—"
"You bought her a ring before she met uncle Milo!" she suddenly said and Jackie's eyes widened, she couldn't stop looking at Steven's face and the way he was opening his mouth to reply—"But papa did something bad…" and he close his mouth, his hand leaving Betsy's shoulder. "And you told Miss Kitty and your sister that you throw the ring into the Reservoir."
"Betsy—"
"But you didn't!" she said, obviously not wanting him to talk at all and Steven let his butt fall into the ground, listening. "And some Samantha found it, and she put it on, and you were so mad at her for that, you wanted to hurt her but you hurt yourself…"
"What…?" Jackie murmured, looking at Betsy. She was frightened. She probably didn't understand what was going on, she was just passing a message.
"And you kept doing it, until you lost the ring." tears went down from her brown eyes and Steven swallowed, waiting. "You thought—god-daddy, Kat said that you thought losing that ring meant you will never be with god-mommy again. So you hurt yourself again, and when you wake up, you were in the hospital."
"Oh no, Steven…"
"Room 342…" she repeated what she had heard in her dream. "July 12th, 1980." and she wasn't wrong. Steven's respiration was heavy, and his jaw was tense. Jackie put a hand on his shoulder, she hated seeing him like this. "Intestinal bleeding."
"Betsy," he started but the girl let the notebook fall and put both hands on his face.
"Harley's mommy says that the ring is in your store, behind the boots box."
"What?"
"She says that after you find it, you have to make her a favor and talk to Harley's dad because her aunties can't take care of her. They won't allow them to, because one of them is not actually her aunt and the other is not married, but they live together."
The aunts were…? Oh. Oh, now it all made sense. Of course. Jackie looked up at Harley's sleeping form but immediately looked back when a sound distracted her.
"God-daddy!"
Steven had left the room, leaving the door open and Betsy alone. She stood up to follow, but first waited for Betsy to leave the bag back on its place and run after Steven, notebook still on her hands.
"You bought me a ring!" she yelled at him while running behind him. "You were going to propose!" she realized, tears moistening her eyes. "You lied to me!"
He had told her he wasn't ready after he came back from Las Vegas. Which meant he was conscious of the kind of crap he did during that month. Of course he did, come on. He had remembered the stripper's name. Maybe he was passed out for most of his 'wedding', but he knew the woman, he knew what he was doing before and after that.
"STEVEN! STOP RUNNING!"
~0~
July 12, 1980. Grooves, Point Place. 11:45 am.
"Fuck!" he threw the papers on his desk, quickly searching with his eyes but nothing.
The damn thing wasn't here either.
Swallowing hard, Hyde moved everything on and opened every drawer, searching in desperation for that stupid ring. It has costed him not only all his savings, but also half his life and the entirety of his heart. If he lost it—
"No, no, no, no—"
He has never been this scared for losing something in his life, not an object at least. Half a year and this hell was still consuming him, losing that ring would mean that was it. She was gone forever, and not even the idea of her will keep him alive. That ring was her, their screwed future, her dreams and his hopes. And now he had lost it.
"FUCK!" Hyde kicked the chair, not waiting for it to fall before kicking it again.
Thinking about where else it could be, he went to the little closet with his coat and emergency clothes, and other useless stuff Angie maintained there before leaving. He moved all the boxes, opened all of them, and searched in every pocket and piece of clothing but nothing.
In the back, the box of the boots Jackie got him rested and he took it, putting it on his desk to check that he hadn't left the ring there. This was the fourth time he checked the damn box, but nowadays his mind was all wrong and it wouldn't be a surprise if he missed it, but a first.
No.
All Jackie-related stuff were in that box. He had put it there the second Samantha started to ask too many questions about the things on his room. He had wanted Jackie to remain present in his room at least, but couldn't. It was selfish and stupid, because he had ruined them and he wasn't allowed to keep her in any way.
When Samantha put the ring on, he almost lost his mind. The box was sent here, and here it rested like all the only good stuff he still had: WB's family and his enchanted box of precious items. Like tickets from Funland, a napkin with Jackie's kiss and a girly 'I love you', her prom corsage, a picture of her last cheerleader presentation, an engagement ring she never got to see and—
Everything. He had everything. And he had lost it.
Hyde thrown the box away, quickly walking to the door and leaving. His employee would close later, he needed a beer or twenty right now. And a good shot to the arm, too.
~0~
December 4, 1982. Point Place's General Hospital. 6:53 am.
Hyde's heart hammered inside him as serious as a heart attack, he slowly stopped running and his hands went through his hair before scratching at the back of his head, thoughts passing around his mind faster than blood and Betsy's voice sounding loud inside.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck…" he walked fast to the nearest trash can, throwing up the disgusting sandwich he and Forman had got at three am.
After his stomach was empty, he looked at his side to find Betsy looking up at him with wide open eyes. How can this kid not be scared shitless of what she just dreamt? Maybe that's why the ghost has gotten her, because a kid would never question reality.
No one knew about that ring. No one, not even Leo, not Izzy, no one, knew about why he ended in the hospital that day.
This was serious.
"Betsy…"
"I'm so sorry, god-daddy." she said, "I just thought we should help Harley, she is alone now."
The little girl was Kat's kid. She looked at peace, horribly so if you take in mind the fact that she was in coma like Jackie. He looked at his goddaughter then, remembering what she had mention about Jackie, was she serious? Could it be? There was only a way to know it.
"Kid, why me?" he said instead. Why not Milo? Or her parents? Or Donna?
"Kat said you are the one."
The one.
Jackie's laugh filled his ears, her red nose but happy smile blinding any doubts about what was that between them, laying on his cot back at the Formans the night her father was taken to jail. She had called him that, 'the one'.
'See, Steven? You are the one for me.'
"What else she said?"
"Oh, that Harley needs me!" she smiled. "Congratulations to aunt Donna." he frowned. "And… that we need to let the doors open for god-mommy."
"What's with that? What had she said about Jackie? Be—"
"Hyde!" Kelso's voice distracted him, he was walking towards them with certain kind of urgency. "There you are! Brooke wanted to kill me, we couldn't find Betsy!" the little girl ran to her father, and Kelso carried her, looking at the notebook she was holding. "What's that, baby?"
"Oh—"
"Mine." Hyde said, taking the notebook from Betsy and she nodded. "What's wrong?"
"Uh…" Kelso looked back at the hallway he had just run, then to Hyde. "Come with me, man. Shit got real."
"What?"
"It's—nothing bad, but. Uh? Just come."
"Is Jackie alright?"
"Yeah!" he answered as they walked back to her room, "Okay, so I did a phone call to make sure Jackie's dad knew about her." he waited for Hyde to acknowledge his doings, Hyde only nodded. "And I wanted to talk to him, but that wasn't an option. Who knows?"
"Kelso, he is in jail, for fuck's sake—"
"God-daddy, you said a bad word!"
"Uh…" Hyde looked at her and Kelso shook his head. Being lectured by the doofus was the worst in the world, but it was starting to be more and more common.
"ANYWAY," he continued, "they told me they would tell him and today I got a call from his lawyer at my parent's. You know what he said?"
"Kelso, if you keep this conversation, I will be applying a Red and his foot on you."
"Damn, Hyde!" they stopped in front of Jackie's door, everyone but Harrington were outside. "He got the message and said he wanted to be told whatever something happened."
"And?" he said, Donna and Forman weren't visible between the sea of people, which meant they were inside or maybe already at the house. "What's the problem with that?"
"Nothing, it's just…" Brooke sighed, looking for help with the other woman in the room. "Mrs. Forman?"
"Oh, sure—" she took Jess and Betsy followed them to sit with The Formans and Fez, who immediately carried Betsy.
"He… wants to see you." she told him, Hyde moved his head to one side.
"Me?"
"You." she answered. "Not Milo, you."
Why would Jack Burkhart ask for him instead of the man he thought was Jackie's fiancé? Harrington had made Jackie keep in major contact with him, he knew from Donna she visited him at least twice a month now. But he wanted to speak with him about this mess, could it be that he was aware of what was going on in his daughter's life more than everyone on this hallway? Was it because of the last time? Damn, Harrington probably hated him more now.
"Okay, I… have to do something in a few minutes, I can go see him today."
"Oh, it can wait. I was thinking maybe you should go once Jackie is awake." Mrs. Forman suggested, they all moved to be near the rest of their group. "Michael here already let him know the little we have right now, so there's no rush."
"Alright…"
"Now, you said you were leaving?" she looked at him with curious eyes, Hyde scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah… later. Where's Donna and Forman?"
"Went to the house." Red answered, Jess was playing with the button of his breast pocket and Bob was laughing about it. "They said none of you got real sleep, so they better rest for today."
"They are going to take off Jackie's respirator." Fez said. Hyde looked at him, now why everyone seemed a little worried made sense. "See if she can breathe on her own…"
"If she does, it means good news!" Mrs. Forman tried to less the tension.
"Is it dangerous?" he needed to know, Mrs. Forman shook her head and looked up the second Jackie's door was open.
Harrington went out with a small smile. "They are going to take it off now, we just have to wait." he announced. "Good morning, little girl! I didn't see you before."
"Good morning, uncle Milo!" Betsy greeted. "We were on a mission!"
"That's right, where were you two?" Brooke asked with her hands on her waist, looking at him.
"Uh—"
"It's a secret mission!" Betsy answered for him, Hyde laughed and it seemed to make Brooke feel better about it. "Right, god-daddy?"
"Of course. But we didn't do anything bad, I swear." he winked to his friend, and Brooke smiled back at him.
"You better!" and she sat down, her big belly didn't allow her to be standing that much.
He sat down with the others, wanting to go to the bathroom and then hit the road. But he couldn't leave while they worked inside with Jackie, he wanted to be there for whatever happened and the minutes it took them to do their work felt like hours. From the way Harrington was moving his feet and staring at his watch every few seconds, he could tell it was the same for him.
"Alright," a doctor followed by Nurse Nora went out Jackie's room and everyone but Brooke and Mrs. Forman stood, "I'm happy to announce our patient is now breathing by her own. She has handle pretty well the first 24 hours, which means she is out of major danger. Now we just have to hope she will join us soon, that way brain damage can be discarded soon."
"Doctor—" Harrington started, but Hyde closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
One entire day and she hasn't wake up, and his goddaughter was talking to ghosts in dreams. Happy holidays.
~0~
Point Place's General Hospital – Outside the male's bathroom. 7:24 am.
She had followed Steven to the bathroom and stayed outside waiting for him to return. From the way he was acting, he wasn't telling anyone about what Betsy had told him and what they had done. She wanted him to do as Kat asked, and give her some answers about that ring— because there was a ring he chose for her and wanted to put on her finger, he had wanted to propose that night, that stupid—
"Move!" she yelled inside the bathroom, knowing nothing will happened.
After Michael had appeared, she calmed down just a little and thought of this new information. That she was overwhelmed, well yes, but she was also incredibly angry and Jackie didn't even know why.
"Baby, the room number's go up in here. It must be this way—" a couple appeared when the elevator's doors opened and Jackie turned away, she wasn't feeling like picking looks at other people when she wanted to know if Steven was going for that ring and to help Harley, or not.
"No, no. The nurse at the station said it was this way, Val!"
That voice. Jackie moved slowly again, looking at the woman taking the older man's hand and guiding him into the other direction, to were Jackie was waiting for Steven. She was wearing sunglasses and her hair was shorter, a little bit more blond, but—
"Val, Val! Listen to me—Ugh, VALENTIN!"
Jackie opened her mouth, she won't listen to her (as always, but for the first time without intention) but—
"Holy crap…" Steven said, he was now standing at her side and Jackie's hand landed on his arm, begging for something.
"Damn this man!" the woman cursed as the older guy walked away, and she kicked the air. "It's this way!" she signaled to the other hallway to no one, her tone frustrated and on the verge of tears. "The nurse said it was this way! My daughter is this way!" she finally turned around and freeze in front of Steven. "Han!"
"Hyde." he corrected. "Mrs. Burkhart."
"Pam." she said.
Jackie looked at her mother, then at Steven. Blinking, she swallowed and examined her mother's obviously new clothes and the sunglasses on her face. She had come.
"It's…" she started, playing with the short curl of her hair. "It's my daughter's room that way?" she signaled in front, Steven nodded. "I knew it!"
Her mother was here.
~0~
November 30, 1982. Fox Lake Correctional Institution, Wisconsin. 2:18 pm.
"You don't look happy."
Jackie stared at her hands before slowly looking up to her father's eyes. He was clean shaved and he still looked older than he was, tinier too, incredibly small even when he was once the tallest and biggest man she had ever seen.
One of her fondest memories about her dad was him going for her to kindergarten, all in a brown suit, looking too elegant for the small institution, searching for her with his eyes and a frown. She was so small back then, he hadn't seen her approach him until she tugged on his pants and he looked down at her, like many times after, and smiled bright.
He had been daddy back then, her major hero and the kind of man she wanted to marry one day, have a family with. Her family would never lack of something, because she would marry a great man.
Then, he took things that didn't belong to him and ended up here, waking her up from her stupid dreams and leaving her a terrible kind of orphan: the kind whose parents are walking on the same dirt, but will never look at her.
"What would you know?" she snapped back, arms crossed over her chest and an empty stomach menacing with throwing bile to his face.
"Enough." he answered with a smile, his hands were one over the other in the middle of the metal table and Jackie knew he wanted to take hers. "You think I don't know you, kitten, but I do."
"Sure you do."
Jackie couldn't help it, ever since he ended up here, she had gone from state to state with the passing months. From desperation to denial, to sadness, to anger. She looked at the man in front of her and saw her future broken, all those illusions of when she was a little girl and wanted to be happy more than anything in the world.
He had thought her economic stability and social success was the key to a happy ending, only to then take it all away from her. And while he was ashamed for it, she could see it on his face, it didn't change anything.
"You shine when you are happy." he insisted, she buried her nails over her clothes. This wasn't the first time she heard that. "You are not shining right now, kitten. Something is bothering you, and since you are here, I assume maybe it has to do with me."
Her lips trembled, her dad had seen through her and Milo didn't. He had kissed her good morning and wish her a good day every day, then left without even noticing her pout about him not going to work that day had been real, not just a silly joke. Her dad hadn't seen her truly grow up, but he knew she wasn't right just by standing right in front her.
"I saw Hyde the other day…"
"Oh." he moved his head to one side, questioning. "Who's Hyde, kitten?"
"Steven!" she answered, her dad moved on his chair and seemed thoughtful. "I've been talking to him a little. We've seen each other in Point Place when I go visit, but never alone. Not without Milo at least. And the other day, I went out with my friends and—"
"It's okay, kitten." he offered his hand and Jackie let hers fall into it, his free one caressing her skin warmly. "Don't cry, I understand. You did nothing wrong."
She froze after hearing him, her eyes moved like wanting to see her own face and her free hand landed on her cheek. She hasn't realized she was, in fact, crying. Swallowing, she looked back at her father.
"I broke up my engagement."
"Oh!" he didn't seem unfazed at all, and then he laughed. "And, you and Steven…?"
"No." she said, frowning. "God, no!" but her hand closed on his dad's and he smiled at her, nodding. "What?"
"I saw him the other day, too."
"What?"
"His stepfather is here, too."
Great. Shitty father's reunion. Jackie sighed and her dad laughed again.
"Your uncle Barney was visiting and then he entered the visitation area, I almost expected to see him with you like before. Sat down exactly beside us, and we looked at each other like this—" he exaggerated his frown and Jackie laughed immediately, remembering them meeting for the first time in this same room, four years ago. "And he goes, all proper and polite: 'Mr. Burkhart', and I go the same way: 'Son'. That was it." she couldn't help but laugh at the image, dad smiled at her again and kissed her hand. The warm of it almost made her cry again. "He made you shine."
She shook her head slowly, but smiled before admitting that "Yes, he did."
"Mm-hm." he exclaimed, then asked softly, "And why are you so sad?"
Jackie kept shaking her head, slowly realizing she was talking to her father like if time hadn't passed. Like when she was fifteen and in love for the first time, and wanted her dad to understand it. Like when she was sixteen and in love for real, and her dad had smiled and told her she deserved it and that he hoped he deserved her. Like when she was seventeen and brokenhearted, and daddy had cried after listening what had happened back in Point Place.
"I don't know—" she confessed. "I think I'm scared. I don't want to go back to who I was, and, and—"
"But you won't." he assured her, palming her hand slowly. "Kitten, there's no way to go back. You have been through a lot, you have healed and changed, and you are here now. But," he moved his head to one side again, "what is that you are so scared of?" she didn't say anything, only lowered her eyes to their hands. "Him?" she shook her head no. "Love?" she shook her head again, no way it was. "Oh. I see. Loving him."
Slowly, Jackie looked up. It seemed to her like she was eleven again and her dad had showed her the secrets of the universe. He smiled at her once more and laughed when her face felt warm, she must be certainly pink at least.
"Let's see…" he thought about it, Jackie didn't knew why exactly this mattered to her. "This is a man that broke your heart when you both were kids, married someone else while drunk, treated you like dirt and had addiction problems."
"Dad—"
"Three years later he comes to see his stepfather who abandoned him more than once and pays for his protection." she opened her eyes after hearing that. Yes, that sounded like Hyde. A lot, actually. "Wearing a buttoned shirt, clean boots and saying he has been breaking his back for a very successful chain of record stores." he smiled. "That he owns." he nodded, then said smoothly, "And wants to be a music producer."
"How do you…? Ah! You talked to him! Liar!"
He laughed again, nodding. "His conversation with Bud wasn't that long." he said. "He has changed. Is he truly clean?" she nodded after a few seconds, she couldn't believe she was having this conversation with her father. "Then in that case… have you forgiven him?"
She took a long breathe before nodding, then sighed looking at her father's eyes. "Yes."
"And have you forgiven the child you were?"
"What?"
"You know, have you forgiven the little person who grew up from what happened? The one you blame for loving him back then?"
Hyde referring to his post-Chicago self as someone else crossed her mind, was there a pre-Chicago Jackie and a post-Chicago Jackie, too? The girl she was now would never sleep with the boy he was when they lived together. They had loved each other, she loved him right now, maybe not the same way and for the same reasons, but she did. She will always do, one way or another.
"It wasn't you fault, kitten. None of that was. It just happened. Like… this. Things are happening all the time, bad and good, all of them happening as you get to walk among others, and sometimes things will happen near you and will affect you somehow, but even when you want to take some of that pain with you to free others from it, it has nothing to do with you."
Suddenly, the night her father had ended here came to mind. 'Things are happening all the time, grasshopper, things that has nothing to do with you', Hyde had told her. Jackie looked up at her father again and nodded.
"Thank you, daddy."
~0~
December 4, 1982. Point Place's General Hospital. 7:33 am.
Pam fucking Burkhart had appeared like a comet announcing the apocalypse and now he couldn't leave the hospital even with Betsy's voice in the back of his mind. He had accepted the task of taking her to Jackie's room and save her from everyone's curiosity once they were there. Then, Milo had replaced him and offered his holy company to help her feel comfortable while she visited her daughter.
There was not even a fucking tear on her face, her new boyfriend had sat down to talk vividly with Bob and for the way Red was rolling his eyes, this Valentin guy was another dumb old shit blinded by the woman's looks.
It made him sick to think of his shitty behavior back when he was with Jackie.
He had no real excuse. Acting mean to her meant having Jackie angry at him, ashamed for his nasty nature, and it also meant let all his friends know he was dead serious about being with Jackie. All his friends had been kids, all salivating at the sight of an older and experienced woman that made them feel like if she was going to give them anything easily. He knew the type, he had married it once.
Disgusting.
"You look really angry." Fez said at his side, he had been playing with the notebook Betsy gave him. "And she looks old, why did we like her before?"
"Maybe it was the tan."
"Or we were full of shit."
"That, too."
This was the most polite conversation he has had with Fez ever since 1980. He was Jackie's best friend after Donna and what was between them, their friendship, had died a little when he started to live with Jackie and Fez found out from her perspective the kind of shit he always did to her after Samantha came to Point Place.
Hyde didn't blame him, he hated himself back then too.
Nowadays, years had happened and they lived in different states, drowning in different cities with other people, seeing each other only during reunions here, at home. Hyde suspected he may never be as good friend with him as they used to, but this was nice. Talking to each other without wanting to throw to the other's face their crap.
"How's your chick?" he asked.
Fez nodded. "This didn't settle well with her, she wants to come but can't."
"Why?"
"Her stupid appointments. Doctor Horowitz can't change their schedule and she needs her prescriptions before leaving." Fez looked at him, "She's coming for Jess' birthday."
In two days then. He nodded. "How are you taking it?"
"Like everyone else: hoping."
"Yeah…"
They looked at the door, waiting for it to open. None of them, or anyone around them, had idea of what to do with Pam. Milo was always polite with her but treated her the same way he did his grandfather: with a fake smile, half condescending and half respectful. Pam was stupid enough to not notice, and she preferred to think she could play the man as good as she played everyone else.
"So that's what she was doing in Romania, uh?" Kelso sat down to Fez side, the three of them looked at the man sitting with Bob, Red and Mrs. Forman.
"Gross…" Brooke said, she sat down at Hyde's side with Jess who immediately jumped into action and tried to take Hyde's glasses. "Oh, no. Baby, that's not nice…"
"It's okay." he smiled, taking off his shades and letting Jess take them. "He can play with them, right?"
"Yeah, as long as—there, we go. No, nope." she took them the moment the baby had put them on his mouth. "See? That's the problem with this young, handsome gentleman, he thinks everything is eatable."
"He's exploring the world, woman. Let him be." Fez suggested and Betsy run into his leg. "And this pretty lady?"
"Let's get a soda!"
"Uh? You think? Isn't it early for soda?"
"It's not!" she looked at Kelso then. "Can we get some soda, daddy?"
"Uh…" he looked at Brooke who now shook her head, Hyde closed his eyes and smiled. "What about some… chocolate milk?" he asked, when Hyde looked at Brooke, she was nodding and he smiled again. "Chocolate milk is!"
"Uncle Fezy, let's gooooo!"
They stood with Kelso behind them, Brooke laughed and sighed as they watched them get away.
"You are up to something." Brooke said, Hyde looked at her. Jess was playing with his denim jacket. "Do you know what Donna and Eric needed to do?"
"Nope." and he was being honest, he had no idea. "Maybe they just need some sleep."
"Nah, Donna has been… off. Something else is going on."
"You are not the first one who tells me that."
"Yeah?" she smiled at him. "So what about you?"
He shook his head and opened his arms when Jess opened his, indicated he wanted to be with his uncle. Brooke passed the kid to him.
"I just need to do something, it's all."
"Does it has something to do with the notebook Betsy give you?"
"Uh—" he sighed, the kid put his hands on his face like his sister did before. "No, man. Just—I remembered something, I need to go to the store."
"What's stopping you?"
"That woman there…" he admitted. "I don't know."
"It's okay, we can deal with Pamela Burkhart." she said, winking at him. "Go, you look like a caged animal. Whatever it is, it's killing you inside."
It was. Hyde smiled at her, nodding.
Next Chapter: Hyde finds something and needs to pay a favor to a ghost. Jackie deals with unpleasant visits and Betsy finishes her mission.