A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay! My only excuse is Christmas time so I hope you'll forgive me. I've split this chapter in 2 as I didn't like it as one so it may seem like it ends abruptly. Next chapter up soon.
Later that day...
"I could sit here like this forever."
"Hmmm, I guess." Hyde smiled, tightening his grip around Jackie's waist. "It'd get kinda boring though."
"Not for me it wouldn't."
Hyde warily lifted his head and took in his surroundings. The lake was beautiful, and not even in a girly kind of way. The view from the shore was like something from a postcard, all picturesque and perfect, but it wasn't the view that drew Hyde to the place; he came to the lake because it was familiar, and safe, and comfortable. Much like the girl sitting between his legs.
"Oh I think it would, Jackie, there's no mall here remember."
Jackie chuckled and placed her soft, warm hands over Hyde's. "Oh, Steven," she said, "I don't need shopping to entertain me. If you and I were stuck here forever I'd be fine with it."
Her words were reassuring and as Hyde dropped desperate kisses on Jackie's neck he wondered whether now was the right time to ask her the question. They'd been at their spot at the lake for hours but the nagging uncertainty of Jackie's feelings toward him had stopped him from spilling his thoughts. As always, the fear of rejection was rearing it's ugly head and halting the progression of his relationship with Jackie.
Deciding that his own insecurities were not going to ruin him and Jackie this time, Hyde cleared his throat.
"So you'd be fine if it was just me n you? No malls, no parties, no friends?" He nuzzled his head into Jackie's hair, closing his eyes as he waited for her answer.
"If I had you with me I'd be fine wherever, Steven. Although I don't know if I could give up malls n shopping completely."
Hyde opened his eyes and caught Jackie's smile as she contemplated life without spending. Of course he knew she couldn't do that, and he would never ask her to.
"But you could give up the friends if it meant we could be together?" he asked, drawing her closer into his chest.
She turned to look at him, her smile fading. "Baby, why are you asking me that? Why would I need to give up my friends for you?"
Hyde swallowed hard as he caught a wisp of her hair that'd been picked up by the light summer breeze. "I told you I have a plan right?" he asked. Jackie nodded. "I want us to leave here, Jackie, just me n you."
"Leave the lake?"
"No, babe, leave Point Place, Kenosha...freakin' Wisconsin. Start a new life somewhere else. Somewhere with a mall." He grinned and tried to ignore the worried expression on Jackie's face. Her saying no to leaving was something he'd considered but the reality of that answer scared the shit out of him. He wasn't sure he could live without her.
"Why? Why would we have to leave here? Our lives are in Wisconsin. Not just our friends, but our jobs, our families...everything."
"Which is exactly why I wanna go. Leave all the memories behind, man, start anew. Just us."
Hyde had decided days ago that Jackie never needed to know the extent of the hate directed at her courtesy of one psycho blonde. That information would only scare her so he was counting on persuading her to leave town using measures other than the fear of being attacked.
Jackie turned right around, placing her legs around Hyde's waist, and cupped his face. "Steven, you can't run from memories, baby. You are grieving, and sad, and confused -"
Hyde rolled his eyes. Of course she was gonna bring up that crap. "I'm not confused and Johnny's death has nothing to do with me wantin' us to leave," he said, semi-truthfully.
Jackie shook her head. "It has everything to do with you wanting to leave. Tell me then, were you wanting to move interstate 4 weeks ago?" she asked.
"Four weeks ago I had a kid who needed me here. But I don't anymore. The situations changed."
"Exactly. Your life has changed so much in the last few weeks, baby, and I just think you need to let things settle a bit before you make any big decisions."
Hyde removed his arms from around Jackie's waist and leaned back on the log. "So you don't wanna come?" he sniped, not attempting to remove the anger from his voice.
"Steven, that's not what I'm saying -"
"So you'll come?"
Jackie smacked a hand hard on her forehead crushing Hyde's hopes once again. She was confused and agitated, that much was clear, but Hyde wasn't backing down. He needed her and was willing to let go of everything he'd spent the last few years accumulating if it meant he could have her with him.
"I'm not saying I want to come and I'm not saying I don't want to come. What I'm asking is why do we need to go in the first place? And where do you think we're going anyway? Have you even thought that far ahead?"
Hyde nodded, still leaning on the log, still feigning confidence in his plan. "I have actually. We're off to Seattle, babe. W.B has a couple of business ventures going on over there so I could easily get a job, and I'd bet my life that there are radio stations there too," he said with a grin.
Jackie narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips and Hyde couldn't help but be a little annoyed. Why did she have to be so damn difficult?
"Steven, Seattle is like 2000 miles away -"
"Yeah, cool huh?" Hyde figured two thousand miles was surely enough distance to deter Cassidy and her camera from anymore stalking.
"But that's so many miles between us and our friends. You need your friends, especially now."
"No, Jackie, I need you and a fresh start. So are you gonna come or not?"
Hyde watched as Jackie began to lightly chew on her bottom lip. Nervous. She was nervous. The churning of his stomach indicated to him that he too was nervous. He needed her to agree to leaving. He needed to be away from this town and Cassidy.
He needed Jackie to say yes.
For what felt like an eternity Jackie chewed on her lip and stared at the mottle grey pebbles that lined the lakeside, while Hyde stared at her waiting for some kind of sign that she loved him and would leave with him. He knew it was a big ask. He knew she didn't owe him anything. He knew she probably trusted him as far as she could throw him. But still he waited, hoping that this time the stars would align in their favour and allow them to be together.
Finally Jackie looked up, her green eyes glassy with threatening tears. "When," she softly asked. "When would you want to go?"
Hyde's chest rose and his arms shot around Jackie's little waist. "As soon as possible, babe. Tonight, tomorrow...as soon as you can leave." he couldn't stop the smile that crept over his face as he imagined a future with his girl. Just them. No crazy ex-girlfriends, no moron ex-boyfriends. The only thing that could make it anymore perfect was if he still had his son with him.
"I'd need to give work some notice, maybe a week?" Jackie said, her hands lightly stroked his forearms. "And I'd want to spend some time with Donna and the others. We couldn't just leave without saying goodbye."
"Ah, yes we can n that's exactly what we're gonna do. We can't tell anyone anything, Jackie." Telling the others would only lead to them trying to talk him and Jackie out of it and Hyde wasn't having that. It also meant there would be more chance of Cassidy finding out what he was upto and there was no way in hell he was risking anything happening to Jackie.
Quietly slipping out of town was best for everyone.
"Why not?"
Dammit, questions.
"Because, they'll try n talk us out of it," he shrugged.
"Of course they will, because it's a crazy plan," Jackie said, her eyes wide and suspicious. "And what about Cassidy? Don't you think she deserves an explanation?" A small hand quickly flew to Jackie's chest and her bottom lip began trembling. "Oh my god, Steven, I hadn't even thought about her 'til now...how can we do this to her? She's just lost her son...I can't take her man away."
Hyde grabbed Jackie's hand and softly kissed it. "Yes you can. And no, she doesn't need an explanation."
"But it's bad enough that you're going to leave her. Can't you just talk to her about all this. Maybe break up with her, move back to the Forman's, then in time we can tell her we're together...when the initial shock has worn off."
"No, Jackie, that's not gonna happen. It's this way or no way."
Pulling her hand out of Hyde's Jackie said, "Well I don't think this is fair." She looked angry, like he was some kind of heartless asshole. Little did she know he was doing all of this for her, so that they could be together. It wasn't as easy as just moving out of Cassidy's and starting a new life; the chick had been stalking him and Jackie for three years already and who was to say she wasn't gonna keep stalking them for the next three years. No, leaving town was the only way they could be sure they were free of her.
He sighed and pulled her into a hug, the strawberry scent of her shampoo invading his senses. "I'm sorry you think it's unfair, but it's how it's gotta be okay? If you don't want a secret relationship then we gotta leave."
Jackie pulled away, her face wild, her eyes darkened in anger. "What, so because I was angry about last night you're punishing me by giving me an ultimatum? Is that what this is about?
"No! God, Jackie, this isn't an ultimatum -"
"Sounds like an ultimatum to me -"
"Fuck!" Hyde stood up, unsure if he could take anymore of this conversation, and hurriedly walked to the track that led to the car. He felt sure he had given Jackie more of himself in the last week than he ever had before and now she was questioning his motives. He wasn't playing tit for tat, he was proposing a freakin' solution to their problem. But he was tired, and he was also done.
Fuckin' chicks.
As he made his way to the car the sound of Jackie's quick footsteps behind him made him stop. It would be easy to keep going, leave her behind, un-complicate his life a little. But as sick and tired of arguing as he was, the love he felt for her meant he couldn't keep walking away. He loved her. He had to stay and sort this with her one way or another.
Plus they'd come in his car so leaving her miles from her home would really make him an asshole.
"Steven," she whispered, her hands creeping around his waist. "I'll come."
A weight was lifted off his shoulders, quickly replaced by a rush of happiness that he was sure he felt through his entire body. "Really?"
Jackie nodded as small tears fell from her eyes. "Really."
"Tell me why," Hyde asked as Jackie stared up at him, confusion falling across her pretty face.
"Huh?"
"Tell me why you're gonna come with me." He needed to hear the words again.
Clearly unsure of what Hyde meant Jackie said the only words that came to her mind and thankfully they were the words Hyde desperately wanted to hear.
"Because I love you, Steven."
