A/N: Hello, everyone. I want to thank you all for your encouragement and comments from last chapter, it's always nice to wake up to kind words and support. I'm doing better now, thank you.

And this chapter, dear readers, it's (probably) my favorite chapter. I hope you all like it, please remember to leave your comments and let me know what you think!

Thank you for the help on this chapter to the lovely NannyGirl and RuffianHyde. I would be lost without you, girls.

Heart Like Yours

Chapter XXI – Until We Get There.

December 6, 1982. Point Place's General Hospital – To Jackie's Room. 12:00 pm.

Caroline had scoured the hospital for Hyde until she found him at the terrace, trying to enjoy some fresh air with a smoking Santoro, a yawning Forman, and a cranky Harrington who hadn't slept in days. Hyde was starting to feel as tired, too, but when the girl found him, he had to jump into obedience if he wanted to live.

After hearing that Jackie specifically wanted to see him, that she had been asking for him, he couldn't just say no.

But Jackie called him Hyde now, a name that was never used by the girl when she had loved him, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to hear that nothing had changed for her. He was her friend and she had just broken off her engagement, to think he could—well.

To be honest, he was just being a giant baby and a great freakin' coward. Again.

"You shouldn't avoid her, you know?" Caroline said as they walked in the hallway to the room. "She seemed very happy to know you are around."

"Uhm." And while his mind registred the information and his heart jumped at the words, he couldn't convince himself that maybe, there was some hope.

"I mean it, Hyde." Caroline insisted. "Listen, I know she is with Milo and all that jazz. But you two need to sit down and talk, like civilized people."

He lifted an eyebrow and looked at her, placing his shades on his face again. "Like in rehab reunions?"

She made a face at him and showed him her middle finger. Hyde laughed at that.

"Don't be a dick, you know what I mean."

"Yes…" he admitted, standing in front of the door.

Just when he was about to open it, Caroline put a hand on his arm and he glanced at her.

"She almost died, Hyde." She reminded him. "You almost lost her forever." He couldn't say anything, Fez and his chick could read him easily and that was damn scary. If they ever procreated, those poor kids were never going to get away with anything. "You have to tell her how you feel." She nodded, waiting for him to do the same. When he didn't, she added, "Even if it's a goodbye. It's only fair."

Finally, he nodded, because she was right. And it wasn't like he was going to do it right now, in front of their friends. So, he took a mouthfull of air and opened that door as she told him about the party they were attending that day at the Kelso's.

He didn't realize at first, that his family was there with her. And when he saw them, all sitting near Jackie, looking at him with 'about time' expressions, he froze with Caroline at his side.

"Uh, sorry?" She murmured. "I just… uhm…" She gestured to the door and disappeared while gracing him with an apologetic smile. She always felt shy among strangers and he nodded in her direction.

"Well, there he is!" Ethan laughed. "We summoned him!"

"I told you, if you talk shit about him, he will appear." Angie said, sitting at Jackie's side on the bed. "Well, you look pretty surprised…" She said to Jackie, who glanced at her for a second, then turned her attention back to him. Hyde swallowed; she hadn't stopped looking at him. "Oh, my God! He hasn't been here before!"

"No…" He murmured, uncomfortable as hell. "Hi…"

Jackie kept looking at him, he could feel it even when he wanted to stare at everything but her. It kinda embarrassed him, because now everyone knew he hadn't shown up after she woke up. And he was so fucking scared. Why lie? He fucking was.

Scratching the back of his head, Hyde breathed in and out, concentrated on that, and slowly sought out Jackie's eyes. They were full of life again, surprised, but shining like stars once more.

"Steven!" She said, "You are here!"

Her voice sounded—so happy, so damn happy.

And she was shining again, like when she had seen him at Grooves in New York, or when he showed up clean shaven after her dad had gone to jail. It almost killed him. It would have if it wasn't for the fact that he had done it again: made her shine so brightly that the sunflowers at her nightstand should follow her.

"Hi, Jackie."

She didn't say anything else, only smiled and sighed like a lovesick puppy. It was as if everything had changed since the last time they saw each other, a few weeks ago. So he walked inside, going first to greet his grandmother, and Izzy smiled at him, too.

"About time you show up." His grandma said.

"What?"

"We just found out you hadn't been here to see Jackie until now!" Angie answered. Her anger didn't sound as terrifiying as it did when it was real; she was only slightly annoyed by his negligence. His sister probably understood why he had been avoiding this room. "Where have you been?"

"Here and there." He anwered, now kissing her cheek to greet her, then passing to see his father and Ethan. "I just—"

"We should go!" Izzy said suddenly and Hyde didn't have the energy to look at her because of course, she would leave him alone with Jackie. This wasn't how he thought things would go.

He thought he was going to be in this room with Fez and Caroline, that's what the blonde girl had told him. But now, his family had agreed immediately at the suggestion and were saying their goodbyes to Jackie, promising to be back the second he left the room, and she didn't stop them.

In her complacency after this hell, she only nodded and smiled to most people.

Kelso had told him about Betsy's little scene and how mad he was at his daughter for upsetting Jackie like that. His friend was a good dad, and he had also let him know Jackie, definitely, had no idea of what Kat had told their goddaughter.

To believe in what Betsy had told him now seemed stupid, but the ring had been where she had said, just like the phone number to Sean and man, what if Jackie was just lying out of fear? What if she had heard his ramblings last night and that was why she was so—

"Steven, are you okay?" She said.

It had been a while since she called him that.

But he swallowed and sat down where he had last night, looking at her with a neutral expression, he hoped.

"I am." He said. "How about you? You are the one who just came back from a coma, man. You are a miracle now."

She closed her eyes and laughed; the sound filled his mind like it did the room and he almost sighed. Instead, Hyde smiled at her.

"I'm… I don't know. My sides still hurt but I'm so drugged, I don't care." She sounded almost that kind of happy, it made him smile a bit.

"I saw your dad." He said after a brief pause. She frowned and he decided to talk. "He wanted me to talk to him when you woke up."

"Oh…" She nodded. "Yeah, I knew. Sorry."

Someone must had told her, he tried to convince himself of that. Jackie didn't say anything else, so he swallowed and decided to pass on Mr. Burkhart's message.

"He said he hopes you get better soon and that when you do, you should go see him."

"Of course I'll see him." She sighed. "He keeps saying I don't go often enough. I go twice a month, sometimes even once a week. I live in New York!" She said, and he listened knowing this wasn't for him, she was just frustrated about—well, everything in a way. "What does he want from me?"

"Jackie,"

"I'm sorry…" She interrupted him. "I'm just… he should be here, okay?"

"I know." He answered. "He knows that, too. He said he is very sorry." She shook her head and he cleared his throat before continuing. "He… also wants to know if you are still not taking Milo back."

Jackie looked at him for long seconds, it felt like an hour, even when it may have been just an entire minute. He knew this sounded suspicious and he hadn't wanted to ask it, even when his entire body ached to know, but in the end his mouth had worked things out without consulting with his brain and he had put himself in the worst of situations.

"Why haven't you been here?" She asked instead, it almost broke his heart. "Are you avoiding me or something?"

"No…" He sighed now, not sure of what to say. "Well, just a little."

She frowned. "Why?"

"Jackie, listen—" He wasn't sure of what to tell her, but whatever it was, it had better be good. He wasn't liking the expression on her face. "When you woke up, I was here." She nodded. "And I had—"

If he wanted this to start as it should, he needed to be honest. Jackie was waiting for him to talk, and there was a part of him that felt like she was counting on him for this. But he couldn't talk, he couldn't tell her what he had said last night and he hated himself for it. Yet, she smiled. She always smiled at him anyway.

"Still bad at talking, huh?" She murmured, smoothing the sheets over her legs. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure…"

She moved slowly, taking the grasshopper that was at her night stand. He wanted to help her but she glared at him and did everything herself. It made him smile and feel much better to find out she still treasured her independence, every bit of it, even like this.

"When were you thinking about giving me this?" She showed him the grasshopper.

Her fingers grabbed at it firmly, near her body, almost to her chest. She seemed fond of it and he wondered who had told her about it and what that person had said on his behalf. Hyde sighed and swallowed before finally answering.

"It's a Christmas gift." He confessed. "I just thought you would like it."

"You always critisized me for liking stuffed animals."

"Yeah, well…" What could he say? "Jackie," He took her hand. She didn't take it away and he saw that as a good thing, "I was a stupid teenager, okay?" She nodded. In another time, he would have been offended. But right now, it almost made him laugh. "I'm not like that anymore. Or at least, I'm trying not to be."

"So…" She played with his fingers while speaking, it made a mess of his stomach. "If you liked me again, would you buy me flowers?"

Was she flirting with him? Okay. Okay.

"No." He answered, lifting a eyebrow.

"No?" She frowned again.

"No. Why would I show you affection with something that dies in a matter of days?"

Jackie giggled at that, probably remembering that time with the plastic flowers. Her hand had landed over her lips, and Hyde knew he would never get tired of hearing her laughter. Taking the grasshopper from her hands - she sighed in return - he moved the stuffed animal to get her attention.

"Jackie…" He murmured, she was looking at him with those eyes full of life and he wondered if this was a good idea in the end. "I do like you." Not exactly what he wanted to say, but she studied him, waiting for more. "It's not an 'again' thing, I have been liking you for a while."

"You like me?" Her voice sounded amused, as if she knew something else.

"Look—"

"It's a little too soon." She said. Hyde looked up at her face and found she wasn't lying, she wasn't saying this to make him feel better, and she wasn't rejecting him. Her cheeks were pink, and she was bitting her bottom lip to keep from smiling as wide as she already was. "I like you, too."

"Yeah?" He almost giggled, he didn't remember a time he had ever felt this kind of nervous before. But there was certain relief in it.

"But, it's… all this happened, and there's Milo, I…"

Of course. Hyde left her hand and pushed his glasses back to their place without saying a word. Jackie moved in response, her little fingers touched his face and caressed his cheek. So he looked up, she was smiling at him, even when there was a hint of fear on her face.

"I'm not taking him back." She finally answered. After a few seconds, he nodded, blinking without knowing how to take any of what she was saying. "I just want a little discretion, Steven." She said. "The only people who know about me and Milo are you, Fez, my dad, and my friends in the city. I haven't even told Donna or Mrs. Forman."

He understood then, and he also knew that he needed to tell her he had let her secret slip to Donna and Forman. Hyde wondered if she would get mad at him, or if she was too drugged to truly process anything that was happening.

And there, there it hit him. Was this real? Or was this just her pain and drugs talking?

Whatever it was—he nodded at her again and she moved his glasses, allowing herself to see his eyes—she was talking to him, man.

"Your eyes are impossibly blue…"

He almost lost her.

She could tell him whatever and mean anything at all, it didn't matter. If it was going to happen between them, he was willing to wait as much as she needed.

Like that time at his grandmother's, he took off his glasses and she smiled. "That's better…" She said again. He hooked them on the collar of his shirt and took her hand in his. "It's… is that okay with you?"

Nodding, he kissed her hand and felt her body shiver after it. "Whatever you want, doll."

"Thank you, Steven…" She smiled at him when he looked at her face. The bruises there were almost gone. Soon every bit of evidence of the accident would disappear, too and life would go back to normal. Except, this time, things could be different between them. And maybe now it would work out different, better. "There's something else…"

"Yes?"

Her voice had sounded insecure. Whatever it was, was important enough for her to be scared to talk about it.

"What is it?" He murmured.

"It's…" He bit her bottom lip gain, then licked it and sighed, looking into his eyes. "The little girl."

"Huh?"

"Harley, Kat's daughter."

"Yeah. What about her?" He frowned.

"Well," she laughed nervously, and she flipped her hair away with her free hand, "she asked me—she asked me if I could be her new mother."

"Oh." He frowned, this time more out of curiosity than of fear. "What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure." She confessed. "I don't even know if that's possible, do you?" He shook his head, why didn't this sound strange to him? Was it because of the drawings? The little girl calling him dad? "I'm not saying I want to, but—I don't know. I've been thinking about it."

Could it be—what if Kat had communicated something to her daughter the same way she had talked to Betsy? Hyde looked at Jackie as she tried to explain herself, but he couldn't hear anything. He put a hand over his mouth, stopping himself from saying something stupid. Jackie wasn't giving any signs that she remembered being a ghost and walking among them while her body lay still in the coma, he couldn't just spring this all on her – she was still in recovery - these ideas and posibilities.

"I'm not saying—" she said, then sighed and looked as confused as he was feeling. "I'm not saying I'm going to adopt her right now, or even if I'm going to try. It's just… I feel like I'm meant to help her."

He looked at her and nodded. "Why?"

"Well, she…" Jackie sighed. "Kat and I were never friends, you know that. But when I saw her in that bus, she was another person. She gave up everything she ever loved when we were kids for her daughter, and Steven—that little girl just lost her mother, forever. She's never going to see Kat again."

He nodded. Another kid in the world without parents, without a loving mother and a present father, just like them. He could understand her concern and connection. She related to Harley's loss.

"I can't stand that." She said. The way she was frowning, Hyde knew there was no way to convince her otherwise. "I don't want another kid in the world thinking the experiences she's living through are unfair and not having a mother…" She sighed, there was so much worry in her voice, it made him feel in awe of her. "If there's something I can do to help her, I want to try."

"You want to adopt a little girl?" He laughed, out of nervousness, not some shitty thing.

"I'm not—I don't know. Maybe. It's a possibility." She said firmly, not leaving a chance to question her. "So, Steven. Do you still like me, even knowing that I may or may not adopt Harley or something of the like?"

That was a stupid question. "Yeah." He answered. "You are crazy, but yes."

"Good."

~0~

December 5, 1982. Fox Lake Correctional Institution, Wisconsin. 12:14 pm.

Mr. Burkhart looked exactly like he remembered from the last time, but there was certain kind of preoccupation in his face too and Hyde hoped he wouldn't be put into an awkward situation after telling the man the news, as if this wasn't already a little bit strange and uncomfortable.

He was still wondering why Jack Burkhart had wanted to talk to him and not anyone else. But the man sat down in front of him and he cleared his throat, waiting for the guard to finish with the handcuffs and go away.

When the he was ready, Mr. Burkhart spoke first. "Thank you for coming, son." He nodded. "You don't look dead, so I assume… it's better news."

Hyde smiled a little and nodded. "She woke up this morning."

The way the other man's body relaxed on the chair made him smile; that had been everyone's reaction after hearing the news and he hoped Jackie knew that all the people at the hospital and this man in front him loved her dearly and only wanted her to be okay. This experience almost took her away from them, he was sure things were going to be different now.

"I haven't seen her." He commented, leaning towards the center of the table. "Doctor has been checking her constantly and everyone was desperate to see her, I figured I should be here to tell you…" He sighed. "She's fine. She made it."

Mr. Burkhart nodded, there was moisture at the corners of his eyes and Hyde said nothing. "My kitten has always been a fighter." He said. "When she was a little girl, her cousins made her watch a horror movie, but she didn't want to sleep in our room." He remembered, Hyde smiled thinking of a little Jackie being brave all by herself. "So she built a fort in her room, and—" The man moved his hands, like placing something in front of him. "And she put all her wild animal stuffed toys around, so they would protect her."

He laughed with Jackie's dad, the image was too endearing to not think of it and feel something. Jackie was always a source of amazement for him, it didn't sound strange that her younger self would become the bravest kid on the block just because she was determined to be. Deep down, Jackie always knew how to take care of herself, she just needed a gentle push.

And even when life hadn't always been gentle with her, she was alive, and he knew she was going to be okay.

"Please let her know I'm glad she's awake and doing better. I hope she can be fully recovered soon…" He sighed. "And that, I hope she could come and visit some time. I would really like to see my kitten."

Hyde nodded. A part of him always wondered why Mr. Burkhart called Jackie that name, kitten. In a way he could imagine why. Her small form when she was a little girl, the abundance of her dark hair, the largeness of her shining eyes. One freakin' adorable kitten.

"You know…" The man sighed, Hyde blinked a couple of times. "Do you know what she will do? Where is she going to recover? Is she going back to New York?" He swallowed and looked up at him. "Is she taking Milo back? What is her plan now?"

"I don't know, man." He confessed. He hadn't thought of any of that either. Damn. "I mean, she will be staying at the Forman's for sure. Mrs. Forman will take care of her…" He paused, then continued saying, "Most of her life now is in New York. She stil has a job and school there, she's been living with some friends, so I guess…" Mr. Burkhart nodded. "And I have no clue about Harrington."

Neither of them said anything for a few moments. Mr. Burkhart observed him like he was trying to find the rest of his answers in Hyde's expression. Hyde cleaned his sweaty hands on the denim of his pants and looked at Mr. Burkhart.

"Mr. Burkhart?" He called. The man met his gaze. "Why me? Harrington is there, too. And Red—But you asked for me… Why?"

"Well, Milo and my daughter aren't together anymore. I figured it would be uncomfortable for both of us, and you have remained her friend, after the initial fallout of your break up." True. Hyde sighed listening to that, crossing his arms over his chest. "And Red, I didn't want to bother him." He smiled. "He can be a scary guy if he wants to be."

Hyde laguhed again, nodding. "Absolutely."

"I always thought you were a good kid. And you kept your word and helped me with Robert, so—Here we are."

"He we are." Hyde nodded. Mr. Burkhart smiled at him, and he swallowed, not at all sure why he was going to say what he was about to. "I'm in love with your daughter."

Mr. Burkhart's eyebrows jumped up, almost meeting his hairline. "Oh, two big pieces of news in one day."

Hyde nodded at him. "If she wants to, I want to be with her." He said. "Years ago, I didn't have a way to figure into her plans. But right now, I think I can do that. Including disappearing from her life, I can do that too." He had started making patterns on the table again, Mr. Burkhart didn't move at all, he just seemed to be thinking about this new information.

"Do you want my blessing or somehting?" He asked genuinely confused, Hyde smiled at him but shrugged. "You do!"

A part of him wanted to laugh at the sitution. It wasn't exactly a blessing, it was just—doing what Jackie would like. In reality, he didn't care if Jack Burkhart approved of his feelings for his daughter or not, but Jackie would love to know he had sought her father's approval. And probably Mrs. Forman and Izzy, too.

"Well…" Mr. Burkhart started, nodding his head, still surprised. It seemed like Hyde was an expert in surprising Burkharts. "I would like to see my daughter happy." He said with an honest smile. "I hope to see you soon, son."

"I hope that, too, sir."

~0~

December 6, 1982. Point Place's General Hospital – Waiting Area. 1:38 pm.

When he left the room, the first one to approache him was Angie and then Caroline. Both girls couldn't stop asking him how it had gone and the overwhelming feeling of having his personal life displayed like a soap opera almost made him angry. But W.B. saved him from it, and dragged him along to where his grandmother waited with Mrs. Forman.

"I just met the loveliest woman in the world, Steven" Izzy said. "You told me she was an angel, but I must say, Kitty has become my new best friend!"

Hyde almost laughed at it but Mrs. Forman did it for him, both women looked genuinely enchanted by the other's presence and it made him feel good, he knew they would each like the other when they met.

"Son," his father called him and he looked back, "has this…?" He started but didn't seem to find his words for the next question. After a few seconds he cleared his throat. "Has this changed your plan?"

The plan. Hyde shook his head and WB seemed pleased with that. He put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him, it was still something else that his father liked the idea of him fighting for Jackie as much as he did. It was odd, too, but in a good way. A good weird.

"You didn't have to come, you know?" Hyde told Izzy next, after his father sat down with Red and Ethan.

"What?" She looked at him almost in an offended way. "Not here for you, pretty boy. I'm here for Jackie!" She said. "Angie told me about the accident while she was in Chicago, she had the decency of calling. Not like you—" She gestured at him and Hyde shook his head. "Who didn't call at all."

"Izzy—"

"Nothing." She gestured again. "You didn't call."

"I'm sorry…" He gave in.

After a few seconds, Mrs. Forman took his attention. He looked at her and smiled, trying to understand her in awe expression.

"Honey, I need to ask you something. We haven't talked about this for years, but…" Hyde nodded, blinking a couple of times. "Well, Jackie said you have a ring and that it's hers. I didn't know what to tell her, but—Do you still have that ring from… that one time?" She asked. Hyde blinked even more, moving and leaning towards her because this—This. "I know it's not my business, but…"

"How does she know?"

"You have it?" Izzy asked at his side, looking at him with surprised eyes. "Mother of God, you are something…"

"I—"

"She just knew." Mrs. Forman answered.

Santoro and June were walking towards him, but he had to stand. Because—Because if Jackie knew then—

"Steven!" Mrs. Forman called, but it was too late. He was already entering Jackie's room.

~0~

Jackie's Room. 1:45 pm.

Steven had entered her room in a hurry, making her and Donna jump from their conversation about her wedding.

Both looked at him, asking in their own ways why he seemed to have seen a ghost and Jackie wrinkled her nose at the thought. She was still puzzling over the idea that she might have been one — as crazy as that sounded.

"Hyde, are you okay?" Donna voiced Jackie's concern too.

"I—" He walked towards them, taking off his sunglasses and hooking them on his shirt. "Donna, man. Give me a second with Jackie, please?"

Jackie's body trembled at his tone. Her arms prickled with goosebumps and she almost grasped Donna's hand to keep her from going. And it wasn't that she was scared or something, it just was—

"Sure…"

Donna looked at her, asking with her eyes if she was fine with this. Jackie nodded. Whatever Steven wanted, it was important enough to him to let himself be seen uncomposed like this. She hoped for the best, while fearing the worst. At this point, she wasn't sure what that could be anyway, but best, best, best.

As Donna walked to the door, Steven crossed over to her bed, slowly and carefully, not looking at her. He didn't sit down, not even when the door closed behind him. Instead, he kneeled at her side, confession style, and looked up at her face.

"Jackie?" He called her and she looked down into his blue eyes. He seemed confused but determined. "Listen, I…"

Her hand moved almost of its own accord, she wasn't acting conciously when she decided to touch his face softly. She always liked his face. He was beautiful, even if he never cared for the term, even if it wasn't a word often used to discribe someone's virtues.

She had to touch him, feel the smoothness of his cheek contrasted against the roughness of his sideburns. Her hand felt both sensations and the sensation it initiated in her body, it was something she held treasured within her. And now she was able to touch him again, feel him and be felt by him.

"I told your father something I haven't told you." He said, her eyes followed his voice to his lips and she wanted to kiss him.

God, she wanted him. All over her. In her arms, on her lips, between her thighs, with her. It was something she had missed feeling, and her fingers caressed his skin while he waited for her to react beyond her hypnosis with his face.

"What was it?" She murmured, she barely heard herself. But it seemed enough for Steven to continue speaking.

"I need to know something from you first."

That woke her up from her strange fog of desire, but her hand didn't leave his face. He had taken her free hand between his and they were cold. Steven was never cold, but today he was nervous and he wanted to speak. For the first time, he was the one willing to talk.

"Yes?" She said.

"You…" he looked away, from the way he licked his lips and moved his eyes to one side and then another, he was considering his options and thinking about what to say next. Finally, he looked back into her eyes. "You told Mrs. Forman about a ring—"

Her ring. From him. Jackie swallowed and nodded. This was it, she was going to know if her dreams had driven her crazy or maybe, she had actually experienced everything.

"Describe that ring."

She felt her mouth dry, and swallowed again. She thought of the ring, of Steven holding it so Betsy could see it. Her, running behind him, yelling at him because he had lied to her when he returned from Las Vegas, because she had been stupid and had ruined her chances with him by acting dramatic with that Dear John letter.

"It's big." She laughed nervously, he nodded. "And beautiful…" Sighing, she prepared herself for the rest of it. She saw it in her mind's eye. The ring was wonderful, it was a dream come true. "It has a very big pink rock in the middle. It's… beautiful, it sparkles like my eyes!" He smiled and nodded, it made her feel—feel, that he thought so too. "Four small white diamonds at the sides, between them it has lines with four other, smaller diamonds."

He didn't respond, and she didn't know what else to say. Whatever he wanted to know, maybe she didn't have the right answer in her. Maybe she was nuts.

But his hand squeezed hers, his thumb caressed the skin of her knuckles and his silence didn't scare her as it did years ago. After a few seconds, he kissed her hand and he saw him with his glasses on in a very dark room, kissing her hand. And then again, kissing her hand as he cried softly, silently.

"Steven?"

"What else do you remember, grasshopper?"

Her heart skipped a beat, then started to race almost to the point of hurting inside her ribcabe. He swallowed and a hard knot she hadn't noticed had formed in her throat. When she blinked, tears disappeared from her eyes.

"I…" She started, "You talked to Kat." He nodded, her heart skipped another beat, then continued the furious cacophony. "Betsy… you showed Betsy the ring. And you two helped Harley. You talked to that idiot, Drake?" He wasn't looking at her, but he nodded again.

She continued sharing small pieces of what she had experienced while sleeping. She should be freaking out, Jackie knew this perfectly well. She knew she sounded crazy and Steven should already be calling for the doctors and a straight jacket.

But he was silent, nodding when she mentioned things that concerned him or that he seemed to have been present to know about. After a few minutes, she went silent, and the whole room seemed lighter. It was her, she felt thin and light, free of the fear that had been consuming her since the day before.

"You were here." Steven said. His voice sounded deep, as if he hadn't spoken in days. Jackie's skin filled with goosebumps. "You really were here…"

"Steven?"

He looked up at her, there was another question in his eyes and before he could voice it, her heart answered him. "I heard you… before I woke up."

Steven nodded, he swallowed visibly and she wanted to kiss him even more. Her hand moved over his face, caressing his cheek, the shape of his nose, and his lips. He kissed her fingers and Jackie smiled at the contact.

"I'm in love with you." She admited. It felt just right. "Steven, I love you."

He closed his eyes at her words, he was shying away from her and she wanted to pull him to her face, not let him go, but he stopped himself first. When he opened his eyes, they shone brighter than she ever remembered and yes, this was him.

This was the Steven who had defended her even without knowing her at the pool. This was the Steven who took her to prom, who had called her 'doll' in her daddy's Lincoln, the one who had kissed her deeply and intimately for the first time in her life on the hood of that car.

Who held her and stayed with her all the time during their dates in the summer, who never pestered her for sex, who did his best to support her when her father was taken, who had forgiven her for her stupid mistakes, who loved her more than she loved herself.

This was the boy she had falled in love years ago, the one she had lost. And now he was the man she had fallen for, so easily and so simply; this was her Steven.

"I love you, doll…" He said, his voice was tender and soaked in sweetness. The security of his tone and the firmness of his voice made her shiver. He craddled her face gently as he stood, putting one knee on her hospital bed, his eyes never leaving hers. "I love you so much."

His lips took hers. The taste of him hadn't changed in all these years, the sweetness of his too sugary coffee was still on his tongue, and she accepted it all, getting her fingers lost through his soft curls and the length of his back. The warmth of him shielded her from the small shocks of emotion travelling through her body, all of her responding to him, welcoming him back into her system.

Steven kissed her differently every time, and every way made her wish she could stay in his arms, kiss him forever. Today was no exception, and Jackie enjoyed the way his lips moved over hers, his tongue played with hers until there was no more breath the other could take from them.

Their separation didn't last long; she pulled him down, and kissed him again and again, until her ribs begged for relief, the pain making her realize she had guided him almost on top of her, and he was being careful not to touch her side. But now, her face contorted in pain and he noticed, slowly letting her go with a worried expression.

"Jackie…"

"I'm okay, just…" She touched her side, then looked at him. "I'm sorry, Steven…"

He shook his head, lying on the bed on his side. It looked incredibly uncomfortable, the way most of his body was actually out of the bed, but he put an arm under her head and she cuddled herself to him. She had missed him. She had missed him for far too long.

"So…" There was something she still wanted to know. "Does that mean… you wanted to marry me?"

"I want to marry you." He corrected and her fingers grabed the material of his shirt, not sure of how to react. "Later…" He kissed her head, over her hair and she looked up at his face. His fingers tocuhed the tip of her nose and she gazed at him in wonderment. "In the future."

A smile appeared on her face. Jackie was sure it must be wide, her cheeks hurt from it, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Even if…" She swallowed. "Even if I decide to take Harley in?"

"Kid already calls me dad, so…" He sighed, trying to look aloof. But she could see the insecurity and fear in his face. "Why not make it official?"

"That simple?"

He didn't answer at first, he must have realized she knew how he was feeling. But he looked right into her eyes, and what she found in his took her breath away.

"No, not that simple…" He admitted. "I don't even know if I could make a good father. Hell, I don't even know if I want kids…" He sighed. "But you?" His fingers went through her hair, caressing between the locks in such a soft motion, she couldn't help but sigh at it happily. "You'll be one hell of a mom. In the good way."

"Yeah?"

"Sure, man." He kissed her forehead. "I would try my best. I can do it, if you are with me." Her heart jumped joyfully, making an explosion inside her stomach, the most endearing kind of fireworks announced Steven's official arrival in her heart again. "We'll get there."

"What do you mean?"

"You know…" He seemed embarrassed, but he wasn't shuting down like he used to. "To be happy together, make sure our kiddies are happy, grow old and cranky together. That kinda stuff."

"Oh, Steven!" She moved to hug him, but her ribs made her cry out in pain and he slipped out of the bed.

"That's it, you are not moving anywhere." He said, helping her get back into the position that the doctor had told her to stay in. "Man, you are going to be a pain in the ass while you heal…"

She nodded, she was already tired of being in bed all the time. "Do you think you can deal with that?"

It meant more than her healing period, more than her broken leg and ribs. Steven looked up at her and smiled, wide and bright, letting her know he was, in fact, that perfect to her.

"I'll freakin' enjoy it, doll."

Next Chapter: Epilogue. More than six months later, some things have changed.