A/N : I so picked the wrong time to post a chapter last week, since the review system went down! Oh well, thats cool, whatever ;-) Shout out to my fab reviewers, and in particular to Zenkindoflove - anyone who wants a really cool fic to read should go check out her latest work in progress 'Sixteen Candles' because it rocks! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter of my fic - and just so you know, there's not a lot of this story left!

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 21

Eric wasn't sure exactly where he was supposed to go look for Hyde, or what he was supposed to say to him when he found him. It didn't really make sense that he'd run out on Jackie. Of all the girls Hyde had ever talked about, hung out with, or got even a little close to, none compared to the way he was with Jackie. As crazy as Eric knew it was, it seemed that Hyde and Jackie really were in love, at least they had been for a while there. Given all the people that had run out on him, and all the pain and hurt that had caused, Eric couldn't believe his friend would inflict that kind of suffering on the girl he loved.

The water tower, The Hub, the reservoir, Eric mentally made a list of any and all the places Hyde may have run too, though none of them had any particular significance or made any sense at all. He was just trying to decide whether to take the next right or keep on driving and hope for the best, when he spotted a figure coming up the side of the road. Squinting his eyes to try and see better as he approached the person walking just a few feet in front, Eric soon realised it was the very young man he'd been looking for.

"Hyde!" he yelled as he pulled up next to him, only to realise his friend had no intention of stopping walking.

With a frown, Eric made an awkward U-turn in the middle of the quiet lonely road and followed Hyde, pulling up level with him and talking to him through the open window whilst trying to keep control of his unwieldy car.

"Hyde, what the hell, man?!" he yelled, "What's going on?"

"Nothing, man, nothing's going on so just... just go home, Forman" Hyde snapped as he quickened his pace, still he was never going to outrun a car, not even the Vista Cruiser!

"Er, I can't go home, because my girlfriend is at your house" Eric explained, "Actually, she's there comforting your girlfriend who is all sick and abandoned right now"

"Okay, first, Jackie is not my girlfriend" Hyde said firmly, "And second, I did not abandon anybody, which I could do, since everybody else did it to me, but I didn't" he said, pointing a finger at Forman through the open window, before trudging on.

"Whatever, man" Eric sighed, "Just, will you please get in the damn car already!" he complained.

Hyde considered it for a moment, even stopped walking and stared at the car that pulled up alongside him. It would be easier just to get in the car than keep walking, especially given the circumstances. With a sigh, he relented, and walked around to climb into the passenger seat of the car. Something made a strange rustling sound as he sat down and Eric looked at him oddly.

Forman's eyes went comically wide as his friend shifted in the seat, pulling out items from every conceivable pocket in his clothes. There was a packet of macaroni and cheese in one side of his jacket, a couple of candy bars in the back pocket of his pants, a can of soda and a similar can of beer in there, as well as some glossy girls magazine.

"What the hell, Hyde?" Eric wanted to know as he looked at all the stuff that now sat on the seat between the two of them.

"I went shopping" Hyde shrugged, "For Jackie"

"Wait a second. Shopping?" he checked, "Or shop-lifting?"

"What are you, Forman, my Mom?" his friend said, giving him a look, "Just drive the damn car" he complained, turning to stare out of the passenger side window.

He knew he'd been rumbled, and he wasn't thinking of the thievery either. All of the guys had dared each other to steal, and none of them had a problem with the have-nots taking from the have-alls. No, it wasn't Hyde's shop-lifting habits being revealed that was bothering him, it was the fact his caring side was coming out a little too much for his liking.

Now Forman knew why he'd left his house in such a hurry, why he'd had to leave Jackie alone when she was sick. Their fight had got him thinking, made him feel very guilty too. He had to be there for Jackie, he had to apologise, how ever uncomfortable the idea made him. When all was said and done, Hyde knew he loved Jackie, and he'd been willing to be caught stealing from the local store for her. Now Forman knew it too, and it was making Eric grin like an idiot as he realised it.

"You did this for Jackie" he smiled, shoving his friend in the shoulder, "You really love her"

"Can it, Forman!" Hyde snapped, feeling embarrassed and stupid enough as it was without his friends ribbing.

"Seriously, Hyde" Eric controlled his hilarity at the situation for a moment, "Did you go shop-lifting to make Jackie happy?"

For a while Hyde stayed faced the other way, not looking at Forman and not answering his question. They both already knew the answer, denying this was pointless and stupid, beside Eric was just about the only one who would understand all this without making a big deal out of it. He had Donna, he'd been in love with her forever, he was usually the butt of the whipped jokes, and so it was unlikely he was going to start with Hyde too much over his feelings for Jackie.

"Yes, okay" he said, finally turning to face his friend, "Yeah, I went to get all this stuff for Jackie, and yeah, I stole it, because I don't have any money" he explained, "You were right, Forman, twice over; my Mom is gone for good, and yeah I... I love Jackie" he admitted, feeling really odd letting out any kind of emotions, and yet after he'd said the words, he actually felt better about it all, in a weird way.

"Wow" was Eric's only response at first as he sat staring at his friend, his hands stuck on the steering wheel even though he turned the engine off minutes ago, "I mean, wow" was really all he could find to say and Hyde quickly got uncomfortable again.

"Okay, so confession time is over, can we move the damn car already?" he snapped, but Eric shook his head.

"I just can't believe your Mom would totally abandon you like that" he said, thinking of his own parents and how he'd never cope if either of them left him behind, nevermind if both of them up and left, "And that Steven Hyde just admitted he's in love" he grinned at that particular point which was musing him so much.

"Yeah, well" Hyde shifted uncomfortable, knowing it was too late now to take back those words he'd said, and honestly, he didn't really want to, "You love Donna, right?" he asked his friend who then began to look just as awkward as he felt.

"I don't know if... well, I mean love is a huge..." Eric started to ramble and Hyde shook his head in disbelief.

"For God sakes, Forman, be a man" he urged him, and Eric's mouth dropped open wide.

"Oh, me be a man, Hyde?" he said in shock, "How about you be a man first. All this crap about you loving Jackie so you can't be with her? What the hell is that all about?"

Eric stared at Hyde who stared back, and neither of them were honestly sure what came next. Eric was half expecting a smack in the face for daring to yell at Hyde that way, whilst Steven was wondering how his friend ever ended up growing a stronger spine than he himself had.

"Honestly?" he said eventually, "I don't know, man" he shrugged, "All I know for sure is that somehow I realised I love Jackie, and that was crazy, man, cos I don't do all that love stuff" he shook his head, "then we had this big fight and I got this feeling like I had to, y'know, apologise or something"

"My God" Eric gasped, "What is this witchcraft?" he checked in a whisper, looking genuinely scared of what might be happening to his good buddy Hyde, who hated all talk of love and fairytale endings, and he certainly never said he was sorry, not for anything.

"No spells, Forman" Hyde said, finding a smile, "I guess this is just how it goes down when you finally find the woman that you're gonna be with for the long haul"

"Yeah" Eric nodded slowly as he thought of Donna and the overwhelmingly power she had over him, "Yeah, I guess that's what it is"

The sweet moment of friendship and understanding that between girls would've led to hugging and tears, only led to uncomfortable silence and severe awkwardness between the two guys as they realised what they were doing. Both shifted in their seats, clearing their throats, and fixing their eyes on the road ahead.

"So, er, you gonna get this thing moving towards my house before dark, or what, Forman?" Hyde snapped.

"I'm on it, man" Eric nodded once, starting the car, putting it in gear, and heading for Hyde's house as fast a he dare.

"Donna, was that a car?" Jackie checked when she thought she heard tyres on the drive outside, "Oh my God, is Eric back? Did he find Steven?"

"Geez, I don't know, Jackie, my x-ray vision must be a little rusty" Donna told her, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"We don't have time for stupid jokes, Donna!" Jackie snapped, "Go and look!" she urged her, practically pushing off the edge of the bed where she'd been sitting talking to her.

With a sigh, the red-head did as she was asked (or should that be, as she was ordered?) and hurried through to the living room, just as Eric and Hyde were coming in.

"Where the hell have you been, you idiot?!" Donna demanded to know just as soon as she laid eyes on Hyde.

Eric shook his head and put a finger to his lips, gesturing for Donna to be quiet as the three of them all bundled into the kitchen.

"Donna, we got it wrong, okay?" her boyfriend told her as he closed the door, "Hyde didn't run out on Jackie"

"Oh, so there's a good reason why he left a sick person all alone?" the red-head checked, arms folded across her chest and anger flashing in her eyes as Hyde dumped the stolen food on the counter top and set about finding something remotely clean he could use to cook it in, "You're supposed to love Jackie…"

"I do" Hyde replied like a weird reflex that he really wished he hadn't picked up, "I mean… whatever" he said quickly, going back to concentrating on the task at hand.

"Where did all this come from?" she asked, picking up a can from the counter, "I thought you were pretty much broke"

"I am" Hyde nodded once, "It was... on sale" he said with a look, an eyebrow raised behind his glasses.

Donna shook her head and sighed. She should be mad at him for leaving Jackie, and then for shop-lifting food, and yet she couldn't do it. It became clear now, and even clearer when Eric and Hyde explained that he had only left to go get what Jackie needed. He'd even risked arrest to make her happy, not that Hyde really needed much of an excuse to break the law, but it was still pretty romantic, and Donna knew that Jackie would definitely think so when she heard about it..

That was why, when Eric suggested they leave the two young lovers (potentially anyway) alone to talk, Donna happily agreed. Of course, she still issued Hyde with a serious warning. If she found out he'd done anything other than make Jackie happy, she would personally kick his ass to the moon.

With that understood, Donna was almost dragged away by Eric, as Hyde set out the food, drink, and magazine he'd got for Jackie onto a tray. It wasn't exactly fit for the princess that Jackie wished she was, but it was the best he could do, and he hoped she'd understand that.

"Donna?" Jackie yelled from the bedroom, clearly having noticed her friend had been gone too long, and probably worrying.

"She went home, with Eric" Hyde told her as he pushed on the door and let himself in, the tray balanced on his other hand.

"Steven!" she yelled happily at the sight of him, "You came back!" she said joyfully, before turning serious, and throwing the nearest thing that was to hand at his head.

Hyde ducked and managed to keep the tray balanced through force of will alone as one of his own shoes narrowly missed his head.

"Hey!" he complained, but Jackie didn't care.

"Where the hell have you been?!" she said angrily, "I have been so worried!" she said, a hand to her chest dramatically, "Worrying is not good for my skin or my complexion, and as if both aren't going through enough with my being sick!" she complained.

"Okay, fine" Hyde conceded, though he sounded equally as angry as he did apologetic, "So maybe I shouldn't have just left, maybe I should've told you I was going" he told her, putting the tray down on her lap, "But... it was all for you"

"Oh Steven!" Jackie gasped, going right back to happy, as her hands went over her mouth and she was the picture of girlish excitement once again.

"Look, Jackie" Hyde sighed as he sat down beside her on the bed and watched her tuck into the food he knew she usually wouldn't touch with a long pole, "We kinda have to talk, and I don't exactly love the idea of spilling my guts but... well, I guess a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do..."

To Be Continued...