Three Days Later
Thursday Night
Hyde was lying on Eric's single bed playing with Tyler's feet. The little girl was laying next to her father making all sorts of new and adorable 'cooing' noises, and despite being in a bad mood Hyde couldn't help but smile.
"You are too damn cute, Tyler Rose," he told her. He straightened out the pink fleecy blanket underneath and continued smiling. "No matter how much of a grump your old man is in you always manage to cheer him up."
The baby 'cooed' again, only longer and using a higher pitch than she had before. Her bright blue eyes stared straight into her dad's, melting his heart - yet again - in the process.
They'd been holed up in the room together since Hyde had arrived home from work. Just like the night before, Hyde had walked in, scooped Tyler up, and found somewhere Jackie-free to retreat to. Having the cheerleader staying at the Formans' Wednesday to Sunday made things easier for him baby access wise, but as he wasn't talking to her at the moment her presence in his home was rather annoying. It was hard avoiding someone who was always in your face. Which was why tonight Hyde was hiding out in Eric's room; the one room Jackie never flounced into.
He watched in adoration as Tyler grabbed onto her feet and rolled to her side.
"Woah! Look at you go!" he exclaimed. "Have you done that trick for your ma yet?"
Nudging Tyler over onto her back Hyde almost wished Jackie was there with them. It had been cool having someone to share these moments with. Someone who loved Tyler as much as he did. It was also handy that Jackie always had a camera nearby ensuring Tyler would always have a trillion memories to look back on.
But Jackie wasn't there and even though it sucked, Hyde had to remind himself it was all her doing. She'd brought it all upon herself and Hyde didn't have the time nor the energy to keep playing her games. So from now on it was just him and Tyler.
And he was fine with it.
The bedroom door opened and Hyde looked up half hoping to see Jackie, but instead of the blubbering brunette he found Eric.
"What's up, Forman?"
The skinny boy closed the door and ran his hands through his sandy mop of hair. "Everything!" Eric said, clearly frustrated. "Red's making my life freaking miserable. He's blocked every job I've gone for and now I don't have the money to take Donna to the Vineyard on prom night. God, she's gonna be so pissed, man."
"That's what ya get for getting engaged." Hyde shrugged. Tyler's little hand curled around his finger and he smiled down at her. "Your Uncle Eric is a real moron, Tyler," he told her. "If an 18 year old who'd barely passed his SATs and had no job was trying to marry you I'd kick his ass."
"And if I was Jackie's dad I would've kicked yours." Eric told Hyde before he tucked his hands under Tyler's arms and picked her up, cradling her into his chest.
Hyde shrugged again. "Can't say I disagree with you on that one."
Eric sighed and began pacing the room, Tyler nestled in his arms. "Man, Hyde. What am I gonna do? I have no money and prom's next weekend."
"Sell your dolls," Hyde suggested.
"I may be desperate, but not that desperate."
"Car?"
"Not happening."
"Well then, I guess I got a couple'a bucks. Borrow the cash from me."
As much as the whole prom thing sickened Hyde, he hated seeing his best friend so bummed out. Eric had always looked out for him and even though what Hyde was offering wasn't anything compared to Eric giving him a roof over his head, it was something. Plus it'd put a stop to any future bitching or whining by way of Donna. Hyde was already avoiding Jackie, he couldn't be assed avoiding a sad Donna too.
Eric looked down at Hyde. "I can't borrow money from you, Hyde. But thanks."
"Take the money, man. Do you really want Donna bitching n moaning about how crappy her last high school prom was for the rest of your life? And remember - you're marrying the girl so it would literally be for the rest of your life. I can spring you the cash for dinner at the Vineyard. Just don't go booking any motel rooms. You two will have to settle for doin' it in the back of the Cruiser after prom."
"You sure? Like really sure?" Eric stopped pacing. "I don't wanna take money off you. You have a kid n stuff...that's like way more important than prom."
"Huh, tell that to her mom," Hyde said nodding toward Tyler who was now nearly asleep in Eric's arms. "Bro, take the money. With all the work I've been doing and all the money I've been saving by not buying film I've got enough stashed away. Besides, I owe you."
Eric smiled a smile that was a mix of relief and gratitude. The guy sure liked to please his girl. "You don't owe me anything, Hyde. But if you're sure, like 100% sure, then I promise I'll pay you back as soon as my dad's done blackballing me around town."
"So when you're 50 then?" Hyde grinned.
Eric rolled his eyes. "Probably."
Hyde stretched out on Eric's bed and pulled a pillow down to rest under his head. He hadn't seen much of Forman lately. Actually, he hadn't seen much of anyone. If he wasn't at school then he was at work or spending time with Tyler. Eric, on the other hand, was busy with school, Donna, and daily screaming matches with Red. Because of this, Hyde didn't know what anyone knew about him, Jackie, and the prom fiasco and a part of him wanted his best friend's thoughts on the matter.
"So the Vineyard, huh?" he gently probed. "Is that a private date or are there a few of you going?"
Eric jiggled Tyler. "Oh it's just me, Donna, Fez, Kelso, Jack-" He stopped talking and jiggling and looked over at Hyde nervously.
"It's okay, Eric, I know Jackie's going to prom with Kelso."
"Well, yeah, I knew you knew...what with all the tension round here at the moment. Just wasn't sure what you thought about it all."
"Oh, so the tension wasn't a clue?" Hyde grinned.
Eric briefly raised a shoulder. "Hyde, this is you n Jackie we're talking about here. You two could've been arguing about Kelso, the prom, the college stuff Donna was telling me about, or it could've been because the sun didn't shine it's rays brightly enough on Jackie's highlights, or because she couldn't find her cream wedges that match her teal skirt so perfectly..." He sighed and shook his head. "She's the devil, man. There's no end to what she'll argue about."
"Well the wedges and the sun thing were what we were arguing about last week," Hyde said, propping his head up on his hand. "Everything else is what we're fighting about now. And believe me, we won't be settling this one in a hurry."
"I'm not surprised." Eric sat down at the foot of his bed. "Hey, for the record, I did tell Kelso taking Jackie to prom was a bad idea. I mean, I know you and her weren't technically a couple but you did sorta seem like one. It just seemed wrong y'know? Him and her going together..."
"We also told Kelso car skiing was a bad idea and he didn't listen then either, so I'm not surprised he still went ahead and asked her. The guy has no brain cells whatsoever. Jackie, on the other hand, is another matter. I really thought she'd have more sense."
Eric nodded. "Yeah, but by the sound of it she only said yes to get back at you for ditching her to go to college-"
"Which I was never doing," Hyde cut in. "She jumped to conclusions without even talking to me about it."
"And now you're pissed with her."
Hyde nodded. "And now I'm pissed with her."
"Because you like her."
Eric stared at Hyde waiting for a response but it took Hyde a while to formulate one. Did he really want to admit to Eric that he did, in fact, like Jackie? Or was it better everyone just assuming they were friends who fooled around a little? Did they even assume that? His friends were dumb but probably not that dumb.
Hyde sighed. "Yeah, Forman. I did like her," he admitted. Eric's lack of surprise told Hyde everyone had already been aware of that information anyway. They'd probably been aware of it before Hyde had been. "I liked her until she used her ex to get back at me. She's like a little kid, man, playing tit for tat. It's ridiculous."
"And ignoring her isn't?"
"At least when I'm ignoring her I don't have to deal with her. Kelso can fucking have her."
...
Meanwhile, in the kitchen
"Do you want me to go get Hyde?" Donna pulled another Kleenex from the box on the table and passed it to Jackie who took it and blew her nose.
She shook her head. "No, don't get him. I don't want him to know."
"Oh, honey, I think he'll find out when you're still here on Monday," Kitty said as she placed a hot chocolate down in front of the crying brunette.
"Mrs. Forman, I appreciate the offer, but I can't still be here on Monday. I'll figure something out."
Donna's green eyes turned all puppy dog like and she put her hand over Jackie's. "Like what, midget? It's not just you anymore, you have Tyler to worry about too, remember?"
Yes, Jackie did remember.
She sipped her warm drink and wished it would wash away her troubles the way it used to do when she was a child. Back then those troubles would be trivial things like boys pulling her ponytails or the teacher not noticing the pretty flowers she'd brought into school. In tears she'd go home and her mom or Rosa would fix her a drink and she'd cry while they sympathised and the troubles would seem to disappear by the time the drink was gone. There was no way that was happening tonight though.
Tonight Jackie was screwed no matter what she had to drink.
Putting her cup down on the table, she swallowed hard. "I think you're all forgetting that I do still have a house to live in. A nice house at that. Tyler and I will be fine there."
Kitty furrowed her brow at Jackie. "Jackie, you can't stay there on your own. It's all settled, until Rosa's daughter-in-law is better you'll be living with us. Rosa would never have left for Chicago if you weren't staying here."
"She's right, Jackie," Donna said in agreement. "You're seventeen and you have little baby, you can't live on your own."
"But I can't stay here..." Jackie breathed out, willing herself not to cry again. She let her head fall into her hands in defeat. Everything was a mess. It was bad enough that Steven wasn't talking to her but now Rosa was leaving. Not permanently, Rosa has assured everyone, she would be back when her son's wife was out of the hospital. But still, she was leaving, just like everyone else in Jackie's life had. If she didn't watch out the freaking Formans would be next.
"Of course you can, dear," Kitty said as she stroked Jackie's hair in a comforting manner. "When you think about it, it's only a few nights a week more than you usually stay. It won't really be any different."
It won't really be any different?
Jackie begged to differ on that one.
Everything would be different. Rosa wouldn't be around for a start. The woman had been the one constant in Jackie's life. The one person always ready with a shoulder to cry on or friendly ear ready to listen with. Jackie didn't know a life void of Rosa.
And then of course, there was the not-so-small matter of Steven not talking to her. It would have been hard enough staying out of his way for the three or four nights a week she usually stayed, but now she was going to be staying at the Formans' indefinitely. He didn't want her around and she didn't want to feel any more unwanted than she usually did.
"Mrs. Forman," Jackie whispered through her hands. "I really don't think staying here is a good idea."
"Well I'm sorry, Jackie, but until Rosa or that mother of yours come back to town you have no other option." Kitty looked down at Jackie just as fresh tears sprung from the young girl's eyes. "I cannot leave you and my grandbaby to fend for yourselves. Especially not when you have a loving family ready and able to take care of you right here."
"But-"
Kitty shook her head, her curls bouncing around her soft face. "No buts. Now, I'm going to go and get Steven so he can drive you to your house to fetch the rest of your things."
As the small woman turned on her heels Jackie quickly stood up.
"No, Mrs. Forman, don't get Steven!" Jackie's eyes were wide with worry. Hyde wasn't going to be happy about this new living arrangement and Jackie couldn't bear the thought of sitting in his car with him while he somehow managed to blame her for it. Rosa had only been gone fifteen minutes and Jackie was still in grief, a fight with Hyde would tip her right over the edge. She looked at Donna pleadingly before looking back at Kitty. "He can look after Tyler while Donna takes me," she said.
Donna jumped up and swiped the keys to the Cruiser from off the kitchen counter. "Yeah, I'll drive her. Back soon, Mrs. Forman!" she said following Jackie out of the door and into the cool evening air.
Once safely inside the car Jackie turned to her friend. "God, Donna, Steven's gonna be so mad about this."
"Jackie, this is hardly your fault. You can't help it if all the adults in your life have other places they need to be."
As Donna shifted the Cruiser into reverse and let it crawl out of the driveway Jackie sank further into the leather seat wishing she had some other place to be. Preferably somewhere warm, child friendly, and where no ex-boyfriends were around to mess with her head and stuff things up.
But mostly, she wished she was somewhere she was wanted.
...
Later that night Jackie was slowly arranging her expensive French cosmetics on top of Laurie's old, cheap dresser. Her beautiful items didn't look anywhere near as sophisticated atop of such tacky furniture as they did in her own perfect bedroom, but she had to ignore that. She had to fight the sick feeling growing in her stomach that had begun when she'd placed her clothes on wire hangers and hung them in the wardrobe next to slut skirts. Staying in Laurie's old bedroom had been difficult; living in it was going to be torture. Made even worse by the absence of curly haired visitors.
Just as Jackie allowed herself to think about Hyde, knuckles rapped softly on the door.
"You busy?" Hyde peered around the door and Jackie's heart skipped a beat.
"No, " Jackie replied, dropping a lipstick into her cosmetics bag. She took a seat on the bed as Hyde stepped further into the room.
He glanced around a little, taking note of the numerous bags, before his gaze fixed on the wooden rocking horse in the corner. Arched eyebrows told Jackie that he wasn't impressed but instead of telling her so Hyde exhaled and looked at her.
"So, ah, Red told me about what happened, with Rosa n all," he said, folding his arms.
Jackie slowly nodded.
Hyde continued. "Heard you're gonna be stayin' here a while too."
Jackie nodded again. His clipped tone had rendered her speechless. A week ago she'd been gearing up to tell him she loved him and now she was too scared to even speak. Where was the rewind button on life? What she wouldn't have given right now to press that button and redo ever saying yes to Kelso's offer. Hyde was never going to get over it. He would never forgive her.
Hyde shrugged. "Well, y'know, just wanted to say that it sucks, Rosa leaving and stuff, and that if you need me for Tyler, or whatever, you know where to find me...so...yeah."
A courtesy call? Hyde had paid her a courtesy call and was now backing his way out of her room? Where was the hug? Where was the 'oh Jackie, I'm here for you, you have me..."?
Where was the miracle she'd been hoping for, but not holding her breath for?
"Steven wait," Jackie said quickly before he could escape back to Eric's room. Hyde turned around, his demeanor already ten degrees colder than it'd just been. "Um..." Jackie thought on her feet for something, anything, to keep him talking. "Where's Tyler?"
"Red's got her."
"She must be needing to feed soon?"
Hyde shrugged again. "Dunno, probably. She was pretty happy when I left her. I can go get her if you want?"
Jackie shook her head knowing that come 10 o'clock everyone in the house would be asleep and she'd be on her own for the night with Tyler. She cherished these few hours at night when people wanted to dote on the baby girl and give her a break.
"No, it's okay, Red usually calls when she cries or poops."
Hyde nodded. "Yip, okay then, night Jack-"
Flustered, Jackie skipped over to him and put her hand on his forearm, disheartened when he flinched at her touch. "Hey, maybe you could stay and help me unpack?"
What was she thinking? As if Hyde would want to help her unpack...
Hyde regarded her as though she were crazy. "Um, no thanks," he said, pulling his arm away from her. "But I think Fez is downstairs. I'm sure he'd be right into that."
"But I wanted to hang out with you," Jackie told him. "You've barely spent longer than two minutes in a room with me since Monday...I miss you..."
It couldn't be too late for them. Jackie wouldn't let it be too late. If she had to use the last drop of emotional blackmail left inside her on him she would. It'd be worth it just to not have somebody walk out on her again.
"Please, Steven," she begged. "Please don't leave."
Her voice trembled as a lifetime of rejection and disappointment threatened to explode in a sea of tears. Jackie had become good at brushing off the pain of parental abandonment and morphing it into a good thing. Like she'd told her friends and frenemies - no parents meant no rules. Parents on holiday meant eventual presents upon their return home. Teenagers didn't need their parents.
Except when they did.
But right this second Jackie didn't need her parents. She needed Hyde.
And he seemed to get it.
His face softened as he stared down at her. "I guess I could hang out here for a bit-"
Before he could finish his words Jackie had flung her arms around his neck, not caring whether her embrace was reciprocated, but relieved when it was. Hyde's arms wound around her waist, growing tighter as her sobs intensified.
"Ssssshhh, Jackie," he whispered. "It's gonna be okay."
It would be okay, Jackie figured, if Hyde was by her side through it all. She probably could pull herself together and survive without Rosa if she knew Hyde had her back and was watching out for her. But by stupidly agreeing to go to prom with Kelso she'd effectively pushed her relationship with Hyde back two years and it was going to take more than a few comforting hugs to drag them back to how it was a week ago.
The side of Jackie's face was pressed against Hyde's chest and the moisture of her tears seeped through his cotton t-shirt. Not that he would care.
"Is it though?" she asked him. "Is it going to be okay?"
"Jackie, come on, it'll be fine." Hyde led her to the bed and they both sat down. Jackie kept her arms firmly around him, fearing that if she broke contact he'd flee in a second. Touching his finger to Jackie's chin, Hyde brought her face up to look at him. "Rosa will be back real soon and everything'll go back to normal, k? This is temporary. She hasn't left you."
"But they're her family, Steven. Her real family. What if she likes it there so much that she doesn't come back? Who have I got if she doesn't come back to Point Place?"
Jackie searched beyond Hyde's sunglasses into his eyes, desperate for a flicker of hope. "Me" she wanted him to say. But it was fast becoming clear that what Jackie Burkhart wanted and what Jackie Burkhart got were two different things.
"You have Tyler and the Formans and Donna," Hyde casually rattled off. "And Fez-"
"What about you?"
Hyde cleared his throat. "I'm here aren't I?"
Jackie's hand smoothed Hyde's chest as her head lay on his shoulder. She heard his heartbeat thud in his chest, the timing matched hers perfectly. They were in sync, so alike in so many ways. Pity he didn't seem to know it right now.
"But do you want to be?" Jackie asked.
"Jackie..." Hyde's arm fell from Jackie's shoulder and she quickly sat up.
"Steven, please, can't you just forget about Michael and the stupid prom? I'm sorry for what I did and I'm sorry for hurting you and I know I was stupid but you can't keep ignoring me." The tears trickled down her cheeks as she gripped Hyde's t-shirt. He looked at her momentarily before his lips tightened and he looked away. But he was still sitting there. He hadn't bolted. And Jackie was still hanging onto hope that he wouldn't. "Please, Steven. Please forgive me..."
The silence was torturous but Jackie wasn't giving up. "Steven?"
After a few moments Hyde dragged in a breath of air and let his eyes fall on Jackie. Her stomach flipped as she watched his mouth open, ready to speak. But before any words could tumble from his lips a figure burst through the open door causing the young parents to turn their heads towards the ruckus.
Jackie's stomach was no longer flipping. Instead it felt as though a work boot had stomped right on it.
Standing in the doorway, dishevelled and out of breath, was Kelso holding his hands up, a tie dangling from each one.
"So, Jackie, did we decide on the yellow?" he asked, shaking the yellow silk tie in his right hand. "Or the blue?"
