November 26th, 1981

6:01 pm

Pinciotti residence

"Did you finish unpacking yet?" asked Donna, sitting in her bed.

From the other side of the bedroom, Jackie shook her head, still looking through her best friend's records. She and Steven had finally found a new permanent home the week before, and had struggled to move all their belongings from the various places they had been scattered in the past couple of years.

Jackie still had a bunch of things from her parent's house in storage and in Donna's and the Foreman's house. Likewise, Steven had left a few boxes in the Foreman's basement and – he remembered one day – in Bud's apartment. He had taken the time to go through each box to decide what to keep and what to throw away. He kept very few things.

Jackie started her new job on the last week of October and since they hadn't found a suitable house – for Jackie had insisted on a house instead of an apartment, she had temporarily moved into Donna and Eric's spare room.

Right after that weekend in the mountains, Steven had had to go to California and New York with WB and Angie. He hated to leave Jackie just before her move to Madison, but there hadn't been any way out of the two week trip. Upon his return home, he helped her organize and pack her things and on Sunday, he'd gone with her to Madison and had stayed for a few days before he had to return to Point Place.

It had been a great week, spending time with Donna and Eric, seeing them in their element, between classes and work; going out to the movies and having deep and crazy conversations in the circle. Since his friends and Jackie where out most of the day, he went around town looking for a suitable house. He'd found none. Back in Point Place, he went through every tiny detail with Ryan, to make sure that the store would keep functioning without a hitch with him gone. The paperwork had been the most tedious part.

"The house is a mess, Donna" groaned Jackie "Steven and I have so much work that some days we don't get home until after dinner"

She decided on a Rolling Stones album and after putting it on the turntable, sat next to Donna in the bed releasing a long sigh, and dropping back. She was frustrated with the new house. When they had first seen it, she had loved it and didn't want to see any other. Steven was relieved because it had felt just like going to the mall, and he didn't like any kind of shopping.

It was a very nice two story house, with a small front lawn and a big backyard with an ancient oak near the back. Upon entering the house there was a spacious living room on the right, open to the dining room that looked to the back yard through wide French doors that opened to the back porch. The kitchen also looked to the back yard, and it was open to the left side of the dining room. To the left of the main door was a big room that they decided to turn into a study. Right in front of the entrance, the wide staircase led to the second floor. There were three bedrooms (one of which had its own big bathroom) plus another full bathroom.

"For a couple of days I thought about just staying in Madison this weekend" said Jackie after a few silent minutes

"Mrs. Foreman would have gone there herself to drag you both here" said Donna, with an amused smile.

"Oh yes, she told Steven that she'd do just that when he hinted that we might not come for Thanksgiving" chuckled Jackie

After another long pause in which they both just enjoyed the music, Jackie asked "Have you guys set a date yet?"

/-/-/-/

8:43 pm

Foreman's living room

After the last plate had been cleared, they all dragged themselves to the living room, where they sprawled in the couch, chairs and even on the floor. Jackie was so full that she felt that she might explode in any second. She was laying on the ground, her head resting on Steven's lap, who was sitting against the piano.

"So…" started Kitty with a nervous laugh, looking at Jackie as she played absentmindedly with the ring on her left hand "have you set a date yet?"

When she had asked Donna that same question earlier, she knew that her best friend would return it. She didn't have an answer and didn't want to explain anything either so just like before, she just shook her head in the same moment that Steven said "Not yet" squeezing Jackie's hand and giving her a wink, remembering their conversation in January the year before, and the one his last birthday.

"But… you've been engaged for almost a year" insisted Kitty

"So? These two" replied Steven pointing with his thumb to Eric and Donna, who sat on the floor next to him and Jackie "have been engaged for almost two years… and for the second time, too"

All eyes turned to the other couple. Eric's face turned red, Donna's remained impassive.

"They are still in college" defended Kitty. After a pause, she insisted: "you don't need to have a big party"

They had spent all their savings into buying and furnishing the new house, and even though they didn't want a huge party, whatever they did would cost more than they had at the moment. They both knew, though, that if they asked WB, he would happily pay for whatever they wanted. He had actually offered to do so just a week before.

"We don't need one" said Steven, impassive.

"Then why…" started Kitty

"I don't feel like planning a party" said Jackie, matter-of-factly "and Steven wouldn't either" she laughed, looking at him.

"You know me well" said Steven, smiling at her.

"But…" started Kitty again

"We're not getting married yet" said Steven, dryly. He didn't mean to sound harsh, especially not to Kitty, but he was becoming annoyed and Jackie was getting upset too.

After a long and awkward silence, broken by the sound of Fez opening a bag of candy, everybody started to relax again and the conversation moved to more mundane and safer topics.


A/N: hey! I hope you're liking this!

I need a bit of help .. I never really liked Jackie's nickname for Hyde and I'm having trouble thinking of a new one .. so I'd appreciate some ideas hehe.

I know that the fact that she calls him "Pudding Pop" reflects a lot of Jackie's personality during the show and the nature of their relationship - I mean, there's a reason why Hyde lets her call him that .. but I feel that the Jackie of this story is different and so the nickname doesn't fit either of them ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯