Shoe Shopping, Sandboxes, and Meatloaf
This is the final chapter in A Matter of Trust. Slight spoilers. As always, please let me know what you think! Enjoy!
"Steven, you love me, and I love you. For now, that's enough." Jackie said, walking into Hyde's room.
"Jackie? What?" said Hyde, shaking his head to wake up. As he sat up in his bed, Jackie kissed him and threw her arms around his neck.
"You heard me. We're in love, Steven. I don't want to fight anymore. So, let's stop fighting and never be apart." Jackie kissed him again. This time, Hyde pulled her close and kissed her back.
"Um, Jackie, I don't want to ruin a good thing here, but we are going to have to be apart sometimes. I mean, I do love you, but I don't think I can handle you 24/7." Hyde said jokingly as Jackie climbed into bed next to him. "That would drive any man crazy."
"Steven, you don't really want to fight about this now, do you?" Jackie asked, kissing his neck. Hyde smiled and rolled on top of her.
"Steven, oh Steven," her voice called. "Steven."
Hyde opened his eyes to find Kitty standing over his bed. "Steven, honey, nap time is over. I made meatloaf for dinner just for you."
Hyde groaned and got out of bed. "Wow, meatloaf, thanks, Mrs. Forman."
"That must have been some dream, Steven." Kitty laughed. "I've never seen someone look so unhappy about waking up." She followed Hyde up to the kitchen. ---
"Explain to me again why you needed to buy 4 pairs of shoes." Donna asked as Jackie sat on her bed sorting through the boxes.
"Donna, sometimes you are such a child." Jackie replied, putting down the shoebox in her hand. "Pair number one was for running into Steven unexpectedly." She showed Donna the shoes. "The second pair was for having to act like I don't care when I actually do in front of Steven." She gestured to another box. "Now, I needed the third pair to deal with having to run away from Steven after losing my cool." Jackie modeled the shoes on her feet.
"Ok," said Donna, trying to follow her logic. "so the fourth pair was for not going back and talking to Hyde after losing your cool while pretending not to care that you unexpectedly ran into him?" she guessed, running out of breath.
"NO! They were just cute." Jackie said, annoyed. "Where did you come up with that crazy theory anyway?" Donna plopped down on her bed and pulled a pillow over her face. ---
"Yum, meatloaf." Eric said, feigning excitement for Hyde's benefit.
"Mrs. Forman, you are a genius with meat," said Fez, chewing happily.
Red rolled his eyes. "Why are you always here? I have yet to get an answer to that....and I've asked a lot," he growled at Fez.
"I invited him." Kitty said sweetly. She looked over at Eric. "Pretty soon, Eric and his friends won't be eating here anymore. They'll be too busy and important with their college....I mean, jobs.....I mean, they'll be too busy and important." Kitty laughed nervously. "Then who will eat my meatloaf, Red? Who?" she cried.
"Oh, crap. Kitty, I thought you had this under control." Red said, irritated.
"Um, Dad," Eric whispered, "that is under control." He turned his attention to Kitty. "Mom, we'll still come eat your meatloaf. You just can't get enough of a good meatloaf, can you Hyde?" Eric asked, appealing for help.
"Nope." Hyde said briefly, staring at his plate.
"Kitty, Eric will still be here to eat all of your dinners, seeing as how he can't afford to go to college, since he's still engaged to Donna and jobless." Red stated.
Eric shook his head. "That may be true right now, Dad, but Donna, my fiancée, can cook. She made...." he searched for the right lie, "delicious chicken Pinciotti before." Eric swallowed hard at the memory of the undercooked chicken. "I'm sure her meatloaf will be just...delightful."
"And just what is wrong with my cooking, may I ask?" Kitty said angrily.
"Nothing. I love it." said Eric, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "I just meant...."
"Don't worry, Kitty." Red interrupted to continue his tirade. "Even if Eric is off living on the streets with Donna and her chicken, Steven will still be here. He's not going anywhere from the looks of things."
"Except back down to the basement." Hyde said, leaving the table.
"Well, Red, you've managed to insult everyone sitting at the table. Are you happy now?" Kitty yelled.
"Actually...I really am." Red smiled and put a forkful of mashed potatoes in his mouth.
"Me too," agreed Fez as he grabbed Hyde's plate and started to eat from it.
Eric and Kitty looked at each other, then left the table. Red and Fez shrugged, then continued eating. ---
Kelso stood outside Donna's bedroom door, listening to her and Jackie talk about shoes. After leaving the Forman's, he knew he had to talk to Jackie, but he needed time to figure out what to say. Unfortunately, the Hendersons got a new sandbox, so he didn't get the chance to think.
"Kelso, what the hell?" Donna said when she opened the door. "Why are you covered in sand?"
"I was playing in a sandbox, Donna. What else would I be covered in?" Kelso asked defensively, annunciating each word.
"As usual, it has been frustrating and pointless talking with you. I'm going to go check on dinner," said Donna leaving the room.
"Jackie, I came to talk to you." Kelso said, starting to sit on the bed.
"Kelso, if you get sand on my bed, I'm going to come back upstairs and kick your ass." Donna said, popping her head back in the room.
"Alright, alright. Damn!" Kelso said, standing back up.
"Michael," Jackie began after Donna left again, "if you are trying to win me back, I'll tell you right now, it's not going to work." She thought about it for a minute. "However, if you are still going to try, start by buying me things....expensive things."
"You mean like that rubber chicken I got you for our one year anniversary?" he smiled.
"No, Michael, not at all like that stupid piece of crap." Jackie shouted. "Just never mind," she said quietly.
Kelso stared at her for a little while before speaking. "Look, Jackie, I actually came here to talk about Hyde, not me...even though I'm like way more interesting. I mean, we could spend an hour or more just talking about my hunky bod. And that's not counting my face, which is out- of-this-world handsome." He moved to stare at himself in the mirror.
"Um, did you say you wanted to talk about Steven?" Jackie asked, ignoring everything else he said.
"Oh, yeah." Kelso said distractedly. He turned away from the mirror. "I know he totally dogged you with that nurse. I mean, how could he cheat on you?"
"You did." Jackie said harshly.
"Whatever, man. How many times do I have to tell you it was out of joy?" he screamed.
"Do you have a point?" Jackie wearily asked.
"I'm getting to it." replied Kelso. "Cheating is wrong no matter what, but Mrs. Forman said Hyde did it because he was heartbroken. She said he loves you, and when I thought about it, I knew she was right." Kelso looked serious. "You should have seen his face when he finally realized that you and I weren't fooling around behind his back. You'd have thought he did something really bad, like killed someone or something, not just cheated on you."
"I know he loves me, moron. But I can't love him anymore. How could I love a cheater? I promised myself I would not be with another guy who cheats on me." Jackie said angrily.
"All I know is that Hyde actually loves you, which is practically a miracle for Hyde. He doesn't love anything...except maybe beer and stolen stuff. He would never have cheated on you if he didn't think you were cheating on him." Kelso walked to the door. "You actually got to Mr. I don't care about anything Hyde, that's all I wanted to say. Oh, that, and if you and Hyde aren't back together by Monday, I will begin my plan to win you back." He paused. "But I can't tell you what it is, cause I haven't thought of anything yet."
When Kelso left, Jackie sat on her bed. She reached under her pillow and pulled out Hyde's Led Zeppelin t-shirt. She stared at it for a long time, trying to make a decision. ---
"And then Kelso showed up at my bedroom door covered in sand." Donna said, retelling her afternoon. "I think I'm supposed to be getting dinner ready, but screw it. With all the shoes, and the sand, I had to get out of there." She looked around the circle.
"Donna, dinner is important. Someone needs to make the meatloaf!" Eric said nervously.
"That's what you got from my story? Dinner is important? I think we need to work on your comprehension skills." Donna said, before adding, "Maybe that's why you can't get a job."
"Yeah, Eric." Fez said, scolding him. "Clearly the point of Donna's story is that Jackie has too many shoes...and Kelso needs a bath." Fez looked proud of himself.
"Why do I hang out with you guys?" Hyde asked, shaking his head in disgust at Eric and Fez. "The point of Donna's story is that Kelso and Jackie are probably getting back together as we speak. And you know what? That's fine by me, man. I'm done with it. Free at last!" Hyde got up and walked back to his room.
"Huh." Donna said, deep in thought. "My story really didn't have a point...except maybe that Kelso and Jackie are nuts." She looked at Eric and Fez. "But coming over here, I realize that I may be the only one who is not a nut."
"If I was a nut, I'd be a cashew. They are tasty." Fez said licking his lips.
"Not only that, they're a source of protein. You eat enough of those babies, you don't even need meatloaf." Eric said triumphantly. ---
After spending the past few days in his room and the basement, Hyde needed to get out. He grabbed his keys and walked out to the driveway, where he ran into Kelso who was just leaving the Pinciotti's.
"Hey, man." Kelso greeted Hyde.
"Hey." Hyde responded quietly.
"Listen, I just wanted you to know that I feel your pain. And, I'm here for you..... mostly just to laugh in your face, but I'm here." Kelso smiled.
"Gee, thanks. I guess that explains why you went running over to see Jackie the second she turned me down at the mall, you dillhole." Hyde said heatedly.
"What? I don't know what you're talking about." Kelso looked confused.
"That's convenient," said Hyde. "Man, you never know what I'm talking about."
Kelso shrieked. "I do too," he said slowly and clearly. "Except now. Now, I really have no idea what you're talking about."
"Donna told us how you showed up at her door to talk to Jackie. I'm sure she went running right back to you. Whatever, man." Hyde said in his zen-like way.
"Hyde..." Kelso started to say.
"Steven..." Jackie called, walking over from next door to join them.
"Oh, great. You want to break the news to me together? You really don't need to. I got the message." Hyde said, turning to look at her.
"Michael, can I talk to Steven?" Jackie asked quietly.
"I'm not stopping you." Kelso said, crossing his arms.
"Michael! Leave!" demanded Jackie.
"Fine." Kelso yelled. "But I'm just going to go down to the basement and tell everyone else so they can come spy on you too." Kelso said as he stomped away. ---
And that's just what he did. As soon as the gang heard about the scene that was going to take place in the driveway, they ran up to the kitchen to try and listen at the sliding door. Red and Kitty were there cleaning up from dinner.
"What the hell is going on?" Red asked loudly, watching everyone crowd at the door.
"Jackie and Hyde are going to have another showdown." Kelso responded quickly.
"Well, it is just wrong to spy on people." Kitty decreed. "But, if you open the door a crack, and they yell loudly enough, maybe we'll hear something," she said, squeezing into the group to get a peek.
"You kids have more damn problems that the commies over in Russia." Red commented. "You know, with the motor mouth on that little one, Steven will by lucky to get a word in edgewise." He inched closer to the door, trying not to appear interested.
"All I know is the suspense is killing me," said Fez anxiously.
"Actually...you're killing me." Eric cried. "Get off my foot!"
"Shut up," yelled Donna. "It looks like Jackie's saying something." ---
"Michael and I aren't together. We haven't been together since you and I got together." Jackie said. "Not that I should have to explain that to you."
"Do you think I like being jealous of Kelso? It's Kelso, man." Hyde licked his lips. "This isn't me. I'm not insecure."
"Oh, so it's my fault?" Jackie asked skeptically.
"Yes!" Hyde shouted back. "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess."
"You cheated on me. You slept with someone else." Jackie yelled. "And I heard the reason...you thought I was cheating on you with Michael. But the fact is, I wasn't. I would never do that to you, but you couldn't trust that."
"Jackie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you, and I'm sorry, but there's nothing else I can say. I made a huge mistake. If I could take it back, I would. There's nothing else I can do." Hyde continued to stare at her.
"I know all that. I know you love me, and I know you're sorry." She sighed. "I was looking at that ugly, dirty t-shirt you gave me for my birthday today. At first, I was going to rip it up and burn it. Then I thought I'd rip it up and send it to you. Then, I thought I'd rip it up, burn it, and send you the ashes. But when it came down to it, I didn't really want to do anything to it."
"Ok. Um, I know you think I'm supposed to understand all your cryptic little messages, but I don't know what that means." Hyde said, frustrated.
"It means, you're wrong, Steven, there is something you can do." Jackie said hesitantly.
"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but Jackie, I'll do almost anything." Hyde said earnestly.
"Well, Steven, it's a matter of trust. If you want to be with me, you have to trust me," she said seriously.
Hyde still looked confused. "I have to trust you?"
"That's right, Mr. I'm not even sure that what time we think it is right now is really what time it is. I know you don't trust anything.....but you're going to start. You're going to trust me, or we really are over," stated Jackie, matter-of-factly.
"Jackie, it's not that easy." Hyde said apprehensively.
"Steven, you got a 950 on your SATs. You can do anything. Just tell me that you are going to trust me, and then start trusting me." Jackie smiled slightly.
"Well, are you going to trust me?" Hyde questioned.
Jackie thought about it for a split second. "You cheated on me with a slutty nurse. Of course, I don't trust you....right now. But, maybe you can earn that back....eventually."
"I thought you wouldn't be with another boy who would cheat on you." Hyde said cautiously.
"Trustful Steven wouldn't cheat on me. Mistrustful Steven did though." Jackie smiled again. "Which one are you going to be?"
Hyde smiled slowly. "Trustful Steven," he answered after a minute. "Jackie, I can say that I trust you, but doing it is a little harder. So, I will try to trust you. It's just not something that I'm used to."
"Well, will you try really hard?" she asked playfully.
"Yes, I will try really hard." Hyde said back, smiling.
"Good." She walked closer to him. "You better learn fast!" She warned before putting her arms around his neck. Hyde wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He kissed her, but the reunion was cut short by loud cheering coming from the Forman's kitchen door. Even Kelso was genuinely happy, shouting "Maybe now you can finally do it."
Jackie and Hyde smiled at each other. "Ok, ok, the Hyde and Jackie show is over. Nothing to see here." Hyde said, before kissing her again and leading her down the driveway to his car.
"Now what are we going to watch?" Fez whined.
Eric looked at his watch. "Quincy's on in 5 minutes," he suggested as everyone ran to the living room, glad that the Hyde and Jackie drama had finally ended.
"I swear to God, if Jackie had bought one more pair of shoes, I would have killed her." Donna said sitting on the couch.
"Well, moping, love-sick Hyde was a barrel of laughs." Eric added, putting his arm around her.
"How about we all shut up about Jackie and Steven, before someone winds up with my foot in their ass." Red said, turning on the tv.
"Besides, we all knew it would work out in the end. Those things always do." Kitty said happily.
"Me and Jackie didn't work....." Kelso started to say.
"Shut it." Red quickly commanded.
"Ok." Kelso said turning his attention to the tv. ---
"So, Steven, what do you want to do?" Jackie asked, sitting in the passenger seat of his car.
"You know what, Jackie, you decide...I trust you." Hyde said starting the car.
"Good answer." Jackie said, kissing him on the cheek as they drove away.
This is the final chapter in A Matter of Trust. Slight spoilers. As always, please let me know what you think! Enjoy!
"Steven, you love me, and I love you. For now, that's enough." Jackie said, walking into Hyde's room.
"Jackie? What?" said Hyde, shaking his head to wake up. As he sat up in his bed, Jackie kissed him and threw her arms around his neck.
"You heard me. We're in love, Steven. I don't want to fight anymore. So, let's stop fighting and never be apart." Jackie kissed him again. This time, Hyde pulled her close and kissed her back.
"Um, Jackie, I don't want to ruin a good thing here, but we are going to have to be apart sometimes. I mean, I do love you, but I don't think I can handle you 24/7." Hyde said jokingly as Jackie climbed into bed next to him. "That would drive any man crazy."
"Steven, you don't really want to fight about this now, do you?" Jackie asked, kissing his neck. Hyde smiled and rolled on top of her.
"Steven, oh Steven," her voice called. "Steven."
Hyde opened his eyes to find Kitty standing over his bed. "Steven, honey, nap time is over. I made meatloaf for dinner just for you."
Hyde groaned and got out of bed. "Wow, meatloaf, thanks, Mrs. Forman."
"That must have been some dream, Steven." Kitty laughed. "I've never seen someone look so unhappy about waking up." She followed Hyde up to the kitchen. ---
"Explain to me again why you needed to buy 4 pairs of shoes." Donna asked as Jackie sat on her bed sorting through the boxes.
"Donna, sometimes you are such a child." Jackie replied, putting down the shoebox in her hand. "Pair number one was for running into Steven unexpectedly." She showed Donna the shoes. "The second pair was for having to act like I don't care when I actually do in front of Steven." She gestured to another box. "Now, I needed the third pair to deal with having to run away from Steven after losing my cool." Jackie modeled the shoes on her feet.
"Ok," said Donna, trying to follow her logic. "so the fourth pair was for not going back and talking to Hyde after losing your cool while pretending not to care that you unexpectedly ran into him?" she guessed, running out of breath.
"NO! They were just cute." Jackie said, annoyed. "Where did you come up with that crazy theory anyway?" Donna plopped down on her bed and pulled a pillow over her face. ---
"Yum, meatloaf." Eric said, feigning excitement for Hyde's benefit.
"Mrs. Forman, you are a genius with meat," said Fez, chewing happily.
Red rolled his eyes. "Why are you always here? I have yet to get an answer to that....and I've asked a lot," he growled at Fez.
"I invited him." Kitty said sweetly. She looked over at Eric. "Pretty soon, Eric and his friends won't be eating here anymore. They'll be too busy and important with their college....I mean, jobs.....I mean, they'll be too busy and important." Kitty laughed nervously. "Then who will eat my meatloaf, Red? Who?" she cried.
"Oh, crap. Kitty, I thought you had this under control." Red said, irritated.
"Um, Dad," Eric whispered, "that is under control." He turned his attention to Kitty. "Mom, we'll still come eat your meatloaf. You just can't get enough of a good meatloaf, can you Hyde?" Eric asked, appealing for help.
"Nope." Hyde said briefly, staring at his plate.
"Kitty, Eric will still be here to eat all of your dinners, seeing as how he can't afford to go to college, since he's still engaged to Donna and jobless." Red stated.
Eric shook his head. "That may be true right now, Dad, but Donna, my fiancée, can cook. She made...." he searched for the right lie, "delicious chicken Pinciotti before." Eric swallowed hard at the memory of the undercooked chicken. "I'm sure her meatloaf will be just...delightful."
"And just what is wrong with my cooking, may I ask?" Kitty said angrily.
"Nothing. I love it." said Eric, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "I just meant...."
"Don't worry, Kitty." Red interrupted to continue his tirade. "Even if Eric is off living on the streets with Donna and her chicken, Steven will still be here. He's not going anywhere from the looks of things."
"Except back down to the basement." Hyde said, leaving the table.
"Well, Red, you've managed to insult everyone sitting at the table. Are you happy now?" Kitty yelled.
"Actually...I really am." Red smiled and put a forkful of mashed potatoes in his mouth.
"Me too," agreed Fez as he grabbed Hyde's plate and started to eat from it.
Eric and Kitty looked at each other, then left the table. Red and Fez shrugged, then continued eating. ---
Kelso stood outside Donna's bedroom door, listening to her and Jackie talk about shoes. After leaving the Forman's, he knew he had to talk to Jackie, but he needed time to figure out what to say. Unfortunately, the Hendersons got a new sandbox, so he didn't get the chance to think.
"Kelso, what the hell?" Donna said when she opened the door. "Why are you covered in sand?"
"I was playing in a sandbox, Donna. What else would I be covered in?" Kelso asked defensively, annunciating each word.
"As usual, it has been frustrating and pointless talking with you. I'm going to go check on dinner," said Donna leaving the room.
"Jackie, I came to talk to you." Kelso said, starting to sit on the bed.
"Kelso, if you get sand on my bed, I'm going to come back upstairs and kick your ass." Donna said, popping her head back in the room.
"Alright, alright. Damn!" Kelso said, standing back up.
"Michael," Jackie began after Donna left again, "if you are trying to win me back, I'll tell you right now, it's not going to work." She thought about it for a minute. "However, if you are still going to try, start by buying me things....expensive things."
"You mean like that rubber chicken I got you for our one year anniversary?" he smiled.
"No, Michael, not at all like that stupid piece of crap." Jackie shouted. "Just never mind," she said quietly.
Kelso stared at her for a little while before speaking. "Look, Jackie, I actually came here to talk about Hyde, not me...even though I'm like way more interesting. I mean, we could spend an hour or more just talking about my hunky bod. And that's not counting my face, which is out- of-this-world handsome." He moved to stare at himself in the mirror.
"Um, did you say you wanted to talk about Steven?" Jackie asked, ignoring everything else he said.
"Oh, yeah." Kelso said distractedly. He turned away from the mirror. "I know he totally dogged you with that nurse. I mean, how could he cheat on you?"
"You did." Jackie said harshly.
"Whatever, man. How many times do I have to tell you it was out of joy?" he screamed.
"Do you have a point?" Jackie wearily asked.
"I'm getting to it." replied Kelso. "Cheating is wrong no matter what, but Mrs. Forman said Hyde did it because he was heartbroken. She said he loves you, and when I thought about it, I knew she was right." Kelso looked serious. "You should have seen his face when he finally realized that you and I weren't fooling around behind his back. You'd have thought he did something really bad, like killed someone or something, not just cheated on you."
"I know he loves me, moron. But I can't love him anymore. How could I love a cheater? I promised myself I would not be with another guy who cheats on me." Jackie said angrily.
"All I know is that Hyde actually loves you, which is practically a miracle for Hyde. He doesn't love anything...except maybe beer and stolen stuff. He would never have cheated on you if he didn't think you were cheating on him." Kelso walked to the door. "You actually got to Mr. I don't care about anything Hyde, that's all I wanted to say. Oh, that, and if you and Hyde aren't back together by Monday, I will begin my plan to win you back." He paused. "But I can't tell you what it is, cause I haven't thought of anything yet."
When Kelso left, Jackie sat on her bed. She reached under her pillow and pulled out Hyde's Led Zeppelin t-shirt. She stared at it for a long time, trying to make a decision. ---
"And then Kelso showed up at my bedroom door covered in sand." Donna said, retelling her afternoon. "I think I'm supposed to be getting dinner ready, but screw it. With all the shoes, and the sand, I had to get out of there." She looked around the circle.
"Donna, dinner is important. Someone needs to make the meatloaf!" Eric said nervously.
"That's what you got from my story? Dinner is important? I think we need to work on your comprehension skills." Donna said, before adding, "Maybe that's why you can't get a job."
"Yeah, Eric." Fez said, scolding him. "Clearly the point of Donna's story is that Jackie has too many shoes...and Kelso needs a bath." Fez looked proud of himself.
"Why do I hang out with you guys?" Hyde asked, shaking his head in disgust at Eric and Fez. "The point of Donna's story is that Kelso and Jackie are probably getting back together as we speak. And you know what? That's fine by me, man. I'm done with it. Free at last!" Hyde got up and walked back to his room.
"Huh." Donna said, deep in thought. "My story really didn't have a point...except maybe that Kelso and Jackie are nuts." She looked at Eric and Fez. "But coming over here, I realize that I may be the only one who is not a nut."
"If I was a nut, I'd be a cashew. They are tasty." Fez said licking his lips.
"Not only that, they're a source of protein. You eat enough of those babies, you don't even need meatloaf." Eric said triumphantly. ---
After spending the past few days in his room and the basement, Hyde needed to get out. He grabbed his keys and walked out to the driveway, where he ran into Kelso who was just leaving the Pinciotti's.
"Hey, man." Kelso greeted Hyde.
"Hey." Hyde responded quietly.
"Listen, I just wanted you to know that I feel your pain. And, I'm here for you..... mostly just to laugh in your face, but I'm here." Kelso smiled.
"Gee, thanks. I guess that explains why you went running over to see Jackie the second she turned me down at the mall, you dillhole." Hyde said heatedly.
"What? I don't know what you're talking about." Kelso looked confused.
"That's convenient," said Hyde. "Man, you never know what I'm talking about."
Kelso shrieked. "I do too," he said slowly and clearly. "Except now. Now, I really have no idea what you're talking about."
"Donna told us how you showed up at her door to talk to Jackie. I'm sure she went running right back to you. Whatever, man." Hyde said in his zen-like way.
"Hyde..." Kelso started to say.
"Steven..." Jackie called, walking over from next door to join them.
"Oh, great. You want to break the news to me together? You really don't need to. I got the message." Hyde said, turning to look at her.
"Michael, can I talk to Steven?" Jackie asked quietly.
"I'm not stopping you." Kelso said, crossing his arms.
"Michael! Leave!" demanded Jackie.
"Fine." Kelso yelled. "But I'm just going to go down to the basement and tell everyone else so they can come spy on you too." Kelso said as he stomped away. ---
And that's just what he did. As soon as the gang heard about the scene that was going to take place in the driveway, they ran up to the kitchen to try and listen at the sliding door. Red and Kitty were there cleaning up from dinner.
"What the hell is going on?" Red asked loudly, watching everyone crowd at the door.
"Jackie and Hyde are going to have another showdown." Kelso responded quickly.
"Well, it is just wrong to spy on people." Kitty decreed. "But, if you open the door a crack, and they yell loudly enough, maybe we'll hear something," she said, squeezing into the group to get a peek.
"You kids have more damn problems that the commies over in Russia." Red commented. "You know, with the motor mouth on that little one, Steven will by lucky to get a word in edgewise." He inched closer to the door, trying not to appear interested.
"All I know is the suspense is killing me," said Fez anxiously.
"Actually...you're killing me." Eric cried. "Get off my foot!"
"Shut up," yelled Donna. "It looks like Jackie's saying something." ---
"Michael and I aren't together. We haven't been together since you and I got together." Jackie said. "Not that I should have to explain that to you."
"Do you think I like being jealous of Kelso? It's Kelso, man." Hyde licked his lips. "This isn't me. I'm not insecure."
"Oh, so it's my fault?" Jackie asked skeptically.
"Yes!" Hyde shouted back. "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess."
"You cheated on me. You slept with someone else." Jackie yelled. "And I heard the reason...you thought I was cheating on you with Michael. But the fact is, I wasn't. I would never do that to you, but you couldn't trust that."
"Jackie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you, and I'm sorry, but there's nothing else I can say. I made a huge mistake. If I could take it back, I would. There's nothing else I can do." Hyde continued to stare at her.
"I know all that. I know you love me, and I know you're sorry." She sighed. "I was looking at that ugly, dirty t-shirt you gave me for my birthday today. At first, I was going to rip it up and burn it. Then I thought I'd rip it up and send it to you. Then, I thought I'd rip it up, burn it, and send you the ashes. But when it came down to it, I didn't really want to do anything to it."
"Ok. Um, I know you think I'm supposed to understand all your cryptic little messages, but I don't know what that means." Hyde said, frustrated.
"It means, you're wrong, Steven, there is something you can do." Jackie said hesitantly.
"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but Jackie, I'll do almost anything." Hyde said earnestly.
"Well, Steven, it's a matter of trust. If you want to be with me, you have to trust me," she said seriously.
Hyde still looked confused. "I have to trust you?"
"That's right, Mr. I'm not even sure that what time we think it is right now is really what time it is. I know you don't trust anything.....but you're going to start. You're going to trust me, or we really are over," stated Jackie, matter-of-factly.
"Jackie, it's not that easy." Hyde said apprehensively.
"Steven, you got a 950 on your SATs. You can do anything. Just tell me that you are going to trust me, and then start trusting me." Jackie smiled slightly.
"Well, are you going to trust me?" Hyde questioned.
Jackie thought about it for a split second. "You cheated on me with a slutty nurse. Of course, I don't trust you....right now. But, maybe you can earn that back....eventually."
"I thought you wouldn't be with another boy who would cheat on you." Hyde said cautiously.
"Trustful Steven wouldn't cheat on me. Mistrustful Steven did though." Jackie smiled again. "Which one are you going to be?"
Hyde smiled slowly. "Trustful Steven," he answered after a minute. "Jackie, I can say that I trust you, but doing it is a little harder. So, I will try to trust you. It's just not something that I'm used to."
"Well, will you try really hard?" she asked playfully.
"Yes, I will try really hard." Hyde said back, smiling.
"Good." She walked closer to him. "You better learn fast!" She warned before putting her arms around his neck. Hyde wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He kissed her, but the reunion was cut short by loud cheering coming from the Forman's kitchen door. Even Kelso was genuinely happy, shouting "Maybe now you can finally do it."
Jackie and Hyde smiled at each other. "Ok, ok, the Hyde and Jackie show is over. Nothing to see here." Hyde said, before kissing her again and leading her down the driveway to his car.
"Now what are we going to watch?" Fez whined.
Eric looked at his watch. "Quincy's on in 5 minutes," he suggested as everyone ran to the living room, glad that the Hyde and Jackie drama had finally ended.
"I swear to God, if Jackie had bought one more pair of shoes, I would have killed her." Donna said sitting on the couch.
"Well, moping, love-sick Hyde was a barrel of laughs." Eric added, putting his arm around her.
"How about we all shut up about Jackie and Steven, before someone winds up with my foot in their ass." Red said, turning on the tv.
"Besides, we all knew it would work out in the end. Those things always do." Kitty said happily.
"Me and Jackie didn't work....." Kelso started to say.
"Shut it." Red quickly commanded.
"Ok." Kelso said turning his attention to the tv. ---
"So, Steven, what do you want to do?" Jackie asked, sitting in the passenger seat of his car.
"You know what, Jackie, you decide...I trust you." Hyde said starting the car.
"Good answer." Jackie said, kissing him on the cheek as they drove away.
