Chapter Three



Jackie's POV



I just stood there, staring at the person who had hurt me more than anyone else ever had. He left me, he didn't even say good-bye. He didn't love me enough to stay. And now here he was, asking me to dance with him like nothing had ever happened.

My eyes blazing, I looked him straight in the eye, "Why are you here?"

"I came to see you." Steven told me in a soft voice, "I missed you. And I never stopped loving you, Jacks."

Even hearing those sweet words come out of his mouth didn't make me even want to come close to forgiving him. After he left me, I waited for him to come back. I was positive he wouldn't stay away from me long. But the days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Finally all those months added up to five long years. It would take a lot more than just words to convince me that he really cared for me at all.

"I can't believe you have the nerve to be here." I told him, my voice caustic, "You have no right to come back into my life and try to ruin what is supposed to be a wonderful night for me. And your ex best friend."

He just stared at me for a moment before replying, "Eric?"

I took a deep breath and smiled smugly at him, "Yes. Eric. We decided to have an anniversary party. To celebrate the five wonderful years we've been married."

"Liar." he shot back immediately, but his eyes gave away how stung he was by my words. I knew he would feel even worse once he realized that I was actually telling the truth.

"I am not lying." I told him firmly, "Eric and I have been married five years. We even have a four year old daughter." I thought about my beautiful blonde daughter back at home with the baby-sitter.

"You two didn't waste any time, did you?" he said with disdain. I felt my cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

"I didn't do anything wrong." I snapped back, "You were the one who left me, not the other way around."

Steven snorted and shook his head, "Come on, Jackie. You married my best friend almost as soon as you found out I was gone. Is that what it's all about with Jackie? Whatever gets you ahead?"

I reeled back, outraged at his harsh words. After everything we had been through, was that really what he thought of me? That I would go after whatever got me ahead without regards to anyone else? I thought he knew me better than that.

But one look at his face and I knew he didn't mean what he was saying. I had hurt him with the news of my marriage to Eric and in turn, he had used his own cruel words to hurt me back.

"You are not going to make me feel guilty, Steven Hyde." I told him a strong, clear voice, "I love Eric and I will not let you destroy our marriage. If you really thought you could come back here and find that I was stupid enough to wait around for you, then you were very wrong."

I was about to turn and walk away when I heard Eric's voice from behind me.

"Oh my god, Hyde!" he cried. I turned around to see the horrified expression on his face, "What are you doing here?"

I reached out to touch Eric's hand, my assurance that I wasn't going to leave him. He shot me a grateful glance before diverting his attention back to his old friend.

"I think we should go outside." he told Steven, glaring at him slightly. Steven nodded and the two of them began to walk away. I felt tears prick my eyelids but I wiped at them violently. I wasn't going to cry. This was my anniversary party and I was going to have a good time. Even if it killed me.

I slid into a booth, and pretended to fumble around for something in my purse when someone slid into the other side of the booth. The curious expression on my face turned to one of pure delight when I looked up to see Kelso grinning at me.

"Michael!" I shrieked, giving him a brilliant smile. Michael had left a year or two before and I had missed him a lot, "It's so good to see you again."

He smiled warmly at me, "It's good to see you too, Jacks. How have you been?"

I set my purse aside, preparing for a conversation with my first love and long-time friend.



Hyde's POV



"Why did you come back?" Eric demanded once we were out of earshot from the rest of the crowd. He didn't even bother to be pleasant, he just got right down to the real subject at hand. He now hated me, I could see it in his eyes. I felt a pang of regret, wondering why I had ever decided to burn so many bridges and alienate the best friend I ever had.

"I wanted to see all of you again." I told him lamely.

"That's not going to work you know." he told, his face void of any emotions. At that moment he looked so much like his father it scared me. Eric once told me that Red treated him the way he did because Red had been subjected to so many disappointments of his own that he wanted his son to be prepared for how awful life could be. Obviously losing Donna had caused Eric to become angry and bitter, just like Red.

"What are you talking about?" I managed to respond.

"I know you came back to try and take my wife away from me." he said matter-of-factly. My breath caught in my throat when I heard him say those words. I finally managed to speak again.

"She-she said you had a kid." I stammered, looking at Eric for confirmation.

Eric glowered at me before answering, "Yes, we do. A little girl, her name is Victoria. We call her Tory for short."

"So, you love Jackie?" I asked, praying he wouldn't say yes.

He sighed and refused to look at me, "Please don't take her away from me. She and Victoria all I have left."

Guiltily I lowered my own gaze. I wondered if the night would have turned out different if Donna had come with me to the party. Maybe if she had, he wouldn't be out her begging me not to take Jackie away from him.

"I'm not going to make any promises." I replied in my best Zen voice.

He looked up at me darkly, "Fine. But you hurt Jackie too much for her ever to take you back. You'd be wasting your time to even try."

I watched Eric stalk away and then I heard another familiar voice.

"I could have sworn I saw you, but I decided to come out and make sure I was right." I saw Fez standing in front of me and I grinned.

"Fez." I hugged my friend, and felt happy for the first time since I had first seen Jackie.



Donna's POV



At around ten thirty that night Kelso and Hyde returned to the hotel. Fez came in behind them.

"Fez!" I exclaimed, jumping off the bed and embracing him.

"Hello, Donna." he said, almost all traces of his foreign accent gone. I guess a lot of changes can take place in five years.

I finally looked over at Hyde, "So, did you see Jackie? And Eric?" I asked him excitedly. My excitement quickly subsided when I saw the look on Hyde's face.

"Maybe you should sit down." he said cautiously and I did as he said. He exhaled loudly and fidgeted with the collar on his jacket.

"Jackie and Eric are married." he said so quietly I could barely make out the words. But I still heard the words and they cut like a knife.

"No!" I cried, "That can't be true."

Fez regarded me morosely, "It is true, Donna." he told me, "I was at the wedding. And I was there when Jackie had their daughter."

"They don't have a daughter." I shook my head furiously, looking at Hyde, hoping he would tell me that they were just playing a sick joke on me. But I saw the gloomy look on his face and I felt my heart sink.

"He loves Jackie." I whispered to myself, temporarily forgetting Hyde, Kelso and Fez were in the room, "He doesn't love me anymore."

"I don't know if he loves her." Fez objected, "I think they want everyone to think they are happier than they really are. Deep down I don't think that they really are all that much in love with each other."

"I have to get Eric back." I said determinedly, "I can't be without him any longer. When I'm not with him, I feel so lost and empty inside. It's like I'm only half a person."

"And I feel the same way about Jackie." Hyde spoke up.

Fez grinned slyly at the two of us, "Well, then I think I can be of service there." he said.

"I'll help you guys out too." Kelso chimed in, "But how can you help, Fez?"

"It's very ironic, you know." Fez continued to smile, "Eric manages the club that I own and my wife is Jackie's boss. She and Jackie are both fashion designers for a large company."

"How does that help us?" Hyde asked.

"Well, it will ensure that if Hyde wants to get together with Jackie without interference from Eric, Laurie and I can arrange it. The same thing with Donna and Eric." Fez explained.

"It will work." I said optimistically, then sighed happily, "I can't wait to see Eric again."

"He's different now." Hyde warned me, "He acted a lot like his dad. It scared the crap out of me, to be honest."

"He can't be that different." I returned, not wanting to believe what Hyde was saying. Eric couldn't have turned out the same way Red did. Deep down he still had to be the same wonderful person I knew five years ago.

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Sorry I haven't put in any Eric/Donna interactions yet but there will definitely be some in the next chapter. So if you want more, then please read and review.