The Situation.
By Lady Cleo
All Disclaimers apply!
Recap: This is an alternate universe where Jackie never dated Kelso so lots of stuff hasn't happened.
Chapter Four: Fluffy Cakes a.k.a. Killer!
Point Place High School could have been called a gossip hot spot. But right now it had zilch, nada, nothing. All because of the Varsity Cheerleading Captain, the perfect little Jackie Burkhart.
It had been three weeks, maybe more since the questionable breakup of Jackie and Chip. Three weeks and there were no potential Snow King nominees, not one. Jackie didn't date lightly, her relationships lasted at least three weeks and she always had another man lined up for when the current one got a little too eager.
When Cynthia finally got the nerve up to ask Jackie about her situation, the reply was only more baffling.
"I've got my eye on someone."
Donna causally mentioned this latest piece of news to that boy she's crazy about. His reply, "That sounds oddly like in Star Wars when Darth Vadar......" He was cut of by several sharp objects being tossed in his direction. Need I say more?
Kelso, the man voted prettiest man-pretty man in the History of Point Place commented, "YES! Finally I'm going to get that hot little number all to myself!" He never got to add anything because Pam Macy socked him and stormed out. "What's the matter baby?" He was heard calling as he chased after the leggy blonde.
That freaky foreign kid that's always commenting about his 'needs' said something like, "I noticed that she was giving my the eye a couple of days ago."
To which Donna added, "Fez she wasn't looking at you, she was glaring at you because you were leering at her. "
To which Fez replied, "Grrrr, sexy! She wants me!"
Hyde's comment, well he spread out his hands in confusion and asked "Who? What? Where?"
**********
The Situation. The Burkhart Residence:
Saturday afternoon .
Hyde pulled to a halt outside of the towering brick house and gazed silently at the small item beside him. He felt stupid! This was the kind of thing Foreman did, not Steven Hyde. But hopefully this would be a solution to the whole Snow Queen problem, maybe after this he could get her out of his mind. Shoving off any last resignation, any last doubt, and any last internal resistance Hyde grabbed the small object and pushed the door open.
He walked slowly across the yard, pausing halfway up the manicured lawn. "God this is stupid!" He whispered gazing down at the object. She probably wouldn't even like it. What the hell did he care anyway? Where the hell was the Zen Master that had been replaced by this Foreman carboncopy? "Just give her the damn thing and be done with Jackie Burkhart forever!"
Steeling his shoulders Hyde marched up the yard, ringing the doorbell. The door flew open to revel Jackie, obviously confused at the sight of him. Hyde thrust the small object out. "Here, this is for you!"
Jackie blinked gazing down at the object, her face softening at its appearance. "It'll keep you company and scare off any intruders." Jackie didn't seem to hear a word as she squealed happily, reaching out she grabbed the puppy pulling it into a tight hug.
The small Doberman Pincher started wagging its tail eagerly at Jackie's excitement. "Oh thank you! He's so cute! I think I'll call him Fluffy Cakes!"
Hyde's mouth dropped open as Jackie trotted back into the house. "You can't call him Fluffy Cakes!" He declared following after her. "You're supposed to call it something scary, so just calling the dog's name scares off people. Something ferocious like Killer, Satan, Diablo, or even Fido! Something that'll show it's a mean dog who'll protect the house. Damn woman!"
Jackie ignored him, setting the puppy on the kitchen table she walked over to the fridge. "Fluffy Cakes looks hungry!"
Hyde threw up his arms in frustration.
**********
The Situation. Foreman Residence, the basement:
"How can Hyde have a girl? How could we not have noticed he had a girl? Why hasn't he brought her over here? Is he ashamed of us?" Donna demanded. Kelso rolled his arms, wrapping his arm around Pam's shoulder. Fez continued munching on his bowl of candy, his eyes following Donna as she paced the room.
Eric suddenly trotted down the stairs, "So yeah, I just found out my grandparents are flying over on Monday to hear the big news about my mom." He paused noticing that Donna hadn't stopped pacing. "Is she still going on about Hyde's girl?"
"Yeah!" The three replied.
Donna paused glaring at the four other occupants. "So when do we confront him?" Four blanks stares meet hers. "Look, why is he ashamed of us? I mean I could use another girl to talk to too. And he's denying me of that pleasure."
Kelso shifted in his seat, pulling Pam closer. "You can always talk to Pam here big D!"
"No, she can't!" Pam answered rather too quickly.
**********
The Situation. Burkhart Residence:
Hyde sat on couch, watching the large screen television, the Doberman puppy sitting silently beside him, napping lightly on a pillow. Jackie entered from the kitchen carrying a bunch of snacks and drinks. She slipped into the seat between Hyde and Fluffy Cakes, "Aw, look at my little puppy. I'm going to have to get him a collar with his name engraved on it. My little Fluffy Cakes!"
"Killer!" Hyde countered grabbing the bag of chips. "His name is Killer!"
Jackie rolled her eyes, "He's my dog and his name is Fluffy Cakes!"
"Killer!"
"Fluffy Cakes!"
"Killer! You do not name a mean killing machine Fluffy Cakes!"
Jackie set the drinks down, turning in her seat to gaze at Hyde. "Look Steven, you gave him to me! Therefore his name will remain Fluffy Cakes!" Hyde rolled his eyes as Jackie's grin grew larger, "And, I would like to thank you for Fluffy Cakes!"
Hyde nodded, turning his gaze away from her bright shining eyes. He shrugged, but nearly froze when he felt her hand trail up along his arm, slipping around his neck, her fingers gently playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. 'What the hell?' Hyde thought, confused by the sudden action. Was she coming on to him? No, it wasn't possible.
Jackie leaned in slowly, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "I mean it Steven! Thank you!" Her free hand came up, gently cupping the side of his face and gently pulling his gaze towards hers.
That was his key to bolt, that was the big warning sign. Jackie Burkhart was not a one night stand girl. No, Jackie Burkhart was the kind of girl you married, the kind of girl who needed a stable relationship. Steven Hyde was not a relationship man, he was not the marrying kind, would never be the marrying kind. And he knew that the only thing a relationship like this would bring would be heart break, not for him, but for her. And the very thought of hurting the fragile little girl with the will of stone scared him. He didn't want to, but he didn't trust her, and that meant that he would end up hurting her.
So he needed to break her heart now?
It made no sense to him, absolutely no sense. Either way it would end the same. The unattainable Jackie Burkhart would get hurt and the rebel Steven Hyde wouldn't. He told himself that if he pulled away now it wouldn't hurt as much. But he knew that was a lie. Maybe if he had pulled away after the first incident, if he hadn't given her that ride home he could have prevented any harm. But it was too late!
Jackie gently pulled him closer, her lips briefly touching his, her eyes lolling shut as she waited for his response.
It was in that moment as Hyde gazed down at the fragile young woman he'd come to know over the past weeks that he knew it all. Even as he gazed down at her naked emotions exposed to him, her naive little heart there for the taking that he came to realize he didn't matter. No matter what he did for himself she'd get hurt, and he didn't want that.
So why not let her hurt him?
It was a stupid thought, but it wasn't going away.
After all Zen would keep him afloat; Zen would see him through it all. Why not let her get over him slowly, let her eventually break his heart? It was a flawed plan, and just the thought of how much it would hurt scared him. And it could be a stupid trap; he might wake up twenty years from now still waiting for her to leave him.
Jackie started to pull away, her hand dropping from his cheek.
It was now or never!
Pain for him or pain for her?
Hyde slowly slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her gently back to him, his head bowing, and his heart beating like a thousand drums. Jackie's hands clutched his shoulders gently, her head tilting. In painfully slow motions he let his lips gently caress hers, a brief inquisitive kiss. She was breathing lightly, but deeply, her eyes still squeezed shut.
What the hell was he getting himself into?
Hyde let his eyes droop as his lips met hers again in a slow kiss, their lips exploring, hearts beating wildly. His free hand came up, diving into her soft hair, gently holding her head. Jackie gently melted into his embrace responding timidly, slowly deepening the kiss.
The world suddenly seemed to freeze time. And the bad boy of Point Place held its Snow Queen tightly in his arms, clinging to her like she was a lifeline. And oxygen, well that wasn't needed.
**********
The Situation. Foreman Residence:
The sun had set long ago, dinner had been finished, dishes done and all that was left to do was sit around the kitchen table eating brownies. And Eric Foreman absolutely intended to do just that, with his mother.
They were well into their feasting when suddenly Red stormed into the kitchen from the living room. "Where's the other dumb ass?"
Eric shrugged his shoulders, "He went to work this morning and never came home!"
The glass door suddenly slid open, admitting Hyde, his hair tousled, clothes slightly disarrayed, his eyes cloudy with thoughts.
"Hyde, man?" Eric questioned as Kitty jumped up from her chair, her eyes anxiously glued to Hyde. He walked silently past them, heading towards the basement.
"Steven honey!" Kitty laughed nervously, grabbing a napkin from the table. Hyde paused, his expression dazed as Kitty trotted over to him. "Red is not your color honey!" She whispered as she gently wiped the lipstick off his face.
Hyde blinked, "Yeah, thanks Mrs. Foreman!" he whispered before turning and leaving the room.
"What the hell did you do to the boy Kitty? You've turned him into Eric!" Red yelled angrily before storming out of the kitchen.
"Um, mom.." Eric stood, walking over to his grinning mother. "What just happened?"
Kitty sighed happily as she called out in a singsong voice, "Steven's in love!" before silently departing from the room.
Eric stood their silently for a few seconds, just absorbing Kitty's words. "Okay I must be going crazy!" He declared to himself, and then suddenly bolted towards Donna's house.
Next chapter..... Thanksgiving Dinner!....
By Lady Cleo
All Disclaimers apply!
Recap: This is an alternate universe where Jackie never dated Kelso so lots of stuff hasn't happened.
Chapter Four: Fluffy Cakes a.k.a. Killer!
Point Place High School could have been called a gossip hot spot. But right now it had zilch, nada, nothing. All because of the Varsity Cheerleading Captain, the perfect little Jackie Burkhart.
It had been three weeks, maybe more since the questionable breakup of Jackie and Chip. Three weeks and there were no potential Snow King nominees, not one. Jackie didn't date lightly, her relationships lasted at least three weeks and she always had another man lined up for when the current one got a little too eager.
When Cynthia finally got the nerve up to ask Jackie about her situation, the reply was only more baffling.
"I've got my eye on someone."
Donna causally mentioned this latest piece of news to that boy she's crazy about. His reply, "That sounds oddly like in Star Wars when Darth Vadar......" He was cut of by several sharp objects being tossed in his direction. Need I say more?
Kelso, the man voted prettiest man-pretty man in the History of Point Place commented, "YES! Finally I'm going to get that hot little number all to myself!" He never got to add anything because Pam Macy socked him and stormed out. "What's the matter baby?" He was heard calling as he chased after the leggy blonde.
That freaky foreign kid that's always commenting about his 'needs' said something like, "I noticed that she was giving my the eye a couple of days ago."
To which Donna added, "Fez she wasn't looking at you, she was glaring at you because you were leering at her. "
To which Fez replied, "Grrrr, sexy! She wants me!"
Hyde's comment, well he spread out his hands in confusion and asked "Who? What? Where?"
**********
The Situation. The Burkhart Residence:
Saturday afternoon .
Hyde pulled to a halt outside of the towering brick house and gazed silently at the small item beside him. He felt stupid! This was the kind of thing Foreman did, not Steven Hyde. But hopefully this would be a solution to the whole Snow Queen problem, maybe after this he could get her out of his mind. Shoving off any last resignation, any last doubt, and any last internal resistance Hyde grabbed the small object and pushed the door open.
He walked slowly across the yard, pausing halfway up the manicured lawn. "God this is stupid!" He whispered gazing down at the object. She probably wouldn't even like it. What the hell did he care anyway? Where the hell was the Zen Master that had been replaced by this Foreman carboncopy? "Just give her the damn thing and be done with Jackie Burkhart forever!"
Steeling his shoulders Hyde marched up the yard, ringing the doorbell. The door flew open to revel Jackie, obviously confused at the sight of him. Hyde thrust the small object out. "Here, this is for you!"
Jackie blinked gazing down at the object, her face softening at its appearance. "It'll keep you company and scare off any intruders." Jackie didn't seem to hear a word as she squealed happily, reaching out she grabbed the puppy pulling it into a tight hug.
The small Doberman Pincher started wagging its tail eagerly at Jackie's excitement. "Oh thank you! He's so cute! I think I'll call him Fluffy Cakes!"
Hyde's mouth dropped open as Jackie trotted back into the house. "You can't call him Fluffy Cakes!" He declared following after her. "You're supposed to call it something scary, so just calling the dog's name scares off people. Something ferocious like Killer, Satan, Diablo, or even Fido! Something that'll show it's a mean dog who'll protect the house. Damn woman!"
Jackie ignored him, setting the puppy on the kitchen table she walked over to the fridge. "Fluffy Cakes looks hungry!"
Hyde threw up his arms in frustration.
**********
The Situation. Foreman Residence, the basement:
"How can Hyde have a girl? How could we not have noticed he had a girl? Why hasn't he brought her over here? Is he ashamed of us?" Donna demanded. Kelso rolled his arms, wrapping his arm around Pam's shoulder. Fez continued munching on his bowl of candy, his eyes following Donna as she paced the room.
Eric suddenly trotted down the stairs, "So yeah, I just found out my grandparents are flying over on Monday to hear the big news about my mom." He paused noticing that Donna hadn't stopped pacing. "Is she still going on about Hyde's girl?"
"Yeah!" The three replied.
Donna paused glaring at the four other occupants. "So when do we confront him?" Four blanks stares meet hers. "Look, why is he ashamed of us? I mean I could use another girl to talk to too. And he's denying me of that pleasure."
Kelso shifted in his seat, pulling Pam closer. "You can always talk to Pam here big D!"
"No, she can't!" Pam answered rather too quickly.
**********
The Situation. Burkhart Residence:
Hyde sat on couch, watching the large screen television, the Doberman puppy sitting silently beside him, napping lightly on a pillow. Jackie entered from the kitchen carrying a bunch of snacks and drinks. She slipped into the seat between Hyde and Fluffy Cakes, "Aw, look at my little puppy. I'm going to have to get him a collar with his name engraved on it. My little Fluffy Cakes!"
"Killer!" Hyde countered grabbing the bag of chips. "His name is Killer!"
Jackie rolled her eyes, "He's my dog and his name is Fluffy Cakes!"
"Killer!"
"Fluffy Cakes!"
"Killer! You do not name a mean killing machine Fluffy Cakes!"
Jackie set the drinks down, turning in her seat to gaze at Hyde. "Look Steven, you gave him to me! Therefore his name will remain Fluffy Cakes!" Hyde rolled his eyes as Jackie's grin grew larger, "And, I would like to thank you for Fluffy Cakes!"
Hyde nodded, turning his gaze away from her bright shining eyes. He shrugged, but nearly froze when he felt her hand trail up along his arm, slipping around his neck, her fingers gently playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. 'What the hell?' Hyde thought, confused by the sudden action. Was she coming on to him? No, it wasn't possible.
Jackie leaned in slowly, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "I mean it Steven! Thank you!" Her free hand came up, gently cupping the side of his face and gently pulling his gaze towards hers.
That was his key to bolt, that was the big warning sign. Jackie Burkhart was not a one night stand girl. No, Jackie Burkhart was the kind of girl you married, the kind of girl who needed a stable relationship. Steven Hyde was not a relationship man, he was not the marrying kind, would never be the marrying kind. And he knew that the only thing a relationship like this would bring would be heart break, not for him, but for her. And the very thought of hurting the fragile little girl with the will of stone scared him. He didn't want to, but he didn't trust her, and that meant that he would end up hurting her.
So he needed to break her heart now?
It made no sense to him, absolutely no sense. Either way it would end the same. The unattainable Jackie Burkhart would get hurt and the rebel Steven Hyde wouldn't. He told himself that if he pulled away now it wouldn't hurt as much. But he knew that was a lie. Maybe if he had pulled away after the first incident, if he hadn't given her that ride home he could have prevented any harm. But it was too late!
Jackie gently pulled him closer, her lips briefly touching his, her eyes lolling shut as she waited for his response.
It was in that moment as Hyde gazed down at the fragile young woman he'd come to know over the past weeks that he knew it all. Even as he gazed down at her naked emotions exposed to him, her naive little heart there for the taking that he came to realize he didn't matter. No matter what he did for himself she'd get hurt, and he didn't want that.
So why not let her hurt him?
It was a stupid thought, but it wasn't going away.
After all Zen would keep him afloat; Zen would see him through it all. Why not let her get over him slowly, let her eventually break his heart? It was a flawed plan, and just the thought of how much it would hurt scared him. And it could be a stupid trap; he might wake up twenty years from now still waiting for her to leave him.
Jackie started to pull away, her hand dropping from his cheek.
It was now or never!
Pain for him or pain for her?
Hyde slowly slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her gently back to him, his head bowing, and his heart beating like a thousand drums. Jackie's hands clutched his shoulders gently, her head tilting. In painfully slow motions he let his lips gently caress hers, a brief inquisitive kiss. She was breathing lightly, but deeply, her eyes still squeezed shut.
What the hell was he getting himself into?
Hyde let his eyes droop as his lips met hers again in a slow kiss, their lips exploring, hearts beating wildly. His free hand came up, diving into her soft hair, gently holding her head. Jackie gently melted into his embrace responding timidly, slowly deepening the kiss.
The world suddenly seemed to freeze time. And the bad boy of Point Place held its Snow Queen tightly in his arms, clinging to her like she was a lifeline. And oxygen, well that wasn't needed.
**********
The Situation. Foreman Residence:
The sun had set long ago, dinner had been finished, dishes done and all that was left to do was sit around the kitchen table eating brownies. And Eric Foreman absolutely intended to do just that, with his mother.
They were well into their feasting when suddenly Red stormed into the kitchen from the living room. "Where's the other dumb ass?"
Eric shrugged his shoulders, "He went to work this morning and never came home!"
The glass door suddenly slid open, admitting Hyde, his hair tousled, clothes slightly disarrayed, his eyes cloudy with thoughts.
"Hyde, man?" Eric questioned as Kitty jumped up from her chair, her eyes anxiously glued to Hyde. He walked silently past them, heading towards the basement.
"Steven honey!" Kitty laughed nervously, grabbing a napkin from the table. Hyde paused, his expression dazed as Kitty trotted over to him. "Red is not your color honey!" She whispered as she gently wiped the lipstick off his face.
Hyde blinked, "Yeah, thanks Mrs. Foreman!" he whispered before turning and leaving the room.
"What the hell did you do to the boy Kitty? You've turned him into Eric!" Red yelled angrily before storming out of the kitchen.
"Um, mom.." Eric stood, walking over to his grinning mother. "What just happened?"
Kitty sighed happily as she called out in a singsong voice, "Steven's in love!" before silently departing from the room.
Eric stood their silently for a few seconds, just absorbing Kitty's words. "Okay I must be going crazy!" He declared to himself, and then suddenly bolted towards Donna's house.
Next chapter..... Thanksgiving Dinner!....
