Chapter Title: Memore- to be grateful

Chapter: 4/?
Rating: PG

A/N Sorta think I'm losing the plot on this fic. Eek. The Latin names are drying up on me too. Other chapters may take a while, as I'm swamped with exams now. Should be able to have one out in a week or so. But here ya go, hope you enjoy and review please!

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Hyde sat in silence, watching the oak grandfather clock tick the seconds away. One. Two. Three. Four…

"Steven, do you want anything to drink?" Jackie asked sweetly. She sat across from him with her legs perfectly crossed and looking more and more excited as the seconds ticked away.

"Nah. I'm good." Hyde replied, looking at the clock again. He avoided any eye contact with her. He had since the moment he had entered her house…247 seconds ago. Hyde felt a sense of defeat and embarrassment for turning to the annoying brunette despite earlier claiming he would never do such a thing.

"Okay." Jackie paused. A huge smile played over her face as she moved a seat closer to him. "So, you are planning on staying right?"

"For now." Hyde said. "If that's still cool?"

Jackie smiled at him and leant forward, touching his hand briefly. "Of course it is. You can stay here as long as you want."

Hyde nodded, not wanting to bare a smile or any emotion to show his gratitude. Even though he was grateful. Very grateful. Despite Jackie's world not being anywhere near his, he was grateful. Hyde looked around the room again, looking at the oriental rugs, the large paintings the foreign decorations… Her world was definitely something different.

"So, your parents are okay with me staying over?" Hyde asked Jackie. Suddenly, the gleeful cheerleader's expression deflated. She slowly let go of his hand and leaned back against the plush sofa. Hyde raised his eyebrow at the motion before Jackie looked back at him and spoke.

"Um, my dad's on a business trip and my mom went with him. They're gone for a few weeks." Jackie replied. Hyde looked at her in confusion, more so at the thought of Jackie having other types of feelings than selfish ones.

"Oh. So, you invited me into a huge house with only you in it…to help me?" Hyde asked with a smile, one that indicated what he meant clearly. Jackie smirked at him before shaking her head.

"There are other people here sometimes. The cleaner comes on Thursdays." Jackie said. "And even though we're mostly alone, that's not why I invited you to stay here."

"Uh huh. Well, y'know I'm always open to…" Hyde began.

"No, Steven! I invited you here, because you needed help. That's all" Jackie insisted. The teasing suddenly stopped, as Hyde's face went grim.

"I don't need help, Jackie. I told you that. I'm fine."

"And that's why you're here?" Jackie said with an innocent smile. Hyde paused and looked at her before groaning.

"Whatever." Hyde said, looking towards the fireplace. "So, where you putting me?"

"Um, well there's a spare room upstairs." Jackie said, getting up. "Next to my room." She added with a grin. Hyde rolled his eyes at her, as he stood up and followed her as they went upstairs. "So, if you need anything you can just ask me. There's food downstairs in the kitchen, the bathroom's right there and…" She paused as they reached the guest room. She looked at Hyde for a moment before wrapping her arms tightly around him. "I'm glad you're here, Steven." She gave him a light kiss on the cheek, as Hyde stood still. "I'm glad I can make up for what happened."

"Whatever." Hyde said and Jackie smiled at him.

"Well, I guess you'll probably want to sleep. Goodnight, Steven." She said, turning towards her room. Hyde paused in front of the door for a moment and raked his hand through his dirty curls of hair.

"Hey Jackie…" Hyde called, causing her to turn around to look at him. Hyde looked down, trudging his foot on the floor.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." He finally spoke quietly. Jackie grinned at him.

"You're welcome."

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Once Jackie had entered the privacy of her own room she collapsed onto her bed and grabbed a fluffy flower pillow and shrieked.

Shrieked in absolute delight.

She used the pillow to muffle her scream, before excitedly sitting back up. A dreamy expression appeared on her face as she glared at the wall that was between her and Steven, realising that this wasn't a dream, but true.

Steven was only next door.

"Oh my God! He's actually here." Jackie exclaimed to herself. Her joy was evident to anyone that could see her and she decided she wasn't going to dwell in her delight alone. Jackie leaned over and quickly picked up her telephone and quickly dialled her best friend's phone number.

"Donna!" She exclaimed after a long pause on the other line. Jackie heard Donna scuffle in bed, who had obviously been asleep, as she grunted into the phone.

"Jackie?" She asked.

"Donna, he's actually here!" Jackie shrieked again. Donna pulled the receiver away from her ear to stop her head from aching.

"What? W-who?" Donna asked through yawns.

"Steven! H-he's living with me." Jackie said. Jackie heard the distant noise of laughter, before Donna spoke again.

"Jackie, have you been dreaming again?"

"No, Donna. This is real. Steven is right next-door. He's actually living with me. I swear, I'll give you my Prada bag if I was lying." Suddenly, Jackie heard the phone receiver thud to the ground. "Donna?"

"I-I'm here." Donna said, struggling to pick the receiver back up after dropping it in shock. "Oh my God. You're serious. Hyde is actually living with you?"

"Yes! I asked him to stay with me this morning and he said there was no way in hell he would put himself through torture blah blah…but now he is!"

"What happened to him staying at the Fotohut?"

"I don't know everything, Donna. But I do know he shouldn't be staying there and now he knows it too. Wow Donna, do you know how wonderful this is? I can finally make Steven say he loves me!" Jackie declared. Donna snorted on the other end in a mock gesture.

"It's going to be hard, Jackie. Hyde doesn't like feelings." Donna said.

"Oh stop being such a spoilt sport, Donna. I know he loves me."

"How?" Donna asked.

"B-because he took the…" Jackie trailed off, realising that Donna didn't know about the whole situation regarding Hyde's arrest. "Because I just do, okay? And I'm telling you, he'll admit to it soon."

"Whatever you say, Jackie." Donna said, almost laughing. "Anyways, I should get back to bed. It's pretty late."

"But I haven't told you what he said!" Jackie shrieked.

"I-I…just tell me tomorrow!" Donna declared.

"Ooh we can come to the basement together and show everyone our unity!"

"'Night Jackie." Donna said laughing, as she hung up. Jackie put down the receiver of her telephone and looked back at the wall.

It was now the only thing that separated her from Steven and she swore she would break that wall down too.

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Hyde got up in the morning after nearly suffocating himself between three pillows. He smirked to himself as he sat up.

Three fucking pillows, man. He didn't even use that many in his lifetime.

He threw on a t-shirt over his naked chest and ran a scratchy hand through his mop of hair. Last night had been the first time he had slept comfortably and at ease in a long time. The Forman's house was comfortable and Hyde liked his room there, but it severely lacked peace.

Hyde yawned once more before deciding to get up. His bare feet touched the plush carpeting and he grinned to himself.

Carpeting. That was a new experience.

Hyde pulled on some jeans and grabbed his sunglasses and walked out of the room, heading to the bathroom to wash up. Suddenly he stopped as his eye caught sight of Jackie's door, which was slightly ajar. To his surprise, Hyde grew very curious and took a step forward quietly and peered directly into the room, allowing himself to see everything he had expected to be in Jackie's room.

Unicorns. Pink stuff. Abba posters. More pink stuff. It was a surreal girl's world, but yet done with good taste.

Then Hyde saw her- her dark locks of hair splayed across the white pillows, her face delicately resting to one side. Her eyes were closed and she had an expression of pure joy on her face. Hyde couldn't help but find himself mesmerised by the gorgeous brunette. The dark hair, the beautiful lashes, the wonderfully proportioned body…

He breathed deeply as he took a step back and pulled the door close. He closed his eyes before pulling on the sunglasses that were loosely attached to his shirt and…smiled.

This should be fun.

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