In The Beginning
Chapter Seventeen: Ain't No Mountain High Enough
"Jackie, is that you?"
Jackie looked up from the patio chair she had flung herself into after running out of the basement. She just couldn't leave, and a tiny part of her was hoping, waiting for him to follow her. But it had already been twenty minutes, and her hope was dying, slowly. She was right about to call it quits, cursing the day she started making out with Steven Hyde, when Donna appeared in the stream of light coming from the Forman's kitchen.
Donna came closer, squinting her eyes, since it had gotten pretty dark outside. "What are you doing?"
"Thinking." Jackie said with an elongated sigh.
"About?" Donna took the opposite patio chair, crossed her legs and played with her long red mane as Jackie twisted her brown hair between her fingertips.
"You and Eric. I'm dying in anticipation!" Jackie let out a sad sounding squeal. "I should really go talk to that kid, before you find someone better."
Donna's lips twisted into a knowing smile, "You really should."
She leaned it towards the brunette, smirking, "Now, what were you really thinking about?"
Jackie sighed in frustration, not pleased that she was so transparent with Donna.
"Can I guess?" Donna continued. "Steven?" She imitated Jackie's whiny voice, and then burst into a single laugh, only stopping when Jackie lowered her eye and scowled.
"Not everything is about boys, Donna!" Jackie said shrilly. "This has nothing to do with..." She rolled her eyes, not even wanted to utter his name. She didn't need him and he obviously didn't want to be with her, he practically spelled that out for her in the basement. He just wants someone to grope after school, in between circles with shady guys like "Jack". "It's not about him." She said firmly.
"So what is it about, then?"
"I'm moving."
"Why?" Donna looked around, aimlessly. "I like it here."
"No, Donna." Jackie rolled her eyes angrily. "I'm moving out of Point Place."
"What?" Donna showed much more emotion then intended and reprimanded herself internally as Jackie focused all of her attention on Laurie, who was inside flipping through a magazine at the table.
Laurie practically embodied everything Jackie once wanted to be. She was pretty, popular, Cheer Captain, dating the homecoming king, Casey Kelso. That's right, the brother of Michael Kelso. Jackie was practically on her way to being Laurie. She was pretty, popular, a shoe-in for Cheer Captain if she kept her attendance up...but the homecoming queen doesn't date the resident reject. Jackie groaned inwardly, talking to Donna as she watched Laurie's face light up and smile at something she was reading.
"My dad's in trouble..." Jackie cleared her throat, choking back tears, "He's giving me a choice. I can live with him in Chicago or with my mom in Mexico."
"Where are you going to go?"
"I don't know, Donna." Jackie turned to face Donna once more. "I just don't know."
Donna gave her a sympatic look, placing her hand on Jackie's as a token of comfort. Jackie smiled appreciatevly, then looked back at Laurie.
Jackie couldn't control her reaction at all. She jumped in, knocking her chair backwards as she pointed towards the sliding door of the kitchen, at what had upset her so much.
Donna stood up as well, gazing in the direction of Jackie's pointed finger and covering her eyes in shock as she screamed.
Jackie ran for the door, pushing it open as hard as she could as her feet landed squarely in the kitchen.
"Get off my boyfriend!" Jackie screamed, her face red with anger. She started to breathe heavily, noticing that Donna was by her side and Eric and Hyde came running in to see the commotion.
"Jackie!" The boy screamed, obviously astounded he had been caught. "This isn't what it looks like."
"Man, what are you doing with my sister!?" Eric screeched, staring in shock at a disheveled Laurie, who was flipping her hair and wiping her saliva covered lips.
"We weren't doing anything!" Kelso screamed, furiously interchanging looks between Jackie and Eric.
"Laurie, aren't you dating Casey?" Donna asked quietly and Laurie let her blond curls bounce back as she muttered to herself in response.
"Did you get confused on which Kelso you were groping?" Hyde asked with a smirk and Laurie just rolled her eyes.
"There wasn't any groping!" Kelso screamed. He turned away from Hyde, who was staring at Jackie, who was calming down slowly, staring at Laurie. "Jackie, I'm so sorry..." He paused, "Wait!"
Jackie and Hyde's heads popped up in unison, waiting for Kelso to continue.
"We're on a break." He screamed, pointing his finger at Jackie. "You said I was allowed to see other people."
Jackie stayed quiet, gazing past Kelso and at Hyde who took this bit of information lightly.
"Whatever, I'm going back to the circle." Hyde muttered, leaving the room in a huff.
"Me too." Eric shuddered, turning his back on the gang and followed Hyde.
Jackie slapped her forehead foolishly and crossed her arms, looking back at Kelso, who was hopping from foot to foot.
"I didn't cheat! We're on a break!"
"No, we're not." Jackie said confidently, only wishing that Hyde was still here to see her do it. "We're done Michael."
"What?" Donna, Laurie, and Kelso screamed in unison.
"But Jackie..." Kelso started; ready to bring out his excuses.
"No." Jackie held her hand up. "I'm moving tomorrow, so I'm officially ending us." She gave one last look at Donna, then back at Laurie, "Tramp." She muttered and left the kitchen before anyone could stop her.
Kelso looked at Donna for help but she just shrugged and snottily walked past Laurie and down to the basement.
Kelso looked at Laurie for a second, sincerely contemplating things, then started off towards the direction Jackie had left in.
"Kelso, I'm not done with you!" Laurie screamed after him, stomping her feet as he left her in the kitchen, alone. "Daddy!" She screamed, running to the living room.
Meanwhile, Donna joined Eric and Hyde in the circle downstairs, and after a few minutes, the three were laughing as if nothing had just happened.
"Man, I'm so glad me and Jackie are done." Hyde smirked. "She's abrasive."
"And annoying." Eric added.
"Hey, she's my friend." Donna said defensively. "But yeah, she's kind of loud."
"Yeah, man, that's what I'm saying." Hyde continued. "I'm better off without the loud, abrasive, annoying midget." He scrunched his nose up. "I mean, I'll miss making out with her."
Eric and Donna both gave him looks of disgust and he laughed.
"I can't believe you guys..." Eric started. "I mean, she's your complete opposite."
"Opposites attract, Eric." Fez's voice chimed as he sat down with the three. "So Hyde, if you're done with Jackie, may I use her now?"
Hyde smirked softly, "Whatever, man. I'm just warning you, she's complicated."
The four were so hyped up that they hadn't heard Jackie sniffling as she walked into the basement. She was going to run back home, but she wanted to say goodbye to Donna and Eric one last time, before she left for Mexico. She decided that she would live with her mother, because Mexico always sounded like a cool place to live and she was thinking of inviting Fez because he would probably feel right at home.
"She's so full of it." Hyde continued, obliviously. "She told me that her and Kelso were done. If they're done, why would she scream, 'get off my boyfriend'. He's her boyfriend, man."
"They were on a break..." Donna began to explain.
"Whatever, man." Hyde shrugged. "I don't care about her anyway. I was just using her until something better came along."
Jackie stopped sniffling, standing by the doorway in awe.
"That's not true, Hyde..." Eric started. "You like her."
"Yeah," Hyde laughed. "I like parts of her." He motioned towards his chest and Jackie let out a piercing cry, causing the four to turn and face her. "Jackie..." Hyde stood up quickly, knocking his chair back as he coughed.
"I just wanted to say goodbye." Jackie said quietly, opening the door. "I'm flying to Mexico in the morning."
Fez and Eric, who didn't know that Jackie's move was permanent didn't make much of it, but Donna stood up, tearing slightly herself.
"Jackie...maybe you could stay with someone?" Donna asked softly.
"No, Donna." Jackie stared straight at Hyde, who was approaching her and froze as her glare landed on him, "There's nothing keeping me here."
She gave one final look at the basement, and left.
Donna looked at Eric, sadly who shrugged, "When is she coming back?"
"She's not, you moron." Hyde said angrily, grabbing his jacket and running out the door.
Kelso had been running around the town, looking for Jackie. He checked her house, but no one answered, which was weird, since usually Lucy or someone would let him in. He checked her favorite stores, Stacey and Lacey's houses, the Hub, everywhere. He gave up, deciding to just to cap off his misery in the circle. He approached the driveway, walking quickly since a clap of thunder struck over his head and he didn't want his hair getting ruined by the rain.
He wasn't paying attention as he walked straight into the knocked over patio chair, that Jackie had knocked over earlier. He stumbled to pick it up, and as he dusted his pants off, he saw Hyde running up to him.
"Have you seen Jackie?" Kelso asked loudly.
"No." Hyde gulped loudly, forcing his eyes straight, "Did you?"
"Why would I ask you if I saw her?" Kelso laughed, not even thinking twice about why Hyde would be asking for her, considering they are enemies and all. "If you see her, tell her I'm looking for her."
"Sure." Hyde smiled sadly as Kelso walked past him and towards the basement.
Hyde went to the one place that he knew she would go. The one place where he would be the only one able to find her. The courtyard.
He wasn't at all surprised when he saw her huddled on the ground, her head planted on her lap. She wasn't crying, in fact, as she heard him approaching and looked up, she seemed quite tranquil, similar to all those years ago when he had caught her in the courtyard, for the first time.
"Sorry." Jackie mumbled, standing up quickly. "Don't want to invade your 'special place'." Jackie joked, shivering slightly.
Hyde slipped off his jacket, placing it in her hands.
"You mean *our* special place." Hyde said quietly. He was sure a line like that, which he meant to be genuine, would win Jackie over, but she frowned, handing his jacket back to him, crossing her arms to get warmer.
"I should go pack." Jackie said quietly, pushing past him. "Bye Steven."
Hyde groaned, not knowing what else he could do, as he sat down on the courtyard bench, feeling something he never quite felt before...guilty.
***************
Jackie jumped up and down in front of her closet, screaming as a bunch of clothes fell down on top of her. She laughed, twisting the dial of her radio to make it louder, as she sorted her clothes into what was still trendy and what was out. She zipped open a large, pink suitcase and placed it on her bed, pursing her lips as she began packing, something that she hoped would distract her until she was tired and ready for bed. Her father had left her plane ticket on her vanity, and a car would be picking her up at 6:30 AM to whisk her off to the airport. And she would leave Point Place behind, perhaps, forever.
Jackie grinned widely as one of her favorite songs started blasting on the radio, humming along with the tune as she danced frivolously around her room, throwing random things into her make up bag.
"If you need me, call me, no matter where you are!" Jackie shouted, using her hairbrush as a microphone. "No matter how far!"
She threw the brush on her bed, giggling like the girl she used to be. She continued to shake her hips and hum to the music as her eyes landed upon the dirty, old denim jacket he had given her. She picked it up, instantly letting the old aroma she had grown to love, and then tossed it aside. She won't be needing it in Mexico. She didn't need Steven Hyde or Michael Kelso. She especially didn't need Steven. I mean, he was a scruffy, poor freak and she was a Burkhart princess, always and forever.
She ignored the constant pinch in her heart that told her otherwise, and continued to sashay across the room, applying lip gloss in front of her vanity as she sang some more, "Oh baby, there ain't no mountain high enough!"
"To keep me from getting to you,"
Jackie turned around at the voice, who wasn't singing, but saying the words aloud, and felt her heart pinch hard and fast.
"Babe." He finished it off as the song ended, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Jackie didn't smile, she didn't react, she just put the cap back on her lip gloss, not even bothering to ask how he had gotten in. Guys like him probably pick locks. She didn't know how long he had been standing there, and felt very self aware as he watched her put some more clothes in her suitcase.
"So, you're really leaving?" He asked quietly.
"Yup." She said dryly, turning towards him. "You care?"
"Of course I care, Jackie." He muttered. "You know that."
"I don't know, Steven." Jackie said, avoiding his gaze by picking some lint at her sweater, "Maybe parts of you care." She mocked.
"Jackie, everything you heard in the basement...."
Jackie pretended not to listen, as she kept her ears keen and stuffed a pair of pants into her suitcase.
"I didn't mean it." He moved one step closer. "I was just...I thought you and Kelso..." He sighed in frustration; obviously it was hard for him to admit this type of thing. "Jackie, come on, I'm trying here."
"Try harder." Jackie said firmly, stopping all of her movement and stared at him, her brown eyes pleading for him to say the right thing, although she knew he wasn't *that* guy.
"Jackie, I don't know how." He said with a shrug. "Can't we just forget about everything and...?"
Jackie sighed in disappointment and returned to her packing.
"Jackie," Hyde slowly took off his sunglasses, turning all of his attention on her, forcing her to look into his eyes as he stood directly in front of her. "Don't leave."
That's all it took for Jackie to push her suitcase off the bed and push Steven onto it, attacking his lips fiercely, because she had missed them for every minute since she last touched them. His hands found the small of his back and she straddled his legs carefully, pushing her hair aside as she lifted her head up, and genuinely smiled, something she hadn't done in a while.
"Where am I going to live?" Jackie laughed.
"We'll figure that out later." Hyde said with a smirk, lifting his head up again to capture her lips.
"What about Michael?" Jackie asked tensely, as Hyde pulled back angrily.
"What about him? Donna told me you broke up with him, for real."
"I did."
"But you're still thinking about him?"
"I just..." Jackie lifted herself off of him, pissed off that she had ruined the moment. "I want him to know," Jackie paused, "About us."
Hyde gave her a reassuring smile, "Then, we'll tell him."
She beamed down at him as he grabbed her head with one hand, pulling her down on top of him again, kissing her furiously.
Chapter Seventeen: Ain't No Mountain High Enough
"Jackie, is that you?"
Jackie looked up from the patio chair she had flung herself into after running out of the basement. She just couldn't leave, and a tiny part of her was hoping, waiting for him to follow her. But it had already been twenty minutes, and her hope was dying, slowly. She was right about to call it quits, cursing the day she started making out with Steven Hyde, when Donna appeared in the stream of light coming from the Forman's kitchen.
Donna came closer, squinting her eyes, since it had gotten pretty dark outside. "What are you doing?"
"Thinking." Jackie said with an elongated sigh.
"About?" Donna took the opposite patio chair, crossed her legs and played with her long red mane as Jackie twisted her brown hair between her fingertips.
"You and Eric. I'm dying in anticipation!" Jackie let out a sad sounding squeal. "I should really go talk to that kid, before you find someone better."
Donna's lips twisted into a knowing smile, "You really should."
She leaned it towards the brunette, smirking, "Now, what were you really thinking about?"
Jackie sighed in frustration, not pleased that she was so transparent with Donna.
"Can I guess?" Donna continued. "Steven?" She imitated Jackie's whiny voice, and then burst into a single laugh, only stopping when Jackie lowered her eye and scowled.
"Not everything is about boys, Donna!" Jackie said shrilly. "This has nothing to do with..." She rolled her eyes, not even wanted to utter his name. She didn't need him and he obviously didn't want to be with her, he practically spelled that out for her in the basement. He just wants someone to grope after school, in between circles with shady guys like "Jack". "It's not about him." She said firmly.
"So what is it about, then?"
"I'm moving."
"Why?" Donna looked around, aimlessly. "I like it here."
"No, Donna." Jackie rolled her eyes angrily. "I'm moving out of Point Place."
"What?" Donna showed much more emotion then intended and reprimanded herself internally as Jackie focused all of her attention on Laurie, who was inside flipping through a magazine at the table.
Laurie practically embodied everything Jackie once wanted to be. She was pretty, popular, Cheer Captain, dating the homecoming king, Casey Kelso. That's right, the brother of Michael Kelso. Jackie was practically on her way to being Laurie. She was pretty, popular, a shoe-in for Cheer Captain if she kept her attendance up...but the homecoming queen doesn't date the resident reject. Jackie groaned inwardly, talking to Donna as she watched Laurie's face light up and smile at something she was reading.
"My dad's in trouble..." Jackie cleared her throat, choking back tears, "He's giving me a choice. I can live with him in Chicago or with my mom in Mexico."
"Where are you going to go?"
"I don't know, Donna." Jackie turned to face Donna once more. "I just don't know."
Donna gave her a sympatic look, placing her hand on Jackie's as a token of comfort. Jackie smiled appreciatevly, then looked back at Laurie.
Jackie couldn't control her reaction at all. She jumped in, knocking her chair backwards as she pointed towards the sliding door of the kitchen, at what had upset her so much.
Donna stood up as well, gazing in the direction of Jackie's pointed finger and covering her eyes in shock as she screamed.
Jackie ran for the door, pushing it open as hard as she could as her feet landed squarely in the kitchen.
"Get off my boyfriend!" Jackie screamed, her face red with anger. She started to breathe heavily, noticing that Donna was by her side and Eric and Hyde came running in to see the commotion.
"Jackie!" The boy screamed, obviously astounded he had been caught. "This isn't what it looks like."
"Man, what are you doing with my sister!?" Eric screeched, staring in shock at a disheveled Laurie, who was flipping her hair and wiping her saliva covered lips.
"We weren't doing anything!" Kelso screamed, furiously interchanging looks between Jackie and Eric.
"Laurie, aren't you dating Casey?" Donna asked quietly and Laurie let her blond curls bounce back as she muttered to herself in response.
"Did you get confused on which Kelso you were groping?" Hyde asked with a smirk and Laurie just rolled her eyes.
"There wasn't any groping!" Kelso screamed. He turned away from Hyde, who was staring at Jackie, who was calming down slowly, staring at Laurie. "Jackie, I'm so sorry..." He paused, "Wait!"
Jackie and Hyde's heads popped up in unison, waiting for Kelso to continue.
"We're on a break." He screamed, pointing his finger at Jackie. "You said I was allowed to see other people."
Jackie stayed quiet, gazing past Kelso and at Hyde who took this bit of information lightly.
"Whatever, I'm going back to the circle." Hyde muttered, leaving the room in a huff.
"Me too." Eric shuddered, turning his back on the gang and followed Hyde.
Jackie slapped her forehead foolishly and crossed her arms, looking back at Kelso, who was hopping from foot to foot.
"I didn't cheat! We're on a break!"
"No, we're not." Jackie said confidently, only wishing that Hyde was still here to see her do it. "We're done Michael."
"What?" Donna, Laurie, and Kelso screamed in unison.
"But Jackie..." Kelso started; ready to bring out his excuses.
"No." Jackie held her hand up. "I'm moving tomorrow, so I'm officially ending us." She gave one last look at Donna, then back at Laurie, "Tramp." She muttered and left the kitchen before anyone could stop her.
Kelso looked at Donna for help but she just shrugged and snottily walked past Laurie and down to the basement.
Kelso looked at Laurie for a second, sincerely contemplating things, then started off towards the direction Jackie had left in.
"Kelso, I'm not done with you!" Laurie screamed after him, stomping her feet as he left her in the kitchen, alone. "Daddy!" She screamed, running to the living room.
Meanwhile, Donna joined Eric and Hyde in the circle downstairs, and after a few minutes, the three were laughing as if nothing had just happened.
"Man, I'm so glad me and Jackie are done." Hyde smirked. "She's abrasive."
"And annoying." Eric added.
"Hey, she's my friend." Donna said defensively. "But yeah, she's kind of loud."
"Yeah, man, that's what I'm saying." Hyde continued. "I'm better off without the loud, abrasive, annoying midget." He scrunched his nose up. "I mean, I'll miss making out with her."
Eric and Donna both gave him looks of disgust and he laughed.
"I can't believe you guys..." Eric started. "I mean, she's your complete opposite."
"Opposites attract, Eric." Fez's voice chimed as he sat down with the three. "So Hyde, if you're done with Jackie, may I use her now?"
Hyde smirked softly, "Whatever, man. I'm just warning you, she's complicated."
The four were so hyped up that they hadn't heard Jackie sniffling as she walked into the basement. She was going to run back home, but she wanted to say goodbye to Donna and Eric one last time, before she left for Mexico. She decided that she would live with her mother, because Mexico always sounded like a cool place to live and she was thinking of inviting Fez because he would probably feel right at home.
"She's so full of it." Hyde continued, obliviously. "She told me that her and Kelso were done. If they're done, why would she scream, 'get off my boyfriend'. He's her boyfriend, man."
"They were on a break..." Donna began to explain.
"Whatever, man." Hyde shrugged. "I don't care about her anyway. I was just using her until something better came along."
Jackie stopped sniffling, standing by the doorway in awe.
"That's not true, Hyde..." Eric started. "You like her."
"Yeah," Hyde laughed. "I like parts of her." He motioned towards his chest and Jackie let out a piercing cry, causing the four to turn and face her. "Jackie..." Hyde stood up quickly, knocking his chair back as he coughed.
"I just wanted to say goodbye." Jackie said quietly, opening the door. "I'm flying to Mexico in the morning."
Fez and Eric, who didn't know that Jackie's move was permanent didn't make much of it, but Donna stood up, tearing slightly herself.
"Jackie...maybe you could stay with someone?" Donna asked softly.
"No, Donna." Jackie stared straight at Hyde, who was approaching her and froze as her glare landed on him, "There's nothing keeping me here."
She gave one final look at the basement, and left.
Donna looked at Eric, sadly who shrugged, "When is she coming back?"
"She's not, you moron." Hyde said angrily, grabbing his jacket and running out the door.
Kelso had been running around the town, looking for Jackie. He checked her house, but no one answered, which was weird, since usually Lucy or someone would let him in. He checked her favorite stores, Stacey and Lacey's houses, the Hub, everywhere. He gave up, deciding to just to cap off his misery in the circle. He approached the driveway, walking quickly since a clap of thunder struck over his head and he didn't want his hair getting ruined by the rain.
He wasn't paying attention as he walked straight into the knocked over patio chair, that Jackie had knocked over earlier. He stumbled to pick it up, and as he dusted his pants off, he saw Hyde running up to him.
"Have you seen Jackie?" Kelso asked loudly.
"No." Hyde gulped loudly, forcing his eyes straight, "Did you?"
"Why would I ask you if I saw her?" Kelso laughed, not even thinking twice about why Hyde would be asking for her, considering they are enemies and all. "If you see her, tell her I'm looking for her."
"Sure." Hyde smiled sadly as Kelso walked past him and towards the basement.
Hyde went to the one place that he knew she would go. The one place where he would be the only one able to find her. The courtyard.
He wasn't at all surprised when he saw her huddled on the ground, her head planted on her lap. She wasn't crying, in fact, as she heard him approaching and looked up, she seemed quite tranquil, similar to all those years ago when he had caught her in the courtyard, for the first time.
"Sorry." Jackie mumbled, standing up quickly. "Don't want to invade your 'special place'." Jackie joked, shivering slightly.
Hyde slipped off his jacket, placing it in her hands.
"You mean *our* special place." Hyde said quietly. He was sure a line like that, which he meant to be genuine, would win Jackie over, but she frowned, handing his jacket back to him, crossing her arms to get warmer.
"I should go pack." Jackie said quietly, pushing past him. "Bye Steven."
Hyde groaned, not knowing what else he could do, as he sat down on the courtyard bench, feeling something he never quite felt before...guilty.
***************
Jackie jumped up and down in front of her closet, screaming as a bunch of clothes fell down on top of her. She laughed, twisting the dial of her radio to make it louder, as she sorted her clothes into what was still trendy and what was out. She zipped open a large, pink suitcase and placed it on her bed, pursing her lips as she began packing, something that she hoped would distract her until she was tired and ready for bed. Her father had left her plane ticket on her vanity, and a car would be picking her up at 6:30 AM to whisk her off to the airport. And she would leave Point Place behind, perhaps, forever.
Jackie grinned widely as one of her favorite songs started blasting on the radio, humming along with the tune as she danced frivolously around her room, throwing random things into her make up bag.
"If you need me, call me, no matter where you are!" Jackie shouted, using her hairbrush as a microphone. "No matter how far!"
She threw the brush on her bed, giggling like the girl she used to be. She continued to shake her hips and hum to the music as her eyes landed upon the dirty, old denim jacket he had given her. She picked it up, instantly letting the old aroma she had grown to love, and then tossed it aside. She won't be needing it in Mexico. She didn't need Steven Hyde or Michael Kelso. She especially didn't need Steven. I mean, he was a scruffy, poor freak and she was a Burkhart princess, always and forever.
She ignored the constant pinch in her heart that told her otherwise, and continued to sashay across the room, applying lip gloss in front of her vanity as she sang some more, "Oh baby, there ain't no mountain high enough!"
"To keep me from getting to you,"
Jackie turned around at the voice, who wasn't singing, but saying the words aloud, and felt her heart pinch hard and fast.
"Babe." He finished it off as the song ended, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Jackie didn't smile, she didn't react, she just put the cap back on her lip gloss, not even bothering to ask how he had gotten in. Guys like him probably pick locks. She didn't know how long he had been standing there, and felt very self aware as he watched her put some more clothes in her suitcase.
"So, you're really leaving?" He asked quietly.
"Yup." She said dryly, turning towards him. "You care?"
"Of course I care, Jackie." He muttered. "You know that."
"I don't know, Steven." Jackie said, avoiding his gaze by picking some lint at her sweater, "Maybe parts of you care." She mocked.
"Jackie, everything you heard in the basement...."
Jackie pretended not to listen, as she kept her ears keen and stuffed a pair of pants into her suitcase.
"I didn't mean it." He moved one step closer. "I was just...I thought you and Kelso..." He sighed in frustration; obviously it was hard for him to admit this type of thing. "Jackie, come on, I'm trying here."
"Try harder." Jackie said firmly, stopping all of her movement and stared at him, her brown eyes pleading for him to say the right thing, although she knew he wasn't *that* guy.
"Jackie, I don't know how." He said with a shrug. "Can't we just forget about everything and...?"
Jackie sighed in disappointment and returned to her packing.
"Jackie," Hyde slowly took off his sunglasses, turning all of his attention on her, forcing her to look into his eyes as he stood directly in front of her. "Don't leave."
That's all it took for Jackie to push her suitcase off the bed and push Steven onto it, attacking his lips fiercely, because she had missed them for every minute since she last touched them. His hands found the small of his back and she straddled his legs carefully, pushing her hair aside as she lifted her head up, and genuinely smiled, something she hadn't done in a while.
"Where am I going to live?" Jackie laughed.
"We'll figure that out later." Hyde said with a smirk, lifting his head up again to capture her lips.
"What about Michael?" Jackie asked tensely, as Hyde pulled back angrily.
"What about him? Donna told me you broke up with him, for real."
"I did."
"But you're still thinking about him?"
"I just..." Jackie lifted herself off of him, pissed off that she had ruined the moment. "I want him to know," Jackie paused, "About us."
Hyde gave her a reassuring smile, "Then, we'll tell him."
She beamed down at him as he grabbed her head with one hand, pulling her down on top of him again, kissing her furiously.