Life After Chicago

Jackie could not believe what she had just witnessed. Steven Hyde throwing Michael into the streets with no clothes on. Although she was in a state of shock she new she had to snap herself back into reality. Why would Steven have come out to Chicago? Did this mean he wanted to marry her and he had come here to tell her? Jackie couldn't believe the excitement that she felt running through her body, but then she remembered the situation at hand and her heart sank. She had left, too afraid of what his answer may be. And now he had seen her with Kelso.

"Steven wait, it's not what you think."

"Jackie, I don't want to hear it! I can't believe I came all the way to Chicago to ask you to marry me and I find you with Kelso."

"Steven…"

"No! I'm leaving Jackie."

With that he walked out the door. Jackie sank to the floor as she watched him walk away. When she could no longer see him she began to cry. She had no idea what she was going to do. She felt as though she had nothing to live for. Fear had caused her to act irrationally; she had run before she let him give her an answer. Not knowing that he would have said that he wanted to marry her. Now she had lost him. And for what? A job? No job was worth losing the person that you loved. She would have to tell him that and make him understand. All she knew was that she had to be honest and not fearful for once. She would have to go back to Point Place to beg his forgiveness.

"Jackie are you ok?" Kelso asked as he crept back into the room making sure that Hyde was gone. "Listen Jackie, don't worry about Hyde. He just can't handle the fact that you've always loved me." He said matter-of-factly.

"No Michael, I don't love you anymore. I love Steven and I have to get him back!"

"But Jackie, what was all this for?"

"I don't know Michael, I guess I just had a moment of weakness. I thought Steven didn't want to marry me, and you were here and things just happened, but it didn't mean anything." She looked up to see the shocked expression on his face. "I'm sorry that I hurt you Michael, but Steven is the one I've always loved."

"Fine!" With that Kelso was also out the door.

Jackie could not believe the night she was having. She had to sit herself down on the bed and clear her head. She wasn't going to worry about Kelso. He'd find the nearest pretty blond and forget about her. But Steven, would he ever forgive her and realize they were meant to be? She didn't know the answer but she would have to try. She jumped off the bed and began franticly getting her things together.

He couldn't even think straight; all he could do was drive. His head was racing as though he had taken some strange drug. How could she have done this to him he asked himself over and over. He, Steven Hyde had been willing to marry Jackie Burkhart and he catches her with Kelso. He should have known it would all lead back to Kelso, he thought to himself. He was now going 80 miles per hour on the interstate. And though he would never admit it he had shed a few tears. His heart had been broken like it had never been before. Not even when everyone in his life left him. Jackie was just like them he thought. She left him when she should have trusted him to do the right thing. Although he continued to repeat this, in his heart he knew that it wasn't true. She wasn't like them. She really did love him and probably more than any other person ever had. But how could he forgive her. The pain he was feeling was too deep to think about that. All he wanted was to lose his self in as much alcohol as he could find. He would think about everything later, right now he just needed to forget.

Ahead was a road sign that read Welcome to Las Vegas. Perfect he thought. He pulled the El Camino into the first strip joint he saw and hopped out. Before tonight was over Jackie would be just a memory. Yeah right I wish he thought to himself as he walked in the door.

The Joint was seedy but he didn't care it would do the trick. He continued to knock back straight whiskey shots as he watched a pretty stripper. Before long he was three sheets to the wind. The stripper was off work and had been talking to him for about ten minutes now. He was lamenting his story about a girl that he had wanted to marry and how she did him wrong. The stripper was relating telling him that a man was the reason she had moved to Vegas in the first place.

"Ya know I'm glad shu see someone out there hash been in my sishuashon before." Hyde slurred out.

"I know what you mean. It's nice to talk to someone who understands."

"Vegas ish great. I should open a store out shere."

"That would be great, then maybe we could see more of each other." She replied twinkle eyed.

"Why wait, we can shee more of each other now."

"Look, I might be a stripper, but I'm not into having one night stands withdrunk clients." She replied obviously offended by his remark.

"What's the point of a one night shtand anyways? What's the point of relashonships? I could marry you now and it would probably work out better then her and I ever would have." Hyde said very disillusioned.

"Really you want to get married!"

"What? I didn't mean…well…oh the hell with it. Letsh get married."

"OK!"

"By the way what's your name?" Hyde asked as he paid his tab and they left the bar.