Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Warning: Mild language

AN: Okay, I lied. This isn't the last chapter...I'll have an epilogue to post tomorrow, I hope. It was going to be one chapter, but it just got way too long, so I'm splitting them up. I really can't say how much I appreciate everyone reading this! And thanks so much, as always, for the reviews. I love "hearing" what you think. I am thinking about doing a sequel to this...but am not sure yet! So stay tuned for theepilogue!

Reawakening

Chapter 10 – It Might Not Matter

One week later

Jackie hummed along with the radio, her head resting comfortably on Steven's shoulder as the El Camino prowled the streets of Point Place. She was happy. She was finally out of the hospital, her ribs weren't hurting quite as much, although she still had nasty headaches, and she'd just dragged Steven to a sappy movie. She'd guilt tripped him into it by telling him that she'd been planning on going to see it on the night of her accident. And it had worked, albeit with a lot of grumbling on his part. She'd managed to drown that out, though.

They'd decided to take things slow and see what happened. In fact, this wasn't really a date. They were just hanging out. Of course, that hadn't stopped him from holding her hand in the movie. And it sure wasn't stopping her from sitting close to him in the car and drawing circles on his thigh. She giggled. Friends, right. She didn't expect it to last long, but it was kind of fun with all the flirting. She almost wished it would last for a month or so…but then again, she really didn't. And she didn't think he really did, either. Especially considering the red roses he'd brought her in the hospital. Even after saying he wouldn't. She giggled again. Sucker.

Hyde glanced down at her head. "What are you giggling about?"

She didn't lift her head. "Oh, just how beautiful those roses you gave me look on my nightstand, that's all."

He rolled his eyes. He should have known better than to give her those damned flowers. Sure, the look on her face had been nice to see. But now he was going to pay for the rest of his life. "Okay, just remember, that was a one time thing," he said.

"Yeah, that's what you said about the Sizzler, too, and where did we go last night?" Jackie sat up and beamed triumphantly at him. "The Sizzler!"

He grinned. "Because you paid."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "The things I do for you!" She rubbed his thigh. "I hope you enjoyed it, because that's the last time it'll be my treat!"

He shrugged. "And it's the last time I'll buy you flowers. So we're even."

Jackie turned and stared at him. "Jerk!" She couldn't help but giggle.

He smirked. "Yep."

She shook her hair off her shoulders and smirked right back at him. "Until my next car accident."

"Oh, you're never driving again."

She squealed and squeezed his thigh. "So you're going to be my own personal chauffer?"

Hyde pulled into his normal parking spot at the Forman house and groaned. "Oh, god!" He parked the car and looked pointedly at her. "Get THAT thought out of your pretty little head!"

She just smirked and opened the car door. "So you think I have a pretty little head, huh?" She got out, shut the door and pranced around to the driver's side. Before he could walk away, she stood in front of him, placing her hands on his chest flirtatiously. "You're such a sweet talker, Steven."

He shook his head, staring at her and wishing to God that she wasn't so damn hot. He could really get into kissing her right about now. "Shut it, Jackie." But his lips curved upwards. Her eyes were sparkling like they used to; he hadn't seen that a whole lot in the past several months.

And God help him, he'd missed it.

Jackie rubbed a circle on his chest. "You know, I'm surprised that movie didn't make you cry," she purred. "Since you've been known to cry lately."

Hyde glared at her. "Jackie, I told you. I almost poked my eyes out trying to put my glasses on and they…watered a bit." He shrugged. "I mean, I was drunk. I can't be held accountable for what I do when I'm drunk." He groaned inwardly when a shadow crossed her face and she looked away. She took her hands of his chest, and he immediately missed her touch. "Jackie…"

She shook it off, sort of, at least she hoped she appeared to shake it off, and she gave him a slightly too bright smile. "No, you cried," she said haughtily. She lifted her chin and looked up at him, straight into his sunglasses, daring him to contradict her. "Because you were so afraid of living in a world without me."

Hyde sighed. He should argue with her. He should stick to his cover story. He should be stubborn. He should be a man. Not Forman. But he faltered and shook his head in defeat. Better to let her win this one. Especially after what he'd just inadvertently reminded her of. But just this one. After this, he wasn't going to be so wussy with her anymore. "Remember when you said that Donna's mouth was as big as her feet?" He rolled his eyes. "Well, I gotta agree on that." He shook his head and looked away, muttering. "I'm going to kick her ass."

Jackie grinned and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself temptingly close to him without being TOO bold. "Awww, Steven, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Maybe not to you." He grinned when she raised an eyebrow. "Come on."

They headed for the Forman basement, and as they did, Hyde took Jackie's hand. She flushed with pleasure. Friends. Right. Not for much longer. "You bought me popcorn at the movie," she observed.

Hyde shook his head. Jackie was so exasperating, and yet...he wouldn't have it any other way. "So you'd shut up!"

"You've been doing a lot of things for me lately. Crying, staying in my room all night….the roses…"

He squeezed her hand almost too tightly. "Well, get ready for all that to end. Because as of…" He looked at his watch. "This second, it's over."

Jackie pruned her lips into a pout and pulled her hand out of his. "You're such a jerk!"

Hyde shrugged and smirked. "You know it, baby!" He grabbed her hand again as they started down the stairs. He opened the door and they walked in, only to stop dead cold about two feet into the basement. Everyone was there; Eric and Donna on the couch, Fez next to Donna, Kelso sitting on the arm of the couch near Hyde's chair.

And on Hyde's chair, a willowy blonde sat, wearing a tube top and shorts that barely covered her hips, let alone any leg. "There you are!" she said, standing up and staring only at Hyde. "I've been waiting and waiting for you!"

Donna smiled uncomfortably at Jackie and Hyde, who wore twin masks of shock. "Surprise," she said with little enthusiasm. Eric and Fez both looked back and forth between Jackie and Hyde, while Kelso just stared at the blonde.

Jackie swallowed hard. She wasn't sure if she let go of Steven's hand or if he let go of hers, but she felt that they were no longer joined. It hurt. And she wondered what it meant…what Sam's return meant. A sharp pain knifed her temple, and she gasped. Her hand flew up to cup her forehead as it always did, although it never really eased the pain, and she became dizzy.

Hyde heard her gasp and glanced at her. "You okay?" he asked. Her headaches were coming with some frequency, and even though the doctor had said she'd have them for awhile, considering she had a pretty bad concussion, it bugged him. He felt Sam's eyes on him, but hell. Jackie had almost died, and no matter what she said, she still wasn't quite right.

Jackie looked up at him, her eyes narrow and hurt, and then she glanced back at Sam. There was only one way she could see this playing out. And she'd be the one hurt when he picked the woman he'd actually married over her. Again.

She turned and ran out of the basement.

Donna sighed and stood up. "I'll go after her."

Hyde turned his attention back to Samantha as Donna left the basement. His arms hung limply at his sides. "So, here I am," he said. "What do you want?" And what the hell are you doing here? he thought. He'd been upset when she'd left and tried to convince her to stay. Not because he had any great, undying love for her, although he'd gotten used to and comfortable with her, but because he'd finally gotten fed up with people walking in, then out of his life.

When had that happened? When had he started caring if people stuck around for longer than five minutes?

Oh yeah. After Jackie happened.

She glanced at Fez, Kelso and Eric, then back at Hyde. "Can we go somewhere else?"

Eric stood up. on, guys. Lets go…lets go…anywhere else."

Kelso pouted. "But I wanna…."

Hyde glared at him. "Get the hell out!" The guys shuffled out, some more reluctantly than others, and when they were gone, he again looked at his ex-wife. "Okay, they're gone. So again, what do you want?"

Sam smiled sexily and slithered across the room to where he stood. She placed a possessive hand on his chest. "What do you think? I've missed you. And…I want you back."

He stood passively, staring at her. She was hot, in a stripper sort of way. And easy to be with. Good sex. Although…not as good as with Jackie. But then again, comparing Jackie with Sam was apples and oranges. Two entirely different types of relationships.

He couldn't help but think that maybe he should just go down this road. No hassles, no big emotional travails to deal with, no passion (other than simple lust) that could lead to anger and hatred. No real pain that paralyzed him and made him mope on the couch and listen to country music. COUNTRY MUSIC! Jackie could so easily put him in hell….Sam never had, and he didn't really think she ever could. It was so easy. She didn't nag. She got him beer.

And Sam didn't want or need him to live up to his "potential" the way Jackie did. She wouldn't really care WHAT he did. She didn't need him to be anything other than what he was. He could be a bum and she wouldn't care.

He could be a bum and she wouldn't…care.

"So, what do you say? You wanna get back together?"

Her voice was silky and seductive.

And all he could do was stare at her.

Jackie's apartment

Donna stared at her best friend who sat listlessly on her bed, staring down at the comforter. She was surprisingly, amazingly quiet and withdrawn, and that had Donna more worried than anything else. Even her tears were quiet; no sobs, just ribbons of water running slowly down her cheeks. "Jackie, he's not going to get back together with her."

Jackie didn't look up. "How do you know?" She felt so lethargic, and her head was pounding so intensely she wished she was just dead and gone, away from this.

"I know because I SAW how worried and scared he was when you were in surgery. Remember? He cried? He stayed in your room all night with you? And he TOLD you that he still loves you, right? That all means something, Jackie."

Jackie's eyes closed. "I don't know if it does," she mumbled.

It didn't when he married her. Or when he stayed married to her.

She was petrified. Just an hour ago, she and Steven were together, flirting, bickering, having fun…and she'd thought she'd seen the look in his eyes he used to get back when they'd first hooked up. But then Sam showed up….he'd dropped her hand…or had she dropped his?

And now all she could do was sit on her bed, staring down, trying not to sob her eyes out. She loved Steven, more than she'd ever dreamed possible, but it might not matter.

She shook her head. "I really love him, Donna," she confessed in a small, almost inaudible voice.

Donna smiled sadly. She was certain that Hyde wasn't going to take Sam back…sort of certain. She patted Jackie's hand. "I know you do, Jackie," she answered.

Jackie looked up. She wanted to be alone. For once. "Donna, do you mind…I just…I really want to be alone right now."

Donna stared at her. Jackie had been less talkative since her accident. Oh, she hadn't shut up entirely or even close to it, but she'd definitely been more subdued. "You…you don't want to talk about it? Or bitch about Hyde and…." She shrugged. "The whore?"

Jackie shook her head. "No."

Donna nodded and stood up. "Okay. Well, if you…just call me if you need to, okay?" She was met with another nod. "Okay. I'll see you later." She walked to the door of Jackie's bedroom, hesitated, then turned back around. "Hey, Jackie."

Jackie looked up.

"He loves you. And if he tries to pretend he doesn't, I'll kick his ass."

Jackie couldn't help but giggle. "Thanks, Donna."

Donna left, and Jackie flopped down on her back. She stared at the ceiling. She was going to lose Steven before she even really got him back. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she began to heave slow, painful sobs.

It hurt so damn much.