Chapter 3

Hyde wasn't counting the days, dreading the inevitable, the day she would leave. No, he didn't care. It wasn't like he had the day mentally blacked out. No! He just pretended it wasn't happening. He pretended that he hadn't over heard Red telling Kitty the date. And he pretended that he wasn't terrified.

He didn't know when Jackie Burkhart had become such an important element in everyone's lives. But it seemed, now that she was leaving, everyone was dreading the day that plane would fly her right out of their lives.

The basement was oddly empty as everyone rushed to spend time with the tiny girl who had entered their hearts. Donna was frantic. Faced with the loss of her unlikely best friend, she was eager to spend as much time with her as possible. Fez was surprisingly devastated, but the more Hyde thought about it, the less surprising it was.

Even Kitty and Red were upset. He'd heard her on the phone planning a day with Jackie and that was how he found himself here. Sitting on one end of the sofa with Mrs Forman staring at him from the other. They'd been at the mall all day and had returned to the house to have coffee and talk. They'd discussed her new job in California. She was going to be a member of the news team for the local news in San Francisco Valley. Not that he was listening. And even though Sam had left while Jackie was still in California, he still felt guilty as he snuck a glance in her direction. It still felt like a betrayal looking at this girl he'd loved for so long. And yet his heart reacted just as it had when she was still his.

Sitting in the living room watching tv he could feel Mrs Forman's eyes on him. She'd been watching him the whole way through Columbo and for a little while before hand.

It had started when Mrs Forman had arrived home with Jackie. They'd walked through the front door and straight past him. He would have thought that they hadn't seen him if it wasn't for the quick "Hello Steven." Mrs F had thrown his way. But Jackie had just ignored him. He'd expected as much really. But the pain in his heart when he realised that soon she would no longer be around to 'torture' him, ripped through him.

But it was when they came back in to drink their coffee and eat their cake., talking away to each other that he'd first felt her eyes on him.

Sure it hadn't started the minute they sat down. No it was about 10 minutes in that he noticed Mrs Forman's first glance in his direction. It was the oddest thing. She had this strange look on her face, one he'd never seen before and couldn't quite figure out. She'd continued to glance at him during her conversation with Jackie with the exact same expression. Then after Jackie had left the glancing had progressed to flat out staring.

Hyde had adopted his most zen like expression and kept his eyes on the tv, as hard as it had been under her intense scrutiny. But that was an hour ago and she still hadn't let up and his zen face was about to crumble.

Hyde glanced her way before averting his eyes quickly when he'd caught hers.

"You're in love." She finally said out of the blue.

"What?" He asked utterly confused at the sudden statement.

"You're actually in love. Full blown, crazy, can't live without, passionate, all-consuming love. Lasting love."

It had finally happened. Mrs Forman had lost the plot. Gone crazy. Hyde had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. At his confused face she continued.

"Steven, it's written all over your face. It's even in your whole body. I've never seen it quite so strong before. It's such a pity." She finished with a sad sigh that only served to confuse him futher.

"Why? I thought it was a good thing to be in love." He asked sarcastically, not bothering to try and deny it. He knew it was thruth and he'd never been real good at lying to Mrs Forman.

She nodded her head and gave him a piercing look. "It is. It's wonderful and exciting." She said with a smile.

"Then what's such a pity?"

"That you've lost it." She frowned and he realised why they were having this conversation and now.

He'd been the one staring. It had been him all along. He'd been staring at Jackie. The whole time she'd been at the house he'd been sneaking glances at her. Then came lingering looks, until he was finally staring at her. Mrs Forman was only reacting to his behaviour.

"So what do you suggest I do about it Mrs F?"

She smiled then and he knew she was just about to give him exactly what he'd asked for. A way out of this mess... but it wouldn't be easy. This much, he knew.

"You know that I believe in the sanctity of marriage, and if at all possible, they should be saved. But your's honey, it's just wrong. It's existence has already violated that sanctity. You and Jackie were good together. She was helping you... and yes, you were helping her too. But she will be the most important person to ever enter your life."

"Why?" He thought he knew. But he wanted to hear it. He needed to hear it.

"Because that beautiful girl not only loved you completely and unconditionally, without out fail. But she saw the good in you and most importantly, she believed in you." She stood as she finished speaking, laying her hand on his shoulder. "Fix this Steven. End your marriage appropriately and gently, put aside your pride and do whatever it takes to get Jackie back. Or eventually, you will regret it for the rest of your life." She went to move for the kitchen door but his soft, almost broken voice stopped her.

"You're wrong... I already regret it."

TBC...