On A Long Summer Day
Rating: PGish, PG-13 at the most.
Summary: When Hyde offers to drive Jackie to visit her dad, he's in for much more then he bargained for.
Notes: This story is my own version of how Jackie and Hyde got together in Season 5. I borrowed some ideas from one of my wrestling stories because it's not stealing if you take ideas from yourself! to get this started. Should only be a few chapters. Reviews are muccchhh appreciated!

Chapter 1
"My God, Steven, would you turn that awful music down!" Jackie cried, her head whipping to the left as her eyes fell with annoyance on the driver. "I can't even understand what they're saying. This is crap!"

Hyde remained motionless, but the aggravated pursing of his lips did not go unnoticed by Jackie. It wasn't the first time she caught him slipping out of zen. He'd drop subtle hints – pursed lips, flared nostrils – that assured her she was pushing his buttons. It had become a game to her, something to pass the time during an incredibly boring summer.

She smirked, but her eyes turned somber when Hyde finally tossed his annoyed gaze her way. Staring at her through his dark shades, he scoffed. "Crap?" he repeated in disbelief. "This is Zeppelin, Jackie. You have no idea what you're talking about."

Her eyebrows raised ignorantly, and Hyde could just about hear her snarky, "I don't care, Hyde!" in his mind. She'd been doing that a lot lately… giving him an attitude every time he spoke to her. It wasn't so much bitchy as it was defiant. Like she'd made it a personal goal to disagree with every word that flowed from his mouth.

…It was so hott.

Until a whiny, "Steeeeven!" would slip from her mouth. Then Hyde got a sudden refresher course on exactly why Jackie Burkhardt was in the "off-limits" territory. Though she repeatedly tried to show him otherwise, the princess in Jackie would never die. And for that, Hyde was surprisingly grateful. It made her much less tempting. And the less tempting she was, the safer he'd be from doing something stupid.

The loud, smashing music – if it really even was music – blasted into Jackie's eardrums. Her forehead creased as she frowned, clamping a hand over each ear. She shook her head as her nose wrinkled in distaste. After hesitating for a minute, she boldly reached for the radio dial, turning the volume down considerably. Hyde glared at the slender fingers resting on his volume button, a murderous gleam in his eyes. Jackie noted his visible anger and immediately pulled away in retreat.

"Isn't there anything else we can listen to?" she pleaded sweetly, her bottom lip plumping as she poked it out. Hyde quickly looked away, his body tensing. He hated that damn pout. "I-I can't take another two hours of this."

Focusing his attention on the road, Hyde ignored her request. "The all-Donny Osmond station's busted, so deal," he said bluntly. Stupid cheerleader.

One more look at her sad face, and Hyde turned the radio off.

With the sound of wailing guitars and smashing drums gone, the car faded into silence. Minus the dissatisfied sighs emanating from the cheerleader… first only occasionally, and then more rapidly as the El Camino picked up speed on the highway. Hyde matched her sighs with a loud groan of his own. This was going to be a mistake…

"Now what?" he asked, this time without even turning his head. By the time the words left his lips, he knew he'd said too much. Those two words were like Jackie's key to Pandora's Box. He had trapped himself into listening to whatever 37-minute sob story Jackie had prepared for this very occasion.

To his great surprise, her response was a flat, "It is too damn hot in here." She waved a hand in front of her face, fanning herself off. The bitterness in which she spoke tied his stomach in knots.

Something was definitely too damn hot in here…

"Roll down the window and quit complaining," he snapped. "I could always turn around and take you back to your air-conditioned mansion." Though she knew his last statement was just a reflection of Hyde's sarcastic nature, Jackie still felt the tiniest twinge of guilt.

Her father had been away in Chicago for nearly two months on business. When it became evident that he would not be able to return home during the summer, he asked his daughter to visit. When Michael ditched her for California, she lost her ride, and her only chance to see her father. Mr. and Mrs. Forman were too busy with work, and Jackie didn't want to ask Bob for any favors while he was still mourning Donna's disappearance. To her shock, Hyde willingly took the job.

"I'm sorry, Steven, you're right. You're doing me a huge favor, and I should be nicer to you," she admitted sincerely. She smiled to herself as she cracked open the window, pleased with how pleasant she had become.

Hyde was skeptical. "Get bent, Princess," he muttered indifferently. "I'm not doing you a favor. I'm just bored out of my frickin' mind since Forman left." Taking a hand off the steering wheel, he pushed his sunglasses up his nose, shielding his eyes. Lately, Jackie had been a lot better at figuring out when he was lying.

Not that it was a total lie. With Eric, Donna and Kelso gone, the past few days had been excruciatingly eventless. He had resorted to watching games shows all day, rolling his eyes each time the midget lodged a complaint about the contestants' lack of style. He had to get out of there, even if it meant taking Jackie with him. He'd lose his mind if he was forced to stare at Bob Barker's ugly ass one more time. Besides, taking Jackie to Chicago also meant that he was getting rid of her in Chicago.

The basement wouldn't be the same without her, though.

Sure, Fez was essentially the same person as Jackie. He could get the whining, the snotty remarks about women's hair, or complaints about how much time they spent together from his foreign buddy as well. But it wasn't the same. Fez wasn't as easy on the eyes.

Not that he cared.

So he'd miss her. He'd go back to his basement in Point Place and sit in his chair, all alone. He'd probably even mope. He'd frown when the anticipated whining never came. He'd sigh when she wasn't there to awkwardly brush her knee against his. No one had to know. No one would know.