I don't own anything!

An unexpected pair
Chapter two, two

Hyde had woken up late after sleeping soundly all night, he decided to head back to Wisconsin. The only reason he was going home was because he had his record store. Didn't want it to go under. He loved Leo like a brother and trusted him, but he also remembered how he handled the Foto hut. Didn't want that to happen to his dad's store.

All his driving he did gave him time to think about Jackie, and what happened. He did love her at one time, but now he wasn't sure anymore. She wanted him to make a decision about getting married, then when he made up his mind; she goes to Chicago before he gets a chance to talk to her. When he goes to talk to her; she's in bed with Kelso. Hyde had been on the road for fore, hours now, so he pulled off the highway and stopped at a rest stop in Las Vegas. "Maybe me and Jackie aren't meant to be after all" Hyde thought as he got out of the car.

Midge opened her eyes, and looked at her wristwatch, and saw that it was three-thirty. The last thing Midge remembered was hiding in the flatbed of an El Camino, as her abusive ex-boyfriend came waking down the street. Then everything went black, she must've been so scared of what would happen if Chris found her, that the stress of worrying caused her to doze.

"Oh this is bad," Midge said to herself as she sat up a little. Looking from side to side she saw that she was at a rest stop, but ware? She got out of the flatbed and walked over to a map, after not being able to find it on the map; she decided to ask someone.

"Excuse me miss, can you tell me what stat this is?" Midge asked a woman who was walking past her.

The woman stopped and stared at her for some time, then said. "Las Vegas Nevada. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No thank you, I'm fine," Midge said. The woman walked off and Midge walked back to the car. "I wonder whose car this is?"

Midge looked through the driver's side window, which was rolled down. She saw a wallet of the dashboard; Midge picked it up and opened it. Looking inside she saw a photo driver's license; she looked at it for a while. Reading the name Midge was hit with a wave of recognition and slight bit of relief. Yes it is Steven Hyde, but what if it's not the same man she knew in Wisconsin? She knew that it was his picture, but what if when he found her in his car, he beat her and left her on the side of the road?

Midge put the license back in Hyde's wallet, seeing her things on the back floor she reached for them. There was no time because she saw Hyde coming, so she started walking. Realizing that her purse was still in the flatbed, she jumped in to retrieve it. When Midge saw him coming around the back, she lied really still and closed her eyes.

Hyde was walking out to his car, when he saw someone jump into the flatbed. He walked around the back, and looked in. Hyde was overtaken by a wave of recognition of the woman, but he was also shocked and bewildered. He remembered stopping in California and spending the night in a motel six, and then deciding to head back home in the morning. So how did Midge Pinciotti end up in the flatbed of his car? How did she survive being back there this whole time? They were in Las Vegas now; this was the first time he stopped.

He looked at Midge who was laying on her back with her eyes closed, like she was sleeping; or what if she was dead? But he saw that she wasn't, because he chest was rising and falling slowly. He didn't know what to make of this whole thing, and was figuring out a way to approach her, without scaring her. Then Hyde thought of something. What if she's running from the law? What if she committed a horrible crime? Hyde couldn't be involved in something like that. Then he thought about it, but Midge would never do something like that.

"Hey Midge mind telling me what you're doing in the back of my car?"

Midge sat up and stared at Hyde, a terrified looked on her face. "Steven I can explain."

She started telling him about leaving Chris, and hiding in the back of the car, when he showed up looking for her. And about falling asleep, when the car started driving, because of the stress and fear of being caught. Hyde listened to her with his full attention. Not taking his eyes off her, for one minute.

"You rode all the way from California, back there?" Hyde asked shocked by this.

"Yes."

"Get out," Hyde said.

"What?" Midge asked looking scared.

"Come sit in the car with me." Midge got up and Hyde helped her down from the flatbed. They both got into the car, and he started it up. He looked in the back and saw some duffle bags, and a suitcase. "Are those yours?"

"Yes," she said looking at what he was looking at. "My friend Sharon put them in the back when I was hiding, so Chris wouldn't see the bags."
Hyde drove out of the rest stop, and headed in the direction of home. They sat in silence for some time, not knowing what to say. Midge looked over at him, wondering what brought him all the way out to California in the first place.

"Steven what brought you all the way out to California in the first place?" She asked.

"Oh it's a long story, and I don't feel like talking about it."

"Ok then," she said turning away. "I did however tell you about what happened to me."

Hyde knew she was right, she did tell him about dating a man who abused her, for no reason. And about leaving him, which would be hard for anyone to talk about. He never talked to her about anything before; he'd always talk to Donna; but never talked to Midge. Maybe he should start, seeing as they're going to be spending a lot of time together; they should get to know each other better too.

"Have you eaten anything today?" Hyde asked.

"No," she said.

"Do you want to stop somewhere for dinner?"

"Yeah."

"Then I can tell you what made me drive all the way California." Hyde said as he pulled into the parking lot of a diner. They got out and went inside, sitting at a table they waited for someone to come take their order.

"So how are Eric and Donna doing, are they still together?" Midge asked.
"Yes, and Eric's in Africa for a year teaching. And Donna's still working at the radio station as Hot Donna." Hyde said as the waitress came over. She took their orders then walked away.

"Wow sounds cool," Midge said.

Five minutes later the waitress brought them their food. After she left Hyde told Midge about Jackie giving him an ultimatum. Then when he made his decision, she left for Chicago; before he got a chance go tell her. So when he went after her, and when he got there, he found Jackie and Kelso in bed together. Midge listened to him, with her full attention, never taking her eyes off him.

"So are you going to work things out with Jackie?" She asked.

"I don't know if there is anything to work out," Hyde said sipping his coffee. "So should we keep driving, or find a place to stay for the night; and see what fun stuff this city has to offer?"

Midge smiled as she finished her food. "Yeah lets stay here tonight. And start fresh in the morning, besides I feel like a beer."

"You don't look like one," Hyde joked, the waitress came with the check; they split the bill and left the diner.