A/N: I'm going to have to change the rating to M when I post the next chapter so please make sure to show all ratings to find this. I have to work all weekend so I probably won't get the next chapter up til mid next week but I promise it will be up. Thanks.

Chapter Four – Work

Amazing still it seems
I'll be 23
I won't always love what I'll never have
I won't always live in my regrets

Jackie and Fez sat at a table eating their pieces of the wedding cake. She had seen him several times over the years since she'd left Point Place. After she'd had a chance to explain the things she'd done he had been able to forgive her. Now they were back to their comfortable place as friends and she was grateful. The last thing she had ever wanted to do was make it impossible for the 6 of them to be in the same room together especially at something as important as Donna and Eric's wedding. She was happy for them, they had finally gotten past all their obstacles and would be together forever. She was resigned to the fact she would never get her together forever, being hurt and alone for so long had taught her fairytales were a lie and she would have to be content with the other things in her life.

She'd been in Washington 6 months and things were going better than she had hoped. Work was great, it felt like a career not just a job and she had a nice little apartment near her office. From the outside things couldn't be better, except for the suffocating loneliness that was threatening to engulf her. She would go to countless bars trying to socialize, drinking and smoking way too much but it did little to fill the void. She missed home and she knew it was finally time to reach out and let the people that she cared about know she was ok. Who better to start with than her best friend and when she heard Donna's voice, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. After Donna's initial freak out they were able to let each other know what was happening in their lives.

She told Donna about her job and how she was working towards being a reporter. Donna filled her in about college life and more importantly how she and Eric had decided to get engaged again. Jackie was really happy for them and she asked about Eric and the rest of the gang. Kelso was really making a go of it in Chicago and he hadn't burnt down the club yet so that was a good sign. She asked about Fez and Donna told her that after she'd left he went back home for a while but he had come back eventually and seemed to be doing fine. She breathed a sigh of relief and Donna asked if she wanted to talk about it, she told her she couldn't just yet but in time she would. That only left Hyde and she hoped Donna would tell her without having to ask. And as only a best friend can know without words she did as Jackie had hoped. He was in Chicago too, opening up a second store and by all accounts it was doing well.

Jackie smiled, she always knew he would live up to his potential and she loved being right. They said their goodbyes and Jackie promised to call soon. Now that she knew they were all ok she was able to let go of some of the guilt she'd been carrying around. It had been the right decision to leave but that only made her miss them more. But she had a new life now and they had theirs. Things would never go back to the way they were. She just hoped that one day they could forgive her enough to let them be friends again.

The night went on and everyone was having a good time. Slowly people trickled off until it was the six of them just hanging out like they use to. The boys were doing a good job of trying to out drink each other and Donna had the sense to drag Eric away before it got too messy. The rest of the boys kept at it until Kelso and Fez ended up passed out on the floor. Hyde had always been better at holding his liquor. Jackie picked up her purse and got up to go outside.

"Where are you going?" Hyde asked.

"Outside for a smoke, you want one?"

"Sure"

They walked out of the marquee, Hyde just teetering on his feet. They made it outside and lit up.

"So I hear your stores are doing well"

"Yeah they are" The pride evident in his voice.

"That's great Steven, you deserve it" and she meant it.

"Thanks, so you're a reporter now I hear"

"Junior reporter but its great, I love it"

"That's cool"

"Thanks"

"Uh so you and Fez looked cozy before"

"Well we're friends and sure we went through a rough patch but its all fine now"

He snorted "Rough patch huh, is that what you like to call it"

"Is there something you want to say to me Steven?" she said trying to suppress her anger.

"Look forget I said anything"

"Come on I'm a big girl I can handle it, if there's something you wanna say just say it." She said challenging him.

"Fine if that's what you want. So how 'd you screw over Fez cause he's too nice to tell anybody what you did"

"That's not fair" she bit back.

"When is anything ever fair? What the hell did you do to him?"

"I lied" she said barely above a whisper.

"Lied about what?"

"When we first got together he said he didn't want to be my rebound guy. I promised him that it wasn't like that but that wasn't the truth. He didn't deserve to be used like that so I left"

Hyde stared at the ground. So Fez was her rebound guy. He couldn't even begin to process what that could mean. He looked up, into her eyes, seeing the tears beginning to form. That's when she turned on her heel and ran. He felt his knees begin to shake. He needed to sit down, before he fell on his ass, and he could blame the alcohol for the shaking but he knew it wasn't the truth.