Later that afternoon, Eric was alone in the driveway, aimlessly bouncing the basketball against the pavement and taking the occasional shot. Jackie had left awhile ago to try to attempt to repair her friendship with Donna. He was confident that his bubbly girlfriend would be able to get through to her best friend. If anyone could break down your resolve, it was Jackie.

"Hey, Foreman," Hyde said softly as he came up the drive.

Looking him over, Eric could tell that it had been a long night for his friend. Kitty had confided in Eric that Hyde had spent most of the night sitting in the driveway, his head in his hands. His mother had tried to coax him back into the house, but stubborn as he was, he had simply chosen to remain there. Once he had finally sobered up, Hyde had driven away in the El Camino, and no one had heard from him until now.

"Hyde," Eric replied shortly.

"Man, I should apologize for last night. We had way too much to drink, and I guess everything kind of bubbled over."

"You could say that."

"I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's funny, I think that we only ever really get to hear how you feel when you're drunk," Eric remarked. "You said you loved her. I know that's still true."

Hyde shuffled his feet and looked down at his scuffed black boots, trying to avoid his friend's gaze. "I do."

"I want to have our friendship back more than anything, but I will keep on fighting for Jackie," he said. "You should know that. I'm not going to let you take her away from me."

"I'm going to try because I have to, man, I hope you understand that. I love her, and I have to fight for her. I didn't do it enough with Kelso, so I have to this time."

"I understand."

"Not that it really matters."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It doesn't matter how much I fight you, Foreman. She's not going back to me," Hyde smiled sadly. "She's in love with you."

Next door, Jackie swung her feet nervously over the edge of Donna's bed. "Donna, we need to talk about last night. We need to talk about this whole mess."

"Jackie, I never really had girl friends before you. I always had Eric and Hyde and Kelso, and I didn't really see the point in bringing another female into the group," Donna replied. She didn't look up from the stack of records she was organizing. She needed to keep herself busy if she wanted to maintain her courage. "And then you started dating Kelso, and we didn't really have a choice. Eventually, you found your place in the group, and you became my best friend. Other than Eric, that is."

"Donna, I'm still you're best friend."

"Seeing you with Eric, it's like you two don't need me anymore," Donna continued. "The man that I loved most in the world and the girl I trusted most are together now, and I'm left with nothing."

"That's not true," Jackie retorted. "You have us both, we are still your best friends"

"Jackie, you two have each other. You're so close to each other now, and that's only going to continue. I've seen how Eric looks at you, I've been on the receiving end of those looks. You guys don't need me anymore."

Jackie's eyes shone with tears. "Donna, I will always need you. We both do. Just because Eric and I are in love does not mean that we still don't need your friendship. You gave me a home when I had no one else in the world. You've been my confidant and my roommate and my nemesis. You've been the closest thing to a sister I will ever have."

"Jackie, I just don't want to lose either one of you to this relationship," Donna quivered. Her eyes were now glassy with tears as well.

"You won't," Jackie promised as she rushed over to hug her friend. "I promise you."

"I really hope that you mean that."

"Are you going to be able to forgive us?"

"It was never really about forgiveness, Jackie," Donna admitted. "I just needed to know that I was still needed, I guess. I needed to know that I still had my place."

Jackie and Donna hugged again and started to talk about everything. Promises were made and friendships were renewed between the girls during the course of the next hour. While they had been able to easily repair an only slightly broken bound, both were aware that it would be much harder to do with their male counterparts. Not only was the friendship between Eric and Hyde severed, there was also the question of Eric and Donna's relationship as well as Hyde and Jackie's. Jackie was confident that Eric and Donna would reach an understanding, they had far too much history. She hoped that the same theorem would apply to the boys' friendship; however, she had little confidence in her friendship with Hyde.

"Donna, can I ask you for one favor?"

"You can try."

"Forgive Eric. Talk to him about it, tell him what you told me," she begged. "I don't think that Hyde and I will ever be able to be friends, but I want you and Eric to be in each other's lives. I want the guys to be able to be friends."

"Eric and I will be fine," Donna promised. "There's too much between us for it to not be. I know that it seems unlikely right now, but I think the same might be true for you and Hyde."

"I don't know."

"Do me a favor, Jackie. Just give him a chance."

"If you are going to work things out with Eric, then I guess I can try to figure out what it is between Hyde and me."

"You're calling him Hyde now?"

"I just think that it lends itself better to friendship," Jackie explained. "Steven was my boyfriend, and now, I need Hyde to be my friend."

Donna looked out the window, spotting Hyde sitting on his El Camino below. "Well, there's no time like the present."

Jackie told her friend goodbye and headed down to the Foremans' garage. Hyde was sitting on the hood of his beloved car, his legs splayed out and his head turned toward the sky. An open bottle of beer rested beside him as Zeppelin poured from the car's speakers.

"Hyde."

"Jackie."

"We should talk," she tried.

"Yeah, probably," he replied as he dropped his head to look at her for the first time. Damn, she's beautiful, he thought to himself as he took a long swig of his beer. "Have a seat."

Jackie perched herself on the hood of the car next to him. "Look, I just want to apologize one last time for everything. I really am sorry that I hurt you."

He looked at her thoughtfully. "I know you are."

"But, with that said, I'm done apologizing. I can't apologize for this anymore, I won't. I really want you in my life, Hyde, and I hope that you can find a way to make that possible."

"I'm trying to figure out a way," he said.

"I really hope you mean that. And not just for me, but for Eric, too."

"I'm gonna try my damnedest," he vowed. "I already lost you once, I don't want to not have you in my life again."

"Oh, Steven!" she cried automatically. Slipping into using his first name wasn't a big deal to her, but it signaled something to Hyde. She reached over and hugged him in a friendly way, but he took it as much more.

"Oh, Jacks," he murmured as he embraced her. Pulling back slightly, he began to kiss her. She tried to pull back, but he was caught up in the moment and his grip was too strong. He mistook her grunts of frustration for groans of pleasure. Neither of them noticed they were not alone.

"What the hell?"