A/N : I'm going to wrap this story up with one more chapter after this one, and of course the ending will be happy and of the J/H persuasion :-)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 5

"So, Donna" Eric said giving his girlfriend a look from his position sitting on the back of the couch with his feet on the cushions, "What you're saying is, you tracked down Hyde, you followed him to the bus station, you talked to him, and then you, er, let him go?" he checked he'd understood her story correctly, "Cos if that's how it happened I only have one thing to say... Are you insane!" he suddenly exploded.

Donna did not looked amused by his outburst.

"What did you want me to do, Eric?" his girlfriend asked frustartedly, "Get him in a headlock and drag him back to the basement?"

"That would've been cool" Kelso laughed at that particular mental image, before turning his attention back to the TV. Laurie had long since grown bored of him and sent him back down to the basement to find his own entertainment. Right now it was cartoons which he was watching with Fez. The foreign kid was still hungry and was happily stuffing his mouth full of cheese puffs, as Donna and Eric continued to argue over his head.

"You said it yourself, Eric" the red-head continued, "Hyde's a big boy now, he can look after himself, and not that I have to defend myself to you but I did try to convince him to come home" she sighed, "I was so sure that parting shot would do it. You know how weird he is about being like his Dad"

"Yeah, Bud's great from a beer-swilling, party guy point of view, but the running out thing?" Eric shook his head, "It's just not cool, man"

"God, are we still talking about this" Jackie rolled her eyes as she returned to the basement from upstairs where she'd gone to use the bathroom, or so she'd said. Donna had been surprised to find the other girl was here when she returned, she'd expected her to go straight home, unless of course Jackie had faith in Donna to bring Hyde home. Despite hiding behind her newly learnt Zen, it was obvious she still liked and wanted Hyde as much as she ever did, least it was obvious to Donna. She doubted the boneheads that surrounded her had paid any attention to the tell-tale signs, much like Hyde himself had not.

"Could you guys keep it down, we're tryin' to watch the show!" Kelso complained, moving to turn up the volume on the TV.

Obviously annoyed, Donna stalked over and turned the television off completely.

"Son of a bitch!" Fez complained, spitting cheese puff crumbs in four directions by default, "Bring back the cartoons, whore!" he complained, until Donna gave him a warning look. All the guys knew she could kick ass like no other girl they knew, it just wasn't worth messing with her.

"Hey, c'mon, Fez" Kelso urged his friend as they got up from their seats and edged towards the back door, "We'll go watch TV at my house where it's safer... I mean, quieter, I mean..." he amended with a nervous laugh, deciding his best option was just to run right now which he did with his foreign friend hot on his heels.

"Michael can be such an idiot" Jackie huffed as she took his vacated seat on the couch and picked up a magazine from the table.

"Yeah, well, he's not the only one" Donna told her, looking her in the eye as the smaller girl glanced up, "Jackie, you've been crying" she said, as if the girl herself wasn't aware.

"No way, Donna" Jackie shook her head, "I'm just a little tired is all, it's been a long day" she shrugged, not liking the looks of disbelief she got from both the red-head and Eric when she glanced over at him, "In fact, I should be getting home" she said, suddenly scrambling to her feet and hurrying out of the door.

On the other side she stopped and let out an unsteady breathe. Donna was right, she had been crying, so many tears over another love lost. Steven Hyde had stolen her heart, she wasn't sure exactly when or how it had started, but when she'd said before that she loved him it was no lie. She still felt the same now, but her stupid pride stopped her from admitting it to anyone but herself. When she'd seen him again at the Fotohut, he'd treated her with the same indifference that he always did. It hurt to realise that it must be real, that neither their date, the kiss they'd shared, nor his short absence from her had made him want her any more than he had a few days ago when he'd told her she meant less than nothing to him.

Sniffing hard and tilting her chin, Jackie headed home, determined not to cry anymore until she reached the sanctuary of her own bedroom. She would get over Steven Hyde, she didn't need him or any other man to exist. She was Jackie Burkhart, and she would survive just as well on her own.

Hyde cursed himself as he hopped off the bus and looked around at his surroundings. Yeah, he knew where he was, and though the journey was a couple of miles he could find his way home pretty easily. He was still in Point Place, something he wasn't happy about in one respect and yet very relieved about in another. Hyde wanted out of this town where Jackie Burkhart lived. He wanted to be free from the spell she had over him, and away from the friends who would judge him if he was with this woman he was falling head-over-heels in love with. He also wanted to prove to Donna that no amount of niggling, not even comments about him being like his father, would induce him to stay in Point Place after the events if the past few days. The problem was, her words had stung, and the thought of leaving Jackie behind hurt more than he'd like to admit.

It didn't sit well with Hyde that he'd upset the Formans either. Though Red came off kind of hard-assed and mean, underneath it all the gang knew he meant well, and was mostly just looking out for them, and Mrs Foreman, well, she was the Mom Hyde wished he'd have been born to. His own mother had never really wanted him around, never had much time for taking care of him, yet Eric's Mom couldn't do enough to help Steven out. Knowing he might have upset her, might've made her cry for him or worry about him... Hyde did not want a reputation for being a Mama's boy, particularly when the woman in question wasn't even his real mother, but he was sorry to know he might've hurt her, might even still be letting her worry unduly about him.

Pushing his hand into his pocket he pulled out some change and walked until he found a phone booth. There was one not far away and he soon found himself dialling the Formans number and praying, despite his lack of particular faith, that Kitty would pick up the phone, not Red or Laurie.

"Hello, Forman residence" said her cheery voice and Hyde smiled to himself.

"Hey, Mrs F, it's me" he told her, and heard her gasp with delighted surprise.

"Oh, Steven, honey, where are you? Are you alright?" she checked, speaking almost too quickly.

"I'm fine, Mrs Forman, I swear" he told her, "In fact, I'm headed home"

"Steven, that's wonderful!" Kitty enthused, "We were just so worried about you. Y'know if you're having a problem and you need to talk we're always here" she reminded him, "We love you"

"I know" was his simple response as he came over all strangely emotional.

Love wasn't a word he heard much, not in any real sense, but he didn't mind hearing it from her, the replacement mother he was so grateful for, "I'm... I'm sorry I made you worry" he said sincerely, wondering at the fact she was one of the few people who could also get a decent apology out of him too. There was one other he might have to say sorry too, of course, but that was dependant on the conversation they had when he got home.

"Oh sweetie, I'm fine" Kitty laughed her trademark high-pitched laugh, "Everything will be fine just as soon as you get yourself home, and if you're hungry you just tell me I can cook anything you want"

"Honestly, Mrs F, it's cool" Hyde smiled, "But I really gotta go, I'm don't have any more quarters" he told her, "I'll see you soon"

"Well, okay, Steven" she replied, "We'll see you just as soon as you can get yourself back here" she said, before they ended the call and Hyde continued his long walk back to the house. He could use the time to think about what he was going to say to everybody.

Red would want an explanation amongst the yelling that was inevitable, and then there was Jackie. Donna seemed to think there was a lot of stuff to figure out, maybe there was, but Hyde was dreading the conversation. Talking about his feelings wasn't really his style, but it was better than being branded a carbon copy of his father, and breaking hearts, including his own.

"Well, okay, Steven, we'll see you just as soon as you can get yourself back here" Kitty was saying into the phone as Eric came up from the basement and found his mother hanging up the phone, and his father peering over the top of his newspaper.

"So, the dumbass is coming home?" Red checked and all Kitty could do was nod and bounce up and down like a kangaroo on hot coals, "And I suppose he's going to start calling this house home again, since I couldn't get hold of Bud today. Damn idiot's skipped town again, went last week so his landlord said"

"Oh do you think that's why Steven left too, to find his father?" Kitty asked. Eric knew better but didn't stop to answer, just hurried back down to the basement where Donna was waiting for the soda he was supposed to be fetching.

"Okay, you're soda-less" she observed as he returned to her, "What happened?" she asked as he walked past her where she sat on the couch turned off the TV and came back, sitting himself next to her.

"Hyde's coming back" he announced, over-dramatically, "He just called my Mom and he's coming back here right now"

"Yes!" Donna said with enthusiasm, punching the air, "I knew I got him with that parting shot about his Dad"

"Maybe more than you think" Eric nodded, "My Dad says Bud skipped town again last week, clearly the parenting gig wasn't working for him"

"Poor Hyde" the red-head sympathised, "But hey, at least if he's coming home he and Jackie can figure out whatever the hell it is that's between them"

"I guess so" Eric agreed without enthusiasm, "But honestly, Donna, you think they will? I mean, Hyde's not really the commitment type, and Jackie, she's a little..."

"Difficult?" Donna suggested.

"Well, I was going with controlling and bitchy, but potato, potato" he shrugged, as his girlfriend rolled her eyes.

"We should just lock them in a room together and make them talk things through" she suggested.

It was supposed to be a joke but Eric's eyes lit up at her idea, and when she realised it Donna re-considered just how much humour was really in what she said. It wasn't so crazy, putting two people together and making them face up to what they feel. In minutes a concrete plan was formed. By the end of the night, this problem would be resolved.

To Be Continued...