It had been weeks since Eric had been suspended for holding Donna's cigarette, and she still refused to talk to her or Laurie or even Hyde about it, who had tried his best after Jackie had begged him, citing that he was another damaged little boy, just like the rest of them.

Donna still claimed nobody would understand, and it was starting to irritate her to no end.

Hyde got to feel all of her irritation, and helped her release it. Always with a little smirk on his face. Christmas was tomorrow, and she felt like she was missing something.

Her and Hyde had been fighting and failing to keep their hands off each other, getting to the point where they were making out under the bleachers between periods of class, and pretending like they didn't exist at home, aside from when she would scamper into the basement.

There was never time for talking, only time for one last time, but their one last time was becoming reoccurring, and was constant.

Stealing kisses, hand holding when they drove alone, kisses at red lights. Quiet love making in the basement, or anywhere they could do it really, and the prospect of getting caught made Jackie ten times more in the mood, which drove him wild.

She carefully wrapped presents in her room, gingerly using the tape, and carefully folding over corners and edges. Damn Steven Hyde, and Kelso, and her brother. And Fez.

She whined. Today was the last day of school before vacation, and tomorrow marked Christmas Eve, and her father was incredibly disappointed about having to work. Nobody was home. Laurie was at work, her mother was at work, her father was at work, and all the kids were at school. She had feigned a migrane headache, but she really didn't want to have to sit through another day of school. She couldn't do it!

Her essay had made it into the final category, and she was over the moon. Donna didn't even acknowledge it.

Eric had gone to use the money in the Candy Land stash to buy Donna's Christmas present, only to find it was missing.

Him and Hyde had been at each other's throats for the past three days. Hyde denying everything, and Eric adamant that Hyde had taken his money without asking. It was stupid, really, and Jackie wanted to knock their heads together. She knew that Hyde hadn't taken it, because she saw Red take it, from the crack in Steven's bedroom wall, when they were fooling around, trying to stay still so that nobody would walk in.

But Red thought nobody was down there, and it would look suspicious if she told him that she had seen him. She wanted to chuck his new limited edition GI Joe that she had scrounged to buy him into the windshield of the Vista Cruiser, and shove her foot up his twitchy little ass. Her brother wasn't that smart sometimes.

And Hyde made it no easier on himself by bringing up the money constantly, as if anybody would care at all. He knew he didn't do it. Teasing Eric about it was gonna drive a wedge even farther.

So when her father finally was caught putting the borrowed money back, Eric was shocked. Hyde smirked like it was no big deal. Even though they could have apologized, they were still bickering like little kids, and Jackie was ready to start ripping her hair out.

She carried her stack of presents to the tree in the basement, and placed them neatly in a pile, all except Hyde's, which she hid under her bed. It was too sensitive to give to him in front of everyone. It was a limited edition concert t-shirt set, signed from Vanstock. Zepplin, Pink Floyd, and Fleetwood Mac, but his was black. That one went under the tree. The one se had gotten him was an excerpt from her essay that she had written, and revised, and molded to the picture of the two of them when they were eleven, toothy grins, his stupid sunglasses too big on her face, and arms wrapped around each other in the Forman's backyard. He didn't even know the picture existed.

Slow conversations guided by the light of the refrigerator. Affection reserved only towards the other. Soft words whispered in the dim basement bedroom. Silence. Your hand in mine. It's pretty cool.

She debated on giving him the note. She would decide tomorrow.

Christmas Eve had the house bustling.

Mistletoe hung in every single doorway, the trees were lit, and people swung in and out of every single doorway in the house. Her red sweater hung in a V against her chest, and one of Kitty's necklaces hung around her neck. Her hair flowed down her back, and her face donned light make up and pale lipstick. Bracelets clanked on her wrists as she carried trays around the house, placing them on tables, and her painted white fingernails clacked against small furniture. Her bell bottoms and clogs clicked against the floor.

"Sis, hand me a pop?" Laurie asked, crouching to grab something from under the sink. She pulled out a sponge to wash the lone dish in the sink, her eyes bulging as if she had seen a ghost.

"You good, Laur?"

Her blonde hair was laid perfectly in her Farrah Faucet hairdo, make up flawless, and her outfit that matched perfectly to Jackie's, but with gold jewlery had no creases or stains or tears. But her steely blue eyes showed a crazy that hadn't been let out in a while. She huffed. "We'll talk about it later." Jackie raised an eyebrow.

"It's not that." She mentioned, pulling the charm out of her pocket, and waving it around. This one donned five months, and she gave a weak smile. "It's a boy problem." She whispered, and Jackie pursed her lips, grinning when Fez came sauntering in, and the blonde flushed, fumbling over her words.

"Hello, my favorite Laurie." He sing-songed. "My Goddess, Miss Jackie." She rolled her eyes. "Hi Fezzy."

"Oh, it is the merriest time of the entire year! My favorite for candy! The chocolate..." He trailed off, smiling dreamily, and kissing his closed fist, before opening it. "Mmm, Christmas Chocolate."

"Oh, hi Fez!" Mrs Foreman cheered, smiling, and kissing his cheek. "All the appetizers are out downstairs with the kids. Jackie is on her way down." She smiled at her mother, who was noticeably looking tired, but beginning to perk up as her father worked more hours. "Hello, Mrs Kitty. I was just telling your beautiful daughters how they look just like you." He charmed, and she laughed, all of them ignoring the fact that everyone knew about Jackie's background.

"Oh, you're just the sweetest! Well, I have to go see everyone out there! Red's mother is here." She rolled her eyes, and did that trademark laugh. "And my mother is here. They're like nightmares when they get together." She scurried out into the party, which was spilling into the living room, and Fez flounced down the stairs.

"Boy problems, huh?" The shorter one popped her hip, and Laurie coughed. "That obvious?"

"Sorta."

"We've been hanging out now that Kelso's following that smart chick around." She shrugged, drying the dish, and Jackie raised an eyebrow. "That's why you haven't been around much. I thought you were working overtime." She mused.

"Yeah, and what have you been doing with all your free time?" She asked. Steven. I've been doing Steven. "Oh, you know." She swallowed, with an awkward cough. "House chores, job searching." She shifted on her feet, giving her best innocent smile. Laurie smirked. "Two presents for Hyde?" She asked, a glint in her eye, before freezing as they heard a loud crash and a shriek from Fez.

The two scurried down the stairs, to see Eric on top of Steven, and then Steven throw the boy off of him, and landing a punch on his face.

"Stop!" She cried, running into the middle, as the two puffed heavily, Laurie checking Eric, and Jackie checking Steven, who had taken the brunt of whatever happened. "What the hell was that?" Laurie asked, helpinh her brother off his ass, and putting hands on her hips.

"He attacked me." Eric cried, and Steven rolled his eyes. "You, threw the first punch Foreman."

"Actually." Fez spoke. "You both kinda launched at each other." He interlocked his fingers sheepishly.

"Fine, so both of you are wrong, just like you have been for the last week!" The brunette cried, frowning. "You shouldn't have blamed Hyde!" She pointed at her brother, who looked down in shame. "And you," She pressed a finger to his chest. "shouldn't have kept it going. You guys are supposed to be friends. Brothers." She cried. "It's Christmas for crying out loud!"

"Buela, it ain't my fault."

"Well then it isn't mine."

"Fine. And, it's not mine either. Fuck you both, I'm out." She spoke, flinging herself upstairs, and slipping her coat over her shoulders, before storming out the door.

"Jackie." Hyde's voice called, coming into the cold.

"What?" She asked, her tone rough, and he looked taken aback.

"What is your problem?"

"Steven, I'm aggitated, because there is no reason for either of you to be acting like five year olds." She growled. That wasn't the whole truth, and she cursed that he could read her like a book. He furrowed his brows.

"That's not what it is." He said matter-of-factly. His shades were still hooked on his shirt. She breathed.

"It's this, Steven. What the fuck are we doing?" She asked, eyes welling up. She didn't wanna cry. Her mascara would look funny and people would ask questions. He furrowed his brows.

"What do you mean?"

"What is this?" She asked. "What are we doing?" She prodded. "I feel confused."

"So am I."

"So what do we do?" She asked, and he shrugged.

"That's why." She shoved him, a tear slipping down your cheeks. "We don't know. What are we doing? Where is this going besides a dead end?"

Silence, another tear, and he stepped closer. His thumb padded across her cheeks. "So why don't we take a turn." He told her, breath coming out in clouds. Her breath hitched. She wasn't expecting that. "A turn?"

"You could be my... my chick." He mumbled, cupping her face. Another gentleness only reserved for her. She fought the smile.

"What about Eric and Kelso and my dad?" She mumbled, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch.

"Who said they had to know?" He asked, closing in on her. "Only we have to know, Doll." He told her.

She pulled a present out of her back pocket. Thin, gingerly wrapped, felt like glass. She handed it to him. He furrowed his brows.

"You don't have to open it now." She told him. "Just something small." A little smile tugged at his lips, and he went to say something, but instead pulled her into a hug, surprising her. "Thanks, Doll."

"Mhm." She hummed, nuzzling into his neck, and smiling. "So, your chick?" She asked, and he laughed. A real, genuine one. He looked around to make sure nobody was looking. He kissed her forehead, then her nose, and then tilted her chin up with his thumb and locked lips with hers. She hummed.

"Merry Christmas, Doll." He mumbled, and she smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Steven. Now, you and Eric go figure out your issues." She scolded, and he laughed, the two of them parting in opposite directions, her fighting the smile on her face as she floated into the kitchen, grinning.

"Oh, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Her mother asked, noticing her makeup smudged.

"Nothing, Mom, happy tears." She giggled.

"Oh, does one of my little girls have a boyfriend?"

She shrugged, smiling. "Something like that."