The following night...

"...and that, my friends, is why you never try to dry your underwear in a microwave."

Fez nodded his head, a popsicle millimetres from his lips. "Ohhh," he said thoughtfully, "that makes so much sense."

Hyde had walked into the basement halfway through Kelso's pearl of wisdom and despite being semi-intrigued as to what happens when you put underwear in the microwave, he decided to sit down and say nothing.

"Yeah, it does," Kelso nodded from his seat on the lawn chair. "My mom was pissed, man. She'd only had the thing a week n now it's all messed up n ruined..."

"One of the many risks that comes with being a simple home appliance in the Kelso household," Eric mused before looking over at Hyde. "So, Hyde, how was work tonight?"

"Sucked, thanks for asking," Hyde replied. "We got any beer around here?" It'd been a while, a long while, since Hyde had gotten completely wasted and tonight he felt like doing just that.

Eric stood up and walked to the shower, revealing a 24 pack of cold beers sitting behind the curtain. "We do, but they're for the party...y'know, the party we're all going to tonight?" His hand swiftly moved to his mouth in mock surprise. "Oh, wait," he said, "I mean the party me, Fez n Kelso are going to...the one you can't go to 'cause your grounded..."

Kelso let out a loud laugh. "Yeah, gotta suck being Hyde and being grounded!"

"Oh, leave him alone," Fez said, wiping a trail of sticky, red liquid from his chin. "Poor Hyde is going to be a dad soon and he's not even allowed to leave the house on a Friday night." He turned to Hyde and smiled, before adding, "Ah, burn!"

"Whatever." Hyde stood up and walked to the shower, ripping a can from the plastic rings. "Like I'd wanna go to that lame party anyway, it's the same thing every year - drunk jocks settin' their asses on fire, the drunk chess club spewing all over the house, drunk girls passin' out all over the cow fields -" he opened his can and closed his eyes in defeat, "Dammit! I do wanna go..."

Sitting back down on his hard chair Hyde sculled back half of his can of beer and thought about what he'd be missing out on. Daniel Syme's annual winter party at his parent's farm 2 miles out of town was always a party to remember. Every year since freshman year Hyde and the others had gone to that party and every year, without fail, they'd hooked up. Hyde figured it had something to do with all the fresh country air making girls extra crazy and extra up for it...whatever it was, it worked. Not that he wanted to hook up with anyone this year of course. This year there was only one girl on his mind.

A girl who just so happened to be staying under the same roof as him for the weekend.

Eric smirked and rested his arm along the back of the tatty couch. "Well, my friend, you can't. Thanks to your little union with the devil you're stuck in this house until who knows when. Have fun watching TV with my folks while we're out tipping cows."

"Get bent, Forman."

"Speaking of Jackie," Kelso said, leaning back in his chair. "It'll be awesome not having her following me around Dan's party tonight. God, every year she'd be walking round the paddocks screaming 'Michael, where are you?' -" he shook his head, "- Totally ruined me hook'n up with other chicks, man." He smiled at Hyde. "But tonight, the noose is gone and I'm free!"

Hyde snorted into his can. "Good for you, man."

"Yes, good for me," Kelso grinned, not taking his eyes off Hyde.

"Have fun dodging all that cow crap while you're rollin' round them fields."

"Oh, don't worry, Hyde, I will."

Hyde rolled his eyes and finished the rest of his beer. The alcohol was already giving him a buzz, probably because he hadn't eaten since breakfast; one of the many joys of skipping lunch for History tutorials. He motioned to Fez to throw him another can, catching it in one hand.

"Man, this blows," he said, cracking open the can. "All I ever do is go to school n work. It's like I'm a square - or Forman."

"Uhhh, I'll take that as a compliment?"

Hyde nodded at Eric. "You do that, Forman," he said with just a hint of sarcasm. "But seriously, who does Red think he is groundin' me just coz I didn't ask him to drive Jackie to Kenosha? God, you can't win with that guy...you're freakin' damned if you do n damned if you don't."

"Welcome to my life," Eric chipped in. "Although to be fair, I'm not sure that's the only reason you're grounded, dude-"

"Hmmm, I heard it was because you and Jackie have been doing it," Fez added, "but I cannot confirm that rumour because whenever I climbed the tree by her bedroom window her curtains were closed."

Hyde glared at Fez before throwing his empty can at the foreign boy's head. "Stop being such a perv!" he growled. Although Hyde had always denied having a physical relationship with Jackie to the boys, a large part of him wished that they knew. He'd like to be able to kiss her when he wanted, touch her when he wanted, but because their relationship was shrouded in secrecy he had to pretend they were just friends. It sucked and it was annoying. Just like being grounded.

Footsteps on the basement stairs interrupted further talks of groundings and Jackie, and Hyde turned to see the girl herself descending the stairs followed by Donna. He smiled and nodded 'hello', inwardly delighted at seeing her. Since being caught in bed by Rosa the previous day they'd barely spoken, let alone seen each other, and he'd missed her.

Jackie shooed Fez off the couch with her hand and sat down. "So," she said, looking at Eric, "what are you losers up to tonight?"

"Well, those of us who aren't knocked up -" Eric said before glancing at Hyde, " -or grounded - are going to Dan Syme's party. So I'm afraid that counts you out, Jackie. Who's the loser now?"

Jackie tilted her head to one side and raised her brows at Eric. "Not me," she said. "And you can very much count me in." Looking over at Hyde, she added, "And him."

Both Eric and Hyde's faces twisted in confusion.

"Huh?"

"Him?" Eric pointed at Hyde. "But he's grounded, and you're...you're pregnant. You can't come to a party with us."

"Well I am."

Kelso shook his head defiantly. "No offence, Jackie, but we can't be seen at a party on a Friday night with a pregnant chick. It'd totally cramp our style. Probably best you stay in n knit some booties or something."

Donna's eyes narrowed. "Shut it, ya dillhole!" she yelled at Kelso. "Jackie's coming. She's pregnant not 80."

"Jeez, Donna, I said no offence," Kelso whined, slinking back in his chair.

"I don't care what he thinks," Jackie declared, standing up and straightening out her stripy skirt, "I'm coming. So, Steven, you better get yourself changed -" she pulled Hyde up by the hand and began leading him to his room, " - because you are not wearing that!"

Five minutes later Hyde was sitting on the edge of his cot watching Jackie rummage through his drawers. On any normal day he would've yelled at her to leave his shit alone, but on this night he was too stunned to say anything other than, "How the hell did you get Red to agree to this again?"

To which Jackie answered, "Easily. I pouted, shed a few tears, told him how much I missed my parents and my carefree teenage days. Said I needed to be around people my own age for a night and he buckled. Just like I knew he would."

"That doesn't explain how I'm being released from prison..."

Jackie threw a pale blue button up shirt at Hyde and he frowned.

"Do you really think Red would let me go to a party in my condition with those three knuckleheads?" Jackie thumbed toward the main room of the basement. "You're coming to look after me," she smiled.

"I'm not wearin' that shirt..."

"Oh, you'll wear the shirt..."

Jackie sat in the front seat of the Vista Cruiser, the window open a fraction, the clean, cool breeze sweeping over her face. Next to her, Donna was adjusting the stereo, searching for a song that 'fit the moment'. When Jackie heard a song she liked her hand clamped hard over Donna's.

"Leave it here, Donna," she ordered. "I love this song!" She sat back, the leather seat crinkling underneath her body, and started to sing along. "I'll be fine when you're gone, I'll just cry all night long, Say it isn't true and, Don't it make my -"

A unanimous, "No!" filled the car before Crystal Gayle's beautiful vocals were replaced with white noise.

"But it was Crystal Gayle," Jackie moaned. "And she has such pretty hair..."

"Her hair doesn't help her sing, Jackie," Kelso informed her. "Hair only helped Samson and that was only coz his was radioactive. I learned that from Pastor Dave."

"Shut up, moron," Hyde growled before tapping Jackie on the shoulder. "Hey, Jackie." Jackie turned around, admiring Hyde in his nice blue shirt. She'd never seen that one before and wondered where he'd gotten it from. It was smart, sophisticated, and perfect for a father to be. He scrubbed up well.

"Yes?"

"So, I was wondering. I know I gotta watch out for you tonight n all, but does that mean I gotta be sober? Or can I drink some of these beers?" He gestured to the beers sitting in his lap, his expectant, hopeful eyes momentarily illuminated by the streetlights.

Jackie smiled. "You can drink beer tonight so long as you let me name our daughter Crystal!"

Hyde's face fell and he frogged Eric who was sitting in front of him driving the car. "Don't laugh, Forman," he warned before looking at Jackie. "We're not calling our kid Crystal."

"But it's such a pretty name!" Jackie said. "And Crystal Gayle is so pretty...it's win win."

Kelso nodded his head. "I knew a stripper called Crystal once. She was hot. Now I'm not sure Hyde's kid'll be hot but I'll put money on her being a stripper so, yeah, Crystal could work."

Hyde reached across Fez and frogged Kelso twice in the arm, much to Jackie's pleasure. "Asshole," she mumbled, narrowing her eyes at her ex.

"See, Jackie, we can't call our kid Crystal. Now can I drink some beers or not?"

"Drink the beers," she answered him.

Forty minutes later Jackie was leaning against a wall watching Hyde drink his twelfth beer. He was sitting next to Fez on a small, brown couch on the far side of Dan's large lounge, his hand bobbing up and down shaking two dice. A polished coffee table was in front of them, mostly covered in plastic cups and beer cans, with some space reserved for the two dice to land on. A crowd of guys from school had gathered around the coffee table, and cheers erupted every time one of them rolled two sixes, or twos, or whatever. Jackie sighed as she watched them. Boys could be so dumb.

It'd been ten minutes since Eric had spilled his beer down Donna's jeans, so nine and a half minutes since the redhead had dragged him to the car by his ear. Since their departure Jackie had leaned against the wall by the door, wishing someone would talk to her. Wishing she still fit in.

She looked over at Hyde again, this time catching his eye. He grinned and gave her a thumbs up. His face was warm and happy and she smiled back at him. It was good to see him having fun with his friends again, even though part of her wished he'd come and rejoin her as a wallflower.

"Nice skirt."

Jackie looked up and saw Pauline, a senior cheerleader, standing in front of her. "Oh, thanks, Pauline," she said sceptically, half waiting for the burn that was sure to follow.

"You want a drink or something?" Pauline asked, holding up her plastic cup filled with what looked like beer.

Jackie shook her head and nodded down at her belly. "No thanks. Don't think this one feels like a beer tonight," she said politely.

Pauline smiled, the smile even reaching her bright, blue eyes. "I didn't mean a drink of alcohol, Jackie. I know you're pregnant. I meant do you want a juice or coke or something? There's some in the kitchen-" Pauline stepped toward the kitchen, nodding for Jackie to follow. Jackie glanced over at Hyde, who was still absorbed in his dice game, then back at Pauline.

"Sure, why not," she shrugged.

With a glass of juice in her hand Jackie pushed past the numerous party goers loitering about in the kitchen and sat down next to Pauline at the kitchen table. She made a mental note to herself that next time she saw a pregnant girl at a party she would be sure to step aside; her and her bump had barely made it through the damn kitchen unscathed...or un-drenched in juice.

Sipping at her drink she tapped her foot nervously. It was awkward being back with the cheerleaders, especially because none of them had bothered to acknowledge her presence. Well, none except Pauline.

"So," the older girl said, flicking her black hair over her shoulder, "What's it like being pregnant?"

Jackie lifted a shoulder before letting it drop again. "Boring," she answered. "I can't cheer; can't drink alcohol; can't ride a horse if I had one...it's really not as glamorous as Elizabeth Taylor made out."

Pauline nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, I can believe that. When my mom was pregnant with my sister I remember her just moaning about being tired n having stretch marks, it sounded horrendous. But hey, you get a kid at that end so that's gotta be pretty cool right?"

Jackie's eyes widened in shock. Was a cheerleader actually being sincerely nice to her? Did someone who waved pom poms actually think her having a baby was 'pretty cool'?

She smiled brightly. "Well, yes, I think having my daughter will be pretty cool. I've got so many cute little outfits all ready for her to wear. And I have the most gorgeous pram to push her round in-"

"Awww, that sounds so sweet," Pauline said, her eyes glazed over in awe of the baby, or because of the beers she'd just consumed.

Blonde hair spun through the air as Kat Peterson swiftly turned to look at Jackie. "You're having a girl, Jackie?" she asked, her eyebrow in a sharp point, her hands clasped in front of her on the table as though she was in a board room.

Jackie felt the heat rise to her cheeks as Kat, Kelly, Suzy, and even Katie, stopped their chitchat and focused their attention on her.

"Yes, Kat," she said with a smile she hoped didn't look as fake as it felt. "I'm having a baby girl." She rubbed her bump. "Soon I might add."

Suzy, a girl always dressed head to toe in designer clothes, and the envy of every girl at Point Place High except Jackie, scooted over a seat so that she was next to the mother to be. "Wow, I'd love a little girl," she said, gazing adoringly at Jackie's bump.

"But would you really wanna be a single mom?" Kat asked sternly.

"If it meant I'd done it with Steven Hyde, probably!" Kelly blurted out, ending her statement in a fit of giggles. "Sorry, Jackie," she added when Jackie narrowed her eyes at her. "And sorry about the Fez stuff too..."

Jackie shrugged and sipped at her juice again, deciding not to go up against a table full of cheerleaders in her condition. She'd suck it up and roll with it. They may be backstabbing bitches but they were all she knew. A few jibes about her status she could handle; being friendless she could not.

"Well I've done it with Steven Hyde plenty of times," Kat said proudly as she lit a cigarette. "You know that right, Jackie? You know that you weren't the first cheerleader to slum it with our resident bad boy? And I hope you know that you won't be the last. Guys like Hyde don't change, especially when they have good girls lined up on a daily basis throwing themselves at them. Isn't that right, Kelly?"

Jackie felt the thunder rumbling in her stomach, threatening to release it's fury in a verbal rage. She turned to Kelly, not wanting the blonde bimbo to divulge anymore information than what she'd just heard.

"Kat, that's enough," Pauline calmly said, placing a hand on Jackie's forearm. "Don't start any trouble, you've been a bitch to Jackie for long enough."

"I agree," Suzy said, daring to rub her hand on Jackie's baby bump. "Plus I want this little sweetie to call me Aunt Suzy."

"And she just might," Jackie smiled before looking up at Kat. "But sorry, Kat, the only thing me and Steven's daughter will be calling you is skankoi-"

"There you are!" interrupted Hyde as he pushed his way through the crowd and stood next to Pauline at the table. "I been lookin' for you everywhere."

Jackie glared at him. The French doors that separated the kitchen from the lounge were open wide; all Hyde had to do was look up from the stupid dice and he would've seen her.

When she noticed Kat intently studying their interaction Jackie's glare was quickly replaced with a sweet smile. "Miss me did you?" she asked sweetly.

Hyde grinned. "Like a hole in the head, darling," he said grabbing her hand off her lap. He nodded to the door leading outside. "Come with me while I have a smoke."

"But it's cold out there..." Jackie moaned, getting to her feet.

"Then put your coat on."

As Jackie maneuvered her bump in between the wall and Pauline's chair, she caught Kat staring at Hyde.

"Hey, Hyde, how's it going?" the skank asked.

"Kat," Hyde drunkenly nodded, pulling Jackie behind him. "It's going."

Kat smiled and nudged a blushing Kelly before looking up at Hyde again. "Aren't you gonna say hello to Kelly?" she asked.

Jackie held Hyde's hand firmly as her stomach flipped and her pulse raced. She despised being jealous, it was so beneath her, but she couldn't help it. She did her best to telepathically tell Hyde to ignore the slutty cheerleaders and keep walking but the moron didn't hear her. Instead he looked down at Kelly and said, "Hey, Kelly."

Jackie rolled her eyes and dug the tips of her fingers into his lower back. "Thought you wanted a smoke?" she reminded him.

"I do," he said. "Catch ya later girls."

...

Jackie sat down next to Hyde on the Symes' old swing seat, a little nervous about whether the tatty plastic furniture would hold both of their weight. Hyde, clearly unconcerned, lit his cigarette and using his feet, began rocking them back and forth. He sat back and gazed out toward the roaring bonfire burning brightly in the middle of the paddock. There had to be at least 20 kids crowded around it, some probably there for the warmth, others mostly there to see what furniture would burn and what furniture would explode. No doubt Kelso was there somewhere throwing anything and everything on the flames.

"So, you made up with the cheerleaders?" Hyde asked, dragging on his smoke.

Jackie shrugged. "Not really, just people to talk to at this boring party."

"Boring?" He looked at her. "You wanted to come."

"Yeah, but I guess the thought of coming was better than actually being here. I mean, I can't drink, can't smoke, and the music's so lame I can't even dance. Should've stayed home n watched Dallas." Jackie sat back in the seat and wrapped her arms around herself. It was cold, and the only thing from the bonfire finding it's way towards them was the stench of smoke. She should've stayed home tonight. She could've prepared herself for the prison visit with her father tomorrow while also avoiding hearing about Hyde's escapades with other cheerleaders. It made her sick, imagining him with other girls wrapped around him, and not in the sick, furious way that she'd felt about Kelso's exploits. When he had cheated Jackie had been hurt and angry, like someone had stolen her most prized possession. But with Hyde, it was different. He hadn't cheated, he merely had a past that she didn't know too much about, and it made her sad.

"Speaking of home," Hyde said, "how long you staying at the Formans' for?"

"Til Monday I think," Jackie replied.

He grinned. "So are you sneaking down to my room tonight or am I sneaking up to yours?"

Jackie felt the corner of her mouth rise and she slapped his knee playfully. "Neither, buddy. I'm assuming you got the same lecture from Red as I did? No hanky panky under his roof, yadda yadda yadda. Damn Rosa for opening her big gob...it's so embarrassing."

"Yeah I got the lecture this morning. Was kinda awkward having Red discuss my sex life over pancakes with Mrs. Forman sitting at the table." Hyde rolled his eyes and put his arm around Jackie. She snuggled into his side, grateful for the warmth he emitted. "Which is why we gotta be quiet, it's one thing having them talking about it, another thing them actually walking in on us."

Jackie poked his side with her finger. He just wasn't getting it. There was no way in hell she was having sex with Hyde with the Formans in the same house.

"I told you it's not happening," she stated. "And besides, by the looks of it you've had way too much to drink tonight anyway, you'll probably be asleep by the time we get home."

"If I know nailin' you is a sure thing then I swear I'll stay awake," Hyde smirked, gently tugging Jackie's pony tail.

"God, it's all about sex with you guys, huh?"

Hyde's drunken eyes widened and using his left hand he removed his shades, hooking them into his shirt collar. "It's all about sex with me? You're the one that's been gaggin' for it lately. I feel cheap and used if you must know." He finished his sentence with a grin and a wink but something behind his smiling eyes told Jackie that maybe there was some truth in what he'd just said.

"Steven, you're okay with our little - " Jackie paused for a second, trying to find the right word for whatever it was going on between them, " - agreement, aren't you?"

"By 'agreement' you mean you demanding sex and me complying?" he asked.

Jackie bit down on her lip and looked up at him. He was still grinning and she was relieved. "Yeah, that."

He shrugged. "I guess. I mean, it'd be weird y'know, if you were like, in an agreement, with somebody else...coz, y'know, that's my kid in there..."

"That's what I figured."

Hyde cleared his throat. "But, like, if you wanted to change our agreement I could be cool with that too..."

Jackie's brow furrowed. "Change? How?"

"Well, y'know...we're having a baby together, n we're hookin' up all the time, n we're hangin' out a lot, so, y'know...I guess it's kinda like we're in a relationship already but we're also not...if you get what I mean?"

"Are you saying you want to be in a relationship with me?" Jackie asked, slightly unnerved by his suggestion.

"Um, yeah, I guess."

"As in boyfriend, girlfriend -"

"Yes, Jackie."

Jackie sat up a little straighter, prompting Hyde to withdraw his arm from around her shoulders. He stopped rocking his feet and stared at the ground. The porch light shone down on them and Jackie tried hard to study his face. Was he serious about them as a couple or was it the beers talking? Was it a cruel burn, was Fez going to jump out from behind them any minute laughing? But Hyde's expression was unreadable, much like the man himself.

"But what if it changed things between us?" Jackie asked.

Hyde crossed his arms over his chest. "Just forget I said anything."

Jackie was tempted to do just that, but the part of her that liked to talk kept going. If he was serious then he needed an explanation as to why a relationship wasn't a good idea right now. Her list was long - she didn't know much about his past, especially the part that involved Kat, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. There was also the fact that they barely talked about anything of real importance, hence why she didn't know much about him. And then of course there was the obvious reason - they were from two completely different worlds and were only just making it through their own worlds individually; trying to navigate a world together would not be an easy feat.

Jackie swallowed hard, for the first time in her life choosing to go with what her head was telling her rather than her heart. "What if we ended up breaking up and hating each other? We'll have a daughter, Steven, and I don't want us to be enemies. After Christmas, when I said those things to Mrs. Forman and you stopped talking to me, I thought that was it, Steven...I thought our friendship was over and we'd be parents who couldn't stand being in the same room together. I couldn't bear it if things turned out like that."

"But that might not happen, it could work -"

"But if it doesn't and I lose you then I have no one. Look at my life right now, Steven. Nothing's working...everything's a mess. I can't risk us falling apart too. I need you in my life. Our daughter needs you in her life."

Hyde looked down at her and shrugged, his face hardening. "Yeah, well, like I said, forget I said anything."

"But-"

"Jackie, I said forget it." He stood up, pushed his hands into his pockets and began making his way back to the house. Jackie followed closely behind, her little steps struggling to keep up with his larger, more purposeful ones. When they reached the porch a few kids from school studied them curiously, probably detecting trouble between the parents-to-be, so Jackie quickly linked her arm through Hyde's hoping he wouldn't push her away in front of the would-be gossipers.

Relief swept over her when he pulled his arm closer to his side protectively. "Are we okay?" she whispered as he ushered her through the front door.

"Golden," he replied flatly, leaving Jackie feeling in no way reassured that they were indeed, okay.

A/N: Thank for so much for the reviews - you have no idea how much they spur me on to keep going. For those of you that were reading 'All of My Love' - guess what...I'm halfway through the final chapter! Hopefully it isn't too far away from being finished, I really hate that it's been left incomplete for so long. Thanks again!