Two Days Later...

Hyde tossed a warm tortilla onto his plate and stared across the table at Jackie. He watched as she dolloped spoonfuls of salsa onto her own tortilla, never once lifting her eyes to meet his. When she reached for the grated cheese Hyde made his move, quickly pulling the bowl closer to his side of the table. Jackie mumbled something under her breath and narrowed her eyes at Hyde but he didn't care. At least he'd garnered a reaction out of the small brunette, something he hadn't been able to do for the last couple of days.

He smiled at her. "Oh, did you want the cheese?"

"You knew I wanted the cheese," Jackie said, drumming her fingers on the polished mahogany table. "My hand was in the bowl before you rudely snatched it away from me. God, Steven, if you continue to act like such a Neanderthal you won't be welcome here for dinner again."

"The thing is, Jackie," Hyde started, sprinkling a good amount of cheese over his tortilla as he spoke, "I don't feel that welcome here right now. You haven't spoken to me since I got here. Actually, you haven't spoken to me since Friday. Is this about the damn prom thing again? Because I thought we'd sorted all of that. I thought you were cool with not going?"

Having spent the best part of his young life mostly avoiding having a girlfriend, Hyde had never claimed to be an expert on women's not-so-subtle hints; but he also wasn't a blind moron. He'd seen the dress Jackie's mom had sent her to wear to prom hanging in the bathroom upstairs, and despite suffering a hangover from hell for better part of two days he'd also noticed Jackie's nasty looks and lack of verbal communication. She was pissed he wouldn't take her to prom, and he was pissed she was still banging on about it. So he held tight to the cheese bowl until Jackie finally sighed.

"Fine," she breathed out, snatching the bowl from him. "I'm annoyed at you right now, hence me saying last night 'you're pissing me off, Steven, so don't come over after work tomorrow'. I should've known that you'd do the exact opposite of what I'd ordered. It's like you were placed on this earth solely to torture me."

Hyde raised an eyebrow. "Jackie, you know I come to see Tyler every night and I'm not gonna stop that just because you're pissed about some stupid dance. So you can hurl insults at me or ignore me all you want, 'cause I'm not gonna stay away from her 'cause you're tantruming. We're not going to prom and that's final."

Across the table Jackie's lips curled into an evil smile. It was a smile Hyde recognised. One usually reserved for Laurie or Kelso, or any other poor sod who'd really pissed the little cheerleader off. But tonight for some reason that smile caused Hyde's breath to hitch. Why was she looking at him that way? Surely this couldn't be over the prom? God, Hyde was beginning to hate the prom more with every second.

"Oh, we may not be going to prom," Jackie said gesturing between herself and Hyde. "But I am."

Hyde laughed. "Yeah right. You said yourself that ridin' solo would be social suicide. You wouldn't dare front on your own."

"I'm not going on my own," she quickly repiled. "I have a date."

"Who?" Hyde asked the question way too quickly but he couldn't stop himself. His heart was racing, filling his veins with the adrenaline he needed to pummel whoever it was that dared take the mother of his child to prom. Sure, he and Jackie weren't officially a couple but everybody in Point Place knew they had a 'thing' and everybody should've known not to mess with that 'thing'. Whoever the moron was that had chosen to cross Hyde had to have a some kind of death wish.

"Michael," Jackie said nonchalantly. "Michael asked me to prom a while back and I finally said yes."

Hyde felt the blood drain from his face as his worst fear was confirmed and he swallowed hard before composing himself enough to speak. "Of course you did," he said, the memory of sitting in the school cafeteria while Kelso penned a poem thundering around his head. How did he not see it then? How had he missed Kelso's plotting? It had to be the baby and the lack of sleep that had thrown Hyde off Kelso watch. Somewhere in between work, school, and Tyler, the tall prick had swooped in and stolen Jackie right from under him - or rather - next to him. The bastard. "So, let me guess, he asked you to go with him in a poem?"

Jackie stopped folding her tortilla and looked up at him, her eyebrows knitted together. "Yes," she answered quickly. "How did you know?"

"Just a lucky guess." Hyde shrugged and looked down at his colourful but suddenly unappetizing dinner. "Oh well, s'pose it was only a matter of time..." he mumbled at his plate.

"What was only a matter of time?"

"You and Kelso gettin' cozy again." He looked up at her, deciding to ditch the Zen facade and show her just how pissed he was. She was making him look stupid, just like his own mother had done a few years back when she'd ditched him for a new life in a truck cab. "Guess I should thank you both for having the decency to wait until my kid was baked n out before resuming your fucked up relationship. It would've made me sick if any part of that moron had been anywhere near Tyler."

Jackie's eyes widened in horror and her mouth fell open. "Ew, Steven! Are you implying that I'm sleeping with Michael Kelso?"

"You say it like it's something you'd never do." Hyde folded his arms across his chest as he stared Jackie right in the eye. "But we both you know you have, and probably will again."

"Excuse me, but going to prom with someone doesn't mean you're sleeping with them!"

Hyde shrugged. "Tell that to the all the motel owners with 'no vacancy' signs up on prom night."

With that, Jackie abruptly stood up and threw her napkin onto her untouched dinner plate. Her eyes were fiery and her cheeks crimsoned. Yeah, she was feeling guilty alright and Hyde was just fine with that.

"Look, Steven, I'll have you know right now that I'm not having sex with Michael. Nor do I intend on having sex with him in the future. He is merely a friend who kindly asked me to go to a dance with him...a dance that I really, really want to go to, and one - let me remind you - that you refused to take me to. And I'm sorry that in your twisted little mind Michael and I going together means we're having sex, but quite frankly, Steven, even if we were, that'd be none of your business!"

She let out an exasperated breath before falling back onto her chair and shaking her head.

Hyde's head on the other hand, was reeling. What the hell did she mean 'none of his business'? Her business had been his business since the day she'd floated into the Formans' kitchen and dragged him out to tell him she was knocked up. Her dating was definitely his business. He'd had enough 'visiting uncles' trapesing through his childhood home to know that it wasn't cool and wasn't something he wanted for Tyler. Especially when one of those uncles could be a man who glued himself to fridges.

"None of my business?" he asked incredulously. "Are you for real, Jackie? You dating Kelso is absolutely my business. You have my daughter living with you in the same house Kelso once set alight. I don't wanna be coming over one night to see the whole house up in flames with my baby trapped inside."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "God, I said we weren't dating."

"You said you weren't screwing - which, by the way, I don't believe - but technically you are dating because you're going on a date with him to prom."

"Oh, so going to prom with someone implies you're dating them?" Jackie questioned. "You do remember you once took me to prom right, Steven? Gosh, if I'd known we were dating then I would've made you spring for dinner beforehand."

Hyde's lips grew tight at the memory. "And let me guess, after that dinner and prom, you would've had Kelso spring for breakfast after fucking him all night?"

Before Jackie could make her rebuttal Rosa breezed into the room carrying a freshly changed baby girl in her arms. The older lady frowned as she neared the table and she 'tut-tuttered' loud enough to warrant a ceasefire. Hyde exhaled slowly as his focus shifted to Rosa and the baby.

"Finally awake is she?" he stated more than asked, holding his hands out to take Tyler.

But by the way Jackie darted out of her chair swiftly cutting off Rosa's path, it was obvious the brunette wasn't going to let their argument die.

"Oh no you don't," she said to her maid/surrogate mother. "He doesn't get her. Not after just calling me a whore."

Rosa gasped and Hyde rolled his eyes. Now he was in for it. Not only would he have Jackie to deal with, but also an over-protective Mexican.

"Calm down," he quickly said before Rosa could fire up. "I didn't call her a whore. I just said she wasn't adverse to sleeping with Kelso again. Which I guess to some people might be equivalent to whorey behaviour... .but not to me, because I'd never call my kid's mom a whore."

Jackie glared at him, her chest rising in anger. "No, you'd just imply it, right?"

A part of Hyde wanted to shoot Jackie a knowing grin and shrug and start a Jackie/Hyde war unseen for the better part of two years. But another part of Hyde, the part that just wanted to hold his daughter and watch The Love Boat, took over and instead he sighed in defeat. If he wanted to see Tyler he had to get on with Jackie. No matter who she chose to date and how much it sickened him to the core.

"Jackie, you're not a whore. Never have been, never will be."

Rosa shook her head and glared down at Hyde. "That's right. Miss Jackie is not a whore. She is an unwed mama, yes. But -" she pointed her finger at Hyde, "- that is your fault, mister. She is mother of your child and you must respect her, or I'll..I'll...cut off-"

Hyde dreaded to think what appendage Rosa would cut off so he quickly interjected. "No need to cut anything off, Rosa. I respect Jackie-"

"Yeah right," Jackie huffed, jiggling Tyler in her arms.

Hyde raised an eyebrow before adding, "- most of the time..."

...

An Hour Later

Hyde sat on Jack Burkhart's leather recliner slowly rocking Tyler in his arms. It'd taken a good twenty minutes to pry her away from Jackie but it'd been worth it. After all, the little bundle was the reason he was here and he wasn't about to leave without holding her. No matter how many times Jackie had tried to evict him.

Jackie.

Hyde chanced a glance in her direction. God she was infuriating. How the hell had they gone from practically being in a relationship together to her going with Kelso to prom? It didn't make any sense. Sure she was hormonal and tired but that was no excuse for doing a full 180 on him. None of the pregnancy books had warned him about this kind of crap. He looked at her again. She had her legs tucked up under her on the couch and was furiously biting her fingernails while she watched the TV. For someone who was getting her wish and going to prom she didn't look so happy. So Hyde decided to call her on it.

"Jackie, what's this all about?" he gently asked.

She looked at him. "What's what about?"

"What's going on, man?" Hyde sighed. "We were good last Friday, remember? You said you weren't fussed about prom, I bought you a burger, you told me what to wear to Fez's birthday...you said you had a good day. Then I wake up Saturday with a pounding headache and you not speaking to me. And now this crap. What the hell happened?"

"As usual, Steven, you happened," Jackie said, her eyes returning to the TV.

Hyde shook his head and pulled Tyler higher up on his chest. His movement roused the sleeping baby a little so he kissed her head and softly stroked her back. He loved the little girl more than life but having to deal with her mother right now had him itching to bolt. Was this what it'd been like for Bud? Had Edna played mind games that had left Bud with no other choice but to leave her and his only son behind? Hyde figured yes to all of it and while part of him had a new understanding of his father's plight he still swore he wouldn't do it to Tyler. She meant way too much to him.

"What have I supposedly done, Jackie? And can you please say it in English 'cause I'm way over trying to crack your codes."

Jackie arched an eyebrow. "It isn't what you've done. It's what you're planning to do. Behind my back I must add."

Now Hyde was truly puzzled. "Planning to do? Now what, pray tell, am I planning, Jackie?"

"Why don't you tell me?"

"No, you tell me, because you're the know-it-all who thinks she knows it all, therefore it's your job to enlighten me - the guy who knows nothing about anything."

Jackie glared at him and crossed her arms across her chest. "I found it, Steven," she finally said. "In your drawer."

Hyde felt his forehead crease. She'd found what in his drawer? His stash? An old girly mag he'd forgotten about? As far as he knew there was nothing even remotely incriminating in his drawers.

"You found what?"

"The letter. The one from Madison University..."

Hyde heard Jackie's voice hitch at the end of her sentence and for a second he felt bad for her. The poor girl must've thought he was up and out of here, leaving her to raise their daughter while he led the college life. But before he could explain himself he remembered their fight an hour ago and anger replaced pity. Damn her for jumping to conclusions.

"Oh, the acceptance letter," he said calmly. "Can you believe it? MU want me! Who would've thought, huh?"

"Well not me," Jackie replied, before quickly adding, "I mean, I knew you had potential, but didn't you get like a 950 in the SATs? Hardly scholarship material."

Hyde chuckled. "Oh yeah, the 950 - that was what I got the first time I took the SAT's. Second time I got a 1250."

Jackie shot off the couch, her eyes wide in disbelief. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "The second time? You took the SATs again? Why?"

"I wanted to do better." Hyde shrugged. "Had a talk to Mr. Morrison after the first scores came back and he agreed that if I applied myself I had a shot of getting into college n maybe even getting some grants. So I did them again. And did better."

Jackie nodded. "A whole lot better!" she agreed. Her head tilted to the side. "But why didn't you tell me you were doing it? I could've helped-"

Hyde raised his eyebrows. Jackie shrugged.

"Okay, maybe not helped with the actual study but I could've brought you food and cheered you on. You know how good I am at that," she grinned.

"Look, I just didn't want anyone to know, okay? Not you, not Forman, no one. I was doing it for me -" he looked down at Tyler and kissed her head again, "- and her and I don't even know where I'm going with it all. It was just info that didn't need to be shared."

"But, Steven," Jackie beamed, "This proves that you're the smartest in the group...even smarter than Donna. I always knew you were but now we have the piece of paper to prove it! Oh we have to tell everyone!"

Hyde watched in amusement as Jackie bounced up and down. She was ecstatic that her baby's daddy was 'the smart one'. He laughed. Pity she didn't know that before she'd traded him in for an idiot.

"Oh you can tell them all at the prom," he sniped. "Preferably after Kelso has set fire to something."

Jackie quickly stopped bouncing and the smile faded from her face. "God, I'd forgotten about that."

"I'm sure he hasn't.."

"Look, Steven." Jackie sat down on the edge of the couch. Her expression now void of excitement. "How was I supposed to feel when I saw that acceptance letter? You'd never once mentioned wanting to go to college. I thought you were happy working here, with us. I saw the letter and I freaked. In my mind you were skipping out on me and the baby. I was hurt, Steven. I still am."

"So you ran to Kelso, without even bothering to talk to me about it." He rubbed his hand over his forehead. "Jackie, I don't know what I wanna do about the whole college thing which is why I never brought it up. I figured there was no point worrying you about something that may not even happen when you had your hands full with Tyler. But you had to go snooping and jump to conclusions."

"But I thought you were going to leave us..."

Hyde shook his head and sighed. "I would never have just left and I can't believe you actually thought I would. Whatever decisions I make now, and in the future, I make with Tyler in mind, so what on earth possessed you to think I wouldn't consider you, Jackie? I thought you knew me better than that."

Jackie's big eyes stared down at the shag carpet as she chewed on her bottom lip. She was embarrassed, just as she should be.

"Steven, you should've talked to me," she said, still avoiding looking at him. "You should've told me about resitting the SATs and possibly going to college. This is kinda your fault."

That was it. Hyde had held Tyler for long enough and his visit had to end. He wouldn't stick around for any more of Jackie's childish crap. He was done with her games. Done with her never taking responsibility for the part she played in their disputes. So he stood up, mindful not to wake his baby, and carried her to Jackie.

"What are you doing?" Jackie asked as he placed Tyler in her arms. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes, Jackie, I'm leaving," he answered, picking up his denim jacket from the chair. "If you're lonely, or upset, or a bit confused, just call Kelso. I'm sure he'll be around in a flash."

"Steven, that's not fair..."

Hyde walked to the front door, Jackie scurrying behind him. He turned around. "What's not fair is you always using your ex to piss me off," he told her. "I told you just before Christmas, when you wanted to hook up, that I wasn't gonna get involved with you and always play second fiddle to him. Man, we're not even in a relationship and the guy's fucking with my head. I'm over it, Jackie. If you can't grow up and talk to me about stuff before calling him, then I'm done with whatever it is you and I had going on."

He opened the door and Jackie put her hand up to close it. "But, Steven, I can tell him no to prom," she pleaded, her eyes already welling up.

Hyde gave her and Tyler one last glance over before saying, "I'm done, Jackie."

As he made his way to his car Hyde ignored Jackie's pleas to stay and talk with her. He was over it. Over it all.

Kelso could have her.