New chapter, yay! I was going to update the other story first, but then I got some ideas for this one. Hope you like it! I'm shooting for two more chapters and maybe an epilogue. Read and review!

Chapter 15

Previously…Donna is finally ready to move on when, lo and behold! Eric shows up on her doorstep. Meanwhile, Jackie and Hyde have a little naughty bad fun, but will their relationship hold when Hyde returns to Point Place?

The air suddenly seemed ten times thicker. Her breathing was shallow and erratic, blood pumped furiously through her body. What the hell was she going to say to him? What could she say? Her brain was screaming at her, begging her to tell him that it was over, that he'd had his chances and he blew them all. She didn't need him anymore. Right?

"I, uh," Eric began awkwardly. "I went to your house but Bob said you'd left. He gave me the address. I wouldn't have come without calling but he couldn't find your number and…" he trailed off, not sure what else to say. "You look…amazing. Just incredible. I kind of missed the red," he added with a slight grin, nodding towards her hair. Donna didn't say a word. Her mind couldn't seem to put a coherent sentence together. Eric continued on uncomfortably. "My term in Africa ended. Turns out they only needed me for a semester. It worked out though. The company said they'd pay for college wherever I want to go, so I just…" he stopped rambling suddenly. "Okay Donna, please say something, the look you're giving me is making me really nervous." He rubbed the back of his neck uneasily.

Donna opened her mouth the slightest bit, ready to tell him everything she'd been feeling since he left. Everything he had made her feel by leaving. The loneliness, the anger, even the jealousy. She felt it burning in her gut at the memory of Jackie and Hyde cuddled together in her bed. They weren't supposed to be the happy, carefree, totally in love couple. Those two were the dysfunctional, unnatural ones that fought all the time and didn't know how to communicate. Her and Eric were supposed to be the ones that lasted. They were perfect together, and it made Donna cringe to think that everyone, even Kelso had been right about how the two couples would turn out. Maybe he never said it right out, but his decisions made his opinions clear. She remembered the day he told the gang Brooke was letting him chose Betsy's godparents. She could still see the shocked looks on Hyde and Jackie's faces when Kelso chose them. Donna had rarely been that pissed before.

A year (or something) ago…

"What the hell, Kelso?" she shouted, smacking the boy on the back of his head. He yelped and glared at her.

"Geez, Donna. What's your problem?" he said, rubbing his head.

"What do you think my problem is, you moron? Jackie and Hyde aren't even together anymore! They can't be Betsy's godparents!"

Eric stood up next to his girlfriend and glared at their friends. "Yeah, Kelso. Did Brooke explain the concept of 'godparents' to you really thoroughly? Because, I don't think you quite get it," he said with a slightly condescending look on his face. Kelso scowled.

"I know what it is Eric," he said haughtily. "And I have my reasons for picking Jackie and Hyde. Besides, who else was I gonna chose?" he asked, genuinely bewildered at their reactions.

"Us, you dumbass!" Donna yelled, gesturing to herself and Eric, who was nodding earnestly behind her. Kelso rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on," he replied incredulously. "You two would be the worst godparents ever! I don't want my baby girl exposed to the stupid little fights you guys always have. She's gonna think the whole world is like that."

"Um, Michael I really appreciate this and everything," Jackie said from the lawn chair, quickly getting the group's attention, "but I think Eric and Donna would be much better godparents. I mean, you know how bad I am with kids."

"Yeah," Donna quickly agreed. "She hates kids. Do you want your daughter to be hated?"

Kelso wagged his finger at her. "Ha, nice try, but I don't think so. You're the one that lost Little Jackie in the cop car, remember? Brooke will kill me if I ever lose Betsy." He paused for a moment. "Oh, and I'd be really sad."

Getting desperate, Eric turned to Hyde. "Hyde, you don't want to be a godfather, do you?" he asked hopefully.

Hyde shrugged indifferently. "I dunno. Sounds like it could be alright."

Donna watched his face carefully and frowned when she realized where his eyes had darted before staring blankly at the TV again. She glanced at Jackie, who didn't notice anything. Kelso jumped off the couch excitedly.

"So, Jackie? Hyde? You guys'll be Betsy's godparents?" he asked again.

"Yeah, sure."

"That's cool."

Kelso clapped his hands. "Awesome." He grinned happily, completely unaware of the glares he was receiving from the couple in the room.

End flashback

Donna had known her relationship with Eric was strained at the time, but they both refused to acknowledge it. It wasn't until Kelso had chosen godparents that she realized how much they had drifted apart. And Eric's jokes about Kelso wondering how hot dogs could survive in the wild without eyes couldn't distract her from the worry that had made its home deep in her stomach. Turned out she had reason to worry. Eric was willing to spend a year on a different continent than her just to advance himself. She knew she should have been proud of him, but she wasn't . She was angry instead. And she still hadn't let the anger go.

So Donna ignored the lightheadedness Eric always made her feel, choosing instead to remember his abandonment. Which gave her the strength to slam the door in his face.

x

x

"Yeah…yeah, Angie told me…uh-huh…ha, yeah right…I know…hmm, maybe a week or two…uh-huh…I dunno, it's a little short-notice…yeah, probably…alright…no, it's fine…actually, now I'm kinda…oh, sure…Randy, yeah…I dunno what the hell kind of name it is either…ha, you got that right…okay…okay I'll see you in a week…bye."

Hyde hung up the phone and sat back down on the edge of Jackie's bed. It had been several hours. They were both partially dressed now, him in a pair of sweats and her in one of his t-shirts. She walked up to him and sat in his lap the minute he was off the phone, resting her arms on his shoulders.

"What did W.B. want?" she asked.

Hyde shrugged modestly. "Nothing, really. Just reminded me that he's opening another store in Chicago. He wanted to know if I want to run it."

Jackie's eyes widened. "Really? Steven that's great. Are you going to do it?"

"I think I am. There's not much reason to stay in Point Place anymore. Everyone's gone now except for Fez. And if I have to hear one more 'I said good day' I'm gonna have to slam his head into a wall."

Jackie chuckled and leaned towards him, gently touching her forehead to his. "I think you'll miss Fez. And Point Place."

"Yeah, I guess I will," he murmured, closing his eyes. He dragged his fingers up and down her ribcage, savoring the feeling of her warm, silky smooth skin. She sighed contentedly and rubbed circles on his scalp with her fingernails, just the way he liked it.

"What do the Formans think?" Jackie asked softly.

"They don't know yet. I just found out about the Chicago store last week. I didn't want to tell them until I was sure I'd take it." Hyde slid his hands down from her waist and ran them across her thighs lightly. Jackie didn't bother trying to suppress the moan that came out of her mouth. He smiled and leaned back on the mattress, bringing her down with him. She succumbed happily, letting her body lie on top of his. They fit together so perfectly, Jackie decided she never wanted that moment to end.

"So. You're moving to Chicago next week," she murmured into his chest.

"Yeah. I guess I am." Hyde sounded a bit surprised.

He tightened his grip on her waist and fell asleep almost instantly. Jackie was just beginning to drift off when an idea popped into her head. Her eyes snapped open with excitement. She carefully detached herself from Hyde's arms and tiptoed to her desk. In the third drawer on the left, she found a faded blue folder. After flipping through the mess of papers, Jackie finally found what she was looking for. With a grin, she put the folder away and slipped the paper into the nearly empty top drawer. She stepped back to the bed and settled herself once again in Hyde's arms. He pulled her closer in his sleep.

The flashback was a little random, but I like it. Please review!