A/N: I'm glad my story is getting such wonderful feedback. This chapter is mostly Hyde's conflicts with going to the funeral. The next chapter will actually be the funeral and probably the longest in the whole story so it may take a few days to get up. But who knows, I might just write the whole thing in one sitting. It's a toss up.

Hyde opened his eyes from hours of restless sleep. His alarm clock starred back at him reading 7:17 AM. He only got 2 hours of solid sleep. Well today is going to be just fabulous. He stretched his body and planted his bare feet on the cold cement floor. The air in the basement was still and freezing with an eerie quiet resting over the entire room. It had been like that since everyone had left. The once friend filled basement, with people always coming and leaving is now as desolate as Point Place itself.

The smell of sausage and pancakes filled Hyde's nostrils as he made the journey up the wooden staircase. What would he say to the Formans about everything? He knew they would both be supportive, but that was one of the things he feared. He wanted to forget all about Edna just like he had forgotten all about her once before.

The brightness of the Forman kitchen was overbearing and blinding. Hyde shuffled to the kitchen table and took his seat next to Red Forman who was reading the newspaper. Kitty Forman was still cooking at the stove.

"So Steven, did you have a nice night's sleep?" She sounded cheerful as always. Maybe she didn't know yet.

"Not so much." He focused on the plate of pancakes in front of him.

"Aw, well why not?" Kitty carried the frying pan and scooped the sausage onto his plate.

"Uh…" Should I tell them? "Just didn't… not to sure why." He forked a pancake and placed it on his plate looking anywhere but at Mrs. Forman.

A sharp flip of Red's paper got the attention of both of them. He leaned forward and starred at the page as if he couldn't read the words. He then slowly looked over at Hyde with his mouth open wide.

"Red…. What's the matter?" Kitty asked nervously.

Red looked to her and then quickly fixed his composure with a slight grunt. "Um, nothing… nothing's the matter." He then looked to Hyde and slowly handed him the paper. "I, uh, think you should take a look at this."

Hyde grabbed the paper and noticed it was turned to the obituaries page. He didn't even have to look for Edna. He quickly handed Red the paper back and look down at his plate again. "Yeah, I already know."

"What is it Red?" Kitty's anxious eyes pleaded more than her voice did. Red hesitantly handed the paper over to her. Kitty took it in her hands and scanned the page the two were previously looking at. She let out a slight gasp that stabbed pins into Hyde's skin. She then set the paper down and sat down in her chair across from her husband. Her comforting, sympathetic eyes bore into Hyde.

"Steven… I'm…. I'm so sorry honey." He heard her voice crack with tears and he knew this moment would be too much.

"Look!" He noticed how Kitty's hand went to her heart and she jumped back a little at the tone of his voice. He quickly corrected himself. "Look, I'm fine, okay. I don't want to talk about it because it means nothing to me… okay?"

Kitty let out a protesting sigh, but Red stopped her before she could speak. He gave her a demanding look and she backed down and began piling food onto her plate with tiny sobs and sniffles.

It hurt Hyde to see Mrs. Forman so upset. He knew she just wanted to comfort him like she always tried to do. He even considered just letting her hug him just so she would stop crying. But really all he wanted to do was just escape.

"Steven?" Red Forman's voice was sly and questioning. Hyde knew he was about to ask him something serious. "The paper said her funeral is tomorrow."

"Yeah…"

"Well, are you going?"

"I don't know." Kitty let out a louder sob after his words. She began to silently cry in her hands.

"So, because it means nothing to you, you don't want to go." Hyde could feel the intensity of Red's words and his stare.

No, it's because it means everything to me that I don't want to go! Hyde looked the man he saw as a father directly in his eyes. His stern eyes and tight mouth caused Hyde's gut to clench. He knew Red was disappointed. He had expected more from him. Kitty's silent cries to the left of him added to the immense guilt he felt churning away at his intestines. He couldn't take it anymore. He caved.

"Look guys. I'm not saying yes and I'm not saying no. I just have to think about it is all, okay?" He looked back and forth to both of them. Red gave a slight nod and turned away. He wasn't sure how the older man felt about his answer. He felt Kitty's warm hand cover his and he met her gaze.

"Well no matter what, we'll be here for you." Her eyes were warm and caring, just as they always had been.

"Thanks Mrs. Forman."

The rest of breakfast was eaten in silence.

Jackie sat at the bar of her apartment half listening to the conversation Kelso and Fez were having on the couch together. Kelso had come to pack Fez's boxes into Brooke's car that he had to borrow on account his was too small. All three of them were waiting for Hyde to get off of work so he and Fez could say goodbye. Jackie hadn't told either of them about Hyde's mother. She decided it wasn't her place and if Hyde wanted them to know, he would tell them himself.

Jackie thought she would feel a little more pained on this day, but all her thoughts were consumed with Hyde. Today was the day she had to convince him to go to his mother's funeral. She still had no idea how she was going to pull it off without it appearing like she was butting in on his business.

Her thoughts were disrupted when a firm knock came to the front door, Steven's knock. A "That must be Hyde" sounded off from Kelso as both the guys jumped up to answer the door. Jackie stood up from the stool and nervously began twisting her hands.

"Hyde man! You shaved your mustache off!" Kelso and Hyde exchanged a hug as Hyde walked into the doorway.

Thank God for that, Jackie silently voiced in her head and she gave a slight smile to herself.

Hyde looked up at Jackie from across the room and they both exchanged knowing, almost shy looks. Jackie walked over and joined the group as if nothing was the matter at all.

Jackie and Hyde waved goodbye as Fez and Kelso drove away. Jackie bit her lip and nervously looked up at Hyde. He hadn't told them a thing during the whole visit. It was as if it was the last thing from his mind. Hyde looked down at her and saw her questioning eyes and immediately knew what she was getting at.

"You didn't tell them either?" He cocked a questioning eyebrow.

"I thought you would want to do it."

He gave a slight laugh. "I thought cheerleaders tell secrets. It's what they do."

Jackie couldn't help but smile. It was the closest reference to their relationship that had come out of him in months.

"Well this is actually important."

Important. The word settled into Hyde's mind as he pondered it. He hadn't really thought of it like that. Fucked up, yes. Irony, yes. But important… that one was new to him.

"How is it important?" It came out more innocent than can be imagined. Jackie felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. This was the moment. This was the time to convince him to go.

"Well," She crossed her arms and looked into his eyes as she spoke. "This is your chance to get closure. I mean, you never got to when she abandoned you." He furrowed his brow and starred back into her eyes. Jackie's pulse quickened and felt herself beginning to sweat. "You can finally put an end to your relationship with her. You can finally tell her all the things you have ever wanted to say." Jackie let out a sigh as she finished.

Hyde starred down at her in amazement. Since when did she have all the answers he needed? Hyde's heart fluttered in his chest as he soaked in Jackie's words and felt an amazing connection with her. She cleared the smoke for him with a short explanation or sincerity and proposition. Hyde met her eyes again. He noticed the anxious stance of her body and the questioning in her eyes as she waited for him to respond.

His body told him to kiss her senseless as a thank you, but his heart told him to save it for another rainy day.

He just grinned at her and said, "When did you get so smart?"

Jackie felt a tiny blush come on as she let out the nervous sigh from his words in a laugh.

They both began walking to the El Camino feeling the same chemistry that they both had lost hope in from the months of torment and isolation from each other. They weren't supposed to feel this good around each other, at least not since everything got too complicated to handle anymore. They stopped at the driver's door and both starred at the ground not sure of what to say.

"So, um…I'll go with you tomorrow. You know… if you want me to." Jackie peered up at Hyde waiting for his response.

"Um, yeah… yeah sure." Jackie tried to hide the smile as he got his keys and put them in the door to unlock it. "Just meet me at Grooves at like 1:30."

"Okay. Bye." Hyde watched as Jackie walked away and back up to the apartment complex.

Hyde drove back to the Formans contemplating the day's events and the next to come. But more importantly he thought about how great it felt to have Jackie on his side again.