THE RIGHT WAY AROUND.

Chapter 6 – Talking.

A/N: This took a little longer to write than I had originally intended so forgive me for not getting this out at the weekend like I had originally said. Couple of thanks to go out here: thanks to tanith75 for reminding me that Guns 'N Roses weren't around in 1979, lol. That was one of my many screw-ups so thanks for pointing it out. Also, thanks to arienette47 for pointing out that I hadn't put Jackie and Hyde through a tremendous amount of angst in this story as it reminded me that there was the entire shit they went through in Season 7 that had to be dealt with. I'm writing this before I write the actual chapter so right now; your guess is as good as mine as to whether they will be soon back together. Little piece of randomness – I was listening to Hands Clean by Alanis Morissette and I could have sworn Jackie was singing those words to Hyde in Season 8. Listen to the lyrics and tell me what you think. Don't be afraid to call me crazy… you wouldn't be the first. OK, I've rambled on long enough. Hope you enjoy!

(P.S. luvcali76 – you're a saint! Love every word of your reviews, lol)

Disclaimer: I own nothing and after the crap the show spilled out in Season 8, I'm relieved to have nothing to do with the show.

FORMAN BASEMENT

"You've been a pain in the ass since the day I met you."

Jackie looked at him, incredulously. But Hyde wasn't looking to apologise just yet.

"It's true. You're demanding, shrill, relentless, irritating and you piss me off to no end. But for some reason, I can't seem to get enough of you." Jackie rolled her eyes but Hyde was positive he saw the slightest blush creep up onto her face. Bolstered by this, he decided to keep going while he was on a roll.

"And you know why? It's 'cos you're tough. And you're passionate. And you care." Kneeling on the arm of the couch beside her, he continued, "Hell, it took me two years to realise that last thing about you. Kind of ironic, huh?" he said, somewhat regretfully.

Forgetting her desire to Zen him out, she queried, "What is?" Hyde looked at her, pointedly. Jackie was fully aware of what he was getting at but there was no rule that said she had to make this easy on him. Getting amused by this, Jackie decided to momentarily stop being so aloof and pressed him. "Steven, I really don't know what you're getting at. And if you roll you eyes, you're getting kicked in the nads." she warned.

Covering his lower region, Hyde rolled his eyes while giving her a playful smirk.

That does it Jackie thought. If he thinks he can hold me captive in this place while he plays about, then he has another thing coming.

"I really don't think you are in the optimum position to screw around, Steven because let's face it. There are no witnesses." she said, rising from the couch to lean into him. Given her recent behaviours, remnants of which still remained on his nose, he decided to quit the messing. Standing up, and backing away from her, Hyde took a minute to collect himself and to, erm, rearrange himself after having her lean into him so closely and speak in such a soft tone. A time was, he hated anyone having that kind of effect on him but now he was just tired of not having it.

Meanwhile, Jackie's thoughts were a little less sexual, and a little more focused on determining how to avoid this conversation. She was eager to have it, but on her terms and when she was mentally and physically equipped. To be fair, she hadn't been devoting her thoughts solely to her relationship with Hyde while it was obvious that he had been thinking of nothing but. She was currently going through another low point in her life where she didn't know if she was coming or going, where she didn't know who she could trust and who she couldn't, and where she didn't know how to tell a good decision from a bad one. Between dealing with her dad and now this, Jackie was definitely not in the right frame of mind to work through the most screwed up relationship she had even encountered.

"Hey," Jackie said in realisation. "I'm not ready for this conversation." Hyde stared at her in confusion for a moment before replying,

"What do you mean; you're not ready for this? Jackie, we need to do this or else-"

"No, I want to do this. Really I do." she interjected. "It's just that I want to do this right and not in some half-assed way so I think it's best that we talk when we are both in the right frame of mind." she said, resolutely. Feeling very proud of herself for making her point without rambling and seeming bitchy, Jackie looked at him, expectantly. Hyde however was feeling like a complete fool. And when Steven Hyde felt like a fool, he lashed out to make sure the nearest person felt as bad as he did. Even, if that person was Jackie.

"Well, well. Once again Jackie Bitchart wants to do things her way and when it suits her. Shouldn't be a surprise. After all she let her only two boyfriends get away from her aft-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Jackie said, not caring about his latest little burn. She wasn't exactly shocked since it had been barely 48 hours since she had told him;

You, showing up at my door, offering a few charming words and believing that after everything you have put me through that I would somehow feeling like pouring my heart out to you just so I could hear you destroy me with it the next time you have a panic attack.

"Steven, you seem to be missing my point here. I want to talk to you. I really, really do but now is just not the time. It isn't fair to you and it certainly isn't fair to any remaining chance that we have, so can we please just leave this until I can focus on it. Maybe I sound like a bitch but all I know is that we are both going to yell, hurt and yell some more at each other if I stay and try and do this. It's hard enough dealing with how I feel about you when it is just the two of us but I have so much going on in my life right now that I need to get a handle on it before you and I hash things out." Hyde's expression of annoyance and anger had still not changed which Jackie had come to interpret as his stubbornness refusing to let her win; even though he knew she was right. Walking up to him, she laid a gentle touch on his arm and spoke in a low voice, "Thank you for being willing to do this. It means a lot. I'm sorry."

However, her attempt at making a graceful exit came to a halt when she remembered one minor detail. "Um, I forgot that I can't exactly leave." she said, smiling sheepishly. Sighing, he walked behind her and pulled out the spare key from behind the record player that he had hid this morning for a situation like this where she wanted to leave. Or for when the paramedics had to get through after she had done him severe bodily harm. Handing it to her, he merely shook his head and walked back to his room, shutting it silently behind her. After a brief moment of surprise, Jackie was overcome with shame knowing that she had just knocked back this man after he had honestly tried to reach her for the first time in their relationship.

"Damn," she muttered.

FORMAN LIVING ROOM

Red was fixated on the bouncing mass of a woman sitting next to him, eagerly anticipating the outcome of what she had described as "the best damn love story since West Side!" before bursting into tears.

"Kitty," Red moaned. "For Gods sake, knock it off." Whipping her head around to him in a violent twirl, Red cursed himself for making such a rookie mistake.

"Knock it off?" Kitty questioned in a demonic voice. Returning to her normal voice, she continued, "As we speak, Jackie and Steven are discussing their biggest secrets, sharing their deepest fears, and fighting for the greatest love ever to grace this town and you want me to 'knock it off?' I suppose you want Steven to keep everything bottled up to the point where he drives Jackie away again and leaves me with Laurie as my only source of having grandchildren. LAURIE, Red. It simply cannot happen. Oh, you are dead inside, Red Forman!" Kitty said, hysterical by this point.

Clearing his throat, he mumbled, "I just meant that you kept flicking from one channel to the next and it was hurting my eyes." Looking down at the remote in her hand which her finger was nervously tapping on, Kitty broke out into her trademark laugh.

"Well, why didn't you just say so?" Kitty shrieked in laughter. Putting the remote control down on the table, Red found a momentary reprieve before…

"Oh, I can't stand this waiting!" she hollered, startling Red back into awareness. "We have to find out what is going on this instant."

"NO, Kitty! It is none of our business what goes one between Jackie and Steven. If they want to tell us then they can tell us but we are not the kind of people who stick our noses in where it doesn't belong."

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about when we invaded Korea." She retorted, causing Red to gasp in surprise.

"Kitty…"

"Hurts, doesn't it?" she said before storming off into the den.

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POINT PLACE COMMUNITY PARK

Jackie finally stopped upon reaching the swing set, settling herself down in a vain attempt to rid her stomach of the butterflies that had been fluttering since she had first laid eyes on this place. She was unsuccessful and decided that swaying back and forth with the way she was feeling was probably not the best idea. Standing, Jackie couldn't fight the feelings of nostalgia that suffocated her.

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A 7 year old Jackie giggled while being chased by her father around the swing set as her mother lounged on a blanket nearby, taking pictures of the duo in action.

"Mommy! Mommy! Help! Daddy's chasing me!" yelled Jackie as she dove into her mother's arms in an attempt to escape from her father's playful clutch.

Laughing, Pam said, "Settle down, you two. Dinner is almost ready."

"Aww" Jackie and her father said simultaneously.

"Which one of you is the kid here?" Pam asked, sarcastically. Jack leaned in closer to her and gave her a slight peck.

"Don't pretend you don't love it." he said jokingly. Rolling her eyes, Pam gave in and gave her husband a long kiss. Little Jackie made a gagging sound at the sight of her parents kissing. Breaking apart, laughing, her parents turned to face her with smiles covering their faces. "Come here, baby." Jack whispered to his tiny daughter. "You should appreciate this why you can because one day you will be too embarrassed to be seen with your old folks."

"Never, Daddy." replied Jackie firmly. Hugging him to her, Jackie made a silent vow that she would never grow up to spend none of her time with her parents.

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Jackie was shaken out of her reverie by the sound of soft footsteps behind her. Turning around, she was greeted with the nervous face of the man she had long ago broken her vow to. Not by choice, though.

"I wasn't sure you would come" Jack said, weakly. His daughter exhaled through her teeth and replied;

"What? And miss the big reunion?" she said with a lump quickly forming in her throat. "Even I'm not that self-centred. And coming from a Burkhart that's saying a lot."

Rubbing his forehead, he said, "Baby, I wanted to talk to you about everything. Everything I did to you and to your mother. What I put you through when I forced you to sleep on a cot in your friend's house instead of in your own bed in your own house. You deserve an explanation, at the very least."

Shaking her head vehemently, Jackie responded, "No, what I deserve is to encounter one person I love who loves me back even more so that I don't end up the shattered one everytime."

Sighing, he replied, "I know you have had boyfriend problems but you…"

"NO!" Jackie yelled. "You are not going to pawn this off on some crush gone badly. You cannot keep deferring everything back to other people. You started this, Dad. Mom, and Michael, and Steven may not have helped but it all started with you. You're the reason I've accepted that nothing means anything." Jackie was struggling for breath by this point; all of her true feelings starting to bubble.

"This isn't you. I know I screwed up but there's no way you are this jaded. You're the eternal optimist." he said, with a slight chuckle.

Giving a bitter laugh she replied, "Yeah, I used to be. I used to believe that falling asleep with a unicorn would somehow substitute falling asleep in the arms of a parent. I used to believe that loving came natural to people, especially those who are supposed to feel it unconditionally. I used to believe that I was the best at everything I did because I didn't compromise who I was just so I would have more real friends. I even used to believe that if I worked hard enough and pushed myself beyond my limits then I would be rewarded. But then all of a sudden, I'm finding out that nobody out there truly loves me. I mean Michael was fond of me. He could rely on me and he loved that I took care of him but he never truly loved me. And Steven, boy you would be so proud of me dad if you could see where I have ended up with him. He doesn't truly love me. Hell, I don't even know if I truly love him anymore because of what happened to us long before we even crossed paths. I love him and I could see a future with him and I know he feels the same way. But it doesn't matter because it hit me recently that my own parents don't truly love me. Once upon a time you did. But not now. Now, you use me to get one up on the other. And when you can't gloat at the other one, you take off and leave me all alone.

"Jackie, no! That's not how it was!" Jack interjected, forcefully.

"So then why did Mom leave? Why did you leave? Why did you leave me! Why did you come back!" cried Jackie who was sobbing her heart out. "Why are you putting me though this? What happened that was so bad that you two couldn't fix it? What happened that we couldn't ever sit on the grass over there and have a picnic? What happened that we couldn't love each other anymore? Daddy, please tell me!" she begged him. "Please tell me how to fix it!" Jack couldn't stand to watch his baby fall apart anymore and buried her in his arms while she held onto him for dear life.

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FORMAN PORCH

The door swung open and Hyde was stunned to find Jackie standing before him with the softest look in her eyes he had ever seen.

"Hi," she offered weakly.

"Hey. I didn't expect to see you so soon. I'm kind of tired so I don't know if now is the time…" he replied groggily.

"No, that's not why I'm here." Jackie looked around suddenly feeling embarrassed. "I just…"

"Do you want to come in?" he asked, sensing she wasn't planning on standing on the porch all night. She smiled softly.

"Yeah, I'd like that." she replied honestly. Stepping back to allow her access, Hyde Jackie sensed his hesitation to speak and opened her mouth.

"I talked to my dad today." Hyde looked at her, surprised. "Well 'talked' isn't completely accurate. Yelled, cried, begged is more like it."

"Yeah, I know." Hyde chuckled softly. And he did know. He had experienced the exact same thing when he saw Bud for the first time in nearly a decade. Still, Hyde didn't know what to say and that was a problem since Jackie always wanted him to have something to say. However he had seen that Jackie wasn't as she had used to be. Now she was sadder, more closed off, almost like… him.

Hyde was brought out of his thoughts by the warm feeling of Jackie's hand on his cheek. "Can I stay here tonight?" she asked, slightly afraid of the answer.

Hyde was a bit taken aback but managed a nod. Leading her down to the basement and into his room, Hyde couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic to the previous year when Jackie had spent the better part of a month sneaking into his room and cuddling up to him before sneaking out again at dawn. Now, however things were different but strangely similar as once again her parents had driven her back into his arms. Walking to the door of his room, Hyde suddenly caught himself.

"Where do you want to sleep?" he asked. He had been so caught up in the past that he had automatically decided to bring her to his room. Perhaps that would give her the wrong idea. Or depending on your perspective, the right idea.

"Um…" Jackie looked around her feeling embarrassed. She too had assumed she would sleep in Hyde's bed with Hyde and truth be told, she was hoping that would turn out to be the case. But she couldn't go straight out and ask him that. "The couch, I suppose?" Hyde was disappointed but tried not to let it show. He was about to agree when he realised that Jackie needed a friend and nothing more.

"No, no. You can take my bed and I'll sleep on the floor." At the sight of Jackie's raised eyebrows he continued, "I mean we can't risk you breaking another Lego Command Centre." They both laughed and feeling more at ease walked into his room. "Sorry it's such a mess but it's kind of went downhill lately…" he finished lamely. Since you stopped coming here Hyde wanted to say but as per usual, he didn't.

Ten minutes later, Jackie crawled into Hyde's cot after he had gotten some new sheets and a new pillowcase. "We don't need to add any more wood to the fire" was Jackie's ambiguous reason but he went along with it anyway.

Trying to settle, both occupied with similar thoughts of their current situations, they each got up simultaneously and met with Jackie getting ready to get out of the cot and Hyde ready to get off the floor. Locking eyes, Hyde started "Did you want me to…?"

"Would you mind?" Jackie finished. Smiling, he added wood to the fire and lay down beside her in the cot, wrapping his arms around her has he had done frequently so not that long ago, allowing them both to finally find rest, and to drift off.

To be Continued..

A/N: This seriously didn't pan out as I had thought it would. I just decided that it would be more interesting to blame Jackie's dad for making her so bound and determined to find true love. I think I overdid it by making it too sappy and emotional but it felt right at the time. As always, your opinions whether good/bad are appreciated. They keep me focused.

Stay safe.