AN: So, this is probably the most comedic chapter I've ever written. This also contains my first attempt at a circle scene. Hopefully I succeeded at keeping everyone in character and actually making this humorous for you guys. Thanks to each and every reviewer that has left me a review, and a special thanks to the reviewers who continue to review each one of my chapters. I love reading what you guys think of this story just as much as I love writing this.

Enjoy!

Chapter 7: Next Moves

Jackie squeezed onto her pillow as she sat at the end of the bed next to Donna. Donna couldn't help but think that this position was all too familiar compared to the last time Jackie had to talk with her about Hyde.

"So he said he is going to show you that he's different?" Donna asked again, a little shocked herself at the conversation that Jackie had just animatedly retold to her. Jackie nodded affirmatively. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know!" Jackie cried, throwing her arms in the air. "The most effort Steven has put into our relationship is beating up Michael when he's being sleazy. I can't even imagine what he's thinking."

Jackie groaned and hugged tightly onto the pillow again. "Oh, Donna. I just don't know what to do. I mean, I can't just take him back! He hurt me way too much regardless if he remembers or not." Jackie shook her head pathetically. "This would be so much easier if he wasn't so incredibly hot. I swear I almost jumped him when he was saying all those things to me. It was like… like he owned me or something."

Donna scrunched her face in disgust and confusion, but her features lightened as she laughed at her petite friend. "You're such a perv, Jackie."

"Hey!" Jackie shouted. "I haven't had sex for a long time!" Jackie's eyes widened as realization dawned on her. "Oh, no. I now know how Fez feels when he's rambling about his needs. I'm Fez, Donna. I'M FEZ!"

Donna grabbed Jackie by the shoulders, steadying her body in order to get her full attention. "Calm done, midget! We'll figure something out. Right now I'm not sure whether to hose you down or just let you have at Hyde."

"Well," Jackie pondered the idea. "A good friend would just hose me down, but I'm wearing cashmere and I'll kick you if you do that."

"Well, do you think you'll be okay, or am I going to have to lock you up so you don't sneak into Hyde's closest or something equally Fezzian?"

Jackie pouted. "I think I'll be okay."

Donna let go of her shoulders and settled on the bed again. Jackie lied down with her feet still hanging off the edge. Donna crawled backwards and lied down next to her, both staring up at the ceiling with their starry eyes.

"It doesn't help that he shaved his mustache off either, you know?" Jackie murmured. Donna turned her head, noticing the sad slant of Jackie's frown.

"Well, if you want to be with him so much, why don't you just forgive him?" Donna offered, hoping that Jackie's response would enlighten her on the choice she had to make soon.

Jackie gave a long winded sigh, shaking her head from side to side. "I wish it was that easy, Donna. He hurt me so much, and I know I wasn't exactly innocent in the whole situation. We're just never going to want the same thing from each other at the same time." Jackie sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "And besides, I've thought about it, and this amnesia thing could make everything worse. If we get back together, a year from now we'll just have the same fight like last time. We'll never get through the real issues."

Donna frowned. Jackie's words couldn't be more hauntingly relevant to her.

"Jackie, I think I'm going to break up with Eric."

Jackie whipped her head in Donna's direction. She sat up on her elbows, confusion changing her pretty features into a perplexed look. "What? Why?"

Donna rolled off the bed, landing on her feet with a thud. She nervously started to pace in front of the foot of Jackie's bed as Jackie's eyes followed her back and forth stalking. "Because I'm not happy! I mean, I love Eric. I love him more than I know why sometimes, but I just can't get over that he just broke up with me while he was gone, you know?"

Jackie nodded, mesmerized by Donna's rant. This was the most emotion she had show Jackie about the Eric situation in a long time.

"I know he said he did it because he didn't want to hold me back, but how can I be so sure." Panic struck a chord in Donna, her face straining in fear. "What if he just did it so he could hook up with random African sluts? I'm sure they have sluts in Africa just like in Wisconsin."

"Yeah," Jackie piped in. "Have you seen their pictures in National Geographic? They walk around without tops on!"

"It's like you said. I can't forgive him so easily. He hurt me! He has to do more than that to get me to forgive him. I mean, it's like how I just took him back after he ditched me at the wedding rehearsal. I was so embarrassed and hurt, but I just took him back without even talking about it." Donna sat back down next to Jackie, sorrow welling up in her eyes. "I never really forgave him. I just ignored it."

Jackie nodded her head and wrapped her arms around Donna's shoulders. Donna rested her head on Jackie's shoulder, her mind still worrying away about the consequences of breaking up with Eric. "Do you think I'm making the right decision?"

Jackie pulled away, digging deep inside, trying to think of the best words that would ease her friend's worries. "Yeah. Where is the feminist Donna we all know? Steven and Eric can't take our love for granted anymore."

Donna sadly nodded her head, knowing that Jackie was right. Eric couldn't take her for granted anymore, and she was just going to have to show him that.

Jackie folded her hands in her lap, feeling unusually happy. She felt bad for Donna, but she was so happy to have her friend back. She didn't like to acknowledge it, but it hurt her really badly when Donna started hanging out with Sam.

"I'm really glad that we can do this again." Jackie admitted. Donna let a slight grin take over her features but wiped it away quick with her shame she had been harboring.

"I'm sorry, Jackie. You know… about the whole Sam thing. I took our friendship for granted. I'm no better than those idiots." Donna fiddled with Jackie's bedspread. "I don't even know why I became friends with her. She wasn't even that fun to hang out with."

Jackie nodded her head, but she still felt a little hurt by Donna's words. However, she wasn't going to push it. She could hear the sincerity in her voice and the nervous laugh that told her she was just uncomfortable with admitting that she was wrong. For now, she was satisfied.

"It's okay, Donna. I forgive you. I don't really understand it, but I forgive you." Jackie straightened up, smoothing out her skirt. "You just better be glad that I'm a very forgiving person, Donna."

Donna laughed again, happy that Jackie wasn't rubbing it in too badly. She really didn't know why she expected it to be that way though. Jackie never was one to pour salt in a person's wounds intentionally. She was relieved. She knew she would need Jackie's support if she was really going to go through with this Eric break up.

Both girls became silent, worrying away at their bottom lips with their teeth as they thought of the men in their lives that they loved unconditionally. Donna panned her head to Jackie and noticed her distraught face being plagued by the thoughts spinning around in her head.

"So, what are you going to do about Hyde?" Donna carefully asked.

Jackie sighed and shook her head, hoping that maybe a solution would just dawn on her. When nothing came, she look to Donna and said, "I have no idea." Her plump, glossed lips frowned as she willed herself to admit her true feelings to Donna. "Don't tell anyone this, but I'm actually a little excited about it. I just can't help but want to see him try for us. I told myself that I would never get caught up in him again, but I'm afraid that it'll never be that simple."

Jackie cleared her throat and straightened her back, signaling to Donna that the issue was going to be laid to rest for now. "Now, whenever I do have to see Steven I want you to be there with me for support. You owe me with that stunt you pulled with Sam."

"Jackie," a slight furrow in Donna's eyebrows wormed on Donna's forehead. "I thought you just said that you forgave me for that."

"Yes, I did Donna, but until I'm really okay with it, I'm going to milk it for all its worth." Jackie scoffed. "Please, you know me better than that."

Donna hid a grin and simply answered with, "Whatever." Really, she didn't mind so much. She was just glad that some things were getting back to normal.

All the guys sat around the circular spool table, breathing in the after smoke of Hyde's secret stash, which to his relieving surprise was in exactly the same place he last remembered putting it. The smoke suspended in the air around them, a stoner's fog hovering just above their heads, but of course they were too far blown to notice.

Hyde looked around at his buddies, a goofy grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "So I think I really got through to Jackie today. She wasn't saying anything, but it was obvious she wanted me."

Kelso stifled a laugh in his hands and tried, but failed, to put on a face of seriousness on. "How did you manage that, man?"

Hyde didn't notice or didn't care about Kelso's inability to respond without giggling like a goon. "You just have to know what buttons to push with Jackie. I just happen to be an expert at it."

Fez smiled at everyone. "Yes, he told her that she was his lady and he'd fight for their love. I was listening outside the door."

"Wow, Hyde." Eric said through a toothy grin. "You really pushed Jackie's buttons alright. Hey, maybe next time you can carve your names in a tree and skip off into the sunset. That'll really get under her skin."

"But make sure you check for bees first." Kelso shook his finger at Hyde. "Oh, and don't tell her she looks like a puffer fish after she swells up from the stings."

Hyde grunted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

"And you probably shouldn't try the skipping either." Fez's face fell into a frown. "Apparently it's unmanly and embarrassing just like when I model ladies' heels for her when we go shoe shopping." Fez waved his hands mockingly and shook his head. "There is nothing unmanly about wanting to show off my beautiful calves."

Eric turned his slightly frightened look away from the foreigner and let his eyes fall straight ahead at Hyde again. "So what's your plan to get Jackie back?"

Eric stared at Hyde expectantly, and Kelso followed suit by folding his arms and planting a knowing grin on his smug face.

Hyde dodged around his eyes as he tried to think. "Crap. I have nothing. I only planned up to this point."

Kelso began laughing hysterically at Hyde's expense. "You're so screwed, man. And you have no idea how different Jackie is now that you totally dumped her for a stripper. I mean, I proposed to her and she said no… to me!"

Hyde's sneered at Kelso, his jaw tight, like a bull ready to charge. "What?"

"Hey," Fez called, not catching onto the hint of murder in Hyde's voice. "I don't know why you're so mad at him. I dated her for Pete's sake."

Hyde slowly rotated his head to stare menacingly at Fez. Fez continued grinning until he met Hyde's eyes. He looked like he was about to be sick. "Ai, no"

Those were Fez's last words before Hyde lunged at him, tackling him to the ground with his fists flying. Eric glanced down at the one sided brawl, completely uninterested.

"You know, I always wondered where "For Pete's Sake" came from. People say it all the time, but does anyone really know who this Pete guy is?"

Kelso nodded his head and then jumped back on the couch when an idea popped in his mind. "Oh, I bet it has to do with Pete and Repeat. Do you know how many times Pete falls off that fence? It's like he just keeps falling over and over again forever!"

Hyde climbed back in his chair, slightly winded from the pounding he just gave Fez and the rage boiling inside of him. "So anyone else want to admit to putting the moves on Jackie where my memory seems to be blocked? What about you Foreman?"

Fez also climbed up in his seat with his hair ruffled and his bottom lip starting to swell. "Oh please. Eric wouldn't know how to handle a woman like Jackie if he even did win her heart."

"Hmm." Eric put his finger to his mouth in contemplation. "If I remember correctly, Fez, according to Donna, you and Jackie never even had sex."

Kelso pointed and laughed at Fez. "Man, you were with Jackie and you didn't even do it with her? What's the fun in that if you can't rub it in Hyde's face that you gave it to the girl that he loves like a billion times?"

Hyde clothes lined Kelso to the ground, pinning him against the floor until he hit him right in his sweet spot.

"Ow, my eye!"

"You know, you guys are really bringing down the circle with all this Jackie talk. New circle rule: no one talks about Jackie because her dark powers over you guys are a total buzz kill." Eric proposed.

"Well, if that's the case then I am leaving." Fez said angrily as he cupped his chin. "Good day."

"But Fez…" Eric called after him, holding out his arms.

"I said good day!"

Jackie and Donna walked their way up the Foreman's driveway, whispering to each other about their predictions of how the events in the basement were going to play out. Donna decided that she would get it over with and break up with Eric that night. Jackie was coming over for emotional support and to ignore Hyde some more.

Their words of encouragement were disrupted by Fez's angry stomps as he stormed down the driveway. Jackie held out a hand, abruptly stopping him by standing in his path.

"What happened to you, Fez?" Jackie asked in genuine concern.

"What happened is that ass of an ex boyfriend of yours beat me up after I told him you and I used to date. I haven't been this roughed up since Fenton and I fought over who would introduce themselves first to the new tenant on the third floor."

Jackie scrunched up her nose with an uncomfortable face. "But Fez, the new tenant on the third floor is a man."

Fez laughed and shook a negative hand. "Sherry is not a man, Jackie. She is a beautiful, tall woman just like our Donna here."

"No," Jackie corrected. "Sherry is a cross dresser, Fez. Haven't you ever noticed the Adam's apple?"

All the blood in Fez's gaunt face drained, and he gulped down the shock of this news. "O-o-h-h." He stuttered. "I see."

Fez walked passed them and stopped once he made it to the end of the driveway. "If Sherry comes around anytime soon, it was another Fez that gave her… or him… the flowers."

Jackie and Donna's faces were mirror images of each others, each looking equally horrified.

"Oh, god." Jackie moaned, holding her stomach in fear.

"I know." Donna cringed. "Fez hit on a guy."

Jackie rolled her eyes and swatted Donna on the shoulder. "Not that, you lumberjack. Steven beat up Fez because he was jealous that we dated. You know I can't control myself when Steven starts punching other guys for me."

"So, you can't resist Hyde when he's being a total male chauvinist pig?" Donna shook her head in disgust. "You know it's girls like you who are holding the feminist movement back."

Jackie rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Please. Who cares about feminism, Donna? They're just a bunch of angry women who are mad that they weren't pretty or popular in high school. We have more important issues to deal with, like you breaking nerd boy's heart and me torturing Steven by being just as uncaring as he used to be."

Donna looked worriedly towards the basement door, forgetting about how morally and socially wrong Jackie's statement just was. "Do you really think I'll break his heart?"

"Well you better." Jackie demanded. "He needs to believe that he royally screwed up so that he can really miss you and work his ass off to win you back."

"So is this what you're doing with Hyde?" Donna asked, needing some assurance.

Jackie licked her try lips and tucked them together into a fine line as she realized she might have let a little too much personal emotion slip into that declaration. "No… well… I don't know. As of right now, I'm just torturing him to torture him."

Donna looked back to the door and took a big breath, readying herself to go for it. "Alright, let's go."

Back inside the basement, Kelso was nursing his eye with a popsicle encased in plastic wrapping. Hyde angrily tapped his foot on the ground as he sat in his chair, still trying to calm down after the double ass kickings he had to give. Eric just stared off into space, coming down from his high.

Donna and Jackie waltzed through the door with their heads held high in mock confidence. Jackie tried looking everywhere but in Hyde's general direction, and Donna bounced back and forth on her heels and toes as she waited to get Eric's attention. Eric looked to his girlfriend, relieved to finally see her. Ever since his conversation with Hyde earlier that day, he had been wanting to talk to her about why she has been acting so weird. He stood up from the lawn chair and shoved his hands nervously in his pockets. Donna bit her lip and looked over to Jackie who only nodded her head, assuring her that now was the time.

"Eric…"

"Donna…"

They both laughed nervously, and everyone in the room was now staring at them, waiting for someone to just make a move. Donna finally found her courage.

"Eric, I think we should talk."

"I think so too, Donna." Eric placed his hand on the small of her back and led her outside of the basement. Jackie nodded at Donna again when they made eye contact. Once they were gone, Jackie suddenly felt that it might have been a horrible idea to accompany Donna on this trip. She could feel Hyde's angry eyes scanning her body, egging her to look at him. She only allowed her eyes to slightly cross Hyde's path as she panned her view to her other ex boyfriend who sat pitifully on the couch with a popsicle on his eye.

"What happened to your eye, Michael?" Jackie asked.

Before Kelso could answer, Hyde spoke up, forcing Jackie to finally set her eyes on him. "I punched him after he told me about how he proposed to you."

Jackie felt heat building in her cheeks and her chest. She should have known. The only time Michael's eye was ever hurt was when Steven punched him. She silently cursed herself as Hyde pushed himself off his chair and stalked over to the spot she found her body frozen, standing on the floor. "And before that, I beat up Fez because apparently, you guys dated after we broke up."

Jackie suddenly didn't find Hyde's over aggressive nature so appealing anymore. She met his eyes behind his rose colored glasses, feeling her hands shake with the anger bubbling in her belly.

"After you married some skanky stripper." She snapped back, warning him with her eyes to keep his distance.

Hyde closed his eyes in frustration, feeling like his head was going to blow right off his neck. "But it's Fez, Jackie! You've always thought he was a creepy pervert."

"Don't blame any of this on me, Steven. Fez and I are broken up now because I realized that the only reason I dated him was because I became so disillusioned by the pain of you betraying our love. So you can just go to hell, Steven!"

Jackie turned around and stomped towards the door. She looked back at Hyde who was still bitter about the situation but not arguing back. "Oh, and if you think all of this macho kicking everyone's ass crap is going to get me back, well think again mister!"

Hyde shut his eyes as the slam of the door sent hateful vibrations through his body. Kelso whistling from the couch reminded him that it wasn't just he and Jackie in the room during that fight. He swore under his breath and turned to face his bruised friend.

"Man, Jackie is really pissed."

"I don't know." Hyde shrugged. "I see this as an improvement."

Kelso looked at Hyde as if he were the stupid one of the group. "What?"

"Well, at least she's talking to me now."

Eric and Donna leaned up against the front bumper of the Vista Cruiser. The sunset painted the Wisconsin sky in beautiful shades of orange and purple as night began to roll upon the quiet town. Donna kept squeezing her hands inside the pockets of her jacket, wanting to just give up and ignore this situation all together. But she knew if she did that, she would never be happy with herself. The only way she could see their relationship improving was to do this. She just hoped he wouldn't be too devastated and not come after her.

Eric cleared his throat. He was never good with awkward silences, and Donna didn't seem like she was going to start talking anytime soon.

"Donna, I was talking to Hyde today, about us and…"

"I want to break up Eric."

The look in Eric's eyes from her interrupting confessions pierced through Donna's chest. She held a sob deep in her throat, trying to will herself to continue. "I'm not okay with how you just left for Africa without discussing it with me, and how you just broke up with me while you were away."

"Donna," Eric pleaded, grabbing for her hands that were still in her pockets. He settled with holding one of her arms. "No, don't do this. We can talk about this. I'm sorry."

"No, Eric." Donna said through clenched teeth. "You hurt me and you are going to have to do more than that. I'm tired of always being the one that gets hurt by you. And it's not just Africa! It's the wedding, too. Hell, it's even about when you gave me that promise ring."

"But Donna, you don't just have to break up with me. We'll talk about it. We'll talk about all of that."

Donna pulled herself out of Eric's grip and backed down the driveway, away from him. "I have to do this, Eric. I agree that we have to talk about all of those things. I just can't be with you right now. I'm not going to take you back that easily again."

Jackie stormed out of the basement, tears rolling down her pink cheeks. She grabbed Donna by the arm, holding her hand as they walked down the driveway together. Eric watched them as they got into Jackie's car and drove away to wait for their guys to make the next move.

AN2: The joke about Pete and Repeat is actually an idea my brother proposed to me last night :P. So kudos to him on that.