A/N: Have I mentioned to you how much I LOVE your reviews? Seriously, and I am like addicted to everyone putting this story on their alert list…You guys sure know how to make a girl feel special…! And I'm so sorry for taking so long with this update, I had a bit of writer's block and wanted to make sure that everything was in character and flowed well (There's a lot of dialogue with this one, and hopefully I did the characters justice. If I haven't, please let me know. NICELY, people! Lol)
So, just a heads up – I didn't watch Season 8. Well…not true. I watched the first episode of the season, and when Sam walked in…I walked out. The reason I know about Hyde and Donna's shitty behavior, is because I read a lot of fanfics. (Sidebar: Who else gets super pissed when REALLY good J/H stories are left incomplete? OMG – I can't stand it! No matter what happens, I promise that this story will not become one of them.) Oh – which J/H stories I recommend, you ask? "November Rain" & "Highway through Hell" by Luvcali76 (Okay – here is where I become a fangirl. This girl, regardless of the fact that she no longer posts here, is a FRICKIN GENIUS. NR is like, the Mount Everest of T7S fanfiction. I'm not even kidding. It is like the masterpiece that all of us J/H fanfic authors should want to emulate. It is just that good. It is an opus of the most majestic kind. If this story moves you even an iota of the way that story moved me, then I have done my job.) ; "Do You Think It's Alright?" by Gah-Luvcali; "For Her Sake" by Heatherlea; & "Hyde's Long Way Home" by MistyMoutainHop. There are others, but those are the ones that I constantly go back to. (If you've read them, you'd know that all of them contain delicious J/H sex scenes. I'm a pervert. Yes. AND WHAT? Lmao)
So…regarding this chapter. I will now apologize to Donna fans…but I didn't like what happened to Jackie in Season 8 (even though I didn't watch Season 8, but I got the gist of what went down…I put a hex on you Season 8 writers!), and I kinda sorta blame Donna a little bit. So some of my story will be getting my revenge on that redhead. Sorry, but this author believes in karma, and let's face it – forgiveness, at least real forgiveness, in real life, isn't something that comes easily or with just a few kind words. It takes work. And the person needs to want to be forgiven. Just a thought. =)
Again, I don't own crap…don't you think I'd have had more semi-naked Danny scenes if I did? I'm just sayin…
Chapter 4: Mission Accomplished
It had been a little over a month since Hyde and Jackie's confrontation in the Forman driveway, and all was right in Hyde's world. He was the owner of a kickass record store, he had just hired his best friend to help him at said store, his dealer had hooked him up with a superior stash this week, and he had a shower stocked with beer.
And the fact that no one had seen neither hide nor hair of one Jackie Burkhart brought a bright smile to Hyde's dark and blackened soul.
Good frickin riddance.
As Hyde looked over the inventory lists that Randy had completed before he left town, he smiled at the fact that no one had heard from the bitchy ex-cheerleader in almost a month. A month! It made him almost giddy, at the idea that maybe, just maybe, she had finally gotten the fucking clue that no one wanted her around, and was gone.
Vanished, without a trace. The way he wanted it.
A complete and utter bullshit lie, of course, but Hyde was nothing if not an expert at lying to himself. He just completely ignored the part of him that was constantly on alert for her presence. The part that tensed up every time the basement door opened, hoping that it would be her form walking through the doorway. How his ear would be attuned to every conversation, in the slim hope that he would hear Jackie's name and her whereabouts. He would never admit it to others, could barely admit it to himself…but he was starting to get worried. And – fuck it all! - he missed her.
It didn't matter that they were no longer together. It didn't matter that he was cruel and beyond mean to her in her presence.
He just fucking missed seeing her face.
"Hey there, my curly-haired friend."
Hyde looked up to see Fez walk into the store, grateful for the distraction. "What's up, Fez?"
"Kelso has invited me to come to Chicago this weekend. I thought it'd be a nice surprise if Eric, Donna, and you came down too. He says there's a new candy shop that's opening!" Fez looked about ready to almost come from happiness.
Hyde paused. It's not like he didn't want to see Kelso…but he'd be lying if he said that he still didn't harbor residual bitterness from the whole Chicago fiasco. And for constantly hitting on Jackie when they first got together. And for being her first, and hurting her…
Fuck.
He needed to stop doing this shit. Jackie Burkhart was nothing but a fucking whore, and almost did the unforgiveable of coming between him and one of his best friends. Shit. She fucking passed herself around to three out of the four guys already. Fucking slut.
"Uhhh, yeah, sure, man. I could get Leo to watch the store on Saturday. I'm closed Sunday, so it shouldn't be too bad," Hyde replied.
Fez smiled giddily. "It's going to be most excellent. I heard Chicago is filled with candy and whores!"
Hyde chuckled. "I'm sure it'll be paradise for you."
At that moment, Donna walked into Grooves with a smile on her face. "Guess what!"
"What's up, Pinciotti?"
"I just got a raise!" Donna could barely contain her excitement.
"Great. Beer's on you this weekend," Hyde said, smirking.
"Oh my God, I'm so exci – wait, did you just say this weekend? What about this weekend?" Donna asked.
"Oh yeah, I didn't get a chance to tell you. Kelso invited me up for the weekend and I thought it'd be a good surprise if you, Eric, and Hyde came," Fez explained.
"Oh, that's a great idea! But wait, what about Jackie? Isn't she gonna come too?" Donna inquired.
Hyde frowned at Donna's question. It wasn't until that very moment that he realized that Fez hadn't mentioned Jackie going on this trip. And he wondered why. And looking at Fez' nervous face, his curiosity over leaving out his roommate for this trip, doubled.
But he wasn't gonna admit it. Least of all out loud.
"Ahhh, Jackie will not be able to come this weekend," Fez stammered.
"Well, why not?" Donna continued. "I mean, doesn't she wanna see Kelso? And isn't Betsy her goddaughter? Why wouldn't she want to see her, at least? God, she's so selfish!"
"Please, Donna. Betsy's just a baby. Who wants a slut for a godmother?" Hyde contributed, never letting on that he was wondering about Jackie's whereabouts himself.
"Uhhhh…ummmm…." Fez was seemingly at a loss for words. Although, in reality, he shouldn't be. He had gotten used to both Hyde and Donna's behavior towards Jackie these past couple of months. Their harsh treatment of her only served as fuel for her running away. And while he loved them both, there just seemed no end to their bullshit.
But he had made a promise to Jackie not to say anything. And it would be a promise that he would keep.
Unless they bribed him with candy, of course.
"Oh my God! I've got great news!" Eric shouted, rushing into the store.
"What is it, Forman?" Hyde was getting a little annoyed, having gotten the feeling that there was something that Fez wasn't saying. And there were few things that Hyde hated more than being kept in the dark.
"They're gonna be showing a new preview of the new Star Wars!" Eric couldn't contain his excitement.
"Eric, didn't you see that preview already?" Donna asked.
"It's Star Wars, Donna. There's no such thing as watching it too many times! And this one is new! I was thinking we can go see it this weekend." Eric pleaded.
"We can't go this weekend, Eric." Donna told him.
"Wha – what? Why?"
"Cuz we're gonna surprise Kelso in Chicago this weekend, Forman. And your girlfriend's buying the beer," Hyde said, smirking.
"Donna, we're going to see Kelso? And why are you buying the beer?" Eric asked, obviously confused as fuck.
"Cuz Donna got herself a raise! And we're going to go to Chicago to see Kelso and I'm gonna get more candy and do it with a bunch of Chicago whores!" Fez exclaimed, happy that the spotlight was away from Jackie's absence. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go. There's a pair of pants at the mall that really does make my ass look like an oil painting, and I'll be damned if Fenton gets them this time!" Now angry at the mention of those long ago pants that really did make his ass look like an oil painting, he walked out.
"Oh my God, Donna, tha-that's great! A raise, sweet! Hey, now that you're going to be making more money than me, does that mean that you'll be my sugar mama?" Eric joked, walking up to Donna, and wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"Sure, baby," Donna chuckled, then gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. "But what the hell is up with Jackie? Where the hell is she?"
"Please, Donna!" Eric mock whispered. "Don't you know that if you say the devil's name, she will appear? We've had almost a month of her gone. A month! What is wrong with you, woman!"
"Whatever, Eric. I just think that it's really fucked up that Jackie can't even visit her own goddaughter. She made such a frickin big deal when Kelso chose her as Betsy's godmother – what a fucking hypocrite! I mean, so what she's been having a rough time? Just get over it already!" Donna exclaimed.
At her exclamation, Hyde looked up. And his beginning worry over Jackie vanished…or so he told himself. She didn't deserve his worry, after all the shit that she had put him through. Coming between him and his best friend, fucking passing herself off as if her shit didn't fucking stink – fuck her. So the fuck what she was gone? She didn't deserve him worrying. She didn't.
"Forman's right, Donna. Fuck Jackie."
And this was his mantra as the week went by. Fuck Jackie.
As he packed his bag for the trip to Chicago. As he took out money from the bank. As he ate, as he hung out with his friends, as he drank his beer. The mantra was the same.
Fuck Jackie.
He displaced any worry for her. She didn't fucking deserve it, and he refused to waste any more time thinking about a chick that didn't give a shit about him in the first place. And what was this shit about not coming to Chicago? Betsy was their goddaughter, man!
So again, he repeated the mantra. Fuck Jackie.
As Hyde stepped out of the Vista Cruiser outside of Kelso's apartment building, he kept that mantra in his mind. As Fez, Donna, and Forman talked about how excited Kelso was going to be to see them, Hyde kept up the mantra in his head, trying to remember all the reasons he despised Jackie in the first place. And as Kelso opened up his apartment door, just the sight of him made Hyde realize one of the most important reasons why he couldn't stand that fucking slut.
She had almost broken up Hyde and his best friend.
And Hyde thanked the God he didn't believe in that she didn't succeed.
But he couldn't help but notice that Kelso and Brooke's greeting to both him and Donna…had a bit of bite to it. As if Hyde and Donna had done something wrong, and they didn't have the decency to apologize for it.
Almost as if….Kelso and Brooke were pissed off at them or something.
Which made nofucking sense.
And Hyde knew that it wasn't going to be as fun of a weekend as Fez had thought it would be.
As the evening wore on, the tension in the large apartment increased, though Donna and Forman were apparently oblivious to it. And Hyde just started to get more and more pissed. Brooke, Kelso, and Fez were huddled together in the kitchen, sneaking glances at Hyde and Donna, who were seated with Forman in the living room. He knew they were talking about him, and whatever fucked up shit they think he did, but it was getting fucking annoying, man. And frankly, he didn't come to Chicago for this crap.
And after stewing in his own pissed off juices – and having had a couple of beers to loosen his tongue – Hyde couldn't take the sneaky glances, and spoke up.
"What's with all the secrecy, Kelso?"
At Hyde's question, Donna and Eric looked up from their conversation. They weren't stupid, they could feel the tension in the air around them, but they chose to ignore it. Now, with Hyde's question, they were forced to face it.
And facing issues is not what this particular couple did well.
"Nothing, man. I just wondered if anyone had seen or spoken to Jackie lately," Kelso stated. Brooke looked at the father of her child, impressed by his bluntness, and a bit turned on by the undercurrent of animosity that had lied underneath the question. Since his arrival in Chicago, Michael had matured quite a bit, and it was this maturity that had convinced Brooke to take a chance on him again. He had told her what had happened in Chicago with Jackie, and while she didn't exactly condone Michael's behavior, she just straight out didn't comprehend Hyde's. She had seen the way Jackie looked at Hyde once upon a time, seen the look in her eyes.
It was love.
And, regardless of the fact that Brooke was new to the group dynamic, she knew this like she knew her own name – Jackie didn't just love Hyde. Jackie loved Hyde with a passion that hurt. And because Brooke understood what it was like to love someone so much that it physically ached when apart, she had reached out to Jackie after New Year's.
She knew where Jackie was.
And she, along with Michael and Fez, knew the reasons why she left Point Place.
And two of those reasons were staying at her apartment.
"No, man. And I really couldn't give a shit," Hyde stated, confused as to why Kelso would ask about Jackie. Did he want to get back together with her? He was living with Betsy's mother, for Christ's sake!
"Shut up Hyde," Donna demanded. "He may not give a shit, but I do. She hasn't come by the basement in, like, a month! Do you know what's going on with her?"
Brooke stared at Donna, astounded. Did she actually just say that? Like she fucking didn't know?
"You know what's amazing? The devil isn't even around, and she's still the center of attention! How does she even do that?" Eric tried to lighten the heavy mood with some humor, and as usual…the humor fell flat.
"What the fuck do you care about Jackie, anyway, Kelso? What, you want her back or somethin'? You sure Brooke would be okay with that?" Hyde was beginning to get really pissed. Who the hell does Kelso think he was, talking and looking at him like that, as if he was a piece of shit?
"I care, Hyde, because Jackie is one of my best friends. She's the godmother to my daughter. So, if she's unhappy or if something's going on with her, I wanna know why." Kelso spoke with a confidence that surprised Hyde. And it wasn't even what he said, but the way he said it. As if he had right to assure Jackie's welfare, and Hyde no longer measured up to the task of protecting her.
What Hyde didn't know was that Kelso had taken up that role as Jackie's protector. And the way it happened was completely by accident…
************************************************Flashback*****************************************************************
November 1979
Kelso had come down for a spur of the moment trip to show off Betsy. He couldn't believe it, man – how cool being a dad was. And the way his little girl looked at him – it was a better high than any frickin circle. She looked at him as if he had the answers to the universe, and to be on the receiving end of those eyes…Dude, he was a fucking goner.
So he was proud to show off his little girl – she was gonna grow up hot, just like her mom. And when that happened, he was just gonna send her off to convent school or something. There was no fucking way that his little girl was gonna be corrupted by a fucking delinquent. Just no fucking way.
It was his intention to apologize to his little girl – he was sure that the older her would be pissed at him shipping her off to a convent the moment she grew boobs (Why can't they just stay babies forever, was Kelso's thought) and he thought he should garner some goodwill for the moment when she inevitable blew up at him. He's always been a believer in racking up the goodwill points.
Even if it was to a baby.
As he left the basement to check up on a napping Betsy in Laurie's room, he briefly wondered where Jackie was. She had left the basement a couple of minutes prior, probably due to the massive burns Hyde was dishing out, and, Kelso thought guiltily, Kelso was enjoying. As he neared Laurie's room, he heard a voice. As he crept up to the Laurie's doorway, he saw what he never thought he would see.
Jackie, holding onto his baby girl, and crying into the baby's shoulder.
"Ugh! Betsy, why can't I just get over him, already? He's hurt me so much…it's like he broke me, Betsy. You don't know how good you have it, Betsy Kelso. All you do is sleep and cry, and everyone bends over backwards to give you what you need."
Kelso watched as Jackie sat down on Laurie's bed, and looked down at Betsy. And it was that look, that convinced Kelso he had made the right decision on making Jackie Betsy's godmother. Jackie looked down at Betsy the same way Brooke once told him he looked at her.
Like she was bewitched. Completely under Betsy's spell.
"You're so beautiful, Betsy," Jackie murmured. "I really hope that you get your Dad's good looks, but your mother's brains." Kelso softly chuckled outside the room. "That way, you'd be smarter than me. And know not to fall in love with someone who constantly breaks your heart, like I did."
Betsy cooed, and grabbed onto her godmother's cheeks.
"Oh, baby, are you trying to make Aunt Jackie feel better? Oh, look what a sweet baby girl you are…"Jackie cooed, bouncing Betsy on her lap. Kelso could never know how being in the presence of her goddaughter made Jackie feel…anchored. Made her feel as if there was something more to life than just the pain and anguish of the past couple of months – the pain that Jackie felt she attracted like honey to bees. Being able to hold Betsy gave Jackie a peace that she had not been able to experience since…
…since waking up in Steven's arms.
And that was never going to happen again.
Kelso watched as Jackie continued to whisper to his baby, and finally looked at his ex.
Really looked.
And he saw it. The pain. The misery.
The loneliness.
As he quietly – for once – walked back downstairs to the basement, Kelso made a silent promise to Jackie. He was going to be a better friend to her. He owed her, man. Jackie was special, and she deserved to be happy. And since it could be argued that this mess was semi his fault anyway, Kelso felt as if he had to right a wrong. Jackie didn't deserve to be tossed to the side like some whore.
Like he alluded to when he declared that he and Hyde had "ruined" her.
So as he walked down those stairs, he made a promise. To Jackie and to his little girl, who had looked at her godmother as if she was the goddess that Fez claimed she was. He was gonna make sure that Jackie was happy. She deserved it, man.
And what Kelso and Jackie never knew, was that Red Forman was watching the entire time. He saw Kelso watching Jackie and the baby. He saw the realization on the kettlehead's face.
"About time, dumbass…"
It was the memory of Jackie crying, searching for the comfort in an infant's arms, that had made him realize that Hyde wasn't as great of a guy as Kelso once thought he was. He was still one of his close friends, yes – but… The way Hyde had treated Jackie since his arrival from Vegas was ridiculous. And it shamed him, more than he would care to admit, that he never stood up for his ex. He laughed along with the burns, watched casually as he could see that the burns sometimes weren't really funny.
They were just cruel.
Even then, after Kelso had returned to Chicago and told Brooke of the scene in Laurie's bedroom, it took him a minute to fully comprehend the extent of the damage that Hyde had done to Jackie. It wasn't until Brooke had asked him, point blank, if he would like to see Betsy go through the anguish that Jackie was now going through. The idea of some fucking asshole treating his little girl with the same contempt and disrespect that Hyde showed Jackie, had made Kelso so furious that it took Brooke a full hour to calm him down.
And Donna. Don't even get Kelso started on Donna…
So, it was now, as Kelso looked at both Hyde and Donna, that he made a decision.
"No, Hyde's right, Donna," Kelso stated, calmly. "He never gave a shit about Jackie, so why bother worrying about her now?" He chuckled. "All Jackie was to him was a hot makeout buddy."
"Exactly," Hyde agreed.
Even though he didn't. Jackie was more to him than that, and Kelso knew it. Being with Jackie was like feeling the sun after almost eighteen years of full-blown winter. He had felt warmth from a woman's arms that weren't parental like Mrs. Forman's, or out of lust like Sam. For a long time, it was perfect.
Then it was gone.
But Hyde didn't want to explain this to Kelso, or with an audience of his fucking closest friends to witness it. He and Jackie were done, and he was tired of having everyone try to make him feel guilty over Sam. Everyone seemed to forget that Jackie was the one that fucked up first. He had been ready to propose, give her everything he had to give…
And she left.
Just like he one day thought she would.
"And, anyway. Not like she hadn't been gone for almost four weeks, with no phone calls, no letters, or anything. Not like she has family to look after her since her douchebag parents aren't here. Not like she has any real friends left in Point Place anyway, other than Fez," Kelso continued.
"Hey!," Donna exclaimed. "I'm her friend too!"
Brooke answered Donna back, angrily. "Really, Donna? Hey, sweetheart, heard from Sam lately? Since she's your new best friend now, I thought for sure she'd contact you once she went back to Vegas. I'm sure Sam wouldn't want to ditch her best friend!"
"That's not fair…!" Donna tried to explain, but Kelso interrupted.
"Save it, Donna. It doesn't matter at this point. Jackie's not around, which is what all of you wanted from the beginning. All of you guys hated Jackie, and now God knows where she is. She could be bleeding and dying somewhere, and you two assholes," Kelso jutted his chin out to indicate Donna and Hyde, "couldn't give a shit about it. So save your excuses. Jackie just gave you what you all wanted, right? For her to be out of the basement."
"Mission fucking accomplished."