I loved writing this chapter, simply because of how simple it is. For those you who were fans of Into the Woods, this chapter is the most like that. There's even a fairy tale.
I own very little, please don't take it away.
Underneath the Juniper Tree.
Jackie could feel her skin burning as her former companion stared at her. His words, "What are you doing here?" made her instantly regret her decision. What had she done?
"I… don't really know." She admitted.
Not! Eric closed his eyes for a moment and then reopened them, darker than ever. "You made your choice."
"I know!" Jackie tried to defend herself, "But…"
"But what?" he asked, glaring at her.
"It's hard." Jackie admitted finally.
"What, you thought it'd be all puppies and kittens?" he asked sarcastically, "Sorry, Princess, but life is hard."
"He left me." Jackie cried out.
"Left you? Who left you?"
"Steven, he…" Jackie couldn't admit it, not even to herself. She watched as her friend shook his head and started pacing, muttering to himself.
"Why did he leave you?"
"I… don't know, he said he wants to start over."
"And instead of doing that, you came back here." Not! Eric finished for her, "Smart move."
"Why are you being so mean to me?" Jackie asked, "You were never mean to me!"
"I was plenty mean to you," Not! Eric reminded her, "Besides, I'm just trying to figure out why you decided to break your word…that's not allowed here, there are penalties."
"Oh." Jackie sighed. "Well if it helps, I also came back because I think my doctors are trying to kill me."
"I see you've gained his sense of paranoia." He retorted, referring to Steven.
"No, I mean, they keep giving me this weird medication and even though nothing's wrong with me, they keep me at the hospital. My shrink is a freaking loon."
"Jackie, dear, you're here with me, I think the doctors might have a point."
Jackie could feel herself getting more and more frustrated with every moment. He wasn't listening to her. "No," she tried arguing, "You don't understand."
"No, I understand, you're scared, and that's to be expected, but princess, you don't belong here." His voice was sympathetic as he put his hand on her arm. "Go home."
"I don't know if I can." Jackie admitted.
"Sure you can, just click your heels three times and say, there's no place like home."
Jackie shook her head, "That only worked for Dorothy."
Not! Eric grinned, "And it'll work for you too, all you have to do is believe!"
Jackie pointed her finger at her friend, "and what if I don't know where my home is, and don't say it's where the heart is."
Not! Eric laughed and shook his head, "I'm actually going to miss you, Princess."
Jackie smiled, "Which is why you should let me stay."
He just smiled though as he put his hands onto hers. Jackie could feel herself getting weaker at his touch, as though an electric charge was seeping through her bloodstream all the way to her heart, before she could cry out, she fainted.
When she opened her eyes, she was eye to eye with a familiar pair of brown eyes.
"AHH." both her and Kelso screamed.
"Michael!" Jackie yelled, "What are you doing?"
"It was his idea!" Kelso yelled, pointing to Fez.
"Was not, you liar!" Fez yelled back, "Jackie, don't listen to him."
Jackie struggled to sit up in her bed, "What happened?"
"You went back into a coma." Fez told her, "We've all been very worried."
"Yeah, Hyde has barely left your side; I don't even think he's seen daylight." Kelso said.
"Really?" Jackie didn't know why, but she felt extremely hopeful at this news.
"Yeah, he and Donna have been beside themselves, we ordered them to go get something to eat though, but they should be back soon, unless you want me to go get them now." Fez offered.
"Yeah." Jackie said, knowing her two closest friends would want to see her.
Fez nodded and ran out of the room, leaving her and Kelso alone. He sat down in the lawn chair and grinned happily at Jackie.
"Do I want to know what that was about?" Jackie asked, referring to his closeness when she woke up.
"Probably not." He admitted.
"Okay." Jackie agreed, deciding to take his word on it. She wasn't sure what to say next, but she didn't need to.
"I'm moving back to Point Place." Kelso informed her.
"Really?" Jackie asked. "That's great, Michael, but what about Brooke and Betsy?"
"They'll live without me, I miss you guys, and I'm beginning to think you need me."
"Well, well, well." Jackie turned and looked at Donna who was standing in the doorway, "If it ain't Sleeping Beauty, awake from her enchanted slumber."
Jackie frowned, "Don't call me that, I get enough of it from the nurses."
Donna laughed as she walked over to hug Jackie. "Welcome back, midget."
"Thanks, lumberjack." Jackie smiled as they finished hugging. "Where's Steven?"
"Mrs. Forman made him go home and take a shower." Donna said with a laugh, "Jackie's not going to want to kiss you if you smell like you've been working in a sewer all day." Donna said, impersonating Kitty.
"That's true." Jackie said with a nod, "I wouldn't."
Donna smiled and put her hand on Jackie's hand, "By the way, I have something I need to talk to you about, later."
Jackie nodded okay, understanding that it had to be something important, but Kelso scoffed. "I wanna know." He whined.
"It's girl stuff." Donna told him.
Kelso frowned, "Fine, I don't want to know your secrets; I'm going to find Fez."
"He was buying a celebratory candy bar out of the vending machine." Donna informed him as Kelso left the room.
"So, what did you want to tell me?" Jackie asked. "Oh, did you hear from Eric?"
"No." Donna said with a glare, "I don't know where that dillhole is."
"Oh, okay." Jackie said a little sheepishly, "I was just wondering."
Donna sighed, "No, it's not your fault, I'm just mad at him for leaving."
"And getting engaged to someone else." Jackie added.
Donna glared at her friend, "Jackie, I'm happy you're no longer in a coma, again, but you've got to shut up about Eric, please."
"Okay," Jackie said sincerely, "I will… so what is it you wanted to tell me?"
"I think your shrink is out to get you."
Jackie was nonplussed by this information. "And?"
"And I mean, I really think he's out to get you… We've been hearing weird things around here lately."
Jackie frowned, "What kind of weird things?"
Donna filled her in on what she, Hyde and Fez had all heard around the hospital.
"I need to get out of here." Jackie said. "But they won't let me out until I pass my psych evaluation, and this is just going to make it worse." She wanted to cry.
Donna nodded thoughtfully, "Maybe WB can threaten to stop paying your bills."
Jackie raised her eyebrow at Donna's suggestion, "That's not a bad idea."
Donna smiled in agreement. "Oh, so I met someone."
Jackie was surprised, "You did? What's his name?"
"Serena." Donna answered.
Jackie cringed, "Uh, Donna, don't tell me you're into girls now."
Donna grimaced, "No, I met this woman at the park the other day, she gave me one of those tarot readings, and she was really cool."
"A tarot reading?" Jackie asked skeptically, "What'd it say? Let me guess, you're going to become rich and marry the man of your dreams."
"Actually it said that we're all in a lot of danger and the only person who can help us is Eric."
Jackie laughed, "Well, then you know that's a crock."
Donna shook her head, "I'm not sure it is, I mean, with all the stuff that's going on lately, I'm starting to think there's more to it than meets the eye."
Jackie didn't want to say what she was thinking, which was there was definitely more to it than just what Donna and Steven had witnessed. Instead, she nodded her agreement. "So what did she say we need to do?"
"She basically said we need to stick together, but things will get worse before they get better."
"Super." Jackie sighed.
Donna shrugged, "Jackie, whatever happens, we'll deal with it, I know I messed up before, but…"
"Donna, I keep telling you that I forgive you, when are you going to stop beating yourself?" Jackie asked.
"I just know that I owe you," Donna replied, "So I'll say when we're even, okay?"
Jackie sighed; truthfully she was kind of glad Donna was going out of her way to make their friendship what it once was. She reached out and hugged Donna.
"Fez is going to be mad that he missed this." Hyde said from the doorway. The two girls broke apart and smiled abashedly.
"I'll leave you two alone." Donna said, hopping off the bed. As she walked out she lightly punched Hyde on the arm, "Don't be stupid."
Hyde just shook his head and headed over to Jackie who was waving goodbye to the redhead.
"So…" Hyde said awkwardly, "Uh, how're you?"
"I'm just waiting for the doctors to realize that I'm awake and send me in for more tests." Jackie answered, "But other than that, I'm okay."
"Okay." Hyde repeated, "Not great."
"But not bad either, Steven…" Jackie reached out to hold his hand, "I know you're worried."
Hyde leaned down and kissed Jackie softly on the mouth, "I don't think I can lose you again." He confessed.
"And you won't." Jackie promised him, her forehead touching his, "I'm not going anywhere."
The two kissed again right as a team of nurses and orderlies came marching in the room.
"It's time for you to go, Mr. Hyde." One of the nurses said cheerfully, "You can come back in the morning."
Hyde glared at the nurse for taking away his precious time with Jackie, but he knew it was for the best. "I'll see you in the morning." He said as the nurse ushered him out of the door.
"Bye, Steven!" Jackie called.
Hyde walked out of Jackie's room and instantly spotted Donna, Fez and Kelso sitting in the waiting room. He walked over and sat in one of the empty chairs across from them.
"They kicked me out."
"We noticed." Donna said. "Sucks for you, you got what, five minutes?"
"Less than." Hyde glared, looking back at Jackie's room. "You'd think they'd give her some peace."
"Hyde, my friend, if you want peace, you're not going to find it here." Fez said.
Hyde ignored his foreign friend and turned to Donna, "So what'd you two girls talk about?"
"Nothing that's any of your business." Donna answered.
"So, Eric then, got it." Hyde said with a nod.
Kelso laughed, "They totally talked about Eric, she even made me leave so that they could do it in secret."
"Oh, a secret, eh?" Fez said with a sly grin, "Was it dirty?"
"It wasn't about Eric." Donna said, glaring at the guys.
"Oh, maybe it was about Randy." Fez suggested with a leer.
"Wasn't that the guy you guys tried to replace me with?" Kelso asked.
"No one can replace you." Fez smiled at Kelso.
"Okay, if you two are done flirting, Donna was about to tell us what sultry little secret she told my girlfriend, come on, Donna, tell us and don't leave out any of the details." Hyde said teasingly.
Donna threw her book at Hyde who ducked out of the way. He reached down onto the floor to pick it up and glanced at the cover.
"Aren't these the fairy tales you were reading to Jackie?"
"Yeah, I kind of got hooked on them." Donna admitted, "These guys were sick."
"Yeah," Fez agreed, "But I kind of miss you reading them to us."
Kelso agreed, "Me too."
Fez clapped his hands excitedly, "Oh, you should read one to us now."
Donna shook her head, "Don't you two have something better to do with your time than listen to me read a bunch of children's stories?"
"Not really." Fez said with a shrug. Kelso nodded, "Yeah, what else are we going to do?"
Donna laughed and took the book from Hyde. "Fine," she said, "You staying?" she asked him.
Hyde knew he had nothing better to do, so he nodded, "Yeah, I'll stay."
Donna nodded in understanding and opened the book to the story of the juniper tree.
"It is now long ago, quite two thousand years, since there was a rich man who had a beautiful and pious wife, and they loved each other dearly. They had, however, no children, though they wished for them very much, and the woman prayed for them day and night, but still they had none."
Fez and Kelso grinned like little boys. "This is fun!" Kelso said happily.
Hyde just closed his eyes and listened.
"The mother took the little boy and chopped him in pieces, put him into the pan and made him into black puddings, but the daughter stood by weeping and weeping, and all her tears fell into the pan and there was no need of any salt." Donna read.
"Ew!" Fez yelled, "That's disgusting."
"Wait…" Kelso said thoughtfully, "What's black pudding, is it like chocolate pudding?"
"No," Donna answered, "It's a kind of sausage."
"They made him into sausage?" Kelso gasped, "I'm never eating sausage again." He swore.
"Will you two shut up?" Hyde asked, "Donna, keep reading."
Donna did as Hyde ordered, and the three guys continued listening to the story. When she got to the end, Kelso and Fez clapped.
"I can't believe the mom died." Kelso said. "And then the father and the two kids just went inside and ate."
"Well, she was evil." Fez pointed out, "She was possessed by the devil. She deserved to be hit in the head with a rock."
"True." Kelso agreed.
Donna looked over at Hyde. "What's wrong?"
Hyde opened his eyes and for the first time in months, he wished he had his sunglasses. "Nothing."
Donna shook her head, knowing that something was clearly bothering her friend. "Come on, Hyde."
"Donna, it's nothing." Hyde tried to persuade her. "That story just made me think about Pam."
"A story about a woman making her own son into sausage and then him turning into a singing blackbird made you think about Pam?" Fez asked, confused.
Both Donna and Hyde ignored him. "I know my dad's tried to get a hold of her, but no one knows where she is."
"Oh I know how you can find her!" Fez informed them.
"How?" Hyde asked.
"Jackie keeps a book with every number of every guy that Pam knows, just get it and call them until you find her."
The other three looked at each other. "Isn't that an invasion of privacy?" Donna asked.
"Well, you could ask Jackie." Kelso suggested. "The doctors just left her room."
"No, absolutely not." Jackie said, crossing her arms. "You're not calling my mom." They had snuck back into Jackie's room to ask if they should call Pam. Her response had not been what they expected.
"Jackie." Hyde tried, "Don't you want to see her?"
"No," Jackie replied, "Those two morons want to see her," she said, pointing to Fez and Kelso. "It's been over six months since I've seen her."
"Six months?" Donna asked, surprised, "She's really been gone that long?"
Jackie shrugged, "Why do you think I moved in with Fez in the first place?"
"Why didn't you say anything?" Hyde asked.
Jackie glared at both him and Donna, "You really want to know?"
Both of them shook their heads quickly. "We're sorry." Donna apologized for both of them.
Jackie waved the apology off. "I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at my sleazy drunk of a mom for not being here when I needed her, but I'm over it."
Hyde and Donna looked at each other, both knowing that Jackie definitely wasn't over it.
"I thought I told you that you could see Jackie in the morning." The nurse said as she walked in the room. "All of you, out!"
Kelso and Fez ran out of the door, but Donna and Hyde stayed behind. "Our friend just woke up, can't you just…"
"No." The nurse told Donna sternly, "I can't, now get."
Jackie shook her head, "You better go." She informed them. "Steven, come here."
Hyde walked over to the bed and leaned down to kiss Jackie. The nurse and Donna looked away as the two made out for a minute.
"I love you." Jackie told him. "I'm not giving up on us." She promised both him and herself. Not! Eric had been right. Life was hard, but you dealt with it. Whatever happened, she wanted to go through it with Steven.
Hyde smiled and kissed Jackie again before standing back up and grinning. He mouthed the words back to her and Jackie giggled.
"Great, you two had your moment, now leave." The nurse commanded.
Hyde shook his head and he and Donna finally left the room.
"I thought you two broke up." Donna asked.
Hyde shook his head, "Guess not."
Donna smiled as the two went to find their friends. She knew that this had to be the calm before the storm; she only hoped they were ready for whatever lied ahead.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm getting tired of the hospital. The next chapter is going to skip a little in time, not too much, but we're never getting to act two in this rate! Slowest moving story ever!