Disclaimer: I don't own.

Author's Note: Thanks so VERY much for the reviews! You guys are great, and I really look forward to your reactions. And you're all so sweet...you all make me feel like a competent writer, which is something I aim to be. :) Anyway, I ended this chapter at a really bad place, I'm sorry. It just happened. Hee hee...plus I want you anxious awaiting the next one. I'm evil.

Warning: Language

For Her Sake

Chapter 9 – Used To

It Is NOT a Date

Jackie and Fez's apartment

Her jeans weren't quite as sexy as Olivia Newton John's black satin pants in Grease, but Jackie figured Steven was more of a denim type of guy. She turned around and looked over her shoulder at the reflection in the full-length mirror. The black and tight jeans looked as good as they felt, hugging her backside perfectly, and she grinned. Yep. Michael had once told her that she had a fine, fine ass. "God, I really do," she mumbled to herself, smoothing her hands over the back pockets of the jeans. And Steven had always liked her ass, too. Never said anything, of course, but she'd known. His damn sunglasses didn't hide everything.

She turned back around to face forward into the mirror and began fussing with her black off the shoulder top. She slipped the sleeves just a little further down her shoulder, smiling wickedly. Female skin, in Steven's humble opinion, was a good thing.

"Wait a second." She stopped fixing her top, and her smile disappeared. "What am I doing?" She began pacing her bedroom, shaking her head and wondering if maybe the fact that she'd hardly eaten all day was seriously destroying her brain. "This isn't a date." She sighed, walked back to the mirror and looked at herself again. Dressed to kill, her hair hanging loose in pretty waves, her makeup light but smoky and sexy.

The one problem was that her purpose wasn't to kill anyone with sexiness.

Was it?

She closed her eyes. Maybe she should change, put on a looser pair of jeans, a less provocative shirt. After all, she was only going over to the Forman's house to hang out with Steven.

She cocked her head and smiled. On the other hand, she felt sexy. And feeling sexy was good. Feeling sexy kept her strong. Feeling sexy made her powerful.

And hell. It wouldn't hurt her ego any for Steven to drool all over her, in, of course, his own Zen-like way.

Unless he didn't find her sexy anymore.

She looked down. Had that been the problem? Had that been why he'd stayed with Sam instead of working things out with her? Her eyes burned, but she winced the tears back inside of her. No more of that. She shook her hair over her shoulder and looked at herself in the mirror again. She'd stay dressed like this. Whether Steven found her sexy or not, she felt hot. She felt beautiful.

And maybe that was what mattered.

I Repeat, It Is NOT a Date

The Forman kitchen

Kitty Forman frowned across the table at the young man she'd long ago come to love as her son. He normally had a good appetite, especially for her fried chicken, just like Eric, but tonight, his fork made more trips around his plate than to his mouth. She leaned forward, her forearms resting on the edge of the table. "Steven, you're not eating. Is everything alright?"

Hyde shrugged, his eyes still focused on his plate. "Yeah, everything's just peachy."

Kitty scoffed. "Sweetie, if there's something wrong…"

He shook his head, furrowing his brow. "Nothing's wrong." Except for the fact that if anything happens and Jackie's dad finds out…damn, Hyde, nothing is going to happen! He sighed and closed his eyes. Good thing Red wasn't here to see him moping this way. His ass was definitely not in the mood for a foot.

Kitty shook her head. "I don't believe you, but I'll pretend I do." She stood up, picked up the plates and walked over to the sink. "So, Steven, what are you plans for this evening?"

"Jackie's coming over. We're just gonna hang out." Not like there was much else to do in their precious little town, aside from the disco or Roller World. And to both of those, Hyde had only two words; hell no.

"Oh!" Kitty's voice rose in excitement, and she turned to face Hyde, clapping her hands together. "Are you and Jackie getting back together? Because I know that she's been dating Fez, but I just don't think they'll work out." She smiled. "And I know that you've been missing her."

Hyde stared at her. "What? No. No. No. I haven't been missing her." He tried to make a face. Tried. "Breaking up with Jackie was the best thing I ever did."

At least for her.

Kitty shook her head and began rinsing dishes. "You say that, Steven, but I know better. A mother knows better." She looked at him, her slight smile falling, her eyes softening into maternal love. "I've seen the way you look at her. And I know you regret what happened between the two of you." She grabbed a dishtowel. "It's not too late, sweetie."

He looked away. Couldn't argue, much as he wanted to, because this was his mother, in all the ways that really mattered. Someday he was even going to call her Mom. Someday.

And she knew him, just like she knew Eric. She had that mother thing, that instinct, that annoyingly mystical ability to know what her children do, think and feel. "I can't get back together with her," he mumbled.

She'll die.

"Of course you can get back together with her, Steven. There's no statute of limitations on love, you know."

God, he wanted to tell her. He wanted to scream it, to someone, to everyone. Make everyone understand.

His head snapped back, and he stared at Kitty. "You don't understand. If I get back together with her, I'll kill her."

He'll kill her. And it will be my fault. I might as well be pointing a loaded gun at her head.

Kitty smiled and wiped her hands off on the towel before tossing it aside. She shook her head and walked back to the table. "Oh, Steven. Now I know Jackie annoyed you, but you wouldn't kill her." She laughed as she picked up a few more dishes. "You never did before!"

"Mrs. Forman…"

"Steven, you're obviously not going to finish your dinner. Why don't you go get ready for your date?"

He rolled his eyes. "It's not a date."

"Is that what you're going to wear for your date, honey? I think you should at least put a clean tee shirt on."

Hyde glanced down at his shirt, and noticed that he'd spilled something on it at some point today. He groaned and stood up. "I repeat, it's not a date!" he said as he, rebellious guy that he was, stomped out of the kitchen.

Stay

An hour later, the Forman basement

They sat next to each other, closer than they should, their legs touching. Both Jackie and Hyde had their arms crossed over the chest; both stared at the television set, and both found it utterly impossible to move even an inch away from the other.

Jackie cleared her throat softly. Damn it, why did he have to wear that shirt? My shirt?And why does he have to look so freaking good in it?

Hyde shifted his shoulder. Yeah, this was a bad idea. Of course it wouldn't be so damn hard… He rolled his eyes. Hard. Yeah. Nice word choice. If she didn't look so fucking hot. Out of the corner of his eye, he sneaked a peek. She was all in black; off the shoulder shirt with nearly see through sleeves, loose enough to make it obvious she wasn't wearing a bra, tight jeans. Damn it, I shouldn't have done that. He shifted in his seat.

Jackie shook her head and closed her eyes. "Why are you making me watch this? You know I hate scary movies." She opened her eyes slightly, only to gasp and drop them into her hand when a disgusting zombie attacked an innocent, beautiful young girl.

Hyde grinned. Aside from her looking so freaking hot and his resulting physical discomfort, so far, hanging out had been cool. "I made you popcorn."

Jackie lifted her head and gave him her patented disbelieving look, her eyebrow arched. "Mrs. Forman made the popcorn."

"Yeah, but I asked her to," Hyde shot back, turning a grin to her. She laughed and elbowed him lightly, and his smile didn't fade as quickly as it should have. Probably because she left it nestled against him. And her touch…god, her touch was exactly what he needed. Wanted. "You know, you used to watch these movies without all the griping."

She elbowed him again and gave him a saucy look. "Yeah, but I had an ulterior motive." The right side of her body tingled, urged her to move closer to him. He radiated warmth, and never before in her life had she so wanted warmth. Her stomach tightened. Would she really say what she wanted to if he took the bait?

"Oh? And what exactly was your ulterior motive?"

He took it, and her breath jammed in her chest, but only for a moment, because from seemingly out of nowhere, the Jackie who'd always known how to flirt with Steven revived. She turned a sexy smile to him, her eyes flickering down to his chest. God, that shirt looked so hot on him! "When I was scared, you'd put your arm around me and we cuddled."

Hyde scowled, more for show than for real annoyance. "We did not cuddle. I do not cuddle."

"Whatever, Steven." She suppressed a giggle and turned her attention back to the television, immediately squealing and burying her eyes in her hands once more. What kind of a movie was this?

He sighed. She was casting out a sharp hook and waiting to reel him in, he knew that. Just like she always had and probably always would. Pushing him to do things that he didn't want to do. Except that he did want to do this. If he was to be honest with himself, most of the things she'd pushed him to do were things he secretly wanted to do.

And he'd missed her doing it.

"God! Steven, change the channel! I can't watch this anymore!"

He snickered at her, her feet on the couch now, her legs drawn up to her chest, her face digging into her knees. "Are you scared?"

No. No. Damn it, don't do it. Her father. He'll find out. But I want to. God, I want to. It's been so long, and she's here, and she wants to…and I WANT to.

Her response was a voracious but silent nod.

Before thoughts of the picture in the glove compartment of the El Camino, or the echoes of her father – I'm even willing to kill her. You want that on your shoulders, Steven? ­– could stop him, Hyde lifted his arm and put it around her shoulder, gently urging her to curl towards him.

And she did. The little ball of Jackie rolled over to him and melded into his side, her head, as always, landing perfectly on his shoulder. Her bent knees rested on his thigh, the front of her chest pressed against the side of his. He cupped her shoulder with his hand, took a shallow breath, tried to ignore the aching below the belt. "Okay."

Jackie trembled as heat replaced blood in her veins. Steven's hand moved slowly on her shoulder, like the face of an iron, she thought, it was so hot. She nuzzled her head into the spot between his shoulder and neck that even now felt like it had been made for her and her alone. Her heart beat against her chest in a strong but nonsensical rhythm.

God, I shouldn't do this, but…it feels so good!

She opened her eyes when his fingers abandoned her shoulder and appeared on the back of her head, buried in her hair. Each finger made gentle, small circles, with just enough pressure on her head to make her smile. "I used to love it when you did that," she said, her eyes suddenly feeling heavy, drooping slightly.

Hyde smiled, his eyes locked on the television screen, whatever resided inside his body, organs, soul, whatever, all of it shaking with nerves. "Yeah, well, how about now?"

"Mmmm, I still love it."

His eyes closed. Why did she have to purr her words like that? Low, soft, sexy… He squirmed on the couch. He should put a stop to this. Shove her off of him. Get up, leave, never go near her again. God, was that his heart he heard in his ears? Was she really doing this to him? He'd spent the last several months treating her like shit, talking himself into hating her… She sighed, one of those sweet tiny little ones that she used to do when he kissed her.

I wonder if she still would.

"Jackie." He nudged his shoulder up. Fuck it. Fuck her father, fuck Fez, fuck everything. She was here. He was here. And god…whatever they'd discovered in one another that summer right here in the basement was sure as hell still here. At least for him.

She raised her head, and when her eyes met his, her heart reached the speed of light. "Ste…" Her voice failed. Her defenses were faltering, falling to pieces at her feet. Her body ached for his. The weakness in her limbs left her dizzy.

"You used to love it when I did this, too."

The look on his face as he approached her seared itself into her brain, so even when her eyes closed, she saw him. Though when hands cupped her cheeks, her mind screamed warnings, though she heard a million alarm bells as clearly as she heard the screaming zombie victim on the television, she arched her neck to him. And the instant his lips, so familiar, so warm, so soft, touched hers, she opened her mouth and deepened the caress.

His tongue darted to hers, and as they tangoed, the couple shifted, turning their upper bodies towards one another so to get a closer hold. Her arms sought his shoulders, her hands plunging into the back of his hair. His hands slid from her cheeks to her neck, then to her shoulders.

She released her breath to him, pressing her lips as sensually as she could. She was lost. Lost in him again. Lost in the passion, in the feeling that his lips against hers stirred in her down to her curling toes.

He returned his breath to her and moved his hands to her waist. The heat in her mouth, the play of her soft tongue with his made the blackness behind his closed eyes spin, and he slowly, on instinct, began to push her backwards.

The sound of feet on the stairs, gaining in volume, broke Jackie and Hyde apart. Jackie pulled back, her face flushed, her eyes wide, while Hyde grimaced as he resumed his former position on the couch, just as Kitty Forman reached the bottom of the stairs.

Jackie had to giggle when Hyde took a magazine from the table and laid it over his lap. She covered it with her hand, but he glared at her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, I just thought you kids might want something to drink, so I brought you some nice, cold sodas."

Hyde forced a smile at her as she placed the sodas on the table in front of them. He knew her game. She was spying. She wanted to see how the "reconciliation" was going. "Thanks, Mrs. Forman."

Jackie, her breath still jerky, her head still light, smiled too. "Thank you, Mrs. Forman."

Kitty looked back and forth between the two, and laughed. "Well, I didn't interrupt anything, did I? You both look flushed. I haven't seen you look this way since…well, since that day I caught you kissing in front of the refrigerator." She gasped. "Oh! Were you kissing? Are you back together?"

Jackie looked away. The lust of the kiss was gone. Back together. No. Of course they weren't. This was just some stupid thing, some fluke. He'd only kissed her because he was bored. Or something. And she'd only kissed him because it had been so long…and ever since he'd picked Sam…

He picked Sam. Remember that, Jackie? He picked her. Not you. And Sam was the first girl he ever loved. NOT you. Not you for anything, Jackie. Except an easy lay, apparently. That must have been what he was hoping for tonight. And like the idiot I am, I almost gave it to him.

She stood up, cold and bitter pain quickly replacing the heat of his touch. She shook her head at Mrs. Forman. "No, we're not, Mrs. Forman, and you know what? I need to go."

Hyde stood as well, and forgot that his pseudo mother was still in the room. His stomach was turning with panic; she couldn't leave, not now. Not when he'd kissed her and she'd kissed him, and it felt almost the way it used to. "Wait, just…" The look on her face, her downcast eyes and trembling lower lip…he knew what she was thinking. Of Sam. That he'd picked another woman. That he'd claimed that other woman had been his first love instead of her. He knew her.

If only he could tell her what he was really thinking.

"Just stay, okay?"

Mrs. Forman laughed nervously. "Well, I think I should probably leave and let you two…do whatever it is you're doing!"

Another giggle, and the footsteps going up were decidedly quicker than they'd been coming down.

Hyde stared at Jackie, who was still looking at the ground, now biting her lower lip. He smiled faintly. She didn't know what to do. She wanted one thing, thought she should do another. "Stay. I'll do my best to keep my hands off you," he teased, hoping against hope that she'd appreciate the implication. She arched an eyebrow, and he rolled his eyes. "Fine. We'll watch whatever you want to."

Despite herself and the cold pain still lingering, Jackie lifted a smile. She looked at the shirt, the one he'd given her so long ago. She thought about how he'd told her she could do anything she wanted. And how he'd just massaged her scalp, just kissed her with a sweetness that he'd die if anyone else knew existed. He still let her know, despite everything. And for some reason, that made the kiss okay. That made her staying okay. "Fine. I feel sorry for you, though. It's gonna be tough. I mean, I am irresistible," she teased back, returning to the couch and flopping down. She glanced at him, and he was giving her that soft, half smile, the one he gave her when he thought she was being cute.

The one that made her insides shake. Then and now.

Somewhere inside of him, the Steven only she knew about was still there.

That's why she was staying. Of course it was. What else could it be?

Don't

An hour later, they were in the same situation. Sitting too close, unable to move. They'd watched stupid tv shows and made fun of them, laughed with one another and not mentioning the kiss at all. Neither wanted to say anything about it. Neither wanted to deal with anything about it. And neither really wanted the night to end.

Donny and Marie were on, singing about being a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, and out of the corner of Jackie's eye, she could see Steven cringing. She grinned. "What's the matter, Steven?"

Hyde shook his head in disgust. What in the hell had been thinking? Letting her watch Donny and Marie? Just so she'd stay? God, what was wrong with him? He looked over at her, and the impulse to throw something hard at the t.v. vanished. God damn, she was beautiful. He smirked. "I'm scared. Donna and Marie are worse than zombies."

Jackie giggled, and without thinking, put her arms around his shoulders. "Come here, you big baby."

Their eyes met, and only a few seconds passed before she'd pulled his lips to be hers once again. A few more, and he'd pushed her so she was on her back. All the while, their lips joined as if parting would kill them both. As if the other had become essential for literal life.

Just like it used to be.

Jackie stiffened as the thought occurred to her. Used to be. USED to be. She pulled back, her mind reeling with memories of good and bad, joy and pain, all tossed together and leaving her helpless for coherence. "Don't," she whispered when he tried to kiss her again. Her breath rasped in short pants, and she looked away from him. "We can't."

Hyde tried to catch his breath, tried to read her. He stared down at her pinkened cheeks, her swollen lips, her averted eyes. "Why not?" he whispered, his voice hardly sounding. It was too much. The desire for her was full force, burning him to insanity, and he couldn't fight it. He touched her shoulder gently with his lips, only to be rewarded with a strong push off the couch. He tumbled to the floor and cussed. "Damn it, Jackie!"

She scampered off the couch and over him, heading towards the door.

"Jackie, god damn it, don't!" He managed to get to his feet before she left and grabbed her arm, turning her back to him.

She shook her arm away, and tears now filled her eyes. "I just…I have to go, Steven. I can't…this just….you and…..Sam….I just….I don't know…."

Hyde shook his head and spread his hands out. "What are you trying to say, Jackie?"

"I can't do this! I can't kiss you like that! Not anymore! Not ever again!" Jackie glared at him. "And you keep making me!"

"I keep making you?" he spat.

The Zen had abandoned him, but Hyde still had anger on his side. He looked her up and down, in that outfit he was sure she'd chosen on purpose. To see if he still found her sexy. To see if he still wanted her. And fuck, he'd fallen prey to her little trap. Gotten caught. Now that she'd won her prize, she was done.

Whatever the hell they'd discovered between them that summer in this basement might still be there for him, but all that was there for her was the need for revenge.

He shook his head, wanting to just walk away without saying anything, but the pain in his chest was too much to bear. "Whatever, Jackie. I didn't make you do anything. Just like you didn't make me do anything. I kissed you because I freaking wanted to, okay? You happy now? I admitted it. I wanted to kiss you! Just like I want to…" The widening surprise of her eyes cut him off, and he closed his eyes for a moment.

And then he turned and walked to his bedroom.

The slam of his door made her jump, and Jackie slowly turned. She looked at the door leading to the outside stairs. She looked towards Steven's bedroom.

His voice echoed in her head. He wanted to kiss her? And what else did he want to do?

Her entire body trembled with half warm, half chilled goosebumps.

She had two choices. The outside stairs, or Steven's bedroom.

She wasn't sure which choice was right.

Why had he wanted to kiss her? Was it because of how she was dressed? Or…he'd been so sweet to her lately…could it be…was it even possible…now that she and Fez were over, was he thinking…

Her eyes blinked closed, then open. Her heart skipped a few beats, and her lips curved upwards at the corners. It might be the wrong choice. It might lead to something she'd regret later, who the hell knew at this point.

But she had to. She had to know why.

She took a deep breath, smoothed down the front of her blouse, tossed her hair over her shoulders and followed Steven to his bedroom.