AN: Here's the last chapter of my story with an epilogue that'll soon follow. Man, it feels so good to actually finish one of these things. Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me through this entire thing. Your support has really pushed me to get this story out there. I hope you guys enjoy the update! Reviews rock!


Chapter 16: Ether

Jackie stepped into her new home, hoping it would be the last time she would ever move again until Steven and she retired and traveled the world as two smoking hot old people. He didn't ask her over a romantic dinner for two or have a plane spell it out in the sky as she always dreamed about when she was younger. The practicality in that actually happening was slim to none, and Jackie accepted that something to that magnitude would never come out of Steven Hyde. However, it wasn't grand gestures that made her fall in love with him. It was his little attempts at showing her, and only her, just how much she meant to him. When he casually told her that since she came over so much any ways that she might as well move in, Jackie knew that it was a big deal for him. He always downplayed important things, especially when he was really nervous about it. Jackie, of course, blew the entire issue into proportions that Hyde never intended as she hopped around the kitchen celebrating.

Jackie marched her way through the house as she guided the young men who were carrying her now many suitcases after countless shopping sprees into the house.

"What the hell is in this thing?" Jeff whispered to Hyde as he struggled with a particularly deceivingly heavy box.

"Makeup." Hyde gruffly stated as he pushed his way passed the boy. "You should be grateful that she even trusted you to carry that thing. Now quit complaining and get your ass upstairs." Hyde walked off with his own box of Jackie items.

"Dude," Jeff turned to Zach. "Why is your dad such a hardass?"

"You think he's bad?" Zach huffed. "You should meet my Grandpa Red."

Everyone made their way up to Hyde's bedroom that now was also Jackie's and put her things down on the floor. Jackie informed all of them that she could handle the unpacking.

"I'm going to miss you bossing everyone around, midget." Donna said as she lightly shoved Jackie's shoulder.

"Aw, and I'm going to miss your lumberjack decorating!" Jackie threw her arms around the red head to give her a big hug.

Eric, Hyde, Zach and Josh walked in with more boxes. Eric and Hyde grinned at the sight of their women hugging each other.

"Alright. Now this is what I'm talking about. Now give her a goodbye kiss." Eric said sleazily, and Donna and Jackie broke apart.

"Dad," Josh rolled his eyes and tossed the box to the floor. "Do me and favor and don't refer to you wanting Mom to do lesbian things around me."

Zach and Josh exited the room, shaking their heads in disgust.

Jackie bounced back from the incident, completely ignoring the exchange. "Thanks so much you guys for letting me stay with you for so long. I don't know what I would have done if you guys didn't take me in."

"We loved having you stay with us, Jackie." Donna assured.

"Speak for yourself!" Eric called as he set down the box he was carrying. He flashed Jackie a smile though to tell her he was only kidding.

"You know you are going to miss me, Eric." Jackie stood by him and looked up at him with a knowing eye.

Eric rolled his eyes but then gave the girl that had eased her way into his heart as one of his best friends again. "Alright, I guess I am going to miss you. You have been good company for the summer."

"That's right. I mean, how many times do your kids buy you shirts that actually make you look like you have shoulders and discuss the good old days when roller disco was in?" Jackie held our her hands with her presenting question, not even realizing that she just pushed Eric right into a pile of shit.

"You still like roller disco, Forman?" Hyde sneered. "You're lamer than I thought."

Eric looked to Donna for approval and only found her greeting him with a disappointed look and her shaking head. He sighed and pushed his hands into his pockets.

"I should have known my secret would have been revealed when intrusting Jackie's BIG MOUTH with that kind of information." Eric turned on his heel and grabbed Donna's hand. "Come Donna. Let's leave this humiliation behind us."

Hyde and Jackie watched the two leave the bedroom and then looked to each other. Jackie couldn't hide the grin playing at her lips as joy surged through her body. Hyde filled in the gap between their bodies as he walked to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"So, do you want me to help you unpack all of your stuff?" He asked, giving her a look that said he really didn't want to help at all.

"I actually had something different in mind." Jackie bit her lip, and then suddenly pushed him onto the bed, climbing on top of his body so she could straddle his hips.

"Oh, I like this much better." Hyde said as ran his fingers through Jackie's hair, pulling her head down to crush his lips against hers.


A few hours later…

His pace was that of a machine gun, shooting off pounding beats like bullets through the air. His feet moved steadily in a fast progression, keeping the tempo through his double bass drums. The sleek wooden sticks gripped loosely in his hands swung along with his wrist that moved from tom to cymbal to snare in rhythmic patterns. All he could hear was music around him, and all he could feel was his heart keeping up with the building aggression laced in the sound. It was an odd sanctuary for a person. Palms sweating, heavy breathing, and the occasional hand smacking was usually something a person tended to avoid. Not Zach. Zach loved every second of the beating he gave his set every day. Bruises from flying sticks and missed steps were just trophies of a day well spent in his eyes. Drumming was better than any high he had ever experienced. When he was in the zone as Josh liked to refer to it as, there was nothing more exhilarating. He thrived in the serenity he found when he played the drums, especially how it sounded when Jeff and Josh joined in with their guitars.

The whole experience made him laugh at the people who said his music was ugly. How could anyone see negativity in something based on so much passion?

Most importantly, playing the drums was a great escape for him. It was one of the few things he was actually good at, and when he played, everyone respected him. It was his art and his expression, and everyone seemed to understand exactly that when they heard him play. Kat understood that as she sat against the wall of the Jam Room, watching him as if she were hypnotized. Jeff and Josh were playing their guitars, Jeff on bass, as they all practiced their new song they wrote during the passed week. It was very fast, like most of their songs, but this one had some unique pauses to put a little edge on it. Plus, Zach had a drum solo at the beginning of it.

Suddenly, Zach noticed Jeff and Josh had stopped playing and were staring at the door. Zach stopped his pounding and turned to see what they were staring at. Jackie stood in the doorway, holding a tray with three glasses of lemonade and wore a huge smile on her face.

"I just got done packing, and I thought I'd bring all you guys some lemonade." Jackie set the tray down on a nearby table.

"I'm about to make some cookies, Kat. Do you want to help me out some?" Jackie offered as she made her way back to the door.

Kat exchanged glances with all the guys and looked back to Jackie. "Sure." She got up and left, much to Zach's dismay. He was enjoying having her watch him play. Even though she'd sat in on practice a hundred times before, it was always great to put on a little show.

Josh picked up a glass of lemonade and took a sip. "Man, your new mom kicks major ass."

Zach frowned at him. He was contemplating whether or not to take a glass. Josh's comment about Jackie being his "mom" really made him want to ignore the lemony goodness just out of spite, but he was very thirsty.

Zach got up from his seat and picked up a glass. "She's not my new mom."

"Not only does she kick ass for getting us lemonade and making cookies," Jeff put in. "But she's also really hot."

Zach gulped down the glass, trying his best not to get angry at Jeff. He didn't even think about that possibility nor did he want to start. "Shut up, Jeff. Let's just play, okay?"

"I have to agree with Jeff here." Josh looked to his friend with a grin as Zach just walked back to his set. "She has a nice rack for an older lady."

"Yeah," Jeff agreed as he got a dreamy look on his face. "Kind of like your mom." Jeff slapped his friend on the back and Josh's face turned sour.

"Alright, let's just play." He said as he stormed away from Jeff back to his guitar.

Zach sat on his stool and tried to convince himself that his friends weren't right when they said that Jackie kicked ass. Giving them lemonade was a really nice gesture, but he didn't need to be taken care of by her. He was just fine on his own. Once Zach began playing again and took notice to his body's new and refreshing energy, guilt settled into his gut. If she kept this up, she was going to make it a lot harder for him to hate her.


Jackie and Kat hovered over the cookbook that was resting on the counter. Jackie scrunched her nose as she read the directions while Kat pulled out materials needed as she read along.

"Alright, looks like we have to cream the sugar and the butter together." Kat announced as she pulled a stick of butter from the refrigerator door and the carton of eggs from the top shelf. "You can crack these eggs while I cream."

Jackie shook her head and head out her hands. "Oh no no no. I'll cream and you crack the eggs."

Kat's forehead scrunched in confusion at Jackie's strange reaction. "Do you not like eggs or something?"

"No, eggs are fine. I just refuse to touch anything that's come out of a chicken's butt." Jackie grabbed the butter out of Kat's hand. "I'll be taking this then."

Kat shook her head from side to side once Jackie turned around. She shrugged her shoulders and went to cracking.

"So what do you like to do in your spare time, Kat?" Jackie asked as she poured the sugar into the bowl that now contained the stick of butter.

"Well, I like to read and write. I go to concerts with the guys sometimes."

"You sound a lot like Donna." Jackie answered. She took out a spoon to begin creaming. "However you have a lot better fashion sense then Donna even though your clothing is well… dark." Jackie's voice dropped as she tried her best not to insult the girl, a subconscious habit that she had. It was never her intention. She was just brutally honest in that sense. "At least you're willingly wear skirts though! I can respect a woman is she wears skirts."

Kat broke up the egg yolks in her own bowl with a fork. This brunette woman standing next to her, baking cookies with her, was just such a different person compared to other adults Kat had met. She took comfort in superficial things, but it didn't seem like an act to impress as others. When she complemented someone, she also was oddly insulting them at the same time. She was peculiar, but Kat couldn't help but enjoy her company. It was surprisingly comforting.

The two finished mixing the cookie dough, placed the little balls on a cookie sheet, and then put it in the oven.

"I hope these cookies come out okay. They have to be perfect for when Steven comes home."

Kat picked up on the only nervousness Jackie revealed during their entire cookie baking experience. "So do these cookies mean something?"

Jackie looked to the girl who seemed to catch on well to her motives. "Yes." She admitted. "I don't have much to give Steven to tell him thank you, so I want to bake him something to show how much I appreciate him. He knows I can't bake worth a crap, so if the cookies are good he'll know I put a lot of effort into it."

Kat smiled at the sincerity and sweetness in Jackie's words. She now knew why she liked her so much. She had one of the biggest hearts she'd ever seen. She just hoped her boyfriend would soon see it.

"Besides," Jackie added. "They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"So that's why you asked me to help?" Kat asked as she smirked.

"Yes, but don't tell him that you helped any. I need him to think I did it all by myself." Jackie pointed her finger, and Kat just laughed.

"Alright, I promise. My lips are sealed." Kat pretended to zip her lips up and throw away the key.

Jackie tapped her fingers on the counter as silence filled the air in the room. A question was bugging her, and she knew if she could just ask Kat, she'd get her answer. With a quick intake a breath, she willed herself to take the plunge.

"Kat?" Her voice was small but sharply grabbed Kat's attention. "I was wondering if Zach has a problem with me moving in so soon. I know he wasn't okay with me when his dad and I started dating, but he hasn't really showed much of a reaction to all of this. Has he told you anything?"

Kat took a step back inside herself and questioned whether she should tell Jackie the truth or not. The truth was that she really wasn't sure how Zach felt was with Jackie living there. She had tried to talk to him about it, but he only told her he was fine. She didn't believe him for a second. When her dad started dating again, she was totally not fine with his first girlfriend that moved in.

And then, the perfect answer struck Kat from the cosmos.

"Yeah, he has a problem with it." Kat answered, keeping her voice confident and steady. "But every kid has a problem when someone else comes into their parent's life. I did with my dad's first girlfriend. I was so rude to her the first few times I was around her, but, I just couldn't explain why I didn't like her. I think though, that we just don't like to admit that there is really nothing wrong with the other person, we just can't stand to share our parents' attention. But I loved how happy she made my dad, and I eventually came around. Zach isn't cold hearted or selfish, so I think he'll come around too."

Jackie shared a praising look with Kat, appreciating her honesty and wisdom from her own personal experience. Kat's assurance brightened Jackie's entire outlook within that single moment.

Keys rattled in the door as teenage footsteps trotted their way into the kitchen. The men of the house made their way into the home from opposite directions, one with his two stooges hungrily following. The oven timer beeped, signaling that the cookies were right on time with their arrivals. Jackie threw on the oven mittens quickly so that once Hyde stepped into the kitchen, he'd see her pulling the cookies out.

"Did you make cookies?" Hyde asked, smelling the hot little thank you's made just for him. Jackie placed the hot cookie sheet on top of the stove and did a little pose towards the batch. Hyde grinned approvingly at her. Before he could make his way to try one for himself, Jeff pushed through and reached to grab one.

"Alright, chocolate chip!" But sadly for Jeff, Jackie slapped his hand away. She straightened out her apron and shined another smile to Hyde's direction.

Jeff walked back over the Zach and Josh, wearing a dejected look holding his features in a frown.

"Your new mom totally just slapped me Zach! She's not so cool."

Zach didn't answer his lovable but moronic friend. Instead, he watched as his dad wrapped his arm around Jackie and kissed her on the cheek. The smiles they shared melted the protective ice around Zach's heart just a little bit more. He looked to Kat who was smiling at the little exchange. His whole grudge suddenly felt ridiculous. His dad had never been happier, and Jackie's attempts to gain acceptance was really playing at his guilt.

Zach decided that Jeff was probably wrong when he said that Jackie wasn't cool. He was still going to keep his distance just a little bit longer, because if there was anything that he learned growing up, it was to not completely trust anyone unless they earned that trust. However, that same feeling that told him that Jackie was bad news, was now rubbing it in his face that he might have been wrong all along. She had only lived in his home for one day, and she was already worming her way into his heart. It was hard for Zach to admit when he was wrong, but he knew that this woman would not shove his misconstrued judgment in his face. Jackie, the woman that baked cookies just for his dad and made him a promise staring him right in the face, was not capable of that kind of cruelty.

Zach made his way over to his dad and Jackie. He grabbed one of Jackie's cookies from the still hot metal sheet, but he was not met with the same punishing slap that Jeff received. Zach met Jackie's eyes as she gave him the go ahead to eat one, and he just hoped that she caught on to the true meaning behind his small gesture.


Jackie reclined on her new bed, the bed that she and Steven now shared. She let her silk robe hang loosely on her body as she waited for Hyde to come out of the bathroom so that they could greet their first night together as roommates. She gave him a sleepy grin when he finally emerged, wearing gray sweat pants and a wife beater. Jackie didn't even try to hide the fact that she was checking him out.

Hyde climbed into bed next to her and pushed the strands of hair that hung in her face out of the way. He gazed into her eyes, and Jackie never felt so loved before. She lifted her head up, her mouth seeking his and captured his lips in a passionate kiss.

Once they pulled away, they relaxed in their favorite position with her laying her head on his chest. Hyde wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close. Both of them cherished the bubbling love that filled their chests that had been absent for so long in their lives. They were finally home with each other, and there was no way either of them would turn back now.

Hyde thought about how strange Fate was. Everything just seemed to fall into place once Jackie came back. The color in his life dulled when she left, and as cheesy as it sounded, it began to brighten upon her return. The only thing that left an etch in their perfection was the life Jackie left behind in Boston and the son that she still had been avoiding since she last talked to him.

"Jackie?" Hyde broke the calming silence. "Did you call Bobby today like you said you would?"

Jackie buried her face in the white cotton of her shirt, too ashamed to admit her confession.

"Jackie…"

"No, Steven. I didn't." Jackie sighed and rolled over away from him. He followed her quickly as he propped his head on his hand to gaze down at her as she sulked on the pillow.

"And why not?" He questioned, prodding her to spit it out.

"Because Steven," Jackie whined. She pouted out her bottom lip, but this time it was out of true uncomfortable sadness rather than trying to get her way. "I just don't want what happened last time to happen again. I know if it does, I'll cry all night long."

Hyde frowned down, getting a little angry at what Bobby was unknowingly doing to his mother. "Jackie, you can't take his crap then. If he tries to blow you off, you just have to tell him to listen to you. You aren't going to get anywhere if you let him walk all over you like that."

Jackie continued to pout, knowing fully well that he was right.

Hyde leaned over and began stroking her hair. "He isn't a bad kid, Jackie. He just needs to know what's up."

Jackie sighed and looked up into Hyde's clear blue eyes. "You know I hate it when you're right."

Hyde just smirked down at her and kissed her lips in response. "I know, but you'll get over it. I'm going to tell Zach goodnight."

Hyde left Jackie alone, mostly so that she would actually make the phone call. Jackie stared at the phone sitting on the night stand for a few moments, coaxing herself to find courage. Once she felt her confidence flood into her, she dialed her son's number as quickly as she could before she'd lose it again.

"Hi, Bobby. We need to talk…"


AN2: Stick around for the epilogue! It'll be out within the next few days! Review!