Authors Note: I know Eric was so evil last chapter. But trust me he's going to redeem himself very soon. Well this is the first chapter, that doesnt have a single song in it nor is the title a title of a song. I just couldn't fit one in here. So the idea for this chapter came to me at school yesterday. It was my first day so naturally writing was in my head so it just came out. I've already got the next chapter after this one planned out and i just have to write it. And as a side note to those of you who read Jumping off the water tower...i finally have a plan for a new chapter it's all thought up and planned i just have to write it. It's pretty good if i dont say so myself and it's all because i watched some reruns of October road. Ne ways i don't know if you can tell in this but I'm in a good mood today so that's why i stayed up extra late to put this up for you guys. Enjoy and please review! Oh yeah the joke that Joanna kind of does is my little get your head out of your ass to a certain pop star we all love to hate sometimes.

Chapter Eleven: I'll give you your life back

Jackie stood outside the doors of her manager's office twisting her purse in her hands. She was so worried about what was going to happen when she walked through that door that her stomach had taken to doing exactly what she was doing to her purse.

"Jackie you can come in now." Joanna said as she smiled at Jackie.

Jackie stood up and followed the woman inside.

"Have a seat," Joanna said as Jackie sat down, "Now I understand you're here to tell me that you're quitting the tour."

"Yes," Jackie said as she nodded.

"Why exactly?"

"I can't do it…there is still so much there. I just…I can't."

"Jackie you understand that when you signed onto this label you signed a contact."

"Yeah I know that."

"Well that contract states that you'll do what the label asks of you as long as it is legitimate. The only way you would be able to legally leave that tour would be if you had an injury or an illness which you have neither of."

"I know, but-"

"No Jackie this isn't some little place in the middle of Wisconsin where they coddle you and tell you that everything is alright. This is the real world and in the real world you can't just expect to get your way every single time."

"But-"

"No, Jackie you're a talented musician and I would hate for this to ruin your career but unless you go back to that tour you can kiss the music industry goodbye."

"What?"

"If you don't go back we're going to have to terminate your contract."

"You can't be serious."

"I'm serious Jackie. We spent a lot of money advertising and promoting this tour and if you don't go back then that means that you aren't as serious about this as we initially thought."

"I-"

"Jackie, are you going to go back or not?" Joanna asked as Jackie stared at her.

"I can't." Jackie said as a tear fell from her eyes.

"Then I'm sorry. We're going to have to let you go." Joanna said as she picked up the phone.

"I'm sorry."

"Good luck kid." Joanna said as she began pushing buttons on her phone as Jackie got up and left the office.

"Hey Max, it's Joanna…we're going to have to terminate Jackie Burkhart's contract…yes I know I tried to talk to her….alright we'll just have to promote Britney again…god knows she's had enough welcome back tours."

"So what are we doing?" Eric asked as Hyde walked in the room.

"We're going to finish the tour. We only have 5 more stops and the label says it's alright if we don't have an opening act. It's way too late to find someone anyway."

"We could always do promotions and have local bands play with us." Travis said.

"I tried that but they said that would take more time than it's worth." Hyde said as he sat down.

"I just don't see why Jackie had to leave." Nick said from his spot at the end of the table.

"Neither do I man." Hyde said as Travis stared at Eric.

"What?"

"Nothing man." Travis said as he cracked his knuckles.

Hyde looked between the two and started laughing before getting up and leaving the room.

"Did you hear?" A young woman said as she walked past Hyde, while talking with another girl.

"Hear what?"

"Someone actually got their contract terminated."

"What?"

"Yeah I guess they didn't want to do what the record label wanted so they got terminated."

"Damn," the girl said as they walked away.

Hyde watched them leave as he tried to figure out who they were talking about.

"Oh Jackie," Donna said as she pulled her best friend into her arms.

"God Donna, what am I going to do?" Jackie said as Donna led her to the couch.

"I don't know Jackie."

"I'm so scared. I mean being part of the music industry has been my life for so long. I don't know anything else."

"You'll find another job."
"I just don't know." Jackie said as she looked at the ground.

"Do you remember when we were younger and we always said that we were going to be famous?" Donna asked as Jackie looked up.

"Yeah we said we were going to be weather girls."

"Well you were going to be the weather girl and I was going to be the reporter, but whatever."

"Yeah I remember."

"Well why don't you do that?"

"What become a weather girl?"

"Yeah I mean I could see you doing that."

"Maybe, yeah that could work." Jackie said as she began to smile.

"See it wasn't that hard."

"Thanks Donna." Jackie said as she hugged Donna.

"You're going to be midget."

"Thanks to you lumberjack," Jackie said as they both started laughing.

2 months later-

"Alright so I guess this is it." Hyde said as he stood next to Eric at the airport.

"So we'll get together in a couple months to record?" Travis asked as Hyde nodded.

"I'll call you guys." Hyde said as Travis held out his hand.

"It's been an honor Hyde."

Hyde shook Travis's hand, "I'm glad it was you who auditioned."

Travis nodded as Nick shook Hyde's hand, "Thanks for taking a chance on me Hyde."

"Hey man you're a great bassist." Nick smiled as he and Travis said their goodbye's to Eric before boarding the plane for Chicago.

"So you ready to head home?" Eric asked Hyde.

"Yeah man, I'm sick of touring. I just want to rest up at home for a while."

Eric laughed as they walked towards the gate for their plane.

"Eric!" Donna said as she quickly walked over to her husband who pulled her into his arms.

"I missed you so much Donna." Eric said as she kissed him.

"Hey look at you." Hyde said as he picked up his niece.

"Unca Hyde." Samantha said as she hugged Hyde.

"Let me see her." Eric said as Hyde handed her to Eric.

"Daddy," Samantha said as she wrapped her arms around her father.

"It's good to see you Hyde." Donna said as she hugged her brother in law.

"It's good to see you too Donna." Hyde said as he smiled at her.

Donna stared at him before she took his hand in hers. "She's alright." She said as Hyde's eyes softened.

"Thank you." He said as he pulled his hand away.

"What do you say we go home and have dinner with Daddy and Uncle Hyde?" Donna asked Samantha as the girl cheered and held onto her father tighter.

"Night baby," Eric said as he closed the door to his daughter's room and walked downstairs. He walked over to the couch and sat next to his brother who was flipping through the channels.

"Man it's nice to be home." Hyde said as Eric nodded.

"Did you see her? She's getting so big."

"Yeah she is. I swear your kid is going to be as tall as Donna."

"I've just…I've missed so much."

"Man if you don't want to go back with me, I'll understand." Hyde said as he looked at his brother.

"I don't know yet. Donna and I are talking about having another baby…I just…it might be time."

"I'd understand if it was. Believe me I'd understand." Hyde said as he turned to the news.

"What are you guys doing?" Donna said as she walked in the room and sat next to Eric.

"Just checking out the news and talking," Eric said as pulled Donna closer to him.

"Talking about what?"

"Donna, how would you feel if I decided not to go back…to take some time off instead?"

"Eric, are you serious?"

"Dead serious Donna, I'm tired of missing everything."

"Oh Eric, wait Hyde are you sure?"

Hyde turned and looked at Donna, "When it comes to my family I'm dead serious. We can do without Eric for a little while. He's needed here." Hyde said when he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming through the television. He slowly turned and stared at the woman who was giving the weather report for the week. "Jackie," Hyde said as Donna pulled her arm out of Eric's who was also amazed to see Jackie on the television.

"Hyde," Donna said as she touched his arm.

"Why?" Hyde asked as he turned and looked at her.

"I cant tell you. You're going to have to go find out for yourself."

"Fine," Hyde said as he got up and left.

"Donna, what's going on?" Eric asked as he looked at his wife.

"Jackie moved back here two months ago."

"But what about her music?"

"She was kicked off her record label for leaving the tour."

"Wait she was the one who was kicked off?"

"You knew?"

"Well sort of. Hyde heard a bunch of people talking about it but no one knew who it was. We just assumed that Jackie went back to make a new record we never thought it was her that got kicked off."

"Well she did and she moved back here right after it. I helped her get the job at the station. I used a few contacts I had through the newspaper."

"Is she alright?"

"She's been better, but she's holding her own."

"She doesn't know we're back does she?"

"She does…she just doesn't know that Hyde is." Donna said as she turned and stared at her best friend who was smiling and joking with the anchorman.

Hyde leaned against his car as he waited for Jackie to walk out of the building. He looked up once he heard her voice. She said goodbye to a few friends of hers then walked towards her car, but stopped when she saw Hyde standing there.

"Steven," She said as she stared at him.

"Hey Jackie," Hyde said as he walked over to her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I saw you on the news."

"Oh, aren't you supposed to be on tour?"

"Nope, we're taking a break for a while."

"Well good for you."

"Why aren't you in New York?"

"I um…I don't have a reason to be anymore."

"What about your music Jackie? You career?"

"I don't have a career anymore Steven. I got kicked off the label."

"Why?"

"Because I left the tour, and I couldn't give them a good reason. They said I'd signed a contract and that if I didn't do what they wanted they'd terminate it."

"Jackie,"

"But I couldn't do it Steven. I couldn't be on that tour with you knowing what I knew. It was too hard."

"Wait knowing what you knew?"

"I heard you and Eric that night. I heard you and it broke my heart. I thought we were really getting somewhere Steven. I thought that you knew me. I thought that you knew that no matter what I would never put you before my music. I thought you knew better. But you didn't. You just assumed that I was still a silly little girl. But I'm not Steven. I'm not a silly little girl…but you didn't give me the chance to show you that." Jackie said as she started walking past him.

"What are you going do now?" Hyde asked as he turned to face her.

Jackie pointed towards the building, "What I've been doing for the last 2 months."

"Listen, I'm starting my own label. That's why we're taking a break. We left the label because we couldn't stand all the rules."

"Well congratulations." Jackie said as she started to walk away again.

"Jackie wait," Hyde said as he grabbed her arm, "I want to know…would you like to be on the label. It's a chance to start again…do something I know you love instead of something you just settled with."

Jackie stared at him before pulling her arm out of his grip. "No thank you Steven." Jackie said as she turned around.

"Jackie, listen I was wrong okay. I was wrong about everything. I didn't see you. I didn't see who you'd become…but even if you walk away right now…I'll still love you."

Jackie turned and looked at him as a tear fell from her eyes. "Steven,"

"Please Jackie; please let me do this for you. Let me give you your career back."

"Alright," Jackie said as Hyde pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Jackie hugged him back until he finally stared to pull away from her. He looked into her eyes as he continued to hold her in his arms. Jackie stared into his eyes as his face got closer and closer to hers until finally their mouths met in a kiss that threatened to consume them both.

A/N: I know cliffhanger again. I'm sorry. I just...it was too good to just keep going. I'll type up the rest tomorrow after class. I just had to go to bed...damn psych class. Those of you who review...i'll love you forever. And i'll probably dedicate the next chapter to you because i love my reviewers. Look for an update on this and jumping tomorrow or friday.