You all have no idea how long this has been sitting on my hard drive, waiting oh so patiently to be finished.

Edit: I wrote the above like three months ago. Whatever I did, I just couldn't finish it. I'm still wary about the ending, but it'll do.

This is so, so AU, but none of you mind right?

Reviews make my day.

MOON OVER POINT PLACE/RED SEES RED AND THE ONE BETWEEN THEM, KIND OF.

Jackie wanted to kick herself. She had thought for sure that she'd be able to impress Hyde with the stash she had bought from her maid, but all it did was get him into trouble. And, as though that weren't enough, she had to go and say she loved him. Sure, Jackie knew she had not so friendly feelings towards the guy, but she always just assumed those feelings were hate. What did they say about love and hate? Her stupid crush had gotten the best of her, he furious with her; any chance that she might have had with him was now out the window.

Jackie sighed as she cried into her pillow. Why the hell was she so stupid? Was Michael's stupidity contagious? Oh god, what if she had caught something else from him?

She was going to have to apologize. It was the only way to redeem herself in her own eyes.

Okay, and his too, if she wanted to be technical. Since when did his opinion of her matter so much to her?

Jackie wasn't sure if she wanted an answer to that. She did know though that she wouldn't be able to sleep if she didn't do it right then. Quickly, Jackie put on some clothes and touched up her make up and opened her bedroom door.

Sneaking out of her house had always been easy. Her mother was usually passed out in the master bedroom, and her father was rarely in town, and even when he was, he'd be in his office with the door closed and a bottle of scotch. All Jackie had to do was be careful not to let the door slam when she left.

It had been Michael who had found the shortcut from Jackie's house to the Forman's. It meant climbing over a fence and going through a couple of backyards, but it was better than walking to whole half mile it took going the long way. On the way, Jackie tried to think of what she was going to say to him.

"I'm sorry I got you put in jail." No, that wouldn't work.

"Please, please, please forgive me!" No, too pathetic.

"Thank you for going to jail for me!" Jackie could just see Steven roll his eyes. Clearly, that was out.

Even at eight o clock at night, the air was thick with moisture, leaving tiny droplets of water on her skin. It was only a matter of time before it actually began to rain judging by the dark and ominous clouds overhead. It was stupid, she knew, to be going to see him, even if she did make it there in time, she still didn't have anything to say. Maybe this wasn't a situation that called for words; maybe she should get him a present.

But what gift do you give to someone for going to jail for you? A tee-shirt, record, cologne? Or maybe a candle. That was perfect. She'd get him a candle. Nothing said "I'm sorry and thank you and I think I might be in love with you" like a candle.

"You really shouldn't be out here alone."

She stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of Hyde's voice. She turned and smiled at him.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be…"

"In jail?" He finished for her.

"I was going to say home."

"No, actually the cops let me go after I told them I was just sticking up for you… they're probably looking for you right now." Jackie missed the wry grin he gave.

Forget the candle. "What?" Jackie screeched.

Hyde laughed, putting up his hands to keep Jackie from hitting him. "I'm just kidding, Red bailed me out."

"So why are you out here?" She asked you again.

"Why are you?"

She was beginning to think he was being deliberately obstinate.

"I asked you first." She countered.

"I asked nicer."

"Barely." She muttered. "Fine, I was coming to see if you were okay, and to apologize."

He nodded. "What if I wasn't there?"

"Oh, well um, I was going to tell The Forman's what happened so you wouldn't get into trouble."

"That's awfully nice of you." "Are you feeling okay?" Hyde asked. "What happened to oh my god I love you and we'll get married and live happily ever after?" He mimicked Jackie's usual peppiness.

"I talked to Donna." She replied. "And she made me realize that I was selfish and what I did was wrong."

"Again, who are you and what have you done with Jackie?"

She smacked him lightly in the arm. "I'm serious; I know you're really mad at me but…"

He cut her off with a kiss. It was over before she had time to react, but long enough to leave her in a daze.

"You talk too much." Hyde told her.

"You talk too little." She countered.

She had to admit, she really liked this banter they had going on.

He kissed her again, pulling back before she could reciprocate.

"We can't do this." He said, as though trying to convince himself more than her.

"Why not?" She asked with her hands on her hips, "And don't say it's because of Michael because he doesn't matter."

Hyde threw up his hands. "He does matter, don't you get it? He's my best friend and I can't dog him like that!"

Jackie stared at Hyde in disbelief. The words coming out of his mouth were not what he expected from him. She would have bet that he would have found the burn on her ex to be funny.

"You know, all my life, people have been trying to decide my life for me. My parents, my teachers, Michael, you, I'm sick of it, what about what I want?"

He raised his eyebrow at her, "What do you want?"

"I want," Now that someone was finally asking her what she wanted, she found that she really had no idea.

"Guys like me are bad news." Hyde interjected. "You don't want to be with a guy like me."

Jackie frowned. Shouldn't she be the judge of that? "You suck you know that?" Seeing his shocked expression, she continued. "You do. You act all cool and nonchalant and zen but really you're just a scared little boy who's afraid of being happy, and you might like to sabotage your own happiness, but you're not going to sabotage mine, understand?"

"Uh, no." Hyde admitted.

Jackie huffed. "Fine, let me put it into small words. What would make me happy is being with you, and no one, not even your stupid self is going to stop me, got it?"

There was a long pause between them as Hyde stared at her in complete disbelief. She really couldn't blame him as she was surprised by herself.

"I gotta get back." Hyde stated finally. "See you later."

It was her turn to be stunned by him. Here she was, having confessed her feelings for him, and what did he do? He left, without so much as a goodbye kiss!

"Coward!" She yelled at his retreating frame. "I know where you live!"

She thought that she might have seen him chuckle, but she couldn't be sure. Instead, she stood in the middle of the street, amazed at both her own bravery and the lack of his. It wasn't like she wanted to be in love with him. He was dirty and poor and an orphan and did she mention dirty? Her parents wouldn't approve of him, he couldn't buy her presents, he was lazy, and the list went on and on.

It was when she saw him turn the corner that she realized she hadn't actually apologized.

Day one of convincing Steven that she was in fact, ready for a relationship involved sitting as close to him as she could on the couch in the basement, promising her faithfulness and devotion, and generally staring at him until he looked at her. She could tell that he was trying hard not to do the latter, because she had dressed up extra pretty ( but not too pretty, mind you.) for him and he might have folded and admitted she was right.

At one point, she offered to be his life line and to grab her.

He told her to grab herself.

What she really didn't get was how he could say one thing in front of her and then another in front of their friends. That's when it hit her.

"You're ashamed of me." She had snuck back into the house after everyone else (read: Donna, who was completely unsupportive and a big read whore at that.) had gone home.

"You know, just because Mrs. Forman let Red have it doesn't mean he's still not going to kick both our asses when he finds you down here."

"I don't care." Jackie replied. "He won't kick my ass anyway, he loves me."

"Jackie, you think everyone loves you."

"Because it's true!" Jackie said exasperatedly. "You love me, whether you want to admit it or not, which you don't because you don't want anyone to know how you feel, it's not about Michael at all!"

Hyde shrugged his shoulder a bit. "What if I am?"

"Well, you do what I did when I found out that I had feelings for you."

Hyde laughed as he asked, "What would that be?"

"I got over it." Jackie replied as though it was the easiest thing in the world to accept, even if it wasn't. "I mean, do you know what the squad is going to do to me once they figure out I like you? You!?"

"Award you a prize since I'm so sexy?" Hyde asked.

"No, they'll desecrate me, but I figure it's worth it cause um, I love you."

"Don't say that." Hyde ordered. "Definitely do not say that."

"Why not?" Jackie pressed. "Does it force you to open up your heart and feel something that just might be akin to love for me?"

"No." Hyde answered with a roll of his eyes before grabbing her and kissing the lights out of her before pulling his mouth away from hers, but still holding on to her shirt. "It makes me want to do that."

"Oh." Jackie was still a little speechless from the kiss. "So do that."

"We've talked about this."

"Yes, and we established that nothing is going to get in my way of being with you, not even your dumb self."

Hyde let go of Jackie's shirt long enough to turn her around and lead her to the basement door, where he leaned over her to turn the door knob and open it. "It's not going to happen, Jackie."

"Oh, but it is, just you wait and see!" When Jackie Burkhart put her mind to something, she never backed down until she got precisely what she wanted.

"I like to see you try." Hyde smiled before giving her a quick peck on the forehead. "Now go."

He pushed her out of the basement and then shut and locked the door behind her. Knowing she had no choice but to leave, she marched up the stairs. Besides, she had plenty of time to get her Steven. After all, he was practically hers anyway.

Please review.

Next chapter will be Jackie Bags Hyde, but it'll be awhile before it's ready.