Present day-
Hyde is in the Forman's kitchen, helping Mrs. Forman making breakfast for Red and Sam. After listening to the story of the night he married Sam, which according to him had been his idea despite the fact that Steven Hyde was not pro-marriage after the Chicago fiasco, he was more convinced that he should do the right thing. He couldn't necessarily blame her if it had been his idea, she was probably as drunk as he was that night. He debated whether or not he could tell Mrs. Forman what happened that night, just to get some advice from his pseudo-mother but his fear that she would be disappointed in him prevented him from doing so.
"So you're going to look for apartments today?" Kitty asks him as she scrambles eggs on the metal pan.
"Yeah. I know you and Mr. Forman aren't exactly thrilled to have Sam here so we're just going to go out and look at some places" Hyde replies.
"Oh Steven, you know Red and I love having you here, but well, you've made a decision to remain married sweetie so it's only right that you go and create your own household" Kitty says. Hyde can tell she is sad having to tell him that he can no longer stay in her house. If it were up to her, he would stay forever but she couldn't condone his particular choice this time.
"It's cool Mrs. Forman, it was about time I got my life together anyway" he says as he starts putting bread on the toaster.
"Steven" Kitty says but hesitates.
Hyde looks at her and can see that she's conflicted about something. "What's going on?" he asks her.
"I uh, was wondering...if you've spoken to Jackie since-" she says trailing off. The question didn't surprise Hyde. In fact, it surprised him that more people didn't ask him about Jackie. Everyone seemed to just accept Sam and no question whether he knew what the hell he was doing. It made him wonder if they all just thought it was part of who he was.
"No" he answers simply.
"Have you thought about it?" Kitty asks, this time there is no hesitation in her voice.
"Mrs. Forman, Jackie wouldn't want to talk to me even if I did try. That ship has sailed."
"Oh sweetie. You both loved each other, don't you think it's at least worth a conversation?" she urges on.
"I didn't love Jackie Mrs. Forman" he answers, not sure who he was trying to convince. Kitty shakes her head and turns the stove off.
"Oh Steven. I'm disappointed in you. You deserve better" she says before walking out of the kitchen through the swinging doors. Hyde stares after her. Though he knew she was disappointed in him, it was harder to have her actually say it. He had tried so hard to make her proud of him, even when he first moved in and he simply studied for a test to show her that he was capable of being good. She had been so excited whenever he brought a D on one of them. Hell, she was excited at every small thing he did. After his first real date with Jackie, she had pulled him into the kitchen after everyone else had gone to sleep and tried to get information out of him regarding how the night had gone. Sure he hadn't answered very many of them except to say that it went well and they might do it again, but she was happy for him even then. She couldn't, however, muster up the same excitement for his marriage with Sam.
He sighed and went on plating the food before Red and Sam woke up.
Later that afternoon-
Hyde sat in the basement listening to Randy and Donna talk about a new restaurant they tried the night. He was waiting for Sam to get dressed so they could go check out some apartments. Suddenly, an older man enters the basement.
"Hey, um I'm looking for Samantha" he says closing the door behind him.
"Who are you?" Hyde questions.
"I'm her husband."
Hyde glares as the rest of his friends make "ooh" sounds. "Sam" he calls out to his wife in the back room.
"Larry" she says as she walks out and in that moment it is evident to Hyde that something's not right.
"Samantha" the guy says as Sam walks over to him.
"Uh, this guy just said he's just husband which is a little off-putting because I'm your husband" Hyde says, confused as hell at what's going on. Just a moment ago they were getting ready to start their lives together and now some random old man claims to be married to her.
"I can explain this...You're both my husband" she answers.
After listening to her explain that she was actually married to this guy but really loved him, Hyde knew that there was no way he could go through with a relationship with her. How could he? She had lied to him about being his wife and almost let him go through building a life with her and for what? Because she supposedly loved him? No, he didn't buy that. Love didn't work like that. He knew how love was suppose to work, and he knew that he had some things to straighten out.
Hyde left the basement and drove into town looking for the one person he needed to see. He pulled up outside the small apartment building and parked right in front of it. Immediately, he dashed up the stairs before he lost his nerve. He knew that she would be angry and possibly not want to talk to him, but he had to try, had to at least apologize for everything he's done. He needed to redeem himself.
He knocks on the door and after a few seconds it opens wide and Jackie is standing there, her hair up in a messy ponytail and no make up on her face. She's wearing short pajama bottoms and a white tank top. He smiles at her appearance despite the pissed off look on her face.
"Ugh what do you want Hyde I'm busy" she says.
"Can I come in?" he asks.
"No, Fez isn't here anyway" she replies.
"I didn't come to see Fez, I came to talk to you" he tells her. He thinks about just allowing himself into her apartment but decides against it, knowing it's best to stay on her good side if she's going to give him the opportunity to talk.
"You can't do that either" she tells him flatly.
"Come on Jackie, I just came to-" he says but she interrupts him.
"I honesty don't care what you came here for and I don't want to hear anything you want to say. You've shown me enough these last few days and I'm over it" she tells him. She starts to close the door but he reaches out and holds it open.
"Let go of the door Hyde" she says.
"I'm sorry. I just came to say I'm sorry, for everything. I never meant to hurt you. I love you, I should have been able to say that before" he says quickly before she gets a chance to cut him off.
"You don't know what love is" she says bitterly as she rolls her eyes.
"I do. I know because you showed me. I know it won't be easy to forgive me but I'm hoping you'll give me a chance to gain your trust back" he says. Kitty was right. They did love one another and it was obvious to everyone else who stood by their relationship even if it was creepy and unnatural. Or maybe everyone expected it to fail because of that same reason which is why they welcomed Sam so easily, but he didn't want to be a disappointment and he wanted to prove that he was a good person, and a good person can own up to their screw ups and try to make things right.
Jackie stands on the door way staring at her ex-boyfriend. The man who was so quick to toss her aside and play house with someone else despite never once giving her an ounce of hope into a future with her was asking for forgiveness and a shot at redemption?
"Not going to happen" she says as she closes the door on him.
Hyde sighs in frustration, though he honestly didn't expect a different result. He slowly makes his way down the stairs and to his car.
When he arrives at the Forman's house, he finds that Sam and her actual husband are still around. She continues telling him that she loves him but right now, he doesn't want to hear any of it. He just wants to go to bed and forget about the day, about Jackie hating him, about the fact that he screwed up so badly in the first place. Let Sam go off with her husband. This was his chance at making things right again, this chance at becoming happy.
The next day-
Hyde is helping Red out at the muffler shop when Sam walks inside. She had spent the previous night at a motel with Larry after Hyde said he didn't want to try to work anything out with her. Not surprisingly, she wasn't heartbroken or even made a scene. He appreciated that she was still consistent and part of him would miss that about her. The other part was incredibly relieved.
"I thought you'd be halfway to Vegas by now" he tells her.
"Hyde, I'm really sorry how things worked out" she says, and she did look remorseful. Hyde couldn't hate the girl. Hell, he never developed any real feelings towards her other than that of a casual companion.
"Yeah, me too. But I like to think if our paths ever crossed again that I'd be able to give you 20 dollars and you'd be able to dance for me and it wouldn't be awkward" he says trying to lighten the mood.
"I'd like that" she says laughing as she leans for a hug. Hyde returns the gesture and follows her to the door as she leaves.
Red walks towards the front of the shop just in time to see Sam leave.
"Let me tell you something son, I dodged a lot of bullets in Korea but not one as crazy and blonde as the one that you just side-stepped" he says which makes Hyde laugh.
Yeah, he's very relieved.
Author's Note: The end! Thanks to those of you who read/reviewed this story. I hope it was enjoyable (as much as it could have been considering lol) and I surprisingly had a good time writing it and being able to come up with my own explanation to how some things happened and being able to get into Hyde's head around this time which I haven't done before. This gave me an idea for something I want to do some time early next year. I'll be writing a JH story within the next two weeks so look out for that. Til next time!