California-

Once Jason left Jackie started to wonder if what she had just done was a good idea. Jason was pretty much the only person she had in California and they had already tried to be in a relationship, and failed at it. Now here she was, trying to rebuild something that could possibly ruin their friendship simply because she was feeling lonely.

She was beginning to understand what Fez felt like all those years he complained about having needs.

'Crap' thought Jackie. That was the problem, she hadn't made love in such a long time she was becoming like Fez. It was funny to her just how much her life has changed thatnow she was comparing herself to her pervy ex-boyfriend. Perhaps she should just tell Jason to that something came up and she had to cancel date night.

As she pondered this thought for a few minutes, she came to the realization that she yearned for the closeness she was sure he would be able to give her. After all the adjustments she had made in her life, wanting to be with someone was the one she could simply not shake from her old life. She loved the feeling of being loved, of feeling strong hands roaming her body. She missed the feeling of being wanted.

She decided that she would just explain to Jason what she was feeling and let him make the decision of whether or not to have a no strings attached night.

This way of thinking was part of the new Jacqueline Burkhart. She was not naive enough to think that sex came with commitment. It could be as simple as two friends wanting to "do it" as Fez and Michael would have called it. Long gone are her fairy tale perceptions of every scenario dealing with a man. This Jackie adopted Hyde's jaded ideas on relationships.

She poured some more wine on her now empty glass and began thinking of what she would tell Jason when he arrived.

Point Place-

It was now a little past five in the afternoon and Hyde was spread out on his small cot trying to get some rest before his trip the next day. Part of him knew he should be out spending his last few hours in Point Place with his friends and the Formas, but he just wasn't up to it. He kept replaying Eric's words in his mind. He never actually thought it was a good idea to drive down to California. He did know, however, that it was a necessary move.

Whether he and Jackie managed to put aside their issues and try again was not something he wanted to think too much about. Though it was one of the main reasons he was going there, he figured that if they did not reestablish their relationship, he would at least gain some closure. He would be able to explain to her why he did the things he did and say the things he said. He would also be able to let her go knowing that the last thing he said to her was not "That's going to be hard to do if you keep coming around babe."

He kept replaying that day in his mind and whenever he thought of the good times they had together, he blamed himself for driving her away. It didn't take a genius to know he was the primary force in their downfall. The constant refusal to acknowledge any sort of serious commitment to her led for his current state of unhappiness. What he wished people would understand is that it was okay to not have a plan. Life was so much more fun when one is enjoying the moments as they come. He was never able to express that to Jackie. He genuinely cherished the time they spent together, with the obvious exclusion of any ABBA/Donny Osmond conversation she ever iniated, which he very gladly ignored.

Even when he found out what he had done in Vegas, he still tried to form ways to have moments with her. Granted, most of those were ruined because of their stubborness and they eventually ended up burning each other, but he did try. If they were in the basement, he would try and talk to her or glanced over at her in the hopes that she would be able to read his eyes as she had grown to do. He hoped that she would be able to see how sorry he was and how much he wanted to go back in time to when they were happy. All she had to do was look into his eyes.

The only problem with that was that she never did. She had convinced herself that the Steven she knew and loved was no more and as such, she just didn't look. Soon after she found some comfort in Fez and Hyde knew it was over. She had moved on so easily and it ate him up inside. It was so ironic to him that the zen he taught her years prior was used against him in her efforts to erase him from her life.

There on his cot Hyde just smiled. He had to admit that, in retrospect, she was more like him than he cared to admit. Down to the screwed up childhood and insufferable pride, Jackie Burkhart and Steven Hyde were two of the same.

Flashback-

Hyde was sitting on his usual chair in the basement watching 'Little House on the Prairie' when his girlfriend emerged through the door. In his attempt to remain zen, he shot a quick "hey" at her without so much as a glance, which he knew always irritated her.

She decided not to reply and just walked towards the back of the basement into his small room.

Taken a bit aback, a curious Hyde followed shortly after only to find her undressing.

"Jackie, as much as I enjoy the view, what are you doing?"

Again, without responding, she continued taken off her clothes. As she slid her jeans off and pulling her t-shirt over her head, Hyde stood by the door confused. It was unlike her to go this long without speaking. It was also unlike her to go against her demure persona and simply strip without an explanation.

As she reached behind her back to unclasp her bra, he reached out and stopped her.

"What is going on?" he asked, this time more firmly.

She turned around and tried to look him in the eyes, which were shielded by his sunglasses. With his free hand he removed them and allowed her to see the eyes she could read so well.

"Make love to me Steven" she said almost in a whisper.

He noticed the hurt in her eyes and, without knowing what caused it, he sought to make it better. In a swift motion, he picked her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist and kissed her furiously while walking over to the cot.

Soon they found themselves making love as they had numerous times before.

-End of Flashback-

Hyde never did find out what was wrong with Jackie that day. After they made love, she had fallen asleep and he did not want to bring it up again so as to avoid upsetting her. So rarely was communication a priority in their relationship. He didn't know if it was because she didn't trust him or because she knew he was not the guy who said the right thing at the right time, but she slowly began to tell him less and less, and he didn't tell her anything at all. There came a point in their relationship, a few weeks before she was offered the job in Chicago, when they found themselves running out of things to say. He started thinking that the relationship had run its course, as he has seen so many times.

The only thing they seemed to have in common was their ability to hide their problems from each other. He no longer felt like the man she would share everything with as she had throughout the beginning of their relationship. He now felt like an outsider who had to ask Donna if Jackie was alright because she wouldn't confide in him.

He never thought to tell her he felt this way, partly because he hated talking about feelings. He probably should have told her, especially since it was the reason he was so hesitant in giving her an answer when she gave him an ultimatum.

When she asked him to decide if he saw a future with her, he was surprised she still saw one with him. Steven Hyde could not understand how she would want to be with someone she was clearly having problems trusting. He did not want to embark on a journey with her if it was already heading down a negative road.

Then when he had finally realized that she was worth the effort he would have to make, she was long gone. She had confirmed his thoughts that she didn't trust him, not even enough to wait for an answer.

'Forman's right' thought Hyde, 'this is a bad idea.'