That 70s Show fanfic: It Was Only a Matter of Time

[jennickels]

It Was Only a Matter of Time
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
That 70s Show
Jackie/Hyde
22,031 words
rating: PG-13

Jack and Hyde work through their problems after Hyde finds Kelso in Jackie's Chicago hotel room (AU after season 7 finale).

don't own... wish I did, but I don't. No infringement intended.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16


Chapter 1: There Are Always Two Sides

Hyde pulled into the Forman driveway and turned off the engine. He sat listening to the silence of the night. The whole drive home from Chicago he had been fuming. He had thought of every way he could possibly hurt Kelso and of every way that Jackie had hurt him. The pain was unbelievable. Hyde never knew a person could feel this way and wondered why anyone would want to be in love if this kind of hurt could happen.

He had kept his rage most of the ride home, but crossing into the Point Place city limits mellowed him. The anger that he had kept his other emotions in check was gone, replaced by an empty pain in hi chest. For the first time since Bud had left when he was a kid, Hyde felt like crying. He choked back the welling tears and remembered his Zen. He took a deep breath and got out of the car.

It was well past one in the morning and Hyde knew everyone would be in bed. He was glad. The last thing he needed now was to hear Mrs. Forman tell him how worry she was or listen to Donna lament about how much she would miss Forman. He was too tired to deal with his friends-no matter how well meaning they were.

Quietly, he slid open the kitchen door and made sure everyone was indeed asleep. He crept down to his room, slumping onto his cot and burying his face in his hands; he rubbed his eyes. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He was so tense every inch of his body hurt.

He reached into his right pocket and pulled out the small box that had been digging into his thigh for most of the day. He slowly opened it and looked at the ring. It wasn't much-just a fifth carat. "I chip," Jackie would have called it. But he was sure it would have been enough. He had given in; he had gone to Chicago to make sure Jackie knew how he really felt.

"I guess it wasn't enough," he muttered to himself. He snapped the cover shut on the box and chucked it across the room. It smashed against the concrete wall. The cover flew one way-Hyde didn't see what happened to the rest of it. He laid back and covered his head with his pillow and wondered if he fell asleep that way would he slowly suffocate in the night. He felt the wet in his eyes and sucked in a deep, shuttering breath. He was losing his battle with the intense urge to cry.

"I won't cry," he said out loud, his voice muffled by the pillow. "I won't let her do that to me." But even as he said it he knew it wasn't true. Jackie could do that to him and she had and he was going to cry. There was nothing he could do about it. At least he was alone.

***

Jackie sat ram-rod straight on the edge of the motel bed. It had been 25 minutes since Steven had left. He hadn't said a word to her, but his expression said it all. She had never seen him so mad and no amount of flirting or playful kissing was going to fix this.

She had wanted to run after him-to plead her innocence, to beg forgiveness, to just make him not leave and give her a chance to explain. But she knew it wouldn't do any good. Steven wouldn't care about the truth right then and wouldn't have believed her. He saw what he saw and he would believe that.

Oh God, why did Michael have to walk in that moment?

Jackie sniffled, but refused to wipe her nose. She felt it start to drip and willed herself not to cry; like that would work. She heard footsteps and for a split second hope filled the empty pit of her stomach. But it was a fleeting feeling. Michael stood in the door, once again wrapped in a towel.

"Is he gone?" he asked, sheepishly, peering around the corner for Steven. Jackie nodded absently. She was barely aware that Michael was in the room. She couldn't keep the tears back any more and broke into little sobs that got louder and louder.

"That was close," Michael was saying, "I thought he was going to kill me. He really looked pissed, don't you think?"

Jackie held her stomach and cried. She felt sick. This isn't happening, she thought.

"What have I done?" she murmured.

"Well, I know what we were about to do," he said with a laugh. He cocked his head, batting his eyelashes and trying to look as cute as he knew he was. Jackie shook her head. She wished Michael would just go away. Instead he sat next to her on the bed and fingered her hair, oblivious to the fact that she was crying. She nudged him away with her shoulder. Michael didn't notice.

"So, where did we leave off?" He leaned over and tried to kiss her on her neck. Jackie reacted out of instinct, shoving her ex-boyfriend off the bed.

"What the hell, Jackie!" Michael climbed back on the bed and put his arm around her. "I thought- I mean Hyde already knows what's going on-"

"There is nothing going on here," Jackie yelled.

"But-"

"Oh, my God, Michael. Are you really that stupid?"

Michael stared at her blankly. "But, I came. And Hyde didn't. I win."

"This isn't a game, Michael. I'm sorry, but I don't love you any more. I love Steven."

"Then why were you going to do it with me?" Michael threw his hands up in exasperation.

"I wasn't going to do anything with you."

"But…but we kissed," Michael stammered.

"It was just a kiss, Michael, in a moment of weakness. I was upset and you took advantage."

"But-" Michael slumped back on the bed, realization dawning. "Well now that Hyde thinks there is something going on we can just, you know, do it anyway."

"Argh," Jackie sighed. "Just go home, Michael."

"Come on, Jackie."

Jackie moved away from him. "You've done enough. Just leave me alone."

"Fine," Michael yelled, storming out the door and tripping over his towel. Seconds later he ran back in and grabbed his clothes. "You're not a very grateful person," he told her.

"What?"

"See if I ever drive you to Chicago again." He turned out the door, slamming his shirt in the pricess. He clumsily opened it again and gathered his stuff. He glanced back at her one last time then stumbled to his car, trying to keep his towel from falling off again. Jackie just shook her head. She felt tired and sick and miserable. Just the way she should fell, she though. At least she was alone.

Chapter 2