That 70s Show fanfic: Homecoming (9)

[jennickels]

Homecoming
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
That 70s Show
Jackie/Hyde
23,369 words
rating: PG-13

Twenty years ago Hyde left Point Place without so much as a look back. What happens when he suddenly finds himself back in town and trying to restart his life?  Will his friends take him back? 

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

Chapter 9: Hell Hath No Fury

Hyde found himself driving by the housing development a lot, even when it was out of his way. Sometimes, late at night, he would even drive in and go by her house. He would drive really slow, trying to see if anyone was awake. Occasionally he would see a light on in the front bedroom upstairs and wonder what she was doing up there. Was she reading or watching TV? Or was she with someone? A pang of jealousy that he wasn't entitled to would well up inside.

It never failed to amaze him how strong his feelings were when Jackie was concerned. From the day he first met her, she had this effect on him. When they were kids he couldn't stand her, hated her in fact. She was always hanging around, fawning over Kelso. Later he not only hated her, he loathed her. She never stopped bugging him and never seemed to shut up. She had to be the most shallow, self-centered bitch he had ever met, yet… When his feelings started to change towards her the intense hate was replaced by a passion beyond any he had ever experienced before or since then, not even with his wife.

Even twenty years couldn't diminish the pain of her betrayal or the love he still felt for her. He had finally admitted it to himself-he did love her. He wasn't sure how he had denied it as long as he did. Now he just had to somehow convince Jackie to give him another chance.

And then there was Steve. He wanted to be a part of his son's life. He had missed nineteen years but he planned to be there for him for the next thirty. It had taken him and WB ten years before they had started getting close now he considered his dad one of his best friends. He wanted that with Steve and knew it was possible; it would just take time and a lot of effort on his part. In the past week since Hyde had taken Steve to meet WB he had spent a lot of time with Steve. He set him up as a manager trainee at the same store he had opened all those years ago with Angie. He usually picked him up around one for lunch most days just to hang out and talk.

That was how he found himself standing in Jackie's living room, looking at pictures of Steve at every age of his life. The room was small, but tastefully decorated (even though it was in pastels.) Steve ran upstairs to take a quick shower while Hyde examined Jackie's miniature unicorn collection. He chuckled, thinking of how obsessed she had been with them.

"I don't think I should be here," Hyde told Steve after he came back down in a clean shirt and shorts, hair dripping wet.

Steve glanced at him then sat on the sofa to put his shoes on. "Don't worry, Mom's not supposed to be home for another twenty minutes."

"What if she comes home early?" Hyde felt a sudden sense of panic.

"Hmph, she never comes home early. If anything, she'll be late."

"Does she work late a lot?"

"I guess. 'Whatever pays the bills,' she always says," Steve told him as he straightened the cushions on the sofa then took his dirty breakfast dishes into the kitchen. Hyde followed him. He felt an urgent need to run from the house but brushed it off. Why was he so nervous, he thought.

"Does she know you're working for me?"

"I tried to tell her, but she got mad when I mentioned your name. You want something to drink?" Hyde shook his head. He kept close to the door in case he needed to make a quick escape. "She doesn't want me hanging around with you."

"Why?"

"She hates you."

"Really?" Hyde asked. He felt like Steve had just punched him in the stomach. He took a deep breath, trying to maintain his cool. Steve eyed him and snorted, then shook his head.

"No, not really. She says it but I don't think she means it." Hyde sighed with relief. Glancing at his watch he decided it was time for them to leave. They hadn't even made it half way across the living room when Hyde heard the front door unlock. He froze. He couldn't move at all, not even his mind was working right. All the things he had thought about saying to Jackie escaped him, in their place was just the pounding of his heart in his head. He realized he was holding his breath but couldn't seem to make himself breathe. Steve stared at him, wide-eyed.

Jackie pushed the door open, back first; her arms loaded down with groceries. "Steve, sweetie," she called, "could you help me with-" She turned around, a look of horror on her face. Hyde tried to swallow the lump in his throat but he couldn't seem to get his body to do what his mind was telling it to do. The initial horror in Jackie's eyes was quickly replaced with anger. She kept looking back and forth between the two of them, like she was trying to decide who she was more mad at.

Hyde couldn't take his eyes off of her. She looked perfect-a little tired and worn, but otherwise she was just as he remembered. Her hair was pulled back in a long ponytail, but the front had all come undone and was now hanging in her face. She was wearing a beige blouse with a red scarf hanging loose around her neck. She looked beautiful, even all disheveled from work and shopping.

"Mom, uh, what are you doing here?" Steve asked, taking a couple of bags from her.

"Last time I checked, I lived here." Hyde offered to help with her remaining bags but she pulled them away from him. She pushed past him, slamming into his shoulder.

"What is he doing here?" Jackie demanded, once she was in the kitchen with Steve.

"You never come home early," Steve started to say.

"That makes it okay, then? I thought I made myself clear on this, Steven." She lowered her voice, but Hyde could still here her. "Does he come over here when I'm not around?"

"No, Mom. He just gave me a ride, that's all." Hyde knew he should leave, that was what Jackie wanted but his legs still didn't seem to want to work. He stood in the living room with his hands in his pockets, staring at a picture of Steve playing at the park. He looked to be about two and Eric was pushing him on the swing. He took a deep breath. If he was going to talk to her then it had to be now. His legs finally did as they were told and he slowly walked over to the kitchen door.

"Just talk to him, Mom," he heard Steve say in a low voice. "That's all he wants. He seems like a nice guy."

"Well you don't know him like I do," she spat. "He walked out on us. How nice is that?"

Hyde had heard enough. "No I didn't," he said, loudly, staring right at Jackie. "I didn't even know about Steve so how could I have walked out on him?"

"Well, if you had stuck around long enough you would have known." She turned away from Hyde and put her hands up to her face. Hyde looked over at Steve. He was staring at the box of cereal he was holding.

"Jackie-" Hyde started.

"Just go away, Hyde. I don't want to talk to you."

"Umm, I think I'm going to go back to work now," Steve muttered.

Jackie spun around. "I thought I told you that you couldn't take that job."

"Mom-"

"Jackie."

"I told you to leave or I'm going to call the cops."

Steve slipped out the back door while his mom was busy yelling at Hyde again. Lucky kid, Hyde thought.

"You're not going to call the cops."

"The hell I'm not," she said grabbing the phone off the wall. She started to dial but Hyde grabbed her arm.

"Jackie, will you just talk to me, please. Give me a chance." She just glared at him and struggled to free her arm.

"Let me go or I'll scream and these walls are thin. My neighbors will hear."

"Jackie, please. I'm begging you. I am actually begging you-just give me a chance to talk. If you want I'll even get down on my knees."

He was standing so close he could feel her breath on his neck and smell the mint of her gum. His whole body felt on fire, every nerve tingled. His breaths were coming fast and shallow. He couldn't believe how much he wanted to just turn her around and kiss her, kiss her like he had the day he realized he loved her when he was 18. That wasn't an option now, not if he didn't want to get the crap kicked out of him; so he tried to control himself as best he could. He found himself sliding his free hand across her shoulder and down her side. She shuddered and Hyde realized that she was feeling some of the same feelings he was. But then again…

Suddenly Jackie stepped back and jammed the heel of her shoe into his foot. Hyde yelped. As he started to bend over, Jackie brought her elbow up and connected with his nose. He let go and fell backwards into the fridge. Then, as if that wasn't enough, she kicked him hard in the side. "Don't touch me," she screamed.

"Son of a bit-" Hyde muttered. "Damn, Jackie, I think you broke my nose."

Chapter 10