Jackie tried one last time to get the Vista Cruiser to start. She turned the key, knowing it was pointless, but crossed her fingers. It sputtered and tried, but in the end it died like all the times before.

Jackie sighed and cursed herself for leaving the makeup mirror light on while she was inside the dress shop. She'd checked her lipstick just before her appointment and the battery slowly drained away while she tried to fix the 50th problem that had come up this week. In the past two days her car had broken down, which is why she borrowed Eric's, the beads on her wedding gown had snagged, which is why she drove all the way to Chicago to see an expert seamstress, and now she was stranded two hours away from home while her fiance' was at his bachelor party.

"What else can go wrong?" she groaned.

The shop in front of her was dark now, with the staff having left a few minutes after she had headed to her car. Snow floated down gently. It was hell-a-cold, but there wasn't enough snow to be worried about. Grudgingly, Jackie got out of the car and started her journey to find a phone. After about a mile she found a neon motel sign glowing in the distance. As she approached she laughed. She knew the place well. It was the same one she'd stayed at long ago. The same one she'd been in on that fateful night when her world had fallen apart. She hesitated, unsure if she could make herself go in.

Oh for heaven's sake, She scolded herself, Who cares about the past?

She stomped through the parking lot, trying to ignore the memories that plagued her. For a moment she stopped and stared at the spot where she'd begged Hyde to listen to her as he climbed in his car. In the end he left her behind, crying and calling out to him.

Hyde had never been a good listener. If he thought he knew what he saw, there was no talking to him.

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but Jackie refused to cry. She'd wasted too much time on Steven Hyde to let him keep getting to her now.

As she walked into the lobby, she shook the snow out of her dark hair. A man in his 30's looked her up and down as she approached the desk.

"Can I use your phone?" she asked.

He smiled in a way that made her skin crawl. "Car trouble?"

She didn't say anything as she took the receiver, and told him the number to punch in. She hoped it wasn't too late to call the Foremans. Maybe they were out? It was a Saturday night after all. The phone rang in her ear until she was sure no one would pick up. Just before she gave up, a familiar voice growled, "Foreman residence."

Jackie closed her eyes. Of course he'd be the one to answer.

"Steven, I need to talk to Mr. or Mrs. Foreman."

"No such luck, Princess. Red's with Kelso, and Kitty's working late."

Jackie almost laughed. Red was at a bachelor party? She was glad she demanded his party take place at least a week before their actual wedding. The first time Kelso had proposed, Jackie had refused. Over the past year, they had become friends again, and then, slowly, they returned to something more. But the closer she and Kelso had become, the farther apart the two were driven from Hyde. She hadn't spoken to him in months, and it didn't surprise her at all that he hadn't been invited out with the guys tonight. He was lucky he was even invited to the wedding.

"Well, is Donna home?"

"Don't think so. She's out making sure your idiot fiance' doesn't do anything too stupid." He replied.

Jackie exhaled. She was grateful her friend had her back, but she really didn't want to admit to Hyde she needed help.

"Alright… well I'll just-"

Hyde rested his arm on the wall in the forms kitchen, and asked, "What's wrong, Jackie?"

She hesitated. It was rare that he said her name instead of a cruel nickname, or a snide comment. "It's nothing, I'm fine."

Hyde rested his forehead on his arm and closed his eyes. "I still know you well enough to know you're in trouble. And not the stomp and cry kind. What's wrong?"

"Eric's stupid car won't start."

"Did you try-"

"-Yes, Steven! I know basic auto care a great deal better than you, remember?"

Because no one could see him, Hyde smiled. Jackie was a spitfire, and he'd always liked that about her.

"You probably just need a jump."

"Yes, but Foreman doesn't have cables. Plus it's late, and I don't want to ask some random person in a strange town."

Hyde felt worry prickle the back of his neck.

"Strange town? Where are you?"

"Chicago." She said simply.

He let his head fall onto the kitchen wall with a Thunk.

"Of course you are."

The guy behind the counter looked Jackie up and down.

"I'll gladly give you a jump, Honey." He smiled.

Jackie grimaced, "Not you, grease ball! Stop staring at me or I'll kick you!"

Hyde's fist clenched.

"Alright, I'll come and get you."

"No!" She insisted, "It's okay, I'll just-"

"What? Get help from Don Juan over there?"

Determined, Jackie hissed, "I don't need you to come save me, Steven."

"I may think you're a spoiled brat, Jacks, but I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Tears prickled the edge of her eyes again when he called her Jacks, but she refused to let them spill. "Well, I seem to remember catching pneumonia from falling in a creek you didn't even try to help me out of."

Hyde flinched. He'd been drunk that night, but it was no excuse. Jackie didn't deserve to be left alone like that while he laughed at her. She didn't deserve most of the way he'd treated her since he'd known her. All the things he'd never said bounced around inside his mouth. Especially two little words that crashed against his teeth and begged to be let loose.

I'm sorry.

He wanted to say it, and he'd never know how badly Jackie needed to hear it, but instead he said, "What would Kelso say if he knew I let his future wife spend the night alone in Chicago?"

Jackie sighed, "I'm at the motel I stayed at last time you came."

"You would be there, wouldn't you?"