Jackie Burkhart is a lot of things. Beautiful, stylish, smart, calculating…there are plenty of things working in her favor. Luck, however, is not one of them.

This is not a new revelation. Once, when she was a young child, her parents had taken her to her first horseback riding lesson. The people at the stables assured her that she was on the gentlest horse they had. Snowflake was an older horse that they had for almost 7 years and had never given even one tiny kick while a rider was on. Amazingly enough, the horse shook Jackie off in less than 3 seconds, and she fell and broke her left wrist.

This unlucky streak followed her into her teenage years, particularly in the department of love. Not that she ever had any trouble finding a boyfriend, as beauty was a gift that she had been graced with. But she had a tendency to be betrayed by the boys that she did engage with. Most people don't know this about her, but she's actually been cheated on by every boyfriend she's ever had, including Damien King whom she dated in the eighth grade. She caught him "learning lines" with Travis Krasinski backstage during rehearsal for the eighth grade school play. Needless to say, luck in love was not on her side.

Although she is quick to throw out a back-handed compliment and can manipulate boys with the best of them, she is an unwaveringly loyal friend. This makes her quick to trust those who hand her even the smallest bits of affection. That's probably why she spent so much time in the denial stage when her father went to prison, or why she's almost always able to forgive the men who betray her and then come back later.

Except Steven. Not even her steadfast loyalty could reach that far down. There was a lot that could be forgiven, but marrying another woman was not on the list.

Luck. Something she's never had. Especially not tonight when she fell asleep with the bathtub running.

SLAM!

Jackie jumped at he sound of Fez's door slamming. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her throat was tightening as tears were starting to make their way to her eyes. Squeezing her eyes tightly to keep them from escaping, she tried to think of anywhere that she could go. She could NOT go back to Donna's; she had too much pride for that. Not that she'd ever say it this way, but she couldn't bear to ask Mr. Pinciotti to give her any more than he already had. He had already been so generous.

Taking a deep breath, she crossed the room to grab her purse. Steven and his stripper-wife were fighting like cats and whores these days, and being a bitch to sluts had always made her feel better.

—-

Jackie made her way up the Forman's driveway, scanning the property as she walked for any signs of Steven or Sam. Walking through the clear sliding glass door, she found Donna sitting at the table snacking on some of Mrs. Forman's homemade brownies.

"Hey Jackie," Donna said briefly after glancing up from the table.

"Hey…" Jackie sighed as she sank down into the chair next to her.

Donna narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What happened to you?"

"Donna, I do not wanna talk about it right now." Jackie said in total exasperation.

Donna smiled slightly and giggled at this. "Well that's a first." This made Jackie laugh a little bit and she looked up at Donna. Her expression changed as an idea came to her head.

"Hey Donna…is the radio station looking for any extra employees. I may not know as much about the loud, grungy junk that you play, but I am an expert when it comes to Disco and Top 40!" At this point, finding a job to help her pay for her own place was just about her only choice. What she'd do until then…who knew.

Donna shook her head and shrugged somewhat apologetically, "No I'm sorry Jackie. My boss wanted some more 'male energy' so he just hired this super annoying guy named Bruno." Donna then rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Let's just say I don't think he got the kind of energy he was looking for."

Jackie tried to laugh with Donna, but her nerves were starting to creep up on her. "Well thanks anyway, Donna."

"Yeah no problem. I mean, you could always go back to the Cheese Shop." Donna replied, with a teasing smile on her lips.

At this Jackie laughed and lightly pushed Donna's shoulder back, "Get out of here, you lumberjack!"

Donna shook her blonde head and got up to leave through the sliding doors. After Jackie saw her leave, she allowed her smile to fade and she tried to shake off the anxiety that she was feeling.

"Well hello there, Jackie! What a nice surprise!" Kitty Forman exclaimed as she walked in from the living room.

Turning around in her chair, Jackie faked a small smile at the woman who was basically a second mother to her. "Hi Mrs. Forman."

Mrs. Forman grabbed some plates from the cupboard and starting piling brownies on to them, "Now what brings you by this evening? Ooh! Wait- I know. You heard I made my special brownies and you just couldn't resist!" She answered, letting out one of her signature laughs as she plopped one of the plates in front of Jackie.

Relieved, Jackie played along. "Yep, Mrs. Forman. You caught me." She said, slapping a cheesy smile on her face. As Kitty sat down next to her, her smile started to fade. "Actually, Mrs. Forman…I'm kind of in trouble." She confessed, picking at her brownies nervously.

Frowning, Mrs. Forman reached out and put her hand on Jackie's forearm. "Oh no, dear. What's wrong?" She narrowed her eyes, "Did you get kicked out of the food court at the mall for protesting fat people again?"

Jackie rolled her eyes and finally looked Mrs. Forman in the eye. "No, it's actually a lot worse than that." She could feel the tears that had been threatening to fall all evening welling up in her eyes again. "Fez kicked me out of our apartment."

"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry!" Mrs. Forman said as she brushed some hair behind Jackie's ear. "Why would he do something like that?"

Suddenly the tears started to fall.

"I flooded the bathtub!" She cried, putting her face in her hand as the older woman rubbed her back. "I had been cleaning all day! I was so tired; I just wanted to spend the evening relaxing in the tub! I feel so bad that I was so mean to my maids all those years! Their job is EXHAUSTING."

"Ohhh now there, it's going to be okay Jackie." Mrs. Forman comforted. "I'm sure if you just talk to Fez…"

"No Mrs. Forman, he's really mad at me." Jackie interrupted, looking up at Kitty with watery eyes. Her lip quivered while she tried to keep it together. "I don't know what I'm gonna do…" Jackie confessed quietly.

Without evening blinking, Mrs. Forman responded. "Well you can just move into Laurie's room!"

Jackie froze.

"Really?" She asked softly, quickly remembering and shaking her head. "No, I'm sorry Mrs. Forman. I just couldn't."

"Well why not? Laurie certainly isn't coming home from…wherever she is anytime soon! Oh I would just love to have another lady around the house." She giggled excitedly.

This made Jackie smile; this meant she had completely forgotten about Steven's whorey wife living with them. Or just didn't think of her as a lady.

She could understand why.

For a moment, Jackie imagined what it would be like to live with the Forman's. She'd come home to home-cooked meals every night, could maybe go out to the garage and work on the car with Red…it'd be like having a real family, something she desperately wanted.

Just as she was starting to romanticize it she shook her head no, "Mrs. Forman…that's so kind of you, but I can't." She dropped her head to stare at her hands in her lap, "I don't think I could live in the same house as Steven and…well you know." Taking a deep breath and pulling herself together she looked up at Mrs. Forman, "I mean we all know that I'm the best he's ever had! I mean God forbid I even present the temptation." She said in her typical, condescending manner.

Mrs. Forman saw right through her.

Taking her hand in hers, "Jackie, I know that Steven has not been very kind to you these days…" Mrs. Forman paused before continuing, "and as the woman who is basically his mother…well that makes me very sad." Mrs. Forman's voice was shaking as she tried to collect herself. "Let me do this for you. Red and I want to help you." She said kindly.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Jackie thought to herself. Where else would she go? Where else would she want to go?

Opening her eyes, Jackie smiled sweetly at Mrs. Forman.

"Ok. Thank you, Mrs. Forman."