Chapter Thirteen: Back to Normal

It had been four weeks since the 'incident' and Jackie was so sick and tired of people asking about her, but namely the one person she was talking about was her father. He had called the Forman's everyday to which Kitty told him she wasn't feeling up to it. Jackie just wanted to be left alone for a while she was only discharged from the hospital two weeks ago and wanted to put the mess behind her. And couldn't when her father was staring her in the face.

Jackie walked into the kitchen where Mrs Forman was making breakfast.

" Good morning sunshine and how are you today Jackie?" Kitty sing-songed. She tried to make Jackie feel as comfortable and as normal as possible. Lord knew that she had been through enough. Over the time Jackie had lived with the Forman's Kitty viewed Jackie as a daughter and vowed to protect her even if it meant from her own father. But she knew that Jackie had to speak to him one day as did Jackie.

" I am good. I mean some days are rough but I am getting through them! As a matter of fact Steven is taking me dancing tonight!" Jackie exclaimed as she sat down.

Kitty stopped what she was doing and turned to face Jackie.

" Really?"

" Yeah. I couldn't believe it either and he asked me!!"

Just at that moment Hyde walked into the kitchen and plopped down next to Jackie.

" Who asked you what?" He sleepily asked as he gave Jackie a quick good morning kiss on the lips.

Jackie smiled. " You! Asking me to go dancing!"

" Oh That. Well you know you like to dance I thought it could cheer you up!"

" Well Steven that is one of the nicest things you have ever done and those dance lessons will come in handy!"

Jackie looked at Hyde. " Dance lesson? What dance lessons?"

Hyde laughed uncomfortably. " I have never taken dance lessons that is crazy!"

Jackie looked at him sceptically while Kitty just looked furious.

" So I am Crazy! Well we will just see who's Crazy!…Red!" She shouted while leaving the kitchen.

Hyde and Jackie couldn't hold their laughter in anymore and burst out with laughter.

Hyde looked at Jackie and smiled. He took her hand and kissed it.

" It's good to hear you laugh again!"

Jackie moved closer to Hyde and put her head on his shoulder.

" Yeah it is. I feel a lot better than I did a week ago. I am really thankful that you are here with me."

Hyde placed both hands on either side of her face and brought her in for a soft and sweet kiss that lasted just a second.

" There is no place I'd rather me doll!"

Jackie smiled. They were in a comfortable silence that was broken by Eric entering the kitchen.

" Dude what did you say to my mom? She kept asking Red if he thought she was crazy!" Eric whined.

Hyde and Jackie looked at each other and a fit of giggles erupted from them both. Eric just stared at them like they were crazy.

"Anyway….Jackie how are you doing?"

Jackie looked at Hyde and smiled. " I am doing really good in fact Steven is taking me dancing tonight why don't you and Donna join us?"

" Wait Hyde you are going dancing! Man are you gonna shake it to Abba!" Eric started laughing. He stopped when he realised no one else was laughing.

" Hmmm. Yeah dancing sounds good I am sure Donna would wanna come."

" Cool! Well Eric you better hold on extra tight to Donna cos she might fling you!" Jackie said with a smile.

Hyde laughed. " That's cos he has dainty tiny wrists!"

Eric looked down at his wrists. " Well at least I know you are back to normal. And you and Hyde together not good!"

" Yeah well man that's what you get for having such tiny wrists!"

" Shut up!"

Everyone started laugh again.

Jackie was in her bedroom looking at a picture of her father and mother. It was their wedding picture. It no longer caused tears to flow from her eyes when she looked at it but it still hurt and she felt that pang. She knew she had to talk to her father, everybody was telling her to. Steven, Mr Forman, Donna even Eric was giving her advice.

She walked over to the mirror. It was a full length mirror that Laurie had left. She stared at herself. She smiled as she no longer saw the bruised and beaten up Jackie she had seen for the past four weeks. She combed her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. She walked back to the bed and put the old photograph back under the bed and brought out another one. The picture was of her and Steven posing for the camera. Jackie laughed as she and Steven enacted the Charlie's Angels pose. She remembered that no one could keep a straight face. Jackie laughed out loud. As long as she had Steven and her friends she knew she would carry on.

She picked up the phone and dialled the mansions number. The phone rang for a total of four rings before her father answered it.

" Hi dad. I think we need to talk….Yeah….ummm how about at four o'clock by the old park. Ok I will see you then dad." She put down the phone and thought some more.

Donna, Hyde, Fez, Eric and Kelso were hanging in the basement. Eric and Donna were snuggled on the couch while Fez sat on the deep freeze. Hyde was in his usual chair and Kelso in the lawn chair.

" So Donna wanna go dancing tonight?" Eric said.

" Sure." Donna said still staring at the T.V.

" We are gonna be going with Jackie and Hyde." Eric smugly said. Donna turned around.

" Really?" Donna asked.

" Yeah and Hyde even asked Jackie first!"

Fez, Kelso and Donna burst with laughter.

"Yeah I wanna see Hyde dance!" Kelso laughed.

" Actually Hyde can dance really well."

" Thank you Donna. And I am only doing this for Jackie it is not as if I love to dance to disco crap!" Hyde said.

" Oh Steven you don't have to pretend we all know you love to shake it!!" Kelso teased.

Hyde got up and punched Kelso in the arm and sat back down again.

" Ow!"

" No Hyde I think it is really great you are taking Jackie out she needs stuff like that to take her mind off…..you know other stuff! So Hyde how is she? You have seen her more than anybody." Donna pointed out.

" Yeah she is doing good. But I don't think she will completely get over what happened if she doesn't talk to her dad."

" Yes….we want out happy bouncy Jackie back!" Fez added.

" Yeah cos down in the dumps Jackie not so good to be around!"

Hyde got up again and punched Kelso in the arm.

" Ow! Hyde I was just saying."

" Kelso Jackie was in a really bad situation and will get over it in her own time! God it is like you don't even have a brain!" Donna angrily said.

" Actually Donna I think you find that Kelso's brain is a lot smaller then the average persons so he just doesn't get normal human emotions such as sadness!"

Donna giggled a bit.

" Na uh!" Kelso yelled and walked out.

As Kelso walked out Jackie walked in and sat on Hyde's lap.

" Hey baby. You ok?"

" Yeah! Ummmm I am gonna see my dad today…..just to talk I think it is about time we spoke."

Hyde hugged her. And kissed her. Jackie pulled back and faced Donna.

" So now I have done it you guys wont need to keep reminding me to talk to my dad!"

Donna smiled as did Eric.

" Jackie I think it is real good that you are giving you dad a least one chance to plead his case even though I still think he is a total jerk!"

" Me too Donna me too!" She said as she snuggled deeper into Hyde's arms.

Four o'clock had rolled around pretty quickly. Too quickly for Jackie as she fought the urge to run. Five minutes had gone by and Jackie was still in the same position on the swing set in the park. She was gonna give him another ten minutes and then she was gonna go. She gave him this chance that he asked for and he hasn't even showed up. Jackie felt the little bit of hope concerning her father slip away when she saw him walking up and holding a bunch of flowers. Jackie smiled although she didn't show it she was still angry and hurt by what her father had done.

"Hey Jackie." Jack Burkhart said as he sat down next to his daughter on the swing set. He had no idea what he was gonna say. For four weeks he had wanted this opportunity to speak to her and now he was here he had nothing to say. He looked at her face and knew of all the pain he had caused her and Dawn.

" Dad."

"Jackie." They had both said at the same time.

" No dad you go ahead." Jackie motioned for him to go first.

" Look Jackie I am so sorry for everything that has happened, and the last thing I ever wanted to do is hurt you. Me and Dawn…"

"Dad I don't wanna know about you and Dawn's relationship. I don't care all I care about is what you did to me and mom." Jackie said angrily. She knew it was a bad idea speaking to her father about this.

" Jackie your mother isn't even here. I tried to get hold of her when you were in the hospital but I couldn't reach her."

Jackie got up. " Really!! So that's what you were doing in the hospital and here I thought you and Dawn were snaking around!"

Mr Burkhart looked at Jackie wide eyed. " How did you know that?"

" Steven told me! While I was lying in a hospital bed he saw you. You and Dawn!" Jackie gritted her teeth while she said her name.

Mr Burkhart didn't recognise the name.

" Steven??"

" My Boyfriend! The love of my life and you don't even know who he is! It's typical dad you have never asked me about my life or show any concern why should now be ant different!" Jackie yelled. She turned to leave but her conscience which had the voice of Donna told her to stay.

" Look Jackie I am so sorry. I know there is nothing I can do or say but I am. You have to believe me." He pleaded. He was really sorry and knew that there was no one more important than his daughter.

Jackie knew her father was sorry but couldn't erase the fact that he ha betrayed her.

" Let me ask you one question dad? If things were different would you have carried on seeing her behind our backs?" Jackie wanted her father to answer honestly but she knew she wasn't gonna like the answer.

Her father paused. " I don't know!"

" All I know is that I almost lost you. I know I haven't been the best father but believe me I am gonna try."

" Dad I wanna believe you but it shouldn't take a near death experience for you to realise that. You are supposed to love me no matter what." Jackie was coming close to tears. Her father came closer to her to hug her but she just walked further away.

" I know and you can trust me pumpkin. I will never do anything to hurt you again."

" Yeah well it is gonna take some time dad. But I do love you and I know that we will one day have a great relationship but we need to take it one step at a time. I still have this image and…I just need time dad! Is that ok?"

Mr Burkhart moved closer to his daughter.

"Of course it is! Whatever you want! I just want everything to be ok between us."

" Me too! Dad I am gonna carry on living at the Formans. I just need some space!"

" I can live with that sweetie!" Mr Burkhart said as he enveloped his daughter in a hug.

Hyde sat in his normal seat as he waited for Jackie to come back. Donna, Eric and Fez had left long ago and now he was on his own. He stared mindlessly at the T.V, the images he saw but his mind was thinking about something else. Hyde drew in a breath as he wondered how Jackie was doing. He knew she had done the right thing by agreeing to speak with her father but he just wished that he could have gone with her or drop her off just to make sure that she got there ok.

These past weeks Hyde tried to make sure Jackie knew how much he loved and cared about her. He almost lost her and she didn't even know how he felt. She told him nights ago how she wished that he was there to hold her, how she wished that he would save her. But he told her that he would always be around to protect her.

Hyde loved everything about Jackie, from the way she moved to the way she smiled when he had done something sweet. And now some of those smiles were starting to return.

Hyde smiled at the thought of her and heard the door to the basement open. He looked up and saw Jackie walk in. She had a smile on her face that told him that everything went ok.

Hyde got up from his seat and closed the gap that separated them. He embraced her in a hug and Jackie nuzzled his cheek. He dropped a kiss on her forehead and they broke apart. Hyde took her hand and lead her to the couch.

" So everything went ok with your dad?" Hyde asked as he held her hand.

" Yeah I think it did. Sure with have some problems to get through but I think we will be ok." Jackie smiled.

" So are you gonna still live here or….?" Hyde asked. Jackie stopped him by placing a quick kiss on his lips. She pulled a way and stared at Hyde who still had his eyes closed.

" Hmmmmm." Hyde mumbled. He opened his eyes.

" Well I guess I could stay here if you want me too?" Jackie asked.

" I want you to!" Hyde said as he reached for her and brought her lips to his. Jackie moaned against his mouth as she allowed him to slip his warm tongue past her lips. Hyde deepened the kiss and bought Jackie down on top of him. He felt her heat radiate through their clothes. Jackie pulled away and nibbled down his neck, the sensation of her hot breath against his skin set Hyde over the edge.

Jackie kissed down his neck and ran her fingers up and down his stomach, she proceeded to unbutton his shirt and sucked the newly exposed skin. Jackie needed to be closer to Hyde she craved it, the barrier of clothes now seemed to be to hard to bare. She longed to feel his strong arms around her, she needed to feel him inside of her.

Jackie undid all the buttons and pealed Hyde's shirt off. She laid a trail of butterfly kisses along his chest and stomach. Hyde drew in a sharp breath as he felt Jackie bite and tease his skin. He felt her silky soft hair splayed across his chest and couldn't take it anymore, to him she had far too many clothes on.

Hyde pulled Jackie back up to him and captured her mouth once again, He never tired of her sweet taste, he was addicted to her and needed her touch, caress every single day. While still kissing Jackie he brought himself up to a sitting position, with Jackie straddling him. He felt her legs squeeze around him while they made love with their mouths.

Hyde pulled away and tugged at the hem of Jackie's designer top. Jackie lifted her arms up and allowed Hyde to undress her. Hyde ran his calloused fingers up and down her bare arm. He drew light circles with his fingertips and looked at the sheer pleasure he was causing her. He pulled down the straps of Jackie's white cotton bra and unclasped her bra which fell away from her.

Jackie sat there topless and felt the cool air harden her nipples. The look in Hyde's eyes was of pure hunger. Hyde grabbed Jackie and pulled her closer so close that her breasts lightly touched Hyde's chest. The heat between the two was enough to create a fire. Each of Hyde's touches burned through her skin and Jackie yearned for more contact. Hyde kissed down Jackie's neck and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder.

" Jackie." He breathed and kissed her shoulder again.

" I." He kissed her shoulder again only a little lower. Jackie threw her head as each of the gentle kisses were placed on her.

" Love." He kissed her again.

" You!" He kissed her arm and then guided Jackie's face towards his own. He kissed her with every bit of passion and love he had.

" I love you too!" Jackie said in between breathes.

Hyde pulled Jackie's pants off as she pulled of his. They proceeded to make love through out the night and never made their date with Eric and Donna.

The End!

A/N: Well there you go the end of my story I am so glad you all loved it so much and I am glad you enjoyed it. I would like to thank everyone that reviewed:

Shannon1979, asmodayose, Popslilgurl, spiked 666, PrinceVegetasPride, Annie, Callie, Blackcherrymeg, stevenhydesgirl, danny's girl, pokey, Brittany, WatzAbiscuit, bluefire,!!!

Thank you so much and fro anyone else that read this fic!!! And just a final disclaimer so nobody can sue me I own nothing except Dawn!!! Thank you and I hope to be back with another great fic!!!