Like You Do

Disclaimer: Obviously not mine but I wanted to play in their sandbox.

A/N: This is my first fanfic in a long while so please bear with me. Now that the series is over I know there are a lot of devastated zennies out there, myself included so I wanted to write something to change that, that also followed canon. Somewhat inspired by the song 23 by Jimmy Eat World.

Chapter One - Pain

I felt for sure last night
That once we said goodbye
No one else will know these lonely dreams
No one else will know that part of me

Point Place, Wisconsin, February 11th 1983

Hyde hadn't been back here in over a year. After WB sold off Grooves and given him full ownership of his store, he had actually taken responsibility and made the store a real success. So much so he'd left Randy in charge of the place while he opened up 2 more stores in Chicago and Philadelphia. Normally going home wouldn't fill him with so much dread but this time was definitely an exception. He was to be the best man at Eric and Donna's wedding and he was happy that they had finally got their act together but that also meant that since Jackie was the maid of honor it certainly wasn't going to be without awkwardness. They actually hadn't since each other in years, not since she had just up and left Point Place without so much as a word as to where she was headed. Not that they really saw each other much before she left but considering Jackie and her history with weddings this was bound to dredge up things from the past that Hyde was hoping would just stay buried where they belonged. The only other place it led to was pain and Jackie of all people had had her fair share.

So here he was pulling into the parking lot of the Lucky Sun Chinese Restaurant the night before the wedding for a cocktail party in Eric and Donna's Honor. As he strolled in he spotted Red and Kitty smiling at each other looking as happy as ever. Next to them Eric had his arm around Donna staring at her in awe like they were 17 again and he still couldn't quite believe that they were together. Even Kelso had brought Brooke and Betsy with him and they were looking quite the little family. That's when he spotted her sitting alone at a table in the corner, looking the same just a little older and with a different hairstyle than he was used to but still as hot as ever. He contemplated just going over to her and getting their sure to be uncomfortable greeting over and done with as soon as possible until Fez sat down next to her, handing her a glass of wine. They sat there, deep in conversation and he couldn't help but get the same sinking feeling he'd had 2 ½ years ago.

Hyde stood behind the counter of Grooves staring at the throng of customers that inhabited his store. Business had never been better and considering he pretty much lived there nowadays it wasn't a surprise. With him moving out of the Forman's, Eric and Donna in Madison and Jackie moving back in with Fez, his store was the only place he felt he belonged anymore. Jackie and Fez, he still hadn't really processed that yet, in fact the same thing could be said for the past year. Being supposedly married to a stripper, Kelso moving to Chicago, Jackie and Fez declaring their love, it was like it had happened to someone else and he had just stood back and watched it all happen. In the 6 months that Jackie and Fez had been together he'd only really seen Jackie a handful of times and most of those times had been by accident. Fez still came by the store often enough to hang out but it wasn't the same, the basement gang was no more and he missed that, but if he was being really honest with himself, most of all he missed Jackie.

He didn't blame her for not wanting to hang out anymore, he'd been a real jerk to her since Sam had shown up. It was his way of punishing her for making him feel more than indifference and for feeling more pain than he ever thought he was capable of. Seeing Kelso in a towel in Chicago had snapped something in him, he had never felt such a blinding rage. Though he did believe her when she'd said nothing had happened he couldn't forgive her for making him go through that anguish. So now here he was alone again, no Jackie, no basement gang, not even stripper wife, all he had was the store and he was determined not to screw that up.

It was the end of the day and Hyde was on the couch in the listening pit reading the latest Rolling Stone when Fez came in and took a seat next to him. He had something to tell him, he was going to propose to Jackie and thought he deserved to know. Hyde told him he was cool with it and he saw the relief on Fez's face. He wouldn't begrudge his friend a chance at happiness because he had screwed up his. But he felt that little bit of hope he was still clinging to die then and there. It was really over this time, they would get married, have kids and that would be that. Fez thanked Hyde and practically skipped out of the joint. Hyde just sat there staring at the wall for what seemed like hours until a rumbling in his belly forced him to get up.

Opening the door to The Hub he was practically bowled over by someone obviously in a hurry. He was just about to let them have it when he looked up and realized that it was Jackie. She looked all flushed and harried but he barely noticed. All he could see was the sparkler on her left hand.

"Uh, oh, Hi Steven"

"Jackie, I guess congratulations are in order"

"Congratulations? Oh the ring, thanks" she looked down at her hand.

They both shifted uncomfortably, barely looking at each other.

"I'll bet you'll both be very happy" he said with a hint of sarcasm.

She with a forced defiance replied "We will, I've got to go my foods going cold, goodbye Steven"

"Goodbye Jackie"

He watched as she drove away and suddenly he wasn't very hungry. All he could feel was the claustrophobia of his emotions bubbling to the surface, feelings he'd thought he'd laid to rest only hours before. He couldn't be here right now, he had to get out of Point Place before he lost what was left of his sanity. So he packed a bag, got in the El Camino and headed for Chicago. He'd call Randy in the morning and ask him to look after the store, tell him he was scouting for potential locations for a new store, which wouldn't be entirely a lie. He'd go hang out with Kelso and try to forget that Jackie was probably even now picking out dresses and reception venues and all that other wedding crap. He certainly didn't need to see that, all he needed was some serious circle time and Kelso was always a good place to start.

He spent the next couple of weeks hanging out with Kelso at his club and actually looking at vacant spaces for a new store. He even found a couple that had potential but he would have to talk to WB when he got back home. Home, if you could call it that anymore but that's what it was and it was time to stop hiding and face reality. It was late when he finally drove into Point Place but he wanted to go check on the store before he went back to his apartment. Surprised to see that a light was still on he found Randy in the office sorting though some paperwork.

"Hey Hyde your back"

"Yeah, thanks for looking after the store man and sorry for not calling"

"That's cool, uh have to talked to Fez lately" he said nervously.

"Fez? No why, something happen?"

"Uh you could say that, Jackie, she left"

"What do you mean left?" his voice rising.

"As in left town left, no one knows where she is"

"Did he say why?" he said trying to suppress his alarm.

"No, all he said was she left him a note but he wouldn't say what it said"

Hyde was still staring at Jackie and Fez so he didn't notice Kitty coming up to him until she had her arms around his neck. He hugged her back and then he shook hands with Red, one by one they all came over to greet him except for Jackie who had mysteriously vanished from the room. But he was surrounded by his best friends and for the moment the dread he'd been feeling, temporarily took a backseat.