Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with THAT 70S SHOW and RENT.

Epilogue: No Day But Today

Donna and I carve our pumpkins, and she insisted that I run the footage from the summer before we left. I watch the film of when she, Jackie, and I were all out college shopping. They were trying on clothes, playing with knick knacks, and I realize something. Jackie's eyes weren't sad when she was getting ready to leave. She looked truly happy. So a smile creeps across my face, because I just know that she's happy now.

There's only us, there's only this.

Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.

As we all left the airport, I thought about how people want to go beyond what's familiar, and for what reasons they do so. Another of my closest friends was leaving. I hate it when people leave. But Jackie is a fish. She got too big for this little pond, just like Kelso did, and Eric, and soon Donna. Soon it will be just me and Hyde. And I wonder why Hyde hasn't had the urge to find himself and leave his little comfort zone. Maybe his comfort zone just left, and he doesn't care to admit it…

No other road, no other way.

No day but today.

Since last year was so hard on Jackie, maybe college will help be a good year for her. The poor girl deserves a good year, she's been so lacking of them as of late. As years go by, and the kids grow up, I can't help but feel old. Michael is a few hours away, and Donna and Eric will be spending the holidays here with us. But Jackie may not come back at all. I hate to think that this horrible time she had would drive her away from those who love her. But, sometimes it takes many good years to make up for one bad one.

I can't control my destiny.

I trust my soul.

My only goal is just to be.

Well, I hate to think that her leaving could only make things worse, but somehow I just know that it has. If only because I know that he still loves her. It hurts, yeah, but he can take me or leave me. And come on, it's not like I can't find anyone else. I don't need to waste my time on a man who's always thinking about someone else. I'd rather he instigated it, though. As much as I'm pissed at him, he needs to be honest with himself as much as he needs to be honest with me.

There's only now,

There's only here.

I love the idea of college, but I wish that my loud, opinionated best friend was going to be here with me. I don't think that she will come back. And it makes me sad, thinking about that I mean. I know we'll keep in touch, and I know that we'll always mean a lot to each other. I get home, and look at the picture I have of us on my graduation day. Tears slowly slide down my face, but I'm smiling. If only because I had her in my life.

Give in to love,

Or live in fear.

I hold the tee shirt to my chest as I lie on the bed. I think about all the mistakes I made that I blamed her for. And none of them were her fault, I realize. She just wanted some stability in her unstable life, and I couldn't, no, wouldn't give it to her. And while I thought she would take it, it turned out that she wouldn't. I underestimated her, even in the end. And now that she's gone, I realize how much she meant to me. And that now she's the one who's left me heartbroken. And it sucks having the shoe on the other foot.

No other path,

No other way….

The plane is in the air, and I think about that town that caused me so much pain in the end of my stay. And how they tried to make up for it all. Most of them, anyway. I found the way to give Steven a goodbye without giving in to him again. He has no power over me anymore, and it's liberating but devastating. I don't know how I feel about my plan for now. I hope that New York City is a better fit than Point Place was. Will I ever have as good a friend as Donna? Will my mother ever be as good as Kitty is? Will I ever love someone as deeply as I loved Steven? The questions plague my mind as I drift into sleep. But I realize that I can only take it one day at a time. I guess I'm satisfied with that for now. My life is what I make it. And I can finally start over again. And I'll start with today.

No day but today.

THE END

A/N: Finito! I hope that it was good for everyone out there. Now that it's summer, I will hopefully be writing more and posting more. So let's hope this will be the first of many new fics.

ps, For a mroe fluffy J/H story read THE PRODIGAL CHEERLEADER, my first ff.n fic. :ends shameless self promotion: