A/N: And the final chapter has been written. Happy New Year everybody. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it. It means a lot to me. I'm glad you all liked my story. I write to try and please.

Disclaimer: I do not own That 70's Show or any of the characters.

Happy Holidays

Part 3 of 3

New Years Eve was not a holiday meant to be spent alone. It was a holiday that you were supposed to spend the last moments of the year with the ones that you loved the most. This was exactly why Jackie had her face buried into her couch and crying her eyes out.

This year, Jackie would be spending this holiday alone. Eric told her he'd stay with her but she made him go to his parent's house. He needed to be with his family. His mother had missed him so much and Jackie couldn't bring herself to be selfish enough to break Kitty's heart by taking away her son on the holidays. Eric had suggested that she come with him but she had quickly shot him down. She didn't want to take a chance of seeing a few certain people.

So now, Jackie was going to be spending the last moments of the year all by herself. It was truly heartbreaking for the small brunette. Although weeks ago when it was Christmas she had accepted the fact that she would be spending the holidays alone, but now that it was actually happening and there was no Eric to rescue her, all she could do was cry.

This is just perfect! Jackie thought bitterly. I'm spending the last moments of the year crying.

Just that thought made Jackie cry even harder.

Knock. Knock.

Jackie lifted her head when she heard knocking on her door. She sniffled and stood up abruptly.

"Uh… just a minute!" She called out then ran towards the bathroom. She didn't want anyone to see that she had been crying.

She scrubbed her face with water quickly. She was trying to rub away the tears and redness from her eyes. She inspected herself in the mirror for a moment. It still looked like she had been crying making her pout in disappointment.

Knock. Knock.

Jackie sighed deeply. "I'm coming!" She called out again.

She looked at her self again. She was just going to have to deal with it.

"Eric, I swear if that's you, I'm gonna kick your ass." Jackie announced walking to the door. "You need to be with your-" She suddenly stopped short when she opened her door and saw that it wasn't Eric Forman.

It was Steven Hyde.

He stood there with a sheepish look. His sunglasses were off and he was holding a small not so perfectly wrapped present. His blue eyes were on her, unmoving and determined. Jackie's mouth hung open.

"Ste- Hyde, what are you doing here?" She finally asked, almost calling him Steven.

"I, uh, came to wish you a happy New Years." He replied almost shyly. She gave him a long hard stare. "Okay… That's not the only reason why I came." He continued honestly. "Can I come in?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. She was trying to figure him out, he knew that. Without his glasses he was vulnerable and that's exactly why he wasn't wearing them right now. He was trying to prove to her that he wanted her to know all of his true feelings, she knew that too. After a long moment, she sighed in defeat then stepped aside allowing him into her apartment.

"Hyde, I don't really want you here." She said truthfully, closing her door after he walked in.

"I know." He said turning to look at her. "I got this for you." He said holding out the present. "Sorry about it being badly wrapped. You know I'm not good at that sort of stuff."

Jackie slowly reached out and took the present from him. She looked back up at him with her eyes narrowing again. "A gift is not going to make me forgive you. I've grown up since then." She said darkly and he nodded.

"I know. I didn't come here trying to earn your forgiveness. I know it's too late for that." Hyde said and she could have sworn she heard sadness in his tone. "That's your Christmas gift. I didn't really have a chance to give it to you."

"Why did you get me a gift?" She asked suspiciously.

"I think you know why, Jackie."

"No, I don't know why." She countered haughtily. Hyde sighed deeply and his jaw clenched.

"You're not going to make this easy for me are you?" He asked and judging by the look she was giving him right now she wasn't planning on making anything easy for him.

"Why should I make it easy for you, Hyde? Everything has been so easy for you." She told him with fiery eyes.

"That's not true!" He couldn't help but snap. "None of this has been easy for me. These have been the hardest times of my life."

"They've been the hardest times of your life?" She asked in disbelief. "You're the one who really destroyed my heart and you're saying that these have been the hardest times of your life?"

"Jackie, I know what I-"

"How dare you!" She yelled pointing an accusing finger at him. "How dare you try to make this about you? You hurt me, you selfish bastard!"

"Look, could you please-"

"You can't just come into my apartment and say that these have been the hardest times of your life."

"I know but-"

"You have no idea how much it hurt every time I saw you with her. It killed a part of me every damn time. And you know what? You didn't even care! You didn't give a rat's ass about how all of this has affected me."

"Jackie, I seriously-"

"And now you think you can just waltz back into me life right after your little slut wife leaves you. It doesn't work that way!"

"That's not-"

"You know what else? You totally deserved what happened to you. I'm glad that Sam was really married to someone else because that's just a huge burn in your face and I want you to be in pain!" She yelled feeling the tears coming on again. "I want you to feel all the pain that you put me through."

Hyde stared at her as tears began to cascade down her already reddened cheeks. He took in a deep breath. "I didn't come here to try and win you back." He stated shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You aren't?" She asked curiously.

"No. I know I have no right to try and win you back this time. I don't deserve something as great as you." He said with pure honesty in his tone.

Jackie blinked a few times not really caring about the extra tears that fell. She knew he was telling the truth; she could see it in his uncovered eyes.

"Why… why did you come here then?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"I came to say sorry for all of the crap I've put you through." He said and Jackie opened her mouth to speak but he interrupted. "I don't want you to forgive me… well, I want you to but I know I don't deserve it. I just… God, Jackie, I swear if I could go back in time and do things differently than I would."

Jackie bit down on her bottom lip. "Why did you stay with Sam?"

"It's the crappiest reason ever." He said and she stared on waiting for him to continue. "I stayed with Sam… because she was easy."

"What?" She asked completely taken with shock.

"She was easy because I knew I wouldn't care if she ever cheated on me or anything. I wouldn't care if I ever saw her with another man." He continued.

"Uhm…." Jackie really was flabbergasted.

"I know that sounds really shallow, but I hate having… emotions. With Sam I felt nothing with her. With you though… I felt all the things I didn't want to feel." He explained earning a burning glare from Jackie.

"You're saying that you broke my heart because you didn't want to feel emotions?" She asked in pure rage. "You selfish son of a bitch!" She screeched making Hyde flinch. "You're a human being, Hyde, you're supposed to feel emotions. More than anything in the world I wanted us to feel emotions with each other and we did, then you just ruined it with your selfishness."

"I know that." Hyde said quickly. "I know I've been a selfish prick through out all of this and I'm sorry for that too." He said taking a step closer to her and she took a step back. "I know that in time I could make this up to you… but I also know that I don't deserve the chance to make it up to you." He continued on sadly.

Jackie said nothing in return. She bowed her head and looked down at the floor. Hyde stared at her for a long moment waiting for a response. After a moment he knew that he wasn't going to be getting one. For what seemed like the hundredth time, he sighed in defeat.

"I'll leave." He said then turned to the door.

On the verge of more tears, Jackie did something she didn't think she would ever want to do again.

"Steven." She spoke his name softly and gently.

Hyde quickly turned once he heard the love of his life speak his first name again. He hadn't heard her say his name in so long; it made his heart flutter with happiness.

"Yeah?" He asked with hope in his voice.

Jackie took a deep long breath. She looked at him with her mismatched eyes; they were filled with want and need. "It's going to take me a while to completely forgive you." She told him. Hyde smiled slightly and walked back over to her. "I don't know if I can ever fully trust anymore though."

He was now merely an inch away from her. "I understand. I'll do everything in my power to earn you trust again. I promise." He spoke putting his arms around her and pulling her in for a hug.

Jackie wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him back. She held on tight almost as if she were afraid she was going to lose him again. He held her in the same way.

"I've missed you so much." He whispered into her strawberry scented hair.

"I missed you too." She said in return.

"I love you." He told her. She went silent for a moment and he suddenly feared her reaction.

"For some crazy reason… I still love you too." She said and he felt her smile against his chest. He smiled too. She suddenly pulled back slightly and looked up at him. "How about some make-up sex?" She asked oh-so-innocently.

Hyde grinned down at her. "You took the words right out of my mouth, doll."

. . . . . . . . . .

Hyde and Jackie lay in her bed sweaty and exhausted. His arm was wrapped protectively around her shoulder. She was snuggled against his side, staying as close as she could to him. Both were smiling in content.

"Make-up sex is always the best." Jackie announced and Hyde nodded in agreement.

"Hell yeah." He mumbled tracing small circles on her arm with his pointer finger.

"Oh!" She suddenly spoke up making him jump a bit.

"What is it?" He asked concerned.

"I forgot to open your present." She said with a pout causing him to laugh lightly.

"Oh," He looked over to her nightstand where she put the present while they were about to… get down to business. He grabbed it and handed it to her. "I think you'll like it a lot."

Jackie took it and eagerly tore off the wrapping paper. She opened the box and gasped. "Oh my god, Steven! It's a pearl necklace." She exclaimed putting a hand over her mouth.

"Yeah… I know how much you love jewelry." He said with a smile.

"Oh, Steven." She cooed moving up and placing a loving kiss against his lips. He eagerly kissed her back.

After a moment they both pulled away smiling at each other. Jackie looked over his shoulder to her alarm clock. It was eleven fifty-nine. Her smile turned into a grin.

"What are you grinning at?" He asked slyly.

"Happy New Year, baby." She told him.

He looked over to the clock. It was now midnight. He looked back at her and grinned back.

"Happy New Year, doll." And with that they kissed again.

It was a new year and it was time to start anew.

A/N: Happy New Year, everyone.