A/N - Okay, so the wedding is totally mushy, which as you know, is not really my thing. In most of my fics, I always skip over J/H vows, because I can't imagine Hyde ever announcing anything out loud. I decided to write them this time as a challenge. I wanted to see if I could have him declare his love for her in front of everybody without appearing majorly OOC. You will have to tell me if it worked :)
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I can't believe this story is finally ending. I really want to thank everybody (especially my regular reviewers) for sticking with it and leaving such great comments. You know I always like taking the gang on a wild, dark ride, which not everybody can handle, so I really appreciate those of you who have been into it.
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The next (and possibly last?) full-length T70S fic I'm doing will be a HUGE departure from the stuff I've done before, so it may take me a little while to start posting stuff. It also probably won't be as smutty but no promises, because you know I can't help myself when it comes to J/H in bed. LOL.
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PS- I'm going out with a bang—literally. So, keep your eyes peeled for some wedding night whoopie. Hope you like the last chapter!
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CHAPTER 29
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On the beach, Kelso carries Brooke on his back, runs to a lounge chair and lays her down. He then immediately covers her with his own body and starts groping her comically, eliciting squeals of laughter from the statuesque beauty.
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He looks around, then covertly pulls the ties of the cabana frame they're under and all four sides come tumbling down, closing them off from the world.
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Two minutes later Brooke emerges running from the tent with Kelso hot on her heels. "The wedding is in ten minutes, you horndog!"
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"I can work with that!" he shouts after her. "Damn Brooke!" he pouts, before accepting his consolation prize of a sweet kiss.
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"Later" she promises, before grabbing his hand and leading him to the
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Fez and Angie are walking along the shore holding hands.
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"Hey Fez" Angie points to the water. "fishing boats!" she smiles coyly at him.
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Fez leads her out to the water's edge and they kick their shoes off. He grabs her waist and pulls her into a tango hold.
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"You tango?" she asks, truly surprised.
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"Look at me Angie" he smirks, gesturing to his midsection as he holds the perfect dance posture. "Was there ever any doubt?" He gives her his best 'stallion' face, which has her rolling with laughter.
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He twirls her down the shore, turning her expertly, as he hikes her leg up and around his own before deeply dipping her. Before he has a chance to pull her back up, she lifts her head and plants a soft kiss on Fez's lips, catching him completely off-guard.
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"Was that okay?" she wonders nervously, worried she may have misread his intentions.
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"The judges give it a ten" he smiles before leaning down to kiss her back.
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Jackie makes her way down the beach with Donna and Eric, looking shellshocked and out of it.
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"Are you okay, Jackie?" Donna asks, running her hand down her friend's arm.
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"I'm fabulous. It's my wedding day, how could I not be?" she asks almost manically.
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"Where are your shoes?" she wonders, noticing the tiny bride's bare feet.
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"I lost them. I'm sure it's not a sign of anything, right?" she asks with a nervous laugh.
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Donna and Eric exchange a look of concern.
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"And here I always thought Hyde would be the one getting cold feet" she whispers to her boyfriend.
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"I'll handle this" he assures her and before sending her off to the others with a kiss.
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A man with sideburns wearing a white gauze shirt open to the navel, mills around under a small tent frame covered in hot pink azaleas.
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"Who is that?" Kelso leans over and asks his wife. He's never seen the guy before in his life, but he looks so damn familiar to him. He figures he must be one of Jackie's relatives, because he really knows how to work the hell out of resort-wear.
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Brooke buries her face in Michael's shoulder. "Oh my God. I can't believe she actually went through with it. I really figured she'd lose her nerve closer to the ceremony."
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"What are you talking about? Do you know that dude? I swear I've seen him somewhere before" he squints, trying to recall a bar or club where they may have crossed paths.
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"You have" she confirms. "You saw him in 1981 at Navy Pier" she informs him, still completely blown away by her little friend's gumption.
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Suddenly, the man pulls an acoustic guitar out from behind some chairs and straps it on.
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"Cool. He plays the guitar too. Maybe I've jammed with him somewhere" the wheels in Kelso's mind continue whirring. He's well aware that he's never 'jammed' with anybody but Eric Forman (on electronic keyboard), and that was in middle school, but his chick doesn't need to know that.
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"Oh, you dumb beautiful bastard" Fez laments. "How can you not see that he is the man often referred to as the 'Jewish Elvis'?"
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"Elvis was Jewish?" his intellectually-challenged friend asks with total seriousness.
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The man starts strumming his guitar softly at the very moment Hyde makes his appearance on the beach.
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"I got the license sorted out, so we're all good now" he informs Donna, a millisecond before laying eyes on his uninvited guest.
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Hello again, hello
Just called to say hello
I couldn't sleep at all tonight
And I know it's late
But I couldn't wait
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The mystery man wails on his guitar with purpose now as he saunters in place singing the song "Hello Again" by Neil Diamond.
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Hyde, raises an eyebrow at the singer and then locks eyes with Donna, who stifles a laugh.
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Angie and Fez rock back and forth together, holding hands.
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"Holy crap! Jackie knows Neil Diamond?" Kelso exclaims as he slowly bobs his head along with the music and ghosts the song's chords on his air guitar.
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The groom looks as though he just stepped in a pile of dog shit. "...the fuck?"
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Donna, still working hard to suppress her laughter, grits the back of her teeth and pats her buddy on the shoulder. "You did tell Jackie she could plan the whole wedding."
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Hello, my friend, hello
Just called to let you know
I think about you ev'ry night
When I'm here alone
And you're there at home, hello
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"I think it's romantic" Brooke pipes in, hoping to soften the fallout her friend is sure to suffer later on.
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"Yeah, why doesn't that surprise me?" he cracks, gazing out at her idiot husband, now completely 'in the zone' with his air guitar routine.
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"It's not that bad..." Angie says, trying to make her brother feel better. "It could have been Elton John."
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"Not helping" Hyde snaps.
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Maybe it's been crazy
And maybe I'm to blame
But I put my heart above my head
We've been through it all
And you loved me just the same
And when you're not there
I just need to hear
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"She's not expecting me to get married by Neil Diamond" he says in disbelief, more of a statement than a question.
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Donna raises her shoulders sheepishly and weakly smiles. "I Got the Feelin' you should just probably just suck it up or you might find your Love on the Rocks. I wouldn't want to see you become a Solitary Man again."
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Hyde stares at his old friend blankly. "You been working on that one long?"
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"Maybe an hour?" she playfully punches his arm.
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Hello, my friend, hello
It's good to need you so
It's good to love you like I do
And to feel this way
When I hear you say, hello
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He turns to all of his friends, who have been bracing themselves for the inevitable explosion, and sighs. "You know what? Fuck it, man. If she wants to get married by some pansy in a pirate shirt, then... whatever."
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Donna's brow furrows. She hates when he answers questions with that ambiguous word, because she never knows what the hell he's saying. "Meaning...?"
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"This isn't exactly Jackie's dream wedding so, you know, I guess it's okay if it's not exactly mine either" he shrugs. "I only care that she's wearing my ring at the end of it."
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The redhead places her hand over her heart. "Aww Hyde! You looooove her!" Donna starts taunting him by making kissing noises.
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"Shut up." Hyde bites back a smile. "And if any of you dolts breathe a fucking word about this theme wedding to anybody who isn't currently on this beach, you're going to find yourselves washed up on it." he threatens gravely while shaking his head.
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Hello, my friend, hello
Just called to let you know
I think about you ev'ry night
And I know it's late
But I couldn't wait
Hello
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Fake Neil takes a bow, basking in the glow of Kelso and Fez's enthusiastic applause and catcalls.
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The Neil Diamond impersonator motions for everybody to take their seats. Hyde stands uncomfortably under the flower tent and groans audibly as Fake Neil launches into a rendition of the song "Stones".
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Stones would play inside her head
And where she slept,
They made her bed
And she would ache
for love
And get but stones
La la la la la la la la la
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Huddled behind a nearby cabana, Jackie and Eric get ready to walk to the tent for the ceremony.
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"Interesting choice, Jackie" Eric nods, trying to keep a straight face.
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Jackie rolls her eyes. "Not that your musical taste really counts for much (she pretends to sneeze but really shouts the word 'Styx'), but I picked him because he reminds me of my daddy."
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He leans his head toward her with a look of confusion. "Your dad looks like Neil Diamond?"
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"No dorkus. My dad used to play this song a lot when I was little. Sometimes we would dance to it." she explains, looking out onto the horizon to avoid the inevitable look of pity.
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Even in her wedding whites on the happiest day of her life, Jackie is still reduced to feeling like a little girl whenever she thinks about her father.
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Without a word, Eric wraps one arm around his friend and she leans her head on his shoulder. "You look really beautiful, you know."
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"I know. " she nods her head then smiles up at him. "Thank you, Eric."
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Lordy, child
A good day's comin'
And I'll be there to let the sun in
And bein' lost
Is worth the comin' home
La la la la la la la la la on stones
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He tightens his grip around her waist. "This is nice. It reminds me a little of Mexico" he says absentmindedly, referring to the beach.
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Though Tampico used to be nearly a curse word to them, a name that signified all of the pain they were dealing with inside at the time, it's now taken on a sepia-tinged hue, triggering only good memories of their time bonding in the mirror world.
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She takes a few breaths in an attempt to blow all the negative feelings out. "It's weird to get married without him here, but I'm glad you're here to give me away."
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He hitches up his belt. "Well, I did teach my little girl to swim in deep water, so it's only right that I be the one to give her away."
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She squeezes his hand and smiles.
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Eric is desperate to assuage her melancholy, but is cautious, knowing full-well he only has a 5% change of saying something helpful. He clears his throat anxiously and turns to her. "I know you've had like, every detail of your wedding planned out since you were three, and this probably is nothing like you imagined, you know, with your family not being here and all..."
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Jackie places her hand on his arm. "My family is here, Eric. The family that matters anyway. I mean, my dad checked out long before he went to prison, and my mom...well, you've experienced that one firsthand."
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"I know, but you're still allowed to be sad they're not here." he tells her.
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"Yeah..." she trails off for a moment. Jackie straightens out the wrinkles in her wedding dress and decides it's time to buoy her spirits. "Hey, who really cares anyway if they're not? I mean, Fez is going to cry much harder at the ceremony than my mother would have, and if I squint my eyes hard enough you're the spitting image of Jack Burkhart...you know, if he had low muscle-tone and small bones."
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"On that note...I can honestly say I am very much looking forward to giving you away" he snarks.
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"As if you could get rid of me" she taunts in her best sing-song. "Come on, we should probably start the ceremony before Steven's high wears off and he realizes where he is" she jokes as they begin walking toward the tent.
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Hyde catches the first glimpse of his bride and his breath catches. He knew she was going to look beautiful, but he had no idea she would look this beautiful – or that it was even possible for anyone to look this beautiful.. His pulse is racing, yet he feels an overwhelming sense of calm at the same time. His eyes scan her form then lock with hers and they both smile with giddiness.
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You and me, a time for planting
You and me, a harvest granting
The every prayer ever prayed
For just two wild flowers that grow
La la la la la la la la la on stones
Mmmmmmmm...
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Eric lifts Jackie's veil and cups her face with one hand. "She's all yours" he tells the groom as he places her hand in Hyde's.
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Jackie places a small kiss on Eric's cheek before he leaves her to take his place as best man.
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Through their peripheral vision, Jackie and Hyde check each other out, sending one another messages with their eyes throughout the ceremony. They used to do the same thing at school, before the general population knew they were a couple and in the basement when they were sneaking around. It's their second language and the one in which they both can be sure to always say the right thing.
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Fake Neil gestures to Hyde to start reciting his vows, and Hyde instinctively reaches for a tie to loosen, but as he's not wearing one, he finds it's just his nerves that are choking him today.
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"I'm first? Crap. You know I'd rather get waterboarded than talk about feelings, so that fact that I'm up here doing it should really show you how I feel about you, doll. I hope you're recording this though, because this is a 'one night only' engagement." he warns, palms getting clammier as his big moment approaches. He pulls out a large index card from his pocket and takes a minute to psyche himself up.
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Jackie laughs and squeezes his hand in solidarity.
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"Now, I don't know if you know this baby, but you've saved my life a few times. The first time was just after we had that blow out on New Year's in 1980. You left town and I didn't know if I'd ever see you again, which much to my surprise, made me pretty miserable. A few days after that I'd pretty much made up my mind that I was going to hunt you down and force you to spend the rest of your life with me." he confesses, her eyes growing wider with each revelation.
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"Then Donna very helpfully pointed out what a huge burnout I was at the time, and that if I was ever gonna to get you to speak to me again I'd have to make myself into the kind of guy who was worthy of being with somebody like you. So I did. If you hadn't left that night I'd probably be pumping gas or in jail or worse." he licks his lips nervously and flashes her a half-smile.
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By this point, Jackie's hand has made it's way to her mouth and she nervously touches her lips.
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"The second time you saved my life was in Chicago after I was shot in that robbery. You had no reason to take care of me, I definitely didn't deserve your kindness, but you did it anyway. You nursed me back to health - and then I fucked up and hurt you again and you wanted to run off, but you stayed and dressed my wounds anyway. Nobody ever put me first before." He meets her eyes for a moment then hastily looks away. His breath is ragged as he desperately tries to will himself not to tear up like a pussy in front of all of his friends.
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Tears begin to well in Jackie's eyes and she tips her head back to blink them away.
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"The third time you saved my life was a week ago, when you said you'd marry me. I know I've always said I can never be happy, and for the most part it's true. But you know, I realized that I actually can be happy, but I just can't be happy without you."
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Her mouth drops open in shock as her chest begins to heave. "Oh, Steven..."
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"I love you Jackie and I trust you, okay? I promise I will always be there from now on, taking care of you as good as you take care of me, and if you hold up your half of that bargain we made last week, I'll even talk to you about serious shit when you want me to. Most of the time, at least.
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Jackie grapples for him and they kiss passionately, each holding the other's face in their hands.
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"It's not time yet" Fake Neil gingerly taps Hyde on the shoulder, but is dismissively waved away like a gnat in the summertime. Their friends catcall and hoot in the background.
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They both catch their breath and Hyde wipes away her tears with his thumbs.
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"And now we'll hear from Jacqueline." the impersonator announces.
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Jackie takes several deep breaths to calm down before speaking. She bites her lip, now swollen from being soundly kissed and takes Steven's hand.
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"The first time we met each other, I really hated you." she smiles as their friends start laughing.
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Hyde rolls his eyes and shakes his head.
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"I thought you were the rudest, most arrogant, laziest, scruffiest bully around." she continues, still radiating love like a furnace.
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"Tell 'em how you really feel, Jackie!" Kelso shouts through cupped hands.
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"But then I got to know you better, and even though you were still all of those things, you were also so much more. Even though I wasn't your favorite person, you always protected me. You held me every time I cried over a breakup, and went to prom with me when I needed a date, even though you hate school, dancing, dressing up and organized activities. You punched that guy out for calling me a bad word, and taught me to have confidence and how to defend myself. You even went to jail for me! It turns out that underneath all of those miscreant layers was the kindest, sweetest, most loving man I'd ever met. And yeah, you're still a little scruffy around the edges, but I've realized that I really really like you that way." she coos, resting one hand on his chest.
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He winks at her.
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"How could I not fall hopelessly in love with you-even if you only thought of me as your annoying little sister?" she sighs.
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"I never thought of you as my sister" he asserts with a half-cocked smile.
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"You were the first person who ever talked to me like I was more than just a pretty face – and listened to my opinion like it mattered. Even I didn't think I was anything more than devastatingly beautiful until you provoked me to be more. You challenged me and it changed me. I mean, I know I'm still a handful, and I can be pushy and selfish a lot of the time, but I like that you make me see the other side of things, even if it means I don't always get my way. You're, like, the only person in this entire world who totally understands me, Steven" she says quietly as tears start to stream down her face again.
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He rubs her arm gently.
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"There will never be anybody else for me – never, Steven - and I promise I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy for the rest of our lives." she declares, smiling through the salty haze. "And for the record, when I was leaving for Chicago and gave you that stupid ultimatum, I didn't want to get married just to be married – I only just wanted to marry you."
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Before Fake Neil has a chance to complete the ceremony, Jackie and Hyde are at it again, pawing away at each other like sailors on leave.
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Donna whistles loudly to get their attention and they settle down, glancing furtively at one another as they hold hands and wait impatiently for the ceremony to be completed.
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They hastily exchange rings, and at moment they're declared married, Hyde scoops Jackie up and runs down the beach with her wrapped around his waist, desperate to get her alone.
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Eric winds his arm around Donna's waist and pulls her closer. "That was some ceremony, no?"
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She lets out a soft whistle. "I thought we were going to have to hose them down like cats."
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"Yeah, who knew a wedding could come with an X rating?" he riffs.
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"I hope when we get married we'll be a little more dignified" she tuts in a fake hoity-toity accent.
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Eric's heart leaps out of his chest and he looks down at her with a shy smile.
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Misreading his look, she corrects herself. "Well, I mean not too dignified. I'd still like to get a little tongue action after the ceremony, if you know what I mean" she jokes, nudging her man slightly in the ribs.
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Eric's smile grows bolder as he turns to face her.
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Starting to feel self-conscious, she tucks a flyaway hair behind her ear and knits her brow. "What? What did I say?"
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He lift the dove charm off her neck and holds it between his fingers, then kisses her gently on the lips as if hinting at a promise. "You said, 'when we get married'." he drops the pendant and touches her nose.
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She opens her mouth then closes it again, gulping a little air in the process. "I guess I did." she shrugs, looking down to hide her grin.
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"You did" he smiles in relief and then kisses her again.
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This section is rated M for sMut! If you don't like to read about people getting busy, turn away now!
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Back in the bridal suite, Hyde carried his bride over the threshold and places her on the bed like a perfect, porcelain doll. He slides down next to Jackie and places his head in her lap.
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"I can't believe we're really married" she says while stroking his hair, still floating in a stupor from the ceremony.
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"Let the resentment, mutual hostility and sexless existence begin!" he decrees sarcastically.
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"Steeeven!" she snaps. "You don't really think that, do you?" her large eyes emanating hurt.
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He laughs at his ability to wind her up. "No. I mean, I'm pretty sure I'll still want to bang you no matter how much we resent each other."
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She shoves him off her lap, crosses her arms over her chest and pouts her bottom lip out. "I don't know why you even bothered proposing if that what you thought marriage would be like." she sniffs.
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He crawls over to her and lays his head back on her lap. She shakes her hips to try to get him off again, but he wraps his arms around her waist and holds himself there. "You're not getting rid of me that easily." he warns gruffly.
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"Who says I'm getting rid of you? How can I exact my revenge on you if you're not here?" she wonders earnestly.
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He looks up at her with his uncovered eyes and grins widely. He'll take demanding and bitchy over boring and colorless any day of the week."I love you, doll."
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"I know" she responds, trying her hardest not to grin back. This is their first disagreement as a married couple and she'll be damned if she's going to set a precedent by losing the argument to him.
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"Come on. Give me a little smile." He entices, sliding one hand up the skirt of her wedding dress. Hyde runs his hand along the small strip of silk between her legs and groans inwardly when he feels how wet she is.
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She steels her resolve. "No."
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Hyde moves the crotch of her underwear to the side and replaces it with his fingers. "Coooome on. One smile."
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She shifts a little bit as he increases their contact. "No."
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He pulls her roughly onto her back and slips his head under her billowing skirt. Jackie's eyes roll back in her head and she struggles to keep her composure. "Are you smiling now?" he asks from underneath her dress.
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She shivers and places both palms over her face. "No." she says through muffled hands.
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He reappears from beneath her dress. "Well if that doesn't make you smile baby, then I give up."
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She bolts upright. "Don't you dare stop, Steven Hyde!"
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He straddles her legs and leans over. "One smile baby, and I'm right back to work" he whispers hotly just behind her ear.
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She shakes her head no.
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He kisses her neck while running his fingers through her hair. "But you're so beautiful when you smile" he murmurs into the hollow of her neck.
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Her hands ball up into tiny fists and she can feel her toes curling each time he makes contact with her skin. "No." she pants through her arousal.
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Hyde strokes her hair away from her face and looks in her eyes. "You and me are family now, and I can't have you moping around next to me for the next 50 years, Jackie."
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Suddenly, she's lit from within and the corners of her mouth start to turn up. "We are family now, aren't we?" she asks, thinking of all of the holidays she's spent alone throughout the years. Whenever people in Chicago would ask about her family, she always found a way to change the subject or make a joke. Anything to keep the embarrassment from having nothing to say at bay. But now, if someone asked her about her family she could just look them in the eye, smile and show them a picture of her gorgeous husband.
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"Yeah." he says softly, knowing this concept would mean as much to her as it does to him. "We're a team."
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"Okay, I'll smile then." she acquiesces. "Wouldn't want to start a family argument over it" she jokes, her bee-stung mouth curling into one of the most brilliant smiles he's ever seen.
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"The strangest things turn you on, baby." He chuckles, kissing her gently before hoisting her skirt up around her waist and pulling off her underwear.
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"Do you want me to take the dress off?" she offers, searching with her hands for the zipper.
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He grabs her hands and places them over her head. "Don't you fucking dare" he growls. "I've been waiting years to screw you in a wedding dress."
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Jackie laughs. "Not since Halvertson's?"
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Hyde shrugs. "Maybe" he answers, noncommittally. The truth is, he had been dreaming about making love to her in a wedding dress since that day he walked in on her illicit shopping excursion at Halverston's. She thought he'd been mad at her because she ran her mouth about them getting married one day, but he was really only mad that the site of her in a wedding dress made him think about getting married one day. And that it turned him on.
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"I've been thinking about it all day." he admits, letting his fingers trace the sweetheart neck of her gown.
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"Have you now? Well, I did promise to do whatever it takes to make you happy" she coos, wrapping one of her legs around the back of him.
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"That, is a vow you are going to regret making. Especially when I ask you to do that one 'thing' and you try to give me your usual no response." he taunts.
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Jackie narrows her eyes seductively "Who says I plan to say no?"
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He mouth drops open. "Oh fuck, are you serious?"
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She smiles coyly and unzips her new husband's pants. "But first, you're going to finish what you started." she orders, her small hand stroking the length of his erection.
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"Yes, dear" he responds, lifting her other leg around his back before sliding inside of her and pulling her onto his lap.
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"Oh God, Steven. That feels..." she takes in a sharp gasp of air and he rocks her on his lap, lifting her up and down by her hips as he thrust into her waiting heat.
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His hands wander under her skirt and grabs her bare ass, bringing it toward him over and over again until Jackie climaxes harder and louder than she ever has. Hyde clenches his muscles and joins her, screaming out her name as he strokes them both through their completion.
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She collapses on top of him, knocking him on to his back. "Holy shit" she pants. "What—what was that?" she mumbles, shivering uncontrollably.
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He wraps his arms around her and kisses her head. "That was first of many, many orgasms I plan to give you over the next 50 years."
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He pulls her along side of him and cups her face gently, giving her a languid, passionate kiss. She raises her hands to cradle his face as well, and deepens their kiss for a moment before breaking apart to come up for air.
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She wets her lips and lets out a huge breath. "And to think, for years you didn't want to get married."
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"I never claimed to be the smartest guy in the room, Jackie. Only the coolest." he grins cheekily before kissing leaning over to kiss his wife again.
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A/N – Well, that's all folks! If you liked it, please consider making it a favorite :)
I cannot tell you how much all of your reviews and comments have meant—from the guests to the regulars. All of you have really helped me get through this long long story. I hope you enjoyed reading it, because I really enjoyed writing it. Hope you look for my new fic when I start posting.
xox, Pamela (aka. ShanghaiLily)