Jackie was smiling when she walked into the Foreman basement. After all, she was engaged! She was getting married! It was what she had been dreaming about since she was a little girl. And no one was going to ruin it for her; not her father, with his patronizing disapproval. Not Hyde, with his mocking words that totally belied the intense, almost reproachful look that he'd shot her when she told him her happy news. And most especially not Michael, with… well… everything that he did.
That smile lasted about five seconds after she entered the basement. Eric was sitting on the couch. That in itself was not unusual; what was unusual was the absolutely dejection painted on his face. Eric looked like he'd aged a good five years since she had last seen him. In his left hand he held a crumpled piece of paper. He looked up slowly when he heard Jackie enter, and the stark pain in his gaze drew her in and held her captive. Harsh feelings and old dislike faded in the face of such intense misery, and, not breaking eye-contact, she walked towards him and perched on the couch facing him.
"Eric, what's wrong?" she asked, laying a hand on his shoulder.
Eric shook his head as if he didn't quite understand her words, and she repeated them, more urgently this time, her eyes wide. Jackie had never seen Eric like this, and it frightened her.
For a moment it seemed as if Eric would ignore her question a second time, but then he seemed to snap awake slightly. For a second, Jackie was certain that she saw a flash of pity in his eyes, but that didn't make sense; What reason could anyone, let alone Eric, have to pity her?
Still without speaking, Eric handed her the wadded up piece of paper. With hands that trembled for some reason that she could not name, Jackie smoothed the paper out and began to read. She immediately recognized Donna's sweeping handwriting.
In her letter, Donna stated that she was running away to California to live with her mother. She said that she had always loved Eric, and always would, but that she thought that they needed some time apart. Donna didn't know when she was coming home, and she even hinted that she may never come back. It ended with "love forever, Donna" and a few tearstains.
When she finished reading, Jackie was crying. "Oh God, Eric, I'm so sorry," she sniffled. She just couldn't believe it. Donna had left Eric? How could she do that? Eric and Donna were the heart and soul of the gang. They truly loved each other. The forever kind of love. How could they not end up together?
Eric looked up. "Jackie, don't be sorry for me. Donna wasn't the only one who left for California."
Jackie wrinkled her forehead, confused. "What do you mean?"
For a second she was worried it was Steven who left with her and heart sped up with worry.
He glanced away. "I was in Donna's room waiting for her. I was going to tell her… to tell her that I love her," at this, his voice broke, but he got himself under control before any tears could fall. "I looked out the window just in time to see Donna slip this"- he indicated the letter-"into my mailbox. Then she got into Kelso's van and they drove off."
"Michael's van? Wait…what?" Jackie breathed. Oh, no. Michael would never… But he had. He had left her. Without a word, he had left her here alone.
Now it was Eric laying an awkward hand on Jackie's shoulder. In the way of all men, he seemed to draw strength from having someone of the opposite sex to take care of.
Jackie threw off Eric's hand as if it were diseased. "That dirty, lying, cowardly son of a bitch!" she shrieked. Eric looked startled, and then wary. He backed away from her uneasily.
Jackie stood and began to pace the basement, screaming obscenities as she went. After a few minutes of this, she turned to face Eric, tiny hands balled into tight little fists. "Did you know that he asked me to marry him?"
Eric shook his head no.
"He did. He asked me to marry him. He told me that he loved me and that he wanted to be with me. Only me. Forever. The lying bastard!" she grabbed a porcelain figurine off of the bookshelf and hurled it against the wall with all of her might. The unfortunate object smashed into the wall and landed in a thousand little pieces on the floor.
With that last act of violence, Jackie's anger seemed to ebb away, and burying her face in her hands, she started to sob.
Eric went to her. She came into his arms eagerly, and they just stood there in the basement, holding each other, for a long time. There was something strangely soothing to the act, and soon Jackie's tears had stopped. She lifted her head from his chest.
"I'm sorry about Donna," she murmured, at a loss for what else to say.
"Thanks. And I'm sorry about Kelso." Eric was equally stumped.
Jackie shook her head. "Don't be. I'm actually kind of glad that it happened."
Eric raised a brow.
Jackie nodded. "Yeah. It was over with me and Michael a long time ago. I guess I just didn't want to let go."
"Oh."
"You know, Michael and I were never like you and Donna. You guys… you're real. Me and Michael… well, I don't know what we were. But we weren't that."
Eric nodded, then frowned. "Hey, don't we kind of hate each other?"
Jackie giggled. "Yeah. So how do we always end up acting like we don't?"
Eric shook his head and smiled back at her. There was silence for a moment, but then from the staircase came the sound of boots coming down the stairs. Hyde's boots.
A slightly calculating look came over Jackie's face, and without a word she burst back into tears, ran to Hyde, and flung herself into his arms, crying. The sequence of looks on Hyde's face-from confusion to annoyance to tenderness, as she nuzzled her face into his neck-was priceless, and Eric couldn't hold back a bark of laughter. At his laugh, Hyde looked up and scowled.
"Foreman's right over there," he pointed out. "Why don't you go whimper on his shoulder?"
"I already did," Jackie sobbed, cuddling closer.
Hyde's scowl deepened, and he glared at Eric. Apparently, despite all of his complaints, Hyde didn't like the idea of Jackie running to someone else. Eric smirked and turned away. Summer without Donna would be like Hell and depressing, but, with Kelso gone as well, at least he would have something interesting to watch.
Just before shutting the basement door, Eric took one final glance over his shoulder at Jackie and Hyde. Hyde had wrapped his arms around Jackie's shoulders and was stroking her hair gently. Jackie now seemed to be doing a lot less crying and a lot more snuggling.
Oh, yes. This should be entertaining.
