Chapter Text
It shocked no one more than Steven Hyde that he was an uptight father. He was still the guy who wore concert tees, ripped jeans and knew what was fresh on the scene. There wasn’t a kid in town that didn’t know Hyde as the guy who ran and owned the Madison’s Grooves. Kids at the High School thought his kids were so lucky to have a dad young and cool, SJ and Scarlet rolled their eyes and would mumble
“You don’t see him at home.”
Because fate has a sense of humor, Jackie and Hyde had children who were replicas of them in all the best and worst ways. SJ and Scarlet were loved deeply by their parents, but it didn’t mean that they didn’t want to throttle them sometimes, especially Hyde and SJ.
That often stormy and combative relationship is what had SJ stopped at the top of the stairs. He was too young to know he was literally his father all the way down to his desire to fight the system. They fought non-stop, they pissed each other off on a regular basis, but what he did know was his dad was excessively protective of his family.
His thoughts drifted to a conversation he had with he his Uncle Eric not to long ago, about how his friends’ Dads didn’t appear over the top about their family’s safety, his Uncle had smiled strangely,
“Your dad has always been protective of the people he cares about, he has had to fight hard to have them, and SJ, your dad can be………”
“What Uncle Eric?”
SJ was totally unaware of the inner battle the man his called dad called brother was having, but he could see something in his eyes.
Eric took a deep breath, not sure this is was his place or the right thing to do, but he lately he had glimpsed something in Hyde’s eyes that he hoped had cooled. Sometimes when he witnessed SJ and Hyde go at, or Hyde believed Scarlet was in a minimal amount of danger, he recognized the black unreasonable anger, the desire to destroy. Scarlet nor SJ knew that part of Hyde, the only flash they had ever witnessed, had been the night Kelso came, and he hoped they had forgotten that.
There was a distinct difference between Hyde freaking out and the rage that was created by a childhood of abuse. He prayed neither of them ever would have to compare the two. Still, he felt compelled to caution this boy who literally could have been Hyde at 17, because sometimes we fight harder with what we used to be.
He stared at SJ and said
“Your dad can be dangerous when…., his voice fading off. How did he say “He would kill someone for your mom? He has tried to kill someone. I’m convinced that if someone touched your sister, no one would ever see them again……
SJ was getting impatient, “What the hell? Dangerous when?”
“Anyone who ever touches, looks at wrong or hurts your mom, will be lucky to be alive, and if someone ever puts so much as a hand on your sister, they won’t see the light of day. Your dad has a part of him that is explosive and murderous. Back home no one messed with your dad, he is tough as hell. Yeah, he's older, but I’m confident your dad could still tear someone apart.”
SJ heard it all, but didn’t know if he believed a man who looked at his mom like she was the whole damn world, called her his Doll, was soft as hell with his sister, and frequently touched his mom’s face like she was his salvation could kill someone. The night when Hyde tried to kill Kelso was only a faint memory and what he did remember was his mom being hurt.
He also heard his name left out of the list of people he would kill for
“What about me? Mom, Scarlet, but not me?
Eric sighed, he hadn’t meant it that way. He wanted SJ to know that Hyde loved him more than life. He didn’t know how to explain when his father looks at Scarlet, he really sees a girl with a skinned knee, a girl he took to prom, the girl he nearly drank himself to death over, he sees Jackie. Any version of Jackie creates an extreme reaction in Hyde, and Scarlet couldn't be more of a daddy’s girl.
“SJ, your dad loves you, it pisses him off you are him, and he wants you to be better than that. You are SJ, you are miles ahead of the bullshit your dad pulled at your age, but your dad has a hard time spotting it. SJ, you might piss your dad off, but don’t ever doubt the lengths he would go to protect you.”
He started to get up but his uncle had grabbed his arm and said,
“ SJ, don’t ever and I mean ever do something to hurt your mom. You will regret it until the day you die, because the man you see won’t be your father. He won’t care if you are his son, he won’t see you that way. All he will see is someone hurting his doll, and he HAS never responded well to that.”
SJ had almost laughed, but the look on his Uncle’s face was not one of humor, if anything there was a tinge of fear.
______________________________________________________________
Present
So here he stands hesitating to walk down and tell his dad something because if what Uncle Eric told him is true, some serious shit is about to go down, but he can’t hide this, because
It’s his job to look after his sister, and no one touches her
If his dad finds out that he knew and didn’t tell or do something about it, he is a dead man
He needs to tell him about Mom and what he witnessed, because his mother had never asked him to lie to his dad, and his mom was scared shitless, and nothing scared his mom.
His dad was big on taking care of problems. He closes his eyes and walks down the stairs, because he knows he has two storms coming his way, his father and his sister who are going to freak out on him for telling.
“Dad, I need to talk to you?” He says to his dad.
Hyde glances up at his replica, God it’s like going back in time and observing himself. Built, curly hair, sharp blue eyes, disobedient attitude, pushes buttons for sport, but smart as hell when he bothers to do something about it. It was legit like fighting, living, loving and striving to reshape a Hyde from all the shit he did wrong in the past. There were times he wanted to throttle this kid, but he had such a good heart when he wasn’t being a dumb ass. How many times had Jackie kissed him lightly and glided those delicate fingers down his face and said,
“Sounds like a boy I feel in love with a long time ago, you know, that boy that gave me a piggyback ride.”
He always rolls his eyes, trying to calm down, but what he didn’t want was for SJ to be the guy who hurts the people he loves because he is so certain he is right. He never wanted him to be the guy who is destructive when his feelings are out of control, he never wants SJ to be Hyde. The Hyde, that Jackie called him when she no longer knew who he was. He can see that version of himself lurking in SJ. Hell will freeze over before he will let him be that asshole.
“Dad? It’s important.” SJ says confused why his dad was staring blankly
Hyde shakes his head “I’m sorry, what’s……”
He trails off, he identifies something in his boy’s eyes, an edge, that something is wrong. His blood starts to pulse and that familiar drum of panic begins to beat. That expression says family, someone is hurt, someone they love. SJ watches his father’s eyes go razor sharp, the blue go gray and it is fucking terrifying.
He can hear Uncle Eric in his head….. Your dad can be dangerous. He has no doubt now, he is a believer. Let him preach it on the streets, he thinks as he watches his father’s eyes go cold.
He takes a deep breath, he decides to start with Scarlet because all of a sudden he isn’t sure he wants to tell the concern about his mom, what if Dad gets mad at her. Another similarity father and son share is SJ is extremely protective of his mother.
“Dad, I was up in Scarlet’s room talking to her, and she took off her sweatshirt, and she had a tee shirt on so her arms were bare.” He takes a deep breath and plunges into the brink
“Dad she had a huge bruise, and it was the shape of fingers. Someone who put their hands on Scarlet. She refused to tell me who did it.”
Hyde actually felt his heart stop, someone had dared, SOMEONE HAD PUT THEIR HANDS ON HIS BABY DOLL.
SJ watched his dad evaporate, his dad’s voice was one he had never heard before, it was like unyielding steel, like his dad was holding some terrible thing back, and he hoped to God whatever it was stayed there.
“Kathleen Scarlet Hyde GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE NOW.”
Now in the History of the Hyde house how many times Scarlet, got full named, yelled at, or even in trouble from their dad, was in his opinion something he could count on one hand. The brother in him that would never go away was a tiny bit pleased, she was about to catch hell, but the other 99% of him was freaked out because his father didn’t use this tone with his sister.
Scarlet started to tear down the stairs towards her dad, she knew. SHE KNEW what was coming, she was going to kill SJ. He can’t keep his damn mouth shut and now this was going to be a thing, but that voice booming was not one she could ignore.
As she turned the corner, she stuttered to stop, this wasn’t something she had to deal with often, this was a very pissed off Steven Hyde,
“Yes, Daddy?
Before he could even open his mouth, Jackie came flying into the room. Once upon a time when Hyde was out of control, Eric thought to himself that there were few things that could bring Hyde down but this was the one that was his quickest ticket to safer ground.
“STEVEN!” Jackie yelled
Comically both Steven and SJ replied “Yes.”
She looked at her son and smiled softly,
“SJ, take your sister upstairs please”
Hyde was having none of that, “The hell he will. Some guy touched her and I want to know now.”
Scarlet and SJ were frozen, they had seen their parents fight a million times, it’s what they did. They made up in the most embarrassing way that neither of them wanted to talk about, but this was different. Hyde was focused on Jackie, which is exactly what she wanted, she wanted him to look at her. He wanted to scream at her but he takes a deep breath, because he promised he never would again. He knows to break the promise would mean to lose his family.
“There are things that need to be discussed with our daughter.” He spit out between his teeth as calm as he could.
SJ in a moment of sibling love, and wanting to step in front of his sister, threw his mother completely under the bus,
“Dad, there is more. I saw mom fighting with some guy outside the house today, she was asking him to leave, and he wouldn’t. I came out and tackled him, then I pulled her in the house. Then she got all weird and told me not to tell you.”
He regretted it. The minute the words came out of his mouth, his mother went white. His father turned on him,
“Excuse, me what did you say? ” His father’s voice was pure frost when he asked him another question,
“Did you catch a name SJ, and I don’t care what your mother told you, tell me the truth.”
He could almost see his mother pleading with him but there wasn’t universe where he could deny his father.
“I think his name was Kelso.”
His father’s eyes whipped to his mother’s and a whole conversation was happening without a word being spoken, his parents did this often. He always thought it was cool but this was terrible his father was screaming at his mother without words, he could see it.
“Jackie?”
SJ knew that voice, his patience was strained. He was close to losing his shit. This tone was often directed at him, this tone and him were old friends.
“Steven, I was going to tell you, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Scarlet grabbed his hand, pulled him upstairs, and pushed him into his room. Where she slapped him upside his head.
“You DUMB ASS! Why did you tell him?
“Damn it Scarlet. Someone put their hands on you! What was I suppose to do? Same with Mom. Just pretend my mom and sister didn’t both get manhandled today?”
A name interrupted their conversation that was never said in their house. To use it was to tempt death from their mother. The last time it was spoken was when her father had rocked their mom his arms after finding out her dad had passed away.
“JACQUELINE HYDE! YOU WILL ANSWER ME NOW! WAS KELSO AT MY HOUSE?”
SJ and Scarlet both gasped at the same time, years of taking care of each other kicked in and they grabbed each other’s hands.
“Oh Fuck, he didn’t…... “ SJ sputtered out
“DO NOT CALL ME JACQUELINE. Do you want to start with names we don’t like? Because you are acting a TON LIKE HYDE RIGHT NOW, can I call you that?”
Both Scarlet and SJ were shocked speechless, their mother never called their dad Hyde, he didn’t like it. It made him angry and seemed to be one of the few things that hurt his feelings. It was strange to them as ever other human on earth called him Hyde. They only knew that it was something their mom almost never did, she always called their father,
“Her Steven”
Scarlet was near sick, she should have just told SJ, she should have just… she didn’t know, but that same reckless, do what I want, make a decision by the seat of her pants personality that was gifted to her by the woman freaking out on her father made a split second decision.
She bolted down the stairs, she heard SJ behind her yell, “Oh Shit”
She rounded the corner to see her parents looking like two prize fighters about to knock each other out and she cried,
“Please Daddy, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, please don’t fight”
Besides that one moment when she was four, she has never feared her father, so she threw herself into his arms without hesitation.
Hyde closed his eyes praying to whatever power that had kept him from losing his mind all these years living with Jackie to be present during this conversation,
”Scarlet, I’m sorry I yelled. Will you please sit down and tell me what happened?”
She looked up at him with her mother’s big doe eyes and whispered “Please don’t fight with mom anymore”
God he was weak, he wanted to kill whoever touched his baby. There weren’t words for what he wanted to do to Kelso, but those eyes, that whisper……. He might as well have been at Jackie and he’s spot with her looking at him, begging him to stop drinking.
All the fight went out of him. Hyde looked at Jackie and muttered “ we will talk about Kelso later,” in a tone that still spoke of harshness to come.
He pulled his baby girl to the couch, “Scarlet, who hurt you?”
She bit her lip and spilled the story. She hadn’t told for two reasons one because of her father’s reaction and two because of the boy who saved her.
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Scarlet
Kathleen Scarlet Hyde was like her mother in high school, everything she touched was gold. She was Madison High’s Head Cheerleader, head of her class, the star of the soccer team, she had inherited her mother’s powerful, accurate and deadly kick. She was damn near impossible to stop. She was Jackie Burkhart reborn except she was more innocent, a mile wide nicer and she didn’t date. There had been boys time to time who she had thought cute but none of them made her feel anything, so she always said no. In her mind why waste the time and make her dad nuts when she brought a boy home, because that boy better be worth the hail storm. Hyde’s protectiveness of his baby girl was something that wasn’t exaggerated and her brother was only a tad better, he claimed twin rights when he acted like a maniac about keeping her safe.
It was almost time for homecoming and everyone was speculating if she would say yes to someone this year besides her life long guy friend Jackson, since the rumor on the street was she was a shoe in for Homecoming Queen. She did have someone she wanted to ask her, but she was fairly sure hell would freeze over before that happened, she wasn’t even sure he knew she was alive.
Scarlet leaned against her locker, closed her eyes, and wished one time he would see her. She had pretty much been in love with her dream date since the 1st grade. As far as she could tell, he had never even looked at her.
“Hey Beautiful” said an arrogant voice, shaking her out of her thoughts.
There stood Michael Trever the king of everything at school, quarterback, the boy all the girls swooned over, the guy everyone wanted to be and a total son of a bitch. Scarlet loathed him. He had decided at some point she was going to be his Queen to his King of High School Royalty.
She opened her eyes. He had her cornered,
“Oh hi Michael, I was just grabbing my stuff before I head home, You know cheer is all done.”
She tried to sound nonchalant and not like he was making her uncomfortable, because if he thought he was, he would never let her go.
“I can see that baby, you look pretty cute in your practice uniform, you know what would look cute as well? You on my arm for Homecoming.”
She was getting pissed “I’m not going with you. I’ve told you this a thousand times. Leave me alone.”
She quickly ducked under his arm to get away from but he grabbed her arm fast and hard,
“Listen, I’m about done with you acting like I am slime under your feet.”
Scarlet was the product of two hot-tempered people, and she could get just as ugly when pushed, she looked at him and snarled,
“Who said I was acting?”
She watched his face go red and his grip got tighter. He started to push her back towards the locker when all the sudden his body was flying through the air.
Before her stunned eyes she watched Michael Trever fall flat on his back with a shoe on his chest by a boy with almost white blonde hair.
“Is there a reason you have your hands on my Homecoming Date Trever? You have a suicide mission I don’t know about?”
The white haired boy pressed his foot down hard,
“Don’t ever touch her again. Do we understand each other?”
“Haze, I didn’t know she was going with you.”
Scarlet couldn’t breathe, was this happening? This boy had not asked her to Homecoming, though she had desperately wanted him too.
He glanced back at her “Tiny, grab your stuff and meet outside. I’ll give you a ride home.”
She felt like she was part of some dream, she could only mutely nod. She grabbed her stuff and ran out the door.
Caleb Haze, Haze to everyone in the Universe turned back and picked up the quarterback like he was nothing and threw him up against the locker and hissed in his ear,
“Is this what you were going to do? Throw her up against a locker because she said No? You listen to me you fucker. You ever touch her, look at her, or breathe the same fucking air as her, I will end you.”
He shoved him hard again, let him slide to the ground and strolled out headed to the raven haired pixie waiting for him.
As he strode towards her, he could see confusion mixed with surprise in her eyes. “God” he brooded , her eyes were like gazing at a Calico Cat. They didn’t have one color, blues, greens, and browns all mixed together. He had never in his life seen a girl with eyes like this. A girl who looked liked she could sprout her wings and join the fairies.
He came up to her, “You okay Tiny? Did he hurt you?”
His eyes, looking her over, caught the bruise on her arm. He felt fury rise up in him. He turned back with the thought of killing Trever when he felt her touch on his wrist,
“I’m okay, it is over now. Thank you for helping me.”
She had the softest voice, which was hilarious because he had heard this girl scream her brains out at a football game.
“Get in, I’ll give you a ride home.” he mumbled. “Where do you live?”
She slid into a totally refurbished Mustang, to soothe the flutters in her stomach she started to babble,
“Oh, my gosh, this is an incredible car. My mom would love it and so would my Grandpa Red. That's their thing. They work on cars together, they taught me when I was little, and my dad has a sweet El Camino, even SJ likes cars.”
It just all came out in a gush, and he was staring at her like she was crazy.
“Okay, but I still don’t know where you live?” He smirked
Her heart tumbled even further because this was the boy who she had liked since she was 6.
She gave a detailed explanation of where she lived unable to stop herself from talking.
“You sure do talk a lot Tiny.” he chuckled.
She was embarrassed, flustered, still not sure this was all happening and that pushed a crazy need to correct him,
“I have a name. My name is Scarlet, by the way.”
Haze eyed her with an amused gaze, “I know your name, Scarlet, we’ve gone to school together since 1st grade and you are the most popular girl school. I’m a delinquent, not stupid.”
She couldn’t tell if he was teasing or being serious, “I didn’t say you were stupid but you keep calling me Tiny.”
He didn’t say anything, he just drove them all the rest of the way in silence. She was completely baffled by his behavior. She had never been this flustered and when she was flustered she had a tendency to talk even more than she normally did, so out popped,
“I’m guessing you don’t really want to go to Homecoming with me?”
He was just staring at her with his smoky blue eyes, it was making her twitchy.
“What? Why are you staring at me?” She pouted
He rose his eyebrow and gave her a smirk, “Don’t you live here?”
She realized that she was home, she was horribly flustered by this boy who had just kicked someone’s ass for her, claimed they were going to homecoming together, but was now smirking at her like she was an idiot.
“Oh, forget it!” She threw open the door, starting to get out when she felt for the second time today a pressure on her arm, except this time it was her wrist, it was firm but not mean.
She turned back he was studying her lazily and drawled out,
“Since you asked me, sure I’ll go to Homecoming with you Tiny. Oh by the way, you make cheer shorts look damn good.” He ran his thumb over her wrist and let go.
She shut the door stunned, her name was called “Scarlet!” He watched her instantly turn her body away, so her bruise was out of the way, she quickly threw a sweat shirt over her head, and he heard her call back “Hey SJ!”
He took off, uncomfortable she hid the bruise but knew her brother showing up was his clue to beat it.
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She finished her story, leaving considerable chunks out of the story just in time for her dumb ass brother to wander in again with his mouth and impeccable timing,
“HOLY SHIT SCARJAR! That was who was in the Mustang! I can’t believe it was Haze. My princess sister with the baddest of all the bad boys.”
All eyes swung to SJ, “Bad Boy?” His father muttered.
SJ could tell the tide had not completely turned in the room.
“Listen dad, if Haze hit that guy, he didn’t get up off the floor. He won’t ever touch Scarlet again. He is not to be messed with, Haze is tough and often grumpy.”
Hyde gazed at his daughter and a thousand thoughts went through his mind.
He wanted to kill this kid who touched his daughter
He wanted to strangle Scarlet for trying to hide it
SJ did the right thing and he was proud of him
Jackie was a dead woman as soon as he got the kids out of the room
Mostly he was sick to his stomach, because he hated this boy who saved his daughter with a fiery passion. This boy who made her blush and break eye contact with him. This boy who sounded an awful like someone who fell in love with The Point Place Princess. He didn’t want anyone like him anywhere near his fucking daughter.
“Daddy, please don’t be mad at me, I didn’t want you to freak out. Besides Haze beat the crap out of him, so it is over.”
He looked at her, “Scarlet, no one touches you. No one. You tell me, you tell your brother, but you don’t hide someone hurting my baby doll. That is not how we work in this family. Do you understand me?”
Scarlet looked into her father’s eyes and destroyed him, “I promise, but promise first not to yell at mom.”
Hyde groaned, she was as manipulative as Jackie sometimes, and he had no power against it.
He kissed her head, “I promise. Go upstairs. SJ go with your sister.”
Scarlet hopped up and grabbed SJ’s hand, starting to pull him, but he wouldn’t move.
SJ stared straight at his mom “Mom? I can stay down here if you want me to.”
Hyde turned to him in utter astonishment with a serious level of pissed welling up in him
“What the fuck did you say?”
SJ was worried, he felt guilty that he had gotten his mom in trouble. He didn’t like how his dad had yelled at his mom. Jackie and Scarlet were similar, but SJ was truly a duplicate of his father, all the way down to being a total ass when trying to protect someone he loved.
“I’m not leaving if you are going to yell at mom like you were before. I want to make sure she’s okay.”
Jackie closed her eyes, she knew Steven was going to blow at the hint that he would hurt her.
Hyde came up out of the chair and was across the room but Jackie was quicker. She put herself in between her husband and son with matching tempers, hearts, and idiocy.
“Are you saying I would hurt your mother? Is that what you are getting at you little punk?”
SJ recognized not only pissed, but hurt in his father’s eyes, that he would believe he would hurt his mother. Plain hurt. Before he could answer, his mother looked at him with zero argument in her voice,
“SJ, I’m fine you should be more worried about your dad, who is in huge trouble for making such a fuss. Go get your sister, grab my keys and just go out for a while.”
He did what she asked without failing, but his father’s eyes never moved from his, and he was convinced him and his dad weren’t done discussing this.
Jackie looked at him quietly “Please go upstairs, I’ll be up in a minute. We need to talk but I want to do it in our room.”
He did what she asked, at the top of the stairs he watched her kiss Scarlet, hush her about the fight and say sternly,
“SJ, don’t ever say that again. Your dad would sooner tear off his own hands than hurt me.”
Hyde closed his eyes and took a breath, she knew. She knew he would die before hurting her.
He went to their room and waited, it didn’t take long before she came in. He started to open his mouth.
“No Steven, lay down, we are going to do this my way.” She crawled up in bed with him and pulled his head onto her chest and began to play with his hair, which she knew he found soothing. He knew what she was doing, a part of him felt stupid like she was petting a toddler, but he also didn’t want to fight with her. He closed his eyes and waited for her to talk…
“Steven what do you want to talk about first….”
You being an ass and calling me Jacqueline
Me being a bitch and calling you Hyde
Your daughter getting manhandled
Your Son being a dink
Your daughter and this Haze boy
He tensed for the one that would be the ugliest
Or do you want to talk about Kelso…..
She felt his whole body go rigid and taunt with emotion,
“You told my son to lie to me Jackie. You told him to hide that you were scared. You asked your son to help you cover up that Kelso was here. He’s a dumb ass 99% of the time, but he knows not to do that. How could you Jackie? You told him to lie, that boy is many things, but he has never been a liar even when he fucks up. I’m hurt and pissed you, asked him to lie for you. I want to know why Kelso was here. You promised that you would just walk away.”
“Steven, what do you want me to say? It caught me off guard, it was much like the last time. One minute I was on the sidewalk getting our mail and the next I heard my name. It doesn’t matter that it has been years, I would know that voice anywhere.”
Hyde felt himself go tense and asked the question he wanted, most answered, “Jackie, don’t mess around with me, did he hurt you?”
Jackie closed her eyes and asked herself the question that Steven had asked himself not even two nights ago,
Would Kelso every actually leave them alone.
She took a shaky breath to begin a story that would only cause more hurt in their family
Earlier that day
Jackie had taken the day off from working at the Madison TV station, she had some chores to do around the house and wanted a day to herself. She had a surprise for Steven tonight and was looking forward to giving it to him. It was a beautiful day, she smiled to herself, basking in her own happiness. Her sweet boy had brought her home some sunflowers on his way home from school.
It was impossible for her to not look at SJ and not recognize her Steven. The hair, blue eyes, the compact build and his chiseled features. The only difference was he didn’t wear those damn sunglasses, but SJ lived in Concert Tees, having his father’s same love for music, It could have been 1976 and watching Hyde waltz into the basement. He had his father’s personality drop for drop, the only difference he had not experienced a life of abuse, so he was a much happier kid. He handed her the flowers, given her a kiss on her cheek, and sweetly said
“I know you love them Mom, it is a sunny day, I just thought you might want some sunshine for the house.”
She had kissed his cheek, sent him in to put them in water, walked to the mailbox and heard a voice that stopped her cold.
“Jackie, I need to talk to you.” the voice had said
Her heart had begun to beat faster, she could already see how this was going to play out. SJ was in the house. She absolutely needed to get rid of him before anyone was the wiser.
She slowly turned with mail still in hand to face someone she had hoped to never see again.
There he stood, time had not changed him much, he was still thin, he still had those boyish good looks, except for a scar on his left cheek where she knew a man with a sharp ring had beat his face in. The eyes were different, there was not a drop of light heartedness left. She watched him take a deep breath
“Listen Jackie, I tried to talk to Hyde. Please hear me out, 5 minutes.”
‘Leave Kelso, you know, that he will freak if he finds you here. No good can come from this, please just go.”
She had watched his eyes go sharp, Jackie never experienced the malevolence that swirled in Kelso when it came to Hyde, he had always hidden it from her masterfully. So, to witness the burning hate well up in him startled her. She took a step back as he barked out,
‘What happened to you, Jackie? Need Hyde’s permission to talk to someone? Man, I never thought I would see the day.”
Say what you want about Hyde’s temper, talk about how SJ is the same, but Jackie was like a flash fire that you couldn’t predict and it could burn hot in a second
No matter how much time goes by, Jackie’s go to defense is to kick someone as hard as she can. She kicked Kelso to blow by him, but he may have not seen her in years, but he was still versed in Jackie, which she lived in his veins.
She kicked him as hard as she could and stepped around him, but Kelso was ready and grabbed her.
“You are going to listen to me Jackie. After what Hyde told me, you owe me 5 minutes.”
He didn’t intend for this to go this way, but after what Hyde had thrown in his face two nights ago, he had to know the truth. He had to know if she had been planning on leaving him with or without Hyde showing up that night. Good sense was long gone, he now had both of her arms tightly, and he was near shaking her
“YOU LEFT ME AT THE Altar! YOU SAID YES WHEN YOU WANTED THE BASTARD.”
She was creepy towards scared, but she was mad, that after all these years Kelso couldn’t understand how hurt she was still
“YOU SCREWED WITH MY HEART, YOU SCREWED WITH HIS! YOU GOT WHAT YOU DESERVED.”
Jackie at her best is a woman who can only be described as stunning, but pissed off Jackie is a sight to behold, her mismatched eyes go deep blue and green, her face gives out a burning light, and her body trembling with heat is not something most men can look away from, and Kelso was no exception
He had not laid eyes on her in 13 years, but God did he still react to her, want her, and then he lost his fucking mind. He pulled her close and started to lean down to kiss her
Jackie went into pure panic, his body touching her made her go cold, and she almost instantly flashed back to a night where a football player had her up against the wall.
She did the thing she did that night, and she screamed “NO” and not 5 seconds later Kelso went flying to the ground.
SJ had started down the stairs, the second time he heard her yell, there was nothing quiet about his mother. She was loud, could be shrill and man did her voice carry. He knew her tones. He knew
Mom just being loud
Mom excited
Mom pissed
But this was an angry he had never heard and this was a boy who lived with Jackie and Hyde, yelling was second nature, something wasn’t right.
He came out the door, just in time to see this guy pull is mom to him and hear his mom scream
“NO”
If Hyde had been there he would have recognized everything about his son, SJ’s blood went black, his ability to reason gone, a deep desire to destroy fueled him, and all he saw was some fucker with his hands on his mother, and there was no one on this earth he loved more than his mom.
He knocked the guy to the ground and started beating the crap out of him. For the second time in Kelso’s life he went flying down to the sidewalk outside the Hyde home, and he for a minute thought he was back in time because this kid on him was literally Hyde, it was almost eerie, and he was kicking Kelso’s ass.
“SJ STOP!” Jackie screamed.
He stopped immediately, Hyde could have told him it wasn’t because it was his mom, but that he was genetically compelled to respond to the panic in her voice. He got up off the guy and grabbed his mom away.
“I don’t who you are but if you don’t leave, I’m calling my dad.”
Kelso stood up battered and bruised his mission failed, and he wondered if he would ever get to say what he needed to say and if there would ever be a time she didn’t cause his blood to heat and for him to lose his damn mind.
Jackie looked at him wearily, “Kelso, please just leave, I don’t want you near me.”
Hyde would have thought he was back in time because SJ picked his mom up and cradled her to him and turned around
“There isn’t a place on earth you can hide from my dad.” SJ snarled
“SJ, put me down” she commanded and then for the first time he completely became his dad “DAMN IT MOM! Just let me carry you.”
He brought her in the house and set her on the couch and started pacing
“Who was that guy? MOM! What the hell? SJ yelled,
He was in take care mode “Mom, what do you need? A shower? Jammies? Dad?”
At the last question Jackie snapped back “SJ! NO! I don’t need your dad.”
In his whole life, he had never seen his mother react that way when asked if she needed his dad, and then she blew him away
“SJ, we are not telling your dad. He will get upset, and this one time….pretend it didn’t happen”
SJ felt like the wind had been knocked out of him, “Mom, I can’t do that. That guy hurt you, he made you mad, he made you cry. That’s not okay.”
Jackie just couldn’t handle it anymore, and she burst into deep tears, “SJ, please. Please just this one time. Your dad…. can’t know. I’m begging you.’
Steven James Hyde, the Second, loved his mother, she was his soft place to land. She believed in him and was always there when he and his father went at it. His mother was fucking incredible and just like his dad, this version of Jackie broke him, and he dropped on his knees,
“Okay, Mama.. just this one time.” He said and brought her into a hug, and he closed his eyes. He had just lied to his mother because the fuck he wouldn’t tell his dad, this guy hurt his mother.
_______________________________________________________________
“Well, now you are up to speed” Jackie said softly, waiting for the explosion, that she knew was coming.
Hyde spoke with a voice that was hoarse “Take your top off Jackie. Let me see your arms.”
“What? Why?” She knew exactly why and she was terrified
His patience was rapidly fading, “Jackie, just this once can you not fight me and take off your top.”
She sighed and pulled off, revealing deep bruises on her arm, and she watched his eyes go gray
“GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!, JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!” he exploded “That bastard came here, hurt you, tried to kiss you and THEN YOU TOLD MY SON TO LIE!”
He was furious at Jackie, wanted to end Kelso, but he was enraged at himself. He shouldn't have taunted Kelso at the store two nights ago. He was almost completely out of control, dangerously close to that line, that he swore he would never cross, it was a thread shredding swiftly.
She did the only thing that she knew would work, and she burst into huge tears and watched him strain hard to pull it in.
He grabbed her powerfully “Doll. Shh. I’m sorry.”
“He scared me. It’s been years since I’ve been scared like that. I thought of the football player.” she whispered.
It was the wrong thing to say “He’s dead”
Jackie held him tighter “Please Steven. Please. I can’t do this again. Not after the last time, can we just forget it.”
“No Jackie, we can’t. I will do my best to keep my shit together but if you believe for one second I won’t address this you are nuts” he then grabbed her chin and said
“Jackie, look at my eyes, really look, because I will never repeat this. Don’t ever tell my son to lie to me again. Don’t you ever do that to him or me again, or Jackie, so help me God….. you and I are going to have a serious problem. I will never not address someone hurting you. Do you understand?”
She understood the deep hurt in his eyes, swimming with his rage, and for the first time in a long time Jackie knew this time she was completely wrong, she pulled him close again and whispered
“I’m sorry baby. I’ll never do it again.” and then she just started to sob.
Hyde took a deep breath, kissed the top of her head, “I know why you did it, and I’m sorry that you still have that night I flipped as your worry, but God Damn it Woman, you are going to be the death of me.”
He gathered up and got in bed with her and held her close, his face buried in his hair as he dreamed of killing Kelso. For tonight, maybe even tomorrow he would let it go, but this wasn’t over.