Chapter 1 - Babe, I'm leaving

September 2nd 1979

3 am

Newark International airport

United Airlines Flight 109 to London Heathrow boarding at Gate 2 ….Flight 109 to London Heathrow boarding at Gate 2…..,

It was the early hours of the morning and most of the people waiting were either hunched up in their seats trying to catch a short nap or walking around with Styrofoam cups of coffee in hand, trying to stay awake.

Eric Forman was seated in a bay of seats by the windows that gave him a view of the departing jets. His eyes however did not seem to really be focussing on the metal birds visible through the huge sheets of glass. His mind had been replaying the past few days in a constant loop, repeatedly coming back to those last minutes with Donna.

He had wanted to get off at Kenosha and take one of those airport shuttle buses, so Donna would only have the short drive back home alone in the Cruiser. But she had insisted on him driving straight to the General Mitchell airport, Milwaukee, where his flight to New Jersey awaited him, adding that she would enjoy the long drive back home – he knew she meant that she would rather be doing that than be alone at home the rest of the evening with that strange and new feeling that he wasn't there next door.

Their lips had clung together again and again at the check-in area beyond which only passengers could proceed. It had taken a gentle but firm push from her in the end to get him to stop leaning into her for yet another final kiss. And it was Donna who first walked slowly away with a final glance back and a wave, along with the hint of a playful smile that was belied by the tears shimmering in her eyes.

The expression on her face after that last kiss….he had seen her look at him that way so many times & yet each time it had the same incredible effect on him …..it was the look she had given him when her parents had renewed their wedding vows, the vows she had written for them….it was the same look she had given him when she saw him running to her on a beach in California…..the look he could almost see when he climbed through the window of her room to tell her he was back and would do whatever she wanted him to do….

As he walked toward boarding gate 2 where the long haul flight to London awaited him, he didn't even try to figure out the various conflicting feelings sweeping over him…..a faint sense of apprehension toward the unknown that awaited him was the primary one though …

'So long America – see you in a year's time'

8 am

Point Place, Wisconsin

The faint sounds of her dad humming as he went about the house doing his usual morning chores was what got Donna awake that morning, as it had too many mornings in the past.

This morning, however, she didn't turn on to her back and look up at the ceiling with a small smile as she did many Saturday mornings, savouring the lingering effects of Friday night.

This Saturday morning, she remained lying on her stomach with her face buried in her pillow. He was really gone. …..

Her dad must have gone downstairs, because all she could hear now was the deafening silence around her as she focused on that one thought.

After all the times she tried leaving Point Place and found she couldn't…..the time she went to California only to come back with a smile on her face that didn't go away until the day Red found out about their 'secret' engagement….the time she boarded the bus to Madison only to get off again the next minute to run back to the only place that always felt like home, Eric's tight 'Now I'm never going to let you go' embrace …..after all those 'almosts' , it was in the end Eric who had left …..

Don't call it 'the end', she told herself, echoing in her thoughts something along the lines of what Eric had said to her in those weeks that she had been angry about his Africa decision.

'This is the first step towards our lives together as adults….'

Those words had made a lot more sense when he was standing in front of her and she could see, hear and touch him. But with him gone, the only person she could hear at the moment was her inner voice.

And yet this can't have been the only way or even the easiest way to make college affordable within a year's time …?

She turned her face into her pillow with a sigh….they either trusted each other or they didn't….they either believed in each other or chose not to and called it quits…she didn't believe in a middle ground and up until now the choice had always been a simple one to make …

'Donna' a gentle knock at the door was followed by her dad walking in with a steaming plate of fried eggs and toast in one hand and a glass of juice in the other.

'I thought you might want to lie in a while today morning. It was quite late last night when you made it back from the airport, sweetie.' His always jolly smile was gentler than usual.

'Thanks dad' She managed a wan smile but he noticed that his baby's blue eyes didn't shine today, the last time they had looked that way was the morning her mother had left, the first time.

'Oh and Jackie called a few minutes to find out if you were awake yet. She's on her way over, honey'. He turned at the door and added in an even softer voice 'Eric called just a few minutes after you came home last night. Just a quick call from the airport to make sure you were back home.'

The door closed quietly behind him – everything seemed softer and quieter this morning, or did it just seem that way to her.

She savoured some of the eggs her dad had expertly cooked, sitting up in bed.

What was Jackie doing back in Point Place so soon?

She hoped that Hyde's proposal had gone off okay the previous day in Chicago.

Her mind took only a few seconds to drift back to Eric again …..the expression on his face those last few seconds before she walked away…..it was the same way he had looked at her on their prom night when they were on the dance floor, that same expression he had at her parents vow renewal ceremony when she had looked over at him and been unable to turn away from his green eyes…that same half smile that had been on his face when he had told her that she meant everything to him, that night at the water tower…

The last few days had felt so rushed. Eric had got a checklist of things to do from the NGO which was organising the programme. She had helped as much as she could and she only hoped they hadn't forgotten anything important.

He had walked into her room a couple of days ago to see her writing in a small pocket size bound notebook.

'Hey, Is that a new Captain's log?'

She smiled 'It's nothing really. I just feel like there's so much I want to say to you before you leave but I don't think we'll have the time….so you can take this with you when you leave.'

He sat down next to her on the bed. 'Donna, I'm sorry I've been running around all morning today. Let's go for a drive now and talk …..'

'It's okay Eric….the guys want to take you out today evening. 'She pursed her lips to hide a grin 'something about it being the last chance to get you drunk and in a dress again'

'I'll give this to you at the airport to take with you' she kept the notebook under her pillow.

She didn't think he would remember and at the airport she almost forgot to give it to him, but he asked for it, and after taking it from her, he took a roll of neatly pinned together papers from his jacket and pressed it in her hand.

'I wrote some stuff down too for you to read later'

She kept the remains of her breakfast aside and took the pages now from her bedside table.

On the first page, he had started with 'Donna, please hit the play button on your cassette player.'

Her dad had got her a cassette player for her birthday a few months ago. She leaned over and hit Play half expecting to hear the Zeppelin track she had been listening to the last time.

'Babe, I'm leaving…. I must be on my way….the time is drawing near…,'

'My train is going…I see it in your eyes….the love, the need …your tears….'

Her lips curved in a half smile. It was the brand new hit song by Styx 'Babe'.

'But I'll be lonely without you….And I'll need your love to see me through….'

She looked at the sheet she was holding onto again.

'Sorry Donna, but Zeppelin just couldn't say it my way. This is exactly what I would have said to you before leaving but honestly I was scared I might start tearing up …..then the guys would have made me wear that dress all the way to Africa ….Promise me that you'll smile every time you hear this song on the radio…..'

Styx was still crooning away as she slowly lay back on her bed.

'So please believe me, my heart is in your hands …and I'll be missing you.'

She never thought the day would come, but she was actually loving Styx right now.

'Babe. I love you….'

'Eric, you dillhole, come back soon' She muttered to the empty room.

'Babe, I'm leaving, I'll say it once again, somehow try to smile…..I know the feeling we're trying to forget, if only for a while…..'

She pulled a big white pillow into her arms and buried her face in it.

10 hours later

Heathrow International airport, London

Eric made his way over to a bunch of people, a few of whom were conspicuously wearing British Red Cross T-shirts. One of them, a woman in her thirties with red hair that reminded him instantly of Donna ticked his name off on a list she was carrying and introduced herself.

'I'm Celia' she said in a jovial voice 'I've been with the British Red Cross for years now in various roles and I'm on the committee organising all of this year's University sponsored relief programmes.'

It was already afternoon in the UK, Eric had lost 5 hours in his journey east across the time zones. He had slept through most of the journey from Newark and now felt oddly refreshed and ready for his next long haul flight to Nairobi, East Africa.

Celia and another dark haired guy got a round of coffees for the group while they waited for their flight and Eric found himself listening intently as they answered questions from various students on the programme.

'We've had an encouraging number of university sponsors this year – about 25 universities are participating in the Nairobi district effort. About half of this number comprises of American universities and roughly the other half are European. So, basically, it's the university consortium that is paying for your services this year by offering fee waivers to those who have worked with the programme. '

Dan, the dark haired young man who looked to be in his late twenties was a British Red Cross employee as well. He chipped in 'As you all know from the information packet we sent out to you a few weeks ago, Nairobi is the Capital city of Kenya. You'll all be spending your first few days at the BRC quarters there. Then a volunteer from each of the towns that we cover off as part of the Kenya effort will come into meet you guys and will take you to your allotted town.'

'This year our relief efforts include a wide range of essential services' said Celia. The entire group were impressed by the amount of passion with which the two BRC members spoke of their NGOs work in Africa. 'We have those aspiring to medical school, assisting qualified BRC doctors with all their medical camps, emergency services, nursing and so on. We have people who will be helping us with the new UN sponsored schools in the district, which is part of a wider UN education programme & we even have some people this year who are going to be helping us with BRC desk jobs all around Kenya working with local NGO's there to fight any kind of human rights abuses.

Most of the young people standing around, all of whom seemed no older than early twenties, were leaning forward to listen. It was one thing to read through all this in the various information packets that had been given to them earlier but Celia and Dan brought the whole thing to vivid life.

'Am I really up for this?' The thought fleetingly passed through all their heads.

Eric hid a small smile as two young girls looking extremely nervous asked Celia if they would still get partial aid for college even if they dropped out from the programme without completing the year. Well, at least he knew that he wouldn't be the only chicken in the group if he ran back to Point Place within a week.

3rd September 1979

British Airways Flight to Nairobi

It was early morning now & Eric figured it was still night in Wisconsin. Donna would probably be fast asleep in her bed right now. She was wearing her pale blue camisole top and checked pyjama bottoms in his mind's eye. He wondered what she might have done with her day. Jackie & Hyde might have gotten back from Chicago sometime during the day and perhaps Donna had been busy celebrating the new engagement. None of them had any doubts when Hyde was preparing to go to Chicago with a ring in his pocket that Jackie would give up her new job and come back to Point Place with a triumphant beam on her face that rivalled the dazzle of the ring on her finger. Eric was pretty sure Jackie and Hyde's happiness would have cheered Donna up considerably on her first day without him.

Had it only been hours since he had last seen Donna …it felt like days already.

He had eaten all of the light breakfast provided to the few who were awake. The 'continental' fare was good enough but he found himself already missing Kitty's hot breakfast….mmm, his mom's bacon.

The information packets on Nairobi and Mombasa were laid open and he was trying to read in the dim glare of the overhead light. At some point, he found himself in a half wakeful state and his mind was lingering only on one thing as it slipped back into sleep …Donna…

Point Place, 1978

8 am

Donna was getting dropped off at her Catholic school before the others went to Point Place High & Fez was doing most of the talking that morning on the way to school …

'Ai, I can hardly keep my eyes open, I'm sure I'm going to fall asleep during that stupid math test today'

'Fez, this is why you shouldn't wait until the night before to study for a test. Eric and I got our math prep done last week. You should have come along to the hub when I asked you to.'

'Studying? I was not awake studying, Donna! It was those naughty playboy bunnies who kept me awake most of the night …..I was like a cologne wearing Lion to those bunnies …..' He smirked at the memory.

Eric bit back a grin at Donna's resigned head shake and eye rolling.

His mind was on the Math test when they reached her school and he was answering Donna's questions with a distracted air as he walked with her to the gate.

'Eric, you don't still look at those magazines do you?'

'If by 'look at' you mean, scan through quickly once in a while, then yes, yes I do'

'But you have a girlfriend to fantasize about, you loser'

He wanted to read through their Math notes one last time before the test ….last time he had got a B and Donna had an A+ average in Math….he really wanted an A on this test …

'Donna, these are really slutty librarians, nurses and lady cops we're talking about' He didn't notice her eyes narrowing as he gave her a quick kiss and strode back to the car.

4 pm

Donna came sprinting out of her school and got into the Cruiser with a smile on her face. Eric was the only one in the car.

'Donna, I actually did a lot better on the test than I thought I would …I was like Luke Skywalker when he-'

She flung herself at him, half straddling him, her tongue slipping inside his mouth as soon as their lips met and her hands pulling at his hair. His breathing was uneven when she finally pulled away & his eyes were fastened on her mouth.

She gave a slow smile 'I'm glad you did well on your test, I know how we can celebrate. But we need to be in your bedroom, alone, for what I have in mind.'

She couldn't remember when he had ever driven that fast and it felt like only a few minutes before they were pulling into his driveway. He wanted her to come to his room straightaway, but she insisted on going home first. Bob would come searching for her if she didn't turn up at all after school.

'I'll come through your window after an early dinner' she promised.

8 pm

Donna walked into the Forman kitchen. She had been there often enough to know that Red was in the living room watching TV right after dinner and Hyde usually disappeared back into the basement the minute he had emptied his plate. Eric stayed behind helping his mom clear things away before running to his room or the basement. That evening, he had barely been getting the grease off plates in his hurry to get upstairs soon.

'Hello Donna' Kitty said, barely glancing up from making sandwiches with the leftover meat from dinner, for the kids to take to school the next day. All of them hated the food at the school cafeteria, especially that sweet foreign kid.

Eric's greeting from the kitchen sink where he was clearing away the plates was mumbled. His eyes had widened as he took in the sight of his girlfriend.

Donna was still wearing her catholic school uniform. She usually couldn't wait to get it off the minute she got back. For some reason, she had looped the tie she had to wear on Mondays, loosely around her neck. The top two or three buttons of her shirt were undone and he could see hints of cleavage as she leaned over the kitchen counter and smiled at him. Her hair was done in two plaits, but there were strands of hair that had escaped from her plaits and were curling around her face and neck. Her lips seemed to be glistening and her skin had a faint sheen to it like she had run really fast over here or something. As she leaned back to sit on the bar stool chair on the other side, he was transfixed by the vast expanse of creamy leg exposed by her skirt. The short skirt that was riding up her thighs as she crossed her legs demurely.

His mom was saying something but he didn't hear a single word …

'Donna' he said, clearing his throat ' Come on , I have those Math notes I took from you last week upstairs, let's go get them …..'

If Kitty noticed Donna's unusual appearance and her son's state as he rushed her out of the room, she gave no sign of it, other than a smile and shake of her head as the kitchen emptied of people.

They were walking up the stairs to his room now, her hips sashaying as she walked. She hadn't even taken off her white socks and buckle shoes yet.

She turned to him and was almost whispering in his ear as they climbed the stairs.

'Eric, I'm not wearing any panties under this skirt'

She had been teasing him all evening and he couldn't take it anymore. His mouth came down on hers with a biting pressure and his hands roughly swept down from the peaks of her shirt to the valley between her thighs.

Seconds later they were in his room and he was pushing her down onto the bed, getting on top of her immediately. Usually, he loved the foreplay time as much as she did, watching her reaction to his slow kisses and soft caresses.

But he was too far gone today, focusing on pushing his pants out of the way while at the same time he was tugging her skirt up. He found her ready and wet, he hadn't been the only one turned on by her actions all evening. Sliding into her with one swift stroke, he swallowed her throaty moan in his mouth. His skin radiated waves of heat that seemed to engulf her as well in the fever running through him.

He wanted to slow down, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her but she seemed to be enjoying this furious pace too.

'Donna, I'm sorry but I don't think I can…..' He couldn't form any more words as she started thrusting upwards, her hips leaving the bed & her head falling back so she could look up at him with half closed eyes.

They both came in unison within minutes, holding onto each other at the explosion of trembling sensations running through them.

He stayed inside her for a while even after they were done, enjoying just looking at her she talked with an air of contented sleepiness.