Its 2011 (the future ha-ha) and the former Point Place residents have grown up and or moved away. This is the story what happens when you try to plan a special Father's Day party and two people fall in love all over again.
A Very Special Father's Day
Chapter 01 – Making Plans
T7S
March 2011
Jackie walked into the Forman living room and threw the purple box on the sofa. "Benjamin Forman, if I can't get Samus past those stupid head sucking monsters, I swear I'll break this game."
Benjamin laughed and swept his long sandy brown hair out of his face. He pulled an ear bud out and the newest Kei$ha tune blasted from the tiny speaker. "Aunt Jackie, I told you 300 times, when you get to this square, duck and wait five seconds then jump jump and shoot."
Jackie took her Nintendo Game Boy back and executed the move then jumped up excitedly when the little door opened to the "save" room. "Take that Metroids!" Fifty year old Jackie Burkhart had just successfully got to the highest level yet. She saved her game, turned it off and tucked the box in the back of her pants pocket. She tousled young Ben's hair. "When are you going to trim this mess?" she teased.
"Did dad sneak the hair police on me again? I told him when I can get it in a ponytail it won't look so raggedy."
"Yeah, and Grandpa Forman is still going to call you Laurie." Jackie said sitting back on the sofa. She bumped shoulders with the young man she'd known since his birth 18 years ago. A lifetime ago. "What's your dad doing?"
Ben glanced up at the stairs and replied, "He's got a date with Aunt Brooke's sister again."
"Delilah? What is this…the fourth date? God, I hope he gets some this time, he's been a real pain in the ass lately."
Ben groaned, "Aunt Jackie…puh-leaze! Let's not talk about my dad and sex okay? I can't take another of his let's hide the light saber jokes." Jackie laughed, "You poor baby. I bet you can't wait to go to college."
"I'm not going. I'm taking the year off." Benjamin Forman smirked and looked exactly like his father did all those years ago. Jackie suddenly felt very old. "Okay kid….promise me you don't go chasing butterflies or eat ice cream for breakfast."
He tucked the ear bud back in his head, "What kind of geek does that anyways? I'm going up to my room. Grandma's playing poker in the bedroom again."
Jackie laughed and got up to see what Kitty Forman was doing. She knocked on the door and waited for the "come in dear" reply. Jackie tucked her head inside, "Hey Mrs. Forman how's the hubby today?"
Red looked up from his reclining bed. "I'm not deaf and I'm perfectly fine. I have a new hip did you know that?" Jackie went into the bedroom that used to be the family den. She sat on the edge of the bed. Red Forman was having a good day. "Yes, I was there they day they took the rod out of your leg and I helped bring you home."
"Oh sweetie…will you tell your mother to quit betting all of our money on that damn poker game?"
Kitty replied without looking, "It's a computer game and I'm using fake money Red. I'm playing in the "Old Hens" community room."
Jackie bit back a smile. GrammaKitty was ruthless in the game. Her avatar was this sweet looking Dutch girl but Kitty could fake a hand and usually won most of her games.
"Ahahahaha!" She shouted triumphantly. "Flush with an ace high! No one beats Kitty Forman!" If you didn't know better, you would swear 78 year old Kitty Forman was not a day over 60. She was in perfect health; she practiced Yoga every morning with the women on the local public access channel. She still baked up a storm and just loved that her son and grandson lived upstairs. She turned off her monitor and stretched. "Hello Jackie. How are you sweetheart?"
She walked around the bed and kissed Jackie on the top of her head. "Doing great! My business practically runs itself. I was trying to find Eric but apparently he's going on a date?"
Kitty smiled. "Oh yes. With that nice Delilah Rockwell! She's such a dear girl. Why don't you go upstairs and talk with him?"
Jackie gave Red a hug and left the room. Red turned to his wife. "Where did Laurie go?"
Patiently, Kitty replied, "That was Jackie. We don't know where Laurie is honey. I know that's who you wanted to see." She kissed his cheek. "I'm going in the kitchen and making a sandwich. Would you like chips with yours?"
"No, just give me the remote" Red said irritably. "I'm going to see if I can find Laurie on the TV."
-o-
Eric heard the knock on the door. "Ben, you don't have to be that polite. Come in." Jackie poked her head in the door. "I'm not Ben." She laughed. Eric turned around and grinned. "Ah….my best evil friend." He kissed her cheek. "What are you doing here?"
She sat down on the fluffy comforter. "Comic Con. I want to take Benjamin. It's not until July and it's in San Diego. My treat."
Eric looked conflicted, "Oh man! I want to go! I mean it's during summer vacation and you know they always have something Star Wars related. I could get some autographs to complete my collection!'
"Eric stop! This is a business trip for me. I'm meeting some executives and they're staying at the same hotel as most of the convention guests. I heard the some of SG-1 were going to be there and you know how much I love Colonel Jack O'Neil…."
This was Eric's only dilemma with his son. Benjamin Lucas Forman did not grow up with a love of Star Wars. His son was a Stargate fan. Jackie Burkhart had corrupted him at the tender age of 8 with a boxed set of the first season. Ben grew up thinking that his mother, Donna, was really a Goa'uld, a parasite from the show that inhabits a host (his mother) rendering them remorseless, without pity and without the ability to show compassion. It took months for Eric to convince his son that Donna was really working in Panama with the US Consulate and that she wasn't an alien. When Eric really thought about it, his ex-wife did resemble a Goa'uld more than she did the woman he married! He had been living in a television show - Stargate SG-1 and didn't know it!
"Eric I'm waiting." Jackie said patiently. "All right…you can come as long as you don't embarrass me."
The 51 year old Forman did a little victory day. "Score! I've always wanted to go to one of those conventions! Say, I need a favor from you."
Jackie helped him knot his tie. "What's the favor? You know I can never say no to your family."
Eric turned and looked at himself in the mirror. "Well, Dad's not getting any better. The Alzheimer's just working away so mom and I thought it would be a great idea to get the old gang back for Father's day. He'd get a kick out of seeing Kelso again."
"He lives in Washington DC." Jackie replied.
"Oh yeah, ever since Betsy became a senator Brooke and Kelso made the big move. How old is your god-daughter these days?"
Jackie tilted her head as she remembered the 1979 birth that made Michael the proud papa. "I think she's 32. Wow, can you believe that much time as gone by? I don't feel 50."
"You don't look it. If it wasn't for my Hair for Men, in medium brown, I wouldn't be this handsome gent who stands in front of you." He joked. "What about Fez?"
"Went back to his homeland and opened Fez's Candy Palace or something like that. He sends me a postcard once in a while but I can't read the name of the city. I doubt that even if we Google him we can make contact." Jackie said sitting back down on the bed. "What about Donna? Have you or Ben heard from her lately?"
Eric shook his head sadly. "No. When the Wall Street Journal gave her that post in Panama City, she hasn't called or sent a letter. The last post card said if there was an emergency we needed to contact the US Consulate. I mean she left an email address but Ben tried to send her a letter and she never replied." Donna was a Goa'uld!
"I guess it'll just be you, me and Ben again." Jackie suggested. Eric frowned, "Wait, can you get a hold of Hyde? Dad would love to see him."
Jackie pretended not to hear and Eric repeated. "Mr. Steven Hyde, millionaire recluse? Remember him? I'm pretty sure he would come out of hiding for Red Forman."
Jackie folded her hands and set them in her lap. "Eric, how could you ask me to do that? You know my history with him." Eric sat next to her on bed and put an arm around her shoulders.
"Yes I do and both of you are middle-aged, not married and were, I repeat were teen sweethearts. Times are different Jackie. Maybe he'd get a kick out of coming to the old neighborhood."
"Why can't you get in contact with him?"
Eric smirked, "Because you agreed to do me a favor."
"I hate you." Jackie groaned and reluctantly got to her feet. "I'll call Michael and I'll try to call Steven. You try to contact Donna."
Eric shook his head no. "I'm trying to find my sister. Dad has it in his head that every woman he sees is Laurie. The Alzheimer's is doing a number on his memories in that department. Now scoot along, I have a hot date to get ready for."
Jackie laughed, "Maybe tonight will be the lucky night. Call me if you get lucky!" Eric reached out to frog her shoulder but she easily moved out of range. "I'm introducing Ben to the MacGyver marathon on TBS next week. You know my love for all things Richard Dean Anderson!"
Eric rolled his eyes. "As if you'll ever meet him."
"I'm going to ComicCon, of course I'll meet him, fall madly in love, he'll leave his wife and I'll live happily ever after. I have dreams Forman. Big dreams!"
T7S
Author Note: This is my first Jackie/Hyde multi-chapter story – updates may not be as quick as my other stories – hope you stay invested to see how this ends.