Prologue

With each item that was carefully packed into the suitcase a small part of its owner slipped away. The designer clothes, treasured trinkets and childish possessions were treated like precious stones, carefully stacked, looked on with love and a thoughtful gaze.

As the last item was laid in the zipped was pulled, the bag hauled away to sit with the other three. Four bags, all large, standing side-by-side by the door of the empty mansion.

Jackie Burkhart hoisted her pure higher, threw a withering look at her childhood home, and left it behind forever.

She took a cab, the driver giving her short glances, wondering why someone like herself would be running. He drover her to Chicago and she paid him in cash. The city gave her bad memories and she hurried to the airport.

"Can I help you?" The smiling stewardess asked. Her pearly white teeth were blindingly bright.

Jackie faltered. Where did she want to go? She had money, she could go anywhere. Ideas of Paris, Rome, Sicily, London, New York, flashed through her mind. But…she knew no one there. She would be completely alone.

'This is what I want, isn't it? A fresh start, a new life.'

When she opened her mouth she thought Paris when she spoke she said, "Africa."

**

It was completely foolish. Africa was horrible! Poor, dirty and not fashionable. But Eric is there, and Eric is familiar and she wouldn't be alone. The strange logic was comforting and encouraging. She thought about it as she waited three days for her flight in a cheap hotel room near the airport. She thought about it as she got her needles and bored the plane, sitting with the poor people and only seeing glimpses of first class. She thought about it as she rode the bumpy jeep to the village Eric taught in.

The villages regarded Jackie cautiously as she walked to the school house, wearing fashionable clothes that were as foreign to them as she was.

Eric saw her through the large window. He did a double take, his mouth dropping open as he caught sight of her and her four large bags, carried by the helpful men she'd persuaded. He said something to the curious class and met her on the veranda.

"Jackie?"

"Eric!" And then all her pent up emotions, all she'd help in for the last week came flooding out in an agonizing wave of tears.

When Eric finally calmed her down and the two sat in the empty classroom while the children played, Jackie was finally able to tell her story.

"Pregnant!?" Eric choked. "Oh my God! Why are you here?"

"Because I can't stay in Point Place, not while Steven is married to that whore and I have nowhere else to go." She turned her best pout and watery eyes on him. "I need your help."

"Jackie…" Eric folded under her look. "Ok, I'll help."

"Thank you!" She threw her arms around him and he reluctantly returned the hug. The two had never been very chummy.

"So, what exactly do I have to do?" Eric asked cautiously.

"Just help me out, I'll like pay for all the funds and everything I just need someone to be here with me."

Eric gave her his best winning smile. "Don't worry, Jackie, I'll be here. There isn't that many ways out of this village so I'm virtually trapped anyway."

The months passed and Eric found that being virtually trapped in a village with a pregnant Jackie was not the greatest. If it wasn't the constant and generally terrifying mood swings it was the large and very strange appetite. He was constantly on his toes, anxious as to what mood she'd be in or what foods she'd crave. The whole village was generally terrified of her. They treated her with some sort of reverent respect that bored on cult-crazed. Jackie happily accepted this, at least while she was in a good mood.

But the long months that were akin to hell finally came to a close as the village doctor yelled "Push!" and Eric found his hand in one of the strongest death grips he'd ever experienced.

"Jackie, you can do this," he encouraged, "just push."

Jackie's teary eyes turned on him dangerously. "Just push!?" She screamed. "Just push!?"

"Ok, maybe wrong choice of words…" Eric babbled uncomfortably.

An hour later Jackie's anger was drained away as she clutched onto the bundle of blue blankets.

"Oh my God," she whispered, her eyes fresh with new tears. "He's so beautiful."

Eric leant over the mother and child and looked down at the pink face that stared back. Bright, familiar blue eyes made Eric homesick and he kissed Jackie's sweaty brow, smiling proudly at her.

"He's beautiful," he agreed.

Jackie looked up at him. "I couldn't have done this without you, Eric. Thank you."

"Hey, it was Ok," Eric shrugged modestly. "Having you here made me a little less homesick."

"Well, since you helped me out I'll have to repay you." Jackie smiled down at the newborn. "How about this. I'll name him Cooper Eric."

Eric was taken back. "You'd do that? Name the pure child of Satan after me?"

Jackie mocked glared. "Hey, I'd be careful; I'm still hyped up on hormones."

"Ok, Ok," Eric grinned, backing down. "But that's sweet and very out of character for you, Jackie. Thank you," he said sincerely.

"Well you did help me," Jackie smiled. She turned her attention back to Cooper Eric who was watching the adults with something akin to interest. "Look, Cooper Eric," she cooed, "it's your Uncle Eric. He's a Star Wars geek and a lot weaker then any normal man should be."

Eric bent over Jackie's shoulder. "And this is your mommy, who is really the servant of the Devil."

Jackie sighed. "He's going to be so screwed up."

"Yes," Eric agreed, "But he'll be our screw up."

-TBC-