A/N: I have to say I'm really proud of this chapter. It has some foreshadowing in it of the future and I'm going to try and incorporate that in each chapter from now on. Read, review, enjoy!
Point Place, Wisconsin
November 26th, 1980
4:23 PM
Location: Eric Forman's Basement
"Come on. You can't possibly make me think you decided to propose to Donna on the fly the day she gave birth." Hyde came through the basement door, Eric following behind me.
"Okay, fine. I'd been planning it since the day I found out she was pregnant." Eric said, taking a seat on the couch.
Hyde took two beers from behind the shower curtain, handed one to Eric, flipped the top of his own, settled in his chair, and propped his feet onto the table. "So where is the kid anyway?"
"Charlotte," Eric corrected, "is with Donna and Jackie at your apartment."
"Whatever." After a long and somewhat awkward silence Hyde asked, "How did you know anyway?"
Eric raised an eyebrow. "How did I know what?"
"How did you know you were ready to propose?" Hyde pushed his glasses to the top of his head and frowned into his almost empty beer can.
Eric looked at Hyde the way he did when Red acted nice to him. "You're not thinking of proposing to Jackie, are you?"
Hyde softened a bit. "It's possible."
"But… why?"
"Shut up, Forman. Just tell me how you knew."
Eric shrugged. "I've always known that I love her and I was kicking myself when I broke up with her that first time, when I didn't show up to our wedding, when I left for Africa, when I-"
"I get the point," Hyde grumbled, trying to act cool and tough again.
"Okay, I guess I just figured that, you know, I'd waited long enough and I knew that I had to take the opportunity."
Hyde took another sip of his beer and nodded, thinking.
~~~~. . . ~~~
"Donna, your ring is huge!" Jackie excitedly giggled as she rushed Donna and Charlotte into her apartment, examining her friend's hand.
"You think I forgot after the first hundred times you said it before I left." Donna pried Jackie's hand off of her own and set Charlotte on the couch.
Jackie put her hands on her hips. "Did Eric actually pick that ring out or did you do that for him?"
Donna rolled her eyes. "Yes, he did. Eric does have some sense in style, you know." Donna pointed a finger at Jackie. "And don't make a joke about that. Anyway, I didn't know he was going to propose."
"First off, Donna, no one is supposed to know their boyfriend is going to propose to them. "Jackie groaned and slumped onto the shabby couch Hyde had taken from Leo. Under her breath she said," if only Steven would get up the courage to…." She shook her head.
"What did you just say?" Donna yelled, causing a sleeping Charlotte to scream in turn.
Jackie handed Donna one of Charlotte's toys. "It doesn't matter. But are you sure both of you are going to go through with it this time?"
Confidently, Donna said, "Of course I am."
"How don you know, though? Eric left you like three times before, who knows he won't do it again? And then you'll be left all alone and you'll have to settle with someone like Fez who…" Jackie kept rambling on as she burst into tears.
Donna wrapped her arm around her friend. "Jackie, you and Hyde are together now, everything will be fine.'
Jackie snapped out of her vulnerable state. "Okay, okay." Very quietly she whispered, "Do you think Steven will ever propose to me?"
"I don't see why he wouldn't. Donna caught the short smile on Jackie's face, stood up, set Charlotte, down, picked up Jackie's car keys, and jiggled them in front of her face. "Let's turn that frown upside down."
Jackie pursed her lips. "What do you mean?"
"I mean it's five-fifteen and if you want to pick out your maid of honor dress before all of the stores close up from Thanksgiving weekend you better get your butt of that couch.
Jackie smiled a grin Donna hadn't seen since she got back together with Hyde. Grabbing the keys she said, "I thought you'd never ask."
