ERIC AND JACKIE

Jackie Forman was cleaning up after dinner. She looked through the doorway to the den where she saw her husband Eric,playing with their two children. That sight always made her happy. She considered herself lucky that her and Eric became a couple then married.. They spent most of their early years not really liking each other.

Her kitchen was bright and cheerful, like herself. Bright white ceilings, with very pale yellow walls. The trim was painted bright white also. Every room in Jackie's house had a different color, but she kept the white ceilings, because the made the rooms look bigger.

Jackie and Eric had a son and a daughter. Their son was seven and his sister four. James was an average sized boy with dark hair like Jackie. He loved baseball and football to the delight of his grandfather. Eva, their daughter a lively blonde girl, with mismatched Jackie eyes. Laurie and Kitty were blonde so the blonde gene reappeared again. When told to do something Eva's response was why, and then she would do what ever she wanted. For some reason she listened to Eric. A daddy's little girl they all reasoned.

"Eric, she called. Bedtime for the kiddies."

Eric glanced up at his beautiful wife, standing there in her apron, a curly lock of hair making a comma over her forehead. "Okay dear, I have it."

"Come kids, daddy's going to read you a story about how Flash Gordon saved the world from Ming the Merciless." Eric's fascination with Star Wars eventually led him back to the space exploits of earlier heroes.

After fifteen minutes Eric returned down stairs, walked over to the couch where his wife was curled up watching television, gave her a kiss and copped a feel.

"Pervert" Jackie said with a smile. "But I love it."

Laughing he retreated to his recliner, and started to read the newspaper. This was their favorite time of day. Jackie and Eric just relaxed in the company of each other. Upon Eric's return from Africa he became of all things a land surveyor. Eric was good in math and learned to like the outdoors in Africia. He sort of fell into the job. While attending college to become a teacher, he needed to make some extra money, so he answered an ad. Three months later he quit college and became a full time surveyor's apprentice. Eric took math courses and civil engineering courses at the local junior college. Eric started his own surveyors business two years ago.

Jackie's goal of becoming a TV star did not work out, but it was for the best. There was no way she could have done it and raised her children properly. Jackie did have an half our home crafts show on a local channel after the noon news. Kitty came over and baby sat while she was at work. Jackie and Eric seldom visited Eric's parents on account of Hyde still living there.

Eric and Jackie knew that Hyde had become very successful with the record store. On the rare occasions they ran into him, Jackie would totally ignore him, and Eric would just say a curt hello and move on. They both thought he was a bit of a show off driving around in his Corvette.

About a year ago Donna returned to Point Place. They wondered if she was pregnant or something. Why would she walk away from a major job with the news division of NBC. After time that proved not to be true. They ran into her on occasion. Jackie was fairly friendly with her, but Eric would just nod and then ignore Donna. To Jackie and Eric's surprise Donna also purchased a fancy sports car. Which seemed out of character for her. Eric wondered if they bought the cars to satisfy how empty their lives must be. Jackie figured that Donna and Hyde were friendly, but when the thought of them dating went through her mind; she discarded it instantly. Hyde was to mercurial for the intently focused Donna. He would drive her crazy.

The house settled down to the nightly routine. Jackie was watching her girlie girlie programs as Eric called them, and Eric was reading the newspaper. Eric liked to read the local paper, which did not have much in it, but you got all the local news, then he would read the Chicago Tribune to see what was going on in the world.

Jackie was cozily snuggled in on the couch under a colorful quilt she had made. She was waiting to see what new horrible fate was to befall her heroine, Lynn, on her favorite show, The Halls of Justice.

"HOLY SHIT Jackie,"

Jackie jumped a foot, which was a neat trick since she was prone. "Good God Eric, Did they make another Star Wars movie?"

"No Jackie. Let me read this to you. This is from the gossip section of the Tribune. You know the column Winchell Walter writes. Listen to this."

"Mystery solved. Last Friday night at Fox Lake Illinois. Donna Pinciotti, who was a sure thing for great things at NBC news, till her sudden puzzling vastly reduced on air time. Ms Pinciotti who is rarely seen on the air lately. Is now Mrs Steven Hyde. This reporter has no knowledge of when or where the new Mrs Hyde was married, but that is reason she most likely has dropped out of sight. The happy couple was spotted together at the Holiday Inn in Fox Lake. The desk clerk confirmed that she was registered with her husband a Mr Steven Hyde, and they were very affectionate toward each other. Mrs Hyde was slightly intoxicated and was nibbling on her husbands ear the desk clerk reported."

Eric looked up a Jackie, who was staring at him with her mouth hanging open and a look of total disbelief on her face. "No way Eric. We would have heard of this."

Eric jumped up almost knocking the lamp over. "Jackie, How did this happen?"

Jackie stood up, almost falling as she was tangled up in her quilt "Call your mother."

Eric ran into the kitchen with Jackie following him He picked up the antique looking phone Jackie liked and dialed the familiar number. Third ring his mother answered. "Mom he started to say..."

"Hi honey how are my grand kids? Is Jackie doing well?"

"Mom you were just here this afternoon, they are fine, look.."

"Oh good Eric, I will bring over some meat loaf tomorrow. So Jackie won't have to cook."

"MOM." Eric yelled. "When did Hyde and Donna get married?"

"Hyde and Donna married she repeated. Oh it must have been when they went to Fox Lake last weekend."

"Hey Red, Steven, and Donna got married. Isn't that wonderful." Then she said something that tore into Eric's heart, "Oh Red now both of my sons are married. Eric I'll see you tomorrow. I have to call Donna to congratulate her" Then Kitty hung up the phone.

Eric stood there with the now silent receiver to his ear. Jackie walked over and hugged him, "You look like you just got hit with a club."

"My mom said they got married in Fox Lake and basically hung up on me to call them at Donna's"

Jackie took her husbands hand and led him to the couch. He looked as he was in shock. She was in shock also, but Jackie knew how to conceal it.. They were going to have a long night. It wasn't that she had any doubts about her love for Eric, or his love for her, but this was something she never would have guessed in a million years.

After Kitty hung up the telephone with Eric, Red asked her. "How many nips of Kahlua have you had tonight?"

Kitty turned to him and said in that low tone when she was not happy, "What do you mean Red?"

"Kitty, they are not married."

"How do you know Red?"

"Simple Kitty" Red said, as he drummed his fingers on the table. "They would have told us."

Jackie and Eric were sitting at their kitchen table. "Jackie this is like Ming joining forces with Darth Vader. A match made in hell." He lamented.

Jackie was totally surprised at the turn of events and was wondering why she was even upset. Jackie did admit to herself that she was a bit jealous that Donna succeeded where she could not by getting Steven Hyde to the alter. Even after Donna's career soared and she stayed in a little local cable channel she was not jealous of Donna. Jackie had her two children and a man she loved, Donna had nothing, but fame and money. Boy had her outlook changed she thought.

Eric was angry, Hyde seemed to take everything that was his, His home, his girlfriend, his parents, He was madly in love with Jackie, but Hyde marrying Donna was the last straw.

"You know what bothers me Jackie? Hyde tooling around Point Place in his Corvette, while mooching off my parents. The next thing you know Donna will be living there with him."

"Eric, I doubt that. I hate to say this and I hate Hyde, but he has always paid rent, Look Eric we are making to much of this. Come on who really gives a crap?"

Eric, stood up from the table. "Your right, as usual, screw them lets go to bed."

DONNA'S APARTMENT

Hyde and Donna lying together on the couch. Donna's apartment almost had a Spartan feel to it. Not to much in the way of decorations. Her university degree, a few pictures of her parents, A very nice picture of her and Steven, with their hands on each others shoulders smiling at each other with a back ground of lake Michigan, and a few of her journalism Awards. The furniture was very functional and very expensive. Donna liked to call her taste simple elegance.

The telephone rang, Donna looked at the clock, 9:05PM she wondered who would be calling at this hour, unless it was work. Donna debated blowing them off, but went ahead and answered the phone.

Hyde, watched Donna, take the telephone away from her ear and look at it. "No No Kitty." Donna made the motion to Hyde of a person taking sips from a cup. "MARRIED, I am not even sure I like him yet."

"No Kitty you would be the first to know if we did anything like that. Yes I am sure. Kitty I don't care what Eric said. How come Steven did not come home after our trip? I guess he felt like hanging out with me. Good night Kitty and again we are not married."

Hyde sat up. "What in the hell was that Donna?"

"I am not sure, Eric called Kitty,and told her we were married."

A puzzled expression crossed Hyde's face. "I wonder what kind of bullshit game he is playing now. What do you mean your not sure you like me?"

"I'll show you how much I don't like you."W ith that said, Donna pushed Hyde to the couch, climbed on top of him. Pulled her sweat shirt over her head.

"Donna, No bra."

"No shit Hyde, lets deal with this in the morning."