REPERCUSSIONS
Donna followed the police and saw that they entered TGIF. The place she was supposed to meet Hyde. She stopped and waited to see what was going to happen. Jackie had caught up to her.
"See anything Donna?"
"Not yet, wait and we will see what happens. If it is a good story I may try and get an interview."
Donna asked a few discreet questions to the other bystanders. All she could get was that two men got into a fight. Unless one was half beat do death, a story about a fight in a bar between two men was not news.
Jackie mentioned to Donna that she was supposed to meet Eric here. A uneasy feeling started coming over Donna. That feeling was interrupted by a brightly dressed Woman about Donna's age. Carol Larkin of the local newspaper.
"Hey Donna she called, isn't this a bit below the usual story you work on? Hey Jackie what are you doing here? I did not know you reported this sort of stuff on your show."
Jackie turned to her and said, "You know your still annoying, and who put that outfit together for you? You look like a refugee from a clown camp. What are you doing here? Do they have a free feed at the trough?"
"Screw you Jackie, I heard it on my police scanner and came on by to see if there is anything worth reporting, By the way Donna, what's with this marriage I have read about."
"I am not married Carol..."
Just then the crowd cleared and Donna saw Hyde being led out in handcuffs.
Jackie muttered "About time someone arrested that ahole."
Donna tuned to Jackie, "Give it a rest ,will you?"
"Donna isn't that your husband?" Carol asked.
"Carol for the last time I am not married."
Then Jackie she saw Eric being led out in handcuffs...Jackie made a little yelp and rushed toward the cops and Eric like a little terrier. A large cop grabbed Jackie and held her till she calmed down. Carol in the meantime had walked into the restaurant and spoke to several of the people present during the altercation. Donna collected Jackie who was now blaming Hyde for what ever happened.
The crowd parted and the local reporter Carol walked straight to where Donna and Jackie were standing. "Well Donna from what I have heard from the witnesses, the two men were fighting over a woman, and I find it quite interesting that one is your boyfriend/husband and the other a former boyfriend, so were they fighting over you? Now this will make a good story I can see it now. Well known NBC reporter once known as Hot Donna has two men fighting over her in bar room brawl."
"Wait a minute you stupid twit, if they were fighting over anyone it was me." Jackie said.
Donna grabbed the brightly clad woman's arm and said, "You print one work of that crap and I will sue your ass off".
POINT PLACE JAIL
The cell block was dirty and dank, plus it smelled of numerous unwashed bodies. Hyde looked over to Eric sitting on what passed for a cot in his cell. Eric was rubbing his jaw, he still had the remnants of the salad bar all over him. What an asshole he thought, Hyde just could not understand what his problem was. Why couldn't he just talk this out. The only two people who had any cause for a disagreement was Jackie and himself.
A slow realization came over him. Eric basically was spoiled. He had to be the center of the universe, Jackie, who he had no doubt loved him, knew how to make feel like he was the center of her life, even though it was the other way around. That was the reason he could not let go of his dislike of Casey. In his mind, when Casey dated Donna, he took what was his. Same reason for his standing anger toward Donna. She was expected to put up with his whims and crap. Donna reenforced that idea when she kept going back to him..So when she finally left for good, it was a shock to his psyche. As for his animosity toward himself, Hyde figured Jackie definitely influenced that. Hyde a bit weary of analyzing sighed and came to a decision. There was no talking to them two.
Suddenly the quiet of the jail was broken by the sound of the metal door screeching open. In walked a cop followed by a very unhappy Red. Hyde could see a vein bulging in his surveyed the dirty jail, and thought to himself, I should just leave the both of them here, till my foot in the ass reflex calms down, but he knew Kitty would be very stood in the center of the jail with his hands on his hips, and said, "Look at my two dumb ass kids." Red then pointed at Hyde and said "I will take this one."
Eric stood up with his hands on the grimy bars. "What about me?"
"What about you?" Red replied, "You started it. So you stay." He then took Hyde by the arm and led him into the squad room.
Hyde turned to Red "Your not going to leave him there are you?
"Hyde, do you think Kitty would let me leave him there? You know I like peace and quiet, I would not like to listen to her all night. Of course I bailed him out. I just wanted to talk to the two of you separately, So I asked the cops to keep him for another two hours and release him. By the way Jackie is at her house with Kitty and her kids. I sent Donna home and told her I would call her when I knew something.. So you and I will have the house to our selves for a conversation"
DONNA
Donna was angry, She drove her Porsche home in a manner more suited for a road race than the staid streets of Point Place. Upon arriving at her apartment building she noticed some one in a nice shiny new red Firebird was parked in her spot. Frustration and rage was now starting to boil over. She parked her car in the visitors area and when walking past the Firebird she caved in the passenger side door with a sideways kick Screw them for parking in her spot. She angrily strode through her fake palm decorated lobby and noticed the elevator was not there. She went to the stairs and took them two at a time to the third floor. When she opened the stairway exit door and noticed a attractive woman leaning against the wall by her apartment, jotting down notes.
"Can I help you?" Donna snarled.
"Oh Ms Pinciotti,. I am from the Chicago Tribune and want to do a follow up story about your marriage."
Donna who stood all of five feet ten inches saw red and grabbed the smaller woman by he blouse and shook her. "Don't you assholes in the newspapers ever check your facts. I am not fucking married, I have never been fucking married, and at this rate I am never going to get fucking married. I am going to be in jail for homicide."
The reporter feeling her self being lifted off her feet looked at the flame haired woman with fear, she wondered if Donna was a descendant of the Norse Beserkers. She felt the grip being relaxed on her blouse.
"You get your scrawny ass out of here and tell your paper to prepare for a lawsuit."
The smaller woman scurried down the stairs, and Donna fervently hoped that the Firebird was hers. Donna let herself into the apartment. Strode to the liquor cabinet and poured her self a scotch, went into her sparsely appointed kitchen, took some ice from the freezer and returned to the living room,Donna walked over to her couch. Donna sat and took a big swallow of of her drink, and buried her head in her hands.
She seethed with rage and frustration, The reason she gave up the big money and fame was to live a quiet life in her hometown. She was considering a life with Hyde, even children. Donna realized her mini assault on the reporter was not a smart thing to do. She could see the headlines now. Crazed TV reporter assaults newspaper reporter. Donna had an idea about a expose on irresponsible reporting. She took another large sip of her scotch and realized she had better call the legal department at NBC, her actions with the reporter were liable for criminal charges. Donna reached for the phone.
RED AND HYDE
Red and Hyde entered the familiar confines of the Forman kitchen. Red motioned for Hyde to sit and grabbed two beers out of the fridge. "Hyde we have a problem. Kitty is beside herself over this incident with Eric. I should have stepped in years ago, but I figured you two would work it out."
Hyde started to speak, "Red I..."
Red cut him off, "Hear me out. You know Hyde if I did not know any better I would think you and Jackie are still in love. This is almost twelve years later, it should have died down, The feud between Eric and Donna is just plain stupid. I am sure if Jackie told him to get over himself the feud would be over."
"Kitty, and I love Donna and Jackie like daughters and you are a second son to us. So as I am sure you know, this is killing Kitty. The refusal of of Eric and Jackie to come anywhere near the house when you are here is killing her. Hyde I know why you stay here. It is not because you are lazy or want a free ride. I release you from your obligation. What I want you to do is to move out for the time being. This needs to be neutral ground. Now do you have a place to go?"
Hyde sat their in stunned silence, he was being kicked out. "Red, I can ask Donna or get a room, and...".
Red noticing the timbre of Hyde's voice and his hesitant way of speaking, gently said, "Steven, we are not kicking you out. Just understand this has to be a place where both you and Eric can come. This will be the only way I drive some sense into him and end this idiotic feud. Look I will give you a ride to your car and then go get the other idiot".
RED AND ERIC
Eric sat in his cell in stunned silence. How could his father bail Hyde out an leave him here. Ever since Hyde moved in years ago it seemed like he was the real Forman son, and he Eric, the rightful son was the interloper. Eric rued the day he brought Hyde home. Even though he hated the thought of it, He needed to call Jackie to bail him out. He hated the thought of her coming to this dank dismal smelly hole. Eric called for the jailer, who arrived wiping the remainder of his chicken salad sandwich off his mouth. Hey I want to make a phone call.
The cop looked at Eric, smirked and said "No". Turned on his heel and walked back out. Eric yelled after him "You fascist pig, I know my rights."
About two hours later the metal door to the holding area again screeched open and again Red entered, this time with two veins throbbing in his neck. Trailing him was the cop. "Okay" Red said, "Give me the other dumb ass.".
The cell door clanged open and the cop said "You can go now."
"You know I have my rights. You refused me my phone call."
Red turned to Eric "Do you ever stop talking? Can it. Before my foot finds you ass."
They rode to the Forman house in silence. Upon entering the house Red motioned to Eric to sit at the kitchen table. He then went to the fridge and grabbed himself a beer. "Dad where is my beer? Red looked at him and shook his head. "Eric I am going to tell you something and you are not going to interrupt."
"Look Dad I..."
"Shut up Eric now listen and listen real close. Till now I have respected your life and choices you have made. Since you have come back from Africa, I'd say you more or less manned up. You have a wonderful wife, two great children and a very good life. For the life of me I don't get the problem you two have with Hyde, and to a lesser extent Donna."
"Dad, let me tell you about..."
"Shut up Eric. You have made me do something that really bothers me. I have asked Hyde to move out. It is going to kill your mother also."
"Its about time you made him move...".
"Would you be quiet Eric The reason I asked him to move, is to make mine and Kitty's house neutral ground where the both of you can come We can talk and maybe figure something out. Now Eric before you get started on Hyde mooching off of me, He has paid rent since the first week he moved in here. Since you have been gone he has done most of the chores around here. Such as take out the trash, keep the gutters clean, and I can go down the list."
"Dad, we just can not forget how he treated Jackie. The constant burns and indifference toward her feelings."
Red sighed, "Eric as much as you think you know your wife, you don't have a clue. From what I can figure out what went on between Jackie and Hyde is not totally Hyde's fault. Only Jackie can tell you what was going to happen in that hotel room, and I suggest you don't ask. Hyde and Jackie were a couple and there are things that transpired between them that are none of your business. Even if you tried to get to the bottom of it, you would not get the truth from either one of them. You need to focus on your life with Jackie starting from the minute you two started dating. Jackie needs to let go of what ever is bothering her. Hyde has let it go, and if I had to guess he was severely hurt by what transpired. So Jackie is not the only injured one in that Eric. Why in the hell do you have a grudge against Donna? What in the hell has she done to you?"
Eric looked up," I can talk now?"
"Yes you can talk now Eric."
"Dad she left me to go to college in California, and told me that she was going to stay out there."
Red looked at the ceiling. He did not raise a dumb kid, but sometimes he wondered where the hell his common sense was. "Look Eric you two were broken up for about the 5th or 6th time. What did you expect her to do? Wait around for ever? Actually when you left her standing, basically at the altar, you more or less ended that relationship. After that you two dated or went out, or what ever you call it these days out of habit. I never understood why you did not have the guts to stand by her and both of you admit the marriage was going to be a mistake.. No one would have thought less of you, but a lot of people do now. Also that stunt you pulled in Africa. If anything she should be the one mad at you. She has moved on Eric, you and Jackie need to move on also. While we are on the subject you need to get over your anger at Casey Kelso. He is your sisters husband, and he is an excellent husband and father. And please don't tell me he dated Donna. Who cares Eric this was 13, 14 years ago."
"Eric you and Jackie have a good thing going, Your a very good husband and father, I am proud of you, but you and Jackie still have some growing up to do. Come on get in the Toyota and I will take you home."