Chapter 9: Bob's New Girl

Place: Outside Fatso Burger

The gang was all sitting around a round table eating fries and burgers. They were sitting in the order of Jackie, Eric, Randy, Hyde, Donna, Kelso, and then Fez.

It had been about six weeks since the whole Kitty incident had happened, and things had gotten better between Kitty and Jackie about Jackie and Eric's relationship. It took Kitty a while for her to get used to the idea of Jackie and Eric dating, but after two weeks Kitty seemed to understand that Eric and Jackie made each other very happy. Kitty still wanted to make sure Eric would be well taken care of, so for the last two weeks Kitty had been teaching Jackie how to cook. Jackie was not happy how her cooking classes had been going.

"She was all nice to me saying that these cooking classes would be 'easy.'" Jackie sarcastically said, "Yeah, easy my ass!"

Eric put his arms around Jackie and said, "Come on Jackie. I'm sure it's not that bad."

Jackie glared at Eric and said, "'Not that BAD?' Yesterday your crazy mom made me cook an eight pound turkey, two batches of dumplings, prepare an egg salad sandwich, a Caesar Salad, make two pumpkin pies, and two gallons of fresh lemonade AT THE SAME TIME! AND THAT WAS AN EASY DAY!"

A shocked Hyde said, "Dang Foreman, you mom is crazy!"

"Yeah, I'm so glad she never did that with me." Donna added.

"What I want to know is how your mom is able to buy all of that food under the salary of a part-time nurse and your dad's muffler business? Which, might I add isn't making 'that' much money." Randy asked.

Eric, who was still comforting Jackie, looked at Randy and said, "Honestly, I think she has some black market connections that she never mentions, because I have never seen her once ask my dad for food money."

Kelso excitedly said, "Or she gets the food from some aliens that she is in contact with."

Hyde, dumbfounded at Kelso's stupidity, said, "Kelso, that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Fez, in a creepy manner, said, "Or maybe she is doing sexual favors for somebody to get the food."

A disgusted Hyde said, "I stand corrected… That was the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Donna, who was also disgusted, said, "Plus the creepiest thing I've ever heard."

Kelso said, "I don't know maybe Fez has something here, I mean Mrs. Foreman is kind of hot."

Eric, Donna, Hyde, and Randy looked at Kelso disgustedly.

Eric exclaimed, "Dude! That's my mom you're talking about!"

A still upset Jackie said, "Guys we are talking about my problem right now!"

Hyde said, "For once I agree with Jackie, I would rather listen to her problems than listen to these two creepy guys."

Jackie loudly said, "I don't know if I can take it anymore! If I have to see one more cooking pot or oven I might kill somebody."

Eric, trying to calm down Jackie, said, "Well, when do you have to go to another one of my mom's cooking classes?"

Jackie looked her watch and said, "Argh! In ten minutes."

Eric put his arm around Jackie's shoulders and said, "What if I went with you and made sure my mom doesn't work you too much."

Jackie got a big smile and said, "Oh would you!"

Eric smiled back and said, "Yep."

Jackie kissed Eric on the cheek and said, "Oh thank you thank you!"

Eric got up and said, "Well let's go then."

As Jackie was getting up, Eric looked at the rest of the gang and said, "Hey do you guys mind walking back to the house from here?"

Hyde shook his head and said, "Nah man, will be fine."

Eric and Jackie walked away, with hands both of their entwined with the other.

Donna looked at the couple walking away, smiled, and said, "Look at those two stupid love birds."

Hyde put his arm around Donna and said, "Hey, we're a pretty good couple ourselves."

Donna kissed Hyde on the lips before saying, "I love you too Hyde."

Randy was throwing away his trash in the trash can right next to the table, when he saw something inside Fatso Burger.

"Hey Donna, isn't that your dad in the line with some lady?" Randy asked.

Donna looked inside the restaurant, gave a shocked face, and said, "Oh my god! Everybody, turn around!"

Hyde kept looking inside Fatso Burger and said, "Hey isn't that Miss 'Hot Strict' Strictly?"

Donna kept her head down and said, "Yes."

Randy looked at Hyde and said, "Who is Miss 'Hot Strict' Strictly?"

Hyde looked at Randy and said, "Miss Jane Strictly was our junior and senior year English teacher and she is really strict."

Kelso loudly said, "Plus she is really hot."

Randy looked at Donna and asked, "Why is she with your dad?"

Donna sighed and said, "Because she started teaching in Point Place when my dad was a junior, and my dad had a small crush on her before he had to drop out his senior year. They met each other again about a week ago at some dance and they decided to go out with each other."

Fez said, "Why it so bad that your dad is dating a hot lady like Miss Strictly?"

Donna said, "Because she is… Oh my god they noticed us."

Bob, with a big smile walked over to the gang with Jane and said, "Hey there, hi there, ho there."

Donna looked at her dad, gave a small smile, and said, "Hey dad."

Hyde said, "Hey Bob."

Everybody nodded their heads in acknowledgement.

Jane gave a smile and said, "Hello kids."

Most of the gang quietly said, "Hey Miss Strictly."

Jane got serious and said, "I couldn't hear you. Speak up kids."

Everybody in unison loudly said, "Hello Miss Strictly."

Jane smiled and said, "Better."

Bob smiled and said, "Ain't she just the greatest gal you've ever seen?"

Jane gave Bob a serious look and said, "Bob, ain't is not a word."

Bob chuckled and said, "Does it really matter Jane?"

Jane said, "Bob"

Bob, who was still smiling, said, "What?"

Jane pointed a finger to a table and said, "Go sit down right now!"

Bob said, "But…"

Jane said, "No buts, sit down!"

Randy looked at Donna and said, "Oh… that's what you mean."

Donna nodded her head.

Place: Foreman's Basement

(Two hours later)

The gang minus Jackie and Eric were piling into the basement, and they all looked exhausted.

Hyde was just sitting down into his chair and exhaustedly said, "Wow, I never thought we were going to get out of there."

Donna had her hand to her face and said, "I know. If we had stayed for any longer she probably would have made us write lines on her chalk board."

Randy said, "I don't think I could have survived that."

Fez said, "Yeah, but what a way to go. With Miss Strickly's voluptuous boobies near you as you die."

Kelso gave a big grin and said, "Yeah what a SEXY way to go."

Hyde turned on the TV and they started to watch whatever was on.

About ten minutes later Jackie and Eric came down the stairs. Jackie had a little flour on her shirt and face as she set her purse down behind the couch.

As Eric looked at the rest of the gang and said, "What's going on?"

Randy, without looking away from the TV, said, "We're trying to see if Gilligan actually gets the castaways off the Island."

Donna looked at the both of them and said, "So how did it go with Mrs. Foreman's cooking lessons?"

Jackie smiled and said, "It was a lot better since Eric was there."

Eric said, "My mom was going to make Jackie do seven things at once, so I told my mom that these cooking lessons need to be a lot less demanding."

Hyde looking at Eric and said, "…And she listened to you?"

Jackie hugged Eric and said, "Yep. Isn't he the greatest!"

Hyde gave a devious smile and said, "Wow Foreman, you actually stood up to your mommy."

Kelso chuckled and said, "Yeah Foreman, you never go against your mommy. 'Mommy, I need my whitey tighties washed.'"

Donna also laughed saying, "'Mommy, I need you to cut off my bread crusts.'"

Fez smiled and said, "'Mommy, I need you to strip my clothes off me."

Everybody stared at Fez, as Fez fidgeted around.

Eric broke the silence by saying, "Okay… Jackie we should probably get going."

Still disgusted by Fez, Jackie said, "Yeah."

Donna looked at the leaving couple and asked, "Where are you going?"

Eric looked back and said, "I'm taking Jackie out for dinner after all of her hard work."

Jackie kissed Eric on the cheek and said, "He's the best!"

Hyde said, "Alright then. See ya."

Eric and Jackie left out the driveway basement door.

Donna looked at where Eric and Jackie they were standing and said, "Eric and Jackie are such a good couple. Why can't my dad and Jane act like them?"

Hyde sighed and said, "I know their relationship is really unnatural."

"It doesn't make any sense. They should not be together." Randy said as he moved down towards the couch.

Donna was getting furious by saying, "The way they act together, ugh!"

Kelso said, "And what makes it worse is that we had to deal with that for two hours today!"

Fez said, "Even though she is really hot, I do have to admit it was quite annoying."

Donna said, "They should just break up!"

Hyde, Randy, Kelso, and Fez all said, "Agreed"

They all watched the rest of their TV program, before Randy got up and said, "Well I got to go. So… bye."

After Randy left Fez stood up and said, "I've got to go too. Hey Kelso, can you come with me?"

Kelso looked at Fez and said, "Why?"

Fez said, "Because I left my key inside our apartment you idiot."

Kelso got up and yelled, "Jeez, Fez you ALWAYS leave your key inside the apartment!"

As they both exited through the basement, Fez said, "Because we always both leave…"

The door had shut behind them leaving Hyde and Donna alone.

Donna looked at Hyde and said, "Maybe I should get going as well."

Hyde said, "Nah, stay. Besides you don't want to head back to your house to be with Mr. Jane and Mrs. Bob Strictly, do you?"

Donna got up and said, "You're right, I do not want to be there tonight."

Donna went over to the freezer to get herself a Popsicle while Hyde said, "I also have something planned for us tonight."

Donna started to rip open her Popsicle and joked, "So, what do you have planned for us tonight? Because god forbid it has to do anything with the bed in your room."

Hyde in total Zen said, "You'll see."

Donna was next to the freezer with Popsicle in hand when she said, "Come on Steven, you know I don't like it when you go all Zen on me."

Hyde chuckled and said, "Why do you think I do it?"

Donna chuckled herself and said, "Shut up Steven."

Donna then looked straight forward and noticed something on the ground.

"Hey, Jackie left her purse down here." Donna said, while picking up Jackie's purse.

Hyde looked at the purse and said, "Hmm, I wonder if she noticed it's not with her."

Place: The Basement/Driveway Stairs

(Twenty minutes ago)

Jackie and Eric were just at the top of the stairs when Jackie noticed something.

"Oops, I forgot my purse." Jackie said.

Jackie and Eric went down the stairs when they heard a conversation behind the door.

They heard Hyde say, "…their relationship is really unnatural."

"It doesn't make any sense. They should not be together." Randy said.

Donna was getting furious by saying, "The way they act together, ugh!"

Kelso said, "And what makes it worse is that we had to deal with that for two hours today!"

Fez said, "Even though she is really hot, I do have to admit it was quite annoying."

Donna said, "They should just break up!"

Hyde, Randy, Kelso, and Fez all said, "Agreed"

Jackie and Eric both mortified by what they heard walked back up the stairs and both sat on the hood of the Vista Cruiser.

They sat there in silence for a minute staring at the ground, before Eric said, "Wow"

Jackie said, "Yeah, wow."

Eric, still staring at the ground, said, "I had no idea that is what they thought of our relationship."

Jackie looked at Eric and said, "Is our relationship really unnatural?"

Eric looked back at Jackie and said, "I guess it is."

Jackie said, "Don't you think they would have said something to us?"

Eric said, "Maybe they were trying to be nice? I know they are not the most upfront about things."

Jackie said, "So if this is true, where do we go from here?"

Eric said, "What do you think?"

Jackie said, "I don't know but if this is really unnatural, then maybe we should spare ourselves the heartbreak and stop this relationship now?"

Eric said, "But won't we still get the heartbreak if we end it now?"

Jackie said, "But we will be able to keep our friends."

Eric said, "What do you mean?"

Jackie said, "I mean if this really upsets our friends won't we lose them, just because we couldn't end our doomed relationship sooner?"

Eric said, "So we break up now to save our friendship with the others?"

Jackie, who was now on the verge of crying, said, "Yeah."

Eric sighed and said, "So… I guess that is it then?"

Jackie also sighed and said, "Yeah I guess so."

Jackie got up and started walking to the Pinciotti house when Eric said, "Jackie"

Jackie turned around to look at Eric with full tears streaming down her face.

Eric said, "Just so you know, I love you."

Jackie knew she couldn't handle it anymore, so she turned around and ran to the Pinciotti house.

Eric leaned back on the hood of the Vista Cruiser, and banged the hood with his fist thinking about the girl he had just lost.

Place: Hyde's Room

(Later that evening)

Hyde and Donna were lying on Hyde's bed when Donna finally asked, "Okay… so what was it that was so special about tonight?"

"I almost forgot about that." Hyde joked.

Donna playfully punched Hyde and said, "Shut up Steven."

Hyde rolled to his side and reached under his bed. Hyde rolled back towards Donna and gave her a little black box.

Donna grabbed the box and opened it to find a diamond ring in there.

Donna gasped and said, "Oh my gosh! Is this what I think it is?"

Hyde smiled and said, "Donna would you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"

Donna kissed Hyde on the lips and said, "Yes! Oh god yes I will."

AN: What a twist of events, one relationship stronger as another one has just ended… or has it?

This was a very hard chapter to articulate but I finished it. I hope to have my chapters ready sooner then as of late. I also appreciate all of the positive comments I have gotten so far.