Author Note: So shoot me – Chapter Nine was horribly short. I apologize and will move along with the next chapter to keep you posted! (Thank you for the candid reviews – I appreciate the feedback!)

Chapter – Ten – Okay, I'll help you

Eric was turning out to be a terrific professor. Summer school segued into fall classes without as much as a whimper. He had his own desk and small office and the respect of his colleagues'. He had happily handed out the semester curriculum and the syllabus on freshly copied papers. He loved that the students were there specifically because they wanted to learn from him, Professor Forman.

Jackie had been moved from childrens apparel to mens suits. This was not a stretch for her by any means – just something to waste away the hours until she could go home and sketch some more. She had promised Eric that she would wait a couple of months before making any baby decisions and at 9:00 this evening the time was up!

This time she had a better plan and it was one he couldn't argue about.

Eric was substituting for a night class and stopped by her apartment on the way home. He had a ton of homework to grade in his briefcase and it just made him happy to think about it. He knocked on the door and his little friend opened it with glowing eyes.

"Aren't you happy this evening?" he smiled.

"Yes, yes I am, come it and sit." She dragged him to the sofa and watched the clock on the wall. Curious, he asked why she was watching the clock.

"I'm waiting for the clock to turn 9 o'clock."

"May I ask why?"

"My two months are up in five, four, three – ack – one minute. There! Baby Burkhart is a go."

Eric ran a palm over his face. She would remember that of all things and then down to the second! He looked at his bubbly friend. She was more than excited than he had ever seen her – even more excited than roller disco and that was tough to beat.

She scooted closer to him on the sofa with one of her clinic books in her hand. "I've been thinking and it's very important you agree with me on this."

He turned so he could look in her face. "I'm listening." She took one of his hands in her and intertwined their fingers. "You had said that whatever I decided you would support me."

"I did. What did you decide?"

She smiled at him almost shyly, "I want you to be the donor."

Eric thought he blacked out – birds were going tweet tweet around his head and he could barely summon a coherent thought, what did she say? He blinked and she was still smiling at him. "You see, this is the only way I can get a baby with green eyes. I don't care if it's a boy or girl, plus your family has great genes so the kid gets a boost in the DNA department."

Eric was still thinking -what?

"And you are educated and handsome, there no major hiccups in your family except for Laurie of course, but that's beside the point. I'm guaranteed that you're not a serial killer or murderer so all of my worries are gone. Isn't that great?"

Eric was still thinking – what?

She tugged on his hand, "Eric, come on, what do you think of my idea? This requires very little effort on your part and I'm not asking you to marry me or support me and you are my best friend. What could possibly be more perfect than this?"

"What?" Eric rubbed his eyes, "What effort are you talking about?" Jackie laughed and opened the book on her lap. "Your effort is right here. A magazine and a cup. How easy is that? I'll even give pay you what I'd have to pay the anonymous donor."

Eric grabbed her by the shoulders. "Jackie, you don't have to pay me anything. But a cup and a magazine - don't you think that's a little impersonal?"

"Well, don't get upset about it. Yeah, it's impersonal, and it would be for any donor I picked out. I just chose you – the method stays the same."

Eric cleared his throat; her fingers were still clenched in her lap. "Jackie, if you want me to be your donor, do you know who I'll be thinking about instead of the magazine?'

She glared at him. "If you say Donna…." He touched her cheek, "No, sweetie, I would be thinking of you the entire time. Why do you want to put yourself through all of those painful procedures when I could donate the natural way?"

"Because I don't want to ruin our friendship. Sex will ruin a friendship and I'm an expert on this."

Eric argued back, "Well, don't think of it like that. Think about it as one friend helping another."

She gave him a fierce look, "Okay – even if it has half of your genes, it will have my last name. Got it? I'm only doing it with you for the baby. I'll give you ten minutes to think about it because I have to go heat up my dinner." She handed him her clinic book and climbed off the sofa.

Eric looked down at the In Vitro instruction manual and blanched. What had he just got himself into? Wait! There's an upside to this! He gets to make love to a naked Jackie Burkhart for however long it takes – how can that be a bad thing? He looked at all of her notes and the scribbled baby faces she drew in the margins. She really was set on making this her reality. Why was Jackie suddenly making sense? This was not good – especially if he agreed!

*

Jackie came out with a mug of hot soup. She sat down in her chair and looked optimistic. "What did you decide?" Eric cleared his throat and tugged on the neck of his shirt. "I'll agree to this but we have to have a plan." When she didn't interrupt, he continued. "I don't want you getting all of those painful shots. I don't think you need them. We'll do this the way it's been done for centuries and we promise to not let it ruin the friendship."

Jackie set her mug down on the coffee table and flew across the room to gather Eric into a hug, "Oh, you won't regret this, I promise. You are giving me the greatest gift!"

Eric was thinking, No, you are giving me the gift that keeps on giving! "Jackie, you're my friend, I said I would support your decision and I am."

She sat on his lap and pulled the book open. "According to chapter 3 we have to start next week. Are you available on…" she counted on her fingers, "Tuesday?"

Eric grinned, "Sweetie, I can be ready whenever you are." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he almost regretted the smartass comment. "I mean, Tuesday will be great. So do you want to do this here?"

Jackie looked around her small apartment. "I guess this is okay. I mean it's functional. Okay, just come by Tuesday night."

*

Eric walked into the kitchen to find his mom and dad having some ice cream. "A little late for dessert isn't it?" Eric teased. Kitty smiled and invited him to sit. "So how was Jackie?"

Red smirked, "Did she get over that baby nonsense?"

Eric shook his head, "You're not going to like this."

Kitty gasped, "She did it already! You were too late. Oh dear."

"Mom, mom no. It's not like that. She wants me to be the donor."

Red heard enough, "What kind of crap is this? If I'm going to have a grandchild I want it made the way God intended it to be. Test tube nonsense. Dumbass….." Kitty put her hand over Red's arm. "Honey, this is good. Jackie made a good decision. I mean she could have chosen Michael Kelso."

Both Red and Eric said, "What?!""

"Well think about it. When Jackie says she's going to do something you can bet your ass she's going to do it. If she wants to have a baby, well, why can't it be Eric's?"

The way Kitty said it finally made sense to Eric. Red wanted to disagree but couldn't find fault with his wife's logic. "Well, if she does get pregnant, we're moving her here so someone can take care of her."

"Dad, she wants to do this on her own."

"Eric, if you are stupid enough to believe that, I have some ice in Antarctica to sell you. After the first three months, a pregnant woman needs someone to help them. I've done it twice, so I know."

*