Author Note:...just a little whimsy to get you through the day... .•* .•* *•. Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ .•*.• *•


Chapter 12 – To Tell the Tooth


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"That gives you at least three months. No more, no less. You'll pay rent on the first of every month and there will be no loose women in my home. You and Betsy will share Laurie's old room, your father is arranging to move all your extra belongings to a storage unit. Do you have any questions?"

Eric watched the exchange between Kelso and Red and Kelso looked like he was going to cry or kiss Red on the cheek. "No and thank you! Betsy and I thank you."

Kitty wanted to add on to the conversation, "Oh and Michael, this is very important. If you leave this house for any reason other than to go to work, you take your daughter with you. She needs to be with her father and I'm not going to have you dumping her here while you go to some boozy-schmoozy club. Understood?"

Kelso nodded enthusiastically. "We'll be scary good and Red….I'll even shovel the driveway for you."

Red sipped his beer, "Of course you will. You'll do anything Kitty asks….won't you?"

Michael Kelso rubbed his hands together excitedly, "Oh man! This is going to be great! Yeah, anything Mrs. Forman needs? I'm the guy! Man, it's gonna be so fun hanging around with Eric again."

Eric sat up, "Yeah, about that….I'm kind of keeping to myself these days." Eric's hands were already putting up an invisible wall between Kelso's enthusiasm and his own desire for space. "My room is downstairs and yours is upstairs. Let's keep that way okay?"

Of course Michael Kelso didn't understand, but he was going to be living with the Forman's for three months – that was like winning the best prize at Funland! Oh, he had to take Betsy to Funland when they opened up in Spring.

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Red Forman supervised the moving of furniture and boxes into his daughter's vacant bedroom, he even shared a beer with John Kelso while Betsy searched through a toy box looking for a beloved teddy bear. The two men spoke quietly about how Brooke's untimely death confused and affected little Betsy. John expressed grief that he wasn't able to provide Michael and Betsy the attention and support they deserved.

"Casey's kids are like waking up in a zoo. I don't know how my wife copes, but it's making me think twice about be retired." John complained. He did look weary.

Red shook his head, "I thought I had the life….then Eric comes home and here come all his friends again." Red looked at John over the top of the beer can, "But it makes Kitty happy so…happy wife….happy life. And she likes to bake. I can't complain too much about that."

The two men toasted each other as Betsy ran through the kitchen door followed closely by her father who was shouting, "Give me that back!"

Red laughed, "Gonna be an interesting winter."

"That's for sure." John toasted again and finished his beer in one swallow. "I wish you luck Red. You need anything….call me. I'll send the wife."

Red laughed and walked John Kelso to the door. Somehow Michael Kelso was on his back in the driveway making snow angels while Betsy was balancing a tiny snowman on his forehead. All John could mutter was, "….kids….."

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Eric was preparing his last weekly lesson before the Christmas Break began. His students were still singing Oh Christmas Tree, horribly, but maybe they would excel in other areas of academia. He turned on the green bankers lamp that lit his desk and pulled a 3-ring binder from his book bag. His students still needed to catch up on some math problems and finish a book report before the end of the week.

He was heavily into reading the teacher's manual that when a crying Betsy Kelso came running down the stairs, Eric was startled into a panic attack. Betsy jumped up, throwing her arms around Eric's neck and cried, "I lost my touf!"

He held the crying youngster, "You lost something?" His heart was beating like crazy, but there was no bus accident that caused these tears – it was something banal. Betsy wiped her face with the back of her hand and Eric could see there was blood around her mouth. "What happened?"

She hiccupped. "I was playing with daddy and my touf came out and I can't find it!"

Eric was relieved that it was just her loose tooth. It figured that this was a Kelso kind of accident. "Did your dad help you find it?"

She shook her head in the negative, curls flying everywhere. "No. Daddy wanted to slide down the driveway."

Eric frowned. Would Kelso ever grow up? Jeez! "Do you want me to help you find your tooth?"

Betsy nodded. "Can Aunt Jackie help? She has good eyes."

Eric chuckled. "Sure, let me call and see if she's at home." Eric set Betsy on the floor and opened the address book to find Jackie's home number. It rang a couple of times before it was answered. Eric handed the telephone to Betsy. "Hello?"

Jackie answered, "Who's this?"

"It's Betsy. Uncle Eric wants you to come over." Betsy handed the phone back to Eric. He hadn't expected the tooth conversation to end so quickly. "Hey! Hi! Sorry about that."

Jackie replied, "Well, I didn't think Betsy knew my telephone number. What's up?"

Eric explained the 'touf' situation and in return got a happy squeal in his ear. "You know what this means?"

"Well…no…not really." He replied.

"We get to be the tooth fairy when she goes to bed. I've got all the stuff. I'll be right over!" Jackie hung up the phone leaving Eric to wonder what all the stuff was. But Jackie was coming over – the night could be interesting after all!

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Jackie was walking in through the kitchen sliders to find Michael sitting on a chair while Mrs. Forman was applying a big square of gauze to his forehead. "Don't ever let me find you doing that again." Kitty scolded. "You could have gotten run over and then Betsy wouldn't have a father."

"Yes ma'am." Kelso apologized with a smile. He loved the personal attention that mother figure could only provide. The cookie in his other hand was so much better than the bandage on his head. "I'm going to my room now. If you see Betsy, can you send her up?"

Kitty nodded and gathered her first aid kit from the kitchen table. "You kids are always needing a Band-Aid. Maybe Red and I should buy stock in that company!" she exclaimed.

Jackie tapped Michael on the shoulder, "What did you do to yourself?"

He swung around and gave her a big melty smile. "It was so AWESOME! I was using the icy driveway and my body for a luge. You know, that Olympic sport where they lay down and speed over the ice?"

Unimpressed, Jackie replied, "I know what a luge is. What I don't know is why you had to put yourself in danger when you have a six-year-old that needs her dad!" Jackie frogged Michael in the shoulder and walked past him and to the basement door.

He feebly shouted, "Hey! You aren't allowed down there!"

Kitty looked at her patient. "Michael…..go to your room."

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Betsy was sitting on the loveseat watching PBS while Eric was working at his desk. To announce her arrival, Jackie whispered loudly, "I heard someone lost a tooth today!"

Betsy sat up and smiled a big smile albeit missing a top front tooth. Jackie smiled and hurried down the stairs. "I have a flashlight and a shovel. Let's put on your coat and Uncle Eric will help us find your tooth. You just need to show us where you think you lost it."

Eric looked like a deer in the headlights. Tooth searching? Seriously? Jackie laughed at his expression and nodded in the affirmative. "Let's go before it gets dark! The tooth fairy only comes at night time."

Eric gave a self-deprecating shrug and threw a sweatshirt over his head. "That's what I'm here for."

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Eric was looking for a blood trail. Jackie was looking for a shiny tiny white tooth. Betsy was busy turning the flashlight on and off until it had a strobe effect. Eric tapped Jackie on the shoulder. "Hey," he said in a low voice. "We've been looking for 20 minutes and it's getting colder out here." Eric gently took the flashlight out of Betsy's hand.

"No touf?" She sighed sadly.

Jackie knelt down, "Well, just because we can't find the tooth, doesn't mean we can't write a letter to the tooth fairy and tell her where you lost it….right Uncle Eric?"

"What? Oh sure! That happens all the time. In fact, when I was nine, Hyde knocked me in the mouth with the end of a teeter-tooter and I bled all over the playground. Could not find my tooth." Eric recalled that he was crying in pain and gave Hyde a good bruising slug in the arm for that little escapade.

Betsy seemed placated by the letter suggestion and smiled. Meanwhile, Jackie's fingers grazed Eric's hand as she took her flashlight from his grasp and she was startled to see him flinch. She whispered, "What is this about?"

Eric's eyes looked big, "What!"

"That." She poked him on the shoulder. "You cringed when I took the flashlight." Eric captured her finger so she couldn't poke him again. "I'm sorry. I think having Kelso here….there's so much….activity….I'm not used to it."

"Well get used to it. Life isn't going to stop until you get your ducks in a row." Jackie scolded, "Right now, we have a little girl that needs to write a letter to the tooth fairy and you are going to help her."

"Please Uncle Eric?" Betsy smiled. Eric felt like he had almost been cornered by a bear and her cub. Jackie could be ferocious and her beauty was intoxicating. Being this close to her, he could feel the warmth of her body and he could smell something like wildflowers in her hair.

It could have been the proximity – it could have been the season or it could have been the damn mistletoe his mother hung everywhere, but nevertheless, Eric fell to one knee and cupped Jackie's cheek. Her skin was like silk under his fingers. He brushed her lips with his thumb and couldn't remember wanting to kiss someone so badly. Her dark eyes looked confused, but Eric could only see her raspberry tinted lips.

Oh so carefully, Eric dipped his head and placed his lips softly over hers, just breathing in her scent. One of his hands slid down to her waist and as Jackie leaned forward, Eric slanted his head; the kiss became real. Or was it surreal because the snow was falling gently all around them, on their heads and Betsy was clapping and exclaiming with glee?

The kiss ended with both breathing hard. Jackie was touching her lips while Eric could only say, "Wow." in a reverent voice. Had that really happened? Or was this a wonderful hallucination? He swallowed hard. "Um….I think I have to go write a letter."

Eric stood up and held out a hand to help Jackie to her feet. She was still stunned that Eric kissed her and it wasn't awful. It was – wonderful! Warmth and butterflies filled her stomach and she nearly swayed. "Uh….I have to get my…..kit ready."

He didn't want to let go of her hand, but it wasn't going to stop snowing anytime soon. Eric scooped Betsy up and onto his shoulders where she laughed happily. Jackie followed into the kitchen closing the door behind them.

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"….and daddy made a goofy noise and I fell over him and my touf popped out in the snow!" Betsy exclaimed. "Oh, and can you put in there that if the Mommy could help find it….I'd really like that. I miss Mommy so much."

Eric's heart ached for the little girl. "I'll add that for you Betsy and I'm sure the tooth fairy will have your mom helping to find the missing tooth. But you know what?"

"What?" Betsy answered.

"The tooth fairy won't come to your pillow unless you are asleep….maybe it's time to go to bed?"

She nodded. "If there was school tomorrow I could 'show and tell' about my touf!"

Eric tousled the curly hair then folded the letter and slid it into an envelope. "Here you go. Just make sure it goes under your pillow before you go to sleep."

"Okay!" Betsy said in a merrier tone. The pain of losing the tooth had given way to the excitement of the magical tooth fairy. Eric had no clue what Jackie was planning on doing, but he was extremely curious. Betsy held the envelope very carefully between her pinched fingers and kissed Eric on the cheek. "Thank you Uncle Eric!"

He watched her skip awkwardly up the basement steps and then turned back to his teachers manual and the work he was going to do before the distraction of a missing tooth and a mind-blowing kiss. Oh, man…Jackie had the softest lips….how could he sleep after that? Donna's kisses were fine – if you were a teenager. But quality over quantity?

Jackie Burkhart was definitely quality.

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Kelso was snoring loudly in his cot which had been pushed up against the wall. The bandage was bloodied, one leg was dangling off the frame and he still wore his daytime clothes. Jackie held her fingers to her lips and gestured for Eric to follow. Handing him the flashlight, Jackie opened her 'magic bag'. Out came an object that looked like a salt shaker.

Jackie carefully and quietly lifted Betsy's pillow and indicated that Eric should pull out the letter. As he did so, she place two shiny quarters on the sheets and sprinkled gold glitter in a swirling pattern around the coins and down the side of the bed. Eric clicked on the flashlight and the glitter sprinkling continued across the carpet and over to the heater vent in the floor.

Jackie set her bag on the floor and pulled out a small handful of tiny colored rhinestones. She tossed the stones randomly in and through the glittered path. When Eric shone the flashlight on the carpeting, the jewels and glitter sparkled like an enchanted pathway to the vent. He smiled his approval and Jackie smiled in kind.

Then like thieves in the night, the pair quietly backed out of the bedroom the Kelso's shared and hurried down the steps. On the landing at the bottom of the stairs, Eric exclaimed, "That was genius!"

Jackie whispered loudly, "I know!" She smiled, "A customer of mine told me it was a tradition in her family and I've been dying to try it out and Betsy losing her tooth was perfect! Thank you for inviting me over to do this."

Eric smiled, "Thank you. Writing that letter with Shorty helped me more than I thought. I'm thinking that if I write a letter to Connor and not necessarily mail it…..I could get some of this off my chest."

Jackie smiled at his handsome face with those worry lines. "I think that's a good idea. You'll have to call me tomorrow and let me know how she liked her surprise."

Eric took a step back. "Maybe you could drop by?"

Jackie shook her head, "I have other plans." She didn't really, but she wanted Eric to realize she wasn't going to be at the Forman's beck and call when it came to the Kelso situation. "If I don't hear from you….I guess I'll see your class singing on Friday."

Eric felt a little dejected. He had really hoped Jackie would stop by again, but who was he to ask? Still…."So…you're still going to the dance with me?"

She nodded her head, "Love dancing. Gonna take wild horses to keep me away from that." And the night better end in another one of those kisses! Jackie smiled and waved as she headed for the kitchen where she left her coat and purse.

Eric didn't know why he didn't follow. What Jackie did was above and beyond kindness for a friend. Betsy could have just went to bed and Kelso would have had to deal with it. But no. The most kind Godmother in the world, came running after a phone call and created a whimsical fantasy that the tooth fairy had picked up a letter and left magical footprints.

Eric couldn't have thanked her enough. He didn't thank her enough. Just saying an idea was genius – it was just words. Having Jackie around was making him break down some of his barriers. At first it was just the bedroom and his parents. Then it was daycare with Betsy and his parents. Now he was sleeping in the basement and the Kelso's were upstairs and Jackie was dancing in and out of his days – his walls were crumbling.

Maybe he would visit Hyde and Fez in their apartment.

One day.

Not right away.

But he was thinking about it.

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