Author Note: The last chapter was all about Kitty and I had so much fun writing it!

Chapter 21 - Tee'd Off for Two

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The hostility in the front seat of the Thunderbird was nearing epic proportions, Jackie was looking for leniency and Eric was waiting for an apology. Jackie glanced at Eric across the seat. "Cmon, you can't be mad for a little thing like that."

Eric's arms were crossed. "You did not say anything about taking my mom out of her room for a walk."

Jackie shrugged, "Seriously Eric, would you want to be cooped up in that little room all day long? She was bored! She needed to see people. The Kitty Forman I remember was the hostess-with-the-mostess and besides that, she had a good time!"

Eric looked sideways, "Well, you didn't see Dad's face when he found out Mom was gone. Did you know he's still having problems with his heart?"

Jackie scoffed, "Don't try to make me feel bad because I was having fun with your mother. In fact, if you two men tried to get her out of there more often, she might get better sooner."

"Like you're a doctor." Eric replied acerbically.

"Do you want to walk home?" Jackie pulled her hair back into a ponytail and clipped it with a jeweled comb. "Because, I have no problem with just kicking you out of my car right now."

Eric sighed, "Look. I'm sorry. The last 24 hours has been horribly exhausting and I think I'm just tired. When my dad gets worried….I know you wouldn't do anything to my mom….I – I…."

Jackie forgot that even though his hair covered the goose eggs and stitches, Eric did have a crap day too. "Look, I'm starving, let's get something to eat and I'll drop you off at your apartment."

Eric smiled, "I think I'd like that."

"Good, because you're buying," Jackie said with a smile as she pulled into traffic.

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Red was looking at all the Polaroid's tacked to Kitty's cork-board. "Looks like you were having fun sweetheart."

Kitty giggled, "It felt so good just talking to another woman. I think I know why Eric is so smitten with her."

Red turned and looked at her happy face, "You do"?"

Kitty nodded, "She's not the same young lady I remember. She's more….mature? Steven misses her but I think she's growing up."

Red recalled the candid and frank conversation from the earlier hospital conversation. Yes, she was more mature but there was something else there – something he couldn't quite put his finger on. "Grown up is what I'd say. I'm glad you had a good time but honey, it scares the hell out of me when you leave your room with no note."

Kitty chastised lightly, "Why Red Forman….are you checking up on me? You think there's some handsome invalid down the hall that I'm having an affair with? Ahahaha….no dear, I was merely visiting and Jackie did all the pushing."

Red looked just a little skeptical but Kitty giggled, "I was wearing lipstick."

He leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss against the corner of her mouth, "I could tell and it smells good in here."

She clasped her hands in her lap and smiled. "Now are you going to tell me what is going on with our daughter?"

Red blinked. How did she know?

Kitty Forman surprised him every day.

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One half of a turkey club was on the plate and a steaming bowl of thick creamy potato soup was just plain making him hungry. Eric looked at Jackie who had been touching up her lipstick. "What!"

He exhaled and laughed softly. "You make me crazy."

She closed her small compact mirror and tucked it back into her handbag. "I think you already had a start on the crazy part. I just have an….effect….on men." She reached across the table and brushed his hair from the bandage, 'Still hurt?"

He shook his head, "No, they gave me something for the headache but every time I frown, the stitches hurt like a bitch."

Jackie laughed, "That's funny. I mean it's not funny that you have stitches, but that you finally got your sense of humor back."

Eric looked across the table at those shining eyes so focused on him and his heart fluttered. Jackie Burkhart did make him crazy and she had no idea of how much she affected him. He cleared his throat and tried to get those Jackie eyes out of his head. "You were going to tell me about your run in with Donna."

Jackie enjoyed watching Eric's face as he studied her. Mr. Forman had said, "…thanks for being such a good friend to Eric and talked about how much his son talks about you…." And then Kitty said he was smitten. Jackie smiled, it felt kind of good to be someone that smites or smitters – was there a word for that?

"You were going to tell me about your run in with Donna." Jackie woke herself back to the present. "Oh, yeah….have you heard about something called the Bumbling Burglars?"

Eric bit into his oh so delicious sandwich and nodded. He swallowed, "Sure, they are the worst Breaking & Entering duo in town. But the most clever thing they've done was NOT leave any fingerprints. Why do you ask?"

Jackie sipped on her Diet Coke, "Because Donna came to the hospital last night to run a story on the pair. You came in later and told her not to but you didn't hear the whole story."

Eric frowned and immediately his hand went to the stitches, 'Yeow. I don't understand."

Jackie leaned forward so the crowd at the diner wouldn't overhear. Eric leaned forward, the fragrant steam from his soup warming his chin. Jackie said in a low voice, "All of those burglaries were your sister and Michael."

Eric blinked. He was stunned. Jackie sat back and watched the expression on his face as he tried to absorb the truth. Twice his hand pressed against the stitches as he frowned and stammered. He was a funny guy and Jackie was enjoying this more than she should.

She pressed her hand over his and felt that Zing that happened more times lately than not. "Eric. The storage shed? Did you get a look inside?"

He shook his head, "I only remember Laurie's face."

She gently squeezed his hand, "It was full of stolen goods. Your sister is going to need an attorney. A really good attorney."

Eric was flabbergasted. He knew that Laurie would shoplift from time to time – lipstick from the drugstore, sunglasses from the rack at the gas station but this was serious. He licked his lips. "Does my dad know?"

"About the charges or that she is part of the burglaries." Jackie asked.

He exhaled, "The infamy I guess. I think I'm hoping that Donna can keep my family name out of the press."

"Already done." Jackie looked up at him with that killer smile of hers and he was totally mesmerized. He suddenly wasn't tired and certainly didn't want to go home. He wanted to stay here and just talk to Jackie all day. Was that crazy?

Jackie took a bite of her sandwich which was starting to get cold. "Donna agreed to leave both family names out of the story but only report that the thieves had been caught. So the mystery remains…..why didn't Laurie contact her family in the last seven years?"

Now he was getting a headache. "Maybe she had already been in jail and was finally released."

"Lydia thinks she might have been pregnant."

Eric almost spewed soup on the table. "No way."

Jackie agreed, "I know! But she's not talking. Maybe I can find out more when Michael gets better. I mean I've seen Laurie here and there over the last four years but before that? Not a clue."

"That's just not right." Eric muttered. "She could have come home anytime and my parents would have just taken her in."

Jackie shrugged, "We just don't know. Say, are you done?"

Eric looked at his half eaten sandwich and cold soup. "Yeah…I'm not feeling so good anymore."

"Sure." Jackie signaled for the check and lifted his hair to look at the bump. "Maybe you need some more of that painkiller and a good nap."

Eric nodded. Thinking about his wayward sister totally ruined his lunch. He was having a good time and then bam! Laurie took all the fun out of it. Jackie paid the check and was already putting on her coat by the time Eric realized what happened. He stood up and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. "How much do I owe you?"

Jackie waved away his hand, "This one's on me. You can pay next time."

There were those butterflies again, "Next time? Like in a date…next time?" He asked hopefully.

Jackie snorted, "Seriously? You think you're only going to pay for a lunch? If you take me out, it's going to be food that's eaten with a knife and fork my friend.. Let's get you home before you faint."

Eric smiled but added, "Pass out. Fainting is for dumbasses."

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