A/N – Sorry guys, I had a family emergency this past weekend, but don't worry, everything's okay. Sorry if this chapter seems a little rushed, I tried. I've had a little case of writer's block recently, but I don't think this chapter's too bad. There is some smut, but like my last scene, it's not super graphic or anything, so… Anyway, I hope you guys like it.
Disclaimer – Read the first chapter's.
September 7, 1985
"You take care, now," Kitty said as she hugged her son, getting ready to head back to Wisconsin. They were leaving a bit late, but Kitty wanted to spend as much time as she could with her son.
"I will, mom," Eric said, returning his mother's hug.
"Don't you ever do anything that stupid again," Kitty scolded him, tightening her arms around him.
"I won't," Eric said softly, tolerating his mother's death grip around him, "I promise."
"Okay," Kitty said quietly, forcing herself to let go of Eric, "Be good. Take care of those kids… You got a good little family up here."
Eric smiled, "I know."
Kitty smiled up at him, her eyes glassy as she tried to hold back tears, "Talk to Jackie. Make sure she knows you love her."
Eric frowned and nodded, knowing he'd have to apologize to Jackie tonight. And really apologize this time, "I will. Trust me."
"Okay… Well…" Kitty sighed as she finally stepped back away from Eric, "We better get going. The others are probably wanting to get a move on."
Eric smiled sweetly at his mother, "I'll see you later, mom."
"Alright," She said, smiling a sad smile, "I love you."
"I love you, too," Eric said in return.
Kitty smiled one final smile at her youngest before she finally turned and got into the car, sitting in the passenger seat next to Hyde. Hyde threw his hand out the window and waved to Eric, "See you later, Forman."
"See you, Hyde," Eric waved back.
His sister and Donna also waved at him as Hyde put the car in drive and pulled out onto the road, leaving Eric alone on the sidewalk. Eric only stood there for a minute before he turned and went back inside, going through Andrea's bar and going upstairs to the apartment.
It was quiet when he went inside, the only sound was the volume of the TV. The kids were in bed, David was over at Maya's, and Ayrton was already passed out on the couch. Andrea had gone to bed early, feeling a little sick.
Eric sighed before he quietly made his way to his and Jackie's bedroom. He pushed the door open and peered inside, seeing Jackie standing in front of the wall mirror and brushing her hair. Eric smiled sweetly as he pushed the door all the open and he stepped inside, "Hey."
Jackie glanced over at him, but kept brushing her hair, "You finally get your mom to let go of you?"
"Yeah," Eric chuckled, closing the door behind him, but he kept by the door, nervous to even step towards her.
He wanted to things to go back to normal, but he knew it wasn't that easy. She said she forgave him, but there was still an anxious tension in the air. She was still mad at him, she just didn't show it. Jackie released a sigh and put down her hairbrush, running her fingers through her soft brown hair.
"We should just get this out of the way," Eric said, avoiding Jackie's gaze, "I should apologize."
"Okay," Was all Jackie could say, nervous herself to talk about this, even though she did nothing wrong.
"I'm really sorry," Eric said softly, forcing his eyes to look into hers, "I'm a huge idiot. I shouldn't have listened to David, I should have known what I did was going to have consequences. I'll never do anything like that again, I swear."
"Seeing you kiss another girl really hurt me, Eric," Jackie said, looking down at her hands.
"I know," Eric said, bravely taking a step towards her, "It went way further than I thought it was going to, she… You know what? I'm not going to make excuses for myself, it was my fault."
"David told me she kind of forced herself on you," Jackie said, but she kept her gaze cast downward.
"I still shouldn't have even done it," Eric said, taking another step towards her, "I'm sorry."
"I know you are," Jackie said, her voice low.
"Can you ever forgive me?" Eric asked, slumping his shoulders, gazing across the room at her.
Jackie sighed and furrowed her brow in slight anger, "I was so mad at you… I cried for the longest time after I saw you and that woman. I didn't know what to do with myself," Jackie looked up at him slightly, "But then… We got the call that you had been in an accident, and… And I cried some more. I was so worried about you. I didn't know what I'd do without you. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Eric gazed at her sadly, his shoulders loose and his eyes sad and shameful. Jackie looked back down at her hands again, her fingers playing with each other anxiously.
"I thought you hated me," Jackie said, "When we got to the hospital we didn't know anything. We didn't know how bad of shape you were in. If… if… If the worst case scenario happened, I couldn't live with myself. The last thing I said to you was for you to leave me alone… And I hit you. I couldn't live knowing that could have been the last thing I said to you."
"Jackie…" Eric said as he inched closer to her, "I don't hate you. You have a right to be mad. I was a complete jackass. I mean, yeah, after you hit me I was mad. But… I knew that I was in the wrong. I had no right to be mad at you."
"Eric," Jackie said as she turned to face him, but he cut her off again.
"I know you feel bad for yelling at me and all that stuff, but…" Eric released a tense breath before he continued, "But I don't hate you, trust me. I never could. No matter what happened between us."
Jackie smiled a sad smile, finally looking up at him as the two got quiet. Eric looked down at his feet now, anxiety starting to build again.
"Look, even if you didn't catch me kissing that woman, I was still going to tell you," Eric told her honestly.
"I know," Jackie said with a small smile as she reached out and grabbed Eric's hand gently.
"I promise I'll never do something that stupid ever again," Eric said, his voice shaking with nervousness.
"Surprisingly, you've done dumber things," Jackie smiled.
Eric finally let himself smile and he rolled his eyes, making Jackie giggle as she tightened her grip on his hand. Eric sighed again and looked down at their entwined hands, saying again, "I'm really, really sorry, Jackie."
"I know, Eric," Jackie smiled as she too looked down at their hands.
"I was afraid you were going to leave me," Eric said sadly, avoiding her gaze.
Jackie gazed sadly up at him and shook her head, "I'd never do that."
Eric looked up into her eyes curiously, "I thought you would after that."
Jackie shook her head, "I love you. I could never leave you."
Eric smiled and squeezed her hand gently, "I love you, too."
Then they got silent, their eyes glued to each other's. Jackie grabbed Eric's other hand, keeping her eyes on his. Eric was too nervous to do anything, afraid to do anything. Jackie took a tiny step closer to him, her small hands fitting in his perfectly. Eric gazed down at her as she got closer. He couldn't believe her. He couldn't believe she had forgiven him so easily. He was the luckiest man alive, he was sure.
Jackie ran her hands up his arms, one stopping on his shoulder and the other snaking up to the back of his head, her fingers tangling in his thick hair. She pulled him towards her and gently kissed him. Eric slowly moved his hands to rest on her hips and he was pleasantly surprised when she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him as close to her as he could go. He grunted a small noise of surprise at her action, but quickly relaxed into her embrace as he wrapped his arms around her.
This was their first kiss in two weeks. They were barely ever together alone at the hospital, and the tension was still thick then. This was the best kiss Jackie's ever experienced, Eric's too.
They finally pulled apart after a minute or so, both of them trying to catch their breath. They stayed close, but after a minute Jackie wrapped her arms around Eric and pulled him close, resting her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and releasing a nervous breath.
"Jackie…?" Eric said quietly, trying to look down at her.
Jackie kept her eyes closed as she muttered, "I'm so glad you're okay."
Her voice was trembling as she spoke, as if she were trying to keep herself composed. Eric rubbed her back soothingly, trying his best to comfort her.
"I'm okay," Eric said as he saw a few tears escape her eyes and fall down her cheeks, "I'm not going anywhere…"
Jackie sniffed, trying to keep herself from completely losing it. She felt Eric's hands on her upper arms and he gently pulled her away from him, looking down into her eyes, his own soft and concerned. He brought his hands up and wiped her tears away with his thumbs before he moved his hand into her hair, pushing a loose strand behind her ear.
"You alright?" Eric asked with a small smile.
Jackie smiled back and nodded, wiping her eye, "Yeah, I'm okay…"
"I should be the one crying here," Eric joked, making Jackie giggle a little bit.
"You're a dork," Jackie smiled as she gripped the fabric of his shirt in her fists.
"So I've been told," Eric smiled back.
Jackie rolled her eyes, but kept her smile. She caught eyes with Eric again, feeling several different emotions course through her. She was happy, sad, and anxious all at one time. She could hardly believe he was here, that night two weeks ago really scared her. Jackie brought her hands back up to his shoulders, tugging him down so she could kiss him again. Their lips met with more passion this time than before, this kiss somehow being better than the last.
The both relaxed into the kiss much quicker this time, Eric pulling Jackie as close to him as she could go. Jackie's small hands slid down to his chest as she moaned quietly, earning a small smirk from Eric. She felt Eric's hands slip underneath her shirt, tugging up on it slightly, now earning a small smile from her.
Eric tugged on her shirt a little harder this time, getting a bit braver as their kiss went on. Jackie almost wanted to tease him, make him fight for it, as a sort of revenge for what he did, but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to hold out.
When Jackie was stuck in her head, Eric had managed to pull her shirt off of her. He was pleasantly surprised when he found she wasn't even wearing a bra, and he felt his face heat up at that fact. Eric tossed her shirt to the side as his hands mapped out her smooth skin. Eric gently broken their kiss and kissed her along her jaw and neck. She was surprised at how brave he had suddenly become, he wasn't usually like this in a moment of passion.
Eric's hands moved down to her hips, his fingers slipping under her waistband. Jackie's face was crimson red as he continued to kiss down her neck. Jackie suddenly pushed her hands to his shoulders and pushed him back a little, trying to catch her breath.
"Eric…" Jackie breathed quietly, looking up at him only slightly, "You're making revenge harder than it needs to be."
"Am I?" Eric asked with a smug smile.
"Yes, you are," Jackie said, trying to hold up a strong front, but it quickly crumbled again as his hands ventured further down her body.
He was gently tugging at her pants now, and Jackie wanted to help him, but being her stubborn self, she tried holding out. It wasn't really working though. She felt the corners of her mouth peek into a smile as her hands gripped his shoulders, and before she could say anything else, her pajama bottoms and underwear were on the floor.
"How's that revenge going?" Eric asked with a slight chuckle.
"Not well," Jackie said, slightly annoyed, but she was smiling. She looked him up and down and sighed irritably, "How is that you're still dressed? I'm supposed to have the upper hand here."
"You can't lead everything, Jackie," Eric said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
"I can, and I will," Jackie said stubbornly as she grabbed the hem of his shirt and quickly ripped it off of him, which surprised even him.
"Well, that was fast," Eric said, his eyes wide with surprise.
Jackie smirked as she pushed her hands to his shoulders and pushed him back towards their bed. Now he was getting nervous, he figured it would eventually lead to this. Jackie brought her hands down to his waistband now and started to take off his pants, Eric frozen with surprise at how quickly this escalated. Before he knew it, his pants and underwear were across the room with hers and she pushed him back onto the bed, crawling on top of him.
Eric wasn't having this, not tonight. He grabbed her around the waist and rolled them over, so that now he was on top for once. Jackie gasped a small noise of surprise and gazed up at him with wide hazel eyes.
"You're not in charge tonight, Jackie," Eric with a small smile, "It's my turn."
"Well look at you," Jackie teased, though she was still surprised at his bravery, "Finally taking a stand, huh?"
"Obviously," He chuckled before he leaned down and kissed her on the mouth quickly before moving down to her jaw and neck again.
She moved her hands to the back of his head, pushing her fingers into his thick hair as she suppressed a small moan. She relaxed back into the mattress as he teased her skin with his hands, making her groan his name.
He leaned closer to her as her legs wrapped his hips, pulling down on top of her. Eric knew then that he had finally broke her, she had given in. As he kissed her neck he felt her fingernails dig into his shoulders, making him wince a little, but he powered on.
"Eric…" She moaned quietly, not being able to take much more, "Please…"
Eric smiled at that. He's never done this to her, she was begging for him. It must have been all that time with them not even touching one another, barely speaking to each other, at least normally anyway. He couldn't believe what all of that had done to her.
Eric moved back up to her mouth again and kissed her passionately, her hands relaxing on his back. Eric brought one hand up to her face, to deepen the kiss and as he did that, he felt her legs tighten around his waist. Eric smiled against her lips as aligned his hips with hers and with one swift movement, he gently pushed into her. Jackie moaned and her fingernails once again dug into his shoulders, but harder this time, making Eric groan in slight pain.
He gently broke the kiss and looked down at Jackie, her chest rising and falling a little quickly. He smiled down at her as she brought her hands up to his face, stroking his jaw lovingly.
"You alright?" Eric asked sweetly, gazing down into her loving hazel eyes.
Jackie felt her heart swell at the question. Even when he was trying to be 'on top,' he still had to ask her if she was comfortable with what they were doing. Jackie smiled and stroked his hair softly, "I'm fine."
Eric looked at her for a moment longer before he kissed her again, but it didn't last as long as the previous few times, it was quick and sweet. He kissed on the cheek just a moment later as she wrapped her arms around his neck and groaned his name as he began to move into her.
Jackie kept her arms glued around him as they continued their venture, relishing every moment she had with him. She kept her fingers tangled in his hair as she felt him tenderly kiss her along her jaw. She gasped his name again as he continued to move, her arms tightening around his neck, silently begging for more.
Jackie inhaled sharply as he began to push into her harder, her fingernails leaving scratch marks on his shoulders and back. Jackie threw her head back against the bed, feeling Eric's hands move up and down her body. Eric wrapped one arm around her middle, keeping her close. Jackie's hands moved down to his shoulders, though her fingernails continued to dig into his skin, something Eric was used to at this point.
Jackie gasped his name again as their hips continued to meet. He lowered his head a little and quietly told her he loved her, and at that Jackie smiled a little. Eric finally groaned her name, which made her happy.
Jackie kept her legs tight around Eric's waist, her hands firmly glued to his shoulders, mindful of his still healing injuries. Eric cradled Jackie carefully in his grasp, feeling one of her hands move to the back of his head again, her fingers rubbing into his scalp gently. He kissed Jackie on the cheek again before he nuzzled is face into her neck. Jackie and Eric both were trying to catch their breath as they continued to move against each other.
Eric moaned her name again, and the sound of it sent goosebumps down Jackie's arms and back. She beamed a loving smile and kept her grip on him tight. Jackie felt Eric's teeth sink into her shoulder, making her cry out a little and gasp his name once more. Jackie's heart was about to beat right out of her chest, she was sure of it.
They continued on like this for a few more minutes, but that was as long as they could handle. Both of them inhaled a sharp breath as Eric pushed into her one final time, both of them calling out each other's names. Jackie dug her fingernails into Eric's shoulders as hard as she could, definitely leaving marks with this one.
Jackie finally slumped into the bed, exhausted as Eric relaxed on top of her, both of them trying to catch their breaths. Jackie's hands gripped the bedsheets as they both tried to recover from their moment of passion.
They panted for a few moments, eventually finding their breath. Eric gently supported himself on his elbows as he looked down at her, a small smile on his face, "Wow…"
"That was…" Jackie tried thinking of something, but all she could say was, "Wow…"
Eric chuckled at her before he leaned down a planted a kiss on her cheek, "Is all forgiven?"
Jackie nodded, "Definitely."
Eric smiled again and leaned down, placing a kiss on her lips this time. She brought a hand to the side of his face, leaning into the kiss, but now she felt exhausted. These past few weeks had really taken it out of her, she was sure Eric felt the same.
A moment later the kiss was broken and Eric gently got off of Jackie and they both went to lay underneath the blankets. Jackie rested under Eric's arm, her head leaning against his shoulder.
"I love you," Jackie said after a moment of silence, stroking his arm.
"I love you, too," Eric smiled down at her.
"I'm really glad you're okay," Jackie said quietly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Me too," Eric said quietly, gazing up at the ceiling.
Then, the two were silent, both of them just happy to be in each other's arms.
0-0-0-0-0
December 31, 1985
"I'm gonna make it," Bruno told himself, rubbing his tired eyes, "I'm gonna make it to midnight."
"You alright, buddy?" Eric asked with a light chuckle as he looked down at the tired eight year old.
David had somehow convinced them to come out to Times Square for New Year's Eve. Leo and Bruno were both extremely tired, but Leo couldn't sleep because of all the noise, and Bruno was just determined to stay up until midnight.
"I'm fine," Bruno said, a little grumpy, "Everything's fine."
Eric smiled down at the boy and shook his head before he directed his attention back towards the stage where Tears for Fears was playing their smash hit. Eric found it annoying, but he still sang along. Everybody in the crowd seemed to be having a good time, but of course they were, they were all drunk. Even Andrea was drinking, which was a pleasant surprise.
Eric's injuries had long healed by now. His ribs healed pretty quickly actually, it only took about six weeks. His wrist cast came off in the middle of November, and he just finished physical therapy at the beginning of the month. He was pretty much back to normal at this point.
Jackie was under his arm, trying to keep warm from the chilly New York winter weather. Ayrton was holding Leo, sort of dancing with him, trying to keep him distracted from the cold, and Andrea was hugging Bruno close to him, keeping him shielded from the wind. Peyton was having a blast, she thought this was the coolest thing ever.
They were getting pretty close to the countdown now, the hosts of Dick Clarke's Rockin' Eve have been around a few times, asking questions to the crowd. The kids enjoyed knowing they were on national TV.
"This is so cool!" Peyton exclaimed as she looked up at the stage, "I love this band!"
"You've said that about every band that's preformed tonight," Jackie said sarcastically.
"That's because I love every band," Peyton said in a matter of fact way.
Jackie snickered and rolled her eyes as the teenage girl peered up at the performers on stage, her hands clasped as she jumped up and down in girly glee. The band went on with their song for a few more minutes, and when they finished, the crowd applauded and cheered.
Jackie shivered as she looked up at the clock; they were about to do the countdown. She was having a good time, but she was also ready to go back home, it was a little too cold for her comfort. Jackie released a breath, her whole body being met with another shiver as the crowd began counting down from sixty seconds.
Everyone was excited, as they usually were when it turned to a new year. Jackie looked up at the clock as it counted down. Fifty, then forty, thirty, and twenty. Then it was ten.
"Nine!" The crowd cried, ready to start 1986.
"Eight!" Jackie looked down at Peyton, her eyes were full of cheer.
"Seven!" Bruno was excited, happy he had actually made it midnight.
"Six!" Rachel clung to Andrea, her eyes watching the clock, as were his.
"Five!" The crowd became more excited as they got down to the final seconds.
"Four!" Leo was looking around in confusion, not really sure what was going on.
"Three!" Jackie felt Eric's arm tighten around her shoulders, she leaned her head against his chest, "Two!"
"One! Happy New Year!" Everyone cried, confetti falling down upon them as people cheered and Frank Sinatra's classic song played over Times Square.
Jackie had to admit, this was pretty cool. She was sort of glad David talked them into this. The kids and Ayrton were now trying to catch the confetti falling down around them, and Jackie smiled when she saw Andrea and Rachel kissing, David and Maya doing the same thing, and the next thing she knew, Eric was kissing her.
The kiss only lasted a moment, as they all heard a female voice from somewhere around them talking about all the kissing couples. Eric and Jackie pulled apart and saw it was one of the host's for the show and she had stopped in front of them.
The woman turned to face the couple and smiled kindly at them, "Here's a couple that I think I interrupted. What are your names?"
"I'm Eric, and this is Jackie," Eric replied with a smile, his arm wrapped firmly around Jackie.
"I thought you looked familiar," The host said to Jackie, but she didn't make a big deal out of it, "Is there anything you two would like to say?"
"Actually, yes," Eric said quickly before he pulled away from Jackie and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small box and grabbed Jackie's hand, before he got down on one knee like tradition.
"Eric..." Jackie said quietly, covering her mouth with her hand in surprise, the host gasping in surprise as well.
"Jackie," Eric started, holding Jackie's hand gently, "I've gone most of my life having not realized that I need you in my life. I mean yes, we used to not get along, but… Even back then, I feel like there was always something. When we reconnected after all those years apart, I fell in love right away."
Jackie felt the tears well up in her eyes, she gripped his hand tightly in hers, feeling a dozen different emotions go through her in that moment.
"I love you, so much, and I know you love me too," Eric went on, trying himself to stay composed, "I want to make you happy, that's all I've ever wanted. So, Jackie Burkhart…"
Their friends around them watched on in silent excitement, the unknowing tension in the air thick, even the host seemed anxious. Jackie felt her breath hitch in her throat as Eric released her hand and went to open the small box, a wide, somewhat bashful smile on his face. Jackie felt happy tears rolling down her face as she tried to keep herself under control, now she was beaming so much her cheeks hurt. Eric opened the small box gently, presenting the gorgeous silver ring to Jackie. Eric gazed into her eyes nervously, yet with excitement.
"Will you marry me?" Eric asked sincerely, his heart pounding hard in his chest.
Jackie couldn't believe it. She gazed into Eric's sweet, loving eyes, holding her breath anxiously. Her heart was pounding just as much as Eric's, maybe harder. She's been dreaming of this moment since she was a little girl, back then she would have never thought it'd be Eric Forman down on one knee, gazing up at her with all the adoration in the world. Jackie heard a few people in the crowd around them clap, a few whistled, one man even shouted at her to say yes. Jackie smiled and giggled happily as she began to nod her head.
"Yes," Jackie giggled again, sniffling as she hopped up and down in excitement, "Yes Eric, I will marry you."
Eric smiled wide, feeling like he was the happiest man alive, he swears he was. Jackie smiled as she watched Eric slide the engagement ring onto her finger. It was so pretty, how could he afford this? As soon as Eric got to his feet, Jackie attacked him with a hug, squeezing him tight. When she hugged him it knocked the wind right out of Eric, but he chuckled and wrapped his arms around her as well.
They heard the crowd around them cheer for them, and that made Jackie and Eric smile even wider, if that was even possible. Jackie and Eric pulled away, but only for a minute, because then Jackie kissed him right there in front of everybody. The host was beaming and clapping for them. Jackie couldn't think of a more romantic way to propose to her. America just watched them get engaged, Jackie couldn't believe it.
The newly engaged couple pulled away after a moment and Eric smiled down at Jackie before he said, "I love you."
Jackie smiled incredulously, in slight disbelief of what just happened as she kissed Eric again, and she felt him smile against her lips.
"Congratulations," The host smiled as the two broke the kiss once again.
"Thanks," The two smiled at her, still wrapped in each other's arms.
The couple were then attacked with a group hug with the two older children, both of them beaming up at the two. Peyton smiled and said, "I'm so happy for you two!"
"Me too!" Bruno beamed, hopping up and down in excitement, "Now our family can be complete!"
Eric and Jackie smiled down at Bruno as he and his sister beamed with happiness and excitement.
"Congratulations," Ayrton smiled as he stepped over to the two.
"We are all very happy for you two," Andrea said with a smile, his arm still hung over Rachel's shoulders.
"I knew it wouldn't be long and you guys would get engaged," David smiled sarcastically as he hugged Maya to him.
Jackie rolled her eyes as Eric nudged her, looking down at her hand, "You like your ring?"
Jackie looked down at the sterling silver. It was beautiful, the diamond wasn't huge, but it was pretty. It was a really nice ring, she just wanted to know how he could afford something like this on a teacher's salary.
"It's beautiful, Eric," Jackie smiled up at him, keeping her arms wrapped around his waist, "I love it."
"I saw that in the shop window a couple months ago and I knew that was the one I had to get," Eric said with a small shrug, "I wanted the perfect ring for the perfect girl."
Jackie giggled and said, "That was cheesy."
Eric smiled and nodded, "I know, but I'm good at it."
Jackie giggled again and tightened her arms around him, leaning in to kiss him again, smiling the whole time. This year was just full of surprises, some good, some bad, but in the end, everything worked out okay. Everything was perfect.