Author Note: I had to keep looking at the calendar for December 1987 so I wouldn't mix up my days of the week – how crazy is that?
Chapter 26 - Brand New Everything
.•* .•* *•. Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ .•*.• *•
He was alive…more alive than he could remember. Eric didn't want this first moment of the New Year to end. It was a fresh beginning that gave him hope. Kissing Jackie Burkhart in the mezzanine of The Villa restaurant was the most symbolic gesture Karma could give him.
He finally had hope for the future - Eric Forman actually had a future! Hot damn!
.•* .•* *•. Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ .•*.• *•
1988 was here at last and flew in on the wings of an unforgettable kiss. Eric and Jackie stayed at The Villa drinking coffee as New Year's arrived in Colorado and then again in California. They drank and talked about nothing – nothing that only prolonged ending the wonderful evening and it was more memorable than any holiday Jackie could remember.
He was such the gentleman, walking her up the stairs in the wee hours of the morning. A light dusting of snow covered the walkway and Eric's arm around her waist was more of a poetic gesture than for her safety. Once at her apartment door, Jackie stopped and looked at him with glowing eyes.
"Do you want to come in?" she asked shyly.
Eric smiled and pulled on her hands bringing her towards him but he kept his arms straight. Their clasped hands were low, keeping them apart yet tenderly intimate. "I would love to come in…but I won't."
Jackie blinked. Eric smiled and pressed his forehead to hers. "This has been the best Thursday of my life and while I don't want it to end….it has to at some point, only so I can go home and call you and tell you just how great it was. How great you are."
Her lips curled in a smile. What a corny yet romantic compliment that was! She squeezed his fingers. "You know, we've been through a lot this last year….and most of it was your fault."
He laughed softly, "I know." "I lost my car, my best friend and ended up with you." She teased.
Eric sighed happily, "I lost my best friend to your wicked one, found my sister and now I'm hopelessly infatuated with you."
"I know. Shut up and kiss me goodnight." Jackie ordered. Eric wrapped an arm around her waist and buried his face in her dark hair. That electric zing! coursed through his body and when his head dipped for a goodnight kiss, Jackie's fingers slid through his hair and held the back of his head as she returned the kiss.
He managed to breathe a staggered breath. "Uh….er…..I really have to go….now….getting late…" He backed away, but still held her hand.
Jackie laughed, "You are so crazy! Go….go so you can call me."
Eric ran his fingers through his hair and bit his lip. Did he make the wrong decision? "You sure?" His heart was pounding, waiting for her answer, He decided, "If she asks me to stay, I'll say yes. Definitely yes yes yes!"
Jackie laughed quietly, "No, I'm not sure and I think I'm still a little bit drunk. Go home safely and we'll talk."
Eric nodded. She was right, they were both still riding the high of the party evening and anything following such an event would have been a disaster. Well, not for him, because he was a guy, and pretty much anything would have been welcomed….it wasn't right because he cared about Jackie Burkhart.
"Good night Eric." She slid her key into the lock and opened her door. "Thank you for the wonderful party."
He waited until she closed the door and he heard the lock tumblers click into place. "Good night Jackie."
.•* .•* *•. Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ .•*.• *•
Michael Kelso sat at the windowed partition and held the cold receiver to his ear. The infection had cleared up and all the antibiotics pretty much cured his pneumonia. All he had left was this residual cough and a jail cell bunk. On the other side of the window was his dad.
"Mikey, your mom….your mom didn't want to see you like this." John Kelso sighed into the phone. "Casey said he'll come see you later, but I wanted to deliver this to you."
Kelso looked at his father. Man, when did his dad start looking like Homer Simpson? He looked old! John Kelso was unfolding a piece of paper and then he pressed it to the scratched plexi-glass so his son could see. It was a child's picture of a house and a dog and two stick figures wearing dresses.
Kelso smiled at the scrawled "Betsy" at the bottom of the page and then he looked at the top once more and found that written above the clouds, eight year old Betsy had written, I miss you daddy.
Kelso could feel his throat get tight and he didn't want to cry because that you just don't cry in prison. He swallowed hard and spoke into the receiver, "Looks like my daughter is going to be a great artist."
John smiled and refolded the paper picture and put it back in its envelope. "Son, I wanted to tell you that Brooke is getting married in June. She found a fine fellow, a banker, and he treats Betsy real nice."
Kelso blinked. What?! His brain went into overload, "Married? I don't want some other guy being my kid's dad. That's not how it was supposed to happen!"
John had anticipated this outburst. "Son, I spoke to Brooke and she agreed that if you do your sentence as ordered and attend some program to stay off drugs….she will give you visitation."
Michael Kelso could feel a flicker of anger in his chest that sparked into a flame. "I don't want some strange dude taking care of my kid. That's my job."
John set back in his chair. "Mikey….look son. Look around you – you're in jail. How are you supposed to take care of your daughter from here? And when you get out, how is Brooke supposed to know that you won't start doing drugs again? She's afraid for Betsy's safety and she had every right to be."
Kelso closed his eyes and exhaled. He knew that everything his dad said was right and he really couldn't take care of his little girl from in this place and that really made him sad. Kelso looked up at his father, "I get it. Brooke wants to move on, but dad….I don't want Betsy to call this new guy daddy. I'm her daddy. She can call him anything but daddy. Can you tell that to Brooke? And when I get out of here, I'm taking care of my daughter."
John Kelso felt a measure of pride in his son for the first time in years. Mikey's fighting spirit was coming back. "Sure Mike…oh and I got a telephone call from that island friend of yours….Jez…..Mez….Fez…..whatever, he said that when he flies into Wisconsin, he's coming to see you….so, you better add him to your visitor list."
Kelso smiled. Fez? God, he hadn't seen his buddy in year! That was great news. "I'll do that dad….and dad? Thanks for coming down to see me."
John put a hand to the glass and Kelso pressed his palm to the other side. The two hands mirrored each other. "Miss you son."
"Miss you too dad!"
.•* .•* *•. Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ .•*.• *•
Jackie rolled over at the sound of the telephone ringing. She looked the clock and it was just minutes after six. Why was Eric calling so early? She brushed the sleep from her eyes and picked up the receiver, "We just got done talking!" she exclaimed drowsily,
"Don't you ever go to sleep?"
"It's Nadine and oh Jackie, can I come over?"
Jackie pushed herself to a sitting position. "Nadine? What's wrong?"
Nadine sobbed on the phone, "My landlord. The bastard locked me out! He said I broke the rules of the apartment complex. Jackie….I didn't even know they had rules!"
Jackie smiled at her dim friend's predicament. "It's gonna be okay. Bring yourself over here and we'll work this out later. You have your key right?"
"Yeah…I got my key."" Nadine confirmed. Jackie hung up the phone and threw the covers off her legs. She stretched and smiled – last night had been like a dream. That old Beauty and the Beast dream of Fez? Pfffft! Back when….. Cinderella's prince had been wearing tacky striped Polo's and driving a Vista Cruiser…..oh how times have changed!
With a smile on her face, she got up and went straight to the coffee maker. Straighten things up with Nadine and then visit Dad in Prison. It was going to be a busy day!
.•* .•* *•. Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ .•*.• *•
"Ahahahahahaha!" Kitty couldn't stop giggling at the gift in her hand. "It's a snow globe of Buckingham Palace! Look at the little guards wearing their poofy hats! Oh Steven, this is adorable. Lean down and let me kiss your fuzzy cheek."
Hyde rubbed self-consciously at the stubble on his face. The plane had landed early this morning and he didn't have time to clean up. Figures, that out of everyone in the world, Mom would notice the beard. He laughed, "Got me. I was thinking of growing my porn 'stache just for you too!" He kissed the soft cheek that was offered to him before sitting down in the visitor chair.
"….so how was your Christmas?" Kitty shook the snow globe one last time and watched the flakes settle on the castle's courtyard. "It was nice."
She looked at Steven with a twinkle in her eyes and added, "Jackie has been by to visit me."
Hyde fought the urge to laugh. Kitty was baiting him so he allowed her lure him in. "Oh really?"
Kitty nodded and reached for her picture album. "Eric gave me this for Christmas. Look at the photo's…..we posed together."
Hyde picked up the book and it naturally opened to the last page that had been populated with photos. There she was in all her brunette glory….kissy faced with Kitty Forman." His fingers itched to take the picture out of the album because it really was a great photo of both women who held a special place in his heart. "You look gorgeous." Hyde admitted.
Kitty smiled. "I know…. Ahahahahaha….. but Jackie looks great too!"
Hyde looked at a couple of pictures and agreed. "You both look happy."
Kitty sighed, "Well, I'm as happy as I can be." She put her wrinkled hand over Steven's, "Can you stay for breakfast? Red will be here and Eric's coming over later."
Hyde gently pulled his hand back. "Yeah….uh….I still need to book a room and take a shower….jet lag….how about I come back for your dinner?"
Kitty looked at her second son with warm eyes, "I think I would like that very much."
Hyde closed the photo album and kissed Kitty on the cheek. "Mom….." He was trying not to yawn, "I promise to bring the dessert."
Kitty smiled. "Well, you know where I'll be!"
Steven Hyde did know where his adopted mother would be and he hated that she had to stay in this place. But, what could he do about it?
It was a brand new everything.
¸.•*´ `*•.¸ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ¸.•*