Author Note: …..it's those neighbors again…moving the story along….

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Chapter 36 – Saving Bob

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"Operator, please state your emergency."

"Yes, hello I need help."

"What kind of assistance do you need sir?"

"My car skidded off the road and I'm stuck in a ditch and I locked my keys in the car and I'm freezing!"

"Please hold sir and I will see if we have a wrecker in your vicinity." Gloria put her hand over the receiver and turned to Jerry. "Who's available between Kenosha and Point Place?"

Jerry looked at the tote board, "We have Batman leaving Kenosha and Jessie's girl coming out of Elk Horn."

The dispatcher came back on the line, "Sir, are you injured?"

"No, I'm just freezing to death and it's snowing!"

"Sir, I can have a wrecker to your location in fifteen minutes. Please keep yourself in a safe area."

"Okie-dokie. Just hurry!"

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The big black tow truck came up over the rise and a nearly frozen Bob Pinciotti was ecstatic. The bright yellow flashers reflected against the grey snow bank and the sky was getting dark again. The yellow was a welcoming sight. The driver opened the cab and jumped out wearing a yellow slicker and hat that Bob thought looked familiar. Behind the driver was a large Australian Shepherd.

Jackie looked at the position of the car and possible damages then looked at the driver. Crap. It was velour track suited Bob Pinciotti. What in the hell was he doing out of Point Place this late on a snowy afternoon? Still, this was a job and she'd just have to scare the pants off of him.

She turned on her Mag Lite and aimed it at Bob's bald head. "Are you injured?"

He looked scared and very out of his element. "Um… no. I'm just freezing to death. Your dog doesn't bite does he?"

"Only if I want him to. Can you tell me what happened to your vehicle?"

"Can you get the light out of my eyes? I was coming back from Kenosha and my brakes felt squishy and the next thing I know I'm spinning right into a snow bank. My engine was running because I left the keys in my car but I think my battery just died."

Jackie took a deep breath. "Look Mr. Pinciotti, we can do this the easy way or you can stay out here and wait for another wrecker."

Bob looked up shocked, "How did you know my name?"

Jackie took off the slicker hat and moved her flashlight. "Mr. Pinciotti, I used to live with you for a while." Bob gasped. "Jackie!" He grabbed her into a hug against his barrel shaped chest. "Young lady… where have you been? We were just frantic when you left."

Jackie grinned. "Look, if I take care of your car, you CAN NOT tell anyone that it was me okay? I don't need Steven or Donna mucking up my life again."

Bob was still in shock. "Sure. Okay. What do you need me to do?"

Jackie pointed to the passenger door of the wrecker. "Go sit in my truck. There's a thermos full of hot chocolate. Just let me do my job and don't play with the radio." Bob ran and half slid his way to the truck.

Jackie pushed the sling belt under the axle of Bob's Honda and made the attachments to the winch. She pressed the button for the pneumatic lift and the wrecker screeched into life raising the car from the snow bank. The winch pulled the auto back on the road and she stopped the lift at the two foot mark. Her Slim Jim was in the tool box so she slipped it between the window and the frame and unlocked the car turning off the dead ignition and retrieved the keys.

Making sure everything was secure; she whistled for Jessie and climbed up into the cab. The dog growled a warning at Bob and squeezed between the seats to lie in the back. Jackie reached for her invoice book as the radio squelched in the air. "Jessie, what's your twenty? Over."

She grabbed the mike, "I'm at mile marker 51. Over."

"Are you going to need a flatbed? Over."

"Negative. It's a tow with some engine problems and body work. I'll tow it to Big Boss in Point Place. Over."

"Okay Jessie, give us your 10-8 after you see Big Boss. Over."

"Affirmative. Over." Jackie put the mike back in the cradle and handed over her release statement and a pen. "I need your signature to tow your car."

Cocoa drinking Bob's brain was going into overload. Jackie Burkhart was a tow truck driver? He eagerly signed the release and Jackie handed over the bill.

J & J Towing

….$25 Hook Up Fee

….$65 Tow Fee

.…$30 Mileage Fee

.…$40 Lock Out Fee

…$220.00 Total Due

"Do you have auto club?" she asked.

Bob pulled cash out of his wallet. "No, but I have money." Jackie took the $220 and put it in her pocket and peeled off Bob's copy. "Okay, your back fender is just barely hanging on and I'm towing you into town. Your car is not drivable. Do you have a garage of preference or do you want to trust me?"

Sitting in the warm cab so high above the ground with Air Supply playing in the background, Bob felt safe. He was rescued by a little angel and smiled. "Jackie, you're a good girl. You can take my car wherever you want. Is this your dog?"

"Yes, and he's a working dog so keep your hands to yourself." Jackie warned tongue in cheek. She shifted the truck into first gear and pulled into traffic. As soon as they were headed back to Point Place she picked up the radio.

"Big Boss, this is Jessie. Over."

"This is Big Boss. Over." Bob wondered why Big Boss sounded like Red Forman.

"I have a pickup. It's a Honda with a broken fender, no brakes and possible alternator/battery problems. You want? Over.."

"Affirmative - What's your ETA? Over."

"I'm ten minutes out. Over." She replaced the mike and shifted into second gear and exactly ten minutes later, the wrecker was backing Bob's car into the middle bay of Red's new garage.

Jessie jumped over Bob's lap and ran to Red who was holding a dog biscuit. When Red saw that it was Bob who spilled out of the wrecker he just started laughing. "Bob Pinciotti, what the hell are you doing driving on a day like this?"

Bob watched while Red gave the huge dog a bone and then it ran into the office. Jackie was lowering his Honda to the garage floor when everything started to come together. "Oh my gosh! Jackie is Jessie's girl!"

Red looked at his neighbor. "Yes."

"Eric is dating Jackie and not some tow truck driver's daughter."

"Yes."

"Jackie is the tow truck driver." Bob was finally connecting the dots. "But who is Jessie?"

The dog barked from the office. Red smirked, "That's Jessie. Now if you have any good sense, you'll keep Jackie out of any conversation with Steven. She values her privacy and that boy just gave her heartache."

"But he's with Donna now." Bob started to argue.

"I can just as easily have her tow your car down to Smithy's." Red threatened. Bob held up his hands. "That overpriced garage guy? No, I can keep the secret. Yeah, I mean she saved me from freezing to death." Bob looked over at his car and appreciated how professional she looked working the winch.

"She does a good job doesn't she? I mean, you wouldn't let her work with you unless she was good."

Red sighed. "Bob, she's very good and it's good for my business. I don't need you babbling your mouth and ruining my investment. Besides, you want Donna to be happy right?"

"Of course, she's my little girl."

Red looked at Bob. "Well, I feel the same way about Jackie."

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Brooke was decorating a Christmas tree and Betsy was hanging clumps of tinsel on the lower limbs. Jackie walked in and smiled. It was good to be home. After she rescued Bob, she had three other similar jobs and now she was exhausted.

Betsy ran for a hug, missing Jackie and right for the dog. Jessie rolled over onto his back and smiled a toothy grin. Jackie smiled, "Whatever you are cooking smells great."

"Oh, tonight I'm making homemade chicken pot pies. My mom gave me this great recipe for the crust. Take your shower honey, you smell like an oil field. Oh, and Eric called."

"Okay, I'll call him back later."

Jackie walked up the steps and smiled as she remembered what a gentleman he was on Saturday night. She knew Eric wanted to do more than practice and she did wanted to also, but she needed to make sure he wanted more than just her body. She wanted him to want her heart.

Brooke watched Jackie walking up the steps. That girl was deep in thought and Brooke knew what it was about. Eric had given her a brief overview of Saturday night and it was just about one of the most romantic stories she had heard in a long time. Well, Eric dedicating a song at the dance was truly romantic but Brooke could see how her friend was falling in love with Jackie. It was sad that Jackie couldn't say that she loved him too, but it would happen in time. Brooke just had to get Jackie and Eric to realize how perfect they were for each other.

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"Dad? You're home awfully late. Where's your car?" Donna took a Stouffer's Casserole out of the oven. Bob shrugged out of his coat and remembered Red's warning. "Oh, my car broke down on the highway and I slid into a snow bank."

Hyde looked up from the kitchen table. "Yeah, those roads get slick in the afternoon."

Donna ignored Hyde's comment. "Are you okay?"

Bob sat down. "I'm good. I had to get my car towed to Red's shop. My back bumper thingy was falling off and my brakes need to be repaired."

Donna poured her dad a cup of coffee. "Good, maybe you can find out who had the balls to tow my car!" Bob looked at his daughter. "Donna. Drop it okay? Just forget the whole getting your car towed thing. You're just lucky it wasn't stolen. Just let it go."

Hyde smirked, "Amen Bob." Donna sat down. "Well, it still bothers me and you expect me to drop it?"

Bob sighed, "Sweetie, look at it this way. You finally got your own parking space with the Hot Donna sign. Isn't that what you've wanted for a long time? The recognition? So what if some nameless police officer decided to have your car towed. Look at how it turned out for you."

Hyde pushed his glasses up higher on the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, now everyone knows where you park your car!"

"Ha ha. Very funny. Okay, so maybe I wanted my own space but still!"

Simultaneously, Bob and Hyde said, "Let it go!"

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"It's me."

Eric held the phone to his ear. "Well, I was expecting George Lucas to call and invite me to lunch tomorrow, but I can take your call."

Jackie laughed into the receiver. "Bob knows."

"I heard. Why are you worried?"

He could hear her sigh. "My whole carefully protected world is coming apart. Bob has the biggest mouth on the planet and it's only a matter of time before he tells Donna and Steven I'm back in town."

"Which part worries you more? Bob talking nonsense or Hyde and Donna finding out?"

"Eric, you're going to think I'm crazy. Out of all my friends, those two hurt me the worst. Everyone says forgive and forget but I can't. Great – they're happy and living their own lives. I would just like it to stay that way."

Eric realized that if Bob told Hyde and Donna about Jackie, then Hyde would probably come sniffing around and ruin everything he and Jackie were building towards.

"I know a hit man. Two thousand bucks and we can get rid of the problem."

Jackie laughed. 'You're so silly. But thank you, I needed to hear that someone is on my side."

"Jackie, I'm always on your side."

He could almost hear the smile in her voice. "Thank you Eric. I – I like you very much."

"I love you too."

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