Author Note: ….I've been sidetracked by the Tsunami and my heart goes out to all affected….my muse has been sidelined by this terrible disaster. Here's just a little something entertaining to offset all the sadness…..

T7S

Chapter 37 – Kiss the Cook

T7S

Eric was outside getting the barbeque ready. Kelso was setting up a card table with chairs. Jackie was in the kitchen peeling potatoes with Brooke while Betsy slept in her playpen. Brooke looked up and smiled. "What!" Jackie mused.

Brooke shook her head, "Oh nothing….."

The potato peeler stopped in mid-air. "Nothing what? Spill it." Brooke turned around, "I've noticed that your pants are getting a little tighter."

"So? These are old and maybe they're a little snug." Jackie said in her defense. Brooke grinned, "Your boobs are a little bigger."

Jackie looked down at her chest, "Oh my god, I'm getting big boobs!"

"You might be pregnant." Brook declared with a grin."

"Impossible. Eric and I are…..mostly protected. Oh my god, I need to go buy a thing!"

Brooke was laughing, "Jackie go to the drugstore and get a couple and we'll check you out – I promise not to say anything."

Jackie's heart was racing in her chest. A little baby Burkhart-Forman? A little baby For-hart? No, that sounded cheesy. Still, she ran to the her house, grabbed her purse and hollered to Eric that she was going on a beer run all the while she was crossing her fingers.

-o-

While Jackie was on the "beer run" Fez pulled up with Hyde in the El Camino. "They live here?" Frankly Hyde was amazed the old woman left Jackie such a nice place. There were two dogs playing in the front yard and the smell of fresh lit briquettes wafted from the backyard. Brooke and Betsy were walking out of a side door and past a rubber wading pool – it looked like a domestic scene right out of Red Forman's How-To-Be-Domestic Handbook.

Fez grinned. "Yes. The little dog is Pawn and he's friendly and the bigger dog is his brother. Grunt."

"Ugh." Hyde wondered why Fez would ask him to do that.

"No…." the brown man laughed. "Grunt is the name of the dog. OW!" Fez exclaimed as Hyde frogged him in the shoulder. "Not funny man." was the only warning. Hyde turned off the ignition and got out while Fez nursed his aching shoulder.

Kelso was wearing a Kiss the Cook Here apron with the arrow pointing down and waved excitedly, "Hey! I'm cooking with fire!" Eric came out of the house he shared with Jackie and nearly stumbled when he saw the new guests. He had forgotten Hyde was coming with friends.

"Foreman!" Hyde hollered and tossed a six pack in Eric's direction. He snagged it easily and carried the beer to the ice chest. Hyde jumped over the fence while Fez preferred to go through the gate. That was until both dogs saw him. Fez could only see fur and floppy ears flying at breakneck speed in his direction. Spittle and saliva flew in all around as the four legged Shepards barreled towards the new visitor.

"Aaaiiiyyyyy! Eric…" Fez screamed like a girl and ran into the house slamming the door, not realizing that the doggie door was seconds away. Eric looked at Hyde, "Wait a sec….:" He held up a finger and counted down until Kelso started laughing. Fez screamed at the top of his voice. Eric grinned, "I'll bet he locked himself in the bathroom. Have a seat and I'll go do a rescue."

"Hey, we have a place for a swing set over there." Kelso pointed towards the back of the yard with his long handled spatula. "What are you going to do, another disastrous back flip from the roof again?" Hyde laughed.

Kelso rubbed his chin. "I was thinking about it. You know…when Brooke's not around. But yeah…definitely thinking about it." Hyde took a seat on a canvas chair and heard the pounding of eight running feet.

The spatula clattered to the ground and Kelso grabbed the dogs by the neck and started laughing, "Whose the best doggie?" He rolled over on his back and the dogs began licking his face and pushing their noses into his soft belly. "Uh….Kelso, I'm not eating unless you wash your hands first man."

He sat up, "What? Oh! Sorry, you know how I love puppies. This shorty is Pawn. He's Jackie's first dog and this big guy is Grunt. He's new around here and is peeing on everything to mark his territory."

"Kind of like a teenage Kelso, eh?" Hyde laughed and a wrecked looking Fez came limping around the corner of Kelso's house. "Ohh….devil dogs. That's what they are!"

Eric tossed a beer can and a Hostess Twinkie to Fez and the complaining stopped. "Forman…where's Jackie?"

"Beer run. She'll be back soon." Eric replied. Brooke smiled and put a bowl of chips on the rickety little table. "Donna's on her way."

Kelso grinned, "This is like Forman's basement but with beer…..and fire and fresh air. Awesome!"

-o-

Jackie was struck in awe at all the home pregnancy tests available and not knowing which the best brand was, she purchased four of them. She made a side trip to the market and picked up more beer and some soda. She remembered the guy's friend Steven Hyde was going to be there so she added some popsicles to the mix. Popsicles? Was that a memory or just something she used to always buy?

Driving back home she smiled as she thought that she could just possibly be pregnant….or was happy and gaining weight….it didn't really matter because she would be happy either way. Eric loved her. The dogs loved her. She had friends. Bob and the Forman's were her extended family. Donna and Brooke were like sisters. Her life was nearly complete.

Well, as complete as it could be until she remembered everything about Mr. Steven Hyde. Perhaps talking to him among friends would trigger some memories. It was a beautiful summer day….Jackie finally had a plan!

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"What! No bikini top so we could ogle your boobs?" Hyde teased. Donna whacked him on the back of the head. "No you dill hole. I would prefer NOT to look like a lobster."

Eric came over bringing Donna a choice of beverage and she picked the diet Tab. "You're looking good Eric." He smiled and sat down in the lawn chair only to have Grunt pad over and rest his big puppy head on Eric's thigh.

"I'm happy. I mean the kind where if I was a chick I'd be giggling happy."

Kelso quipped, "Oh, like you haven't been all week?" Eric glared at the chef while Donna laughed. "So…..you and the midget….who would have thought?" Donna looked at Hyde who pretended not to hear. Eric grinned, "Yeah….me with a girl and her two dogs." Grunt looked up at Eric's face and uttered a soft "woof". Eric scratched the furry head and the dog smiled.

The sound of the Nova pulling up against the curb started both dogs barking with happiness and they ran straight for the main gate. Jackie pulled a couple of Milk bones from her pocket and fed them to the pups. Eric heaved himself out of the chair and hurried to help with the bags. He was rewarded with a kiss and a giggle.

"What are you not telling me?" he asked softly. Jackie walked ahead and laughed, "You'll know soon enough." She pushed the door open with her hip and once in the kitchen set the bag on the table. "There's more in the backseat, would you get them for me?"

Once he left the front door, Jackie moved her pharmacy bag to a small drawer until she could get back to Brooke's house. Meanwhile, she put the drinks in the fridge and grabbed a bag of pretzels. "How drunk are you going for?" Eric teased.

She grinned and poked at his belly. "Just trying to get you….drunk enough." Eric smiled, "You make me drunk….I'm love drunk."

She pulled at his belt. "Put on some shorts and let the sun shine on those white legs of yours. I have to help Brooke. Oh….what do you think if I just talked to your friend Hyde and see if anything comes back to me?"

Eric didn't really like the idea but he knew that one day Jackie would remember and as long as she was among friends….Hyde shouldn't try anything. Still, he gave an encouraging smile. "Can't hurt to try."

She kissed his cheek and hurried him out the door. "I'll be right there." After he cleared the back steps, Jackie grabbed her purchase and ran for the neighboring house.

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Brooke sat on the edge of the bathtub beside her clueless friend. "I've never seen a two out of three result before. Jackie rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I guess I need to have a doctor perform a test….I think two is better than one but I don't know…."

Brooke smiled softly, "Do you want a baby?"

Jackie thought about how sweet Eric was with little Betsy and how the dogs were attached to him. "Eric will be a great father."

"No honey, do you want a baby? Its big responsibility and you're still getting your life together….you really need to think about it."

Jackie scooped up all three test kits and put them back in the bag. "I want to be a mother and a little baby Morgan-Burkhart-Forman is all I need. I have everything else. I just want you to quit commenting on my tight pants." Morgan-Burkhart? Nah...Burkhart-Forman...

Brooke laughed. "If you want, I'll go with you to the clinic."

Jackie nodded. "I'd like a friend there. Say nothing to Eric, I want it to be a surprise when I know for certain."

"My lips are sealed." Brooke said solemnly then she squealed, "But you might be pregnant!"

-o-

Kelso frowned, "Are they screaming again? I swear those women will scream at a bug or a cereal commercial on TV."

Hyde bounced his beer against Donna's. "A toast to girlie girls and ….then to college students. Say Donna, is it true what they say about sororities?"

Donna winked at a well-into-his-cups Steven Hyde. "What do you think they say about sororities, Hyde?"

"Ppfftt….I don't remember now, dammit."

Fez laughed and Eric carried over some fresh salsa. The sun had finally moved over the house and it cooled down the backyard. Kelso hollered at the kitchen window for a plate and Brooke appeared with a tray, aluminum foil and more bean dip.

Jackie followed close behind with a bowl of pretzels. She smiled at Eric and then took a seat in his chair which sat across from Hyde's. She looked at him and then at Donna. "That's a good color on you." She said.

Donna looked pleased – she was actually expecting a burn at wearing pale green with her creamy white skin. "Well thanks Jackie. How have you been?"

The younger girl's lips twitched like she was holding back a smile….or a secret. "Fine. Amazingly fine."

Donna nodded. "Your friend who died….Tabitha? Did anyone else notice that there were 13 white birds flying around during that ceremony?"

Kelso burped and then covered his mouth. "I did. I thought that if one of them took a crap on my best suit then I was going to get my slingshot out of my back pocket and have me some bird."

Brooke lifted a sleeping Betsy out of the playpen. "Michael you did not. I hid your slingshot."

Kelso was nonplussed but whispered, "She didn't know about the mini that I keep in my sock."

Carrying the baby into the house Brooke replied over her shoulder, "I hid that one too."

"DAMN!" Kelso groaned. "She knows all my tricks."

Donna laughed, "Well that didn't stop you from headstone jumping."

Hyde laughed, "Yeah, that was funny. What was that little statue that cracked you in the eye?"

The conversation stopped. No one knew that Hyde was there – back in the shadows – watching. He gave himself away. "Okay, so I was hanging back….just wanted to see what was happening. It's not like I was spying or anything."

Jackie seemed to be observing him and Hyde wanted to squirm in his chair. "So, you own a record store."

Surprised that she actually spoke to him, Hyde replied, "Guilty as charged."

"You live in a basement." She said because that was what she had been told. Hyde held up his hands palms facing out. "Mrs. Forman has me addicted to her cooking." God she looked so beautiful sitting there with the sunlight bouncing off her dark hair! "I understand you own part of a diner."

She smiled, "Half of it. I'm addicted to a Turkey Club." She winked at Eric who blushed despite himself. "You should stop by sometime for a sandwich."

"If you need music, I'll give you a good discount." Even though the conversation was awkward and so cautious, it felt good to talk to her. She wasn't judging him by his looks, or his dress….she wasn't trying to make him into something he wasn't. That was her M.O. in the past….part of the reason why they were at odds so much. This was refreshing.

-o-

The barbeque continued into the late hours, Donna who was more sober than Fez or Hyde agreed to take everyone home. Eric enjoyed the way Donna got along with Jackie. Both women had matured so much in the past months gone by.

Kelso was passed out and naked save for his Kiss the Cook Here apron. Grunt was licking barbeque sauce from the plastic and the chef's hands and Kelso would laugh in his sleep. Brooke waved goodbye to the friends while Eric went to help Kelso get back in the house. "But I'm not touching his butt!"

Jackie laughed and Brooke smiled knowingly. "Tomorrow we'll know." Both girls turned when they heard Eric shout, "Kelso, get your hand off my butt!" Jackie giggled, "I'll call you tomorrow after Eric leaves."

"You better!" Brooke grinned and turned to her own house. Eric was wiping his hands on his pants. "I left him on the sofa – he was getting…..handsy!"

-o-

Jackie had already showered and was watching the news in her nightgown. When Eric locked up the house for the night he stopped dead in his tracks. The dogs were sleeping on the floor and Jackie just looked more beautiful than he recalled. Tabitha's last message to him was foremost in his mind. "…. Eric, this was my mother's. You'll know when to use it." He reached in his pocket and felt the weight of the diamond ring settle on his fingers.

This was the time.

Jackie looked up and smiled. "Just in time for Saturday Night Live." She patted the cushion next to her and Eric knelt down next to Pawn. "Jackie….um…" his hands were shaking. "Would you ever consider….have you thought about….Jackie, would you marry me?"

He pulled the huge diamond ring from his pocket and it sparkled in the flicker of the television. "God Eric…what are you doing?" His shaky fingers managed to slide the ring onto her finger and he looked into her bright eyes. "I can't imagine my future if you aren't in it." He could feel his throat getting tight and Tabby's voice was in his head. "….Eric, watch over your new family now and take care of the old one. The devil isn't ready for Rusty Red Forman…"

"Would you marry me?" his voice ended on a super high note and a choke as Jackie launched into a huge hug. "Oh course I'll marry you! And we'll have children and puppies and grow old together." She pressed her hands against his cheeks delighting to see a glimmer of tears in his eyes. "You would be the best husband."

He smiled tremulously and kissed her mouth. "You would make the best wife." In his mind he thanked Tabitha over and over for the witches nudge.

T7S

A/N: I know…I'm prolonging the Hyde/Jackie agony….it's on it's way…author has just been sidelined with life changing events.