Author Note:…it's good…it's part of the plot…don't hate the author!

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Chapter 37 – Just a Little Rock

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"Brooke, I need you to take a long lunch and lock the door on your way out."

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Jackie looked up, "Tell me this isn't some prop."

Eric smiled his hands at her waist. "Nope. It's real. I got it at Tiffany's when we took the tour."

"You got me an engagement ring from Tiffany's?" Her squeal went ultrasonic. She was jumping around and the diamond frames were bouncing off her face. Eric took the ring and slid it on her finger properly. He knelt down and pulled her onto his leg. "Promise to marry me and love me forever?"

"Yes." She smacked a happy kiss on his mouth.

"I found the home I want to live in. I'll show you tonight. But, right now, I have to finish these pictures. I want you to look…"

Jackie put the diamond ringed hand on her cheek, "Innocent?" She fluffed her hair and pulled the lab coat off her shoulders, "Seductive?"

"Hold that pose." Eric quickly ran to the camera and lined up the shot. "Show me you love me." Jackie put her elbows on the counter and put her chin in her hands and just looked at the man behind the camera lens. He bought me a ring from Tiffany's! She smiled dreamily as she remembered seeing all the necklaces and earrings and bracelets. Meanwhile, Eric clicked off money shot one after another. He took the camera off the tripod and started the close-ups. "Glenda," he said softly, "Who are you going to show your ring to first?"

Jackie looked into the lens, her multicolored eyes sparkling, "Your mom and then Fez. He'll be so happy. And then I'm showing Michael."

"Do you need a bigger diamond?"

"What? No! This is just perfect. Hey, tell me about the house you found. Is it something I've been showing?" Eric was moving around the set snapping head shots and grinned. "I've been looking at it for many years and I think that it's the place I want to spend the rest of my life. With you… of course."

Jackie blushed slightly, "God you are so romantic! You had this ring the whole time and Brooke didn't even know?"

"Nope."

"You're sneaky too…I love it!"

Eric snapped off the last picture and set his camera on the tripod. "Glenda, bring that cute little lab coat over here."

Jackie took the diamond frames off and set them on the counter. "Yes my dear?"

Eric wrapped his arms around her waist, "I've sent my assistant out for a long lunch…have I showed you the sofa in my office?"

"Why Mr. Forman, I don't believe I am acquainted with that piece of furniture….yet." Eric swung her up into his arms and she giggled and pulled his head down for a kiss. "I love you Eric."

He carried her off the set and to his office. "I love you Jackie."

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"Wait, we're going to your parent's house first? I thought you were going to show me your dream house!"

Eric parked in the driveway. "That's next. I'm lucky I got you out of Brooke's clutches. What is it about girls and diamonds?"

Jackie swatted him on the arm. "Because diamonds are a girl's best friend! You've heard the line before. But I like mine the best." She confessed. Eric grinned. "I'm glad because I don't want to have to fly back and exchange it."

Kitty and Red were in the living room watching television when Eric opened the swinging kitchen door. "Mom, are you and Dad free for a minute?"

Red put his newspaper down, "Eric, come in. What brings you by this late in the day?"

Eric pulled Jackie through the door with him. "I want to introduce you to my fiancée."

Kitty's mouth fell open and Red looked shocked. Jackie held up her ringed hand. "He proposed to me today!" Her voice went ultrasonic for the second time that day.

Kitty started to cry, "Oh honey…you're getting married." She stood up and took Jackie's hand to look at the beautiful diamond. "Jackie you were like my daughter before and now….you are going to be a member of my family!" Kitty started crying.

Red was starting to get emotional but in a thick voice said, "Look dumbass – you made your mother cry. Let me see this rock."

Jackie was bouncing as she walked over to Red and showed him the ring. Red didn't want to let on that he was impressed. "Well Loud One, I can honestly say, welcome to the family."

Jackie hugged Red and left a lipstick kiss on his forehead. "Thank you Mr. Forman." Eric hugged his mom and whispered, "Grandchildren someday soon."

Kitty squealed. "Oh, this is so wonderful! Red, honey…we're getting another daughter!"

Red Forman was perfectly okay with Jackie Burkhart as a daughter-in-law.

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Eric parked in the driveway next to Jackie's Mustang. "Hey, I thought you were going to show me your dream house." She protested. Eric grinned and came around to open her door.

"Just give me a minute. You might want to take a break; we've been working all day." Jackie looked at him suspiciously. "Just for a minute." She unlocked the house and stepped inside turning on some lights. Eric plopped down on her comfortable couch and said, "Sit with me for a minute."

She kicked off her shoes and sat on the sofa looking at her beautiful ring that dazzled in the light of the lamps. Eric put an arm around her shoulder. "Do you remember the first night I slept on this sofa bed? You had said something ironic. You told me, the yellow brick road led me back to Point Place…Jackie; this is my dream home - this house with you in it. I don't need some huge mansion. I been looking for something for many years and it was to be with you and that's where I want to be for the rest of my life."

"Oh Eric. That is the most romantic thing I've ever heard." Her eyes filled with happy tears. "Does that mean no more hard lumpy apartment bed?"

Eric laughed and wiped her tear with his finger. "You silly girl. Yes it does. I do have one request though."

Jackie wiped her eyes, "Yeah? What's that?"

"We have to add an extra room for all the kids we're gonna have."

Jackie laughed, "I haven't even thought about kids. But yeah, we can build an addition."

Eric turned serious. "I don't want to sound like I'm rushing here, but I would like to you seriously consider this."

Jackie looked at Eric, this something was important to him. "I've been traveling a lot and well, I like us to think about adopting a child in addition to any kids we have of our own. I've seen too many orphans… and Jackie, me and you would make good parents."

"Oh my god Eric, do you realize what you just said? I've pretty much been an orphan my whole life. I would SO love to do that. I know how it feels to be unwanted and oh Eric, could you get any more lovable?"

He smirked, "I don't know, but I'll keep trying!"

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Jackie floated through the workday. Amy saw the engagement ring right away and smiled. "You are the luckiest person ever! Did he get that from the mall?"

Jackie grinned, "No, Tiffany's in New York. I AM the luckiest girl! You know what? I'm taking the day off and you know what else? I'm going to the Neo-Natal Unit at the Hospital. I want to see my plaque."

Amy smiled, "I'll hold down the fort." Jackie smiled her thanks and said, "I'll be back later!"

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Donna was relieved to find that Randy Junior's ear infection was not chronic but the result of a sinus problem. Since Randy Senior won the bid on the new construction for the city Public Utilities building, the family had health insurance again.

They drove past the Welcome to Point Place sign and little Randy started laughing, "Mom, there's the mustached lady again."

Donna looked up and chuckled at Jackie's billboard. She glanced at her son and they both laughed until he started coughing and holding his ears. Donna reached out a hand to touch his forehead checking for fever and didn't realize she had drifted over into the next lane of oncoming traffic. The last thing she remembered was slamming on the brakes and colliding with a blue Mustang then watching as it flipped over and over onto the road. Car brakes screeched, shattering glass hissed through the air and the smell of smoke was horrible. A small VW narrowly missed slamming into the back of her Volvo.

Donna's hands were shaking as little Randy screamed, "MOMMIE! We hit a car!"

Oh God! Oh my God! Donna couldn't get her seat belt unbuckled, "Honey, are you okay?"

"I'm okay mommy, what about the car?" Donna looked up at the Mustang that still rocked on its hood. Oh God! She hit somebody! Donna ordered her son to stay in the car. She could hear sirens and see people running towards the car where a woman lie crumpled on the roof half in and half out of the seatbelt. There was blood pooling on the ground and Donna could feel bile rising into her throat.

A couple of capable strangers ran to the car and got down on their hands and knees and broke the car window to get the injured woman out of the car. The smell of gasoline was starting to get bad. Visions of a car blowing up had Donna worried if she was parked too close!

She wanted to help yet she was the cause of the accident and was frozen to the spot. She could only watch as the ambulance and fire department pulled up to the scene and spectators were pointing at her. A Point Place police car parked between the Volvo and the crashed Mustang.

Little Randy got out of the car and being a curious boy ran over to the accident scene and the blood and wreckage scared him. He hurried over to his mother. "Mom! Mommy, it's the mustache lady!"

Donna saw the paramedics pull out a small woman with dark hair and her legs crumpled beneath her.

Donna fainted.

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