Disclaimer: I do not own That 70s Show.

sorry it's been basically forever since my last update. i completed my masters, got a job, and it's been hectic. i really wanted to upload at least once if not more for this holiday season, seeing as this IS a christmas story (at least for right now).

i hope you enjoy!


Kitty finally cooled down to a bearable excitement – about thirty minutes later. She had already began preparing dinner and insisted that Jackie and Steven stay so she could feed them.

"Jackie you'll need to be sure you're eating enough," she said waving a spoon at the pair, "It's not just you that you're eating for! There's a baby to think of, and you're so thin."

Steven rolled his eyes, "Mrs. Forman, she's eating just fine. I've been cooking like usual. She just can't eat certain things."

"It's the worst!" Jackie moaned. "I can't stand the smell of coffee, I can't eat anything in the morning but boring things like potatoes." She engaged in full pouting, happy to finally have someone else she could whine to besides Steven.

Mrs. Forman sympathized, "I remember with Eric," she sighed, "I couldn't even be within five feet of cheese. And we live in Wisconsin!"

Red chimed in, "I never noticed how much cheese was in everything until then. It was the saddest two months of my life."

"Wait, wait, you're telling me there's nothing I can do about this?" Jackie looked appalled.

"Oh there's some things that can help a little – ginger ale and crackers. But nothing to really do but wait it out. It'll get easier soon, before you know it you'll be back to normal."

Jackie threw her head down onto the table and moaned some more. Steven remembered her state that very morning and rubbed her back.

"Hey, at least we get a kid at the end of this right?" he tried to find the silver lining.

Her reply was muffled against the table-top but the general tone of dismay came through clearly.

Mrs. Forman sought out a way to change the topic, "What did the rest of the kids say about this?"

Jackie finally lifted her head, eyes wide open, "Oh no! We're not telling anyone else! Not yet!"

"I'm surprised they're not the first to know. You kids never can keep a secret between each other," Red said.

Jackie ran a finger around the rim of her mug, "The doctor told us there's always the chance that the baby won't make it…"

"We don't wanna start spreading any news or having people knowing our business just yet in case something goes wrong," Steven finished for her.

Kitty smiled softly, "Very responsible of the two of you." Red just stared at them in thought before nodding slowly.

"Well, I won't say I won't mind knowing this juicy bit of information before anyone else," Kitty said smugly, stirring the soup to a low simmer.

Steven smirked appreciating the mischief they were causing with this surprise pregnancy.

Red stood from the table, "Well…I have some uh- things to get done in the front yard before dinner," he looked to Steven, "I need some extra muscle, come on Steven."

Steven raised his eyebrows, wondering where this came from but quickly recovered, "Sure thing, Red." He followed him out to the garage, putting his jacket back on.

Kitty continued stirring, the sound of the bubbling pot filling the silence. At the table Jackie fiddled with the yellow booties, still amazed by the tiny size. She was finally alone with Mrs. Forman and she didn't know where to start. Luckily Mrs. Forman helped out.

"So how have you been feeling?" Kitty asked.

Jackie danced the booties on the table, "I don't know...It's all been moving so fast, but it's only been two weeks."

"Understandable," Kitty nodded.

"And then some days I feel so freaked out, I mean there's a baby in here!" she gestured to her stomach, "The throwing up all day doesn't help either. If this is only the beginning I don't know how I'm going to be able to do this!"

"You'll do great," she said simply.

But Jackie was now on a roll, "And then other times I feel so happy. Which is even crazier! This was an accident, we only just moved in together. We're not – we're not even married. And yet…"

Kitty smiled, "And yet?"

Jackie looked at this woman who had been more of a mother to her than anyone in her life, "I love this baby so much already. I don't think I would change this even if I had the chance."

Kitty put the lid on the pot and took a seat at the table, "Oh honey," she put her hand over Jackie's, "That's not crazy. That's completely normal! Other than not being married, that's everything I felt when I found out I was pregnant with Laurie."

"Really?" Jackie asked, in disbelief that Mrs. Forman had ever been anything other than the natural mother-hen.

"The things I would put Red through!" Kitty laughed. "I spent the first month as an emotional blob. One second I was crying because I felt so sick. The next I was yelling at Red because I blamed him. On the turn of a dime I was out buying baby clothes and turning the extra room into a nursery! It's normal. And that's what's intended by God! The woman has to carry and grow a baby. The man has to do everything she says and suffer slight trauma. It's in the bible somewhere I'm sure."

Jackie smiled, "Thanks, Mrs. Forman. That really helps me not feel so guilty about treating Steven like I have been lately. Also, less crazy."

Kitty stroked Jackie's hair, thinking about how far this young woman had gone from a loud-mouth teenager to a mother-to-be, "Anytime. Okay, soups done. How about you cut up the French bread and put it in the oven while I prepare the salad?"


Outside in the garage, Red handed off some garland to Steven from a top shelf.

"That's going to decorate the windows at the front of the house," Red explained.

"Alright."

Coming down from the step-ladder, Red headed to get his tool box. While he made sure that everything they would need was in there, he glanced slightly at him. Steven knew there was something more than just help Red wanted but didn't know yet. He could only try and be ready for whatever the older man was about to say.

Red cleared his throat, "You know, I didn't just ask you out here to help."

"Really?" Steven feigned, slight sarcasm in his voice. Red caught on and frowned but otherwise ignored it.

"I – uh. I just wanted to say that if you two ever get into any trouble, Kitty and I are here. I know I'm not your father, but I do…Oh hell, you're like a son to me alright?" he said angrily. Steven was used to this by now and saw through the anger to Red's words.

Steven opened his mouth to reply but Red cut him off, "What I mean is, I know you two have good jobs, but babies can get expensive. Now, I'm not going to be some sort of free bank for you two," he raised his finger at Steven as though he had asked such a thing, "But if you ever need any help with the small things. I'd rather you come here than get yourselves into any debt."

Red studied a nail and continued, "I'm sure Kitty wouldn't mind babysitting either. You saw her in there, she's been talking my ear off about you two getting married. While this skips a step, she definitely wouldn't mind having a new baby to coddle seeing as Eric seems to be set on ending that part of his life."

"Red, man…I'm not gonna get all mushy either. But you know that you're as good as a father to me…If you hadn't taken me in when Edna left, who knows where I'd be now. Definitely not working at Grooves or living with Jackie for sure," they both thought back to those days for a moment. "And I really appreciate your offer. We haven't sat down to do any numbers but you'll be the first to know if Jackie and I are ever in trouble.

"And I guess marriage just isn't in the cards for us," he hadn't meant to go that far but it had slipped and now he realized he wanted to talk, "I asked Jackie if she wanted to get married on the way back from the doctor and she said no. It's cool I guess, after all those years of avoiding her asking me, it's a good thing she's calmed down on that stuff," he half-laughed even though he didn't think it was all that funny.

Red studied Steven for a moment before replying, "Steven, you two are still young. You can't hurry these things, they'll happen when they're meant to. And no woman wants to be asked when they probably think you're doing it because she's pregnant. I'm no romantic but that much I can work out."

Steven hadn't thought about that. Had Jackie thought he only asked because she was pregnant? Was he only asking because she was pregnant? He loved her, of that he was sure so he wasn't just seeking the ultimate commitment because of the baby. Of course, the pregnancy was a wake-up call that they weren't just two kids having a good time. Wasn't getting married the next step? But she said she was happy without an engagement. So why was he feeling so weird about it?

Red roused him from his thoughts, "Don't overthink it - you'll pull something. Just enjoy what you do have right now. Now let's go, we still have to get these up and I can't waste all night acting like a damn therapist."

Steven smirked, Red's advice calming his anxieties.


The next week passed without much incident. Jackie and Steven had invested in almost all things ginger in the hopes of keeping her morning sickness at bay. On their kitchen counter sat ginger tea, ginger candies, gingersnaps, and more. It almost appeared they had bought out the entire aisle of the herbal remedy store in their neighborhood. It seemed to be working, however, as Jackie had begun to tolerate more foods, for which Steven thanks the heavens. He had almost run out of recipes to use because of the limitation on ingredients.

Mrs. Forman had taken to calling them frequently, asking how Jackie was doing and if the baby was alright. Jackie had thought the calls would begin to get annoying and overwhelming, but it was nice to have someone to talk to about the baby. There was no one but Steven and the Forman's that knew, and it could get a little lonely sometimes.

Jackie hadn't told her job either and it was becoming a source of tension with Steven. She was nervous to tell her boss and end up forced to take leave or even fired. Steven was adamant they needed to know for her safety. Jackie thought he was exaggerating just a bit, she worked in television, not for the CIA.

She'd been there for three years, slowly working her way up from coffee-girl to her position now as a hybrid desk assistant-journalist for the local news station. Her job had her going out to check on potential stories and follow leads for the local news to report. She also fact-checked scripts before they hit the teleprompter. She was just starting to get some actual air-time no seasoned reporters were available for her stories. Sometimes this meant odd hours since she could be on-call at the last second. As well as interesting locations to shoot at depending on the story.

Steven had slight reason to be nervous since they could call her on a job in the middle of a snow-storm or for an emergency situation. (Not that the latter happened very often in Point Place.) Nonetheless, her job did have her running around the station delivering scripts and attending meetings, which he was worried could tire her out.

Jackie knew all this but was still worried at the possibility losing three-year's work in one conversation with her boss. She had been feeling run down lately from working odd nights and constantly running after stories, but she also knew this had been what she wanted since she was seventeen. She had always dreamt of the glitzy life of a reporter – the make-up, the good hair, and pretty outfits.

She sighed, tapping her pen on her desk. There was no other way, she decided. Steven was right. Stupid Steven. Jackie rubbed her stomach wondering how much more would have to be compromised for this baby. But don't worry, I'll still love you even if I lose my job.

Jackie rose and made her way to her weekly meeting with her boss. Reaching the office door she knocked and crossed her fingers.


Across town, Steven was being subjected to an Eric Forman classic rant. He loved Forman's rants. He got so worked up, you just needed to know when to bring him back before he hit hysterical. Which was right about…

Eric waved his armed around, "I don't know what to do man! She's calling every night. She's interrupted Donna and I during," he whispered the next part, "sexy time three times!"

Steven laughed, "Alright, calm down."

Eric took a breath, "I didn't think it would still be an issue. It's been two weeks and neither my mom or Donna have backed down."

"First of all, this is your mom we're talking about. She was never going to let up when it comes to baby boy Forman moving out for good," Steven reasoned.

Eric nodded reluctantly, sitting back down on the stool in front of the counter.

"Second, why don't you just ask her to marry you already? You know if you two are married, Mrs. Forman won't have any reason to be against you two living together," he said simply.

"Has everyone forgotten the disaster the last time we were engaged?" Eric asked incredulously, "Donna only just stopped bringing it up to win in arguments about doing the chores around the house."

"Would you leave her at the altar again if you got engaged?" Steven asked bluntly.

"Are you crazy!? No!" Eric's eyes bugged.

"Then this engagement wouldn't be the mess that last attempt was, right?"

Eric still look unsure.

"Hear me out okay?" he gathered his thoughts, "You guys were still in high school the last time around. When is an engagement at 18 ever a great idea? Also, you were living at home with no education and no plan. You guys were about to live in a one room trailer. And that room was the bedroom, kitchen, living room, and entry way put together. Of course you ran. You knew that was going to all end badly. You guys would probably be divorced by now."

Eric laughed darkly, "That trailer would've resulted in double homicide."

"Exactly. Now do you love her, man?"

"Yes."

"Do you see yourself with her till you're as old as your parents?"

"Yeah."

"Do you see her as the mother of your children?"

"Yeah."

"Are you both employed with a plan for where to live?"

"Yeah."

"Then you have already gotten rid of every issue you had five years ago, man. What else is stopping you?"

"I just… "

"Spill it man!"

"I'm scared! This is big, we aren't 18 anymore! Being engaged now means really throwing my feelings into the ring. If she says no…man I don't know what I'll do…I'll probably end up on one of those Nightline episodes about the world's loneliest man."

"Forman," Steven said exasperated, "If Donna says no I'll shave my head."

Eric smiled weakly at the image.

"She's not going to say no. If you don't want to ask her because you don't feel ready, that's one thing. You can't hurry love man, it has its own timeline. But if you aren't doing it because you're scared Donna will say no, you're a dumbass."

Eric looked at Steven weirdly, "You know man, sometimes you're a little too much like Red for comfort. Delivering wisdom and a splash of 'dumbass' is definitely a Red Forman thing to do."

"I've always been wise, Forman. I'll admit hearing you get called dumbass by Red all these years may have been something I picked up from him." He shrugged.

"Thank though…You're right…" Eric looked pensive. "Hey… how come you and Jackie haven't gotten married yet then? I'm sure if I asked you all those questions, you'd answer just like me. And I won't believe Jackie hasn't been leaving pages from jewelry magazines around your apartment."

Steven sighed, "Believe it, Forman. She hasn't brought up marriage since she tried leaving for Chicago."

"Wait," Eric looked at him with a shrewd eye, "You're sad about it!"

"What? No!" Steven started looking for something – anything – to work on.

"Yeah, you are! Oh my god!"

Steven chose wiping down the clean counter as a safe option so he could ignore Forman's stupid outburst.

"You're sad that she hasn't been bugging you to get married! I never thought I'd see the day Steven Hyde would be sad about not being pressured to commit."

"Shut up, man. We're both happy without having to get the government involved in our relationship. I'm definitely not sad about saving money on wedding rings or other crap."

Eric just smiled smugly, "Uh-huh. Right."

Steven rolled his eyes.

"Take your own advice. You know she'll say yes if you ask, Hyde," Eric said.

Steven felt a weight drop in his stomach at Forman's words, That's what I thought too.

Eric noticed how Steven's face froze and he stopped wiping for a second.

"Hold on. Did you?"

"What?"

"Did you ask and she said no?" Eric asked shocked. When his question was met with silence he knew the answer. He felt awkward not knowing what to say. He had only just expressed how he felt about Donna turning him down.

"Oh man, I'm sorry…But. You guys haven't mentioned anything? So was it a 'not right now' or a 'no'?"

"It wasn't really either of those," Steven said gruffly. "She just said she didn't need to get married to be happy since she knew I didn't want that."

"But now you do?"

Steven started to pace, "I don't know what I want man. Up until a month ago, I hadn't even thought about marrying Jackie. Not because I don't want to be with her. But things are good with us. I was just content with what we had. But now that she's –," he had almost said it, but he caught himself in time, "Now that she and I are living together, I started thinking that maybe being married isn't so bad if that's what it's like."

Luckily Forman didn't seem to catch on to his slip up, "Well, maybe it's just a phase. Maybe once you guys are clear of this weird honeymoon phase of living together you'll go back to thinking marriage is just a government conspiracy."

"Yeah maybe," Steven replied, but he still felt confused. He tried to remind himself what Red had said about not worrying too much.

When had Red Forman become his source of Zen advice?

"Hey…Don't tell anyone alright?"

"Sure thing. As long as you don't tell anyone I'm thinking of proposing to Donna," Eric promised.

"Since when am I a gossip? Steven asked, almost offended.

"Since you made Jackie Burkhardt your girlfriend."

Steven rolled his eyes but smirked thinking of all the great gossip Jackie had within that pretty head of hers. "Alright whatever, I won't tell Jackie. Now you came here to help me unload my delivery and yet all we've done is talk like some high school saps."


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