Chapter 1
August 1979
She was met with silence on the line. "Eric?" She asked, voice small. He coughed, letting her know that he was still present. "I'm here. Just... surprised."
"So am I." She told him, pushing her dish away. She was no longer hungry, over come with nervousness and anxiety. Now that she had finally spoken it into existence, she suddenly felt swallowed whole by the gravity of the situation, and it was dire. "Eric, I'm scared." She told him tearfully. "I don't know where Hyde is, or how to get in touch with him."
"Jackie, there are other options. I don't want you to feel stuck." He reassured.
"But, if I am. I don't think I'd be able to... ya know, give it up. Or abort." She confessed. "And again, I could just be sick."
"Right. I say buy one of those home tests." He suggested. He shuffled. "Sorry, I'm just getting ready for work. It's so hot here, I'm already getting used to it. So coming home, I'm gonna have a hormonal crazy she-devil, the freezing cold, and jet lag." He laughed, and she laughed too.
"We don't know for sure." She told him. "But yeah. Four months." She smiled. "I'll let you go, and tomorrow I'll go to the pharmacy, and I'll talk to you then." She assured, mostly herself.
"Jackie, it's going to be okay." He reassured. "My mom and I are here, and Kelso and Fez are here, and Donna too, I'm sure." He told her. She gave a small smile. "I know we haven't been friends long, but I care about ya, tiny." The smile grew. "Anyways, I need to cut short or I'm gonna be late. I'll talk to you later tonight- er, in the morning for you. Good night, Jacks."
"Have a good day, Eric!" She told him, before saying their goodbyes and hanging up. The silence of the house settled around her, the empty feeling in her chest growing larger. She rested her hands on the table and cradled herself, before breaking into sobs.
The house was huge, and empty. No maids, they had let them go because of money issues. No Pam, she was out in Mexico, and no Steven or Donna to keep her company. She had Eric, but he was thousands of miles away, and only could provide solace over the telephone.
She wasn't necessarily lonely. She was just... alone.
November 1984
The alone part felt different now a days.
She was alone for the moment with Shelby, standing on the ladder in her driveway, cleaning the gutters before the winter season would settle over Wisconsin and freeze everything. Just like Red had taught her, when she lived with them, in order to keep your house leak free, you need to clean your gutters, and frozen leaves cause problems. Eric had bundled up little Tyler, after Jackie had tamed her curls and gotten her dressed, and put her in the back of his car, with a promise to get her a sweet treat if she behaved.
She climbed down the ladder, satisfied with her work, and put her bucket on the ground. She looked down at Shelby, who was trained place, and remained in the driveway. "Who's Mama's good girl?" She cooed, and her tail thumped against the concrete, and she rolled over for belly rubs. Jackie couldn't resist. A car pulled into the driveway, and she smiled at the familiar Toyota.
"Hi, sweetheart!" Kitty called, climbing out of the car, and walking over. She had kept her hair in the shorter bob, her new signature look, and she had taken to wearing slacks more than skirts nowadays. It was the eighties, after all, and Jackie's new found feminism was starting to rub off on her pseudo-parents. She walked over and kissed Kitty on the cheek.
"Oh, you look so cute-" She started, but cut herself off when she saw Jackie's knowing look. "Eric already told you, didn't he?" She asked. "Are you mad?"
Jackie laughed. "Kitty, I could never be mad at you." She embraced the woman, kissing her on the cheek. "I'm mad at Steven."
"As you should be." Red chimed in, walking over with a plate of what she could only guess to be Kitty's mint chocolate brownies. They were her favorite. "Steven is a real dumb ass, you know." He told her, as his wife walked into the house. Saturdays were ritual. Eric took Tyler to the big kid park, which was the park with the monkey bars, and her and Donna spent grown up time, occasionally with Kitty and Red, or Kelso and Brooke, or Fez. "I see you follow my directions, that's why you're my favorite." He smiled. She smiled back, before emptying her bucket, and collapsing her ladder.
If you had told her all those years ago that she would be a homeowner, cleaning gutters, cooking edible food, and raising a child all on her own, she would have laughed at you. She led her surrogate father into the kitchen, and looked around. "I'm sorry about the mess, I just wanted to get the big stuff done before Tyler got home." She motioned to the breakfast dishes that Kitty was already doing.
"Kitty-"
"Nonsense, sweetheart, you do enough on the daily." She scolded. "Why don't you go take a nice shower for yourself, and I'll make lunch for when the rest of the family gets home." She suggested, and Red nodded in agreement.
She walked up the stairs, where pictures hung. One of her, Eric, and Donna. One from each of their college graduations, some had Betsy in them, some had only Tyler. One of Eric holding Tyler as a newborn in the hospital beside her stuck out the most. She smiled fondly. He had been by her side through it all, and the two inevitably became best friends. Maybe even closer than her and her lumberjack best friend.
The shower was refreshing, and she took her time, letting the water relax her, and taking the time to do her hair. She settled on a comfortable pair of jeans and an olive green t-shirt with tennis shoes. She chose to be comfortable. Her walk downstairs was met with her kitchen bustling with her pseudo-parents. She was grateful for them. Because she wasn't alone, as she had been in the beginning of her journey.
"I really needed that, thank you Kitty." Jackie gave a grateful smile, picking up a brownie, and moaning at the deliciousness. "If you make enough of these, I might not even notice he's at dinner." She joked, making them laugh.
The door opened, and Tyler strode in with Twinkle Toes, her old, worn out stuffed bunny that Eric had bought her when she was an infant. She also had a balloon tied around her wrist, and a new pink bow in her hair. She looked at Eric, who smiled sheepishly. "There was a little stand, and she said pwease Unca Eric, and I just folded, man."
Red snorted. "Hey, guys." He greeted them, kissing his mother on the cheek. "Hi, sweetie. I'm making lunch."
"Mimi!" She squealed, dropping Twinkle Toes, and rushing over to her Grandmother, who smiled. "Hi, baby!" She sprinkled kisses on her face, and she giggled.
"Hey!" Red pretended to be offended. "What about me?" He frowned. She snapped her head over to him, bounding across the kitchen. "Grampy!" She squealed again, jumping into his lap to give him a hug, to which the old man returned. Red was still hard as nails with the older kids, now adults. But with Betsy and Tyler, he was softer than a pad of butter. "Hey, small fry." He greeted. Eric handed her Twinkle Toes.
"Thank you, Unca Eric for taking me to the park." She looked up at him, grinning with innocence. God, she looked like Steven. "Mimi made lunch!" Kitty called, setting a plate of BLT's on the table with a pitcher of pink lemonade. Tyler grinned, when Jackie cut a sandwich in half and placed it on her lion plate in front of her. Red convinced her to remove her balloon, which he tied to her chair, and placed Twinkle Toes beside her on the seat.
The family ate lunch, and hung out, until Red and Kitty were going to say their goodbyes. Tyler sat coloring in the coloring book Donna had gotten her last week, and gave her grandparents kisses goodbye. The house fell into silence.
"I can't believe Steven is coming home." She flopped onto the couch in her living room. It was the old, comfy one from the Foreman's living room, she just had it reupholstered with a gray color, and added new pillows. She kept an eye on her daughter through the doorway, where she was very intently coloring, her bow now crooked from when she was busying herself playing with Shelby hours prior.
"Neither can I." He confessed, putting his feet up.
"Shoes off the coffee table, Foreman." She scolded, to which he put his hands up in surrender, but complied. She was quiet for a moment.
"What if he tries to take her?" She asked, voice small.
Eric snorted. "Hyde wouldn't. He might not even know she's his." He told her, lying through his teeth, but she rolled her eyes. "She looks just like him, Eric. Kelso would figure it out on his own." Eric shrugged.
"You don't need to worry about him, Jacks. Hey, don't forget, I'm taking the girls out with Kelso and Fez tomorrow, and you and Brooke are picking Donna up at the airport." He reminded her, making her smile. Just like the girls had Mommy/Auntie day, the guys had their own Uncle/Daddy day with them too. Kelso had really grown up, shocking them all after Brooke had given them a chance, and they married in a courthouse last year. Steven hadn't shown up, too busy at his record label. But Kelso had reached out. "Yes, Eric. I'll remember. The news station is all hands on deck this week before Thanksgiving. John, the weather man is retiring."
Eric snorted. "Remember when Kelso wanted to be a weather man?" She laughed. "Brooke really did him good."
And it was true. She smiled over at her friend, before the phone rang, and Eric picked it up, putting it on speaker phone. "Hello?"
"Hey, Honey." Donna's voice rang into the living room, causing Tyler to perk up.
"Auntie Donna!" She squealed, bounding into the living room, Shelby at her side. "Hi, kiddo! I miss you so much, and I'm gonna be home tomorrow!"
"How's Calanorna?" She asked, tripping over her mispronunciation, making Donna laugh. "It's good, I got to see my Mom, and go surfing, and swimming. Maybe one day, we can all go."
"Yay! Calarnona!" She cried, running back to her book. "Bye Auntie Donna!" She called. Shelby trotted behind her, falling to the floor with a sigh. Jackie understood Shelby, dealing with a four year old is exhausting. Especially a Gemini.
"Hi, Donna!" Jackie greeted her best friend. "I miss you!" She grinned. It was true, she missed her best friend, who smiled. "Aw, Jacks, I miss you too."
Jackie glanced at the clock. "Tyler honey, ten more minutes before bedtime!"
Tyler huffed in protest, but agreed. "Okay, Mama."
"Thank you, baby!" She watched with pride as she continued to color. "So, what's new?"
"You knew too?" Jackie cried.
"Well, yeah. Eric told me, and I told him to tell you because I'm on the other side of the country." She stated matter of factly. "Thanks, lumberjack."
"Any time, midget!" She smiled at her friend. "Anyways, I'm coming home tomorrow, and the pay phone is running low so I gotta go, but I'll see you and Brooke tomorrow at eleven, right?" Jackie voiced her agreement, watching as Tyler cleaned her coloring supplies neatly, carrying them into their correct spot.
"Love you all, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye babe!" Eric blew dramatic kisses, making Tyler laugh. "Bye, Donna!"
Eric picked Tyler up, before Jackie could move. "I got it. Say good night to Mama, Tater Tot." He told her, swinging her down to kiss her mother, before flying her up the stairs. "Super Ty!" He chanted, making her laugh. "Bum-bum, bum-bum, bum-bum." He sang, fading into quiet, Shelby's collar jingled as she followed.
She sighed at the comfortable silence in her living room, grateful for the support, with a smile. She closed her eyes, but apparently she was tired, and drifted off to sleep.