A/N: To my superfan, zeppelinandunicorns, this update is for you.

Chapter 5

September 1979

The end of the month came, and by then, she had a tiny baby bump poking through her clothes. She was back to presenting herself as if nothing had happened, as if she wasn't incredibly sad, and wore looser-fitting tops to hide her baby bump while in college. Steven never returned her phone call, and still hadn't returned from Las Vegas... Or wherever he was.

The doorbell rang, and she shuffled down the stairs, looking out the window quickly.

Her neighborhood was a rich one, houses bigger than you could ever imagine, cars costing more than a college tuition. However, as nice as this neighborhood was, it wasn't too far from the worse neighborhood down the street. Steven always warned her about it at night. He didn't want her walking alone, nor did he ever let her.

Donna, who had finally let Jackie dye her hair back to it's original red, was standing on the doorstep with a suitcase. Jackie smiled brightly, flinging the door open, and embracing her best friend in a hug. "Donna!"

"Hey, midget!" She laughed lightly. It was Friday, the thirtieth, the last of the month, and Jackie's belly popped out a bit through her clothes. She had always been thin, so it was barely noticeable, but Donna stuck her hand on it anyway.

"I still can't believe this is real." She told her.

"You keep saying that. Stop repeating yourself, you lumberjack." She playfully scolded, resting a hand on her bump nervously.

Laurie had accompanied her to her first doctors appointment three weeks ago, Mrs Foreman was working that day. Mrs Foreman took her to the next one, which was last week.

And now, Donna was here to accompany her to this next one, and to have a girl's weekend.

"So how has school been?" She asked, leading her into her big, empty house. Donna shrugged.

"Honestly, it's the same as my experience at community college. And for what? More money." She pursed her lips. "I hardly have time to make friends because my classes are so much, and then I work to pay for the apartment." She unloaded.

"And, don't even get me started on Genevieve." She rolled her brown eyes. Genevieve was Donna's creepy roommate.

"Your lease is over soon, get a new roommate." She suggested, moving to the fridge. She was hungry.

Donna was silent, and Jackie turned around.

"Earth to Donna."

"I might move back home." She pursed her lips. Jackie raised an eyebrow. "You really hate it that much?"

"Well, yes. And, why pay that kind of money next semester, when I can get the same education, and save more money and work less at home? Then I'll be closer to my father..." She trailed off, looking around.

"What?" She asked.

"Where's Pam?" She asked, her voice echoing, making the house feel bigger and more empty.

Jackie shrugged, nonchalantly, pulling the chicken out of it's packaging, and slicing down the middle. "Are you cooking?" She asked incredulously, before shaking her head. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

"She took the new Lincoln and left. Told me she would be back in a few days. It's been two months." She shook her head. "I'm nineteen, and I can fend for myself. And, I have my Daddy's old car."

As if on cue, the lights shut off.

Donna raised an eyebrow, when she opened the curtains, and lit a candle for light source. "So what? I'm off the grid!" She grinned, joking through what was happening.

"Jackie! You're pregnant and alone." Donna scolded. "In the dark with no power!" She gestured broadly to the scene around her. "You can't possibly think this is okay!"

Jackie's eyes welled up, and she bagged her chicken, tossing it back in the fridge. She washed her hands, sniffling, ignoring her best friend, who rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Listen, Steven still hasn't answered my calls, which means he doesn't want to, and probably isn't coming back. I haven't talked to my mother, but..." She trailed off.

She knew what Pam would say. Pam would want it gone, and Jackie didn't have the heart.

"It's okay... I'm sure Mrs Foreman will help you out." She suggested, rubbing her friend's back.

"I can't ask them... It's too much. I have a baby coming, Donna." She cried, sniffling.

"Well, you did a lot for Hyde with WB, and you're Red's favorite. Obviously, you'd help out as much as you can. I'll even suggest it." She offered. Her voice had taken on a tone that was almost foreign, but appreciated nonetheless.

Her friendship with Eric was separate from her friendship with Donna. She wondered briefly, if the two would wind up getting back together, but Donna never mentioned him, so she never brought him up.

She looked up at her friend, even in the darkness, she still was a vision of beauty and strength.

"Okay. I'll give it a try."

Thanksgiving 1984

Kelso arrived next, with his pregnant wife in tow, greeting Kitty with a kiss on the cheek like always. "Oh, Michael, Brooke! It's so nice to see you!" She beamed at the two, her hair now neat and back in it's bob. Donna and Eric were setting up the dining room table, which was now larger, setting up an extra plate for Steven beside Red.

Just in case he needed a foot in his ass.

Brooke beamed at Kitty, glowing from the pregnancy, and pursed her lips.

"Did Betsy behave herself?" She asked.

Betsy was six now. She was a taller girl, like her parents, with brown hair like her mother's that fell in natural waves. She had her mother's looks, but behavior wise? She was her father's daughter.

"Oh, of course she did! She did fall off the bed, though. But she's okay! No bumps to the head or anything. The girls took a walk with Red, I'm sure they'll be back any minute." Kitty assured, while taking the turkey out of the oven. "Michael, I'm so glad you're here this year!"

"I'm glad to be here, Kitty." He smiled. Michael was a cop. Actually, he was also a certified EMT (very scary), and now he was a Lieutenant. The youngest Lieutenant in Wisconsin's history actually. In stark contrast to what he had been like in the academy, he became a decorated officer. He was a detective only a short while, closing all his cases in record time with bizarre accuracy. It shocked everyone. Sometimes, he had to work holidays. And last year, it was Thanksgiving.

His eyes scanned the room, and Kitty furrowed her eyebrows at his defensive stature, before remembering what- or who- he was looking for. "He's in the living room." She answered, and he scoffed. "Surprised he showed up." Brooke whacked him in the arm. "Ow! Babe, c'mon, he's not exactly-"

"Michael!" Brooke warned. "We're going to have a nice, civil Thanksgiving. For Betsy and Tyler, honey." She soothed. "Yeah, you're right." He nodded, smiling sheepishly at the matriarch. "Sorry."

"I understand." Kitty pursed her lips. "It's been a long time, and the last year fiasco wasn't cool." She shook her head.

Red entered the kitchen, a girl's hand in each of his own, both of them bundled up to protect from the Wisconsin cold that had settled in early this year. "Mommy, Daddy!" Betsy excitedly ran into the room. "Uncle Hyde is home!" She cried excitedly, and Kelso forced a smile onto his face. "I know B, I saw." He nodded, lifting her up to kiss her cheek. "Give Mommy a kiss." He swooped her towards Brooke.

Betsy didn't quite understand that her Godfather had been absent for the wrong reasons, because she wasn't old enough. So, Uncle Hyde had done nothing wrong in her eyes. "Hey, Kelso!" Red shook his hand enthusiastically, smiling at the boy.

"Hey, Red, it's been a while!" He joked, knowing he just saw him last night after dropping Betsy off. Brooke's mother, like Pam, had been disapproving of her being with Kelso, and therefore decided that she didn't want Betsy either. Red and Kitty had a problem with that, and decided that Betsy was now their grandkid. So along with Nana and Papa, Kelso's parents (who really didn't pay attention, because they had twelve other grandchildren, and still counting), and Mimi and Grampy.

"Grampy took us to see the ducks!" She grinned, one of her front teeth missing.

"I'm not old enough to be a Grandma or Grammy. And I don't like Nana, because that's my mother. Oh! I like Mimi, and it's probably easier to say!" She explained to Jackie in the hospital, while she was in labor.

Tyler stood beside her mother, who played with her daughter's curls nervously. "Mama okay?" She asked. She always knew. Jackie snapped out of her vacant nature, and smiled down at her daughter. "Mama's just tired today, sweetie. Why don't we go into the playroom, and play with some toys?"

The basement held a haunting sense of nostalgia for her. It was the way they had left it, ratty old couch, the chairs in the same spot in front of the wagon wheel table. The same old television that didn't work anymore, and lego sculptures (some abandoned years ago) littered the basement. The only thing that had changed was a new washer and dryer, and now there were children's toys scattered amongst the room. Red's workbench sat in the corner, on account of it being moved. Because Miss Kitty's Sunshine Center was built in the garage.

Steven emerged from the alcove.

"Jackie." He told her, making her jump. "I need to talk to you."