Chapter Six

October 1979

Her appointment the day before went surprisingly well, and she wound up staying at the Pinciotti's, before Kitty forced her way into the house, demanding to speak to Jackie. She narrowed her eyes at Donna, who innocently picked lint off her pajamas, as they sat at the table in her obnoxious, orange kitchen.

"Jackie, I'm going to ask this as nicely as I possibly can, so I don't come off as a b-i-t-c-h." She spelled the word, giggling. She was mad.

"Say it outright, Mrs Foreman." She shrugged. What was going to hurt her more than what she already felt?

"Did your floozy, no good mother leave you in the dust again? And, with no resources to boot? Alone, in that gigantic house?" Her tone was bubbly, but it was laced with disappointment and anger. Her menopause hormones were pretty much nonexistent at that point. Jackie pursed her lips, and flushed red with embarrassment.

"How did you find out?" She asked, looking knowingly at Donna, sarcasm floating on her tone.

Kitty pulled a chair out at the table, setting herself down gently, and taking a deep breath. "Sweetheart." She began, looking at her with a motherly expression. "Red and I had a very long conversation after Donna spoke with us last night." Jackie tore her glare away from the redhead.

"I'm sorry." She blurted.

"Stop apologizing." She scolded. Jackie looked down at her empty cereal bowl. "Look at me." She met the woman's soft expression, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You are like one of my own. I would give anything for you, and that includes my home. You are more than welcome to come stay with us, for as long as you need, sweetheart." She rested her older hand over Jackie's hand with chipped polish. "Mrs Foreman-" She sniffled.

"It's Kitty. No more of this Mr and Mrs Foreman bull-crap any more with either of you. You've both been around long enough." She cut her off. Jackie nodded.

"I don't even have a job." She coughed out weakly. Kitty shrugged. "We'll find you one. Laurie's salon opens in a few months, and I'm sure she would love to hire you."

"It's too much for me to take." Jackie Burkhart didn't take handouts. But, what was she to do in this situation? The options were looking pretty slim.

"Nonsense. What do you say? The Den is yours, until we figure out something more permanent." She offered, a glint of hope in her eyes. "I'd do anything for you and my grand-baby."

She didn't give an answer, she just leapt into her arms and cried.

Thanksgiving Day 1984

"I need to talk to you." He told her, voice hinting at a sense of urgency.

Alarm bells went off in her head suddenly, and she looked around the room, before sighing. She picked up one of the dolls. "I'm busy." She told him coldly, returning to playing with her daughter.

"Damnit, Jackie, it's freakin' important." His voice was raised, and she jumped, before glaring.

"Tyler honey, go upstairs and find Uncle Eric." She told her daughter, who didn't need to be told twice, happily skipping up the stairs.

"First of all, don't you ever speak like that in front of her again." She shouted, pointing a finger in his direction, and standing up to get more at his eye level.

His nostrils were flared, but he stayed eerily silent, as if contemplating what he was going to say next.

"What, Steven?" She asked, laughing with anger. "What was so important?"

"How old is Tyler?" He asked, finally snapping out of his stupor.

"Are you serious?" She scoffed, rolling her eyes, and turning to walk away. He groped her wrist.

"Answer the damn question, Jackie." He demanded. She yanked her arm out of his grasp.

"Don't touch me!" She yelped. He looked taken aback. Her eyes held fear. Was she seriously afraid of him?

"Answer. My. Question." He repeated slowly, as if he were talking to a dunce.

"She turned four in May." Was her short, cold response. His lips thinned out. "Not that it should be any of your concern. You're leaving on Monday anyway, and you can go back-"

"Is she mine?" He asked. He was quiet now.

Jackie froze up.

Her throat felt tight, as if it were closing, and suddenly, she saw red. But it dissipated quickly, and she calmed herself down. She had no reason to be upset at him for asking a question.

"No, Steven, she isn't." But that didn't stop her from lying through her teeth.

"Who isn't what?" Eric asked, clopping down the stairs in his dress shoes. Jackie visibly relaxed.

"Tyler isn't his." Jackie explained, tone even and heavy with exhaustion. Eric nodded. "Right."

Hyde scoffed. "Sure. I'll let you too get along to your weird and unnatural romance."

"Oh, fuck off Hyde. You decided to leave for five years and then expect us all to be okay with you coming back." Eric fired at him. "You did this to yourself! Sorry that you can't wrap your thick skull around the fact that Jackie and I are friends. But, let me tell you." He stepped closer to him. Hyde quirked an eyebrow.

"You gonna fight me, or something Foreman?" He asked. Eric scoffed. "I'm not seventeen. Grown men don't fight. But you will not speak like that in front of my niece. We make sure that she has an environment where she feels safe. Do not disrupt that." His voice was dangerously low, and his eyes darkened. "Eric, calm down. It's over with." Jackie shook her head.

"Tyler isn't going to be shaken up by him coming home. It's enough that everyone else is." He explained to her, before dragging her back up the stairs.

Heavy awkwardness blanketed the dinner table.

Red, Laurie and Donna glared daggers into him, as if he wouldn't notice. Kelso and Eric basically ignored him. He couldn't decide which one was worse. Brooke and Jackie busied themselves with their daughters, who were sitting on opposite sides of them.

Tyler was busy smearing her mashed potatoes on her plate. "Tyler, honey, what's our rule?" Jackie scolded, with a gentle tone. The girl deflated visibly, but looked up apologetic. "Food isn't fun, food is fuel." She repeated. "That's right baby, we eat our food, we don't play."

Nobody could tell he was looking at her, he had his sunglasses on, and he was seemingly engrossed in his mashed potatoes.

"Well," Kitty attempted to break the awkwardness. "Isn't this nice and..." She trailed off.

"I think the word you are looking for, Kitty, would be awkward." Fez chimed in with a smile, blissfully unaware of just how awkward it actually was. Eric clinked a fork against his glass. "Ding-ding-ding!" He joked, tossing a roll at his brother in law. Tyler giggled.

"Unca Eric, I catch now too!" She squealed. Eric shook his head. "No, tater-tot. Uncle Eric was being a bad boy, and shouldn't have thrown his roll at Uncle Fez." He clarified for her, after earning a glare from Jackie. The girl pouted, shoving mashed potatoes in her mouth.

"Listen." He finally piped up, looking around the room. "I don't expect a forgiveness trophy, or anything of the sort..." All eyes were suddenly on him. "But I'm here now."

Eric scoffed, stabbing angrily at his turkey. Donna elbowed him. "Ow! Why do you keep doing that? He said this last time and then took off for another two years." He was bitter, his tone filled with malice.

"Foreman, calm down." Hyde told him. Eric slammed his hands down on the table, but froze when he head a small sniffle beside him.

"Why Unca Eric mad?" She looked up at him, lip quivering, blue eyes welling with tears. Her curls were pulled back in a ribbon, and she sniffled. He immediately turned to her, setting her in his lap. "I ain't mad tater tot... Hyde and I are just playing a game." He came up with it on the spot, looking over at Jackie, who looked absent.

"Can I be excused?" He asked, standing and picking up his god daughter.

Red laughed. "Go ahead."

"I be excused?" She asked, from his arms. "Of course, baby." Kitty told her.

The two exited the room.