Chapter 7

October 1979

The move in day went smoothly. Her pregnancy, still a secret, went unnoticed by Fez and Kelso, who had lugged her belongings out of her dark and empty house.

She stood on the porch, now, Donna's El Dorado idling in the driveway. But she was alone. She ran her hand over the banister, her mother's fancy new telephone slung under her arm.

The banister was intricate, given to her parents by an old friend... or something. It was hand carved floral designs, on lighter wood. The dark was over powering, looming over her house and casting shadows in the windows. Her childhood home was nothing of the sort.

It was a house. A place where she slept at night, but that was really about it. Her sadness resided elsewhere. Possibly in Las Vegas.

The paint was chipping, weeds poking out over the gravel driveway. The lawn was overgrown, and she had been neglecting the gardens. The Burkhart manor had become a shell of what was once a beauty atop a hill.

She rested a hand over her baby bump, and tears welled in her eyes. The memories in this house weren't all that great. But, there were a few good ones. And here she was, leaving her childhood behind, essentially. The tears silently rolled down her cheeks, and the wind howled fierce, whipping her hair in circles, her lip quivering. She sniffled, and wiped her tears on her sweater.

"I don't like this version of you." Donna spoke, climbing the stairs. Jackie smiled weakly. "You're Jackie Burkhart. Badass and unbreakable." She placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. For the last week, she had stayed in Donna's room, until she could move all her stuff into the Foreman's. "I'm okay, just a lot is going on, and I guess this is how I handle it. Also, these hormones have me going crazy, Donna." She laughed. "I cried over spilling my milk. Your Dad had no clue what to do."

Donna threw her head back laughing at the idea of Bob dealing with a sobbing Jackie. When the two were done sharing their laugh, she extended her hand. The two walked arm in arm down the stairs with each other, and into the powder blue Cadillac.

The ride home was engulfed in silence.

What was there to say?

She was pregnant, single, and now she was an orphan.

Fez and Kelso were owed an explanation.

Sitting at the table, gobbling down cookies with two year old Betsy in the high chair, she walked through the door without a sweatshirt, hand on her belly.

Fez dropped his cookie.

"Hi Auntie!" Betsy squealed, waving. Jackie kissed her niece on the head. "Where Unca Hy?" She asked, and the girl forced a smile, running her hands through the baby's blonde curls. "Uncle Hyde is... erm..." She trailed off. "I don't know."

"Why?"

"You're pregnant?" Fez asked, incredulously.

Kelso looked up from his plate. "What?"

Jackie gave a sheepish smile. "Surprise."

Thanksgiving, 1984

The backyard was illuminated by a yellow light.

He sat on the swing, his long legs bent uncomfortably, head leaning against the cold chains. He held his beer in his hand, staring at nothing.

The Thanksgiving of 1984 sucked ass. There was no other way to put it.

Footsteps padded up behind him, but he ignored them, until someone sat down beside him. He didn't need to look up to see who it was.

"Hey, man." His voice was gruff, and the swing creaked when he sat down on it.

Eric said nothing, half expecting him to get up and walk away. But, contrary to what he believed, he stayed.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Hyde." He said finally, sipping his beer. "I mean, you practically ditched us."

"I did ditch you." He responded. Eric pursed his lips. "I know, you didn't expect it, but at least I can admit I'm the asshole here. I'm sorry I didn't..." He trailed off. "I'm sorry I didn't come back, or at least call every once in a while. That was shitty of me."

Eric nodded curtly. "Yeah, man. Thanks for the apology, but it ain't that easy. Kelso got married, and you didn't show up. Hell, ya didn't even call, Hyde. Even if ya did have a grudge because of that whole thing you assumed he and Jackie did, that's shitty." He unloaded. "My parents have missed you every single day. I mean, you're their son. And Fez? Fez was devastated, man."

"I know." He said simply, wrapping his fingers around the chains of the swing set. "I made a huge boo-boo, Foreman. But you're still my brother." He told him. "And even if you aren't thrilled I'm here, I'm glad to see you. And I'm sorry I insulted your relationship with Jackie."

The silence that followed was long and awkward.

"It's weird." Eric spoke finally, placing his bottle on the ground. "I'm gonna be a Dad soon, Kelso has another on the way, Jackie is a mother... Fez and Laurie are married."

"I thought they divorced?" He tried to clarify, and Eric laughed. "That's because you married a stripper and have only been back home once." The joke was dry.

"So, Jackie named my kid Tyler." He pointed. Eric visibly stiffened at his sudden comment, and his eyes set in a steely blue.

"Jackie already told you she isn't-"

"Cut the crap, Foreman, I'm not a moron. She looks just like me, digs Zeppelin. The hair, the eyes... She's all me, man." He dug his combat boot into the ground, fidgeting like a little boy who had wronged his mother. Eric was silent.

"It's not my business to tell. But yeah, she did, name her daughter Tyler. Tyler Rose Burkhart." He told him, conveniently leaving out the fact that Jackie had, in fact, named Ty after her father, hyphenating her last name in a futile hope that Hyde might come home.

Too little, too late, and that was his own damned fault.

"Listen, uh..." He coughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "I don't expect you to say we're cool. But, a lot happened while I was gone, and I'd like a chance to explain myself. So, if you're up for it, I'd like to meet up for a burger sometime." He looked over at his former best friend, and brother, who sighed.

"You're leaving on Monday." He scoffed. "Fuck am I gonna do that for?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. Hyde glanced in the sliding door as Tyler shoveled banana cream pie in her mouth.

"Actually, Foreman, I'm gonna be around for a while." He told him, standing up to walk inside. "I'll see you around."