Chapter 9

November 1984

"Mrs Foreman!" Donna knocked on the front door in a panic, fists banging frantically, tears in her eyes. Tyler was situated on her hip, still in her pajamas, and holding Twinkle Toes close. "Kitty! Red! Fez! Any-"

The door swung open, the last person she wanted to see standing in front of her, no shades on, wearing plaid pajamas. His hair was strewn about, but he was wide awake now.

"Donna, man, what's wrong?" He yawned, looking at his watch. She pushed past him. "It's like six am."

"Kitty!" She called frantically. Fez and Laurie pounded down the stairs, slippers clopping against the hardwood.

Donna Pinciotti stood in the living room, holding Tyler in her arms, who was visibly confused. She wore pajamas, and her hair was tied back in a bun messily.

Laurie, in her bathrobe, took Tyler, bouncing her on her hip.

"Eric- Jackie and Eric-" She was hyperventilating, tears running down her face. "There was an accident, someone called the house, and I-" She started to cry, shoulders shaking. "They're at the hospital where Kitty used to work. But Eric was rushed into surgery, and Jackie isn't awake." She was crying.

"What?" Kitty asked in concern, looking up at Red.

"The car was mangled. They slid on the ice on the freeway, and boom." She paced back and forth. "And I would have just gone, but I had Ty, and-" She broke down into sobs.

Hyde coughed, uncomfortably.

"'Teven? Why Mama sleepin'?" She looked at him, innocently, and his heart cracked down the middle.

"I, um. She's just taking a nap right now, kiddo." He told her. "I'm sure she'll wake up real soon." His smile was weak, but Donna sniffled again. Tyler reached out a chubby hand from her new spot on the couch, and wiped the red head's face with the palm of her hand. "Aunt Donna." She told her aunt. "Big feelings is okay, that's what Mommy says. Do you have some big feelings?"

Donna sniffled. By now, the rest of them were getting dressed while Donna and Hyde occupied Tyler. He stayed quiet now. She put her God daughter in her lap, and held her close. "Auntie Donna is having big feelings. And it is okay. And, I love you."

"I love you too, Auntie. Where's Unca Eric?" She asked, looking at her father, wide eyes of blue. Donna started to cry again. He gingerly picked the girl up, and she let him. It was weird, knowing she was his flesh and blood, and yet keeping it a secret. He set her down on the couch, before grasping Donna's hand, and leading her into the kitchen. He was surprised he let her.

The dark cast a shadow, and he turned on the lights. She quivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Listen, the last thing you want right now is-"

She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. His breath left his lungs at the force, and he stiffened at the contact. Affection hadn't been something he'd had very much of in the last few years. Slowly, he came to wrap his arms around her, and he mumbled an apology.

"They told me- They told me he was awake, but something had to be removed-" She spluttered, trying to keep quiet for Tyler, who was watching Sesame Street in the next room over. "They know he's going to make it. But they said he's very weak. He broke his arm, his leg is busted..." She trailed off, pulling away. "I'm so mad at you. You hurt my man and my best friends, and I really want you to be here for us, but nobody will let you..." She trailed off. "And that's not the point."

He snapped his fingers, making her quirk an eyebrow. "Did you just snap at me?" He laughed, pulling a chair out, and having her sit down. He moved to the sink to grab two glasses of water. One for himself, the other for Donna. "Your hyperventilating isn't good for the baby. At all." He reasoned with her, and she nodded, resting her hand on her teeny-tiny bump. "Yeah, you're right." She sniffled. He sat across from her.

"Secondly, call a truce? Even if it's just between us." He offered. She pursed her lips. "I'm angry at you." She told him, voice all nasally from her nose being clogged. He shrugged, reaching behind him to grab a box of tissues.

"I fucked up. All I can offer is an apology, and show you that I've changed." He was flat out. He pushed the Kleenex across the table with his finger. She snorted. "Listen, everything is absolutely fucked right now. Foreman and Jackie-"

Jackie's name brought a choked sob out of her mouth. "Jackie... Jackie's not awake." She told him, looking at him. His face contorted into an unreadable expression, but he remained calm. "I know, what does that mean?"

"She's alive, but she's unresponsive. She's in a coma, I think?" She tried to explain it. Hyde's grip tightened on the glass he was holding. "I don't know. It's not looking good, and-and..." She took a deep breath. "I don't know if she's gonna make it."

Pop.

His face remained flat, even though he had a bunch of shards of glass caught in his hands. He coughed, awkwardly, when she stared at him wide eyed. Half in shock, and maybe it was fear... He couldn't be sure. There was now a puddle of blood on the table. He swallowed back his tears, and licked his dry lips.

"I think I need a bandaid."

October 1979

"It's cold." She mumbled, pulling her jacket tighter around herself. It barely fit over her bump, but she managed. She stood beside Red, who leaned against the Vista Cruiser, hands shoved in his pockets, chewing bubble gum. His baseball cap hung over his face, but he looked up at her briefly. "We're in Wisconsin." Was his gruff response, but a smirk rested on his lips.

The man beside her once terrified all the neighborhood kids. He used to have a booming voice, a foot for every ass, and he would poison the squirrels. Jackie never batted an eyelash at the man's antics, which was part of the reason she was his favorite. Even if he would never admit as much, his actions showed it.

"Thank you." She mumbled, barely audible. His eyes shifted, hands moving in his pockets.

"For what?" Another short, gruff response.

"Moving out of your man den. Painting it blue... Feeding me, letting me use the driveway." She looked down at her feet, half ashamed. "If it weren't for you guys, I have no clue what I'd do." She admitted.

He was silent for a minute. "Listen. I'm not a man of many words. I grew up learning, actions speak louder than words. You are family. Steven, while a dumbass, is family, and you're carrying his baby. There's a reason you're my favorite." He wasn't loud, his tone was flat.

She didn't say anything.

"And Pam?" He added. "Dumb. Ass." He leaned back, folding his arms across his chest.

They had been waiting for what felt like days, when finally, a head of shaggy hair poked out of the crowd. He was taller, and bulkier, and carried two huge suitcases. His jacket was too tight, and his skin looked weird being so tan this late in the fall.

"Eric!" She smiled, running at him, and engulfing him in a hug. He was taken by surprise, but returned the embrace. "I'm so glad you're home!"

"Hey, Tiny." He laughed. "Let me see the bump!" She rolled her eyes, but jokingly flashed open her coat, revealing her three month bump. He examined her carefully.

The last six months that she had been gone hadn't done much good on her mental state, clearly. Her eyes were tired and sunken in, her usually manicured fingernails were chewed to the stubs, and she wasn't completely there. He coughed awkwardly, smiling. "It's good to see you."

She now had to crane her neck upwards to look at him, which was surprising because Red and Kitty weren't very tall. He was six two now, easy, towering over Red. He carried his suitcases, and set them down next to the trunk of the big, green station wagon. He rubbed his hands together. "Africa weather was the complete opposite of this. It was like... a sauna. But dry." He told them.

"Hi dad." He smiled at his old man, extending his hand. Red shook it. "Hey, dumb ass! You got bigger!" His smile was stretched wide across his face.

Eric almost said something smart. A nice to see ya too, dad or another sarcastic remark could have left his mouth. But it didn't.