The ride to Milwaukee wasn't long, maybe about a fifteen minute drive, and the drive consisted of them listening to Led Zeppelin.
Eric had given him a booster seat for Ty to put in the back of his Dodge Charger, and she sat so good, and even buckled her own seatbelt. "I like the song about the love. All my my love." She started singing the song, and he skipped to that particular track on the tape.
She grinned, and the two sang along. Eventually, the hospital came into sight. This feeling for him was strange. He helped her out of the car, and picked her up, resting her on his hip, before making sure he had everything. The two wound up climbing the stairs, before winding through the hall, and eventually they got to Jackie's room.
"Ready?" He asked.
"I missed Mama." She told him, knocking on the door.
"Come in!" She called. He opened the door for her. This time, the lights in the room were on, and she was seated upright watching television. Her lips were no longer swollen, and her eye looked way better.
"Mama!" Tyler squealed, taking Jackie by surprise. "Hey, babygirl!" She looked down as Tyler hugged the side of the bed.
"'Teven, up!" She demanded. He grinned at her bossiness, and the similarities between the two ladies. He closed the door softly, and lifted her up to sit on the edge of Jackie's bed.
"You need to be gentle, Bug, okay?" He told her, pulling a chair over. Ty reached out to touch her mother's face.
"Unca Eric said we need to buy a new car." She told her mother. Steven snorted. "Can I color? Nurse Jenny give me crayons last time."
"I can go grab you a coloring book." He offered. "Yes, please, Daddy." He stiffened, and stared at her. She hadn't called him that, and she didn't seem to realize she did either. Jackie picked up on it though. Hyde's lips twitched.
"Alright, Bug." He kissed her forehead, and exited the room.
Jackie stared in thought at her daughter. "What have you been doing, baby, I missed you!"
"Well, 'Teven and I camped in the living room, and we watched movies, and we listen to Zed Leppelin, and we decorate the living room, and we had a pajama party, and made pizza, and..." The kid turned into a chatterbox, thoughtfully listing off all the things she had done with Steven, and lighting up in her eyes.
"Steven doesn't have a stocking, but he said that's okay because Santa knows who Daddy is. Isn't that cool? He must know me too!" She continued babbling, fidgeting with twinkle toes. The cast on her arm was gone by now. "And I got my cast off! Unca Eric took me, and we put it in the garage so now I know to be careful when I play, and..."
Jackie nodded, attempting to take in the girl's shenanigans and the fact that she had referred to Hyde as her Daddy. She shivered, resting a hand on her daughter's leg.
"I'm so glad Unca Eric found my Daddy! He isn't lost anymore! He said he was sorry he got lost, though." Jackie's heart swelled at the apologies towards their daughter.
The door opened, and Tyler squealed.
"They only had My Little Pony this time, I know you really liked the Power Rangers one." He told her apologetically.
"That's okay." She toddled over to the table in the far corner of the room, and propped herself up to color.
The adults sat in silence, and watched the child. "Do you ever get over this feeling?" He finally asked her. She quirked a brow.
"What?"
"Like, watching her. She's just, so, so-" He paused looking for words. "She's so smart. And she looks just like me." He sounded dumbfounded, but at this point he didn't really care much to be zen.
"Yeah, don't remind me." Jackie scoffed playfully.
"Hey! I look good!" He defended, grinning. "But, she's also just like you."
"How so?" She asked, quirking a brow.
"She has those mismatched eyes of yours, for one. One is mine, and one is yours." He started softly. "And she has these problem solving skills that I read in a book recently are like, way advanced for her age. And she's just very sassy and she voices her feelings. And she has your hair color and skin tone. And she's obsessed with pink." He rattled off.
Jackie stayed silent. He pursed his lips, sighing. "I can't believe I pulled a Bud Edna on her." He whispered, almost to himself, but Jackie still caught it. "Or you, and I know I've said it. But I'm gonna say it again. I'm sorry."
Jackie nodded, pursing her lips. "I understand."
"I overreacted when I saw you in the basement on Thanksgiving, I was shocked and scared and... I don't even know." He told her. "I just... knew that she was mine." He rambled.
"Hey." She stopped him.
"Yeah?"
"You're babbling."
"Sorry." He told her, blushing. His eyes darted over to Tyler, where she was standing on the chair. "Oi! Tiny and unsafe human!" He reacted, speaking in a funny accent. The toddler whipped her head around, giggling. "Butt on the seat!" She obliged. "Good job. Thank you!"
Jackie smiled to herself, before looking over at him. "So. I heard you're gonna stick around." She pulled him out of his supervision.
"I got the okay to open an office in Madison." He nodded. "I'm just a manager, a song writer." He looked over at her. "I can work from home."
"You just... Moved?" She asked.
"Missed out on enough of her." His voice cracked, and he swallowed back his tears.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"No, Doll. I'm sorry." He pursed his lips, looking over at his daughter, who resumed standing.
"Grasshopper, please sit down!"
"Yes, Daddy."
February 1980-
The sliding door opened, and she looked up briefly. Nobody had used that door in a while, as the front door had become the new entry way recently. She looked up, hopeful that she would see sunglasses. She was met with shaggy brown hair and a little girl.
"Kelso is here!" Fez grinned.
"Hey, Bets-" A sharp pain sounded off in her tummy. "Ah!" She cried out, wincing. She hadn't meant to react that way, but the pain was suddenly a lot to handle.
Eric turned around. "Baby time?"
"No. Just,"
"Braxton Hicks!" Donna piped up. "Far too early."
"I heard Baby Time!" Laurie ran into the kitchen, pausing, looking her over.
"Guys!" She cried. They stopped. "I'm fine, like Donna said. It's just Braxton Hicks. No baby yet."
"Good, you haven't picked out a name." Laurie spoke. Jackie pursed her lips.
"Well, there's so many great people to name him after." She shrugged. "I really liked the name William, or Reginald. Or Ranier." Rainer was Eric's and Red's middle name. He smiled.
"I have a sneaking suspicion that it's a little girl, but, mother's intuition is probably stronger." Eric pointed out.
"If it's a girl, one of her names will be Rose, like Kitty and Donna." Donna Rose, and Katherine Rose were nice names she thought. "And if it's a boy, I like the name Tyler."
"Tyler... I know like, twelve Tylers." Fez spoke. Laurie elbowed him.
"Tyler is such a nice name." She scolded. Jackie rolled her eyes.
"Like Steven Tyler." She spoke. "Or I like Robert." She trailed off. Robert Plant was Steven's favorite person. She knew now that he was long gone. Her feeling that he was ever going to come back was fleeting by the day.
"I think it's a girl." Eric placed a hand on the bump. The baby kicked. "Oh! That's so weird!" He cried. "Uncle Eric can't wait to meet you, you little soccer player!"
"The baby has a career in boxing. Lemme tell you." She sat in a chair, putting her head back. "Being pregnant is fucking hard."
"That word is not nice, Aunt Jackie." Betsy scolded from Kelso's arms.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, B." She apologized. "Oh, I have to pee." She struggled to stand up, face flushing bright red, in frustration and partly in embarrassment.
Eric helped her out of her seat, and she waddled down the hallway. "Damnit!" She cursed to herself. She kept saying that it would be easier if Steven would just come home. If he would just call, and she could tell him. But as her pregnancy progressed, and Eric fulfilled Steven's role as much as he could, she started to doubt that Steven himself would make anything easier.
She just missed him. Plain and simple. She had her village. Eric, Donna, Red, Kitty, Michael, Fez, and Laurie. They all had her back, they were at the ready when they just figured she was going into pre-mature labor. She exited the bathroom, waddling into the basement, and practically falling onto the couch. Memories danced in her mind, mouthfuls of smoke and smiles until it was cruel words and an ultimatum. His anger in Chicago suddenly dissipated when Laurie padded softly down the stairs.
"Ya know, I like Tyler for a girl too." She sat beside her on the couch. "It's different and progressive." Jackie looked over at her, a hand over her tummy, and a sad smile on her face.
"I miss Steven." She whispered. "So much. It hurts me that he isn't here for his baby."
"I know." Laurie voiced, placing a supporting hand on her.
"Eric is doing his best being my fake brother." She sighed. "But Tyler is gonna grow up without a dad."
"You're going with the name?"
"Yes. If it's a boy, Tyler Rainer. If it's a girl, Tyler Rose Raina." She decided. "Rose, for Kitty, you, and Donna. Raina as Rainer for Red and Eric." She rolled her hand over her tummy. "For my village.
Laurie's eyes welled up with tears. "Jacks-" She sniffled. "I know that we haven't always been friends, hell, I helped Kelso cheat on you." She continued. "But you're like the sister I never had now, and we have so much in common. And I'm honored that you partly named my little niece after me!"
"Oh, Laur, it's all history!" She grinned, it was watery though. The two met in an embrace, holding one another.
"I'm here for you through it all. Tyler won't even know that Hyde is gone."
"I'm gonna give the baby his last name." She confessed. "Something is telling me I should. I don't want them to be a Burkhart." She frowned.
Laurie shrugged. "Names aren't anything, kid. I promise." She smiled into Jackie's shoulder.
"Okay, now, I think you both should kiss." Fez's voice broke them from the sweet moment. "And I think I should watch."
"Fez!" They both scolded.
But they all broke into laughter.