1980- Seattle

"So, Mr Complicated." Julie began.

It had been three weeks since he began his office job, and Julie had taken him under her wing. She was a member of paparazzi, before she became assistant to the manager of the Seattle office. Now co-assistant, considering that they were working together. Filing paperwork, getting coffee. Things he had never assumed he would be doing, and things that he once would have been revolted by.

"What's so complicated about you?" She asked, mouthful of lo mein. They were stationed on the floor of her apartment, chinese food boxes and a movie playing in the background that they weren't paying attention to.

"Well, for one I lived out my teens as an orphan. Bud, the man I assumed was my father had left me, when I was young. Why, I'll never know. He came back, but not for long. Looking for my paycheck." He pursed his lips.

"My Ma, well, she was a lush. She was a junkie. If there's a name for it, she had it. I ruined her life." He shrugged. "First chance she got she left. If it weren't for Foreman, hell, I don't know where I'd be." His mind danced over to Eric. He should probably call him. He had to call him.

"Foreman?"

"Eric, my foster brother. They took me in. I lived there until I wound up in Vegas and married Sam." He spoke, glancing at the phone. "I should probably call him."

"Go ahead."

The ringing was anxiety provoking. But he got the voicemail at the Foreman's and he hung up in a panic.

"Why didn't you leave a message?"

"Because..." He trailed off, thinking for an explanation. He had no good ones.

"Is Stevie a scaredy cat?" She asked.

He just stared at her, before frowning. "Yeah, I guess I'd say I am."

1984- Jackie's House

He couldn't sleep.

The clock on the side table read 2:30am, and he finally gave up on tossing and turning.

He quietly stood, moving his blanket, and exited the guest bedroom, where he took up residence. His head hurt, and he figured a glass of water would help. Or something. He could go outside, for a walk. It was unseasonably warm today. He put a shirt on, and shoved his feet into his slippers.

He tiptoed down the hall, and past Jackie's room. Her door was open though, but maybe she had to go in the night.

He padded down the stairs, and found her seated at the table. There was a kettle going on the stove.

"Hey." She spoke, not looking at him.

"Hey, yourself." He spoke. "How'd you get down here?"

"I hobbled. Can't sleep?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Nah. Tossing and turning got kind of old." He laughed.

She nodded. "I'm making tea."

"I see." He pulled a chair out, settling himself comfortably, and playing with the hem of his long sleeve shirt. Silence. He looked at her.

"This is awkward."

"So, we're both awake."

They had both spoken at the same time.

"Sorry." They spoke simultaneously.

"We're both awake." She told him. He laughed.

"Yeah, I see that." He told her, smiling.

"We can have our talk now." She told him quietly.

"We can start." He suggested.

"Start?" She asked.

"We have a lot to cover. Starting with Chicago." He pointed out.

"I didn't cheat on you." She told him.

He swallowed thickly. "Yeah, I um- I know." He frowned. "That's part of the reason I didn't stay last time. Also, I thought Sam was pregnant. And I was on drugs."

She blinked. "You knew."

"Well, no, but now I do." He told her. "And, I was on my way to propose to you."

"You were." She squeaked. He flushed. There it was. The zen trying to creep up, he hated his emotions, he was uncomfortable.

"Yup." He responded, leg shaking.

"You okay?" She furrowed a brow.

"This conversation is making me nervous." He admitted. She placed a hand over his.

"We don't have to-"

"But we will eventually, and I'll still feel the same way." He liked the warmth of her hands. And he wanted to just kiss her. Ask her to marry him.

But he didn't. Too fresh, too soon. Probably never could be again. The kettle whistled.

"Okay." She nodded. "Hopefully this tea will calm you down. It has lavender in it." She told him.

"I like lavender. Julie used to spray it on my pillowcase when I finally got sober again and I couldn't calm down." He spoke thoughtfully. She tilted her head.

"Julie. She was here earlier." She remembered.

"Yup, Angie's girl." He nodded.

Jackie grinned. "I always knew she was gay." She told him.

Steven quirked a brow. "Seriously? She acts straight."

"I know everything, Steven." She told him. "So after you left Chicago." She urged.

"I barhopped my way across USA, used Bud's credit card and racked up charges into Vegas. Met Sam 13 days into a bender at a strip club in the center of Vegas. We did a ton of drugs, drank all day and I married her in a Waffle Church because she had convinced me that you and I had no hope, and this was how I could get some sort of revenge." He explained. "I don't think I went a day without drinking after that." He told her.

She looked haunted, and she took the first sip of her tea. His leg was to longer shaking, but he was twisting his hands in his lap. He stared down at the steaming mug. His shades were up in his bedroom, and suddenly he felt naked.

They were strangers. But he needed to know about her pregnancy. "What was it like being pregnant?" He whispered after a minute of silence.

"It was hard in itself because I was so small." She explained. She pointed at a drawer in a filing cabinet. "Go in the middle drawer and pull out the file with her name in it." He did as he was told and sat back at the table. "Open it."

Inside were pictures of an ultrasound, they were tiny and barely visible. "It was cool because the tech was brand new." His eyes watered.

"Was it harder because I wasn't there?" He asked. She pursed her lips.

"Eric, Fez, Kelso and Red kinda made it like you were there to help. It was hard emotionally. I missed you." She was honest. His blue eyes were holding her own.

"I don't think you know how guilty I feel." He whispered. She gave him a sad smile.

"I almost didn't want you to ever come back." She admitted. He nodded in understanding.

"I get it."

"Not because I was mad at you."

"Huh?" He quirked a brow. His mouth went dry and his lips tingled.

"I knew that I'd just forgive you." She whispered. "Maybe not completely, but it's so hard for me to tell you no."

He frowned. "I know." He was upset. "I'm trying my hardest to not take advantage of that." He swallowed, shifting in his seat, and scooching over an inch when he finally noticed how close they were.

"I'm sorry." She apologized.

"Don't apologize. We need to figure this out first before we possibly embark on anything else." He told her. She nodded in understanding. "So, the boys filled my shoes?"

"Mostly Eric. Him and I became friends after he went to Africa. I spent most of my time at the Foreman's, and one day I answered the phone when he called and the rest was history." She told him. "I found out I was pregnant with him on the phone. Donna was at college and well... you were somewhere between Chicago and Vegas." She spoke. "Then, when Donna found out I was pregnant and my Mom was gone again, she ratted me out to Kitty. Laurie and I became like sisters and I moved into Red's den. That's why it's a guest bedroom now and not still his man-cave. Eric's old room is set up for Bets and Ty, and Laurie and Fez moved into her bedroom."

"I still can't believe they stayed together." He pursed her lips.

"They were made for each other." Jackie shrugged. "You'll see it soon enough."

"Mommy?" A voice asked. "Daddy?"

"Hey, sweetie, what are you doing awake?" She asked.

"I can't sleep." She mumbled, dragging Twinkle Toes by the arm. The worn out stuffed animal hung lifelessly. "Can you sing to me?"

"What do you want me to sing?" He asked her. She started humming a tune that he knew instantly, but grimaced. Jackie quirked a brow. "I can't believe I'm doing this." He mumbled, then looked at Jackie. "Tell Foreman about this, and I'll never open my mouth again." He threatened playfully, before scooping Ty into his arms.

"Well she ain't got no money, her clothes are kinda funny, her hair is pretty wild and free." He sang to her. "Oh, cause love grows where my Grasshopper goes. And nobody knows like me." He sang to her.

"Well she talks kinda lazy, and people say she's crazy, but that doesn't matter to me. Oh cause love grows, where my Grasshopper goes, and nobody knows like me." He sang to her.

"And I'm a lucky fella. I just gotta tell her-" She was asleep against his chest by now.

"Bubble gum pop." She whispered. "I just watched you sing bubble gum pop to our daughter." She was trying so hard not to laugh. Steven flushed red, but he was laughing also.

Tyler stayed sleeping in his arms. He looked down at his daughter, and smiled. "I promise I'm never going to go anywhere ever again." He spoke. "This is just too good of a feeling to ever want to give up."

Jackie smiled warmly at him. "I'm glad you came home." She told him. "She deserves this kind of relationship with you."

He smiled. "So am I."