Chapter 7

Jackie and Angie was getting ready for dinner when WB came through the door.

"Hey dad, how did things go today?"

"Well they all know that Jackie is gone, looks like Kelso found out about the foreclosure and noticed all of Jackie's stuff gone. Sam apparently said some nasty remarks about Jackie and Red kicked her out last night, Steven let her go. I think he was planning on divorce when I showed up this morning, and was pretty upset to find that the whole thing had been a scam, she apparently filed and was asking for alimony"

Jackie was in stunned silence, she bet Steven felt like an idiot and had passed all of Michael and Eric's idiotic stunts.

"She wants what?" Angie said, "One they were not married what 2 months, and two it wasn't even legal?"

"Yea and the request for the money in a the farce of the marriage might just be her down fall, talked to my lawyer and they are going to talk to the DA in Vegas, she might be up on fraud charges for trying to do what she did"

Finally able to put words together, Jackie spoke "How did Steven handle all this?"

"Well he was pretty upset about being conned, as I can imagine. But there is something I need to let you know, he asked if my PI could locate you. I didn't give away I knew where you was or that I would help, I did tell him he needed to get his life in order before he tried to find you." WB took Jackie's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I want you to think about it, and start preparing yourself for when you might see him again"

Jackie looked up at the man, she wished that he could have been in Steven's life years ago, maybe some of the edge that was Steven wouldn't be there. She knew he regretted not being there and the life Steven grew up in, and she knew that Steven would have regrets of his own for not being there for his child. But thinking back to the man that was too busy getting drunk in warehouse with his friends, and hadn't noticed that she was living alone. That broke her heart without thinking twice. He would have to do a lot to prove himself worthy to be in her life and their child's life.

Suddenly the phone rang, the maid came in after answering it, "Ms. Jackie there is a Mr. Eric Forman on the phone for you."

Jackie stood up and excused herself to take the call, "Eric? You are the last person I expected to hear from. Is everything OK?" They had been writing back and forth since that first letter and she knew him to be a good friend but figured it would stick to just letters.

"Well I just got off the phone with dad and he filled me in on everything that has happened over the last few days, and I wanted to check in and see how you was doing"

Tears started in Jackie's eyes, yea Angie and WB along with the older Formans showed they cared, but none of her other so called friends, "I am doing OK, just a lot to take in, knowing that I will never be able to go back to the house I grew up in, that Steven in ditching me was conned by that skank. WB said he wants to find me, but I am not sure I am ready to face him."

"I understand, he has finally written me back, he realizes how bad he messed up with you. He said that when Sam showed up he figured he had done the ultimate screw up with you and didn't want to turn his back on her, he thought that would make him like Bud, said he needed to live up to his decisions and that was why she stayed."

"That is what I figured, but I would have thought our over 2 year relationship was worth more than being trumped by a drunken marriage ceremony, Ok enough about me, have you heard from anyone else?"

"Well Donna sent me a letter finally, but it was so not so nice in telling me what she apparently has really thought of me all those years. From what Red said Bob is trying to get her to go to her mom's for Christmas and maybe cool down or whatever, Fez finally wrote me the other day too, it seems he has been thinking about moving back home. It seems Kelso is busy, you and I are gone and Hyde and Donna are not the same people. He wishes he knew where you was so he could see you one last time before he leaves"

"Did he say when he was possibly going back?" Jackie knew that Fez probably just got caught up in the fact of the stripper in the basement that he forgot her, she would like to see the crazy foreigner again.

"I believe maybe at the first of the year, so maybe if you spend Christmas in Point Place…" Eric trailed off, he wasn't sure if the girl would go back there ever

"I don't know Eric, I am already starting to show a little, so come Christmas it will be even more obvious, I can't run into Steven like this, I have to figure out what I am going to do. The holidays are going to be tricky. I know I need to tell him, but I don't know how anymore"

"Are you making plans for the holidays? I know mom is going to miss you if you are not there"

"I know, we've talked and right now I am just spending Thanksgiving with WB and Angie here, luckily Steven is going to be needing to stay in Point Place to get ready for the big sale at Grooves Black Friday, along with the 1 year anniversary of the store opening. WB is heading to Point Place after we eat, and Angie and I are staying in Milwaukee and shopping,"

"I hate not being home for Thanksgiving, last year was probably the saddest Thanksgiving I could remember, it was just my parents, Bob and myself, everyone else was so busy with the store and such. I hate that I even tried to get out spending it with my parents now that I am so far from home this year."

"So much has happened this year, it's hard to believe that the 70s are almost over. I know I never would have thought I would be facing the 80s working in an office and being a pregnant and not married" Jackie voice started to get softer and quieter.

"Well look at it this way, you are a long way from where your parents were, I might be coming home sooner than I thought, I may have a scholarship lined up, but I am going to keep that quiet till I have everything worked out, so don't say anything to my parents, I don't want anyone to know till I have everything settled. Look I better be getting off the phone here, Take care Devil and take care of that little one, I am trying to find a someone to make a miniature Jedi robe for my nephew or a Leia dress for my niece, too bad we don't know what yet."

"You better not think of turning my precious baby into a Star Wars geek like you!" Jackie yelled, "And thanks for the phone call, I miss you"

"Miss you too, sadly" At that they both hung up.

Angie had stood by the door waiting for Jackie to get off the phone with Eric before she walked into the living room, taking a seat by Jackie, "How is Eric doing?"

"He's seems to be doing good, I would say he is no longer the geek I grew up with, but then he talked about getting Star Wars outfits for the baby"

"Aw that sounds sweet that he is wanting to get the baby something, how much longer is he over there for?"

"It's supposed to be a year, he talked about Thanksgiving last year, and it's hard to believe how much has changed, we really didn't celebrate Thanksgiving last year, we spent most of the day getting everything ready at Groves"

"Yea other than the time you guys went out and stole the milk crates to make up for the bins I forgot to order, that was the first time Steven did anything brotherly to me, covering for my mistake"

"I asked him about it later that night, he said he figured he had to work with you and you was his sister, and just like he saw Eric like a brother and would cover for him he would try and cover for you."

"Wow I never would think of him being so deep, I really never have gotten the chance to really get to know him, he seems to have walls up and doesn't let anyone in."

"Yea, he's been like that since we were kids, I think it started with when Bud left and only got worse over the years. Before we got together it seemed that he would let down his walls for me. But I remember when I picked him up for prom the hateful things Edna yelled at him, only the week before he had gotten into a fight during career day, I don't know if he ever realizes I heard his conversation with Red, I was under the Vista Cruiser working on it. The look on his face was priceless when I rolled out from under it" Jackie laughed at the memory, then saddened at the memory that followed, "It wasn't long after all that Edna left for good"

"Hold up you work on cars?"

"Yea I ended up that career day working with Red, I was a sophomore and didn't participate in the career day, even if I did it wasn't like I would go to work with either of my parents. Red started teaching me about cars, I have helped him since over the years. Steven and Eric have been the only ones to see me working on a car."

"Maybe Steven liked what he saw when he saw you working on the car and that is why he took you to prom?"

"HAHA, well maybe, but really I cried, back then he couldn't take a girl's tears, he fixed it up with Michael and we got back together and he took off with Michael's date, honestly I was disappointed with him that night. Looking back I never should have gotten back with Michael that night, of course the other times we got back together I never should have either"

"Yea, I should have never gotten with Michael either, I thought he was different than the other guys I had been with, and yea he was a lot dumber than the other guys, but still he was a guy and I think part of him going out with me was to get back at Steven for you"

"Honestly I wouldn't put it passed him, even when he tried a relationship with Brook he seemed to still have need to get at Steven, I don't know if he ever let it go. And look at what it led to, that stupid prank in Chicago" They both got quiet, that what ifs going through both their minds. "I think I need to get to bed, it's been a long day" Jackie got up and made her way to her room.