Chapter18

Kitty was the first one up the next morning. Quietly getting out of bed she put on her robe and slippers, first she went and checked on her son to make sure yesterday was not a dream and that he was in fact back and in his bed where he belonged. When she opened his door quietly she saw him sound asleep. Next she went to check on her house guest, she opened the door to Laurie's old room and saw Jackie and Steven both asleep in the bed, she felt relived that they had found their way back to each other like she had been praying and left them alone to go down and start breakfast. Breakfast this morning would just be for the ones that stayed at the house, WB had told her that he and Angie would get breakfast at the hotel before coming over and he had planned to try and sleep late. Fez, and Michael both had to work and Brook said she would come by later with Betsey before she had to go back to Chicago. WB had told Kitty that Jackie was craving waffles with odd toppings in the mornings, so she decided to get started on bacon and eggs.

Jackie could hear Kitty moving around in the kitchen, and her son was starting to move around, she looked down and saw Steven's hand on her stomach and wondered if he was awake enough to feel the movements. When she felt his hand start to rub her stomach she knew he was waking up. "Is that the baby I'm feeling?"

"Yes, he seems to move a lot in the mornings waking me up" she started to get out of bed, but Steven's hand stopped her, she turned to fuss at him and he was already sitting up and planted a kiss on her lips.

"Now you can get up" as he started to lay back down and pull the covers up.

"I guess we got away with you being up here, since we didn't have anyone screaming this morning." Jackie laughed at the memory of her being caught in Steven's cot.

"Well at least Baby Jesus isn't in this room, though if there was no telling what he saw when Laurie was in this room."

Jackie began to go and start collecting her things, "I am going to go take a shower and go downstairs"

"Yea, I guess I need to sneak back downstairs before I get caught." he threw the covers back off and got out of bed. "Do you know what you are doing today?"

"I may do something with Brook and Angie, Brook has to get back to Chicago tonight so we might do a girls day" She hoped he wouldn't be too disappointed, she wasn't spending all day with him.

"That sounds good, so you and Angie, never would have thought that you two would get along when we first met her"

She looked up and smiled, "Yea we laugh about how we started out now"

"Well I am going to get downstairs, you want to check the hall for me?"

Jackie opened the door and didn't see anyone else, "All clear Puddin"

"See you in a few"

After Jackie got a shower she went down and started helping Kitty with breakfast. "Morning Mrs. Foreman, can I do anything?"

"Good morning, you need to just sit down and let me take care of everything. How did you sleep last night?"

"That was probably the best sleep I have had in months"

Kitty couldn't help but smile, she knew why she probably slept so well, "I guess working things out with Steven helped a lot."

"Yea, that probably has a lot to do with it, keeping the baby from him for all this time kept me up a lot"

"And being lonely in bed can keep you up as well"

Jackie looked up at the older woman, knowing they were caught and started to turn red, she didn't know what to say, at that moment Steven came in from the basement door, now fully dressed.

"Morning" he greeted Kitty and then went over and greeted Jackie with a kiss as if he hadn't seen her since last night, then he noticed her red face, "Jacks why are you so blushed?"

Kitty turned and saw the couple at the table and gave her signature laugh, "haha, she just found out that I know where you BOTH slept last night"

Now Steven was starting to get the same facial color ass Jackie, "I'm sorry Mrs. Foreman" and he didn't know what else to say for himself.

"Well you two are having a baby together, and you Steven should feel lucky that Jackie loves you, and I hope you know that" the last part full of seriousness.

He reached over and took Jackie's hand, "I do, and I plan on not letting it go"

Jackie was rubbing her belly with her other hand, "Ok someone won't stop moving in the mornings until he's fed, how much longer on breakfast?

"Oh he's moving let me feel" she forgot the breakfast and went over and put her hand on Jackie's stomach "He really is moving in there" She bent down to put her head closer to the belly, "Grandma Kitty is going to take good care of mommy for you, you want waffles?"

"Waffles sound perfect, with peanut butter and grape jelly and a banana"

"Well that sounds better than last night's fries, pickles and chocolate shake" Steven got up from the table shaking his head at the memory and went over to get Jackie's plate, "What would you like to drink babe?"

Jackie knew her next request was really going to get her looks, sheepishly she said, "chocolate orange juice"

Sure enough both Steven and Kitty both turned and looked at the girl, "How do I even fix that?" Steven having no clue what she was wanting.

"Just put chocolate mix in the glass of orange juice like you would milk, but no milk"

Jackie had her plate and juice when and started in on her breakfast while Steven started to plate up his food, he wasn't sure he would be able to look at orange juice the same way again, so he just settled for coffee. Red and Eric both came in as Kitty put everything else on the table. Eric noticed the weird color liquid in Jackie's glass, "what are you drinking?"

Steven sitting down next to Jackie, "Eric you don't want to know trust me"

"Well most people put syrup on their pancakes, not peanut butter, jelly and bananas?" Eric said looking at her plate as he sat down on the other side of Jackie.

"Well women go through different cravings and such when they are pregnant. I craved all sorts of things when I was pregnant with you and Laurie"

"Yea nothing can top watching a pregnant woman wolf down a can of sardines right out of the can with chocolate syrup" Red added.

The rest of breakfast was full of chatter of the plans for the day and such. As they were finishing up they noticed Bob come up to the door. Kitty went over and let him in.

"Eric! I didn't know you was back"

"Well I came back to surprise everyone, only Jackie and Angie knew. I am back for the holidays and go back after the first of the year" Eric didn't know how to act towards Donna's dad after everything that has been going on.

"Well welcome home, actually I just came back from dropping Donna off at the airport. She isn't sure how long she is going to be out there with Midge, and if she is going to try to come back here or what. I am meeting with a realtor today about the house. For those that haven't heard, I bought a condo down in Florida when I was down there, I plan on moving as soon as I can get the house sold, there isn't reason really to stay and I hope that maybe Donna while grow up a little out with her mom"

Red couldn't help but ask, "You think being with Midge will help her grow up?"

"I know Midge wasn't the brightest, but she has matured a lot over the last year or so living out there on her own." He looked at Jackie, "Sweetie I know Donna has been a terrible friend to you, but I loved you living with us. Please keep me up to date on you and the baby."

Jackie couldn't help but love Bob, she knew it was originally his idea for her to stay with them. "I will Bob, and you don't be a stranger, you and Red both have been better fathers to me than my own"

"Love you Kiddo and will do" he kissed the top of Jackie's head "Well I need to head back over and get ready for the realtor"

Eric just sat there in stunned silence, Donna was gone and never going to live next door again, part of him felt pain of the girl that was always right there, but part of him felt relief for the girl that she had become as of late. He hoped for the best for her

Jackie looked at Eric and could almost read his thoughts, "Hey it might not have worked out for you and Donna, but maybe down the line you two can be friends again, and even if not, I think you have some pretty great friends, I mean you have me right?"

Eric couldn't help but laugh, they could joke, they could burn each other, but he always knew that they would have each other's backs. "yea I do"

"And I hear Leslie Cannon is still around, I think she has finally gotten her license"

Steven who was taking a drink of his coffee nearly spit it out, "I thought she already had her license?" careful not to throw Eric under the bus of letting someone else having drove Red's corvette.

"Oh know she like failed her permit test several times before she finally passed and I think it took 5 times before she passed her drivers test"

Eric knew they needed to continue this conversation, but out of the earshot of the parents. "Why don't we go downstairs and hangout before Steven has to go to work?"

Once the trio was downstairs, Jackie had both boys eyeing her as she sat on the couch, Steven sat in his chair and Eric over on the lawn chair. "OK, I just introduced her to you Eric, I had no idea that you would let her try to drive your dad's car."

Steven was laughing now, he knew she was right. It was all on Eric for letting a girl he barely knew drive. "Man she's right, you can't blame her"

Eric sat there with his head in his hands, yep she didn't set him up, he had no plans on letting her drive that night, he just assumed she could.

"Eric, I think the thing you need to learn from this is to make sure someone has their license before you let them drive your vehicle. And I am sorry I thought Michael told you. I had told him when he told me that you let her drive that she didn't have her license, who would think that he would have missed that burn"

"Wow that is like a long over due burn, aren't you glad you came back from Africa for this?"

"Right now I am feeling lucky to be breathing, could you imagine what Red would have done if he found out I let some girl drive the car without her license? He just thinks I took the girl out riding around in it"

"Well I need to get to the store, you guys going to stop by later?"

"Yea I think Angie and Brook are coming by and may do a little shopping with Betsey but we can stop by later"

"And I have no plans, so I might come by when I can get away from mom, it will beat sitting around here all day alone"

"OK, remember Jacks to take it easy today" He bent down to give her a kiss, "I love you" He threw on his jacket and walked out the basement door.

Eric took the time to sit with Jackie, "So are you guys doing OK? I mean when Angie picked me up and told me that you was in the hospital it scared me that something happened and he was the reason for it"

"Well right before the accident, I tried talking to him, but he was getting drunk in the beer tent, I hadn't taken my coat off, you know to hide Jr here, apparently he tried to find me by visiting my father, and well he jumped to conclusions after that talk and changed how he reacted to seeing me."

"Wow last I heard he was ready to grovel, sounds like your dad was able to play him"

"Yea I will say that he got into an argument, he wasn't that drunk yet when I found him. But it was so hot for me in there with the heaters, I needed air and well next thing I know I am waking up in the hospital. We have done a lot of talking, and I know we need to talk more before we are there ya know"

"Yea, I know everything probably thought Donna and I had the perfect relationship, but we never talked about the important things, we never talked about the future, even before we almost got married, that is why I left, and we never talked about it after. Me going to Africa we never discussed it really either, we got to where we were together for the convince. Not hearing from her and then hearing how she was acting I realized we wasn't meant for the long run. She wasn't the same girl that we were at 17, we were growing apart and probably should have just stayed friends after that first break up."

"Donna could be a great friend to you guys, but is there something antifeminist to be so choosy about what girls you are friends with?"

"Donna never had really any girlfriends growing up, and she was lousy to you. I mean if I knew you was cheating on Michael, I would feel I owed him to let him know, I know looking back you was our friend too, and we should have let you know ourselves. Trust me, when it was Laurie, I think we all was ready for you to know right away to maybe end the atrocity"

"Well Steven laid enough trap for me to find out."

"I think its time to leave this high school drama behind. I know I am done with it, being away really has helped me reflect on my life, where I have been and where I want to go"

Mrs. Foreman called down from upstairs, "Jackie, Brook and Angie are here"

Jackie looked at Eric, "I have never been so thankful for Angie for the last few months, you know to have a friend that truly loves you for who you are and not just because you are there, and I hope I can get closer to Brook now as well"

"Yea I know she missed you too, and if it helps I love ya, but I starting loving you when you beat up my sister" He got up and helped Jackie up off the couch, the baby wasn't causing too many problems moving yet, but the couch was old and sat really low.

Jackie grabbed him into a hug, "Love you too, and thank you for everything too over the last few months"

At Grooves Steven was busy working the register when WB came in, he went to the office letting him know to come in when he got a chance. Leo was there and when the last wave of customers.

"Leo watch the store, I am going to be in the office with WB" normally he had gotten used to referring him as his dad, but he knew that would only confuse Leo who still called Jackie Loud Girl and Red was Mr Kitty and thought he was still his dad, though none of that was really far off. Leo just went up and sat at the cash register, "Come get me if a lot of people start to come in, or if Jackie…Loud Girl comes in"

"OK man"

WB was sitting behind the desk pulling out paperwork, "Hey son, so I got your birth certificate here, and looking at it this is not the original that Kitty had. Steven's heart sank, scared that this was going to be harder than thought, "I actually have your original here along with your correct Social Security card, I have already talked to lawyers over legal stuff" Steven looked at him confused until he saw that the last name on both was Barnett, he had grown up living a lie thinking his name was Hyde. "Bud and Edna didn't get together until you was almost a year old, she had already named you Steven, it just happened that Bud's real name was Steven so I guess she led you to believe he was your father, he never signed any adoption paperwork or anything. But she never really changed your name, its amazing she never told you the truth."

Steven just sat there, he had gone by Hyde his whole life, he hated Steven because to him that made him Steven J. Hyde III, even if he had never met Bud's dad. "So what is there for me to do?"

"Well you will need to take these to the DMV and have your license changed"

"Great I hate the DMV, Fez worked there our senior year"

"Well if he still knows anyone working there, maybe he could help you"

Would Nina still work there? She seemed nice enough, but would she help her needy ex's friend?

"I'll talk to Fez later and see. Now I just need to find a place to live, I'd like to have a place before I ask Jackie to marry me."

"Are you guys there already?"

He looked at his dad, "No not yet, I just want to be ready, everything is going so well and things are going faster than I expected, I don't know, I would love to be ready by New Years, I already know she doesn't think Christmas proposals are romantic, she says then they guy gets her the ring and not a Christmas gift" both men laughed at that.

"Well I think first we need to get her back working here for you that might be a good step too."

On que a knock on the door was heard, Steven got up and went to the door and opened to find Jackie. "Hey babe, perfect timing" he let her in she gave him a peck on the lips and went over and gave WB a kiss on his cheek.

"Jackie, have a seat, you look like you need to get off your feet" WB got up and pulled a chair out for her.

Steven took a seat and pulled her feet to his lap and looked at her and saw what WB saw, she looked wore out. "You over did it didn't you?"

"Maybe, Brook has to go back to Chicago anyways so she dropped Angie and I off here"

"Are they still out there?"

"Yea Brook figured you might want to see Betsey before she leaves, Michael is out there, he is on break to come see them."

He got up and put Jackie's feet on his chair. "I'll be right back, got to say bye to my god daughter."

Once he left, WB looked at Jackie, "You know you need to take it easy, and I know you have enjoyed working at headquarters, but I think you are needed more here. Steven's math skills and book keeping are seriously lacking, you know it. I am going to make sure you are paid for it too, same as what you was making, but if anything you can do most of the book keeping from home with your feet up. But at least here Steven can keep an eye on you"

"Is this your not so subtle way of saying its time to move back here?"

"Honestly I would feel better if you was closer to Kitty, I have loved having you to take care of, but Kitty is a nurse and she loves you as much as I do. She redid Laurie's room months ago for when you came back, she wants this and so does Red we talked it out last night and I have talked to Steven about you working here taking care of his books again. You two together do great things with this store, sure the set up isn't like the other stores, but it works and I think it would do good to maybe make changes to the other stores, but maybe we actually buy the crates this time" Jackie started to get up, "You stay right there" He walked over to her and hugged her

"thank you so much for taking me in and being there for me"

"You are a very special girl Jackie, it has been great to see Angie with such a close friend, and I will always be there when you need me"

When Steven stepped out into the store he found no customers, Leo was asleep at the counter, Angie, Fez, Eric, Michael and Brook with Betsey was all sitting around the listening pit. "Hey just wanted to tell Bets bye before you guys take off" He leaned down and took her from her mother's arms and gave the small girl a kiss. "Brook you be safe and take care of this little one"

Brook stood up and Betsey reached back for her momma, "You take care too, and take care of that girl and baby in there too"

They had all said their goodbyes to mother and daughter and Michael walked his family out with letting the rest know he would see them in the basement later tonight.

Randy walked in and saw everyone standing around, "Hey Hyde, how are you doing, have you heard from Donna?"

Realizing that he was going to be correcting a lot of people on his name from here on out, and looking at the hippie, yea that would be the hardest to explain to. "Randy from now on call me Steven…or Mr Barnett, Hyde is actually not my name. And Donna left this morning for California to see her mom, didn't she tell you?"

"Um, OK, no she didn't tell me anything about going to California."

"Do you mind closing tonight, I'll explain things later but I think I need to get Jackie home, just kick Leo out before you lock up"

He walked to the office and saw his dad hugging Jackie "Jacks babe, lets get you home, Randy has everything under control here"

On the way out Steven called out to Randy, "we'll be here tomorrow and we will talk about everything then." His main concern was getting his girl home right then.