AN: Just FYI Midge is going to be a little more OC here, I want Donna to have a mom that will call her out, Bob has always been too much of softy and I think with Midge away living on her own maybe she has grown up a little.

Chapter 25

While the party was in full swing at the Foreman's everyone trying to distract three adults from missing their daughters, Betsey was the center of attention. Red was sitting on his chair with Betsey in his lap, "Enjoy it this year kid, next year you have to share the attention." The little girl didn't understand but was enjoyed being spoiled.

Jackie beemed thinking about next year and her little boy. Just then Steven went over and picked up Betsey from Red, "You'll still be the princess next year"

"Just next year you will have a prince join you" Jackie came over and joined them

His son with a Kelso…oh hell no he was thinking, even if that Kelso was his goddaughter. "love ya Bets, but you are not dating my son" he kissed her cheek and handed her off to Jackie.

"And why not? She could always have Brook's brains?"

"Would you want your precious baby boy dating a girl that was conceived in a bathroom stall of a concert?" Neither one of them realized that everyone was listening to the conversation, Brook was red from everyone knowing about Betsey's conception. Then Jackie released her own information.

"What our son that was conceived in the bed of your El Camino at the drive in!" All of a sudden they realized that they were the center of attention, and had no idea what to say to anyone or even each other.

Eric came up to them, "just want to thank you for helping us get past the phone call this afternoon, I love you both!" and pulled both of them into a hug. The trio began laughing when Jackie looked up and saw Brook.

"Brook I am sorry, I didn't mean to…"

But she was interrupted by Kitty, "Red I tried to tell you it can be done at other places than a bed! Why do we have to act like a couple of old people?"

Steven leaned over and whispered to Jackie and Eric, "Red better be careful of she's going to go on a cooking strike again"

"I hope she waits till after I leave" Eric whispered back

"you guys need to think of something to change this subject and fast"

Steven stepped away from the two and hollered at his foreign friend, "Fez are you drunk enough to put on a dress yet?"

Holding a glass he looked at Steven, "Not yet amigo, but soon"

Eric spoke up, at the time the only one really drinking was Fez, "Um I think the rest of us are not drunk enough to put Fez in a dress"

Michael had came over and took his daughter from Jackie, "Right, he is going to have to put it on himself"

Jackie looked at the boys in disbelief, "Seriously you guys would take off his clothes and put him in a dress? I always thought he did it himself"

The three boys exchanged looks,

"I think Betsey needs changed"

"I am going to check on mom"

"Why don't we sneak downstairs?"

"I think maybe you all should stop drinking to the point of getting drunk enough to change another boys clothes" she said to the three retreating backs.

"Good idea babe, I already told you my heavy drinking days are behind me, but seriously can we go down stairs?" he grabbed her hand and led her down the stairs and sat her on the couch.

"You know you are going to have to lift me off this thing, it's not easy to get off of now."

"I know and I'll help you but I want you to sit here for a reason OK?" and he retreated to his room, it wasn't long before he was back. From the sounds coming from upstairs the party was going full swing. He came back and sat on the other end of the couch, "Now if only Price is Right would be on" he gave her a wink

"What's going on?"

"Look I was going to wait till next week and do this New Years, but I don't want to. Right now I am going to ask you to shut your pie hole, got it?" she nodded. "Look most of the memories in this basement has a lot of memories for us, and one of the best was that summer day you sat right there looking incredibly hot. Then later we sat here and I called you my girlfriend for the first time, so sitting here I want to call you my future wife for the first time and ask you to marry me?"

Jackie was speechless, she hadn't let her eyes leave his face, "Babe I have had this ring for about 8 months, I just got scared to go through with it, but you are going to have to answer me before you can wear it"

This time tears were in her eyes, she had thought of all kinds of scenarios of being proposed to over the years, but this was perfect. Sitting here where it first started, "Yes I would love to marry you"

He took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger, then he didn't know why but lifted her hand and kissed her hand by the ring. "I love you, and want to spend the rest of my life with you and whoever else comes along, and no this is not your Christmas present, you will get that tomorrow" and then they were making out like they had so many times that first summer.

Not hearing the sounds of the footsteps of their friends. Eric, Michael and Fez joined by Brook and Angie. "Dear God no one wants to see that!" Eric exclaimed as he led the way. "I figured we needed to get down here sooner than later or we might see more than we ever want to"

The couple broke apart and Steven lifted Jackie off the couch and sat down in his chair bringing Jackie to his lap. Kelso sat in the lawn chair while Brook joined Angie, Eric and Fez on the couch, Eric sitting on the arm of the couch.

"Betsey is taking a nap on Red's lap right now, so we decided to come down here like we used to. I also figured I would let everyone know about Laurie. It sort of explains why Red's out of character tonight."

"What happened to Laurie?" Michael asked not knowing what was going on

"She called today, she is in a drug rehab facility she almost died of a drug overdose a month or so back"

"Last night Red was going on about when he put a doll house together for Laurie one Christmas Eve as he helped me with the doll house for Betsey, you could tell he missed her and then to get the phone call today"

Brook spoke up, "Do you know when she gets out? Will it be before you have to go back to Africa?"

"It will be the end of February" Fez all of sudden realized what he did

"Fez how do you know about my sister?" Eric was shocked something was going on that he didn't know about and he didn't like it"

"Fezzy you need to tell him" Jackie told him. Eric was standing now, Jackie knew something too, she saw how the phone call affected him and his parents and said nothing. "Eric, let Fez explain, please" Steven gripped Jackie tighter, he was afraid of how Eric was going to react.

"The hospital called me, I am Laurie's next of kin, I went to see her in the hospital, Ms Kitty and Mr Red did not need to see their daughter like she was"

Michael spoke up this time, "what do you mean next of kin?"

"We never divorced, as her husband I am her next of kin. I helped her get to the rehab and been checking on her and trying to get her to call home"

Steven looked at Fez, "That is why you decided not to return home and have kept your distance from here"

"Yes, Laurie needed me, and I hated keeping this from the Foreman's. And Laurie wanted to be the one to talk to them first, we didn't know if Red would handle all the news. Plus I would not have wanted the Foremans to see Laurie the way she was when I first saw her, she looked close to death that first night, she is just now starting to resemble her old self. She has been getting treatment for her addiction, and also in therapy for her issues from her past. But I cannot talk about that."

Steven could still tell Eric was upset that Fez had kept this from him, but there was something about the way Fez talked about Laurie, "Fez how often do you have contact with Laurie?"

"We talk twice a week on the phone and I do once a week and join her for one of her therapy sessions"

Jackie noticed Steven had been holding her left hand, running his fingers over the ring, they hadn't shared their news yet, but right now she knew this was more important. "Eric, you was away in Africa, Steven wasn't in the greatest place himself at the time, your parents have been lost with you gone and not knowing where Laurie was, and then I moved to Milwaukee for a time, it is probably a good thing Fez and Laurie was still married, so Fez could care for her. Honestly their reaction this morning was not what I expected, but I could imagine it would have been worse to see her in the hospital clinging to life, you just have to be thankful your sister is still here and she has someone like Fez that despite all she has done he is there for her."

Holding Jackie's hand and listening to her words, that is true love, despite everything they have done to each other they are still there for each other. "that is true love man, Fez for you to be there for her despite all the stuff she has done, I hope she realizes it and holds on to it. I know I am never letting it go again" He couldn't believe that she wasn't shouting as soon as the ring was on her finger, that she didn't say something the minute their friends joined them in the basement. He took and moved his hand from over hers, so the diamond was visible. He figured he would wait and see who the first one to notice is.

Angie had just been sitting taking everything in, she had heard all about Laurie, the cheating with Michael, how that had led to her brother and Jackie getting close. She was listening to Jackie and Steven but her eyes were drawn to their hands, the love she could tell was there in just the gesture holding hands. And then she saw Steven move his hand and the diamond on Jackie's finger, she was sure wasn't there earlier. That is why they had snuck off. She hated to change the subject but maybe it was time, let everything sink in without more discussion plus she couldn't hold it in anymore. "Jackie do you two have something you want to tell us?" Letting Jackie know she was eyeing the ring on her finger.

Steven and Jackie both had huge smiles on their faces, but before they were able to say anything, Michael who had been seeming a little smarter lately still proved to be the Kelso they all grew up with, "Angie I think we all know she's pregnant and I believe we all heard the news that it's a boy, now if you are expecting what they are going to get for Christmas I think you can wait to open it"

By this time everyone else had noticed the ring and then turned to Michael with dumbfounded looks as he spoke. "No you dummy I think Angie was talking about the RING on Jackie's finger" Steven spoke while holding up Jackie's left hand. "I had just asked her to marry me, she was telling me yes when you all came down here"

"No she wasn't you guys were making out when we came down here" Again everyone couldn't believe the words coming out of the idiots mouth

Jackie shook her head, "Mr Foreman is right you are a dumbass"

"That is why he is king" Eric added, "And congratulations to you both"

Before they knew what was happening they were covered in hugs and congratulations and then they went upstairs to share the news with the adults upstairs.

Out in California Donna was having a very quiet Christmas Eve with just her mom, she had tried to call her dad, but she figured he was probably next door and she wasn't about to call over there, not after the last time. Who she thought as her friends turned their backs on her in her time of need.

Midge came in and joined Donna carrying a box that arrived earlier from Point Place. "I believe your dad sent you some Christmas presents"

"I thought dad's Christmas present to me was the flight out here and then moving to Florida?"

"Donna that's not fair your dad needs to get a fresh start too, and I think he hopes that maybe you will finally start to live your life"

"Any other time I have tried to go out on my own he fought me on it"

"Really? Did he fight you on going away to school? I know he didn't try to stop you from going, we both wanted you to go away for school, you were meant for a life outside of Point Place but you was the one that kept staying"

"Well he argued with me on getting engaged"

"He didn't want you to marry Eric, he didn't want you end up in a marriage like ours was, he fought it as best he could, I stayed away in hopes my not being there would be a sign to you not to do it, I would hope you wouldn't want to get married without me there"

Donna thought it was something she never thought about, her mom had told her dad to let her have her dress, but she didn't have her mother. Midge should have been there making the alterations for her not Kitty. Midge didn't show up till after the non-wedding, right after the night she had thrown herself at Hyde and been turned down.

She opened the box her mom had sat in front of her, the shiny paper and perfect ribbon let her know it wasn't from her dad, only one person in Point Place would wrap a gift like this, it was like a ticking bomb in her hands.

Midge looked at her daughter her hands shaking as she held the pretty present, she also knew only one person that would take the time and care for a gift, "Looks like Jackie gave your present to your dad to send to you, she has always been a thoughtful girl"

Thoughtful, HA, what her mother didn't know, it was probably a book about lumberjacks or something else as rude, she could tell it was a book, she knew that much. Only Jackie would wrap an insult in pretty wrappings, that was what she does best. "Yea I am not going to open it she probably just wanted one last insult to me for the year"

"Well I wouldn't blame her"

What was her mom thinking, taking that midget's side against her own daughter, "Seriously mom she has insulted forever"

Since Donna had run away to California her and Bob had been in contact, he had let her know everything that was going on in Point Place and with their daughter when she returned.

"So when she helped you with Eric's birthday gift? Or when she tried to help you when you beat Eric in basketball? I told you then she was right, you have to remember boys have feelings too. When she over looked that you knew her boyfriend was cheating on her, or when she didn't hold it against you that you ran off with that boyfriend for here after they were supposed to be engaged? Jackie may have been younger and have a different outlook on life than you, but we need people different in our lives to balance us out. I was happy you had Jackie when I left, and don't say you didn't I know. But while she was a friend to you how good of a friend was you to her?"

Donna decided she would just show her mom how much of a 'friend' the midget was to her, and tore open the gift, she was in shock to read the title, not something she would expect from Jackie, and then she read the inscription on the inside cover telling her to follow her dreams and signed it Jackie and Steven. Maybe that was the joke, though she could see Hyde reading a book like this. She didn't know what to think, were those two seriously together?

Midge took the book and read Jackie's note, "Your dad said they have worked out a lot of their problems and were together, he had even stored a box at the house for them for Michael's daughter for Christmas. He is hoping to stay in contact with them after he moves. I know when I saw them together when I was in Point Place last time, I knew they had something different than most high school romances, maybe because despite how they both grew up, they had so much in common. Like your dad told me, they both have had to grow up a lot faster than the rest of you, they just tried to hide it Steven with his rough burnout persona and Jackie with her fairytale believing cheerleader attitude"

"Mom you are a riot, everyone knows Jackie is a bitchy cheerleader, Hyde is a stoner burnout, Fez is a perve, Kelso is an idiot and Eric is just a Star Wars geek, those guys are never going to change"

"And then what are you? Are you a writer? A DJ? A feminist? Is that what you think you can keep all your friends in some stereotypical box and they never grow up? Is that what keeps you from growing up yourself if they don't change you don't have to? Donna most of your life you talked about traveling the world and writing, you should be doing that not sitting in some studio playing records. Live your life now, don't do like I did, not that I regret having you, but there was so much more your father and I both had planned before we found out we were pregnant and threw all our dreams out the window. I tried to make new dreams, to be happy with what I had, but I wasn't. Don't make the same mistakes, your father and I never talked about our dreams and how they could fit together, and your father was seeing you and Eric doing the same thing, Eric didn't know what he wanted to do, but anyone that knows him knows eventually he would want what his parents had, wife, kids, and a home. You never talked about your plans, Eric loved you enough to not marry you, to make sure he didn't keep you from your dreams."

"How do you know that?"

"Eric talked to me and Bob before I left and told us, he also told Bob before he left for Africa that he hoped that with him gone you would finally get away and go to school like you should, if it works out for the two of you it would work out. Now I am going to bed I think you have some thinking to do"

Donna went to her room and sat down not wanting to think about everything her mom had said decided to read her book, she would open the gifts from her dad tomorrow.