AN This has been the hardest chapter to write so far. Mainly because of the visit with Laurie and debating exactly how I was going to approach what got her to the OD. I think when you finish this chapter you will understand.

Chapter 28

Everyone seemed to leave the house shortly after the midnight. Red and Kitty had went straight up to their room, Jackie, Angie and Brook went to clean up the kitchen despite protests from Steven. They were glad that Donna went right home with Bob instead of staying with everyone else. The boys started putting the furniture back in the living room while Betsey slept on the couch.

Eric looked at his friends, "Fez are you sure you don't want to see Laurie tomorrow?"

"Yes, we talked earlier, and she wants to be able to talk to you and your parents, she hasn't decided if she is going to let them know about us tomorrow, it just will depend on how it goes. She is looking forward to seeing you as well. She is even looking forward to seeing Steven next week, she understands that Jackie won't be coming but she has something she wants to talk to Steven about, and she figures it might be best to do alone."

"So maybe by the time I get back you will be my official brother in law and not a secret one?"

"Well Michael is moving in with Brook and she wants to be on her own in a way, I have the spare bedroom that will be ready for her. She wants to find a job, but she needs to be in a safe environment when she gets out."

"You just take care of my sister for me, and just remember Steven can still kick your ass if it needs it"

The boys had finished the living room and went into the kitchen to check on the girls, Michael was carrying a sleeping Betsey. "I think someone is completely out of it now and ready to get in her own bed"

"Well we are done here, Angie do you want us to drop you off at the hotel?" Brook asked Angie

"Yea if you don't mind, I figured I would get a ride from someone or kick my brother out and crash with Jackie"

"Love ya sis, but not happening, but there is a cot still downstairs if you want it"

"That's OK, I get the ride with Brook and Michael, you guys have plans tomorrow?"

"No tomorrow is going to be a do nothing day, just rest up for the move tomorrow, and enjoy the quiet."

"Well I have a few people I am going to interview for you at Grooves, so I'll take care of the store tomorrow, but I think dad said just to have it open for a few hours since most people will be sleeping in and such"

"OK call me if you find someone."

After the others all left it was just Jackie, Steven and Eric in the kitchen. Everything cleaned up, they ended up sitting down at the table before making their way up the stairs.

"1980, seems a bit strange, but better than this time last year" Eric said

"Yea it definitely started out better than last year" Jackie looked at the other two at the table.

"I don't even remember what I was doing New Year's last year, avoiding whatever party you was going to drag me to" Steven looked up and saw the hurt in Jackie's eyes, "There was no party was there?"

"No, at least not one I was invited where I could bring you, mom had made it pretty clear"

"What did you do?"

"Found you pretty wasted by the time I came over that night, the party was going on upstairs, Eric helped me put you to bed, and I spent the night on the couch in the basement"

"Doll I am sorry I was such a jackass last year. I guess you didn't even get a new years kiss, sitting down here all alone"

Jackie and Eric exchanged looks, "no just a hug from Eric who stayed down here with me after we got you in bed. It was staying here in the basement with a wasted you or going home to my wasted mom, felt a little safer here"

"Donna was pretty bad too, Michael was with Angie and I don't know where Fez was, so I came down here. Jackie told me all about her mom and dad since she let them know about WB. We sat down there in listening to the party upstairs, and just talked."

"Well this year you are sleeping in a bed, and I am sober and we all need to get to bed."

"Night guys", Eric said as they got to the hall upstairs

Once inside the room alone Steven took and kissed Jackie and held her in his arms, after breaking from the kiss keeping her close, "I am so sorry I was such a jackass last year, babe. I'll try never to be that guy again"

"I love you Puddin, and I loved you then and I love you now, just a lot easier to love you now, you had your moments that made it difficult"

The next morning the couple made their way downstairs to find Kitty getting breakfast ready and Red reading his paper, "Good morning you two, or should I say you three. Thank you guys for cleaning up last night"

"Well Brook and Angie helped me in here and the guys all took care of the living room, we were done by one or so. I think we was in bed by 1:30. If I wasn't woken by this guy I would still be asleep, I hope he'll let me go back to sleep after some food"

Red put down his paper and looked at the couple, "You think he wakes you now, just wait in a few months when he is crying at all hours of the night"

"Red Foreman, as if you ever woke up with Laurie or Eric!"

"Hey just because I didn't move or open my eyes doesn't mean I didn't wake up when you got out of bed." He looked at Steven, just fake sleep"

"Red I don't think that advice is going to work when you are giving me it in front of Jackie"

"Damn right it won't" Jackie looked at both men at the table.

Eric entered the kitchen and was actually the only one dressed for the day, "do I want to know what is going on?"

"Just talking about when you and Laurie was babies and your father faked sleep to keep from taking care of you"

"OK, so how is it I am the only one dressed? What time are we leaving?"

"After breakfast we will get ready and leave, I hope to get on the road in an hour, shouldn't be too bad with traffic today with the holiday."

"Kitty if you want I can get the dishes later, after a nap"

After Red, Kitty and Eric left, Steven helped Jackie put the dishes in the sink, he then came up and wrapped his arms around her, "I think these can wait, you need to get more sleep"

"Are you coming up with me? I sleep best when you are with me"

"Of course, I would have slept longer but your getting up woke me up"

"I'll remember that when I am getting up with him in a few months"

They didn't make it out of the kitchen before there was a knock on the door, they turned to see Donna. "Jacks you want to go up to bed and I'll get rid of her?"

"No lets both hear what she has to say"

They waved her in and the three sat down at the kitchen table. "Jackie I want to say I am sorry I was such a bad friend, it seems like mom has been talking to me the entire time I was in California of all the times you was there for me, and made me realize I hadn't been there for you. Especially when I realized that you couldn't even tell me about the baby, there was a time you told me everything"

"Actually I rarely trusted you with secrets, for years Eric has been the one that I talked to about my biggest secrets, even when I was with Michael, aside from Steven Eric has been the shoulder I have gone to and talked to."

"what you told him you thought you was pregnant back then, but seriously you told me everything"

"Actually Eric was the one I talked to after Steven and I broke up over the nurse and such, he encouraged me to find me, sure you may have been there for part of that conversation, back when I was comparing the two. Eric was the one I talked to when my parents both disowned me for being in a relationship with Steven after it was discovered that WB was his father. It was Eric I wrote to when Steven disappeared after the Chicago, and he wrote back and told me to go to the house and wait for Steven there, that with him, Laurie and Steven gone his mother needed someone. You may have claimed to have the title of best friend, but really it has been Eric, he knows how to be a best friend"

"Donna face it you try to claim to be one with a backbone, but you never stood up to any of us other than when Jackie and I were dating, that is the only time you really told us we were wrong. I was on a road to self destruction, you was here watching me. Fez and Michael both tried to confront me, Eric even sent me letters calling me out on my bullshit. When Red put his foot down and kicked Sam out after he found out from WB the whole thing was a con, you was worried about Sam. Jackie was losing her home, literally this time but your concern was for a stripper that was out to take WB to the cleaners. They picked her up, God help me I may have to go to Vegas if this thing goes to trial, but for what she put me and Jackie through I will do it to make sure she pays, Jackie and I were on the verge of repairing everything when she showed up. Watching Jackie run out of the house that day caused me to snap, I figured I lost her for good. But it sickened me that I couldn't help her or so I thought, that I spent most of the sham of a marriage drunk trying to forget. And then I finally start to sober up some only to find that Jackie had disappeared, you have to be truly heartless to say the things you said to Jackie on the way to the festival. Its amazing that Red didn't kick you out of the car. Red and Fez both won't repeat or talk about what you said after the accident, they almost had to tie me down to get me settled down"

Donna had tears coming down her face, "I am so sorry it seems like ever since Eric left I just haven't been me"

"That is a load of bull, and you know it, you haven't been you longer than that and you know it" Jackie told her

"Donna you haven't been yourself since shortly before graduation or maybe after, maybe it was when you didn't leave to go to college. I don't know, you definitely wasn't you that night on the water tower"

Donna looked up in shock, did Jackie know?

"Donna you told me what you did that night, and yes Steven and I have talked about it, and Eric too."

"Eric knows?"

"Yes I actually wrote him after he told me you hadn't wrote him and Kitty had told him you seemed to be getting close to Randy. He asked me if you had ever cheated on him, he figured it would make the break up that much easier. Then a few weeks ago the three of us sat down and Steven told us what happened that night, I told him that you had already rubbed it in my face right before I moved out and that I finally let Eric know."

"He really is never going to take me back is he?"

"Donna move on, Eric is finding out who he is and what he wants to do for the rest of his life, but I think we all know eventually he is going to settle down, maybe not in Point Place, but I think he will be close. You need to figure out what your dreams are and what you want to do, you always talked about traveling and writing, maybe now would be a good time to do that. But right now I want to get Jackie up to lay down before this little guy wakes her up again" Jackie had started dozing off on Steven's arm.

Donna got up and left and Steven got up and picked Jackie up and carried her up to their room. After laying her down he went back downstairs and made sure the doors were all locked. He didn't think anyone else would bother coming by today, but he wanted to make sure.

Eric didn't know what to expect when he would see is sister, Fez had told him that she was starting to look like her old self, but tons better than what she looked like when he first saw her in the hospital. He also didn't know if his sister would let their parents know of her still going marriage, he hoped they would see that it has been Fez that has stepped up and took care of her. It had been a quiet drive, and for that he was thankful, he just hoped the ride home would be quiet, he was afraid of a ride home of Red's rants against foreigners and such. Fez was smart not to come. But he also wondered what even started her down this road to begin with, sure him and his friends were getting high in the basement all the time in high school, but it was just for fun, something when he was away in Africa he really didn't miss. Even drinking wasn't something that was done much in Africa and since he wasn't much for champagne really didn't drink last night other than one beer. As they pulled up to the address they were given they were all shocked it looked more like a house, they were surprised how nice it looked.

Red couldn't help but wonder how much it costs to stay in a place like this, was he going to have to pay for this and how would he do it? He would do anything to help his daughter but still he knew places like this costs money, this didn't look like any government funded place. He led Kitty up the stairs to the door with Eric right behind them, before even ringing the bell the door opened, a woman about 30 or so greeted them. "You must be the Foreman's, Laurie has been looking forward to seeing you, let me show you to the visiting room" They were led into a room that in a normal house would be a den, all three sat down on the couch. There were 3 other chairs in the room, "I am Jenny, I am going to be with you all for your visit, I am Laurie's counselor, Laurie should be joining us soon"

"I hate how this is going to sound, but this doesn't look like a state run facility, how is Laurie able to afford this place?"

"Red!"

Eric made sure to keep eye contact away from his parents, he knew Fez had came into some money from his family back home, it was how he was going to afford to go home, but now he was using it on Laurie.

"Someone is helping with the payment for her treatment, and Laurie is now working in a small shop that is run by one of our graduates of the program part time, we know that just helping them recover from their addiction isn't all a person needs, they need something to make them fill like they have a purpose and can accomplish something."

Laurie timidly stood at the door looking at her family, "Mommy, daddy"

They all looked at her in shock, her hair was shorter, now in a bob, she was wearing only a little make up and even though she had always been skinny but she looked like she weighed 25 pounds less than when they last saw her.

"Laurie, are they feeding you?" Kitty jumped and hugged her daughter

"Yes mom, I am putting weight back on" She didn't want to tell her that since she had been in rehab she actually had gained about 20 pounds, she had lost so much when she was more focused on drugs than on eating. Laurie sat in a chair facing her family. Eric wasn't sure what to say, he could only imagine what she had looked like from Fez's descriptions, and it was more like a nightmare.

Laurie proceeded to open up to her family about the sexual abuse she went through as a preteen that she had kept hidden from everyone. It isn't easy for a 13 year old to talk about the things her Uncle Marty had done to her when he was living with them, and he had told her no one would believe her over him anyway. By the time it stopped and she was in high school she had all the boys that wanted her, and well she thought that was all there was. She failed college because she was too busy trying to forget what happened to her. Then she was busy prostituting herself in herself for a time. When she was home for Eric's graduation she was trying to clean herself up, after her drunken marriage to Fez she got scared and ran to Mexico for a time. Even when she came back she tried to get herself clean, but something happened after Eric ran off from the wedding, she said she wouldn't go into details, but she ended up meeting a dealer one night at the water tower and couldn't remember the next several months or so. For almost a year her memories were in and out, until the night she OD'd. Here she was getting clean and dealing with her past.

Red was fuming and ready to kill his own brother, Kitty was heartbroken and could only cry, Eric was a mix of emotions, a mixture of being Red and Kitty's son heart broken and ready to help his father bury his uncle.

"Kitten who helped you get in here to get clean?"

"Daddy don't get mad, but my husband"

"You got married again?"

"No I never got divorced, somehow they found paperwork that helped them contact Fez, he has been helping pay for me to stay here, and has been coming to visit and sitting in therapy sessions"

"Is that why he hasn't been coming for tea like he used to?"

"Yes, he has hated keeping this secret, but was worried how you would react. He has become my best friend over the last few months when I was worried where to turn to, daddy I want you to know we have been in contact with the police to file charges against Uncle Marty despite it happening over 10 years ago. It seems like it has something that has happened since, and he is facing serious time. I have had several meetings with the prosecuting attorney that has come up to visit me. I will have to possibly have to go to court if he pleads innocent, but the odds are better for him to plead guilty."

Jenny decided to break the tension, "I know this is a lot to take in, and a lot of different emotions are probably going through your minds right now, our main focus is getting Laurie the help she needs to deal with this, she has several months and she will be released. She knows she will need to find meetings and maybe a counselor to keep seeing, but we will work through that the closer her time comes. She is doing great working with customers in the shop, so she will have skills to find a job when she gets out. You guys can visit when you want and if you would like to come and sit in on a therapy session we can arrange that as well. Fez is here once a week to sit in with her. I believe he is coming in a few days"

"I never thought I would say this but Fez keeps surprising me, he has really shown himself to be more than what I ever saw in him over the years. I am glad you had someone to take care of you"

The rest of the visit was Laurie showing them around, the shop was closed but she promised next time she might be able to show them where she was working. She gave Kitty a box that was wrapped up in blue paper, and asked her to give hold it for Jackie's baby shower. Before her family left she asked if she could talk to Eric for a moment since she wouldn't see him again before he got back from Africa.

"Little Brother, you have been quiet"

"Laurie I don't know what to say, I hardly remember Uncle Marty, but on the plus side I don't have to hear dad rant about Fez all the way home, now I don't know what to expect."

"I know you probably have never thought I was a good sister, but he said if I didn't go along with it he would try you, and I couldn't let that happen to you."

"No matter what I have said I do love you, it about gutted me Christmas Eve when we found out about you almost dying, and I was ready to kill Fez when I found out he knew this whole time"

"Yea I heard, look I just want to say be safe and encourage Steven to come see me next week when he comes in from Chicago, I want to talk to him, I hope I can be close to him and Jackie once I get better, I want to make up for what I did to Jackie with Michael. I know she has filled in the daughter roll to mom and dad for the last few months"

"Well she seems to most of the time be the favorite"

"Just make sure you don't get back with Donna, you need to find someone that will encourage you, and Donna never did"

"Trust me I won't, I honestly don't know if I will ever see her again, and I really don't want to. You take care of yourself, I better get going of dad will leave me here, you take care of yourself, and write me, Fez has my address now"

They hugged and Laurie walked out with him to hug her parents goodbye one last time with promises to visit her in a few weeks.

AN: I guess now you understand maybe why this chapter was the hardest one to write. I did not experience sexual abuse, but it has happened with in my extended family and it has been something hard to go through to learn something like this happened to someone you loved by someone else you loved.