Chapter 8
Here Come The Brides
1:00PM 24 hours until the big day
Eric watched as Donna seemed to throw her belongings into her suitcase. She was livid over what Hyde had done a few weeks ago but Eric knew that if Donna confronted Jackie over it their friendship would have hit a brick wall and he wouldn't be able to see Tiffany again, she was almost like a sort-of daughter to him, he wouldn't deny Hyde being Tiffany's Father but he still loved the little girl too. So it was important for Donna to let it go. Donna and Jackie briefly touched upon it as soon as they both found out about it from their respective partners both trying to remain Switzerland. It was especially difficult for Donna as she worried about Eric and the possibility of another relapse.
"Eric, how long have you been standing there?" Donna asked as she put her toiletries in a Ziploc bag.
"Long enough to see you go mental."
"I'm sorry, but Hyde went too far. He had no right to put THAT STUFF
in your presence."
"It's okay, Donna." Eric kissed her on the cheek.
"Are you done packing already?"
"Yeah. Mine's in the car-it's a five hour drive to Point Place." Eric gently reminded her.
A part of Eric wanted to whisk Donna away and they could have a nice, quiet elopement. He really didn't want to go to Point Place with the knowledge that his parents were going to sell the house, to have to share his wedding day with Hyde and Jackie, and the other things he tried to keep buried in his mind that he never wanted to come to the surface again.
"I know. Just in time for your Mother to overload us with a big dinner."
Donna was too nervous to eat. She only talked to Jackie briefly on the phone yesterday and she knew their plane was going to land at four o'clock. She knew Eric and Hyde would be okay in the same room together. They just wouldn't talk much. -No-they just wouldn't talk at all.
"I'm ready," Donna closed her suitcase, "Let's get this drive over with."
Donna breezed past Eric who thought they were getting married in twenty four hours they should be happier than THIS.
"Steven! Do I have to wear ribbons?" Tiffany asked as Jackie was trying to fix her daughter's hair.
"Jackie, if she doesn't want-----"
"Steven, you don't know about fashion, that's my department. Tiffany, don't you want to look pretty for Mrs. and Mr. Forman?"
"One ribbon!"
Jackie sighed, "Okay, baby, I'll make you a ponytail." Although Jackie thought two pig tails with color coordinated to go with her dress ribbons would have been better than just one ponytail with one ribbon.
Hyde thought Jackie should have just let Tiffany wear jeans and a t-shirt on the plane. Jackie wanted to impress too many unnecessary people.
"There. All done! See how pretty you look?" Jackie showed Tiffany the results in the mirror
"I have to get my drawing for Eric." Tiffany said when Jackie put her back down.
"Okay, but hurry up, we have to get to the airport in a half hour."
"Does that bother you, Steven?" Jackie asked when Tiffany left the room.
"What? That she drew a picture for Forman? No. I'm more confident than that, Jackie." At best Forman was like an annoying "Uncle Eric" figure but Hyde was going to be the little girl's FATHER, despite what Jackie's ex thought.
"In less than twenty four hours I'm going to be Mrs. Steven Hyde! Do you know how long I've waited for this?" Jackie asked clearly realizing her past mistakes.
He put his arms around her and kissed the tip of her nose.
"Just as long as I have." And they shared a quick intense kiss before having to leave for the airport.
Later
"Red! Don't touch those cheese puffs they're for the kids!" Kitty slapped it out of Red's hand
There was a knock on the door and Kitty ran to answer it and before Red could steal a cheese puff, Kitty came back for the tray and placed it on the coffee table before answering the door.
"Oh, it's Steven and Jackie!"
Kitty couldn't help but hug them both. She's loved Steven like a second son. She hated seeing him and her biological son not really speaking to each other.
"Tiffany?" Jackie turned around "Tiffany! Where are you?"
"Right here, Mommy!"
"Look at you, you're all dirty!" Tiffany crawled under the bushes in front of the Forman house to pick up an interesting looking rock.
"I found a cool rock, Mommy!"
Jackie rolled her eyes. "You need a bath."
"Hey, Jackie-can we have this conversation inside?" Hyde suggested.
"Oh, right. Sorry Mrs. Forman."
"That's no problem. Would you like to use some of my lavender bubbles?"
Kitty asked
"No, I hate baths! Is Eric here yet?"
"No, not yet, sweetie. Say 'hello' to Mr. Forman."
"Hi, Mr. Forman!" Red had a soft spot for little girls. It was why he babied Laurie but drew the hardline with Eric when they were kids.
"Hello. ---" He forgot the child's name
"Tiffany Worthington, Sir. But Mommy says I'll be Tiffany Hyde soon!"
"Well like it or not young lady, you're getting your face and hands washed because I said so." Jackie said with a smile on her face. She loved her daughter dearly, it was the dirt that she couldn't stand.
Midway through the Forman drive
Eric asked Donna if he could drive when they left Missouri because he was feeling restless and needed to be the one driving to occupy his mind.
"How are you feeling, Eric?" Donna rested her hand on his knee.
"Fine. I just want us to be married." He sighed. He didn't want to have his Mother make a fuss or to put up with any snide remarks from Hyde or his Dad. Eric just wanted to be with Donna. It was all he ever wanted.
"I know. Me too. Now that it's going to be tomorrow, I just want all the hoopla over with." Donna smiled back at him.
"And I promise I won't pick a fight with Hyde." Eric said while unconsciously tightening his grip on the steering wheel.
"That's good to know, Eric." Donna said as she put her head back on the seat hoping to sneak in a little power nap.
'Look at her sleeping, she's so beautiful-I love her so much' Eric thought as he drove getting closer to Point Place.
6:20PM
That went terrible. Eric thought as he went upstairs to wake up Tiffany as Jackie told him she made him a present. He and Hyde barely spoke two words to each other. 'Because I sold out?' Eric thought. What in the hell did that mean? Because he had a job that required him to wear a suit and tie? Jackie was giving Donna an all important beauty lecture for tomorrow. His Father fell asleep on the sofa after dinner while Hyde helped his Mom was dishes. Laurie wasn't here. Not that Eric cared. He didn't need his sister there. He was only sorry that he stole off her but she didn't accept his apologies nor his money for the bracelets so f*** her. Tiffany was sleeping in Laurie's room. She was so cute sleeping with one of Jackie's old unicorns. He really did want a child of his own, but he didn't blame Donna for anything that happened as to why she couldn't. It was just one of life's cruel practical jokes.
"Hey," Eric whispered as she lightly shook her shoulder, "Wake up, Tiffany."
She opened up her eyes with a snapping energy that he wished he still had.
"E-ric!"
"You missed dinner."
"Your Mommy made me fish sticks!"
"She did? And tater tots?"
"No-curly fries."
When she was fully awake he turned on the light. "That's better than what we had." How much meat, potatoes, and green vegetables can one person consume?
"I made you a present." Tiffany jumped out of bed to get her drawing off Laurie's old desk.
"You did? That's very nice of you."
She handed him the drawing.
"Do you like it, Eric?"
"Yeah, it's very cool. Is this Donna?"
"I had to use orange for her hair."
Eric smiled. Tiffany drew Eric and Donna in what was supposed to be their wedding attire. Donna was wearing a blue dress because the paper that Tiffany drew on was white.
"It's very nice. I love it, thank you." He kissed her on the cheek.
"Turn it over."
It was what was supposed to be Yoda. She used a darker green for the wise old master of the Star Wars universe, but it was still an adorable picture.
"I think I better hang it up on this side or Donna will get mad at me." Eric replied in a child like way. Dealing with children was so much easier than dealing with adults.
"There you are, Eric." Enter Donna
"Hi, Donna!" Tiffany said
"Hi, Tiffany. Cover your ears, your Mommy is a pain!"
The little girl laughed.
"You didn't like Jackie's make up suggestions?" Eric ribbed
Donna sat next to him on the bed.
"Contrary to belief, I do know how to put make up on."
"Here this should make you feel better-look what Tiffany made me."
"Yoda makes me feel better?"
"Wrong side!" Tiffany quipped just like her Mother
"Sorry. -Do these people look familiar?"
"That's you and Eric!" Tiffany said to Donna
"Thank you-it's very pretty we'll hang it on our fridge."
"Donna! I've been looking for you; we still have to decide how you're going to wear your hair!"
"Oh, brother." Donna wished she could jump out the window.
Tiffany climbed on Eric's back, "Piggyback ride."
"No ice cream," Jackie playfully warned, "Mrs. Forman made you a special snack."
"Okay! Come on, Eric!"
"Now let's see Donna-do you prefer a French braid or-----?"
and that's all Eric heard as he gave Tiffany a piggyback ride down the stairs.
Knowing something was going to happen or maybe it was all in his mind.
"Steven!" Tiffany called from the middle of the stairs and Eric thought, 'F***'.
He was waiting for her at the bottom and Eric hoped it wasn't for the reasons he thought. That he had to save his daughter from this 'evil' scrawny dorky Coke dependant business man who used to be his best friend. Then Eric thought he should be angry after all why should Hyde get off Scott free? He slept with Donna behind his back and got her pregnant. Her botched abortion the reason why she couldn't bear their child. Eric made sure he was low enough so Tiffany could ease off his back after all Hyde might freak and blame him if she bumped her hand on the railing.
"Mrs. Forman made you a snack." Hyde said
"Okay! Bye, Eric!"
"Bye, sweetie." 'He can't look at me now? God, he's so juvenile.'
Eric needed a simple walk around the block to clear his head.
"Where are you going?" Red put down his paper and Eric thought 'What am I 17 again?'
"For a walk."
"This better not---"
Eric came this close to saying the 'f' word to his Father, he wasn't afraid anymore.
"How come my going for a walk (and they didn't know about the NYC relapse) automatically means I'm going to find the nearest pusher?" Eric whispered as he didn't want Tiffany to hear from the kitchen
Before Red could answer-Eric emptied out his pockets on the table and took out all of his money, credit cards, and keys.
"Now your only worry is what if they give it to me for free?" Kitty entered from the kitchen and heard the last of it.
"Eric, honey, what's wrong?"
"Ask YOUR husband. I didn't realize going for a walk was illegal."
Eric couldn't wait to feel the fresh (well he debated how fresh it actually was) air on his face, the only thing that could have made the moment better is if Donna joined him.
"Red?"
"Kitty-how do we know he won't touch that stuff again?" Red did not want to talk about this; he went back to reading his paper as Kitty sighed before going upstairs to join Donna and Jackie hoping Eric was not going to do anything illegal. But leaving all of his money here was a good sign that he wasn't going to put anything up his nose.
Wedding Day
12:00AM Forman sofa
"Eric, what are you doing down here?" Donna asked. After her beauty seminar with Jackie she took a hot bath and fell asleep waiting for Eric to return. She was worried when he wasn't in the bed next to her.
"Hey, what time is it? You aren't supposed to see me until the wedding."
Eric yawned.
"It's our second wedding and it's just superstitious nonsense." Jackie made Hyde go back to the albeit newly furnished but it still was the basement.
"I didn't feel like disturbing you."
'What?' "What?"
"Maybe we shouldn't get married."
"Eric," Donna jumped up trying her best not to shout, "What the hell?" She didn't need to hear this; she had to pick up her Dad in six hours.
"I love you too much to hurt you, Donna." Eric replied tiredly into the pillow.
"Did you do any Coke?"
"No, I didn't put anything up my nose." Eric forced himself up and went to the kitchen.
Donna found two miniature vodka bottles in sticking out of the cushions. That's all Red and Kitty needed to see.
'At least it wasn't Cocaine'.
"Eric, where did you get these?" Donna put them on the kitchen table as Eric had his head down on the table.
"A little girl scout on the corner was selling them."
"Be serious."
"You want serious, Donna? Everyone in this house thinks I'm still an addict, well you're always one, but that's not the point. Everyone thinks I'm a current user, so I bumped into one of geeks from the A-V club who still lives in Point Place with his Mother so he gave me the vodka. I only drank half of one bottle, does this make me a candidate for being a current user?"
"Yeah, it does." Donna replied frustrated, putting her hands through her hair, of all days for him to do this they were going to get married in a few hours.
"I'm not even drunk."
"Eric, you want to do a line so bad you can feel it deep inside your soul, don't you? And don't think of lying to me."
"I was thinking we should honeymoon in Colombia." Eric replied wryly.
"That's not even funny." Donna grabbed the two vodka bottles off the table, she would dispose of them upstairs.
"Aren't you worried about Red's liquor cabinet?"
"No because if you touch a drop, we're not getting married. It's up to you, Eric." Donna wanted to kiss him, hold him, tell him everything would be okay, but today was their wedding day and she was pissed that he would almost relapse on this day, the official day of their second chance. How could he? All Donna could do was go upstairs and not say a word to anybody leaving Eric alone in the kitchen with his thoughts.
How could he?
7:30AM
"Where's Donna?" Jackie asked Kitty who was happy making a big breakfast for everyone but Jackie warned that Steven couldn't see her until the wedding so he'd have to eat in the basement and Tiffany offered to keep him company.
"She went to Chicago to pick up Bob."
"Oh! Mrs. Forman-I forgot to pack my lucky lipstick."
Kitty laughed as she buttered a stack of toast. "Your lucky lipstick?"
"Yeah. There's a place in Chicago for people in the industry only. Steven will think I'm silly, but I cannot get married without my lucky lipstick."
'Eric thinks you're silly' "Mom please tell me you have regular coffee, the kind with caffeine in it."
"Oh, Eric, honey, you don't look so good."
"I couldn't sleep last night."
"It shows," Jackie interjected, "You need to put cucumber slices on your eyes."
"I'll be sure to do that, thanks." There was a hardness about him that Jackie tried to dismiss as nerves.
"I'll be back soon, maybe I'll bump into Donna. Bye!" Jackie gulped down a small glass of orange juice before she left.
"Now that she's gone, son, is there something you'd like to tell me? Did you and Donna have a fight?"
"Sort of. But it's nothing, really."
"Mrs. Forman may I have more juice?" Tiffany came in with her cup
"Sure you can, honey."
"Hi, sweetie." Said Eric
"Hi, Eric! Do you want to watch cartoons with Steven and me?"
How could he break a little girls heart? He couldn't. Hyde would just have to deal.
"Yeah." Eric took his coffee and a piece of toast and went with Tiffany to the basement.
10:30AM
"Donna, why do you look so glum? You're getting married today!"
"I can do my own blush, thanks." Donna took the compact out of Jackie's hands. She loved Eric with all of her heart but today just didn't feel right to be married. Not if he was thinking about getting high. Not if he wanted to drone out the world. Not if he wanted to put those 'needs' in front of her.
"What's wrong? Did you and Eric have a fight? Because he didn't look too good when I saw him earlier."
"I can't do this." Donna wrapped a robe around her silk slip and went to find Eric.
"Donna, no! Don't do what I think you're going to do!" Jackie chased after her.
"Jackie," Donna turned around, "This is not your business."
"You can't do this to Eric, he loves you."
"I can't do this to Eric? Oh-if you---never mind." Donna went to Eric's old room where he was opening the garment bag that contained his tux.
"Eric,"
He saw the look in her eyes and stood up straight.
"This is where you come in to tell me you cannot marry me," Donna closed the door, "Am I right? Because I wanted to get high so you punish me for my honesty. What was last night then? I didn't touch any more booze and you still- forget it. Don't you love me enough to marry me, Donna?"
"That's not fair, Eric, you know that I love you. But it's not right for us to get married right now-can you guarantee me you won't run off in the middle of the night to go to the bar or on a Coke run? Can you guarantee me that?"
"You know addicts can only promise for one day."
"Now you're going to quote the literature? It's not right for us to get married now. I'm sorry, Eric. I'm not breaking up with you. I'm just saying let's postpone our wedding. Your mother still has Jackie and Hyde to fuss over." She wanted to hold his hands but he coldly retracted.
"Seems to me," either out of confidence or defiance Eric couldn't decide which he re opened his garment bag and proceeded to get dressed anyway, "You forgot the part of the vows that go 'For Better or Worse'." He supposed he could've also used the sickness and health one too.
Donna looked at him with intense eyes before walking out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.
12PM
Eric looked at himself in the mirror and saw his tired face. Maybe, Donna was right that this wasn't the right time for them to be married. He couldn't help when he got his urges to get high and he was glad that it was only vodka his old schoolmate had and that he had left his money at home. Still he knew deep inside if he really wanted to score Coke he could've easily got it he had a one hundred dollar watch on but he didn't do that. It had nothing to do with Hyde or his Father it was all him and his own decisions. Donna Pinciotti was the only person he loved one hundred per cent. He did want to get married but wondered if today was the best day to do it after all.
"Eric!" Children made the best buffers and Eric was glad he didn't have to think for at least a moment.
"Hi, Tiffany. You look very nice." Her dress was cotton candy purple and had a black velvet peter pan collar and small trailing bow in the back. She also had shiny black Mary Janes and tights that matched her dress. She didn't want to wear any ribbons but wore one of Laurie's old barrettes that Mrs. Forman found in her old heart shaped keepsake box.
"You too, Eric."
"Oh, your shoe is unbuckled." Eric bent down to fix it.
"Mommy caught me drawing on the sidewalk with chalk."
Eric laughed he could just picture Jackie freaking out over it.
"She did?"
"Tiffany, it's time to go." Eric was taken a back by Hyde's fitted gray and black tux. Every time he ever wore a suit it was always loose fitting and unkempt but he actually looked good and this was obviously Jackie's doing. Eric swallowed, he was going to say something but screw it. He just wanted to be with Donna he couldn't very much help it if the image also consisted of a 'zillion' grams of Coke and various liquors floating around his system.
Of all the days to feel like this, it was at that moment that he realized he failed Donna, yet again.
12PM (at the Church)
Kitty knocked on the door and quietly opened it to find Donna sitting on a chair, dressed in a black slip style dress her garment bag hanging on the door. She requested that Jackie and Tiffany go in another waiting room because Donna couldn't bear to see Jackie in her beautiful Princess Diana-esque wedding dress talking happy wedding talk with her daughter. She didn't want to talk to her Father. She just wanted to be alone.
"Donna, honey, what's wrong? What happened between you and Eric?" He wasn't talking either.
Donna was torn she wanted to tell Mrs. Forman everything, but knowing how much it would crush her, she refrained.
"I don't know if I can marry him today." Donna whispered.
"What? Why?" Kitty asked out of concern.
"He knows I love him." Donna had to rebuff the question.
"You've always been important to Eric. You two have had your ups and downs growing up, but I always knew you two would be together forever. He's out there looking miserable, but at least he's out there-hoping. You don't have to tell me what you two fought about. I can only imagine and if you don't bring it up; I can still be in denial about it. But don't walk away from my son. How could it help your relationship to go back to St. Louis and share a bed knowing you two were supposed to get married today? Please, Donna, help my son, because you are the only one that can." Kitty felt her eyes water but didn't want to cry those kinds of tears. Not today.
Donna got up and hugged Kitty, she too refusing to cry.
"I do love him. I'll always love Eric." She held onto Kitty tight fearful that she might fall.
12:45PM
"Don't start tossing the flowers yet, you have to wait for the music to start." Jackie instructed to Tiffany who was getting anxious. There was no Father to give her away so she asked Mr. Forman if he would do the honors. Red might have been gruff but did have a soft spot on certain occasions and
of course would walk Jackie down the aisle.
"You look beautiful, Mommy."
"So do you, sweetie." Even though Jackie wanted to do her daughter's hair in the requisite ribbons.
12:50PM
'Why won't he talk to me? F***ing idiot. If Donna leaves me at the altar- I'm going to do the biggest line of Coke ever, not coming up for air. And I will die.'
'What's his problem? Maybe Donna will have come to her senses and not marry the dill hole.'
1:00PM
The organist played the Wedding March as the guests stood up in the modest sized church. Tiffany started out by tossing the flowers but wound up throwing them by the time she got to the end of the aisle. Hyde thought Jackie looked absolutely beautiful like a Queen of a faraway land.
Eric smiled his first real smile of the day when he saw Bob walking Donna down the aisle. He caught his Mother crying out of the corner of his eye. He tried not to cry but she was just so beautiful wearing the dress she wore for their first wedding. She didn't alter it. It wasn't as flounced and puffy as Jackie's but that wasn't Donna's taste.
'Thank you, God' Eric prayed, he couldn't say he wouldn't feel like getting high on something in five minutes but all he knew was that right now he was thankful that Donna was going to marry him. Him. Eric Forman.
The Vows
Donna held Eric's hands they were cold and hers were shaky. He looked so handsome in his tux, Donna felt the other people around her disappear and as she looked deeply into his eyes; it was as if they were the only ones in the room.
"I had another set of vows prepared, but, I decided to just say what's on my mind right now. I love you, Eric Forman with all my heart and soul. We've known each other since we were little kids, we played together, went to school together, went to the amusement park together, and we grew up together-falling in and out and back into love again. Since then we've had our share of bad times but we've always come through them and I cannot imagine sharing my life with anyone else but you. I want to grow old with you. I love you more than anyone else in the whole world. You are the other half that connects to make the complete me."
One tear fell down Eric's face he didn't have any vows prepared or otherwise, all he could say was, "I love you very much, Donna Pinciotti. Forever."
He meant it. Donna was crying when Eric put the ring on her finger. She wasn't naïve and knew that many challenges lie ahead for them and that his problem was only part of it.
"..and now you may kiss the bride."
"My favorite part of the ceremony." Eric whispered to her before kissing her in front of his family and friends.
Bliss.
Return to Sender
Steven Hyde was finally marrying Jackie Burkhart. This should have happened sooner but life got in the way, hers and his. Adolescence insecurities making way for young adult insecurities. Blink your eyes and twenty years go by. If it weren't for Jackie coming into Point Place to stick her nose in the Donna and Eric situation they wouldn't be here today. Not that it was easy. It was never easy for Hyde. Middle class spoiled brats like Forman had the world handed to them on a silver platter even if Red was stern, he wasn't abusive in the true sense of the word. It wasn't easy for Hyde to start a career in the music business. Everything was a struggle. He had to fight for everything he had. He should've been the Coke addict but then that would have been 'oh, so typical'. Yet here he was on this day about to marry the beautiful Jackie and to be a real Father to Tiffany and nothing her ex-husband could do legally would change that. Hyde was always ready to fight for another day. He was almost there, he could see the forest from the trees and only heard bits and pieces from the Priest. "Just cause..marriage.not take place..speak now..forever.hold.peace."
Forman got to remarry Donna but Hyde wasn't surprised that the door swung open.not Bradley Worthington anyone but that high class snob. The crowd started whispering. Eric smiled on the inside but then felt guilty for doing so. Donna was surprised and thought Jackie and Hyde should have gotten married first. Because this was not good.
"JACKIE, DON'T MARRY HYDE, I LOVE YOU!"
"Michael?"
"My Mommy's marrying Steven!" Tiffany started to cry. Eric held her hand so she wouldn't run off.
"Michael?"
"Jackie!" Hyde said wondering if this was all just one huge burn in the making for twenty odd years? No one ever knew what happened to Kelso and he suddenly shows up now on their wedding day?
"Jackie, don't marry Hyde, I LOVE YOU!"
Jackie looked at Hyde and then looked at Kelso, she hasn't seen him in decades and actually thought he might have been dead-but here he was contesting her marriage to Steven. Which despite it happening all around them it still was a romantic thing to do.
Hyde was finally tired of all the bull****, he had no more rage in him. He took a deep breath and silently spoke to Jackie.
"Jackie, do you want to be with Kelso? If so speak now or forever hold YOUR PEACE."
Disappointment.
1:00PM 24 hours until the big day
Eric watched as Donna seemed to throw her belongings into her suitcase. She was livid over what Hyde had done a few weeks ago but Eric knew that if Donna confronted Jackie over it their friendship would have hit a brick wall and he wouldn't be able to see Tiffany again, she was almost like a sort-of daughter to him, he wouldn't deny Hyde being Tiffany's Father but he still loved the little girl too. So it was important for Donna to let it go. Donna and Jackie briefly touched upon it as soon as they both found out about it from their respective partners both trying to remain Switzerland. It was especially difficult for Donna as she worried about Eric and the possibility of another relapse.
"Eric, how long have you been standing there?" Donna asked as she put her toiletries in a Ziploc bag.
"Long enough to see you go mental."
"I'm sorry, but Hyde went too far. He had no right to put THAT STUFF
in your presence."
"It's okay, Donna." Eric kissed her on the cheek.
"Are you done packing already?"
"Yeah. Mine's in the car-it's a five hour drive to Point Place." Eric gently reminded her.
A part of Eric wanted to whisk Donna away and they could have a nice, quiet elopement. He really didn't want to go to Point Place with the knowledge that his parents were going to sell the house, to have to share his wedding day with Hyde and Jackie, and the other things he tried to keep buried in his mind that he never wanted to come to the surface again.
"I know. Just in time for your Mother to overload us with a big dinner."
Donna was too nervous to eat. She only talked to Jackie briefly on the phone yesterday and she knew their plane was going to land at four o'clock. She knew Eric and Hyde would be okay in the same room together. They just wouldn't talk much. -No-they just wouldn't talk at all.
"I'm ready," Donna closed her suitcase, "Let's get this drive over with."
Donna breezed past Eric who thought they were getting married in twenty four hours they should be happier than THIS.
"Steven! Do I have to wear ribbons?" Tiffany asked as Jackie was trying to fix her daughter's hair.
"Jackie, if she doesn't want-----"
"Steven, you don't know about fashion, that's my department. Tiffany, don't you want to look pretty for Mrs. and Mr. Forman?"
"One ribbon!"
Jackie sighed, "Okay, baby, I'll make you a ponytail." Although Jackie thought two pig tails with color coordinated to go with her dress ribbons would have been better than just one ponytail with one ribbon.
Hyde thought Jackie should have just let Tiffany wear jeans and a t-shirt on the plane. Jackie wanted to impress too many unnecessary people.
"There. All done! See how pretty you look?" Jackie showed Tiffany the results in the mirror
"I have to get my drawing for Eric." Tiffany said when Jackie put her back down.
"Okay, but hurry up, we have to get to the airport in a half hour."
"Does that bother you, Steven?" Jackie asked when Tiffany left the room.
"What? That she drew a picture for Forman? No. I'm more confident than that, Jackie." At best Forman was like an annoying "Uncle Eric" figure but Hyde was going to be the little girl's FATHER, despite what Jackie's ex thought.
"In less than twenty four hours I'm going to be Mrs. Steven Hyde! Do you know how long I've waited for this?" Jackie asked clearly realizing her past mistakes.
He put his arms around her and kissed the tip of her nose.
"Just as long as I have." And they shared a quick intense kiss before having to leave for the airport.
Later
"Red! Don't touch those cheese puffs they're for the kids!" Kitty slapped it out of Red's hand
There was a knock on the door and Kitty ran to answer it and before Red could steal a cheese puff, Kitty came back for the tray and placed it on the coffee table before answering the door.
"Oh, it's Steven and Jackie!"
Kitty couldn't help but hug them both. She's loved Steven like a second son. She hated seeing him and her biological son not really speaking to each other.
"Tiffany?" Jackie turned around "Tiffany! Where are you?"
"Right here, Mommy!"
"Look at you, you're all dirty!" Tiffany crawled under the bushes in front of the Forman house to pick up an interesting looking rock.
"I found a cool rock, Mommy!"
Jackie rolled her eyes. "You need a bath."
"Hey, Jackie-can we have this conversation inside?" Hyde suggested.
"Oh, right. Sorry Mrs. Forman."
"That's no problem. Would you like to use some of my lavender bubbles?"
Kitty asked
"No, I hate baths! Is Eric here yet?"
"No, not yet, sweetie. Say 'hello' to Mr. Forman."
"Hi, Mr. Forman!" Red had a soft spot for little girls. It was why he babied Laurie but drew the hardline with Eric when they were kids.
"Hello. ---" He forgot the child's name
"Tiffany Worthington, Sir. But Mommy says I'll be Tiffany Hyde soon!"
"Well like it or not young lady, you're getting your face and hands washed because I said so." Jackie said with a smile on her face. She loved her daughter dearly, it was the dirt that she couldn't stand.
Midway through the Forman drive
Eric asked Donna if he could drive when they left Missouri because he was feeling restless and needed to be the one driving to occupy his mind.
"How are you feeling, Eric?" Donna rested her hand on his knee.
"Fine. I just want us to be married." He sighed. He didn't want to have his Mother make a fuss or to put up with any snide remarks from Hyde or his Dad. Eric just wanted to be with Donna. It was all he ever wanted.
"I know. Me too. Now that it's going to be tomorrow, I just want all the hoopla over with." Donna smiled back at him.
"And I promise I won't pick a fight with Hyde." Eric said while unconsciously tightening his grip on the steering wheel.
"That's good to know, Eric." Donna said as she put her head back on the seat hoping to sneak in a little power nap.
'Look at her sleeping, she's so beautiful-I love her so much' Eric thought as he drove getting closer to Point Place.
6:20PM
That went terrible. Eric thought as he went upstairs to wake up Tiffany as Jackie told him she made him a present. He and Hyde barely spoke two words to each other. 'Because I sold out?' Eric thought. What in the hell did that mean? Because he had a job that required him to wear a suit and tie? Jackie was giving Donna an all important beauty lecture for tomorrow. His Father fell asleep on the sofa after dinner while Hyde helped his Mom was dishes. Laurie wasn't here. Not that Eric cared. He didn't need his sister there. He was only sorry that he stole off her but she didn't accept his apologies nor his money for the bracelets so f*** her. Tiffany was sleeping in Laurie's room. She was so cute sleeping with one of Jackie's old unicorns. He really did want a child of his own, but he didn't blame Donna for anything that happened as to why she couldn't. It was just one of life's cruel practical jokes.
"Hey," Eric whispered as she lightly shook her shoulder, "Wake up, Tiffany."
She opened up her eyes with a snapping energy that he wished he still had.
"E-ric!"
"You missed dinner."
"Your Mommy made me fish sticks!"
"She did? And tater tots?"
"No-curly fries."
When she was fully awake he turned on the light. "That's better than what we had." How much meat, potatoes, and green vegetables can one person consume?
"I made you a present." Tiffany jumped out of bed to get her drawing off Laurie's old desk.
"You did? That's very nice of you."
She handed him the drawing.
"Do you like it, Eric?"
"Yeah, it's very cool. Is this Donna?"
"I had to use orange for her hair."
Eric smiled. Tiffany drew Eric and Donna in what was supposed to be their wedding attire. Donna was wearing a blue dress because the paper that Tiffany drew on was white.
"It's very nice. I love it, thank you." He kissed her on the cheek.
"Turn it over."
It was what was supposed to be Yoda. She used a darker green for the wise old master of the Star Wars universe, but it was still an adorable picture.
"I think I better hang it up on this side or Donna will get mad at me." Eric replied in a child like way. Dealing with children was so much easier than dealing with adults.
"There you are, Eric." Enter Donna
"Hi, Donna!" Tiffany said
"Hi, Tiffany. Cover your ears, your Mommy is a pain!"
The little girl laughed.
"You didn't like Jackie's make up suggestions?" Eric ribbed
Donna sat next to him on the bed.
"Contrary to belief, I do know how to put make up on."
"Here this should make you feel better-look what Tiffany made me."
"Yoda makes me feel better?"
"Wrong side!" Tiffany quipped just like her Mother
"Sorry. -Do these people look familiar?"
"That's you and Eric!" Tiffany said to Donna
"Thank you-it's very pretty we'll hang it on our fridge."
"Donna! I've been looking for you; we still have to decide how you're going to wear your hair!"
"Oh, brother." Donna wished she could jump out the window.
Tiffany climbed on Eric's back, "Piggyback ride."
"No ice cream," Jackie playfully warned, "Mrs. Forman made you a special snack."
"Okay! Come on, Eric!"
"Now let's see Donna-do you prefer a French braid or-----?"
and that's all Eric heard as he gave Tiffany a piggyback ride down the stairs.
Knowing something was going to happen or maybe it was all in his mind.
"Steven!" Tiffany called from the middle of the stairs and Eric thought, 'F***'.
He was waiting for her at the bottom and Eric hoped it wasn't for the reasons he thought. That he had to save his daughter from this 'evil' scrawny dorky Coke dependant business man who used to be his best friend. Then Eric thought he should be angry after all why should Hyde get off Scott free? He slept with Donna behind his back and got her pregnant. Her botched abortion the reason why she couldn't bear their child. Eric made sure he was low enough so Tiffany could ease off his back after all Hyde might freak and blame him if she bumped her hand on the railing.
"Mrs. Forman made you a snack." Hyde said
"Okay! Bye, Eric!"
"Bye, sweetie." 'He can't look at me now? God, he's so juvenile.'
Eric needed a simple walk around the block to clear his head.
"Where are you going?" Red put down his paper and Eric thought 'What am I 17 again?'
"For a walk."
"This better not---"
Eric came this close to saying the 'f' word to his Father, he wasn't afraid anymore.
"How come my going for a walk (and they didn't know about the NYC relapse) automatically means I'm going to find the nearest pusher?" Eric whispered as he didn't want Tiffany to hear from the kitchen
Before Red could answer-Eric emptied out his pockets on the table and took out all of his money, credit cards, and keys.
"Now your only worry is what if they give it to me for free?" Kitty entered from the kitchen and heard the last of it.
"Eric, honey, what's wrong?"
"Ask YOUR husband. I didn't realize going for a walk was illegal."
Eric couldn't wait to feel the fresh (well he debated how fresh it actually was) air on his face, the only thing that could have made the moment better is if Donna joined him.
"Red?"
"Kitty-how do we know he won't touch that stuff again?" Red did not want to talk about this; he went back to reading his paper as Kitty sighed before going upstairs to join Donna and Jackie hoping Eric was not going to do anything illegal. But leaving all of his money here was a good sign that he wasn't going to put anything up his nose.
Wedding Day
12:00AM Forman sofa
"Eric, what are you doing down here?" Donna asked. After her beauty seminar with Jackie she took a hot bath and fell asleep waiting for Eric to return. She was worried when he wasn't in the bed next to her.
"Hey, what time is it? You aren't supposed to see me until the wedding."
Eric yawned.
"It's our second wedding and it's just superstitious nonsense." Jackie made Hyde go back to the albeit newly furnished but it still was the basement.
"I didn't feel like disturbing you."
'What?' "What?"
"Maybe we shouldn't get married."
"Eric," Donna jumped up trying her best not to shout, "What the hell?" She didn't need to hear this; she had to pick up her Dad in six hours.
"I love you too much to hurt you, Donna." Eric replied tiredly into the pillow.
"Did you do any Coke?"
"No, I didn't put anything up my nose." Eric forced himself up and went to the kitchen.
Donna found two miniature vodka bottles in sticking out of the cushions. That's all Red and Kitty needed to see.
'At least it wasn't Cocaine'.
"Eric, where did you get these?" Donna put them on the kitchen table as Eric had his head down on the table.
"A little girl scout on the corner was selling them."
"Be serious."
"You want serious, Donna? Everyone in this house thinks I'm still an addict, well you're always one, but that's not the point. Everyone thinks I'm a current user, so I bumped into one of geeks from the A-V club who still lives in Point Place with his Mother so he gave me the vodka. I only drank half of one bottle, does this make me a candidate for being a current user?"
"Yeah, it does." Donna replied frustrated, putting her hands through her hair, of all days for him to do this they were going to get married in a few hours.
"I'm not even drunk."
"Eric, you want to do a line so bad you can feel it deep inside your soul, don't you? And don't think of lying to me."
"I was thinking we should honeymoon in Colombia." Eric replied wryly.
"That's not even funny." Donna grabbed the two vodka bottles off the table, she would dispose of them upstairs.
"Aren't you worried about Red's liquor cabinet?"
"No because if you touch a drop, we're not getting married. It's up to you, Eric." Donna wanted to kiss him, hold him, tell him everything would be okay, but today was their wedding day and she was pissed that he would almost relapse on this day, the official day of their second chance. How could he? All Donna could do was go upstairs and not say a word to anybody leaving Eric alone in the kitchen with his thoughts.
How could he?
7:30AM
"Where's Donna?" Jackie asked Kitty who was happy making a big breakfast for everyone but Jackie warned that Steven couldn't see her until the wedding so he'd have to eat in the basement and Tiffany offered to keep him company.
"She went to Chicago to pick up Bob."
"Oh! Mrs. Forman-I forgot to pack my lucky lipstick."
Kitty laughed as she buttered a stack of toast. "Your lucky lipstick?"
"Yeah. There's a place in Chicago for people in the industry only. Steven will think I'm silly, but I cannot get married without my lucky lipstick."
'Eric thinks you're silly' "Mom please tell me you have regular coffee, the kind with caffeine in it."
"Oh, Eric, honey, you don't look so good."
"I couldn't sleep last night."
"It shows," Jackie interjected, "You need to put cucumber slices on your eyes."
"I'll be sure to do that, thanks." There was a hardness about him that Jackie tried to dismiss as nerves.
"I'll be back soon, maybe I'll bump into Donna. Bye!" Jackie gulped down a small glass of orange juice before she left.
"Now that she's gone, son, is there something you'd like to tell me? Did you and Donna have a fight?"
"Sort of. But it's nothing, really."
"Mrs. Forman may I have more juice?" Tiffany came in with her cup
"Sure you can, honey."
"Hi, sweetie." Said Eric
"Hi, Eric! Do you want to watch cartoons with Steven and me?"
How could he break a little girls heart? He couldn't. Hyde would just have to deal.
"Yeah." Eric took his coffee and a piece of toast and went with Tiffany to the basement.
10:30AM
"Donna, why do you look so glum? You're getting married today!"
"I can do my own blush, thanks." Donna took the compact out of Jackie's hands. She loved Eric with all of her heart but today just didn't feel right to be married. Not if he was thinking about getting high. Not if he wanted to drone out the world. Not if he wanted to put those 'needs' in front of her.
"What's wrong? Did you and Eric have a fight? Because he didn't look too good when I saw him earlier."
"I can't do this." Donna wrapped a robe around her silk slip and went to find Eric.
"Donna, no! Don't do what I think you're going to do!" Jackie chased after her.
"Jackie," Donna turned around, "This is not your business."
"You can't do this to Eric, he loves you."
"I can't do this to Eric? Oh-if you---never mind." Donna went to Eric's old room where he was opening the garment bag that contained his tux.
"Eric,"
He saw the look in her eyes and stood up straight.
"This is where you come in to tell me you cannot marry me," Donna closed the door, "Am I right? Because I wanted to get high so you punish me for my honesty. What was last night then? I didn't touch any more booze and you still- forget it. Don't you love me enough to marry me, Donna?"
"That's not fair, Eric, you know that I love you. But it's not right for us to get married right now-can you guarantee me you won't run off in the middle of the night to go to the bar or on a Coke run? Can you guarantee me that?"
"You know addicts can only promise for one day."
"Now you're going to quote the literature? It's not right for us to get married now. I'm sorry, Eric. I'm not breaking up with you. I'm just saying let's postpone our wedding. Your mother still has Jackie and Hyde to fuss over." She wanted to hold his hands but he coldly retracted.
"Seems to me," either out of confidence or defiance Eric couldn't decide which he re opened his garment bag and proceeded to get dressed anyway, "You forgot the part of the vows that go 'For Better or Worse'." He supposed he could've also used the sickness and health one too.
Donna looked at him with intense eyes before walking out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.
12PM
Eric looked at himself in the mirror and saw his tired face. Maybe, Donna was right that this wasn't the right time for them to be married. He couldn't help when he got his urges to get high and he was glad that it was only vodka his old schoolmate had and that he had left his money at home. Still he knew deep inside if he really wanted to score Coke he could've easily got it he had a one hundred dollar watch on but he didn't do that. It had nothing to do with Hyde or his Father it was all him and his own decisions. Donna Pinciotti was the only person he loved one hundred per cent. He did want to get married but wondered if today was the best day to do it after all.
"Eric!" Children made the best buffers and Eric was glad he didn't have to think for at least a moment.
"Hi, Tiffany. You look very nice." Her dress was cotton candy purple and had a black velvet peter pan collar and small trailing bow in the back. She also had shiny black Mary Janes and tights that matched her dress. She didn't want to wear any ribbons but wore one of Laurie's old barrettes that Mrs. Forman found in her old heart shaped keepsake box.
"You too, Eric."
"Oh, your shoe is unbuckled." Eric bent down to fix it.
"Mommy caught me drawing on the sidewalk with chalk."
Eric laughed he could just picture Jackie freaking out over it.
"She did?"
"Tiffany, it's time to go." Eric was taken a back by Hyde's fitted gray and black tux. Every time he ever wore a suit it was always loose fitting and unkempt but he actually looked good and this was obviously Jackie's doing. Eric swallowed, he was going to say something but screw it. He just wanted to be with Donna he couldn't very much help it if the image also consisted of a 'zillion' grams of Coke and various liquors floating around his system.
Of all the days to feel like this, it was at that moment that he realized he failed Donna, yet again.
12PM (at the Church)
Kitty knocked on the door and quietly opened it to find Donna sitting on a chair, dressed in a black slip style dress her garment bag hanging on the door. She requested that Jackie and Tiffany go in another waiting room because Donna couldn't bear to see Jackie in her beautiful Princess Diana-esque wedding dress talking happy wedding talk with her daughter. She didn't want to talk to her Father. She just wanted to be alone.
"Donna, honey, what's wrong? What happened between you and Eric?" He wasn't talking either.
Donna was torn she wanted to tell Mrs. Forman everything, but knowing how much it would crush her, she refrained.
"I don't know if I can marry him today." Donna whispered.
"What? Why?" Kitty asked out of concern.
"He knows I love him." Donna had to rebuff the question.
"You've always been important to Eric. You two have had your ups and downs growing up, but I always knew you two would be together forever. He's out there looking miserable, but at least he's out there-hoping. You don't have to tell me what you two fought about. I can only imagine and if you don't bring it up; I can still be in denial about it. But don't walk away from my son. How could it help your relationship to go back to St. Louis and share a bed knowing you two were supposed to get married today? Please, Donna, help my son, because you are the only one that can." Kitty felt her eyes water but didn't want to cry those kinds of tears. Not today.
Donna got up and hugged Kitty, she too refusing to cry.
"I do love him. I'll always love Eric." She held onto Kitty tight fearful that she might fall.
12:45PM
"Don't start tossing the flowers yet, you have to wait for the music to start." Jackie instructed to Tiffany who was getting anxious. There was no Father to give her away so she asked Mr. Forman if he would do the honors. Red might have been gruff but did have a soft spot on certain occasions and
of course would walk Jackie down the aisle.
"You look beautiful, Mommy."
"So do you, sweetie." Even though Jackie wanted to do her daughter's hair in the requisite ribbons.
12:50PM
'Why won't he talk to me? F***ing idiot. If Donna leaves me at the altar- I'm going to do the biggest line of Coke ever, not coming up for air. And I will die.'
'What's his problem? Maybe Donna will have come to her senses and not marry the dill hole.'
1:00PM
The organist played the Wedding March as the guests stood up in the modest sized church. Tiffany started out by tossing the flowers but wound up throwing them by the time she got to the end of the aisle. Hyde thought Jackie looked absolutely beautiful like a Queen of a faraway land.
Eric smiled his first real smile of the day when he saw Bob walking Donna down the aisle. He caught his Mother crying out of the corner of his eye. He tried not to cry but she was just so beautiful wearing the dress she wore for their first wedding. She didn't alter it. It wasn't as flounced and puffy as Jackie's but that wasn't Donna's taste.
'Thank you, God' Eric prayed, he couldn't say he wouldn't feel like getting high on something in five minutes but all he knew was that right now he was thankful that Donna was going to marry him. Him. Eric Forman.
The Vows
Donna held Eric's hands they were cold and hers were shaky. He looked so handsome in his tux, Donna felt the other people around her disappear and as she looked deeply into his eyes; it was as if they were the only ones in the room.
"I had another set of vows prepared, but, I decided to just say what's on my mind right now. I love you, Eric Forman with all my heart and soul. We've known each other since we were little kids, we played together, went to school together, went to the amusement park together, and we grew up together-falling in and out and back into love again. Since then we've had our share of bad times but we've always come through them and I cannot imagine sharing my life with anyone else but you. I want to grow old with you. I love you more than anyone else in the whole world. You are the other half that connects to make the complete me."
One tear fell down Eric's face he didn't have any vows prepared or otherwise, all he could say was, "I love you very much, Donna Pinciotti. Forever."
He meant it. Donna was crying when Eric put the ring on her finger. She wasn't naïve and knew that many challenges lie ahead for them and that his problem was only part of it.
"..and now you may kiss the bride."
"My favorite part of the ceremony." Eric whispered to her before kissing her in front of his family and friends.
Bliss.
Return to Sender
Steven Hyde was finally marrying Jackie Burkhart. This should have happened sooner but life got in the way, hers and his. Adolescence insecurities making way for young adult insecurities. Blink your eyes and twenty years go by. If it weren't for Jackie coming into Point Place to stick her nose in the Donna and Eric situation they wouldn't be here today. Not that it was easy. It was never easy for Hyde. Middle class spoiled brats like Forman had the world handed to them on a silver platter even if Red was stern, he wasn't abusive in the true sense of the word. It wasn't easy for Hyde to start a career in the music business. Everything was a struggle. He had to fight for everything he had. He should've been the Coke addict but then that would have been 'oh, so typical'. Yet here he was on this day about to marry the beautiful Jackie and to be a real Father to Tiffany and nothing her ex-husband could do legally would change that. Hyde was always ready to fight for another day. He was almost there, he could see the forest from the trees and only heard bits and pieces from the Priest. "Just cause..marriage.not take place..speak now..forever.hold.peace."
Forman got to remarry Donna but Hyde wasn't surprised that the door swung open.not Bradley Worthington anyone but that high class snob. The crowd started whispering. Eric smiled on the inside but then felt guilty for doing so. Donna was surprised and thought Jackie and Hyde should have gotten married first. Because this was not good.
"JACKIE, DON'T MARRY HYDE, I LOVE YOU!"
"Michael?"
"My Mommy's marrying Steven!" Tiffany started to cry. Eric held her hand so she wouldn't run off.
"Michael?"
"Jackie!" Hyde said wondering if this was all just one huge burn in the making for twenty odd years? No one ever knew what happened to Kelso and he suddenly shows up now on their wedding day?
"Jackie, don't marry Hyde, I LOVE YOU!"
Jackie looked at Hyde and then looked at Kelso, she hasn't seen him in decades and actually thought he might have been dead-but here he was contesting her marriage to Steven. Which despite it happening all around them it still was a romantic thing to do.
Hyde was finally tired of all the bull****, he had no more rage in him. He took a deep breath and silently spoke to Jackie.
"Jackie, do you want to be with Kelso? If so speak now or forever hold YOUR PEACE."
Disappointment.