Author's Note: Omigod, I'm so sorry about the wait. How many months had it been? lol. I really do apologize; I had a lot of things going on. School was kicking my ass, I had my final exams, a death of a loved one and some other stuff going on with my family and friends. Plus, there was that damn disease I caught, writer's block. I really don't know how I'll make it up to you guys. This chapter was going to be longer, but I thought about how long you guys had been waiting and decided to post it as it is. So it will be a disappointment, I'll bet. A lot more was going to happen, but I didn't know how long it would take to write it and I figured I'd put you out of your misery and this could tide you over until the real, big, awesome stuff comes along. Again, I'm sorry to all of you who are disappointed by it. I know I would be, especially considering how long you waited for it. Hopefully the next chapter will make up for it and be up soon…

Chapter Five
One Hundred and Thirteen Percent

Eric blinked.

Jackie stared.

Eric didn't get it.

"So wait… is this like the time when you thought you were pregnant with Kelso's kid and came running to me? Only this time, Hyde's the father, right? Jackie, you can't keep on coming to me when you –"

"No, Eric, no." Jackie shook her head softly and her eyes started welling up again. "I'm pregnant. Only, the child…" She paused, and looked up to the ceiling for a few moments, as if in silent prayer. She sighed before looking him in the eye and continuing. "It might be yours."

Jackie prepared for the worst. Yelling, swearing, hitting, screaming, anything that could express his anger. Of course Eric would be angry, he was engaged to Donna and very in-love. This could ruin their relationship.

But Eric didn't appear to be angry. Or sad. Or anything. He was void of any emotion, and that scared Jackie a little.

Did he hear me? "Eric, I'm –"

"Yeah," he cut her off, but not in a ticked-off or impatient tone. "You just said that." He spoke slowly, gently, precisely, as if he were picking his words carefully. "Are you 100-percent sure that you're pregnant?"

Jackie nodded sadly. "I've known for a while now."

"So, um. It might be mine?"

Jackie bit her lip and nodded again. "I mean, there is a chance it could be Steven's. But we stopped sleeping together like, an age ago. And I don't know what to tell him."

The look of lost and confusion in Eric's eyes disappeared instantly once Jackie said that last sentence. "What do you mean?" he spat vehemently. "Of course you know what to do! What is there to not know about?!" He was losing his cool, but he didn't seem to care. "You're not even sure that it's mine!"

Jackie shook her head slowly, in a puzzled fashion. "I'm not sure what you're trying to say, Eric."

"How can you even contemplate telling Hyde the baby's not his? What the hell is wrong with you?"

She opened her mouth a bit, shocked and appalled. Did he really expect her to lie to her boyfriend about a matter this big? "Eric, I am not going to lie to him! This isn't a small issue that will blow over within the next few days. This is about a human being."

"How do you know you'll be lying?" Eric stood up furiously, face pink and arms flying everywhere. "It's more likely it's his anyway!"

"That's not the point!" Jackie exclaimed, standing up, too. "I can't keep on going on like this, Eric! I know we swore that no one needed to know, but as long as there is a possibility that this –" Jackie indicated her still-flat belly, "could be yours, then we need to reconsider!"

"Reconsider what?!" Eric was almost yelling now. "You tell Hyde, he leaves you. Donna finds out, she cancels the wedding. We both end up alone and bitter and hi! A baby is in the picture! You're not fit to be a single mom, Jackie!"

Okay, now he had gone too far.

"Listen up, Foreman," Jackie said coldly. Her eyes narrowed as she stepped closer to him. "You are in no position to tell me how good or bad a mother I'll be. You don't fucking know me!"

"Okay, even if I didn't know what you were like, or the way you tend to pick stuffed animals and nail polish over friends and hanging out, you're still too young to raise a child. You need Hyde's support! And you're not going to get it if you tell him about what happened."

Jackie was at a loss for words. She was still steaming, but something inside of her refrained her from opening her mouth. This was a new experience for her, and she wasn't sure if she liked it.

Eric continued. "You want the best future for your baby? Tell Hyde it's his." His tone was softer, calmer. "Chances are 99-to-1 that it is. So why like, threaten to ruin a good thing? Two things, if you count my engagement to Donna. It'll be a big stir over nothing if you tell them about us."

She stared at him. Despite not wanting to admit it, she knew he had a point. The baby needed a father. But was Steven up to it? The best father figure in his life had been Red, and Lord knew that wasn't the best example. Still, Red was a better father to Jackie's boyfriend than Buddy ever was.

But even acknowledging all of this, something still didn't feel right to her. Even if it wasn't Eric's child, now that she was pregnant… it felt like a sign to come clean about that drunken night. As long as the possibility was there that it was his, she couldn't live with herself keeping that big a secret from her boyfriend and best friend. It was hard enough as it was.

Regardless to those feelings, Jackie nodded. "I suppose you're right." She smiled weakly. "I'll just tell Steven that it's his." A sigh escaped her lips, and her eyes fell to the ground. "Not that he'll be happy about it. I mean, what if he feels he's not ready to be a dad? What if he leaves me?" Jackie's eyes started welling up again, and she sat back on the couch. She knew that would definitely be his attitude. Would he be angry with her? Hate her? Leave her? The thought was unbearable, and more tears came to her.

"Jackie…" Eric sat down next to her. Awkwardly, he put his hand on her knee and gave it a pat. "Hyde loves you. Sure, he'll be surprised. But he's not going to leave you. Trust me on that." Jackie lifted her head up, tears streaming down her face. Déjà vu, she thought ironically. She looked into his eyes, so big and brown. He may not be her favorite person in the world, but she had always known she could trust him. Always. And this time was no different.

She gave a small nod and attempted a smile. "Okay," she whispered. "Thank you, Eric."

Eric smiled at her. "Although," he added, "it's probably best if you don't tell him for a while. Make sure you're 100-percent sure that you really are… you know…."

Jackie rolled her eyes in a fun manner. "Eric, I am. I am definitely pregnant." The thought scared her, though she was a lot more mature about it than her last pregnancy scare.

Eric raised his eyebrows. "Well, then. Maybe wait until you're one hundred and thirteen percent sure." She gave a small, dry laugh at that, which made Eric's smile better.

"Um, okay then." She stood up and brushed her skirt. "I might go back home now."

"Sure." Eric paused as he watched her head towards the stairs. "Wait." He stopped her before she started climbing them. "Um, Jackie. About what I said before? I didn't mean half of it. I was just surprised and hurt and –"

"Don't worry, Eric," she shrugged off his apology. "I understand. Honestly, you handled the news a lot better than I did."

"Well, I think that's understandable. You're the one who's going to get fat and, you know. Go through labor."

"Gee, thanks for making me feel better," she laughed.

"I do what I can." Eric grinned at her, and Jackie returned it. They held eye contact for a while, before she left up the stairs.

Eric sighed, and spread himself out on the lounge. He knew that there was a chance the baby was his. They used no protection that night, at least from his memory. But he was in denial. He refused to think about the possibility, and what it would do to Donna. It hurt too much.

"The baby is Hyde's," Eric said to himself, wishing he were as convinced about the subject as he sounded.