…
"Happy birthday."
Jackie awoke from her short slumber, head on Eric's chest, to a soft kiss on the top of her head.
"Huh?" Her eyes sleepily opened. "What time is it?"
"Exactly midnight," Eric told her, rubbing her shoulder with the arm that was wrapped around it.
"Oh," Jackie replied. "I guess I'm nineteen now."
Eric tilted her chin up towards him and gave her a deep kiss. When they pulled away, Jackie bit her lip and smiled.
"My first kiss as a nineteen-year-old," she told him.
"Must've been a good one," Eric responded. "You're still smiling."
Her smile widened and she lightly hit him in the chest. "You always make me smile." Her eyes widened as she put her hand on her rounded belly. "I feel the fluttering again."
"Could I actually feel it or can you just feel it?" Eric inquired.
Jackie moved her hand around her stomach. "No, it's just like… it feels like how I felt when you first kissed me." She shyly smiled. "Just a super intense version of that."
Eric grinned at her. "You're so sweet."
"You're sweeter." Jackie kissed him and the fluttering intensified. Suddenly, she felt a tiny kick. She gasped and pulled away. "Eric."
He gave her a confused look. "Yeah?"
She grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach. "Julia kicked. I swear she just kicked."
Jackie had now gotten into the habit of referring to her baby as Julia, because she claimed she absolutely knew it had to be a girl.
Eric laid his palm flat on her now twenty-weeks-pregnant bump. "I don't feel anything."
"I just…" Jackie put her hand beside his. "Hi, sweetie… kick again for me?" She waited a few moments and suddenly felt another tiny kick inside her abdomen. "Eric, did you feel that?"
"I did," Eric admitted. "That's… that's crazy."
"She listened to me," Jackie said with a grin.
"Well, you're wide awake now," Eric commented, and kissed her hair.
"Because this is so exciting," Jackie responded. "I mean… this is so real now."
Eric smiled. "I know it is, honey." He removed his arm from around her waist. "But you really should try and get some sleep. You have an appointment at nine, remember?"
Jackie groaned. "Ugh, yes. Going to the doctor on my birthday, how exciting." She looked up at him. "Will you sleep with me tonight?"
"Not sure my parents will be too fond of that," Eric reminded her. "But what the hell. I'll just close my bedroom door and they won't know the difference."
She grinned and gave him a peck on the lips before standing up and taking his hand. "Let's go to bed."
…
"All appears to be good," the nurse commented, glancing at the machine before her. "Have you been feeling okay?"
"My back still hurts," Jackie admitted, her hand tightly squeezing Eric's, who was standing beside her. "But other than that, I've been okay, I guess."
The nurse nodded. "That's normal, especially for your first pregnancy." She smiled at Jackie. "He needs lots of room in there and your body is still getting used to it, even at twenty weeks."
Jackie gave the nurse a confused look. "Wait… he?"
"Oh, they didn't tell you at your last appointment?" the nurse asked. "We can determine the sex now. Doesn't surprise me that Lisa couldn't read the machine; we're still getting used to it."
"I'm… I'm having a boy?" Jackie's eyes were wide with shock.
"Yes, congratulations, Miss Burkhart," the nurse responded. "About sixteen weeks and you'll have your little boy in your arms."
Jackie looked at Eric in surprise. "A boy… God, I didn't think I'd find out until after I had it… him."
"She was totally convinced she was having a girl, anyway," Eric explained to the nurse.
"Well, I hope I didn't ruin the surprise," the nurse admitted. "Sometimes people don't want to know. Guess it just slipped out of me." She looked straight at Jackie. "Now, make sure you're taking a multi-vitamin. Your body needs it more than ever right now."
"Okay," Jackie replied, still feeling stunned.
"You two are free to go," the nurse said. "We'll see you in about two weeks, okay?"
"Okay," Jackie echoed, standing up as she clutched Eric's arm.
They walked out of the doctor's office and got in the car.
"Eric, I have no idea what I could name a boy!" Jackie said, feeling slightly frustrated. "I already had a name picked out!"
Eric tried to suppress a smile. "Well, you have time to figure that out."
"Yeah, but now I'll never have a Julia!" Jackie cried, sighing.
"I mean…" Eric shrugged. "You can one day. Just not… now." He started the car and placed a hand on her leg. She smiled sweetly at him.
"You're saying that…" She blushed. "That if, um, if we make it, you're not gonna force me to name our daughter Leia?"
Eric squeezed her leg. "You know, now that you've put the idea in my head, that's actually awesome," he teased her and then looked serious. "You'd wanna have my kid?"
"Eric, you're willing to help raise a child that isn't yours," Jackie reminded him. "So… of course I'd have your kid."
He smiled at her response and continued driving.
"I can't even think of any boy names," Jackie admitted. "I mean… I like 'J' names." She thought about it and frowned. "Joseph is an ugly name."
"Why's that?" Eric inquired.
"Because, Eric, he would go by Joey, and my son will not be given the same name as a baby kangaroo," Jackie insisted.
The corners of Eric's mouth turned up with amusement.
"I'm not naming him after my father, either," she said sternly. "There's no way I'd name my kid after a power-hungry prison rat." She thought about it some more. "Plus, Jack and Jackie… that's far too confusing."
"There's John," Eric offered.
"Too plain," Jackie decided.
"You could do Julian," Eric said. "That's, like, the boy version of Julia."
"I think that's John Lennon's son's name," Jackie replied, wrinkling her nose. "I'm not naming my kid after some hippie's kid."
"James?" Eric tried again.
This time, Jackie smiled. "Huh… James. I like that." She mulled it over. "We won't call him Jimmy or Jim, though. That's ugly. He'll just go by James."
"So, do we have a winner?" Eric asked.
"I think we just might," Jackie told him. She looked down at her stomach. "You're a boy, huh? How do you feel about being called James?" She lightly rubbed her baby bump. "Aw… no kick this time. That's okay."
They arrived home shortly after, entering the house through the kitchen to find it empty. The pair walked into the living room to find Red and Kitty watching television.
"Oh, oh, honey, how'd it go?" Kitty asked, eagerly patting the couch as she noticed their entrance.
"Well…" Jackie looked up at Eric.
Eric spoke up. "Turns out she has a little James in there, not a Julia."
"Oh, they told you the gender?" Kitty asked in excitement. "And you're going to name him James! That is just so sweet!" She could hardly contain herself. "Red, isn't that sweet? Oh, it's like the James Taylor song!"
Red grunted. "Well… if it's a boy, try not to let Eric spend too much time with him. You don't want your son to be a smart-mouthed Star Wars kid."
Kitty gave Red a disapproving look. "Oh, Eric will do just fine with a boy." She realized what she said and her eyes widened. "So… I know I've asked this before, but… you two really are going to co-parent this child together?"
Eric wrapped his arm around Jackie's waist. This was one of those questions where his answer never seemed to totally convince his mother. "Yeah, Mom, and we're gonna be great."
Jackie beamed up at him. "I think Eric will be a great father."
Red's eyebrows shot up in surprise but he didn't say anything.
"Oh, you two are just so sweet," Kitty replied giddily. "I just love that you both are in love!"
Eric chuckled, pulling Jackie closer to him. "Yeah, me too." He kissed the top of her head lightly.
Suddenly, Fez appeared in the living room. "You guys!"
Jackie gave Fez a confused look. "When did you get here, Fez?"
"Just now!" Fez stopped to catch his breath. "Jackie… that guy showed up at the apartment looking for you."
Jackie felt her breath get caught in her throat. "Wh-what?"
"That Nate guy," Fez reiterated. "He's looking for you."
Jackie's eyes widened and she glanced up at Eric quickly, who had an alarmed look on his face as well.
"Well… what did you tell him?" Jackie inquired after a moment of silence.
"I didn't say anything," Fez told her. "I ran out of there the second he told us who he was. Hyde threw a punch at him and I knew I had to come tell you."
"Steven hit him?" Kitty asked, stunned.
"Yes, Miss Kitty!" Fez looked nervous. "And between the two of them, it looked like it could've been a fair fight, but Hyde… he just has all of this rage."
"Well, what else happened?" Kitty asked, eager for more information.
"I don't know; I got out of there as fast as I could!" Fez responded. "I just thought Jackie should know if he finds out that she is here."
Jackie sighed and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Let him find me, Fez. I don't care. I have plenty of things I'd like to say to him, anyway."
Fez eyed Eric nervously. "Eric… what do you think?"
Eric pulled his arm away from Jackie. "I think she should do what she wants. This is her kid." He started walking toward the staircase.
"Wait, Eric!" Jackie began walking towards him, sensing his frustration.
"No, Jackie, just… give me a minute, okay?" Eric told her. "You need to process this; I need to process this. I just need to be alone for a little while."
Jackie, feeling overly sensitive, felt her eyes fill with tears as she watched him ascend the staircase.
"Damn it, this is my birthday!" she cried out in defeat.
"Oh, yes, Jackie," Fez said, walking toward the petite, pregnant brunette. "I got you this." He handed her a box.
She opened it. "Wow, Fez… a half-empty box of chocolates." She mustered a smile. "Thank you." She kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Jackie, I'm making you my famous triple berry pie for your birthday," Kitty told her, abruptly standing up. "Gosh darn it, I need to run to the Piggly Wiggly."
"I'll, uh… go with you," Red said, feeling awkward with the tension in the room. Before exiting, he gently patted Jackie on the shoulder. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."
Jackie smiled at the rare sign of affection from Red Forman. Maybe today wasn't going to be so bad after all. She just needed to talk to Eric once he was ready.
A firm knock was heard on the door and it suddenly flung open.
Hyde appeared at the doorway, holding a heavily bruised Nate by the arm.
"Happy birthday, Jackie," Hyde muttered, and thrust Nate into the room. "Got you something."