Mostly just dialogue here, setting things up for Eric's return. Thanks for reading! Please don't forget to review!
Chapter 3:
"Auntie Jackie!!" three-year-old Betsy Kelso came barreling towards Jackie, her arms outstretched, a big smile on her face.
Jackie caught the little girl in her arms, "Hi, Betsy Boo! How's my favourite girl?"
"Dood, Mama an' me saw baby today!" Betsy told her excitedly.
"Did you? And how big is baby now?" Jackie asked as she set her purse down on the coffee table in the living room.
"Dis big!" Betsy said, holding her hands far apart.
"Uh oh, I bet Mama wants that big baby out of her, huh?" she said, kissing Betsy on the head as she headed for the kitchen.
"Hi, Jackie!" Brooke greeted, as she pulled a pot roast from the oven. She winced a little as she straightened up.
Jackie grabbed a pot holder and took the roast from her, "Here, you go sit down. I can finish this."
Brooke smiled as she sat in a chair at the kitchen table watching as Jackie pulled out plates and silverware.
"Thanks, ugh, I can't wait to get this baby out!"
"I'll bet! From what Betsy just told me you're hauling around a beluga," she quipped as she filled glasses with iced tea and removed the pan of mashed potatoes from the stove.
"She wouldn't be far from the truth, " Brooke lamented.
"Awww, just two more weeks though right?"
"Yes, and then that's it. No more Kelso babies!"
"Speaking of which, where is Michael?"
"He's around here somewhere," Brooke said, as she pulled herself up from her chair.
Just the Michael Kelso came into the kitchen holding Betsy on his shoulders.
"Hey, Jackie, how was work?"
"Eh, I'm just glad it's the weekend!" she conceded as she and Brooke finished setting the table.
The four sat down at the table to eat.
They talked about the baby's arrival within the next couple of weeks and Jackie's school finals the next week and what they all planned to do while she was on winter vacation.
Abruptly, Kelso changed the subject.
"So, Jackie, guess who's coming to town," Kelso said mysteriously.
"Santa Claus," Jackie guessed, looking over at Brooke who was smirking as she wiped mashed potato from her daughter's face.
"No! God, Jackie, it's November. Santa Claus doesn't get here till next month!" he rolled his eyes.
Jackie laughed, "Okay, fine. I give up, Michael. Who is coming to town?"
"Eric!"
"Eric? Forman? Are you serious? I thought he was still in Africa?" Jackie asked wityh raised eyebrows.
Kelso shook his head. "He called me up this morning and said he was coming home and then somethin' about not knowing where home was, and I so told him, 'well, are you lost?' And he called me a dillhole so I said, call your mom, man! And then he was like, no, and so I said-"
"Michael honey, you're doing it again," Brooke interrupted.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry," he smiled sheepishly and leaned over and kissed his wife.
"Anyway, I guess he doesn't want to go to Florida so he asked if he could come crash here for awhile."
"And you said yes?" asked Jackie.
"Of course, Jackie! He's like one of my best friends and since Hy- I mean since I don't really see anyone else anymore I thought it would be fun to have him visit."
Jackie rolled her eyes, Michael still took what she had said about not talking about Steven very seriously.
So Eric was coming to Chicago.
She didn't hate him or anything, she just always thought he was a dork with a Star Wars fetish.
And at first she was mad at him for leaving Donna like he did. A feeling which quickly dissipated when, upon Eric's departure, Donna transformed into an unrecognizable bitch.
She had actually stated that Hyde was better off with anyone besides Jackie, the night before Jackie decided to leave.
She shrugged, "Yeah, could be fun."
"So you'll pick him up from the airport tomorrow?"
"What?!"
Brooke stood up and helped Betsy down from her booster seat, "I'm gonna let you guys talk about this, I don't think the sounds of Jackie killing you is good for the baby, Michael." She kissed her husband on the head and went upstairs to help her daughter bathe.
"Yeah! Well, see, Brooke and I were going to her mom's tomorrow and I thought since you had the day off that you would pick him up," Kelso smiled goofily.
"Uh-uh! No way, I'm going to go get my hair done tomorrow! I'm getting split ends in this windy weather and then I was gonna sit around all day and watch Grease on cable!" Jackie pouted.
"Come on, Jackie," Kelso whined, "he was your friend, too."
"N-," but she stopped.
Yeah, she guessed she could consider Eric a sort of friend in some strange way.
"Oh, fine, fine, I'll do it, but don't think you don't owe me for this one!" Jackie huffed.
"Great! I'll let you borrow the car and then just bring him back here, he can stay in the den. We'll be back Sunday afternoon, so ya know, just show him around or whatever."
"Oooh yea, I get to be his entertainment director too?"
"Jeez, Jackie, its not like it's hard to keep Eric entertained!"
"No, that's you, Doofus."
Kelso seemed to consider this for a second, "Oh, yeah!"
Jackie shook her raven coloured head, "Fine, but like I said, you owe me."
"Deal."