I realize that my updates haven't been the best and I am sorry, still I seem to be losing readers which is upsetting but for those of you still out there thank you very much for your loyalty! Special thanks to thealphamale, AutumnSoleil, and Dreamallday for their reviews of Chapter 15.
Chapter 16:
Jackie was the first to speak… and as expected it wasn't pretty.
"You bet on us, Michael?!" she yelped, her face reddening with annoyance, "And you, Brooke! What the hell?"
"Hey, hey now," said Kelso stepping in front of his wife with his hands up, "You can't yell at a lady who just had a baby, it's in the Bible."
Jackie took a breath, "I'm sorry, Brooke. But what possessed you to agree to a bet with this idiot?"
Brooke gave Jackie a sheepish grin, "Well, I mean, Jackie- when Michael brought it up I thought it was completely impossible so-"
"Hey!" interjected Eric, stepping forward, "Why is it so impossible?"
"Yeah?" prompted Jackie, nodding to Eric. Eric beamed inside that she was aware of the slight as well.
Brooke shrugged, "I don't mean it like that, it's just… well, putting history into perspective, you have to admit it was very unlikely… and Michael may be a bit… dense… but I love him."
Brooke put her arms around her husband and smiled up at him.
Kelso kissed his wife on the cheek and put his arm around her, "Aw, thanks, baby."
Eric conceded to Brooke's explanation, it was a very unlikely pairing when all you really had to go off of was the past.
Still Jackie wasn't done, she stepped in between the kissing couple, "Alright, alright, enough of that. Brooke, I see your point. But you!" she poked the, up until this point, bemused Kelso in the chest. "What do you think you were doing placing bets on us? What exactly were you so right about, Michael?"
Kelso still smiling rubbed the spot on his chest where Jackie jabbed him, "Hey, no matter what you think, Jackie, I'm not that dumb. Being a cop has given me a fifth sense about these kind of things!" he exclaimed excitedly.
Jackie just blinked at him, she turned towards Brooke, who just smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
They were silent for several moments
"Well…" began Eric, clearing his throat "I guess we can all move past this… uh, slightly awkward situation then…"
Jackie turned back to him, "Oh, you are so wrong, mister! We'll be hearing about this from now until doomsday. Especially, since Michael won the bet." She turned and shot a final glare at Kelso.
Kelso smirked, "Yeah, well, like I said before Jackie, this wasn't something any moron couldn't figure out. I mean, after all, I did. It was only a matter of time before you got with Eric in my opinion."
Eric winced at this, he knew Jackie well enough that she wasn't going to take that as a compliment.
And he was correct.
Jackie immediately went on the defensive and crossed her arms, "What is that supposed to mean?"
Brooke intervened on her husband's part, "I know what you are thinking, Jackie, and I can honestly say I know Michael doesn't mean it like that. He just means that Eric is a good guy, and even though, in the past you two might not have been a good match, now it just… makes sense… in a really weird and wonderful way." She looked to Eric and smiled.
Eric nodded to Brooke, "Why that you, ma'am. I pride myself on being weird and wonderful." He put a hand on Jackie's arm, she seemed to relax at the contact.
Michael nodded vigorously, "Yeah, yeah! That's what I mean! Please don't hit me, Jackie."
He gave her a pitiful look.
Jackie uncrossed her arms and leaned slightly back into Eric, "Fine. I believe that you mean well, Michael, even though your mouth can't seem to catch up."
Jackie took Eric's hand, which was still resting on her arm, "So, now you know, we are together." Michael began to open his mouth but Jackie stopped him, "And before you start asking questions, how about I finish up in here and we can all sit down and we'll tell you all about it while we wait for the turkey to be done."
Brooke nodded in agreement, "I'll go check on the girls, Michael why don't you and Eric start setting the table and get Betsy's out bassinet out of the garage and I'll just bring Dani down here so I don't have to keep going upstairs."
"Okay, baby," Kelso gave his wife a kiss and headed to the garage.
Once they were alone again, Jackie turned to Eric and wrapped her arms around his waist.
She laid her head on his chest and just held him. Eric returned the embrace and dropped a kiss on her head.
"Well, that wasn't so bad," Eric said.
"Eh, could have been worse, right?" Jackie asked.
"Yeah… hey, are you okay?"
She hadn't looked at him since Kelso and Brooke stepped out of the room and something about the way she held on to him made him think she was upset.
"Well, I…," she looked up at him and Eric was surprised to see her eyes were glassy with unshed tears, "Eric, do you think I'm a whore?"
Eric was taken aback, "No! Why would you think that?"
"Because," Jackie sniffed, "I have officially kissed all four of you guys from our high school group and if you stay with me-"
"If?" Eric interrupted.
"Yes, Eric, I mean think about all that you know, my relationships with Michael and Steven… you know everything… do you still want to stay with me knowing all that?"
She had pulled back to look at him as tears streaked down her cheeks.
Jackie's insecurities were shining through with full force. Eric anticipated that she would say what she had and in another person's shoes this all might seem like too much to deal with.
But Eric knew that despite all her mistakes, demands, and drama in past relationships that all Jackie was really only looking to fulfill the void in her heart where the love she hadn't ever been shown before was supposed to be. He couldn't really relate exactly to how she felt but he had enough insight to know that it was what motivated her in the past.
Jackie was an open book when it came to her feelings, whether or not she tried to guard herself. As much as she tried not to be, Jackie was still the same girl on the inside, looking for her one true love that would make life wondrous and beautiful. Eric wanted very much to be that guy. The one who would for the rest of his life be graced with the love that Jackie had to offer, she had so much to give and he wanted it. And despite the seriousness of his and Donna's relationship he too had much to give in return and he could only hope that she wanted what he had to offer.
Eric sighed and cupped her face in his hands. He kissed her softly on the lips and dropped kisses on her closed eyelids.
"Of course, I do, Jackie. We both come with baggage. But the advantage we have here is we both know what each other's baggage is. The past is in the past and we both know it will stay there. Don't think for one-second that I don't want this, because I do…" he kissed her softly once more, "very much."
Fresh tears poured out of Jackie's eyes, but this time they were happy tears, "Oh, Eric. That is so sweet! Kiss me again!"
He chuckled as her arms wrapped around his neck and their lips joined in a passionate kiss.
They stood in their own world, wrapped tightly around each other and lost in their kisses.
"Hey!" Kelso's voice broke them apart for the second time. He stood in the doorway, carrying pieces of a baby bassinet. "If you two keep frenching then dinner will never be done!"
He walked back into the den.
Eric chuckled and looked down at Jackie's now smiling face, "Alright, we'll talk more later. I better go help Kelso before he injures himself."
Almost as if on cue a resounding "OW!" came from outside the kitchen.