Author Note: …. A little more insight and a declaration….

T7S

Chapter 11 – What About Me?

T7S

Eric sat at his desk and looked over the copy he was working on and nothing made sense. His mind would wander from his first kiss with Donna to the fight they had about starting a family. His relationship with her was filled with highs and lows. Okay, mostly lows but now he didn't know how to deal with the news that Donna was in a relationship with Randy, her boyfriend during his African adventure. That relationship re-blossomed to the point that she and Randy were knowingly talking about marriage and even flying to California to meet Midge.

She never once talked to him about going to see her mother. Eric wondered why not. In retrospect, he could almost see the relationship tearing apart like a ripped piece of fabric that had once been "Donna/Eric" and was now "Donna/Randy" except Donna was gone; torn from both men on that fatal day.

That single day started as joyous and ended as a tragedy. Eric was going to be a dad and Donna would have been a wonderful step-mom, aunt….godmother… if she was still alive. He never got the chance to tell her because as he was seeing his baby on a sonogram machine, Donna was being killed by some senseless punk ass kid who had no conscience. It was a catastrophe all because a "band" wanted to be famous. Oh, they were famous now – for all the wrong reasons!

Eric didn't hear the gentle knock on his office door but he felt rather than heard her soft steps behind him. He whirled in his chair. "Jackie." He smiled. Jackie leaned against a bookshelf. "Hi." She replied shyly.

Eric pulled over a chair. "Sit with me." She dusted off the plastic seat and sat behind his desk. "I'm sorry I haven't called you, everything has been so crazy….totally messed up."

Jackie detected the deep pain and sadness in his eyes as he struggled to appear happy. She knew exactly how he felt because she was trying just as hard to seem like everything was okay. "I told Steven I was moving out."

"You did?" Eric was surprised. He figured Hyde would just disappear like he usually would do when confronted with a situation he didn't want to deal with. "What happened?"

Jackie swallowed hard and wondered if her little heart might actually break. "He came back from wherever and I know he was with her….I couldn't take his politeness and distance anymore and just said I was moving. Eric, he didn't even fight for me." Her throat hurt from holding back a sob.

"What?"

"He said fine and to let him know the details." Jackie immediately moved into Eric's outstretched arms. He had almost forgotten how good it felt to hold Jackie in his embrace. She smelled like lilacs and was soft and warm and inviting. "He doesn't care about me anymore and I can't live like that."

Eric smoothed her hair from her face and kissed the side of her mouth. "I care. I love you and I'm not going to let him hurt you like this." Jackie sobbed into his shoulder and Eric knew her pain. Donna was letting him go but he never truly got to hear the last "goodbye."

"Hey." He said softly. Jackie wiped her red-rimmed eyes with the back of her hands. "What?"

"Let's tell my folks tonight."

"To-night?" she hiccupped. "Isn't the timing off a little? Everyone is thinking about Don-na. This can wait." Eric gently touched Jackie's tummy. "No, it can't. We're going to have a baby in the fall and we need to take care of it."

She frowned. "I don't have anyplace to go! Your mom helped me look through the ads for rental places and we couldn't find any."

Eric pulled the cheerleader onto his lap. "We'll do what any normal expecting parents do. We'll find a place together. I want to be involved in every step of this pregnancy."

"You do?" she asked hopefully. Eric nodded with a happier face. "I want to feel the first kick; I want to tell the baby the real truth about Obi-Wan Kenobi and warn her or him that Grandpa Red's dumbass comments actually mean I love you."

"You dumbass." Jackie laughed. Eric was so glad Jackie showed up at his job. She turned an otherwise crummy day upside down and brightened his outlook. "I'm looking for an apartment and you're looking for a place to stay…let's do this together."

"Seriously? I mean, you're sure. Absolutely, positively sure?"

"Two bedrooms and yes, definitely. We have to decorate a nursery too, you know.'"

Jackie squealed happily and kissed his mouth reminding Eric why he loved her so very much.

T7S

Jackie could barely contain her excitement while everyone ate Kitty's famous lasagna. Mr. and Mrs. Forman were going to be the best grandparents a child could ask for. She could see the loving glances Kitty gave Red and the goofy smiles he'd send back when he thought no one was looking.

While Jackie was watching the elder Forman's visual romance, Eric nudged her shoulder. She sat up straight and looked at him. "Mom. Dad. After dinner, Jackie and I have something we'd like to talk about with you."

Red looked at his son, "If you're going to complain about sleeping on the couch…."

"No dad." Eric laughed. "It's something totally different. I just didn't want you going out to the garage or anything until we've all talked.'

Red looked at his business partner who was smiling like crazy. "Well…okay, I wanted to look at my car but I can do that this weekend." Jackie giggled and looked at Eric who smiled. Kitty's brow was furrowed. What were her son and Jackie up to?

"Jackie honey, the girls at the salon love your colored seat covers. Are you going to sell something new?"

"Actually I had a great idea for the ladies. A longer gas pedal so when they wear high heels, their shoes don't dig into the floor mat."

Kitty exclaimed, "What a wonderful idea! Then we don't scuff the back of our shoes! I love that."

Red looked at Eric. "This is a problem?"

Kitty chided softly, "Yes Red. If I'm wearing white shoes, I don't want black scuff marks from the car mat messing up my heels."

"Oh!" Red pretended to understand. Kitty wiped her lips with her napkin. "Let me clear the table and Red and I will meet you two in the living room and we can talk about this subject that's such a secret."

Red stood up and said, "I'll help you clear dear." Kitty looked shocked. Red was volunteering? Jackie thanked Mrs. Forman for the wonderful dinner and nearly skipped into the other room. Red waited until his son pushed through the door. "Kitty, what are they up to?"

Kitty shrugged. "I don't. Eric has been moping since the funeral and it's understandable, but he won't talk about it. All I know is that Donna and Randy was an item and Eric suspected or didn't know."

"Let's hope he gets over it and what is going on with my business partner? She didn't go to work today."

Kitty started running water in the sink and added some dish soap. "Oh my, I found her in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot crying her eyes out. Steven is cheating on her and she moved out. She's spending the night."

Red rolled his eyes. "What happened to finding the perfect person, getting married and have a life?"

"Red honey, it's the 80's. Things are different. Let's go see what they want to talk about."

-o-

Jackie hugged Eric tightly. "That would be perfect! When did you find out?" Eric smiled. "After you left, I made a couple of phone calls. My manager talked to the owner and they have another apartment complex on the other side of the park. It's two bedrooms and of course costs more but I want you to come look at it with me."

Jackie clapped her hands. "Yay! I'm not homeless and Steven can't be smug about it anymore."

Eric smiled. "I do love you."

She touched his leg. "I know you do and I love you too. Why are your parents taking so long?"

Eric looked at the door, "They're probably trying to figure out why we asked for this meeting."

The kitchen door swung open and the elder Forman's came walking through sitting in their accustomed places. Red was in his pea green chair with his ankle crossed over his knee and Kitty was sitting on the edge of the sofa.

Eric smiled which made his father slightly nervous. "Okay son….what's this big secret?"

Eric reached for Jackie's hand. "We were going to tell you a couple of weeks ago but well, Donna died and everything was so bizarre that we needed a calm before the storm kind of moment."

"Honey," Kitty interrupted. "Does this have anything to do with Jackie and Steven breaking up?"

Eric nodded. "It will. It definitely will." He looked at Jackie who agreed. Red was impatient. "Out with it already. I could have stormed the beach at Normandy and been home in time for dinner!"

"Mom. Dad. Jackie and I are going to have a baby." Eric announced. Kitty's hands flew to her cheeks. "Oh my!"

Red looked at his son. "What kind of dumbass thing did you do now?"

Jackie leaned on Eric's thigh and Kitty noticed how comfortable she seemed doing so. "Red. I don't think they're kidding. Oh honey! You're going to be a father?"

Red snorted. "How did this happen?"

"Well Dad, the egg travels down the fallopian tube…." Eric began and Jackie started laughing.

"Can it!" Red said slightly miffed. "I know how a baby is made. This….between the two of you? When?"

Jackie butted in. "Eric rescued me from a bar one night and we struck up a friendship."

"At the time, I suspected…okay, I knew Donna was seeing someone else. Jackie suspected the same thing of Hyde." Eric replied. Jackie picked back up, "We were commiserating one night and let's just say that we became more than friends. I love him Mr. Forman."

Kitty's heart felt a little bump of happiness for the first time in weeks. Red heard the declaration of love and begrudgingly smiled. "Grandpa Forman. Don't you think I'm a little young?"

Jackie laughed and got up to hug him. Red turned shade of pink and Kitty kissed her son on the cheek. Jackie's hand was tugged and Kitty smiled. "Honey, you've been like family for years already and now you're giving us a grandbaby. How far along are you?"

Jackie unconsciously touched her stomach. "Four months. Oh! I have the sonogram picture in my purse." She leaned down and opened her handbag pulling out the folded picture."

Red squinted as he looked at the photo. "I can't see anything." Kitty slapped his hands away, "Oh Red. It's this little fuzzy grape. Well, it was a couple of weeks ago. It's got arms and legs and a face by now. Oh Jackie! I'm so happy for you! For me!"

Red scratched his head. "Okay, let me understand this. You've left Steven. Eric moved out of his apartment. You were both sleeping with each other while your "others" were sleeping with someone else? Yep, it's musical chairs with pillows. Jackie, sweetheart…while I'm happy about this, are you sure it's not Steven's?"

A voice from the kitchen door replied, "What about me?"

T7S

A/N: Author is sorry for the cliffhanger but the chapter was too big to post without losing the integrity of the moment. Forgive me…..