I began this story but never finished it. I thought maybe you would like to read it (maybe someone would like to continue?) I have 6 chapters (not including pro. I'll post a chapter a day) Enjoy.

Title: Baby Boy

Rating: T for language and suggestive scenes
Genre: General/Family
Pairings: Hyde/Jackie, Eric/Donna, others
Summary: With an unplanned baby Jackie ran to Africa, to Eric. Seven years later Hyde finds her picture in a magazine and the truth comes out and he tires to make it up to Jackie and his unknown son.

Chapter 1: Cooper Eric Burkhart

The party was in full swing. Music was playing loudly from the speakers that were set up and the sounds of the children set a harmony to the event. The backyard was glitzed up in colourful decorations and air was buzzing.

"Ooh, isn't this party great?" Jackie squealed, setting down the empty bowl on the clean countertop.

Beside her W.B took a swig of beer and shook his head in amusement. "Jackie, you realize that Cooper hates half of these children and has spent the last hour giving them wedgies?"

Jackie waved him off, going over to the fridge to retrieve the cake. "He loves it." She sat the cake down. "You know, he's just like his father. He doesn't know what he likes until it's forced upon him."

W.B shook his head and walked over to Jackie to help her place in the six required candles. "I just can't believe he's six years-old. You know it only feels like yesterday that you arrived in my office with a two month old baby." He paused in his reminiscing. "Ah, how the time flies."

The swinging doors opened and in strolled Eric, older and more define in his looks. He was only a shadow of the comic book geek he had been and looked much more mature.

"Eric, you made it," Jackie beamed, abandoning the cake to hug her old time friend.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss my Godson's birthday for anything." He sat down his wrapped present and walked over to shake W.B's hand. "Hey, how's it going?"

"Good, good. Jackie's forcing Cooper into a new uncomfortable event and the business is running smoothly."

Jackie glared. "It is not an uncomfortable event. He'll thank me when he's older and popular."

Eric gave her an 'are you serious?' look. "Jackie, Cooper is Hyde's son, there is no way in hell he's ever going to be popular."

"Ah," Jackie countered, "but he's also my son."

"Touché."

The sliding door that opened into the large yard, flung open and a boy of newly six tumbled in. His hair was a mess of raven curls and his eyes a bright expressive blue. He wore the look one would when they were forced into a nightmare.

"Mom!" he hollered, walking over to Jackie. But he's course soon changed when he caught sight of his 'Uncle. "Uncle Eric! You came!" He grinned, running over to him.

Eric caught him in a hug, grinning. "Of course. I wouldn't dare miss your birthday. Your mom would kill me."

Cooper laughed while Jackie mock glared at the two. "Ok, that's enough, it's cake time."

Cooper groaned loudly. "You're not going to make all those dill holes sing 'Happy Birthday' are you?"

Jackie gave him a warning look. "Yes and don't say that." She picked up the M&M cake. "Now come on."

The small, odd family, made their way out into the sea of strangers, who had never understood them. Jackie Burkhart had almost literally dropped out of the sky into the rich quarters of Milwaukee. William Bennet, a man much admired, had taken her and his grandson in. He bought them a house nearby, set Jackie up with her dream job, a fashion model in New York, and paid for Cooper's tuition to the best school around. But Cooper and Jackie were never going to fit in, or be saved from the rumors.

Number one was that Jackie had had an affair with W.B and Cooper was his son, they had no idea just how close they came to the truth. Number two was that Jackie is W.B's mistress and finally number three Jackie had blackmailed him. They never mentioned the truth; they kept it tightly sealed between Jackie, W.B, Eric and Cooper.

Cooper waited out the humiliation of his birthday. When the last child had gone home he sat in his grandfather's living room, watching TV while listening in on the adults.

"Did you see Mrs. Raymond?" Jackie seethed, throwing the plastic dish into the sink with more force then necessary. "That bitch had that look again."

"What look?" Eric asked, steering Jack into a chair.

"Like I'm some stupid teenager," Jackie growled. "I'm sick of the stupid whispers."

W.B placed a calm hand on Jackie's shoulder. "Listen, Jackie. You're always going have people talking; it's just the way it is. But you need to remember that you're better then them, richer too."

Jackie brightened at the words. "You're right, I am, aren't I?"

When W.B went to find the maid Eric took Jackie aside and Cooper had to strain his ears to hear what was being said.

"Jackie, I don't know how long I can keep all this quiet. Donna is getting suspicious about why I keep leaving and she's gotten the others thinking too. What if one of them decides to follow me? Jackie, you need to come back and talk to them, or at least make a phone call."

Jackie was silent and Cooper leant back. "I can't, Eric."

Eric gave a long suffering sigh. "Hyde divorced her years ago, Jackie."

"So? Like I care!" Jackie snapped.

Eric had obviously given up and Cooper peeked over the top of the couch and saw Eric kiss the top of Jackie's head and walk over to Cooper. Cooper jumped up and hugged his Uncle.

"Happy birthday, Coop," Eric said in far well as he left.

When Cooper and Jackie arrived at their modest house only a street away Cooper finally asked, "Mom, is my dad's last name Hyde?"

Jackie unloaded all his presents in the living room. They'd probably stay there until the maid came on Sunday. Cooper walked into his room. His mom would answer eventually; she just needed a little time.

Cooper's room was typical. Maybe a little more cluttered then he liked, but it was the room of an average six year-old, except in one corner was the 'tent'. Jackie had built him the tent when he was only three. It was made of sheets and the baby blanket that Cooper had been wrapped in. Inside the tent was a tape player and Cooper and Jackie's prized possessions.

Jackie walked in and Cooper crawled into the tent, pulling his pillow close to him. Jackie joined him and the two stared up at the ceiling that was covered in childish stars that Cooper had made when he was little and a little car disco ball.

"Steven Hyde," Jackie murmured, reaching over and pressing 'play' on the tape player.

The familiar song, 'All I Know' started to play and Cooper groaned. "Just kick his ass!"

"Cooper Eric Burkhart," Jackie snapped.

Cooper shrugged innocently and propped his head up on his hand. "Why don't you? He hurt you, he deserves it."

Jackie pursed her lips in a thoughtful manner then slowly she said, "It doesn't matter. I have everything I need and he has nothing." She turned to Cooper with a winning smile. "Karma is a bitch."

Later that night when Jackie slept peacefully in the other room, Cooper lay awake, going over everything his mother had said to him. Steven Hyde. His father, the man he was supposed to resemble, looks and personality wise. The man his mother had fallen hard for, and who had hurt her worse then any other. The man his grandfather and Uncle talked of quietly, the man his mother talked of freely. There were no secrets between Cooper and Jackie. Jackie hated secrets and she told Cooper all he needed to know. He had mixed feelings about Steven Hyde. He wasn't sure if he hated him, he hated how he'd hurt Jackie, but he didn't despise him like Jackie despised cheap fabric. He should love him, but he couldn't draw on the emotion when he thought about it. Jackie had never painted him as a villain, he was good enough in her eyes and it prompted glimmers of hope that maybe he would live up to his knighthood as Cooper hoped.

For Steven Hyde he felt nothing. Maybe one day he'd go see him, arrive at his record store and introduce himself. Maybe the sunglasses would come off—Jackie always descried the sunglasses with contempt—and he'd be happy. Or maybe he'd be angry, or write Cooper off as a liar. Those thoughts made his stomach squirm and made him think of never facing his biological father ever.

-TBC-