Author Note: Please don't hate Jackie for her Donna discovery (last chapter) - she was blindsided and concerned for a friend.

Chapter 13 – What If...Considerations

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….. the best friend gloves were off. If Eric was interested in Miss Jackie Burkhart – well, she could be available! She just had to talk to Mel first.

Carefully, she hung up the telephone and thought to herself, "This is going to be an interesting next few weeks."

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Mel's eyes were covered with fresh cucumber slices. "I know what you are thinking my dear and you should really think about it and not be impulsive…hearts on the line and all."

Jackie was threading a needle to hem her Hawaiian shirt. "So? I'm single and he's single and I like him. I mean I didn't like him ten years ago, but he's changed. He's different and I like that I feel grounded around him. It's like a safe place to be in my crazy world."

Mel lifted one slice of cucumber. "His heart is broken. His wife left him. Do you really want to be the rebound woman?"

Jackie considered what her friend/manager had to say and sighed, "Yes and no. It would be nice if he was over Donna and moved on….but Mel, I'm so tired of dating out here. No one is who they pretend to be and everyone I meet isn't even interested in the real me. I mean I told Eric that I'm learning to sew and he took me seriously!"

Mel chuckled, "So that's why you're hemming hat gawd-awful shirt?"

Jackie laughed, "Well….yes. And you know what? Eric would wear it too."

Mel put the cucumber slice back on the eyeball and sighed, "What if…."

"What if what?" Jackie asked.

"What if you had hooked up the fan club with Eric before Fez….what would your feelings have been like then?"

Jackie shook her head, "I don't know. I'm not a mind reader. All I know is that I like the Eric Forman now, the ten years older Eric. The Eric he's going to be in the next twenty years."

"Maybe…it's because you are ten years wiser…honey, just think about this long and hard - before you do anything impulsive okay?"

Jackie turned the collar inside out and basted a few stitches to hold the fabric piece in place. "I don't plan on doing anything impulsive. I don't come without my own baggage. I mean seriously, what kind of man wants to date a woman who half of the world has seen practically naked on the screen?"

Mel only laughed.

Jackie smiled, "Bad question. Okay, let's try that again. What kind of man would be patient when other men are ogling their girlfriend? It takes a pretty special temperament to tolerate me being famous."

"Quit bragging. Remember, you are just a cheese girl out of Wisconsin."

Laughing, Jackie grinned, "Thanks for taking me back to my roots." She put down her sewing project. "What if…..Mel, what if I brought him out here for the weekend to see my life? See if he could handle a couple days of Hollywood?"

Mel lifted a cucumber. "Well...Richard Gere does have that premier coming up in a few days and you need a date…."

Jackie pretended to frown. "You don't want to be my date…again?"

"Honey, I am your manager….I don't date my clients."

"Mel – I am your only client." Jackie frowned.

"Point taken. You are too much for a second client." Mel teased.

Jackie frowned, "So if he can't take a weekend in L.A. that would at least tell me how he would endure living with stardom. What if he completely wimps out?"

Mel shrugged, "If you are already determined to bring him out, I don't believe you think he would wimp out. Jackie, just make up your mind already."

Looking at the awful piece of handiwork in her lap, Jackie smiled. She would give him some time. Let the divorce happen. Let the pieces fall where they may, but she would still be a constant in Eric Forman's life, even if she had to be the fairy godmother. Donna was not going to ruin the man. Of that, she was determined!

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It was later in the week, but Donna was still furious about being caught by Jackie. Did she say anything? Does Eric know? What doesn't Eric know? Donna didn't want to call home because if he didn't sign the paperwork and he didn't tell the Forman's….that meant she would have to tell her parents first. Donna knew her dad would freak out. This entire domestic BS was making it difficult to concentrate on the story!

Anna was a good listener but she wasn't interested as much in hearing about Eric and that crisis. The story was all that mattered right now. There was too much in the balance! What if the Armenians didn't assert their right to veto laws or the Azerbajanis' decided to riot? That would mean that Gorbachev and Defence Minister Yazov would try to assert military law. Keep focused on the prize Donna – think Pulitzer!

Anna came out of the hostel bathroom with a towel wrapped around her wet head and all Donna wanted at that moment was to be wrapped up in her arms. Being in an unfamiliar country where she didn't speak the language and sleeping in a room with strangers was crazy! It was exciting. It wouldn't be the same without Anna.

"You were thinking about the interviews weren't you?" Anna said excitedly. "I could see it in your face."

Donna nodded. "I was thinking that when we stay with Henrik, will we get camera time? It would be awesome to film some of the protests….talk to the housewives, the workers, you know?"

Anna nodded her head. "There is a camera we can borrow at the Embassy and they can deliver the film to the station….just in case."

Donna didn't like the tone of Anna's "….just in case." She narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean by that?"

Anna shrugged her delicate shoulders, "What if…..I mean, should something happen to us….the Embassy should know we are here. It's good that we are undercover but if something goes wrong…."

Donna could feel her heart drop into her stomach. What if….she was killed by a protester? What would her parents think when they get a telegram telling them their daughter was killed in a foreign country and oh jeez, why didn't she think to tell them where she was?

Anna was still talking. "Honey….Donna…I can see you freaking out a little. The station knows we are here. If something happens….and I don't think anything bad will….we are going to be all right." Anna kissed the pale cheek.

Donna made a promise to herself to call her dad in the morning and tell him she loved him. He would be heartbroken if she didn't.

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Kelso popped a green grape into his mouth and overemphasized the "yuummmm" as he stood up and stretched. Swallowing, he smiled and said, "Guys….prepare to be amazed."

Hyde put down his beer as Eric leaned against the glass counter top. "Amaze me man."

Kelso unbuckled his belt and Hyde shouted in mock terror, "No! Don't let out the beast that hasn't seen sunlight…."

Eric laughed, "Dude, this is a public place. Leave on the pants."

"GAWD you guys!" Kelso groaned. "I'm showing you something AWESOME!" With that said he tucked the prong into a new fresh hole in his belt and slid the leather back through the buckle. "I've lost five pounds." He said proudly.

Eric looked at Hyde and they simultaneously applauded. "Good for you man! Was it the diet?"

Kelso sat down on the cushy chair, "Actually no. There is this really good looking waitress at the donut shop that introduced me to healthy muffins. I found out that I can eat it instead of my breakfast oatmeal and it doesn't taste like crap."

Hyde grinned, "Well, I'm going to be sorry to tell you this but you might want to give up the beer or start drinking the light shit. That goes right to your gut." Steven fondly patted the small pouch he had above the waistband of his pants. "But I'll tell you what doesn't have calories…." And he held up a rolled up paper bag. "And afterwards I bet you can eat all the grapes you want!"

Kelso smiled, "What if…..if I lose like a 100 pounds….who is going to take me to an all you can eat buffet?"

Eric's eyebrows shot up, "Are you kidding? You are going to reward yourself with food for losing weight?"

Confused, Kelso replied, "Well, I'm not eating it all by myself….you guys can share."

Hyde shook his head, "Kelso….think of a different reward and your buddy's will talk about it."

"Okay." He answered happily. "That works!"

Eric could only wonder what Hyde's plan was for their rotund friend.

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A UPS package was leaning against the front door when Eric got home. Curious, he looked at the return address and it was from M. Dupree in Hollywood. Eric didn't know anyone with that name but he did know a J. Burkhart from Hollywood! A gift….Eric got a present sent to him. He smiled and unlocked the front door. The living room distinctly smelled of Fez or more like warm sugar.

He tossed his jacket over the back of the kitchen chair and set the package on the table. It didn't weigh too much so it probably wasn't something that would hurt him…..Eric smiled. This was almost as good as Christmas. He used his pen knife to cut through the plastic binding tape and opened the lid to find yellow tissue paper. Sifting through the paper he found a First Class round trip airline ticket and an ugly Hawaiian shirt. Below the back of the collar was a tag that read Handcrafted by Jackie.

The palm trees were slightly slanted and it was very obvious that one sleeve was way bigger than the other and the button holes didn't exactly line up. Eric grinned. Jackie really was trying to learn to sew and she was terrible at it. Looking at the ticket the departure date was Friday January 12th and he would be returning Monday which was Martin Luther King's Birthday. How did she know he wasn't working that day? That minx!

He gathered up the tissue to throw it away and a small card fell onto the floor.

Darling, our bubbly girl, Jackie has already ordered a tuxedo for you so just bring your handsome body and leave the coat – it's a sunny 72 degrees in Hollywood. A car will be waiting for you at the airport.

Love Mel

PS. Wear the shirt so the driver will recognize you.

Eric could barely stop the swell of excitement that began in his stomach and burst out as a smile. He was going somewhere that required fancy dress and would finally get to meet the infamous Mel.

This was going to be an interesting trip!

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"Oh honey, we never see you on the week days, what brings you buy tonight?" Kitty asked.

Red grumbled, "Yeah, I'm missing this new cartoon show The Simpsons with the bratty kid and crazy mother….say, that sounds like us...The Formans." Red smiled at his own joke.

Eric pulled out the Hawaiian shirt from the brown paper bag. "Mom, can you fix this so I can wear it?"

Kitty took the garment from his hand and examined it. It certainly wasn't store bought and the flaming colors were not anything that Eric would have picked out for himself. Then she saw the label, Handcrafted by Jackie. A smile turned the corner of her lips. "Honey, I need you to try it on so I can see what needs fixing."

Eric obliged and put on the ill-fitting shirt. The left sleeve was extremely tight and felt like a blood pressure cuff. The right panel hung lower than his waistband and the palm trees were still on a slant. Red looked over and started laughing again.

Eric asked, "What! If I wear this awful thing, I get a free first class round trip ticket to Hollywood to visit Jackie."

Red lifted his brow, "What does Donna think about going to California?"

Eric sighed and sat down on the ottoman opposite his father. It was time. He needed to tell his parents before they heard it from the Pinciotti's. "Dad. About me and Donna. What if…."

Kitty sensed the serious tone in her son's voice. "What about you and Donna?"

Eric took a deep breath. "What if….what if I told you guys that she filed for a divorce?"

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