Chapter 9

"Laurie!" Eric, Hyde, Fez and Kelso shouted in unison. "Oh my god, I'm gonna be sick,"Eric said shuddering in disgust. "My sister has bred some demon spawn with Casey Kelso. Jackie's not the devil, Laurie is," He added as Donna rubbed his back consolingly. "Red's gonna have another heart attack I just know it. Laurie's trying to kill him I swear," Eric said putting his face in his hands.

"Hey big Red, how'd you find this out anyhow?" Hyde asked trying to hide a smirk from Eric.

Donna shifted uncomfortably for a moment before drawing a breath to hesitantly answer.

"I talked to Jackie," she mumbled. "I said I talked to Jackie. I went over to her apartment and I talked to her," Donna declared. "Its been a rough few weeks for her. I thought she might need a friend," she added defensively. "What?" she cried looking at the incredulous looks on her friend's faces.

"Jackie's talking to you?" Hyde said slowly, testing his comprehension. "I have to ask why?" He said almost apologetically.

"I've been her best friend for years. I don't know when that happened but I figured she might need a shoulder to lean on," Donna said with a shrug.

"You mean you're her best friend when it suits you. Don't get me wrong, I've been a real jerk to her but I had some help there. So I'm just a little surprised that Jackie opened up to you is all," Hyde said with a shrug.

"I've always been her friend," Donna protested indignantly. "Who's house did she live at for years? Who listened to all her inane babble patiently. I did," she added pointing to herself.

"First of all, you let her stay at your house under duress. I seemed to remember someone pushing to have her live in a mobile home, until Daddy and friends made her think otherwise. Secondly, she listened to your feminist babble about as patiently as you listened to her; so that's canceled out. And thirdly, you ditched her almost the second Sam showed up. Not that I minded at the time. Sam was my wife and all," Hyde said crossing his arms. "You're a shitty friend. At least to Jackie. You've been a great friend to me," Hyde offered as Donna stared at him open mouthed. "Something I've been meaning to ask you. Why is it that when Jackie tells herself that she's pretty, she's being vain but you need to be told you're Hot Donna every five minutes and its okay?" he added with false innocence.

"Well..." Donna sputtered. "You treated her worse!" She finally burst out crossing her arms defensively and collapsing against the couch sulking.

"Yep," Hyde agreed with a nod. "So did almost everyone else. Jackie had a bad year last year and we all did our part to make it just a little more special for her," he added with a sad snigger.

"Yes. My poor Jackie suffered alone. I yelled at her for drinking my grape soda and dyed her hair green. Bad Fez," Fez said hanging his head. "We should probably think about doing something nice for her. She is supposed to be our friend. Even though we all make fun of her we do care. Maybe we can give her candy," Fez added brightly.

"Let's not and say we never did," Hyde offered. "Since Jackie's not taking my phone calls and Foreman's being a girl and not telling me where she lives I have to ask you. How's she doing?" he added glancing over at the television.

"Okay I guess. Then again maybe I'm not the best judge of that since I thought she was okay when she went out binge drinking before," Donna admitted with a frown. "Casey's sending her love poems," Donna said with a laugh. "Really, really bad love poems. Its kinda cute," she said with an amused sigh.

"How bad?" Eric said trying to forget the part his sister had played in this drama.

"Roses are Red, Violets are blue; Laurie's knocked up you can be too," Donna said breathless from laughter. "This one's my favorite: Your eyes are as pretty as mine, will you please forget I knocked someone else up and be my Valentine?"

"Hey, that one's pretty good. I'm gonna use that one," Kelso said in awe. "Its perfect it fits any occasion. Casey's a genius," he added enthusiastically.

"Oh hey, Fez what brings you by?" Jackie said opening her door in surprise. Fez stood in the doorway looking uncomfortable for a minute before entering her apartment. "Is everything okay?" Jackie asked growing concerned.

"Oh, everyone is okay my lovely goddess," Fez assured her. "Jackie, what happened to your apartment?" Fez said looking around her apartment in confusion. Vases of flowers almost completely covered every surface as far as the eye could see.

"Casey's feeling contrite," Jackie said closing her door with a sigh. "Want to help me water my apartment?" she said lightly. "Laurie's already been by today. She's planning to tell Mr and Mrs Foreman her news today," Jackie said quietly as Fez picked up the watering can he found stuffed between to vases.

"Was she mean?" Fez asked in a low voice sneaking a look at Jackie's downcast expression out of the corner of his eye.

"She's Laurie of course she was mean. The entire point of her stopping by here was to rub my nose in it. She's a slutty bitch, what else can we expect?" Jackie said after clearing her voice. "How's Eric? I guess now he knows he's gonna be an uncle," she added with false cheer.

"Disgusted and worried. He thinks Laurie is trying to kill Mr. Red with another heart attack," Fez said with a frown. "He may be right," he added looking at Jackie in alarm.

"Well, at least the gang can tell him before Laurie can. You guys will at least soften the blow," Jackie suggested. "Are you sure you're okay, Fez you really look upset," Jackie gently asked looking at him in concern.

"Have I been a bad person to you? If I have I am sorry," Fez said blinking back tears before hurling himself into Jackie's arms. "I didn't mean to! She was just a stripper, I wanted to see her boobs not hurt you!" He cried.

"Fez, you didn't do anything," Jackie said pulling him away and looking him in the eye. "Look at me, Fez. You didn't do anything to hurt me. If it wasn't for you, I don't know how I would have gotten through all that mess. In the end you were all I had to hold onto. Don't beat yourself up. You were just a horny little foreigner. You couldn't help yourself I knew that," She assured him stroking his hair as Fez sobbed against her chest. "Fez, Look I know you're upset but please don't use it as an excuse to stare down my shirt," she said with a small laugh.

"You can't blame Fez for trying," He replied with a solemn look on his face.

"What the hell?" Hyde said as Fez came into the basement his arms filled with flowers. "What the hell are you doing with that Fez?" Hyde said confused as Fez proceeded to place the flowers strategically around the basement, pausing only long enough to ruffle Eric's hair.

"My poor goddess has no room to walk. My apartment too is filled with these flowers and I have no more room. So I am sharing the love. Casey's love for Jackie is smothering her with flowers and chocolates. He must have gotten rich or his credit card would be maxed out by now." Fez said happily bouncing around the basement.

"Laurie's upstairs," Hyde said nonchalantly. "I wonder what she's planning to say," he added sarcastically. "Not that it really matters. She got knocked up by a Kelso. Red's gonna blow," he sniggered. As if on cue, there was a thunderous roar emitting from Red Foreman with the sounds of Kitty Foreman's soft worrying. "I'd say he knows," Hyde said sighing and giving Eric a sympathetic glance. Eric groaned and left the basement as though he were on the way to his own execution. "Good luck, man," Hyde said smothering a smile.