A/N – Hello to all my readers. Sorry for the loooooooong delay in updating. Thanks to those of you who encouraged me to update , I loved writing this chapter so much especially the JE scene at the end of the chapter. I got really excited when I realised I can use all my favourite 80s songs now, as the story timeline is now at mid 80s. Ive used one of my favourite songs by the Bangles here , and it actually came out , I think in 1988 , but that's close enough to use here . Thanks for reading and I hope you like this chapter.

Late summer, 1986

Jackie Burkhart looked out the window of her plane. They were only an hour away from landing now. She was going back home after almost 3 years on the other side of the Atlantic. She pressed a hand against her chest to still her feelings of excitement and anxiety. She was determined to stay calm and cool that day.

Her mind drifted back to the phone call a few weeks ago that had started it all. It had helped her make the decision to leave Europe for good and go back home.

The phone had been ringing insistently when she walked into her apartment on that rainy summer evening.

Her 'Hello' had been breathless as she had run from the front door to get to the phone before it stopped.

'Jackie, honey….it's me, how are you?'

It was the voice of the woman who had been more of a mother figure to her during her teen years than Pam Burkhart had ever been.

'Mrs Forman! How are you? How's Mr Forman doing? Is everything okay?'

She realised with a pang that it had been over a year since she had last spoken to Mrs Forman.

'We're all doing fine, Dear. How's your exciting job in glamorous London going? '

Jackie gave a rueful smile. She had got a job straight out of college as a fashion designer in London with one of the hottest couture labels. But two years down the line, all it felt like was a mere job, something to fill her days. It couldn't make up for the emptiness of the long evenings and the dark cold nights.

'It's okay, Mrs Forman' She tried to inject some enthusiasm into her voice.

Kitty was already onto her next question.

'And Jackie, how are things going with that nice young man you told me about last year? The one that you had just started dating then…..'

Kitty couldn't see Jackie's shrug but could hear it in her voice. ' We broke up months ago'

Jackie didn't want to talk about her love life right then so she jumped in with a few questions of her own.

Mrs. Forman answered chirpily in response to Jackie's 'Heard from Steven recently?' 'Is Fez still in Chicago' and 'Does Michael call often?'

But there was only silence in reply to her softly worded 'How's Eric doing?'

Was it the static on the transatlantic phone line that it sound as though Kitty's voice was breaking right then

'Honey, it's still 1983 in Eric's life. He wakes up every morning and does the same thing he's done for the past three years. Which is basically nothing but feeling sorry for himself and angry at fate….'

Her voice was choking with emotion as she went on.

'Jackie, he's barely living, he's just existing. I can't bear to see him wasting away like this'

Jackie tried not to voice her shock. She hadn't even known that Eric was living with his parents again.

'I'm so sorry to hear that, Mrs Forman. I wish there was something I could do to help…'

It was almost as if these were the words that Kitty had been waiting for to dive into the purpose of her call.

'Jackie, dear, Please come home. At least for the summer. You're always so chirpy and cheerful. Eric needs a friend like you right now.'

Now Jackie really was in shock for a minute.

'Umm, Steven's always been Eric's best friend. He's the one you should be calling over. I don't think I could ….'

Her words trailed off as just the thought of seeing Eric again overwhelmed her.

'Jackie, I've tried that already. Steven's spent the past couple of summers here with us and Fez was here this winter during Christmas….. Jackie, please ….'

And of course she had agreed. She hadn't even tried to deny to herself how much she had wanted to.

Perhaps it was what she needed too, she told herself. A part of her had never really left Point Place in all these years. Maybe some time there would give her the closure she needed to move on with her life.

She told her boss at work that she wanted to move back to the US, that she liked her job but she missed home too much to stay on.

She was pleasantly surprised when she was offered a job at their New York office to start that fall. She promised to think about it over the summer.

It took her only a couple of weeks to finish the new autumn line design she had been working on and to close the lease on her apartment.

She was on the plane bound for home just a couple of weeks later.

She had very few hopes that her stay at Wisconsin would help Eric at all. They had never been best friends even all those years ago. He wouldn't open up to her about how he was feeling or listen to her advice.

But at least she was determined to cheer Kitty up as much as she could while she was there !

A couple of hours later ….

She felt the anticipation thrumming through her veins as she walked into the arrivals lounge at the airport. Kitty had already told her that she would be sending Eric to the airport to get her home.

Right now, Jackie didn't even care that Eric might be here only because Kitty had made him come. She was beyond excited at the thought of seeing her old friend again.

And then suddenly there he was, in his trademark jeans and tee shirt, looking taller than she remembered. His brown hair looked even shaggier than usual. There were lines near his eyes that were new but his eyes still gleamed that same shade of gorgeous green when he saw her. She responded to his light wave and smile by quickening her pace toward him.

She knew he would think she was being silly sentimental, but she couldn't help giving him a hug when she reached him.

She knew the gang might eventually drift apart but their affection for each other would never dim through the years.

She pressed her lips for a short second against his cheek before pulling back. It felt so good just to see him again. Suddenly she felt so thankful to Kitty for making her come back.

She was surprised when he brushed his lips across her cheek in return before smiling down at her.

'Welcome home, Jackie. Mom is over the moon about your visit.'

A few minutes later they were in the car speeding toward home.

He had asked her a few questions about her work and places she had seen last summer in Mainland Europe.

She had answered while looking with suppressed glee out the window drinking in the familiar sights around her. The sight of the bright blue skies around her and the thought of seeing Point Place again made her feel overcome with a sudden joy.

He caught him looking at her and arched an eyebrow. She gave him a wide grin and explained it with an 'I feel thrilled to be back home again'. She was delighted when he smiled back a little in return before turning his attention back to the road. Maybe her stay here this summer might help cheer him up a little after all …

She didn't ask him anything about how he was doing. Kitty had already filled her in and she knew that every day he still relieved the nightmare that had torn his life apart 3 years ago. She would wait a couple of days before she tried to talk to him about it.

She leaned over and turned on the local radio. The song that was playing was the latest chart topper by one of her favourite bands.

'Close your eyes, give me your hand.

Darling, do you feel my heart beating

Do you understand?'

Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming,

Is this burning an eternal flame?

She loved this song. But it was such a powerful love song, a bit too heavy for a ride home with an old friend.

She tuned into another station quickly, and leaned back in her seat, only to find that the same song was playing.

I believe it's meant to be, darling,

I watch you when you are sleeping,

You belong with me.

Say my name, and the sun shines through the rain,

A whole life so lonely and then you come and ease the pain,

I don't want to lose this feeling ….

She leaned back in her seat and looked out the window, letting herself enjoy the music and the companiable silence in the car for the rest of the drive.

A/N – Hope you enjoyed reading and I hope you leave a review too. I will keep the next few chapters coming much sooner, stay with me please!