Christmas Eve. I looked around the basement and smile as I thought about the events of the past year. By far this was the best year so far, mainly because I got Jackie. However, I know that this next year will be even better. I could hardly wait until my baby was placed in my arms. But, for now I could only focus at making this the BEST Christmas Jackie had ever had. I had picked up a rather large artificial Christmas tree a few days back. Then Donna went with me and we got the largest selection of ornaments that we could. This was going to be the first thing that was our own tradition. The first Hyde family tradition. I just couldn't wait to see Jackie's face. I had the ornaments lying out and the tree was put together before I walked into our room. "Wake up doll." I said as I placed my hand on her shoulder.
"What's going on Steven?" She asked me as she sat up. She looked amazing in her pink and blue plaid pajamas and her hair all a mess.
"I have a surprise for you." I said as I smiled at her. "Come on doll." I said as I took her hand.
"Steven it is six in the morning." She said as I led her out into the main room. I think she saw the furniture moved before she saw the tree. Then she squealed. "Steven! Our own tree." She said as she smiled at me with glossy eyes.
"I thought you would like it." I said as I smiled at her. "Donna helped me pick out the ornaments. She said you like very girly colors. Pastels and such so I let her go crazy." I said with a laugh.
"How did you afford all of this there must be hundreds of ornaments?" She asked me.
"Christmas bonus." I said with a smile. "Leo was very generous this year." I said as I looked at her.
"You are the best." She said as she hugged me. I laughed and smiled as I took pictures of her hanging up the first few ornaments.
"You look beautiful this morning, Mrs. Hyde." I said with a laugh as I snapped another picture. She just smiled up at me. She picked up the our first Christmas ornament and smiled at me.
"Mr. Hyde will you help me find a place for this one?" She asked with a bright smile. I walked over to her and pointed to a spot front and center. "Perfect." She said as she placed it there before pulling me into a kiss. It took us about two hours till we got to the point where we were sitting on the sofa looking at our tree.
"I can't believe I forgot to get lights." I said with a laugh.
"It's prettier this way." She said as she smiled at me. It seemed like there was an ornament on every branch, but it didn't look messy or cluttered. It looked perfect.
"So, can you see us doing this every year?" I asked her.
"Yeah, can you get the gifts and put them around the tree?" She asked me. I thought about the small pile of gifts that sat in the bed room. They were from us to each other and to the gang. Mostly things that didn't need to be seen by Red and Kitty.
"Anything for you doll." I said as I got up. I placed the gifts carefully around the tree as she got dressed.
"Wow, this turned out great." Donna said as her and Eric came down the stairs.
"What did you do to my basement? I am finally going to be able to have my party again." He said as he looked at me.
"You still can." I said as I looked at him.
"Yeah, Eric this tree kicks the silver ones ass." Donna said as Jackie came out of the bedroom.
"It's great isn't?" She asked Donna.
"Yeah." Donna said as she smiled at Jackie.
"So, we are all hiding down here tonight right?" Jackie asked. I knew Bob's comment was still bothering her.
"Of course we are." Donna said with a laugh as she looked at her friend. "You are going to love the gift I got for baby Hyde." She said as she patted Jackie's belly.
"Donna you didn't have too." Jackie said as she looked at her.
"Oh trust me I did. It was too cute to pass up." She said with a smile.
"Tonight is going be great." I said as I sat down in my chair. "I can't wait to see how Forman messes this Christmas up." I said with a laugh as I put my feet up.
"Steven, don't put your feet on the coffee table." Jackie said as she looked at me.
"Better?" I asked as I put my feet on the ground.
"Much." She said as she smiled at me.
"Donna, can you help me up here!" Kitty called from the top of the stairs.
"I will come with you. I could use a snack." Jackie said as she got up. "I love you." She said to me before she headed up the stairs with Donna.
"If she gets any bigger will she even be able to get up the stairs?" Eric asked with a laugh.
"Dude she isn't that big." I said as I looked at him.
"How much longer is she going to be this way?" He asked as he put his feet up on the coffee table.
"Four more months." I said as I looked at him. "Then it's crying, diapers, and bottles."
"I will be out of here soon." He said as he looked at me.
"Right, college." I said as I looked at him. "Hope you don't fuck it up. Red might actually kill you then." I said as I got up. I found myself sitting on the back patio just chilling in no time.
"Steven, it's freezing out here get inside." Kitty said as she opened the sliding door for me. I did as I was told. "Hot chocolate." She said as she handed me a coffee cup.
"Thanks." I said as I looked at her.
"Here take a Christmas cookie." She said as she pointed to the plate of cookies.
"Thanks, Mrs. Forman." I said as I picked up a cookie.
"Take one out to Jackie. She is watching television with Red." She said with a smile. I took another cookie and walked into the living room. I couldn't help, but smile at the sight of the two of them watching Rudolph.
"Darn I was sure you would have found you two watching football." I said as I sat down next to them.
"There isn't a game on." Red said as he looked at me.
"Okay then, here you go doll." I said as I handed her a cookie.
"You want to half it with me?" She asked as she looked at me.
"Nah, I have my own." I said as I looked at her.
"Mr. Forman?" She asked him.
"Why not." He said as he took half of the cookie. "This is crap." Red said as he looked at the television.
"Then why are we watching it?" I asked him.
"I wanted to watch it." Jackie said as she looked at me. Wow, I would have never thought that Red would be so attached to Jackie. We all just sat there watching television till party guest started to arrive. "We are going to go hide in the basement." Jackie said as she got up. "Steven are you coming?" She asked me.
"Yes, dear." I said as I got up and followed her down to the basement. I watched as she sat down on the sofa and put her feet up.
"What happened to no feet on the table?" Eric asked as he came in with a case of beer.
"Do your feet swell up the size of watermelons?" She asked him hatefully.
"I hope not." Eric said as he sat the beer in the shower.
"Then don't say anything." Jackie said as she looked up at him.
"Oh come on, prego is going to ruin this whole party." Kelso said as he came in the basement door carrying a bag of presents.
"How?" I asked him.
"Because none of the chick will want to do it if they see the effects." Kelso said as he placed his bag under the tree.
"Well, Merry Christmas to you too." Jackie said as she looked at Kelso.
"Haven't you ever thought there is more about Christmas than getting some?" I asked him as I sat down next to Jackie.
"Of course not he is a teenage horn dog." Donna said as she came in the room laughing with some more presents.
"Okay, where is the punch?" Fez asked as he came in the room with a smile on his face and presents in his hand.
"There is none this year." Jackie said with a laugh. "But, you have a girlfriend already willing to do it with you, so you don't really need it." She said as she smiled up at him. It seemed that the party was in full swing within an hour. It wasn't much more than us and a few of our classmates.
"You look amazing tonight." I said as I smiled at Jackie who was standing next to me.
"Well, that's what I was going for." She said with a laugh.
"I want to kiss you right now." I said with a smile before I kissed her.
"Wow, none of that is allowed in this basement." Eric said as he put a hand on my shoulder.
"Really this is our home." Jackie said as she laughed at him. "Literally anything underground is our home."
"Still." Eric said with a laugh.
"Eric leave them alone." Donna said as she came up to him. "So, when do you want to do present tonight or tomorrow?" She asked us.
"Tonight. Christmas is Kitty's holiday. Christmas eve can be ours." Jackie said as she smiled at Donna.
"Sounds great." Donna said as she smiled at Jackie. It seemed like forever pasted before it was just the six of us. Everyone was just sitting around like we always did when Donna and Jackie started handing out presents.
"Merry Christmas pudding pop." Jackie said as she handed me a box and kissed my cheek.
"Pudding Pop." Eric said with a laugh.
"Hey no laughing at him." Jackie said as she smiled. "Boo-boo." She said with a smile.
"You told her." Eric said as he looked at Donna.
"Sadly enough she is my best friend. We tell each other everything." Donna replied as she handed Eric a gift.
"Are go going to hold onto that present or are you going to open it already?" Jackie asked me with a laugh. I looked at the name tag that read "To: Pudding Pop From: Your Doll." I just smiled up at her before I ripped the paper off. I lifted the lid to find a Led Zeppelin t-shirt. I went to pull it out when two pieces of paper fell out. Tickets to the March concert in Chicago. "Like it?" She asked.
"I thought it was sold out." I said as I got up and hugged her.
"It is I got those tickets the day they were available. Donna and I waited in line for them." She said as she hugged me. I thought back to about a month ago when those two went to a doll expo. I knew that was when she had to get these.
"The doll expo." I said as I smiled at her.
"Yeah." She said weakly with a smile. "Now the hard part is finding someone to go with you." She said with a laugh as I looked at the date just weeks before her due date. "I won't be much fun to go with."
"You are the best." I said as I looked at her.
"You say that till I steal that shirt from you when I am small again." She said with a laugh.
"I love it when you wear my shirt." I said as I smiled at her.
"Okay, that's enough!" Eric called as he looked at his box.
"You have seen her in just a shirt and you had no complaints." I said as I smiled at him.
"Just shut up and open the damn box." Donna said as Eric started to say something.
"Zeppelin tickets." Eric said as he held up two tickets.
"I think I see a plan behind this." I said as I looked at him.
"Well, you might be right about that." Donna said with a smile. "I was thinking I could stay back with Jackie and you could have a guy's night or weekend."
"And you are okay with this?" I asked Jackie.
"Please I came up with the ideal." She said with a laugh as she handed Kelso, Fez and Forman the gifts we got them. "Donna can you get the one in the snowman paper. It's for you." She said with a smile. Jackie leaned up against the freezer and smiled as she watched them unwrap their presents.
"Jackie." Donna said as she walked over and hugged Jackie. She looked like she was about to cry. "This is perfect." She said as she held up the locket Jackie had picked out for her that had one word on it: Sister.
"A Styx record." Eric said as he looked at us.
"Hey you are the one who said you liked them." I said as I looked at him. Truth is I suck at getting presents and Jackie had me get his gift. He was the only one Jackie had me get a gift for.
"It's great, really." Eric said as he looked at me.
"Candy!" Fez yelled as he opened a box full of candy. Even I could have gotten that one right.
"I can't wait till we get to buy gifts as a couple." Donna said as she looked at Eric. "It just seems like it would be tons of fun." She said as she smiled at him.
"It really is more complicated then fun." Jackie said with a laugh.
"That's because you think everything has to be perfect." I said as I looked at Kelso who was playing with the slinky that we got him. That one is supposed to have a story behind it, but I don't know it. "And I really suck at getting gifts." I said with a laugh. "But, I think I got one that without messing it up." I said as I got up and pulled a small box out from the back of the tree. I handed to her. "Merry Christmas, doll." I said as I smiled at her.
"Steven, you didn't have too." She said as she looked at me.
"Yes, I did." I said as I smiled at her. "Now are you going to hold that gift or are you going to open it?" I asked her with a laugh. I watched as she carefully unwrapped the small jewelry box. She just smiled at me as she looked at the Christmas tree charm for her bracelet.
"It's perfect, Steven." She said as she smiled at me.
"I am glad you like it." I said as I thought about the other small box I had for her hidden in the back of the tree upstairs. I was saving that for the morning.
"Here help me." She said as she passed me the box and started to take off her bracelet.
"You two are sickening." Eric said as he looked at us.
"Suck it." Jackie said as she handed me her bracelet. I swear it was the first time she had taken it off since I gave it to her. I put the charm on there for her.
"Give me your arm." I said as I looked at her. She did and I placed the bracelet back where it belongs. "I love you." I said before I helped her sit down in my chair.
"I love you too." She said as she smiled at me.
"Okay, let's move on before Eric pukes." Donna said with a laugh as she picked up another box and handed it to Jackie. "It's for my goddaughter or godson." She said with a smile.
"I thought we weren't going to tell them about that decision." I said as I looked at her.
"Who else would it be?" Jackie asked softly. "They are all we have." She had me there.
"Open the box." I said as I smiled at her.
"Steven look at this." She said as she held up a little sleeper that said 'Daddy's little Rebel'.
"I thought it would work for both a boy and a girl." Donna said as she smiled at us.
"It's perfect." Jackie said as she looked at me. "You are not going to corrupt my child by the way."
"I can't promise that babe." I said as I looked at her and smile.
"Fine." She said as she smiled at me. It seemed like forever from that moment to the moment when I we were lying in bed that night. "What do you think he or she will look like?" Jackie asked me.
"I don't know, but I hope it has your hair." I said as I smiled at her.
"And you're bright blue eyes." She said as she smiled at me. "Do you want a boy or girl?" She asked me.
"I don't care." I said as I looked at her.
"I hope it's a boy." She said as she smiled at me. "Just think about how happy Mr. Forman would be. I can picture him teaching our son to play ball and you teaching him how to hot wire a car." She said as she smiled at me.
"That would be nice." I said as I smiled at her.
"Then again I can see you sitting on the living room door playing with dolls and having morning tea with our little girl." She said as she looked at me.
"Are you a little boy or a little girl?" I asked her belly. "Okay, kick once if you have a peepee and twice if you don't." I said to the belly. But, nothing happened.
"The teenage years are going to be hell if it doesn't even listen now." She said with a laugh.
"Yeah, but it might not know what we mean." I said as I smiled at her.
"You're right. Maybe it can't hear." She said as she smiled at me.
"I love you." I said as I smiled at her.
"I love you too Steven." She said with a smile. "This was the best Christmas ever."
"Next year will be better." I said as I smiled at her. "Sadly enough I am looking forward to setting up Santa gifts."
"You know that becomes a big thing around the second Christmas right?" She asked me.
"Yeah, but still." I said as I smiled at her.
"I am thinking about getting a second job after I have the baby. I know this dishwasher at the hotel and they always need more waitress." She said as she looked at me.
"We will cross that bridge when we get to it." I said as I put my arm around her. It was long before she was sound asleep and so was my arm, but I knew if I moved it she would wake up.
"STEVEN! JACKIE! SANTA WANTS YOU TO COME UPSTAIRS!" Kitty called from the top of the stairs. It was a weird sight to see everyone sitting on the living room floor. Jackie sat on the sofa with her back against the side and her feet up. She was taking pictures every chance she got. "Here you go Jackie." Kitty said as she handed Jackie a stocking filled to the top. Jackie's face light up so bright it could light all of Point Place.
"You know it's just fruit and candy." I whispered to her as I moved to sit on the floor next to her.
"It's perfect." She said with a smile. "My parents were never home to do this." She said as she looked down at me.
"You had stockings full of diamonds and pearls." I said as I looked at her.
"But, I have never been richer before. Love, family, that is worth more than money." She said as she looked at me.
"I love you." I said as I smiled at her.
"Don't kiss her." Eric grumbled from the other side of the room. "You will ruin Christmas." He said as Kitty dropped something.
"Oh my, what is this?" She said as she picked up a small sliver box that was sitting on top of Eric's present from Santa, most likely a raincoat. "To: Jackie" She said as she handed the small box to Jackie.
"Who is it from?" Jackie asked as she looked at the box.
"It doesn't say." Kitty said as she looked at me.
"Just open it, doll." I said with a smile. I watched as she unwrapped the small ring box. "Oh my god, Steven." She said as she let out a cry. I knew that was the reaction she was going to have. I helped her up before I took the box that held gold ring with a tiny stone on top.
"I never did this the right way before and I know that you deserve so much more than what I have to give." I said before I dropped to one knee. "That's why I consider myself so lucky to have you as my wife. I know that we are young and people think we are crazy. But, every morning when I get up to see you next to me, your beautiful smile and those loving eyes looking into mine, I know that nothing is more right than this. I know in my heart no measure of time will be long enough with you, but let's start with forever." I said as I smiled up at her. I put the ring on her finger and got up. "Sorry I didn't do that earlier." I said before I kissed her. I guess I just ruined Christmas, but the smiles around me didn't seem to care.