Author Note:...sorry folks, been working on another story and realized I had left this in the document manager - apologies and some virtual gumbo for all!

Chapter 26 – Boarding House Rules

T7S

The cruiser dropped Hyde off at his "pad" and then swung by Jackie's old apartment and left Fez to deal with Kelso's sleeping arrangements. Eric eased into the Forman driveway and shut off the engine. He turned to Jackie and asked, "Was that an exhausting little trip or is it just me? I mean there was no circle time for us at all!"

Jackie shook her head, "I think they are just little kids in big bodies and I can't keep up with any of them anymore. Usually I'd be excited to go do something as part of the gang but this time….I could have found something more interesting to do."

Eric looked at the snow on roof of his dad's Toyota and made a mental reminder to clean that off just in case his mom needed to go somewhere. Why was his mom so important this year when the year he left for Africa she seemed like a big pain in the ass? He couldn't fathom the change in his perception, but perhaps he matured? He grew up in the far away country?

He turned in his seat, "Jackie…do you have to go in right away?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "This is new – you want to talk to me?"

His lips curled in a half-smile as he replied, "Why not….friend….? Out of all the people in Point Place, right now, you and I have the most in common."

She pursed her pretty pink lips, "Explain."

"Well, we're both practically new to the Forman household. I've been gone for awhile and coming home wasn't exactly what I expected and you….you're sleeping in Laurie's room – that had to be a shocker."

Jackie looked off at the snow-covered patio chairs and thought about what Eric was saying. Yeah, since New Year's Eve, her life changed dramatically and the odd thing about it was that this new norm made her feel happier. She liked taking care of Mrs. Forman and she liked having a job where she wasn't sliding on wet hair or getting her fingers snipped by scissors. Was taking care of other people one of her strengths she didn't know about? Jackie looked back at Eric and replied, "Yeah, who would have thought I'd sleep in your skanky sister's bed, but you know….with a clean pair of sheets, anything is bearable."

Eric laughed, "Yeah, I would have paid a hundred bucks just to get out of a ratty sleeping bag on the floor of a tent."

Jackie teased, "What, no guest huts for you in Africa? I would have thought you'd have a straw palace by a lake where you could stare at the elephants and monkeys.

He chuckled, "Nope. Nothing as exotic as that. Change of subject."

"What? No reminiscing?" she laughed softly.

Eric smiled, "I heard dad say something about you getting a new job. What happened to your old one?"

Jackie's face became animated. "I know! I totally thought I was going to get fired but I talked my way into taking the civil service test and on Monday I start working for the City of Point Place!"

"You're a city slug too?"

She shrugged, "I guess so. Did Mr. Forman mention what my new job is?"

Eric shook his head, "No, only that you'd probably be making more money than me."

Jackie laughed and tucked her hair behind her ear, "I think I'm minimum wage but it's more hours than the ambulance company. But seriously, I'm working the Suicide Hotline. Isn't that cool?"

Eric could feel his brains doing a Scooby Doo skid in his head - ..were they crazy? Jackie Burkhart could actually succeed in driving some unsuspecting person to actually kill themselves! Then he noticed she was still talking.

"…..they mostly are lonely people that just want someone to talk to or discuss recipes or need a phone number because they can't read the yellow pages. I'll be doing the city a great service!" She said proudly.

"Jackie, what if someone calls that actually is thinking about doing the deed?"

"Ew!" and she frogged him on the arm, "Don't be like Michael. Not everyone wants to do it on the phone. I mean some people but not everyone!"

Eric choked back a laugh, "That's not what I meant. What are you going to do if a person calls you and says they want to kill themselves? How can you prevent that?"

Jackie looked at her lap and thought about it and only one perfect thought came to mind. "Nobody would ever die when talking to me on the phone. I could keep them talking long enough that the police would rescue them and everything would be fine."

Why did that somehow make sense? Eric smiled, "Well, good luck in your new job and sense you are a full-time employee, we should talk about our arrangements in taking care of my mom."

-o-

Thirty minutes later, the renting pair had arrived at a decision about "what to do with mom" and asked for an audience with the elder Forman's in the kitchen. Red pulled out Kitty's chair as she easily slid in and he pushed her in like a gentleman. She smiled and waited for her husband to sit. Then those dancing eyes lit on her son, "So tell us what this big announcement is all about."

Jackie raised her hand to speak first. "Mrs. Forman, I got the new job with the city and I have a different shift. I'll be working noon to eight so I will still be here in the mornings to take you to the store or pharmacy if you need it."

Eric picked up the conversation, "Yeah, and my boss told me that I'm full time material so I'll be on the eight to 4:30 shift….and…"

And Red picked up the tail of the conversation, "…and that's all well and good but what are you trying to say? Get to the point."

Eric smiled at his mom, "Dad doesn't need to work part-time anymore….he can stay home with you while Jackie and me…we'll fill in when Dad needs help."

Jackie added, "Plus we both made a pact to give you fifty percent of our wages to cover the rent and anything else you need." It made Jackie feel good to contribute.

Kitty frowned, "Kids, this is such a generous gesture…you don't need…"

Red held up his hand and squelched his wife in mid-sentence. "Kitty, honey, if the dumbasses want to give us their money….we shouldn't turn them down, should we? I mean this is like a real life experience. Of course Jackie isn't living with Tonto anymore, so it will be like we are running a….dare I say… boarding house?"

Kitty clapped her hands and laughed, "Ahahahaha…..so I have a reason to cook all the time!"

Simultaneously, Jackie and Eric said, "No!"

The pair looked at each other in amazement. They both agreed on the same thing at the same time! Eric began, "Mom. The doctors are sure that your slipped disc may just be a fluke. What would happen if you were carrying a roasted chicken and your back went out again?"

Kitty's lip curled into a smiled, "Well, honey, I'd definitely drop the chicken as I fell to the floor."

Red sniggered behind the hand that was scratching his cheek. He checked the laugh he was holding back and replied, "Eric, that is precisely why your mother shouldn't be lifting anything heavy. That is what WE are for. If she wants to cook me a roasted chicken, I would gladly get it out of the oven for her."

Jackie could see that this was a wasted argument and used her impending Suicide Hotline persona. (She had to practice on somebody!) "Mrs. Forman." She began by touching Kitty on the hand. "You are precious and no one wants anything to happen to you. You can still run a boarding house, if you want to call it that, but please, leave the heavy work for Mr. Forman."

Jackie bit back a laugh as Red's face screwed up in protest. "Eric and I will be here on staggered shifts to do everything else you need."

Jackie turned to Red and explained in a simple and unassuming tone. "This is why Eric and I are going full-time and you can stay retired, unless…..unless you don't want to be with your wife all day." She dared him to argue - which of course he didn't. He couldn't!

Eric gave his new friend a "thumbs up" as he turned to his mother. "Does this plan work for everyone?"

Kitty's eyes softened with at the display these two young adults were conveying. "I appreciate what each of you is doing…sacrificing for me – my health and I love you both for it."

Red looked like he wanted to grumble but replied, "I guess I'll just enjoy taking your money."

Jackie smiled, "Good! Since we are all in agreement, I'm heading up to take a shower. I smell like the inside of your son's car."

Eric frowned, "What? Wait! The inside of my car smells good!"

Red and Kitty watched the bickering duo exit the kitchen and she turned to her husband, "I think we are witnessing adulthood."

Red squeezed his wife's shoulder, "Better than I could have hoped for. Why don't I make us a cheese sandwich and we call it a night?"

Kitty laughed, "If you think that's going to fill you up, you have another think coming Mr. Forman!"

Red winked, "I have a can of peanuts and some pretzel upstairs."

She giggled, "I wouldn't complain if you ate pretzels in bed."

Red smirked, "I didn't think you would doll. Let's lock up."

T7S

Jackie rolled over in the twin bed with her perfect purple comforter and clicked on the radio to Donna's old station which was playing soft rock music. She closed her eyes and thought about all the strange events that played out since that New Year's Eve that she changed her life.

Stevie Nicks was singing Rhiannon. "I love this song. She murmured sleepily.

Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night
And wouldn't you love to love her?
Takes to the sky like a bird in flight
And who will be her lover?

Fez. Thank goodness she stopped that relationship before it doomed the friendship! Still, she had no boyfriend but she wasn't unhappy – that didn't sound like Jackie Burkhart at all! There must be someone out there just waiting for her! In her mind, she could see Stevie Nicks on stage dressed like a delicate bohemian in colorful scarves, wicked boots, and a man's top hat with fire in her eyes.

A whisper of a memory tickled her brain. "My little Star. I do not want to you see you settle for a shrimp or a crab when you have a lobster who is waiting for you and doesn't even know it yet." Did Stevie Nicks tell her that? Wait, when did she meet Fleetwood Mac? What was this little star stuff all about?

Across the hall, Eric was tossing and turning in bed. He rolled over and clicked on the radio which had been dialed into WFPP. Fleetwood Mac was ending Tusk and there where no deejays to interrupt the nice segue into Rhiannon. When did Donna's old station go soft rock? The melody was easy and Stevie's gravely voice was soothing. Eric could feel his body relax until he heard a familiar lyric.

She rings like a bell through the night
And wouldn't you love to love her?
She rules her life like a bird in flight
And who will be her lover?

Somehow Eric recalled a conversation where a pretty woman, much like the songstress Nicks said to him, "…like the story of Icarus…if you get too close to it, it will burn you. However, at night when you look in the sky you will see many Stars. They twinkle just as bright and they wink at you and like the constellations, they will always be there. So….what did "rings like a bell through the night" really mean to Eric Forman and was Icarus the bird in flight?

He swung his legs over the bed and slid into his slippers. Maybe he needed to go out and look at the night sky. What was it with him and astronomy anyhow? He padded down the stairs tying a knot in his thin bathroom. The house was quiet and his feet barely made a noise as he crossed the kitchen floor and slid open the door.

The moon was playing hide and seek with a cloud, but in the blanket of darkness the stars were twinkling brightly. His finger followed the handle of the Big Dipper and he felt proud at remember where to find the constellation.

"Makes you feel a little insignificant doesn't it?" a voice said in the darkness.

Eric thought he was alone and the voice made him jump. He turned to see Jackie wrapped in a blanket sitting on a covered patio chair. "Wha…what are you doing out here?"

She smiled softly. "There's something about the stars….I keep hearing this voice in my head. Little Star…."

Eric pulled out the other chair and sat down. "Did Fleetwood Mac sing to you too?"

Jackie's eyes got big in the dim light. "Yes! I think I might have met Stevie Nicks."

Eric wanted to scoff but he felt like he had a close encounter of his own and replied instead. "I believe you."

She covered his large hand with her small one. "Thanks Eric."

He lifted a brow, "You're thanking me? For what?"

Jackie simply replied. "For believing in me.

T7S

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