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In the morning Dan woke up and flipped out because the clock said he was an hour late for work. He got up off the floor and went into the kitchen where he found Jackie at her breakfast nook feeding Jerry and Andy at the same time. As soon as he walked through the door, Jackie turned around to face him. "Oh Dan Chuck called and told me to tell you that work was cancelled again."

Dan was still in a sleepy daze so her words took a few seconds to register. When they finally did he asked, "What day of the week is it?"

Jackie gave Dan a funny look. "Friday."

Dan mumbles something and then went straight to the coffee maker. "Where's my other children?" He asked referring to DJ and Becky.

Jackie smiled, "Chicago, School and Work."

"Ahahaha. Funny." Dan mumbled as he walked over to the table by Jackie. "Here you focus on your kid." He said

The two sat quietly as they fed Andy and Jerry, but Jackie broke the silence. "So have you heard anything about your house?"

Dan held a spoon full of oatmeal in his hand. "Uh no. I'm still waiting for the insurance company to call."

Jackie studied Dan. "You're not worried about it are you?"

Dan smiled as he realized that Jackie was on to him. "No I'm not. Every time I'm in that house I think about Roseanne constantly. Here I still think about her but I'm not flooded with memories of us in every room."

Jackie leaned back in her chair and then pulled Andy so he was sitting on her lap. "Why don't you try to get a new house then?"

Dan looked at Jerry. It was amazing how much they look alike. "I thought about it but Roseanne always said she wanted all of our kids to live in the same house. That and I don't know how well I could keep up with a new mortgage and pay off old debts at the same time."

Jackie studied Dan again. "What about the money the old man gave you?"

"I did the math. Whatever I get from the insurance company will be enough to put new stuff in the house and that's about it. Plus my truck is on its last leg so I'll need to get a new one that's new to me because there's no way I can afford a brand new one. And I want to get DJ a car, and I'm still paying for two kids to go to college. And I want to get out of debt. And a big screen TV." The last part made Dan and Jackie both smile.

During the day, Dan was going stir crazy as he watched both the boys. They didn't need his help at the diner so he stayed at Jackie's. The highlight of his day was when a channel showed "The Blues Brothers." Dan actually enjoyed that and thought to himself he wished he could be a Blues Brother. He'd look good in those sunglasses and that suit. Once he managed to get both boys to fall asleep he quickly stepped outside and lit up a cigarette. He promised himself that he would ration one pack for a whole week, and so far this was second cigarette.

Finally he went fully stir crazy with the boys asleep he went into Jackie's master bathroom and went to work fixing her water pressure. He was done just in time for Andy to wake up. Thirty minutes later, Jerry woke up and the three played together until Jackie came back home and Dan went to his meeting. As he drove there he thought about how he was ready for the amends process but hasn't done anything about it yet.

When he got back from the meeting he found Jackie gone and DJ home alone with the boys.

"Hey I'm going to see your sister and David tonight. Do you want to go?" He asked DJ, sitting down next to him on Jackie's couch.

"Am I still in trouble for the whole St. Louis thing?" DJ asked, more like he was praying than asking.

Dan thought about it. Aside from the whole going to jail thing, Dan wasn't that upset over what happened in St. Louis. He was cutting DJ slack over it because of Roseanne's recent death. But he wasn't going to tell DJ that so he said, "Why do you ask?"

"I was going to see if I could go to the movies."

Dan cocked his head. "Yes. But you're still in trouble."

Dan and DJ played with the boys until Jackie got home. "Hey Jacks. It okay if DJ hangs with you while I take Jerry and go see David and Darlene?"

"Why are you asking? Of course it is." Just then Becky came in.

"Dad if I never date a boy again it will be too late!" She shouted red faced and angry.

"Well Becky that's one way to cheer your old man up." Jackie said.

"What happened?" Dan asked concerned.

Becky shook her head. "No if I tell you then you'll just go ballistic."

This made Dan defensive. "Becky I asked what happened?" He asked, sternly.

Becky looked around the room. The pulled her dad into the kitchen with the door closed. She was fearful of her dads reaction to what she was about to tell him. "We were unusually crowded today and something happened…." Becky decided to tell her dad by whispering it to him, so she stood on her tippy toes with her hands cupped. Dan had his hands in his jean pockets and bent his body so she didn't have to stand on her toes.

Dan's face went red with fury worse than time when Darlene told him what word Becky's boss called Becky. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and exclaimed with his hands. "You are NOT going back there." He said sternly, like when he told her she couldn't see Mark.

This made Becky madder. "So what I'm just supposed to quit my job?"

Dan felt himself going red with anger and took steps to control his anger. He breathed in deep. "Yes. Yes you are if guys are doing that to you!"

"It was only one guy! And he was drunk!" Becky exclaimed. She knew that her dad would react like this but she still felt defensive. She was a grown woman, so her dad shouldn't be telling her what she can and can't do.

Dan fought his temper but lost control. "Drunk? If guys are getting that drunk at that place that's a good reason for you to not work there!" Dan yelled, and then a second later he put his head in his right hand and talked at a normal level. "Look, I'm sorry I raised my voice. I just really wish you didn't work there."

Becky calmed down too. "It's alright dad. The only thing I like about that job is the tips and the pay anyway. "

Dan looked at his feet but shook his head. "Same with me and this prison job. Listen I'm taking Jerry and going to see David and Darlene. You want to come?"

"Uh not really. Isn't Darlene still pissed at you?"

"Yeah, but I miss her." Becky could obviously see that her dad's statement was painfully true.

In Chicago, David got home from work to find Darlene typing on her brand new Windows 98 desk top. (Paint was the boss on those)

"Hi, David." She said in a good mood. David said hi back knowing that Darlene's good mood would change in record time. He knew Darlene couldn't help it when she went psychotic, after all the pregnancy was playing Russian roulette with her hormones.

She was three months pregnant, and it showed. "Hey Darlene, um have you thought of a good date for the wedding yet?" He asked taking the opportune moment.

Darlene looked up from her computer. "Uh no. There's that whole bride's parents pay for the wedding thing, and I don't want my dad to worry about that."

David sat on the couch across from Darlene. "I know. I just thought we were going to do the wedding early."

Darlene smiled and stopped typing. "David, it's not like I wouldn't be the first woman in my family to get knocked up, have a baby and then get married. Jackie had Andy before she got married remember? And besides, the house just got robbed so I think my dad having a house to where he can actually raise his son's is more important than us getting married."

David looked down. That hurt his feelings, although he personally thought that the marriage would be more important to Mr. Conner than there house. While he thought about this Darlene came over and sat next to him, "Actually David there's something I want to talk to you about."

David put his hand on Darlene's hand and rubbed his thumb on top of her hand. "What?" He said, smoothly.

"I've been thinking and I kind of want to stay with my dad or Becky until I have the baby."

This hurt David too. But he wanted Darlene to be happy.

A minute later the phone rang and David answered it. "Hello?"

"David? Can I talk to Darlene please?" Becky asked.

"Sure. Darlene, Becky is on the phone." David handed Darlene the phone.

"Hello?" Darlene said.

"Hi, Darlene. I'm calling you because me and Mark are getting divorced." Darlene listened and David noticed that she had a perplexed look on her face.

"Okay…? I'm surprised you didn't decide that sooner." She said finally.

"I'm only calling you because I wanted to talk to someone who wasn't dad or Jackie." Becky said, a little defensively.

Darlene saw that Becky was trying to be nice so she tried too. "Okay, I'm sorry. Why?"

Becky sat at Jackie's table. "Ever since mom died, it's like I see how much me and him together are like Dad and Mom. He fixes cars and works with tools and I do whatever I can and clean and cook, and I guess after mom died I realized that that's not what I want out of life."

Darlene listened even though she found it hard to care. "You two together are as much like mom and dad together as me and David are like mom and dad. Mom and Dad together was a train wreck. The only reason they stayed together is because no one else could stand getting the grease stains out of dad's clothes and put up with him watching football when they're cleaning the house or cooking, and no one else could stand mom's overly commanding personality like dad. That's why they were together. You and Mark aren't like that." Darlene lied, knowing full well that her mom and dad stayed together because despite their flaws they loved each other.

"You really think so?" Becky asked, somewhat relieved.

"Yeah, I do."

"So am I going to have a niece or a nephew?"

"Niece. Just found out yesterday."

Darlene heard Becky deliver this news to Jackie. Jackie then high jacked the phone. Congratulations, Darlene!" Jackie said happily.

Becky took the phone from Jackie. "Congratulations, Darlene."

Darlene suddenly became bored with this conversation, so she decided to get off the phone. "I have to go, Beck. Bye."

"Bye." The sisters hung up and Darlene looked at David. "Your brother and my sister are getting divorced."

Just as she finished her sentence there was a knock on the door. David got up off the couch and walked across the room and opened the door. He was shocked to find Mr. Conner and Jerry.

"Hey, Mr. Conner." He said, as Dan carried Jerry into the apartment. Dan looked around amazed at how clean and modern their apartment was. "Nice place." Dan said as he put Jerry down. Jerry stayed where he was barely as tall as Dan's knees.

Darlene smiled. "He's walking?"

Dan felt a sudden pang of nervousness around Darlene. "Uh yeah. More like running." The room went quiet for a minute, and Dan started to think this was a bad idea. "Listen if you don't like that I just showed up its fine. It won't hurt my feelings if you think that…" Dan said trying to back out of this whole idea while he could.

Darlene stood up. "No its fine, dad. I'm glad you're here." Darlene managed to stand up and then hugged her dad. David and Dan looked at each other as Dan mouthed, "hormones."

When his youngest daughter finally let go of him, Dan took the diaper bag off of his shoulder and laid it down and then zipped it open and pulled out some toys for Jerry.

"God, Dad you look like Mr. Mom with that." Darlene said, true to form.

Dan laughed. "I know and that's why I'm the butt of my poker buddies jokes."

Darlene sat on the couch followed by Dan and David. Darlene asked curiously, "So what's the deal with the house?" It felt weird to her to be talking like this to her dad with him as her guest. She wondered if this meant she could count on never being grounded again.

Dan sighed as he thought about his answer. "Um, the insurance company needs to hear from the police before they can pay me. For now I'm staying with Jackie. I'm hoping that I'll hear from them soon so that I can move back in by Monday."

David noticed how skinny Dan was and wondered if he ever ate. "Why so soon, Mr. Conner?" Dan looked at David thinking that it was time for him to start calling him 'Dan' but then he decided not to bring it up right now.

"I was offered a job at Four Aces Hardware. I'll start there on Monday." Dan said as he awkwardly stared at Darlene's baby bump. "May I?" Dan asked holding up the palm of his hand.

Darlene's face lit up. "Sure." She pulled her shirt up slightly leaving enough room for her dads big, rough hands.

Dan smiled and put his hand on her stomach, "Ooh that this baby is active. You kicked like that. One time mom let Becky feel you inside her stomach and she asked if mom ate Pop Rocks." Darlene watched her dad. There was something different about her dad and it wasn't just his size. He had a certain depressed look on his face one that she had seen on his face only once before; the morning after he had to commit his mom to a mental institution.

She looked at him. "Are you okay, dad?"

Dan looked at Darlene. "Yeah, I am." Dan was a good poker player, but tonight his daughter could call his bluff.

"You don't look like it."

Dan pulled his hand off Darlene's stomach, and then got off the couch. He stood tall and straight and waved his arms at his sides. "Uh you're not the first kid to ask me if I'm okay. I'm trying to hide it and I'm obviously failing but let me tell you that it's not your job to worry about me all right? It's my job to worry about you."

Darlene and David and even Jerry looked at Dan. Dan suddenly felt like he was making a speech in front of a crowd so he changed the subject. "Uh do you guys have any milk?" David shook his head yes, as Dan pulled a bottle from the diaper bag.