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The next day, Darlene and David found themselves at the house alone with both Jerry and Andy. Earlier that morning Jackie had called wanting to know if they would babysit Andy since Bev apparently forgot to tell her that she had a doctor's appointment that day and couldn't watch Andy.

Darlene had begun going stir crazy from being in the house so much that she decided she was leaving the house. David was concerned about this.

"Darlene, we went out to the movies last night." David said holding Jerry, with Andy trailing behind him.

Darlene paid no attention to David, as she pulled out a pair of socks from the drawer that her dad had cleared out of one of the dressers in his room. "David I don't go to work. I don't go to school. I need to get out of here."

David put his hand on Darlene's shoulder, trying to be gentle. "Darlene we went to the movies last night." He said softly.

Darlene brushed his hand off her shoulder. "I know that David." She said in a sing song way.

David sighed and then fell on Dan/Darlene's bed. Andy climbed up with him and Jerry crawled in the middle and started to play around with the pillows. "You know if I had the ability to carry our baby for you, I would."

Darlene turned around gracefully yet filled with rage. "See David this is why I came back here." Then she picked up Jerry off the bed and trudged out of the room and into the living room.

David quickly closed the dresser drawer that she left opened and followed her. Andy jumped off the bed and followed him. David walked in the living room and found Darlene sitting on the ottoman putting her socks on.

"Darlene what does that mean? You want me to give you some space?" David managed to keep his caring voice.

Darlene looked up at him. "YES!"

Andy ran to the other end of the coffee table and grabbed a crayon and then ran to the wall. David saw this and ran and caught up with him and then took the crayon from his hand.

"No Andy!" Andy looked at him.

"NO DAVEY!" Andy shouted back trying to take the crayon back. David
held a tight grip on the scarlet Crayola, as Andy used both of his hands to try to pry David's fingers out of a fist.

Darlene watched this. "Andy go sit in time out!"

Andy turned his head to see Darlene. "No you!"

Darlene responded to this by standing up with great difficulty and putting one foot forward. Andy got scared and ran to the chair by the phone in the kitchen. Darlene looked at David. "Stop taking your anger out on my cousin."

David stared at Darlene. "I'm not! You want him to draw on the walls?"

Darlene stared back and then scoffed and threw her shoes back on the floor. "Just leave, David."

David looked at the door and then at Darlene and the boys. Then he grabbed his coat, checked to make sure he had his keys, and then left.

Darlene looked at Andy. "Are you going to be nice now, Andy?"

At the diner Jackie was cooking the loose meat when Chucky, Booker, George and a stranger came in for Lunch. They all took a seat at the counter. Booker leaned forward, smiling wide.

"Hiiiii Jackieeeee." He said flirtatiously while also playing around.

"Hi, Booker." Jackie said flatly.

The three other men looked at Jackie and then Booker. The new man spoke to Chucky. "They together?" He asked quietly.

Jackie looked at the new man. "We are, I think. Who is this?" She asked, pointing to the new man and asking the other three men.

Booker pointed at Jackie and stifled a chuckle. "Jackie Harris. This is Jack Connor. No relation to Dan. It's spelled with an 'O R'."

Jackie cocked her head and then wiped her hand on her apron and held out her hand for a hand shake. "Hi."

Jack Connor shook her hand. "Hi. So you're the sister in law of the man I replaced?"

Jackie scrunched up her face. "Actually I think I'm the sister in law of the man who was the father in law of the man you replaced."

Jack Connor thought about this a minute. "I'm lost."

Booker got the sense that he was flirting with Jackie, but Chucky talked while the somewhat couple made lovey dove eyes at each other. "Her sister was Dan Conner's wife."

David walked in the diner. He was looking down at his feet and walking slow. It was obvious to everyone that something was wrong as he sat down at a table by himself.

Jackie excused herself and made her way to his table. She sat down across from him and leaned forward putting her hand on his hand. "David what's wrong?"

David had the look of someone who had been crying. "Nothing." David lied, obviously. Jackie eyed David suspiciously. David knew that she knew that he was lying so he added, "Darlene wanted to take the boys and get out of the house. Somehow we got into a fight and then she put Andy into timeout and then kicked me out of the house." David said in a heartbroken kind of way.

Jackie watched David's eyes start to fill with tears. "David, David, David. She's just suffering from pregnancy hormones. She doesn't mean anything."

David had his arms on the table with his elbows spread out far and his head laid down on his arms. David looked up at Jackie. "You really think so?"

Jackie nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yeah I do. I can't count the number of times Mr. Conner was locked out of his own house when Mrs. Conner was pregnant. "

David perked up and started to look happier. He smiled slightly, "Thanks Jackie. Can I have a sandwich?"

Jackie stood up from the table. "Of course you can. It's on the house."

As Jackie rounded the counter, Dan came in the restaurant with the look of a man intent on murder. The Drywall guys stared at him as he took the last stool at the end of the counter oblivious to the fact that everyone was staring at him.

Finally he looked at Jackie. "Do you have a gun I can borrow?" Jackie looked from Dan and then to the drywallers and back to Dan. Dan gave her an odd look and then understood. He looked at Chucky, Booker, Jack Connor, and George and changed his demeanor to look pleasant and happy. "Hi. Who is this?"

Chucky looked at Dan and then Jack Connor. "Dan, this is Jack Connor. Mark's replacement. Jack, meet Dan."

Dan and Jack Conner shook hands. "Conner?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. Weird." Dan looked at all of his friends. "So Booker, you come back to Lanford and date Jackie and take my place at the job sight."

Booker laughed. "Yeah, well I thought to myself If Dan can do drywall so can I."

Dan smiled. "That's how I feel about managing employees who don't do anything. Hey where is Becky?"

"Back here dad!" Becky called from the kitchen.

Jackie smiled slightly. She felt kind of happy that Dan was referring to Roseanne. Booker laughed, "Well drywall is certainly a new experience for me."

Chucky looked at Booker. "It won't be in about a week."

George nodded. "You got that right."

Booker looked at Jack Connor. "Gee they make it sound so exciting." Booker said with Jack agreeing.

Jack looked at Dan. "Why did you quit the job?"

All the men and Jackie moaned, "Uh…"

Dan noticed that everyone was starting to feel uncomfortable. "It's okay. I quit because my new job has better hours, and I need a job that I know will be steady."

The men nodded, and Jackie tapped Dan's shoulder and then pointed at David. Dan looked behind his shoulder at David and then stood up and made his way to David. "Hi, David." He said as he sat across from David in the same place that Jackie had sat down.

"Hi, Mr. Conner." David said not making eye contact with Dan. Dan responded to that by bending forward to force him to make eye contact.

"David? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I talked about with Jackie." David tried to conceal his sadness.

"Darlene kicked you out didn't she?" Dan said knowingly.

David nodded. "Yeah."

Dan put his hand on David's hand. "David. Trust me that happens all the time. I used to feel bad when that happened because I thought I did something wrong. Then I got wise and started to think well she told me to get out so that means I don't have to do anything around the house."

Chucky heard this and joined in on their conversation from the counter. "He used to hide out at my house." Dan smiled, and pointed his thumb at him mouthing See?

"Yeah and then Ann Marie kicked him out too." Jackie said, eyeing Dan.

Dan looked at Jackie. Then Chuck looked at Jackie. "With good reason too." Chuck said.

"Yeah alcohol was involved." Dan joked raising his voice then Dan turned his attention back on David. "You haven't heard from Mark have you?" He asked, concerned and quieter.

David shook his head. "No I haven't." David said, somewhat concerned too.

Jackie put a plate with a loose meat sandwich in front of the guys at the counter and then called to Dan. "You want your usual, Dan?"

Dan called back to Jackie. "No. Thanks. I'm not hungry." Jackie gave Dan a strange look that he knew he was getting because Jackie was concerned that he never eats. "Fine I'll have a bag of chips."

Jackie nodded and then launched a bag of BBQ Lays at Dan. Dan caught them and opened them up and ate one. David looked at Dan strangely; normally he wasn't that friendly with David. When he was done eating the chips, Dan pulled out a pen and then took a sticky note from underneath the counter by the phone and wrote something down. When he was doing this he handed the sticky note to David.

"David, there is no way Darlene will let you back in the house right now. So I have a job for you. Take this list of things to my work; find this really annoying boy about your age. You'll know him when you see him he's really scary. Just insist that he helps you find each and every miniscule object on this list."

David held out the list in his hand and then read it. One thing he just now noticed was that Dan had pretty good handwriting for a guy. Aside from that he had no clue what these things were.

"Do you want me to buy these, Mr. Conner?"

Dan looked at David. "No I don't. That's the best part." Dan looked at his watch and then decided it was time for him to go.

"Well people it's been great talking to you. Welcome back, Booker. It was nice meeting you Jack. See you later Jackie." Dan said like a Shakespeare actor on stage and left the restaurant right before handing Jackie a dollar 50 and then opening the kitchen door and saying goodbye too Becky.

After he left, everyone looked at each other. Jack looked at Chuck and George. "Is he always like that?"

Chuck and George looked at each other. "Well no, not exactly."

Jack looked around. "I'll bet he would be fun to go out drinking with."

"Uh, no. He doesn't do that anymore." Chuck said looking at Jackie.

Jackie saw the plea for help from Chuck. "He does play poker and go bowling though."

Later that night, Dan got home from work and his meeting to find an all-out blow out between all of his kids and David. Andy was there too.

"How could you let him into this house?!" Becky screamed at Darlene, who was sitting down in the chair in front of the fake fireplace.

Darlene kept her cool. "He came by looking for you and when he saw that I had the boys by myself he offered to help me out. SOMEONE left me all by myself." She shouted the last part glaring directly at David.

David went in the defensive. "YOU kicked me out!"

Becky looked at David. "And you left? She's pregnant!"

David pointed at DJ. "He didn't come home after school like he was supposed too!"

DJ looked at each of his sisters and David. "I had AV club!"

Becky returned her attention to Darlene. "You never answered my question!"

Darlene glared at her sister, "That's because it's my business!"

All of his kids screamed at the top of their lungs completely oblivious to the fact that Dan was standing in front of the door way with his coat still on just watching them.

They all continued their yelling and interrupting each other, still oblivious to their Dad.

Dan watched them all and then yelled himself. Louder than everyone. His yell could have set off a seismograph. "HEY! Everyone sit down. First of all, Darlene is pregnant so its not a good idea for her to ."

Finally his kids noticed him. They all went immediately quiet and did as they were told, David, DJ, and Becky sat on the new couch, Darlene remained sitting where she was and Jerry and Andy sat down and looked frightened by Dan's yelling.

Dan went to the small children and gave them both a hug and to tell them they weren't in trouble. Then he focused back on his older kids.

"Anyone want to let me in on what's going on?" Dan asked, just a little bit calmer than before. All the kids began to talk at once. He pointed at Darlene. "Darlene."

Becky looked at Darlene and then at her dad. "Oh sure. Pick her."

Dan cocked his head and stared at Becky. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Becky maintained her anger level. "Come on dad, Darlene is your favorite and you know it."

Dan stared silently at Becky for three seconds. "What makes you say that?" He said, calmly, neutrally.

Becky remained sitting but crossed her arms. "You didn't talk to me for a month after I married Mark, and now when Darlene is pregnant you're perfectly okay with that."

Dan looked at Becky. He fought to control his anger but he was losing that. "You stood in that kitchen and blamed me for everything wrong with your life and then left us when your mom and I had no jobs, Becky. Yes I gave you the silent treatment. That was wrong; I admit it and I apologize."

Becky continued glaring daggers at her dad. "That doesn't change the fact that Darlene is your favorite."

Dan broke his stare and looked at Darlene and then DJ. "You don't think that Darlene is my favorite do you?" He asked, DJ.

DJ looked at his dad and then Darlene and Becky. "You seem to act like it."

Dan loosened up. Knowing that his kids would see him he closed his eyes and counted to ten. Once he hit ten he opened his eyes back up. "I love all of you equally. I always have. Now, stop trying to change the subject. Becky please tell me why you are all fighting."

Becky glared at her dad and then glared at Darlene. "I got home to find Mark here. She invited him to the wedding!"

Dan looked at David and then Becky. "Mark is David's brother. I don't see why he can't attend the wedding."

Becky shook her head, stood up and threw a fit. "No one in this family cares that I'm going through a divorce!" Then she stormed off into the basement.

Dan buried his head in his right hand. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and then spoke again, "DJ this morning I told you I wanted you to come home right after school."

DJ looked up at his dad. "I had AV club."

Dan cocked his head to look at his oldest son. "I know, you told me this morning. I still wanted you home right after school."

"Dad!" DJ yelled.

"Go to your room, DJ!"

DJ mumbled something unintelligible and then stormed up stairs. David and Darlene were left. Darlene was just staring at her dad. Dan stared back. "Well you two were unnaturally quiet during all this."

Darlene finally spoke. "Nothing to say."

"Oh my god, miracles do happen. Why'd you kick him out of the house? I told you I didn't like you taking care of the boys by yourself."

Darlene eyed her dad suspiciously. "Why are you trying to hide your depression?"

Dan looked down at Darlene. "No, no, no, Darlene. I'm not falling for that twice. Answer my question."

Darlene looked at David, yet said nothing. Dan turned around and faced David who was on the couch still. "David just for the sake of my sanity. Please don't leave Darlene alone with the boys again."

Now Darlene spoke. "You didn't get mad at him earlier."

Dan sighed. "I was mad at him for like a minute. But me getting pissed and throwing a fit over David would have been useless. Besides I knew you wouldn't let him in."