Chapter Seventeen

Jackie was not having a very good day. In fact, the last few days had not been going to plan at all. It had started a month after Eric had left and she had walked into work the very next day with the exclusive agreement that she had signed with Elena and Gio. The owner and her boss, Robert Edgars, was so impressed with the achievement that he had handed Jackie a significant bonus, her own office and a promotion to Deputy Director of Operations; a position that had been left unfilled for some time and third within the company only after Tim Carruthers, Director of Operations, and Robert Edgars himself.

With the addition of Elena and Gio to her client list, Jackie had been given the top half of Wisconsin to oversee and manage as part of her duties. She was also given her own team to run the smaller events that the company handled so that she could focus on some of the bigger events that fell under her purview. Now riding a wave of success, Jackie had felt that she was within reach of attaining her goal of buying the company within the next twelve to eighteen months if all went according to plan.

And while most of the staff had expressed their congratulations and happiness with the new management choice, it had maddeningly served to reignite the fued between her and Pam Macy, her old high school nemesis. Pam had joined the company six months ago as a part of the acquisition of a smaller events company. Though the majority of the staff had been made redundant, Pam and a select few others had been selected to be kept on and join the rest of the team.

It hadn't taken Jackie very long to realize that the only reason Pam had been kept on was to repay a favor to her father who, despite only being from Point Place, was owed a lot of favors due to his business dealings over the years and the money that he had helped a lot other people make in addition to his own wealth. That being said, Jackie had noticed that Pam, when she wasn't out trying to get someone for one stupid reason or another, was one of the most effective closers that she had ever witnessed.

Jackie did know, however, that Pam wasn't as dumb or stupid as she made out to be. Both she and Pam had come a long way since high school. While Jackie preferred for people to know that she had brains as well as looks, Pam relied on her looks to fool people into thinking that she was just another blonde bimbo. Pam's arrival had put the two in competition once more as they been back in high school. While they had seen each other as rivals, Jackie had also Pam as a way to keep herself sharp and to not let herself get sloppy or complacent.

The past six months had seen the company increase its business and its profits nearly ten fold. As a result of the increase, Edgars had been considering moving the company from the state level onto the national level. With Jackie bringing Gio and Elena on board, he had decided that there was no better time to do so. As a result of the decision, a week after Jackie's promotion, Edgars had sat down with Tim and Jackie and informed him of his decision. The meeting had ended up taking several hours as the three of them had worked out a new management structure and an estimated time-frame for the transition. Jackie and Tim would keep their current positions for the time being, but after the transition, Edgars would become Chief Executive Officer in addition to being the sole owner, Tim would become Chief Operating Officer and Jackie would become Executive General Manager – Operations. Other positions would be filled as needed, with some already sorted out pending agreement with the relevant parties in question.

It was two weeks after that that the opportunity to begin expanding the business had reared its head. Having heard of the work that the company had done in regards to organizing conventions, a prospective client from Michigan had approached them to organize and run a similar event in Chicago.

Normally such an event would take a minimum of a year to organize, but the client had informed them that they were operating on a timetable due to the fact that agreements signed over a year before were due to expire just after the time-frame and the client would lose the renewal options if that happened.

Against her better judgement, Jackie had included Pam as part of her team. The idea to do so had come from Tim, who was well aware of the history and animosity between the two women. But, as Tim had pointed out to Jackie, one of the 'joys' of being a senior executive was to 'help' those junior to them understand the finer points of what they did for a living. Even if that person happened to be someone whose guts they hated with a passion that could light the fires of Hell itself.

Still, she had approached the idea as professionally as possible and Pam had proved to be more of an asset than Jackie had originally first thought. For the most part, Pam had managed to close nearly all of the deals with minimal fuss and at the same time had proved to be a willing, if somewhat reluctant, student as she was mentored by both Tim and Jackie in other aspects of the business.

What was causing the current headache that Jackie now had was the final deal that Pam had helped to close in order to complete the contract. Wanting to prove herself, in securing the last deal Pam had let ego get the better of her and hadn't paid attention to some of the finer details that she would have otherwise. Needless to say, when she returned to the office with the signed contract and had presented it to Tim and Jackie for them to review, the shit had hit the fan.

That had been three days ago. Now, as Jackie sat in her office and looked out the window down onto Kenosha, she could only wonder at how she was going to get herself and the company out of the mess that they now found themselves in.

As Eric stepped out of the cab in front of the building where Jackie worked, he found that he was both nervous and eager to see the tiny woman that he loved. After not having seen her for six and a half weeks, the first he wanted to do when he saw Jackie was to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless.

Going in, Eric read the sign to find what level Jackie worked on before getting on the elevator and it all the way to his destination. As he stepped off, Eric found himself walking into a maelstrom of activity and chaos. Walking up to the front desk, Eric stood there waiting patiently as the young woman continued to answer the phone while directing traffic for the other people that were in the waiting area with him.

When he stepped up to speak to the receptionist, instead words coming out of his mouth as he had intended, the young woman just handed him a badge and motioned for him to go in. Normally, Eric wouldn't take advantage in such a manner, but as he hadn't seen Jackie for several weeks and was desperately just wanting to hold her in his arms again, he decided that this once wa completely justifiable. Taking the badge, he attached it to his jacket and entered the main office area.

What he walked into was akin to total, complete and utter bedlam.

As he slowly and carefully made his way through the mass of employees, Eric tried several times to find where his girlfriend was currently earning her living. It was only when he was about to give up and head back to the front desk for help that he happened to run into the last person he expected to see working anywhere. Knocking Pam Macy flat on her backside was was still an interesting moment, though.

As he put his hand out to help her up, Eric said, "Sorry about that. Wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

Taking Eric's hand, Pam managed to get herself upright. "No, it's my fault, sir. Should've been looking myself," she said as she dusted herself off.

It took Eric a moment to realize that Pam hadn't realized who he was and that they had gone to school together all those years ago in Point Place. "Let's just say that it was a case of bad timing on both our parts and leave it at that," Eric grinned. "Actually, you might be able to help me out with something."

Pam nodded. "How can I do that, sir?"

"I'm looking for Jackie Burkhart. Do you know where I can find her?" he asked.

Once again, Pam nodded. "Follow me, sir. I was headed that way, so I'll take you to her on my way through." It was all Eric could do not to laugh out loud and hard as he followed the woman who was once his girlfriend's high school nemesis.

Jackie hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair, exhausted by yet another failure. It had been determined that, in order to fic the ness that Pam had created in her haste, three extra guests would need to be added to the event in order for everything to work out. While she and Tim had each managed to secure one of the additional guests needed, trying to secure the final guest had proved to be more problematical that first thought.

Both she and Tim had spent the last day and a half calling every contact possible. The phone call that had just ended had been, quite possibly, her last ditch attempt at securing the final celebrity needed to make the event a reality. Still not wanting to admit defeat, Jackie stood up and walked over to stare out her office window at the Kenosha city skyline.

Her mind deep in thought, she absently heard the knock on the door. "Come in," she called. "Place whatever it is on the desk and close the door behind you on your way out."

Hearing the door close, Jackie was about to return to her thoughts when a voice that belonged to someone she had been aching to see again for the last six and a half weeks spoke. "Well, the desk does look like a bomb's hit it, but if that where you want me, then we'll give it a shot." Her eyes went wide as she spun around to find Eric standing in her office. All thought left her as she moved from where she was to where he stood, their arms wrapping around one another as their mouths captured each other in a torrid kiss that could've set the entire building on fire with its intensity.

After what felt like an age had passed, the couple released themselves from the passionate embrace. Jackie blushed as she breathed heavily and said, "Hi."

"Hi back," Eric answered with a huge grin as he looked down at the tiny pixie-like woman. Jackie tried not to giggle as they held each other for several more moments before reluctantly letting go.

As they sat down on the sofa on the far side of her office, Jackie tucked her legs under her and asked, "When did you get back? I wasn't expecting you for at least another couple of days."

Eric took off his bag and dropped it on the floor next to where he sat. "Got in about eight am this morning," he told her. "Took a red eye straight from St Paul to Kenosha and then hightailed it as quickly as I could to your place. Knew you wouldn't be there, plus Faith was there in the midst of handing over to the day shift, so it made things easier getting up there and grabbing a couple of hours extra sleep before coming to see you."

"And how was the trip? Did you end up finishing all your research?" Jackie was eager to know how everything had gone. She was also desperate to know what had delayed him his return, but she didn't want to push him too hard either, just in case.

"It went really well," he told her. As Eric spent the next twenty minutes or so talking about his trip, it once again showed Jackie what it was about the man that she had fallen in love with and also what it was that kept her under his spell. Reaching out, she took his hand in her hand and gave it a squeeze as he finished up his tale with his departure from Dallas, Texas, back to the north.

About to ask about his mystery side trip, the question was interrupted when both Eric's and Jackie's stomachs growled at the same time. Looking at one another, Eric told her, "I think that's our cue to feed ourselves." Jackie giggled as she nodded.

"There's a nice little bistro just next door that I've been wanting to try out and, if I'm being honest, I could do with a rest before heading back into the lion's den later on today." Standing up, Jackie smoothed out her top as she held out her hand. "Come on."

Eric smiled as he nodded. Taking her hand as he got up, as they left her office, Eric asked, "So, how did Pam Macy ended working for you?"

After reaching terra firma and making their way to the bistro, the couple managed to snag the last remaining table just before the lunchtime rush began. Not bothering with the menu, Jackie ordered a chicken ceasar salad and a diet coke while Eric ordered a medium steak with chips and salad to go with it and a whisky on the rocks to go with it. After the waitress had left with their order, Jackie answered Eric's question about Pam Macy. By the time that their drinks arrived, she had reached the end of the story, which in turn led into Jackie telling Eric about the current predicament that Pam had landed her and the company in.

Eric listened as Jackie, reaching the end of the story, explained, "So, unless we find that last guest that we desperately need, the company's going to take a loss on the event. Not exactly the stellar start that we want or one that the company's rep can afford at such a critical moment."

Waiting until the waitress had left, Eric picked up his glass and swallowed a mouthful of liquid before setting it back down on the table again. "So," he finally said, " all you need one more guest and then the event is all set?" Jackie's head nodded up and down absentmindedly, her mind elsewhere as if a thousand and one thoughts were running through it all at the same time. "Well, would having an award-winning author with a current number one bestseller and another book about to be released shortly be the answer to your problems?"

It took Jackie a moment to realize that Eric had spoken. "Sorry, Eric, my mind went walkabout for a moment there. What did you say?"

Trying to keep a straight face, Eric replied, "I just asked if it would help you by offering my services as that last guest that you've been trying so desperately trying to find for your event." It took Jackie a moment to suddenly click as to what he was talking about.

"Wait? What? Are you serious?" Jackie's eyes went wide. Of all the things that she had thought could happen, it had never even occurred to her to think about Eric. It was then that she realized that she didn't see him as the world famous author that everyone else knew him as. Jackie only saw Eric as the man that she knew and was in love with.

This was something that Eric had already known and one of the many things that he loved about Jackie. She had only ever seen him as him and not the celebrity that everyone else wanted to grab a hold of and ride that endless carousel with. "Of course I'm serious, Jackie," he told her.

At that moment, the waitress returned with their meals, placing the plates in front of them. The young woman asked, " Will there be anything else?" Eric and Jackie both shook their heads. Once the young woman was gone, the couple returned their attention to the conversation at hand.

"Jackie, if there is ever anything I can do to help you, I will always do so," Eric told his girlfriend. "All you ever have to do is ask me and I will do whatever I can to make it reality."

Staring at Eric, Jackie realized how much more the potential pay-off from the event would increase with Eric's presence alone. She also knew that she had to be mindful not to take advantage of or abuse Eric's goodwill as she also wanted to keep the man that she loved in her life and not lose him like so many others that had come before him. For Jackie, Eric was the One for her.

Bringing herself back to reality, Jackie smiled. Eric was unsure if it was a good smile or an evil smile, but he trusted his girlfriend to do the right thing with what he was offering her. "Well, then," she said, "let's eat and then afterwards we will go see some people about and event. Shall we?"

Once they had finished lunch, Jackie and Eric had returned to the office to set the ball rolling. After introducing Eric to Robert and Tim, everything began to move forward with the speed of a runaway train. Setting up in the main boardroom, the small group spent the next three to four hours making calls and confirming deals. Jackie spent most of the time coordinating while Eric spent most of it on the phone to his agent Dixon Westmore, working out all the details before signing off on it all.

Eventually, in the end, when it was all said and done, Eric finally signed on the dotted sign and the start of a new era was born at the company. After making the announcement to the rest of the floor, Robert ordered beer and champagne for all staff to celebrate while he, Tim, Jackie and Eric celebrated in his office; glasses of whiskey in for the guys while Jackie had a vodka and tonic in hers.

The icing on the cake for the whole day came when Pam Macy had watched Eric and her leave the office hand in hand. It was at that moment that Pam had finally realized not only who the new guest actually was, but also the fact that she knew him as well and that he and Jackie were a couple. The look on Pam's face was a priceless moment that Jackie would treasure forever, having seen her as she and Eric had gotten on the elevator and waving to her just before the doors had closed for the ride down.

Reaching the parking garage, they stepped out of the elevator only for Eric to see his Mustang sitting Jackie's parking spot. Raising an eyebrow at his girlfriend, Jackie blushed as she batted her eyelashes at him. "It was just sitting there, so lonely and asking to be driven," she told him with a smile as she handed him the keys."I couldn't resist."

Eric grinned, knowing full well what was going to happen when he'd left his car with Jackie. Once they had gotten in and buckled up, Eric gunned the engine and roared out of parking garage. It was a short drive form the office to Jackie's place, made even shorter when driving a Mustang. As they sped down the main drag of Kenosha, Jackie's scream of ecstasy was pure nirvana to Eric's ears.

The moment that they arrived at the building, Eric and Jackie acted as if they were in a race for their very souls. Moving with what Red would call indecent haste, they barely made it onto the elevator before Jackie launched herself at her man. Luckily for Eric, he had prepared himself; catching the small woman as she wrapped her arms and legs around his body as she covered his mouth with hers.

This was how they stayed the entire ride up to the top floor, detaching from one another long for them to exit the elevator, make it to the front door, Jackie to insert her keys into the various locks, the door to open, them entering and the door closing behind them. Both quickly stripping down, the last words spoken were by Jackie, who told Eric as she pushed him onto the sofa, "Talk later."

It was, in fact, quite a few hours later before Eric and Jackie finally got around to talking. After not having seen each other for over six weeks, both of them had surrendered to their base desires; resulting in the trail of destruction that had been left in their wake.

Once they had rested from their marathon love-making session, the couple had both showered and put on some clothes before finding themselves on the sofa, each with a drink in their hand to help them recover some expended energy.

"So, Eric, you never got around to telling me what happened on your side trip that diverted you from coming home when you were supposed to," Jackie said, sipping at her drink slowly. In addition to burning off all that energy, both Eric and Jackie had sore muscles in places that they hadn't realized were still there after all this time."

Knowing that Jackie was going to ask sooner or later about why he had extended his trip so suddenly, Eric had retrieved his bag when hunting for some clothes and put it on the sofa next to where he now sat. Opening it up, Eric reached in and pulled out the Polaroid photo that Elaine had taken of him and Laurie.

"Well, it's interesting the people that you run into when you're traveling around to different places," Eric told her as he showed her the photo. Jackie gasped when she saw who it was standing next to him in the picture. While she and Laurie had been frenemies more than anything else, mainly due to the cheating nature of her ex-boyfriend Michael Kelso at the time, the woman in the photo exuded a strength and sense of purpose that she couldn't ever remember seeing before.

"But, how? And, when?" Jackie asked, stunned by the news.

"Well, it all started after I came back to help sort everything following Dad's accident last year," Eric told her. "I managed to have a honest talk with both my parents, separately, of course, and one of things that they both wanted to know what had happened to Laurie. And I mean they wanted to know everything. So, I spoke with Dix and he got in contact with a friend who's a private investigator. Just over twelve months later, I got a call from Dix just before I was about the plane for home, telling me that the P.I had news and that I was booked on a flight to St Paul, Minnesota, and that once there, I was to make my way to Cannon Falls to meet up with the P.I for further information."

Reaching into his bag once more, Eric brought out the rest of the photos with the one that Gerry had given him sitting on top. "On top is a photo of Laurie with her partner Rob and her two kids, EJ and Steph," he told as he passed the photos to her. "That was taken two weeks ago. The rest are photos of Laurie and the kids from the time that she first found out she was pregnant up to Christmas just gone."

As Jackie took the photos and started to look through them, she asked, "And how is Laurie doing? I mean, really doing."

Eric thought about how his sister had looked and acted when he'd visited. "I think that having the kids had a positive impact on Laurie," he said after a moment. "I think that it also helped that she had support from someone who didn't judge her for who she'd been before. That's something, I must admit, that I don't think she would've gotten if she'd come home with the kids to Point Place."

"Did you get to meet them? The kids, I mean."

"No, they were at school," Eric shook his head. "Besides, Laurie and her partner will have her hands full trying to help the kids adjust to the fact there's a whole other side to the family that they haven't met and wants to meet them. At the moment, she isn't prepared to face Mom and Dad. She made that very clear, though I think that's from a fear of them being disappointed in her more than anything else. So, when I call Laurie in a couple of weeks to work a date, time and place with her and it's all organized, you and I will be flying to Minnesota to meet with Laurie and be introduced to Rob, EJ and Steph."

Jackie was surprised. After taking a moment to process, she smiled as she said, "I can't wait to meet them." But then something occurred to Jackie. "What about your parents, though? Won't Red and Kitty be upset that we're meeting Laurie's other half and their grandchildren first and not them? Are you even going to tell them about what you've found out?"

"Once I've gone and got some copies made of the photos, I'll be heading down to Point Place to update Mom and Dad on everything," Eric replied. "I can almost guarantee you what their reactions are gong to be. Mom will be disappointed and try to comprehend why Laurie won't come home or want them to meet the rest of the family just yet. Dad will understand why Laurie's made her decision and just be happy to know that his only daughter is alive and has kids of her own while at the same trying to comfort Mom."

The mental picture caused Jackie to grin as she continued to look through the photos. Seeing Laurie with children of her own was not something that she thought she would ever see, but there was something about EJ and Steph that she couldn't quite put her finger on. As Jackie's mind continued to mull the problem over, she was distracted by Eric yawning. "Are you okay, Eric?" The concern was evident as she asked the question.

Eric nodded. "Just tired, Jackie," he answered. "In the last three days, I've only had about ten hours sleep."

Putting the photos down, Jackie got up and took Eric's hand in hers. "Come on," she told him, "let's get some sleep and we'll start fresh with everything else in the morning." Allowing himself to be pulled up, Eric followed Jackie in to the bedroom. Not even bothering to undress, he climbed into bed and, within moments of his head hitting the pillow, was sleeping soundly. As she laid herself down next to Eric, Jackie's last thoughts before slumber took her were of Eric and the promise that the future held for them.

When Jackie awoke the next morning, the first thing that she did was look over at where Eric continued to sleep peacefully. Smiling as she got up and pulled her robe on, Jackie went out to the kitchen and made a fresh pot of coffee.

After pouring herself a cup once it had brewed, Jackie sat down and, picking up the pile of photos, started going through them again. As she went through them one by one, it wasn't until she got to the last photo, where EJ and Steph had posed for a picture with Santa Claus, that Jackie was finally able to get a good look at Laurie's kids properly.

EJ immediately reminded Jackie of Eric mainly, with a few features thrown in from somewhere that she knew didn't belong to Laurie's partner. Same hair, similar smile, that cheeky glint in the eyes; it was clear to Jackie that EJ was definitely the next generation of Forman right to the core.

But it was when she turned to look at Steph that it felt as if a switch had been suddenly been turned on in Jackie's brain. Looking at the little girl, Jackie saw an expression on her face that she had only ever seen on one other person. In that split second, as a number of odd moments suddenly added up in her mind and she made a few calculations in her head, Jackie came to one very inescapable and undeniable conclusion.

Stephen Hyde was the father of EJ and Steph Forman.

When Eric awoke a couple of hours later, he wandered out into the lounge room to find Jackie sitting on the sofa with the photos spread out along with some other papers and pictures that he hadn't seen before all over the coffee table.

"Hey, you're up early" he said as he went and got himself a cup of coffee.

Got up early and I couldn't go back to sleep," Jackie answered, not looking up from what she holding in her hand. As Eric sat down next to her on the sofa, Jackie looked over her boyfriend. "Eric, when you visited Laurie, did anything come up about EJ and Steph and who their father might be?"

Eric drank a mouthful of coffee as he thought back to the day he had surprised his sister with his presence. Finally, he said, "Nothing at all, really, if I'm being completely honest. The fact that we were able to be in the same room, actually be civil to one another and have a complete conversation is in itself a miracle. But now that you mention it, the subject never really came up. I do know that she didn't start dating her partner until after he got out of the military, which I'm fairly certain was after the kids were born, so that's about all I really know."

Nodding, Jackie took a deep breath as she summoned the strength and courage to say what she was about to say. "Eric, what if I said that I have a theory about who EJ and Steph's actual father might be?"

Knowing Jackie the way he did and how smart she actually was, Eric also knew that his girlfriend wouldn't have brought up the subject unless there was a very good reason and that she was more than seventy-five percent sure that there was truth to whatever that theory may be. "Alright," he finally said. "Hit me with it."

Once again, Jackie took a deep breath and exhaled it after several seconds, gathering together her courage. "If I'm right, and I'm only fairly certain in this case, I think Steven may be the father of Laurie's children."

Eric stared at Jackie for a moment, his mind swirling with many thoughts as he struggled to comprehend what his girlfriend had just told him. After what felt like a lifetime, he sat up and picked up the photo of Laurie with her children and her partner. Realizing that this was not how he intended or expected to start the day, Eric's first coherent thought was that it was one hell of a kick-off. "So, let me see if I have this completely straight," he spoke, breathing heavily as he considered the ramifications of what Jackie had told him. "You're saying that, at some point in 1984, Laurie and Hyde slept together and EJ and Steph are the result of that event."

Jackie nodded. "Earlier, while you were asleep, I called W.B. to check out a couple of things with him. I didn't say anything to him because I don't want to get his hopes up if I'm wrong. I told him that you were trying to fill in the gaps on everything that had happened while you were gone and that there a couple of things that didn't add up. Luckily, despite everything that's happened, W.B. still likes me. He did mention that he and you had spoken over a year ago about everything that had happened, but hadn't realised that he might've left some things out. He confirmed something for me that I've long suspected. Just after New Year's Day 1984, he sent Steven out on a tour of the U.S. in a bid to try and help him gain some perspective and clarity. And, for the most part, it worked."

"Every couple of weeks, as a part of the deal, Steven would call him from wherever he would turn up and keep him updated on what he was doing, where he'd been and where he was headed next. In exchange, W.B. kept funding the trip as long as Steven kept his side of the bargain. As the year progressed, W.B. told me that Steven seemed to be getting better. He seemed happier and that he seemed very focused on moving on with his life and what the future held."

"So when and where did it all go sideways?" Eric asked. "What changed?"

"The first two I can answer," Jackie replied. "Steven was in New York in August of 1984. As for what changed, it's something that's always remained a mystery to us. Steven came home in the first week of September and told W.B. that he was determined to win me back, no matter what. W.B. says that conversation was completely at odds with the talk that he'd had with Steven two week prior. According to him, Steven had been planning to head to the Southern U.S. to see what was out there in the way of music, food and life in general."

"None of us have ever known what triggered such a drastic and disturbing about-face in Steven's behavior. But, now having seen these pictures, I think I have a pretty good idea of what happened in New York. I think that Steven and Laurie ran into each other and embarked on some kind of wild adventure together. We know that New York was the one place that Steven spent the longest time of the places he went and visited. My theory is that, when Laurie found out that she was pregnant and disappeared, that was the trigger that started Steven's breakdown. Being abandoned someone that he had grown to care for once again, it fractured him in a way that he's never been able to come back from."

Eric looked at Jackie for a moment before turning his attention back to the photo of his niece and nephew. Looking at it with a critical eye, while he could see some similarities, he still wasn't entirely sure as to whether or not Jackie could be right. But, as he continued to look, he suddenly realized that there would be only two people in the world who would know for certain.

Placing the picture back on the table, Eric stood up. "Come on, Jackie. Time to get a move on."

"Why? What's happening?" Completely caught off-guard, Jackie had no clue as to what was now going on.

"We are going to get dressed and have some breakfast," Eric told her. "After that, I'm going to drop you off at work. As much as I would love for you to play hooky today, you have a lot of work ahead of you today and I can't wait to hear about it when I pick you up at the end of the day. As for me, after I've dropped you off, I'm finding somewhere to make copies of the photos and then I'm heading to Point Place to see Mom and Red. It's time to let them know that their daughter is no longer missing."