Chapter Nineteen

It was the first time that he'd ever seen her truly nervous. That was the thought going through Rob Hopewell's mind as he watched Laurie constantly adjust her clothes every few seconds while biting her bottom lip as the same time.

Making their way across the lobby towards the restaurant, Laurie gripped her partner's hand tight as she fought the urge to simply turn and run. Things wouldn't have been so bad if it had only been Eric that she and Rob were meeting, but as he had brought Jackie with him, Laurie was afraid of being judged despite the way that she had managed to turn her life around. While the talks on the phone over the last three months had been cathartic and proved her an outlet of someone to talk who she knew couldn't gossip to anyone else about her life in Cannon Falls, how Jackie would be in person was another story entirely.

Feeling how tense she was, Rob gently squeezed her hand for reassurance. "Hey, it'll be alright," he told her as they entered the restaurant. Greeted by the maitre'd, Rob said, "Reservation under the name of Forman."

The maitre'd smiled." Of course, sir. Right this way, please." Following the young man, the couple quickly made their way over to where Jackie and Eric sat waiting for them. Eric smiled when he saw his sister and her partner heading towards them. He still hadn't been entirely sure if she would turn up, but seeing her here now, he was glad that she had come.

For Jackie, her reaction was one of mixed feeling. While it had been one thing to talk to her old enemy/friend over the phone, seeing Laurie in person had suddenly caused certain feelings that she'd long thought buried to quickly resurface. Jackie knew that, if she wanted to put everything that had happened in the past to rest and be able move forward, this weekend was crucial to that.

Laurie felt exactly the same way as Jackie, even though the other didn't realize it. While Laurie was glad to reconnect, a small part of her feared that Jackie was going to burn her for all the evil that she had visited upon her old foe when they were growing up and vice versa. That was the version of Jackie that Laurie remembered.

"Hey, sis," Eric greeted Laurie, standing up and embracing her in a warm hug. "I'm glad that you came."

Laurie smiled as she returned the hug before stepping back. "I'm glad that I did too."

Jackie smiled as she saw for herself that this was definitely not the Laurie of old that she remembered. What made her even happier was that Eric had not been disappointed and that his faith that Laurie would come had been justified. Jackie could only hope that this was truly the start of a new chapter for the both of them in their relationship.

Moving forward, Jackie said, "Hello, Laurie. It's good to see you again."

"Jackie." Laurie didn't know what it was, but seeing her old nemesis in person and realizing that this was not the same woman that she had feared would be coming with her brother, it caused her to step towards Jackie and embrace the younger woman warmly. Startled for a brief moment, Jackie smiled as she wrapped her arms around her future sister in-law and embraced her back just as warmly.

After several moments, the older woman stepped back and faced both Jackie and Eric. "Well, I suppose I had better make introductions," Laurie said, smiling warmly as she gestured for Rob to come over. "Dear, I would like to you to meet my brother Eric and his partner, Jackie. Guys, this is Rob, my partner."

Eric held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Rob."

"Likewise, Eric." Rob shook Eric's hand with a firm grip. "When Laurie told me that you'd tracked her down, I wasn't too sure what to expect, if I'm being honest. "

"And now?"

Rob smiled. "Judging by the way that Laurie greeted you and Jackie, I think that most of fears are probably unwarranted, but I'll know for sure once we've had the chance to sit down and get to know one another over lunch and a few drinks."

"Well, let's do that, then. Shall we?" Eric gestured for everyone to grab a seat. Once the group was seated, they all perused the menu before Eric beckoned a waiter over to take their order. After they had ordered their food and a round of drinks to come as soon as possible, the waiter disappeared quickly; leaving them free to talk once more.

"So, Rob," Jackie said in an effort to avoid the usual awkward silences that always came at the start of any conversation. "Why don't we start off with you telling us about yourself? Eric and I have heard some things about you from Laurie, but we'd love to know more."

Looking at Laurie, who smiled and nodded, Rob grinned as he said, "Okay, well, then I guess that I'll kick things off. As you already know, I'm from Cannon Falls, born in 1955 and you've met my mother. Grew up there my whole life, as a matter of fact. Wasn't sure what I was going to do with my life until the year that I turned fifteen. That was when my father was killed in Vietnam."

The silence that followed only lasted a moment when Eric said, "My condolences, Rob, it must not've been easy for you or Elaine, losing your father like that."

Rob sadly smiled as he nodded his thanks before continuing on. "About two years after I graduated, I joined the Army in 1975. After attending West Point, I spent the majority of my career as an investigator in the Army's Criminal Investigation Division. When I decided that enough was enough, I put in my papers and exited the military with the rank of Major. Came to home to find Laurie and the kids living with my mother. Pretty sure you know the rest of that story. These days, I work for Executive Security Solutions as the Minnesota branch's Duty Operations Manager."

The last part impressed both Eric and Jackie. ESS, as it was known to most, was one of the premier private security companies operating in the continental United States. Specializing in a wide and diverse range of operations from home security to personal protection, ESS's reputation for quality of service was well deserved and well earned. Eric had consulted with ESS on two occasions for book research while Jackie had been availed of their services during several events over the last few years.

"Well, all I can say is that I'm quite impressed," Eric told Rob. "ESS is considered to be the benchmark in the private security industry. It's my understanding that within the next two to five years that they'll be operating across the majority of the U.S and Europe."

"You know of ESS?" Rob was surprised.

Eric nodded. "I consulted with them for two of my books some time back. The knowledge that they provided was quite invaluable."

"Of course! Laurie mentioned that you left teaching behind to become an author." Rob was just as equally impressed. He'd read some of Eric's books during his time as a front line grunt in his early days at ESS, but hadn't made the connection until Laurie had told him who her brother was and what his occupation was as well.

"Not quite the career trajectory that I had in mind when I started out," Eric replied with a grin. "But, it has proven to be something that I never realized that I would quite so good at. Interestingly, my living is what brought Jackie and I together when we least expected it."

"Oh?" Rob was intrigued, to say the least. During one of his many conversations with Laurie prior to the trip, she had mentioned how she and Eric had grown up with several others during the mid to late Seventies. She had elaborated on each of the others in the group and what the relationship had been with each person. While she had mentioned that Eric and Jackie were a couple and had known each since their teens, she hadn't explained how the two had come to be a couple after all these years.

"Apart from the occasional and impromptu get-together at the Forman's that Eric and Laurie's mother would organize, I hadn't seen or spoken to Eric properly in nearly five years until he turned up as one of the guests at an event that the company I work for was hosting in Kenosha last year. As the lead for the event, you can imagine my surprise when I ran into him. After the event finished, we stayed in contact and things just progressed from there." Jackie smiled fondly as she remembered the moment that led her and Eric to one another.

"Which company do you work for, Jackie?" Rob asked. ESS did an enormous amount of business in the hospitality sector and was curious to know who it was and if he'd heard of them.

"Trans-Continent Events or TCE for short," Jackie answered. "We mainly operate in Wisconsin, but we're about to host our first convention in Chicago. If it's as successful as we hope and we think that it will be, then TCE plans to expand over time across the entire United States where possible."

This time, it was Rob who was impressed. While he had never worked in Wisconsin, friends of his at ESS had. TCE had come up several times during the course of several job offers, but Rob hadn't taken up any of them due to wanting to stay close to his family, especially after what had happened to his mother. During some downtime with a few of his fellow coworkers, Rob had heard stories of what the events had been like. While the stories had varied over the years, the one thing that all his friends had agreed upon was that every event had been professional and very well organized. The fact that they had been well looked in addition to that hadn't gone astray either.

Finally, Rob told Jackie, "Well, I hope it all goes well for you, Jackie. A number of people that I work with have spoken about working with TCE over the years. If everything that I've heard is about TCE is true, then I expect to see and hear nothing but better and greater things happening under your tenure there."

Laurie watched as Jackie preened at the praise. Watching her partner interact with her brother and her former enemy, she realized that she didn't feel the jealousy or irritation that she would've once felt all those years ago. The girl that she had been long ago no longer existed. Instead, a mature woman with a life and children of her own now stood in her place. "And how about you, Laurie? How's work going for you these days?" Jackie's question shook the older woman from her thoughts and back to the present.

"Sorry, lost in thought there for a moment," Laurie answered. Jackie smiled as Rob and Eric grinned. "Actually, work is going very well for me at the moment as well. I've been promoted to head manager at the bar and grill where I work, so that means no more late nights. It means I can also spend more time at home on the weekends as well with the kids, so that's an added bonus and the extra money won't go astray either."

"And how are EJ and Steph?" Jackie asked.

Despite her reservations, Laurie was still a mother and couldn't resist the opportunity to show off her children. Having brought photos with her, Laurie got them out of her handbag and started showing them to Jackie. As she looked at one after another, her theory about their biological father being Steven Hyde was only reinforced even further. While the photos that she'd looked at of the kids had highlighted one side of the family or the other, these more recent ones showed a definite blending of the two families.

EJ reminded Jackie of a younger version of Eric from when they were growing looked more like Laurie, but both kids had similar hair to the way that Steven had had his when he'd been growing up as a kid. Steph's hair was longer longer than EJ's but that and other things were just details that further bolstered her theory.

As the girls continued to look at the photos, Eric and Rob had started talking shop and trading stories. The waiter turned up with their drinks and Eric ordered another round for everyone to come with their meal. They didn't even have that much longer to wait, their meals and drinks arriving about fifteen minutes later. With the conversation paused while everyone ate their lunch, it only made Jackie more resolute in her quest to know the truth.

The wait for answers only took another thirty minutes or so. After they had finished lunch, Eric ordered another round of drinks while while the waiter cleared all the dishes away from the table. After the drinks had arrived, there was a momentary lull that accompanied their delivery. Jackie took advantage of that moment to finally ascertain the truth.

"Laurie, there's something that I'd like to ask and I would appreciate the truth in this instance," Jackie said, her focus completely and totally absolute in what she was wanted to know.

Seeing that Laurie was starting to panic, Rob reached over and took her hand in his. "It's okay," he told her. "You can do this."

Those simple words had a calming affect on Laurie, giving her the support and inner strength that she needed to face her past and move forward head on. "You want to know who EJ and Steph's biological father is." The matter of fact statement made it clear that Laurie had been expecting this to come for some time.

"Yes," Jackie nodded.

"Then ask the question," Laurie told her.

Jackie hesitated for a moment, almost afraid to ask, but then she found her voice; knowing that if she didn't ask right at the very moment, she never would and that it would haunt her for the rest of her days. "Is Steven Hyde the biological father of EJ and Steph?"

The moment that the question was asked, Laurie felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. Looking at both Eric and Jackie, Laurie nodded. "Yes, he is." Rob and Laurie watched as her brother and his paramour processed the information that had now been confirmed for them.

"How?" Eric asked.

Laurie wasn't sure what surprised her more: the fact that he was able to recover quicker or the fact that he was the one to ask the question that she knew would come next. "It was in August of '84 that I ran into Hyde," Laurie began, the memories of another time flooding back. "Summer was starting to wind down and I'd started thinking about moving onto the next city on my list of places to visit. I didn't have many left to go and my plan after I'd completed my goal was to head home and visit Mom and Dad before finding enough money to go back to school and do something sensible with my life."

"When I ran into Hyde at the club that night, we didn't recognize each other at first. He'd grown his hair long and had a beard that matched. Still wore those shades of his and had a smoke in his mouth and a glass of whisky in his hand as well. His wardrobe had changed as well. He was wearing a leather bomber jacket, designer shirt and jeans and a pair of cowboy boots had seen some miles on them. A very far cry from the rebel I remembered growing up with and fighting with all the time."

Laurie smiled as she continued to remember. "I'd been involved in the punk rock scene for few months, by that time. The sides of my head had been shaved, the hair on top had been cut and been colored with several different types of shade and my ears and nose had been pierced with multiple piercings as well. It wasn't until the end of the night, when Hyde had come over to ask me out, that we realized who the other was. It still didn't stop the next four weeks from being one glorious adventure, though."

"So, what happened?" Jackie asked.

Laurie's facial expression became one of sadness as she remembered the disaster that had led her to run. "It was Hyde's last week in New York and we'd spoken a few times about the two of us heading down into the southern parts of the U.S. to explore places that we hadn't been to at that point. It was around the same time that I noticed that I'd missed my period and that I'd been feeling off for the the entire week prior."

"So, I took myself down to the free clinic and confirmed that I was pregnant. The moment that I found out that I was expecting EJ and Steph, it was like a switch flipped inside me somewhere. Right there and then, I swore to give my children the life that they deserved and not the one that I'd lived and wasted. The only thing that I wasn't certain of was Hyde. When I got to work that night, I resolved to make sure that I knew where he stood and make my decision from there."

A tear rolled down Laurie's cheek as her mind brought up the memory of that night. "The that I'd felt when I'd found was ripped away from me and replaced with a massive hole in my chest when Hyde told me to go and have an abortion. I'd already had two by that point in my life and I knew that if I had any more, I would be able to ever fall pregnant again."

"When I turned to go, Hyde grabbed me and told me that we hadn't finished sorting out the issue. As far as I was concerned, I was. A couple of the bouncers saw what was happening and intervened. While they dealt with Hyde, I went straight to my boss and told him and his wife what was happening and that I had to leave. While the boss wasn't very happy, his wife understood immediately. They paid me what I would've earned for the night, plus a bonus to help out with the twins when the time came. That came from the wife. From there, I went back to the apartment where I'd been living with a couple of friends, who I still talk to every once in awhile, grabbed everything that was important to me, threw it all in the one suitcase that I owned, went back outside, took a cab to the airport and hopped on the first flight to anywhere that could get me as away from Hyde as possible. That's how I wound up in St Paul, Minnesota. Nine months later, EJ and Steph were born. If Elaine hadn't offered me somewhere to live when I was getting evicted a few months after that, who knows where I would've ended up."

Laurie wiped the tears from her eyes and face as she looked at her brother and his girlfriend. "My biggest fear since that day has been that Hyde would track me down in some form or another and want to see his children. After what I saw that night in the club, the crazed look on Hyde's face and in his eyes as well, it scared me so much that I've never been able to face it."

"So, imagine my surprise when I opened my front door to find that it's you on my doorstep and not the person that I expected to see. If this had been the same situation a few years ago, I can only imagine how I would've reacted then. But now, I have the love of a good man, two beautiful children that I love and adore and a life better than I could have ever possibly imagined for myself. If Hyde were to ever enter the picture, he would find that I am a very different person to the one that I was all those years ago."

As Laurie and Rob looked at one another smiling, Eric and Jackie could see that the love the two shared for each was real; not some passing fancy in the night. Reaching out, Jackie gently took Laurie's hand in hers. Having personally experienced first hand the impact of Steven Hyde's mental health issues, Jackie could relate in a way that no one else could. "Laurie, if nothing else, please know this: you will never be alone in this world. You have family here and back home that love you and that will never, ever change."

Surprised momentarily by the sentiment, Laurie smiled as she nodded. "Thank you." Jackie smiled back, a real bond slowly beginning to form between the two.

Realizing that it was time the Laurie and Rob knew the truth about Hyde and what had happened in the days since Laurie had last been home to Point Place, Eric took a deep breath in before exhaling it slowly. "Sis, I think it's time that Jackie and I caught you up on what's been happening at home since the last time that you were there," Eric told Laurie. "What we have to tell you might help to give you and Rob some perspective for the future."

Twenty minutes and another round of drinks later, Laurie and Rob listened as they stared at Eric and Jackie, the disbelief evident in their facial expressions. As his sister struggled to comprehend the new reality of the situation, Eric saw that Rob was saying nothing while comforting Laurie. In a lot of ways, Eric saw how similar Rob and Hyde were. Both men were possessed of a quiet nature, solid, dependable and ready to support the ones they loved when called upon to do so.

Where they differed was in their beliefs. While Hyde had always fought and rebelled against what he had always called 'The Man', Rob was someone who Eric saw as loving his country, knowing that he had served in the military to honor his father and continued to do so in his own way as a civilian in the private sector.

Finally Laurie found her voice again as her mind finally began to process the fact that she no longer had to live in fear of the past any more. "How long has it been since everything happened?" she asked.

"Two years," Jackie answered. "It took us so long to recognize the symptoms, but eventually Steven was committed to a treatment facility. He's there for as long as he needs to be, as far as W.B is concerned, until he is able to reconcile fact from fiction and accept the reality of life."

"Is there any hope of that?" The fear in Laurie's eyes were evident as she asked the question.

Jackie shook her head. "No. When I spoke to W.B last, I asked if any progress had been made. He told me that, between all the alcohol and drugs that Steven had put into his body over the years and the mental health disorders that they're treating him for at the facility, it's very likely that Steven will never see freedom ever again."

As she digested the new information, Laurie didn't know whether to exhale in relief or sob. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders and her view of the world was finally clear for the first time in ages. In a moment of clarity, Laurie knew what she had to do next. "Eric, Jackie, while this has been great with all the catching up, I need to process what you've just told us and discuss it with Rob. We have some decisions to make."

Eric nodded while Jackie smiled. Both understood that what they had just told Laurie and Rob would not have been easy to hear and just as difficult to comprehend. Even now, Eric still had some trouble wrapping his head around the entire situation. "We understand," he said as they all stood up. Hugging his sister and kissing her on the cheek, he told her, "We'll see you all tonight at dinner."

Laurie nodded as Eric released her and shook hands with Rob while Jackie gave her a quick kiss and hug as well and said goodbye to Rob as well. As the couple made their way out, Rob wrapped his arm over her shoulders and whispered to Laurie, "I thought you were going to tell them."

Placing her hand on her stomach, Laurie smiled. "We'll tell them tonight."

In the hours between lunch and dinner, both couples occupied their time with with various activities. Eric sat down and began outlining how the first several chapters of his new novel would go while Jackie got a hold of several local newspapers and began combing through the business sections, looking for possible contacts and ideas as part of her plan to expand the company into Minnesota and beyond. Rob and Laurie spent most of their time discussing their path forward into the future with Elaine while entertaining EJ and Steph with various activities at the same time.

Eventually, it reached that moment where everyone began to ready themselves for the evening meal. While Laurie prayed and hoped that the kids would like their uncle, Eric and Jackie got the presents ready that Red and Kitty had given to them; family mementos and other items that they had kept and stored over the years in the hopes of passing them on to the next generation of Formans.

Eric and Jackie were waiting in the restaurant, having arrived about ten minutes early, when Laurie and Rob arrived with Elaine and the children in tow. After the adults had greeted one another and Jackie and Elaine had been introduced, the big moment finally arrived. Moving EJ and Steph forward, Laurie smiled as she got down to their level and took her children by the hand each.

"So, as you both know, we don't often get to go away on holidays and do the sorts of things that lots of other families do. Your dad and I work a lot and we also help to look after your grandma as well ever since she got since sick. That doesn't leave us a lot time to do all the things that we'd like to do. That's why your dad and I decided that it was time for us all to take a trip and have a holiday, as a family."

"But, there's also something else that I wanted to do at the same time. Something that I haven't been able to do up until now." Laurie struggled not to cry as she smiled at her children. "For a very long time now, I've been away from where I was born and grew up; a town called Point Place. It's where my mom and dad live and still do. I also have a little brother, though he isn't really so little anymore. His name is Eric." Standing back up as she still held her children's hands, Laurie smiled. "And, after such a long time, he came and found me."

EJ and Steph looked up their mother before they looked over at the strange man that they had never seen before as Laurie told them, "Kids, this is my brother Eric. This is your uncle."

Both children went shy as Eric got down to their level. "EJ. Steph. I am so very glad and happy that I finally get to meet you." Eric smiled as he saw a small smile cross EJ's face while Steph glared at him with an uncertain look in her eye. Standing back up, Eric looked at his sister. "Why don't we have dinner and the kids can get to know us better as we go." Laurie nodded, gently moving the kids towards their seats while everyone else took their seats.

Over the next few hours, EJ and Steph slowly opened up to Jackie and Eric. This was helped along with due to the presents that the two children were given that they'd brought from Red and Kitty. While the gifts essentially amounted to bribes, it also allowed them both to see who EJ and Steph really were.

While Steph was a physical combination of Laurie and Hyde, her personality was similar to that of Eric's. She loved Star Wars, comic books and all the things that he had grown up with as a kid. He also noticed that there a small bit of Red in there, with some influence from Rob, about wanting to join the military when she got older.

EJ, while he looked more like Eric with Red's hair, was similar in personality to his biological father. Very laid back, EJ was a very cool, calm and collected little boy for someone his age. Like Hyde, EJ had mastered the art of being Zen. Jackie did notice that there was some W.B in there as well as some Forman. EJ had spoken a few times about wanting to make money when he got older and making sure that any idiots in the family got nowhere near it when he did.

It wasn't long after having had dess0ert that both kids began to pass out. Elaine had also reached her own tipping point and was quick to declare that the moment had been reached for herself and the kids to go to bed. Laurie watched as Rob took his mother and the kids back to their room, the love that she felt evident on her face as she saw them head off.

"You must be very proud," Jackie said.

Laurie looked at her former enemy, a smile of pure peace and contentment spread completely across her lips. "I am," she nodded. "I used to wonder, sometimes, if all the things that would go wrong in my life were happening for a reason. Now, I know that everything that I went through, it was all preparing me for something that I never thought that I would ever become: a mother."

As Laurie relaxed in her chair, Jackie leaned against Eric and laid her head on his shoulder. Turning his head, he gently laid a soft kiss on her forehead and wrapped his arm around her. Watching them for a moment, Laurie remembered what she could of Eric from when he had been a teenager and he been going out with Donna. Despite some small gaps here and there, Laurie mentally saw how perfectly opposite to each other the teen couple had been back then. She had been surprised to learn that they had married after he had come back from Africa, but she knew all too well from experience that the fantasy very rarely ever matched the reality.

Looking at the couple sitting opposite her now, she could see how well Jackie and Eric fit together. They had always wanted the same things out of life, that was something she always remembered about the both of them. Laurie was just glad that they hadn't had to go through what she had to get to where they were now.

They sat there quietly for a few minutes until Rob returned from getting his mom and the kids to bed. Sitting down next to Laurie, he kissed her on the cheek. "Sorry that took so long," he told them as he grabbed his drink and swallowed a mouthful of beer. "Kids weren't the problem this time, Mom was." The others smiled and tried not to laugh, the memories of many an evening spent dealing with a drunk Kitty Forman immediately coming to mind.

"Actually, speaking of things parent-related, we wanted to share something with you both," Laurie said.

Eric nodded. "Alright. What is it you want to tell us?"

Taking a deep breath in, Laurie looked at Rob before looking back at Eric and Jackie with a smile on her face. "I'm pregnant."

For a moment, they thought Laurie was trying to pull a major burn on them before they both realized that she wasn't joking. "Really?" Jackie asked, wanting to make sure. Laurie nodded, tears of joy in her eyes at finally being able to share the news with people that she loved and cared about.

Stunned by the fact that his sister was pregnant and going to be a mother again, it took Eric a moment to recover from the shock. "Congratulations!" he exclaimed. Jackie got up and went over to Laurie, hugging the woman who she knew would eventually be her sister-in-law while Eric shook Rob's hand and patted the older man on the back.

After Eric had ordered a round of celebratory drinks before he and Jackie returned to their seats, Jackie asked, "So when are you due, Laurie?"

"Mid to late January," Laurie replied. "But that isn't the only news we have." Eric and Jackie looked at the elder Forman sibling with confused looks on their faces before Laurie told them, "We're having twins. A boy and a girl."

Eric and Jackie just sat there, stunned by the announcement. Looking at one another, Jackie then looked back at Laurie. "Laurie, I'm stunned, to say the least," she said, finding her voice first as Eric still attempted to find his. "Is everything going okay? Are the babies alright? How are you coping?"

The elder Forman sibling smiled as Rob answered, "At the moment, Jackie, we're still adjusting to the fact that our family is expanding. Not only that, given what happened during my time in the Army, we're counting what's happened as a blessing. In all honesty, I never expected to be a father. But, when I met Laurie and was introduced to EJ and Steph, I took that as my opportunity to be the best father that I could be to them. They may not be of my blood, but I love them all the same. And now, with two more children on the way, I can't help but feel blessed that we're adding to the family in a way that neither of us ever expected."

"When Rob and I got together, we both went and got tested," Laurie spoke. "That's when we found out that, due to the number of abortions that I've had over the years and and Rob's own issues, the doctor that we consulted believed that the likelihood of having any more children was highly unlikely."

Looking at her partner, Laurie smiled before looking back once more at the other couple. "That, however, isn't the only thing that we wanted to talk to you guys about as well." Having finally adjusted to the fact that Laurie was going to be a mother again, Eric's eyes narrowed. It must've been noticeable enough for Laurie to realise what her brother was probably thinking. "It isn't anything sinister or the like, if that's you what you were thinking, little brother." Jackie elbowed Eric in the ribs, a silent reminder that this was not the same woman he'd know years ago growing up and to play nice as well.

"The first thing that we wanted to talk to you," Laurie continued, "was about being godparents for all four children once the other two arrive." Jackie and Eric were once again stunned into silence. "Rob and I know that it's a lot to ask, but we were planning on getting the kids baptized at some point, but choosing godparents for them has been something of a doozy for us. And, if anything should happen to either of us before they all reach the age of eighteen, I'll feel better knowing that they're going to be looked after by people who have their best interests at heart."

This time, it was Eric who found his voice first. "We'd be honored," he told Rob and Laurie, his voice thick with emotion as Jackie also nodded her assent as well.

The wave of elation that swept through Laurie was a purifying one. After years away from her family and worrying about what would happen to her children if anything was to happen to her and/or Rob, Laurie's heart was gladdened knowing that they would be cared and provided for by people that loved them. "Thank you," she told them, the two words speaking volumes in ways that actual words couldn't at that moment.

"And that also brings us to the last thing that we wanted to let you guys know," Rob told them. "When Laurie found out that she was expecting and told me, we had a very lengthy discussion about our future and where we saw ourselves and the kids further down the road, so to speak. One of the things that we discussed was Laurie's desire to return home to Wisconsin at some point. Another was my career and where I saw myself eventually. I've since come to the conclusion that, as much as I enjoy the working in the field, I want to move up within ESS and go as far and high as I can go so that I can provide for my family in the best way possible."

"But to do that, however, means leaving Minnesota and seeking out positions withing ESS in other states. So, I reached out to a friend of mine who works at ESS's main headquarters in New York. As it happens, a position became available in Wisconsin shortly after our discussion. I applied for it and found just before we got here that my application was successful."

"We're moving to Wisconsin," Laurie said, a smile of peace and love on her face.

If someone had ever asked Eric or Jackie if Laurie Forman could ever surprise either one of them, they both would have laughed and told the person that it never, ever would happen. Right now, at that very moment, they were both finding out just how wrong they were.

This time, it was Jackie who recovered and found her voice first. "That's wonderful news!" She exclaimed. "Congratulations, guys!"

Eric nodded, shaking Rob's hand before getting up to hug his sister. "I can only echo Jackie's sentiments. When does all this happen?" he asked as he sat back down.

"We start after the school holidays are over," Laurie said, accepting a hug from Jackie before sitting back down as well. "Once the kids are back in school, we'll start hunting for a home in between when Rob has to travel to Wisconsin and New York for work. We're hoping to be settled in just before or after Thanksgiving as Rob officially starts in his new position the first week of December."

"What about school for the kids?" Jackie asked.

"All depends on where we settle," Laurie answered. "We just know that it can't be too far from where Rob works when he starts."

"And Mom and Dad?" The look on Eric's face expressed all the emotion that words couldn't.

Laurie sighed. "I know, Eric. I also know that I have to tell Steven's father as well at some point that his only son had children and why I haven't made contact with anyone for all the years that I was gone. It's a conversation that I'm not looking forward to, but one that I know has to happen."

Inwardly, Eric sighed with relief. Laurie's last statement wiped away any lingering concerns that Eric had had about his sister's intentions regarding the kids and what she planned to tell all concerned. It had been his last fear and one that he was glad that he no longer had to worry about.

"Well," he told everyone else, "I think that this calls for a round of drinks to celebrate." Waving the waitress over, the two couples spent another hour talking before Laurie and Jackie both decided that it had gotten late and that it was time to call it a night.

After bidding good night to Rob and Laurie as they got off the elevator at their floor, Eric and Jackie rode the rest of the way in silence back to to thier room. When they got to their room, as Eric opened the door, Jackie suddenly asked, "Do you think about the future, Eric?"

Eric smiled as he entered their room. "All the time, Jackie. All the time."

The second and final day of the trip was spent with Jackie and Eric getting to know EJ and Steph even better while giving Laurie and Rob a well-earned respite from the rigours of parenthood, taking the young children to see a movie and a local arcade afterwards. Coming from a small town, the experience was a novelty for the twins as they got to watch the latest Disney film before having fun at an arcade twice the size of the one back home.

Returning to the hotel just after midday, the reunited family gathered together for one last meal before they all departed: Laurie and her family back to Cannon Falls while Eric and Jackie returned to Wisconsin. Once they had finished their meal and checked out of the hotel, the group said goodbye to one another just before Eric and Jackie got in a taxi to head to the airport.

Before they left, both Eric and Jackie promised not to say anything to Red and Kitty about Laurie's pregnancy or that she and her family were moving to Wisconsin. It was agreed by all that if Laurie was to make peace with her parents, it had to be on her terms. Saying their final goodbyes, the couple got in the cab and returned to their own lives back in Wisconsin.

The next five and a half months would see a flurry of activity in the lives of both families. For Jackie and Eric, it started the weekend after their return from St Paul. Traveling to Chicago for the convention, the event was everything that Jackie and Eric had expected it to be and more. Exceeding expectations right across the board in all areas, it had solidified TCE's reputation as major player in the events industry and elevated Jackie's reputation to a whole new level at the same time.

Eric's presence also paid dividends as well. Not only was his new book a huge hit with generations both young and old, but the convention also helped to allow for several introductions and meetings that Eric had never expected to happen this early on in his writing career. Dixon, Eric's agent, had flown over for the event and had been on hand to help facilitate the steady flow of appointments that in the wake of the event.

Despite Eric's busy schedule and Jackie's time being divided between her new duties handling TCE's rapid expansion into other parts of the U.S. and handling several major events that that had already been on the schedule for several months prior, the young couple still found time to spend every available moment together where possible.

It wasn't until September that everything finally began to settle down and they were able to turn their full energies towards helping Laurie and Rob move to Wisconsin. With Rob constantly moving back and forth as part of his training for his new position, the majority of the work involved with the move was left to Laurie to handle.

Shortly after returning home to Cannon Falls, Laurie and Rob had sat down and discussed their plans with Elaine. While Cannon Falls had been her home her entire life, Elaine's desire was spend her final days with her family, wherever they happened be. Glad to see that the older woman was steering clear of orneriness for a change, the discussion had then moved to on to the topic of where in Wisconsin they would move to.

Before either Elaine or Rob could even discuss any of the options that were available, Laurie had made it known almost immediately that, for her, there was only one option when it came to returning to Wisconsin to live: Point Place. Despite their reservations, both Elaine and Rob could see the reasoning behind Laurie's determination to move home when the time came. Instead of returning with her tail tucked between her legs, Laurie wanted her arrival for all to see: triumphant and defiant to the last breath.

When he wasn't traveling and working, Rob spent as much time as he could hunting for a new home for his family. Despite looking at several homes, none even came close to what he and Laurie had discussed and all fell short of Laurie's one and only condition. It was on one of Rob's last visits to Wisconsin that they were able to finally locate a house for sale that met everything that they wanted and needed. Oddly enough, it was Kitty herself who unknowingly helped them helped achieve their dream.

It had started when Eric and Jackie had visited his parents the week before Halloween. While his girlfriend and his mother went off to gossip and make dinner, Eric and Red had gone out the garage to look at the camper van that Red had purchased for he and Kitty to go traveling around the country in.

That was when Eric had noticed the For Sale sign posted out the front of the old Pinciotti home. Surprised to see that it was on the market, he'd mentioned this to Red, who'd told him that the owners had decided to sell and move to be closer to the husband's family following the death of the man's mother.

While saddened to hear of the terrible news, Eric had seen it for the opportunity that it was. Making an excuse to go out, Eric had quickly gone to the realtor's office, presenting himself as representing Laurie and Rob to inquire about the sale price and if it was still for sale. After learning that it was and what the price was, Eric had had the realtor place the house under offer and had asked if the owners would be willing to meeting with him and Rob in Kenosha later that week.

Over the next two weeks, it took two meetings and three phone calls to close the deal and for the sale of the house to go through. The only concern had been that the sale price had been slightly outside what Rob and Laurie had been willing to pay, but after Eric had helped to negotiate the price down, he had also given them the extra amount needed to finalize the sale. When they had protested that he had done so much for them already, Eric had smiled and told them to consider the money an investment in their future.

With moving day arriving very quickly, Rob, Laurie and Elaine packed the kids and everything that they owned into a large moving van and their mini-van and began the drive from Canon Falls to Point Place. Leaving early on Monday morning, they arrived in Point Place just before lunchtime that same day at the start of Thanksgiving week, the trip taking a total of six hours, including breaks.

To help facilitate the surprise, Eric and Jackie invited Kitty and Red to join them on a week-long trip to Los Angeles the week before. The trip had come up unexpectedly at the last minute; Eric's agent wanting him out in L.A. to discuss some matters arising from the negotiations of the television and film rights to his books.

Having not been to the West Coast since returning home from Korea in 1953, Red was keenly interested in seeing what had changed since that time. Kitty was also eager to go, curious to see what new exotic things that she could bring back to Point Place and entertain the LOPPs and SLOPPs with.

With the forewarning that Kitty and Red would not be home when they arrived, Rob, Laurie and Elaine immediately got to work; Laurie directing where everything was going while Rob assisted the movers in getting in it all. Elaine entertained EJ and Steph while all this was happening by having the kids pick out which room would be theirs and what they wanted to do with it once everything was all sorted out.

Pregnancy the second time around had made Laurie more attuned this time to what her likes and dislikes were. While she would always remember her new home as being where Bob and Midge Pinciotti had lived for all those years, Laurie also saw it as an opportunity to make 7d been born and grew up. It had been decided from the outset that that conversation would take place when the time was appropriate.

When Red and Kitty returned from the trip Wednesday evening, Laurie and her family had fully settled into their new home. Despite having been gone for a week, Kitty was quick to notice that new owners had moved into their former friend's home. As the next day was Thanksgiving, Kitty invited Eric and Jackie to spend the night, the young couple having brought his parents home.

Jackie was quick to accept the invitation, knowing that Kitty would always cook a full Thanksgiving meal while Red would never miss an opportunity to barbecue and watch the game. It also gave Jackie more time to spend with Kitty while Eric spent time with his dad and got everything ready for the big reveal.

Once everyone awoke the next morning, Red and Kitty got straight into preparing for their annual dinner, remaining completely oblivious to what was about to happen. It had been decided by Rob and Eric that the earlier that Laurie revealed her return to her parents, the quicker that Red and Kitty would be able to adjust to the shock of having their eldest offspring back home in Point Place. Laurie didn't want a repeat of what had happened the last time she had surprised her father, causing him to have a heart attack when she had married Fez all those years ago.

The plan was put into motion just about an hour after breakfast. While Jackie worked alongside Kitty in the kitchen prepping all the food, Eric assisted Red in getting the barbecue set up to grill all the meat that Kitty had set aside throughout the year for such occasions. As Red was finishing setting up, Eric saw the moment as an opportunity to get the plan started.

"Hey, Dad," Eric said, "I was thinking of heading down to Price Mart and picking up some ice and whatever else we might need."

"Sounds like a great idea, son," Red answered. "Would that include some of that alcohol that you like to drink?"

Eric grinned as he nodded. "Yeah, it would, Dad. Want me to grab an extra bottle?"

Red nodded back. "And something for your mother and Jackie as well. Let's be smart about this, shall we?"

"Will do, Dad." Going back inside the house, Eric grabbed his keys, gave Jackie a quick kiss before going back outside to his car. Getting in, Eric pulled out of the driveway and drove a several meters down the road before pulling over and getting out. Walking back up to Laurie's new home, Eric made sure he couldn't be seen before walking up to the front door and softly knocking on it.

Laurie quietly opened the door to see Eric standing there. "You ready to do this?" he asked with a gentle smile on his face.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied. "How do think we should do this?"

"Rob and I worked it already," Eric told her as she and Rob got EJ and Steph ready to go. "He'll take the kids around to the front of the house and surprise Mom while you'll go around the back and surprise Dad. Mom's in the kitchen with Jackie and Dad won't even know that you're there until you say something. You know how he gets when it comes to grilling."

Laurie smiled and nodded as she remembered all the years growing up and how her father would fire up the barbecue and cook as much meat as he could to his heart's content every weekend and holiday that he could. "I suppose I do."

As much as he loved his son, Red always enjoyed having that alone time to think and sort out his thoughts as he always had done over the years. The idea of having a regular barbecue had been one of Kitty's better ideas as a way to help Red adjust to life after serving his country. Having become disillusioned with military life following his service in Korea, it had taken some time for Red to readjust to civilian life when he had left the Navy in 1954.

The first three months at home had seen Red struggle to the point that most weekends had had him coming home bruised and bleeding from the numerous fights that he had gotten into at the bar on Friday and Saturday nights. In one those rare moments where Kitty's inner strength had manifested itself, Red's wife had presented him with a very forceful ultimatum after the final straw had come following a fight which had seen Red and three wind up in the hospital.

Thankfully, the owner of the bar had opted not to press charges for all the damage that had been caused. That had been due in part due to Kitty and the man's wife being close friends as well as members of the LOPPs. Instead, Kitty had offered Red services to repair the damage that had been done in the fight as compensation.

On the first day that Red had been about to leave to head down and start working on the repairs, Kitty had given Red the ultimatum: he had until the repairs were completed to sort himself out or he would be looking for a new home and a new wife. The look that Kitty had given him as well had told Red how serious his wife was about the situation. Never one to be told twice, Red had set about doing as his wife had told him. In one his quieter moments, Red would readily admit that helping repair the damage he'd caused had saved his life. It had come in the form of the friendship that he had formed with Jack Walton, the owner of the bar.

Jack Walton had served his country in another lifetime, fighting on the battlefields of Europe during what had been called the Great War, but later become known as World War One. Jack had signed up in 1915, when The U.S. had still remained neutral, serving in the Canadian armed three years that had followed would irrevocably change Jack and not for the better. Between what he personally witnessed and the acts that he engaged in while serving in Europe, Jack Walton would return home from the Great War a broken man in both body and soul.

Instead of returning home, Jack had spent the next two years wandering the U.S., trying to forget the horrors that he had witnessed and committed in another land. It was only when he arrived in Point Place that he was introduced to a young lady who would look into his eyes and see a man who was worth something. Marie Brennan, a lass of only eighteen years, would fall deeply in love with the battle-scarred man that had wandered into Point Place and would be his wife six months later.

Making peace with the darker side of his nature with the help of his wife, Jack would spend the next thirty-five years living in Point Place making his life there. Taking over as the owner of the bar that had belonged to Marie's family following the death of his father-in-law, Jack and Marie would raise their family of two girls and three boys through thick and thin.

When the Second Great War began and the U.S. entered the war following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, all of their children immediately joined the war effort as soon as they were old enough and and able to do so. Of Jack and Marie's children, only two wouldn't return home. Their middle son died on D-Day while making the landing at Normandy while their eldest daughter would die shortly after when the hospital ship she was serving on was sunk by the enemy.

Despite feeling the loss of his children more keenly then most, Jack and Marie were able to move forward with the return of their remaining children from the war. While their youngest son had elected to remain in the military, their other two children made the return to civilian life and eventually got married and had families of their own.

As Red had continued to help repair the damage to the bar, he had listened to Jack's stories and had told his own to the older man. At the end of each, Jack had given Red a piece of advice that Red would immediately take to heart; the respect for the grizzled war veteran growing each day that Red worked at the bar.

When the work was eventually finished, Jack and Red had cemented their friendship by celebrating with a barbecue and drinks at Jack's house that weekend. Since that day, their friendship would span another thirty-one years before Jack would pass away peacefully in his sleep at the age of ninety-five. Red had acted as one the pallbearers at Jack's funeral at Marie's request, the widow almost like a sister to Red.

As they had lowered Jack's coffin into the burial plot, Red had remembered the final piece of advice that Jack had given him at the barbecue after the repair had been finished. 'Whenever you feel as if the world is starting to close in on you,' Jack had said, 'find that one thing that gives you joy and open your heart to it fully. Over time, that feeling will go away. Life won't be the same, but by doing that one thing, it will make it much more bearable.'

Red had taken that advice to heart that day all those years ago and, when Kitty had suggested that Red take up grilling meat as a hobby, Red had taken to it with an enthusiasm and vigor that had surprised even his wife. As Red started up the grill master, he remembered some of the events that he had held over the years. To this day,he still felt that the two best barbecues that he had ever hosted were the ones that had come just after Laurie and Eric were born.

Laurie. Just the thought of his eldest child still hurt. While it had gladdened his heart to know that she was alive and okay, it still hurt that she had refused to come home and wouldn't tell them where she was either until she was good and ready -

"Hi, Daddy."

For a moment, Red thought that he was hearing things; his mind playing tricks on him. Turning to look in the direction of where the voice had come from, Red saw an older version of his daughter standing in front of him. Laurie stood there wearing a loose denim skirt, a nice cream shirt and a wollen jacket to keep herself warm.

"Laurie?" Red finally asked. "Is that really you, baby?"

Nodding as she smiled, Laurie said, "I'm home, Daddy."

Red Forman's world was whole once more. After spending what seemed a lifetime hugging his daughter, Red did something that he rarely ever did: he cried. Laurie had always been his favorite, despite the peace that he and Eric had made between one another over the years Jackie acting as a surrogate daughter.

But Red also knew that the woman that he held in his arms was not the young girl that he had last seen over ten years ago. This version of his daughter was someone who had been tested and had emerged a stronger person as a result. Whatever trials and tribulations Laurie had gone through, Red was overjoyed that it had finally brought his baby girl home.

Eventually, Red released Laurie and stepped back to make sure that what he was seeing was real. "How?" he asked, finally finding his voice.

Laurie smiled. "Eric and Jackie. It wasn't long after Eric came to see me that I decided that, at some point, I needed to come home and see you and Mom."

Red nodded, understanding all too well what had to happen when it was time to face the past, no matter how hard. "Have you seen your mother yet?" he asked.

"No, not yet," Laurie answered with a shake of her head. "I wanted to see you first, Daddy." Red was touched by the gesture and was about to say something when he noticed his daughter's larger than normal stomach.

Double-checking to make sure he wasn't going blind, Red asked, "Laurie, is there something else that you would like to tell me?" Her father's tone made Laurie want to giggle as she remembered all those years ago how he would speak to her and Eric after one misadventure or another.

Instead, Laurie smiled as she nodded. "Yes, Daddy, I'm pregnant. Twins again, as a matter of fact."

Feeling as though he was going to have another heart attack, Red couldn't believe what he was hearing. Twins? Mentally shaking his head clear, Red told his daughter, "That's wonderful news, sweetheart!" While Red was happy to learn that he was going to be a grandfather again, he was still struggling to comprehend his daughter's sudden return after so many years years away from home.

It was evident to Laurie as well that her father was struggling to process everything. It was something that she, Eric and Jackie had discussed at length and what the best course of action would be. "Daddy, I can see that you're having trouble trying to wrap your head around everything, so let me make a suggestion. Let's put everything on pause for the moment and, when everything is a lot calmer, you, me, Rob, Mom, Eric and Jackie will sit down and talk about everything. How does that sound?"

The peaceful calm with which his daughter spoke was another radical departure from the young girl that he remembered from over ten years ago. Finally Red made up his mind. "Okay," he nodded. "We'll do that. But, and this is a must, young lady, I will want to hear the whole story with nothing held back. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, Daddy," Laurie answered.

Letting out a heavy sigh of relief, Red nodded. "Alright, then, let's go inside and see your mother. Hopefully the shock of seeing you might actually give me that peace and quiet that I've wanting for some time." Laurie couldn't help but giggle at the mental image that the thought conjured up as father and daughter headed inside to join the rest of the family.

It is often said that absence make the heart grow fonder. In the case of the Forman clan, it was as if no time had passed at all for Kitty. Upon answering the front door to find her grandchildren and her daughter's partner standing there, Kitty had immediately welcomed them in as if she had known them their entire lives.

While EJ and Steph had been unsure of the older woman at first, mainly because she kind of looked like their mom, matters were quickly settled when Kitty had produced presents for each of them. While they were distracted with their gifts, Jackie had properly introduced Kitty and Rob to each other.

When Red and Laurie had walked in, Laurie had been expecting all kinds of recriminatory remarks to come out of her mother's mouth. Both she and Red were shocked when Kitty had simply walked up to her daughter, wrapped her arms around and simply told her, "Welcome home, Laurie." Embracing Kitty back, mother and daughter both felt the old animosities simply vanish as Laurie finally understood all that her mother had tried to do for her over the years while Kitty recognized that her daughter was a mature woman who had survived whatever it was she had gone through to present her with two gorgeous grandchildren for her and Red to dote on.

With everyone now inside, Eric quickly introduced Rob and Red to one another. Red had planned to give her daughter's partner the third degree, as any father would have done, but that idea quickly went to the wayside after Red saw how in love they were. The rest of the afternoon was spent with Red and Rob getting better acquainted and Eric playing mediator while Laurie and Jackie helped Kitty in the kitchen and kept an eye on EJ and Steph at the same time.

Promptly at six pm, Kitty called out that dinner was ready. Everyone filed in and quickly found a place at the table. Red and Kitty occupied their usual spots at either end of the table while Laurie and Jackie sat either of the Forman patriarch. Eric and Rob sat next to their respective spouses with EJ and Steph sitting either side of their grandmother.

It was in that moment that Red and Kitty felt whole once more. The next generation of Formans would be taught the traditions that had been passed down by the ones who had come before. And, while neither of them had expected it to be Laurie to be the one to continue the family line on first, they also knew that – at some point in the near future – Eric and Jackie would also add the Forman clan with children of their own.

After dinner, the entire family moved to the lounge room where everyone relaxed in their own way: Red, Eric and Rob watched the game while Jackie, Kitty and Laurie spent time with EJ and Steph. Once the game had finished, all the adults relaxed with drinks in the lounge room while the kids began to calm down. It was only when they started to doze off that Laurie and Rob decided that it was time to head home.

As Rob carried both kids outside, Kitty hugged her daughter while Red asked, "Are you going to be alright driving back home?" Laurie, Rob, Eric and Jackie all grinned as they looked at each other.

"Actually, Mom, we don't have far to go," Laurie told her parents. Both Red and Kitty had a confused look on their faces which, for once, Laurie was happy to correct without feeling bad or guilty or a combination thereof about doing so. "We're your new neighbors."

For a moment, her parents thought that this was one of those epic burns that the kids had always been yelling at each other after pulling some practical joke. The looks on Eric and Jackie's faces, however, told Red immediately that this wasn't one of those times. "Are you really home, Laurie?" he asked.

His smiling daughter nodding, Red went over, wrapped his arms around her and said, "Welcome home." Kitty simply went up, kissed Laurie, Rob and the kids on the cheek and waved goodbye while struggling not to cry. Once they had left, Jackie, Eric, Red and Kitty went back inside to lock up the house and head to bed, Eric and Jackie having arranged to stay the night in the spare bedroom before returning to Kenosha the next day.

After Kitty and Jackie had headed upstairs to get themselves sorted, Red turned to his son and beckoned him over to the bar. Sitting on the bar stool, Eric saw that his father had gotten out the rare and expensive bottle of scotch whisky that he had given Red as a gift years ago and was only brought out for special occasions. Pouring two glasses of the amber liquid, Red handed one to his son.

"Eric, today you gave your mother and I something that we never thought we would ever have: the gift of peace. Not only did your bring your sister home after all these years, but the fact that we know she is happy and safe and with a man who will love her and those children and take care of them no matter; it's as a weight has lifted from my shoulders and I can rest easy now knowing that all is right once more. Thank you, son."

Raising their glasses, Eric smiled and nodded. "Any time, Dad." Drinking down the whisky, Eric and Red put the glasses down on the bar, turned off the lights, and headed upstairs to join the woman they each loved with all their hearts.

A/N: I am so sorry that this chapter has taken me so long to finish and post! Between worker's comp, family dramas and a whole array of other issues, this chapter was also probably one of the hardest that I've written so far and I wanted to make sure that it came out how I wanted it to. A special thanks to DobbyVonDobberson for reaching out to me and making sure that I was okay. Only a couple more chapters to go and then the story will be completed. For now, however, enjoy the new chapter and I look forward to reading all the new comments.