Chapter 30 – Reckoning

"We need to talk."

Startled, Donna turned around, her burger flying off into Red's lap. "I'm sorry…what?"

Eric repeated, "We need to talk."

Donna held up her empty plate. "Now? I was getting a burger."

Said cooked burger was still sitting in Red Forman's lap as his expression was one of distaste. Who wasted a good piece of meat these days? He slid the burger onto an extra plate and decided to give it to the foreign kid. "Go talk." He waved his spatula. "There will still be food here when you get back. Trust me."

Donna felt very exposed. Her dark hair was still a mess and the scar on her forehead was throbbing. She hadn't anticipated talking to Eric this early and wasn't prepared. He didn't look particularly happy so she sighed and decided to just get this conversation over so she could fly to Paris with no worries.

"Over by the basketball hoop?" Donna suggested.

"After you." Eric agreed.

Donna walked on stilted legs and positioned herself so the party wouldn't be able to see her side of the conversation. She touched the pole of the old basketball hoop – good times were had here. Meanwhile, Eric came up on the other side of the pole, close but not touching and he was also turned away from the inevitable listening audience.

"So…." He said beginning the conversation.

Donna looked at his face. Really looked at the face she hadn't seen in months and he looked surprisingly good. He was healthy, dressed well and was he wearing…..confidence? "So." She answered softly. "You want answers."

He stuck a hand in his jeans pocket and replied. "I think I deserved something more than a letter….don't you?"

Donna ran a shaky hand through her cap of short dark hair. "Well, at the time, I had to go and we weren't…it was the…I thought there would be less drama if I just left you a note."

"Donna." Eric began. "Are you serious? We spent ten years together and you were afraid to talk to me? But actually, I have to thank you."

Donna looked startled. "What? Thank me for what? According to all accounts and the messages I'm getting from our friends and your family, I ruined your life!"

Eric had a grin on his face. "Yeah…you ruined my old life and while I had a lot of time to….reflect…I'm actually a much happier guy now. I've made some changes…"

"You sold our house." She said with a tinge of bitterness.

He lifted a brow, "Why do you care? You hated it. Did you want money? I'll write you a check." Eric sighed and rubbed his eyes with the knuckles of one hand.

Taken aback, Donna said, "No, I don't want your money. You could have told me you were selling."

He held his hands with his palms out. "And how was I supposed to tell you? I didn't even know where the hell you were?"

Irritably, Donna answered, "Didn't Jackie tell you about Berlin?"

Eric frowned, "No. Why would she tell me about that?"

"Because she was there. She saw me and she didn't tell you?" Now Donna was getting slightly pissed.

Eric shrugged. "I remember she was there for a BMW photo shoot and no, she didn't tell me she saw you. Apparently, now I feel the need to ask her about it."

Donna reached out and touched his arm. "Don't. Please don't. It's no big deal. So, what do you want from me? An apology? I'm sorry."

Eric looked at his ex-wife and she just seemed like a stranger. Somebody he used to know. The tall blonde that he had taken to dinner last Thanksgiving was gone. The woman that shared a house with him and joked about radio public announcements – disappeared. An apology? No, he wanted an explanation but it seemed that nothing Donna could say would make him want to go back and revisit his old life. He was so much better for all the turmoil the divorce put him through. He had new friends, a new business, a new house and a promised girlfriend.

Eric smiled. "You know what Donna? There is nothing you can do or say that would change the last few months and I don't think I want to change it so again, thank you."

Donna's mouth fell open. "What?

Eric took a step back. "Go to New York like you always wanted." Thoughtfully, he rubbed his chin. "Have your life and I wish you success. But remember, Point Place was never the hell you thought it was. There are good people here and they worried about you. I forgive you."

Eric pivoted on his heel and walked back to the smiling face of his girlfriend. Like Jackie said, she was the future and Donna was the past and Eric just locked the door.

September 1993

Paris

"Is it still itching?" Donna set the wine glass down on the bedside table. The white leg cast was propped on mountains of pillows as Anna tried to get comfortable. "Yes, it's worse than before but this is my third surgery….you'd think I would be used to it."

Donna smiled. "I wish I could have been there for the first."

Anna covered Donna's hand. "No you don't. It was a half ass surgery by a third rate doctor with no anesthesia or antibiotics. I nearly died." She smiled at Donna's concerned expression. "I don't remember a lot, I'm told it was due to the concussion but later….I tried to find you. No one knew where you were. I thought you were one of the casualties."

Donna brushed the soft brown hair from Anna's forehead and kissed the similar scar. "I thought the same thing about you. Thank goodness Henrik found you!" Anna squeezed the fingers of the caring hand and a flash from the television caught her eye. "It's that commercial."

Donna turned to see a page of her history on the TV screen. A little baby with bright green eyes and dark hair was being carefully shampooed by her father. Jackie Burkhart was smiling and touting the baby care product. Near the end of the commercial was a picture of a trio of joyful faces of the new Forman family. Anna clicked off the television with the remote. "He seems happy enough and the baby is a darling."

Donna reached across the bed covers to pull Hyde's package towards her. "Yeah, apparently Eric's comic book shop is doing well and he's branching off into commercials. Who would've thought that he would hook up with Jackie?"

Anna pulled a magazine from the package. "Look how slim your friend Michael is. Wasn't he the guy that ran the race?"

Donna grinned at the picture of Michael Kelso holding a trophy for fastest time at the Wisconsin Annual 10K Run. A thirteen year old Betsy was holding a ribbon of her own and Fez was goofing in the background. Donna touched Kelso's face – the man was model thin and oozed of confidence. She wished him well.

"Do you miss being home?" Anna asked quietly. Donna turned and kissed the soft cheek. "No, I'm in Paris in a lovely apartment with you. I. Am. Home."

❄ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ❄ ¸.•*

Two year old Bella Forman sat on her Grandmother's lap holding the story book. "Again." The little voice commanded. Kitty smiled and smoothed the brunette curls on the small head. "Of course sweetie, let me have the book."

Bella opened the picture book to the page with her daddy's face and Kitty started the story over again. "Once upon a time there was a boy and a girl who didn't like each other very much." She turned the page, "Never in their life would they imagine what the future held. One day the man said, "What if….?"

Kitty looked down to see tiny eyes closing and she said softly. "….and they lived happily ever after."

The End.