Disclaimer: I do not have any rights regarding that 70's show

August 1985

Jackie tapped her tiny foot impatiently against the soft carpet as she stared at the clock on the wall of the coffee shop. She was almost half an hour early she knew but she couldn't stand being cooped up in her apartment any longer. She tore her eyes away from the clock muttering under her breath about watched pots never having the decency to boil and gently circled the rim of her coffee cup with her pink fingernail.

"Well, here I was thinking I might be too early," said a warm soft voice behind her. She spun around in her seat to look at William Barnett. "Don't even think of getting up," he said giving her temple a quick, fatherly kiss and then sitting in the chair across from her. As nervous as she was about seeing anyone from her past again, she was relieved that he seemed glad to see her. " Jackie Burkhart, its been quite a while," he said with a smile. "So what have you been up to these days? The last thing I heard was that you took a job as a weather girl for Channel 5, here in Chicago," he added as he raised gestured to the one and only waitress to give him whatever Jackie was having.

" Yeah I did. I actually moved over to wardrobe though; being a weather girl didn't really suit me. This way I at least have control over what the anchors wear, some of that stuff is so ugly," Jackie said with false brightness. She felt her stomach doing flip flops as she took a sip of her coffee, she was still trying to figure out what and how much to tell Steven Hyde's father.

" I was surprised to get your call, yesterday," he said smiling his thanks to the waitress and sipping on his coffee. "Jackie, I'm not going to bite. Did you get fired or something? If you need a job I'd be happy to get you one with my company; I might be retired but they still take orders from the ol' chief here," He added sipping his coffee. "You don't need to be ashamed to ask. Times are hard and I'd be pleased to help out," Mr. Barnett said with a genuine smile.

" Actually, my jobs going really well. I'm up for a promotion. I'm actually trying to get a hold of Steven," Jackie said pushing her dark hair behind her ears. Mr. Barnett's eyes widened and he looked at a loss for words. "I know he doesn't want to talk to me and I completely understand that. We didn't part on the best of terms. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't really, really important," Jackie said looking him in the eye.

"Its been almost five years, Jackie. Why do you want to get a hold of him now?" Mr. Barnett said with confusion dancing in his dark brown eyes. Jackie bit her bottom lip and opened her purse; after a moment she handed him a photo of her and a young girl taken in the park earlier that year. "She's beautiful. Is she your daughter?" he said admiring the photo. Jackie nodded and took a deep breath.

"She's also the reason I've been trying to get a hold of Steven. She's his daughter," Jackie said trying and failing to sound matter of fact. "I know I should have told him sooner but I was so mad and so hurt I didn't want to so....... I just didn't," She finished in a rush her eyes searching his face trying to determine whether he was going to ask a lot of questions or go storming out of the coffee shop.

" I have a granddaughter?" he said after a few moments of examining the photo. Jackie slowly nodded, still unsure about what she was going to say or do. "Can I see her?" Mr Barnett asked looking up at Jackie with a hesitant smile. Jackie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"I live up the block," Jackie said with a relieved smile.

"Stephanie! Mommy's home," Jackie called out hanging up her jacket by the front door. " Do you want some coffee?" Jackie asked Mr. Barnett as he laid his jacket over the back of her recliner. He looked at her and raised a skeptical eyebrow. " My neighbor made it for me just a little bit ago," she said laughing. "She likes to drink it while she baby sits. Says it gives her an edge when it comes to keeping up with Stephanie," she added noting his relief. "See, the world hasn't ended just yet," she teased as two children came running into the living room squealing with laughter.

"I'm glad your home, Jackie. I'm gonna take my little ball of fire home and leave you to yours," said a blond haired woman trying to catch her breath as she came into the room. "Oh, hello," the woman said noting Mr. Barnett's presence with surprise. " I'm Megan Holmes, I live next door," the woman explained shaking Mr. Barnett's hand.

"Its nice to meet you, Megan;" Mr Barnett said with a slight smile. "I take it the little boy is your son?" he added as Jackie gave Stephanie a quick kiss on the cheek.

" Yeah, Nathan's Stephanie's age and all boy. It was nice to meet you but I gotta get out of here. Its past nap time," Megan said blushing. "Jackie, you got two calls while you were out. One was from work and the other was from someone named Donna. I left the messages by the phone," she added opening the front door.

"Thanks, Megan. I appreciate it," Jackie said honestly. Her friend gave her a wink and while Stephanie was asking Mr Barnett important questions like why does his beard have white in it, mouthed 'he's cute' before leaving. Jackie stifled a groan as she anticipated the conversation she'd have with her friend later explaining that Mr. Barnett wasn't her date. " Stephanie honey. I'd like you to meet Mr. Barnett. He's a friend of Mommy's," Jackie said forcing a smile on her face while she convinced herself to go ahead with her plan. Mr. Barnett knelt down in front of Stephanie, seemingly at a loss for words. " He's also your Daddy's, daddy," she told her daughter. Stephanie looked at him carefully for a moment before shrugging and returning to her room to play. Feeling suddenly weary, Jackie leaned against the counter. "She'll probably ask a lot of questions later," Jackie said quietly.

"Why didn't you tell Steven about her?" Mr. Barnett asked cocking his head quizzically to one side. "I know you two parted badly but I think he'd have wanted to know this," he said in a puzzled tone, lowering himself slowly onto her couch. Jackie nodded in partial agreement.

"Steven would have wanted to know about her whether or not we were together sure but he was convinced that I had slept with Fez too," she explained sitting next to him. "And I didn't. I was in a tough spot and didn't want to go through all that drama just to have him pull the ol' its not my baby defense out. Besides, having a baby is a commitment. Steven was never a commitment kinda guy. At least not with me," Jackie said with the brightest smile she could fake.

"He would have done right by you, Jackie. I know my boy would have;" Mr Barnett said thoughtfully.

"In the end, your probably right; he would have but like I said I was hurt and angry too. I also had to think of someone else instead of myself though. For the first time in my life," she said trying her best not to sounded desperate. She just needed him to know all of her reasons for doing everything she had done. He looked like he was about to say something but Jackie cut him off. "Being commitment phobic with me is one thing. I didn't want it Stephanie getting messed up because her father ran hot and cold with her. I just wanted to give her the best shot I could. Having one messed up parent is bad enough, why double up on it?" Jackie said teasingly. "Anyway, that's why I'm trying to get a hold of Steven. I don't want anything from him. We don't need money or anything like that. I just want him to know about her. I'm leaving the choice up to him with no pressure,"Jackie said wringing her hands.

"Let me see what I can do. I'll give him a call and let him know," Mr. Barnett said thoughtfully. "Either way Steven decides; I'm going to spoil my grandbaby rotten," he added with a firm smile.

"How many times did the Dark One call?" Eric shouted up the stairs to Donna. He reached out a hand to help a very pregnant Donna down the steps only to be pushed away.

" Four times, I was surprised each time," Donna answered sitting carefully at the table. "You guys were done with the circle right?" Donna asked Eric with a grin.

"Yeah, its now safe for preggos and small children down here," Eric said looking smug. "Ow! Donna, that hurt !" He squealed rubbing his shoulder where she'd hit him.

" I hate that word: Preggo. I'm not a can of Spaghetti sauce for crying out loud," said Donna in a mippish tone.

"Forman, you still suck. Your wife's eight months pregnant and can still kick your ass. You wuss," Hyde snickered leaning back in his chair as he shuffled the deck of playing cards. "So do either of you know who Fez's new squeeze is? Aren't we supposed to meant the unfortunate creature tonight?" he added as Eric took a seat.

"Yeah, I haven't met her before but all Fez keeps talking about is how big her boobs are and how she gives him tons of candy. So I am leaning towards pasty blimp myself any ideas?" Eric asked picking up the cards Hyde just dealt him. Donna shook her head and although she rolled her eyes; she made no comment.

"Like I said, Unfortunate. Either A) she's a blimp or B) she's unfortunate because Fez is stalking her. Either way she's got my pity," Hyde said pretending to pay attention to his cards. "So what did Yoko want anyway?" he asked trying to appear disinterested.

"I don't know Mrs. Foreman talked to her," Donna said laying cards down on the table appearing uncertain. "After our last meeting, I'm surprised she'd even call," she muttered.

"Oh well, probably not important anyway;" Hyde said stretching. "Eric, you gonna play those cards man or save them for your kids?"

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," Eric said distractedly. "Maybe Satan gave her a promotion," he said drawing a card from the deck. Hyde snickered but otherwise made no comment.

"Donna! Phone call for you! Its Jackie again, she says she's returning your call," Mrs Forman shouted down the stairs.

"You called her back. That's just great, its like inviting a vampire into the house. We'll never be rid of her," Eric grumbled as Donna waddled over to the phone. "I suppose you know that now we're going to need a priest to bless the place," he sniped shaking his head.

"Eric, shut up;" Donna said picking up the telephone and sitting on the couch. "Thank you, Mrs. Forman;" Donna shouted. " Hey, what's going on?" She said after hearing Mrs. Forman hang up the other phone.

"I'm sorry to be bothering you, Donna" Jackie said reluctantly. "I know you guys asked me never to bother you again but its important. Do you guys still speak to Steven?" She said after a tense pause.

"Yeah, he comes by about once a week why?" Donna asked pointing at Hyde and silently laughing.

" Would he get a letter if I mailed it to the Foreman's?" Jackie asked in a rush.

"Jackie, I don't think that's a good idea......"Donna began grimacing into the phone.

" I have to let him know something and then I'll leave him the hell alone ok? I'm so not trying to rekindle any kinda flame;" Jackie reassured her defensively.

" Oh, if that's all then," Donna said forcing the phone into Hyde's hand as he walked by to go to the bathroom, ignoring his murderous glare.

" This better be good," Hyde grumbled giving every appearance of someone both displeased and put upon. Inside he was dancing until Jackie told him the reason for her call, then all the color drained from his face. "Okay, that qualifies," he said after a moment much to both Eric and Donna's burning curiosity. "When and where?" he asked scribbling something Donna couldn't make out on a pad of paper Mrs Foreman insisted stay by the phone. "Okay," he said tearing the sheet of paper off the pad and putting it into his pocket.

"Hyde, are you okay?" Donna asked with concern as he grabbed his coat.

"What? Oh, yeah I just gotta go;" Hyde said zipping up his jacket. " Foreman, don't smoke all my weed man!" Hyde warned him sternly as he hurried out.

"What the Hell did she say to him?" Eric asked Donna. Donna shrugged appearing mystified.