- It has been far too long, my apologies.

Chapter 29

"What do you think?" Jackie asked, holding out a color card to him.

Eric shrugged and said, "This is your bedroom, not mine. You pick the color, I'm only the painter."

"Who knows, you might want to help pick the color. If you're lucky you'll be spending quite a bit of time in there in the future."

"I'm not a machine," Eric replied casually.

Jackie laughed at his usual stoic response and picked another color from the large pallet on the wall. They were in the Price Mart home décor section, the large aisle full of paint, brushes, and everything else one could need to remodel a room. "What about this?" she asked, showing him a forest green color.

"I don't know, just like I said before. You pick what you want."

"But I don't know what I want," Jackie said with a sigh, looking up and down the large pallet rack.

Eric nodded and put the card in his hand back on the rack. "You take as much time as you want, I need to get a cart so I can buy some plastic to cover your bed and dresser."

"Okay," she replied softly, her eyes still scanning the pallet for something she liked.

"Jackie?"

"Yeah?" She turned, expecting to find Eric, but instead Red was walking towards her with his hands in his jean pockets and shirt buttoned up tightly.

"Looking for paint I see."

Jackie nodded and pulled down an off color white with a small hint of blue in it. "I asked Eric what color he thought I should paint my room, but he simply said it was my choice and he was simply the labor."

Red grunted. "Is he around?"

She waved a hand behind her head aimlessly. "He's around here somewhere. He said something about getting a cart and buying some plastic."

"No doubt to cover your furniture."

"What do you think?" Jackie asked, handing the small card to him.

Red inspected it and said, "It's a nice color."

She removed another card from the rack and looked at it. "Aren't you supposed to be in the automotive department?"

"I'm on my lunch," he replied, putting the card back.

"Should I be at all worried that Eric might screw up painting my room?"

"No, he's helped me paint the garage a few times so I think he knows what he's doing."

Jackie nodded and pulled out a brighter blue card that was mixed with just a little white. "I like this one, what do you think?"

"Not bad," Red responded with an undignified grunt.

"I think I'll get this one."

Red took the card from her hand and looked at it. He turned around and walked away slowly and said, "I think the paint is over here,"

Jackie followed him down to the other end of the aisle and stopped when he pulled out two cans and set them on the floor.

"Here you go."

"Thanks, Mr. Forman."

"No problem." He looked around and snorted. "Where's Eric, he doesn't expect you to carry these does he?" When Jackie shrugged, he picked up both cans and said, "Well, we'll find his mangy ass and put them in the cart."

Not quite sure if Red was joking or not, Jackie stayed quiet and followed him around the aisle stand on the right. They both came to a halt as Eric almost hit them with a cart.

"There you are," Red said indignantly and placed the cans in the cart alongside a large role of plastic sheeting that teetered and almost fell out.

"Aren't you supposed to be working somewhere else?" Eric asked his father.

Red ignored his question and said, "Well, since you'll be painting her room, Eric, have you found her a place to sleep for a few days?"

"What?"

Squinting at his son, Red shook his head a second later in disgust. "You're painting her room, she can't sleep in there." When comprehension suddenly dawned on his son's face, he turned to Jackie and said, "You might as well stay over our place for a few days. I'd rather you didn't, but this dumb-ass forgot that you wouldn't have any place to sleep." He glared over to his son.

"I guess I forgot," Eric said,

"Forgot!" Red snorted loudly as he walked past him. "Being stupid is more like it."

Eric watched as his father disappeared around the corner and out of sight.

"He seems grouchier than normal," Jackie admitted.

"I think he's just bored, otherwise he wouldn't have wondered all the way into the paint aisle to help you."

"So he just calls you names and yells at you when he's bored."

Eric nodded. "It's his way of keeping things from getting dull. But enough of that, what I'm more concerned about is the fact that he invited you to stay at our house while I'm painting your room."

"I think he felt sorry for me." When his eyebrows rose slightly, she said, "He feels sorry for me that I've put my confidence in you to paint my room."

"Well, I doubt he expects I can do it."

Jackie smiled and said, "No, I asked him that and he said you'd do a good job."

"My dad praised my painting skills?" Eric asked with a laugh. "Yeah right!"

"He did," she replied back quickly.

"I'll believe it when pigs fly."

"Then maybe we'll get Michael to drop one from the water tower just to be sure."

Eric laughed softly and pushed the cart forward. "Genetically enhanced pigs are far off."

Jackie slapped his forearm playfully as she walked beside him towards the checkout. "You know, I wonder if your mother will let me stay in your room."

"Hyde and Sam are in the house too. No, you'll more than likely get Laurie's room."

She placed her right hand on his left as he pushed the cart. "I can always slip over in the middle of the night."

"Or I could slip over," Eric replied with a grin.

"Well, either way we won't be too far away from each other."

"I know," he said, brushing her ear with his lips as he made sure no one could see them.

Her neck tingled for a second, and then was replaced by warmth that made her cheeks go red. "Eric," she warned softly as he tickled her ear with his nose.

"What, and here I thought I was the one who would be afraid of public affection."

Jackie looked around nervously and said, "I don't mind public affection, but not in the same place your father works."

"What's he going to do if he sees us?"

"I don't know; maybe make you sleep outside in a tent!"

"Oh," Eric said, and then removed his nose from her ear. "Sorry."

She smiled at his apology and tapped his hand again. "No need to be sorry, just use some of that common sense once and a while."

"Pigs must fly."

"What?"

He looked at her a grin evilly. "Pigs must be flying, because you're using more common sense than me. You're a hopeless romantic aren't you, and common sense doesn't really apply to you."

"It's your fault you know," she said. "If you had just left me alone I would still be that innocent little girl. Damn you for ruining me!" She laughed at him.

"Innocent? You!?" He snorted in laughter as he pushed the cart up to the checkout and removed his wallet.

Jackie swatted his forearm instead of saying something that the teller might overhear.

Once Eric paid for everything and they were out of the store and heading for the vehicle, she said. "I need to pack a few things if I'm going to be staying with you."

Eric nodded and opened the hatch of the Vista Cruiser. He slipped in the paint and plastic and said, "We'll drop these things off at your apartment and then I'll help you pack a few things. Or many things if you prefer."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked with a hand on her hip as he walked back from the cart deposit.

"What else does it mean; it means that you're materialistic."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Not really, but I'd hate to pull my back carrying out your luggage before I got a chance to paint your room."

She simply shook her head, grinning the whole time as she walked around the vehicle and got in. It took mere minutes to get back to her apartment, she carrying both cans of paint up while he maneuvered the plastic role into the elevator awkwardly.

"What a pain in the ass this thing is," Eric commented as he exited the elevator behind her and waited by the door while she unlocked it. When she opened the door and allowed him to pass through, he greeted Fez with a grunt and went to Jackie's room. He dropped the role on her bed and said, "That's it, no more lifting for me today."

"What about my luggage?" Jackie asked from out in the kitchen as she set the paint on the counter.

"You'll just have to manage by yourself," Eric replied with a grin as he exited the bedroom and leaned on the counter with one hand.

"Manage what?" Fez interrupted as he walked up to the other side of the counter.

Jackie said, "Since Eric is painting my room, I'll be staying at his house."

Fez looked to Eric and frowned. "And your parents are okay with this?"

"Actually, it was Red who extended the offer," Jackie said.

"I find that hard to believe," Fez replied with a laugh.

Eric said, "It's true." When Fez's laughter died, he nodded to his foreign friend. The young man shook his head in disbelief a second later.

"Well, you two don't mind giving me a hand, do you?" Jackie asked, entering her room and pulling out her luggage from the closet.

"I don't know, do I have to touch your unmentionables?" Eric asked with raised eyebrows as he leaned on the door jam.

"Why, do you not want to?" she shot back with a mischievous grin.

"I'd prefer to if they were on you."

"Please stop," Fez groaned in discomfort as he stepped into the bedroom. "I'll help her pack, Eric, otherwise it's likely you two will find yourselves out of your clothes before you know it."

Jackie laughed along with Eric as Fez closed the door, suddenly cutting off Eric's laughter. "Sorry Fez," she said a second later while unzipping her luggage.

"You better be, that was beyond uncomfortable."

"We were just having a little fun."

Fez crossed his arms while she went her closet and pulled out her jeans. "You may just think it's fun, but I'm the one who has to keep a secret, and neither of you are very concerned about acting civil around me."

"But you know about us," Jackie replied, tossing her jeans into the luggage bag and heading to her dresser.

"You don't get it. I may know about the two of you, but that doesn't mean I'm comfortable with it. When I see you two act like that it makes my skin crawl. You're Jackie, he's Eric. You're supposed to be making crude jokes at the expense of one another."

"Okay, I'm sorry Fez."

"No, sorry isn't enough."

Jackie removed some socks from her dresser drawer and put them in her luggage bag. "Sorry will have to be enough."

"Maybe for you, but it isn't for me." When Jackie turned to him and frowned, he took a deep breath. "I know our relationship didn't last very long, but I knew you well enough to know that this isn't really you."

"What if it is, Fez? What if being with Eric lets me be who I really am? I've never felt so free and relaxed in my life."

"Even with all this secrecy?"

Jackie nodded and smiled. "Yes, even with the secrecy he makes me feel accepted and loved."

Fez couldn't begin to understand what she meant by that as he had never been in love. Sure, he had held a fascination over Jackie for so long that he had persuaded himself that he was in love with her, but it was a pipe dream that years of obsession had warped. "I'm skeptical to believe you when you tell me you're in love with him, simply from common sense, but they way you look and talk to one another makes it seem as if you've been together for years."

Shrugging, Jackie went back to filling up her luggage bag.

"Please don't shrug it off. I'd like to know more, you know I need to know more."

She put in a few undergarments and couple of pajama bottoms. "We told you the details would stay between us."

"Come on, why can't you tell me? I promise I won't say anything."

"And I promised Eric the same thing," Jackie said softly while folding a few shirts and sticking them into the luggage. She buckled it up quickly and opened the other one.

"Are we not friends?" Fez pleaded.

"Don't try to guilt me into telling you, and don't pull that puppy dog routine. I won't fall for it."

"Come on, just tell me," he whined.

"You can leave!" she said loudly, spinning towards him and staring hard.

Fez, being the emotional fool he was, snapped back. "Fine, I'll leave."

Eric sat on the couch as the door to the bedroom opened and he turned his head. Fez walked out purposefully and went to the main door. The foreigner opened the door and slammed it shut as he entered the hallway. Curious, Eric stood up and went to Jackie's room. He crossed his arms and stood by the door while she closed up the luggage on her bed. "What happened?" he asked.

"Oh, Fez was just being pigheaded." She grabbed a bag from her desk and went past Eric and into the bathroom.

"How so?" he asked as she passed him again and went into her bedroom with her toothbrush and toothpaste in hand.

Jackie slipped her bathroom utilities into the bag and threw them onto the bed in frustration. "I wish he'd grow up!"

"Fez?" Eric asked, stepping into the room.

"Yes!"

He could see she was angry and he gently touched her arm. When she didn't pull away, he embraced her gently and put his arms around her shoulders protectively. "I'm sorry."

Pulling back, she looked up at him with a frown. "What do you have to be sorry about?"

"I know he stalked out of here because it had something to do with us."

"How are you so smart?" she asked with a smile, reaching up and twirling a lock of his hair with her right index finger.

"I read a lot," he replied with a tight grin.

"Well, no matter how it happened, I think you're brain is sexy."

"Wow, Jackie Burkhart just said she liked a man because of his brain and not his looks." He interlaced his fingers behind her back and held her out at arms length. "You know, I always thought you the type who would find herself a geek one day."

"You're not a geek," she said with a smile and placed her right palm over his heart.

"Believe it or not, through all that I've been through, I'm still geek at heart."

Jackie pulled herself closer to him and whispered tenderly into his shirt. "Well, you were the one who just said you thought I'd end up with a geek. Lucky I found myself a geek with some muscle on him."

Eric laughed and kissed her gently. He pulled back and said, "Fez is right though, if we linger like this we'll end up doing what he thought we might."

"Quit avoiding the word like it's the plague," Jackie said with a chortle as she pulled herself out of his arms and went back to her closet. "Like I said before, it's called sex and we don't have to be shy talking about it."

He watched as she removed her coat she was wearing and hung it up. "Fine, I'll say it. Sex, sex, sex, and sex."

"Don't cheapen it."

"The word itself is dirty. It's not socially acceptable to talk about sex in public, so why should I be expected to use the word in private?"

"Don't be so stubborn," she commented and went to her makeup counter. Quickly putting her supplies into a smaller luggage carrier, she turned to him and said, "I'll talk about sex whenever I feel like it, and you'll respond in kind when appropriate. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am," he replied with a half smile and grabbed her luggage off the bed. He went to the door and exited the bedroom, setting the luggage by the door to the hallway while she finished up. To be honest with himself, he didn't mind taking orders from Jackie. It kept arguing to a minimum, and most of the time her instructions weren't terribly unreasonable.

"Well?" Jackie exclaimed as she exited her room.

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to argue your point?"

Eric looked at her strangely and said, "No, why would I do that?"

"You're a man, don't you all like getting the last word in."

He shook his head a smiled. "I'm sorry to say this Jackie, but I never got the last word in as a child so it's more than likely to continue throughout my adulthood."

She grinned and walked around the counter and to the door. "So you don't mind me bossing you around?"

He shrugged. "I can say that it really doesn't bother me. I've been taking orders my whole life."

"I'd like this to be a mutual relationship," Jackie replied.

Eric crossed his arms and stared at her incredulously. "Mutual relationship? There are a ton of things that are mutual, but when it comes to you asking for something to be done, I'd rather do it than put up an argument."

Jackie smiled and said, "You're father trained you well."

"No, not trained, scarred." He grinned back as he opened the door for her. As she went through, he following likewise with both her large luggage bags, he grunted in exertion. "What about Fez?"

"What about me?" Fez asked, popping into view suddenly.

"Oh," Eric exclaimed in half surprise. "I was just wondering if the door should be locked or not. Actually, why don't you come along, Fez, we could hang out in the basement once I get Jackie settled in."

"Oh no," Fez replied, moving between the two of them and going into the apartment. "I will not sit around while you two look at each other with bedroom eyes."

"We'll promise not to," Jackie said.

"No. Thanks for the offer and all, but no."

Eric sighed and nodded goodbye to Fez, who shut the door loudly. He turned to Jackie and frowned. "He's pretty upset."

"That's Fez though."

He nodded and walked down the hallway and to the elevator, Jackie not more than a few steps behind. "I hope no one else takes it quite like that."

Jackie entered the elevator with him and pressed the button for the bottom floor. "I don't think anyone will get quite as upset as Fez, but they'll be upset none the less. Well, save Michael of course, he'll find it ironic that Fez will have been the only one not to sleep with me. Then he'll make fun of Fez until the cows come home."

He grinned at her words and said, "We'll have to sleep together before that can happen."

"Then we'll have to do it soon."

"Don't raise my hopes," he replied with a laugh.

"You'll raise all right," she stated flatly, then backed out of the elevator with an evil grin.

"Don't put words in your mouth you can't back up," he shouted from inside the elevator as he struggled with the luggage. She was already out the front door when he finally got the luggage out of the elevator and into the small lobby. Her ignorance of holding the door open for him was on purpose, and when he got to the car, he grunted.

"Hey, don't be angry at me. You started it."

Eric rolled his eyes and put the luggage in the back, quickly closing the hatch and going to the driver's side. Once Jackie was in he started the engine and pulled the car onto the street and headed for home.

It took longer than usual as the streets were unusually busy, but by the time they got to his house his parent's car was in the garage and he had to park in the driveway. Stepping out of the vehicle and heading to the back to get her luggage, he looked over to her as she got out. "It's not my fault you keep bringing up sex."

"Shh, you're mother might be inside."

He sighed with a smile and removed the luggage, then deftly carried it to the door while Jackie held her makeup carrier and moved the sliding door aside for him.

"Thank you," he said, entering past her and dropping the luggage by the table.

"Eric," Kitty exclaimed, turning around from the fridge. She was in the middle of putting groceries away. "What's with the luggage?" she asked.

Eric said, "Jackie is going to be staying with us for a bit until I finish painting her bedroom."

"You should ask your father first," Kitty said, looking at her son as if he had lost his brain.

"Actually," Jackie replied, walking in, "Red was the one who invited me."

Kitty couldn't believe it and tossed the notion aside. "No he didn't sweetie."

"He did, mom," Eric said.

When Mrs. Forman frowned, Jackie nodded vehemently. "We saw him at Price Mart and he said since Eric was such an idiot and didn't think ahead, he thought it was son's obligation to find me a place to stay. And since he was sure Eric would more than likely not do anything, he insisted that I stay here."

Looking at the two of them with penetrating eyes, she nodded. She knew when her son was lying to her, but Jackie was pretty good at it she had found out in the past. Believing them would have been hard for it not for her son, who looked sheepish. "Okay," she said with a sudden smile, "I believe you, but I'll talk to Red about it later. Why don't you go put Jackie's luggage up in Laurie's room, Eric?" Her son nodded and walked past her and to the living room.

"Thanks for having me," Jackie said softly as she placed her makeup on the counter.

"It's no bother, dear. It will be great to have you around. Now, did Red really invite you?"

Jackie smiled and said, "He did."

"That makes no sense."

"He always been able to tolerate me," Jackie said.

"Maybe so, but to him you're just another mouth to feed."

Shrugging yet again, Jackie said, "Whatever his reasoning was, I'm just thankful I have a place to stay for a few days."

Kitty let her suspicions and worry drop. "Well, since you'll be here for a bit, I think it's important we get you settled in. Come along, we'll help Eric get you set up."

Jackie nodded and followed after Mrs. Forman, through the living room and up the stairs. As they entered Laurie's room, Eric was sitting on the bed with the luggage by his feet. "You can unpack that you know."

Eric turned to his mother and Jackie and said, "They're not my clothes."

"Then let me help her while you put the rest of groceries away," Kitty said.

"Fine," he replied, and then left without another word.

Jackie smiled and with help of Mrs. Foreman put the luggage on the bed and opened it. "He takes orders really well," she said with a laugh.

Kitty nodded and pulled out Jackie's shirts and went to the closet. "Like father like son." After she pulled aside the closet door and hung the young girl's shirts, she turned to Jackie and frowned. "Did Eric spend the night at your apartment last night?"

Stopping dead in her tracks, Jackie looked at Mrs. Forman, knowing that her shock made her instantly guilty. "He did," she gave in, "but we didn't do anything. Fez was there too, you could ask him."

The young girl's nervousness caused a smile to split her lips, and she instantly put Jackie's worry to rest. "I'm not concerned about that. I saw Eric leave around midnight and I was curious to where he went."

Jackie relaxed and found an empty drawer to put her undergarments. "Nothing gets by you, does it?"

"Not in this house," Kitty replied. Reaching into the luggage and removing a few pairs of the young girl's jeans, she wandered to the near empty dresser and put them away. "I figured he did, but I just wanted to be sure. I'm his mother and it's only natural that I worry."

"He's lucky to have you," Jackie said passively while lifting the other luggage bag onto the bed and opening it.

Kitty could tell by the tone of her voice that Jackie wasn't entirely comfortable with her last statement. "I worry about you too, don't think I don't worry."

"It's not that."

"I know, sweetie, but you should know that I do. I'd worry about you even if you weren't in love with my son. I worry about everyone, it's in my nature."

Jackie smiled and continued unpacking. "Thanks."

Nodding, Kitty finished helping Jackie unpack and went to the door. "Just remember, if you two do decide to spend the night together, the bed in here is a queen. Eric's is only a twin."

Jackie stood mouth agape as Mrs. Forman smiled and closed the door on her way out.