Bunny1's fan fiction challenge #2 for our '70s fan fic board (check reviews

section for URL address if you'd like to join our forum.) "What if?" challenge.

What if during the episode "Time is On My Side", Jackie actually had tried to help Eric not fall off the tower, but, he fell anyway, bringing her down with him?

The only real parameters is that she gets hurt worse than him

xXx

It started out as a little field trip to the water tower to fund Eric Forman's "year off". Previously, Donna had thrown her diamond engagement ring somewhere in the grassy mess below. The whole gang was helping look for the petite little diamond ring.

Eric was still miffed that Jackie insulted his choice of a sweater vest. He thought he looked rather dashing in the white long sleeved shirt with the stiff collar that was the background for his tan sweater vest.

Kelso had suggested re-enacting the scene when Eric's ex-fiancée' threw the ring from the tower. Kelso was planning on becoming a police officer but then he also wanted to wear a firecracker suit so Eric was not exactly supportive of his plans. However, this was a better plan than anyone else had.

Hours later and after much discussion about why Fez ate all the M & M's, Kelso threw his keys into the woods. This was not going well! On top of not finding the ring, Eric was starving!

"Eric, here's a bag I found." Fez graciously handed over the bag of Cheetos. Eric was almost ecstatic. "Oh…oh thanks Fez…." He popped a couple of the fluorescent orange snacks into this mouth. "Mmm. Yeah, this is so good. Yeah, good Cheetos!"

Fez was trying not to laugh, "You like them? Really? Cause I found 'em in the woods and they were damp!" Eric stopped eating and looked at the bag while Fez continued. "It's like something peed on them…"

Eric threw up a little in his mouth. Kelso started laughing, "AWESOME! Eric ate Peetos!" The group laughed at Eric's expense and he quickly threw down the bag of "Peetos.

Jackie and Fez continued to make fun of the size of the mini-diamond and with the nasty taste of the Peeto's still in his mouth, Eric was getting irritated. He turned to his friends, "OK! Enough about the ring - Obviously, it was worth enough for me to pay for my year off." He turned to Jackie. "AND according to Esquire magazine…sweater vests are IN!" Eric went to turn back and suddenly, he tripped and the water tower railing fell. Eric was teetering on the edge of the tower and the abyss below.

Desperately, he started swinging his arms trying to find his balance. "Jackie, Help!" Jackie was the closet friend to him but she cried, "Get away! You touched Peeto's." She tried to back up but Eric's fingers snagged the bottom of her multicolored blouse. She shrieked, "Ahh! Let go of me!"

The momentum of Eric's fall pulled Jackie with him and together they landed with a thud. For five quiet seconds no one spoke. The friends on the tower were in shock.

Jackie looked up in the night sky, her cheek lying against the ugly sweater vest. "Eric, am I dead? I have a sweater vest touching me so I MUST BE IN HELL!"

Eric rubbed his head with his hand and could have sworn he was lying on a branch. "Hey, we're alive, that branch must have broken our fall." Jackie reached out and punched Eric with her right arm. "You idiot! That's my arm you're laying on and I think it's broken!"

Eric started to move and Jackie shrieked. "STOP! You're making it worse." Eric laid back down and Jackie shouted again, "Quit moving! DONNA! Get your lumberjack legs down here and peel your boyfriend off me!"

Eric heard all of his friends scrambling down the ladder hollering reassurances that help was on the way. Eric looked to his right and was staring at a pair of very angry colored eyes. She glared at him, "What made you think I would possibly help you? Twig Boy!"

Eric opened his mouth to say something but Jackie was on a rant. "Look at this, my clothes are ruined, my hair is messed up and oh look…a diamond. I found the diamond ring! Oh ho! I found Donna's ring!" she gloated.

"No…I did! If I didn't fall, I wouldn't have landed on you and then WE wouldn't have found the ring."

Later in the Forman kitchen:

Jackie was sitting with her arm in a sling, the diamond ring on her pinky finger. Donna was bandaging Eric's forehead. He smiled, "Falling on Jackie was a sign."

Jackie looked at him like he was crazy. "Breaking my arm was a sign? Is that what you're going to put on my cast? I don't think so."

"Well, I'm afraid that your insults about the diamond I bought or my sweater vest have no power over me anymore. I am a new man. A braver man and darn it, I am getting chicken for dinner!"

Donna looked at her ex-fiancé. "Eric, you are a chicken. Just tell you dad you're taking the year off and you have the means to do it now."

"Tell Red?" he gulped?

Jackie glared at him. "If you don't, I'm going to whack you with this cast." Eric looked at the little diamond Jackie was waving around. He tried to snatch it out of her hand. "No way. Finders keepers."

"Come on Jackie…be a friend. That's mine." Eric nearly begged.

Jackie flipped her twig filled hair over her shoulder. "All right, but only under one condition."

"What's that?" By this time Eric was desperate. Jackie pursed her lips and said, "Since you broke my arm….you have to give me a pedicure!"

Eric's eyes widened. "What? You have to be kidding."

Jackie grinned. "You want to be my friend don't you?"

Eric felt guilty about the broken arm. "Yeah…sure."

"Okay then, one pedicure a week until the cast comes off." Jackie drove a hard bargain but he did break her arm….."Okay, but no one knows this except for Donna. Deal?"

Jackie smirked, "Deal. I'd shake on it but I'm afraid you'd break my other arm!"

Donna laughed, "Come on Jackie. Let's go so Eric can get his chicken."

Later that night….

"Baby powder pink and don't get any of it on my toes." Jackie demanded. Eric held the dainty foot in his hand and applied the polish to her pinkie toe. Jackie turned to Donna. "Now this is what I call friendship."

She looked down at that brown haired boy blowing on the nail polish. "Eric Forman, you are now officially a fan of Jackie Burkhart."

"Friend." Eric said a little more forcefully.

Jackie set her jaw and glared. "Fan or I'll tell your father what you did and you know he likes me best!"

Eric looked at Donna for help. Donna laughed, "I'd recommend fan or she'll have you start groveling."

Eric was deciding between breaking her toe and being nice to the diamond fingered midget and friend won. "Okay, I am officially a member of the Jackie Burkhart fan club."

"Oh goodie. Now sing it! Just like they do on the Mickey Mouse Club."

Eric summoned all of his courage and gave it a shot. "J.a.c. k.i.e…B.u.r.! Why? Because we – I like you! Uh…that's all I remember."

Jackie smiled. "Thank you Eric. I can tell we're going to be great friends!"

The End