Author Note: …just fluff – no holds barred fluff….

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Chapter 22 – Eye of the Beholder

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Hyde watched the blooming relationship of Jackie Burkhart and Eric Forman with growing interest. They were cute and he likened it to watching babies and puppies. Wherever Eric went, Jackie was right behind him. If Jackie went, Eric followed. Normally, Hyde would have gagged at all the fluffy crap they did, but he liked his brother and he wanted Jackie to be happy.

Jackie was riding shotgun when Eric drove home in his brand new truck. The Vista Cruiser had finally been replaced with a man car. Hyde was going to miss that old wreck. There were some good times in it. As he sat on the patio chair, Jackie was holding Eric's hand and when they passed by they each greeted him and Hyde felt like the family was evolving and he was still a part of it.

When Hyde asked Jackie to describe what he looked like to her she called him a flesh colored blur with a mustache. Cool. She could see the mustache.

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Red watched the new relationship with a foot ready for Eric's ass. He regarded Jackie as his daughter, albeit a wealthy daughter since the lawsuit was won, but a female member of the family nonetheless! If Eric does anything to make her cry! He had to polish his boots….just in case.

Kitty was more tolerant of the relationship in fact she loved that Eric and Jackie were in love! She'd lie awake in bed at night and talk about grand-babies and diaper bags and how cute the children would be. She wouldn't shut up.

When Kitty asked Red what she thought about the possibility of grandchildren, Red decided they better like the Packers or they could go back where they came from.

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Jackie and Eric were sitting in their "park" where the failed ice cream melted. The summer sun was hot but luckily their favorite bench was in the shade. "…and a vanilla cone for you my pretty." Eric offered. Jackie could see the ice cream moving towards her and snagged it out of his hand.

"Thank you." She said taking a long teasing seductive lick. Eric groaned, "You're killing me here." Jackie ran her index finger through the ice cream and brought a mini scoop to her lips to suck it off. Eric grabbed the cone and threw it to the ground. "I'll buy you another!" he said before he kissed her hard. How could ice cream be so erotic?

Jackie loved the ice cream kiss. Eric was glued to her mouth and his fingers were in her hair…her favorite kind of kiss. When he finally removed his lips from hers, he kissed her jaw and whispered in her ear, "You're so beautiful to me. I don't think I could ever feel like this about anyone else in the world."

Jackie closed her eyes and could feel warm tears welling up. She felt the same way and almost felt undeserving but Eric had been there with her every step of this treacherous journey and if he said she was beautiful…it had to be true.

Jackie sat back and patted his hair back into place. It was falling over his forehead and he just looked so handsome. She looked in his eyes and the green were smiling back at her. His lips were curved in the perfect smile and Jackie realized she could see his face. She blinked. She could really see Eric's face!

"What are you smiling at?" he asked.

Jackie bit her lip. How could she explain that the blurriness was nearly gone? She could see Eric's brown hair and green eyes and the little smattering of freckles on his nose. "Close your eyes." He shut his eyes wondering what she was up to.

Jackie took the moment to look around her. Really look around her. She could see flowering bushes and a swing set and the fountain and she started to feel a bubble of excitement welling up. "Eric, I can see you."

His eyes opened wide and he said carefully, 'You can see me? Like I can see you?" Grinning, she nodded her head and for what could have been a lifetime she just stared into his eyes. She finally saw the real Eric Forman. The man who was her friend, her eyes, her moral support and her lover all rolled into one nearly six foot tall package.

"Okay, what am I doing?" He covered one eye with his hand. She pulled his hand down and said "You're eyes are gorgeous don't cover them up."

Eric stuck out his tongue. Jackie responded in kind. He smiled and she smiled back. "I love you."

"I love you more!"

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Dr. Bobbie was pleased. "Jackie, this is more than wonderful. You still have some blind spots that may or may not go away, but with a good pair of tri-focals you'll almost perfect vision."

Dr. Bobbie turned to the Forman's and explained. "Jackie's has about 85% of her vision restored and this is more than I could have hoped for. She can't see up close for such things as threading a needle or reading small print and she'll need glasses for distance especially when driving."

Jackie clapped happily. "I get to drive my car again?"

Dr. Bobbie laughed. "Yes - only if you wear the glasses. You have some blind spots in your peripheral vision and I don't think that will improve so turn your head to see what's on the side of you. I can recommend a great optometrist in Point Place that will make your glasses."

Red cleared his throat. "So, 85 percent is good?"

Dr. Bobbie replied, "It's excellent considering all of the trauma her eyes have gone through." He looked at Jackie, "I want to see you every three months for a check up and make sure you use the artificial tears every night."

"I will." Jackie promised.

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Later that night, they were sitting on the couch watching CHiP's when Eric turned and said, "So now that you're almost independent, what are you going to due for your future?"

Jackie picked up Eric's hand. "One of the first things I'm going to do is talk to a designer and have someone make pretty glasses for blind girls. You didn't tell me how ugly those were! Where were the rhinestones and colors! I saw that picture of me at the bank and it was terrible!"

Eric laughed and hugged her. "I'm thinking about getting an apartment. You know how crowded it's getting around here."

Jackie smiled. "What about maybe the two of us….buying a house together?"

"What? Are you serious?" She could not be serious!

"Well, I'm finally a rich girl, and not that I wanted to get money that way, but I would love to live with you or marry you or be your girlfriend forever."

"Are you proposing to me Jackie Burkhart?" Eric smiled.

"Well, I guess I am. Would Eric Forman like to buy a house with me and live in it forever? We could maybe stay in this neighborhood…."

"I like the way you think Miss Burkhart." Eric said kissing her nose. He gently removed her glasses. "These just make you too sexy." Jackie laughed, "Trifocals are sexy? You're changing the subject."

"Well, they're sexy when you wear them. " He hummed. Jackie laughed, "I was thinking that maybe we could talk about making Steven… an uncle…"

Eric smiled. "…Mom and Dad would make great babysitters."

Jackie continued, "Betsy would have a playmate…I could take up Brooke's suggestion about teaching Braille to the blind."

Kitty was standing at the top of the stairs eavesdropping and when she heard the discussion turning to having babies, she shrieked with happiness. "Oh my gosh…you're talking marriage!" Kitty ran down the steps.

Eric turned and grinned, "Jackie proposed to me." Jackie looked at Kitty's smiling face and replied, "I think he said yes. You did say yes right?" Eric's head turned back, "If I didn't say it, then yes."

Jackie squealed and hugged his neck. "We are going to be so awesome together." Eric laughed. Red came in from the kitchen, "Is that ridiculous TV show over yet?"

Kitty ran over to give Red a hug. "Oh honey, those two are going to get married!"

Red looked at Eric, "What did you do?"

Eric laughed, "I didn't do anything. Jackie asked me." Jackie put her glasses back on and grinned. "It's true. He loves me and we're going to have a future together." She laced her fingers with Eric's. "I guess I should ask for your blessing?"

Red snorted. "If it gets him out of my house, you can have all my blessings."

"Red! Think of it as gaining a real daughter. One who doesn't live with us?" Kitty suggested. She wrapped an arm around his waist. "We would finally have the house all to ourselves."

Red looked over at his future daughter-in-law and said, "You can make this happen?"

Jackie laughed happily. "Yes Mr. Forman."

"Its Dad now and hurry up setting that wedding date!"

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Donna Pinciotti's thesis on Career Women Dealing with Blindness was published in a local journal and launched her career into reporting news stories on the inadequacies of the 1980's decade at dealing with the disabled. She became an accomplished journalist and Bob framed every newspaper that printed her picture.

Hyde loved his little nephew Jackson Eric Forman. Little Jackson developed an affinity for rock music at an early age. He had a tiny pair of bongo's that he played in the listening pit at Grooves.

Eric was a certified draftsman and was attending Point Place Community College to get his degree in Engineering. Kerry Carson liked his work and wanted to make Forman part of the management team,

Red Forman expanded his garage and championed other mom and pop auto repair shops to attend classes that prevented injuries and educated the employees on how to safely handle shop chemicals with safety glasses and proper gloves and gear. He never wanted another person to suffer like his daughter-in-law did from just a brief exposure.

Kitty was a full time homemaker and loved every minute of it. She published a cookbook of her best dessert recipes and donated all the proceeds to a newly formed company called Books on Tape. The company hired actors to read published authors onto audio cassettes so the "book" could be listened to in automobiles or on tape recorders. It was a success.

Jackie consulted with several eyewear manufacturers and developed a new signature eyewear design specifically for the blind or vision impaired. The new glasses came with jewels or fur and were attractive. The accessories, such as glass cases had her favorite motto printed in Braille.

"Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder."

Beaded and crystal chains were looped around the ear pieces so the glasses could never get lost. The "Burks" were so popular; many celebrities wore them with no prescription just as a new cool pair of sunglasses.

Life was better as a Forman.

It was better than Zen.

They lived happily ever after.

The End.

-A/N-

This was a learning experience for me while I researched the dangers of batteries and how they explode. I learned that lap top batteries exploded, cell phone batteries exploded….it was endless! I learned about Braille and really respect the people that can read it and write it.

But remember, this was fiction and it was a love story and I hope you enjoyed the trip. I'd like to give a special thanks to my regular reviewers – you're name is listed on my wall of fame on my profile.

THANKS TO ALL THE AUTHOR ALERTS AND FAVORITE STORYS! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

Marla