It had been another two weeks and it was time for Jackie to meet with her new OB/GYN and Steven had taken her. The doctor came in and sat at her desk, flipping through her files. With each passing second Jackie grew more nervous. She had thought back on the last two weeks and they had been positive. She had been healing fast and the baby was more active than ever, not to mention she was getting her memories back with a vengeance. So when the doctor folded her arms and looked up, Jackie started panicking.
"Okay, I have a few concerns that I would like to go over with you and a few questions to ask."
Steven sat up in his chair more, seemingly as worried as Jackie.
"Of course, whatever you want to know." Jackie agreed.
"Okay, usually this far along a miscarriage is extremely rare. However, women with a history of miscarriages, a still birth, is a subject of worry. Then add to the miscarriages the trauma you and your body have been through we're on alert. High alert" The doctor told them.
"Wait?" Jackie said, then looked at Steven. "Mis-miscarriages? I've had miscarriages?" Jackie choked out.
The doctor went back to the paper on her seat and nodded. "Yes. One in 1979 and one last year." She confirmed.
Jackie looked back at Steven, who looked even more confused than Jackie, herself. "1979?" Jackie asked Steven.
"September 14th, 1979, to be exact." The doctor announced.
Steven looked at the doctor then to Jackie. "Two days before you left..." Steven trailed off thinking. Suddenly he stood up and stormed off.
Jackie watched him leave and the doctor spoke up again. "I'm sorry but we need to discuss how to move ahead."
Jackie waddled outside prepared to see an empty parking lot but instead she saw Steven sitting on the tail end of his car with his head in his hands.
Jackie walked over and tenderly placed her hand on his head. "Oh my sweet, Steven." She whispered above him.
Steven looked up and saw that she remembered. "What- what is happening, Jackie." He asked. "What does it mean that you had a- that you.." His voice broke, unable to finish.
Jackie leaned on the car beside him and sighed. "It's so strange to have so much going on outside and then in my head have a missing puzzle piece being locked back into place." Her eyes teared up replaying the newly found memory, the Mecca of lost memories the one she had hoped would never come, and surprisingly it didn't hurt as much as she had thought it would. In fact it was more of a clarity. "It's like a fish bowl.. Like I know what happened but it's blurry around the edges, so bare with me." She explained. "Samantha." She chuckled then turned to see Steven looking at her like she had lost her mind. He hadn't said her name since Jackie had been back in his life and it was the worst time for it, especially when he had a feeling his world was about to be rocked, again.
She cleared her throat and continued. "Okay, while you were in Las Vegas I found out I was pregnant. That is why I turned down the job in Chicago and came back here. You came back and I thought maybe we would be okay. Then Samantha entered the picture and you changed completely. You all did. I kept trying to tell you but every time I attempted you would just say something awful and shut me down. One day, I went to the doctor and he told me that I was too stressed and I could easily lose the baby if I didn't eliminate some of the stress in my life. So I decided I would just tell you. No matter what you said to me I would just come out with it. That day I went to the basement and when I got there I heard you talking to Samantha and Donna. You both said things that upset me... Really upset me. So I stormed off, crying. Next thing I remember I woke up in the hospital, no longer pregnant. After they let me go I went to mine and Fez's apartment sold everything I could and bought a bus ticket." She concluded.
Steven laid the car keys beside her and got off the car. "I need some time alone. I'll see you at The Foreman's later." He said and walked off.
Jackie knew better than to follow or argue with him so she got in his car and drove home.
Jackie had told the day's events to Donna and Eric and they were in tears by the end.
"I'm so sorry, Jackie." Donna cried.
Jackie put her hand over Donna's. "It's okay, Donna. Truly." She said.
At the moment Steven walked in and Eric stood up coming over and putting his hands on both of our shoulders. "I love you both but it's time for you to talk. You're both adults. No more teen angst no more after school specials." He said, motioning for Donna to follow him out of the kitchen.
Steven went to Jackie sat down next to her. "I'm horrible. There isn't anything to say other than I'm terrible person." He said.
Jackie stood up and walked over to Steven. "Stand up." She commanded.
He complied and she proceeded to wrap her arms around his waist and hug him tightly. For the first time in over a decade Jackie and Steven gave way to all their pretenses. They crumbled like an over worked pie crust. "I've missed you so much, Steven." Jackie admitted. He pulled her tighter to him, breathing her in. Since she found her way back into his life Steven hadn't allowed her to be real, he hadn't truly believed that she wasn't a dream. Now standing her with her hair falling over his hands and her hands running up and down his back, he could admit to himself that she was really here. "Missing you comes in waves." He confessed, for the first time; even to himself. "Sometimes it's calm and I think I'm okay, then I'm hit with a fucking tsunami."
