DixieDavenport

Dixie finally said, "Laura, Honey, I know things wouldn't be easy for you without Jake's help, but I have all the faith in the world in the fact that you could raise this child on your own. Now, whether you choose to do so, or whether you and Jake decide to raise it together is up to you two, but Luke's offer stands. Believe me when I tell you that your entire life is going to drastically change. I know me and Luke haven't been married long and ours is a very different situation, but Laura I can't tell you that if Luke and I had gotten married all those years ago that we would have been able to make it work and still be as happy as we are now. We are both working and were both established before getting married. Now, I know Jake has been working and isn't by any means lazy, but he has been working for money for car parts, gas and beer money. It's going to be different to have to work to support not only himself but also you, as well as preparing for the little ones arrival. He's going to but stressed and under pressure which as his wife you'll feel. Tension and stress can cause tempers to flare and before you know it if you two aren't really careful you both try to blame the other --- don't. You two have got to be able to talk to each other about anything and everything. Don't talk at each other but talk and listen to each other. Know when he may snap at you because lunch isn't ready that he may be snapping because the car had a flat." Dixie heard the men coming, "Just don't rush into a marriage that may not be the best thing for the three of you before you and Jake think long and hard about it." 0101010101 Bo was still awake thinking about Jake and Laura and wondering how Luke was handling it, when he heard Braxton. He slide quietly out of the bed hoping to get to his son before he woke Beth ........ 0101010101 Bo, Jr and Jessica had driven in silence since they had left Luke's. They were each lost in their own thoughts about Jake and Laura. Finally the silence was broken when, Bo, Jr. said, "Dammit... Jessi, Baby... You ain't... I mean... Laura's the only one, right?" Jessica nodded. "Yeah... She is... I tested a few times... I'm fine." Bo, Jr. seemed relieved. "It ain't that I don't want us to have a family sometime... But I'd like for us to somewhat be able to decide when... And be settled down first." She nodded. "Same here... But..." she smiled just a little. "You want to have a family with me?" Bo, Jr. swallowed hard. He'd said it, and it was true. He nodded. "Yes, ma'am, I do... Jessica, I want you to be my wife one day... I want my kids to have you for their mama." Jessica smiled again. "Well, when that time comes... I'll be there..." The blonde smiled. "I love you." "I love you, too," she replied, reaching to pat his hand. 0101010101 Bo, in the meantime, had gotten to Braxton quickly. Unfortunately, however, the little one was hungry... And since Beth was nursing, there was nothing Bo could do about it. Beth woke up, her dark brown hair tousled from pulling the blankets over her head as she often liked to do. "Bring him here, Sweetie," she said, reaching out to touch Bo's cheek. The blonde man smiled as he lowered the baby into his wife's arms, that beaming smile on her face that he'd seen so many times before. "Hey, Sweety-pie," she said, stroking the tiny face with a finger. She began to hum softly as Braxton began to nurse. She glanced up at Bo, who had a big smile on his face. "Get back in bed, Honey, I'll put him back down when he's finished." Bo sighed. "Honey, I'll do it... You got enough to worry about." She shook her head. She was so grateful for this sweetheart of a man. Bo leaned over them, kissing first Beth on the lips, then Braxton on the head. He sat in the rocking chair by the bed and just watched Beth and the baby. After a while, Braxton had gone back to sleep. Bo took him and put him back down to sleep. He crawled back into the bed beside Beth, who reached for him. He wrapped his arms around her gently. "Somethin' wrong, Baby?" "No," she said softly. "I don't think so... I just wanted to be with you." He grinned and pulled her closer, kissing her. "Well, in that case..." Beth giggled and returned Bo's kiss, .......................

Jake in the meantime had finally gotten together what he wanted to say. "Dad... I ain't gonna tell Laura I had to marry her... I mean, this ain't no more her fault than mine... And, hell... I'd have married her anyway... Not this soon... But I would have..." Luke smiled. "Good. That's good, son." The men walked across the back 40 in silence, giving Dixie and Laura time to talk. After walking in silence for awhile Luke spoke quietly, "Jake I hope you and Laura realize that being married means more than just having someone to keep your feet warm on a cold night. As you know, you two aren't the first in this family, ......." Luke felt a knot come into his throat as he remembered a conversation that had taken place not long after Bo and Beth had gotten married. One evening after dinner Jesse came into the living room with the old Duke family Bible. It was the one that had came to this country with the first Dukes and had been passed down to the oldest child of each generation since. In many a hand writing, was recorded every Duke marriage, birth and death since. Bo, Beth, and Luke who was driving the wrecker that night were the only ones home that evening. Jesse sat the Bible on the coffee table in front of them and began, "Bo, Beth I think its time you both see this. Luke I'd also like you to look with them though I know you and Bo have both about memorized every name in the front of this here Bible, but I think it might do you some good to be here for this. I want you three to look back at all the Duke marriages. Marriage and its vows aren't something we Dukes take lightly. Out of all the marriages you'll notice their are no divorces. You all know that I love you all and the little one we're expecting, but I still say you put the cart before the horse, ....." Jesse looked right at Luke and continued, "And, Luke I can't help but worry about the way you've been behaving. Though I don't agree with enjoying the privileges of marriage before hand, I'd also like for you all to do a little math between some of the marriages and births and you'll see that you two aren't the only ones to have a baby show up less than nine months after their wedding, but it won't be easy and it will be way to easy in hard times to blame each other for being in whatever situation you are in. The only advice I can offer you is: don't blame each other for things you are both responsible for nor things neither of you can change. Don't go to bed fighting -- talk, work, or pray it out first. And, most of all NEVER raise a hand toward each other." Luke swallowed the lump in his throat and silently thanked Jesse for the words of wisdom he intended to convey to his oldest son, he began again, "As you know you two aren't the first in this family, ... that ever had a baby less than nine months after their wedding, " Luke paused to edit Jesse's speech so as not to look a hypocrite, "and everyone one knows I am not the Saint my Uncle Jesse was but I remember some good advice he gave to Bo and Beth after they got married. That advice and their love for each other has gotten them through a lot of bad times and a lot of good times, I hope it can do the same for you and Laura. I hope you have been around long enough to know that to us Dukes marriage and its vows aren't something we Dukes take lightly. Out of all the marriages their are no divorces. Getting married at such a young age and especially in the times of today when it seems our society has little regard for it's vows you two are facing a stacked deck against you before you ever start. It won't be easy and it will be way to easy in hard times to blame each other for being in whatever situation you are in. The only advice I can offer you is that advice that Jesse gave Bo and I have remembered all this time: don't blame each other for things you are both responsible for nor things neither of you can change. Don't go to bed fighting -- talk, work, or pray it out first. And, most of all NEVER raise a hand toward each other." Luke smiled just a bit at Jake and added, "Also, remember that anything that doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. I know me and Dixie haven't been married all that long but I like to think we have already lived through all our bad times though I know that's not likely but, with as much we went through to be able to get together I can't think of anything that could make us ever want to leave each other now." Jake also felt a lump in his throat before replying .........

Dixie patted the sofa besides her, "Come on Sugar ... Let's talk." Laura moved to sit beside the other woman. “I'm sorry, Dixie." "It's too late for sorries, Honey.....But we do need to talk. You said something earlier that bothers me. You said, 'I'm not givin' my baby to nobody, I want to keep it. I was only gonna give it up if Jake wanted to give it up, and he doesn't. So I think we're gonna raise it together'.†Laura looked at the older woman and replied, "Yeah." "Laura, Honey, I was younger than you are when I knew I could have been pregnant with Luke's child. Had I been, I also, know that I would have been totally on my own as far as my family was concerned. I also, knew we thought at the time, that I'd be raising that child without Luke. I would have been hard pressed to have asked the Dukes for anything, though I knew deep down that I wouldn't have had to ask, but my point is, no one could have convinced me not to have had Luke's child." she paused, “Not my father, not Uncle Jesse, and not even Luke, yet you said that had Jake wanted to give up this child that you would have? Honey, no man is worth compromising your opinion in any matter. Luke spoke for me in here a few minutes ago and I know what he was asking of me when he did. He also knew that I'd support him in this even though I'd be raising two children instead of one. Had I had an objection, believe me I would have voiced it. There is nothing that I can't talk to my husband about. We may not always agree, but on the important things, like family, we both will support each other without question. Even when we don't agree, we can always talk about the situation. I may not always win, but I wouldn't want a man that was wrapped around my finger to the point of being spineless and I'm sure that Luke wouldn't want a woman who kept quiet and never voiced her opinion, even though he might say otherwise, when I'm not around." Both ladies had a good laugh before Laura explained her comment.......... 0101010101 After putting Braxton to bed, Bo and Beth went to their room. Bo had been very quiet since leaving Luke's house. He shut the door and let out a long sigh. Beth looked at him, "Ok, you're home now. Spill it." Bo looked at his wife, "Good Lord, Beth... I don't know what to say... Jake and Laura... They're too young... Too damn young... Too..." "Much like us?" Beth supplied when Bo couldn't say anything else. Bo nodded, sinking down onto the bed. "Beth, what have they done?" "Nothing we never did," she said softly. "But I couldn't help hoping that the boys would stay out of this kind of trouble." "Me, too," Bo replied, shaking his head. "They, ... They just don't know what they're fallin' into. They don't know the first thing about being married or raising a family." "Neither did we," Beth said with a sigh. "They'll make it somehow, Bo... It ain't gonna be easy, but they will." Bo's blue eyes met Beth's. "I love you, Darlin'." "I love you, too," she whispered, as she began to drift off. 0101010101 Laura began to explain to Dixie what she'd meant by her comment. "Dixie... The thing is... I couldn't take care of this baby on my own... I need Jake's help. And if I didn't get it, I was going to give the baby up... I'd never not have the baby... That's not Jake's decision... He couldn't change that... I would just... Have to find another way of having it taken care of. I couldn't raise it alone, and Lord knows my parents wouldn't help me..." Dixie was quiet for a moment, thinking of what she needed to say to the girl...

"Jake, come on, son... Let's go take a walk..." Jake stood at his father's words, the two men going out to the barn. Dixie patted the sofa beside her. "Come on, Sugar... Let's talk." Laura moved to sit beside the other woman. "I'm sorry, Dixie." "It's too late for sorries, Honey... But we do need to talk..." Luke had figured he barn was far enough from the house from both houses to be able to talk to Jake without being heard if either Duke's temper got out of hand. Luke leaned against a pile of hay bails trying to appear more calm than he was. He watched his son stand before him, waiting, looking more at his boots than at his father. Jake had followed Luke into the barn. His father hadn't said anything since leaving the house. He watched Luke quietly sat against the hay bail. Luke still hadn't said anything as he looked in his coffee cup. Luke was searching his memory for some words of wisdom from Jesse Duke but wasn't having much luck finding any that fit this moment or at least that's what he thought now. Looking at Jake, he was reminded of how much alike they both were at the same ages and that's what was rubbing him the wrong way at the moment. He just 'knew' that Jake hadn't listened to anything he'd been told, Luke began, "Son, .... for starters, look at me." Jake looked his father in the eyes. Luke continued, "All the talking that we have done went right in one ear and out the other didn't it?" Jake was now confused, "Huh?" Luke couldn't understand his son's confusion, "Oh come on now. The incident at the lake and everything that followed wasn't enough for you to learn from, so you went and tempted fate again? The sad part of it is, … that I see me standing about where you are right now when I was your age being warned about temping fate. I guess I didn't listen real well either." Luke sighed. Jake was being to see what Luke was thinking. Jake said quietly, "We did learn from the night at the lake." Luke heard what Jake had said, but he hadn't 'heard' him, "I don't think now is a good time to discuss EXACTLY what you learned at the lake Son." Luke's temper was raising. "Dad, you have it wrong. The night at the lake was the only time." Jake explained. Now it was Luke's turn to look confused. Jake began, "Look I don't know about all that girl stuff, but Laura went to Doc's he said the test was negative. We all thought everything was fine. Then, she realized this week she was late. The test was wrong or she took it too early. Like I said, I don't know about that stuff." "So she's pregnant with your child from the night at the lake?" Luke asked. Jake nodded, "Yeah, we haven't even went parking since then, ask Bo, Jr." Luke took a drink of his coffee, took a long deep breath and switched gears, "Ok. I'll take your word on that matter, but the offer I made you you and Laura stands ......" Jake took this moment to interrupt his father, "About that, you spoke for you and Dixie. How could you be so sure that she'd agree with you on it without even talking to her?" Luke had to smile at his son, "Because she is my wife, I have known her since she was 15 and she knows how important family has always been to us Dukes. Just like Uncle Jesse took in not only me, but Bo, and Daisy, and Jeb, and Vance, and Coy. For a couple that had no children of their own he sure put a lot on Aunt Martha, just as I would be doing by taking in your child and raising it as my own. I knew before I said it that it would be putting a lot on Dixie. Hell, it would almost be like raising twins. I also knew that I may be asking her to have to give up working." Luke continued, " And for some reason she happens to like her job so, yes, I knew I was asking a lot of her, but I didn't see her bat an eye or hesitate in the least before agreeing with me. All I am saying here is that your child is a Duke and will be raised as one whether it is by you or me. That is yours and Laura's decision and I'll stand behind you both no matter what you all decide. I'll also give you the same warning that Uncle Jesse gave Bo. Don't ever let me hear you tell that girl in there that you married her because you HAD to, because if you do you'll have me to answer to and I can assure you it won't be pleasant." Jake swallowed hard before replying.

Jake sighed. "OK. But we have to tell them sometime." "Why?" Laura asked. "We're both of age. It's none of their business." "I think both our families would beg to differ on that one," Jake replied softly, then continued, "Honey, if you and Jessica get an apartment, what's that going to solve?" he sighed, "I love you, and I don't want you in some apartment with Jessica while I'm here or at the Miller's alone. We're in this thing this far, we need to try to 'right' a couple of things." he caught himself and didn't say wrongs, "We need to do this together. We need to be a family. The only way I can think of doing that, with the least resistance from everyone, would be for us, ...... to get married," he had suddenly lowered his voice without even trying to, "and get a place of our own." He looked into he eyes for her reaction...... Laura looked up at Jake. "If that's what you want... Let's do it.” Laura smiled just a little. "OK, baby. Let's do it." Jake nodded. "We gotta go tell the folks..." he said softly. "OK," she said. "Together." Jake took her hand and they walked into the house. Luke looked up from where he sat. Bo, Jr. had just told his dad that he was going to take Jessica home first, when Jake and Laura walked in. "Everybody, we gotta talk," Jake said. "Alright," Luke said slowly. "Dad, Dixie... everybody... Me and Laura are getting married." Luke looked at his son. He knew that boy too well, and he knew that Jake hadn't just been planning this for a while. Something was not right about this. Jake fought the urge to look at his feet and say nothing else, but instead, he looked his father in the eye and said evenly, "Seems we've got us a little one on the way." Luke had known something was up when Jake and Laura came in the door. He had felt himself tense even before Jake announced that they needed to talk. Everyone had been standing as Bo and his family were preparing to leave. Then, with the following announcement that Jake and Laura were getting married, he really was wishing that his Uncle Jesse was here. He couldn't help but think this was a spur of the moment thing. Bo, Sr. had also picked up on the fact that something wasn't right and had moved to Luke's side and just behind him, backing him as always. At the final statement, 'We've got us a little one on the way.' Luke closed his eyes for a brief second and sighed. He'd deal with Jake later, for now, with a calmness he didn't feel, Luke replied, "Laura, Honey, it's not like I haven't been expecting you to be my daughter-in-law for sometime now, but a baby isn't necessarily the best thing to base a marriage on." Luke felt Bo behind him. Dixie had been holding her breath. She was so afraid that Luke had forgotten what they had been through. She prayed he'd not push Jake and Laura away for their 'mistake'. When she heard Luke's response, she knew it was the voice of calm reason of a caring father, not an irrational response of a disappointed parent. Though, she did figure Luke and Jake would be having a long discussion, real soon...... Bo and Beth stood side by side, Braxton in Beth's arms. Bo put his arm around Beth. Jake sighed. "I'm sorry, Dad." Luke shook his head. "Son... Sorry ain't the important thing. The important thing is to do the right thing. For you, and Laura, and the baby." "Mr. Du... I mean, Luke," Laura said, remembering that he'd told her to call him Luke. "Jake and me want to give our baby a family." "Well," Luke said. "It's only right that a baby has a family. But Honey, sometimes it just ain't the right thing. A baby needs a family that wants to be a family. Not a thrown together half-family that's only together because they feel like they have to be." Jake shook his head. "Dad..." Luke raised his hand to stop him. "Just a minute. Now, I ain't tellin' you that you can't get married. I ain't even tryin' to discourage it. But I just want you to know that there are problems that will arise, and that you shouldn't build a family on the fact that you made a mistake. But you listen here... That baby is a Duke. And should you decide not to get married, and to give the baby up, I think Dixie'll agree with me when I say that we will raise that baby right here." Dixie nodded. It was a big decision, but Luke was right. That baby was a Duke. And he or she needed to be raised a Duke. Laura shook her head. "I'm not givin' my baby to nobody, Luke... I want to keep it. I was only gonna give it up if Jake wanted to give it up, and he doesn't. So I think we're gonna raise it together." Luke nodded. "Well, good. I'm proud of y'all for that." Jake smiled weakly. "I'm glad..." Bo glanced at Beth, then back at Luke. "I figure y'all need some time alone, so, we'll head out." "'Preciate y'all stayin' this long," Luke said. "I'll see ya tomorrow." On the way back to the house, Michaela spoke up. "Daddy, why is Uncle Luke upset at Jake?" Bo glanced at Beth. Ah, the joys of a child with a million questions up her sleeve. "Baby, Jake and Laura, well, they did somethin' they shouldn't have done... At least not right now..." "Oh..." Michaela said. She was 10 years old, and had already had that talk with Beth, but she still hadn't quite come to grips with everything as it applied to those she actually knew. "I mean, I know they're havin' a baby, but... Why is that so bad? I mean, mama said that God loves all the babies, no matter what." Bo smiled just a little. "He does, Sweetheart... It's just that sometimes... Babies are born in bad circumstances." "But... Oh, never mind," Michaela said. She was just getting confused.

Jake and Laura walked away from the other two. "God, Laura," Jake said. "I never saw that comin'." Jessica and Bo, Jr. walked toward Luke's as Bo, Jr. said, "Come on let's go in and I'll show you what we've gotten done. Maybe they won't figure there's anything wrong if we go keep everyone busy awhile. Laura sighed. "Me neither. But... It doesn't have to be... I mean... I can give the baby up for adoption or something. You'd never have to even see it, and I wouldn't either... Somebody else could take it and take care of it, and..." Jake's thoughts went to his own father. What would Luke have done if he'd known about Jake? Would the young man have been a Duke instead of a Miller? He interrupted Laura. "Laura, you know that my Dad never got his chance to know me until a short time ago. I know how I've wondered what it would have been like to have had Luke as a Dad, instead of the father who raised me. There is so much I've felt and wanted to do that the Miller's would not have never understood or approved of, but ya know, I really think that the Duke's would have. The Miller's take their cars to Cooter's, I never understood where I got the love for cars until I got to know Luke. Sometimes it scares me how much a like we are in some ways. I know things would be less complicated and easier without our child, but now that I know about 'him', ..... I just don't think I could do it." He laid his hand on her very flat stomach, "That's part of both of us in there." He took her face in his hands, "God knows I don't know how we will make this work, but we will, if you're willing......" The thought that maybe she wasn't willing popped into his head. He felt a lump in his throat, that he tried to swallow, but couldn't completely get rid of before he squeaked quietly, "And, if ya aren't willing to do this with me, ...... then, .... meet me half way. Have our child, and ..... I'll raise 'him' alone if I have to." Laura felt both broken hearted and joy by Jake's decision. She replied, "Jake... This is your baby as much as mine, and I'll do whatever you want me to..." Tears were running down her face. "And if you want me there, I'll be there. I'll do this with you. If that's what you want." Jake smiled a little through his tears. "That's what I want, Sweetheart. I love you." "I love you, too," she replied, kissing his cheek. "Listen," Jake said softly. "I have to talk to Luke about this, OK? Not right now, but soon." Laura looked at him. "Jake... I..." "He'll know what to do. He'll help us," Jake said, having firm faith that there was nothing his father couldn't help him with. Laura's eyes met Jake's. "OK... Whatever you want... But I'm not telling my parents. At least not right now. I'm planning on getting out of their house before they can kick me out of it. Jessi and I were thinking of getting an apartment together anyway, and..." Jake sighed. "OK. But we have to tell them sometime." "Why?" Laura asked. "We're both of age. It's none of their business." "I think both our families would beg to differ on that one," Jake replied softly. 0101010101 Meanwhile, in the house, Jesse had cornered Bo, Jr. as soon as he walked into the house. "Bo, the girls want to paint our room pink!" the younger boy said. "And I told them no way!" Bo, Jr. half-way grinned. "Well, it's Uncle Luke and Aunt Dixie's house, Jesse. I reckon they decide what color it is." Dixie laughed. "I say we just paint it white and forget the whole thing." Jesse looked at his aunt, then back at his brother. "I want it blue, Bo," he said. "Well, I think white oughta work just fine... How 'bout this, though? I'll be goin' back to work soon, and when I get my paycheck, I'll buy two sets of bed stuff for the room. One set'll be pink for the girls, and the other one'll be blue for you, me, and Jake," he said, patting Jesse's shoulder. "Dong," he thought to himself. "He's gettin' tall." Jesse's head had already reached Bo, Jr.'s shoulder. He couldn't believe his "little" brother was 15 already. Jessica kept a smile on for the group, too. She knew everything, and yet, she couldn't help worrying. She knew that Jake would want to do the right thing, but she just didn't know how he and Laura were going to manage a baby. Braxton cooed from his spot in Luke's arms. The dark-haired man smiled down at the little boy in his arms. He couldn't imagine what it was going to feel like to hold a baby and know that it was his and Dixie's. He found himself wondering what he would have felt had he been able to hold Jake as a baby. He sighed. "Little fella's sleepy, I think," he said softly, still looking down at Braxton, who'd figured out a way to get his fist into his mouth. Beth smiled. "Why don't you sing to him, Luke. He loves music already." Luke smiled, cuddling the baby even closer as he walked over to the rocking chair he'd bought for Dixie. He began to rock, and to sing at the same time. The first song to come to mind was an old Skynyrd song called "All I Can Do Is Write About It." Well this life that I've lead has took me everywhere There ain't no place I ain't never gone But its kind of like the saying that you heard so many times Well there just ain't no place like home. Did you ever see a she-gator protect her young Or a fish in a river swimming free? Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of Carolina Or the sweetness of the grass in Tennessee? And Lord I can't make any changes All I can do is write 'em in a song I can see the concrete slowly creepin' Lord take me and mine before that comes. Do you like to see a mountain stream a-flowin'? Do you like to see a youngun with his dog? Did you ever stop to think about, well, the air your breathin'? Well you better listen to my song. And Lord I can't make any changes All I can do is write 'em in a song I can see the concrete slowly creepin' Lord take me and mine before that comes I'm not tryin' to put down no big cities But the things they write about us is just a bore Well you can take a boy out of ol' Dixieland But you'll never take ol' Dixie from a boy And Lord I can't make any changes All I can do is write 'em in a song I can see the concrete slowly creepin' Lord take me and mine before that comes 'Cause I can see the concrete slowly creepin' Lord take me and mine before that comes Dixie walked over to stand behind Luke. The baby had fallen asleep in his arms. Beth smiled from her place on Bo's lap. "Great job, Uncle Luke," she said softly. Luke grinned as he stood up and took the baby over to put him down in his bassinet. "'Night, little fella," he said softly, kissing the top of the baby's head. Dixie's heart was swelling so she thought it would burst. She knew she could never have married a better man. Being young adults, Jessica, Bo, Jr. and the others, usually saw Bo, Sr., Luke, Beth and Dixie as 'parents', Bo, Jr. was the one to voice his and the other 'kids' thoughts, "You not only like, but know all the words to that Lynyrd Skynyrd song?" Luke shot him 'a look', "Yeah, that one and several more. I was corrupted by your Uncle Jeb." Jessica elbowed Bo, Jr. for his comment as Luke replied. Caroline stated from the hallway, "I about fell out the other day, Mom and Dixie were playing Posion!" Dixie replied, acting hurt, "And ya'll's point is? There's not too many songs that you know, that at least one of us doesn't know well enough to sing or play." It was Jessica that tried to cover for the younger group, "It's just that we are use to parents acting 'old', like mine. I mean, like when you've all sang and Donced at the Boar's Nest and especially when you guys had that fight at the Boar's Nest." Bo, Sr. was the first to try to cut her off before the younger kids got wind of her explanation, "Well, Luke, thanks for getting Braxton to sleep for us. I guess we better be getting these guys home." He looked to his oldest son, Bo, Jr., "Son are ya'll coming too?"

Braxton had indeed slept while the others ate, now, with his brother and sisters arguing about what color 'their' room should be painted, he was awake and hungry. "Pink." insisted Michaela. "Blue." Said the out numbered Jesse. "A nice hot pink!" said the older Caroline. "No way! Royal blue." Jesse had began to get louder. "You wouldn't let them have it pink would you Uncle Luke? Daaaddddd." Bo intervened sternly, "That's enough." then less serious, teased, "Jesse I have nothing to do with the color of paint here." Jesse said quietly as he went to further argue his point with his sisters in the unfinished bedroom, "It's not fair, there are more boys around here than GIRLS!" When Beth heard Braxton begin to stir in the bassinet, she started to get up from where she was setting on Bo's lap. Bo un-noticed by anyone else, gently held her just a bit tighter and gave her a smile as he saw what he knew would happen. He motioned to her toward the bassinet. Luke was already up and moving to pick up the little one that he had helped bring into the world. Having been a bachelor for years Luke hadn't had much experience with a newborn, in fact the only experience he could recall was when Bo, Jr. was a baby. Jesse had insisted that everyone do their share to help Bo and Beth. Truth be known, Jesse didn't have to insist as all the cousins were eager to help with Bo, Jr. just as everyone had been with Braxton, which was why Luke hadn't been able to get close to him since he was born. Everyone had beaten him there. Bo knew his older cousin only too well, he knew he wanted his turn with Braxton but wouldn't knock anyone else out of their turn. He had watched Luke since Braxton had been born. It seemed every time Luke had started toward the baby someone had gotten there first which was why he had stopped Beth tonight. Luke slowly and carefully picked up the little blue eyed bundle that was staring up at him. Braxton had stopped the mild fussing that he was doing as soon as he knew he was about to be picked up. Luke went back to his place on the couch and cradled Braxton to him. Neither Bo or Beth had seen Dixie go after the bottle until she handed it to Luke. As Bo watched the scene before him unfold. He knew that both Luke and Dixie were 'practicing' for the arrival of their own little one. Beth looked at Bo and was surprised to see tears in his eyes. Bo whispered, "I wish Uncle Jesse could see this." Beth hugged him just a bit tighter and assured him, "He can. Believe me, he can." 010101010101 Outside the Boar's Nest, Jake handed the truck keys to Bo, Jr., who didn't question the action. Jake helped Laura into the king cab of the truck and followed her. It was obvious that they were both upset. It looked like either Laura had been crying or wanted to. Jessica got in the passenger side of the truck and moved close to Bo, Jr. He could see she knew what was up and was also upset. The drive was a quiet one, in fact, it was becoming down right eerie. No one had said anything since leaving the Boar's Nest. A million things were running through Jake and Laura's minds -- most of which weren't pleasant. Before reaching the Duke farm, Bo, Jr. could not stand the silence any longer. He pulled the truck off the road into a wide spot before the lake and said as he turned off the truck's engine and looked at Jake, "Ok, I'm tired of being the only one in this truck not knowing what is going on ....." Jake cleared his throat and said, "Look, Bo I'm sorry. You're right. I didn't even realize. . ." Jake's voice had faded to nothing. Had they been alone Jake could told Bo, Jr. his 'problem' but he didn't want it to come across as a 'problem' in front of Laura. He knew she was feeling bad enough as it was without him making her feel worse. Jake simply said, "Well, . . . ya, see Bo, . . . Bo, Jr. looked at Jake, waiting for him to tell him what was going on. "Bo," the older boy said. "It's somethin' kinda personal... Between me and Laura. You'll find out soon enough. Just give me some time." Bo, Jr. sighed. He and Jake shared everything, and he couldn't stand being left out. 010101010101 At Luke's house, everyone was surprised to hear Luke's truck in the driveway so early. Dixie looked out the window, then looked at Luke. "The boys are back already. They have the girls with them." Jesse was up and running before Beth and Bo could get up. "Jake and Bo won't let 'em paint the room pink!" he yelled. Luke, being closer to Jesse than Bo and Beth were, grabbed Jesse with one arm, while still expertly holding Braxton in the other. "Hold it right there, you wild Indian!" he said, half-way teasing. "But I think your brother and cousin are with their young lady friends tonight." "So?" Jesse said. "Jesse Allan Duke!" Beth said from her seat on Bo's lap. "You are not to talk to your Uncle Luke like that, young man." Jesse suddenly seemed very interested in digging his toe into the floor, and not looking at his mother. "Sorry, Uncle Luke," he mumbled. Bo sighed. "Looks like we might have to go home," he said, looking at Jesse. "I said 'sorry,' Dad," Jesse said softly. "Well, you need to act like you mean it," Bo replied. "Yessir," Jesse said, sounding for all the world like a young Bo Duke who'd just been whipped by Uncle Jesse for talking back. Luke tried not to laugh at the boy, but it WAS a little on the funny side. "Hey, Jesse," he said. "Why don't you run in the kitchen and get a few drinks out of the fridge?" Dixie smiled. "Caroline, you help him." "What do you want?" "Beer," rang out the chorus of Bo and Luke's voices. "Diet Pepsi," said Beth, echoed by Dixie. The kids went into the kitchen.

When Jeb and Debbie pulled into the Boar's Nest, Jeb spotted Jake and Laura outside. They were having what seemed like a very serious conversation. He and Debbie entered the Boar's Nest and took a table near the band and ordered a couple beers as Bo, Jr. and Jessica walked by. Jeb asked, "Hey, I saw Jake and Laura outside. Are they fighting?" Jessica answered a little too quick, "No." then said as an almost silent plea, "I hope not." Bo, Jr. replied at the same time, "I'm not sure." Jeb looked at them both and said all to serious for Jeb, "Spill it. What's up?" Bo, Jr. looked truly innocent as he replied, "I don't know either." Jessica dropped her eyes and said very lowly, "It's something they have to work out. I promised not to tell anyone, even Bo, Jr., at least until after they talk this out." Jeb offered some good advice that they had learned over the years, "Honey. Loyalty is a good thing, but if it can hurt someone or someone could get hurt because others don't know, then it's not 'ratting' them out. You may actually be doing them a favor. Just don't keep the wrong secrets or keep them too long." Jessica closed her eyes and bite her bottom lip, before smiling, "Thanks Jeb. I won't, but how did you become so wise?" "Sweetheart, my cousins and I were raised by the smartest man I know and I've lived in Hazzard County most of my life, so I've seen a lot come down the pike, so odds are, whatever they are going through out there, me, Bo, Luke, Coy, Vance or Daisy have dealt with one side or the other of it. Just remember, there can be a lot said for 'been there, done that' kind of advice and we're all here for all of you." Jeb said without a moments hesitation. Bo, Jr. and Jessica thanked Jeb and moved back to their table. Jeb noticed Debbie looking at him like he'd grown three heads, "What?" She smiled warmly, "Jeb I've known you almost a year and you still amaze me. I just saw a totally different side of you." 010101010101 Outside the Boar's Nest, Jake asked Laura, "Honey, what is wrong. Talk to me please." Laura looked up with tears threatening to fall and hoarsely squeaked out, "Just please don't hate me." A million things ran through Jake's head. 'She had found someone else? She had been going out on him? She decided to go to college far away?' before he could find his voice to say, "Laura I don't think I could ever hate you." "First off, I'm stupid. You know that already..." she began. "You are not stupid...." Jake said before being interrupted. Laura continued, "Yes, I am. Now hear me out." She took a deep breath, "Jake, I'm sorry. All this is my fault." she managed to get out before having to look up and bite her lip just to keep from totally loosing it....... Jake stepped closer to Laura. "Honey, talk to me, please." Laura looked up at him. There was nothing else to say to keep this time from coming, so she had to say it. "Jake, that pregnancy test I took..." Jake began to feel a sinking feeling in his stomach. This couldn't be... "It was wrong, Jake... I took another one, and it came back positive..." Jake looked at her like she'd just arrived from Mars. Then he hugged her. "Oh, Laura... I'm so sorry." Laura looked at him. "Please don't hate me Jake." "No... No, Laura, I don't hate you... Not at all. I love you." "Promise?" she whispered. "I promise." Jake sighed. "Maybe we should go home and talk." Laura looked at him. "OK." Jake walked in and over to Bo, Jr. and Jessica. "We gotta get home," he said. "It's important." Bo, Jr. replied, "Sure, Jake." He had heard the urgency in Jake's voice and saw the looks on his and Laura's faces. Bo, Jr. stood and reached for Jessica's hand. The four walked quickly toward the front door. 010101010101 At the far table, this didn't go unnoticed by Jeb. Debbie had her back to the crowd asked, "What is it?" Jeb replied, "Something's up. Those four just headed out of here." He motioned with his head to the table previously occupied by his younger cousins. Then checked his watch. It was still early. Way too early for them to be going home, unless, something was wrong. Jeb decided to give them a little time then he might just call to see if they were home. He tried to shake off the worry and said to Debbie, "Come on, Honey." He lead her to the Donce floor as Tanya Tucker's - San Antonio Stroll began to play.

"What was that all about?" Bo Jr. asked Jessica, as he watched Laura leading Jake by the hand outside. Jessica shook her head. "It's something Laura's got to get through, Bo. I can't say anything about it." Bo, Jr. held her tighter, hoping against hope that his cousin would be OK. 010101010101 Debbie had been staying at the small apartment above the garage more and more lately. She couldn't completely move until all of Dixie's stuff was moved into the new house but when her off days came around especially when she had extra days off you could almost count on her pulling in from one direction while Jeb came in from the other. This had been the case today. Of course Cooter had seen the whole thing several times before. As Jeb parked his motorcycle at the side of the garage, Cooter walked over and said jokingly, "Well, look who's here. I'm surprised to see you. Debbie's only been here maybe fifteen minutes." Jeb turned as red as his bike but said, "Cooter!" "Just wanted to know if I should be sending my suit to the cleaners and buying a razor anytime soon." The bearded man in greasy clothes said. People would never guess that this was an important Congressman when he was home on vacation. Jeb eyed the man before him, "Not on my account, but Cooter a little soap and water wouldn't hurt." He had taken a low blow at his lifetime friend, knowing very well that Cooter cleaned up right nice when the notion struck him. "Now, Jeb Stuart Duke that ain't a nice thing to say!" He said to the retreating man as he took the steps two at a time just in case that Cooter had thrown the wrench in his hand. Debbie eyed Jeb strangely as he barged through the door and and closed it with a slight slam breathing hard. "What is wrong? Someone chasing you?" Jeb said as he peeked through the curtains, "Maybe!" he said, catching his breath, "But don't worry if they are it's only Cooter." "What did you do to Cooter?" Debbie asked. "I only gave as good as I got." Jeb answered, then moved closer to Debbie, leaning in for a long kiss. After which he said, "So you're off …" "Three days." she answered, "Did you come in today?" Jeb replied, "Nah, got here in time to be hit up by Jake and Bo, Jr. for a case of beer last night for their camping trip." Debbie's eyebrows went up. "It's nothing Bo or Luke hasn't done for me in the past. What's the harm as long as they are out in the woods and stay there until morning?" he asked. Debbie replied, "Nothing other than it's illegal." Jeb waved off her concern, "It's not like I gave it to them in town." he said deciding now would be a real good time to change the subject. "Say, what do you think about a little jukin' tonight?" "You are a mind reader. I brought frozen pizza. How about putting it in the oven and I'll shower." She said smiling. 010101010101 Luke was happy that Dixie had a better day than she had last night. He and Bo had gotten everything finished now except the baby's room and the spare room that Luke hoped that Jake would use occasionally. Dixie had insisted on fixing dinner for Bo, Beth, and the kids that didn't have plans. She had fixed a huge pot of homemade spaghetti sauce, pasta and a salad. Luke had given his truck keys to Jake earlier, so neither Jake or Bo, Jr. were expected. Much to Bo's grief, Ruth Ann had a date, also. Bo and Beth arrived just before six with Bo carrying Braxton's bassinet while Caroline, Jesse, and Michaela all three came in looking for 'their' room. Luke smiled at the three and said, "Well, we're still working on 'your' room, but I'm sure Aunt Dixie will enjoy the help once your new cousin arrives while I'm at work." "Absolutely! In fact, who wants to help set the table?" she replied, as the four went to the kitchen. Beth asked Luke, "How did she do that? I have to threaten them to get them to get the table set at home." Luke pulled at his collar a bit, "I'm not real sure, but she has been working with inmates for several years." They all had a good laugh as Dixie looked at the three from the kitchen, "Did I miss something?" "Not a thing honey!" Luke replied taking Braxton from Bo and placing the bassinet on a sturdy record cabinet that had been Luke's parents and still contained their old 78 records. Dixie walked over and peeked at the sleeping Braxton. "Let's eat before someone else gets hungry."

At the lake, Jake and Bo, Jr. had built a fire and were working their way through a case of beer that Jeb had been talked into buying for them. After all he couldn't count the number of times their father's had done the same for him. Jake said, "I sure am glad you were able to talk Jeb into doing this for us. You know we've not had a good year. I think ever since ya'll had that family reunion there has been something going on. We found out your parents were having a baby, then Luke and Dixie decided to get married, we've gotten into fights, we've been put in jail, more than once. I found out Luke was my Dad. Then, of all things we get caught with the girls, and after that scare with Laura and the run in with her father. Then, the baby being born and, well, this." he held up his casted arm. "Man, it's just been too much! I thought life in the country was supposed to be slow and laid back." Bo, Jr. was listening. He knew all of what Jake had said was true. "Well, Dad and Uncle Luke would just tell you that's life in Hazzard. But, I think you are right. I was in college out of here and never. I mean never had anything like this stuff happen." He opened another beer. "Yeah, we needed this." "How were you able to talk Jeb into this?" Jake asked. "It wasn't that hard. I just asked him. He made me promise that we'd not drink until we got here and not go anywhere after we started drinking until morning." Bo, Jr. replied. "You do know Dad and Luke are older than him, right? I kinda got the idea that they may have done the same thing for him once or twice. That's why I asked him." Jake shook his head and said, as he struggled to open another beer with his casted hand, "Good thinking." he took a drink and continued, "I'm sure glad things are getting back to normal. Things have calmed down with Laura. Her dad and I have kind of squared off and as long as we stay in our own corners, we should be okay. I just don't know what I would have done if she'd been pregnant. I mean I love her and all but I'm not sure that she's the one I want to spend my entire life with. That's a long time. I think I'd like to do a little more 'window shopping' before I actually decide to 'buy'. All in the name of being sure she's the right one if you know what I mean." "Yeah, I do." Bo, Jr. replied, "Dad's always telling me not to rush into anything. Though he'd never admit it, I think he envied Luke having the chance to, for lack of better words, 'compare and choose' Dixie from all the others. I know Dad loves Mom but he still did what he had to because of me. Yeah, it worked for them and I don't think they'd ever even look at anyone else, but how many people in the same situation could have made it work like they did?" Jake took another long drink of beer and said with relief, "I'm sure glad I don't have to worry about trying to make it work out with Laura and me. I mean, I hope it does, but now I'm not pressured to 'make' it work." "I do know what you mean. I kicked myself more than once over it. I tell you what, you'll not catch me without 'something' again." Bo, Jr. replied. "Yeah, I mean the chances had to be really low that after just one time, but knowing it was without protection. Then, with Dad and Bo driving home the consequences, I don't care to tell you, I didn't do a lot of sleeping until she got the results back." Jake admitted. NARRATOR: "I'm sure glad those two have things all figured out. Ain't you?" 010101010101 Back at Jessica's the girls were still talking. Jessica said, "No, honey. I'm not late." Laura said, "Jessica, I'm in so much trouble. My Daddy'll never let me see Jake again." Jessica patted her friend's arm. "Honey, your Daddy can't do anything about it. You're an adult. By law, your Daddy can't do a thing. And Jake'll take care of you. I know he will." Laura sighed, wiping away the tears. "We can go to Atlanta tomorrow, to the Wal-Mart to get a test. I'll find out for sure, and then I'll talk to Jake." Atlanta was the only place to go. Close enough not to be too much trouble, but far enough that no one would see her buying it. At least no one she would have to worry about. Jessica nodded. "I'll drive you." The two girls lay down, trying to get some sleep. And as they lay there, Jessica was happy that it wasn't her, but worried and sad about her friend. Laura had a bad feeling that the trip to Atlanta wasn't going to be a good one. 010101010101 Jake and Bo, Jr. woke up the next morning. Bo, Jr. had somewhat of a headache, but Jake was fine. So Jake took the wheel of Stormy to get them home. He smiled. "What say we take the girls out to the Boar's Nest tonight. Just jukin', no funny stuff." Bo, Jr. grinned. "I think that'll be just fine." 010101010101 That night, the two young couples were ready to go out to the Boar's Nest. While the guys were ready for a good time dancing the night away, the girls knew better. They went in Luke's truck, but not without instructions that no one could drive who'd been drinking. They arrived at the Boar's Nest and went inside, the boys convinced that they were just going to have a good time. They got a table and ordered drinks (all sodas, since no one was willing to sneak them a beer) and sat around talking for a while. Jake noticed that Laura wasn't her normal self, and Bo, Jr. noticed the same thing about Jessica. Neither of the guys could stand it. Jake took advantage of the next slow song, saying, "Hey, Laura, you wanna dance?" Laura nodded silently, and Jake reached for her hand across the table. "Come on," he said. They walked onto the floor to the sound of "Rose Colored Glasses," and Jake wrapped his arms around Laura. She leaned her head into his chest, blinking against tears. She couldn't cry. Not now. Jake looked down at the pretty face nestled in his chest. "Laura, what's wrong," he whispered, touching her cheek. "Darlin', talk to me." She looked at him, shaking her head. "Oh, Jake," she breathed. As hard as she tried, she just couldn't tell him, couldn't destroy this last minute of happiness. "Jake." His blue eyes, so much like Luke's, now held a look of worry and fear. "Laura, do we need to talk?" "Yeah," she managed to choke out past the knot in her throat. "Yeah, we do." She took his hand and led him outside.

Laura was talking to Jessica the next day. "Jessica, I'm in trouble," she said, her eyes full of tears. "Honey, what's wrong?" Jessica asked. "I think I'm..." she trailed off. "Jessica, I think I'm pregnant." "But you had that pregnancy test, honey. You're not..." "I read up on them things," Laura said. "And they can't tell that early. And I'm late. Very late." Jessica's one word summarized the whole situation. "Sh--!" Laura looked up trying to keep her tears from falling. She knew it had been awhile since her and Jessica had talked, well, had a good long girl talk. With work; her trying to keep an eye on Jake; and both girls, while at the Dukes, had tried to help Beth out when they could. Something else occurred to Laura, "Jess, I know we haven't really talked in awhile but, ... if I'm late, unless you just haven't mentioned it. I mean, have you, ... are you .... late too? Oh God, Jess." was about all Laura could say before the tears gave way. 010101010101 In the previous weeks, Luke had finished up the Smoke Jumper's class and while the ladies took turns with little Braxton, he and the guys had moved enough of Luke and Dixie's things in so that they could be comfortable but not in the way of the work that still needed to be done. Tonight was a rare occasion, both Luke and Dixie would be off tomorrow. Jake was camping with Bo, Jr., due to the girls having a slumber party at Jessica's. Luke had hustled Dixie home early, using the excuse, 'that Bo and Beth may like some quiet time with Braxton'. Actually, it was Luke wanting the quiet time with Dixie. Dixie came out of the shower and found Luke stretched out on the couch with the lights off and several candles lite. He, Bo and the guys had also worked out a system so that they would know if the other didn't want to be bothered. Luke had closed the shade on the kitchen window as he had refused to put locks on his doors at 'home' in Hazzard County. Dixie smiled, "So, what's this all about?" Luke replied, "Come over here and I'll show you." "I thought you said that they needed some quiet time." she said impishly. "They do, and so do we. Besides, I'd like to enjoy our new home and my wife some," Luke paused as Dixie sat down by him. He placed his hand on her stomach that just wasn't as flat as it had been when they had gotten married, but wasn't showing to everyone else, yet. "Before we get company ourselves." Dixie snuggled into his arms and said, "Sounds nice." 010101010101 Luke and Dixie had spent an enjoyable evening talking and not talking, until Luke noticed Dixie's eyes were beginning to get heavy. He pulled her gently onto his lap and stood up with her. She held on to his neck and said, "What's this all about?" "Well, it looks to me like somebody needs her rest." he said as he started toward the bedroom. Luke cut off the light. Dixie snuggled up to him. Several minutes later, as Luke was just about to drift off to sleep, Dixie's eyes flew open as she cupped her mouth with her hands and headed to the bathroom. She had been lucky after her first episode of morning sickness not to have been bothered again, until now. Luke didn't dare let her see the slight grin on his face as he tossed back the sheet and followed her. He'd lived through this with Beth several times. Being the calm considerate husband, he went to the kitchen and poured a glass of ginger ale he'd bought the last time he was at the store without even telling Dixie. Though he felt for her, Luke couldn't help but find this amusing. Well, that was until he stepped into the bathroom. Dixie had turned a shade of 'green' Luke knew he'd never seen before. Now, it wasn't funny. Now, he was totally freaked and down right scared. Dixie was setting on the tub, holding a cool wash cloth to her face. Luke managed to find his voice, "Honey?" At the moment Dixie was trying to will herself not pass out. She was also fighting not to throw up again. "Would some ginger ale help?" Luke asked. Dixie looked up, just seeing the ginger ale was more than she could take and became violently ill. Luke reached for a towel and said, "I'm calling Beth." Dixie reached out to stop him, "Don't. I don't want witnesses to your murder." she said weakly. Though it didn't look like she could fight her way out of a wet paper bag, Luke almost thought she was serious until he saw her attempt a small smile. He was glad she hadn't saw him with that grin on his face or she might very well have killed him. "Besides, YOU got US into this with out back up. Don't go getting scared now." Dixie was beginning to feel just a bit better, "If I live through this, you had better not even think about anymore." Luke simply replied, "Yes, ma'am." Though he knew as well as she did, that this baby as well as everything they had been through since she was fifteen, had been a joint effort, he'd take the blame and let her say whatever she needed to as long as she felt better. Grinning once again to himself, he didn't think now would be a good time to tell Dixie how beautiful he thought she looked.

Once the room was clear, except for Jake, Luke and the Doctor. The Doctor asked, "Son, just what did you do here?" Jake looked up at the Doctor and his father and replied, "I had a little run in with the..." he hesitated, knowing how stupid he was about to look. "With the post in the barn." Luke shook his head. He knew that post all too well. The doctor said, "Can you wiggle your fingers son?" Jake nodded. "Just barely." "Might be cracked, but I'll have to take an x-ray." Luke nodded. "All righty, Doc. I'll follow you out." Laura walked over to Jake, kissing his cheek. "I love you," she whispered to him. Jake whispered back, "I love you, too, lady." Luke helped Jake into the truck. "Let's go." Jake had broken two fingers, but luckily, they weren't out of place. Doc just put a cast on them, and around Jake's cracked wrist. He'd be wearing that for a few weeks. 010101010101 The weeks passed quickly, with a new baby around. Laura spent as much time as possible with Jake, keeping an eye on him. Then one day, Laura realized something. Something that scared her more than anything. Something that could change her life forever.

Meanwhile Bo, Jr. was trying to explain to the entire Tri-Counties law enforcement officers not only the reason for Luke's speed and running his red lights but also the reason why he hadn't yielded to the officers. He shook his head. "Listen here, my mama's havin' a baby, and my Uncle Luke needed to get here to help my Dad..." One of the police officers, a young man, said, "Aww, come on, fellas... That'd be reason enough for any man to be in a hurry. Let's let him off with a warning." Bo, Jr. shook his head in disbelief as every officer handed him a "warning ticket" and told him to keep an eye on that Uncle of his. He looked at the tickets, then shook his head again, walking back inside. 010101010101 Meanwhile, Bo, Luke, and Dixie were all standing around Beth, who was squeezing Bo's hand until the bones came together. She looked at her husband. "Bo, what're we gonna name this baby?" Bo's face was blank. "I don't know... what do you think?" At that point, a contraction hit her, and she couldn't do any thinking, except about the pain she was in. Bo felt horrible when he saw Beth in pain like this. Always had. It had always killed him to see her like this and know that it was half his fault. Though both of them always forgot when they held their child. Luke looked up at Bo. "I can see the head, Beth," he said. "You're gonna have to push one good time." Beth squeezed Bo's hand and pushed hard. The baby's crying filled up the room as Luke gave a little bottom a good smack. "Well, Beth," he said. "Lemme clean this baby up, and then you can see." Beth sighed. She was worn out. Bo stroked her cheek as Luke cleaned the baby up. "I love you," he said. "More than anything." Beth smiled weakly. "You better after all this!" Luke cleaned the baby up and laid it in Beth's arm. "Well, Bo and Beth, it's a boy!" "Lord help us," Beth said. "Here we go again." Bo just grinned and touched the baby's cheek. "Hey, there, son," he said. Luke washed his hands and put his arm around Dixie as the two of them left the parents to their baby boy. 010101010101 About an hour later, Beth and Bo called everyone up to their room. The room was packed, as Bo, Jr. had called Jake and Jessica, and Jake had called Laura. Jeb had called Debbie, who'd come home from work, and the room filled up with people. Beth smiled and said, "Everyone, we'd like you to meet Braxton Bragg Duke." Luke said, "We've already met." And Beth said, "Braxton, you better be forever grateful to this Uncle of yours." Luke didn't say anything, but just beamed with pride at having helped to delivery this new little Duke just as Uncle Jesse had the rest. The silence of the moment was interrupted by a voice in the hallway, "Well, it looks like I'm just a bit late." Said the Doctor. "I'll be glad to check everyone out if you'd like." Everyone cleared out of the room so the Doctor could check out Beth and Braxton. Luke and Dixie were the last to head to the kitchen. He stopped Dixie outside of his and Bo's old room and took her in his arms, "I hope things go just as smooth for us in a few months." Looking up into Luke's blue eyes, Dixie said, "But, I'd like to make it to the hospital. Honey, I trust you with my life, but I'd just as soon NOT have Bo know me quiet that well." Luke smiled down at her, "You do have a point. I don't think I want him knowing you that well either." He brushed her hair back and said remembering with pride, "You know Uncle Jesse was one of the best mid-wives this County has ever had and we won't tell Beth this, but up until now the only experience Bo and I have had was with calves, goats, Daisy's colt and a few kittens and puppies." Luke became slightly choked up as he continued, "I can't explain how it felt to hold that little one in there. It was nothing less than a miracle, but I'm not looking to give up Smokejumping to become a mid-wife that's for sure!" Luke turned toward the kitchen, "Now let's go check out Jake's hand before Doc gets done. Ya'll never did tell me what exactly happened." Dixie wrapped her arms around her husband and pulled him close, "Luke I love you and I was so proud of you in there." She kissed him and continued, "As for Jake, well, I think I'll let you talk to him about that." Walking into the kitchen Luke saw Bo, Jr. pick up a stack of yellow papers. Bo, Jr. said without expression, "Uncle Luke these are for you." Luke sighed. He could see dollar signs at the thick stack of papers he knew to be tickets. He took the tickets and glanced at them. Then, looking closer, he saw that they were all warning tickets. He looked over at Bo, Jr., and asked with surprise, "How did you pull this off?" "Told them the truth." Bo, Jr. said simply. Luke smiled at Bo's oldest son. "Well, the next time me and your Dad decide to get into trouble we're hiring you as the lawyer!" Luke turned to Dixie and the others, and explained. "Everyone one of these are warning tickets. Even from Chickasaw County." Luke shook his head, "Good thing it wasn't Sheriff Big Ed Little." "Ah, Luke, I thought you and Bo were planning on giving up getting into trouble." Dixie asked with just a trace of a smile. Luke said totally serious, "We did. We planned that YEARS ago." then smiling he continued, "Someone has just not informed the Hazzard law of it yet, and until they do I figure we can use all the help we can get. Of course, you, do know how plans go here in Hazzard!" Dixie promptly elbowed Luke in his ribs and said to Jake, "Now, can I see that hand?" Jake unwrapped the hand from the towel where he still had ice on it and looked totally embarrassed in front of Laura. Dixie looked at Luke, who had not missed Jake's embarrassment. Luke simply asked, "Can you move you fingers or wrist?" Jake moved all the fingers and gritted his teeth as he moved his wrist. Luke nodded as he heard the Doctor coming in. The Doctor said to Luke, "Well, it sure looks like Jesse taught you and Bo well. I couldn't have done a better job up there. Both Mother and son are perfect." Luke smiled, "Thanks, Doc. But, it looks like me and Bo have also passed a couple traits down too. Could you look at Jake's hand? It looks pretty bad to me but I'm not sure if he broke it or not." "Sure. Let's take a look." the Doctor replied. Dixie wisely said, "Ok, then let's all head out on the porch and give the Doctor room to move in here." She then managed to herd all the young adults and children outside.

Beth was moaning, holding onto her belly. "Oh, Lord!" she exclaimed. The contraction passed, and she looked at Dixie. "This one's gonna be just like Bo, Jr. He's got no patience." Dixie looked at the clock. This had been going on too long. "Beth, I'm going to get Bo now." Beth looked at her. This time she didn't protest. She only nodded. "Hurry." Dixie ran outside, glad she wasn't feeling sick so that she could get Bo. "Bo!" she yelled. "I'd get back to the house if I were you. Unless you want your baby born in the living room." Bo's eyes were wide as he took off at a run, Bo, Jr. close behind, and Jeb torn between going inside and helping Jake along. Bo burst into the house to find Beth very pale. "We gotta get you to the hospital," he said. "Quick." Beth looked down at the floor where her water had broken. "There's not that much time," she said. Bo quickly swept his wife up into his arms and carried her up the stairs to their bedroom. He laid her on the bed, trying to think clearly. Suddenly, the Uncle Jesse in him took over. "Ruth Anne!" he yelled, to his daughter, who was standing in the hall. "Go boil some water. Bo, Jr." he added. "Go tear up some clean sheets. Dixie, you know where that jar of shine is in the kitchen? Bring it to me... and bring me the scissors." Dixie went after the shine and the scissors, when Bo heard a small voice at the door. It was Michaela. "Daddy, what's wrong with Mama?" Bo smiled just a little at his little girl. "It's all right, Sweety. Nothing's wrong with Mama. It's just that the baby's getting ready to come, and he's... real excited about meetin' you." Michaela smiled. "Really?" "Yeah, honey," Bo said. "But I need you to go downstairs and find Uncle Jeb so I can help the baby get here." Michaela nodded, but peeked into her parent's room. "I love you, Mama." Beth smiled. "I love you, too." Bo walked over to Beth. "It's gonna be OK, honey," he said. "I promise." Beth nodded but said nothing. She couldn't talk for the contractions. Bo held her hand until Dixie got there with the shine and the scissors. Being very resourceful, Dixie showed up with the shine, scissors and the phone. Her first call was to the Doctor in town who said he'd be on his way. The second call was to Luke's base camp. Luckily, Luke was giving some added ground training to the new smoke jumpers before he took them up after the instructor had been hurt in the previous jump, Luke had figured better safe than sorry. When he heard the call, "Duke. Wife's on the phone." Luke knew Dixie didn't call him at work unless she needed something important. He said to the new jumpers, "Double check your equipment. I'll be right back." He went into the office. "Dixie? What's wrong?" "I'm fine. Calm down." she knew she would scare him by calling. "Honey, I think you need to head home if you can." Luke's imagination was already getting wound up. Dixie continued, "First, Jeb is taking care of Jake who just might have broken his wrist." she said regretfully. Luke was thinking to himself. 'She want's me to come home because of a broken wrist? With all them there?' But he asked, "Tell me they didn't call you at work too? Over a broken wrist?" Dixie knew that family meant everything to Luke so she ignored the disbelief in his question. "No, Honey they didn't have to call me. Debbie and Beth insisted that I be called in sick after being sick for hours after you left this morning." Yes, now she had really gotten Luke's attention. "Are you OK? Did you go to the Doctor?" "Honey, calm down I'm fine, now! There for awhile though I wondered, but you may want to reserve a wing at the hospital if this keeps up." Before he could reply, Dixie continued, "Jeb and Bo, Jr. have their hands full with Jake and at the moment it looks like Bo and I are going to get first hand training at mid-wifing." It was now that a sudden sharp contraction hit Beth. Luke heard her pain through the phone as he reached for the file cabinet he said, "Honey, I'm on my way. I'll be there in 30 minutes tops." He hung the phone up and handed the office assistant a study guide. "Give this to them. Tell them test in the morning. Keep them here until 5 looking up these answers. I've got to go!" Luke was out the door and off the property in a cloud of dust. Bo looked at Dixie as she hung up the phone. She replied, "Said he'd be here in 30 minutes." She and Bo knew he was an hour and a half away. 010101010101 Amidst red lights on Luke's truck, and blue lights on several police vehicles, exactly 32 minutes later Luke put his truck next to the back steps in a cloud of dust as he slide it to a stop. He tossed Bo, Jr. his wallet and said, "Insurance and registration's above the sun visor. License is in the wallet. Take care of them." as he kept walking toward the house. Totally surprised, Bo, Jr. looked at the law enforcement officers getting out of their cars. It wasn't just Hazzard County, but Chickasaw, and Placid County as well as two State Police units. In the kitchen Luke stopped to check Jake's hand. "I'm not even going to ask how. Now. Just keep that ice on it until Doc gets here." Luke had only seen one other hand look that bad. He took the stairs three at a time and asked as he topped out, "Dixie? Bo?"....... Dixie ran out to meet Luke. "I'm so glad you're here," she said, as he put his arms around her. Luke nodded. "How's Beth?" "She's fine so far. It's just that... She's almost a month early." "Lemme guess, Bo, Jr. and Jake got her so worked up that she went into labor early... Them two boys." Dixie stopped him. "There's no reason to be placin' blame. I'm sure the baby's fine, but the thing is that Bo needs some help, I think." Luke nodded. He knocked on the door and said, "Bo, it's me. Anything I can do for ya?" Bo answered, "You ever delivered a baby before? All I've ever done is delivered calves and goats... And Daisy's horse's colt that one time..." Luke grinned. "Well, there was that one time... When Mattie Lee Greene decided to up and have her baby right on the sidewalk in town square..." Bo sighed. "I hope this works. Lord, I wish Uncle Jesse was here." "Me, too," Beth moaned as the pressure of the baby's weight increased. Bo looked distraught as he yelled, "Well, da--it, Luke, get in here!" Luke looked at Dixie before walking into the room, saying, "I'll never be like this!" As he closed the door behind him, Dixie giggled. "We'll see about that, Lucas Duke." 010101010101 Meanwhile, Bo, Jr. was trying to make heads or tails of what the police were saying to him about his Uncle. Luke walked in to Bo and Beth's room trying to be the calm voice of reason. He walked to the bed and set on the edge. "Now, Beth, don't let him worry you. Uncle Jesse has taught us more about this probably than we realize. Besides, what he don't know is I've had a little training in this during my Smokejumper training." Luke looked at Bo hoping to not only gain his trust but through him to gain Beth's. Bo looked up at Luke. He had no idea that Luke had taken any such training but at this point some training was better than none. Luke asked, "Your water broke?" Beth was now holding on to Luke's hand in one hand and Bo's in the other. She replied, "Yeah, maybe forty minutes ago." "Ok, let me pull these covers back and feel your stomach." Luke pried his hand back from Beth and began to feel Beth's stomach as a contraction hit her. Though he was pretty new at this he could tell the baby was in the birth canal. Luke had looked at the bedside clock when he'd felt Beth's stomach tense with the contraction. Dixie returned with a large pot of hot water, the torn sheets, a stack of towels and a couple baby blankets. She made a place for them all to wash their hands in the hot water and then in a separate pan she placed the scissors and then poured some moonshine over them as a disinfectant. She also poured a small amount of shine in a glass for Beth and handed it to Bo. "Bo give this to Beth. I don't think even this would calm you down right now." She was trying to lighten the mood in the room just a bit. Luke looked at the clock again as the next contraction began. "Did you call Doc?" Dixie replied, "Yeah, before I called you." "That's been forty five minutes ago. I bet him here?" Luke looked surprised. "He said he'd be over shortly, but I don't think he had the escort that you had." Dixie nodded toward the yard. Luke replied, "Hey, they might have followed me, but they were not an escort." Bo looked up puzzled at Luke's comment as he held the glass for Beth to take a sip of the shine. Dixie explained. "You have more blue lights out front than I've ever seem here, .... and that's saying something." Luke shot her a look. Then, to Bo he said, "Bo, Jr.'s taking care of it. Gave him all my paperwork and they can write until they are blue in the face. I'll deal with it later." Luke said very matter of factly. He was more concerned with Beth who's contractions were under three minutes apart. He got up to wash his hands and motioned for Bo as Dixie took his place on the bed. Luke said for only Bo to hear, "Looks like we're about to have company whether Doc joins us or not." He could only hope there were no complications. Like Jesse had always told them, 'Without complications the Mama's don't even need anyone around. They do all the work.'

In the barn Bo, Jr. asked, "How did things go at Laura's last night?" Jake's jaw and neck muscles tensed just like Luke's did when he was mad. "Well, he didn't shoot me. I can see Laura. And," Jake thought for a minute. Bo, Jr. watched Jake. That all sounded good but the way Jake acted something was wrong. Jake continued, "I didn't hit her Father. And, I didn't end up in jail." Bo, Jr. had to ask, "And?" Jake's eyes flashed with anger, "And, I won't stand for even him to talk about Laura like she's trash!" Jake was so angry that he was turning red in the face and beginning to sweat. He had his fists balled up. "He talked about her like she was a WHORE!" Jake then swung a right fist, no longer being able to contain himself, right at the same old pole that Bo, Sr. himself had swung at so long ago. Bo, Jr.'s eyes went wide in surprise at the sudden display of fury. Jake clinched his teeth, now due to pain, not anger, as he grabbed his right wrist and held it close to his chest. Jake never uttered a single word, but he was also holding his breath to keep from saying anything as the waves of pain radiated through his hand, wrist and arm. Bo, Jr. came closer, "Let me see." Jake's teeth were still clinched as he nodded 'no'. Bo, Jr. walked straight to the barn door and yelled, "DAD!" Bo, Sr. hear the urgency in his son's voice and thought that he was hurt. Maybe a snake! On a farm there was uncountable ways in which to get injured. Bo, Sr. as well as Jeb, who had been working a short distance away, both broke and ran full speed to the barn to make sure Bo, Jr. was Ok. They reached the barn only to find Bo, Jr. fine ............ 010101010101 In the house Beth and Dixie heard Bo, Jr.'s call to Bo, Sr. It could only be described as a call for 'HELP' by the tone Bo, Jr. had used .......... Beth stood up, and walked toward the window to see Bo, Sr. and Jeb running toward the barn. She stepped outside, then tried to run toward the barn, albeit, without much speed. She wasn't covering much ground, so she was relieved when Bo, Sr. and Jeb walked out, Jake between them, and Bo, Jr. bringing up the rear. Her husband looked up and saw her. He waved her back to the house, so she headed back inside. 010101010101 Bo, Sr. and Jeb walked Jake to Dixie and Luke's almost completed house, rather than bothering the women. It was Bo, Sr. who spoke first somewhere between annoyed and understanding, "You know, Jake, I don't know what brought this on, but I have a feeling that you are more like me than your Dad realizes. Now, let me have a look at that arm." then to Bo, Jr., Bo instructed, "You can start by telling me what brought this on." Bo, Sr. didn't have to ask what had happened after finding Jake holding his arm in front of the same pole that Bo had hit out of frustration years before. Bo, Jr. looked at his Dad and replied, "Well, he was telling me about taking Laura home last night, ......." 010101010101 Beth had known that Bo and Jeb had things, whatever they were, well under control as she made her way back to the farmhouse slower than she had exited it. Beth felt a 'catch' in her side as she was running toward the barn. She walked in the house, sat down in Jesse's chair beside the couch where Dixie was looking over at her for an explanation. As she sat down, she was trying to get her breath from the unusual amount of activity. Beth tried to adjust her position to easy the 'catch' as she rubbed her side where the dull pain was. Dixie was now setting up. "Beth are you OK?" Beth shook her head 'yes', then after another minute she attempted to try to explain, "Yeah, I'm fine. .... It's just that I'm a little larger than the last time I ran anywhere." "Do you want me to get Bo?" Dixie asked. Beth declined, "No, he has his hands full with the boys." Beth changed her position in the chair again. Dixie asked, while still watching Beth closely, "Yeah, what happened out there?" "I'm not sure, Bo waved me off as they were all heading toward your house." Beth explained. "It looked to me, that whatever was going on involved Jake, though it was, ....... ah, ......." Beth let out a slight moan, as she once again moved in her seat while rubbing her side, "Bo, Jr. that called out for Bo." Dixie tossed the cover back and said, "Well, I'm going to go check and get Bo for you." Beth reached out for her hand, "Wait. Give me a minute or two. Really, I'm Ok. There is no reason to get Bo so worked up this early in the game. I still have quiet awhile left and he's almost as jumpy this time as he was with Bo, Jr. I'll just put my feet up here and we'll talk, if it doesn't get better soon you can go get him, OK?" Dixie didn't like it, but figured Beth was the 'expert' on this subject after five previous pregnancies. She replied, "Ok, but the minute you think its trouble you tell me?" Beth replied, "Absolutely. Thanks. You'll see. I will bet you that this being the first time Luke has had this experience, he'll be far worse than Bo. He will drive you crazy! But, enjoy it. He wouldn't if he didn't love you." 010101010101 Meanwhile at Luke and Dixie's, Jake was finally able to get the nerve up to let go of his right hand so that Bo, Sr. and Jeb could look at it. Once Jake removed his left hand, Bo, Jr. gasped at the sight of Jake's hand and wrist. Bo, Sr. shook his head. He looked at his watch. Luke wouldn't be home for several hours yet. Jeb reached in his pocket for the keys to Jesse's old pickup truck. Bo waved off Jeb's suggestion, as he said to Jake, "We can get some ice on that hand and give it sometime to see if it feels better, but I got to tell you, I think it's a waste of time." Jake looked at Bo and silently asked with his eyes, 'How would you know?' Bo answered the unasked question, "I told you. We are more a like than you or your Dad know." Bo, Sr. looked a bit embarrassed before continuing, "See, I once had my own run in with that pole. And you won't like the rest of the story." He sighed, "So what's it going to be? Doctor or ice?" Jake was still gritting his teeth at the pain, but answered, "Ice, Uncle Bo. Da--it, I need some ice." Bo shook his head. He wondered how he'd ever been so hard headed. And the more he thought about it, he felt sorry knowing that he had done the same thing to Uncle Jesse as Jake was doing to him. "Fine, son. Have it your way. But you're gonna be sorry." Jake nodded, angrily fighting tears. He hated to cry.

Do you have it in a download form or a video from Dukefest. Guess what I'm askingis can it be sent?

Dixie was semi awake when she heard Luke pull out. She had intended to get up and see him off but had dozed back off. After glancing at the clock, she hugged his pillow and settled down for the last hour of sleep before getting herself ready for work. As she closed her eyes it first felt like her stomach had did a flip flop, she opened her eyes and swallowed hard trying to will herself not to get sick. After several deep breaths she closed her eyes again, this time the room spun. Dixie opened her eyes and gritted her teeth as she made a speedy trip to the bathroom not taking the time to close the door she set on the edge of the tub. Dixie had hoped that this particular part of pregnancy would by pass her as she had felt fine up until this point. Fine would not describe her right now. She would say 'deadly sick' would be a more accurate description. 010101010101 Jeb had stayed at the farm the night before and had slept in Bo, Jr.'s room with him and Jake. Jeb heard someone in the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom. It sounded as if someone was very ill. He slide on only his jeans and stepped out of the room. Seeing that Dixie had left the door open he stepped to the door and asked quietly, "Anything I can do?" Dixie looked absolutely 'green'. She shook her head 'no' and waved him off. "Ok, but I'm close by." Jeb said as he went to the kitchen to start coffee. After several minutes Jeb noticed that Dixie was now quiet. He walked to the bathroom and saw her still setting on the tubs edge with her head and arms folded on a towel on the back of the toilet. Jeb and Dixie had gotten to be very close friends after she and Luke were caught together as teenagers before Dixie left Hazzard. He had been there for Dixie, when like now, Luke couldn't be. Jeb had stepped in as her friend, confidant, and protector though he would never have betrayed Luke's trust. For Dixie, Jeb had been there and was 'safe' because she knew he'd never do anything to hurt her or Luke. Jeb reached for the glass on the sink and handed Dixie a drink and a cold cloth to wash her face. Dixie said weakly, "Thanks. Sorry I woke you." "Nothing to be sorry for." Jeb said, then asked, "Are you Okay now?" "I don't know." Dixie said. "Don't think I could fight my way out of a wet paper bag." "Want some help to the couch?" Jeb asked. Dixie was not one to ask for help and seemed to be embarrassed that she might actually need help. "I think I got it." She attempted to stand up. Jeb had moved closer. She had not appeared to be real steady and her appearance in general scared him. When Dixie stood up her knees almost gave out, but she managed to catch herself, just before Jeb picked her up in his arms and carried her to the couch. He pulled the blanket that Beth kept on the back of the couch around Dixie. He pulled up the foot stool, sat down on it by the couch, then asked, "Want me to call you in sick?" Before Dixie could answer Debbie came out of the girls room and saw Jeb talking in a low voice to Dixie. Her first reaction was a pang of jealousy, which passed in less than a second when she saw her friends face. "What's wrong? Should I get Luke?" she asked. Jeb said, "Morning sickness. Luke's already left for work." He saw the look on Dixie's face. "Hand me that small trash can and call her in sick." Dixie's eyes shot open to protest. "I'm not taking no for an answer. She calls or I do. There is no way you need to go to work at a jail when you are this sick." Jeb saw the protests coming and played his trump card. "It's too dangerous for you and the baby." "Oh, God." Dixie moaned. Loosing the battle with the next wave of sickness, Dixie gasped, "Okay. Call." As she reached for the trash can. She was certain she had never been this sick. Furthermore, IF she lived, she planned on telling a certain husband of hers that he had better be content with only two children -- Jake and this one. She had no intention of ever replaying this scene. 010101010101 Down the hall in Beth and Bo's room. Beth was beginning to stir. She had to push Bo's arm off of her so that she could see what was going on, as she had heard voices speaking in hushed tones, first in the bathroom, then walking downstairs. She wrapped up in her robe and headed downstairs, one hand on her back. The little Duke was getting heavy. She walked into the living room to see a very sick Dixie, and a very worried looking couple in the form of Debbie and Jeb. She sighed. Poor Dixie. But at the same time, she couldn't contain a small smile. "It's a boy, honey," she said with a smile. "God help us all." Jeb looked at her, sheer confusion on his face, but Debbie was laughing. Beth smiled at Jeb. "The boys always hit us first thing in the morning the first time, then they start 'night sickness'." Beth shook her head when Jeb still looked confused. "Never mind, Jeb. Just be glad you aren't, have never been, and never will be pregnant with a Duke baby." Debbie sighed. "Lord have mercy, what am I getting myself into," she thought. Beth walked into the kitchen and got Dixie a package of saltines and a glass of room temperature Ginger Ale. She set it on the coffee table. "I know you're not hungry or thirsty now, but when you get that way, eat this." Dixie nodded weakly. Lord, when Luke got back, he was going to have to hold her a little while and love her and... well, that was, if she didn't kill him first. Debbie had went to work, the men and children had cleared out of the house by the time Dixie heard Beth come into the living room with a cup of coffee and set down by the couch in Jesse's old chair to give her feet and legs a break from the added weight. Without opening her eyes, Dixie asked, "What time is it?" Beth smiled at Dixie full of compassion as she had felt exactly what Dixie was feeling more times than she cared to remember. "It's about 9. Debbie called you in sick. Everyone else is gone so just relax. The first time was always my worst. If I'm right, you won't get sick at all in the mornings again." Dixie looked up a glimmer of relief showing, "Really?" she asked weakly. Beth nodded 'yes' and continued, "Really. The next time will be at night. At least that way you get to rest afterwards all night." The slight glimmer of hope drained from Dixie's pale face, "And just how long do I have to live with these pleasures of Motherhood?" Beth smiled just a bit, "Only about, well ....... , say, ....... a month maybe six weeks and you shouldn't be bothered again." "Oh, God." Dixie sighed, "Who has kept you from killing Bo? I sure hope Luke is happy with only two children. Jake and this one." she added. Beth just grinned, "You'll forget all about this the first time you hold that little one." "You didn't." Dixie replied. Beth nodded, 'yes', "Oh, yes, .... I did. Right up until the next time it happened! I only hope I can remember just enough of it to remember that Bo doesn't need my 'help' to clean the barn." They both had a good laugh. Dixie was feeling a lot better but Lord help Lucas Duke when he got home.

Jake and Laura were facing Mr. Campbell, who's face had turned roughly the shade of beets. "Well, da--it, my big mouth got me in trouble." Laura looked at him. "Daddy, I'm not pregnant, now you better keep your word and let me see Jake again." Jake looked at Mr. Campbell, his blue eyes so much like Luke's. And that was nearly enough to drive the older man over the edge, being that his sister had been out with Luke a time or two, and there sure wasn't any love lost between the two of them. "Fine," Mr. Campbell finally said. "But Laura Lynne Campbell, so help me, if I even HEAR of you two doin' any more than kissin', I don't want you to come back to my house." Laura looked at her dad, her eyes full of stubbornness and aggravation. "Don't worry," she said, her tone hard as nails. "I won't." Mr. Campbell glared. "Listen here, Duke boy," he said to Jake. "I ain't never had any use for a Duke, except maybe Jesse. But I'm tellin' you now, whether or not I should, I'm trusting you with this girl, and I better not see or hear anything about you doin' what you've done again. You've already ruined her." He shook his head. "But, he--, after what you done, you might be the only one that wants her." Jake's eyes flashed. "Mr. Campbell, I love Laura. And I won't stand for nobody, not even her daddy, to talk about her that way." Mr. Campbell replied gruffly, "How dare YOU think you can stand there on MY porch and tell me how I can talk! You are more like that no account father of yours than you should be, being a bast--- and all." Laura scolded, "Daddy!" Somewhere in the back of his mind he remembered his promise to have Luke's truck home. As Jakes' blue eyes flashed with a cold anger he balled up his fist, started to swing. Then, like Luke, he also used some good Duke sense. He was on private property. He knew if he hit this man, especially in front of Laura, it wouldn't be good. Besides, he also remembered that jail cell. Jake stopped his swing, balled up both fists and hoped he could keep from hitting the man as he said, "Mr. Campbell both my families have taught me to respect ladies. I don't want trouble with you, but I meant what I said, I will not listen to you talk about Laura or MY FATHER like that again. You can say anything you like about me, but you'll leave them out of it!" Jake said full of determination. "Or?" Laura's Dad asked. "Or, I won't be leaving near as nicely as I am right now." Jake said calmly as he turned to Laura. "Good night, Honey." He leaned over and kissed her before he started off the porch. 010101010101 4am came way too early for Luke when the alarm clock went off. He turned away from his wife, silenced the alarm and hit the snooze button, then settled back into his place in bed. Dixie had her leg wrapped securely across his legs with her arm still across his chest. Her head had been on his shoulder until the alarm called her 'pillow' away. Luke was more setting in the bed than laying as he watched his wife sleep. She had barely moved when he reached for the clock. He pulled the blanket around her bare shoulders. The straps of her sleeveless gown would do little to keep her warm especially when Luke left the bed in a few short minutes. For now, he was content to just hold her as she slept. Luke had almost dozed back off when the dreaded alarm clock sounded again. After turning it off for the second time, he tossed his share of the covers back. While trying not to wake Dixie, Luke sat up and reached for his jeans and boots. As he stood up and started to straighten the covers back up, Dixie spoke for the first time to him, "Set the clock back for 5:30. Be careful and I love you." She said sleepily, while never opening her eyes. Luke smiled, "I'm setting the clock now. I love you too and I'm always careful." He said kissing her. Dixie returned his kiss. Luke had picked up his shirt and left the room so Dixie could get as much sleep as she could before getting up. Luke washed up, shaved, brushed his teeth after dressing. He grabbed his gear and headed toward the front door. For the first time the thought came to him that his keys had better be hanging up by the door and his truck had better have been returned by his son. Luke smiled when he eyed the firefighter key ring hanging on the key peg by the door. 'Maybe there was hope for the boys yet!', he thought.

Meanwhile, Jake and Laura had just arrived at her house when her father walked on to the porch. He had indeed heard Luke's truck. Seeing Laura's father Jake said, "Ah, sh--!" "It will be OK." Laura said. Jake opened the truck door and walked around the back of the truck. (Making himself less of a target -- should Laura's father want to shoot him.) He opened the door for Laura and escorted her to the porch where her father waited. Mr. Campbell said, "What's the meaning of THIS? I haven't given you permission to see my daughter....... I should call the Sheriff." Jake inhaled a deep breath before answering, "The meaning of this is, .......... You said we could not see each other until we had proof that she wasn't pregnant." .......... Jake held out his hand to Laura, who placed a slip of paper in his hand. Jake held it up, and said, "Well, we have that. She isn't pregnant. And, we intend to see each other.................. 010101010101 At Bo's, bedtime came early for Luke and Dixie, since Luke had to be gone by 5 am. Shutting the door to the bedroom they were in, Luke promptly locked it, to at least warn them of the younger ones attempts to find their Uncle and Aunt. Luke them stepped in behind Dixie and wrapped his arms around her, taking in the scent of her hair, he said, "God, I missed you. More than you know!" Dixie turned in his arms and started unbuttoning his shirt, "Don't bet on it!" she said, as she kissed his neck. Luke set the clock and turned off the lights, then laid his wife on the bed. 010101010101 Bo, Sr. was just glad to be in his own bed. Glad he wasn't on the steel bunk that he'd been on last night. Glad he wasn't in the barn. And glad he wasn't on the couch! Bo was holding Beth close to him. "Dang it, honey," he said. "It sure is better sleeping with my wife in my arms than sleepin' on a cold steel bunk." Beth smiled. "And even this nice comfy bed ain't much fun without you in it." Bo raised one eyebrow. "Is that so, Mrs. Duke." Beth grinned and licked the corner of her lip. "Mm-hmm." She kissed him behind the ear. "Let's make the best of it, hm? Knowing you, you'll be in jail again tomorrow night." Bo grinned. "Next time I think of doin' somethin' stupid, I think I'll just think about you all warm and soft in my arms, and that oughta be the ticket, right there." Beth smiled. "It's a wonder you ain't done any hard time, Beauregard." Bo's face fell. "Are you still mad at me?" She grinned. "Nope... Just gotta keep you in line, Sugar." Bo snuggled her close to him. "Honey, I can't wait for this little one to get on out of there..." Beth, catching his meaning, whispered low, "Neither can I, Darlin'. Neither can I."

At Bo's Debbie had just came in from work and said, "Hey everyone what's up?" Jeb, who had witnessed Bo's foot being put in his mouth, turned purple with laughter, "You're not going to believe what Bo did!" he exclaimed. Seeing the looks from both Bo and Beth he quickly said, "But I'll tell ya outside. Come on." Meanwhile, at the farm, Jeb and Debbie were discussing Bo's big mouth. "What happened?" Jeb burst into laughter, and was barely able to start telling her. "Beth and Bo were talking about the boys. And Beth said she wasn't sure she could put up with another one for another 18 years, meaning the baby. And Bo says, 'You should have thought about that before you let me in your jeans in the barn.'" Debbie's eyes were like saucers. "He didn't!" She laughed. "In front of the boys." Jeb nodded, about to die of laughter. "Oh, yeah." Debbie replied, without thinking what she was saying, "Jeb Duke if you ever tell our kids about us in the barn I will shoot you!" As it registered on Jeb's face what she had said they just stared at each other................ 010101010101 While Bo, Beth and Dixie were still talking in the kitchen they hadn't noticed Luke take his bag into the living room. Dixie called to him, "Want some coffee?" Without coming back into the kitchen Luke called back, "Yeah, sounds real good." A few miuntes later the three walked into the living room to find that Luke had his gear all out of his bag and spread from one end of the room to the other and the faint smell of forest fire covered the room. Dixie spoke for Beth, "Honey what are you doing?" Checking out my stuff now so I don't have to at 4am. With a new class of trainees I won't have time when I get there." he looked over at Beth. "Sorry. Give me a minute I'll have all this put up and ready to go." Beth said leaning against Bo's chest as he wrapped his arms around her. "You're fine Luke. I just can't imagine carrying all that through a fire." Luke smiled, "Sometimes I think Lisa and Casey carry more than I do." he said referring to the female members of his team. Beth was still standing in front of Bo with his arms around her when the baby kicked her under her ribs again. She straightened up as Bo too felt the kick. Bo asked, "Is someone getting anxious?" She shook her head 'no', "Just like Bo, Jr. and Jesse. Just getting a little cramped in there and I'm not supposed to relax." She said standing a bit straighter. Luke asked, "So when are we expecting 'company'?" Beth smiled. "Lord only knows. These Duke boys seem to have their own idea of timing." She thought about the day Bo, Jr. had been born, and how they hadn't expected him for another few weeks. Uncle Jesse had been forced to deliver him. "But probably... Sometime next month is what the Doctor said... Early next month. He'll be my second June Baby." Bo, Jr. was also born in June. She smiled lovingly at Bo. "What that danged old barn can do, huh?" she said, winking at him. Bo held her closer and kissed her lips. "I love you," he said, trying to hold her close without hurting her or the baby. Luke winked at Dixie, then smacked Bo in the back of the head. "Aw, get a room!" he said. "Or maybe a hayloft." Beth and Dixie looked at each other and burst into laughter. Beth turned to face Luke. "Honey, from the looks of things, I'd say both us and y'all already did that part." Luke turned red trying to hold the laughter back, but then, he just let it go. "Lord, Beth," he said, putting his arm around Dixie. "You never have been one to mince words." Beth smiled as Bo added, "At least not as long as her children are safely out of earshot." Beth sighed as she rested against Bo's chest again. "Honey," she said, her blue eyes meeting his. "You're somethin' and a half." Bo grinned, that boyish grin that still made Beth melt. "I agree." She looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "Oh, dear. Bo Duke, sometimes I'd like to smack you." He grinned. "Well go right ahead." He pulled her close and kissed her soundly. "How's that?" Luke and Dixie grinned at each other as they watched the other couple. "Honey, why did we wait so long?" Luke asked her. "I should have tried to find you when you were 18... I should've..." Dixie shushed him. "Hush, now. Don't let yourself lose sight of all we have by worryin' about what we don't have. I love you, Luke Duke." He kissed her. "And I love you, too."

Jake pulled into the Boars Nest in Luke's truck. He hoped things had been settled with Laura's father. Jake stepped into the dimly lite Boar's Nest. 010101010101 At the Duke Farm, Bo and Luke decided it was time they 'tired' to get back into the house! Dixie and Beth were sitting at the table when Bo and Luke came in. Bo looked at Beth, convinced that she had the power to kill him with her eyes. She was trying to remain angry with him, but the urge to laugh was killing her. When she looked at Dixie, she lost it, both of them bursting into laughter. Bo heaved a sigh of relief. He was off the hook. At least for the moment. "Where are the boys?" Beth asked when she finally stopped laughing. "Jake went to pick up Laura at work. Bo, Jr.'s probably trying to get rid of the images in his mind of you and Bo in the barn," Luke said, trying to be serious, but failing miserably. In fact, he was headed toward hyperventilating again. Beth rolled her eyes. "Poor thing. If his Daddy wasn't such a big mouth he wouldn't have those images IN his mind." She looked at Bo for a moment, then said, "Bo Duke, if we find Bo, Jr. and Jessica or Jake and Laura in that barn or any other, by cracky, I'll make you sorry!" Bo winced, but Luke quickly jumped to his defense. "I'm sure Bo, Jr. and Jake learned their lesson," he said. "Why would you think that?" Beth asked. "You two didn't." Luke almost became angry, but when Dixie laughed, he had to laugh with her. He figured that if she could live with it, so could he. Bo's reaction was different. He pulled Beth close. "Well, when I had my scare, it was for real, and I got me a woman... so I didn't have to learn. I couldn't get in any more trouble than I was already in." Beth laughed and kissed him. "I love you." She gave him a second kiss that told him she loved him more than words ever could. "Mm..." Bo grinned as he pulled away. "So I guess that means I get to sleep in bed with you tonight?" To which Beth replied with a very serious look on her her face and shook her head 'no'. Luke and Dixie froze. They, like Bo had thought this was over. Beth continued, "You have 'barn duty' to make sure the boys don't take you up on your idea!" Bo looked worried. She really sounded like she meant it. It was then that the baby kicked Beth very hard under her rib. It was so hard that she sat up straight and put her hand on her rib and said, "Oowwee! ..... Ok, I didn't mean it. But he deserved it. Well, Honey someone is on your side about all this." She said moving to straighten herself out to hopefully avoid being kicked like that again. 010101010101 At the Boar's Nest Jake parked Luke's truck and almost bounced into the bar. The place wasn't crowded and Laura's boss was in the back so he snuck a quick kiss. "Honey, I'm so glad you called to say I could take you home. I bet you Dad was glad to when you told him you weren't, ah ..... well." Laura gave Jake a blank look. "You did tell him? He is Ok with this?" Jake asked a bit worried. Laura shook her head 'no'. "I haven't seen my Dad yet, but he did say we couldn't see each other until he had proof that I wasn't, ....." They were both watching what they said because the walls at the Boar's Nest tended to have ears. "Weeellllll, we have proof right here." she said patting her pocket. "So we can go out." "I hear, ya, Honey, but that was before Dad knocked his lights out and he spent the night in jail." Jake reminded. Laura used her warped scene of logic, "Well, that's not what he said. I'm holding him to what he said. He held us to not seeing each other and we were in a public place! Besides the night he spent in jail was his fault!" Jake was now curious, "Yeah, you were there. What did go on between my Dad and your Dad? By the time I got there it was a free for all." "You don't know?" she hung her head ashamed of her Father's actions. "Darlin' I won't lie for my Dad, it shames me what he did. I really think it would be better coming from your Dad what he did. If he won't tell you I will, but will you ask him first?" Though she wasn't telling him what her Dad did, it seemed like a reasonable request to Jake since he could see how upset she was by what her Dad had done and she did say if Luke didn't tell him she would. "Ok, Sweety. No problem I can ask Dad." He took a deep breath and asked, "So what is your Dad going to say when we pull up at your house? I'm in Dad's truck which isn't exactly small or quiet." Laura said, "Well, honey. He's a big boy. He can get over it." Jake sighed. "Well, what if he doesn't 'get over it' and if he's got a gun or some other way to kill me, by God, I might not either." Laura laughed. "He's not going to kill you, Jake." "How do you know?" he asked. "He might." Laura laughed. "Come on, baby. Let's go." Jake put his arm around her and led her out to Luke's truck.

Luke was just short of hyperventilating, "Cousin! ...... I ......Got ....to hand .....it to ya!..... When you decide to stick your foot in your mouth, ....... you put it in all the way to the hip! ..... She is gonna kill you! You do know that right?" Luke said through his laughter. Bo shook his head. "Dang it. My feet don't exactly taste like peach pie neither." Luke laughed. "They don't smell like it, either!" Bo smacked Luke across the back of the head. Jake and Bo, Jr. laughed, until Bo turned around and said, "You two aren't exactly lacking in the 'open-mouth-insert-foot' category either." Jake grinned. "I don't know about me, but Bo, Jr. sure ain't." Bo, Jr. replied, "Hey, it wasn't me that woke the dead in there awhile ago." Jake smiled, "I wasn't THAT loud, ....... was I?" The three other Duke males all nodded 'yes'. Blushing a bit, Jake knew he had let his Dad and Bo know how worried he had been about Laura being pregnant. Luke smiled, telling more by his statement than he intended. "Son, sometimes there's not a better teacher than a real good scare!" Luke suddenly realized he'd also stuck his foot in his own mouth. "Ah, ..... guys, ..... what I mean is ........"Luke rubbed the back of his neck. "Ok, you both know I did a lot of things. ....... Ok, yes, I've had a scare or two of my own, unfortunately I didn't know about the one that counted." Luke said looking at Jake. "Now, if I can get in the house I need to get my things ready so I can get out of here early in the morning. 4 am will come way too soon." "Well, I'm taking Laura home after work!" Jake said with conviction. Luke turned, "Want to take the pick up then come back here afterwards? Just as long as it's here by 4 am sharp!" Jake had been riding with Bo, Jr. and his own ride was at the Miller's. "Sure. Thanks, Dad. I'll have it home as soon as I take Laura home." Luke smiled. It was becoming more natural on his and Jake's part for him to be called 'Dad'. He pointed a finger at Jake, "Learn from the scare. Don't play with 'fire'." He cautioned, then added. "Let me get my bag out of the truck before you leave." "Me? play with fire? You are the one who jumps out of perfectly good airplanes into the fire!" He joked. Jake was still very relieved that Laura wasn't pregnant. "Believe me I learned my lesson. I might not even kiss her 'goodnight'!" he claimed. The others looked at him in disbelief, "SUUUuuuurrrrreeeeee!!!!!!!!" They all said. Jake replied, "OK, so maybe I WILL kiss her good night." Then he grinned. "But not where her daddy can see me! He'll shoot me dead." Luke laughed. "Boy, you're askin' for it! And the sad part is... You're so much like me it scares me. You're too da-- stubborn for your own good." Bo, Jr. laughed, but Bo, Sr. said, "You've got no room to talk. You're worse than Jake is." Jake grinned, but said nothing. He, like Luke, USUALLY knew when to keep his mouth shut. "Hot da--," Bo, Sr. said. "Don't matter who the most hard headed is. The fact of the matter is, we're all havin' a good helpin' of foot for supper tonight." Luke grinned. "You should be used to it by now." Bo swatted Luke again. "Oh, yeah? Well at least I haven't had 'a scare or two of my own'!" Luke grinned. "I didn't announce to my cousin, his wife, and our sons just exactly how my wife got pregnant." "Uncle Luke, we know how women get pregnant," Bo, Jr. said. "I imagine so," Luke said. "Especially considering how your dad caught you and Jessica and Jake and Laura the other night." Bo, Jr. turned bright red as Luke jokingly swatted his arm. "Oh, come on, Uncle Luke!" Bo, Jr. said. Jake didn't even smile this time. He knew better than to say anything considering that he and Bo, Jr. were in the same boat. "But..." Luke said. "I'm sure Bo, Jr. had no desire to know how you and his mother spend your time in the barn." Bo stuttered a little before he finally said, "Now, Luke, I've found the barn lights on and YOU not in the house. Rather recently, I might add, my own self. Like, as in before you got married." Luke tried to look innocent as he said, "That's beside the point. We were talking!" Bo gave him a wide eyed nod, "Sure you were!" Jake declared, "Ok, you two! I for one and probably Bo, Jr. too have heard far more 'details' than we wanted to tonight! ......... As a matter of fact, the 'images' are down right scary! We may be scared for life!" Both Bo and Luke crossed their arms and rolled their eyes at the 'boys'. Together they both exclaimed, "Funny!" Luke added, "At least hearing about it is better than 'seeing' it! Right Bo?" he asked to Bo who had witnessed the 'goings on at the lake. "Yeah, I can swear to that. It was far worse seeing what they were doing than remembering what WE did at their age!" Bo said with a shudder.