Going Home 3

[DixieDavenport]

This was written I'm about 95% sure by DixieDavenport

01~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Laura got her a soda and set down closer to Dixie. She just had to ask, but got the picture that it wasn't a conversation that was open for discussions far as Beth was concerned. "How did you all manage to drink at the Boar's Nest without getting caught?"

Dixie grinned at the memories and replied, "Well, it was more me than Beth. In fact, I'm not sure if she ever did do any drinking there. I went to the Boar's Nest rather often. The reason, or should I say, the excuse for me going was to help Jeb's band set up equipment." Dixie noticed that Debbie was also all ears at the mention of Jeb. "That way I was able to get in with the band and no one thought to really ID me. Then, I ended up setting with Cooter, Luke, Bo, all their friends and as much as I'd like not to think about it, their dates. I guess that was a lot of the reason that everyone except my father pretty much thought that I was as old as the others. Anyway, Cooter and Luke knew that Dad had tried to use Jesse's ideas where alcohol was concerned, if you didn't forbid it or hide it then we'd be more apt to not think it was a big deal and wouldn't drink as much or as often." Dixie laughed, and said, "I'm sure they both only wished that it had worked that way more often. Needless to say both Cooter and Luke managed to look the other way when I'd snitch a drink, but it took them awhile to figure out that I was snitching from them both."

By this time, Beth had noticed the others gathered around Dixie and figured she would go see what they were talking about.

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Luke was working hard not to act as winded from the race with Jeb as he really was.

Jeb was bent over with his hands on his knees trying to breath as Cooter, Bo and the others came into the opening where the small 'hunting cabin' was located. It had been used more for making moonshine than for hunting or camping back when Bo, Luke and Jeb were Bo, Jr., Jake and Jesse's ages.

Bo was the first into the clearing. He looked at them both and could tell that Luke had beaten Jeb by the look on Luke's face.

Jeb finally said as the others got there, "I'll get you next time Luke."

Luke replied, "No, you won't." He said taking a deep breath, then added, "I'm not going to be stupid enough to challenge you again."

Jesse asked a bit in amazement since Luke was older than Jeb, "You mean you really beat Uncle Jeb, Uncle Luke?"

Jeb was now getting his own wind back and said, "Yeah, he sure did."

Luke added, "Remember I do have an advantage. I walk and run in the woods at work far more often than I'd like to."

The guys went into the cabin where Luke reached for a lantern on the wall. He lit it and found the old cabin just as he and Bo had left it years ago. There was still a large stack of dry wood by the wood stove that used also used to provide the heat for the still that was still covered up on the outside of the cabin. The guys had sleeping bags in the General Lee as well as a couple that they had left behind in the cabin.

Bo, Sr. moved by the others as they checked out the cabin, "I'll get the fire started."

Jesse looked around and asked, "So, where's the light switch?"

Luke looked at Bo, Sr. who was giving his son a puzzled look. Luke said, "Bo ain't you ever taken these boys camping up here?"

Bo

[DixieDavenport]

This was written I'm about 95% sure by Bethie88

01~~~~~~~~~~~01

Bo shrugged. "I reckon not. I took Junior campin', just not here..."

Luke raised his eyebrows, and looked at his cousin.

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Beth sighed, hearing the topic of conversation. She settled down in a chair near the other girls, and cracked a can of Diet Pepsi. "Dixie's right," she said. "More times than I'd like to admit, I'd have a sip or two of Bo's beer..." She sighed. "It's not something I'm proud of, but I'd be lying to say it didn't happen more often than not. We all drank back then... I didn't get drunk, but the boys wouldn't keep us from it." She stretched out a bit in her chair, and took another sip of her soda. "Y'all, I won't ever lie or be a hypocrite. I drank when I was younger... But it did lead to some mistakes along the way."

Dixie smiled. It was nice to see some of the Beth she'd known as a girl shining through the "Mama" exterior.

Beth grinned. "Anything else about my checkered past y'all are wondering? Cuz it sure seems to be the night for asking questions I don't wanna answer." She laughed out loud.

[DixieDavenport]

This was written I'm about 95% sure by DixieDavenport

01~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Dixie laughed at her friends' uneasiness. She knew Beth was not a prude or a saint, but there were a lot of things the Beth had a problem admitting to in front of the kids.

Jessica asked, "You did work at the Boar's Nest some too, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I was working there when I found out I was pregnant with Bo, Jr." Beth replied as she noticed Dixie's hand not just resting on the baby but more holding or rubbing her lower abdomen. She had also noticed her change position a several times.

It was then that the phone rang. Beth looked at Laura, who was the closest to it, "Do you care to answer that?"

Laura answered the phone with the familiar greeting that she always got no matter who answered the phone there, "Duke Farm."

A male voice, not Luke or any of the guys asked, "Is Dixie Daven.... ah, ..... Duke there?"

Laura gave the phone a strange look and said as she handed Dixie the phone, "Yeah, she's here. Dixie the phone is for you."

Dixie sighed. A phone call at this time of night wasn't good. "Hello?"

"Dixie I need you to come in at 4 am." It was the familiar voice of the evening shift's Watch Commander at the jail.

Dixie frowned then said with a sigh, "I'll be there."

The male at the other end replied, "Hey, now you ain't the only one stuck. I'm the one you are relieving."

"Yeah? So who called in?" She had been there long enough to about guess.

The Watch Commander replied, "Jones........ said he had a toothache."

"Great!" Dixie said, "Only for you will I be there at 4."

He replied, "You'd better be here I've got to come in at noon tomorrow anyway."

Dixie remember that he had already volunteered for part of that shift. "Yeah I know. See ya at 4." She said as she hung up the phone.

Beth had heard Dixie's conversation and didn't like it with what she was seeing from Dixie's actions. She was still appearing to feel uncomfortable to say the least, "You are going in at 4am? And working a twelve hour shift?"

Dixie replied, "No choice. It's my turn and Don will be stuck until 8am if I don't and he has to be back at noon."

Beth asked, "When do you go back to see Doc?"

"Monday?" Dixie said with a questioning tone. "Why?"

Beth asked, "Has he mentioned taking you off work?"

Dixie shrugged, "He mentioned it months ago. Said it was possible when I got further along. Why?"

Beth replied, "Well I think you are 'further along'."

Dixie heard Debbie, Laura and Jessica's excitement at Beth's comment and replied, "Why do you say something like that?"

Beth replied, "Because other that the one at the dinner, you've been having contractions for the last half hour."

Dixie had not been having any pain since the one at the dinner and replied, "I am not."

Beth rolled her eyes a bit and said, "Laura put your hand on Dixie's belly and leave it a few minutes."

Laura shrugged and did as Beth said. She and Jessica had done this often after the baby started kicking.

"I don't know what you are talking about Beth, 'he', " Though Dixie didn't know for sure what she was having she had gotten into the habit of calling the baby a 'he'. "Isn't even kicking much tonight."

Beth started to explain, "That's because, ........."

She was interrupted by Laura who suddenly set up really straight and exclaimed, "Hey! That's weird! What is the world?"

Beth gave a smug grin at Dixie before answering Laura's question, "Her belly just went from relaxed to as hard as a basket ball?"

Dixie frowned. That was exactly what had happened.

Laura replied, "Yeah! That's exactly what it felt like."

Beth said with a grin. " 'He's' moving. Your body is just practicing for the real thing."

Dixie was still in a bit of denial, "But I'm not feeling any pain."

"You likely won't until you are really in active labor." Beth said and added, "But, you are getting close."

"Close?" Dixie asked. She had to admit to herself the Beth was un-nerving her just a little."

Beth laughed, "Well, closer than you were a few months ago."

"Geeehhh, thanks!!!" Dixie replied.

Beth said, “Look your due date is what about two weeks away?" She saw Dixie nod 'yes', "Well, if Doc hasn't taken you off work and you have no other symptoms, I don't see going after Luke tonight or you not working tomorrow, but I bet you that you won't work after your appointment on Monday."

Debbie replied, "You make me feel much better, there Beth." She knew they were short handed and though the jail was prepared for Dixie to go on maternity leave. It wasn't going to be any easier covering yet another shift with the small staff they had.

Dixie sort of 'ducked', "Sorry. You know I really didn't plan on this, " she rubbed her belly as she finished the sentence, "quite SO soon, but, ..... ah, ...... it just sort of, ......... happened." It was true, she and Luke had talked about children and though they really wanted to 'try' often for them, they wanted some time to their selves as a married couple before becoming parents. They had 'discovered' that God had a sense of humor and had given them the family they had wanted years ago quick, fast, and in a hurry.

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Luke then looked at Jesse and replied, "Son, there are no electric lights here." Luke wondered how Bo had only made the time to take Bo, Jr. camping.

Cooter said in a care free manner, "Sooo, where is something to get this 'party' started?"

Jesse asked, "Party?"

Bo warned, "Cooter!"

Luke shook his head at them both, "Get a fire going. I'll be back. Jeb you want to go?"

Jeb grinned widely. "You bet!" he had never been privilege to most of the 'hiding' spots.

As the two left, Jake asked Bo, "So just where are they going?"

Bo laughed and said with a sigh, "They are going after some of Jesse's finest that was put down about the time you or Bo, Jr. was born."

Jesse exclaimed, "Really?!!!"

Bo sighed heavily, "Yeah, I'm afraid so." He was not happy about this turn of events because he knew the next question and Jesse didn't let him down.

Jesse said more than asked, "DAD you have got to let me at LEAST try it. I mean, I was named after Uncle Jesse and I've heard stories about his shine ALL my life. PLEASE??"

Cooter couldn't help but smile and wait on Bo's reply. He knew that even his 'little sister, Dixie' had tried Jesse shine before she was Jesse's age. He knew what Beth's reply would be but he wasn't quite sure of Bo's answer.

Bo

[DixieDavenport]

This was written I'm about 95% sure by Bethie88

01~~~~~~~~~~~01

Bo paused, unsure of the best course of action at this point. On one hand, they were away from the farm and Beth might never know. But on the other, Jesse's shine, to the untrained drinker, could cause quite a hangover, and if his uncle's namesake had a bit too much, Bo and Jesse would both have a lot of explaining to do. He erred on the Duke side of things most of the time though, and gave Jesse a nod. "You can have some. But not too much, or your Mama'll tan me."

All of the men settled in, as Jeb and Luke made their way back with a couple of jars of Jesse's finest. Now, the party could begin.

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Beth's mothering instinct was as strong as ever, as she told Dixie, "Promise me if you feel bad you'll call somebody in."

Debbie nodded in agreement. "Call me, Dix, I'll take care of it."

Dixie nodded. "I will, but I hope I don't have to. Need all the extra money I can make before this one gets here."

[DixieDavenport]

This was written I'm about 95% sure by DixieDavenport

01~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Beth understood Dixie's point, but it didn't stop her from worrying.

Dixie looked at the clock. If she had to be at work at 4am she needed to get home and get ready, "Well, ya'll it's been nice but I need to get a shower and get things ready. 230 am comes early." It was already nearly 10 pm.

Beth said, "You don't have to go, you can stay here."

Dixie smiled, "Yeah, I know but I'd have to go get clothes and all anyway. I'll see ya'll about 530 tomorrow."

After Dixie left, Laura who had been deep in thought most of the evening asked, "Do you really think she is that close?"

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

After all the guys got a drink everyone settled down, Luke asked Bo, "So, how is it that you never took Jesse camping out? Don't tell me Beth wouldn't let you. I know better than that. She never really objected to us going camping occasionally even after ya'll got married, as long as we didn't do it none too often or she wasn't pregnant." Luke said with a laugh.

Bo sighed, "I'll tell you, just as long as you tell me why in the pitch blackness of night you decided to challenge Jeb to a foot race up a mountain."

Luke took a long drink and smiled, "Deal."

They hadn't realized that the room had several sets of ears that were hearing the conversation. They assumed the others deep in their own conversations.

Bo shook his head finding it hard to believe what he was about to say, "Luke you were gone by the time the boys got big enough for me to take two boys camping. By the time Jesse was 4, Bo, Jr was 8 and I could have watched them fine. It would have been a bit tricky to set up and break down if we were near a stream but Luke that would have left Beth home with a newborn, a 2 year old and a six year old. I know Uncle Jesse and even Daisy were there to help but I guess I just figured if I was away long enough to help make a livin' then I should be home to help when I wasn't working on the farm or somewhere."

Luke could see Bo's logic with what he'd said, but had to add, "Bo I know it's sure fun makin' younin's, but after Bo, Jr. didn't you learn what caused them?"

Bo fumed, "Cute, Luke! Real cute!!"

After a glass of Jesse's finest, Luke must admit it did sound sort of cute when he said it.

Bo added, "So how about that race?"

Luke laughed. It was good to have a night out with the guys. He wasn't on call and hadn't even took his pager to hear what if anything the other crew members were up to. He took a drink of shine, then a deep breath and finally replied, "Seems kind of strange, I remember getting you through Bo, Jr.'s birth as well as helping with Braxton, but........."

Bo grinned.

Luke warned, "BO! Don't even go there. It's just that, .... I'm worried about Dixie. You know about loosing her. It took so long to get this far and things seem right, really right, the first time in a long time that I felt that way and what if, ......."

Bo interrupted Luke's thoughts, "Luke I've been there. Six times now. I know what you are going through. I think I was almost more worried with Braxton than I was with Bo, Jr." he paused, choked up and continued with tears in his eyes, "I knew Uncle Jesse was there with the others. With Braxton, ....."

Luke tried to get Bo on another direction, "All you had was me, and I'm a poor substitute for Uncle Jesse."

Bo frowned, "I didn't say all that. It's just that as long as he was there, even if I was worried, I knew he could handle anything that came at him. Just like he did when we got caught running shine. He fixed it."

[DixieDavenport]

This was written I'm about 95% sure by Bethie88

01~~~~~~~~~~~01

Luke nodded, knowing full well what Bo meant. Jesse Duke's presence had always had a calming effect... On all of them, really. And his being gone sure didn't help them to have a good frame of mind about stuff like babies and wives.

He'd always known just what to say or do, and now the Duke family, though still strong, felt sometimes like things weren't the same anymore.

Luke sighed. "I know she'll be fine, I really do... But for some reason, knowin' and believin are two different things, and I'm having a hard time..."

Bo nodded. "I understand, cousin. But we're here for ya... Me and Beth, and the kids, too, for that matter... You know Beth's been through it enough times... She'll get Dixie through... And I'll do whatever I can to help."

Luke smiled. "You know somethin', Bo? I never thought I'd see the day you'd be givin' me advice."

Bo grinned. "Yeah... usually was you gettin' me outta trouble, huh?"

[DixieDavenport]

This was written I'm about 95% sure by DixieDavenport

01~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Luke reached over and popped Bo lightly on the back of the head like he had done when they were kids.

Bo ...............

This was written I'm about 95% sure by Bethie88

01~~~~~~~~~~~01

glared at his cousin. "Cute, Luke. Real cute."

This was written I'm about 95% sure by DixieDavenport

01~~~~~~~~~~~~01

At her home, Dixie went inside leaving the back door unlocked for Debbie and Laura if they decided to come there instead of staying with Beth. She went in the bathroom and ran a tub of hot water. After getting in the tub Dixie took a few minutes just to relax and soak in the water. She took a large cup and poured it over her stomach. Immediately the baby began moving. Dixie said, "It sure looks like you like baths as much as I do. I just hope you continue to feel that way." It was right then when she received a swift kick. "Owe." She said though it didn't actually hurt that time. "Ok, Kiddo, let's get this done so that we can go to work early in the morning." Dixie finished her bath and went to bed. She hoped that Luke would be home, but if they were at a still site she really doubted it. The next thing Dixie knew was a very annoying sound invaded her dreams. It was the alarm clock. Dixie was dressed and in the car on her way to work even before dawn.

[DixieDavenport]

This was written I'm about 95% sure by Bethie88

01~~~~~~~~~~~01

Beth replied to Laura's question. "Honey, if she ain't close, my name ain't Beth Duke."

Laura grinned. No one could wait to have another baby around. "She'll be all right, won't she? I mean, all this working strange hours and stuff won't hurt, will it?"

"Not anymore than it hurts anybody," Beth replied. "But she does need her rest."

Debbie sighed. She was tired. "Reckon the boys'll be out all night, huh?"

Beth nodded. "They're probably gonna be pretty sleepy... If you know what I mean." She halfway laughed.

Debbie nodded. Dukes were Dukes, no matter how old they might be.

[DixieDavenport]

This post was written by DixieDavenport

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Daisy shook her head with a bit of a laugh, "If that's what you want to call it." She stood up as she looked over at the clock, "I think I'm going to turn in too so I can be ready for my niece and nephew when they wake up."

Jessica said, "Yeah." She wasn't used to how early the Duke farm was normally awake and ready for anything. "How is it kids go from sound asleep angels to fully awake in seconds?"

Before Beth could answer, Laura asked, "They do? I mean I've seen it when I've stayed here but I thought it was that they were just excited at having company."

All the eyes in the room landed on the new mother to be and rolled there eyes at her innocence, then shook their heads 'no', it was Beth who said, "I'm afraid not. They are like their Daddy in the General Lee, from dead stop to full out wide open in seconds AND they expect you to be as awake as they are."

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Cooter was setting close enough to have heard most of the boys conversation. He was a bit surprised to hear that Luke was so worried about Dixie and the baby. It was a side of his best friend and brother-in-law that he wasn't used to seeing. He got an idea that he'd have to check into later.

Jake had also moved closer to Luke and Bo. He wasn't used to seeing Bo and Luke like this either and said, "You mean it's still scary, even if you've been through it before? I thought it was just because of all the stuff going on with Laura's father and us not being married and all?"

Bo replied, .........

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

At Tri Counties Jail, Dixie pulled in just before 4am. She walked into the sally port area and her friend Don popped the door open for her as she got to it. Something about the loud sound made her think of how Luke had admitted that the closing and locking of a cell door bothered him. Dixie laughed to herself as she closed the first barred door and stepped to the second steel door waiting for Don to open it. Once through the second door, Dixie clocked in at the time clock and went to the Control Room where Don was. She seen he had layed out his keys and was now signing over the log book to her. "What are you doing?"

Don could be a bit of a 'male chauvinist' but he and Dixie had found they worked good together and had quickly became friends. "Turning this entire place over to you."

It wasn't as if Dixie hadn't worked the position at the other jail, nor this one, but it wasn't a regular thing either. "Why?"

Don replied, "A couple of reasons: First, you are the senior officer on this shift. Second, you are my relief. No sense in juggling floor officers. Third, we got a wild child who wanted to give us a fight earlier back in Holding. Fourth," he pointed to the shirt that any other time would have swallowed her that was now looking as if she needed a larger size. Dixie had gotten a couple of men's uniform shirts and had been wearing them untucked with maternity pants for several months now. Frankly to Don, it looked like she shouldn't have been still working at the jail anyway, but he knew better than to say that. "I'm not putting you in a position for you to get hurt this far along. If day shift wants you on a floor they can put you there. Besides, in here you can set down more. When are you due anyway?"

"A couple weeks yet. Don't be trying to get ride of me so soon." Dixie joked as she put the Watch Commander keys (that contained the key to the key box that had all the assorted keys to run a jail, the weapons box keys where the weapons were stored, and the most used cuff keys) in her right pants pocket.

"Never. Just trying to see if they were going to take my holiday for Tuesday." Don said.

Dixie gave him an evil grin and replied, "If you ask me, I think you'll get it, BUT, if you'd ask Bo's wife, ...... she is beating Doc takes me off work Monday, ....... so ........."

Don had heard all about Dixie's family in the time they had worked together and knew Bo and his wife had several kids. "And she has how many kids?"

"Six." Dixie replied.

Don signed heavily, "Ok now that you have made my day, I'm going home now and I'll see ya'll about noon."

"Bye." Dixie said as she let him out of the Control Room where the kitchen trustees were coming down the hallway.

One of the trustees frowned when he seen Dixie at the door and said, "Miss Dixie what are you doing here so early?" Then to the other officer he said, "You shouldn't have called her in this early."

Both officers laughed at the trustee. Some of these guys had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time and weren't bad guys at all. Though officers didn't want to let inmates know their personal business both Dixie and Don knew you could be civil to most of the inmates who came through Tri Counties. They said together, "Get to work."

The trustee said, "I'm going. And, I'm gonna make sure Miss Tanya (the cook) feeds you real good this morning."

Dixie replied as she waited for the trustee to get down the hall before letting Don out the first door, "I didn't even look to see what's for breakfast but tell Tanya to sign me up."

"I'll do it." The trustee said as he happily went to do his work detail in the jail's kitchen.

Dixie let Don out and settled in for the rest of the shift. Made a fresh pot of coffee and grabbed a cup even before it was finished dripping. She checked out the schedule, seen she would likely be in the Control Room all day and began figuring out floor assignments for the day, read the log book from her last shift until her taking over. As she was finishing up she heard a knock on the Control Room door. It was the trustee with a covered plate, two milks and two juices. She opened the door and took the plate and drinks. "Thanks."

"No problem." The trustee said and seeing the coffee cup on the desk he added, "I didn't think coffee was good for you."

"It's probably not, but I got to have some caffeine on days like this." Dixie said as she was getting ready to close the door back.

The trustee said, "If you're working the floor later, watch that guy back in Holding. He gave them trouble last night."

Dixie just smiled a bit and said, "Thanks." She knew what had went down on the previous shift. She had read the log book and incident reports. She also knew that this particular inmate would have also told Don the same information had the positions been reversed so it didn't bother her that he had warned her. Dixie had been an officer long enough to have seen new bookings curse officers or try to get them to bend or break rules and had seen inmates such as this one tell them real fast and in a hurry not to give her or other officers trouble. It was a fine line of mutual respect. Officers who gave respect usually got it from most inmates.

[DixieDavenport]

This was written I'm about 95% sure by Bethie88

01~~~~~~~~~~~01

Bo replied, "Jake, I've seen my wife have six babies... Six... And it never gets easier. I love her, and watching her struggle through it... I never feel more helpless, because nothing I can do can make it go quicker." He shook his head. "Labor may be shorter now, but it definitely ain't easier to deal with."

Jake was surprised. Bo never seemed the type to worry much about anything. But it was obvious he did.

Jake sighed. This was gonna be tougher than he'd thought.

Bo, Jr. looked around. "Dad... Uncle Luke... Uncle Jeb," he said, looking at the two men. "I brought the guitars. Reckon we could pick and sing some?"

Bo, Sr. and the other grinned. "Let's do it."

[DixieDavenport]

The guys got the guitars and were strumming a few bars and getting them in tune when Bo, Sr. looked over at Jesse who was setting back watching, he said, "Son, I didn't get a chance to tell you how good I thought you did tonight with that Conway Twitty song. You didn't learn how to do that in the shower, so who's been givin' you pointers?" Bo asked without having to. He had seen a lot of Jeb in Jesse earlier that evening.

Jesse acted a bit embarrassed by Bo's comment and quietly, "I've been watching you all around the house since until tonight I haven't gotten to go to the Boar's Nest with ya'll, but Uncle Jeb has talked with me some."

Jeb gave Bo a small grin and said, "Remember me and Jesse have a lot in common by being in the middle." Jeb was the middle Duke boy between Bo, Sr and Vance and Jesse was the middle child up until Braxton was born. "So what's it gonna be?" Jeb asked.

Cooter was the first to reply, "How about Ramblin' Man?" The others didn't say another word just went into the song........

Lord, I was born a ramblin man,

Tryin to make a livin and doin the best I can.

And when its time for leavin,

I hope youll understand,

That I was born a ramblin man.

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Well, folks, ..... as Bugs Bunny use to say "That's All Folks!" Well at least it is all that I had saved in Word when this story was moved from one forum to another and inadvertly lost in the move. So this clears the books for 2010 and leaves way for me and Bethie88 to get back to work. I hope you all are enjoying the story and will continue to read and be patient as 'Life' sometimes lately has been getting in the way of good writing. Happy New Year !!!