by: Kristy Duke

Listening into the heavy silence that hangs within the warm cab of my truck, I quietly glance over at Bo who sits in the passenger seat with his right leg extended far under the dashboard. His head rests back against the back window as he quietly stares out through the passenger window, lost in his own thoughts, his own worries. For a moment, I watch his thin chest heave in and out under his red t-shirt while listening to his audible wheezing before I redirect my attention back through the front windshield. Staring ahead and listening into the silence, I am left with my own thoughts, my own emotions that revolve around Bo and the last month or month and a  half. Only to force myself to begin to wonder once more what I could have done to prevented all of this to happen; to Bo and to everyone. If I hadn’t allowed Shawn to stay at the farm while he was in Hazzard, would he have been so bold as to hide his dirty money in our barn? If not, Bo wouldn’t have been his witness to hiding the money. Would Shawn and his gang have left Hazzard by now, leaving no harm upon us?

Shawn targeting Cooter and Luke as his cover from the law, would bring them within the realms of being a witness to Shawn. Even if they didn’t know anything, Shawn and Landon couldn’t leave Hazzard with the question of what if they knew something. Whether Shawn had known or not, Landon had entered into Hazzard knowing he’d have to kill Luke and Cooter once they were of no use to Shawn and his gang. Only Bo had gotten in the way when he saw Shawn hiding the money to shift their attention upon him to shove Luke into the shadows of their attention with thoughts of killing him once they took care of Bo.

Yet, the strong paternal feeling deep down screams back at me that there had to have been something I could have done to protect Bo from what he went through. Protect my family from what they all went through. But what? And now that everyone is returning home with thoughts of life returning to normal, how can I help them to get through the nightmares that the events are sure to have left behind? What can I do to help them sort through it all and accept that it is all over with? How can I reassure them that it is once again safe?

Bo coughs besides me for a brief moment and I worriedly glance back at him to find him tiredly closing his eyes despite knowing the farm lies only a few miles away and I am reminded of the last time we had drove him home. Had took him home with worry of whoever had attacked him could still be out there, wishing to finish the job they had started. Wishing to kill him. And we were right. Though didn’t know just how close we were to the truth as we had voiced our worry and fear in front of his attacker. Only to send chills racing up and down my back as my thoughts once again return to the fact that Bo was forced to live with his attacker once he returned home from the hospital. He lived with Shawn knowing it was him while we all lived with Shawn, trusting him as our friend.

Now we return home knowing that the same person who had attacked him both times is now dead. That everyone is safe once again. The farm is safe. But even with Shawn dead, there remains the stubborn feeling of fear and the constant thought that someone else may return to do any of us harm. That the creak of the old floors were the footsteps of an intruder. Shawn and his gang didn’t only do physical harm to my family, they penetrated through my family’s safety barrier.

“You OK?” I find my voice to ask and Bo slowly opens his eyes to nod back at me, his attention remaining out through his open window.

After a brief moment, he looks away from the window to nod at me once again. “I’m fine,” he slowly states despite the dull look of pain in his eyes. Another moment later, he turns back to looking out the window, quietly dealing with his harsh emotions that the events has forced upon him. I sigh heavily as I turn back to looking at the road ahead of me, wishing for him to say something. We’ve been driving home for fifteen minutes now and yet those are the first words he had spoken since I had driven out of the pick up lane at the hospital.  Though experience has taught me that it is best to let him come to me when he is ready to talk about it, to let him open up on his own. To keep asking questions and talking to him about it, will only push him away.

Looking back ahead at the dirt road, I allow my thoughts to fall upon the last three weeks that Bo has been away from the farm and entrapped within the hospital; of his doctor’s first informing us of Bo’s condition. Of his prediction of Bo’s survival. Of Bo’s constant struggles that had plagued him once he had woke up as well as our own struggles. Two and a half long weeks of struggling to breathe, waiting for  his lungs to become strong enough to face the surgery Dr. Lu said was necessary on Bo’s right knee if he was ever going to walk again. Then after two and a half weeks, Bo spent four hours in surgery to leave us waiting and pacing in the waiting room until Dr. Lu said all went as planned and that it was OK to see him. Then three days for Bo to rest while Lu and the rest observed him and his breathing before Lu had finally gave Bo the news he had  yearned to hear for so long. He was going home. If it had been anyone else, Lu had informed us, that they would be out of the hospital that day after the surgery. But with Bo, they wanted to make sure he was strong enough, well enough before sending him on his way; with his weak lungs and his other injuries, they wanted to be sure he was OK.

So now after three weeks after the events in the barn had unraveled, Bo is going home. We all are gong home. The FBI had ensured that no one was allowed in or near the farm house and barn until they were done with it. After three days at Cooter’s place, they had given us the OK before they had packed up their stuff and the remaining FBI agents left Hazzard. Despite the FBI’s OK to return home, Cooter had refused to allow us to return home. Made us promise him that we wouldn’t step one foot on the farm until he was done doing whatever he was doing. And being tired and worried about Bo, I had reluctantly agreed with Cooter. Surprisingly, Luke and Daisy were both eager to accept Cooter’s deal. No one seeming to be in too big of a hurry to return home, to where it all had happened.

Cooter had excitedly returned home two days ago with a crazy grin spread across his face as he told us it was all done, that it was OK for us to go back home. Returning home, it didn’t take us long to figure out what he was up to, why he didn’t want us to go in or around our own home.  We returned home two days ago, but without Bo, it had all seemed wrong. Until now.

“We’re almost there,” I slowly state as the farm comes into sight several feet away and Bo nods from his seat and I am once again reminded of last year when he had been sent home from the hospital and how withdrawn he had been. How hard it had been for him to feel safe once again. Of the nightmares that kept him awake at night. Of him pushing us all away when we tried to help him. When we tried to be there for him. And I find myself praying silently to not go through that again. For things to return back to normal. Yet, I know, it’ll take Bo awhile to feel safe again. To open up to us about it all. He needs time. “It’ll feel so good to have you home again. Feel like a family once more. It has been pretty quiet around there without you there.”

Bo only nods as his attention remains out through the window. He had talked about wanting to go home, went through the surgery just to be able to go home. Now that he’s finally going home, realization has sunk in. In order to return home, he’s going to have to face the ghosts and monsters that await for him at home and in the barn; where he had been so brutally attacked at. The one place that had represented safety and comfort to him now has become a place of fear and horror due to what Shawn and his gang had done to him. To us.

I attempt to ignore and shove away the thoughts of the past couple of months and the emotions that they bring forth to me as I slowly pull into the drive way. As we reach the old barn that Cooter and his friends has painted a bright red color, I slowly glance over at Bo to find him staring silently at it before he looks questionably back at me. “Cooter and a few others done her up pretty, didn’t they?” I force a smile as I take in the barn myself once again, “They cleaned the insides too. Replaced a few boards and redone the pens and wood work inside. Looks different inside and out. Wanna go have a look?” I eye him in hope of him saying yes in order to not be scared away from the barn by the events that had happened within it.

Shaking his head no at me, he rests back against the back of the seat once again as he eyes the barn once more before his attention goes up to the house where The General lies parked to the left of the porch steps. “Well, we’re home,” I smile back at Bo as I park the old truck to the right of the steps before taking the keys out of the ignition.

“Yeah,” Bo silently says as he nods as he glances up through the windshield as Luke quickly throws open the screen door of the house to run out on the porch and down the steps. Before I can climb out of the driver’s seat, Luke grabs Bo’s metal crutches out of the bed of the truck and steps towards the passenger door and opens it for Bo. “Hey Luke,” I overhear Bo say and I glance through my open door to find Bo allowing Luke to help him out and onto his crutches. “Thanks.”

“You got it, bud?” Luke questions as I close my door before I quickly walk around the hood where I meet up with Bo and together, Luke and I both place a protective hand upon Bo’s upper arm to help him up the few steps. Reaching the landing, Luke lets go to pull open the door and Bo awkwardly forces him through the open door way where he stops in the middle of the kitchen. “Jesse tell you what Cooter did while he had us holed up at his shack?”

Bo remains silent for a moment as he takes in the new oak wooden table and chairs that is now set up besides him, in between the front door and the food closet, and he runs a hand over the back of the closest chair. A moment his attention falls over to the new counter near the sink and down at the wooden floor below where the new counter lies. The counter is new, yet matches the old counter that lines the right wall, the floor boards have been taken out where there had been a blood stain and replaced with new boards that looks like the other floor boards. Only cleaner.  “He said he fixed up the barn,” Bo finally states, looking up from the floor and up at Luke.

Resting against the counter, Luke says, “I guess a whole lot of people came up and helped him out for a couple of weeks. Painted the barn, replaced a few wall boards, and redone the whole inside. Well except for the loft. You should have a look,” he pauses for a moment, “and then as you can see, we got a new table, new floor boards, and a new counter.  It was Cooter, LB, Brody, as well as the entire Jenkins’ family.  Mark Jenkins built the table himself. Guess he had it started with his brother in mind, but said, his brother is going to have to wait for his table. Said he’ll always be indebt to you for what you done for him and his family.” Luke goes silent as his eyes falls upon the counter besides him and a look of sadness slowly floods his eyes and I am reminded that he was the one that had walked into the house where Bo had attacked. He had seen the blood and the broken table before he had been confronted by Shawn and forced to the barn; where we met them. Daisy and I had only been briefly explained to by the FBI how bad the house looked and why we couldn’t return home. That was enough to send vivid images in my mind of what it looked like, of what Bo had been through before being tied to the chair in the barn. I can’t imagine what Luke had to see and what he must have felt when he walked in to see it all.

“Well Bo,” I say to break the silence and he tiredly looks back up at me, “Cooter has informed us this morning, right before I left to pick you up, in fact, that he has planned out a small welcome home party for all of us. Said everyone should start arriving at the farm around three this afternoon; which is in four hours.” I pause for a long moment after glancing at my pocket watch. “I guess LB caught a boar for you that they are cooking up as we speak and that everyone else will be bringing side dishes and drinks and deserts.” I go silent once more to listen to Bo’s breathing, taking in his response only for him to look tiredly at me. “Though, Bo, I made it clear to Cooter, that if you don’t want all that, then he is to call it off. Last year you weren’t too comfortable  having the cook out when you came home and having everyone around. So, it is all up to you and what you want.”

Bo eyes Luke and I tiredly for a long moment before he shrugs. “That’ll be fine,” he finally says before coughing harshly into his shoulder to bring tears to his eyes.

“You OK, Bo?” Luke questions, taking a protective step closer to him.

“I’m fine,” Bo responds, “just tired.”

I nod at him as Luke places a protective hand upon his shoulder. “Well, I think we should get you off to bed before everyone starts arriving,” I slowly state and Bo slowly nods before he walks past us and into the living room where we follow behind him. After a minute of quietly walking through the living room, Bo reaches the closed door that leads to the room he shares with Luke and leans forward to open the door. For a long moment, he stands still, resting on his crutches as he stares into the room as he allows for us to catch up to him before he moves forward and in between the two beds. “Here let me take the crutches,” I offer as he reaches the bed. Nodding to me, he allows for me to take the crutches while Luke protectively helps him to sit down upon his double bed and I rest them against his nightstand. Turning around, I find him picking up the check the FBI had given to me for Bo when Bo refused to take it. “That’s from the FBI,” I explain, “they gave it to me when you refused to take it. But I don’t deserve it, you do. For what you done. Put it on the nightstand for now, you can think about what you want to do with it later.”

Breathing heavily, he eyes me for a long moment before setting it on the nightstand behind his crutches and Luke carefully helps Bo’s broken leg up onto the bed. “Let us know if we can get you anything or if you need help,” Luke tiredly states as Bo lies down upon his own bed. Bo nods a moment before his eyes fall shut and his wheezy breathing falls into an almost rhythmic pattern of sounds. Luke watches for a moment before he stands up and I slowly follow him out of the room, leaving the door open a couple of inches before returning to the kitchen.

“Where’s Daisy at?” I finally ask, finding myself whispering as if afraid to wake him up by talking.

“She went into town to get a few things. Told me to tell you, she’ll be back before the party,” he answers and shrugs at me as he walks to the kitchen sink to stare out through it, “she didn’t tell me what she was going to town to get. Said it’d be a surprise for everyone.”

I nod at his back as silence settles into the kitchen once again as I take in Luke’s tense body. “You want to talk about it, Luke?” I finally ask and he turns around to give me a questioning look and I slowly shrug, “About what you saw here? About anything.”

He eyes me for a long thoughtful moment before shaking his head. “You don’t want to know what I saw here or what I hear-” he begins to say before stopping himself only to send more questions building within me, “I don’t want to talk about it. Not right now. Right now I just want to worry about getting things back to normal for Bo. For all of us.”

Fighting back from asking about what he heard, I nod. “Well you know where to find me if you want to talk. I’ll be glad to listen and be of any help if I can be,” I slowly respond and silence builds between us as Luke returns to looking out through the window, lost in his own thoughts, his own emotions. The thoughts and emotions he hides away from the world around him as he places the look of confidence and strength for everyone to see. Despite his hidden emotions, I know that if or when he wants to talk or needs to talk to someone, he’ll open up to me when he is ready.

 

***LUKE DUKE***

 

Silence heavily begins to build between us in the kitchen as Jesse allows his statement to hang in the air between us and I remain staring out the kitchen window.  Outside the bright sun shines heatedly upon the farm’s dusty land while deep within me I feel clouds of emotions darkening deep within me; emotions raging from relief at seeing Bo back home from the hospital to worry about what the future holds and mixed in with grief and sadness over what everyone has been forced to live through. Forced to live through because I had welcomed Shawn into the house.  Bo has repeatedly declared to me that it wasn’t my fault, that he doesn’t blame me, why should I? He has angrily denied me of any responsibility for what had happened to him, yet deep down, I know I am at fault for what has happened. If I hadn’t welcomed Shawn into the farm, if I hadn’t trusted him as I had, Bo wouldn’t be lying in bed in pain right now. He wouldn’t have lived through the nightmare he has lived through. Worse yet, not all of my guilt is from what Shawn had done, but what I had done to Bo. Not only did I welcome Shawn into the farm knowing full well that he didn’t get along with Bo, but had also sided with Shawn over Bo. Spent more time with Shawn when he had been at the farm. Not only had I inadvertly put Bo into his living nightmare, but I had also failed to protect him as I had always promised him I would. I let him down

Yet, he refuses to be upset at me. Refuses to blame me for what I had done. Refuses to hate me for what he had gone through.

It’d be better if he would hate me, be upset at me, to blame me. His eagerness to believe in me, to forgive me, and to deny me of my responsibility of what I had done only seems to make everything worse for me. As if that’s his plan. Make me pay through reverse psychology. But that’s not who Bo is and deep down I know he is as genuine about his acceptance, forgiveness, and in believing in me is as genuine as you can get.

Breathing in deeply, I slowly turn around to find Jesse sitting at the new table, running his fingers over the smooth top while looking down at the day old paper that lies on top of it. “Is Garrett coming?” I slowly ask just to break the awkward silence, my mind drifting away from my guilt momentarily to return to the fight at the hospital. Of the strong feelings of anger and hatred that had rushed within me at hearing of his involvement. At seeing him stand so boldly at Bo’s side as he attempted to explain his way past any guilt to Bo; describing his actions as something he had to do.  I had felt anger and hatred towards him as I have never felt anger or hatred towards anyone or anything in the past; including the people I was at war with when I was in the Marines. And those, I had a gun and had readily shot and killed as I had been trained to do. So, without a gun, I had attacked Garrett in my attempt to shed him a glimpse of Bo’s pain. Deep down, I feel as if I should feel a little remorse for what I had done to my own cousin. Yet feel no remorse or guilt for what I had done to him. Thinking of Garrett, I am sure if the opportunity arose to do it again, I would do it again just as I had done then.

Jesse sighs heavily and nods as he looks up at me with his own emotion-filled eyes. Everything is all said and done, Shawn is dead, the gang is in jail. Everyone is safe once more. Yet the scars that Shawn and his gang had left runs thick and deep. Which leaves me wondering how long it will take before normalcy kicks into reality. “I asked that to Cooter. He said he wasn’t suppose to tell anyone, but thought it would be best if everyone would know,” he pauses for a long moment as he closes the newspaper and looks back up at me, “guess Garrett has something to say or something to give. Or both. I can’t remember.” He tiredly shakes his head as he sits back in his chair, running a hand over his face. “Cooter said it was nothing bad and that Garrett knows to behave himself. Kristy has threatened to send him back to Knoxville if he tries anything more.”

I give a sarcastic laugh. “Isn’t that what he wants, anyway?” I finally ask, “He makes it no secret just how much he hates Hazzard. Hates everyone in it. To send him back to Knoxville will only be giving him what he wants…kinda like giving into a kid’s fit at the grocery store when he don’t get the toy he wants only to give it to him after he starts crying, kicking, and screaming. Give the kid the toy so he’ll shut up.”

Jesse nods. “Yeah it is, but,” he dramatically pauses as he stiffly stands up, “I guess he’s wanted by the police in Knoxville. He returns to Knoxville, Jeremiah is calling an officer up that has been wanting to arrest Garrett for years now. Ever since Garrett got out of jail on some kind of technicality. So it’s either he works at getting along with Bo and everyone or he’s going to the pen for whatever it was he done before he ran from the police to come here. And according to Cooter, Garrett has no intentions of going back to jail. Especially with that certain officer that has made it his conquest to be the one to arrest him.”

I nod silently as I return to looking out of the window, my mind falls from Garrett to walking into the farm to find the table overturned and blood covering the counter and the floor and knowing before Shawn had clarified it, that it belonged to Bo. I feel chills race up and down my back as Bo’s scream slash cry of pain that he had let out over the phone rings loudly in my head once more as it has been doing ever since it had happened.  Bo has had a high pain tolerance. For him to cry out that loud, it had to have been something major and painful. “Perhaps I’ll ask Garrett what he’s wanted for when he gets here then,” I slowly state in order to force my thoughts elsewhere and Jesse places a hand upon my shoulder.

“No, you won’t,” he sternly states, “if he’s going to work at getting along, you are going to work to get along with him as well. I know you feel like he deserved what you gave him at the hospital, if not more. I know Garrett helped tie Bo to the chair. I know Garrett has wronged Bo with each chance he has gotten ever since coming to Hazzard. But like it or not,” Jesse pauses and I slowly turn to face him, “Garrett is family and he will be forgiven as family forgives one another. He will be accepted into our home, into our lives as family members are. I understand you all have hard feelings with each other and I am not overly thrilled on how he treats Bo either. I’m not saying that you should sit back and allow him to back talk and mistreat Bo. If you see any of that, then do what you have to do for Bo. But you are to give Garrett a chance to right his wrong. You understand?”

I eye him for a long moment, wanting to argue but the stern look in his aged eyes declare it to be best if I agree with him. “Yes sir,” I slowly reply, letting out a long breath in defeat.

“Very good,” he gives me a smile, “well, since we have company coming over, I guess we should get things ready for them. Perhaps we can make something for it as well. Give us something to do. Huh?”

I slowly nod as I glance up at the clock for a moment. “Might as well as do something,” I finally state as I attempt to sort through my thoughts and my emotions.

 

*                              *                              *                              *                              *

 

Staring through the open kitchen window, I blindly put my hand in through the steamy hot water to pull the plug out and the water quickly swirls around my hand as I pull my hand back up and out of the water. Glancing down, I watch the soapy water rush drown the drain to leave thick soapy white bubbles upon the bottom of the silver sink before I numbly glance to my right where the drainer sits. The drainer sits full of cups, plates, and silverware from last night, today, and from Jesse making his famous apple pie only minutes ago. Washing dishes had always been Daisy’s chore as anything within the kitchen had seemed to be assigned to either her or Jesse, yet now with Daisy in town on her mysterious quest, it was handed down to me to do. Something that had seemed to have taken Daisy a few minutes had seemed to double when I had done them and leaves me feeling grateful that the chore belonged to Daisy on a normal basis and not to me.

Sighing heavily, I slowly step over and away from the window to dry my soapy wet hands upon a forest green hand towel and my eyes land upon the new wooden counter that they had put in. Cooter and them had replaced the counter and the floor boards in order to erase the thick and heavy blood stains that  the puddle of Bo’s blood had left behind. They had removed the boards and the counter in their noble attempt to help erase the painful memories that the stains would represent. Yet the newness of the boards and counter all in itself represents the horror and violence that was placed upon Bo by Shawn and his friends. Only to send more chills up and down my back along with more worry and dread of the events that Bo is forced to live with, worry with the nightmares and fear that the events will be sure to scar Bo emotionally with on the days, weeks, and months to come.

Abruptly, the thick and heavy silence that had built within the past half hour since Jesse had left to take care of the animals is shattered by a loud cry full of pain and fear to send my heart to an abrupt halt. Quickly, I race from the kitchen and through the living room and into the room I share with Bo to find Bo sitting up in bed, his eyes open wide and full of fear and pain, his thin chest heaving in and out as he gasps desperately for air. His right hand is clenched onto his right knee while his left sits on the edge of his bed, while he stares down at the floor that lies between our beds. His crutches that had been set up on the night stand has now fallen upon the floor and alongside his fallen crutches lies his emergency inhaler, where his eyes are panicky focused on. His bright blond hair is matted down on his head in sweat.

“Bo!” I hear myself say aloud as I quickly grab his inhaler off of the floor to quickly walk over to him and am halfway surprised when he allows me to help place it into his mouth and trigger an air of medicine into his mouth. As I follow the normal routine with his inhaler, I am sent into flashbacks of the past, of before leaving for war, when I had oftentimes helped him with his medicine at night. Of the long talks we would have afterwards or of him cuddling up against me in his effort to find relief and comfort from his pain and fear that his asthma had often brought upon him. “You OK?” I numbly hear myself asking after the rounds of his medicine are over, eyeing him worriedly and watching his thin chest continue to work up and down for air. He slowly nods at me, though he refuses to look directly at me, and once again note the heavy pain and fear that cry out from his eyes. “A nightmare?” I question and he slowly nods at me while staring across the room from his bed at our closed closet, “Want to talk about it?”

He remains silent and still for a long moment before he slowly shakes his head. “Not really,” he gasps before he stubbornly wipes the tears from his eyes with the back of his left hand, his right hand still upon his right knee. “I want to get up and get some water.”

I nod. “I can bring you some water,” I quickly volunteer.

“No,” he stubbornly states before giving me a stubborn and determine look, “I want to get up. I can get my own water. I didn’t get out of the damn hospital to just lie in my own bed all day.”

“OK, Bo,” I say as I put my hands up as if in surrender, “I was just offering.” I slowly stand up from the edge of his bed as I hear the front door swing open and slam shut. Picking up his crutches with one hand, I slowly help him to his feet with my other hand and am grateful that he is at least willing to allow me to help him. “You got it?” I slowly ask as he is standing with the help of his crutches and he silently nods.

“Bo,” Jesse states as he walks into the room, his crystal blue eyes shine brightly in worry, “you’re up.” He goes silent as he looks from me and back to Bo. “I heard someone scream. I came running to see what happened and if everything is OK.”

Bo remains stubbornly silent for a long moment, his head bowed and his eyes to the floor at his feet. “I’m fine,” he reluctantly states when I don’t answer for him and he pushes himself forward with his crutches and Jesse is forced to move out of his way from the door as Bo approaches him.

“He had a nightmare,” I slowly answer Jesse as I follow Bo closely behind, “which had set off his asthma. Now he is off to get himself some water.”

“Well, I could just as easily bring you some -” Jesse starts before Bo comes to a halt right as soon as he walks into the living room.

“I want to get it myself,” Bo stubbornly states before he continues on his way to the kitchen and I glance over at Jesse to see an agitated look on his face at Bo’s uncalled for anger towards him.

I shrug at Jesse for a short moment. “I tried offering him the same thing. He gave me the same sort of response,” I slowly respond before we begin to follow Bo into the kitchen where he is now at the sink, filling up one of the glasses I had just washed, with water. Standing behind Bo, I glance over his shoulder and through the window, to find Cooter’s old truck coming to a halt with an old rusted grill tied down in the bed of the truck.

“They’re an hour early,” I slowly state as LB climbs out from the passenger seat a moment before Cooter crawls out of the driver’s seat and Bo glances up from filling his glass to watch them momentarily before he begins to drink his water.

“Cooter said they’d be getting here early to set up and everything,” Jesse pauses as gentle hand lands on Bo’s shoulder and Bo flinches back in surprise before he sets down his glass that is now half empty. “It’s not too late. I can go out there now and tell him you would rather not do it now. Do it some other time.”

Bo shakes his head at him before turning around to face us, leaning back on the shelf behind him. “Now is fine, Jesse. It’ll be fun,” Bo forces a smile at us before he makes his way past us and to the front door and I quickly walk over there to open the door for him. “Thanks,” he forces out before he slowly makes it out on the porch before coming to a halt at the steps, eyeing them cautiously before he leans against the wooden beam to watch LB and Cooter drag the grill off of the back of the truck. After a moment of thought, he slowly places his crutches on the top step to slowly climb his way down onto the dirt drive way.

“Hey, hey Bo!” LB grins up as he sets his half of the grill down, “What’s cookin’?”

Bo shrugs. “I don’t know. Jesse said something about a boar, but you tell me,” Bo states as I follow Jesse down the stairs to where Bo stands.

“A boar it is. It was a feisty thing too, let me tell you that. But I won at the end. That’s all that counts…made it more fun to catch as well,” LB gives a crazy smile, “I caught it, so Cooter here says he’ll be grillin’ it. Already almost done, just have to relight it up and give it a little more time on the grill and he’ll be nice and ready to eat.” LB goes silent a moment. “How you feelin’? How’s the leg?”

Bo shrugs as he catches our eye for a moment and looks back at LB. “The leg’s killing me, but,” Bo slowly admits and I silently recall his right hand holding his knee when I had walked into his room, “I’ll be OK.”

 

***GARRETT DUKE***

 

Pulling into the Duke’s farmhouse drive way, harsh emotions continue to climb steeply within me as my thoughts remain focused upon Luke’s intense, bold, and surprised attack upon me at the hospital. Of the intense anger and hatred that had shun darkly in his eyes as he had shoved me into the wooden wall to force me to look at him. Of the pain he had forcefully inflicted upon me. And of my own lack of ability to do anything to stop his attack, his hatred. Had nothing to counter his bold accusations he had for me, because despite the anger that had stung deeply within me towards him for what he was doing to me, I knew he was right. Knew he had a right to be mad at me for what I had done. Sure, Landon and them would have went ahead with their plan without me whether or not I had tied Bo to the chair, but the point was that it was me t hat had tied Bo to the chair. That I was the one that ha d blackmailed my way into the gang that  had set out of t heir way to do harm upon the Dukes and when I knew they were after Bo, I did little to stop t hem other than to write that note to Bo. I had brought the FBI to the farm and had brought Landon to the FBI, but would I have done that if the FBI had denied my deal?

“Uncle Garrett!” Jamie’s innocent voice pulls me out of my thoughts as she runs away from Kristy and over to me to throw her thin arms around me and I am quick to hug her back to receive a large smile from her.

“Thanks Jay,” I grin down at her before glancing up to watch Kristy pull Shay out of the truck before she sets him down on the grass to walk back to her truck to pull out her covered dish that she had made for the potluck.

“Uncle Garrett,” Jamie questions as she holds onto my hand and I glance back down at her, “where’s Uncle Bo? Did he die?”

I feel my chest tighten within me at seeing her eyes water up with tears and a look of bold sadness covers her light green eyes. I slowly shake my head at her, wondering what it is that she sees in Bo that has her looking up to him as much as she does to me. Forcing a smile at her, I say, “Nah, he ain’t dead. He’s hurt, so he won’t be chasing you around any time soon, but he’ll be OK. He’s probably in the house resting up right now.”

“How he get hurt?” she asks worriedly and I glance up as Kristy gives me a look before she walks over to Shay to take his small  hand in her free hand

“Some very bad people hurt him, but the police was able to rescue Bo before they were able to hurt him worse. So he’s hurt for now, but give him time, he’ll be back to his ornery self,” I give her another smile before walking forward and she slowly follows, “How about we go help your mother?” I ask to change the subject.

“OK,” she states and falls quiet until the front door squeaks open and Jesse slowly steps out onto the porch to be followed by Cooter and LB. “Uncle Jesse!” she squeals as she lets go of my hand and runs up the porch steps to hug tightly onto him.

Jesse smile as he hugs her back before picking her up where she hugs onto his neck and gives him a kiss on his cheek. “Hey Jamie!” he states, “How’s the little princess?”

“I’m OK,” she shrugs in his arms, “but Uncle Garrett says that Bo’s hurt.”

Jesse eyes me for a moment before looking back at her and nods. “Yeah, he’s been hurt pretty bad,” he slowly responds, seeming at loss for words, “but give him time, he’ll be back to normal. He just needs time to heal.”

“Hey, that’s what Uncle Garrett said too,” she laughs, seeming to find it funny that we said the same thing, before she grows serious and quiet. “Will Uncle Bo and Luke be able to join us for the potluck?”

Jesse nods as he walks down the steps and over to the wooden picnic table that is set up on the front lawn and is covered in dishes of food while Cooter and LB follow him down and several feet away to the old grill. “Bo and Luke will be out in a couple of minutes,” he finally answers Jamie before he reaches over to take Kristy’s dish to find some room for it. “Thanks Kristy. I’m glad you all were able to join us.”

Kristy says something in reply as I slowly turn away from them to walk a few feet away to slowly sit down upon an overturned plastic bucket to watch LB and Cooter who stands at the grill. Watching them, my thoughts once again return to the past few weeks and to the damage I had created by my actions. Of Kristy’s intense anger towards what I had done, what I  had put her through by doing Landon wrong. Of his threats against her kids that had flared her anger at me. Only to recreate guilt to thickly run rapidly within me as my imagination boldly draws vivid scenes within my head of all that could have happened. Bo and his family could have been violently killed. Kristy and her kids could have been violently killed. All because I had joined their gang and had done Landon wrong. If only. . .

“Hey Garrett,” I feel myself jump slightly in surprise as the familiar voice pulls me out of my thoughts of the past month and back to the present. Taking a deep breath, I pull my attention away from the grill and up to find Jesse standing a foot in front of me with his hands tucked into the pockets of his overall. I slowly nod at him before forcing myself to my feet to stand an inch or so taller than the Duke patriarch. He gives me a comforting smile as he pulls his hands out of his pockets to readjust his red hunting cap before continuing, “I’m glad you were able to make to the farm today.”

“Yeah,” I slowly respond and eye him for a long moment before the front door squeaks open once more and I slowly look up over his shoulder to watch Luke stepping out onto the porch to hold open the door. Behind Luke, Bo slowly works with his metal crutches to make his way out onto the porch and I slowly take him in, from  his crutches to his pale complexion to the thick cast that covers his right leg. His cuts and bruises that were so prominent when I had visited him in the hospital has quickly faded and look only to be shadows of what had been there a couple of weeks ago. Luke closes the door before they stand silent on the porch for a moment, their eyes scanning the yard before they both fall upon me for a long moment before they look away.

Bo seems to nervously glance over at Luke before he moves ahead of Luke to the stairs where he nervously glances down before placing the ends of the crutches on the front steps. Protectively, Luke is quick to join him where he places a hand upon Bo’s arm and Bo is quick to say something to him before he yanks his arm away from Luke. Luke nods reluctantly before he nervously follows Bo down the stairs and onto the driveway.

“Bo has seemed to be adjusting well to his injuries and to returning to the farm after being at the hospital for so long. He’s stubborn as a mule,” Jesse breaks our silence, answering as if I had asked how Bo was doing, “then again, if he wasn’t being stubborn, it’d only give us more reason to worry. Him being stubborn is only a sign of him being himself.” He goes silent as he turns to watch Bo and Luke slowly making their way to the grill where they begin to look in at the meat while talking to Cooter and LB. Turning back around to face me, the smile fades from Jesse’s face and worry becomes prominent in his eyes.

“Being stubborn can keep one alive,” I hear myself say as I  once again find myself at a loss for words as I attempt to seek a way to escape from the elder Duke and from his attention. Nervously, I find myself tracing my long thick jagged scar on my neck only to send my thoughts back to my own nightmare I had lived through years ago. Abruptly, I yank my finger from my prominent scar to shove them into my pockets while I attempt to send my thoughts away from my scar with little success. “Talking of which,” I exhale loudly as I force my attention away from Jesse and over to Kristy who joins everyone at the grill while Jamie and Shay sit on the ground with blocks and cars in front of them. Looking back at Jesse, I force myself to continue, “I apologize for my actions. For joining the gang. For what I had done when I was with the gang. I really didn’t mean for all of this to happen.” I find myself looking at the freshly painted barn and am reminded once again of what had happened and what could have happened. Of all the blood that Bo had lost, his cry of pain, and the look of fear in his eyes. Of the gun Shawn had placed at the elder Duke’s head and his index finger inching in on the trigger as he went to kill the elder Duke in his attempt to kill off the Dukes to hide his dirty secret. Chills grow up my back once more at the events that had happened as I yank my attention away from the barn and back to Jesse. “I’m sorry for what had happened to Bo. What you all had to go through. If I knew what Landon, Shawn, and them was up to, would do, I would never have joined. You‘ve got to believe me. I may not always get along with Bo, but I would never wish that upon him. Wouldn‘t wish that upon any of you.”

Jesse slowly nods before he turns to look at Bo once more where he has moved to a lawn chair that had been set up a few feet away from the table and from the grill. Luke stands protectively next to him while Ethan stands a few feet away from him; seemingly to have come from within the house while I was talking to Jesse. After a moment Jesse turns back around to eye me, seeming to take me in with hurt eyes. “You’re forgiven, Garrett,” he finally says, his voice caring yet stern, “perhaps next time you’ll think of what you are getting into before forcing your way in. Or think of who you’ll be dealing with when  you go out to look for friends to fit in with. Bo could have been killed due to the gang you joined.” He goes silent once more as his blue eyes seem to grow sad in grief over what may have happened. “But I guess that would have happened with or without you. Just hurts more knowing you’re family. That you were trusted by us and yet you turned to them.” Accusation grows strong in his eyes before he inhales heavily and a gentleness seems to drown out the accusatory look. Smiling at me, he places a gentle hand on my shoulder before nodding and saying, “But like I said earlier, you’re forgiven.”

I nod in appreciation at him for a short moment, quietly wondering how he could find it so easy to forgive me after what I had done, after what they had just been through. “Thanks Jesse,” I say before I glance back over his shoulder at Bo who looks past Ethan and over at the barn, seeming oblivious to what Ethan is saying and to those around him. Looking back at Jesse, I inhale heavily as I think of what I am about to say. “Look Jesse, I guess there is something else I need to say or to give you,” I pause for a long moment and he waits patiently for me to continue, “my services. With Bo out hurt like he is, I am sure you will be a man short on the farm to leave more for you and Luke to do and with my involvement with the gang, what I had done, I owe it to you to take his place.” I slowly explain, “I drive trucks for Hogg from eight in the morning to five at night during the week and from nine to four on Saturdays. But anytime before or after that, I am offering my time and services to help out around the farm and with errands or anything else Bo may do if he wasn’t hurt.”

Jesse gives me an appreciative smile as he slowly nods. “Sounds fair enough to me. You can start tomorrow at five and again as soon as you get off of work,” he pauses and dread fills within me. Kristy had talked me into offering to help out on the farm and I had offered in hope Jesse would deny my offer, not so eagerly to accept it as he had been. Jesse pats me on the shoulder with another smile as he continues, “But for now, I want you to join us for some good food and good company. Like I said, I am glad that you were able to come by and join us for our potluck here.” He goes silent as his attention is pulled away from me as Daisy pulls up in her jeep to pull to a halt next to my motorcycle. Looking back at me, he states, “Thanks again for the offer, we could really use your help around the farm.”

I nod slowly. “Yeah,” I slowly state as I watch as he turns away from me to slowly begin to walk over to Daisy and I glance back over at Kristy who now sits down on the grass with LB, Shay, and Jamie. Only to be reminded of Kristy’s options she had gave me. Either make my wrong to the Bo and his family right or she’ll make sure I made it back to Knoxville with where Durbank would be awaiting for my arrival. Would love to be back at Knoxville to my own gang where I would be welcomed and would fit in, unlike Hazzard. But also know Hazzard would be a whole lot better than facing Durbank’s anger and retaliation he seeks to put upon me for what I had done to him and his son. Hazzard would be a lot better than facing jail time with other hardened prisoners who would look  for the first chance they got to finish me off.

Ethan laughs aloud to grab my attention and I find myself looking at Bo and Luke, reminding myself of my other part of my agreement with Kristy. To honestly apologize to Luke and Bo for my behavior at the hospital and for what I had done to them. Sighing heavily, I slowly walk over to them where they all grow quiet as they skeptically watch me and I sense them all tensing up at my presence. “Hey Garrett,” Ethan finally grins at me as he pats me on the shoulder before waving at Luke and Bo before walking over to Cooter at the grill.

“Luke, Bo,” I nod at them both as Luke places a hand upon Bo’s shoulder before he gives me a friendly nod, Bo quietly watches me, “I was told that my prior apology was ill received and was told why. To be honest with you, I am not good at apologizing.” I pause for a long moment as I watch for their reactions, “I didn’t go to the hospital to brag about what I had done, but rather to do the opposite. I am ashamed of what I had done. I would never have joined them if I had known what they were capable of doing, of what they planned on doing. I went to the hospital to express how I felt. Guess I was trying to explain why I had done what I did. Not that it mattered. What mattered is what I did to you. To your family,” I nervously begin to play with my pack of cigarettes in my pocket, wish badly to light one up, but know everyone would quickly reject me for doing so. Especially with Bo so close with his asthma. Instead, I say, “I went to the hospital to apologize, but it didn’t come out that way. I am sorry for that,” I pause once again as Bo coughs forcefully into his arm before growing quiet. “I am sorry for joining the gang. I am sorry for tying Bo to the chair. I apologize for what I had done to Bo, to your whole family. I’m sorry.” I go quiet as I feel my bruised ego yelling at me to turn and run away from them and off of the farm, to not look back. Instead, I stand still, awaiting for their reaction.

Bo eyes me tiredly for a long moment before his eyes drift away from me and back onto the barn. Luke nods as he runs a steady hand through his thick curly hair before saying, “We appreciate that, Garrett,” he goes silent as he pats Bo on the shoulder to drag Bo’s attention onto him and then back to me. Luke slowly continues, “As long as we are apologizing, I owe you one of my own. I’m sorry for attacking you and hurting you as I had. I just got so upset at hearing what you were saying, what Bo said, and your attitude that you seemed to have in there at Bo. I have never felt that way towards anyone before and it was  really uncalled for me to act on it as I had. I’m sorry.”

I nod and force a smile at him. “Well according to Kristy,” I finally state, “I got what I deserved. If not, I deserved more. Don’t know if I agree with her,” I pause once again, feeling awkward, “but do understand your anger at me for what I said and what I had done. You had a right to be upset at me. To hate me as you did. Hey Bo,” I go silent a moment as I direct my attention onto Bo who tiredly looks up at  me, “how ‘bout this? Once you get all healed up and get that cast off that leg of your’s, I’m going to challenge you to a race. You can pick which vehicle I can drive. My motorcycle or Spittin’ Cobra. Luke can decide on the path of which we are to race on. Whoever wins buys lunch and drinks at The Boar’s Nest.”

Bo finally offers a smile at me before shaking his head. “You don’t learn too easy, do you, Garrett?” he glances up at me before his eyes fall upon the parked General and back at me, “If I remember right, the last race we had, The General clobbered Spittin’ Cobra. I was kinda embarrassed for you and that pathetic car of your’s. But,” he pauses and shrugs, “if you feel like you deserve to get abused like that again, then, I’m all for it.”

Slowly feeling comfortable and the tension to slowly evaporate between us, I feel a smile cross my face in thought of the last race several months ago. “Ah you remember it all wrong, Bo,” I slowly say, “The General may have won by a foot or so, but that was only because you cut me off to slow me up a bit. Otherwise, I’d have won.”

Bo shakes his head at me as he gives me a challenging look. “I remember it clearly. It’s just your hurt ego that has your memory a little foggy of what really had happened,” he states as Cooter laughs loudly behind me, “but I’ll be more than glad to remind you of what really had happened by a repeat.”

I nod. “Just tell me when and where. I’ll be there,” I state and he nods before silence falls between us and the air is full of everyone else’s conversation and laughter. “I hope you will get feeling better quickly. Once again, I am sorry for what I had done.”

Bo nods slowly before he rests his head back against the lawn chair, a look of pain crosses his face. Looking back at me, he states, “I’ll be fine and we forgive you. All this,” he motions down at his leg that rests up on a large cooler, “would have happened with or without you as you pointed out. It’s OK, Garrett.”

I nod slowly at them, feeling the guilt alleviate within me a little bit with their forgiveness yet deep down  questions of how and why they are so eager or so easily to forgive me for what I had done to them. “Thanks Bo. Luke,” I nod at them, “I’ll be looking forward to beating that clunker of a car of your’s once and for all.”

“Dream on, punk,” Bo is quick to defend his car and his racing ability, “that there car is the king of all cars and could beat anything you put against him. You better not be calling him names too loudly, he’ll “more likely to devour your tricycle there or your slow and damaged car if he hears you putting him down like that.”

I laugh out loud, surprised to find myself feeling comfortable standing here and talking to them, seemingly to be for the first time since coming to Hazzard.  “You can only wish,” I state before I am startled by Jamie running up from behind to grab my hand and I glance down at her and she smiles at me before waving at Bo and Luke.

“Hey Uncle Bo,” she grins, “I’m sorry you’re hurt.” Bo nods at her before she looks up at me. “Uncle Garrett, come look!”

“Get feeling better, Bo,” I state as I wave at them before turning to Jamie to allow her to drag me over to Kristy and Shay. “I’m coming, Jamie.”

 

 

***BO DUKE***

 

Silence builds between the three of us as we silently watch Garrett slowly walking towards Kristy as Jamie leads the way, pulling at his  hand with child like excitement. Watching them walk away, my mind once again seems to fall back to our conversation in the hospital when he had visited me right after being rescued from Landon and his men. Of his explanation behind what he had done and my inability to forgive him at the time. Of Luke’s unknown anger and hatred that he had expressed upon him as he had abruptly charged into the room and at Garrett to punch Garrett down upon my bed. All of which Jesse had made a point to tell us that we are to forget about, to forgive and to move forward. That we are once again to accept Garrett into our family despite what he had done. After all, not only is he family, but he had once again found a way to save us from dying at the hands of evil. It didn’t matter if he had done it for himself or for us, what mattered was what he had done. What mattered was that he was family and family forgives and accepts one another.

“Supper is officially ready,” Cooter yells out and everyone falls silent for a moment before Ethan hollers out and claps in excitement and is quick to walk away from us and to LB and Cooter who stands at the grill. Cooter shakes his head at  him. “Not so fast, Ethan. Our boy, Bo there, is to be served first. You’re going to have to get in line along with everyone else.”

“Ah man, Cooter,” Ethan shakes his head before he steps back and walks back over to us, his hands in his pockets.

“That’d be you, Bo,” Luke taps me on my shoulder as he picks up my crutches to hand them to me and I nod at him before taking them to pull myself to my feet and slowly make my way to Cooter with Luke right behind me. “I’ll hold your plate for you. Just tell me what you want and I’ll get it.”

“Thanks,” I slowly state as I find myself looking at the barn once more before Cooter opens the grill to grab my attention and I tiredly watch as LB helps dish out some meat upon a plate before handing it to Luke. LB dishes out another plate with meat to hand it to Luke before Luke motions me over to the old picnic table and I slowly follow him over before Ethan lines up to get his meet to be followed by Garrett and Kristy. Reaching the table, Daisy smiles at us as she uncovers the dishes on the table to place serving spoons into them and places the lids onto the porch.

“Have your pick boys,” she grins at us as I begin to help Luke with what food I want on my plate and he sets it down once I am done to begin filling his own plate full of food. “How you feel, Bo?” Daisy asks, eyeing me with worried eyes.

“I’m alright,” I lie as pain steadily screams within my leg, pain I attempt to ignore.

“It hurts, don’t it?” she is fast to notice and I reluctantly nod at her and she gives me a comforting smile, “Luke’s right. You make a horrible liar.”

“Gee, thanks,” I sarcastically smile at her, “I’ll keep that in mind. But honestly, I’ll be fine.”

She nods as I feel both her and Luke’s worried eyes on me. “That’s good,” she finally responds as a line begins to form behind us, “well, enjoy your dinner. I have a feeling y’all are gonna love what’s for dessert once everyone is done with supper.”

I eye her skeptically before Luke pats me on the shoulder before he lifts both of our plates and I slowly follow him back to the lawn chair where Jesse is quick to step forward to grab my crutches and I reluctantly allow him to help me to sit down on the chair once more. He carefully helps place my injured leg back upon the cooler before Luke hands me my warm plate with a plastic spoon before LB is quick to approach us to hand us a bottle of cold beer. “Thanks,” I nod at them as I take a long drink of the beer before they both nod before they get in line for their beer and I begin to eat the food on my plate.

 

*                                              *                                              *

 

Finishing the food on my plate, I slowly rest my empty plate on my lap before glancing around the crowded front yard as I quietly take in my family as they finish their food and is lost in conversations of their own. Slowly, my attention once again falls upon the freshly painted barn and take in the fresh paint while my thought flash back to getting attacked as I had returned home from giving my note and the article to Brody. Of awakening to Garrett tying me to the chair to Shawn forcing Luke into the barn before they brought Cooter, Jesse, and Daisy where Shawn had threatened to kill before I had found the strength to attack Shawn. Chills climb up my back as I find myself once again hearing the gunshot that had sent Shawn down onto me, my imagination once again sends vivid scenes of Shawn lying partially on top of me, his dead eyes looking at me. Everything that has plagued my sleep and my flashbacks ever since awakening in the hospital and will continue to do so as time moves forward.

“Alright everyone,” Daisy calls out to grab my attention away from the barn and from the events that had happened within, “looks like  y ‘all are done with supper. Thanks Cooter and LB for the meat and for everyone who brought the food. Everything was very good.” She pauses with a  large smile that she flashes for everyone and she moves over to the picnic table to the large box that had remained closed throughout supper. Silence filters across the farm as she turns her back to us and opens the box to toss the lid aside before turning around to face us to say, “I went to town earlier today to pick up a cake from Rosie’s Bakery for desert,” she pauses as she grabs the box from the table to lift it up for everyone to see and am surprised to find the cake to be car shaped and decorated to look like The General Lee. “I think I will let Luke cut it and he can take a piece for him and Bo to start it out.  Ethan brought both chocolate and vanilla ice cream to go along with it.”

Another round of hollering and clapping spreads across the lawn as Jamie quickly runs from Kristy to join Daisy at the table, seeming to be gawking at the cake in excitement while asking her questions. Luke pats me on the shoulder and I glance up at him as he slowly makes his way to the table just as Jesse steps out of the house carrying a knife. I watch momentarily as Luke begins to cut the cake as Jesse says something for Luke to respond for both Daisy and Jesse to simultaneously look up at me and I am quick to look away from their worried looks.

“Hey,” Cooter grabs my attention  as he takes a seat on the porch steps next to me, “you see who’s coming?” He motions with his half full bottle of beer towards the road where a dusty blue car is heading our way, “Thought Brody may find his way here sooner or later today.”

I offer him a small nod and smile as I quietly watch Brody making his way into the drive way before parking next to Garrett’s motorcycle and climbing out. “Hey Cooter. Hey Bo,” Brody smiles at us and Cooter nods as he stands up to take a few steps over to another large cooler and pulls out a bottle of beer and hands it to Brody. “Thanks Cooter,” he grins at him as he opens the bottle before facing me, “how you doing, Bo? How’s the leg?”

I sigh heavily only to enforce pain to grow within my lungs and I feel myself wince at the pain before attempt to cover it with a forced smile. “Well,” I shrug at him, “last I checked, it’s still a leg. Though, it’s kinda hard to tell with the dang cast covering it and all.” I go silent a moment as I glance back over at the picnic table to find Luke scooping out some ice cream upon the plates that has cake on them. Looking back at Brody, I continue, “Guess I’ve been a little better, but been worse too. So I’m not complaining. But forget about me. I’m glad you stopped by. We owe a lot of thanks to you for what you done.”

He humbly shakes his head at me while giving me a small smile as he takes a big drink from his bottle of beer. “I only did what I was told to do,” he finally states.

“Yeah, maybe so, but you did it all the same and without asking questions. I could give you plenty of reasons of why you wouldn’t want to do it or you could have given me for not doing it. But you did it anyway without a moment of hesitation. Thank you Brody,” I am quick to answer as Luke walks over with two plates of cake and ice cream.

“Well Bo,” he states as he makes his way in between Cooter and I to hand me a plate and I glance down to find my piece to be of the driver’s door with the black frosting marking oh one on the orange door. The cake itself under the black and orange frosting is swirled of chocolate and yellow while Luke had placed a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of vanilla on the side. “I couldn’t figure out which kind of ice cream you liked best and was too lazy to walk over to ask you myself. So I figured you wouldn’t complain too much about getting a scoop of both.”

I give him a smile and nod. “Both is great. Thanks Luke,” I state before taking a bite of ice cream mixed with cake.

He smiles and nods at me while placing a hand upon my shoulder for a moment as he nods at Brody. “Glad to see you made it by. Cooter here was telling us how that nasty boss of your’s wouldn’t let you out early to get here on time,” Luke states and Brody smiles at him before his eyes go to the ground, “but you know what they say?” Luke continues, “It’s better late than never. Cooter and LB grilled up some boar and everyone seemed to have brought a side dish or two. Even the Jenkins brought in a couple of side dishes even though they couldn’t make it. It is all very good and there is plenty of left over for you if you want to make yourself a plate. Otherwise we are just getting to the cake and ice cream. And before you say it, Cooter, “ he turns to Cooter who gives a mocked surprised look, “you can get your own cake and ice cream. I’m not waiting on you.”

“Now, is that rude or what?” Cooter gets up from sitting on the steps and walks over to Brody to place a hand on his shoulder, “Come on let’s go make ourselves a plate since obviously ol’ Lukas Dukas thinks he’s too good for us now.”

Brody nods and waves at me before turning to follow Cooter back to the table where they both eye the food before grabbing a plate.  Luke lets go of my shoulder and I glance over at him as he begins eating his cake and chocolate ice cream before asking, “So, how’s the leg? You doin’ alright?”

“My leg and I are doin’ fine, Luke,” I slowly state and he gives me a skeptical look of disbelief, not buying into my lie, “Well, if you really want to know, the leg is killing me right now. But it’s letting me know I’m alive and sooner or later, it’ll get better. It has to,“ I pause momentarily as I silently take in Jesse talking to Brody and Cooter near the picnic table while Daisy sits with Kristy and Shay on the ground. Several feet away from them, Garrett is kicking a ball to Jamie. Looking back at Luke, I state, “We may not start dancing anytime soon, but I think we’ll be OK.”

He nods, satisfied with my answer. “Glad to hear it,” he goes silent as he looks at his gold pocket watch that Jesse had given to him when he had graduated, “but sadly as for your leg, you got another hour before you can take any more painkillers.” Putting his pocket watch back into his pocket before taking another bite of his cake and ice cream as he looks around the full front yard, silently taking everything in. As Daisy stands up from sitting next to Kristy and begins walking towards us,  Luke states, “Uh oh, here comes trouble.”

“You watch it, Luke!” she hisses through a smile before she looks down at my half ate cake and ice cream, “Looks like you’re enjoying it.”

“Enjoy eating The General? Poor General after all he’s done for us, we’re repaying him by eating him,” I shake my head jokingly at her, “Never thought The General would taste so good. Perhaps if we’d known he tasted this good, we’d have ate him long time ago.” I pause momentarily to force a sarcastic smile at her. “But seriously, thank-you Daisy. The cake is very good and the thought behind it means a lot. Thank-you.”

She smiles before leaning over to mess up my hair and I lean back and feign an angry look as I put an act of straightening out my hair to make her laugh momentarily. “Not a problem. It was Enos’ idea. He was at The Boar’s Nest a couple of days ago and I had stated that Cooter was wanting to throw this party here and I wanted to do something special and that’s what he came up with. Y’all can thank Enos,” she states before going quiet to watch as Jesse walks up to stand in between Luke and Daisy and across from me, seeming to take me in with worried eyes once again. “Hey Jess. Where’s your cake and ice cream?”

“I ate it,” he grins at her, “something that good is to be eaten and enjoyed.” He goes quiet as his worried eyes falls back upon me once more, “Though see Bo there has some left over I may have to confiscate and eat for myself if he don’t do it pretty soon.”

“Not a chance. I’m enjoying it for as long as I can,” I state as I take another bite and as Jesse goes to say something, I slowly cut him off by saying, “And before you can ask, I’m fine. You can stop your worrying anytime now.”

“Like that’s gonna happen,” Luke sarcastically states and rolls his eyes at me, “Jesse will be worrying about you and that leg way beyond them taking that cast off of it. You should know that by now.”

I nod slowly. “One can only wish,” I slowly state to receive jokingly stern look from Jesse.

“You two can joke about me and my worrying all you want, but it isn’t going to cover the fact that Bo’s lying right now. You’re not fine,” he states as he abruptly grows serious, “you’re leg is killing you and your asthma is starting to act up again. I can see the pain in your eyes and hear your wheezing and see your chest working hard all the way over here. Luke’s right,” he motions towards Luke, “you make a horrible liar so I suggest you to stop attempting to lie to me. Y’all know how I feel about you boys lying to me.”

“Yes sir,” I sigh heavily as I lean deeper into the lawn chair while Jesse eyes his own pocket watch before putting it back into his chest pocket of his overalls before he glances over at Daisy, me, and then at Luke and a smile crosses his face. “What?”

He eyes me with gentle eyes, the sternness that had been there a moment ago has evaporated, and he slowly shakes his head and smiles back at me. “I know this is going to sound like déjà vu and all from last year,” he slowly states and I slowly return to eating my ice cream and cake, “but damn, I’m glad we’re a family again. Glad to see life slowly falling back to normal after that nightmare we went through.” He shakes his head once more as he glances around the farm and back at us, “Don’t get me wrong, I know we all have a lot to get through before everything is normal, normal again. But the nightmare is over, we’re all home, we’re all safe, and the bad guys are where they belong. It’s over and we can continue on with our lives once again. We’re home and a family again. It don’t get any better.”

We all nod in agreement before Luke breaks away to walk over to the cooler to grab a bottle of beer for everyone and passes them out to everyone and they all step forward for us all to click the glasses together before we take our first sip of the beer. “Couldn’t have said it any better,” Luke nods at Jesse before taking a long drink of his beer before setting it down on the railing to take another bite of his cake and ice cream.

A comfortable silence slowly forms around us as I glance from Luke to Daisy and to Jesse before my attention momentarily falls upon the barn and I quickly fight back the images of the events. Breathing in deeply, I glance away to take in Garrett and Kristy who play ball with Shay and Jamie before watching Brody, LB, Cooter, and Ethan sitting on the ground near the table, talking amongst themselves before they begin to laugh loudly.  Glancing around the yard at my family and friends, for the first time for over a month now, the feeling of comfort settles within me despite the pain from within. Not only the feeling of comfort, but the feeling of normalcy as well; that life will presume and move forward. That together as a family with friends will be able to get through the nightmare we had lived through and will be continue to be haunted by. Deep down, looking at everyone and listening to them, taking everything in, I know everything will be OK.

“There’s a normal in Hazzard?” I finally sarcastically ask and everyone laughs for a moment while I take a long drink of beer to drink down the last of my cake and ice cream and Luke is quick to take my empty plate and fork from me to throw it away.

After throwing his empty beer bottle in a nearby garbage can, Luke turns back to us to nod at me, feigns a serious look as he says, “Yeah, sure Hazzard has a normal,” he shrugs at us, “just our normal is considered different to everyone else’s normal.”

Another wave of laughter is spread through our circle. “Yeah well,” Daisy  slowly speaks up from besides me and she places a gentle hand upon my shoulder, “I tend to like Hazzard’s type of normal. I’d think anyone’s sense of normalcy would be,” she shrugs again as she takes a drink from her beer, “just boring.”

“Very true,” Luke slowly replies as he nods at her before Shay’s loud squeal abruptly steals our attention and we all turn to face the blond toddler to find him running around in circles around a thick tree as Garrett slowly chases after him. Turning back around to face everyone, Luke states, “Just another day in Hazzard.”

Jesse nods slowly takes me in with worried eyes despite the satisfied look that seems to be set upon his face as he continues think towards the future. “Yeah,” he finally states with a small laugh, “it’s great, ain’t it?”

I slowly nod as I feel everyone’s attention once again fall upon me. “It’ll be more great once I’m able to fit through the driver’s window of The General to beat Garrett in that there race he challenged me to,” I finally state and they all roll their eyes at me and I slowly shrug at them before once again taking everything in that surrounds me. Peace and gratitude is quick to fall over me in knowledge that with the gang arrested and Shawn dead, that despite the pain and the nightmares that the events have scarred me with, that everything is over and that life will move forward. That life is slowly returning to normal, Hazzard’s normal.

THE END