After the Honeymoon's Over

I can't claim any part of these of marvelous people other than the joy of watching them. Nope, I don't get paid for it either.

AN: I know Jane Hathaway wasn't exactly a tragic heroine in the series but she was at least tragic in some ways. She was an old maid spinster, too tall, too thin and too in love with a younger man who wasn't too bright. And on top of all that, she had a boss who often took too much advantage of her. If that's not tragic, I'm not sure what is. So please keep that in the back of your mind when reading this with a healthy grain of salt.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Jethro! Jethro? Where are you darling?"

Jethro ducked his head and quickly ran to the back of the cement pond hoping to get away before Jane found him. He didn't count on tripping over a chair and falling backwards into the pond.

"Jethro?" Jed reached out a hand and helped pull him up and out of the pond. "What in tarnation are you a doing swimming around in there in your clothes?" He'd just come around the back of the house in time to see Jethro practically dive in, head first. "Cain't you take a bath inside like most folks?"

"I wasn't taking no bath." Jethro scowled at his uncle as he shook like a dog to rid himself of the water and cast a fretful look behind him. "I was tryin' to get away from Jane."

"From Jane?" Jed frowned. "What on earth for? I thought you two was…"

"We are." Jethro dropped his head. "But that's just the problem, Uncle Jed. We are all the time. I cain't seem to get away from her before she's calling me back. I mean… well, I love her and all but… well, she wants to do it all the time. She's worse this time then she was with Junior. A man's gotta take a break every now and then ya know."

Jed nodded his head with a wide grin on his weatherworn features. He did indeed understand. He remembered how his own wife was when she'd been expecting Ellie Mae. "Well, son," he sighed. "You just have to understand, that women get like this when their expecting. It sorta goes with the territory."

Jethro nodded. "Uh, huh and that's jes what I'm figurin' on finding. Some new territory. I figger if I'm real careful…"

"Jethro! There you are!" Jane came waddling out of the house, maneuvering her eight months pregnant frame around the pool as she made her way to his side. "Darling, I thought we were… Oh, hello, Uncle Jed." She offered him a smile. Jed had long since stopped her from calling him Mr. Clampett seeing as how they were now kin.

"Howdy, Jane." He grinned broadly. Aside from his daughter and Granny, Jane had become one of his favorite females simply because of the changes she'd wrought in his overgrown and under-brainy nephew. In the two and a half years that they'd been married, she had managed to make a fairly decent man out of the boy. Even though there were times, the boy didn't like it. "You sure are looking prettier every day."

Jane blushed and dropped her head, cradling her protruding stomach as she glanced up adoringly at her husband. "Well, thank you. I, uh… I just came to collect Jethro for something but if he's busy with you…"

Jethro's head popped up and looking beseechingly at his uncle. "Oh, I shore am, Jane. I mean we's got some things we need doing. Don't we Uncle Jed?"

Normally, Jed didn't like lying or being used by his relatives to get out of things, but he knew Jethro had just about gone the route and he decided the boy needed a breather. "Uh, oh yeah!" He nodded. "Me and Jethro was gonna go inta town a spell. They was something I needed his help with."

"Oh," she tried not to sound as disappointed as she felt. "Alright. Well, perhaps you can help me when you get back." She smiled and reached up, kissing Jethro on the cheek.

By now, no longer embarrassed at showing his wife affection, Jethro turned his head, bringing his lips to hers for a lingering kiss. "I'll…" he stopped and kissed her again. "I'll, uh…" A third kiss and he changed his mind. "Uncle Jed, ya think ya kin do without me fer a while? Uh, me and Jane need to…"

Jed chortled as he shook his head and turned away. "You all jes go on. I got time."

Without another word, Jethro reached down and picked Jane up and carried her back inside.

"I used that think I was gonna have to have a long talk with that boy." Jed grinned. "Guess I was wrong, at least about that."

Once he reached their room, Jethro sat Jane down and opened the door, pulling Jane inside. Wordlessly, he reached for the buttons on her dress and Jane willing reached for his belt.

But just as Jane pulled his belt free, she froze and looked up at her husband. "Junior!" She exclaimed. "Jethro, where's Junior?"

"Junior's with Granny." Jethro mumbled as he quickly pulled Jane's dress over her head and unhooked her bra. "And the door is locked."

Giggling, Jane relaxed as she managed to free Jethro's fully erect and throbbing member from his pants and he gently cupped her breast, thumbing them until they were taut and singing with the electricity of his hands and then his mouth on them.

Pushing her back onto the bed and against the pillows, Jethro wasted little time in maneuvering his way between the already wide spread legs of his wife and gently pushing inside of her. Ever mindful of the child between them, Jane and Jethro made sweet gentle love with the both of them crying out their release when they'd reached the pinnacle of their passion.

"Oh, oh, Jethro." Jane sighed as he slipped out of her, moved to her side and moved her into his arms. "That was… was…"

"It sure ol dee was." He grinned and he inclined his head and captured her lips in a kiss. "You jes get better each time."

Jane giggled again. "You're not so bad yourself, my love."

Jethro leaned over her, ready to start round two when suddenly an urgent knock was heard at the door. "Jethro! Jane! Ya bes come quick. It's Junior. He's hurt." Ellie's Mae's voice was loud and insistent and anguished.

Instantly, the two pulled away and got up, hastily dressed and rushed to the door to find her hopping frantically up and down. "Hurry!" She urged as they exited the room and followed her down the stair case.

They found Jethro Bodine, Jr. laying on the floor at the bottom of the staircase, his head resting in his Uncle Jed's lap, his eyes closed and his breathing barely noticeable. Granny was standing beside him, wringing her hands, tears in her eyes.

"Junior!" Jane cried when she finally reached the bottom of the staircase and ackwardly knelt down by her son. "What happened to him?" She turned anguished yet accusatory eyes on Granny, demanding an answer with her glare.

"We was upstairs." Granny answered mournfully. "We was coming down to fix some vittles and he was holding my hand and he… he tripped." Granny dropped her head in grief, tears falling down her wrinkled face. "I… I tried to catch him but…"

"I done called an am-bu-lance." Jed stated as Jane pulled her son from his lap and cradled him gently in her arms. "They'll be here in a bit. Don't you worry none, Jane. He's gonna be alright."

Jane didn't reply as she held her son and carefully rocked him. She couldn't reply. Not then.

TBC