Chapter 21: Result of Duke Curiosity

Kira and Jebb had left out of the cheap motel that they'd crashed at last night a little late this morning. They'd taken full advantage of not having to get the twins ready for the day and lounged around right up until check out time. Now two very satisfied Dukes were on the road trying to make up for lost time. They were in the green pickup with both racing bikes on the back and since Kira won the coin toss, she was driving.

They'd talked to Uncle Jesse before they'd left the hotel and heard his version of how Bo had kept the boys occupied the day before. What worried Kira was that while Jesse was telling them how Bo had let the boys play around in the mud then gave them a bath in the pool, Jebb seemed to be taking notes. True it hadn't hurt anything but that method of babysitting won't fly if it's raining or cold outside. Though getting a little dirty every once in a while wouldn't hurt none.

Kira and Jebb hadn't been on the road long but were trying to get a few more miles in before they stopped for lunch. Jebb was leaning back as he and Kira talked along the way. It wasn't often that they were able to spend time alone without having to check in on the boys or having something that boys had done as the actual topic of conversation.

This right here was one of the things that he'd been afraid that they would lose after having the twins. Fortunately, they had a family that was supportive and helped them get away whenever they felt like they needed to. In general, he and Kira stuck fairly close to home for the races that they attended. Sometimes only one of them racing and leaving the other parent to watch the kids for some of the races. Other times leaving them with Daisy or Jesse for a few hours while they raced. But it was still nice to take a road trip a bit further away once or twice this year.

Jebb had just finished telling Kira the plan for the evening, they were supposed to meet some of their racing buddies for dinner, when he braced his hands out in front of him as Kira slammed the brakes on the truck. Jebb looked around trying to figure out why his wife had brought the truck to an abrupt stop. Fortunately, there wasn't another car in sight.

"What in the world?" Jebb looked over at his wife and saw that Kira looked mad enough to spit nails. "Kira?" After a couple of seconds, he noticed that she had the slightly faraway look that she tended to get when she and Bo were talking to one another with their Duke Link. "Kira, is it the boys? What's wrong?"

Kira began to work her jaw before she pulled the truck off onto the side of the road. "Bo took the boys out to the garage today."

"Yeh, so?"

Kira was trying to keep her cool long enough to ease Jebb's concerns while she was practically screaming at her brother for not keep an eye on her boys. "The little field trip ended up over at the jail when the boys wandered off while Bo and Cooter weren't paying attention. Rosco found them and arrested Bo for neglect and child endangerment."

"But they're alright? Right?"

"They're fine. Bo said that Jesse just left with them." Jebb breathed a sigh of relief. "Now Rosco wants to talk to us to ask if we plan to press charges."

"Press charges against BO? Rosco knows better than that. Them boys can get away from anybody."

"That's what he said. They won't even set his bail until we call back to Hazzard."

"Well the next town is only about twenty miles away. I'll call and talk to Rosco."

"You ain't heard all of it yet. The boys were found streaking through town. They'd already stripped out of their clothes and even took off their diapers." Jebb started to laugh much to the irritation of his wife. "That's not funny, Jebb! If we lived in a bigger town-"

"But we don't. Not to mention, them boys are hardly the first set of Duke Boys to go bare ass naked down Main Street and they ain't likely goin' to be the last, neither."

"You have a confession to make?" Kira snickered.

"Oh come on! Even you had to do some wild and crazy things as a child." Kira gave him a look and Jebb knew that he'd just said the wrong thing. As a child, she'd grown up in survival mode. Wild and crazy hadn't been an option. "Well I know you went crazy in college at least," Jebb said as he back tracked.

"Lucky you," Kira said as she put the truck back in drive. She thought about her college years where she and Jebb had met on the racing circuit and smiled. After Jebb's comment, she started to imagine Jebb taking a stroll down the center of town wearing nothing but a smile. "So, other than Mobile, you ever go streakin'?"

"Who me? Now what makes you ask that?" Jebb chuckled and started to think about a few instances where he had to leave a girl's house because her daddy came home before he could get dressed. Man, he'd had to practically keep a spare set of clothes in the trunk of the car and each of the still sites; Jebb even had a set of clothes hidden in the bell tower of the churches both in Hazzard and Tranquil. "You know that anytime I left Placid I went wild."

"Bet your mother never thought that her strict raisin' would have the opposite effect on her baby boy once he reached, what was it? Sixteen, seventeen?"

"At least I never got up and did a strip tease on amateur night at a strip club."

"You were supposed to. I wonder just how the Mobile police knew to show up at that club just before you were supposed to fulfill your end of the bet." Jebb shifted his eyes back toward the road. "Uh-huh. That's what I thought. Seems to me that there is an old bet that still needs to be met."

"What? You mean that I have to go to a club now?"

"That or agree to a new challenge." Kira grinned since she knew that she had him over a barrel.

"Like what?"

"Oh no you don't. You only find out if you accept the challenge. Otherwise, it's Amateur night for you."

"This is so not fair. You know that I'd never make you do this," Jebb said in disbelief.

"Make? Or let? I seemed to remember you loving the old dares like this after a race. You especially loved to show off when we all sang Strip Karaoke."

"That was because you were so bad at it." Jebb grinned as he thought about his wife trying to guess at the lyrics to songs that she'd never heard before.

"Hey! I wasn't that bad. I almost never got down to my underwear!"

"Almost doesn't count. Though it didn't take long for you to start wearing all of the extra frills when we all went out. It gave ya a little extra lead way. And gave the rest of us a better show when you tried to sing Strip Karaoke."

"It's hard to remember the words to a lot of songs after a few rounds of tequila. I didn't grow up on 'shine like you did. And forget about reading anything after the first hour."

"That's nothin' but an excuse," Jebb chuckled.

"It is not! So, you goin' to live up to your old dare or face a new challenge?"

"I'll tell ya after I talk to Rosco. There is the turn off to the next town up ahead."

~01~

Bo sat in the cell waiting for Kim to come back from the diner. She'd offered to go and get him some lunch while they waited for Kira and Jebb to call so his bail could be set. He'd given up on trying to talk to Rosco. He was bound and determined to see him charged. Even if his sister says that she and Jebb won't press charges, Rosco still will. Hopefully when this all goes to court he'll get a judge who knows Kira and will go lenient on him. After all, the kids couldn't have been gone all that long. When the phone rang, Bo knew that it was Jebb. He stood up and listened in on his end.

"Police Department. Sheriff Ros-CO P. Coltrane speakin'-...Now, Jebb, I don't know what all you've been told but I found them boys of yours naked as two little jay birds-...You know as well as I do that- ...Hold on a minute. It was plum dangerous for them boys to be out with no one to watch em-...Well, no. Nothin' happened to them but-...Jebb, I have a job to do. I have Bo Duke dead to rights on this one. He was negligent and-...Well, yes. I need to know if you want to press-...Alright, Alright. I'll inform the judge that you and Kira won't be pressing charges then. Bail will be set and he'll go to court in two weeks. I suppose that since you two aren't chargin' Bo, Kira will still be representin' him-...Okay, I guess I should check to see if the judge can swing by and set Bo's bail now. Though it is getting late-...Yes I know that Boss usually sets bail but he's, uh, busy. He can't do it. Bo will have to wait for the judge-...He'll be lucky to have bail set today. Tell Kira hello from Rosco."

Bo rolled his eyes. At least Jebb and Kira weren't going to let him rot in here. They knew that he'd never hurt the boys. Now he hoped that Rosco could get the Circuit Judge to Hazzard before the end of the business day. Otherwise he could look forward to a miserable night behind bars. Looking up at the sound of the door opening, Bo saw Kim coming in with a takeout dinner from the diner. He had hoped that he and Kim would be going out a bit longer before she saw him locked up like this. At least she seemed to be taking it well. Of course, how she's acting now may not be how she'll react once he gets out.

~01~

As soon as Jesse had gotten the boys their lunches and put them down for nap, he got on the phone and began to try to track down the Circuit Judge, Charles Druten. Somehow he doubted that Rosco would fall all over himself trying to keep Bo from having to spend a needless night in jail. When he finally got Judge Druten on the line, Jesse breathed out a sigh of relief. He'd been afraid that he might have already taken off for the day.

"Charles, this here's Jesse Duke."

"Jesse, it's been a long time. How are you doin' my old friend."

"Well..."

"Which one of the boys is it this time?"

"Actually, there's been a bit of a misunderstandin'. I was hopin' though that you'd come out to Hazzard. You see, Bo was babysittin' his sister's kids and they sort of got away from him. Sort of like when Landon took off that time that we went fishin'."

"You know, I never did figure out how that boy got all the way to Chickasaw."

"Well, they didn't go quite that far. These boys only got as far as the courthouse from the garage before Rosco found them."

"Rosco?"

"Yeh, Rosco. Now he has Bo down there at the jail and insists that only a judge can set his bail."

"Well I haven't heard nothin' from him about comin' out to Hazzard today."

"I kinda figured that. That's sotta the reason that I called. You couldn't maybe-"

"I'll be there quick as I can."

"I'd appreciate it, Judge."

Jesse hung the phone up feeling slightly relieved knowing that his boy would be out of jail by nightfall. Looking at the clock, he reckoned he better get to the afternoon chores. Daisy had just headed in to check on the youngens so at least he wouldn't have to worry about them two right now.

~01~

Luke and Jo had arrived in New York yesterday morning and they had gotten settled for their stay with Jo's best friend from the Marines, Stephanie. She'd planned a baby shower for Jo while they were in town. Something that he wasn't looking forward to. Somehow he wasn't all that thrilled about sitting in a room full of women oohing and ahhing over tiny baby clothes and toys. Jo and Stephanie had gone out together so Luke figured that he might as well call home. After being gone for over a week he was more than just a little homesick for Hazzard. When he called out to the farm he had to smile when Daisy answered the phone.

"Daisy, darlin', you have no idea just how good it is to hear your voice."

"Luke! How you enjoyin' New York, honey?"

"Let's just say that I think that Hazzard is more my speed. How is everyone doin' down in Georgia?"

"You may want to sit down for this one. Bo is in jail."

"That ain't nothin' new, Daisy. What trumped up charge did Rosco run him in on this time."

"Get this. Child neglect and Endangerin' the Welfare of a Minor."

"What? How in the world did that happen?"

"Well, you ain't goin' to believe it. Bo was over at the garage with Cooter and the boys wandered out. Rosco found them out in front of the courthouse in the bushes."

"You're kiddin'?"

"Nope. Picture this. Rosco took Flash out for her walk and what do you think he found but both Mikey and Jay curled up together with no clothes on." Luke busted out laughing as Daisy went on to tell Luke about Bo and the twin's day. The more that Daisy told him the more he laughed. Finally he had to stop Daisy so that he could catch his breath. "Luke, would you stop laughin'? It's not all that funny."

"Who's says it ain't? After all he grief Bo gave me when I babysat them boys, HE ends up in jail when it is his turn. Did anyone think of gettin' a picture? The boys' first lock up; all because of Fun Uncle Bo."

Daisy couldn't help but to giggle in response to Luke's chuckles. "I guess this has gotten Bo off the hook for babysittin' in the future."

"I ain't plannin' on leavin' my kid with him. I guess next time we'll have to make sure that the sitter has a sitter."

Daisy giggled at the thought of getting a sitter for Bo, "I suppose Kim could volunteer for that. I'm guessin' that she'll be workin' from home 'til Jebb and Kira get back. 'Course that's assumin' that Jesse will let the boys out of the house before then."

"I'm just sorry that I wasn't there to see it. This is certainly one for the books," Luke said as he continued laughing. He finished up his call with Daisy and hung up still picturing the day that Bo's had today.

~01~

Bo looked at the clock and saw that it was getting close the end of business hours and Rosco still hadn't called for the Circuit Judge to come in to set his bail. So even though he could post bail so he wouldn't have to stay the night at the jail, he won't be able to since there was only about another half an hour left in the day. Bo stood at the bars as he waited. Rosco had already forced Kim out of the room since Visiting Hours were over. Finally, Bo saw Rosco reach for the phone and called the Judge's office. When Rosco hung up the phone, he was grinning.

"Oh, Bo; bad news for you. Judge Druten has already left for the day. Looks like you'll have to stay the night and hope I can get a hold of him tomorrow."

"Oh come on, Rosco! You waited 'til now on purpose! If you'd called him when you first threw me in here!"

"Oh tiddly tuddly. I wasn't about to drop everything that I was doin' just to see to your comfort. Now-" Rosco went to continue but stopped when the door opened and Judge Charles Druten came walking in. "Judge Druten! What are you doin' here?"

"Rosco." The judge nodded toward Rosco as he walked passed him and grabbed the keys to let Bo out of the holding cell. "I was called and informed that bail needed to be set for this young man. So that's why I'm here."

"But...but... Why are you lettin' him out now?"

"I've already set bail and filed the paperwork before I came to Hazzard. There was a young woman out front that has run to the bank to get the money for the bail so I'm just speeding things up a little." Bo grinned as he watched Rosco fumble around at his release. The only thing that could have made it better was if Boss was here for this too. "Now after hearin' everything so far, I'd like to suggest that you drop the charges, Sheriff. From what I've heard, the only thing that Mr. Duke is guilty of is underestimating a couple of toddlers. Something that I can tell you that every parent has done at one time or another. Somehow, I don't think that he'll make that same mistake again. Now, what I want to know is this. Why is it that you weren't the one to call my office when you brought in Bo Duke?"

"I...uh...well. You see..."

"That's what I thought. Rosco, when are you goin' to remember that regardless of who signs your paycheck that you are an officer of the law? Not a hired stooge for that over-sized brother-in-law of yours."

Rosco looked down, feeling chastised like a school boy being called out by the principal. That was easy for the judge to say. He didn't have to deal with Boss on a daily basis.

~01~

Bo and Kim walked into the farm house about an hour later just in time for evening chores. Bo went straight out to the barn to take care of them then went inside and collapsed on the couch while he waited for supper to finish cooking.

"Well, of course I called Charles. And from the way you talked, Bo, it's a good thing too," Jesse said in response to Bo question about how the judge knew to come out to Hazzard. "I still can't believe that you were arrested today. Hopefully you've learned that when you are responsible for them boys that you don't take your eyes off of them for a second; especially in town."

"I just didn't think that those two could unlock a door yet, Uncle Jesse. I thought that they'd be alright in the office."

"Well now you know better. I still can't believe that Jebb and Kira still trust you with them boys after this. You best keep a better eye on them from here out. I've got to go check on dinner." Jesse headed back into the kitchen. When Jesse was gone, Jay looked up at his uncle and saw how upset he was. Leaving his brother and toys behind, Jay got up and crawled into Bo's lap.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you got me into?" Bo mumbled while he hugged the little boy close to him.

"I think he's tryin' to say he's sorry," Kim said as she walked into the living room.

"Yeh, I just wish that he and Mikey would have hollered or screamed or something if they were bored. That I could have dealt with. But taking off..."

"I think they just gave into their natural curiosity. They are Dukes after all," Kim said as she fought off a giggle. She bent down to pick up Mikey.

Somehow, when she woke up this morning she had not pictured the day ending quite like this.