Rating: PG-13 for topics involving sex. Nothing explicit, not even close, but safety is the best policy!

Disclaimer: I don't own them Duke boys, although it sure wouldn't hurt my feelings if Bo wanted to let me borrow him.:D I don't own "The Balladeer." Man, I don't even own the General Lee... although I'd just love it if I did!

Author's Notes: Any reviews are appreciated! Thanks!!!! Anything in bold in this story is a Balladeer comment. :D Oh! And this is pre-probation, so Bo and Luke are allowed to have guns, thus the story has Bo with a gun.

Thanks to the reviewers!!!

Jesse- Thanks! That's sweet of you, indeed!

kellybell- I shall indeed!

Chapter 4: Acting Like Grown Ups

It was well after 1 am when Bo finally went to sleep, only to wake up at 5 am. He was going rabbit hunting, and Becky was going along with him. Or at least, that had been the plan all week. Becky had never been the hunting type, but she loved being outside, and being with Bo. And she loved Bo's rabbit dogs, so the only obvious choice was for them to rabbit hunt together. Hunting was a whole different challenge to her, since she was new at being a true country girl. Bo was a patient teacher, though. And Becky was a quick learner.

Bo got up and got dressed, then walked over to Becky's house. When he got there, she was on the front porch waiting for him. "Hey, Bo," she said, walking over to him.

"Hey, Becky," he replied, taking her hand.

"You ready to go?" she asked.

"Yep. Just gotta go get the dogs and my gun."

"OK," she replied. They walked hand in hand down the dirt road. Neither of them spoke for what seemed like a million years, until Bo got up his nerve, trying to use tact in what he said.

"Are you feelin' any better this morning?"

"Yeah. At least a little bit."

He put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "That's good, honey."

"But. Bo...you know that when my family finds out, they're gonna kick me out of their house."

"Oh...Oh, Lord, Becky. They wouldn't do that," Bo said, hoping he was right.

"Yeah, Bo. They would." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Becky, I'm sorry. I'm..." he put his arms around her, not able to finish his sentence.

"It's not...It's not your fault. It's my daddy. He doesn't like our dating in the first place...and now...I really...I just don't think that he's just gonna be all happy, and let me live easier. Honey...it's gonna be hard, and we have to realize that. We tried to act like grown ups, and this is what happened. So now we have to take it like grown ups."

"I know. It's already hard... and we ain't even seen our baby yet."

"Bo...no matter what, I love you. But we have to figure out what we're up against."

"Well, I already know tellin' Uncle Jesse's gonna be the hardest thing I've ever done. And I don't know what tellin' your folks is gonna be like. Your daddy rarely even lets me come in the house. And when he finally agreed to let you go out with me, I promised I'd take care of you. Oh, Lord...He's gonna have my hide tacked on the wall."

"I think he'll really kick me out through. He'll give me some long lecture about what a shameful failure I am, then he'll kick me out." Tears filled her eyes. "Bo, where will I go? My daddy'll turn my whole family against me. I could go live with my mama's mama... but she lives in Kansas, and I don't want to have our baby that far from you. I want my baby to know you! And I want my baby to grow up in Hazzard. I know it has it's faults, but it's my home, now. It's where I met you...and I know I wanted to leave, but I have a baby to raise...and I want my baby here. With you... and Luke , and Daisy, and Uncle Jesse... I never thought I'd be saying that, but I am..."

"Becky Lee Dover, have I ever told you how much I love you?" Bo asked, raising her chin with his hand.

"Yep," she said.

"Well, I don't care, I'm gonna say it again. I love you. I love you more than anything, and I'm gonna do right by you and that baby. No matter what it takes."

"I love you, too," she said, burying her head in his chest. He played with her ponytail a little bit, then she looked up at him. He couldn't resist kissing her.

"Bo...I'm so scared. I don't want to be kicked out of my house, and not be allowed to see my mama and my brothers. I love them, Bo, and..."

"I know, honey..." he said. "I wish I knew what to tell you. But I don't, and I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"No...I did what I did because I wanted to. I have to face up to it now."

Bo looked at her, and he felt tears welling up in his eyes... so, like any young man would do, he changed the subject. "We better get to huntin' pretty quick, or we ain't gonna get no huntin' done."

If there's one thing I know about the Duke boys, it's that neither love nor money keeps 'em away from cars or huntin'.

She tried to smile as they walked on, but she was hurting so much inside. But she and Bo went hunting, although she spent most of her time keeping up with a beagle pup named Belle, who was a useless rabbit dog, but a good pet. Bo said she had the best bark, and the best personality.

While the dogs stayed busy through most of the trip, Bo and Becky followed the dogs, talking to each other all the way... and trying to keep Belle from chasing anything other than rabbits.

"Bo," Becky said, softly. "We can't just put this off. What are we gonna do when my dad asks me to leave?"

"I don't know. Why don't we make double-dang sure he's goin' to before we get all bent outta shape?"

"Bo, I'm triple-dang sure. You know him. He's not just gonna put his arm around me and tell me it's OK. He's going to tell me what a disgrace I am, and kick me out."

Bo spoke softly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Look, Bo. Let's not look back and be sorry. We're in this mess now. Let's just be ready for what's coming."

"Reckon you're right."

"I know I'm right." she said, taking his hand. "Now let's get some more huntin' done."

"OK..."

They hunted another couple of hours before they decided to take a break for the picnic lunch Becky had made. It was fried chicken, Bo's favorite, with lemonade and potato salad. "Lord, you sure know how to make a fella hurt himself on some fried chicken!" Bo said, groaning from his spot on the soft grass.

"I knew it all along," she said with a smile. "You never wanted me, you wanted my fried chicken."

Bo laughed out loud. "What's so wrong with that, smarty pants?"

"Nothin', I guess."

If the truth be told, half the marriages in Hazzard County are probably strongly rooted in a love of fried chicken.

Bo laughed. "Ain't a dang thing wrong with lovin' the chicken first, then the woman."

She smiled at him as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to his side. She laid her head on his chest and listened to every beat of his heart. "I love you," she said softly.

"I love you, too, honey," Bo replied, feeling that sad lonesome feeling again.

He smiled when he looked down at her and she had dozed off. He knew she'd been up past midnight working, and probably far later than that contemplating what would happen to her. She had to be slap wore out. He let her sleep for about half an hour before he gently touched her cheek to wake her up. "Honey, we better go. Jesse'll be expectin' me."

"My parents will be, too. I got work tonight."

"Daisy does, too. You ridin' with her?"

"Yep. But... if I come over early... can we tell Uncle Jesse and get it over with?"

"Yeah. I reckon we gotta do it sometime."

"We do. And better now than a long time from now."

"Alright. Whatever you say," he answered, pulling her even closer. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Bo called the dogs, eight of them in all, and loaded them up into Jesse's truck. He and Becky took the front seat, and he drove her home. They sat in the driveway together for a few minutes, and Bo said, "I'll see you tonight, honey." He leaned toward her and kissed her.

"Bo..." she said softly.

"Still worried about your family?"

She nodded.

"Do you want me to tell 'em?"

"No. No! My dad would shoot you on the spot."

The scary thing is, that she might not be exaggeratin'.

"You're daddy won't shoot me."

"He'll chew you up and spit you out." She kissed him. "I don't want you to have to go through that."

"But..."

She pressed a finger to his lips. "Shush..." she whispered, silencing him. "Just listen to me.

He looked at her, completely silent.

If that don't tell ya he's whipped. You ever seen Bo Duke close his mouth for more than 10 seconds together?

"Bo, you are not going to tell them anything. I will tell them, and I'll tell you what happens. I love you."

"You, too," he replied.

She climbed out of the truck, and Bo watched her walk into the house.

"What have I done?" he said, to noone in particular.

Y'all ever had one of them days when nothin' goes right, no matter how hard you try?