"Aaaarrrrrggghhhhhhhhhhh!" Jesse yells sitting straight up. Panicking, his heart knocks around in his chest as he tries to figure out where he is. It takes a moment for the dark bedroom to come into focus. His heart starts to slow to its normal beat as he comes to a conclusion.
"It was jus' a dream. That's all, a dream. There ain't no dates… are there?" Jesse debates internally before deciding to just get up and ask somebody. Feeling downright silly, but knowing he'll never get back to sleep otherwise, he heads for Daisy's room. She would be more likely to understand something like this. He quietly pads to her bedroom doorand swings it open slowly. Moonlight spills through the window to spotlight the bed, the neatly made up, empty bed. The clock on the bedside table reads 11 PM; Daisy won't be home for another hour or two at least from the closing shift at the Boars Nest.
Thinking its probably a lost cause, he swings open his nephews' bedroom door and was surprised to see them safely in bed. Stepping silently into the room he remembers they'd decided to stay in tonight and catch up on their sleep. Moving carefully between their beds he can hear Bo's soft snore as he lies on his back with his covers kicked off. Softly he pulls Bo's covers back over him before turning to the other bed in the room. Luke has always been easier to wake up than Bo, especially since his stint in the Marines. Luke is curled up on his side, facing Bo's bed. He's completely covered; the only thing showing is the top of his wavy brown hair. Reaching out, Jesse gently shakes Luke's quilt clad shoulder.
"Hmmpphhhhh, wha's wron'? What'd we do now?" Luke blinks rapidly trying to clear the sleep from his eyes. "Unca Jesse? Is it Daisy, is she okay?"
"No boy, nuthin's wrong with Daisy. She's still at work would be my guess. I jus' gotta quick question for ya is all."
"Oh, ooooooookkkkkkkkkkkkkaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy." Luke yawns and stretches coming more fully awake.
"Uh, this might sound silly Luke, but, uh…."
"Uncle Jesse?" Luke's brow creases in worry at his uncle's hestitation. Uncle Jesse was always one to put everything right out in the open, nomatter what it was. Say what you mean and mean what you say was a favorite quote of his.
"Well, I was wondering if you'd tell me what I did yesterday, or I guess it was taday since it ain't midnight yet. I had a dream and I jus' cain't separate out the two. Does that make sense to ya?"
"Sure, I guess. Well, ya drove inta town, picked up my package from the Post Office, came home I guess and fixed supper. Me an' Bo went fishin' with Cooter. That's 'bout it I guess." Luke replies warily. "Did somethin' happen that ya didn't tell us 'bout Uncle Jesse?"
"So I did go to the Post Office, but I didn't come home with nuthin' besides yer package?"
"What else would ya have Uncle Jesse?" Luke asks clearly puzzled.
"Well, uh, I didn't come home with three dates did I? An' then you kids were makin' fun of me at supper?"
"Three dates? Uh, not that I'm aware of. There somethin' you ain't tellin' me Uncle Jesse? Ya went an' got yerself three dates an' we didn't hear 'bout it?" Luke grins up at his uncle.
"No!" Jesse fiercely whispers. "It was jus' a bad dream is all. Nothin' to it. "
"Ya know Uncle Jesse, sometimes dreams are our subconscious tryin' ta tell us somethin'. Maybe this weren't no bad dream at all, but a good dream taken the wrong way. 'Sides, we'd never make fun of ya. That ain't how ya brought us up."
"Just hush Luke an' quit tryin' ta analyze my mind. Go back ta sleep 'fore ya wake up Bo."
"Yes sir. 'Night." Luke grins at his uncle again before pulling his quilts back over him and settling down to go back to sleep. Jesse heads back out the door and pulls it quietly shut behind him. Going back to his own room and bed, Jesse silently considers what Luke said. Maybe he was right, my subconscious thinks I'm gittin' lonely, but it don't want me to move to fast. Maybe that's it, it makes sense. Ah well, I reckon there'll be time ta worry on it tomorrah. With a much lighter spirit Jesse Duke returns to his bed and settles in for the night, leaving the house dark and quiet once again and hoping that tomorrow is just another normal day in Hazzard County.
A/N: Thanks again to those who reviewed. I hope you enjoyed this little tale.