Ch. 6

Opening his eyes, he looked around the room. It wasn't fancy, but it had been his place to sleep. The room has a small table, one chair, a few cabinets, a sink, and small wood/cooking stove. Sitting up he got dressed and braced himself for the hurt he is about to inflict on a family. As he drove away from the cabin, he prayed that even if he wasn't welcomed there that they would at least forgive him.

It took about a half and hour to get out to the dukes' farm and as he pulled into the yard he saw all the rigs parked in their normal spot. Shutting off the truck he took a few deep breaths and got out. Walking up the steps of the house he once was welcomed in; he prayed that he still would be. After knocking on the door, he stepped back and took off his hat.

Uncle Jesse heard the knock and got up to answer it. He couldn't help but wonder if Rosco was back again to throw another claim about Bo and Luke doing something illegal. He was not excepted to see who he saw on the other side, even after being told he was back in town.

"Hello, Mr. Duke. If you want I can leave. I had to atleast try to see you and your family."

He said, "Bo and Luke told me you were back in town. Didn't except to see you, though. Do you have any idea the pain you have put our Daisy through?"

"Yes, sir. I have an idea and if it's anything like what I have gone through I am truly sorry. All you have to say the word and I will leave without seeing her."

"Are you planning on hurting her?"

"No, sir. I have no intention of hurting her. I quit my job."

"Plan on sticking around?"

"Yes, sir."

"She's in the barn with her cousins. Follow me." Uncle Jesse said

The silence was comforting to him. He felt alittle more at peace as they stepped into the barn knowing a storm might just break out. He hoped she wouldn't hurt him to bad.

Daisy was sitting on bales of hay just chatting with her cousins when all of sudden she felt change in the air and as she looked around she saw him. Standing up she walked over to him and gave him a hard slap across the face. Luke, Bo, and Uncle Jesse just smiled and walked away. Unshed tears filled her eyes as she just stared at him.

Seeing she wasn't telling him to leave he spoke, "I'm sorry. Once I got back to Texas and turned over Snake. I was going to ask for time off, however before I could. I found myself on another job. By the time I got off that one six months had passed I thought maybe you moved on, and I didn't want to cause problems by showing up."

Her tears started to fall though she didn't make a sound. He took few steps forward to see how she would react before continuing.

"I took job after job, trying to forget. I didn't tell anyone about you or your family. I wanted to protect y'all the only way I could. I tried to forget you, went on a few dates, but it was useless. I couldn't get you off my mind. Finally, I took time off. I had to think. Found myself back here before I really even knew it." He spoke with a sad smile and stayed silent as he didn't know what she was going to say.

"How long are you here for? Why didn't you find away of talking to us? To me?" Daisy asked her voice breaking abit. She was a tough girl, could hold her own, didn't need anyone; yet she found herself needing the man in front of her. She didn't know what she would do if he left again.

"I was afraid. Afraid that if you had moved on, with me coming back around you would get put in a limbo type of feeling. I couldn't do that to you. I'm not going anywhere. Quit my job."

"You quit?! You love your job." Daisy's voice rose.

"I burned myself out trying to forget and move on. I'll always be a texas man, ranger, but I need to settle down. I need to find a job where I can stay in one place. Cooter offered to have me help out around his place until I find my footing. I just need to know if I have a chance with you. I hear you have a few men trying to get your attention."

"You have the only chance." Daisy answered as she put her hands in his. "They never stood a chance."

"Let's go back into the house."

Once they stepped back into the house holding hands all three duke men had smiles on their face.

"I take it I can call you by your real name now." Luke said with laughter in his voice.

Jude nodded.

While everyone felt alittle bad for Enos and the others they all knew there was no other for Daisy except Jude. Anyone who saw her over the last few years would have noticed a change in her, and now with Jude back it's like she has been made whole once again.

"We all need to go out to celebrate at the Boar's Nest." Bo spoke up.

"You just want to see Rosco and Boss Hogg's face when they see me." Jude spoke up.

Bo just grinned and smiled as everyone went to hang out at the Boar's nest.

Epilogue

Daisy leaned up against the side of the house as she watched her cousins playing with her twin boys as she rubbed her growing belly. Its been five years since Jude came back into her life and Jude was right once Boss Hogg and Rosco saw Jude they got all uppity and knew they had another person on the Dukes side. They were married just a few months later.

Jude came around the house and found his smile getting bigger at the scene playing infront of him. After all the years on the road, he had finally had found his perment home with the Dukes. Sitting down next to his wife he wrapped his arms around her and said, "Who knew what our future held on the day we first met."

Chuckling Daisy answered, "The man up stairs did."

"How is Uncle Jessie doing?" Jude asked. The man who had quickly become like another father to him, hadn't been doing to good lately.

"I don't think he's going to be around much longer." Sadness seeped into her voice as Bo and Luke walked up just in time to hear her answer.

As Bo and Luke sat down Luke looked at his cousin and said, "That maybe the case, but he has raised us well. And we'll keep fighting the system here... until they get an honest man in."

At that everyone chuckled and went back to watching the children play knowing they could handle whatever life threw their way.