A/N – Hi! I'm not going to really say anything, except to say that this is not the last chapter, so don't do anything rash just yet – like shoot the writer:) Thanks for the feedback. As always I appreciate it. In fact, there's a new final chapter solely thanks to readers' comments, so I do take them seriously:) You guys really wrote a good deal of this story!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes, and no infringements intended.

BALANCING THE BOOKS

CHAPTER 17

COLD FEET

"Hey farm boy! How bout some lunch?" Jackie called to her fiancée.

Bo Duke was lying on the thick planks that would serve as the support beams of their roof. Thanks to the efforts of the Duke men, the boards were now arranged in a shape that resembled a house. Working every spare minute, they were making wonderful progress. With a little imagination, the rooms were becoming easier to visualize. That morning, though, Bo Duke was the only worker slaving away. Jesse Duke had an appointment with Doc Appleby for his routine, annual checkup, and Luke had been called away to help a neighbor. If being separated in the Duke household wasn't bad enough, the long hours Bo was away was making things even worse. Their apartment was almost ready, but for the time being, Jackie and Bo had to steal moments when they could get them. Making the most of the immediate opportunity, Jackie had fixed a picnic basket and headed out to the site of their future home, where she knew that her future husband was alone.

"Well, I don't know," Bo replied, looking down at her. "I better check with my future wife, first."

"It's fine, I already checked for ya. Will ya get down here before Luke or Uncle Jesse get back!"

"Don't have to ask me twice," Bo grinned, shimmying down to the ground.

After properly saying hello, Jackie told Bo about all the wonderful things she had packed for him. "Mmmh, what I want ain't in that basket," he told her, nuzzling her neck.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you then, cause that's all I brought," Jackie told him as innocently as she could.

"You know what I want," Bo assured her, continuing to convince her in ways more powerful than words. "Come on, let's go check out our back forty," he whispered.

Letting Bo lead her by the hand, she reminded him, "Bo, we don't have a back forty."

Surprised that they'd remembered to bring the picnic basket with them, Bo was casually lying on his back as Jackie leaned over him, feeding him while they made small talk. They hadn't expected to get this much time together. In the midst of their long and relaxed lunch, Jackie stopped suddenly, turning in the direction of the heavily treed area.

"What?" Bo asked.

"I thought I heard something," she answered.

"Probably just a deer or something," Bo concluded, turning her face back in his direction.

Having been made to look at Bo, Jackie forced herself to grin. "You're right," she said, trying to sound calm when inside she was anything but. She hated to admit that with everything that had happened, she'd been left with an overactive imagination and nerves that were always on edge. She wondered how long it would take before she no longer jumped at every unexpected sound, and how long it would be before she could get rid of the gun she now wore daily. "Where were we?" she asked.

"You ok?" Bo asked, sensing that she wasn't as fine as she was pretending to be.

Jackie never got the chance to answer. Telling herself that she had been hearing things once, she could do. The cracking of the twig wasn't so easily dismissed, and she knew that Bo heard it, too. Despite being only feet from what could be called wilderness, she just wasn't able to make assumptions, not any more. It wasn't that a deer wasn't a logical choice; she just didn't think it was. From the corner of her eye, Jackie saw something move, and the re-assigned Special Agent knew it wasn't a wild animal. Her mind registered immediately what it was that was glinting through the trees at the exact moment that Bo began to sit up.

"Bo, get down!" Jackie yelled, throwing herself into him at the same time that a shot rang out.

As they landed on the ground, Jackie on top, she heard Bo cry out. The sound registered, but she didn't have time to ask what was wrong. Moving as little as possible, she reached down to her holster and retrieved the government issued gun, glad that she still had it her possession and on her body. Still lying on top of Bo, she aimed the weapon in the direction that the shot came from, readying herself to fire her own. She had no idea how long she laid in wait, but nothing more except a few of nature's sounds came from that region. Frozen like a statue, or a solider, it wasn't until she realized that Bo was squirming and groaning underneath her that she glanced down at the man she intended to marry. Steadying herself, she laid her left palm against the solid ground next to them. When she raised it, she was shocked to see that it was wet and covered with red.

"Bo! Oh my God! Bo!" she yelled, trying to focus on him while still maintaining a watch over them both.

"It's ok," he rasped. "It hurts like hell, but……I don't think it's serious."

Trying to take a look, Jackie tore her eyes off the trees long enough to see that Bo had been shot. She couldn't be positive, considering they didn't dare sit up, but it did appear that he'd only been hit in the arm. Regardless of how bad the wound looked, it was bleeding heavy enough to require immediate treatment. Thankful that she had a blouse on over her tank top, Jackie wiggled out of it. Tying it around Bo's arm, she hoped to slow the flow of crimson. "You think you can make it back to the car?"

"Yeah," Bo replied.

Jackie wanted to fall apart; she wanted nothing more than to take Bo in her arms and hold him, but she couldn't. He was hurt, and they didn't know what was still out there. She had to keep her wits about her. She could have a breakdown later, assuming that they made it out of there, at all. Searching his face, needing to know that he was telling her the truth about being able to make it back to the Mustang, it was all Jackie could do not to let the tears spill over. "Okay Bo, I know this is gonna be hard, but you're gonna need to stay low and stay between me and where that shot came from."

"No! You think I'm gonna let you be target practice?" Bo asked, though his words were starting to slur.

"Bo look, we ain't got time for this. I'm not trying to be some martyr, here, but you're hurt, and I'm trained in this. Besides, I've got the gun!" Seeing that his mouth was opening, Jackie cut him off. "Bo, don't argue with me!" Only after he finally gave in did Jackie's tone soften and change. "Thank you. I love you, Bo," she told him, giving him a quick kiss.

"I love you, too. You be careful."

"I will. You ready?"

Bo nodded, and Jackie helped him to rise to his knees, putting her body between him and the trees. Gun or no gun, they were both perfect targets as they made their way too slowly and not as low as they should have. Whoever had taken the first shot must have grown tired of the game as their journey was uneventful. With Jackie helping Bo, they finally made it back to car, where she settled him into the passenger seat and sped toward Tri-County General. Raising the rest of the blonde's family on her newly acquired cb, she asked them to meet her at the hospital. Telling her that they be there as fast as they could, Jesse said that he'd alert Rosco and Cletus. Having met Hazzard's finest only briefly, the Special Agent hadn't been impressed and doubted that they would do any good, but she knew it was procedure.

Jackie Johnson should have known fear after having been shot and abducted, but it was nothing compared to what she felt while sitting in the waiting room of the hospital waiting on word about Bo. The Dukes were with her, and Sheriff Rosco P Coltrane had also arrived. People were talking, to her and around her, but Jackie wasn't registering anything that was being said. It wasn't until a doctor came out and told them that Bo was going to be fine that she felt any type of relief whatsoever, and even that didn't feel as good as it should.

Bo was awake when Jackie walked into his room, the rest of the family allowing her to go first. Stepping inside, she didn't get far. Bo was lying in the bed, the top half of his torso bare except for the bandaged arm and sling. The doctor had told them that the monitors were just precautionary, and that had it not been for the blood that they were trying to replenish, they would have released Bo that very day. Bo's self-diagnosis of the gunshot wound had been correct; it hadn't been serious. Only requiring a few stitches, had it not hit a bleeder, it would have required little more than a band-aid. So, the news was good, but Jackie couldn't shake the feeling of doom that now hung over her. Her eyes were drawn to the blood hanging next to the bed; the sheer contrast of white and red was enough to make her shudder.

"Hey!" Bo called to her, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Seeing him smiling at her, knowing that he wanted her to come to him, Jackie tried to paste on a happy face, but seeing Bo lying there melted it away.

"I'm ok," Bo told her in a firm voice, holding out his good arm.

Jackie didn't need to be asked twice. The safest place she knew was Bo's arms. He may have only been able to offer one, but that was enough. Jackie ran to the outstretched one which was waiting for her. Feeling it close around her, she buried her face in his uninjured shoulder. Jackie Johnson knew it should be the other way around; she should be comforting and taking care of Bo, but at that moment, she'd never felt such a despair in her entire life.

"It's ok," he told her, understanding how she felt more than she knew. He'd spent a few nights of his own worried about her.

Pulling herself together when the door opened and the rest of the Dukes, along with Sheriff Coltrane entered, Jackie only felt slightly better. This wasn't something that a good cry was going to fix, but only she knew that. Standing next to Bo, they gave a description of what had happened, though neither one of them really had much information to give.

"It was probably a hunter," Bo stated. "That stretch of land hasn't had anyone on it for years. They probably didn't know that we bought it."

Jackie observed as the theory of a hunter with bad aim was agreed upon by official and civilians alike. She wished she could concur, but somehow, she didn't think it was that innocent. For once, she hoped her instincts were wrong.

Bo was released the following day with the promise of a complete recovery. Yet, no matter how much he assured his wife-to-be that he was fine and would make their wedding without the sling, Jackie Johnson was in turmoil and Bo Duke was worried about her. They'd found themselves in some threatening situations, and Jackie had always managed to maintain her composure. So Bo couldn't understand why an accident could frazzle her so. He'd even started wondering if she was having second thoughts about marrying him, but he dismissed that idea quickly. She was waiting on him hand and foot, attentive to his every need. Under other circumstances, Bo could have really enjoyed the attention, but watching her struggle with whatever was bothering her took any joy out of being pampered. She also told him all the time that she loved him, and he believed her. Telling himself that she was just worried, Bo was looking forward to his upcoming doctor's appointment, which would free him from his restraint, and hopefully, free Jackie from her torment.

Besides being nervous, Jackie was also extremely interested in the crime scene. She didn't trust the local sheriff's department anyway, and since they'd closed the case, attributing Bo's shooting to hunters, she knew they weren't looking for anything. She, however, was almost convinced there was something to be found. Slipping away long enough to really search the area had been a problem. She'd been there a few times, but never had enough time to really look good. Spending every moment with Bo, an opportunity just hadn't presented itself, and each day that passed, Jackie knew she needed to find one. It came with the ringing of the phone.

The florist in town needed to meet with her about the flowers. Jesse and Luke were working on the house, and Daisy was the only other one at home. Bo couldn't be left alone, so that meant Daisy couldn't go with her, no matter how much she wanted to. Promising to return shortly, Jackie jumped in the Mustang and headed for town. Only after discussing flowers for the upcoming wedding,did she take a detour. Knowing that Jesse and Luke were there, she parked far enough away and walked into the back part of their property.

Jackie looked around the area where she was sure the shot had come from. Finding nothing, she was about to give up, almost ready to believe that Bo was correct and it was nothing more than a hunter; that was until she saw another object gleaming in the sunlight. Jackie squatted down. Reaching out, she picked up the little metal object. Finally, her suspicions were confirmed. Hearing another branch snapping, Jackie whirled around, once again retrieving the gun from her holster. Pointing the weapon in the direction of the noise, she soon found herself staring down the barrel of two just like her own, both pointed at her. Sighing, as recognition set in, she lowered her gun as those aiming at her did the same. Jackie may not have known the details, but she knew why they were there.

"They think it was just hunters," Jackie stated, as if those around her knew what she was talking about. "Hunters don't use 44s, unless they're hunting people," she added, handing the shell casing to the man standing closest to her. "Who is it?"

Hearing their answer, Special Agent Jackie Johnson nodded, then turned away. She needed a few minutes to organize her thoughts, though she knew what was coming.

"Special Agent Johnson?" Agent Connors called, interrupting her before she was ready.

Taking a deep breath, Jackie turned to face them. "I'll get back to you," she answered, giving them a look that ordered them not to argue with her.

"Well sweetheart, Doc said I'm good as new, maybe better than ever. Looks like we got a wedding to get to, an apartment to move into, a house to finish, and a race to run," Bo announced, as the couple stepped out into the sunlight from Doc Appleby's office. "Jackie?" he called when he received no answer or reaction to his revelation.

"Huh?" the blonde muttered. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, realizing that she had missed something.

Bo had let this go on long enough. He'd just been given a clean bill of health, and this was not the reaction he was expecting or hoping for. As they stepped off the last step, Bo stopped, then stopped her. Turning her to face him, Bo's playful expression was replaced with a serious one. "Jackie, what is going on? What is the matter? You've been like this ever since the accident."

'Accident,' Jackie scoffed to herself. 'Oh Bo! If only you knew.' Yet, telling him wasn't a possibility. Forcing a smile that she didn't feel, Jackie looked up at the love of her life. "I'm sorry, Bo. I've just been so worried about you."

"Well stop worrying. I'm fine," he assured her.

"I know," she replied as enthusiastically as she could muster. "What was that about a race?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well, it was only your idea, unless you're willing to concede that the General is the fastest orange car in Hazzard."

"Not on your life, farm boy," Jackie chuckled.

Going over the agreed upon route one last time, Bo offered his fiancée his condolences in advance. "Sorry sweetheart, but you'll just have to let me make it up to you some other way," he laughed.

Mocking his laughter, Jackie was interrupted when Bo grabbed her and gave her a consolation kiss. However, she surprised both of them when he turned to go. Instead of letting him, Jackie grabbed his arm, pulling him back. Holding his face in her hands, she kissed him longer and harder than she ever had, and they'd shared some intense moments since their initial meeting.

The kiss was unusual and forceful enough to cause Bo to stare at her when she finally released him. "Jackie?" he asked, not sure what had brought on the sudden passion, but leaving him with an uneasy feeling.

"I love you, Bo," she told him, looking deeply into his eyes. Knowing that he was about to press her for answers, she lessened the intensity of the moment. "I'll be waiting for you at the finish line, farm boy!" she told him, tearing herself away and walking toward her beloved car.

The exchange hadn't gone unnoticed by Luke, who was left wondering if something, like an argument, had happened between the young couple. Seeing that Jackie was already in her car, waiting to start the race to determine Hazzard's fastest orange auto, the brunette wasn't given enough time to ponder what he'd seen or to ask his younger cousin about it. All he could do was ask Bo if he was ready. He was going to be riding with Bo, Daisy was already waiting at the finish line, and Uncle Jesse would follow behind, as best he could, after starting the race. Giving the drivers the green light, the tires on both cars kicked up the dirt, leaving the Duke patriarch coughing.

"I always forget about that," Jesse Duke grumbled, trying to clear his airways from the flying dirt.

The Duke boys expected to win, but they expected it to be a close race, and for a while, it was. They did not expect to cross the finish line without being able to hear or see the Mustang in the near distance. Yet, that's exactly what happened. Sitting in the windows of the General, waiting, the boys looked at each other as time continued to elapse.

"She shouldn't be that far behind," Bo stated.

"Maybe she turned on the wrong road or something," Luke suggested.

Bo nodded, doubting that's what happened. She knew the route, and he knew that she knew the route. Reaching inside the General, Bo grabbed the cb. Before he could call out, Jesse's voice crackled through.

"Bo……..Luke………"

"Uncle Jesse? What's wrong? Have you seen Jackie?" Bo asked, his voice filled with panic.

"Boys, you better double back up here to Bronson's Bend."

Sliding inside, Bo turned General Lee around, feeling as if he were in the most important race of his life. Daisy followed in Dixie. As they rounded the corner, they could see smoke billowing toward the sky.

"Oh God!" Bo cried, needing to say no more.

Screeching to a halt, the boys bolted out of the Charger. Pausing at the side of the road, a mangled orange car lie nestled below, responsible for the black smoke polluting the air.

"I already called Rosco and the ambulance," Jesse stated.

"Bo wait!" Luke screamed, calling after his cousin, who was now trying to scramble down the rocks to the wrecked auto. The boys hadn't made it very far when they were both knocked to the ground by an explosion that replaced the black smoke with an orange fireball which matched the car's original color of paint.

Recovering first, Bo was back on his feet, running toward the inferno. "Bo, Bo!" Luke screamed above the roar, knowing that there wasn't anything that they could do, even if they could get close enough. However, his youngest cousin wasn't thinking, only acting, and Luke knew that if he didn't catch him, Bo might end up seriously hurting himself. Getting into position, Luke leaped, hoping to land on Bo and stop his forward progression. It worked, but Bo fought him with every ounce of strength that he had.

"Let me go! Let me go, Luke," Bo yelled as he continued to struggle.

Wrapping his arms around his baby cousin as tightly as he could, Luke tried to calm him. "Bo, there's nothing you can do," he whispered. As Bo's reserves left him, his legs began to give way. Unable to support his own weight, Luke kept his tight grip, following Bo down to the ground.

"No!" Bo's cry echoed around them.