Hey everyone! This is another of those chapters that had to be rewritten because of a review. The credit for this re-write belongs to Samwiseatheart:) She's been an inspiration throughout this entire story, coming up with many of the ideas.

Thanks for all the feedback and reviews. Really appreciate them.

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

BALANCING THE BOOKS

CHAPTER 21

GOING HOME

Standing next to the parked SUV, Jackie Johnson was shaking from anger and anguish when Bo caught up to her. Strapping the boy into his seat in the back, Bo hugged her before helping her into the car. Since reading Agent Connors the riot act, Jackie Johnson hadn't said a word. Dazed and in no condition to drive, leaving was the best plan Bo could come up with. He wanted his family as far away from this living nightmare as he could get them.

A few miles later, glancing over to the passenger seat, Bo was still waiting for Jackie to speak, but nothing came. Unsure as to how she would react to anything he might tell her, he continued to hold her hand, only the humming tires making any sound at all. Heading back the way they came, Bo wasn't even thinking about which way he was going; he was simply retracing their earlier route in reverse as if on autopilot. Free to go where ever they wanted, Bo secretly hoped that their final destination would be Hazzard, but it wasn't his assumption to make. It was a decision that they needed to make, together, but Jackie had to talk in order to discuss anything.

"It's over, sweetheart," Bo finally whispered, hoping for some reaction.

It worked; the breakdown followed. Softly at first, Jackie's sobs grew louder with each mile marker. Bo was grateful that the silence had been shattered, and for the rest stop looming in the near distance. He was also thankful that the boy in the backseat was fast asleep. Jackie's cries were upsetting him; he could only imagine how scared the little boy might have been. Exiting the highway, Bo slid into a parking stall, moving around the front of the vehicle until he was at the passenger door. Opening it, he touched Jackie's face, raising it to his.

"Oh God Bo! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" Jackie cried. Despite positioning her face in his direction, Jackie's eyes would not look directly at Bo.

"For what?" Bo softly asked.

"All the pain I've caused you. I put you through three years of hell, letting you believe that I was dead, and kept you from your own child. I'm sorry Bo! I'm sure you hate me, now, but please don't take Bo Jr. completely away from me," Jackie begged.

"Awe, Jackie, how could you think I hate you? I love you, sweetheart. I was willing to leave my home and family, that's how much I love ya. Nothing's changed that. Bo Jr. needs his mama, and so does his daddy. I could never take him away from you. We're a family, and this wasn't your fault. It was that idiot, Connor's, fault."

"All my fault," Jackie countered. "I jumped to conclusions, didn't make sure that I had my facts straight or that those buffoons did either. All I did was hurt everyone, for nothing!"

"Oh now, wait a minute. It wasn't for nothing," Bo told her in a raised voice. "You cleaned up Boss Hogg's bank, keeping the good people of Hazzard's money safe. You broke up that crime ring, making it harder for the people who push that junk on the streets to get their money. You put your own life on the line for people that you don't even know, and you even gave up the life and job you loved just to keep me, my son, and my family safe. That ain't nothing! I'm proud of ya, and I love you."

Jackie finally raised her blue eyes, surprised by the honesty and conviction she saw in Bo's. Expecting to see anger or hate, she saw neither. Touching his face, she looked at him through her tears. "I didn't even know what love really was until I met you."

"That makes two of us."

When they broke apart, Bo smiled at her, happy that she returned it. "You know, now that we can go anywhere we want, we need to decide where that's gonna be," Bo said, not sure how he should bring up the subject of where they would live. He hoped it would be Hazzard, but Jackie did have a good job in Nashville, and there was always the possibility that she wouldn't want to give up another one.

"Mama! I'm hungry! It's lunchtime!" a sleepy voice from the back alerted them, interrupting their conversation.

"Okay," Jackie replied. "What do you want for lunch?"

"A Happy Meal!" the boy announced.

"A happy meal," Bo grinned. "Well, I guess we can talk about this over burgers," Bo laughed, leaving Jackie with one last kiss before trotting back to the driver's side.

Telling their chauffeur that there was a McDonald's coming up, Bo saluted his navigator.

"I know there's no McDonald's in Hazzard," Jackie stated, "but please tell me that there is one closer than Atlanta, like in Capitol City? You're child could never live without Happy Meals, you know?"

Understanding what Jackie was really saying, Bo's eyes became misty. She had answered the question that he'd been wanting to ask, and he'd gotten the answer he'd been hoping for. "There's a McDonald's in Capitol City," he whispered, bringing her hand to his lips while he kept control of the steering wheel with the other one.

"Then let's go home, Bo."

Seated in the fast food restaurant, Jackie and Bo watched Bo Jr. as he wiggled through the tubes provided for their younger patrons' enjoyment. Looking at the child, Bo still found it incredible that right before his eyes was a miniature version of himself. It was one thing to see a resemblance between other people, but to look at someone and know that they looked just like you was a feeling that was hard to describe. Bo was lost in his thoughts when Jackie laid her hand on his arm, bringing him back to the present.

"Bo, I know you're probably anxious to get back to Hazzard as quickly as possible, but do you think we could take a couple days? I know that we were planning on leaving most everything behind, but since we don't have to, I'd really like to pack up the apartment. We're going to need furniture," Jackie reasoned.

"This morning, I didn't know if or when I'd ever see Hazzard again," Bo told her as he reached for her hand. "I think a couple of days won't make much difference," he agreed, knowing that she had been forced to abandon her things and her life once; he could understand why she didn't want to do it again. "I just can't wait to see the looks on their faces," Bo laughed, knowing that his family would be just as happy as he was.

"They'll be surprised," Jackie agreed, glad that she wouldn't be responsible for taking Bo away from his family; a family that she loved, too.

Having stopped by a department store, Jackie and Bo had just transferred all the moving supplies into the apartment when they heard a knock at the door. Having spent three years living cautiously, Jackie wasn't going to be able to break the habit in an afternoon.

"Grab Bo Jr.," she whispered as she moved to the door, but not before she retrieved the weapon she carried. "Who is it?" she called.

"Miss Johnson, this is Special Agents Ogden and Thompson. We're with the FBI here in Nashville. We need to speak to you," came the reply.

"Put your id's up to the peep hole," Jackie instructed, looking them over carefully. In her deceased state, she had spent a great deal of time studying the intricate patterns and details of both badges and identification cards for several agencies. She couldn't tell by looking if an agent was honest or not, but she was confident she would be able to spot a counterfeit badge.

"Just a minute," she called, as she undid the several locks. Putting her gun in the back of her waistband, she wanted it where she could retrieve it quickly, if needed. Opening the door, she invited them in. "What can I do for you?"

The older of the two men did the talking. "We just talked to an Agent Connors out of the Atlanta office. He explained the details of your case, asking us to intervene, since he doubted that you'd want to deal with him."

"Well, he finally got something right," Jackie spat. "So, what is it that you need?"

"We need to update your files, and have some forms that you need to complete so we can reactivate you as a living person," Special Agent Thompson informed her.

"Oh, ok," Jackie agreed, offering them a seat.

An hour later, Jackie's hand was tired from signing so many documents, but she would have gladly signed ten times that many for the opportunity to live a normal life again; her life, with Bo and Bo Jr.

Slipping the last sheet of paper into a folder, Special Agent Ogden began playing with his glasses in a nervous gesture.

"Is there something else?" Jackie asked, spotting the agents' discomfort.

"On behalf of the agency, we'd like to apologize to you," Mark Ogden began. Seeing Jackie's nod but skeptical expression, he continued. "I know that it doesn't seem like much, but we'd like to help you settle back into a normal life and normal routine. Our superiors have authorized us to make any necessary arrangements for you that you might need."

"What kind of arrangements?" Jackie asked, unsure as to what they were really offering.

"Well like plane fare to anywhere you say," the younger agent, Thompson, stated.

"I appreciate that, but we were planning on packing everything up before we left. I've long since replaced most of the things I started out with, and what you see are my own personal belongings," Jackie informed them.

"We can help with that, too," Thompson offered. "We can have professional movers come in and pack everything, and then have it delivered."

"So you mean, we could go home right now, and you'd take care of all of this?" Bo asked, liking the idea.

"Yes," the older agent confirmed.

"Jackie, that's great. Let's take them up on that," Bo pleaded, acting like he'd been the one gone from Hazzard for three years.

"Bo, what about the SUV? I don't just want to leave it behind. We're gonna need it," Jackie rationalized.

"We can have someone deliver that, too," Agent Ogden agreed. "You can get a rental car and keep it until yours arrives. If you're going to Hazzard, we'd probably be able to have it to you by late tomorrow."

"Jackie, please," Bo begged, and Bo Jr. joined in, not knowing what he was even begging for.

"Okay. We can wait a couple days for furniture," she giggled.

"Oh hey, honey," Bo called, realizing that there was something important he'd neglected to tell her. When she looked at him, he gave her his best million dollar smile, hoping that it would melt her way the way it always had in the past. "I sort of forgot to mention this, but you know our house? Well, it ain't there anymore."

"What happened to it?" Jackie asked. She was stunned by Bo's confession, assuming that even if he hadn't been living in it, the little cottage had long ago been completed, and was in tact.

"I kind of took my frustrations out on the poor thing," Bo nervously admitted, "with a sledge hammer."

"Okay," Jackie nodded, knowing that the time to discuss wasn't in front of two FBI agents. Besides, she understood, having felt that way a few times herself. "Well then, I guess we'll just have to put this stuff in storage until we figure out what we're doing. Boss Hogg owns a storage facility, doesn't he?" Seeing Bo's nod, Jackie turned back to the men. "Hazzard's not that big. You shouldn't have any problem finding it. I'll take care of it, and have the bill sent to you," Jackie informed them.

"Fine," they agreed. Having heard a little about the blow the former Special Agent had delivered to their colleague, they weren't anxious to upset her, even if a rental unit hadn't been in the original agreement.

Later that evening, the rental car pulled into the Duke farmstead. Having flown to Atlanta, then driven to Hazzard, Bo was expecting to surprise his family; he didn't know he was the one that was going to surprised. The farm was deserted, not a soul in sight. Everything appeared exactly the way it had when they left, and Dixie was no where to be found. Looking in the room that Bo had shared with his cousin his entire life, the blonde panicked when he realized that the things Luke had packed for their trip were still missing. His family had promised him that they would leave for home immediately, and a Duke always kept their word. That had been Saturday morning, and it was now Sunday evening. Even if they'd spent the night along the way, and stopped for breakfast and lunch, they should have been home by then.

"They should be here," Bo repeated as he paced nervously.

"Maybe they didn't leave right away," Jackie offered.

"No, they promised that they would, so I know they left," Bo said, rejecting that theory.

"Would they have called anyone here in Hazzard to let them know anything?" Jackie asked.

"I don't know," Bo mumbled. "We weren't expected back this soon, so it's not like anyone else would be worried yet. I guess I can try Cooter," Bo stated, walking over to the cb.

After a short conversation with the mechanic, Bo's fears were relieved. Dixie had broken down in a small town near the Tennessee border. Since it was Sunday, the local garage was closed, forcing the Dukes to spend the night until the local mechanic could take a look at the vehicle the next morning. Luke was sure that it was just a small fix, but without the part, they weren't going anywhere. Believing that it would be repaired quickly, they were estimating that they'd be home sometime the next afternoon.

Confirming with Cooter the next morning that Dixie had been fixed and was on her way back, Jackie, Bo, and Bo Jr. sat on the porch swing, waiting. Bo had wanted his homecoming to be a surprise, but he never imagined that he would arrive home first. Bo heard Dixie approaching, telling Jackie and Bo Jr. that they'd be there any minute. They knew what to expect, but the Jeep's occupants did not.

"Who's car is that?" Daisy asked, as Luke pulled into the drive.

"No idea," the brunette said slowly, immediately becoming cautious.

Slowing Dixie down to allow more time to figure out who their unannounced guests were, one by one they noticed the figures that had gotten up from the porch swing and were now walking down the steps, heading toward them.

"Is that………..?" Daisy started.

"Bo!" Luke shouted, pushing the gas pedal down then stopping abruptly a few feet later. Leaping from the vehicle first, Luke ran toward his cousin. "Bo!"

Grinning from ear to ear, Bo was trying to act as if nothing out of the ordinary was taking place. "Hey cuz!" he said.

Two arms locked him in a tight embrace, surprising Bo at the sheer force of the hug. A few seconds later, Bo and Luke were also being smothered by Daisy and Jesse, giving the appearance of a swarm.

"Cuz, you're really here?" Luke asked, unable to believe his eyes.

"Really here, Luke," Bo told him.

"Is it safe?" Daisy asked. "I don't understand."

"Yeah, everything's ok," Bo replied. "How bout we go in the house and we'll explain."

Jackie had stayed in the background during the family reunion, unsure as to exactly how welcome she would be after all the turmoil she had caused this family. Luke reached her first, hugging her and welcoming her home, too. She'd never thought such simple words could mean so much.

"Uncle Jesse! Uncle Jesse!" Bo Jr. cried, holding out his arms.

"Well, look who's here," the old man laughed, hugging his future niece-in-law before taking the boy. "Ya know, I think we might have some old toys of your daddy's round here somewhere. What do you say we go look for them later?"

"Now!"

"Well, we could look for them now, but I thought we might get some cookies, first."

"Cookies," the boy clamored, happy to have his mind changed as Jesse carried him toward the house.

"He's wonderful with him," Jackie observed.

"Yeah, it's a side to him that only little kids can bring out," Daisy told her, finally getting her chance to welcome the city girl back.

Inside the house, Bo Jr. was treated to cookies and milk, while the adults enjoyed coffee with their cookies. Angry over what had happened, they were relieved that everything had been straightened out. Not only was Bo back home, but he'd brought along a ready-made family.

News quickly spread through the area, and Boss Hogg wasn't the only one who reacted to Jackie Johnson as if he'd seen a ghost, but his reaction was the one that Jackie most enjoyed. Turning as white as the suit he wore, he almost fainted when he realized that once she became a Duke, she'd become an official arch enemy. To make matters worse, she and Bo had already reproduced, causing him to foresee headaches down the road.

Feeling robbed of so much time that they'd never get back, the young couple were determined to make up for it, and the good folks of Hazzard were willing to lend a hand after hearing their story. Wishing that he hadn't destroyed the home they'd been building, Bo apologized profusely. Jackie understood, but it still left them without a place of their own, and this time, they had Bo Jr. to house, too. The Duke house was a little overcrowded. Thanks to the help of friends and neighbors, the second rendition of the house was being completed much faster than the first.

Looking around the almost completed home, Jackie couldn't believe it. In less than two short weeks, they would be moved in, she and Bo would be married, and she had even found a job as an accountant for a company in Capitol City. It didn't completely erase the loss she felt at the wasted three years, but it was getting easier to concentrate on the future.