Chapter 12: Making Plans for Christmas

"Come on, Kira. Ya gotta come back down next weekend. We'll all be startin' in on the holiday preparations. You don't want to miss that, do you?" Daisy had picked up the argument where the fellas left off.

"Sorry, Daisy. I promised Sam that we'd go out next weekend. I don't intend to break my promise." Then Kira added with an evil grin, "Course, I told the fellas that they're more than welcome to tag along. Though I just can't picture these two going to the ballet."

Daisy choked on her breakfast as she got the image of any of her cousins duded up to attend the ballet, then being bored stiff for hours as they were trapped there. "So, this Sam fella must be special. Why don't 'cha bring em along."

This time it was Bo's turn to choke, which earned him some odd glances. "Daisy, Sam is the judge's fourteen-year-old daughter that she told ya'll about her first night here." Bo croaked out before taking a sip from his milk to help the eggs down that had gotten caught in his throat.

"Oh."

"Plus, I told her that I'd take her skating if she aced her next Science test. So, I may or may not be doing that, too, next weekend. Look, I promise that I'll be back on the fourteenth. According to my date book, I don't have any cases scheduled for the next day. After work on that Thursday, I can drive in and not have to leave 'til Sunday. Then I'll be back for Christmas, too."

"One thing to be grateful for," Bo said after setting his milk down. "We get to save on long distance charges. No need for the phone."

"Just don't call while I'm in court. That could cause problems."

Looking up, she saw Judd was looking at her and Bo confused, as was Jebb. Oops. Looking over at Jesse, she wondered how they were going to explain this to them. It had been decided not to tell the whole family about her and Bo's link. Coy and Vance knew since they both were in Hazzard when Kira arrived. The older family members may suspect, but they didn't know for sure. But here she and Bo (Bo first, she thought to herself) just spilled the beans over breakfast.

'Now how are we going to explain this?'

Bo realized what he'd let slip and glanced Jesse's way as well. "It's alright you two. We might as well fill these two in. Judd should know anyway since his daddy was involved, too."

Jesse poured himself another cup of coffee as he filled his two nephews in on the fact that Kira and Bo shared the same unusual ability that their father shared with Luke's and Judd's father. Of course, those two didn't quite believe it. Before the family loaded up to head on ito church, the two split the twins up to test what they had been told. Judd took Bo out and tested them by having him pass a message on to Kira then had her tell Jebb. When Jebb and Judd compared notes, they just stared at the twins as they tried to process just what this could mean. By the time they all loaded up in the vehicles to head to town, Jebb and Judd's heads were spinning from the effort of trying to grasp this new family secret.

Kira had just gotten on the road back to Atlanta. She hated having to leave before her two cousins, but she still had work that needed to be done before she headed to court the next morning. So as soon as she had finished lunch, she said her goodbyes to her brother, cousins, and Uncle. That alone took at least twenty minutes. Strange how it had never taken her that long to leave anywhere before. Kira guessed it was because she never really had left anything or anyone behind that she hadn't wanted to. True, she'll be back, and soon. Judd would be back for Christmas, too. This holiday season promised to be like one she'd never experienced. She also saw a very interesting life ahead of her as a Duke. So sure that adventure would be waiting for her every time she made her way back to Hazzard.

As she neared the county line, Kira turned on her radio and as expected, the station had begun to play all Christmas music. White Christmas was winding down and went straight into the next song. A song that until now she had never really cared for. Listening to the song, she heard it in a whole new light. On an impulse, Kira grabbed the portable CB that Jesse had insisted that she put in her truck since she hadn't had one installed. Pressing the mic, the whole county was treated to her unusual goodbye via the radio as the song played over the airways.

Two Weeks Later

Kira was just packing up for the day when she looked up to a surprise visitor.

"Jebb? What are you doin' in Atlanta?"

Kira asked her blond cousin. Funny how this time last year they didn't know that they were related. Now, the family resemblance was a bit obvious. Okay, not in looks. Kira had red hair, was just less than five foot and ten inches and wasn't exactly pencil thin like Daisy. She really didn't look like any of the Dukes, but she definitely seemed to have the Duke attitude and spirit.

"I had to come in for my once a year sit down with the parole board. Figured since I was in town, I'd come over. Check up on ya."

"You mean you're lookin' for a reason not to go home to Placid County just yet and figured I'd be a good excuse." Kira grinned at Jebb as she spoke. Now that she'd met Pauline, she fully understood why he always dawdled after races so he wouldn't have to go home. He loved his mother, but she was a bit over-bearing. "Hate to tell ya this, but I ain't gonna be much help. I'm supposed to head to Hazzard as soon as I get finished here. Or did you forget?"

"Dang. You know she did it. Mom actually invited that girl over. Now both of them think that we hit it off great. I wouldn't be surprised to go home to find that they're looking over china patterns." Jebb ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"And being the good son, you couldn't just say no to it all, huh? If you're not careful, you're gonna find yourself married to a girl your momma picked out for ya."

After looking at her old friend, she had to have sympathy for him. She reached into her desk drawer, and she grabbed the spare set of keys she kept there and tossed them to Jebb. "But if you just need a place to hide out, you can crash at my place. I won't be back 'til Sunday."

Jebb caught the keys and pocketed them. "Thanks. If I didn't know that everyone wants to spend some time alone with ya in Hazzard, I'd be goin' down there, too."

Kira smirked as she looked at Jebb. She'd seen him get into fights (and win most) with men three times his size, but he just couldn't stand up to his mother. Of course, from what Kira saw over Thanksgiving, few people stood up to Pauline. Though her brother and cousins seemed to enjoy watching her give Pauline a mouthful a couple of times over the holiday.

"You know that you could still go. No one would mind." Jebb just shook his head at her. Thanksgiving hadn't really given his cousins and uncle a chance to really talk to and get to know one another. They all needed this weekend without outside interruptions. "Well if you're sure. I've got to get out of here and get to the bank before I head out." Kira grabbed her messenger bag up and headed out the door.

Jebb tossed an arm around her before saying, "I'll walk ya out. It'll give Tanya something to talk about."

Kira eyed him as she knew that Tanya, the legal aid that made a play at every man who walked in the doors, had been upset that thus far Jebb had always turned her down. Jebb preferred to be the Chaser; not the Chasee. Kira hadn't yet told anyone that she and Jebb now knew that they were related. Watching the two of them walking out together would definitely rub Tanya raw. Laughing, Kira and Jebb left the office.

Kira crossed the county line into Hazzard and tried once again to call to Bo. The last she heard from him that morning before court, he was sick. Doc Appleby had said it was the flu. She told him that at least if he was going to get sick over the holidays, it was better to get sick now rather than later. He should be better before Christmas, even if he does have to lay out some of the pre-Christmas activities. He hadn't liked the idea of being sick at all. Something told her that he wasn't a very good patient either.

Kira promised that she'd be in tonight and she hadn't heard from him since. The flu must really be taking it out of him if he didn't want to talk. She knew it was late, but she reached for the portable CB that Jesse had insisted that she keep in the truck. He had wanted to know the moment she hit the county line. She supposed that the insistence was from years of watching over the others all these years.

"Phoenix to Shepherd, ya got your ears on?" Kira waited through the silence for a few moments before trying again. "Phoenix to Lost Sheep, ya out there? What about you Bo Peep?"

Again, silence. Well, it was late, but surely someone would have waited up for her. Kira continued her drive to the farm to find it dark. No lights on at all. Well, she thought to herself. This was a farm, and everyone had to get up early. Pulling her truck up beside the General Lee, Bo and Luke's orange stock car, Kira went on in and headed to the guest room that Daisy had promised to have ready for her. Leaving her bag for the weekend by the door to the bedroom, Kira fell into bed figuring that she would just talk to everyone in the morning.

Kira woke up early for her, but still late by farm standards. She headed out to the kitchen expecting to find at least three of the four Dukes at the breakfast table. Instead, the house was as silent as a tomb. Confused, Kira hollered out for them, only to receive no reply. Heading out to the barn, figuring that the morning chores must have taken longer with Bo being sick, Kira went out to look for Luke. Inside, the animals seemed to act in distress as if no one had been in to tend to them yet.

Alarm bells ringing in her head, Kira raced back inside and began to search the bedrooms as she went. Daisy's was empty with the bed neatly made. The fellas' room, too, was empty. Bo's bed was still in disarray, to be expected of someone who wasn't supposed to be out of bed, while Luke's was made with military crispness that had been drilled into him during years of service in the Marines. Jesse's room, too, was neat and orderly with no sign of the eldest Duke.

Checking back outside, Kira saw all three vehicles parked in their customary spots in the yard. By now, Kira was past being worried. Knowing that Bo was sick, Kira called the only hospital in the area. Doubting that she'd find her family there since Jesse's truck, Dixie, and the General Lee were here. As she suspected, there was no sign of them at the hospital. After a moment, Kira called her apartment in Atlanta, hoping that Jebb was still there. After a couple of rings, her machine kicked in.

"Jebb, if you're there, call the farm. Now!" Kira hung up quickly and waited for the phone to ring. Fortunately, she only had to wait a few moments.

On the first ring, Kira picked up, "Duke farm. Kira speaking. This had better be Jebb."

"It is. What in tarnation is wrong?" Jebb heard something in Kira's voice that he hadn't ever heard before. Panic and a touch of fear.

"Please tell me that there would be a logical explanation for all the vehicles to be here at the farm but not a soul with them. From the looks of things, it doesn't look like anyone has been here since sometime yesterday."

"Are you sure? Uncle Jesse and them would never go off and leave the farm unattended."

"I'm sure." Before going on, she remembered what she had been told about how the operator loved listening in on calls. "I tried calling them all on the CB and everything only to get no reply."

Kira hoped that Jebb would understand the everything part. That was the part that really worried her. That Bo still hadn't responded to her. If he had, she'd know where everyone was. On the other end of the line, Jebb let out a breath as he tried to think of a good reason for the farm to have been left abandoned.

Cursing under his breath, Jebb suddenly replied. "Surely Boss wouldn't have anything to do with this. I know he's always coming up with new schemes to try to jilt Jesse out of the farm, but..." Kira saw red as she thought of the possibility of Hogg having done something to her only recently found family. "Listen, I'm coming down to help ya look for them. Hopefully, this is just one of Boss's bad plans to keep the mortgage from being paid today."

"Alright. I hope you're right. I think I'll go pay a visit to Hogg. See if he's hiding anything. Hurry, okay." Kira hung up the phone. It was still too early to head into town, so she went out to the barn instead. She had watched Bo and Luke handle some of the evening chores when she had been here last. They had even had fun showing her (a city girl) how to milk the goats. She knew that the animals couldn't wait for her to find the others. So out she went. Not all the chores might get done, and some might get done wrong, but that had to be better than none getting done at all.

A couple of hours later, Kira pulled up at the bank as she saw Hogg leave and head over to the courthouse. She fully intended to speak with him, but she had one thing to do first. After climbing out of her pickup, Kira walked on into the bank. Now thankful to her decision to bring extra cash to open an account here in Hazzard just in case she needed it. Well, now she'll need it. Once inside, a mild-mannered small man with glasses greeted her from the teller's desk. She informed him that she was there to open an account since she planned to spend a lot of time in Hazzard with her family. After showing two forms of I.D. (her license and her Bar Association card) her new account was all set up. Kira deposited half of the money she'd brought with her. Once finished, the man asked her if there was anything else she needed.

"Actually, there is. You see, my brother is sick with the flu, so I figured it be best if I came in with the mortgage payment before I saw him. You know, just in case he's still contagious. I'm sure no one would want to catch the flu so close to Christmas just because you accepted the payment. So, while I'm here, I'll pay the mortgage for the Duke farm as well."

With that, Emery Potter snapped his head up. He had heard the rumors that Bo had a sister and had even heard that she was a lawyer. And here she was. So taken by surprise at meeting Bo's twin, he forgot all about Boss's orders to be called if any of the Dukes came in before the mortgage payment was made. Settling business, Kira accepted the receipt and headed out.

With the mortgage payment made, Kira walked into the courthouse in search of Boss. A Deputy was sitting at his desk working on some sort of paperwork when she walked in. Asking to see Boss, the Deputy pointed her towards a door without a second thought. Obviously, he was used to strangers coming in off the street in search of Hogg. Walking into the office, Kira silently locked the door behind her before letting her presence known. Stepping up to the desk, Kira leaned down knowing that J.D. had yet to realize that he was no longer alone in the room.

"Hello, Hogg."

Boss jumped at the words as he looked up. "How'd you get in here?"

Smirking, "It is a public building. I walked in. I want to talk to you. Seems that when I got into town, I was met by an abandoned farm."

"Now if you have problems with those no account Dukes, I ain't got nothin' to do with it. I-"

"Careful, Hogg. I found the farm abandoned on the very day that you would benefit from it. Seems you gain control of the farm if they're not able to make a certain mortgage payment by three o'clock today."

"That don't mean I had anything to do with them Dukes not being home."

Kira watched his eyes. He wasn't surprised to learn that the Dukes wouldn't be coming to town today, but there was a guarded look in them.

"Well, I just came in to assure you that despite the others not being around, you'll still get your money. The mortgage is already safe and sound in your bank." Hogg's eyes went wide upon hearing this. Instead of the anger she had expected to see in his eyes at his plans being foiled, she saw fear and panic. "Now, I will ask you this only once. Do you know where my family is?"

J.D.'s eyes darted back and forth as if looking for a way out. Sweat had begun to bead on his bald head as he stammered. "I don't. I swear. I don't know where they are."

Kira leaned in close enough to smell the remnants of Hogg's breakfast; making Kira glad she had skipped hers. Certain that if she hadn't it would have been making a return visit just now. "You better pray I find them then. Cause if I don't before I can file a missing person's report, I'll be calling the state police after the forty-eight hours are up. Not the two-bit force that you've bought to run Hazzard."

With that she walked over to the door, putting her sunglasses on, and stormed out of the courthouse. Kira headed back to the farm, not really knowing where to start looking alone, to wait for Jebb. Since she had skipped breakfast, Kira went ahead and made some lunch for her and Jebb. Forcing herself to eat, she waited restlessly while she continued to try to get Bo to respond to her with no luck.

"What about that story Jesse told us over lunch before you headed back to Atlanta after Thanksgiving? Think you could give that a shot to see if you could do the same thing?" Jebb said while he pondered the fact that despite the fact that this old warehouse was the sixth place that they had checked so far, they had yet to find any clues as to where the missing Dukes were.

Kira thought about his suggestion. Jesse had explained that once, her father had run off the road in a snowstorm on a 'shine run. The snow had been coming down so hard that the few cars that had driven by had never seen the car in the ditch. When he hadn't come back from the run, her uncle had gone in search of his bother. Somehow, he had been able to go straight to the scene of the accident and brought an unconscious Duke home. When asked how he knew where to go, he just said he just knew. Not much help there for her now.

"I wouldn't know where to start. I used to be able to see what Bo was seeing and hear what he was hearing on occasion, but it was like we each had a connecting door between us. It only worked when we both opened our doors at the same time. I can't reach Bo at all. If I could, I'd at least be able to see his surroundings. But right now, I got nothing."

Jebb shook his head, since he was just as lost as to where to look next as his cousin. It still was so strange to think that she and Bo were connected on the psychic level. He had always considered that sort of thing a bunch of hogwash. Apparently not. He and Judd had even tested the twins when they learned of their link. Various possibilities ran through his head of what HE would do if he could. The possibilities were endless.

"Well, I hate to tell ya this, but we're gonna have to call it a night. We ain't had daylight in hours and we still have to take care of the animals."

Kira hung her head knowing that Jebb was right. Knowing it, though, didn't make it any easier to accept. The others have already been missing for one night, starting on their second. Plus, she knew Bo was sick. So even if Luke was working on a hair-brained scheme as Daisy had put it, Bo wouldn't be able to help him with it. It was up to Jebb and her to find them. And fast.