Chapter 3
The next morning, Grant wasted little time in steadfastly heading out about his mission, only he wasn't alone. "Grant, where are we going?" Lydia threw out, skipping to keep up with her older brother's slightly faster strides. "Seeing the town" Grant replied, not stopping his strides, "Ya said ya wanted to see it with me when I tried to leave home this morning" he continued.
"Yeah I know, and I do" Lydia said with a smile. She loved her older sisters immensely of course, but she'd also noticed that her ten year old brother had a special type of coolness to him that they couldn't match, and Lydia didn't want to ever miss a chance of being allowed to tag along and be included in whatever adventure might find Grant. "But ya still didn't tell me where we were going" Lydia continued.
"That's 'cause I don't know that yet" Grant replied, glancing about him at the buildings they passed as the two made their way down the sidewalk of the center of town. He abruptly paused though, Lydia almost crashing into him. "Hey look!" Grant next pointed, indicating the sign across the street that declared the site of the Hazzard County Police. "That must be where that Sheriff Coltraine is".
"Oh yeah, from yesterday" Lydia recalled, "Ya gonna go talk to him?" she asked, turning up to look at her brother. Grant nodded, "Yup, come on", he grabbed Lydia's hand and prepared to cross over to the side of the street that the Police Depot was on. To his credit, Grant handled it fairly well, looking both ways and making sure the street was clear before crossing; his only minor problem was that he didn't use a designated crosswalk.
From where he was, walking over to his patrol car to go pick up some donuts or something, Enos glanced up and noticed the two kids in the middle of the street. His eyes went wide, "Possum on a gum bush!" he exclaimed, starting forward and quickly grabbing the back of Grant's shirt and Lydia's little sundress. With a movement just as quick he half drug them the rest of the way over to the sidewalk on his side of the street. "Hey, what was that for?!" Grant asked, standing back and straightening his shirt back up, Lydia didn't say anything or look too scared, but she backed up nearer to where Grant was.
"Well, you kids can't be walkin' down the middle of the street like that" Enos said, "ye might get hit, especially if people don't know to look for ya. That's what the crosswalks help with". Grant turned to look behind him at the street and noticed how had they crossed at the corner it would have been better. "Oh, we didn't use the crosswalk" he said, getting it. He turned back to Enos with a smile, "Sorry officer". Lydia eased up now too and gave Enos a smile of her own now that she knew this nice young man had been saving their lives and not grabbing and kidnapping them or anything.
An embarrassed smile came to Enos' face and he waved a hand in Grant's direction slightly, "Naw, I aint no actual officer yet" he said, "I'm just deputy to Sheriff Rosco" he pointed towards the door to the police station. Then, before Grant could even hop aboard this little lead in, Enos beat him to the punch. "Say, since you've both had a bit of a scare there from mainly me", he glanced down, "How about I make up for it takin' ya on into the station there and getting yall some cocoa or something?".
"Wow, you have cocoa?!" Lydia asked, the idea of hot cocoa definitely appealing to her even if it wasn't all that cold out. "Sure do" Enos said, "Come on". With that he steered the two kids in through the doors of the Sheriff's office. Rosco glanced up as he came in, "I thought you went out to grab some..." he began, yet paused as he noticed Enos enter with two small guests. The Birdie family's two youngest if he remembered correctly from yesterday.
"Enos, what on earth are you--" the Sheriff began, rising from his chair. Flash immediately perked up at the entrance of the two kids and padded over to them, nuzzling what she could reach of first Grant and then Lydia.
Enos held up a hand apologetically, "Oh sorry Sheriff, I caught them jaywalking and after I saved 'em I brought them in for cocoa" he explained. After petting Flash in greeting, Lydia walked over to Rosco's desk and pulled up on the brim to peek her head over it, "We like this punishment system" she replied with a giggle, sending the Sheriff a wide grin. Rosco just sighed, rolling his eyes a bit, "Leave it ta my dipstick deputy ta turn this to a kid's playground" he muttered.
Over near Flash, Grant was bend down, scratching the dog behind the ears and smiling. "Is she yours Sheriff Coltraine?" he asked with a smile. Rosco nodded absently, "Yeah, that there's Flash" he replied. Grant grinned down at the dog, "Well howdy there Flash!" he said, "you're just the neatest Basset Hound I've seen in a while". Flash licked the boy's face, apparently liking him immediately after that favorable review.
"I think dogs are just the greatest" Grant went on, "gonna get me one one day". Rosco couldn't help the small smile that came to the corner of his mouth at that, after all what little boy didn't want a dog at one point, he'd certainly been one track minded when it came to wanting a police dog. "Well I'm sure some neighbor around here can help ya out there when a litter comes through" he replied distractedly, as he sat back down and turned his attention to the paperwork he was rifling through.
Enos walked over with a mug of cocoa for each of the kids and handed them to them. They both thanked him. "Yeah" Lydia said, entering the conversation, "if we do get a dog, like the whole family, we'll probably vote and I think poodles look real cute and I think my sisters think the same, so we'll probably get a poodle" she finished with a smile. A groan escaped Grant and he hung his head a bit. Flash licked the boy's face sympathetically.
Rosco just nodded, not paying much attention to the conversation. "So has she caught many criminals?" Grant next asked Rosco. "Huh? Nah, just sits in the car most times" he absently threw out, still looking through the paperwork of some legality of some sort he didn't really care about, although he suddenly felt compelled to stick up for Flash a bit more than that, "although don't you let that fool ya!" he said, pointing a pen Grant's direction as he spoke to emphasize his point, "first time she's needed, that there dog could probably wrassle down anyone she's a mind to!". It was a complete fabrication, but still a part of Rosco believed such. Flash probably had many tricks up her sleeves, of that he was sure.
Grant nodded, "I don't doubt it". Rosco glanced up a bit, remembering Boss Hogg's warning on the boy. "and that includes boys thinkin' a blowin' up mailboxes around town" he added.
Balladeer: Folks I tell ya, once Boss Hogg's put his hound on the scent that noses goes to the ground mighty quick!
Grant's eyes went wide, "Do people around Hazzard County really do that?!" he asked. Rosco glanced up fully now, shocked. He hadn't expected this accusation to be turned around and pinned on the residents of Hazzard County, not that he had much loyalty for them per se, but still this was about the trouble making newcomers. "Well of course not!" the Sheriff exclaimed, "ya know you got a bad habit of jumpin' ta conclusions there boy!" he declared.
Grant looked confused as he stood and walked closer to the desk, "but you just said yourself...". Rosco waved his arms, "I don't care what I just said, I'm tellin' ya now that you need ta lay off the...", just then Rosco's sentence was cut right in the middle as Lydia's cup tipped and she cried out, "Oh no!".
Brown cocoa spilled all over Sheriff Rosco's desk, papers, and a bit down onto his lap. He quickly jumped up and Enos instinctively pulled Grant over closer to him, and Grant instinctively pulled Lydia closer.
"Why you confounded!..." Rosco exclaimed, half of what he was saying muttered, "of all the...". Lydia frowned, "Oh sir, I really am sorry, I-I didn't mean--didn't mean ta--", she began hiccupping like little kids do when they get upset enough to cry, and in fact looked just one the verge of tears. She brought her hands up to rub her eyes. Rosco paused, still shaking his hands, which had also got wet, to remove some of the liquid and regarded this little five year old. Flash sent her master a soft "puppy dog" look as well, seeming to plead for this kid.
Rosco sighed, the child was only five he reminded himself. "Well I guess if it was just an accident" he said. Lydia sniffled, her first set of tears starting down her cheeks. Rosco sighed again, "Now I said it was alright".
Lydia's tears didn't stop. Grant moved and came around to beside Lydia rather than right behind. "Now Lydia, Sheriff Coltraine said it was alright. He just got startled is all, I'm sure" the boy said.
Lydia looked like she was trying to believe this, but she still just felt so bad about it and the yelling of earlier had her still shook up. She moved closer and buried her face into Grant's shirt, still sniffling. Grant sighed and patted her arms, trying to get her to once more stand back and listen. Rosco continued to stand there, suddenly feeling like the lowest bit of pond scum. Enos frowned, looking sympathetically stung by the little girl's tears as if he'd been yelled at himself.
Rosco came around from behind the desk, still looking unsure and bent to the two kid's level. "N-now little girl" he began, "I--", he sighed. This wasn't going well and it was about the most awkward position he'd been in. He bit his lip then glanced at Grant, "Uh, what'ja say her name was?".
"Lydia" Grant supplied. Rosco nodded, "N-now little Miss Lydia, I...it really is ok" he said. Lydia turned slightly to peer at Rosco, "but I got you all messy" she said. Enos stepped forward, wanting to help as well, "Aw, why that aint nothin', plenty a folks have done that, myself included many times" he said. He frowned slightly, glancing at Rosco unsure of if he should have said that, but the Sheriff understood what their common mission here was and didn't react to the comment.
"You did?" Lydia asked in a small voice. Grant smiled, stepping back to look at his sister, "Well sure, Lydia, they're law officers, they aint allowed to lie" he told her. Lydia seemed to think about this, then turned back to look at Sheriff Rosco. The Sheriff quickly nodded, "Well sure. Little bitty bit of cocoa aint nothin'" he reassured. Lydia gave a small smile and for some reason Rosco felt the outlet of a slight sigh of relief at the success.
"Can I hug ya ta say thank you?" Lydia asked. Grant groaned again, "Lydia, ya gotta stop asking random people if you can hug them" he said.
Rosco shook his head, looking uncomfortable. "Nah, that's fine, I know yer thankful" he said, patting the little girl's head slightly as he stood once more. Lydia frowned, disappointed, though didn't push it.
"Come on, I think that's our cue to get on back home" Grant said, starting to lead Lydia out, "Why don't you go sit with Flash over there for a bit, and I'll be right there and we can go" he said, sending her off a bit.
Lydia looked a bit confused but none the less walked over and began to entertain herself by talking a bit to Flash, who seemed to enjoy the attention and turned to lick the girl.
Rosco hadn't been paying much attention and had moved back over to his desk with it's still soaked papers, when he noticed Grant approach. The boy smiled sheepishly, holding up the garbage can he'd picked up next to the desk, "Here I'll help ya get that" he said.
He began to pick up the soaked papers and deposit them into the trash can. "Ya don't have ta do that" Rosco said in a tone meant to shoo the boy away and began to clear the desk himself. "No, I want to help" Grant said, "I brought Lydia with me to come see ya so it's my fault too" he explained. Rosco paused slightly at this new bit of information, "You were coming here anyway, even before Enos caught ya jaywalkin'?" he asked.
Grant nodded. "Well why?" Rosco next asked. The boy glanced down a bit as he answered, "Well, 'cause when ya stopped us yesterday I...well I could just tell that you were cool and, I don't know", the boy shrugged, "I just wanted ta get to know ya I guess".
Rosco just stood there, not sure how to take this, then glancing back to his desk, noticed that during this speech Grant had cleared all the soaked papers off the desk. "Um, if you have a rag I could..." the boy began. This kid certainly didn't strike Rosco as the trouble making type, maybe he'd been put on the wrong trail by Boss Hogg he pondered.
Rosco shook his head, steering Grant back towards the front door a bit, "Nah, that's fine, like I said before, I got it" he replied, yet this time in a normal tone and not one intended to just get the kid out of there as quick as possible. "Go on home and bug your family again" Rosoc continued, and as Lydia glanced up she could tell that the Sheriff was just kidding a bit. She sent him a grin as she and Grant exited the station.
"See ya later Sheriff Coltraine" Grant said in farewell and as the kids walked off, Rosco couldn't help but give a small sigh of exasperation considering what the first visit had been like, "Great, can't wait" he replied to himself. As he turned, he found Enos standing there smiling at him, "I think ya should have hugged the little girl, Sheriff" he said, "let her know it was all ok". Rosco sent him an annoyed look as he walked back to his desk, "Enos get back to work" he ordered.