A/N: A Lantern pinion and a crown gear are a system of cogs run by waterwheels in mills that process grain. Most are run by turbines in this day and age although there are still several waterwheels still in use. Also, there is some minor language in this chapter; it's in Gaelic (Drake insisted). Thanks to all who read and/or review! We are picking things up! ENJOY!

***Mild Language***

Chapter 14 – The Bachelor Auction

Luck is what you have left
over after you give 100 percent.

~Langston Coleman

It was early Saturday morning when Dan raced across the north end of Swallows Meadow. Peanut tore across the ground with Dan's hands buried deep in his mane. Dirt flew in their wake as they sought the cover of the trees.

The heartbroken medic was on his way to the Circle M house when the plane made a low pass over the meadow. Caught out in the open of the large grassy pasture, he had dropped to the ground and hunkered down among the horses. When they bolted from panic he had no choice but to re-mount and make a run for it. He wasn't sure if he had been spotted. A saddled horse in a group might not be seen from that height, but if he didn't reach cover before the plane made another pass, he would stand out like a sore thumb! He pushed the horse as fast as he possibly could. If he were discovered on Enos's property before he got to the house...he would lose what little hope he had left.

The more he thought about it the more he began to worry that Enos had discovered his car and the plane was searching for him. He heard the engine in the distance, the single prop cutting through the peaceful silence of the morning with the grace of a chainsaw. Within moments it would appear over the trees. If he ever wanted to see Cowgirl again he had to get into the woods before the plane circled around. She would come to him, if he didn't get pulled off the property first!

He urged the horse on and Peanut put on a burst of speed. At the very last second he darted between the trees. He spun Peanut around and pulled out his binoculars to try and get a quick look at who was inside, but the trees that protected him also shielded his view of the sky. No matter, he was already convinced Enos was behind it. He would do anything to keep him away from Cowgirl.

The lonely days and nights, the occasional glimpses of her in the distance and the dreams were driving him closer to the edge of sanity. He came here to tell her he loved her but he was growing impatient. Each time he saw Enos, his blood boiled. When Enos touched her, Dan's world stopped spinning and he was back in a coma, helpless to change the circumstances. This morning was the worst. She was pale and he saw the tears. Enos must have done something and she needed him to take her away from this place. Cowgirl was ready. Dan was more than ready. It was time.

He waited an hour and the plane eventually flew away. He knew everyone was out at the fundraiser. The flyers had been all over town when he arrived. So Dan raced to the house to finish what he started.

"Hang on, Cowgirl. Ya' ain't gotta pretend much longer."

The students of Hazzard High had finished their performance of the play. Everyone mingled as the children were taken inside for lunch during the Bachelors Auction. Daisy met Katie and gathered with the large group of single women near the stage. While the band played Daisy watched Lulu pass a hat to the bachelors who stood beneath a tree near the sidewalk. Hopefully, Uncle Jesse, Bo, Luke and the MacFarlands would be early in line.

Taking a quick look around, she saw the remaining spectators had moved to the shade to gain some relief from the warm day. But a few familiar faces were noticeably absent. Boss wasn't here to call the auction and Rosco hadn't shown up to participate. Lulu was putting on a brave face, but Daisy could see she was rather distraught.

Enos and Jenny were also nowhere to be found. Perhaps they went inside to be with the children. When Lulu announced their order Katie stood beside her and groaned. "Last? Jaxon is dead last?"

"Katie, nothin' goes th' way ya' expect it to in Hazzard County." Daisy laughed as they moved closer.

Time crept by as they watched the other bachelors do their part for the Orphanage. The women were enjoying some good-natured sparring as they fought bidding wars for their afternoon dates.

Ms. Tizdale broke into her piggy bank to afford her winning bid of $175 for Uncle Jesse. Cooter went for $250 to a strawberry blond from Sweetwater. Cletus brought in $150 and joined the ranks with Gus and Enos's wranglers to bring in about the same. Everyone laughed when a very bruised Darcy received only one bid from Lori Jean…for $50.

Amanda battled against several other girls, including six sealed bids that had been submitted for Bo. In the end for her $300 she walked hand in hand off the stage with her handsome bachelor.

Luke was up next and Daisy was dying to see who bid on him and how much.

"Lulu sure had a good idea, Katie. The orphanage is making a ton of money today!"

"We should be able to win with our bid if the amounts stay about the same." Katie searched for Jaxon near the tree. "They all seem higher than Jaxon was expecting. Except for Darcy's anyway."

"After last night, he had that coming. I think $300 for Bo is a lot for th' people in Hazzard." Daisy looked over at Cynthia. "I still can't believe she's going to bid! Do you think she will bid on Drake or Luke?"

"Cynthia? My guess is on Luke. She's been all over him today. I also overheard Jenny talking to her earlier and she was real angry. She said something about Cynthia watching her mouth around Drake."

"LADIES! Our package deal is coming up soon!" Lulu's voice boomed cheerfully over the speakers. "Our next bachelor is Luke Duke! Y'all get ready now! Luke? Ya' just bring yourself on up here!"

"Yes ma'am." Luke strolled across the stage with a smile.

"Here we go, Katie! Maybe Mary Anne will try to win the bid to spite Cynthia. This could get mighty interesting."

Katie had caught a look at Jaxon. "I expected Drake to be a little nervous, but Jaxon is usually real cool under pressure! They are both looking a bit on edge."

As the bidding began, Daisy stood on her toes to try and catch a glimpse of Drake. When she found him across the crowd, she saw that he was stiff and uncomfortable. Her guardian angel still seemed distracted, just like he had been during the play. But now he was glancing towards something across the street. Daisy couldn't see what it was, but when he turned around he carried a scowl. She managed to catch his eyes and waved, he responded with a nervous half-smile. What's up with him?

"Okay girls, th' last bid is $75 to Mary Anne! Ladies! Th' kids need that new playground! Do I have another?" Lulu received responses from several different girls.

"$100 for Luke!"

"$110!"

"Y'all are bein' cheap! $125!"

"$150!" Mary Anne's voice was clear and concise. "He's havin' lunch with me t'day ladies!"

Laughter broke out in the crowd as well as some imperceptible comments.

"I just can't believe it!" Daisy was bowled over. "I thought Cynthia was going to bid but she ain't said a word! If she goes after Drake…"

"Just look at your cousin's face. He looks miserable!"

Daisy looked at the stage and a pained expression was evident. Luke tried to maintain a good-natured smile regardless of the last bid going to his ex-girlfriend.

"I still think he's better off with Mary Anne," Daisy took another look over her shoulder. "He's falling for Cynthia and she's nothin' but trouble! I guess he must see somethin' in her that I can't, but I'm worried about him getting hurt. I know she's gonna bid on Drake! She ain't said nothin'!"

Just as the words left her mouth, Cynthia stepped up on a hay bale and announced her bid. "$350!"

The crowd gasped, Daisy's mouth gaped and Luke's eyes twinkled as he smiled. The amount was the highest bid of the day.

Then Mary Anne stood on a bale and bellowed, "$360!"

"$370!" Cynthia countered

Mary Anne hissed. "$380!"

Then Cynthia looked up at Luke…and smiled.

"Going once! Going twice…SOLD!"

Luke tried not to frown although he did groan under his breath at his misfortune.

"Mary Anne I have some sealed bids, so ya' hold on just a second! Would everyone please give all of our donors another thank you for th' kids!?" There was a round of applause as Lulu was handed a clipboard. "Thank y'all so much! Let's see what we have here! Well, Mary Anne, I'm sorry but we got us a new winner! Cynthia Alcott come and get your bachelor for $400.00!"

The audience gasped over the amount and then began to applaud. Cynthia ran up to retrieve a very relieved Luke, thankful that Lulu allowed her to switch her bachelor before the auction began. Before leaving the stage, she threw her arms around him. Luke responded first with a kiss, then he dipped her dramatically without breaking the kiss as she giggled in delight. The crowd was thoroughly entertained and his smooth move incited booming applause. The cheers and whistles that followed drown out audible conversation.

"LUKE!?" Daisy was shaking Katie back and forth. "Oh my stars what is he DOING? DO YA' SEE THAT!?"

"Yeah, that's a little hard to miss!"

Daisy immediately sought out Drake to see his reaction to such an impassioned display. Much to her satisfaction, Drake was looking directly at her and ignoring the show. He had apparently learned his lesson, raising an eyebrow at Daisy. If it affected him at all, it wasn't visible from where she stood. Daisy smiled proudly before Katie caught her attention.

"DAISY! $400!?" Katie shouted the amount then lowered her voice. "Jaxon only gave us $750 between us. What if we don't have enough?"

"I have my rainy day money, but it's only $75 and some change. I don't know what we can do." Daisy shifted anxiously as reality started to sink in. "Ya' know th' guys going up together was really popular and th' fact that they have a lot of money is gonna make these girls pounce! At least Cynthia is out, but Margaret's sealed bid worries me!"

"Oh, I could strangle Jaxon for doing this!" Katie caught Jaxon's attention and crinkled her nose at him.

Jaxon looked at Katie dumbfounded before turning to Drake for advice. "What do you think Katie's upset about now? I can't figure her out! One minute she's happy, the next she's mad at me for something!"

Drake stood against the tree with one ankle crossed over the other. "I told ya, Numpty. Ya know squat about women!"

"HEY! YOU are the one who tore up my suspension over his woman last night!"

"Ya not be so emotional, Jaxon! We have a bigger problem."

"I'm NOT emotional. Jenny's the one that's been emotional. I've kept an eye on our problem." Jaxon glanced behind him casually to see if the man had moved. "He's still across the street but he's moved three houses down. That's Donnie. He's one of Travis's goons. He's a rookie agent. If Travis was going to put us under surveillance, he should at least be half-way smart about it."

"This not be the time for me to have a busted shoulder." Drake adjusted his sling as he grumbled. "I think the arse wants us to know he's a watchin'! It be his way of upsettin' Jenny."

"I saw him watching Cynthia, too." Jaxon said with worry. "I wish she would come stay at the ranch where we can keep an eye on her. I'm going to try and convince her again. Speaking of Jenny, where is Enos? We need to let him know about this guy. He's the deputy, let's have him do the confrontation."

"Jenny and Enos will be here anytime. Ya need to get to Cynthia after the auction, find out if Travis poses a threat to her. I can't or Daisy will be hangin' my noggin on the wall over it."

"I'll take care of it," Jaxon sighed in frustration. "I have a better idea for our friend over there. I need you to walk Jenny and the girls to the square. I'll stay behind with Enos and pull this guy in an alley away from the kids. Maybe we can get him to tell us what Travis is doing. I need to know more before I meet with father later this afternoon."

Drake glared at the man across the street. "Ya be careful, Numpty. He's a big one."

"I'll be fine. That isn't muscle it's too many donuts. I'm more concerned about Katie. Why is she frowning at me?" Jaxon gave Katie his best smile and tilted his head to the side. Her face lit up. "There, that's more like it!"

"Can I have everyone's attention?" Lulu's voice was shaky. "We are short one bachelor. If anyone sees Sheriff Rosco, ya' drag him up here to th' stage!" Lulu turned away from the crowd to speak to one of the volunteers for a moment. When she spoke again, she was back to normal. "Alright ladies it's finally time for that package deal! I need Jaxon and Drake MacFarland up here! Come on, boys! Let's get th' fun started!"

The crowd applauded and the girls began to hoot and hollar with excitement.

"Numpty, maybe I'll just stay-"

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Jaxon shoved Drake up the steps. "Shut up and smile."

Drake stopped halfway up and growled, "NOT. SMILING."

"Then keep looking at Daisy! At least you'll look like a normal human being!"

Jaxon ignored the curses that came his way. He turned Drake around and gave him another push. They walked across the stage as Drake muttered and grumbled.

The crowd of girls that rushed forward pointing and whistling only added to their discomfort. By now, Jaxon was feeling just as awkward as Drake. When the Duke boys got on the stage he didn't think it could get any worse! The comments some of the girls were making began to make his skin crawl and he suddenly felt self-conscious. Taking his own advice he found Katie's eyes and thankfully she was waiting with a reassuring smile.

"Never again. Where is Jenny?" Jaxon feigned a smile. "Luke's bid was $400."

"She's with Enos. They not be back yet?"

"No! They not be back yet!" Jaxon mimicked. "Just one more reason for Katie's special dessert! She's whipped it up just for him."

"Ha!" Drake snorted. "Ya make sure he eats enough of it, but not til ya meet father and deal with Travis's man."

Back in the audience, Katie and Daisy were beginning to worry. Katie had come up with a plan to increase their bid, but had a slight problem. "Daisy? Where are Enos and Jenny?" Katie turned around in a circle. "I haven't seen them since the play! Jenny can't slip us any cash if she's NOT HERE!"

"I ain't seen them since they were on th' playground! It's too late! Lulu is starting! I'll hold off so we don't push up th' amount!"

"Okay ladies! If everyone is ready I'll begin! Remember, two girls can pool funds and highest bid wins! Y'all have read the bios on our newest residents and let's start things off right! Ya' got a couple of real handsome men up here! Let's make them feel welcome! Can I have an openin' bid?"

"$200!"

"$250!"

"$300!"

"$400!"

"Ya' cheap hussies!" Margaret stepped up on a bale. "$550!"

The crowd gasped again and several of the girls moaned and dropped back. Cindy Lou stood suspiciously close to Margaret. There were two Barracudas going after the brothers and Daisy winced.

"Daisy!" Katie dug her fingernails in Daisy's arm. "DO something!"

"But Margaret might bid higher! I don't want to make things worse!"

"Going once! Going twice!"

"Things just GOT worse! MAKE A BID!" Katie was in a tizzy.

"Them girls ain't gettin' my man!" Daisy jumped on a bale, "$600!"

"$650!" Margaret countered.

"$660!" Daisy tried to look calm and confident.

Margaret stuck her chin in the air, "$700."

"$710!" Daisy was desperately hoping to slow it down but it wasn't working. She ventured a quick look at Drake. He was white as a sheet while Jaxon stood with his mouth hanging open. They both searched the crowd, obviously looking for their sister.

Unfortunately, Enos and Jenny were enjoying their quiet moment and could care less about the bidding war.

"$725!" said Margaret.

"Katie, what do I do?" Daisy bit her lip. "Should I go for it?"

"Yes! Go for it. No sense in prolonging the agony."

Daisy pulled Katie up on the bale and squeezed her hand as they both crossed their fingers. "$750!"

Drake rubbed his forehead as the pressure continued to rise and Jaxon visibly gulped.

Margaret shimmied her shoulders. "Come to mama, boys! $800!"

Katie almost fell over "Oh NO! I-I can't take it!"

"I hope this works, Katie! $826.13!"

There was an outbreak of laughter.

"Awww…sounds like ya' ran short, Daisy!" Margaret sneered at the girls and said, "$826.14!"

"Katie? Do you have anything else? That was every last penny I had!"

The stunned look and anger that flashed in Katie's eyes when she spun her head towards Jaxon answered her question. Daisy looked at the brothers in dismay. Jaxon shrugged his shoulders helplessly and she could see Drake working his jaw, the vein in his neck pulsed rapidly.

"This…is bad. It's SO BAD!" Katie continued to shoot daggers at Jaxon with her eyes.

"Okay folks, the bid stands at…$826.14!" Lulu giggled in amusement. "So do we have any others?"

Daisy looked everywhere for Jenny and Enos to no avail. She looked back at Drake and pictured him spending the afternoon with Margaret, or worse…CINDY LOU! Her stomach flipped over.

"Oh NO!" Daisy was so angry she felt tears pricking the back of her eyes. "This is it. I'm not sure I can watch!"

"Jaxon should have given us more! Daisy, she's going to win!"

"I know!" she began to turn bright red. "We were outbid by a penny?!"

"Going once! Going twice!"

Katie lost what was left of her composure. "JAXON SINCLAIR MACFARLAND! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!"

Jaxon winced onstage.

"Sinclair?!" Daisy was momentarily distracted.

There was a ripple of laughter in the crowd before Lulu called the bidding to a close.

"SOLD...for $826.14 to Margaret!"

Margaret and Cindy Lou squealed and screamed as they jumped up and down. Drake suddenly shoved his brother and muttered several phrases in Gaelic that Daisy didn't understand.

"I can't believe it." Daisy said. "I just can't believe it."

Up on the stage, Drake turned his back to the audience and grabbed Jaxon by the collar, "Mac an donais! Numpty! Ya Mac na bèiste! Gondah! GONDAH!"

"Stop it, Drake! It's bad enough the whole town knows my middle name! I don't need you to embarrass me on top of it!"

"Pogue mahone!" Drake let go and clenched his fist. "Ya think this be embarassin! Ya WAIT until them girls get ya off the stage! I expect ya will have to fight for your virtue!"

"DRAKE!" Jaxon was mortified. "You wouldn't DARE!"

Drake paced back and forth as his eyes bore a hole through his little brother. Then with a furrowed brow he snarled, "By the end of the day, Numpty! END OF THE DAY!" He continued to rant and rave. Then inches from Jaxon's face he spoke low and with force. "Ya be sayin' your prayers! I'll NOT be stuck with the Barracudas! If so, before the sun be set ya have my word…Hazzard will know ya be replacin' Enos as oldest virgin in the county! MY WORD, NUMPTY!"

"WHAT!? DRAKE! Don't you DARE! I had no idea they would go that high!" Jaxon put his palms on his temples. "This is NOT happening! I'll never hear the end of it from Enos! Drake y-you can't do this to me! Uh-oh…I'm gonna be sick!"

"Daisy! Look at Jaxon!" Katie gasped.

"He looks about as sick as I feel!" Daisy was ready for the ground to swallow her whole. "A penny, Katie! A PENNY!"

"Okay Ladies! Ya' all know the MacFarlands were in high demand! We have 12 sealed bids, let's see if Margaret's bid stands!"

"It's gonna stand all right!" Margaret winked at Jaxon.

Daisy was grasping at hope. "Did Jaxon put in a sealed bid, too?"

"I don't know!" Katie looked at Jaxon and raised her eyebrows expectantly. He shook his head no and her heart sank. "We're doomed."

"That's right, Daisy!" Cindy Lou said smugly. "I made sure I won that cool drink of water!"

There was another wave of laughter from the crowd and Jaxon felt his knees go weak. "I'm being punished for picking on Enos."

"YA THINK!? Numpty, ya tell me ya put in a sealed bid to be safe!"

"I…um…" he gulped. "I didn't think it was necessary! I did the research! I'm sorry! I mean I'm REALLY SORRY! You have NO IDEA how sorry!"

"What be the problem, Numpty!? Ya not normally be reckless!" Drake muttered as he continued his pacing. He caught sight of Cindy Lou out of the corner of his eye as she puffed out her chest. When she blew a kiss his way he rolled his eyes and joined his brother in nausea.

"Margaret and Cindy Lou?" Lulu paused for dramatic affect and Daisy couldn't stand it. She stepped down from the bale and spun on her heals. She was leaving, too angry and upset to watch. She hadn't gone far when she heard Lulu's voice again. "I'm sorry girls, but you've been out bid by a sealed bid."

"WHAT!?" The pitch of Margaret's voice had everyone covering their ears. "But my father put in a sealed bid for $1,000!"

Daisy spun around and raced back to Katie. "If Margaret didn't win," she gasped. "Oh no! Cynthia? No way!"

"She's too busy kissing Luke! I don't know who it was!"

Daisy suddenly gasped, "I know who it was! Lori Jean! That's why she only spent $50 on Darcy! It was a pity bid!"

"Oh! Perfect timing!" Katie said sarcastically. "NOW Jenny and Enos show up." Katie threw her hands up in the air.

Enos walked across the yard carrying Jenny on his back. Jenny hugged him around the neck and kissed his cheek as the two chatted away. They were oblivious to the disaster that had just befallen the girls.

Near the stage it was Margaret's turn to be infuriated. "Lulu! Who won?"

"The winning bid was for $1,500.00!"

There was a loud simultaneous gasp and the crowd went quiet.

"The bid was made by Miss Daisy Duke!" Lulu continued, "Come get your bachelors, Daisy!"

"WHAT!?" Daisy said stunned.

"HUH!?" Jaxon staggered a bit. "Where did…?"

"BLIMEY HELL!" Drake shoved Jaxon again. "Ya be mad for talkin' me into this, Numpty! MAD! DAISY! Ya get up here and kiss me, Girl! NOW!"

At first the crowd whispered in shock and Daisy was frozen in place. Then the laughter and applause began to increase, regardless of the obvious confusion in the air around Daisy and the MacFarland brothers.

"Daisy!" Katie said. "Do like Scarlett O'Hara! Worry about it tomorrow! Get up there and kiss your Rhett!"

She broke into laughter and ran on the stage with Katie. Daisy threw her arms around Drake as he pulled her into a possessive kiss. Katie did the same with Jaxon.

Margaret stormed away in a snit with Cindy Lou as the boisterous audience continued their ruckus.

Lulu stepped forward and with pride in her voice she announce the final totals. With all the sealed bids they had raised almost $5,000.00 for the orphanage.

Enos helped Jenny to his shoulders so she could see what was going on. She waved to her brothers, who each had their respective girlfriends on each arm. As they made their way towards her from the stage, Jenny continued to search the crowd. Someone important was missing.

"Deputy? I don't see Rosco anywhere!"

Enos tried to quash the nervous tension he felt. He hadn't been seen since yesterday and he wouldn't miss the auction unless he was on a call. With most of the town here, that wasn't likely.

"Try and get Lulu's attention, or Cletus's. Maybe they know somethin'."

"Lulu's on the stage," she replied. "Jaxon and Drake are here with the girls though. Hey guys! We missed it, how much did you raise for the kids?"

"SISTER!" Drake was a wreck. "Ya left us out on a limb! We almost got stuck with the Barracudas! They outbid the girls!"

"Really?" Jenny said with surprise. "But, if they outbid the girls, how did you end up with Daisy and Katie?"

Daisy eyed Enos suspiciously. "That's what I wanna know! Lulu has no idea where the sealed bid came from. It was $1,500 in cash! Enos? Did you do this?"

"Possum on a gumbush, Dais! I'm sure glad ya' won and all, but it weren't our money. It ain't…um…proper to use our ranch donation thataway."

OUR ranch? OUR money? Daisy ignored the feeling the comment gave her. "If it ain't you, then who is it? DRAKE!" Daisy spun around and smacked him in the arm. "YOU JERK! I thought we had an understandin'! Why didn't ya' tell me!?"

"GIRL! It NOT be my money! I gave ya' money for the bid! I thought ya said last night ya trusted me!?"

Enos noticed the man on the street and quickly grabbed Jenny to pull her to the ground. "Hold on, Jenny! I gotta get ya' down!"

"I-I see him!" Jenny was already adjusting her balance to move.

Enos bent down and spun her around to the ground. His hands gripped her arms as he looked at her with concern. "Did ya' see him? Are ya' all right?"

"Yes!" Jenny was shaking as she clung to Enos. "Jaxon? There's a man across the street in a suit watching us. He was staring right at me. He looks like GBI or FBI."

"That's our bigger problem," Jaxon said. "His name is Donnie and he's one of Travis's men, he's real rough around the edges. Enos? We have a plan and you need to be the one to talk to him."

The tall Georgia pines surrounded the small hunting cabin nestled on the side of the hill. Rays of sunshine made their way through the canopy of branches to the forest floor. Boss Hogg sat on the step to the cabin; his elbows on his knees, his hands hanging down and his spirits hanging even lower.

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting here, but when he arrived at the cabin he found it empty. The fireplace was cold and the dust on the small table by the kitchenette undisturbed. The bed hadn't been slept in and it was painfully obvious that Rosco wasn't here. No one had been here in quite some time.

He was unable to remain still any longer, consumed with worry and wrought with a feeling of impending disaster. His feet felt like heavy bricks as he walked across the carpeting of pine needles. He had no other choice but to go back to the station and report his brother-in-law missing. Sickened by the thought that Travis or Monroe may be behind it. Monroe didn't leave survivors.

The hardest part would be breaking it to Lulu. He looked at the time and realized he had missed the auction. It didn't matter, she was going to be even more upset by the time he was done explaining. He sighed sadly and drove away from the cabin; well aware that today was a day of reckoning.

On the bottom floor of an old converted gristmill, Rosco sat on a stone floor shivering from the cold. He had drawn up his knees and crossed his arms as tightly as he could. The damp cold air seeped right through his clothes and into his bones. He must be up in the mountains, he could hear the rushing water just outside.

He wasn't sure how he got here or exactly how long he had been here. Who ever had him hadn't said so much as "howdy" to him. He had been seated on the hood of his car, thinking of Polly and looking at the stars, when someone called his name. He answered in the affirmative and then…

Rosco couldn't remember a thing. He never saw a face. He didn't remember being hit, drugged or any of that sort of thing. He woke before dawn with a dull headache. The room had an old shaft in the ceiling and the lantern pinion hung precariously above him. The horizontal shaft was on the floor and the large crown gear hung on the wall unmoving. It didn't look like any of the mills in Hazzard.

He suspected that somehow Monroe had learned of his appointment with Sr. Agent Simmons on Monday. But if Monroe were behind this, he would be dead by now. They must need him for something…like the location of the gun. If that was the case he would have to keep his mouth shut or he would be killed on the spot.

Roscoe had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't that simple. When he woke, the mill works were not the only thing he saw. He initially thought he was dead when he woke to see Polly's eyes looking back at him. For a few minutes she had faded in and out of his vision as he got his wits about him. He told her he missed her, he loved her, he was sorry and all the things he said in his dreams. Then he heard her melodic voice and he reached out to touch her. She had been real. For a glorious, blissfully ignorant moment, Polly was really here with him. But then his vision cleared and he was shocked back to reality.

He looked across the room and saw her sitting in the corner. He was furious at her for not being who he wanted her to be. He had shoved her away in his grief and now she was afraid of him. She sat in her pretty red dress, shivering from the same cold. He really should try and talk to her, but right now it was just too…much. That would make it more real. She wasn't the girl he dreamt of each night.

But she was pretty like Polly. She would occasionally glance at him then look down demurely. Her dress accentuated every curve tastefully and he had to look close to tell she was middle aged. If she would tell him how she got here, maybe he would at least know who had them and why.

Then she looked over at him with those eyes and his heart fell to his stomach. Her tears began again and he looked away. It was time to be a lawman and start working on fixing this mess. They should start talking, but he wished…he just wished.

Just keep it simple.

"Um…I ain't gonna hurt ya'. I'm sorry if I scared ya'. M-my name is Rosco."

"I know."

"Y-you know? Well how'd ya' know that?"

"You're uniform? You're name is on the inside of your jacket."

Of course it was. Momma still labeled everything from his shirts to his shorts. It was annoying as all get out. It wasn't like they would be confused with anyone else's! "Oh…well see, I forgot about Momma's…nevermind. Ya' ain't told me your name."

"You live with your mother?" She smiled. The first smile he had seen from her. It was pretty.

Like Polly's…

Throwing up his armor of cool indifference he answered. "No, I don't live with momma. Are you kiddin'? She lives with me!" A fist with a thumb to his chest drove his point home.

"Oh. Sorry, I thought it was…sweet. She must be a good mother," her smile vanished and she looked away.

He went back to watching her. She lay down on the floor, pressing her cheek against the cold stone as her hair fell in soft puddles around her head. Tears spilled from her eyes and her breath hitched. The cut on her head looked painful. Rosco figured she felt much worse than he did. She looked back at him, frail and shivering, her hands tucked under her chin as her bottom lip quivered. He tried not to focus on her eyes.

He stood and took off his jacket. Taking a seat beside her he covered her with it.

"Thank you, but don't you need it?"

"I reckon ya' need it more than I do. Ain't ya' gonna tell me your name?"

"But, you're the Sheriff…of Hazzard."

"Yes ma'am, but that don't tell me nothin' about you."

"D-did you find my necklace? I dropped it on purpose at the quarry."

"OH! You were th' woman that drove th' Mustang? See the dipstick investigated that case, I don't know if he found th' necklace 'cause…well, I ain't seen Enos since that day. Ya' got any family? Is there anybody lookin' for ya?"

She avoided the question. "Enos? You call him a dipstick?"

"Well I know I probably shouldn't be so hard on him. He's a good kid, just gets on my nerves sometimes is all. Now are ya' gonna tell me your name?"

"I…I don't know."

"Ya' don't remember?"

"Rosco, I don't think I should tell you my name."

"Oh tiddly-tuddly. What's your name?"

"Promise not to ask me a bunch of questions?"

"Lady, I'm only askin' ya' one and I ain't gettin' no where! What makes ya' think I'd ask ya' anymore?"

"Because of my name."

"Ohhhh good grief! All right I promise not t'ask ya' a bunch of questions! Now what's so god-awful about your name? What is it?"

"My name is Bridgette MacFarland. You can call me Gidget."