The Dukes watched as Darla loaded Treasure into his blue trailer. The tall stallion looked at Darla as she fastened his rope; then he looked behind him, looking for Netty to come join him.

"Sorry, boy," said Darla, "But Netty and Frisk are staying here for a while." She shut the trailer gate, and heaved a sigh as she looked at them.

They all smiled back at her. She still looked a little worse for wear; after several days, the bruises on her cheek were fading, and the scar on her forehead was healing, but the skin on the left side of her face was still red and peeling. She'd joked about that, saying no one would doubt she'd gotten sunburned, with her pale skin and red hair.

She smiled sadly at the four of them. "I'll never, ever be able to thank you for all that you've done for me," she said. "I'm truly going to miss all of you."

She came to Luke first. He hugged her and whispered, "We're sure gonna miss you, hon."

Darla sniffed a little as she hugged him back. "You'll keep doing your job?" she asked.

He pulled back and looked at her. "What's that?"

She nodded her head in the others' direction. "Looking after them," she said.

Luke smiled and nodded. "You bet I will," he said and hugged her again.

As she came to Daisy, Darla said, "You know, Daisy, you're about the closest thing to a sister I've ever had."

"Oh, Darla, thank you!" said Daisy. She blinked rapidly as they embraced. "I'm gonna miss you so much," she said. "It's gonna feel strange, bein' the only girl in the house again!"

Daisy laughed a little at that, as she came to Jesse. "Thank you so much, Un—I mean, Jesse," she said.

Jesse smiled back at her. "Uncle Jesse's just fine," he said. He sighed as he hugged her. He knew this wasn't only going to be hard on his youngest nephew; Darla was going to have a hard time saying goodbye, too. "Now, don't you go forgettin' about the two horses ya got here," he said.

"I won't," said Darla. "You're sure you don't mind them staying here?"

"O' course not!" said Jesse. "It's been quite a while since we've had a baby horse here to work with. An' we'll get that little frisky fella well-gentled for ya."

"I think 'Frisk' is going to be a good name for him," said Darla. "And you know I'll pay for anything they need."

"Now, ya don't need ta worry about that," said Jesse.

"Yes, I do; that's the very least I can do," said Darla. "Abuelito really would have liked you, Uncle Jesse. You're a lot like him."

"If he had any of your spirit, I'da been proud to know him," said Jesse.

Then, she came to Bo. He didn't say anything; he gave her a slight smile and extended his hand to her. She took it and started walking for her rig.

They didn't speak; the silence felt heavy between them. Aside from the dread of leaving, both Bo and Darla also felt emotionally drained. The week since the river had been alternately joyous, heart-wrenching, and awkward. Bo had gone with her to Capitol City to identify Bernardo's body, after the State Patrol had found it dumped down a well by the Silver Mine cabin. She was surprised by the grief she felt; she couldn't feel much love for the man, but he was the only connection to immediate family that she had, and the last to carry the name of Verdes. Bo had held her for quite a while at the coroner's building.

They'd all been questioned relentlessly by the State Police and the FBI about Harold King and his men, and the showdown at Green River. Their only saving grace there, was that one of the FBI agents was Agent Waldon, who'd convinced Bo and Luke to help take down J.J. Carver. Waldon hadn't forgotten the Dukes, and was inclined to believe their story. The FBI thanked and rewarded the Dukes—again—for helping to take down another gangster. They gave most of the reward money to the orphanage, but Bo kept some of it back; there was one thing he wanted to do.

They'd worked with Netty's foal together, getting him accustomed to humans and being touched. He warmed to Bo quickly, and Darla let him take the lead in haltering him. Bo towered over him when they walked together, which frightened the little colt a bit, but Bo was patient and spoke softly to him, and Frisk learned to trust him.

Through all of it, Bo saw glimpses of the bright smile, and the laughter in Darla's gold-flecked eyes, that had kept him so enamored with her. Every time he looked at her, he'd felt his heart swell, and then ache, when he remembered their time together was running out. And now it was gone.

"I, uh…I got somethin' for ya," said Bo. "Sorry, I didn't get to wrap it, but…" He handed her something rolled in tissue paper.

"What is it?" Darla asked, and rolled something gold into her hand. Her eyes widened a little. "Bo, it's…it's beautiful," she smiled.

It was a gold charm bracelet, with several gold and silver medallions hanging from it. As she looked at them, she realized she knew every figure on them. "These are saints," she said. She looked up at him. "How did you know which ones to pick?"

"Oh, I had help," said Bo, as he helped her fasten it on her wrist. "You remember meetin' Billy Joe Fong at the Centennial Dance? He and his daughter ain't just the only Orientals in Hazzard; they're also the only Catholics. He told me about a store in Capitol City that did this."

Darla studied the first medallion on the chain. "Saint Mary," she said, nodding. "Saint James—the patron saint of Spain, very good. Saint Patrick of Ireland…Saint Anne, the patron saint of horse riders…" her smile grew wider as she looked at the next one. "Saint Sarah—the patron saint of the gitanos. I'm surprised they had that one." She looked at the last two. "Saint Joseph—the patron saint of families. And—" She swallowed at the last one. "Saint Valentine." She looked up at Bo again. "Thank you," she whispered.

For a moment, they just looked at each other. Bo felt like his heart was being torn apart. He wanted to beg her not to leave, wanted to tell her that he loved her more than anything, that it was killing him to let her go like this, that he was never going to be the same without her.

Darla wanted to tell him that she'd never been in love in her life until now, that she was never going to want anyone else as long as she lived, that she was scared to death to take one step off this farm, away from this place, without him. She'd never wanted to be in charge of Treasure Green; now it felt like a death sentence waiting for her. She wanted to tell him that all she wanted was to stay where her heart was telling her she belonged.

But in the end, all they did was embrace one last time. Bo had to swallow hard; he was not going to show tears to her. He took her face in his hands and touched his forehead to hers. He couldn't kiss her; he knew he'd break down if he did. He stepped back, let out a shaky breath, and let her go.

She climbed miserably up into the rig, started it and pulled out of the yard. Bo felt an awful ache rip through his chest as the blue rig and trailer faded out of sight. She was gone. He knew then, that his heart had left with her.

"Bo, this is your favorite, ain't ya gonna eat a little bit?" Daisy said pleadingly.

Bo just stared at his plate; he knew Daisy was trying everything to get him to eat, but he just didn't have an appetite. "I'm sorry, Daisy," he mumbled. "I'm gonna go see to Frisk," he said, and got up.

"Ain't ya gonna stay and watch the race?" asked Jesse. Darla and Treasure had won their preliminary heat the day before, and were due to run in the Atlanta Stakes. Bo didn't answer; he just shuffled out the kitchen door.

Jesse said, "He's been seein' to that colt every ten minutes for a week now."

"He's been spendin' most of his nights out there, as far as I know," said Luke, looking after him.

"Uncle Jesse, what are we gonna do?" said Daisy.

Jesse shook his head. "There's not much we can do, 'cept be there for Bo when he's ready to talk. We'll get him through this."

"I'm just so worried about him," said Daisy.

Luke was too, although he hadn't said as much. Since Darla left, it had been as though a cloud was hanging over Bo. Almost nothing could make him smile. He barely ate anything; he may have been spending his nights in the barn, but Luke could see the shadows under his eyes. He spent most of his time in the barn, working with Frisk and doing any other chores he could find. Luke knew what he was doing; it was the same thing he'd done when he came home from the war. He was finding ways to stay busy, trying to keep the pain of his loss at bay.

He knew Bo had dealt with more than one broken heart, but this was different. He wasn't acting like Darla had left; it was more like she had died. Bo was functioning, going through the motions, but the look in his eyes…Luke had seen more than one man in Vietnam with that look. It was the look of someone who'd withdrawn into himself, who'd let everything go numb, in order to deal with the pain. It killed him to see that look haunting his cousin's face. It killed him even more to know he could do nothing about it. He remembered the conversation he'd had with his cousin the day before.

"C'mon, Frisk. C'mon, little man, you can do it," Bo said gently. The tiny seal colt looked after his mother, being led out to the pasture by Luke. Then he looked down at the step at the entrance to the stall. That step was his nemesis; he'd tripped over it every time he left the stall. He let out a little whinny, but Netty kept walking.

"You'll have to lift your feet. Everybody does it," said Bo. He knelt in front of the foal and lifted one tiny hoof over the step for him. Frisk spent a second steadying himself; cautiously, he placed his other front hoof alongside the first one. He took a few more halting steps; once he had all four long legs in the aisle, he took off after his mother. Bo and Luke watched the little colt, almost the image of his sire, take in his surroundings. He swept under Netty's belly to nurse, while she lowered her head to graze.

Bo smiled a little as Luke closed the pasture gate. "He's still figurin' out how to make those long legs of his work," said Bo.

"I seem to remember you had the same problem, when you shot up six inches in a year," said Luke, grinning. "Give him a month and this pasture will be too small for him. He'll be ready to race around, just like his Daddy."

Bo's face fell slightly; Luke noticed the shadow that crossed his face. "You know," he said, trying to lighten the mood, "maybe we should go to Atlanta tomorrow for the stakes race. Daisy'd love to dress up for a day at the track, it'd be fun."

Bo didn't answer, but grabbed a pitchfork and headed to Netty's stall.

"Listen, Bo," said Luke, following him, "Maybe…maybe you should go talk to her. I can't believe she's doin' any better than you are. Go after her; maybe she'll change her mind, maybe you can work somethin' out." He knew it sounded weak, but he couldn't stand to see Bo like this.

Bo started working on Netty's stall. "Some things are just better left unsaid, Luke," he mumbled.

"Whaddya mean?" Luke asked.

Bo didn't answer. It suddenly dawned on Luke what his cousin meant. He stared at Bo in disbelief. "You never told her," he said.

"What?"

"That you love her."

Bo leaned on the pitchfork for a minute and closed his eyes. "I couldn't do it," he whispered. "I just…" he shook his head.

"Bo…I don't understand," said Luke. "I know you; I know you've never felt this way about someone before. Why wouldn't you tell her how you feel? Why are you letting her go?"

Bo leaned back against the wall and sighed. He stared at the ceiling as he said, "She has to go back to Kentucky, Luke. You know that. Even without Harold King and Bernardo on her tail, she's not free. She's still got a farm to run." He looked over at his cousin. "You heard what she asked me that day; what would I give up, what would I sacrifice, for the name of Duke? I know what she means. If it was me that had her choice…I'd be doin' what she's doin'. Runnin' Treasure Green ain't the life she wants, but it's what she has to do now. I can't ask her to turn her back on that. I wouldn't."

"Then go with her," Luke said softly. "You belong with her, Bo; go with her if that's what it takes."

"I couldn't do that, either," said Bo. He'd turned that scenario over in his head about a hundred times since Darla left, and kept coming up with the same conclusion. "We gave Uncle Jesse our word when we came home from the NASCAR circuit that we wouldn't leave again. I couldn't, anyway. I loved it out there, but I missed Hazzard just as much, if not more. An' I wouldn't be drivin' if I went with her. Eventually…I think I'd leave. What would that do to her? What would it do to me?"

"But Bo—"

"Just drop it, Luke, okay?" said Bo. It sounded like he meant to snap the words at him, but they just came out sounding tired. "She can't stay, and I can't go. That's just the way it is." He started stabbing at the straw again.

Luke watched him for a minute. "All right," he finally said softly. "But just because you didn't say it, doesn't mean it ain't true."

Luke was snapped out of his reverie by the sudden increase in volume of the TV. "Luke! Luke, come in here, quick!" Daisy shouted.

Luke headed for the living room. "…the biggest story of the day, and maybe of the racing year—the finding of a lost Treasure," the reporter was saying. The TV showed Treasure, jogging on the track. Darla, with her long red braid, was instantly recognizable on his back.

"It's a tale of heartbreak and triumph. Sunken Treasure, the last remaining heir of the Verdes bloodline, winner of the Sanford and Hopeful Stakes, was considered one of the best colts to hit the track in years." The TV showed video of Treasure flying past his competitors under the finish wire. "He started his three-year-old season with equal flair; after winning both the Wood Memorial and the Blue Grass Stakes, many wondered if he had what it took to become the first Triple Crown winner with Spanish heritage.

"Then, just before the Kentucky Derby, a terrible tragedy." The TV flashed video of the smoking ruins of a barn, surrounded by emergency vehicles. "A fire destroyed a main barn on Treasure Green Farm. Many lives were lost, both of horses, and of family." Pictures of two dark-haired men, one older, one younger, and a flame-haired women flashed on the screen. "Zacarias Verdes, his wife Catherine, and their son, Jonas, all perished in the flames. The family's only survivor—their daughter, and Sunken Treasure's jockey, Dayanira." They showed pictures of Darla, wearing one of her debutante ball gowns.

"It was later determined by authorities that the fire was the work of an arsonist. But before anyone could be charged with the crime, Dayanira and Sunken Treasure vanished without a trace. Many believed she feared for her life, and her family's legacy. We have unconfirmed reports that Dayanira was still racing Treasure, under the alias 'Under the Radar' at some of the smaller racetracks in Florida. If that's true, then Treasure has continued his winning ways; Under the Radar is credited with half a dozen wins for the last racing season.

"We also have unconfirmed reports that Dayanira's estranged uncle, Bernardo Verdes, may have been involved in the arson attack, due to his involvement with a New York Crime Syndicate. According to Kentucky State Police, Bernardo disappeared several several weeks ago and is listed as wanted by the authorities."

"Finally, after nearly twelve months, Dayanira and Sunken Treasure have re-surfaced. Dayanira has refused to discuss the details of her disappearance; she has said only that it was time to return to the racing world."

The Dukes shouted as the camera cut to Darla and Treasure circling in the paddock near the track. "There she is!" Daisy squealed.

"And there they are," said the announcer. "Sunken Treasure, back in the spotlight after a year of sitting on the sidelines. And astride him, Dayanira Verdes, the daughter of the very family that bred this great horse."

The Dukes weren't the only ones who noticed the pair; everyone around the paddock was clapping and pointing, and reporters were firing a non-stop stream of questions at her. Darla ignored them; her expression was serious as her lead pony and rider led Treasure out of the paddock and onto the racecourse.

"You gotta be wonderin' what's going through Pat Day's mind right now, up on Forty-Niner," said the color announcer. "He was expecting an easy race, and now he has Sunken Treasure thrown into the mix. Not to mention Dayanira and her riding style."

"Well, I wouldn't call it 'style,' Mike," said the announcer—which got an indignant "Hey!" from Daisy and Luke—"Dayanira's ridden several Treasure Green mounts, but she was only intended to ride one horse, and that's Sunken Treasure. She doesn't ride with style; she rides to win. But, her late father Zacarius once said that nobody could get Treasure to work harder than she could. If there's a win in Sunken Treasure today, it'll be Dayanira who gets him there."

"That's right, and you bet there's a win in them today!" said Daisy.

"She said she's never beaten Pat Day before," said Luke.

"Well, there's a first time for everything!" Daisy fired back.

The horses came to the gate. Sunken Treasure went in the eighth stall, and waited while four more horses went in behind him.

"And they're off! And—oh, no!" the announcer yelled. Daisy gasped. "Sunken Treasure and Hawkster bumped coming out of the gate! Hawkster stumbled badly; he's now bringing up the rear, and Verdes nearly lost her seat on Sunken Treasure! She's still trying to gain her right stirrup! Now she's back on; that could have been a very bad fall! Sunken Treasure is caught up in the pack, while Forty-Niner is in the lead."

"Oh, no!" they all said.

"Here they come past the grandstand for the first time, and Forty-Niner has a commanding lead. Risen Star is in second, Private Terms third, Bet Twice fourth, Regal Classic fifth, Kingpost sixth, Sunken Treasure is seventh…"

"Oh, no, he's never gonna get himself out of that mess!" Daisy said in despair. "He's got nowhere to go!"

"She's holdin' him back," said a voice from behind them. They all turned and saw Bo standing in the kitchen doorway, intently watching the screen. "She can't get loose from the pack now, she's savin' him."

"As they head into the first turn, Pat Day has Forty-Niner well into the lead…"

It was true; Treasure's head was pulled in. They watched as Treasure and Darla struggled down the backstretch, with other horses packed all around them. Darla was completely surrounded, her hands close to her sides, trying to keep Treasure from bumping another horse. Suddenly, the horse to her right started dropping back.

"And they're in the backstretch, Forty-Niner still in the lead, Private Terms is second, Risen Star has dropped back to third, Bet Twice fourth—and here comes Sunken Treasure!"

A roar rose from the stands. Darla had seen the opening; before anyone could close the gap, she pushed Treasure into it. Her hands were raised; the stallion lowered his head, his stride lengthened, and he was flying.

"Sunken Treasure's making his move in the final turn, it's Forty-Niner, followed by Private Terms and Risen Star—Sunken Treasure's overtaken Bet Twice, he's now in fourth—and down the stretch they come!"

"Oh, come on Darla, come on!" Daisy shouted. Luke and Uncle Jesse were shouting encouragement at the screen, too. Bo was quiet, but his eyes followed every move of the seal horse and his rider.

"Sunken Treasure, flying down the homestretch, Forty-Niner still in the lead, Private Terms is second, Risen Star and Sunken Treasure now neck-and-neck! Private Terms is flagging; can Sunken Treasure catch him? Here he comes! Sunken Treasure making a huge move, to win again for Treasure Green! He's now in second! And it's Forty-Niner and Sunken Treasure, with one furlong to go! It's Forty-Niner and Sunken Treasure, neck and neck—"

Darla and Pat Day were fanning their crops alongside their mounts as they pounded to the finish line. The crowd noise grew louder, but it was still drowned out by the Dukes. Darla raised her hands further; they saw Treasure surge forward one last time—

"And Sunken Treasure pulls ahead! It's Sunken Treasure! Sunken Treasure wins!"

Daisy screamed and threw her arms around Luke. They saw Darla stand in the stirrups and pump her fist in the air.

"And Treasure Green Farm is back in the winnings! Dayanira Verdes brings home a win for her family in the Atlanta Stakes! It's Sunken Treasure, with Forty-Niner second, Private Terms in third…"

They saw Pat Day jog Forty-Niner alongside Darla and say something to her; she threw her head back and laughed, like she had so many times with them. She raised her crop to the grandstands again.

Daisy and Luke were still cheering as they led Sunken Treasure to the winners' circle. Darla's smile stretched from ear to ear as the stewards laid a blanket of yellow flowers over Treasure's neck. Reporters surged around her as she hopped down from Treasure's back. "Miss Verdes!" one reporter yelled as he crowded next to her. Treasure promptly threw his head back and tried to rear. Everybody scrambled as the big horse tried to give himself some space.

"If you wanna talk to me, you can, but you might want to get a lady to interview him," said Darla. Everyone laughed appreciatively.

"Miss Verdes, congratulations!" the reporter went on. "Ordinarily we'd be congratulating the owner too, but I guess that also applies to you!"

"That's right," said Darla, "He's a Verdes stallion, born and bred! I know my family would be proud of him today, if they were here."

"You really got off to a rough start, did you think then the race was over?"

"Not a chance," said Darla. "I had a mile and a quarter to make up for lost ground. I just sat back and stayed with the pack, and as soon as I could make a move, I made it. Treasure did all the rest."

"We saw Pat Day come alongside you after the finish; what did he have to say?"

Darla laughed. "He said, 'I was wondering when I was finally gonna see your tail end!'" Everyone laughed again, including the Dukes.

"Well, Dayanira, it's been a long ride for you to get yourself and your family back to the winners' circle. What can you tell us about where you've been all this time?"

Darla sighed. "Not a thing. The authorities have asked me not to say anything yet, what with all of the investigations going on, and, well…there are a lot of people who went out of their way to help me while I was gone, and I don't want you all hounding them," she finished with a smile.

"So, what's next for you? There are a lot of races left before the Breeders' Cup; will Sunken Treasure be there?"

"I think…we'll have to wait and see," Darla said slowly. "I, uh…have a little different outlook on life now. I think Sunken Treasure will continue his career, but he may have to learn to put up with a male rider. I've got a farm to run." She sighed heavily at the end.

"Well, thank you, Miss Verdes, and congratulations again!" The reporter went on to talk to the camera, and other reporters crowded around Darla, blocking her from view. The camera quickly cut away.

"I knew she'd do it, I knew it!" Daisy exclaimed, bouncing in her seat; Luke and Jesse laughed. Luke turned around; his smile quickly faded when he realized Bo was gone. He looked out the window and saw him heading back to the barn, his head down. Luke sighed; maybe seeing Darla again, even on TV, was too much for him.

Now don't worry-this story ain't over yet. I'll switch the status to 'complete' when it is. But Bo's made it pretty clear that he's not going to go after Darla. So how does this work out? Give me some reviews so we can all find out!