Vector 426 - Well, if Pauline and John's encounter with the Troopers, Duke luck may just be changing! Could it get any worse? Umm, ... Don't answer that! Thanks for pointing out error about the jeep, I guess I get so used to seeing in shows I tend to slip up occasion when I go back in time. I have since corrected it. Thanks again.

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Chapter 51

After an hour or so of patrol the Troopers neared the placed where they had found the teenagers parked. To the older Trooper's surprise, there was a vehicle parked there. This time it was a car.

John was smiling as he was buttoning his jeans.

"John David I don't understand you." Pauline said as she buttoned her blouse, "It was bad enough I'm worried about last time we, ..." She tried to straighten her blouse just as the lights hit the car window. Pauline gasped at the thought of getting caught out here by a neighbor after everything with Karen.

John being the Duke that he was merely hurried to stuff his shirt tail in his pants as the car stopped in the road blocking an easy exit from John's car. John 'knew' even before a booming voice said, "State Police. Get out of the car." John swore. He knew he'd never hear the end of this from Pauline. He reached slowly for the driver door handle as he looked over and seen that Pauline had crossed her arms and was glaring at him. "They mean you too."

"John David Duke! I have NEVER been so humiliated in ALL my life!" Pauline began to rant at him.

John really didn't want any trouble with the State officers so he had already popped his door and was in the process of slowing getting out of the car. He said over his shoulder, "Pauline, just do what you are told. Get out of the car slowly. We can argue at home." He hoped that she'd listen to him just once.

Pauline was more that fit to be tied. She only heard part of John's advice. 'Fine, that was fine, if they wanted her out of the car then she'd get out of the car.' She thought as she swung open the passengers side car door. Pauline asked as her feet hit the ground, "What is the meaning of THIS!

John was glad that the older trooper was on the side of the car with his wife of she might just have gotten shot.

The older Trooper was to Pauline before she finished the question and was ready to lay hands upon her if she offered any resistance. "Stop right there!" He said in a commanding voice.

The younger Trooper fearing that the woman may be a decoy to distract their attention had already unsnapped his weapons holster and had his hand on it ready to unholster if needed.

John grimaced. He knew Pauline and she didn't like to be talked to that way and usually tended to know care who she let know about if. He hoped tonight would be different.

Pauline was 'taken a back' for a split second, "How dare you talk to ME? that way. Don't you know WHO I am? Well, my family owned most of this County."

Trooper Mitchell gave the younger man 'a look' "Ma'am, I don't care about all that."

John tried to calm her down, "Pauline, Honey if you'd just hush these men could do their jobs."

"You don't care that if it weren't for my family this County wouldn't be here." Pauline barely came up for a breath as she turned to John, "Oh fiddlesticks! Their jobs. What on Earth could, ...

"LOOK! Ma'am, ..." Trooper Mitchell cut in, "Seeing a car up here at this time of night gives us EVERY reason to check it out."

Pauline was momentarily taken aback by the sharpness of the Trooper's tone.

John was torn between worrying that Pauline was about to get herself or them into deep crap and enjoying her being taken down a couple notches.

"I just need to see some identification." Trooper Mitchell.

"Identification! Of all things," She turned quickly and started for her purse.

Trooper Mitchell had over looked more than enough of the woman's behavior. Her quick motions back toward the car could mean that she was going for a weapon. He stepped in front of her, turned her back to the side of the car and put her against the car as gently as he could under the circumstances. "Ma'am! Just stop or I'm going to have to cuff you for both our safety." Trooper Mitchell had his hand on his handcuffs as he spoke.

John had wisely not moved. Any other man who would have handled Pauline like that would have surely bitten off more than he could chew, but John knew that she had brought it on herself. In fact, had he done half as much he was sure he'd already been in the back of the cruiser.

"You wouldn't DARE! John David are you going to just stand by and let him man-handle me like that?" Pauline asked nearly appalled that John hadn't lifted a finger to help her.

John replied, "Absolutely. As long as you keep it up I'm good with just watching. But if you had the sense the good Lord gave a goose, you'd stand still and shut up."

"Well I've NEVER!" Pauline huffed and stool silently glaring at her husband.

Trooper Anderson said, "Alright, Sir, can I see you ID?"

John said, "I'll have to reach in my right back pocket for my wallet."

"Go ahead." Anderson said.

John reached with one hand and got out his wallet slowly and slowly open the wallet and handed the Trooper his drivers license.

Trooper Anderson asked, "Where is her ID?"

"On the front seat. In her purse." John replied.

"Would you get her purse and get her ID out?" Trooper Mitchell asked.

John inwardly smiled, "Sure." He slowly reached for the purse, then did something he'd only did a handful of times since he'd known his wife. He opened the purse, got her wallet and tossed the purse back in the car. He opened the wallet and handed Pauline's license to Trooper Anderson.

Trooper Anderson went to the radio in the cruiser and radioed to see if either was wanted and to see if their driver's license were valid. He came back and reported, "They are good to go."

Trooper Mitchell nodded, "I've got to ask. What were you two doing out here this late on a Sunday night anyway?" Only then did he see their outfits were a bit in disarray.

John shot Pauline a look warning her to keep quiet. "My wife and I had some things to discuss and we have made a habit out of not arguing in front of our kids, so we came out here to talk. We were just getting ready to leave when you pulled in."

Trooper Mitchell replied, "Alright. Well, I expect you'll will be out here a bit longer now. Ya'll have a good night and try to teach your wife how to conduct herself when she is stopped by officers. She could really get hurt acting like she was. Good night Mr. Duke, Mrs. Duke."

After the Troopers got in their car and left, Pauline fumed, "What was all that crap about teach me how to conduct myself? I was conducting myself as a perfect lady."

John could not help himself, "Darlin' a perfect lady doesn't do what you were doing minutes before those Troopers showed up, ... married or not! But, I'm not complaining at ALL."

"John DAVID Duke! How dare you!" Pauline exclaimed.

"Get in the car Pauline." John said. Once in the car, "First off, you can't make quick, sudden movements like you were or officers take it as a threat. You are darned lucky you didn't find yourself helped out of the car, downed on the ground and cuffed before they even stopped to think about you being a woman. When you went to get your purse out of the car, you could have been going for a weapon or any number of things, that is why I was told to get your ID."

"That is just ridiculous. I am not a threat to anyone." Pauline said.

John replied, "It is just a good thing that the Trooper had a level head on him. Now, let's go home to the girls."

"Alright." Pauline agreed.

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The next morning, was 'business' as normal, or almost at John Duke's house. John was up and ready to head out to work just as he heard the first twin awake. He stopped what he was doing and started to warm two bottles so they would be ready by the time Pauline got downstairs. He listened to make sure that Pauline was up before heading out the back door. After last night and the second round of unprotected sex with his wife who had yet to go see the Doctor, John was more than happy to just get out of the house without incident this morning.

After getting Pauline's brother and the other men started on what he needed them to do, John said that he had to go into town for some supplies. However, John didn't plan on stopping in Tranquil, in fact he was heading closer to Atlanta.

John's first errand was at the drugstore where he marched right in and went looking for the aisle that contained the home pregnancy tests. Once he located them, he was a bit overwhelmed that there were so many types and names of a product that did the same thing. After a couple minutes he stopped on that claimed, 99% accurate. That was close enough for John, because he knew his luck if Pauline was pregnant there would be NO doubt about any test she took.

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Yes, I know this chapter is a bit short, but I plan to skip forward a bit in the next chapter and thought it fit better to break off here. - Thanks for the reviews and for reading. Enjoy.