Author's Notes: Well, friends, I got towards the end of this chapter, and realized I better take a real close look at my timeline for some fairly important reasons. So, to explain: Earlier I figured on Luke exiting Vietnam in 1973, when major numbers of U.S. troops left the country, and a few chapters ago, I said that was nine years ago from present-day in the story. That would have this all taking place in June 1982. I totally didn't plan it that way, but March 1982 was the groundbreaking for the Vietnam War Memorial, in a neat coincidence. So, that should frame a few things for you. Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Old Friends and New Acquaintances

Back in Hazzard, Daisy had hardly hung up the phone and gone back to wiping tables down when it rang again. LouAnn Hobson, the one other waitress fit for duty at the Boar's Nest, answered it for her.

"Boar's Nest, LouAnn speaking…oh, Daisy, it's for you again…it's your Uncle Jesse."

Setting her washcloth on the bar, Daisy thanked her and took the phone. "Why hi, Uncle Jesse! What a coincidence, I just got off the phone with Bo!"

"Now Daisy, I ain't got time to talk right now. I just needja ta come on down to the sheriff's department and bail me out."

"Uncle Jesse! What happened?"

"I'll explain when you get here. Hurry, now."

In a matter of a few quick minutes, Daisy promised LouAnn to return before it got busy, and rushed out the door, taking off in Dixie and leaving a cloud of dust behind. It took all of her paycheck - two weeks' pay - to bail Jesse out, with Enos apologizing the whole time. Jesse was glad to hear her quick update on the boys, but it wasn't until they got outside that he told her about Rosco's summons and the charges against him.

"But Uncle Jesse, that's hogwash and you know it! Boss must have just made up that law!" Daisy protested as they stood on the sidewalk.

Jesse frowned and shook his head. "Now, that's what I thought too, so I had Enos bring me the state and county lawbooks, and I looked it up myself. They're in there, alright - what I figure is, J.D. just ain't had Rosco enforce them in Hazzard so he could do a little book cooking himself! But, that property assessment law also says that anyone found in violation has two business days to rectify it and to pay the difference in back taxes. Which means…"

"Which means we better get ahold of one of those state revenuers, and quick!" Daisy finished. "Let's go see if Cooter will let us use his phone!"

It was in fact fairly easy for Jesse to get through to the state revenuers' offices, and to convince one of them to come down from Atlanta right away for the property assessment. Of course, most of the men and women workin' in that office had cut their teeth as rookies trying to catch the Dukes back when they was runnin' 'shine, and Jesse was on a first name basis with every one of them. With a promise from Seamus Flynn to be at the Duke farm by two o'clock, Daisy went on back to work after giving Jesse a ride on back to the farm, so he could finish the chores that Rosco had so rudely interrupted.

Now, I don't know about you, but when something goes easy for the Dukes, I start to get nervous.

---------------------------------------

Pauline Herschmen, Luke explained to Bo as they found the highway, had been Rob Fulton's nurse at the hospice, since he'd moved there in November. The two older folks had grown to be very good friends during Rob's last few months, and it was often Pauline who read Luke's letters to Rob aloud, so she had heard quite a bit about Luke and Hazzard as well. From the picture from Christmas Rob sent - Luke had mailed him a care package with one of Daisy's peach cobblers - Pauline was an older woman, Uncle Jesse's age, with silver hair and the kind, soft face of a woman who loves her work.

"Y'know, I knew it was you who snookered that pie!" Bo jokingly accused. Daisy had tormented him for weeks, thinking it was him.

Luke grinned. "What can I say? 'Sides, you were gettin' a little tight at the belt there, I was doin' you a favor!"

After a bit of searching, they finally found the hotel and pulled up out front. Pauline had told Luke she'd wait in the lobby for them, so they headed inside. She recognized them before they even saw her.

"Luke! Oh, is that you?" she approached, looking much the same as her picture, except she was wearing a blue-flowered dress instead of the white uniform.

"Miss Herschmen?" Luke asked, but he hardly had to, as she stepped up and put her arms around him in a warm hug. He returned the embrace with closed eyes and a tight throat - here was a comrade to the pain in his heart. It was a full minute before the grandmotherly woman let go and stepped back, looking up and studying his pained face. "It's so good to finally meet you! And you're every inch as handsome as your pictures!" she added with a smile. Then she looked at Bo, who was standing there a bit awkwardly, thumbs in his pockets.

"And you must be Bo!" She gave him a hug as well. "Luke wrote so much about you! Looks like you take after him in more ways than one." Both boys looked to the floor, a mite embarrassed, but she took no notice. "So! Are we all set to go?"

"Yes ma'am, Miss Herschmen," Luke answered. "We can take our car, if you like, 'long as you don't mind climbing in through the windows." They walked together towards the exit.

"Please, Luke, call me Pauline. Oh! Is this the General Lee?" Pauline asked, stepping down the sidewalk towards the orange racecar.

"Yes, ma'am!" Bo answered proudly, while Luke stepped up to her side.

"Let me help you there, Pauline," he said, lifting her up and into the front seat.

Luke walked around to the driver's side, while Bo climbed in beside her with a friendly smile. Luke had spoken well of the nice old lady, and as far as Bo was concerned, anyone who bought him a meal was a friend until proven otherwise. With her directions, they set off down the road.

For a complete stranger and an elderly lady, Bo found he had a lot more to talk about with Pauline Herschmen than he had anticipated. On the drive and while waiting for their meal, she asked all about Uncle Jesse, Daisy, and Cooter, and seemed to know as much or more about the goings-on in Hazzard than Bo himself. Luke let him do a lot of the talking, but he couldn't help but speak up at a few points to add his own two cents. Then Bo reflected that all this pleasant conversation came from Luke's constant letters sent to make his dying friend smile, and Bo's enthusiasm was dampened a bit.

When they had all finished eating, though, Pauline turned to the matter at hand. "Now, Luke, are you and Bo staying somewhere nearby?"

"Well, we don't exactly have anywhere to stay, at the moment." Luke had already told Bo of their eviction from the motel.

"Oh, then you'll have to come back with me to the West and we'll get you a room there for the night. We're just a short drive from the main gate, and Ms. Summer is staying there as well."

"The Summers are here?" Luke asked, surprised. Bo was lost.

Pauline smiled a sad, pained smile. "Just Miss Jillian, Robert's niece."

"Oh. So…what time is…does everything start?"

She pulled a folded piece of paper out of her purse, with details, times, and directions, and handed it to Luke. "It's all there on that sheet. The ceremony begins at noon, but I'll be there at eleven."

Luke nodded silently with downcast eyes, and tucked the paper away. Pauline took his hands from across the table and smiled kindly at him. "Luke, dear, there was simply nothing more anyone could do for poor Robert. He went quietly and happy, and that's as much as he could ask for. You were there for him, with every word you wrote, and it was the best part of his day to hear from you. He wouldn't want you to hurt like this," she added. He looked back gratefully and gave a small smile. "Good lad. Now, let's get on back, and get you boys a room."

---------------------------

Once their belongings were settled, Pauline insisted on taking the boys out sightseeing for the afternoon. Bo was glad - she had an energy that kept Luke on his toes, and a compassionate kindness that understood exactly how he was feeling, without calling attention to it. She whisked them from sight to sight - the White House and the Capitol Building, the Mall and the Lincoln and Washington Memorials, and many more.

They paused at the construction site for the Vietnam War Memorial, and Luke stared at the torn earth and ragged fence line as she told them about the plans for the Wall. Rob had mentioned something about it in his letters, proud, but sad that it had taken so long. It was due to open in November, the sign said - Bo thought maybe another trip up here might be in order. He hadn't expected just the sights of all these monuments and dedications to have such an impact on his cousin, but Bo could see it by the look in Luke's eyes - the reverence, the respect, the sorrow. When they finally found the Marine Corps War Memorial, the six soldiers raising the flag at Iwo Jima, neither Bo nor Pauline missed Luke's long, shuddering breath as he looked up at the faces on the tall statue.

Pauline's tour wasn't all somber, though. The boys bought ice cream and found a few souvenir pictures for Daisy, and they all laughed to see a little boy chasing pigeons try to climb into the Reflecting Pool, much to his mother's dismay. Bo marveled at the city, the size and complexity as well as the senators and lawyers in suits striding purposefully along the sidewalks around the Capitol Building. He hoped for a glimpse of the President, but no such luck, though they did see a few men Luke was sure were Secret Service agents. Towards late afternoon, however, Bo's headache started to come back full force, and Pauline, the ever-watchful nurse, noticed him grow quiet.

"Bo, honey, is something wrong? You look a bit peaked, dear."

He touched a hand to the back of his head, where the stitches and bare patch were hidden by the rest of his hair. "I guess I'm just not feeling that well, Miss Pauline. I ah, kinda got a concussion yesterday." Last night? This morning? Close enough. He didn't elaborate on the cause.

"A concussion! Well, why don't we head back to the hotel then, so you can rest? It's nearly dinnertime in any case."

Bo had no arguments, and Luke's worry for his cousin sparked back as soon as Pauline spoke up, so they made their way back to the General and headed back over the river. At the hotel, the compassionate nurse didn't part ways with them in the lobby, but came right up to their room. Motherly, she gave Bo some aspirin from her purse with a glass of water, had a look at his stitches, and saw to it that he pulled off his boots and lay down on one of the beds.

"Now, I'm going to steal your cousin for a bit while you rest, young man. We'll be right upstairs in my room, 406, and we'll wake you up for dinner. You call us if you need anything."

Bo couldn't help but smile, leaning back on the pillow. Just being horizontal instead of vertical helped a great deal. "Yes ma'am!"

She turned the lights off, and ushered a surprised Luke out the door, shutting it behind them. "I'd like to talk to you for a bit, Luke, if you don't mind," Pauline asked kindly. "Not that you don't need to sleep as much as him, by the looks of it. He'll be alright for now," she added, seeing his worried glance at the door. "Come on, now. If it's been as hard a week for you as for me, I'd like to hear everything you didn't say with your cousin there."

Y'know, this nice ol' gal reminds me a bit of Henry, the fella who works for the Hawkins back in Hazzard. Think they might be related?