A/N - This wasn't chapter 10 until Chapter 9 was changed. My fear is that I'm going to mix up the remaining ones since I've inserted this, so if you see anything that looks like it doesn't make sense, let me know. If that wasn't bad enough, after I edited it and tried saving it to the site, it told me that I wasn't logged in anymore. I lost it all! Sometimes, this site makes me believe that I livein Hazzard county. Advance apologies for any errors.

Thanks again for all the mentoring!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Dukes, and no infringements intended.

CHAPTER 10

POT SHOTS

FIANCEE?

"Hey Luke," Daisy called to her oldest cousin. "Come here and take a look at this."

Luke got up from the couch where he was helping Sandy put Bo's new braces on. She smiled up at Bo and told him they'd manage just fine by themselves.

"Sure...will," he answered back.

From the door in the kitchen, they could hear the other two cousins talking.

"Well, will you look at that!" Luke said. "We don't see too many fancy cars like that around here."

That was enough to activate Bo's curiousity, and he motioned that he wanted to try out his new apparatus. Sandy would have preferred to have had Luke helping them, in case Bo lost his balance, but it looked like the blonde was going to get up with or without her help.

As Luke walked outside, Bo walked into the kitchen with the assistance of his braces like he'd been doing it all his life. Sandy smiled, thinking that being stubborn had its good points. When Bo Duke was determined to do something, there was no stopping him. Right that minute, he was determined to see what was going on, and just what kind of car had arrived. He loved cars, especially fancy ones, which he equated to mean sports cars. He wasn't disappointed, it was a genuine Jaguar, complete with the hood ornament.

"Whew!" Bo said.

Daisy didn't even notice that Bo was literally standing next to her, too busy trying to figure out who their guest was. Both Bo and Daisy were watching as the car door opened, and a man got out. Luke and the cowboy stood there speaking for a minute, then Luke started walking back toward the house. The stranger remained by his vehicle.

Sandy had been busy making sure she was watching her patient rather than watching what her patient was watching. She glanced out nonchalantly, glancing back at Bo before doing a double take. "Oh my God!" she cried out, pushing past Bo and Daisy, flying out the door past Luke, and full steam ahead toward the stranger.

All three of the Duke cousins were watching with a combination of curiousity and caution. They continued to observe as Sandy hurried over to the stranger, something in her movements sending a message that she wasn't happy to see her visitor. Bo was feeling anxious, not knowing whether he needed be able to pounce, which he couldn't, or to be jealous, should it turn out that she was glad to see Roy Rodgers. Luke had now made it up the stairs and was standing on the other side of the door, giving his cousin the 'don't worry,' look. If this was foe rather than friend, Luke would take care of him. Lost in the events taking place outside, neither Luke or Daisy still realized that Bo was standing beside them on his own two feet.

"What are you doing here?" Sandy asked the man, making it clear that she did know him, but sounding more annoyed than receptive.

"Why, Sandra Kay Maverick, looking for you, of course!"

"Why?" she asked him.

"Well, is that any kind of a way to talk to your fiancée, sugar? Because I missed you, darling, and I've come to take you home. How'd ya ever wind up here anyway? he asked, glancing around the farm with a disapproving manor. "You were supposed to be home months ago."

Despite the fancy car, the man standing in front of Sandy was all cowboy, and all Texas. He was tall, slender but built well, and had a handsome face with curly brown hair that was a little on the longer side, which they could see sticking out from under his tall hat.

Bo heard the word fiancée, and felt a jealousy like he'd never known before. He also felt hurt like he'd never known, since she had specifically said she didn't have a boyfriend or significant other, and he couldn't understand why she'd lied to him. Luke and Daisy looked at each other when they heard the title, then looked over at Bo, and saw the fire flying from his eyes.

"Billy Ray, I don't know where you ever got this silly notion, but I am not now, nor have I ever been your fiancée, nor will I ever be," she shouted at him. "Now, I want you to get in your car over there and go back home."

Bo felt relieved, hearing her deny that they had ever been engaged, but still was getting an uneasy feeling. Something wasn't right. No one drove that far to see a fiancee that never existed. He had a feeling that something was going to happen, but hoped that the man would just take her advice and go.

"I just got here. I've driven several hundred miles to see ya, darlin."

"Then you've wasted your time and your gas! Now get out of here."

"How can you talk to me like that?"

"Because you don't listen very well if I don't. Shoot, you don't listen very well when I do." Taking a breath, she went on. "Billy Ray, I'm only gonna say this once so listen real good. I am not interested in you, so leave me alone. I swear, if you follow me again, I'm gonna get a restraining order against you, and I'm sure that will make your grandpappy real proud."

Billy Ray didn't like her threat, that was obvious. He was a man of power and not accustomed to having anyone speak to him with anything but respect. He grabbed her arm, hard. "No one talks to me like that," he ground out.

"Well I just did, Billy Ray. Now go back to Lubbock and leave me alone."

"You're making a big mistake, Sandy," he ground out.

"No pal, you're the one making the mistake," Luke said, having moved from the porch back down to the yard. Billy Ray let go of her arm, momentarily staring Luke up and down. "Now, the little lady asked you to leave, so I suggest that you go. This is private property, and your trespassing."

Dismissing Luke's threat, the stranger reached out to Sandy again, but this time, she jumped back. Luke's fist connected with his face, and before too long, they were rolling around on the ground.

Bo wanted to help, but he was helpless. All he could do was watch, cursing himself and the man who had showed up without an invitation. Bo was safe in the knowledge that Luke would always protect him and anything that was important to him, and Sandy couldn't have been more special to Bo Duke. This was one fight that Bo wanted for his own, but in his present condition, he had no choice but to let Luke fight his battle for him, alone. He knew that his cousin could take care of himself, normally, but today, the cowboy seemed to have the upper hand. Sandy started tugging on Billy Ray's shirt to get him off of Luke, and it worked. Unfortunately, it directed the intruder's attention away from Luke Duke and back toward Sandy. In a move none of them had ever seen before, Billy Ray hauled off and slugged her, the same way he would have if she'd been a man. She fell backwards, in surprise, holding the side of her face. Bo's blood boiled, and Daisy gasped. Luke got to his feet before either of them could react. Sandy bounced back, too, now angrier than an old wet hen. Bringing her arm back, she punched Billy Ray right in the nose and this time, he stumbled backwards. This was neither Bo nor Luke's fight, it was hers.

Before anything else could transpire, a shot rang out. Uncle Jesse heard the commotion and had seen enough. He grabbed his shotgun, and let off a warning round. Now it was aimed at the trespasser. "Next one won't miss. Now get off my land."

Billy Ray climbed in the car, pausing to look at Sandy a minute. No words were exchanged, but the look of loathing that the man sent her direction hadn't gone unnoticed, except by the recipient. The powerful engine revved up, and pulled away from the farmstead.

"And don't ya'll come back, either," she screamed, kicking up the dirt with the toe of her boot.

Luke and Jesse ran over to her. "Are you all right?" Luke asked, turning her face so that he could see. He'd never witnessed a man strike a woman square like that before, and wondered what kind of animal would do such a thing. Despite the fancy clothes and car, Luke surmised that money and manners didn't necessarily go hand in hand, and Sandy's face had the bruise to prove it.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How are you?" she asked, starting to check him over, terribly embarrassed by the ordeal.

"I'm ok," he told her, trying to wipe the blood away from his mouth without her seeing.

The attempt was futile. Sandy reached into her pocket, retrieving a tissue which she gently pressed to the corner of Luke's mouth. If the steam hadn't been coming from her ears, she would have laughed at the sight she and Luke Duke must have looked like right then. Unfortunately, humor was the furthest thing from her mind.

"C'mon. Let's get you two inside the house," Uncle Jesse said, helping Luke, who was helping Sandy.

"Listen ya'll, I'm real sorry about him," she told them in a voice dripping with shame and guilt. "He just keeps showing up, and no matter what I do, I can't get rid of him."

"How'd he find you?" Uncle Jesse asked.

"Oh, I know how he found me, and I'm gonna take care of that right away," she replied as they climbed the last step to the porch.

Bo had almost suffered a relapse when he saw Billy Ray's fist connect with Sandy's beautiful face. He'd never felt so worthless in his life, having to stand by without being able to do a single thing to help. It was even worse than not being able to take care of himself. Luke had been there, like he always was, but that didn't do anything to help Bo's self-worth. He'd come a long way in a short time, but now he understood he still had a long way to go so that he never again found himself in that situation. Seeing Sandy flatten the stranger's nose offered some vindication, and had given him a moment to calm down. He still wanted to teach Billy Ray a lesson that he should have learned a long time ago, but that would have to wait. Sandy was his immediate concern. He wanted to touch her, but he needed his arms to keep himself upright on his braces, only adding to his feelings of inadequacy. The only thing he had that he could use effectively was his voice. "Sandy, ...you...ok?" Bo asked, saying the only silly thing he could think of, but the amount of concern overshadowed the simplicity of the words.

"Yeah Bo, I'm fine," she replied, trying to downplay what had happened.

"No sugar, you're not," Daisy told her. "There's already a nasty shiner there. C'mon, I'll get both of you some ice."

For the first time since the expensive car pulled in the driveway, someone noticed Bo. "Bo! You're standing up," Uncle Jesse said, and Luke and Daisy finally noticed it, too.

"Oh honey, you've been standing next to me the whole time and I didn't even notice," Daisy told him, rubbing his back and laying her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I think it's great!"

"Bo! I can't believe it. You're actually walking," Luke proclaimed with both shock and pride. Forgetting about his own new boo-boos, he put his arms around his cousin.

"I'm sorry that Billy Ray upstaged your performance, Bo," Sandy told him.

"It's...ok...long...as...you're...ok," he told her, hoping that she didn't now see him for the wimp he felt like.

"I'm okay," she assured him, trying to hide her own shame and control her elevated anger.

Daisy told Sandy to sit down on the couch, and Bo made it very clear that he wanted to be the one to sit next to her. Luke eased him down, and he turned to face her. Looking at her eye, he said, "ouch." She gave him a woeful smile, then closed her eyes. Daisy came back carrying two bags of ice, and Bo reached up for one. Gently leaning forward, he pressed it to her face. Feeling the cold, she jumped and opened her eyes to find Bo's looking right into hers. "Easy," he cooed, only beginning to calm after being allowed to touch her.

"I think you got this backwards," she told him. "I'm supposed to be taking care of you."

"I...don't...mind.,"

She grinned and shut her eyes again. She didn't mean to, but before she knew it, she had started dozing off, slumping over toward Bo, who was still applying the cold compress and trying to support her. They let her nap for a minute, then started wondering if she might have a concussion, and if they should take her to the hospital or call Doc Appleby.

Uncle Jesse tapped her shoulder. "Sandy?"

Her eyes flew open, and she realized that she had actually fallen asleep for a little while. "Oh my gosh," she giggled, turning almost the same color as her hair. "I'm so sorry." She looked up at Bo, who was still holding the ice bag in place, studying her carefully. "Here," she said, taking it from him. "If you've been holding that all this time, your arm's probably ready to fall asleep."

"It's...ok."

"Then you really did build up your upper arm strength," she observed. "I think school's out for today, kiddies," she announced, struggling to get to her feet. "I really am sorry about all this. You sure you're ok, Luke?"

"Fine," he confirmed. "Just a normal day in Hazzard."

Sandy raised her eyebrows, but decided to let the comment go. She'd heard some of the stories about their fair county, but her imagination just wasn't up to that much activity. "Ya know, I think I should get going. I've brought enough excitement into your home for one day."

Luke and Jesse looked at each other, thinking of a way to stall. "Why don't you stay for lunch?" Uncle Jesse asked.

"Oh, I appreciate the invitation, but I'm really not hungry." She didn't volunteer that she really wasn't feeling well, and doubted that she'd be able to keep anything down. "I think I lost my appetite."

"You know, it might not be a good idea for you to leave just yet." Luke stated, and she looked at him, not understanding what he was talking about. "You could have a concussion. You shouldn't be driving or alone."

"I don't have a concussion," she dismissed, but she didn't tell them that she did have a pounding headache.

"Besides, if that Billy Ray found you here, he might find you at your hotel room," Luke argued.

"I can handle Billy Ray," she said, thinking how absurd that must have sounded considering both she and Luke had the bruises to prove otherwise.

"We'd just feel better if you wouldn't take that chance," Uncle Jesse told her. "At least stay here for tonight. Even if he's still around, it'll give him some time to cool off."

"Oh, I can't do that!" she exclaimed, going down the list of all the reasons why she shouldn't, reminding herself that she'd already gotten in way over her head with these people.

"Please," Bo said, his eyes begging. "Good...therapists...hard...to...find."

She couldn't help but laugh, but regretted it immediately as her head screamed in protest. "You really are a funny guy, Bo," she said, but without her normal enthusiasm.

"Please?" he asked again.

"I really don't think it's necessary, but ok." She didn't have the strength to argue, and she had a feeling that they weren't going to take no for an answer. Reasoning that it didn't make sense to argue about a pre-determined fate was easier than admitting that she could refuse Bo Duke nothing when he batted his baby blues at her.

"You got a headache, sugar?" Daisy asked after she winced unintentionally.

"Yeah," she confessed, rubbing the side of her head.

"Well how bout I get you a couple of aspirin, and then you can go lay down in my room?"

"My...room...better," Bo told her, grinning wickedly.

"Not under this roof, Bo Duke," Uncle Jesse said, correcting him for the first time since he'd been hurt. Things in Hazzard really were starting to get back to normal.


Sandy couldn't believe that she slept almost six hours, waking after dinner only to be told that they'd kept some warm. She still wasn't hungry, but she knew if she didn't eat, they'd worry. Thanking them for their kindness, she apologized for the main event, again.

After dinner, she asked if she could use the phone. Trying to give her some privacy, the Duke family went into the living room. Unfortunately, they could still hear most of what she was saying.

After asking Mae Bell to make a collect call, she spoke to someone named Louisa, then asked if she could talk to her mother. They knew the instant that Mrs. Maverick came on the line, because all Sandy could do was try to interrupt.

"Mama, why'd did you tell Billy Ray where I was again?"

(Pause)

"He showed up here causing all kinds of trouble. You have got to stop giving him my whereabouts mama, or I'm not going to tell you where I'm going anymore."

(Pause)

"Mama, I don't care if he is the heir to the biggest oil fortune in Texas. I don't love him, I don't even like him, and I don't care about his money. In case you've forgotten, I have a job and I get paid. I don't need his."

(Pause)

"No mama, I don't care. He'd need every penny of his fortune to buy himself a personality and the good sense that God blessed a turkey with. Do you know that he called me his fiancée today? He's crazy! His granddaddy was a patient of mine, and all I ever did was extend him some common courtesy in passing. We never even had a date, so where he got fiancée from is beyond me, but I can tell him this, I wouldn't go out with him if he were the last man on earth. So please, stop telling him where I'm at. Do you know he hit my patient's cousin?"

(Pause)

"Yes mama, he is all right, but one of these days Billy Ray's gonna go too far."

(Pause)

"Thank you. Now, how's everyone else?"

The two women talked about other members of the family, and Sandy's tone eventually returned to normal. It sounded like she hadn't spoken to her mother in a little while, but they'd picked up on the fact that she talked to the youngest brother on a regular basis. They'd already surmised that the two of them were pretty close, not only from the things she'd told them, but the way she talked about him. Sandy Maverick's voice could be interpreted easily. She never left you guessing about what it was that she loved or hated. Even when her words were carefully chosen, her voice wasn't so easily disguised, and her eyes provided the punctuation mark.

Finally, the conversation came to an end as Sandy told her mother that she missed her and that she loved her. "I'll call you Sunday night, and just remember, stop talking to Billy Ray. Okay mama, love ya, too. Bye."

Jesse Duke owed her so much for everything that she'd done for Bo, but for as long as she'd been on the phone, he was grateful that she'd called collect.