---11---

Luke lay awake. He wasn't tired, not with all the sleep he'd had in solitary and the adrenaline from the fight still flowing in his veins. He knew his body would begin aching when it wore off. Gator had put up a good fight.

Luke's lips curled up at the thought. Not good enough.

He turned over onto his back and stared up into the inky blackness of the cell. He wondered how Bo was doing, far away in the hospital wing. He hoped his cousin was sleeping. The last time he'd seen Bo the boy had dark circles under his eyes and the colour of his skin had paled to the tone of buttermilk against the cuts and bruises.

It had only been four days and yet it felt like a lifetime since they were free. This wasn't the future Luke had planned in his head that last year in the Marines. Not, if he were honest, that it had been right from the moment he'd got back. Bo had grown and changed and Luke had missed it. He was a man now.

How much more would he grow that Luke wouldn't see?

After they were sentenced, there was no guarantee they'd be placed in the same wing, or even the same prison. Years could go by and he wouldn't see him. Letters hadn't served them very well when Luke was in the Marines; it wouldn't now, maybe even less so.

And Luke wouldn't be there to protect him.

He wasn't stupid. He knew what the looks some of the seedier prisoners were giving Bo meant. It made him sick to think of Bo victimised like that.

Or himself, for that matter. He knew he was a good fighter, but there was only so much one man could do against a group.

Luke sat up and flexed his fists.

He'd survive.

The image of Bo laughing over their prison dinner flickered in his mind.

And yes, Bo would survive too.

---

Bo couldn't sleep either and after tossing and turning until the stiff hospital sheets were sweaty, he got out of the bed and went to the window. Bars split the view, which was just grey prison walls and fence in any case and not the relaxing sight of fields and stars. Bo closed his eyes and in his head, he could see the farm and the wide expanse of their fields. He could feel the grass beneath his back as he lay back and stared up into the Heavens above Hazzard, sandwiched between Luke and Daisy, pointing out the constellations that burned brightly in a night sky unpolluted by the background light haze of a million buildings that robbed cities and towns of this splendour.

Banging broke the memory, the harsh sound of it and the shouting that followed echoed through the prison.

Bo shuddered. Was this his life now, for the next ten years? How old would he be when he got out?

It had seemed like a grand adventure just a few months ago. He'd dreamed of running shine since Luke had made his first run in Jesse's place. He had been a little older than Bo was now and Bo had thought him so grown up.

If only he'd known.

And then it had been his chance and it had been even more exhilarating than he'd imagined, dodging the cops and Andy and the other revenuers. It had been his way of paying back all the times Jesse had done that over the years; going out late and in all weathers to put shoes on his feet and food in his belly.

But this is what it had led too.

He hoped Jesse didn't know that here, right now, he regretted their way of life.

---

"Andy worked long into the night, callin' in just about ev'ry favour he could think of an' a few more besides, while Sammy got a head start on writin' up the legal papers. An' it was just before lunch the followin' day that Andy got the answer he was lookin' for."

Andy watched Sammy's face break into a huge grin. "Say it again." She told him. "I can't believe it!"

"The governor just agreed an' so did the DA's office." He repeated dutifully.

She let out a cry and threw her arms around his neck. Then she let him go, with an embarrassed smile.

Andy cleared his throat and straightened up. "Now it ain't plain sailin', Sammy." He said. "My governor said the offer's only good for today. He's going outta State on family business an' those boys'll have their court date by the time he gets back. And the fella who'll be runnin' things while he's gone…well, he ain't got no respect for Jesse an' he ain't likely ta have none fer his word." He looked serious. "Office closes at five, sharp."

Sammy looked at her watch. "Well let's go!"

Andy snagged her waist to stop her, then cleared his throat and let go. "We just need to get some papers drawn up first."

"Already done." Sammy went to her desk and picked up a small collection of papers. She held them out to Andy.

Andy glanced through them then looked up. "Honey, I could kiss you!"

Sammy grinned. "Let me give Jesse the good news and it's a deal."

---

Bo was released from the hospital wing in the morning. He felt exhausted from the lack of sleep but the tiredness soon faded when he found Luke in the exercise yard. They laughed and talked together just like they had done every other day since they'd come to live with Jesse. There was an unspoken agreement not to let their troubles spoil the time they had.

After a while, they began shooting hoops with Ricky and another of other cons. The game was going well, Bo and Luke were up, and Ricky and his team mate were working them hard to hang on to their lead, when a large con bumped into Bo, sending him and the shot he was about to make, flying.

The large man grinned nastily down at Bo.

Luke came over and snagging his young cousin's hand, tugged him to his feet. He looked up at the huge man. "Wanna be more careful." Luke told him.

"Careful of what?" He asked, eyeing Luke up and down. "Little sprat like you?"

"Hey, Louis!" Ricky called. "We just havin' us a game."

The huge man looked over at Bo's cell mate. He jerked his head in Luke's direction. "Kid got Gator put in the bin." He told him.

Ricky didn't look bothered. "I heard."

"Didya hear it was Collins doin' the puttin'?"

Ricky's eyes flickered to Luke. It was obvious he hadn't.

"Weren't much left a Gator, last I saw."

Luke felt cold. "What do you mean?"

"Seems he had a little accident in solitary and now he ain't breathin' without help these days."

A small group of other cons were crowding round behind Louis, all murmuring anger at Gator's fate.

"Them boys is in one heap o' trouble."

"That ain't Luke's fault!" Bo cried.

Louis went to grab at the boy, but Luke's hand stopped him. Louis set on Luke, shoving him back so they both crashed to the ground. A roar went up from the other cons.

Ricky gripped Bo's arm and tried to pull him away.

Bo turned. "That's my cousin!"

"Guards'll see ta it."

But he shook off the hold and threw himself at one of men grappling with Luke. The other convict they had been shooting hoops with had waded in too, backing up the Dukes. Ricky tried to follow the fight, but he lost sight of both Bo and his cousin under the mounting tussle of prisoners.

His eyes caught a flash and he gasped when he realised what he had seen. A knife glinted in the sunlight.

Ricky yelled out, but his voice was lost in the noise.

Gun shots echoed through the air, the sound reverberating around the thick walled enclosure. There was clamouring and yelling as everyone immediately ducked and sat down, hands on their heads like they were taught. In the tussle, Bo felt someone thump against his shoulder blade. He'd lost sight of Luke and Ricky, but he didn't dare stand up to look for them.

Then the guards came over, yelling and swinging their batons, beating a few of the troublemakers and cuffing them.

When they felt order had been restored, they allowed sections of men to get up and walk back to their cells. Bo felt dizzy as he stood, his legs wobbled. Ricky caught and steadied him and when he turned to thank his cell mate, he saw Ricky staring at the arm he'd used to support Bo. It was slicked with bright red. Then his friends eyes came up to meet Bo's and he could see fear in them.

"Bo! You're bleeding!"

Bo looked down at himself, but couldn't see anything wrong.

Ricky began examining his shoulder and Bo remembered being punched there.

"BO!" He heard Luke cry. And then he was falling.

He didn't feel his body hit the ground.

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Thanks for the reviews! My muse is now back with this story, after some gentle persuasion from the ASP that Mickey Webb leaves in my subconscious just for this purpose.