Hi, I'm back! Bet ya didn't miss me, but on the off chance you did, I just wanted to say I think I worked some of the bugs out. Hope you like where this story is going, and the Dukes of Hazzard are still not mine. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I just hope you'll stick with me and I'll do my best not to disappoint. Moving on…
Lulu Hogg hurried over to where the Duke family stood as soon as she could get away from the crowd. "Jesse, Bo, all of ya, I'm so sorry!" she cried once she reached them. "I just—J.D wasn't gonna go and I just found out and I just couldn't go all by myself…"
Lulu burst into tears as the strain of dealing with Jefferson Davis Hogg caught up with her. Daisy stepped forward to place a comforting arm around the woman's shoulders while Jesse took Lulu's hand in his and patted it gently. The boys offered their support as well, moving closer to stand by the distraught woman.
Jesse said, "It's all right, Lulu. We understand why ya done it. Ya got no need to feel sorry. Ya was just upset with J.D., that's all."
Under Jesse and Daisy's ministrations, Lulu's tears began to subside. She wiped her eyes and said, "I know, but it's just awful of me! I didn't want to involve y'all in my problems. I just wanted to hurt J.D.—"
"I think you managed that," Luke observed. "With that bid ya probably hit Boss in the one place he ain't padded!"
"But it's my event, and I just cain't be seen there alone, without J.D…." Her eyes sought out Bo's. "Look, Bo, ya don't have to come with me," she said earnestly. "I'll just pay the money I bid and you can find a gal your own age to come with, ok? I'm real sorry…"
As Lulu began sobbing again, Daisy, Jesse and Luke all looked over at Bo who was beginning to understand the phrase "deer in the headlight look". His expression probably described it perfectly. Bo still felt stunned by the way events had unfolded, but he knew what would be the right thing to do. His Uncle Jesse had raised him right, leading by example, and Bo knew exactly what Jesse would do if he were in his nephew's shoes. For that matter, he knew Luke would do the same thing in this situation. But Bo didn't quite know how to approach Lulu in her condition. Doing the right thing is not always easy. But finding the right thing to say is sometimes harder still.
"Aw, ya don't have to be upset, Miss Lulu," he said hesitantly. "I'll go with ya to that dance, if ya still want me to. So as ya don't hafta go alone."
"Ya mean it?" Lulu dried her eyes and glanced at the Dukes gratefully. "But I know you was probably expectin' to take some pretty young thing to that dance…"
"Don't think I still ain't doing that, Miss Lulu," Bo answered, giving her his boyishly charming smile in the hopes of making her feel better. His plan worked as she blushed and put her hands up to her face to hide it.
"Y'all, I don't know what to say. You Dukes is just such so kind to me, and J.D. is wrong to feel the way he does about you! Bless you!"
Jesse stepped in and held up a warning finger, lightening the mood. "I know one thing, though. You kids had best behave yourselves, cause I'm gonna be there and I'm gonna have my eye on this nephew of mine!" he said playfully.
While the Dukes put Lulu's mind at ease about the situation and got her laughing again, back in his office Boss Hogg refused to be comforted. His one true love had left him for a Duke boy and he was takin' it pretty hard.
"5000 dollars!" Boss Hogg wailed, sobbing on Rosco's shoulder. "5000 dollars of my hard earned simoleons! Wasted…on a Duke!"
You know Boss is out of sorts when even that Boss Hogg-sized banana split fails to console him. But at least he did let it make the effort.
"Well, you know, Boss," Rosco pointed out, "if you'd a just gone with Lulu like she wanted you to, she wouldn't a spent all that money on Bo.
Boss Hogg took a long hard look at his brother-in-law. "Rosco," he said, "if brain cells was dollar bills, you couldn't afford penny candy!"
Boss paced the length of his office, Rosco trailing close behind. "All right, all right, all right. I just gotta find a way to get it all back."
"Uh, Boss?" Rosco said uncertainly. "Ain't robbin' orphans kinda low, even for you? Not to mention, it's Lulu's event."
"I contributed most of it thanks to Lulu's bid, now didn't I?" Boss asked, wrapping a pudgy arm around Rosco as if to steer the Sheriff's thoughts in the way he wanted them to go.
"Well, yeah," Rosco had to admit.
"Well, I'm just gonna uncontribute it, then! So you see, there ain't no robbin' from orphans involved. And Lulu's got insurance, anyhow. Besides, who's gonna be closest to Lulu that night? I ain't gonna be there, remember?"
Rosco took a moment to think about it. "That would be Bo Duke," he answered finally.
"Very good, Rosco!" Boss said sarcastically. "So tell me this, if Bo is the closest person to Lulu when that money turns up missin', who will it look like stole it?"
"Ooh, ooh, Bo Duke!" Rosco burst out excitedly. "I love it, I love it!" he giggled.
Boss Hogg cackled as he picked up the phone to make arrangements. As he put in a few calls, and called in some favors, giving more particulars of a plan he had already put in motion, Rosco was busy crunching the numbers to figure out his cut. Something didn't quite add up, to his mind.
"But Boss," the Sheriff said, somewhat anxiously, "ain't this orphanage fund heist kinda small compared to some of your other schemes? You ain't gonna make all that much…and I'm gonna make even less 'n that!"
"Rosco," Boss answered with a long-suffering sigh, the kind a saint might utter in the midst of tribulation, "it ain't the money, you understand that? It's the principle of the thing!"
"Boss, you ain't got principles."
"But what I do got is a chance to put them Duke boys away for a very long time! Then," Boss Hogg added off-handedly, "maybe I can afford to have myself some principles."
"That ain't likely…" Rosco murmured but Boss was too pleased with himself to listen.
"Yes sirree Bob! Them Dukes will soon be outta the way in the State Pen!" Boss Hogg pressed his hands together, a greedy glint lighting his eyes.
a/n: I would have had this up earlier but the computer refused to cooperate. Hopefully now I have broken the computer's will and it will obey me like a good little machine should. If not, well… Anyway, please R and R, it would really make my day!
