Sorry it took so long to post but had to think on this chapter and didn't want it really short. Thanks for all the reviews so far!

Chapter 16

The following week was 'normal' by Hazzard's end of the year normal. The graduates for the most part were thrilled to be done with school, but somehow found it hard to believe that school was really over. The thoughts of not seeing their friends every day or maybe not again combined with the thrill of being out of school made for a bittersweet feeling. Graduation day went off without a hitch, and there was a shared sense of pride in the gymnasium as the graduates tossed their caps in the air. The weekend following was enjoyed by all the graduates, friends and family. Jesse had lightened up a bit on the kids following Luke's graduation. So the boys had been able to spend the weekend camping out near one of their favorite fishing holes. On the bank near their camp site Sunday afternoon the boys lazed in the sun with just the right amount of summer breeze blowing to keep it from being hot.

Luke had a line in the water but he hadn't got a bite in over an hour. He was staring at the water's movement as he felt his eyes beginning to get heavy. Catching himself from falling asleep Luke pushed himself into a setting position seeing that Bo was indeed catching a nap. Luke tapped Bo's boot with his own and said with a sigh, "Bo we got to get packed up."

Bo mumbled, "Do we have to? I could stay right here."

"I'd prefer to stay here myself, but that was the deal, ... that we'd be home for supper." Luke said.

Bo heard everything that Luke said, but he also heard what Luke wasn't saying. "You're worried ain't ya?"

For a split second Luke didn't follow Bo's line of thinking and looked up confused. Then, he realized that Bo was reading him better than he'd been reading himself. At first Luke started to deny that Bo had hit the nail on the head then said with a loud sigh, "Yeah."

Bo found it hard to believe that Luke could go to jail. "You really don't think you go to jail do you?"

Luke looked at his younger cousin. His face reminded Luke of when Bo had asked him about Santa Claus years before. Luke hadn't been able to bring himself to break Bo's heart back then and had sent him to talk to Aunt Martha. Luke knew he didn't have that option now. He looked Bo in the eyes and replied, "Bo the possibility is there that I could go to jail for a year. I have to be prepared to hear that tomorrow, ... and so do you."

Bo shook his head and set up, "No, I won't believe that. Luke they were just telling you that to scare you."

On some level Luke wanted to believe much of what Bo said, but he figured it was safer to be prepared for the worse and hope for anything better. "Bo, ... I know things may not be that bad, but they could be. I read the paperwork that I got. Judge Hardcastle wasn't lying Bo."

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Luke was in bed but he hadn't slept much, in fact it didn't seem as if he slept at all as he was looking out the window at the sky beginning to lighten up. As Luke heard Jesse knock on Daisy's bedroom door he set up on the bed and said even before Jesse opened the door, "I'm up, Uncle Jesse."

Monday morning dawned bright and clear with the birds chirping, rabbits hoping about, chickens scurrying around the farm yard as Bo and Luke went about their morning chores. Daisy was cooking breakfast as Jesse came inside. "Somethin' smells mighty good."

"Waffles." Daisy said.

"Waffles? On a Monday morning?" Jesse asked. This was a breakfast normally saved for Sunday mornings.

Daisy looked up to keep the tears that were filling her eyes from falling. She simply replied, "Luke's favorite."

Jesse knew that this morning was going to be hard on his entire family and more so if things went badly for Luke, but it appeared that it may be harder on the younger two than on Luke. Maybe that was because Luke at least seemed to be prepared for a bad outcome. Daisy had been trying not to think about what could happen and Bo flatly refused to think about the worst happening. Jesse had seen for years how Hardcastle had gotten the nickname of 'Hardcase'. Luke had heard enough to know that he Judge seldom if ever gave a sentence that was lesser than the maximum. Both Jesse and Luke had tried to convince Bo and Daisy in vainly, that today may very well not go well for Luke.

Bo and Luke came in from their chores, washed up and took their seats at the table. Luke smiled appreciatively at Daisy for her effort in fixing his normally favorite breakfast. He knew what she was trying to do. It wasn't working, but he appreciated the thought and told he so just as soon as Jesse finished the grace. "Thanks, Daisy."

As everyone finished up breakfast, Daisy began gathering up the dishes to be washed. She picked up the coffee pot to pour more coffee for Uncle Jesse. Jesse held his hand up to stop her as he looked at the clock, "Luke we best be going soon."

Luke nodded and quietly said, "Yeah."

Daisy quickly set the coffee pot down and turned around, "I'll be ready in just a minute."

"I'm ready now." Bo replied a little too quickly for Luke's liking.

Luke replied trying to lighten everyone's mood including his own, "In that big a hurry to get rid of me?"

Bo glared at his older cousin, "Luke! You know better than that on both accounts!"

Jesse cut Luke and Bo off. "Bo, Daisy..."

Luke finished Jesse's sentence as he stood up, "Look ya'll, I'm glad that you both want to go support me in this, but if not for Uncle Jesse, then for me, please, just stay here today. I really don't know how this is going to turn out, but however it does, I got myself in this mess. I'll have to live with the rest. It would make it easier on me if I wasn't worried about you two, too. ... Please?" Luke voice threatened to crack as he voiced his last word. His eyes held their gaze only a second before he turned and headed out the door.

Trusting that the younger ones would respect Luke's wishes in this, Jesse reached for his red cap and said hopefully, "We'll be back as soon as we can."

Daisy looked at her slightly older cousin as Jesse walked out the door behind Luke.

Bo was looking at her. Both knew the other had been determined to go to court with Luke.

Out front Luke was waiting on Jesse who asked him, "Taking the Torino or the pickup?"

Luke replied with a shrug of his shoulders, "Which one do you want to drive back?"

Jesse stepped toward the pickup and tossed the keys to Luke.

Luke caught them. He hadn't planned on driving but it may very well be the last time he got to drive for some time to come even if he did manage to come back home with Jesse. Luke got in and started the truck. He knew he was being 'silly' but he couldn't help taking a long look at the farm and house that had been his home since he could remember. The curtain in slight disarray didn't go unnoticed by Luke who knew Daisy and Bo were watching out the window. Luke took in a deep breath that he knew he'd be 'holding' at least in part until he walked out of the court room one way or the other.

As the truck made it's way to town, Jesse asked, "Want to talk about it?"

"I don't think there is really anything to talk about." Luke replied honestly.

"Well it may not change the out come today, but know that no matter what; I may not agree with your actions or decisions all the time, but that I will support you, ... always." Jesse said then added, "And so will those cousins of yours."

Luke gave Jesse a smile, "Uncle Jesse I've known that since I broke Rosco's Momma's front window passing that ball when I was ten. You supported me every Saturday afternoon for the entire summer while I cut the her grass to pay for that window while you and Mrs. Coltrane talked and drank iced tea."

"You learned where not to throw a ball didn't ya?" Jesse asked.

Luke grinned, "Yeah, I guess I did."

Jesse gave him a look and said, "Now if you can just learn to race cars on the track."

Luke frowned, "I just hope it don't take all summer to learn that."

"Or longer." Jesse added.

"Yeah." Luke replied as he parked the pickup outside the courthouse. He reached in his pocket and handed Jesse the keys to the Torino and his wallet. "Keep Bo out of it, but make sure ya start it occasionally. There is money in there from working the garage ..." Luke's voice trailed off leaving the rest of his sentence unspoken.

Jesse only nodded and said, "We best be goin' in 'fore we are late. It's never good to show up for court even on time, you always make sure you are a bit early."

Luke stepped out of the truck and got a surprise. Coming toward him was Cooter and Mark McCormick. Both were dressed up. As they walked up, Luke asked, "Hey fellas. What has you two all cleaned up this early?"

Cooter replied, "You do actually. We both told ya that we'd go to court with you and tell them you wasn't drinking before you raced."

Luke looked at Jesse who said, "It can't hurt."

"Thanks guys but I'm not sure how much good it will do." Luke said.

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At the Courtroom door Luke, Cooter and Mark stopped and took in the sight of high ceiling, dark oak trim against the white walls. The room it's self looked intimidating to all the young men, but was a bit overwhelming especially when you were the one who would be facing the toughest judge in at least three counties. As Jesse had planned they were a few minutes early as he made his way to the seats at the front table. He turned to see the three young men still at the door and motioned for them to join him. Luke took a deep breath and headed to the seat beside where Jesse was waiting. Cooter and Mark took seats behind Jesse and Luke.

"Luke..." Cooter started to say something to Luke in a normal tone but barely got out the first word when he heard how the room echoed. He suddenly changed his mind as Rosco came in a side door.

Rosco seen Cooter Davenport and Mack McCormick setting behind Luke and Jesse. They were obviously here for a purpose considering their dress, but Rosco couldn't help wonder what that purpose was. As Judge Hardcastle came in from his chambers Rosco said with a most official voice, "All rise for the Honorable Milton C. Hardcastle."

Everyone stood until the Judge had taken his place on the bench. He opened the file folder and looked over its contents before beginning. The court was called to order, Luke was sworn in and his charges read by Judge Hardcastle, "You have been charged with the following: Fighting, Racing and DUI. Do you understand these charges?"

Luke looked at Jesse for only a split second before answering, "Yes, Sir."

"Is there anything you wish to say before I ask you how you plea?" The Judge asked.

Again, Luke looked at Jesse before finding his voice, "Yes, Sir."

Hardcastle motioned for Luke to continue.

"First of all, Your Honor, I was not drinking and driving. There are a couple of people here that can tell you that." Luke said.

Judge Hardcastle recognized the one young man from the the local garage even though he was cleaned up more so than usual. He had seen the other young man around but wasn't familiar with him. Considering what the young Duke before him had said, the Judge decided to at least hear the young men out to see if Jesse's nephew was indeed telling the truth or if they had made this up between them to try to get their friend out of trouble. "I'll see you and your uncle in my office." Then he turned to the court reporter. "This will be all on record so you will need to join us."

Once in his office, Judge Hardcastle said, "Alright, tell me what happened that night. I will remind you that you are under oath."

Luke took a long breath before starting, "It is true, I was fighting with Ralph Green when the Sheriff arrived at the lake, but only because I was hit first. We had ran a race and the fight was over the outcome. I had been drinking some when Rosco got there. However, that is not how things happened. We raced the race where Ralph ended up stuck in a ditch. While watching him try to get out of the ditch and then helping to get him out of the ditch I did drink a couple beers. After the car was out of the ditch is when Rosco showed up to see us fighting."

Hardcastle had seen several off the track races in his time and he just might have participated in a couple when he was Luke's age, so he asked, "How did Mr. Green end up in the ditch?"

Luke looked him in the eyes and said, "My opinion. He was trying to stick me in the ditch and lost it."

With a bit of a mischievous grin, Hardcastle asked, "Did you win?"

Luke replied truthfully, "I did."

Hardcastle gave Jesse a 'look' and said, "Alright. That's all I needed from you." Then to Rosco, he said, "Send in one of the other young men."

Luke and Jesse returned to the court room as Cooter went to talk with the Judge. He was gone several minutes before Rosco came out and told Mark that the Judge would see him now. After many questions and re-worded questions of Luke's friends the Judge was pretty much satisfied that he had the truth from the boys. Alone in the office with Rosco while the court reporter was getting set up in the courtroom Hardcastle said, "Sheriff did you do any tests on Mr. Duke to see if he was intoxicated?"

Rosco stuttered, "Git, ... git, ... git, ... well, ... um, ... no. But ya see, ... ."

"I see exactly. Mr. Duke denies the charge. His friends told the same account. You didn't catch him driving, you didn't test him, you can't prove that he was driving impaired." Hardcastle said.

Rosco began with his normal gibberish. "He admitted to drinking and racing. I caught him in the middle of a fight."

Hardcastle said, "The only thing I see for you to do is to drop the DUI charge and we'll proceed with the other two charges."

Rosco wasn't happy about dropping even the one charge, but agreed. He'd just have to get them next time.

Jesse gave Luke a look that said they would soon find out the outcome of the discussions in the judge's chambers.

Luke was not convinced that even Cooter and Mark's being there was going to help him out any as he saw the stern look Judge Hardcastle had on his face when he took his seat on the bench. The proceedings were called back to order and the Judge began, "I have heard separate statements from Mr. Duke, Mr. Davenport and Mr. McCormick. I have also spoken to Sheriff Coltrane who has now agreed to drop the charge of Driving Under the Influence. Is this acceptable Mr. Duke?"

It was more than Luke expected as he found his voice and replied, "Yes, Sir it is."

The judge instructed the court reporter to show that the charge had been dropped. Then Judge Hardcastle asked, "As for the Racing and the Fighting, would you like to enter a plea? I caution you that your statements to the Sheriff on the night of the incident as well as your statements in chambers are a part of this record."

Luke winced. He may have had a couple of beers but remembered well that he had admitted to racing Ralph and knew that Rosco had seen their fight. Though he really didn't want to plead guilty to anything he felt that he had little choice in the matter. He also knew that if he lied under oath that he'd be in more trouble. Luke squared his shoulders and nodded, "Yes, Sir, I'd like to enter a plea." Finishing the thought to himself, "And hope for the best. I've already got a bigger break than I expected."

Judge Hardcastle asked, "How do you plea to the charge of Fighting?"

Luke knew he would have been crazy to say he hadn't been fighting. Rosco had pulled them a part. He responded looking fully at the judge, "Guilty."

Cooter and Mark looked at him like he had lost his mind. To their way of thinking you never admitted doing wrong to a Judge.

Judge Hardcastle then asked, "How do you plead to the charge of Racing?"

Luke knew that he could plead innocent since Rosco hadn't actually seen him but with his statements the Judge would likely add on the charge of Perjury. Being a chance that Luke didn't wish to take, after nearly a full minute, he replied as he looked Judge Hardcastle in the eyes, "Guilty as charged, Your Honor."

Judge Hardcastle made the notes in his file folder then said, "Court is adjourned for fifteen minutes."

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