Chapter 28

No Bo didn't want Luke to skin him when he got home so he got started off to do the chores that he was able to do, but Jeb stopped him, "You didn't answer me there Cuz, they have really let you go with them on runs?"

Bo nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yeah... Yeah, they sure have..." Maybe things weren't the best right now, but at least he knew that his family trusted him that much.

Jeb asked, "You think Uncle Jesse would let me go before I have to go back home?" He knew his mother would have one more fit if he actually got to go and she found out.

Bo shrugged. "I don't know, really... I mean, your mama can be awful mean when she gets riled, and I don't know if Uncle Jesse's aimin' to get in more trouble with her."

Jeb nodded. He should have known that Jesse would ask his parents before he'd even consider letting Jeb go. "Yeah, let's get to work."

Bo started walking toward the back of the barn where the tools were stored. There were some repairs that needed to be done, and he was going to do as many as he could with one hand.

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Jesse's feelings alternated between being angry at Luke and understanding his reaction to the Ralph's comments about Daisy. He dreaded his return to the farm. He knew that Bo and the other kids would take Luke's extended stay hard. Jesse tried to get prepared to deal with the kids appropriately no matter how he may feel deep down, because deep down wrong is wrong and Luke had done wrong.

Bo saw Jesse's truck pulling into the farm, and ran out to meet him, feeling sick to his stomach when he didn't see Luke in the truck. He found himself hoping it was something he didn't know about, like maybe they had to check Luke out before Jesse could bring him home. As soon as the truck stopped, Bo said, his tone worried, "Where's Luke?"

Jesse sighed. He knew Bo would be the first to the pick up. As he looked up, he saw Daisy and Jeb coming from the other directions.

Jeb looked from Bo to Jesse, "Where's Luke?"

Daisy waited looking as confused as the others.

"Let's just go inside and we'll talk." Jesse wanted a chance to get out of the truck and hoped to avoid Bo injuring himself again.

Usually, Bo would've kept running off at the mouth, but something in the weary tone of Jesse's voice made him keep his mouth shut and follow his uncle to the house. He felt sick to his stomach, and a little bit like crying, but he forced himself not to let it out. He couldn't. Not here in front of everybody.

Jesse waited until the kids were setting down. He looked at each of them and then let his eyes rest on the oldest one present, Bo. "Now, before I go any further. I'll have no foolishness from any of you three. You are to remain seated until excused. Is that clear?"

Jeb frowned. He didn't spend as much time with his Uncle Jesse as the others did, but he knew that tone and whatever he had to say wasn't going to be good.

Daisy eyes went wide at Jesse's comment.

Sorrow had taken over anger in Bo's heart, and he didn't even have it in him to fight against Jesse's call. He settled into his seat, knowing this wouldn't be what he wanted to hear, and not really sure how to respond. He couldn't go messing up his other hand, because that would just put them all in a bind... But the thought of Luke, still in jail? Well, it was a little too much to handle.

"First of all, Luke will be home Friday." Jesse paused checking out each of the kids reactions before he continued.

Bo finally spoke up. "Wait just a minute, Uncle Jesse! Why ain't he home now?"

Daisy was quiet, but shook her head. This was getting way out of hand. She covered her face, trying to fight back the tears.

Jeb was almost as riled as Bo was. "Uncle Jesse, did that Ralph feller get Luke in trouble again? I aim to go down there right now and give him a piece of my mind."

Bo looked at Jeb, somewhat surprised, then kind of aggravated that he hadn't thought of that first.

"Now just settle down before you all join your cousin hot water." Jesse said looking from Bo to Jeb.

Jeb's eyes got a bit wide knowing he'd pushed just a bit too far. "Yes, Sir."

Jesse added, "Luke's temper got himself in a bit of trouble, and if y'all don't calm down, I'm beginning to think you'll all end up in the same mess one day..."

Bo spoke up, trying really hard not to get into more trouble. "Uncle Jesse, what did Luke do?"

Jesse decided that the entire bit of information would do them better hearing it from Luke, himself, "Well, I thought I'd taught you all to get along with others and not break the rules, but it seems Luke missed some of that lesson and I think I'll just let you all ask him those questions."

Bo nodded, "So when can we go see him?"

Jesse replied, "You'll see him on Friday."

"But, Uncle Jesse..." Bo began. He'd had his fill of holding his tongue. He wasn't aiming to disrespect his uncle, but he just HAD to see Luke.

"But nothin'," Jesse said firmly. "We ain't discussin' or arguin', Bo."

Bo sighed.

Jesse added, "Besides me telling you that you're not going to see Luke the Judge has said they can't have visitors until they get out on Friday."

Jeb was on to this dog's trail quick, "So Ralph had to stay too? I knew it was him that caused this." He was starting up out of his seat, ...

Jesse Duke didn't take well to Jeb's apparent plan to take care of things. "You sit down right this minute, Jeb Stuart Duke!" he snapped, pointing at the chair. "You best stay out of this if you know what's good for ya."

Jeb let his feet out from under him and quickly returned his behind to his seat.

Daisy quietly asked, "But why, Uncle Jesse."

"That Ralph is one sorry son of a gun!" Bo exclaimed, kicking the leg of his chair to keep from punching the wall again.

Jesse shot Bo a stern look, then answered Daisy, "Well, I guess the Judge figures if I can't teach Luke those lessons then he'd give it a try."

Seeing no point in what Jesse said, Jeb asked, "But why would he keep us away?"

Jesse had seen Judge Hardcastle's logic here and said, "Bo remember when you were punished for following Luke when he snuck off and skipped school?"

Bo nodded, 'yes'.

Jesse added, "Luke was so mad at you for following him because he thought you got him caught."

Again Bo nodded, 'yes'.

"Well, you see, Bo never got Luke caught. I got a phone call as soon as Luke was not seen on the bus." Jesse explained, but never gave his source away. "They both got grounded for a week. Luke wouldn't even speak to Bo." Jesse explained mainly for Jeb's benefit. "How long did that last Bo?"

Bo shrugged, "Seemed like forever at the time. Just us two in the room and no one else to talk to..."

Jesse smiled at Bo's unfinished sentence, "But it was how long?"

Bo barely looked up as he answered, "Supper time I think."

"Well, there you have it. It didn't take long at all." Jesse said.

"Yeah, but we like each other. Luke and Ralph don't." Bo replied.

Jesse nodded, "I know that and they may never like each other, but the thing is they got to get to the place with one another to leave each other alone."

01~~~~~~~~~~01

Peggy answered the phone when it rang. "Hazzard Jail."

Judge Hardcastle said, "This is Hardcastle. Are they back in the cells?"

"Yes." She answered.

"Any trouble?" The Judge asked.

Peggy had heard and seen a lot worse than the two young men had been, "No."

"Good. Good." Hardcastle paused, "Now, I hope you brought you a book or something to keep you busy because I want those two to have to at least talk to each other enough to reach an agreement to let the other be. The only way that is going to happen, if it does, is for them to only have each other to talk to. So unless it is necessary don't carry on a conversation. I'm not saying don't speak, but no conversations, because if they can talk to you they won't talk to each other."

"I can do that. I'm not sure it's going to work, but I can do that." Peggy said.

"Also, pass it along to Deputy Petticord. I've made sure it's your two working for the next couple days." The Judge said.

"I'll do what I can." Peggy replied.

Judge Hardcastle smiled, "I knew you would."

01~~~~~~~~~~~~~~01

Across the room in the cells were two very unhappy young men. The longer Luke sat in the cell the madder he got at Ralph. Ralph on the other hand felt much the same way toward Luke.

Peggy got their lunch from Enos, "Thanks Enos. See ya at supper."

Enos frowned, "Don't you want me to relieve you?"

"Thanks, but I'm good." Peggy advised. She took her lunch off the top, then placed a container in each cell. "Lunch fellas."

Ralph tried to strike up a conversation, "What's it supposed to be"

Peggy simply replied, "I didn't ask when I called my order in." She returned back to her desk and began to eat her salad. She had read the log book back to the beginning. Did the monthly report. Read the newspaper and currently had a paperback western open. Just the fact she wasn't supposed to carry on a conversation made it that much harder not to, though she was never over friendly with any of her charges.

Luke opened the container and winced. Chipped beef again. He wasn't sure why they called it that, but they had managed to get it at least once a day since they had been there. He was sure that the gravy around what was supposed to be beef would hold the plastic fork on it's own but he was afraid to try it for fear that he wouldn't eat it. At the moment he wasn't sure which was worse, what the concoction was doing to his body or being hungry until supper. With a heavy sigh he figured the latter was currently the worst of the two.

Ralph on the other hand took one look and closed the container back. He'd not been raised like the Dukes not to waste food no matter how much you may not want to eat that particular food.

Luke put the empty container down and walked to the window. He stood watching life in Hazzard passing him by. Other than family, Cooter and Ruby's visits were the only ones to think about him, as far as he knew all the other friends he had were out there getting on with their lives and their summers. Just the thought of Ruby made him regret going there. The cell was hot and humid with the afternoon sun and that along with the thoughts of Ruby or about any other female that he'd ever known were not helping his current state of body or mind. He wasn't sure where the time had went but was still looking out the window watching no one in particular not miss him. Everyone he saw seemed to be getting on just fine with out him. Luke barely heard the deputy come down the stairs.

"Ok fellas dinner." Deputy Petticord said as he set the two trays in cells and went to the desk with his own dinner.

Peggy asked, "Have you talked to the Judge?"

"Yeah, he talked to me before he left the courthouse." Deputy Petticord replied.

Peggy nodded. "Alright then see you in the morning."

"Alright. Have a good one." the deputy said. He made his way to the desk, propped up his feet and began to read the paper.

Luke walked the short distance from the window to the bars and took the container to the hard bunk. As he opened the container he wasn't sure what the person who came up with the meal was thinking. Now he may not be a health expert but Spaghetti, mashed potatoes, navy beans with cornbread just wasn't his idea of a balanced meal. The dreaded cornbread. It too was served at least once a day sometimes two times. He'd not really be surprised to find it in a breakfast tray. The meal wasn't bad, it was actually one of the better meals but he'd have thought they could have come up with something to have went together better than all those starches. One thing for sure, this experience sure would make him appreciate Jesse and Daisy's cooking more. Luke wasn't sure he'd ever even take just being able to go to the refrigerator for a snack for granted for a long while to come.

Without really thinking about it, Luke found himself back at the window. He watched Cooter close the garage, lock up then cut out with Brodie and Dobro. It didn't look like any of them missed his participation in the antics as they all likely headed out to the Boar's Nest to girls that also likely hadn't missed him either. Luke watched as the rest of Hazzard closed down and headed home. Before he knew it the big lights were cut out leaving nothing but enough like for the officer to be able to watch on them.

There was no longer anything to watch out the window and nothing to do in the cell but lay down, so Luke made his way to the steel cot. His body complained no matter how he turned. He seemed sore on all sides in places he'd never hurt before. Luke set up and began looking at the cell in the dim light. The officer, that he was in plain view of and had been 24 / 7 since he'd been there was only the distance of the rather small room away. Then, there was Ralph who, like now, was less than ten feet away from him and had been for far too long.

Luke had never been one to have a lot of privacy with Bo sharing a room and his bed closer than Ralph's bunk. Also, being the oldest, Luke never knew when any of his cousins would have a bad dream or get scared by a storm and seek him out in the middle of the night. Though in the past few years it was them looking to talk to him about a date gone wrong. Luke then began to wonder what they had been doing without him? Yeah, he knew it had only been a few days, but he'd never been away from any of them this long since they had come to live with Jesse. Next he started thinking about what his absence was doing to his younger cousins and his Uncle. The added work load. Bo's broken wrist which caused more work on each of them even with Jeb there.

Then there was the messages he was sending each of his younger cousins, even the ones not in Hazzard. Luke was sure that Jeb's mother had let the others knwo exactly where he was at and why, though that part may be exagerated by now. Oh, he was sure he'd hear all about this from Jesse once he got home, but for now he was looking at them himself. First was that he thought it was alright to break a law (not just a rule) because someone else did something wrong. Yes, he may reason he had done it for the 'right reason', but bottom line; he had been wrong. Luke figured he also sent them a message that he knew it all; he didn't.

Luke realized that he'd have to set the record straight and also apologize to all his family. Just the thought of those admissions tended to leave a rather bad taste in his mouth since he'd always been expected to set an example for the younger ones and this wasn't where he wanted any of them to be, ever.

He looked over at Ralph who was setting up not really looking at anything. Luke studied him for a long minute and tried to swallow the bad taste in his mouth caused by what he was about to say. Well, at least what he was trying to come to terms with saying...

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