Sorry for the delays. Life is crazy here and the next month my schedule will be mixed up after months of working straight midnights Sunday through Thursday nights, I'll be working some 12 on weekends and evening, day and midnight shifts. Know I'll love that but in the mix I do have a few three days off so I'll try to do better and hope May schedule is normal. Thanks for all the readers and reviews!

Chapter 30

With Jesse taking Luke to court, he didn't have to worry about driving himself home. He knew that Jesse would be there at the stroke of noon to pick him up. But, Ralph however, had to drive in from Placid County for court. Luke wondered where he had parked that Rosco had not given him grief for the extended stay in Hazzard.

As the clock neared noon, Luke was called out of the cell first, "Luke." Peggy said as she unlocked the cell door. Luke gladly stepped outside the cell. He was given his clothes, belt, boots along with his personal items. As the clock struck 12:00 noon his card was stamped out.

Ralph was let out of his cell only after Luke was sent up the stairs.

Luke was more concerned about getting out of jail than Ralph so he proceeded out to where Jesse was waiting outside.

Jesse insisted, "Come on, Luke. Let's get you home and out of here before that Green boy comes out."

Luke nodded in agreement, though he would have loved to have seen him arrested right then and there for driving with a revoked license. Tensely, Luke nodded, 'Ok.' After getting into the old white pick up, Jesse drove away, heading both himself and his oldest nephew toward the family farm.

As Jesse drove up the driveway Bo, Daisy and Jeb finally saw their missing cousin and ran from points far and near. Screams of "Luke!" erupted across the farm.

Luke looked at Jesse.

Jesse meerily replied, "You created this. You deal with it."

Luke nodded and grimaced even before the old pick up stopped at the farm house. Even before Luke opened the truck door, Bo was nearly in his lap.

"LUKE!" Bo exclaimed.

Jeb and Daisy were right behind Luke.

"I'm here. I'm fine." Luke said hoping to satisfy his cousins. You'd have thought he'd been gone 12 months not DAYS!

Bo had latched on to him like he was a 'life line' for a drowning person.

Luke finally managed to get out of the truck and peel Bo and the others off him, "Come on y'all, I just really need a shower."

Understanding and grateful, they let Luke make his way into the farm house and to the shower, while each planned their own version of the reunion.

Once inside the privacy of the bathroom door, Luke locked the door and let out a giant sigh of relief. Finally, he was home, safe, sound and alone in the bathroom. That is where he stayed for several minutes before he undressed, showered, dried, and dressed. After shaving he waited, totally enjoying the privacy that he'd had for the past several minutes. He knew when he opened the door to the bathroom that all that would change. Taking in and letting out a cleansing breath, Luke prepared himself before opening the bathroom door.

Daisy called as soon as she heard the bathroom door open, "Luke, we've waited lunch for you."

After dodging the breakfast the County had supplied him earlier that morning, Luke was grateful that they waited for him, but wouldn't have minded if they had eaten without him and left him the leftovers. Now, he had no choice but to report to the table and eat now with his family. Luke obeindently headed to the table.

Jesse as usual said the grace ans added thanks for Luke's return home. Then, everyone dug into the sandwich fixin's with some french fried potatoes. Daisy had put out a jug of 'sun tea' out earlier so that it was ready lunch.

Luke could honestly say that this was the best meal he'd had in nearly two weeks, and did so, "Daisy this may just be sandwiches, but it's the best thing I've had to eat since I left here the other morning."

Daisy blushed a bit, "Luke!"

Bo frowned. If that was the best Luke had eaten since being gone then something was wrong. He thought prisoners was supposed to get three square meals a day. This was just a snack. "Hold on a second, there Luke. I thought they was supposed to give you three square meals a day."

Luke swallowed a bit of sandwich, "Well, they may be three square meals, but that don't mean you like them or can eat them." He saw the looks from his family and though he didn't feel the need to tell them every detail he did say, "When have you ever had mashed potatoes with any pasta and cornbread and beans?"

"What? That is all starches." Jesse said.

"Well, ya may get all the vegetables the next round." Luke said, then added after a pause, "I guess it may equal out there somewhere. But, I'll take this as the most normal meal I've had in days."

Jesse only nodded. He'd have a talk with Rosco or the diner or who ever made those meals up. But right now his family was back together. "Alright, since we're all home now. The back forty needs some hoeing then after the evening chores I reckon y'all can have a night off. But, that just gives me time to get things ready for tomorrow night. So enjoy tonight and be ready tomorrow." Jesse declared.

Luke seen the look that Jesse gave him. It was a warning look yet he'd been given all the rope he needed to hang himself. He silently swore.

Out in the back forty Bo was eager. "Luke! What are we going to do tonight?"

Luke frowned, "Well, with your broken wrist and my revoked license, ..."

Jeb jumped in, "I can drive."

Bo smiled.

Luke replied, "Yes, ... yes, ... you can."

After dinner, the boys dressed up for a night on the town. The three would be some crew, first there was Bo, who would be seventeen in days had a broken right wrist and could not drive a car with a standard transmission, Then there was Jeb, who was just over sixteen and had a brand new driver's license. Jeb was also overly eager since his mother had never allowed him to go out honky tonkin' before. Rounding out the bunch was Luke, the oldest but much to his displeasure currently had a revoked drivers license. So that would eliminate or limit much of the activities that the older male teens usually enjoyed on a Friday night.

Jesse cautioned the three to not get into any trouble, but even the family patriarch knew his words were falling on deaf ears.

Jeb drove Luke's car to the Boar's Nest without incident and as planned.

Though Luke felt as if every eye in the place was on him, he walked into the Boar's Nest trying to act as though nothing was a miss. Several ladies focused on him as he entered the local bar, but his attention went to the 'lady' who had propositioned him previously when he was still behind bars. If she did half tonight what she indicated the other day at the jail, Luke would be in seventh heaven for some time to come. He made his way to Ruby and after a drink asked her to dance.

Ruby drank the drink then followed him to the dance floor. As he took her in his arms, Ruby said, "Luke, we don't have to go through all this. I'm ready to leave when you are."

Luke nearly choked before he could reply. He knew he couldn't drive the two of them out of there. As tempting as the offer to leave right then and there was, Luke found himself being honest, "Ruby, Darlin', as much as I'd like for us to leave right now, I can't just drive us out of here. Ya, see, ... after all that my license is revoked, ..."

Ruby stopped him with a kiss. "Not to worry. I have a car. I'll drive."

That was far more that Luke was expecting, but he replied, "Well, alright."

Ruby replied, "I'll just slip off a freshen up a bit. Be right back Sugar."

Something in the way Ruby called him Sugar was not at all the same as when Daisy called him by the same word. Luke returned to the table and finished his beer while waiting on Ruby to return.

01~~~~~~~~~01

It was nearly dark as Robin neared the Boar's Nest. As luck would have it a car stopped dead in front of her before she knew what was happening. She automatically, back shifted to slow down only managing to cross the gears of the car. Nothing she tried would release the gears. The car was stuck in between gears in the middle of the road. She spotted the Hazzard County wrecker parked at the local 'watering hole' and prayed that Luke Duke was not its' driver tonight.

Robin put on her flashers and walked to the local bar. As she entered, she scanned the room. From a table near the door none other than Luke Duke asked, "Something wrong?"

With a sigh, Robin replied a bit embarrassed, "Crossed the gears in my car. They're jammed. I can't get them loose." It was a simple problem, yet, Robin could not get the car to respond to her.

Luke half way grinned, "Told ya that synchronizer was going. Come on." He walked to the back of Hazzard's wrecker, grabbed a hammer and tarp and crawled under Robin's car. Three pecks later, Luke said, "Go to first."

Robin tried the shifter. It went right into first. "Got it."

Luke scooted out from the car and motioned for Robin to get out of the car. She moved. She knew he'd have to check it for himself. Setting down in the seat he took the car through the gears several times without even starting it just in case Rosco was nearby. It seemed to shift alright to him. He got out and advised, "Shift it gentle. Don't try to kill it and it should be good."

Robin glared at him for the advice that she'd heard before, "Yeah. Thanks for the help."

"Anytime." Luke said with the too sweet southern accent as he flipped the hammer back into his hand. Luke paused long enough at the wrecker to put the hammer and tarp back, then went back to into the Boar's Nest, where Ruby was now waiting at the bar.

"Where did you run off to?" Ruby asked.

"Helped Cooter and an old friend. They crossed the linkage in their car. I knocked it loose." Luke explained without giving a lot of details.

Unconcerned, Ruby replied, "Oh. Ok, lets get going."

Get going was what they did as they left the Boar's Nest behind. Ruby drove her car away, while Luke concentrated on forgetting his acts of being a gentleman. He was more than ready forget all about being anything like a gentlemen.

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

From a parked car toward the back of the Boar's Nest, Robin's younger brother who could be a thorn in any ones' side saw his sister stop her car nearly in the road and go into the Boar's Nest. He was about to get out of the car to go see what was going on when he was very surprised to see Robin come back out of the Boar's Nest with none other than her Ex-boyfriend. Now he was even more interested and was sure that her fiance would be too. He saw Robin get in the car as Luke got under it. After a few minutes he saw them talk before Robin got in the car and drove away with Luke returning to the Boar's Nest. It seemed really funny to him that Luke was the one working on the car when he knew that Cooter was driving the wrecker tonight. He thought that his night now had the possibility of getting real interesting. Just as he stepped out of the car again he saw Luke come back out with another girl, get into a car and leave. Seeing Luke's car still parked, David knew it would only be a matter of time before Luke returned. He went inside and waited.

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

Several hours later, Ruby dropped Luke off outside the Boar's Nest. As Luke walked inside, spotted Bo and Jeb with a couple young girls at a back table he ordered a beer at the bar. He had not been watching the crowd until he heard Robin's youngest brother David say, "What were you doing in Robin's car earlier?"

Luke replied, "Making sure that Robin got it back home."

"So you and my sister were in her car? That makes perfect since!" David said adding more to it than had happened. "Wait until Ralph hears you were in her car tonight!"

Luke knew David well. He was the type to start trouble then set back and watch. Luke looked the shorter teen in the eye, and calmly said,"Ralph had better not hear anything from you about it." Even as Luke said this, he knew, it would do no good. Luke was also treading on thin ice since David was under eighteen.

David smiled, quickly finding an exit.

"Sh-!" Luke swore as Daisy handed him his beer.

Daisy asked, "What was 'that' about?"

Luke waved his hand dismissing it. "Robin crossed the linkage in her car earlier. I was here, got it unstuck, checked it out, obviously seen by her younger brother, who has run off to spread wild rumors to Ralph that I was in her car."

Daisy replied, "But, Luke, ... you told him not to."

"Nothing short of killing him would stop him and he's not worth it." said Luke taking a drink of beer. He saw Mark and his date Sharon enter. "I'll be back in a bit." Luke walked to them said to Mark, "Buy you a beer."

Mark replied, "Ok, what's up?"

Luke said, "You mean other than David trying to push my buttons?"

Mark questioned, "You mean my brother, David? Him push any body's buttons? Nev-ver!" replied Mark sarcastically.

Luke explained, "Robin was by here earlier. She had car problems in her ride. I got her going. David saw me in the car. Now, I suppose he's off to tell Ralph."

Mark raised his glass, "That's my brother!" he paused, "You know, he's pushing because ..."

"Because I can't touch him." said Luke to finish Mark's statement. "Yeah I know."

One of the girls who'd been eying Luke earlier came up behind him, "Care to dance?"

Luke turned to see Shelly standing there. He'd seen her before and knew she a bit younger than him but why not? He was in a good mood from his earlier outing with Ruby and now with David trying to push his buttons she may get his mind off the pest. "Sure why not." The dance had been a slow one and Shelly was letting her hands wander a bit hoping to get Luke's attention enough to be asked out by him. Luke responded favorably and let his hands do a bit of wandering too.

As the song ended, there was a shout from David in the back of the room, "What are you going to do use her like you did my sister, then leave her too?"

Cooter, Bo and Mark all moved to stop Luke, but he had been too fast going after David. He picked him up by the shirt collar, pinned him to the wall with his left hand, while with the right he drew back. As he brought the punch forward, Luke regained some of his senses. He brought the punch with in mere inches from David's face never touching him, yet noticeably scaring him. Luke let him down on the floor, pointed toward the door and said, "Go! You are NOT worth it!"

David was gone in a flash. Luke turned seeing David's father setting with Jesse for the first time. He had not moved to help his son. Luke walked over and said, "Bill, it was Da- close, but I didn't touch him."

Bill replied to Luke, "I saw. I was also here for the first round. I couldn't much blame you if you had hit him."

"He's pushing my buttons over me helping Robin earlier with her car. Now he's probably telling Ralph everything he thinks he knows." explained Luke.

"I LIVE with him." was all his father said.

Luke shook his hand and said, "I don't need the trouble, but I didn't want you mad at me either."

Bill replied, "We're fine."

"Thanks." Luke said. As he turned to go he seen the look of approval from Jesse.

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

NOTE: Please read and review. Characters other that Dukes are totally fictional and aren't meant to be or reflect on anyone living or dead.