pendragon1980

Being the courthouse only across the street from the clinic, Doc leans against her porch post, nursing a cup of coffee, watching the not-unusual antics of Coltrane and company. "It wouldn't be a usual Hazzard afternoon without an impromptu police chase." Unable to resist...she raises her voice to the two men. "Be glad its not me chasing you, Brian, but either way you may end up in handcuffs"

Heh. Looks like Brian's a wanted man in more than one sense.

Present and accounted for.

I can't create a world because the creator is only not compatible with Macs. I may try to eventually to make a Hazzard-esque world with one of the premade worlds but I'm having too much fun with the sci-fi theme at the moment. Also, I'm getting Showtime on Thurs.

Unfortunately, I got completely distracted by the new town to download, Lunar Lakes. Completely realistic Sim-Hazzard? Nah, Now I'm doing Dukes in Space!

Unfortunately, when I starting creating a neighborhood matters, my laptop slooowed to a crawl and the game crashed. Good: I backed up my game so no Sim Apocalypse again. Bad: KDuke, you may have to be the world creator but if you send me lot sizes and locations I can build lots. In the meanwhile, I'll keep providing candids as I play.

If you create a Hazzard terrain, I would definitely download it.

Alright then KDuke, you inspired me. New Hazzard it is. Since I have no talent creating terrain, plus my Mac doesn't support World Creator. I'm going to use Sunset Valley as my base. It's going to be slow going and I'll use Hoss C's "Hazzard Square" thread for reference. There may be some slight modifications because of space and gameplay. I think I should be able to get pretty close. http://www.hazzardnet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8221

Ambitions Late Night Generations World Adventures Pets High End Loft Stuff Pack Because of this thread, I decided to restart my game and start fresh. Here's my Hazzard Sims so far... Brian and Doc http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/ac176/pendragon1980/BrianandDoc.jpg Luke and Bo http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/ac176/pendragon1980/LukeandBo.jpg Maryanne and Rosco http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/ac176/pendragon1980/RoscoandMaryanne.jpg Daisy and Jesse http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/ac176/pendragon1980/DaisyandJeese.jpg

Unfortunately, I know how energy-hungry Sims 3 is because I tried to make a could "Big Brother" style households and it crashed my game, causing me to lose everything. Since then I only do 4 Sim households max. And I only have one Hazzard family in a neighbor at once, because of the AI. Although it was funny to be Brian join the Law Enforcement and Daisy marry off to Cooter because of the computer's decisions. And since I also had the time progression on, after a while I was starting to see second generation Hazzards showing up. Who Knew? Right how I'm fussing with Pets so I have Doc alone in the game.

Glad to see everyone is loving the pictures. I haven't play Sims in a while, been busy with everyday stuff. I have Bo, Luke, Brian, Maryanne, Chance in the game right now. At one point I also had Uncle Jesse, Daisy, Enos, Boss, Rosco, Cooter, Dr. Appleby and Miss Tizdale too. But it became too much to keep track as. The game has its own AI that makes some interesting life choices if you don't play a certain characters for a while. My big project if I ever had the time too is use the Map of Hazzard Square thread (I'm sorry, I forget whose started it) to create a true mini-Hazzard town in the Sims 3.

It was a few hours later, when Brian's aimless driving led him home again. It was dinnertime, and the cars in the driveway showed that MaryAnne and Rosco were already home. Brian parked Diablo and went inside the house, not feeling much like conversation, but knowing that avoiding dinner would send up a red flag to his investigatively-natured cousins. Without explanation for being late, Brian walked into the kitchen, grabbed a plate, and heaped it up as if he had an appetite. He took his usual spot at the table, muttering a dry "Howdy" to his cousins, keeping his eyes on the food. He poked around with it half-heartedly until MaryAnne's voice startled him out of his silence. "You gonna eat that, cousin, or are you just examining it?" The emotions, close to the surface for hours, could no longer be hidden. "I guess I'm just lookin' for somethin' that ain't there." Sighing, Brian put down his fork, and glanced over at MaryAnne. “That, and ah’m wishin’ I was somebody else.†MaryAnne and Rosco had both noticed Brian's quiet mood when he came home, and had figured whatever it was that was bothering him would come out eventually. MaryAnne was just surprised it came out this quick. She glanced at Rosco and then settled her gaze back on her black-clad cousin with concern. "What's wrong?" "It just hit me today that I ain't got much to offer anybody." A tone of frustration tinged the words. "I've changed mah life, but I'll nevah be able to change it enough to fit in where I don't belong." MaryAnne's features creased in question. What brought all this on? "Change takes time, cousin...." she offered. "There was a time when you never would have believed you'd be where you are right now... You do belong here." The young deputy's blue eyes searched Brian's expression from across the table. His dark eyes met the gaze, then flicked back down at the plate. "Ah appreciate this home n' all, don’t get me wrong." A deep sigh came from within the black-clad chest. "Maybe...it's that there's only so far I can go. An' there's only so far that I can be in somebody's life." Brian fell silent, bringing a glass of milk to his mouth as if to swallow down the words. At this, Rosco shifted his weight in the chair he sat in. MaryAnne caught the movement and realized he understood what was bothering Brian, and that she was about a pace behind. The elder Coltrane looked at his young cousin and put the entire issue forward with the utterance of a single name. "Chance?" Miserably, Brian nodded. "Used to think we had a lot in common...both grew up in Atlanta an' had a rough start. But she overcame it the right way n' made a good life for herself. She's got an education n' her own career. Ah've got...squat." MaryAnne hid her dissatisfaction with the 'squat' comment by taking a drink of her milk. Rosco felt it though and he gave Brian a half-smile. "No...you don't have squat. You and Chance still do have a lot in common. Just because y'all didn't overcome that rough start at the same time, doesn't make you any less worthy to her." Brian sighed and moved back from the table. "Ah'm not exactly a big contributor around here, either." With this, he got up and put his plate of barely-touched food in the fridge; the household budget didn't allow for waste. He walked past the table, but before leaving, paused at the doorway. He looked at his cousins with an expression of apology, though his mood of self-condemnation didn't accept their reassurances. A moment later, the screen door banged with his exit. Rosco sighed and dropped his napkin on the table. Before he could push the chair back, MaryAnne spoke. "Rosco....just let him go." "MaryAnne---" "Just leave him alone, Rosco. We've been through this before." She sighed. "He'll figure it out."

At the words "Some of us have to make an honest living," Brian smiled, but his dark eyes flickered with an internal reaction. 

He hid it with a mild chuckle and a gentle squeeze of Chance's hand. He answered her invitation for an evening rendezvous with a nod. "Then ah'll see you later, mah love." 

His smile remained as he released her hand and turned away. His stride was long but unhurried as he walked towards town, his demeanor appearing confident and casual. 

But as he rounded the corner and was out of sight of the medical office, a sigh deflated him and his walk slowed. 

Some of us have to make an honest living. Chance had spoken the words in humor, and not in any implied rebuke. To Brian, however, it was a subtle reminder that he had nothing to offer this woman for a future. He had no steady job; no prospects of a decent career. He was only able to find work doing odd jobs for farmers that needed a strong back; and sometimes he worked for the County to pay back fines.

And though he took great pains to hide it, there were times he would disappear to Atlanta for hours, sometimes even days at a stretch...and return with a full wallet. The ties to his past had been loosened, but they were not truely broken. Not yet. He always told himself each trip to the Jigsaw would be his last, and while shrugging off the prophetic double-meaning those words could have, he consoled himself with the cash.

None of this gave him any stability for the future. He often felt he was a burden to his kin; the meager salaries of a Sheriff and Deputy didn't go far when Boss usually found a way to withold a portion of the paychecks. Hell, MaryAnne worked a second job at the Boar's Nest for a few more bucks of spending money. All in all, both of his cop-cousins worked too hard, and risked too much, with too little to show for it. 

It was further proof, in Brian's mind, why an honest living in Hazzard was no living at all. It seemed little more than slavery, albeit the slavery of one's choice.

Chance Walker had it somewhat better; she was in business for herself and was her own boss. Even then, she often took patients that had no reasonable means of ever paying for the care they received. Because of this, she was not exempt from cash flow crunches. 

Medicines and supplies had to be paid for up front; services were rendered to patients as needed; but then the patients paid what they could. Their insurance, if they had any, paid as little as possible, and that was it. The whole thing was a problem larger than Chance's medical practice; but because it affected her, and Brian cared deeply for her, it troubled him. 

If he was a man with an honest past, capable of earning an honest living....there might be more he could do to help his kin, and to help Chance. Instead, he was caught halfway between hell and reform, and legitimate opportunities at this junture of life were noticeably few. 

He dwelled on these thoughts as his bootsteps took him further away from the medical office. He didn't deserve a woman like Chance Walker; she was beautiful, graceful, witty, and keenly intelligent; she was also a career woman who had worked damn hard for what she had. She deserved a man who had something going for him and who could contribute to her stability and future. Like another doctor. A lawyer, maybe. Someone who could really take care of her. 

Someone unlike himself. 

Brian's preoccupied walk took him to the courthouse steps. He set one black boot on them, having originally planned to visit his cousins at work, and help them out where he could...but now he didn't feel much like facing them either. 

He turned away and walked to Diablo. Minutes later, the long black Chevy slipped out of town, heading for roads unknown. Chance watched Brian walked away, noting the slight slump of the jacketed shoulders, as if a weight had been placed there. Shaking her head, she promised herself that she would ask him about it later that night. Chance had no way of knowing she would never make her evening date with Brian. The sound of a motorcycle brought Chance‘s attention back to the road and Miz Tizdale, who was grinning at her as she had parked at the curb and was walking up the path to the clinic, mail in hand. Up being the operative word since Chance had nearly a two foot height advantage on the older woman. She returned the smile as the Tizdale handed Chance her own and the office’s mail, including an official-looking envelope . She also caught Tizdale sneaking a rather wistful glance at the doctor’s powerful red racing cycle parked in the driveway. “You know, my route would go a lot faster if I could trade on my old cycle for something like that.†Chance had to stopped herself from chuckling at the image of the elderly woman zipping on the Hazzard back roads on a sleek sports bike. “If I ever need to sell mine, Emma, I’ll let you know. We biker babes got to stick together.†She winked playfully as the mail carrier left. Chance used her fingernail to slice open the envelope, pulling the letter out, the smile faded from her face for a moment. The young doctor said nothing for several minutes, looking down at the words. Thoughtfully she tucked the papers into her jeans, looking back at the clinic. “Maybe I built the sign too soon.†There was alot of work to do. Chance thought as she headed back into the clinic, she had some phone calls to make and some old favors past due. (To be continued...)


"Nice sign, Doc. I bet it sends more business yer way." 

Pausing, Brian examined the sign another moment before feigning concern on a personal front. "Does this mean you no longer take walk-in appointments for mah complimentary physicals?" Chance smiled widely without turning around, the drawl behind her was unmistakable and very familiar. It had not always been so. When the young doctor first arrived in Hazzard, she had warned away from the notorious Brian Coltrane. So when they had finally met, Chance was downright rude and insulting, which oddly enough seemed to fascinate him. Sharp wit turned into teasing flirtations and then gradually, unexpectedly, into something more romantic and passionate…then finally into words of love. Although the biting humor had never quite left, now it just usually had a more provocative twist. She kept her back to Brian as she spoke, not quite wanting him see the wicked humor in her blue eyes….just yet. “I might consider making an exception, for the right motivations of course. Although there is no doubt you are the healthiest man in Hazzard, Brian. Especially considering how often those physicals are getting to be.†Now Chance did glance over her shoulder with a slow teasing sweep over the black clad body from the boots to the dark hair. "How can ah be the healthiest man in Hazzard," Brian replied, "With these symptoms?" He stepped closer, his voice lowering as to not be overheard. "When ah see you, mah pulse speeds up, n' my knees get weak. I get butterflies in mah stomach, and my eyes glaze over. Mah breathin' gets deeper, n' there's this powerful, overwhelmin' urge to carry you off someplace n' have mah way with you."

With this being spoken, Brian gently grasped one of Chance's hands, bringing it up to his mouth to plant a tender kiss to the palm. His dark eyes lifted to meet the mirthful blue glaze. Lordy, talking about spikes in pulse and blood pressure… the heat held within those dark eyes was doing a fine job of it. The next thought in Chance’s mind was to tell Brian to run with that instinct, she certainly wouldn’t object. But then, unfortunately, it would be a long, long time before she got anything done at the office that day, if any at all. 

“I’d consider that very healthy indeed, considering I get much the same reaction when I see you.†Chance let out a deep, heartfelt sigh. “But we’ll have to hold that thought until later. Duty calls. After all…â€The young doctor smiled at Brian. “..Some of us have to make an honest living, you know. But after the office is closed, I’m all yours tonight, handsome. â€