DixieDavenport

"Sugar, Uncle Jesse knows what he's doing. The boys will be fine." Daisy said hoping to make Beth feel better. "I know that, deep down, but sometimes I just can't 'feel' rational when I know I should." Beth replied as she unconsciously put here hand on her stomach. ~**~**~**~ "Luke?" Dixie replied with concern. She heard and saw the anger in him. It was just a bit frightening to see him that angry. "Surely it can't be that bad." Luke frowned, "Well, do you think I can really be 'peaceful, lawabidding and sober at all times' to Rosco's 'standards' for SIX MONTHS?" "Oh, jeese!" Dixie replied. She knew how hard it was for anyone to stay out of trouble in Hazzard County. "So, you really didn't answer me before, why are you out here with me tonight?" Luke thought about his answer a long while before he replied. He knew he didn't go on the shone run because Jesse basically didn't let him and he knew he'd came up here to warn Dixie about the possibility of getting pulled over while with him, but why was he out here parked at the lake with Cooter's 'little' sister, whom he reminded himself, was not by any means three anymore. "You mean instead of being on the run tonight?" Dixie hadn't realized that there was a run tonight anymore than she was sure that was what she was asking him but replied, "Yeah." "Well, basically when Jesse found out about the Judge's order, he didn't want me to go, so he went." Luke realized he'd said a lot more than what he had intended to when he left the garage. Dixie saw the strange look that came over Luke's face, "What's the matter?" Luke shook his head and thougth long before answering, "Sometimes it's so easy to talk to you that I say more than I intended to." Luke's thoughts of all the girls he'd been thinking about while in jail. Most of them he'd never felt really comfortable talking to about to much of anything which is why he usually moved more to action than talk, but Dixie was different. What was he thinking, this was Cooter's sister for Pete's sake, "Come on I'd better get ya home before you turn into a pumkin." "Well, I've got two feet that just might fit if you happen to have a glass slipper with you somewhere." Dixie replied. Luke frowned, "Fresh out, broke the last one." He said as he started toward the General Lee to help her through the window.

With the work at the garage done just in time for Cooter to be late picking up Beverly for their date. Luther still hadn't returned from the tow job in Chickasaw County. Cooter looked at the clock, "I'm a dead duck and I still have to take Dixie home." He said to Luke. It was just after 9 o'clock and Luke knew it would be hours before the others returned home. He had pretty much ruled out going to the Boar's Nest because he knew Rosco as well as the other deputies by now knew he was suppose to remain sober which likely meant if he smelled a watered down beer that Rosco would say he wasn't sober. He looked at Cooter, "You go on, I'll run Dixie home. You are already late." Cooter said, "Yeah, I am, but ain't you going out on the town tonight?" He moved closer so that Dixie couldn't hear him, "I mean first night home and all, ...... I figured that, ..... surely you'd have a sure thing lined up for tonight." Seeing the guys talking guy talk Dixie decided to go freshen up and hope that Cooter was in too big a hurry to wait on her. Luke smiled at Cooter and said, "Well, no I don't have anything planned for tonight so if it'll keep Beverly from being on your case I'll drop Dixie off at the house on my way home." "I appreciate that Luke. I'll see ya tomorrow. How about locking up?" Cooter asked moving toawrds the truck. "You got it." Luke shut and locked the garage doors as Cooter backed out. Dixie heard Cooter back out and waited another minute or two before opening the bathroom door. When she went back into the main garage bay she saw Luke thlumbing threw one of the many car magazines on the counter, "Where did Cooter go?" Luke replied without even looking up, "He was late picking up Beverly so I said I'd run ya home." Dixie replied, "Good. There is no school tomorrow so we don't even have to hurry and Cooter would have gone straight home at the speed of light." Luke opened the side door to go outside and truned off the inside lights. They both headed to the General Lee. Luke started the car and put it in gear and said, "So if you don't want to go straight home where do you want to go?" Dixie said a bit shily, "I don't know. I figured that maybe Jeb and the band would be playing at the Boar's Nest tonight since there is no school tomorrow." Luke answered a bit too quickly, "No, Jeb ain't at the Boar's Nest." "So where is everyone?" Dixie asked as normal conversation. Luke knew he'd been far too certain that Jeb wasn't at the Boar's Nest to not know where he was really at. He was glad that he'd talked to Jesse about Dixie, because it looked like he had some explaining to do. He changed the subject and hoped to avoid the rest of the conversation until he got where he was going. "How about we circle up to the lake and see if anyone is racing tonight?" Dixie's eyes went wide, "After getting into it with Ralph Green up there?" Luke said, "Don't worry about that with it being a week day it's likely only Brodie and Dobro will be up there." Luke knew it was even more possible that no one would be at the lake at all but he needed to talk to Dixie about the moonrunning as well as just needing someone to talk to. Dixie replied, "You're the driver." Luke drove to the lake and as he had expected there was no one else around. He pulled in the the wide clearing that looked over the lake and cut off the General Lee. Luke took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he turned to Dixie and began his explaination, "Dix do you remember when you were telling me about Andy Roach getting run off the road by a white pick up truck and him being in a hurry for his car?" Dixie said, "Yeah, Agent Roach it seems is one of Dad's best customers." "Well, I said something about him always being in a hurry to get back in the game which was a statement I thought nothing of until I saw look on your face. Before I go any further I need to ask you if you can keep a secret?" Dixie frowned, "Yeah." Luke went on, "I mean can you keep a secret even if you were mad at me, or Jeb or even Daisy?" "Luke what are you talking about? I can keep a secret as good as anybody." Dixie said a bit defensively. "Look, what I plan to tell you has been mainly a family secret for hundreds of years. Only us Dukes and a few very special friends know what I'm about to tell you and I have to ask you that even should you be mad at one of us or grow to hate one of us that you keep this secret to yourself." Luke asked. "I can do that but what does Agent Roach have to do with a secret about you?" Dixie asked innocently. Luke smiled. He couldn't help but love her innocence. "One of the reasons I want to tell you this secret is because like today and tonight you ride with me and I figure it only far to let you make a decision to either continue to do so or decide not to." "Luke I like riding with you." Dixie said. Luke nodded and continued, "Other than Dukes, Cooter and your father know what I'm about to tell you because Jesse needed your father's help before us boys and Cooter got old enough to help out much. Then, there was one other girl I've had this conversation with and believe me if there was ever a girl who likely would have liked to have ratted me out I'd say she would have liked to but, ....." "she didn't?" Dixie asked, then added, "It was Robin wasn't it?" "No, she didn't and 'yes' it was Robin." Luke said. "I thought it was only fair for her to know and you to know this so you can decide whether or not you want to continue to ride with me, because I could get pulled over at anytime and I figure it would be a real suprise if you were as clueless about what was going on as I've seen you be the past few days." "Clueless? About what?" Dixie asked. Luke said, "Remember, I'm asking you to keep this a secret." "You have my word as a Davenport." Dixie said. "Being as neither your father or brother has told you anything about it then that's good enough for me. You mentioned that the pickup that ran Andy Roach off the road was white and you could only think of Jesse's truck being white, and the fact that Bo, Jeb and Jesse are no where to be seen tonight. Does any of that seem strange to you?" Luke was trying to put the pieces together for Dixie. Dixie replied, "No, not really. Should it?" Luke answered, "No, not unless you know the rest of the story I guess. See it was likely the pickup that ran Andy Roach off the road was Jesse's......." He let that sink in before stopping the question he saw forming in her mind, "It seems Andy got just a bit to close to a hiding place of Jesse's and he had to loose him. As for the others, they aren't anywhere in Hazzard right now, ..... they are on a trip." Luke seen that even with this much information Dixie was still confussed, "Dix, we make and deliver moonshine in order to make ends meet a little better. Our family has done so for far over two hundred years. Rosco, his deputies, ATF, the revenurers, state police all prettymuch know we have a family business and know that lately Jesse ain't making the runs. It's been Bo, Jeb and me." Dixie asked, "So why are you here tonight?" "Largely because of the terms of my probabtion that Judge Hardacstle set, ....... I feel like I might have just as well stayed in that jail cell." Luke said with a note of anger in his voice.

Anyone out there got the song John sang at Dukes Fest a couple years ago about this experience? DixieDavenport

said as he walked out the bedroom door, "Don't wait up. This is a long run." Once outside he was relieved to be on his way and not have to see anymore of Beth's tears of worry, yet he still had a large weight on his shoulders to make sure that he did indeed come home. As he walked into the living room the phone rang. Bo answered, "Duke farm." On the other end was Luther Davenport who asked, "Bo is Luke around?" Boreplied, "Yes, Sir, hang on a minute." then went to where Jesse and Luke were obviously having a very serious talk, "Sorry to interupt, but Luther is on the phone for Luke." Luke shrugged his shoulders indicating he had no idea why Luther was calling for him as he went to the phone, "This is Luke." "Luke, I know you've been cooped up for a few days and have already went on that parts run for me, but I've got a couple of jobs that me and Cooter are behind on and I just got a wrecker call. Seems the ATF is in Chickasaw County tonight and even not being chased one has managed to get stuck up. I got to go pull him out and Cooter sure could use a hand while I'm gone." Luther explained. Luke shook his head, "I see. Let me talk to Jesse a minute. Hang on." Luke put the phone down and went back to the porch, "That's Luther." Jesse gave him a look that said, 'I've already heard that part.' "It seems the ATF is in Chickasaw County tonight and stuck up. He asked if I could go help Cooter." Luke said and finished explaining the rest of the conversation. He just knew Jesse would tell him to tell Luther he couldn't go that night because he was needed at home. Jesse thought for a long minute. It seemed to him that for some reason Luke wasn't supposed to go on this run tonight, between this turn of events and the terms of the probation. Had this all came together a few months ago Jesse may have scrubbed the entire run for the night, but with the baby and the extra bills he couldn't afford to not deliver when the buyers wanted. So he said, "Luke, you go tell Luther you'll be there. Take the General Lee. I'll drive Tilley." he turned to Bo and Jeb, and added, "Ya'll go slap a set of tags on 'Blackie'." He saw the arguements about to flow from all three boys, "It's not up for discussion, we've got to go. Luke if you turn Luther down he'll know we have a run tonight." Luke said, "But, ...." Jesse replied, "No ' but's ' go tell him you'll be there to help Cooter." "Yes, Sir." Luke said. NARRARTOR: See Jesse was always obeyed by the boys. Mostly out of love, but always obeyed, even if they didn't agree with him and right now ol' Luke ain't agreeing too much. Luke had told Luther he'd be there shortly and as he watched Jesse, Bo and Jeb pull out to make this run he couldn't have felt more helpless. ------------- Luke arrived at the garage feeling pretty low. Cooter seen something was wrong and asked, "Luke is there something wrong?" Luke seen Dixie not too far away and said with a sigh, "Nah, nothing that can be helped." Cooter shrugged off the remark and said, "Grab ya a beer and lets get this fender off here so we can get the other one on." Luke nodded, went to the refrigerator, looked at the beer for nearly a full minute before reaching for a Pepsi as he thought 'I might just as well be back in jail as to try to not break the terms of the probation'. When Luke turned around he saw a strange look on Cooter's face when Cooter saw the Pepsi in his hand. It looked like he was either gonna have to tell some tall tales, explain the truth about the probation, or convience everyone that he'd suddenly changed and learned a whole lot from that ten days in jail...............

as he sat on the edge of hers and Bo's twin bed, "Beth, I hope you know that I've always done what I could to keep Bo out of trouble, any trouble...... This isn't just playing hide and go seek with the Sheriff, ....... we know that. Jeb, Bo and even me and Jesse may not act like it, but each time we walk out of here to do business it is just that. Oh, sure, after the work is done, the chase is chased and all is well we laugh and joke about it and have a good time. It may seem that we are making light of a real serious situation, but sometimes if you don't laugh, joke, cut up, blow off some steam and have a good time then you find you take matters far too serious. Jesse has always told us, you never get over confident or you are sure to get caught. But, there is the fip side of that, you never get too worried or you are too scared to roll with the situation and the chances of getting caught are much greater." He paused to let her think about what he'd said before continuing, "I know you are new to this, and with the baby and all you worry more than you would normally, but you could be the cause of Bo getting not just him, but Jeb, me and even Jesse caught." Luke heard Bo coming out of the bathroom and figured to let them talk a minute. He still had something to talk to Jesse about. Luke stepped back out on the porch and saw Jesse's raised eyebrows when Luke returned without Bo. He said, "He'll be here in a few minutes." Before Jesse could start a conversation about Beth, Luke let out a deep breath, then handed the paperwork with the terms of his probation on them to Jesse, and said, "We have other problems too." Jesse turned to let the light from inside the house light up the paperwork then read, "You are to remain peaceful, lawabidding and sober at all times during the probationary period. You will will notify myself, Judge Hardcastle before you leave the Tri County area. ..... Just how do you plan to run this load and not break probation?" Luke said matterof factly, "I figure on not getting caught." "Figure again." Jesse said, "If the law all know this and are looking for you to make sure you are minding your p's and q's and see you where you ain't supposed to be, they will see them!" Luke's eye got wide he hoped Jesse wasn't saying what it sounded like, "You don't mean to let those two go by theirselves do you?" "Luke it could cost you, what sixty days for breaking probation or cost us all a couple years getting caught with a load of shine." Jesse stated. He knew he should have just made the run and not told Jesse the terms of the probation! He asked, "So if I don't go, who's gonna run the shine? I'm telling you Beth has gotten Bo real worried. Jeb's never ran the load. Uncle Jesse I can't just set here and not even go with them. We're a team." Jesse ................

It is a good story so far --- hope to see more soon. I can understand Bo's problem being worried about Luke and all. Keep up the good work!!

Great jump! Thanks for posting so soon! This is the first Dukefest in 5 years I've missed due to high gas prices, a death last week in the family, and several other technical money problems. Looking to be there for sure next year though. My 'branch' of the clan may not have made it this year BUT we did get to have as our guest a special Davenport cousin. I only hope she enjoyed her stay as much as we enjoyed having her here in our part of Hazzard! DixieDavenport

"That's not a problem Uncle Jesse. And, for what's it's worth, I'm sorry for going back out the other night without you knowing. I'm worried about Bo too." Luke said still considering going looking for his younger cousin.

Luke was a bit relieved at Jesse's topic. He had known better to drive after drinking since he was small. "Uncle Jesse that night Cindy Mae was driving not me. If I have more than one or two watered down beers at the Boar's Nest I always make sure someone not drinking is driving. You should know I'm telling you the truth because if I did even ease out of here in the General Lee you would have heard him start at the end of the drive way." Luke wasn't cutting corners on this and he could understand Jesse's concern if it had been different.

"Ernie and a couple of his buddies tried to start trouble several times and I did have to calm them down, but when Bo said I lied and said I was coming down with a cold when I really had a hang over, well, that's not true I did feel like I had a cold coming on. I wasn't hung over at all." Luke neglected to tell that no he wasnt' hung over, he was still drunk on the morning in question.

Luke swore to himself before he began, "Well, the night Bo was talking about was when Cindy Mae's parents were out of town and we'd been having us a pretty good time at the Boar's Nest. But, it was getting late and I knew you were expecting Bo and I home, so we came home." Luke let his eyes drop from Jesse's to the ground before he continued, "But, being as Cindy Mae didn't have no one homw to know when she got home so she waited down the road a bit til I met her and we went back and closed the Boar's Nest down before I came home again." Luke hoped that was enough of the truth to satisfy Jesse and still keep him alive.

Luke looked at Jesse, then the ground, stuffed his hands in his front pockets and said, "So, ummmm, now I guess you're awanting to talk to me, huh?" He bit his lower lip and continued, "Yes, part of what Bo told you is true for the most part."

Luke shook his head 'no' and replied, "No they just ran into each other earlier today. Unless Bo beats you to him or Rebecca herself tells him."

Luke shook his head, “I just don't know if you talking to him would do more harm than good. I mean if you talk to him you are sort of tipping Bo's hand and letting him know Bo is interested in Rebecca. But, on the other hand you are the wise voice of reason and most people see you that way.â€

Luke almost let out a sigh of relief, but the topic that Jesse chose was as bad as the one he hoped to dodge, “Well, Sir. You know how Bo was about Diane. He wouldn't listen to any of us and nearly got himself killed. I saw that same look in his eyes when he looked at Rebecca Drutton. Judge Drutton may be your friend but he has never hesitated to lock us up for fighting, racing and anything else he figured we were charged with that was half way legit. I figure if he even thinks that Bo is interested in Rebecca, that the next chance he gets Bo will be making big rocks into little rocks and I'm just likely to be joining him.

Luke watched Jesse thinking and hoped he was thinking about Bo rather than the 'secrets' Bo had revealed to Jesse about him being out late and drinking more than he had needed to.

“****!†Luke mumbled under his breath at Jesse's summon, but was wise enough to reply to Jesse, “Yes Sir? I still think I can catch up with Bo or at least find him if you changed your mind.â€

Luke nodded, “Yeah, I guess you're right Uncle Jesse. I just really hope that he don't go do nothing to make Judge Drutton angry at US.†Luke turned to walk off hoping he'd make it before Jesse turned his attention to him.

Luke was standing against the barn door as Bo made his exit. He took it that Jesse hadn't been able to reason with him anymore than Luke himself had. He looked up and saw Jesse come out the door. Luke took a deep breath before asking Jesse, “Do you want me to go after him?†He hoped the answer was 'yes' because if it were no he seen a long talk with Jesse about himself.

Luke had turned and walked off to the barn as Uncle Jesse had asked him to. He was sure Bo would calm down and they'd work out their differences. He just hoped that Jesse could talk some sense into Bo about Rebecca. Luke also hoped that Jesse would forget all the stuff Bo had told on him about but he really didn't think that likely.

Luke was back on his feet almost as soon as his behind hit the floor. Seeing a look from Uncle Jesse, he wiped his mouth and said, “Bo you are taking this too far, but if you want to go further we can go outside.â€

Luke grinned and replied, “Wonder how you know what I did IF you weren't there, too? Yes you did see the car was fixed, but that doesn't explain the LOOKS you and Rebecca Drutton were giving each other does it?†Bo and Luke had already crossed several lines they had set long ago about telling on each other and had pulled out all the stops. Then, he added, “We all know what happens to guy who are sweet on her.â€

Luke washed the last plate, picked up a dry towel to dry his hands and turned to Bo and said in a voice loud enough where Jesse could hear him, “Well, I'm sure Uncle Jesse may not be interested in the game but I'd say he'd be REAL interested in knowing that you traded paint with the Judge's daughter!†Luke ignored the comment Bo made about him going to the Boar's Nest and hoped Jesse hadn't heard Bo which he doubted or at least would talk to Bo first.

Luke turned and caught Jesse's eye before saying to Bo, “Did you tell Uncle Jesse about who's car you didn't see today?†This totally avoided the fact that Bo had a crush on Rebecca but it would likely open the can of worms enough for Jesse to pick up on the fact the Bo was head over heals for the Judge's daughter. Luke could not help but wonder if Rebecca felt the same way about Bo. He'd seen the look in he eyes too.