Chapter 8

After Cooter picked up Lynn 's car to tow it back to the garage, Luke drove Lynn to her house where she quickly threw together a picnic lunch consisting of some cold fried chicken, some cold cokes, and some chips. It wasn't much but it was the best she could do on such short notice. The idea of a picnic had a been a spur of the moment impulse and Lynn hoped she wouldn't regret it. She really didn't want to fight with Luke anymore. They shared too much of a past together. Lynn had very few childhood memories that didn't include Luke.

Luke drove to Hazzard Pond, a secluded spot that was a popular place for picnics and midnight make-out sessions. As teenagers, Lynn and Luke had come here often for both reasons. Lynn spread a blanket out on the ground and they sat down on it, careful not to get too close, both of them still testing the waters. Here in this place that held so many happy memories for both of them it felt strange to feel so awkward with each other. Lynn was the first to break the silence. “Well, this is awkward.”

“Yeah, I guess it is…” Luke told her with that killer smile that melted her heart the first time she ever saw it.

“I never meant to hurt you, Luke. I need for you to believe that.” Lynn said, looking at him with those brown eyes that pulled him into their universe each time he looked into them.

“I know. I never meant to hurt you either.” Luke said quietly “We both said things we should never have said.”

“Is it too late to take it all back? To start all over again?” She asked softly, waiting for Luke's answer nervously.

“I don't know….” Luke said almost in a whisper “But I'd like to try…” He reached out to touch her cheek, gently running his fingertips down her skin. Lynn caught her breath at his touch it felt so familiar and yet at the same time so strange. She felt her resistance starting to crumble as she moved closer to him. She suddenly found herself wanting what they used to have.

She changed positions so that she was sitting between his legs, leaning back against his chest with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. For the first time in a very long time, she felt safe and protected, the way she had always felt in his arms. She felt Luke's lips nuzzling the side of her neck, kissing, sucking gently, even nipping a little. Then his mouth found that one particular spot that only he knew about on the side of her neck that always sent chills down her back. She moaned softly and tilted her head slightly to give him easier access to that spot that felt so good when he kissed it.

Luke let his hands slip underneath her shirt, gently caressing the smoothness of her skin as he slowly trailed his fingertips up over her ribcage, feeling the rhythm of her breathing change as he touched her. Luke felt his own heart pounding as his body responded to the feel of her body in his arms. They let their emotions take over, the wall between them finally broken as their bodies ached with the simple pleasure of being together.

Lynn felt Luke lay back on the blanket pulling her down with him. She could feel the hardness of his body against hers and she knew that he was as lost as she was. Neither one of them could turn back now. Their mutual need for each was too strong to be denied. Lynn shifted positions so that she was lying beside him, her mouth seeking out his lips hungrily in a deep passionate kiss that shook them both to the core.

There was none of the awkwardness usually associated with two people making love for the first because this was not their first time. They both remembered what the other one liked the most and the secret spots that gave them the most pleasure. And they came together willingly and without hesitation in the most intimate way possible.

Afterwards, Lynn lay cradled in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, drowsy and content. She hadn't purposely set out to have things turn out this way but once Luke touched her in that old familiar way, she knew she was lost. She was his and his alone, just like she had always been. Things had been made right between them again and she was finally at peace.

She felt Luke's lips gently kissing her forehead. She opened her eyes and looked into his, those beautiful sapphire eyes that she loved so much. “We'd better be getting back before everybody starts wondering what happened to us.” He whispered with a crooked smile.

“I know…” Lynn said in a voice filled with regret. She'd much rather stay right here, wrapped in his arms and basking in the afterglow of their passion. But she knew he was right. Reluctantly, they both began to dress. Lynn gathered up the picnic that they had never gotten around to eating and put the basket in the back seat of the General. Luke gave her one last long lingering kiss before they climbed into the car and headed back to the Duke farm.

Since Daisy was at work, Jesse was in charge of making supper. He smiled when Lynn came into the house with Luke. He knew immediately that something was different in their interaction with each other. He could see it in their eyes and in the expressions on their faces. They were looking at each other the same way they used to when they were teenagers. Whatever the problem had been between them, it had obviously been resolved.

Jesse was glad for both of them. Maybe now they could move on with their lives and everyone around them could have some peace and quiet.

Lynn graciously accepted Jesse's invitation to stay for supper. She helped Jesse with the final preparations while Bo and Luke went out to do their evening chores. Once they were out of earshot, Bo couldn't contain himself any longer.

“You and Lynn are back together again aren't ya?” he asked Luke, a huge grin on his face.

“Yeah, I guess we are.” Luke admitted with a big smile of his own

“Well, it's about time.” Bo teased him “What took ya so long?”

Luke simply looked at his younger cousin with answering and started his chores.

Chapter 9

Lynn had just put a pot of coffee on when there was a knock on the back door. Smiling, she walked over and opened the door assuming it was Luke. “It's about ti….” she started to say with a warm smile on her face. That smile faded when she saw the man standing on the porch. A man she had hoped she would never have to see again.

Roger Malone smiled and gave Lynn a quick kiss on the cheek before she pulled away, her eyes flashing with anger. He was a handsome man with brown hair and blue eyes who bore a slight resemblance to Luke. “What the hell are you doing here?” Lynn snapped, glaring at him.

“Looking for you, darling.” Roger said ignoring the fire in her eyes and the anger in her voice. He pushed past her and stepped into the house. “I must say it wasn't easy to find you. This place is really in the middle of nowhere.”

“Get out of my house.” Lynn demanded “And stay out of my life! I told you it was over!”

“And I told you it was over when I said it was over!” Roger growled grabbing Lynn by the arm and holding her tightly. “You don't really think I'd let you get away that easily do ya?”

“Go to hell!” Lynn yelled, trying to pull away from his grip on her arm. He'd been drinking, she could smell it on his breath and she knew from experience that when he was drunk he could get violent. Lynn saw a movement out of the corner of her eye, and then Luke was there, grabbing Roger from behind. Startled, he let go of Lynn 's arm and spun around unprepared for Luke's unexpected attack.

“Luke, look out!” Lynn yelled. She saw the gun in Roger's hand just seconds before Luke did. Before Luke had time to react, Roger had raised the gun and hit Luke viciously on the side of the head. Lynn screamed as Luke slumped to the floor, unconscious, his head bleeding from a deep gash over his left eye.

“I'll be back, you lying bitch!” Roger snarled at Lynn as he turned and ran out of the house. Lynn immediately ran to Luke's side and knelt down beside him, gently cradling his head in her lap as she felt the side of his neck for a pulse. She cried out in relief when she felt a strong steady beat. But she knew he was hurt, she just didn't know how badly. She left his side only long enough to get to the phone so she could call Rosco for help. He told her that he was on his way and promised to send an ambulance. Lynn hung up and ran back to Luke's side, tears streaming down her face as she held him in her arms and waited for help to arrive.

Rosco, Enos and the ambulance all arrived at the same time. Enos gently took Lynn by the arm and helped her to her feet so that the ambulance attendants could take care of Luke and access his condition.

“What happened here?” Rosco asked

“A guy I used to know in Savannah showed up here. We were arguing when Luke showed up and he tried to protect me….and Roger hit him with a gun.” Lynn said, her eyes were still filled with tears and her voice was strong and steady. She was determined to see that Roger pay for this.

“What's his name?

“Roger Malone. Brown hair, blue eyes about Luke's age, height and weight.” Lynn said

“Did you happen to see what he was driving?”

Lynn shook her head and turned her attention back to Luke. The ambulance attendants had him on a stretcher and they were preparing to put him into the ambulance. “I'm going with him.” Lynn said

“I'm sorry, ma'am” one of the attendants said “But that's against the rules”

“Try and stop me.” Lynn said in a fiercely determined voice that left no room for arguments. The two attendants glanced at one another and shrugged. The rules weren't all that important. It was obvious that it would be easier to give in on this one than to try to enforce the rules. “Can one of you call Uncle Jesse and let him know what's going on?” Lynn asked the two Hazzard County police officers.

“I'll go over there right now.” Enos told her reassuringly. Satisfied that Jesse would be notified, Lynn hurried out of the house to go to the hospital with Luke. Enos and Rosco left too. Enos went to the Duke farm to let the family know about Luke, while Rosco went back to headquarters to write up the report on what had happened and to put out an APB on Roger Malone.

As soon as Enos told them what had happened, Daisy, Bo and Jesse all headed for the hospital, arriving shortly after the ambulance. They found Lynn pacing the floor in the waiting room. One side of her shirt was stained with blood, Luke's blood. Jesse noticed that other people in the waiting room kept giving her anxious, nervous looks probably wondering whose blood it was. When she saw Jesse, Lynn burst into tears and let the Duke patriarch gather her into his arms, holding her gently and comforting her.

“Hush, girl….” Jesse said gently “It's alright…..how's Luke?”

“The doctor is still in there with him.” She said “They think he's probably got a concussion.” The three Dukes and Lynn sat down to wait for news on Luke's condition.

It was almost two hours before a doctor finally came into the waiting room and walked over to where they were sitting. “Are you the Duke family?” he asked

“Yes, I'm Jesse Duke” Jesse said rising to his feet “How's my nephew.”

“He's a lucky man. He has a concussion but other that he seems to be alright. We'd like to keep him overnight for observation.”

“Can we see him?” Bo asked

“Yes, but just for a few minutes. He needs to rest. He is awake but he's still rather groggy. He's in room 119, just down the hall to your left.”

“Thank you.” Jesse said. The Dukes and Lynn hurried down the hall to see Luke. When they entered the room, Luke opened his eyes and looked at them with a faint smile. There was a large bandage over his eye and they could see that the left side of his face was bruised. “Hey…” he said softly as they gathered around his bedside.

“Hey,” Lynn said, taking his hand and holding it tightly “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got kicked in the head by Maudine.” Luke told her with a lopsided grin

“Lucky you got a hard head, cuz.” Bo said in a teasing tone.

“The doctor wants to keep you overnight.” Jesse told him knowing that Luke wouldn't like that idea, which he didn't.

“I'm fine…I don't need to stay here.” Luke argued

“You're staying overnight.” Jesse said firmly making it clear that there would be no arguing about it.

Luke turned his attention back to Lynn . “Who was that guy?”

“Just some jerk I knew in Savannah.” She told him. “He asked me out a couple of times but there was something about him that gave me the creeps. But he wouldn't take no for an answer. He kept calling me, following me, coming to my apartment. I finally had to file a restraining order against him.” Lynn sighed “I never thought he'd try following me here.”

“Is that one of the reasons you came back to Hazzard?” Daisy asked

“Kinda. I thought he'd never find me here. I guess I was wrong.”

“Well, that settles it.” Jesse said “You're staying with us until they catch this guy.”

“Uncle Jesse's right,” Luke said, squeezing her hand gently “That way you won't be alone in case he shows up again.”

“I can take care of myself…” Lynn started to protest but Jesse cut her off.

“Nonsense.” He said firmly “This man could be dangerous…you're staying with us.”

“You can share my room.” Daisy told her with a smile “It'll be just like old times.”

“Alright…” Lynn said, giving in. She knew she couldn't win when it came to arguing with the entire Duke clan at one time. Jesse, Daisy and Bo told Lynn they would wait for her in the waiting room, leaving her and Luke alone for a few minutes to say goodbye. She smiled at Luke and gently bent down to kiss his forehead “I'm so sorry.” She said

“It's not your fault.” Luke reassured her “You didn't ask this guy to follow you from Savannah .”

“I still feel like it's my fault that you got hurt.”

“I'm fine…and it's not your fault.” Luke said. He reached up and gently put one hand on the back of her neck, pulling her down to him for a real kiss. “Now go on home with Uncle Jesse and get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow.”

Chapter 10

Luke was sitting on the top step on the back porch. Lynn was sitting one step below him, leaning back between his legs with her head resting against his chest. Luke had been released from the hospital earlier that day. He still had a slight headache and the doctor had ordered him to take it easy for a few days, so Bo was doing all the chores. He had six stitches in the gash above his eye. So far there had been no sign of Roger Malone.

“You're staying right here until Rosco finds that guy.” Luke insisted. Lynn had been arguing with him for the past five minutes about going back to her house.

“I don't think he'd be stupid enough to come back to the house.”

“You never can tell with somebody like that.”

“You could always stay at my place with me.” Lynn suggested, leaning back her head so she could look up at his face.

“That sounds tempting.” Luke agreed with a smile, bending his head to plant a kiss on her forehead “But you're still staying here for a couple of more days.”

Lynn sighed. She knew she was fighting a losing battle at least for now. Luke had his mind made up and she wasn't about to change it. Besides, she had to admit that she felt safe here and protected in the warm embrace of the family. They sat there in silence watching the sunset as it spread soft shades of gold and red over the horizon.

“Can we go for a walk?” Lynn asked

“Sure.” Luke said. He smiled as she stood up and turned to smile back at him. Shoving himself to his feet, he reached for her hand and they started walking across the barnyard. Suddenly a loud popping sound spit the air. A gunshot. For just a spit second Luke thought it was someone hunting illegally on Duke land until Lynn looked at him with a strange expression on her face, then fell forward, collapsing in his arms.

“No!” He yelled as he sank to the ground with her cradled in his arms. He saw the red that rapidly spread across the front of her shirt but his mind refused to believe what he was seeing. The sound of the gunfire brought Bo running from out of the barn and Jesse running from inside the house. Jesse took in the sight before him at a glance and ran back into the house to call for help.

Luke gently brushed a strand of Lynn 's hair from her face. Her eyes were open but filled with pain. “Hang on, baby…” he told her soothingly, trying to keep her calm while he was the one falling apart inside. “Just hang on….okay?” His heart was pounding frantically in his chest and he could barely breathe for the lump in his throat.

“I love you, Luke….” Lynn whispered in a ragged breathe, a faint smile tugging at her lips “I've always loved you….”

“I love you too…” Luke told her “Just hang on….just a little bit longer.” Their eyes locked, her so soft and filled with love, then slowly Luke saw the awareness fade from those eyes and he felt her breathe a soft quiet breath and then there was nothing. His heart knew she was gone but his mind refused to accept it. “No….” he yelled in a ragged, torn voice as he gathered her close to his chest, rocking back and forth, as if he could will her back to life with the sheer force of his love.

Jesse came back out of the house in time to see Luke pull Lynn close and start rocking back and forth, moaning softly. Jesse hurried to his side and put his hand on Luke's shoulder trying to comfort him but Luke pulled away from his touch. Bo glanced at his Uncle and shook his head sadly letting Jesse know in that simple gesture that it was too late, Lynn was gone.

Luke was still cradling Lynn in his arms when Rosco, Enos and the ambulance arrived. “No! Get away from her!” Luke growled, his eyes blazing with rage when the ambulance attendants tried to reach for Lynn so they could examine her to make sure she was really gone.

“Luke,” Jesse said quietly, gently touching Luke's arm and trying to get through to his grief stricken nephew “Let the paramedics do their job….”

“No!” Luke growled, glaring at Jesse with eyes that were filled with both pain and rage. “I'm not going to let anyone hurt her anymore….”

Jesse gently but firmly grasped Luke's shoulder and said, “Nobody's gonna hurt her. But you have to let her go now…there's nothing more you can do….”

“I can find the bastard that did this” Luke said in a cold deadly voice “And I can kill him…..”

“That's not gonna help Lynn now….” Jesse said quietly, trying to diffuse Luke's temper before he did something rash and foolish, fueled by his grief and pain.

“Come on, Luke…” Enos said, trying to reach his friend “Me and Rosco will find the guy who did this…I swear we will….I won't stop looking till I do….”

“Come on, cuz….” Bo said, trying to reach Luke too. “You have to let her go now….”

Slowly, Luke finally released his hold on Lynn and let Jesse help him to his feet. He swayed unsteadily and would have lost his balance if Jesse hadn't quickly slipped his arm around his waist to support him. Bo quickly moved to the other side and slid his arm around Luke too. Luke stood there watching with dead eyes devoid of any emotion as the paramedics quickly put Lynn 's body on a stretcher and loaded it in the back of the ambulance. Jesse and Bo gently guided Luke into the house so he wouldn't have to watch the ambulance leave with Lynn 's body.

Jesse helped Luke sit down at the table, then went to his hidden spot and got out a jug of his finest. He poured a tall glass full of the shine and sat it on the table in front of Luke. “Drink it.” He ordered his oldest nephew, who automatically obeyed. He drank most of the shine in one long deep swallow. Jesse knew that Luke was in shock. He glanced at Bo and said quietly “Why don't you help Luke upstairs and try to get him to lay down for awhile?” He knew that once the shine kicked in, Luke would sleep and for now, that was the only thing Jesse could think of to do to help his nephew.

Chapter 11

Jesse frowned as he watched Luke throwing the bales of straw off the truck. He was worried about him, he couldn't deny that. It had been over a week since Lynn 's murder and Luke still refused to talk about it. Since she didn't have any family, Jesse had arranged for a small simple service and a neighbor had donated a plot in the cemetery but Luke had refused to go. Jesse knew that he was holding everything inside which wasn't healthy.

Of all of the kids, Luke had always been the most reserved. He seldom displayed his emotions and tended to keep things bottled up until he exploded. But Jesse knew that this was one time that he needed to open up and share his feelings with someone before they festered away inside of him and killed that part of him that could love again someday. He wouldn't even talk to Bo about it and that was a bad sign. If nothing else, Luke had always been able to talk to Bo but now he was even shutting out Bo.

Jesse sighed and went into the house wondering what else he could do to help Luke get through this. Enos had stopped by that morning and told them that Roger Malone had been caught. He had confessed to shooting Lynn but even that didn't seem to penetrate the wall that Luke had built around his emotions. Jesse knew that Luke had been sneaking into his shine at night so he had hidden it somewhere else to protect Luke from himself. Drinking would only mask the pain it wouldn't make it go away and Luke needed to deal with the pain not run away and hide from it in a bottle.

Luke raised his head and watched with clouded eyes as Jesse went into the house. Jumping down from the bed of the truck, he grabbed his shirt and pulled it on. He knew that Jesse was concerned about him and he didn't want to worry his Uncle but the situation with Lynn was something he couldn't bring himself to talk about with anyone, not even Bo. His heart felt as if it had been ripped from his chest leaving behind a gapping hole that could never be filled. He had loved Lynn for so long when they were younger, then he had lost her. Then when he finally found her again, he lost her again only this time it was for good. It wasn't supposed to be that way. Luke wished that the bullet had taken his life instead of hers.

Slowly, Luke began walking following a trail beside the barn that led into the woods that surrounded the Duke farm. He walked without paying much attention to where he was going until he found himself standing at the edge of Widow's Peak. Widow's Peak was a deep jagged ravine filled with huge rocks and jutting crevices.. Local legend was that a young woman had thrown herself and her infant child to their death after her husband was killed in the civil war. Luke stood there looking down at the rocks so far below. It would be easy to just take a couple of steps closer to the edge.

“Don't do it, Luke….” Startled, Luke jerked his head around to meet Daisy's worried anxious eyes. He stared at her with a hint of anger in his eyes realizing that she must have followed him when he left the farm. “Please….don't do it, Luke…” Daisy whispered, taking a cautious step closer to her older cousin.

“Stay back, Daisy…” Luke said a warning tone in his voice. He didn't want her to come any closer. He knew he wouldn't do anything as long as she was standing there and she knew it too. But he still didn't want her to come any closer.

“Come back to the house with me, Luke…” Daisy coaxed. “You need some sleep…and something to eat.” Luke frowned. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten or slept for that matter. But that didn't seem to be that important anymore. Nothing seemed very important anymore.

“Luke….please…” Daisy said quietly. Without Luke noticing she had edged her way towards him until she was standing directly in front of him. “Come home with me….” Slowly she reached out and touched his arm. Luke looked at her like a startled animal when she touched him, he hadn't realized she was so close.

“Daisy….” He whispered in a ragged voice. Suddenly, he fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands. Daisy sank to her knees in front of him and put her arms around him, holding him close. She could feel his body shaking with silent sobs as he finally let go of his emotions. She gently brushed his hair with her hand and made soft soothing sounds as she comforted him. Her own eyes filled with tears that fell down her face without shame as she felt Luke's pain as strongly as if it were her own. It was a long time before Luke finally regained control of his emotions and gently pulled away from her embrace. He stood up, offering Daisy his hand to help her to her feet.

“It's gonna be okay, Luke.” Daisy told him “It may not seem like it now…..but it will be okay eventually.”

“Let's go home…” Luke said with a soft sigh. He hoped that Daisy was right and that someday the pain wouldn't be so bad. He slipped his arm around Daisy's shoulders as they began the long walk back to the farm together.