SAPPHIRE AND CRYSTAL

Rating: m/m, NC-17

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First off, the disclaimers.

1.) I don't own the Dukes, Hazzard, or anything else in this story other than Rick Henson and his boys. Gy Waldron created them, and I think Warner Bros. owns them now. So don't sue me, anybody; this story is merely a work of love, means no harm or disrespect whatsoever, and won't make me a dime.

2.) "You Were There To Catch Me" is by BJ Thomas. (Prologue)

3.) "Flying Dreams" is copyrighted to some film company or other... I'm not sure which. (Chap 1)

4.) "Bright Eyes" is by Simon and Garfunkel. (Chap 2)

5.) "How Do You Fall In Love?" is by Alabama. (Chap 3)

6.) "How The River Feels" is by Diamond Rio. (Chap 4)

7.) "Because You Loved Me" is by Celine Dion. (Chap 5)

8.) "Face To Face" is by Alabama. (Chap 5)

9.) "Evergreen" is by Barbra Streisand. (Epilogue)

I think that about does it.

Just a quick note -- Forgive the deviation from canon events in the prologue and epilogue… it just worked better this way (not to mention that much of the draft was written before I finally got to actually see the movie). Also, I want to say that this story is a real work from my heart. I've worked on it for quite some time, and it has occupied my mind for even longer. This is, in a way, a masterpiece for me. So please, be considerate... and give me feedback!

Dixie Lee
dixie_lee01@yahoo.com

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As I drive down a narrow highway, on my way home after years of being away, I find myself constantly reminded of my life here in Hazzard. That pond over there makes me remember when a youthful version of myself, along with my 'partner in crime', ran Rosco into it. That green hill makes me recall leaping over it. That patch of shrubbery makes me see in my mind's eye the time we dived into it, car and all, to hide from revenuers.

I smile, sighing deeply and breathing in the clean, fresh mountain air as it whips past the open car window. No matter how many years I've been away, this is still my home. It always has been, and it always will be. I really miss this life now. I miss this little isolated world, with its own troubles and dangers, yet free from most outside influence, rarely touched by true evil. And even more than that, I miss my family.

Especially one of them -- the one who always listened to and understood me, the one who was my very best friend, the one who became closer than family...

Thinking of that, I smile again slightly, feeling sad at the same time. I miss him so. I hope he'll already be there when I get home. It would be so strange to see the farm, the others, but not have him waiting with that bright, free, happy-go-lucky smile of his. My heart warms just at the memory. I can almost see sparkling sapphire eyes, hear carefree laughter. A ghost of remembered touch whispers across my fingers, reaching out to take my hand and lead me straight into some new adventure without even thinking about any consequences. To him, all of life was one big game. Thinking about it, I chuckle to myself. Probably still the way it is, from the tone in our regular telephone conversations. Despite his emotional youth, however, he's managed to make quite a life for himself... He's a famous race driver now. I smile again at the thought. I've always known he had the skill in him. He just needed somebody to tell him so, give him the confidence to try.

I blink back tears; I honestly miss him so much that sometimes I feel like crying. And anyone who knows me would know that I am not one to show my emotions freely unless they are very, very strong.

Sighing, I pull off the paved road onto the dirt trail that will lead me home. My mind wanders to the rest of my family, and the call Uncle Jesse put out for help... something about some lady wanting to turn part of Hazzard County, including the family farm, into an amusement park. I'm so immersed in my thoughts and memories and plans that I swerve my car around a bend without looking... and almost run into an orange Charger coming down a connecting road! I yelp a mix of surprise and joy, sliding my dark blue Chevy to an abrupt halt just as the familiar racer does the same.

I kick my car door open and jump out, just as the blond driver of the other car scrambles out through his window and across the confederate flag painted on his roof.

"BO!"

"LUKE!!"

We embrace fiercely, almost knocking each other down in our fervent greeting. I finally pull back, blinking away tears of joy, to see those very same oh-so-familiar and beautiful dark blue eyes that I'd just been thinking about glowing as he traces my face with his gaze. I do the same with my fingers, and we hesitate, eyes searching eyes, hearts full to overflowing, before stepping close together and embracing again, not only with our arms but in a gentle yet strong, deep kiss that conveys our feelings better than any words ever could. This, this is the secret we've spent so many years hiding, skulking around. This is the life we chose for ourselves long ago, the reason why neither of us has settled down. Our hearts are already owned -- by each other.

I sigh, happily. Every time we meet, every few months, I have to marvel all over again at how little the years have changed this warm, lithe man in my arms. The body is more powerfully muscled than it was in our youth, a little harder and not quite as slender-lean. The face has more planes than curves now, there are more smile lines permanently crinkled around his eyes, the wheat-colored hair I slide my fingers up through is cut shorter. But he still tastes the same, still feels the same in my arms, still pulls me close and nestles his body into mine with that little shifting thing he does that no one else has ever quite managed, something I miss in the women I sometimes take out to dinner... although rarely does anything more come of those 'dates'. My lover has grown older, changed, as have I, but some things just never change.

Neither one of us is real eager to stop, but finally we pull apart anyway, not only because someone might come by, but also because we don't dare go too far just now. We're being waited for back at the house. Slowly opening his eyes, Bo captures mine. "I guess we're still in love, huh?" he teases lightly, a slow smile of satisfaction spreading over his face that is entirely too reminiscent of the one he wears when lying beside me basking in the afterglow of passion for my own peace of mind.

Laughing a little to force my mind away from that particular direction, I ruffle his hair and touch a finger to the tip of his nose. "I guess so. I don't think things like that ever change, my friend, and certainly not in the four months since I last saw you." I step back and look my younger cousin up and down, shaking my head slightly at just how much the energetic teenager I once knew has changed. I know that I've grown older too, my features also roughened and sharpened. But some things never change... like the way we still feel about each other.

"I'm so glad to see you," he half-whispers, eyes shining as he finishes his own visual inspection and looks directly into mine. I can see that he longs to leap on me again, and is only barely holding himself back. "Oh, Lukas..."

I half-smile, trying to hide the urge to cry. "I missed you, Bo." It sounds lame, doesn't tell at all the strength of what I'm feeling or how very much I've missed him. But I know that he will understand exactly how I feel.

"I missed you too." Bo sighs, breathing the fresh mountain air in deeply and running both hands through his hair in a wonderfully familiar gesture. "Hey, Luke, why don't we just go home like we used to?" He raises his eyebrows and nods his head toward the General Lee, grinning. I understand immediately, and grin in return, nodding.

"Yeah. Let's." I hide my Chevy behind some bushes, being careful to lock up so it won't get stolen if found (after all, thisis Hazzard), and run over to slide into the passenger side of the General. Some things, I muse briefly, you just don't forget, like how to get in a car through the window fast. Having fun pretending old times, I point ahead and order, "Drive!"

"Yes, sir!" He laughs and floors the accelerator, and we shoot down the road toward home at racecar speed. We run right past Rosco's favorite speed trap on purpose, picking up a car belonging to Cletus with little effort. Bo hits the General's Dixie horn, daring the still overweight deputy to try to catch our powerful Charger. He takes the bait, and we lose him just like we always did, by leaping over a stream. In the rearview mirror, I can see Cletus sliding to a halt just before taking a dive, car and all. I have to laugh out loud at my cousin's wild yell of glee, feeling more free than I have in a long time.

When we pull into the farmyard, we are met by both Uncle Jesse and Daisy, who arrived ahead of us. Hugs, laughter, and greetings fly around, along with shouts of wordless joy at being together again. That evening we all even get back into the old habit of arguing about who's going to do the dishes. It's almost like we never left. Stepping back to get out of the way of a splash war between Bo and Daisy, I catch our uncle's expression out of the corner of my eye. He's smiling to himself as he sits at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, watching his kids. I have to completely agree with that peaceful expression. Now that I have a taste of it back, I never want to lose this life again.

After everyone goes to bed, though, despite how good it feels to be home, I can't sleep. I lay on my back in the dark, staring at the ceiling, listening to the crickets through the open window and Bo's soft, deep breathing. How I have missed that sound. I didn't realize just how much until now, now that I have it again. Finally, sighing, I give up and toss the covers off to push myself to my feet, going downstairs and into the living room. Closing my eyes, I stand in the near-dark room, lit only by moonlight, for a few moments, just soaking in the quiet peace and years' worth of warmth and love. Finally my eyes light on the scuffed guitar case in the corner, and I smile to myself as I walk over to pull my old instrument out and hold it in my hands. I have a new one now, a little more suited to the gigs I do here and there, but this worn, smooth wood feels so right on my palms and fingers, just like it feels so right to just be here on the farm. So that I won't wake anyone up, I take the guitar out onto the front porch, sitting on the steps to tune it, then playing a few quiet riffs, my mind wandering as my fingers follow old, familiar patterns.

"Hey, Luke?"

I look up, startled but already smiling, to see my blond cousin standing there in the doorway, dressed like myself in gray sweatpants but without the t-shirt I usually favor, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Hi there," I greet quietly. "Thought you were asleep."

"I was. Woke up and you were gone." Bo pads barefoot over to sit down on the step next to me. We simply look at each other for a few seconds, before he smiles slightly and leans over to feather a light kiss on my lips, an easy, unhesitant move based on years spent together. Then he leans back on his elbows and gestures to the guitar. "You gonna play somethin'?"

"Just messin' around. Maybe." I smile back at my cousin, my brother, my lover, and nibble on a thumbnail thoughtfully. I look out, around at the farm, home, then back at Bo, who's watching me, sapphire blue eyes almost glowing with that bright inner light he still holds, blond hair shimmering in the moonlight to create a form of halo. My breath catches in my throat at the sight, and my smile fades. He is so beautiful… an angel. My very own angel. Sometimes I have to wonder what I did to deserve him. He looks at me quizzically for a moment, then his eyes soften, and he reaches out to caress my cheek. Still half lost in thought, I reach back to slip my hand up into that still-so-soft spun gold, tangling my fingers there absently as I just look at this somehow still boyish man who holds my heart and soul so strongly. "I love you," I finally whisper.

A smile, very very soft. "I know... I love you too."

Our eyes catch again, holding, reaching the same thought at the same time. Bo reaches down and takes hold of the guitar, and I let him put it aside, and then suddenly our lips touch, then mouths open and meld hotly together. Shivering in a crazy sort of joy, I wrap my arms around my love, pulling him down to lay next to me on the porch. He responds with a quiet little moan deep in his throat and presses into my body, his own arms coming around to hold me tighter against him. I answer that fervency eagerly, finding long-denied pleasures rising in my body and welcoming them. Finally, though, we pull apart, and lay still for a few seconds, catching our breath. I'm perfectly content to just stay here, enjoying this moment, but Bo apparently has something else on his mind. After a minute or so, he sits up, bringing his knees to his chest and looking out at the stars. I prop my head up on one hand, waiting.

"Luke?" he finally says very quietly, almost a whisper. "I want to ask you something."

"What?" I ask softly. The serious undertone in his voice tells me that whatever he wants to say is pretty important to him.

He takes a deep breath, interlinking his fingers around his legs and looking back down at me. "Luke, when all this is over, I'm gonna stay in Hazzard. I'm gonna retire from racin'. I know I'm still pretty young and doing great on the circuit, but I think... maybe it's time to just come home. Will you stay here with me?"

Startled for a second, I blink, but then have to grin. Laughing quietly, I sit up, shaking my head. "Bo, I was going to ask you that some time this week! Something like it, anyway. Of course I'll stay. Maybe we can even get Daisy to, too."

"Yeah. That would be perfect. Our whole family back together again, in one place. Just the way it should be." His smile turns dreamy in a way, and I know he's remembering days gone by.

I sigh, turning to lean carefully against the porch fence, which like all the rest of the house is greatly in need of a new coat of paint, and put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing gently. "I know. I know. We can bring those days back, Bo. We can, I know it. I just... know it."

He grins. "Another one of those gut feelings of yours, huh?" he teases lightly, sliding across the smooth-worn boards to lean into my side, sighing happily at the arm that I slip around his shoulders.

I smile back, tightening my hold in a gentle hug. It feels so good just to sit out here and talk like this. Just to be together again. "Yeah. I guess so. But, have I ever really been wrong?"

"Hmm. Well..."

I have to laugh. "Don't even say it."

A pause, then finally a shrug, and without a word Bo rests his head on my shoulder, snuggling in comfortably. I smile to myself, quietly. The boy has grown up, yes... yet, he hasn't. The confident, self-reliant air that shone earlier that afternoon is melting away already; I can feel it. I know he's glad to have me here to depend on.

And if I think about it... I need him, too. I have really missed those bright, trusting dark blue eyes. Not to mention that light, carefree laugh, those wild wheeled stunts that somehow never end in true catastrophe, his playful spirit, and simply his very presence nearby, whether working, playing, or just sleeping.

By the way, thinking of sleeping... "Maybe we oughta go back to bed and get some rest," I finally suggest. "Uncle Jesse's gonna work us good tomorrow, I'm sure, and we've got that problem with this Mama Max to deal with too."

Bo snorts lightly, not moving. "I ain't afraid of her."

"Course not. But we do have to prove that she's crooked and make sure she can't do to Hazzard what she wants to." I chuckle, shaking my head. "Just like old times, huh?"

"Yep." Sighing and yawning, he straightens and stretches, then reaches over to pick up my guitar, handing it back to me. "You ever wonder what those old times would be like if we hadn't... found what we did?"

"Fallen in love?" I paraphrase, eyebrows rising.

Bo nods.

"Well..." I frown. "I have thought about it. I can't come up with any sure answer, though. Why?"

"No reason." He's quiet for a minute, then nods again as if to himself, standing up and holding out a hand. "C'mon, Lukas, let's go back to bed. Maybe tomorrow we can... find some time together."

Smiling, I squeeze the offered hand, rising easily and gesturing that I will go second. I follow my lover through the screen door, hand lightly on the small of his back, and up the stairs to our bedroom. Even after Bo has fallen asleep, though, I find myself wide awake, just watching him from across the narrow space between our beds. I wonder what the future has in store for us, what might happen now. There is one thing I know I want, however, though I still have to talk to Bo about it. Maybe now that it is the nineties, we could be accepted as who we really are, particularly who we are to each other. I want that, want to be able to explain why I have never married and never will, want to be able to touch and hold my lover as easily as any other couple. Maybe it can be, now. The world isn't like it was back in the seventies, and out here rurally, well into the eighties. Not like back when even I was so uncertain, even scared, about what the emotions we'd found could mean, could bring.

I have to smile to myself a little, remembering back to those early days. Things were so unnerving, shaky; I'd felt like my world had turned upside down and I wasn't sure how to right it. Settling back into my pillow, I watch the play of the moonlit leaf patterns on the ceiling, letting my mind wander back to another night years ago, when everything suddenly skewed from its normal place, and stayed there.

When I lost my heart and never got it back.

Chapter One