by: MaryAnne

*Author Note: This story was written a few years ago and is actually an incomplete work. But it shows some nice scenes for the season. Khee!*

Brian pulled Diablo into the drive of the Coltrane homestead and parked next to Maverick. He patted the hoods of the two cars as he made his way to the porch, that was lit with the single bulb over the door and also awash in the colors from the Christmas tree that was displayed inside near the front window. The sun had long ago set and there was the tell tale December chill in the air, but the house looked warm and inviting with the tree, the wreath on the door and even green garland that MaryAnne had draped on the railing of the porch.

Christmas was two days away and Brian found himself both looking forward to it and apprehensive about it. He had bought a couple of gifts for his cousins, nothing spectacular but special in their own way and had seen a few gifts with his name on them under the tree. He listened to MaryAnne talk about the Christmas dinner she was going to help Lulu prepare this year and he could taste everything already.

The one thing he noticed though was that there was quite a Coltrane tradition when it came to the holidays. A tradition he didn’t have growing up and something he felt awkward about becoming a part of now. The tree had decorations that dated back to Rosco’s youth, some store bought, others hand made, noted with the initial RPC and a date. There were some MaryAnne had made too, noted with her initials and a date and what grade she had been in school. Brian had got a chuckle out of seeing the ornaments as he removed them from the box and handed them to MaryAnne to be placed on the tree when they decorated it the week before.

“These are antiques, ya know,” she had said. “Especially the one’s Rosco made.”

“Antiques or ancient artifacts?” Brian had joked which got a chuckle from MaryAnne and a stern but non-threatening look from Rosco.

Although decorating the tree had been a hoot, Brian often thought of the fact that there wasn’t anything hanging on one of those branches that was unique to him. He thought to maybe rectify that situation by Christmas day, however.

Despite his mixed emotions, Brian felt good to be in Hazzard at this time of the year and with his kin. He took a moment to gaze at the lights of the tree through the window as he stepped up onto the porch. He then opened the door and was immediately greeted by Flash and Bandit, barking and running to the door.

“Hey ya mutts!” he exclaimed, fighting his way into the doorway. “I suppose y’all are practicing for Santa’s big arrival, that it?” He took a moment to appropriately greet the dogs with pats and scratches behind their ears. He then looked up and saw MaryAnne standing in the hall way, an apron wrapped around her waist over her deputies uniform and a towel in her hands.

“Can’t beat the welcoming committee,” she said with a grin.

“Nope. Khee!” Brian gently shooed the dogs into the living room and they retreated to their rightful spots in front of the Christmas tree.

“Hungry?” MaryAnne asked.

“Starved.”

“Good. Steak’s just about ready.”

He smiled. “Where’s Rosco?”

“Upstairs.”

“Well, he better be outta that bathroom by the time I get to the top step!” Brian lunged toward the stairs and started going up, skipping a step each time.

“I heard that!” Rosco called from the top landing. He grinned and met Brian at the top of the stairs.

“Pardon me, Sheriff, I got a date with a steak dinner and I don’t wanna be late,” Brian said.

“Khee!”

“If I ever have my own cooking show, I want you two in the front row of the audience!” MaryAnne hollered up the stairs.

“You know we would be!” Brian called back.

Rosco came down the stairs. “He and I are just thankful you can cook. Because neither one of us trusts the other can.”

“I heard that!” Brian called from upstairs.

Rosco looked upwards and then at MaryAnne. “I can only do one serving of Mafia Chili.”

MaryAnne snorted and smiled at Rosco before heading back to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, the Coltrane family was seated at the dinner table. They paused a moment for a short prayer, lead by Rosco this evening and then they started in on their meal.

“Well,” Rosco said. “Two more sleeps.”

MaryAnne grinned. “Yep.”

“Two more….?” Brian said. “Oh, nevermind.” He chuckled.

“You know, I was thinking since we gotta work Monday and then work again on Wednesday we should just get up our regular time on Tuesday,” MaryAnne said.

Rosco looked at her. “Oh really? You? Get up early on a day off?”

MaryAnne smiled. “Shoot, I used to get up early on Christmas morning. I used to get up before Papa. I learned to make coffee at an early age so he’d have it first thing Christmas morning.”

Brian grinned. “Up at the crack of dawn huh?”

“Yep!”

“Ain’t nothin’ changed,” Rosco said. “She was up at the crack of dawn last year.”

“Only because I had to do the early patrol….which reminds me. Who’s doing it this year?”

Rosco hesitated.

“Rosco…”

Brain laughed. “C’mon, Sheriff, who’s doing the early patrol Christmas morning?”

“If you say me, yer gonna git coal in your stocking,” MaryAnne lightly threatened.

Rosco chuckled. “Awright, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you,” MaryAnne said with a smile.

“I, fortunately, don’t have to worry about being up early on Christmas,” Brian said. “I was thinkin’ of getting up, oh, around noon time. That sound good?”

“Sure,” MaryAnne said.” Just remember we have to be at Boss’s house by 4 for dinner.”

“Heh heh, not a problem.”

What Brian didn’t see, however, was the look in MaryAnne’s eye as she shot a glance towards Rosco. If he had seen it, he would have known he wouldn’t be sleeping until noon on Christmas day.

“I was extended an invitation today,” MaryAnne continued. “The Dukes would like us to join them this year for Christmas Eve at their farm.”

Brian stopped chewing. “All three of us?”

“Yep. All three of us.”

“Hmm.”

MaryAnne chuckled. “It’ll be fun, Brian. Trust me.”

“If you say so.” Although the Dukes and Brian were cordial at best to each other, the reason why they would invite him to their farm on Christmas eve completely escaped the ex-criminal. He shrugged. Well, what harm would it do anyway?

The Sunday evening passed peacefully. Brian spent most of it sitting in the living room, admiring the lights on the tree and watching TV with Flash and Rosco while MaryAnne did her patrol. Later in the evening, MaryAnne returned, humming a Christmas tune as she came into the door.

“I’m so glad Elton’s playin’ Christmas music,” she said with a smile. “Otherwise, I’d have to go to town and make a special request. In person. Khee!”

Rosco and Brian both smiled. “She’d do it too,” Rosco said. “Next thing you know we’d have Hazzard’s Holiday Classics with your host, MaryAnne Coltrane.”

“Making it the highest rated radio program in WHOGG history. Khee!” Brian said.

“Eggsactly!” MaryAnne said.

Rosco snorted. “You mean making it the ONLY rated radio program in WHOGG history.”

The cousins laughed.

***

Brian found MaryAnne’s Christmas spirit contagious somehow. The local radio station was tuned in on Diablo’s dash the next morning and Christmas music was playing, to which Brian found himself softly humming along and then eventually joining in with full orchestration and three part harmony.

“Ring Christmas Bells…la la la la la la la….man, wish I knew the words to this one…”

He noticed folks around town seemed to be in a different kind of mood. Even old man Avery was a little more spirited than usual, as he handed Brian the manifest for the load of eggs they had finished loading onto the old Dodge pick up.

“Here ya go,” Mr. Avery said, handing Brian the documents. “Make sure you get to the train depot by nine thirty and hand them papers to Sunshine at the dock. He and Dorcey will help ya unload the truck. And be careful! Any one of them egg cartons breaks, that’s less money I get for my troubles.”

Brian nodded and smiled. “Don’t worry, Mr. Avery.”

“Awright, you better git movin’. And when ya bring the truck back don’t go takin’ off right away. I got something for ya when ya git back.”

Brian nodded, oblivious. “Okay.” He walked to the truck and soon the old Dodge was slowly rumbling out of the yard.

The Dodge made it to town and the eggs were unscathed. Brian smiled at Sunshine and handed the clerk the manifest. Thirty minutes later, the truck was unloaded and the eggs were on their way to the processing plant in Atlanta. Sunshine handed Brian the receipt of the manifest and wished him a Merry Christmas.

“You too,” Brian said.

“Say hello to Rosco and MaryAnne for me,” Sunshine said.

“I will.”

Brian drove back to Avery’s farm and parked the truck by the barn. He found old man Avery inside and handed him the receipt.

“Not an egg was broken, I’ll have you know. Every carton’s on it’s way to Atlanta.”

Mr. Avery smiled. “Good to hear!” He tucked the receipt into the pocket of his bib overalls and wagged a finger at Brian to follow him. “Said I got somethin’ for ya. C’mon.”

Brian followed Mr. Avery to the house and into the kitchen. The room was warm with the smell of pecan pie and pralines. Mrs. Avery had been busy cooking and baking all day. Brian was sure that whoever was to receive the bounty of her culinary work, was going to enjoy it, probably a lot more than he was just enjoying the scents. Mr. Avery opened a drawer and removed an envelope.

“There ya go,” he said, handing Brian the envelope. ” If I was you, tho’ I’d wait and open it tomorrow.”

Brian paused, looking at the envelope. “Mr. Avery if this is a gift of some sort…”

“It’s what you city boys would call a Christmas bonus.”

Brian wasn’t quite sure what Mr. Avery meant by that. The only “Christmas Bonus” he was familiar with was getting a round of drinks free at the Jigsaw on Christmas Eve. But he smiled at Mr. Avery anyway and nodded.

“Merry Christmas, Brian.” Mr. Avery put his hand out.

“Thank you,” Brian said. He shook the man’s hand. “Merry Christmas to you as well.”

Mr. Avery nodded and saw Brian out. Brian walked over to Diablo and slid into the driver’s seat of his faithful Chevy. He looked at the envelope for a while, even held it up to the light to try to see through it, but Mr. Avery had used one of those security envelopes. This surprised Brain. Then again, there were things about Mr. Avery that had surprised Brian often. Especially since the old man was the first person in Hazzard to trust Brian with a job. Brian, however, was privately thankful to Mr. Avery for the chance.

Diablo rumbled over the dirt roads and headed towards town. The day had started grey and raw and now there was fog adding to the mix. This was the kind of weather that couldn’t decide if it was to rain or possibly snow, so instead it just hung there as if waiting for a cue. Brian clicked on the Impala’s parking lamps and the orange lights distinguished the car through the fog.

Brian wasn’t aware he had turned the radio back on when he suddenly heard a voice in the car…

“Rockin’ around the Christmas tree, at the Christmas party hop. Mistletoe hung where you can see, every couple tries to stop…”

It took a moment, before Brian realized that his car radio wasn’t on. But his CB was. And the voice coming through it belonged to none other than MaryAnne who was singing along with the song in the background. Brian almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He turned on Diablo’s radio and adjusted the volume enough to hear the music with MaryAnne singing on the CB.

“Rockin’ around the Christmas tree, have a happy holiday. Everyone dancin’ merrily in the new. Old. Faaash-ioned waaaaaay…”

MaryAnne held the last note with Brenda Lee and when the song ended the Hazzard Net awoke with applause.

“Yeeha! Nicely done, MaryAnne!”

“Merry Christmas, MaryAnne!”

“Sounded great, sweetheart! Khee!”

“MaryAnne! You should sing at the Boar’s Nest!”

“Excellent idea! It might bring in more folks! And more money for me–er, the Boar’s Nest!”

Brian laughed and picked up his CB mike waiting for a break in the chatter. When it came he pushed the talk button. “Now I know why they call you Songbird, cousin.”

“That’s why. Khee! Welcome to my Christmas song, I’d like to thank you for the year…”

The End