XD I found the song about Flash that James Best (Rosco) did for the Dukes of Hazzard soundtrack. That is SO kawaii (japanese - cute). Note - Flash gets called "he" instead of "she"...typo with the lyrics James was given? Hmm.
PART XI
He distractedly scratched under Flash's chin as he sat behind the wheel of his patrol car, feet propped on the open door. Rosco was lost in thought and didn't even notice when she hopped from his lap to wander off. It was dark outside, night having fallen not long after the group split up, and it had been better than a day since his abduction.
Although he wasn't a Don Juan like Bo or Luke, he had several honest marks on his bed post. He had learned that women adored laughing and when he dialed up his goofy shyness, he could almost have them eating out of the palm of his hand. At first he'd thought it was just him, and then he'd ignored it, but his instincts seemed to be right; there had been something missing from the encounters regardless of mutual enjoyment.
He still blushed when he thought the missing element was another man, but it didn't confused him anymore. Stifling a giggle with minimum success, he let his thoughts touch on the men around him, particularly the ones who had caught his newfound interest.
Ethan: hard packed muscle on a surprisingly lithe frame with a dark tan from too long in the sun and an easy acceptance of the sheriff. Decisive action or no, he was probably about the most accepting man Rosco had ever met. He didn't ignore the lawman or speak down to him, which was pretty much a first, and had become rather enticing, especially since he seemed to have the kind of experience Rosco was now looking for.
The last applied to Cooter as well, which had come as a shock. Rosco had had no idea the mechanic was interested in other men, and that he'd been with Ethan for five years now was testament to his secret-keeping abilities. He was solid, too, which the lawman knew from having made platonic contact with his body once in a while over the years. Any contact now, of course, wouldn't be quite so innocent in Rosco's mind.
And Mason. A shiver danced along Rosco's spine. The man certainly had his good qualities: he could kiss like no tomorrow and had cemented Rosco's thoughts on his sexuality. If he could ever get up the courage, he was gonna find a gay bar some time soon and find someone at least half as good with his tongue.
Indulging this thoughts with equal parts embarrassment and lust, it took Rosco a moment to take notice of the CB.
- - This is Ethan ta aw points. We've got Luke an' tha rest is bein' taken care of. Best advice is meet back at my place. I've got a few things ta explain bafore 'e goes anywhere wid anyone else. - -
After a short chorus of general agreement, Ethan signed off.
"Flash?" Startled, Rosco looked around, spotting her a few feet away under some shrubbery, her wagging tail about the only thing visible. As he picked her up, he admonished her behavior. "That was a naughty, naughty thing ta do, Flash. Ya scared 'jer poor daddy, you did. Kee-kjee. What've ya got, mah li'l Velvet Ears?" He gently tugged the animal collar from her mouth, brow furrowing. It was a blue, frayed nylon dog collar, blood smeared near the buckle, and one of the tags was chipped, but still legible.
--- - ----
Romeo
Ethan Pilot
If found, please call
--- - ----
The phone number was gone, but that was trivial. What had happened to the dog? Hesitant, Rosco pushed the bramble aside, relieved not to find the animal's corpse. He knew he probably would have cried if he had.
"Come on, Flash." Questions bouncing around his skull, Rosco returned to the car, dog and collar in hand.
-
"Where's Luke?" Bo rushed over almost before the General Lee was parked, calling out to his cousin. "Luke?!"
Ethan all but jumped from his seat, blocking him. "Hold on now. He's fine, but he'll be unconscious for a few more hours. Once he's inside, ya need ta leave 'im be 'til I tell ya what's goin' on."
"Fine, but let me see 'im." The blond pushed him aside and opened the back door, checking for himself. Luke didn't stir.
"He's aw'right, Bo," Daisy put in. "Ethan says he'll be jus' fine when it's all over."
"Why's 'e asleep like that?" Jesse inquired, hurrying toward his boys.
"Sedative," Ethan said. "All 'e is, is unconscious. He's fit as a horse right now. We need ta move 'im inside, though, so I can clear up a few things."
"I'll help, Bo," Cooter offered. Sliding the man off the backseat, they entered the house as Ethan held the door for them., favoring his left leg as he waited.
Although they had all arrived at roughly the same time, Rosco hung back a moment, noticing a football-sized dent in the driver's door of Ethan's car. Looking from the vehicle to its owner, he furrowed his brow as he neared the porch steps with Flash in his arms.
"Ya scuffed 'jer door," he ventured.
"I kicked it." Ethan shrugged. "Come on, Rosco. I still gotta say mah piece 'fore they hurt tha boy by accident."
Inside, Luke had been laid upon the master bed upstairs and Ethan eventually convinced them, with Daisy's assurances, to join him in the den. Restlessly, they assummed locations around the room and Ethan sighed.
"Now, the good news is, tha kidnappers ain't gonna try nuttin' else in Hazzard County. Luke's in tha clear wi' them an' he's been asleep tha whole time. Tha bad news is they gave 'im a sedative that ain't a sleepin' pill."
"Well, what was it?" Bo demanded.
"An herbal concoction cawed a C.I. drink. I use tha term loosely when I say it's a tea."
"So?"
"For about six hours, give 'er take on tha dose, yer unconscious. It's prob'ly tha best sleep you'll ever get, either, but then ya can't think straight. Wid 'jer sense screwed, ya'd never re'lize it if ya got hurt. Ev'ry thin' feels like pleasure, even when it should act'ally hurt. That aw lasts for about twenny hours 'er so."
"How do you know aw this?" Jesse stopped just short of glaring at the younger man. Daisy' trepidation with the question was visible.
"Personal experience." He displayed his scarred palm. "Same time I got this, I was under tha influence a' tha tea. It was anythin' but fun."
"Is there some way ta reverse it?" Daisy asked.
"One, that I'm aware of, but I ain't got tha recipe ta make it. It's in Gatlinburg, Tennessee." Ethan clenched his jaw a bit. "I can get it, if ya don't wanna let tha tea run its course."
"How likely is 'e ta hurt himself like this?"
"I was tied down, but I had bruises fer months. That was aw, though. Unrestrained, he could prob'ly cause fatal injury on 'is own. There ain't no tellin' what he'd do ta someone else in that state."
"Get tha antidote," Jesse instructed.
Nodding, Ethan stood. "Davenport, you mind comin' wi' me?"
"I'll come." Cooter leaned away from the wall.
"Rosco, you an' Bo keep an' eye on Luke, but don't let 'im outta tha room. Nail tha place shut if ya gotta. An' Daisy, after aw this, he's gonna sleep a while an' then be starvin', so I'd advise fixin' a good supper. Ya'd prob'ly need Jesse's help if Luke eats as much as I did later." He offered a smile in jest, but it was only half-heartedly returned by the Dukes.
"Uh, Ethan. Co-could I talk to ya in private?" Rosco asked in a small fit of nerves.
"Sure." They stepped outside, Cooter heading on to his truck, and turned to face each other. "What is it?"
"It's just, well, here." He pulled the bloody collar from his pocket, almost juggling Flash in the awkward position. Unable to look at him directly, Rosco ducked his head.
Ethan's eyes narrowed and he swallowed heavily, looking a bit sick to his stomach. "I was wonderin' what happened ta him. Where'd 'ja find it?"
"Out by Rabbit Run Loop."
"Romie was mah dog, a Rottweiler." Ethan clenched the frayed nylon until he was white knuckled. "Damn."
"I- I dinnit see 'im anywhere 'round there," Rosco replied hopefully.
Ethan rewarded him with a small, but resigned grin. "Thanks. If ya want, there's a picture of 'im on tha mantel piece in tha den."
Rosco nodded, holding Flash a little higher in his arms without really noticing it. "What happened to 'im?"
"I got a few words for 'im when I get back, an' 'is name's Mason." He shrugged. "If anythin' changes wi' Luke, CB Lockdown. You can get messages to me through there."
"Okay." Belatedly, as the man opened the passenger door, Rosco added, "Good luck."
"I'll need it," he agreed ruefully.
"Where we goin'?" Cooter inquired as they pulled out of the driveway.
"Ta see an old preacher." Ethan sighed and rested his head against the back of the seat, collar still clenched in his fist.
-
The sex starts in the next chapter, I promise!
