Disclaimer: Friends an' neighbours, they ain't mine.

Rating: 12A (ya'll 'Merican folks call that PG-13)

Summary: Bo has a secret that's going to land him and the rest of the Dukes in serious trouble. And its so, so secret, even he doesn't know about it.

Notes: Yeah, I know, I haven't finished Hazzard Redemption yet and when I did, I was intending to lay off writing for a while and catch up on reading, but where the muse goes…

Hogg & Son

By NorthernStar

Rosco carried Flash in his arms towards Boss Hogg's office at the Boar's Nest. The door was open since the business was closed until after noon, and Boss had turned off the air con to save money. He stopped behind the door. There was a pale looking man with dark eyes talking to Boss.

"So ya think it's possible?" Boss said.

"For the right price." The man replied, "and if what you say about this boy is true."

"Oh it is. He just needs a little…remindin' is all."

Rosco watched Boss hand over a wad of cash and he almost dropped Flash in surprise. The dog wagged her tail at him, immediately forgiving at being jostled around.

The man counted the cash. "That's only half."

"Ya get the rest when the jobs done."

He didn't seem pleased to hear that. "I didn't plan on coming back here afterwards."

"Well I didn't plan on givin' you squat 'til ya done, so I guess we're both gone be disappointed, ain't we?"

The man pocketed the cash. "And where will I find this kid?"

Boss frowned, "that ain't ya problem." He told him.

"It ain't?"

"No, it ain't. It's how ya get him away from his kin when ya do find him. Those Dukes are stuck tighter than the lid on a jar of molasses." Boss stood up. "Rosco! Quit eves droppin' an' come on in here!"

Rosco came in like a scolded child. "I weren't eves droppin' Boss, my momma, she-"

"Rosco, I want you ta find those Duke boys an' distract Luke."

"Distract how, Boss?"

"I don't know, arrest him, ask him fer directions, have Enos read him poetry, anythin'! Just long enough so Doc Lederman here, can have a quiet word with Bo."

"Bo…?"

"Yes, Bo, now git!"

Rosco led the man out muttering under his breath.

"Now ya'll might be a-wonderin' who that tall fella is, well he's one of them phoney doctors from outta State and friends, let me tell you, he's aimin' ta bring one truck load of trouble ta the Dukes."

---

The General Lee flew through the air and crunched down onto an embankment on the other side of a large puddle of floodwater currently blocking the Mill Basin Road.

"Now ya'll prob'ly noticed it don't rain much in Hazzard, but when it does, it brings the floods, an' that leads to flyin'..."

Bo grinned. "That was some rain we had last night!"

Then the smile turned to a frown as the General halted, his wheels spinning uselessly in the thick mud.

"Great, Bo."

He wasn't about to take the blame for this. "I told ya last week them treads is wearin' thin."

"Wouldn't make no difference if ya hadn't a gone at it with a lead foot."

"An' that leads ta fightin'…"

Sirens sounded, blocking out the squabble. Two patrol cars pulled up and Rosco and Enos got out.

"Alright, you Dukes." Rosco said as he came over.

"Rosco, we weren't speedin' we was stuck in the mud."

And to prove the point, Bo pressed his foot down and spun the wheel again. Mud flew up, splattering Rosco and by some miracle, missing his deputy.

Rosco scrapped mud from his face and straightened his shoulders, as if to reclaim his dignity. "I'm…I'm gone arrest ya fer…fer hazardous use of mud, an'…an' attacking an officer of the law…" His voice trailed off, "…with said mud…"

"Rosco, that's crazy!"

"Hush!" Rosco jumped. "Just hush."

The boys dutifully got out of the car. Luke noticed that there was a man in the passenger seat of Rosco's car and he watched as the stranger got out and looked over at the Duke boys.

Rosco then took Luke's arm. "Enos, I want you ta arrest Luke an' put him in ya car."

"Rosco!" Bo protested.

Enos took Luke's arm. "I'm sorry, Luke."

"Don't apologise ta him, Enos, just get."

"Yes, sir."

"Now…I'm gone inspect the vehicle an' Bo…" he waved his finger, "cos you was drivin' I'm gonna need ya ta…ta witness."

This was new lunacy on the part of Rosco, but Bo was used to it by now. It was all part of growing up in Hazzard.

The man came up beside Bo as Rosco made a show of looking over the car, looking under the bonnet and searching the boot.

"Its Bo Duke ain't it?" The man said.

"Yes, sir." Bo frowned. "Um, do I know you?"

The man was playing with his large medallion necklace. The gold disk caught and flashed in the light.

"It doesn't matter who I am, Bo." His voice was soft and warm and the tiny reflections from the gold danced across his face, drawing Bo's eyes to them. "Close your eyes, son."

Despite the odd request, Bo felt relaxed enough to do so.

"Listen to me, Bo. Do you remember Bo Hogg?"

"Bo Hogg?" He murmured. He felt sleepy but the name tugged at something forgotten inside him.

"You used to be Bo Hogg. You were happy."

"Happy…" He could feel that.

"Your daddy loved you."

"…Daddy." Warm arms around him.

"You remember, don't you?"

He smiled. "I remember."

"Good." The honeyed voice rewarded him. "Who are you?"

"Bo Hogg."

"But you're Bo Duke."

He frowned. "Y…Yes." He didn't sound certain of that.

"But I want you to be Bo Hogg again when you hear the word Rumplestiltskin."

"Rumplestiltskin." He repeated.

"And stay Bo Hogg until you hear that word again." The man paused. "Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"OK, I want you to wake up in a moment, as Bo Duke, and when you wake up you won't remember this conversation, only that we talked about your car." He leaned closer. "Wake up now, Bo."

Bo's eyes snapped back into focus and he looked at the General. He had a vague frown on his face, like he'd forgotten what he was saying half way through a sentence.

"Ya'll got the shivers too?"

tbc..