A/N: Hey ya'll! Another chapter out. And hey, while I'm at it, lemme advertise. If you like this story, check out Time Heals All Wounds which is also by me. Also check out stories by Shara 2007 because I co-write them, and they're not bad if I do say so myself, which I do. So anyways, read this story, review as always, and have fun, I guess.

Chapter 8

Luke, Daisy, Becky Lynn and Rosco never quite caught up. Freddy, dumbly enough for him, helped Miss Tizdale up before helping John get the unconscious Enos to the car. They sped away.

Cooter, who was at his garage, saw the whole thing. Figuring they could use some reinforcements, he bounded into the General Lee and sped off. Luke and Daisy literally hopped in as he drove by.

"I take it ya'll had a plan," Cooter said once thy were in, "an' it failed."

Luke nodded. "It wouldn't of if Rosco hadn't tripped." He looked behind himself to see Rosco and Becky Lynn in Rosco's patrol car. "Cooter, can't we go any faster?"

"I got my foot to the floor, buddy-roo," Cooter told him. "Yer losin' yer sense o' speed there."

"It don't seem like we're catchin' 'em," Luke noted, "so I had ta ask."

Behind them, Rosco and Becky Lynn were nervously riding along, Flash snoozing away in the backseat.

"How're they goin' so fast?" Becky Lynn wondered about Freddy and John.

"I ain't sure," Rosco said, "but they's doin' somethin', cause they're goin' faster than the General Lee, an' that's hard."

In they yellow sedan, John, who was driving, wore a maniacal grin. "I knew this nitrous oxide would come in handy," he commented. Freddy laughed in agreement.

Now I bet ya'll've been wonderin' where ol' Jesse's been. He volunteered ta stay with Bo, an' after twistin' Doc Sasaki's arm, they let 'im be in Bo's room.

Jesse himself had dozed off a couple of times before the faint voice of his nephew interrupted his light slumber. He could tell by the look on the boy's face that he had just had some awful nightmare.

"Unca Jesse?" Bo questioned groggily.

"Bo?" Jesse said, hurrying to be at Bo's side. "How ya feelin'?"

"Better'n before," Bo admitted.

"Ya look an' sound better," Jesse informed.

"Where's Luke an' Daisy?" Bo speculated. "They out catchin' them fellas who—"

"Yup," Jesse said. "They're takin' care of it; don' worry none. You git some rest, Bo."

"Unca Jesse, I been restin' since I got here," Bo protested. "'Sides, I ain't sure I wanna go back ta sleep."

This reminded Jesse of the scared little boy who used to come and snuggle between him and his late wife in bed at night. Bo did that until he discovered he could also take refuge in Luke. As Jesse sat on the edge of Bo's bed and lifted the boy's head into his lap, he noticed how very familiar it felt.

"Don' worry, Bo," Jesse comforted. "'S all right, I'm here." He stroked Bo's hair, cradling the head of the boy who was now drifting back to sleep.

He looked down at his nephew, wondering how anyone could be foolish enough to hurt his boy. How could someone take another human life? It didn't make any sense to Jesse, and the concept of murder made him angry. He was especially angry with the men who almost killed Bo.

The elder man clung to his nephew, nervously waiting for every rise and fall of the boy's chest. Ever moment Jesse spend with Bo, he was reminded of what he'd very nearly lost. And this is how Jesse Duke fell asleep, grasping tight to his sleeping nephew.

Freddy and John had long since noticed the ghost of their alleged "murderee" was no ghost, just a man in a costume. However, they still were under the impression Bo Duke was dead. At least that's what Luke and Daisy wanted, anyways.

"All right, Daisy, Cooter," Luke said. "Ya'll ready fer Plan B?"

Daisy and Cooter each nodded their confirmation.

"Okay," Luke said. "This is gonna confuse the heck outta Rosco an' Becky Lynn, but we'll just have to explain later."

Well, ya'll whatever trick Luke's got up 'is sleeve now, I sure hope it works.

"Hey Rosco, Becky Lynn," Luke said over the CB. He continued without waiting for a response. "We need ta come up with a battle plan. I want them fellas ta pay fer killin' Bo like 'at."

"But Luke—" Becky Lynn began to say.

"Just meet me in the pasture where ya found that farmer's lost sheep this afternoon, okay? No more questions. Over 'n' out."

After finishing the CB conversation, Becky Lynn and Rosco were just a little confused.

"Jumpin' gee hosifat!" Rosco exclaimed. "The boy's gone squirrelly! Bo ain't dead!"

"I don' know what's goin on, but I think Luke wants us to meet 'em at the cabin near where Flash found Bo."

Luckily for them, Freddy and John had their CB on a different channel. They were having their own conversation; one that an awake but groggy Enos listened to.

"Listen, Hogg," John said, "I don' know whatcha wanted from us—"

The voice of Boss Hogg cut him off. "I don' want nothin' now! The deal's off! I didn't want no one hurt, even a Duke!"

"But ya said ya needed help getting' rid a the Dukes," John protested.

"Doh!" Boss chided. "Ya misunderstood! I didn't want 'em hurt, I just wanted help getting' 'em in jail! Didn't I mention that?"

"Uh, no," John said. "Listen, ya fat, dirty, double-crosser, this deal ain't over. You will pay us, or we won't just be killin' Dukes anymore."

Friends an' neighbors, I never saw that one comin'. I know some Dukes who ain't gonna like this.

In Chickasaw County, Luke, Daisy, Cooter, Rosco, and Becky Lynn arrived at their previous meeting site.

The first thing out of anybody's mouth was Becky Lynn asking the obvious question. "What's goin' on Luke? Bo ain't dead! He's fine!"

"I know that, an' ya'll know that, but them crooks don't know that. So all we gotta do is come up with a plan, usin' that ta our advantage."

"Oh I see," Rosco said.

He sees? I don' know whether ta be scared er excited.

"Ya wanna fool 'em like 'at," Rosco continued.

"Yeah," Luke verified. "Now let's come up with that plan . . ."

Enos pretended to be unconscious long after Freddy and John stopped at a new hideout, this time in Hatchapee County. He was too scared to "wake up." So he allowed Freddy and John to cart him inside and be tied and gagged.

"That Hogg guy is a load a crap," John remarked angrily. "I say we go find 'im an' beat the money out of 'im."

"We will," Freddy said, "as soon as we do somethin' about our 'ghost problem'."

John nodded. "Why don't you stay here? I'll go find Hogg an' talk some sense into him."

"Okay," Freddy agreed. "I'll guard the prisoner."

"Where could they have possibly have gone? Luke wondered in frustration.

"Maybe they're in another county again," Daisy suggested.

"Great," Luke muttered. "Now we'll never find 'em." He fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "Let's git back ta Hazzard an' git to a phone. Maybe Uncle Jesse'll have some ideas." He turned around.

They rode in absolute silence until they came to a stop in front of Cooter's garage. All three scrambled out and went inside the garage. Luke grabbed the phone receiver and dialed the number to the hospital, posted on the wall near the phone.

Jesse and Bo were sound asleep when the phone rang. It woke both of them up.

"Hello?" Jesse greeted sleepily. Bo looked expectantly up at Jesse.

"Uncle Jesse it's Luke," came the voice from the other end.

"Hang on a second," Jesse put his hand over the mouthpiece. "'S okay Bo," he said. "'s jus' Luke. Go back ta sleep."

"No Uncle Jesse," Bo objected. "I wanna know what's goin' on."

Jesse sighed, but he didn't feel like arguing. "Hey, Luke," he said back into the phone.

"Hey Uncle Jesse, how's Bo?" Luke asked.

"He's fine. Ya wanna say hi? He's right here." Without waiting for an answer, he handed the phone to his younger nephew.

"Hey Luke," Bo greeted.

"Hey buddy, how ya feelin'?" Luke asked.

"Little better," Bo said. "How're things goin' with them bad guys?"

"You don' need ta worry about that," Luke said softly. "You just worry 'bout gettin' yerself some rest."

"Luke, I maybe laid up here," Bo said impatiently, "but them fellas put me here an' I think I got the right ta know what's goin' on!"

"Bo, please don' git excited," Luke said. "I'll tell ya. Ya see . . ."

So ol' Luke went on ta tell Bo what was goin' on with poor Enos.

"Got any ideas where they could be?" Luke asked.

"They back where they had me?" Bo suggested.

"Nah," Luke said. "We already looked there. You remember them sayin' anythin' an extra hideout or somethin'?"

Bo took a deep breath. "I feel like they said somethin' . . . lemme think . . . I think they mighta mentioned a, uh, a Harris Farm? You know any Harrises?"

"Nope. Could be in another county, though. We'll look inta that. Thanks a lot, Bo."

"No problem," Bo responded. "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah Bo?"

"Thanks fer not cuttin' me out, an' lettin' me help, even if I didn't do much."

"Bo, ya may of just done somethin' more useful than the rest of us put tagether."

"Thanks Luke," Bo said. "An' Luke?"

"Yeah Bo?"

"I love ya," Bo said awkwardly.

Luke smiled, though Bo couldn't see. "Love ya too, Bo."

They hung up, each more confident than before.

I sure hope Bo's guess about the Harris Farm is right, or Hazzard County'll be short a deputy. Ya'll stick around.


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