Now I know I said there might be a bit of a delay between chapters but I didn't really mean for it to be just over two years!! Oh well - real life (and getting married) got in the way. As did the death of my computer – a slight problem when it had all my stories on it! But I'm back now and I intend to stick around this time.

Once again I need to say thanks for all the kind reviews. I have to agree with GrayWolf84 – I like Tony Dawson too… so much that I think he might just stay in Hazzard for a day or two.

I don't own the Dukes – although I wish I did.

Now Luke ain't no stranger to the back seat of a Hazzard County patrol car nor to the cells in the sheriff's office. But no matter how many times he's there he still don't like them!

Tony Dawson watched as the Hazzard patrol car pulled up and a protesting young man with dark hair was led up the steps to the courthouse. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Something didn't seem quite right here. The young man who's been arrested was clearly the owner of the driving licence he'd found but didn't quite match the build of any of the men who'd hijacked him. Then there had been the county commissioner's attitude. The fat man had seemed almost gleeful as he'd ordered the arrest. The Californian trucker wasn't stupid and his instincts were telling him that something was off. Looking around Hazzard Square he decided that he needed to do a little investigating himself.

Ya know I'm beginning to like this fella better already

At the Duke farm Bo was loading a couple of sleeping bags, his and Luke's bows and arrows and some sandwiches thoughtfully packed by Daisy into the back of the General. Feeling a hand on his arm he turned and smiled at the concerned face of his uncle.

"Ya know I still don't like this," the old man grumbled.

"I know Uncle Jesse. I just don't see what other choice we got."

"I know it. But that don't mean I gotta like it. You be careful now, ya understand?"

The young blonde just stopped himself from rolling his eyes. Instead he smiled again in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.

"I will be," he said. "Everything's gonna be fine. Luke an' me'll meet ya at still site number nine after ya made the payment tomorrow."

His uncle nodded.

"It's gonna get mighty cold tonight. You got Luke's coat in there?"

"Yes sir."

"That old jacket of yours ain't none too warm an' I reckon you'll need this more than me tonight," stated Jesse as he took off his coat and held it out to his nephew.

"Uncle Jesse," Bo objected, "I can't take yer coat."

"Ya can an' ya will if ya don't want a trip to that there woodshed," his uncle answered.

Round the Duke farm Uncle Jesse's word is law an' I don't reckon ol' Bo's gonna start disobeying him anytime soon.

Bo sighed.

"Yes sir," he said.

Ya see what I mean?

As he drove away Bo looked in the rearview mirror and saw his uncle standing almost forlornly on the porch. Daisy had left for her shift at the Boars Nest almost an hour before with full instructions of how and when to put her part of the plan into action.

Turning his attention back to the road the younger Duke boy let himself relax back into the driver's seat, smiling softly to himself as he did. The General felt good. He spoke to Bo in ways that even Luke could only just begin to understand. Without really thinking Bo turned off the main road and began to pick up speed as he drove towards the creek. He wasn't really about to jump the creek for fun, he told himself, it was simply that he needed to get to town as quickly as possible.

As the stock car took off, Bo couldn't help letting off his rebel yell, thoroughly startling a few unsuspecting birds who had settled down to roost. Heart quickening, he laughed with sheer delight as the General made a textbook landing on the other side.

Resolutely turning the nose of the car towards town he resisted the urge to go back and do it again.

Ya know that boy ain't never gonna grow up.

The more people Tony Dawson spoke to the more unhappy he was becoming. Far from being the troublemaker Boss Hogg had made out Luke Duke appeared to be one of Hazzard's favourite sons. In the last couple of hours he had heard stories of how the Dukes had helped save the orphanage, of how they'd stopped some bank robbers, of how they'd closed down a carjacking ring, of how they'd helped an old widow look after her farm when her son was laid up, of how they'd helped put a new roof on the church; the list seemed to go on and on.

Then there was Boss Hogg. The townsfolk had used words like "greedy" and "corrupt" to describe their county commissioner. They spoke of watered down beer in his bar, over inflated prices at his funeral home, foreclosures on mortgages for the pettiest of reasons, of shady deals and of new rules and laws that kept getting passed with only one aim – to line the fat man's pockets. One local had said "Boss'd steal candy from a baby... I'm surprised he ain't thought of that yet." Above all the locals had spoken of Boss Hogg's dislike of the Duke family. Of how he was always trying to arrest them and put them in jail or foreclose on their mortgage and force them to leave.

Tony sighed. The more he'd heard the more he'd been convinced he'd unwittingly helped send an innocent man to jail. Now he just had to figure out a way to put things right.

Looking around, the big Californian noticed a light was on in the Hazzard Garage. He'd been told it was owned by one of Luke Duke's best friends. Well there was no time like the present to go and offer his help. Silently he began to cross the square.

Looks like the Dukes got themselves an ally they don't even know yet.

Back at the Duke farm Jesse was finishing up the evening chores, hoping to keep himself from worrying by keeping busy. He trusted his boys but that didn't mean he didn't worry about them. Sometimes he thought bringing up two lively boys and one spirited girl was what had turned his hair white.

The farm seemed unnaturally quiet as he crossed the yard. Jesse normally enjoyed these moments of silence and stillness because they were so few and far between. Tonight, however, the silence seemed oppressive, stifling him. He hurried into the house.

Sitting down in his favourite chair he grabbed the paper and tried to distract himself with it. The smiling faces of his three children stared down at him from various pictures around the room.

Jesse frowned as he came across his younger nephew sitting hunched behind a wagon, knees pulled up under his chin, sniffing and dragging a grimy hand across his eyes in an attempt to stop his uncle from seeing he'd been crying. At ten years old Bo thought he was far too old to be seen crying by anyone. Jesse sat down next to the child and gazed out across the farm, knowing that it was only a matter of time before his nephew opened up to him.

" 's Luke," the child sniffled.

Jesse smiled and slid an arm around his nephew's thin shoulders. Bo was small for his age and so skinny that Luke often said he'd seen more meat on a fence post. Jesse had a feeling though that the little boy would eventually turn out tall like his father and that he'd one day overtake his dark haired cousin. He chuckled. Luke was in for a surprise the day that happened. The chuckle turned to a frown when he realised the little blonde's breath was beginning to hitch – a sure sign that he was getting upset enough to trigger his asthma.

"Easy son. Breathe deep now. Now what's all this with Luke?"

"Luke come in an' he seemed kinda upset an' I asked him if he wanted to play ball cuz that cheers me up an' he said no an' I asked him what was eatin' him an' he said I was too little to understand an' why'd I gotta follow him around anyways cuz he didn't wanna play with no baby an' I got kinda mad an' I hit him an' ran out here."

The little boy looked so miserable that Jesse almost didn't have the heart to scold him for letting his temper flare and hitting his cousin. He stayed silent for a moment trying to work out how to comfort the child best. Luke had always allowed Bo to join him in everything – even in some things that Jesse wished he hadn't, feeling that they weren't safe for a young child. To have Luke say that he didn't want Bo around must have been come as a real shock to the boy.

"Well," he said, "I reckon if Luke was upset ya shoulda left him alone. Luke's growin' up an' there's gonna be times when he needs a bit of space an' some time to hisself. An' ya shouldn't have hit him neither. That's never right. Luke oughtn't have said what he did to ya an' I'm gonna go an' have a word with him 'bout that but I reckon he didn't really mean it. I think Luke was probably upset 'bout somethin' else an' you were just the nearest person to shout at. Don't make it right but I reckon Luke's probably feelin' pretty bad 'bout it right now."

He stood and pulled the blonde child to his feet.

"Now I reckon Daisy's got a cookie with yer name on it if ya tell her I said so."

Jesse watched his youngest go into the house before turning and trudging across the yard in search of his eldest. Instinct and experience told him that the best place to look was probably the hayloft. All three children tended to seek solace there in times of trouble. He pulled himself up the ladder carefully, noting with a certain detachment that it wasn't as easy as it used to be. He frowned. Somewhere along the way he'd begun to get old.

Luke was sat between a couple of bales of hay with his knees pulled up under his chin, unconsciously mimicking the pose his uncle had found his small cousin in a few minutes before. Jesse smiled to himself; his boys were more alike than even they knew.

Getting Luke to open up was going to be much more difficult than it had been with Bo. The younger Duke boy had a child's innocence and trust in his elders, and had the sort of open personality that could be read like a book. Luke had always been far more guarded, preferring to keep his feelings to himself rather than share them with others.

Jesse eased himself down next to his older nephew and sat there in silence for a few minutes, knowing better than to push Luke when he was upset.

After some time he spoke.

"Yer cousin's mighty upset. I reckon you owe me an explanation."

"Don't wanna talk about it," Luke mumbled rebelliously.

"Bo reckons you don't wanna be 'round him no more an' got so worked up he nearly set off his asthma. Is he right thinkin' that?"

The fifteen year old looked stricken.

"Nah," he said quickly. "I didn't mean none of the stuff I said to him Uncle Jesse. I just wanted to be by myself."

"What's got ya so upset that ya lashed out at yer cousin?" Jesse asked sternly.

"He lashed right back," Luke protested. He winced as he rubbed his arm where his cousin's small fist had made contact. "Ya know he hits real good fer a little guy."

Jesse raised an eyebrow.

"Quit tryin' to avoid the question Luke."

The boy sighed, knowing that his uncle would not accept anything less than the truth.

"Ellie," he mumbled.

"The James girl?" asked his uncle, slightly startled. Luke had started showing an interest in girls over the past year, but Jesse hadn't known he'd even looked at Ellie James.

"Yeah," Luke sighed. "A couple a days ago I asked her to go with me to the school dance on Friday an' she said yes. Then this mornin' she's in Hazzard Square with her friends an' everyone around an' she comes up to me an' says that sayin' she'd go to the dance with me was a joke cuz she'd never be seen out with some barefoot farm boy an' how everyone knows us Dukes ain't worth a hill of beans an' how she was really goin' with Hughie Hogg. An' everyone standin' 'round laughin' at me an' I got real mad an' I left an' come home cuz I wanted to hit her and I couldn't cuz she's a girl."

Jesse sighed.

"Now you listen to me Lukas Duke. Yer worth ten of that Ellie James an' don't you go believin' anyone that tells ya any different. As fer that Hughie Hogg I'd like to put him over my knee. I reckon a switchin' would do that boy a world of good. You gotta remember if anyone laughs at yer that yer a Duke an' that's worth more than gold. Now I know you was upset but that ain't no reason to take it out on your cousin now is it?"

Luke flushed and looked at the ground.

"No sir," he said.

Jesse smiled.

"Good boy," he said. "Now I reckon you owe someone an apology."

They descended from the hayloft together and started to cross the yard, stopping as a small blonde figure came bouncing towards them. The child stopped in front of them and looked up at his cousin, his heart in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Luke," he said. "I shouldna made ya angry and I shouldna hit ya."

Luke sighed.

"Nah. I'm the one that should be sorry," he replied. "I didn't mean what I said. I was angry at someone else and I shouldn't've taken it out on you."

Bo smiled.

"That's what Uncle Jesse said. Daisy gave me a cookie an' I got one for you too cuz yer were upset."

Luke smiled as he took the cookie.

"C'mon cuz," he said, "race ya to the pond and back."

Jesse smiled as he watched his two boys race off together, Luke running slowly to let his smaller cousin keep up. There were times when they drove him to distraction but he wouldn't give up any of his children for the world and nothing made him happier than seeing them happy.

Jesse woke up with a start. He certainly hadn't meant to doze off. Pushing himself up from his chair, he made his way out onto the porch and looked up at the stars.

"Keep my youngins safe tonight," he prayed.

Now ol' Jesse ain't the only one playin' the waitin' game tonight. Down at Cooter's garage Bo's waitin' fer Daisy to shuck an' jive Rosco so he can go an' rescue Luke. An' he don't take to waitin' any more kindly than Jesse.

Cooter looked up in exasperation at his blonde friend pacing up and down the garage.

"Buddyro if ya don't stop walkin' an' start sittin' I'm gonna have ta tie ya to the chair."

Bo glared at the mechanic.

"I just don't know what's takin' Daisy so long," he burst out.

"Maybe she ain't been able to get away from the bar yet. An' wearin' a hole in my floor ain't gonna help ya anyway. 'sides has Daisy ever let ya down?"

"No."

"Well she ain't gonna start now. Now are you gonna calm down? Cuz ya ain't gonna help Luke like this."

Bo dropped rebelliously into the garage's one chair still muttering under his breath.

Shaking his head with amusement Cooter went back to working on an engine. After a couple of minutes he was disturbed again.

"I'm sorry Cooter. I just don't like waitin' is all. The sooner I get Luke outta there the sooner we can work out what we're gonna do."

Before the scruffy mechanic could respond to his friend they were both startled by a noise from outside. They turned just as a figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Maybe I can help," it said.