Pathways, Part Two

"Ora-what?" Rosco said.
"Oragami. It's Japanese paper art or somthing like that. But you can make really neat things just by folding paper. We did this in school a couple of times. I thought it was fun."
MaryAnne sat down beside Rosco on the old whicker couch on the back porch and put the pieces of paper she had in her hand on the table and the instruction booklet on her lap.
"See? Check this out. You can make boxes, birds, and other animals and all kinds of funky stuff." MaryAnne showed him the illustrations on the cover. "Wanna try it?"
"Sure."
MaryAnne smiled. She placed the book on the table, which blew a piece of paper off.
"Oops."
Both Rosco and MaryAnne watched the piece of paper go falling to the floor. MaryAnne leaned over to pick it up, placing her hand on Rosco's knee.
Rosco was too busy watching MaryAnne reach for the paper to see her hand rest on his knee. Just as MaryAnne grabbed up the paper in hand, Rosco felt a dull tingling coming from his leg.
He looked and saw MaryAnne's hand. He suddenly grabbed her wrist, shocking both her and himself.
MaryAnne turned her head and looked at him as she straightened up. "Rosco, what the----?"
He just sat there staring at her hand in his, not believing that even the faintest feeling could be real. He was gripping her wrist so tightly that his own fingers were turning white.
MaryAnne squirmed a bit. "Rosco..."
"I felt...I felt your hand," he whispered looking at her with surprised blue eyes. "MaryAnne..."
She stared at him for a moment and then looked down at his knee. "You felt...my hand...on your knee??"
"Yes!" he exclaimed now letting go of her wrist.
MaryAnne masaged her wrist. "Oh my Lord..."
"It was like a, a, a dull tingling. Like when your foot falls asleep," he said. He then saw the red marks on her wrist. "Oh, your wrist."
"What?" She looked at her wrist. "Oh forget that! Rosco!! What did I tell you!"
He smiled. "You think...? You really think it's possible?"
"Anything's possible, Rosco. But I want you to do something first. Close your eyes."
He was about to ask why, then he realized what she was going to do. He closed his eyes.
"I want you to tell me where and what leg you feel anything with," she said.
"Alright."
MaryAnne's heart was racing. She brought her hand to his right leg and then grabbed a hold of his knee.
Rosco paused a moment and then said, "My right leg...." He paused again. "My knee." He opened his eyes and looked.
MaryAnne was smiling and on the verge of tears. She suddenly threw herself against him and hugged him.
"I told you, Rosco! I told you!"
He grabbed a hold of her tightly, wondering if it was all real. He basked in the moment and then realized that they had to make sure.
"MaryAnne," he said. "I want you to call the doctor. Tell him what's happened. Ask if it's possible."
She looked at him. "Yeah," she said. "He'll probably want to do some different physical thearpy or something like that." She got up suddenly and ran in off the back porch to the kitchen and grabbed the phone.

"Rosco I have to be honest with you," Doctor Riggs said, after Rosco and MaryAnne explained what happened. He took a moment to lean against his desk and then looked at Rosco. "What you may have experienced was conceived feeling. When you saw MaryAnne's hand on your knee, your brain may have conceived the idea that there should be feeling there."
"But, Doc, I felt the feeling BEFORE I saw her hand. And when I closed my eyes I could feel where she placed her hand on my other knee."
"I know, but I just want you to be aware that this could be conceived. There are some tests that we can do, but I don't want you to be disappointed if this doesn't work out."
Rosco looked at the doctor. "I understand that, but it seems to me you're trying to shoot my plane down before I even get to the end of the runway to take off."
"I'm not," Riggs said. "Rosco, if there's a chance for you to walk again, I want to do my damndest to help you get to that point. All I'm saying is for you to be realistic about this."
Rosco looked at the doctor for a moment and then at MaryAnne. MaryAnne put her hand out to him and he took it, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"When can we start those tests?" Rosco asked.
"I can start this afternoon," Riggs replied.
"Let's do it."

Later, after calling Cooper and Diane to let them know what was happening, MaryAnne and Eli were sitting in the waiting room of the Tri-County rehabilitation wing. MaryAnne flipped through an old December of '75 issue of Time magazine. She then suddenly put the magazine down on her lap and looked at Eli.
"Papa, I'm so nervous."
"Me too," Eli said. "Just keep good thoughts, sweetheart."
"I'm trying. But I'm also thinking of how Rosco's gonna be if this doesn't turn out to be what it could be."
Eli took a hold of his daughter's hand. "He's a survivor, MaryAnne. You've already shown him that."
"I have?"
"You certainly have. I've heard you two when you've...uh...talked to each other."
"No, Papa. You mean yelled at each other. All I've done since he's been home is yell and scream at him and then end up crying with him."
"That's what he needed. I know that sounds really strange to say, but that's what he needed and it's what you needed." Eli then looked toward the hallway. "If this all works out, he's going to be very thankful to you for having yelled and screamed at him." He then looked back at her. "Because if he had given up, we wouldn't be sitting here right now."
MaryAnne nodded and squeezed her father's hand. She then looked at her watch.
"Speaking of sitting, we've been doing that for almost an hour now," she said.
"It shouldn't be too much longer," Eli said.
A little bit later, the doctor came out telling them that the test results were back and that Rosco wanted them to be present when he discussed them. MaryAnne and Eli followed the doctor to a private room and they sat on either side of Rosco, a captive audience to the doctor's presentation.
Dr. Riggs stood infront of an x-ray light box with two x-rays up. He looked at the x-rays and then at the Coltrane family.
"I realize these x-rays aren't going to mean much to you, but they do show that Rosco's spine is healing, which originally I did not think it would. I had determined that the damage was too extensive. But, the fact that he could feel a little bit when you," he looked at MaryAnne, "touched his leg, and what I've seen here and in the tests that I've run, I can now say that there's a very good chance that Rosco will walk again."
MaryAnne brought her hand to her face and bit her lip.
"The first step though," the doctor continued remaining serious, "is the hardest and the one that carries the most risk. There is a surgery that can be performed now that allows us to see exactly what the extent of the damage is. By knowing the extent of the damage, we can help the spine continue to heal and get the patient back to standing on their own. Then, through physical therapy, the patient can regain full use of the legs." He paused and took a breath. "However, this is a fairly new procedure and the success rate is not very high, only about 40% at this point. The patient could come out of it unchanged and the spine could continue to slowly heal or the patient could be paralyzed permanently."
MaryAnne let out a slow breath and she looked at Rosco who had dropped his gaze for a moment from the doctor to the floor.
"It's also quite an expensive procedure," Dr. Riggs continued. "Costing twenty-seven hundred dollars."
MaryAnne and Eli's jaws both dropped. "Two thousand seven hundred dollars?" Eli said.
Dr. Riggs nodded. He then looked at Rosco, who was still staring at the floor. "The decision is completely yours, Rosco. If you want to take some time to think about it, that's okay, I realize that this is a very tough decision and a very important one."
Rosco looked up at the doctor. He nodded. "I'll let you know what I decide."
"Okay," the doctor said.
The drive back home was quiet, everyone still sober at the news and Rosco himself deep in thought about the decision he had to make. He was compelled to go for it, to take the gamble, because for all he knew the odds would be against him otherwise for ever walking again.
If I don't try it, I could stay paralyzed forever or I could slowly heal like the doc said. If I do try it, I could heal a little faster, or I could end up paralyzed forever. Don't seem to me like I have much to loose.
After Eli and MaryAnne got Rosco into the house, he wheeled himself into the living room and then turned around and looked at them.
"I think I've decided already," he said.
"Already?!?" MaryAnne said. "Rosco, don't you think you should think about for atleast a couple of days?"
He shook his head. "MaryAnne, I've been like this for almost a month and a half. All I've done in that time is think. I don't want to think about it anymore. I'm willing to take this gamble 'cuz I ain't exactly got much to loose."
MaryAnne looked at him and was about to protest, but she stopped when she saw the fierce determination in his eyes. Hello? a voice in MaryAnne's head said. You've been telling him...no, screaming at him for almost a month and a half that he's gonna walk again, what the hell ya protesting for?
Suddenly, MaryAnne approached him and gave him a hug. She held on to him tightly for a moment and then pulled away to look at him.
"And you know what? You ain't gonna loose nothin'. You're gonna gain something." She touched her hand to the side of his face. "You're gonna walk again."

A little later, Eli and MaryAnne told Rosco they were going to go over to Cooper Duke's house and tell them what was going on. During the drive over, MaryAnne told Eli how they were going to pay for the surgery. As Eli pulled his truck into the driveway of Cooper's house, he looked at his daughter out of the corner of his eye. What she was suggesting seemed outrageous. However, without another word, they both got out of the truck and approached the front door.
Diane heard a knock at the door and she got up from the couch and opened it. She was surprised to see Eli and MaryAnne behind it.
"Hi, come on in, how was the hospital?"
MaryAnne and Eli both smiled. "We got good news," MaryAnne said as she and her father came in.
"Yeah," Eli said. "I think Cooper and the kids will want to hear this. It's definetly GOOD news."
Diane nodded. "Well Bo and Cooper are outside working on his General, and Min is upstairs. She is probably on her way down. Why don't you both have a seat and I'll go out to the barn to get them." She said as she smiled and left the house.
Min had heard Eli and MaryAnne when they came in and was about to come down the stairs when she heard their voices floating up from the living room below.
"MaryAnne, if Rosco found out about you making a shine run he'd throw a conniption fit," Eli was saying.
"Well, Papa, he ain't gonna know. Nobody's gonna know. Jeb Harris in Conyers already told us that he would take whatever we can get to him for twice the going rate, even though technically you're retired from moonshining. We gotta do this for Rosco, Papa, there ain't no other way he can afford that surgery."
"I know that, honey, but you know I ain't never been to crazy about you running moonshine. And if you do this run, you'll have to go through Hatchapie County. That's Spike Loomis territory."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take. Papa, if this surgery works Rosco will walk again! We can't pass this up!"
"I know," he said. He looked at his daughter, realizing she had already made up her mind and there was nothing he could do to change it. He sighed. "Alright, MaryAnne. We'll go back to Finchburg County and I'll make up some shine and we'll get your car ready for tomorrow morning."
MaryAnne smiled. "Thank you, Papa. And if anyone asks, we just tell them we're going to pick up a few things."
Min smiled to herself and climbed down the stairs at the same time that Cooper, Diane and Bo came in from outside.
"What's the good word?" Cooper asked.
"Yeah how was the hospital?" Min asked as she sat down on the floor with her brother.
"Well," MaryAnne said, "after we called the doctor and told him what happened earlier this morning when Rosco felt my hand on his knee, the doctor ran some tests and now believes that Rosco could walk again. There's a surgery that could help Rosco achieve walking again. It is a little expensive and kind of risky, but Rosco's willing to take the gamble if it means getting out of that wheelchair."
"How much is the operation?" Cooper asked as he took his wife's hand and held it.
Eli and MaryAnne paused and glanced at each other. "It's about two-thousand seven hundred dollars," Eli said slowly.
The Dukes gasped and all looked around at each other. "That's a lot of money!" Bo said excitedly.
"Yeah, it is. But we don't have to worry about paying for it up front," MaryAnne lied. In actuality, they had put up a third of the cost upfront before Rosco went under the knife. "I'm sure we'll be able to do like a payment plan or something when it's all over with."
Cooper could tell she was not being truthful."I don't know about that MaryAnne, hospitals don't work that way."
MaryAnne shrugged. "Well, we ain't worried about the cost now anyway. All we're concerned with is getting Rosco through the surgery."
"Is there any way we can help you both?" Diane asked.
"Diane, you and your family have done more than your share to help," Eli said. "You let us stay here in your home when this all started, you've been supportive." He paused and looked at the Duke family. "You've all done more than anyone could ask for." He looked at MaryAnne. "I think we'll be all set."
"You are more than welcome to stay as long as you need to so you won't have to keep shuttling back and forth,Î Cooper said.
"We appreciate that," Eli said. "But I think what MaryAnne and I are gonna do is stay at Rosco's house permanently from this point on. At least until he recovers from the sugery and gets back to walking on his own."
Cooper nodded his head, it was the best thing to do. "Okay, but if you do need anything me or any of my brothers will gladly lend a hand."
Eli smiled. "Thanks, Coop. The first thing will probably be helping me take out that ramp on the back porch that y'all helped me with."
"You got it..."
"Well," MaryAnne said. "We better get going. We gotta get back to Finchburg County to...pick up a few things."
The Dukes all got up to say goodbye to the two Coltranes. "Well just give me ring when you want help with that ramp." Cooper extended his hand, smiling.
"I will," Eli said and shook Cooper's hand. He and MaryAnne then turned and walked out of the house.
Min watched them leave and stepped out onto the porch. "See you in the morning, MaryAnne." She whispered before turning around and going back inside.

When they got to Finchburg County, Eli and MaryAnne headed straight for the old shack on the back side of the property. While MaryAnne stood guard with a shotgun, keeping an eye out for anyone who decided to snoop around, Eli went to work cooking up his moonshine.
It had been nearly a year since either Eli or MaryAnne had made a run and neither of them had any idea what the going price was now for moonshine, so Eli made up over thirty bottles of the stuff. After they finished and loaded it all up in Eli's truck, they drove back to the barn and placed the bottles in the back of the barn and covered them up with burlap bags and an old torn tarp Eli used to use to cover his own shine car, 'Miss Claudia.' They then went to work tuning up MaryAnne's car. An hour after that, they returned back to Hazzard.
As they came into the house, Rosco was watching them from the living room. "You guys were gone for quite a spell," he observed.
"Oh we got to talking with the Dukes and then Papa and I went over to Finchburg County to check on the animals," MaryAnne said flawlessly.
"Oh."
MaryAnne glanced at her father. She hated lying, especially to Rosco, but it wasn't a complete lie. It was just selective truth.
"Well," Eli said suddenly. "If neither one of you have anything pressing to do, feel like a game of cards?"
MaryAnne smiled. "Sure."
Rosco nodded. "Yeah."
MaryAnne went into the kitchen to find the cards.

* * *

At three-thirty the next morning, MaryAnne got up when her old alarm clock started humming. She quickly shut it off before the sound grew too loud and crawled out of bed. She felt around in the dark for her jeans and sweatshirt she had laid out before she had gone to bed. She quietly changed into the clothes and then pulled the keys to her father's truck out of the pocket of her jeans. She then picked up her cowboy boots and went to the door.
She opened it as quietly as she could, so as not to have it creak and awake Rosco, who's room was next to hers. She stepped into the hallway and walked towards the stairs. When she got down to the last step, she stopped and sat down, to pull on her boots. She then got up and quietly walked to the front door and went out onto the porch.
In the moonlight, she saw her father sitting on the whicker chair. "Papa?"
"You all ready to go?" Eli asked.
"Yeah."
"Okay." He got up and gave his daughter a hug. "You be careful."
"I will, you know that."
"Yeah." He let go of her and let her start to leave.
"Bye, Papa," she said as she stepped off the porch. "See you in a few hours."
"Alright," he said. She disappeard in the shadows and made her way to his truck.
I hope so, sweetheart.

The alarm clock on top of Min's nightstand began beeping at half past 4 am. She hit the button to stop it and she threw aside her covers, she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She swung her legs over the edge and grabbed her tennis shoes and slipped them on her feet. She quietly opened her door and looked to make sure that no one was up. The hallway was clear and she came out of her room and slipped down the back stairs that led into the kitchen. She took her keys off of the hook and snuck out of the house. Min ran as fast as she could across the yard to the barn. She took off the tarp and put it in the barn, she slipped behind the wheel of Li'l Darlin' and the engine came alive with the single turn of the key, she put her car in gear and headed for Finchburg.

MaryAnne's black 1966 Oldsmobile Tornado was parked in front of the barn
with its trunk open. Two oil lamps were hanging by the entrance to the barn and one in the rear of the barn, where Eli's moonshine was stacked. Eli never kept much moonshine in the barn, most of it was stored in the little shed out by the still. MaryAnne carefully lifted each box and carried it to the trunk of the car. She gently placed each box in the car, like putting a newborn baby down to sleep. The precious bundles were what was going to help her cousin to walk again. When she got the last box in the car, she carefully closed the trunk and went back to the rear of the barn to extinguish the oil lamp. She then went to the Tornado and got into the car, started it up and moved it over to the front of the house. When she got out of the car she turned to head back to the barn to extinguish the last two oil lamps. MaryAnne stopped at the sound of a car approaching and turned to look. Min saw MaryAnne walking towards the barn, and she parked her car beside the Tornado.
"Hi MaryAnne, are you ready?"
MaryAnne looked at Min confused. "Min, what are you doing here?"
"I came to help you make the run, I heard you and Eli talking and I want to go with you."
"Min, I always go alone when I do a run. And besides why do you want to help anyway? It's not your cousin that needs the surgery, it's mine."
"I know it isn't my cousin MaryAnne, but I want to help. I mean Rosco isn't kin, but us Dukes consider him a friend. And I don't think you should be alone when you make this run."
"Why not?"
"Because you are upset about Rosco, and you are worried about him and that might make you mess up, and when you are transporting illegal whiskey, the last thing you do is make a mistake."
MaryAnne paused and considered what Min had said. The last thing she needed was for her emotions to cloud her judgement, but she couldn't control her emotions very well considering the situation. Having a "co-pilot" may not be a bad idea.
"Min, are you sure you wanna go? I mean, if we get caught, we go to jail for a long time. And you only being 16, I ain't so sure your family is gonna want to see that happen."
"I can take of myself MaryAnne, if Bo can run shine, then so can I. All of my uncles and my father and even my brother all think I'm just a little girl that they can tell to run along. Well that ain't so and it's about time I showed them."
MaryAnne couldn't help but smile a little. The young woman had spunk that was for sure, which MaryAnne admired. She also knew that Min was not going to take no for an answer and the longer MaryAnne tried to convince her otherwise, the longer it was taking to get on the road, which she had planned to do before the sun came up.
"Alright," MaryAnne said. "But I'm giving you fair warning and a chance right now to back out. I have to drive through Hatchapie County, that's Sheriff Loomis territory and if he catches us, he'll not only tear my car apart, but he'll probably put us under the jail."
"I ain't backing out MaryAnne, if Loomis chases us, we'll handle him just fine."
"Okay," MaryAnne said, "just let me turn out the oil lamps in the barn and we'll be off."
MaryAnne walked back to the barn and turned out the two lanterns. She then walked back to the Tornado and got into the driver seat as Min got into the passenger seat. MaryAnne turned the ignition and listened to the engine for a moment. She said a silent prayer to herself for Rosco.
"We're going to be all right MaryAnne, let's go."
MaryAnne put the car in gear and turned on the headlights. She then stepped on the gas and drove out of the yard, heading toward Hatchapie County.

The sun was just coming up and as Min and MaryAnne sped down the road towards Hatchapie County, her father Cooper was waking up. He opened his eyes and sat up in his bed, feeling that something was uneasy. He got out of bed quietly, not wanting to disturb his wife, and grabbed his robe. He put on his slippers and left his bedroom. He went down the hall and opened the door to Bo's room and peeked inside, his son was sleeping in his bed and Cooper was relieved. He closed the door quietly and went directly across the hall and opened the door to Min's room. He saw that her bed was empty and he walked inside the room. The feeling of unease was growing worse and reached out and put his hand on her pillow.
He saw his 16 year-old daughter in a car with MaryAnne Coltrane, the two young
women were talking about their plan of attack for delivering the shine and Cooper gasped loudly. He let go of Min's pillow and went across the hall, throwing open Bo's door. He knelt by BoÌs bed and began to shake his son.
"Bo, wake up! Right now!"
"Wha--wha--??" Bo exclaimed as he was violently brought out of his slumber. He
looked up at his father, who looked ready to chew barbed wire.
"Bo, I need you to get up and get dressed as fast as you can." He said with a
mixture of urgency and extreme anger in his voice.
"What's wrong, Dad?"
"Your twin has decided to assist MaryAnne Coltrane in a shine run into Hatchapie
County." Bo could see and feel how angry his father was, but his voice was flat and calm, too calm.
"Shine run?!" Bo exclaimed. "Of all the danged things..." he trailed off and quickly got out of bed. He grabbed up his jeans; shirt and boots put them on the bed and began to change.
"Hurry up, I'm going to go change, and I am not going to tell your mother about
this."
Cooper left his son's room and went into his own, he grabbed some clothes and
ducked into Min's room to change.
Bo finished changing and he walked out of his bedroom and knocked on the door to MinÌs.
Cooper came out of the room, fully dressed. "I want to take the General, Bo. It
is the only car we have that's fast. We need to go to Hatchapie and catch your sister before Loomis does. Come on, let's go."
Cooper walked down the hall and headed down the backstairs with his son following behind.
"So are you more afraid she's gonna get caught or are you just plain ticked off at her?" Bo asked.
Cooper stopped half way down the stairs and turned around to face his son. "Right now I'm trying to save her from a lot of years behind bars, Bo. If she gets caught we won't see her 'til she's 21 or older. I'll be ticked off at her later."
"Sounds more to me like you're ticked off at her NOW."
They came down the rest of the stairs and Cooper took Bo's keys off of the hook,
he turned around and tossed them at his son. "I am mad at her now." He said as he opened the door and headed for the barn.

MaryAnne and Min were five minutes into Hatchapie County when a black and white Hatchapie County Sheriff's car pulled in behind them.
MaryAnne glanced in her rearview mirror, her heart skipping a beat.
"Oh boy..." she said.
The patrol car didn't have it's gumballs flashing tho, but MaryAnne was still concerned.
"What the matter?" Min asked, seeing her friend's face go grey.
"We've got company," MaryAnne replied, jerking her thumb to the back of the car.
Min turned around and gasped when she saw the patrol car and who was driving it.
"Oh Lord it's Spike!"
"The Spike man cometh," MaryAnne said.
Over her CB radio came the voice of Sheriff Spike Loomis.
"I know what you're up to there, Miss Coltrane. I could smell that shine the minute you crossed over the county line."
MaryAnne looked at the CB mike and then picked it up. "Why, Spike Loomis, what a pleasure it is to see you again. How long has it been?"
"Don't try any of that jiving with me," Loomis said. "You're carrying moonshine, I know it."
"Oh now, Sheriff I'm just enjoying a pleasant early morming drive through your beautiful county. How can you accuse me of such a thing?"
Min started giggling and covered her mouth with her hand, she caught a glance in the mirror and saw his lights were flashing.
"Oh no Tory, he's got his lights on."
"Yup, he's pulling us now." She pushed the talk button on her CB mike. "Sheriff, are those lights to welcome me to your fair county or to help light the way?"
"Pull over, Miss Coltrane," he said with authority.
MaryAnne looked at Min. She smirked. "He's funny, isn't he?"
"Well funny or not if you don't start driving we are going to be looking at the funny face of his for the next 5 years."
MaryAnne laughed. She held up the CB mike. "Sorry, Spike, as much as I'm thrilled to see you once again, I don't have to time to chit chat. Bye-bye sugar." She dropped the CB mike onto the seat and stomped on the acclerator.

Bo and Cooper were in his General Lee, finding every country back road they could think of to get to Hatchapie County.
"Pull over, Miss Coltrane." They heard blasting over the CB.
"Oh no, that's Spike Loomis!" Bo said as he looked at his father.
"The one and only," Cooper said. He saw a road up ahead. "Cut down here, this'll take us right to the Hatchapie County line."
Despite the dust the Tornado threw back at Loomis, he kept right up with MaryAnne and Min. Knowing he'd never get ahead of the car, he went for the next best option.
His gun.
When Loomis opened fire, both MaryAnne and Min flinched.
"Oh great, he's bringing out the artillery!" MaryAnne exclaimed.
"Tory, you better drive like you have never driven before or we will be pushing up daisies, I'm going to call for some help." Min said as she grabbed the CB Mike and switched it to channel 9.
"Any Dukes out there got their ears on? This is Min and we are in really big trouble, come back."
Cooper grabbed up the General's CB mike. "MIRANDA LEE where the HELL are you?"
Min flinched at her father's angry voice. "Uhh, hi Daddy." She said sweetly.
"Min, if you and MaryAnne are in trouble than me and Bo can help. I'll tan your hide afterwards. Now where are you and what's going on?"
Min set the mike down for a second, she didn't want to be bailed out of trouble by her father and brother. "MaryAnne do you think you can out drive Spike?"
"I've done it before, and I can certainly do it again. I know what you're thinking Min, I don't need no man to help me either, so hang on to your seat."
Min smiled as she picked the mike back up. "Sorry Daddy, ain't got time for chit chat, MaryAnne and me got a Sheriff to loose. See ya back home."
MaryAnne laughed and let out a whoop. "You tell him girl!"
"Min Duke!!...argh." Cooper put the mike down. "Step on it, Bo. We gotta find them."
Bo glanced at his father. The pot was about to boil over.
"Dad, if Min doesn't want us to find her and MaryAnne, then we ain't going to find them. I think we better go home and wait for her there." Bo said as he swallowed audibly, hoping his father would not rip his head off.
"We ain't going home until I have that sister of yours in this car with us," Cooper said evenly. "She better pray I don't turn her right over my knee."
"I know my twin Dad, we ain't going to see her again until she goes home."
Cooper sighed heavily. "I don't care," he said. "We're going to find her."

MaryAnne, meanwhile, was swinging the Tornado in every possible direction, trying to prevent Loomis from hitting her tires or anything. When she took a corner, he did manage to hit the body of the car, which torked MaryAnne off a bit. She kept a steady foot on the accelerator and stayed ahead of Loomis, despite his relentless persuit.
"Okay, this is getting old," MaryAnne said. "Let's see how he likes this." She pulled the Tornado off the road into a field with Loomis right behind them.
"Uhh...MaryAnne..." Min started to say.
"Hang on, Min. The Tornado is about to throw Spike Loomis like a rag doll." MaryAnne kept the Tornado on a straight run and then swung it around in a 180. Loomis went speeding by as MaryAnne took off in the opposite direction.
Loomis turned the patrol car around and went after the Tornado. MaryAnne led him across the field and spotted a ditch up ahead. She smiled wickedly and adjusted her grip on the steering wheel.
"MaryAnne...there's a ditch there!"
"I know," MaryAnne replied. "Oh I know," she laughed. She brought the big black car right up to the one yard line and swung it around, the back end missing the ditch by mere inches.
Loomis didn't see the ditch and turned the patrol car too late. It ended up flying into the ditch on it's side, becoming weged like a bottle cork.
MaryAnne brought the Tornado to a stop and she and Min looked at the sight.
MaryAnne giggled. "Oh isn't it wonderful when old friends get together?"
"Heart warming isn't it?" Min said with a smile. "Now let's go make that run before ye old towne Sheriff gets out of that ditch."
"My pleasure," MaryAnne said. She stepped on the gas of the Oldsmobile and took off across the field back to the road.

Bo and Cooper had searched the greater part of Hatchapie County. They found absolutely no trace of MaryAnne and Min and the two men were beginning to get worried
"Dad do you think he got them?"
Cooper's blue eyes were blazing. He paused in contemplation for a moment and then picked up the CB mike.
"Min, this is your father speaking. Will you please answer me so that I atleast know you're okay, and not in the Hatchapie County jail."
Min and MaryAnne had made their run and were heading back to Eli's place when she heard her father come over the CB.
Min looked at her friend and sighed as she picked up the CB mike.
"Daddy, it's me. We aren't in the jail, we are heading back to Eli's. I left Li'l Darlin' there, I'll drive her back the house and meet you both there."
"They're heading back to Finchburg," Cooper said to Bo. He lifted the CB mike. "You better be back home in half an hour or less, young lady, you hear me? You and I are going to have a little talk about this."
"Yes sir, I'm gone."
"Let's go home, Bo," Cooper said.
"Yes, sir. Uh, Dad, promise me one thing?" Bo said as he turned the General around.
"What?"
"Promise me you won't kill my twin."
Cooper looked at his son. "Bo," he said. "I'm not going to kill your sister, okay? The lecture she's going to get when we get home will be enough I think."
"Yeah but will she be able to sit after the lecture?"
Cooper paused. "I haven't decided yet," he said.
Min and MaryAnne made it back to Eli's place and Min said bye to MaryAnne and climbed behind the wheel of Li'l Darlin.
"I hope I see you later MaryAnne, but if you see my brother dressed in black you'll know that you won't be seeing me."
MaryAnne smiled. "I hope I see you too. And thanks, Min. I appreciate you going with me, even though it means you're in deep doo-doo with your Dad."
"Well, I had to help you, I couldn't let you do that alone."
"I hope he's as understanding about it. Good luck, Min."
"I'm going to need it MaryAnne, see you later!" Min said as she started up her car and headed for home.
At the Duke house, Cooper and Bo were sitting in the living room, waiting for Min. Cooper kept a steady eye on the window, watching for the red Mustang to come into the yard.
Min sighed as she drove down Apple Tree Lane and turned into the driveway. Her heart began to beat as she saw Bo's blue General parked on it. She parked Darlin' near the barn and covered her with the tarp. She prayed that her father would not kill her as she walked towards the house.
She saw the look on her father's face and she knew that she had made him really angry. "Hi."
Cooper pointed to one of the living room chairs. "Sit down."
Min sat down in one and kept her gaze on her father.
"Min, I thought I was clear about what I told you about running shine," he said calmly. "I said you could help with the cars and that you can help with loading the cars, but I specifically told you that you can not run shine."
"I know Daddy, but I had to help MaryAnne."
"You had to help her? Min, there are several ways you could help MaryAnne. Riding along on a shine run is not one of them."
"But I wanted to help her cause of Rosco, that's why she wanted to make a run. She wanted to get the money for his operation."
"I understand that, Min, but if the two of you had been caught it wouldn't have done either one of you or Rosco any good! Sheriff Loomis HATES moonshiners. He rips their cars apart when he catches them and throws folks in jail for years. Now, if MaryAnne wanted to risk all that, that's her business. There were other ways you could have helped her, Min, if you wanted to."
Min lowered her head and spoke in a quiet tone. "Maybe I wanted to prove to you that I could make a run."
Cooper sighed. "Min, I never said that you didn't have what it takes to make a run. I just don't want you running shine AT ALL. PERIOD! I don't and your mother doesn't. Do you have any idea how your mother would have felt if you had been caught?"
"But I didn't get caught! We out drove Spike Loomis!"
"Well, congratualtions. But that doesn't change anything, Min."
"What's going on down here?" Everyone turned around to see the sleepy face of Diane Duke as she came down the stairs.
Cooper turned to his wife crossing his arms back over his chest. "Why don't you ask your moonshining daughter!"
"What?" She said as she looked at her daughter. "Min was running shine?"
"With MaryAnne Coltrane," Cooper explained.
"And almost got caught my Sheriff Spike Loomis." Bo threw in and Cooper shot him a look that made him close his mouth.
To everyone's surprise, Diane was not furious, she just covered her eyes with her hands and sat down on the couch. "Why Min, why did you deliberately disobey your father and I?"
Min felt bad when she saw her mother's reaction. "I wanted to help MaryAnne get money for Rosco's operation."
"Min Duke, I oughta turn right over you my knee and warm your britches for what you've done!" Cooper exclaimed out of frustration.
"What did I do that was so terrible, Daddy? What? All I did was help out my friend! You would have risked yourself for a friend and I would have done the same thing if I were in her place! I would make a thousand shine runs to help out my family and if you want to take a switch to me then fine, let's go!" Min said as she stood up.
Cooper stood looking at his daughter. Bo and Diane were silent as well and they both looked at Cooper waiting for him to say something. He started to walk towards her and Bo thought for sure his father was going to strike his twin.
Bo had the sudden urge to stand up, but he couldn't seem to get the message to the rest of his limbs. He and his mother watched Cooper come to a stop before Min, looking her square in the eye.
Min stood there looking into her father's face, she couldn't read anything from him, she was too scared. She knew that whatever he was going to do to her, she probably deserved. She held her head high, ready to take whatever. She closed her eyes though, almost positive it was going to be a slap for her raising her voice to her father.
Cooper paused for a moment and then a tiny smile crept across his face. He took one more step closer to Min and to the shock of Bo and Diane....
He gave his daughter a hug.
Min flinched when she felt her father touch her, but then she realized he was hugging her and not getting ready to kill her. She opened her eyes and hugged him back.
"I'm sorry I made you mad Daddy, I didn't mean to."
"I know you didn't," Cooper said. "I was more scared about you getting caught then I was angry at you. I'm proud of you for helping a friend, Min, I just think you could have told me first. We all could have helped MaryAnne."
Min let go of her father and nodded her head. " I know but MaryAnne is too proud to ask for help. She didnt have a choice with me though, I just showed up."
Cooper chuckled. "Yeah. According to Eli, MaryAnne usually goes alone on a run. She probably allowed you to go with her because she couldn't get you to go home."
"I can be as stubborn as she can be." Min looked over at her mother and she went over to her and kneeled down so she could be eye level with her.
"I'm sorry Mom."
Diane sighed and looked at her daughter. "I know honey, but we dont want you to run shine because we dont want anything to happen to you, not because we dont think you can. Can you understand that?"
Min nodded. "Well that thought did cross my mind when we were running for our lives from Spike."
"Yes exactly, if he had caught you, you would have been in jail for a very long time. Promise me you won't ever do this again."
"I promise, I won't ever run shine again." She said as she made an X on her chest, then kissed her hand.
Diane smiled and hugged her daughter. "Thank you, now go apologize to your brother, he was worried too."
"Yes ma'am." Min went over the couch and sat down beside her brother.
"Uhh Bo, were you really worried about me?"
"Of course I was," Bo replied. "You're the only sister I've got, Min, and I wasn't to thrilled with the idea of Sheriff Spike Loomis lockin' ya up in a jail for several years."
"Well I can tell how shocked you are that Daddy didn't murder me. I'm sorry I worried you too." She said as she punched him in the arm.
"Hey," Bo said and then chuckled. "Man, I thought he was gonna rip your head off. Of course if he couldn't rip your head off he'd take mine!"
"Yeah well I'd rather deal with Spike Loomis then Daddy when he's mad." She said as she looked at her father and smiled.
Cooper looked at Min with a slightly amused look on his face. "No, you wouldn't," he said seriously.
Min looked puzzled. "Why not? He's never caught any of family, right?"
"No, he's never caught any of the family when running shine," Cooper said. "He did pull over your Uncle Jesse once when he and J.D. Hogg were going fishing and he spiked your uncle's car anyway. They didn't even have any mooshine with them that day. But Loomis, once he spots a runner he never forgets it, and he'll pull the car over any way he can."
"Wow! So how is it that you and MaryAnne got away from him?" Bo asked his sister.
"Oh man, you should have SEEN MaryAnne and the way she was driving! We went off the road into this field and she swung the car around one time and he kept going then started coming after us again. Then she drove straight for this ditch. I thought she didn't see it! She turned the car at the last possible second and Loomis went flying in to the ditch. You should have seen it!"
Cooper cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow.
"But umm, the point is I got away." She said smiling.

After MaryAnne got the Oldsmobile back in the barn and covered up, she returned back to Eli's truck and drove back to Hazzard. She pulled into the drive way of Rosco's house, picked up the paper bag with the money and got out of the truck, closing the door as quietly as she could. She then walked toward the porch and to the front door.
She came into the house gingerly and closed the door. When she turned to go up the stairs she found herself looking at Rosco.
He was sitting on the last step, still in his pjs and robe. Eli was sitting on the couch in the living room. MaryAnne looked to her father and then back to Rosco, who was looking at her as if she had done something very wrong.
"Where have you been?" he asked. "You realize what time it is?"
MaryAnne pulled her sweatshirt sleeve back to look at her watch. "Quarter to eight."
Rosco nodded. "I've been up since six, so you've been gone at least that long." He looked over at Eli. "And probably longer." He looked at her again. "Where were you?"
MaryAnne looked at Eli again, wondering if Rosco already knew the answer.
"I already got an answer from your father, MaryAnne. Now I liked to hear yours."
MaryAnne drew in a deep breath and looked down at the floor. "I, uh, I had to go to Finchburg for something."
"Really. At this hour of the morning?" He glanced at the brown paper bag in her hand. "Is that it there?"
MaryAnne looked at the bag. "Yeah."
"Go ahead and show him, MaryAnne," Eli said with a sigh. "He already knows."
MaryAnne opened the bag and then handed it to Rosco. Rosco took the bag and looked in and then he turned his eyes toward MaryAnne.
MaryAnne didn't say anything and Rosco reached his hand in to the bag and pulled out a handful of money. He looked at the mess of fifties and twenties and then at MaryAnne again.
"It's to pay for your surgery," she said suddenly. "And don't you start preaching to me about running moonshine to get it either. I had to do it, Rosco." She looked him in the eye. "I wanted to do it and there ain't nothing you could have said that would have stopped me."
Rosco looked at the money. "How much did you get?"
MaryAnne was actually a bit surprised at his question. "Uh, I ain't counted it yet."
"Well, here," he said handing the money to her. MaryAnne took the money and then kneeled down on the floor in front of Rosco and started counting it out. When she finished, she looked at Rosco and Eli.
"Sixteen-hundred dollars."
Rosco blinked. "How'd you get that much?"
"Jeb Harris paid me twice the going rate for thirty-two bottles of shine," she said. She then looked at Rosco sadly. "It ain't enough is it?"
"It's a little more than half," Rosco said. "The surgery's twenty-seven hundred."
MaryAnne sighed and after a moment started crying.
"Hey," Rosco said, reaching out and touching her arm. "Hey now, don't start crying." He gently tugged on her arm and pulled her toward him. She got up from her knees and sat down next to him on the step, burying her face in his chest.
Eli got up from the couch in the living room and came over to the stairs. Rosco put his arm around MaryAnne.
"It wasn't a wasted effort, if that's what you're worried about," he said. "And I ain't mad at you for having made the run. Although I think Eli here should have gone with you."
MaryAnne sniffled and straightened up to look at Rosco. "I didn't go alone," she said. "Min Duke went with me."
"Min? MaryAnne, she's only sixteen!" Rosco exclaimed.
"I know, but she just showed up and she wanted to help me out. Besides if Papa had gone with me, you would have woke up and found both of us gone." She regarded him a moment. "You ain't mad at me for making the run, like all those times before?"
"Well....MaryAnne, you know I don't like the idea of you running moonshine and I know you keep telling me you ain't got no choice, because the ATF's always looking for Eli here. But if you had got caught that would've been the end of everything."
"Oh Rosco, I wouldn't have gotten caught. There was too much riding on this run to make a mistake. That's why Min went with me. She knew I couldn't make the run by myself this time because my emotions were running all amuck, but I was so full of pride and fear and whatever else, I didn't really see that." MaryAnne paused. "I hope her daddy didn't kill her when she got home."
Eli chuckled.
MaryAnne looked up at her father and cracked a smile. She sighed and looked at Rosco. "I was hoping to bring back more money than I did."
"Don't worry about it, MaryAnne. We'll figure out how to get the rest later."
"That's right," Eli said. "Let's just get through Rosco having the surgery first."
MaryAnne nodded and gave Rosco a hug. "I know it's all gonna be worth it, Rosco. I just know it."

Cooper opened his eyes and looked at the clock that sat on his nightstand, it read 10 am. It had only been a few hours since Min and MaryAnne had made their shine run and the family had gone back to bed. He got very little sleep, thinking about Rosco and his family. He looked beside him to see that Diane was still asleep, he didn't want to disturb her and got out of bed. He went over to his dresser and took out a pair of jeans and a shirt and got dressed quietly. He sat down on the edge of the bed and slipped on his boots, he got up and opened the door.
Diane opened her eyes just as the door opened. "Cooper?"
Cooper turned back around and sat down on the bed. "Go back to sleep Honey, it's only ten." He said, touching her shoulder gently.
"What are you doing up so early?"
"Well, Min going on that shine run with MaryAnne this morning really got me thinking about Rosco and how he's been doing. He's been home for almost a month and a half now so I thought I would go over there to check on how they are doing."
"Alright," Diane said and then paused. "I'm sure it's been tough for them."
"I know that's why I'm going, I also want to see how they are holding up money wise. Remember Min said that she and MaryAnne made that run to help Rosco pay for his surgery. I want to see how close she is to getting the money for it. You just stay here and sleep, I'll be back soon." Cooper leaned down and kissed his wife's cheek.
Diane smiled. "Okay, Cooper."
Cooper smiled at her and touched her cheek, he got up from the bed and left.

MaryAnne had managed to get a couple of hours sleep after returning from the run. She woke up a little before ten, still dressed in her jeans and sweatshirt and on the couch in the living room. She took a moment to collect her thoughts and then got up and stumbled to the kitchen.
Her stomach growled. "I hear ya," she said. "I'm sure Papa and Rosco ain't eaten yet either so you'll have some company." She went to the refrigerator and opened the door, looking at what was available for a breakfast. She pulled out the loaf of bread and the eggs and decided to make dropped egg on toast.
She got out the fry pan and broke open four eggs and then brought it over to the stove. She turned the burner on and stood in a daze waiting for the eggs to start to fry when there was suddenly a knock at the door.
MaryAnne jumped back and brought her hand to her chest, looking towards the front door. She saw the shadow of someone through the curtains standing there and she took a deep breath before going to the door to see who it was.
"Who is it?"
"It's me MaryAnne... Cooper." The shadow replied.
MaryAnne stopped before she opened the door. Uh oh, she thought. He's probably gonna crusify me for having let Min come with me on the run. She took another breath and then opened the door.
"Good morning, Mr. Duke," she said.
Cooper heard what she was thinking and he smiled as he stepped inside the kitchen. "Morning MaryAnne and no I ain't here to crucify you for my daughter going with you on the run."
MaryAnne stared at him for a moment, wondering if she had said it out loud.
"Mr. Duke--"
"Cooper... and remember what my daughter told you about her and Bo getting certain gifts from me?"
MaryAnne paused. "Oh yeah, I do remember now, Mr---" she stopped and looked at him. "Cooper."
"Mind if I sit?" He said as he pulled out a chair and looked for her approval.
"Not at all. Go right ahead."
Cooper sat down in the little wooden chair and folded his hands on top of the table. "I came out here to see how things were and how much money your run this morning brought in."
MaryAnne went back to the fry pan and picked up the spatula and started to poke at the eggs. "Things are going okay, considering the circumstances. Rosco's been doing as much as he can on his own, even getting up and down the stairs." She sighed. "As for the run this morning, it only brought in a little over half."
"Half? Well how much do you need?"
"About eleven hundred dollars more."
"1100...that's not bad. Any idea how you are going to get the rest?"
"Well, I'll probably have to make another run."
Cooper smiled as an idea came to him. "How about if all of us Duke men makes a run for you. That way you will have plenty of money."
MaryAnne stopped poking at the eggs and looked at him. "You would do that? All of you would do that?"
"Of course we would! My daughter went with you to help didn't she?"
"Well, yes she did...but..."
"But what? Your family and my family are friends MaryAnne, we want to do all we can to help. I will gather my brothers and my son and nephew and we'll each make a run."
MaryAnne put the spatula down and turned down the stove. She brought her hand to her face for a moment and then looked at Cooper. "Cooper, I...I don't know what to say..."
Cooper reached out and touched her hand. "Just say you will let us help you and Rosco."
She nodded. "Alright," she whispered. "Thank you..."
Cooper smiled and patted her hand. "Now that we got that settled, did you really think I came here to yell at you about Min making that run with you?"
MaryAnne sniffled. "Well, before she left Finchburg this morning to come back home she said if I saw Bo in black I would know I wouldn't be seeing her again."
"I was angry, but I think I was scared more than angry, Sheriff Loomis is notorious for catching runners."
"Yeah, I know he is."
"All right, well I better let you go, I got some phone calls to make and plans to arrange. I'll give you a call when the runs are done." Cooper said as he got up and pushed the chair back in.
MaryAnne walked with him to the door. "Thanks, Cooper," she said. "I appreciate this, and I know Rosco will too."
"No problem, see you later Sweetheart." Cooper said as he winked at her and left.
MaryAnne closed the door behind him and she paused a moment. She smiled to herself and then went to find Eli and Rosco and tell them the good news.

Cooper drove home and started the coffee as he picked up the phone. "Sarah, this is Cooper Duke, can you connect me with my brother Jesse please." He said as he sat down at his table.
A few miles away, Jesse Duke was about to head out the door to the barn when the phone rang. He stopped and turned back just as Martha picked up the phone.
"Hello?...Oh, hello Cooper. Yes, he's right here." She looked at Jesse. "It's Cooper."
Jesse walked over to his wife and took the receiver. "Hello?"
"Hey Big Brother, listen can you be over at my place lickity-split?"
"Yeah," Jesse said. "What's up?"
"Well the Duke men need to make some runs for Rosco's surgery. Just get over here as fast as you can so we can make plans. The coffee is hot and I got two more calls to make."
"I'm on my way, Coop. See ya soon."
"See ya.." He heard the sound of Jesse hanging up his phone. "Sarah I know you are listening, connect me to Thomas please."
Thomas Duke had just settled into his favorite chair with the morning paper when the phone rang. He sighed, not wanting to have to get up again but he did and walked over to the phone that was on the wall by the entrance to the kitchen.
"Thomas Duke," he greeted.
"Hey Thomas... it's me."
"Me. Who's me?"
Cooper sighed, not believing his own brother didn't recognize him. "Thomas Robert Duke you better reconsider that question before I kick your tail!"
"Oh! Hi Cooper!"
"Uh huh...thought so...say can you high tail it over here?"
"Sure. What's going on?"
"I'll tell ya all about it when you get over here."
"Is something wrong, Cooper? Is there some kind of trouble?"
"Kind of, I want all of us runners to make runs to help MaryAnne and Eli pay for Rosco's surgery. So come on over, and I'll see you soon."
"You got it. I'm on my way."
When the line was clear, Sarah's voice came over the wires. "Let me guess, call Aaron?"
Cooper smiled and started to laugh. "Please Sarah."
Aaron and Luke were just outside and under the hood of Luke's General when they heard the phone ring. Aaron looked at Luke.
"I'll get it," he said. He wiped his hands on the rag that was laying on the edge of the car and headed into the house.
After the third ring, he picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Aaron, its Cooper. Are you and Luke busy right now?"
"Not extremely. Just tuning up Luke's General."
"Oh good, can you both drop your tools and come over to my place?"
"Well, sure. What's going on?"
"We gotta make some runs, I'll fill in the blanks when you and my nephew get over here. So come on down."
"Alright, we'll be right there."
"See ya in a bit... bye."
Aaron said goodbye to his brother and went back out to Luke and the General.
"You're Uncle Cooper says we gotta make a run and wants us over at his place now."
"Is something wrong?" Luke asked.
"Doesn't seem it, but he said he'd fill us in when we got there, so let's get goin'."
"Alright." Luke grabbed a cloth to wipe his hands on and, leaving the General's hood up, walked with his father to the old pick up truck.

Cooper made sure there was plenty of coffee and toast for everyone as Diane, Bo and Min came down the stairs.
"Cooper what's going on? You have enough toast and coffee for a small army." Diane said as she yawned and poured herself a cup.
Min saw the large stack of toast and smiled. "No Mom that's how much Bo normally eats for breakfast."
"Wha--Hey!" Bo said, looking at his sister.
"All right you two that's enough." Cooper said eyeing his daughter before turning to answer his wife."There is a small army coming, the men are coming to talk about how we are going to help MaryAnne and Eli pay for Rosco's surgery."
"What?" Bo said. "I thought that was why MaryAnne went on a run this morning? Wasn't that supposed to get money for Rosco's surgery?"
"That's true son but she only got part of the money, she's 1100 dollars short."
There was a knock at the door and Uncle Jesse came inside. Bo and Min got up from the table and hugged him.
"Hey kids," Jesse said hugging both of them at the same time. When they let go, he looked at Cooper. "What's this about making a run for Rosco's surgery?"
Diane smiled as she kissed Jesse's cheek and served him a cup of coffee. "It's for Rosco, have a seat Jess."
Jesse took the coffee from Diane and sat down at the table just as Bo sat down next to him.
"MaryAnne made a run this morning to get some money but she didn't get enough," Bo said. "Dad says she needs eleven hundred dollars more."
Cooper was about to speak when there was another knock on the door and Thomas came in.
"Morning everyone."
"Hi Uncle Thomas!" Min said as she hugged her Uncle and handed him a cup of coffee.
Cooper smiled at him and pointed to an empty seat near Bo. "Have a seat Thomas and I'll explain."
"Sure." Thomas said sitting beside his nephew.
"Okay the reason I called..."
Another knock rang out and Luke and Aaron came inside and Cooper sighed and crossed his arms. "I never realized I had so many brothers!"
Diane handed them coffee and started to laugh. "Okay Coop that's everyone, you only got three brothers. Have a seat you two, he's about to explain why he called all of you."
Aaron and Luke glanced at each other and then they took a seat at the table.
"Okay, little brother, what's up?" Aaron asked.
Cooper looked at his assembled family and sighed. "Now that everyone is here...the reason I called you all is because MaryAnne Coltrane is 1100 dollars short of the money she needs for Rosco's surgery. She and Min made a run this morning but it just wasn't enough. I spoke to her this morning and I told her that each of us would make a run and give her the money."
"Each of us?" Luke said. "Even me and Bo?"
Cooper nodded. "Yeah Luke, we should get 200 a piece, so all 6 of us have to make runs in order to get 1200 dollars."
"You boys are gonna have to remember what we taught you," Thomas said, looking at Luke and Bo. "Running blocker and running with the load is two different things."
"Yes especially since both of you have to cross into Hatchapie and even Min can tell you how tough Sheriff Loomis is." Cooper said.
"Unforgiving," Aaron said.
Min nodded. "And don't forget to add 'itchy trigger finger' to that also Uncle Aaron."
Aaron chuckled. "Yeah, that too."
"That's right, and that is why it is so important that both of you are ready for this. He is going to try and get you boys anyway he can and you gotta be on your toes." Cooper said looking at them both seriously.
"Coop ain't kiddin' ya either. Of course, you're not under any obligation to do this if you don't feel you can."
Luke nodded thoughtfully and looked at his younger cousin. "Whaddya say Bo? Feel up to it?"
Bo looked at Luke and then his uncles. "Since it's for Rosco's surgery, you better believe I feel up to it."
"All right then, let's do it Gentlemen." Cooper said as he slapped his hands together and rubbed them.

By the afternoon, all the Duke men had gathered at Jesse's to prepare for the run. Cooper and Jesse were out at Jesse's still, cooking up enough moonshine to fill Hazzard Lake, while Thomas, Aaron, Bo and Luke were getting their cars ready.
Cooper stood guard with one of his older brother's shotguns while Jesse finished filling another jug of shine and brought it to his pick up truck. In order to get 1200 dollars, each man was going to have to carry eight bottles of shine to be sold at the going rate of $25 per bottle. Which meant Jesse had to make up 48 jugs of moonshine, taking him and Cooper most of the afternoon.
Everyone's cars were pretty much set for the run, except Aaron's, which had been sputtering and bucking for awhile, so while Jesse and Cooper were making up the moonshine, the boys, Thomas and Aaron went to work on the engine of Aaron's car.
"All right try it again Dad." Luke said as he put back the freshly cleaned fuel line back in its place.
Aaron turned the ignition and the car coughed and sputtered and started rough.
Aaron shook his head. He shut the car off and paused a moment and then started it again. It started a little better, but still sputtered after turning over.
"Let's take a look at the carborator," Bo suggested.
"And maybe the fuel pump too Cousin," Luke said as he wiped his hands on a rag from his back pocket.
Bo nodded. He reached in and started to unscrew the screw on the cover of the air filter. "I wonder how Dad and Uncle Jesse are doing?"

"I just spoke to your customers Jesse, they said they'll take the shine so all 48 jugs are sold." Cooper said as he brought another dozen glass jugs out of the storage shed and set them down. He took a sip of the stuff and it was great.
"Uh...Coop, we need to save that for the run," Jesse joked.
"Sorry can't help it, we make the best shine in this whole state!"
"Well, I ain't gonna argue with ya there," Jesse said with a smile. "But I wouldn't want to disappoint my customers and say I can't deliver because my brother drank all of the product."
Cooper started to laugh as he helped Jesse fill the bottles.

Bo held on to the air filter cover as Luke tightened the screw. They had cleaned out the carburator and the fuel pump and were about to see if that had done the trick.
When the boys straightened up from the engine, Luke looked at his dad.
"Hit it."
Aaron crossed his fingers and turned the ignition and the car started, clean, smooth and purred as it idled.
"YEEEHAAA!!" Bo exclaimed.
Luke smiled and nodded. "Nice job cousin," he said.
"Excellent job!" Aaron concurred as he got out of the car and listened to the engine. "You boys did a great job! Are you going to use your Generals to make your runs?"
Luke looked at Bo. "That's what I was figuring," he said and looked back at his father. "There ain't really any other cars fast enough that we could use."
"Yeah," Bo said.
"True, you both better check the cars and make sure that they are both running right."
"You bet we will," Luke said.
Aaron nodded. "Be sure you do boys, you can't take any chance with Sheriff Loomis."

The boys checked over their cars inch by inch and then each checked each others cars. By the time Jesse and Cooper came back to the farm house with the shine, all the cars were tuned and ready to go, in the best possible condition they could be in for this run.
They were then all loaded up. Eight bottles of shine for each man were carefully placed in the trunk of all six cars. When they finished loading they gathered in the middle of the yard.
"All right, you all know where to go and how to get there." Cooper said as he addressed the men like troops readying for battle. "Remember to be careful and we all meet back here with the money, at dusk."
Bo's heart fluttered a little as he took a deep breath and nodded to his father, along with Luke and his uncles.
"Okay Gentlemen, let's do this for Rosco." Cooper said as he smiled at them.
"For Rosco," they all said. They then turned to walk to their cars.
Cooper walked over to his son and put his arm around his shoulders as he walked him to his General. "You okay Bo?"
"Yeah, I'm alright, Dad. I'm a little nervous, but I'm okay."
"Well don't worry, you've got the driving skills, you'll do good." He hugged his son briefly. "I'll be on channel 5 if you need me."
Bo returned the hug and then smiled. "Thanks, Dad." He climbed into his General. "See ya later."
Cooper waved at him as he got behind the wheel of his own car and headed for Chickasaw.
While the men were off to make their individual runs, all of the women were gathered at Diane's.
"I wish they didn't have to do this." Carol said as she sat at Diane's table drinking coffee.
Diane stirred some cream into her coffee. "I wish they didn't either, but there's no other way MaryAnne can get the rest of the money Rosco's going to need for that surgery and get it quickly."
"And besides Aunt Carol, they have been running shine since before I was born!" Daisy said as she patted her Aunts hand.
"Not all of them..." Min said as she bounced in her chair, chewing at her fingernails. She was clearly distressed.
Diane looked at her daughter. "I know you're worried about Bo, Min, I am too. I'm worried about all of them. But we have to keep good thoughts and say a few prayers. They'll be back here before we know it," she said, touching Min's hand.
"Your Mom's right Honey, Daisy's father and my husband are out there too, but I know they'll be all right." Jean said as she patted her shoulder.
"I don't know...someting is gnawing at me, maybe I better give Daddy a call." Min said as she looked at the CB.
"Sweetheart, the less time they have to spend talking to someone on the CB the sooner they'll get there and be back home," Diane said. "What's bothering you?"
Min shrugged her shoulders. "I can't explain it Mom, but I feel such anxiety for some reason."
Diane looked at her daughter sympathetically. It was all she could do, because she knew there was nothing that could be done or said that would put Min's mind at ease. And if Min was especially anxious about the run, Diane knew that something could happen.
By the time dusk had come, the runs had been made and the men were on their way back to their meeting place. Bo had made the run, got the money and was on his way home when he saw the gumball lights suddenly appear behind him.
"Oh great!"
Spike Loomis picked up his radio mike. "Alright Duke boy, I've been watching you ever since you first crossed into Hatchapie County and I know why you're here. So pull over!"
"Afraid not Sheriff, you'll have to catch me!" Bo put down the CB and hit the gas.
Loomis dropped the mike and stepped on the gas to keep up with the dark blue Dodge Charger.
Bo smiled as he whipped his carback and forth, showing his skills to the Sheriff.
Loomis was not impressed. Many a moonshiner had demonstrated nice driving skills in trying to get away from him. Some had succeed and some had not. Loomis followed Bo through the turns and even when the Charger went across a field.
After a few moments, the General flew off edge of the field and back on to the road, with Loomis right behind.
Bo landed and smiled, he went to do a 180 when his tire suddenly blew.
Loomis saw the car start to swerve and slow down. He managed to cut around Bo and to the front and then turned the patrol car across the road, blocking it and forcing Bo to come to a stop. Sheriff Loomis was out of the car in a flash and had his gun drawn and pointed at Bo.
"Gotcha!" Loomis smiled in victory.
Min was sitting at the table when Sheriff Loomis' voice echoed in her head and she saw him pointing a gun at her brother. She gasped loudly and her face became white.
Diane looked at her. "Min? Min, what's wrong?"
Min could not speak, she only breathed heavily, her eyes terrified.
Diane stood up as all the aunts looked at Min in concern. Diane gently grabbed a hold of her daughter. "Min, what is it?" she asked worriedly.
Min swallowed hard and looked at her mother, on the verge of tears. "Sheriff Loomis...."
"Loomis," Diane whispered. "The men. Were they caught?"
Min shook her head. "He got Bo...Loomis has Bo."
Diane stared at Min and then slowly closed her eyes. "Oh my Lord..." she said. "Oh no..."

Cooper was heading back to the meeting place when he had a sharp pain in his stomach, he saw Min and he knew right away what they both were feeling. He stepped on the gas and made it to the meeting place in half the time. His brothers were all gathered and he got out of his car, holding his stomach.
Jesse turned and saw his younger brother step out of the car looking pale. "Cooper?" he said, walking towards him to see what was wrong.
Cooper's stomach was hurting him, the pain was from his son. Bo was terrified and his father could feel it very strongly. He saw his brother and he tried as best he could to fight it.
"Jesse, there is a big problem."
"What is it, Coop?" Jesse asked in concern.
Aaron, Thomas and Luke walked over to Cooper as well. "Whaddya say, Coop, that run went pretty well," Thomas said.
Cooper shook his head rapidly as he got another sharp stab. "No, it didn't." He said through gritted teeth.
Both Jesse and Aaron grabbed a hold of Cooper. They could tell he was fighting some kind of tremendous pain.
"Cooper, what is it?" Jesse asked. "What happened?"
"He got my son..." He said as he bent over a little.
Jesse and Aaron looked at each other for a split second and they held on to their brother.
"Bo..?" Luke said. "Loomis caught Bo?"
Cooper straightened himself up and looked at his nephew. "Bo's tire blew and Loomis got him... do your Uncle a favor Luke."
"Name it," Luke said.
"Get on the CB and call my house, tell the Aunts to come and tell my wife to come with Min, and make sure Min is okay. I just hope she isn't hurting like this."
"You got it," Luke said and ran over to his General Lee.
Cooper sighed in relief and leaned against his car. "That bastard has my son." He said as he put his hand to his forehead.
Luke leaned into the window of his car and grabbed the CB mike. "This is Luke Duke looking for the Duke women. Aunt Diane? Mom? You got your ears on?"
Luke's mother got up from the table and picked up the CB. "You got your Mother on this end Honey, I bet Uncle Cooper told you to call didn't he?"
"Yeah, Mom, he did. He wants y'all to get out here to our meeting spot, with Min too." He paused. "Loomis caught Bo."
"I know, Min told us. She ain't feeling too good, how is Cooper?"
"He's not feeling so great either. He was concerned that Min may have been feeling the same thing he was from Bo. I take it she did?"
"Oh yeah, big time. We'll gather our stuff and be at the meeting spot as soon as we can."
"Okay, ten-four. See ya soon."
Carol hung up the mike and went over to Min and her mother. "That was Luke, Cooper wants us to come."
Min looked at her and nodded. "He's really hurting cause Bo is scared."
"I can imagine," Diane said. "Well, let's get going, the less time my son has to spend in that rotten jail the better."

A little while later, the Duke women arrived at the meeting spot where all the men were congregated. Diane brought the pick up truck to a stop and she, Min and Carol got out. Behind them was Jean and Martha who pulled up in Jesse's truck.
Diane rushed over to Cooper. "Cooper..."
Cooper hugged his wife. "We're going to get him back Honey."
Diane embraced her husband. "I know," she said. "But how...how did he get caught?"
"His tire blew and Loomis got him." Cooper looked at his daughter and motioned for her to come here.
Min looked at her father and she could see the pain in his face. "Does it hurt more for you Daddy?"
Cooper nodded. "It does because mine are stronger than you and your twin's."
"Cooper, what are we gonna do?" Diane asked. "He must be terrified. How are we going to get him back?" Her eyes were already red from the start of tears.
"We are going to go down there right now and get him." He said as he took his wife by the hand. He looked over at Luke and curled his finger at him.
Luke hurried over. "Yeah?"
"While me and your Aunt go get Bo, do you think you can keep an eye on Min?"
Min looked at her father. "But Daddy I want to go."
"Min, if I were you I'd want to go to, but it would be best if you stay here while your parents go," Luke said.
Min nodded and sighed. "Okay Luke." She hugged both of her parents. "See you both later..."
Cooper hugged his daughter and kissed her head. "We'll be back soon, with your brother."
Diane hugged her daughter as well and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Everything's going to be okay, Min. We'll see you soon."
Min nodded and looked at Luke as they walked away. "Can we go back to my house Luke?"
"Sure," Luke said. He then put his arm around his cousin. "He'll be home, Min. Don't you worry."
"I hope so." Min said as she leaned her head against her cousin.
Bo, meanwhile, sat in one of the jail cells of the Hatchapie County jail. He didn't say a word to Sheriff Loomis after being caught, more or less because he was too afraid to talk. His stomach was churning, much the same way it did when he had been left with Rosco. He placed his hand over his stomach, trying to calm it down, but it didn't help much.
"Dear Lord..." he prayed, closing his eyes for a moment and resting his head against the concrete wall. "Dad, I'm so sorry..."
Cooper and Diane had made it over to the Hatchapie County Courthouse. They walked through the big double doors and over to the door marked Sheriff Spike Loomis. Cooper held his wife's hand tightly and knocked.
Sheriff Loomis looked up from the paper work on his desk. "Who is it?" he gruffed.
"It's Cooper and Diane Duke, we are here to bail out our son."
Loomis smirked and got up from his desk. He went over to the door and opened it.
"I'm sorry," he said. "No bail has been set for Bo Duke."
Diane gasped and she looked at her husband." But you can't deny him bail! He's 16 years old!"
"He was caught running moonshine, Ma'am, that's a federal offense. His age is irrelevent."
"Can we at least see him?" Cooper asked.
"I'm afraid not," Loomis said. That was it. He offered no explanation as to why Cooper and Diane could not see their son.
"But you can't deny us seeing our son!" Diane said as the door closed in her face.
Cooper hugged his now crying wife to him and sighed. "Come on Diane..."
"I want to see him, Coop! I want to see my son!!"
"I know Honey so do I...but we can't force ourselves on Loomis or we will be in the cell next to him."
Diane gripped Cooper's arms, looking at him. She then buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed. "My boy....Oh Coop, he's just a young boy..."
"Shhhh, I know." Cooper said as he stroked her hair.
Diane continued to sob quietly.
The sound of his wife sobbing was ripping at Cooper's heart. He held her close to him, trying to give her what comfort he could. "We are going to get him back Honey, I swear."

Min and Luke were in the living room, Luke was on the couch reading a magazine and Min was pacing the floor. She stopped suddenly and watched what happened with Sheriff Loomis and her parents. She saw her mother's tears and before she knew it, she was crying too.
Luke looked up from his magazine and watched Min. When she started crying, he stood up and approached her.
"Min, what's wrong?"
"They didn't get him.." She said quietly.
Luke sighed and touched Min on the shoulder. "Well, they may not have got him now, but they will. You gotta believe that."
Min looked at her cousin and shook her head. "He denied bail Luke."
Luke paused a moment. "Well, that doesn't matter because if he caught Bo after Bo made the run, then he ain't got any evidence against Bo for running moonshine because Bo already got rid of it."
"He witnessed it Luke, Loomis witnessed Bo making the run."
"That's his word against Bo's. Without the moonshine, Loomis has no case. Bo was just 'visiting with some family friends.' And they'd testify to that."
Min sighed and wiped her eyes. "Luke who do you think is more believable, a Sheriff or a 16 year old kid whose family are known moonshiners?"
Luke paused and sighed. Min had a point and he ran his fingers through his hair, realizing he didn't have a good answer for her. He shrugged.

To keep herself busy while the Duke men were making their shine run, MaryAnne went through and cleaned Rosco's house. Not that there was much to clean, seeing as Aunt Abby kept the house up quite well. So MaryAnne went about doing things like polishing the furniture and wiping down the curtains. It was probably pointless, but other wise she would have been staring at the clock the whole time.
Rosco sat in the corner of the living room, watching her putter around.
"You're gonna wear yourself out," he said.
"I don't care," she said. "I'd go nuts otherwise."
She was about to start on polishing the lamp tables on either side of the couch when there was a knock at the door. Both she and Rosco looked over at the door and then she walked over and opened it.
"Jesse," she greeted with surprise. Her surprise at seeing him faded when she saw the down look on his face.
She stepped back to let him into the house.
"Hello MaryAnne, Rosco..." Jesse said as he reached into his pocket and took out a worn out looking paper bag. "Here is almost all of the money."
MaryAnne looked at the bag and then at Jesse. "Almost?"
Jesse nodded, thinking about his nephew over in that lousy jail cell. "We are 200 short."
MaryAnne took the bag from Jesse when he handed it to her. She looked at it and then at him. "Well, that's okay," she said. "Did you guys run into any trouble?"
Jesse looked up at her and his face told the tale. "MaryAnne, Bo got caught by Sheriff Loomis."
MaryAnne stared for a moment. "Oh Jesse," she said. "I'm sorry."
"Loomis has him and I really don't know how his parents are going to get him back. I'm sorry I'm not good company right now, but I better go."
MaryAnne nodded. "It's alright. Listen, if you see Cooper and Diane tell them if there's anything me and Papa can do to just let us know. I am grateful to y'all for doing this, I just hope I can return the favor in helping to get Bo back."
"Same here," Rosco added.
Jesse nodded to the both of them. "We did what we had to, I'll give everyone your thanks. So long." Jesse turned and left.
"Bye, Jesse," MaryAnne said. She closed the door behind him and then looked over at Rosco.
"Under normal circumstances," he said, "Loomis would be rubbing this in my face. But I ain't gonna have no Duke rot in the Hatchapie jail when they were trying to do something to help me."
"No arguement here," MaryAnne said. "I'm gonna go find Papa and let him know what's happened." She walked into the living room and handed the bag to Rosco. "After all they've done for us, we're not gonna stand idly by when they need help."

A little later, Cooper and Diane returned home. Their mood was somber yet they were determined to figure a way to get their son back.
Min saw the truck through the window and she rushed over to the door as her parents came on to the porch.
"Mom, Daddy." She said as she started to cry and hugged them both. "What's going to happen to my twin?" She asked, her voice thick with emotion.
Cooper and Diane held on to their daughter. "He's still in jail, honey," Diane said.
"But we're going to get him home," Cooper said. "That's a promise. I'm not going to let Loomis keep a Duke in jail, especially my own son."
"But how?" She said as she stepped back from them and wiped her face.
"I'm not sure right now," Cooper said. "If I have to I'll bust him out of there myself."
Diane heard what her husband said and she shook her head. "Cooper you can't, my son is there and I cannot take it if it was both my husband and my son. We will find another way." She said as she went inside the house with Cooper following behind her.
Min sighed and sat down on the porch swing, she could hear her brother and she was scared that she might not ever see him again. There had to be a way to get him back.
Luke had only heard some of what Cooper and Diane had said. When they came into the house, he asked them about Bo and found out that his cousin was still in jail. Afterwards, he went out on to the porch and sat down on the swing next to his cousin.
He didn't say anything and just simply took a hold of her hand to try to give her some comfort.
Min felt her cousin's hand trying to give her comfort and she appreciated that.
"We gotta get him out of there Luke..." She said quietly
Luke looked at her, detecting the hidden message in her statement. "You mean bust him out of there ourselves?"
Min turned to look at him and nodded her head slowly. "Daddy can't risk this, not with my Mom so scared. We gotta do it ourselves Luke. You, me, Daisy, and MaryAnne."
Luke thought for a moment. He was hesitent to agree right away but he wanted to help get Bo out of jail anyway he could and if busting him out was the way to do it, then that's how it had to be done.
He looked at Min and nodded. "Alright, Min. We'll bust him out ourselves."
Min squeezed her cousin's hand and smiled. "Thank you Luke, I'll call MaryAnne, you call Daisy and I'll meet you at your place at midnight."
After Luke left, Min went up to her room and grabbed up her phone. She dialed the number to Rosco's house and listened to it ring on the other end.
At Rosco's house, MaryAnne was sitting with Rosco in the living room and heard the phone ring in the kitchen. She got up and went to answer it.
"Hello?"
"MaryAnne, this is Min."
"Min! I heard what happened to Bo and I'm so sorry. If there's anything I can do, you just name it."
Min sighed and rubbed her face. "I know, and as a matter of fact, I do need your help with something."
"Sure. What is it?"
"I want to break out my brother, would you like to help?"
"Break him out of jail?" MaryAnne asked in clarification.
"Right, with my cousins. My father wants to do it but I think it would be better if us kids did it."
MaryAnne paused and turned her head back toward the living room. Rosco couldn't see her, which was just as well. She knew he'd be a bit leary about her helping to break Bo out of jail, but Bo had been trying to help her and Rosco at the time he was
caught and it was only right she help him get out of jail.
"Okay," she said softly. "When?"
"I'll pick you up at your place at 11:45, we are supposed to meet at Luke's house."
"Alright. I'll be waiting."
"Okay, thanks MaryAnne."
"Sure thing. We'll get him back, Min. I'll see you soon."
"Bye MaryAnne."
Min hung up the phone and picked up the phone again, she dialed her cousin Luke's number.
Luke had just hung up with Daisy when the phone rang. He picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hi Luke, It's Min, did you talk to Daisy?"
"Just got off the phone with her. She'll be here tonight. Did you talk to MaryAnne?"
"Same here, just talked to her, I pick her up at quarter til 12."
"Okay. I think I might have an idea how to bust him out. I'll tell y'all about when you all get here tonight."
"Sounds good Cousin, see ya at the Witching Hour."
"See ya."

Dinner was rather uneventful, it was just soup and sandwiches and Min sat between two statues. Both of her parents were silent as they looked at the empty chair. Min excused herself and went up to her room and laid down on her bed. She didn't know how long she was there just staring at the ceiling, but a short time later she heard her mother crying and her father trying as best he could to give her comfort. Min sighed and rolled over, waiting for time to pass.
Finally, everything was silent and the clock on her nightstand read 11 30, she got up and dressed all in black as she snuck down the back stairs and ran over to the barn. She uncovered her car and drove to MaryAnne's.

MaryAnne acted as non- chalant as she could to get through the evening. She chatted with her father and Rosco during supper about various topics, trying to pass the time. After she cleaned up the dishes she went to her room and tried to read her book. But she didn't get far into it, because she kept thinking about what she was going soon take part in and wondered just how they were going to pull it off.
At nine, she said good night to Rosco and her father and turned out her bedroom light. She changed into a black turtleneck and black jeans and waited in the darkness for her old clock to flip to 11:45. When it finally did, she opened her window as quietly as she could and stepped out on to the porch roof. Her father was still up and down in the living room and she did not even tell him of what she was going to be doing. She lightly stepped to the edge of the roof and jumped down.
After she landed she froze and listened and when no one came on to the porch, she straightened up and walked to the road, where she saw Min's Mustang coming around the corner.
Min saw her friend and she stopped before she got to close to the house. She unlocked the passenger side door and waited for her to come to the car.
MaryAnne stepped to the Mustang and opened the passenger door. She got into the car.
"Hey, Min," she greeted. She closed the door as quietly as she could.
"Hi, I see you dressed like I did, in black. I spoke to Luke and he said he has a plan." Min said as she turned her car around and headed for Luke's.
MaryAnne smiled. "Yeah, I'm assuming the whole idea is NOT to be seen by Sheriff Loomis. I'm glad Luke has an idea of what were gonna do because I was wondering just how exaclty we were gonna pull this off."
"Yeah me too, I don't care what we gotta do, we got to get my brother out of there,"
"I hear ya on that."
Min sighed as she turned down Swallow Street, she saw the bright orange color of her cousin's General Lee and the bright yellow paint of Daisy's car. She parked beside them and the two girls got out.
Luke and Daisy were standing by the cars when Min pulled in. They walked over.
"Howdy," Luke greeted. "Glad you're gonna help us, MaryAnne."
MaryAnne nodded. "It's the least I can do, after all you Dukes have done for me and Rosco."
"How are your parents doing Cousin?" Daisy asked as she put her arm around her cousin's shoulders.
"My mother cried herself to sleep, Daddy tried but he couldn't stop her tears." She looked at her cousin. "So what is the plan Luke?"
"Well, I was thinking to have Daisy here distract Loomis for a bit, get him outside of the jail house. Then you and MaryAnne can go in and get Bo out. I'll get Bo's General out of the impound and Daisy can drive whatever car we take back here to Hazzard. Before Daisy distracts Loomis, I'm gonna need a few minutes to fix the flat tire on Bo's General."
"So MaryAnne and I need to give you some time to fix the flat and hotwire the General?"
"Yeah. When we get to the Hatchapie Courthouse, you'll drop me off at the impound. I'll find his General and get started right away. Give me about five minutes and then have Daisy go in and lure Loomis out. By the time you get Bo out I'll have the
General broken out of the impound."
Daisy nodded. "Got any suggestions for how I can get Loomis out of his office?"
"Yeah and do you think I can use my powers to get Bo out, melt the lock or what?" Min asked.
"Oh I brought something for that," MaryAnne said as she reached into her pocket. She pulled out what looked like a small bill fold and held it up. "Lock picking kit," she said with a chuckle.
"Well if that doesn't work we can do it my way."
Luke smiled. "Looks like were all set there." He looked at Daisy. "Let's see...well, you could tell him your car broke down, or that someone tried to attack you, or you could really shuck and jive him and say you saw two sadowy figures heading towards the bank." He made a face. "Eh, he probably won't go for that. The attack or the break down might be a more realistic approach."
Daisy nodded her head. "Damsel in Distress routine?"
Luke winked. "As only you can do it, cousin."
"You know it Honey." She said as she laughed.
Min took a deep breath and exhaled it out. "Well, I say we go. Bo is waiting."
"Yeah, let's get going," MaryAnne said. "Who's car we taking?"
"Let's take Daisy's seeing as she may end up using for her jive," Luke said.
"Just the one car Cousin? Shouldn't we take maybe the General to run blocker in case Loomis chases us?" Min asked.
Luke thought. "Yeah, you got a point. Okay, we'll take both Daisy's car and my General."
Min smiled."How about you and Daisy take her car and me and Maryanne drive the General?"
"Sounds good to me," Luke said.
Min was extremely happy as Luke gave her the keys. She smiled and jingled them at MaryAnne."I'm getting more hopeful by the minute! Let's do it!"
"Alright!" MaryAnne giggled. "Cool I get to ride in one of the Duke boys Generals!" she exclaimed as she followd Min to the orange car.
Daisy tossed her keys to Luke. "Here you go Honey, you get to drive."
Luke smiled. "Alright," he said. "See y'all in Hatchapie!" he called to Min and MaryAnne as the General's engine turned over. He and Daisy got into her car and after he started the engine he followed out after the General.
About twenty minutes later, they arrived in Hatchapie County. When they got to town, Luke brought Daisy's car to a stop by the impound and he got out and ducked over into the shadows by then fence. Daisy scooted over to the driver's seat and continued on into the town square, following Min and MaryAnne in the General.
Both cars pulled over to the side of the street and the engines were silenced. Daisy shut off the headlights on her car and then looked at her watch. She picked up the CB mike.
"Five minutes."
Min drove the General over to the Hatchapie Courthouse and parked around the corner from it. "You ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," MaryAnne replied.
Min took a deep breath and nodded to her. "Let's go then."
MaryAnne looked across the street to Daisy's car and saw the headlights come back on. She moved the car up a little bit and then got out and put the hood up. She signaled to Min and MaryAnne and then headed towards the courthouse.
Luke, meanwhile, was putting a new tire on Bo's General. The small flash light he had found in the trunk gave off just enough light to work by. He started tightening the lugnuts and wondered how the girls were doing.
Daisy walked into the Courthouse and up the office of the Sheriff and knocked on it.
Loomis looked at his watch and shook his head. He wondered who the heck would be at the courthouse at this hour of the night. He got up from his desk and went to open the door.
Daisy looked at the grey-haired man at smiled. 'Hi Sugar, I need some help."
Loomis regarded the young woman for a moment. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked.
"Well my car seems to have stopped and I just can't seem to figure out why. Do you think that maybe you could come and take a look at it?"
Loomis sighed. "I really don't have time for this..."
"Please, I don't want to be stranded here all night." She said as she touched his arm.
Loomis looked at her hand on his arm and then at her. Her eyes were pleading and he found it a bit hard to resist her request for help. "Well, alright," he said.
Daisy gave him her prettiest smile and walked with him outside. She looked behind her and saw MaryAnne and Min running inside.
The two girls ran into the building and saw the stairs that led to the basement cells, they went down them quickly and stopped at the gate at the end of the stairs.
"Okay MaryAnne, break out the lock picking kit." Min said as she stepped aside.
MaryAnne pulled out her kit and opened it up. She selected a slim piece of metal and then handed the kit to Min. MaryAnne then went to work on opening the lock.
After a moment of listening to metal scrape against each other, the gate finally opened. MaryAnne pushed open the door and let Min go in first.
Min ran into the room and went down the hall that ran right down the middle of all the cells that covered both walls. She saw her brother in the last one.
"Bo..." She said as she saw him sleeping on the cot.
Bo opened his eyes and suddenly sat up on the cot. He turned towards the front of the cell and then jumped up.
"Min!" he exclaimed. "MaryAnne! How did...?"
"We'll explain later," MaryAnne said, using the same slim piece of metal to go to work on the lock on the cell door. After a few twists and turns the door clicked and opened easily.
Min opened the door and hugged her twin. "I'm glad to see you Bo."
"I'm glad to see you too," Bo said, hugging his sister tightly.
Min let go of her twin and smiled. "Come on let's get out of here."
"Yeah, let's go. I don't know how long Daisy's gonna last shuckin' Sheriff Loomis," MaryAnne said, returning her lock pick to it's kit.
Loomis had his flashlight out and was looking over the engine of Daisy's car. He didn't know much about cars and really wasn't sure what he was looking for.
"Maybe its the starter Honey." Daisy said as she crossed her arms over her chest and watched for her cousins and MaryAnne.
"Probably," Loomis said. He flashed the light over the starter and leaned in a little further into the engine block to get a good look.
Just then Min and MaryAnne came out of the courthouse. They quickly ran down the stairs and towards the General.
Daisy smiled when she saw them. "Umm let me try it Sugar, maybe it was just flooded."
Loomis straightened up from the engine and looked at her. "Alright."
Daisy went behind the wheel of her car and start it up at the same time Min started Luke's General. Sheriff Loomis turned just in time to see Min take off.
He recognized the orange car. "What the--"
"Bye Sugar, thanks for your help!" Daisy said as she backed up with such force that her hood slammed down.
Loomis swung around as the yellow Plymouth squealed away from him. Daisy swung the Satellite around in a J turn and followed out after Min and MaryAnne in Luke's General. As they roared past the impound yard, the chain link fence suddenly crashed open as Luke came barreling out with Bo's General.
Loomis was ready to spit nails. He ran over to his patrol car and got in and tore off after the escapee and his cohorts.
Min started to laugh as she picked up the CB. "Burn rubber Cousins, one very mad Sheriff is coming."
Luke picked up the mike. "Y'all pull ahead, I'll head him off."
"Copy that Lukas, Daisy let's split in two different directions, so we can confuse the nice Sheriff."
"You got it Cousin, I'll take left you take right."
Bo was looking out the back window of Luke's General. "Luke got my General too??" he asked happily.
"Of course, we don't leave family members behind." Min picked up the mike. "Okay Daisy, on the count of three we split. One...Two...Three!" Min turned the wheel to the right at the same time Daisy turned hers to the left.
Luke kept Bo's General barrleing straight on through. Loomis stayed right with Luke and picked up his radio mike.
"That's county property you're stealing mister!"
"Ha!" Luke replied. "That's what you think!"
Luke swung Bo's General around in a 180 and went flying back past the Sheriff. Loomis turned around and went after Luke.
Luke laughed as he led the Sheriff around in circles.
"Great driving Cousin, you got that Sheriff seeing stars he's do dizzy!" Daisy laughed into her CB mike.
MaryAnne laughed, along with Min and Bo. She then grabbed up the CB mike. "I think it's time you let the Sheriff go now, Luke. Play time's over."
"That's big ten-four, MaryAnne," Luke replied.
Min took the mike from MaryAnne. "Hey, Luke, let me give ya hand, couisn."
"Come on over!" Luke said.
Min swung Luke's General around and came out on to the road Luke and the Sheriff were on just before them. The two Generals drove side by side and opened up just enough for Sheriff Loomis to come up in the middle.
Luke never had to ask if Min was ready. With perfect timing the two Generals both screeched to a halt and Loomis kept going ahead. He tried to swing his patrol car around but only ended up wrapping the car around a lamp post.
"YEEHAAA!!" Bo yelled out.
"Good timing Luke, let's go home." Min said as she pressed the button on her mike.
"Ten-four, Hazzard here we come," Luke said. With that the three Duke cars took off into the night.

Cooper opened his eyes. He thought at first he was dreaming, seeing Sheriff Loomis's patrol car going flying around with a blaze of red taillights all alit. Then he realized what he was seeing and when he heard the familar rebel yell of his son, he sat up suddenly in bed.
"What is it Coop?" Diane asked sleepily as she rolled over to face him.
"They broke him out of jail," he said soflty. He paused a moment. "I don't believe this! Those crazy kids just busted Bo out of the Hatchapie County Jail!!" He got up suddenly and went over to the wall where the light switch was. He turned it on and went to get some clothes.
"But...they couldn't have. Who did it?"
"Your daughter, our nephew Luke, our neice Daisy and MaryAnne Coltrane." Cooper took a moment to loop his belt through the loops on his jeans. "It was MIN'S idea."
Diane looked at her husband with disbelief, she saw that he was serious and she threw back the covers and got up to get dressed. "Can you tell where they are?"
"They're heading right back here," he said as he quickly wrapped a shirt around him. He was clearly not happy with what he had seen in his vision. "And I'm going down to meet them."
"You wait for me." Diane said as she threw on some sweat pants and a t-shirt.
Min turned down the driveway and parked her cousin's General in front of the barn. The three kids were riding a high wave of victory and were laughing and embracing each other as Luke and Daisy arrived.
Suddenly the porch light came on and Cooper and Diane came out of the house.
The celebration stopped when Min saw her two unhappy parents standing on the porch.
"Uhh, Hi."
Cooper just stood there and crossed his arms over his chest.
MaryAnne saw that he and Diane were not happy.
"Cooper, we can explain--"
"MaryAnne," he said sternly, "if it's all the same to you, I'd rather hear it from my daughter."
Min sighed and took her brother by the arm and walked with him to the porch. "I couldn't leave Bo in that jail Daddy. You and Mom were so scared and upset and I had to do something..."
"So you, Luke, Daisy and MaryAnne here risk as much jail time as Bo was possibly facing to bust him out?" Cooper said. "Min, do you have any idea what could have happened if you had been caught. If ALL OF YOU had been caught?"
"Yes Sir, I know exactly what could have happened." She said looking at her father's burning blue eyes.
Cooper sighed and uncrossed his arms. "Luke, why don't you take MaryAnne here home and then you and Daisy should head on home as well. Be fortunate I don't tell your folks what you've been a part of."
"Wait just minute here," MaryAnne said. She paused, realizing she had just crossed a delicate line, but she continued anway. "You Dukes have done so much for my family in trying to help Rosco. Bo here was doing something to help Rosco. I wasn't going to stand idly by while he rotted in the Hatchapie County Jail for trying to do something right. If you're gonna punish Min, you're gonna have to punish all of us."
Luke and Daisy both nodded and stood beside her. "Us too Uncle Cooper."
Cooper looked at the 19-year-old woman and then at his nephew and neice. MaryAnne crossed her arms over her chest and stood defiantly looking Cooper right in the eye.
Just like Rosco....
"You can go ahead and tell my Papa and tell Rosco if you want," she said. "You just go right ahead."
"And you can tell my father," Luke said.
"And my folks too," Daisy said.
Min smiled at how brave her cousins were to stand up to her father. She also admired the amount of guts it had to take for MaryAnne to speak up as well. "We did this together Daddy so we take the consequences together."
Diane leaned closer to Cooper. "So what's it gonna be warden? You gonna lock 'em all up in the garage?"
Cooper turned suddenly to his wife and saw she was smiling.
"Coop," she said. "They brought Bo home." She walked over to her son and put her arm around him. "The least you could do is show some appreciation."
Diane then gave Bo a more meaningful hug and she actually started crying. "I'm so glad you're home and safe, Bo."
"Me too, Mom," Bo replied, returning the hug.
Cooper watched as mother and son were reunited. He had to fight back his own tears for a moment and then he looked at Min and MaryAnne, the young Coltrane still standing defiantly.
Cooper looked down at the ground. "Um...Min..."
"Yeah Daddy?" She asked smiling, knowing he really wasn't angry with her.
Cooper looked at his daughter and then suddenly he stepped closer to her and gave her hug.
"I'm glad you're home and safe too," he said. "All of you."
"Daddy can I ask you something?" She said as she hugged her father.
"Of course."
Min pulled back and looked at him. "Were you surprised when you found out what we were up to?"
Cooper looked at his daughter. "No, I...I guess not," he said.
Everyone chuckled and then Bo remembered he still had the two hundred dollars in the glove box of his General. He walked over and leaned into the passenger window and opened the glove box. He pulled out the envelop and then turned to MaryAnne.
"Here's the money, MaryAnne," he said handing it to her. MaryAnne took it and looked at it. She lightly touched her fingers to her mouth, suddenly on the verge of tears. She looked at Bo and then hugged him.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Bo smiled. "You're welcome."
MaryAnne let go of him and then turned to Cooper. "And I want to thank you too. I don't think I ever would have thought that y'all would have done this if you hadn't come to tell me yourself."
"Why not? You needed the help and that is what good friends and neighbors are for." Cooper said smiling. "Now Rosco can have his surgery and then he can walk."
MaryAnne's tears were flowing freely now and she hugged Cooper. "And he will," she whispered. "He's gonna walk again...."
After a moment, Luke said that he, Daisy and MaryAnne should probably get going. Daisy and MaryAnne agreed and Daisy offered to drive MaryAnne home. They all said goodbye to Cooper, Diane, Bo and Min and they drove off into the night.
"Well," Cooper said, after the engines of Luke's General and Daisy's Plymouth faded into the darkness, "Let's all try to get some sleep." He placed his arm around his son and the family walked into the house.
They all welcomed Bo home again, gave him hugs and then they went to their rooms and the Duke house became dark as they all went to bed.
Min was lying on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. It had been an exciting night and she was too wound to sleep. She tucked her hands under her head and tried to relax when there was a knock at the door.
"Min?" Bo said quietly, turning the door knob. He opened the door a crack. "You asleep?"
"Nah, who can sleep after the kind of night we had? Come on in."
Bo opened the door and came into his twin's room. He found his way to the end of the bed and sat down. "That was exciting wasn't it? The whole day was but I never thought I'd end up in the Hatchapie County Jail, that's for sure."
Min sat up and folded her legs under her Indian style. "So what did happen with Loomis?"
"The dumb tire blew. I mean, I was doing everything Dad and the Uncles all taught me. I had him going around in circles. So what happens? The stupid tire blows out on me." He paused. "I was scared after that. Man, I was so scared."
"Oh we know, believe me, Daddy and I felt every single drop of fear. We both had stomach aches, especially Daddy."
Bo paused a moment. "I feel like I've let him down, Min. Dukes ain't supposed to get caught running moonshine." He sighed. "And I end up being the first one."
"No Bo, you didn't let him down, if it hadn't been for that tire you would have gotten away clean."
"Well, I still feel rotten about it," he said. "While I was in that jail all I could think about was that I wouldn't see you, Mom and Dad again, that MaryAnne wouldn't get the rest of the money and Rosco would never walk again. All because of a bum tire."
"I know, that's why I couldn't let you stay there. Mom and Daddy were so scared and Loomis wouldn't let them see you. I told Luke I wanted to bust you out and we got MaryAnne and Daisy. We drove to Hatchapie and did it."
"If you guys had been caught or if something had gone wrong, y'all would have probably ended up in the jail cell next to me. Not that I wouldn't have appreciated the company, but that was such a risk." He paused. "And just how the heck did y'all get
Loomis out of the courthouse?"
"Daisy did it. She shucked and jived him by telling him her car wouldn't start. It worked like a charm."
Bo chuckled. "Well, I guess if it was Cousin Daisy, y'all couldn't have failed."
"Luke went to the impound and hot wired your General and MaryAnne and I were in charge of busting you out."
"I certainly was happy to see you two, that's for sure. And you can drive can't ya?" he complimented. "I mean, I always knew you could drive, but MAN you did great!"
Min smiled, feeling her cheeks getting hot. "Thanks, I don't get to show that I can drive too often."
"Yeah," he said. "It's kinda too bad too." He paused and then started laughing. "You know what we oughta have? A moonshiner's daughters race. We could get you and Daisy and MaryAnne and who knows who else and y'all could show off your fancy driving."
"It'd be nice but I don't know if it would ever come to pass." Min leaned back against her headboard and sighed. "It was worth all the risk to give MaryAnne that money though Bo. Now Rosco can get his operation."
"Yeah," Bo said thoughtfully. "Just like I said to him the day me and Luke found him. 'You're gonna walk again.' And he will. I've always believed that."
"So have I, but I had to convince MaryAnne. She believes it not."
"For being cousins and being as close as they are, I find that a little surprising," he said. "But then again, she seems to me to be very much a realist and maybe she was afraid to get his hopes up too high, only to have it all come crashing down if it were to be that he wouldn't walk."
Min nodded. "That's what I figured, but I think he will walk and if she encourged him he would fight to walk."
"Yeah." He paused in thought. "I think she's done that, because he's made it this far. If he had given up, none of this ever would have happened."
"You're right, it ain't going to be easy though, his battle is just beginning."

Three days later, Rosco went in for the surgery. MaryAnne and Eli took him to the hospital early in the morning to be there by six 'o clock. The surgery itself would last almost four hours and then Rosco would be in recovery for another two or three hours and then admitted for observation.
The surgery center was actually pretty quiet at the early hour of the morning. MaryAnne could smell the coffee brewing behind the receptionists area as she and Eli sat in the waiting room, while Rosco was in being prepped. MaryAnne had brought a bag of crullers, but she wasn't very hungry. Eli slowly sipped on a cup of coffee that he had been offered by one of the secretaries.
After about twenty minutes, one of the nurses came out to the waiting room.
"Rosco would like to see the both of you before he goes in," she said.
MaryAnne and Eli got up and left the coffee and the crullers on the magazine table and followed the nurse. They were led to the prep area and the nurse pointed to the bed Rosco was lying on.
MaryAnne smiled at her cousin as she and her father approached the side of the bed. "How ya feelin'?"
"Well," he said and chuckled, "I'm wonderin' if this is how it feels to be higher than a kite."
Eli and MaryAnne laughed.
"Yeah, I'm sure they've got you on something that's VERY relaxing," Eli said.
"Yeah, but," he looked around the prep area cautiously and then back at Eli, "It don't compare to your shine."
MaryAnne giggled as her father hissed, "Hush!" He laughed any way.
Rosco laughed and then looked at MaryAnne. He reached his hand out to her and she took it.
"I probably wouldn't be here if weren't for you, Eli and the Dukes, God bless them. But especially you. I don't know how you've put up with me considering I've pretty much god awful to you for the past couple of months and I never said I'm sorry."
MaryAnne was shaking her head. "I never expected you to be anything less than very emotional. You don't need to apologize, Rosco. I knew you were going to be very frustrated and angry."
"In a sense, your acting god awful is what kept you alive," Eli said.
Rosco looked at his uncle for a moment. He nodded a little, but he agreed that that was only half of what kept him alive. He gripped MaryAnne's hand tighter and looked at her.
"MaryAnne kept me alive."
MaryAnne swallowed and leaned over to hug him before he could see the tears. He held her tightly for a moment and then said, "I just want you to know that whatever happens after this is all over with, I'll be able to accept it. I have been grateful for all you've done and I'll continue to be grateful, even though sometimes I may not say it or show it."
MaryAnne nodded and straightened up to look at him. "When you get out of here, we're all gonna be grateful. Because you're gonna walk." She continued to look him in the eye and then a mischivious gleam came to her eyes. "And you can bet that we'll be drinking enough moonshine to float the Titanic at that point!"
She broke up in giggles as did Rosco and Eli. She gave Rosco another hug and then stood up and stepped aside so Eli could wish Rosco luck. Uncle and nephew embraced and then Eli patted him on the shoulder.
"We'll be right outside waiting for ya, Rosco," he said.
Rosco nodded and watched them go. MaryAnne looked at him just before she disappeared beyond the curtain. She winked and waved and Rosco waved back. Then she was gone.
Rosco was alone for only a few mintues when two nurses came and unlocked the breaks on the wheels on the bed.
"You ready, Sheriff Coltrane?"
Rosco looked at the two nurses. He took a deep breath and nodded.
"I'm ready."

A little after noon, the phone in the Duke house rang. Cooper was outside on his way to the barn when he heard it ring. He started to jog back to the house when he heard Bo yell out the window.
"Dad! It's MaryAnne!"
"I heard you and so did half of Hazzard County." Cooper said as he came into the house and picked up the phone. "Hi MaryAnne, what's going on?"
MaryAnne giggled, having heard Cooper speak to Bo. "Can't blame him," she said. "I have got pretty good news. Rosco made it through the surgery and the doctor says it looks really good that Rosco could be standing on his own by this time next week.
They're gonna keep him here over night to observe and make sure the sutures are gonna heal alright and everything, but Cooper! He's on his way back!"
"That's great MaryAnne! We all knew he could do it! Is he awake yet?"
"Well, sorta." She giggled. "He's still kinda groggy from all the anesthesia so the doctor wants to have him wait a few hours more before he starts having any visitors and wants him to sleep the rest of it off. I know he'd love to see y'all later this afternoon."
"Later on?" Cooper looked at his watch. "Ummm sure how about before dinner? Say...4 o'clock?"
"That sounds great. And Cooper? I know I've probably said it several times already, but I'm saying it again. Thank you for all your help. All you Dukes, you've just been so wonderful to us that me and Papa ain't quite sure how to repay you."
Cooper couldn't help but smile at the sincerity he felt from the young woman. "You don't have to repay us MaryAnne, we'll be repaid when we see a pair of flashing lights the next time we make a shine run."
MaryAnne giggled. "Yeah, it'll be nice to get him back running around in that patrol car. And it's gonna be soon!"
"And my brothers and I will be more than happy to get him back in the swing of things."
MaryAnne smiled and laughed. "Okay, I gotta get goin'. Papa's waiting for me. We'll see y'all later?"
"Okay Honey, I'll round up my spouse and offspring and see you at the horse pistol around 4."
"See ya, Cooper."
"Bye MaryAnne."
Bo watched his father hang up the phone. "He made it??"
Cooper sighed and nodded his head. "It looks that way, the doctors said he'll be back on his feet literally by next week."
Bo's eyes went wide. "Alright! That's great! Are we gonna go see him later?"
"Right, I told MaryAnne we would drop by around 4."
"Okay. I gotta go tell Min!" Bo ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
Bo's twin was in her room, listening to her stereo. She had headphones on, laying on her bed.
Bo came to the doorway and looked in. He saw Min had her headphones on and didn't spot him standing in the doorway. He clicked the light switch on and off to get her attention.
Min gasped at the flickering light and whipped around to see her twin standing there. "Holy Cow Bo don't do that!" She said taking off her headphnes
"MaryAnne called," he said, coming into the room and not paying attention to the fact that he'd just ticked off his twin a bit. "Rosco made it through the surgery. He could be literally back on his feet by next week!"
Min smiled widely, thrilled that after all that happened, Rosco was going to be fine. "Oh that's GREAT! Pretty soon it'll be like he was never paralyzed!" She said as she switched off her stereo.
"Yeah. Dad says we can all go see him later on this afternoon."
"I'm sure Mom will want to cut some flowers for him from her flower garden."
"Yeah." He paused as he thought back to when he and Luke first found Rosco by the side of the road. There was a time when it seemed that the only reason his mother would be cutting any flowers from her garden it would be to put on Rosco's grave. Instead,
it was going to be to celebrate Rosco's recovery. Bo smiled.
Min saw the mischevious grin spread across her brother's face. "So what's with the Cheshire cat grin?"
"Oh nothing," he said still smiling. "I just think it's good news, that's all."
"Come on Bo, don't give me that. I'm your twin remember? We share a brain practically."
"Let me just say that I'm looking forward to seeing him tearing around Hazzard County in his patrol car again," Bo said. "I told him he was gonna drive again, and I'm gonna be there to see it." His grin got wider. "Although, most of it will be seen from the rearview mirror of the General."
Min shook her head and made a tisking sound. "Such an ego! I bet I could give you a run for your money."
Bo chuckled. "Yeah, right. I know I said you drove pretty well the night you busted me out of the Hatchapie Jail, but I didn't say you drove THAT good."
Min raised an eyebrow, seeing her brother's smug expression. "Oh really now? Well I know a challenge when I see one."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes, and I think we need to see who is the better driver."
"Alright. You're on."
"You are on! Let's go tell Daddy right now."
Bo ran back down the stairs with Min right behind him. They both ran out of the house and to the barn where Cooper was.
"Uh oh, I see that look." Their father said as he stopped bailing hay and looked at his children.
"Dad, Min and I have a...uh..disagreement that we need to settle," Bo said.
Cooper took off his gloves and sat down on the bail. "Let me guess, driving right?"
Bo glanced at Min and then nodded. "Right."
"Right, Sir E-go here thinks he is the king of all driving!" Min said as she motioned to her brother.
"And you think you are the queen. Well kids, you are both looking at the king."
Bo rolled his eyes. "Dad, that doesn't help our dispute."
Cooper started laughing and shook his head. "I know, but you both want to go tearing around the country side, right?"
"We just wanna find out who's the better driver," Bo looked at his sister sideways, "which is already pretty clear, but some people just can't seem to take a hint." He looked back at his father.
"Now Bo that isn't very nice, I do think you and your sister drive very well."
Bo made a face. "Yeah, so, can we settle this or what?"
"I don't have much of a choice do I? All right, you both get your cars and I'll get mine. We'll go out to Razorback Mountain."
Bo smiled and clapped his hands together. "Yeeha!" He started to run to his General.
Min nodded to her father and calmly walked over to the barn where Li'l Darlin' was parked.
"Kids!" Cooper said as he dug his car keys out of his pocket.
Cooper climbed behind the wheel of his '67 GTO and fired up the engine. He led the procession of vehicles down the driveway and out onto Route 11, which led right to Razorback Mountain. He sighed, watching his kids trying to play a passing game in his rearview mirror. But he was proud as a peacock, driving was a Duke family trait and he was glad his kids had that gene. He picked up his CB mike and turned his CB to channel 17. "All right you two, I see you playing bumper tag. Save it for the race."
Bo smiled and picked up his CB mike. "Yeah, Min, you heard him. Although if that's the best you can do, this ain't gonna be much of a race."
Min slammed on the accelerator, bumping her brother hard. "Hey Bro are you driving or parking? I can't tell!"
"HEY! Ooooh, I'll show you little sister...."
"Kids... I remind you that neither one of you is too old to get a whipping! You stop that bumping right now!" Cooper said sternly into the mike.
Bo looked at his sister's car behind him. He then lifted the CB mike. "Yes, sir."
"Oh come on Daddy, you haven't spanked us since we was 6 years old!" Min giggled, hearing her father trying his best to sound authorative.
"I can restart that if you wish little girl."
Min's eyes got big as dinner plates, he wasn't fooling. "Uhhh no thanks Daddy."
Bo chuckled a little and then cringed. Cooper was certainly not fooling.
"I didn't think so. When we get to the top, you two are going to race down to the bottom. I'll have a clear view of the whole race and any cheating will mean an automatic loss. If your mother knew I was letting you two do this she would be the one whipping me, so please be careful."
Bo giggled before he pushed the talk button. "We will, Dad," he responded.
"Right, but if you think I'm going to go easy on Sir Tall-and-Lanky-a-lot, think again!" Min said as she smiled widely, waiting to hear her brother's response.
"Go easy? HA! You'll be lucky if I let you stay close enough to the back end of the General to read his license plate!"
Cooper covered his mouth fast, trying not to let his laughter be broadcast over the Hazzard airwaves. He set his mike down as the top of Razorback Mountain came into view. He parked his car and waited for his quick-tempered, lead footed children to make it to the top.
Bo pulled the General up beside the GTO as Min came up on the otherside of Cooper's car.
Cooper turned his head to look at both of his children. "Are you two sure you want to do this?"
"Are you kidding? This has to be settled and settled once and for all. This is the only way we can do it, Dad," Bo said.
"Exactly! He thinks he is the best driver in this family and I aim to prove he's wrong!" Min said as she stuck her tongue out at her brother.
Cooper sighed and put his hand to his forehead. "Okay okay, I just wanted to be sure. Turn your cars around and line up at the start of the road."
Bo laughed devilishly and backed up his General to the start of the road.
Min put hers in reverse and narrowly avoiding the General's bumper as she lined up beside her brother. Cooper stood between the two cars and took out a handkerchief. "When this drops, so does the hammer." He raised it in the air and released it from his fingers, as soon as the cloth was airborne, so were the two cars.
The glass pack exhaust of the General and Min's Mustang each roared loudly as the two cars went down the road. Cooper swung around and watched the two cars go, they were running dead even to start.
Bo shifted the General into a higher gear and finally managed to pull ahead of Min. He cut infront of her before they went into the turn. He glanced in his rearview mirror and smirked.
Min gasped at her brother's trick. "Oh no you don't!" She stomped on the gas, and turned onto a little trail that was up ahead, she went around the bend and reconnected with the road, in front of her brother.
"Argh," Bo exclaimed. "Real cute, Min." He pushed the pedal to the floor and started to come up along the passenger side of the Mustang, the bottom of the mountain coming fast. He had the General in the highest gear possible without losing control of the car yet, the General could only creep up to make it with running even once again with Lil' Darlin'.
The end of the line was in sight and Min held onto the wheel for dear life. The two cars were dead even. Min turned to glance at her brother, who was also as steady and straight in his driving. The road stopped and both of them hit the brakes.
Four lines of rubber were left behind as the Charger and Mustang came to a stop. The two siblings sat in silence for a moment.
Cooper sighed out of relief and clapped his hands togehter. "Yes yes yes! Even! They are even!" He got down from the hood and reached in to grab the CB mike. "Even Steven! You two are DEAD on the money!"
Bo turned to look at his sister with a bit of a sheepish look. He then climbed out of the General and started to walk around the front of Lil' Darlin'.
"Even...I don't believe it." Min muttered as Bo stuck his head in the driver's side window.
He rested his arms on the door and looked at his twin. His face then broke into a smile. "I do," he said.
"And why exactly are you not surprised?" She asked, seeing his grin.
"A couple of reasons. One, you're a Duke. And two, you yourself said that with us being twins we share practically the same brain. That makes it a little bit hard for one of us to be a better driver than the other don't you think?"
"HA! this from the brother that claimed to be the BEST! What's with the sudden modesty?"
Bo shrugged. "I don't know. Listen, if you'd rather I go back to claiming to be the best, I will, but it seems to me to be kinda pointless now. We ran the race, we finished dead even. We could be arguing about it til the judgement day."
Min sighed and got out of her car. "Or until Daddy has had enough and whipped us both. Well let's make it official." She stuck out her hand. "We are both the best."
Bo shook his sister's hand. "Both the best."
Cooper drove down to meet his kids and he pulled up just in time to see his kids shaking hands. "Well well, now that is more like it." He said getting out.
The two kids turned to their father. Bo smiled.
"Isn't it surprising how quickly the ego vanishes when your sibling is as good as you are, aye Son?"
Bo made a face. "Okay, okay, so I was cocky. Sue me."
Cooper nodded and turned to his daughter. "And doesn't the need to prove one's self tend to fade whenever the one you are trying to outdue is as equally matched?"
Min shrugged her shoulders. "Well...yeah it tends to deflate."
Bo sighed. "Okay, I guess this is the point where we add this to those 'experiences of growing up?'" He then turned somewhat philosophical. "Another lesson, in the long class that is called life."
Cooper nodded his head and put his arm across his son's shoulders. "Yes, this is a learning experience and I hope both of you have."
Bo nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yup, and that's not all I've learned."
"Yeah I've learned too." Min said as she stood beside her father and leaned her head against him.
"And what else have you learned?" Cooper asked curiously, draping his arm across his daughter's shoulders.
"That it's dang near impossible to stop a car going 60 miles and hour..." he looked at his father and then towards the back of the two cars. "Without leaving half the tires behind!"
"Oh yes wise one, I could have told you that!" Cooper laughed as he looked at the tire tracks left behind.
Both kids broke up in laughter.

<a scene with Cooper and everyone visitin' Rosco... then prolly just say that ....

Several weeks later, Rosco got into his patrol car for the first time since the accident. He felt hesitant at first, still recalling the awful feeling and the memory of the car hitting the tree. He traced his hand over the steering wheel and looked out at the white hood. He wasn't sure if he could do it.
"You okay, Rosco?" MaryAnne asked, watching him. She looked at him through the driver side window.
He swallowed. "I ain't sure I can do this," he said and looked at her. "I just keep remembering everything that happened."
"It's okay," she said. "Nobody expects ya to drive off in hot pursuit quite yet. But why don't you try to start it up and just drive around the square here?"
"Will you come with me?"
MaryAnne smiled. "Sure." She walked around the patrol car and got in the passenger side and then looked at her cousin, waiting for him to turn the ignition.
Rosco drew in a breath and then grabbed the key that was already in the ignition. He turned it and then listened to the engine rev. He hesitated a moment and then touched the gear shift on the steering column and put the car in Drive. Slowly, he made his way around the square.
"You doin' all right," MaryAnne encouraged.
The car picked up speed as Rosco became more comfortable with driving again and he smiled.
MaryAnne giggled. "Now you're gettin' it!"
He giggled too and swung the Plymouth Fury around the square, now getting folks attention. They watched as their Sheriff, who three months previous was told that he'd never walk again, drove around Hazzard Square like a kid with a new toy. He went around a couple more times, the tires squealing as he turned the car. When Rosco got back to Main Street he suddenly brought the car to a stop when he saw Bo Duke's blue Dodge Charger was sitting in the middle of the road, the 01 on the door facing towards him.
"What the devil?" Rosco wondered. Suddenly Cooper's GTO, Min's Mustang, Luke's orange General Lee and Daisy's RoadRunner came into the square. Luke, Daisy and Cooper came up behind the Plymouth Fury and Rosco caught a glimpse of the cars in his rearview mirror. Min's Mustang was on the other side of Bo's General.
MaryAnne was smiling and Rosco looked at her. "MaryAnne, what's this all about?" he asked.
MaryAnne still smiled and then picked up the CB mike. "Hey Cooper, want to tell Rosco what this is all about?"
"Sure," came the reply. "You've got your choice of Dukes to chase after Rosco. Who's it gonna be?"
"No, no," Bo cut in. "He ain't got no choice. There's only one Duke he can chase after for his first time out. And that's ME!"
Rosco looked up at Bo sitting in his General. The blonde haired 16-year-old was smiling and he spoke into the CB mike again. "Although, notice I said 'chase after.' I didn't say nothing about being caught!"
Rosco's mouth dropped and he grabbed up the CB mike. "Ha! That's what you think. You better get that car moving there boy or I'll arrest ya for impeding traffic! Khee khee!"
Bo laughed and his General's tires suddenly smoked as he tore out of the square, with Rosco right behind him.

~End~

To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.