Hazzard County Welcomes Jeff Gordon

[Garrett Duke]

(This role play will be wrote between Roger and myself (Garrett). We have placed it here since Jeff Gordon will have a role in the story and he was not a DOH character. . .)

Bo Duke let a sigh of frustration out as he slowly steps out of the old farm door, letting the screen door slam behind him. Staring off into the familiar distance, Bo's thoughts wonder aimlessly within him only to enforce raw mixed emotions to wash over him. His all time favorite NASCAR driver, Jeff Gordon, won the Atlanta race only two hours ago. Normally Bo would still be filled with excitement at the win and what the win would mean for Gordon's season. But today his excitement is washed away by the events that had surrounded the race earlier this afternoon.

He should have known that today was going to be a bad day just by how it had started. Not only had he tripped over the shovel Luke had thrown onto the ground last night, this morning, to force him to clean up his bloody nose and to change clothes before church, but he also got caught in the sheriff's speed trap. And as if that alone wasn't bad enough, Luke had to rub it in his face that Bo should have known that Rosco was there. Afterall, that was his favorite speed trap location. Which had only angered their uncle who was quick to remind Bo that money didn't grow on trees and that they already were having troubles finding money to pay off next months mortgage payment not alone to have to pay off his speeding tickets.

Even if he wasn't speeding.

Then the race had made things seem a little better as Gordon drove a smooth race, had great pit stops, and avoided being collected in a couple of big accidents. He won the race which put him higher up in the points.

But then just as soon as the race was over, Daisy left to go to work, only to back up into The General. Bo being who he was, was the first one out the door to examine the damage upon his own beloved race car. Bo saw how sorry Daisy was and how bad she had felt, heard her explain that she thought there was enough room. But once Bo saw the large indent and the torn paint, his emotions and his temper took over and he was quick to tell her how upset he was.

Only to upset everyone else at him for over reacting.

Bo sighs once more as he looks down at the bumper of The General, staring blankly at the indent and torn pain that had seemed so large and horrible only an hour ago. Now seeming almost trivial now that his emotions and his temper had cooled down.

Shaking his head in anger at himself for the words he had spoken in anger at Daisy, Bo slowly glances up in relief. Relief at seeing the sky grow darker. Relief at seeing the day that had started out bad, slowly fading away in hopes that with when the sun returns tomorrow that things will look and feel better for him. In Bo's mind, the only good thing that had came out of this day, so far, had been the race. Had been Jeff Gordon's win at the track that only sits an hour away from where he was raised and where he lives.

[RogerDuke]

"ROSCO!"

Boss's voice boomed from his office in the Boar's Nest. Seconds later Rosco ran in, his black hat dripping with white liquid.

Rosco stood in front of J.D. Hogg's desk "Yes Boss"

Boss looked at Rosco with a confused look "What in the world is on your head?"

"Uh, that's my sheriff's hat Boss. I always wear it 'cause I'm the sheriff."

Boss angrily replied "I know that's your sheriff's hat you rodeo clown. What's that dripping from it?"

"Uh, that would be buttermilk Boss. I was kneeling over picking up a dime before Enos could get it and when you yelled you scared him so much he spilled his buttermilk. But don't you worry. I'm taking the cleaning bill out of his pay."

Boss was still scowling "Give it to me"

Rosco handed Boss his dripping hat, to which Boss threw it back at Rosco's chest. "No you bird brain, give me the dime."

Rosco pulled the little coin from his breast pocket and handed it to Boss.

"I'm going to need this dime because you and that dipstick deputy of yours are putting our budget in the red wrecking all those cars. But things are going to change around here."

[Garrett Duke]

***AN HOUR OUT OF HAZZARD***

Staring through the windshield of his personal car, Jeff Gordon stares at the bright sunny day and the vast country land that surrounds him. Country he has traveled over or quickly through, but never at a leisurely pace as now. Normally he'd be in his trailer or on a plane on his way home from the race, but after the large win he had accomplished only a couple of hours ago, he didn't want to rush. Don't get him wrong, he wanted to be home with his family. He couldn't wait to go home to be with his wife and his two kids who were busy and were unable to go to Atlanta with him for the race. But he just wanted to be for a while. Wanted to absorb Georgia as he never was able to do before. He wanted to take it all in. The scenery, his high emotions of excitement and adrenaline. He wanted to be alone to digest every minute, every hour, ever lap, every pitstop he made. He wanted to digest it all, make it real and not just some hyped up dream that it all seemed to be.

He just won the Atlanta race!

He still couldn't believe it! Yet he should...he has won over eighty races in his whole Sprint Cup career. Won four championships. It hadn't been that long since his last win, either. Yet, his excitement is just as high as it always is after a win.

Staring ahead, he begins to wonder where the road will lead him or where he is going to stop or why he has opted to go for this drive by himself. His sponsors, his team, his fans would never forgive him if he got lost and was unable to make scheduled stops. But who was he kidding? He had another four days until he had to show up at the next track for practice. How could he get that lost or stuck somewhere to miss that? He had his GPS system. He had his cell phone.

Up ahead a green street sign slowly comes into view reading: Chickasaw 50 miles. Hazzard 40 miles.

"Hazzard? What kind of a name is that?" Gordon muses out loud, silently wondering how a town could come up with the name as Hazzard. Or why? They even spelled Hazzard wrong...

[RogerDuke]

Rosco looked confused "Uh, what do ya mean "change" Boss? I mean, you tried giving me and Enos 3-wheelers and that didn't go so good. Then you tried giving us horses and that didn't go too good either. And you know I ain't good with bicycles. Done went right in the puddle last time I was on one of them...besides, I ain't gonna be able to catch the General Lee on a bicycle."

Boss pounded his fist on his desk "I ain't talking about no bicycles you ninny. I'm talking about changing the condition of the budget....I'm talking about making money. All Lulu knows how to do is spend it and all you know how to do is charge me for repair bills. Somebody around here has to figure out how to make it."

Boss continued his loud rant as his cigar filled the room with smoke. "For once Rosco, you come up with an idea. And it'd better be a good one....one that will make enough that it'll pay for the last three cars you wrecked. And if you don't come up with a scheme to make money, you'll be the next rent-a-cop at Shorty's All-Nite Rib Shack and Pool Hall on Frontage Road!!"

Alarmed, Rosco put on his buttermilk stained hat and walked toward the door to the bar room. Before he opened the door, he changed his mind and walked to the opposite side of Boss's office and continued out the door to the sunny outside. He hopped in his sheriff's car and drove away.

[Garrett Duke]

Jesse Duke jumped slightly at the sound of the front door banging shut to shatter the thick silence that had plagued the farm for most of the day. Inhaling deeply and counting silently to himself he fights back his temper from yelling out at Bo for slamming the door behind him. After all his years of growing up at the farm, he still refused to close the door quietly behind him as Jesse had told him to do over and over again. Any other day, he'd have scolded him for his neglegence about the door. He knew better than to treat the house in that way.

But today, Jesse thought better of it. Things had seemed to go wrong for Bo from the moment he got out of bed and Jesse knew he didn't help things much when he had scolded Bo about his speeding ticket. About thier shortage on money this month. Their money shortage wasn't Bo's fault. Well, not completely anyway. If he didn't get the speeding and parking tickets that he did...

But they all knew they were all fake and falsely written for Hogg to get more money, for Rosco to glorify himself with the thought that he finally caught the Dukes to give the ticket to. Just as this morning's speeding ticket was falsely given to Bo. Jesse had seen the speedometer when the sirens started to go off and he was below the speed limit. Yet Bo got the ticket and they were left wondering how they will ever pay off the speeding tickets plus mortgage and all the other monthly costs.

"You're not going to say anything to him?" Luke questions as Jesse walks into the kitchen, motioning towards the door where Bo had been only moments ago.

"Give it a rest, Luke. He's having a bad day," Jesse sighs irritatably as he glances out the window at Bo who is examining the damages upon The General. Looking back at Luke, Jesse gives a small smile and asks, "I don't have to remind you who had started his day off bad, do I? After all -"

"It was I who left the dang shovel on the ground. I apologized to him about that," Luke interrupts his uncle who gives him a knowing look, "I know that didn't make it better or his day. Don't give him no reason to go off on Daisy like that. She felt bad enough as it is not alone to have him yelling at her for something that can be easily fixed."

Jesse nods. "We all know that. Including Bo," Jesse motions towards the front door to where Bo is, "but after tripping on your shovel and getting a bloody nose, the speeding ticket and both of us angrily scolding him over getting the ticket," Jesse shrugs as he grabs a glass from the cabinet, "it made it seem worse than it was. Just as you just said...he apologized once he saw he went over board with his reaction." Jesse pauses to pour himself a glass of water. Turning around to face his oldest nephew, he shakes his head and says, "So no, for once I am not going to say anything about him slamming the dang door. It'd only make it worse."

Luke nods in agreement. "Well," he shrugs as he gets out of his chair, "it's like you use to say. You need to have a bad day in order to appreciate the good days."

Jesse smiles and nods at his nephew who now looks through the front screen of the door at his cousin. "Very true," he slowly states, "but it don't make it any easier on you when you are having a bad day."

Luke runs a hand through his hair as he watches Bo slowly move away from the car and walks towards the barn, where he normally goes when he wants to be alone. "No it don't. Guess I over reacted at Bo, as well," he slowly admits, "just hate seeing Daisy that upset and to see Bo make it worse. Though," he gives a short laugh as he steps away from the door, "have to admit, I understood how Bo felt. Always depressing to see anyone hit The General like that...kinda like seeing someone in the family get hurt."

Jesse nods as he finishes his water and places it by the sink. "Well, his driver won and he was excited about that. So his day wasn't all bad," he smiles at Luke, "he'll be fine and so will Daisy. By tomorrow all this will roll over and we'll be facing a new day. As for now, I believe I should start getting dinner ready."

[RogerDuke]

Angry with Boss, Rosco drove his patrol car past the the Hazzard Fairgrounds. He continued kicking up dust on Old Post Road until he arrived at the Mud Flats. He pulled into a beat up driveway overlooking the swampy valley and put his car in park. Flash slept on the front passenger seat the whole trip but briefly looked up at Rosco before falling back asleep.

Rosco always came here whenever he needed to think.

Things hadn't been going too well for Rosco lately. His Mama had just received notice from Doc Appleby that she was diabetic. A recent storm had blown a branch onto the roof of his house where he lived with his Mama and did about 500 dollars worth of damage that still wasn't fixed, the CB in his living room had a short in it and now he had Boss breathing down his neck complaining about money.

Rosco sat in the patrol car at his favorite spot contemplating his next move in life. He wondered if he should just resign as sheriff and take a job restocking the shelves at Rhuebottom's store.

He didn't have a clue how to come up with a moneymaking sceme but it was increasingly clear that if he didn't, his days working for Boss Hogg could be numbered.

[Garrett Duke]

Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon continues to drive foward with little thought or knowledge of where he is going. And not much caring of where he is going. All he is thinking of, caring of is of what his team and him accomplished only a couple of hours ago. A win at Atlanta. The celebrating. His statistics and points increasing. Life was good.

Inhaling heavily with a smile on his face he bends down and turns on the radio and flips the stations before he shoves in his favorite CD. Looking up a large bulletin board looms largely ahead with a small round man dressed up in a white three piece suit and a white cowboy hat; a fat cigar laced tightly in between a chubby index and middle finger, pointed at Gordon. Above the almost comic round man, in large bold red letters, it reads: HAZZARD WANTS YOU!

Below the board, is a green street sign that reads: Welcome to Hazzard. Population 150.

"What's this?" Gordon muses to himself as he passes the sign, silently taking in his surroundings before glancing at his speedometer as he passes a speed zone to make sure he is driving the speed limit. Which he was.

[RogerDuke]

After sitting in his patrol car overlooking the Mud Flats, Rosco started it up and drove away. He was depressed at his predicament. How in the world did Boss expect him to come up with a moneymaking sceme? Boss should have known that Rosco wasn't capable of coming up with a sceme that actually had any chance of working. He wondered if Boss really didn't expect him to. Rosco wondered if Boss just told him to come up with a way to make money, knowing he wouldn't be able to. He concluded that Boss was just trying to make a point and the best thing he should do is go apologize to Boss for wrecking so many cars.

Rosco was so focused on getting back to the Boar's Nest to see Boss, he wasn't paying attention to the road. He arrived at the fork where Old Post Road meets Sycamore Lane. Unable to see because of the gumbushes blocking his view, Rosco went through the Y and sideswiped another vehicle. Unluckily for Rosco, he hadn't yielded the right of way like he should have according to the yield sign. The vehicle he hit pulled over and Rosco parked behind him with his roof lights flashing. Both vehicles were heavily damaged....Rosco's on the passenger side and the other vehicle's on the drivers side.

The other driver remained in his seat as Rosco walked up to the open window on the driver's side.

[Garrett Duke]

Jeff Gordon took a last glance at the billboard as he drove past it before taking in the open green land that surrounded the dirt road. Gordon almost laughs to himself in amusement at the thought of driving on a dirt road and he begins wondering when the last time he did drive on a dirt road. Through all the cities he drove through and visited throughout his career, the roads were paved. But here in the small hick town of Hazzard...

His thoughts were abruptly shattered as he spots a white car driving at him from the side and before he can hit his brakes the car boldly hits his driver door. To shatter Gordon's good mood to install anger deep within him. He was use to getting hit and getting into accidents on the race track, but on the road? He had the right away and yet the car didn't stop. The driver was either too drunk or too stupid to read the yield sign he had to obey the obvious road law.

Gordon slowly forces himself to sigh heavily, in attempt to control his emotions, before glancing over at the car that had hit him. Gordon hears a gasp of surprise leave him as he sees an old white patrol car that is now halted a foot from his door, since the impact had shoved Gordon's car away a foot or so.

Law or no law, it didn't matter to Gordon. Signs were to be obeyed whether they had the badge on their side or not.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Gordon throws open the door and unbuckles his seat belt to slowly step out to eye the damage to his car. The red paint has been torn from his door and part of his back door while a large indent is now implanted within each door and part of the side of the hood. "No, no, no," he hears himself mutter before he eyes the white patrol car that has serious damage to the front end of his car. Gordon waits a while before an older sheriff or deputy climbs out of the car.

"Who do you think you are?!" Gordon yells at the patrol officer, "I obey your street laws, I abide by your rules and yet youdrive through your own yield sign? What? You have double standards here or what?! You think you're better than everyone else because you have a badge? Think you don't have to abide your own rules or laws?

"I guess I should just be happy that none of us got hurt and that we can both walk away from all of this. After all, cars are just cars. Material things can be fixed or replaced, but look at what you did to my car! And why? Because you decided not to yeild to me as your own sign told you to! I had the right a way. Not you," Gordon pauses as he looks back at his car, his mind instantly wonders from his own damaged car to what this will mean for his upcoming week. He needed to be in Richmond by Thursday afternoon in order to practice and get things set up for the upcoming race. He was to be home with his family until then. To live a normal life. But now he had a damaged car that will need to be repaired...

"Now what? Do you even have a garage that is capable or should I say competent enough to fix the damages you created? You even have the money to fix it? I mean, why should I pay for something you did? Or let me guess...you'll just let this poor hick town of your's pay the bill for you."

Gordon goes silent again, half way feeling guilty for his angry spiel he had just given to the patrol officer that ran into him. There could be plenty of reasons why he ran the yield sign and Gordon was never the one to get easily upset over things. Perhaps some of his anger really wasn't at the patrol officer as much as himself. If he had gone home as he normally did, as the rest of his crew had, he wouldn't be in Hazzard. Wouldn't have gotten hit by the police officer. But he should have the right to drive through Hazzard or any other town without getting hit by someone's ignorance of their own law. And the fact that the car he was driving was an anniversary gift from his wife only made things worse for him. If he had driven his other car, he wouldn't have gotten so upset...

[RogerDuke]

Knowing that Boss would likely fire him if he wrecked another car, Rosco had no choice but to pin this one on the out of towner.

"Arrrre you kiddin' me feller?!

I don't know who you think yer talkin' to but I'm Sheriff Rosco P Coltrane and yer in Hazzard County now stranger.

Now if yer planning on giving me a bad attitude from the big city yer in for a surprise here. Now I was going to give you a little break, even though all this was yer fault, but since you seem to have some kinda chip on yer shoulder, you done used up all my patience and I just might throw the book at you if you don't straighten up real quick.

Now I suggest you reach in that back pocket of yers and pull out yer wallet and hand me yer drivers license so I can find out who ya are, and where yer from.....and after that yer gonna tell me why yer drivin' through my county so recklessly.

Now I suggest you git that license in my hand quick or your hands are going to be in cuffs. Khee Khee! "

[Garrett Duke]

"What?!" Gordon exclaims shaking his head in disbelief, "My fault? Driving wreckless? You got a lot of nerve to accuse me of driving wreckless. I am probably the most safest driver there is. Especially compared to the likes of you. Hey tell me something," Gordon pauses as he reaches back to get his wallet, "are the rest of the people living in this town of your's as wreckless as you? Bet the mechanic loves working here...he's probably a millionaire by now.

"As for who I am, you really need to see my driver's lisence to know who I am? You haven't seen much TV lately have you?" Gordon pauses as he goes to hand the sheriff his wallet only to let go of it a moment before the sheriff has it and the leather wallet falls into mud, "Dang it. Look what you did to my wallet. First my car and now my leather wallet is ruined. Better not have gotten any mud on my money you'd either be hand cleaning it or replacing each bill."

[RogerDuke]

*Upset with the stranger's attitude, Rosco stepped on the wallet, grinding it into the mud, pretending it was an accident.*

"Khee Khee! Now if your attitude was a little better there buddy I probably would have been better focused on what I was doing and not accidently stepped on that thing.

Now I have two suggestions if you want to stay out of jail. First, pick up yer wallet....it's a mess, Khee....next drop that snotty attitude of yours and start show a little more respect to authority....that would be me....Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. I'm the only thing keeping you from serving 5 years in prison for intentionally smashing into a patrol vehicle being driven by an officer of the law."

[Garrett Duke]

'You? Authority?' The thought thickly hits Gordon but wisely decides against speaking his mind on the topic to the clown sheriff. Despite his anger and distaste for the sheriff, he still had to go home to see his family before packing up and going off to the next race. "Snotty attitude? Me ran into you?" he cautiously questions, not being one to have patience with someone else's lack of responsibility, "I'm sorry, Sheriff," he pauses dramatically, a serious and conern look spread across his face before he slowly picks up his stepped on wallet; ignoring the fact that the 'supposed' lawman had purposely grinded it into the mud. "Are you OK? You hurt? You must have hit your head when you ran into me and are now confused."

Gordon slowly glances up from the sheriff as a strong and powerful engine pierces through the quite afternoon and off in the distance an orange stock car comes into view. Only to send questions rippling through Gordon's mind. An orange stock car? Odder yet, it was being drove on road and not on the track.

For a moment he wipes his wallet off with his hand before flicking the mud off at the sheriff before opening it and grabbing his ID out of inside pocket. "Well Sheriff, you are honestly the first person in a long time that has had to ask me of who I am. Not alone to see my ID to identify me," Gordon shakes his head in disbelief, "but if you must know, I'm Jeff Gordon." He hands his North Carolina ID card to the sheirff before looking back up at the orange car that is getting closer to them.

[RogerDuke]

*Rosco holds his hand out while turning his head the other way, looking toward the direction he could hear the General Lee. The General distracted him enough that he didn't hear Jeff introduce himself.

Rosco had trouble focusing on anything except the fact he might get fired unless he could convince Boss that the latest wrecked patrol car wasn't his fault. He knew all too well that it was his fault but he didn't want to get fired. Besides, he thought to himself, this guy looked like he had money enough to pay for the damage to both vehicles.

Before looking at the license, Rosco faced the stranger again "All right mister, as soon as I get the information here on who exactly you are, I'm arresting you for assaulting a police officer with a vehicle since this was all your fault. Where'd you get this drivers license at anyway, a Cracker Jack box? There's no drivers test instructor I know who would pass you. You clearly have no driving skills whatsover. In fact, of all the folks that have passed through this county since cars were invented, I bet you break the record for the person with the least driving skills."

[Garrett Duke]

*Gordon feels his anger throb violently within him with all the harsh insults the local sheriff had just handed him and he feels his hands balling into fists. Learning from track experiences, he is quick to place them in his pockets and look away attempting to calm his harsh emotions. Law is the law despite how crooked it is.

He watches the orange car get closer and two forms are shadowed behind the wheel and he begins to wonder how the local people deal with the law they are forced to live with.

Turning around to face the sheriff, he inhales heavily before stating, "I am going to try to ignore all your harsh insults you've just given me and blame it all on your ignorance of the truth and of talent. In fact, all this has me wondering how you became sheriff at all. Is that outfit you wearing an oversized halloween costume that you put on in attempt to shadow power over everyone else? That's the only way I can think of how you came across that dull badge and uniform you are wearing. You definately didn't come to that uniform and badge due to your love of justice or wanting to help people."

Gordon shakes his head as the orange car slows down several feet from them and Gordon watches them for a moment more. "I have more talent behind the wheel than you'll ever wish to have as a lawman." Anger still violently washes over him at the words the sheriff had spoken to him, but he reminds himself that lashing out at the sheriff won't help him any. "It don't matter. I did not create this mess. You did. I am not going to pay for what you did. If I have to, I will call my lawyer down here and he'll be more than glad to do business with you. Perhaps sue you for the damages you done to my car!"

Gordon goes quiet as the orange car comes to a halt and a lanky blond haired man pulls himself out through the open window. "Hey mister," the handsome blond haired man motions at Gordon, "is Sheriff Coltrane giving you a hard time?"

"We'd love to help out," a dark haired man pulls himself out of the passenger door.

Gordon eyes them and then the sheriff and back at them. Shaking his head in confusing he states, "He ran into me and now has the nerve to blame it on me! I feel sorry for you all to have to put up with such crooked and ignorant law."

The blond grins and nods. "Don't feel too bad, he keeps things interesting around -" he goes silent as he steps forward, "I apologize. I keep thinking you look like, but you have to be him. You're Jeff Gordon!"

Gordon nods with a hint of a smile as he leans over to shake the tall lanky man's hand. "I am he. At least someone here knows who I am unlike someone here," he motions at the angry lawman.

"Don't worry ol' Rosco don't have time to watch NASCAR on TV," the dark silent man states, "he's too busy out harrassing innocent people as he is you."

Gordon gives a short laugh before daring to look up at the sheriff still upset over the words he had previously stated.

[RogerDuke]

"Alllll right you Duke boys. What are you up to? I should have figured you were running some sort of scam.

First you hire some feller who has no driving skills whatsover to run me off the road when I was just innocently minding my own business.

Then you just happen to show up. What an amazing coincidence. Well, this experienced law man has been around long enough to tell it ain't no coincidence.

Then all three of you start pretending this goofy looking feller is that famous NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon. Well I know NASCAR. I watch it with my mama every weekend and this feller aint....."

*Rosco pauses to look at the drivers license then gulps*

"........Jeff Gordon!"

[Garrett Duke]

"You were saying, sheriff?" Gordon states sarcastically at the sheriff before eyeing the two men the sheriff had addressed as Duke boys. Looking back at the sheriff he states, "You must not pay too close attention to the races if you can't recognize me or believe me to be who I say I am. Not alone to accuse me with such harsh accusations on my driving skills. You must've been talking about your driving skills."

"Rosco? With driving skills?" the blond and younger of the two pipes up with a sarcastic laugh, "The only thing he's good at with driving is driving into the pond."

"In the pond?" Gordon raises a questioning eye brow, "Well by the looks of your muddy car, sheriff, I think it's about time you take another drive into the pond to wash it off."

"Good one. His free car wash," the younger one laughs only to be elbowed by the older darker haired guy.

"Anyway sheriff, between the two of us, we all know it was you who ran into me...but let me guess," Gordon pauses momentarily, "you don't want to take responsibility for it because then you'll have to answer to your big bossman who ever that is." Gordon shakes his head as he once again eyes the damage the sheriff had done to his car. He had the money that he could pay for his own damages. And perhaps he would have if the sheriff had been honest with him or even apologetic for what he did. But not when the sheriff blantantly lies about it and has the nerve to accuse him for what the sheriff himself did.

Looking back at the sheriff he states, "Well, at the moment, I don't really care what your boss man has to say about the damages YOU created or about what YOU did. You ran into my car, you damaged my car, and now you have the nerve to stand there and accuse me for what YOU did. Well if you don't mind, I want your name so I can call my lawyer and see how much I can sue you for damages since you obviously don't want to take responsiblity for it."

When the sheriff don't say anything, the blond haired man speaks up again, "It's Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane."

"We'll be glad to back you up on this," the dark haired man nods at him.

"Thanks guys," Gordon offers a smile at them before facing the sheriff once again to address another one of his accusations, "and Sheriff, since we both knew you were at fault, you also know these two guys had nothing to do with any of this. Now if you're finished with my ID, I want it back."

[RogerDuke]

*Rosco was very irrated at this point and his voice displayed his anger*

"All right you riff-raff Duke boys, I suggest you two just move on to....wherever it is you were heading....and mind yer own bees wax before I throw you in the pokey along with....Khee Khee.....Jeff Gordon.....Khee Khee, I love it, I love it."

*Rosco got the handcuffs off of his belt and walked over to Jeff and grabbed his arm*

"Mr Gordon, I'm placing you under arrest for attempting to murder a police officer by running his patrol car off the road. Now, if you're cooperative and agree to pay for all the damages you've done I might consider to ask Judge Hogg to reduce the charges.

But if you try anything funny you're not going to make it to your next race....not that you'd ever have a chance of beating me and Mama's favorite....Dale Jr...Khee Khee!!!"

[Garrett Duke]

*Bo Duke couldn't stand just standing there to see anyone wrongly accused and wrongly arrested by their crooked law not alone his all time favorite NASCAR driver. Just the thought that Rosco would even think of arresting Gordon for what he himself had done infuriates Bo beyond words and he feels his fists curling tightly. Despite knowing to attack the sheriff would only press charges upon him plus the long and angry lecture he would surely get from his uncle. But he had to do something.*

"Then tell us, Rosco," Bo snaps out to bring everyone's attention onto them, "when was the last time that your beloved Dale Jr won?" Everyone continues to look at Bo as he briskly walks towards Rosco and Gordon and Bo steals a glance at Luke who briefly nods at his cousin. Turning back to Rosco, Bo harshly runs into Rosco to force Rosco to fall back a couple of steps. "Sorry Sheriff, I guess I was so distracted by your outragious lies and accusations that I wasn't watching where I was going." He turns to Gordon and grabs him gently on the wrist, "Let's go!"

Gordon briefly nods in disbelief that he was about to get arrested for the sheriff's own error and even more so at the boldness of the two country boys who showed up to his rescue. Of course he was Jeff Gordon. He has a household name and he knows that has a lot to do with it. But who would be willing to get themselves into trouble with the law for his sake? Even more disbeleif that he was going along with their escape effort knowing that this will only make him look guilty and he briefly wonders what his lawyer would have to say about it.

But he didn't care. What he cared about was that he was innocent and there was no way he was going to be arrested for something he didn't do. No way was he going to miss seeing his kids, his wife due to the sheriff's blantant lies and accusations. No way was he going to miss the upcoming race due to the false charges. He wasn't going to let his fans down. Let his family down.

He didn't do it. He was innocent.

So instead of fighting the two men the sheriff had addressed as Duke boys, he ran with the blond and taller one to the driver's door. Remembering seeing them climb out through the windows, Gordon doesn't even bother to try the doors but talently climbs in through the driver's door window as he always does in his race car. And as soon as he is seated in the back seat, both Duke boys are in the car and the blond hair Duke boy quickly peels back word while yelling a loud, "Yeee Haaa!"

"That's Bo's way of sharing his excitement with everyone. That's Bo Duke," the dark haired man states turing around to face Gordon, "my cousin. And I'm Luke Duke. We apologize for our dimwitted sheriff. Him and the commissioner, the one Rosco addressed as Judge Hogg, is as crooked as they can get. Any way to earn or steal an extra buck." He shakes his head. "But we'll be glad to help you out anyway we can...we know how they work. Trust us."

Gordon nods nervously. "I appreciate it. Thank you," he states, "I only have a few days before I have to be at my next track otherwise I will be unable to race. You think there is any way to get me out of it before then?"

"If there's a way, ol' Lukas Dukas here will think of it," Bo states in the drivers seat as the loud angry sirens being to cry out behind Gordon and Gordon slowly turns to look out the back window. "Ah don't worry about him. We'll get rid of him in no time."

[RogerDuke]

"Khee Khee!" Rosco laughed as he chased the General Lee.

"Those Duke boys are trying to help that Jeff Gordon feller but they didn't stop and realize they're making matters worse for him......and making matters better for me. When I catch that NASCAR legend I'll make enough money off him to pay fer all the patrol cars I've wrecked in the last twenty years.

Now where's that dipstick of a deputy of mine?"

*holds in CB hand-switch*

"Enos, what's yer twenty? and ya'd better answer quick"

*5 seconds later Enos responds*

"Uh, my 20? I'm right here sheriff."

Irrated, Rosco hollered into the CB "Where's HERE you dipstick?"

Enos responded "Mount Vernon Highway, right by the old saw mill."

*Rosco smiled and then ordered a road block for the approaching General Lee*

[Garrett Duke]

"Damn it, a road block. Now what we do?" Bo complains as he keeps his foot on the pedal.

"I don't know, but you better think of something quick otherwise all three of us will be arresting and this time, his charges will be enough to stick," Luke throws back at him as he nervously looks back at the approaching patrol car.

Bo nods as he steps heavily on the brakes and yanks the steering wheel to just avoid hitting Enos and making a sharp U turn. "Not a problem. Watch this," Bo laughs confidently as he shoves onto the accelerator to face head on with the sheriff. Grabbing the CB he calls out to the sheriff, "Hey Sheriff, how 'bout a game of chicken? I ain't no chicken...that makes you the chicken."

"Stop with the games and lose him," Luke states irritatedly as he glances back at Gordon and states, "I apologize for my cousin's games...he just seemed to have forgotten to mature as he got older."

Gordon nervously laughs in the backseat, not knowing what to make of all of this. He had left the track happy and excited with his win. On top of the world. Now he sits trapped in the back seat of an orange stock car running from the law for something he didn't even do. "As long as it gets me outta this mess, I'm fine," he finally states.

Gordon nods as he gets a half foot from hitting Rosco's patrol car head on only to swerve around the speeding patrol car onto the grass and around a thick tree before swerving back onto the road. Bo slows down momentarily in time to see Rosco running into Enos' parked patrol car. As they watch him climb out, Luke states, "Well if his car wasn't already damaged, it is now. Let's go."

"Ten four," Bo grins as he begins to drive away.

[RogerDuke]

*With steam coming out of the front end of his crashed car Rosco got out and walked over to the passenger side of Enos's car* "Enos, you dipstick! What were you doing there?"

"Uh, setting up a road block like you ordered sheriff"

"Why did you set it up where I was going?"

*Enos looked confused* "Uh, how was I able to know the exact spot you were going?"

*Rosco's face was disgusted* "Well it don't make no difference anyhow" *Then he started to smile* "Because once we catch Jeff Gordon, I'll make enough money to fix 100 cars.....Khee Khee!"

*Enos looked shocked* "Jeff Gordon, the NASCAR driver?"

*Rosco responded sarcastically* "No you lugnut. Jeff Gordon, the appliance repair man!" *Rosco took off Enos's hat and hit him with it* "Of course Jeff Gordon the NASCAR racer. He was in the back seat of the General Lee. It looks like your car will still run so take me to the Boar's Nest. I need to see the Boss."

[Garrett Duke]

"Well it looks like you all lost him," Gordon states as he watches the sheriff get into the passenger seat of the other car, the cars behind them getting smaller and smaller. Turning back around, he states, "You both seem pretty confident about your driving skills. About seemingly to know what had happened. I mean, what's to say I didn't run into him as the sheriff had claimed?"

"Easy," the one named Luke grins, looking back at Gordon, "the commissioner and the sheriff wouldn't know how to tell the truth if their life depended on it." Luke shakes his head, "Trust me, to them, it's all about getting an extra dollar no matter what it takes."

"And we saw him hit you from the other road," Bo inserts from the driver's seat, "it was easy for us to imagine all that Rosco was trying to pull with you. You being out of town and all."

"And a famous NASCAR driver," Luke slowly states, dread thick in his voice to pull the other two men's attention worriedly onto him, "which means Hogg and Coltrane will do anything they can think of in order to get all the money they can out of Gordon or the town or both. I can already see the wheels a turninin' in Hogg's fat head. I mean, we both have seen his celebrity speed traps he pulls for the Country music artists that mistakenly drive through here. Now we got Jeff Gordon himself in town. Famous NASCAR driver who is well known to be one of the top paid driver of today's time. Hogg's gonna have himself a ball with this one."

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Bo says defensively, "Rosco clearly ran into him. He had -"

"Damn Bo. I know that. I saw the same thing you did, but you know they'll try something to get Gordon's money. To get any money they can out of Gordon's misfortune," Luke irritatedly interrupts his younger cousin before turning to face Gordon, "What brings you to Hazzard anyway?"

Gordon shrugs. "I won the race. I was feeling good so I thought I'd take myself on a little drive of my own before heading back home. Am seeing that was a mistake now," Gordon states, irritation of his own thick in his voice, "So if you know they're crooked, then why isn't anything done about it?"

Luke shrugs. "It's better fighting someone we know than someone we don't," he turns around, "we better find some place to hang out for a while to come up with a plan. We may have lost Rosco, but he won't be lost for too long. I can bet you the wheels of The General that he's in Hogg's office with all of this right now. Hogg's probably got that fat smug grin of his on his face as he begins to think of his next plan. Before long they'll be at the farm and all over the county looking for Gordon...and us."

Bo nods. "Where to, cuz?" he slowly questions as he glances over at his cousin for direction.

Luke shrugs as he looks around, his sharp mind racing rapdily within him knowing he has both Gordon and his cousin looking at him to help them out of this situation. Finally a small grin crosses his face and he says, "I got it! Hang a left up here. We'll go hang out at the last place anyone would ever look for us at."

Bo nods, his face brighten up before he takes a sharp left turn where Luke had instructed him to before looking over at Luke. Wondering how he always seems to stay so calm and collected in situations like this. Why he always came up with such great plans that always got them out of trouble.

"Where we going?" Gordon questions in the backseat, "What are we doing? I need to be at our next track by Thursday or else I'll be disqualified."

Luke nods knowingly. "Just hang tight. I'll explain everything when we get there," he states before silence thickly surrounds them.

[RogerDuke]

*Rosco and Enos walk into Boss's office at the Boar's Nest without knocking. They catch Boss counting a stack of 20s while smoking a cigar*

Boss hides his money by covering it with a sweatshirt even though he knew the two lawmen saw it. "Don't you ever knock?"

Rosco "Uh, sorry Boss but I have good news good news! Uh, I also have bad news bad news. Um, you know Jeff Gordon?"

Boss "The NASCAR star?"

Enos "No, the appliance repair man!"

Rosco took Enos's hat off his head and hit him again with it then ordered him out. After Enos left Boss asked "So, first what's the bad news bad news?"

Rosco "Uh, I wrecked my sheriff's car....twice. And Enos's car's smashed too but it still runs."

Boss was outraged "YOU"RE FIRED!!!!"

Rosco "But wait a second Boss, the second time was Enos's fault and the first time that Jeff Gordon feller done slammed into me intentionally. He did it on purpose too!"

Boss's face lit up "Assaulting a sheriff!!?? We're going to be rich. Is he in jail?"

Rosco "Uh, not exactly Boss, the Duke boys done helped him escape....but I got his Chevy Tahoe in the impound yard...Khee Khee!"

[Garrett Duke]

*Gordon hangs up from talking to his wife, informing her what has been going on and why he wasn't home. As he repockets his phone, he glances out the window to see nothing around them but swamp water.* "I don't want to sound ungrateful or anything, but what are we doing?" Gordon slowly asks as he sees the top half of an alligator in the swamp water.

"Ol' Lukas here is the one with all the brains. Hogg and Coltrane wouldn't dare come out this way," Bo answers as he maneauvers to the left and both sides of the car is now surrounded by swampy water. "Hogg and Coltrane know what old man Finley would do to 'em if they dare to come on his property."

"And after what we done for them last year, they owe us a favor or two," Luke answers, "we'll hide The General and take a boat over. Hide out for awhile until we can think of a way out of this mess."

Gordon slowly nods as he sees a dock up ahead, wondering if he should have more to worry about than just some jail time or whether or not he'll be able to be at the next race. Looking out the window he can just hear what the next newsline will hold about him: FAMOUS NASCAR DRIVER EATEN BY ALLIGATORS!

"Well if you think it'll work. . ." he states softly, knowing he has little to no choice unless he wants to spend the next year or so in jail for something he didn't have.

"You know what?" Luke questions, dread in his voice, "I can't believe I didnt' think of it 'til now. Guess I was too wrapped up in what was going on. . ."he falls silent, "we should have had you follow us in your own vehicle. Bet by now they got it confiscated and locked away. They'll use that against you."

"Damn it," Gordon cusses slightly, "well if I could find a way home, I have other cars. The only thing about that one is that it has sentimental value to it since Ingrid gave it to me." Gordon sighs heavily. "I guess I should just be glad I didn't drive my Corvette this time."

"Nice ride," Bo states with a smile.

Luke nods silently as Bo pulls The General deep into a wooded area. "We'll have to leave The General here and take a boat across. You up for a little adventure, Gordon? You get in trouble with an gator or two, just call on Bo. He'll wrestle 'em for ya," he states elbowing Bo in the ribs before the car comes to a park and he pulls himself out through the open window.

"Just great," Gordon complains as he follows Luke outside and eyes his surroundings, "when I woke up this morning, the biggest concern I had was not to wreck my twenty-four car and to make it home in time to put my kids to bed. Never thought I'd be worrying about getting eaten by an alligator or arrested." He shakes his head as he swats a mosquito away.