Blameless

by

Marty Chrisman

Chapter 1

Luke whistled under his breath as he finished getting ready for his date with Becky Hobbs. He planned on taking her to the Boars Nest for awhile and then maybe up to the lake after that for some serious making out. They had been dating for a couple of weeks now and things were coming along just fine. She was cute, she was fun and she liked to have a good time. Luke's kind of girl.

Luke took one last glance in the bathroom mirror. He knew that women found him attractive and he enjoyed the attention they gave him. He had thick dark curly hair and rugged good looks with finely chiseled features. But it was his eyes that most people noticed immediately. They were a brilliant sapphire blue and they sparkled with life. Years of working hard on his Uncle's farm had given him a lean, well developed muscular body that women seemed to find attractive too.

Luke left the bathroom and went down the stairs to the first floor of the three bedroom farmhouse. His cousin, Bo, had already left for a date of his own and his cousin, Daisy, had left for her job as a waitress at the Boars Nest. The only one home was his Uncle Jesse who was sitting in his favorite chair in the living room reading the paper. He glanced up as Luke came down the stairs.

“You getting ready to go?” Jesse asked. Jesse was in his early sixties with a head full of white hair and a full white beard. His face was deeply lined but his blue eyes still sparkled with life.

“Yes, sir.” Luke answered automatically. Jesse was the patriarch of the Duke Clan. His word was law and always obeyed. Out of love and respect but always obeyed. He had raised Luke and his two cousins from the time they were small children and this farm was the only home that Luke could remember. And Jesse had raised them well. Both boys had grown into fine young men that Jesse was immensely proud of.

“You be careful and don't be too late.” Jesse said giving Luke his standard warning. Luke nodded. Jesse knew he didn't have to worry much about Luke. Luke was the oldest of the three cousins and the most responsible one between the two boys. He had always been mature for his age. He was the protector in the family, the one who watched out for his younger cousins, especially Bo. As the oldest, Jesse had always put a lot of responsibility on Luke's shoulders but he had never complained and it had helped shape him into the man he had become.

Luke walked through the kitchen and out the back door. He stepped down off the screened in back porch and walked across the barnyard to the light blue Sedan he had borrowed from Cooter Davenport, a family friend who owned the garage in town. Bo and Luke co-owned a stock car they had built together named The General Lee. But since Bo was using the General tonight for his date, Luke had borrowed the Sedan from Cooter to use himself. Although the boys frequently double dated, tonight was not one of those nights.

Luke drove to Becky's house and walked up to the front door, tapping lightly. The door opened almost immediately and Becky smiled at him warmly. She was a pretty little thing with shoulder length brown hair and big blue eyes. “Hi, Luke.” She said in a soft slow drawl identical to Luke's own regional accent.

“Are you ready?” Luke asked, smiling back warmly. Becky nodded and stepped outside, quietly closing the door behind her. Luke walked her to the car and politely opened the door on the passenger's side for her. Closing the door, he walked around to the other side and slid underneath the wheel. Becky scooted across the front seat and cuddled up beside him, letting one hand drop to rest on top of his leg. Luke smiled faintly the evening was off to a good start.

Ten minutes later, Luke pulled into the parking lot in front of the Boars Nest, the local honky-tonk in Hazzard County . The Boars Nest was housed in a long one story cinder block building just off the main highway that led into Hazzard. Luke spotted the General Lee and pulled into an empty space beside it. The General Lee was as well known in the County as the Duke Boys where. With its bright orange paint job it was a hard car to miss. A large black 01 trimmed in white decorated each door and a rebel flag was painted across the roof with the name General Lee painted above each door. With its modifications and powerful engine, the General was the fastest car in three counties and the boys were the best drivers.

Luke slid out from beneath the wheel and walked around to help Becky out of the car. Slipping an arm around her waist, they walked across the dirt parking lot and went into the bar. Inside the bar, it was dimly lit and smoky. Since it was a Friday night, the bar was already crowded even though it was still fairly early in the evening. Several friends called out greetings as Luke came into the bar. Both boys were popular in the County and had a lot of friends, male and female.

Luke spotted his cousin Bo sitting at a booth near the back of the bar along with his date for the evening, Melissa Hunt. Bo saw Luke at the same time and motioned him over to join them. Luke led Becky through the crowd and they sat down on the opposite side of the booth from Bo and Melissa. Bo was as attractive as Luke except he had blonde hair worn lightly feathered on the sides and baby blue eyes. He had the same lean muscular build but at six foot three, he was three inches taller than his older cousin. Melissa was a pretty blonde with brown eyes and a trim little figure.

“Hey…” Bo said with a grin as the other couple joined them. “Figured I best save y'all a seat since it was so crowded.”

“Glad ya did.” Luke told him grinning back “Or we'd have been standing up all night.”

“I already ordered us drinks.” Bo told him, as he slipped his arm around Melissa's shoulders and leaned over to whisper sweet talk in her ear. Luke smiled, as he slipped his arm around Becky's shoulders and leaned over to do the same.

A few minutes later, their cousin Daisy made her way through the crowd carrying a tray with their drinks on it. Daisy was the prettiest girl in Hazzard County with big blue eyes and long chestnut colored hair. She was also one of the most popular girls around but most guys knew not to get out of line with her unless they wanted to tangle with Bo and Luke and nobody in their right mind wanted to do that. But then Daisy knew how to handle herself too and could fight as good as any man. Bo and Luke had made sure of that. Dressed in her usual attire which consisted of a skimpy tank top and short shorts that showed off her long legs to perfection, Daisy turned every head in the room. Smiling brightly, she sat a mug of watered down beer in front of each of the two couples.

“Thanks, Daisy.” Bo told her, keeping his attention focused on Melissa

“Yeah, thanks.” Luke said, glancing briefly at his female cousin with a smile before turning his attention back to Becky.

“You two be good now.” Daisy teased her two cousins. She laughed as she walked away to wait on her other customers. It was a busy night and she was making good tips.

The boys spent a pleasant evening with their dates, laughing and having a good time. They each had a few drinks but neither one of them was drunk. It was hard to get drunk on the watered down drinks that Boss Hogg served at the Boars Nest. Luke and Becky left around midnight while Bo and Melissa decided to stay at the bar a little longer.

Luke headed towards Hazzard Lake looking forward to a little making out with Becky. He was staying within the speed limit as he drove along the twisting road that led to the lake. Suddenly, a deer darted out in front of the car and ran across the road in front of him. Luke automatically slammed on the brakes and twisted the steering wheel sharply to the left to avoid hitting the animal. There was a loud popping sound as a front tire blew out causing Luke to lose control of the car. The car swerved off the road and hit the ditch. With a sickening lurch, the car rolled three times before coming to a stop on the roof.

Momentarily stunned, it took Luke a second to fumble with his seatbelt and free himself from behind the wheel. He glanced around the interior of the car, realizing with a sickening feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach that Becky wasn't in the car with him.

He quickly scrambled out of the car and straightened up, leaning against the car for a moment until the world stopped spinning around. Other then being a little dizzy and disoriented, he didn't seem to be hurt.

His eyes quickly swept across the field where the car had come to rest and he saw Becky lying on the ground a short distance away. He quickly made his way to her side and knelt beside her. He noticed the awkward angle of her head and with a shaky hand reached out to touch his fingertips to her neck, feeling for a pulse. His heart jumped into his mouth when he couldn't find out. Scrambling back to his feet, he stumbled back to the car and knelt down to reach inside for the CB to call for help.

Chapter 2

Cooter Davenport pulled his tow truck into the parking lot in front of the Tri County Hospital and climbed out of the cab. Cooter was the local mechanic and owner of the only garage in Hazzard County . He was also a close friend of the Duke family. Luke had called Cooter from the hospital and asked him to come and pick him up. He didn't want to worry Uncle Jesse since it was so early in the morning. Luke hadn't been hurt in the accident but the paramedics had insisted on taking him to the hospital to have him checked out anyway. Luke was too shaken up to argue much.

When he went inside the hospital, Cooter immediately spotted Luke sitting in one of the chairs in the waiting room. He was slouched forward with his elbows on his knees and his face buried in his hands. Cooter crossed the room in hurried steps. Gently, he reached out and put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. “Hey, Lucas…” he said quietly.

Luke raised his head and looked at Cooter, his blue eyes cloudy with pain, not any physical pain but a deep emotional pain. “Hey, Cooter…” he said in a barely audible voice, lowering his gaze and staring at the floor in front of him. “Thanks for coming to get me. I didn't wanna bother Uncle Jesse at this time of the morning.”

“No problem. Are you okay?” Cooter asked in a concerned voice

“Yeah, I'm fine….” Luke took a deep shuddering breath and exhaled slowly “Becky's dead. She broke her neck.”

“Jesus….I'm sorry.” Cooter said in a sincere voice, concerned for his friend. Luke stared sightless at the floor and he appeared to be in shock because of the accident. Cooter reached out for his arm and helped him to his feet. Luke allowed himself to be led out of the hospital and across the parking lot to Cooter's truck without arguing. Cooter helped Luke into the cab and then went around to climb beneath the wheel.

“Coot…can I crash at the garage tonight?” Luke asked, staring out of the side window and avoiding his friends eyes “I don't wanna go back to the farm this late…”

“Sure….does Jessie know you're not coming back tonight?” Cooter asked

“I'll call him first thing in the morning.” Luke promised knowing he wouldn't be getting much sleep the rest of the night anyway.

“Okay…” Cooter said “If that's what ya want. You sure ya don't wanna come out to my place instead?”

“No…I'd rather be alone for now…” Luke told him. He fell silent as Cooter headed back towards Hazzard. Once they reached town, Cooter drove to his garage which was located on the town square just across from the courthouse. He pulled up in front and tossed the keys to the garage to Luke. “See ya in the morning.” He said “Try to get some sleep.”

Luke nodded absently and walked over to door to the garage. Using the keys Cooter had given him, he let himself into the garage and climbed the ladder to the loft. Cooter had converted the loft into place to sleep with a double bed, a sofa and TV on a stand. That way he could sleep at the garage if he was working late and didn't want to drive all the way back to his farm. It also gave his friends, like Bo and Luke, a place to crash if they didn't want to go home for one reason or another.

Luke threw himself down on the bed without bothering to undress and stared into the darkness. Jumbled thoughts drifted through his mind. He couldn't close his eyes because every time he did he saw Becky's body lying there on the ground with her head twisted awkwardly to one side. Without shame, tears began to fall down his face as he laid there in the darkness.

He lay there until the first rays of the rising sun started to filter in through the windows. Glancing at his pocket watch, he saw that it was just after six A.M. Time to call Uncle Jesse. With a groan, Luke pushed himself off the bed and walked over to the phone mounted on the wall. Picking up the receiver, he asked the operator to connect him to the farm. The phone rang four times before Jesse's voice said “Duke Farm. Jesse Duke speaking.”

“Uncle Jesse. It's Luke.”

“Luke?” Jesse said in a surprised voice “Where are you?”

“In town at Cooter's.” Luke told him “I stayed here last night.”

“Are you alright?”

“Not exactly.” He paused, swallowing hard past the lump that suddenly rose up in his throat. “There was an accident last night…I rolled the car…..”

“Were you hurt?”

“No, sir…..but….but…” he stammered unable to continue.

“But what?” Jesse demanded the worry showing in his voice “Luke, what's wrong?”

“Becky's dead….” He whispered in a choked voice “She was thrown out of the car and broke her neck….” Jesse heard the sob in Luke's voice as he spoke

“Stay there. I'm coming to get you.” Jesse told him firmly “I'll be there in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes, sir….” Luke said, his hand was shaking as he hung up the phone. He tried to compose himself before his Uncle arrived to take him home. Finally, he took a deep shuddering breath and climbed down from the loft. He left Cooter's keys lying on his desk and then went outside to wait on Jesse.

When Jesse's white pickup pulled up in front of the garage, Luke climbed into the cab and leaned his head back against the seat, closing his eyes. He was exhausted both physically and emotionally and didn't feel like talking to his Uncle at the moment. The details of the accident were still too fresh in his mind like a fresh cut that was still bleeding. Jesse seemed to understand and he didn't question Luke any farther about what had happened as he drove back to the farm.

Daisy and Bo were just sitting down for breakfast when Jesse and Luke walked in the back door. They both looked up curiously wondering what was going on. Jesse had told them that he had to go into Hazzard to pick up Luke but he hadn't offered any more details. Jesse put his hand on Luke's shoulder and said quietly “You go on to your room and try to get some sleep. Bo and me will take care of the chores this morning.”

Luke nodded silently and left the kitchen. His footsteps could be heard going up the stairs and then the opening and closing of his bedroom door. Jesse took his place at the head of the table and accepted the cup of coffee that Daisy poured for him.

“Uncle Jesse,” Bo said unable to contain himself any longer “What's going on?”

“Luke was in an accident last night.” Jesse told them somberly

“Is he okay?” Daisy asked anxiously, as she took her place at the table

Jesse nodded “He's fine.”

“What about Becky?” Bo asked remembering Luke's date from the night before.

Jesse hesitated for a moment and then shook his head. “She didn't make it.” He said

“Oh, no!” Daisy exclaimed in a shocked voice “Poor Luke….What happened?”

“I don't know.” Jesse told her “I reckon Luke will tell us when he's ready….” He bowed his head to say grace and the two cousins did the same. After grace, they started to eat but none of them had much of an appetite. They were all too worried about Luke.

Chapter 3

Luke managed to get a couple of hours sleep before he was awakened by a nightmare. He woke up with a strangled scream dying in his throat, his heart pounding frantically. He couldn't remember any of the details of the dream only the fear it had left him with when he woke up. He shoved himself off the bed and stumbled to his feet just as a wave of nausea swept over him. He made his way to the bathroom, where he fell to his knees in front of the commode and started retching. After a few minutes, he drug himself to his feet and stepped over to the sink. Turning on the faucet, he cupped his hand under the water and took some into his mouth. He rinsed it around and then spit it back out into the sink. Leaning heavily against the basin, he looked into the mirror. His weariness showed in his face. Finally, he turned and left the bathroom, going downstairs and into the kitchen.

There was a note on the kitchen table telling him that Daisy had gone to work but had left something for him to eat in the refrigerator. Bo was out in the back forty helping Jesse. Luke poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot sitting on the stove and sat it on the table. He rummaged through the refrigerator and found the plate of food that Daisy had left for him. He heated it up in the microwave, glancing at the clock as he waited for his food to warm up. It was shortly after nine A.M. He'd only slept for a little over two hours.

He took his food out of the microwave and sat down at the table. He ate a few bites but discovered that he wasn't really hungry. Sighing, he drank his coffee instead. There was a tremble in his hands he couldn't seem to control and even though it was a warm spring day, he still felt cold. The longer he sat there the more he started to shake. He glanced up as the back door opened and his Uncle came into the house.

“I figured you'd still be asleep…” Jesse told him, as he poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table beside his oldest nephew. He noticed the unfinished plate of food sitting in front of Luke and the trembling of his hands that he did his best to hide.

“You ready to tell me what happened?” Jesse asked gently. He didn't want to push but he needed to know what had happened and Luke needed to talk about it.

“I was on Old River Road ….a deer ran out in front of me…” Luke said in a flat emotionless voice “I swerved to miss hitting it and a front tire blew out. I lost control of the car and rolled it three times….”

“Were you speeding?”

“No, sir.”

“Did you have your seatbelt on?”

“Yes, sir”

“Did Becky have hers on?”

“No…” Luke said, lowering his head to hide the tears that suddenly gathered in his eyes at the mention of Becky's name “I know I should have made her put it on before we left the Boars Nest but I didn't….” The slight crack in his voice was the only indication of the deep emotions that Luke was keeping bottled up deep inside of him.

“Can't blame yourself for that. You can't make someone wear their seatbelt if they don't want to…” Jesse wanted nothing more than to take his oldest nephew in his arms and hold him but he knew that Luke would never allow that. Of the three cousins, Luke had always been the one who was the most resistant to showing or accepting affection as freely as Daisy and Bo did. He was also the one who kept his feelings to himself and seldom shared them with anyone. That was one of his strengths but at times like this, it was also one of his weaknesses.

“I killed her, Jesse…” Luke whispered staring at the tablecloth, as his hands clutched tightly at his coffee cup.

“No, you didn't.” Jesse said firmly “It was an accident….plain and simple.”

“She's still dead because of me….I'm the one who was driving….” Luke said in a broken voice, his emotions dangerously close to the surface.

“You didn't kill her, Luke…” Jesse repeated just as firmly as before, reaching out to clutch his nephew's shoulder reassuringly “It was an accident…..you need to accept that and don't go blaming yourself.”

“Who else am I supposed to blame, Uncle Jesse?” Luke said quietly, looking at his Uncle with eyes so filled with pain and guilt that Jesse's own heart skipped a beat. Before Jesse could stop him, Luke stood up and went out the back door. Jesse sighed softly and gently rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He hoped that once the shock wore off, Luke would be able to see things more clearly and would realize that it had simply been a tragic accident and not hold himself responsible. Jesse finished his coffee and prepared to return to the fields to help Bo. He had only returned to the house to check on Luke and make sure that he was alright.

When Jesse went outside, he didn't see Luke anywhere. The General Lee and Jesse's pickup were both still there so he knew that Luke was still on the farm somewhere. He glanced towards the barn and then raised his eyes to glance at the open loft door. He knew that was where Luke more than likely had gone. The hayloft was where Luke had gone every since he was a child whenever he needed to be alone. Jesse sighed softly as he slowly started walking back towards the field to return to his own work.

Luke sat just beyond the loft door. He saw his Uncle glance towards the barn before starting to walk back towards the field where he'd been working with Bo. Luke pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around his legs, lowering his head to rest it on his knees. His shoulders began to shake with silent sobs. Jesse could go on saying that it was just an accident but Luke still blamed himself. And he felt guilty because he was alive and Becky was dead. But there was another, darker reason, for his pain and his guilt. One he couldn't share with anyone because if he did, it would only bring up memories that would end up destroying him and the rigid self control that was vital to his survival.

Chapter 4

Luke cursed under his breath as he struggled to get the knot right in his necktie. He felt awkward and uncomfortable in the suit that he never wore except on special occasions. Today was Becky's funeral and even though he didn't really feel up to it, he knew that he had to put in an appearance to pay his last respects. The rest of the family was going too but Luke would have stayed home if he could have. He didn't want to have to face the reality of Becky's death but he knew that he really had no choice.

“Luke?” Jesse's voice called from the bottom of the stairway “Are you ready?”

“Be right there.” Luke called back reluctantly. He left his room and crossed the hall to the bathroom. Opening the medicine cabinet, he took out a bottle of aspirins and shook three out into the palm of his hand. He tossed them into his mouth and swallowed them dry. He knew they wouldn't help much but they were better than nothing. Slowly, he turned and left the bathroom, going down the steps to join the rest of his family. They left the house and climbed into Dixie with Bo behind the wheel and Jesse in the front beside him which left the back seat for Luke and Daisy. They drove to the church in silence.

The street in front of the church was lined with cars. Bo found a place to park a block away and they climbed out of the jeep. Daisy casually slipped her arm around Luke's waist as they walked towards the church. She could feel her oldest cousin trembling. Leaning in close, she whispered gently “It's okay, Luke…you can do this. We're all right here with ya, sugar…” Luke glanced at her with a sad smile that broke her heart in two. She knew how much he blamed himself for the accident and for Becky's death. She had tried to tell him that it wasn't his fault, they all had, but he still insisted on holding himself responsible.

The church was filled with people who had come to play their last respects to Becky and to console her grief stricken family. As they entered the church, Bo automatically stepped back to stay by Luke's side as they made their way to the front of the church. At the last minute, Luke stopped unable to go any closer. Bo gently took his arm and helped him to sit down in one of the pews, then sat down beside him as Daisy and Jesse went up to the open casket. Luke's eyes swept nervously around the room as he looked for a way to escape. He didn't want to be here. His eyes met those of Becky's father and he quickly looked away from the accusations he thought he saw reflected there.

“Bo, I have to get outta here.” he told his youngest cousin in a tightly controlled voice “I'm gonna be sick….”

“Come on, let's go back outside…” Bo said quietly. Bo caught Uncle Jesse's eye as he stood up and helped Luke to his feet. Jesse saw the expression on Luke's face and nodded slightly to let Bo know that he understood. Bo kept hold of Luke's arm as the two cousins started back down the aisle towards the entrance to the church. Once they were outside, Luke quickly darted around to the side of the church where he couldn't be seen and fell to his knees, retching violently and bringing up what little food he had eaten that morning. Bo knelt beside him, gently rubbing his back soothingly until the retching stopped. Slowly, he helped Luke back to his feet. “Come on, cuz…” he said in a gentle voice “We can wait in the jeep.”

As they walked back to the jeep, Luke jerked at the tie around his neck, pulling it loose and stuffing it in his pocket. He fumbled with the buttons on his good white shirt, opening the top two. He took a deep shuddering breath finally feeling like he could breathe again. Bo glanced at Luke worriedly but remained silent. He knew that Luke wouldn't talk about what he was feeling unless he wanted to. And if Bo tried to push him, he would only shut him out even more and refuse to talk at all. They climbed into the back seat of the jeep, each of them lost in their own thoughts as they waited for Jesse and Daisy to rejoin them.

Back inside the church, Jesse and Daisy paused to offer their condolences to Becky's parents. Her mother was crying softly, too distraught to talk to them, but her father looked at Jesse somberly and said, “Jesse, I saw Luke leave….and I know he's not handling this well …but you tell him for me…that we'd don't blame him for what happened. We know it was an accident.”

“I'll make sure he knows you said that, Ben.” Jesse said “He'll appreciate that. He's blaming himself for what happened….”

“Tell him not to….Becky wouldn't want that.” Ben's voice broke as he fought back his tears. To cover up his own emotions, he turned to console his wife. Jesse slipped his arm around Daisy's waist as they left the church to find the boys. As they climbed into the jeep with Daisy under the wheel, Jesse glanced at Luke worriedly. His oldest nephew was staring off to the side without looking at anyone. He wasn't dealing with this entire situation very well at all. Jesse knew he had to find a way to reach him and make him understand that he wasn't responsible for the accident or for Becky getting killed.

For the first time in his life, Jesse was afraid of what Luke might do if he didn't get a handle on this thing soon.

Chapter 5

Bo was startled out of a sound sleep by the sound of Luke's scream. Bo immediately jumped out of bed and ran to his older cousin's side. Luke was thrashing around on the bed, obviously caught in the middle of a nightmare. He reached out and gently shook his cousin's arm “Luke!” he said quietly “Come up, Luke…wake up…you're dreaming.” Luke continued to thrash around, still caught up in his dream.

Bo glanced over his shoulder as the bedroom door opened and his Uncle stepped into the room. “He's having a bad dream.” Bo said anxiously “I can't get him to wake up…”

Jesse quickly crossed the room to Luke's side and touched his shoulder. He said in a loud, firm voice “Luke, wake up, boy….you're having a bad dream…” It took a minute but finally Luke's eyes slowly fluttered open. At first he stared at his Uncle, his eyes filled with panic and something close to terror. Then slowly the panic and terror faded as he realized where he was and that it had only been a dream. But for a minute there….

Jesse looked at his oldest nephew with his worry reflected clearly in his eyes. Gently he reached out and brushed a lock of hair out of the young man's eyes. “Are you okay now, Luke?” he asked gently

Luke nodded, afraid to trust his voice enough to speak. He felt ashamed and embarrassed that he had awakened both his cousin and his Uncle by screaming in his sleep. His heart was still pounding frantically in his chest even though the dream was quickly fading from his mind. Jesse stood there for a moment more until he was satisfied that Luke was really alright, then he turned and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

Bo looked at his older cousin and said “You sure you're okay, Luke?”

“I'm fine, Bo.” Luke said in a carefully controlled voice “Go on back to bed.”

Bo hesitated for a moment, then walked back over to his bed and crawled back under the covers. Luke hadn't had a nightmare that bad since just after he came home from Viet Nam . Bo sighed and closed his eyes, slowly drifting back to sleep.

Luke lay there, staring into the darkness until the sound of Bo's breathing told him that Bo had fallen back to sleep. Only then did Luke slowly swing his legs over the side of the bed and sit up. He took several deep breathes, exhaling slowly and then shoved himself to his feet. After a quick stop in the bathroom to relieve himself, he went downstairs and into the kitchen. He knew that he wouldn't be getting any more sleep. Not tonight anyway. He could still taste the fear and panic in his mouth, almost a coppery aftertaste. Losing a night's sleep was preferable to having that nightmare again or one just like it.

He glanced at the clock on the wall above the stove. It was shortly after three-thirty in the morning. He opened the kitchen cabinet and reached up on the top shelf behind some dishes they seldom used. He pulled out the pint jar of moonshine that Jesse kept hidden there. He noticed that his hands were shaking badly as he opened the jar and poured out a coffee cup full of the shine. He put the lid back on the jar and put it back in it's hiding place.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, he took a drink of the shine. He felt the liquid fire that filled his mouth and burned his throat as he swallowed. He instantly felt the fire spreading throughout his body as the moonshine hit his stomach. At 150 proof, moonshine is far more potent than regular alcohol and even if you were used to it, it still packed one hell of a kick. Luke had sampled Jesse's finest ever since he was thirteen but he hadn't had any since he first came home from Viet Nam so he knew it wouldn't take much to get him drunk. But at the moment, he didn't really give a damn. Getting drunk sounded like a pretty good idea. At least it would numb the pain and keep his mind from working overtime.

Luke was still sitting at the kitchen table when Daisy came downstairs at five thirty to start breakfast. She took one look at Luke's eyes and knew that he'd been in Jesse's shine. She picked up the cup sitting on the table in front of him and put it in the kitchen sink. “Ya best not let Jesse catch you in his shine.” She warned her oldest cousin needlessly. She quickly made a pot of coffee and poured Luke a cup, strong and black. As he drank it, she suggested “Why don't you go out and get an early start on your chores before Jesse comes down?”

Luke nodded gratefully at her suggestion and slipped out of the house, taking the cup of coffee with him. He knew that Daisy was trying to protect him from Jesse's wrath if he found out that Luke had been in the shine. Between the coffee and the cold morning air, he should be fairly sober by the time he went back into the house for breakfast and hopefully Jesse wouldn't notice. But Luke found himself not really caring much if Jesse did notice. He was an adult after all, he was entitled to a drink now and then if he wanted one. Subconsciously, Luke knew that was a dangerous way to be thinking, especially in his present state of mind.

He finished his coffee and started on his morning chores. He was joined shortly by Bo, who was still half asleep and didn't notice Luke's glassy eyes. “Morning, cuz…” Bo mumbled with a yawn.

“Morning.” Luke said quietly. His head was starting to pound relentlessly as he started to sober up. He knew that he was going to pay for the amount he had drank for the rest of the day.

The boys finished their chores in silence and then went into the house for breakfast. Jesse looked up as they came into the house but didn't say anything as they washed up at the kitchen sink and then took their usual seats at the kitchen table. Daisy sat everyone's plate on the table and then sat down herself. They bowed their heads as Jesse said grace.

As they started eating, Jesse gave the boys the list of work he had for them to do today. There was a fence to mend in the south forty and a tree behind the barn that needed to be cut up and then brought up to the house so it could be chopped up for firewood.

As he gave the boys their list of chores for the day, Jesse stole a worried glance in Luke's direction. He was staring down at his plate and playing with his food more than he was eating. He had his suspicions that Luke had been in the shine but he held his tongue. If Luke had been then a full days work on top of a nasty hangover would be punishment enough.

After breakfast, the boys left the house to get started on their work for the day. By then Luke's head felt like someone was inside his skull trying to batter their way out with a sledgehammer and his stomach was doing flip flops. Bo took one look at Luke's pale face and glazed eyes as they stepped outside in the early morning sunlight. He realized immediately that Luke had a hangover. Wisely he decided not to mention it as they went about their assigned tasks for the day.

Chapter 6

Bo anxiously shifted his weight from one foot to another as he waited for his Uncle to come out of the barn. He needed to talk to Jesse privately and he knew Luke would be mad if he found out. So he wanted to get it over with before Luke came out of the house and caught him talking to Jesse. Finally, Jesse came out carrying the basket of eggs he'd gathered.

“Uncle Jesse, I need to talk to you.” Bo said trying to keep the nervous edge out of his voice “I'm worried about Luke…”

“So am I.” Jesse admitted “Has he talked to you at all?”

“No, sir and that's what bothers me.” Bo said “He's shutting me out and that ain't like Luke…”

“I know…..” Jesse said with a nod “But you know Luke won't talk about it until he's good and ready.”

“Yeah, I know…” Bo said solemnly “But I think there's something else going on in his head…something more than just Becky getting killed…”

“Like what?” Jesse asked with a frown. That was something he hadn't considered until Bo suggested it.

“I don't know…” Bo admitted “I just know he ain't acting right….”

“Well, if he won't talk to you about it then I doubt if he'll talk to me.” Jesse said gruffly “He opens up to you more then he does to anybody.”

“Uncle Jesse, I'm scared he's gonna do something stupid…”

“You mean like hurt himself?”

“No, I don't think he'll go that far but I'm still scared that something is gonna happen.”

Jesse put a comforting hand on his youngest nephew shoulder and squeezed gently. “Bo, all you can do right now is try and get him to talk to you about it. The longer he keeps whatever is bothering him bottled up inside, the more it's gonna fester.”

“What if I can't get him to talk about it?”

“Then we're gonna have to be here for him to pick up the pieces when he falls.” Jesse said quietly. He didn't like that answer any more than Bo did but it was the only one he had to give him.

Bo nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he turned and slowly walked back towards the house. Jesse sighed as he watched Bo walk away. He wasn't sure if he had helped to ease his youngest nephews mind or not. He sure wasn't having much success easing Luke's mind. Luke had more of his share than Duke pride and stubbornness but it was times like this that made that more of a curse than a blessing. Jesse felt like he was watching Luke slowly fall apart in front of him and he was helpless to stop it because he didn't know how. He was as worried about Luke as Bo was but unless Luke decided to open up to one of them, there wasn't much either of them could do to help him.

Inside the house, Luke was just coming down stairs when Bo went in. His eyes were tired and his face was drawn. He hadn't been sleeping very well since Becky's funeral and he was continuing to have nightmares almost every night. Bo generally woke up as soon as he heard Luke being restless and managed to wake him up before the nightmares got too bad. But then Luke usually refused to go back to sleep afterwards, sitting up in the kitchen and drinking coffee. (Jesse had hid his shine) Sometimes he would be up all night and other nights, he come back to bed in time to get a hour or so of sleep before they had to get up for the day. Luke was exhausted and it was starting to show. His lack of sleep was making him irritable and short tempered with everyone.

“Morning, cuz.” Bo said, as he got himself a glass of milk from the refrigerator.

Luke muttered something that sounded like “Morning” but Bo couldn't be sure. Luke grabbed a cup and poured himself some coffee from the pot sitting on the stove. He leaned against the counter to drink his coffee. He wasn't eating much better than he was sleeping and that worried Bo too. He was already starting to lose weight.

“Jesse wants us to go to Capital City and pick up those tractor parts he ordered.” Bo said offhandedly as he sat down at the kitchen table. “You wanna grab something to eat before we leave?”

“No.” Luke said flatly “I'm not hungry.”

“Luke, ya need to eat something.”

“Don't tell me what I need to do, Bo…” Luke said shortly. “I'm fine.” He finished his coffee and slammed the cup down on the counter. “Let's go.”

Bo sighed and finished his milk. He rinsed out the glass and put it in the sink, then followed his cousin out the back door. They walked across the barnyard to the General and Luke walked around to the driver's side, sliding in beneath the wheel. Bo climbed in through the other window and settled back in the passenger's seat. Luke turned the key and started the engine, pulling away with a sudden burst of speed that send dirt and gravel flying from underneath the rear wheels.

He turned left onto Old Mill Road and headed towards Capital City . He hadn't gone very far when the boys saw Rosco's patrol car parked across the road in front of them, blocking their way. Luke stopped the General and the two boys slid out of the windows to sit on the edges of the door, leaning their arms on the roof, as the sheriff walked towards them with his trademark swagger and giggle.

“Alright, you Duke boys…..” he said “I got you now…..”

“What for?” Luke demanded in an irritated voice, glaring at the sheriff angrily “We weren't doing anything.”

“You got a busted turn signal here in the front……”

“That turn signal ain't busted!” Luke said sharply, climbing out of the car and walking around to the front of the car.

“It is now…KeeeeHeeee…” Rosco said, taking his gun and using the butt to break the turn signal light on the front of the General.

“You jack ass!” Luke growled surprising Bo and Rosco both with his outburst. Both boys were well mannered and polite. Neither of them used bad language very often because Uncle Jesse would tan their hide if he heard them cussing. “I ain't paying a ticket for something you broke…”

“Alright, Luke Duke….” Rosco said “I've had enough of your sass…..you're under arrest….” As he reached out to take Luke's arm, Luke suddenly swung out and socked Rosco in the jaw. The blow caught the older man by surprise and he fell on his butt.

“LUKE!” Bo yelled, climbing out his window and hurrying around to the front of the car to try and keep Luke from hitting Rosco again. Rosco spluttered angrily and jumped to his feet, and raised the gun he was still holding in his hand, waving it around recklessly.

“Alright, Luke Duke!” he growled “You done did it now! You're under arrest for assaulting an officer and I'm gonna cuff ya and stuff ya!” Ignoring Bo, Rosco shoved Luke against the hood of the General. “Get your arms behind your back!” he ordered

Luke complied without arguing. Rosco snapped his cuffs on Luke's wrists and grabbed his arm to lead him over to his cruiser. Bo watched helplessly as Rosco put Luke into the back seat and then slid underneath the wheel, speeding away towards Hazzard.

“Dang it….” Bo muttered under his breath as he climbed in beneath the wheel of the General and reached for the CB mike. Pressing the transmit button, he said “Lost Sheep to Shepard. Lost Sheep to Shepard. You out there, Shepard?”

“This is Shepard.” Jesse's voice came over the radio

“Yeah, Shepard…..Rosco just arrested Luke.”

“What for?” Jesse demanded

“Luke hit him after Rosco busted out the turn signal on the General..”

“What?” Jesse spluttered “What in tarnation has gotten into that boy?” The anger was evident in Jesse's voice but so was the worry. “I'll meet you at the courthouse.”

“Ten four, Shepard.” Bo said, hanging the mike back on the bracket. He turned on the engine and headed for Hazzard.

Chapter 7

Rosco was sitting behind his desk with his feet propped up on top when Jesse burst into the office, followed closely by Bo. He scowled. He was in no mood to deal with anymore Dukes today. His jaw still ached from where Luke had punched him.

“Alright you, Dukes…..I want you outta here right now.” Rosco blustered, swinging his feet to the floor.

“I ain't going nowhere, Rosco.” Jesse growled “I'm here to get Luke. How much is his bail?”

“There ain't no bail, Jesse.” Rosco told him in a satisfied voice “He's charged with assaulting an officer. That's a $100 fine and 3 days in jail.”

“Come on, Rosco…” Bo said in an agitated voice “You know Luke wouldn't have hit ya if he'd been thinking straight. Why don't you cut him some slack? You know what he's been through lately.”

“Don't make no never mind. The law's the law.” Rosco said firmly. His mind was mad up and he wasn't about to change it. Besides, Boss Hogg would nail his hide to the barn wall if he backed down. “Now if you wanna pay the fine, Jesse, go right ahead….but he's still gonna serve his three days in jail.”

Jesse muttered under his breath as he pulled his wallet out of his bib pocket and counted out one hundred dollars. He handed it to Rosco with a scowl. “And I want a receipt for that money….” He barked. Rosco took the money and took a lock box out of his desk drawer. He opened the box and put the money inside and then closed the box, sticking it back in the drawer. He grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled out a receipt for Jesse. As he handed it to the elderly Duke, Jesse said “And I wanna see Luke.”

“Ten minutes.” Rosco growled, anxious to get the Dukes out of his office “He's downstairs.”

Jesse and Bo left Rosco's office. They climbed down the stairs to the cells in the basement of the building. Luke was sitting on the bunk in the cell closest to the doorway, staring at the floor sullenly. He didn't bother looking up even when Jesse said his name.

“Lucas…” Jesse repeated, using Luke's full name. His voice held a subtle warning that made Luke raise his head to look at his Uncle with a trace of defiance on his face. “What in tarnation has gotten into you hitting Rosco?” Jesse demanded when he was sure he had Luke's attention.

“He busted that light on purpose.” Luke said sullenly “He's was being an ass as usual.”

“Luke Duke, you watch your mouth.” Jesse said sharply “You know I don't like that kind of language.”

Luke glanced at him, his eyes narrowing in response to the admonishment, but his respect for his Uncle was so strong and ingrained that he felt compelled to apologize. “I'm sorry.” Luke said his voice still sounding surly.

“I just paid a hundred dollar fine for you but you still gotta sit in here for three days.” Jesse told him grimly “That was a stupid thing to do and you know it! No wonder I have so many gray hairs! You two boys are gonna be the death of me yet….”

“I'm sorry…” Luke muttered, staring back at the floor.

“Well, you're gonna have three days to think about it.” Jesse said gruffly “And you'll have extra chores to do when you get home too!” He turned to look at Bo, who stood by in silence as Jesse chastised Luke. “Let's go, Bo….your cousin needs some time to think about what he did and how reckless it was.”

Luke listened to their footsteps as they climbed back up the stairs. Then he sighed and pulled his legs up on the bunk, bending his knees and wrapping his arms around them. He leaned his head against his knees and tried to blink back the tears that stung at his eyes. He already knew that hitting Rosco had been a stupid thing to do and he felt bad about it. Now he felt worse because he knew that he had disappointed Uncle Jesse with his reckless behavior. He knew that he was losing it but he couldn't seem to control the emotions that were raging inside of him or the memories that relentlessly flooded his mind even though he tried to shut them out.

To part II