Chapter One

"Three whole days of no Mart's dictionary-itis and big brother supervision!" Eighteen year old Honey Wheeler grinned from behind the wheel of the brand new blue Dodge Charger her father had loaned to the girls for their trip.

"We still have eleven days left," Trixie Belden, also eighteen, reminded her from the passenger seat with a huge grin as she kicked off her shoes and rested her feet on the dashboard of.

"We owe Dan and Regan so much. Di, don't let us forget to get him something special! A real live Georgia peach would probably be welcome!" Trixie laughed, shoving her sandy blonde curls from her eyes as they raced down the interstate.

"I still can't believe our parents agreed," Diana Lynch giggled from the back seat. Her shiny black hair was in a ponytail that the wind was whipping around carelessly.

"I know!" Trixie said gleefully. "What could be more perfectly perfect?"

It was the final two weeks before the girls freshman year at the University of New York and when Trixie had proposed a road trip to Atlanta, Georgia, their friends and brothers had thought it a grand idea-until Trixie announced it was girls only, the uproar had deafened them. None of the parents liked the idea, especially Madeleine and Matthew Wheeler, who had lived in fear of Honey being kidnapped for a ransom from the day she was born.

It was only after Dan Mangan, one of the Bob Whites had said it was a good idea and once he had convinced his Uncle Bill Regan to help him, they persuaded Helen and Peter Belden to agreeing it would be a good opportunity for the girls to see the South. With the boys all having to return to their dorms for the new school year, the girls still had a bit of empty time. Dan found himself in the minority against the other Bob White males.

"Have you lost your mind?" he shouted at Dan in the clubhouse.

Trixie stood with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at her favorite redhead.

"Jim, think about it, they've never been down south and they'll be bored to tears here for two more weeks with nothing to do. More than likely the girls will try to pin Mr. Lytell for drug smuggling or something," Dan pointed out with a wink to Trixie.

"As opposed to the two biggest troublemakers going this side of the Mason Dixie line going halfway across the country?" Brian, Trixie's oldest brother immediately backed his best friend.

"I for one, do not relish the conception of my beloved lady companion squiring around the southern half of this esteemed country without proper supervision," Mart, Trixie's older brother by eleven months, piped up after swallowing the enormous bite of sandwich he had just taken.

"Just because I'm your girlfriend does not mean I'm helpless," Di snapped at him.

"Well you can forget it, because Moms and Dad aren't going for it," Brian said smugly.

It had been a rude surprise when his parents didn't shut the idea down immediately. Peter was hedging as Trixie spilled into her usual enthusiastic rush of words.

“Oh Daddy, it’d be so much fun! We can take care of ourselves and there’s tourist places all over and we can see Atlanta and maybe drive back up through the Carolinas and we might even have time to go to Florida-“

"Okay, ok," he laughed, holding up his hands, "I’ll think about it, but Trixie, don't get your hopes up."

Within the hour Dan and Regan had arrived, and with Helen, they discussed the potential adventure. Regan had always felt Honey was too sheltered, and as a big supporter of their club, the Bob Whites of the Glen, he was a little more objective about the girls. Dan, having spent some time as part of a street gang in Hell’s Kitchen, was all about the girls seeing what the world was really like.

Both nephew and uncle thought it'd be a great experience.

"They can call every night to check in, stick to a set plan," Regan pointed out. "There are state patrol and cops everywhere between here and Atlanta. Plus, if you agree, Matthew will, and more than likely he’ll make sure they have a reliable car. He’d be likely to call in some favors to have them watched at various points."

“You mean tailed?” Dan frowned.

Trixie would have a fit if she knew they were being undermined!

Regan shook his head.

“Not exactly, but he’d want a list of hotels, and likely have a friend or someone check to make sure they arrived. Things like that. Matt’s pretty discreet.”

The Beldens finally acquiesced, to their sons' horror, and headed up to the Manor House to speak the Wheeler's.

They were a harder sell, especially with Jim glaring at Dan and protesting the entire time. Matthew Wheeler finally relented and agreed as long as he could provide them with a car and plenty of money for emergencies. Peter and Regan could see the business mogul’s wheels turning, no doubt on the line of thought Regan had mentioned: how to watch over the girls without being seen.

The Lynches agreed once the Wheelers had and the girls headed out on their road trip.

Dan and Mart were sophomores at the University of New York City, Brian and Jim were seniors. All resided in Sleepyside-on-Hudson, in Westchester County, New York. Brian would be going on with his medical studies to be a pediatrician, Jim was working on his education degrees, Dan would start his sociology degree needed to join the US Marshals, and Mart had a long way to go in attaining his agriculture and journalism double degree. Jim and Brian had been taking double majors and double classes, trying to graduate early and get Jim’s school for boys off the ground. This would actually be Dan’s first year at the University, he had spent his freshman year at the local community college, taking a couple extra classes of basics to get ahead for much cheaper.

The Bob Whites would be back together in the same school, and it was an exciting thought. This last year had been rough, with everyone split up. The summer had been spent in the usual manner: swimming, fishing, camping and solving Trixie's mysteries while trying to keep her and Honey out of trouble. Brian, Jim and Dan had all been taking at least one course over the summer, with Mart working two part time jobs to save up more money for this coming year.

The boys all had to return to school early, Mart for RA training, Brian’s program started earlier, and Jim had been asked to come early and help his department with a project that would earn him extra credit hours. Only Dan would be starting with the girls, and he was sharing a house with Brian and Jim, right around the corner from Mart’s dorm, so he left with them. And the day before the girls left, the boys headed out to school.

"Freedom!" the girls shouted as Honey pulled out of the long driveway in the new car, radio blasting.

Their parents waved, anxiety obvious.

Day three they had crossed into Georgia and stopped for lunch at a small diner where they eagerly feasted on traditional southern fried chicken. Their route to the Deep South was well marked on their map, and they had lists of things to see and do.

"I would never tell them," Honey giggled, “but Cook's chicken is better!"

"Agreed," Trixie laughed as they climbed back into the car. "That was really greasy!"

It was Trixie's turn to drive, and the curvy blonde eagerly pressed the gas pedal as they took off.

After a while, Trixie glanced over at Honey in the backseat, who was staring out the window dreamily, and Di, was dozing off in the passenger seat.

"Uh oh, look. A detour," Trixie said over her shoulder.

Honey leaned forward anxiously.

"We have to leave the interstate," she fretted.

"It's ok. We've got the map, remember?" They had been studying their course in the diner over warm peach pie.

They followed the detour signs and construction men waved them on. The paved road quickly became a dirt road, which led them into a wooded area, with no signs, just dirt roads.

"Honey, get the map. This isn't right," Trixie pulled off to the side as Honey scrambled to find the map.

Di woke up.

"We there yet?" she asked sleepily.

"No, I think that detour we had to take got us lost," Trixie bit her lip.

"I can't find the map," Honey said frantically. "Di, do you have it?"

"I thought you had it at the diner," Di frowned, looking through her purse.

After a few more minutes of hunting the girls looked at each in alarm.

"Should we go back towards the interstate?" Honey asked.

Trixie frowned, then grinned. Her best friends groaned.

"You had to ask," Di sighed.

"Let's just go a bit farther," Trixie wheedled. "If we don't find signs of civilization within fifteen minutes, we'll head back towards the interstate."

The others agreed, and Trixie started the engine. Moments later they passed a handwritten sign that said "Hazzard County".

"Hazzard," Di muttered, "how appropriate for us!"

Trixie giggled. "They spelled it wrong."

The car sped along when they heard a loud horn, playing what sounded like a cavalry approach.

"What on earth is that?" Honey asked.

Trixie shrugged as she came around the bend, they not only heard it again but a bright orange car was hurtling at them dangerously, speeding and weaving. Police sirens were wailing and a white police car was chasing the orange car, blue and red lights flashing.

"Trixie, watch out!" Honey yelled.

Di screamed as Trixie tried to swerve out of the way of the car and lost control. The car spun wildly before going into a ditch, hitting a large clump of brush and coming to a stop.

"Everyone all right?" Trixie asked quickly.

Di whimpered from her seat and Honey nodded. Sighing, Trixie opened her door to realize the car was literally stuck in the weeds and had a flat tire. There was a hissing noise from under the hood and a bit of smoke.

"Just great," she sighed.

All of the men had been insistent on the girls knowing how to change a tire, the oil, and check all fluids. That wasn’t going to help them get the car out of the ditch and weeds.

"Honey, get out and help me push. Di, you're going to have to steer. Drop it in neutral."

"Why Trixie Belden, you must have lost your mind to think we can push that car!" Honey protested.

Trixie gave her a grim look.

"We can CB for help but we don't know where we are to call for who we need to tow us," she answered angrily. "That orange car must have done something pretty heinous to have the cops after them so desperately that they ignored us being run off the road!”

"Well, let's get the car out and change the tire and don't you dare go thinking about chasing that orange car!" Di exclaimed.

"Well it was rather-"

"Mysterious!" they chimed together, laughing.

***

Meanwhile, in the locally infamous orange car known as the General Lee. . .

"Bo, we gotta go back! That car was full of girls!" Twenty four year old Luke Duke turned back as his younger cousin Bo raced the car.

"Girls? Was they pretty?" Bo asked with his trademark grin.

Luke smacked his cousin on the shoulder.

"They must not be from around here or they would have recognized the General's horn."

"I didn't notice, I was busy trying to lose Rosco!" Bo shot back, glancing in the rearview mirror. "Hang on, I'll lose him up here at the creek and we can double back to the girls," Bo grinned.

Luke knew the only thing his impetuous cousin liked better than giving Roscoe a good chase, was a pretty girl. Especially rescuing one!

"Hang on cousin, here we go!" Luke gripped braced him as Bo launched the car off the bank and it sailed over the creek. Rosco predictably attempted to follow, and landed in the creek.

The boys groaned as the car slammed down to the ground and Bo spun it around. Laughing, they waved at the dripping wet Roscoe as Bo slammed the car into gear and they took off back towards the girls, through another route, of course.

***

Back at the Bob-White girls . . .

"Left, Di! Left!" Trixie hollered.

Di turned the wheel as Trixie and Honey pushed the car.

"It's no use," Honey panted, leaning against the car.

"Are you sure it's in neutral?" Trixie demanded.

Di turned and gave her a dirty look. "Of course."

Trixie sighed. "All right, I guess we better CB for help and hope someone finds us," she said grimly.

Di handed her the CB when they heard the now-familiar car horn.

"Yeah they better come back so I can give them a piece of my mind!" Trixie snarled, shoving the CB back to Diana.

"Trix-" Honey started as the orange car came whipping around the corner and skidded to a stop, spraying rocks and dirt in every direction.

Trixie marched up to the driver’s door as the occupants pulled themselves up and slid out of the windows. The driver was tall and lean and blond, his passenger several inches shorter, brawny and brunette.

"You-" she started.

"Wow, are we sorry. I sounded the horn to you 'cause I saw you through the trees. Everyone round here knows to get out of the way for the General!" the blond man, Trixie guessed him to be about twenty, interrupted her.

"We're not from around here," her china blue eyes narrowed at him as she put her hands on her hips. "And I don't know what you did to lose the police, but if you try to hurt us-"

"Now hang on just a minute there, miss," the brunette came around the side of the orange car to join the blond. "We ain't gonna hurt you and we didn't do nothin' to have the police after us. The sheriff here is as corrupt as a lead pipe out in the rain and he sets up phony speed traps, especially to catch us. We hit one and we gave him a good run, like we always do. Of course you wouldn't recognize our horn if you’re not from around here. We came back to see if you needed any help," his deep voice was calm and soothing, and Honey smiled at him prettily as she and Di came up behind Trixie.

The tall blond man looked them all over and was smiling broadly.

"Trixie here can be a bit presumptuous," Honey stepped forward and held out her hand. "I'm Honey Wheeler, these are my best friends Trixie Belden, and Di Lynch."

"I'm Luke Duke. The hothead driver here is my cousin Bo Duke," the brunette shook her hand and she marveled at the strength of his grip.

"Bow?" Trixie repeated, trying not to laugh and not thinking as usual, "as in bow and arrow?"

"Beauregard," Bo's dark blue eyes narrowed slightly, "it's an old southern name. And you can stick to Bo."

Di poked Trixie in the back.

"Oh I didn't mean anything by it!" Trixie's eyes widened and she began to really look at the two men in front of them. Especially the blond. Six four, easily, she thought, broad shoulders, lean, solid body, golden blond waves of hair that framed a handsome face with a charming, sexy grin, and his dark blue eyes were studying her just as intently. "I can't stand my own name." Luke was about six feet, she guessed, slightly heavier but she knew it was all muscle. His jeans almost bulged with his well-developed thighs. Thick, almost black, wavy hair was windblown and his eyes were electric blue. His nose was slightly off, as if it had been broken one too many times but he had a nice smile and his eyes lingered on Honey.

Luke couldn't help but notice the beautiful girl with the black hair and violet eyes but his gaze kept being dragged back to Honey, whose shoulder length hair was windblown from driving and her big hazel eyes beckoned to him. Generally he didn’t like slender or thin girls, he preferred them solid and curvy, like the blonde, but this one…something about her made his eyes reluctant to leave her. The blonde was cute and he already knew Bo was going to attempt to use his charm on her.

Bo stared at the feisty blond. About five foot six, he thought, curvy, not the usual slender and thin type he preferred, but she sparkled in front of him and that intrigued him. Her sandy blonde curls were in disarray and her fair skin was flushed with red from her temper. Trixie, was it? Trixie flashed her own grin at him and he smiled. Oh it was a good day in Hazzard after all!

"We spun out and blew a tire. We have no clue where we are to call for help," Honey was explaining to Luke, "so we tried to push the car back but I don't think we're strong enough."

"Well look at that, clever and cute," Bo grinned.

Honey and Di smiled flirtatiously but Trixie's eyes narrowed a bit, then she realized he was flirting and smiled back at him.

Wistfully she knew he was referring to the other two as 'cute'. Certainly not her sturdy, freckled self!

"We can change the tire if we can move it," she sighed.

"Aw shoot, there ain't nothin' to it," Bo grinned. "You girls just relax in the shade. Me and Luke'll fix it all up lickety split and you can follow us to town. Cooter can take a look at it and repair the tire so you won't be without a spare."

The girls leaned up against the bright orange car, giggling over the rebel flag on the roof and the 01 on the side.

"The General Lee?" Di giggled as she read the title on the roof. “the South will rise again!”

All three watched with admiration as the boys easily moved the car from the weeds, both pushing it up while it was nuetral, and within minutes had the tire up and swapped out.

"Nice view," Trixie whispered in admiration as Bo was leaning into the car.

Honey snorted. It was about time Trixie noticed someone other than Jim. You snooze, you lose big brother, she thought amusedly.

"Very. Girls, this might be a very nice rest stop on our journey," Di grinned. "Honey, I saw the way Luke couldn't take his eyes off you. And Trixie, if you don't have Bo eating out of your hand by the end of the day then my name isn't Diana Lynch!" she declared softly, causing all three to burst into giggles.

Once repaired, the girls got in the car and followed the boys and the General Lee into Hazzard. The General Lee turned out to be a slightly older version of their own car.

Cooter was the local mechanic, and Trixie had noticed driving into Hazzard that the car's wheel seemed very unsteady. Cooter promised to take a look and fix it up.

"Why don't you girls go with us to the Boar's Nest?" Bo asked.

"Boar's have nests?" Diana murmured.

Trixie snorted and Bo grinned.

"It's our favorite place to hangout. Our cousin Daisy is a waitress there," Luke added.

The girls glanced at each other and Luke had the feeling they had an entire conversation with one glance.

"Sure," Trixie grinned, eyeing appreciatively the tall blond man who winked at her. To her delight and Di's horror, the doors on the General Lee were welded shut, which meant they had to slide in through the windows.

Good thing they were all wearing jeans, Trixie thought. Bo put one strong arm around her and lifted her up without warning to the window. With a grin she slid in while the boys flanked her on either side. Luke had already helped Honey and Di in, lifting each of them and they climbed into the back. Trixie almost pointed out they were tall enough to get in on their own but a warning glance from Di silenced her. Di was forever trying to coach Trixie in handling men, and when to assert her independence and when to pet their egos. Trixie had to admit Di was good, she had had Trixie’s brother Mart well wrapped around her little finger for years.

Bo was in the drivers seat and peeled out, all three girls clutching onto something. For Trixie, up front in the middle, that meant Luke, since Bo was driving. Bo just grinned at her.

“My word," Honey laughed, "you drive like Trixie!"

"He does not!' Trixie's face went red as they all laughed.

Bo winked at her.

"I've thought about being a NASCAR racer," he grinned.

Trixie couldn't help but smile back. He was charming all right, she thought. And handsome. And he didn't seem like the type to lead a girl on for several years. He knew what he wanted and he made no secret about it. Oh Jim was special enough, but the distance of different schools and the pressures were too demanding to keep up a relationship. They were still the best of friends, but Trixie missed kissing Jim sometimes. She had dated a little the last two years; in fact she had been surprised by how many offers she had received once Jim had gone to college. Of course they had to get past Dan and Mart's big brother routine. In fact, she and Dan had considered dating after an accidental kiss one night, which led to a few intentional kisses. Both agreed it was nice but awkward, and Dan didn't want Jim coming after him. Instead they had become super close friends and Dan watched out for her.

Honey was in a similar position with Brian. The years of fond looks and stolen kisses were gone, Brian was immersed in his medical studies and after having to cancel plans with Honey last minute for the umpteenth time, they had called it quits. Dan was always ready to step in last minute as a “safe” date to a school function, but none of the girls lacked for male companionship offers. Di of course had been hands off for years, as she was glued to Mart's side. But that didn’t stop her from trying to fix her friends up, encouraging Honey to date Nick Roberts, a shy, sweet boy in their class, and even Tad Webster had a soft spot for Trixie that made him constantly check up on her and ask her out.

Observing the flow of energy in the car, Di smiled to herself, wondering what the next few days were going to hold for the Bob White girls. She had a feeling that they were about to have the time of their lives.

***

Author Notes

Welcome to my version of Hazzard County! A HUGE thank you to Dana, my editor, for her continued support. Buckle up because this Universe is growing by leaps and bounds!

Keep it 'tween the ditches!

Word Count 3,887

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