Chapter One

“Bobby watch out!”

“Reddy sit! SIT!”

Crash! Went the dishes Mart Belden had been carrying towards the table. As Reddy, the family Irish Setter went dashing between Mart’s legs, his older brother Brian stumbled back to avoid him, slamming into their sister Trixie, who promptly dropped the bowl of peas. The bowl bounced, and peas landed everywhere.

“Looks like we just missed the fun,” Jim Frayne stuck his head in the door as the shouting voices grew. His adopted sister Honey, giggled.

“Good thing too. The peas are quite fetching, Mart!” she called out.

Mart grimaced as the Belden siblings attempted to sort their limbs out. Self conscious of being overdue for a new crewcut, Mart ran his hand through his hair to empty it of peas. Some of the more stubborn peas stayed lodged in his growing-out curly hair.

“I saved the chicken!” Brian announced with a grin, holding up the platter. Reddy, now restrained by twelve year old Bobby, licked his chops.

“I’ll take that,” Helen said firmly, reaching for it. Whisking it from her oldest son, she set it on the table. “Come on in Jim, Honey. The worst is over-I think.”

As the pair stepped inside, there was laughter on the porch. Their other two friends, Dan Mangan and Diana Lynch, had arrived.

“We miss something?” Dan asked in amusement, surveying the scene.

Mart managed to escape the tangle of siblings and sweep Diana into his arms. With a crooked smile, Jim offered a hand to Trixie to help her up. She didn’t mind leaning against his husky, supple frame.

“Thanks,” she grumbled, running a hand through her wild blond curls in case any stray peas had landed there.

His freckled hand reached over and plucked one from above her ear.

“Anything we can do to help, Moms?” Honey asked.

“Yes. Take them all outside for another ten minutes,” Helen smiled at her.

The group took the hint and quickly made their way outside. Brian lingered to clean up the peas.

“I thought I’d be late,” Dan grinned, leaning against he railing as he ran his hand through his thick black hair, “I had to run by Lytell’s for Maypenny, and he was all up in arms about some crazy kids almost running him off the road in their car, so I had to listen to him for ten minutes go on about it. He wasn’t making much sense, going on about a bright orange car with bizarre markings.”

Trixie almost choked on her soda.

“Bright orange car?” she asked.

A glance to Honey and Di confirmed her thought. They knew a pair of young men that owned a bright orange car and drove like possessed devils. But what would they be doing up here in Sleepyside, New York?

Dan nodded, keeping his tone casual. “Old Lytell was fit to be tied. Said he ought to report the hooligans but he couldn’t get a license plate number. He didn’t recognize the driver though. Two young guys, he couldn’t see the third. Of course I had to hear the old lecture about hooligan kids."

“A bright orange car shouldn’t be hard to track down,” Jim frowned.

“What’s this, a deficiency of commentary from our illustrious Moll Dick? She who must proclaim all oddities as inexplicable?” Mart demanded, nudging Trixie’s foot.

“I was just thinking,” Trixie said absently.

Mart snorted.

“Mart, lay off her,” Jim said mildly, leaning back against the rail he was perched on.

“All right, dinner’s ready!” Helen poked her head out the door. Mart whooped with joy and was the first one inside, to no one’s surprise. The others filed in quickly and had just settled down to eat when the Dixie horn sounded, playing the tune of the old cavalry.

Trixie’s glass tumbled from her hand to the table, spilling her milk as Honey dropped her fork. Di squealed in delight.

“The Dukes!” all three girls leapt to their feet, shouting.

The boys looked at each other mystified as Trixie led the way outside.

“You two got trouble. Big trouble,” Dan looked at Jim and Brian.

Puzzled, the Bob-Whites and the Belden family followed outside.

Tall, blonde Bo Duke hoisted his lean frame out the drivers side window as Trixie came flying to meet him. Grabbing her in a tight hug, he swung her around, pulling her into an enthusiastic kiss.

Luke Duke, his brunette older cousin, followed suit from the passenger side, wrapping Honey in a bear hug that didn’t seem to end. Honey eagerly flung herself into his stout, muscular frame.

Di squealed when she saw the third member with them, their cousin Daisy. The brunette beauty pulled herself out of the General Lee, her long, slender legs in short shorts and sparkly heels swinging over the side.

“Daisy!” she cried.

Daisy hugged her friend tightly as the onlookers filed outside.

“We knew it had to be you when we heard about the orange car and crazy drivers but what are you doing up here?” Di asked excitedly, oblivious the glare on Jim’s face as he watched Bo and Trixie embrace. Brian’s handsome face was murderous as Luke was still holding Honey tightly, and while not kissing her, he was obviously muttering in her ear something only she could hear and she was grinning.

“Boss owed the boys a big favor, so the boys got permission to take a little road trip. And of course they wanted to come up here!” Daisy smiled, her eyes wandering over the boys and lingering on Dan.

His black eyes had taken in the slender figure, long dark wavy hair, and long, tan legs that ended in sparkly silver high heels. When her pretty green eyes landed on him, he gave her a knowing smile that was returned.

“I’m so glad!” Di squealed.

The boys had finally released Trixie and Honey, and hugged Diana happily as the girls hugged Daisy. Trixie’s blue eyes were glowing, Honey’s lovely face was lit up a like a Christmas tree and neither could stop smiling.

“It’s so great to see you!” Trixie burst out, as Bo hugged her again. “Why didn’t you call or write to tell us you were coming?”

“We wanted it to be a surprise. I knew from your last letter that you’d be in town, so we got Boss to let us go for a couple weeks and here we are,” he flashed his charming smile and Trixie felt her body heat up. What was it about this charismatic good ol’ boy that made her feel so intensely hot?

Bo also knew she wasn’t dating Jim right now, which left the field wide open for him. Di’s letters to Daisy were very informative.

“I’m so glad,” Honey hugged Luke again, her soft eyes shining.

“Do we get an introduction?” Dan asked easily, stepping forward.

Honey turned red.

“Oh goodness! Where are my manners? This is Luke Duke, his cousin Bo, and his cousin Daisy, from near Atlanta. We met them last summer,” Honey reminded them, as she introduced the Bob Whites.

Jim and Brian greeted them stiffly, Dan and Mart pleasantly. Dan’s eyes hadn’t left Daisy Duke since he saw her. Peter, Helen and Bobby had joined them outside.

“It sure is a pleasure to meet you all,” Daisy gave them her pretty smile, which Dan returned, making sure he gave her the smile that he knew girls liked.

“Oh and these are my parents, Peter and Helen, and my little brother, Bobby,” Trixie added.

Bo grinned charmingly at Helen.

“Mother? Shoot, I thought you were Trixie’s older sister she forgot to tell us about!”

Helen laughed and blushed as Peter chuckled. Jim rolled his eyes at Brian while Mart and Dan smothered their laughs.

Mart gave an enthusiastic hello and shook hands with the boys, but Jim and Brian were much colder and their hands barely touched the Duke boys’ in their shake. Peter and Helen Belden greeted their guests warmly. Helen knew something special had transpired between her daughter and the handsome young blonde man in front of her, and she didn’t want to think about it too closely.

“Wow! What a car!” Bobby was walking around the General in awe. Bo grinned at him and offered him a ride later.

But Helen could see why Trixie had been so drawn to him. Bo was a male version of her daughter.

“We were just sitting down to dinner, would you boys like to join us?” Helen asked.

“Aw, shoot, we didn’t mean to interrupt-“

“It’s no trouble at all. Crabapple Farm has stretchy walls. You Dukes have had a long drive, come on in and have a bite,” Helen insisted.

“Yes ma’am,” the chorused.

Trixie and Honey practically dragged the boys inside while Dan offered Daisy his arm. Brian called sharply to Bobby to come along, his dark eyes furious.

“Why’d you have to get permission to leave Hazzard?” Jim asked sourly, a few minutes later. He hadn’t even tasted Mrs. Belden’s famous burgers that he loved and often ate extra of. The redhead just sat and stared at the newcomers.

“Part of our probation agreement,” Bo answered cheerily.

Brian choked on his milk, which prompted Bobby to pound on his back enthusiastically. Mart pulled their youngest brother off Brian. Bobby’s big blue eyes returned to Bo, who he had been staring at in clear adoration. Dan rolled his eyes discreetly.

“You’re on probation?” Jim managed.

Bo nodded.

“We did some stupid stuff when we were younger,” Luke’s deep baritone answered, “Chasin’ shine, mostly, but Boss Hogg has hated our family for years- he took advantage of it to put us on probation for a very long time. He keeps tryin’ to throw us in jail for any infraction he can think of. He and the sheriff even move ‘no parkin’’ signs to where we leave the General, just so he can ticket us. And Roscoe sets up phony speed traps to catch us just about every day.”

“That’s pretty bad,” Dan was studying the men.

A former street gang member, and potential candidate for the US Marshals, he was good at sizing people up, and the Duke boys weren’t criminals. They were generally good boys who got dealt a bad hand, but they had a remarkably positive attitude. And from the reaction of Jim and Brian, might have more trouble coming their way. But it was clear they adored Trixie and Honey, and that made them okay in Dan’s book. Besides, he alone knew what all had happened in Atlanta last summer.

And with Jim and Trixie were in their ‘off’ stage, and Brian had told Honey that he was just too swamped with school to be a regular boyfriend, she was free to see other people as well.

Dan found the whole situation hilarious. Jim obviously still wanted Trixie; it was in the smoldering looks he often gave her when he thought no one else was looking. Bo was being pretty open about his admiration for her, and the way Luke’s eyes were lingering on Honey said about as much. Brian was the quiet, stoic one.

But Daisy, now she was another story. Those big green eyes of hers drew Dan in, not to mention the long legs and short shorts and definitely the high heels. She was more than hot, and Dan planned to spend as much as time as he could with her while they were there. She had given him more than one encouraging smile. Now, at the dinner table, she sat between him and Mart, and her leg was almost brushing his.

“It’s bogus, is what it is,” Luke sighed, “But Boss pretty much owns Hazzard. We can’t leave the county without his permission.”

Dan nodded. “My probation was the same. I couldn’t leave Westchester County without permission of the judge that let me come here,” he replied.

Bo leaned back and put one arm around Trixie’s shoulder, both oblivious to the setting og Jim’s jaw.

“Mrs. Belden, that sure was a great meal, thank you so much,.” His cousins agreed and Helen blushed.

“Well thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it. With this crew I always make extra.”

“But even extra, extra when Mart is here,” Bobby piped up.

Mart bowed.

“I must acquiesce to my youngest kinsman’s surveillance of my nutritional requirements,” he said loftily.

Bo frowned slightly, trying to hide his confusion

“Bobby ain’t teasin’ ‘bout you eatin’ a lot,” Luke said, wondering why the young man was using such big words..

Mart nodded.

“He’s a human vacuum,” Trixie snorted. “It’s always a toss up, who’ll eat more, Reddy or Mart. And you’ll get used to Mart. He swallowed a dictionary one summer at camp and hasn’t been the same since.”

“Reddy?”

“My dog,” Bobby announced, “He’s the best!”

The Bob Whites all snickered. They loved the adorable, if wildly untrained, Irish setter.

“Where are you all staying?” Peter asked.

“We were gonna head back towards that Sleepyside Inn we saw on the way,” Luke answered. “But we’d like to avoid the old man with the little store if possible. Bo here almost gave him a heart attack.”

“It wasn’t my fault!” Bo protested. “He came runnin’ across the street-“

“Bo, you were drivin’ a bit fast,” Daisy said softly.

Bo just grinned.

“Shoot, just a little,” he admitted.

“Oh you can stay up at Manor House!” Honey exclaimed. Jim’s eyes narrowed to dark green slits. “We can have a house party for a couple of days, like we used to!”

“Oh no, we don’t want to impose,” Daisy started the protest, echoed by her cousins.

“Not at all!” Honey enthused. “We can have a house party for the weekend, then get you settled in at the Inn, if you really want, but I think you should just stay with us! We have all that extra room! Don’t you think so Jim?”

She turned to her brother, who took that moment to shove a large mouthful of burger into his mouth so he couldn’t answer but the murderous look on his face said it all.

“Honey, you sure Miss Trask won’t mind? That’ll be ten extra people! They’ll eat you out of house and home!” Helen exclaimed, horrified.

“Oh poo,” Honey said airily, waving her elegant hand. “She’ll love it. And so will Regan because it’ll be three more people to exercise the horses. You can ride, right?”

“Sure we can,” Bo smiled at her.

“Then it’s settled! I’ll go call Miss Trask right now!” Honey leapt to her feet and dashed to the phone.

“It sure is generous of you to let us stay with you,” Luke said to Jim. “We appreciate it.”

Jim just jerked his head with a nod. Luke knew exactly why the oldest Bob-White males were so icy and he didn’t blame them one bit. Honey and Trixie were very special girls, and he was hoping something more might come of it someday. Jim and Brian needed to either get on the ball or give it up.

Luke knew he couldn’t offer Honey a life what she was used to, but he knew she was more than special, and he wondered if they really had a chance. Sure he flirted with and oh so casually dated the girls in Hazzard, but most of them had their eyes on Bo, and neither dated them seriously. Honey was beautiful, classy, sweet and smart. Everything he wanted. And way out of his league. Yes, she was rich but Luke really didn’t care about that. He had lost his heart to her the moment she smiled at him, before he even knew her name.

And while he couldn’t offer Honey the world, he could certainly give her all the attention and caring she deserved.

“Well, we’ve got plenty of room here too,” Mrs. Belden said. “Trixie has an extra bed in her room that Daisy could use and the boys can stay in the guest room.”

“They can have my room Moms!” Bobby enthused. “We can have a sleepover!”

Everyone chuckled as Mart ruffled Bobby’s blonde curls.

“Small fry, I don’t see the three of you in your little bed, but we’ll think of something ok?”

Bobby nodded as he took another big bite of his hamburger.

“That’s awful kind of you ma’am, we don’t want to be any trouble,” Bo said with his usual charm.

“It’s no trouble at all, after hosting the Bob-whites all these years,” she smiled at him and Bo could see where Trixie got her allure from, and her blonde beauty. If a woman’s mother was a good way to determine what she’d be like when older, Bo really hoped he could win Trixie’s heart.

“Solve any mysteries lately, Trix?” Bo asked, his dark blue eyes twinkling at her. His golden blonde hair was still a bit windblown, which made him all the more sexy, she thought, his light blue shirt bringing out his dark blue eyes.

“Sure have!” her eyes sparkled as she launched into their latest adventure, Bo hanging onto every word, and Luke’s arm around Honey securely.

Dan was sure Bo wasn’t hearing Trixie’s words, he was too involved in staring at her, and at one point, reached over and brushed a stray curl from her face. Jim almost came out of his chair at the intimate gesture but Mart kicked him in the foot.

***

After their filling dinner, Mart grabbed his guitar and Jim pulled his harmonica out. After a few songs, Mart handed the guitar to Bo with a smile.

“I hear you’re pretty good with this. How about a few songs?” he asked.

“Sure!” Bo grinned.

Jim didn’t accompany him however, his scowl deepening as Bo impressed the group with his playing and Luke harmonizing along with him. Peter and Helen joined in the clapping.

Leaving the General at Crabapple Farm, the Dukes and the Bob Whites headed up to the Manor House with duffel bags in tow. Di and Daisy took the room next to Honey’s, while Mart joined Brian and Jim in Jim’s room, and Dan and the Duke boys took the next room over. Dan and Mart knew they would be playing a lot of peacekeeper the next two weeks. Besides, this way Dan could glean information from the boys about their pretty cousin.

“Did you see the way he was pawing Trixie?” Jim hissed to Brian, “and she let him!”

“Yeah well, Luke seemed to have a permanent attachment to Honey!” Brian grumbled.

Mart sighed.

“Look, you two have no right to complain. You’re the ones who called off the relationships.”

“Yeah well do they have to flaunt it?” Jim demanded, his green eyes dark with rage.

“Just knock it off before you make the girls so mad they don’t speak to you for the next two weeks,” Mart advised.

Having tossed their bags in their rooms, the group gathered downstairs for a night of movies, popcorn and fun, provided by Miss Trask.

Trixie and Honey showed the boys some of their graduation pictures, and blushed when the boys asked for a copy, not having been able to make it that spring

The night wore on with an amicable atmosphere, except for the two oldest Bob Whites, who sat on the couch and didn’t say much.

***

The girls giggled late into the night, filling each other in on the last year. Di and Daisy stayed in touch through letters, so they had a general idea of what was happening in their lives.

The boys weren’t having such a good time. Dan and Mart were struggling to keep the conversation flowing evenly. The Duke boys were personable, charming and friendly, but Brian and Jim said little. As the cousins explained Boss Hogg to Dan and Mart, the oldest Bob Whites sat and listened.

Jim never believed one side of a story, and it seemed odd to him that such a crooked man should be in charge of the county like that, let alone always out to get the Dukes.

Brian thought their adventures were a little hard to believe, but he had to remind himself who his sister was. Not too many girls helped catch big time jewel thieves at fourteen years old.

Dan, who was studying to become a Federal Marshal, found life in Hazzard fascinating. Mart got a few good laughs out of it, and after a while, they told the Dukes about some of the girl’s adventures. While the cousins had heard a lot of stories, this time they got to hear them from the boys point of view, which were peppered with head shaking, eye rolling and exasperation at Trixie dashing off into danger without any thought of safety.

Brian and Jim finally begged off fatigue and went to bed as the others stayed up.

“We’ve got to do something,” Jim grumbled.

“And that would be? If we suddenly go proclaiming we want full on relationships they’ll know we’re jealous. And since we’re all headed off to school in two weeks, they won’t buy it. Especially when we have so much coursework to do,” Brian answered as he dropped onto his bed.

“Do you have any idea how I wanted to deck Bo after that kiss he gave Trixie?”

“Well I wasn’t jumping for joy the way Luke was pawing Honey,” Brian replied, staring up at the ceiling. “We better figure out a way to get along with them for the next two weeks. You especially.”

***

By morning Jim had resolved to try and be pleasant to Bo, but the day started downhill at breakfast. Not having slept well, he was surprisingly one of the last down to breakfast. And he found Bo in his usual chair, holding Trixie’s hand as everyone feasted on scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon and orange juice.

Grouchy from lack of sleep, he started to say something but Brian nudged him in warning. The older boys took the remaining empty seats. Dan was next to Daisy who was giving him a come hither smile, and Mart next to Di. Brian ended up sitting between Luke and Mart, and Jim was on the end next to Dan.

“We were just talking about going for a ride through the preserve,” Honey informed them.

“If Regan okays it. You know how is about his horses. He’ll want to make sure these big city boys can ride properly,” Jim replied grumpily. Reaching for his glass of milk, he looked up to find the table staring at him.

Trixie’s eyes had narrowed dangerously and Honey was glaring. Dan shook his head with an almost imperceptible motion.

“We learned how to ride when was kids,” Luke said evenly, “Bareback and saddle. And we also hunt on a regular basis so you ain’t gotta worry none about us in the woods.”

“Hazzard is as rural as Sleepyside, Jim,” Trixie said coldly, “the boys are excellent shots and swimmers.”

Jim just nodded, not saying anything. Great. It was barely ten o’clock and Trixie was already mad at him. One of a hundred reasons they were in the ‘off’ stage of their on and off relationship.

It was going to be a long visit, he thought with a heavy sigh.

***

Author’s Notes

-Welcome back to the Dukin’ Out Universe!
-a huge yee-haa to Dana, for her editing on this!
-Word Count 3,857

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