Hey Everybody! This is my first FanFic! I'm so excited! lol..

This story is the result of a very bored me in Chemistry class. Please read and review! Enjoy!

The title is borrowed from Alan Jackson's song, "I Wish I Could Back Up." And all the characters are borrowed from Gy Waldron's Dukes of Hazzard. Except for Katie. I made her up! lol.


I Wish I Could Back Up

She walked down the old, familiar streets, happy to be home. Things had changes since she left for college; there were more wrinkles on old man Hoover's face, the paint on that old bench in front of the Bank was peeling, and (it came to no surprise to her) most of the business signs had changed to have J.D. Hogg written on it somewhere. (Whether he got those business fairly of not, that was a different story.)

She rounded the corner on the sidewalk by the courthouse. There were flowers outside. She figured that those wouldn't last long, that is if them Duke boys were still the same as she left, crazy. Oh well, her big cousin wasn't much better, usually an accessory to most of those infamous Duke schemes, hence the handle Crazy Cooter. Speaking of which, he was supposed to pick her up off the bus! But she knew that he probably got wrapped up in something over at the garage and forgot. She turned from where she was admiring the Hazzard Police's flower bed to see her big cousin's garage, still standing, and no where on it could she see J.D. Hogg's name. At least he was able to hold on.

As she began walking down the street towards the landmark, the saw another all-too familiar sight, there in front of the garage, sat a bright orange Charger with a big '01' on the doors, hood up, with three very familiar bodies hunched down looking at the supped-up racing engine.

The first one she saw was that big, tall, not-so-gangly-any-more Bo Duke. He was leaning on the car with both hands. His back was to her, but she could tell that bright blonde head anywhere. Next was Cooter. He was wiping his hands on an old rag, like that would help much, since he was grease from head to toe. He had on that same old ball cap, sitting crooked on his head, as he looked mournfully at the General's engine. And last but certainly not least, Mr. Luke Duke. He was leaning on his elbows on the far side of the car, twirling a screwdriver in his big, strong hands. His blue, plaid shirt unbuttoned, revealing some of his muscular farm boy chest. Blue eyes were inspecting the malfunctioning device under the hood. Yep, it was good to be home!

She proceeded down the street toward the boys, slowing her steps when she got into earshot of the men as to sneak up on them. Luke looked up from his previous fixation and met her eyes. She should have known better than to think that she could sneak up on Luke Duke.

A surprised look crossed his face as their eyes met. His burning blue eyes turned from surprised, to troubled, to something else, something she'd never seen before. Except that time when… no, she didn't want to think about that. And she hoped that Luke wasn't thinking that either…

She dropped her big duffle bag on the ground and cleared her throat to get the other two boys attention and distract herself from that mournful look in Luke's eyes. Bo and Cooter turned around; ready to tell whoever it was that was standing behind them to leave them alone, they were in the middle of a very important project.

That same surprised look that his cousin was wearing just a few seconds ago, found a place on Bo's face. But instead of crumpling into a frown, a big goofy smile took its place. A grimace came across Cooter's face as he looked at her, knowing he was going to get a tongue lashing. "Now, Katie, I forgot you were coming home today--" he stammered.

"It's alright Cooter, a little exercise never hurt nobody." she said, taking a few steps forward, wrapping her arms around her big cousin's neck. She felt his big, grease covered arms wrap around her waist and hug her back. "I missed you cuz." She said as he lightened up and pulled away, looking her over.

"I missed you too," he replied, "Things have done gone down hill around here without my head mechanic around to hold the place together!" He smiled that big, toothy, crooked Cooter smile.

She smacked his chest. "Yeah, whatever you say." She winked. She turned from her cousin to Bo, who was leaning against the car, hands in his jeans back pockets, and took a few steps towards him. He pushed himself off the car and put his arms out for a hug. "Hey Bo, you err... Grew up since I left." she said as she stood on her tip-toes to wrap her arms around them too-tall shoulders.

He laughed, "You too Katie, you grew up a bit since I saw you last too. College sure wasn't bad to you!" Bo replied like a goof, adding in a little giggle at the end. She laughed along with him. A sound came from across the open hood of the car, a cough?

"Bo," That was Luke. It was so long since she heard that rough voice. Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of it. They looked over across the roof of the orange stock car to see Luke standing there, arms crossed over his chest, giving Bo that look. That look that told Bo to tone down the idiocy. A few years ago, she would've scolded him for doing that to Bo, but she figured Bo could handle himself now.

"Well it's the truth Luke!" Bo tried to reason with his older cousin, but got shut down when Luke gave him another, meaner look. Oh, if looks could kill…

She let go of the younger Duke boy and made her way around the front of the car. "Now, now boys," she said as she ran her hand across the frame of the car she'd spent so many days and nights in, "We have lots of time to discuss this later. I didn't come home to cause a family feud!" She made her way to Luke's side of the car. He turned to face her, she looked up to him. He had that guarded look in his eyes. He didn't want her to know what he was thinking. He'd gotten better at it, or she was just out of practice, probably the latter. "Hey," was all she could manage to say to him when she got within a few feet of him.

"Hey." He replied. He took a step toward her, staring into her eyes. She met his stare. Her heart ached deep in her chest. She looked down and took one more step and wrapped her arms round his muscular chest, and buried her face in his shoulder. She felt his arms on her back, holding her tight.

"I'm home now." She said into his shoulder.

"I see that." he replied, kind of coldly, into her ear. They stayed like that for a few seconds before she felt him leave from underneath her. "Glad your back." He said as he stepped back from her and went to lean on the General's fender. She stood there, kind of stunned for a minute, trying to get her gears about her again.

"So, y'all back for good?" asked Bo.

She sighed and walked over to where there was a pile of old oil barrels and buckets and grabbed an empty five gallon bucket to sit on. She packed it back to where the boys were all leaning on the car, set it on the ground upside down and sat down.

"Yeah I guess so." She replied. Was that a scowl on Luke's face?