A/N A very short chapter, but I wanted to get this bit up before Christmas... It's kind of an in between chapter, so no more shooting... for now... Mwuahahaha. I'm evil aren't I?
Anyways, I wish everyone a peaceful and very Merry Christmas! Bells jingling in the background...

4

The rhythm of breathing was his sole focus for now. In… Out… In… Out…

Next to him he felt concerned eyes rest on him as the two made their way through the thickening forest. They had walked for about a half hour now, and Bo felt like he couldn't set one step anymore. His vision was blurring and something inside of him was pulling in a rather painful way. 'Yeah Bo, that's what a bullet does to ya', he thought dryly.

Hearing his cousin gasp every now and then, Luke knew he had to hurry. The caves weren't far gone now, and as soon as they got there, he could give Bo the rest he needed, so he himself could leave a false trail for Harry and his thugs.

Gripping Bo's shoulder a little tighter, he spotted the caves.

"Come on, cuz, we're almost there. Just a few steps, you can do it…"

Seeing the shapes of the Indian caves in front of him, Bo would have whooped for joy, hadn't it been for that hole in his body. He could still feel the warm blood oozing slowly, and knew that that wasn't good. Still, he walked. Step by gruesomely hard step…

Huddled together, the two Dukes set foot in the old cave.

"Luke," Bo panted, his hand going to his damaged torso, hoping to relieve some of the pain, "I never thought I'd be happy to see this old thing…"

"Yeah, I know what ya mean cuz," Luke muttered, carefully placing Bo against the painted wall, near the old campfire, the previous visitors had left.

Looking his cousin over, Luke knew the hours he needed, were not given to them. His plaid blue shirt, which had served as a makeshift bandage, was soaked. And even thought the blood flow was minimal, the walk to the caves had probably done the damage already.

Raking his hands over Bo's pale and clammy head, he found a fever there, as he sighed slowly.

Sensing how Luke was assessing the situation, Bo let it happen. He noticed Luke touching his head, but was to tired to make a remark. He watched though. He watched the tension in Luke's body, and he cringed as Luke slammed his fist against the stone wall.

"Ya blamin' the wall now?" Bo asked, knowing he had to lighten things up right now. Things didn't look so good, and to top it all, he didn't feel so good…

Laying misty eyes on Bo, Luke knew what his cousin was doing, and he hated himself for it. If it wasn't for him, they wouldn't have been in this situation.

"It's just… frustratin…" he answered, shoulders sagging while he started a small fire.

"Yeah, tell that to the fella with the hole through his body…" Bo grimaced.

Turning around, Luke bound the shirt tightly around Bo's chest, trying to stop the flow of blood for now. He had to know Bo was alright while he…

"Luke?" Bo's voice was almost childlike now.

Looking up into the baby-blue eyes, the eyes he had known his entire life, the eyes that had always had admiration and faith in them when they looked up to him, Luke knew what he was gonna do wasn't right. But he had to…

"You ain't leavin me here are ya? We's just gonna lay low for a couple of hours, and git to the Judson farm, right?"

Placing one hand on Bo's shoulder, Luke looked at him, with all the strength he could form right now.

"I'm just gonna be away for a short while, we gotta make sure they don't find us here. So I's gonna leave em a fake trail, okay?"

Bo knew Luke was only being smart, and doing the right thing, but his fevered mind didn't let him be reasonable. He just didn't want do be alone, or… die alone.

Gripping Luke's hand tightly, his glassy eyes found Luke's clear blue ones as he silently pleaded with his cousin.

"Ya make sure ya git back soon, okay," was the only thing he could make out right now.

"I will, cuz," Luke choked out. He felt so bad right now. You weren't supposed to leave someone behind, was the first rule he learned in the Marines… But you're not in the Marines right now, his mind told him. You're going to be back soon, just setting a fake trail, nothing more…

Then why did he feel so bad? Why was his stomach doing flipflops, and why was his throat constricting every few seconds?

Seeing his bloody cousin, he knew why. This was his baby cousin, the one he was supposed to protect, and now he was leaving him…

Squeezing Bo's hand one more time he quickly stood up.

"I'll be back within 30 minutes, you hang on, okay?"

Bo could only nod, as he saw his cousin move out of the cave, and into the forest. He let his tired eyes be drawn to the fire, letting them rest there, he would count the minutes, and wait for that damn pulling sensation in his belly to go away…

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The town of Hazzard was peaceful this afternoon. Uncle Jesse was just standing at Miss Tizdale's counter, when two police cars fishtailed their way into the courthouse's garden, horns blaring.

"What in tarnation…" Jesse mumbled, leaving a blushing Miss Tizdale standing with his mail in her hands, as he made his way outside.

"Call State Police! Call the feds! Call the president! Boss!!"

Roscoe was in a frenzy, and Jesse wondered why he was still sitting in his car, when it was clear he was in a hurry to get to Boss.

His big toe ached, as he noticed why the two lawmen were still sitting in their cars. Handcuffs kept them there. And they had been there, Harry… Trying to ignore his big toe, Jesse signalled for Cooter to bring some tools to get them out.

He hurried over to Enos, asking him what happened.

"Ow uncle Jesse!" Enos' high pitched voice sounded shrill in the silent surroundings. Well, except for Roscoe's ramblings about thieves and thugs.

"Calm down, Enos, jus' tell me what happened?" Jesse calmly asked the deputy, while Cooter cut him loose from his car.

Standing up, Enos turned towards the man he respected most in the entire community. Taking of his hat, he looked down.

"Uncle Jesse, those bad guys stopped us, cuffed us to our cars, an' they had guns, lots of guns, and…"

"Easy there Enos," Cooter interrupted, "Ya gotta keep breathin' now.

Taking a deep breath, Enos continued, "Well, they saw Bo an' Luke, an' they shot their camera ta pieces, but they ran uncle Jesse!" Enos stated happily.

"That's when Roscoe an' me got away. The boys were fightin' with them thugs, an' when I looked back, I saw em runnin'. I ehh," he trailed off, "I jus' don't know if they really got away uncle Jesse… I'm sorry…" Enos ended, looking down ashamed now.

Putting his elderly hand on Enos' shoulder, Jesse reassured the young man, "That's alright Enos, I's just glad you's alright… Them boys o' mine always land on their feet ya know?" he giggled a little, the tension leaving his body, for now.

In the meantime, Roscoe had made his way into the office, letting Boss know their convict had escaped.

Everyone standing outside could hear the enraged yells coming from the chubby man inside where Roscoe was getting the tongue-lashing of his life.

Five minutes later, the State police had been contacted, who promised to send more men to help catch the criminals.

Jesse was sitting with Cooters as they heard the news.

"I don't like this uncle Jesse… Ya reckon we do some research of our own?" he said, grinning through his worried frown.

Jesse nodded, deep in thought. His toe was still aching, and when that toe ached, nothing good could come out of it.

"I reckon we git to that woods an' find them boys, let the State police do what they's gotta do, an' we'll do what we's gotta do. Git them boys back home…"

Nodding, Cooter helped Jesse in his towtruck before climbing in himself. Within seconds they were of to the place Harry had been seen last…

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