A/N: Thanks, punkmonkey, for leaving me a review! And thanks to anyone who's reading who hasn't reviewed as well, all is appreciated. I've got it worked out in my head where I want this to go, although I might do something a little different than planned every now and then. Anywho, just remember to let me know how I'm doing every now and then, and until next time, enjoy:)

CHAPTER THREE

SPRING, 1972

Mrs. Emily Grant noticed twelve year old Becky barely picking at the breakfast on her plate and knew automatically that something was wrong. Nathan had already went upstairs to change his clothes for the day and her husband had gone in to work at five thirty.

"Becky? What's the matter, you not feelin' good?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Becky replied, her expression not changing as she propped her head on her hand.

Emily sat in a chair diagonal from her daughter and tried to look into her face, "Are you sure? You're actin' like you're sick." She felt her daughter's forehead and didn't find a temperature, "Hmm, you don't seem to have a fever..."

"I'm just a little tired is all," Becky replied, giving her mother a small, reassuring smile.

"Alright, well if you get to feeling worse in school, remember to call me and I'll come get you," Emily said as the sound of Nathan running down the stairs sounded throughout the house.

"Come on, Beck, the bus'll be here any minute!" he said, sprinting out the door.

So Becky grabbed her books and stuffed her money in her pocket, then ran outside to join her brother. It was a dully, grey morning out with no sunshine at all. The dewey grass collected on her shoes as she ran down to the end of the driveway and out to the road where the bus stop was. Soon joining them were Bo, Daisy, and Luke, barely making it out to the stop in time for the bus to pick them up.

Becky had shot up in the past couple of years, as did Bo, but she was almost an entire inch taller than he was. Her hair had grown longer and her legs had seemed to as well. Luke and Nathan were already getting much taller than the others, and their voices were starting to change. Daisy had done some growing of hers as well, and every time Becky saw her, she really didn't know whether to be envious or grateful.

"What's up, Becky?" Bo asked from his seat next to her.

"Nothin', why?"

"'Cause you're not sayin' nothin'," Bo replied.

"She ain't been sayin' nothin' all morning," Nathan said as he turned around and looked at them, Luke following his motion, "I was beginnin' to wonder if she was mute or somethin'."

"Oh, shut up, Nathan," she muttered, crossing her arms and staring out the window. But Bo prodding her shoulder caused her to look at him.

Daisy caught a glimpse of Becky and sympathy filled her eyes. She knew exactly what was going on, but wasn't sure how to approach.

He grinned a mile wide, "Check out one of Luke's car magazines he let me have!"

Becky grinned as well, "Ooh, awesome!"

So they looked at the magazine all the way to Hazzard County Junior High where they had to get off and go to the place they dreaded most of all, for many different reasons, school.

Becky's day had gone pretty well for the most part, but then the end of the day neared and as she was walking across the courtyard, the same old familiar taunting filled her ears.

"Hey, boobless!" an obnoxious-sounding boy's voice echoed in her ear. "Where's your boobs at, Beee-ckyyy?"

Becky rolled her eyes in annoyance and impatience as the people he was with giggled and he continued. So she just started to walk faster, determined to get away from the sounds.

"Aww, did I make the widdle baby cwy? Aww, widdle Becky's still a baa-byy, she can't GET her boobs yet!"

At this point, a few more people were laughing, including a few girls, so she rounded the final corner and walked through the door, then through another that led straight out into the parking lot.

Bo, who just happened to be walking down the hall at this time, saw Becky walk in and out and ran to try and catch up with her.

"Becky?" he called, but she didn't hear him. From outside in the courtyard, he could hear mighty howling laughter than made him cock his head in confusion, but he didn't hesitate to bust out the same door she had just went out. "Becky, wait up!"

Becky turned around in surprise to find her best friend following her, "What're you doin' out here?"

"I was about to ask you the same - hey Becky, are you okay? You look like you're about to cry or somethin'..."

"I'm fine," she growled under her breath, then looked over at him, "I'm goin' home."

"Home? But won't you get in trouble?"

"Haha, that's funny coming from you, Bo Duke."

"No, really; you don't wanna get your hide tanned would ya?"

"Not really, but unless my parents never find out, I'll be just fine," Becky replied defiantly, stalking off.

Bo hesitated for a moment before following her, "Wait up! I'll come with you!"

"No, Bo, if I DO get in trouble, you will too! I don't want Uncle Jessie tannin' your hide as well!" Becky pleaded with her friend.

Bo shook his head, "Sorry, you've already allowed me into the situation; if I turn around and walk back in that bulding, I'll have not done my duty as your best friend," he said, trying to make the mood light, "besides, my next class ain't got much goin' on, anyway."

She remembered that it was a sort-of autobody class, "But you love that class!"

He shrugged, "It don't matter, I already know it, anyway," he grinned.

Becky couldn't help but laugh as they continued away from the school, the negative feelings she had just left behind fading away already.

Bo knew that something had been bothering his best friend for a long time, but he couldn't ever figure it out or catch anything going on. She'd always told him what was bothering her before, but she hadn't told him a single detail as to what had been bugging her that year so far, and that bothered him. He liked being able to help her out, because lord knew she had helped him out a lot as well.

He recalled a time back in fourth grade when the big bully Billy Ray Simon had taken his lunch money for the third time in a week; anyone around them knew that the Dukes weren't wealthy, but it wasn't even of concern to the bully. But after he had quietly told her about it on the playground, she got up from her sitting spot, her head held high and her shoulders squared and walked straight up to him. She tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

He turned around and looked down at her from his mere one inch taller height and sneered, "Yeah, whadda ya want?"
"I want you to give Bo's money back."

He laughed in her face, as did his friends who were standing behind him like a typical fifth-grade-posse, "That's really funny, really; now go away."

She stood her ground, "Did you not hear me, you igit! I SAID - give his money back NOW!"

"And who do you think you are?" he asked, pushing her back just a little.

"We ain't supposed'ta hit girls!" one of his crew said from behind him.

"I ain't gonna hit her... just give her a friendly NUDGE!" he then shoved her to the ground and he and his friends laughed at her expense.

Bo had had enough and came stalking their way from the see-saw, but not before Becky shot up and planted her fist firmly into his nose. By now, someone had gone to get the teacher and Bo came up just in time to fly-tackle and prevent another one of Billy Ray's friends from shoving her again. Another one of his friends, however, came in and pried Bo off, punching him in the gut.

A teacher then came out and broke it all up, sending every single one of them to the principal's office where their parents and guardians had been called.

Jessie Duke, Emily Grant, Jill Simon, Wanda Weaver, and Carol Heatherly all showed up ten minutes later, each having their own looks of anger, disappointment, and concern.

"Them Dukes never were anything but trouble!" Wanda Weaver shook her finger at Bo as she cradled her son's head to her, "Starting fights and causing trouble... And that Grant girl! Mercy, no proper young lady acts this way!"

"Now you listen here, Mrs. Weaver, I don't know WHY Bo 'n Becky chose to fight today, but they're not bad kids! I'm sure they had plenty-a good reason to!" Jessie snapped on the woman for insulting his nephew.

"I did, sir, Billy Ray was pushin' Becky around!" Bo said frantically to his uncle, sporting a black eye.

Uncle Jessie saw in his nephew's eyes that he told the truth, but he only nodded, "Tell your principal when he calls you in, son, and tell the truth no matter what it is."

"Becky, what in the world posessed you to get into a FIGHT?" Emily fussed at her daughter with annoyance and worry.

"Because, Mama, Billy's been stealin' Bo's lunch money!" Becky replied, "I didn't wanna fight, I asked for the money back, HE's the one that started it."

In the end, the principal heard out everyone's stories, made sure the boys knew never to shove a girl around ever again (which also got them tugged home by their ears by their mothers), and also for the kids to tell a teacher when something was wrong rather than trying to handle it themselves.

Mr. Anderson knew that Becky was a very protective, rough and tumble girl, and explained that she didn't need to fight on school grounds unless it was a matter of self defense. He wasn't going to let her get beat up, nor any of his other students. He pointed out that it was very noble of her to ask for the money and not start a fight, but at the same time pointed out that that was what teachers were for.

As Bo's mind came back from his walk down memory lane, he looked over at Becky, who seemed so much less and less like herself anymore. She was much quieter and kept to herself a lot more. When they came upon the creek, Bo settled down on a rock across from her and leaned forward, looking straight into her face.

"Becky, what's been goin' on here lately? Nothin's ever bothered you this bad in school except for a bad grade," Becky looked up to see concern in Bo's magnetic blue eyes as he asked her this.

"I don't wanna talk about this, Bo; I came here to get it off my mind..." Becky trailed.

"But it always comes back every day! You're not yourself anymore, Beck; you're all quiet and locked up to yourself. You ain't been to the farm in ages!" Bo exclaimed, "Look... it seems like you ain't gonna talk to me about this any way I go, you ain't any other time I've asked you, but at least talk to someone. Nathan, your mom, Uncle Jessie, Luke, anyone."

"It's somethin' I don't wanna talk about, though," Becky sighed, "I know I'll have to sometime, but it's too... embarassing..."

Bo merely nodded, not even thinking about what it could've been, "Well, that's up to you; in the meantime, though, I wanna have my best friend back, even if it's just for a little while today - okay?"

He held out his hand to her; Becky looked at his hand and at him thoughtfully for a moment. He was the only one who seemed to care about how she felt; no one else ever really pointed out her behavior, nor had they went so far as to give her advice, even if he didn't know anything about what was going on in her mind. She smiled as she remembered what he had said the first time he ever helped her out of a scrape: "Best friends are always there for eachother - no matter what."

So she shook his hand with the first genuine smile she had had in a long time, "Deal."

Luke and Nathan got on the school bus to ride home that evening and noticed Bo and Becky were nowhere in sight.

"They're usually on before we are," Luke observed, looking truly concerned.

"Aww, maybe they're just a little behind today - surely they'll be on by the time the bus is ready to leave," Nathan tried to calm his friend down.

Daisy walked up onto the bus right at that moment and Luke turned to her, "Hey, you seen Bo 'n Becky anywhere?"

"No, I ain't seen 'em since lunch," Daisy replied, then realized why he asked, "it's not like them to not be on time for the bus... Maybe they walked home?"

Luke and Nathan's heartbeats calmed a bit when Daisy said this, "You're probably right," Nathan said, trying to convince himself as well as Luke.

Out in the woods, Bo and Becky were still walking around trying to kill some time before the bus came through and they would have to figure out a way to get in without anyone being suspicious. Bo decided they should lay low for awhile after the bus had come through that way they would think that they had just walked home.

Soon as they heard the bus coming down the old dirt road toward the Duke and Grant households, they ran further into the woods so as not to be seen. When the bus had gone safely past, Becky noticed how dirty she and Bo were.

"Oh no..."

"What is it, Becky?" he asked.

"Bo, look at us! We're filthy! They'll NEVER believe that we walked home from school!"

"Who says we would've come straight home?"

"You know how my mom gets when I play outside in my school clothes! Man, this is just great. That's what I get for trusting your plans..."

"Hey!"

"Well, it's true!"

"My plans ain't all that bad..."

"What about the time you had this great plan to run away with the carnival?"
"I was eight years old! How was I to know hiding in the ferris wheel's trailer wouldn't work?"

Becky merely huffed and started walking toward home.

"Becky, wait up!"

At home, Luke and Nathan were beginning to grow more worried; Emily and John (her husband) had gone into town to buy groceries, and Jessie had gone to get some supplies for the farm, leaving a note asking Daisy to get supper started somewhere around five thirty.

"Shouldn't they have been home by now?" Luke asked impatiently, pacing back and forth across the front poorch.

"Luke, it would take them a little longer to get home than it would us, they're on foot," Nathan replied.

"Well yeah, but that bus had to make four or five other stops IN TOWN before it got here," Luke pointed out.

Nathan sighed in defeat, "Yeah, you're right, let's go look for -"

But before he could finish his sentence, Bo came ambling up to the house.

"Bo! Where the heck have you an' Becky been! And why are you so dirty!" Luke asked, sounding absolutely furious.

"And where IS Becky?" Nathan added.

"She went on home; she ignored me most of the way here," Bo replied, "we walked through the woods..."

Luke could see that this wasn't the whole story, but he didn't say anything in front of Nathan, "Come on inside, get cleaned up and get those clothes ready for Daisy to wash - if Uncle Jessie'd been home, he wouldda had a fit!"

"I'm gonna go on home and check on Becky," Nathan said as he got up and stretched, "give her a piece of my mind for havin' me worried to death..."

"Alright, see ya 'round, man," Luke replied as he and Bo went into the house.

The moment the door was shut, Luke wheeled around to Bo with conviction in his eyes.

"Bo, I know it don't take that long to get here straight from school on foot," he said, boring into his cousin's eyes with his own, "I've done it before. And I KNOW you don't get that dirty just walkin' through the woods. An' Daisy said she didn't see you two any after lunch, and that wasn't right because she usually sees you an' Becky RIGHT BEFORE the last class of the day. So, what's your REAL story? I'm sure Uncle Jessie would love to hear it."

"No, Luke, I'd get a whippin' like there was no tomorrow if he found out!"

Luke's eyes softened a little, "So I'm assuming right when I assume that you and Becky BOTH cut class?"

Bo nodded, "Yeah..."

"Why, Bo? What if you'd been caught by Sherrif Coltrane! You would've HAD to deal with Uncle Jessie then!"

Daisy had come through from her room to get supper started when she heard Bo and Luke talking, so she went on into the kitchen so as not to interrupt.

"I know it was wrong, Luke, but Becky was about to walk off all by herself! If she'd been caught by Sherrif Coltrane, she would've had to deal with her mom and dad! I didn't want her to get in trouble, or at least if she did it wouldn'tve been all alone and I couldda taken the blame!"

Luke understood that Bo and Becky were very close, but this was just the wrong situation, "Then why didn't you talk her into going back in?"

"Because she was about to cry! Luke, somethin' is botherin' her and she wouldn't talk to me about it, and she wasn't about to go back inside! Besides, it was either go with her or go back inside knowing about it and gettin' her in trouble," Bo replied.

Luke sighed, rubbing his hand over his eyes as he looked back at Bo, "What d'you think's so wrong with her that she couldn't tell you?"

"I dunno - all she said was that it was embarassing," Bo answered with a little relief in his voice.

Luke pondered that for a minute, then looked back to his cousin, "You ain't ever saw anything goin' on with her?"

Bo shook his head, "We've all just about seen the same thing."

Luke nodded, "Alright, well go on upstairs and change, get cleaned up and all that."

"You ain't gonna tell Uncle Jessie?"

"Naw, I won't tell Uncle Jessie - we just gotta make sure this don't go happenin' again."

"Thanks, Luke!"

He ran upstairs just in time for the phone to ring. Luke picked up to find that Nathan was on the other line. He let Luke know that Becky had gone to sleep and that he would make up for her share of chores, which Luke agreed was a good idea seeing as her problems she kept having were in school. Then Luke went in the kitchen to talk to Daisy.

Daisy was working on supper, rolling out some biscuits while something was frying in the skillet. He came up beside her and asked, "Hey, whacha makin'?"

"You'll see," Daisy replied, continuing her work, slapping Luke's hand as he tried to dip his finger in the gravy.

He was quiet for a minute before he asked, "Say, d'you have any idea about what might be buggin' Becky? Whatever it is, it caused her to skip class today and Bo went with her."

Daisy looked up at him and said sincerely, "I think so; I've seen and heard a couple of things here and there."

"Well how come you ain't said nothin' before?"

"'Cause no one ever asked," Daisy replied quietly, stirring the gravy, "and I wasn't sure how to approach Becky, either."

"What is it, you think?" Luke asked, clearly as concerned as anyone.

"It's embarassing to her, Luke, that's why it's so hard to talk about," Daisy replied, "and I'm not about to go tellin' you what I THINK it might be because that'd just embarass her more."

Luke held his hands up in surrender, "Alright, alright, I understand. Well look, Bo 'n I're gonna go do what chores are left, maybe help Nathan out with some of the ones he's gotta do, too."

With that, Luke was gone and Bo wasn't too far behind. Daisy continued cooking and thought about Becky, wondering exactly how she might help her out with the subject. Daisy had gone through puberty without a mother to go to, and at that particular time it had hurt. She couldn't ask her mother why she didn't have her 'assets' yet, or what other things were. Luke had noticed her change in behavior, and being the natural caretaker he was, he would keep asking her what was bothering her and why she wasn't acting like she used to. She ended up learning what she needed to know from some friends of hers at a sleep-over, but she still wished she had had someone older that she could've trusted. And although she knew that Becky had a mother that would be able to explain what she needed and wanted to know at that moment, she found that most girls didn't talk to their mothers out of fear or embarassment.

She sighed, wiping her hands on her apron. She then thought of an idea; granted that the things she was hearing were true, she planned out a course of action and planned on clueing the boys in on it later.

"Hey, Luke?" Bo asked as they fed the chickens.

"Yeah, Bo?"

"Why do you think she won't talk to me about what's goin' on?"

"Who, Becky? Well because, Bo... it's girl-stuff."

"You mean like Daisy's goin' through? Well, why didn't she just tell me?"

"Well, when it comes to times like these, neither boys or girls talk to eachother about it."

"'Long as she don't change or nothin', it's fine with me."

"Oh, I doubt she's gonna change at all. Alright, you done with your half of the chores?"

"Yeah."

"Well, let's go help Nathan with his an' Becky's; Becky passed out on the couch an' he's tryin' to help do hers so she won't get in trouble."

"Alright."

The next afternoon, Daisy noticed Becky was about to go through the courtyard and hurriedly caught up with her.

"Becky! Becky, wait up!"

Becky internally groaned as Daisy came up and started walking with her; she would hear everyone making fun of her in the courtyard!

"Hey, Daisy."

Daisy smiled at her, "Figured I'd walk to class with you before Enos found me."

"Okay."

"What's wrong, sugar?"

"Nothin'..." Becky replied, but before she knew it, they were in the courtyard.

And as usual, there was that whispering echo in her ear, "Hey, it's Boobless Becky!"

Of course, his friends started chuckling the minute he said this.

Daisy peeked around at him, wearing a look as sweet as apple pie, "Hey, sugar," she said just as sweetly.

He and his friends backed up, all sharing a goofy grin, being given attention by one of the prettiest girls in their entire school, "Well hey, Daisy..."

She smirked, placing a hand on his shoulder and looking into his dumbfounded eyes, "What're you gainin' by makin' fun of Becky, hm? If you don't like what she ain't got, how 'bout findin' someone who does and stay with them?" she purred, oozing with her irresistable personality and sweetness.

"Oh, I think I already have..." he replied, taking hold of her by the waist and not letting go. Becky was about to jump in and get ahold of him for her, but something in Daisy's attitude let her know not to.

She didn't struggle, "Mitts off, mister; otherwise you've got somethin' comin' you ain't gonna like..." she purred again, positioning her knee very close to his groin.

"Oh really? An' what's that, darlin'?"

"That'd be us," a voice growled from behind her.

He let Daisy go and his whole posse stared up in what was almost fear; Luke, Nathan, and Bo stood behind the two girls, waiting for someone to mess with them just once. Nathan stepped up and got ahold of him by the collar and lifted him up to his eyelevel.

"I ever hear of you messin' with my sister again, you're gonna be about as useful as chopped liver," he growled, then dropped the boy just as the principal came out.

"Is there a problem here?" he asked severely.

"No, sir," Nathan replied with a smirk, "I think everything's alright here; whadda you think, guys?" he aimed this questions at the bullies.

They merely nodded as they walked away, seeming almost like a bunch of puppies with their tails tucked.

The principal walked off and the Duke and Grant children laughed, but Becky seemed almost embarassed. Daisy noticed and stepped into action again, "Well fellas, I think Becky 'n I are gonna head on for class; see ya after school!"

When they were far enough away from the boys, Becky looked at Daisy and asked, "How'd you know?"

Daisy smiled, "Well, honey, you're my friend, how'm I NOT gonna know when somethin's botherin' you? Look, I know what you're goin' through, and believe it or not, I've been there, too. If you ever wanna talk, I'll be around."

Becky nodded, but then timidly wondered, "Can I come over this evening?"

Daisy smiled again, linking arms with her down the hallway, "Sure, sugar. That's what friends are for!"