Rating: PG-13 for topics involving sex. Nothing explicit, not even close, but safety is the best policy!

Disclaimer: I don't own them Duke boys, although it sure wouldn't hurt my feelings if Bo wanted to let me borrow him.:D I don't own "The Balladeer." Man, I don't even own the General Lee... although I'd just love it if I did!

Author's Notes: Any reviews are appreciated! Thanks!!!! Anything in bold in this story is a Balladeer comment. :D

Thanks to the reviewers!!!

Marn: Thanks! I am continuing!

Chapter 3: A Hard Night

"Good Lord, Bo Duke, what's gotten into you?"

"I don't know. Me and Becky...we didn't mean to. I didn't mean to get her pregnant, Luke."

"Dang it, Bo! What did you think was gonna happen if y'all kept foolin' around?" By now, Luke's voice was at an elevated volume level to say the least.

Reckon anybody ever thinks of what'll happen if they don't quit foolin' around?

"Don't yell at me, Luke. Good Lord! Do you think we thought about that?" Bo was crying hard, and he hated himself for it.

Luke rested his gaze on his younger cousin. "Nah. Nah, I reckon not."

Bo looked at Luke, fighting back the tears. "Ya don't hate me...Do ya?"

"No! Lord, no! You're my cousin, and I could never hate you. I feel the same about you as I would a brother if I had one."

"Thanks, Luke," Bo said softly.

"Don't thank me for doin' what I always do. I'm just bein' your cousin, and that'll never change. No matter what."

"Dang it, Luke. I can't even see the darn road. You wanna drive?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Shoot, no! But we'll never get home if ya don't."

"Well, all this fuss sure hasn't seemed to affect your sarcasm none," Luke said jokingly as he climbed out the window.

Luke drove home, and the boys got to their chores. Bo fed the chickens and gathered the eggs, and Luke fed the goats and the cows. Then they hosed the General down, since he was covered in dust.

Bo raised the hood of the '69 Charger. "Bo," Luke said, softly. "Are you OK?"

"Fan belt' near-bout shot. Spark plugs need replacin', too," Bo said, more to himself than to anyone in particular.

If you're wonderin' just what on earth he's talkin' about, the Duke boys love cars. And fixin' cars makes 'em feel better.

"Bo, just what in the Sam Hill are you talkin' about?"

"The General. Gotta go over to Cooter's and get some stuff."

"What's THAT got to do with anything?"

"Nothin'. I just gotta fix the General."

"OK, now that we got that established...are you gonna be alright?"

"Fine, I reckon."

"Bo, you ain't fine. You know you ain't fine. And you gotta tell Uncle Jesse."

"Aw, man! Uncle Jesse. Lord. I never even thought...What am I gonna tell Uncle Jesse?"

"I don't know. I really don't know."

Poor ol' Bo. He's never been in trouble that Luke couldn't get him out of.

Luke rested his hand on Bo's shoulder, and felt his cousin flinch beneath his grip.

"What's a matter?"

"I just...I never messed up like this before."

Luke had to agree with that statement. Bo had messed up more than his share of times, but this one took the cake.

"Bo, I just don't understand how you always get yourself into these messes. How do you get yourself in a mess like this?"

"Dang it, Luke! That's a stupid question. Didn't Uncle Jesse have that little talk with you?"

"Very funny," Luke said.

"Wasn't meant to be funny. You're just askin' stupid questions is all."

Luke nodded, defeated.

See, even a Duke boy knows when he's been beat.

"I reckon so. But, Bo, there's still the fact that you are in this mess, and you're gonna have a whole heck of explaining to do when Uncle Jesse gets ahold of you."

"You think I don't know that?" Bo snapped.

"Well, yeah, but..." Luke fumbled for words.

"Sorry, cousin. I didn't mean to talk to you like that."

"I know...I just hate this whole thing."

"And ya think I don't?"

"No! Dang it, Bo! Would you calm down and quit jumpin' down my throat every time I open my mouth?"

"Sorry."

"Well, we gotta get back to work before Uncle Jesse thinks somethin's wrong."

"Yeah. Reckon so."

Bo went inside to ask Uncle Jesse if he could drive his white pickup over to Cooter's garage to pick up some stuff. Uncle Jesse gave his permission, and Bo drove over to Luke to ask if he needed anything while Bo was in town.

"Nah. Reckon I'm fine. Can't think of anything," Luke said.

"Alright. I'll see ya." Bo said, then drove off alone.

He arrived at Cooter's a few minutes later, and managed to smile at his old friend as the mechanic walked out of the garage. "Hey, Bo!" Cooter said with a smile. "We sure whooped them fellas at the Boar's Nest, huh?"

Bo forced a laugh. "Yep. We sure did."

"Ol' city folks oughta know better than to pick fights with country boys like us."

Bo smiled, but got straight to business. He told Cooter the parts he needed, and Cooter found them quickly.

"Sorry to rush, Cooter. But I gotta get these parts home so me and Luke can fix the General tonight."

"Well, I wish you boys had-a told me. I coulda given you a real good price."

"I know. I just needed somethin' to keep my hands busy. Uncle Jesse always says that idle hands are the devil's workshop."

"Well, I never knew Uncle Mr. Jesse to be wrong. Reckon you better get back before them hands of yours get idle."

"Yeah. Reckon so. See ya, Cooter."

"See ya."

Bo drove home with a strange feeling of loneliness weighing him down.

He and Luke worked together on the General, doing alot of different things until late that night. Luke decided to turn in at 11:45, but Bo said he needed to finish up a few more adjustments. Luke let him stay, figuring out quickly that his cousin needed time to think more than he needed time to tinker with the car.

Luke knows Bo too darn good to ask if he needs him to stay.

After Luke went in, Bo lay under the car, trying to be absorbed in his work. He tried not to think, but the thoughts kept letting themselves in. He finally figured he might as well call it a night. He switched off the mechanic's light and crawled out from under the car. He put his tools away, then patted the General's hood. "Well, General...looks like you can't even get me out of this one."

He shook his head, his blonde waves tossing in the gentle summer breeze. There was no place prettier than Uncle Jesse's farm on a warm summer night. But Bo knew nothing of the beautiful night, because he couldn't get past the pain in his own heart.

He went up to the bedroom that he and Luke had shared since they were babies. He took off his shirt and jeans and put on a pair of loose fitting cotton pants.

By the time he was finally in bed, he felt the weight of the whole day hit him hard. It felt like the General was sitting on his chest. And that was a bad feeling indeed.

Tears filled the dark blue eyes, but at firsy refused to fall. Bo heard Uncle Jesse and Daisy talking down stairs, and tuned his ear to hear what they were saying. When he heard Uncle Jesse say, "Daisy, I'm so proud of y'all. Luke, Bo, you... All three of ya. You're good kids. Don't give me alotta trouble. You're just good kids," the blue eyes lost control of the tears, and they streamed madly down the suntanned face. Bo had never known a pain like this before. It hurt so bad that he thought he would die. And he knew that telling his family would be the hardest thing he'd ever face.

Now if nothin' else tells ya somethin's wrong, them tears oughtta do it. Cause Duke boys don't cry.