A Different World

Summary: It was a peaceful day in Hazzard, or at least it began that way for the Duke family. A simple trip to town causes one of them to wonder about who he really is, and where he really is. This is a Dukes of Hazzard/ Bonanza cross over.

Chapter 1:

'The blonde haired boy with the blue eyes, laying on his stomach on the floor is Bo Duke. He and his brown haired, blue eyed cousins, Luke and Daisy, who are sittin' on the couch, spend their spare time trying to beat the system here in Hazzard. Oh, Daisy is the girl, by the way. They all live with their Uncle Jesse, the family patriarch, on the family farm. He spends his time raisin' his three young'uns and makin' some of the best moon shine in Georgia.

Getting up from his chair in the front room, Jesse Duke walked over and flipped off the TV set. "Alright Bo, time for bed."

"Awe come on Uncle Jesse. I ain't tired, and it's still early." The boy complained.

"Beauregard Duke, didn't we have a talk this afternoon?" Jesse asked, reaching over to the corner where he kept his hickory switch. Just earlier in the day he'd received a call from the high school principal tellin' him that his fifteen-year old nephew was in danger of failin' four of his subjects. Knowin' the reason was the boy was just goofin' off; Jessie issued one final warnin'.

Swallowin' nervously, Bo stood up from where he was stretched out on the floor. "Um… yes sir."

"And what did I tell ya?"

"That if'n I didn't straighten up, ya'd take a switch to me."

"So?" Jesse asked.

"So… I guess I better get ta bed." Bo said slippin' past his uncle, careful to keep just out of reach.

Now Luke and Daisy were older than Bo by five and four years, respectfully. Jesse noticed they were tryin' to hide their smiles behind the magazines they was readin' and wagged his finger at them. "You two'd do well to watch it. That is unless ya'll wanna join him in the barn."

'Ya know, it'll be a miracle if'n there's a hickory tree left in Hazzard by the time Jessie gets those three raised.'

The followin' mornin' arrived with dark clouds threatenin'. The smell of rain was in the air and the wind had already began to blow. Bo woke up before any of the others, havin' gone to bed two hours before 'em. He had been mad at his Uncle for sending him to bed like a child, just for not doin' good in school. He was grateful however for the fact that he had been able to watch his favorite show, Bonanza. It was more than just the show; it was the fact that he always watched it with Jessie. It had been a tradition of theirs since he was knee-high to a grasshopper. Bo smiled, thinkin' of what it would have been like to have grown up in those times. He imagined carryin' a gun, wearin' a cowboy hat and clothes and ridin' a neat horse, like Cochise. 'Maybe I could talk Luke into paintin' The General white with black spots.' he was thinkin' as he quietly dressed. Lookin' out the window, he frowned. 'Damn, Luke said I could drive The General today if'n it wasn't rainin'.' Lookin' over at his sleepin' cousin, he smiled. 'I'm gonna end up in the barn for long anyways, might as well make it worth it.'

'Do ya get the feelin' that boy just ain't got a clue?'

"LUKE! BO!" Jesse called, passin' the boy's bedroom door. "Time to get up. Bo, I don't want ya late again for school."

"I'm up." Luke called, rubbin' his eyes and yawnin'. "Come on little cuz, time to get up." Not gettin' an answer, he turned his head to see the empty bed. Well now, ole Luke was afigurin' the boy was already up and adoin' his chores to get back in their uncle's good graces, so he crawled out of bed and got dressed.

"Mornin' sugar." Daisy smiled as Luke joined her and Jesse at the kitchen table.

"Mornin.'

"Where's Bo?" Jesse asked takin' his cup of coffee from Daisy.

"He ain't in here?" Luke asked.

"Well, if he was do ya think I'd be askin' ya where he was?" Jesse asked. The look on Jesse's face left ya thinkin' that he thought his intelligent oldest nephew could sure ask some dumb questions sometimes.

"Oh no." Luke said, jumpin' up from the table. Runnin' to the backdoor, he looked out. "I'm gonna kill 'em. Uncle Jesse, that boy is mine when he gets home this afternoon."

"Now, hold on just a minute there, boy. Just what did Bo do this time?" Jesse asked, though he had a sneaky feelin' he already knew.

"He took the car. I told him he could drive it IF it was NOT rainin'."

"That boy ain't old enough to be drivin' alone in the first place. And you know that Luke." Jesse stormed. "Get in the truck. I'm gonna take ya to get the car, then I'm gonna pick that young'un up after school myself. Ya'll be lucky if'n ya don't both end up gettin' my switch."

'Do ya get the feelin' someones gonna lose some hide before the days over?'

"YAAAAHOOOO!" Bo yelled as he soared over the creek bank. He had taken the long way to school that mornin' just to jump Dry Creek. Why that mornin' ya ask? Well cause Bo knew dern good and well that Luke wasn't gonna let him do it when he was along. "No…noooo." He called as the car hit to one side causin' it to go into a roll. The impact of the rolls caused the boy's head to bang hard against the steerin' wheel and then the bar behind the seat. Bo was lost to a world of darkness before the car came to a halt upside down.

'As bad as the boys and Daisy hate to disappoint their Uncle Jesse, I don't think none of 'em woulda gone and done that on purpose… do you?'

"I don't see the car anywhere, Uncle Jesse." Luke said starin' out the side window of the truck as they cruised the parkin' lot.

"Neither do I. That means the boy done gone and skipped school… again. I'm gonna tan the hide off'n 'em when he does get home."

"I ain't so sure. I mean Bo's bound to know you'd find out about it, so why risk it? Maybe he had an accident."

"Don't cha think we'd a seen 'em if'n he had?"

"Maybe." Luke said reachin' for the CB mic. "Think I'll holler at Cooter and see if he's seen 'em… This is Lost Sheep 1 callin' Crazy Cooter, ya got ya ears on?"

"Breaker one, breaker one. I might be crazy, but I ain't dumb. This is craaazy Cooter comin' at ya. What goin' on Lukas?"

"Cooter, ya seen Bo this mornin'?" Luke called into the mic.

"Naw, sure ain't. Luke this is a school day. Don't ya think ya might find 'em there? Ain't nothin' wrong is there?"

"Ain't sure. The crazy kid took the General this

mornin' knowin' he wasn't supposed to and it rainin'. But he ain't at school."

Frownin' and pushin' back the brim of his hat; Cooter pressed the button and spoke. "Don't reckon he done gone and got hiself inta some trouble do ya?"

"I sure hope not. I'm gonna backtrack and see if I see 'em anywhere."

"Gonna tell Uncle Jesse or let the kid live?" Cooter laughed.

Grabbin' the mic from his nephew, Jesse hollered. "He ain't gotta tell me. I'm right here."

"Oh, sorry 'bout that Uncle Jesse." Cooter apologized.

"And I ain't ya Uncle Jesse."

"Yes sir, Mr. Uncle Jesse. Ahhh… ya'll want me to go and have a look up toward Chocktaw Crossin'?"

"That'd be great, Coot… holler if'n ya find anythin'. I'm gone."

"Will do. This is Crazy Cooter, out."

The problem with CB's is that anyone can hear whacha sayin' and that's just what happened. Boss Hogg smiled around his cigar. "Roscoe. Roscoe! Get in here!"

"What is it, my little fat buddy?" Roscoe asked, snickerin'.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT, you idiot." Hogg frowned. "You know Roscoe, if'n ya had half a brain…"

"I'd still be brainless?" Roscoe finished for him in a low voice.

"You'd still be brainless… Roscoe, I want you to get out there and find Bo Duke and arrest him." Boss continued as he sliced through his raw liver, he had every mornin' for breakfast.

"Ooohhh, ooohhh, gonna cuff 'em and stuff 'em." Ponderin' on it for a moment, Roscoe frowned. "Boss, just what do I arrest him for?"

"Because, Roscoe, he's drivin' that orange racin' car of his."

"Well, it is half his. Ain't like that's…"

"Roscoe, how old is that boy?" Boss asked, patiently.

"Ahhhh, ahhhh." Roscoe said, countin' up on his fingers.

Frustrated at his witless brother in law, Boss banged his fist on the table causing Roscoe to jump a foot. "FIFTEEN!"

"GOOK, gook, that's right little fat… ah that's right, he's fifteen. That ain't old enough to be out drivin'. That is lessen' o'course, Luke's with him."

"Well, ain't nobody with 'em. I know counta I heard Luke and Jesse talkin' to Cooter. They said that Bo done gone and run off in the car this mornin'. Now I want ya to go and find that boy."

"Boss, just why ya so worried about Bo?"

"Cause, numbskull, if'n we arrest him, then Jesse'll have to come and bail him out. Bail on Bo alone will be enough to keep Jesse from payin' his mortgage this month, then I'll get the farm." Boss said chewin' on the cigar, smilin' to himself about getting' rid of the Dukes once and for all.

'Well if that don't put a run in ya pantyhose. Now, I don't know about ya'll, but derned if I don't smell a rat… or should I say a Hogg.'

"Lost sheep 1 callin' Lost sheep 2. Bo, ya got ya ears on?" Silence was all that greeted them. "Come on Bo, quite shuckin' and jivin'. Ya know ya busted, so just head on back to the farm… Bo… Bo…"

"I don't like this Luke. No matter how much trouble that boys' ever been in, he ain't never hid from me. Exceptin' that time when he was five and he cut half of Maudine's tail off."

'Now, if'n ya wonderin' who Maudine is, well, she's the Dukes mule. Can ya picture it, a mule that can't swat her on flies?

Deputy Enos Strate was headin' down Ridge Runners Road agoin' bass fishin'. He'd finally talked Roscoe into givin' 'em a day off. Comin' around the curve he noticed a car off the side of the road. Pullin' up along side of it he noticed who it was. "Possum on a gum bush. That's the General." Jumpin' out of the car and losin' his hat several times, he approached hopin' that no one would be inside. Lookin' in the window, he saw his hopes were dashed. "Bo… Bo… can ya hear me?" Reachin' over to feel for a pulse, he was glad to feel the steady thumpin' in the boy's neck. "Hang on little buddy, I'm gonna get some help." Grabbin' the mic, Enos called out. "This is Deputy Enos Strate. I need an ambulance and a wrecker out at Dry Creek on Ridge Runners Road. I got a bad one out here. Please hurry."

Hearin' the desperate call Luke grabbed the mic. "Enos, this is Luke. Who had the wreck?"

"Luke, I don't know how to tell ya this easy, but it's Bo."

"How bad is it, Enos?" Luke asked takin' in the shock on his uncle's face.

"I can't tell fer sure, but he's unconscious. The car is upside down, Luke. I can't get 'em out."

"Enos, this is Roscoe. I'm behind the ambulance. We're 'bout ten minutes out. Hang on."

"Yes sir sheriff." Enos replied.

"Enos, this is Jesse. We just pulled out behind Roscoe. We'll be right there."

"This is Cooter. I'm comin' in the back way. Be there in three. I'm gone."

"Ya'll hurry up… please." Enos said, lookin' over to where Bo lay quietly.

'A situation like that would plum make the fish quit biting.'

The waitin' room was packed full, between the Dukes, Cooter, and the local law. All were waitin' to hear what the doctor had to say about Bo.

After nearly and hours wait, Dr. Pettigrew emerged from the ER to speak with the family. "Mr. Duke?"

"Yes, I'm Jesse Duke. How's my boy?" Jesse answered as he stood to talk with the man. His family and others, crowdin' close behind.

"I'm afraid it's quiet serious. You're nephew has suffered not only a broken left arm and leg, but also has sustained a serious head injury. He's in a coma. I've treated all his outer wounds, and they should all heal nicely. What bothers me is the fact he hasn't woke up yet. Only time will tell."

'Now how come I knew that was gonna happen. I mean, how else ya gonna tie the Duke boys in with Bonanza? Ya wonderin' too? Well just stay tuned to see how this little situation plays out.'

This is my first 'Dukes' fan fiction. Please let me know what ya think.