A/N I wrote part of this chapter after listenin to the song "Carrying on like we did before" from the reunion movie by Tom Wopat and John Schneider. I recommend this song to any Duke-fan! Yeehaw!
So, this chapter might seem a bit slow, but I'm savin up some action for the upcoming chapters. Enjoy!

7

Silence reverberated through the trees, only the shallow breathing of two young men could be heard. The two animals below them had backed down for now, but they had laid themselves down next to the tree. Successfully trapping the cousins in the large tree.

After a few silent moments, Bo couldn't take it any longer. He had never been one to be quiet, especially not to Luke.

"Ya think they'll leave any time soon?" he asked, the question sounding a little shaky, revealing the small amount of fear the younger Duke cousin was still feeling from this whole ordeal. But he realized, it wasn't over yet…

Turning tiresome eyes to his younger cousin, Luke saw his own feelings mirrored in Bo's blue eyes, now clouded over with fear and despair. It confirmed his earlier decision not to tell him how badly he hurt, cause that was something Bo shouldn't be worrying over right now. He was the one that should keep a clear mind, to get them out a there, cause Luke sure didn't feel like thinking with the splitting pain his head and chest were giving him… Mentally hardening his armour, something he had learned in the Marines, Luke shoved the pain to the back of his mind, where it occupied a large amount of space and turned to Bo.

"I sure hope so cuz," he said. Hearing the tightness in his own voice, he looked up, seeing Bo had noticed it too.

"Luke…" he started, worry evident in his tone, but Luke stopped him, "Don't Bo. Like I said, we cain't do anything 'bout it now. And I need ya ta keep a clear mind. Find a way outta this with me, ya hear?" At the end of the sentence, another coughing fit wracked through his body, and he wiped his mouth before Bo noticed the red fluid dripping from it. The coppery taste in his mouth sickened him, but he ignored it.

Bo nodded, knowing Luke's stubbornness from experience, he decided not to argue him. But he sure as hell was gonna keep a close eye on him. So while he was doing that, he let his mind make up several possible escape plans.

"I can distract em?" he asked Luke, but his dark haired cousin shook his head immediately.

"No way Bo, we stick tagether, like we always do, and tagether we'll find ourselves a way outta this one."

Now I'm glad that boy still knows how to use that head of his. If that ain't the best advice I heard all day...

The firmness in Luke's voice reassured Bo a little. Luke was right, together they always seemed to manage to get out of sticky situations. And boy, Bo sure hoped to get outta this sticky one.

The grumbling of his stomach mad Luke chuckle a little, while Bo looked up self-consciously.

"I guess those crawdad bisques would've been welcome by now," he said, "We haven't eaten anything since this morning," he added for good measure.

Luke looked down, seeing the two wolves circling the tree again, occasionally glancing up as if they knew their prey had to come down sometime.

"I'd worry 'bout that later, if I were ya. Just make sure we don't become their crawdad bisque for the day," he said, pointing below them.

Bo grinned, "As long as we're up here, and they's down there, I ain't worried," he said, false bravery resounding through his voice.

Luke smiled, his cousin always found ways to make a sticky situation seem less sticky with one of his comments. Seeing Bo cringe as he shifted his leg a bit, Luke turned his attention to the raw and bleeding gash he found there.

"Bo, you shoulda told me 'bout that leg of yours," he started, but was soon cut of with a stern look from his blond cousin. Seeing the look he got, Luke stopped talking, knowing exactly why Bo hadn't said anything.

"Ya know, after this we're gonna have ta try somethin like honesty," Luke said, leaning his pounding head against the trunk of the tree.

"Yeah, we sure do," Bo said, pointedly looking at the brownish stain on his shirt. He had found out that the longer he stared at it, the bigger it seemed to get.

Two sighs, one deep, the other shallow, sounded on the branch.

"So, we wait," was the last thing Bo said, before he joined his cousin into a comfortable, but physically painful, silence.

Meanwhile on the Dukefarm

"Uncle Jesse?" Daisy's sharp voice resounded through the small house, causing uncle Jesse to come running from the other room.

"What? Are they back? You alright?" he breathed, frantically looking through the almost empty room.

Despite the situation, Daisy smiled a small smile. That was their uncle for ya, he'd jump the highest fence for his 'children'. Quickly sobering up, she turned from the window towards her uncle.

"I'm fine uncle Jesse, but it's been an hour. The boys would've called in by now, somethin has to be wrong," she said, seeing the worried frown on her uncles face grow deeper.

"I know Daisy, I's just gonna CB Roscoe, and then we'll get Cooter ta help us search for em…" he said while reaching for the CB.

"This is Jesse Duke, calling Sherrif Roscoe. Roscoe you got your ears on?" Uncle Jesse gruffly said, expecting no help from those 'authorities'.

"This is Sherrif Roooscoee P. Coltrane. Why you bothering me Jesse Duke? Don't ya know we's busy cleanin up the mess from that storm here?" came the grumpy reply from their local Sherrif.

"Roscoe, you listen to me now! My boys were s'pposed ta bring back the Learson truck and be home hours ago. We's afraid somethin went wrong in that storm."

There was a long silence on the other side before Roscoe replied.

"Khew, khew, shame on you Jesse Duke! Botherin me with somethin like that. Those boys probably stole that truck to sell it. Now don't ya bother me again, or I'll cuff ya and stuff ya, ya hear! I'm gone…"

Jesse put the CB back in the handle a little harder than he used to, when it crackled to life again.

"Uncle Jesse? You still there uncle Jesse? This is Enos. Anyone there?"

Jesse quickly grabbed the CB, pressing the button, "I'm not your uncle Jesse Enos, what's wrong?"

"Well gosh, nothin's wrong uncle- uhh Jesse. I's just gonna ask if I could help y'all with searchin for Bo and Luke?""

A smile painted itself on the older man's bearded face.

"Enos, that's mighty nice of ya. Will you cover the roads north of Deerhorn Road, then we'll start searchin the road to the Learsons."

"Yes sir, uncle Jesse, sir! I'm goin right now, bye now!"

Jesse shook his head, putting the CB back a little gentler now. Turning to Daisy, he took the keys to the truck. "Let's go Daisy, we'll call Cooter on our way, he can keep an eye out too."

And with that the two Dukes left the house, not knowing what to expect, but knowing they had a goal. To find their family. And if there's something important to the Dukes, it's family…

Awww, ain't that sweet? Those Dukeboys sure are lucky with family like that. I wish I had me some family members like that. Especially those looong-legged ones… Y'all keep watching now, ya hear, cause things 'll get mighty interesting…