Thanks to all my faithful reviewers. This chapter is hereby dedicated to you! Please do the right thing and if ya like my story, please, please tell me so! It makes my day! Thanks!

-Jordyn

"Where are they, Uncle Jesse?" asked Daisy with a sigh, as she looked across the table at the two empty places at the breakfast table.

"I don't know, Daisy. I just don't know."

Jesse walked slowly to the kitchen window and lifted the flowered curtain. He looked out past the mailbox, hoping to see them tearing down the dirt road. He half-expected them to walk in any minute, tails tucked between their legs and with some excuse or other as to their whereabouts. Tears trickled out Jesse's eyes. It had been three days now.

The phone rang and Daisy flew to answer it.

"Bo? Luke?"

"I wish it was, sweetheart," replied Cooter.

"Any luck?"

"No, but we ain't 'bout t' give up yet."

"I know," managed Daisy, as a lump formed in her throat.

"We-ell, I best get on back to the search. Don'tcha worry, Daisy Mae, they'll turn up. Bye now," promised Cooter, hurriedly ending the conversation, 'cause no matter what the reason, crying women always made him nervous.

"Any word?" asked Jesse without turning from the window.

"Not yet. They're headin' back out now… oh, Uncle Jesse! What if…? I just can't…" faltered Daisy, burying her face in her hands.

Jesse walked over to his niece and pulled her into a hug. "I know… I know… I can't imagine life without 'em either."

Jesse looked down at his niece who was struggling to compose herself. "Well, now, all this cryin' aint getting' us any closer t' Bo an' Luke. Let's make some tracks."

Jesse guided Daisy out the door and to her jeep. The sun was shining with all of its might. Taking it for a good omen, Jesse climbed in to the jeep and fastened his seatbelt. Hopefully today they'd be lucky.


Luke slowly made his way down a narrow path in the woods. He soon came upon a rickety dock and the water source he had noticed earlier: a large stream. Although not quite a river, it certainly was wide enough and deep enough for a small boat or two. It continued through the forest as far as Luke could see. Luke cautiously hobbled onto the dock. An old rope was tied to one of the posts, its frayed end floating in the water. Something inside of him told Luke to look down. He did, and gulped at the realization he found. Slightly to the right, embedded in the ground and filled with water, were two sets of footprints. They were walking backward and each dragging something… or someone.

"Well that sure explains how we ended up here," murmered Luke, "but where is here?"

Luke turned and was beginning to limp back toward the shack when his ankle buckled beneath him.

"Ow!" screamed Luke as he fell to the muddy ground.

Gritting his teeth, Luke sat up and gripped his ankle. It was swollen to at least twice its normal size. "Dang it all!" shouted Luke. He tried to stand on it, but the pain brought tears to his eyes. He had known, all along, that he shouldn't have been walking on it… not with the way it was. Now the damage was done. Luke sighed. Uncle Jesse always said that sometimes the boys didn't use the brains the good Lord had given 'em. Luke could have kicked himself for being so careless… if he had a good leg to kick with.

He scanned the ground and saw what he was looking for about thirty feet away; it was a broken limb from one of the trees. Luke half-crawled through the mud dragging his right leg behind him. Grasping the limb with his right hand, he slowly stood up. The pain was unbearable. "You really did it this time, Luke Duke," he muttered, easing the weight off of his ankle.

Using both hands, he clutched his make-shift crutch and limped through the mud towards the shack. It was a slow journey, given that the ground was still wet with mud and the staff slipped easily. He was plodding on when he heard a blood-curdling scream coming from the direction of the shack.

Uh-oh.

"Bo!" yelled Luke, hobbling as quickly as he could towards the sound. His heart pounded and his mind raced as he imagined any number of horrific things that could have happened. The scream sounded again. "Why the heck did I just go off and leave'm?" thought Luke as he reached the door five minutes later. He opened the door, just as Bo screamed his name.

"Luke! Luke!"

"I'm here Bo," said Luke, hobbling over to where Bo lay.

Bo's eyes were wide with fear as he reached out for Luke's hand. Finding it, he held it tight. "Luke… I…. I thought maybe it was all a bad dream…. That I'd wake up an'… but it ain't… it's real, aint it?"

Tears formed in Luke's eyes, part from seeing his cousin in this way, part from the fiery pain in his ankle. "Yeah… it's real, buddy."

"Why? Luke? Why?" asked Bo, desperately.

Luke sat on the bed next to his cousin and gently tousled his soft blond hair. "I dunno, Bo. But we'll get through it. I promise ya."

"I miss Uncle Jesse… and Daisy," faltered Bo.

"Me, too… heck, I even miss Roscoe."

"I wanna go home, Luke... I wanna go home," sobbed Bo.

"Me too, Bo. Me too."

Ya know, things aren't lookin' too good for the boys. Stick around, y'hear?