A/N: Hey ya'll! Thanks for all the reviews. I still can't believe that some of you are still with me (chuckle, chuckle)! I found this chapter incredibly difficult. This story has evolved from its original form, and some of the details had to be incorporated that weren't originally there. I hope I haven't missed any! If you see something, let me know!

Special thanks to: kippling croft. I loved the phrase in her review about Luke knocking some sense into Bo so I had to use it, though it's too early for that approach.

Also to Elenhin and her experiments. In Chapter 3, as Bo went down the list of all the things that he remembered, that was written in a style based on one the formats she used for a series of stories. It was much better and easier to read than in straight paragraph style.

Thanks again, and please send your comments and suggestions. I do use a lot of them!

Disclaimer - I don't own the Dukes, and no infringements intended.

HORRENDOUS MIX-UP

CHAPTER 4

FIRST DAYS

Luke tiptoed out of the room, not wanting to wake up Bo, who had just fallen asleep. He went to the bathroom to dress, splashing cold water on his face. Looking at the reflection that stared back at him, he didn't recognize it. He removed the picture from his pocket, the one he'd carried for the last two years, and he cursed the war that had changed both of them. Turning on the faucet to drown out his muffled sob, Luke grieved for what he had left behind and prayed that he could get it back. He'd promised Bo that he would come home. He should have made Bo promise that he'd still be here. Bo's body was present, but Luke didn't know the young man lying in the bed next to him. He missed the Bo of yesterday. He wanted him back, and he was going to move heaven and earth to get him.

The coffee had just finished brewing when he heard Uncle Jesse wish him a good morning. "You didn't have to get up so early, Luke. You should have stayed in bed and rested," he said, getting himself a cup of the hot liquid before joining his nephew at the table.

"Not used to sleeping too long or too late," Luke confessed.

Jesse nodded, understanding that Luke would also be different from the young boy that left two years ago.

"Uncle Jesse, what's happened to Bo?" Luke asked, getting right to the point.

His uncle let out a sigh, telling his oldest nephew that he really wasn't sure exactly what had happened to his youngest. He believed that it had something to do with the story that Bo had been told about why Luke left home, but why he suddenly believed everything in the blink of an eye, only Bo knew. Now that Luke was here, Jesse hoped that the dark haired cousin could put an end to it, but he warned Luke that it might take some time. The Bo Duke that always shared his feelings before even being asked wasn't talking lately, and he knew that Luke could be impatient. Jesse cautioned him about pushing Bo further away. He was afraid that Luke might try to resolve everything by knocking some sense into his cousin, and he didn't think that was what the boy really needed.

Knowing that they only had a certain amount of time to work with, Jesse made Bo top priority. The chores weren't as important as his family, and Luke wasn't the only one that wanted Bo back. Their uncle suggested that the boys spend the day together, just the two of them, knowing that if anyone could get through to Bo, it would be his best friend.

Luke smiled, liking the sound of that idea and knowing exactly what his uncle was thinking.

While Uncle Jesse and Daisy fixed breakfast, Luke went back to their room, planning on yanking his cousin out of bed. Getting the entire day off wasn't a luxury that farm life often bestowed upon them, nor did their uncle, but today they could do whatever they wanted. Understanding his uncle's words of wisdom about moving too fast, Luke was still certain that if he could get his cousin alone for the whole day, by night fall the problem would be solved.

Smiling to himself, he turned the knob to the door. He'd always loved finding unusual ways to drag his cousin out of bed, knowing how much he hated getting up in the morning. He was surprised to find Bo not only up, but fully dressed and staring out the window. It was just one more thing that had changed about the boy.

"Morning," Luke greeted him.

"Morning," Bo replied without looking back at him. He heard the catch in Luke's greeting, and assumed that his cousin hadn't planned on having to see him just yet. Thinking that the quiver was a result of not being happy to find Bo awake, he turned to leave. He was just trying to pass by his older cousin, speculating that he wanted him out of the room, when Luke asked him if he slept ok.

"Fine," Bo lied. "You?"

"Fine," Luke lied back. The two of them sounded like strangers rather than the Siamese twins everyone had called them back in their youth.

"Uncle Jesse gave us the day off," Luke announced, remembering why he'd come into their room in the first place. "How bout we go fishing?"

Bo turned to look at Luke, unable to believe that his uncle was already ordering Luke to play babysitter. What surprised him even more, though, was that Luke was going along with it. He was, after all, a grown man. Surely, he was capable of saying no, but if he couldn't, Bo would let him off the hook. "Ah Luke, I can't. Jesse's too old to do everything himself. I've gotta help him, but you go ahead. I'm sure Cooter and your friends would love to see you."

For a few seconds, Luke could only stare at the blonde. Bo was doing the responsible thing instead of the fun one, and that was certainly not the Bo Duke that he remembered. "No, that's ok. You're right," Luke replied, trying to think of what to do next. Snapping his fingers, he came up with a compromise. "How bout we get the chores done first, and then go fishing?"

Now it was Bo's turn to be shocked. He'd just offered his cousin a way out, but Luke seemed to be set on digging himself in. Bo didn't know what to say, so he shrugged and nodded. Assuming that Luke didn't want to disappoint their uncle, he'd go along with it. If it made Jesse happy, they could always pretend to go off together, then Bo could release Luke from his shackles.

"What do you say?" Luke asked optimistically, reaching out and ruffling Bo's curls. "It'll be you and me again, just like old times." Then in a move that surprised both of them, Luke pulled Bo into a fierce hug. "Oh Bo, you'll never know how much I've missed you."

The words sounded so sincere that Bo couldn't help but respond to them. He wanted them to be real so bad. "Missed you, too, Luke," he confided in his moment of weakness. He let Luke hold him, cursing himself for letting his cousin break down all the barriers he'd worked so hard to put up. Yet, Bo could be determined, when he wanted to be. Forcing himself to listen to his brain, he tensed up and backed away from his cousin. Seeing an expression that resembled a mix of hurt and bewilderment on Luke's face, Bo gave a small smile, then suggested that they go get breakfast. He wasn't hungry, but at least that was a neutral subject.

Jesse Duke was about as surprised as Luke Duke when the boys sat down at the table, and Bo asked what the leader of their family wanted him to do that day.

"I told Luke that you guys could do whatever you wanted today, since it's Luke's first day back. I'm not that much of a slave driver," the old man said, holding up the spatula to ward off any wise cracks.

"Oh, I know, Uncle Jesse. I wasn't asking about Luke, I was asking about me. I'm sure Luke wants to see his friends," Bo said, trying to find another approach to graciously allow his cousin out of the charade.

Luke looked at his uncle, silently telling him he'd handle it. "Actually Bo, the only people I'm interested in seeing right now is my family, but ya know, Uncle Jesse, Bo's right. Just cause it's my first day home don't mean that there ain't work to be done, so just tell us what you want us to do, and we'll get to it."

Bo glanced at his cousin, frustrated beyond words. He was doing everything he could to secure Luke's freedom, and he was doing everything he could to foil Bo's attempts. He listened as his uncle gave in, telling them what project he had in store for them. Bo was hoping that he might assign each of them different tasks. If they didn't have to work together, at least his presence wouldn't annoy his cousin, but Luke wasn't the only one who wasn't cooperating; Uncle Jesse gave them a job that would take two. Bo shrugged, telling himself that this one was his cousin's own fault. If he would have kept his big mouth shut, he could have done whatever he wanted with whoever he wanted. Instead, he was stuck with the cousin who literally drove him thousands of miles away.

"Fishing poles still in the same place?"

"Huh?" Bo asked.

"I asked if the fishing gear was still in the same place," Luke repeated to his distracted cousin.

Bo creased his brow until he saw his uncle watching them from the porch. Understanding that Luke was just trying to appease him, he played along. "Yeah," he replied, nodding.

Luke returned from the barn while Bo was piling the last of their supplies into the bed of Jesse's truck. When everything was packed and ready to go, Bo moved to the passenger door, but Luke stopped him.

"Catch," he called, tossing something Bo's way. Acting on reflex, Bo caught the flying object, seeing that it was the set of keys. He looked at his cousin, not understanding. "I ain't been back since you got your license," Luke told him. "Let's see what you can do."

"Sure," Bo agreed, trotting over to the opposite side.

Luke was pleased with the results, finally getting a glimpse of the devilish grin his baby cousin was so famous for.

The pickup sped away, kicking up a cloud of dust as Uncle Jesse stood on the porch, screaming at the top of his lungs. "You be careful with my truck!"

Luke laid in bed that night, replaying the events of the day in his mind. He hadn't slept at all the night before, and he was tired, but still his thoughts wouldn't let him rest. This sure wasn't the way he'd expected his first day home to go.

For a few minutes after the boys had taken off that morning, Luke thought they might be getting somewhere. He'd been impressed by how good of a driver his cousin had turned into, having been taught by the best. Despite only having had his license for a couple of months, Luke was already getting the feeling that Bo was going to turn out to be the best in the family, and he told him so. The compliment elicited a grin, a genuine grin, from the blonde, and Luke felt his hopes soar through the roof. As Bo handled the vehicle, Luke handled the conversation. Staying on the subject of driving and cars, Luke found Bo chatting away as if nothing had ever happened. Even after Rosco stopped them and handed him a citation for speeding, Bo was in good spirits. It wasn't until Luke commented on how handy Bo's great driving skills would be when he came back from the war for good, and their uncle let them start running shine that things went down hill.

A dark cloud suddenly engulfed Bo and perplexed Luke. He asked his baby cousin what was wrong, but got the old standard answer of "nothing, Luke." Having traveled thousands of miles to get to the bottom of what was going on inside the blonde's head, Luke kept pressing. Suddenly thinking that Bo may have formulated different plans for his own future, he tried to pursue that direction. He asked Bo if he changed his mind about wanting to run shine, but Bo wouldn't give him a straight answer. After several minutes of interrogation, all he could get out of the blonde was that he thought a lot could change in two years.

That told Luke that maybe Bo was thinking that he wouldn't be coming back. Trying that angle, he renewed his promise that he would be back, alive. Bo's response to that only confused him more. He looked at him with the most trusting eyes, and told him that he believed him. Luke had struck out again, but by that time, they'd arrived at the work site, and Bo jumped out of the truck, halting any further discussion.

Luke watched his cousin as they set about repairing a fence that had been too long neglected. Before he had left for Asia, it took everything he and his uncle had in them to keep the boy's brain on work. Bo had a tendency to let his mind wander, doing more talking than working. There were times that one could get more done than two, if the second partner was Bo. That, too, had changed. Luke had never seen Bo work so hard in his life, or get so lost in his own concentration. Where ever Bo had went, he was so far away that he hadn't noticed his own nose bleeding. It wasn't a heavy nosebleed, but it was bad enough that he should have been able to feel it. If he did, he never batted an eyelash. He just kept working.

Luke placed the hanky over Bo's nose only to startle his cousin into falling backwards. When Bo looked up at him, there was fear in his eyes, something Luke never thought he'd ever see from his cousin. It only lasted a minute, but Luke saw it and still couldn't explain how it made him feel. Pushing it aside, he resumed tending to Bo's nose, having to inform him of what he was doing. As soon as Bo realized what was going on, he tried to push Luke away, only giving in when Luke proved he was still a little stronger, especially when he had the advantage of being upright. It didn't last long, and as soon as it was over, Bo thanked him and went back to work, apologizing for staining his handkerchief!

Having finished by early afternoon, Luke declared that it was time to go have some fun. His cousin looked at him like he'd lost his mind, telling him that he could just drop him off at the pond if there was something else he'd rather be doing. If it wasn't bad enough what he said, the sickeningly polite way he was talking was starting to really get on Luke's nerves. He wanted to know what that meant, but Bo told him very nicely that it meant exactly what it said. Feeling frustrated, Luke grabbed Bo's arm, quickly releasing it as Bo's nose started dripping red again.

Luke resorted to practically begging the blonde to go with him to the pond, and eventually Bo gave in. Catching enough fish for a good dinner was the only thing Luke accomplished there. Sitting side by side after two years apart, they couldn't find anything to say to each other.

Luke rolled over, glancing at the figure in the next bed. The night before, Luke hadn't slept at all, and Bo only drifted off as morning approached. At least, that night, one of them was getting some much needed rest. Rolling to his back, Luke stared up at the ceiling that was illuminated by the moonlight filtering in the window. There was one thing that Luke planned on doing while he was home, and having discovered that Bo would discuss cars with him, it gave him an idea. Thinking of a plan to combine the two, he finally lost the battle and his eyes drifted shut.

When Luke woke in the morning, he would have liked to have said he felt refreshed. He didn't. It was hard to sleep while a war was going on around you, and Luke wondered if he'd ever get a good night's sleep, again. It didn't help that his slumber was also being plagued by dreams that he dreaded. Whether he saw the images when his eyes were closed, he didn't know. By the time they opened, he couldn't remember much about it except the sinking feelings that he was left with. He had the sensation of falling from a high place, but he didn't think he was doing the falling. He really believed that he was watching someone else fall, and he distinctly believed that it was Bo. That night, for the first time, he saw that it was Bo. In his dream, he watched his cousin step out into nothing, disappearing from his sight.

Jerking awake with a start, he opened his eyes and looked around the room. For a minute, he couldn't place where he was. Remembering that he wasn't in a jungle, he calmed down when he recalled that he was in his own bed, at home. Turning to look at the other bed, he discovered that it was empty. Throwing on his jeans, he went in search of his friend, praying that he had only been dreaming.

"Morning sugar," Daisy greeted him.

"Where is everyone?" Luke asked, fearful of the answer.

"Uncle Jesse and Bo went over to the Johnson's. They called this morning saying that a branch came right through their roof during the storm."

"Storm?" Luke asked, trying to remember if they'd had a storm last night.

"Yeah, came through about five. It was a real doozy, too. Luckily, it doesn't seem to have done any damage here. Can't believe you didn't hear it!"

"You should have woke me up," Luke said, glancing at the clock to see that the it was past nine.

"Bo said that if you could sleep through that, you must really need it. Uncle Jesse agreed."

"Bo said that?"

"Yep. How'd it go yesterday?" Daisy asked, setting down a plate of biscuits and sausage gravy that she'd kept warm for him.

Luke sighed. "That ain't the same kid I grew up with," Luke informed her, "but I aim to get him back."

Daisy bent down and kissed Luke's cheek. "Well, if anyone can get through to that big ox cousin of ours, it'd be you," she said, going back to the task of hand rubbing the blood stains from Bo's shirt, not even bothering to ask where they came from.

Luke watched Daisy's hands moving in circular motions as the gears in his head were doing the same. Suddenly, he had an idea of how to kill two birds with one stone.

"Daisy! You think you could give me a ride into town?" he asked.

"Shoot sugar, just take my car. I ain't going anywhere. What you need in town?"

"A plan," he muttered.

Luke walked the streets of Hazzard, looking around to see what had changed. He shouldn't have found it odd that everything was just the way he left it. People passed him, most saying hello and stopping to chat, but others said nothing. The war he was fighting in wasn't understood by many people, and wasn't agreed with by others. He'd heard his own stories about how vets were being treated back home, but was glad that he came from a community that was supportive of their service men. As the people of Hazzard looked at him, he looked back at them, too. Luke found himself suspicious of everyone he passed, wondering if they were the ones responsible for starting a rumor that had devastated his cousin.

Walking into the bank, he wasn't surprised to find that nothing there had changed either. For the past two years, his uncle had been depositing his monthly pay in a savings account. To date, every cent was accounted for. Starting at the breakfast table, Luke started formulating a plan of action. He didn't have all of the details, but the basic foundation had been laid. He didn't know how much money he would need, but he knew he'd need some. For the first time, he was there to make a withdrawal.

"Luke Duke!" a short, pudgy man dressed all in white called out. "Rosco said you were in town, but I though he'd went swimmy headed. What'd you do, go AWOL?"

"No Boss, I didn't. I'm on leave."

"Well, are you here to make a deposit?" Boss asked him, always glad to accept money, even from the Dukes, despite the fact that they were his sworn enemies.

"No Boss, as a matter of fact, I'm here to take some out."

Boss tried everything to talk his customer out of asking for his own money, but Luke couldn't be dissuaded. Relieved that he wasn't asking for the entire amount, Boss had no choice but to complete his transaction.

"Have a good day," Luke said to him as sweetly as he could, while Boss waved his hands in the air and told him to get out. Chuckling to himself, he did just that. The next item on his agenda was to select a gift, though he didn't know exactly what he was even looking for. After browsing through a few shops in Hazzard, he decided to take a drive to Capitol City. By dinner time, he was heading back to the farm, pleased with what he had found.

Over the next few days, Uncle Jesse kept the boys paired together, making sure to give them plenty of time to enjoy fun things, too. He believed that Luke would eventually get through to Bo, he was also thinking about Luke's best interests. He was, after all, on leave from two years of front line combat, and he needed the break.

Bo was doing his best to not bother his cousin, but Luke wasn't making it easy. The boys worked well together during the day, knowing each other's habits and nuances well. Due to the amount of time that they were forced to spend together, Luke did break through Bo's walls from time to time. In momentary lapses, he caught a glimpse of the old Bo and it only motivated him more, vowing that he'd bring him back for good. Unfortunately, every time he thought he was getting somewhere, Bo would just clam up again, reverting to the politeness he had perfected. It was irritating Luke more than he could say.

For several days, Luke tried to find the right time to give Bo the gift he'd selected, but no one was cooperating. Except for when they were working together, the blonde was doing his best to avoid Luke at all costs, and Luke knew it. Every day, he pledged to hog tie his cousin, but something always went wrong.

As word of Luke's presence spread through the community, many of Luke's friends started dropping by farm, welcoming him back. Not understanding that Luke needed the time to be with Bo, they thought they were just doing the neighborly thing. Someone was constantly inviting Luke somewhere, but he refused to go unless Bo agreed to go, too. Unfortunately, Bo wasn't willing to tag along anymore, now that he knew he wasn't really wanted He always made up some excuse as to why he couldn't, but always told Luke to go and have a good time. Luke was virtually dragged away by a few of them. He was never gone long, but it was always long enough for Bo to disappear.

By the end of his first week home, Luke hadn't gotten anywhere and swore that he'd resort to kidnapping if he had to. Luckily, he didn't. For the first time in several nights, Luke had no visitors during or directly following dinner. Asking his cousin to join him outside, Bo complied with the request. Sitting on the swing, Luke saw a falling star and took it as a sign of better things to come.

"Bo, I won't be here next year for your graduation, and I want to tell you how sorry I am about that. Of all the things that I'll miss, that's the one I regret the most."

"That's ok, Luke. I understand."

"I just want you to know that I really am sorry, and I really do want to be here. Since I can't, I wanted to give you your gift now. Well, half of it anyway. It's a two parter, but the second part will have to wait until I get back." As he finished, Luke handed his cousin a small, wrapped box.

"You didn't have to do this, Luke," Bo said, feeling incredibly awkward.

"I know I didn't have to. I wanted to. Well go on, open it, then I'll tell you what the second half is that you'll have to wait for." Luke couldn't believe he was actually having to tell Bo to open a present.

Doing as he was told, Bo ripped the paper away, then opened the lid. For several seconds, all he could do was stare at what was inside. It wasn't so much what it was, but what it said. A shiny, oval keyring was staring back at him, and it had been engraved with the words, "Bo & Luke, Brothers Forever."

Luke slid his arm around the boy, who still hadn't raised his eyes. "I love ya, Bo, and I'm really proud of you. Now, let me tell you what the second part is...,"

Before he could finish, headlights blinded both of them as Cooter pulled up to the house. "Hey buddies!" he yelled out the window before he was even stopped.

"Damn it!" Luke mumbled, wishing he had kidnapped Bo and taken him some place private. The Dukes were well liked, but this was getting ridiculous.

As Cooter walked up the steps, Bo bolted from the swing, flying past him. "Hey! What's going on?"

"Sorry, Cooter, bad timing," Luke said, not caring if he was being rude to his friend right that minute or not. This time, nothing was gonna get in his way. Luke took off in pursuit, wondering where it was that Bo was running to at that time of night. The boy had a head start, but as a Marine, Luke was quite capable of keeping up with him until a pain in his leg and the recollection that his cousin was a track star allowed the blonde to pull away.

After checking out the source of his pain and seeing that it was nothing more than a nasty bug bite, Luke set off trying to figure out where Bo had gone. There was nothing around the area that Bo should be trying to reach; there was nothing around the area at all, except for Widow's Peak. Luke doubted that he'd find Bo there, but he didn't have anywhere else to look. Breathing heavy from the almost straight up hill trek, Luke froze when he reached the plateau. Bo certainly was there, and he was standing precariously close to the edge looking down. It was the scene straight out of Luke's dream.

Seeing the inscription on the key ring, Bo lost it. He knew that Luke hated him, but he never thought that his cousin could be that cruel. Luke knew that Bo thought of him as a brother long before they'd ever made it official with their blood. Understanding now that it never meant anything to his cousin, he still couldn't fathom that he would purposely hurt him by flaunting it in his face. It was one thing not to want anything to do with him, but what he'd done was just down right mean, and that was a side of Luke that Bo had never seen before. The cliff had been his place to think for several months, and if he ever needed to think, it was right that minute. Clutching the keyring in his hand, he thought about tossing it out into oblivion. He was just about to do it, when something stopped him. As much as he wanted to fling it to forever, he couldn't. It came from Luke, and that alone stopped him from being able to destroy it. He knew in his heart, he'd keep it forever and treasure it always, even if it hadn't been given with sincere intentions. Bringing his hand down, he peered over the edge, wondering what it would feel like to fall to the bottom. He'd been so upset from the minute that he opened the box, that he hadn't realized Luke had been following him or that he was standing behind him at that very moment, watching the emotions cross his face.

"Bo!" Luke screamed, terrified by what he believed he was about to witness. There was no logical explanation for his cousin to be up there at this time of night except one, and Luke had to reach him before he stepped out into the nothingness like he always did in his dream. "Bo!" he screamed again.

Bo turned to see who was calling his name, and saw Luke moving toward him. He turned around too quickly, causing himself to become unbalanced. Fighting to remain standing, a small part of the ledge started to give way. Bo felt himself slipping as he tried to grab onto anything, but there was nothing to grab. He resided himself to the fact that he was about to find out what free falling really felt like. "Bye Luke," he whispered as he closed his eyes.