Author's Note: A normal day in Hazzard is when the Duke boys get run into the pond. Not so much normal when one Duke boys get run into the pond, and can't get out of there.

Big thanks to JordynD for beta work and Gray Wolf for all the help.

Warning: The warning is placed here for Vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen.

Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix….

The Days After The Night Before

Chapter 12: Care For A Doughnut?

"Hey, Luke where's ya going."

Luke grinned as he saw Bo coming towards him, Bo had been moving around on his own the last few days, though he was still a bit slow about it. First it would only be when he was moving from one piece of furniture to another, and Jesse had been very vigilant to make sure he wasn't over doing it.

He would be calling to him to sit down for a few minutes, often putting a plate of ice cream before him since that always worked. Even if he was starting to get better he still had a very sore throat so ice cream was the one thing he ate the most of.

Then Bo had started to make his way outside, something that had taken a bit of time since he was slightly insecure on the crutches. Luke suspected that he felt vulnerable. He had both his hands occupied with the task of moving forwards, and he certainly felt more vulnerable after the crash.

So instead of rushing to it as he usually did he had been moving right beside Luke. Trusting his cousin to make sure that he didn't get hurt when he was at it. Now Luke had already been outside, and Bo was apparently tired of being cooped up on the farm when Luke was obviously going off somewhere else in the pick up.

"I'm gonna head over to Cooter's." Luke told him.

"The General?" Bo asked softly as he it was the only reason he could think of that Luke would be heading over to Cooter' right now.

"Yeah." Luke nodded, he had been trying to protect Bo from knowing just how bad the crash was, and it had turned out to be a very bad idea. "Wanna come along?" He wasn't sure that was the best idea either, but he guessed that was up to Bo to decide for himself.

"Yeah." Bo grinned at him, if nothing else Luke could tell he welcomed the chance to get away from the farm for a few hours.

"Okay, I'll just tell Jesse that ya's coming with me." Luke ran the steps up to the porch and inside. If Jesse got the idea to look around for Bo and couldn't find him right now, then he would be panicking, and Luke could understand it. So he ran in and told Jesse that he would be taking Bo with him; and he would make sure he didn't strain himself to hard, and he would make sure nothing happened to him, and he would keep an eye on him and so would Cooter.

Then he ran back outside where Bo was leaning against the passenger side of the pick up. Luke opened the door for him and helped him inside. Knowing that would be one of the things where Bo would be worried he'd fall.

Five minutes down the road Bo turned to Luke. "Was it an order from Jesse, or did ya load a truck load of eggs in the back when I wasn't watching?" He asked with a knowing grin.

"Driving too slow?" Luke asked him with a guilty grin.

Bo shrugged. "I actually kinda appreciate ya keeping the speed limit today, but well, ya don't have to go that far below it."

"Sorry," it hadn't really been a conscious act, it was just an instinct to go slower. He pressed down on the gas pedal a bit harder, still under the speed limit though. This was one day he didn't want to have to run from Rosco. It was strange though, they drove past two of his favorite speed traps, and no sign of him. Yet there was no police cars outside the police station.

"Where's Rosco?" Luke asked as he pulled up outside Cooter's garage.

"Ain't seen him all day, how's ya doing Bo?" Cooter grinned as he opened the passenger door and helped Bo out. "They's been keeping really busy of late, no idea what they's doing."

"How's the General?" Bo asked as he tried to peer inside the garage.

"He's doing pretty good given the circumstances." Cooter beamed, happy that they had been able to take care of a lot of the body work. He still needed a new paintjob, because he wasn't all orange but more of a spotted car with the fender and the door the wrong colour. At the moment Cooter had been focusing on the engine though. The painting would be the last thing he did.

Bo hopped inside and ran a hand over the new fender. "Sorry 'bout messing ya up like this General," he mumbled.

Cooter and Luke was grinning, glad he was taking it so well.

Even though they had both agreed that they couldn't shelter Bo from it, after having it so bluntly pointed out to them, that didn't mean they weren't worried as Bo came face to face with the result.

Luke was watching him closely, and he could see the tell tale signs that Bo was a bit upset about it. For one thing he wasn't smiling, for another there was a pained look in his eyes, and Luke just knew it was not because of his leg this time.

He and Bo had overturned the General more then once, he'd been upside down, he'd been on his side. Jesse claimed that they had wrecked him in every way there was, and then invented some more. It wasn't the crash, it was being stuck inside the General with water up to his neck that had gotten to Bo. That was what he had to work against.

Cooter walked up to him, not wanting him to focus on the bad part of the experience and patted his shoulder. Smiling at him as Bo looked up and met his eye. "Come on buddy, lets see what we can do about him, shall we?" He beamed as he handed Bo a wrench. Bo grinned back as he took it, glad for the distraction.

Luke grinned as Bo pushed himself up to sit on the radiator, leaning the crutches against the car as he reached into the engine. It was a quite serious disadvantage for him since it compromised his balance. Bo seemed determined not to let that stop him though. Soon enough he wasn't only leaning over the engine, but after Luke stepped out to get them some doughnuts and beer he came back and saw Bo in under the car. Helping Cooter with one of the more stubborn bolts.

"Hey y'all, lunch time." Luke grinned, knowing all too well what their uncle would say about hearing doughnuts and beer labeled 'lunch.'

He put the box down on the engine and then waited as Cooter helped Bo up before handing them each a can. Once more Bo hitched himself up to sit on the fender rather than stand leaning against the car, though this time it was most likely because the crutches were out of reach.

Standing around the car, and sitting on it together was the reason why they had such an easy relationship and why it worked so well. There was so many ways to be able to enjoy yourself while tinkering with a beloved car such as the General.

Cooter laughed as he teased Bo about a grease stain on his cheek, while Bo replied that if it wasn't for the grease stains, no one would recognize Cooter. Once more it brought home to Luke just how close he had gotten to losing his younger cousin. He had been trying not to think that way, but he couldn't help it. Listening to Bo's breathing as the younger boy fell asleep at night, seeing that tussled mop of blonde hair that always stood at end in the morning. It meant so much more to him than he had known, and suddenly, he wanted to make sure that he fully appreciated it while he had it.

He was deep in thought, but instinctively reached over and grabbed Bo's shoulder to steady him as he reached for another doughnut and nearly overbalanced. Bo didn't really pay too much attention to it, more than grinning at him and offering him another doughnut himself.

He didn't really like the way he was thinking, and neither did Cooter judging by the look on his face.

"What?" Suddenly Bo was looking between the two of them with a mouthful of doughnuts and a frown on his face. Trying to figure out what was going on.

"Nothing Bo." Luke smiled at him, hoping to comfort him before he started pondering things like that. Bo was the more innocent out of the two of them, and he would rather keep him that way. "I was just thinking Bo, I do too much of that at times ya know."

"Yeah, ya should stop it Lukas." Bo grinned at him, not completely convinced, but willing to let it go. "Look at Cooter here, he ain't ever thought as much as once in his life, an' he's just as happy for it."

"Why ya, dang brat." Cooter leaned over and pretended to mock punch Bo. Normally the punch would have been real, but he didn't want to unbalance Bo right now.

Bo in turn laughed at begged Luke to protect him from the crazy mechanic. While Luke moved the food to a more secure place on top of a barrel. In the end Cooter had Bo placed on the roof instead of the fender, telling him that he would have to stay there until he had decided to behave again. Luke moved the food back and Bo laid down on his stomach so that he could still reach them.

That was the situation being more or less back to normal, and Luke was enjoying it very much.

"Sure looks normal to me, now, I wonder if it will stay that way….."

/Please leave a review, the cricket is hungry…..