Taking a break from drama for some warm fuzzies. This story takes place during Bo and Luke's stint as NASCAR drivers, when Coy and Vance were in Hazzard. I made them second cousins to Daisy and the boys just because it works better in my head that way; three sets of dead parents I can believe, but five is way too big a stretch for my brain. (Just work with me, here.) ;) I suppose it's a moot point anyway because Coy and Vance aren't actually in the story, but I had to mention them because of the timeline. They get an honorable mention just because they existed…but we know it's all about Bo and Luke anyway, don't we?

- Flynne :)

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– Unexpected Christmas –

December 22

Snow was falling thickly outside, sparkling in the white glow of Christmas lights that were strung from every light pole in the city. Cars moved slowly through the slush-filled streets, and the sound of ringing bells filled the air as the Salvation Army workers stood out in front of the shops and restaurants. A cold wind was blowing down the alleyways, but inside the Meridian Street Bar, the air was warm and filled with laughter.

Bo and Luke Duke sat shoulder-to-shoulder in a large booth, crammed around the table with half a dozen other young men. It was a colorful group; every boy there was wearing a multicolored jacket liberally patterned with the logos of NASCAR sponsors. A waitress in a short red dress swayed her way over to the table and started loading up the empty beer mugs onto her tray.

"You guys need anything else?" she asked, tossing her brown curls to flip the white pom-pom of her Santa hat away from her face.

"Sure! Go ahead and bring us another round," one of the men answered.

"None for me, Petey," Bo put in, raising his glass. "I'm still workin' on what I got here."

The waitress looked at Bo and gave him a flirtatious smile. "Are you sure I can't get you anything? You can sit in my lap if it'll help you think of something."

Bo laughed as his friends hooted and nudged him. "No thanks, sweetheart. You're 'bout the prettiest Santa I've ever seen, but I'm fine right here." She giggled and walked away.

"Guess she just can't resist a pretty face, Bo," Petey teased.

"What I can't understand is why he's always the one the waitresses pick on," one of the other men said, rolling his eyes.

Bo shrugged. "What can I say? Some fellas got it, some fellas ain't got it."

"You got somethin' all right, and we're all hopin' it ain't catching," Luke said dryly, eliciting another round of laughter from the boisterous group.

Another hour slipped by before the boys paid their tab. They made their way out into the snow-covered street, warmed by the beer and laughter. A few of the guys wandered down the street to another bar but most scattered and headed for their cars, shouting temporary goodbyes to each other as they each went their separate ways for the holiday.

Bo yelped when the frigid blast hit him and hurried to zip up his thick jacket. "Boy, it's cold!" he exclaimed. He shook his head as large, soft snowflakes dusted his blond curls.

Petey laughed. "It's winter! What'd you expect?"

"A little less ice, that's for sure."

Luke chuckled as he pulled on his gloves. "Wishful thinkin', cuz."

"You guys still want me to give you a ride home?" Petey asked.

"Yeah, if you're goin' our way. Thanks!" Bo said gratefully. He fell in step beside Luke and his friend, and before too long they had bundled into Petey's little Chevrolet and were cruising through downtown Indianapolis.

Bo and Luke shared a three-room apartment that was really the top floor of a small two-storey house. A young married couple had the first floor, but the boys were on the road so much that they hadn't gotten to know their neighbors. The downstairs apartment was dark now and the driveway had been empty for a few days, probably because the couple was away visiting family for the holiday.

Petey parked on the street and cut the engine.

"What're you stoppin' for?" Luke asked.

"I haven't seen your place since I helped you move in. I wanna see if you've unpacked anything or if it's still in boxes."

Luke laughed. "Sure, come on up."

The three young men clattered up the snow-covered wooden stairs that led to the door, hurrying inside out of the bitingly cold air. Bo slammed the door behind them and slapped the wall a few times before he found the light switch.

"Geez, you guys! It's like a sauna in here!" Petey exclaimed, shrugging out of his coat.

"How many times we gotta remind you that we're Southern boys?" Luke said in mock exasperation. "We ain't used to this Arctic cold."

"You know, for all that famous Southern grit I keep hearing about, you guys sure are wusses when it comes to winter," their friend said with a wink. He glanced around him at the sparsely furnished room. An old sofa was against one wall, and the kitchen appliances were against the other. A table and two chairs was all that filled the space in between, but posters, brightly colored flags, and photographs were tacked to the walls, giving the room a comfortable feeling. "Well, you're minimalist decorators, anyway."

"Hey, there's only two things we need," Bo said. "Heat and food. You hungry, by the way?"

"Nah, I'm good." Petey wandered over to the wall, eyes roving over the pictures with mild curiosity. He let out a sudden snort of laughter. "I can't believe you boys showed me a picture of the famous General Lee but you didn't bother to show me this one!"

"We didn't?" Bo looked surprised and then a little sheepish. "Well—we're on the road so much, and me an' Luke never did get into the habit of puttin' pictures in our wallets…"

Luke laughed. "And once we got to know you, we figured we should keep that one under wraps. That's our cousin Daisy. That other picture there—if you even noticed it, anyway—is our Uncle Jesse."

"You guys talk about them so much…I've wondered what they look like from time to time." He let out a low whistle. "She's a pretty thing."

"Prettiest girl in the South," Bo said emphatically. "And the sweetest."

"I bet she is. So when are you Southern boys gonna go visit that sweet Southern girl?" Petey asked, turning back to face his friends again.

The two cousins sobered and exchanged a glance before Luke said simply, "We're not."

"You're not? Heck, give me a plane ticket and I'll go visit her for you," their friend said with another appreciative glance at Daisy's picture. "Not even for Christmas? Why aren't you going?"

Bo shrugged. "Can't afford it."

"You can't—dang, I never pegged you guys for big spenders," Petey teased with a grin. "So what I want to know is: where is all your money goin' and why aren't you spending any of it on me?"

"We send most of it back home," Luke answered. "We race 'cause we love it and we've always wanted to try it, but me and Bo don't hardly need nothin'. So we pay our bills and send the rest back to Hazzard. Our Uncle Jesse—he does all right, but money can get tight from time to time."

Petey stopped chuckling and shoved his hands into his pockets, looking shamefacedly at his friends. "Aw, hell…I'm sorry, guys. I shouldn't have been joking around like that."

"Ain't nothin' to be sorry for," Luke said, clapping him on the shoulder with a smile.

But Petey didn't smile back. "You mean you guys haven't seen your family in over six months and you can't get home for Christmas?"

A moment of silence passed before Bo gave a cavalier shrug and did his best to put a careless smile on his face. "Aw, it's just one day. We can always call 'em. It don't make no never mind." Nobody said anything to contradict him, even though all three of them knew it was a lie.

Petey bid a cheerful farewell to the Dukes, but drove home in silence, turning off the car radio when a Christmas carol started to play. Suddenly it didn't sound as joyful as it should. A troubled frown rested on his usually happy-go-lucky face as he thought about his friends. The frown stayed there as he parked outside the house he rented with a few guys from his racing team, and it stayed as he walked in the door. He stomped the snow off his boots with more than his usual vigor and shed his coat, but he just stood there on the doormat, thinking.

"Earth to Jackson! Hey, dude, you just gonna stand there all night?" one of his housemates asked, glancing away from the TV.

"Huh?" Petey shook himself, noticing his friend for the first time. "Uh, no…just drove Bo and Luke home, that's all." The frown disappeared from his face and was replaced by a look of hopeful determination. "Hey, Josh, go get the rest of the boys in here. I've got to make a phone call, but then I got an idea I wanna discuss." He plopped down on the couch and picked up the telephone.

"Hey, Cale? Yeah, this is Petey. I got a favor to ask of you."

December 23

Daisy carefully carried her full mug of tea into the living room and curled up on the couch. She had a book open in front of her, but the words weren't holding her attention. Instead, she stared at the Christmas tree in the corner, the multicolored lights reflecting in her blue eyes. A long sigh escaped her chest.

This would be the first Christmas ever without her cousins…even since before their parents died. Her memories of holidays growing up were bittersweet. Each year the number of people gathering for Christmas had dwindled as first grandparents and then parents began to leave them, but Uncle Jesse and her two cousins had been the one thing that never changed. Even though all of Jesse's brothers had lived within half a day's drive, everyone would cram into the little farmhouse for a few days at Christmas. Not that that was unusual…in those days, the Duke moonshine business had been fast and steady, and Daisy had spent countless days playing with Bo and Luke while their fathers disappeared into the hills.

Sometimes even Coy's and Vance's families would join the Christmas crowd. Their parents were Jesse's cousins, so they didn't come every year—they had other family to visit as well—but when they did come, Daisy and Luke (and Bo when he was old enough) would be thrilled to see their pair of rough-and-tumble second cousins.

The kids would pile in the living room in sleeping bags around the Christmas tree. Little Bo and Coy would inevitably fall asleep early while Daisy, Luke, and Vance would lie on the floor, talking and giggling until they also fell asleep…or until a sleepy parent stumbled into the room to threaten, "The next noise I hear is gonna get the noisemaker trussed up and tossed in the barn with the goats!" A giggle escaped her lips at the memory.

"Well, what's got you smilin'?" Jesse's amiable voice drifted in from the kitchen as he entered, kicking off his boots at the door. The smell of animals and hay wafted over her as he came to join her on the couch.

"Oh, I was just rememberin' how Christmas used to be when me and the boys were little," Daisy replied, shifting her position so she could lean against his shoulder. She felt the rumbling in her uncle's solid frame as he chuckled.

"Oh, yes…sure was a crazy time, all us younguns fillin' this house from wall to wall and floor to ceiling." He shot her a sideways look as she giggled again. "Don't you laugh at me, missy! It's been a long time, but I know you know I wasn't always this old. I was a youngun then, myself."

She barely stifled a smile. "Yes, sir." Her eyes drifted over to look at the tree again. Its branches were filled with a hodgepodge of ornaments: some were beautiful and delicate, handed down through the family over generations, while a good number of them were made from popsicle sticks and construction paper; evidence of years of elementary school projects, still shedding glitter from their frayed edges.

"I'm glad Coy and Vance helped us get the tree up before they left," she remarked. "Wouldn't be the same in the house if we didn't have one." She felt her throat tighten as she spoke, and she took a long sip of tea to hide it. She and Jesse had known for a couple months that Bo and Luke couldn't be there for Christmas, but as the holiday approached she found herself missing them keenly.

She'd missed them from the day they left—and even though having Coy and Vance around to stir things up made it easier, it wasn't the same. She loved them, of course, but they could never be as dear to her as Bo and Luke. They hadn't been her brothers for as long as she could remember. They didn't know her inside and out.

"Have you heard from 'em yet?" Jesse's question jarred her out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Who?"

"Coy and Vance. I thought I told 'em to call once they got home."

"Oh—oh, yeah. Vance called about twenty minutes ago while you were still in the barn. They got back just fine. They were on their way to cut down a tree for Bessie and Albert." She shook her head. "Sorry…I guess I wasn't payin' attention."

Jesse gazed at her for a moment before he said, "You don't have to apologize for missin' somebody."

Daisy flinched. So he had noticed. "It shows?"

He nodded. "It shows."

"I'm sorry. I know you miss Bo and Luke, too…I wasn't tryin' to make it worse. I didn't think I could miss anybody as much as I missed Luke when he was gone in the Marines, but…Bo was here to keep it from hurtin' so bad. I'm glad I don't have to be scared like I was then, but I'd be lyin' if I said this didn't hurt, too." She glanced at her half-full mug, decided she didn't want her tea any more, and set it on the table.

"You weren't makin' it worse, honey. I miss those rascals as much as you do." He reached out and started gently stroking her hair with his rough hand. "I know everyone says Christmas is a time for joy…but it's also a time for comfort, too." Daisy's eyes filled with tears at his soft words. He put his arm around her and pulled her close, continuing to stroke her hair as she cried onto his shoulder.

Her short burst of tears subsided before long, and she drew back, wiping her eyes and shaking her head, laughing a little with mild embarrassment. "Thanks, Uncle Jesse. I've been trying so hard not to cry that I didn't know how much it'd help to get that out in the open."

"Do you feel better?" he asked gently, feeling relieved when he saw a real smile on her face.

"Yeah. And…I know Bo and Luke would be upset if they knew I was frettin' like this. So I won't. We're together at least, and we're gonna have a fine Christmas."

Jesse laughed. "All right, you convinced me. Now, I just realized that we ain't made any of your aunt's famous Christmas cookies yet. Wanna help me in the kitchen?"

Daisy nodded happily. "You bet!"

December 24

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas…Just like the ones I used to know…"

Bo darted a glance over at the old radio sitting on their kitchen table as Bing Crosby's voice floated out over the airwaves. He gave a little sigh and pressed his forehead against the cold windowpane, staring out at the smooth white blanket of snow that covered the street.

"Well, we got a white Christmas here, all right," he remarked. "You know I ain't never had one before?"

"It's a first for me, too," Luke said. He was standing by the stove, slowly stirring a pot of hot chocolate that was warming up. Bo slid across the floor on his stocking feet and ripped open the bag of marshmallows that was sitting on the table, stuffing a handful into his mouth.

"Hey, don't eat all of 'em!" Luke chided. "I got those for me. I bought the whipped cream for you 'cause I thought you didn't like marshmallows."

"No, I like 'em," Bo replied around a mouthful of sugar. He hopped up to take a seat on the tabletop. "I just like cream on my cocoa. I eat marshmallows straight up." Luke laughed.

"Hard to believe it's Christmas Eve and we ain't home," Bo said quietly.

The abrupt change in his mood caught Luke off guard. He gulped a little, not prepared for the sudden flood of homesickness that washed over him. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Bo heard the strain in his best friend's voice and shook his head. "Man, I'm sorry. I didn't really mean to say that out loud. It's just—it's been bottled up inside for so long, I—I guess it just came out."

Luke picked up his wooden spoon and stirred the cocoa again, just to give himself something to do. "Don't worry 'bout it, Bo. I've been thinkin' the same thing."

"I know we've had this planned for a couple months now, but…I just didn't expect it to be this hard, ya know?"

"I know."

"I feel kinda dumb for gettin' so down about it."

"Don't." Luke set aside the spoon and poured the steaming cocoa from the pot into two large mugs with practiced ease. "I feel the same way you do." He topped Bo's mug with a generous squirt of whipped cream and dropped a large handful of marshmallows into his own. He handed Bo his mug and then sat down on the table next to him. "There is one thing, though…I'm sure glad you're here. I think I'd go crazy if I was all by myself."

Bo laughed softly. "True enough." He tipped his mug back and took a sip. "Mm! You ain't lost your touch, cousin! You still make the best dang cocoa I've ever had."

Luke grinned. "Well, you know…some fellas got it, some fellas ain't got it."

Bo grinned right back and hooked his arm around Luke's neck. "Merry Christmas, Luke."

"Back at'cha."

A sudden pounding on their door startled both boys. Luke nearly dropped his mug when Bo jumped. They hopped off the table and went to answer the door, leaving their drinks behind.

"Wonder who that could be?" Bo asked in puzzlement.

Luke frowned as he looked through the peephole. "I don't see anyone." He flipped back the dead bolt and pulled the door open.

"Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!" Petey's booming voice shook the thin walls of their apartment. Bo and Luke stared as their friend pushed his way in on a burst of wintry air, followed by his housemates and a few other young men they knew from the track.

"Petey?" Bo snickered. "What's goin' on? I thought y'all were leavin' town. Besides, you're too skinny to be Santa Claus and you ain't got no beard."

Petey just rolled his eyes. "Listen, you two…I talked to a bunch of the guys yesterday and we all pitched in to get you Dukes a Christmas present. Those of us that were driving home decided to delay our trips so we could make the delivery; and here we are! Ta-daa!" He produced a long envelope from his pocket with a flourish.

Bo took it and slid his thumb under the flap to open it. He pulled out two thick pieces of paper and stared at them in disbelief. "Luke!" Luke peered over his shoulder, took one look at the papers, and his mouth dropped open.

"Petey…Cale…guys, what—?"

"We all pitched in, Luke!" Cale answered. "My manager pulled some strings and got you boys two round-trip tickets to Atlanta. You're going home for Christmas!"

"We're—we're—" Bo stammered. A sudden surge of laughter burst out of his chest, the first real, heartfelt laugh he'd had in a week, and he grabbed his cousin in a bear hug and pounded him on the back. "Luke, we're goin' home!"

Luke laughed as well, and when Bo released him he turned in astonishment to the small cluster of friends that stood in front of him. "…I don't know what to say!"

"Don't say anything!" Petey ordered. "You don't have time. It is…" he looked at his watch. "Seven o'clock now. Your plane leaves in two hours. Grab your toothbrushes and some undershorts and let's get a move on!"

"Yeeehaa!" Bo whooped and spun on his heel, racing back to his room. Luke stayed just long enough to grip Petey's hand gratefully before he was gone, following his cousin down the hall.

"It's not far to the airport, but two hours to go with snowy roads is cutting it pretty close, Pete-o Boy," Josh said with a nervous glance at his watch. "Can we get 'em there in time?"

Petey smirked, a devilish gleam in his eyes. "Josh…are we or are we not NASCAR drivers?"

December 25

Daisy sighed and opened her eyes, reaching out to switch off her alarm clock. It was still early, but she wanted to get up and do the chores before Jesse woke up so he could have the day to relax. She turned on a lamp and dressed quickly. A determined look was on her pretty face. She could feel the tug of loneliness on her heart as she thought about the empty room down the hall, but she had promised herself she would be cheerful for her uncle. Besides, Christmas was Christmas no matter what the circumstances were. She took a deep breath and gave herself a little smile as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, then turned and slipped out into the hallway.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she immediately heard pans clattering from the kitchen and realized with a start that the light was on. The smell of coffee and bacon was in the air and the lights on the Christmas tree had been plugged in, bathing the room in a rainbow-colored glow. She shook her head in wonderment and smiled, crossing the living room into the light.

"Uncle Jesse, I swear you keep gettin' up earlier every—" She broke off with a gasp and stood frozen in the doorway, temporarily stunned. Luke was standing at the stove, doing his best to manage three pans while coffee brewed on the counter. He heard her immediately and turned toward her with a big smile on his handsome face.

"Merry Christmas, Daisy!"

"Luke!" Daisy shook off her astonishment in an instant and flew across the room to throw her arms around his neck. "Oh, honey, you're home!"

Luke laughed and hugged her tightly. "Dang, it's good to see you!"

"No kiddin'!" Daisy pulled back long enough to swat him in the shoulder as she laughed delightedly. "You devil! You coulda told us you were coming!"

"Hey, we didn't know until last night! So we decided to surprise you."

Daisy's blue eyes widened hopefully. "'We'? You mean Bo is—"

The back door banged open and Bo poked his head in. "He sure is! You don't think I woulda let Luke run off without me, did ya?" He caught her up in his arms and swung her around the tiny kitchen, kissing her soundly on the cheek as he set her down. "I was just out at the barn and took care of all the chores, so you don't need to go out there I like I know you were plannin' to." He helped her remove her jacket with playful gallantry.

Daisy had been laughing but now she was wiping happy tears from her eyes. "I just can't believe it. How in the world did y'all get here?"

"A bunch of our buddies saw how much we missed you. They surprised us by chipping in for the airfare. We called Cooter from our layover in Charlotte an' had him pick us up in Atlanta," Bo explained. He rubbed his neck at the memory of the bear hug and noogie his old friend had given him when they'd reunited in the terminal.

"That big sweetheart. Did he tell you he's comin' over for dinner later?"

"Yep! We invited him for breakfast, too, but since we got back after one this morning, he wanted to sleep."

"One o'clock? Aren't you tired?"

"We'll sleep later. 'Sides, that's what the coffee's for." Luke turned back to the stove and poured eggs into a hot skillet. "Breakfast'll be ready in a couple minutes. Someone wanna go get Uncle Jesse up?"

"He's already awake." The gravelly voice of the old man drifted into the room, startling the three cousins. Jesse was standing in the doorway, the amazement on his bearded face rapidly turning to joy as he saw his nephews for the first time in six months. Bo and Luke rushed to greet him and he hugged them both at once. Daisy watched with a smile as she took Luke's place at the stove and stirred the eggs to keep them from burning.

"I guess we surprised you, didn't we?" Bo said with a grin, draping an arm across his uncle's shoulders.

"Yeah, but I shoulda learned long ago never to be surprised at you two!" Jesse laughed. He mussed both curly heads affectionately as if his nephews were kids again, looking both of them up and down with fatherly attentiveness. The cousins shared an amused glance under the familiar scrutiny of the faded blue eyes. "Well, both of ya look like you're doin' fine," the old man finally said, satisfied with what he saw. "How long can you stay?"

"We'll be here for a week," Luke replied.

Daisy giggled. "Poor Boss Hogg! Wait'll he hears you're in town."

Bo smiled wryly. "I think we'll steer clear of him. It'll be our Christmas present to him. 'Sides, it don't look like the General's out there anyhow."

"Yeah, Coy and Vance took him with 'em when they went home," Jesse said. "Said they had some tune-up work to do."

"They did?"

Jesse chuckled at the anxious wrinkle in Bo's forehead. "Don't you worry none. Cooter's seen 'em work on the car and he said they do just fine. That ol' junk heap is still runnin' in tip top shape. Looks like cars run in the Duke blood the same way shine used to."

"Hey, y'all, breakfast is ready!" Daisy said, pulling plates out of the cabinet. The family sat down at the table and bowed their heads as Jesse gave thanks for the food and for his nephews' safe trip. As they ate, Bo and Luke repeated their story to Jesse and told him how they were able to visit.

"That friend of yours sounds like a real good fella," Jesse said. "I hope I get to meet him someday."

"Same here," Luke answered. "Maybe if we come through Georgia in the spring, you two could meet up with us somewhere."

Bo helped himself to another pile of grits, giving an appraising look to the brightly decorated pine tree in the other room. "Y'all did a real nice job decoratin' the tree this year."

"Thanks!" Daisy smiled, but she looked a little apologetic as she said, "We didn't do much in the way of presents this year, though. We didn't feel right buyin' stuff we don't really need when you and Luke were givin' us your wages instead of using them to pay your way home."

Bo looked at her warmly. "Daisy, all me and Luke wanted was to help y'all out back home…and all we needed was to see you and Uncle Jesse again. Right now, we done both, and there ain't nothin' you could give us that'd make us any happier."

"Bo, you cut that out right now!" she scolded affectionately. "You keep that up and you're gonna make me cry again."

It took Bo and Luke longer than usual to eat that morning since they spent most of the time telling Daisy and Jesse about their life on the NASCAR circuit and they had to keep talking instead of bolting their food. They had tried to call once every couple weeks or so while they were away, but the conversations had always been brief: just long enough for each half of the family to check up on the other, but never long enough for anyone to say all they wanted to say. There was no hurry now, though, and the boys made use of it by filling Daisy and Jesse in on the fast-paced, high-speed life they were living.

"Well, I ain't surprised you boys are enjoyin' it," Jesse observed. "You always thrived on excitement, ever since you was kids."

"We get pretty wore out some days, but we love every minute of it," Luke said. "We get to see new places all the time and we get along great with the guys at the track…and I guess we don't need to tell you they treat us like brothers."

"And it's a nice change for people behind you to be yellin' 'faster!' instead of 'I'm gonna cuff ya and stuff ya!'" Bo put in, making Daisy laugh with his imitation of Rosco's voice.

When they were finished, Daisy stood up and started stacking plates. "If y'all help me carry the dishes to the sink, I'll get 'em washed up in no time," she said cheerily.

"Now, now, not today, Daisy!" Jesse scolded, chasing her away from the sink. "I'm gonna do the washing-up today. You kids go on in the living room and I'll be in shortly." Daisy was only too glad to comply. She stepped between her cousins and slipped her arms around their waists. They headed out of the kitchen, taking their exuberant laughter with them but leaving a happy, warm glow behind in the old man's heart.

He stepped up to the sink and started washing plates in the hot sudsy water, but after a few minutes he stopped and tipped his head curiously in the direction of the living room when faint strains of music reached his ears. A fond smile crossed his face as he saw Bo, Luke, and Daisy clustered on the floor next to the brightly decorated tree. Luke had retrieved his guitar from where it had been put away in the hall closet. He didn't play often enough, in Jesse's private opinion—but when he did play, he played well.

He was picking at the strings as he quickly tuned the instrument, then began strumming the first few chords of "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing". Jesse heard him hum to himself for a few measures before he started to sing. Daisy instantly joined in, followed a moment later by Bo.

Jesse blinked his misty eyes and turned back to the breakfast dishes. He raised his head and looked out the window, up into the clear December sky. "Happy birthday," he murmured softly. "And…thanks."

– END –