Now friends, it seems like that poor boys luck has just taken a giant step from poor to really bad.

Chapter 2 (revised)

With the skill of a professional driver, Luke maneuvered the car to avoid a collision with the lightening-struck tree. The crash of the massive tree as it hit the ground reverberated in the valley. Meanwhile the fast operation that Luke had performed to get the General Lee out of the way had resulted in an undesired end. The car struck the side of an embankment and hit the underside hard and scraped against some bush.

It just was not Luke's day. Sure, he had missed the tree but for the promise that he had made earlier in the morning to his cousin Bo, about not putting a single scratch on the General was about to be undone. Technically he had not put a 'single' scratch on the car he had put several – so the promise was in a round about way kept.

Luke closed his eyes, tilted his head back against the headrest and sighed. "No time like the present to see what mess I've done this time." He clambered out of the vehicle and crawled underneath it. "Darn it!" He said in frustration. Oil oozed from one of the hoses. Luke rubbed the oil on his jeans and continued to survey the rest of the damage. After thirty minutes he had made an extensive mental list of the repair work needed, Cooter was certainly going to require substantial payment this time.

Cooter Davenport owned the only garage in Hazzard County and was like kin to the Duke clan. Anything that he could do for Jesse and his family he would – even if it meant diverting the course of Sheriff Roscoe P Coltrane's version of justice away from Bo and Luke Duke.

Again a very despondent Luke Duke cast his eyes heavenward. "I suppose it's too much to ask for a minor miracle that I might make it home sometime today." He kicked at some gravel in disgust. At that moment it seemed like the whole world was against him for he was caught in an instantaneous downpour. In his haste to escape the rain he hit his right knee as he clambered into the General Lee. "Christmas!" Luke growled. "Some Christmas this is."

Although the General was leaking oil there still might have been a chance that the car was drivable. Luke tried the ignition but to no avail. All that resulted was a lone clicking noise. He reached for the C.B radio and knew before he began that it was a fruitless exercise. Before the last accident the reception had been none existent and now with the lack of power from the battery he was not going to be able to raise any assistance.

With nothing more that he could do, he wound the windows up, leaned back against the driver's seat and thought about his family. He gave thought to Bo and wondered how he was coping. The seasonal flu that he had come down with had really hit him hard. Bo was not the most patient of people when he was sick. He hoped that his cousin Daisy wouldn't come down with a cold or their Uncle Jesse would have his hands full for sure.

Unsure of how much time had elapsed; Luke awoke when he felt himself shiver. He wasn't even sure at what point that he had dozed off. He needed something to keep his mind occupied while he waited for help. He reached into the back seat of the car and pulled forward his guitar. He settled himself into a comfortable position and proceeded to strum a few tunes.

Duke Farm

"Uncle Jesse, when did Luke say that he would be home?" Daisy asked. She had just finished the dinner preparations and was taking Bo another glass of honey sweetened tea. "He will be home for Christmas won't he?"

Jesse Duke tugged at his snowy-white whiskers and looked thoughtfully at his niece. "Well, Jock did mention thathe had a few jobs that needed doing. And Jock, well he aint one fer stoppin' at just one job, 'n the last time I was at his place he had a lot that needed doin'." Jesse paused to look at his timepiece. "I reckon that Luke would've had three or four hours work to do, unless Jock took advantage of Luke's generous nature and gave him a few more chores that needed to be completed." Jesse looked out the living room window at the darkened sky. The rain had been beating a steady staccato rhythm against the farm house for the past two hours. "Daisy, there is nothing more in the world that I would like, than to have Luke home with his family to celebrate this joyous season. But I just hope that boy has the sense to hold up at Jock's place until this weather blows over. The road home from Jock's house will be nearly impassable by now."

See, now Uncle Jesse he knows a thing or two about the ways of nature and that includes old Jock Barnes.

Daisy nodded in agreement and offered a small smile in return. "I sure hope you're right, Uncle Jesse. As much as I miss Luke and wish he was home with us, I just want him to be safe and warm." Daisy jumped in shock when a thunderclap boomed overhead and shook the small farm house.

LUKE'S POSITION

Having sung himself a few country tunes, Luke turned his hand to playing some Christmas carols. Finally in a better frame of mind he thought about the handcrafted gifts he had made fro each of his family.

For Jesse a hand-carved display cabinet to display photos of his late wife and siblings that had passed on as well as all the other important mementos in his life. Over the years Jesse had collected a fair few and had shared them with Daisy and the boys.

He hand painstakingly hand-carved the most intricate of designs into the timber that made up the display cabinet.

Bo's gift had been a little harder for Luke to plan. As he and his cousin shared a room there really wasn't a lot of space in which he could put anything extravagant like Jesse's gift. Luke had finally opted to make Bo a carved series of shelving on which he could place the trophies that he had won during his high school years and various models that he had collected during the years.

Finally to Daisy he had made her a small set of drawers in which to keep photos, jewelry and other important things. As Luke reflected upon his creative gifts he thought about the traditional Christmas dinner that his cousin Daisy would spend hours preparing. It really wouldn't take that long to prepare if Bo and Luke would stay out of the kitchen. Luke's stomach protested loudly at the mere thought of food reminding him that it had been several hours since he had eaten.

Luke was hungry, thirsty, cold and tired and so desperately wanted to get home to the comforts that waited there for him – family, warmth, food and a dry place to sleep.

In the distance Luke was certain that he had seen car lights. 'Probably just wishful thinking', he shrugged. No, there it was again. Lights hitting the trees and coming closer.

Well friends it looks like Luke might be making it home for Christmas after all. Who said miracles don't happen at Christmas?