A/N - Hi everyone! Somehow I didn't think I'd be back this quick, but I'm hooked! No beta reader on this one, I'm relying on each of you. I just couldn't bring myself to bug someone like I did last time. I really wanted to do a more traditional type Duke story that used all the characters, but...I haven't thought of one yet. I'm trying. if ya'll have any suggestions, please let me know. This one is more along the intense lines.

Couple quick notes about the timelines here. I don't remember the show ever really telling us how old the cousins were or what really happened to their families. After reading so much fan fiction, I'm unable to differentiate between what was in the show and what my mind believes from the stories. (Hey - that's a compliment. Writing something that others begin to believe as fact is good writing). Anyway, I guess I went under the assumption that Luke is the oldest, with Daisy a year behind, and Bo being the youngest at two years behind her. Any bigger of an age gap doesn't always work as well.

I'm also not certifying as to the total accuracy of some of the military procedures and standards. The 30 day paid leave is applicable now, but exactly how it was back in the early 70's and exactly how it works, I'm not sure. The government wasn't exactly overly informative. I think they thought I was writing some expose on their policies. Therefore, I used what I thought made sense and what fit. If anyone knows how it works, please let me know.

This also doesn't follow some of the facts of the show. I'll let you know which ones as we get closer.

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

HORRENDUS MIX-UP

CHAPTER 1

THE VISIT

Luke Duke could not believe his luck. In the past two years, he hadn't been blessed with any. Where he'd been, relying on luck wasn't something that a man wanted to do, not if he wanted to stay alive. A soldier had to depend on his brains, his instincts, and his fellow commrades, and that's exactly what Luke was. He may have been a United States Marine, but the enemy didn't stop to ask for credentials, and that made him a soldier above all else. So when his commanding officer handed him the notice, the country boy from Georgia experienced the first bit of good fortune since he'd left his home in Hazzard twenty four months earlier. Unfortunately, his lucky break came at someone else's expense.

A section of Luke's division had come under heavy fire, killing or wounding most all of the personnel that coordinated and oversaw the military movements of several units. It was a heavy blow to their operations, and though the members had been replaced, it left them vulnerable should they encounter another attack. They needed back-ups available, and were willing to train qualified soldiers. Luke had applied immediately. The men that he served with may have razzed him about his 'hick' accent, but the southerner had already proven himself to be competent, trustworthy, and smart. He was just what the armed forces were looking for in men that they wanted to promote. Of course, Luke didn't tell them that he really didn't care about the opportunity; he didn't plan on making the military a career. There was only an off chance that he'd ever really put it to use, and he doubted it would even get him off the front lines, but that didn't deter him from applying. The reason that he really wanted it was because of where he'd be sent to be trained. The Marine Logistics Base where he'd be sent was in Albany, and he didn't mean New York. It was none other than Albany, Georgia. Despite being a few hours away from Hazzard, it would still bring him home.

As soon as he'd received his orders to report for training, Luke put his plan into action. The soldiers were given 30 days of paid leave per year, but once they were deployed that far away, they almost never got to go home. The government informed them that they didn't operate a travel agency, and making arrangements were usually just too hard. Fighting in the rice paddies didn't leave much sight-seeing available, so most of the guys ended up losing their leave time if they weren't stationed close to a friendly city. Luke had only used a few days of his; he still had forty-five days accumulated. He knew that he couldn't ask to go back to Georgia for a month, but since they were sending him there anyway, he could request that his leave be granted after his training was complete. It also wouldn't cost him any of his own money; transportation would be provided compliments of the United States military. He got paid for serving his country, but didn't have much use for currency while surrounded by trees and critters. He had directed that his monthy pay be sent to his Uncle Jesse, telling him to use the money as he needed, but his uncle didn't like charity, even from his own kin. Instead of following Luke's instructions, he had opened an account under Luke's name in the local bank, which was owned by the Duke family's arch enemy, Boss Hogg. Each month his uncle deposited the funds, and as a result, Luke had a nice nest egg saved up. He didn't care about any of that. The only opportunity he wanted was the chance to go home for a visit. He had to get there, somehow; he knew he was needed. Someone had been listening to his prayers.

The oldest Duke boy knew that if he told his family he was coming, they'd drop everything just to be close to him. He, however, had to get through his schooling first, which wouldn't have left any time. He didn't think he could handle knowing that they were so close, yet not being able to really be with them. Therefore, he decided not to tell them that he was coming until after he passed his courses. He wanted to surprise them, and to find out exactly what was going on.

A few days before he was scheduled for R & R, he called his friend, Cooter Davenport, begging for a ride, but making him promise not to say anything. Seeing all the dust kick up on the road leading to the base, Luke knew it had to be his buddy. He was right on time, and only a native Hazzardinian could drive like that. Luke could hardly contain himself as he rushed through the gates to greet his pal.

"Lukey!" Cooter yelled, barely stopping long enough to put the truck into park.

"Cooter! Aw man, you're a sight for sore eyes," he told him as the two men hugged.

"Well, you sure look different!" Cooter said, stepping out of the embrace. "My God, Luke, you look like...a grown up!"

"Yeah, well, war will do that to you, buddy," Luke said, regretting it as soon as he did.

Cooter was the same age as Luke, but had been excused from serving. Some people gave him a hard time about it, but in his own way, he was more responsible than Luke. Cooter had been spared from the draft because he'd been left with the family business to run after his father had died when he was sixteen. He also was responsible for his cousin, L.B., who was the same age as Luke's cousin, Bo; they'd all grown up together. Cooter had responsibilities, legitimate ones, which is why the government spared him, but not everyone saw it that way. His uncle had written to him about the way people would whisper behind Cooter's back, saying he was a draft dodger, especially whenever someone from Hazzard was shipped home in a pine box. He could see from his friend's face that even he felt guilty for having been pardoned when most all of their friends hadn't been so blessed. Luke didn't blame him, though. He would have found himself in the same position if his Uncle Jesse hadn't been around.

"I'm sorry, Cooter," Luke said.

"Nah! Don't worry about it. It's just so good to see you. I've really missed ya, buddyroe."

"I've missed you, too," Luke said, throwing his gear into the back of the truck so they could get going.

"I know three people that are going to be very happy in a few short hours," Cooter told him, sliding behind the wheel.

Luke nodded, hoping that his friend was right, and that three people would be glad to see him. He and Cooter talked for a while until they fell into a comfortable silence. Luke watched the lovely Georgia scenery pass by, never realizing that he could miss something so simple, so bad. As he stared out the window, he thought back over how he had come to this point.

The year had been 1971, and Luke had just graduated from high school. Thousands of miles away, a war was raging that most people didn't even understand, including Luke and his family. The only thing they were sure of about the conflict was that it was reaching out and grabbing young men like Luke and shipping them off, whether they wanted to go or not. Of course, some of those called decided not to go, running away to places like Canada instead, but that wasn't Luke's style. He was a Duke, and a Duke never turned tail and ran, even when they should have. He believed that it was only a matter of days before his letter came, so he decided to take control of his own future. Rather than waiting to be summoned, he joined voluntarily. The way he saw it was that if he was going to go anyway, he may as well decide for himself how he wanted to serve his country. Signing up gave him more opportunities to learn what he wanted and to decide how he wanted to help, or so he thought. It also provided a higher rate of pay, and money was something that was never in abudance in Luke's family.

Luke Duke had come to live on the farm after a fire had claimed the lives of his family. His father's oldest brother and his wife had taken him in as a young boy, and treated him as if he were their very own. For a little while, it had just been the three of them. He missed his parents, but in time he grew to love his Aunt Lavinia and Uncle Jesse very much.

Just when he had accepted his new life, an automobile accident claimed the second of Jesse's brothers, along his wife, leaving another orphaned Duke child in the world. As they had with Luke, they welcomed his cousin, Daisy, with open arms. She was a year younger than himself, and at first, she had been so sad that he hadn't really gotten to know her very well. After she started adjusting, Luke discovered that she was cool, for a gal, and they became friends. She was a pretty little girl, but acted more like a boy, able to keep up with her male cousin in most everything. Unfortunately, she was still a girl, and what Luke Duke really wanted was a brother. God had given him one, but snatched him away in the same fire that killed his mom and dad. Hence, enter Beauregard.

In a cruel twist of fate, the Good Lord snatched up the last of Jesse's brothers, the youngest of the Duke siblings. Though it hadn't been easy losing any of them, Jesse had always had a soft spot for the baby of his family, and his death had been the hardest to accept. Perhaps it was because he was closest to his blonde brother, perhaps it was because his death followed so closely the deaths of his other two siblings, or perhaps it was because his sister-in-law had just died giving birth to a baby who had his own problems. It just didn't seem fair that God had sent the little boy into the world with so many obstacles, only to take his parents away and leave him all alone.

Little Beauregard was only six months old when Jesse and Lavinia agreed to accept custody. Even though they told Luke and Daisy that their little cousin, who was coming to live with them, was just a baby, Luke didn't quite understand what that meant. All he knew was that he was a boy, and he thought he was finally getting the brother he'd always wanted. Luke also didn't fully comprehend that besides being a baby, Bo was very sick. Plagued by severe health issues, the doctors weren't holding out much hope that he'd see his teenage years. That still didn't phase Luke. He was so excited when he was told that another little boy was coming to live with them that he was even prepared to share his prize toy cars. They were going to have so much fun he couldn't hardly wait.

The dark haired boy couldn't have been more surprised when his aunt and uncle came home with the newest addition to their family. He was expecting a boy not someone that couldn't even walk, and judging by the way his aunt was carrying him, he couldn't. Not only could he not walk, but he couldn't talk, either. Luke wanted to know how they were going to have fun when they couldn't communicate. His uncle Jesse warned him that Beauregard would have his own way of letting them know what he wanted. Luke and Daisy peered down at their cousin. Daisy was in heaven, thinking that he was adorable, just like one of her dolls. Luke rolled his eyes, wondering what a boy like himself would need with a doll. Still, when he took a closer look, he had to admit that there was something special about the little guy. When his aunt told the baby that Luke was his cousin, his little eyes and face lit up, as if he understood. Luke picked up his hand, amazed that it worked for as small as it was. Bo latched on to Luke's with a grip that was stronger than one would have expected. The baby then started making all kinds of weird noises, which Luke couldn't help but laugh at. It was clear that even though he was little, he had taken a liking to his oldest cousin, and Luke couldn't help but like him in return.

There was only one, other thing that bothered the older child. He told his aunt and uncle that he just didn't look like a Beauregard. Uncle Jesse told Luke that a lot of folks with that name preferred to be called Bo, and Luke stated emphatically that he looked like a Bo. Everyone agreed, and from that day forward, Beauregard Duke was known as Bo Duke, something the blonde later thanked his cousin for. As he got older, he confided that he really hated the name Beauregard, and would have legally changed it himself, when he got older, if that's what everyone had called him. It also saved him from being nicknamed something much worse.

From the minute he came to the farm, it was clear that he and Luke were about as opposite as two people could get. Luke was dark, Bo was blonde. Luke was quiet, Bo wasn't, except when he was sick, and then everyone wished he would be loud. As he grew, he was in and out of the hospital constantly, and when he was ill, he'd be confined to his bed or the couch. Yet, when he was feeling good, he was more rambuncious than either of his older cousins, and he showed a zest for living from an early age. It was almost as if he sensed that his years might be numbered, so he needed to enjoy every minute he had. He could be whiny when he was well, but when he was ill, he hardly ever complained. The only things that ever really bothered him were needles and being in the hospital alone, and he'd experienced enough of both to have an understandable fear of them.

Due to his age and health, Bo quickly became everyone's favorite. Jesse, Lavinia, and Daisy all doted on him, and Luke soon became his protector. Bo gobbled up the attention, and learned early on how to flash his smile and use his big eyes to get exactly what he wanted. Even though he ate it up, he was the first to return it, always quick to offer a hug or kiss as easily as he'd ask for one. Yet, it didn't take long to see that Luke was the one he was joined at the hip with. Bo Duke worshipped the ground that his oldest cousin walked on, and Luke would have found it
impossible not to reciprocate those strong feelings. As the years went by, Luke watched everything that Bo had been forced to endure, and the young boy began to earn the respect of the older one.

Then, when Bo was eight, they were sent a miracle. Finally diagnosed correctly, they were told that a new procedure had been developed that could correct the restriction to his lungs. Bo hadn't had asthma, after all. After a few weeks, the only reminder of his previous death sentence was a small scar and his small size. Once he was fully recovered, Bo and Luke Duke became equal partners in everything, though Luke never slipped out of his role as that of protector. Anyone that hurt Bo had to answer to him, and he was quite capable of defending them both.

Luke had gotten his wish, and he couldn't have asked for a better brother if he had been allowed to hand pick him. However, all teenagers feel a need for a certain amount of independence, and Luke was no exception. When he first entered high school, he tried to put a little distance between him and Bo. He didn't want to hurt the boy, but it wasn't always cool to have a little one tagging along. Luckily, most of Luke's friends liked Bo and accepted him into their circle, and the phase didn't last too long.

Then came the day. The hardest thing Luke ever had to do was to tell Bo that he was leaving the farm. The blonde had just turned 15 and couldn't understand why Luke had voluntarily offered to go.

"Ya did what? Why?" he shouted.

"Because Bo, it's better this way. I'll get to have some say so in what I do, and it pays more, which ya know Uncle Jesse can always use."

"You mean you want to go?" Bo asked, as the tears flowed down his cheeks.

"Of course I don't want to go!"

"Then why offer?" Bo demanded.

"Because you and I both know that it's only a matter of days before the letter comes. Most of my friends are already gone. They just ain't going forget about me."

"You don't know that!" Bo accused. "They might not call you, and even if they do, it might not be for a long time. I just don't understand!" he screamed, running out of the barn as Luke pleaded with him to stop.

Though he never came right out and said it, Luke could see in his cousin's eyes that Bo believed he was abandoning him. His baby cousin always had insecurities about the people that he loved most leaving him. Life on the farm was all Bo ever knew, but he also understood that he had been born to parents; parents that had been snatched away. In some ways, it should have been easier for him, not able to remember losing his mom and dad, but it wasn't. Bo feared that those he loved would die and leave him, just like his parents, and he was even more afraid of that than of needles and hospitals. Nightmares had plagued him from an early age, and they were almost always the same; someone died. Luke held the record for dying the most in Bo's subconscious thoughts, and Luke understood that this was his biggest fear come true.

The boy came home later that night, not knowing whether to be angry or afraid. He finally admitted that he was more scared than mad, and for the next two weeks, he virtually clung to his oldest cousin. Fearing for Bo, Luke only had one choice. He told his adopted baby brother that he loved him, and promised that he would come back, alive. Most people would have told Luke that making a promise like that was unfair since he couldn't guarantee that he'd be able to keep it, but the oldest Duke boy knew he had to. If he didn't, it would destroy Bo, and this wasn't a request he was making of God, it was an order.

Nothing could have prepared Luke for what he lived through in the jungles of southern Asia. It had been a terrible experience, and he still had two years to go. Luke knew that he'd carry the scars for the rest of his life, emotional as well as physical. The only thing that kept him sane was his memories of his life in Georgia and his family, mostly the cousin that worshipped the ground he walked on. He had an old, worn picture of the two of them together that had been taken about a year before he shipped out. He looked at it several times a day, keeping it on him at all times, remembering his cousin's face, his smile, his voice, and the way his eyes danced with mischief even when he was being good. He hadn't thought it possible, but he soon discovered that he loved his baby brother more every day, and he was already the most important person in his life.

Luke waited for the letters. Bo wrote all the time, never knowing how much it meant to the recipient. The first nine months that he was gone, those hand scratched notes were the only thing he had to look forward to. They were so Bo, so full of life. His cousin would tell him everything, no matter how trivial, and in some ways, they made Luke feel as if he had never left. He'd also send him things like candy on the holidays and other little momentos. He won a ribbon in track and sent it to him just so that he could share something, writing that he didn't have anything else. Luke appreciated it, and wrote back saying it really had cheered him up, but he was still returning it. He wrote that he didn't want to see it get destroyed the way he'd seen so many other things ruined. He knew that Bo was proud of it, finally being able to participate in sports after being on the sidelines for so many years because of his health, and Luke didn't want to be responsible for its destruction. Of course, the best part of Bo's letters were the parts that told him how much he missed him and how much he loved him in an uninhibited way that was only Bo.

Shortly before Luke's one year anniversary of being gone, something changed. The letters didn't even resemble the writer that Luke knew anymore. They started getting shorter and shorter, and his cousin shared less and less. He stopped sending the little things, and the notes started getting fewer and further between. Though he would still write that he loved and missed him, the tone Bo started using was almost formal. It was a-typical of his free spirited cousin, and as Luke read them, he thought that they sounded like Bo was writing to an acquaintence rather than his best friend; one that he might never see again. He became so concerned that he wrote to his uncle about it.

Luke was shocked when he received the reply. Jesse confirmed that Bo had indeed changed after a rumor started flying around town. Apparently, a few spiteful people had made up stories that the real reason Luke had joined the Marines was to simply get away from Bo. They told him that deep down, Luke had never even liked him. He had been forced to be his friend by his uncle, who was real big on family. Jesse Duke informed his oldest nephew that the ugly innuendos weren't just spreading through town, people were actually saying these things right to Bo's face. Of course, he'd told his youngest that it was hogwash and it wasn't true, and for a while, he seemed to accept that. Then something happened, and both he and Daisy noticed a sudden change in his personality, almost overnight. He tried to find out what had caused it, but everytime he asked, Bo pretended that everything was fine, saying that he didn't know what his uncle was talking about. Bo said he didn't believe the stories, but Jesse believed that he did. Like his letters, Bo became quiet and reserved.

Luke was furious, unable to believe that anyone could be that vicious. He swore that if he ever found out who had started such lies, they'd be answering directly to him. However, it was his cousin's reaction that really puzzled him. Luke knew that Bo had insecurities. He had seen the doubt in his blue eyes when he told him that he had joined the service, but he thought they'd worked all that out. Luke never imagined that anyone could make Bo doubt his true place in his heart or the way that he really felt about him. It sounded perposterous that someone could convince the blonde that after all the years they'd been together, Luke had only been following orders. Surely Bo didn't think he was that good of an actor to have been able to have fooled him all that time.

So, the last year, he'd spent worried about Bo. He tried desperately to convey in his own letters to his baby cousin how much he missed him and how much he loved him. He reverted to Bo's ability to be totally open, something that Luke wasn't as comfortable about. He never let on that Uncle Jesse had told him anything. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be doing any good. Bo's letters just got shorter and more formal, and Jesse and Daisy weren't exactly forthcoming with how bad things really were. That's why Luke had been so desperate to get home, even if it was only for a visit.

"Hey buddy, we're here!" Cooter announced, shaking his friend's shoulder.

Luke looked around at the farm where he had grown up; at least it hadn't changed. It was a warm summer night. All the lights were on in the house, and the doors and windows were open to let in the light breeze. Luke closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to imagine what each of his family members were doing inside.

The dark haired Duke opened the door, and stepped out. He was positive that once Bo saw him again, all that jibberish about Uncle Jesse forcing Luke to befriend him would be forgotten. Taking another deep breath, he followed Cooter up the steps. He was home, if only temporarily.