A/N - Author's Notes at the End

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

UNCLE, UNCLE

CHAPTER 55

PASSING THE TORCH

Having heard the laughing coming from her uncles' part of the house, Ashley sighed, then smiled. She wasn't happy about what BL had done, but it wasn't as if she couldn't understand it. Always bottling things up, eventually the pressure had to be released, and it was no wonder that the lid finally blew off. She'd been trying so hard to tend to everyone, namely Luke, that she'd missed the turmoil her oldest child was enduring. Though she wasn't sure how she and Matthew would handle his little outburst, she didn't consider it to be the end of the world. In fact, it might have been a very good thing that it happened. At home, in a controlled environment, it could have been much worse under other circumstances. Yet, the way it prompted her Uncle Luke into action, that was the best. Had it not happened, she couldn't be sure that anything or anyone would have ever reached him. She'd been trying and hadn't gotten anywhere. Despite the fact that BL had always sought out Bo, Luke and her son were so much alike, and now she prayed that they might be able to help each other.

Moving to Daisy's bedroom, Ashley laid the little girl down. The only good thing about her daughter's tantrums was that the parents could count on a long nap to follow. This one, though, hadn't been her fault, but while they were reflecting on lessons learned, she hoped that the little one might have learned one from her big brother that day. True, she was young, but by the age of five, the boys were already able to remember the really important things, and didn't keep asking the same questions over and over. Her daughter's constant questioning of where her Uncle Bo upset her, too. She just never realized how much it had upset her sons. They tried to explain the concept of dying, and understood that they'd have to repeat it from time to time. They didn't expect to have to do it several times a day, however, and even if the day's events limited the number of times the little girl asked, Ashley knew how to be thankful for small things, too.

When Matthew came in from the fields, Ashley was waiting for him, glad that the boys were still with Luke. Privacy was not something they always got a lot of, even at night in their own room. Duke and Daisy were prone to nightmares, so they never knew when to expect one to come calling. Ashley explained what had happened, almost amused by the expression on her husband's face.

"BL did that?" he asked.

"Yep," she confirmed, giving him a minute to digest what she had told him.

After discussing it in greater detail, they knew that they had to have a serious talk with their eldest. Breaking and throwing things was never acceptable, especially when they weren't your things, and technically, none of the ruins had belonged to him. Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt that it would never happen again, and if it did, the penalties would be twice as severe, they waited for the prodigal son to return. Asking Duke to wait in their room or to go outside and play, Ashley and Matthew addressed the situation, grinning at the relief on his face. Kissing her husband, Ashley then excused herself.

"I've gotta go see how Uncle Luke is doing," she said, waiting for his nod.

Walking into the house where she had grown up, Ashley stood in the doorway. The table and chairs had been turned upright, and Luke was on his hands and knees, gathering up the debris.

"I'll do that, Uncle Luke," she offered, getting down on her own knees next to him. "I'm real sorry about this."

Luke stopped what he was doing, placing his hand on his niece's arm and stopping her. Waiting for her to look at him, he responded. "No pumpkin, I'm the one who's sorry," he said, choking on the last word.

"Why? You didn't do this?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated, "for not being there, for the kids…or you."

"Oh Uncle Luke, you don't have nothing to be sorry for," Ashley told him as she wrapped her arms around his shaking shoulders.

"Yeah I do," he corrected, "I should have been there, instead of making you take care of me."

"You've always been there, you and Uncle Bo. Nothing wrong with me taking care of you for a little while."

"I'm just so sorry," he repeated.

"Me too," she whispered.

"You ain't got nothing to be sorry bout."

"Yeah, I do. I'm sorry for upsetting ya like I did," she said. Seeing that he wasn't following her, she continued, "at the funeral. With the General. I just wanted to do something special for Uncle Bo. I shouldn't have done it," she admitted, remembering how it caused her living uncle to collapse.

"Ah, Ashley, that was beautiful. Don't be sorry for that. I'm glad you did it, and I know Bo loved it."

With those words, Ashley could no longer hold back her own tears. Comforted by Luke's strong arms, she laid her head on his shoulder. Matthew had been there for her every minute, and it only made her love him more, but she loved him in a different way than she loved her uncles. The grief she felt associated with the loss of one uncle could only truly be shared with the other, and until then, neither had really been able to accept the other's. The comfort was only fitting coming from those that knew and loved the lost one best, and that was her and Luke. "I miss him," she cried.

"Me too," Luke agreed, as they sat there together, both undergoing a small amount of healing.

Opening the gate for the second time that day, Ashley stepped inside. "I'm back. I told ya I would be," she grinned as she kneeled down and kissed each of the markers that held the most meaning to her. Finally sitting next to the one on the end, Ashley reached out and traced the engraved letters with her fingers. 'Beauregard Robert Duke.' Watching the patterns she was making with her fingertips, the story began again.

The survivors of the Duke family made more progress in that single afternoon than in all the days that followed, and each day did bring a new sunrise and sunset. Life wasn't the same, it never would be again, and that was a fact. They couldn't go back, no matter how much they may have wanted to, and Luke had already proven that you couldn't simply sit and let the world pass you by. He'd tried; it didn't work, either. So that left them with no choice but to go on, each in their own way.

Daisy Mae did learn her lesson about asking the same questions over and over, and only asked about her Uncle Bo on occasion, and only to her parents, when they were alone. BL reverted to his mild nature, never again showing the secret side of him that had caused such an outburst. Duke stopped crying, at least not all the time. Matthew continued to watch over his family, and Luke rejoined him in the fields, looking forward to another good harvest.

Yet, Bo had been loved and he was missed, and they all had their moments when they missed him the most. Daisy turned to her mom and dad, the boys turned more to Luke or to each other, Ashley turned to Luke or Matthew, and Luke turned to Ashley. It was what being a family was all about, and Bo had been a part of that family. They couldn't have forgotten him had they tried, and they didn't. No one wanted to forget about the upbeat blonde with the million dollar smile, and they wanted him to know that he hadn't been forgotten. So every morning, Ashley hiked the hill to see him, and the kids made frequent visits, too. Luke, however, could often be found there, sitting next to the headstone and talking to his cousin as if he were right there beside him.

While Ashley and the kids were starting to go forward, looking to the future, Luke was spending more time looking to the past. He functioned, he walked, worked, and talked, and while his eyes did not resemble the zombie's that had appeared after Bo had died, they'd never completely regained their luster, either. Ashley knew that it was harder on Luke than on any of them, and she imagined it always would be. Though he started seeing Ruthie again, Luke had lived with Bo for almost sixty years. They were as much a part of each other as any two people had ever been, and when Bo left, he left a part of himself with Luke, but took a part of Luke with him. Still, Luke was trying and that was all that anyone could ask of him.

Then giving both Ashley and Luke something to concentrate on, Ashley's focus turned to the book she had been working on for some time. With Bo's passing, finishing it had almost become an obsession, and she knew that until it was done, everything else would only get her half-hearted effort. Stepping in for Bo, Luke helped her with the facts and stories. Somehow driven, she made more progress in a short time than she had in all the months that had proceeded, and the pages started flying off of her printer. She also discovered a skill that she didn't know she possessed, but nothing compared to the hours that she spent with her uncle, and the history that she either learned or relived with him.

In a matter of weeks, she managed to finish what she hadn't managed to accomplish in months, and in her opinion, the end product was good. When she let Matthew and Luke read it, they agreed, though Luke still doubted that it would be of any interest to anyone outside the family. Matthew, however, disagreed and encouraged his wife to seek the advice of an editor, which she did, and the experts concurred with her husband. Yet, the excitement of having something she wrote published was short lived.

Moving her hand, Ashley began tracing the letters of the marker sitting next to Bo's. 'Lucas K. Duke.'

She knew that both of her uncles thought she was crazy when she had first announced her intention to write about their family, but a publishing company in Atlanta disagreed. After sending them a copy of her finished masterpiece, they also thought that that the Duke's story was not only interesting, but it should be shared. Contrary to Bo and Luke's original doubts, a publishing contract was on it's way. The kids were ecstatic; their mom was going to be famous, and the money wasn't bad, either. Promising the family a trip to Busch Gardens that summer, Ashley was anxious to share a place with her children that her uncles had shared with her, and was looking forward to re-visiting a place with her uncle that they had once been; a place that had been instrumental in plotting the course of her own future. Yet, for Ashley, what was important was the story of her family, and the ability to share it. Rich in history, she had an unusual childhood, but had been blessed with two wonderful uncles, and she wanted the world to know a fraction of how wonderful they were, even though one was only with them in spirit.

"I was wrong," Luke said, throwing up his hands in defeat. Kidded for his inability to say those words in youth, he'd long overcome that speech impediment. "And, we're very proud of ya," he told his niece, speaking in the plural as if Bo had authorized him to speak on his behalf.

Ashley grinned, thanking both of them, but being able to only throw her arms around one of them.

Having been paged for an emergency, Ashley left Matthew and the kids at BL's basketball game. Knowing that it would be over before she made it back to the school, she decided to go home instead. It wasn't that late, and seeing the lights on inside the older portion of the farmhouse, Ashley wondered if her uncle might be interested in a game of checkers, a pastime that she and her uncle still enjoyed.

"Uncle Luke," she called, stepping inside the house. Receiving no answer, she wondered what he was doing. The lights were on, the TV was on, and everything appeared normal, except her uncle was missing. Checking the bathroom, she found it to be empty. Never expecting to find him in his bedroom, since it was dark and the lights in the main room were on, she only casually glanced in. Able to make out the figure in the bed, she figured it had to be him unless Goldilocks had found her way to Hazzard. "Uncle Luke?" she called again, hoping that he hadn't taken ill as there was no other reasonable explanation for him to have went to bed without turning everything off. Flicking on the light, Ashley's face fell. She just knew. No longer needing speed, Ashley slowly walked to the bed, her cheeks wet by the time she made it. "Uncle Luke!" she cried, lowering herself down to lay beside her resting uncle.

After crying for how long, she didn't know, Ashley raised her head. Though her heart was breaking, she saw something that made her realize that her grief was for her own loss. A small smile was still on Luke's face, and she hadn't seen him look that happy since before her other uncle had died. Whether he knew or was surprised, he wasn't mourning. He was obviously pleased, and Ashley couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't seeing Bo that left him looking that way. If she'd had her way, she wouldn't have let him go just yet, but if he had to, she liked to think that it was Bo who had come for him. Nothing would have made Luke happier, and that offered her some comfort.

"Ashley, honey, you in…….here?" Matthew called to her, pausing as he saw what was going on.

Trying to stop the children, Matthew wasn't quick enough. They darted past him, going to their mother and their great-uncle. Like their mother, they knew, too.

"Did Uncle Luke go to sleep like Uncle Bo?" Daisy Mae asked.

"Yes, honey," Ashley told her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because Uncle Luke wanted to be with Uncle Bo, didn't he mom?" Duke asked.

"Yes baby, I think he did."

"He didn't like being here with us?" Daisy wondered.

"Oh sure he did, baby," Ashley said. "He just couldn't be with us and Uncle Bo, too, and God must have wanted him to come live with both of them."

"BL says they're ain't no God!" Daisy reminded her mother.

Ashley looked to her son, knowing that whatever she said wouldn't sound as credible.

"I was wrong, Daisy," BL told his little sister.

"Yeah, you were wrong bout Santa Claus and the tooth fairy, too," Daisy spat back.

"Come on kids," Matthew called. "We'll talk bout that later."

Hustling them out of the room, Matthew left Ashley and Luke alone for what would be one of the last times.

Unlike the day of Bo's funeral, the weather couldn't have been more perfect. Blue sky and bright sunshine provided an unusually warm day for early January, and though it was a time of mourning, the atmospheric conditions did not add to the weight of their sorrow.

Ashley had provided a special tribute to her Uncle Bo; her uncle Luke deserved no less. Confident that Matthew and the kids would be fine for a little while without her, this time, Ashley intended on delivering her salute, personally. Maybe it wasn't a 21 gun salute, but Ashley was sure that her uncles would have considered it a compliment. In a perfect jump, she was also sure that they would have been proud of her.

Later that night, Ashley stood in the barn, running her hand along the cool surface, as she pulled the cover over it. "I promise, I'll take care of him," she vowed. "And, I'll make sure that het gets taken out." Though she would do everything in her power to ensure that the General never ended up forgotten or unloved, she doubted that anyone would ever love the old Charger the way her uncles had.

High pitched voices turned her attention outside, and as she watched her boys chasing each other round in their good clothes, she somehow had the feeling that the General Lee just may have been given a second lease on life. Of course, she'd teach BL, Duke, and even Daisy Mae how to jump; it was their birthrite, and it wasn't difficult to close her eyes and picture her children someday tearing up the countryside, the same way her uncles and her own mother once had. They all loved cars. BL loved to work on them, Duke loved the idea of driving them, and even Daisy Mae loved painting them, pink. Her boys, especially, were a complimented set, a lot like her uncles had been. Yet Bo and Luke Duke were the originals, and anyone else would only be following in their footsteps. However, she was not about to tell her boys that; they'd learn soon enough, and along the way, they'd learn to walk in those impressions while carving out their own. Things would never be the same, but they weren't meant to be. Time and progress couldn't be stopped, and each generation had a right to use their past to mold their own future. The Dukes were no different, and the torch had been passed. A new generation of Dukes were about to make their own mark on Hazzard.

Pulling her hand back as she traced the final 'e' on Luke's headstone, Ashley smiled. Flipping open the cover of the book, her eyes filled with tears as a chuckle escaped her lips.

"Well, ya'll thought I was crazy, but here it is, hot off the presses," she said, holding it up. "The book about our family that you said no one would want to read, and yes, I knew exactly what you were saying," she added. "Well, not only did they publish it, they're even talking about making it into a TV show, or a movie! So ha!" she emphasized with a nod of her head, putting them into their place as if they were right there with her.

Pausing a moment, she turned serious and somewhat shy. "The first page is my favorite," she informed them. "Want me to read it to ya? I thought so," she replied, answering her own question. "Well okay, here goes:

Every family has a history. This one is mine. During the good times, it's easy for a family to stay together. Getting through the bad times is when a person is put to the test. The ones that come out stronger usually have that one special person that kept them together. I had two. I didn't have what a lot of folks would call a traditional childhood, and there were those that felt sorry for me. They needn't have. I may have lost my parents before I'd been on this earth for even one day, but I was well cared for and loved, and as I grew up, I found myself feeling sorry for everyone else. An orphan by definition, I've never been alone for I grew up with the best parents anyone could have ever asked for: my Uncle Bo and Uncle Luke Duke, and it's to them that I dedicate this book."

Taking a deep breath, Ashley continued. "You know, it took me longer to write those few sentences than it did a lot of the chapters," she giggled. "But it had to be perfect, cause only the best will do for you two. This here is the first copy and it's only fitting that it goes to you. I even autographed it," Ashley laughed.

Closing the hard cover, Ashley placed it in a plastic cover to protect it from the elements. Bending over, she positioned it between Bo and Luke's resting places. Lovingly running another hand over the plastic to smooth it out, she let it rest there.

"I love you both, and I miss ya, but I know that you're together and you're happy. So, I'll see you tomorrow," she promised, rising to her feet.

The glint of the sun caught the gold embossing on the front, and for a moment, she could have sworn that it was wink. Turning to take another look, Ashley was satisfied that the book was secure and the cover was visible to anyone within a reasonable distance. Even as she closed the gate from outside, the vibrant gold title was legible: "Uncle, Uncle," she read. Turning to make her way back toward the house, she could feel her uncles walking alongside her. Though gone in body, Hazzard county would always be home to the spirits and souls of the Dukes, and hundreds of years later, those spirits would still be roaming the countryside of one Georgia county.

The End

Author's Notes: Well, what can I say? No, I never expected this to take over a year to complete, and I certainly do appreciate all the patience and feedback that those of you that have stuck with me have extended to me:)

I've enjoyed writing this story, and I'm dedicating this to all of the writers on fan fic who have expressed the desire to become writers:) Go for it! You'll never know until you try! And that's where the part about 'the book' actually came from:) - for ya'll! (LOL).

So, until next time - keep it 'tween the ditches!'