Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Angst

Rating: K+

A/N: This is my first attempt at writing a Dukes kid story. In this one Luke is 7; Daisy is 5 and Bo is 3.

Summary: When Martha is sick, Jesse leaves the kids with his sister Lavinia. Will the family survive the terrible event that takes place?

Italics and/or indicates thoughts.

Trouble on the Horizon

Chapter 1

Jesse woke up with the crowing of the rooster. Throwing back the covers, he climbed out of the bed. "Martha, time to get up," he called to his wife, who was surprisingly still huddled under the covers. Pulling on his work boots, he moved back over to the bed and began to pull back the covers. "Martha dear," he called, reaching out to shake her shoulder. Jerking his hand back, Jesse was surprised at the heat he felt coming from his wife's skin. Deciding to let Martha sleep, he moved quietly out of the bedroom and headed outside to take care of the morning chores.

Finishing up the chores, Jesse came back inside and started cooking breakfast. While the potatoes were cooking, he walked down the hall and woke the kids up, thankful it was a Saturday. "Luke, son it's time to get up," Jesse called to his oldest nephew.

"Yes sir," Luke mumbled sleepily, slowly getting out of the bed.

"Your Aunt Martha ain't feeling good so I need you to get Bo and Daisy up while I cook breakfast. Can ya do that son?"

"Yes sir, Uncle Jesse is Aunt Martha gonna be okay?" Luke asked fearfully, remembering when his own mother had taken ill shortly before she died.

"Sure she is Luke, ya ain't got to worry none, I promise. She's just got this flu that's going around is all," Jesse assured his nephew.

"Okay Uncle Jesse," Luke replied, his uncle's promise relieving him of his worries.

Twenty minutes later, the three kids came to the table for breakfast. Sitting down at the table, they bowed their heads for grace.

As Jesse began to say the grace, he let one eye peak open and grinned at little Bo reaching for a flaky biscuit. "Bo!" Jesse barked at his youngest, hiding his smile with his hand when Bo jerked back like he'd been burned.

When breakfast was over, Jesse started Luke and Daisy on washing the dishes, while he fixed a cup of weak tea and some dry toast for Martha. Walking into the bedroom a few minutes later, Jesse sat the tray on the nightstand before trying again to wake Martha.

"Jesse," Martha rasped out, "What is it?"

"I brought you a little something to eat," Jesse explained, surprising Martha.

Turning over slightly, Martha noticed the sunlight coming in through the window. "My word, what time is it Jesse? Why did you let me sleep so late?" Martha asked, fighting against Jesse's hand as she tried to throw back the cover.

"Now Martha you just stay in this bed, you're sick and need to rest," Jesse ordered.

"I can't Jesse, you got work to do and the kids need breakfast," Martha protested, still trying to get up.

"Don't you worry none about that, I already fed the kids. Before you ask, Luke and Daisy are washing the dishes. So you just sit here and enjoy your tea and toast. I'm gonna call Lavinia and see if she can take care of the kids for a few days."

"Well, you've just got it all figured out don't ya? I have to admit I wouldn't mind a few days rest, and it is kind of nice having you wait on me a bit," Martha gently teased.

Settling the tray over Martha's lap, Jesse brushed her hair back from her face. Before he could comment on the heat he felt, a crash was heard from the kitchen, followed by a small cry. "I'll take care of it, you stay in bed," Jesse ordered, placing a small kiss on her forehead and hurrying from the room.

"Uncle Jesse I'm sorry, I didn't see him," Luke rushed to explain while picking up the broken pieces of the cookie jar.

Taking in the scene, Bo standing on a chair next to the counter, tears streaming down his face, cookie jar broken on the floor, Jesse knew what had happened. "It's alright Luke, it ain't your fault," Jesse assured, moving over to the chair and scooping Bo into his arms.

"Were you trying to get a cookie Bo?"

Nodding his head, Bo stuck a thumb into his mouth and lay his head on Jesse's shoulder.

"And what did your Aunt Martha tell you about getting cookies?" Jesse firmly asked.

"Not to," Bo mumbled quietly.

"Bo, I can't hear ya when you mumble," Jesse prompted his youngest.

"She say not to," Bo repeated, speaking louder this time.

"But you did anyway and you broke the cookie jar, now what do you suppose that means?"

"Spankin'?" Bo replied, biting his bottom lip and trying not to cry.

Sitting on the chair Bo had recently been standing on, Jesse turned the little boy over his knee and gave him several swats on his behind. Carrying Bo back into the living room, Jesse put the boy on the floor and called Luke into the room. "Luke come here please."

"Yes Uncle Jesse?"

"Could you take Bo to the bathroom and help him clean his face? I'll take care of the kitchen," Jesse told him, patting the boy on the back as he passed into the other room.

"Yes sir," Luke replied. Reaching down he took hold of the younger boy's hand and led him down the hall.

As soon as he had cleaned up the mess in the kitchen, Jesse called his youngest sister Lavinia. "Lavinia sweetheart, how are you doing this morning?"

"I'm fine Jesse, what's wrong?"

"You know that must be why you're my favorite sister, never could put anything past ya. I hate to bother you sis, but Martha's sick with that flu and I've got a lot of work to do, you know what Spring time is like. Do you think you could take care of the youngin's for a few days?"

"Of course I can Jesse, I'll be at your place in about an hour. Do you want me to stay there with y'all or are the kids coming here?" Lavinia brightly asked, the smile on her face clearly heard in her voice.

"Well I think Martha will probably rest better if the kids stay with you, if ya don't mind?" Jesse replied.

"That's fine Jesse, I'll be there soon," Lavinia told him. Hanging up the phone, Lavinia picked up her purse and keys, before heading outside. Driving towards her older brother's place, she couldn't help thinking it would've been nice if this had happened a week later. Oh well, Bo will just have to sleep in the crib for a few days. Unless I can get Bob Hawkins to bring that new bed over tommorrow and get it set up, Lavinia thought to herself as she planned for the unexpected visit.

Pulling into the driveway of the Duke family farm, Lavinia turned the engine off and climbed out from behind the wheel. Running a hand through her long brown hair, she smiled at the sight of the three kids running towards her from the porch.

"Aunt Lavinia!" They called out as they ran, the two oldest reaching her a moment before the youngest and wrapping their thin arms around her.

"Well now who can you three be?"

"It's us Aunt Lavinia, Luke and Daisy and Bo, don't ya know us?" Luke asked, a serious look upon his young face.

"No, you can't be my little heathens, why y'all are much too clean," Lavinia teased the serious little boy. Rewarded with a giggle from the three children, Lavinia knelt down and gathered the three into her arms. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes ma'am, we missed you this much," Daisy replied, holding her arms as far apart as she could.

"Oh my, that is a lot," Lavinia replied. "So are you children ready to come to my house for a visit?"

"Yay!" The two youngest Duke children called out excitedly.

Looking at Luke, Lavinia noticed the worried, sad look in his eyes. "What 's wrong Luke? Don't you want to come visit me?"

"Yeah, but Aunt Martha's sick. Aunt Lavinia, is she gonna be okay?" Luke asked, his voice wavering as he tried his best to be a brave boy.

"Of course she is dear, didn't your Uncle Jesse tell you that?"

"Uh-huh, but maybe I should stay here and take care of her," Luke offered, afraid that if he left Aunt Martha would go away.

"That's very sweet of you to offer Luke, but I'm sure your uncle has everything taken care of. I'll tell you what, why don't you children put your things in my car while I talk to Jesse?"

Standing up, Lavinia continued on to the house, not surprised to see Jesse waiting on the porch for her. "Jesse," she greeted, placing a small kiss on his cheek as she came up beside him. "Luke's awfully worried about Martha you know?"

"I know, I told him it's just the flu but he's still worried."

"Maybe it'd be a good idea for him to see Martha before we leave. If he sees that she's not really that sick, it might make him worry less," Lavinia suggested.

"I was thinking the same thing," Jesse told her, smiling down into her blue eyes and gently tapping the end of her nose with his finger.

While Lavinia got Daisy and Bo settled into her car, Jesse took Luke to see Martha.

Squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath, Luke softly walked into the bedroom. Stopping in surprise when he saw his aunt sitting up in the bed, that wasn't what he'd expected. "Aunt Martha, ain't you sick?"

"Come on in Luke," Martha invited, waiting until he was standing next to her before continuing. "Yes Luke I am sick, but it's not that serious. I just have a little touch of the flu, your uncle just thought it would be nice if I could have a bit of rest."

"So, you ain't gonna die?"

"Oh no baby, I'm not going anywhere for a long time," Martha assured her nephew. Wrapping her arm around him, she drew him to her for a comforting hug. "I promise you Luke, I'll still be here when you get home. Now I want you to go to Aunt Lavinia's and have fun," Martha instructed, hoping she had been able to put Luke's fears at ease.

"I will, and I'll look out for Bo and Daisy too," Luke solemnly promised, bringing a smile to his aunt's face.

"I know you will Luke," Martha agreed. " You better go now, we don't want to keep Lavinia waiting," Martha suggested.

"Okay, bye Aunt Martha, see you in a few days," Luke said, giving his aunt a kiss and running outside.

"Dang it!" Lavinia cried out two days later, standing in the kitchen of her trailer as she realized that she was out of sugar. "Lavinia Duke what were you thinking? Starting a cake without making sure you have all the ingredients," Lavinia berated herself, thoroughly irritated. Nibbling at her bottom lip, she watched the two older children sitting in the living room, quietly coloring on this rainy Monday. Deciding that it would only take a few minutes to run out for sugar, Lavinia made the decision to leave the children alone for that short time.

"Luke honey?"

"Yes Aunt Lavinia?" Luke asked, looking up from his coloring book.

"Honey I need to run to the store, and I really don't want to wake Bo up, do you think you can watch him and Daisy? It'll only be for about thirty minutes," Lavinia assured him.

"Um, Aunt Lavinia how long is that?" Luke asked, worried about being left alone for very long.

"It's half an hour, no that don't help does it. It's one episode of Scooby Doo," Lavinia told him, knowing he'd recognize that time frame.

"Oh, okay I can do that," Luke agreed, one Scooby episode wasn't very long.

"Good boy, y'all just stay in here coloring and if Bo wakes up take him a juice cup but don't try to lift him out of the crib, okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

Lavinia had just picked up the bag of sugar in the store when the first clap of thunder sounded overhead. Hurrying towards the front of the store, she quickly paid for the sugar worried that the children would become frightened by the sudden storm. The sound of the civil defense siren blaring startled Lavinia so badly she nearly jumped out of her skin. "What is it?" Lavinia asked as she rushed up to the crowd near the door.

"Tornado," came the reply from behind the crowd, making Lavinia's blood run cold. "Come on in the back folks, that's the safest place in the store," the manager instructed after telling them about the tornado.

Fifteen minutes later, the siren blared again, signaling the all clear, as the sudden storm passed overhead. Dropping their groceries, the customers in the Cedar City general store rushed outside, wanting nothing more than to get home to their families.

Lavinia jumped into her car and shakily inserted the key into the ignition. Driving home as fast as she dared, Lavinia Duke hoped and prayed that the children would be okay. Finally pulling into the driveway, forty-five minutes since leaving it. Forty-five minutes and her life had changed forever. Stumbling from the car, Lavinia stared at the sight in her yard. Falling to her knees she screamed in terror and grief. There in front of her where her trailer once sat, the only thing she saw was the frame. Looking away from that spot, Lavina saw pieces of debris in every direction, but she didn't see the one thing she wanted to. No matter how hard she looked, the three children that her older brother had entrusted to her care were nowhere to be seen.

TBC

Well there's the first chapter, please let me know what you think. Please review