It was one of the coldest winters that Hazzard county had seen in a very long time, as a cold front was sweeping through all the southern states. The Duke cousins were walking out of the house, to head to the city to do a little, nearly last minute, shopping for Christmas. Daisy pulled her jacket a little tighter.
     “I can’t believe how cold it is.” Daisy said. “Do you think it’s going to snow for Christmas? I can’t remember ever having a white Christmas.”
     “The weather man says it might be a white Christmas.” Bo said.
     “Bah humbug.” Luke mumbled.
     “I think it’d be great to have a white Christmas.” Daisy said, smiling. “I can’t believe that Christmas is only two days away.”
The three cousins climbed into the bright orange car, better known as the General Lee, which belonged to Bo and Luke Duke.
     “You do realize the mall is going to be a mad house. I don’t know why you two insisted on actually doing some “Christmas” shopping.” Luke said.
     “Where’s your Christmas spirit, Luke?” Bo said.
Luke just shrugged and climbed into the car.
Daisy turned to look at her younger cousin. “What’s his problem?”
     “I don’t know he’s been acting like a jerk for the past week.” Bo said, trying to keep a hold on his short temper, and avoid fighting with Luke, something he really hated to do.
Bo helped Daisy into the car, as Luke started the car, Bo was half way into the car when Luke took off.
     “In a hurry?” Bo questioned, sarcastically.
     “Sooner we get there the sooner we’ll be done.” Luke said pointedly.
Bo went to say something back and Daisy put a hand on his shoulder and give him a look to ‘just drop it’ knowing that Bo was about to lose his temper and not wanting to be caught in the middle of a fight, between her two cousins. Bo reached over and turned on the radio, finding a radio station that was playing Christmas music. Luke reached over and turned off the radio.
     “Hey, some people were listening to that you know.” Bo said.
     “Yeah, so? I don’t want to.” Luke said.
     “Where is your Christmas spirit? You do know it is almost Christmas, don’t you?” Bo asked, his voice edged with sarcasm.
     “Yeah, merry Christmas, one and all.” was Luke’s glib reply.
     Tempers seemed to grow as they reached the over crowded mall.
     “I told you this wasn’t a good idea to come shopping.” Luke said. “I am going to wait in the car.”
     “But, Luke, it’s cold outside, we could be a while.” Daisy tried to argue.
     “So what, I’d rather freeze then spend another minute in this place.”
Daisy opened her mouth to argue but Bo cut her off. “Just let him leave, if he wants to act like a jerk let him.”
Luke narrowed his eyes at Bo but didn’t say anything, he instead just turned and walked away.
     “I really don’t get what is wrong with him.” Daisy said.
     “I don’t know, he never has had much Christmas spirit but this year he is acting worse then normal.” Bo said.
 Daisy and Bo continued to do their Christmas shopping, but their spirits were dampered by the argument they’d had with Luke, and neither had any fun. About an hour later they returned to the car, where Luke sat waiting. They climbed into the car.
     “If you knew it was such a ‘bad idea’ you didn’t have to come in the first place.” Bo said.
     “Just shut up, for once.” Luke said, not even glancing over at Bo, as he pulled out of the parking spot.
     “I will once you stop acting like such jerk.” Bo said.
     “Don’t be telling me what to do.” Luke said, angrily.
Daisy sat quietly as the two cousins continued to argue the whole way back to Hazzard County, the fight seeming to get worse, as harsher words were thrown back and forth.
    Luke pulled the General to a stop in front of the Duke farmhouse, Daisy slowly followed her cousin’s out of the car, wishing that the fighting would just end. Bo and Luke were both glaring at each other, their blue eyes flaring with anger.
    “I hate you, Luke Duke, I wish you never came to the farm!” Bo yelled in anger, and turned and stormed away from the     farm.
     “BO WAIT!” Daisy yelled after her younger cousin’s retreating form, though Bo didn’t stop he just continued to leave. Daisy looked at Luke. “Shouldn’t you go after him?”
     “Why should I?” Luke asked.
     “Because . . .” Daisy started to say unable to put her answer into words. “Because you are suppose to be his friend.” She finally said.
Luke didn’t say anything he just turned to walk into the house, Daisy stepped in front of him to stop him.
     “What is your problem, Luke?” Daisy asked.
     “I have no problem.” Luke said. “Bo wished I never came here well so do I.” Luke turned and walked away from the farm leaving in the opposite direction then that Bo had left in. Daisy sighed and sadly shook her head, and turned to walk into the house, the ways things were looking now it was going to be one sad Christmas.
     Luke stopped walking when he reached the creek, his temper having faded now he just felt depressed, regretting his fight with Bo. He sat down by the edge of the creek, ignoring the increasingly cold temperatures. He wanted to talk to someone about what he was feeling, usually the person he turned to talk was Bo, though he didn’t feel he could even talk to Bo about this. He thought about the last thing Bo had said to him and sighed deeply, realizing he very well could’ve ruined their friendship by the way he was acting and treating everyone.
     “I do wish I had never came to the farm.” Luke said out loud.
A woman appeared, wearing a long white robe, she looked old enough to be Luke’s mother.
     “Is that what you really want?” she asked.
     “Who are you?” Luke asked, looking up at her.
     “You didn’t answer my question.” She said.
     “Yes, it is what I really want.” Luke said.
She smiled at him. “Very well, it is done.” She said and vanished.
     “What the . . .” Luke said, his voice trailing off.
Luke stood up and walked back to the house.
     The first thing he noticed was that the General was not parked where he had left it.
     ‘Bo must have came back and took off with him.’ Luke thought to himself.
Luke went inside and stopped dead in his tracks, nothing was right.
     “What’s going on?” Luke asked.
Though nobody answered, nor even turned to look at him. Luke walked into the front room and saw his uncle sitting on the couch, talking to Bo, but Bo was only six years old.
     “What is going on?” Luke asked again.
The woman he had seen appeared beside them. “They can’t hear you, or see you. You never came to the farm.”
Luke stood watching as his uncle stepped away from Bo and walked over to the Christmas tree to help Daisy decorate.
     “Why ain’t Bo helping them?” Luke asked, feeling confused, nothing about this seemed right, it wasn’t at all like any of the childhood he remembered.
     “Bo doesn’t do very much, he just hides away by himself most the time.”
     “That ain’t at all like Bo.” Luke said.
     “Not the Bo you know.”
Luke walked over and knelt down by the couch and looked at Bo, he could see a haunted look in Bo’s dark blue eyes. He looked up at the strange woman. “What is wrong with him?”
     “He is a very sad child. He has never even spoken a single word to anyone.”
     “I find that had to believe, considering he never shuts up.” Luke said, though his voice was not at all unkind.
     “He doesn’t talk, he is too afraid, there has been nobody to give him the courage he needed.”
     “Uncle Jesse and Daisy would.” Luke said simply.
     “They are not who he needed. He loves them but he is still afraid of them.”
Luke glanced at Bo then back up at the strange woman. “Are you trying to say that just because I wasn’t here that Bo would be like this?”
She nodded. “You gave him that courage. Remember how quiet he once was, who were the only one he would even talk to.”
     “I forgot about that.” Luke said. “But he’d be fine with out me.”
     “Everybody has one person they are closest to. A soul that mirrors their own, that connects the spirits in a close bond, and both need each other.”
     “Yeah, right.” Luke said, disbeleivingly.
     “A soulmate can mean something other then two people in love, it can also be a term for two people that are best friends.”
     “You’re crazy. Bo doesn’t need me in his life, he is the one that said he never wanted me to have came to the farm, and if you are trying to claim that me and Bo is soulmates then you need to get your head examined.”
     “Does it look to you like Bo doesn’t need you?”
     “This ain’t really it is just an illusion.” Luke said.
     “You still don’t understand, do you?”
     “Understand what?” Luke asked.
     “Do you think Bo really meant what he said about not wanting you to ever have came to the farm, anymore then you would ever want him never to have came?”
      “I don’t know.” Luke said, quietly. “But I do know this can’t be really, Bo would be fine he is stronger then that.”
She just sighed and shook her head, Luke stood in awe as everything around him dissolved.
     Luke looked around and found himself standing in the Hazzard cemetery.
     “Who died?” Luke asked nervously.
     “Go see for yourself.” She said pointing over to where a small group of people.
Luke ran over, his heart racing, he only saw his uncle and Daisy, but not Bo. Luke slowly turned and looked at the tombstone, fearing what he was going to see. Luke paled when he read the name that stood out in bold black letters, Beauregard Duke.
     “No, he can’t be dead.” Luke said.
The strange woman appeared beside the tombstone. “He could no longer stand the silence that consumed him.”
     “No, he’d be fine. Bo would be okay without me.” Luke said.
     “Why can’t you accept what you see, and feel?”
     “He don’t need me.” Luke said, his legs giving out from under him and he dropped to his knees staring at the tombstone. "He was only fourteen.”
     “He ended his life to escape the silence and the loneliness.”
     “No.” Luke said, feeling tears burning in his eyes. “This can’t have happened.”
     “It didn’t happen because you were there for him, you always have been.”
Luke looked up at her. “How . . . could I have effected Bo’s life that much?”
     “You have to find that answer in yourself, I can’t tell you.”
     “But, Bo would be fine without me . . .if that would have been in the past. If I left now he’d be fine.” Luke said.
     “Is that what you want?”
Luke was quiet for a moment as he thought about the question. “No, I don’t want to leave.”
     “He still does need you, you are his best friend, his brother, your souls are connected.”
     “And I need him.” Luke said. “His friendship helped to save me . . . just as I saved him.”
She smiled at him. “You finally understand.”
    Everything around Luke once again dissolved and this time he found himself, once again down by the creek. He shivered as he realized how cold it was, noticing a few flakes of snow beginning to fall. Luke stood up and headed back towards the house, hoping that Bo was already back, knowing they needed to talk, he need to tell Bo about what was bothering him.
     Luke reached the farm, and saw the bright orange car out front, he smiled, and ran his hand along the hood as he walked past the car. His smile faded as he approached the door, he knew that Bo wasn’t there and had a feeling that Bo was in some kind of trouble. Luke turned and walked off in the direction that Bo had left in, watching carefully for any sign of his younger cousin as he walked through the woods. The snow began to fall heavier blanketing everything in whiteness.
     “BO?” Luke called out loudly through the silence, praying for a response, though none came.
Luke grew more worried with each passing second, his stomach in knots with worry. He reached the edge of the ravine that ran through the Duke’s property, he was literally holding his breath as peered down. Luke’s heart skipped a beat, at the bottom of the ravine he saw his cousin.
     “Bo.” Luke yelled down to his cousin.
Bo weakly lifted his head and looked up at Luke, his dark blue eyes clouded with pain.
     “I’ll be right down, just hang on.” Luke said, and carefully made his way down into the ravine.
Luke knelt down beside Bo, noticing Bo’s left leg was pinned beneath a pile of rocks, a smear of blood ran along the side of Bo’s temple.
     “I didn’t think anyone would be coming.” Bo said, his voice tired.
     “Well, I am here now.” Luke said. “What happened?”
     “The edge gave way.” Bo said, his eyes drifting.
     “Stay awake, okay.” Luke said, in a firm voice, fearing Bo had a concussion.
     “Yes, sir.” Bo said quietly. “I am sorry about what I said, Luke, I really didn’t mean it. I don’t know what I’d do without you, you are my best friend and like a brother.” Bo rambled as he tried to stay awake.
     “I know you didn’t mean it, neither did I. You really are like a brother to me. I am sorry for how I have been acting lately.” Luke said, starting to move the rocks off of Bo’s leg.
Bo cried out in pain as the rocks shifted on his injured leg.
     “Sorry.” Luke apologized sincerely.
     “My leg had gone numb . . . until you moved those rocks.” Bo said, tears of pain stung his eyes.
     “Sorry, but I have to get them off your leg.”
     “I know.” Bo said, closing his eyes.
     “Keep your eyes open, you have to stay awake.” Luke said.
     “I’m trying to.” Bo said as he opened his eyes and looked at Luke.
     “You’ll be fine, I’ll get you out of here.” Luke said.
     “I know you will. You have always saved me, always.”
     ‘I know, and so I have found out just how much I did save you.’ Luke thought to himself.
     “Are you going to tell me now what was bothering you?” Bo asked, though it wasn’t really a prying question, more a question of concern.
    " Um . . . “ Luke started to say, his voice trailing off.
     “You know that you can tell me anything.” Bo said.
     “I know.” Luke said, and smiled at his youngest cousin as he pushed away the last of the rocks, he looked at Bo’s injured leg and frowned, knowing he needed to get Bo to the doctor.
     “How bad is it?” Bo asked.
     “Well it is definitely broken.” Luke said, wrapping an arm around Bo and helping Bo to his feet.
Bo gave a groan of pain as he stepped lightly on his foot, sending a hot stabbing pain through his leg.
     “Just lean against me.” Luke said.
Bo leaned against Luke, as always trusting in whatever his cousin told him. “How are we going to get up to the top of the ravine?”
Luke was quiet for a moment as he thought about Bo’s question. “Do you think you’ll be able to put any pressure on your leg at all?”
     “No, I don’t think so, it hurts too much.” Bo said.
     “Guess I have to figure a way to carry you then.” Luke said.
     “You can just leave me and go for help.” Bo said.
Luke shook his head. “You need to get to a doctor and I don’t want to leave you here alone, especially if you have a concussion.”
     “Thanks.”
Luke nodded slightly. “Just slide your arms around my neck. I can carry you on my back.”
     “Are you sure?”
     “Yeah, I am.”
     “Well, okay.” Bo said sliding his arms around Luke’s neck.
Luke adjusted Bo’s weight then began the slow, cautious process of making his way up the wall of the ravine.
    It took Luke several minutes to reach the top, where he carefully adjusted Bo around to his side, so Bo was leaning against him, not having to use his injured leg as they slowed walked towards the farm.
    “How you doin’?” Luke asked.
    “Cold. Tired.” Bo replied.
    “Yeah, it’s quite cold. Just stay awake though, okay.”
    “Yes, sir.” Bo said. “You know I don’t think I ever seen it snow before.”
    “I did once.” Luke said, his voice sad.
    “You did?”
    “Yeah . . . unfortunately.” Luke said.
    “Why?” Bo asked, fighting off the sleep that kept trying to consume his mind.
    “Because it was snowing the day my parents died.” Luke said quietly.
    “Oh, Luke, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
    “I never really talked to anyone about it . . . “ Luke said.
    “Maybe it’ll help if you talk to me about it . . . help me stay awake.”
The last part of Bo’s sentence is what made Luke decide to talk to Bo, about what had happened and why it was effecting him this way.
     “It was just before Christmas . . . it was going to be a white Christmas. I was staying with Uncle Jesse while they did some Christmas shopping . . . they never made it home.” Luke said, fighting back the tears that burned in his eyes.
     “Sorry, I haven’t been understanding . . . especially this year . . . with the snow and all.”
     “It’s okay, Bo, you had no way of knowing what had happened, I never told you. I know I should’ve told you much sooner . . .but I couldn’t deal with it. I was only five when it happened and most the time I can barely remember what happened, barely remember them. With this cold front bringing the snow . . . it is just like when they died.”
     “How did it happen?”
     “Car accident. There was a big pile up on the highway when a semi truck skidded on black ice on the road . . . they were caught in the middle. I had wished that I had been with them that day . . .” Luke said, his voice trailing off.
     “I am glad that you weren’t.” Bo said.
     “So am I. Because if I had . . . “ Luke said, and turned his head to smile at Bo. “I would’ve never met my best friend, my brother.”
Bo smiled. “Me too.”
     “Sorry for how I been acting lately.” Luke apologized.
     “It’s okay, I understand. I wish you had told me sooner, but I do understand.”
     “Thanks, Bo.”
     A couple moments later they arrived back at the farm, and noticed that Jesse’s old white pick up truck was gone. Luke hoped that Daisy was home as he really didn’t want to be driving in the snow . . . too afraid that he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking of his parents death and lose control of the car and end up injuring or, worse yet, killing Bo. Luke helped Bo to the door of the farmhouse.
     “DAISY?” Luke called into the house, though only silence met his call.
     “They must have gone shopping or something.” Bo said.
     “I guess this means I have no choice but to drive you to the Doc myself.” Luke said, and trembled slightly at the thought.
     “Maybe we should just call the doc and have him come here.”
     “You’ll have to go in to have your leg set.” Luke said.
     “Well, in that case you have to drive. I trust you to get us there.” Bo said.
     ‘I just hope I don’t destroy that trust.’ Luke thought to himself, as he helped Bo over to the car.
Luke carefully slid Bo though the window of the car, before walking around to climb in himself. Luke reached into the back seat and grabbed a blanket to cover Bo with. Luke took out his keys, with a trembling hand and started the car. Bo leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes.
     “Stay awake.” Luke said, in a firm voice.
     “Getting too tired to stay awake.” Bo mumbled.
     “You have to stay awake.” Luke said.
     “I’ll try.” Bo said.
     “Don’t just try . . . do it.”
     “Yeah, okay.” Bo said softly, looking at his older cousin. “Thanks for saving my life, Luke.
     “You’d do the same thing for me.” Luke said.
     “That’s for sure.” Bo said.
Luke pulled away from the farm and headed off towards town, taking the roads slower then normal, due to the weather conditions. Luke talked to Bo, and kept Bo talking as he drove, trying hard not to think of the accident his parents had been in.
     Luke was doing fine until they hit the main road, and saw a large truck coming at them from the other direction. Luke felt his chest tighten in fear. Bo reached over and placed a reassuring hand on Luke’s shoulder, feeling the pain and fear his cousin was going through.
     “It’s okay, Luke.” Bo said quietly.
The truck went past with no problem. Luke breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as though this was all some kind of test to get him past the grief of what had happened to his parents, and at that moment he knew that was what exactly what it was. He knew he had to deal with the pain of his past in order to save Bo, he had to let it all go. Luke turned and glanced at Bo, he smiled at his younger cousin knowing there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for Bo.
     After fifteen minutes they arrived at the doctor’s office in town. Luke helped Bo out of the General and into the small building, he quickly explained what happened to Doc Appleby, who took Bo into the back to set his leg. Luke sat in the waiting, staring out the window at the falling snow, for the first time noticing how beautiful it really looked, feeling a part of the sadness he had carried with himself for so long begin to slip away.
     Twenty minutes later, Doc Appleby came back out, followed by Bo, who was hobbling along slowly on crutches.
     “You okay?” Luke asked.
     “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just broken leg and mild concussion.” Bo said.
     “You did good getting Bo here in time and keeping him awake.” Doc Appleby told Luke, and then handed Luke a bottle of painkillers. “He’ll need these if his leg bothers him.
     “Thanks Doc.” Both Bo and Luke said at the same time.
 Bo and Luke went back outside, and Luke helped Bo get into the car, then got in and drove back towards home.
     “Are you okay?” Bo asked Luke in genuine concern.
     “Yeah, I am fine. I think everything that happened made me see how foolish I have been acting and helped me let go of all that.” Luke said.
     “That’s good.” Bo said, and grinned at Luke. “You always do have to do things the hard way, don’t you?”
     “Gee, thanks.” Luke said in mock hurt, even though he was smiling.
     “You know I love ya, brother.”
Luke glanced at Bo and smiled. “Love you too, brother.”
     When Jesse and Daisy arrived back home, they saw Bo and Luke sitting by the fireplace, a fire blazing, both of them were drinking large mugs of hot chocolate, Christmas carols were playing softly on the radio. Bo was sitting with his leg up.
     “What happened?” Jesse asked.
     “It’s kinda a long story.” Bo said.
     “Though it does have a happy ending.” Luke said.
The boys told Jesse and Daisy all about what had happened, and that Christmas turned out to be one of the merriest Christmases in a long time at the farm. As Luke had finally learned to let go of the painful of one snowy December day and allow the joy of the holidays to fill his heart.