Kin's All That Matters

By Beth C


Summary: This is a teen-age Dukes fic. Bo has got himself into deep trouble when he finds out his girlfriend Haylie is pregnant. How will he handle this situation, seeing as he is only 16? What will his Uncle Jesse do when he finds out?

Rating: PG-13 for discussions about sex

Disclaimer: Not mine, duh. The Duke boys belong to WB. Haylie is mine, so don't borrow her without my permission!


Bo Duke slammed a fist into the cold steel of his high school locker. The thin metal dented slightly upon impact leaving a fist shaped mark on the door. Damaging the metal hadn't been his first choice, but neither was living with his frustration over his current predicament.

The other teens in the hallway neither seemed to care about the blond-headed boy's problems nor did they chance to interfere. They all had worries and problems of their own.

Bo looked at the dent and groaned. What he really wanted to do was stick his fist through the locker door, how could he have been so stupid? What had he been thinking? He mentally swore words that he knew his Uncle Jesse would never, ever allow him to say.

He was a Junior at Ulysses S. Grant High, he should be smarter than to make the mistake he had made. Boy was his Uncle going to tan his hide when he found out. He would rather have gotten failing grades than to break the next bit of news to the man that had raised him since he had been a toddler.

With a grimace, and a slight groan, he undid the lock on his locker door and opened it. He tossed his school books inside, then closed and locked it back up again. Good thing that he had been told after his last period class. If he had been told at the beginning of the day, he would not have been able to manage a single class.

He rested his head against the cool metal of the door. What was he going to do now? He knew what he was going to be expected to do, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to take that route either.

A quick glance down the corridor showed the last of the students leaving for the day. No one was around to talk to him, or to help him with his problems. It looked like he was on his own on this one. With a small sigh, he walked slowly out the door to the bike rack to fetch his bike. It was going to be a long ride home.


Luke stood at the entrance to the barn, looking out the door towards the road. He wiped the sweat off his brow with one hand. His dark hair hung in moist ringlets around his face. He wondered just where his cousin had gotten off to this time. Just out of high school himself by a year, he remembered what it was like to get lost on the way home.

He sure hoped Bo wasn't getting lost. There were chores that needed finishing. Luke was tired of covering up for the younger boy. At 16, Bo should now know the meaning of responsibility. Luke sighed. Bo was probably flirting with that Haylie chick again. He remembered that part too.

Luke knew Bo fancied the blond-haired beauty and that was one reason he allowed the chores to slip a bit so Bo could have some quiet time with his lady friend. Having come off a serious relationship himself, he knew how women could be. However, it wasn't in the cards yet for him as Laura had decided to go to a fancy college out of state. Knowing that long-distance relationships didn't work out well, they parted company as friends.

A sharp noise on the road caught his attention and he saw Bo slamming his bike down to the ground. The younger boy then kicked a tire before stomping on the ground. Luke frowned at the scene. That wasn't like Bo.

Luke put down the pitchfork and walked out the barn. "Bo!" he called out, and saw his cousin stiffen. "What's wrong?"

Bo removed his jacket as he approached the farmhouse. "Nothing," he called back over his shoulder as he opened the door and stormed inside.

Luke was glad his Uncle wasn't home yet from the trip into town to pick up some feed for the chickens. This kind of behavior was sure to earn Bo a trip behind the woodshed with a willow switch. He opened the door and followed the trail his cousin had gone.

Looking in the small house for Bo wasn't going to be a problem. There weren't many places to go. Bo was either going to be moping in the bedroom the boys shared, or he was going to be in the bathroom. It turned out to be the latter, as the bedroom was vacant except for Bo's discarded jacket.

Luke knocked on the bathroom door. "Bo? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Came the muffled response. "Leave me alone."

Luke sighed. Probably a tiff with Haylie. If Bo wanted to talk about it, he would when he was ready. "Ok, Cuz, but I'm gonna need a hand with the chores before Uncle Jesse gets home." He then walked away from the door and headed back out to the barn. Bo was going to have to learn that girls were just difficult sometimes.

Difficult and wonderful all at the same time. Which was why it was just smarter to stay away from them for the time being. Smarter and more productive, he reasoned as he picked up the pitchfork and began hoisting the hay again. Now if only Bo could see that, then the chores would be done a lot sooner.


The weekend passed pretty quickly but Bo continued to stay aloof and distant, doing his chores but not really talking to anyone. His cousin Daisy, who was a Senior in the same high school, had shrugged when approached by Luke. Even Uncle Jesse had raised an eyebrow but wisely stayed silent and let the teen work out his own problem. He would be there for Bo when the troubled teen decided it was time to open up.

Sunday night found Bo outside, staring at the stars as the lay in the open pasture. His hands were crossed behind his head and he appeared to be lost in the sight above him.

Luke walked over and sat down. "Is this seat taken?" He got a grunt for a reply so he decided that meant no, and lay down next to his cousin. "Bo, I know something's wrong."

"So what if it is?" Bo shot back. "There ain't nothing to do about it." He said icily as he continued to stare at the nighttime sky.

"Now how do you know that? I might be able to help if you just tell me." Luke rolled over and propped himself up on one arm to watch the boy he considered his brother. "I know it has to do with Haylie."

Bo's head twisted around to level cold blue eyes on his cousin. "Who told you that?"

"No one," he said softly. "But she hasn't called all weekend and she usually does at least twice a day." He shrugged as Bo turned his head back to the stars. "I know how women are." He tried to place one hand on Bo's shoulder but was surprised to find it brushed off.

"Don't touch me." Bo said in that same icy voice.

Luke blinked in surprise. This was the first time he had ever been rebuffed by the younger boy. "Bo, please tell me what's wrong. I only want to help."

"You can't help." Bo's tone had changed and now it sounded strained. "No one can help."

"Is it another guy?" Luke ventured a guess, not really expecting Bo to reply. Usually it would be, and that would be heartbreaking enough if he saw the girl he fancied with another boy. It was the stuff of teen angst writers everywhere.

A slight shake of Bo's head was all he got.

"Did you two break up?"

This time he got a shrug.

Well if Bo wasn't going to tell him, he sure as heck wasn't going to sit out all night playing twenty questions while becoming the evening feast for a pack of mosquitoes. He started to stand, to walk away when he heard a small sound. It was the sound of a choked back sob. The sound of someone who was trying very hard not to cry.

Luke sat up and leaned over Bo's prone form. He wasn't surprised to find unshed tears there, as whatever was eating Bo up was about to break loose. "Cuz?" he asked quietly and held out his open arms.

Tortured with his secret, and frustrated beyond belief, Bo heard the silent plea and grasped at it like a drowning man reaches for anything to pull him up. He sat up and practically dove into his cousin's embrace, sobbing in nearly silent gasps as tears rolled down his face. He pressed his face into his cousin's rough flannel shirt and held on for dear life. He wasn't going to be able to keep his secret.

Luke stroked the blond head and rocked the other boy gently. "Shhh," he soothed. "Whatever it is we can work it out." This only caused Bo to sob harder. Haylie must have really broken Bo's heart to get this reaction out of him.

It took twenty minutes of comforting, soothing, and just plain patience on Luke's part before Bo even calmed down enough to talk. With great hiccupping sounds the other boy finally stopped crying.

Bo removed his outer shirt and dried his face off, leaving him dressed in his T-shirt and jeans. His eyes were puffy from all the crying.

"Bo, please tell me what has you so upset." He took his cousin's arm and this time wasn't brushed off. "Is it Haylie?"

Bo nodded, unable to speak just yet. His eyes held great sorrow, and Luke was almost afraid that Bo would start crying again.

"Ok, it wasn't another boy, right?" He got a shake on that one.

Bo choked back a sob. "I almost wish it was." It was the first words he had said about his problem.

"Ok, then." Luke said. "Tell me. How terrible could it be?"

Bo looked down had his hands which were twisting his shirt around them. "Pretty terrible."

Luke rubbed Bo's shoulder lightly. "Whatever it is, I'll help you through it."

"Uncle Jesse is gonna kill me." He sighed deeply. "It might be for the best if he does."

"Bo!" Luke exclaimed. "He's not gonna kill you. The only thing that would make him do that is if you got her pregnant or something." At the sudden look of sheer shocked surprise on his cousin's face at that statement had Luke dropping his arm. "Oh no. Please tell me that ain't what this is about."

Bo backed away a bit as if afraid that is cousin was going to reach over and slap him. His eyes betrayed him though. He couldn't keep the truth from being shown in them.

Luke felt his blood run cold. "Oh, BO!" He shook his head. "How could you? Didn't you have the protection I gave you on you?" He had started sharing his supply of condoms with his younger cousin once he had discovered quite by accident that the boy had gained the knowledge of how sex actually worked. He had walked into the barn to find a 15 year old Bo groping at his first girlfriend, Sarah something or other. After that the two boys had a heart to heart talk about sex and Luke had advised the younger boy to always carry protection, no matter what.

"We- we ran out." Bo tried to explain in a choked voice. "She said it was safe, that it wasn't her time to be fertile." He bit his lip as he realized how lame that sounded out loud. Lame and stupid. He wiped at his eyes that were starting to tear up again. "God, I'm such an idiot."

Luke was inclined to agree with that statement. He could see now why Bo was so frustrated. How in the heck was he going to explain this to his Uncle? "How far along is she, Bo?"

Bo picked a few blades of grass off his shirt. "She doesn't really know. A month? Maybe two."

Luke nodded. That would be about right. Six weeks ago Bo had taken Haylie out to the movies in town and then out jukin. He now knew what they had done afterwards. "What did you tell her when she told you?"

Bo shrugged. "I didn't know what to say. She started to cry and I told her it would be okay. Then her mom showed up and she put on a brave face and left school. She was acting like it was all normal." Bo balled up a fist and punched his leg hard. "It's not normal, Luke. I have to face her tomorrow, knowing what I know and I've got to give her something besides a blank stare!" His breath hitched and he held back a sob. "I don't know how to handle this!"

"You are definitely in uncharted territory, Cuz." Luke admitted.

"Understatement." Bo said.

Luke bit his lip. "Do you love her?" It was a question that needed to be asked.

Bo remained thoughtful for a moment. Then he stood up and clutched his shirt to his chest like a shield. "I care about her, but I don't think its love."

Luke's eyes closed. The more he heard, the less he liked the replies he was getting. He gathered his thoughts into one. He opened his eyes and looked right at Bo. "You need to tell Uncle Jesse now, no matter what the consequences. Haylie is going to need his help, and yours." He pointed at Bo. "You are not going to run out on that girl now."

Bo dropped his head. "I wasn't planning on it."

Luke nodded. "Do you want me to be there when you tell him, or did you want to do it privately?"

Bo brought his eyes up in a silent plea. "With me."

"Ok, I'll be right by your side, Cuz." He stood and dusted off he seat of his jeans, then walked over and pulled Bo into a brotherly hug. "No matter what, I'll be right there."

Bo returned the hug. "Thank you." He then broke away. "Let's go before I lose my nerve." He already knew that he would not be sitting for the remainder of the night.

Luke draped his arm around his cousin's shoulders and followed the boy into the farmhouse to face the consequences for his actions.


(Next chapter to be up - Bo tells Jesse- watch for it!)