Hey all! This is the story I've been promising you for like a month, I've actually meant to post this earlier, it's been written but I just forgot where I saved it, but I finally found it.
This story is a little odd, each chapter focuses on each Duke Cousin and a time when they needed Uncle Jesse or Aunt Martha to kiss it better.
Hope ya'll enjoy this, please review when you're done!
4 year old Luke Duke ran through the farm house at break neck speed, he was helping Uncle Jesse fix a leaky faucet and Uncle Jesse had entrusted him to get the right wrench from the tool box. He whirled around the corner and ran into his 2 year old cousin Bo, literally, they collided and went sprawling. Both crying loudly at the injury's they'd sustained. Luke, a scraped knee and Bo, a bruised elbow.
Aunt Martha came from the kitchen where she'd been feeding their 6-month old cousin Daisy. "What happened?" she asked, kneeling down and inspecting their injuries. She kissed Bo's elbow and the 2 year old stopped crying almost immediately he got back up and ran out to the living room to play with his cars. Luke was a little slower, his knee was bleeding and it had some splinters in it. "Oh, Luke I'm so sorry!" Aunt Martha said, she wrapped her arms around the boy and picked him up. He sniffled and wrapped his own arms around her neck. "Jesse we've got a scraped knee out here." She said, as the older man came out of the bathroom to see what the fuss was about.
Uncle Jesse got the first aid kit and helped Aunt Martha pull the splinters out and then put a Band-Aid on the bleeding body part. "It still hurts." Luke sniffled, trying not to cry. "Kiss it better Aunt Martha." He insisted.
Aunt Martha smiled, kissed his knee and gave Luke a big hug. "There, all better." She said. Luke grinned up at his beloved Aunt; indeed it did feel a little better. "Thanks Aunt Martha." He said, he hugged her back and hopped down to go finish helping Uncle Jesse fix the leaky faucet.
Aunt Martha smiled as she watched Luke leave the kitchen, if only all scrapes and bruises healed that quickly.
10 years later
14 year old Luke Duke sat on the school bus, looking out the window, feeling sorry for himself. The prettiest girl in school had actually paid attention to him yesterday and she'd promised to eat lunch with Luke and his friends today but instead she'd eaten with her friends, even after Luke had waved her over to his table. "Sorry, I'm eating with my friends today" Mary Jane's voice haunted Luke as the bus followed the dirt road the led to home. Bo sat next to Luke chattering away with Daisy as usual, not paying the slightest bit of attention to Luke. "Just like everyone else" he muttered. Usually that wasn't a problem; Luke liked spending time alone, but today when he was alone all he could hear was the taunting words he'd accidentally over heard when he went to go throw his lunch trash away.
"That Luke Duke sure is cute, but he's a farmer, I could never be friends with a farmer." Mary Jane had said, then she'd started laughing, only stopping when one of her friends pointed out that Luke was standing right behind her.
"It's just as well that they are moving, I don't want to be friends with a stuck up girl like that." Luke muttered to himself.
Bo finally stopped talking and looked at his cousin "What's wrong Luke?" he asked just now noticing Luke's quietness.
"Nothing you need to worry about for a while Bo." Luke said glumly, just then the bus arrived at the farm house. "Let's go." He said, getting up.
10 year old Daisy got up as well "If you want to talk about it Luke, I'll listen." She whispered as Bo jumped off the bus, skipping the stairs. Even at 10 Daisy was a miniature Lady, but she could still fight with the boys if she wanted to. Right now though, she was all lady, letting Luke know that if he needed a shoulder to cry on she'd let him use one of hers and she'd keep quiet about it too. "Thanks Daisy, I'll think about it." Luke said, not really comprehending what Daisy had just told him.
Daisy sighed, she hated being ignored, and even though Luke had answered her she could tell that he hadn't heard her. She'd talk to Uncle Jesse about it when he was helping her with her homework.
Later inside the farm house Daisy approached Uncle Jesse with her problem, "I'm worried about Luke." She told him. "He was quiet all the way home and when I tried talking to him I could tell he wasn't listening."
"Luke's just having a tough time of it right now, don't you start worrying your pretty little head about Luke; he'll be all right." Uncle Jesse said.
Daisy nodded and hugged Uncle Jesse "All right, if you say he'll be all right. I know he will." She said she then ran off to do her homework.
Uncle Jesse got up to go find Luke; he found the teen in the barn, sulking in the hay loft.
"Daisy's getting worried about you." Uncle Jesse said he knew Luke adored the 10 year old and might open up if he knew Daisy was worried.
"I'll be fine." Luke said, it was obvious he was fighting back tears though and Uncle Jesse climbed up the last few rungs of the ladder and came up to sit next to his nephew. "What's wrong?" he asked.
That's all it took for the flood gates to open up. Luke spilled his whole story ending with "I'm glad they're moving then I won't have to see Mary Jane and remember how she insulted us. Just 'cause we're farmers doesn't mean we ain't good people." Luke said.
Jesse had kept quiet, only murmuring his agreement and nodding to show he was still listening to Luke's story. Now however, he cleared his throat and started to talk. "Luke, you'll find that some people in the world feel they need to insult people to make them feel better." Luke looked up at the patriarch of the Duke family.
"What do I gotta do when people are like that Uncle Jesse?" he asked.
"You gotta be nice, and polite, don't try to be mean right back, it'll only make you stoop to their level and you don't want that." Uncle Jesse advised.
Luke nodded "Okay." He said "But it hurts so bad Uncle Jesse, what do I do until it stops hurting?"
For a moment Jesse couldn't speak, for as he looked into Luke's Blue eyes he didn't see the 14 year old with a broken heart, he saw a 4 year old with a scraped knee asking his beloved Aunt Martha to "Kiss it better." He knew it was Luke's' way of asking him to do just that, kiss it better.
"You concentrate on things that really matter." Uncle Jesse said.
"Like family," Luke supplied an example.
"Exactly," Uncle Jesse said. Just then they heard the dinner bell ring. "You want to come in now? Or later?" he asked.
"Later, I don't want the family to see me like this." Luke said, blushing as he gestured to his red, puffy eyes.
"Okay, I'll have your Aunt keep a plate out for you." Uncle Jesse said.
Luke nodded and again turned to look out the window. But this time, he had a small smile on his face.
Hours later, after Luke went to bed, Uncle Jesse couldn't stop thinking of how Luke had seemed to be asking him to kiss it better, finally he got up and went into Luke's room, the 14 year old looked like he was asleep and so Jesse, bent down and pressed a kiss to Luke's forehead, "Cause I know you're to proud to ask." He whispered before starting to leave the room.
Luke turned over just as Jesse reached the doorway "Thanks Uncle Jesse." he whisperd.