Hey folks, Stewie speech time! First of all I want to apologize for the massive update delay. Those who have kept up with me in the past know that is not my usual style. I especially want to thank all of you who have given me reviews. Each and every one is much appreciated. That said, I hate to beg, but okay I'm begging, PLEASE PLEASE review! I know this one is not as exciting as some of my previous ones but I haven't had such a low review number since I started out in the world of fanfic. (And I assume that my six faithful reviewers have not liked this story so much that they have hit it 1045 times by themselves!) So as I've said before, if you hate it, tell me that too! I want to be able to improve if that is what is needed. Okay I'll quit crying now sniff sniff. Have a great week, and I do hope all of ya'll are making plans to visit my beautiful state this June for John Schneider's Dukesfest!)
Thomas Vineyard was far from the top of Bo's favorite person list. However, his reaction to his new first cousin's statement immediately left the youngest Duke boy with a sense of guilt.
But whatever guilt that Bo's own conscious brought upon him was multiplied several times over by what he heard next.
"I hate you, Bo Duke!"
Bo jerked his head toward the door and instantly felt the rage that remained within him transform into sorrow. For in that moment he realized that when he had delivered that sucker punch, he inflicted pain on more than one person.
As soon as he had declared his feelings toward Bo, Tommy then turned his head back toward the house and began yelling for Jesse. Naturally, it didn't take long for those panicked calls to command the attention of more than one occupant of the house, especially considering that they were coming from a handicapped child.
Daisy and Luke quickly ran outside, followed by Jesse who was hopping with his crutches as quickly as he could. When they got to Tommy, the youth simply pointed at his father with a trembling lip. Looking at Thomas, they quickly knelt down to access the situation, but not before Luke and Jesse had both given Bo a quick glance, indicating that they were aware of exactly what had happened.
Seconds later after Thomas began to stir and he was certain his father wasn't seriously hurt, Tommy felt comfortable enough to turn the chair from the barn and back toward the house. He wasn't sure if he was going to go in the house, behind the house, or down the road. All he knew was that he was upset and he wanted to be wherever Bo wasn't.
"I'm sorry Uncle Jesse." Bo finally managed.
"Don't tell me." Jesse muttered, nodding toward Tommy whom he had seen leaving the barn.
Bo walked out of the barn and took a short jog to catch up to Tommy.
"Hey Tommy." He said softly. "Hey pal, I'm really sorry."
"Don't call me pal." Tommy muttered back as he continued to push at his wheels.
Bo didn't give up. "Tommy I was wrong. I acted without thinking and I never should have done that."
"Just don't talk to me." Tommy replied with the same muttered breath.
"Would you please stop?" Bo asked, grabbing onto the handlebars of his chair and forcing him to stop. He then went around and squatted down in front of him. "I'm trying to apologize to you Tommy. Now how am I supposed to do that if I can't talk?"
"I don't wanna hear nothin' you have to say Bo. Like I said, I hate you!"
Bo's face took on a serious tone. "Tommy, if I'd a talked to my elders at eight years old the way you're talkin' to me, Uncle Jesse woulda busted my hide."
"Well did any of your elders ever go around punchin' grandpa out?" Tommy retorted.
Bo's face simply turned solemn before Daisy ran up to the pair. "Tommy?" She asked, looking at the boy. She then took him into a hug. "Don't worry Tommy, your daddy's gonna be just fine. He's already awake and askin' about ya."
The hug and the statement was enough to make Tommy break down into sobs and his tears began to flow.
"Hey!" Daisy said, cupping his face and wiping tears away with her thumbs. "It's okay. You're daddy's just fine. I promise."
When he continued to cry, Daisy brightened with an idea. "Hey I know. Why don't we go back in the house and have a piece of that chocolate pie we made last night? After that, you can show me those card tricks you learned over at the camp."
"I don't wanna go back in the house!" Tommy sobbed, wiping his eyes. "I don't wanna stay here. I wanna go back to the camp. Daisy, please go in the house and get my things and drive me back over to the camp. I don't wanna stay with Bo no more!"
"But Tommy……" Daisy trailed off as Thomas, Luke, and Jesse walked up.
"Hey kiddo." Thomas said softly, giving Bo only a quick glace before he picked Tommy's chin up. Look at me. I'm just fine. You know you're old man doesn't stay down for long."
The statement seemed to make Tommy sob even harder. "C'mon now Rocky." Thomas encouraged him, using the tough pet name bestowed upon the youth to compare him to the famous fictional boxer. "I heard Daisy sayin' somethin' about that pie ya'll made, and I been hankerin' for a taste of it."
"I'm not goin' to eat no pie." Tommy said harshly, glaring at Bo. "I gotta get away from here."
As the group shifted with uncertainty as to what should be said next, Bo finally sighed. "No Tommy, you don't gotta get away from here. I do."
After a pause, Luke asked. "Are you sure that's the best thing to do?"
Bo nodded. "At least until things calm down."
He then climbed through the window of the General Lee. "I'll be at Cooter's if ya need me." He announced, starting the engine and taking off.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Late the next morning Jesse sat on the front porch, heaving a sigh as he pulled shucks off corn, twisting the cobs in his hands to loose the silky strands. He then dropped his latest cob in the basket, bringing the number to eight. He then looked over at the two remaining ears and wondered if there would be any reason to prepare them for supper that night as well.
As an engine sounded in the far off distance, Jesse concluded that his answer was about to arrive.
Moments later, Bo pulled up to the farm. Cutting the engine, he gave his uncle a forlorn expression before he climbed out.
Noticing that Jesse wasn't looking at him, he chose to sit on the front steps, facing away from him. The Duke men remained that way for a few minutes before Bo finally spoke up.
"Daisy at work?"
"Yep."
"What about Luke?"
"Pickin' up some more feed from Charlie Lewis."
He then sighed. "What about Tommy?" He asked.
"Over at the camp."
Bo's heart sank. "I'm so sorry Uncle Jesse. The last thing I ever wanted to do was run Tommy off."
After a pause, Jesse asked. "Well what did you think would happen after what you did in the barn last night?"
"Uncle Jesse, I didn't think about what I was doing in the barn last night. I mean, I didn't plan on hittin' Thomas or nothin'. It just sort of happened."
"Well don'tcha see Bo? That's the problem." Jesse snarled, picking up an ear of corn and ripping the shucks off. "You didn't think. You just acted on impulse. You gotta learn that ya can't do that. It's the sorta thing that's gonna get you in trouble in this world."
"I know….but…." Bo put his head down. "I don't have no excuse for it. Thomas does seem like a good guy and he has helped me 'nd Luke out a lot. It's just…..well one day we're all family and the next day a person none of us ever laid eyes on moves in and turns out to be a Duke. Guess it's just takin' a while for me to adjust." Bo heaved another sigh and turned around to look at Jesse for the first time since the conversation began. "Where is Thomas? Figure it's high time I gave him an apology."
"He ain't here neither." Jesse replied. "He's over at the camp with Tommy."
Bo felt extremely guilty. "You mean I run 'em both off?"
After a pause, Jesse managed a slight grin. "You didn't run nobody off. They're just fishin'. They'll be back later."
Bo managed a smile of his own and leaned his head back against a porch post.
"Bo….." Jesse trailed off. "You know why I keep preachin' to ya about not actin' on impulse?"
Bo chuckled. "Luke would probably say it's because I go deaf ever time you say it."
"It's because…." Jesse continued. "That I see a lot of myself in ya when I was your age. And I know how much them impulses can get ya hurt, and can cause hurt to that ones you love."
"I understand, Uncle Jesse." Bo assured him.
"No you don't. 'Cause ya see, it's not just things like impulsive fights that can get ya hurt. Sometimes it's things that look real good up front. Like impulsively eatin' too much at a buffet full of good food, or impulsively proposin' to a girl who turns out to be all wrong for ya in the end, or……..impulsively welcoming home a son without considerin' how it could affect the rest of your family."
Bo picked his head back up and stared at his uncle. "Uncle Jesse?"
Jesse simply nodded his head. "That's what's on my shoulders, Bo. Like you said, I brought a stranger in the house and expected you kids to warm right up to him. I didn't consider how any of you would feel, I just considered how I felt, and acted impulsively."
"Uncle Jesse, I didn't mean to make you feel guilty." Bo replied, shaking his head.
"You didn't. I just realize that as much as I might want to welcome Thomas into this family, the fact of the matter is we still don't really know if he even is a Duke."
"But the nurse at the hospital said..."
"I know what she said." Jesse interrupted. "But I also know she's about the same age as me. And I have trouble rememberin' what I had for breakfast this mornin', let alone events that happened over thirty years ago." He then sighed. "Maybe everything that's happein' with Thomas looks to be true because I really want it ta be."
Bo shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we'll just hafta assume it is, 'cause there ain't no other way ta know."
"Oh there is." Jesse nodded. "I've been talkin' ta Doc Appleby this mornin'. He's tellin' me about these new fangled tests they've started offerin' at places like them big hospitals down in Atlanta. Turns out if you got any doubt on a person's paternity, you can take a little blood or saliva from both of 'em and they have some way of matchin' up the samples so's you can know for sure who a person's parents are."
Bo leaned forward. "Uncle Jesse, are you thinkin' about this test for you and Thomas?"
Jesse looked at him. "Ain't just thinkin. We're doin'. We went by Doc Appleby's to give the samples this morning. In six weeks, we'll know exactly who Thomas Vineyard is."
Well I don't know about ya'll, but I don't know which outcome I'd feel better about.
