Of Young Cousins
McRaider
Summary: What Luke thought after Bo hit his head the second time in "My Son, Bo Hogg" and what he thinks on the way home.

I gently eased his head into my lap, gazing down at the suddenly angelic face that terrorized us in the day. How could someone so sweet be so devilish when awake. "He's out like a light," I told Uncle Jesse, 'he's out like a light and it's my fault'. Was what I really wanted to say. My stomach clinched every time I thought of Bo yelling or denying our relationship.

A million what if's were running through my mind as I held him. Obviously he had his head again...what if his amnesia got worse instead of better? What if he was mad at me? What if he remembered everything including what Boss had done to him, what I had done to him? I furiously began to blink back the tears that were suddenly starting to form in my ocean blue eyes. I calmed myself by running my fingers through his honey blond curls, remembering that he was still here and he was still my little cousin.

When we were kids, it seemed like every night he would suffer from a nightmare and find his way into my bed. With his cold little hands and feet, he would cry until sleep over came him and he would fall asleep in my arms, leaving me to either slink into his bed, or sleep by his side. The number of times my hands had run through his hair, to calm him, to put him to sleep. Now I wished more than anything my almost instinct actions would bring him back to the land of the living.

I shook my head, trying to clear all the memories that lay within, waiting to spring up and bring tears. I shook my head, desperately trying to get a grip so when he woke he knew he was safe. That's when I finally saw the baby blue eyes open up beneath those honey curls. I smiled softly as he started questioning about boar hunting. He didn't remember a thing of the past day or two. I helped lift him to his feet, and I couldn't resist throwing my arms around him. Like he had done so many times before to me, I just grabbed him in the tightest hug I could possibly have and held him like there was no tomorrow. Like he had hugged me so many times after something bad had happened.

I finally let him go, and watched him hug both Daisy and Uncle Jesse. I smiled when I felt Daisy wrap her arms around me, no doubt feeling similar to me. I landed a kiss on the top of her head, sighing at the thought of having Bo back with us. I bit my lip slightly, quickly promised to tell him all about it on the way home and looked at the ground before anyone could see the tears that were beginning to form in my eyes.

I helped my stocky, albeit unsteady littlest cousin climb into the General, then climbed in the drivers side. I looked over at him for a moment, studying the pale features of his face, the glossy look over his eyes, he had a concussion, granted probably a small one, but a concussion none the less.

I relayed the entire story to him while we drove the back roads home through Hazzard County until we pulled up in front of the farm Bo, Daisy and I had come to know and love. I loved this place, with all my heart, I had grown up here, from three years old, I had grown up here, used to Uncle Jesse and Aunt Martha. Bo had joined us when he was six months old, I'd been watching over him for as long as I could remember, as though I had to watch over him, although deep down inside it wasn't so much that I had to, but that I wanted to.

"Come on buddy," I said helping him climb out through our windows, silently cursing; not for the first time; our doors being welded shut. I steadied him for a moment before we both slowly made our way inside the farm house. It didn't take long to convince him to lie down and get some rest, seeing as he would no doubt need it. I promised to wake him as soon as Daisy had cooked some good solid food for him, then closed the door to give him peace and quite that he probably desperately needed. Although I know it wasn't what I needed.

Uncle Jesse and Daisy found me seated in my favorite chair by the fire place, muddling over the thoughts in my head. I had lost a lot in my life, my mother, my father, my grandparents, my Aunt Martha and several other aunts and Uncles before I even turned ten. However there had been three major constants in my life, my uncle and my two cousins. Even more there had been one single foundation in my life, that I always grappled to. During my service in Nam it was the only thing I held onto, the only thing I had to come back to and that was Bo. While not little anymore I always clung to him, just like he had to me. We had both lost so much that we had to find something or someone that wouldn't leave us. Bo was my steady rock, the one thing that no matter how bad or rough things got around me, he was the one thing I could find.

And I knew he felt the same way, even when we weren't getting along so well, he knew that in a rough situation he could come to me, seek me out and I'd be there, more than willing to do anything to keep him out of trouble. More than willing to do anything for him, I always had been.

"You okay Luke?" Uncle Jesse asked me. I looked up at those solemn eyes and smiled weakly.

"I guess..."

"Daisy's makin' dinner, is Bo sleepin'?"

"Yeah..."

"What's wrong son?" Jesse had raised us from little bitty kids, he knew our every thought, he knew what were thinking before we thought it. Jesse knew everything about it, he could point out every scar on our body and most of the time regal the story about how we had received the scar doing something stupid or dangerous. He was the one who could retell every moment of our lives like it was a book. He was our father in every aspect of the word.

"Just a busy brain tonight," I said smiling weakly.

"Is that all or is there more?"

"Just thinkin' bout Bo..."

"I figured that much..."

"It's hard to believe, I mean I've seen amnesia before...but until it happens to someone you know it's really hard to understand how so many years can be forgotten...so many memories can just be erased."

"It is hard son, but you havta remember that Bo is back with us now, there ain't nothing to worry 'bout no more."

"I know Uncle Jesse...I just worry," I returned meekly.

"I know son."

"Hey boys, dinner is ready..." Daisy said a few moments later.

"I'll go wake Bo," I whispered.

I walked into the room, and gently sat down on his bed, a position I had taken so many times before and brushed back the hair from his forehead. I smiled as the two blue eyes opened for a second time that day and gazed up at me. "Dinner's ready."

"I'm okay Luke," he whispered.

"I know you are," I replied gently as I squeezed his hand.

"I'm not going anywhere..." He sat up slowly and wrapped his arms around my neck.

I smiled at how easily we fell into these roles of the comforters, I grabbed him gently around his ribs and held him back, pressing a kiss to his temple I sighed, "love ya Bo."

"Love you too Luke."

The End