Authors Note: Due to popular request, I give you the unplanned chapter two, what Bo thought, while shorter I think it covers him just as well as Lucas. Enjoy :)

Chapter Two: Of Older Cousins

I listened to him tell me what had happened, and I felt my heart sink, I could hear the sadness in his voice. I had known Luke all of my life…at least all that I remember, and I knew that he felt responsible for me. For one reason or another he felt he had to protect me, even when he couldn't.

Sighing I allowed him to help me out of the General and into the house. He helped me lie down on the bed for some rest. I closed my eyes, hoping he would know that I needed the sleep and that I didn't want to talk at the moment.

I was a little pleased to hear him close the door. My eyes opened again as I thought on the past few moments of what he had told me. I couldn't remember anything from the past day or so, and that frustrated me, but what frustrated me was the mere idea that I had practically stood there face to face with Luke and said I hate you.

In the nearly twenty years I had known Luke…never had I said I hate you with real malice, never had I ever truly meant it when it came flying out of my mouth. Just like I knew he never meant it when he said it. He was the closest thing I had to a brother in the world, and to lose him made me wanna cry.

I suddenly felt tears burning my eyes and closed them against a wave of pain as I heard his voice, as I saw his eyes again suffering through my amnesia. I could remember when he returned from Nam…he had a similar look in his eyes that time, lost…depressed and terribly afraid of what tomorrow would hold. Part of me wanted nothing more than to just grab him and hold him tight, cry out like I had as a child.

Luke was my hero, he always had been, he was my security blanket in many ways. I knew I could run to him when I needed someone to over my back, to help me outta trouble or even to help me into the trouble. When I was a youngin' I had terrible nightmares 'bout Uncle Jesse or Aunt Martha or even Luke and Daisy dyin'. Maybe it was that he was in the same room as me, or maybe it was just a bond, 'cause by the time I was three or four, I always ran to his bed. Instantly he would pull me into his bed, hold me tight and let me cry out all my fears and frustrations. Even now, as a grown man, he still let me cry out my frustrations to him, scream at him in anger…he helped me through all the pain and fear I felt.

I sighed again, closing my eyes and allowed my mind to drift off. The next time I woke up, it was to see Luke's ocean blue eyes staring down at me, he smiled weakly, I could see he wanted to cry as much as I did. "Dinner's ready," Luke whispered.

"I'm okay Luke," I whimpered hesitantly, hoping…prayin' I wasn't lyin' to him.

"I know you are," He replied gently as he squeezed my hand.

That's when I lost it, closing my eyes against the wave of sadness, I slowly sat up and wrapped my arms around his neck, "I'm not going anywhere…" I could feel him fall into the role of my comforter as he grabbed me around my ribs and held me back.

He surprised me when he pressed a kiss to my temple, something he hadn't done for a long time. "Love ya Bo," he whimpered.

"Love you too Luke," I cried as I pressed my face against his neck. We would get through this, it was something he always used to say to me when I was scared or hurtin'. We would get through the pain, the fear as a family. We'd fight off whatever it was the world would deal to us. "We'll get through it Luke," I murmured.

I felt him draw in a deep breath and nod, "I know, I know," came his soft reply as he ran a hand through my hair. We were cousins, but more than that brothers and best friends to the end…and back.