Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard, not making any money, just cheap thrills

Warning: Angst, Violence

Italics signify thought

Rating: FRT

Learning To Love

Chapter 3

Luke stayed back, watching Bo skim stones across the creek. He wanted so much to help Bo but he was afraid his cousin wouldn't see it as helping. It had been a year since Bo's disastrous date with Rachel Ann and Bo was still hurting. Luke had no idea what had happened this time. But when his younger cousin had come tearing into the yard, he had known this latest date hadn't gone well either. Though the early hour would've told him that too. He had followed Bo down here to the creek, not knowing if Bo would want him here, but wanting to be here if he was needed.

"You can come closer cousin, I ain't gonna tear your head off ya know." Bo softly invited after thirty minutes of skimming stones. This had been his ritual, even before he could properly skim stones. Whenever he needed to think or just be alone, he would come here. Bo never had understood why, he only knew that standing beside the creek, throwing stones helped him think. More than that though, it also left him feeling relaxed and at peace, at least it usually did. "Luke, am I ever gonna be allowed to get past this?"

"I know it's hard Bo, but it will get better. I know it's been a while, but what you've been through takes ti..." Luke trailed off, looking at Bo in surprise as it registered exactly what his cousin had said. "Bo? What do ya mean, are you ever gonna be allowed to get past it?"

"You know I went out with Sherry tonight right?" Bo paused, waiting to see if Luke would say anything. When he only nodded though, Bo went on. "We were having a pretty good time, was down at the Boar's Nest drinking and dancing. Mostly dancing, I know everybody expects me to drink like them but I don't like to. Not since Kathy Sue, don't like taking the chance of not being in control of the situation. That got things started, Bobby Jensen and his brothers were in there and started giving me a hard time. Well they mouthed off and I got mad, said a few things back, that's when Bobby threw a punch. The fight didn't last long, Cooter and L.B. were there. They jumped right in when they saw I was out-numbered and with all three of us fighting, it only lasted about five minutes. I was afraid Sherry was gonna be mad about the fight, but she wasn't mad at all, she just wanted to go somewhere else."

"Bo I don't understand, what has this got to do with what you said?" Luke asked, thinking Bo was stalling.

"I'm getting to that Luke. We went up to the old indian caves and started making out. Everything was going good, until she started unbuttoning my shirt. Soon as she saw my chest, she kind of tensed up, but she didn't say anything. Not then anyway. ...Luke I tried, I really did but when she pushed me onto my back and started to undo my jeans... I tried to change our positions, she just kept pinning me down though and I didn't want to hurt her. So I just told her to stop, that I thought we should slow things down. That's when she got mad, boy did she get mad. I don't remember everything she said, but I do remember her saying that I should stop being a baby. Said she didn't know why I was saying no, every girl in Hazzard knows I like it rough, that I want them to be in control. She said that getting rid of them marks on my chest didn't change anything. I was still the man who had let a woman use him and that it must be cause I wanted to be used." By the time Bo finished speaking, tears of anger and humilation were streaming down his face. Turning away from Luke, he started to walk away, afraid to hear Luke agree with Sherry.

"Bo stop! That's what you meant, when you asked if you were gonna be allowed to forget?" Luke asked, his voice tight with control as he tried to hide his anger. He was afraid that Bo wouldn't understand if he heard anger or disgust in his voice.

"Yeah."

"Bo just cause Sherry acted like that, doesn't mean other girls will. I know what she said, but she was mad and wanted to hurt you. It doesn't make what she said true." Luke told him, wrapping a hand around the back of Bo's neck in a comforting gesture.

"Don't you think I know that Luke? I ain't stupid ya know, and if Sherry was the only one who'd said it I could just ignore it. Maybe. She ain't though Luke, except for Rachel Ann, every girl I've gone out with in the last year has said stuff just like that. Too bad I couldn't get my nerve back up before Rachel started dating Darrell. Course she probably would've been the same way eventually. What am I gonna do Luke?"

For several minutes Luke didn't say anything, couldn't say anything. His heart breaking for his younger cousin, Luke wanted to hunt down every one of those girls that had hurt Bo. Wanted them to know what it felt like to be told you had wanted to be raped. Damn them! Finally regaining some control over himself, he led Bo over to a log and sat down, pulling Bo down beside him. "You're gonna be strong and you're gonna stand your ground." Luke told him, casually draping one arm across his cousin's shoulders. "Bo them girls, well I'd have to say you're better off without them. I know it feels like every girl in Hazzard thinks the same thing, but you know better than that Bo. If you weren't so upset right now, you'd see it for yourself. You'll find somebody Bo, she's out there cousin and when you find her you'll forget all about them bitches. Don't tell Uncle Jesse I said that, okay?" Luke asked, relieved to see a small smile playing across Bo's face.

"I won't. ...Luke, thanks, for everything. I know you believe what you're saying, but I think maybe for a while I'm gonna stick with girls that ain't from Hazzard. Maybe if they don't know about Kathy Sue, without that hanging over me, maybe I can get back to being me."

Luke smiled at Bo, sometimes his little cousin really surprised him. "Bo, don't ever let anybody tell you ya ain't smart. Maybe you're not as good at book learning as some, but where it counts you may just have us all beat."

Six months later Luke was relieved to see Bo finally behaving more like the boy he'd been before Kathy Sue. Guess his idea worked, he sure seems a lot better off since he started only seeing girls that ain't from Hazzard. It sure is good to see Bo so relaxed, laughing and joking just like he used to. I wish he could've found a local girl to date. It'd be nice to see him doing more than just casual dating. But this is what he needs I suppose. I hope this will help him heal enough to where he can have a relationship. He deserves so much more than to spend the rest of his life going from one girl to another. He's a good man and he should be loved and cared for. He should have someone who will be there for him through the bad times as well as the good. Someone who can make him forget what Kathy Sue did to him, to show him what love should be. Luke sat at the bar talking to Jerry the bartender and watching Bo in the mirror. He grinned himself when Bo threw his head back in genuine laughter. God it was good to see him happy. The smile fell from his face when he saw who had just walked through the door. Sherry Alexander and Bobby Jensen, Luke couldn't help thinking they deserved each other. Watching them carefully he sighed, beginning to relax again when they walked past Bo without a word. He should've known better.

Bo had tensed up when he saw Sherry and Bobby walk in, but had grinned and reassured his date that everything was fine. He watched them walk towards the table where he sat with Sam, hoping they wouldn't try to start anything. He had no idea why, but Sherry had never gotten over being mad at him after their one and only date. He would've laughed if he didn't feel like crying everytime he thought of that date. Bo sure couldn't figure out why she was mad, he figured it should've been him that was mad. For the next forty-five minutes, everything was fine. He was relaxing and having a good time with Sam, dancing with her several times and enjoying being with her.

Bo and Sam had just finished another dance and were headed back to their table, when Bobby stepped in front of Bo. "Apologize Duke."

"Apologize? For what Bobby, being better looking than you? Okay, I'm sorry you're so ugly Bobby," Bo smirked.

"Cute Bo, you know what I'm talking about. You apologize to Sherry for the way you treated her." Bobby snarled, obviously looking for a fight.

"Don't know what you're talking about Bobby, I ain't even spoke to Sherry in months. Now you need to get out of my way and go back to your date." Bo responded, pushing Bobby to one side and steering Sam back towards their table.

"You shouldn't have done that Bo." He heard Bobby snarl, just before he felt a sharp pain in his head and the world went black. Bobby didn't get much chance to enjoy his victory over Bo, as with a snarl of pure rage, Luke tackled him to the floor.

When Luke saw Bobby confront Bo as he was leaving the dance floor, he had figured there was about to be a fight. He never would've guessed that Bobby Jensen was that much of a coward. Luke could only watch in shock as Bobby grabbed a bottle from a nearby table and swung it at Bo from behind. He didn't really remember much of what happened after that. He saw Bo fall and when he didn't get up, Luke saw red. The next thing he knew Cooter was pulling him off of Bobby and telling him to take care of Bo. "Bo! Is he okay?" Luke asked, hurrying to where his cousin lay bleeding on the floor. Kneeling beside his little cousin, Luke carefully examined the back of Bo's skull. Not seeing any blood, only a bump he couldn't figure out where the blood was coming from. "Bo? Wake up cousin, please Bo wake up." Luke jumped when somebody touched his shoulder, looking up he saw it was Daisy.

"Here Luke, use this to clean up the cut." Daisy suggested, handing him a wet towel.

"Cut?"

"Over his eye, didn't you see it honey? Sam said he hit his head on a table when he fell." Daisy told him.

Now that Daisy had pointed it out to him, Luke could see the blood flowing from a small cut above Bo's right eye. Using the towel his cousin had given him, he dabbed gently at the cut. He carefully cleaned the area until he could clearly see the damage. Getting his first good look at it, he was surprised to find it was only a small cut, heck probably wouldn't even need stitches. With the amount of blood, Luke would've guessed the damage to be worse. Just as he finished cleaning the cut and applying a small bandage, Bo began to moan.

"Ohhhh...my head. Luke? What happened?" Bo asked, trying to sit up, falling against Luke as he got to his knees, overcome by a wave of dizziness.

"What do you remember Bo?" Luke asked, concerned that Bo didn't seem to know what had happened.

"Uh... Sam! Where is she? Is she okay?" Bo asked, beginning to get frantic when he didn't see his date.

"She...um...she left Bo. She's okay, she wasn't hurt none. I guess she just ain't used to seeing stuff like this." Daisy answered, hoping Bo wouldn't ask her what Sam had said. She couldn't lie, so Daisy could only hope Bo never thought to ask. She knew it would only hurt him if he knew Sam had left because she thought Bo deserved to get hit. Daisy would've hit the girl herself when she said that his smart mouth was the reason he got hit and she didn't have time for that childish behavior. The only thing that stopped Daisy, was the fact she was too busy trying to take care of Bo to deal with Sam.

"Oh...Luke? What happened?"

"Bo, I need you to tell me what you remember first okay?" Luke asked again.

"Um..I was dancing with Sam and...Bobby, he tried to start a fight. I don't remember anything else, sorry." Bo answered softly, trying not to aggravate the pain in his head.

"You did fine Bo. He hit you with a bottle, when your back was turned and you hit a table on your way down. I think we should get you to Dr. Appleby, you need to be checked out. Don't argue with me Bo, you might have a concussion. Come on now, we'll go see Doc, and then you can go home and get some rest, okay?" Luke asked, helping Bo to his feet and heading him towards the door.

Before they could get outside though, Rosco walked through the door, stopping them. "Alright now, you Duke boys just hold it right there you're under arrest."

"Rosco what are you arresting us for? We didn't do anything wrong." Luke protested, barely controlling his temper at the needless delay.

"Well if you didn't do anything, then why you trying to sneak out of here before I got here?" Rosco smugly asked.

"We ain't sneaking nowhere Rosco. Bo got hit in the back of the head by a beer bottle and I think he's got a concussion, I'm taking him to the Doc's." As if to prove Luke's statement true, Bo's legs folded and he nearly hit the floor, again. "Now do ya see? You want to talk to us later, we'll be at the farm but right now I'm taking Bo to the doctor." Luke told him, pushing his way past Rosco and practically carrying Bo to the General.

As soon as Luke and Bo had left, Cooter brought Bobby Jensen over to Rosco and told the sheriff what had happened. Rosco might not always get along with the Duke boys, but he still didn't hold with waylaying somebody like that. Just wasn't right and in disgust he slapped the cuffs on Bobby's wrists, reading him his rights, before hauling him to jail. When Bobby complained on the way to the car about Luke attacking him after he hit Bo, everybody in Hazzard would've fainted if they had heard Rosco tell him that wasn't assault. There wasn't anything illegal about Luke defending his cousin and not letting Bobby hurt him any further.

Inside the Boar's Nest, Daisy watched from the door as Rosco took Bobby to his patrol car. Turning around she went back inside and found Sherry. Quickly proving that the Duke boys weren't the only ones with a temper, Daisy jerked Sherry from her seat. Roughly pulling the girl towards the door, Daisy kicked it open and pushed Sherry through it, not caring when she landed on the hard ground. "You stay out of here Sherry Alexander. This place may just be a roadside honky tonk, but it's a mite too classy for the likes of you." Daisy smirked before turning around and marching back inside, blushing at the applause which greeted her.

Pulling up to the Duke farm, Luke parked the General as close to the door as he could. Getting out , he walked to the passenger side and helped Bo to climb out. Thank God, was all he could think when Dr. Appleby told them that Bo only had a mild concussion. He'd be lightheaded and nauseated for a few days. He'd certainly have a headache and might be a little cranky, but with rest and time he'd be fine. Luke knew Bo was relieved too when he found out he wouldn't have to go to the hospital, as he'd feared. Helping Bo inside, Luke took him to their room and got him settled in his bed ignoring Jesse's questions for the moment. Sitting beside Bo, Luke gently brushed the hair back from his cousin's forehead. Smiling gently when Bo nuzzled into the touch, Luke quietly explained everything to their uncle as Bo drifted to sleep. After Jesse left the room, Luke continued to sit beside Bo, watching him. Though what he was watching for, Luke couldn't have said.

Shifting position so that he was leaning against the headboard, Luke couldn't help smiling when Bo turned towards him. It reminded Luke of when Bo was a little boy and would have a nightmare. Climbing into bed beside his older cousin, he always claimed Luke could protect him from anything. "Shh, it's okay Bo. I'm here, I won't let anybody hurt you. I promise." Luke assured his younger cousin as he began to moan fearfully in his sleep. He only hoped he could keep that promise. Wrapping one arm protectively around Bo, Luke soon drifted to sleep beside his cousin.

TBC

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