A/N: Howdy ya'll! Thank you SO much for all the great reviews on the first chapter! I'm siked ya'll like it so much. Well, I know ya' didn't come to listen to me babble, so here ya' go! Chapter 2. Enjoy!

Warnings: Major angst comin'!

The Luck of a Duke

Chapter 2: Shine Dreams

By: StriderX

"Bo!" Luke yelled again; this time more frantically as the young man began to fall forward into Luke's awaiting arms. Forgetting about everyone and everything around him, Luke gently caught the precious burden in his arms and cautiously lowered him to the ground; resting Bo's head against his chest while being ever mindful of the obvious injury abusing Bo's body.

Fighting back the tears threatening to fall, Luke brushed a loving hand across Bo's soft cheek and attempted to coax him awake. "Bo? Com'on Bo, please wake up, baby brother," his voice cracked with heartache as he spoke.

Lost in the horror-filled reverie of the moment, Luke hadn't noticed the Leeman pointing the loaded pistol toward his temple. "Get up, plowboy. We don't have time for this," he growled callously; as if he'd seen a dying man he had shot a hundred times before.

"Don't have time—?" Luke was at a loss for words; his mind was a frightened torrent of horror and worry. "My best friend's dying in my arms! Make the time, or jus' shoot me now and get it over with,"

The convict seemed taken aback by Luke's fierce outburst; as did Daisy and Jesse—who were equally as torn apart inside; as they were forced to stay far from their injured youngest.

"Bo," Luke's tone instantly changed as he turned his attention back to the young man laying in his arms; his breath shallowing with every minute. "Bo, baby, I need you to wake up now," Luke couldn't help but allow a small smile to pull at his lips as Bo groaned softly as he attempted to come to.

"L-Luke..." Bo's voice was raspy and strained as his expression contorted from that of a sleeping child to a man in more pain then any ever should be.

"Bo," Luke breathed in a sigh of cherished relief; no matter how temporary. "Bo, I need you to stay awake for me, okay?"

"It hu-hurts..." it worried Luke that Bo didn't answer correctly.

"I know it does, but I need you to promise me you'll stay awake," Luke tried again; a little more firmly this time.

Searching Luke's eyes for some kind of strength, Bo tried his hardest to flash his trademark grin before answering weakly: "Yeah, I prom-promise,"

Eyes swelling with tears of sorrow and a strange sense of pride to look upon the strength of the man Bo had become, Luke brushed away a stray lock of blonde from Bo's young face.

"Alright, you've had your moment. Now get inside!" Leeman shoved at Luke's shoulder.

"Alright already!" Luke snapped; staring at their captor with eyes filled to the brim with overwhelming emotion and wrath. Looking down into Bo's steel blue eyes, weary and clouded with agony and exhaustion, Luke spoke softly. "Bo, we need to get inside..."

Before he could finish, Bo sighed; clearly exasperated with his situation. "Alright...help me up," he grunted; biting back a growl at the fire surging through him as he attempted to sit up.

Easily following his movement, Luke reached a careful arm around Bo's waist and pulled his good arm across his shoulders to relax some of his weight—allowing Bo to stand somewhat painlessly; albeit wobbly.

As Luke helped Bo make his way into the house, Jesse was quick to move any obstacles that may have come in their way to the living room. With Leeman and Hammer following closely behind, Luke led Bo to the couch and cautiously lowered the younger man to the awaiting cushions; guiding him to a position as comfortable as possible, laid out on the couch.

Kneeling by Bo's side, Luke took a moment to assess the wound as best he could through the mess of shattered fabric and blood. During his years in the marines, Luke had seen and treated many wounds—this would be no exception. With eyes fueled with anxiety of what he was about to put his best friend though, he locked glances with Bo and silently apologized for the pain he would cause.

The stormy look in Luke's crystalline eyes told Bo all he needed to know—this would not be an enjoyable experience, for either of them. "It's 'kay Luke, jus' do...what ya' got'ta...I'll be okay," he forced out as bravely and smoothly as he could. All of the sudden he wondered why it was so hard to breathe.

Every inhale he took felt like a knife stabbing his side.

oooooooo

"This wasn't in the plan," Hammer spoke to Leeman as they watched their captives assemble around Bo in the living room. "We should just get out'ta here while we've got the chance!"

The Leeman seemed to think for a moment before replying. "No. Not yet. We'll wait just a little longer...until that fat guard gives up and looks somewhere else,"

"What about the kid? He needs a doctor," the tone in the con's voice was strangely compassionate as he spoke of Bo.

"Since when does that bother you?" before giving his partner a chance to reply, Leeman looked to the group of people he held captive and answered, "Let them take care of the boy. It'll keep them busy for a while. By the time they're done, we'll be ready to leave,"

"Then what?"

The expression of Leeman's face morphed instantly from mildly annoyed to royally furious. "You just let me worry about that," he snarled evilly. Hammer suddenly felt like he wanted to disappear. He was beginning to think he did the wrong thing; teaming up with a murderer.

oooooooo

After quickly refreshing his mind of the medical training he'd received in Vietnam, Luke looked to his family, Boss, and Roscoe, and began handing out orders. "Daisy? Can you get'ta pair of scissors an' the tweezers from the cabinet?" Daisy nodded instantly, forcing down her tears and running to the bathroom; nearly forgetting about the con's standing guard in the kitchen. "Uncle Jesse, we're gonna need lots of shine and hot water," Jesse was already on his way to the kitchen as Luke spoke. "Boss, can you go to that closet over there and tear up one'a the sheets into thin strips?" to no one's real surprise, J.D. nodded and practically ran to the closet to pull out the first white sheet he could find.

As everyone went about their duties, Roscoe stood behind the couch with hat in hand and Flash sniffing around Bo's feet. "Umm...is-is there an-nything I can do?" Roscoe's tone was breaking and solemn. Though he had been a policeman for many long years, he hadn't seen too many serious wounds, such as this.

Luke wasn't surprised in the least at Roscoe's request. Even though the crooked lawman chased and threatened him and Bo twelve ways to Sunday for the better length of their lives, everyone knew he had a good heart down there beneath that dipstick brain. "Yeah, there is. Can you go in the kitchen an' help Uncle Jesse?" it sounded like an odd request to Roscoe, but he did as he was told, nonetheless.

While everyone worked at their duties, Luke stayed by Bo's side, lovingly brushing blonde locks from his young face as he had done so many times before. "You're gon'na be okay, Bo," he tried to reassure; easily catching the fear shimmering in Bo's ocean blue eyes.

Bo tried to smile away the fear and anguish on his features, but the task proved more difficult then he thought. "I trust ya', Luke," he tried to take in a breath but grimaced painfully at the persistent stabbing in his chest.

Not missing a thing, Luke suddenly felt a new pang of worry wrench at his heart. "Bo, is it hurtin' ya' to breathe?"

Bo's eyes went wide for a minute; so something was wrong...more so then the bullet in his shoulder, that is. "A little...it hu-rts to take a deep bre-ath,"

Luke instantly recognized the rasp in Bo's voice and the hitch in his breath, but decided against bringing another fear into Bo's mind...and maybe his too, for the time being. "Okay, jus' try to take slow breaths. That should make it easier,"

Bo nodded in agreement, but knew just by Luke's eyes that he wasn't being told everything. "Lucas," he rasped softly; for the first time hearing the clatter of everyone working around the house. "I love you...jus' wa-nted ya' to kn-ow that..."

Bo's words tore a hole in Luke's already fragile heart; Bo realized the reality of the situation just as clearly as Luke did. Luke forced a small smile to his face and took Bo's good hand in his own. "I love you too, little brother," tears welled in his eyes as he spoke; Bo's were already swimming in the salty liquid. "And," Luke tried to force his voice to sound as convincingly confident as possible. "'cuz I love ya', I'm gon'na make sure that you'll get through this, I promise. Jus' stay with me, okay?"

Though his voice came out a nothing but a squeak, Luke understood it's meaning perfectly. "'k,'"

At that moment, Daisy came from behind and kneeled down at Luke's side. "I found the scissors and tweezers, Luke," she said, holding up the shiny metal tools.

"Good," Luke nodded, "Can you have Uncle Jesse clean them up?"

Daisy smiled knowingly. "Already done that, suga'. This ain't the first injury we've had in the family," 'though it may be the worst,' she finished silently; smile slowly falling from her beautiful face.

As they spoke, Jesse had made his way to the couch with a large bowl and a jar of his most prime shine. While Daisy patiently held the tools, Luke rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and allowed Jesse to wash his hands with some of the shine. After shaking them dry, Luke took the scissors from Daisy and took a moment to say a quick prayer.

While he did, Jesse turned to Bo and lifted the jar of shine to Bo's lips. "Drink, Bo. It'll take the sting away," though drinking the burning liquid proved difficult, Bo did just as he was told. "That's it, good," Jesse encouraged as Bo took down at least two thirds of the shine.

Bo loved the buzz his Uncle's shine brought into his emotions. He felt so alive; so free—both of which were feelings he suddenly realized he had taken advantage of all these years. Paralyzing terror swept through him then in a wave overpowering any pain he could possibly feel. 'Oh God,' he cried silently. 'What if I die?' he barely heard Luke's voice when he began to cut away at the fabric of his shirt. 'I don't want to die...please don't let me die,' he prayed with all his heart. But then, he remembered what Luke said. He would make sure Bo lived through this...he promised. And everyone knew, Luke never broke a promise to anyone, especially one he made to Bo.

As the terror slowly eased, Bo could feel his tense muscles relaxing. The pain was still there, but the soft buzz of shine running through his blood dulled it greatly. Bo knew his eyes were open—he could still see Luke hovering beside him...and maybe Uncle Jesse was there too—but he couldn't really see anything around him. It felt like a dream; voices were slow and unrecognizable; lights were swirling in colors of white and blue; the overbearing agony of his wound had dissipated to nothing more then a faraway prick in his mind. He was awake, just like he promised Luke he would be, but he was lost to the world in every other sense of the word.

A/N2: 'K, now, ya'll know the drill! Click that little button right to your left and review away! ...The more reviews, the quicker the post! Thankx for the interest!

Keep it 'tween the ditches ya'll!

Strider