Author's Note: This is Bo and Luke's life together, from the first year Bo was with them, until when Luke leaves for the Marines, and one year after he gets back. It is all different events, but they all are tied together by more or less the same phrase. I thought it might be fun to tell their lives together by something that keeps happening. This follows on the same line as 'It's Cold,' and some of the events are even similar with the ages. This time it is quite different though.
Big thanks to Earendil Eldar for beta work.
Warning: The warning is placed here for vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen.
Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix….
It was odd when he was fourteen, because Luke was away. By then he knew what the jail looked like, you couldn't be a Duke and not know that. Yet being there, without Luke, that was scary. He had been with some of the other kids from school.
It had been the first football game he was allowed to play in. A fourteen year old kid didn't usually play on the team, but Bo had proved that he was good enough. He could run, he could kick, and he wasn't scared of getting ground down into the dust. Being tackled by a two hundred pound competitive player wasn't half as bad as playing with Luke when he was in a temper.
Well, they had won, and although Bo hadn't done much more than anyone else, it made them include him in the team more than they had before. Not everyone was sure that the freshman would hold up.
He had though, and they had won.
Afterwards they had invited him to go with them while they celebrated, and he had agreed in the blink of an eye. Since Luke had left for the Marines Bo had felt adrift. He wasn't used to spending his days alone, both in school and at home. He really didn't have any friends that weren't Luke's friends. It was not that they didn't want him around without Luke, but he didn't know what to do without Luke.
He wasn't quite sure who he was without Luke. He had always just been the younger cousin of the Duke boys, and when there was only one Duke boy, that made him confused.
Signing on to the football team even though he was a bit young had been a way to try and find something he could do, a place where he could fit in.
At first it hadn't worked to well, because no one thought a freshman could be good enough, but once he had proved he was, then they accepted him, and it felt good. As if there was one place where he could be where it wasn't as obvious that Luke wasn't around as well. That was the worst thing otherwise, how he always noticed so clearly that Luke wasn't there.
So he had gone with them, he had been having a good time, and had even accepted some of the beer they offered him. It had been fun, until they wound up in jail. Someone had been just a bit too rowdy, and the police had come bearing down on them.
Being in jail without Luke was bad enough, he was scared. Not terrified, but so scared that he couldn't sleep. Rosco had taken them, and they had all gotten to call their parents. When Bo got to call, the first ones were already picked up. The fine was paid and they could go. When he heard his uncle answer, he nearly choked on his own voice, and he could hardly say anything.
In the end, Roscoe had taken the receiver and explained things to Jesse before giving it back to Bo. Jesse had told him that he was sorry, but he just didn't have that kind of money. Bo understood, he knew they were really tight, and he would have hated it if his uncle gave up the money for food for him. Yet he was also scared of being all alone in the jail, and by now he was. Everyone else had been picked up.
Bo was placed in a cell, and told to sleep, but he couldn't. Jesse had promised him that he would be there to pick him up first thing in the morning, and Bo knew he meant it. He knew he had been stupid, and it was his fault. He also knew that it wouldn't make his uncle love him any less, but he was terrified that he would have disappointed him. His uncle had trusted him, and what had he done, wound up in jail.
It made him feel really low. Even if he missed Luke he should have the sense not to do something like that. He guessed that he should have known better, they all had parents that could get them out, but it was different for him. Jesse had been very remorseful that he didn't have the money, and Bo had tried to be brave saying it was okay, but he knew Jesse could tell how scared he was.
Not only for a night in the jail, but also because he was afraid Jesse would be so very disappointed in him. So he tried to swallow past the lump on his throat even as he sat awake and waited for the dawn.
Then it was trying to outrun buckshot as the father of the girl he had taken for a date didn't appreciate that he brought her home too late. He was supposed to have her back by ten, and apparently that wasn't ten AM.
He had been quite furious with the fifteen year old boy, and Bo had been forced to take off running for dear life. It was just luck that the father was as bad a shot as he was angry, or he would have been in serious trouble.
As it was, close was all it was. A close call trying to outrun buckshot.
When he ran across the field he had been scared, no one liked being shot at. He had been scared that they would come after him. Scared that they would go to uncle Jesse and demand he handed him over.
Yet the farmer was a fair one. After he had chased Bo off, and scared him half to death with the gun, he figured they were even.
Bo hadn't stopped running until he was a few miles away. In fact, he only stopped because he tripped, and when he was flat on the ground, he was so exhausted he couldn't force himself to get up again. At least not before he could start breathing normally again. Fear and adrenaline let you run fast, but once you stopped, it took some to get you started again.
Then there were those things that were just plain embarrassing. You were scared, but you couldn't make up your mind what was worse, scared or embarrassed. At sixteen, embarrassed tended to win over scared in being the worse one.
He never could resist a girl who batted her eyelashes at him, or flashed her dimples. Foolish, but it was true. So when she asked him to fetch down her scarf that the wind caught and sent up to the roof, well he couldn't very well deny her.
There was an old ladder behind the house, so he got it up against the wall and started climbing. Grateful that the house wasn't in the middle of town, but out a bit to the side. Several two and a half story houses all stood in their own garden, and he was climbing to the roof on one of them.
He was just reaching for the edge of the roof when he felt the ladder start to break. The rung he was standing on snapped, and he flung an arm up grabbing a hold of the edge of the roof. He could hear the ladder break, and then it crashed to the ground. He was however a bit too busy to look as he tried to haul himself up.
As he pulled himself up on his arms he heard a nasty ripping sound, very nasty, and he blushed as he realized that it was his jeans that shredded themselves on some sharp edges of the drain pipe. Just what he needed.
Settling himself on the roof he heaved a sigh of relief and took a look to survey the damage. It was bad enough, his jeans was just shredded, embarrassingly much so. The ladder lay on the ground, in to many pieces to be of any use. The girl stood on the ground looking just horrified, and there was no window within reach either.
So basically he was stuck on a roof with no means to get down. He glared at the scarf as he put it in his pocket. He was not going to have it all to be in vain. Daisy would kill him when she saw his jeans.
The girl shouted something about running for help, but he told her to wait, that would be more embarrassing than his pride could allow. With his luck, she would have the fire truck come, and he didn't want that. There was one option the way he saw it, and he swallowed and tried to steady his nerves as he considered it.
The porch roof was only half the distance down that the ground was. Only half, but it was still a bit far. It was also a gentle slant that meant he might, and might not be able to stop there.
It was just a matter of deciding what he was the most afraid of, falling, or her running off and make a scene where he was involved. Taking a deep breath he jumped for the porch roof. He landed with a hard thud, and bent his knees to absorb the shock, but he still toppled right over and rolled off. Crashing to the ground beside it.
He could hear her screaming even over the ringing in his ears as he climbed back to his feet. To top off the tears in his jeans, there were now a few in his shirt as well. Daisy would have a fit, but at least he hadn't been forced to sit and wait for an embarrassing rescue, so he grinned and gave the girl her scarf back.
The war was bad, but when Luke came back the lanky seventeen year old found that almost more scary than when Luke had left. When Luke went to war he was afraid of losing him, and afraid of being on his own while he was away. He didn't say that, because he was afraid they would laugh at him.
He was afraid for four years, afraid that Luke would come back and no longer need him.
Who would want to deal with an overgrown kid after having been out in the real world, after having done so many things. So Bo was afraid. When they got the message that said Luke was coming home Bo couldn't have been happier, nor more afraid.
He didn't tell anyone no either, but he was terrified that Luke would not have any need for him anymore, and that Bo would find himself adrift from his cousin. It didn't help that his nervousness made him clumsy. If he wasn't tripping over his own feet, he was tripping over his tongue. Boy, how Daisy would laugh at him when he messed up what he had been trying to say.
Luke didn't seem to mind to much, but he couldn't help but being afraid that it was just because he had just gotten back, and that he soon would have had enough of his cousin. Especially when he got sick. He was sure that Luke would leave him to search out his old friends then.
He hoped that if he could keep himself from being a bother Luke mightn't tire as fast as he would otherwise, but trying not to be a bother while you had the flue was about as easy as swimming upstream in a waterfall. He couldn't do it.
So it was the fear that haunted him as much as the fever did when he slept.
Luke who was now trained to be an incredible light sleeper when he wanted to had set himself to wake at the faintest sound his cousin made at night. He would come half awake whenever Bo shifted, to make sure he wouldn't miss it if Bo needed anything.
There was just no way he could miss a scream like that. Luke thought it might even wake his uncle and his cousin Daisy as he bolted over to Bo when he cried out in his sleep. Sitting down on the mattress and trying to sooth him.
The fever had gone down, almost gone, and he seemed to be over the worst of the flue. It just took a lot of time given how sick he had been and how badly it had worn him out.
Now Bo whimpered softly as he came awake, and gasped for breath.
Nightmare Luke decided, and it looked to have been a bad one.
"Easy Bo, easy." He said softly as he stroked his hair soothingly. "It was just a bad dream cousin. It's okay now."
Yet Bo shook his head as if he didn't agree and whimpered again. Struggling to sit up as if he didn't want to lie down anymore. Luke put his hand on his back and supported him while he sat up.
"It was just a nightmare Bo, it's over now." It had really upset Bo though, because he was shaking, and suddenly he just lunged for Luke, wrapping his arms around him and clinging desperately to him.
Luke shifted so he that his cousin would be more comfortable and rubbed his back slowly. "Bad huh?" He asked, the dreams that came with fever was often the worst. He knew Bo had been having a few nightmares while sick, but up until now he had tried to put on a brave face about it and Luke had let him. Bo had grown since he had left, and not just in the manner that left him now taller than Luke. He had matured, and was trying to learn how to be a man. One that thought he shouldn't show any fear. Luke recalled going through the same thing at that age.
It took some time to find the balance, Bo wasn't doing so bad at all with it. It was just a matter of making sure that Bo knew that.
He waited until Bo's breathing evened out and he loosened his grip a little before talking to him again.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked as he smoothed down Bo's hair again.
"No." There was fear in his voice, and embarrassment as well. Bo was calming down enough from the dream to realize how he was clinging to his cousin, but he was still to upset to let go.
"Really bad dream, huh?" Luke stated. "Don't worry Bo, I'm here, it's okay." He smiled and patted his back. "Ya wanna go back to sleep now?"
"No." Bo sounded just a tad agitated as he answered. Luke had thought he would react that way. He wanted to get Bo talking about what had been so bad. He had a feeling that it wasn't the monster in the clock anymore, but something that they should settle.
"Okay." He said as Bo let go just a little. Bo shifted uneasily as if he tried to figure out what to do.
"Sorry I woke you up." He mumbled.
"That's okay Bo, I don't mind." Luke smiled at him. "Wanna tell me what that dream was about now." He draped his arm around his cousins back and pulled him against him. He wanted to keep him close for the moment, so that he could feel safe.
"No, not really." Bo looked away, unable to meet Luke's eye.
"Bo, no matter what it was about, I won't think it silly, but I think telling would help you." Luke said softly to assure him. "And I know that's why ya don't wanna tell, so come on now, tell me."
"Ya'll just say it ain't true, and I'm a fool for thinking it." Bo mumbled with down cast eyes.
Luke grabbed the blanket and pulled at it so he could cover Bo's shoulders with it. "If it's something that ain't true that scared ya that badly, then maybe ya need to hear it Bo. What is true though, is that I won't think less of ya for it, so come on now, tell me." He used his arm to pull Bo closer. "Okay?"
Bo nodded. "I dreamt ya was saying that ya didn't want me no more, cause I was just a bother." He admitted guiltily.
"I thought it might be something like that." Luke nodded. "That must have been one nasty dream, if it was me having it, I'd be down under ya covers and refusing to come out." He smiled at his cousin. "I'd be plumb terrified."
"Ya just saying that to make me feel better, ya wouldn't get scared for something so silly." Bo mumbled.
"Oh yeah." Luke snorted. "I'm scared now, I left ya alone for a dang long time, far as I know, ya don't have any use for a cousin no more with all the new friends ya made. I hear ya one of the more popular kids around. Can't blame ya for not having no use for me no more."
"That's stupid." Bo burst out, and Luke blessed him inwards. Bo never thought before he spoke, he was far too emotional for it. "I need you Luke, I've missed ya so bad. How can ya think I'd not need ya no more?"
Luke just ruffled his hair and waited for Bo's word to fully register in his brain. "Oh," there, it had sunk in. Luke smiled as his cousin gave him a confused look.
"See there Bo, nothing for ya to worry about." Luke smiled. "Come on now, ya still need some more sleep. I'll stay here with ya for a bit."
"Okay." Bo laid back down. "Thanks." He said, and he didn't mean how Luke was covering him up with the blanket.
"Just sleep Bo, everything's okay." Luke brushed a few strands of hair away from his forehead.
Odd when you thought about it, odd how scared certain things made you. Odd that you thought you had to be so scared. He couldn't ever recall having been more scared, that was true, but no matter what it had always been okay in the end. Most often because Luke was there, and Luke wouldn't let anything bad happen to him if he could help it.
His whole life Luke had been here. He shifted and groaned as it made pain flare up in an ankle that had grown numb before. Luke had always looked out for him. A bit reluctantly at times, the few times when he thought Bo was just a bothersome cousin he had to put up with.
They had been angry at times, they had fought with each others, but in the end Luke had always been there.
So why was he afraid?
Bo thought about it for a bit, and it helped to drive the fear away. Not fully, because it still hurt, and he was still getting cold, and that made him feel the fear, it just helped a little to think about Luke. They were close, really close. He trusted Luke with everything.
Still he shuddered as it became even darker. He looked up at the sky, it was almost completely black now. He thought he heard something, and then he had to squeeze his eyes shut and turn his head to the side as the beam of a flashlight shone in his face.
"Bo?" That was Luke's voice. "Bo, are ya okay?"
"Luke!" He called back.
"Hold on Bo, I'll get you out of there." Luke assured him. There was Cooter's voice as well, and his uncle. Really, it had been kinda silly to be so afraid, he knew they wouldn't give up on him. He should have known Luke would find him, Luke would never abandon him. Never.
"I was scared Luke." He admitted as he was out of the hole, Luke was carrying him because he couldn't walk on the ankle, and he knew that he was holding on a bit harder than needed, but he also know it didn't matter with Luke. He also knew it was just a reaction from having been in the hole so long, still, he tried to cover it up with a brave smile and a witty remark. "Haven't been this scared since ol' farmer Lewis chased me off with a round of buckshot."
"I know." Luke held him closer. He didn't have to say how scared he had been when Bo didn't come back. When they found the car but with no sight of Bo. Then they found signs of a wild chase in the forest, and finally it was easy to see where the ground was torn open as he fell. How scared he had been when he shone his flashlight down into that hole, and then saw Bo's face looking up at him. He had feared for Bo, and nothing could make him more relieved than finding him did.
"It's okay now Bo, We've got ya, and ya'll be fine."
"Know that." Bo rested his cheek against Luke's firm body, he was tired, but there was one thing he wanted to say. He turned his face back to Luke, and this time the smile wasn't forced at all, it was a genuine smile of gratitude that he didn't feel the need to cover up with shows of bravery or attempted jokes. "I was so really scared, but then I thought how ya always got me out."
The End
This is the last part of this series, as I might write more on it, but I do not want to promise anything. I will however be posting up something else in the usual two days time, and very shortly a slightly longer story will follow. /Elenhin
