Bo was still a might deal upset with Luke as he headed back to the farm, in fact he had been sorely tempted to not go back there at all. It was Chris and Jack that had convinced him to though. They cared a great deal about him, wanting to make sure he would be doing okay, telling him it would be best for him and everyone involved if he could straighten it out.
Maybe they were right; he hated fighting with Luke, verbally as well as beating on each other with fists. Luke meant far too much to him to want to argue with him and by the time he reached the farm he was ready to forgive and reconcile with Luke. If Luke only apologized then Bo was more than willing to forgive all of it. Luke really couldn't ask for any more than that.
He skidded into the usual spot in the yard of the farm, for once hardly even noticing how the chickens scattered where normally he would find it so very amusing. Luke would be inside he guessed…it was time to go in and try to discuss it with him. Maybe now that he had been allowed to cool down Luke was ready to listen to reason.
He opened the door and stepped inside, seeing how Luke was in the family room, sloshed down in one of the arm chairs with a book. Bo would have expected him to be reading a car magazine, but tonight it was a book.
He stepped in apprehensively as Luke looked up, noting the split eyebrow. Well, Luke had hit him as well and it had hurt no less than this so they were even there. The way Luke was looking at him made Bo think that maybe this wasn't the best idea. Maybe he should wait until supper, and then Jesse would be there.
Jesse would be willing to listen, and he would make sure the two boys didn't come to blows either.
Deciding that it was the best course of action at the moment he headed back outside again, the General could always use a fine tune. He kept his hands in the engine and his thoughts focused on what those same hands were doing while he waited for Jesse to call out about dinner. He was completely unaware of how Luke had turned around so that he was looking out the window, studying his younger cousin.
Bo was working hard but it was clear how much he enjoyed it. He felt his chest swell with pride and yet at the same time it constricted with fear. Would this be the last time he watched this scene? If Bo entered the race he feared that it would be. How good a driver did you have to be to beat a crocked race?
He had no idea, but he knew for certain that it was not going to be easy at all. You could beat the other drivers, you could outsmart them, you could be bold enough not to let yourself fear the speed and the hard walls around the track…..but there just was no way to beat a cut fuel line, or break line, or just about any way an engine could be sabotaged.
He had watched Bo grow up right under his nose his whole life and he didn't want to lose something as precious as that. There were all the times when he had been angry at him, and just about ready to give him away to the first person he met who wanted a child, but there were also the times when he realized just how much he loved his younger cousin.
The toddler who would always come over whenever he played with his cars and wanted to play with him as well, squatting down beside him in suspenders just slightly too big and asking what Luke was doing on the rug. Clapping those small hands together as he shouted with glee those times when Luke allowed him to join in.
Bo always wanted to race everywhere, not caring that he was chanceless against Luke's longer legs. He would call out the challenge and set off, running as fast as he could, determined to beat Luke.
When they both had beat up old bikes, leftovers from neighbors kids and given to use by the Duke boys by some farmer who said he'd rather see them used then rusting in an old barn. Then Bo would always want to race. He had a calculating little mind for it, instantly knowing how to get an advantage, how to use it.
Bo just had racing in his blood and there was no way to get around it.
He sighed softly; terrified he was seeing something for the last time. Bo tinkering with the General, if he took the General to that race, there was no telling if he would ever see either again.
Sometimes he just wanted to curse that boy and that big golden heart of his, if it wasn't for it, if Bo wasn't going to be trying and save the farm single handed he might be able to reason with him. Still he couldn't, it wasn't Bo's fault. It was the bastards that thought there was nothing wrong with using him, greedy bastards.
They didn't care about Bo, they didn't care if he lived or died. They didn't care if their greed cost another mans life. In fact they seemed all to willing to see a mans life as a reasonable price to pay to make themselves a few dollars. Luke wanted to prove how false they were, wished he could prove what kind of crooks they were, but how was he going to be able to do that. At the moment all he could do was stand by and watch what he was so terrified of losing.
Bo kept up his work until he was called in to eat. It was a meal mostly eaten in silence and it was far from the merry meals they usually sat down to. They sat down and they ate and that was that. He and Luke were avoiding looking at each other, and the only sound really was someone asking someone else to pass something.
At the end of the meal, the phone rang and Bo got up to answer it, actually feeling relieved to leave the table for a bit. The atmosphere was so tense and he hated it.
"Is this Bo?" A voice he recognized as Jack asked.
"Yeah, it's me." He answered wondering what they were calling him about.
"Great, I've got some good news for ya." There was no mistaking that enthusiasm.
"Can't say I'd mind hearing some right now." Bo nodded with a glance to the table where Luke was sitting chewing thoughtfully.
"I sent on your times to our Boss, and he said we should up your salary, you can add another five thousand to that number we originally gave you."
Bo nearly dropped the phone in shock. "Are you serious?"
"Oh yeah, very. You got some great times there, really great, and he wants to encourage you to do your best, so yeah, I'm serious, you got another five thousand coming for it."
"That's wonderful." Bo beamed. "Ya bet I'll be doing my best. Ya ain't gonna have ta worry about anything, I ain't gonna let them get even close."
"I don't doubt it, we're counting on ya, we couldn't think of a better driver to join the team."
Saying thanks once more and goodbye Bo hung up the phone before going back into the kitchen. He beamed at them happily, all traces of the fight with Luke so caught up was he in shock and enthusiasm.
"Y'all ain't gonna believe this….but after checking my times today, they're upping the pay they's gonna give me by five thousand dollars."
"That, well, that sounds great Bo." Jesse tried to sound enthusiastic, dreading what was to come.
"Bo, ya can't still be seriously considering doing this?" Luke burst out, slamming his fist down on the table.
"Oh, ya bet I am. You bet I am Luke." Bo gritted his teeth. "I don't know why's ya so intent on not letting me, but I'm gonna do it, ya just wait an' see. Because I'm gonna win that race."
"And what if I say I don't want the General wrecked?" Luke resorted to the only thing he could think of.
"Then I say it's about time we decide who the General belongs to."
Bo felt it as if those words tore his heart apart, as if Luke was tearing out his heart and throwing it down in the dirt. Didn't he know how much this was hurting?
"Ya didn't have no right ta take the keys before, so let's settle it now."
"You got it."
Luke rose to his feet. If Bo didn't have the General then he couldn't race and once he was listening to reason they could sort it out properly. "Archery shoot out, one arrow only, closest to the middle wins. Uncle Jesse, ya the judge."
Jesse nodded slowly, hating to see this take place before his eyes, angry at himself for wishing Luke would be the winner. Angry at the men for making him wish that, wishing they would just have left his boys alone. The two boys grabbed their bows before marching out, going over to a hay bale with a painted target on it while Jesse measured out the distance.
Daisy had kept quiet through the whole thing. She knew what had been going on between Bo and Luke and now she got the horrible feeling that this was not going to end up the way everyone, except Bo, wanted it to. Luke was a good marksman...but Bo had so much more practice with the bow, always favoring it when Luke was away in the Marine's to a gun for hunting. She crossed over and wrapped her arm around Jesse's waist, leaning her head nervously on his shoulder, feeling his equally as nervous embrace round her shoulders.
They all watched as Luke stepped forward, putting an arrow to the string. He looked up at the target ahead and calmed his shaking hands, taking a deep breath and bringing the bow up in front of him. He slowly drew back the string, the three fingers he used to pull it back resting just under his ear. For a few tense moments, he held it there aiming before letting it go with a faint twang and smiling as the thud of the arrow rang out from the hay bale. Jesse crossed to the make shift target and marked where Luke's arrow had landed, just one tad of centre, just a tad.
Luke turned to Bo; expecting to see him nervous, expecting to see him ready to punch Luke out again…he didn't expect to see Bo grinning. He watched as his younger cousin stepped forward, so full of energy, full of cockiness. Luke had to grin; there was no way Bo could get it closer to the center than that. Bo drew back the string, spending a little longer than Luke had aiming…..and set his arrow smack in the bulls-eye.
The whole family stood in shock as Jesse checked the arrow and confirmed with a small nod of the head that it was right on target….Luke had lost. The smile had been wiped completely from Luke's face. It was done and over with….all he could do was hand him the keys and watch his smile with dread. He wanted to argue with Bo again, he even wanted to hog tie him in the barn rather than let him race, but he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to start something that would have them hitting each other again.
"Don't do this Bo, please don't do this Bo."
He begged softly in a whisper placing a hand softly on his arm. It was such a small touch, but it meant the world to Luke. It could be the last time he ever saw his cousin alive…could be the very last time he got to speak with him.
Bo looked down at the hand on his arm, realizing there was no pressure there to keep him in his place, just a small touch to get his attention. He looked up at Luke's whisper and saw something in those gentle eyes, the sparkle of tears, the genuine worry and fear shining behind them.
For a moment, Luke thought as he looked back at Bo that he may have finally got through to him. He gently squeezed at the arm that he held and felt Jesse and Daisy come up behind him.
"Please Bo…you know I love ya….your like my little brother. I wouldn't ever want ta hurt ya, ever…."
Bo's bottom lip quivered as his own eyes started to shine with tears too.
"Then why are ya Luke? Why are you doin' this to me?"
"Because…Bo everythin' I's been sayin' is true…they don't want ya to win! They want ya to race so they's can get the money when you lose 'cause they's gonna sabotage General Lee…."
"No Luke…your lyin'…please stop lyin'…"
"I ain't never lied ta ya before Bo…please cousin you have to believe me…"
"No…No I won't…"
Luke called out Bo's name as his younger cousin turned tale and leapt into the General, sliding into the driver's seat and quickly gunning the engine and tearing off back down the road before Luke even had time to take two steps forward.
Luke fell to his knees, tears streaking down his cheeks. There really was nothing he could do, nothing he could say to stop Bo. His head fell to his hands and he sobbed gently, his shoulder's shaking beneath the comforting embrace that Jesse and Daisy quickly locked round him.