A/N: Hey again everyone. One more chapter to go after this and then this story is done! This is my chapter and Elenhin has the last and it is already written so it should be up when me and Elenhin decide it deserves to be put up...you do know reveiws influence that decision greatly right? lol

Anway, read reveiw and enjoy :-)

Drip….Drip….Drip….Drip….

That was all Cooter watched for a good 2 hours in the little waiting room, the steady drip as Bo's tears fell from his cheeks and onto the carpeted floor as his swimming blue eyes stared unwaveringly at a small picture that sat in his wallet. Cooter didn't have to look to know what it was; Bo never removed the photo from his wallet.

It was Bo and Luke both sitting atop the newly born General Lee, Luke on the roof…Bo on the hood…both wearing wide grins with Luke's arms wrapped solidly around his younger cousins shoulders, his chin resting on top of the blonde mop of curls.

Bo could remember when that picture had been taken…it was on Luke's birthday just after he had gotten back from the Marine's….he still had the official crew cut and the worn haggard look on his face even though it was smiling. Luke hadn't lost that look until nearly a year after he had been brought back home. He had promised Luke on that day that no matter what he would always be there for his older cousin just as Luke had promised to always be there for him.

Now, looking back on that, Bo realised he had failed horribly in keeping his promise. Luke had been hurt because he had been so stupid as to only be watching out for himself and his dream to even notice that Luke was digging himself deeper and deeper into trouble. Luke would have never fallen for the trick that Bo had, he would have checked it out first with Bo by his side and they would have both gotten into the trouble and then both got out of it as always.

Cooter sighed as he watched his head's friend dip and the sobs that he had been holding back shook his broad shoulders. He got up and wrapped his arms round Bo, gently trying to sooth him like he had seen Luke do, but knew it was a fruitless gesture. What Bo needed was Luke….

Both men looked up as the door burst open and there standing in the doorway was Jesse and Daisy, sounding out of breath but never taking their eyes off of Bo, unsure as to what his reaction would be. Jesse however, could see the look in his youngest's eyes and softly stepped forward, opening his arms and nodding gently with a slight smile. Bo choked and stood up, practically running into his Uncle's arms and burying his head in his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Uncle Jesse I'm sorry…"

"Shhh…s'alright now Bo….s'alright, you found him and now he can get better, that's all that matters…"

Bo adamantly shook his head and pulled back, still sobbing with tears streaking faster down his cheeks. He didn't look at anyone but fixed his stare at the floor, his words shaky and laced with slight hiccups as he spoke.

"I'll be back….home once I know how Luke is…and I'll move my stuff out and go find…somewhere else to live…"

Jesse heard Daisy gasp and saw the anger flashing in her eyes that Bo was thinking of leaving them permanently but he quickly stopped her as she started to say something and moved towards Bo. Being yelled at and telling him he was being stupid again was not something Bo needed right now, he was shaken by everything that had happened, he had had his dreams crushed….what he needed was the support and reassurance from his family.

Gently and unfalteringly, he put his index finger under Bo's chin and brought his gaze up from the floor to make the blonde look into his gentle eyes.

"Bo….if ya want ta leave, I ain't gonna stop ya….but will ya at least tell me why?"

Bo sniffed and looked past Jesse to Daisy who stood at his shoulder, seeing there the anger that resided in her beautiful eyes and the worry that had been there since all this had started. He bit his bottom lip and tore away from Jesse, going over to sit on the window ledge and leaning against the window, the gentle raindrops that had fixed themselves to the glass slowly falling down it like his tears down his face.

Jesse looked over to Cooter who took his cue and gently guided Daisy from the room to have a talk with her. Bo needed Jesse right now, no one else and without anyone else there but his Uncle, he was most likely to talk and start to think rationally again.

As they left, Jesse waited a moment just silently regarding the distraught young man in front of him who looked blindly out the window before crossing over and putting a gentle hand on his knee as he sat down next to him.

"I'm here if ya want ta talk to me Bo…I would appreciate it if you told me why you're so intent on leavin' yer family though….so I can at least explain it to them."

Bo sighed and closed his eyes, sniffing softly. For a long time, no one said anything…just let the silence hang around them that was only broken by the gentle thudding of the rain on the window. Bo didn't know when it had started, he didn't even really realise it was there at all he was so wrapped up in his thoughts. Even when a noise behind the two could be heard in the room, neither of them turned round, one too concerned about the other to realise and the other still lost in his own world. After a time, Bo eventually gave a small shudder and opened his eyes, looking wearily and sadly over to the kind old man sitting opposite saying in a voice that could have melted even a heart of stone it was so laced with true heartache and despair.

"It's 'cause….heck after everythin' I've done Uncle Jesse I…I don't even deserve to be called a Duke, let alone live under the same roof as y'all….I should be in the gutter where a low down dirty rat like me deserves to be…"

To say that Jesse was shocked by the words was an understatement. He knew that to all the kids, having a last name of Duke went beyond it just being a surname; it was a symbol of the pride that they held in the family line, the love that they all held for each other and the very bond that each cousin (Jeb, Coy, Vance and Judd included) had between them that made each member of the Duke Clan a part of it. To say you didn't deserve to be called a Duke or to have someone say it to you or about you was one of the most hurtful things that anyone ever could say. It was like being disowned from the family, cutting off that connection and being abandoned by family love itself.

Jesse took Bo by the shoulders as he looked away again at his Uncle's silence, and shook him slightly to get him to look back up.

"Oh no you don't…you don't just gimme that kind of explanation and expect to let me accept that. Tell me what's goin' on in that head o'yers; what have those guys said ta ya?"

Bo shook his head, biting his bottom lip as he looked out the window once more, as if trying to find some sort of comfort out there before starting the explanation that didn't even make sense in his own head.

"I just….Uncle Jesse I let the family down…I let Luke down and you and Daisy….If I hadn't been such a stubborn jackass blinded by my own pride and stupid dreams then none of this would have happened. All o'you's is the most important people in the world ta me but when it came down to it….I didn't trust ya….and 'cause o that Luke's ended up here….I may as well have done all that to him myself….how can I be called a Duke when the most important thing we have I just threw away at the first sign of a better life…"

The words he spoke tore at Jesse's heartstrings painfully. Bo hadn't done anything wrong, just chased a dream that he had been since he was old enough to dream… Heck Jesse would have been disappointed if Bo didn't even try to go after it. But in the end, it all boiled down to one thing…Bo hadn't been so eager to do it because it was supposedly for a NASCAR contract…he had been doing it for the family he was so willing to leave, to give THEM the better life….not to give himself it.

"Bo…we's all do stupid things at some point in our lives and disregard the best advice that people have to offer….but Bo…if anything you deserve now more than ever to carry the last name of Duke…"

Bo looked up confused and teary eyed at his Uncle frowning. How could that be true? Jesse saw the confusion and gently pulled Bo back into a hug.

"Bo….ya remember what I always taught you boys was the most important things us Dukes have?"

"Well…yeah Uncle Jesse….family, always has been…"

"That's right….now ya just sit there and think on that…why was the main reason you went ahead and wanted ta race in the first place?"

"For the contract…"

"No Bo….you think a little harder…that wasn't the first thing ya told us at the table that night…."

He thought back to that night, when all his dreams looked just within an arms reach and everything between everybody was as normal as could be. He shrugged gently and said with so much honesty as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I told y'all 'bout the money…to end our financial problems…"

"Yeah ya did Bo….and then when ya finally found out what was really goin' on…and Cooter told ya Luke was missin'….what then?"

"Well…I…I went out to look fer him o'course! I couldn't leave him out there he's my brother no matter what's happened between us! I love him too much to just let someone kill him like that….I just wish that I coulda gotten there sooner to stop it 'afore he got hurt so bad….heck if I could I woulda switched places with him gladly…"

Jesse nodded, not believing that Bo couldn't see what was happening himself. Sometimes Bo was too damn innocent for his own good.

"I know ya would Bo and Luke knows that too…now….go through all that and then tell me again that ya don't deserve to be a Duke….if you can honestly tell me that…I won't stop ya if you want to leave…"

Bo knew now what his Uncle was pointing out….all he had been thinking about was his family…that was the most important thing to him as it was to any Dukes….but what good was having that family when all you did was throw back the trust they had in you in their faces and put them in so much danger. If he left, Duke or not, they couldn't deny that they would be much better of without him….at least Luke would….he wouldn't have some stupid youngster to watch out for anymore….to hurt him when all he did was try to help him out of a sticky situation.

Jesse watched, his heart aching as he saw the pained, apologetic look greet him. He knew Bo's answer then before he even spoke….

"Uncle Jesse…sir….I don't know whether or not I'm fit to be a Duke….but I do know that y'all don't need me around to keep causin' ya so much pain and gettin' y'all into so much trouble….I love y'all so much Uncle Jesse…so much that I can't let that happen no more….I'm…I'm so sorry…"

Bo watched as his Uncle shook his head and the tears started to appear in his Uncle's old eyes. He tried to bite back his own but found them once more bombarding his cheeks as he wrapped his arms around his Uncle firmly before sliding silently off the window, his head hung. He made his way over to the door, turning back as he hesitated slightly.

"Uncle Jesse….tell Daisy I'm real sorry…and uh…tell Luke I….I understand if he can never forgive me fer all this…"

"Why don't ya tell me yerself?"

Bo spun round to find Luke sitting in one of the waiting room chairs in the shadows, his left hand in plaster up to his wrist, his arms and chest swathed in bandages with nothing but jeans on….tears sparkling in his gentle blue eyes.

He got slowly to his feet, not even wincing at the pain that Bo knew he was feeling and stood directly in front of Bo, looking up at him for a moment….

Before delivering a sharp slap to Bo's left cheek that sent him sprawling to the floor…