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

Warnings: Violence, angst, abuse

Rating: FRT

Make me happy, please read and review.

If You Love Something Set It Free

Chapter 2

Three hours later Luke was sitting in the living room, staring at the phone. Watching from the doorway Jesse saw him reach for the phone, only to draw back, "He's fine Luke."

"You don't know that Uncle Jesse, what if something's happened to him? I should go to town, make sure he hasn't ran into that..."Luke trailed off, heading for the door.

"You ain't gonna do that Luke, Bo's fine and he ain't gonna like it if you check up on him. Just leave him be Luke, he needs this. I know you want to help him, and you have, but it's time to let go. ...Do you remember that bird you found when you was little?"Uncle Jesse asked, as he stood in Luke's way.

"Yeah, but this ain't like that Uncle Jesse," Luke protested.

"That's where you're wrong boy, it's just exactly like that. That bird needed your help, just like Bo did, but once it was healed you had to let it fly away, had to let be free. And now it's time to do the same for Bo, you've done all ya could for him, you have to let him do the rest or he'll never heal all the way," Jesse patiently explained.

" I'll try, but I'm worried about him Unlce Jesse. I don't know how to explain it, I just know that I've got a real bad feeling about him being out there alone. I know I'm probably overreacting, but it's like when I was in the war, I keep feeling like the enemy is out there just waiting for us to let our guard down."

Jesse wasn't sure how to respond to that, he had been worried that he had let Luke shoulder too much of the responsibility for helping Bo, now he was sure of it. "Luke son, I think maybe you need to go see Cooter, maybe spend some time with your friends. You've spent the last two months looking out for your cousin, and I'm real proud of ya, but maybe now you need to look out for yourself."

"Ya think I just took on too much? It ain't that Uncle Jesse. I don't think it is anyway,...oh heck, maybe you're right. Could be I need a break from looking out for Bo as much as he needs to get away from me and my hovering," Luke reluctantly admitted. "Think I'll call Cooter and see if he's got time to go to the Boar's Nest, ain't been there in a while."

"I think that's a real good idea son," Jesse told him, giving his approval, glad to see Luke was starting to see sense.

Inside the Tastee Freeze, Bo sat talking to his friends, laughing and joking around. Relaxing like he hadn't in months, not since he had first began to date Kathy Sue. Even after breaking up with her, the tension and fear were still there, it had only been in the last week or so that he had finally started to relax. As much as he could anyway, with Luke constantly watching him, like he expected him to break down anytime. Bo tried to understand, he knew his family had been worried about him, especially Luke. And it was Luke who had the hardest time accepting that he was healing, Jesse and Daisy didn't have any problem with it, why did Luke? Why couldn't his cousin understand that he needed for things to go back to normal, needed to spend time with his friends, needed to remember who he was before Kathy Sue.

Outside, hidden behind some bushes across the street, Kathy Sue sat watching Bo having fun with his friends. Sneering in disgust at his childish behavior, watching him and his friends giving each other noogies and shooting spitwads at each other. How could he prefer to be with them? Didn't he understand how much better he had been with her? When he was with her, he acted so much more grown-up, had known she wouldn't put up with these childish antics. Why couldn't he see that if they were really his friends they wouldn't let him act like that? Didn't he know if he kept hanging out with them, kept ignoring her he would never get anywhere? Well she was through being ignored, tonight she would take back what belonged to her.

When Bo left four hours later, Kathy Sue watched him, carefully pulling out to follow. After a few miles she was sure he was headed home and turned off the main road. Taking a shortcut, she was soon ahead of Bo, parking her truck across the road she stepped out and waited.

Driving towards home, Bo pulled up short when he saw a truck in the road. Slowing down, he came to a stop,...throwing the truck into reverse Bo began to back up as soon as he recognized the truck. Before he could go anywhere though, a shot rang out and Bo felt the truck lurch as the tire abruptly lost its air.

"Get out of the truck Bo!" Kathy Sue yelled at him. "Now Bo, or do you want you're family to find you with a hole in your head?" she asked when he didn't do as she said. Kathy Sue smiled in victory, when Bo opened the door and reluctantly stepped out of the truck.

TBC