A/N: YEY you all came back! 16 reveiws, I'm so happy! Woo Hoo! lol, anyway thanks for the numerous death threats and the like I received from some people and I'm really really glad you are all enjoying this story. I hope you all realise I hate doing this to Bo as much as you hate reading it being done to him, but it never is done in the series and that ticks me off a little cause they're bound to get hurt sometimes! Anyway, enough ranting from me, enjoy and R&R.
TISSUE WARNING: My beta advises for all those who need tissues for weepy scenes you get them now or sometime before the end of the chapter otherwise you are at risk of keyboard flooding. (Her words not mine)
"Well I don't know, I asked him to come…shhh! Shhh y'all hush he's comin'!"
Jesse and Daisy pulled into the Duke Farm in the pick-up, neither one having said anything the whole way back from the hospital. They had received a rush call from Cooter, who had told them to meet him back at the farm as soon as possible.
"Uncle Jesse, I don't like leaving Bo like that…especially after what he just got told!"
"Now I know Daisy and neither do I…but we just gotta keep everything the same as it was… and besides, Luke's with him and you know that boy. He can look after Bo, and Enos is there, and even if it is just because Bo's under arrest still, Enos will look after him too."
All Daisy could do was nod, she knew that Jesse was right. Since they had received the terrible news, Bo hadn't uttered a word, just kept staring hollowly out the window of his room. When they had received the call from Cooter, Luke had told them to leave without him so he could stay behind and see if he couldn't talk some sense into Bo and no one doubted his ability to do just that.
Both stepped into the farm house, which was unusually dark. Daisy flipped the switch…
"Surprise!"
Jesse jumped out of his skin when about half of Hazzard County jumped out from their various hiding places around the small house, and Cooter popped up directly in front of him.
"Cooter! What in blazes d'ya think your doin'?"
"Now Unc…Jesse, I know you said you didn't want me to tell no one, but I couldn't just sit by and watch as my best friend's whole lives went down the plug hole cause of some accident."
"Now I…what d'you mean?"
Cooter grinned and blindfolded Jesse and then Daisy, then lead them out to the yard with the party of citizens all following behind. Eventually the group came to a stop and the blindfolds were taken off. For a moment not one of them spoke…until Daisy let out a shriek and flung her arms around Cooter's neck, then went on to kiss every single one of the people that were behind them. Jesse just stood looking at the sight that befell him…his barn stood shining as good as new before him.
He slowly walked forward as everyone watched in silence. Everyone knew that Jesse didn't like taking charity off of nobody, because everyone was so poor themselves in Hazzard. He reached out and touched the closed door, tapping it just to make sure that what he was seeing was completely true. Cooter stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You alright Jesse?"
"Cooter…"
"Yes sir…"
"You can call me Uncle Jesse."
Cooter chuckled and laid a friendly arm around Jesse's shoulder.
"Jesse, this want just me. Everyone here played a part, and they all wanted to come and see your reaction. We all worked night and day to get this back up for ya."
"Well I…I just don't know how to thank you all…"
This was met by a series of surprised outburst by several people stood in the crowd.
"Now Jesse, you and them boys have done enough for us already."
"Too right, it's about time we got the chance to pay you back properly, seein' as neither you nor them accept any money from any of us for the work you do."
"And speakin' of money…"
Two small children wormed their way away from their parent's and stood in front of Uncle Jesse, handing him two small bags before grinning shyly at the old man and running back into the crowd of people. Daisy crossed over to her Uncle and peered inside the bags, before gasping.
"Guys…we can't accept these, there full of money!"
Cooter nodded.
"That's right, enough to make at least 4-5 monthly mortgage payments while your barn gets set up and after the race this Saturday, enough to cover Bo's hospital bill too."
"But Cooter…how…."
"Uh uh, no way, I ain't tellin'. You's just take that and do what you gotta do."
And before the astounded pair could say another word, they were ushered back into the farm house, where the party continued, toasting to the fact that Bo was alive and things were starting to look up…Daisy and Jesse just didn't have the heart to tell them what was really going on with their youngest.
You would think after all this they could tell us what's goin' on with Bo.
Luke sighed and looked over to his cousin again, noticing how his eyes flickered from being awake to asleep whenever he looked over. He rubbed his forehead gently, trying to find some way to keep himself calm, but when he looked back to Bo and saw him quickly close his eyes again, something inside of him snapped.
All the pent up worry, anger, fear and relief flowed through him as he pushed himself to his feet and stood directly over Bo, giving his cheek a light tap.
"Bo I know you's awake so stop foolin' around."
Bo opened his eyes and looked surprised up at Luke, who looked thoroughly irritated and, Bo noticed, tired. The tone of voice with which Luke spoke to him, told him that there would be no messing around.
"Right, now I know you's awake, you gonna tell me what's botherin' you, asides from the news you got this mornin'?"
Bo continued to hold Luke's gaze, before looking away again and staring out the window. Luke sighed frustrated and moved away from Bo's bed, heading to where his jacket was slung over the small set of drawers. Luke hated to have to do this to Bo, but it was his last resort.
He had seen people like this before, people who had suffered terrible accidents and withdrawn into themselves until eventually no one could get them back….heck it had damn near happened to him once…He wasn't prepared to lose his cousin that way, not so soon after he had got him back from death's clutches. He turned as he put his jacket on and saw Bo looking worriedly at him. It tore at Luke's heart, but he knew this was something he had to do.
"I'm gonna get the ones who did this to ya Bo. I don't care if it kills me, I'm gonna get 'em. I just want you to know…if I don't make it back…that I love you cuz, always have done and always will do. Your like my baby brother and I'm gonna make sure them guys pay for scaring you silent like this."
He abruptly turned and headed for the door.
"Luke! Please don't go!"
The voice sounded so pitiful and scared that Luke very nearly ran back and took Bo in his arms, but he didn't. He walked slowly back into the room and leant on the doorframe, looking angry.
'Well why not Bo? If they got you so scared that you can't even talk to your own cousin…"
"It wasn't them Luke…"
"Well, if it wasn't them then who was it?"
Bo sighed and looked down at the bedsheets, which Luke took as his cue to walk back over and take his baby cousin's hand.
"Come on Bo, you know you can tell me anythin'. You's always have done ever since you could talk remember, I could never get you to stop your yapping for more than 5 seconds..."
Bo nodded and took a deep, shuddering breath before looking back into Luke's calming blue eyes.
"It's just….I feel so guilty Luke…"
"Why? You ain't done nothin' wrong. The barn and the General want your fault, you know that."
"I know…it ain't that…"
"Well then what?"
Bo's baby blue eyes were now shimmering with tears. Luke squeezed his hand a little tighter; careful of the IV needles still planted there and noticed also that Bo was shaking.
"Luke I….when I was trapped in the General…I...I kept callin' for you….it was so cold and dark and…and it hurt so bad I…."
He choked on the words, heavy sobs wracking his already sore throat and sending spasms of pain through his chest. He felt Luke's strong arms wrap tenderly around his shoulders, and he lent as much as he could into the warm embrace.
Luke knew there was more that Bo needed to say, but didn't have the heart to tell him to continue, partly because the thought of Bo calling out to him in pain, shuddering with cold and barley able to breathe killed him.
"I was so scared Luke…when you didn't show…I was dyin' I know I was…and then I thought of the night you left for the Marine's…I went to bed that night and climbed into yours…and I cried…all night I called out your name, waitin' for your arms to wrap around me….keep me safe…and when they didn't….I felt so alone….I was scared then I would never get to see you again…and I got that same feelin'…"
Silent tears raced down Luke's cheeks and into Bo's honey blonde hair as he held his cousin tighter, the guilty knot in his stomach tightening further as the begs and pleas of reconsideration from a 14 year old Bo rang through his head, and the hope filled letters, muddied and blotched by tears, swam before his eyes. He had to do his service, it was his duty…but a part of him always ached at the thought of how much it had hurt Bo.
"I was scared you left me again Luke! I was scared no one would ever find me and I wouldn't get to say goodbye…"
"Bo…please stop….I'm never gonna leave you like that, never again. Oh god Bo I'm so sorry."
"No…I hated you when you left Luke…and a part of me hated you when I was stuck…a part of me wanted to give up and…make you feel what I felt when you left…I never ever should have thought that, I never wanted to think it…I'm sorry, I really really am…please forgive me Luke…please…"
"Bo, I'll always forgive ya, I can understand you feelin' like that. I just wish you'd have told me sooner is all."
Bo nodded, nuzzling his head into Luke's shirt, breathing in the familiar scent of Luke's aftershave and feeling again the warmth that had soothed and comforted him so often in the past.
"Promise me somethin' Bo."
Bo looked up and saw gentle tears swimming in Luke's eyes that made his heart clench painfully. He never meant to tell Luke any of this, he wanted to just keep it to himself, get everything straightened out in his own head then carry on his life as...well not as noral anymore after what he had been told but...to just carry on.
But there was no backing out, he couldn't just stop talking to Luke now, the warm embrace was too comforting and the tears too heartbreaking to him to ever even consider disobeying Luke.
"Anythin'..."
"Promise me that you ain't gonna get like this again. If you need to talk about somethin' you tell me, please promise me that."
"I promise Luke…..Luke…."
"Yeah Bo."
"Will I…do you believe what the doctor said?"
"About what?"
"'Bout me never…never bein' able to…walk or drive again…"
"No Bo. I ain't never gonna believe that 'cause you and me are Dukes. And as long as we're together, there ain't nothin that can stop us from doin' somethin'. And I say we'll get you back on your feet quicker than that Doctor can blink."
Luke looked down at his cousin resting gently in his arms, all shaking and sobbing laid to rest and a smile that Luke had not seen appear on his face for a week re-appear on his face. It was a genuine smile, one of love trust and confidence that Luke was pleased to see.
He was going to make double damn sure his cousin would feel the ground beneath his feet and the leather of the General's steering wheel gripped in sweaty palms as the car launched itself across a ravine or a pond, or some spectacular feet that no one had ever dared to try again. He would make sure of it because he owed it to Bo to do so, because he had gotten Bo into this mess in the first place and he would stop at nothing to make Bo's life as right as it could and should be, even if it took the rest of his born days.
"Yeah Bo, me and you can do anythin' so long as we have Duke Spirit and each other."
For those of you findin' it hard to keep up like me…Luke's feelin' guilty 'cause of what happened to Bo 'cause he feels responsible…and now Bo's feelin' guilty for feelin' responsible for draggin' Luke into it…I tell you, I don't like to think what's gonna happen when Bo tells Luke he lied that night…