This is very likely the last one til Christmas unless inspiration strikes as it did tonight…if so Merry Christmas everyone!

Bo didn't go to Cooter's.

In fact, he didn't go anywhere. He simply sat in the chair that had become his second home and thought about Luke, tears rolling down his cheeks.

He had done well with his tears until they had come to take Luke. Bo wanted to look away, but he couldn't. He watched swallowing as the nurse gently pulled the sheet over his best friend's head, wheeling him out. It's wasn't until Luke's hand fell lifelessly off the side of the gurney, the faint line of the blood-brother scar barely visible waving a limp goodbye, that Bo broke down and sobbed heart-wrenching cries. Daisy had run out at this point, leaving Bo in his uncle's care.

"He loved you son…" began Jesse, doing his best to comfort his baby boy as he sat beside him and hugged him close. "He loved you so much."

Bo could only nod his sobs not allowing him to speak. He knew without a doubt that Luke loved him…but did he know how much Bo loved him in return…that the reason he had done what he did was because he loved Luke so very much? He didn't know and the thought that Luke might never know brought on more tears. There were so many arguments that he never should have given, so many times he could have held his tongue…times the banter went a little too far and feelings got hurt…times when Bo, annoyed at Luke's protective ways, would tell him to leave him alone…Bo wished he could take it all back. In fact, he'd give anything in the world to have Luke call him a turnip-brain one more time…

Jesse waited until Bo's sobs had died down into gentle crying when he suggested they go home and rest. Bo would have none of it.

"Don't make me go Jesse please!" he begged not even realizing that he had dropped the uncle… a mannerism he had unconsciously learned from Luke.

Jesse looked surprised at first, but smiled a sad gentle smile knowing that Luke lived on in Bo more than anyone realized.

"Our room…our trophies…our…our…," he choked. "Our everything…"

Jesse nodded understandingly, his tired calloused hand sweeping through Bo's blond locks. "Well where will ya go son?"

"I'll stay with Cooter…or Enos…I'll be ok…"

Jesse looked into his nephew's teary eyes. "You want I have one of 'em come getcha?"

"No sir…I…I just want some time…ok?

"If you're sure…" said Jesse, a hand on his shoulder.

"I am."

Jesse nodded wiping Bo's eyes tenderly and kissed Bo's temple gently. "I love you son," he said realizing himself that there had been times he could have said the same thing to Luke, but hadn't.

Bo hugged him tight. "Love you."

Jesse nodded hugging him back before leaving Bo alone with his thoughts. It went against everything he wanted to do. He wanted to draw both his little chicks he had left close to his nest, keeping them safe under his wings…but right now, he knew that what Bo needed most, besides Luke, was time… so time was what Jesse would give him.

Bo didn't know if what he had done was right. How could anyone know? But the facts were these:

First, Luke was in pain. Bo swallowed hard thinking of the tears falling unconsciously from his cousin's closed eyes, the way his blood pressure elevated as the medicine wore off. He was in pain there was no doubt about that…and the only way to keep him from feeling the pain was to keep him so drugged that he couldn't feel anything…a vegetable. Luke wouldn't want that.

Secondly, the person or persons responsible were still at large… and Bo reasoned if they wanted to cover whatever tracks Luke had discovered bad enough, they would make sure and finish what they had started. Luke wasn't able to protect himself and Bo refused to let anyone hurt him again. Ever.

The doctors had no hope for Luke to come out of his coma and even if he did, chances were good that he would never be the same as he was, mentally or physically. Bo could still hear the doctor's words echoing in his mind: severe trauma, brain damage, internal bleeding, life support…

Bo sniffed hard the tears dripping from his face. No one would choose to live that way…Luke especially. Luke had always been active, maybe not physically but always mentally. His mind was like a well-oiled machine, always running, always thinking, even if there was nothing pressing to think about. The possibility of that machine no longer able to function would greatly impair an ordinary man…it would kill Luke.

He knew the facts like the back of his hand. All were logical…all made sense to his mind…

His heart was another story. Shakily Bo ran his hands down from his hair covering his face as he closed his eyes and said almost like a prayer, "forgive me Luke…forgive me…"

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