Author's Note: This is a story I wrote about the Dukes and their first years at the farm. I tried to keep it with them from the point where they got to the farm, and carry on throughout a couple of years. It's a growing and learning experience for all of them. There are also notes at the end of each chapter, a credit of sorts to a father from his son.
Warning: The warning is placed here for vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen.
Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix….
Learning To Love…
Chapter 4: ……Bo
As Luke was warming up to the baby he tried to take care not to make any mistakes with it. He didn't want to do anything bad, so he found himself keeping close to it a lot of the time so he could watch out for the tiny boy.
He went to play with his cars when his aunt made to change the baby though, there was limits. He was playing with the cars now, even thought it was getting kind of late. He had been helping his uncle again. This time with his car, mostly Luke only handed him the tools. Then at times Jesse would ask him to push one of the pedals down, or to do something else. Luke had been standing balancing preciously on the wheel and leaning in over the engine to see what his uncle was doing.
It was a good thing his uncle could be a very patient man because Luke was curious and wanted him to explain what he was doing. He knew better than to bother his elders so that they couldn't do their job, but he also wanted to learn things. So he thought about what he wanted to know the most before he asked his questions, and Jesse also took the care to explain the things to him. Realizing that Luke was trying to learn what it was about.
Having helped out this had been the first Luke really sat down to play with his toy cars that day. He should have known there wouldn't be time for it.
"Luke, I'm gonna give Beaureguard a bath, could ya bring him to me?" Martha called. She had been in the kitchen filling up the small tub that she used for his baths and making sure the water was the right temperature.
"Okay," Luke called back. He picked the baby up and carried him into the kitchen. When he went to hand him over thought the little boy had grabbed hold of his shirt and wasn't letting go.
"I don't think Bo wanna take a bath," Luke frowned.
"Bo?" Martha looked at him confused.
"Yeah, Bo." Luke nodded seriously. "Beaureguard is way to long, I can't really say it right, Bo sounds a lot better."
Martha had to smile as he stumbled a bit on the name. Daisy had even more trouble with the name. Well, her full name was Daisy Mae, and Luke was named Lucas, so what was the harm if Luke called the baby Bo rather than his full name.
"Well, he does need a bath," she stated. There was no arguing about that. He had quite the talent for getting dirty that boy. Just the same as Luke seemed to have. He was running all over the farm every day. Coming in with cobwebs in his hair and mud on his clothes, as happy as he could be.
"Do ya want to help me give him his bath?" she asked hoping he would. While he wasn't avoiding the baby anymore all he was really doing was sit and play by him. Occasionally helping to feed him, and then he would bring him over to them if they asked.
She was thinking that with the way he had been playing in a puddle he might enjoy having his cousin in the water.
"Okay," Luke hesitated wondering what he would be asked to do, but he was striving to be a good boy before something bad happened. So rather than say he wanted to get back to his cars he agreed to help.
Martha undressed the baby and put him in the water, the first thing the boy did was to splash around. Pounding his hands into the water and kicking with his legs so that she had to hold him to keep him from falling over.
"He's getting me all wet," Luke complained.
"Yeah, he does splash a lot," Martha agreed watching as Luke started pouting. Apparently he didn't enjoy getting wet in this manner. She took the washcloth and started cleaning him, asking Luke to hold his shoulders while she washed his legs, but she could tell by the look of the older boys face he wasn't happy about getting splashed.
"Luke, ya don't have to help me," she offered.
"I can help," Luke pouted but he kept a gentle hold of the baby as she washed him.
"Well, I reckon he's clean now," Martha stated thoughtfully. "Can ya hand me the towel off the table."
"Okay," Luke rose to his feet and fetched her the towel, handing it to her and watching as she wrapped the baby up in it to dry him. Luke still didn't look to happy and she was thinking that asking him to help hadn't been a very good idea.
"Ya've been a good help there Luke," she encouraged him. "An' as soon as I got this here little boy dried up I'm gonna give ya a cookie fer it."
Luke nodded slowly and shuffled off into the living room and back to his cars. He wasn't very happy right now and didn't know what to think. Bo had splashed water in his eyes so that it stung, and he knew he couldn't be mad at the baby for doing it. He didn't feel like playing with the cars anymore though so he shuffled outside instead.
He made his way over to the fence and climbed up to sit on it. Slowly climbing down when his aunt called for him. She had put milk and cookies for him on the table, and dressed Bo in his pajamas. It was a funny looking thing with feet on it. Martha had him in her arms as she called Luke inside.
"Ya don't seem very happy right now Luke," she frowned. "Something wrong?"
"Not really," Luke climbed up on his seat and started nibbling on one of the cookies.
"Didn't ya like to help bathing the baby?" Martha probed.
"Wasn't too bad," Luke hid the half eaten cookie in his hand. "May I be excused?"
"Luke, ya's only eaten half a cookie, ya aren't coming down sick are ya?" Martha was getting worried when he didn't even eat as much as one cookie.
Luke shook his head, "Can I go outside, please?" He asked.
Normally she wouldn't stand for milk left in his glass, but the boy obviously wasn't in the mood for eating a snack, and she couldn't force him either. "Alright, but don't go anywhere, it's gonna be bedtime soon."
"Okay," Luke slid down and made his way out the door.
When she looked out the window she saw him break up the cookie and feed it to the chickens. Oh well, they would probably be happy about that treat. Though she couldn't understand what had come over him. She decided that she would have to talk with Jesse about it. Daisy had adjusted well though she was still missing her parents. She was sad at times and cried, but she was a small child and was adjusting pretty well.
The baby would sadly never really know his real parents, but at least for now he was happy as long as he was taken care off and didn't much bother about who it was.
She wasn't always sure about Luke though, there was times when he was as loud and rowdy as any five year old, then he would suddenly go quiet and withdrawn. Standing by the fence and tossing small pebbles. She didn't know if it was because he was missing his parents or because he didn't like to help with the baby. Right now they were still cutting the children slack because of what had happened. While they would not spoil them there just wasn't in their hearts to be overly strict with some poor children had just become orphans.
She would talk with Jesse, maybe Luke would benefit more from helping his uncle, if he was able to form any kind of bond with him. Then maybe the boy would turn to him more when something was wrong. It didn't matter what it was, but if the boy never told anyone how he was feeling, it would just eat him up inside.
Every time that she looked out the window she saw him wandering around the yard. Drawing something on the ground with a stick, sitting on the fence, or over by the barn. Eventually she called him in for his bedtime. Jesse wouldn't be home until very late. He was out on one of his still sites working so she was putting the children to bed.
Luke was quiet and obedient, washing and dressing in his own pajamas. Getting on his knees by his bed to say a prayer before climbing in.
"Luke, are ya sure nothings bothering ya?" She asked sitting down on the side of the bed and brushing his dark curls from his forehead.
Luke shrugged not sure how to answer the question. He would be lying if he told her no, but he couldn't admit it either.
"Do ya want to talk about anything?" Martha asked hoping for a better result.
Luke shook his head. "No, not really," he told her quietly.
"Honey, ya do know that yer Uncle Jesse an' me are here for ya, whatever it is," she promised softly.
"Yeah, I know." Luke gave a small nod as he checked that Billy and Teddy was in the bed. He still liked to have the stuffed goat and bear there.
"Anything at all, ya can come to us anytime," Martha insisted.
"I know," Luke gave another tiny nod.
"Okay honey, goodnight," Martha bent down to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before pulling up the blanket to his chin. Leaving the room she made sure to leave the door open a crack.
Sitting down in the living room she got out her sewing basket and started working on a shirt. Jesse had one that was badly torn up, but there was enough left of it to make a small shirt for Luke. Sewing was a nice way to spend an evening when the kids were all in bed.
She had cut the shirt and was starting to fit the pieces together when she heard a noise behind her. A distinct sound of someone padding barefoot across the hall. Looking up she caught sight of Luke sneaking into her and Jesse's bedroom. Quietly getting up and approaching the door she peeked inside. The boy was standing looking at the crib where his baby cousin slept.
He wasn't doing anything, just stood watching the baby. She wasn't sure what he was doing really, but she assumed that it had something to do with the bathing.
"Luke," she said quietly and watched him turn his head.
"Luke, ya should be in bed now," she didn't scold him, he looked to be deep in thought and there was a serious look over his face.
"I'm sorry," Luke bit his lower lip as he was caught. His parents didn't like it if he got out of bed when he was tucked in.
"It's okay Luke, I ain't mad at ya," she assured him. "But are ya sure ya don't wanna talk with me, seems to me something is bothering ya."
"I'll get back to bed," Luke mumbled shuffling back towards the bedroom where he slept. He had been told that when the baby was bigger he would have to share the room, but that seemed like a really long time away.
"Luke," Martha called to him to turn around and walked over to him, lifting him up. "Luke, are ya wondering anything about the baby?"
"Not really, was just checking on him," Luke told her quietly. "He's sleeping."
"Did ya think he was awake?" Martha frowned.
"I was just checking on him, I'll get back to bed now." Luke gave her a small hug before indicating that he wanted to get down. She put him down and watched as he headed back to his own bed.
She herself made sure to look in on Luke later, but the boy was sleeping peacefully. He had Teddy wrapped in his arms, and he looked so cute. An incredible sweet little boy.
She had already gone to bed when Jesse got home, but she woke up as he came to bed and she told him how Luke had acted.
All Jesse could think of was that it had something to do with Jud, Luke seemed to be thinking about his little brother a lot. He wasn't sure what to do about it though, the thing that seemed best was to just keep and eye on Luke.
In credit of the man who thought that something was up with the kids, and wondered what….
TBC
Please review, the Cricket is hungry…..