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 43 ….Birthday Plans

"So, how's it looking for today?" Cooter asked as Luke sat down with him at the lunch table. Luke just loved having lunch at the same time as him, everyday.

"Well, Uncle Jesse fixed up Bo a special birthday breakfast, so he forgot to make me an' Daisy lunch," Luke grinned.

"Is she eating with her friends then?" Cooter frowned.

"Well, I noticed, so I made her some sandwiches, but then I didn't really have time to make me anything, but Uncle Jesse was trying so hard to make it special for Bo, so I didn't wanna say anything."

"He's doing a pretty good job, ain't he?" Cooter agreed, dividing his lunch into two piles. One for himself and one for Luke.

"Yeah," Luke nodded. "Ain't forgotten it in a long time. I reckon he was just busy with Bo's birthday."

"Yeah," Cooter agreed. "I'm invited remember."

"Yeah, Bo can't wait for ya to come over," Luke grinned.

"How is yer uncle gonna keep him in check until we all get there?" Cooter asked as he dug into his share of the lunch. His mother couldn't have picked a better timing to give him roast beef sandwiches for lunch. It was plenty enough for both him and Luke.

"I told Bo he could play with any of my things he wanted," Luke grinned. "Ain't really worried he's gonna break them either. When I let him do that, he's usually so careful he just sits around trying to decide what to play with."

Cooter chuckled. "Ya know something Luke, that's hero worship."

"Hey, can I join ya?" Enos asked as he came over to their table.

"Sure," Cooter gestured to the seat beside him. "What ya got for lunch today buddy?"

"Peanut butter and jelly," Enos smiled. "Want to share?"

"Luke might wanna," Cooter told him.

"Nah, I'm doing good," Luke grinned. That was just like Cooter, looking out for him by trying to sneak some of Enos lunch away from him. That was just so typical of Cooter, he wasn't really taking advantage of Enos giving nature either, he was just being Cooter.

"Hey Luke, what are ya getting Bo for birthday present?" Enos asked.

"I've made him a garage for his car, an' bought him a cowboy hat," Luke told him proudly. "Uncle Jesse is getting him a cap gun."

"Hey, that's real neat," Cooter grinned. "Wanna know what I've got him?"

"Sure," Enos, decided. "Hope we didn't get him the same thing."

"I got him that speedometer he likes to play with when he's over, an' then I got him a wind up race car cause Ma told me just the speedometer wasn't nothing much."

"Bo loves that thing," Luke laughed.

"I got him a set of them plastic cowboys," Enos added with a laugh. "They are pretty funny."

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "Do ya know what Broody got him?"

"Okay Luke, what are ya thinking about?" Cooter wanted to know. "You got that look all over yer face, like ya did when ya figured out to prank that teacher."

Luke couldn't help but grin as he thought about it. If there was a sure way to get in trouble it was to pull pranks on the teachers, but it had been worth it. Luke had knocked on the door to the classroom, pretending to have forgotten where he was supposed to be, while Cooter snuck up and put a tiny lizard on her desk.

Luke was back out in the hallway when she saw it, and he could hear her scream all the way out into the corridor. She was close to hysterical, and the whole class was laughing. Luke was doubled over laughing in the corridor.

The problem was some teachers don't have any real sense of humor, and they were pretty determined to find out who the culprit was. Since the girls in there were so afraid of getting into trouble they told on Cooter right away, and then everyone figured out Luke was in on it too. It was okay, as soon as Cooter got detention, Luke was gonna give himself up anyway, there was no way he was letting Cooter take the wrap alone when it was all his plan.

"Well, I'm kinda thinking about Bo," Luke admitted. "What if we could make it real special for him?"

"His birthday ought to be pretty special," Brody pointed out.

"Yeah, but I was thinking to try an' make it really fun for him," Luke told them thoughtfully.

"How?" Cooter was always willing to try out Luke's ideas. They usually were a lot of fun.

"I'm thinking of making him a treasure hunt, I mean, I'm gonna give him one of my presents later when he gets the one from Uncle Jesse an' Daisy, but I'm gonna give him one when you do as well, I'm thinking what if we hid them for him, an' he got to have a treasure hunt," Luke beamed.

"What if he don't like it an' gets sad?" Enos worried.

"Why would he?" Luke beamed. "Uncle Jesse read him a story about finding treasures, an' he really liked it. He's been asking me if there are any treasures around here. I'd just explain it to him, an' I bet he'd think it's a load of fun."

"But how are we gonna hide them without him knowing?" Brody wanted to know. "That ain't gonna be easy Luke."

"Sure it is," Luke beamed. "Cooter's already coming with me on the bus, so he can distract Bo when y'all come, an' then we hide them."

"How is he gonna find them?" Brody wanted to know.

"Well, he loves playing cowboys and bandits, we could tell him we're the bandit gang, an' he's the good cowboy, an' then he's got to hunt us down for our bandit treasure."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Enos stated in his high pitch laughter.

"I'm in," Brody agreed.

"I was in as soon as Luke got the idea," Cooter laughed. Passing the younger boy the lemonade.

"I'll be sure to let Uncle Jesse know what we're doing," Luke assured them, sipping the lemonade.

"Gonna be a mighty fun party," Cooter laughed. "Are yer getting cake?"

"We sure are," Luke laughed. "An it's gonna be a great one, chocolate cake."

"I didn't know yer Uncle Jesse could make chocolate cake," Cooter frowned.

"Well, I ain't seen him do it yet, but yer ma's gonna bake one an' take it over to the farm," Luke grinned, nudging him.

"Oh, then we're gonna have the best cake in the world," Cooter laughed.

"Yeah, it's mighty nice of yer ma, Bo was kinda worried since it was always Aunt Martha made the cakes. He was afraid he wasn't gonna get one, an' Uncle Jesse wasn't sure if he could, so he asked yer ma to make sure it was all gonna work out."

"I can't wait," Brody laughed, rubbing his hands together.

"Aw dang it, back to class," Enos told them, having spotted a teacher out to collect everyone back from recess.

"Was bound to happen," Luke shrugged. "Thanks for the lunch Cooter, I'll see ya guys later."

"See ya buddy," Cooter slapped his shoulder.

The boys all split up, going back to their classrooms thought not one of them wanted to. Who could ever enjoy sitting a full day in school when you could run around wild in the grounds? There was tinkering to be done, dreams to ponder while looking up at the clouds from the soft grass. There was so many things to be done, and Luke didn't bother to try and not look glum as he took his seat in the classroom.

In credit of the man who sent me to school…

TBC

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