BoJamesDuke

Sammy chuckled as she listened to the banter that had got louder as they argued - it was one of the things that she loved about the boys being like brothers. They generally got along really well and could insult each other without really meaning it.

"Not everyone leaves you son....Daisy...she's still with ya..an...Bo...an even Maudine the mule...your other cousins...they're still around an...some other aunties and uncles...son life doesn't last...forever...you know that..." Jesse reasoned gently, trying to soften the blow like he was a little child.

Bo chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm a NASCAR driver....did you really expect either kid t'just ignore that?"

"Well you can't blame me cause I ain't been around so much fer her to pick it up..." Bo reasoned back with a smirk.

"You ain't ever...gonna lose me son...as long as...m'in yer heart...an'..in yer memories...and prayers...I wont ever leave...physically I might not be here no more...but i'll still be with you..." He murmured softly.

Bo chuckled, shaking his head. "You can't force the blame for her on me cuz..., I promise ya she aint mine." He joked back quietly so no one else could hear.

Bo hugged her back gently, praying that Jesse could at least do something for Luke to get him back on the right path. Jesse shook his head softly. "Hey...when somethin...happens to a family member...its very different to...watching it happen to someone else...I have no...doubt that if it had been...anyone else you would have known what t'do instantly...in fact...m'...honoured that you did freeze up...cause it just...shows how much you think of me...how much you obviously care about me if...you got that frightened about what happened son..."

Bo chuckled as he watched Luke, shaking his head as he picked up his own son who was giggling gleefully and blowing a raspberry on his tummy before holding him on his hip and wrapping his free arm around his wife, following Luke over to see Rosco, Enos and Cassie.

"Anyway cousin, we can talk about this more later...." Bo said softly as Sammy, Abi and TJ who had followed them interestedly, headed back over to them. "We's here to help Rosco set up his thing for tomorrow...so lets just focus on that fer now okay..."

Bo nodded, putting a hand on his shoulder softly. "I know...but she's also lucky to have a daddy like you who was still willing to have her after what happened...some dad's would run scared and just leave them with the next avaliable person...you love her and that's all she'll ever really need...to know her daddy loves her...and a bit of dicipline here and there...you let her get away with all this she'll walk all over you..." He said softly, with a gentle squeeze to the shoulder.

Bo sighed softly and said quietly. "He froze up Uncle Jesse...." Jesse nodded with a soft sigh. "Oh Luke...that ain't nothin you could do anything about..."

Sammy went with Abi with a nod, helping her to release the animals - one to make sure she did and two to make sure she didn't pick up any other wild critters and decide to take them home...next time she picked up a snake she might not be so lucky...something she would explain later tonight...right now there was too much excitement going on for them to really concetrate on something serious like that. Bo chuckled though what he was about to say, he knew was serious. "Its cause you don't like t'dicipline her Luke...the most you'll ever do is order her around and all she does back is rebel and do what she wants....all Sammy does is make her think...its how Uncle Jesse and Aunt Lavinia used t'diffuse yer temper..."

Sammy shook her head softly, catching the frog before it could hop into the road. "No Abi, both animals have to go back to their own families...and you need to put the frog back where you found it so he knows where he is..."

Jesse however remained undettered, knowing Luke needed to say this and then needed to hear Jesse's own response otherwise he would never believe that what he had done couldn't have been helped. "S'posed to what son..."

"True...but how you can be happy knowing your being selfish and not letting other children and adults be happy seeing these beautiful creatures out in the wild where they belong? God wants all his children to be happy doesn't he...I'd be sad knowing you were keeping these animals away from everyone...thinking about all the other little children who can't see the beauty of these creatures as you do..." Sammy countered back with ease, knowing the kind of buttons to push with Abi to use her mind to think outside the box.

Bo smiled a little encouragingly, nodding softly to Luke to carry on, Jesse still rubbing Luke's back softly. "Its ok son....just take...a deep breath and...just tell me..."

Sammy nodded, unphased by the snake dangling in her face, gently making her lower her arm so as not to startle the snake into biting. "I know Abi, but just because its pretty don't mean that you should pick it up and keep it...somethings are just better left where everyone can enjoy them...if you take it and keep it for yourself...don't you think that's just being selfish? Other little girls and boys can't see them...they have to miss out just because you wanted to keep it when it aint rightfully yours...it belongs to god..."

"What don't I understand son....hmmm..." He murmured gently, knowing all about the incident when he had collapsed as Bo had told him when he had asked why Luke was refusing to come in. He wanted to hear Luke say it though, so that he could put his mind to rest.

Sammy shook her head as Abi's only response to that direct order was to carry on talking to TJ about frogs and snakes...thankfully the snake didn't seem to care about being handled and just dangled contentedly from her little hand, soon curling up and winding itself around her arm like a tree branch while TJ looked on interestedly. Moving forward, she patted Luke's shoulder before kneeling down on one knee in front of Abi. "Abi...don't you ignore me now or when we go for Ice cream you'll be heading home and to bed..."

"Because nothing lasts forever Luke...however much we want it to. I've had so many great years...blessed years here...and now its time for me to move on...you still have so much to give...so much to achieve in your life Luke...and I know...I know you can do it son...i'll always watch over ya...help ya when I can...I know it wont be the same...but we all have to grow up....grow old....and leave life to the next generation we raised. I have no doubt you'll do me proud son...you always have...and you always will...ain't nothin' you've done..." He stopped a minute with a small chuckle "...Well...nothing major that you've done that I ain't been proud of..." Jesse said soothingly, seeing now what Bo was talking about.

Sammy couldn't help but fold her arms and giggle as Luke and TJ came and stood beside her, Bo putting his arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head gently. As well as Luke could control their son, and teach him the things that Bo either couldn't or didn't have the patience to....controlling his own daughter was harder and was something Sammy usually excelled in being the only female in the house. The Dukes weren't a parenting couple, they were really a parenting team, helping raise the next generation of Dukes together....it was amazing though how TJ had turned out like both boys...yet Abi it looked like seemed to be leaning more towards being like Bo. It wasn't too much surprise that TJ was turning out more like Luke though....seeing as Bo had tro spend a lot of time on the track and hardly got to see his son...not that TJ minded...he had the right to brag to people about his famous Daddy. It wasn't long however before TJ escaped his fathers hold and quickly slid down to the ground, hurrying over to Abi. "Cool! Where'd you find dem?!" Only a year younger than Abi, TJ still acted like he were her age. They had been firm friends from the very beginning...and it was great fun to watch them play....it reminded the boys of the days when they could just simply do that. Bo however, knew also how things could get out of hand...and how much trouble one frog could cause at a celebration. "Abi, TJ....the only thing I think you should be doin' is puttin them two critters back where they belong...it aint fair t'take em away from their homes you know that...how'd you like it if someone came and took you two away from yer home hmmm?"

Yeah me too, it is really in touch with what is unfortunatly going on in today's society. IGreat show, I never miss an episode.

Bo swallowed hard as he heard the broken plea, closing his eyes and looking down at the floor - knowing all too well what the answer would be. Jesse sighed softly and rested his head against Luke's, making him sit on the bed while they hugged so as to make him a little more comfortable...hopefully he could at least ease his eldest's mind a little before the lord decided it was his time. "Now son...you know that I ain't got a choice...when its your time, its your time...I've had a wonderful life with you kids...I wouldn't change one thing about it...and now I gotta...move on and live the next experience...with yer Auntie...an yer momma and daddy..."

Sammy jumped a mile as Luke snuk up behind her and grabbed her, shrieking a little before hearing him speak. Scowling she turned round with her hands on her hips. Bo bit his lip, trying to supress his giggles (unlike Ty who - if Bo hadn't have been holding him - would have been rolling on the sidewalk with laughter) because otherwise he knew he would be the next one to get whatever wrath Sammy was thinking of inflicting upon his older cousin....even if it would be just her uncommonly sharp tongue. "Lukas Kevin Duke, I oughta slap you silly for that! And as for my taste in men, the only little boy I see round here is you and it's bad enough having you as a brother, having you as a husband would be like inflicting torture on myself." Bo grinned as she said that, watching his wife - who was way shorter than Luke but could still reduce a man twice her height to his knees if it was neccessary.

Jesse sighed softly, knowing instantly then what was wrong with Luke as he found the strength to gently pull his boy closer and hug him to him, rubbing the back of his neck and his back softly. "Oh Luke...Lukas...this isn't your fault son..."