DaisyMaeDuke

"You'll leave..."

Troy rested his head on Bo's shoulder yawning.

"Bo..am...am I gonna die?"asked the small boy innocently. "Is that why they prick me so much?" There was a quiver in his voice.

Troy nodded a little cuddling into him closer.

"Bo...Bo will you be my daddy?" *asked Troy innocently.

Troy sniffed a little. "I can?"

"What's gonna happen t' me Bo...Mama...ain't comin' back...am I...am I an orphan now?!" asked the little boy crying hard and talking around his thumb.

Troy just cried into him his thumb going to his mouth. "I want my mama..."

Troy sat up in his bed and, not waiting for an invitation, crawled into Bo's lap hugging him.

Troy woke with a start looking around with tears in his eyes. "Bo?" his lip quivering.

Troy tossed a little in his sleep, as he dreamed.

Luke held his little girl in his arms, as he would if she had been only 3 instead of midst her teens. Rocking her gently he rested his head against hers, not saying much except three words he said in a gentle tone that few but Bo ever heard from him. " I love you ."

Luke hugged her close. "Trust me.... I wouldn't think of it." he promised.

"I could never forget you Princess....you're my life."

"If you ain't comfortable with it Jaime, I won't take it no further. Plain and simple," said Luke seriously.

Luke gently pushed her hair back from her face and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

Luke was surprised to feel the jump on the bed as well as his daughter's arms encircling him. "Sok baby...s'ok," he said soothingly.

Daisy sighed. "Well you think bout what i said," she said softly before climbing down the ladder.

"You gonna be alright honey?" asked Daisy,

Daisy nodded. "I know honey. But he's feelin mighty low...an' ain't somethin' me or Bo can fix."

"I think you better talk to your daddy, for starters."

Daisy hugged her gently.

"Now I know ya don't sugar...and trust me...your daddy's lost plenty of people in his life.... he holds on as tight a he can t' the ones he loves...an he loves you more than anything..."

ummmm.... Hershel Furguson Rock River Farewell Hazzard???

Daisy took a deep breath. "Sweetheart, he loves you. He ain't lookin' t' replace you...an' though you love havin' him all t' yerself ya gotta understand somethin... even though yer daddy is your whole world right now....an' you'd be perfectly satisfied for it just t' be the two of ya fer the rest of yer days, a day'll come when you'll want companionship that yer daddy can't give ya. Yer daddy is a normal man...an' he has the need for that companionship too. Now before you say anything let me tell you somethin bout your daddy. I grew up with Luke. And I ain't EVER heard him tal about ANYONE the way he does you. He thinks you're the best thing that's ever happened to him... in fact he told me as much just yesterday. An he ain't gonna do nothin' to hurt you...even if that means denying himself from pleasure. He loves you that much...he's afraid he'll lose you...he thinks he ain't a good enough dad Jaime...."