DaisyMaeDuke

He stayed quiet, not daring to call the man's bluff. Instead he went quietly, and silently prayed that Bo was ok.

Luke swallowed and nodded wide-eyed, his heart beating faster.

A snap of a twig and a hard whack on the head were all it took to make Bo Duke slump to the ground at the feet of his attacker. "I'll tie him up... you go get the other one."

He picked up a few pebbles, sending them skimming across the water. Had it been anyone else, Luke would have left them decidedly alone. But Bo was different. Luke had always felt the need to protect and care for him, as he would a younger brother. Now he was hurting, and Luke knew that he was responsible for it.

Luke turned away from him, going instead to sit silently by the pond. He felt like he had done something wrong, something so wrong it could not be undone.

He crossed over to him. "Bo, I'm worried about you cousin."

Luke looked back at him. "Bo...I want to talk..." He said the words calmly, but his voice was quivering a little.

He pulled up to still site number 7. There wasn't much there now, exept for the pond the boys used to fish in and the area they pitched their tent when they went camping. He looked at Bo before getting out and geting the tent that was in the trunk of the General.

"Would you have come with me otherwise?" he asked. He hated to think that he was kidnapping Bo. He just wanted to get to the bottom of this.

"Since when have you ever been scared of me?" asked Luke. This wasn't the Bo he was used to and if it took a week away to get him back, that's what he would do.

"Away," replied Luke simply. Bo would never consent if Luke asked him to come with him...not in the mood he was in....so the older Duke had to resort to kidnapping.

He sighed and picked up his pole throwing it in the back seat before getting in the driver's seat and driving off, not in the direction of the farm.

"Bo...Bo don't do this" he pleaded.

He looked at him swallowing, not knowing what to do. "Bo, I was just trying to help..."

"So we get a permit. Go on one of those hunting trips we been talking about."

"We can change that. We can go somewhere."

Luke looked at him. Gently he asked, "Why does it scare you brother?"

Luke swallowed. He wasn't one to share his feelings but... "Bo, I love you. I know I don't say it enough but...heck Bo...how do yo tell someone that they mean the world to ya?"

Luke swallowed putting a hand on each of Bo's shoulders. "You're my brother, that's where you stand...my best friend, Bo."

Luke shook his head. "Bo...I'm older than you are...and I ain't got no girl to speak of...least not anymore," he added to himself thinking that Theresa was history after what she said to Bo. "An' you do have skills...you could do anything if you put your mind to it, Bo."

Luke sighed heavily. "People say stupid things Bo...hurful things...without thinking. I don't think you are stupid....I know I tease you a lot about not using your head, but truth is, I always thought you was smartr than you was given credit for," said Luke honestly though a pang of guilt weighed on his heart.

Luke shook his head. "What people, Bo? Obviously it's someone who doesn't know you well at all if they's callin' ya stupid..."

Luke blinked in disbelief. "How stupid...Bo! Who on earth has been telling you this stuff?! You aren't stupiid! Headstrong, yes, but I am just as stubborn as you are. Who has been telling you this stuff, 'cuz I know it wasn't me!" asked Luke in a more demanding than questioning tone. He sensed that there was more to Bo's feelings than he was telling and Luke was bound and determined to get to the bottom of it.

Luke watched as his cousin looked down again. "Bo, if I really thought you were such a bother, why would I always be with you? Uncle Jesse don't make me hang out with you. I do it because I want to..." added Luke pleadingly, wishing Bo would at least look at him.

He frowned and lifted up the pole cutting off the line with his knife, letting the fish go. "You're a lot more important to me than that fish, Bo."