DaisyMaeDuke

"I recon not," he admitted. "But the minute she starts talking about me being old, yer gonna land in the creek...I promise ya that," he teased.

"Don't matter none...you leave an aura everytime you're around...bad influence," he added with a smirk. "You know we was drivin the other day an' she told me t put the pedal t the medal...she gets her lead foot from you!"

Luke just sobbed. "Why...why's everyone leave me...why?"

"Well...she don't get that attitude from me..." declared Luke tickling his daughter a little as the walked causing her to squeel and wiggle kicking her legs.

Luke hugged into him close. "I can't...l-l-lose you...t-t-too...I can't."

"I'm as big as Unca Bo now!" exclaimed Abi happily. "Just so ya don't look like him I'm happy," muttered Luke playfully though no one but Bo could hear him.

Luke nodded. "Yeah- you're right." He straightened up quickly catching Abi up throwing her in the air. "No more frogs missy you got that?!" Abi shrieked with delight as he tossed her. "More Daddy more!!!" Luke gave a laugh swing his harem-scarem daughter up onto his shoulders, holding her legs as they headed towards Rosco once again. Abi grinned happily, holding onto her Daddy's curls.

Luke simply nodded in response. He knew Bo was right and he supposed, deep down, he knew how to discipline her the way he should. He just more often than not didn't. In all likelyhood, he guessed he had a fear about it. A fear that she would grow to hate him...and leave him too...

Luke shook his head tears flowing down his cheeks. "I shoulda...I shoulda..." Daisy sniffed going over to Bo and wrapping her arms around him.

Luke sighed. "I feel so bad for her...left with me...I dunno what the heck I'm doin'..." he admitted softly. Luke never talked about raising her by himself. It reminded him too much of the tragedy that happened with Sara. He wasn't one to complain about the hands he was dealt. He took the cards God dealt him, and made the most of them. It was the way he played the game of life. Still, sometimes he felt like he was playing a losing game.

"H-h-help you...I...I...instead...I...I..." he couldn't go on no matter how hard he tried feeling sicker and sicker to his stomach with every word he spoke.

"Aw Auntie," she murmured before relenting taking the frog and walking over to the pavilion. Luke sighed shaking his head watching her. "How'd I end up with a daughter as stubborn as you?" he asked Bo. "I must not live right."

Abi thought about it her little tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth. Finally she put the frog down, kissing it before she did. "Can I just keep Mr. Slithers? Pleeeeeeaaaaaaase?!"

"I...I...w-was.....sposed...to....to ..." He stopped unable to say anymore sobbing his heart out. Tears dripped down Daisy's face, never having seen her cousin so broken not even when he returned from the Marines.

"Well...but God wants me t be happy," countered Abi. She might have had Luke's dark hair and blue eyes, but she had Bo's stubborness through and through. Luke ran a hand down his face.

Luke shook his head. "I'm sorry...I...I didn't....I....I..." he tried to continue but found himself shaking more and more. He glanced towards Bo, to see if he was still there.

"Aw Auntie...." she began. Luke just stood back with a sigh letting Sammy work her magic. It was times like these he felt every bit the single parent he was...and like a fish out of water when it came to raising a girl... much less a headstrong one like Abi. "Look how pretty they are....seee?!" She held the snake up to Sammy's face. "All green...an' gold...an look...he's huggin' me!"

Luke sniffed shaking his head. Jesse didn't know. He didn't know how Luke had panicked. He didn't know....that it was because of him that precious time was wasted getting him help. "Y-you don't understand...." murmured Luke amidst his tears. "Wh-why..why?"

Abi shot Bo a glare. "It's a vacation for 'em Unca Bo!" she snapped before turning to Ty, explaining how she had found Mr. Slithers out on the farm by the creek and that Hopper, as she called him, was waiting for her over by the pavilion in Hazzard square. She then went on to explain in a most learned way about frog habitats and what they ate. She might have had Bo's attitude, but she got her smarts from her daddy. "Abi- you put 'em down right now," demanded Luke hating to be firm with his daughter, his pride andjoy, the only piece of Sara he had left.

"Why?! Why?!" cried Luke between his desperate sobs. "Why not me...you...you don't deserve....it....why...why...." he choked out trembling all over as he hid his face against his uncle. "I'm sorry...."

Luke grinned, loving to get Sammy ralled up. They teased and fought like any brother and sister, but truth be told, Luke always had a lot of respect and love for her. Any woman that could keep Bo grounded like she could deserved it. "You know Sammy...for such a little woman you sure got a big mouth on ya...t' match Bo's big head I suppose," he added playfully. In truth, he envied Bo and Sammy. He supposed he should have been grateful, having had his beautiful wife Sara for as long as he did, but it wasn't long enough... not nearly long enough. "Daddy!!!! Wait for me!!!!" yelled a blue eyed 6 year old running towards them, her long dark curls flowing behind her back. "Look what I brung ya!!!!" Shereached in a pocket and held up a frog, who in turn croaked his annoyance. "Abigail Lavinia Duke... how many times have I told ya not t' be takin' them wild things an' puttin em in yer pockets?!" "But Mr. Slithers wanted a friend..." she protested, pulling a garter snake from her other pocket.

Luke hugged him close, tears dropping rapidly as the broken young man clung to the man that had been father to him since he was little. This was the thanks he got for everything Luke put him through all those years...for all the sleepless nights he caused, for the bail money he posted, the extra mouth to feed that Luke had been...and this...this was how Luke repaid him...by failing him when Jesse needed him most. Luke just sobbed desperately. "Don't die...Jesse don't die!" he pleaded. Daisy swallowed hard tears in her own eyes as she watched.

Luke had, by this time pulled up behind Bo and unbeknownst to them stalked his way up behind Sammy. Putting his finger to his lips to TJ, he grabbed her round the waist and whispered in her ear. "You still hangin' out with little blond boys? When yer tastes turn to dark-haired men, come find me."

Luke allowed his hand to be took, barely raising his eyes to meet his uncle's, not even bothering to stop his tears. "I...I'm sorry...I...I didn't...mean t....I...I...I'm s-s-so sorry," stammered Luke as he heard what Jesse called him, the words cutting him like a knife through his heart.