Double Duke Trouble

[B.L. Davenport]

B.L. held Daisy just letting her cry listening as each sentence came tumbling out. It was hard to believe he was gone stroking Daisy's hair she murmured.

"shhhhh I know darlin'....it hurts I know it does I'd be lyin right now if I said I was ok if asked it's hurtin' me too. I didn't get ta say goodbye at all. We'll all make it though we just have to stick tagehter now more than ever. You, n' Bo n' Luke's like mine and Cooter's cousin's and we're more like brother and sister."

Pulls Daisy back a little to look into her face sniffing

"I'm gonna be here for ya night and day all you got to do is call me and I'll be there quick as a duck on a june bug."

Luke always having been a private person sat down on a fallen tree bowing his head asking God why he'd let this happen to Bo the boy with the heart as golden as his hair. It just wasn't fair that those bastards had destroyed Bo in the end even after they'd been locked away and he intended to make sure they got the ultimate penalty of execution by the electric chair. Finally alone on the log his tears started to fall first softly until it was gut wrenching sobs that escalated into strangled screams asking why Bo had to be the one.

[BoJamesDuke]

daisy nodded and fell back against B.L, unable to stop the tears that fell from her eyes.

Cooter eventually got his voice back and looked to Jesse.

"How's....how's Luke and you takin' it? I know that...daisy's pretty upset..."

Jesse looked over and sighed.

"I'm copin' the best I can Cooter....its hard on all o'us....it's gonna be different without Bo...."

Cooter nodded and rose to his feet.

"You want me to go find Luke?"

Cooter knew without asking that Luk would have gone walk about for a while to clear his head out but Jesse shook his head.

"No....let him alone for a while...."

As Luke sobbed and screamed to the sky, a pair of eyes watched from the dark shadows.....

[B.L. Davenport]

B.L. sank back against the couch bringing Daisy with her the two of them sat there and cried together. B.L. kept wondering how Luke and Uncle Jesse were but knew Cooter would take care of them.

Luke's screams of why finally turned into just blood curdling screams of frustration and grief. He screamed until he became hoarse and could scream no more due to the raw burning in his throat. But the tears didn't stop as he covered his face and the silent sobs of before replaced the outburst. He was scared of living his life without Bo by his side;upset that Bo'd died but more than anything he was angry. Angry at himself for leaving that morning,angry at the men who's given Bo that god awful disease and angry at God for taking Bo from them.

[BoJamesDuke]

The figure in the shadows watched quietly as the young man broke down, wanting so desperatly to step forward and comfort but he had promised not to do so unless things got really too far out of hand. Luke was usually such a stable guy, but this, this was a side no one had ever seen to him before not even his family and it scared the person watching to see him like he was, afraid that he really would do something so very foolish.....

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke slowly pulls himself together again all his tears spent,both emotionally and physically exhausted. Wearily he gets to his feet a deep haunted look in his eyes. It just wasn't fair none of it. If one of them was going to die leaving the other behind it should have been him in Vietnam at least that would have made more sense to the family,the Viet Cong had been shooting real bullets,throwing grenades and the like over there.

This with Bo being injected with milaria was just senseless. Luke began walking again a slow defeated walk toward Widow's peak he couldn't live without Bo by his side he knew without even trying it hurt too bad already. Wanting to end all the hurt and fear Luke walked and walked closer to widows peak stopping at the edge looking down into the ravine.

He just stood there wondering if he could get the courage to really do it,everyone had always thought he was a brave man but was he brave enough to put an end to it all? Jesse had always taught them that suicide was a sin same as any other and anyone who committed suicide didn't get to heaven, he knew Bo was in heaven waiting for them if he jumped he'd never see Bo again but it would still be so easy to end it all here and now.

[BoJamesDuke]

The figure followed him all the way to that peak, and the fear that he felt grew and grew as Luke walked closer and closer to the edge. He didn't need Luke to speak what he was thinking, he knew only too well what he was planning and he didn't have a doubt that once Luke stopped thinking about it properly, too overwhelmed by his sorrow and pent up grief to think straight, he would step right over the edge.

He stepped out from the shadows behidn Luke and said softly.

"Don't do it Luke...."

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke heard his name spoken in an all to familiar voice and it startled him whirling around he almost fell over the edge, stepping away from the edge just in time going pale as a sheet at the sight before him. Moving his mouth to speak nothing came out it was more like a fish out of water than someone trying to speak. Shaking his head to dislodge the mirage but it was still there but how.

[BoJamesDuke]

The figure smiled gently and blew a small laugh down his nose, stepping forward a little way.

"What's a matter? You...uh...look like you seen a ghost...."

[B.L. Davenport]

scowls now thinking that someone was playing a cruel joke on him. Or that he really had lost his mind completely. Luke knew he wasn't dreaming he hadn't been to sleep,rubs his eyes again sinking down to the ground his unsteady legs unable to hold him anymore with the shock he was experiencing.

"h.......how?....your.....*still unable to say the word*.....I'm losin' it I'm I done gone crazy....unless...."

Luke's face clouds with anger as he spat

"This better not be a joke cos it ain't funny"

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo became a little worried as Luke sat down, still not liking how close Luke was to the edge...nor the fact that Luke thought he was going crazy which would only encourage him to jump to his death.

"Luke....you ain't losin' yer mind....s'really me...."

[B.L. Davenport]

"Bo yer dead.......Doc Appleby said so"

Luke is still unable to wrap his head around all of it. First coming home from the race to find Bo was dead now here he was big as life right in front of him. It was all just too much Luke reached out to touch Bo before passing out slumping to the ground the shock being too much for his system.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo could only watch as his cousin fell to the ground unconcious. He was dead and he personally thought it was funny him being a ghost. he'd always read all the horror books about ghosts being evil spirits come to reek their revenge on everyone and everything. He certainly wasn't intending to do so....but Luke obviously had other ideas...

He crossed over to Luke with a sigh, not knowing how the heck he was going to wake Luke up. he couldn't touch him because his hands would just go straight through him....wouldn't they? Hadn't he also read about things called poultergeists who could pick up things and touch things....

He looked around and hurridly reached out for a small rock, almost afraid to touch it....but touch it he did and, alright he couldn't feel it, he couldn't feel much of anything anymore, but he could pick it up.

This made things so much eaisier...if Luke co-operated...

Kneeling next to his older cousin, he gently reached over and tapped his cheek, hoping Luke could feel it but also spoke just in case he couldn't.

"Luke....Lukas Duke ya with me cousin....c'mon Luke how d'ya expect me to explain this if ya don't wake up..."

He knew he couldn't just leave Luke because his older cousin would just assume he was crazy and dive off the cliff without questioning it.

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke's eyes fluttered open at Bo's urging he didn't know what was going on but he aimed to find out right quick. Sitting up slowly he wiped a hand down his face before glancing back to Bo..no he corrected Bo's ghost. Shaking his head he thought he'd read too many ghost stories as a kid.

"Alright what's going on? I ain't amused"

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo sighed with relief and sat indian style on the ground beside Luke, tangling his fingers in his blonde hair and shaking the curls a little before replying.

"Well....way I see it....I'm dead....but livin'....so....I guess I'm the livin' dead y'all always read about in horror stories....'ceptin' I definatly ain't seekin' revenge on nobody and definatly ain't lookin' to cause TOO much mischief."

he couldn't help but grin a little at the last past, not knowing how Luke would take it. He stil looked incrediably pale...

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke watched as the aspiration sat next to him indian style it looked like Bo,sounded like Bo but it just couldnt be Bo was dead and there was no such things as ghosts or so he thought until now but here was somethin' that could only be explained as Bo's ghost. Finally wetting his lips Luke asked

"Why then?"

Thinking it a logical question considering the circumstances not much was logical but if it no he thought Bo wasn't here to get revenge or cause mischief then there had to be another reason.

[BoJamesDuke]

He looked to Luke with a calm look on his face.

"Ya mean why ain't I up there with all the little naked babies with harps and wings? Ta tell ya the truth I didn't rightly know....until now....s'cause when I...you know...I kinda...seperated from my body and...I dunno I just....couldn't make myself follow where I was supposed ta go....I just couldn't...'specially not when I heard y'all talkin' ta Doc Appleby....guess its the whole unfinished buisness....I couldn't leave knowin' when ya blanked from everyone what state of mind ya were in and it looks like it was a good job i didn't neither....."

[B.L. Davenport]

Smiles slightly but it doesn't reach his eyes and its really more of a grimace. Giving his standard answers it wasn't like him to be like this and he didn't set well to know he was so close to going off the deep end.

"I'm ok......it's Daisy I'm worried about she took off ta Cooter's and B.L.'s like a scalded cat sayin' she needed ta get away guess I did too. Guess ya sorta like our guardian angel now?.......I'm ok Bo really just tryin' to adjust ta it all and guess it's probly bein' over tired that made me react the way I did ta things."

[BoJamesDuke]

bo laughed and shook his head.

"Luke I ain't no angel. Never have been and probably never will be.... I dunno if its even possible fer me to get up to them pearly gates now anyhow...."

He did however soon turn serious again.

"And don't worry 'bout Daisy, she's safe with B.L. and Jesse's with Cooter....s'only you who had no one....so yer the one I came after....so don't you go givin' me this whole I'm fine m'larky....yer not fine or ya wouldn't be considerin' hurtlin' yerself off a cliff...."

[B.L. Davenport]

chuckles Bo never had been an angel neither one of them had but Uncle Jesse had always said they were just sewing wild oats and rambunctious.

"You'll make it ta them pearly gates I know ya will"

dips his head he never could fool Bo everything becoming clearer now

"wasn't really gonna jump.....I couldn't Jesse's taught us that commitin suicide is a sin and if I took the easy way out I couldn't get ta the pearly gates and see ya again."

[B.L. Davenport]

chuckles Bo never had been an angel neither one of them had but Uncle Jesse had always said they were just sewing wild oats and rambunctious.

"You'll make it ta them pearly gates I know ya will"

dips his head he never could fool Bo everything becoming clearer now

"wasn't really gonna jump.....I couldn't Jesse's taught us that commitin suicide is a sin and if I took the easy way out I couldn't get ta the pearly gates and see ya again."

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo waited a moment then shook his head.

"yeah you would've. You only think you woldn't now because that head o'yers is clearin' a bit....you know its the truth an' so do I...."

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke scrubs a hand down his haggard face closing his eyes briefly before snapping them open afraid Bo would disappear and he didn't want that it was nice to have him back even if it was only for a little while.

"I don't know what I'm thinking anymore"

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo watched Luke snap his eyes back open and shook his head.

"Luke i'll tel ya 'afore I disappear I promise....and I know ya don't know what ya thinkin' no more....can tell from the glazed over look in yer eyes....just let it spill out cousin..."

[B.L. Davenport]

Takes in a deep breath letting it out shakily there was so much he wanted to say that didn't get said last night. But the one thing uppermost in his mind was the question Daisy had asked him that he couldn't really answer.

"Daisy asked me somethin' and I couldn't really give her an answer......she asked me if ya had been waitin' ta die after ya's knew we'd all left fer the race so we wouldn't be there ta see it?"

There's a catch in his voice that he can't hide

"We......I need answers Bo,can't put my mind ta rest otherwise. I want ta hurt them guys as bad as I hurt as bad as we all hurt. It just ain't fair that they done what they did ta ya and then get ta live even if they are behind bars. It's got ta stop somewhere Bo.....when does it stop the hurtin' the anger,fear when does it all stop?"

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo swallowed gently, he may have been a ghost now but...it didn't stop him from having the same old emotions he used to have either.

"Luke....in a way....yeah i did wait 'till ya had all gone....because knowin' I died has done this to y'all....what would have happened if ya were there when it actually came around? I wouldn't have been able to let go no matter what anyone said because I love y'all too much....i couldn't lie there and just...pass on in front of ya....it would have been creul....I'm better of like this Luke....it don't hurt no more, I don't have no tubes of needles or health problems...s'just me like I always was except a bit more transparent...."

He waited a moment before continuing.

"I don't know when it's gonna quit hurtin' Luke....I'm still hurtin' a little that I's had to put all ya through this....but I guess my unfinished buisness if thats what its called is ta see ya all get through this and take care o'ya until I know you's all gonna be ok...."