Double Duke Trouble

[BoJamesDuke]

Luke choked as he heard the dixie horn and the following thuds of dirt hitting the wood below as the gravediggers filled in the dark dank grave that now belonged to his cousin.

He looked up, the tears still falling, over at General Lee and B.L. slunk down beside it. Without thinking he pushed himseld to his feet and walked over to the gleaming car, trailing his hand over the hood and stopping at the driver's side door to put his hand on the roof and gently rub the confederate flag.

The next thing anyone knew, he was in the drivers seat and had powered up the engine...

[B.L. Davenport]

B.L. lays her head on her pulled up knees whispering

"Goodbye Bo"

Stands abruptly startled as the engine powers up,not having noticed Luke climb into the car.

"Luke what are ya doin'?..."

Jesse looks up as the car powers nearly jumping from the bench as he noticed Luke in the driver's seat afraid he was about to do somethin' foolish. Cooter too leaps to his feet but doesn't approach as B.L. doesn't move away from the car but stays talkin' to Luke hoping she could talk him out of doin' anything irrational but ready to leap into action if she couldn't.

[BoJamesDuke]

Luke remained in the General's front seat, checking everything over, not really hearing B.L. talking to him. He quickly revved up the engine and threw the General into reverse, spinning him 180 degrees and taking off down the road.

[B.L. Davenport]

B.L. yells as Luke speeds off but to no avail the only response is dust flying.

"Luke"

Cooter races over to B.L. with Jesse and Daisy close on his heels as she turns to look at them saying barely audible

"He's in o shape ta drive what'll we do Uncle Jesse"

Wrapping an arm around Daisy who'd begun to sob harder he shook his head sadly, noone could catch the General Lee unless Luke wanted to be caught.

"Let 'im be if he ain't home by supper we'll start a search party."

Cooter and B.L. both nod although the looks on their faces says neither one likes the idea of letting Luke roam the county in his state of mind.

Luke sped down the roads not paying attention to where he was going so was rather shocked to find himself at the old Indian Caves. Climbing out of the General he stumbled inside one of the caves about 6 feet just far enough not to be seen by anyone who might be looking for him. Sitting down he leaned against the wall of the cave pulling his knees upto his chest and resting his head on them whispering.

"What am I gonna do without ya Bo? I don't think I can live without ya"

[BoJamesDuke]

Luke remained in the cave, hugging his knees...the last words ringing in his ears. Could he live without Bo? he had promised to Bo's ghost or whatever it was that he would....but then again he hadn't seen that again since that night.

He was overtired back then....and he had wanted to say goodbye to his youngest cousin so badly....could it possibly be that it had been after all a trick of his mind....

[B.L. Davenport]

With nothing else they could do for Bo or Luke at least until he came home the two remaining Dukes and the two Davenports climbed into their vehicles and headed back to the Duke farm. B.L. asked Cooter to ride with Jesse so that she could take care of Daisy, giving her the keys to his wrecker before getting in the pickup with Jesse.

B.L. helped Daisy into the passenger side of the wrecker before going to the driver's side and getting in sitting staring at the now filled grave a moment before starting the engine and pulling away from the cemetary.

"How ya holdin' up Daisy?"

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy sniffed and shook her head

I'll get through it eventually....its just so hard with Luke being like he is....I'm scared o'losin' him too B.L....I can't lose both my cousin....I wont be able to cope and neither will Uncle Jesse....I'm just praying that wherever Bo is now he can do something to get Luke back....anything....

Bo watched sadly from outside the wrecker, listening in and shaking his head sighing. He thought he had gotten through to Luke. He had watched the whole day's proceeding and found it unnerving that his body was now in a casket in a hole in the ground....but then again technically he was still living so it didnt hit him that hard.

Running his cold hand over the top of the gravestone, Bo proceeded to go to the old indian caves where he knew Luke was.

[B.L. Davenport]

B.L. stops the wrecker tears standing in her own eyes but refusing to let them fall slides over in the seat to wrap Daisy in a tight hug this was so hard on her and Uncle Jesse to lose Bo but the way Luke was acting was making it that much harder.

"It'll all work out Daisy, Luke's just not himself right now he's dealing with it the only way he can and it's just not the normal Luke way of locking it all inside that we're used to this time he can't lock it away and that's good he needs to get it all out so he will be ok. You can bet your bottom dollar wherever Bo is now he's watching out for Luke until he gets his head on straight again. It may take some time but we just have to help Luke the best way we can and love him there's just nothing else we can do he has to be the one to get through this and move on we can't force him but we just have to be there to pick him up when he falls."

Smiles and winks sliding back over under the steeringwheel.

" Now what say we go get some of all that good cookin' that's back at the house before Cooter eats it all."

Luke still sits in the old caves the tears having slowed but not stopped his shoulders hunched as the week's events play over and over in his head like a movie a horror movie at that. Squeezing his head between both hands and closing his eyes Luke tries to shut out the relentless movie it was driving him crazy. Begins to babble brokenly

"Bo.........Bo.....don't go.......Bo don't...leave me.......not like this......I need you."

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy was grateful for the hug and smiled slightly at B.L. nodding.

Yeah...yeah lets go....

Bo watched from the sidelines a little, wincing. He thought he had talked to Luke about this, thought he had managed to get it through to him about what had haopened...

He walked over and gently put his hand on Luke's shoulder

Luke....

[B.L. Davenport]

Starts the engine pulling out toward the farm saying quietly not sure if Daisy heard.

"If he ain't home in a couple hours I'm goin' lookin' for him anyway"

Luke shook his head without looking up there it was again Bo's voice but Bo was dead and couldn't be there they'd just laid him to rest in the family cemetary. Whispers.....

"Oh Bo I can still hear ya just like you was here beside me even though I know your not...."

Thinks he can't do this he can't make it without Bo especially hearing him and seeing him like he had before it was just too painful but did he have the nerve or was it courage to join Bo in death or that same nerve or courage to keep living he just didn't know right now.

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy nodded, looking out the window but never looking back.

Bo sighed and waved his hand in front of Luke's face.

Luke! Luke snap out o'it would ya!

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke stared at 'Bo' then squeezed his eyes tightly shut and covered his ears he was going mad that's the only explanation. Opening his eyes and removing his hands the 'Bo' was still there strangely enough wearing the same worried look Bo used to give him sometimes. Unable to speak Luke just sat there staring at the figure in front of him.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo looked worridly over his cousin. He hadn't improved at all since the last time he had seen him and it was starting to worry him a lot. Luke was just staring at him....and although Bo could understand why, knowing if it were the other way around Bo would be doing the very same thing, it still unnerved him a little bit.

He closed his eyes gently and sighed before opening them again and saying softly.

"Ya ain't goin' mad Luke....we's spoke about this 'afore....remember?"

[B.L. Davenport]

chuckles humorlessly thinking sure he saw and heard his dead cousin and he wasn't going mad huh....yeah right that was the most normal thing in the world he thought. Goes with the flow though hoping to get some peace of mind.

"I remember but that don't mean I ain't goin mad"

states matter of factly it was all so real the conversation before and now this but Bo was dead he knew it in his heart and some part of his mind but then another part was still seeing and hearing his cousin.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo sighed and rested his hand on Luke's shoulder, squeezing gently, not even sure that Luke could feel it.

Luke....please stop doing this to yerself...I know its hard...it's....it's hard fer me too.....it aint a barell o'laughs bein' dead ya know....

[B.L. Davenport]

Something strange came over Luke as he looked at 'Bo's' hand on his shoulder it was like a slight bressure but that couldn't be cos Bo was dead he could see right through his cousin so there was no possible way he could feel the touch at least that's what logic said but the slight pressure said differently.

"m'sorry Bo I can't help it don't seem to be able to stop myself feelin' this bad. I know Uncle Jesse's always taught us that God knows best but this time I have my doubts 'n I remember people tellin' us when auntie died that she wasn't in pain anymore and we should be happy about that. But damnit I'd rather have ya here and gettin' better as dead!"

*Luke closes his eyes for a moment to keep the new round of tears at bay feeling lower than a snakes belly for selfishly wanting Bo to be with him even if he was still sick.*

"I'm sorry Bo I shouldn't feel that way I'm glad ya ain't sick and hurtin' nomore just wish ya was here and not sick or hurtin. I'm tryin' to deal with it all but just havin' a bit o' trouble I guess."

*cracks a smile at Bo's comment about being dead wasn't a barrel of laughs sounded just like something Bo would say*

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo smiled a little at seeing Luke smile, but was slightly surprised at the fact that Luke had looked to his hand. Could Luke really feel it?

Luke....I'm sorry but....I just...I couldn't hold on anymore....it was hurting Luke....hurting so bad....even with all the painkillers...it wasn't until the very end when Doc gave me more that it stopped....but that made me so weak that liftin' my hand drained me....

Bo paused, wondering if he should be telling Luke this in the frame of mind he was in,

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke sits there listening to Bo's voice and the protectiveness he'd always felt for Bo washed over him once again. Nodding he looked into Bo's eyes seeing them pleading with him to understand why Bo had given up and it hit him like a rock it had been selfish of him to want Bo to suffer just so he 'Luke' could keep him just a little longer.

"S'ok Bo I understand why ya couldn't hang on anymore 'n it wasn't fair o' us ta make you feel like you had to. Ya better now and that's all that matters. I ain't sayin' I'll ever get over losin' ya this way but I suppose like Uncle Jesse's always said I'll learn ta live with it same as him and Daisy."

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo nodded, swalloing gently

S'hard fer me too ya know....not bein' able ta take part no more....havin' ta watch on the outside lookin' in when y'all hug or....or have dinner or do normal things....I didn't want ta give up Luke but in the end I didn't have a choice.....and I still feel bad that ya's hurtin' so much.....

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke swallowed hard then sighed he'd never thought about it he guessed and said as much to Bo.

"Don't guess I ever thought about how it was fer those that had went on to their reward, seein' their family still doin' the ordinary daily lives. But then I ain't never thought o' a person still bein' able ta talk with the love ones left behind neither but ya are."

Surprising himself Luke looks at Bo with the look and in the same tone of voice a tone he thought he'd never get to use with Bo again.

"Ya listen ta me Bo ya ain't got no reason to feel bad ya said it yerself ya didn't have a choice. The way I'm dealin' or the way Uncle Jesse and Daisy are dealin' with this ain't no reason fer you to feel bad!"

It was rather strange trying to make Bo see he had no reason to feel bad when it was Bo that was s'posed to be helping him to deal with his grief over Bo's passin"

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo sighed and shook his head

Well its kinda hard Luke...seein' ya the way ya are....I know ya said its up ta ya how ya deal with it, but what ya's doin' ain't helpin' ya none! Yer drivin' yerself crazy Luke....an' that ain't gonna be helpin' Daisy and Jesse....B.L. and Cooter can only do so much....

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke nods leaning his head against the cave wall tiredly more tears slipping down his face that he wipes away seemed his dang eyes were a faucet with busted pipes.

"I know all that Bo but I can't seem ta stop it.......it's like I have no control over nothin' the world is upside down."

*sighs*

"Bless B.L.'s lil ole heart that girl should be crazy herself after dealin' with all this especially with me bein' ok one minute and half crazy the next. She's gotta be 'bout run ragged too what with helpin' out at the farm as much as she has,n' workin' at the Boar's nest."

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo sighed softly

No Luke....the whole world aint upside down....its just yers.

Bo waited a moment before moving his hand to Luke's back, rubbing it softly.

Luke....there aint nothin' that can change this now....I'll always be here, maybe not like this, but here *points to his chest* and here *his heart*...I'll always be there Luke. Yer never alone, I'll always be watchin' over ya....fer the whole of yer life ya looked after me, protected me.....now its my turn.....let me watch over ya Luke....

[B.L. Davenport]

"Yeah and my world will never be upright again..."

Luke says this in a despondent tone his shoulders sagging in a dejected and exhausted way. It was true his world would never be right again it might get better with time and be only leaning but it'd never be upright again of that he was sure.

"Ok" *agrees readily realization was coming to him and he realized he couldn't go on like he had the last three days he had to get over this feeling of hopelessness, Bo was gone and nothing could bring him back* ..... and I'll do my best ta make ya as proud of me as I've always been of you."

He still wasn't totally sure he wasn't seeing and hearing things but it didn't matter as long as he didn't tell anyone about it. All that mattered was that 'Bo' had helped him to begin to find peace after the long weeks of worry and then the devastating loss of his baby cousin. *smiles thinking how ironic it was* that he'd always took care of Bo his whole life right up 'til the end but it was Bo's spirit that was taking on that role and doing the counseling and care taking.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo shook his head

Luke...I'm already so proud o'ya...I always have been. Growin' up you's been my childhood hero...it never mattered what the comic book characters did or who they were....all I ever wanted to be when I grew up was you...I can't get much more prouder of you Luke...."

Bo sighed softly, wrapping his arms round Luke's waist and leaning his head on his older cousin's shoulder....he needed this....needed to feel this one last time, even if Luke could do nothing to respond to it.

"Just go on livin' Luke....do what we always dreamed o'doin' together....race, meet someone special, have kids an' grow old bein the father that ya always wanted ta be....don't stop livin' just because I have...because I live through you....I'll stay alive as long as you keep it so..."