When Friends Ain't Friends...

[B.L. Davenport]

Jesse nodded patting Daisy's cheek gently smiling he looked at the faces of the other two youngsters in the room they looked relieved that he hadn't shushed Daisy's efforts.

"Alright the choice is Bo's and if he don't wanna do it then I'm not gonna make him. I'll just tell the doctor we thank him for his concern but we can take care of Bo just fine."

Luke sighed in relief he was glad Daisy had got through to Uncle Jesse in her calm quiet way where his stubborn argumentative way hadn't worked.

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy nodded, smiling and hugging Jesse softly.

"Thank ya Uncle Jesse"

She whispered, looking over to Luke with a small wink and a smile. She had tried to teach Luke to be patient where Bo was concerned with Uncle Jesse before, but iy had never seemed to work.

[B.L. Davenport]

Jesse smiled and hugged Daisy in return, he loved all his kids but each of them in their own special way...Bo was his baby and Daisy his little girl who often had to teach an old man his way of thinking might not always be best and then there was Luke his oldest always ready to take on any responsibility needed.

"yer welcome baby"

Luke smiled back at Daisy wondering how come she put up with his stubborn streak and alot of times if Bo was concerned lack of patience without knocking him upside the head. He was glad Daisy had changed Uncle Jesse's mind though because he really felt that it wouldn't benefit Bo at all to be made talk to anyone other than his family and even he shouldn't be forced to talk but left to come to the idea himself that he needed to talk about it which he usually did.

[BoJamesDuke]

Eventually Daisy pulled away from Jesse and breifly hugged Luke too. She loved her older cousin and his protective streak over all three of them, she was just glad she and B.L. had chosen to come back when they had otherwise there might well have been world war three between Luke and their Uncle.

The two were so stubborn in deciding what was best for one of the two younging's of the family sometimes that they just forgot whose opinion was more important. She knew, as did everyone else in the room, that Bo was not going to be wanting to go on that course no matter how much anyone else said they could help, it was more a case of reminding Uncle Jesse of that than actually directly telling him what was best.

Luke may have been the best in the plans deptartment, but when it came to be sneaky to get your own way, there was no one who could do it better than Daisy...Bo maybe catching up, but he cheated and used his innocence and boyish good looks to do that.

Looking over him now, she winced a little as she saw that maybe that plan of action may not work for a short while. His closed eyes were still bruised black and blue and the brusies along his jaw still a little swollen...he didn't actually look much like Bo right now, something she hadn't really noticed before.

[B.L. Davenport]

Jesee released Daisy as she moved away to briefly hug Luke who returned the hug. Each one of his kids had their special way of getting what they wanted from him. For Daisy it was her sneakiness in maneuvering him around to her way of thinking. For Bo it was his still child like qualities despite being a grown man, and for Luke it was his tenacious stubborn streak which he shared with Jesse. Shaking his head slightly he chuckled under his breath, the other two were just as stubborn as he and Luke when they had a mind to be.

Smiling Luke marveled how she'd managed to stop a near catastrophe between him and their Uncle. Bo needed someone's help and whether that help could suffice from just the family and friends alone or it needed to be professional none of them could determine except Bo himself. But then that was Daisy for you always consciencious of what her friends and family needed, and the best course of action to get that to happen.

B.L. hid a smile at Daisy's tactics it was always amusing to see how each of the cousins handled Jesse Duke to get what they ultimately wanted at times,but she was no fool she knew if Jesse didn't want to let them win then they wouldn't no matter what methods they used on him trying to get their way.

[BoJamesDuke]

It wasn't too much later on in the week that Bo was finally taken completly off the IV pain medication and given some tablets with the papers to say he was finally being released. But with that release also came a whole new set of restrictions.

He wasn't allowed to move around anywhere without the wheelchair the hospital were providing for him. Bo knew that this was a sensible idea because he couldn't actually move much without getting short of breath anyway. This also meant no chores, and the Doc even suggested he stay in bed longer but Bo was going to be damned if he was going to follow that one...well actually if Luke and Jesse made him follow it there was nothing he could do. The one thing that really got to him though, was the fact he wasn't allowed to drive or be driven around at the speeds that he liked...and couldn't get in and out the General Lee either.

By the time of his release, Bo was fuming at that last minute order. he had been so excited about the thought of getting back in the General Lee only to find it would probably be a long while before he could. And that was the sight that Luke, Jesse and Daisy walked in on the day of release to find. Bo sitting on the edge of the bed, still in his hospital gown looking like a kid who had been denyed a sucker.

[B.L. Davenport]

As they all come into the room Luke sees the look on Bo's face and whispers to Daisy.

"Uhoh...."

Jesse tried to ignore the look on Bo's and said jovially

"well Bo I thought you'd be ready and rearin' to go"

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo looked to Jesse slightly before looking away again, scowling deeply still but not saying anything.

Daisy sighed softly and shook her head

"I'm guessin' yer gonna need ta have a talk with him Luke..."

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke watched Bo then nodded to Daisy

"Yeah I think yer right...will ya'll give us a few minutes?"

Jesse nodded and wrapped an arm around Daisy's shoulders steering her back toward the door.

"C'mon Daisy girl let's go to the cafeteria and let the boys talk."

Once they were gone Luke ventured closer to the bed sitting down beside Bo. He knew all the restrictions that'd been placed on his youngest cousin and he knew Bo wouldn't be happy but he hadn't expected quite this reaction he'd expected more of a tantrum maybe. Putting an arm around Bo's shoulders he spoke quietly.

"It's not forever Bo just for a little while"

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo looked to him, shaking his head before looking back to the floor

"Luke...you know what this means....means we can't go to NASCAR like we was plannin'..."

[B.L. Davenport]

"sure we can just not right now....Yer gonna be better before ya know it and terrorizing Rosco and Enos again. Ya just got to be patient is all."

Luke squeezed Bo's arm gently for reassurance, Bo looked so miserable he would promise him the moon at the moment if it'd erase that look and replace it with the usual happy go lucky smile that was usually there.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo sighed miserably

"Not next week like we's was plannin'...the try outs an' all....

[B.L. Davenport]

"There's always next year though...so what we wait another year big deal all that matters is that you get better."

Luke consoled softly with an arm around Bo's shoulders.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo shrugged him off sharply and looked to him

"It matters to me! I's been waitin' and waitin' fer this an' you know that we won't get to next year because its just our dang luck! The farm's done real well which was why Uncle Jesse was gonna let us try out! But ya just know next year we ain't gonna be able to go! We're never gonna get out of this state!"

Bo finished with his voice breaking, his head going to his hands in furstration.,

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke reached out to stroke the back of Bo's bowed head but pulled back deciding against it. Bo wasn't in the mood to be comforted just yet, he sighed a long deep sigh running a hand down his own face.

"I know how much ya wanna go try our luck Bo I do too but it just ain't in the cards right now. You don't know that we won't get to next year ya only speculatin' and if we don't then there's always the year after that. Ya just can't give up on ya dreams Bo ya know that as well as I do. Ya ain't a quitter fer as long as I can remember when ya wanted somethin' ya went after it! So don't you go givin' up now just cos things has gone a little south.

Luke spoke frankly, Bo sometimes needed a 'kick' in the pants when he got like this cos things wasn't going his way.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo shook his head, sighing deeply himself as his anger was soon replaced with tears

"I ain't givin' up it.....it just seems like the whole world is...dead set on keepin' us here. Recently....I's just been askin' myself why we even bother tryin' anymore..."

[B.L. Davenport]

Moves off the bed to stand in front of Bo taking him by the shoulders forcing the younger man to look at him.

"Bo Duke you cut that out ya hear me. The world ain't against us we's just had more than our share of bad breaks. We will get to Nascar we's just got to work things out so's we can go. Don't ya go usin' the farm and Uncle Jesse as an excuse neither cos ya know he'll tell us to go anytime we're ready!"

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo swallowed and yelled back

"I ain't using Uncle Jesse an' the farm as an excuse! I'm usin' the basis that we could have got there by now if I hadn't been drivin' the dang car when we got caught runnin' shine! Or if I hadn't made enemies in the reserve corps we could have gone next week! It's all my fault, you should just go without me....at least then ya have a shot!"

[B.L. Davenport]

"You are using it as an excuse and the fact we got caught that night and makin' enemies in the reserve corps! All of 'em excuses and ya know that's all they are. It didn't matter who was drivin' the night we got caught if it'd been me we still woulda got caught it was just one of them things. We both got enemies so that's just an excuse too! I couldn't go by myself we're a team and it just wouldn't be the same without ya there with me. Now ya quit feelin' sorry fer yerself."

Luke stopped staring at Bo waiting to see if he was going to listen to reason or have another outburst.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo's bottom lip wobbled a little before he bit on it to stop it, breathing deeply to stop the tears spilling from his eyes. He was about to say something else but couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. He just knew, that he loved Luke like a brother and for a while now he just felt that luke deserved better than to have to live his life alongside him all the time.

Luke could be anything he wanted with his brains and skills from the Marine's and from working on the farm...Bo on the other hand didn't have half of what Luke had. He was always known as Luke's younger cousin, the little blonde haired boy who nearly failed to make graduation and now spent his time on his Uncle's farm doing nothing but racing round the back roads of Hazzard.

He would never tell Luke that though, never in a million years for fear that what he was thinking was true. At least not telling him meant there was still a chance Luke was happy to go alongside him. Instead he just nodded quietly and whispered.

"I'm sorry...I's just...I...I wanted to go so bad..."

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke softened his tone and gave Bo a tender look as he looked about ready to cry. That was the last thing Luke wanted was to make Bo cry he wasn't trying to hurt him just to get Bo to realize their dreams of Nascar weren't over just on hold for a little while longer. Taking Bo's hand he squeezed it gently.

"I know and we will it's just gonna be a while longer is all but we WILL go. Maybe not today maybe not tomorrow maybe not next year but we WILL make it Bo. Together there's nothin' we can't do if we set our minds to it."

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo nodded slightly as he looked down again, squeezing Luke's back a little before taking a deep breath and whispering softly.

"I just....I wanted to have done it by now ya know....so I can move on with my life...find someone to settle down with...start a family....I can't do that until I's gone to NASCAR, it wouldn't be fair on them to have me away all the time....an' also ya might not be feelin' the same way....don't ya ever wonder Luke...what would happen if we actually found someone so special all yer dreams are focused on them an' ya forget what ya's wanted ta do fer so long...."

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke nods smiling as he listened to Bo, he had those same thoughts.

"Bo when someone that special walks into your life and she will then the dreams of Nascar or anything else you'd planned to do before settling down won't matter. You won't miss them or regret not following through with them, anything of the sort all that will matter is that special girl who's caught your eye. I think about finding that special lady too and when it happens, if it happens before I live out all my dreams then that's ok because there will be new dreams with my wife and our children. I'd gladly give up the dreams of a single man for that someone special without a second thought."

Luke finished watching Bo's face carefully.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo swallowed and nodded gently. To be honest, the thought of settling down actually scared him a little, the fact that the comfortable life he had with Luke, Jesse and Daisy would have to come to an end eventually and everything would change was a scary prospect to think about and not one that Bo actually enjoyed thinking about most of the time.

But he could see where Luke was coming from, and he knew just how bad Luke wanted children and he did too when he really thought about it. He sighed softly and reached out to pull Luke close, wanting to feel secure in his arms as he always had done ever since he was little.

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke wrapped his arms around Bo glad for now he seemed to accept what he (luke) had told him. Part of Bo's misgivings had stemmed from the long road to recovery that still lay ahead and part was because he didn't like to give up on his ideas. Bo didn't like to think about the day when the family would change with the marriage of one of the cousins either Luke knew. He didn't really relish the idea of the change either although he knew one day it would come whether it was him or Bo or Daisy that found that someone special first only time would tell. Luke also knew realistically that one day which he hoped was many many years in the future Jesse would pass on to glory and he'd be the head of the family and that scared him although he'd never let on to either Bo or Daisy.