Luke frowned. "Poor baby," he said softly. "Will he be ok?"

Lavinia bit her lip softly, knowing what the doctors had told her. They didn't expect Bo to live past his 5th birthday...if he ever did get that far.

"The doctors dont think so sweetie..."

A tear trickled down Luke's face but he brushed it away. "He's gonna die?" he whimpered.

Lavinia sighed softly and shrugged a little.

"Well the doctors seem to think so...but we know he's a Duke and with the right love and care...well anything's possible..."

Luke looked into the tiny bundle taking his ring finger and stroking the thin little hand, an urge to protect the baby swelling inside of him. "I won't let him..." vowed the little boy softly.

Lavinia looked to Luke as she heard the small whisper, nodding a little.

"ME an' yer Uncle are gonna need a lot of help to look after him...we need a helper..."

Luke looked at her his blue eyes shining. "A helper?"

Lavinia nodded.

"Uh huh...i'm gonna need help lookin' after Bo, makin' sure he's happy...an' yer Uncle's gonna need lots of help around the farm...do uh..."

Lavinia smiled a little, looking to Luke.

"Do you know anyone who could do that? They's gotta have dark hair...be about 4 years old...live on the farm of course..."

A smile lit up his face. "I'm four!"

Lavinia's eyes widened in mock surprise as she made her smile bigger.

"That's right you are! An' you have dark hair...an you live on the farm! Do you think you'd like to be our helper?"

"Yessss!" said Luke, with more excitement than had been heard from him since he came to the farm.

Lavinia giggled a little, nodding.

"Well we'd be very pleased to have you as our helper..."

Luke clasped his small hands together happily, the dimples on his cheeks bigger than ever before. "What can I help with first?"

"Well....how bout you hold Bo while I go unpack his bag..."

Lavinia said softly.

Luke bit his lip. "Hold him?"

"Well yeah...if yer our helper you gotta learn an' get used t'holdin' him...plus i'm sure Bo's like to have a cuddle from his big cousin so he can get to know you..."

Lavinia said softly.

"B'but what if I drop'm...or he don' like it?" asked Luke worriedly.

"You won't drop him s'long as you sit here on the couch and sit still an' I think Bo needs all the attention he can get so he wont not like it..."

"Kay," he answered, still not too sure about this, but willing to try.

Lavinia nodded and gently placed Bo in his arms, moving Luke's arms to show him how to hold the tiny baby.

"There ya go..."

Luke looked down at the tiny baby in his arms swallowing hard. He hadn't held a baby in his arms since Jud, right before the hospital fire claimed his life. "Hi Bo..." he said in a whisper.

Bo didn't stir at Luke's whisper, just continued to sleep on as though nothing had happened. Lavinia sat beside Luke, just watching to make sure the two got on alright before she went to do what she needed to.

Luke continued to hold the baby carefully, swallowing, just staring at him, as ifhe were some fragile precious china, breakable at the slightest movement.

Lavinia smiled and headed out to the kitchen quietly where she met Jesse, nodding his gaze in the direction of Bo and Luke.

"I think this is one of the best things that could have happened for Luke, Jesse..."

Jesse looked over nodding a little. "That may be...the boy could use a little sunshine though...if somethin happens..."