A Hazzard County Christmas-BoJamesDuke and DaisyMaeDuke

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Daisy swallowed, but slowly nodded. "Yeah...guess you're right..I just...hate leaving you to bear everything. Especially if Luke...if he..." She swallowed.

"I'll go back. I promise."

[BoJamesDuke]

"I know ya will Dais...and don't you worry none about me...I might be yer little cousin but I did grow up some over the years...I'll handle Luke and the farm...it'll actually be eaisier on me knowin you're okay and enjoyin yerself...I just wanna see ya happy again. I miss yer smile." he replied softly, doing his best to ease her worries. He'd known about her desire to get back to work, to get away from the farm for a few weeks now but there hadn't really been an oppertune moment to bring it up with her.

"Anyway...if we're gonna do this we gotta move fast...I want you t'get a hold of Doc an' see if he'd be willin' t'be a part of this...then I need ya t'work yer magic on Boss 'cause he sure as heck don't listen t'me....m'sure the offer of comin back t'work would do the trick..."

[DaisyMaeDuke]

"What do you have in mind? If Doc's gonna be in on it, must be pretty good," she remarked. "Just hope Luke'll go along with it."

She didn't really know what she would do if he didn't go along with it. If Bo was pretending to be hurt or sick, and Luke didn't respond to that, then they might as well give up right then. Letting family down was not something Luke would do... but then, she wasn't so sure this Luke was Luke anymore.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo nodded a little, taking off the beard as it was making him hot and the hat that smushed down his blonde curls. Shaking them out a little, he shrugged.

"I figure hurt is probably gonna work best, cause bein sick is too hard t'fake. If its gonna be bad enough t'be kept outta the way, I'd have to have a constant temperature or bein sick or somethin an' I can't fake that as well as I could when I was a kid tryin' t'get outta high school, Luke'd never fall for it anyway....."

He trailed off slowly as an idea sprang to his mind with a small grin, looking to Daisy excitedly.

"I think I's got me a plan..."

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Daisy looked at him her eyes full of excitement. Well dont just stand there with that goofy grin on your face...tell me!"

It wasn't often that Bo came up with a plan. Luke was usually the one to do that. But she had to admit, when bo did come up with something, it was usually a doozy.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo grinned back happily, sitting down on the bed to take his boots off as he started explaining to Daisy what his idea was.

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A few days later saw Daisy stepping out of the farmhouse in her work uniform for the first time in many months. She looked as fantastic as always and as confident as if she'd never been away. Bo couldn't help but smile from the roof of the farmhouse where he was doing the repairs it badly needed, watching the woman, who was more sister than cousin to him, looking better than ever. Something he didn't fail to let her know.

"Lookin' good Dais! Yer return t'the Boar's Nest is gonna be bigger than anythin we's ever had in Hazzard County before, you just wait an' see."

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Daisy blushed. She was used to receiving compliments- she'd been told, even by Boss Hogg himself that she had the nicest legs in the county. But when her cousins complimented her it always meant so much more.

"Thanks, sugar...you know if you weren't my cousin I'd marry you," she bantered in the familiar way to him, before blowing him a kiss goodbye. With any luck she would make enough in tips this week to buy some Christmas presents.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo laughed and waved a little back, following her with a parting comment.

"Not that it ever stopped anyone in this family before cousin..."

Hearing her laugh as Daisy drove away in her jeep was one of the best things he had heard in a very long time. At least things were getting back to normal in that respect. With Daisy that much happier, the atmosphere in the house had changed considerablly and he and Daisy were having more fun than before which kept them both happy despite Luke's continuous downward spiral. Although hopefully after today, that spiral would come screeching to a halt.

Waiting until Daisy had disappeard completly out of sight, Bo made like he was continuing work on the roof as he glanced around to see where Luke was. He needed to make sure his cousin was out the way and not focusing on him at all before he could put the first part of his plan into motion.

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Luke was, as usual, in his room. He hadn't budged from his bed all day except to do chores. He simply sat, arms folded across his chest as if to keep everyone away physically and mentally.

Ever since he could remember Jesse had been alongside him. He taught him to ride a bike...drive a car...shoot a bow...make moonshine.... he had taught him about women and about love. The one thing, it seemed, Jesse never got around to really instilling into him was how to let go.

[BoJamesDuke]

Before long, the first part of Bo's plan was set up. All of the tools he had taken up on the roof, including the tool box was laid out in a line with a clear drop zone on the floor below. Once he was ready, Bo quickly gave each thing a push at roughly the same time, scrambling down after the tools and jumping the short (well short for him anyway considering his height) distance to the floor after the tools had hit the ground. The effect inside - so he and Daisy hoped - would be that Luke would think he had fallen off the roof. A large part of this of course would be down to Bo's limited acting skill and Luke's panicked state to make the 'accident' seem like reality.

Laying down amongst the scattered tools, as he gave a well reheased yell of pain, he quickly placed the open and now and dented tool box onto his ankle, dirtying up his clothes some with the dust around him as he heard scrambling around inside the house. Quickly he laid back as he heard the screen door crash open and prayed in his head that this would have the desired effect.

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Bo's question was answered when he heard the door slam open and saw Luke rushing to him, dropping to his knees beside him and saying his name in a panic-stricken voice. "Bo!!!! Bo...Bo answer me...answer me..." He checked for a pulse, relieved that one was there, quickly assessing the situation, hating to leave him, not even to call a doc, torn inside as to what to do, tears in his eyes, his hands shaking as he checked his cousin to make sure he wasn't bleeding anywhere. "Bo wake up...wake up," he pleaded. "Please...I dont know what to do....I cant lose you too...please...." he whimpered.

[BoJamesDuke]

Giving a groan, Bo carefully raised a hand to wave it somewhere in Luke's direction....it was hard to tell where he was when he had his eyes closed and Luke was constantly moving.

"Luke stop...I can hear ya, yer making my head hurt more..." he ground out, opening his eyes to a squint carefully, pretending to blink a double vision out of his eyes.

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Luke's heart was pounding so hard he could hardly hear Bo at first. When he did, however, it was like music to his ears. "Oh thank god...thank god..." breathed Luke, his face having gone white. "Can ya sit up...no wait...maybe ya best stay still...just in case...I'll call a doc...no...maybe...an ambulance...to make sure..." he floundered as he moved the toolbox away from his ankle and taking off his shirt to slip under Bo's head for a pillow. "I'll be right back."

[BoJamesDuke]

Even though he didn't really have a headache, Bo couldn't help but groan at Luke's panicked chattering. As relieved as he was that all this seemed to be working so far, he had forgotten sometimes how manic Luke could get when he was panicking - purely because it was something that Luke rarely ever did. Always so cool, calm and collected in an emergancy situation, people would think that panic was not in Luke's dictionary...only those who really knew him knew that in certain situations he would panic and when he did, he did it full scale.

He shook his head carefully as Luke lifted it to put the bunched up shirt under his head, grabbing hold of Luke's wrist carefully.

"Luke...Luke stop...yer panickin...don't call an ambulance, call the doc...please. I'd rather not go inta hospital if I really don't need it, you know I don't like em...I don't think its that bad...my head hurts an'...my back an definitly my ankle...just get Doc here first okay...please..."

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Luke swallowed, a few beads of sweat already glistening on his wrinkled forehead. "You...you sure? You took a...a nasty fall..." He hesitated as he looked down at Bo who kept a tight reassuring hold on his arm.

"Okay," he relented. "But you lay back...and don't you move 'til we're sure nothin's broken...." He moved towards the house, saying in words so like his uncle, though of course he could never see how much Jesse was still alive in him, "Mind me."

With that he hurried to the phone.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo couldn't help but smile at that, it being so hard to understand why Luke couldn't see what everyone else did. For years Luke had been ready to take over this farm without his Uncle holdin his hand and showing him the way, not only did he care for his family but he cared for the rest of Hazzard like they all too were a part of it - even Boss Hogg and his dipstick sherrif and deputies. If Luke cared about you and what happened to you, you could be double damn sure any situation or problem that you might encounter, he would soon have a solution for. The farm had never been better when Jesse stopped doing so much work nearer the end and let Luke take over the running and the planning. The only one that didn't believe in himself and how much his Uncle still remained with them was Luke. Sighing, he gave a gentle 'Yes Sir' as he gazed back up at the sky - half tempted to put his arms behind his head and just relax...for once, he could start to see a positive ending to this chapter in Luke's life. He just hoped the Doc would remember what he was supposed to be doing today and that no sudden emergancy calls pulled him away...if that happened, he wasn't so sure the doctors at the hospital would look to kindly on him faking injuries to cure a condition they were sure needed a psychiatrists help.

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Luke soon hurried out, placing a light blanket over him as he had been trained in the Marines to do in case of shock, though, Bo didn't seem to as of yet be showing any signs of it and the Georgia sun was perfect for anything but one of Lavinia's old blankets.

"Doc's on his way...should be here in about 10 minutes," he said trying his best to sound less worried than he was, his hands still twitching slightly, his brow crinkled.

[BoJamesDuke]

Good...that was good. Doc was there and ready to jump into his part in this little shuck and jive. Thankfully not only was the doctor a good friend of the family but he too had been worried about Luke and so was more than willing to lend his time and a few free resources to aid Bo's cause...all for the low low price of one of Daisy's peach pies of course. Nodding a little to Luke, he carefully made like he was struggling to sit up, knowing if he didn't put up that much of an objection that he was okay, Luke would smell a rat.

"I'll..be okay you'll see...nothin bad...nothing a few....painkillers wont fix..."

[DaisyMaeDuke]

"I'll feel a hell of a lot better when Doc tells me that," said Luke. "Hey...no you stay put....til Doc says different...I mean it," he said pushing Bo back down gently but firmly. You hurtin' anywhere...no...no don't try t' move that leg," he said in response to Bo's "trying" to see where it all hurt.

[BoJamesDuke]

"Luke please, I dun wanna lay out here in the dirt in the sun, especially not with a blanket on...please can ya just help me inside so I can lay out on the couch? I'm sure if there was somethin really really wrong with my back I wouldn't be able t'move...I think I just cracked a couple of ribs..." Bo tried to reason carefully, attempting once again to move Luke's hand and let himself sit up.

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Luke shook his head adamently. "No...I ain't takin' that chance. Just lie still. Doc'll be here soon enough," he added, hoping to God that there was nothing seriously wrong. "Wih Daisy was here..." he said nervously out loud.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo gave a heavy sigh and laid his head back, glancing up at the sky once more as he tried to keep himself from losing his temper. This was all part of the plan...what he hadn't counted on was how seriously Luke would take it. Both of them had taken a tumble off of the roof before with no serious injuries other than a concussion and sprain or two, and he had figured Luke might remember that. Clearly though, this was not the case and it was going to take every ounce of willpower Bo had to keep still and act hurt when Luke would continue to mother-hen him. It was bad enough to cope with when he was really sick.

"Luke...we's both fallen off the roof before...I just landed on my ankle that's all and hit the deck a lil' hard...nothin feels broke, it just hurts..."

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Luke swallowed but gave a small nod relenting. "Okay, if you're sure..."

He slipped his arm under Bo's armpit and with an order to tell him if it hurt too much, lifted him up gently. "Easy now....stay off that ankle," he ordered as he proceeded to half-walk, half-carry Bo inside, easing him carefully down on the couch. "Let me lift that ankle up a little," said Luke carefully supporting Bo's leg as he settled it on a throw pillow. "You need anything?"

[BoJamesDuke]

Giving the appropriate grunts, winces and groans of pain as he headed across the yard with Luke, Bo looked over as a car headed down the road - something Luke failed to notice in his concentration on getting Bo inside safely - thankful the Doc would soon be here and would reassure Luke properly that he was genuinly alright...well not completly genuinly but as good as.

Soon enough, after the hilarity of navigating the porch steps in the awkward half-walk, half-carry Luke was insisting on, he was laying back on the couch as Luke propped his ankle up and covered him with a blanket soon after. At least he was more comfortable laying like this.

"No Luke, m'alright...I saw the Doc pullin up though, you might wanna..."

Before he could finish the sentence however, there were a few short but fast raps to the door.

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Luke hurried to the door, opening it up to Doc Appleby, Hazzard's finest, and only, country doc. "Doc...I'm glad you're here... Couch is on the Bo...I mean...Bo is on the couch," began a flustered Luke. "Fell off the roof...landed on his ankle," he explained. "Ain't too swollen yet but..."

Doc nodded. "Just calm down an' let me do my job,"" he answered gently but firmly. Luke did as told, not one to argue with his elders.

"Now Bo let's take a look," he carefully lifted his ankle, examing it carefully, before doing the same with the rest of him as Luke looked on swallowing.