Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I don't own any of the characters.

3 weeks later...

There was only one word that could describe the weeks following Bo's discharge from the hospital; roller-coaster. Luke had tried to get Bo to talk about what had happened but each time he tried Bo would shut down. Jesse had even tried, but got the same results. If they weren't trying to talk about those dark days in their lives, Bo would be his normal self, joking and laughing. At least he would seem like his normal self. Luke knew better than to believe Bo was okay. Bo had a few nightmares in the first week. From what Luke could tell, it was about the day of their fight. Luke had gotten up each time to sooth his cousin. He wished Bo would talk to him.

Today, Bo had his cast removed. The arm was still weak so the doctor showed Luke some exercises he could do with Bo to build up his strength. When they got home, Luke and Bo sat at the dining table and did, what looked to be, arm wrestling with their left arm. This was a part of the exercises. Luke wasn't using much strength at all the keep his arm against Bo's. Bo, on the other hand, was dripping with sweat, using all the strength he had to push. Luke was watching Bo carefully to ensure that he Bo wasn't overdoing it. "Okay, Bo, I think that's enough for today. You don't want to re-injure that arm." Bo nodded, breathing hard. He looked at Luke annoyingly.

"Can't you at least pretend that took some effort."

Luke laughed, "Come on, Bo. I beat you when you're not hurt."

Bo gave him a dirty look as he rubbed his aching arm. "I'll make you eat those words once my arm's back to normal."

Luke just leaned back and gave Bo a smug look. "I won't hold my breath."

"You think you're cute, don't ya?" Bo glared.

"Candy seems to think so." Luke said of his latest date.

Bo got up, "I'm going to have a shower."

When Bo came out of the shower, he was quiet. Almost a different man to the one who had walked in. "Bo, you okay?" Luke asked as Bo tried to walk past him and out the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just gonna go for a walk. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"Take your sling." Luke handed it to Bo. Bo took it and then walked out without saying a word. Luke sighed as he watched Bo walk towards the back forty. This was how it has been for the past weeks. Luke had asked Dr Whittler if it was the drugs, but he had said that emotional problems was not one of the known side effects. Luke wanted to help his cousin, but Bo's way of dealing with his emotions was to take a walk.

Bo didn't know why but his emotions had been all over the place the past few weeks. One minute he would be joking around with Luke and the next he would feel as if he needed to break something. A walk would always calm him down but he wasn't sure for how long. He could already tell that each walk he took was longer and longer. He was rubbing his left arm before he realised that he hadn't put the sling back on. The doctor had told him to use it whenever he wasn't doing any therapy. He put it on and eased his arm in.

Bo went to bed early that day. The exercises and the walk had tired him out. Luke, Jesse and Daisy sat at the dinner table. They were each baffled by Bo's behaviour. "I don't know what else to do, Uncle Jesse." Luke looked defeated. "I thought after a couple of weeks he would be back to normal, but I think it's getting worse."

"Maybe the drug..." Jesse trailed off, "The doctor did say that wasn't it."

"Bo's not good at keeping his emotions inside him. That's Luke, but not Bo." Daisy said. Luke looked at her, a little insulted. "You know it's true!" Daisy defended herself.

"Maybe that's it." Jesse said, "He needs to let it all out. Talk about it."

"We've tried getting him to talk, Uncle Jesse." Luke shook his head.

"We've all tried on different occasions, separately." Jesse pointed out.

Luke was slowly shaking his head, "You can't mean to corner him."

"What else can we do?" Jesse asked, "He won't talk to us, so we'll have to force him to."

"I..." Luke still wasn't sure.

"I think Uncle Jesse's right, Luke. Bo needs to get everything that's happened out in the open. He can't keep keeping it in." Daisy agreed.

Jesse and Daisy looked at Luke, waiting for an answer. "Okay." Luke said reluctantly. "Tomorrow, after breakfast. If we're going to do this, we have to be sure. We can't let him run otherwise he'll never trust us again."

They all nodded, not liking it, but understanding it was what was needed to be done.

The next morning, everyone was sitting at the table having breakfast. Bo seemed to be in a better mood than yesterday, but they all knew that was going to change. Once they had finished, Daisy cleared the table and then sat back down. They were quiet. Bo looked at each of them with a frown.

"What's going on?"

"Bo, Son. We need to talk." Jesse looked at him pointedly.

Bo frowned and then shook his head slowly as he realised what they wanted to talk about. "No." He got up to leave. Luke stood up with him with his arms out to try to get him to sit back down.

"We just want to talk, Bo." Luke said.

"Well I don't want to talk." Bo returned and went for the door. Daisy got up quickly and stood in front it.

"I'm sorry, Bo." Daisy hated doing this.

"Then move!" Bo demanded.

Jesse stood up, "Now, Son. I know you've been avoiding this but it ain't good for you."

"I think I know what's good for me, Uncle Jesse and this ain't it!" Bo yelled back.

"Bo!" Luke called, "We're only trying to help!"

"I don't need your help!" Bo walked up to Daisy, but Daisy held her ground. "Get out of my way Daisy or else..."

"Or else what Bo, you'll hurt her. The way I hurt you." Luke had to stop Bo from leaving and this was the only way he knew how. It worked, maybe too well.

Bo spun on him and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "I could never hurt Daisy that way!" He shoved Luke away from him. Luke stumbled back but Jesse was there to steady him. Bo had tears in his eyes. "Why are you doing this? I don't want to remember that day! I don't want to remember what you said to me! How you tried to beat me up like I was nothing to you! Why can't you just let it go!" He turned to Daisy. "Get of my way, Daisy."

Daisy shook her head as she held her ground with tears running down her face. "She's not going to move until we're done here." Jesse said. Bo turned to him. Jesse flinched. Bo looked like he had been betrayed. "We're doing this for your own good."

Bo turned suddenly and started kicking and punching the pantry door. Normally, Luke would think it was a good idea for Bo to let off steam but he was likely to re-break the bone in his arm. Luke grabbed him from behind. "Bo, stop it. You're going to hurt yourself!"

Bo struggled against his hold. "Let me go!" He got both his legs off the ground and pushed off the door he was abusing. Luke fell backwards bringing Bo with him. He was shocked at the impact but he didn't let Bo go.

"BEAUREGARD DUKE! You stop this right this instance!" Perhaps it was the volume of Jesse's voice or just the conditioned response over many years of obeying when his full name was used. Whichever it was, Bo stopped. Luke let him go. Bo rolled away and then backed himself into a corner up against the kitchen cupboards. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He was breathing heavily. Luke sat up, but he didn't stand. He wanted to be on the same level as Bo. He didn't want Bo to feel as if everyone was standing over him, suffocating him. They waited in silence.

"You didn't believe me." Bo said when he finally got his emotions under control. He looked at Luke with so much pain in his eyes that Luke wanted to look away. But he wouldn't do that, not when Bo is finally talking about it. "You wouldn't even listen to me, let me explain." Bo was confused, "Why?"

"I don't know. I was just so angry at what I saw, I wasn't thinking straight."

"But how can you think I could do something so..." Bo struggled to find a word, in the end he just settled with, "cruel?"

"I don't know."

Bo laughed, but there was no mirth. "What do you know, Luke?" Bo ran a hand through his blond hair. "Why are we having this talk if you can't answer my questions?"

"Because you need to let it all out." Luke answered his cousin.

"That's not what I need." Bo said defeated, "I need my cousin who I trusted. The one who always looked out for me."

Luke wiped away his tears, "I'm sorry, Bo."

Bo slammed his bad arm against the cupboard door and screamed as pain shot through his entire left side. "Bo!" Luke moved towards him but stopped.

"Stay away from me!" Bo voice was filled with pain. "I don't need your help. I want the Luke I grew up with. The one who use to stick up for me at school. I always thought that we could get through anything as long as we stuck together, but I guess you grew up and left me behind."

Luke shook his head, "I'm still here."

Bo continued as if Luke never even spoke, "I was so happy when you came back from the marines and everything went back to normal, only better. We fought the system together. I thought we were growing closer, that our friendship was so strong nothing could come between us, but all it took was one army buddy and his wife."

"I would give my life to take back everything."

"But you can't. I saw your eyes. You hated me with all your heart. You looked at me as I was something you wanted to get off the bottom of your shoe." Bo closed his eyes, "You said you only had one cousin in Hazzard."

"I know."

"I don't know if I can forget what you did." Bo looked right into Luke's eyes.

"I can leave if you want me to." Luke didn't know what else he could do.

Bo looked at him in disbelief and shook his head. "No! That's why I didn't want to talk about this because I knew this is what it'll come down to. I knew if I told you how I felt about everything you would leave me! I would rather keep feeling the way I have been for the last three weeks than for you to leave!" Bo hated feeling this way. He didn't know what he wanted. He was angry at Luke but he needed him at the same time. He was so frustrated that he went to slam his arm into the cupboard again but Luke grabbed it before it could impact. Bo looked at him, confused. He didn't how Luke had moved in so close without him knowing.

"I will never let you get hurt again. Not if I can help it." Luke promised.

"Why should I believe you?" Bo wanted so much to.

"Have I ever lied to you?" Luke answered.

Bo shook his head. Luke still had a light hold on his arm, determined to make sure Bo didn't hurt it any further. Bo looked at it. "Can I have my arm back?"

"You going to slam it into door again?" Luke asked. Bo shook his head, so Luke let it go. Bo cradled it against his chest. Luke knew Bo must have been in a lot of pain.

"Can you trust me again? Just this one more time." Luke asked quietly.

One look into Luke's eyes told Bo that Luke would be true to his word. "You're a Duke and Dukes never break their promise."

Luke nodded. Bo stayed silent while still looking at Luke, then he nodded. Luke smiled in relief and pulled his cousin into his arms. "Thank you! Thank you!" Bo was holding desperately onto Luke's arm. Luke just stayed next to him. Jesse and Daisy who had been watching silently broke into tears as well.

It was a while before Bo released his hold on Luke. Luke looked down and noticed Bo's arm and hands were starting to bruise. Luke stood up and grabbed Bo by the good arm. "Come on, Bo." Bo looked up and let Luke pull him up. "We need to get ice on your arm and hands." He helped Bo into the closest chair. Daisy got the ice out while Jesse gently took Bo's arm. Bo hissed.

"I think we should get that checked out." Jesse said as he took the ice pack from Daisy and put it over the arm.

Bo grimaced, "Do I have to? I don't want to go back to the hospital."

"Maybe we can get Doc Appleby to check it out. We'll only go if he says Bo has to." Luke suggested.

Jesse grumbled, "Okay, but I'll hear nothing from you if the Doc says you have to go." He pointed at Bo and then got up to call the doctor.

"Yes Sir." Bo grumbled back. Luke put a bowl of ice on the table.

"Put your hand in that." Bo put his right hand in. It hurt to much to move his left arm. "Is it hurting real bad?"

Bo grimaced and nodded. "Let's go to the bedroom. You can lie down and wait for the Doc." Luke helped him up and then stood behind him as they moved into the room. Daisy brought the ice and followed them.

"Doc just needs to make one more house call and then he'll be over." He called to them. "Probably be about an hour or so."

Bo didn't care. Right now he just wanted to lie down. Luke helped him to settle in. He took the ice pack Daisy gave him and put it on Bo's arm. "I'll wake you when the Doc gets here." Bo nodded and drifted off. Luke watched over him. Daisy hugged Luke from behind.

"You did great today." She said.

Luke smiled, "I didn't do anything. It was him. I don't know what I would've done if he couldn't forgive me."

"That could never happen. No matter what any of you do, you'll always forgive each other. You guys could never stay angry at each other. Bo hates fighting with you." Daisy said, "He loves this family too much to let one incident tear it apart."

Luke looked at Daisy, who was still hanging onto him. "You take after Uncle Jesse, you know that?"

Daisy laughed, "That's why I'm his favourite!"

It was close to two hours now and the Doctor still hadn't arrived. He had called to say that he had an emergency at the Thompkins and would be there soon. Bo had woken up about half an hour ago when he rolled over onto his bad arm. Luke wanted to drive Bo to the hospital but Bo had refused. Luke could see that the arm was causing him a lot of pain, but he would rather deal with the pain than the hospital. Luke rolled his eyes. "I swear Bo, sometimes I wonder about you. The hospital ain't that bad."

"Says the man who left the hospital with a concussion." Bo returned.

"That was different. I was worried about Jud." Luke defended himself.

"Doesn't matter. I ain't going." Bo was being a stubborn child.

"Fine! Sit there in pain. See if I care." Luke crossed him arms and leaned against the head of the bed with his feet up.

Bo grinned at him. "You care. You can't help it."

Luke glared at him, "you're...", he couldn't even remember what he was going to say, Bo just kept grinning at him. Luke shook his head and laughed. Bo giggled, a sound Luke had missed these past weeks. Luke swung his feet off the bed and rested his elbows on his legs. He looked at Bo as if he was looking at an interesting painting he didn't quite get. Bo raised an eyebrow at his cousin. "You've been through a morning of hell. We all have. How do you sit there as if nothing happened?"

Bo sobered at that. He gave a small, sad smile as he played with a loose thread on his blanket. "When I left the farm that day after our fight, I told myself that I would never forgive you. Then George kidnapped me and kept shooting me up with that stupid drug. All I kept thinking was that I wanted you to come. I didn't want to die without seeing my family, but you most of all. I thought God heard my prayers when I woke up and saw Daisy, but then she said that you had to do something and I kept thinking you had died. Then you weren't there again when I woke up at the hospital, so I was sure you were dead. I kept telling myself that I would do anything if you would just come back," Bo looked at Luke, "and you did. So I thought I had to forgive you now, but it wasn't that easy. I didn't know how to forgive you. I didn't think talking about it would work. I didn't trust myself to not run away and never come back if I had to talk about what happened that day. If you didn't corner me in the kitchen. I would probably be out of the county by now." He looked up at Luke, his eyes shimmering with the tears that have not yet fallen. "It was a morning of hell, but it was my chance to finally forgive you." Bo sniffled and wiped his eyes, "I've been thinking of a reason why I should forgive you for weeks so that I could stop being angry, but I couldn't. I should've known you would find a way, you always were the smart one."

"And you always were the forgiving one." Luke said, wanting to smack himself for hurting his cousin, and then scaring him by not being at his side at the hospital. "I really am sorry for what I did and said."

"I know," Bo nodded once, "that's why I can sit here now as if nothing happened, because I know you wouldn't let anything like that happen again." Bo closed his eyes. "I think I've had enough deep conversations to last me a life time. I don't like to think, that's your job."

"Your arm still hurting?" Luke was worried, "Let me take a look."

"I'm fine." Bo wanted to turn away but his arm hurt too much to move. Luke took the ice pack off and hissed.

"Bo, we need to go to the hospital. We can't wait for the Doc any longer." Bo groaned, "Chances are the Doc's going to tell you to go anyway." Jesse walked in then with Doc Appleby following close behind.

"I'm really sorry for the delay but after I finally checked out Mr Thompkin's, little Jr Thompkins fell out of a tree. He had to go to the hospital for a broken arm." Doc Appleby shook his head, "You'd think a 14 year old would have enough sense to know when he needs to go to the hospital."

Bo glared at Luke when he burst out laughing. "So what have we here." the Doc pick up Bo's arm making Bo hiss at the pain and stopping Luke's laugh. "Can you move your fingers?" Bo winced as he did it and then nodded. "How about rolling your wrist?" Bo bit his bottom lip as he did. The Doctor watched Bo's face, "scale of 1 to 10. 10 being the most, how do you rate the pain?"

Bo thought about lying but one look at Jesse and he knew better. He groaned as he admitted, "8". The doctor nodded.

"You need an x-ray, which means off to the hospital." Doc Appleby declared.

Bo groaned, "Do I have to?" He whined. The Doc looked at him in disbelief.

"I guess 14 isn't old enough after all." He grumbled as he walked out the door. "Get him to the hospital!"

The x-ray showed that there was a small crack in the bone where it had recently healed. The doctor bandaged Bo's arm and then put it in a sling. "No moving that arm for a week!" Doc Whittler ordered. "I don't want to see you back here, you hear?"

"I didn't want to come." Bo grumbled as Luke led him out of the room.

"Beauregard Duke. You mind the doctor!" Jesse growled.

"Yes Sir." Luke put his arm around Bo shoulder in sympathy..

"Don't worry, Bo. I promise you as soon as your arm's better we're gonna drive the General through Rosco's speed trap and lead him into the pond and then we'll drive pass Enos and lead him into the creek. And if you're really good, I'll find a way to get Boss Hogg to join in"

Bo's eye's brightened at the thought of racing the General again, "And you never break your promise!"

Luke laughed and helped him into the pick-up. "That's right, Cousin!"

The End!