Love Betrayed

Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard, not making any money, just cheap thrills


Warnings: Slash, Established Couple, Angst, Partner Betrayal


Rating: FRAO


* indicates thoughts


Love Betrayed
Chapter 5


"No....sorry...don't leave," Bo mumbled in his sleep.


Raising his head, Luke felt the tears welling up in his eyes. Listening to his cousin's words, his voice filled with misery, brought home to Luke how badly he had hurt Bo. "Bo, wake up Bo," he called, gently shaking his cousin's arm.


Opening his eyes, it took him a moment to realize where he was....


"Bo?"


Snapping his head to the side, he stared at Luke as though he were seeing a ghost, "Luke?"


"Yeah it's me," he softly replied, reaching to caress his lover's face, he pulled back when Bo flinched. "Oh lord...I'm sorry Bo, I can't tell you how sorry I am."


"Sorry? I know....I deserved to be punished Luke, but why did it have to be that?"


"No! Bo you didn't deserve to be punished, you didn't do anything wrong, I know that now," he sadly admitted.


"I shouldn't have let them hypnotize me...should've been stronger," Bo argued.


"Please don't think like that Bo," he plead. "Listen to me now, everybody involved in this did wrong, except for you. You're the only innocent victim in this whole mess, I just wish I could turn back the clock so none of this had ever happened. I can't do that though, all I can do now is try to make it up to you and hope that someday you can forgive me. I won't even hope to regain your love or trust, I know I don't deserve to ever have those again, not after what I did to you."


"Why did you do it Luke?"


"I was hurt and angry Bo...and I wanted you to hurt as much as I did," he admitted, looking away in shame.


"Congratulations...it worked," Bo bitterly told him.


"I know," Luke whispered. "What can I do Bo? How can I make things right between us?"


"I don't know if you can Luke," came the sad reply. "I ain't hurt like this since Kathy Sue," looking away he gave a short, bitter laugh. "Sure never thought you and her would hurt me the same way...hell I never thought you'd hurt me at all. I thought I was safe with you Luke...how am I supposed to ever feel like that again?"


Hanging his head, Luke swallowed back the tears that wanted to fall. *Bastard, you don't deserve any sympathy, not from anybody, but especially from Bo,* he berated himself. "I don't know Bo, but I plan to do everything I can to help you feel safe again."


"Why are you doing this Luke? Ain't I been punished enough?"


"Aww Bo," he moaned miserably. "You been punished more than you ever deserved, even if you'd been guilty. I just want the chance to make it up to you...if I can," he softly answered.


*Don't believe him...it's some new game, another way to punish you. He's setting you up, gonna make ya think he's changed his mind and wants you back, then he'll hurt you again.* Bo silently warned himself, refusing to give into the part of himself that wanted to trust his cousin's words. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he slowly climbed to his feet and walked outside.


Luke ached to help his cousin, but was afraid that the younger man would flinch from his touch again. Backing away from the couch, he watched, his heart breaking, as Bo struggled to get to his feet. Staying a little behind his cousin, Luke followed him outside, wondering what he was doing.


"Uncle Jesse?" Bo called to his uncle as he neared him.


"What is it Bo?" Jesse asked, turning to face his nephew.


"Would it be okay if I sleep in the hayloft for a while?"


"Bo you don't have to do that...I'll sleep in the barn," Luke offered, stepping closer.


"Uncle Jesse?" Bo asked.


Looking between his nephews, he sighed, "If that's what you need to do Bo, of course ya can."


"Bo please...you take the bedroom..."


Turning on his cousin, Bo gave him an incredulous look, snorting in disbelief. "Are you serious Luke? Do you really think I could sleep in that room again? I haven't set foot in there since you left, tried once but I couldn't do it."


Swallowing hard, Luke forced himself to look Bo in the eye. "Would it be easier for you if I didn't come home?"


"This is your home too Luke...don't think it'd make any difference anyway," came the quiet answer. *Don't fall for it, he's just pretending to care, ya know that.*


"If you decide ya want me gone, you just say the word Bo. I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have."


Nods, unable to say anything more just now. "I'm gonna take the pillow and blanket off the couch and go lay down, is that okay Uncle Jesse?"


"Sure sprout," Jesse quietly agreed. "You gonna be able to make it up the ladder on your own?"


"I'll manage, thanks," Bo replied.


Jesse and Luke watched silently as Bo went back into the house. Coming out a moment later with blanket and pillow, he trudged out to the barn, disappearing inside.


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When Daisy left Luke alone with Bo, she had gone to her room, leaving the door open a crack. Normally she wouldn't have invaded their privacy like that, but she wanted to be ready in case Luke tried to hurt Bo again. Following the boys when they went outside, she stood back near the porch, sadly listening as Bo talked to their uncle. Her anger grew as she watched Bo heading to the barn with a blanket and pillow. Seconds later, she went back inside for her keys and took off to the Boar's Nest, intent on giving Boss Hogg a piece of her mind.


The door slamming open startled Boss Hogg so badly that he nearly dropped his pork chop. "Daisy Duke what do you mean coming in here like that?" he demanded.


"You fat, greedy, poor excuse for a man, how dare you?" she snapped.


"How dare I? You better remember who you're talking to if you don't want to get fired," he warned.


"Oh I know exactly who I'm talking to," Daisy snarled. "You've done a lot of low things in your life Boss but this..."


Pulling out his money clip, Boss removed a hundred dollar bill and shoved it into Daisy's hand.


"What is this? You think you can buy forgiveness or something for what you did? How could you do that to another human being Boss?" Daisy looked at Boss in shocked silence as he handed her another hundred dollars. "Money can't fix everything Boss...Bo could've been hurt badly because of you. Did you even think about what that man might do to him? Thank God he figured out that Bo had been hypnotized and had enough decency to stop. What if he hadn't though? What if he had knocked Bo out and took what he wanted?"


Boss paled as she continued to berate him for what he'd done. "You're right Daisy, I didn't think of that, didn't even consider Bo's feelings at all." Hesitating, he braced himself for the answer, "Is Bo alright?"


"Oh like you care? You're an evil, greedy man Boss Hogg and I hope you rot in hell for what you did to my cousin." Looking down at her hand, she was surprised to see there was now four hundred dollars in it. Somehow Boss had slipped another two bills into her hand without her even noticing. Well Uncle Jesse might not approve, but there was no way she was returning it, especially considering what she was about to do. "Don't bother firing me Boss, I quit!" she yelled. As she turned to storm from the room, Boss grabbed her hand, putting another bill in it, a sick look on his pudgy face. Shaking her head at his attempts to buy his way to forgivenes, she turned back to the door and stormed out.


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"Are you okay Daisy?" Jesse asked when his niece came storming into the kitchen.


Plopping down into a kitchen chair, she watched her uncle chopping vegetables for a couple of minutes, before answering. "No...I just went to see Boss Hogg," she admitted.


"Didn't I tell you to let me handle J.D.?" pausing in his chopping.


"Yes sir, but I just couldn't stand by and do nothing."


"Well what did he say?"


"Didn't give him a chance to say much," she sighed. "I called him a few names and pointed out what could've happened to Bo if that man hadn't cared about him being there against his will. That did seem to get his attention," she conceded. "He got awfully pale when I told him that man could've just knocked Bo out and taken what he wanted. Then I quit and walked out," she quietly told her uncle.


"Good," Jesse said. "What are ya so surprised for? You don't think I'd want ya to keep working for him after what he did to Bo do ya?" Laying his knife down, he stepped over to stand behind her, laying a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Don't you worry about this family, we'll manage without you working at the Boar's Nest," he assured her.


"Well this should help until I find something else," she said, taking the five hundred dollars from her pocket and handing it to Jesse.


"Where did you get this kind of money?"


"Boss Hogg...it was really strange Uncle Jesse, he just kept handing me money. I never asked him or nothing and I ain't giving it back either," she vowed.


"Hypnotism," Luke said as he came into the kitchen.


"What?" Daisy and Jesse both asked, looking at him strangely.


"Doug Lewis knew that Bo had been hypnotized cause he knows how to hypnotize people. He said that was how he paid for part of his schooling, putting on a magic act at a local theater."


"What's that got to do with...he hypnotized Boss?" Daisy asked as the pieces fell into place.


"Yep," Luke replied, grabbing an apple from the bowl and taking a bite. "He told me that he couldn't file bribery charges without involving Bo, but he wanted to make Boss paid for what he did. So he hypnotized him and for the next thirty days every time somebody says Boss to him, he'll hand them a hundred dollars."


"I appreciate him wanting to punish J.D., so do I, but that ain't no more right then what was done to Bo," Jesse protested. "You've got to give that money back Daisy."


"No! I won't do it Uncle Jesse," Daisy quickly refused. "I know it isn't really right, and Lord knows it won't come close to making up for what he did, but he deserves to suffer somehow."


"I agree with everything ya said honey, but we can't keep that money. Besides what about when it wears off? He's just gonna demand it back anyway," Jesse pointed out.


"No he won't Uncle Jesse," Luke assured him.


"He won't? Why not?" Jesse asked, eyeing his nephew suspiciously.


"That Lewis fella made sure of it, if Boss tries to reclaim any of the money he hands out, he'll get a horrible migraine. He figures it won't take more than a couple of those to convince him to let the money go," Luke explained.


Jesse couldn't help chuckling at that. "Well that is pretty clever, but two wrongs don't make a right," he pointed out.


"Uncle Jesse I agree with Daisy, I say we keep the money," Luke said. "It's the least he can do for the trouble he caused. Besides, as many times as we've had to pay bail for trumped up charges, he owes us," he calmly pointed out.


Jesse opened his mouth to protest, closing it quickly as he realized Luke had a point. "Alright, we'll keep it, but," he warned, raising his finger and shaking it at them both. "I don't want you kids going out of your way to see him or calling him Boss any more than ya normally would."


"Yes sir," they both quickly agreed.


"Now don't you have some chores to get to?" he asked, looking at Luke.


"Yes sir," Luke answered, going outside to start his chores.


"Want me to help with supper?" Daisy asked.


"Why don't you start dredging the chicken," he suggested, moving back to chopping vegetables.


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As quietly as he could Luke took care of the chores in the barn. He was cleaning out Maudine's stall when a noise behind him caught his attention. "Hey Bo...I didn't wake you did I?" he asked when he saw his cousin.


"Wasn't sleeping," Bo mumbled. "What's left to do?"


"Bo you need to be resting..."


"Why? So I can relive what happened?" Bo snapped. "Now what chores still need done?"


Luke swallowed hard, paling at the reminder of what he'd done to his cousin. "This is the last one...honest," he added when he saw the way Bo was looking at him.


"Why'd you come back?"


"I told you Bo...I found out the truth and I want to make things right with you."


"How'd you find out?"


"Doug Lewis, ran into him today and he told me everything. Oh that reminds me, he wanted me to tell you that he was sorry for what was done to you."


"So you believed him, but ya wouldn't even give me a chance to explain?" Bo asked in a bitter voice.


"I didn't let you explain, cause I thought you were going to tell me it was over between us," he explained.


"Well then why did you listen to him?" Bo couldn't believe how much it hurt that Luke had listened to a stranger, while he had been tried, convicted and sentenced without a chance to explain.


"One of the first things he said was that he'd had nothing to do with what was done to you," Luke replied. "I was angry and hurt by what I thought was your betrayal, but that was enough to make me listen. After I heard him out, I wanted to be sick..."


"Why?"


"Why? Because I realized what I'd done to you and I knew you didn't deserve any of it," Luke answered, hanging his head in shame. "I know there isn't anything I can say that'll make up for what I did to you, but I'm going to try."


Nodding his acknowledgement, Bo turned and left the barn, needing some time alone. Walking down to the creek, he stood on the bank, skimming stones and thinking.


TBC

I know this isn't my best chapter, but I'm finding it more difficult than I imagined to write the boys as anything other than loving, supportive lovers/cousins. That being said, please review and feed the muse.