Love Betrayed

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


Warnings: Angst, Slash, Established Couple


Ratings: FRM


* indicates thoughts


Love Betrayed
Chapter 6


"Bo still sleeping?" Jesse asked over his shoulder.


"No sir," Luke replied, going to the sink and beginning to wash up for supper. "He went for a walk, want me to go get him?"


"No, if he's not here for supper I'll just put a plate in the warming drawer for him," Jesse answered.


Nodding sadly, Luke finished washing up and started setting the table, at the last moment putting Bo's plate on the opposite side. By the time supper was ready, it was clear that Bo wouldn't be joining them.


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He didn't know how long he'd been at the creek. He hadn't really paid any attention to the passage of time, until he suddenly noticed that it had been dark, and it looked like for a while. With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly turned and began the short walk back to the house. Stepping onto the back porch, he listened carefully, wondering where Luke was. After several minutes of silence, he turned the knob and stepped into the kitchen, taking a few steps, he stood in the doorway between kitchen and living room. "Sorry I'm late Uncle Jesse."


"It's alright Bo, I put a plate in the drawer for ya," Jesse softly told him.


With a short nod, Bo turned back to the kitchen and retrieved his supper. Pouring himself a glass of buttermilk, he sat down at the table and slowly began to eat, though he couldn't really taste anything. He ate only because he knew he needed to and to please his uncle.


"Uncle Jesse I'm gonna go look for Bo," Luke said as he walked out of his bedroom.


"No need," Jesse said, nodding towards the kitchen.


Glancing into the other room, Luke saw his cousin sitting at the table. Stepping into the kitchen, he stood, leaning against the doorframe, "You okay?"


Not looking at the older man, Bo shrugged, continuing to mechanically shovel food into his mouth.


"Bo I..." Luke stopped, not knowing what to say. How was he supposed to make this right? There wasn't anything he could think of that would even come close to proving how sorry he was. Sighing heavily, he took the cowards way out...he ran! Jumping into the General, he drove away from the farm, as quickly as he could.


When Luke took off, Bo laid his fork on the table and stood up, what little appetite he'd mustered quickly deserting him. "Uncle Jesse I'm gonna go to bed, anything ya want me to do first?"


"No son, thank you," Jesse replied, a worried frown on his face.


"Goodnight then," Bo said, turning and grabbing his plate from the table. Dumping the leftovers in the slop bucket under the sink, he put his dirty dishes in the basin and walked outside.


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Pushing his way into the Boar's Nest, Luke strode to the bar and ordered a whiskey. Quickly downing it, he ordered a second, soon followed by a third and a fourth.


Cooter grinned as he pulled up next to the General Lee and parked his truck. Walking into the Boar's Nest, he was surprised to see that Luke was sitting alone at a corner table, several empty whiskey glasses in front of him. "Hey Luke, how ya doing?" he asked, pulling out a chair and joining his friend.


"Cooter! Hey buddyro, when did you get here?" Luke loudly asked.


"Just now...celebrating something?" he asked, motioning to the empty glasses.


"Nope," came the simple reply as Luke picked up his glass and downed another whiskey. "Hey Jerry!" he called to the bartender. "Bring me another and one for my friend!"


"That's okay Luke," Cooter quickly declined. Turning towards the bar, "Just bring me a beer would ya Jerry?" he called.


A moment later Jerry was standing next to the table, handing Cooter a beer.


"Where's mine?" Luke asked, looking up at the bartender.


"You've had enough Luke."


"I'll decide when I've had enough and I ain't had near enough," Luke argued, his words slurred.


"Well then you've had all I'm gonna serve you," Jerry countered.


"Now lookey here," Luke said, standing up and grabbing Jerry's shirt. "You ain't my daddy so don't you be telling me...telling me.... I'll drink if I want to, not your busin...business."


"Cooter, take him home would ya?"


"Think that's a good idea," Cooter replied, pushing back from the table and taking Luke's arm. "Come on Luke, why don't we get out of here," he suggested, drawing his friend towards the door.


"No!" Luke protested, pulling his arm from Cooter's grasp and moving back to Jerry. "I want another drink," he slurred.


"Hey Luke," Cooter said, throwing one arm around the other man. "Let's get out of here, I know where there's a real good party going on," he whispered conspiratorialy.


"A party? Let's go," Luke agreed, letting Cooter take him outside.


Steering the drunk man to his truck, Cooter finally managed to get Luke into the vehicle, in spite of his friend's efforts to help. Quickly climbing behind the wheel, he left the parking lot and headed for the Duke farm.


Luke looked up when the truck came to a stop. "There ain't no party here, you tricked me," he accused.


"Yep, and you'll thank me for it tomorrow," Cooter acknowledged with a grin. "You gonna make it inside by yourself?"


Nodding, Luke stumbled from the truck and swaying and staggering made his way into the house. As quietly as possible, he made his way to his bedroom. Standing in the doorway, he stood staring at the bed, suddenly feeling much more sober. With shaking hands he shut the bedroom door and moved to lay down on the floor next to the bed.


The sound of the truck pulling into the yard had awakened Bo from a fitful sleep. Moving to the loft door, he looked outside just in time to see Luke stumbling towards the house, obviously drunk. Watching his cousin as he went inside, he cursed himself for wanting to help the older man. *You're pathetic, after what he did you want to help him? You deserve to be used and hurt by the people you love, worthless, pathetic loser.* Hanging his head, he leaned against the wall hating himself for the way he felt. Knowing he'd get no more sleep tonight, he remained where he was, watching the night sky through the loft opening.


The crowing of the rooster woke him a few hours later, startling him from his unintentional sleep. Stretching tiredly, he pushed himself to his feet and made his way down the ladder. Opening the chicken coop, he let the birds out into the yard. Grabbing the egg basket, he made quick work of gathering the eggs, taking them into the kitchen. Putting the eggs on the table, he grabbed the slop bucket and a milk pail and went back outside. Scattering the slop in the yard for the chickens, he hung the bucket on a hook and went to milk the goats. He soon finished with that and returned to the kitchen with a full pail of milk.


"You're up awfully early," Jesse greeted when he came into the kitchen to start coffee.


"Yes sir," Bo agreed.


"Any chores left?"


"A couple," Bo replied as he worked on transferring the milk into clean jugs. "Just need to muck the stalls and feed the animals."


"Alright," Jesse said as he finished putting the coffee on to perk. Grabbing his hat from it's peg he went out to the barn. Bringing Maudine and the goats from their stalls, he staked them in the yard, while he went to get their feed. By the time he returned with the feed, Bo was once again in the barn, mucking the now empty stalls. "I could've taken care of that."


"It's okay Uncle Jesse, better if I stay busy," Bo said, never looking up.


"You just make sure you don't overdo it," he cautioned, knowing the boy hadn't been taking care of himself.


"Yes sir." Pausing in what he was doing, he took a deep breath, "Uncle Jesse, is Luke up?"


"Luke? I don't think he's home," Jesse replied, sure that he hadn't seen the General.


"Cooter brought him home a few hours ago."


"Drunk?"


"Yes sir."


"So that's why yer doing the chores alone?"


"It's alright Uncle Jesse, easier this way," Bo sadly replied.


"I understand that Bo, but it ain't right for Luke to get out of chores, especially cause he got drunk." Turning away, Jesse started for the house, intent on waking Luke up.


Hurrying after his uncle Bo grabbed his arm, "Please don't."


"You think he should be allowed to get away with this?"


"That's not it," Bo softly replied. "I just don't want to deal with him this morning."


Sighs heavily, "Alright, but ya know ya can't avoid him forever, don't you?"


"I know," came the sad answer. "I'll be in soon," he said before going back to the barn and finishing the morning chores.


Jesse returned to the house and after waking Daisy he started cooking breakfast. A few minutes before he was ready to put the food on the table, Bo came in from the barn and began washing up at the kitchen sink. As he listened to Daisy and Bo teasing and laughing, he could almost pretend that everything was normal. With an inaudible sigh, he placed the food on the table and sat down, waiting until the kids had taken their seats to say the grace.


"You got anything planned for after breakfast Daisy?" Bo asked.


"You mean besides cleaning up the kitchen?"


Grinning, Bo swallowed his bite of biscuit, "Yeah besides that."


"I was hoping to get some laundry done, why do ya ask sugar?"


"I figure Luke left the General at the Boar's Nest, was hoping you could give me a ride."


"I think I can spare the time for that," she said with a smile.


"Thanks," he grinned. "It's okay isn't it Uncle Jesse?" he asked, turning to his uncle.


"That'll be fine, I ain't got no chores planned for ya today," he replied. He didn't mention that he didn't intend for Bo to do anything beyond the daily farm chores for a few days at least.


"Thanks."


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Luke stifled a groan into his pillow as the sunlight shining through the window woke him from a deep sleep. *Sunlight? What the...?* Rolling over, he glanced at the clock, surprised to see that it was already nine o'clock. With his head pounding and his stomach roiling, he slowly pulled himself from the bed. Grabbing clean clothes he headed for the bathroom and a quick shower. Though he would've preferred a long, hot shower he figured that Uncle Jesse was probably already mad and there was no point in pushing his luck.


"So finally decided to join the land of the living?" Jesse asked as Luke came outside.


"Yeah, thanks for letting me sleep," he answered, running a hand through his hair.


"Don't thank me, I did it for Bo."


"Bo?"


"Yeah, guess he saw Cooter dropping you off last night and he asked me to let you sleep."


"He did?" Luke asked, feeling a spark of hope.


Sighing heavily, Jesse quietly explained why Bo had wanted to let him sleep.


"Oh," came the quiet response, the disappointment easily heard. "Where is Bo?"


"He went to get the General, Daisy dropped him off about an hour ago."


"An hour? He should be back by now, I'm gonna go look for him," Luke said, heading for the pick-up.


"You'll do no such thing," Jesse gruffly ordered, stopping him in his tracks.


"Uncle Jesse he could be hurt or something," Luke protested.


"Or he could be driving around the county like he always does when he's upset or has something to think about," Jesse pointed out.


"Yes sir," Luke sighed.


"Want your help today fixing some fence on the back forty," Jesse informed him.


"Sure, when you want to start?" Luke asked unentusiastically.


"Just as soon as you get a cup of coffee and something to eat."


"Alright, be out in a few minutes," came the quiet response. Going into the house, he fried himself an egg for a sandwich. Washing it down with a cup of coffee, he was back outside in a few minutes, able to work, if not ready and willing.


"I hope you ain't planning on making a habit of this," Jesse said as he steered the pick-up to the back forty.


"No sir I'm not."


"Good, alcohol ain't no way to solve a problem."


"I know Uncle Jesse," Luke dejectedly agreed. "Truth is I wasn't really trying to solve anything, just wanted to escape my problems for a little while."


"That ain't no way to deal with things either boy," Jesse gruffly told him.


"Especially when I caused the problem in the first place?"


"Well I wasn't going to say so, but there is that," Jesse confirmed.


"What am I going to do Uncle Jesse? I don't know how to fix this thing with Bo," he quietly confessed.


"I don't rightly know the answer to that one son. You hurt him worse than anybody ever has and though I hate to say it, I don't know if it can be fixed."


Luke moaned, the pain caused by that simple statement very nearly a physical thing. "I can't stay here if that happens...I won't stay and cause him more pain," he clarified.


"Well don't go making any rash decisions Luke, seems to me that's what got you into this mess," Jesse pointed out. "The only advice I can think to give you is to do whatever you have to until you prove to Bo that he can trust you again. It's gonna take time though and patience," he quietly added.


"I don't care how much time it takes Uncle Jesse, Bo's worth every second that's needed to regain his love and trust." Looking out the window, he silently prayed that someday Bo would be able to love him again, in spite of the fact that he didn't deserve it.


TBC


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