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gilascaveTitle: Silent Steps As These
Author: James
Sequel to: Several Days of You
Fandom: Dukes of Hazzard
Pairing: Bo/Roscoe
Rating: PG
Spoilers: none
Disclaimer: not mine, no profit made
Notes: for the long-suffering kaytee4ever who has been waiting for this story for.. er. A couple years, I think? Now she can start waiting for the next one!
Summary: Luke tries to figure out what he can do about Bo's situation.
Luke left the bedroom and walked silently as he could into the kitchen. He didn't reckon on finding anybody else there, but he wasn't terribly surprised when he found Uncle Jesse sitting at the table holding a mug of coffee.
He went and poured himself a cup, then sat down opposite his uncle. For several moments they sat there, saying nothing, just catching the other's eye from time to time. Luke had no idea what was keeping Jesse up -- money troubles weren't quite so bad this year as they had been, and none of them kids had been in too serious trouble lately. Luke might have thought it was bad health, but Jesse hadn't been to the doctor in months.
He knew why he couldn't sleep, though, and after a bit he figured he might as well spit it out. If nothing else, it might take whatever was worrying Uncle Jesse, off his mind.
"So," he began quietly, noticing that Uncle Jesse didn't start at the sudden break in the silence. He hadn't thought of a particularly good way to broach the subject, but he had figured out, at least, that if nothing else he had to protect Bo. "Uncle Jesse, how do you reckon you'd react if I was to tell you I'd fallen in love with someone you wouldn't approve of?"
Uncle Jesse frowned, then shook his head. "Luke, I trust you. You've got a good head on your shoulders, and I ain't never seen you take to anyone I didn't think highly of."
Luke sighed, and stared at his cup of coffee. "Thanks, but.. I really mean it. Someone you wouldn't... like, just because--"
"Is this about your cousin and Enos? You know I like him; if'n he'd just get away from Boss Hogg then he'd be a right fine lawman." Uncle Jesse smiled a little, and Luke returned it. Daisy and Enos had been dancing around each other for awhile now, and Bo and Luke had been teasing her about it since -- well, from the ninth grade and the first time Daisy had tried to ask Enos to dance with her at the school dance. Enos had dropped his glass of punch, knocked over four tables of food, and hightailed it out of there so fast all that Luke had known it would just be a matter of time before the pair of them was married.
"No, it ain't about Daisy," Luke said. "Sooner or later she'll make up Enos' mind for him and make him ask her to marry him."
Jesse gave a laugh, then took another drink of his coffee. He started to stand up, holding out his hand for Luke's cup to refill them both. Luke looked away and said, "It's not quite like that."
There was silence as Uncle Jesse took their cups over to the stove, pouring more coffee into each much. Luke didn't look up as Jesse came back and sat down, placing the cup in front of him.
"This is about Bo and Roscoe."
Luke looked up, mouth gaping. "You... you know?" A voice in his head said of course Uncle Jesse knew. Uncle Jesse always knew everything -- no matter how much they'd thought they'd gotten away with something, somehow Uncle Jesse had always known.
From the expression on Uncle Jesse's face, Luke realised it was true.
Uncle Jesse sighed. "I knew...what Bo was doing, and with who. I... didn't pay it no mind, back when he was seventeen. Kids will do all kinds of things, don't mean they'll keep on with it after they grow up. They broke it off, and I never saw no reason to say a word about it." Jesse took a long drink of his coffee. "For a long time I thought everything was fine."
He looked up at Luke, then, and gave him the sort of hard stare that meant all a body's secrets were going to come tumbling out, no matter how much you might want to keep your mouth shut.
"It ain't no one-time thing, is it? Folly of youth."
Luke shook his head, unable to figure out exactly what he should, or could, say.
"Bo's in love with him, isn't he?"
"Yes, sir," Luke said. He couldn't help but feel he'd somehow betrayed his cousin, despite the fact Uncle Jesse wasn't learning anything new.
Uncle Jesse sighed, long and deep, and leaned back from the table. He sat for a moment, then looked up, sharply. "I know they haven't been carrying on. Haven't been doing anything...they shouldn't."
Luke felt his stomach clench, slightly. He hadn't ben entirely sure how Uncle Jesse would feel about it -- two men being together wasn't something that most folks in Hazzard would approve of. Far as he could tell it wasn't something most folks had even thought was possible. He opened his mouth to defend his cousin, when Uncle Jesse started talking again.
"He's not gonna be able to stay. Folks would never allow them to be together." Jesse looked at Luke, and Luke could see the sadness and resignation in his eyes. "They're gonna have to go somewhere, where it's safer. Not sure... how far away that might be."
Luke blinked, trying to reign in his reactions. Finally he asked, "Uncle Jesse, are you upset because he might move away? Or because he's in love with Roscoe?"
There was a hesitation before Jesse just said, "I reckon it's a little of both." he stood up suddenly, took his coffee to the sink and poured it out. He stayed there, staring at the window -- couldn't see out into the dark of nighttime. When Luke thought he maybe ought to say something, Jesse said softly, "They can't be happy, here. They're not happy. So I reckon...we ought to do something."
Luke stood up and went over to stand beside him. "They're not.. together anymore. I mean, not like-- if we don't do anything, I doubt they'll ever get back together."
He felt torn between his loyalty to his cousin and his loyalty to his uncle. He wasn't sure he really would do nothing, but he couldn't help but offer his uncle some peace of mind.
Uncle Jesse shook his head. "I don't have to like who he chose, but after seven years it's pretty obvious. Bo's not gonna fall in love with someone else. I watched him try -- dating all manner of local girls, chasing after a few girls passing through town. There was even a boy from Atlanta, that time Bo spent a week in the city helping Robert Cullens with his engine, remember? Cullens told me, wanted me to keep an eye on Bo. Said he was too old to be messing around that way. I... told him something or other, let him know it was nothing to worry about. Haven't heard a word out of anybody since, about Bo taking up with another man."
Uncle Jesse really did know everything. It made Luke wonder, briefly, if Uncle Jesse knew about the time Luke had smoked his first and only cigarette, half a world away on a Marine base.
Probably. Luke didn't reckon he'd ask.
"Roscoe seems willing to let things stay the way they are," Luke offered.
"You think he loves Bo?" The question was unexpected, and Luke answered it honestly.
"I know he does. Much as Bo loves him."
Jesse nodded. "Then it ain't fair, and it ain't right. Roscoe... deserves as much as anyone, the right to be happy. So I reckon.. we need to figure out a way we can get the pair of them outta Hazzard. Someplace... they can at least have a chance. Just like anybody else."
Author: James
Sequel to: Several Days of You
Fandom: Dukes of Hazzard
Pairing: Bo/Roscoe
Rating: PG
Spoilers: none
Disclaimer: not mine, no profit made
Notes: for the long-suffering kaytee4ever who has been waiting for this story for.. er. A couple years, I think? Now she can start waiting for the next one!
Summary: Luke tries to figure out what he can do about Bo's situation.
Luke left the bedroom and walked silently as he could into the kitchen. He didn't reckon on finding anybody else there, but he wasn't terribly surprised when he found Uncle Jesse sitting at the table holding a mug of coffee.
He went and poured himself a cup, then sat down opposite his uncle. For several moments they sat there, saying nothing, just catching the other's eye from time to time. Luke had no idea what was keeping Jesse up -- money troubles weren't quite so bad this year as they had been, and none of them kids had been in too serious trouble lately. Luke might have thought it was bad health, but Jesse hadn't been to the doctor in months.
He knew why he couldn't sleep, though, and after a bit he figured he might as well spit it out. If nothing else, it might take whatever was worrying Uncle Jesse, off his mind.
"So," he began quietly, noticing that Uncle Jesse didn't start at the sudden break in the silence. He hadn't thought of a particularly good way to broach the subject, but he had figured out, at least, that if nothing else he had to protect Bo. "Uncle Jesse, how do you reckon you'd react if I was to tell you I'd fallen in love with someone you wouldn't approve of?"
Uncle Jesse frowned, then shook his head. "Luke, I trust you. You've got a good head on your shoulders, and I ain't never seen you take to anyone I didn't think highly of."
Luke sighed, and stared at his cup of coffee. "Thanks, but.. I really mean it. Someone you wouldn't... like, just because--"
"Is this about your cousin and Enos? You know I like him; if'n he'd just get away from Boss Hogg then he'd be a right fine lawman." Uncle Jesse smiled a little, and Luke returned it. Daisy and Enos had been dancing around each other for awhile now, and Bo and Luke had been teasing her about it since -- well, from the ninth grade and the first time Daisy had tried to ask Enos to dance with her at the school dance. Enos had dropped his glass of punch, knocked over four tables of food, and hightailed it out of there so fast all that Luke had known it would just be a matter of time before the pair of them was married.
"No, it ain't about Daisy," Luke said. "Sooner or later she'll make up Enos' mind for him and make him ask her to marry him."
Jesse gave a laugh, then took another drink of his coffee. He started to stand up, holding out his hand for Luke's cup to refill them both. Luke looked away and said, "It's not quite like that."
There was silence as Uncle Jesse took their cups over to the stove, pouring more coffee into each much. Luke didn't look up as Jesse came back and sat down, placing the cup in front of him.
"This is about Bo and Roscoe."
Luke looked up, mouth gaping. "You... you know?" A voice in his head said of course Uncle Jesse knew. Uncle Jesse always knew everything -- no matter how much they'd thought they'd gotten away with something, somehow Uncle Jesse had always known.
From the expression on Uncle Jesse's face, Luke realised it was true.
Uncle Jesse sighed. "I knew...what Bo was doing, and with who. I... didn't pay it no mind, back when he was seventeen. Kids will do all kinds of things, don't mean they'll keep on with it after they grow up. They broke it off, and I never saw no reason to say a word about it." Jesse took a long drink of his coffee. "For a long time I thought everything was fine."
He looked up at Luke, then, and gave him the sort of hard stare that meant all a body's secrets were going to come tumbling out, no matter how much you might want to keep your mouth shut.
"It ain't no one-time thing, is it? Folly of youth."
Luke shook his head, unable to figure out exactly what he should, or could, say.
"Bo's in love with him, isn't he?"
"Yes, sir," Luke said. He couldn't help but feel he'd somehow betrayed his cousin, despite the fact Uncle Jesse wasn't learning anything new.
Uncle Jesse sighed, long and deep, and leaned back from the table. He sat for a moment, then looked up, sharply. "I know they haven't been carrying on. Haven't been doing anything...they shouldn't."
Luke felt his stomach clench, slightly. He hadn't ben entirely sure how Uncle Jesse would feel about it -- two men being together wasn't something that most folks in Hazzard would approve of. Far as he could tell it wasn't something most folks had even thought was possible. He opened his mouth to defend his cousin, when Uncle Jesse started talking again.
"He's not gonna be able to stay. Folks would never allow them to be together." Jesse looked at Luke, and Luke could see the sadness and resignation in his eyes. "They're gonna have to go somewhere, where it's safer. Not sure... how far away that might be."
Luke blinked, trying to reign in his reactions. Finally he asked, "Uncle Jesse, are you upset because he might move away? Or because he's in love with Roscoe?"
There was a hesitation before Jesse just said, "I reckon it's a little of both." he stood up suddenly, took his coffee to the sink and poured it out. He stayed there, staring at the window -- couldn't see out into the dark of nighttime. When Luke thought he maybe ought to say something, Jesse said softly, "They can't be happy, here. They're not happy. So I reckon...we ought to do something."
Luke stood up and went over to stand beside him. "They're not.. together anymore. I mean, not like-- if we don't do anything, I doubt they'll ever get back together."
He felt torn between his loyalty to his cousin and his loyalty to his uncle. He wasn't sure he really would do nothing, but he couldn't help but offer his uncle some peace of mind.
Uncle Jesse shook his head. "I don't have to like who he chose, but after seven years it's pretty obvious. Bo's not gonna fall in love with someone else. I watched him try -- dating all manner of local girls, chasing after a few girls passing through town. There was even a boy from Atlanta, that time Bo spent a week in the city helping Robert Cullens with his engine, remember? Cullens told me, wanted me to keep an eye on Bo. Said he was too old to be messing around that way. I... told him something or other, let him know it was nothing to worry about. Haven't heard a word out of anybody since, about Bo taking up with another man."
Uncle Jesse really did know everything. It made Luke wonder, briefly, if Uncle Jesse knew about the time Luke had smoked his first and only cigarette, half a world away on a Marine base.
Probably. Luke didn't reckon he'd ask.
"Roscoe seems willing to let things stay the way they are," Luke offered.
"You think he loves Bo?" The question was unexpected, and Luke answered it honestly.
"I know he does. Much as Bo loves him."
Jesse nodded. "Then it ain't fair, and it ain't right. Roscoe... deserves as much as anyone, the right to be happy. So I reckon.. we need to figure out a way we can get the pair of them outta Hazzard. Someplace... they can at least have a chance. Just like anybody else."