If I Had Only Known

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


Warnings: Angst, Slash


Rating: FRT


* indicates thoughts


If I Had Only Known
Chapter 11


The sound of the alarm clock woke him, rolling over David quickly silenced it before it could wake Bo. Carefully climbing out of the bed, David quietly dressed and headed outside, grabbing his supplies on the way. Setting his canvas on the easel, he waited for the sunrise to begin. As the sun peaked over the horizon, painting the sky in beautiful colors, David covered his canvas with those same colors. Moving his brush at a frenzied pace, he replicated the show mother nature was providing. Sitting back, he eyed his efforts with a critical eye, he was satisfied that he had given it the proper depth and colors to make the viewer feel as though they were there. Still, he felt as though something were missing, smiling as it came to him, he quickly added the missing element.

A short distance away, Jesse Duke awoke at his usual time. Rising in the dark, he quickly dressed and headed outside for chores. By the time the sun was rising, he had completed most of the chores and was ready for breakfast. Stepping inside he wasn't surprised to see both his niece and nephew already up.


"I was just about to come outside," Luke said from where he stood, leaning against the counter, sipping a cup of coffee.


"Most of the chores are already done," Jesse told him, setting the basket of eggs on the table. "The stalls still need mucked, but other than that everything's taken care of," moving to the sink to begin the process of straining the milk.


"Okay, I'll get right to it."


"You okay Uncle Jesse?" Daisy asked after Luke left.


"Yeah honey, I'm fine."


"Alright, well breakfast will be ready soon," she told him, breaking eggs into the skillet.


_____________________________________________________________________________________________________


David looked up when he heard a vehicle pull into the drive. Standing up, he moved quickly to block the entrance to his home. "Mr. Duke," he greeted the older man.


"David," Jesse said. Shifting uncomfortably, he drew in a deep breath, "Is Bo around?"


"He's sleeping."


Jesse chuckled, "Boy never has liked mornings."


"I can give him a message if ya like," David reluctantly offered.


"If it's alright with you, I'd like to wait. Fact is I need to talk to both of you."


"If you're planning to tell Bo he's no longer welcome in your home you can leave now," David warned.


"I deserved that," Jesse conceded. Watching the younger man standing there, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared him down, Jesse realized that David really did love his nephew. "I'm not here to hurt him, or you, I'm here to explain my behavior."


Seeing the sincerity in Jesse's eyes, David relaxed his stance. "Would you like a cup of coffee while we're waiting?"


"Thank you, with cream please."


"I'll be right back, you can wait on the porch."


Nodding his agreement, Jesse headed for the front porch. Seeing the easel set up a short distance away, he detoured over to it. Admiring the painting that rested there, he could certainly see how David had become famous. The depth and feeling in the picture made him feel as though he were there, sitting on the grass next to the blond young man, watching as the sun rose over the mountains.


"Here's your coffee Mr. Duke," David held out the cup to him.


"Thank you and call me Jesse," he replied, taking the coffee. "This is a beautiful painting."


"Thank you."


"How'd ya get Bo to sit still long enough for you to paint him?"


"I didn't, I painted him from memory."


"I don't believe I've ever seen quite that expression on his face before."


"I'm not surprised."


"What is that supposed to mean?" Jesse demanded.


"Hold on Jesse, I didn't mean anything by it. I get the impression that Bo is considered the wild one in your family, never sitting still for a minute. Always looking for the next adventure, impulsive, reckless, maybe a little slow when it comes to thinking."


"Sounds like you don't think much of him," the older man growled.


"I didn't say I thought any of those things, but I think you and the rest of your family does. More importantly, I think that Bo believes that's what you think, so he doesn't let you see this side of him," he said, motioning to the picture. "He expects that y'all would make fun of him, or think there was something wrong if you saw him just sitting and admiring a beautiful view."


"He really thinks that?"


"Yes sir," David confirmed.


"I had no idea he thought that way," Jesse quietly said, hurt that his youngest thought such things.


Pouring himself a cup of coffee, Bo took a sip and stepped outside. Seeing his uncle's pick-up, he fought down the fear that tried to rise up within him. Stepping away from the house, he followed the sound of voices until he found his uncle and lover. "Hey Uncle Jesse, " he softly greeted, moving up to stand next to David and wrapping his arm around his lover's waist.


"Hello Bo," Jesse greeted, feeling uncomfortable again.


"He isn't giving you a hard time is he slick?"


"No beautiful, we were just talking about my newest painting."


"That's why you're up so early?"


"Yes."


"It's wonderful, feels like I'm really sitting on the grass watching it," Bo admired, his voice filled with awe.


A grin spread over David's handsome face, "Thank you."


"What are you doing here Uncle Jesse?" Bo asked, turning back to his uncle.


"I came over to talk to you Bo, to both of you really. I wanted to explain why I've been acting like a horse's ass the last few days."


"Now that Bo's up, why don't we go inside where it's more comfortable," David suggested.


"Is that alright with you Uncle Jesse?"


"Sounds like a fine idea," Jesse agreed, following the two younger men inside. Taking a seat, Jesse looked at the two of them sitting together on the couch, obviously happy, though they were both nervous. Before he could say anything, Bo surprised him with an upsetting question.


"Do you hate me Uncle Jesse?"


"No son, I could never hate you," Jesse replied, saddened that Bo could think that. "It was actually fear that caused me to react like I did."


"Fear?"


"Yes...you never knew your cousin Travis, and I think it's time you did."


"Who's that?"


"He was my son."


"You're son?" Bo was shocked. "I thought you and Aunt Martha never had kids."


"Only one, Travis was a dozen years older than Luke."


"What happened to him?"


"Travis was a teenager when he realized that he liked boys. Your aunt and me wasn't real happy about it, but we loved our son, so we accepted it. Travis was a good boy, quiet, sensitive, always willing to help anybody who needed it. He could be wild though too, just like any Duke," Jesse grinned as he remembered some of his son's wilder stunts.


"He sounds like a good guy."


"He was, you would've liked him I think. When he was sixteen, he fell in love with another boy, Kevin was his name. I admit I wasn't always comfortable when they'd kiss or hold hands, but it didn't take me long to get used to it. Especially since I could see just how much they cared for each other," he added.


"Did Kevin hurt him, is that why you got mad about me and David?"


"No, nothing like that. They were caught together by some other boys," swallowing hard, Jesse braced himself to tell the rest. "They beat the two of them, before they tarred and feathered them."


"Oh lord," Bo gasped.


"You're afraid of something like that happening to Bo?" a pale David asked.


"I thought folks around here had learned to be more tolerant after what happened to Travis and Kevin, but after Bo ended up in the hospital I ain't so sure."


"Uncle Jesse that was just Ernie Ledbetter and his buddies though and you know they're always looking for an excuse to fight. Especially if they can fight one of us Dukes, don't mean anybody else would act that way."


"That's what Luke said, but I can't help being worried. I shouldn't be taking that worry out on you boys though, I'm sorry I did."


"Who found Travis and Kevin?" Bo asked.


"They found us, Travis managed to get Kevin to the farm and we got them to the hospital. It was too late for Kevin though and that destroyed Travis. He was just a shell of the boy he'd been after that, a month before Luke's folks died he hung himself in the barn. I found him when I went to do the chores that morning."


Quickly moving to his uncle's side, Bo wrapped the older man in a comforting hug. "I'm so sorry you and Aunt Martha went through that, it must've been awful."


"It was a very dark time for us sprout, but we did get through it," Jesse softly said, touched by his nephew's concern. "But when I found out why you were beaten, I couldn't help thinking of those two boys and I was terrified of..."


"Losing another son?" David asked, when Jesse stopped talking.


"Exactly, thankfully Luke talked some sense into me."


Bo chuckled at that, "Yeah Luke's real good for that."


"That he is," Jesse agreed with a grin. "Will ya's forgive me for the way I acted?"


"Of course I will Uncle Jesse."


"David?"


"I can't blame you for wanting to protect Bo."


"Thank you."


"Can you stay for breakfast?" David asked.


"No thank you son, I already ate. I would like to invite y'all over for supper this evening though."


Exchanging a glance, David quickly accepted for them both.


"Good, well I'd better get going," Jesse said, pushing himself to his feet.


"Can't you stay a little while Uncle Jesse?"


"I suppose I could."


"Bo, why don't you give your uncle a tour of the place while I fix breakfast," David suggested.


"Come on Uncle Jesse," Bo led the way down the hall.


"Um, Bo son, ya know I've been here before when the Peterson's owned it."


"I know Uncle Jesse, but I want to show ya David's studio," opening the door with the last word.


Stepping into the room, Jesse took in the beauty of the paintings that filled the room. "I can see how he got to be famous," Jesse remarked.


"They're really beautiful, ain't they?"


"Yes they are son."


"Did you show him your's?" David asked as he joined them.


"Not yet," Bo replied, blushing.


"You painted a portrait of Bo?"


"No sir, that's not what I meant."


"This is what he was talking about Uncle Jesse," Bo said, holding out the painting of a wolf he'd done.


"It's beautiful, but I..." he trailed off, looking up at Bo in surprise. "You painted this?"


Unable to speak past the lump in his throat, Bo nodded.


"When did you learn to paint like this?"


"David's been teaching me," Bo shyly answered.


"He's a good teacher, this is wonderful."


"It's easy when you have a good student and Bo is that."


Jesse couldn't help laughing at that, "I know a few teachers down to the high school that would argue that."


"I'm sure they would, but it helps when you're interested in what you're learning," David pointed out. "Not only does Bo want to learn, he has natural talent, making it easier to teach him."


"You really think it's good Uncle Jesse?"


"I think it's beautiful Bo, you did a fine job on it," Jesse praised. "Now I'm gonna go so the two of ya's can eat breakfast. I'll see y'all at six o'clock, earlier if you want."


"Six o'clock is fine."


"See you then," Jesse said. Giving Bo one last hug, he shook David's hand and headed home.


"Breakfast ready?"


"Yes it is," David answered, wrapping his arm around Bo he led him to the kitchen. "You never had any idea that your uncle had a son?"


"No, I never saw any pictures or any of his things around the pla..."


"Bo what is it?"


"I just remembered something."


"You want to talk about it?"


"I found a trunk in the attic once when I was about ten I guess. It was stuck way back in a corner and I knew I'd never seen it before. I was just about to open it when Uncle Jesse came up, he grabbed my arm and jerked me away from it. Took me out to the woodshed right then and gave me a good whipping, told me I had no right snooping into other folks' personal things. That's the only time I remember being really afraid of my uncle, I just realized it was probably where he had Travis' things."


"That makes sense, might be the only way he could deal with his loss was to hide everything away. Some people react that way when they lose a loved one and some turn the person's room into a shrine of sorts. I'm not sure either one is healthy, but I guess people have to deal with loss in whatever way works for them."


"I suppose you're right. Have I mentioned that I love you?" he asked, wrapping his arms around David and nuzzling his neck.


"Sounds a little familiar."


"Only a little? Better say it more often then...I love you," kissing his neck.


"I love you too beautiful, but we need to eat right now."


"Yes sir," Bo let go, allowing David to dish up the food.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________


Phillip Blanchard sat in the room he'd rented in Cedar City as he prepared to put his plan into action. "You're very clear on what you're supposed to say?" he asked the young woman sitting across from him.


"Mr. Blanchard I am an experienced actress, I assure you I know my lines," she snarled, offended by the man's attitude.


"Yes of course, I do apologize. It's only that this is a very important project and I can't afford any mistakes, I suppose it's made me a tad nervous."


"Alright, well I'm ready whenever you are."


"Now don't say anything until I tell you to, I need to be sure the right person answers the phone," Phillip reminded her. Picking up the phone, he dialed the number for David's new place in Hazzard, smiling when he heard David's voice, he nodded for Tracey to start.


"Wonder who that is?" David said as he stood up. "Hello?"


"Hey Bo, I know ya told me not to call ya there, but I just couldn't wait to talk to you again," Tracey excitedly said.


"What?"


"Oh Bo don't be like that, I know you need for that man to believe ya really love him until ya get the money ya need, but I need to see you."


"Who is this?" David demanded, his voice tight with controlled anger.


"Oh my, I'm ssssorrry, I think I have a wrong number," Tracey stuttered, quickly ending the call.


"David, what is it?" Bo asked, concerned by the look on his lover's face.


"I'm not sure," David replied, not at all sure what to make of the call.


"It wasn't somebody making threats was it?"


"No, nothing like that," David quickly assured him. Stepping over to him, he wrapped Bo in a hug, kissing him passionately.


Eagerly returning the kiss, Bo soon forgot about the phone call as he lost himself in his lover's embrace.


As the day passed, David watched Bo, wishing he could forget about the strange call. By the time they were ready to head to the farm he'd realized it must be some kind of dumb joke. He'd seen how Bo was with his uncle and was certain he'd never lie to the older man. He was even more convinced that even if Bo were willing to use him for his money, his uncle would never go along with it. He obviously had too much integrity for that, which meant Bo likely had too much integrity to engage in such a scheme. Having reassured himself that Bo wasn't using him, he finally relaxed and forgot about the upsetting call.


Phillip sat hidden from view, watching the two men through binoculars. He could very nearly read the thoughts going through David's mind. Smiling as he saw the way David watched the Duke boy, his eyes reflecting his suspicions, Phillip congratulated himself. Even when David inevitably convinced himself that Bo wasn't using him, Phillip continued to smile, knowing that the seeds of doubt had been planted.


TBC


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