Forbidden Love

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


Warning: Angst, Slash, Violence, OOC


Rating: FRT-17


Italics and/or * indicates thoughts


Jesse will be acting out of character for a bit, but it will be explained.


Forbidden Love
Chapter 5


Stepping in front of Rosco, Bo blocked the older man from the unexpected danger. "Uncle Jesse, Luke what are y'all doing?" Bo asked, looking from one to the other in confusion.


"Bo come over here son, you don't have to do what Rosco wants. We ain't gonna let him do whatever it is he's threatened," Jesse answered him, confusing Bo even more.


"Bo? What's he talking about?" Rosco asked from behind him.


Turning slightly towards the older man, but still blocking him from sight, Bo answered. "I ain't got no idea Rosco." Looking back at his cousin and uncle, Bo tried again. "Luke what's Uncle Jesse talking about?"


"He's talking about Rosco taking advantage of ya Bo. When you was in the hospital he snuck in to see you, I caught him kissing you. I started worrying then, and when you had that nightmare...."


"Nightmare? You talking about last night? What's that got to do with what Uncle Jesse said?" Bo was getting more confused by the minute, not to mention frustrated.


Reaching forward, Rosco placed a soothing hand on the younger man's back, "Calm down Bo, we'll figure this out."


"Get your hands off of him Rosco, I ain't gonna tell ya again!" Jesse ordered.


"Luke?"


"Bo I heard you begging him not to make you...well ya didn't say what but after what I saw in the hospital it ain't hard to figure out. You don't have to do what he wants cousin, me and Uncle Jesse'll protect ya, don't ya know that? Ya could've come to one of us, you didn't have to let him..."


"Let him!" Bo interrupted angrily, unable to believe that they thought he'd actually let somebody use him like that. "Just what do you take me for Luke? Rosco ain't making me do anything I don't want to do."


"B...but last night, the nightmare...?"


"I was begging him alright. Begging him not to jump off a cliff and make me live my life alone. Dang it y'all, why didn't you ask me about it?" Bo sighed with relief when Luke slowly lowered the bow, removing the arrow from the string. Turning to his uncle, he was surprised to see that Jesse still held his shotgun pointed towards them. "Uncle Jesse? Put the gun down, there ain't no need for you to be mad at Rosco. He ain't done nothing wrong."


When Jesse continued to point the gun, Bo looked over his shoulder at Rosco, "Rosco, I want ya to get on the other side of your car. Crawl across the seat, so's ya can stay behind me." Waiting until Rosco was safely on the other side of his patrol car, Bo slowly walked towards his uncle, never taking his eyes off the gun.


Stopping less than a foot in front of his uncle, Bo took a deep breath and looked into Jesse's eyes. "Uncle Jesse, please put the gun down, there ain't no need for this."


"He's taking advantage of ya Bo, I can't let him get away with that," Jesse calmly answered.


"No he ain't Uncle Jesse!" Bo yelled, frustrated and not a little bit afraid. Forcing himself to calm down, Bo spoke in a soft, level voice. "Uncle Jesse, Rosco hasn't made me do anything I didn't want to do. He ain't threatened me or anything like that. Please Uncle Jesse, don't hurt him any. I love him and he loves me."


The sudden backhand took Bo completely by surprise, stumbling back, his foot landed on a loose stone causing him to fall to the ground. Looking up at his uncle Bo felt his blood run cold at the sight before him and the words coming from the man who had raised him.


"I love him and he loves me." When he heard those words coming from his nephew's mouth, Jesse Duke saw red. Backhanding the boy, he leveled the shotgun at him where he sat on the ground. "Like hell, I'll kill you myself before I see you become one of them!" Jesse snarled, not registering the shocked gasps from his nephews. Nor did he notice when Rosco stepped from behind the patrol car, alarmed at what he was seeing and hearing.


"Freeze it right there Jesse Duke!" Rosco ordered, drawing his revolver and aiming it at the older man, hoping he wouldn't have to pull the trigger.


"No!" Luke screamed out. Grabbing the shotgun and twisting his uncle's wrist, he wrenched it from his grasp. As he laid the shotgun into the bed of the pick-up, Luke never took his eyes off of his uncle. "Uncle Jesse, what's got into you? Why would you say that?" Luke demanded of the older man, terrified beyond words by the anger he had heard in his uncle's voice. Luke had seen Jesse angry before, but he had never seen him with murder in his eye. That was shocking enough, but to see that type of murderous rage directed at one of his own was something Luke woud've bet on never seeing. Hoping to diffuse the situation, Luke forcibly turned his uncle away from where Bo lay on the ground. "Uncle Jesse? Calm down okay? You don't want to hurt Bo, I know ya don't." Seeing that Jesse's breathing was calming from the angry gasps that it had been, Luke chanced a look at Bo. Rosco was already kneeling beside him, taking care of the younger man. Knowing that Bo was being looked after, Luke was able to turn his attention back to Jesse. "Uncle Jesse, I want you to come over here and sit down, okay?" Luke suggested, leading his uncle to the passenger seat of the old pick-up.


Rosco wanted nothing more than to go to his young lover, he could see the fear written plainly across his face, but he didn't dare to. Keeping his revolver trained on Jesse Duke, Rosco didn't holster it until Luke lay the shotgun in the bed of the pick-up. The moment the shotgun left Luke's hands, Rosco rushed to Bo's side and knelt beside him. "Bo? Bo sweetheart speak to me, please. Bo come on now, you got to snap out of it." Rosco plead with the younger man, frightened by the glazed look in his eyes and his continued silence. Gathering Bo into his arms, Rosco fought to keep his voice calm, fearing that he would upset his lover further. Bo's need for comfort was the only thing stopping him from attacking Jesse Duke where he stood.


"Luke? What's going on? Why am I sitting here?" Jesse asked in a confused voice.


"You don't know?" Luke asked, becoming more confused and worried by the second.


"If I knew I wouldn't be asking, would I?" Jesse answered gruffly, frustrated by his inability to remember.


"You had a...well a spell of sorts. I'll explain later, you just lean back here in the seat and rest, I'll drive ya home. Okay?" Luke asked, settling Jesse into the truck as he spoke. Shutting the door, he walked around to the other side of the pick-up and spoke to Rosco. "Rosco, I don't know just what happened here, but.... Well I don't think Bo needs to be around Uncle Jesse right now. After what Bo said, well I ain't hardly got my mind wrapped around it, but at least I know now that you won't hurt him. Could you take care of him? At least until I find out what's going on with Uncle Jesse." Luke asked, not really doubting what the answer would be.


Looking up from his position beside Bo, Rosco nodded his agreement and waited for Luke to drive away before attempting to move Bo. "Bo, come on, we need to get you home," Rosco mumbled as he guided Bo to his feet. He wasn't prepared for the reaction his words caused.


Breaking away from Rosco, Bo began to back away. "No, please Rosco don't make me go home. Please...I can't...can't go back there..."


Rushing forward, Rosco grabbed Bo's arm, afraid he would make a break for the General. In his present state, the sheriff was sure he shouldn't be driving. "Shh Bo, I didn't mean to the farm. I meant my home, come home with me Bo, let me take care of ya."


"Your home? Oh...I guess that'd be okay." Bo softly responded, sounding confused, and reminding Rosco of a lost child.


Leading Bo to the patrol car, Rosco opened the back door and helped Bo to lay across the seat. Leaving the younger man alone for a moment, he went to the trunk and retrieved a blanket. Hurrying back to Bo, he tucked the blanket around his lover, worried about him going deeper into shock.


"Rosco? Why'd he do it? I didn't mean to make him hate me." Bo cried out, in pain from the events of the morning.


His heart breaking for the younger man, Rosco gently caressed Bo's cheek, hoping to offer comfort. "I don't know sweetheart. I don't know why he acted like that, but I don't think he really hates you. From the look on his face, I'm not sure he even knew what he was doing. We'll get it worked out, you'll see." Rosco offered his assurances to Bo, praying that he wasn't wrong in what he said. Reluctantly backing out of the car, Rosco carefully shut the back door and climbed into the front. On the way to the home he shared with his mother, Rosco radioed Cooter and asked him to tow the General back to the Duke farm.


Pulling his patrol car into the driveway, Rosco was never so grateful that his mother valued her privacy. Even though the house was in town, it was surrounded by trees and shrubs. So many in fact that once you passed the beginning of the drive, none of the neighbors could see into the yard. A fact which worked in their favor at the moment, as Rosco helped Bo from the car and into the house.


"Rosco, my word! What's happened son?" Evelyn Coltrane asked, coming down the stairs and seeing her son helping Bo into the house. "Never mind that, you can explain later. Right now I think you'd better get Bo settled into bed, he doesn't look well. Go on now, I'll be up soon with some hot chocolate," Evelyn ordered, taking control of the situation as usual. "Rosco son, better put him in your room, I have a feeling he'll be more comfortable with you nearby." Evelyn chuckled softly at the look of surprise on Rosco's face as she headed into the kitchen to start the hot chocolate.


Helping Bo up the stairs, Rosco couldn't help the smile that crossed his face at his mother's words. He knew everybody in Hazzard pitied him. A grown man who still lived at home with his overbearing mother, but Rosco wouldn't trade her for all the money in the world. Oh sure, she could be a mite overbearing at times, and sometimes she got carried away with looking out for him. But Rosco knew she loved him, if he'd had any doubts about that, what she just said would've removed them. Only a mother who loved her child would welcome his lover into her home without a thought, and Rosco was never more grateful to have her there. Reaching the top of the stairs, he steered Bo down the hall and into his room. Chuckling softly, he realized that though they had been together for two years, this was the first time Bo had been inside his bedroom. The next moment, he wanted to sob at the thought of why Bo was finally seeing his room. It only took Rosco a moment to seat Bo on the bed and begin to remove his boots, followed a moment later by his jeans and overshirt. Rosco left Bo in his t-shirt and boxers, tucking him into the bed and waited for his mother to bring up the hot chocolate.


"Rosco son? Come open the door please."


Walking quickly to the door, Rosco carefully pulled it open. Taking the tray of hot chocolate from his mother, he placed it on the bedside table and helped Bo to sit up. "Here sweetheart, look what mama made you. See she even put them little marshmallows in it, you like those don't you?" Rosco quietly asked, hoping to tempt Bo into taking a sip of the hot, sweet drink. Rosco felt his heart breaking some more at the blank look he received. A few seconds later he felt it begin to mend as Bo slowly reached for the cup and carefully took a sip.


Hearing his lover's voice, Bo couldn't help responding to the obvious plea he could hear. As the hot chocolate traveled down his throat, Bo began to become more aware of his surroundings. Offering Rosco a small smile, Bo wondered just where they were and why Rosco's mother was there? "Rosco? Where am I?"


"You're in my room Bo." Smiling at the surprise he saw on Bo's face, Rosco hurried to reassure him. "It's alright Bo, mama don't mind you being here. Shoot it was her idea for you to stay in my room." Rosco didn't really want to mention what had happened earlier, but he knew that ignoring it wouldn't help. "Bo? Do ya remember what happened this morning?"


Shaking at the memory of his uncle holding a shotgun on him, threatening to kill him, Bo could only nod his answer. Bo had spent nearly his entire life in Jesse Duke's home, had never known any other father. The thought of his uncle's anger and hatred directed at him, tore him in two like nothing else could. In all of the years he had spent with Jesse, as many time as he had made the older man mad, Bo had never been afraid of him. Not until this morning, now for the first time in his life Bo Duke truly feared the man who had loved and raised him from infancy. "I remember, but I don't want to talk about it," Bo answered, finally finding his voice.


"Alright Bo, we don't have to talk about it now. But we can't ignore this forever, okay?" Sighing deeply when he received no answer, Rosco went on. "I wish I could stay here with you Bo, but I have to get back to work. Will you be okay if I leave you here with mama?"


"I'll be fine Rosco, I know you're worried but I ain't so far gone that I can't handle a little time with your mother. Me and her get along just fine, don't we Miss Evelyn?" Bo asked, flashing her one of his most charming smiles.


"Of course we do dear. You go on back to work son, Bo'll be fine here with me. I'll take good care of him until you get home." Evelyn assured her son, patting him on the back and heading for the door. "I'll just be downstairs if you need anything Bo," she said, leaving them alone to say goodbye.


"You sure you'll be okay?"


"I'm sure Rosco. Now will you go on before Boss gets suspicious," Bo playfully ordered. Leaning forward, Bo wrapped his arms around Rosco and brushed his lips gently across the older man's mouth. "I love you cowboy, please be careful." Bo whispered, shuddering as he remembered the look in his uncle's eyes.


"I love you too sweetheart, don't you be worrying about me though. You're still recovering from a bullet wound, not to mention the shock from this morning, you just concentrate on getting better. I'll see you this evening, you rest now, okay?" Rosco quietly asked, kissing Bo one last time before heading back out on patrol.




Driving back to the farm, Luke kept stealing glances at his uncle. He had never seen the older man so furious and the fact that he didn't seem to remember worried him as well. Pulling into the drive at the Duke farm a few minutes later, Luke went around to the other side of the truck and opened the door. Jumping at the sound of the screen door slamming open, Luke cringed. Daisy! In their earlier panic they had completely forgotten about her.


"Luke! Uncle Jesse! Where did y'all go? What's going on?" Daisy called out her questions as she came running outside. When her cousin and uncle had jumped into the truck and sped out of the yard earlier, Daisy hadn't known what to think. Knowing that Bo wasn't home, her first thought had been that something had happened to him. Now seeing the dazed look on her uncle's face and Luke looking upset, she became even more afraid. "Luke, what's happened? Where's Bo? Is he okay?"


"Daisy please, can ya wait 'til we get Uncle Jesse inside?" Luke asked, trying to keep the frustration from his voice. Daisy hadn't done anything wrong and didn't deserve to have him turn his anger on her. Relieved when Daisy wisely kept silent and helped him get Jesse inside, Luke dreaded the coming conversation. He didn't know which would be worse, telling Daisy what they had found out this morning, or asking Jesse why he'd reacted like he had.


Once inside, Luke and Daisy led Jesse to the sofa. After getting his uncle settled on the small couch, Luke went out to the kitchen and retrieved a small bottle of shine that Jesse kept hidden there. Pouring a small amount into a glass, Luke walked back into the living room and handed the glass to his uncle. "Here Uncle Jesse, drink this."


Taking a sip of the firey liquid, Jesse slowly began to come out of his shocked state. "Luke? Weren't we just over on Cottontail Road?"


"We were. Uncle Jesse what do you remember?" Luke carefully asked.


"Bo was there, talking to Rosco. Did we argue? I think I remember an arguement," Jesse answered, shaking his head, trying to clear the cobwebs.


"Yeah there was an arguement. Uncle Jesse we thought that Rosco was forcing Bo into being with him, only Bo told us that wasn't the case. Do you remember now?" Luke really hoped Jesse would remember on his own. He didn't want to be the one to tell him what he had done, wasn't even sure how or where to start.


"Oh dear Lord, I...Luke please tell me I didn't hit your cousin." Seeing the truth on Luke's face, Jesse knew the rest was real as well. "I..." Jesse swallowed hard before continuing, "I pointed my shotgun at him, didn't I? Luke, I think...did I threaten to kill Bo?" Jesse looked down in shame when he saw the answer on Luke's face and heard Daisy's quick intake of air.


"Uncle Jesse! How could you do that?" Daisy cried out. "I can't believe you think Bo would be with somebody who would force him. He's okay, isn't he Luke? Uncle Jesse didn't...?" Daisy trailed off, unable to complete the question.


"He's okay Daisy, well as okay as he can be considering." Luke stopped speaking, staring at his cousin as the wheels began to spin in his mind. "You knew didn't you? You knew about Bo and Rosco, why didn't you tell us?"


"Bo didn't want me to Luke. I only found out by accident myself and well, Bo was afraid that you and Uncle Jesse would hate him for falling in love with a man. Looks to me like maybe he was right to be afraid after all," Daisy answered, getting angry at Luke for questioning her. She didn't want to say anything else right then, afraid she would say something she couldn't take back. With these thoughts in mind, Daisy stood and began to walk away, stopping when she felt Jesse grab her wrist.


"Daisy, honey will you give me a chance to explain? Please?"


Unable to resist the pleading look in her uncle's eyes, Daisy sat beside him on the sofa and waited.


"First of all, I don't want you kids being mad at each other. Luke if Daisy didn't tell us, it was only because it wasn't her secret to tell. And Daisy, Luke might've been angry this morning, but he wasn't angry at Bo. He thought Rosco was hurting Bo, but as soon as he found out he was wrong, he calmed down. No, I'm the only one who went off the deep end, and I think I know why." Standing up, Jesse began to pace the room, unsure of how to tell his story.


"There's something I need to tell you kids, something I ain't never told anybody except my father. When I was a youngin, about ten years old, I used to go over to a neighbors place and help out. Mr. Simmons was a bachelor man, I guess he was probably about forty-five and being all alone he could always use a helping hand. Well sir, that day I was up there a helping out like usual and there was an accident. I fell, scraped my leg on a nail when I did. I was bleeding pretty good and Mr. Simmons picked me up, carried me inside and sat me on the kitchen table. He helped me peel my britches off, so's he could get to the cut. It was while he was cleaning the cut that it happened, I'm not sure he even knew it was going to happen. One minute he was cleaning out the cut, next he was...touching me, in a way a man is only supposed to touch a woman. I tell you, I hollered so loud I'm surprised the whole county didn't hear me. Well when I yelled it must've shocked him cause he jumped away from me like a scalded cat. I grabbed my pants and pulled 'em up, ran home fast as my little legs would take me and told my father. Him and his brothers went and seen Mr. Simmons, never did find out just what happened but he moved away that very night and we never saw him again. When daddy got home, he took me out to the woodshed and whipped me good, told me I wasn't never to let a man touch me like that again. Said that men like that were in league with the devil and would burn in Hell for what they'd done. He made me promise that I wouldn't ever allow any man like that near me again. It don't excuse it, but when Bo said he loved Rosco...all I could hear was my daddy's voice telling me that men like that would burn in Hell. The only thing I could think of was that I'd rather see him dead than condemned to Hell for his sin. I'm sorry...I know it ain't near enough but it's all I can say. I only hope you kids can forgive me, that Bo can forgive me for what I did," and with those words Jesse Duke lost the battle. Breaking down in sobs, he felt arms wrapping around him, offering him a comfort he didn't deserve.


Waking in his lover's arms, Bo snuggled deeper into Rosco's warm embrace. A nightmare, it had all been a nightmare, thank God. Hearing a noise that didn't belong, Bo turned towards the door, sitting up abruptly when it slammed inward. "Uncle Jesse! No, please Uncle Jesse, put the shotgun down. Don't do this...please don't do this," Bo begged, terrified of the man standing in the open door.

"I have to do this boy, can't let you turn into one of them!" Jesse Duke snarled, the hatred clear to hear. Pulling back the twin hammers of the double-barrel shotgun, he leveled it at the two men in the bed. "I love you Bo," Jesse said as he squeezed his finger against the trigger.

"No!" Bo woke with a scream, almost expecting to see Jesse in the door, he jumped a foot when it suddenly opened.


"Bo, what is it?" Evelyn asked as she hurried into the room and walked to his side. Sitting down beside him on the bed, she reached out and took his hand in hers. "Bad dream?" Evelyn Coltrane gently questioned.

"Yeah...sorry didn't mean to worry you," Bo apologized, feeling embarassed by his reaction to the dream.

"Now you just hush up. There's nothing for you to apologize about, ya can't help it if you had a nightmare. Would you like to talk about it?"

Bo's only response was a shake of his head as he turned away from her.

"It have anything to do with that bruise on your cheek?" Evelyn kindly asked, hoping to draw Bo into conversation.


"Did Rosco tell ya what happened?"

"Just that you had a fight with your uncle and not to let him in here. Is that how you got that bruise? Your uncle do that?"

"Yeah...guess he didn't like finding out about me and Rosco. Miss Evelyn? You and my uncle are close to the same age, why don't you mind about us?"

"Well Bo I'm not sure if I can explain it. You see after that Sue Ann woman hurt him so, Rosco became terribly depressed. It wasn't until he started seeing you that I began to see the boy I raised again. Of course I didn't know it had anything to do with you at first. But Rosco never could hide anything from me, so it wasn't long before I knew all about the two of you. I have to admit Bo, at first I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but then I remembered what that woman had done to him. As soon as I realized that you were the reason I got my boy back, well it wasn't hard to accept you being a part of his life. I'm sorry that your uncle can't accept it, but maybe he will, with time. In the meantime, you're welcome to stay here just as long as you need to and don't you forget it." Evelyn told him, more convinced than ever that Bo needed her as much as Rosco ever had.


Feeling grateful for Evelyn's support, Bo offered her a small smile. "Miss Evelyn, um...if you'll give me a minute, I'll get dressed and come downstairs."


"You sure honey, there's no need for you to keep me company."


"I know, but can't stay in bed all day and I am feeling better. Besides I don't think I need to be thinking too much about what happened, truth is I don't want to think about it." Bo told her, hoping she would understand.


Gently patting his hand, Evelyn stood and left the room.


Quickly getting dressed, Bo left the room and went to join Evelyn downstairs. As he walked through Rosco's home, Bo couldn't help praying that Miss Evelyn was right about Uncle Jesse just needing time. He loved Rosco more than he could ever say, but he didn't want to spend the rest of his life cut off from his family.

TBC


Hey I managed to do it, no evil cliffhanger. Please review and let me know what you think.