Family Bonds
McRaider
Summary: Jesse thinks on his three kids, and the bond he has with each of them.
Author's Note: This idea came from an older Bonanza Story I read called From the Heart, there are some similarities, the church idea is from that, but everything else belongs to me. Also, as always the characters we all know and love do not belong to me, while Katherine on the other hand as well Dean Wopat belong to me.

I stretched in my bed on that beautiful Sunday morning, sighing as I realized we had to get up in less than twenty minutes to make sure we were at church on time. I sighed again and looked towards my window, the sun was shining through my window, the beginnings of a beautiful day. I lifted myself from the bed, and quickly changed, at least I could be ready for church so that my brood could get themselves ready for the day as well. I knocked on my nieces bedroom first, the room being right across from mine.

That had been my Katie's idea, when Daisy had arrived she had been twenty-four months old and was always moving, but she had had a terrible fear of the dark, so Katie had come up with the idea to put the girl in the room across from ours in case she needed comfort at night. It had been a perfect arrangement, even today, my sweet little girl remained right across from my room.

I opened the door gently, peeking in to make sure I wasn't ruining her privacy and smiled, she was sound asleep in her bed, turned on her side, towards me. Her beauty unlike any other woman I had ever met, aside from my Katie. I moved over to her bed and gently placed my hand on her shoulder, I was never harsh on her, she was my little angel most days, the one who always listened and rarely gave me any trouble. Her big gray blue eyes opened wide for me, a smile sliding across her face as she closed her eyes again for a moment.

"It's time to wake up and get ready for church honey," I told her.

"Okay Uncle Jesse," I wasn't surprised, and I knew I could leave her room without her putting up a fight or giving me an ounce of trouble. She was indeed my angel child of the family, unlike her two hellion cousins in the next room.

I closed the door behind myself, to give her some privacy and headed into the boy's room. As usual it was in it's normal state of discord, with clothes on the floor from the night before, and bed clothes thrown all over the place.

My eldest charge, Luke slept on his back, an arm slung across his eyes, he told me one day after coming home from Vietnam he had come accustomed to sleeping like that so he could easily protect his eyes from light or gun fire if needed. His sheets and comforter were pulled up around his waist, one leg hanging over the side of the bed, the other wrapped in the blankets. His brown hair tousled and sticking up in all different directions, his mouth wide open and a light snoring sound protruding from it.

My other child, my youngest nephew slept on his stomach, one arm slid under his head to pillow it for sleep, his other arm was hanging precariously over the side of the bed, he was lying dangerously close to the other edge of the bed, unaware of how close he was to slipping off if he moved the wrong way. His legs spread wide, only have his body covered by the blankets, his nose squashed in the pillow.

He was always the rough sleeper, and I could tell by the look on his face that it had been another restless night for the young man, Bo had suffered from many nightmares during his childhood, some sent him to his cousins bed right next to him, and others brought him directly to me. At some point he had out grown the coming and pleading for help, now he tended to wake himself up in the middle of the dreams and try to fall asleep again. Although I still tended to find his youngest on the porch some nights when he couldn't fall asleep again.

Reaching over I nudged his eldest none too gently, I smiled as he awoke with a snort and looked around, obviously unsure where he was for a moment, once he regained his surroundings he looked at me and forced a grin.

"Sunday?" he mumbled.

"Yep, wake up yer cousin and get ready fer church," I said nothing more and disappeared out the room, I could already hear the shower in the bathroom running, so I knew Daisy was already getting ready.

I headed to the kitchen, deciding to ready breakfast for our Sunday morning, as I heard Luke gripping at Bo to wake up, and as usual I heard Bo gripping right back 'bout being woken up and tossed out of bed. I would have to remember to warn Luke about tossing his cousin out of bed as a wake up call and how unfair that truly was to the young man.

Right on time Daisy came out into the kitchen ready for the day ahead, dressed in one of Katie's nice dresses, she pecked me on the cheek and smiled, then moved to help set the table.

I was forced to roll my eyes when I heard my two nephews fighting over the bathroom, and I suddenly had the feeling no matter how beautiful the day would be, it would be an incredibly long day. I set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Daisy, waiting for the two boys to arrive from the bathroom moments later.

Luke was the first out, dressed in his Sunday duds, looking nice, his hair combed back and ready to go to church. Bo came out a moment later, also dressed up nicely only half ready for the day ahead.

I held no pity for the two boys, they had stayed out late last night, which was only one more reason why I insisted we all go to church, sometimes I enjoyed watching my boys suffer a little for their child-like attitudes.

We arrived at church, some how in one piece, and I ushered my three charges into the doors and towards one of the front pews, Bo tried to escape to be the last in the row, however like I always had, Daisy went first, followed by Luke and my wayward Bo.

It was a simple idea, Bo tended to let his mind wander, and with his closeness I could always bring him back with a gentle tap on the shoulder, or nudge. With Luke on Bo's other side allowed me the closeness to tap Luke when he got that far off look of his, and of course the furthest from me was my Daisy. The child I never had to warn or scold, so she was the furthest out of reach.

I heard the reverend begin with his usual opening, speaking of the church family, then spoke to us of what he would have to say, "all of God's children have a close bond with the heavenly father, and of course the bond he holds with us, his children."

I allowed my mind to wander for a moment thinking of the bonds I had with these three children. While I wasn't their biological father, I had indeed fathered all three of these children for most of their lives.

I heard the Reverend mentioning something about acknowledging the bonds for the first time, and I grinned slightly, I could easily remember the day each bond with my three charges. The three bonds that had always been very solid, and would always be just as solid.

The first and foremost memory was with the young man sitting by my side. Back when he had been Beauregard James Duke, just before my eldest nephew took one look at him and said he weren't no Beauregard but a Bo instead.

It had been the day after the death of his brother Benjamin and his wife Jenny, Bo had been brought to the house, screaming and crying for his momma and daddy. At six months old he could only understand one thing, everyone around him was upset, so he rightly outta be upset too, no to mention his mommy and daddy hadn't come back for him yet.

The child service agent had brought little Bo by the house, at the time he had been about twelve pounds, fifteen inches, and had a bad case of asthma. He had his father's temperament, his mother's stubbornness and the wails of a small lost animal.

Bo had instantly been handed off to me, as I took the child in my arms, not for the first time, I looked down at him as he squalled for his mom and dad and felt my heart go out for the tiny child.

"It's okay little one, Uncle Jesse's got ya now," Katie took care of all the paperwork, while I tried to calm the tiny infant, however I spent the rest of the night trying to quiet the baby down.

Katie had held him, Daisy had even tried, Luke was afraid of him, so finally it came back to me trying to hold him again. It was nearing midnight, the rest of my family was asleep and my youngest charge's screams woke me.

I wandered into the infant's bedroom and looked down at him, Luke, only six, had a pillow held over his head; probably to keep out the wails. I reached down into the crib and lifted him into my arms, I pulled him close to me, and was stunned as for a moment he quieted.

Deciding to get out of the house, for the sake of the rest of the family; I sat down on the front porch swing, and looked down at the now whimpering child.

"Come on sprout, it's okay, really…" I sighed, my own eyes tearing as I felt the child's pain. It was though he knew his momma and daddy were gone, and that suddenly he was all alone in the world. It didn't seem fair for a little boy like him to have so much pain.

I began to sing lightly, in a similar way that I did for my Lucas and Daisy. I lifted him up, placing his head against my bare chest. His head resting just over my heart, tiny blue eyes opened slowly as he looked up at me.

My eyes met his ocean blue eyes, he was a beautiful little boy, there tears in his eyes still, but he looked calmer than he was earlier. His face was turning back to its regular pallor, his chest still rising, as he attempted to breathe through his bad lungs. He looked up at me, with an almost pleading look.

"I know yer scared and ya don't understand, and I know ya miss your momma and daddy, but I'm here and Katie's here. We'll take care of you little one."

He leaned his face further against my chest and sighed in contentment, falling asleep to the beating of my heart and the light hum of my voice.

Our bond was physical, it always had been, Bo responded to me the best when I touched his shoulder or gave him a good hug, and always responded the worst when I spanked him. He was my little boy, he was always a cuddle seeker, from his infancy to he was about nine or ten.

Sometimes I grew to miss the moments where he would sit in my lap and seek some much needed love. It was a simple bond, I always knew when my Bo was in trouble and he was always over protective of his old Uncle. I adored my little boy, and my big boy was even better. I knew it would last until the day one of us died.

I grinned as I spotted my youngest nephew begin to fidget at my side; my arm which was already slinked around behind him and Luke's shoulders, wrapped around his shoulders, and held him for a moment. Instantly the boy seemed to relax, his focusing moving back to whatever the Reverend had been saying. I was pleased knowing that bond was still there to this very day, after nearly eighteen years it was still as strong as ever, because a moment I felt him lean his head onto my shoulder. It was only a second, a normal on looker wouldn't have noticed it, but for Bo and I, it was our eternal bond, between an Uncle and a nephew, and a father and son.

"Perhaps one of the easiest way to communicate with our father is by prayer…" my mind wandered again as I thought of the second bond, with my second child, my eldest child.

Like his cousin, Luke was not biologically mine, but he had lived with me since he was four years old. He had arrived first of the three, and had been considerably vulnerable at the time. He had arrived much like Bo had; my friend Dean Wopat had stood out of his car the week after the death of Luke's father, a tiny boy gripping his hand.

"Luke, you remember yer Uncle Jesse, and your Aunt Katie," Dean said. The small boy looked up at me and forced a hesitant smile.

I was amazed at the strength I saw in those amazing dark blue eyes, strength of a million men, and the stubbornness of his daddy. I knelt down in front of him and smiled in return.

"Why don't I go show you yer room, I'm sure you must be tired," it was nearing eleven at night, and it was far past the little boy's bedtime, but it had been the only time Dean could swing by my place for a few moments.

"I'll get him ready, you sign the papers sweetheart," Katie told me smiling as she reached out for the boy's hand. Luke looked up at me carefully then reached out for her hand, following her as she led him into the house.

I signed all the papers, thanked Dean for his time and headed inside. My darlin' Katie already had the little boy changed, she passed me in the hallway and grinned, "he's prayin'," she said.

"Thanks Katie, I'll go tuck him in," I moved into the bedroom down the hall and saw him kneeling in front of his bed, hands clasped tightly together, head bowed.

"Dear God…my daddy always used ta talk to ya…and he use' ta tell me that's you is always watchin' o'er us…well…Mr. Wopat…he says my momma and papa are with ya now…an' I 'spect theys happy up dere wif ya…I…will ya please tell my momma and papa that I miss 'em…an' tell 'em…tell 'em I love 'em and that I'll take good care of myself…so dat they can watch and be proud of me somedays…and godbwess Uncle Jesse and Auntie Katie…and pease don't take them away from me…"

I smiled sadly and came to bend down beside my little boy, "Heavenly father, thank you for blessing me with such a gift as my little nephew, and please help me and my Katie to raise him to be the man his momma and papa will be proud of. Take care of my brother and sister-in-law, and help them to know they're little one is in safe hands," I felt Luke's big blue eyes boring into me as he watched me.

I looked down at him, and reached out, placing my hands over his tiny hands, "your parents would be proud of you son," I stated simply.

"Is it okay to tell you I love you and Auntie Katie," he asked.

"Of course it is son, but only when you're ready. Now how about we sit you in this bed and get you to sleep?"

"Thank you fer bein' so willin' to care fer me…"

"You're more than welcome little one, now hop in, assumin' yer done."

"Oh…hang on," I grinned as Luke quickly bowed his head again, "thank you fader…amen," he turned back to me and smiled.

"Ready?" I asked.

He nodded and held out his arms as I plopped him into the bed. I quickly pressed a kiss to his forehead and tucked the blankets under his chin, "get some rest little one."

I caught myself before I could jerk my head and make all those around us that I had indeed gotten lost in my own thoughts. I watched as my eldest nephew covered his mouth as though he was yawning, but I saw what was really behind it, and reached over, clipping him in the side of the head gently, just enough to get my point across that I didn't appreciate his laughing at me.

I loved Luke, and I knew his mother and father would be proud of the man he had become, between him being a veteran Marine and a strong young man, I knew I was certainly proud of him. He turned his head slightly, his blue eyes meeting mine again and I allowed him to see the pride I held in my eyes for him. He nodded slightly, just enough for me to notice and turned his head back to the sermon.

"Perhaps the most important way to see how much the heavenly father loves his children, is the bible, the words he has supplied us with to tell us just how much he cares for us and watches over us," I had lost all hope to hearing the rest of this sermon and allowed myself to think towards the final bond, the one with my sweet little Daisy.

Daisy had been twenty-four months when she arrived at my farm, instantly she had taken a liking to my beloved Katherine, and didn't seem too fond of me. However she always had me wrapped around her little fingers. We had a bond long before the first time I remember it, but it was one day when I was sitting on the couch, it must have been only days before Bo came to live with us, she was about three and a half; but I remember it like it was yesterday.

I sat on the couch, reading my newspaper, Luke was playing with some new toy cars on the floor when my Daisy came running in holding her newest book that Aunt Katie had bought her this morning.

"Unwe Jesse!" she cried giggling, her hair in little big tails, as she looked up at me excitedly with those big expressive gray blue eyes.

"Yes baby Daisy?" I said using her pet name. She held out her book to show me the new book.

"Look at what Auntie Kate got me!" she cried in happiness.

"I see that," I said swooping her up in my arms for a routine reading session we had every night. I had been doing this since Luke was a little boy, we had continued the tradition with Daisy, and teaching her how to read.

"Will you wead it to me?" she asked.

"Why don't you help me read it, let's start with this word," I pointed to the first word on the cover, she looked at it for a moment.

"Gween…" she said.

"What's that letter Daisy?" I asked pointing to the letter she had misspoken.

"R," she pronounced, I wanted her to be able to read when she joined Luke at school in two years, but she was having trouble with her r's and I wasn't going to let those go much longer.

"Good, now what is this word?"

Grrreeen," she said sounding it out.

"Good girl, the next word?"

"E…ggs," she spoke stuttering slightly on the double G's, but I simply nodded my head with pride.

"Good girl Daisy, what about this one?"

"A…and," she finished the next word.

"The last word?"

"Ham!" she said with pride, she knew that one, she loved ham, and Katie made it for her a lot.

"Good job Daisy, you've got it, now can you put it all together?"

"Green eggs an' Ham," she spoke with pride.

"Good girl."

"Yuck," came Luke's response from where he lay on the floor.

"What?" I asked looking down at him.

He turned over and looked at me with his big serious blue five year old eyes, "green eggs, that sounds icky Uncle Jesse," he explained.

"Well Sam seems to agree with you, come here son," I chuckled as Luke climbed up with us on the couch and settled in with Daisy and I. I looked over at my Daisy, wedge between the crook of my arm and the arm of the couch, she couldn't look happier as she looked over the words on the colorful page.

"Time for bed kids," my wife came in moments after we had haphazardly made our way through the first page, with a little bit of both Daisy and Luke reading the words. Luke looked up and groaned.

"Do we haveta?" he asked .

"Yes you haveta, Daisy…"

"Can I w…read one more page Auntie Kate?" she asked.

I grinned, those beautiful blue eyes were my Katie's biggest downfall, she could hardly resist her little Daisy girl.

"One more page sweetheart, but then Uncle Jesse has to put you to bed, however you young man are going now, come on," she said holding out her arms to him.

Luke giggled as he jumped into Kate's arms and waved goodbye to Daisy and me. I waved back and then looked back down at those expressive gray eyes, "okay little girl, you heard your Aunt, one more page."

We finished one more page before Daisy's eye lids began to droop, I smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead, then carried her to her room. Katie was just closing Luke's bedroom door as I slipped our niece into her bed.

"Luke is a wee bit tuckered, but he wants you to tell him goodnight," Katie said smiling at me.

"Why don't you finish tucking in our princess here, while I go check on our little prince."

"Prince my foot," Katie grinned as she took my spot by Daisy.

"Night Uncle Jesse, love you!" called Daisy from her bed.

"I love you too baby."

I was snapped out of my reverie when I heard the reverend begin the final prayer of the day, and I suddenly realized I had spent an entire hour thinking about my three kids. I grinned slightly and bowed my head. Thanking God for the bond I had with all three of my charges, I loved them for everything they were worth. They had made my life truly complete. It was them that had brought me through the pain and death of my beautiful wife. Their constant smiles, giggles, chuckles, and 'I love yous'' kept me going every day. I knew they were the reason I could wake up every morning and be happy still.

He said some final words, the choir sang the benediction and people began to get up. I easily slipped my arm around Bo's shoulders, and he remained at my side, there wasn't anymore of a reason for it than the fact that I wanted him to know I loved him, and I could tell instantly as his arm linked around my waist that the feeling was more than one hundred percent mutual. Daisy came around on my other side, the three quickly suggesting lunch at the restaurant down the street.

I was astounded as I really thought about the bonds, some how I had managed to find a bond with each one of these tree children: with Lucas it was the bond of God himself, and the faith that he would bring us through no matter what went wrong, for Daisy it was the love of words and education. Her thirst for knowledge, and of course for Bo it was the bond in knowing that we would always be there for one another.

Later that night I was restless and up later than usual and heard my young nephew tossing and turning, muttering in his sleep; I headed into the room quietly, so not to wake Luke and knelt down beside the restless teenager. I placed a hand on his shoulder, ready to shake him awake, but instantly he calmed, his breathing evened out, his movements slowed to nearly stillness and he sighed, as though he had slipped away from something.

Whatever the bond was, not just between Bo and myself, but all four of us, I knew it was stronger than any bond I had ever felt before, and I knew it was the same kind most natural parents had with their children. Unconditional love and the desire to help them no matter what.

Sighing I pulled the blankets back up around Bo's shoulders and headed into my own room. I fell asleep with the knowledge that my boys and little girl needed me just as much as I still needed them in my life. Perhaps I was turning into some sentimental old fool, but for me it was very comforting.

The End

In Memory to Denver Pyle, who spent seven years being an Uncle to every home he came into. God Bless him.