Disclaimer- I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories Emotion, Old Friends, Family, Difficult Decisions and Reflection.

It was a mild September evening in Trinity SC, the leaves on the trees had begun to turn a coppery brown to indicate the arrival of Autumn and the soft breeze that was present rustled the leaves loose, so they fell lightly on the ground.

Caleb Temple was sneaking around the old Bowen's Junkyard, trying to catch a glimpse of Poppy Bowen. The place was now called T.J's Junkyard due to being sold after Carter Bowen was arrested for shooting his wife, but it would always be known as Bowen's Junkyard to Caleb.

Boone had boasted about seeing Poppy Bowen around town and admitted to having a crush on her, Caleb did not see the appeal of any girls; however, he was curious to find out why his friend could not stop talking about her. His cousin Gail had warned him against trespassing on other peoples property, but he was being careful and only wanted to find out what all the fuss was about.

'It's non of your business what all the fuss is about Caleb' came an angelic voice from behind him. Merlyn Temple had been keeping a close watch on her brother recently, to ensure he was staying on the straight and narrow. She cherished his innocence and wanted him to hold on to it for a bit longer, before he started to get side tracked with girls.

Caleb turned around and tried to hide the embarrassment on his face. 'I wasn't doin' nothin' Merly, I just wanted to look'

Merlyn walked closer to her brother and folded her arms. 'That poor girl doesn't need boys looking at her, leave her be...she's been through alot'

Caleb stared down at his feet, he knew what it was like to have his father arrested for murdering the closest family member he had. It had not occurred to him that Poppy Bowen had been through the same thing, 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean no harm'

'I should think not' Poppy said coming around one of the smashed up cars. She had been out for a stroll by the river behind the house she shared with T.J, when she had heard some rustling. Children did not come and play here as much they used to after her father was arrested; therefore, she had been taken by surprise with the young boy in front of her.

Caleb stood still in shock, he recognised Poppy from the flame red hair Boone had described and knew Merly could not help him now that he had been discovered trespassing. Gail would be so mad if she had found out he had been here.

Poppy smiled at the young boy, he was clearly worried about being caught. 'Don't be shy, come here...I won't tell on you'

Caleb looked towards Merlyn who was watching Poppy cautiously, then walked towards the girl. She was pretty and he liked her wild red hair. 'I'm sorry for intrudin', I'm Caleb' he said.

Poppy held out her hand for him to shake. 'Nice to meet you Caleb, I'm Poppy Bowen. What brings you to my home this evening?'

Caleb shrugged, 'I used to play here with my friends, before your daddy...' he said, then stopped himself from going any further when he saw the sad look on her face. 'Please don't tell my cousin Gail I was here, she'd kill me for intrudin''

Poppy stared at Caleb for a moment, a Gail Emory wrote an article on her mother's death. She was a nice woman and did not portray her father as a monster like all the other newspaper reporters did. Poppy had looked into who this woman was, as she was working for a Charleston newspaper and had found out she was in Trinity due to the tragedy that befell her cousin. 'Is your cousin Gail Emory?' she asked.

Caleb stared at Poppy confused, he was not aware that she knew Gail. 'Yes ma'am' he said.

Poppy looked at Caleb with pity in her eyes, 'So you're Caleb Temple? It's a shame what happened to your family'

Caleb did not like the look Poppy gave him, he did not need anyone to feel sorry for him. 'I have Gail, it's a shame you have no family left' he snapped, then instantly felt guilty at the wounded look on Poppy's face. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean anythin' by that'

Poppy shook her head, she had recently came to terms with what had happened and managed to keep to herself apart from some company off T.J. The land had been sold to him; however, he was nice enough to let her stay at the house with him and he respected her space. This little boy was making her revisit that horrible incident, but she could not blame him as he clearly felt the same at her comment. 'It's OK. It's getting late and you should go home now, I'm sure you cousin wouldn't want you out too late'

Caleb looked down at the watch Gail had bought him and realised that Poppy was right, it was close to his curfew so he needed to get the the boarding house. 'I hope I didn't upset you' he said as he turned to head back the way he came.

Poppy smiled, 'Not at all, now you run along now'

Caleb smiled and waved at Poppy, then went to find his bike so he could ride to the boarding house quickly.

Lucas lay comfortably on the large king size bed, with his hands behind his neck. He had surprised Gail by finishing up at the Sheriff's Station early and sneaking into her house when she was showering. When he witnessed her walk into her bedroom wearing just a small towel, he could not resist pulling it off and taking her roughly on the bed.

Gail had been shocked by his presence and tried to fight him; however, he had overpowered her easily and had his way with her. Their sexual encounters had become more experimental in the past few months; however, she still did not appear to be used to being surprised by his antics. Now he just lay naked on her bed, watching as she got dressed to go out. 'I still don't understand why you can't just give it a pass Darlin', I'm sure I can think of something more fun for you to do than meeting up with Billy-boy' he said mischievously.

Gail shook her head and continued to zip the side of her dark red chiffon dress, Lucas had interrupted her getting ready and now she was late. 'As good as that sounds...I promised I would be there and I will, albeit a little late thanks to you' she said walking around the bed to look for the pair of knickers she had previously laid out.

Lucas smiled, grabbed her hips on the way past and pulled her down so her back was rested on his chest. 'Are you sure I can't tempt you to stay a little while longer Miss Emory?' he whispered in her ear and nipped at her neck playfully.

Gail could have easily stayed right there, it was taking all of her will power to resist his charms. He had already convinced her body to betray her when she had made it clear she was going out tonight, she could not give in again knowing Billy would be waiting for her. Gathering all her strength she pushed off Lucas gently and gave him a warning look. 'I told you no' she said sternly and got up off her bed.

Lucas sighed, he disapproved of his love's friendship with the good Doctor; however, he knew better than to tell her what to do. 'OK Darlin', if your mind is made up I might as well get dressed myself and visit my lady friends'

'What lady friends would these be?' she asked curiously and knelt down to stroke her dog Rocky, who was quietly growling at Lucas.

Lucas shrugged, 'Oh just some of my many female fan's' he said playfully, then got up off the bed.

Gail laughed, 'Well don't forget about me on your travels' she said as she put on a thong.

Lucas walked casually over to her, placed his hands gently under her dress and pulled the thong down. 'You won't be needing that Darlin'' he said and she stepped obediently out of her underwear. He kissed the inside of her leg enticingly, ran his fingers up to her thighs then stood up. 'We'll finish this later' he whispered in her ear then headed for the shower.

Billy Peele sat in a dark corner at the back of Jimmy's Bar, staring at his watch impatiently. Gail was supposed to meet him here half an hour ago and he was beginning to think she was going to stand him up.

Billy had been having some personal problems as he had broken up with Selena a few days earlier, due to her constant paranoia over his friendship with Gail. He had thought the two woman had hit it off and put their differences behind them; however, that was short lived after Gail officially started dating Lucas Buck.

Selena was constantly keeping tabs on his whereabouts and made it clear that she did not want him to continue his friendship with Gail, as she did not trust her. The problem was Gail had befriended him after her coma, when he had split up with Selena the first time and had hit rock bottom. He had started to get close to Ben at that time but it was not the same as having someone you could confide in and Gail had remained friends with him when he got back together with Selena, even though she disapproved of his decision.

Billy cared for Selena; however, he had been in a controlling relationship before and he had chosen to discard all his childhood friends at the say of his girlfriend back then. He had spent several years alone due to that choice, until Gail and Ben had befriended him. He did not want to make that mistake again so when Selena gave him an unreasonable ultimatum, he chose his friendship with Gail.

Billy was taken out of his thoughts by the sound of a bottle being placed on the table. He looked up then smiled when he saw Gail had finally shown up and she had brought a bottle of Jagermeister with two shot glasses.

Gail placed the shot glasses down, threw her bag on a chair and sat opposite her friend. 'I'm so sorry for being late, something came up. You said this was urgent, is everything OK?' she asked concerned.

Billy laughed, opened the bottle of Jagermeister and poured them both a glass. 'That bad huh?' she asked sarcastically. Gail knew Billy had been distant the past few days; however, she had been too preoccupied with her work and Lucas to have time to get to the bottom of what was bothering him.

Billy downed his drink and tried to find the best way to tell his friend that his relationship had ended because of his friendship with her, this would be harder than he initially thought. Gail placed her hand gently over his and Billy smiled at the show of affection, 'I split up with Selena' he said, wanting to get it out in the open, 'I didn't really want to bother you in all the drama with you trying to deal custody of Caleb and all, but I thought you should now'

Gail shook her head, she did not know what to say. She gathered they were having problems due to Billy asking to spend more time with her and Ben; however, she did not realise it was so serious. 'I'm sorry, do you want to talk about what happened?'

'She got jealous and possessive, nothing could be done about it' Billy said and poured himself another drink.

Gail placed a hand over his glass before he could drink his second shot and downed her drink. 'Wait for me friend...' she said pouring herself another shot, '...jealous over what?'

Billy laughed, 'You...but don't worry, I don't blame you for any of this. I told her she needs some time to consider what she wants, as we're friends and that isn't gonna change any time soon'

Gail exhaled deeply in exasperation, she never understood why woman got so stupid and possessive. She was obviously with Lucas and Selena had nothing to be jealous about; however, she did feel bad that she had been a contributing factor to their break up. 'Woman are crazy, she'll come around...now drink!' Gail said, raising her glass to toast his.

Selena sat with her legs crossed on Lucas's car outside the Sheriff's Station, smoking a cigarette. Although she loved her exorbitant sports car Lucas's Crown Victoria had a certain charm to it and she reminisced about the times she had spent with him performing sexual acts in the back seat.

'That was a long time ago Darlin', a lot of things have changed since then...What are you doing here Selena?' Lucas asked, as he approached the driver side of his car.

Selena did not move from her seated position. 'I was bored and noticed you were working late. Are you not servicing the lovely Miss Emory tonight?' she asked in a catty tone.

Lucas smiled as he opened the car door and threw his jacket on the back seat, it was obvious his ex was jealous of his relationship which only fuelled his desire for Gail. 'You know Selena, Gail has as much of an appetite as you...maybe even more and I don't have to wait until after school hours to get what I want. In answer to your question, I've already serviced Miss Emory a number of times today and will be again before the night is through'

Selena stood up, straightened her leopard print mini skirt and threw her cigarette to the ground. 'Oh come on Lucas, you and I both know you're not a one woman man. This little love affair that you think you have will only interest you for so long and when you get bored you'll come crawling back to me'

Lucas moved closer to Selena so their bodies were almost touching, he could sense her desperation and it amused him. 'Isn't that what you're doin' right now Darlin'?' he asked in a malicious tone. 'Are you so bored of Doctor Romeo already? Or is it that you're jealous of what me and Gail have? It was only a few of months ago that you two had started to become friends, you gave up on that pretty fast...although you never could play nice with other women'

Selena disregarded his comments, she would not show him that his words had hurt her. She raised her hands to caress his chest, as she was desperate for some form of companionship right now; however, he grabbed her wrists before she could touch him. 'Come on Lucas, I know you...this act you're playing isn't real. The lovely Miss Emory is too good for you and she'd hit the road running if she caught a glimpse of your true nature. Now why don't you drive me home like a good southern gentleman? I'm sure I can find some way to repay you' she said, yearning for his touch.

Lucas stared into Selena's longing eyes and leaned in close, so their lips were only an inch apart. 'While that does sound inviting Miss Coombs...I have a girlfriend to get to who has witnessed my true nature and embraced it. It's a shame Billy-boy couldn't handle your true possessive nature...ah-well I suppose you can still go running to the other degenerates in my town' he said pushing her away from him.

Selena backed away wounded, she felt as though he had just slapped her hard in the face. She had been betting on Gail discarding her one true love in the first instance she witnessed his cruel nature, as Selena believed she was the only one who could accept Lucas for what he truly was; however, if what he had said was true, her love would not be coming back to her any time soon.

Lucas smiled smugly knowing the realisation that Selena had come to and got into his car, discarding her in this fashion was much worse than insulting her. When he turned on the engine and began to drive away, he laughed as Selena screamed insults at him and threw a rock, which narrowly missed his retreating car.

It was 11:00pm and Gail was drunk, she had switched to vodka and lemonade after a few shots of Jagermeister and knew she would pay for mixing her drinks in the morning.

Billy had livened up considerably after she had shared several shots with him and had found some classic 80's tunes on the jukebox. He had selected the 'Footloose' soundtrack and they had been dancing like a pair of drunken teenagers for half an hour. Gail had to keep pulling her dress down to ensure she kept her dignity, due to Lucas ordering her not to wear any underwear. She had been crazy to let him persuade her to come out without being fully dressed; however, it did make things exciting and the alcohol had removed her inhibitions at this point.

Gail had left Billy attempting to serenade the female bartender and she stumbled her way to the lavatory. When she had finished and splashed some water on her face in an attempt to sober herself up, she exited the ladies lavatory only to be pulled forcefully into a stockroom. Gail thrashed out in self defence until she recognised the hand that was attempting to fondle her and then relaxed. 'Now Sheriff, is this anyway to treat one of your loyal constituents?' she asked in a mock scolding tone.

Lucas nipped at her ear, kissed her neck and let his free hand trail down to the bottom of her dress. 'I wasn't aware you voted for me Darlin', I guess the respectable Miss Emory is someone I should try to keep on side for any future elections' he said then smiled when his hand travelled to her sweet spot and it was confirmed she had adhered to his order of no underwear tonight.

Gail glanced at the door of the stockroom, it was wide open and anyone going to the lavatory could see them if they looked into the room. 'Stop. Not now...' she said trying to push down her urges, while he continued to kiss her neck and play with her. '...this isn't exactly a private place'

'That's the point Darlin'' he said mischievously. 'Besides, you left me to be in the company of another man tonight...' he feigned upset, '...so I decide when we stop'

Gail inhaled deeply when she felt his fingers push inside her, surely they could not do this here? If they got caught the gossip would spread across the town faster than wild fire. 'Lucas stop!' she panted, trying to make herself sound serious.

Lucas pulled his fingers gently out of her, then forcefully pushed her towards a beer keg. He bent her over the keg so she had to support herself by gripped the sides, unbuttoned his pants and thrust his manhood into her in a quick, effortless motion. 'Do you really want me to stop Miss Emory?' he asked biting the back of her neck playfully.

Gail let out a small surprised moan at the shock of Lucas's quick motion and the intense pleasure she felt when he entered her. The sensible part of her subconscious appeared to be buried deep down, as the only thing that surfaced in her mind was a voice pleading for him not to stop.

Gail inhaled deeply and let herself be taken, she knew by now there was no point in fighting her desire for him. They had a sort of animal attraction and she yearned for him to be inside her all of the time these days. The danger of being caught in the middle of this act only added to the exquisite pleasure she was feeling with every thrust he made.

Lucas smiled to himself when the only answer to his question were moans of pleasure, this prompted him to take her harder. He thrust deep into her and had to bury his head into the nape of her neck, to stop himself from calling out with the immense pleasure that was shooting through his body with each thrust.

Lucas continued to pound in and out of her until he felt they were both coming close to the their finish, then cursed to himself when he sensed an intrusion.

Billy Peele staggered down the corridor in search of his friend, as she had been gone longer than expected. He found the ladies lavatory door and knocked loudly, 'Gail, are you OK?' he called in a concerned voice.

Gail tensed under Lucas then instinctively tried to get up; however, Lucas pushed her straight back down forcefully, he would not let Billy-boy spoil his fun.

Lucas let his twin out momentarily and the door to the stockroom began to slowly close quietly, then he quickened his thrusts. He forced his hand around Gail's mouth to stifle her loud moans and bit her shoulder to prevent himself from calling out as they came together.

Gail allowed Lucas to stay inside her for a moment while she regained her senses, then looked around the room for something to clean herself up with. When she spotted a pack of toilet tissue she signalled for him to let her up and tried to ignore the empty feeling when he pulled out of her.

After cleaning herself up she turned towards Lucas and nodded in satisfaction when he was buttoning up his pants, then she headed towards the stockroom door which now appeared to be closed. She could have sworn it was open previously; however, she shook the thought away when she heard Billy banging on the lavatory door again, clearly worried as he had not had a response. 'Shh, I'm here...' she said poking her head around the door and trying to act casual, '...I got myself all turned around'

Billy looked at her suspiciously, then smiled drunkenly. 'You're crazy'

Gail laughed playfully, 'Says you after trying to seduce our bartender with an acoustic version of 'Let's Here It For The Boys'...go to the toilet while you're here and we'll find the way back together'

Billy clicked his heels together, then saluted mockingly. 'Yes ma'am' he said in his best military voice, then entered the mens lavatory.

Gail shook her head and sighed, that was too close.

Lucas came behind her, placed his hands around her hips and pulled her back into him. 'I had it under control Darlin', he wouldn't have caught us...Excitin' though, wasn't it?' he whispered in her ear, then let his lips trail down her neck.

Gail let him kiss her neck for a moment, then turned around and playfully slapped his cheek. 'Bad Sheriff' she said then placed a tender kiss on his lips. 'I've got to go' she whispered as she pulled away from him, then left the stockroom when she heard the lavatory door open.

Lucas watched her as she linked her arm around Billy's and walked down the corridor away from him. He hated to see her cosying up to the good Doctor; however, her acceptance of his actions in the stockroom proved that she was his and no one else's.

-To be continued-