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, Reflection, Spirit, Acceptance, Whole Again, Homecoming, Oh Father, Birthday Surprises, Misguided Feelings, New Year and Picture Perfect.

It was a cold mid-February night in Trinity South Carolina and darkness had just fallen. The wind was strong and rattled the wind chimes that were hung up around the farm house, giving this night an extra chill.

Bob Mckenzie stood on his back porch drinking a beer, he had been pacing for the better part of an hour after a visit from Lucas Buck and he could not shake his unease. The Sheriff had previously stopped by unexpectedly a few weeks ago to inform him it was time to pay up on his deal and he had stopped by earlier in the evening to remind him the debt was still owed.

Bob had been young and stupid when Lucas helped him secure the deed on this house, he had not fully understood the implications of making a deal with the man and had gone by for years thinking the debt had been forgotten; however, he should have known better as he had been in this town all his life and knew Lucas Buck would always collect on his deals.

Lucas had initially approached him in the company of his youngest son's friend Caleb Temple, Bob had warned Boone that the boy was a bad apple and the fact that he was hanging around with Lucas Buck confirmed he was right. The first visit was an obvious reminder of their deal; however, the encounter tonight was the finalization of their terms and he was not stupid enough to challenge what Lucas had required of him.

Bob took another large drink of his beer and stared out into the darkness, he spotted two small yellow eyes watching him from the top of the scarecrow in his field and shivered nervously. There was no choice when it came to adhering to Lucas Bucks wishes, Bob had known too many people who had tried to deny the man and had seen them pay the price. He would not be so stupid, he would just accept the terms and do as Lucas commanded. It may be immoral; however, Bob had a family to take care of and he could not afford to deal with the consequences of defying Lucas Buck.

The crow stared curiously at the figure on the porch, it flapped it's wings and cawed then flew off when it sensed the decision had been made.

Lucas opened his eyes and smiled to himself, knowing Bob would come through. He just had to wait patiently and see what would happen when Bob completed his task.

Merlyn Temple tossed and turned in her bed frustrated, then turned towards the clock on her bedside table. She let out a long sigh when she confirmed it was only 6:30am and kicked off her covers, then put on her robe.

She had been suffering from strange dreams every since she had entered Gail's room the previous month and picked up the mysterious ring, she had even woken up early one morning stood over her cousins bed with no recollection of how she had gotten there. That had been a curious night and she had quickly left the room before her cousin could find her, not knowing how she would react to such an intrusion.

Merlyn did not know what was happening to her or why she was unable to get a good nights sleep. She sensed strange times ahead and could not shake her feeling of unease. She had wanted to talk to her cousin about the dreams she was having; however, she suspected Gail was plagued with her own sleepless nights and did not want to become more of a burden than she already was.

Rocky let out a long yawn and stretched, then came to her side. She smiled at her faithful companion then gave him an affectionate stroke before opening her bedroom door and heading downstairs. It appeared the only constant she had in her life was this dog and she envied his simple existence, all he needed was to run free for a few hours in the day and he was content. If only she could be so easily pleased, her life would be so much less complicated.

Merlyn was taken out of her thoughts by a faint sound in the kitchen, she approached the room cautiously then watched as Gail washed the dishes from last nights supper. 'Mornin'' she called out and smiled at the look of surprise on her cousins face, it appeared she was also shocked that there was someone else up this early.

'What are you doing up at this ungodly hour?' Gail asked, putting away the last of the dishes and drying her hands.

Merlyn shrugged, 'Couldn't sleep...did you have a bad dream?'

Gail sighed and knelt down to stroke Rocky. 'I can't remember the last time I had a good dream...What's bothering you?'

'The same as you I suppose...Do you think it's something we need to be concerned about?'

Gail shook her head and stood up. 'I've suffered with bad dreams all my life, it'd be silly for me to start worrying now. Sit down and I'll make us both a hot drink'

Merlyn watched as Gail filled the coffee pot for herself, then got a pan out and poured some milk in it. Merlyn had become accustomed to warm milk in the morning and she had noticed Gail always made this for her when she was concerned about her. Although she would have liked to be in bed sound asleep like her brother, she was thankful she was not suffering alone. 'Gail, can I ask you somethin'?' she asked, sitting down as instructed.

Gail was not in the mood for questions when she had barely managed to get 3 straight hours of sleep. Her dreams had become more intense, ever since she had awoken in Lucas' study a few weeks earlier. She suspected she needed to figure out the cause of them or they would continue getting worse; however, she had other responsibilities and it was not fair to only focus on herself, when a member of her family was clearly going through something too. 'Of course, what's up?' she said, forcing a welcoming tone and stirred the milk on the hob.

Merlyn did not want to think about her dreams at this present time; therefore, she put that subject out of her mind. She had spotted a boy hanging around on a motorcycle outside Abe's Antique Store and it had caused her to think about Ray, who was the only boy she had ever encountered that had truly noticed her. Lucas had ruined that experience for her, when he had shown Ray her grave and she never really knew what happened to him after that.

Thinking about Ray made her sad; however, this boy she had spotted intrigued her and she could not get him out of her head. 'You and Lucas...' she started.

'What about me and Lucas?' Gail interrupted abruptly, she really was not in the mood for this girls judgement of her.

Merlyn looked down at her hands, sensing her cousins frustration. Although she did not approve of their relationship, she had been trying her best to keep out of her cousins business with him and accepted that Gail had made her own choice about being with Lucas. 'I don't mean nothin'...It's just, well...do you think about him all the time?' she asked nervously.

Gail took the pan off the hob and poured the hot milk into a mug to cool down, before handing it to her cousin. She sensed the nervousness running through Merlyn and signaled for her to follow her into the living room, then sat down on the couch comfortably. 'That man finds a way to inject himself into virtually everything I do, so I suppose it's hard not to think about him...Why do you ask?'

Merlyn shrugged, 'He's a bad man but you continue to tolerate him'

Gail did not sense any judgement in Merlyn voice, this just appeared to be a statement so she remained open to the conversation. 'When you get older you'll come to learn that everything isn't as straight forward as good or bad, especially when men are involved. How Lucas Buck is portrayed by others is not my problem...I'm privy to a different side of him which you may not see and providing he respects me and the people around me, I have no cause for concern...What's this about Merlyn?' she asked, not used to the sound of her dead cousins name on her lips.

Merlyn sighed and turned towards Gail, this conversation was uncomfortable to say the least; however, she had never had a woman that she could talk to and it was about time she took advantage of her position now. 'I think I like a boy, but I'm not sure whether I should'

Gail stared at her cousin in shock for a moment, then started laughing. 'Oh wow, is that all? You had me worried there for a moment...Look, if I had disregarded all my feelings because of being unsure, I'd never have gotten anywhere in life. I understand your caution and personally I'd rather you not look at boys just yet, but it's part of life and that's something you have to experience whether it's a mistake or not'

Merlyn considered her cousins words for a moment, she had been feeling guilty thinking about this boy with what had happened with Ray and had no doubt Lucas would try to sabotage whatever she attempted to accomplish in this town; however, her cousin was right and she had a second chance to live.

Gail smiled and patted her cousin on the knee, then stood up and stretched. 'I'll tell you what, it's nice to have such a normal problem to deal with for a change...You fo get dressed and we'll take Rocky for a walk, that way you can tell me a little more about this boy you've noticed'

Merlyn smiled and stood up, Gail was right and it was nice to have such a simple dilemma rather than all the supernatural stuff she had to deal with previously. 'Alright, I won't be long' she said and rushed upstairs to change.

Gail walked casually to her bedroom and closed the door, she shook her head at book on Trinity's history and the newspaper clippings that were spread all over her bed. She had been up for hours reviewing the information she had available to her and she knew she was showing signs of obsession; however, she did not want to concern her family, so she hid the book and papers under her bed then proceeded to get dressed.

Matt Crower sat at the desk in his office, staring blankly at the file in front of him. His daughters birthday was approaching and he needed something to take his mind off this sad time of year, so he had chosen to review Lucas Bucks medical file. He knew better than to be so brazen about what he was doing; however, at this moment in time he did not care and he welcomed the man to challenge him, anything to take his mind off his dead daughter.

It had been 4 years since the incident which took his families lives and he still felt responsible. If he had been a better husband and focused more on his family rather than alcohol or his job, maybe they would still be with him today. The only person who knew the full details of what had happened was Lucas Buck, he had not even confided in Gail and his friend had accepted his wish to keep the matter to himself. Matt believed he was solely to blame for the accident and that was his cross to bear, there was no point bringing more people into this when too many people had already been hurt as a result of his stupidity.

Matt stared at the file which detailed Lucas' 'death' just over a year ago and shook his head. Doctor Narome had attempted to take matters into his own hands to stop the threat that plagued Trinity and it appeared the plan almost worked. Matt had warned Lucas when he locked him up in Juniper House that there would be others who would stand up to him and true to his word someone did, it was a shame Doctor Narome's attempt was unsuccessful as Trinity would surely be a better place if Lucas Buck had stayed buried.

'That's not a very humane way of thinkin' Doc...' Lucas said reading his mind as he entered the office, '...I know a few people close to you that would disagree with that statement'

'I wasn't aware I made a statement out loud Sheriff' Matt said bitterly, putting the file in his drawer and standing up.

Lucas laughed and walked further into the office, closing the distance between them. Now that things seemed to be settling down for him, he was more focused on Harvard and what he was getting up to. 'Whoa there Doc, I think I sense a little hostility in your tone. Is that any way to treat the man who's concerned about how you're doing at this sad time?'

Lucas smiled when he saw the anger surface on Matt's face. Of course he knew what time a year this was, he was initially going to leave the man alone due to the consequences messing with the mans sanity would have with Gail; however, now that he was here, he could not help but torture him a little.

Matt tried to hide his anger from the man in front of him; however, his annoyance was too strong and his hatred for Lucas Buck began to flow through his veins.

'Hate is such a strong emotion Harvard...I thought you'd have more control than that'

'What do you want Lucas?' Matt asked, trying to push down his emotions.

Lucas shrugged and walked slowly around the room. 'I told you, I'm checkin' in to see how you're doin'. Believe it or not I can relate Doc...the loss of a child is hard for any man to bear, especially when the child's death was caused as a result of a fathers actions...'

'Shut up' Matt said calmly, trying not to let his true feelings show.

'I guess the worst part is knowing you could've done somethin' to prevent it...' Lucas continued ignoring Matt's request, '...I mean had you been a better man, you could've stopped your wife storming off in a rage...Had I have been more honest, maybe I could've warned Gail and prevented our loss...'

'Shut up!' Matt yelled and slammed his fist down on the desk in front of him. He could not bear this evil man speaking about his family any longer and needed to silence him.

Lucas's smile grew wider and he let out a small laugh. 'Careful now Harvard, we don't want you to have another episode'

Rita came rushing into the office at the sound of the bang made by Matt's fists and stopped in her tracks when she saw Lucas Buck. She glanced at Matt and could see the rage radiating off him; therefore, she instinctively went to his side. 'Can I help you with somethin' Sheriff?' she asked, trying to push away her unease.

Lucas stared at Matt for a moment, then turned his attention to Rita. Had she not been his Deputy's pregnant girlfriend he would have punished her for the intrusion; however, she was and any action towards her would cause a reaction from Ben, which Lucas did not have the patience for. 'Last I heard nurse you should be resting up, due to your delicate condition'

Rita took a deep breath to steady her nerves and grabbed Matt's arm when he went to stand in front of her. 'According to your girlfriend Sheriff, a strong woman doesn't need to rest no matter what condition she's in...Now, if there's nothin' we can do for you, Matt has a patient waitin' to be seen'

Lucas smirked at her fake show of courage and decided to leave them both be for the moment, it was early in the day and he was happy to watch Matt suffer slowly. 'Alright, I wouldn't wanna keep you from your patients Doc...We'll finish this another time'

Matt watched as Lucas left his office and heard Rita let out a sigh of relief. He did not have a sense of relief, he was too concerned with the comment Lucas had started to make about Gail and which related to his loss. Matt could not shake the feeling that Lucas was mocking him and being left in the dark would drive him crazy. He took a deep breath and shook off his feelings of unease, then just signaled for Rita to let his next patient in.

Gail sat on her car bonnet drinking a latte and staring at the calm movements of the water. After all that had happened over the last few months she could not bear the thought of wasting her time writing mundane articles these days; therefore, she had chosen not to go into her office today and drove to a quiet spot by the Trinity river, so she could be alone with her thoughts.

Gail loved the scenery here in Trinity, there was miles of woodland which she could escape to if the intrusive nature of the locals began to get to her. The town itself was a little small for her liking; however, there appeared to be enough in it to entertain her family and friends. The problem Gail had is she herself did not care about the mundane things other people did and it was getting harder for her to keep herself occupied, without getting herself into trouble. She felt like she was living in the movie 'Groundhog Day', everything was the same day in and day out which was starting to make her feel restless.

She had always believed she was not one to settle in a sleepy little town like this, but she had made her choice and the consequences of that were her own. She was happy everything was working out with Caleb and her family; however, she could not push away her craving for adventure and the mundane tasks she had to complete on a daily basis were certainly not giving her that. Gail knew she had mystery very close to her and she was trying not to think about that, especially after her last attempt to uncover some truth resulted in her waking up in Lucas' mansion with no recollection of what she had been doing for several hours before.

Gail could feel herself becoming obsessed with the secrets that surrounded Lucas Buck and it was not healthy, if anything it seemed to draw her closer to him when she knew he was bad for her. She had no false preconceptions about him and knew Lucas was deceitful, despicable and could be outright cruel to people; however, she was still intrigued by him and her obsession appeared to be growing.

Gail sighed then took a large sip of her latte, every fiber of her being was calling for her to go back to his house and explore the mysteries beyond what appeared to be the property's border. She remembered finding a wooded area and a clearing at the back of the property; however, something within her closed her memories off and all she could see was darkness when she tried to recall what had happened. Merlyn had told her that she had been missing for hours and Gail did not like not being in control of her memories. Something deep within gave her a sense of caution and she tried to push down her intrigue for the time being.

Gail pushed herself off the bonnet of her car and walked slowly towards the edge of the water, shaking her head. It was not in her nature to be so cautious and she was not sure she liked this change in herself as it felt cowardly. She stared out into the water and allowed the peaceful movements of the current to calm her, she suddenly felt a strong urge to continue walking into the river and let it wash away her concerns. All she had to do was keep walking forward and see were the current took her, then all of her problems would be gone and she could finally rest.

'That would be the easy way out love and that ain't in your nature' Lucas said as he approached her from behind.

Gail let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head, she hated when he got inside her mind and would have to ensure her resolve was stronger going forward. 'Haven't you got more important things to be doing than bothering me Sheriff?' she asked sarcastically and turned towards him.

Lucas did not like what he had just sensed in her; however, he was careful to keep his concerns hidden, so he just shrugged at her question and put on his best charming smile. 'I reckon I do, but seeing you is always a pleasure and I'd take that over work any day'

Gail let out a small laugh and walked back towards her car, when Lucas grabbed her arm as she was passing she stared down at his hand unimpressed then stared deep into his eyes. 'I'm not in the mood for your territorial bullshit Lucas' she said calmly, standing tall.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at her unladylike language and regarded her cautiously. Although she had not pulled away from their relationship in the last few weeks, he sensed something was going on with her and did not buy her calm disposition. 'Mind your tongue Darlin', I wouldn't recommend offending me' he warned.

Gail smiled mischievously and bit her bottom teasingly. 'And what will happen if I do cause offense Sheriff?'

Lucas inhaled deeply in an attempt to push down his urges, then smiled devilishly. 'Well I'm not above puttin' you over my knee and givin' you a spanking Miss Emory' he whispered and pulled her closer to him.

'Are you alright Gail?' Ben called, getting out of the police cruiser that was parked next to Gail's Mustang. He had just watched as Lucas grabbed her arm, but could not hold his tongue any longer when he saw his boss pull her roughly to him.

Gail's smile grew wider when she saw the annoyance in Lucas' eyes and she pulled her arm free. 'I'm fine Ben...' she said and started walking towards her friend, '...I was just leaving'

'Where are you goin?' Lucas asked as he approached the pair.

Gail sighed and rolled her eyes, which made Ben smile. 'You're not my keeper Sheriff' she said, then give Ben's arm an affectionate squeeze and returned to her car.

Lucas watched as she drove away and shook his head, then returned to the police cruiser and signaled for Ben to get back in the drivers side.

Bob McKenzie paced outside his back door nervously, he had a debt to pay and the consequences of going against Lucas Buck would be greater than what he was about to do; therefore, he took a deep breath and downed the rest of his beer, then entered the kitchen through the back door.

Sandra McKenzie stood over the stove staring the stew she had just made, her husband had been acting strange for the past few days so she had chosen to cook his favorite meal and made sure she had plenty of beers in the fridge for him. When Bob entered the kitchen she smiled at him warmly, then turned her attention back to the large pan on the stove. 'Can you give the kids a shout? This is just about done and I could use a hand settin' the table'

Bob walked towards Sandra, then turned her around and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Sandra gave her husband a playful slap on the cheek then turned back towards their dinner, she did not know what was going on with Bob; however, this type of behavior was unlike him and it made her feel a little uneasy.

Bob watched his wife of 15 years sadly and took a deep breath. 'I'm sorry Sandra' he said quietly.

Sandra turned the heat on the stove off and turned back towards her husband with the aim of telling him that this strange behavior had to stop; however, when she saw the look on his face she took a step back. 'Bob what's wrong?' she asked concerned, then fell back against the kitchen counter as the first punch hit her face.

Bob felt a bolt of rage surge through him and began beating his wife. All the anger he felt at himself for making a deal with Lucas Buck came out and he just kept punching her, until she lay a crumpled mess on the kitchen floor. He lifted his fists to his face and shook his head in disgust at himself, then picked up his broken wife carefully and headed out of the house towards his truck.

-To be continued-