I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from Shadow.
It was a stormy Spring evening in Trinity South Carolina. The weather had taken an unexpected turn recently, making it was getting harder for the residents to predict and keep to their usual routines.
Caleb Temple was not afraid of strong winds and rain, so he continued speeding down the deserted streets on his bicycle with his friend Rose. The sun had already set and he knew that it was getting late, they had already been scolded by Rose's mother for hanging out past her curfew; however, the children were having fun enjoying each others company and they did not care about the time.
Caleb peddled fast and welcomed the cool rain on his skin, letting out a loud playful howl when the wind crashed around them. It had been a long time since he had truly been able to let go in front of his friends and he was happy for his present.
'My mother's gonna hang me when I turn up lookin' like a drowned rat!' Rose shouted, to ensure she was heard over the loud wind.
Caleb slowed down slightly at Rose's comment and turned towards her, to see if she was truly mad at him for keeping her out in this extreme weather. When she pulled a tongue at him and playfully slapped his cheek as she rode past, Caleb laughed excitedly and peddled faster to catch up to her.
The excitement that surged through them at being out when the adults did not dare too was immense and they felt as though they owned the Town, even just for a moment. They continued to speed down the streets, oblivious to the scolding looks from residents who caught sight of them through a window when they were tucked up safely inside their homes. If anyone wanted to challenge them, they would have to brave the weather; however, no one appeared willing to leave their homes and this only added to the children's confidence in themselves.
Caleb had been holding back, ensuring he kept on an even pace with Rose; however, he sensed her trying to beat him and a wave of competitiveness surged through him. Caleb steered off the pavement and peddled hard onto the road, he ignored the odd car that passed him which beeped it's horn at the unexpected sight of the children out in this weather and continued to peddle strong.
Rose picked up her pace, not accepting being beaten by a boy and raced up to him quickly. Caleb was good; however, she was able to keep up the fast pace for longer and smiled when his stamina appeared to lessen. 'I'm gonna catch you Caleb Temple!' she called excitedly, ignoring the street signs that they past and focused on gaining the lead.
'You and what army Rose?' Caleb shouted sarcastically and turned around to ascertain how close she was to him.
Suddenly he felt the strong impact of his bicycle crashing into something stationary and went flying up into the air. Caleb glanced down curiously at the obstacle that he had hit and cursed to himself when he saw the dented blood red Mustang beneath him.
'Caleb!' Rose screamed scared, when she saw him catapult into the air and squeezed the breaks on her bicycle.
As he flew through the air, Caleb was not concerned about the impact of hitting the ground, he was worried about how Gail would react to the large dent that was clearing visible on her car. He had started to regard Gail as his new mother, which was not hard as he had never known his biological; however, he was not convinced that their bond would withstand her undeniable love for her Mustang.
When he came crashing down to the sidewalk at an awkward angle, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, waiting for the impact to finally happen and hoped that Gail would not be too mad at him.
Lucas had pulled into his driveway and just gotten out of his navy blue Crown Victoria, when he heard the loud crash of metal behind him. He had requested for Gail to leave her car on the sidewalk as it would be harder for her to navigate out of the driveway in this weather, due to the length of her beloved Mustang. When he heard the loud crash, he knew he was in for a world of pain and closed his eyes irritation.
He sensed Gail at the window instantly and was about to let out an exasperated breath in anticipation of a scolding from her, when he caught the look of horror in her eyes and turned towards the accident. Lucas saw Caleb propelled over the car and released his twin instinctively, to project himself to the boy and grabbed him just before he hit the floor.
Caleb felt himself being pulled by strong arms and opened his eyes to see Lucas holding him protectively. He glanced towards Rose and saw his crumpled bicycle laying on the road next to Gail's dented car. 'You shoulda just let me fall, she's gonna kill me anyway' Caleb said in a disappointed tone and cursed himself for not being aware of his surroundings.
Lucas felt the adrenaline flow through him and his heart pounding in his chest, at the close call they had just avoided. He stared at his eldest in disbelief of what had just happened, then let out a loud laugh at his comment. 'We're both gonna get get a hidin' for this son, at least you're in good company' Lucas joked, not having the heart to scold Caleb when he clearly already understood what he had done.
Rose rushed up to Caleb and gave him a long hug, unable to help herself. She had truly thought his head was going to be crushed on the sidewalk and the relief she felt when the Sheriff caught him was overwhelming.
Lucas let go of Caleb and smiled as the boy experienced his first proper connection with a girl. It appeared that his son was finally growing up and he was proud of how he was handling himself.
'I hate to interrupt your tender moment, but you all better get inside now' Gail ordered sternly in an angry tone, as she stood at the open front door with her arms crossed over her chest.
Caleb released Rose and stared at her apologetically for ruining their evening.
Rose smiled reassuringly and went to pick up her bicycle to ride home; however, she felt a strong hand close around her arm.
'My love said all of us Darlin', you don't get outta this that easy' Lucas smirked and led Rose inside with Caleb.
Rose rushed to Caleb's side as they were ushered inside the large Mansion and attempted not to gape at the extravagant property. She had dreamt of being privileged enough to be invited in here, after she had explored the large garden of the property previously; however, she could never have prepared herself for the beauty that the inside of this property held.
Lucas watched Rose carefully, not usually allowing his townsfolk in here and smiled when he caught her transfixed with their home. He was proud of his property and supposed he should welcome his efforts being showed off once in a while. 'Different to what you imagined?' he whispered in her ear and took off her wet coat gentlemanly.
Rose inhaled deeply at his closeness and giggled nervously when he smiled down at her charmingly. 'I didn't know what to expect, this place is a castle' she said in awe.
'I wouldn't go that far' Lucas laughed, amused at her bewilderment and ushered her through the entrance hall to the main Study, where Caleb had already obediently gathered.
Caleb knew better than to hide from a scolding; therefore, he had quickly found his way to Gail and was sat on the large grandfather chair in front of the fireplace, while Gail knelt down beside him and held his arm gently. When Rose entered with Lucas behind her, he automatically lifted up his injured arm to wave at her and felt a sharp bolt of pain surge through it.
'That was smart' Gail said flatly as she examined his arm, then reached down to the bowl of cold water she had fetched from the kitchen and gently placed a cold wet compress on his arm.
'Ow!' Caleb snapped and held in his tears, in an attempt to remain brave.
Gail was furious at his lack of judgement for being out in this weather, she had attempted to locate him earlier; however, Caleb never remained in one spot for long and she had hoped he would have the sense to return home. She had not foreseen this accident happening and wanted to scream at him for his stupidity, but when she saw him hold back his tears her fury was replaced with concern. 'You're alright, this'll help' she reassured him and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, then stroked his cheek lovingly.
Caleb had thought Gail was going to yell at him, she never actually had before but he had never done anything this stupid and he was prepared for an angry response. When she kissed his forehead, he had not been prepared for her understanding and the tears began to fall. 'I'm sorry...' he started to apologise.
'Shhhh' she whispered reassuringly, then gently pulled him to her and hugged him to her chest. 'I think it's broken' she advised Lucas, unimpressed with his suggestion to leave her car in the road; however, choosing not to act on her anger right now.
Lucas watched the pair closely and felt his anger rising when he realised that his son was really hurt. 'You wanna gain control of your emotions so I can take him to the hospital?' he asked accusingly, deep down knowing the unpredictable weather was likely down to her unexpected moods of late.
Gail regarded him coldly for a moment, then remembered that they had an unexpected guest and forced her features to soften. 'Why don't you use your initiative and take a run down to visit my other cousin soulmate? Odd's are the Doctor she's shacking up with may be of some assistance right now' she said bluntly, attempting to not get annoyed at his lack of common sense.
Lucas inhaled deeply to push down his anger at how she was regarding him. He acknowledged that she had not been herself lately and thankfully there had been no more incidents of her trying to smother him in his sleep, or choke him when they were intimate; however, he would happily take her homicidal urges above her lack of respect for his intelligence. 'Yes Dear, of course Dear...right away Dear' he said in a calm sarcastic tone, then left the Study to brave driving in the treacherous weather once again.
Merlyn entered the Dining Room carrying a large tray full of food and placed it down on the table, before lighting two candles that she had put out to set a romantic mood. She had wanted to surprise Matt due to the long hours they had both been working lately and had taken advantage of their evening off together.
Matt smiled at her affectionately when she placed down the tray and sat on the opposite of the table. 'This is too much' he advised, surveying the amount of food that she had cooked and not knowing where to start.
'You'd rather us get takeaway?' Merlyn asked quietly, unsure whether he disliked her cooking or was getting at the amount of effort she had put in.
Matt sensed her nervousness and reached across the table to take her hand in his. 'I'd rather you relaxed with how much you've taken on recently' he explained, then brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.
Merlyn smiled warmly at him and inhaled deeply when he ran his lips over her fingers. 'Gail wants me to succeed, I can't let her down' she shrugged, then licked her lips when he stared into her eyes seductively.
'Gail's working you far too hard and needs to ease up, especially with your lack of experience' he advised concerned, then placed her finger into his mouth and began to suck it teasingly.
'I believe you need to heed your own advice Harvard, it appears no-ones workin' her harder than you' Lucas interjected, as he leaned casually against the wall and smiled at what he had walked in on.
Merlyn pulled her hand free and shot Lucas an irritated look. 'That's strange, I could've sworn I locked the front door' she scolded disapprovingly and regarded Lucas suspiciously.
Lucas let out a small laugh then turned his attention to Matt, who had gotten up from the table and was pacing the room anxiously. 'I didn't interrupt much, did I Doc'?' he asked, watching Matt amused.
Matt could feel his anger rising at his girlfriends apparent acceptance of this man intruding on their date. He did not know what Lucas did to sway women to his way; however, his old hatred for the man was resurfacing. 'Get out' Matt ordered abruptly, not caring about how he came across.
'Oh now why would I do that when you're pretty little Missy seems more than accepting of my presence?' Lucas mocked and shot Merlyn a playful wink.
'You're a parasite who preys on women...is it you hate them so much that you want to ruin everything they have? Or do you actually get off on hurting them?' Matt asked angrily, unable to control his feelings.
'Only when they hurt me back' Lucas laughed and approached Matt slowly. 'Why don't you ask your best friend? She know's all too well what I get off on'
Matt shook his head and regarded Lucas with disdain. 'You're disgusting, how you manage to force women to your way and remain in such high standing in this Town is beyond me'
'Oh I don't force anybody Harvard and what I share with my love is fully consensual. Trust me when I tell you she gives much more than what she gets and always begs me for more' Lucas advised smugly, willing Matt to challenge him fully.
Matt wanted nothing more than to punch this ignorant ass in the jaw, like he had done previously; however, that action was unacceptable now that his best friend had married the man and had a child with him. Matt hated what Lucas had forced Gail to become, she still attempted to remain the same person he had connected with when Caleb's tragedy occurred, but she was unable to fully hide her true feelings and he could see how tired she had become.
Merlyn sat frozen at the dining room table, she was unsure of the best course of action to control the men and she was becoming concerned. If she stepped between them Lucas would find a way to bring her into this and carry on his game, if she pleaded for them to stop Matt would realise she was upset and become more angry. She was at a loss at what to do and hated that her family had aligned themselves with Lucas Buck, as it made it harder for her to stand against him.
The sound of the telephone ringing brought her out of her frozen state and she glanced at the men before her. Neither men flinched at the sound and they just continued to square up to each other, clearly trying to show their dominance; therefore, Merlyn got up from behind the table and headed for the cordless telephone in her hallway. When she picked up the telephone, she let out a long sigh of relief as the voice spoke at the other end.
Lucas stared at Matt dominantly, wanting the man to lose control and take the first shot. He was so frustrated with his personal problems at home that he needed a release and this was the safest option for him right now. 'Come on Harvard, hit me...you know you want to and I'll even give you the first shot for free' he goaded, sensing Matt's loathing for him.
Matt inhaled deeply in an attempt to control his urge to punch the man before him; however, he felt himself losing control and raised his hand.
'It's for you' Merlyn advised Lucas in a smug tone and handed him the telephone, before gently taking hold of Matt's hand and leading him towards the window at the other side of the room.
Lucas stared at the telephone suspiciously for a moment, then held it to his ear instinctively. 'Hello?' he asked curiously.
'Did you get distracted from your injured son soulmate?' Gail asked sweetly, with a judging undertone.
'No Dear, I'll be right there Dear' he sighed irritated, then threw the telephone on the table and ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
'Problems?' Merlyn mocked sarcastically.
'Get whatever you need, we're heading to my place' Lucas ordered Matt and turned to leave.
Matt laughed in disbelief at his arrogance and pulled his arm free of M. 'What makes you think I'd ever go anywhere with you?' he asked bluntly.
Lucas did not have the patience to deal with the man's defiance when he his son was in pain and although he would never admit it to his her, he was thankful that Gail had reminded him of his priorities. 'Cause my son is injured and I doubt you wanna deal with my love's wrath, let alone mine' Lucas threatened, then left the property and waited for Matt to follow.
Rose stood silently by the door, hoping to remain unnoticed. She had sensed the tension in the room, it had not subsided when the Sheriff left and now that he had returned with Doctor Crower, she felt even more uncomfortable.
'You think your mother would be impressed with your appearance right now?' Gail asked in a flat tone, sensing the girls desire to remain unnoticed and not taking her eyes off Caleb.
Caleb willed Gail to leave Rose alone and when he turned to his father for assistance, he realised that was not going to happen and slumped down in his chair sulking while Matt bandaged up his arm.
Rose shifted on the spot nervously, not knowing what to say and gave off a small shiver.
'Why were you both even out in this horrible weather anyway?' Merlyn chimed in abruptly, worried for her brother in his injured state.
'They're children and were just having some fun, back off' Matt said calmly, attempting to hide his irritation at the situation and continued to secure Caleb's arm to prevent any further damage.
'I should go' Rose advised quietly and turned to leave the Study.
The wind crashed the heavy rain against the window and Lucas stood in front of Rose, blocking her exit. 'You got a better idea love?' he asked his wife, knowing Gail would have his hide if he allowed her to ride off on her own and not wanting to give her an excuse to direct her anger to him.
'No-ones going anywhere when the weather is getting worse' Gail advised sternly, disregarding Matt's hostile glance and turned her attention to Merlyn. 'Go take her for a shower and find her a room'
Merlyn had not wanted to leave Caleb tonight; therefore, she was happy that her cousin had taken charge so she would not have to argue with Matt and followed her order obediently.
'You may have M wrapped around your finger but not me' Matt advised defiantly, standing up and letting out a long sigh at the situation Caleb had gotten himself in.
Gail regarded him curiously, then laughed at his attempt to appear dominant. She had enough of that from Lucas and would certainly not stand by and allow Matt to take that stance with her now.
'She's right Doc'' Lucas interjected before Gail lost control and did something she would regret, then gently placed his hand reassuringly on her shoulder. 'It was bad enough gettin' you all back here without an incident, you really wanna risk the neck of that little piece of yours due to your stubborn pride?'
Gail watched as Matt faced Lucas defiantly, then clearly thought better of challenging her husband in his own own and just took Caleb's uninjured arm gently, then led him out of the Study.
'You handled that just like a pro' Gail laughed and shook her head at how easily Matt could have reacted differently to her husbands comment.
'Well, I'm not impressed with the amount of strangers in my home love, but this is your home too and I gathered you already had enough drama for the evening without a fight with your friend' he advised charmingly and stroked her back affectionately.
'Creep' she accused sarcastically and placed a soft kiss on his lips, before picking up Luke and heading upstairs to put him down after their long evening.
-To be continued-