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 Family Ties.
Trinity South Carolina was a peaceful town that was seen as a haven for traditionalists, who strive for the american dream. Other small towns had inevitably been taken over by technology and a lack of respect for authority; however, Trinity remained untouched by any outside influences and although some sacrifices may be required at times, it was worth it to have a chance at a better life.
Lucas Buck stood silently under a large oak tree, ignoring the ice cold wind that wildly blew the leaves around him. He thought about how he ran his town and the sacrifices he required of his townspeople in return for a good life, then thought of his own life and how it appeared to be falling apart.
Lucas had to sacrifice any remnants of a normal life to take control of Trinity when he was younger, in line with the Buck tradition. Although he had never been one to be controlled, he had always had a strong determination to win; therefore, when opportunity knocked he welcomed it with open arms and accepted the power that had been bestowed upon him, after he dealt with his Father sufficiently for what he had done to his Mother.
When he was younger he believed that the deal was relative, as he could not miss what he had never actually had. The closest form of nurture he had experienced was from his Mother; however, that was ripped away from him by age 6, when his Father became paranoid that she would temp him to follow a different path.
He had never envisioned himself with a family of his own, or with the responsibility that came with it. When it became time for him to have an heir, he did what he had to do to win and to protect the path of his son. Although he had been fond of Judith, he did not believe he could ever commit to anyone and had been relieved at how it had all played out. As he stared into the large open window of his old friend Abraham's house and watched his wife and youngest son sat peacefully with his friend, he began to wonder whether his need to win at all costs was worth the price he had paid.
Gail had left with Luke on New Years eve and had not returned, just as she had warned. Lucas got Caleb in the split, which his love stated was all he had ever wanted and he was left taking care of his eldest son, while Gail and Luke resided her with Abe. Usually Lucas' first instinct would be to punish whoever took his property; however, Abe was his oldest friend and it had worked out better this way, as Abe insisted that Lucas was able to see Luke without accepting any argument from Gail.
Lucas lurked in the shadow of the tree, with the moon high in the sky. If his love could sense his presence, she was hiding it well and her attention did not falter from the game of scrabble she was playing with Abe. He applauded her courage for leaving, many would not dare cross him in such a way; however, her actions resulted in a lack of stability in him, which he was not used to and there would be consequences for someone.
Gail smiled cunningly as she reviewed the letters she had available, ignoring Luke's constant pointing out of the window. She was not oblivious to the intruder in the garden; however, she was making a conscious effort to push him out of her life and she would not give him the satisfaction of showing that he was bothering her.
This past three weeks had been hard for her son, he often cried for his Father and it broke her heart when she thought of the bond he was missing by being away from him; however, Lucas had proven it was not safe for her to be with him and he certainly was not capable of looking after Luke on his own, so this had been the only logical option.
Gail had no desire to separate a Father from his son, regardless of what Lucas may believe and she had made herself scarce on a number of occasions to allow him to spend time with Luke. She would ensure Lucas' relationship remained strong with their son, as any bond between a parent and a child should; however, she would not allow herself to be corrupted by that man any longer.
'Come on Rosie, I ain't got all night' Abe sighed, shifting Luke to his other knee when he reached frantically towards the window.
Gail could see Abe was struggling with Luke and could not bare to keep face any longer, not when it was affecting her son. She placed down her seven letter word triumph and laughed as Abe cursed out loud, then took Luke into her arms and headed towards the partially open window to allow him to look out. She watched sadly as Luke placed his small hand on the glass and felt a pain in her heart when she sensed their intruder reaching out as though to touch it.
Lucas held his hand out, allowing his son to feel his presence and waited for his love to acknowledge him. He smiled when he sensed her guard waiver at her sons clear desire to be with near him and took a few steps forward, waiting to be beckoned closer.
Gail surveyed the dark garden and her eyes rested on the large oak tree. She sensed him waiting to be invited, calling for her to accept him once more and took a deep breath in an attempt to control her urges. She sensed his doubt at what had transpired in order to allow him to win and his sincere apology, which she also saw on the bouquets of flowers that were delivered here and to her office on a daily basis. Their eyes met, boring into one another's souls and she felt the familiar yearning between her legs, willing for her to take him.
He held her gaze, not allowing her to move and Gail sensed his intense desire to be intertwined with her again. She felt her guard begin to melt away, craving his touch and how alive he made her feel. She thought about how easy it would be, for her to disregard her reservations and beckon him to her, then ran her fingers over the area of her neck where the sharp knife had been pressed and let out a small laugh.
Without any further delay, she took control of the situation and pulled Luke's hand off of the window, ignoring his protests, then closed the window and locked it securely. Lucas had betrayed her and he had brought this on himself; therefore, she would not allow herself to feel guilt over something that she had not caused.
Lucas let out a long frustrated sigh when their connection was severed and watched as she closed the curtains, in an attempt to block him out. His rage began to rise within him and clawed to be released, to punish her for the torture she was making him endure; however, he sensed her deep rooted feelings of betrayal and pushed his rage back down, then shook his head in exasperation and headed back to his car.
Gail sat back down opposite Abe and smiled reassuringly at her Uncle, as she cradled Luke in her arms to calm him. She let out a relieved sigh when she sensed the navy blue Crown Victoria pull away from the premises and returned her focus back to their game of scrabble, hoping to end this quickly so she could go back to completing her unfinished task.
Selena sat at her kitchen table with a large glass of wine, waiting for Billy to come home to her. He had been working late most nights this past few weeks and she was beginning to get suspicious of his lack of concern for her. If that was not enough to irritate her, Caleb Temple had been skipping school again. She had attempted to bring this to the attention of his cousin; however, the woman seemed indisposed of late and her immediate concern did not appear to be about her cousins education.
'Can you blame her?' Lucas asked as he appeared in the kitchen suddenly, then sat down beside her and took the drink out of her hand. 'She has a young child to tend to, as well as the rejuvenation of Goat Town'
'She has little old you to tend to as well, I'm surprised she let you out this late' Selena said cattily and got up to get herself another glass, trying not to outwardly show her irritation.
'Who are you callin' old?' Lucas asked, feigning offence and downed the glass of red wine then held the glass up to be refilled.
Selena narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, before refilling both glasses and sitting down across from him. Lucas had not been this open for conversation in a long time and she wondered what had caused this change in him.
'Never you mind, I'm here to discuss my boy' Lucas advised flatly and downed the second glass of wine.
Selena watched him closely, the Adonis she used to have the pleasure of satisfying. Her life had gone down hill after he had discarded her; however, his life seemed to thrive, or so the gossip around town would have her believe. 'Where is that little wife of yours anyway? She usually takes up these meetings about Caleb's education' she asked curiously.
'Indisposed, why do you ask? Ain't you happy with my company Teacher?' he asked playfully, sensing her desire for him instantly.
Selena bit her bottom lip and shook her head. 'I just don't think she'd appreciate you being alone with me, regardless of how indisposed she is' Selena warned, then ran her fingers through her hair and licked her lips teasingly.
It had been over three weeks since Lucas had been inside of Gail and he did not react well to her nectar being locked away. The way things stood at the moment, they appeared to be separated and although he did not desire Selena like he used to, it would not take much to change her image to the one he truly craved to enable him to obtain a release.
Selena watched him carefully, sensing the conflict within him. This was unlike the man she had known, who was always sure of what he wanted. Usually there was some comment to shoot her down by now; however, he was still here and had not rejected her. She decided to test the water and reached over, took his hand gently in hers and brought it to her mouth.
Lucas inhaled deeply as he watched her take two of his fingers into her mouth and begin to suck. This had not been what he had came here for; however, his love had released him from their contract and he was free to do whatever he pleased. He was Lucas Buck, Caretaker of Trinity and the most beloved man in town. Women wanted him, men feared him and he was free to take whatever wanted. The thought caused him to let out a small laugh, if that was the truth then why did the action of his present company leave such a bad taste in his mouth.
Selena let out a shocked breath when he pulled his fingers out of her reach and stood up to leave. 'Where are you going? You came here to talk' she said frantically, not wanting him to leave.
'I believe it's best for both parties if I go now, before we both do something we'll regret' Lucas advised, then headed out of the door towards his car.
Selena rushed to follow him out, then stopped at the door when she saw Gail sat casually on the bonnet of his Crown Victoria. She froze for a moment, when she felt her nemesis' eyes bore deep into her and then rushed back into the safety of her home.
Lucas smiled when he saw her, radiant as always and approached her slowly. 'Are you followin' me Mr Buck?' he asked sarcastically, attempting to hide his excitement at their closeness.
Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head. 'Unlike you, I have a purpose for my stalking' she forced a smile, then handed him a large tub of stew.
Lucas took the tub carefully and reviewed the contents disappointingly.
'You thought I'd have another reason to catch up to you, apart from wanting to ensure that my cousin didn't starve while you had your fun?' she asked, unimpressed at their current location.
Lucas sensed her distrustful thoughts and laughed. 'You think I'd throw it all away for Selena?' he asked in disbelief.
'I think if you can hold a knife to your wife's throat, then infidelity isn't such a big leap' she shrugged, disinterested in the conversation and hopped off the car then began walking past him.
Lucas grabbed her arm tight as she passed him, then pulled her in close. 'Come home and talk to me' he ordered, feeling their strong connection at this close distance and not wanting to let it go.
Gail stared deep into his eyes, then shook her head. 'I am home and you have what you've always wanted since I came back to Trinity, so there's nothing left to say' she advised flatly, then pulled her arm free of his grasp and headed back towards her car.
Regardless of what Gail had said, he had noticed that the contents of the tub was far too much for a young boy; therefore, he believed that she had not fully given up on taking care of both him and Caleb, meaning there may still be a way to fix this mess.
Lucas inhaled deeply in an attempt to control his anger at the situation, then sensed Selena watching him discreetly behind a curtain and headed for the drivers side of his car. This was not the time or place to make a scene and he refused to allow his relationship problems to become public; therefore, he just got into his car and drove home to his son, leaving the women to do whatever they pleased.
-To be continued-