Lucas walked out of his office and into the cells, whistling as he ran a metal pen over the bars. It amused him to no end watching Billy Peele rot in one of his cells, he always enjoyed witnessing people who deemed themselves as mighty fall and this was a close second to Harvard being locked up in Juniper.

Billy sat with his back against the wall staring up at the ceiling, Lucas noted how the man was attempting to look as though he was not fazed by his current predicament; however, Lucas knew the truth and it was killing Billy-boy knowing he was powerless to stop whatever happened next. 'How are you keepin' Doc? I hope my Deputies are treatin' you well'

Billy inhaled deeply in an attempt to push down his irritation, he had been feeling calmer after his visit from Gail; however, the sound of Lucas' voice had instantly put him on edge. 'What's happening with my trial Buck?' he asked, ignoring the previous question.

Lucas laughed, he could sense Billy's irritation and it only made this all the more satisfying. 'You know the law system is a tricky thing, who knows how long it will take to assemble a jury to enable your trial to move forward...It's a good thing that there's more than enough space for you here while you await this long process to be completed'

Billy stood up and approached the cell door. 'Why are you doing this? I haven't done anything to you and I was just minding my own business trying to better that mental asylum'

'You see that's just it Billy-boy...' Lucas said leaning closer to his once adversary, '...This is my town and you don't get to decide what changes need to take place. Juniper was fine how it was, then you waltz in after my Love decided you were the best candidate to take up the Head Doctor position...Did you really think there wouldn't be consequences?'

Billy sighed and shook his head. 'You know I never wanted that position Buck'

'Oh but you took it didn't you? All Gail had to do was wear a short little number and flash you a sweet smile, then you were convinced it was the best way forward for you...I gave you a chance and I even warned you about what she was plannin', against my better judgement' Lucas advised and watched as the hope disappeared from Billy's eyes.

'So that's it? You just keep me locked up here forever and expect everyone to be alright with that?' Billy asked, sensing he was getting nowhere.

Lucas laughed and shrugged. 'Forever is a pretty long time Doc, I'd just focus on the now if I were you...Ben would be a little pissed at first, but in the end he knows where his loyalty lies. Selena will go about her usual business sooner or later, it's not in her nature to dwell on things for long so I'd say most people would be alright with whatever I planned'

'And Gail?...' Billy asked, '...You think she'll just accept this? Something tells me she has other plans in mind'

The smile on Lucas' face faded and he moved closer to the cell. 'What do you know about her plans?' he asked, releasing his twin to delve into the mans subconscious and rip out any knowledge he may have.

Billy felt a sharp intruding pain in his head. He was about to yell out when a flash of light surged through his brain and the intrusive feeling disappeared.

Lucas watched in annoyance as his twin was propelled from Billy and he felt a dull pain in his head. Whatever Gail had told him was protected and Lucas was not impressed with this barrier.

Billy laughed, then turned around and headed back to his bed. 'Get out Buck...It's torture enough in here without having to look at your face any longer'

Lucas laughed and shook his head, he applauded Billy's efforts for trying to project some strength in this situation; however, he knew it was all just for show. 'Is that any way to talk to the man who could release you? I guess you need longer to think about who's boss around here'

Billy closed his eyes and clenched his fists in anger, but took a deep breath and focused on Gail's previous words. 'Good day Sheriff' he said calmly, then sat back down and rested his head on the back wall.

Matt walked down the long corridor in Fulton County General Hospital smiling at nurses and residents as he passed them. He was on his way to his next patient but all he could think about was if he was going to see M tonight and what they could do to pass the time. The girl was a breath of fresh air in this cursed town and she appeared untouched by it's darkness. He should not be allowing himself to enjoy the company of someone so young; however, he was drawn to her light and it was hard to get her out of his mind.

'Whoa there Doc, I'd be careful of those thoughts considerin' the age of consent in my town' Lucas said smugly as he leaned against a patients door casually.

Matt sighed and glanced down at the chart he was holding, to find the door Lucas was leaning against was in fact his next patients room. 'And here I thought we'd turned a corner and you'd stopped hounding me Sheriff' Matt said sarcastically.

'Oh Harvard, I thought you'd have learned by now that I'll never stop houndin' you...After all, you were the biggest pain in my ass before a little angel chose to tame you' Lucas laughed as Matt's cheeks glowed red.

Matt could feel his cheeks burning and took a deep breath to hide his annoyance. 'What do you want here Lucas? I thought you'd have better things to do with your time than hang around a hospital'

Lucas smiled, he respected Harvard once and he could sense the mans old fire returning. It may not be long before he fell back into his old defiant ways and Lucas looked forward to the enjoyment he would inevitably get in putting the man back in his place. 'Actually I came to check in on your next patient Doc, Gail's Editor had an accident last night' Lucas said as he pushed himself off the door and allowed Matt to open it.

Matt stared at the unconscious man on the bed, this was Gail's Editor Mark and he began to wonder why Lucas was so interested in visiting him.

'Well Harvard, I had expected my Love to be here by her boss' side but I suppose I'll have to make do with your company instead' Lucas said reading his mind.

Matt pushed away Lucas' presence from his mind, then read Mark's chart and began to examine the unconscious man. The details of the accident were vague and just stated that he had been found in the Trinity river. Mark's vitals were fine, it just appeared that his body was in shock and he was yet to wake up fully from the trauma.

'What are his chances Doc?' Lucas asked knowingly, he had ensured Mark was found promptly to prevent any permanent damage.

'He'll be fine, no doubt thanks to you' Matt replied, suspecting Lucas has something to do with the accident.

'If my Love does come showing concern for her boss, be sure to send her my way won't you Harvard?' Lucas laughed and turned to leave the room.

Matt shook his head and bit his lip to stop himself from saying something he would regret later. It was not for him to get involved in whatever game Gail and Lucas were playing, so he just focused on attending to his patient like he was expected to do.

Merlyn walked carefully in the woods surrounding the mysterious cabin that Gail was so fascinated with. She had watched as her cousin approach the front door cautiously, then she stopped a few yards from the door and just stared at it. Merlyn had not wanted to come here; however, Gail convinced her that she was the only one who could help her if this visit went awry, so she felt obliged to accompany her.

Merlyn understood that Gail was intrigued by the mysterious dark haired woman who had previously been following her, and who also appeared to be her twin. She also knew her cousins nature would not allow her to forget about all that she had witnessed; however, this path was dangerous and Merlyn did not have her full powers back to intervene should something turn against them here. She had grown tired of warning Gail about the consequences of her actions and had chosen to explore the cabins perimeter, to allow herself some time to ponder over the matter at hand.

Merlyn found her mind wandering to Lucas Buck and what he would make of all of this. He clearly knew something was different with Gail and rather than finding a way to dispel the dark presence within her he appeared to be content with ignoring it's existence, that was her take on things anyway. She suspected he was intrigued by the questionable presence which showed it's existence every so often, he was filled with darkness himself and she supposed this could be what drew him to Gail in the first place; however, Lucas did not understand fully what was going on here, neither of them did and Merlyn suspected that the darkness inside her cousin would continue to grow the more she learned about it.

The dark haired twin of her cousin appeared suddenly in front of her face and made her halt, the malicious look on it's face indicated it did not like Merlyn; however, she stood her ground knowing it could not make a move against her while Gail was in the vicinity. She stared at the woman's pale skin and blood red lips for a moment, wondering why she had chosen to make herself known to her and suddenly felt another pair of eyes on her. Merlyn turned around slightly, not taking her eyes fully off the figure before her and noticed Gail stood close to the cabin door with her arms folded across her chest.

'Oh now you notice me...I've only been calling your name half a dozen times' Gail said in an unimpressed tone.

Merlyn sighed and began to walk towards her cousin, she must have been too deep in thought to hear Gail's calls and she scolded herself for not being more aware of her surrounding. 'Are you done now? Can we go home?' Merlyn asked, not holding out much hope for the answer she wanted.

'I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer...' Gail laughed and turned her attention back towards the cabin door, '...I need you to wait right here, can you do that for me?'

Merlyn glanced towards the direction she had just come from and saw the dark haired woman smile at her grimly, she could not control the unnerving shiver that ran through her body and turned her attention back towards her cousin. 'Of course I can do that, but where will you be?' she asked curiously.

Gail smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Merlyn's shoulder. 'You just stay here and don't follow me unless I call for you' she warned, then reached for the door handle and opened the cabin door.

A musty smell was released when the door flew open, which made both woman step back subconsciously. Merlyn instantly sensed something dark within the cabin and reached for Gail's arm, but her cousin shrugged off her attempt then took a deep breath and entered the cabin. Gail took a few cautious steps forward into the cabin and Merlyn jumped as the door slammed shut when her cousin was clear of it, appearing to shut out any attempt to keep an eye on her cousin. This caused another involuntary shiver to come over her.

Merlyn looked towards the spot where the dark haired woman had been a few moments earlier and saw she had disappeared. She took a step forward to ensure she was stood in the exact spot Gail had told her to and let out a long sigh. 'God help us all in this damned place' she whispered and prayed her cousin would make it out of this place in one piece.

Lucas was sat with Ben in the Sheriff's Station completing a crossword puzzle, when a dark shadow momentarily crossed over his mind. He had a faint sense of being called by Merlyn Ann; however, that girl would never allow herself to stoop to a level where she required his help and the thought made him laugh out loud. Suddenly unease began to flow through his body and he stood up, setting the crossword puzzle to one side.

Ben looked up from his newspaper and stared at Lucas cautiously. 'Is everythin' alright Lucas? You look like you've seen a ghost'

Lucas glanced at Ben and shook his head, everything was no alright but he could not figure out why. He opened his minds eye to locate Merlyn Ann, when he could not sense her at her job with Abe he attempted to locate Gail; however, both of them had clearly teamed up and appeared to be eluding him. This defiance was really beginning to anger him and he did not take well to being kept in the dark. It was about time he created a team of his own to counteract whatever they were up to.

Ben watched as Lucas walked around the counter, picked up his car keys from his jacket pocket and left the Sheriff's Station without saying a word. Ben waited a moment to ensure Lucas was not coming back and decided to make a quick visit to the cells while he was alone, to check in on his friend.

-To be continued-