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 Time Well Spent.
It was a mild Spring morning in Trinity South Carolina, the sun shone low in the sky while a light breeze blew through the town, causing a slight chill in the air. It had been a month since the drama with Selena Coombs and their were no known incidents, which meant that the tension in the Buck household had finally begun to ease.
Lucas Buck had been trying to take advantage of a rare peaceful moment alone with his wife when Caleb had left for School and his other children were still sleeping peacefully, when the call had came through and woke up his baby girl. His daughter had gone from being the perfect quiet baby to a screaming banshee in the space of two weeks and it had taken his wife most of last night to settle her. To say Lucas was annoyed at his Deputy beside him for causing him the disturbance was a huge understatement and he was struggling to keep his cool while he sat in the front passenger seat of Ben's police cruiser.
Ben Healy glanced at his boss nervously, sensing that he was not in a good mood. He had picked Lucas up from his home at approximately 8:30am and the man had not said a word to him since he got into the car. Ben was as inoffensive as they came, he would happily have allowed Lucas to remain undisturbed all morning wanting nothing more than a peaceful life himself; however, the report that he had gotten earlier required the Sheriff's attention and he knew that he had no other choice but to bring him in on this.
'Say somethin', you're makin' me nervous' Ben requested finally, not able to handle the tension any longer.
Lucas inhaled deeply in an attempt to keep his rage in check, his wife would have his hide if he projected his frustration onto Ben and the last thing he needed was his wife to be more on edge. 'Your little girl, did she ever seem unhappy?' Lucas asked forcing a casual tone, choosing to ignore his anger.
Ben narrowed his eyes at him confused for a moment, then let out a small laugh. 'Izzy never shut up yellin' when she was younger, I always wondered whether it was somethin' I was doin'...Little Gail givin' y'all trouble?' he asked pleasantly, happy that Lucas was not punishing him for dragging him out early.
'Oh there's still time yet Deputy' Lucas said mischievously as he read his mind, then let out a long sigh and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. 'She just won't stop cryin'. I mean, at first she was always quiet...she loved bein' held but you could just leave her be for an hour and she wouldn't make a sound'
'And now?' Ben asked cautiously.
'Now she screams all day and night, only stoppin' when she's bein' fed or finally asleep and her Momma, she's a whole other host of crazy. One minute she's fine, the next minute her guard's up and she's blamin' me for all sorts of random things-' Lucas explained irritated, unable to hold his tongue about the sudden change in his girls, then stopped mid sentence when he heard Ben laughing. 'Is there somethin' about my misery that's amusin' to you Benji?' he asked bluntly, confused at Ben's outburst.
Ben could not hold in his laughter and shook his head when Lucas appeared offended. 'Aw man, I swear it ain't you that's got me. I just can't believe you got off scot-free for so long!' he exclaimed, feeling for Lucas and knowing full well how it felt being on the wrong side of a woman.
Lucas stared at him unimpressed for a moment, then relaxed when he sensed it was not Ben's intention to offend him and let out a small laugh. 'You get this too?' he asked finally.
'Oh all the time! Izzy can be cuddlin' me one second, then screamin' and smackin' me the next. Rita's no different, one minute she's thankin' me for supportin' her dreams and the next she's blaimin' me for not doin' enough to help her...There ain't no pleasin' them no matter how hard you try. I swear girls were created to make our lives a livin' hell' Ben said sarcastically as he pulled into the quiet parking lot of TJ's Junkyard.
'I don't know, they have their uses' Lucas smirked devilishly, then his smile faded and he let out a long sigh when he spotted the blood red Mustang not far from their position and he got out of the car abruptly.
Ben rushed to keep up with Lucas, cursing himself for not choosing a quicker route when he spotted Gail's car and hoped that Lucas would not be mad at him.
'It ain't your fault that she can't accept her place Deputy' Lucas said irritated, then spotted his wife standing next to an old pickup truck and stared at his other Deputy Floyd disapprovingly for not securing the scene.
'Took your time Sheriff, a whole host of Reporters could've been here by now trampling through your crime scene' Gail teased amused, sensing her husbands irritation at her presence instantly.
'What are you doin' here?' You should be with the children' Lucas asked bluntly, as he gripped her arm and pulled her away from the scene.
Gail allowed him to drag her to an acceptable distance away from the discovery, respecting his authority as Sheriff; however, she did not appreciate his tone or comment. 'Firstly, I'd like to remind you that I'm a Reporter and I have a duty to report things Sheriff. You know better than expect anything else when a body has been discovered. Secondly, I am not a single parent or a timid housewife. If you're so bothered about your children, you go be with them and I'll happily wrap up things around here' she stated calmly, revelling in his irritation.
Lucas stood tall and was about to insert his dominance, then realised that they were being watched by his Deputies and forced his demeanour to soften. 'I don't like bein' blindsided at work Love' he said quietly.
'And I don't appreciate being manhandled in public when I'm actually behaving respectfully as a professional courtesy' Gail advised flatly.
Lucas let out a small laugh and shook his head in disbelief. 'You wouldn't know how to behave respectfully around law enforcement Darlin', you're obsessed with bringin' us all down no matter how well we serve the public' he mocked, amused at her self righteous statement.
Gail inhaled deeply to hide her annoyance and forced a sweet smile. 'I'm going to assume what I'm hearing is down to sleep deprivation and the interruption to your release earlier, rather than a serious dig at my professional integrity Sheriff' she stated calmly, feeling her anger spike.
Lucas felt himself becoming agitated and was about to continue questioning her so called professional integrity; however, he stopped himself when she took a step closer to him and stared into his eyes seriously, challenging him to continue his attack on her.
Gail relaxed slightly when she saw that he was not going to keep up his disrespectful criticism and let out a small sigh. 'I got a call from Mark as you were leaving, you know the Editor who you persuaded to offer me a job in the Trinity Guardian?' she asked sarcastically, continuing to stare into his eyes deeply. 'He got a call from one of my old sources and it turns out that I'm still the most capable employee he has, so here I am. Would you have rather me refuse this opportunity and allow a group of less skilled Reporters to walk all over your unsecured crime scene?'
Lucas shot Floyd another unimpressed look at the question, then inhaled deeply and took a step back. 'Had I have known that the vultures had wind of this discovery, I wouldn't have allowed Ben to drive so casually' he advised calmly, thankful that it was Gail who had witnessed his staffs incompetence and not any other Reporter, but not allowing her the satisfaction of knowing it.
'I'd have still gotten here first, my baby's much faster than that ol' pile of junk you have Ben driving. You should speak to the Mayor about increasing the police budget to upgrade your gear, I'm sure I can put in a good word for you Sheriff' she mocked sarcastically and smiled when he finally fully relaxed.
'What I should do is speak to your Editor about the duty of care he should have for his staff, especially one still recoverin' from a difficult labour' Lucas stated in mock scorn.
'What about your duty of care with the strenuous activities you had your recovering wife performing earlier?' Gail asked sweetly, biting her lip teasingly.
Lucas disregarded the eyes on them and stepped closer to her again, then pushed her gently against an old car and stroked the tip of her nose with his 'Careful Mrs Buck, you don't wanna challenge me in front of my subordinates. You care more about what they see than I do' he advised knowingly, then began running his hand underneath her short skirt.
Gail tensed as his hand began to roam and pushed him off of her, then straightened her skirt and cursed herself for not choosing to wear a pants suit. 'I've given you some professional courtesy, you'll be mindful to give me to same' she warned in a serious tone, then rolled her eyes at his mischievous look.
Lucas laughed at her comment and bowed gentlemanly before returning to the crime scene, which Floyd and Ben had began tapping off. He knew Gail would contain her curiosity for the moment and stay at an appropriate distance, so not to contaminate an active crime scene. She may find it hard to adhere to boundaries most of the time; however, she did respect the rules of an open investigation.
To be honest, when Ben had called Lucas about this discovery he had half expected to find some mannequin covered in red paint, knowing how dim his townspeople could be; however, approaching the scene now, Lucas was surprised to see the lifeless naked body with strips of flesh removed and he was intrigued at how this had happened on his watch.
Ben stared disgusted at the body and turned towards Lucas for instruction. It was hard to do his duties knowing Gail was watching them like a hawk and his mind went blank, making it difficult for him to figure out where to start.
'Call the hospital and get someone down here to check out the body' Lucas said without looking at Ben, sensing that he was struggling under the watchful eyes of his wife.
'What about the evidence, should I call Steve so we can document the scene?' Ben asked, desperate not to appear incompetent.
'Need a camera Sheriff? I've got one right here in my backpack if your staff have come unprepared' Gail called sarcastically, sensing Ben's discomfort and unable to stop herself from goading her husband. When Lucas did not respond and just shot her a look of warning, Gail laughed and began surveying the area, leaving the boys to do their job.
Mark had called her just as Lucas was saying goodbye to their children, her source had asked for her specifically and Gail could not pass up the opportunity to get away from their hostile daughter, who had taken to testing her resolve lately. Without a second thought, Gail had bundled the children into the car and dropped them off at Merlyn's Nursery before heading here. Little Gail had no problems with Merlyn or her Uncle Abe, it just appeared to be her parents that she acted up for lately.
When she had arrived at the Junkyard, she felt a strange tugging feeling as though she was meant to be here and that sensation still remained with her. Gail could not believe her luck when she had come across the unsecured crime scene and had been tempted to obtain some evidence before the news of the incident got out to her colleagues; however, she had chosen to respect her husbands process and had waited for him to arrive before proceeding any further. She had managed to catch a glimpse of the mangled body, before being dragged away from the area by Lucas. Gail supposed it should bother her that the state of the body had caused no reaction from her at all, knowing that was not healthy for a sane adult, but it just confirmed what she had suspected for a long time now, that she was truly damaged.
The thought did not cause her concern, she had merely accepted the way that she had turned out and vowed to ensure her children had a more stable upbringing so not to turn out like her. It was hard to be concerned about something so trivial as the state of a dead body when she had in fact killed people herself, or at least her darkness and Rosemary had. She knew that she was not removed from them, it was all ultimately her and it was no wonder that her daughter was suddenly acting out. For all she knew the poor girl could have just realised who her parent's really were.
Gail let out a small laugh at that thought and started strolling through the Junkyard aimlessly, trying to put her children out of her mind. TJ had kept this business going well considering it's last two owners had gone to jail for murder and Poppy Bowen had been killed here. Poppy was one of the few regrets that Gail had, she had been being unable to accept and control her darkness at that time, causing her to lash out when she sensed Caleb's desire to impress the girl.
Gail had known about Caleb's dark urges after he had contributed to the miscarriage of her first child and when his darkness had resurfaced to give him the confidence to impress Poppy, Gail had lost control. She had selfishly caused Gideon to act out her desires and maul the poor girl to death and for what? To keep Caleb away from his own dark urges which he know openly yearned for. The girls death was a waste and that was yet another thing to add to her list of damnation.
A loose car door moved as a sudden strong breeze circled Gail and she turned towards the loud creaking sound instinctively. Her eyes rested on a blue striped fabric that was blowing in the wind and her heart sank in her chest as she moved closer, feeling drawn to it. She knelt down to inspect the small piece of fabric which had caught in the door and picked it up, turning it around in her hand curiously.
'You could manage to entertain yourself in an empty room' Lucas stated amused and leaned casually on a broken old refrigerator not far from her position, as he watched her closely.
Gail's hand closed quickly at the sound of his voice to conceal the fabric and she stood up, then turned towards him and smiled sweetly. 'I don't have a choice seen as the geniuses you employ seem to be taking their time gathering evidence' she responded calmly, not allowing him to know that he had surprised her.
Lucas approached her slowly and shot her a suspicious look, he reached for the hand that she was clenching by her side and forced it open effortlessly. 'Cheap parlour tricks ain't your style Love' he advised when he saw that her hand was empty.
'No, they're more yours' Gail mocked sarcastically, happy that she had managed to tuck the fabric discreetly into her inside jacket pocket without him seeing.
Lucas glanced over his shoulder to ensure that his Deputies were still busying themselves with the crime scene, then gripped his wife's hips tight and pushed her back against the old battered car. 'Are you accusin' me of somethin' Mrs Buck?' he asked amused.
'No more than you're accusing me Master Buck' Gail smiled sweetly, feigning innocence and let out a low moan when his hand travelled beneath her skirt. 'This isn't the time or the place' she warned.
'No screamin' baby, no interruptions...I'd say this was the perfect time and place Love' Lucas whispered in her ear, then nipped at it playfully before lifting her up and unzipping his pants, forgetting about what she was hiding as his urges took over.
Gail instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and prepared for his entry. Their fun had been spoiled earlier and she knew that her husband would be in no mood to entertain an investigation until he was able to get his release; therefore, by allowing him to take her here and now, she was in fact doing a public service. When his hard manhood entered her all thoughts disappeared and she bit down on her lip hard, hoping no one would become curious about their whereabouts.
'There's no need to worry Love, my subordinates wouldn't dare take a step without my permission' Lucas laughed, sensing her thoughts and forced his lips on hers for a passionate kiss, before thrusting himself deeper inside of her.
'Ruling through fear, there's a word for that' Gail panted in a mock scolding tone, then relaxed and allowed him to take her fully, enjoying the feeling of him inside of her.
Lucas knew he should be behaving in a more professional manner around his Deputies, especially with his wife being a Reporter; however, he did not care right now and was just happy that he had a chance to finish what they had started earlier. The dead body was not going anywhere, so he had resigned himself to satiating his desire while his wife was away from their screaming bundle of joy and able to actually enjoy herself guilt free.
'Oh I'm sure there's plenty for me to feel guilty about, but this certainly isn't one of them' Gail read his thoughts and laughed, then nipped his neck playfully as a strong bolt of pleasure surged through her.
Lucas nuzzled his nose into her neck, then bit it hard not caring about the mark it left. She was his and the whole world could witness her branding for all he cared, let them dare question their relationship.
As their climax started to rise, he forced his lips on hers again and muted her call when he exploded inside of her. He remained in her for a few moments, kissing her passionately and sucking her tongue playfully, before pulling out of her and straightening his clothes. 'I appreciate you givin' us the time to secure the scene, it ain't often a body is found like this' he said finally, whilst running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to restyle it.
Gail let out an amused laugh at his attempt gratitude and shook her head. 'Yep, the bodies are usually never found when you're involved, so at least I know you're off the hook here' she advised sarcastically and began walking back towards the scene when she had fixed her clothes.
'You thought this was me?' he asked curiously, wondering what she would have done if it actually was.
'I don't make assumptions without the relevant evidence Sheriff. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a job to do and I'm sure you have your own investigation to be getting to' Gail smiled sweetly, then headed back towards her car and tucked the fabric discreetly into her bag.
-To be continued-