Caleb watched as Lucas exited the Judge's chamber smiling, shaking the Judge's hand to show acceptance of their agreement and stood up to meet his Father when he approached him. He remained quiet until they exited the Courthouse and then turned towards him curiously when his Father began walking down the long street casually. 'Well?' he asked finally, unimpressed by his Father's secrecy.
'Well what? Ain't no secrecy here Son, I'm Lucas Buck and that meetin' was goin' my way no matter what' Lucas shrugged, amused by the boy's doubt in his influence.
'It's not that I doubt, I just thought there was more to it than that...Gail had to sneak around for a week tryin' to get custody of me' Caleb advised, knowing how much work she had to put in to get him officially.
'She had to put that much work in to ensure I didn't get involved Son, she knew I would've swayed that decision easily if I was given the opportunity' Lucas explained, sensing his thoughts.
'Why didn't you sway it then?' Caleb asked curiously, knowing Lucas had wanted custody of him all along and would have taken it if he could.
Lucas remembered how active Gail had been to distract him, ensuring she won that round unobstructed on her own merits. The thought of the things that she had done to deflect his attention from her desired task caused a devilish smile to cross his lips and he leaned in close to Caleb, ensuring that he had his full attention. 'When you get older, you'll come to realise that things aren't as black and white as they may seem...Had I have known you were up for the takin' from the Boardin' House, I would've been all over that but your Momma went behind my back-'
'Yet you still trust her?' Caleb asked, intrigued by his Father's candidness.
'Your Momma has ways of makin' these things up to me, she also made the distractions very much worth my while at the time' Lucas smirked, remembering how well she played when there was no company in his home to consider.
'So she gave you what you wanted to trick you?'
'Oh that and so much more Son' Lucas laughed, choosing to end the conversation there when he sensed Ben approaching them and knowing his friend would not approve of his transparency with adult things.
Ben spotted Caleb and Lucas, then began walking towards them intently. He had returned to the Sheriff's Station after hearing about Waylon's accident and started to suspect that their visit earlier may not have been as innocent as he had initially thought.
'Awww hell Deputy, don't go wastin' your pity on that fool, be thankful that his uselessness is finally out in the open' Lucas responded to his unspoken thoughts, discreetly tucking an envelope in Caleb's back pocket.
'He's lost his other hand Lucas! How does an accident like that even happen to a person twice?' Ben asked suspiciously.
'Plain ol' dumb luck' Lucas shrugged nonchalantly, then smiled amused. 'We were with you the whole time so we can only surmise just like you Benji'
Ben regarded Lucas distrustfully, knowing in his gut that something did not feel right here and he hoped that it was not somehow his fault that Waylon was in such a bad way.
'Oh quit your mopin' and step up, you got a great opportunity here Ben!' Caleb exclaimed happily, handing him the envelope and knowing from his previous conversations with his Father how much this would mean to Ben.
Ben narrowed his eyes at Caleb, seeing more of Lucas in him every day and took the envelope from him suspiciously. When he read the contents, his mouth dropped open and he could not stop the smile from crossing his lips. 'Full custody?' he asked in disbelief.
'Told you, his uselessness is on show for the world to see and that set up can no longer be classed as a more stable environment than yours Deputy' Lucas advised smugly, knowing from his own experience how good it felt to finally have custody of his first born and sensing the happiness radiating off of his friend.
Ben forgot his suspicions instantly and began to think about how he was going to manage with Ben Jr. Rita worked full time, so did he and they had Izzy to consider in all of this too.
'If my Momma can make it work with our rabble, so can you' Caleb offered, sensing Ben's panic begin to set in.
'And we'll be here to support you every step of the way' Lucas added, proud of his boy's ability to read the situation and placed a reassuring hand on Ben's shoulder, leading him back to the Sheriff's Station where he could sit down and consider his options.
Gail drove around aimlessly at a loss about what she was going to do, so far she had not come up with a way to appease Rosemary's longing to reach out to Luke and her mind kept wandering to the small charm she had found. She tried to push the charm out of her mind and regain her focus, she needed to sort this situation out as soon as possible and she would not return home until this was done, knowing there would be no rest for her after how willing Luke was to drop all common sense and go to Rosemary.
'Chuck' Luke said absently, as the strange name circled around his head.
Gail stared at Luke with wide eyes, feeling a knot in her stomach at the name that he should not know, then slammed her foot instinctively on the break when Luke screamed and pointed at the long road ahead, spotting the wild dog run out of the long grass too late and closing her eyes tight when she felt the wheels go over it.
When the car came to a stop, Gail turned her attention to Luke and quickly checked him over to ensure that he was not hurt by the impact, then got out of the car and slowly walked towards the large dog laying motionless behind her car. As Gail knelt down to inspect the animal that she had hit and let out a shocked breath at the chunk for flesh missing from it's neck. She gave off a sigh of relief when she saw Gideon's nose poke out from the tall grass, realising that her faithful companion had caught the wild dog who had attempted to attack Ben earlier and this fatal wound was made before she had hit him with her car.
Gail saw the dog shiver and inhaled deeply, feeling tears begin to form in her eyes. Although it was Gideon who had sealed this dogs fate, seeing it this way saddened her more than she could explain and she took off her cardigan, placing it over the dog tenderly in an attempt to provide it with some warmth.
'Rosie' Luke advised softly, coming up beside her and hugging her arm lovingly.
'You're not Abe, that isn't what you call me' Gail said quietly, trying to regain control of her emotions so Luke did not have to witness her upset for long.
'No Momma, Rosie!' he said more urgently, pointing at the dog and leaning his head on her arm softly when his own tears began to fall.
Gail turned her attention to Luke confused for a moment, then noticed he was pointing at the pocket of her cardigan and she turned back towards the dog. 'You mean Rosemary don't you?' she sighed knowingly, stroking her Son's head tenderly and shaking her head at the state of their lives.
Luke nodded and wiped away a tear rolling down his cheek, not knowing why he was so sad.
'Because this dog did nothing to us and now he's damned because of us' Gail answered his unspoken thoughts, then reached for her cardigan pocket and pulled out the charm, turning it over in her fingers and remembering now where she had recognised the design from.
'Chuck?' Luke asked curiously.
'Nope, but Chuck sure likes this woman's sacred place' Gail sighed in disbelief of what she was going to do, then took off her necklace and removed the small talisman Lucas had gifted her from it, handing the talisman to Luke carefully.
'I'll keep it safe' Luke advised protectively and watched as his Mother secured the charm on her necklace, then wrapped it gently around the dying dogs neck.
'The things I do for this family' Gail laughed to herself bitterly, then carefully picked up the wild dog and placed him in the back of her car securely.
Luke climbed back in his booster seat obediently and stayed quiet while his Mother drove down the long deserted road, sensing that she did not want to be disturbed. When she drove through a discreet opening in the woods and pulled up not far from the riverbank, he sat silently and watched her carefully as she got out of the car.
Gail picked up the dying dog gently and started heading towards the water, feeling tears began to flow heavily down her cheeks. The action she was taking so easily was breaking her heart and she wanted to scream from the top of her lungs, hating what she had become. When she placed the dog gently down so his paws rested in the water, she sensed his fear and stroked his stomach reassuringly. 'I'm so sorry' she whispered softly, resting her head on his chest tenderly and listening as his breaths slowed.
'Rosie!' Luke called from the car, sensing his Mothers focus on the dog and smiled when his Mother signalled for him to join her.
Gail looked up from her kneeling position to see Rosemary towering over her, watching her curiously. Luke obediently rushed to her side and Gail dragged him down beside her, holding his hand tight and not taking her eyes off of Rosemary. 'This is mine-' she advised sternly, holding Luke's hand up and showing it to Rosemary. '-This is yours' she said sadly, giving the dog one last tender stroke before standing up and moving a few steps back with Luke.
Luke watched as Rosemary stared at him and his Mother fixedly for a moment, then turned her attention to the dying dog. 'Yours' he repeated his Mothers words, happy that they had found her a friend and smiled at Rosemary warmly.
Gail felt a sharp pain in her chest when Rosemary regarded Luke intently, then Rosemary knelt down by the dying dog and touched the charm around his neck, clearly understanding it's power. 'Yours always, mine always' Gail reiterated sternly, pulling Luke in front of her and placing both hands dominantly over his chest.
Luke put his hands over his Mothers instinctively and nodded in agreement of her words. He saw the dark look that Rosemary was giving his Mother; however, he sensed their strong connection and that she would never try to hurt her.
Rosemary gave one last look to her current self and smiled devilishly, then dragged the dog into the river to her sanctuary. The line had been drawn and the trade had been accepted, meaning Rosemary would adhere to her current self's wishes.
Gail let out a relieved breath at Rosemary's departure and wiped the tears from her eyes, knowing that her past self would not hurt the dog and she did need something to keep her company in the depths of the river.
'Chuck' Luke whispered again, the name returning to his mind.
Gail turned her attention back fully to her Son and knelt down to look deep into his eyes. 'That name is our secret Love, do you understand?' she asked seriously, still unsure how he could possibly know the name.
'Won't tell Daddy, it ain't his' Luke nodded his understanding, sensing this was something only for his Mother.
Gail smiled lovingly at how well he could read her and pulled him to her, hugging him tight. 'Come on, let's go home...I need at least four bottles of Wine to recover from the scare you gave me last night' she laughed, then lifted him up affectionately and returned to her car.
Lucas pulled into the driveway of his home after collecting his car from TJ, happy that the repairs could be completed straight away. Lucas did not expect anything less from his townspeople and it was good to know that they were still aware of who was boss. When he spotted Caleb tense as he opened the front passenger side door, Lucas got out of the car quickly and let out a long sigh at the broken headlight and large dent on his Wife's car.
'What is it with you two? Caleb asked in disbelief, not believing his Mother had also managed to damage her car like his Father had.
'The company we chose to keep Son' Lucas responded casually, then walked to the side of his property when he sensed Abe with his children on the porch.
Gail came around from the back of the house and waved at Caleb pleasantly, then signalled for Lucas to follow her as she headed back where she had come from without saying a word. Lucas turned his attention to Luke, who just shrugged at him and he noted that his youngest Son appeared to be happy, indicating that their little problem had been sorted. When he was satisfied that his children were alright, he walked around the house and obediently followed his Wife's wishes.
'It ain't like you to play hide and seek Love' Lucas said the to apparent empty back garden, then smiled when he felt her soft hands on his hips and turned around to meet her.
Gail pulled Lucas to her and began kissing him forcefully, craving him to provide her oblivion over what she had allowed to happen today.
Lucas sensed her need to forget and pulled out of the embrace, taking her cheeks in his hands and stroking them tenderly when he noticed how red her eyes were. 'What happened Gail?' he asked protectively, feeling his anger taking over due to the concern he suddenly felt at the realisation that she had been crying.
Gail smiled at his instinctive need to protect her and saw him soften slightly when she relaxed. She let him to lift her up onto the large fountain that she loved so much and stared down deep into his eyes, allowing herself to get lost in his gaze.
'Love?' Lucas asked more softly this time, not used to her giving herself to him so willingly without any resistance.
'Do you know about lineage, I mean truly know?' Gail asked quietly, disregarding his question and regarding him carefully.
Lucas let out a small laugh at the question, ready to scold her for attempting to dig into his past, then saw the seriousness in her eyes and knew that something was really bothering her. 'I know all that there is to know about my predecessors and how the game is played, why?' he asked curiously, not liking her current behaviour.
Gail laughed at his honesty and shook her head slowly. Of course he knew everything, he was Lucas Buck. 'I guess it is all inevitable' she sighed, choosing not to burden him with what Joshua had told her earlier about the Buck men and their woman and just ran her fingers through his thick hair tenderly.
Lucas regarded her cautiously for a moment, then decided he was done with this sombre mood of hers and knelt down in front of her, pulling down her panties slowly. 'I suspect you did good today Love, our boy looks happy' he advised choosing the change the subject, then trailed his lips up the inside of her thigh and nipped her skin teasingly.
Gail welcomed his touch and let out a small laugh at the thought of what they all got up to. 'Both of our boys look happy, do I have the joys of reporting on a murder tomorrow Soulmate?' she asked sarcastically in an attempt to hide her concern, then bit her bottom lip when she felt his tongue trailing over her skin.
'Not at all, we kept it fairly PG...We wouldn't wanna interfere with the trains you so eagerly wanna keep on track would we?' Lucas stated knowingly, then brushed his lips over her sweet spot teasingly before forcing his tongue inside of her and devouring her seductively.
Gail gave off a loud moan and gripped the fountain tight, trying desperately to hold her position. 'That's what you need from your devoted Wife isn't it Sheriff?' she asked feigning innocence.
'To a certain extent' Lucas advised, licking her excess moisture off of his lips and standing up to meet her head on, unable to withstand his desire to be fully inside her any longer.
Gail smiled as she instinctively unzipped his pants and freed his hard manhood, then opened her legs and leaned back invitingly. 'Whatever the Master needs' she responded sweetly, then pulled him to her for a passionate kiss and called out his name as his thrust his hard manhood inside of her, happy that he had chosen to get lost in their desire for each other like she had and disregard the other more questionable aspects of their day.
Joshua stared around the dark garden warily, sensing that he was not welcome here. He knew that his family did not approve of his willingness to assist the supposed heathen who was taking so much of the current Masters consideration these days; however, when Gail came to him of her own free will and insinuated that he was too afraid to come here on his own, he could not back down from the challenge.
Joshua was not stupid, he knew that Gail was using him to complete a task that she could not do without her Soulmate being suspicious. Joshua still resented the current Master and although he was not allowed to openly defy him, assisting his Love every now and again was not expressly forbidden. It also reminded him of how he used to enjoy sabotaging his own Father, very much adhering to the Buck traditions. The problem with the old traditions was that there was never a woman who managed to acquire such a hold on one of the Masters, his family knew this and unlike them, Joshua had made peace with the new order of things and was making it all work for him.
Now that he was here completing her unwise request, Joshua sensed the malevolent eyes on him and cursed himself for being so easily manipulated. The unfamiliar presence here was strong and although Trinity belonged to the Buck's, this area was certainly not their domain. 'Whoa there friend, I'm only here on an errand' he warned casually, standing his ground when he sensed the dark presence move closer to him.
When Joshua felt the presence stop and adhere to his warning, he smiled devilishly and placed the small cast iron train that Gail had given him on the ground, taking a moment to survey the area before readying himself to leave. 'I'm assumin' you know who this gift has come from and what's it's taken to get this here unsupervised...We'll meet soon friend' he advised the presence when he sensed it's guard lower, then smiled to himself and returned back to his domain, leaving the gift out in the open for it's intended party to claim.
-The End-