Lucas sat in his dark office squeezing a foam stress ball which Gail had previously gifted him as a joke on one of their many late night past encounters, contemplating the events of the morning. A lot of people wondered why he preferred to have such a dark office with no windows, locking himself away from the outside world. The truth was that the enclosed office gave him a feeling of privacy and control, allowing him to be alone with his thoughts undisturbed by outside influences. It also made others feel trapped, so he was able to do his best work on his townspeople in here.
As he focussed on the squeezing sensation of the foam ball, Lucas found himself wondering what Caleb and Gail were doing. He knew that Gail would not give up so easily on the car crash story, but he had not considered that she would take Caleb along for the ride. Lucas had covered all his bases with the Judge and his people never talked to reporters; however, he had a strange feeling in his gut that Gail would find a way to continue pursuing the matter and that made him uneasy.
Lucas decided that he and Ben would go on a patrol early today, making sure that they stopped by the Courthouse on their travels. Although his people did not talk, there was no harm in making sure that everything was running smoothly.
Caleb was sat on a hard wooden bench in the Courthouse, observing his surroundings. After Gail had returned home to change into a pin striped grey skirt and white blouse so she could blend in, she had told him to take note of the people around him and try to pin point any suspicious behaviour while she patrolled the large entrance.
Upon surveying his surroundings, Caleb found that the adults in the room had not noticed his presence at all and it was as though he was a ghost. Looking around, he spotted an agitated woman pacing. Assuming this would be of interest to Gail, he signalled to her across the room to get her attention.
Gail looked at him, then towards the pacing woman who had turned to leave out of a side door. Gail gave Caleb a small thumbs up before casually tailing the woman and then disappeared.
'Now where is that ol' cousin of yours heading off to?' Lucas, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, asked casually as he leaned against the wall beside Caleb.
Caleb was used to Lucas showing up in this fashion; therefore, he was unfazed by his appearance. 'She's working I guess' he responded with a shrug.
Lucas looked down at him suspiciously. 'Are you keeping secrets for your Cousin Son?'
Caleb was not yet sure how he felt about Lucas referring to him as Son, at first he hated it; however, now he seemed to be getting used to the term. He knew Gail would not want Lucas interrupting her investigation so he put on his best innocent voice, suspecting that Lucas would probably see through his attempts to distract him and tried all the same. 'Me keep secrets? Nah, that's for adults to do I reckon' he said innocently.
Lucas knew that Gail had followed the Judge's mistress through the side door and he probably should interject; however, he chose to take advantage and stay with Caleb while Gail was distracted, sitting down casually beside the boy. 'Adults do keep secrets Son, but know that I won't with you and I'll tell you anythin' you wanna know if you ask' he advised.
Caleb pondered what Lucas had said and decided that it may be useful at a later time. 'What are you doin' here Lucas?' he asked curiously, choosing to change the subject.
'Patrolling...why aren't you in school?' Lucas responded, sensing the boy's attempt to read him.
Caleb stared down at his hands, a sudden shame coming over him. 'Gail said I need to spend the day in an adults shoes because Miss Coombs told her I was disrupting class' he advised honestly.
Lucas nodded and let out a relieved breath, so that was what Gail and Selena were meeting up for. That reason was much more acceptable than his ex's teaming up against him. 'Are you distracting the class?' he asked finally, sensing Caleb's embarrassment and staring down at him curiously.
Caleb shrugged and stared at the people around the room, not wanting to meet Lucas' eyes.
Lucas followed his gaze before deciding that this could be the opportunity he was waiting for to spend more time with his Son. He was not about to punish the boy for being bored and if Gail wanted him to spend time in an adults shoes, he had no problem bringing the boy into his world. 'Do you really wanna be here Son?' Lucas asked when Caleb remained silent.
'Gail said I need to be here and I'm helping her' Caleb advised, not wanting to disappoint his Cousin after they had been getting on so well after the incident the previous month.
'Look around Caleb, your Cousin doesn't need your help when she's working. Besides, you didn't answer my question, do you actually wanna be here? Or would you prefer to come for a ride along and be my partner for the day?' Lucas suggested, knowing Gail would feel held back with Caleb around anyway.
Caleb was truly torn, he liked spending time with Gail; however, Lucas was right. Gail did not need him around when she was working and technically he was still experiencing the day in an adults shoes if he was patrolling with Lucas.
Lucas, sensing Caleb's inner turmoil, decided to make the decision for the boy and take away his guilt. 'Get up Son, Ben will find your cousin and let her know that you're patrolling with me' he advised, pulling Caleb up gently.
'I don't know Lucas, Gail might not like that-' Caleb started to protest.
Lucas smiled and signalled towards the exit. 'Its alright Son, I'll clear it up with your Cousin later if she has a problem...I'm sure she'll have no issues directin' her anger at me' he laughed, hoping that his Love would come up with a suitable punishment for disrupting her lesson.
Caleb took one final look towards the door that Gail had gone through, then headed out of the building towards Lucas' car. If Lucas wanted to take the blame for this it was his choice, Caleb was happy knowing that this would not come down on him.
Gail returned to the room where Caleb had been in 15 minutes earlier, after having a heart to heart with the agitated women.
It had turned out that the woman was having an affair with a Judge, she was angry as he had decided that he wanted to end things and stay with his Wife and children. Gail was amazed at how much the scorned woman could talk about her personal matters so openly with a stranger. She had not admitted that it was the Judge Gail was looking for; however, the woman had a wound that she was trying to hide under her fringe and that would match the injuries she suspected the guilty party to have.
Gail was trying to decide whether she should pursue this incident for an article, or look for something else. After all, it was crime she was interested in not infidelity and she did not care enough about these people to want to ruin a family. Gail did not like the thought of getting caught up in someone else's drama, she had enough of her own to deal with and this was beginning to cause her a headache.
As Gail was pondering what to do next, she became aware that Caleb was nowhere to be found. Cursing herself for leaving him alone for so long, she left through the main doors to search for him and spied Ben sitting on a bench.
'Ben-' she called concerned, '-have you seen Caleb?'
Ben could not believe that Lucas had replaced him with Caleb for the day and had left him here to break the news to Gail, he could tell by the look on her face that she was not going to take this well. 'Don't shoot the messenger, but he's gone with Lucas' he advised, choosing to get the news out of the way quickly.
Gail shook her head in frustration and felt a deep burning inside of her, then took a deep breath to calm herself. That man was a pain in the ass; however, she was partly relieved that she could try and find a story now without having to worry about her Cousin trailing behind her.
Gail decided that she would drop Ben off wherever he wanted to go and start to look into Juniper House in more detail. If Lucas wanted to spend time with Caleb without her permission, she would more than happy to take advantage of his absence and really focus on something that interested her.
Caleb found himself really enjoying the day, he could not remember the last time that he had experienced such a good time without any drama. First he had gotten to spend some unexpected time with Gail and now he was patrolling like an official Deputy. Caleb thought that he might consider a career in law enforcement. After all that had happened to him and his family, it would be nice to learn how to protect innocent people.
Lucas glanced in Caleb's direction, while trying to keep his eyes on the road. 'What are you thinkin' about Son?'
'Nothing important' Caleb shrugged, 'I was just wonderin' what it would be like bein' a Policeman is all'
Lucas smiled, the boy was considering following in his Fathers footsteps, this was a pleasant turn of events. 'Well, how about I show you what good we really do Son? We've just been drivin' around so far...would you like to accompany me while I visit a questionable character?' he asked pleasantly.
Caleb smiled, this was exciting. 'I sure would Lucas!'
Lucas turned the car around and headed towards the Grant farm. Mrs Grant had been seen in town wearing sunglasses and limping several times this month; therefore, he thought it was time that he paid Mr Grant a visit. Pulling up at the farm, Lucas turned off the engine and signalled for Caleb to stay behind him. He could see that Carl Grant was in his work shop and approached the place without caution. Carl looked up with uncertainty when he saw them approaching and walked towards them.
'Hey Carl-' Lucas called, '-we need to have a conversation about what you've being doin' with your time recently'
Caleb noticed that Carl was much taller and heavier than Lucas; however, Lucas did not seem to notice and the power just radiated off of him.
'What can I do you for Lucas?' Carl asked curiously.
Lucas shook his head. 'Well Carl, it pains me to say that your Wife has been spotted around town not looking her usual cheery self. Has there been some trouble recently?'
Carl looked at Lucas defensively. 'So what if there has been, what business is it of yours?'
Lucas smiled and Caleb could feel a change in the atmosphere around him, it suddenly became very hot.
Lucas took a few steps towards Carl until their faces were only a few inches apart. 'Whatever goes on in my town is my business Carl and if a townsperson is bein' unnecessarily hurt, it's my duty to step in' Lucas said calmly.
Caleb saw Carl slowly reach around the back of his pants; however, he stopped in his tracks when Lucas laughed.
'Whoa there partner, you know who I am...do you really wanna do that?' Lucas asked confidently.
Caleb tried to stay very still, he did not want to get in the way of this exchange; however, he felt a strange excitement brewing inside of him.
Lucas stared at Carl intensely and Carl began to shake all over, then the man fell to the floor. Carl grabbed his chest and throat, then yelled out in agony as if he was in immense pain and could not breath.
'What's happenin'?' Carl whispered through strained breaths.
'Divine retribution I suppose' Lucas shrugged and knelt down beside him. 'Now you make sure you don't lay a hand on that pretty little Wife of yours and we won't have any further problems, understand?'
Carl, still grasping at his chest and throat, nodded frantically. Suddenly the atmosphere became cooler and Carl relaxed, taking in a big intake of breath.
Lucas stood up and turned away from the man lying undignified on the ground. He put an arm around Caleb and led him back to his car. When they were a short distance away from the farm, Caleb began to talk. 'What was that?' he asked, still feeling a slight buzz from what he had witnessed.
'That was how you teach a man a lesson, Son' Lucas explained, not taking his eyes off of the road.
Caleb had mixed thoughts about what just happened as the realisation hit him. 'Was Carl hurtin' his Wife?' he asked.
'Yes Sir, he was' Lucas answered, choosing not to shield the boy from the harsh reality of life.
Caleb pondered on this for a while, remembering how Gage used to hurt his Sister when he had been drinking. He supposed Lucas had helped Mrs Grant and he had not outwardly used violence. 'Oh well, I guess Carl deserved whatever divine retribution he got' Caleb shrugged, accepting what had happened.
Lucas smiled and stole a quick glance at Caleb, his boy was coming along nicely.
It was early evening when Lucas dropped Caleb off at the Boarding House. He had decided to do the right thing and make sure that Caleb understood he needed his education for the future.
The boy seemed to be paying attention and wanted to complete his overdue homework, to show a willingness to learn. Lucas was happy with how the venture with Caleb had ended. As he had done well and had acted in an appropriate manner, Lucas decided to head down to Jimmy's bar to see what mischief he could get into while he was not being watched.
Gail sat in the corner of the bar with Billy Peele, trying to come to terms with how badly her efforts had failed over the past two days. She was still wearing the pin striped grey skirt and short sleeved blouse she had changed into earlier and was beginning to regret her uncomfortable choice of outfit. Not only had she not been able to see her old friend Matt, she could not find any newsworthy story. 'I'm beginning to get sick of this damn town' she said aloud and took a sip of her Ameretto and lemonade.
Billy sat staring at Gail, he could relate to her predicament. He himself was destined for greater things, at least that was what he believed. The plague in this town had disappeared months ago; however, here he was still occupying a position that he felt was beneath him. He joined the CDC for a reason and he had turned down more than one great opportunity just to stay in this town. Billy knew he was stupid, but he did not want to admit to himself the real reason he was still here.
'Cheer up, Gail-' Billy said, '-there's worse places we could be. At least you've got your family, I don't even have that...Have another drink, it'll make you feel better'
As Billy signalled for the Waitress to bring her another drink Gail took hold of his arm, leaned over and placed a friendly kiss on his cheek. Billy looked at her in shock and she smiled warmly. 'Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but I've had more than I should have already. You may not have your family Billy, but you've got me and Ben. We'll look out for each other' she advised sweetly.
Billy smiled and noticed Selena in the corner of the bar spying them disapprovingly; therefore, he leaned in and gave Gail a big hug. 'Thanks Gail, I appreciate it'
Gail knew Selena was in the bar and knew what Billy was trying to do. When they had become friends, she had decided then that she wanted no part of any games between those two; therefore, she stood up and grabbed her drink, choosing to remove herself from the equation. 'You stay here, I need a little air...I'll be back soon' and with that she crossed the room, trying to ignore the daggers Selena was eyeing towards her and headed out the side door.
The evening breeze was cool on Gail's face and it felt refreshing. She walked towards the deserted pier at the back of the bar, enjoying the cool breeze and ignoring the goose bumps on her exposed skin. Gail was fed up with this town; however, she loved the quiet spots at the pier and the way she could just watch to flow of the water. It soothed her and helped her forget about the disappointing events of most days.
Gail leaned against the wooden barrier and took another sip of her drink, savouring the way the cold liquid travelled down her throat. She found herself thinking back to the first official date Lucas had convinced her to go on, after the incident with Matt. Lucas had taken her to a deserted spot somewhere along the river, after they had been to an extravagant restaurant. They had both admired the scenery for about an hour, making a small bit of conversation in between.
Gail should have known how smooth he was then, Lucas had not pushed her into anything or rushed to make a move, he had waited for her to come to him and looking back it had been inevitable. She had moved closer to him, trying to steal some of his warmth and then his arm was around her. It had not taken long for their lips to meet and then everything had happened so fast.
A sadness fell over Gail and she suddenly felt all alone, she was so engrossed in her memories that she had not heard the footsteps behind her. Gail was oblivious to the presence of the man behind her, until she felt something soft brush against her arms.
Lucas had gotten to the bar just in time to see Gail sneak around back. He had followed her and was going to admire her from a distance, until he saw her shiver in the moonlight while she was staring out into the Trinity river. Lucas had quietly crept behind her and stroked his hands down her arms, until both his hands were touching hers.
Gail jumped at the sudden unexpected touch; however, Lucas whispered in her ear to relax. He would never force her to do anything she did not want to, that would spoil the fun, but he would not allow her to freeze alone out here. She tensed for a moment, then began to relax into his arms.
Gail was drained. For a moment she just stood in silence in his arms, then she realised who she was with and the familiar doubts started to creep into her mind. 'You can't just come behind me and act like this Lucas' she sighed, still leaning slightly into him and watching the water.
Lucas smiled and nuzzled his face into her neck affectionately. 'What's so wrong with this Gail? All we are is two consentin' adults comfortin' each other' he whispered, while taking the drink from her hand and placing it on a ledge beside them.
Gail closed her eyes and tried to find her strength; however, she was too drunk and too deflated to fully gain control. Lucas began to move his hands from her arms to her stomach and Gail had to take a deep intake of breath. While leaving one hand firmly holding her in place on her stomach, he let his left hand travel down to her skirt then beneath it, until he found his desired goal.
Gail attempted to struggle out of his grasp; however, he had her. 'Shhh-' he whispered soothingly in her ear, '-Stop fighting for once...I'm not gonna do anythin' you don't want me to do, so just relax'
Lucas began to move his hand in the motion he knew she liked and kissed her neck seductively, as she leaned further back into him. Gail had protested as much as her body would allow and just resigned herself to what was happening. After all, she was quite drunk and had been aching for him all day.
Gail reached around and felt for him behind her, she could feel how hard he was and began to caress and play with him, until she could feel his breath quicken on her neck. As her breath hastened, so did Lucas' hand movements. Gail made sure she matched his pace to keep him in line with her and just before she was able call out for him at her climax, his mouth met hers in a passionate kiss to quieten the sound and she kept the rhythm of her hand going, until she felt him reach his climax not long after her.
The couple continued their passionate kiss for a few more minutes, before Gail reached for Lucas' hand and pulled it out from under her skirt. She stepped out of his grasp and smoothed off her clothes and hair, while Lucas pulled uncomfortably on his pants.
Gail was too tired to scold herself for what she had allowed to happen, she felt drawn to this man and he had a way of temporarily relieving her of her senses. Gail had made the decision not to sleep with Lucas again, after their previous exchange a month earlier and at least she had stood by that decision. This was only a little harmless fun and contrary to her previous attempt to stop him, this was just what she had needed to release her pent up energy.
She had not forgotten what had gotten her into a pity state in the first place and decided it was no use hiding her intentions from him. 'I will talk to Matt Crower Lucas' She said confidently, as she was making herself presentable.
Lucas looked at her in his all knowing way and smiled. 'Is that so? I hear his Doctor feels Matt Crower is still pretty dangerous, I'm sure you don't wanna bother yourself with dangerous patients hun' he said in a sardonic manner, repeating the Head Doctors words from the previous night.
Gail force a smile to hide her irritation, was he seriously mocking her? 'Game on, Lucas' she said amused, reaching for her drink and slowly sauntering past him towards the bar.
Lucas stared after her appreciatively and shook his head with a grin. Game on indeed, he thought.
-To be continued-
