Lucas exited Doctor Charlton's office holding his Daughter securely to his chest and allowing Luke to close the office door, before instinctively taking hold of his hand. It was taking all of his control to prevent his rage from breaking through at having to get Matt Crower a day off with his Wife. He disliked the man at the best of times, but even more so when he latched on to his Love.
Gail was smart woman, she may be a little chaotic at times; however, she had a strong instinct when it comes to people and she could see through any flawed characters, yet she still chose to keep Harvard as her most trusted friend. Lucas did not understand her logic, the man's selfish actions caused death of his Wife and child, all because he could not change his ways. The man put his selfish needs above the woman who had committed to him and yet he was still respected around here.
Gail Jr sensed her Fathers thoughts and stared at him in disbelief, amused that her intelligent Father could not see the similarities in his own way of working.
Luke glanced up at his Sister and let out a small laugh as they shared their thoughts, his Father's blindness was also not lost on him and he was fully aware of his Father's stubbornness when it came to how certain things should be run. When he sensed his Sister's strong desire to speak up, he shook his head in warning against challenging their Father's opinion on the matter, suspecting that would not go over well and willed her to remain loyal.
'Smart boy' Lucas advised, sensing the unspoken debate between his children and smiled, proud of how connected they all were.
Luke smiled happily, satisfied with his Father's opinion of him and waved courteously at the Nurses who were watching them closely. Luke was young; however, he already understood the importance of inclusion, as he had monitored both his Father and his Mother when they were in public. When he acknowledged the Nurses, he saw their tired expressions turn bright and they grinned appreciatively at him, waving and placing their hands on their chest admiring him as he passed.
Lucas put on his most charming smile; however, the women at the Nurses Station were not looking at him, their attention was solely focussed on Luke. He sensed his Son's confidence and desire to be noticed by the women and squeezed his hand tight. 'Now, now ladies, don't all fight over him at once' he said sarcastically, winking at the women as they giggled to themselves.
Gail Jr watched the women fawn over her Brother and Father openly, then rolled her eyes in disgust of their lack of self respect. She could sense their desire for her Father, even though he belonged to her Mother and their unabashed coveting was shameful. If only they knew how her Mother truly was, they would not dare make fools of themselves in such an open way if they had any idea how she would punish them for even considering tempting her Father away.
'Now Princess, we don't judge what we don't understand...This is just a little harmless fun, you or your Momma don't need to take to the battle field over a few bored women' Lucas whispered in his Daughters ear, sensing her strong resentment for the Nurses.
Gail Jr let out a long sigh at her Fathers misjudgement of her intelligence and decided to stay quiet, understanding that it was better to be mistaken for sweet and innocent at least for the time being. She hugged her Father tight and pulled his face to hers for a kiss, then smiled mischievously when she sensed the women's disappointment at no longer having his attention.
Lucas smiled at the mischief radiating off of his Daughter, even though she believed that he was unaware of it and he continued walking past the Nurses Station to the exit, ensuring his eyes were fixed only on her so she knew who was really important to him. As he left the Hospital and came out into the fresh air, he glanced up at the clear blue sky and began to picture thick rain clouds spreading throughout Trinity.
'Don't Daddy' Luke pleaded and smiled when his Sister placed her hand over his Fathers eyes to support his request, not wanting him to ruin their Mothers day out with Doctor Matt.
Lucas felt his children willing him to behave and let out a small exasperated sigh. 'Fine, I'll leave your Momma be with her precious Harvard, but if she gets to have some fun on a work day then so do we' he advised, smiling at the excitement which engulfed his children at the realisation that he was not taking them to Merlyn's day care like he was supposed to and headed back to his car.
Gail sat on a large rock overlooking the Trinity River and smiled as her dog Rocky ran around their location, jumping on whatever rocks he could find. She had not been to this area in a while, in fact the last time she recalled coming here was when Rocky was a puppy and she had decided on his name. This area was not as level as her usual secluded places by the river and it was a favourite spot for hikers, making it more populated than she would usually like. The odd hiker did not bother Gail right now, she was used to tuning everyone out from her childhood and it took little effort to retreat to a peaceful place in her mind when she required time to reflect.
Kyle watched Gail curiously from a nearby tree, not wanting to disturb her. She had broken away from the group not long after they had come here and he did not know whether he was allowed to interrupt her.
'It's a free country, no-one's going to punish you for grabbing a seat out here' Gail advised, closing her eyes and taking in a long breath of fresh air. For a moment she heard the faint sound of thunder; however, it quickly disappeared and the sky remained calm.
Kyle smiled at being acknowledged and quickly sat down on a rock beside her, before she had the chance to change her mind. If his Father was around to get to know her, he suspected he would like her and it was refreshing to be around a woman who actually acknowledged him, rather than pushing him away. 'It's nice here, it's easy to forget about all the bad when a good place like this is so close' he said quietly, staring at the beautiful scenery around him.
Gail opened her eyes and turned her attention to the water, where she sensed Rosemary close by. Rocky had placed his nose just above the water, smelling it curiously as though he had picked up a scent. Gail wondered if Rocky somehow sensed the wild dog she had sacrificed to Rosemary in an attempt to take her focus off Luke, then shook off the thought and pushed away her sad memories of that time. 'The bad is everywhere, no matter how peaceful a place may seem. You'd do well to keep that in mind' she advised without thinking, then stood up and walked towards Rocky.
Kyle watched her carefully, not understanding her meaning and got up slowly to follow her. Before he had a chance to question her, he heard the faint sound of laughing and turned his attention further down the trail.
'Those two seem to be taking their time...one might wonder how much you can truly know a person' Gail said flatly, not oblivious to the way Matt and Selena were looking at each other earlier and curious as to their apparent sudden involvement.
Kyle saw the dark glint in Gail's eyes and moved closer to her, turning towards the Doctor and Teacher who wear slowly nearing their position. 'If you think like that, why come here with them?' he asked curiously, seeing a different side to the usually pleasant woman who had been checking in on him in his parent's absence and unable to hide his intrigue.
Gail smiled at his transparency and placed her hand around his shoulders, amused by his curiosity. 'What better place to spot a lie than out in the open? People struggle to hide their true intentions when they're out of their comfort zone and all you have to do is pay attention' she whispered in his ear, then forced a pleasant smile for Matt as he straightened up and approached them, clearly trying to disguise his pleasurable feelings for his recent companion.
Caleb sat obediently in the middle of the classroom beside Boone, listening intently to his new history Teacher. Not only was it strange seeing the older gentleman at the head of the class with his faded waist coat and brown slacks, the subject that he was attempting to discuss with his new pupils was far more advanced than anything Miss Coombs had ever taught.
When the end of lesson bell rang Caleb remained seated for a moment, allowing his brain to absorb the teachings, then he nodded courteously at Mr Collins as he left the classroom and caught up with Boone.
'I can't do this, I mean what was he even talkin' about?!' Boone exclaimed anxiously, as he glanced around the large corridor packed full of larger students and tried to remain unnoticed in this new world.
Caleb could not help but smile, he had really enjoyed his first proper history lesson from a specialist Teacher and the bustling children all around them did not faze him. 'Of course you can do this, you've heard about the battle of Little Bighorn before silly and all he was doin' was elaboratin' on the details' he reassured his best friend, placing a strong hand on his shoulder.
'Not like that I ain't! Miss Coombs wouldn't ever show us pictures like that' Boone responded abruptly, as he became more overwhelmed with his predicament.
Caleb sensed Boone begin to spiral and rolled his eyes. He was no stranger to such a reaction, his Mother spiralled out of control all of the time when she had to deal with his not so angelic behaviour; however, he had not expected this from Boone, not after his friend had been boasting for months about how unafraid he was. 'Keep your voice down, you wanna look like a baby? God, Luke would handle this more maturely than you are right now' he said sternly, not willing to allow his friend to lose control of his emotions so openly.
Boone froze at the authority in his best friends tone, then took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. 'Alright...alright. It's just a lot you know?' he asked, searching for any indication that Caleb was experiencing the same anxiety that he was.
Caleb feigned understanding and nodded, channelling his Fathers calm disposition and placed his arm around Boone's shoulder as he led him towards their next class. 'I get it-' he lied, feeling no anxiety or pressure about this situation at all. '-This is new for us all, we've gone from bein' the eldest class to the youngest in the space of a summer...At least we have each other, poor Josh is on his own in Chemistry'
Boone thought for a moment, completely forgetting about Josh in his own panic. 'Jesus man, I hope he's alright. You think he made any friends?' he asked hopefully.
Caleb felt a small tug at his brain and turned to look out of the large window they were passing, which was onlooking the football field. He felt a sudden fire within him when he spotted a group of older boys making a small circle and he led Boone towards the door, unable to push down his need to be out there. 'Let's go find out' he advised excitedly and forced himself to walk casually, even though his heart was racing.
As they approached the group of older boys, Caleb spotted Josh curled up on the grass with a girl beside him and he took in a deep breath, shaking off Boone's hand as he tried to pull him away from the scene. 'Either you're confused about the appropriate behaviour of older boys, or y'all are too dumb to realise what you're doin'' he said in a confident tone and forced himself to stand tall.
A tall boy turned around instantly and broke from the group, approaching Caleb and towering over him. 'Are you talkin' to us pube? Don't you know who we are?' he asked in disbelief of the freshman before him.
Caleb smiled smugly and stood his ground, understanding from his Father's teachings previously that this would be the leader of the group. If he had learned anything worthwhile from monitoring his Father, it was to not show weakness in front of bigger opponents and once the biggest threat was taken down, the rest of the sheep would fall in line. 'Who I'm talkin' to is a bunch of airhead jocks who don't have an ounce of sense between them' he responded confidently, feeling his darkness clawing to be released; however, forcing it to remain caged.
The tall boy grabbed Caleb by the scruff of his collar and pushed him into the centre of the ring, the other boys closing the circle while Boone ran off. Caleb sensed Josh's concern and brushed it off, not allowing his friends weakness to distract him. He was a Buck and he would not be dominated by anybody who was not in his immediate family. 'How very valiant of you all, beatin' up on children much smaller than you are. Does that make you feel big?' Caleb asked sarcastically, staring directly into the leaders eyes.
The tall boy let out a small laugh and raised his fist with the intention of pounding that smug look off of the younger boy's face, then froze when he saw something dark cross over his eyes and the young boy stepped towards him unfazed.
'You know, I think you have this underlyin' need to insert your authority on all us small folk to show your Daddy that he ain't the only one who knows how to throw a fist. It's sad really, beatin' up on people half your size just cause he does it to you' Caleb said quietly so the other boys could not hear, speaking solely to the leader.
The tall boy stared wide eyed at the comment and a flash of his Father punching him in the stomach surged through his mind.
'Bein' with a man like that, it may seem like you just can't help but spread his hate. It might even make you feel better unleashin' your own deluded punishments onto people who are as helpless as you feel when he explodes, but I'm tellin' you now that what you're doin' is a mistake and I'm givin' you a chance to make the right choice for once in your miserable life' Caleb advised coolly, as he stood toe to toe with the bully and waited for his decision to be made.
The tall boy felt the usual fire burning within him and he wanted nothing more than to beat this boy bloody; however, staring into those dark eyes caused him to stop and rethink his position, not used to being challenged in such a way.
'Oh come on, I know the Captain of the football team and all of his lackies ain't the brightest bells of the bunch, but this seriously? You can't honestly tell me that you're stupid enough to gun for the Sheriff Lucas Buck's Son' Mr Collins laughed in disbelief as he approached the group with Boone hiding behind him.
'Not to mention the ex Mayor's Son' Caleb added calmly, smiling smugly as he stepped back and allowed his new history Teacher to believe that it was his presence that diffused the incident.
The tall boy stared confused at Caleb for a moment, then straightened up and forced smile for Mr Collins. 'We were just givin' our newest schoolmates a warm welcome, ain't no quarrels here' he advised, shaking off his disorientation and signalling for his team mates to disperse.
Mr Collins glanced at Caleb, who just smiled pleasantly back at him, then shook his head. 'As long as there ain't no funny business...I'm watchin' you all' he warned, then headed back towards his classroom.
'I swear I'm gonna-' the tall boy started.
'-be thankful you stood down before anythin' truly inappropriate happened? I'm sure you are Bobby, now you run along now' Caleb mocked, standing tall and smiling at the boys confusion of how he knew his name, then laughed when Bobby left with his team mates.
'You're a hero' the young girl who was laying on the ground beside Josh advised, as she stood up and fixed her wonky glasses.
Caleb held out his hand to help Josh up when Bobby obediently left them and smiled charmingly for the girl. 'Ain't no bullies winnin' on my watch' he responded coolly, then let out a relieved breath when Josh and the girl turned towards Boone, not believing that he had nearly gotten into a fight on his first day in High School.
-To be continued-
