Caleb confidently walked out of the school with his friends at his side and could not stop smiling. He had done it, there were no incidents with his dark half even though it had been clawing to be released and he had actually made a new friend, albeit it he did not look forward to telling Rose that it was a girl. He had kept his cool, sat through all of his classes attentively and he felt good about the first impressions that he had made.
'That was awful, how are we gonna do it everyday!' Boone exclaimed defeated, not coming to the same conclusions as Caleb.
'Oh come on, it weren't that bad and we smashed it!' Caleb responded positively.
Josh nodded in agreement with Caleb, thankful that he had his back.
'Y'all did great, that coulda gone so much worse' Millie added, happy in the company of her new friends even if they were a year younger than her.
Boone rolled his eyes and felt his old resentment for Caleb beginning to grow. Somehow Caleb had landed on his feet once again and it was hard not to be jealous of his best friend, especially with how confident he was. Boone spotted Bobby up ahead with his gang and a smile subconsciously crossed his lips, suspecting this would not end well for Caleb. 'Y'all spoke to soon' he said flatly, nodding towards the older boy.
Caleb could see Bobby's eyes on him and smirked knowingly. He sensed the older boys dislike of him and knew his intentions; however, he continued walking confidently forward, not allowing the large group to faze him.
'Oh look, here comes the pube parade' Bobby said venomously, laying in wait for the group so he could finish what had been interrupted earlier.
The loud roar of an engine cut through the bustle of children and Caleb's smirk grew wider when Bobby's face dropped, clearly in awe of the blood red Mustang which parked beside them.
Gail sensed the animosity in the air as she pulled up; however, she spotted how confident Caleb appeared and forced herself to remain calm. 'Hey you, want a ride into Town while I'm passing?' she asked sweetly, smiling pleasantly at Caleb's small group of friends, then got out of the car and instinctively moved protectively to Caleb's side.
Caleb spotted Bobby's jaw drop at his Mother's toned figure which was evident under her short tight dress and laughed. 'You headin' to work?' he asked, noticing that she had changed from her previously comfortable attire.
'I've got to show my face at some point, thought I might as well get it out of the way now...You alright?' Gail asked quietly, then regarded the older group suspiciously.
'He's fine, we're makin' sure our new starters find there way out OK' Bobby answered before Caleb, putting on his most responsible tone for the beautiful woman before him.
'Like the wave of children heading in one direction away from the School wasn't clear enough for them?' Gail asked flatly, feeling her darkness rising within her and wanting so much to take on this boy who she sensed disliked her Son.
'It's fine Gail, we'd love a ride' Caleb chimed in, signalling for his friends to jump in the car and staring at Kyle expectedly until he moved to the backseat to allow Caleb in the front.
Gail had grown used to Caleb calling her Mom; therefore, his decision to revert back to referring to her by her first name was disconcerting. She continued to stare at the older boy suspiciously for a moment, then sensed Caleb willing her to drop the matter and got back into her car so not to cause him any embarrassment. 'Alright, let's get you all somewhere fun so I can pick up my boring responsibilities' she sighed as she turned on the engine and sped away from the older group of boys.
Caleb squeezed her knee affectionately, thankful that she had not made a scene when she clearly sensed Bobby's intentions and turned to face his friends in the back. 'My Daddy's a regular at the Pool Hall on Main Street, I reckon they'd let us in if I ask nicely' he suggested, knowing the owner would not want to offend his Father by refusing his Son entry.
'I don't wanna play pool, I'll stick with Gail for a bit' Kyle advised, ignoring the other children's excitement as he was squashed in the back with them.
'Nah, you'll stay with us. My Momma has stuff to do that don't involve babysittin' and you've delayed her long enough' Caleb said dominantly and turned back to the front, cutting Kyle off from any counter.
Gail smiled as Caleb reverting back to calling her Mom, clearly just trying to show how strong he was to the older boys previously and nodded her appreciation, surprised that Caleb had taken it upon himself to include Kyle in his activities. She was not oblivious to how much his dominance with his friends mirrored Lucas with his Deputies; however, it did not bother her at this current time and she was just happy that he had taken on Kyle, to enable her to digest the previous happenings of the day.
Lucas sat casually on the bonnet of his car onlooking the Trinity River, with Gail Jr situated comfortably on his knee and Luke tempting fate close to the water. He watched closely as Luke took his shoes and socks off, then dipped his toe into the water cautiously before placing his whole foot in. The boys curiosity amused him, he could sense Rosemary not far from their position and knew that she was watching them like a hawk; however, Luke appeared to disregard the warning he was sending him and continued to step further into the cold water, wondering how far he would be allowed to go.
The air was cool by the river and it blew his Daughters thick dark brown hair out of her eyes, allowing her to monitor her Brother unobstructed. Gail Jr had no desire to go near the water, she sensed Rosemary's presence and she wanted no part of it.
'That's my girl' Lucas smiled, stroking a stray strand of hair from her cheek, happy that at least one of his children had the common sense to steer clear of Rosemary. The only thing keeping that spirit going for all these years was the thought of vengeance towards the male members of the Buck family and he could not understand why it had been given free reign to surface, it should be shackled and taught to heel like the hound it had become.
'Mean' Gail Jr said disapprovingly, knowing the strange woman under the water would not hurt them with how close she was to her Mother. She also shared a strong connection to her and did not like the strong sorrow radiating off of her.
'Really mean' Luke called back, also aware of his friends presence and not liking how his Father was portraying her.
Lucas ran his free hand through his hair and shook his head in disbelief. He could not believe how oblivious his children were to the danger Rosemary posed and he for one was not fooled by her good behaviour of late.
As if to answer his thought, a large invisible crash hit the water and soaked Luke from head to toe. Luke shrieked in surprise of the heavy splash, then began laughing hysterically as he jumped about in the water.
Gail Jr let out a long sigh and shook her head at her Brother, knowing their Mother would not be impressed that he had gotten himself soaked. She supposed her Father would shoulder the blame for that, considering he had allowed Luke to wade into the water without proper supervision in the first place.
'Hey, I'm supervisin' enough. If anythin' really dangerous came close I'd step in and none of you wanna see me when I'm truly pissed' Lucas advised, unimpressed by her judgement and spotting signs of her Mother within her.
Gail Jr rolled her eyes, knowing better than to challenge him and reached out to her Brother with her mind, ordering him back so he could get dry.
Luke felt the intense tugging at his brain and stomped his feet in protest, before heading back towards his family knowing that it was the right call. 'Spoilsport' he said moodily and pulled his tongue out at his Sister.
Lucas let out a small laugh and placed his Daughter on the grass carefully, then picked up his soaking boy and placed him on the bonnet of his car, pulling off his wet clothes. 'It's good you heed her advice and she's right, your Momma will go spare if she finds out you've been out in these wet clothes for long' he advised and began to undress Luke, wrapping him in his large jacket to ensure that he was warm.
'What now?' Luke asked excited, suspecting this detour was not solely to allow them a break from the townspeople who could not help but gawk at them when they were out.
Lucas smiled devilishly at his Son's correct assumption and pulled him to his knee, so he had a good view of the river. 'Waylon Todd, a Cashier at the bank. A few years back I offered him a way out of his mundane existence, gave him the opportunity to get what he really wanted to enable him to fulfil his goals. You know what he did?' he asked coolly.
Luke shook his head and stared up at his Father intrigued, sensing his Sister's curiosity spike too.
'Well, he not only decided to throw the offer back in my face, he thought it was clever to take liberties with my girl at the time' Lucas responded, stroking his hands down Luke's arms when his boy shivered in anticipation.
'What did you do?' Luke asked curiously.
To be fair, Lucas never truly saw Selena as his girlfriend, she was just a constant that he could depend on from time to time to satisfy certain urges and Selena was the one who instigated the act with Waylon, hoping to rouse a reaction from Lucas; however, Waylon was placed on his list and he had allowed the man long enough to believe that he was home free.
'Nothin' yet Son. It's better to allow the fish to stew for a while, lull them into a false sense of security then strike when they least expect it' Lucas replied, signalling to his left and smiling when his children spotted the small boat in the distance.
'Waylon?' Luke asked excitedly.
'Wayl!' Gail Jr exclaimed and clapped her hands happily, feeling butterflies in the pit of her stomach at the thought of what might happen next.
Lucas nodded and focussed his attention on the small boat. Waylon enjoyed coming out here when it was quiet to catch fish, it was the mans happy place and there was nowhere else that he preferred to be. Lucas sighed at the simple man and decided to open up the arena, willingly showing that he was not as spiteful as the previous male members of his line were and he was happy to share the fun.
Waylon smiled triumphantly at his catches for the day and prepped his line for one last attempt, before heading home to his boring Wife. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew against the boat and caused it to move closer to the centre of the river. Waylon hung on tight, having no idea what was happening, then let out a relieved breath when the wind died down and his boat began to gently rock with the calm current.
Waylon reached for his line again, determined to catch at least one more fish to add to his basket for dinner when he felt a dull thud against the underside of his boat. He narrowed his eyes and stared suspiciously into the water; however, there was nothing to see but the calm waves. He gave himself a mental shake and prepared to throw his line into the water, when a strange sound came from his basket. Waylon turned towards the basket full of dead fish and pulled it towards him, the strange sound becoming louder. When he opened the lid, he gasped in shock as the fish tails slapped frantically against the side of the basket and the once dead fish started jumping out at him.
Waylon screamed in horror, unable to comprehend what was happening, then lost his footing and crashed down hard into the cold water. He frantically began swimming towards the riverbank far from his position, then spotted the navy blue Crown Victoria and the group sat watching him. 'Sheriff?' he asked confused and felt a surge of dread flow through him when he caught sight of the devilish grin cross over his lips.
Lucas' smile grew wider when he sensed Rosemary grip Waylon's ankle and drag him down to her depth, hearing the man's gut wrenching screams as she dragged him deeper to her playground.
Both children clapped happily as they all shared the experience of Waylon's last moment, then Lucas picked them up carefully and placed them into his car securely. 'Come on, it's about time we got ready to see your Brother. Today is all about him after all' Lucas smiled, then got into the drivers seat and drove away knowing that Rosemary would appreciate his offering.
Lucas drove casually down the road with his youngest children in the backseat, smiling smugly to himself. He was still in a mischievous mood as the few people he had managed to catch up with had not satisfied his appetite. Being stuck with the children had slowed his progress today, making it harder to fully release his pent up urges and although he was proud of their curiosity and acceptance, their presence meant that he had to act somewhat responsibly at times and he had been unable to completely let go.
Luke could not contain his laughter at his Father's thoughts. The last man they had visited before reaching their home was left sprawled on the floor with two broken legs, due to the 'accident' that had befallen him. His Father was kidding himself if he believed that he had behaved as a responsible parent today; however, he would not publicise that fact and Luke would not change his Father for the world.
Lucas sensed his youngest Son's thoughts and smiled. 'I suppose responsible may not be the right word to describe my behaviour, but I assure you that I did hold back' he advised, not wanting the children telling their Mother that he had let go fully.
Gail Jr held her index finger up to get his attention, then drew a cross over her heart to show that what they had witnessed was their secret.
'Atta girl' Lucas winked in the rearview mirror, then pulled up in his reserved space outside of the most expensive restaurant in Town beside his Wife's car and got out.
Gail glanced at her watch disapprovingly, then shot her Husband a mock look of disdain. 'Too busy with our little Cherubs to be on time for your eldest Son's celebratory meal?' she asked, feigning annoyance.
Lucas let his eyes trail down to her toned legs and nodded appreciatively at her attire. 'Too busy socialisin' with my townspeople to change out of your office wear?' he responded suspiciously, knowing of her visit to Judy Redman earlier and wondering what his Wife was playing at meeting up with the Mother of the man that they had killed together at the beginning of the year.
'Let's not forget the poor woman's Husband who I managed to convince to jump out of his own 10 story office window in a fit of madness...Who ever knows what I'm playing at these days?' Gail whispered in his ear mischievously and brushed her nose against his playfully.
Lucas inhaled deeply as she leaned against him and he secured his hand on her lower back, to restrict her from pulling away. 'Whatever it is I don't think you should be handlin' it alone, maybe we should take a moment in that alleyway to discuss what you've been up to and come up with a strategy' he responded suggestively, then ran his lips up her neck and kissed it softly.
Gail felt him grow hard against her and had to force herself to not take him up on the offer, feeling a sudden desire to be taken hard by him. 'Now, now, Papa Bear. What type of parents would leave their little angels to fend for themselves while they selfishly focussed on their own desires' she asked sweetly, sensing the small eyes on them.
Lucas heard his Daughter's hand banging loudly on the car window, trying desperately to get to her Mother and let out a long sigh. 'Why do I let you do this to me?' he asked frustrated, as he pulled away from her and shifted slightly in an attempt hide his hard bulge.
Gail laughed, then stroked his cheek tenderly and placed a soft kiss on his lips. 'You wouldn't have me any other way Master Buck' she teased, then pinched his behind playfully when she moved around him to free her children.
'Momma!' they both called excitedly, both reaching to be picked up.
'Hey, this is Caleb's time so don't you both try stealing the night' Gail warned, trying to sound stern, then picked them both up and hugged them tight.
Lucas knew how much she missed their children when her misguided conscience took her away from them and watched as they all embraced each other. 'Why you don't just cut the string with that stray of yours and be done with it I'll never know' he sighed as he led them into the restaurant, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously when he spotted the large group at their table.
'I'm on it Soulmate, now best behaviour around the boy of the hour' Gail warned and made her way through the restaurant while carefully holding her children.
'Why Sheriff, nice of you to join us' Judy said sarcastically when he approached the group, noting that they had been waiting over 30 minutes for his arrival.
Lucas inhaled deeply and forced a smile, not impressed that their intimate family celebration meal had gained outsiders.
Caleb stopped talking to his friends when he sensed his Father's irritation, then got up and hugged him to take his attention from the strange woman who appeared to be joining them. 'I didn't expect nothin', y'all didn't have to do this' he advised happily staring around at the balloons that had been situated around the table.
'You completed your first day on your own like a man should, we're proud of you and that's deservin' of a celebration Son' Lucas smiled, unable to stay irritated when he saw how happy his eldest was.
Kyle leaned over and pulled a chair out for Gail so she could sit next to him; however, Lucas placed his Daughter in it and pulled out a chair for his Wife at the opposite side of the table, ignoring the boys disappointment.
'You're cruel' Gail whispered as she handed Luke to Lucas, then sat down.
'And you're mine' Lucas whispered in her ear, placing Luke next to his Sister and sitting down beside his Wife.
'Alright-' Gail started, ignoring the comment and focussing on Caleb. '-Nothing on the menu is off limits, apart from the alcohol of course, so you all go nuts...We're so proud that you've all got through your first day unscathed' she smiled, reaching for Caleb's hand and squeezing it affectionately.
'We really are, I can't wait for you to fill me in on everythin'' Merlyn added as she approached the table and smiled when Billy subconsciously held a chair out for her.
'Ain't nothin' to tell' Caleb shrugged and picked up the menu to see what he fancied.
'Really, nothin'? You're a rock star' Millie advised, then picked up a menu to hide the sudden flush in her cheeks when Caleb winked at her.
'I don't recall that one' Lucas leaned in and whispered in Gail's ear.
'Don't get me started, he's as much of a magnet for girls as you are' Gail responded disapprovingly and eyed the new girl suspiciously.
Lucas could not contain his laughter and pulled her onto his knee, reminding her of who he belonged to and unable to stop himself from making a dominant display in front of the outsiders.
Merlyn rolled her eyes and reached for Luke, placing him on her knee and bouncing him playfully. 'God forbid someone else gets attention' she said sarcastically, then narrowed her eyes at the old woman sat watching them all closely.
'Come on rock star, it's your day and we're all starved' Billy spoke up, poking his tongue out at Gail Jr as she sat moodily with her hands crossed over her chest, clearly unhappy that Luke was getting more attention than her.
Caleb looked to his Father, who was busying himself with his Mother then smiled when his Father winked at him, signalling for him to take the lead. 'Alright, let's get this show on the road' he said happily and stood up confidently to signal the Waiter over, showing that he could take charge for his Father.
-To be continued-
