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 Lesson's Learned.
It was a crisp cold evening in Trinity South Carolina, the leafless trees towered throughout the deserted streets and the full moon shone high in the sky, providing the only source of light on the outskirts of town.
Caleb Temple walked confidently down the dust road holding his backpack straps securely, unfazed by the eerie sounds resonating from the trees on either side of him. Caleb had grown up in a battered farmhouse miles away from any self respecting person and the night had never bothered him, in fact he welcomed the shadowy cloak of darkness these days and found himself more willing to push past his usual boundaries.
It was nearly time for his curfew and his present company dragged their heels uneasily through the dirt behind him, not wanting to have to deal with their parent's scolding over their late return. Caleb was past caring about curfews and rules, after he had shown his parents that he could take care of himself on his first day in High School they had eased up on a few things, allowing him space to explore unshackled.
'Come on Caleb, this ain't right' Boone pleaded from behind him and willed his best friend to see sense.
'He ain't wrong' Josh chimed in, 'Your Momma and Daddy are cool, but my Momma would have my hide if she knew how far out we were this late'
Caleb glanced at his new friend Millie, an older girl who had joined their group after being impressed by his ability to stand up to older boys, then rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. 'Y'all need to grow a backbone. Your Momma will be fine if mine whispers in her ear, so what're you moanin' about?' he asked Josh, not understanding the push back he was getting.
'Your Momma may be able to sway Josh's but my parent's ain't goin' for none of that Buck voodoo' Boone responded before Josh could, knowing how suspicious his parent's were of the Sheriff.
'Oh I don't know, if Gail Buck brushed up against your Daddy in one of her short dresses I bet he wouldn't be thinkin' about you no more' Millie teased, fully aware of the pull her new friends family had with the people in this Town.
Caleb stared at Millie in disgust, not sure how to deal with the candid comment about his Mother.
Millie could not contain her laughter when she saw how Caleb was regarding her, then gave him a gentle shove to show that she did not mean any offence. 'You can't be oblivious to how men see her, just like the women see the Sheriff' she advised, linking Caleb's arm as they continued down the secluded road.
Caleb let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'I suppose they both may a certain pull' he answered, acknowledging her observation and tried to push down the warm feeling that he felt being close to her, knowing Rose would not approve.
Boone stared at them both bitterly, not understanding how Caleb could convince Rose to his side and this new older girl. A deep resentment had started to form within him and seeing how confident his best friend was these days, in addition to how unfazed about their curfews he was, did not help the situation.
Caleb sensed the daggers on his back and glanced over his shoulder, winking devilishly at Boone to show that he knew exactly what he was feeling. 'Aww hell, I guess I've dragged us out here in the middle of nowhere for no reason but to get y'all in trouble with your folks...what a pube I am' he sighed sarcastically and stopped while he waited for the other boys to catch up.
Boone saw an excited look on Millie's face and rushed to their position, then his mouth dropped open when he saw the old farmhouse tucked away at the side of the road with the familiar bike resting at the side. 'How'd you know where he lives?' he asked in disbelief, confused at where Caleb had brought them.
'Who cares about that, what're we gonna do now that we're here?' Millie asked excitedly, dreaming of catching Bobby alone without his bully friends on many occasions and wondering what they could do to pay him back for the awful things he had done to them.
'We ain't gonna do nothin', if his Dad catches us out here we're in for a beatin'' Josh advised, knowing many people in this Town due to his Father's position before he died and not wanting to get involved with the likes of Bobby's family.
'Ain't no-one beatin' on me or mine' Caleb responded confidently, then broke from the group and moved forward. 'We ain't gonna do nothin' per se, at least nothin' that can be pinned on us anyway' he smiled devilishly and signalled for his friends to follow him.
When the other boys remained still, afraid to move closer, Millie let out a small laugh and rushed to Caleb. 'What now?' she asked expectantly, unable to hide her smile.
'Now we wait' Caleb advised and nodded towards the black cat which had just jumped up on the open ground floor window, happy that his cat had decided to join them.
Millie spotted the cat and narrowed her eyes confused, then watched as it jumped into the window when Caleb signalled with his hand and she waited obediently in anticipation.
Caleb closed his eyes and concentrated, connecting with his pet and seeing through it's eyes. His pet had been banished from getting involved with anything after his obsession with Selena Coombs the previous year; however, his Mother had started to accept it's presence in their home and this meant that it was now a part of their family.
The cat roamed the downstairs freely, unafraid of the new surroundings. It sensed it's Master close by and revelled in the power radiating off of him, wanting nothing more than to please him.
Caleb allowed the cat to explore for a moment, then directed it towards the stairs not far from the front door. He smiled as his cat tangled it's sharp claws into the already patchy old carpet and began pulling at the material, it did this momentarily on each stair it landed on then sauntered casually down the small corridor leading to the box room in the corner of the house.
Millie waited patiently, not taking her eyes off of the house in front of her, then watched Caleb as he crept forward and followed his lead. 'Should we be gettin' this close? I know your Daddy's the Sheriff but he ain't here and we're in for a world of hurt if we get caught' she whispered, disregarding the other two boys who had chosen to remain a safe distance away.
'Then we don't get caught' Caleb responded quietly and gave her a playful wink, before reaching in his backpack and passing her the objects he had obtained from the Hobby Store earlier.
Millie stared confused at the objects in her hand, then let out a small laugh and crept towards Bobby's bicycle. 'This is perfect, it's his pride and joy' she whispered, staring at the bicycle with disdain as she recalled all the times Bobby had chased her down the Street on it.
Caleb took hold of Millie's hand as she reached for the handlebar and shook his head slowly. 'Not yet...I think it's better placed over here' he advised, moving the bicycle further to the right and leaning it against a large barrel situated slightly away from the side of the house.
Millie regarded him cautiously for a moment, then shook off her unease and got to work on the bicycle when Caleb indicated it was placed just right.
Caleb took out a can of red spray paint and began writing on the side of the house, pushing down the small voice inside his head which warned of such an action. He was his own man now and he had no intention of backing down from his current activity, he was too invested and he could not stop now if he tried.
Millie could not believe that she was allowing herself to get involved in something like this; however, a strange excitement surged through her body and she could not remember a time when she had experienced such fun. This was not her usual type of behaviour, she was a bookworm who was more comfortable inside a Library with her own company rather than socialising with other children, but the boy beside her caused a strong confidence to resonate within her and it was causing her to throw away her inhibitions.
Caleb sensed his cat enter the bedroom and took hold of Millie's arm, leading her back towards the area at the edge of the property which was shaded by trees. Suddenly his cat pounced on an unsuspecting Bobby who was too busy dozing off whilst listening to music through his headphones to spot any intruder, then began clawing at his eyes. Bobby screamed in terror and pain, taken aback by the sudden attack, then fell undignified through his open window and landed awkwardly on his bicycle which had seemingly moved from it's usual place.
Millie's eyes grew wide and she placed her hand over her mouth, to stifle her surprised yell. The other two boys huddled close to her, also unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed and remained silent, unsure of what to do.
Caleb watched as Bobby squirmed in pain on the ground, tangling himself in the tinsel that Millie had wrapped around his bicycle and staring in disbelief at the words 'He see's you when you're sleeping' written on the side of his house.
'-He knows when you're awake' Caleb sang quietly to himself, amused at how well his prank had worked out, then led his friends discreetly away from the area and called an ambulance to assist the injured bully.
Lucas crept through his large mansion slowly, opening up his minds eye when he felt the excitement from his eldest Son, then smiled devilishly when he sensed the boy had been getting up to mischief. 'That's my boy' he smirked to himself as he continued on down the long corridor.
Life had begun to settle in the recent months that had passed, as much as it could in the Buck household anyway and as the year was coming to a close, Lucas was thankful that the rightful order had been restored and his people were behaving as they should. All it appeared but one, who had taken herself away from her duties and buried herself deep in his lair.
'-You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I'm telling you why-' danced through the silence of the forbidden area and Lucas' smile grew wider. It appeared that his eldest may have reached out to ensure a certain person was not monitoring him discreetly and picked up on her choice of music. The fact that Caleb could penetrate her barrier meant that he was getting stronger, or that his Wife had allowed her guard to drop.
Lucas stopped outside of a slightly ajar door and peeked inside, it became evident that it was the latter when he spotted the candles placed strategically around the bathroom and the thick steam radiating from the large bathtub.
Gail lay her head back and let out a long relaxed breath, allowing her aching body to soak in the scolding water. Between managing her bored Reporters, working out at the gym in preparation for the festive season and wrestling with her boisterous children, both her mind and body were completely worn out.
Lucas crept into the bathroom while her eyes were closed, shooting Gideon a look of warning when the mutt lifted his head in an attempt to alert it's Master of his presence.
'Master is such a controlling word, we're merely companions who enjoy and respect one another' Gail sighed, sensing her Husband when he came close and knowing that he would not allow her to have this time to herself.
'Now why would you want time to yourself when you have a lovin' family waitin' for you?' Lucas asked as he moved Gideon out of the way with his foot, unimpressed by her comment.
'Loving? You don't know the meaning of the word' she responded in mock scorn, then smiled as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
Lucas knelt down beside the bathtub and began rolling up his sleeve, licking the taste of her off of his lips.
'Oh no Papa Bear, there'll be none of that so called selfless act you like so much...You intruded because you can't stand to leave me in peace, so get in' Gail ordered, knowing full well that her Uncle Abe could not entertain her children for much longer and sensing that her Husbands intention was only the beginning of a much longer game.
Lucas stood up obediently and began unbuttoning his shirt, happy to join his Wife in her intimate setting. 'Since when do you not appreciate my long games?' he asked, feigning offence.
'When our little Cherubs are gearing up to take over the world and only have an old man to hold them down' Gail laughed, then subconsciously bit her bottom lip as he unzipped his pants and pulled them down to reveal his already hard manhood.
'Good point, I suppose we can't expect that ol' man to survive the night on his own' Lucas retorted and carefully stepped into the hot water on the opposite side of his Wife.
Gail allowed him to situate himself comfortably, then carefully manoeuvred herself on top of him so she could straggle him. 'You know, I've found recently that part of me wills your eldest to be a bit late in the evening these days' she advised as she stroked her wet hands up his toned chest and tangled her hands in his thick caramel blonde chest hair.
'Really?' Lucas asked surprised, knowing Caleb's inability to stick to the rules usually grated on her.
Gail gave his chest hair a hard yank then smiled mischievously when he let out a pained breath. 'Oh it grates on me to no end Papa Bear, but I think I've finally learned how to enjoy the finer things in life rather than dwelling on other peoples poor choices' she said calmly, then ran her lips up his chest and began sucking his neck seductively.
Lucas let out an amused laugh and ran his hands up her thighs under the water, then squeezed her behind tight and pulled her closer to him. 'Who are you and what have you done to my Wife?' he asked playfully and spanked her behind hard.
Gail laughed and shook her head, she could feel how happy her Husband was by his hard manhood underneath; however, he did not fully understand. She may be more relaxed about the rules being broken, but that did not mean there would be no punishments and she would thoroughly enjoy laying them down tomorrow when she had more energy. She took Lucas inside of her and let out a pained moan as her body got used to his length, ensuring her thoughts were well guarded. 'Your Wife is right here Soulmate and she's very confident that you'll ensure nothing rocks the boat while she deals with our festive crazed children...We wouldn't want any incidents that may put a dampener on this joyful time' she advised sarcastically as she began moving up and down slowly.
Lucas understood the subtle warning and rolled his eyes, not oblivious to what Caleb had already done. 'Your Husband will ensure that the trains run smoothly Love, you just make sure you see to his needs appropriately' he responded coolly, then let out a loud pleasurable moan as she suddenly rode him hard and dug her nails deeply into his chest.
-To be continued-