Gail pulled up at the Hospital parking lot and got out of her car, allowing Selena to follow close beside her. She had dropped the children off with Merlyn, to enable them to assist her to decorate seen as Lucas had tempted Billy away from his duties and now she wanted to investigate a story herself, considering one of her colleagues had disregarded it's potential far too quickly for her liking.
'You're tempting fate Gail. It's bad enough that you're prodding the bear as much as you are, but this? What do you hope to gain?' Selena asked, sauntering down the quiet corridor and smiling smugly at the dull Nurses that they past.
Gail came up to Matt's office and stopped, then turned towards Selena. The fact that Selena was keeping tabs on the incident meant that she thought there was a connection to Lucas or Caleb, she could not help but try to find a way in with her boys. 'Why don't you go wait in the corner, it'll do you some good to have time to yourself to consider the appropriate etiquette of loyal friend' she ordered sweetly, knowing that seeing her in the same room with Matt would cause her darkness to become unsettled.
Selena glanced at the door to the office hopefully, then let out a long sigh and obediently walked to the corner, knowing better than to push her luck with her only real friend.
Gail smiled at the effort Selena was putting in to keep their friendship and this was why she was willing to keep her around. Selena had never pretended to be anything but herself and despite her unwavering love for her Husband, the woman was trying to better herself and respect the sanctity of their marriage. She wished she could say the same about the man who she thought was her best friend and she could trust the most. Learning of Matt's dishonesty had caused a wedge in their friendship and this would be the first time she had seen him properly since she found out what he had done with Selena.
Before she could knock on the door to announce her presence, the door opened and Matt smiled at her affectionately. Gail saw the hope in his eyes and let out a small sigh as she pushed past him to get into the office. 'You said something was wrong' she advised, not bothering with their usual niceties.
Matt regarded her sadly, then remembered that he had called her for a reason and forced himself to be professional. 'There's a boy who was brought in this morning under strange circumstances-' he started.
'My lead Reporter has already ruled out anything untoward, why would I go against her when I'm not a Reporter anymore?' Gail interrupted, not allowing him to think he had any control here.
Matt's mouth dropped open as if to answer, then he closed it and thought for a moment. 'The Gail I knew would never ignore warning signs, especially when it came to a child' he said finally, knowing better than to accept her statement.
'And the Matt I thought I knew would never have used a women out of jealousy over his friends need for assistance from another man' Gail responded flatly, not rising to the bait.
Matt let out a small laugh and sighed. 'The use went both ways Gail, we both needed something at that time and we took it' he advised, refusing to apologise for his choice to be with someone.
'No, you only took it because you felt left out' Gail said knowingly, understanding exactly why he did what he did. 'My issue is not that you decided to work off some of your frustrations, it's that you judged me so damn much when I had nowhere else to turn for what I needed'
'Of course you had other options, he just put on the charm and you fell for it hook like and sinker. Don't act so noble when you've clearly been drawn to him from the start!' Matt snapped without thinking, growing tired of her attitude toward him.
Gail regarded him calmly, amused by his outburst and let out a long sigh. 'You see, that's where you and me differ. I hated him, didn't trust him one bit and knew from how easily Selena manipulated me for Caleb's initial custody hearing that they were both toxic, which repelled me even more. I could see right through him and tried every other avenue to find the truth, before Caleb inadvertently pointed me in his direction and I confided in your straight away about it...I didn't go skulking around hiding my actions, but you did. You sought Selena out when she was at her most vulnerable and you both worked off your jealousy, proud of yourselves for getting one over on me and Lucas, now you expect me to trust you like I used to when I know she would've been laughing behind my back at how easily she could tempt you from my side?' she asked in disbelief.
Matt inhaled deeply and rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. This would not have been so bad had he just told Gail about what he did at the time, she trusted him enough to confide in him and although he had not approved of her deal at the time, she was at least honest and made Lucas wait as long as she did. 'This is in the past Gail' he said finally, not knowing what else to say to make things right.
'Yes we are and I don't appreciate being brought down here on a fools errand just so you can try to smooth things over. The boy was found with a room full of empty beer cans and both Danielle and Lucas found nothing out of the ordinary...I suppose you've got Lucas pegged for throwing the boy out of the window now?' she asked sarcastically, keeping her own suspicions hidden well.
'No' Matt answered moodily, not sure what he really believed had happened; however, knowing that something did not seem right.
'Well, that's a change' she laughed and watched him closely. Gail sensed him begin to back down and relaxed slightly, not oblivious to who the boy was and suspecting Caleb's bully had not taken a clumsy stumble out of the window on his own. She knew Lucas had been hiding something from her when he made a point of distracting her early yesterday evening and she was really growing tired of her families behaviour of late.
'I know you don't trust me Gail, but I would appreciate it if you at least popped in to see the boy. If you think it was just a run of the mill stumble then I'll drop it, just please check him out' Matt pleaded, trying one last time to have his suspicion acknowledged.
Gail let out an irritated breath and shook her head, knowing that he could not completely let this go. 'When have I ever just walked away when you came to me with something?' she sighed and started to head out of the office, then turned back towards him. 'You drop this now, I won't be checking in with you and I don't want to hear from you' she ordered and left the office, cursing herself for giving him a lifeline when she sensed his happiness at her willingness to investigate his suspicion.
Caleb listened intently as his English Literature Teacher Mrs Denton explained the importance of the essay which they were required to write on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Although his Teacher was a stocky old woman who appeared as interesting as a wet flannel at times, she brightened up when she talked about the books they were required to complete this term and he was finding a new interest is reading now that the material was more broad.
Mrs Denton focussed her attention on the children most likely to fail her essay and drilled in how much she expected of them, then let out a sigh when the class jumped up at the end of School bell and nodded her approval for them to get on their way. 'Caleb Temple' she called, as the boy slowly followed behind his classmates in no rush at all.
'Yes Ma'am?' Caleb asked courteously from the corridor, noting Boone's smug look as his friend believed that he was in some sort of trouble and oddly appeared to get some satisfaction at that.
'You're always last to leave, taking your time to pack up your things rather than rushing out like all the other degenerates in this Town. Why is that?' she asked curiously, having formed an opinion of this boy long before she had met him due to the tragedy that had befallen his family and expecting a different attitude from the one she had seen so far.
'Buck' Caleb responded coolly, as he walked back into the classroom and regarded his Teacher casually.
'Excuse me?' Mrs Denton asked, confused by the response.
'I'm Caleb Buck, as my official School records show and I ain't in no rush to leave a lesson that I'm interested in. In fact, I wish you'd spend more time on the material rather than wastin' it lecturin' people who don't care'
Mrs Denton regarded the young boy closely, taken aback by his frankness. 'My apologies Caleb, you have been taken in as a Buck now and I applaud your courage in taking on that identity...It's hard for adults to make a fresh start and embrace the opportunities presented to them, let alone a child and you really are seem to be giving it your all, at least in my class anyway' she smiled, recalling how much she had enjoyed teaching Lucas Buck all those years ago and remembering how he excelled, even though he chose to keep his intelligence hidden from other children.
Caleb smiled happily, not expecting the praise from Mrs Denton due to the stories he had heard from other children. 'To be honest, I couldn't get away with slackin' in this class if I wanted to. Gail would have my hide if she even suspected I was phonin' it in with how much time she spent helpin' me discover my favourite works' he laughed, enjoying the casual banter.
'Oh that's right, your Cousin's a Reporter isn't she?' Mrs Denton asked pleasantly.
'My Mother is a Reporter-' Caleb corrected, accepting Gail as so much more than his Cousin over the years and not allowing anyone to make light of their relationship. '-She taught me how to get lost in the different stories, showed me that it can be an escape should I need to take a step away from all the seriousness' he shrugged.
Mrs Denton nodded appreciatively, impressed that someone had actually taken time to teach such a wayward child rather than just push him in front of a TV screen. 'It sounds like she's given you a good head start, smart woman' she advised, knowing from the attention to detail that he had already shown these past few months that Caleb was on the right track for extremely high honours.
Caleb sensed her thought and his smile grew wider, proud that he was performing well. 'She's really great, I'm sure she'd give you some interestin' conversation if you get a chance to meet' he said politely, hiding his irritation with his best friend when he sensed Boone eavesdropping outside of the door.
Mrs Denton appreciated this boy's manners in not rushing off when his friends were clearly waiting and signalled to the door. 'I look forward to meeting your parent's Caleb, it's been a while since I've had the pleasure of our Sheriff's company and your Mother does have an interesting reputation...You run along now, I suspect you won't come across much difficulty with the essay but know that I have high expectations of your Caleb Buck' she advised and smiled pleasantly when he nodded courteously, then left the classroom.
'Oh Caleb, you're so perfect. You won't have nothin' to worry about with this dang essay, you just keep bein' perfect and everythin' will be fine' Boone said sarcastically, as they rushed out of the building to locate Josh.
Caleb narrowed his eyes at Boone immaturity and shook his head, coming to realise that people close to you could turn when they felt insecure even if you had not done anything to them. All he wanted to do was get to the Hospital to see what more fun he could have with Bobby and he would not let Boone's mood get in the way of his entertainment. 'You're bein' silly' he advised coolly, not rising to his friends immaturity.
'No I ain't, somehow you've got all the Teachers wrapped around your little finger when all us other folks have to actually work to get by' Boone responded moodily, unable to hide his jealousy.
Caleb rolled his eyes at the bitter comment and let out a long sigh. His Father was friends with Ben when he was in High School, would he have had to put up with this sort of behaviour? He suspected not due to the dynamic he had witnessed between the two; however, he wondered if there was something that his Father had done differently to avoid this type of situation.
'Probably tortured some poor soul to show his dominance, drilled his will into them and turned them into his sheep' Gail responded to Caleb's unspoken thought as she leaned casually against a tree, amused that he had not sensed her presence and walked straight past her.
Both boys turned around confused and Caleb stared wide eyes at his Mother, not believing that she had spoken so frankly in front of someone outside of their family.
'You've got no idea what I'm talking about do you Boone?' Gail asked sweetly, approaching the boys and putting on her most disarming smile.
Boone shook his head obediently, feeling himself become flush at being acknowledged so directly by this beautiful woman, then stared down at his hands when a giddiness came over him as she continued to smile sweetly at him.
Gail glanced at Caleb, then rolled her eyes sarcastically at how easily certain people were handled and placed her arm around his shoulders. 'You left too early, now I've had to go out of my way to include you...you're such a burden' she joked, then kissed him on the forehead and gave him a loving squeeze.
'Include me in what?' Caleb asked suspiciously, placing his hand around her hips and walking with her instinctively.
'Cal!' both Gail Jr and Luke screamed in unison, waving frantically with their free hands while Selena held on to their other hands tightly, happy that their Mother had decided to collect them on her way to their Brother.
Caleb narrowed his eyes at his siblings, spotting his old Teachers unimpressed look and wondering why she would be with his family at this time of day.
'Your curiosity is as bad as your Sisters, mind your own business' Gail warned, not wanting him to start being interested in Selena like he used to be, then smiled mischievously when Luke pulled out a sweater from her backpack and began waving it above his head excitedly.
'What in God's name is that monstrosity?' Caleb asked in disbelief of the bright green sweater with colourful elves knitted into it.
'That is your Christmas sweater, which you will put on right now to be in sync with your family' Gail responded sweetly, forcing back her amused laugh at the horror in his eyes.
'No way, Dad wouldn't entertain this and neither am I' Caleb said bluntly, refusing to conform to this silly tradition.
Gail dug her nails into his shoulders and forced them both to stop, ensuring her smile remained so not to alarm her other children. 'You're not the alpha in this family and even your Father is donning a festive garment so not to upset those two over there...Are you honestly telling me no Caleb?' she asked quietly, fixing her eyes on his and staring down at him dominantly.
Caleb stared up at her defiantly and attempted to hold her gaze, then he caved at the intensity of her stare and cursed himself for being weak. 'This ain't fair' he snapped moodily, not appreciating her forcing her will onto him.
'What's not fair is a young teenager in the Hospital with a drunk for a Father who can't even put down his pint long enough to go visit his damaged Son' Gail advised quietly, showing him that she was not oblivious to his recent activities after checking in on Bobby at Matt's request. 'It's ever so kind of you to go visit in his Fathers place and the whole Town will see you there in your festive colours, they won't be able to take their eyes off you for a second' she smirked, ensuring that he would be easy to spot to prevent any subtle visitation that he had hoped.
Caleb stared up at her with disdain, sensing that she was trying to stop any further fun he had planned for Bobby, then heard his happy siblings running towards him excitedly and forced a warm smile for them. 'This blows' he told Gail, not impressed by her interference.
'Take it up with your Father, I'm sure he's thrilled with the reward he's gotten for allowing your inappropriate behaviour' Gail advised, amused at the thought of her Husband right now, then nodded her approval for Caleb to go back to Boone once he had put on his sweater and returned to Selena to move on to their next task.
Lucas opened the thin folder for the fifth time and began to read the monthly report, using all of his energy to focus. Crime was at an all time low, he had seen to that personally ready for the holiday season to keep his townspeople's faith in him strong and reviewing this report should have only taken five minutes; however, it had been close to an hour and nothing detailed in the report had stuck.
A moment of silence engulfed his office and he let out a long relieved breath, then the Christmas music began again on loop and he slammed the folder closed, placing his head in his hands in frustration.
'We need to talk' Caleb said abruptly, entering the office without invitation and leaving the door open, increasing the volume of the music.
Lucas lifted his head and narrowed his eyes at Caleb, staring at him with deep irritation. 'What you need to do is close that door before I lose control and cause a Christmas massacre' he advised, seriously contemplating releasing his twin just to cause some havoc to alleviate his tension.
Caleb sensed the truth in his Fathers statement and quickly closed the door, dropping his attitude and regarding him concerned. 'You alright?' he asked cautiously, when his Father stood up and started tugging at his festive vest uncomfortably.
'Are you?' Lucas asked, staring in disbelief at the bright green elf sweater that Caleb was wearing and shaking his head at his Son's inability to stand up to his Wife.
'Like you did?' Caleb snapped, unimpressed by his unspoken thought.
'I'm takin' one for the team Son and this here vest ain't nowhere as bad as what you've allowed yourself to be stuck with...it's like Father Christmas vomited all over you' Lucas laughed, unable to hide his amusement at how silly Caleb looked.
Caleb narrowed his eyes at his Father, his attitude not helping the situation and let out a long sigh. 'She's gone crazy, I can't go the Hospital like this! It's like havin' a neon sign pointin' directly at me, I won't be able to get anythin' done...You need to sort out your Wife' he said judgementally, without thinking.
Lucas let out a small laugh at the disrespectful order and moved closer to his eldest, towering over him. 'Oh do I now? You think it's unreasonable for her to want a drama free few weeks to ensure your siblings are able to enjoy this stupid time of year? I guess their presence in your life is just an awful inconvenience, considerin' your selfish need to put your desires above everyone elses' he responded sharply, feeling his rage clawing to be released.
Caleb could not contain his laughter at the hypocritical statement and stood tall. 'Really? You of all people are accusin' me of that?' he asked in disbelief of the double standard.
Lucas was about to put Caleb in his place, when Rocking Around The Christmas Tree came on for the fourth time and he realised that his anger was not with his Son. 'Look, I find your exploration of your talents amusin', but you've pissed her off and at the worst possible time...I have no leg to stand on with how much the other people in our family have bought into this holiday, not to mention how much you usually get involved in this festive insanity. You changed Gail, not me. She hated this time of year as much as I did, but she had to make it work for you and now we're stuck with this madness...Man up and work through it, it's not as though you have to put up with this fresh hell' he signalled towards the music, then sat back down behind his desk and opened up the folder again.
Caleb regarded his Father cautiously, sensing how close he was to snapping and decided to leave him be to work through his own punishment.
'Smart boy' Lucas said to himself when Caleb exited the office and closed his door, then took a deep breath and attempted to focus on the report in front of him again.
-To be continued-