Lucas pulled up at the shabby property and shook his head at the way some of his townspeople were living. It was not his responsibility to make all of life's problems go away, all he could do is offer a life line and if people were too proud to accept the assistance then they would have to reap the consequences.
'Are you sure he's better off here?' Billy asked concerned, not liking dropping the boy off here earlier.
'You think he's better off in a Hospital at Christmas?' Lucas threw back at him, not wanting Billy to get involved especially with Merlyn's uncanny ability to take on strays like his Wife did.
Billy inhaled deeply in an attempt to shake off his concern and reminded himself that it was not his place to judge, not until there was real evidence of neglect. From what he understood, Bobby's Father was a hard working man who liked his alcohol and that was not a crime; however, he made a mental note to look into the family if only for his own peace of mind, to ensure that the boy was really alright. 'Fine...You wanna go see your friend Champ? Or are we supposed to wait out here all night for you two to stop cosyin' up in the backseat?' he asked Caleb and his friend Millie, spotting how close the pair were sat.
Millie regarded the adult with wide eyes at the comment and moved away from Caleb embarrassed.
Caleb had not even noticed their closeness, he was too busy planning what he hoped to accomplish here after his Father had agreed to pick up Millie on their way past. 'Behave, I've got a girlfriend and Millie ain't like that' he shrugged the comment off, then got out of the car and moved to Millie's door and opened it courteously.
'Oh is that so?' Billy asked sarcastically when he saw how Millie regarded Caleb and turned to Lucas who was smiling proudly, clearly noticing how well Caleb handled himself around girls.
'He learned from the best' Lucas smirked when the children exited, wondering if his Son realised how smooth he was.
'Shame that charm doesn't work on Gail, I bet she doesn't approve of him hanging around with another girl' Billy advised and watched as the children walked closely together towards the house.
Caleb sensed the conversation in the car and shook it out of his head, he had been wanting time alone with Bobby all day and now he finally had it. The only reason he had Millie here was so there was a witness, he was fully aware of how important an alibi was when people decided to question ones actions and he would not be caught out like he could have been with his first plaything in TJ's Junkyard the other year.
'Is it bad that I can't wait to see him? I wanna see the bruises just so I can laugh, like he laughed at me when he pushed me down so many times' Millie whispered in anticipation, happy that Caleb had thought to collect her on his way here.
A devilish smile crossed over Caleb's lips when he realised that she was as excited as he was to see Bobby damaged. He was not used to this, Rose always attempted to talk him out of things she disapproved of; however, Millie appeared to accept his behaviour without any hesitation and it was different. 'It ain't bad, he's a bully and he deserves everythin' he gets' he responded, approaching the door without hesitation then stopping abruptly in front of it when he saw a note addressed to his Father pinned to it.
Millie stared at the note confused, then glanced over her shoulder at the Sheriff who was waiting patiently in the car and wondered what was going on.
'He's gonna be pissed' Caleb sighed without opening the note to read it, recognising the hand writing and turned back towards the car, sensing their time here was wasted.
Lucas watched confused as the children turned back towards him, then felt his rage rising within him when he saw the apologetic look in Caleb's eyes and shook his head in agitation.
Gail sat comfortably on the porch chair onlooking her vast garden with her Daughter laying peacefully on her lap and sipping a glass of spiced rum. It had been an active day for her, all brought on by herself and she was happy that her tasks were finally complete.
She glanced towards the injured boy who was sat beside her Uncle Abe and shot him a warm smile, unable to ignore the boy's imminent danger after Matt had called her about Lucas having the boy released from Hospital. Gail had not been impressed by Matt bothering her again when she had warned him not to; however, she was happy for his instinct to give her a heads up, even if it was out of suspicion of her Husband.
'Daddy's mad' Gail Jr reached up and whispered in her ear, sensing her Father's rage as he drove home.
'He's going to be even more mad when he see's how much you two have helped with my tasks today, but you leave him to me' Gail advised quietly and stroked her Daughter's head reassuringly, unable to hide her amused smile. If her Husband insisted on continuing to test her at this time of year, using Caleb to defy her, then she would happily show him how much she knew how to get under his skin.
Luke sensed his Sister stir uncomfortably and allowed his focus to momentarily shift from the strange boy to her. He could see the regret in her eyes and stared at her confused, not used to such a feeling radiating off of her.
'It's alright little man, you've both done very good today. You just chill with your milkshake and Daddy will be home soon' Gail smirked, spotting the disapproving way that her Uncle Abe was regarding her and smiled sweetly at him.
Abe shook his head slowly, knowing full well how his friend was likely to react when he returned home and let out a long sigh. 'I think I'm gonna head in, leave you lot to your own doin'' he advised, moving towards Gail to place an affectionate kiss on both hers and Gail Jr's forehead, then left them to deal with the consequences of their actions and hoped that his friend managed to remain calm.
To say Lucas was seething was an understatement, he had read the note from his Wife which informed him that she had taken Bobby into her own personal care while she assessed his situation and he could not believe her audacity.
'I don't know what you're pissed for, surely it's a good thing that she's checkin' out the boys situation. You don't need an exposé about your lack of interest in a neglected child' Billy advised, sensing his friends anger.
'She hasn't done this to cover my back' Lucas responded abruptly, annoyed at his friends instinct to defend Gail.
'Then why?' Billy asked curiously, wondering what the deal was with this boy.
'He's a bully and he shouldn't get special treatment' Caleb spoke up before his Father, sensing that he was about to say something he would regret and did not want him pushing away his friend.
'Even bullies have back stories Champ, you don't know what his is yet and I'm sure Gail is just doin' damage control considerin' how interested Matt appears to be with the boy' Billy explained and attempting to be the voice of reason.
'A back story doesn't give him a free pass, Bobby's evil' Millie spoke up, siding with Caleb.
Lucas smiled at how easily Caleb garnered support from his new friend and felt himself relax; however, as he turned onto his Street his smile faded when he spotted the illuminations half way down and his rage flew to the surface.
'Shoot, I meant to warn you!' Caleb exclaimed, previously forgetting why he had been sent to the Hobby Store earlier and cursed himself for not giving his Father a heads up.
An amused smile crossed over Billy's lips at his friends silence and he could not help but gloat. 'Wow, no wonder M wanted me to put up some lights when this is what she has to contend with' he said sarcastically, laughing when Lucas shot him a warning look.
'I'm sure it won't be that bad' Caleb advised hopefully, not actually being privy to the finished product when he had been dragged home with his Mother earlier.
Lucas turned into his driveway and got out of the car to assess the damage, then his mouth dropped open when he saw the blanket of white all over their garden. 'Not that bad?' he asked through gritted teeth and felt his blood boiling when the lights around all of their windows began flashing different colours.
Caleb remained in the car with Millie, having no desire to be around his Father in this mood at the sight of fake snow littered all around their property, then let out a long sigh when Billy signalled for him to get out and he helped Millie out of the car courteously.
'This is amazing! You live here?' Millie asked in awe, never seeing anything like this before.
'This is a monstrosity and completely disrespectful of our ancestry' Lucas said angrily before Caleb had a chance to respond, then grabbed Caleb's arm and dragged him around the side of the house to ensure that he was not able to get away when he clearly knew what Gail had been up to.
'Daddy!' Luke exclaimed when he saw his Father enter the garden and jumped up to go to him; however, when he spotted his look of rage he backed up towards his Mother and hid under her chair.
Gail stroked Luke's back reassuringly and continued to smile sweetly, not alerting Bobby to any dangers from her family. As Lucas and Caleb approached their position and walked up the porch steps, Gail placed her Daughter down carefully and picked up the drink which was situated beside hers. 'Rough day Soulmate?' she asked Lucas sarcastically, then handed him a glass of honey whiskey and pushed Caleb gently towards his siblings.
'You-' Caleb directed his attention to Bobby, who just sat watching the group curiously.
'Are going to be checked out by our own Doctor Peele to ensure you are ready to return home' Gail interjected sweetly, nodding her thanks to Billy when he acted instinctively on her words and went to check on the boy.
Lucas did not say a word and stared at his Wife in disbelief of the time and effort she had wasted just to bother him, then walked past the group gathered on the porch and entered his home, not acknowledging anyone further.
'Momma?' Gail Jr asked concerned.
'It's alright Angel, you stay here to make sure your Brothers don't get into any trouble and I'll go check on our Papa Bear' Gail reassured her calmly, narrowing her eyes at the new girl she spotted lurking at the bottom of the porch steps, then picked up her drink and followed her Husband inside.
When Gail was away from her children, she realised that this may not have been her smartest moment. The children provided a shield from her Husbands wrath and the shield was greatly required now, seen as she had possibly gone overboard in her attempt to push his buttons.
Gideon let out a loud sob, as if to agree with her thoughts and signalled behind him, indicating that Lucas had chosen to go to the forbidden part of their home. That was never good, not when he was in a mood such as this and Gail took in a deep breath before deciding to follow him.
As she strolled down the deserted corridors, she sensed strange presences behind closed doors and not for the first time wondered who she shared her home with. It was bad enough knowing that the family tree was buried in their backyard, she did not think she wanted to know what presences lurked within the walls of this cursed place and continued to be surprised that she was able to walk around without being bothered.
A door to the right creaked open as if to invite her in and Gail instantly recognised the room when she peeked in curiously. 'Why do you end up here when you're about to completely lose control?' she asked casually when she entered, sensing her Husband before she actually saw him.
Lucas let out a small laugh at her inability to allow him to have some peace and took a long sip of his drink, savouring the sharp liquid travelling down his throat.
'You don't want peace, you crave the chaos...it's why we work so well' Gail shrugged off his silence, resting her behind carefully on the large table holding his electric train set and glancing around the playroom curiously.
'You're chaotic not me' Lucas responded bluntly, feeling his rage building at the sight of her.
'Of course I am, I'm a mess' Gail laughed, taking a large sip of her rum before placing it down and approaching him. 'That's what you like though, something to fix and organise' she advised knowingly as she closed the distance between them, running her hand up his chest and began unbuttoning his festive vest.
Lucas inhaled deeply and allowed her to carefully remove his vest, forcing down his urge to really hurt her. 'You've gone too far-' he started, unimpressed at the blatant disregard for the sanctity of their home.
'Yet your children love it, even Caleb who's trying to hide his childlike excitement in an attempt to make you proud' Gail interjected, knowing how much Caleb loved this time of year and the decorations which came with it.
Lucas let out a long sigh and shook his head. 'This ain't about what the children want, this was a punishment' he threw back at her, seeing through her act.
Gail smiled and nodded, loving how much he truly knew her. 'You allowed him to hurt a boy just because he pushes around Boone and Josh? A boy who's family dynamic has clearly screwed him up and could easily have been Caleb had Gage lived long enough to truly get his nails dug into him' she responded in her defence.
'All at Christmas time, that's what's really botherin' you isn't it? You can't stand him havin' fun our way at this time of year as you want to conform to the mundane way of everyone else' Lucas accused, not oblivious to how much her integrity had become more prominent over the last month.
Gail laughed and shook her head at his accusation, God forbid she want her family to act appropriately for a change. 'Stuart, Karen and now Bobby. He's getting out of control and I won't stand for it, not when he himself has not been hurt by these people' she advised calmly, standing her ground. 'It's sloppy, self indulgent and there's no point to it'
Lucas thought for a moment, not oblivious to her point and knowing Caleb was testing boundaries to see how far he would be allowed to go. 'He's growin' and he wants to protect his friends' he responded in Caleb's defence, attempting to make her see sense.
'No, he's showing off for the sake of it and becoming a bully himself. I won't have that kind of role model around our children...is this really the man that you want him to grow up to be?' Gail asked seriously, willing her Husband to open his eyes and see the situation for what it really was.
Lucas narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, then felt his rage lessen as she removed her Christmas sweater to reveal her blood red lace bra and stared deep into his eyes sincerely, showing that she was not trying to offend him with this conversation. 'You're too hard on him' he advised finally, stroking his hands down her bare arms and smiling when she shivered slightly.
'And you're too soft' she responded, sensing him relax slightly and pressing her body up against his, knowing that she had found her way in.
'You're infuriatin'' Lucas laughed in disbelief, as he felt his manhood harden instantly when she pressed against him and cursed his body for not remaining strong.
'You love it really, how else would you tempt me to this hostile area with my guard down if not by using my own inability to let you be against me' Gail whispered in his ear, taking the clip from her hair and shaking out her curls in anticipation of what would inevitably come next.
Lucas was not oblivious to the fact that he had her completely to himself in this part of the house, knowing his children would not dare intrude in his private area and that meant that she had no support from anybody else here. 'You've been a bad girl Mrs Buck' he scolded, as he lifted her up and slammed her hard against the wall.
'So I have Master Buck, I suppose I'm not on Santa's good list anymore?' she asked sweetly, feigning innocence when she felt how excited he was.
'Oh I don't know, I'm sure we can come up with some extra credit to get you back in his good books' Lucas responded sarcastically, then ripped off her panties and unzipped his pants, thrusting his hard manhood inside of her before she was ready and allowing his rage to take hold.
Gail let out a pained moan at his rough entry, then relaxed to allow herself to get used to his length. 'Whatever it takes Soulmate, I'm at your command' she whispered obediently and nipped at his ear playfully.
Lucas gave off a loud moan and began thrusting in and out of her hard. He was still furious at how his sacred property had been defiled; however, he would work off his frustration in any way that he saw fit and he was happy that she would accept how hard he was going to take her.
If putting up with a bit of festive irritation was all he had to do to have her his way, he was more than willing to deal with that and welcomed her defiance if only to enable him to punish her appropriately.
-The End-