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 Indestructible.
It was a cool late afternoon in Trinity South Carolina, the sun had yet to set on the peaceful small Town and a soft wind crept through the bare trees, reminding the residents that the remnants of winter was still upon them.
Trinity had been hit by a month of rain, causing the Trinity river to rise and become more treacherous than usual. That did not deter the die hard fisherman and amongst the old timers, Caleb Temple sat with his small group of friends holding their fishing rods in the hopes of catching some bass.
Caleb had expanded his group since starting High School, finding that children did not shy away from him as they once had due to his chequered past. He had discovered a confidence which he had been unable to feed in Elementary School and openly challenging the School bully had given him quite the reputation. Caleb was at the beginning of his teenage years, he had embraced High School and was excelling not only with his grades but with his popularity; however, there was a deep rooted void within him and no amount of games with his friends appeared to fill it.
'This blows' Millie said quietly, glancing moodily at Caleb with his arm around his girlfriend and feeling a strong resentment for the younger girl.
'You have to have a certain skill when it comes to fishin', not everyone takes to it' Rose responded smugly, snuggling closer to Caleb and happy that he had started including her again in his group.
Boone watched Caleb with Rose bitterly and let out a quiet sigh as he held onto his fishing rod. His jealousy of Caleb grew with each passing day and he hated that his best friend got things so easily and did not appear to care about them.
Caleb sensed Boone's thoughts and instinctively tightened his grip on Rose's shoulder, purposely showing off what he had. Caleb did not really care for rubbing his friends nose in his good fortune; however, he was in a bad mood and if Boone continued to hold such resentment for him, Caleb would happily mess with him.
'I've missed you' Rose whispered in his ear and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.
Caleb felt something stir within him and take his attention away from Boone, he stared down at Rose and smiled at her affectionately. 'I've been right here all the time' he advised her, never actually telling her that she could not join him previously and wondering why girls chose to act so strange all the time.
'It's in their nature Son, they like to infuriate us just because they can' Lucas responded to Caleb's unspoken thought, appearing beside him and sitting down next to him casually.
Rose gave a small jump and straightened up guiltily, shrugging Caleb's arm off of her quickly.
Caleb turned towards his Father and shot him a look of disdain for interrupting his intimate moment.
'It's not nice when someone you enjoy the company of is pushed away now is it?' Lucas asked coldly, keeping his voice down so not to alert the other children to their private matter.
Caleb let out a long sigh and shook his head. Ever since Gail had chosen to leave their home with his Sister, his Father had made it his goal to interrupt Caleb's fun whenever he could and it was really beginning to bother him. 'That ain't fair, you can't put that on me' he whispered, leaning close to his Father so Rose could not hear him.
'What ain't fair is your Sister bein' seperated from her siblings and bein' made to live in the slaughterhouse down on Cherry Lane' Lucas responded sarcastically, in an attempt to hide his agitation.
Caleb rolled his eyes at the comment and spotted the storm clouds forming quickly above them. 'That's an over-exaggeration and ain't you the one that bought that place for Gail in the first place?' he asked defensively, refusing to shoulder all the blame for the situation his family was in right now.
Lucas laughed at Caleb's question and could not believe how well the boy was holding up under their current circumstances. 'Your Mother deserved to own the place that was built by her family, that don't mean it's suitable for her to live in and if I recall correctly, you're the one that awoke that place with your inability to leave things alone' he scolded, growing tired of Caleb's lack of ownership of late.
Caleb was about to challenge his Father's take on the matter when the heaven's opened and torrential rain poured down on them. All of the other children and fisherman ran for shelter as the heavy rain came crashing down; however, both Lucas and Caleb remained seated in their current position, not impressed by the sudden downpour. 'Since when can't you persuade her out of this type of mood?' Calen asked finally, running his hand over his forehead and attempting to wipe the rain out of his eyes.
Lucas inhaled deeply as the heavy rain bounced off of his skin and allowed the pain to engulf him, each drop feeling like a drop of fire on his skin. That had been the longest break in a while from the torrential downpours of late and he had hoped that his Wife was finally starting to come out of her mood; however, clearly the sensation was fleeting and the punishment continued.
'Dad?' Caleb asked concerned when Lucas did not answer his question with a sarcastic remark like he had expected and he just sat staring into the river, as the large drops of rain attacked him.
Lucas shook his head at his own stubbornness for leaving his Wife to work out her issues on her own and let out a long sigh as he stood up. 'Come on Son, if the wind picks up like it usually does around this time and blows us into the river, I doubt we've got our safety net anymore' he advised, signalling towards the centre of the River where he sensed Rosemary watching them like an animal stalking her prey.
Caleb sensed the hostility beneath the water and backed up towards his Father, not noticing the predator before. 'She wouldn't dare' he said, more to reassure himself.
'All bets are off now Son and I imagine she'd love to take advantage while she can' Lucas sighed, grabbing Caleb by the scruff of his neck when a strong gust of wind hit them out of nowhere and pulled him roughly towards his car at the end of the bridge.
Caleb did not put up any resistance and allowed himself to be pulled, his mouth dropping open when he caught sight of the sharp teeth under the water as Rosemary smiled maliciously at them. He had not believed that Gail would truly discard them, thinking this mood was just a short faze; however, it appeared that she had not been bluffing when she told him that she was finally done and she had completely remove her protection.
A light breeze blew across the immaculate lawn, pushing the small black and white chickadee slightly; however, the bird kept digging it's beak into the bright wet green grass in the search for worms, refusing to give up on a potential meal when it had found such a vast quiet place to forage.
Gail Jr hunched down on all fours with her bottom wiggling in the air slowly, like a hungry lion in search of it's prey. She kept her head low as she watched the pretty bird discreetly, choosing to listen to the strange voice guiding her inside of her brain and stopped wiggling her bottom, so not to be spotted. She waited patiently as the bird hopped around the area carefully, unaware of the small eyes watching it's every move and when it landed not far from her position, she pounced like a lion and roared loudly.
Gail sat on the large front porch with a glass of red wine in her hand, watching her Daughter curiously. She could not believe that the bird had not spotted Gail Jr instantly and when the bird got close, she thought that her Daughter may actually have it. Gail burst out into laughter when Gail Jr could not hold in her playful roar and the bird flew frantically from the garden, leaving her Gail Jr scratching her head confused as she watched it fly away. 'Smooth' Gail called out to her Daughter and laughed louder when she pulled a moody tongue at her, as her plaything escaped successfully.
'She's going to be one to watch' Selena warned in awe, watching the youngest Buck closely throughout the whole play and impressed by the little girl's stealth before she gave away her position in excitement.
Gail smiled proudly at her Daughter, having no doubts about how special she truly was. 'She's definitely a force to be reckoned with, God help them all' she responded, thankful that her Daughter did not appear disadvantaged for being here with her.
Selena shot a sly glance at Gail, her money usually being on the male members of the family no matter how much Gail had held her own in the past and wondered what was really going on to warrant Gail staying in this curious Mansion with her Daughter.
Gail sensed her curiosity and refilled both of their glasses, inviting her present company here to help her forget about her boys and not remind her of them. 'You're a little slow tonight Teacher, care to share why?' she asked, in an attempt to change Selena's focus from her.
Selena let out a small laugh and was brought back to her own issues. 'Bob brought his Daughter around last night, a placid grey little thing with no personality at all and then he asked me to move in with him' she responded bitterly, raising her glass in a mock toast, then downed her wine quickly.
Gail could not contain her laughter at Selena's lack of excitement and downed her own drink, then refilled the glasses again. 'I take it you're taking some time on the matter, rather than jumping all in?' she asked, knowing Selena was not the settling down type and sensing that she still deeply coveted her Husband.
'Well, let's just say he's not the slam me against a wall and taking me hard type that I usually like' Selena sighed, feeling bored with the current state of her life and craving some real excitement.
'Oh but he's the easily moulded type who's used his law connections to befriend our lovely Mayor and try to get into the elite men's club that he's a part of' Gail advised knowingly, fully aware of Selena's attempt to use Bob to infiltrate Lucas' puppet group to get back in the fold with her Husband.
Selena's eyes grew wide at the comment for a moment, realising that she had been busted, then she relaxed and just shrugged. 'You're yet to express a desire for me to fully change Gail, so what else do you expect from me?' she asked coolly, not bothering to apologise for her deep rooted need to be close to Lucas Buck at whatever cost.
Gail could not contain her laughter and shook her head, Selena was not wrong and although Gail had made it clear that certain behaviours would not be tolerated, she was as much a slave as Selena to her Husbands pull. 'How's Bob doing? Has he managed to worm his way into the inner circle yet?' she asked curiously, losing interest in that group herself after she uprooted their traditions a while ago and realised that they were just her Husbands proxies should he need them.
'Absolutely not, Adam might not be able to spot an imposter but I certainly can' Mary interrupted before Selena could answer, as she sat down beside her friend after refusing to leave Gail Jr on the lawn so far away from them, then realised the girl was fine on her own.
Gail ignored Selena's disdainful look at Mary and reached over to hand Mary a fresh glass of Wine. 'It's good Adam has someone experienced looking after his best interest, who knows what sleazy underhanded people may attempt to gain his trust due to his high position' she said sarcastically, sensing the venom radiating off of Selena.
'That's so true, our lovely handsome Mayor should not be left alone to take care of himself during his long work days...I hear his Wife isn't performing her duties of late, so I guess someone has to' Selena retorted cattily, smiling triumphantly at the sharp intake of breath from Mary and sipping her wine smugly.
Gail shot Selena a look of warning when she felt Mary tense beside her; however, she was actually impressed that Selena had managed to behave well for this long in the company of another woman. Usually her claws were out instantly at the threat of another woman taking Gail's attention, it appeared that she was actually making an effort on her behalf.
'And don't you forget it' Selena said proudly, spotting the way Gail impressed was regarding her and suspecting what she was thinking.
Gail could not help but smile and shot her a playful wink, showing Selena that she was not the only one on her best behaviour when all Gail wanted to do was release her darkness and have some fun, desperate for a way to release her frustration of late.
'Adam's Wife if performin' just fine' Mary lied, finally regaining her voice and at a loss of what else to say.
'Oh come on, Janet is as dry as a desert and we all know it...You don't need to hide yourself here' Gail advised, taking a long sip of her drink and waving at her Daughter to ensure that she was aware of her eyes always being on her.
'That's right, you're in the safe bubble here and no little birdies are gonna sing their tune outside of those big gates' Selena said sarcastically, confirming that her lips were sealed to anything she heard in the vicinity of Gail.
Mary looked at Gail unsure for a moment, then relaxed and took a large drink of her wine. 'It's gettin' unbearable and I'm so sick of behavin'!' she blurted out unintentionally, then held her hand to her lips in shock at her own outburst.
Selena smiled mischievously and leaned forward, stroking her hand up Gail's leg as she got in close to the other women. 'It's awful isn't it? All that pent up desire and nowhere to get a release...Kind of like when you're used to an intense routine, then it's just snatched away abruptly by another woman' she said feigning sweetness, knowing first hand how hard it was when Lucas Buck's skill is taken away.
Gail tensed at the shot of pleasure that surged through her at Selena's touch and shook her head in irritation, knowing full well that her friend was taking advantage and punishing her for the past. 'It's not really the other woman's fault when the source of that intense routine decides he's more suited to her and officially ends whatever was going on previously...It's not as though he played them both, the ties were cut before the other woman committed and she made sure of that' she responded forcing a calm tone, staring unimpressed at Selena.
'Adam would never play us both!' Mary exclaimed, not wanting anyone to think bad of the most kindest caring man that she had ever met.
Selena rolled her eyes at Mary's misunderstanding and sat back in her seat, sensing Gail was not in the right frame of mind to play.
'Oh I absolutely am, I'm just not rehashing that bitter old game yet again' Gail responded to her unspoken thought, not bothering to hide her ability to read her mind due to her annoyance.
'Momma!' Gail Jr called when she sensed the change in her and held her hands out expectantly.
Gail ignored both women's confused looks and exited the porch to go see to her Daughter, sensing that she was trying to pull her away from an uncomfortably conversation. 'You shouldn't get involved in adult things Princess, I can take care of myself' she advised reassuringly, sensing her Daughters need to protect her.
Gail Jr smiled lovingly at her Mother and placed a soft kiss on her lips, then signalled sadly towards the gate where a small face was straining to get through the bars and attempted not to show her upset, knowing her Mother was not handling this separation well no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
Gail looked in the direction that her Daughter was pointing and took a sharp intake of breath when she saw Luke's sad face watching them. Suddenly tears began to form in her eyes and she screamed inside her mind to remain strong in front of the children.
Lucas had insisted on cutting ties when she officially moved her Daughter into her Grandfathers old place. Although Gail knew it pained him to leave his Daughter, he was a stubborn man and he thought it was best for the children to remain in their respective homes without the pain of having to tear them apart at arranged play dates. Not seeing Luke was killing Gail; however, it was her who had decided to step away and she could not blame Lucas for this. Seeing Luke reaching in desperately to touch them broke her heart and she felt her control slipping.
'It's ok Momma, we know...look' Gail Jr said quietly and pointed at Luke again, who she had reached out to while her Mother was lost in her pain.
Luke forced back his tears and straightened up, then forced his biggest smile and waved at his Mother reassuringly, understanding how much pain she was in from her Sisters words in his mind. He did not want to make her sad, something had happened that he did not understand and his Father was just as easily angered as his Mother was upset these days.
Luke took in a deep breath and took Merlyn's hand, who stood beside him supportively, then began walking down the road looking straight ahead, knowing that if he turned back now he would breakdown. It had not been his intension to cause either himself or his girls any distress and he would try to be happy that he had just been able to see them, if only for a moment.
Gail Jr's bottom lip began to quiver as she felt her Brother's deep sadness; however, she bit back the tears for the sake of her Mother and knew that they all had to remain strong for each other. 'It's ok' she whispered again, reassuring herself as much as her Mother.
Gail was about to rush towards the gates after her Son, ready to go to her Husband and take back her unwise decision; however, a sudden strong gust of wind pushed her to the right and her eyes locked on a tall figure outside of the large iron fence, who was smiling smugly at her. Gail's grip on her Daughter tightened and she smiled when the strange presence residing in this property crashed towards the figure angrily, causing it to jump away in shock and retreat.
Gail Jr sensed her Mother's resolve falter and her desire to go to her Father, then her guard was back straight back up and she sensed it was stronger than ever. 'Stupid!' she snapped, irritated at the thing that was tormenting them and keeping their family apart.
'Yes he is Sweetheart but I'll get him, I promise you that' Gail advised her Daughter, thankful that the strange presence here decided to show it's loyalty openly without having to be asked and happy that they had a safe place while she figured out what to do about Lucas' interfering demon of a Father.
Gail Jr sensed her Mothers rage beneath her skin and rubbed her back reassuringly, showing that she understood the sacrifice they were having to make. She did not blame her Mother for this, someone else was guilty of tearing them apart and Gail Jr swore to herself that she would be present when the guilty party was taken down.
-To be continued-
