Caleb sat on a swing in the large park not far from his home, swinging aimlessly as children played around him. His Father had tasked him with watching Luke for the remainder of the day, much to Luke's protest and his Brother had not stopped staring at him accusingly for the last hour.

'It's a shame that boy has some of his Mother in him, he would have potential if it weren't for her influence' Malcolm scowled, remaining hidden and not showing himself in front of the youngest Buck boy, who was sat on top of the climbing frame watching Caleb suspiciously.

Caleb felt a strange comfort at the sound of his Grandfathers voice and let out a relieved sigh. He knew that Malcolm was supposed to be bad, people would not shut up about that fact as though Caleb was incapable of understanding; however, he had never done anything to hurt him and he had never asked him to go against his other siblings.

'I'd never set you against your true family boy, my issue is with the Heathen who's poisoned my family...Unlike her, I wouldn't expect you to pick sides against your own' Malcolm responded to his Grandson's unspoken thoughts and felt a smugness come over him at how well Caleb was coming along, even after his bad mood yesterday.

'Gail ain't no Heathen and she ain't poison' Caleb said in his Mother's defence, a part of him always wanting to defend her no matter how much she pushed him away.

'Oh but she ain't your Mother is she? She's your Cousin came back to find the truth about her parents and used you as an excuse to hang around. Can you really say that she does anythin' wholeheartedly for you? Or does she just come to you when she needs certain comforts herself?' Malcolm asked casually, forcing himself to remain calm even though he hated the subject of Gail Emory.

Caleb thought for a moment, continuing to swing slowly to help him clear his mind. He thought that Gail did things for him without an ulterior motive; however, there were times when he suspected that she needed his comfort more than he needed hers.

'Monster!' Luke yelled and pointed accusingly in Caleb's direction, wanting to jump down from the climbing frame when he sensed the interfering presence; however, not stupid enough to rush and cause himself an injury.

Caleb stared wide eyed at his Brother's outburst, not understanding why he had such a bad opinion of him.

Malcolm knew that the young Buck was strong and was aiming the insult at him, clearly aware of his presence; however, he placed an invisible hand on Caleb's back when he swung back close to him and stroked him reassuringly. 'See, do you think it's your Daddy that has him thinkin' that way? You know Lucas would never set you against each other and his opinion must come from another'

Caleb felt his dark half bubbling inside of him and shook his head at Luke when he attempted to climb down to approach him. 'My Daddy wouldn't do nothin', he ain't to blame for any of this' he responded irritably, then jumped off the swing and turned in the direction he sensed his friend Millie walking from.

'You know what you need to do and that firecracker is more than acceptin' of your idea of fun. Go to her, you that know you want to' Malcolm said persuasively, ensuring that he did not push the boy too much so that he didn't feel as though he was being controlled.

Caleb felt a strange pulling sensation inside of him and turned in the direction of his Brother, who was reaching down for his assistance. Before he could take a step towards Luke, he felt his Grandfathers hand on his shoulder again.

'You're a monster right? Why would a monster make things easy?...He got himself up there, let him get himself down. It's only fair that he learn the hard way like you have in life Son' Malcolm whispered in his ear, smiling devilishly at Luke when he sensed his older Brother's decision before Caleb made it clear.

Caleb smiled mischievously at Luke, then gave him a wave before heading for Millie who was now accompanied by Josh. He had been tied down for long enough and it was about time that he had some real fun.


Lucas leaned back in his chair behind his desk, as he stared up at the ceiling and let out a long sigh. He had been trying to focus on his duties as Sheriff in an attempt to distract him from his family drama; however, he was haunted by look of betrayal in his Daughters eyes earlier and it would not leave his mind.

Last night was a welcome break from the dysfunctional behaviours that he had been forced to deal with recently. His Wife had managed to make him forgot about the divide they were experiencing, if only for a little while and he had taken full advantage of her consensual mood. When they were required to come to back reality, it had been hard to leave her and even harder to bring his Daughter back to her. Lucas was not used to being forced to choose between his children and the situation was causing his twin to become restless inside of him.

'That's why I chose for you Soulmate, to take all the guilt away from you' Gail advised as she leaned against the open door to his office, watching him carefully.

'And how's that workin' out for you Love?' Lucas asked, still focussing his attention on the ceiling above him.

'It's crushing me' Gail responded quietly, then stepped into the office and closed the door when he finally turned his full attention towards her.

'You know how to make it go away Gail' Lucas advised, standing up and walking around the desk to her.

Gail let out small laugh and shook her head. 'You've already warned me against the action that's needed to fix this Lucas, so what do you expect me to do?' she asked, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath when he placed his hands on her hips.

'Come home' Lucas whispered in her ear, pulling her body to his and refusing to revisit the argument again about ending his Father.

Gail shook her head again, then let out a small sigh. She hated this as much as he did; however, she would not back down until she found a way to ensure her Daughters safety.

Lucas let out a small exasperated laugh at her unguarded thought and pushed her gently away from him, then perched on the edge of his desk. 'So what are you doin' here?' he asked suspiciously, curious as to her motives for coming to him so blatantly when she clearly was not ready to back down.

Gail sensed his annoyance at her refusal to return home and unite their family; however, she had not come here to start an argument. Truth be told, the article which she had just sent out in the afternoon edition of the Trinity Guardian had stirred some old uncomfortable feelings within her and she had not realised her feet had brought her here, until she heard the bell above the entrance.

Now that he had his own space to think, Lucas sensed her discomfort and instinctively reached for her hand. 'You couldn't wait?' he asked seductively, staring deep into her eyes to take her mind off of whatever article was bothering her.

Gail shook her head slowly, holding his gaze and biting her bottom lip when she saw that he instantly knew what she needed. 'This can't wait' she responded softly, then allowed him to pull her to him and began kissing him passionately.

Lucas had not expected her visit like this so soon after their truce had ended this morning and he was not stupid enough to argue with what she desired, regardless of the situation she had put their family in. He ran his hands up the outside of her thighs and under her short skirt, then tangled her thong in his fingers and ripped it off effortlessly.

Gail let out an aroused moan, as he brushed his fingers teasingly over the sacred spot which belonged only to him and nipped at his lips playfully his fingers finally entered her and his thumb focussed on her clit, reminding her of how well he could satisfy her.

'If I knew you were still this pent up, I wouldn't have left you so early this mornin'' Lucas whispered in her ear, then ran his lips over her neck and began to suck.

Gail tangled her fingers in his hair and could not control her volume as his fingers pushed deeper inside of her. She felt Lucas' free hand come over her lips strongly to silence her, then remembered that there were people not far outside of the office and forced herself to control her moans.

'That's it Love, you be good and maybe we can both release what we need to' Lucas groaned against her neck, feeling how uncomfortably hard he was.

Gail moaned against his hand and nipped it playfully, then pulled his lips up to hers when his fingers became more vigorous and screamed into his mouth when he caused her to unravel effortlessly.

Lucas smiled at her loss of control and continued to kiss her passionately, sensing how much she had relaxed in his presence.

'My turn' Gail whispered mischievously when she pulled away from the embrace, then knelt down between his legs and stroked his bulge admiringly.

Lucas had missed this part of her, the carefree mischievous Gail that was reserved only for him. He watched in awe as she unzipped his pants and carefully removed his manhood, her face lighting up at how hard he already was for her.

Gail stared up at him for a moment, feigning innocence, then smiled at him teasingly and ran her tongue up his length before taking him fully into her mouth. She smiled triumphantly when she heard his loud moan and savoured the taste of him in her mouth. This act was not something that she cared for before she met him; however, Lucas tasted exquisite and she enjoyed this nearly as much as he did.

Lucas placed his hand on the back of her head but allowed her to control the pace, knowing how much she enjoyed pleasuring him. He bit his lip as a strong surge of pleasure flowed through him and watched admiringly as her head bobbed up and down. Gail knew exactly what he liked and he had to cover his mouth to control his volume when she pulled down his foreskin, enabling her to nip at his most sensitive part. As she continued to suck him intently, his climax rose strongly in him and he erupted into her mouth.

Gail swallowed his seed and laughed at how well she could satisfy him, it was a pleasure to see him unravel and she had missed this dearly.

'Then come home' Lucas persisted again, pulling her up to him and forcing his lips on hers.

'You know I can't yet, not until we know his hold isn't as strong as I fear' Gail responded when she pulled out of the embrace, then climbed on the desk and straddled him to prevent him from pushing the issue further.

'As much as I crave bein' inside of you, I'm gonna have to pass this time Love' Lucas advised, gently pushing her off of him and standing to zip up his pants.

Gail watched in concern as he stepped away from her unexpectedly and began making himself presentable.

Lucas sensed her worry and smiled, he turned towards her and admired her toned legs as she stood before him clearly offended by his refusal to continue. 'You don't think you're the only one in need of my comfort do you?' he asked playfully, then left the office and headed to the reception area to allow her to clear her mind.

Gail narrowed her eyes angrily at his exit for a moment, then sensed him go to their Daughter who was being watched by Ben and relaxed. 'I guess I can't keep him all to myself anymore' she sighed to herself, then moved around his desk and sat back in his chair, taking a few moments with her thoughts. Their Daughter had behaved well considering the toll this separation was having on her and Gail was more than happy to allow her time with her Father, without her presence causing a distraction for either of them.


Millie skipped happily on Johnson's Bridge as Caleb and Josh walked closely behind her. They had not had much chance to play together recently, due to the quick changing weather of late and she had been ecstatic when she spotted Caleb in the park.

'Ain't your Brother too young to be left on his own?' Josh asked Caleb concerned, spotting Luke in the distance when Caleb found them and unable to get him out of his mind.

'He's got friends in low places, he'll be fine' Caleb responded casually, thinking of how the weird creature in the river stalked Luke and suspecting it would not hesitate to step in if anything was going to happen to him.

'Babysittin' sucks...My Momma is forever makin' me watch my Sister, as if I want a snivelling baby hangin' around me' Millie said, hating how often she had to watch her Sister.

'My Sister ain't so bad, she don't cry or nothin' and she likes games as much as I do' Caleb smiled devilishly, remembering how Gail Jr enjoyed being part of his game with Karen a few months earlier.

'I don't think I've seen your Sister properly' Millie advised, not recalling seeing Caleb with her at all recently.

'She's a Heathen like her Mother' Malcolm's voice interjected venomously in his mind, reminding Caleb that he was not alone.

'She's bben out explorin' one of Gail's properties most of the time...I bet she's havin' the time of her life' Caleb responded, disregarding Malcolm's interruption and changing his focus to the strange property where his Sister resided these days, wishing he was able to spend time there himself.

'Gail's your Momma ain't she? Why call her Gail?' Millie asked curiously, stopping and waiting for the boys to catch up to her.

'She ain't my real Momma' Caleb shrugged, unable to get Malcolm's earlier words out of his mind.

'But she might as well be with how much she's done for you' Joshua interjected, then smiled pleasantly when the children jumped and turned towards him.

'Who are you? My Momma don't like me associatin' with strangers' Josh advised, backing away slightly.

'I'm no stranger, am I Caleb?' Joshua smiled, curious to how the boy actually perceived him.

'He's a friend of my Mom, he don't mean no harm' Caleb responded coolly, curious at Joshua's sudden appearance.

'Oh this is just perfect, Caleb look!' Millie exclaimed happily, not believing their luck.

Caleb narrowed his eyes at the interruption and turned towards Millie, a devilish smile crossed over his lips when he followed her eyeline and he felt a strong tugging from Malcolm.

'Awww hell' Josh sighed, not wanting to get mixed up with this type of thing any more.

'Smart boy' Joshua advised him, then signalled for Josh to stay put as Caleb and Millie rushed forward to their intended target.

Caleb grabbed Millie's hand when they were close to the target, then placed his finger over his mouth to signal for her to be quiet. As he crept forward, he heard Malcolm's praise in his mind and a strong feeling of belonging came over him.

Joshua watched as Caleb stalked closer to Bobby, acting against Gail's warnings and seemingly oblivious to the repercussions of the type of action that he was planning. He had witnessed Caleb being smart, he knew the boy had potential and he understood his desire to be wanted by family, even if the member of the family was toxic like Malcolm. There would be no love lost for Joshua no matter how this played out; however, he recognised some of his traits in the boy and he also still held a strange connection with Gail, meaning that it was hard for him to stand by and let Malcolm win this round.

Joshua spotted the ripples in the river and could not believe that Caleb was so focussed on Bobby that he was oblivious to the dangers of his surroundings. Rosemary was close, she also felt Gail's suffering and would not allow an act in her territory to destroy her current self's world. Joshua waited for a moment, as he had always vowed not to truly interfere with this boy and he willed Caleb to open up his minds eye to consider all the pitfalls; however, Bobby had made himself high on Caleb's radar and the first born of this line was like a dog with a bone.

Caleb smiled smugly to himself, not believing that he had managed to get the drop on the older boy when Bobby had been so out of bounds recently. He felt his dark half pulsing inside of him and Malcolm's encouraging words only cemented his belief that this was the right thing to do, regardless of anything else going on in his life at the moment. Caleb moved forward, ready to pounce; however, a sudden gust of wind slapped his cheek hard and turned his attention to the Trinity Guardian newspaper which was blowing gently at his feet. Gail's name caught his eyeline and he bent down instinctively to pick up the newspaper, curious as he had believed that she had given up on her writing and had embraced her Editor role.

Caleb forgot about Bobby momentarily as he read the article, the depth that Gail had gone into to explain the abuse of young children across America was intense and he felt a strange pain in his chest. Malcolm screamed in his mind to focus on the task at hand; however, Caleb could not stop reading and felt the strange pain begin to spread throughout his body. 'You were with her?' he asked out loud, reading Gail's brutal descriptive words and knowing they were about Bobby's experience with his Father, in addition to her own trauma.

Bobby jumped at the sound of the voice behind him and dropped his fishing rod into the river. He turned around and held his hands up in a surrendering gesture when he saw the primal look in Caleb's eyes, trying to stick to the promise he had made to himself. 'Just wait-' he started calmly.

Caleb felt his darkness rising, there was nothing about his own ordeal in the article and began to feel even more isolated from her. 'You saw her?' Caleb asked again, cutting Bobby off and trying to hold back his rage. It had been weeks since he had seen his Mother, she had withdrawn from him completely yet she had no problems making time for this bully.

'So are you' Joshua whispered, mirroring Luke's earlier slip of the tongue and smiled when he sensed the the words cause Caleb to cut Malcolm out of his mind.

Bobby stared at the strange man behind Caleb curiously, then focussed back on Caleb when he took a step closer to him and noticed that he was clutching the newspaper Bobby had been been reading earlier in his hands. 'I helped her with that...she told me about her and you' he advised, not understanding the anger radiating off of the other boy.

Before Caleb had a chance to respond, Bobby's friends approached his position with a much older boy at the head of the group. 'Oh look, if it isn't Caleb Temple. Clay mentioned that dweeb had started this year, I can't believe he's still showin' his stupid face so openly' the older boy laughed.

'What?' Bobby asked, confused by his best friends Brother Will heading the group and the comments that he was making.

'Yeah, ain't you ever heard of curse of the Temple's? Don't touch that pleb or he'll spread it to you' Will said cruelly, coming up to Bobby's position and staring amused at Caleb.

Caleb was brought back to the time when his Sister had just died and he was getting teased due to his Gage's inexcusable behaviour. He remembered the feeling of being small, like an ant surrounded by large shards of grass that were constantly trying to trap him and wear him down. He did not like this feeling, his dark half was clawing to be released but there were too many people around to enable him to fully let go. If he backed away he would be a coward; however, there were too many older boys for him to take on and he was unsure of what to do.

Joshua stared at the older boy Will with venom in his eyes, unwilling to allow this insult to his kin to go unpunished; however, he sensed Caleb's request for him to back down, not wanting an adult to take the fight for him.

Bobby saw the slight change in Caleb when his group of friends started chanting 'Curse of the Temples' loudly and they started to move closure to him, with the aim of surrounding him. Bobby thought back to how his Father used to back him into a corner and beat on him, before Gail stepped in and threatened him with exposure in her newspaper. She had made Bobby realise his past behaviour had been a misguided way to prove to himself that he was not weak and hurting others was not the right way to channel his energy.

Without thinking, Bobby reached for Will's shoulder and spun him around, then punched him square in the jaw and watched him fall over the bridge into the river. He stood tall, knowing his group well and that they would not challenge him without a stronger opponent, then smiled when they all ran off as he raised his fist at them threateningly.

Caleb's mouth dropped open in shock at Bobby's apparent choice to stand up for him, then felt a nudge from Joshua and sensed Rosemary in the river moving quickly towards the flustering older boy Will. 'No!' he yelled sternly, hoping that she would recognise his authority due to his link to Gail and let out a sigh of relief when he sensed her begrudgingly return to the centre of the river.

'That was just cruel' Millie said defensively, coming to Caleb's side and linking his arm protectively.

Bobby could not help but smile at the pretty girl he had pushed down on so many occasions and let out a small smile at how tightly she held Caleb. She would not remember; however, he recalled clearly the day he had offered to carry her lunch when he first saw her a few years ago and she had just openly laughed in his face, bruising his ego more than he had ever allowed any other person but his Father.

Caleb sensed Bobby's thought and looked at Millie disapprovingly, then turned back towards Bobby and regarded him curiously. He was so confused, he felt Malcolm attempting to get back into his mind and turned towards Joshua for direction; however, the man just shrugged and began walking towards the opposite end of the bridge.

'We ain't so different, I was just never shown a any other way' Bobby said finally, then turned away from Caleb and walked towards his bicycle at the end of the pier, happy with himself for keeping to his promise.

-To be continued-