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 What It Takes.
It was a clear, fresh morning in Trinity South Carolina. The sun shone low in the cloudless sky, providing little warmth despite it's bright presence and the cold wind blew the browning leaves from the trees all around the busy Town, adding to the decreasing temperature.
Gail Buck sat on a large field with her Daughter resting securely in her lap, watching her Son Luke rushing around the vast area inspecting pumpkins. It had been hard for her to get back into her family life after her brief mental departure, although she did not let her discomfort show around the children, and this activity was an attempt to regain some normality. She had become somewhat detached from her Daughter, noticing how much she doted over her Father; however, her little man was still as loyal to her as ever and watching him searching for the best pumpkin made her smile.
'I truly believe this is the biggest waste of my time that I have ever witnessed' Selena said flatly, as she stared at the pumpkin patch watching children running around frantically.
'You really don't have a maternal bone in your body do you?' Gail asked in disbelief of her statement, wondering why she ever believed it was a good idea to bring Selena on this activity.
Selena glanced down her nose at the dirty children playing aimlessly in the soil and shook her head in disdain. 'I like a good child just as much as the rest of them, but this lot...I think it's safe to say that your little boy isn't going to come across much resistance when he finally comes of age' she smirked.
'Or girl...don't be so quick to turn your back on our temptress here, she has her Father wrapped around her little finger' Gail advised, regarding her Daughter curiously.
'Much like her Mother' Selena retorted, then gave off a sly smile and paced the area impatiently.
Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head. Lucas had not taken his eyes off of her since her return and had demanded that someone he trusted come with her on this excursion while he checked in on his Deputies, preferably Billy or Caleb. After her darkness had taken such a like to Selena and she had proven her loyalty to her, Gail was trying to domesticate the woman, or at least get her to play nice with others outside of her usual seedy setting. Watching Selena now, she realised that this task was going to be harder than she had initially considered and resigned herself to doing these types of activities alone in the future.
'Oh don't pout, it doesn't suit you. Besides, you know I'm not built for this mundane motherly stuff and neither are you...Now if you wanted to drop the little demons off with Abe and head to Jimmy's bar, our day may become a little more interesting' Selena suggested, sensing her disappointment with her attitude.
Gail let out a long sigh and stood up, shifting her Daughter to her hip. 'I'm a Mother of 3 and am perfectly capable of whatever parenting task is thrown at me, don't presume that I'm incapable just because I like to have some twisted fun once in a while' she responded frankly, not appreciating the insinuation that she was not competent in this setting.
'Technically you're a Mother of 2 and the stray you've taken in isn't much to write home about either' Selena mocked sarcastically, amused by Gail's sudden change in demeanour.
Gail felt herself become agitated and spotted Luke watching Selena closely, ready to act should he feel that his Mother was threatened. 'That stray is as much mine as his Father's at this point, if we're counting from when we both stepped up to claim him. Plus, he's got a lot of potential in a certain area and I don't think you of all people should be putting him down, considering the strange obsession he had with punishing you a while back' she smirked, knowing Caleb's interest in Selena had not disappeared; however, he was directing it elsewhere due to Gail's previous warnings.
Selena was about to challenge Gail when she felt dark eyes boring into her and turned to see Luke watching her intently. There was something about that boy which reminded her of Lucas when he was at his most cruel with her and she did not intend on giving the little demon an excuse to focus his efforts on her. 'No offence was intended, it was just an observation and you can't deny that you're as bored as I am here' she tried to reason with Gail, sensing the danger closing in on her.
Gail inhaled deeply and glanced at Luke, who had completely lost interest in pumpkin picking and was focussed solely on Selena. Part of her wanted to see what he would do, curious as to how his mind was working; however, that was her dark half and she knew better than to allow her Son to make a scene in public, especially when all eyes were always on Sheriff Buck's family. 'Come now little man, what will Papa Bear think if you don't get the biggest and best pumpkins?' she asked Luke sweetly and smiled warmly. 'You think he'll forgive us for being outshone by some simpleton on his Birthday?'
Selena watched as Luke's expression changed instantly at the mention of his Father and he rushed back to his task of inspecting the pumpkins. 'You're going to have your hands full with him' she advised coldly, not taking her eyes off of him until she was sure that he was no longer interest in her.
'My hands full with a Buck? So what else is new?' she laughed and flashed a devilish grin, before following her Son to ensure that he did not get into any trouble.
Lucas Buck strolled down the deserted streets taking the opportunity for a quick patrol before heading home, unfazed by the ominous aura that festered in his Town these days. Lucas was used to the presence of unruly spirits, his property housed a burial ground for his ancestors and some select powerful women who had proved themselves worthy to his kin; therefore, the presence of spirits was something that he had grown up with since he was very young.
Right now the spirits of Trinity were restless to say the least, he could not blame them with the hell that his Wife had raised when she had chosen to withdraw into her subconscious and allow her darkness to take the drivers seat. It did not occur to Lucas that the increase in unruly spirits could have been as a direct result of him disrespecting the resting place of his ancestors by destroying their gravestones and as far as he was concerned, he had the authority to do whatever he wanted and the consequences of such a disrespectful act would not fall on him.
Joshua was to blame for everything that had transpired, Lucas had no doubt of that and he would hold that interfering spirit responsible when the time was right, regardless of what connection he had to him; however, right now his Love was back and was still finding her feet, which meant that Lucas was to be on his best behaviour until she had fully integrated back into their family.
Lucas felt a strong tugging in his chest at the thought of his Wife and decided that he had been gone for too long. He shrugged off the restless spirits roaming the streets in the hopes of finding some unsuspecting prey and turned back towards his car, looking forward to returning to his now complete family and inserting his strong presence in the comfort of his own home.
Gail watched with her arms crossed stubbornly over her chest, as Lucas secured the baby monitor on the small table on his side of their bed. She had been relieved when he had left her for a few hours, beginning to feel suffocated by his constant presence and his unwillingness to leave her alone; however, when he returned with a baby monitor, she knew that his patrol had been a disguise for this cruel punishment and she felt a deep rooted hatred for him.
Gail understood that Lucas had gotten the baby monitor to enable them to hear if their youngest Son awoke in the night, as he had decided that it was the appropriate time to move Luke to his own Bedroom. Lucas had explained that moving him meant less distractions in the Master Bedroom, she did not agree with this decision and felt a slight knot in her stomach when Lucas closed their bedroom door, hating that her Son was now so far away from her at night.
Gail knew that her feelings were unwarranted, Luke had proven that he was capable of some unspeakable things when she had allowed her darkness to take control and this move was natural for a growing boy. Luke was only down the hall and they were close enough to protect him should any need arise; however, she could not shake her unease and yearned to be close to her Son.
Lucas moved behind her on the bed and stroked her back tenderly, leaning forward to take in her scent. Although it had been over a month since his Love had returned, she was still not as comfortable in his company as she had once been and Lucas believed that removing Luke from her immediate vicinity at night would cause her to lean more on him, ultimately returning the control back to him.
Gail gave off a small shiver as Lucas' fingers trailed down her spine and she stood up, choosing to check on their Daughter rather than accepting the comfort that her Husband was attempting to give. She had missed her little girl so much in her mental departure and the guilt that she felt over what she had allowed to happen previously was unwavering. Not only had she abandoned her children due to her own selfish need to regroup, she had provoked her Husband into committing some terrible acts in an attempt to gain her true attention, knowing full well what he was capable of before she had chosen to allow her darkness to take full control.
Gail had not yet allowed herself to fully dwell on what had happened; however, she knew that her actions were unacceptable and the guilt of it haunted her every day.
Lucas sensed her thoughts and stood up from his seated position on the bed. Her mood had been off since she had returned to him and remorse was something that he could never understand, making it difficult for him to say the right words to ease her guilt. 'We said no apologies, remember?' he asked calmly, inhaling deeply as the breeze from the window blew her short nightdress up slightly to reveal her toned thighs.
Gail closed her eyes knowing that his attention was fully on her and forced herself to remain calm. She smiled at her Daughter who kicked her legs happily at the sight of her real Mother and then turned towards her Husband, unable to avoid him in this setting. Gail bit her bottom lip subconsciously as she took in the sight of him in the moonlight. As she stepped closer to him, his breath quickened and his toned chest was more defined as the air filled his longs, causing a familiar stir between her legs and in her stomach. 'You said no apologies, I said no talking' she advised softly and tangled her fingers in his caramel blond chest hair, to distract herself from thoughts of the past.
Lucas smiled at her desire to put what had happened behind them and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her against him dominantly. He moved his hands beneath her nightdress slowly and began teasing her sweet spot with his fingers, reminding her of how easily he could please her. 'I've mis-' he started, then felt her index finger press gently against his lips and stared deep into her eyes.
'Shhh' Gail whispered soothingly, then ran her hands up his bare chest and gripped his shoulders tight, before pushing him gently down to his knees.
Lucas smiled mischievously as he looked up into her eyes, then ran his lips over her soft thighs and began to nip at her skin playfully. If she did not want to talk about it, then he would not force the issue especially not at this present time. He was just happy that she was not pushing him away and no matter how much unease he sensed radiating off of her, she always softened to his touch and allowed him in.
Gail let out a loud moan as she felt his tongue make it's way to the top of her thighs and braced for the inevitable. One thing she had truly discovered in her departure was that her desire for her Husband was unwavering, no matter how much he had pushed her previously. The unspeakable things that he did just melted away whenever he touched her and she was not sure whether that was a blessing or a curse.
Her knees buckled slightly when his tongue teased her sweet spot and entered her, causing Lucas to stop for a moment and push her gently onto the bed. He crawled between her legs and continued to taste her, savouring her sweetness. It had not been this truly intimate with her dark half and now that he had his real Love back, he was going to take his time with her.
As Lucas made Gail unravel effortlessly, he let out a satisfied laugh and stood back up, towering over her. He watched her appreciatively as he unzipped his pants and revealed his throbbing manhood, showing her how much she affected him without even really trying.
Gail did not have time to regain her composure and smiled at how much he wanted her. She had hoped that he would give her time to reintegrate back into their routine fully; however, he had been on her every night without fail and his desire did not appear to be faltering. 'Would you accept that I'm tired?' she asked sweetly, feigning innocence.
Lucas continued to watch her closely for a moment, then moved on top of her and parted her legs with his knees. 'I appreciate that takin' care of the children and Abe after such a strange ordeal may be somewhat drainin', but you know better than to expect a reprieve from me Love' he whispered in her ear sarcastically, then began sucking her neck seductively.
Gail had hoped that her Husband would grow bored of her after a month of not letting her leave his sight; however, his desire did not appear to be wavering and she resigned herself to another strenuous night with him. His desire to be with her now was stronger than it had been when they got married and she could not believe how much he still craved her.
Lucas sensed her thoughts and lifted his head up to look into her eyes, not appreciating her apparent hope of being rid of him. When he saw the excited glint and desire in her eyes, which was overshadowing her tired appearance, he smiled and placed a soft kiss on her lips. 'Don't you worry Love, I promise I'll leave something left in the tank for tomorrow...We wouldn't want you to burn out so soon after your return' he whispered playfully and pinned her hands above her head, to prevent any protest.
Gail let out a long sigh and rolled her eyes in mock exasperation, then let out a loud moan when he entered her without warning and nipped at his lips excitedly. She supposed it was not the worse thing in the world to be wanted so much by an Adonis such as him, she just hoped that he would leave her with enough energy to take care of their full house in the morning.
Lucas entered the main Study holding his Daughter securely to his chest and bounced her gently. It was evident with how peaceful she was that her Mother had already fed her; however, he had not heard Gail get up and now he was curious as to her whereabouts.
Lucas surveyed the quiet Study suspiciously, not used to it being so calm when he had such a full house these days, then headed towards the Kitchen when he heard his eldest Son speaking and smiled at the table full of food before him.
'Get in here boy, you don't want all this to go cold' Abe scolded him, winking at Caleb when he took in a sharp gasp at how frank Abe was to his Father.
Lucas narrowed his eyes at his oldest friend who had been staying with them since his unfortunate health scare, then sat down beside Caleb and stared at the plate which had already been set down for him. He had expected to see his Wife around here somewhere and he became suspicious of her lack of presence.
'Gail thought you'd be hungry but didn't know what you'd want, so she prepared all of this before she went out for some air with Luke' Caleb advised, sensing his Father's suspicion and continued eating his breakfast.
Lucas set his Daughter down comfortably on his knee and surveyed the multiple plates full of food around the table. There was bacon, sausages, three different kinds of eggs, tomatoes, toast, bagels and that was only naming some of what Gail had cooked. They had been very active until the early hours of the morning; however, this amount of food was unnecessary and he wondered how she had found the energy or time to prepare such a banquet.
'You must've worked up quite the appetite' Caleb smiled mischievously when he sensed his Father's thoughts, then stared down at his breakfast quickly when Abe shot him a disapproving look.
Lucas let out an amused laugh and began filling his plate, not one to allow good food to go to waste. 'Where is she?' he asked seriously, not liking her lack of presence.
'Never you mind, the girl deserves some time to herself with how much you put on her' Abe snapped and smiled at baby Gail when she waved as Merlyn entered the room, then turned his attention back to Lucas. 'What are you up to today? Back to work fully I hope'
Lucas had been choosing to remain home most days recently, wanting to keep an eye on his Love now that she had returned. Trinity had been quiet and Ben had been able to keep up his usual duties; however, his townspeople did not react well when his presence was not outwardly felt on a regular basis and he supposed it was about time that he reminded them of who was in charge. 'I reckon I'll hang around here for a while, then maybe take a run into Town to ensure everythin' is goin' smoothly as it should' he shrugged, not yet wanting to leave his Wife fully alone for too long.
'Don't be silly' Merlyn interjected while making a coffee, 'She's fine here and Abe ain't gonna let her step outta line with how much he's been dotin' over her recently' she joked and laughed when Abe let out an irritated grunt.
'She is fine you know' Caleb added casually, knowing more than most when Gail was not herself.
'You think?' Lucas asked, knowing Caleb would have a truer feeling about this above his other present company.
Caleb glanced at Abe and Merlyn, then stood up and moved closer to his Father. 'She's not fully her old self, but she's tryin' and that's main thing' he whispered and smiled down affectionately at his baby Sister when she wrapped her small hand around his finger.
Lucas thought for a moment, suspecting that he had been monitoring his Wife a bit too closely to ensure that her return to them was not temporary, then wolfed down the food on his plate and stood up. 'Well alright then...if you two have it covered here, me and the boy are goin' to the Station' he said pleasantly, handing his Daughter to Merlyn and patting Caleb on the shoulder before signalling for him to follow him out of the house.
'Why are we goin' so soon?' Caleb asked confused, as he followed his Father obediently.
'That ol' man is right, but don't you ever tell him I said that...The longer I'm around here, the longer it'll take for your Step Mom to find her feet properly and us mollycoddlin' her ain't gonna speed up that process' Lucas advised and led Caleb to his car, shrugging off his suspicion and choosing to trust that his Wife was actively trying to integrate back into their family.
-To be continued-