Gail held Luke tight as she wandered through the wooded area leading to the back of their property, ensuring that he was secure. The guilt that she felt for what her darkness had instigated, not to mention what she had allowed Luke to do, was unmeasurable and she felt a strong need to keep him close to ensure that he was alright.
Gail had forced herself to remain calm and collected around Lucas, knowing that a part of him was suspicious of her and not wanting to give him any reason to act out anymore than he already had. Her instinctive decision to hide away from what her life had become had not been smart and she knew better than to relinquish control so easily.
Although a part of her had enjoyed the lack of real responsibility more than she cared to admit out loud, it had been to the detriment of her family and it was the children who would ultimately pay the price for their parent's lack of control. Gail was determined to pull herself together and get her family back on track, starting with the annual Halloween celebration which also coincided with her Husbands birthday.
'Momma' Luke purred softly as he rested his head on her shoulder, content in her protective arms. He sensed her guilt, although he did not quite understand the feeling and he was just happy that she had returned to her true self.
Gail smiled and brushed her cheek against Luke's affectionately, kissing him lovingly on the forehead. No matter what horrific act he had performed, she loved her boy unconditionally and she could never bring herself to blame him for just ultimately trying to impress her.
As they came up to the clearing and entered the large open area slowly, Gail gave a quiet gasp at the devastation before her. Luke tensed as he felt her demeanour change and glanced over his shoulder, curious as to what had taken his Mother so strongly. He wrinkled his nose at the strange smell in the air and gripped his Mother's shoulder's tight, not sure that he liked this place.
Gail smelt the brimstone in the air instantly and let out a long sigh when Luke pointed at the large tree to the left of the area, which still had scorch marks from where it had been struck by lightening just before she had retreated. Although her Husbands ill advised actions here had caused her initial retreat into herself, she had not truly realised how much destruction that he had caused and she had been sensing the unruly spirits around the Town since her return.
As she walked around the Buck family gravesite, she felt a knot in her stomach and shook her head at the broken gravestones scattered around the area. Was this her fault? She had not initially thought so, she had put Joshua's and Lucas' bickering down to the stubbornness of two control freaks; however, when you stripped it down, it was in fact Gail who had chosen to get involved with Joshua and keep him a secret from Lucas, causing her Husbands distrust.
Luke felt that strange feeling come over his Mother again and grabbed her cheeks, then placed a wet kiss on her lips. He smiled when she laughed and sensed her relax as she rubbed his back softly. He did not know what this place was; however, he did not like the mixed emotions that it caused to stir within his Mother and he wanted to leave.
'You come here to rub salt in the wounds?' Joshua asked, appearing at the far end of the gravesite and watching her closely, sensing the spirits in the area wanting to lash out.
Gail took in a deep breath at the sound of Joshua's voice, then turned around to face him and regarded him carefully. 'That's more my Husband's style, you know that' she advised, forcing her demeanour to remain calm and holding Luke tightly to her chest.
Joshua's eyes trailed down her body as he took in the sight of her. He was not naïve enough to blindly trust the sudden change in the woman before him; however, her casual attire and soft manner caused his hard demeanour to soften slightly. 'Gail?' he asked suspiciously.
'Joshua?' she asked casually, allowing him to read her.
Joshua let out a small laugh and shook his head in disbelief at her actual return, suspecting previously that she had been lost for good. He sensed the fury of the spirits around him; however, he had spent enough time with this woman to know what side of her that he was dealing with and this was the Gail that he had come to know. 'Well welcome back home Missy. I take it your more colourful side is on a leash now?' he asked, watching her reactions carefully.
Gail felt her darkness stir within her at the question and pushed it down so not to cause a reaction in this place, then laughed at his attempt to goad her. 'Why would I restrain a part of me that's served me so well? It's not my fault you boys insist on testing me' she responded pleasantly, smiling reassuringly at Luke when he stared at her, confused at Joshua's strange presence.
'We test you?' Joshua asked in disbelief, 'Your damaged side banished my Mother to a never endin' torture-' he started.
'No, your Mother brought that on herself by betraying and murdering her Cousin' Gail interrupted bluntly, experiencing her past self's pain first hand and not blaming her for wanting to punish the woman responsible. 'Besides, all of me is damaged, I don't know why you insist on believing that I wouldn't take responsibility for all of my actions, bad or good' she said honestly and lifted Luke onto her shoulders when he began to struggle in her arms for attention.
Joshua surveyed her carefully, then smiled devilishly. 'You're tellin' me that it was you as you are now who convinced that little one to torch another boy alive?' he asked, sensing her guilt radiating off of her no matter how much she was trying to hide it.
Gail inhaled deeply in an attempt to keep her composure and forced a smile. 'I'm done with excuses, so yes...a part of me allowed certain things to transpire and I take full responsibility for those actions'
Joshua nodded respectively, fully expecting her to distance herself from her darkness after all that had happened; however, she appeared to be embracing her true self more than ever now. 'Alright, so I'll address you as a whole...I want my Mother back and I want her now, otherwise the terms of our deal will get very formal very quickly' he ordered calmly, knowing that she would not make a move against him on her own in this area of the property.
'Oh but I'm not on my own am I? As proven previously, this little devil is more than willing to act on my command' Gail responded coldly, not appreciating the threat or attempt to control her.
Joshua looked up at Luke, who was staring straight at him with dark eyes and watched him closely. The boy was young; however, he had proven that he already had power and at such a young age it was chaotic to say the least. 'I doubt your Master Buck would take kindly to you willingly allowin' the boy to get himself into even more trouble than he already has' he warned calmly, not showing weakness.
'You think?' Gail laughed, amused at the misguided assumption. 'My Husband is very proud of his youngest Son, in fact I'm willing to bet that he would be very impressed if Luke decided to make a move here, considering the devastation that Lucas has already caused himself'
Joshua glanced around the area bitterly, then regarded her with irritation. 'This move isn't smart Gail. You've upset the order of things and I want my Mother back now' he said abruptly.
'So just ask...ask me in a reasonable, polite manner and maybe I might just see what I can do, or do you think I've just come here to gloat at the sacred ground being trashed?' she asked in disbelief of his attitude towards her, when it was him who had goaded Lucas in the first place.
Joshua regarded her frustrated for a moment, then let out a long sigh and ran his hands through his thick blonde hair. The reason for her visit had not even occurred to him, as he was so blind sided by her actual presence and he cursed himself for not thinking clearly. 'I understand what she did was somewhat inappropriate-' he started, knowing that his Mother had acted naively on the orders of the Buck family line in the past.
Gail laughed at his attempt to gloss over what had happened to Rosemary and regarded him with irritation, ready to argue.
'I said I get it Gail!' Joshua snapped, sensing that she was about to interrupt him. 'What I'm sayin' is, I understand some punishment would be warranted for the betrayal against your line, but you can't blame me for not acceptin' what's happenin' or for bein' suspicious, especially when your little Cherub there is watchin' me like a hawk around you and is ready to do whatever it takes for his Mother'
Gail sensed Luke's desire to strike and stroked his leg reassuringly, indicating that this was not the time. She sensed the angry spirits all around her and the last thing she needed was for Luke to start a war. 'I'm still failing to hear a polite request here' she finally said sarcastically, revelling in his discomfort.
Joshua regarded her angrily for a moment, then shook his head in exasperation. He had forced her into accepting his deal; therefore, he could not blame her for wanting to torture him a little. 'Alright Mrs Buck, will you please have a word with your kin on behalf of my Mother?' he asked through gritted teeth, hating having to grovel.
Gail stared at him amused for a moment, then regarded him seriously. 'I'll have a word with my kin on behalf of you, not that murderous bitch' she said casually, still unable to shake the strange connection that she felt with him.
Joshua could not help but smile at her comment, feeling his previous affection for her returning.
'Oh don't look so smug yet, I doubt your friends will be happy with me for the interruption in this cursed place and I don't think they'll be impressed with you for letting me in so willingly' she advised, then left the gravesite when the restless spirits around her started to move closer, leaving Joshua to deal with his own unimpressed kin.
Lucas strolled down the quiet streets in the centre of Town, with Caleb walking by his side. Lucas had decided that making his presence known to his townspeople was paramount, to ensure that they remembered who was in charge and he was happy that his eldest Son was joining him.
'I could get used to this' Caleb said happily, standing tall and walking confidently beside his Father.
Lucas glanced at him proudly for a moment, then nodded charmingly at the young woman who passed them pushing a buggy. 'You think you could handle bein' in law enforcement?' he asked casually, surveying the area discreetly to ensure that everything was running appropriately.
'I reckon I could, I'm a good worker and I can take direction' Caleb advised, smiling pleasantly at the teenage girls who passed them.
Lucas sighed and shook his head. 'Trinity don't need someone who can take direction, it needs a leader-' he started to educate his boy.
'Yeah but you ain't goin' anywhere and I reckon I'd be a good helper' Caleb interrupted, knowing his Father had no plans to vacate his responsibility any time in the near future.
Lucas regarded Caleb amused and laughed at his observation. The boy was not wrong and Lucas had no intention of stepping down in the foreseeable future, his children still had a lot to learn no matter how confident they were and he was not finished with his Town just yet.
Caleb sensed his Father's thoughts and laughed. 'See, this is what I mean. You can continue to rule your way and I'll just work quietly at the side lines for now, I reckon I wanna test the waters with certain things before I commit to anythin' anyhow' he shrugged.
'Smart boy' Lucas advised, nodding appreciatively at his attitude. It had been a trying time recently; however, despite all of the challenges that they had faced, Caleb was proving himself to be a fine young boy and Lucas had high expectations for him.
Caleb was about to comment further when he spotted his faithful cat up the street and stared at it excitedly. Since Gail's initial change, his cat had been keeping a low profile as Gail had threatened to let Gideon have her. The sight of his cat now made him more hopeful that Gail was returning fully to her old self and he rushed ahead to see what his cat was up to.
Lucas watched as Caleb ran ahead without hesitation, in search of his animal. He remembered when he had first discovered his birds, the excitement at knowing something was that loyal and had your back at every turn had been a great part of his childhood. Although Lucas did not trust the furry animal that Caleb had grown a deep affection for, he chose to allow his Son the space to see if the relationship became strong. Who was he to judge the friends that a boy made? He himself had given his trust eagerly as a young boy and that decision had worked out well for him on so many occasions.
As if to confirm his thoughts, a large crow landed on the street light beside the building Caleb had stopped in front of and let out a loud caw. Lucas knew this sound well, his friends were reminding him that they were always watching protectively over what he held dear.
Caleb stared at the building curiously, ignoring the large crow overhead and waited for his Father to reach him. 'Can we go in?' he asked when Lucas got closer and waited obediently for his Father's approval.
'It appears that this is your show Son, so you tell me' Lucas advised, amused that the boy was waiting for his authorisation.
Caleb glanced at his Father for a moment, then a devilish smile came over his lips and he entered the dark building cautiously. Caleb had past this place so many times in his life and he had never had the urge to enter. When his eyes adjusted to the dark room, it became clear that they were in an old bookstore and he wandered around the area quietly.
Lucas knew this place well and watched Caleb closely, the old retired Librarian Mrs Gardiner ran this place now that her Husband had taken ill and it was in direct competition with Abe's Antique Store. The old man would have a fit if he found out that they were here; however, his curiosity over Caleb's intrigue with the place dispelled any consideration of Abe's feelings and he just stood aside to give his Son some space.
'Caleb Temple, my how you've grown' Mrs Gardiner said pleasantly, as she came from the stockroom out back when she heard the front door open. She was not used to customers these days and the appearance of the boy with the Sheriff caught her by surprise.
Caleb regarded the old woman suspiciously, not trusting her gaunt features. He recalled seeing her once before in the archive section of the Trinity Library with Gail; however, he did not recall her being close to his Step Mother and her familiarity with him was causing him discomfort.
'Oh don't look so frightened, me and your Daddy Gage went way back honey' Mrs Gardiner smiled, attempting to put him at ease.
'Gage ain't my Daddy and I ain't your honey' Caleb snapped, watching the old woman suspiciously.
'Aww come now child, Gage Temple raised you until the day he died...he wouldn't appreciate you distrespectin' him' Mrs Gardiner warned, her tone turning cold at his disrespectful attitude.
Caleb regarded her in disbelief for a moment and suddenly remembered her visiting his childhood home when he was younger. 'Gage beat my Sister and bullied me, you call that raisin'?' he asked, forcing a calm tone as he sensed his Father's eyes on him.
Lucas watched the exchange carefully, knowing Mrs Gardiner had spent many nights with Gage when he was younger and her Husband was busy at work. Gage never could commit to anyone fully after Christine Emory died, that woman really did do a number on him and Lucas supposed that he now understood the temptation of the Emory women in their headstrong ways.
'Watch your mouth boy. Gage was a good man, it ain't his fault that you and your Sister were disobedient like your Momma...Now that was one woman who required a strong hand to keep her in line' Mrs Gardiner laughed hurtfully, wanting to teach the boy some respect for his elders.
Caleb's eyes opened wide and he felt a sharp pain in his chest at the insult. 'My Momma may have been weak and put up with certain things, but I ain't and I won't...I'm guessin' you ain't been accustomed to real manners before' he stated, moving towards her slowly and regarding her coldly.
Lucas sensed the moment Mrs Gardiner realised that she was not dealing with a normal young boy and stepped into the aisle, blocking her exit. 'My boy has a point, it's not of good manners to insult someone's Mother in such a way...If his Step Mom was here, I'm sure she'd have somethin' to say about you glorifyin' the abuse of her kin' he advised in a calm tone, providing Caleb with all the authority that he required to be able to deal with this woman how he saw fit.
Caleb smiled devilishly at the thought of Gail standing up for their family and knew that he needed to do the same. His faithful cat had led him to the one person left in this Town that held an affection for Gage Temple and Caleb had not realised until now how much he needed a release of his pent up dark urges. 'My Step Mom is big on respect for women and children, I don't think she'd like you insultin' her Aunt like that' he said flatly, moving closer to her.
Mrs Gardiner saw something dark pass over his eyes and turned to the Sheriff for assistance. When Lucas just stared at her amused, she decided to try a different approach. 'By your Step Mom you mean Gail right? I know Gail Emory, I spoke to her a little when she was lookin' for answers about her parents...she wouldn't want you actin' up around an old friend' she said, trying hard to keep her voice from breaking as she sensed the darkness engulf the room.
'Gail Buck you mean...we're all Buck's now you see' Caleb corrected and closed the distance between them. 'I think it's about time that someone taught you some respect' he smirked wickedly, then laughed when his Father turned the sign hanging on the entrance door to closed and allowed his darkness to come out to play.
-To be continued-