It was a scorching hot summers day and Lucas sat comfortably on a lounge chair in his garden, watching intently as Luke staggered his way around the area. He had purchased a large table and chairs at the suggestion of his love, to enable them to entertain guests should they decide to be more engaged with outside parties; however, he now doubted their decision as he envisioned Luke smacking his head on the corner of the table and causing himself to have a concussion.
Luke squealed as though to deny the accusation and happily carried on attempting to run around the garden. Every time he stumbled over and clumsily pulled himself back up, Lucas smiled proudly at his sons will to succeed. Luke had his mothers sheer stubbornness and would not beaten, no matter how much he fell down. He knew his boy was going to grow into a fine young man one day and he wondered if he would actually challenge Caleb for the right to be heir.
Caleb rushed down the porch steps and placed a freshly baked apple pie on the table, then cut himself a large slice and placed it in his mouth before attempting to pick up Luke after he fell again. Lucas narrowed his eyes at his eldest for a moment, not remembering Caleb's change of attitude towards apple pie; however, when Luke shrieked at the unwanted assistance from Caleb, the thought disappeared and Lucas watched as Luke continued on his path when Caleb left him, leaving the older boy sulking close to a near by tree.
'Oh the joys of having boys' Gail smiled warmly, as she came out of the house in a short cream floral dress and sat on the lounger with him.
Lucas manoeuvred himself so he could place his arms around her securely, then nuzzled his nose into her neck affectionately and inhaled her scent deeply. 'You wouldn't have it any other way' he smiled and kissed her neck softly, then suddenly felt an intrusion on his property and surveyed the garden suspiciously.
A young girl stood by the small statue of a gargoyle, with her hands inside the pockets of her short tartan dress. Her pigtails gave her an innocent quality; however, the grim look on her face was far from pure and he sensed the malice radiating off of her.
'Oh but I could think of another way' Gail said casually, not moving from her entangled position with her husband.
'Huh?' Lucas asked confused, taken aback by the strangely familiar girl who had found her way onto his property uninvited.
Gail got up from her position on the lounger with him and walked around the table slowly. She dipped her finger into the apple pie and placed it into her mouth, then picked up the sharp knife and cut a large piece of the pie.
Lucas was transfixed with the young girl, he could have sworn he had seen her before and it was strange that she was here alone without her parents present. A shadow suddenly crossed over his mind and he sat up. He signalled for the small girl to come to him; however, she just shook her head and smiled sweetly at him.
'There's always another way' Gail advised pleasantly as she handed him a small plate with a piece of apple pie on, then suddenly drove the knife into his throat and took a step back.
Lucas gripped his throat and pulled the knife out, causing blood to gush from his neck. He stared at Gail, betrayed by the one person that he had trusted unconditionally and regarded her with horror as she just watched him bleed out curiously. Lucas tried to stand up; however, he went crashing to the floor and when he took his last breath, the young girl was standing over him with a look of sorrow in her eyes.
Lucas sat up abruptly in his bed and took in a deep breath, as he held his throat protectively. When his focus cleared in the dark and he recognised his bedroom, he let out a sigh of relief and reached out to caress Gail beside him; however, his hand only found the cold spot where she was clearly not resting.
Lucas glanced around the room confused, then his eyes fixed on his love standing at the foot of the bed holding a large knife and he let out an exasperated breath when he saw the vacant look in her eyes. 'Gail?' he whispered, careful not to disturb Luke.
Gail stared at him blankly for a moment, then took a step closer to his side of the bed.
'Put the knife down Gail' he ordered quietly, not having the patience for this at this early hour of the morning.
Gail stared fixedly on him and closed the distance between them, holding the knife up to her chest steadily.
Lucas could see the dark intentions in her eyes and grabbed her wrist tight, removed the knife effortlessly and placed it on the bedside table, then dragged her down onto the bed. He pinned her beneath him, then cupped her jaw in his hands to force her to look deep into his eyes. 'We're not havin' a repeat of this love, come back to me now' he ordered sternly and searched her eyes for some indication that he was getting through to her.
Gail awoke from her haze and stared up a Lucas confused, unsure why he was pinning her down. 'Did I miss my cue?' she joked nervously, then regarded him cautiously when he let out an exasperated laugh.
'You have to be kiddin' me with this' he sighed in disbelief, as he searched her eyes for some recollection of what she was about to do to him and found none.
Gail's wrists began to hurt; however, she disregarded the aching that she felt and focused on her husband, regarding him calmly as though she was the only sane one in the room. 'I can't comment unless you fill me in sweetheart' she advised in a reasonable tone and tried to shake off the feeling of discontent that suddenly came over her.
Lucas was beginning to get frustrated with this innocent act, then sensed the momentary change in her and smiled. 'There we go, I'm not goin' crazy so you can cut out the act and tell me what the hell I've done this time' he ordered frustrated, feeling his patience wearing thin.
Gail had now idea what he was talking about and felt herself become emotional. She forced herself to keep her composure and stared up at him defiantly. 'If you don't change your tone I really will give you something to be mad about, now get off me!' she snapped sternly, not allowing herself to give in to her emotions.
Lucas held her gaze, not willing to back down however, the sound of Luke's quiet voice calling him from his crib broke through his anger and he released Gail, to allow him to check on his son.
Gail watched him attend to their son and shook her head in disbelief at his change in behaviour, then spotted the large knife on the bedside table and felt a knot form in her stomach. She turned to her husband confused, who had picked Luke up and was rocking him gently back to sleep, then had a vision of herself standing over him with the knife and let out a long disappointed sigh.
'This has to stop Gail' Lucas warned quietly, sensing she had finally realised what she had done.
Gail considered his words for a moment, then got out of the bed and began walking out of the room with the top blanket trailing beside her.
'Where are you goin'?' Lucas asked, not finished with her yet.
'I'm sleeping downstairs, for the good of your health' she advised irritated and shot him a stern look of warning to stop him from following her.
Matt awoke alone in a strange bed and glanced at the old decor of the room through tired eyes. He bolted upright as his mind fully acknowledged the unfamiliar surroundings, then relaxed slightly when he remembered where he had spent the night.
He surveyed the room suspiciously, expecting to see M somewhere close; however, he was definitely alone and the thought of her leaving him here did not play well on his mind. A sudden bark took him out of his thoughts and he put on the robe that Caleb had supplied him with the previous night. He left the bedroom slowly and walked towards the stairs warily, then spotted Rocky at the bottom of the stairs and smiled.
'It's about time you joined the land of the living' Gail called from the kitchen and smiled when she sensed Matt follow the sound of her voice.
This place always made Matt uncomfortable, the way his friend's voice eerily travelled through the many rooms between them did not fill him with a sense of ease and he really did not want to be here. He figured that the best way for him to get out of here quickly was to play along; therefore, he began his task of locating Gail.
As Matt walked slowly through the property, he examined the rooms he came across. In another persons care, this immaculate extravagant building would have his envy and it was hard to deny it's charms; however, this was Lucas Buck's home territory and Matt did not belong here, that fact left a bad taste in his mouth as he moved silently through the large rooms and he did not intend to stay here any longer than absolutely necessary.
Rocky popped his head around a door, then bounded towards Matt and jumped up to lick him. The action made Matt forget about his previous unease and he laughed, envying the dog's simple life.
'I'm glad someone's managed to put a smile on your face, I was worried that frown was going to stick' Gail mocked, as she stood by the open door with Gideon at her feet and signalled for Matt to follow her.
'I smile plenty, just not when I'm forced to stay in a place I'm not welcome' Matt retorted and obediently followed her through the labyrinth that she called home.
Gail sensed his thoughts and laughed, it amused her that he still managed to keep his disdain for Lucas even after she had been with him for so long and his stubbornness matched her own. 'You're always welcome here, you just refuse to accept the way things are and push yourself away' she advised, going to Luke when she reached the main Study and lifting him out of his secure play area.
'Maybe I'm just the only sane one in this nuthouse we call Trinity' Matt sighed, then smiled as Luke clung on to his mother lovingly.
'Maybe you're still in the actual nuthouse and this is all just a figment of your imagination' Lucas said coldly, as he entered from the kitchen holding a mug of coffee and pulled Gail to him possessively.
'Or maybe I've finally snapped and am going to eliminate all the negativity in my life' Gail advised, with a hint of warning in her tone and regarded Lucas disapprovingly.
'It's about time someone cleaned house' Merlyn joked from her spot on the couch, attempting to lighten the mood, then looked back down at her laptop when Gail glanced at her irritated.
Matt spotted Caleb by the fireplace with Rose and forced a warm smile, not wanting to show any conflict in front of the children. 'Right, well, it appears the bad weather's left us for the time being, so it's time for us to leave' he directed towards his girlfriend and waited for her to come to him.
Before Merlyn had a chance to respond, Lucas stepped between them and offered his hand to Merlyn to assist her up. 'Hate to break it to you Doc', but the girl's late for work and I doubt frolickin' around with you at this moment in time is gonna help her build a good professional reputation' Lucas smiled smugly.
Merlyn spotted the angry look on Matt's face, then glanced at Gail for assistance; however, her cousin just rolled her eyes and turned her focus to Luke. 'We ain't gonna frolic, we're just gonna head to work together' she said finally, after realising her cousin was not going to help her.
'You gonna walk all the way to the Trinity Guardian from here when you're already an hour late?' Lucas asked sarcastically, 'Pity 'ol Harvard here ain't allowed to drive, you're just gonna have to jump in with me now ain't you?'
Gail let out a long sigh at her husbands inability to play nice with others and placed Luke gently on the floor next to Gideon. 'And I'm expected to run two children to School late, one of which isn't mine I might add, whilst seeing to two dogs and a toddler?' Gail interjected flatly, unable to keep out of the matter.
After the incident a few hours earlier, Lucas was tired and had no patience for his wife's disobedience. He had been courteous and pleasant in front of their guests; however, he was far from impressed with her. 'You, my love, have an opportunity to explore your new found behaviour with a medical professional who dotes over you...I suggest you take advantage of the situation while I stop off at the Elementary School and explain the two children's absence, one of which isn't yours, and you can perform your duties undisturbed by my ex' he said sarcastically, in an attempt to hide his annoyance with her.
Gail knew Lucas well enough to spot an order rather than a suggestion; therefore, just forced a sweet smile and did not bother challenging him. She had apparently attempted to stab him earlier and Caleb should not be in School today with his injured arm anyway. Rose was clearly still shaken up over the incident and she did not want to return the girl to her mother, until she ensured there would not be any wild tales thrown around. Having Matt around with her today might actually be a blessing, not that she would admit that to Lucas.
Matt was waiting for Gail to stand up for herself and when she did not, he could not hold his tongue any longer. 'How do you get away with treating women with such disrespect? The almighty Lucas Buck, bringing women to heel...Is that what gets you off at night?' he whispered, as he squared up to his adversary and challenged his authority.
Lucas felt a dark presence enter the room at the challenging remark and smiled, his home was filled with unspeakable things and they all served him.
Gail sensed the presence instantly and stood up. She shot Lucas a look of warning; however, he did not appear to be backing down and the presence started to surround them.
Merlyn sensed the concern in her cousin, then realised what was happening and stood up. She regarded Lucas carefully, then went to Matt's side instinctively and placed her hand on his arm softly. 'Let it go' she said softly, sensing it was not smart to challenge Lucas in his domain.
'You gonna yield for the women Harvard?' Lucas mocked quietly, ensuring the children were oblivious to what was happening. 'You already lost to me once and you had much more fire then, you might as well bow out now before you break a nail'
Gail inhaled deeply, closed her eyes and shook her head at the words. She sensed the dark presence ready to defend the Master of the property and sharp bolt of pain surged through her stomach, causing her to grip Lucas' shoulder tight. 'Please' she whispered in his ear, then rested her head on his shoulder in an attempt to disguise her pain.
Lucas was too focused on his game with Matt to notice his wife's pain; however, her whisper pierced through his mind and he looked down at her curiously. It was not often that he heard her plead, never outside of the bedroom and he could never resist obeying when she allowed herself to let go of her stubborn need for control.
Lucas disregarded all others in the room and watched his love for a moment, disregarding his anger at what had happened earlier then leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, before turning his attention towards Merlyn. 'Get your things, we're leavin'' he ordered, then headed out of the room with the presence following him.
Matt was furious; however, he had spotted Gail wince in pain and noticed she had hid it from Lucas. His concern for his best friend superseded his anger; therefore, he nodded for M to follow Lucas, placing a reassuring kiss on her lips and went to Gail's side when they were just left with the children. He placed his hand around her waist to assist her and led her towards the kitchen, away from the curious ears of the children. 'I think we need to have a long chat about what you've been hiding' he advised, then carefully situated her on a chair in the kitchen.
Merlyn sat in the spacious navy blue Crown Victoria, drumming her fingers on the dashboard impatiently. Lucas had decided to stop at the Elementary School first and left her in the car, she had been waiting over 30 minutes for him to return and now she spotted him talking to Selena Coombs at the entrance.
Merlyn did not understand why women fell all over themselves when Lucas was around, she could appreciate his good looks and southern charm; however, the man was evil and he did not even try hard to hide that fact. She watched as Selena smiled and teased by trailing her finger over the opening of her white blouse, Lucas smiled charmingly back at her but did not give her any indication that he was interested in what she had to offer.
Lucas sensed Merlyn watching him closely and smiled to himself, he cut the conversation with Selena short and returned to the girl who had obeyed his orders to stay in the car. 'I wish all your family followed orders as well as you do' he said when he re-entered his car.
'If you didn't disrespect people all the time, maybe they would' she replied, then stared out of the window as he started the engine and pulled away from the School.
'You don't think I respect your cousin?' he asked curiously, enjoying some light honest conversation.
Merlyn let out a small laugh, then shook her head and sighed. 'You think orderin' her around in front of her friend is respectful?' she asked, unsure where he was going with this.
Lucas laughed and ran his hand though his hair in frustration. 'You know nothin' about what I put up with behind closed doors, all you see is one side of the story' he advised, then turned onto the long main road which headed to the Town centre.
Merlyn thought for a moment, then turned towards him. 'So what's the full story? What could possibly excuse your behaviour earlier?' she asked in disbelief of him clearly believing that he was the victim.
'She tried to kill me...twice' he said bluntly, then glanced towards her to observe her reaction.
Merlyn laughed for a moment, then saw the truth in his eyes and regarded him seriously. 'Why?' she asked, suddenly worried about her cousin.
Lucas shook his head and shrugged. 'Maybe your Doctor Romeo will be able to shed some light on the situation' he advised, then let out a long sigh and turned his attention back to the road.
-To be continued-