Caleb stared up at the clear blue sky and shook his head in disbelief, there was no evidence of the strong storm from the previous day apart from his broken arm and the sun was shining high in the sky. He glanced around his surroundings and smiled at Rose, who was sat beside him gazing into the river. The good thing that had come out of his accident was that they got to ditch School together and go fishing.
'Stop starin', I ain't got three heads' Rose snapped, in a mock scolding manner. She was also happy that they had been allowed to skip School today, she had been very worried about her friend and appreciated his cousin allowing her to tag along with them.
'I ain't starin' at you, I'm admirin' the scenery' Caleb retorted.
'Since when?' Gail mocked knowingly, then laughed when Caleb shot her an embarrassed look.
'He seems to be getting on nicely, despite his injury' Matt noted and smiled when the children started throwing grass at each other.
'He didn't stop when his family died, can you see a sore arm keeping him down?' Gail asked, then smiled proudly at Caleb's strength.
Matt watched her closely, not liking the pale quality her skin had and shook his head at his inability to spot her gaunt appearance previously. 'How long have you been unwell?' he asked knowingly, opening a bottle of water and handing it to her.
Gail took a sip of the drink and watched as the waves flowed calmly in the river. 'I'm not unwell, I'm just tired. Apparently I've been a bit restless of late' she said bluntly, not wanting to talk about this.
'Ok, I'll rephrase the question. How long have to been experiencing pain in your abdomen?' he asked loudly, so Caleb could hear.
Caleb turned towards Gail and shot her a concerned look, then turned his attention back towards Rose when she waved off Matt's words and smiled at him reassuringly.
'You do that again and you'll be experiencing pain' Gail warned quietly and pulled Luke closer to her when he attempted to crawl off the picnic blanket.
Matt laughed and shook his head. 'If you're going to act like a child, I'll treat you like one. Answer the question Gail' he ordered, taking Luke into his arms and placing him gently on his knee, then began to bounce him up and down playfully.
Gail regarded Matt with irritation, then smiled at Luke's laughter and turned her attention back to the river. 'On and off for about two months, I'm under a lot of pressure and stress with Goat Town if you haven't noticed' she shrugged.
'And your behaviour? What was Lucas referring to?' Matt asked concerned, lifting Luke onto his shoulders and standing up carefully.
Gail glanced at Caleb to ensure he was not listening, then stood up and dusted off her short dress. 'He's overreacting, it's nothing' she lied.
'Gail?' Matt asked sternly, sensing her avoidance of the subject.
'Fine' she sighed in exasperation and turned towards him, 'I possibly tried to hurt him a few times is all'
'Hurt him how?' Matt asked confused.
Gail dusted her hands off, then looked into the river in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. 'I might have tried to smother him in his sleep, strangled him in an intimate moment and nearly attacked him with a knife last night' she said quietly and closed her eyes when the seriousness of the actions hit her.
Matt stared at her in disbelief for a moment, then began laughing hysterically. 'You're telling me that you've attempted to murder your husband three times and neither of you think there's an issue with your union?'
Gail shot him a look of warning and pulled him further away from Caleb. 'Keep your damn voice down! There's nothing wrong with our union, I'm just having cases of temporary insanity. It'll pass' she shrugged and took Luke off Matt's shoulder when he reached for her.
Matt watched as she spun her son around happily and shook his head, her family would be perfect if it was not for the man of the house. 'What are you going to do if it doesn't pass Gail?' Matt asked, concerned for his friend.
'Pray' she shrugged calmly, then began walking into the water with Luke.
Lucas paced slowly around the large office where he had taken his wife on so many occasions and smiled to himself. He was not a fan of Reporters and their misplaced integrity, they were all of the opinion that they were doing the greater good; however, their views were no different than the general public and it amused him to know how corrupt most of them were.
Right now, he was waiting for Merlyn to finish her meeting with Gail's Editor. His love had left Merlyn to fend for herself, in the hopes that it would teach the girl to stand up for herself and Merlyn was doing well on her own for the moment; however, he sensed Gail's friend Christie circling and was not ready to leave the family ghost just yet, especially when he had unexpectedly enjoyed their conversations earlier.
'It's a shame for this fine office to go to waste while your wife is busying herself with other more social projects, I wonder how long it'll take me to kick out the Prom Queen and take it?' Christie asked sarcastically, as she entered the room uninvited and sat behind Gail's desk.
Lucas regarded her casually, amused at her belief that she had any power in his Town. 'You think my wife would allow you to stomp out her apprentice?' he asked pleasantly, not allowing his usual irritation of her to take hold.
'I know Gail's never been one to settle anywhere for too long, this office and her lack of presence here indicates her true desire not to be tied down' Christie smirked, as she leaned forward in the chair and ran her hands over the large desk admiringly.
Lucas let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'I know exactly what Gail wants and I can assure you that she's very satisfied'
'Oh but for how long?' Christie asked, amused at his attempt to remain calm. 'You can only keep a bird caged for so long before it's desire to fly away and be free is overwhelming'
Lucas inhaled deeply and approached the desk slowly. 'My wife has everythin' she needs, she's not trapped and she chose this life here with me' he advised, keeping his anger under control.
'And how's that working out for you?' Christie asked knowingly, aware from Gail's moods of late that there was some trouble brewing.
Before Lucas could answer, Merlyn entered the office and shot Christie a disapproving look. 'You wanna get out of my office?' she asked abruptly.
Christie laughed at the girls misplaced confidence and stood up slowly. 'Gail's office, but I'm sure you'll keep the seat warm for her return' she stated cattily, then left them both.
Merlyn sensed Lucas' irritation and turned towards him. 'You good?' she asked, not wanting to get involved in whatever was going on with him and Christie.
'I'm good' Lucas sighed, then took her arm and led her out of the office.
'Where are we goin'?' she asked confused; however, did not fight him.
'To find you a story so you can shut her up once and for all' Lucas advised and headed towards the elevators.
Gail sat on the hospital bed and stared around the room unimpressed. She had agreed to allow Caleb and Rose to fish on their own for a few hours at Matt's suggestion, to enable him to do a routine check up on Luke; however, when she got to the hospital Matt had tricked her into allowing him to examine her and now she was sat in the room where Judith Temple committed suicide, wondering what wrongs she had done in her past life to warrant her current state of affairs.
A presence brushed past her and Gail let out an involuntary shiver. She had loved her Aunt Judy once; however, her union with Lucas had caused her to find out some truths about her fallen family and she was not as accepting of them or their behaviour as she once had been.
Gail felt the soft touch of fingers on her back, as though something or someone was trying to get her attention and closed her eyes. She knew that nobody was in here with her and the presence which surrounded her was beginning to cause her agitation. As if reading her thoughts, the presence made continuous circles around her and caused the magazine Matt had left her to fall on the floor, due to the fast wind which suddenly emerged. Gail felt her darkness just below her surface, ready to come out if it was required; however, the presence disappeared quickly at the sound of the door handle turning and she let out a long breath.
'There she is' Rita stated happily, as she entered the hospital room holding Luke.
Gail regarded her suspiciously at first, then smiled when she noticed the white uniform she was wearing and shook her head in mock scorn. 'What happened to being a stay at home mom?' she asked pleasantly.
'I got a weddin' and bills to pay for' Rita replied bitterly, then smiled at Luke. 'Fancy my surprise when I spotted this handsome devil on my first day back'
'Matt was supposed to be watching him after he ordered my time out here' Gail sighed, unimpressed that her son had been left.
Rita moved to the bed and sat down beside her, then began bouncing Luke on her knee. 'To be fair, he was securely in his buggy and Matt only popped out for a minute. It just so happens I was walkin' by his office and spotted our little munchkin' she smiled and tried not to show her concern at Gail's pale appearance.
Gail sensed her concern and let out a small laugh. 'I'm fine, I'm just tired. Whatever Matt thinks he doing here is unnecessary'
'I'm sure your husband would disagree, considering your homicidal urges of late' Matt chided, as he entered the room and shot Rita an unimpressed look for taking the baby from his office without telling him.
Rita disregarded his look and turned towards Gail. 'What urges would these be prey tell?' she asked sarcastically, then her smile faded when she saw caught the serious look on Matt's face.
'It's nothing Lucas can't handle and you hate the guy anyway, so why do you care what I do?' Gail disregarded Rita's presence and snapped at him, not liking being copped up in this hospital room especially when she had began to sense the presence in the room again.
Matt shot Rita a look of warning to remain silent and knelt down in front of his friend. 'I'm worried...you're married to a sociopath, it won't take him long to disregard his fondness of you and show his true colours if you keep pushing him in certain ways' he warned, as he took Gail's hand in his and stared deep into her eyes.
Gail held his gaze for a moment, ready to defend his definition of her husband; however, she saw his genuine concern clearly and just let out a long sigh. 'Whatever you think Lucas is capable of, you're wrong' she lied, in an attempt to reassure him and get him off of her case.
Matt laughed and shook his head in frustration, Gail was still as stubborn as when he had first met her and her blatant disregard for her own safety was insane.
'Insane would be publicly accusing our beloved Sheriff of being a sociopath and insinuating that his wife could be in danger' Gail scolded, unable to hide her irritation at his thoughts and behaviour.
Matt glanced towards Rita, who was lovely but could not keep her mouth shut and acknowledged Gail's comment. 'I don't mean to insinuate anything like that' he apologised falsely, in an attempt to hide his true feelings from Rita.
Rita watched the pair closely and sensed it was time for her to leave them alone. 'I'll take Luke and give you a chance to talk freely with your Doctor' she advised, then turned towards the door.
'Do me a favour and fetch these for me please' Matt asked and handed her a piece of paper from his pocket.
Rita read the apparatus he required, then narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.
'Be discreet won't you Nurse?' Matt said knowingly, then smiled when she nodded her acknowledgement of the sensitive matter and left him with his friend.
Merlyn sat on the hood of Lucas' car eating an ice cream and observing the large barn in front of her. She had decided to stick with Lucas on his patrol, curious as to why he was so accepting of her company and had allowed him to bring her here while they ate lunch, enjoying the warm calm weather. This property was an old farm, not far from where she had grown up and she vaguely remembered the old couple who had owned it.
'They're all gone now Missy, all that's left is their son who clearly has no idea on the upkeep of a place like this' Lucas sighed and bit into his ice cream cone.
Merlyn continued to survey the barn, shaking her head at the weather worn wood and large holes around the building. 'Why would he just leave it like this?' she asked, not really requiring an answer but in disbelief at how a person could waste such a large thing.
'People are greedy and impatient' Lucas shrugged and stared up at the barn, 'If somethin' ain't rakin' in the money instantly, people get bored easily'
'Do you?' Merlyn asked curiously, genuinely enjoying their candid conversation.
'Get bored easily?' Lucas turned towards her and regarded her suspiciously, then smiled at her innocence. 'You of all people should know how patient I can be when it comes to entertainin' myself'
Merlyn stared into his deep green eyes and found herself getting lost for a moment, then remembered where she was and gave herself a mental shake. 'I know what you are' she advised, reminding herself of who she was with.
'Yes you do' Lucas acknowledged unconcerned, then devoured the remainder of his ice cream and hopped off the hood of the car.
Merlyn watched closely as he walked towards the barn, disregarding the sticky melted ice cream that was trailing down her hand. She had a horrible feeling something was going on that she was not aware of and she suddenly became aware of Lucas' apparent kindness towards her. 'What are we doin' here? she asked suspiciously, finally coming to her senses.
Lucas smiled at the change in her and sensed the fire inside of her. Gail had that same strong fire within her; however, her appetite was much more veracious and it always called out to him, even now. 'I'm frustrated and bored Merly Ann' he said calmly and thought of Gail standing over him with the sharp knife she had earlier.
Merlyn regarded Lucas cautiously, she did not like his sudden change and began to get a sinking feeling in her stomach. 'We'll get outta here then and go do somethin'' she suggested, aware that she had allowed herself to be alone in a secluded area with the man who had murdered her previously.
'You think I'd harm you?' Lucas asked, sensing her unease.
'You already did, or have you forgotten breakin' my neck?' she snapped, unable to hide her judgement.
Lucas let out a long laugh and shook his head, not taking his eyes off of the barn. 'And here I was thinkin' we'd let the past go, in place of your better life with Harvard' he mocked, amused that she was still bothered by such trivial things that had no bearing on her life now.
Merlyn inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm her emotions, then let out a long breath and smiled pleasantly. 'We've let the past go but it holds a little relevance when you're askin' what I believe you're capable of, don't you think Sheriff?' she stated sweetly, trying a different tactic with him.
Lucas turned around and closed the distance between them 'That was all before my family grew, I wouldn't do anythin' to upset the order of things at this moment in time and you're part of that family now M' he reassured her, regarding her by her new name.
'Then what are we doin' here Lucas?' Merlyn asked, standing tall as she knew better than to show weakness around him.
'Havin' some fun and gettin' you your story' he advised devilishly, then smiled when he heard the loud screams of Carl Baker and the look of shock on Merlyn's face when the man fell off of the roof and landed in a crumpled mess two feet away from her.
Merlyn sat in the hospital waiting room staring at her hands nervously, her mind kept returning to the impact of the man hitting in ground and the sound of the mans neck cracking played over and over again in her head. The sound made her feel nauseous and she just wanted to escape from this place, away from the awful thing she had just witnessed.
'Well before you run away like a frightened child, maybe you should note the incident down considerin' you were the only Reporter on the scene at the time' Lucas suggested smugly from over her shoulder, then backed up when she stood up and turned towards her angrily.
'You did this' she accused, disregarding the disapproving looks of the Nurses and not caring who could hear her.
'I didn't do a thing Missy, you were an eye witness to a terrible tragedy and I was stood right beside you the whole time' Lucas said quietly, then took a step forward and placed his hands gently on her shoulder. To all the Nurses around them this would appear as an act of kindness from their caring Sheriff; however, he was confident that Merlyn knew what the gesture really was and her lack of control amused him.
Merlyn stared defiantly into his eyes, but knew better than to struggle free of his grasp. All that would do was make her look unreasonable while her beloved Sheriff was appearing to try and reassure her. 'What did that man do to you?' she asked knowingly.
'He voted against me in the last election' Lucas advised truthfully.
'Where there many who voted against you?' she asked bluntly.
'Enough to keep me entertained while my love is workin' on her demons' Lucas smiled devilishly, then gently cupped her chin in his hand and stroked her cheek.
Merlyn inhaled deeply and tried to remain still. 'You're a bastard' she said calmly as she stared deep into his eyes and did not allow him to cause a public reaction from her.
'Careful now Missy, or someone will have to wash out that filthy mouth of yours' he warned teasingly and pulled her face closer to his dominantly, then released her.
Merlyn shook her head in disdain and stormed off down the corridor.
'At least you got your story' he called after her amused at her reaction, then turned towards the Nurses Station and shot the women a charming wink.
-To be continued-