Gail sat at the small table in the large kitchen, staring into her mug of coffee blankly. After leaving the hospital yesterday, she had been wandering around in a haze and had taken to bed early in the evening. When she awoke in an empty bed at 7:30am, she had panicked believing her urges of late had caused her to do something terrible to her husband; however, she found a note on her bedside table from Lucas, confirming that he was alright and had decided to have an unexpected night out with the boys.
The thought of Lucas staying out all night did not sit well with Gail and it had not improved her mood. She trusted that her husband was loyal and devoted to her, a fact which was proven every day with how much he craved her; however, women could be brutal and she had no doubt that some small Town hussy would try to make a name for herself by offering herself to the beloved Lucas Buck. The thought of some woman or girl hitting on her husband while she was at home with the children caused her anger to flare up and made her nauseous. Gail took a deep breath to calm her emotions and continued to stare into her mug of coffee, not allowing herself to lose control.
Caleb approached his cousin cautiously, sensing there was something wrong and placed the Trinity Guardian newspaper beside her drink. He had noticed the lack of presence from his father last night and hoped that they had not fallen out again. 'Mornin' cous', can I get some toast?' he asked pleasantly, not wanting to bring attention to whatever was going on.
Gail let out a long sigh, then turned her attention towards Caleb and forced a smile. 'You can have whatever you want, would you like some bacon and eggs to go with it?' she asked sweetly and headed to the refrigerator without waiting for his response.
Caleb sensed that she was attempting to distract herself from something and nodded appreciatively. If she wanted to take care of him, he would not stop her and he appreciated everything she did for him. 'Thanks for smoothin' things over with Rose's mom, I thought she was gonna get in trouble for sure for stayin' out' he said and glanced at the newspaper he had set down on the table.
'I smoothed things over so you wouldn't get in trouble with Rose's mom, and you're welcome' she smiled, knowing his friends mother did not approve of him.
'I didn't do nothin' for her to be mad at me for' Caleb stated defensively and took a sip of the glass of milk Gail brought him.
'You had that girl out on a dangerous night' Gail advised disapprovingly, sitting back down at the table while she waited for the frying pan to heat up. 'You like her don't you?' she asked and placing her hand on his arm reassuringly.
Caleb stared up at her confused for a moment, then glanced down at his hands. 'She's alright I guess, she's a good rider' he shrugged nervously.
'A good rider?' Gail asked in disbelief and could not contain her laughter. 'She's a very pretty girl and she follows you around something terrible'
Caleb tried to remain cool, then laughed with his cousin. 'I guess I like lookin' at her' he said honestly and smiled when Gail stroked his cheek tenderly.
'As long as looking is all you're doing, then we won't have a problem' Gail warned in a sweet tone, then ruffled his hair and went to check on the frying pan.
Lucas awoke in a strangely familiar bedroom that was not his own and held his pounding head carefully, waiting for his vision to become clear. The last sensible thing that he remembered was returning home to find his love asleep peacefully and leaving her a note of his whereabouts, to endure she did not worry.
It appeared that Harvard could hold his liquor nearly as well as he could and when Billy joined the mix, they had all competed to see who could drink the most. In hindsight, that was not his best idea considering he was due on duty today; however, it had been good to have a glimpse into Matt Crowers hidden abilities and the man had let slip that he had found something which may be causing his loves strange behaviour.
A loud pounding on the door caused a bolt of pain to surge through his head and he inhaled deeply, in an attempt to control his twin from bursting out and punishing the guilty party. When his vision finally cleared he recognised the tower room of Loris Holt's Boarding House, where Caleb used to reside and let out a long sigh. The door opened abruptly, confirming the guilty party to be Loris Holt and he shot her an irritated look.
'Afternoon Sheriff, did my bed fare you well? That's somethin' I never thought I'd be saying in this lifetime' she said disapprovingly and threw him his clothes that she had cleaned.
'Afternoon?' Lucas asked confused, then shot her a charming smile when he sensed her irritation with his presence.
'You boys rocked up in the early hours of the mornin', although I didn't realise you were part of the group' Loris sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.
'Would you have refused me entry if you had realised?' he asked curiously, then threw off the covers and began dressing, not caring that she was in the room.
'I wouldn't refuse anyone who could pay' Loris stated, staring at him with disdain and was thankful that he was still in his underpants. There was no trust between them and she never understood how smart people such as Gail and Billy could be fooled by him.
Lucas let out a small laugh and started to button up his shirt. 'We go way back don't we Loris?' he asked calmly, sensing her thoughts.
Loris inhaled deeply to hide her frustration with his presence and nodded slowly.
'You know more than most, yet you lack a certain understanding of the will of people' he advised, smoothing down his long hair and watching her carefully.
'And what understanding would that be?' she asked curiously, unimpressed by this superior behaviour.
Lucas closed the distance between them and stared down at her dominantly. 'The smart people know who I am and accept what I have to offer, it's the stupid ones that choose to denounce me' he said firmly.
'And what happens when you inevitably betray the smart ones? Take Gail for instance, you think a smart grounded girl like that will accept your true nature forever? Or will she grow tired of turnin' the other cheek, knowin' part of her soul is stripped away each time she accepts your so called offers?' Loris asked, amused at his smug look disappearing at the mention of his wife.
Lucas stared deep into her eyes, wanting nothing more than to grab her throat in his hand and squeeze the life out of her; however, he regained his composure and smiled charmingly at her. 'It looks like I was wrong, which isn't somethin' I'm used to' he stated and held his dominant stance over her.
'About Gail?' Loris smirked, believing she had bested him.
'About your intelligence' Lucas advised and leaned in closer to her. 'My relationship with my wife is open and honest, just like the one with my eldest son. If you truly believe she hasn't fully embraced who I am by now and accepted what that means, you're even stupider than the waitress who tried to seduce me last night...No wonder Harvard left you here alone without a second thought, you lack the basic common sense required to keep a persons attention for more than 5 minutes' he said coldly, then smiled devilishly when she shot him a furious look and walked out of the room when she had no comeback for him.
Matt sat in his office wearing a pair of sunglasses, to block out the harsh light in the room. He could not believe that he had been tempted to throw away his sobriety for Lucas Buck and cursed himself for actually enjoying the night he had spent out with him.
'There you are, glad some of your duties don't get ignored for Lucas Buck' Merlyn said sarcastically, when she entered the office and saw the state of her boyfriend. She had been up for most of the night worried about where he was and now that she had the chance to visit him on her lunch break, she could not believe her eyes.
Matt heard her scolding undertone and waved it off. 'You're seriously judging me when you used the man to get a front page article? That's rich' he snapped, not in the mood for her judgement.
Merlyn's eyes grew wide at the accusation and she shook her head in disbelief. 'You spend all night out with a man you hate, but somehow turn this around on me?' she asked confused.
'Hate's a strong a word...the man's morals or lack of have bothered me in the past, but why should they now when my best friend is besotted with him and even the girl I love is using him to better her career?' Matt said irritated and projected his disappointment with himself onto her.
Merlyn stared at him for a moment and held back her tears, she did not understand why his words had wounded her so much; however, she felt a deep sorrow come over her.
'Smooth way to tell her that you love her for the first time' Gail scolded in a calm tone, as she entered the office. She was at the hospital to visit Rita; however, she had sensed her cousin's sadness instantly and came protectively to her side.
Matt took his sunglasses off slowly and looked up at Gail defiantly. 'You're gonna lecture me about my conduct in a relationship?' he asked in disbelief, feeling his anger rise at the sight of her.
Gail sensed his feelings towards her and knew it was due to the test results, Rita had informed her of what she had already suspected and she could not stand the look of betrayal on her best friend. 'You threw away your sobriety for me? I'm not worth it, but I hope my husband at least corrupted you with style' she said in a sardonic tone and disregarded his comment.
'Must be nice up in your ivory tower' Matt laughed bitterly, as he stood up carefully and threw a large sealed envelope onto his desk. 'And while you're up there, you might as well ponder on that' he signalled towards the envelope, then stormed out of the room and left them alone.
Merlyn held back her tears and watched Matt leave, then instinctively reached for the envelope; however, Gail snatched it away from her grasp. 'What's in there?' she asked curiously, confused by the whole situation.
'Nothing that I want you caught up in...You need to learn to control your emotions, no man's worth the sorrow you're putting on yourself right now' Gail advised as she wiped a stray tear off of her cheek, then linked her arm in Merlyn's and led her out of the office.
Lucas sat on the hood of his car in the Elementary School parking lot, drinking a bottle of water. The pounding in his head had finally started to subside; therefore, he decided that it was about time he checked in on his family.
'Bit late for that' Caleb said flatly, reading his mind as he walked casually past him.
Lucas narrowed his eyes at his eldest son, then shook off his irritation at not realising his guard was down and jumped off the car. 'Is there any need for that kind of hostility when I've come here to give you a ride?' he asked, feigning hurt.
Caleb stopped in his tracks and turned around to face his father. 'I could've done with a ride earlier this mornin'' he scolded, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance at having to bother Gail earlier for a lift.
Lucas let out a small laugh and shook his head, it appeared his son had been spending too much time with the woman of the house and was beginning to turn to her side. 'You know what? I think I've been neglectin' you...How 'bout we head to a quiet part of the river and get in some fishin'?' he smiled, then stared at the boy confused when he did not show any excitement at the offer.
'Gail already took me fishin' yesterday and I was gonna meet up with Rose' Caleb shrugged, then turned to walk away.
Lucas closed his eyes and pictured the gargoyle statue in his garden in it's still form, then opened his eyes and smiled when Caleb appeared frozen. 'Gail ain't your father and that little blonde piece ain't your family...Get in the car son' he ordered, then released his hold on the boy and watched triumphantly when Caleb begrudgingly did as he had commanded.
Gail stood staring at the river, allowing the calm current to soothe her. After the incident in Matt's office, Merlyn had been upset and although Gail needed some time alone to consider her options, she had not wanted to leave her cousin; therefore, she had brought her along with her.
Merlyn had questioned her regarding Matt's behaviour, Gail knew his loss of control was down to her and she should never have allowed him to get involved; however, her cousin's curiosity was the last thing she needed right now, therefore, she had tasked her with writing an article for her lifetime column in an attempt to distract her.
Gail felt a cool breeze travel over her bare arms and gave off an involuntary shiver, it was colder here by the river; however, this was the only place she truly felt at peace and she required time alone to figure out what she was going to do.
'Uh Gail?' Merlyn called nervously, from the quiet spot away from the river which she had chosen to occupy.
Gail glanced over her shoulder disapprovingly at the interruption, then let out a long sigh when she spotted what Merlyn was trying to warn her of.
'Well this is an unexpected pleasure' Lucas smiled and feigned surprise, as he approached the pair with Caleb in tow; however, when he saw his love turn away from him and sensed her unease, his smile faded.
Gail closed her eyes and disregarded her husbands intrusion, then let out a long breath and continued to watch the current.
Lucas had expected his love to be annoyed at his decision to stay out all night; however, he sensed her unease was not down to his actions and surveyed the area. 'Where's Luke?' he asked Merlyn concerned.
Merlyn stood up from her seated position and dusted off her jeans. 'Well he ain't with my drunken boyfriend' she said sarcastically, unable to hide her annoyance at Lucas; however, when she saw the stern look of warning in his eyes, she took a step back. 'He's with Abe' she advised, regarding him cautiously.
Lucas nodded slowly, then placed his hand on Caleb's chest firmly when the boy started to walk towards his cousin. 'Why don't you two find a secluded spot further down the river where the bass are undisturbed?' he suggested calmly.
Merlyn sensed the order in his undertone and took Caleb's hand in hers. 'Come on, you ain't taken me fishin' in ages and we've got loads to catch up on' she forced a smile and led her brother away, not wanting him to get caught up in whatever this was.
Gail let out a small laugh at her husbands ability to control every situation, then shook her head and kicked off her shoes before wading into the river, not allowing him to control her.
Lucas watched as she stepped into the cold water with no hesitation and created more distance between them. He moved closer to the water, then spotted a small figure watching them at the other side of the river and felt a sudden alarm surge through him. 'Gail?' he called concerned; however, she did not acknowledge him.
Gail disregarded her husband and continued to wade deeper into the river, letting out a satisfied moan as the ice cold water brushed against her legs. Her short dress blew in the wind, then stuck to her legs as the fabric became soaked in the water and she smiled at the cold sensation on her skin.
Lucas watched as she continued deeper into the river and the water rose to her waist, he released his twin in an attempt to pull her back; however, her guard was too strong and he could not break it. Lucas let out an exasperated breath and stared at the small figure across the river cautiously. When his vision finally focused and he spotted the short brown pigtails in the young girls hair, he let out a small laugh and shook his head in exasperation. 'The things I do for my people' he sighed, then kicked off his shoes and stepped into the river.
Gail felt invigorated, the feeling of the water flowing over her skin was exquisite and no matter how cold the water was, it did not cause her concern. This is where she belonged, right here in the river where she was free. A flashback of Rosemary being drowned not far from this position surged through her brain and she found herself wondering whether leaving the world engulfed in this pure water was so bad.
'Gail!' Lucas called sternly, when he sensed the riverbed drop not far from her position and let out a relieved breath when she stopped.
Gail halted for a moment at the concerned call, then took another step forward.
'Hear my voice love, this stops now and you come back to me' he said quietly, allowing his voice to travel the distance between them and did not take his eyes off the figure on the other side of the river, which was still monitoring them.
His words pierced through her mind and she tried to fight her emotions; however, his hold on her ran deep and she stopped again, then let out an irritated sigh. 'Why can't you just leave me be?' she shouted, then turned around and saw he had closed the distance between them.
'Because you're mine and you don't get outta this that easy' he smiled smugly, sensing her guard waiver and reached for her arm.
Gail allowed him to pull her to him and shook her head as a tear trailed down her cheek. 'Just let me go, there's no good end for me with what's to come' she said defeated and closed her eyes when he softly wiped away the tear on her cheek.
Lucas regarded her cautiously, sensing her emotions were heightened and tried to find the best way to deal with this craziness. 'What are you talkin' about? Everythin's fine and if you think I'm mad about the the knife the other night...' he started to reassure her.
'I'm pregnant' she interrupted, taking his hand and placing it on her stomach under the water.
Lucas stared at her blankly for a moment, confusion flooding through his brain, then stroked her stomach tenderly. 'That's what all this is about?' he asked in disbelief, then let out a small relieved laugh.
Gail backed a few steps away from him, then felt the sudden drop in the riverbed and stopped. 'It's a girl Lucas...what do your male family do to girls?' she asked accusingly, feeling concern for her unborn child at the lack of female Buck's in his bloodline.
Lucas' jaw dropped open slowly, unsure of what to make of all of this; however, he regained his composure, remembering where they were and reached for her again. 'Whatever this is we'll deal with it...come one Gail, do you really think I'm gonna do anythin' to our baby?' he asked feigning innocence.
Gail was not fooled by his attempt to reason with her; however, she suddenly felt herself being pushed back to the riverbank and when she turned around, she saw the look of anger in Lucas' eyes just before he was dragged beneath the water. Gail screamed his name and reached for him, then spotted the small figure on the other side of the river. She stared at it confused, frozen on the spot for a moment, then regained her senses and released her darkness instinctively.
Lucas was taken back to his initial dream when he felt a strong hand grip his ankle. He attempted to release his twin; however, the pressure of the water was suffocating him and he wanted to laugh at the situation he had found himself in, when he had clearly ignored the previous warnings.
As the air began to fade in his lungs and he sank deeper into the river, he contemplated what he had accomplished so far. He supposed he had done enough with his life in bringing two airs into the fold, to warrant this tragedy not being so bad. If this was to be his end at least he had lived his life to the fullest and was leaving a strong legacy behind him. Although, that legacy now included a girl, which was curious in itself.
Lucas decided that he was not ready to leave his position in Trinity just yet and the thought of his demise caused his rage to rise. Before he had a chance to summon his twin again, he felt the grip on his ankle release and he swan quickly to the surface, taking in a large breath when he saw the pale blue sky above him.
Lucas searched the riverbank for Gail, concerned for his love and let out a sigh of relief when he spotted her. He sensed her rage and followed her eyes to the opposite side of the riverbank, catching sight of Rosemary standing where the small figure had been. He smiled at the realisation that his love had assisted him; however, his smile faded when the small figure came from behind Rosemary and held her hand.
Lucas turned back towards Gail, who just shook her head in frustration and walked in the direction Merlyn had gone with Caleb, then he began laughing. If this is what happened when his baby girl was still in the womb, then he did not stand a chance.
-The End-