Caleb rode happily down the street with Ben Jr, then stopped at his home and signalled for the older boy to follow him into the garden. They both placed their bikes down carefully and Caleb laughed at the look of awe on Ben Jr's face. 'You can close your mouth now, it's only a house' he smiled, then started walking towards the side porch.
Ben Jr shook his head at how silly he must have looked, gawping at the large building in front of him. This was the Sheriff Buck's home after all and it should not make him regard Caleb any differently. He spotted his friend had headed towards a door at the side of the property and rushed to catch up to him. He did not want to be caught out here on his own by the Sheriff, especially with what his other Daddy had stated about Lucas Buck.
'And what's that?' Caleb asked defensively, reading his mind.
Ben Jr stared in shock at Caleb for a moment, then guessed he must have spoken out loud. 'My other Daddy says the Sheriff is a monster and caused the accident that made him lose his hand' he said quietly.
'How would he do that?' Caleb asked in disbelief, feeling that was the correct reaction to the statement. He did not doubt Lucas could cause whatever he wanted; however, he would never allow any of his friends to know that.
Ben Jr just shrugged and glanced curiously into the dark corridor when Caleb opened the door.
'You wanna come in for a drink? Lucas is my Daddy now and he won't mind' Caleb advised, then entered his home casually.
Ben Jr paused for a moment, knowing either of his Daddy's would not approve of this action; however, his curiosity got the better of him and he followed Caleb in.
Caleb gave Ben Jr a tour of the main rooms that he was allowed to go in and kept away from the darker, quieter area of the property. When he had proudly given the tour, they both headed to the kitchen and he poured them a glass of apple juice.
'You wanna ride to Johnson's Bridge?' Ben Jr asked, hoping to spend more time with Caleb. He liked him a lot and although he was a year older than Caleb, he found they had a lot in common.
Caleb thought for a moment, then shook his head. 'I guess I better go check on Josh, he's still sad at losin' his Daddy and he doesn't wanna talk to anyone but me these days'
Ben Jr stared at his hands disappointed, then downed his drink and decided to go ride by himself. As he left the kitchen and started walking out of the Study, he heard the loud crash of breaking glass and a low thud. He rushed back to the kitchen to see Caleb laying on the marble floor with blood seeping from his head and a strange man stood over him.
'Don't worry little boy, he had an unfortunate spill and hit his head. I'm his Uncle and I'll take care of him for here on' Peter forced a warm smile and signalled for the boy to leave them.
Ben Jr did not feel right leaving Caleb; however, he did not like the eerie look of the man and assumed a stranger would not dare attempt to enter this place. He chose to trust the man and rushed out of the house, then rode down the street and attempted to push down the bad feeling in his stomach.
Peter smiled grimly at Caleb, as the boy sobbed in pain on the kitchen floor and held his injured head. The boy had been oblivious to his presence and this action was far too easy, especially with the hard marble floor doing all the work for him.
'That's cheatin'' Malcolm advised, as he leaned against the wall of the kitchen and shook his head disapprovingly.
'You're just jealous you didn't think of something like this yourself. Now where was I, oh yes I remember...you little Bastard are the reason my girl is stuck here and is hurting' Peter stated, as he leaned down closer to Caleb and tried to figure out what he wanted to do next.
'What the hell is this?' Gail asked shocked, as she entered the kitchen with a bag of groceries in one hand and Luke in the other. When she saw Caleb bleeding on the floor with her Father kneeling next to him, she placed Luke carefully on the floor away from the glass and rushed to Caleb's side.
'Busted' Malcolm smiled and watched as Gail stroked Caleb's face reassuringly, whilst carefullt examining his wound.
'The boy slipped and hit his head' Peter lied and stood up. 'He's so clumsy Princess, I don't know how you put with him'
Gail cupped Caleb's chin in her hand and stared deep into his eyes. She could see he was trying to appear brave; however, she saw the tears beginning to form in his eyes and took him in her arms. 'It's all going to be alright, it's just a little bump and I'll get you patched up in no time' she smiled and hugged him to her protectively.
Caleb held his cousin tight, then glanced over his shoulder at the man stood over them. 'Who is that?' he whispered to his cousin, confused over what had happened and trying to ignore the agonising pain in his head.
'No-one you need to concern yourself with, now come on' she ordered, as she helped him up carefully and started leading him out of the kitchen.
Malcolm waited patiently for her to enter the Study, then walked slowly towards the abomination left playing with a toy bunny on the floor. He was about to bend down and pick the baby up, when a loud growl came from under the kitchen table and yellow eyes stared up at him distrustfully. The dog barred his teeth viciously and placed itself in front of the baby protectively, then let out a loud bark.
Gail heard Gideon's bark, then Luke's high pitched scream follow and she left Caleb to go to her son. She rushed into the kitchen and picked up Luke, before turning towards Malcolm and giving him a stare which dared him to challenge her.
'You can't have them both heathen' Malcolm spat out, before disappearing.
Gail turned towards her Father confused, while he leaned casually on the kitchen counter and shook her head disapprovingly. She wanted to ask what Malcolm meant; however, her Father was just as twisted and untrustworthy as Malcolm was.
'That's a bit harsh petal, especially aimed at the person trying to protect your interests' Peter said in mock hurt.
Gail let out a long sigh, then started heading out of the kitchen towards Caleb. 'You better be gone before my husband returns...If either of you hurt his son, even I won't be able to stop what comes next' she warned, before rushing back to Caleb.
Peter let out a bitter laugh, then disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.
Lucas sat against the counter of his old friend Abe's Antique Store, waiting for his friend to return to him. The Store was bare and littered with boxes full of inventory, which Abe was currently sifting through in a frantic manner.
Gail had decided she wanted her Uncle Abe close and had arranged for the building next to Lucas' Mothers Wicca Store in Goat Town to be converted into a place where Abe could move his business. Lucas knew how stubborn Abe was and had been surprised at the old mans willingness to leave the place of business that he had been in for so many years; however, now that Lucas was here, he could see the mans conformity was just an act to please Gail and his friends discomfort amused him.
'Don't just stand there grinnin' boy, come help me find my book...I swear this move'll be the death of me!' Abe snapped, as he changed boxes and began rummaging through.
Lucas hopped off the counter and walked around the boxes intently. 'Don't be so dramatic ol' man, you wanna be closer to Gail as much as she does you. This move might do you both some good'
'My Rosie should set up shop next door to me, not the other way around. I'm a cripple for God's sake, she shouldn't be puttin' me through this stress' Abe sighed, then glanced at Lucas irritated when he handed him his book.
'You're not a cripple and I won't allow her to move the objects of her obsession, you know that' Lucas advised, as he sat back against the counter.
'Ah yes, your Momma's Wicca Store. I'm surprised you gave a Reporter access to that personal place, you regrettin' it yet?' Abe asked smugly, knowing how private Lucas was.
Lucas narrowed his eyes at his old friend and regarded him bluntly. 'If you hadn't left old family pictures out where she could find them, I wouldn't have had to compromise' he accused.
Abe laughed and shook his head. 'Weren't my fault she sneaked into my attic and found the album with Malcolm in, she's a curious creature. Besides, that was before Luke was born so get over it' he waved his hand in exasperation and sat down next to his friend.
Lucas let out a small laugh, then decided to drop the subject when the telephone behind the counter rang. He smiled when Abe cursed at the interruption, then watched curiously as his friends hard demeanour softened after picking up the telephone.
Abe placed the telephone back down and took in a deep breath. 'Come on boy, it's time to go' he ordered, reaching for his cane and heading towards the door.
Lucas regarded him suspiciously for a moment, then shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. 'I offend you that easily these day's ol' man?' he laughed.
'Your boy's in the hospital Lucas' Abe sighed and watched as his friends features turned dark.
Lucas felt a surge of panic flow through him when he thought something had happened to Luke, then relaxed when he opened his mind's eye and saw Caleb sitting on a hospital bed. He let out a long sigh relieved sigh when he sensed there was no immediate danger for his eldest; however, he rushed out of the Store with Abe to find out what was going on.
Gail walked casually down the deserted Pier, attempting to decipher the events that had taken place. She had taken Caleb to the hospital to ensure he did not have a concussion; however, when Matt chose to keep Caleb in overnight, she decided to create some space between her and Lucas to figure out what had happened, knowing his reaction to the situation would not be good when he arrived at the hospital.
Gail had tasked Merlyn with getting in touch with Abe, sensing her husband was with him and left the hospital promptly after the call was made. She was thankful that the weather had taken a turn for the worst and that she had spare winter clothes for Luke in the car, to enable her to have a peaceful walk away from everyone else to clear her mind.
'It's a shame you can't talk things over with your husband, it's a man's job to take care of his wife' Peter stated casually, as he appeared beside her.
Gail inhaled deeply, then closed her eyes and willed for him to disappear.
'Now why would you want that? The real reason that you came back to Trinity was for me, Caleb was just an excuse. Now you have me Pumpkin and you're gonna will me away?' Peter smiled, amused at the torture he was inflicting.
Gail was trying her hardest not engage with her Father; however, he hit a nerve and her control crumpled. 'Seriously? You beat my Mother, caused her to be locked in the office with you when it was burnt down and you think I'd be happy to have you here? You're mentally unstable and delusional' she snapped.
Peter laughed and shook his head. 'Lucas Buck raped your Aunt Judith, killed her, killed your cousin Merlyn, tricked you into sleeping with him whilst lying about his true relationship with Caleb, locked your friend Matt up in Juniper, abandoned you when you were first pregnant and glossed over the fact that his son caused your miscarriage, but you married him anyway and still give yourself over to him willingly every day...You think I'm the mentally unstable one here Princess?' he asked judgmentally.
Gail felt her darkness clawing to take control to shield her from the statements; however, she kept it locked away and disregarded what he had said. She was not about to compare the faults of her husband with her dead Father out in the open and she certainly was not going to believe every word that came out of his mouth.
She took another deep breath and focused on her car at the bottom of the Pier, the bright red of her Mustang could be seen clearly from where she was and she picked up her pace, as if the car was her sanctuary away from her Father. 'Why's your partner in crime not here lurking in the wings like he usually does?' she asked irritated, choosing to change the subject.
'Malcolm's bound to that property and I'm bound to you Precious' Peter shrugged, then decided to change the subject himself. 'There can only be one' he said and stared calmly at the waves crashing at the side of them.
Gail felt a knot form in her stomach at the words, then feigned ignorance at the statement. 'Sounds like a line from an 80's movie like Highlander' she forced a laugh.
Peter sensed the statement had rattled her and smiled sadly. 'That was after my time Poppet...Only one in each generation' he continued.
'Stop it' Gail ordered calmly, trying not to lose her cool.
'You asked him, I remember. You weren't as accepting of the forces at play back then and you didn't know I was there, but I was. One what you asked Caleb...' Peter leaned over and whispered in her ear. '...and what was his response?'
'One Buck' Gail whispered involuntarily, as if saying it louder would damn her for eternity.
Peter placed his arm around her shoulder and nodded. 'Malcolm is a traditionalist, so is his son. It turns out that rule has gone on throughout the ages, only one they say...Who can blame me for wanting to give our family a head start' he advised, then smiled when he saw the realisation in her eyes.
Gail closed her eyes at the confession of her Father and knew he had caused Caleb's fall. 'You shouldn't have told me that, he'll kill you' Gail stared up at her Father, unsure why she felt a sudden concern for his well-being.
Peter laughed and shook his head. 'I'm already dead Gail and when your husband arranged for that incident to be carried out by Gage, you weren't in play' he advised and kissed her forehead softly.
Gail watched her Father carefully as he released his arm from her shoulders, then bent down and tucked in the blanket which had come lose from around Luke. If he expected her to choose protecting him over her loyalty to her soulmate, she was not sure that she could.
'This one here is our legacy, regardless of what failings we've done in the past. You remember your loyalties lie with family Princess, just like your husbands and Malcolms does' Peter advised, then stroked Luke's cheek gently and disappeared, leaving Gail more confused than ever.
-To be continued-