Selena Coombs addressed the adults in the classroom as she paced back and force, she thanked them all for taking the time to support their children and signalled for the first parent to step up to the front of the class. Gail was sat next to Caleb trying to feign some interest in this pointless activity. It was 2:00pm and she had so much to do, she could not believe she had to waste her time talking to a classroom full of people. She glanced at her cousin and smiled when she saw he was clearly as bored as she was, it made her feel better that it was not just her who did not want to be there.

Boons father had just finished discussing his job and there was a round of applause before Caleb's name was called. Gail put on a fake smile and walked to the front of the class with her cousin. Caleb introduced her and talked about how exciting her job as a Reporter was, Gail took over and chose to talk about a case she had covered which was not too graphic for the children. When she had finished and got her round of applause, she whispered her excuses to Caleb and left.

Gail let out a sigh of relief when she left the school and headed to her car, Lucas had promised that he would make good of his word and arrange for Matt to be released on day leave once a week and she wanted to head over to Juniper House to see if she could get that confirmed. Before she could get in her car, she heard her name being called and turned around.

Selena walked casually up to Gail and smiled, 'Off so soon Gail?'

'I have somewhere to be' Gail regarded the woman politely and reached for the handle of her car door.

Selena walked around her and leaned against the car door, preventing Gail from opening it. 'Look, I know we got off to a bad start when you came to Trinity...'

'That's an understatement' Gail interrupted. She did not want to have a conversation with Selena right now; however, she was intrigued as to what she wanted.

'Ok Gail it was more than that. My boyfriend thinks a lot of you, against his better judgement and I'd like us to try to get along' Selena said, trying to come across as genuine.

Gail smiled, this was not the usual Selena that she had become accustomed to. The Selena she knew despised her for getting with Lucas and she found it hard to believe the woman would put all that bitterness behind her, especially as Gail had noticed Lucas appeared to have discarded her completely in recent months. Gail was still intrigued as to what Selena had planned, so she would play along. 'We've never been uncivil Selena, so why would we start being that way now? We can continue on as usual, just because your dating Billy does not mean that we have to be friends.'

Selena gave a cunning smile, 'Oh on the contrary Gail, you know boys and how they like things to run smoothly. Billy cares about what you think so I figure I need to make an effort here. I'm not saying we need to be the best of friends, but what's the harm in a little drink together later? Even if it is just to ease Billy's mind.'

Gail nodded appreciatively, whatever game Selena was playing she was playing it well. If she said no, it would look like she did not care if Billy was worried; however, if she said yes she could at least see what Selena's end game was. Gail sighed, 'Ok Selena, why not. Jimmy's bar around 8:00pm?'

'No...' Selena said casually, '...let's go somewhere more private. How about a quiet little picnic, just you and me?'

This was interesting, Gail thought. Why would she want to meet in private and not in a public place? Gail considered her options and nodded, 'A private picnic just the two of us? Sounds exciting. We'll do it at my place in the garden, I'll make sure we have no interruptions'

Selena went to protest, as she had a secluded place in mind by the Trinity River where she knew no one would find them; however, she decided to hold her tongue when she saw the impatient look on Gail's face. She could work her magic at Gail's place, she just needed to rethink her plan. 'Fantastic, 8:00pm at your place. I'll bring the wine' Selena said and sauntered back towards the school.

Gail shook her head, then got in to her car.

Billy entered the Sheriffs Station looking for Ben, he had finished his shift at the hospital at 6:00pm expecting to take Selena out for dinner; however, she had told him that she had other plans tonight. Billy had considered looking for Gail but decided against it as she had been acting withdrawn lately, instead he decided to meet Ben after his shift to see if he wanted to go out for a drink.

Ben was situated behind the counter with his head in a newspaper, he looked up when he heard the sound of the bell above the door. 'Hey friend, what are you doing here?'

Billy approached the desk and smiled, 'Well, I was coming to see if my good friend wanted to come out for a drink, seen as we've both been busy with our women recently.'

'What women would that be?' Lucas asked from behind Billy, 'Don't tell me you've shacked back up with our lovely school teacher? I thought you'd come to your senses with that one Doc'

Ben stood up to come from behind the counter, but Lucas shot a glance at him to keep out of this.

Billy shook his head, 'Who I'm shacking up with is non of your business Buck. You coming Ben?' he asked turning towards his friend.

Lucas laughed, it was amusing how these Doctors believed they were different and could march into his town to do what they wanted. Ben had always been loyal to Lucas and this friendship he had with the good Doctor was beginning to annoy him. 'My Deputy is pulling a double shift Doc, I suggest you go run to your little school teacher for some company this evening'

Ben stared at Lucas, he did not remember agreeing to do a double shift. Sensing Lucas was in one of his unpredictable moods, he decided not to question him.

Lucas started to walk back to his office when Billy did not respond, to gather his jacket so he could meet up with Gail; however, the sound of the phone ringing stopped him in his tracks. Ben picked up the phone and handed it to Lucas. 'Ok...' he said to the caller, 'I could swing by later and...' Lucas started to say, but the phone went dead. He shook his head and hung up the phone.

Turning towards Ben and Billy, Lucas sighed. 'Looks like my plans have changed. Come on Deputy, Floyd will cover your shift. We're going out for a few drinks. You coming Doc?'

Billy glanced at Ben who just shrugged, 'Why not?' he said, it would be interesting seeing how Lucas behaved if he let his hair down.

Gail sat comfortably on a blanket in her back garden, with Selena situated next to her. Gail did not like how close Selena had chosen to sit and felt like her personal space was being invaded.

The evening had been uneventful so far and Selena had not given away any hints to what she was trying to accomplish with this little rendezvous; however, Gail could sense the woman would show her true intentions soon. Selena had been making small talk for close to an hour and Gail was beginning to get frustrated.

Selena finished eating the quiche Gail had made, which was annoyingly tasty. Selena had hoped that the woman next to her would at least be a bad cook, but that was not the case and Gail had made a variety of picnic food for them to pick at. 'Well, your quiche was surprisingly good Gail' she said, pouring them both a glass of wine.

Gail laughed, were they really going to continue on like this? She accepted the compliment, took a large sip of her wine and leaned towards the radio she had brought out to turn the music up. If she closed her eyes and focused on the music, she could pretend she was with more desirable company.

Selena watched Gail carefully, she had chosen not to tell Lucas about the ultimatum Gail had been given and decided to try to make the situation work for her. She was still unsure of whether she wanted to convince her nemesis to stay, or to go. Lucas would be angry if she convinced her to go, but there was a part of her that believed she could persuade him to come back to her with Gail gone. On the other hand if she convinced her to stay, she would be one step closer to Lucas trusting her again and she believed Lucas would inevitably return to her once she had proven her worth. Either way, she needed to broach the subject, 'So, the man you were with the other day looked very handsome' Selena said, hoping Gail would take the bait.

Gail sighed, and so it begins. 'He is very handsome and rich too, it's a shame he's not going to be around for you to get your claws into' Gail said and took another sip of her wine.

'Now, now Gail, play nice. I just thought you might want someone to talk to' Selena said, trying to sound genuine.

Gail laughed, 'Why would I talk to you?'

Selena smiled cunningly, 'Well it's obvious you haven't told Lucas about your little predicament, as the repercussions of that would be epic and I'd know if you had told Billy, as his behaviour would've changed. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you're keeping that little ultimatum to yourself Gail, which indicates you're weighing up your options before you decide what to do...maybe it would help if you talked it out with someone who doesn't have a biased opinion'

Gail shook her head, she knew it would help if she could debate with someone over her options; however, Selena was right, Lucas and Billy were out of the question. It was not fair to put this on Ben with how much he was in the middle of Lucas and Billy recently, Matt would likely go crazy if he thought there was a possibility that she was leaving him in Juniper House and she would not bother Caleb with this drama.

Gail was not stupid and she could sense that Selena was trying to use the situation to her advantage, she just did not know how or why. 'So let me get this straight...' Gail said standing up to stretch her legs, '...I'm to believe you have an unbiased opinion on whether I stay or go? Come on Selena, you can do better than that'

Selena stood up and began to walk around the garden, she would need to change tactics. 'At this moment in time Gail I don't care what you do, I can make it work for me either way. I've been in this town a lot longer than you have and I know that the trains will keep running on time, no matter what you decide. Anything that you have affected since you came to Trinity will disappear eventually and all your boy's will come running back to me'

Gail felt herself becoming angry. Ben had once told her that Lucas and Selena were joined at the hip, she also knew that Selena had been taking an interest in Caleb before the tragedy of his tenth birthday. She sensed that Selena believed she could take what Gail had eventually and the thought of Selena potentially winning made her blood boil. Gail felt an unnatural darkness rising through her body, as if trying to come out. She swallowed hard and shook off the feeling, she would not let this woman have the satisfaction of knowing she had provoked a reaction from her.

Gail took a step towards Selena, then stopped when she heard someone call her name from behind her. Gail turned around and saw the Mayors wife Mary standing at the entrance to her garden.

Mary looked from Gail to Selena, then turned her attention back to Gail. 'I'm sorry for intruding' she said timidly and stood at the entrance to the garden.

Gail forced a welcoming smile and tried to ignore Selena, 'You're not intruding Mary, come in' she said and walked closer to the woman.

Mary smiled and entered the garden. After the dinner they had gone to, she had been thinking a lot about Gail. The woman seemed confident and not afraid to hold her own with the men of this town. Mary had been like that once, before her husband had stripped her of all her dignity. When she approached Gail, she saw the picnic and knew she had interrupted something. 'I'm sorry...' she started to say.

Gail held her hand up to stop her, 'Don't be sorry, Miss Coombs was just leaving' she said turning to face Selena.

Selena sauntered towards both woman and smiled. 'I guess I've outstayed my welcome' she said and handed Gail her glass of wine before leaving.

Gail shook her head and drank the last of Selena's wine in one gulp.

Mary watched Gail closely. The Emory name was high thought of in this town and she had not thought the woman in front of her would socialise with someone like Selena Coombs. It was obvious that she had interrupted something and it appeared that Gail was relieved when Miss Coombs left, which made Mary surmise that they were not friends.

Gail regarded the woman in front of her cautiously, she only ever had the same visitors to her house; therefore, having the Mayors wife stop by was more than a little strange. Gail continued to show a welcoming vibe, until she could figure out the reason for this visit. 'Can I offer you a drink Mary?' she asked.

Mary glanced towards the bottle of wine by the picnic, she did not usually drink as her husband would not approve; however, seeing Gail drink the remainder of the wine in Miss Coomb's glass in one gulp made her want to give it a try. 'Can I have a glass of what your having please?' Mary said, looking towards the bottle.

Gail nodded, 'Of course, let me just go and get you a clean glass' she said and disappeared into the house.

When Gail returned, she noticed Mary had sat down by the picnic and was admiring the food. Gail handed her the glass and poured some wine for them both. 'There's no way I can finish all this food, so feel free to tuck in' Gail said, taking a sip of her wine.

Mary smiled and picked up a sandwich. 'I don't mean to bother you this late, I just wanted to say thank you for inviting us all to dinner. Me and Josh had a great time. I brought you some home made apple pie to show our appreciation' she said, nodding towards the bag she had placed next to her on the blanket.

Gail smiled, 'You're no bother and it's the Sheriff you need to thank not me. He orchestrated the dinner, I was just one of the invites like you.'

Mary nodded and took a bite out of her sandwich. 'You two looked sweet together, I don't think I've ever seen Lucas Buck smitten with a woman'

Gail shook her head, of course Mary wanted the gossip on her and Lucas. So far there had been no rumours about the dinner and Gail had known that would not last. She continued to show her best smile and tried to change the subject 'I didn't see you or the Mayor at career day today, were you both busy?' she asked.

Mary turned away, John had told her that she could not go to career day and he was too busy. When she had tried to explain that their son may get into trouble, he had grabbed her arm and threw her against the wall for daring to question him. Mary had pleaded with her husband to stop, but this only angered him further and he continued to grab her arm and throw her around the room.

Gail regarded Mary carefully, as the woman had turned away from her and was touching her arm. Mary had a cardigan on, so Gail could not see what she was stroking; however, she had seen that reaction in her mother when she was younger and had a feeling that the Mayor had something to do with it.

When Gail thought back to her childhood after learning the truth about her parents, she realised that all the signs of domestic abuse were there. It sickened her when she thought about how she had pushed all the evidence deep down in her mind and created the perfect family. She had slowly began to forgive her mother for staying with her father, as in a town like this it was appearance that counted and her mother must have been terrified of what he would do if she left. The signs were clear as day with Mary, but this should not be any of Gail's concern and she knew she should not get involved. Still, she felt for the woman and it was not in her nature to ignore someone's pain.

Gail leaned forward and touched Mary's shoulder gently, which made the woman jump. 'I'm sorry' Gail said and gave her a reassuring smile. 'Mary, what are you really doing here?'

Mary laughed uncomfortably, 'I have no idea, I just needed to get out of the house and I liked talking to you at dinner. I have friends, but they are John's friends and I just need to get away for a little while.'

Gail shook her head and tried to hide her disgust. This woman clearly had nowhere to go to be away from her husbands grasp, Gail was surprised Mary had managed to pluck up the courage to come to her place. 'Drink your wine' Gail said and went back into the house to get another bottle. When she came back she took Mary's empty glass and filled it.

'John won't approve of me drinking' Mary said timidly.

'Let me worry about your husband' Gail said and smiled.

Lucas was sat in Jimmy's bar with Ben and Billy, wondering how he had ended up with his present company. He knew Gail had been acting strange and was trying to push him away; however, he had managed to get through her defences and convince her to reconsider. The only time she had actually blown off their plans previously was when she had found that he was Caleb's father and Lucas did not believe she had found anything else about him, so this was baffling.

Lucas knew he could open up his mind's eye easily and see what Gail was doing, their connection was so strong these days that it would take no effort at all; however, he chose to give her a little space to work out what she needed to. He had no doubt she would be aching for him at the end of the night and he would be there to satisfy her needs. The thought of Gail aching for him made Lucas smile.

'Was it something we said?' Billy asked curiously, when Lucas smiled for no apparent reason.

Lucas was taken out of his thoughts and turned his attention back towards his present company. 'So Doc, you and Selena again huh? I was beginning to think you had a little crush on Gail for a moment there' he said, trying to get a reaction.

Billy smiled, 'Would there be a problem if I did?' he asked. Billy had a feeling that Gail was not being totally honest about her and Lucas, she avoided the subject any time he brought it up. He decided he might get more answers from Lucas himself, he believed Lucas was the type of man who could not help but boast about his conquests.

'Aw hell Doc, I don't like to kiss and tell' Lucas said, reading Billy's mind.

Before Billy could address the comment, Selena sauntered up to the table. 'Hey boys, am I missing something? I didn't think I'd see you two caught dead socialising.' Selena said, nodding towards Lucas and Billy.

Billy put his arm around Selena possessively and pulled her to his knee. He kissed her passionately, then looked towards Lucas defiantly.

Lucas smiled and turned his attention towards Selena, he felt his twin wanting to surface but he pushed him back down. 'You're very brave Darlin'...' he said casually, '...I don't think I could sit around a table with a group of people who could compare scores about my performance with them.'

Selena glared at Lucas and tried to hide her anger. Billy pushed Selena off his knee, when the realisation of what Lucas had said sunk in. Billy turned towards Ben and he could see his friend sat with his head down, avoiding his stare. 'Ben...you slept with Selena?' he asked in shock.

Lucas laughed and got up from the table, 'Well, I think that's my cue to leave'

Selena was seething and walked closer to Lucas. 'You go to your lovely Miss Emory...' she whispered, '...you might not have very long left with her, so savour those sweet lips while you can'.

Lucas turned towards Selena, 'What do you mean?' he asked sternly.

Selena just smiled, then turned towards Ben and Billy.

It was 10:00pm and Gail was still sat with Mary. They had moved from the back garden to Gail's front porch swing and had opened another bottle of wine, as they were enjoying each others company so much. Gail had found out that Mary was a librarian and she often stood with Caleb when he had been waiting for Gail to pick him up from the library. Mary had found out that Gail was a huge Stephen King fan, like herself and they both loved Kris Kristofferson's music.

The pair had really hit it off and had forgotten about Mary's earlier worries. Gail had not forgotten about hers though and had told Mary all about her predicament, when she had clearly had one too many glasses of wine. Mary had given her some good counsel, Gail was reflecting on the advice at that present moment and was feeling better about making her decision.

'Decision about what Darlin?' Lucas asked, leaning against Gail's porch rail.

Mary gave a jump when she saw Lucas and Gail shook her head, clearly Mary had not had much interaction with Lucas or had to suffer his intrusions. 'I told you I was busy tonight Sheriff' Gail said calmly and took a sip of her wine.

Lucas put on his best smile for Mary and walked casually towards the women. 'I was just driving by when I saw you two lovely ladies out here, I thought I should stop by and point out how late it was, as the Mayor would surely be wondering where his wife was' Lucas said.

Mary jumped up when she spotted it was after 10:00pm on her watch. 'He's going to kill me!' she said frightened and tried to find her cardigan.

Gail stood up to help her find the cardigan. When Mary had taken the cardigan off, it had taken all of her strength not to comment on the large bruise on the woman's arm.

Lucas cleared his throat and both women turned towards him, he was holding the cardigan out with his right hand.

Gail shook her head disapprovingly at him, but he just smiled. 'Don't worry about that ol' husband of yours Mary' Lucas said reassuringly, 'I'll smooth this little girls night with him. Come on, I'll take you home'

Mary looked at Gail when she went to follow her off the porch, 'It's OK, I've taken up enough of your time as it is. Thank you for tonight' she said and headed towards Lucas's car.

Gail stepped towards Lucas, 'If he touches her, I'll get it published in my newspaper for all the town to see' she threatened.

Lucas smiled and caressed her cheek with his hand. 'Will you trust me?'

Gail nodded and watched him turn away to escort Mary to his car.

Lucas headed towards Johnson's Bridge after he had dropped off Mary, he had indicated to the Mayor that it was in his best interest not to be concerned about the semi drunken state his wife had returned home in and he was sure John would heed his words. At first John had started to raise his voice questioningly at Lucas, but he soon backed down when he felt the familiar burning sensation around his eyes that he had previously experienced in his office.

It was evident that the Mayor's temporary case of insanity had finally passed and he had realised who was boss in this town. That was good, as Lucas could never be bothered having to actually parade about as a candidate for Sheriff and the Mayor's backing would secure his current position. Not that Lucas was worried, he knew his townspeople would not dare to vote against him; although he had become a little preoccupied and distracted lately.

Tommy Wallace should never have been able to put his name down to run against him, Lucas should have sensed that one coming and squashed the man's hopes before it had gotten to this point. He made a mental note not to let his antics with Caleb and Gail get in the way of him running this town again in future.

Lucas smiled to himself when he spotted Tommy in the distance, fishing with his cousin. He could feel his twin rising inside him, he was just itching to be let out. Lucas got out of his car and walked towards the edge of the bridge. It was a shame really, Lucas thought, Tommy had never hurt anyone; however, he should have known better than to try to take something from him, that type of behaviour would not be tolerated in his town.

Lucas took a deep breath and closed his eyes, it was time to let his twin do what he did best.

Tommy was starting to believe there were no fish around tonight, when he felt a tug on his line. He leaned forward slowly and turned towards his cousin, 'I think this is gonna be a big one Harry' he said smiling. His smile grew wider when it felt like the fish was beginning to fight back and Tommy pulled hard on his fishing rod.

Lucas smiled in the distance, this was always his favourite part. The shock when they realised something else was happening which they could not control always amused him.

Tommy yanked hard, but his line would not come out of the water. Tommy shook his head, 'Harry I think it's stuck, wait I feel something...' and with that Tommy was pulled off the bridge and into the water.

Harry yelled after him, he did not know what had just happened. One minute his cousin was there and the next he was gone. Harry ran further down the bridge to see if Tommy had come back up, but he was nowhere to be found. The last thing Lucas heard when he shut his car door, was Harry screaming for his cousin.

Lucas drove to his house after leaving Johnson's bridge; however, before he could park the car in the driveway he decided to turn it around and head for Gail's house. When he arrived, he got out of the car and entered her house effortlessly. It had been many years since he had to worry about locks and chains.

Lucas had intended to give Gail some space, she was clearly torn about something; however, his recent actions at Johnson's bridge had left him feeling pent up and he needed a release. He used to use Selena to work off the rage inside of him, but he had still not forgiven her for what she had done.

He entered Gail's bedroom and shook his head when he saw she was already asleep. If he was in his right frame of mind he would have left her where she lay peacefully, but not tonight.

Lucas undressed silently and got into the bed so he lay behind her. He stroked her back then let his hand travel down to her behind, he smiled when it became evident she was sleeping naked. Lucas moved his hand to her front and began slowly playing between her legs, Gail turned slightly to subconsciously allow him more access to her and moaned softly; however, she did not wake up.

Shaking his head, Lucas forced his free arm under her so he could grab her more securely and pulled her close to him. Even though Gail was not awake, he could feel how ready she was for him and he could not resist any longer, he needed his release. Lucas had positioned himself behind her perfectly and pushed himself inside her.

Gail awoke with a start at the intruding feeling she felt inside her. She tried to fight and push free of her assailant, then relaxed slightly when Lucas whispered in her ear. Gail did not approve of Lucas's method here, but she could not deny how good it felt to have him inside of her; therefore, she chose to let him continue.

Lucas smiled when Gail relaxed and let him move in and out of her without questioning him. That was all the authorisation he needed to let loose and so he turned her on all fours, then began to pick up the pace. Lucas could feel his twin trying to take control, but this was his time and he would not let him interfere. He kept thrusting hard in and out of Gail, pounding her to release his pent up rage.

Gail was not sure how she felt about Lucas being so rough, he had previously been gentle with her and it was evident now that he had been holding back. When he flipped her on all fours she nearly yelled at him to stop; however, the part of her which desired him the most had kept her silent and enjoyed the rough treatment he was displaying.

When Lucas leaned down and bit the bottom of her neck forcefully, Gail had to push her head into a pillow and bite her lip to stop herself from screaming out in both pleasure and pain. Lucas just kept thrusting hard into her and she felt as though she was ready to explode. When the release finally came, they both yelled out together. Gail was surprised as Lucas was normally quieter and tried to keep himself reserved.

Lucas held himself inside her for a minute after they came, then pulled out of her and lay on his back beside her. Gail lay on her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows, 'What was that?' she panted.

Lucas smiled, he was also finding it hard to catch his breath after over exerting himself. He noticed Gail did not seem angry at the intrusion or with how rough he had needed to be, which made him want her even more. 'That was me working out my frustration Darlin', are you ok?' he asked.

Gail rolled over and laughed, 'Oh now you care if I'm ok? You're a bit late there Sheriff'

Lucas leaned on his side and placed his hand on her stomach. 'Are you ok?' he asked again, concerned.

Gail did not answer for a moment, then raised a hand to stroke his cheek and smiled. 'You didn't break me if that's what your worried about...now lie down, I think we both need to get some sleep'

-To be continued-