Mary sat outside of the old Antique Store, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. She had been beyond surprised when she had received a call from her friend and was more than happy to help with the favour she had asked of her. She had not seen Gail properly since the Halloween Party, where she had accidentally revealed to her party guests that Gail was the one pregnant with the Sheriff's child; therefore, she wanted to show her friend that she could be trusted.

Mary gave herself a mental shake when she saw the pretty young girl exit the Antique Store and sit on a bench in front. She never understood why her friend would open her home to this stranger; however, it appeared she was now part of the family and Mary respected her friends kindness in taking her in.

She got out of the car and approached the young girl, who appeared content staring down the road and smiled when she spotted her. 'Afternoon M, how are we?' she asked pleasantly.

Merlyn was shocked to see the Mayor's wife in this part of town and it took her a moment to process that the woman was here. 'As good as I can be workin' on a Saturday. How are you?' she asked, forcing a sweet smile.

'I'm good...just here to see if you can get a few hours off to join me?'

Merlyn narrowed her eyes at the woman suspiciously. Mary was Gail's friend and would have no reason to want to spend time with her. 'I'm workin' like I said' she replied, unsure of what this was.

'The Mayor's wife invites you to spend time with her and you shoot her down?' Abe asked, as he approached the pair.

Merlyn had been too distracted with Mary's presence to notice Abe had come out to join them. 'I'm workin' for a reason, as you need the help' she advised him.

Mary smiled at the exchange between these two, everyone knew Abraham Boswell and the man usually kept to himself; however, he appeared to be taken with Gail and it was nice to see him socialising with a family. 'I'm sure this gentleman won't mind me stealin' you for a few hours, especially at the request of the woman who took you in'

'Gail requested this?' Merlyn asked suspiciously.

'She most certainly did' Mary smiled.

'Well it's settled then, you go do whatever you girls do and I'll shut the shop early...I won't take no for an answer girl' Abe said sternly and smiled when the girl reluctantly followed the Mayor's wife.

Abe casually returned back to his Store and let out a long sigh when he reviewed his sales ledger, not one customer had visited the Store in the last week and it would be hard to keep this place afloat at this rate.

'What you need is an advertising strategy' Gail stated, as she reviewed literature on the bookshelf at the far corner of the Store.

Abe gave a small jump, then smiled. He had not noticed his Rosie sneak in and as far as he was aware, she was hiding herself away from the public. 'Come out from your hidin' place and let me look at you' he requested.

Gail rolled her eyes, then pushed Luke's buggy out of the dark corner and approached the counter where Abe stood. 'I'm not some spectacle for you to gawk at just because I had Lucas Buck's baby'

Abe laughed and moved around the counter to meet her, he was happy to see that she was her usual feisty self and being trapped in the Buck Mansion had not dampened her spirit. 'Hold your tongue girl, I ain't just another gossipin' biddy and I'm allowed to be interested in your well-bein''

Gail smiled and shook her head. 'Oh, so this is concern over whether I've been molded into something cruel and unusual by my captor?' she asked sarcastically.

'This is me wantin' to check on my family, so pipe down and let me see the little one' he laughed and leaned into the buggy.

Gail watched Abe with genuine affection, she never would have guessed she would find someone who cared about her so much when she first returned to Trinity. It was a shame they had lost so many years and she regretted never meeting his wife in her adulthood.

'Now who's the one gawkin'?' Abe asked, when he noticed Gail watching him.

Gail started to pace around the store, curious as to what new items he may hold. 'Now you know how I feel' she sighed and picked up an old ornament.

Abe watched her carefully, he could see the dark circles under her eyes and wondered if it was just the baby that was causing her lack of rest. He had come to know her very well and knew when something had peaked her curiosity, it was hard for her to hide things from him and he sensed something was going on with her. 'What plans have you got for that girl?' he asked curiously.

'M?...' Gail asked, '...Nothing bad, the girl needs to start living her life rather than being caught up in our drama'

'Meanin' what?'

Gail carefully placed the ornament back down and turned towards Abe. 'Meaning being around the same adults day in and day out is not helping her development. The girl needs to experience life, rather than being cooped up'

'And you think sendin' her off with the Mayor's wife is gonna help her do that?' Abe asked and smiled down at the baby, when he noticed he had woken up and was staring at him curiously.

'God no...' Gail laughed and approached Abe. '...We've got a dinner party to attend tonight and she's going to need something nice to wear'

'She won't like that, especially if it involves a certain Sheriff' Abe warned and watched as Gail carefully picked up the baby.

Gail gently rocked Luke attempting to sooth him back to sleep, then turned her attention back to Abe. 'Speaking of which, what have I missed?' she asked, disregarding his comment.

'I won't be a pawn to be used against my friend Rosie' he warned.

'So something has happened?' she sighed and began pacing the Store.

Abe inhaled deeply and shook his head, he did not want to get Lucas into trouble for riling the young girl up and would need to be careful with what he said. Gail was like a dog with a bone; therefore, he would have to give her something or she would keep digging. 'Let's just say her closeness with Matt Crower hasn't gone unnoticed'

Gail bit her lip in frustration, she knew Abe did not want to get anyone into trouble; however, it was clear something had happened and she knew Lucas would have a field day with the feelings Matt and Merlyn had for each other. 'Will you join me tonight? I miss you' she said, changing the subject.

Abe smiled and nodded. 'I miss you too...Will I need something nice to wear too?' he asked sarcastically.

Gail laughed and rolled her eyes in mock frustration. 'I suppose I could take you clothes shopping to make you pretty too'

'The hell you will' Abe laughed and stroked Gail's back affectionately.

'Come on, I'll help you close up and we'll go grab some lunch' Gail ordered, as she placed Luke back in his buggy and started to help close up the Store.


Lucas sat comfortably behind his desk, regarding Walter Maine with a smug smile. The man had refused to press charges against his poor little Betty after she attacked him and the fact that the man was attempting to grovel for his wife amused him.

'So you see Lucas, there's no need to continue with court action against Betty...She didn't mean it and I just want her to come home' Walter stuttered, staring down at his hands.

Lucas nodded, as though considering the mans statement; however, he was not finished with this family just yet. 'You see Walter, the problem we have is there were a lot of witnesses that who Betty break a bottle and plunge it into your neck...Regardless of whether you wanna press charges or not, that was a violent crime and cannot go unpunished in my town'

Walter could feel his nerve diminishing, all he wanted was his wife back home for Christmas and he did not understand why Lucas was doing this to them. 'Please Lucas, I'll do whatever you want...just don't hurt my Betty' he pleaded, then noticed the smile on Lucas' face disappear.

'You had your chance Walter, all I wanted was for that pretty little Nurse of yours to keep an eye on my boy. Why should I care what happens to you and yours when you couldn't even offer a helpin' hand to me?' Lucas asked sardonically.

Walter placed his head in his hands and began to cry. Lucas rolled his eyes and let out a small laugh, he was about to scold the man when the door to his office swung open and Caleb walked in. Lucas shot the boy a disapproving look and waved for Walter to leave them.

Caleb watched the broken man as he walked past him, then regarded Lucas suspiciously. 'What did you do to him?' he asked, perching himself on the corner of the desk.

Lucas regarded his son curiously, he did not appreciate being interrupted when he had been having a private meeting and if it had been anyone else there would have been hell to pay. 'Never you mind, is there a reason why you barged into my private meeting?' he asked irritated.

'You told me to stop by when I was finished with Boone' Caleb shrugged and glanced around the office.

Lucas had given the boy an open invitation; therefore, he could not be mad at him. Besides, there was no harm letting Walter stew for a while longer. 'Alright son...' he said, getting up from behind the desk. '...What should we do to pass the time until our dinner at the Mayor's house tonight?'

Caleb pondered for a moment, then smiled. 'Christmas is in a few days'

Lucas let out an exasperated breath at the mention of the holiday, both he and Gail hated the festive season. He had of course already gotten Caleb a few gifts, as had Gail; however, they had been avoiding the subject whenever possible. 'What's your point?' Lucas asked.

Caleb knew how Lucas and Gail felt about the holiday, he also knew that Gail had arranged for the large Christmas Tree to be in Lucas' entrance hall to annoy him. Regardless of how they felt, Caleb had enjoyed himself for the first time that he could remember last year and he liked the thought of celebrating like a normal family. 'It's Luke's first Christmas, don't you think we should do something special? And I think Gail deserves somethin' to cheer her up with all that's happened' he stated, using the situation to his advantage.

Lucas shook his head and let out a long sigh. Gail could use a distraction and it was a good excuse to get her a nice gift. 'OK son, you've convinced me...I suppose there's no time like the present to get this over with'

Caleb smiled and followed his father out of the office.


Gail sat patiently on the couch in Matt Crower's office, waiting for him to come back with her test results. Lucas had insisted that Matt be the Doctor she reports to, as he was more capable than most; however, she did not like having her friend examining her and insisted Rita take point on anything that involved touching her.

Gail's stance on this meant it took longer for Matt to monitor her recovery after giving birth, as he had to liaise with Rita throughout their appointments; however, he respected her wishes and she suspected he did not want to see her in a compromising position either.

Matt entered the office with her file under his arm and two cups of coffee. Seeing Gail was always a highlight of his day and it was nice to be able to spend time with her without Lucas Buck interfering. Lucas would not dare crash their appointment; therefore, Matt liked to take advantage of the alone time they got together.

'So, how are you finding motherhood?' he asked, as he sat down next to Gail on the couch.

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'I had a momentary issue bonding with my child and you're going to ask me that question every time?'

Matt smiled and put his arm around his friend. 'I will ask you that question every time, as I want to make sure you're experiencing this as you should...A child is a gift Gail' he said with a hint of sadness in his tone.

Gail regarded Matt with concern, then rested her head on his chest. She wished there was something she could do to bring his daughter back, a parent should not have to outlive their child. 'We're fine Matt...I'm tired, drained and ready to scream but none of that is aimed at Luke' she reassured him.

Matt nodded and enjoyed the closeness with Gail. They had actually appeared to have grown closer since his kiss with M, he supposed it was due to her concern over his actions. He had not instigated the kiss; however, he should have stopped it from getting that far and clearly his judgement was not as good as it used to be'

'She's not as immature as you'd think' Gail said sensing his thoughts, then stood up and paced the room.

'Meaning what?' Matt asked, knowing there was some secret between her and M.

'Meaning she's seen more than you could ever imagine and at times I think she's more mature than me' Gail laughed and perched on the end of his desk.

Matt narrowed his eyes at her, surely she was not making excuses for him.

'No excuses...' Gail sighed, '...I'm just being honest. It's complicated and I'd prefer you to get rid of your feelings for her...but speaking as someone in an inappropriate relationship, I understand that may not be possible and I'm just saying the girl may not be as young as you believe'

'Anyway...' Matt said changing the subject, '...You're test results are in and you seem to be healing at a remarkable rate, you're nearly back to full health. I don't know what juice you're drinking to patch you up like this, but you should pass it around'

Gail let out a small laugh and smiled at her friend. 'Well it appears being ran into the ground has a regenerating affect on my body...Keep this to yourself though, I could do with a little more time on certain things'

Matt got up from the couch and approached Gail. 'I'm your Doctor Gail, everything we discuss is confidential...Besides, you really think I'd want this news getting back to a certain someone so he can start pawing at you again?'

'You think this made him stop?...' Gail asked in disbelief, then sighed. '...Listen, you want to join us tonight for dinner? I've been roped into a meal with the Mayor and a few others, I could do with some support'

Matt placed a reassuring hand on Gail's shoulder, then shook his head. 'You couldn't pay me to be there, but if you need a babysitter for Luke I don't mind helping'

Gail smiled and nodded, she understood his reluctance and she would not be doing this if it was not expected of her. 'Alright then, it's a date. Come by at around 6 and we'll go from there' she said and left the office to go check on Abe and Luke.

-To be continued-