Lucas sat in his office at the Sheriff's Station with Caleb, going through his family pictures for the Danielle. Gail had demanded that they have the final say on what pictures were published and he had chosen to collect Caleb from Gail's old place, to help him choose the most suitable picture to represent their family.

He was not stupid and knew Gail was attempting to cause a distraction, to cover up whatever she was doing; however, he was more than happy to spend this time with his son, with the knowledge that she could not touch him no matter how hard she tried. Gail was a complex creature and he understood her limitations, even if she did not. Lucas had faith in her ability to dig up the truth and he knew it was not a good idea to underestimate her determination or talents; however, they were meant to be together and he did not believe she could turn on him like she once thought she could.

Lucas laughed to himself at the thought of her misguided belief that she could get him. She had no idea of the consequences of such a betrayal and knew she had not thought the matter through properly. He was confident he was on top here, how could he not be he was Lucas Buck; however, he looked forward to finding out what she had uncovered, more out of curiosity of how far she would take this.

Caleb looked up from the picture he had been surveying and watched his father carefully. He had heard him chuckle to himself and was curious as to what was so amusing. Caleb sensed something had been going on for a while now, Gail had not been around as much as he would have expected and she had been allowing Abe to watch Luke a lot these days. He would have expected Lucas to have something to say about that; however, he appeared preoccupied himself and Caleb had been left to his own devises recently.

Lucas sensed Caleb's thoughts turn to him and was taken out of his own pondering. 'You find anythin' suitable there son? Or are you too busy with your head in the clouds?' he asked sarcastically.

Caleb let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'You're one to talk...What are you thinkin' about?' he asked curiously.

'Family...' Lucas shrugged, '...You?'

'The same...' Caleb answered honestly, then moved a picture closer to Lucas. '...I like this one'

Lucas stared down at the picture and nodded appreciatively. The photographer had caught the majority of his house in the background, whilst managing to capture them all in a sophisticated pose. 'You don't think the Guardian wants a closer shot of Luke?' he asked.

'I don't think Gail does' Caleb shrugged, then stood up and glanced at the Sheriff of the year award behind Lucas.

'Is there somethin' on your mind son?'

'Just wonderin' why Gail agreed to this, when she's made it clear she don't want anyone pryin' into our business' Caleb pondered.

'Maybe she's finally comin' around to my way of thinkin'' Lucas shrugged.

'Or maybe she's got somethin' up her sleeve' Caleb smirked.

Lucas laughed and shook his head, his boy was smarter than he let people believe. 'You let me worry about that son...It'd never come down on you if she did anyhow'

Caleb nodded, then let out a long sigh. 'I've enjoyed the last 2 days, it's the first time I've felt part of the family with you both since Luke came around'

Lucas narrowed his eyes at Caleb, then stood up and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 'We are a family...you, me, Gail and Luke, we're in this together and don't your ever forget that'

'Merly's my family to' Caleb said quietly, as he stared at his hands.

Lucas nodded and smiled, he had not expected this opening to come right now; however, he would most certainly take it. 'That sister of yours could do with a fresh start son...I know you love her, but sometimes you need to consider what's best for the girls around you and bindin' her to us might not be the right move here'

Caleb considered for a moment, he had noticed Merlyn had been spending more time away from him over the past few months and started to wonder whether it was her way of wanting to be on her own. The thought saddened him and he did not know what to do.

'What you do is focus on the family in front of you' Lucas advised, reading his mind.

'Luke?' Caleb asked.

'That's right...your little brother is gonna need someone to look up to and show him the right path. Your cousin is handful to put it mildly, I know you're old enough to understand that and appreciate that I'm doin' all I can to keep her where she needs to be...With that in mind, it may be hard for me to ensure your little brother stays on our path'

Caleb nodded, he understood fully. He felt that he was different, this was not new to him and he knew from Lucas' teachings in the past that it was part of their lineage. Gail was different too; however, she was not like them. He was unsure of why she was how she was and although he knew she cared about him, her bond seemed to be stronger with Merlyn.

Caleb had noticed this a while ago and it had never been something that concerned him, as they were his family; however, now that Luke had come into their lives, he supposed all of their differences could rub off on him and he understood fully that Lucas wanted Luke to remain like them. 'Gail might not like him followin' me' Caleb said, thinking back to the time he lost control and attacked her.

Lucas smiled proudly at his boy's ability to understand fully and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. 'You leave her to me son...She's a part of this too and she will come around to our way of bein' he stated confidently.

'And if she doesn't?' Caleb asked curiously.

Lucas pondered for a moment, then shrugged. 'We'll cross that bridge if it comes'

Caleb nodded, then shrugged Lucas' arm off his shoulder. 'As long as you understand that she was my first family after Merly died and I won't allow anythin' to happen to her, then that's fine' he warned, then sat down and continued to look through the pictures.

Lucas watched his boy curiously, this was the first time he had openly acknowledged to him that he knew what he was capable of and he was not sure how to respond. Lucas chose to disregard the comment for the moment and sat back down behind his desk; however, he would revisit this at a later time.

Gail sat on a tall bar stool in Jimmy's bar, drinking a vodka and lemonade. She had been fighting internally with herself over what Merlyn had told her and was not sure of the best way forward; therefore, she had chosen to blow off some steam. The sound of a glass being placed in front of her caught her attention and she looked up to find Jimmy smiling at her.

'Thought you could use this, seen as you appear to have been pushed out' he smiled, then filled up the shot glass with Sambuca.

Gail glanced over her shoulder, to see a round of shots being delivered to Christie's table. She had been confused due to her inner turmoil when she had dragged her friend here and after drinking an inordinate amount of alcohol, Christie had come clean about Walter's accusation which had been caught on tape. That was all it took for clarity to return to her and without a second thought, she released her darkness to do what she could not bare to.

Gail had embraced the darkness flowing through her veins and allowed her alter ego Rosemary to take control. She had fought when Rosemary excused herself, then called Billy Peele to come join them. When the second person was called, Gail felt a moment of remorse; however, she allowed Rosemary to do her thing then continued to drink with her friend, until their first guest arrived.

Billy had been confused at Gail calling him and inviting him out; however, he was more than happy to join them in the festivities.

Gail could sense both Billy's and Christie's desire for each other; therefore, after Billy had downed 3 shots in an attempt to catch up, she excused herself to the bar and allowed them to be alone. When Selena turned up, Gail signaled to their table and ignored the smug look on Selena's face. She did not approve of Rosemary bringing her into this, but she could not deny that the woman had a way of getting things done.

Right now, Selena sat with her arm around Christie and was shooting Billy a seductive look. Gail knew the orders Rosemary had given to Selena and she felt dirty for allowing this to play out. Gail turned back towards Jimmy and downed the shot in front of her, then nodded her thanks.

Jimmy continued to stand in front of her, then leaned in close. 'I hear congratulations are in order...Who ever suspected that an Emory would agree to marry Lucas Buck' he mocked.

'Not my Father that's for sure' Gail let out a bitter laugh, then took a sip of her vodka and lemonade.

'Did I ever tell you that I went to school with your Pops?' Jimmy asked, as he slowly placed down 4 shot glasses in front of her.

'No you didn't' Gail glanced at him intrigued.

Jimmy smiled and began filling up the glasses with Sambuca. 'He was a stubborn man who could hide his feelings well...If he were around, I know this is exactly what he'd need right now' he advised, then held up a shot glass in a cheers motion.

'If he were here, I suspect he'd have shot him by now' Gail laughed, then held up a shot glass and downed it with him.

'Ain't that the truth...' Jimmy laughed, then downed another shot. '...Don't go forgettin' your lineage'

'There's no danger of that' Gail smiled and watched as Jimmy nodded, then headed to the end of the bar to serve another customer.

'If you ask me you've already forgotten your roots Gail' Selena mocked, as the leaned on the bar next to her and placed a handbag down.

Gail turned towards Selena and let out a long sigh, before rummaging in the bag and pulling out a tape recorder. 'I think you need to mind your own business' Gail snapped, then took the tape out of the recorder and placed it in her bag.

Selena disregarded Gail's comment and grabbed her left hand, to examine her engagement ring. 'Let's get one thing clear, I'm only here as I'm bored and I have no qualms about screwing over your friend, as this will bother you at some point down the line' she said cattily.

'No, you get this straight. You're only here as your hoping this'll help you get into our bed...This was happening with or without you and this way, you at least get to keep some control of your boyfriend' Gail mocked venomously.

Selena stared at Gail with disdain, then her look changed to one of mischief and she held out her hand. 'If you want me to finish this, I'm gonna need your phone Miss Perfect' she smiled.

Gail hesitated for a moment, then placed the tape recorder back in Christie's bag and handed it back to Selena, with her mobile telephone. 'Don't you dare hurt her' she ordered, feeling doubt flow through her.

Selena shook her head, then laughed. 'Oh I'll be very nice to your best friend Gail, now why don't you run along and let me do what I do best?' she smiled smugly.

Gail look a deep breath, then got down off the stool and headed out of the bar. She did not want to be around for what happened next and felt sick to her stomach for what she had instigated.

Lucas sat on the porch at the side of his property, rocking Luke in his arms. He had taken Caleb out for dinner, knowing Gail would not be home until late and then picked up Luke from Abe. Caleb had chosen to go to his bedroom and complete his homework; therefore, Lucas had opted to sit outside in the fresh air with his youngest. He was starting to feel like he was not seeing him enough and was happy for the opportunity to spend some quality time with him, just the two of them.

It had been a shock when Selena intruded on his quiet time and sauntered up to the porch twenty minutes earlier. He had not heard from Gail, so when Selena handed him her mobile telephone he had become suspicious. Selena had assured him that his love was fine and she had just performed an errand for her, which made Lucas intrigued. He could have gotten the truth easily out of Selena; however, he chose to send her away disappointed that he did not want to know more and await his loves return.

Lucas had placed the mobile telephone on the small table in front of him straight away; however, his curiosity had gotten the better of him and he could not refrain from checking it for long. To say he was shocked at the pictures he found on the telephone was an understatement and he became more intrigued as to what Gail was up to. When he sensed her Mustang pulling into the street, he returned to the house to request Caleb look after Luke and met her at the door.

Gail sat with her head on her steering wheel for a few minutes, before sensing she was being watched. When she lifted her head up, she caught sight of Lucas at the door and quickly got out of her car and headed towards the back of the house. She knew Lucas was following her; however, she did not care. She continued to walk around the fountain, past Rosemary's empty grave and into the woods at the back of the property.

Lucas followed close behind Gail, when she past the empty grave he guessed exactly where she was heading and smiled. He knew she had not been to his families plot since she had found out that she was pregnant and the spirits in this area had become more lively since the birth of his youngest. Lucas watched as she appeared unfazed by the loud whispers and continued on past the clearing, to his families grave sight.

Gail headed straight for the unmarked grave of her past self and knelt down in front of it. She cursed herself for the darkness she had inside of her and blamed her past self for damning her to this fate. She sensed her past self lurking behind a tree next to the grave of her cousin, who had drowned her whilst pregnant with her unborn child in the Trinity River, then shook her head at how complicated her past was and let out a long sigh.

Lucas stood back watching her for a moment, then approached her slowly. He knelt down beside her, moved a stray piece of hair behind her ear and then placed her mobile telephone on the ground before her. 'Blackmail...that's your plan?' he asked calmly.

Gail's mouth dropped open when she heard his words and knew he had checked her mobile telephone. 'Invading my privacy, is that your plan?' she asked, attempting to control her anger.

Lucas disregarding her deflection and gently stroked her back. 'You made a choice today' he said knowingly.

'I made the wrong choice...' Gail snapped, then stood up and began pacing the graveyard. '...There's no evidence for me to find, you're too good for that right? Well a taped confession linking you to a murder classes as evidence Lucas'

Lucas laughed as he stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. 'You don't think I'm aware of Walter's ramblin's love? I knew what he'd say to you the moment I put him in Juniper, I'm not the one who challenged an out of state Reporter to get involved in our business' he shrugged.

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'So this is nothing to do with you convincing Walter to murder his wife and by proxy his innocent child? This is just about my actions?' she asked sarcastically.

'This was never about Walter, or Betty, or your nosy friend. This has always been about you and me' he advised, then took hold of her left hand and stroked it tenderly with his thumb.

Gail stared deep into his eyes for a few moments, then clarity hit her and she yanked her hand out of his. 'This was about me choosing...you killed people to force me into a choice?' she asked in disbelief.

Lucas took a step closer to her and shook his head when she took a step back. 'You've been on the fence for far too long, interferin' with my business. We have a family now and you needed to chose whether you were for me, or against me...I see that your choice has been made, by the pictures of Selena, Christie and Billy on that thing' Lucas smirked, as he nodded towards the mobile telephone in her right hand.

'You're a bastard...You tricked me into betraying my best friend and for what? Some possessive need to control me? You're son of a bitch!' she snapped in disgust and slapped him hard across the face.

Lucas lunged forward, pulled her to the ground and secured her arms above her head effortlessly. He kissed the tip of her nose softly, then stroked his nose on hers affectionately. 'Watch your language Darlin', someone may take offence' he warned and felt the wind gust strong around them.

Gail disregarded the whispers that came from all around and the strong gusts of wind. She attempted to free her wrists from his grip; however, he had full control of her, therefore, she was well and truly stuck. 'You think this is over? Not by a long shot...One day I'm gonna get you Lucas and no amount of binds you have on me is going to prevent that'

'Is that a threat' he asked, amused at her confidence in her current bound position.

'It's a promise' she advised, staring deep into his eyes.

Lucas could see the truth in her eyes and felt excitement flow through him. He forced his lips on hers for a passionate kiss, then held her wrists securely in one hand and reached under her skirt with his free hand. He ripped off her panties roughly, then released his hard manhood from his pants and parted her legs with his knees. When he felt her struggle underneath him to prevent his desired action, he squeezed her wrists tight and cupped her chin in his free hand. 'Shhh love, just let it go' he whispered and placed a soft kiss on her lips, before reaching down and thrusting his hard manhood inside of her.

Gail let out a pained moan at his rough entry and bit his down hard on his bottom lip. She smiled when she tasted his blood in her mouth and tried to pull her head free when he gripped her chin tight.

'You need to calm down love, some would think I'm hurtin' you' he laughed, then began pounding in and out of her roughly.

Regardless of his earlier tender kisses, Gail knew this was punishment for her insubordination. She would never agree to blindly follow him and the sooner he understood that, the better it would be for everyone.

She tried as hard as she could to keep her guard up, in an attempt to spoil his fun; however, it slowly melted away with every thrust and she cursed her body for betraying her once again. Gail felt her body relax around him and her low moans gave away her enjoyment of this unapproved act.

Lucas sensed her acceptance and released her hands, he let out a loud moan when she wrapped her legs around him and scratched his back through his shirt. He continued to pound in and out of her roughly, then slowed his movements and stroked his nose over hers. 'See...this isn't so bad is it? I know you like it' he panted, then kissed her passionately.

Gail savoured the taste of his tongue in her mouth and ran her hands down his chest, when they parted lips. She should not condone his behaviour; however, she could not deny their connection and her past self had bound her to him.

Lucas felt his climax rising, with the slow movements bringing an intense burst of pleasure. He sensed she was close and pushed his climax back for a moment, then let go and exploded within her when she called out his name in ecstasy. He lay down on top of her and kissed her softly, then nuzzled his head into her neck.

Gail tangled her hand in his hair and nipped at his ear, then pushed him off of her and stood up.

Lucas handed her a handkerchief, then watched as she cleaned herself up and fixed her clothes. He liked seeing the state he could get her in and smiled triumphantly when she winced slightly, as she tried to walk away.

'You tricked me into betraying my friend' Gail sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

'Nah, you did that all on your own love...I was only interest in this' he said and handed her a folded up picture.

Gail opened the picture that was taken of her engagement ring by the photographer today and glanced at Lucas confused. 'What are you talking about? You gave me the ring so your townspeople would distract me from my investigation'

'Or the investigation was to distract you into publicly accepting the proposal' he smiled devilishly and slapped her behind playfully.

Gail heard her Father's laughter in her head and swallowed hard. Jimmy had said it perfectly, no-one would ever have thought that an Emory would agree to marry a Buck. Had this been his game all along? She was so stupid believing she had the upper hand, she had been so distracted with Walter that she had shrugged off his proposal as nothing more than a diversion tactic and accepted it without a second thought.

Lucas sensed her disappointment in herself and wrapped his arm around her shoulder reassuringly. 'Don't be so hard on yourself, you forget I'm Lucas Buck. Regardless of what you think you know, I'm always gonna be 10 steps ahead of you. It's just how I roll...Now come on, it ain't right expectin' an 11 year old to look after a newborn for long' he smiled, then started to lead her back towards their home.

Gail was too confused to fight and allowed him to lead her effortlessly. She had chosen to screw over her friend to protect him and the fact that he knew all along that Walter would provide the necessary evidence, made her brain hurt. She had fallen right into his plan by obsessing over Walter and now their engaged was being prepared to be on the front page of tomorrow's Guardian, her Father's newspaper.

Gail let out a long sigh and shook her head. After what she was planning to do to Christie, she deserved whatever her fate was with Lucas and would accept the consequences of her actions; however, right now all she wanted to do was to see little boy and allow him to cheer her up after she had clearly lost this round.

-The End-