Gail lay peacefully on her front sleeping in her king size bed, it was early hours of the morning and darkness still engulfed the room. Lucas stood in the corner watching his love sleep, he could feel his rage trying to force it's way to the surface after finding out she had intruded on his sacred family plot; however, the last time his rage managed to break free it stalked her like a predator and he could not trust that part of him around her just yet.

He had been standing in the same spot for approximately an hour waiting for a sign of something helping her, but she just remained peacefully asleep unaware of his presence. He did not believe she could have found the graves on her own, which confirmed his previous suspicions that something in his domain was working against him and he could not stand for that.

When Gail let out a low moan he turned his attention back towards her, it appeared whatever was helping her would not show itself when he was present; therefore, he would have to come up with a way to bring it out into the open. Gail let out another soft moan and felt a slight wave of arousal flow through him, he stared at her relaxed body with anger and felt his darkness stir within him. He approached the bed slowly and started removing his clothes, when his clothes were discarded on the floor he carefully got into the bed and stroked his finger up the back of her thigh to determine what garment she was wearing.

Lucas smiled when it became evident she was wearing a short nightdress, then parted her legs gently and positioned himself over her back. He leaned in close to her and inhaled her scent, she moved slightly below him in discomfort; however, his positioning was still perfect and he pushed his hard manhood deep inside her before she could become aware of his presence.

Gail tensed and her eyes shot open at the intrusion within her, then she realized who was over her and relaxed. She let out a loud moan as he pushed in and out of her, then lowered her head into the pillow to stifle her aroused calls.

Lucas pushed her legs further apart with his knees, then began to thrust in and out of her with more force. The intense pleasure of being inside of her washed away his initial rage and he just enjoyed the act of coming together this way. He nipped at her back playfully with his teeth and licked her previous wounds, he was trying to be careful not to leave any marks; however, it was hard when the pleasure became more intense.

Gail clenched the pillow in her fingers and tried to keep her moans to a low volume, so not to wake up the children. This was why they had come to a mutual agreement that any rendezvous would take place in his mansion, at least the sheer vastness of the place hid the noises they made. It was getting harder to control her urges when he was inside of her and she just wanted to call out in pleasure. She felt her climax building and pushed her face deeper into her pillow to stifle her moans, she felt him erupt inside of her when his release came and he collapsed onto her back as she bit into her hand to silence her call when she came.

Lucas nuzzled at her neck then raised his lips to her ear. 'See...you couldn't go without our fun Darlin'' he whispered.

Gail inhaled deeply in an attempt to slow her hard rate, she had been taken off guard by this visit and she was still recovering. 'I'm sure I could find a willing participant if you weren't around Sheriff' she panted sarcastically.

Lucas had removed his still hard manhood slightly to turn her over to face him, then pushed it gently back inside. 'There's no-one who gets you like I do Gail'

'Oh you'd be surprised, I am very close to a certain person in this town...' she teased, '...What would you even do if I did decide to trade you off for someone else?'

Lucas' demeanor changed and he could feel his rage begin to built up again. 'I'd kill you slowly, but not before I made you watch me dispose of the other party' he said more honest than intended and waited for her reaction.

'Oh really? I don't think you've got the balls to let me witness you lose control like that' she said defiantly.

Before Lucas could stop himself he reached up and gripped her throat roughly, he could see the defiance in her eyes and smiled. 'You really don't know what I'm capable of Miss Emory'

'Just do it...I dare you' she said challenging him.

Lucas looked her in the eyes and tightened his grip around her neck, he heard her breath become strained and slowly began to squeeze. 'You're mine Gail...'

'Or you'll kill me?' she interrupted.

Lucas stared at her intently and felt his manhood grow inside her. He gazed in awe when she ran her hands up his chest then scraped her nails down his skin, even though he was restricting her breathing. Her acceptance of his behavior was exciting and he could not resist pushing deeper inside of her.

Gail let out a strained moan as he began to slowly move in and out of her, she should not condone this behavior; however, she had goaded him into acting this way and part of her liked this treatment, even if she would not openly admit it. As his grip grew tighter around her neck she struggled to catch her breath, she would not beg him to release her so she just lay back and allowed him to take her this way.

Lucas leaned his head close to hers and listened to her breath carefully, when it became faint he let go of her neck and kissed her passionately. He had not expected it to have to get this far; however, he knew she was stubborn and she would rather allow a fatal mistake on his part than beg him to release her. He respected that about her and it made their time together more exciting. He sensed a way in with her and he nearly had her where he wanted her to be.

Gail wrapped her legs around him tight and whispered his name when he moved his hands to her hips then up her nightdress to her breasts. She tangled her hands in his hair, then clawed at his back with her nails. Suddenly his hand came up from our of her nightdress and gripped her throat again, this time more forceful and she took hold of his wrist in her hand.

'You've been to places you have no right to go Gail' he panted, while squeezing her neck and thrusting deep within her.

Concern rose within her for a moment as she could sense he was not playing any more, then she pushed the concern away knowing better than to show him fear. 'It's a free country' she said through hoarse breaths and dug her nails into his wrist when his grip tightened even more.

Lucas knew this was the position he needed her in to find out what she had been up to, they were both stripped bear at this moment in time. Although he would happily continue they way they always had, he needed to get her off guard to find out the truth and if she was concerned for her life the unknown party helping her may show themselves. 'My property is not yours to explore, certain parts are sacred...Who led you there?'

Gail could not believe the change in him, she had not been prepared for any of this and cursed herself for being caught unaware. She was struggling to breath now and did not know how long she could last, the look in his eyes indicated this was serious and she could sense his rage. She was taken back to New Year when something evil stalked her and recalled knowing it's intend was malicious. She knew that was Lucas and had barely managed to talk him down then, she did not know where to begin when he appeared to know she had found his families burial site.

'I don't need anyone to lead me Lucas, now get off!' she whispered angrily through strained breaths, choosing not to show weakness.

'You expect me to believe that? You did have help and you will tell me who it was' he said squeezing her throat tighter and felt his climax building within him. He could sense she was still aroused and saw no reason to slow his movements.

Gail felt her climax rising and cursed her body for betraying her, if there was ever a time to stand her ground this was it; however, there was no chance of that in her current position. 'Lucas I can't breath' she panted softly and let go of his wrist to dig her nails into his back, the pleasure of his thrusts were becoming too intense and she was about to unravel.

Lucas could not believe how much pain she was withstanding while allowing him to take her and released his grip on her neck to concentrate on their finish, before he did something he would forever regret. He forced his lips on hers as they came together to stifle their cries and rested his forehead on hers when their climax past.

'I don't need help to dig into your past Lucas and if I've offended you in some way I apologise' she panted and stroked her hand through his her tenderly, then her demeanor changed and she pulled his hair roughly. 'Don't you dare ever try to force something out of me like that again'

Lucas pulled himself out of her, pushed her hand off his head and got up out of the bed. 'That place is sacred Gail, you don't belong there'

Gail took a deep breath and felt a twinge of pain in her throat, then let out a small laugh. 'You don't know where I belong Lucas and I didn't disturb anything, so what's the problem?'

'You disturbed somethin' Darlin' and I won't be able to protect you if you continue down this road...'

'Gail! Are you alright?' Caleb called from outside her bedroom door, he had been awoken by a strange sense that his cousin was in danger and had rushed down to ensure she was OK.

Lucas sighed and shook his head, this was not the time for interruptions.

Gail reached for a tissue to clean herself up, then got out of bed and put on a robe. 'The only disturbed thing here is you Lucas and like you, I don't take well to threats...now get out of my house' she ordered, then went to the bedroom door. When she opened the door a crack, she saw her cousin with a look of concern and gave him a reassuring smile. 'What are you doing up?' she asked.

'I had a bad dream and was worried about you' he said, then burst into the bedroom before Gail could stop him.

Gail spun around hoping Lucas had managed to at least get his clothes on, then looked around confused. There was nobody in the bedroom but her and Caleb; however, her window was locked so she was unsure how Lucas managed to leave without them knowing.

'Can I stay in here with you?...' he asked approaching her bed, then picked up an unusual object which was resting on her pillow. '...What's this?'

Gail took the talisman from his hand and shook her head, this must have been how Lucas knew where she had been and she cursed herself for not ensuring Merlyn was still in possession of it when they left. 'We're not staying in here Caleb...come on, we'll get in your bed'

Caleb smiled and put his arm around his cousins waist, then led her up to his bedroom.

Matt sat on the boarding house porch drinking a cup of coffee, he had not been able to sleep last night after what he had uncovered and was angry that he had been kept in the dark. When he saw Gail's red Mustang pull up next to the pavement, he drank the rest of the coffee and went to head inside.

'Whoa, where do you think you're going?...We've got things to discuss' Gail said walking up the path.

'I suppose you're right, we've got a lot to discuss' Matt said, trying to keep control of his anger.

Gail regarded her friend suspiciously, she had come here to discuss the loss of control he had with Lucas; however, she sensed hostility in his voice and her guard instantly shot up. 'You're gonna take that tone with me when I got you out of that cell?' she asked agitated.

Matt laughed bitterly, 'You're gonna take that tone with me when you hid being pregnant with Lucas Bucks child?'

Gail stopped when she reached the top of the porch steps and stared at her friend in shock, she had tried to put her lost child out of her mind completely a few months after the incident and was not prepared for the subject being brought up.

There were few people in this town that knew she had been carrying and Matt was not one of them, which meant either someone had told him or he had dug into her private affairs without her authorization. There was no way anyone she knew would betray her trust so that only left the other option. 'Firstly, check your attitude Doctor, especially when you've basically admitted to going through my file unauthorized...and secondly, that was none of your business and still isn't'

Matt could see the anger in her eyes but did not back down, he felt betrayed and her none apologetic attitude did not help the situation. 'My best friends health is my business, it's just a shame there clearly isn't any trust in our friendship otherwise you would've told me'

Gail laughed and shook her head, this must be how Lucas feels when she snoops into his past. She disregarded that thought and turned her attention back towards Matt. 'Oh there was trust here, but there clearly isn't anymore...Goodbye Doctor' she said disappointedly, then turned and walked down the porch steps.

She would not condone this type of behavior from the one person she thought she could truly trust in this town and would not be around someone who would behave in such an unethical way. Someone must have planted the seed for him to consider looking into her records and she was confident she knew who that someone was, she supposed she should have expected Lucas' mind games when Matt was locked up and would deal with him in her own time.

Matt watched Gail leave and felt sick to his stomach, he sensed he had crossed a line; however, he would not apologize, as like his friend he was stubborn and would not admit that he was wrong. It appeared his friendship was over and he could not process that right now, so he headed inside to continue his research into Lucas Buck.

Caleb strolled along the quiet road which led to Boone's house, Boone had previously told him that his father did not approve of him hanging out with Caleb; however, this made Caleb even more determined to reconnect with his best friend, as they had not been spending much time together this past year.

'I dunno Caleb, my daddy ain't gonna be happy that you're here...can't we just go play somewhere else?' Boone asked dragging his heels along the sidewalk.

Caleb sighed and gave his friend a playful nudge. 'If you keep lettin' your daddy bully you, you'll never be allowed to do anythin''

'Says you!' Boone snapped defensively.

'My daddy never bullied me, he bullied Merly...Besides, he ain't my real daddy' Caleb said smugly.

Boone looked at his friend confused, the look on his face indicated Caleb truly believed Gage was not his father. 'If he ain't your daddy who is?' Boone asked as he approached his front porch.

'I wouldn't take that comment to heart boy, it's just a figure of speech...' Lucas said to Boone then shot Caleb a warning glance, '...Why don't you run up and grab your father for me, we're overdue a little chat'

Caleb watched Boone rush up the porch steps wanting to get away from the Sheriff, he knew his friend was scared of Lucas and felt uncomfortable when he just appeared like he did; however, Caleb was used to it and was not afraid of anything these days. 'Why'd you go and scare him off like that?' Caleb asked moodily.

Lucas laughed, 'I hate to tell you how to be son but announcin' your true lineage in this manner won't end well for you'

'What do you mean? Boone's my friend and wouldn't do nothin''

'Boone would be duty bound to tell his father, who would tell his wife, who would then tell every gossipin' old biddy in this town...' Lucas said putting his arm around his son, '...I doubt that ol' cousin of yours would take kindly to that news comin' across her desk at the Guardian'

Caleb thought on this for a moment and agreed that it would be better to keep the truth to themselves for now, he would have to learn to be more careful. 'Is she alright? I've been dreamin' about her recently'

'Gail?...' Lucas asked and Caleb nodded, '...She's her usual inquisitive self son. She may be pokin' around stuff that might just bite back, but she's alright...What type of dreams have you been havin'?'

Caleb shrugged, he did not like the curious way Lucas was regarding him and knew better than to gossip about his cousin. 'It's nothin'...can I stay with you tonight?' he asked trying to change the subject.

Lucas was taken aback by the frank request, then became agitated when Bob Mckenzie came down the porch steps and interrupted their conversation. 'I guess this is a discussion for later son, you run along with Boone and I'll find you later'

Caleb watched Lucas suspiciously when he led Boone's father away from them, then turned towards his friend. 'You heard Lucas, let's go play while your daddy is distracted' he said and signaled for Boone to follow him out back.

Merlyn sat behind the counter of Abe's antique store with her elbow propped on the counter and her chin resting in her hand. She was flicking through the pages of a magazine, bored out of her mind and found herself thinking about what had happened in the graveyard behind Lucas' mansion. She could not remember much as it all seemed like a blur; however, she suspected something had happened and it was something big.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the loud revving of a motorcycle outside the store. Abe popped his head out from his room in the back and Merlyn waved at him to indicate she had this, then decided to exit the store to explore the loud sound. When she got outside she saw Earl sat on his bike casually and she put her hands on her hips. 'Am I supposed to be impressed by this?' she asked, choosing to display some of the confidence her cousin told her that she should have.

Earl took his helmet off, then looked her up and down approvingly. 'You're supposed to hop on' he said, holding out the helmet for her.

Every inch of her body was urging her to jump on the motorcycle and go for a ride with this beautiful boy; however, her common sense reminded her that she could not disappear like she used to when things became difficult and she had a life here, which meant she could not just leave her responsibilities. She sighed and shook her head at her own stupid innocence, then turned back towards the store.

'So that's it, you just blow me off that easily?' Earl asked sarcastically.

Merlyn stopped in her tracks then turned towards Earl, she could see the mischief in his eyes and it excited her. 'Oh I'm not blowing you at all...' she said suggestively, choosing to disregard her innocence for a change.'...In fact, we ain't even started yet'

Merlyn walked confidently back to the store, not believing the comment she had just made. She allowed herself a brief glance behind her and smiled when she saw Earl watching her intrigued, then entered the store and closed the door.

'Everythin' alright girl?' Abe called from the back room, when the motorcycle pulled away and the sound of the engine became faint in the distance.

'Everything's perfect' Merlyn said and smiled to herself.

Lucas pulled up at his mansion and signaled for Caleb to get out with Rocky. They had stopped off at Gail's house to ask if he could stay with Lucas for the night, when neither Gail nor Merlyn was around he chosen to make an executive decision and Caleb grabbed Rocky knowing his cousin would want him to have company here. Lucas did not mind Rocky, after all he had given the dog to Gail as a puppy. If allowing the dog to stay at his home meant Caleb could stay argument free, then he would happily accept the compromise.

Lucas sensed the familiar uneasy feeling that plagued him the previous night and signaled for Caleb to wait for him indoors. His son was safe enough in his home at this moment in time without him being present and Lucas wanted to be rid of the pesky interfering presence which had started haunting him once and for all. He followed the same path he had the previous night and came out at the fountain, when he looked towards the opening to the wooded area at the back of his garden he spotted Gail sitting casually on the gravestone marked R.B.

Not only was he taken aback as he had expected to see his father, her presence was a direct disregard of his orders and she was blatantly disrespecting the grave she was sat on. 'Did I not make the boundaries of my property clear Miss Emory?' he asked angrily and sensed his fathers warning presence dissipate when he had located the intruder, it appeared his father was trying to be of assistance to him after all.

Gail glanced up from her position, but did not stand up. 'I don't recall any boundaries being discuss Master Buck, although I suppose my loss of memory could be down to a lack of air reaching my brain when the discussion was taking place' she said sarcastically.

Lucas approached her shaking his head and sighed, then grabbed her arm when he reached her and pulled her up off the gravestone. 'I'm sure you remember the word sacred being used Darlin'' he said disapprovingly.

'That I do recall...' she said and leaned closer so she could whisper in his ear, '...however; an empty grave isn't really classed as sacred now is it?'

Lucas pulled away from her confused and shot a suspicious glance at the gravestone marked R.B. The gravestone had been here as long as he could remember and his mind was suddenly swimming with voices that he could not understand her comment.

Gail laughed and pulled her arm free. 'I can tell this is hard to process considering your intellect, so I'll leave you here alone to ponder it for a while' she said walking back towards the fountain.

Lucas did not appreciate his intelligence being questioned and spun around angrily, before he could come back with an appropriate comment he heard the familiar sound of her wild mutt.

'Careful now...' Gail called back to him, '...it appears your tone is about to upset someone'

Lucas shot a warning glance at Gideon then turned his full attention towards Gail, something had definitely changed and he could sense no fear or conflict within her. 'If I snap his neck, I doubt he'd be upset anymore' Lucas said viciously and smiled when he caught the slight flicker of concern in her eyes, which indicated the Gail he knew was still in there.

Gail approached Lucas and stood her ground. 'So not only do you spill my private business to a friend, your gonna kill my dog?'

'I didn't say I was going to kill him Darlin', just gave a suggestion is all'

'So you don't deny giving away my personal details?'

Lucas' smile grew wider, he was finally getting somewhere rather than dancing around the problem. 'What's the matter Miss Emory? Is a certain person you're close to unhappy with the revelation of how connected we really are?' he asked smugly.

Gail shook her head in disbelief and let out a small laugh. 'So your plan was to cause a wedge in my friendship, is that it?'

Lucas shrugged, 'I suppose he's not as fun as you initially thought now that his true colors are on show'

'Neither are you...' Gail spat venomously, '...and jealousy doesn't suit you'

Lucas closed the distance between them and pulled her to his chest. 'I have nothin' to be jealous about Darlin', I know you're not stupid enough to have genuine affections for another man...No, I'm just proving a point'

'Oh and what point would that be?' she asked, trying to hide her anger.

'That I'm the only person who truly knows everythin' about you and doesn't care' he said and caressed her cheek tenderly. Although she was infuriating, he was still drawn to her and would not let her go.

Gail looked deep into his eyes and leaned forward for a kiss, then pulled away slightly before their lips could touch and licked her lips teasingly. 'Malcolm' she whispered, then pulled free of his grasp completely and walked back towards the house.

Lucas stood frozen for a moment, then turned towards her. He could feel his twin clawing to be let out as she walked away and had to use all of his control to keep it caged. 'Gail!' he yelled angrily.

Gail smiled sweetly and turned towards him. 'Yes dear?'

Lucas was furious and her casual attitude infuriated him even more. He needed to know how she had found out the name of his father, it was impossible as he had ensure there were no records anywhere year ago and the graves were not marked. 'How?' he asked bemused.

Gail laughed and shrugged. 'I guess you don't know everything about me after all, do you Sheriff?...' she said smugly and walked past the fountain to the path which led around the side of the house, '...Oh and I'm taking Caleb home, neither of us will be staying here in the near future'

Lucas stared at her retreating figure in anger, he needed to regroup and find out exactly what she knew. He would start by finding out the significance of the the empty grave labelled R.B at the back of his garden and it's connection to his love.

-The End-