Disclaimer- I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous story Emotion.

Rating- K

It was a cool spring evening, nothing could be heard except the small sound of crickets that seemed to travel through the slow breeze. Lucas Buck sat on his favourite old wooden chair on his back porch, with a glass of red wine admiring the vastness of his garden.

Many people wondered how one man could feel at home in such a huge property, but Lucas was always grateful for the peace and quiet away from all the prying residents of Trinity. Yes, Lucas enjoyed instilling his will on these people and it was amusing inserting himself into their lives, especially when they did not want him to; however, he always looked forward to the last hour of his day when he could relax and reflect on the activities that had taken place.

Lucas took a sip of his wine and savoured the feel of the liquid travelling down his throat. He found his thoughts trailing towards Gail Emory and what she was doing at this present moment, he knew it was something she shouldn't be doing. Since their surprising encounter in his office a month ago, she had managed to avoid him or at least keep their interactions from becoming intimate by ensuring she had someone with her at all times. If it wasn't the good Dr Peele it was Loris Holt or Nurse Rita. Hell, she even had his Deputy accompany her on some occasions. Lucas made a mental note to remind his Deputy where his loyalties lay.

Lucas knew if he really wanted to have Gail right now, he could. He had nearly gone to her last night, knowing full well that he could enter her bedroom at any time and she wouldn't be able to stop him; however, he chose to play it casual for the time being and let her think that she was in control, that's one thing that Gail always seemed to strive for in their relationship. The poor girl had no idea that any control she thought she had was an illusion that he had allowed her to feel.

Lucas had noticed that Gail was not spending as much time with Caleb as she used to, clearly the boys revelation was still having an impact on their relationship. He decided he would use this to his advantage and spend more time with the boy himself. Caleb was Gail's only living relative, so it was inevitable that they'd patch things up sooner or later. Lucas might as well make sure that he was a part of Caleb's life before that happened so she had no choice but the deal with him.

The cool breeze began to blow faster and Lucas found himself feeling as though he was being watched. He would know instantly if someone was on his property and his town's people wouldn't dare intrude on his private place. No, this felt like something else.

Lucas closed his eyes and focused all his inner senses on the garden ahead of him. A white blurred shape took form in the darkest corner of the garden, he didn't need to see the face to know who was invading his space. He opened his eyes, shook his head and smiled, 'You really know how to out stay your welcome Merlyn Ann'. Lucas drank the last of his wine in one gulp, then headed inside.

Juniper house was a drab looking facility where seemingly difficult Trinity residents where discarded and forgotten about, that's how it appeared to Gail anyway. She had been flashing her most pleasant smile to the staff in this washed out place all evening, trying to establish what it would take to be able to visit her old friend Matt Crower.

It had occurred to Gail, after she had pondered the way her life seemed to be heading in this god forsaken town, that everything seemed to go down hill when her old friend had tried to take a shot at the Sheriff. When he was taken away in handcuffs after she had pushed the gun from it's intended target, she had a horrible feeling deep down in her stomach that Matt wouldn't make it to this facility; however, Ben had assured her that he had delivered him safely here.

Gail had felt a certain love for her friend, they had grown very close after she had returned to Trinity to care for her cousin. It was evident from the start that Matt had taken to Caleb instantly and he felt a responsibility to the boy, just like she did. At first, she thought Matt may have been interested in her romantically, but that thought quickly left her mind and they had become best friends in their time together.

When Matt was taken away, Gail had felt a void inside her and utterly alone. She was suddenly stuck in this town with a ten year old boy who she had only met a few months earlier and all her friends and colleagues seemed a lifetime away in Charleston.

Looking back, Gail cursed herself for being easy prey and allowing Lucas to manipulate the situation to his advantage. She knew full well that letting him in after they had fulfilled their deal had been her downfall; after all, people slept together all the time and it did not lead to a romantic relationship. Gail had allowed Lucas to convince her to break the terms of their arrangement and she had paid a high price for her ignorance. Had her old friend been around her at the time, she was sure he would have talked some sense into her.

So here she was, trying to do what she should have done when Matt had been initially locked up . Gail had to see whether it had been a case of temporary insanity which drove her friend to the intended action that got him sent here, or if he was completely lost to her.

'Miss Emory?' a small apprehensive voice cut through her thoughts. It was the young receptionist she had been trying her best not to argue with all evening, who seemed to be hell bent on keeping her away from the person in charge of this place.

Gail stood up from her place in the waiting area, smoothed off her skirt and put on a welcoming smile, 'Yes?'

The young receptionist signalled to an office down a long corridor. 'The head doctor will see you now'

Gail walked down the corridor without hesitation, before anything else could be said and knocked on the office door before entering. When she opened the door, she was instantly taken aback by the extravagance of the office, compared to the dull surroundings she had come in from. The walls were painted a bright cream and although it was coming on to late evening, there was a significant amount of light which seeped in through the huge office window facing the door she had just entered. Gail shook her head in disgust, thinking about the living quarters of the patients in this place compared to the head doctors office.

Knowing she wouldn't stand a chance getting anywhere near Matt if she let her true feelings show, Gail went back to showing her most pleasant smile and turned her attention to the egotistical doctor that was packing up his belongings for the day.

Lucas Buck was sat comfortably reading William Faulkners book As I Lay Dying, on his favourite couch in his study. He was silently contemplating the events that played out for the Compson siblings, when his telephone rang. He closed his eyes in exasperation and took a deep breath before answering, knowing Gail's current antics were going to get in the way of his relaxation tonight.

'Yes, I'll be right there' he said picking up the phone, then putting it straight down. He didn't need some young receptionist telling him what he already knew, it seemed Gail had gotten further than he thought with her enquiries.

Shaking his head, Lucas put his book to one side, got up and headed for the door.

Gail tried not to lose her patience and let her anger show, when the head doctor escorted her abruptly out of his office. 'Doctor Monroe, I know your finishing for the day, but if you'd just let me have a minute longer of your time, I can explain why it's in your best interest that I see Matt Crower...'

'Miss Emory, I don't think a young women like yourself should concern herself with visiting dangerous patients.' the doctor said while shoving her gently out of the door. 'Now, I've had a long day and I'm going to head home to my family, ok hun?' and with that he locked the office door then walked away from her, leaving her standing alone in shock at his abrupt exit.

'Hun?' Gail said aloud, she was furious. Not only had she spent all evening trying to accomplish her goal and had failed, the pompous doctor hadn't considered anything she had brought to him and had spoken to her in such a demeaning manner that she had nearly slapped him.

She took a deep breath and counted to ten slowly, as she headed down the corridor and out of the building. Gail decided she needed time to regroup and come up with a better plan, so she headed for her red mustang. Maybe she could dig more into the residents of Juniper House for a possible news story, that would likely get the good doctor's attention and maybe persuade him into giving her what she wanted.

'Well, well...' the familiar southern drawl entered her ears '...it's nice to see you putting your reporter skills to good use for a change darlin''

Gail stopped in her tracks, closed her eyes and turned around slowly to see Lucas Buck leaning casually on the car parked beside hers, with his hands in his pockets as though his presence there was the most natural thing in the world.

This was going to be uncomfortably. Gail had spent the better part of the last month evading this man or at least making sure she had company as much as possible, to avoid being alone with him. She tried not to show how tense she was, but just the smell of him made her body fill up with a warm sensation. Gail had to resist the urge to close her eyes and give in to the warm feeling at the pit of her stomach.

Gail gave herself a little shake and smiled. Trying to divert her attention from the Adonis in front of her and back to her desired goal of the evening, she began to think a bit clearer. Of course Lucas would be here when she was trying to visit her old friend, she was foolish to think he didn't have control over who could see Matt.

'Fancy seeing you here this late, Sheriff' she said edging towards the driver side of her car, but not turning her back to him. 'I thought you would have better things to do with your time than to hang around in the Juniper House car park'

Lucas smirked, stood up straight and took a few steps towards her. 'I have plenty to do with my time darlin', but I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to see an old friend' he said, letting his eyes move slowly down to her legs then back up to her face.

'Friends?' Gail laughed, 'is that what we are?'. As the words left her mouth, she cursed herself for engaging in conversation with him.

Taking another few steps forward, Lucas began to feel the familiar excitement as her frustration became evident. He felt his opening would be near, he just had to engage her a bit more. 'Well, we've spent quite some time in close quarters Gail and if I remember correctly, we've had a number of friendly late night meetings. I suppose old lover might be more appropriate though, what do you think?' Lucas said with a smile.

Gail backed up with each step Lucas took forward, not taking her eyes off him, until she ended up with her back against her car window. 'Love had nothing to do with our late night meetings Lucas, you know that' she said, failing to sound convincing.

'No?' Lucas took another two steps forward so he was less than a foot away from her, he could smell her sweet natural smell and raised his hand to caress her cheek.

Gail grabbed his hand before he could touch her face and they both felt a small electric charge. 'No' she said, trying to sound stern whilst looking him directly in the eyes, god she could easily get lost staring into those eyes if she wasn't careful.

It was no good, Lucas took a final step towards her so they were finally pressed against each other and inhaled her scent. Gail took a deep breath and tried to keep her composure, but she felt the familiar feeling in her stomach and between her legs. Lucas reached his free hand up and ran his fingers through her hair, pulling her face closer to his and running his lips slowly across her cheek. Instinctively, she moved her hands to his chest and began to move down his body. Lucas groaned and she smiled to herself when she felt him become hard against her.

The wind began to rise around them in the deserted car park, as their lips met. Lucas pulled her closer as the kiss became more forceful and when their lips finally parted Gail bit Lucas' lower lip, then licked it tenderly. 'Why don't we get outta here and we can finish this at my place?' Lucas whispered, whilst moving his lips over her neck and sucking gently.

Gail was trying to think of any reason why that didn't sound like a great idea, but she had felt defeated in her earlier task and this man made her feel powerful. She knew he would do what she allowed him and not push her into doing acts she wasn't confident with. Hell, there were even times when he spent the whole night pleasuring her without expecting anything in return, although she had always returned the favor the following morning. The memories of his mouth down there had made the decision for her. 'Ok, Sheriff...' she whispered while nipping at his ear, '...lead the way'

Lucas took a step back, still running his fingers through her hair and smile triumphantly. Just as he was about to lead Gail to the passenger seat of her car, he heard a familiar voice behind him and his expression changed to one of exasperation.

'Well, well...what do we have here?' Selena Coombs stood with her hands crossed behind him.

Lucas felt Gail tense and shake free of his hold on her. Damn, he was so close to winning this round.

Gail stepped out of Lucas's reach and towards Selena. 'Your late,' she said to his ex and Lucas narrowed his eyes at the women. Could his ex's be in league with each other? Surely not.

Selena looked Lucas up and down with an amused smile before turning her attention to Gail. 'Well, Miss Emory, my car is in for a check up and it was an odd request to meet up by all the crazies, you'll have to forgive me for being sceptical'

Relief surged through Gail, as she quickly walked towards Selena. This woman had been a menace to her previously, especially when it had come to her cousin; however, she was more than happy with Selena's timing this evening.

'Come on Miss Coombs, I'll give you a ride and we'll discuss matters on the way home' Gail signalled to her car, trying to avoid Lucas' stare and Selena lead the way.

As the two ladies got into the car and the doors closed, Gail glanced up at Lucas and threw him a triumphant smile before turning on the engine and driving away.

Lucas stood still in the deserted car park replaying what had just happened, then sighed and decided to return home to his book.

When Juniper House was just a small dot in the distance, Gail allowed herself a relieved sigh. She couldn't believe she nearly got caught up with the man who had turned out to be the father of her only living relative again. Gail silently scolded herself and turned her attention to the woman sat in the car with her, who was staring at her with a knowing look on her face.

'What?' Gail asked, more defensively than she had intended.

Selena turned away and smiled, 'oh nothing, I just wondered how you ended up in the arms of the man you had so obviously been avoiding'

Gail took a deep breath and decided not to show her irritation. 'So, what about Caleb? That is why you wanted a meeting wasn't it Selena?

Selena sighed. She was fond of Caleb but she could see his father in him more and more these days. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part, but her pupil seemed more defiant than he used to be and as his teacher she had a duty to report these things. 'Well, your cousin is misbehaving Gail. He is disrupting other children in the class and he's not completed the last 3 homework assignments that he has been given. I think Caleb needs some discipline'

Gail quickly glanced at her, while trying to watch the road. 'I'll decide what Caleb needs' she snapped. 'Besides, he's had a rough few months, I don't blame him for lashing out.'

Gail knew she hadn't been spending as much time with her cousin as she should have, but she was trying to come to terms with all she had previously learned about Lucas being his father and what had caused her to miscarry their child. She didn't believe Caleb was totally to blame for what had happened; however, she couldn't completely forgive or forget what he had done, at least not yet.

'I know he's had a rough time Gail, but we all have our problems and I will not tolerate misbehaving children in my classroom' Selena said sternly. She took her job very seriously and she hated it when people couldn't control their children. Selena had given Caleb a few extra chances, with him being Lucas's son and all, but she wasn't with him any more so the special treatment had to stop.

Gail pulled up outside Selena's house. She admired the seemingly small building, it had a certain charm to it. 'I've had a long day Selena, I'll have a word with Caleb tomorrow' and with that she signalled the teacher to vacate her car. Selena nodded and left her to contemplate what had been discussed. Gail decided to head straight home and ponder on the evenings events before turning in for the night.

-To be continued-