Mayor Buckman scenario of modern reader as an “Honored Guest”? She’s the reincarnation of his beloved young wife & mother of his children, who died before the massacre. He can’t kill her. He’ll sabotage, force her to stay if he must. She doesn’t remember the love or life they shared. Yet. He can’t understand her fright, tears & pleas to go home as he puts her ring back on her finger. Fate’s already brought her home to him. He won’t fail her as husband again. Death can’t stop their true love.
Tina’s back, alright! Woo! Let’s GO! Coming back strong (hopefully), been MIA for a bit and figured why not murder everyone with feelings? Thanks for this ask, I love it.
‘Till Death and Beyond’
Mayor Buckman x AFAB Reader
Words: 3k
Warnings: None
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You stood there in all of your glory, back on the familiar weathered steps of Pleasant Valley, your eyes wandering over the scenery and the faces of the townsfolk as your friends all wandered the grounds. You were preoccupied and so confused by the overly friendly meeting with the mayor of this town, but maybe it was just that good old Southern hospitality you heard so much about. Whatever the case, your car broke down and you all had to spend a few days here, your friend Theo already cursing himself for stupidly taking the detour.
“Only you would be that much of an idiot to follow a sign that looks like it was written by a child,” your friend Connor spat with a short mocking laugh afterward. “And you didn’t even let us vote if we wanted to go this direction, you ass.”
Theo huffed and ignored the smugness of his friend and walked off toward the small group of scantily clad women who smiled as he approached.
You on the other hand watched the scene unfold, keeping to yourself as you observed because that was what you were good at; you watched. You took immediate notice of the mayor speaking to a group of townsfolk as he faced you, his hand movements jerky and seemingly upset. You were curious if it had anything to do with your unexpected visit to Pleasant Valley. Yet you didn’t bother to press the matter, they could have allowed you all to pass through the town unscathed and unbothered, yet they were extending their hospitality to you all and did it with smiles on their faces.
“Fuckin’ weird people here,” Connor remarked in a hushed tone as he hurried his pace alongside Theo, wanting to join the group of women.
Now that you were alone and not having to deal with the overwhelming feeling of keeping up appearance for the guys, you released a deep breath and continued to look around, curious as to why it felt so damn familiar here, why the scent of the woods had made you think of home. Not the place you left to take a vacation from, oh no, a real home that you couldn’t place memory to. The warmth of the springtime Georgia air was gentle against your skin as the smell from the nearby field of flowers filled your senses. Every time you had attempted to put a name to the feeling you were experiencing, it slipped away, the thought just sitting on the tip of your tongue.
You had been so swept up in the thought that you didn’t hear the soft footfalls of the mayor stop just behind you, you spun around in surprise and calmed when you noticed it was him.
“Just figured I’d check in on ya, darlin’, you seem like somethin’ is troubling ya.”
Was this too personal to share, you weren’t entirely sure, but it was kind enough of him to come to you and see how you were handling this series of events that led you here, straight to him. You nodded your head slightly and sighed.
“I’m alright, just taking in the sights, thinking. I appreciate the extent of your hospitality mayor, even though my friends don’t seem like they’re appreciative.” Of course, you had to explain their questionable behavior, it was the same thing everywhere you traveled.
The mayor chuckled as he adjusted the lapel of his jacket, his hands hanging on them as he stood there, looking at you curiously. His eye wandered to your face and it lingered there for too long that you took notice and shifted uncomfortably, pushing some hair behind your ear. He sensed your unease and took a step forward, his clouded mind too focused on you.
You wanted to tell him to back off, to give you space, but something inside of you told you to stay put as you watched his arm reach out, his large, calloused hand placed gently against your cheek. You wanted to recoil but you couldn’t find it in yourself.
“I know it’s you, sugarplum, I know it is…” he trailed off quietly, his thumb stroked your skin. “You look just like her, I know it’s you.”
That’s when you pulled away, pushing his hands off of you as you stared at him with fear behind your eyes. “What the hell,” you snapped, “I am not whoever you think I am, I’ve never met you in my life.”
Buckman seemed confused and hurt, broken by your harsh words and your cold behavior, maybe you just needed some reminding of who you were and where you came from. “I’m sorry, darlin’, I uh, I got carried away... but there are some people I’d love for you to meet if you’re willin’ to humor me.”
You felt unease and discomfort now being around this man, who seemed to radiate such contrasting energy that you weren’t sure if you would be safe or not in his presence, especially alone. Out of fear, you followed beside him, drawn within yourself as your steps seemed quick and skittish.
He watched you from a side glance, his mind wracked with so many thoughts and memories of his beloved first wife, the mother of his children, his princess. He would have done everything to have her back with him like they used to be, much like his beloved daughter Scarlet. He wondered if this was possible to see you here that maybe his child would come back to him, too. He was too absorbed in the thought of his family that he had almost passed the chapel where his two sons, Rufus and Lester, were waiting for him to return.
“Boys,” he greeted cheerfully as he burst through the door, “we have an honored guest with us for this year’s Jubilee, and I am hoping you will all get along!”
You were on display for the two grown men, their eyes widened at the sight of you and silence followed. Buckman was understanding of this, he knew the boys saw it too, just like he had. He smiled warmly as he thought of the impossible; the mother of his children being brought back to him, to them, to the town. He needed it to happen, he would even make yet another deal with Crow to make it so. That was the plan. You had no idea.
Hesitantly, you waved and greeted the boys like normal, but the way they looked at you only made the uneasy pit in your stomach feel much more unpleasant. Lester waved happily, his other hand stroking the wool of the sheep that stood beside him. Rufus unfolded his arms and tilted his head as he watched you curiously, his hardened face changed to softness as he looked at you. It was you, it had to be. There was hope after all that things could work out in their favor.
You backed away, making your way toward the door, explaining in stutters that you needed to get some rest, it had been a long trip after all, and you needed a meal as well. The men nodded and watched you go.
Buckman turned to his sons and spread his arms out, exaggerating his movements. “You’d be daft as a brush if you thought otherwise, boys, it’s her, isn’t it?!” He was even trying to convince himself now more than the boys. They nodded eagerly as Lester began to recall his beautiful mother, the short and fuzzy memories that grew harder and harder to recall the more time had passed in the Valley.
While they were conversing about Lord knows what, you ran back to your room, locking the door behind you and shaking. You didn’t know what to do or how to get out of it, your car was somewhere on the grounds and the guys were too preoccupied with whatever the hell they pleased with the flirty southern girls. You were in your room, alone, terrified that you weren’t going to make it out of this place alive. Panic rose like the bile in your throat and you didn’t know what to do anymore, all you could do was sit in your room while you hugged your legs to your chest, thinking of what you could do to get out of this situation.
Buckman was thinking of what he could do, he took a stroll down to see Crow further into the Valley and try to see what could be done. Crow was one of the few men he could trust, if anything, he would be the one to have an answer. He found the tall and broad man down by the stables where he knew the mayor would come for him.
“Boss, I figured you wouldn’t wanna consult with my dark magic any longer-” Crow began but Buckman cut him off.
“No, no, son, this isn’t about that. It’s about her,” he gestured to the guesthouse as he pointed a finger, “the girl who looks like my late beloved. You seen it too, Crow, I know you done did,” he glowered. “It’s her, reincarnated or what have you, back to either join me or torment me. She don’t remember who she is, Crow. Is that part of some dark magic?”
Crow looked over at the house and sighed, his mind processing everything. “Get me an audience with her and I can get you the information you need.”
“Bless ya, Crow, always so loyal.” He clasped the man on the shoulder and watched as he walked off, leaving the mayor alone once again with his thoughts.
What could he do but wait?
*
When Crow returned to him, his expression didn’t give Buckman what he’d been looking for. “What is it, didja find anything for me?” His hands were together, his fingers fidgeting as he looked up, almost desperately.
The man nodded and guided his mayor to a discreet location, away from prying ears so their guests couldn’t interfere. Once Crow looked around, listening for eavesdroppers, and deemed it safe, he looked back down at the mayor and kept a quiet voice.
“Boss, it’s her, no doubt in my mind that’s her. It has to be some form of reincarnation, ain’t no magic in or around her aura.”
Buckman clapped his hands sharply and took a deep breath. “Can we make her remember?”
“No tellin’ what we can do. I got a spell though, a potent one, I can cast it during dinner. Make sure she joins you and the rest, I’ll take it from there.”
That evening, you had been invited to dinner to join the mayor and his family, as Buckman called it, ‘an apology dinner’. He truly sounded sorry and maybe you did look like the woman he used to love, it happened. You chalked it up like that and nothing more, you just needed to survive long enough to make it through their party and get the hell out of there. Lying to yourself wasn’t foreign.
You attended as asked and sat beside your friend Theo and Buckman on the other side of you, his eye wandered over to you rather often, but he asked all of you questions, small talk mostly. When the tall, intimidating man known as Crow came into the room holding the large silver platter with several drinks on it, you watched him with unease until he left the room. After he approached you yesterday, you were much more skeptical of being alone in town, so you begged Connor and Theo to escort you wherever you went, but they figured you were just being paranoid. They agreed to, reluctantly of course, though that promise died quickly once they had been whisked away once again, lured away by the promise of tits and drinks.
Dinner though was more than you thought it would be, so you continued to speak when spoken to, your fork scooting your food across the plate as you did your best to avoid eye contact with the boys, the absence of Granny Boone made you more nervous than anything. After the conversation died down and dinner was removed from the table, Buckman took notice of how withdrawn you had been and nudged your arm gently, his smile warm and almost too kind.
“I know what I unloaded on you, it was a lot, but I hope there are no hard feelings, huh?” His eye landed on your drink, completely untouched and abandoned. His jaw clenched slightly and he would have to try something else without drawing too much attention.
You shifted in your seat and offered a pained smile. “Yeah, sure, I get it. Some people just look similar, and I’m sorry that you lost her, she must have been special.”
He wanted to tell you just how special she was, how special you were, but you didn’t need to be hounded by him even further, which would only push you further away from him to the point you wouldn’t even look at him. He needed to avoid that at all costs, but if he could just get you alone, even for a moment, he wouldn’t need to worry any longer.
Crow walked back into the room with a tray of drinks, holding it out toward you and Buckman, the both of you grabbing a mason jar of it. You thanked him quietly and he lingered only for a second more, though you were painfully aware of it, his eyes on the mayor. “I should probably head to bed, sir, it was very-”
“Please, darlin’, not yet, alright? Lemme share a stroll with ya, please?” He seemed so sincere, he just wanted to talk it out, and you were fair so you’d let him say his piece and hopefully move on. When you nodded in agreement, he looked like the happiest man in the world.
You both agreed upon a time this evening to meet, where you could relax after dinner and change, but you were having second thoughts about the entire thing. When you went to Theo and Connor’s room to talk about it, they never answered, they weren’t there. Annoyed, you went back to your room and sighed, slowly getting ready for your walk.
The Georgia summer heat was gone from the air, replaced with a light, cool breeze as the moon was high above in the sky, the bright light shining down and illuminating your skin. For a moment you had forgotten all about your worries, just enjoying the new surroundings, but once you heard the footsteps approaching you, your eyes widened and you whipped your body around to face them. It was only Buckman, looking as sheepish as ever as he held out a flower to you.
“A peace offerin’, if you’ll accept.”
You reached for it and held it up to your nose, smiling lightly. “Thank you.”
Your walk lasted all for ten minutes, you both were now away from the brightly lit town and standing near a lake where the moon was the most visible, your eyes stuck on it. It comforted you. Buckman was the first to break the silence as he looked around nervously like he was waiting for something -or someone.
“Y/N, I gotta explain to you that you look just like my dearly departed wife, the love of my life. You resemble her so much, it hurts, it pains me. But it also brings me comfort, she was the best thing to happen to me Y/N, and it pains me now to say that I can’t allow you to leave.”
You turned to meet his gaze, your heart pounded wildly as you stood frozen in place, afraid that if you spoke out of hand then he would act rashly. “Mayor, please-” You didn’t even realize that tears were already trailing down your face, the fear you felt well up within you so strong that you froze. You couldn’t think straight; where would you run? How would you get out? Too many obstacles with no real way to get through them. You were stuck.
Buckman pulled a small box from his breast pocket at the same time Crow had suddenly grabbed you from behind, immediately covering your mouth to mute the screams that failed to reach out across the field. The sudden overpowering odor from the cloth was too much and all you remember was seeing Buckman standing before you with that smile.
You awoke later, the moon still in the sky and the air still blowing that relaxing breeze against your skin, but it didn’t matter right now. You were tied to a large stake in the middle of the town, your hands bound in front of you rather than behind. The panic rose as their beloved mayor stepped closer, the entire populace surrounding you with tables lined with copious amounts of food. You were their honored guest after all.
“Sugarplum,” Buckman greeted softly, his hand out, gesturing to you that he wasn’t planning on hurting you, “please…”
You began to cry uncontrollably as he neared you, struggling against your bonds as you moved and wiggled, thrashing as best as you could to escape. “Please, please! I don’t want to die! I didn’t mean… I- I can’t!”
“Honey no, I would never lay a violent hand against you,” Bucky pleaded, his eye filled with remorse, wishing there was another way to get her back, to get you to come back to him. “Pleasant Valley is your home, it always was and always will be.”
Crow, Lester, Rufus, everyone looked up at you expectantly, hoping you would see things their way. You would never stay here, not with these people, you couldn’t ever see yourself loving a man who saw you as someone else. All you wanted was to go home.
“Let me go home, please,” you begged through your tears.
Buckman held your hand that poked through the ropes and slid the beautiful ring onto your finger, another pained smile sitting on his face. “Why sweetheart, you are home, you’re back home and you’re never leavin’ again, I’ll make sure of that.”
