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Fic: Follow You Home - California Tin (38/42)
Title: Follow You Home - California Tin (38/42)
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Cain and DG, but if you saw 'em in the miniseries, they're here or mentioned. Plus some OCs
Rating: PG
Summary: Cain stayed in LA. But can he survive on the Other Side?
Warning: post-series, directly after California Queen. Blame n_e_star, for she fed Steve. ;)
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The rest of 'em are mine.
Prologue | California Queen
California Tin: Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven | Part Twelve | Part Thirteen | Part Fourteen | Part Fifteen | Part Sixteen | Part Seventeen | Part Eighteen | Part Nineteen | Part Twenty | Part Twenty-One | Part Twenty-Two | Part Twenty-Three | Part Twenty-Four | Part Twenty-Five | Part Twenty-Six | Part Twenty-Seven | Part Twenty-Eight | Part Twenty-Nine | Part Thirty | Part Thirty-One | Part Thirty-Two | Part Thirty-Three | Part Thirty-Four | Part Thirty-Five | Part Thirty-Six | Part Thirty-Seven | Part Thirty-Eight | Part Thirty-Nine | Part Forty | Part Forty-One | Part Forty-Two
California Sun
Five | Waking Up (CaliSun 20.2) | Almost Like Being in Love (CaliSun 24.5) | An Hour and 45 Minutes | Hava Nagila | Unexpected
Cain knew Raw would know exactly what he was thinking the moment the two of them were in the same room. If he hadn't already. Cain had been so busy with everything work and school, it was easier to not think about what he might be feeling for DG or think about what Josh had said.
But now, he was finding it hard to think of anything else. He loved Adora, there was no doubt in his mind of that fact. He would love her for all his life. And he would never love another that way again. But he also knew he loved DG. Hopelessly. But it wasn't the same; this was a different kind of love. Each woman was different and his experiences with each were different.
And he was different.
That was the suit's fault. The Wyatt Cain who went into the suit was not the Wyatt Cain who came out. Well, he was the same, but not. He knew it made sense, but Cain couldn't explain it further.
He never thought of DG as anything but the girl who saved him; until he was with Jeb in the woods did he ever think of her in any way past a friend. Not that is was much past that. She'd sent some note about a party she'd attended and she had felt like a prize at the fair when the suitors started lining up for their chance to talk to her. Then came the note from her parents, she was gone and he was angry.
Why was he angry? Because he couldn't protect her - not that he'd been doing anything to that effect, living in the woods with his son. But she shouldn’t have gone. Not without him.
Wait... wasn't he trying to convince himself he didn't love her?
Josh was right, though: they did act like they were married. They were sharing a home, working to provide for each other, asking each other's opinions on things. A marriage, in all regards but one - one that had taken everything within Cain never to think about. He’d slipped in the dream and kissed her. And he was completely fooled. He could feel her hair on his cheek, the warmth of her skin under his fingertips... he could smell the blue shower soap she always used - that should have been the first clue it was a dream, as he was fairly certain she hadn't brought it along.
He really needed someone to talk to. Jeb, he figured, would be angry; Glitch would probably slip - unintentionally - and tell someone else; Ahamo was DG’s father; Raw, again, probably already knew; and Simon was on the Other Side. And Cain knew that, of all of them, Simon's disappointment would bother him the most, because Simon was so much like his father, he would often have to catch himself.
'You're more worried about the reaction from a stranger than your own son?' Cain ignored the voice and continued down the hallway. For a moment, he considered Azkadellia or the Queen, but that would be just as awkward. And he couldn't go to the person he trusted most because she was the problem.
'If you trust her, why did you assume she was running?' his brain asked.
Rolling his eyes, Cain decided that a walk might help clear his head.
-*-
A few hours later, Cain was sitting on the weather-worn porch of his home, staring toward the lake and the spot where the suit once stood.
This was where everything changed. This was where he changed.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cain saw movement. He didn't turn, but let his eyes move to the ground. Of course he'd be found. "Raw said you might need someone to talk to." Cain felt his jaw clench and he glanced back to the suit's previous spot. Jeb leaned against the post at the other end of the porch and glanced at the house. He hadn't been there in a while - maybe once or twice after they came for the suit.
Jeb had seen his father like this before - never this distressed - and he wondered if Cain knew he had tells: the quieter he became, the more troubled he was.
He wondered if DG ever saw this side of his father. Or did she see a completely different Wyatt Cain than he'd ever met? As much as Jeb didn't want to subject himself to the Other Side - thanks to the stories from Cain, DG and Ahamo - he would love to just watch his father over there.
Something told him that there really wasn't much difference.
"Well, Raw knows best," Cain said solemnly. Jeb nodded and glanced toward the lake for a moment before looking down to his father.
"I knew this woman," Jeb started, moving to sit next to his father. "-long time ago. She was in the Resistance; her family had been torn apart by Longcoats and the Sorceress." Jeb sighed and shook his head, looking down at the dirt at his feet.
"Some of the folks in our camp expected her to just give up; a few even told her she'd be better off... but she refused to stop. We moved between some other camps and made new friends, some close as family." Jeb threw a look to the trees and smiled at the memories.
"There was a man in one of the camps; a very good man. He took care of all of us. He reminded me of you," Jeb said with a smile. Cain turned and looked at Jeb for the first time since he'd arrived at the cabin. "They just... connected. But neither would admit it. Finally, he got up the nerve to say something, but she couldn't. She'd lost the love of her life and didn't want to disrespect his memory." Jeb sighed and stared off again.
"He would have kept her safe, protected her... loved her." Jeb looked at his father. "She didn't take a chance because she couldn't risk her heart again."
"And what happened?" Cain asked quietly.
"She moved on to another camp," Jeb said simply. He shrugged and added: "I'm sure she was happy. But, I'm sure she also considered what would have happened had she stayed with him." Cain nodded. “But 'what if' isn't a way to live. Sometimes... you just have to take a chance." Cain swallowed and sighed before looking up at the trees.
"What are you saying, son?" He was so completely busted. Jeb shook his head.
"Just tellin' a story. I have plenty more," he said with a slight grin, shifting so that he could stretch his legs out in front of him. "For instance," he grinned. "-there was this one night I having a chat with the Queen about feelings."
"Feelings?" Cain asked with a raised eyebrow. Jeb turned to Cain and nodded.
"We happened across a sleeping princess," he said with a smile. Cain nodded, picturing Az asleep in the library.
"And how did that make you feel?" he asked sarcastically.
"The fact she was asleep didn't really affect either of us," Jeb shrugged. "That she had my father's arm around her, however, was new." He tried not to laugh as he watched the color drain from Cain's face. Jeb rested a hand on Cain's shoulder and pushed himself up. "Come on. When she finds out you're gone, somone's gonna get hurt."
-*-
It had taken Jeb twenty minutes to get Cain to say something. Finally, he convinced Cain to just talk to him. So Cain started talking. About everything but DG.
Cain covered his first view of Los Angeles and the train and the ocean. He told Jeb about Simon and Jeanie, his job at PCC, his class and the football team; curly fries and Jeanie's pecan rolls to DG's chicken and rice dish and the spicy tacos - there was a Wahoo's near campus and Randy lived there.
Jeb's favorite story was about Coop. Cain warned him that if Ellen Cooper liked Josh and himself, she'd love Jeb. He also covered cars, the phone, computers and every other gadget the Zone had never seen.
Cain was telling Jeb the history of the Other Side he'd learned so far when they arrived in the clearing - he didn't remember it only taking a few hours to walk between the cabin and Central City, but it had also been years since he'd done it. And with Glitch, DG and Raw in tow, it had taken longer.
Especially with the detour off a cliff.
They were halfway across the field when DG came tearing out of the back gate. Jeb threw his hands up and gave his father a look as DG neared. He nodded to her and continued walking as the princess tore into the Tin Man.
"Now you know how it feels, kiddo," Cain said with a shrug and followed after Jeb.
"Didn't we cover that five months ago?" DG yelled in frustration before throwing her hands up and screaming.
_______
Steve's decided to be random...
*throws hands up in defeat*
Whether Jeb is referring to his mother or someone else, I leave to you...
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Cain and DG, but if you saw 'em in the miniseries, they're here or mentioned. Plus some OCs
Rating: PG
Summary: Cain stayed in LA. But can he survive on the Other Side?
Warning: post-series, directly after California Queen. Blame n_e_star, for she fed Steve. ;)
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The rest of 'em are mine.
Prologue | California Queen
California Tin: Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven | Part Twelve | Part Thirteen | Part Fourteen | Part Fifteen | Part Sixteen | Part Seventeen | Part Eighteen | Part Nineteen | Part Twenty | Part Twenty-One | Part Twenty-Two | Part Twenty-Three | Part Twenty-Four | Part Twenty-Five | Part Twenty-Six | Part Twenty-Seven | Part Twenty-Eight | Part Twenty-Nine | Part Thirty | Part Thirty-One | Part Thirty-Two | Part Thirty-Three | Part Thirty-Four | Part Thirty-Five | Part Thirty-Six | Part Thirty-Seven | Part Thirty-Eight | Part Thirty-Nine | Part Forty | Part Forty-One | Part Forty-Two
California Sun
Five | Waking Up (CaliSun 20.2) | Almost Like Being in Love (CaliSun 24.5) | An Hour and 45 Minutes | Hava Nagila | Unexpected
Cain knew Raw would know exactly what he was thinking the moment the two of them were in the same room. If he hadn't already. Cain had been so busy with everything work and school, it was easier to not think about what he might be feeling for DG or think about what Josh had said.
But now, he was finding it hard to think of anything else. He loved Adora, there was no doubt in his mind of that fact. He would love her for all his life. And he would never love another that way again. But he also knew he loved DG. Hopelessly. But it wasn't the same; this was a different kind of love. Each woman was different and his experiences with each were different.
And he was different.
That was the suit's fault. The Wyatt Cain who went into the suit was not the Wyatt Cain who came out. Well, he was the same, but not. He knew it made sense, but Cain couldn't explain it further.
He never thought of DG as anything but the girl who saved him; until he was with Jeb in the woods did he ever think of her in any way past a friend. Not that is was much past that. She'd sent some note about a party she'd attended and she had felt like a prize at the fair when the suitors started lining up for their chance to talk to her. Then came the note from her parents, she was gone and he was angry.
Why was he angry? Because he couldn't protect her - not that he'd been doing anything to that effect, living in the woods with his son. But she shouldn’t have gone. Not without him.
Wait... wasn't he trying to convince himself he didn't love her?
Josh was right, though: they did act like they were married. They were sharing a home, working to provide for each other, asking each other's opinions on things. A marriage, in all regards but one - one that had taken everything within Cain never to think about. He’d slipped in the dream and kissed her. And he was completely fooled. He could feel her hair on his cheek, the warmth of her skin under his fingertips... he could smell the blue shower soap she always used - that should have been the first clue it was a dream, as he was fairly certain she hadn't brought it along.
He really needed someone to talk to. Jeb, he figured, would be angry; Glitch would probably slip - unintentionally - and tell someone else; Ahamo was DG’s father; Raw, again, probably already knew; and Simon was on the Other Side. And Cain knew that, of all of them, Simon's disappointment would bother him the most, because Simon was so much like his father, he would often have to catch himself.
'You're more worried about the reaction from a stranger than your own son?' Cain ignored the voice and continued down the hallway. For a moment, he considered Azkadellia or the Queen, but that would be just as awkward. And he couldn't go to the person he trusted most because she was the problem.
'If you trust her, why did you assume she was running?' his brain asked.
Rolling his eyes, Cain decided that a walk might help clear his head.
-*-
A few hours later, Cain was sitting on the weather-worn porch of his home, staring toward the lake and the spot where the suit once stood.
This was where everything changed. This was where he changed.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cain saw movement. He didn't turn, but let his eyes move to the ground. Of course he'd be found. "Raw said you might need someone to talk to." Cain felt his jaw clench and he glanced back to the suit's previous spot. Jeb leaned against the post at the other end of the porch and glanced at the house. He hadn't been there in a while - maybe once or twice after they came for the suit.
Jeb had seen his father like this before - never this distressed - and he wondered if Cain knew he had tells: the quieter he became, the more troubled he was.
He wondered if DG ever saw this side of his father. Or did she see a completely different Wyatt Cain than he'd ever met? As much as Jeb didn't want to subject himself to the Other Side - thanks to the stories from Cain, DG and Ahamo - he would love to just watch his father over there.
Something told him that there really wasn't much difference.
"Well, Raw knows best," Cain said solemnly. Jeb nodded and glanced toward the lake for a moment before looking down to his father.
"I knew this woman," Jeb started, moving to sit next to his father. "-long time ago. She was in the Resistance; her family had been torn apart by Longcoats and the Sorceress." Jeb sighed and shook his head, looking down at the dirt at his feet.
"Some of the folks in our camp expected her to just give up; a few even told her she'd be better off... but she refused to stop. We moved between some other camps and made new friends, some close as family." Jeb threw a look to the trees and smiled at the memories.
"There was a man in one of the camps; a very good man. He took care of all of us. He reminded me of you," Jeb said with a smile. Cain turned and looked at Jeb for the first time since he'd arrived at the cabin. "They just... connected. But neither would admit it. Finally, he got up the nerve to say something, but she couldn't. She'd lost the love of her life and didn't want to disrespect his memory." Jeb sighed and stared off again.
"He would have kept her safe, protected her... loved her." Jeb looked at his father. "She didn't take a chance because she couldn't risk her heart again."
"And what happened?" Cain asked quietly.
"She moved on to another camp," Jeb said simply. He shrugged and added: "I'm sure she was happy. But, I'm sure she also considered what would have happened had she stayed with him." Cain nodded. “But 'what if' isn't a way to live. Sometimes... you just have to take a chance." Cain swallowed and sighed before looking up at the trees.
"What are you saying, son?" He was so completely busted. Jeb shook his head.
"Just tellin' a story. I have plenty more," he said with a slight grin, shifting so that he could stretch his legs out in front of him. "For instance," he grinned. "-there was this one night I having a chat with the Queen about feelings."
"Feelings?" Cain asked with a raised eyebrow. Jeb turned to Cain and nodded.
"We happened across a sleeping princess," he said with a smile. Cain nodded, picturing Az asleep in the library.
"And how did that make you feel?" he asked sarcastically.
"The fact she was asleep didn't really affect either of us," Jeb shrugged. "That she had my father's arm around her, however, was new." He tried not to laugh as he watched the color drain from Cain's face. Jeb rested a hand on Cain's shoulder and pushed himself up. "Come on. When she finds out you're gone, somone's gonna get hurt."
-*-
It had taken Jeb twenty minutes to get Cain to say something. Finally, he convinced Cain to just talk to him. So Cain started talking. About everything but DG.
Cain covered his first view of Los Angeles and the train and the ocean. He told Jeb about Simon and Jeanie, his job at PCC, his class and the football team; curly fries and Jeanie's pecan rolls to DG's chicken and rice dish and the spicy tacos - there was a Wahoo's near campus and Randy lived there.
Jeb's favorite story was about Coop. Cain warned him that if Ellen Cooper liked Josh and himself, she'd love Jeb. He also covered cars, the phone, computers and every other gadget the Zone had never seen.
Cain was telling Jeb the history of the Other Side he'd learned so far when they arrived in the clearing - he didn't remember it only taking a few hours to walk between the cabin and Central City, but it had also been years since he'd done it. And with Glitch, DG and Raw in tow, it had taken longer.
Especially with the detour off a cliff.
They were halfway across the field when DG came tearing out of the back gate. Jeb threw his hands up and gave his father a look as DG neared. He nodded to her and continued walking as the princess tore into the Tin Man.
"Now you know how it feels, kiddo," Cain said with a shrug and followed after Jeb.
"Didn't we cover that five months ago?" DG yelled in frustration before throwing her hands up and screaming.
_______
Steve's decided to be random...
*throws hands up in defeat*
Whether Jeb is referring to his mother or someone else, I leave to you...