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Fic: Follow You Home - California Tin (41/42)
Title: Follow You Home - California Tin (41/42)
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
DG and Cain didn’t speak to each other as they walked with everyone to dinner. DG walked ahead of Cain and her mother, trying to brush the remaining dirt off her person before they arrived at the dining room. Cain slowed his step to match the Queen’s, who was bringing up the rear. Az was attending to DG and Jeb and Raw were in the middle, quietly minding their own business.
Cain hemmed and hawed for a moment, trying to decide a proper wording to explain his behavior. The Queen, however, beat him to it by lacing her arm around his and patting his shoulder with her other hand. “Tell me, Mister Cain: Do you rent out for parties?” Cain couldn’t help but snort. “You entertain me greatly,” she said with a smile.
Cain smiled and nodded. “Happy to oblige you, Highness. Though it was not my intention.” He gave her a look and she took a moment to scrutinize the former-Tin Man.
“Intention or not, I am glad for it.” Cain noticed their pace had slowed again, putting even more distance between them and the others. “I have not properly thanked you, have I?” she asked airily.
Cain shook his head. “I have done nothing-”
“I disagree,” she stated. With a slight nod to the others, she dropped her gaze. “You gave me back my family.” Cain moved to protest but the Queen stopped him. “You paid a terrible price for it, and none would have blamed you for simply walking away. Yet you helped DG find her way to the Mystic Man.”
Cain blinked and frowned slightly. “I have heard the story of your adventure, Mister Cain. I admit that some of the details I’ve lost over the annuals. But, if I know one thing about DG, it is that she does not flatter idly. She is safe and well and it is thanks to you.”
“It wasn’t just me-” Cain managed to get out. Everyone kept thanking him after the eclipse, but Raw and Glitch had helped DG succeed just as much. They’d helped him, as well.
“Indeed,” the Queen nodded. “And I have already spoken with them. You, however,” she grinned slightly. “-are a bit more difficult to track down.” Cain gave her a guilty smile and prayed he wasn’t blushing. He did have a tendency in the weeks following the eclipse avoiding the limelight. But that was his Tin Man-sense of duty; he was simply doing his job.
Cain blinked once as the Queen gave him one of the most genuine smiles he’d ever seen on a person’s face. “I am glad you are in her life,” she said simply, yet vague enough for Cain to take whichever way he needed to. Taking a deep breath, she looked away and raised her head. “I am famished.” Cain knew that meant the prior conversation was now over and they were back to Queen and former-Tin Man, instead of DG’s mother and DG’s friend.
Ahamo was waiting outside the dining room with Glitch and both men gave DG a look as she moved toward them. She breezed past them with a blank look and Az shook her head as Jeb and Raw stopped. The four men looked back toward Cain and the Queen and she let go of Cain’s arm as they neared, taking her husband’s instead. Jeb and Raw each took one of Cain’s elbows and pulled him into the dining room and Glitch followed, shaking his head.
'They're all crazy...'
-*-
After dinner, Cain decided to spend some time with Jeb, Glitch and Raw, letting DG have some family time. Jeb and Glitch and taken to a weekly card game - something to help Glitch’s brain - so Cain and Raw found themselves acting as an audience.
And that was fine with both of them.
Cain knew Raw was watching him. He knew Raw knew he knew. He also knew that if he tried to not think about anything in particular, he’d think about what he didn’t want to think about. He didn’t remember trying so hard to worry about slipping on the Other Side. Of course, on the Other Side, it seemed everyone already knew.
How did he let it get to this?
Cain turned to Raw, who simply looked on. 'Tell me I'm crazy,' Cain thought, wondering if Raw could actually hear him. Raw didn’t move, which bothered Cain. Wasn’t a Viewer supposed to be able to read minds? Maybe it depended on physical contact. 'Wait,' he realized. He didn’t want to talk about it, so why was he bothered that Raw couldn’t hear him?
He should be happy about that.
'Think of something else. Midterm, anything. Anything but feelings.' Raw chuckled, not looking at Cain. He might not be able to hear what Cain was thinking, but the distress and confusion in the former-Tin Man was rather entertaining.
Cain turned to Raw with a raised eyebrow and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. He nodded toward the hall and Raw returned the nod before glancing back to Glitch and Jeb. As Cain moved to the door, Jeb glanced up and nodded as Raw raised a hand before returning focus to the cards and playing his hand.
Glitch never even noticed his friends had left the room.
-*-
Cain moved down the hall and turned swiftly, waving Raw toward him. “Okay, give it to me.” Raw raised an eyebrow. “Tell me.”
“Nothing for Raw to tell Cain,” he said slowly. Reaching forward, Raw’s fingers brushed Cain’s chest, just over his heart. “Cain knows already.” Cain’s jaw locked and he glared at Raw, knowing that the intimidating stare wouldn’t have an effect on the Viewer. It hadn’t worked since the day after they met.
Letting his head drop and his shoulders slump, Cain sighed heavily and shook his head. “I didn’t mean to-” he started, but stopped before saying it out loud. That would make it real. Really real. If it was only in his head, he still had control over it. Saying it...
“Why is Cain fighting so hard not to believe?” Raw asked, his head tilting to one side as he tried to understand. Cain looked away and laughed, running his thumb over his ring.
“Because she’s in line to be Queen... Because she’s half my age...” he whispered and looked at Raw. “Because she's DG.” Raw sighed and placed a hand on Cain’s shoulder, as he’d done earlier with the Viewer.
“Did Cain tell DG?” Cain snorted and gave Raw a look.
“She deserves someone her own age, someone who can give her a family. She doesn’t need-” he started to protest.
“Cain should let DG decide what DG needs,” Raw stated simply, making Cain feel like he’d just been told off by his grandmother. Cain took a deep breath and glanced over his friend’s shoulder. “Jeb is not angry,” Raw added, sensing Cain’s distress.
“Yeah, he and the Queen are laughin’ it up, apparently,” he replied sarcastically. Raw frowned and gave Cain a confused look. “The other night, we fell asleep,” Cain started. “They saw us.” Raw blinked. It hadn’t occurred to him that they’d already been seen when he found them. But, if the Queen did know, she wasn’t bothered. Either that, or she was very good at hiding it.
It was about that moment when Raw realized something: Glitch wasn’t the only one clueless to Cain and DG’s feelings for each other.
-*-
Az knocked on DG’s door and found her sister repacking her bag. “Need any help, baby sister?” DG glanced up and shrugged, but nodded for Az to come in anyway.
“Nah, almost done,” she replied, rolling up a t-shirt and shoving it into the bag. Az moved toward the dresser and glanced at the small knick-knacks DG had collected during her three annuals in the Zone. She noticed DG glance over her shoulder a few times, but said nothing.
DG, however, stopped stuffing things back into her bag and turned. “Something on your mind, sis?”
Az glanced up to DG and shook her head for a moment before turning with a sigh. “Yes. And I think we need to talk about it.” DG’s shoulders fell and she sighed heavily. She was wondering when it would come up; really, she’d been expecting it. DG knew she could hide much from Az, and she was rather surprised they hadn’t talked sooner.
She thought she had a handle on her growing feelings for Cain, keeping busy so she wouldn’t have to think about it. And the letters were helping. “Is it that obvious?” DG asked with a frown. Az snorted and nodded slightly, entertained by the look of disgust on her sister’s face. “I’ve been trying to ignore it. Really,” DG cried, dropping to the bed with a huff.
Az smiled again and moved to DG’s side. “Does everybody know?” DG frowned. Az tried not to smile and pulled DG into a hug. DG buried her head against Az’s shoulder and groaned, which made Az smile again. “I don’t know what to do, Az,” she said quietly.
“Have you talked to Cain?” Az asked, trying to word the question as diplomatically as possible. DG pulled away and glared at her sister.
“Yeah, because that’s a conversation that would go over real well.” DG dropped her voice to a whisper and continued: “‘Hey, Cain. Ready for the test? I know you’ve got a lot to deal with between class and me and the Other Side and I know you miss you wife, but I love you and what do you want for dinner?’” She pushed off the bed and turned around once more before looking at the doorway.
“It’s really pathetic how married we are. On top of everything else.”
“You’re what?” Az asked, truly shocked by her sister’s statement. She had been referring to the obvious feelings of one Wyatt Cain. She’d never considered that the feelings were being reciprocated by her sister. This was big. Like finding a white horse in the Zone-big.
Or a green one.
“Wait, you’re-” Az dropped her voice to a near-whisper, finally catching up with the conversation. “Married?”
“Not literally, Az,” DG huffed, rolling her eyes. “Might as well be, though,” she said with a sigh, moving back to the bed. “We get up, we go to work and we come home. Our paychecks pay the bills and we eat practically every meal together; we watch movies, talk about stupid stuff... His clothes are in my closet and my dresser; we share the bathroom and the only difference is that he sleeps on the couch and I sleep in the bed.” She snorted a laugh. “So, really, we’re married and just fighting.”
Az was at a complete loss for words. She - well, everyone - could tell Cain liked DG. Even a blind Papay could see it. Everyone, apparently, but DG. All she could do was laugh. And not even that.
Azkadellia, once the most feared individual in the whole of the Outer Zone, had been brought to giggles.
_______
:D
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
DG and Cain didn’t speak to each other as they walked with everyone to dinner. DG walked ahead of Cain and her mother, trying to brush the remaining dirt off her person before they arrived at the dining room. Cain slowed his step to match the Queen’s, who was bringing up the rear. Az was attending to DG and Jeb and Raw were in the middle, quietly minding their own business.
Cain hemmed and hawed for a moment, trying to decide a proper wording to explain his behavior. The Queen, however, beat him to it by lacing her arm around his and patting his shoulder with her other hand. “Tell me, Mister Cain: Do you rent out for parties?” Cain couldn’t help but snort. “You entertain me greatly,” she said with a smile.
Cain smiled and nodded. “Happy to oblige you, Highness. Though it was not my intention.” He gave her a look and she took a moment to scrutinize the former-Tin Man.
“Intention or not, I am glad for it.” Cain noticed their pace had slowed again, putting even more distance between them and the others. “I have not properly thanked you, have I?” she asked airily.
Cain shook his head. “I have done nothing-”
“I disagree,” she stated. With a slight nod to the others, she dropped her gaze. “You gave me back my family.” Cain moved to protest but the Queen stopped him. “You paid a terrible price for it, and none would have blamed you for simply walking away. Yet you helped DG find her way to the Mystic Man.”
Cain blinked and frowned slightly. “I have heard the story of your adventure, Mister Cain. I admit that some of the details I’ve lost over the annuals. But, if I know one thing about DG, it is that she does not flatter idly. She is safe and well and it is thanks to you.”
“It wasn’t just me-” Cain managed to get out. Everyone kept thanking him after the eclipse, but Raw and Glitch had helped DG succeed just as much. They’d helped him, as well.
“Indeed,” the Queen nodded. “And I have already spoken with them. You, however,” she grinned slightly. “-are a bit more difficult to track down.” Cain gave her a guilty smile and prayed he wasn’t blushing. He did have a tendency in the weeks following the eclipse avoiding the limelight. But that was his Tin Man-sense of duty; he was simply doing his job.
Cain blinked once as the Queen gave him one of the most genuine smiles he’d ever seen on a person’s face. “I am glad you are in her life,” she said simply, yet vague enough for Cain to take whichever way he needed to. Taking a deep breath, she looked away and raised her head. “I am famished.” Cain knew that meant the prior conversation was now over and they were back to Queen and former-Tin Man, instead of DG’s mother and DG’s friend.
Ahamo was waiting outside the dining room with Glitch and both men gave DG a look as she moved toward them. She breezed past them with a blank look and Az shook her head as Jeb and Raw stopped. The four men looked back toward Cain and the Queen and she let go of Cain’s arm as they neared, taking her husband’s instead. Jeb and Raw each took one of Cain’s elbows and pulled him into the dining room and Glitch followed, shaking his head.
'They're all crazy...'
-*-
After dinner, Cain decided to spend some time with Jeb, Glitch and Raw, letting DG have some family time. Jeb and Glitch and taken to a weekly card game - something to help Glitch’s brain - so Cain and Raw found themselves acting as an audience.
And that was fine with both of them.
Cain knew Raw was watching him. He knew Raw knew he knew. He also knew that if he tried to not think about anything in particular, he’d think about what he didn’t want to think about. He didn’t remember trying so hard to worry about slipping on the Other Side. Of course, on the Other Side, it seemed everyone already knew.
How did he let it get to this?
Cain turned to Raw, who simply looked on. 'Tell me I'm crazy,' Cain thought, wondering if Raw could actually hear him. Raw didn’t move, which bothered Cain. Wasn’t a Viewer supposed to be able to read minds? Maybe it depended on physical contact. 'Wait,' he realized. He didn’t want to talk about it, so why was he bothered that Raw couldn’t hear him?
He should be happy about that.
'Think of something else. Midterm, anything. Anything but feelings.' Raw chuckled, not looking at Cain. He might not be able to hear what Cain was thinking, but the distress and confusion in the former-Tin Man was rather entertaining.
Cain turned to Raw with a raised eyebrow and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. He nodded toward the hall and Raw returned the nod before glancing back to Glitch and Jeb. As Cain moved to the door, Jeb glanced up and nodded as Raw raised a hand before returning focus to the cards and playing his hand.
Glitch never even noticed his friends had left the room.
-*-
Cain moved down the hall and turned swiftly, waving Raw toward him. “Okay, give it to me.” Raw raised an eyebrow. “Tell me.”
“Nothing for Raw to tell Cain,” he said slowly. Reaching forward, Raw’s fingers brushed Cain’s chest, just over his heart. “Cain knows already.” Cain’s jaw locked and he glared at Raw, knowing that the intimidating stare wouldn’t have an effect on the Viewer. It hadn’t worked since the day after they met.
Letting his head drop and his shoulders slump, Cain sighed heavily and shook his head. “I didn’t mean to-” he started, but stopped before saying it out loud. That would make it real. Really real. If it was only in his head, he still had control over it. Saying it...
“Why is Cain fighting so hard not to believe?” Raw asked, his head tilting to one side as he tried to understand. Cain looked away and laughed, running his thumb over his ring.
“Because she’s in line to be Queen... Because she’s half my age...” he whispered and looked at Raw. “Because she's DG.” Raw sighed and placed a hand on Cain’s shoulder, as he’d done earlier with the Viewer.
“Did Cain tell DG?” Cain snorted and gave Raw a look.
“She deserves someone her own age, someone who can give her a family. She doesn’t need-” he started to protest.
“Cain should let DG decide what DG needs,” Raw stated simply, making Cain feel like he’d just been told off by his grandmother. Cain took a deep breath and glanced over his friend’s shoulder. “Jeb is not angry,” Raw added, sensing Cain’s distress.
“Yeah, he and the Queen are laughin’ it up, apparently,” he replied sarcastically. Raw frowned and gave Cain a confused look. “The other night, we fell asleep,” Cain started. “They saw us.” Raw blinked. It hadn’t occurred to him that they’d already been seen when he found them. But, if the Queen did know, she wasn’t bothered. Either that, or she was very good at hiding it.
It was about that moment when Raw realized something: Glitch wasn’t the only one clueless to Cain and DG’s feelings for each other.
-*-
Az knocked on DG’s door and found her sister repacking her bag. “Need any help, baby sister?” DG glanced up and shrugged, but nodded for Az to come in anyway.
“Nah, almost done,” she replied, rolling up a t-shirt and shoving it into the bag. Az moved toward the dresser and glanced at the small knick-knacks DG had collected during her three annuals in the Zone. She noticed DG glance over her shoulder a few times, but said nothing.
DG, however, stopped stuffing things back into her bag and turned. “Something on your mind, sis?”
Az glanced up to DG and shook her head for a moment before turning with a sigh. “Yes. And I think we need to talk about it.” DG’s shoulders fell and she sighed heavily. She was wondering when it would come up; really, she’d been expecting it. DG knew she could hide much from Az, and she was rather surprised they hadn’t talked sooner.
She thought she had a handle on her growing feelings for Cain, keeping busy so she wouldn’t have to think about it. And the letters were helping. “Is it that obvious?” DG asked with a frown. Az snorted and nodded slightly, entertained by the look of disgust on her sister’s face. “I’ve been trying to ignore it. Really,” DG cried, dropping to the bed with a huff.
Az smiled again and moved to DG’s side. “Does everybody know?” DG frowned. Az tried not to smile and pulled DG into a hug. DG buried her head against Az’s shoulder and groaned, which made Az smile again. “I don’t know what to do, Az,” she said quietly.
“Have you talked to Cain?” Az asked, trying to word the question as diplomatically as possible. DG pulled away and glared at her sister.
“Yeah, because that’s a conversation that would go over real well.” DG dropped her voice to a whisper and continued: “‘Hey, Cain. Ready for the test? I know you’ve got a lot to deal with between class and me and the Other Side and I know you miss you wife, but I love you and what do you want for dinner?’” She pushed off the bed and turned around once more before looking at the doorway.
“It’s really pathetic how married we are. On top of everything else.”
“You’re what?” Az asked, truly shocked by her sister’s statement. She had been referring to the obvious feelings of one Wyatt Cain. She’d never considered that the feelings were being reciprocated by her sister. This was big. Like finding a white horse in the Zone-big.
Or a green one.
“Wait, you’re-” Az dropped her voice to a near-whisper, finally catching up with the conversation. “Married?”
“Not literally, Az,” DG huffed, rolling her eyes. “Might as well be, though,” she said with a sigh, moving back to the bed. “We get up, we go to work and we come home. Our paychecks pay the bills and we eat practically every meal together; we watch movies, talk about stupid stuff... His clothes are in my closet and my dresser; we share the bathroom and the only difference is that he sleeps on the couch and I sleep in the bed.” She snorted a laugh. “So, really, we’re married and just fighting.”
Az was at a complete loss for words. She - well, everyone - could tell Cain liked DG. Even a blind Papay could see it. Everyone, apparently, but DG. All she could do was laugh. And not even that.
Azkadellia, once the most feared individual in the whole of the Outer Zone, had been brought to giggles.
_______
:D