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Fic: ...But It's Real
Title: ...But It's Real (02/?)
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Jeb, DG, Raw, Az, some OCs (mention of Cain, Glitch, Tutor, Carter, Evie and the Queen)
Rating: PG
Summary: How the affair began...
Warnings: post-series *Written for the Fall/Winter Seasonal Challenge at tm_challenge. Inspired by Scream from High School Musical 3, The More Boys I Meet by Carrie Underwood, Two Worlds Collide by Demi Lovato, Gonna Be Somebody by Nickelback and Love Story by Taylor Swift. Guess what's gonna follow...
Prompts: Scream, Stalemate, Rejected, Find, Seek, Noble, Masks, AC: Clarify, Corrupt, Need, Trolley, Disheveled, Overwhelmed, Flight, Abscond, Flavor, Splatter, Scent, Cavort, Yaw, Attentive, AC: Dream and Ascetic
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 OCs are mine. Danger belongs to himself.
This love is difficult | ...but it's real | Focus | Runaway Princess | The Queen's Plot
SCREAM
'What do we do?'
'Can we win this one?'
'Will the fighting ever be over?'
'Where are they now?'
'Why don’t we just give up?'
He was sick of the questions and, finally, stormed out of the camp with an angry "I don't know!"
He walked for what seemed like an hour, no direction in mind. He just wanted to get away from the questions, the decisions...
...the responsibility.
He never asked to be in charge - he'd rather be the one following orders; not giving them - but the burden had been dumped on him. Quite literally, as the man who had been giving the orders decided one morning - ironically, the morning of the attack; two hours before the attack - that he didn't want to fight any more.
So the map of the tower and the box of charges were shoved into his arms and he was offered a "Good luck," as he watched the man walk away.
Finally stopping, Jeb took a deep breath and looked out over the Zone. From the rise he was currently standing on, he could see down into the great valley and he tried to understand.
Why him?
Anyone but him.
STALEMATE
DG's so over the concept of courting. Seriously.
She thought that dating sucked in Kansas, where she had a say in the whole process.
But not in the Zone; Oh no...
This one thinks he's a rock star; that one doesn't understand why anyone would bother even thinking about touching an engine; he had a weird laugh and that one huffed any time someone else spoke.
That one was too tall, this one is too... BORING.
That one's grabby and those three could care less about her dreams.
They all want the title and the perks.
None of them care about her.
They don't care that she can adjust a carburetor in under a minute; or that she can balance six plates on one arm, all packed high with eggs, toast, hash browns and even pancakes; they don't even care that she can probably kick all their asses from Finaqua to the Northern Island.
She wants someone who will sit with her when she's had a bad day and listen to her rant and rave. Someone who doesn't care that she just screwed up the biggest stinkin' peace accord and will act like she is the awesomest of awesome.
Someone who doesn't give her funny looks when she comes into a room in jeans and a t-shirt.
Someone who depends on her and will enjoy her company - even when she has nothing to say.
Someone who isn't threatened by her three bodyguards. Or her sister.
Someone who can survive if she goes all day without speaking to them.
Someone who won't get all bent out of shape when her attention moves from them to whatever Cain is doing. Or Glitch. Or Raw.
Someone who understands that they aren't the only man in her life.
Maybe she'll get another dog.
REJECTED
It was her own fault for sitting at the end of the bar.
She left the palace.
She slipped out and headed for the Sin District - not because she was looking for sin, but because she wanted to be invisible.
No one would recognize her there, she figured. Why would they? She hadn't been out in the public eye enough to stand out and, thankfully, she learned that there were women in the Zone who wore pants.
Granted, most of them worked in the factories, but they still wore pants.
She managed to get a few pairs of 'work clothes' and learned how to pull her hair back in the 'factory style', which allowed her to blend in quite nicely.
She knew there'd be Hell to pay when they realized she was gone, but she didn't care.
She'd been fine for a while - maybe a half hour - enjoying her rather tame beverage and not thinking about her new life.
Okay, she did think about it: mainly the difference between the life she had and the life she now had.
Irony jumped in about the time she started considering the dating concept and brought danger. Literally.
The man's name was Danger. Dan-Ger.
Danger wasn't dangerous, but he was drunk. He was also a bit touchy.
Not grabby... just touchy.
It had been so long since she'd had to deal with drunks - usually only when she got the late shift at the Hilltop - that she assumed if she just ignored him, he'd go away.
He kept trying to buy her drinks, telling her stories about all the guys in the place he was friends with, about how fantastic his wife was and asking her why she wasn’t having more fun.
He was harmless.
And she was tired.
FIND
Danger had moved on to a deep discussion with two men a few seats away and DG nodded to the bartender, deciding now was her best chance to slip away, unnoticed. She passed over half a Platinum for her drink, as well as a tip for the thanks of the older man - he graciously pretended he didn’t know who she was once a week and she was glad for it.
Taking one last swig from her glass, DG happened to look at the bar and heard Danger's loud laugh as someone sat down on her right.
"Having fun, Princess?"
SEEK
Jeb Cain didn't know if he should be impressed that the younger princess had managed to blend into the scenery of Central City's more questionable crowd or angered by the fact that she'd, once again, slipped out of the palace.
He watched as the large man got very close to her and chatted her up, and fought the urge to jump on the man the second his hand touched her arm. She obviously wasn't terribly concerned and, while Jeb knew she could probably take care of herself against the drunkard, his father would kill him for allowing anyone to touch her.
If he didn't know better, he'd simply assume she was just another woman of the Zone, probably just getting off shift at the factory at the edge of the district. Even dressed as a commoner, though, she looked like a princess.
Hearing his father's voice in his head, Jeb decided to follow his gut and give her a chance to explain. A calm and collected princess was easier to deal with, really. Taking a deep breath, Jeb moved into the crowd and was rather glad he wasn't in uniform.
"Having fun, Princess?" he asked, sitting down next to her.
NOBLE
DG closed her eyes at the sound of Jeb's voice and mourned the death of her secret identity. Jeb nodded to the man behind the bar and held up a finger, then pointed to DG's empty glass. The man raised the slightest eyebrow in her direction and she gave him a nod before turning to Jeb.
She didn't look at him, but noticed that he wasn't wearing his usual uniform.
Since the day they met, there was nothing about Jeb Cain that said he wanted to be a bodyguard, royal or not.
Maybe he stayed because Cain did.
'Boy scout...'
MASKS
They sat at the bar in silence, each with a drink in hand, but neither drinking.
She wanted to know why he wasn't telling her off and making a scene
He wanted to know how long she would sit still before demanding he make a scene and tell her off.
She wanted to know how he was able to stay when it was obvious he didn't want to be there.
He wanted to know how often she considered going back to the Other Side, leaving this life behind.
They both wondered if he'd like the Other Side.
Then Danger returned.
CLARIFY
"Evie," Danger announced, eyeing Jeb. "Who's your friend?" DG tilted her head toward Jeb and reached for her glass.
"Carter. Carter, this is Danger." Danger held out a hand to Jeb, which Jeb took tentatively, trying to figure out who Carter was, and why the man from earlier was calling DG 'Evie.'
"You told me you were single," Danger said to DG with a frown.
"No," DG replied, shaking her head. "You asked if I was seeing anybody," she added, countering his statement.
"Well," Danger said, giving Jeb another look then nodding. "-you look good together."
Jeb blinked. DG laughed.
CORRUPT
Jeb was on his third drink from Danger - DG had already passed a few Platinums over to the bartender simply because the sight of Jeb getting drunk with Danger was entertaining enough to last her the rest of the month - when Danger noticed another friend enter the bar.
"Please tell me you aren't on duty," DG said to Jeb as he blinked a few times. Jeb chuckled and sniffed before turning to her.
"And just how do you plan to get back into the palace without being spotted?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. DG turned to him with a blank look and breathed a laughed.
"Nice try." Jeb frowned and DG shook her head. "I tell you how I get back inside, which tells you how I got out and, next time I try to leave, there's a whole new guard rotation."
Jeb shrugged slightly and reached for his glass. "Actually, I was thinking I'd make sure the guards were rotated anywhere else and I'd meet you here," he mumbled. He was going to be so very dead when his father found out, but he'd actually had a good time.
He was also rather fond of the company.
NEED
Jeb and DG moved down the side streets of the Sin District, noting that the palace was getting closer with each step. Two alleyways before they reached the edge of the district, DG stopped Jeb.
"Thank you," she said with a simply nod.
"I didn't do anything," he replied with a frown.
"Exactly. You could have announced me to the whole place, drug me out by my hair... called your dad." Jeb ran a hand through his hair and glanced down the street before looking back to DG.
"Every now and then, you get into a grey area," he said with a shrug. "However," he said, raising a finger and narrowing his eyes. "I demand to know how you, being there longer than me, are not drunk, and I'm almost seeing double. Because, I know we drank the exact same things."
DG smiled and hooked her arm around Jeb's. "It's called Tequila, Jeb. Once you master that... everything else is just water."
"Teak- ...eelah?" he tried to repeat, which made her laugh again.
"You strike me as more of a whiskey drinker," she stated with a nod.
"Are you suggesting that I can't keep up with you?" Jeb asked, tilting his head in confusion. DG smirked and looked sideways at him.
"I could drink you under the table, Jeb Cain."
"Carter," he corrected, holding up a finger again. She laughed again and looked at him for a second.
"Can I ask you something?" DG asked him a moment later. Jeb threw his hands up slightly and shrugged.
"Sure." DG stepped toward him and reached up to grab his face, pulling him toward her. She didn't even know why she wanted to kiss him, and it would probably end awkwardly for both of them... but she needed to know.
'Yup... perfect.'
TROLLEY
It was a simple kiss, nothing too extravagant. DG pulled away and stepped back, purposefully not looking at Jeb and turning back toward the palace. "You should probably get back," she offered, hearing the bell of the Central City trolley at the next corner.
"I'm not leaving you out here-"
"I'll be fine," DG said sharply. "They won't even know I was gone," she continued with a head shake. Jeb sighed heavily and looked at her for a moment, wondering how many ways this could go wrong.
Nodding slowly, Jeb turned and moved down the street at a rapid pace.
DISHEVELED
DG slipped into the dining room via the service hallway and peeked around the corner as she reached for the pins holding her hair in place. Biting her lower lip, she rushed across the hall, ducked into the second parlor on the left and pulled the plain dress from its hiding place, quickly changing out of her 'factory' clothes and stowing the shirt and pants.
She needed to get upstairs and wash the smell of Zone alcohol off - Danger may have been harmless, but the more he drank, the more he tended to slosh his drink. Grabbing a random book from the shelf as she neared the door, DG took a deep breath and moved into the hall with a calm and collected air.
No need to look like she was trying to sneak around. If anyone asked, she was in the library and lost track of time.
She managed to get to her room and took the fastest shower in the history of her life, then redressed, knowing that it was late enough that the rest of her family had probably retired for the evening, but she didn't want to risk it.
A moment later, there was a knock on her door. DG reached for the doorknob and looked up into the face of Jeb Cain. She blinked and stepped back as he stepped forward, pushing the door shut behind him and reaching for her. As his hands pulled her waist closer to his own, her arms went around his neck and both of them got lost in the moment.
Jeb stepped back slightly, leaning against the wall for support before the sound of Azkadellia's voice in the hallway brought the moment to a crashing halt. DG clapped a hand over Jeb's mouth and focused on the door.
OVERWHELMED
DG held her breath, praying for her sister to just keep moving while, at the same time, trying not to think about the amazing sensation of being kissed by Jeb Cain; not to mention how much she wanted to keep doing it.
Jeb's eyes went wide as they both heard Raw's voice, also on the other side of the door and the both of them stopped breathing.
"I can't find her," Az said.
"DG hungry. Went to kitchen," Raw replied. DG closed her eyes and directed thoughts of absolute love toward the Viewer. "Raw will walk with Azkadellia," they heard him say.
DG counted to ten before removing her hand, but she didn't pull away from Jeb. They stared at each other, both asking a hundred questions without saying a word.
"Tuesday," Jeb finally said in a whisper, knowing DG had to leave then, in order to get to the kitchen before Raw and Az. She blinked and he nodded. "Eight o'clock. Same seats."
She felt like a complete idiot for simply nodding, but she couldn't quite wrap her brain around anything. Did he just ask her out?
It was quite possible she'd underestimated all the Zone had to offer.
FLIGHT
DG rushed to the stairs and leaned over the railing to see where Raw and Az were. Spotting them, one flight down, stopped on the landing, DG nodded sharply and pushed off the banister. She bolted to the end of the large hallway, aiming for the linen room and the dumbwaiter.
She wasn't exactly a load of clean or dirty laundry, but it was her only option.
Pushing the door shut, DG took a moment to lean against the heavy, wooden door and raised her fingertips to her lips. A smile ghosted across her face before she remembered her mission.
ABSCOND
She made a rather graceless entrance into the kitchen - probably would have clocked herself on the cabinet door if she hadn't managed to catch the edge of the counter - and planted herself on one of the stools.
As DG tried to catch her breath, she realized that sitting in the kitchen with no food in front of her wouldn't sell Raw's lie. Spinning around to see if there was anything out, she found a bowl of fruit in the middle of the counter and pulled it forward.
If it looks like a grape and smells like a grape...
FLAVOR
'Definitely not a grape,' she winced, spinning around again to find the trashcan. She managed to spit out the offending berry or whatever a grape was considered and made a face as she moved toward the icebox.
"This place really needs to meet GE and Whirlpool," she muttered, spotting a tray of various Zone cheeses. If only there were some crackers...
"Didn't you eat enough at dinner?" Az asked from the doorway, hands on her hips and feigning disgust.
"What?" DG mumbled, looking up with a full mouth. Az moved over and reached for a piece of cheese and shrugged.
SPLATTER
Az moved around the counter and pulled out the stool next to DG and gave her sister a look. "Why is your hair wet?" she asked, reaching for another piece of cheese.
"Oh, I uh..." DG stuttered, catching Raw's eye and suddenly feeling rather guilty for sneaking out. Danger swung wide during one story and spilled half his drink on the bar, which flowed right down onto her leg.
Between that and the smell of the place...
"Couldn't sleep and I wasn't in the mood for a warm bath. Opted for a hot shower," she shrugged.
Raw raised an eyebrow.
SCENT
"Well," DG announced a moment later. "I think I'm gonna call it a night," she said, glancing between Az and Raw. She leaned toward Az and gave her a hug, which caused Az to make a face.
Raw actually had to turn away as the laugh escaped - as a low grumble, of course - as he watched Azkadellia's nose scrunch.
"You might want to try a different soap, Deej," she offered, giving her sister a sympathetic smile. She reached for a clump of DG's hair and shrugged.
"This stuff smells like you bathed in a vat of Zone brew."
CAVORT
Az moved through the palace at her own pace, actually enjoying the silence for once in her life. It was late enough that she should probably consider turning in, not that she had anything to get up for in the morning. DG had been acting rather odder than usual, so maybe they could clear her schedule and have some time to just sit together and talk.
If they were at Finaqua, the two of them could go down to the swing or take over Father's workshop. They could pretend they were little again.
Skipping stones, painting statues...
Free of cares.
YAW
Remembering the good times comes to a short end when she plows into Jeb Cain in the hallway. His mind was also wandering, but to a time a bit more recent.
"Forgive me," he exclaims, hoping he hasn't bruised her.
"No harm," she laughs, also giving him a look-over as well. Catching his eye, she notices the slightest sheen, which makes her smile again. "I do hope you aren't on duty tonight, young Mister Cain."
He blinks and glances away for a second. "Take care not to bump into your father," she adds as a familiar smell hits her nose.
ATTENTIVE
DG walked into the bar on Tuesday, just a bit before eight and was almost immediately greeted by Danger.
"Evie! You came back," he exclaimed with a big grin. She reared back slightly as he pulled her into a half-hug and then frowned. "Where's your friend?" DG actually laughed at the concern from the man. Not to mention the fact he remembered her, fake name and all.
"I, uh..."
"There he is!" Danger called out, letting go of DG and pulling Jeb into a similar half-hug. Jeb gave DG a slight smile and she looked away quickly, wondering when she'd turned into a giggly teenager.
Danger pulled them both over to the bar and waved to the bartender, who gave DG a slight nod. She glanced down to the bar then let her eyes wander up to Jeb for a moment before she looked back to the bar.
'Oh, good God,' she thought, rolling her eyes. She'd seen him every day for an entire week and now she was fidgety?! Granted, there'd been so much going on in the past week that they hadn't really had time to think about what had happened.
She really wanted it to happen again.
DREAM
They sit at the bar and just talk. For one evening, they are just two people with stories to share and someone who wants to hear them.
He tells her about his life with the Resistance, how he became the leader of a band of rag-tag rebels; in the right place at the right time, happening across his father and her friends.
He tells her about his dislike for her the moment they met, simply because she had his father's full attention from the moment they arrived with her in tow until the moment they headed for the tower.
She tells him about growing up in Kansas, her run-ins with Gulch and how she'd decided on Australia. He doesn't understand why she laughs at first; she finally has to borrow a pen from someone to write out AUS - OZ - O.Z. as she realizes that she had the right idea, just the wrong Oz.
She tells him about going to the movies, hanging out in a junkyard after school and the annoyance that was gym.
Danger shows up at one point, offering them each a round of whatever's closest and they both take it, saluting whoever Danger just announced.
"What are you going to do?" she asks, wondering about the dreams and goals of an All-Zonian boy.
"About what?" he asks, finishing the liquid in his glass and turning.
"With your life," she shrugs, reaching for her own glass. Jeb just shakes his head. "What did you want to be when you were little? Y'know," she amends with a wave. "Before." Jeb looks from her to the row of bottles behind the bar and thinks about it, trying to remember that far back. It takes him a moment, but he remembers and gives her an embarrassed smile.
"My father."
ASCETIC
It was one evening, after dinner, when Azkadellia decided to inform her little sister of her intentions. The girls were sitting in the library, keeping themselves entertained in a quiet silence when Az set her book down and sighed.
"Deeg," she said simply, waiting for DG to look up.
"Mmmm," DG replied, still skimming the page in front of her.
"Deeg," Az said again as she pushed up from her chair and moved across the room to sit next to DG. "I'm leaving."
"Okay, I'll see you in the-" DG nodded, glancing up for a moment.
"No, DG," Az said, pulling the book from DG's hands. "I'm leaving the palace. I'm leaving the city." DG frowned and shook her head.
"What do you mean? You aren't-"
"I don't belong here. I don't want to be here. I'm going to the Northern Island and live in peace and quiet and never do another spell or wonder if the next person I see is going to try and kill me." Az sighed and ran a hand over DG's cheek.
"I'm tired, Deeg. And you don't need me," she added with a sad smile.
"But," DG started to protest, knowing it wouldn't change her mind.
"You can always come visit me, little sister," Az said, pulling her into a hug. "You will do great things and the people will love you. You just have to find your stride."
"I don't want you to go," DG said quietly.
"And I don't want to hold you back."
DG leaned back and frowned. "You aren't holding me back!"
"Yes, Deeg," Az nodded. "As long as I am here, you will worry about me and not you."
"I'm beyond help, sis," DG grimaced.
"You won't even miss me," Az smiled. "Especially if Jeb Cain is within reach."
__________
this is part of the infamous chair fic, just FYI...
the Big Damn Prompt table
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Jeb, DG, Raw, Az, some OCs (mention of Cain, Glitch, Tutor, Carter, Evie and the Queen)
Rating: PG
Summary: How the affair began...
Warnings: post-series *Written for the Fall/Winter Seasonal Challenge at tm_challenge. Inspired by Scream from High School Musical 3, The More Boys I Meet by Carrie Underwood, Two Worlds Collide by Demi Lovato, Gonna Be Somebody by Nickelback and Love Story by Taylor Swift. Guess what's gonna follow...
Prompts: Scream, Stalemate, Rejected, Find, Seek, Noble, Masks, AC: Clarify, Corrupt, Need, Trolley, Disheveled, Overwhelmed, Flight, Abscond, Flavor, Splatter, Scent, Cavort, Yaw, Attentive, AC: Dream and Ascetic
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 OCs are mine. Danger belongs to himself.
This love is difficult | ...but it's real | Focus | Runaway Princess | The Queen's Plot
SCREAM
'What do we do?'
'Can we win this one?'
'Will the fighting ever be over?'
'Where are they now?'
'Why don’t we just give up?'
He was sick of the questions and, finally, stormed out of the camp with an angry "I don't know!"
He walked for what seemed like an hour, no direction in mind. He just wanted to get away from the questions, the decisions...
...the responsibility.
He never asked to be in charge - he'd rather be the one following orders; not giving them - but the burden had been dumped on him. Quite literally, as the man who had been giving the orders decided one morning - ironically, the morning of the attack; two hours before the attack - that he didn't want to fight any more.
So the map of the tower and the box of charges were shoved into his arms and he was offered a "Good luck," as he watched the man walk away.
Finally stopping, Jeb took a deep breath and looked out over the Zone. From the rise he was currently standing on, he could see down into the great valley and he tried to understand.
Why him?
Anyone but him.
STALEMATE
DG's so over the concept of courting. Seriously.
She thought that dating sucked in Kansas, where she had a say in the whole process.
But not in the Zone; Oh no...
This one thinks he's a rock star; that one doesn't understand why anyone would bother even thinking about touching an engine; he had a weird laugh and that one huffed any time someone else spoke.
That one was too tall, this one is too... BORING.
That one's grabby and those three could care less about her dreams.
They all want the title and the perks.
None of them care about her.
They don't care that she can adjust a carburetor in under a minute; or that she can balance six plates on one arm, all packed high with eggs, toast, hash browns and even pancakes; they don't even care that she can probably kick all their asses from Finaqua to the Northern Island.
She wants someone who will sit with her when she's had a bad day and listen to her rant and rave. Someone who doesn't care that she just screwed up the biggest stinkin' peace accord and will act like she is the awesomest of awesome.
Someone who doesn't give her funny looks when she comes into a room in jeans and a t-shirt.
Someone who depends on her and will enjoy her company - even when she has nothing to say.
Someone who isn't threatened by her three bodyguards. Or her sister.
Someone who can survive if she goes all day without speaking to them.
Someone who won't get all bent out of shape when her attention moves from them to whatever Cain is doing. Or Glitch. Or Raw.
Someone who understands that they aren't the only man in her life.
Maybe she'll get another dog.
REJECTED
It was her own fault for sitting at the end of the bar.
She left the palace.
She slipped out and headed for the Sin District - not because she was looking for sin, but because she wanted to be invisible.
No one would recognize her there, she figured. Why would they? She hadn't been out in the public eye enough to stand out and, thankfully, she learned that there were women in the Zone who wore pants.
Granted, most of them worked in the factories, but they still wore pants.
She managed to get a few pairs of 'work clothes' and learned how to pull her hair back in the 'factory style', which allowed her to blend in quite nicely.
She knew there'd be Hell to pay when they realized she was gone, but she didn't care.
She'd been fine for a while - maybe a half hour - enjoying her rather tame beverage and not thinking about her new life.
Okay, she did think about it: mainly the difference between the life she had and the life she now had.
Irony jumped in about the time she started considering the dating concept and brought danger. Literally.
The man's name was Danger. Dan-Ger.
Danger wasn't dangerous, but he was drunk. He was also a bit touchy.
Not grabby... just touchy.
It had been so long since she'd had to deal with drunks - usually only when she got the late shift at the Hilltop - that she assumed if she just ignored him, he'd go away.
He kept trying to buy her drinks, telling her stories about all the guys in the place he was friends with, about how fantastic his wife was and asking her why she wasn’t having more fun.
He was harmless.
And she was tired.
FIND
Danger had moved on to a deep discussion with two men a few seats away and DG nodded to the bartender, deciding now was her best chance to slip away, unnoticed. She passed over half a Platinum for her drink, as well as a tip for the thanks of the older man - he graciously pretended he didn’t know who she was once a week and she was glad for it.
Taking one last swig from her glass, DG happened to look at the bar and heard Danger's loud laugh as someone sat down on her right.
"Having fun, Princess?"
SEEK
Jeb Cain didn't know if he should be impressed that the younger princess had managed to blend into the scenery of Central City's more questionable crowd or angered by the fact that she'd, once again, slipped out of the palace.
He watched as the large man got very close to her and chatted her up, and fought the urge to jump on the man the second his hand touched her arm. She obviously wasn't terribly concerned and, while Jeb knew she could probably take care of herself against the drunkard, his father would kill him for allowing anyone to touch her.
If he didn't know better, he'd simply assume she was just another woman of the Zone, probably just getting off shift at the factory at the edge of the district. Even dressed as a commoner, though, she looked like a princess.
Hearing his father's voice in his head, Jeb decided to follow his gut and give her a chance to explain. A calm and collected princess was easier to deal with, really. Taking a deep breath, Jeb moved into the crowd and was rather glad he wasn't in uniform.
"Having fun, Princess?" he asked, sitting down next to her.
NOBLE
DG closed her eyes at the sound of Jeb's voice and mourned the death of her secret identity. Jeb nodded to the man behind the bar and held up a finger, then pointed to DG's empty glass. The man raised the slightest eyebrow in her direction and she gave him a nod before turning to Jeb.
She didn't look at him, but noticed that he wasn't wearing his usual uniform.
Since the day they met, there was nothing about Jeb Cain that said he wanted to be a bodyguard, royal or not.
Maybe he stayed because Cain did.
'Boy scout...'
MASKS
They sat at the bar in silence, each with a drink in hand, but neither drinking.
She wanted to know why he wasn't telling her off and making a scene
He wanted to know how long she would sit still before demanding he make a scene and tell her off.
She wanted to know how he was able to stay when it was obvious he didn't want to be there.
He wanted to know how often she considered going back to the Other Side, leaving this life behind.
They both wondered if he'd like the Other Side.
Then Danger returned.
CLARIFY
"Evie," Danger announced, eyeing Jeb. "Who's your friend?" DG tilted her head toward Jeb and reached for her glass.
"Carter. Carter, this is Danger." Danger held out a hand to Jeb, which Jeb took tentatively, trying to figure out who Carter was, and why the man from earlier was calling DG 'Evie.'
"You told me you were single," Danger said to DG with a frown.
"No," DG replied, shaking her head. "You asked if I was seeing anybody," she added, countering his statement.
"Well," Danger said, giving Jeb another look then nodding. "-you look good together."
Jeb blinked. DG laughed.
CORRUPT
Jeb was on his third drink from Danger - DG had already passed a few Platinums over to the bartender simply because the sight of Jeb getting drunk with Danger was entertaining enough to last her the rest of the month - when Danger noticed another friend enter the bar.
"Please tell me you aren't on duty," DG said to Jeb as he blinked a few times. Jeb chuckled and sniffed before turning to her.
"And just how do you plan to get back into the palace without being spotted?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. DG turned to him with a blank look and breathed a laughed.
"Nice try." Jeb frowned and DG shook her head. "I tell you how I get back inside, which tells you how I got out and, next time I try to leave, there's a whole new guard rotation."
Jeb shrugged slightly and reached for his glass. "Actually, I was thinking I'd make sure the guards were rotated anywhere else and I'd meet you here," he mumbled. He was going to be so very dead when his father found out, but he'd actually had a good time.
He was also rather fond of the company.
NEED
Jeb and DG moved down the side streets of the Sin District, noting that the palace was getting closer with each step. Two alleyways before they reached the edge of the district, DG stopped Jeb.
"Thank you," she said with a simply nod.
"I didn't do anything," he replied with a frown.
"Exactly. You could have announced me to the whole place, drug me out by my hair... called your dad." Jeb ran a hand through his hair and glanced down the street before looking back to DG.
"Every now and then, you get into a grey area," he said with a shrug. "However," he said, raising a finger and narrowing his eyes. "I demand to know how you, being there longer than me, are not drunk, and I'm almost seeing double. Because, I know we drank the exact same things."
DG smiled and hooked her arm around Jeb's. "It's called Tequila, Jeb. Once you master that... everything else is just water."
"Teak- ...eelah?" he tried to repeat, which made her laugh again.
"You strike me as more of a whiskey drinker," she stated with a nod.
"Are you suggesting that I can't keep up with you?" Jeb asked, tilting his head in confusion. DG smirked and looked sideways at him.
"I could drink you under the table, Jeb Cain."
"Carter," he corrected, holding up a finger again. She laughed again and looked at him for a second.
"Can I ask you something?" DG asked him a moment later. Jeb threw his hands up slightly and shrugged.
"Sure." DG stepped toward him and reached up to grab his face, pulling him toward her. She didn't even know why she wanted to kiss him, and it would probably end awkwardly for both of them... but she needed to know.
'Yup... perfect.'
TROLLEY
It was a simple kiss, nothing too extravagant. DG pulled away and stepped back, purposefully not looking at Jeb and turning back toward the palace. "You should probably get back," she offered, hearing the bell of the Central City trolley at the next corner.
"I'm not leaving you out here-"
"I'll be fine," DG said sharply. "They won't even know I was gone," she continued with a head shake. Jeb sighed heavily and looked at her for a moment, wondering how many ways this could go wrong.
Nodding slowly, Jeb turned and moved down the street at a rapid pace.
DISHEVELED
DG slipped into the dining room via the service hallway and peeked around the corner as she reached for the pins holding her hair in place. Biting her lower lip, she rushed across the hall, ducked into the second parlor on the left and pulled the plain dress from its hiding place, quickly changing out of her 'factory' clothes and stowing the shirt and pants.
She needed to get upstairs and wash the smell of Zone alcohol off - Danger may have been harmless, but the more he drank, the more he tended to slosh his drink. Grabbing a random book from the shelf as she neared the door, DG took a deep breath and moved into the hall with a calm and collected air.
No need to look like she was trying to sneak around. If anyone asked, she was in the library and lost track of time.
She managed to get to her room and took the fastest shower in the history of her life, then redressed, knowing that it was late enough that the rest of her family had probably retired for the evening, but she didn't want to risk it.
A moment later, there was a knock on her door. DG reached for the doorknob and looked up into the face of Jeb Cain. She blinked and stepped back as he stepped forward, pushing the door shut behind him and reaching for her. As his hands pulled her waist closer to his own, her arms went around his neck and both of them got lost in the moment.
Jeb stepped back slightly, leaning against the wall for support before the sound of Azkadellia's voice in the hallway brought the moment to a crashing halt. DG clapped a hand over Jeb's mouth and focused on the door.
OVERWHELMED
DG held her breath, praying for her sister to just keep moving while, at the same time, trying not to think about the amazing sensation of being kissed by Jeb Cain; not to mention how much she wanted to keep doing it.
Jeb's eyes went wide as they both heard Raw's voice, also on the other side of the door and the both of them stopped breathing.
"I can't find her," Az said.
"DG hungry. Went to kitchen," Raw replied. DG closed her eyes and directed thoughts of absolute love toward the Viewer. "Raw will walk with Azkadellia," they heard him say.
DG counted to ten before removing her hand, but she didn't pull away from Jeb. They stared at each other, both asking a hundred questions without saying a word.
"Tuesday," Jeb finally said in a whisper, knowing DG had to leave then, in order to get to the kitchen before Raw and Az. She blinked and he nodded. "Eight o'clock. Same seats."
She felt like a complete idiot for simply nodding, but she couldn't quite wrap her brain around anything. Did he just ask her out?
It was quite possible she'd underestimated all the Zone had to offer.
FLIGHT
DG rushed to the stairs and leaned over the railing to see where Raw and Az were. Spotting them, one flight down, stopped on the landing, DG nodded sharply and pushed off the banister. She bolted to the end of the large hallway, aiming for the linen room and the dumbwaiter.
She wasn't exactly a load of clean or dirty laundry, but it was her only option.
Pushing the door shut, DG took a moment to lean against the heavy, wooden door and raised her fingertips to her lips. A smile ghosted across her face before she remembered her mission.
ABSCOND
She made a rather graceless entrance into the kitchen - probably would have clocked herself on the cabinet door if she hadn't managed to catch the edge of the counter - and planted herself on one of the stools.
As DG tried to catch her breath, she realized that sitting in the kitchen with no food in front of her wouldn't sell Raw's lie. Spinning around to see if there was anything out, she found a bowl of fruit in the middle of the counter and pulled it forward.
If it looks like a grape and smells like a grape...
FLAVOR
'Definitely not a grape,' she winced, spinning around again to find the trashcan. She managed to spit out the offending berry or whatever a grape was considered and made a face as she moved toward the icebox.
"This place really needs to meet GE and Whirlpool," she muttered, spotting a tray of various Zone cheeses. If only there were some crackers...
"Didn't you eat enough at dinner?" Az asked from the doorway, hands on her hips and feigning disgust.
"What?" DG mumbled, looking up with a full mouth. Az moved over and reached for a piece of cheese and shrugged.
SPLATTER
Az moved around the counter and pulled out the stool next to DG and gave her sister a look. "Why is your hair wet?" she asked, reaching for another piece of cheese.
"Oh, I uh..." DG stuttered, catching Raw's eye and suddenly feeling rather guilty for sneaking out. Danger swung wide during one story and spilled half his drink on the bar, which flowed right down onto her leg.
Between that and the smell of the place...
"Couldn't sleep and I wasn't in the mood for a warm bath. Opted for a hot shower," she shrugged.
Raw raised an eyebrow.
SCENT
"Well," DG announced a moment later. "I think I'm gonna call it a night," she said, glancing between Az and Raw. She leaned toward Az and gave her a hug, which caused Az to make a face.
Raw actually had to turn away as the laugh escaped - as a low grumble, of course - as he watched Azkadellia's nose scrunch.
"You might want to try a different soap, Deej," she offered, giving her sister a sympathetic smile. She reached for a clump of DG's hair and shrugged.
"This stuff smells like you bathed in a vat of Zone brew."
CAVORT
Az moved through the palace at her own pace, actually enjoying the silence for once in her life. It was late enough that she should probably consider turning in, not that she had anything to get up for in the morning. DG had been acting rather odder than usual, so maybe they could clear her schedule and have some time to just sit together and talk.
If they were at Finaqua, the two of them could go down to the swing or take over Father's workshop. They could pretend they were little again.
Skipping stones, painting statues...
Free of cares.
YAW
Remembering the good times comes to a short end when she plows into Jeb Cain in the hallway. His mind was also wandering, but to a time a bit more recent.
"Forgive me," he exclaims, hoping he hasn't bruised her.
"No harm," she laughs, also giving him a look-over as well. Catching his eye, she notices the slightest sheen, which makes her smile again. "I do hope you aren't on duty tonight, young Mister Cain."
He blinks and glances away for a second. "Take care not to bump into your father," she adds as a familiar smell hits her nose.
ATTENTIVE
DG walked into the bar on Tuesday, just a bit before eight and was almost immediately greeted by Danger.
"Evie! You came back," he exclaimed with a big grin. She reared back slightly as he pulled her into a half-hug and then frowned. "Where's your friend?" DG actually laughed at the concern from the man. Not to mention the fact he remembered her, fake name and all.
"I, uh..."
"There he is!" Danger called out, letting go of DG and pulling Jeb into a similar half-hug. Jeb gave DG a slight smile and she looked away quickly, wondering when she'd turned into a giggly teenager.
Danger pulled them both over to the bar and waved to the bartender, who gave DG a slight nod. She glanced down to the bar then let her eyes wander up to Jeb for a moment before she looked back to the bar.
'Oh, good God,' she thought, rolling her eyes. She'd seen him every day for an entire week and now she was fidgety?! Granted, there'd been so much going on in the past week that they hadn't really had time to think about what had happened.
She really wanted it to happen again.
DREAM
They sit at the bar and just talk. For one evening, they are just two people with stories to share and someone who wants to hear them.
He tells her about his life with the Resistance, how he became the leader of a band of rag-tag rebels; in the right place at the right time, happening across his father and her friends.
He tells her about his dislike for her the moment they met, simply because she had his father's full attention from the moment they arrived with her in tow until the moment they headed for the tower.
She tells him about growing up in Kansas, her run-ins with Gulch and how she'd decided on Australia. He doesn't understand why she laughs at first; she finally has to borrow a pen from someone to write out AUS - OZ - O.Z. as she realizes that she had the right idea, just the wrong Oz.
She tells him about going to the movies, hanging out in a junkyard after school and the annoyance that was gym.
Danger shows up at one point, offering them each a round of whatever's closest and they both take it, saluting whoever Danger just announced.
"What are you going to do?" she asks, wondering about the dreams and goals of an All-Zonian boy.
"About what?" he asks, finishing the liquid in his glass and turning.
"With your life," she shrugs, reaching for her own glass. Jeb just shakes his head. "What did you want to be when you were little? Y'know," she amends with a wave. "Before." Jeb looks from her to the row of bottles behind the bar and thinks about it, trying to remember that far back. It takes him a moment, but he remembers and gives her an embarrassed smile.
"My father."
ASCETIC
It was one evening, after dinner, when Azkadellia decided to inform her little sister of her intentions. The girls were sitting in the library, keeping themselves entertained in a quiet silence when Az set her book down and sighed.
"Deeg," she said simply, waiting for DG to look up.
"Mmmm," DG replied, still skimming the page in front of her.
"Deeg," Az said again as she pushed up from her chair and moved across the room to sit next to DG. "I'm leaving."
"Okay, I'll see you in the-" DG nodded, glancing up for a moment.
"No, DG," Az said, pulling the book from DG's hands. "I'm leaving the palace. I'm leaving the city." DG frowned and shook her head.
"What do you mean? You aren't-"
"I don't belong here. I don't want to be here. I'm going to the Northern Island and live in peace and quiet and never do another spell or wonder if the next person I see is going to try and kill me." Az sighed and ran a hand over DG's cheek.
"I'm tired, Deeg. And you don't need me," she added with a sad smile.
"But," DG started to protest, knowing it wouldn't change her mind.
"You can always come visit me, little sister," Az said, pulling her into a hug. "You will do great things and the people will love you. You just have to find your stride."
"I don't want you to go," DG said quietly.
"And I don't want to hold you back."
DG leaned back and frowned. "You aren't holding me back!"
"Yes, Deeg," Az nodded. "As long as I am here, you will worry about me and not you."
"I'm beyond help, sis," DG grimaced.
"You won't even miss me," Az smiled. "Especially if Jeb Cain is within reach."
__________
this is part of the infamous chair fic, just FYI...
the Big Damn Prompt table