Fanfiction: Tin Man (PG-13)

Jul 28, 2009 12:27

Title: The Road Less Traveled
Pairing/Characters: 'Ambrose', 'Lavender Eyes', Ahamo, Wyatt Cain, 'Adora' Cain; 'Lavender Eyes'/Ahamo, Wyatt/'Adora'
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Tin Man
Word Count: 2,353
Spoilers: Whole miniseries
Summary: Not everyone approves of men loving other men, as Adair and Wyatt find out.
Notes/Warnings: AU! lionille wrote The Curious Case of the Mysteriously Missing Lady-in-Waiting In Training and andrealyn wrote The Path Not Taken and the two fics together gave me the idea of writing a fic where Ambrose/Glitch is born a woman and stays one. *grin*
Beta and plot-hole-poker: umbralillium
Sounding board: unicorn_catcher
Previous Chapter(s): 1. Rocky Beginning, 2. Smoothing the Way, 3. Hidden Bumps, 4. Getting Over the Bumps


The Road Less Traveled
5. Roadwork Ahead!
Wyatt wasn't worried when he came home to empty apartment one evening a few months later. Sometimes, when Adair made his rounds of the clients who shipped through the Walkers, he'd linger and talk with friends he'd made among them. Figuring that was the case tonight, Wyatt fixed something for himself and prepared to wait for Adair, settling down in front of the fire with a good book. He didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until he was woken by knocking on the door. Setting the book aside, he went to answer the door. A familiar face greeted him, though not the one he hoped for. "Edwin. What brings you here at this time of night?"

"It's Adair," Edwin replied, looking utterly serious for once in his life. "He's been hurt."

Wyatt stared at him, his heart stopping for a moment before racing into overdrive. "What? How? When? Where?"

"He was attacked, though we don't know who did it," Edwin explained, brown eyes so like yet unlike his brother's full of sympathy. "Someone found him unconscious in an alley and took him to the hospital. That's when Father, Mother, and I were contacted. The woman who found Adair insisted that we tell you, too."

The Tin Man's mind raced as he contemplated what it could mean. Adair was too nice for anyone to really dislike him enough to hurt him. The only other reason he could think of for someone to dislike Adair enough to hurt him was the fact that he loved Wyatt, but most people didn't really object to homosexuals. They didn't like them, but they didn't dislike them enough to actually hurt someone over it. He shook his head briefly and returned his attention to Edwin. "Who found Adair?"

"The Queen's Royal Advisor," Edwin clarified, annoyance flashing briefly across his face.

Wyatt hid a smile. The annoyance was probably due to the fact that Amber Rose had resisted Edwin's attempts to seduce her. "Will you take me to Adair?"

"Of course." The elder Walker brother gave a huff of annoyance. "Why else would I still be here after telling you the news?"

Stifling a chuckle, Wyatt retrieved his hat and coat from the coat stand by the door. "I'm ready."

"Come on, then." Without further ado, Edwin led the way from the apartment, obviously impatient to get back to his brother. Though not as much as Wyatt. He wanted the reassurance that his lover would be all right.

* * *
Amber Rose was alone in the hospital waiting room while Mr. and Mrs. Walker sat with their younger son and Edwin was away getting Wyatt. She took advantage of her solitude to pace the room, her skirt fluttering around her ankles. Her emotions were so confused and she didn't know what she was going to say or do when she was face-to-face with Wyatt. Up until recently, they'd usually been at each other's throats for one reason or another. That had changed a great deal for her, but she didn't know how much for Wyatt. Would he believe the truth or trust years' worth of antagonism? Hearing familiar voices in the hall leading to the waiting room, Amber Rose stopped pacing and turned to face the door. The first man to enter the room was HearHfairly tall, with wavy brown hair and brown eyes, which flashed briefly with annoyance when he saw Amber Rose. The annoyance disappeared quickly, though, replaced by gratitude. She hardly took it in, though, her attention focused on the second man to enter. Also fairly tall, he had short-cropped blond hair and piercing blue eyes, shadowed with worry and concern. "Mr. Walker. Mr. Cain."

"Your Honor." Edwin took the pale slender hand she offered and made a show of kissing the back. "Thank you again for finding my brother and bringing him here."

She smiled and extracted her hand from his grip with great politeness. "He needed help and I could assist. How could I not?"

"Thank you, Miss Amber Rose," Wyatt replied, taking her hand and kissing the back as well. "It means the O.Z. to me that you found him." The blue eyes surveyed her form. Though her skirt and blouse were dirty from the filth in the alley and Adair's blood, they were otherwise unspoiled. "You weren't hurt yourself?"

She shook her head, touched that he'd thought to ask, even though it was likely more of an afterthought to his worry for Adair. "No. I sometimes take walks at night to clear my mind. It was lucky chance that I was walking by that particular alley when Adair groaned."

"How can you be sure it was an attack?" the Tin Man asked, his gaze sharpening.

The Royal Advisor gestured to her face. "The pattern of bruises and other injuries suggest that he was beaten rather severely."

"Not to mention the fact that Adair was unconscious when she found him," Edwin interjected, looking annoyed again. He addressed Amber Rose, "Are Mother and Father still with Adair?"

She nodded. "They haven't left his side yet."

"I'll go see if they'll give Wyatt some time alone with Adair." Edwin strode from the room without another word.

The Tin Man turned to her. "Will there be an investigation?"

"Yes." The Royal Advisor nodded again. "I already gave my statement, though the Tin Men may question me further once they've finished going over the alley where I found Adair. You know, of course, that they'll want to question Adair when he's awake, and likely the rest of you as well."

Wyatt nodded this time. "Yes, part of our training at the Academy." He tilted his head at her curiously. "Why were you walking the streets at night? Wouldn't walking the gardens at the palace be a safer way of clearing your head?"

"I generally prefer the gardens, yes, but sometimes even those feel too confining." Amber Rose wondered if Wyatt would understand. "I've pretty much grown up there, but there are times when it's nice to pretend I'm no one special and walk amongst the people without anyone knowing who I am or what I do."

He offered a crooked smile. "Shouldn't that be the Queen who feels the need to be among the people?"

"She feels it, too, but she has her husband and daughter to keep her busy." She quickly bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying anything about the loneliness she felt at times.

Edwin returned at that moment with his parents. While the former took Wyatt to Adair's room, the latter sat down in the waiting room, holding each other. Feeling out of place, Amber Rose quickly left to return to the castle. If the Tin Men needed to talk to her, they'd know where to find her.

* * *
Wyatt refused to leave Adair's side, wanting to be right there when his lover finally woke up. The staff didn't really like the idea, but he insisted. When Mr. and Mrs. Walker agreed that Wyatt should stay, they stopped trying to kick him out. It was early in the morning when he was woken from a restless sleep by movement from Adair. He propped himself up on one elbow to watch as his partner's good eye slowly fluttered open and took in his surroundings. When he saw Wyatt, a relieved smile appeared. Leaning down to kiss Adair's cheek, he whispered, "Sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

"Luv'oo," Adair murmured sleepily, managing to wriggle further into Wyatt's arms.

Blinking back tears of relief, he briefly tightened his arms around Adair as he laid back down. "I love you, too."

"Stay?" The question was barely breathed against Wyatt's neck.

He smiled and gently stroked Adair's hair. "Of course."

"Goo'." Adair was asleep in the next moment.

Wyatt smiled fondly and slipped into a more restful sleep now that his lover had woken. The next time he woke up, the room was full of sunslight and Adair was simply watching him. He smiled and reached up to stroke his cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap, but you probably guessed as much anyway." His lover smiled crookedly.

He nodded, shifting to sit up. "Yeah, but I thought I'd ask anyway."

"Thanks for staying." Adair caught Wyatt's hand and squeezed it.

"As if I could stay away," he replied with a fond smile, slipping into the chair by the bed.

The taller man smiled, and then winced, reaching up to touch his cheek. "Damn bruises."

"Do you know who did this to you?" Wyatt asked, leaning forward and gazing intently at Adair.

The brown eye seemed to unfocus as Adair thought about it. A frown creased his forehead and he focused his good eye on Wyatt. "The last thing I remember was going to Jot & Tiddle to talk with Baldwin about their next shipment of books."

"Damn." He sighed, disappointed. "Maybe the investigation will turn something up."

Looking a little worried and scared, Adair nodded. "Maybe."

* * *
Almost as soon as she'd woken, Amber Rose had buried herself in her work in the laboratory. She was so intent on her work that she jumped when someone touched her shoulder. Turning around, she found one of footmen standing nearby, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, Your Honor, but there's a Tin Man here who needs to speak with you."

"A Tin Man?" She rose gracefully to her feet, moving to the sink in the corner to clean her hands, which were smudged with ink and graphite. "Did he give a name?"

The footman handed her the towel when she finished washing her hands, having often come to her laboratory bearing messages. "His name is Zero Topple."

"Oh." She closed her eyes briefly as she dried her hands, ignoring the disappointment that flooded through her. I hope he's here about the attack on Adair... "I'll be there in just a minute."

He nodded, giving her an unreadable look before he turned and left. She rolled down the sleeves of her blouse and pulled on her uniform jacket. She checked her appearance in the mirror on the back of the laboratory door, satisfied that she looked appropriately professional. That done, she went downstairs to talk with Zero. He rose when she entered the parlor, cool gray eyes widening briefly when he recognized her. "So you're the Royal Advisor."

"I am, Mr. Topple," she answered stiffly, offering her hand to him.

Smirking, Zero kissed the back, but didn't stop there, sliding his lips down to kiss her fingers, his eyes still on hers. "It is a large pleasure to see you again, Amber Rose."

"Thank you, Mr. Topple." She firmly pulled her hand out of his grasp, discreetly wiping it on her skirt as she moved to the chairs facing each other. "I was told you wished to see me?"

Zero had turned and followed her, standing too close for her comfort. "Yes. I'm here to interview you about your part in the attack on Mr. Adair Walker."

"I did not witness the attack itself," she retorted, moving away from him again and putting a table between them. "I found him unconscious in an alley, already beaten and bruised."

He smirked, leaning against the fireplace mantel in a familiar pose that brought back unpleasant memories. "So you say, but do you know anyone who can vouch for your story?"

"No," she admitted this with great reluctance, clasping her hands behind her back to hide the way she was plucking at the hem of one sleeve with the fingers of the other hand. "I was alone when I found Mr. Walker, but I've never harbored any ill will towards the man. I have no reason at all to harm him."

Zero left his post by the fireplace and prowled towards her, skirting the table and crowding her against the armchair. "The fact that he's in a happy relationship with Wyatt Cain doesn't bother you in the slightest?"

"Why should it?" Amber Rose slipped under his arm and around the chair, feeling rather like a mouse being hunted by a very dangerous and persistent cat. "Mr. Cain and I have only recently become friends."

Once again, he moved close, this time crowding her against the wall, and leaned in so his face was close to hers, their noses almost touching, gray eyes glittering with malice and hunger. "You called his name in bed. A man never forgets when a woman calls another name when she's with him."

"That was a mistake," she snapped, using her knee in his stomach and her elbow in his chest to push him away from her. "I never should have gone with you."

Zero caught her elbow when she tried to brush past him, bringing her around to face him. There was no smirk, no smile on his face now: only cold hunger and lust. "I wouldn't so sure. You were quite...passionate."

"I was drunk," she hissed at him, brown eyes blazing with anger. "That's the only reason I'd have been passionate with you."

Glaring, he grabbed her other arm and practically smashed his mouth against hers in a bruising kiss. The anger that had been simmering since she'd walked into the room now boiled over. Bringing her knee up, she slammed it into his groin. Groaning, he crumpled to the ground, hands cupped protectively over his crotch. He gasped out a single word as he glared at her through the pain. "Bitch!"

"Ass," she retorted, moving to the door of the parlor. A palace guard stood on either side and didn't bat an eye at the obvious anger radiating from her or her disheveled appearance. "Men, please escort Mr. Topple from the palace. He has overstayed his welcome."

Both saluted and entered the parlor. She stood and watched as they reappeared, holding Zero between them. The Tin Man was trying to walk straight and tall, but there was a hint of a hunch to his shoulders and he winced with each step he took. Satisfied that he was taken care of, she went to report the incident to the Queen.

End Chapter
A/N2: For the record, if people want a visual image for Adair, picture Dr. Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds. For lots of pictures of him and the actor in other roles, go here. I have a hair fetish, so this picspam made me very happy. I especially like the season two hair. That's about how I visualize Adair's hair. Amber Rose is pretty much Alan Cumming with longer hair and boobs.

fanfic: tm - road, fanfic: tm

Previous post Next post
Up