Cain's Family Ties 11/12
Title: Cain’s Family Ties 11/12
Rating: R
Pairings: Cain/Ambrose, DG/Jeb
Warnings: Incest, rape, violence.
Summary: A fun, tearful family reunion takes a turn for the worse.
Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten
DG had always liked swings. Cain knew this well, and wasn’t surprised to see her swinging around on the old tire swing in a rather aggressive fashion. He had never seen anyone swing aggressively, but he figured that if anyone could do it, DG could.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, leaning against the oak.
“Seven damn years, I’ve been adjusting to this place.” She was turned away from him, but he could tell that she was crying. “I hardly even use the word years anymore! And now I figure out that there are even more lies? Where do they end, Cain? Where do they end?”
He paused. “... He told you?”
He had never seen such anger in her eyes. “You knew? You knew?!” she snapped.
“DG, calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down! You calm down!”
“DG, this doesn’t change anything. No matter who fathered who, Azkadellia is still your sister, and nothing will ever change that.”
She made an odd noise in the back of her throat and turned to face away from him again. “I swear to God, next you’ll be telling me that my mother is really Raw and my grandparents are little bags of airline peanuts.”
“... Wait, hold on. What did he tell you?”
“He didn’t tell me anything! His damn father, who he obviously takes after in more ways than one, said that he’s the father of a princess! Ain’t many princesses lying around, Mr. Cain!”
Cain felt tempted to laugh, but stopped himself, knowing that if he were to laugh while DG was in such a volatile state, she was likely to rip his face off. “DG... Ambrose isn’t your father.”
She spun back towards him, a dull expression on her face. “What.”
He paused, wondering if it was his place to tell her. “He’s not your father... He’s Azkadellia’s. He thinks. He’s unsure. He may not be. Really.”
“Oh...” She sniffed. “So, I’m not related to him?”
“Yes.”
“Therefore, I’m not related to you.”
“As far as I know.”
“So, I can still kiss Jeb?”
“Yes... Wait, what?”
“Oh, what a relief!” She grinned broadly and slipped off of the swing. “I was so worried that I was going to end up being a sick freak like you are!”
“Wait...”
“Thanks, Cain. I feel much better now!” Whistling happily, DG left.
“... What?”
“How are you feeling, brother?”
Ambrose hadn’t heard Elmira refer to him by his proper name since he told her the truth. Maybe she felt like eight annuals of calling him her brother had been wasted, and she wanted to catch up. “Well, physically, the pain has lessened immensely.” He didn’t want to worry her. Poor thing was worried enough already.
However, his words apparently had the opposite effect on her, and she frowned. “Does that mean... That means you’re going away, right? Back home?”
Oh. He stared down at his arms. They had been severely bruised, and Elmira had taken on the responsibility of helping him redress the wounds. “I suppose so.”
“Back to the city. Back to the castle... Away from me.”
The way her voice grew smaller as she finished her sentence tugged on his heartstrings, and it made him remember something he had been thinking about. “Elmira... Ellie... How often do you attend school?”
“Hm... Well, Miss Hamm from the town sometimes teaches us writing and ciphering during the slow seasons. And Emily gives me her old textbooks to read, even though I have to ask Daddy to explain some of the bigger words. Why?”
“Have you ever considered pursuing the field of agronomy?”
“I don’t even know what that is.”
“It’s like botany, but with more of a focus on agriculture.”
“... I don’t even know what that is.”
He sighed. “Plants. I study plants.”
“Oh! I like flowers!”
“Good, good. That’s a good start.” He looked up, meeting her curious gaze. “You see, Ellie, your brother is a good deal older than he looks. My recent... brushes with death have reminded me that I am certainly not immortal. If I’m gone, who will carry on with my work?
“I could ask anyone. There are probably legions of graduate students who would kill their own mothers to work with me. But, I don’t want them. I want you.” He smiled, slightly. “Elmira, I want you to move in with me and become my apprentice.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow, what an honor,” she said in an awestruck voice. “But I don’t even know what that is.”
A little nagging voice in the back of his mind told him that this was a very, very bad idea. “An apprentice is sort of like an assistant, or a student. I would teach you everything I know.”
“Wow!” She frowned, puzzled. “But, you know a lot of stuff. I’d never be able to learn everything!”
Though, the voice admitted, having her around would be great for his faltering self-esteem. “Don’t worry, dear. I’ll be sure to express myself monosyllabically enough for you to understand.”
“Good!” She frowned again. “Daddy might say no.”
“I’ve already talked to Eu... Daddy. He says that it’s a great opportunity for you, that he’s sad that he won’t be able to go to, but he’ll write every day and visit as much as he can.” While Eustace had said all that, Ambrose didn’t find it necessary to duplicate the relieved tone he had said it in.
Elmira beamed happily, and Ambrose decided that he was going to enjoy seeing that every day.
Dear Az,
You were right. Ambrose is currently safe back here with us. And, by the time you get this letter, he’ll be safe back there with you, because as I write, we’re actually getting ready to leave.
Lots of stuff has changed in the... three weeks we’ve been here. You were also right about Jeb being in love with me. You gotta stop doing that, the whole psychic oracle thing. It’s a bit creepy. Anyway, our relationship is going fine. I wish I could say that for Ambrose and Cain.
It’s really weird to think this, let alone write it, but their relationship is on the proverbial rocks. When Ambrose first came home, he wouldn’t even look at Cain. Now, whenever they do talk, they’re usually fighting about something really stupid, and then Ambrose starts crying and Cain goes off to throw rocks at the barn and everything gets all awkward. I’m really worried about them! They’re so damn cute; It would break my damn heart if they split over something dumb.
Also, our car is going to be a little cramped on the way home, because we have a new edition to the family: Ambrose’s little sister, Elmira! She’s a good kid. She’s a lot like me when I was that age, which means you’ll either love her to death or kill her in her sleep. Jeb, who is reading over my shoulder, wants me to cross out that line, but like I’ve always said: If you can’t laugh at your own death, what can you laugh at?
Seriously, Az, don’t start having a nervous breakdown again, ok? I’m cool with being a zombie. It’s pretty cool. Ok? You good? Good.
See you soon,
DG
Jeb shook his head as he watched her close the envelope and hand it to the courier. “You’re a madwoman,” he said as they watched the man gallop away.
“Yeah,” she said with a wistful sigh. Picking up her suitcase, she said, “C’mon. Let’s get back to the car before their bickering makes Elmira cry again.”
It was going to be a long, long ride home.
Rating: R
Pairings: Cain/Ambrose, DG/Jeb
Warnings: Incest, rape, violence.
Summary: A fun, tearful family reunion takes a turn for the worse.
Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten
DG had always liked swings. Cain knew this well, and wasn’t surprised to see her swinging around on the old tire swing in a rather aggressive fashion. He had never seen anyone swing aggressively, but he figured that if anyone could do it, DG could.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, leaning against the oak.
“Seven damn years, I’ve been adjusting to this place.” She was turned away from him, but he could tell that she was crying. “I hardly even use the word years anymore! And now I figure out that there are even more lies? Where do they end, Cain? Where do they end?”
He paused. “... He told you?”
He had never seen such anger in her eyes. “You knew? You knew?!” she snapped.
“DG, calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down! You calm down!”
“DG, this doesn’t change anything. No matter who fathered who, Azkadellia is still your sister, and nothing will ever change that.”
She made an odd noise in the back of her throat and turned to face away from him again. “I swear to God, next you’ll be telling me that my mother is really Raw and my grandparents are little bags of airline peanuts.”
“... Wait, hold on. What did he tell you?”
“He didn’t tell me anything! His damn father, who he obviously takes after in more ways than one, said that he’s the father of a princess! Ain’t many princesses lying around, Mr. Cain!”
Cain felt tempted to laugh, but stopped himself, knowing that if he were to laugh while DG was in such a volatile state, she was likely to rip his face off. “DG... Ambrose isn’t your father.”
She spun back towards him, a dull expression on her face. “What.”
He paused, wondering if it was his place to tell her. “He’s not your father... He’s Azkadellia’s. He thinks. He’s unsure. He may not be. Really.”
“Oh...” She sniffed. “So, I’m not related to him?”
“Yes.”
“Therefore, I’m not related to you.”
“As far as I know.”
“So, I can still kiss Jeb?”
“Yes... Wait, what?”
“Oh, what a relief!” She grinned broadly and slipped off of the swing. “I was so worried that I was going to end up being a sick freak like you are!”
“Wait...”
“Thanks, Cain. I feel much better now!” Whistling happily, DG left.
“... What?”
“How are you feeling, brother?”
Ambrose hadn’t heard Elmira refer to him by his proper name since he told her the truth. Maybe she felt like eight annuals of calling him her brother had been wasted, and she wanted to catch up. “Well, physically, the pain has lessened immensely.” He didn’t want to worry her. Poor thing was worried enough already.
However, his words apparently had the opposite effect on her, and she frowned. “Does that mean... That means you’re going away, right? Back home?”
Oh. He stared down at his arms. They had been severely bruised, and Elmira had taken on the responsibility of helping him redress the wounds. “I suppose so.”
“Back to the city. Back to the castle... Away from me.”
The way her voice grew smaller as she finished her sentence tugged on his heartstrings, and it made him remember something he had been thinking about. “Elmira... Ellie... How often do you attend school?”
“Hm... Well, Miss Hamm from the town sometimes teaches us writing and ciphering during the slow seasons. And Emily gives me her old textbooks to read, even though I have to ask Daddy to explain some of the bigger words. Why?”
“Have you ever considered pursuing the field of agronomy?”
“I don’t even know what that is.”
“It’s like botany, but with more of a focus on agriculture.”
“... I don’t even know what that is.”
He sighed. “Plants. I study plants.”
“Oh! I like flowers!”
“Good, good. That’s a good start.” He looked up, meeting her curious gaze. “You see, Ellie, your brother is a good deal older than he looks. My recent... brushes with death have reminded me that I am certainly not immortal. If I’m gone, who will carry on with my work?
“I could ask anyone. There are probably legions of graduate students who would kill their own mothers to work with me. But, I don’t want them. I want you.” He smiled, slightly. “Elmira, I want you to move in with me and become my apprentice.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow, what an honor,” she said in an awestruck voice. “But I don’t even know what that is.”
A little nagging voice in the back of his mind told him that this was a very, very bad idea. “An apprentice is sort of like an assistant, or a student. I would teach you everything I know.”
“Wow!” She frowned, puzzled. “But, you know a lot of stuff. I’d never be able to learn everything!”
Though, the voice admitted, having her around would be great for his faltering self-esteem. “Don’t worry, dear. I’ll be sure to express myself monosyllabically enough for you to understand.”
“Good!” She frowned again. “Daddy might say no.”
“I’ve already talked to Eu... Daddy. He says that it’s a great opportunity for you, that he’s sad that he won’t be able to go to, but he’ll write every day and visit as much as he can.” While Eustace had said all that, Ambrose didn’t find it necessary to duplicate the relieved tone he had said it in.
Elmira beamed happily, and Ambrose decided that he was going to enjoy seeing that every day.
Dear Az,
You were right. Ambrose is currently safe back here with us. And, by the time you get this letter, he’ll be safe back there with you, because as I write, we’re actually getting ready to leave.
Lots of stuff has changed in the... three weeks we’ve been here. You were also right about Jeb being in love with me. You gotta stop doing that, the whole psychic oracle thing. It’s a bit creepy. Anyway, our relationship is going fine. I wish I could say that for Ambrose and Cain.
It’s really weird to think this, let alone write it, but their relationship is on the proverbial rocks. When Ambrose first came home, he wouldn’t even look at Cain. Now, whenever they do talk, they’re usually fighting about something really stupid, and then Ambrose starts crying and Cain goes off to throw rocks at the barn and everything gets all awkward. I’m really worried about them! They’re so damn cute; It would break my damn heart if they split over something dumb.
Also, our car is going to be a little cramped on the way home, because we have a new edition to the family: Ambrose’s little sister, Elmira! She’s a good kid. She’s a lot like me when I was that age, which means you’ll either love her to death or kill her in her sleep. Jeb, who is reading over my shoulder, wants me to cross out that line, but like I’ve always said: If you can’t laugh at your own death, what can you laugh at?
Seriously, Az, don’t start having a nervous breakdown again, ok? I’m cool with being a zombie. It’s pretty cool. Ok? You good? Good.
See you soon,
DG
Jeb shook his head as he watched her close the envelope and hand it to the courier. “You’re a madwoman,” he said as they watched the man gallop away.
“Yeah,” she said with a wistful sigh. Picking up her suitcase, she said, “C’mon. Let’s get back to the car before their bickering makes Elmira cry again.”
It was going to be a long, long ride home.