"Tell Me Of Your Yesterdays"
Summery:
Every story has a beginning...
Disclaimer:
"The Wizard of Oz" is owned by the estate of L. Frank Baum. "Tin Man" is owned by its various production companies. The following is for entertainment only. No money is being made and no infringement is meant.
Thanks to:
raggedy_edge for her amazing beta work. Without her this would be unreadable.
The O.Z. - 481 A.G.
__________________________________________________________________________________
The room was dark when Wyatt woke up. In truth, he didn't wake up, because you had to be asleep to wake up. No, Wyatt had been laying in bed forcing himself to lay still. But now a soft light was shining through the crack under his door and he could hear his mother moving around in the kitchen getting his breakfast ready.
Wyatt had told her that she didn't have to get up early for him, he could fix his own food, but she had insisted. After all, she had said, it'll be the last time I cook you breakfast for a year. She had gotten teary at that, and Wyatt had given her a hug and told her that it wasn't him going away that had her wanting to cook, it was the idea of the mess Wyatt would make if he cooked. She had swatted at him and laughed, and it was Wyatt who was suddenly teary. Did he really have the strength to leave her and his Pa? To leave home and all he knew?
Yes.
If he was going to become a Tin Man then he had to have the strength, and there was nothing more that Wyatt Cain wanted then to be a Tin Man.
But he would never be a Tin Man if he didn't get out of bed.
“Morning Mama.” Wyatt said as he shuffled into the kitchen. “It sure smells good in here.”
Wyatt's mother turned away from the cook stove and looked at her son, “And just how late did you stay up?” She asked with a light laugh. The town had hosted a going away pot-luck the night before and some of the younger crowd had made it quite a night.
“I stayed about another hour or so after you and Pa left,” Wyatt said around a yawn.
Wyatt's mother handed him a mug of coffee, “And how much of that time did you spend dancing with that pretty Smith's girl?”
Even though his mama was looking the other way Wyatt ducked his head as he answered, “I danced with Adora for almost all of 'em.”
“Almost?” His mother said as she put a plate of grits, toast, bacon and eggs on the table.
“I went to get some water for us and Billy Perkins swooped in.”
“Billy Perkins? I thought he'd been taking over the early feeding in the stable since his Pa hurt his back. What was he doing out so late?” Wyatt's mother mused.
“Waltzin' with Adora.” Wyatt said as he stabbed at his grits.
Wyatt's mother reached her hand to brush her son's shoulder, “Now Wyatt, you were the one who said that it was too soon to be asking after Adora. That sixteen was too young...”
“But Billy Perkins is twenty and that's plenty old enough.” Wyatt said as he dropped his fork onto the empty plate, “And he'll be here for the next three year while I'm off in Central City.” Wyatt pushed back from the table and took his dishes over to the sink.
“I know that this is what I'm suppose to be doing.” He said after a minute. “And I know that if things between Adora and me are meant to be, then they'll be. I just wish...” He trailed off as he turned to look at his mother. “I just wish it wasn't so hard, Mama.”
Wyatt's mother walked over and pulled him into a fierce hug and Wyatt could feel the worries fly from him. He would go to Central City and become a Tin Man, then he would come back and woo Adora.
After washing up and gathering the last few things he would need for his first year of training Wyatt kissed his mama good-bye and he and his pa started walking through the town. No words passed between the two men, but the elder Cain exuded such a calming air that Wyatt was happy to just have this last few minutes walking through the still sleeping town.
“Looks like it's time to head back.” Wyatt's pa said and Wyatt looked at him in confusion. “I thought you were going to walk with me to the brick road?” He said. “I was,” his father pulled him into a hug, “and I would have loved a few more minutes to pretend that you're still my boy and not a man in your own right.” His pa stepped back and nodded his head to the side, “but it looks like someone else wants to see you off.”
Wyatt looked down the road to see a shape clouded by the early morning mist. As he got closer the mist thinned to reveal Adora Smith.
Wyatt was stunned, he had walked Adora home last night and they had said good-bye then. True it wasn't the good-bye Wyatt had hoped for, a few others from the same part of town had left the party at the same time and that had put a damper on Wyatt's plan to steal a kiss.
But now Adora was standing in front of him, wrapped in a large shawl and her brown hair lose around her shoulders, Wyatt thought she looked like an angel.
“Adora. What are you... Why are you...” Wyatt stumbled, trying to find the right words, but he stopped speaking, stopped breathing, when Adora took a step closer and put one of her fingers to his lips.
“I got you a going away present. I wanted to give it to you last night, but...” She slowly pulled her finger down, then away from Wyatt's lips as she trailed off.
“You got me a present?” Wyatt asked in an awed tone of voice.
“Well, not got, but made.” She said shyly as she pulled something out from her pocket. “It's not wrapped.” Then she took Wyatt's hand and placed a small braided ring on his palm.
Wyatt looked down at the gift in amazement, “Adora, is this...”
“You've said many times that you like my hair.”
“Oh Adora!” Wyatt grabbed her hand and held it to his chest, “It's...” This gift, this chance, seeing Adora so soon after the worries he had confessed to his mother had left Wyatt with an inability to form a sentence. “...wonderful.” He managed to finish.
Adora moved another step closer and Wyatt could see tears in her eyes. She brought her free hand up to brush Wyatt's cheek and whispered “Don't forget me, Wyatt.”
Feeling a rush of boldness Wyatt put his hand on Adora's back, pulled her even closer to him, and kissed her.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Wyatt walked into the A group's dormitory and was taken aback by the lack of noise in a room so full of young men.
He looked down at the slip of paper that held a long list of numbers: his cadet number, his fitness schedule number, his study group number, his class rotation number, his locker number, his shower group number, and his bunk number. It was the last one that he wanted right now. After the long ride to Central City and then the two hours spent in registration and orientation Wyatt was ready to fall over, luckily the new cadets had the rest of the day free.
Walking over to the bunk that bore the same number as his slip of paper he saw a blond haired young man swing himself onto the top bunk. “I guess we're bunkmates.” Wyatt said as he dropped his pack onto the floor.
“Guess so,” The other man sat up and held out his hand, “Quany Zero.”
“Wyatt Cain.” Wyatt shut his mouth as he shook hands, not wanting to upset the man that would be sleeping above him for the next year but finely he couldn't hold his question back any more. “Quany?”
“It means proud. My mother wanted me to stand out.”
“Well it does that.”
___________________________________________________________________________________
“ Andria, Andria!” Dee called as she ran across the courtyard to where her friend was standing next to a carriage surrounded by boxes, bags, and some furniture.
“Oh Dee!” Andria cried and ran to hug her.
“What's this? What's happened?”
Andria took a step back and sniffed a few times, “Momma says we have to go.”
“Go?” Dee felt like all the air had been pulled from her. “You can't!”
Andria just sniffed and bit at her bottom lip.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Wyatt easily fell into the routine of the Academy, the schedule of classes, gym work, meals, and sleep just felt right to him. He had formed a friendship with some young men from the A dorm and a few from the B dorm as well, they all would meet up after the morning work out on Saturday and go out exploring Central City. All the newness had caused the first few months to fly by, but this Saturday Wyatt had woke up to an exercise yard covered in snow that had quickly turned to icy mud. None of the others had wanted to go out and so Wyatt was now laying on his bunk catching up on his letter writing. He had been keeping up a prompt correspondence with his parents and Andora, but there had been other letters from his friends that he hadn't replied to yet.
He was rereading Tommy Mather's letter when a voice startled him, “Aren't you supposed to be scampering through the city now?”
Wyatt looked up to see his bunkmate Quany standing by the bed, a pile of books in his arms.
“We decided that we had enough of the snow in the exercise yard.” Wyatt sat up, “What are you up to?”
Quany put the books on his bunk, “Some of us have to actually study before a test.”
Wyatt stood up and looked at the books Quany had, “Do you want some help?”
Quany gave him a look that made Wyatt want to sit back down, “I got into the Academy without your help, I think I can handle this test.”
482 A.G. - The O.Z.
__________________________________________________________________________________
“Az! Az, where are you?” DG yelled out as she ran into the library “Mother says you have to let me play!”
DG looked around at the empty room, she had seen Az come in here. “Az?”
The sound of giggles came from the hallway, “Az!” DG left the room running.
After a minute the long curtains began to rustle and two girls unwrapped themselves. “How did you do that Katie?”
The taller girl shook out her blond hair, “It was a ventriloquist trick I read about. I've been practicing for weeks.”
“I wish I knew how to do something smart like that.” Dee sighed as she sat down.
“Something smart?” Katie echoed “There isn't anything really smart about, oh!”
“What?” Dee asked “What's oh?”
Katie sat down next to her, “Dee, would this sudden desire to be smart have anything to do with a certain young genus?”
Dee felt a blush spread over her cheeks. “Oh it is!” Katie clapped her hands.
“Stop it!” Dee grabbed her friends hands “He doesn't even know who I am.”
“Dee you're the princess, everyone knows who you are.” Katie said as she rolled her eyes.
“ Azkadellia your sister is looking for you.” The two girls stiffened and turned to see Dee's father standing in the doorway.
“I'm talking with Katie right now.” Dee felt a pulling at her chest
“I can see that, but it's not very mannerly to ignore your sister.” Dee felt the pull grow stronger with each word her father spoke. “Now I'm sure that Katie will understand that you have to see to your sister before you can have time to yourself.”
“Oh yes your highness.” Katie hopped up from the sofa and gave a small curtsy to the Prince Consort. “I'll see you later Dee.” She said and quickly left the room.
The pulling had now turned into waves in Dee's stomach. She knew that she should get up and go play with DG for awhile, but she couldn't make herself move.
“DG said that she had looked here for you,” Her father sat down next to her “why did you hid from her Dee?” Dee sighed as she said, “Why can't she find her own friends?”
“She loves you so much.” “I know Daddy, but she can be such a baby.” Dee felt her father's arms come around her, “Oh Dee, don't be in such a rush to grow up.” He said and dropped a kiss on to her forehead.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Wyatt came out of the shower to find pandemonium had broken out in the dorm, which could only mean that the rankings for the year had been posted. Tightening his hold on the towel around his waist, Wyatt shoved himself into the crowd around the notice board.
“Seventh!” Wyatt felt a huge sense of pride wash over him at his placing. His parents would be so happy and he could just imagine the way Andora's eyes would shin when he told her.
Wyatt threw the towel into his bunk and pulled on a pair of undershorts when he realized that Quany's bed was stripped down. Looking around he saw the Quany's locker was also open, and empty. “What in name of flying monkeys is going on?” A nearby group heard him and one said, “Your bunkmate really lived up to his name.” “What?” Wyatt had no clue what this man was talking about. “On the last test, he earned a zero!” The group broke out in laughter, “Zero by name, zero by nature.” One said. “He flunked out.”
___________________________________________________________________________________
Dee had a skip in her step as she headed towards her room, this had been a wonderful birthday.
The day had started with blackberry tarts and cream for breakfast, then there was a book of other side poems from her daddy and a set of silver hair combs from her mother. After lunch she and DG had played croquet and not once did DG act like a baby or whine when she missed a hit. Right before dinner Katie had given her a beautiful shawl she had made herself and at dinner Lord Marcus had said that he was surprised that there wasn't a line of love struck boys following her around.
Dee smiled to herself from the joy of it all and gave an extra spring to her skip, and crashed into someone coming around the corner.
“Oh I'm so sorry I wasn't looking...” Dee stopped speaking when she looked up to see the person she had bumped into was Glyn Ambrose. “Forgive me your highness, I didn't mean to...” Glyn was still mumbling his apologizes, but since he had dropped on to his knees to pick up the box he had been carrying only the floor heard what he was saying.
Dee felt her mouth go dry and her hands go sweaty, without thinking she knelt down next to Glyn, “I didn't know you were there. I'm so sorry.” She said. Glyn looked up at her, “Oh your highness, it was my fault entirely...”
Dee interrupted him “You don't have to highness me.”
“Oh I could never, it wouldn't be proper for me to...” A blush was spreading over Glyn's cheeks and for some reason that made Dee want to blush herself. She quickly stood up and said, “I hope I didn't break it.” Then began to walk away mentally chiding herself for acting like such a fool.
“Azkadellia!” Dee spun around to see Glyn holding out the box he had dropped. He took a step towards her. “Happy birthday.” Glyn pushed the box into her hands then ran back down the hall. Dee hugged the box to her chest and quickly made her way to her room. Once she was inside she opened the box and saw the most lovely clockwork doll. “This is the best birthday ever!”