A/N: Oh look, another story. And a different genre! This is seriously new for me. At least recently, anyway. In the past couple months I've finished 4 chapters to ongoing stories, a few old one-shots and now I'm starting (and finished) this one-shot. Granted, I've wanted to do a Tin Man piece of fiction for AGES but just never found the right idea nor the time really to do it. So here it is. I think it's a good and thoughtful yet cute piece. Have fun reading, all.
PS: And yes, this is off of Keith Urban's song Cop Car. And just fyi, I don't do disclaimers anymore. Everyone knows I don't own anything except my brain.
Start: 4/11/15
Finish: 4/25/15
Edit: 5/11/15
Beyond the "No Trespassing" Sign
"We sat on the tailgate and watched the planes take off." –
Keith Urban
"How do you always manage to get me to do these things, Doll?"
She didn't glance at her friend, but the corners of her lips quirked. "You're too glitchy to disagree with me."
He snorted, but eased off the gas. The old wagon's headlights bounced as they ascended the curb, illuminating the "No Trespassing" sign momentarily before resting back on the dirt in front of them. The gears ground together, and she winced.
"Why do you still have this thing, Glitch?"
"Hey, it's a restored classic, DG."
She snickered. "A station wagon? A classic?"
Glitch rolled his eyes, but plodded ahead over the thin layer of topsoil. Excitement rose within her. It was coupled with a sense of peace, a type of contentment she hadn't felt in a long time.
Night had rolled in a few hours ago, but thankfully, there were no clouds tonight. She couldn't quite see the stars as the city lights flared behind them, but knowing they were there is what was important. A muffled roar to her right caught her attention, and DG let herself truly smile.
They weren't going too close to the runway. Just close enough so the planes looked the size of model toys. She liked watching them take off, slowly ascending until their lights became part of the stars overhead.
The station wagon rolled to a stop, and DG stepped out as Glitch put it in park and shut off the engine. A couple planes were rolling, their jets not quite loud enough to break the buzz of night insects. She leaned against the hood of the car and inhaled.
"Come on, Doll," Glitch murmured. "Out with it."
She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You'll think I'm stupid."
Glitch came to lean next to her. "Nothing you say will convince me otherwise," he grinned.
DG snorted and smacked him with her hip. He just chuckled, but she knew he wasn't done questioning her.
"Seriously, DG. Why couldn't you have driven yourself?"
She ran a hand through her hair, the thickness getting caught in her fingers. "You remember that cop that kept busting me?"
"Oh, no."
"Yeah."
"I'm guessing something bad happened."
"Yes and no," she huffed.
"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad."
"Ha!" She looked at the dirt, then into her friend's hazel eyes, hoping to God he wouldn't explode like he was sometimes bound to do. "He's…er…like thirty-five."
Glitch just blinked, and she had to smile at the fact that he was trying very hard not to react to that information.
"Well that's…"
"A lot of years."
"Damn right." Glitch folded his arms over his chest and she burst out laughing, nudging him with her shoulder. "You know I trust you, Doll, but what makes him so special? Especially since you're…what? Twenty-three? Or maybe nineteen?"
"You glitch," she said with no heat. "You know exactly how old I am."
"Forty it is."
"Ambrose…"
"Alright, alright, I'm being serious again."
She hesitated, wondering just how much she should tell him. She'd never really told anyone about this. It had been something to keep close to her heart, a memory to press into her pillow at night so it would help keep her warm. She had been holding this in for so long she wasn't sure what to tell Glitch.
"I'm not sure what to tell you. It's a long story."
He checked his watch. "Well, how long do you think it'll take him to get here? If he's the one that comes, that is."
She smiled. "Probably an hour. Maybe two."
"Then tell all, DG."
Nervous, she scuffed the dirt with her toe, trying to gather her thoughts. She looked at Glitch in his tie-dye polo shirt and slacks, amused once again at her friend's quirky style. But when she met his eyes, she could see the loyalty he always held close to the surface. Tonight it was doubly reassuring.
He reached out and put an arm over her shoulders, sensing her nervousness. She wrapped an arm around his waist in turn, telling him with no words his comfort was appreciated.
"Sorry, Glitch," she murmured, staring at another plane as it launched itself into the sky with a deafening roar. "I've never told anyone about this." She tucked her hair behind an ear. "I mean, besides the little bit I've told you…"
He squeezed her shoulder. "I knew what you meant, princess."
She sighed, and gathered her courage. "You remember when I first got here: new school, new family, new everything?"
"Of course. I saw people picking on you and came to relieve them of their duties. New best friend."
DG smiled. "Yes. You always did come help me." She paused a moment. "Well, after a few weeks, I was feeling…well, overwhelmed is putting it lightly." Glitch said nothing as she leaned closer to him. "I'd only met you a day before, so while I was hoping we'd be friends, I wasn't sure if it'd work out. My parents and I had a sort of fight, so I…ran…here."
Glitch sighed. "You would run ten miles away. On foot."
"Yeah," she laughed. "I was gone for so long they got worried and called the police. Around the same time, the station got a call from someone else saying a lone girl was trespassing on government property over by the airport. They figured they'd better check it out in case it was me."
"And it was," Glitch smirked.
"It was," she repeated. And she remembered like it was yesterday.
She sat on the cold dirt, cursing herself for not grabbing a jacket. But when you're just trying to get away, you never think of anything like that. Tears made the lights blur together as she stared at the planes as they taxied over the runway. Why couldn't she be on one of those? Why couldn't she go back?
One took off, and she craned her neck to see it ascend. Her heart leapt out of her chest, trying to attach itself to the hulk of metal that headed towards the stars. She wanted to be up there, floating, no gravity to throw her down to earth, no reality to viciously remind her how unfair life was.
As her heart wrenched, another sob grated out of her throat, and she put her hands over her wet eyes.
They couldn't have just let her stay. So what if Momster and Popsicle hadn't been her real parents? They had loved her for as long as she could remember. She knew she wasn't theirs; knew she was just a foster kid, but they loved her. And only a couple weeks ago she'd been ripped away from them and placed with a new family, her birth family.
Suddenly, she had different parents and an older sister.
She was five hundred miles away from anything she knew, and her new parents had the audacity to tell her that she was being unreasonable, that she had to let them in. Her new sister Azkadellia at least understood.
A smile reluctantly made it to her trembling lips. Az was simply happy to see her sister again. Her love was unconditional. She didn't care that DG was closed off, upset and completely off-kilter now that her world had been turned upside down. She always gave her a hug when she saw her, whether they spoke or not. That simple action meant more to DG than she imagined Az knew it did.
DG hugged her knees tighter to her chest, staring at the planes on the runway without seeing them. She still wasn't sure what to believe, but when her birth parents hadn't told her why she'd been separated from them in the first place, Azkadellia had been there to tell her.
"Mum and Dad had told us to stay near the car. A guy came up to us and started talking to us. We were holding hands but when he made a grab for us we ran. I went towards mom and you went another way. We tried to find you." She had been shocked to find her sister in tears. "We looked everywhere and we couldn't find anything. We thought that somehow he'd gotten to you and it would've been my fault."
"Az…"
"I know we both let go, but I didn't watch out for you."
And slowly, she had remembered the fear in that moment. "I shouldn't have left you, either. We should've stuck together." Even as she had said it, she knew it was true. It wasn't much, but she could remember bits and pieces of her older sister before they had been ripped apart. And they'd been the best of friends.
She held out her hand. "I'm not good at this, but I don't want to let go again."
The smile that lit up Az's face chased the darkness from the room.
Now she felt guilty. Az was probably worried sick, wondering what had happened to DG and if history was going to repeat itself. She should've told Az where she was going. But at the time, she had no idea where her feet were taking her. They were just taking her away.
"I'm so sorry, Az," she whispered. Hadn't she promised that she wasn't going to let go again?
The sudden onslaught of red and blue lights to her right startled her out of her thoughts. She hadn't even heard the tires on the dirt and bolted to her feet. Cops? Her new parents were going to kill her. As she dusted off the seat of her jeans, her heart dropped to her toes. There were two patrol cars.
Evasion always made someone look guilty. She knew that. But she couldn't help it that the fear was nearly overwhelming. She scurried away, panic drying her tears.
"Hey, come on, now, wait!" one of the officers called.
She wasn't fast enough. He caught her jacket, and in her effort to twist away she scrambled her feet together and pounded to the dirt. All her breath left her in a cry, and she could still feel the tears as she struggled to breathe.
"Shit, I'm sorry, kid," the officer said. She heard the remorse as clearly as if he'd shouted. "Come on, now. Easy does it. We're not going to hurt you."
Even if she'd wanted to say something, she couldn't.
"Sit up for me?"
A noise sifted from the back of her throat, and the officer sighed, mumbling another apology. His warm hand closed softly over her arm, the other coming around to her upper back to help her sit up.
As her breathing came back to normal, she looked at the officer. It didn't matter that it was nearly pitch black and the lights from the airport and the cars were all sorts of different colors. Never in her life had she seen eyes like that.
They were ice blue, sharp and intelligent, but that wasn't why she couldn't stop staring at him. He was trying to hide, just like she was. But you couldn't hide pain and sorrow and loss from someone that had already experienced the exact same things. Something had hurt him greatly.
"Is that her?" the other officer blurted, breaking the spell.
DG looked down, carefully shrugging out of the hold the officer still had on her arm. He stepped back and turned back to his partner.
"It's her."
"You sure?"
"Black hair, blue eyes and young. It's her."
The other officer made his way over. "I dunno. You might not be on top of your game, Cain. You know the captain wouldn't mind if you took a few days off…"
"Zip it, Gulch," the officer called Cain growled. She stood, uncomfortable with sitting while these two men were standing.
The one named Gulch peered around Cain. "You Dorothy Gale?"
She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded.
Cain rubbed a hand over his face. "Get outta here, Gulch. I'll take care of this."
"I dunno, Cain…"
"Just call the family and tell them I'll be bringing her back and get your ass out of here, Gulch." The two officers stared at each other. Finally, Gulch stepped back with a glance at the ground.
"All right, Cain."
He didn't say anything until long after Gulch had gotten into his squad car and left. They just stood there in awkward silence.
"I'm Officer Wyatt Cain."
She nodded to let him know she'd heard him, but kept her mouth closed. He already knew who she was anyway. Where are your manners, Pumpkin? I know I taught you better than that. She winced as she heard Momster's voice in the back of her mind and she huffed.
"I'm DG."
He nodded back at her, then lowered himself to the dirt with a groan. She could see the exhaustion in every line of his body, and finally, with him seated, she began to relax. This wasn't an officer that was just going to cuff her, stuff her in the back seat and lecture her about staying home. As she slowly sat next to him, there was something so suddenly sad about Officer Cain. Perhaps he needed the space just as much as she did.
"Why here?" he asked suddenly.
"I don't know," she said after a long moment of silence. "It's where my feet took me."
He hummed at that. "I know the feeling." They were quiet for another few minutes. "How old are you, kid?"
There was no reason to lie to him. "I'm sixteen."
With a sigh he rested his elbows on his bent knees. "Now what would make a kid like you run away?"
Indignation rose within her chest. "I didn't run away. I just had to leave for a bit. Sort things out. And anyway, what's 'a kid like me' supposed to mean, anyway?"
As he stared at the runway, the lights made his blond hair look orange. "I used to be pretty good at profiling, Kid. Still am, I guess. I just don't do that anymore. But you've got sense. You're not panicking, or lashing out, or being defiant. You're sitting here next to me, willing to talk."
She snorted. "I'd rethink the 'willing' part."
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he looked at his hands as he swallowed. The smile fell. "You're something else, kid."
DG scoffed. "Look, I might be sixteen, but I did introduce myself. The least you can do is stop referring to me like I'm ten. Besides, I've always been something else," she said defensively.
This time, he chuckled, and she was shocked to hear a slightly broken note to what should've been a happy sound. What had happed to him?
"I didn't mean that in a bad way." He opened his mouth, but didn't say anything for a long time.
They sat watching the planes take off, the blinking lights slowly fading into the night sky. He sighed again, and she knew he was going to ask her something.
"Why the airport?"
She wasn't sure why, but she felt better sitting here with him. There was no judgment, no anger, just a feeling of camaraderie. If he wanted to know, she would tell him.
"I used to live by the airport. Back home. I could see the planes taking off from the balcony near the roof. I used to imagine that I could fly with them."
"And nothing would hold you here."
DG looked at him sharply. "Yes."
He stared at the planes for a while longer, then looked her dead in the eye. "Running away won't get you anywhere, DG."
She blinked and looked away. "How would you know?"
"I was sixteen once. You younger kids seem to forget that us old people have been where you once were."
"Old?" she scoffed. "You're not old." He looked at her, eyes twinkling slightly. She shook her head. "You can't be. You don't look that old." He looked away, but she kept staring at him. "Besides, you're not treating me like a kid. You're treating me like I'm an adult. Not many people do that," she whispered.
"No, I suppose most adults like to see youth the way that they want to see it. They don't see a person that wants to be treated as the individual that they are. Not yet anyway."
At his words, she felt something settle inside of her. "You aren't like most cops," she murmured.
Officer Cain gave a dry laugh. "No, I suppose I'm not." He nudged her shoulder with his own in a friendly way. "And I'm twenty-six if you must know."
She didn't, but she felt herself smile at him anyway. DG rubbed at her arms. "I wasn't running, you know. I just had to get away. It was too…overwhelming, I guess."
"How so?" he asked mildly.
"It's a long story."
"We've got time, Kid," he said quietly.
Suddenly, she wanted to tell him everything. She wanted someone to understand what had happened to her and to give her advice. This man didn't treat her like she was incapable of making choices. He could help her, and right now she wanted that now more than anything.
So she told him the whole thing. Through the middle she started crying again, knowing it was because she missed Momster and Popsicle, but she was pleased that her voice remained as strong as it could be. When she finished, he remained silent, but she could tell that he was rolling the information around in his head.
"That's pretty rough, Kid. I'm sorry it happened," he murmured.
DG shrugged, feeling amazingly light and free after spilling everything out. Perhaps she'd needed the cleanse. "It's not your fault."
"I know, but no one should have to go through that."
Officer Cain was quiet for a long time, and she was growing increasingly disappointed that he didn't have anything else to say. But he surprised her when, ten minutes later, he opened his mouth again.
"Family is a rare thing, DG. Some people are blessed with a whole family – their parents rarely fight and they know they're loved unconditionally. There are others that have family torn apart by divorce, and they're bounced around from parent to parent. Some only have one parent. And some people have their families taken away from them."
He watched another plane take off, then spoke again. "You've been blessed with two families, DG. I know you were taken from your foster parents, and that's hard… but they'll always love you. No matter what happens. And your biological parents never stopped loving you, either. A parent's love – real love – is unconditional. It doesn't matter where you are, what's happened to you or what you've done; they'll always love you. You've got a sister again; you've got three new people to add to your family. Don't take them for granted."
The freedom that had taken flight in her chest began to wither. This wasn't what she'd wanted to hear. This wasn't what she'd expected to hear from him. She'd expected him to empathize, to understand, not to tell her that she needed to be happy she suddenly had two families. She missed her foster parents, goddammit!
She leaned away from him.
He caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and sighed. "I'm sorry," was all he said. Slowly, he stood. "Let's get you home."
DG acquiesced silently.
As they reached the squad car, he pointed towards the passenger side. "Go ahead and sit in the front."
The ride back to the house was silent and quick, and she was grateful when she was finally able to get out of the stuffy car. The front door flew open and Azkadellia sprinted outside, nearly throwing DG to the ground as she grasped her in a hug. DG hugged her sister back, whispering, "I'm so sorry. I broke my promise."
"It's okay," Az whispered back. "I'm just glad you're okay. You are, right?" she added as she pulled back. DG felt guilt engulf her once more as Az's hazel eyes roved over her worriedly.
"I'm okay," she nodded. "I'm so sorry. I won't do again. This time I really promise."
Az nodded, but DG didn't miss the slight disappointment. But she knew why. She would've been disappointed too if she'd been in Az's position.
"Oh, Officer Cain, thank you so much!" Lavender said, and DG looked over to see her biological mother squeezing the officer into a hug. He patted her back awkwardly, looking extremely uncomfortable, and DG couldn't help but smile a bit. Ahamo shook Cain's hand once Lavender had let him go.
"Thank you so much, Officer."
"I'm glad I was able to help."
Lavender's tears reflected in the moonlight, and DG cast a look at Cain. Perhaps he'd been right after all.
"DG?" Lavender said apprehensively. "Do you… Shall we go in?"
"I'm coming," she said quietly, and there was no mistaking the relief on Lavender and Ahamo's faces. They started to make their way inside when DG turned around suddenly. Officer Cain was opening the door to his squad car.
"Cain!" she called running the few feet it took to get to the passenger side of the car. He looked at her quizzically, and she swallowed.
"I never said thank you."
He smiled slightly. "You never had to, Kid. You be good." And with that, he hopped in his car and sped off.
Glitch suddenly shifted next to her, and DG pulled herself out of the memory.
"Well, that didn't sound too bad."
DG said, "True, but that's not the only time I saw him. Two days later I heard the news. A few days before he'd found me, his wife and son were hit by a drunk driver. His wife was killed instantly. His son was currently in the hospital with a coma."
Glitch sucked in a breath. "Ozma."
"I know. A few days after that I 'ran away' again."
She scuffed her toe against the dirt, hoping that whoever was driving up was Cain. At least this time she'd told Az where she was going, and to tell Lavender and Ahamo if they questioned her.
When the man got out of the car, she sighed in relief. It was Officer Cain. He sauntered over to her.
"You again. I thought I told you to be good." She could hear the humor in his voice, but she was here for a much more serious reason.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
His humor vanished, and he looked away from her. "Didn't know what?"
She knew he knew what she was talking about, but that didn't matter. "I didn't know about your wife and son. That's…that's horrible. You were right. About family I mean. It wasn't what I wanted to hear at the time, but I needed to hear it. I'm so sorry."
"It's alright, Kid," he said gruffly.
"I'm sorry I came out here again. But I thought if perhaps you came, I could apologize, and thank you again."
He looked equal parts sad and embarrassed. "Really, Kid; it was nothing."
"Not to me it wasn't," she whispered.
He looked at her sharply, and she swallowed, but she wasn't afraid. Nervous, perhaps, because she usually never said things like this to people, but she wasn't going to back down.
"You treated me like an adult. And then you answered me like one. I didn't see it at the time, but you were right. I realized that when Az hugged me, and when I looked at Lavender and Ahamo, I realized I was seeing things I hadn't paid attention to before. You were right – family is important, and I was ready to squander it away when you had yours taken from you…" By the end her voice was catching, and she was angry that she was crying again. This had to be a record. Twice in four days.
She couldn't imagine that. She couldn't imagine the pain and sorrow and unending sadness that he must feel to have his family ripped away from him.
"Oh, damn," he muttered quietly, but he pulled her into a hug. "Sometimes I wish I'd had a daughter."
She gave a watery laugh at that, and he rubbed her back. "It's okay, Kid. I know how tempting it is to run."
Shortly after, her tears dried, and he let her go. They sat on the dirt again.
"I wonder what's so special about this place," he said.
DG stared at the clouds drifting slowly, winking stars coming in and out of focus. "Well, I'm sort of breaking the law – being out here. That's a plus. But… it's open. It's empty. You can fill the space with anything you want, and then you can let it float up to the sky with the planes."
He looked at her, and she shrugged sheepishly. "I have no idea where that came from."
Cain smiled, and turned back to watching the runway. "I like it."
For another hour they sat there silently, not needing words, just enjoying each other's company. Then, he drove her home again and left with a quiet goodbye.
Another plane took off, and DG watched it go, smiling fondly at the memory. "I guess you could say that was our spot. After that I'd walk out there on a fairly regular basis." She laughed. "He told me that whenever someone called about a trespasser here to send it straight to him. I was the only one that ever came here anyway."
Glitch looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
"We'd just come out here and talk. I'd tell him about school and prom and guys that were bothering me. I'd tell him about you and everything we did. He laughed a lot at the things we'd get up to."
At that Glitch chuckled. "We were a team, weren't we?"
"Yeah," she laughed. "He'd tell me about his son and when he finally came out of the coma. It'd been two years. His name is Jeb. I went over and visited him, saying that he already had a friend. I visited him as often as I could. I know Cain appreciated it. I'd ask him about work, what it was like and he'd tell me. I got to know him really well. He's a really upstanding guy, Glitch. As much as Az and… Mom and Dad helped, he helped me the most."
She knew Glitch hadn't missed her hesitation. Even after seven years it was still difficult to call her biological parents Mom and Dad. But she was actually beginning to think of them that way now. It helped, but she knew her foster parents would never be anything other than Momster and Popsicle.
"I know," her best friend said. When she looked him in the eye, he was completely serious. "I know you, and you wouldn't be like this about just anyone. This one's special, isn't he?"
"Very."
He nodded, and she could tell he was accepting her at her word. "My parents have a thirteen year difference, and they're still going strong." It was his way of discounting the age factor. He knew society would probably see it as strange, but they also knew that his parents were the type of people one didn't meet very often. And they were more in love today than when they married. Hearing him bring up his parents, essentially comparing her and Cain to them, caused her heart to swell. That was high praise indeed.
Glitch would no doubt want to meet Cain for himself, but he'd already decided he would approve. He didn't realize how relieved and thankful that made her feel. But then again, with the way he was smiling, perhaps he did. He was such a good friend.
Then he said, "But really, Doll, I don't see anything remotely embarrassing yet."
She reddened, and knew he'd seen it when an eyebrow rose. He grinned.
"Oh, now there's a story."
"I really don't want to tell you."
"Oh, come on, princess, don't leave me hanging!" He spun around. "This has to be good for you to go that red. Come on, come on! Tell me."
She laughed. "Alright, alright." She sent him a glare. "But don't you dare laugh."
His grin was wicked. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Spirits were high all around as a sudden shout rang through the masses. Hundreds of black hats pierced the blue sky, their silver tassels winking in the strong sunlight. With fists raised high many of the students began to chant:
"We're out of the O.Z.! We're out of the O.Z.! We're out of the O.Z.!"
It felt good to be graduated. Granted, she'd taken a year longer than most of the students her entering year but that didn't matter. She was finally done with school and ready to break into the world. Not that she thought for a moment that she would suddenly make it big time, but the world was an open sky full of stars for her to touch and explore.
She looked around and spotted her hat a few feet away. She'd thrown it up but not very far. DG had decorated hers, as had most of the students graduating from the College of Liberal Arts. There was no reason to toss it as high as she could when she'd just be searching for it later.
Quickly, she made her way through the throng of graduates to find her family. Once spotted, she dashed over, hugging Az fiercely. Her sister's face was glowing with pride.
"I'm so proud of you, DG!"
"Thanks, Az! Now you just need to get through grad school."
"I'll get there soon enough." As happy as Az was, she still sounded apprehensive, and DG nudged her arm.
"Hey, now. You'll get through. You're one of the smartest people I know! Speaking of: Glitch, this is my sister Azkadellia. Az, this is my best friend Glitch. He knows everything there is to know about mechanics and computers and all that stuff."
Glitch, who had appeared a moment before, turned red. "Aw, come on, DG."
"You should help her sometime. Az is in grad school for computer sciences. Or is that engineering?"
"Engineering," Az said, and almost immediately the two launched into something about motherboards and Az's current project. DG just shook her head and smiled as Lavender and Ahamo came to give her hugs of congratulations.
"We're so proud, DG!" Lavender said, holding her close. DG sighed. It was so much easier now. She still hesitated at things, but she was beginning to know her parents better, and it was easy to talk to them about the hard things in life.
"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad."
"I didn't say anything yet," Ahamo protested. But she noticed the twinkle in his eyes.
"You didn't have to."
"Hey, pretty girl!"
Standing there eagerly were her foster parents. Her heart nearly burst.
"Popsicle! Momster!" she cried. She gave them both an enthusiastic hug. She looked at Lavender, and her biological mom was smiling. She was holding Ahamo's hand. At her questioning look, Lavender spoke.
"We know how much Emily and Hank mean to you, and we know that they love you just as much as we do. We four have been in touch and talking, and we all thought it would be a great graduation surprise for them to come down and see you."
She turned and hugged her biological parents again. "You guys are the best." She opened her eyes before she let them go, and a brighter smile lit up her face. "Cain!"
Her parents stepped away, and she quickly gave the police officer a hug. She could feel his surprise, and quickly released him. She hadn't seen him during the ceremony, so she'd been worried that he hadn't gotten her invitation to come to her graduation. Standing next to him, looking handsome and sheepish was his son Jeb. His blond hair, the same color as his father's, looked like gold in the bright sun.
"Don't you look good, Jeb."
"Aw, come on, Deeg; I do not."
After giving him a hug too, she winked at him. "I may not know most of these people, but more than one girl's got her eye on you."
He flushed bright red, but smiled. Cain smirked and nudged her. "Go easy on him. He's still new to the whole girl thing."
DG laughed. "You wish." She felt light and happy, and she couldn't stop the next words from tumbling out of her mouth. "Besides, you've got room to talk. It's not every day us lowly college girls see a guy make the police uniforms look so good."
Cain's face reddened just as brightly as his son's. DG looked at Jeb's face, a little surprised but smiling, and she backpedaled. "Well, not that… Look, I didn't mean…"
Oddly enough, it was Lavender that came to her aid. "Officer Cain! How good of you to come! And you've brought Jeb with you; that's marvelous. We're all going out to dinner later – you and your son must come."
Cain looked a little nervous and tried to decline politely.
Emily stepped next to Lavender. "Nonsense. You must! Besides, anyone – especially a cop – that can stop DG from running away on the first attempt must be pretty good."
"Hey, I told you I wasn't running away!" DG protested, but no one was listening. She threw up her hands, then decided melting into the background was better.
"That was slick."
She looked over at Jeb and shrugged. "I didn't really mean it to come out like that. I was just trying to tease you guys a bit and the connection between my mouth and my brain short circuited somewhere along the way."
Jeb chuckled. "It's alright. He's mostly only had me to harangue him and I know he likes you. He wouldn't have wanted to come if he didn't."
DG looked at him sharply. "Likes me?"
"Sure. You probably don't realize it but you really helped him a lot after my mom was killed and I was in a coma. He told me some of the stuff you were going through, and shortly before I woke up I could hear him. He talked about you a lot. He was glad he was able to help you, but I think he feels you helped him more than anything."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Cause I know you like him." When she recoiled, Jeb sighed. "It's not that obvious. People who wouldn't pay attention wouldn't recognize it. But I've been wanting to see him happy for a while now. I think you could make him happy."
She had no clue what to say. "I…"
"Look, don't worry too much, alright?" Jeb said, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hell, I don't think I saw it until a month ago." He paused as a thought suddenly occurred to him and he reared back. "Whoa, wait. You do like him, right? I'm not just totally reading this situation wrong?"
She had to smile at that and sighed. "No, you're not wrong. Honestly, I don't think I realized it until a couple months ago." She gave him a calculated look. "When did a seventeen-year-old get so smart?"
He chuckled. "I may be behind in school but I'm not stupid."
"I know you're not." She wrung her fingers. "You don't find this…weird?"
"That you like my dad?" He shrugged. "Sort of, but…" He suddenly looked at her. "Look, you can't tell my dad this. I don't want him to know yet. I need to tell him first."
"Uh, yeah sure," she said, wary. Jeb wasn't usually this serious. It had to be something important.
"I remember my mom, but they're more feelings. I can't really remember her face. I see it in pictures and stuff, but I can't put her face into the memories anymore. Really, as far as I can remember, you've been there. Don't get me wrong – I don't think of you like my mom. You never acted like my mom and I know you never tried, but you've been in my life for the past seven years, DG. I remember your face more than hers. And not imagining you in my life is…weird. I don't really like it, I guess."
He looked uncomfortable as he neared the end, running a hand through his hair. DG was shocked speechless. She had never known how Jeb felt – never. She swallowed, opened her mouth a couple times, and swallowed again.
"Jeb, I… God, I… I don't know what to say."
He scratched his head. "You don't have to. I know I mean a lot to you, too."
She nodded, feeling like she could latch on to that. "You do. Honest. And I know you said you know this, but I've never wanted to be your mom, nor did I feel like your mom. More like an older sister."
"That's exactly it," he said, looking grateful. "Older sister. That's what I was trying to say."
DG smiled. "Thanks, Jeb. This means a lot coming from you."
Grinning, he ran a hand through his hair again. "But, you know, my dad's stubborn. I don't think he realizes he likes you yet. Or if he does, he's got this weird thing about being honorable or noble… or the age thing," he grumbled.
"He should talk to Glitch's parents," she laughed. "They've got a thirteen year difference."
Jeb just laughed.
Later in the evening, they were all parting after a raucous dinner. Lavender and Ahamo had left with Emily and Hank a few minutes ago, promising to drive them to their hotel since they hadn't been able to get a rental car yet. Az, Glitch and Jeb were off to take a look around campus, and DG was suddenly all alone with Cain. She had a sneaking suspicion that Jeb had planned it.
Cain put his hands in his pockets. "So. Free from the O.Z., huh? Why were they chanting that, anyway?"
DG smiled. "A few freshmen dubbed it the 'Outer Zone' because college is so different from normal grade school," she laughed.
Cain chuckled, shifting his weight to his other leg. "Glitch is an…interesting…friend of yours."
"He's definitely one of a kind."
When he laughed again, she smiled and looked down. "You should laugh more often."
He looked at her, stunned.
"Sorry," she mumbled. God, this was awkward.
"It's fine, Kid," he said. She sent him a look, and he chuckled. "Sorry. I know. Not a kid anymore. Congrats on graduating."
His blue eyes were visible even in the dimly lit parking lot. As he stared at her, expression open, she went for it. She was an impulsive person by nature, but she had never done something quite like this before.
She took one step forward, pushed herself to her toes and kissed Officer Wyatt Cain. There were no consequences, no repercussions, no thoughts of the future going through her mind. Her heart leapt when his hands rested on her biceps.
But just as highly as it soared, her heart plummeted back down when his hands pushed her firmly away.
"Oh, ouch," Glitch murmured.
DG winced and cleared her throat. "Yeah. Needless to say, it was embarrassing."
"I'll bet. What'd he say after?"
"He sort of sputtered." She sighed. "I couldn't understand him but it sounded like he was really confused. After that he just…left."
"Damn. I'm sorry, Doll."
"It's not your fault."
"But how does this tie in with me driving you here?"
"Being here, near the airport, it's sort of our thing. I'd always walk here, and he'd always give me a ride back. It's just who he was. Somehow, being past the 'No Trespassing' sign is always where we've found peace. Like I told him, you can put everything out around you and let it float to the sky.
"Someone always reported me here. I'm hoping they'll report us. If it were only one person, I'm not sure he'd come. Since it's the both of us, he might assume it's just other teenagers. And I needed you to drive me so that you could leave and he'd have to take me home."
Glitch chuckled. "You're devious, Deeg."
"Only when I have to be," she smirked.
"You're sure about this, though?" he verified. She could see the concern in his eyes. "He's what you want?"
"Yes," she nodded. "He's kind and understanding and… Being pulled here and there, I've always appreciated the little things. It's the little things that matter, Glitch. I don't know how to explain it any other way."
"I know what you mean," he hummed. "Az and I are the same way. It's great that we love computers and technology and all, but we're both super nerds deep down. We both love Star Wars, think the old Star Trek was way corny and we can sit and talk about absolutely nothing at all, and it will still mean something."
DG smiled. "I'm glad for you guys. Just don't forget I introduced you two."
"You aren't upset I want to propose?"
"Ambrose, having you as my brother-in-law would be perfect. Besides, you aren't planning to ask for a while. It's only been two months since you met."
He looked at her seriously. "But sometimes you just know, Deeg."
She swallowed. She felt precisely the same way about Cain. Before, they'd both just needed friendship. Romance wasn't anywhere near their thoughts. Besides, she'd dated a few boys, but looking back, she realized she'd ended up comparing them to Cain. Of course, none of them met the mark.
But now, he'd become more important to her. She couldn't imagine not stepping past that sign and breaking the law. She couldn't imagine not sitting beneath the stars and telling someone her deepest secrets, knowing there would never be judgment.
She wanted that for as long as she lived.
"Thanks, Glitch," she whispered, her voice choked.
"I just listened, Deeg," he said just as quietly.
She gave him a shaky smile. "Sometimes that's all you need to do."
Headlights flashed on them momentarily, and she took a second to school the expression on her face. Hopefully, it'd be Cain. If not… Well, then she was SOL.
A tall figure stepped from the cruiser, and she felt relief wash through her. It was Cain. He was in uniform, a flashlight held up in his right hand as the other rested on the gun strapped to his belt.
Glitch smiled at her and said lowly, "Should I leave now?"
Before she could say anything, Cain's voice washed over them. She smirked when she heard his no-nonsense tone.
"You kids realize you're trespassing?"
They didn't move, just leaned back against the old station wagon's hood. Cain stepped closer, a sigh escaping him as he lowered his flashlight. For a while, no one spoke.
"Hey, DG," Cain said quietly, nervously – like he was going to run any moment now.
Glitch let out a whistle. "Well, good luck, princess." Glitch pushed off the car's hood, then looked at her, eyes twinkling. "Let's just hope I've got the rhythm tonight. Be good."
"Oh, Glitch!" she groaned. "There was no way I needed to know that!"
He just laughed loudly as he got behind the wheel. She could still see his shoulders shaking as he backed the station wagon. After a minute, he disappeared.
She looked at Cain, and noticed his eyebrow was raised. "What?"
"Princess?"
"Just a pet name," she shrugged. But this time both eyebrows rose, and DG knew Cain well enough that he wasn't going to let that go. "My senior year in high school my class put on the Wizard of Oz. Everyone had to participate. I actually – don't ask me how – ended up getting Dorothy's role. Glitch got the Scarecrow and one of my other friends got the lion. We'd all practice our lines together. That's how Glitch got his name, actually. He kept forgetting and mixing all his lines together – you know, glitching. Raw was actually the first one to call me princess. Said I was too rigid – like one of those foreign princesses with no personality. It's not like I could really act anyway. We all had a big laugh about it."
"Raw?"
She shrugged. "He was actually really good. He'd never taken acting lessons but the raw emotion and talent he had was amazing. Hence – Raw."
"Huh. Who played the Tin Man?"
"Some other guy. I wasn't really good friends with him. It was actually really ironic. The guy was a total player and really didn't have a heart."
He chuckled. After a few minutes of silence, he swallowed awkwardly. "Come on, DG. Let me take you home."
"I'm not going anywhere," she sighed. She wasn't angry. His hesitation and avoidance slowly ate away at the hope that had blossomed in her chest while talking to Glitch. But she had to get this out. If she didn't, the words would choke her.
Reaching down, she grasped her resolve tightly, yanking it to the surface. She looked Cain dead in the eye and said, "I'm not leaving until you tell me why you've been avoiding me. I know it's because of me that you've been avoiding my family's invitations, why you're never there when I go over to see you and Jeb." Her cheeks flamed, but she forced herself to say the next words. "Was it really that bad?"
While she spoke he grew increasingly uncomfortable, but it wasn't until the last sentence that his eyes snapped to hers. "No, of course…" He cut himself off before he finished. But she'd heard the truth in his voice.
"Then what is it?" she cried, exasperated.
And as she stared at him, she saw in his eyes the absolute terror, the loneliness, the longing, and war going on inside of him. He was looking at everything but her, and for once she could see the emotions on his face. Looking at the fight inside of him caused hope to flare violently inside her chest.
"You've always been there for me, Wyatt." His attention snapped to her face when she said his first name. But she kept going. She had to. "You never told me what I wanted to hear – like my family sometimes did. I know they didn't want to make the situations worse but it didn't make it better. You told me what I needed to hear. You have been someone I could look up to, who'd give me advice. Then you became one of my best friends. Did you know it was because of you I actually finished college?"
Cain said nothing, but his eyes, so intently blue in this moment, said it all.
"Well, you did. You told me to never give up, to never let them take me down. To always do your best and if that's not good enough then try harder. You did with Jeb. So why shouldn't I with something far less important?" She looked down, gathered herself, and started again. "I have never been able to tell others about myself like I can tell you, Wyatt. I know you're never going to judge me, and you'll help me make it through my life decisions. I don't… I don't want that to go away. I want something… someone like that forever, Wyatt." He sucked in a breath. "Something like that doesn't happen every day."
He fumbled for words. "DG…"
"I know our ages might be an issue for you, but it's not. Not for me. You have done so much for me, Wyatt, that I want to do so much for you in return. Not because of some misplaced gratitude. But because you're a kind and good man. You are a great father to Jeb. You never gave up on him. You never gave up on me. I even like the way you fold your hands when you're thinking, or run a hand through your hair when you're nervous, or never let me out of your sight until I was safely home," she mumbled, a watery smile curving her lips. She hadn't even realized she might've been crying.
"Stop," he pleaded.
She shook her head. "I can't. It just keeps coming." He stared right into her soul, and she couldn't shut him out. She didn't want to. "I want to make you happy. You of all people have a right to be happy. I know… I know that I don't have a job yet and that I'm fresh out of college, but… Can you accept just me? I don't want much in return. Just the chance to be with you – to make you happy."
He closed his eyes, face pained. "Oh, Deeg."
Another dart of hope pierced her heart. She sniffed. "Please say something," she murmured when minutes had gone by and he still hadn't spoken.
"I think I'm gonna kiss you now. Can I, DG?"
She laughed and nodded vigorously.
In an instant he was there, mouth on hers. She sighed into him, finally releasing the cage around her heart. It soared through her, and her hands clutched at Wyatt's uniform. One hand was on the back of her neck, tilting her towards him. The other rested softly in the middle of her spine.
It ended too soon, and as she looked at him, she smiled. Her body hummed with happiness, and she was sure that it showed in her face. But most importantly, she could see him. DG tried to kiss him again, but he stopped her.
"Just let me get this out," he said quietly, and she set her weight back on her heels.
He paused for a while, just staring at her and running his thumb across her cheek. "You're beautiful, DG." She blushed, but he kept going. "Inside and out."
Wyatt sighed and stepped away. "I'm not good at this. I never was. I don't always know how to say the right thing or do the right thing."
"None of us do, Wyatt."
"I know. But… I don't know how it happened, but one day, it was just there. I couldn't imagine not seeing you all the time. You'd become such a part of our lives… I was afraid of what Jeb would say, what you would think, but… I want to try, DG. Think you can give this old man a shot?"
"Of course I can," she smiled.
The only other time she'd seen him smile like that was when Jeb had woken up from his coma. Once again he leaned down, and this time, she wasn't going to let him go for a while. His lips moved softly over hers, almost uncertainly, and she had the strangest feeling that he hadn't kissed anyone since his wife had died seven years ago.
It felt wonderful, this new exploration. His hands created fire and ice where they rested, and she couldn't help but think that breaking the law had been the best thing she'd ever done.
There were some people that didn't want you to break through the tin they'd hammered around their heart. Some were desperately hoping that you would have the courage and patience to try. Because sometimes, when you break through the metal and tear down that "No Trespassing" sign, there's beauty just waiting to be touched.
She was going to hold onto this with both hands and never let it go.
A/N: So, what'd you guys think? Honestly, that part with Jeb was totally unintended. I was just sitting there, typing, when he decided that he was going to make an appearance, and an important one, too. Sounds like him, doesn't it? I love doing these one-shots when I get into a new genre. They let me explore the characters a little more without the pressure of a multi-chaptered piece of fiction that has a huge plot. But yeah, it just started flowing out as I was typing. And what a good scene it was. Same with Az and Glitch. It sort of happened. Don't ask me how. Characters nudge me while I write. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading! I certainly enjoyed writing.