A/N: thanks to animegus farmus for the corrections
Cain was walking briskly through the castle, doing what he did so often these days: look for DG. Somehow she managed to elude him, Wyatt Cain, known tracker and feared Tin man.
But alas, this girl… this woman had done many things to him he wouldn't have thought possible. Every smile, every moment of sunshine, every bit of fresh air he owed to her.
After having searched every square centimetre of the building he realized she probably wasn't inside. Really, why should she be? It was a warm summer's day and the sun was glistening on the water of the lake, the perfect time for a swim.
Why he hadn't thought of looking outside earlier was beyond him.
When he pushed apart the heavy doors he heard laughter coming from the lake. It sounded like Glitch was amongst the people laughing. Cain decided it was a good place to start the search.
There they all were, the queen, Ahamo, Glitch, Tutor, Raw and even Azkadellia, standing in a half-circle, looking at something.
"My baby girl has finally made her choice, I am so happy," the queen sighed blissfully.
"Little DG all grown-up. I think she picked the right one," Azkadellia grinned widely.
"I'm not happy but I approve," Ahamo commented, a deep frown on his face, arms crossed in front of his chest.
Cain turned around; there stood DG, grinning madly, on the edge of what looked like a pool. The rim was too high for him to see the water but he didn't want to go any closer.
He turned back to the spectators. "What is she doing?" he asked them.
"DG throw herself into you," Raw explained.
"More like at you, if you know what I mean," Glitch added with a waggle of the eyebrows.
"I'm not happy but I approve," Ahamo grunted.
He looked back at DG, who had raised her arms for the jump into the pool.
"Don't do it, DG! Don't do it!" came a voice from the castle. He didn't turn to look at the speaker.
"Looks like someone's jealous," the older princess said in a sing-song voice.
"Mom isn't jealous. Mom is never jealous," Jeb said.
Adora ran past him, trying to reach DG in time, who was already tensing her muscles.
"Don't jump, DG! Whatever you do don't jump!" she cried out and tried to yank the younger princess away from the pool, but it proved impossible.
Cain took slow steps toward the two women. "It is alright Adora, I don't mind having her inside me. She can jump if she wants. You liked it after all," he attempted to calm her down.
"Don't jump, you will die," his deceased wife tried to pull with all her weight but the young woman wouldn't budge.
"I'm not happy but I approve," Ahamo commented.
"Come on, don't be going all melodramatic," Glitch sneered.
Cain was almost by the two women's side now.
"DG, it is gone. It's all gone! You will die!" Adora cried out.
DG jumped.
Cain looked over the edge.
There was no water.
Wyatt opened his eyes.
The pain in his chest serving as the last physical reminder of that dream.
He looked down on the sleeping princess in his arms. She had snuck into his room after suffering from nightmares and he had accepted her into his bed so that he may protect her better from the "night monkeys".
He knew that she liked him. It was an open secret to all of the OZ. It had seemed very... safe to him. It would certainly save him the trouble of finding an acceptable partner for her.
Getting up he looked back at the sleeping wo-... girl. He had looked at all the dangers outside but not the ones within himself. She couldn't love him for he certainly couldn't love her.
So he left the room, wandering aimlessly in the dark halls until he found what appeared to be an old study. He sat down to polish his revolver. He hadn't done it in a while and it needed to be done regularly or it would become faulty.
When he caught the twisted reflection of his face in the barrel he smiled sourly. DG loved him.
She loved him with all her heart and he had nothing to return those feelings with.
He rubbed at the already blank metal as if by polishing his image away he would be able to erase it from DG's mind.
A soft sigh came from the door.
He turned around.
DG was there, leaning against the doorframe, watching him. He didn't know how long she had been standing there, nor was it important.
"You just left," she stated, no evaluation or judgement in her tone, just the cold hard fact.
"Yeah well I had to get a bit of space after you threw yourself at me like that, kid," he had to force out the nickname, but didn't look up at her. He wouldn't be able to stand her expression.
"What do you mean?" she asked carefully, a little bit of fear in her voice.
"I mean what I mean," he stood up with sudden force.
He finally looked at her, eyes wide in shock and disbelief.
"There is no water, DG, stop throwing stones."