Disclaimer—I don't own the characters of Tin Man, nor do I own the song which inspired the title and the story. That honor goes to the amazing Lady Antebellum.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. When the witch was defeated, when they began to restore the OZ to its former glory, everything was supposed to be magical and idyllic. They all imagined that the little piece of heaven Glitch had mused about would return in its full glory; but the reality was far different.

There were still outlying provinces in conflict, still longcoats trying their best to salvage their cause and take down the royal family. There were plenty of loyal royalists who felt betrayed by the request that they accept Azkadellia as a legitimate heir, and DG learned all too quickly that the OZ wasn't immune to disease and destruction.

A mere six months after the Eclipse it had become abundantly clear that the OZ suffered from the same plagues and problems that they had back in her other world; hate being one of the strongest. It was hate that had brought a would be assassin in the form of a fifteen year old kid to Central City with a gun. Hate had compelled him to fire the bullets into Az's chest, and hate had landed her fighting for her life in a bed in the palace medical wing.

They were all worried sick; the Queen was barely functioning and Ahamo had retreated within himself. Glitch had taken up residence in a chair next to the bed and hadn't budged in days and Raw couldn't be in the room with the emotions so strong.

For her part, DG was barely holding it together. Her sister was lying unconscious, and they didn't know if she would recover. She felt as if a vice was squeezing around her heart. The world was closing in on her and she didn't know what to do with herself. Most days she sat across from Glitch and just talked to Az about whatever came into her mind; everything from the trip to Australia she had been contemplating to the awful outfit she had worn at her waitressing job on the Other Side. But even as the words left her mouth she wondered if they would do any good, and she wished for the return of the one person who always seemed to calm her.

They went nearly two weeks without any sign that Az was going to wake, and the waiting only got harder. The weight on DG's chest seemed to get heavier every day, never easing. Desperation clawed at her but she knew she couldn't let it show. In her mind it was up to her to hold them all together, as if they would all unravel if she did. So she sat next to the bed, but she couldn't bring herself to talk. There was too much in her head.

"Anything?" Jeb asked from the doorway.

She shook her head sadly. "Nothing, not a damn thing." Her head dropped into her hands. "Anything on your front?"

He responded with the slightest of smiles. "Actually, there is something there. There was evidently some kind of hold up when they went through the fields of the Papay, but he just got back."

DG felt her heart pound as emotion took her over. She glanced briefly between Jeb and her sister, not at all sure what to do.

"Go, I'll sit with her until Glitch comes back," he told her quietly.

She nodded with a watery smile, and in the next instant she was on her feet and racing through the palace. She had expected the weight to ease, but whether it was the air being forced through her lungs as she ran or the fears on her shoulders, she didn't feel the relief she sought.

As she sped through the doors and out towards the gates their security team had insisted on she felt tears start to fall uncontrollably. It was clear that she had to look a complete mess, but it was the last thing she would bother to care about, because there he was; dusty coat slung over his horse's saddle, sleeves rolled to the elbow, worn fedora low over his eyes.

It was the murmurs from his men that drew his attention away from his mount. When he turned to see DG speeding toward him with tears streaming from her eyes his heart clenched painfully as worry washed over him. "Darlin' what's wrong?" She only shook her head, and all Cain could do was catch her as she threw herself into his arms. "What happened, are you okay?"

She shook her head before pressing her cheek to his chest. "I..."

"Sweetheart." Fingers tangled in her hair and he tilted her head gently so he could see her eyes; those bright blue eyes looking up at him swimming with tears. "Tell me what's happened."

"Az, there was this kid, this stupid kid… He shot her four times. Jeb and I were there and we couldn't… we couldn't…."

An image flashed through Cain's head at her words. He could see Az falling in front of DG's eyes, and the sudden knowledge that it could have been his son or the woman in his arms in the same position made his blood run cold. "How is Az?"

Pain lanced through her eyes and she shook her head once more. "She hasn't woken up, they don't know if she will."

"Darlin', you didn't have to leave her to come and meet me."

"But I did, I really did." She pressed her ear to the strong beat of his heart. "I wanted you here, needed you."

That made him feel just a little bit worse, knowing that he hadn't been there when she had really needed him. "I'm so sorry Darlin'."

A shuddering breath swept through her. "You couldn't have known."

"No," he said quietly, sweeping his thumb over her cheek. "But I'm here now."

"Yeah, and I come running like a crazy person into an entire regiment," she said with a soft smile.

Wyatt shook his head and bent to brush a sweet kiss over her lips. "If you hadn't I would have come running for you."

Note From The Author-- I was going to just say what happens, but that seems pretty half assed, so there will be a second follow up chapter