"My darling, why do allow yourself to be sad?" Adora held Cain's face between her soft hands.
He gave her a weak smile, "how can I be happy without you by my side?"
"You have family and friends with you, Darling, you do not need to be alone."
"You're the only one for me, Adora." Cain said, seriously.
"But, I am no longer there for you." She patted his cheek and kissed the tip of his nose. "It's time you found happiness, my love." He shook his head, it wouldn't happen, but the smile Adora gave him said otherwise. She gently let him go from the dream. "There is someone out there for you, you've already met them."
Cain walked the palace grounds, bored. Since he'd allowed Jeb to take over most of the training for the guard there wasn't much for an old Tin Man to do. He scrubbed at his face, the dreams he'd been having of Adora were leaving him more than exhausted. And he couldn't understand why he was dreaming about her trying to push him off on someone else. Cain would never love another, he knew this.
"Cain!" He turned, Glitch running towards him. His tail coats were flapping behind him and his mess of hair dancing around on his head. The silly smile sliding across his face was infectious and Cain found himself matching it without trying. "Come with me," Glitch wrapped his hand around Cain's arm and started tugging him toward the castle. "I've invented the most..." Glitch kept talking, a mile a minute, and Cain happily followed.
Trying to put Glitch's two brains back together had failed, miserably, but the adviser was little effected by it. He still invented, tinkered, had general fun in his lab with half his brain. He had assistants who made sure nothing he created was dangerous, and on the few occasions that they were, Glitch was always more than willing to get rid of them. Or try again. He loved trying again.
"So?" Glitch asked once he'd explained all the small details of this new invention.
Cain grinned, "another brilliant idea, Zipperhead." Glitch beamed.
They were laying on the grassy knoll near the cabin. The sun warmed their skin and Adora's laugh rang out along the trees. "Oh, Darling," she sighed, rolling to her side to look down at him. "You still make me laugh."
Cain ran his fingers through her hair. "I'll always make you laugh my love, I love seeing you happy."
She laid down, resting her head on his shoulder. "Do you know what else would make me happy?" she mumbled into his skin.
"What is that my love?" he pet her hair softly.
"If you would settle down. I already have someone in mind. They have such a kind spirit." Adora laughed at the look of confusion on Cain's face, "oh, my love, if only you would open your eyes."
Cain groaned dropping down on the ground, using the trunk behind him to rest against. "How much farther for this flower, Glitch, I'm exhausted."
Glitch frowned, looking down at Cain. "You've been exhausted for a few weeks now, Cain." He dropped next to him and pressed his palm to Cain's forehead. "Have you been feeling ill and not telling anyone? You know what DG said if you got sick again and tried to 'tough it out.'" He looked into Cain's eyes and took his pulse.
Cain pulled away gently, "I'm fine, Glitch. Promise, I'm not sick."
Glitch smiled, "good. We need you around." Glitch settled next to him and got out the lunch DG had packed for them. He handed Cain an apple and kept the orange for himself. "If you're not sick why are you so tired, Cain?"
Cain paused before answering, "I've been having strange dreams."
"About what?" Glitch was focused on taking the skin off his orange.
He hesitated, "Adora." Glitch nodded, but didn't comment. "They're strange, she keeps telling me to find someone."
"She wants you to be happy," Glitch offered. And Cain smiled at how it wasn't strange to Glitch that his deceased wife was invading his dreams trying to get him to settle down. "You should you know."
"I should what?" Cain turned, surprised to see the serious look Glitch was giving him. The zipperhead was always sporting his lopsided grin.
"Find someone. You're not getting any younger, Cain, and you'll not always want to be alone." Glitch patted his arm, grinning again.
You're the most stubborn man I know Wyatt Cain," she turned her glare on him.
"What could I have possible done? I've just got home." He put down the rabbit he'd brought for dinner.
She stalked up to him and put her small hands on his shoulder. "You need to tell him, before you lose him." She flicked his forehead.
Cain was quiet at breakfast, absently he found himself rubbing the spot on his head where Adora had hit him in the dream. When he woke up that morning it had stung and he brushed it off that he must have done something to it in his sleep.
The dream had changed, Adora, who had been so happy and cheerful in the other dreams was suddenly angry and withdrawn. What could have changed? She had said 'him', Cain was going to lose 'him' and he couldn't for his life couldn't figure out who she could mean.
"Good-morning!" Glitch's voice rang out across the table as he took his seat next to Cain.
"You sound like you're having a good morning," DG commented, hiding a giggle behind her hand as her and Azkadellia shared a look. Glitch blushed and set to work on his breakfast. Cain's confused look prompted DG to explain, "Glitch has a lady-friend."
Cain looked at Glitch, who's pale cheeks were inflamed bright red now. "She's only a friend, a fellow lover of science, is all."
"That's why they've been spending late nights..." DG trailed off as the Queen and Ahamo took their seats and breakfast became a quieter affair.
Later in the garden Cain asked hesitantly, "you didn't mention you had a lady-friend."
"She's a young woman going to university. I agreed to take her apprenticeship as a favor to the Queen. Her Majesity knew her parents." Glitch said shortly, "it's nice having someone who is eager to learn and not care that I'm missing half my marbles."
"Hey," Cain held up his hands. "I was only asking Glitch."
Glitch blushed, "sorry. The Princesses have been giving me a hard time about it. Apparently Heather is suffering from...what did DG call it?" Glitch thought for a minute and Cain remembered his dream, about losing 'him.' "Hero worship. Though, I don't see how I'm a hero."
"You are a hero," Cain nudged his shoulder. Glitch gave him that blinding smile.
"You're sneaky my love," Cain said soon as Adora appeared in his dream.
"Am I?" she smiled. "I only wish you to be happy. Will he not make you happy?"
"Glitch makes everyone happy," Cain offered.
"But will he not make your life happy, in particular?" her eyes sparkled.
Cain laughed, "as I said, you're are sneaky."
"Let him know, for me," she kissed him softly.
And Glitch did make him happy. With a smile and a laugh. And a gleefully breathed, "We were starting to think you would never get it." And Cain laughed, Adora was sneaky.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tin Man
Written for kseda's prompt Adora's spirit gives her blessing at comment_fic