AN; I wrote this ages ago, but have only just gotten around to typing it up. I know that it's a bit late, but this is how I really wanted it to end, so here it is.
Disclaimer: I don't own Tin Man, though if anyone knows where I can find Cain. . . .
"Have you guys seen Raw?"
DG's voice pulled Cain out of the trance he had been in while staring down at all the long-coats surrounding the witch's tower.
It was Glitch who answered the princess. "I uh, think he's lost his nerve."
DG stood and headed for Raw, Glitch hot on her trail. Cain sighed and rolled his eyes at his son before getting up to follow the other two.
He stood at the edge of the trees, looking nonchalant by checking his gun. But his mind was racing. The tiny slip of a girl – no, woman who was currently giving their friends a pep talk had thawed his frozen heart. She'd torn down the walls he'd so carefully constructed to keep himself from feeling too much. Now, because of her, he felt a lot of things. Mostly for her, goddamn it. And she had no idea.
Well, now was the time to tell her. Now, before they entered the tower and separated, perhaps for good if something happened to him, or, Gods forbid, her. Yes, he had to tell her now.
Glitch and Raw passed him and now Cain was aware that he and the princess were very much alone. Tell her, he urged himself.
But when he opened his mouth, the words he'd intended to say did not come out. Instead, he said, "I know what you're doing, kid. I've led men through battle myself."
Cain cursed himself. Where the hell had his courage disappeared to? Was he a Tin Man or not?
DG spoke and he pulled himself back. "And um, how am I doing?"
"Well there's less hugging when I do it." His lips turned upward into that small secret smile that he saved just for her. "But not so bad."
DG looked at the ground. "We better get going."
"Look," he stopped her, fully intending to tell her this time. But his courage once again deserted him. Goddamn it! He was turning out to be more of a coward than Raw. Maybe she should have give him that pep talk instead. "You may not be able to save your sister." Well, that much was true. "So if our plan doesn't work, you will try to get out of there, right?" She had to get out. If something happened to her. . .
He continued, feeling as though his heart was in his throat. Why did he have to feel anything at all? And for a damn princess. "This is the one time that I'm not going to be there to help."
DG offered him a small smile. "You've already helped me, Mr. Cain."
Mr. Cain? Were they back to formalities already? "I'm serious." He had to make her understand. "Don't go up there and lose your head and forget about what's really important." You, he added in his head.
She looked at him with defiance in her eyes. "What's really important is family." Now she looked at the ground. "I cant remember who taught me that."
Cain sighed, desperately trying to think of something to say that would make her understand what she meant to him. But Cain had never been good at expressing his feelings. Why should this time be any different?
Her hand appeared in his line of sight and made him look up at her again. "Good luck, Mr. Cain." Her voice was quiet, slightly breathless as though she were trying not to cry.
Cain looked back down at the hand she offered and mentally shook himself. He couldn't let her go with nothing but a handshake. Meeting her eyes, he saw all the times she'd reached out to him, the hug she'd given him when he found her in the Tower. No, a handshake wouldn't do. If he couldn't tell her, then by the Gods he could show her.
He took the hand she offered and thought he saw hurt flash across the young woman's face. Then, giving her no time to protest, he pulled her towards him and kissed her. He poured all the words he'd wanted to say, all the feelings he'd been trying to convey in those words, into that kiss.
DG had been hurt when Cain took her hand. She had thought that he felt something for her, but she was obviously wrong. But then he'd pulled her towards him and covered her lips with his own. He was gentle, his mouth moving softly across hers. But at the same time, it felt slightly desperate. Well, she felt desperate too. She wrapped her arms round his neck and pulled him closer.
Cain almost groaned. One of his hands moved to the back of her head, burying itself into her hair while the other slipped around her waist and pulled her flush against him.
This was the sight the greeted Jeb when he came looking for them. He felt his blood begin to boil at his father. How dare he kiss another woman when his mother had only been in the ground for a few months? A part of him understood that his father would have to move on, but this was much too soon.
"Father?" he gasped.
Cain and DG broke apart. DG blushed and tried to pull away from him, but Cain simply held on tighter. DG stopped struggling and buried her burning face in Cain's chest.
"What's going on here?" Jeb asked.
Cain smiled softly. "I think you're old enough to know what's going on."
"What about Mother?" he demanded angrily. "She's been gone less than an annual and you're-"
"You're mother has been dead for me ever since they put me in that suit," Cain explained gently. "I grieved for her, and want nothing more than end the war that took her life. But I also have to move on." Unconsciously, he stroked a hand over DG's hair.
Jeb wanted to say more. He wanted to defend his mother, wanted to imagine that his father would never love anyone else and stay true to Adora. But that would make his life empty, and after eight years in that iron suit, his father deserved to be happy. He was right. His mother had been gone a long time for his father.
"I understand," Jeb said finally. Because he did. He smiled at his father and the woman in his arms. "Welcome to the family, DG. I'll give you two a minute." He left, his heart lighter than it had been since his mother had died.
Cain looked down at the woman he held against him. "DG? DG, look at me."
DG lifted her head to look at him, her cheeks still red.
"I don't have any fancy words to tell you how I feel. I wish I did, but I've never been good with words. I usually let my actions do the talkin' for me." He smiled, but it quickly faded. "DG, I understand if you don't, but I have to know. Do you feel the same way? Do you love me?"
DG smiled and looked away. "Men are so dumb."
Cain felt slightly confused. "Is that a yes?"
"Let me ask you a question, Tin Man. Do you love me?"
"It feels that way," Cain admitted. "I don't want to be without you, and when I am, you're all I can think about. I'd say that points towards some pretty serious feelings."
"Say it, Wyatt," DG whispered. "Tell me how you feel."
His expression softened. "I love you, Princess."
DG framed his face with her hands. "I love you too, Wyatt."
Cain felt a thrill when she said his name. It was the first time she'd ever used it, but it sounded so right on her lips. He laughed, feeling as though he could fly and kissed her.
"Father?"
It was Jeb again. Cain loved his son, he loved him dearly, and he wanted nothing more than to get to know the man he had become. But did he have to keep interrupting? He broke from the kiss and looked towards his boy.
"It's time."
Cain nodded and turned back to DG with a grim look on his face. "Let's do this."
Thankfully, they managed to get into the Tower with no problems. The long-coats were too busy trying to stop the explosions to really notice them. Raw had told them where they had to go and now came the part that Cain dreaded. The part where DG would go to face her sister alone. Cain wanted to go with her, wanted to stay at her side, but he understood that she needed to do this on her own.
"Good luck," was alll he said, though he wanted to say so much more.
But there wasn't time. The eclipse had already begun and they needed to shut down the machine before the darkness became permanent. He couldn't let his thoughts dwell on her. He couldn't worry about her. He needed to concentrate. But what he could do was make things easier for her by shutting down the machine.
They had almost done it when the damn Alchemist shocked him. He thanked the Gods that the effect didn't last long because it was his shooting arm. He knew he only had one shot and took aim as carefully as he could. But they spotted him and a long-coat shot him. In his damn shooting arm again! As he was propelled through the doors, his last thought before he blacked out was that he needed that bloody arm.
He came too not long after. His arm felt as though it were on fire. He could hear the Alchemist turning the machine back on, and he couldn't let that happen. Thoughts of DG flashed through his mind. Slowly, so as not to draw attention to himself (he didn't want to get shot or shocked again) he pulled his razor out and opened it. Then he threw it as hard as he could at the bastard who had shot him. Glitch quickly took care of the other long-coat but was shocked by the Alchemist. Surprisingly it was Raw who then took care of the Alchemist. It looked like Raw had found his courage.
Cain woke Glitch up, needing the last number. But Glitch couldn't remember what the final number was to turn off the machine. Cain felt slightly desperate. He grabbed his gun. He couldnt think of any other option. He would have to shoot Glitch's brain. It wasn't something he wanted to do. But the machine had to be shut down and this was the only way he could think of. But Raw stopped him. And thank the Gods, Glitch remembered the last number and they shut the machine down.
Cain felt like laughing, but his worry for DG returned immediately. They had shut down the machine. Had she managed to save her sister? Was she okay? Had Az hurt her?
"Come on," he said to the others. "We need to find DG. Raw?"
"This way." He motioned for them to follow him.
Cain wanted to run. He needed to see DG, needed to hold her. Raw seemed to feel his anxiety.
"DG safe. With family. War over. Witch gone, Azkedellia free."
Raw's words calmed him some, but he needed to see for himself that she was okay. As they walked, Raw healed his shoulder slightly, at least enough to stop the bleeding, but it still ached. But when they walked into what appeared to be the witch's quarters and saw DG hugging her family, the pain disappeared. She was safe. She was okay.
Her head popped from the hug and she smiled, walking towards them. Cain actually felt nervous as well as proud. Would she still want him?
She stopped before them. Glitch and Raw bowed. Cain took off his hat. "Thank you," was all she said, reaching out to them. Glitch hugged her first, then Raw, who lifted her off her feet. Then she turned to Cain.
He held out his good arm, not caring for the moment if she still wanted him. He just wanted to hold her. But her face turned up to his as the gap between them closed. Their lips met. Cain didnt care that they had an audience, didn't care that her parents were watching. He pulled her closer, wanting to feel her whole and safe. She clutched at him tighter. Eventually, they broke apart, their foreheads touching,
"I love you, Wyatt Cain," she whispered breathlessly.
He kissed her again, unable to help himself. "I love you too, darlin'."
DG beamed and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the balcony, where her family stood waiting. Cain saw the shock on Glitch's face and the smile on Raw's and almost laughed. Glitch's face was a picture.
Cain held DG close as they stood, staring down at the OZ. Then, one of the most beautifiul sights Cain had ever seen. The suns coming out from behind the moon, lighting every corner of the OZ.
"That's the OZ I remember," DG smiled. She held Cain tighter as she said, "I'm so glad to be home."