A True Cowboy
Disclaimer: Do not own any characters or original plot of the Tin Man series, I just like to play with them every once in a while. I am making no profit off of this ficlet.
A/N: Just to give you guys an idea of how this came to mind, we had a huge rodeo in my hometown this past weekend, and all I could think of watching the cowboys is how good our own tin man would look doing some of the events. To clam my own fan girl giddiness, I made this fiction. It is a one shot, so please enjoy.
DG pondered her predicament as she sat out on her balcony that over looked the main courtyard of the palace. It looked like there was so kind of to do in the courtyard and more than likely she was going to have to attend with the rest of the stiff shirts that her mother undoubtedly invited. Maybe she could play sick- or even jump off the balcony and end it all. Anything to escape another stuffy event like the last five balls she's had to attend.
She chuckled to herself at the thought of sneaking out the back with a cloak over her. Maybe she could try to glamour herself another face. Even though that didn't work out so great last time. It took her a month to completely change her eyes back to their normal color.
It was worth the risk if she had made it. No thanks to Wyatt Cain.
Ah Wyatt Cain. Ex-tin man and best friend, but horrible bodyguard when it came time for her escape attempts. He caught her every time, even through glamour and spells. Even if he did stop her, she appreciated him. Besides Azkadellia, he was the only one she was able to talk to about anything in the past six months that she's been back in the O.Z. Not to mention she has noticed an attraction to him and especially to his pants and fedora.
"Princess?" a light tap was rattled on the door as he popped his head in.
'Well, speak of the devil,' DG smiled and ran to the door to swing a hug around Cain's shoulders with a small laugh, "Good morning, Cain. I was wondering when you'd get up here."
He laughed a little and hugged her back. He's been giving her a lot of those lately, "Sorry about that, I had to help with some of the preparations below."
"Please don't tell me it's another garden party. I was about to blow chunks at the last one," she put a hand over her mouth to elaborate her point, "Can't you like accidentally shoot the next suitor that comes up to me or something?"
He laughed again and she had found that she liked the sound of it. It wasn't something that she heard often.
"No accidental shootings today, princess," he looked her over and nodded in approval of her attire. She was wearing her makeshift jeans again and a light top with what looked like a tank top underneath. She tilted her head to the side as his eyes met hers again, "And you're dressed for it too."
"Dressed for what?" she asked now intrigued.
"I wonder if you ever heard of a rodeo?" he asked and immediately her eyes lit up.
"Cain, did you somehow forget that I grew up in Kansas?" she asked as if it explained everything. He stood stunned for a moment and she laughed, "Yes, I have. What about them?"
"I have a surprise for you," he took her by the hand and led her out of her room and down the staircase.
"Where are we going?" DG asked as they rushed through the palace.
"Every annual the Tin Men from around the kingdom come to challenge themselves and others in a rodeo for the royals," Cain explained with a grin, "You're parents are on a political journey to Munchikinland so it's going to be put on for you and your sister for the first time since the dark reign of the witch."
"You're kidding me!" DG smiled wider at the man ahead of her who now had an amused smirk on his face.
"No kidding about it, kiddo," he chuckled, "You interested in going?"
"Absolutely!" she nearly skipped up next to him, "A Tin Man rodeo. Who would have thought? You going to do an event?"
"We'll see, kid," he smirked.
"So Az is coming too?" DG asked. She never really pegged her sister to be one for men running around on horses and roping cattle. They did rope cattle here in the O.Z., right?
"She's already in her seat," he opened the doors to the court yard and DG could see Azkadellia in one of two seats that were right over where she believed the shoots to be. It was amazing how a few dozen Tin Men could transform a royal courtyard to a rodeo arena in the matter of a morning. Cain turned her toward the seat where Azkadellia was settling in next to who looked like Glitch, "You got the other seat of honor waiting for you."
"Seat of honor, nothing!" DG grinned and grabbed his arm, "Cain, I grew up a Kansas girl. I know how to ride and how to help. I'm going behind the scenes."
Cain was about to argue, but knew he wouldn't win. Especially with those blue eyes looking up at him. He nodded reluctantly and she smiled.
"I'm going to tell Glitch he could sit in my seat for the rodeo and then I'll be down to help with the horses," she patted him in the arm and ran up to her sister to tell her where she was going to be. Azkadellia nodded and hugged her sister before DG headed back down next to Cain, "Okay, let's get going, cowboy."
DG watched from the fence line by the shoots as man after man rode the bucking broncos and roped a different kind of cattle. It was the same build of the ones back home, but these were different colors. Apparently most Tin Men were cowboys on this side and for this DG was glad and wouldn't have it any other way.
"You'll enjoy this next section of riders, DG," Cain settled next to her on the fence and looked toward the west side of the arena.
An announcer with a metal cone yelled into the crowd, "And now we have the women! Barrel turns!"
"I love barrel racing!" DG cheered with the crows and Cain smiled. She remembered when she used to go out with some of her friends to empty fields and challenge each other on their times for racing around three rocks perfect for practicing. Cain could only grin when he saw the sparkle in her eyes. She had lost that a little over the few months. All the politics and classes of being a princess was getting to her and she just needed to be DGevery once in a while. Thankfully he could give that to her today.
"So are these women Tin Men also?" DG asked as she knew that there were female officers on the other side, she wondered if there were on this side as well.
"No, most of these girls are wives or daughters of the men who serve," Cain explained, "We also use them in operations that need an undercover woman's role."
The first girl that they watched did well not to over turn any barrels, but she swung wide on the first two barrels. DGclapped and commented on the next five who went after the first. Cain was impressed on how much she knew about handling a horse.
"You have to watch this last one, DG. She's the daughter of a friend of mine from my patrolling days. She's younger than you, but she can-" he turned to his side to find empty air beside him. She got past him again, "DG?"
The last competitor that he was describing when out and did pretty well, but Cain didn't see. He was worried out of his mind trying to find a lost princess.
"It seems like we have a final competitor," the announcer laughed to the crowd as his eyes settled over the last minute entry, "Princess DG herself!"
"What?!" Cain ran to the fence line and looked at DG sitting upon a blue-grey mare that he recognized from the royal stables. Every time they go out riding, DG always picked her since the mare was the fastest in the stables.
"We haven't had a princess as a competitor since the reign of Queen Analade. Good luck, princess."
DG waved at him and took off. She passed the flag, cornered the first barrel close, the same with the second. Cain could hear Azkadellia and Glitch whistle and cheer for DG as she kept tight to the barrels. She rounded the last barrel and headed to the straight away. Most of the Tin Men and the crowd was standing and cheering her on, including her bodyguard. She crossed the line with a large smile on her face.
"A nice looking ride for our princess," the announcer stood astounded, "And a time of fifteen-point-three-seven. That puts the princess at second place in the standings. A very nice ride indeed."
She waved to the crowd, handed the reigns of the horse to a stable hand and patted the nose of the horse affectionately. She then climbed over the fence line and landed right beside Cain. He smirked at her to hide his surprise.
"Full of surprises, you are."
"Aren't I though?" she grinned.
"And now ladies and gentleman, it's time for our last event… the bull riding!"
"And that's my cue," he ruffled her hair as her jaw dropped. She always had a thing for certain bull riders. It's even better knowing that her favorite Tin Man was also a rider.
"And first up is a real treat. We have a champion in our midst. Three time champion Wyatt Cain is up first on Suicide Mission!"
"And a three time champion to boot," DG climbed next to his pin and leaned toward him as he got ready, "I'm not the only one full of surprises."
"There's still a lot you don't know about me, princess," he replied.
"Ah, we'll change that once I make you tell me about your whole life," she giggled and then looked him in the eyes seriously, "Careful out there, Cain."
"It's okay, princess. I've done it before."
DG leaned closer and kissed him quickly on his cheek, "I know what bulls can do. So be careful."
He sat stunned for a moment, "I promise I'll be careful."
"It looks like the champ is getting some good luck from the princess. Not that he'd need it," the announcer blurted to the crowd. If the O.Z. had the technology for a electronic scoreboard DG was sure that she and Cain would have been on it at that moment. The crowd roared and DG blushed before stepping to the side to watch his ride and cheer him on.
The gate jumped open and the bull began to kick. It jumped in the air and kicked furiously to get Cain off of his back. Amazingly enough Cain's hat stayed on his head and a free hand in the air. DG cheered and whistled at the ride. The timers rang the bell and the crowd cheered. Another man came around on a horse and helped Cain off the back of the bull and to the ground. Thankfully the cull ran into the back and Cain hopped over the fence where DG promptly jumped into him for a hug.
"Great ride, cowboy!" she smiled as he swung her in his arms.
"And the champ doesn't disappoint," the announcer laughed, "That was an eighty-nine point ride. I think he has another bullet in his future."
"Bullet?" DG tilted her head.
"You'll see later," Cain patted her on the back and watched as the next bull rider stepped up.
"None of the others even came close!" DGjumped excitedly and held Cain's prize in her hand as they walked her back to her room after the end of the rodeo. It was a giant golden colored bullet with the event etched into its side. Fitting for him, "I'd say you deserve something a bit more than a bullet, Cain."
"Yeah? And what would that be?" he stopped with her hand on his arm.
"This," she went on her tip toes, leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, "God job, cowboy."
"And where do you think you're going?" he pulled her back to him when she tried to pull away from him. He kissed her back with a bit more pressure than she had.
This was the day that DG ad discovered that Wyatt Cain, her Tin Man, was an honest to God true cowboy. Fedora and all.