I paced up and down the room. I was supposed to be resting, but couldn t. As DGs protection detail, I 'm supposed to be with the princess every waking moment. Including her midnight trips to the kitchen for one of those 'experiments' she called a midnight snack. I Knew with everything she had been through, the youngest princess shouldn t be left alone, knew better than just about anyone how headstrong she could be.

And headstrong attracted trouble.

But the queen had ordered me (royal decree and every thing, with a confused Glitch trying to look like some royal official. He would have pulled it off had he remembered not to wave and smile at me.) to take some time off and relax. But I simply couldn t.

I tried everything that used to help me unwind. Reading, whittling polishing my gun. But nothing seemed to work. I opted for a brisk walk. After I put on my duster, pulled my hat low and -out of habit- grabbed my gun and holster. I had barely stepped out of the confined palace grounds when I heard a loud ruckus and repeated Clang Clang Clang.
Slightly curious and very wary, I made my way toward the noise and pulled out my gun, then stopped in surprise.

The ruckus was DGs "tricked out stereo" an old radio Glitch had modified to DGs specifications to play music from Kansas.

I mighta guessed.

The mysterious clanging noise continued rhythmically as I approached.

Right now, she's probably up singing some white-trash version of Shania karaoke..

Id heard this song before. One of DGs favorites.

"DG" I called, putting my gun away. I stepped on something that made a dull crunching noise and looked down.

An empty beer can. Great. The kid was drinking.

I've known DG for about 2 annuals. I know DG pretty well. She s feisty, with a hot temper when necessary.

And I did not want to see what she was like liquored up.

"DG? What are you doin?"

She couldn t hear me, the music was too loud, and she was singing. Slightly off key due to the alcohol its true. But I was gonna have to get closer and I really really didn t want to.

I rounded the last corner and DG was in full view. She stood in a small clearing with four or five half destroyed jeeps and some rusted old barrels. I caught sight of her just as she set down her beer and took up a long wood club.

" ...name into his leather seats, I took a Louisville slugger to both - Hey!"

DG swiveled around to see why her music had stopped. She lifted her club and approached me menacingly "This better be good Tin man." She growled. I shrugged and popped open a beer, sitting on an overturned barrel. What it held, I didn t even want to guess at.

"I could ask the same of you Kiddo. How many of these you had?" I asked holding up the beer.

DG shrugged "More 'n a couple- not nearly enough." she murmured. I opened my mouth to protest but DG was too wound up to stop there.
"I been drunk before Cain. Kansas is the most boring place on the planet- or universe... Universes? I cant keep track anymore. The life I remember isn t mine and I cant remember the first thing about my REAL life" DG growled, taking her club and swinging it at a nearby jeep. So that s what had made the noise.

" Listen kid. I get that you re frustrated. I do. But I don t think drinkin your pain away is the answer. I saw what one too many can do and it ain t pretty."

"You hit the bars after clocking out when you were on the beat?" DG grinned slyly. "Regular barfly off hours?"

"No." I replied soberly, though the memory turned my stomach. "But Zero was. Its how we met. A few of these and he would beat his girlfriend. Pretty girl, but always covered in bruises. Everyone knew but no one wanted to get involved." DGs eyes went round as saucers. It still amazed me her eyes could get that round.

"What happened to her? " She asked in awe. "That creep didn t get her to marry him did he?"

"Nope. I did." I grinned at the expression on DGs face. "Adora. She was supposed to marry Zero. He was always babbling on about being a lord of Ev or somethin like that. Made himself sound real important. So her parents wanted her to marry him. And bein the sweet girl she is- was- she wanted to make em happy. Make them proud you know?"

DG nodded in understanding. She told me once she was asked to give up drawing when she was younger. Some boyfriend of hers. As soon as she gives me a name and address you better believe him and I (and my gun ) are having a 'chat'.

"Well turns out Zero was just a drunken disgraced slouch who liked to pound on women. finally she got fed up and I helped her get out of there."

"Well good for her" DGgrinned and went back to pounding the jeep. "I had a teacher- real sadist that guy. He liked to pick on students. Especially girls." She shrugged and went back to hitting the jeep.

"I thought you and Glitch were gonna take that and fix it up so you had something to travel through the realms in." I wouldn t let her have a cycle. For starters they were far too dangerous. At least with a jeep I could ride shotgun. I didn t blame the kid for wanting her freedom, and knew I couldn t shut her in a glass case and make her sit still either. So we decided she could get a jeep and 'pimp it out' (as DG put it) to her taste and let her drive around.

"Yeah that one." She pointed to a jeep that had been painted bright purple. for the first time I considered trying the vapors.

I shook my head. "So what are you doing with this one?"

"Therapy"

"Therapy?" I repeated watching her wind up for another swing.

"Mr. Cain, I m a stranger in my own life. I live in a fairyland. As a princess. A magical princess. Now where I come from- or where I remember coming from- you get put in a padded room for that. So I get a little stressed."

"And this helps the stress?"

"Sure try it." DG handed me the club and took a seat on the barrel next to mine.

I shrug and set down my beer then examined the club. So that s a Louisville slugger.
What is it with the kid and sticks?

I shut my eyes and swung.

BAM the rest of the glass in the windshield was gone, one of the headlights and there was a large dent in the hood where one hadn t been before.

"Whhooo " Dg cheered from her barrel. "That was awesome! How do you feel?"

"Better" I admitted, taking another swing. DG whooped again and put her radio back on.

He s a good time cowboy Casanova

Leaning up against the record machine

Looks like a cool drink of water

But he s candy-coated misery

"But he s candy-coated miseryyyyyyyy" I laughed as Dg began to sing along.

I handed the Louisville slugger back and watched her pound away. After a while she came back with a rusted crowbar. "Here you can't miss all the fun"

I grinned and turned to an untouched jeep.

What are you two doing? A familiar voice asked. I turned to see Raw and Glitch standing there.

DG grinned. "Hey guys, come join the party?" She said, tossing a beer to Raw.

"What are you doing?" Glitch repeated. It sounded intentional so I figured I'd answer.

"Remember when you said I needed professional help?"

He thought for a moment and then shook his head. "No but since you mention it that wouldn t be a bad idea. What with your boy scout syndrome-"

"Well I got the next best thing." I grinned and took another swing at the jeep. Glitch shrugged and sat beside Raw, who was laughing unapologetically at Dgs singing.

I looked to the kid. In time she would heal.

Sure we were a little messed up and yeah beating the hell outta some jeeps wasn t really gonna fix us.

But for the first time I really knew for absolute certainty .

We were gonna be alright.