A/N: I swear I'll get off the whole Cain/DG train soon – this is one was just really on my mind. Besides, real life always makes more sense if you translate it into fanfiction. Haha
DG had always loved libraries. Something about being surrounded by books – each one a chance to begin a new adventure – made her feel right at home. And libraries were the same everywhere. Sure they might be decorated differently, but where it counted they were all alike. Consistent. Unchanging. The books were always there. That was why she found herself sitting quietly in the Royal Library at Finaqua at 2am on a Thursday morning, pondering the latest curve life had thrown at her.
Life seemed to be having a real laugh with her these days. Throwing her into another world, proclaiming her a princess, sending her off to save the day from a wicked witch. And of course leading her to Wyatt Cain. That, she decided, had been the biggest curve of all. It was something that had in turn brought her to life, destroyed her, and rebuilt her again. Or at least, she was in the process of being rebuilt. It would take a little more time than she'd thought.
DG sighed, looking out the tall windows that surrounded her into an inky sky. Stars winked faintly back at her.
"What am I supposed to do now?" she asked them quietly, "The fairytales don't tell you what happens when things don't work out."
That's because in fairytales things always work out, reminded a small voice in her head.
"Right," DG replied to it, "Well here I am, an ordinary girl who discovered she's a princess and saved the kingdom while making new friends along the way. Isn't that basically a recipe for the perfect fairytale? Aren't I supposed to get some sort of happy ending? Isn't the man I love supposed to love me back?"
She bit her lip after the last statement, not wanting to say it aloud even when she was alone. This wasn't the way it had felt when she'd been rejected by boys in high school. Back then she would get angry, or lash out, or see it as unfair. But when she had told Wyatt Cain that she was in love with him and he had told her that he loved her, none of those feelings had come along. Hurt was there of course, and in a big way. He was the only man she had ever cried over. DG had a no-nonsense approach to love, and up until this point she had always just reminded herself that this guy wasn't worth her time or tears, and moved on. But she was discovering that she couldn't move on from Cain. And that was what killed her. The idea that for the rest of her life she might be feeling this way about him, and he would never reciprocate. The idea that maybe he was the one man she was meant to be with, but she wasn't the woman for him. It killed her.
Or at least it had. For a long time, it had killed her. DG had spent one month avoiding Cain in every possible way and speaking to him only when necessary. She had told him that this was what she needed – to move on, to get over him. He had understood.
But then one night without warning he had knocked on her door. When she answered, he told her he missed her, and he was sorry for anything he'd ever done that might have inadvertently hurt her. DG knew she couldn't refuse him, and what's more she knew he honestly needed her. They had become friends again. Unfortunately, just when she'd build up a good level of numbness and general 'hey, the right guy is still out there somewhere' attitude, it shattered. It shattered the moment they hugged again.
DG could have cursed herself for actually thinking that it would be so easy to move on. She was finally beginning to accept that she would always be in love with Wyatt Cain, and it was that thought that brought her to the library. The library, where things always made sense and were always the same. It didn't matter if she was in Kansas or The OZ, if her heart was whole or shattered … the library was still the same, and still a source of comfort.
"Princess?"
DG froze, hoping against hope that it wasn't who she knew it was.
"DG are you in here?" the voice came again.
"Yeah," she replied, her voice sounding strangled.
Cain emerged from the shadows and came to join her on the window seat, sighing as he did so.
"We should talk."
"I think we've talked enough," DG replied with a weak laugh.
"I don't mean for your sake," he replied, "I mean for mine."
It was DG's turn to sigh. She curled her legs against her chest to make more room for him, wondering how long this would last.
"Okay," she said, "Shoot."
"I know this might be hard for you to hear," he began, "But I need to say it, and I need you to listen. Can you do that?"
"Cain, I fought a wicked witch possessing my sister a few months ago. I think I can handle whatever you have to say."
He smiled at her sarcasm, and she wondered if he knew that it was just a thin veil over her emotions.
"Okay kid," he replied, looking out the window as he began to speak, "From the day I met you, you were something else. We've been through a hell of a lot together, and through it all you've proven again and again that you're incredible. You're determined, smart, and always loyal to your friends. Those are qualities most of The OZ has been lacking lately." He turned back to face her, "And you're in love with me."
DG winced slightly at hearing it so directly, but continued to look him in the eye.
"And I'm a better man for it," Cain continued, "You saved me in so many ways DG, I can never repay you. And I love you – I love you more than almost anyone I've ever met. You need to know that."
He looked to her for some sort of confirmation, and she nodded.
"But what you're telling me now, that you're in love with me … those are big words kid, I wonder if you understand exactly how big."
"I understand," she cut in strongly, "I wouldn't have said it unless I knew exactly what it meant."
Cain smiled, "I figured you weren't the type to blow a meaningless crush out of proportion."
"Well thank God you figured that one out," she replied, allowing more sarcasm to drip from her mouth.
"Guess I'm a little slow sometimes," he muttered, more to himself than to her, "The thing is DG, you're the first woman to say that to me in a long time, and I … I don't know how to respond to it. I don't know how to respond to what I feel for you. Hell, I can't even figure out what I feel for you. But I would be lost without you."
DG gave him a sad smile before saying softly, "I think I'll always be in love with you Cain."
"I hope so," he replied, taking her off guard, "Because … what I'm trying to say with all of this is that I think I could fall in love with you. I know that I could, I know that I will. But I need time. I'm not ready for this yet, and you deserve a man who can be in it heart and soul." With those words, he took one of DG's hands, brushing his thumb lightly along her knuckles, "DG, I need to ask something of you that is so unfair I can hardly say it."
"What?"
"Will you wait for me?"
She was silent, and he continued.
"I just need time. I know it's wrong for me to even ask this of you, but I also know that what I feel for you is only going to grow. I'm not used to it, I'm out of practice, but I know it's there. And I just … will you wait for me? Please?"
He had been looking at her their hands while he spoke, and when he looked up again DG could see that there were tears in his eyes.
"How could you even ask me that?" she asked in a whisper, "Cain, I'm in love with you. Nothing will ever change that. Ever. I would wait a thousand years for you."
"I don't deserve you."
DG shook her head, getting up from the window seat as he followed suite, their hands still linked. She turned to face him and placed her other hand in his.
"Don't ever say that," she said, "You're all I want Wyatt. I could never be happy with anyone but you."
At those words he pulled her into a tight hug, allowing himself to believe that just maybe this woman had the patience and faith that could help him heal. He had been so afraid when he'd found her tonight, afraid that she would walk away and move on. Cain didn't understand how she could be willing to do this for him, but she had just saved his life.
"I promise you won't regret this," he whispered.
"I never could," she replied.
DG had always loved libraries. They were so constant, so unchanging … and sometimes, like tonight, they held second chances too.
A/N: I found writing this story to be very therapeutic, so I hope you liked it! Reviews are unspeakably wonderful.
