Ahamo brought Amelia back to her room later in the day, the Consort clearly wrapped around the little girl's finger as he cooed and reluctantly handed her back to her substitute mother.

"I hope she wasn't too much trouble," DG started, gladly welcoming Amelia back into her arms. She was glad Cain had left to give Jeb a heads up, though she still wasn't clear on whether he was giving his son a head's up about the potential-kind-of-almost shift in their relationship or if he wanted to tell him about Amelia before the palace's network of behind the scenes gossip get to him first.

"She was a dream, Spitfire," Ahamo told her with an easy grin. "But I've no doubt she's going to be a handful when she's older."

Shifting the baby in her arms to get her comfortable, DG smiled a little wistfully. "That's something her parents will have to deal with."

Her father looked at her seriously. "Are you sure they're going to come back for her?"

"I would," DG said honestly, glancing up to look at him. "If she was mine, there's nothing in the Zone that would stop me."

"I get that." He stared at her for a moment longer, his expression thoughtful. "Well, I should be getting back to your mother. I thought Cain would be here..."

"He'll be back." DG squared her shoulders and held his gaze. Though she was confident in her feelings for the Tin Man, she wasn't sure she knew her parents well enough to judge their reaction to the shift in their relationship. Sure, they'd seemed welcoming of Amelia despite her parentage but how much of that was because they knew the little girl couldn't possibly be hers and Cain's in this reality, she didn't know. "Jeb got back to the palace earlier. Cain's gone to tell him about her, just in case someone else tries to get in first."

"Seems sensible." Ahamo hesitated, half turning away towards the door only to turn back to her. "I don't know if it's my place to ask, DG, but are things okay between you?"

"What do you mean?"

"It must've been quite a shock, suddenly sharing a daughter with him." His gaze dropped momentarily to Amelia. "I know you're close to Mr Cain but wasn't aware you had that kind of relationship with him."

"I don't. Well, not really. Not yet." She shrugged, her face growing warm. "We've not really talked about it. We... It's complicated, Dad. I know he left but he said he'd always planned to come back."

"I thought as much." Ahamo nodded knowingly. "And if you love him...?"

"I do," she replied, realising he was waiting for a response. She bit down on her lip. "I know that might sound a little crazy, we've not known each other for long, but I can't pretend there's not something there. I've never been in love before, but it's the only way I can describe how I feel."

Ahamo was silent for a long moment. He seemed to be studying her, though DG didn't know what he was looking for. Eventually, he seemed satisfied with what he saw, a small smile curling his lips. "In that case, it's not complicated at all. Follow your heart, DG, and be happy. That's all your mother, and I ever wanted for you."

"Speaking of Mother," DG said, stopping him as he turned away again. "What did you say to get her to change her mind? She did a complete U-turn, and I have to admit it's completely thrown me."

Her father sighed softly. "Your mother's never intended to hurt you, DG. She's only ever wanted to keep you here, with us, after so many years without you. I simply pointed out that her method of keeping you here, of sending away those she feared would take you from us, was pushing you away from us instead. She loves you. She just doesn't want to lose you."

DG gave him a thoughtful nod as he left, gazing down again at the child in her arms. She thought she could kind of understand her mother's reasoning, though she thought she'd maybe of handled things differently herself.

To DG's surprise, Cain wasn't alone when he returned to her suite. Jeb followed his father into the room, a curious expression on his face that eased into a small smile when DG saw him.

"Princess DG," the younger Cain greeted her, bowing a little.

"No Princess, please." DG smiled at him and, after only the slightest hesitation, moved to hug him in greeting. "It's nice to see you, Jeb. How've you been?"

"I can't complain. We're making good progress tracking down the last of the Longcoats; I don't think it'll be long now before we've got the majority rounded up." His tone was serious but his stance was relaxed; there was so much of his father in him that DG found herself comparing the two men, her lips twitching to form a smile. "I hear you've not been without some excitement here."

She couldn't help it, a bubble of nervous laughter escaped her. "You could say that. It's certainly been an interesting few days."

"Dad did mention something about it." Jeb's gaze shifted to Cain, who met his stare evenly but looked a little flushed. "I would've come with him and Raw but had to stay behind to wrap up a few things up. I'm glad it wasn't the situation they were expecting."

"I don't think it's something anyone could've known to expect," DG admitted. She caught herself wringing her hands, stopping only when Cain moved a little closer and put his hand on her shoulder. "Would you like to meet her? I'm guessing that's why you're here."

Jeb's eyes widened and he lifted a hand to run it through his hair. "I... I don't want to disturb her if she's sleeping."

"Jeb's going back out on the road at first light tomorrow," Cain told her, his hand tightening over her shoulder.

'And if Amelia's parents came back before he did, he might not get the chance to meet the little girl causing such a stir,' DG's mind filled in the blanks. Instead of letting the turmoil she felt at the thought show on her face, she gave a small nod of her head, all the permission Cain needed to let go of her shoulder and venture into her bedroom to get Amelia.

It struck her as a little odd that he'd felt the need to ask her permission; he did, after all, have as much of a claim to the baby as she did. She watched as he returned, cradling Amelia carefully against his chest, and introduced her to the man who could be her half-brother.

Jeb held himself stiff for a few seconds, the initial sight of her a jolt to the system. It was one thing to be told that his father from an alternate reality had fathered a child with the youngest princess, another to see the child in person and realise... and realise that the baby being carefully placed into his arms might one day come to pass in their world, too.

As he held her, Jeb looked up to see his father take up position behind DG once again. He saw the flicker of confusion on DG's face; the Princess didn't yet understand the importance of the moment but Jeb did, as did his father.

This was his father showing him where his heart lay, and asking for his blessing. Having a conversation about it and getting Jeb's blessing was one thing; having Jeb see it in reality and know it was happening was another.

He stared down at the baby in his arms and felt his lips curve up in response when she smiled up at him. Feeling something in his chest soften at the same time as a strong resolve to fiercely protect the little girl with everything he had, his sister, Jeb nodded. He lifted his gaze to his father, saw the hope and fear on his face, and nodded again.

"She's beautiful," Jeb managed, emotion making it hard to speak.

DG looked between the two men, sensing a shift in the room but not knowing what to make of it. Cain relaxed behind her while Jeb appeared to have made peace with something. "She's got everyone wrapped around her little finger, that's for sure."

And Jeb was no exception.

He stayed with them for an hour, only relinquishing the little girl when she started to fuss and DG pronounced it was past her bedtime. As DG took the little girl back to the bedroom to settle her for the night, the Cain men said their goodnights before parting ways.

"Did I miss something there?" DG asked when Cain joined her in her room, closing the door behind him to make it clear he wasn't going anyway. "Between you and Jeb?" Her voice betrayed her nerves and she straightened reluctantly when she realised Amelia was sound asleep. "Is everything okay, Cain?"

"Wyatt," he instructed, his eyes locking on hers as he covered the gap between them to take her in his arms. "My name is Wyatt, Princess."

"Then mine is DG, not Princess," she returned, lifting her arms to wrap around him. "What's going on, Wyatt?"

"Nothin'." But the way he kissed her, the way he lingered, his breath against her lips as they hovered over hers, said there was something.

"There's definitely something," she gasped against his lips after he'd closed the gap between them again. "What did I miss?"

Cain pulled away from her just enough to look at her. His lips twitched into what passed as a Wyatt Cain grin. "You didn't miss anything, darlin'. Jeb just gave us his blessing is all."

"His blessing?" DG repeated. It took another moment for the penny to drop, her eyes widening when it did. "You told Jeb about us? Not that there is really an us, not yet really, but... Is he okay with it? I don't want there to be any awkwardness or for him to be upset or..."

His lips cut off her anxious rambling. "There's no awkwardness or upset. He gave his blessing, sweetheart. He wasn't sure so I asked him if he wanted to meet Ami. He accepted her, DG, which means he accepts us."

"Oh." Still feeling a little out of sorts, it took DG a second to realise he was kissing her again. "Um, not that I don't want this, Wyatt, but there's a baby sleeping just a few feet away. I don't want to start something we can't finish."

The reminder worked, and his kisses grew softer instead of passionate. He picked her up, eliciting a muffled sound of surprise from her and carried her to the side of the bed, putting her down gently in the middle before following her. As soon as he was settled, he drew her back against him and held her there as he kissed her breathless again. Though unused to the physical contact between them being initiated by him, DG had no complaints and happily clung on, her hands grasping his shirt.

As the kiss came to a gradual end, she sighed contentedly and settled into his embrace, her head tucked under his chin and his arms around her waist as she fell asleep.

#

And in the next part, the doorway in the mirror reopens...