Someone To Save You

Sorry for the wait, school seems to be holding my plot bunnies hostage until Friday night, and I kind of did this instead of my lab report but... oh well. I have some of chapter eleven typed up but I'm not sure when I'll get that up. They're still not mine... Enjoy!

Chapter 10:

The palace sprawled endlessly before them, beside the lake as the two of them sat in the gazebo in a silence that had gone on far too long for Cain's liking. A broken Glitch had been wrapped in his arms on the lone swing for hours, his head buried against Cain's strong chest and so far, neither man had spoken of the day's events.

He needed to say something. To do something that could tell him how he could help his friend now.

But, Glitch beat him to it.

"I don't want to lose who I am again."

The other man's whispered words, which came out in a voice that was rather hoarse from all of the screaming and crying he'd done to escape those trying to force the surgery on him, didn't quite register at first to the Tin Man. "What do you mean by that?"

Glitch shifted until he could meet Cain's icy blue eyes in the fading daylight. "When… they took my brain all those annuals ago, I lost Ambrose. Who I was back then doesn't exist anymore. He's gone. Or, perhaps still in my brain, but undoubtedly tainted by so much black magic that I doubt I'd want to be him again, anyway. And, I'm here, now. I don't want to lose this, my memories of saving the O.Z., and… and of you, Cain, just to be the shell of a man who can never really be again."

The rather eloquent reply caught Cain off guard and he took a long moment to formulate a proper reply to such a statement.

However, once again, Glitch spoke before he could.

"I just need to know one thing, though." His chocolate colored eyes searched Cain's as he spoke. "And that's how you really feel about me."

Cain took significantly less time to reply this time, quickly closing the few inches of distance between them to press his lips to the other man's for a long overdue kiss. While it was not the first one they'd shared, it held more meaning than the one in the forest days prior; relaying all of the things Cain was not completely prepared to say aloud just yet.

"That answer your question, sweetheart?" The Tin Man asked, a smile on his face, as he tightened his hold on Glitch to keep him from falling.

"Almost." Glitch gave a smile in return as well, but the voice behind them caused both men to startle.

"The Queen would like a word with the two of you." One of the Tin Men who'd captured them stood beside the messenger, obviously to ensure they did not make a hasty retreat.

Cain stood, with Glitch clinging to his side as they followed their escort back through the marble halls and corridors until they reached the Queen's chambers again.

"Your Majesty."

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us." DG prompted polite conversation, standing to her Mother's side, Azkadellia on the other. Ahamo was present as well, seated beside his wife.

Cain would have hardly called it agreeing, given the displeased looking Tin Man, but said nothing.

"I would like to speak with Ambrose, alone, please." The Queen stated after a moment of less than pleasant silence.

Glitch was having none of it though. "No, I want Cain to stay."

Cain looked about ready to protest as well, so Ahamo stepped in. "Cain, I'd like to have a word with you, as well. I'm sure DG will make sure everyone stays civil in here."

"Don't worry, Glitch." DG added.

And, with quite a bit of hesitation, Cain allowed himself to be led from the room.

Ahamo was a good man, Cain knew, but he didn't know where he stood on the issue of Ambrose's brain.

"You don't have to worry, you know." The man said, as they walked the aisles of the library. "I spent most of the week trying to convince her to call off the search. The two of you put up quite a fight, though."

"Why can't she accept that Glitch doesn't want to be Ambrose again?"

Ahamo shrugged, scanning the many texts on a nearby shelf. "She just wants her old friend back, you see. Ambrose was he confidant, and with everything else returning to normal, she is still waiting for him to return, as well."

"And forcing him into a situation that brings all of his fears to life, accomplished, what, exactly?" Cain was understandably upset with the Queen's actions, he'd said as much by now.

"I didn't say her actions made sense. I said they were driven by her love for Ambrose. And, love, as I'm sure you well know, can make anyone, even the Queen, do some objectionable things." Ahamo gave him a pointed look, reminding him that she was not the only one who'd spent the last week participating in questionable behaviors. "For example, what made you run away with him?"

"I was trying to protect him."

"No other reason?"

Cain looked rather uneasy with the implications of that question. "I… well… yes."

"So, my suspicions were correct." Ahamo nodded. "He knows, I assume."

"Kind of." The Tin Man shrugged. "He's waiting for me to say as much, though."

"Why haven't you?"

"Adora. All the running, all of this. It's all kind of still in the processing stages, but I know that much for sure." He liked being able to talk like this with the other man, they seemed to be on the same page.

Ahamo nodded. "You should tell him as much as you can, because you never know how long you really have." He knew Cain could relate to that.

"I know." His thoughts drifted to Adora once more. "Do you think the Queen is through yet?"

"Let's go see."