(Ducks possible thrown vegetables) I am SO FREAKING SORRY this has taken so long! I've been utterly distracted by various new, re-awakened fandoms, and my drunken muse has kept me jumping from archive to archive like an ADD plot bunny on catnip. Hell even my analogies are bouncing around now.

In any case, here is the 2nd (or 3rd) to last chapter! Thank you so much for keeping up with me, and for sticking around despite my less than stellar updating rates. The next 1-2 chapters will be posted this weekend, finally bringing this story to a close!

She was avoiding him. While intellectually Cain knew his princess was not likely to want much to do with him, or any other man after what that little prick had said to her, he hadn't really believed she would keep her distance from him. After all, they'd survived what was nearly the end of their world; really how much harder could it be to handle the palace-wide gossip? Apparently, it was harder than he'd thought.

For the weeks after that unfortunate ball, he'd been kept plenty busy standing in on more than one Council session dealing with the fallout. The talks of a formal betrothal with anyone had been swiftly smothered in the face of DG's obvious misery. Lady Falderol had been efficiently and damn near viciously evicted from the palace after Azkadellia had discovered the harpy'd been the one to 'inform' her favorite godson of the youngest princess's 'less than desirable status.' That Cain had heard the same phrase muttered by some of the Council members who'd seemed the most depressed at the lack of a betrothal had pissed him off almost as much as the original altercation had. Hell, he wasn't even sure what the damn deal was. While he had to admit, the thought that his princess had been... physical with some other man left him more than a little discomforted, it wasn't that unusual. Azkadellia, herself, had been born only a bare six cycles after her parents' wedding. Frankly, that seemed to be more of a trend than an exception among the Noble families, and to Cain the whole mess seemed more than a little hypocritical.

In any case, with all the going on, he'd had a hell of a time finding the opportunity to have that talk with DG that Glitch had suggested. It wasn't like they hadn't seen each other... it was just that they only seemed to cross paths on the way from one formal event to another, and DG had been positively demure and unapproachable at each of those happenstance occurrences. Beyond those few far too public moments, the princess had managed to dodge his every approach. He'd finally had to resort to trickery: Azkadellia had only been too willing to send her baby sister a message asking her to meet in the library. Of course, once DG had arrived, the heir had pulled her handy little transport spell, leaving only the former Tin Man leaning against the doors.

"Alright, Princess," Cain began, while keeping a weary eye locked on his quarry. She did have a history of escape attempts. "Care to tell me why you've been avoiding me for damn near a month, now?"

"I haven't been avoiding you, Mr. Cain," she said, her voice almost unrecognizable in its stiff tone. "I've simply been busy with... other things."

Cain forced himself to keep from to keep from cussing a blue streak. When in Ozma's name had they gone back to Mr. Cain? He'd just gotten used to Wyatt. Hell, had come to like it, frankly, or at least he did when she was the one calling him that. More than her her tone or posture, that name told him clearly that something was very wrong. He pushed away from the doors and strode slowly over to her, trying to keep a tight rein on his temper. He reached out an took a firm grip on her chin, lifting her face up to him.

"Don't you lie to me, DG. You know I know you better than that." She didn't answer, only kept her eyes downcast. His hand slid up to cup her face, his thumb softly stroking her cheek. "Talk to me, Princess. I can't help fix it if you don't tell me what's wrong."

She took a deliberate step back, and Cain felt the distance like a blow. "Mr. Cain, that isn't... This isn't appropriate and-" With a snap, Cain lost his hold on his temper.

"Appropriate? Like hell, DG!" He closed the distance between them again, and grabbing her shoulders, gave her a rough shake. "I thought we were friends, DG. Since when do you care if that's appropriate?"

"Since it started hurting you!" His jaw dropped at the shout, and she continued, the words pouring out of her. "You know what they're saying? What that...that asshole said that night?" She shoved him hard in the center of his chest. "They say it's you- that you're sleeping with me, and that you're a disgrace to your post and should never have been trusted near me and they're wrong because you're the best man I know and it isn't right that I was stupid back in Kansas and you're being blamed for it here." She was crying now, her voice muffled by his chest. He couldn't remember when his arms had actually gone around the ranting princess, but he held on as she let it all out. "It's because of me, Wyatt because I couldn't keep still and princessy and at arms length when I wanted a hug, and you were there with me, you understood and it's just... It isn't right. It's not appropriate for a princess to be hanging all over her Tin Man. Even if I want to." That last was barely a whisper, and he'd never have heard it if he hadn't been wrapped so tightly around her.

It was that quiet, damn near desperate truth that finally settled the matter for him. He lifted her chin again, and this time, her red rimmed eyes actually met his gaze. He felt himself sigh, a deep weight lifting off his shoulders as he did, then he leaned down and softly brushed her lips with his. He pulled away slowly to search her now wide eyes.

"Sweetheart, I'm still just a dressed up, country bred Tin Man. You really think I care what they're saying about me? 'Bout what's 'appropriate?' Not when it's what I want.... Not when it's what you want." She finally started to smile again, and he leaned back down to kiss her once more.

Review if you don't hate me for leaving yall hanging for so long!!