Title: When Her Word Didn't Stop
Characters/Pairings: DG/Cain, rest of the cast, O/Cs
Rating: NC-17
Warnings/Spoilers: Adult content. Smut
Summary: Companion piece to After His World Stopped. Cain and DG learn to work as a team to help the O.Z.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything, anyone or anyplace.
Chapter 11
Cain heard nothing but the shot and DG's scream.
He knew other things were going on around him. People were running, ducking for cover and surging after someone in the crowd. DG's horse had bolted down the street. It seemed as if he was seeing all that through a heavy fog. Sounds were reaching him but he felt as if he was hearing everything from underwater.
Jeb was shouting orders to the Guards. The men ended up not capturing the man who had shot the Queen but rescuing him from the incensed citizens of Central City who gave every indication that they would tear the man into pieces.
Glitch had marshaled Azkadellia's Protection Detail and took her back to the palace as soon as she was completely surrounded.
The crowd was screaming for the guards to hand the assassin back to them. Jeb's men found themselves having to protect the man as they shoved their way back to the palace with their prisoner.
Cain's personal Protection Detail was trying to get him to move back to the palace. He was fighting with his own Detail, trying to get to DG's side. He pulled his gun and pointed it at the head of one of his own guards.
"Let him go," Jeb yelled, "before he kills one of you. Are you crazy? Don't get between him and the Queen!"
Jeb pushed to clear a path for Cain who dropped to his knees beside the Queen. DG was lying in the street, blood beginning to pool behind her left shoulder. Her right hand was pressed against the entry wound.
Someone handed Cain several handkerchiefs they had gathered from guards. He pulled DG's hand from the wound, placed the cloths in her palm and pressed it back to her shoulder. She bit off a cry.
"Hold it tight," he ordered.
Her eyes were bright with tears and large with fear. Looking at him she nodded slowly. A viewer from the crowd was brought over. The stranger knelt beside DG. As the viewer took care of DG, Cain surged to his feet. He grabbed the jacket of one of DG's guards.
"You were suppose to take the bullet!" he snarled in the man's face. "That was your job. You were suppose to do whatever it took to see that this never happened!"
Jeb pried his father's hands off the guard's uniform.
"Get out of here and stay out of his sight for a while, if you value your life," Jeb hissed at the hapless man.
DG whined then bit it off by taking her lower lip between her teeth as the viewer placed hands over her gun shot wound. The sound was enough to make Cain forget about the body guard. He dropped down to her side again. In only a moment, the viewer set back and shook his head.
"Bullet still in shoulder. Digger cannot heal like this."
"Shit!" Cain exclaimed. "Jeb!"
"There's a transport on the way," Jeb was at his side with the answer before Cain asked the question. "But the crowd is going nuts. It's having trouble getting through."
Slowly a transport moved through the crowd until it was beside them. Cain picked DG up. Even biting her lip, she still could not stop the cry that escaped. He kissed her forehead.
"Hold on, Kiddo. We'll have you back home in a minute. Hold the cloth tight now."
Several hands helped him up into the back of the transport. When they were settled he realized Jeb was sitting beside him, stroking DG's hair.
"We're almost there," Jeb told her.
She nodded, causing a tear to roll down her cheek.
Healers and her parents were waiting as the transport pulled up to the main entrance alerted from Az' return to the palace. DG was jerked out of Cain's arms as the various people tried to get her out of the transport and onto a stretcher. She was jostled as they maneuvered the stretcher through the front door of the palace.
"Cain!" she screamed.
"Stop!" Cain bellowed in a voice loud enough to carry on a battlefield.
Everyone froze. He moved to the side of the stretcher.
"Where are you taking her?" he demanded.
"To her own suite," the head healer responded.
He motioned to the guards. "You carry the stretcher. And be damn careful with her," he threatened. "Jeb, go with them." He turned to Lavender, Ahamo, Glitch and Az. "Why don't you go wait in our sitting room. She'll want to see you when this is over." He turned to Connors. "Lock down the palace. Double everyone's Protection Details. Then see if you can locate Raw. I know she'd prefer him once the healers have removed the bullet."
*************
DG smiled at Cain.
"Hey, Tin Men aren't suppose to cry," she told him.
She lifted her right hand to wipe a tear that welled in the corner of his eye, but grimaced from the pain. He grabbed the hand tenderly.
"Don't move," he breathed. "Raw's on his way. He'll help with the pain."
Her tongue touched her chin below her lower lip. She had a puzzled look in her eyes. He leaned forward and placed a delicate kiss where she had licked.
"You bit through your lip trying to keep from crying out," he told her.
She nodded slightly.
"My family?" she asked.
"They're fine. They're all right here," he told her.
She nodded again. He went to the doorway and motioned for the others.
"Wyatt." Her voice was low but frightened.
"I'm right here," he told her. He hurried back to the right side of the bed. He sat holding her hand.
"DG?" her mother whispered, terror evident in her voice.
DG turned and smiled at her parents.
"I'm going to be … fine … the healer said," DG assured them.
"She just needs to rest until Raw gets here," Cain told them.
Ahamo nodded. Lavender kissed her forehead, stroked her hair away from her face and left with Ahamo. Azkadellia came to sit on the left side of the bed, careful not to move DG's left arm. Az patted the back of her hand.
"Are you really okay, sis?"
DG gave her a weak grin. "The Consort says I'm going to be … and he's not allowed to lie to me."
Az smiled at Cain. "Yeah, he's a pretty good guy. I think we can trust him."
"We don't want to wear you out," Glitch said. "But Azka-D said she wouldn't be able to sleep until she saw you."
"Sleep?" DG asked.
"It almost first moon rise," Cain told her. "It took the healers a little longer than they thought it would to get that bullet."
"And here's Raw," Glitch told her.
Az leaned over and kissed DG's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Glitch led her out of the suite as Raw approached the bed.
"Took you long enough," Cain grumbled.
"Long away when guard caught Raw." Raw answered, his brow wrinkled with worry.
He reached out a fingertip and touched DG's chin. She made a sucking sound as the small mark disappeared leaving only a red spot.
"Now for the fun part," she said looking up at Cain.
He squeezed her hand. "We're getting good at this," he told her. "Just hold on and let Raw do …"
She cried out softly and flinched away from Raw's hand. The viewer' hands followed her movement and reformed his connection with her injury. Cain let her crush his hand, stroking her hair as Raw continued to heal her.
"Raw, it hurts," she exclaimed softly.
"Raw knows. Must heal all the way. Almost done."
She nodded. She opened her eyes to look at Cain. He smiled gently.
"Just another minute," he whispered.
He kissed her forehead. As he straightened, Raw removed his hands and let out a deep sigh. He smiled.
"DG better now," he nodded his head.
She smiled, too. "Yes, I am. Thank you. I'm sorry I interrupted your trip home."
"Raw start again tomorrow." He looked over at Cain. "Cain hold her. DG scared. Needs to sleep. Always sleeps better with Cain holding."
Cain smiled and nodded. "I can do that."
Jeb came into the room as Raw left. "DG, Father, I'm very sorry. I heard what Raw said. And I know what you've been through but …"
"If it's about the assassin it can wait," Cain said firmly.
Jeb nodded. "I agree. He's in a cell. The healers have looked at him."
"Healers?" DG questioned.
Jeb chuckled. "If it'd taken us any longer to get to him your good citizens would've beaten him to death."
"Oh," she said softly.
"But that's not what I want to talk to you about. The courtyard's packed. All of the streets around the palace are jammed. Is there any way you could show yourself from the Reception Balcony in the Throne Room?"
"Absolutely not!" Cain exclaimed. "She's been through enough. I want her to rest."
She touched his hand gently. He turned to look at her. He sighed.
"I've already lost this one, haven't I?"
Her smile broadened. "But I'll let you decide how to do it," she cajoled.
He shook his head as a grin twisted his mouth.
Carolynne and Marietta had been waiting in the sitting room. They helped DG change into a long skirt and a short sleeve blouse. When she was ready, DG put her arms around Cain's neck as he picked her up from the bed.
Cain carried DG down to the balcony. They could hear the increase in noise as the guards threw the doors to the gallery open. They brought torches to light the platform and set a chair by the railing.
When Cain carried DG out the crowd exploded with cheers. Carefully Cain sat DG on her feet. She leaned her hip against the railing and waved with her right hand.
"DG! DG! DG!" the people chanted.
She leaned toward Cain and said something in his ear. He nodded and then turned to the courtyard. He held up his hands. Some of the crowd became quiet.
"The Queen wants to talk to you," he yelled, motioning downward with his hands.
"Quiet, quiet. The Queen," the crowd murmured.
A few more gestures from Cain and there was quiet.
"Thank you," DG called to them, "for your concern. The healers and the Royal Viewer have healed my injury completely." She leaned against Cain and he put an arm around her waist to support her. "I am sore and tired. I need a good night's rest … as all of you do. I wanted you to see that I'm well. I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your concern. Please help Commander Cain. Clear the streets tonight."
She said something soft to Cain. He lowered her into the chair.
"The Queen is exhausted after this ordeal," he told the crowd. "But she didn't want you to worry about her. I swear she'll be fine. But right now, I just want to get her to bed so she can get a good night's sleep. If you'll all go home tonight, I'll bring her back down to the balcony after mid meal tomorrow. Please go home and be safe tonight."
DG stood up and waved again. Cain swung her up into his arms.
"DG! The Consort!" rang out as the people began to leave the courtyard.
*************
DG waved to the crowd. People had been surging in and out of the palace courtyard for over an hour. Cain had insisted that DG remain seated while she allowed her people to see that she had recovered from the assassination attempt from the previous day.
Finally she stood up. One final wave and she let Cain lead her off the balcony.
"How are you feeling?" he asked as they walked down the hall, his arm around her securely.
"I'm fine," she told him.
"DG?"
She laughed. "Cain, I'm fine, really. My shoulder is a little stiff. I'm still a little tired. But other than that, I swear, everything is fine."
He looked at her hard for a moment and then nodded. "Okay, you up to a Council meeting?"
"That is today, isn't it? Yeah, let's go."
A few moments later, they entered the council chamber just as everyone was getting settled.
"Your Majesty," Baron Haroldson Franklin rushed to her side as she entered the chamber. "We are so pleased you're able to join us today. Are you truly all right?"
DG motioned everyone to their seats.
"Yes, I'm fine. I received a gunshot wound to my left shoulder. Once the healers removed the bullet, my viewer was able to heal the wound. I'm a little stiff, my hip is bruised where I landed when the impact knocked me off my horse, but I'll be good as new in a couple of days."
The Ministers applauded.
"But I wish I'd listened to my Consort last week about trying to find out more information about this assassination attempt. I assume that's the first topic for today. Glitch?"
*************
"Wyatt! I'm here! Please wake up!"
Cain jerked up. He was breathing like he had run a marathon. His hands shot out and grabbed the sides of her head. He stared into her eyes.
"DG?"
She stroked his chest with one hand. "It's okay. I'm fine. I'm right here."
He grabbed her and pulled her tightly against his chest. It was the third night after the assassination attempt and Cain was still not able to sleep more than a few hours before awaking in total panic.
"Wyatt, you have to stop this," she told him. "You're breaking my heart. I can't stand to see you like this."
He was taking deep gasps of air trying to settle his heart to its normal rate.
"I know. I'll go sleep in the other room so you can rest."
"That's not what I mean," she told him. "I'm worried about you. This isn't just a nightmare like we've both had in the past. You are totally freaked out when you wake up like this."
"If you mean frightened out of my mind, then you're right."
His fingers tangled in her hair as he pulled her even tighter.
"I keep seeing you on your back in the street with blood pooling around you," he whispered.
She pulled away and stroked his face. "I know that. But look." She held both arms out to her side, the sheet slipped and he stared at her exposed breasts. "I'm fine."
His gaze moved to her left shoulder. His finger caressed the scar he saw there. "No. You're not."
She laughed softly. With her index finger, she began touching various places on his body. As she touched each scar, she counted.
"One, two, three, four, five." She smiled wickedly. "You have to roll over and pull the sheet lower for me to find number six. That's my favorite one, you know."
He laughed and pulled her back to his chest. "I'm not sure which of us is the crazier."
She pushed him back to the mattress and settled against him. "I'm going to do something I've never done before," she told him.
He chuckled. "This should be good. Anything I can imagine that you haven't done yet, scares me to death."
She gave his chest a gentle smack of her hand. She sat up and looked down at him. She took a deep breath.
"I order you to see a viewer," she told him.
The humor left his face and he stared at her.
"Are you serious?" he asked.
Her eyes grew wider and her breath was shallow. "Yes, I am," she said just above a whisper. "You're terrifying me. Please get some help tomorrow. I don't think I can go through another night like the last three."
The steely gaze of his eyes softened to show concern. He ran a hand up and down her arm.
"Do I really scare you that much, Kiddo?"
She nodded, making her eyes even wider to stop them from tearing.
He held out his arms to her. She laid her head on his chest.
"Okay." He kissed her forehead. "You know I'd do anything for you. I'll see if I can dig up your mother's viewer tomorrow."
She hugged him. "Thank you." She kissed his chest where she lay. "That takes so much off my mind."
TBC
