A/N: Bad, bad Ana! Here I promised you all a new chapter when I got back and I've been at home for almost a week and a half now. I think I may just have to do a double update. I think that's the ticket. I hope you all enjoy this update and will forgive me on my tardiness. I've been a bit distracted... Well, happy reading and I hope you review. It's a special day when you do.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Unsure Feelings

With a quick glance behind him and a small scan of the area Zero snuck into a small building and out of sight from the rest of Central City. He pulled back the hood of the large cloak that had hidden his hair and cracked his neck a few times before moving forward. The house was larger than it looked. It held enough rooms for the Longcoats they had assembled, although their first place was much roomier. This place was at a loss of space and furnishings. They couldn't stay where they were. With the escape of the princesses, the place would be swarming with royal and city guards within hours.

He turned down the last corridor and saw Contra softly speaking to a small vat of seer's potion that she had to make again. A few mobats flew around the room and over her head as she spoke. One swooped next to Zero and growled at him. He glared back and barred his own teeth at the animal.

"I know she's in conference, you dumb animal," he growled at it, "Tell me when she's done."

"No need, Zero," Contra stood from the seat she had taken with her back still to him, "What have you found out?"

"You were right about the old building. Royal guards are all over it," he walked toward her, "They have found our old holding chambers and have been moving out some of the dead Longcoats we left for them to clean up."

"And what news of Cain and the princesses?"

"None that I have gathered, Contra. No one speaks of them in the open," he said cautiously and slowly rubbed at his injured shoulder. He didn't want his soul sucked out yet. He still had Wyatt Cain to kill.

She sighed heavily and kept her eyes trained on the small vat, "Don't worry yourself, Zero. I don't want to tear your soul out. I'm not going to kill you yet."

"Yet?" he stopped to the side of her, looking into the vat himself. In the liquid he saw pictures of the city and the people in the streets. It looked like she was trying to find the princesses and wasn't getting very far. Either that or trying to find out what the guards know and how close they were to tracking them down, "That doesn't sound promising."

"I want to kill them. Both of them," she said with gritted teeth, "Especially Azkadellia. That bitch needs to die for what she did to me."

"Because she had the witch's power running through her first-"

"Not that, Zero," she turned to him and showed him her face, "For this."

Her left cheek was burned and charred from the magic that was thrown at her from Azkadellia toward the end of their fight. The magic worked its way into her once flawless skin and had marked her forever. Contra absentmindedly rubbed at the injury and took a deep breath. Zero could still see her jaw tense from the thoughts rolling through her head. They were probably along the lines of which torture would be best for the eldest princess. He wasn't deterred from the injury and she was surprised as she thought that he would run from the sight of it.

"Can't you heal it, like you healed me?" he asked with a small sigh. To him it seemed like she was over reacting. He's had worse injures on other parts of his body. Worse scars, with even worse stories marked his back and legs.

"This was done by magic, Zero," she turned away from him again and into the vat, "It can't be fixed like anything so minor as a bullet or battle wound."

"Bullets aren't as minor as you think, Contra."

"Wyatt Cain has lived through at least two that I know of without the help of a witch's magic," she smiled after she caught his frown, "And he is just fine. Both him and his son."

"He has nine lives, a commodity that not every one has," Zero's breathing turned shallow and Contra smiled larger when she knew she hit a soft spot.

"I am surprised, Zero," Contra said quickly and made him shift his eyes back to her, "You are not frightened or disgusted by the injury to my face."

"Why would I be?" he asked, "The witch that resides in you is much more hideous than you could ever be."

"Don't talk down toward her, Zero. She's the reason that you're out of that metal can and here by my side," Contra walked slowly toward him and gently put a hand on the side of his face, "How is your last bullet wound healing?"

"Better than expected," he looked at her the first time confused, "Why?"

"I was in dispute on wither or not to speed up that healing process for you," she leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips.

The healing force of her magic shifted to heal his shoulder completely. And even after it was closed up, she still didn't release him. Her lips worked against his as her hands moved down his body. She held on and pulled on the front of the cloak he was wearing, making him take another step into her. After a few moments more she slowly pulled away with a bit of his lip between her teeth. She released it at the same time she released his cloak and stood back with a deep breath.

"So what is our next move, Contra?" he shifted in his spot unsure of the moment that just transpired, but content that he didn't have to worry about his wound anymore.

"Nothing for now," she went on, trying to fish for reasoning in her mind for what she had just done, "Let them come to us."

"But if we find them, then we can be the ones with the first strike."

"And that worked out so well last time," she chuckled to herself and then at him, "No. They both have unfinished business with me. And the same with Cain and you. They will find us and when they do, that will be their last day in this land alive."


DG walked into her room and immediately fell on top of her bed without noticing the tin man shaped shadow in the corner by her fireplace. She sighed loudly and closed her eyes to soak in the comfort of the bed beneath her. A few deep breaths later and she was about to drift asleep.

The bed dipped to one side as another person settled over her, "You really should take a good look around the room before you get comfortable. You never know who could be hiding in the shadows."

"Why should I have to worry about checking shadows when I got you around?" she smiled and opened her eyes to look up at Cain, "How did the planning go with Jeb and the generals?"

"As well as expected," he laid off to her side. She turned on her side to look at him and leaned on one elbow, "As your mother had asked, there are evacuation plans for the royal family to the other side if things get bad. There we could all become reinforced and try again. I wouldn't plan on it since you and your sister are so headstrong on staying here and defending your kingdom. Take after your mother I suppose. Besides, leaving at such a crucial time may seem like you are abandoning the kingdom to some folks. There are also some battle strategies in place should a 'just in case' situation should occur. Which it won't-"

"Why won't it?" she asked when a flash of worry went through his eyes.

"Because 'just in case' means that the Ages didn't work and we need to have a final stand without you," he reached up with one of his hands and swept a piece of her bangs behind her ear and then stroked the side of her face, "And that's not going to happen. You'll beat her, DG. And you'll come back without a sweat."

DG smiled back at him. She didn't know why, but she needed to do it for him, "I'm glad you're so confident in me."

"You should be too," he gave her one of his reserved grins and put his hands behind his head, "Besides, who else would drive me crazy like you do? That is if your father and mother don't kill me first for letting you go off and get yourself killed."

Without getting a response from DG he shifted his eyes toward her to find a smirk plastered on her face, "I'll have you know, Mister Cain, that no one else could ever drive you as crazy as I can."

"Don't I know that to be a fact," he rolled his eyes and laughed as she hit him with one of the nearby pillows. He grabbed her by her hips and rolled over her to pin her to the bed and grabbed the pillow from her hands.

She laughed with him and looked up into his eyes and scanned his face, "I like this side of you. No- take that back- I love this side to you."

"That's good since you're the only one who gets to see it," he kissed her lightly and settled over her, "And the only one who will ever see it for the rest of my life. Well, that is until the little ones come along."

"Little ones?" DG lifted an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled, "Yeah DG, you know… the tiny humans that would be reproductions of you and me scampering about the halls of the palace. With my brains and your sense of adventure- not to mention a knack of finding trouble- no doubt they will wreak havoc on the palace."

DG was in one way surprised and in another relieved. She had always wanted kids in the future and since she also wanted Cain in that same future, it was good to know he wanted kids as well, "I didn't know you wanted more kids."

"I love Jeb, always will," he paused, "But I always wanted a nice sized family. I was hoping to give him a little brother or sister… or two, three, possibly more-"

"Don't get yourself carried away, tin man," she warned, "My plans don't call out for anymore than two- three absolute tops."

"We'll see when the time comes, princess," he grinned again and kissed her nose, "When's dinner?"

"Mother told Az and I that it would be done short- oh my God! Az!" DG sat up, surprising Wyatt enough to toss him off to the floor. She looked sheepishly at him and covered her smirk with her hand, "Sorry."

"What was that all about?" he asked from the floor.

"Azkadellia is making an announcement at dinner tonight," she laid on her stomach and looked down at him, "Quite a big one actually."

"Okay," Wyatt nodded his head, "And?"

"Well, it wouldn't be much of an announcement if I told half of the house before she got the opportunity, now would it?" DG shook her head. She tapped him on the nose and then turned to lay on her back to stare at the ceiling, 'Amazing I didn't remind myself sooner with all the baby talk that Wyatt was bringing up.'

He sighed and pulled off his duster and beloved hat to get settled into their room until they were called for supper. He had an idea that DG would not tell him anything about the announcement with the way she had answered him and he also knew that it was no good trying to pry information out of her either.

DG tilted her head back and looked at him long and hard for a moment or two when she thought he wasn't looking. The man had just buried his wife for the second time in his life and he was already talking about children with his new fiancée. Should this be normal, or should he be grieving more than he was showing?

"What's on your mind, princess?" he asked and ran a hand through his hair after fixing the cuffs of his shirt.

"What do you mean?" she still laid on her back and looked with her head cocked at an awkward angle.

"You only stay quiet like that when you're mulling something around inside that head of yours," he sat next to her on the bed and tapped on her forehead, "So what are you mulling on?"

"Why are you so calm about all of it?" she turned on her side and then sat up.

"Through all of what?"

"Wyatt, you just buried Adora again. After she died in your arms," DG ran and hand through her own hair and tugged on a few strands and began to play with them in one hand, "And then later the same day you are talking about kids with your fiancée. Doesn't that seem off to you?"

"DG," he took her hands from her hair and put them in both of his. Her eyes met his since her distraction was taken away and took a deep breath, "I had mourned Adora for years after she was dead. I let her go the day that I fell in love with you. I just didn't want to except it. I have mourned all I can for the first woman I loved, and I am ready to take her advice and preparing to have a future… with you. Why do you keep asking about her?"

"She was here. She was alive-"

"When she shouldn't have been," Cain quickly added.

"I love you," she looked at their hands, "I don't want you to give up on anything you thought was worth fighting for."

"I haven't," he shook his head and kissed her forehead, "Right now, I'm fighting for the one thing that matters the most to me. And she knows that. She liked you, you know."

"Really?" DG chuckled dryly to herself, "Before or after she tried to shoot me?"

"If she was in her right mind the whole time, I would think that you and her would have had a few stories about me to share with one another. She would have loved your personality. I think that's why she saved you from Zero," he grabbed her in a hug and held her close to his chest, "She's happy, DG. She's happy for us and happy that she finally gets to finish her walk down the road. I think I have finally come to peace knowing that. Before I never knew what her last thoughts or last moments were like. This time she died with a smile on her face."

DG smiled against him and heard his heart beat strong against her ear.

He ran a hand over her back and through her hair, "Now it's my job to make my future bride and family happy."

"And we can't exactly start on that family until the witch is taken care of, can we?" she sighed and pushed her face toward his neck.

"Well, I don't know about that," he looked down at her with a smirk and an eyebrow lifted.

"Wyatt Cain," she playfully swatted his shoulder as she leaned away from his embrace, "You are not thinking about knocking me up with a battle at hand, are you?"

"Of course not, princess," he leaned toward her and very quickly pushed her back into the bed once again which earned him a well deserved moan. He chuckled and kissed up her jaw line and to her lips, "But I promise you, as soon as this is all dealt with and you're my wife, we will not leave the bed chamber for days."

"I'm holding you to that, tin man," she kissed him back and her arms wound around his neck. She leaned down into the pillows and looked up into his eyes, "My tin man."

"Always," he nodded and turned toward the door with a groan and roll of his eyes.

"What?" DG asked and then heard the knock on the door.

She hesitantly let his neck go and let him get up. She instantly felt a chill after his body left hers to answer the door. She rubbed the side of her arms and tried to fix the front of her outfit which was off center from Cain. Glitch and Azkadellia stood on the other side of the door. Glitch looked at the slightly pissed off Cain and the slightly disheveled DG on the bed and grinned sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, we interrupted something, didn't we?" he waved at DG who had hopped off the bed and fixed her messy hair and her top, which was still skewed a little to one side.

"Now Glitch, what gave you that idea?" she rolled her eyes and looked at Azkadellia, "Dinner ready?"

"Yes," Azkadellia answered shortly and fumbled with her hands a little in front of her.

DG put a hand over Azkadellia's with a smile, "Calm down. It's not the end of the world. Just the opposite. It's the beginning of one."

Azkadellia smiled brightly at her sister and wrapped her in a hug. The two sisters immediately started to walk down the hall, leaving their fiancées/bodyguards behind them. Glitch turned to Cain with another bright smile of his own.

"Did DG tell you the news yet?"

"Nope," Cain shook his head and closed the door behind him. Ever since he announced his intentions to the Queen and Ahamo, they had asked him to be less formal with them. Especially considering he was to be family soon. He turned to Glitch with a small, amused smirk, "And by the look of your smirk, you aren't going to tell me either, are you, zipper head?"

"Nope," Glitch echoed Cain's answer from earlier, "Azkadellia wants to tell the whole family at one time. Just think, Cain… in the matter of months we're going to be in-laws."

That made Cain stop in his tracks, "You and me in-laws. Now, why does that send a shiver up my spine?"

"Real funny, tin man," Glitch patted Cain's back and they walked into the room right behind DG and Azkadellia.

Queen Lavender Eyes and Lord Ahamo were already seated at the head of the table. Both Cain and Glitch pulled out the chairs for the ladies and then took their seats beside them. A few moments later, Jeb and Kelly came in. Jeb, of course, was still on crutches and Kelly had a smile on her face. Then at last, Tutor followed behind and took the last seat at the table. The servers came and left without so much as a single word and the only ones left were those quietly eating.

DG looked up from her plate at Azkadellia. She sat right across from her and lightly nudged her with her foot. Azkadellia looked up at her sister and saw her blue eyes shift to her parents and then widen once they got back to her. She nodded in defeat and took a deep breath before tapping the side of her glass with a knife.

"Excuse me, everyone," Azkadellia closed her eyes and then looked at her parents, "I have something I need to tell you- well, two things I need to tell you."

"Of course, Dellia," Lavender looked at her daughter, "Go ahead."

"Well, I know it's a bit unusual, but…" Azakdellia grabbed Glitch's hand under the table, "Glitch and I are expecting."

"A baby?" Jeb asked nearly spitting out his wine. Kelly quickly hit him upside the head and glared at him. Cain nearly laughed and felt a bit relieved. If his son hadn't shouted the question, he probably would have. Like father, like son.

"A child!" Lavender smiled and walked over to Azkadellia, gathering her in an embrace, "My Gods, this is good news. A bit unusual, like you had said, but great news none the less."

DG could see the relief shine through in Azkadellia's eyes. She wanted her parents to accept her. Especially now after the dark reign of fifteen years and that it was really her and not the witch.

"So, children before marriage are okay on this side of the rainbow?" she asked her father more than anyone else at the table since he was the only other slipper in attendance.

He nodded with a smile on his face as well, "It is frowned upon in most societies here, but seeing as Glitch is her other half they and are fated to be wed, it is not all that uncommon."

"Good to know," DG laughed and looked at Cain's face which had turned to a red shade. Jeb soon joined in as he caught sight of his father.

Lavender walked back to her seat and looked at Azkadellia fondly, "As soon as we have control over Finaqua again, we must put into motion a children's wing again. We haven't had to plan one since DG was a babe."

"Yes, thank you, mother," DG sighed.

"That is only part of what I wanted to say, and this may not be as well liked," Azkadellia looked at the whole table and especially at DG since she had not heard this either, "I want to renounce my succession to the throne to DG."

"'Dellia," he mother sighed.

"Az!" DG widened her eyes, "You can't be serious!"

"I am, Deeg," she nodded, "I'm sorry, I know you don't think you are completely ready for it. But I know you and I know your heart. You are ready for anything thrown at you and the Ages have already spoken to me. A throne is not in my future, even if I did think I was worthy. You are the next queen of the O.Z., DG."