Chapter Two

"Addy, will you watch the stall while I run to fabric merchant?"

The voice of Emma Cain had startled the eighteen-year-old into waking. She'd been conscious of course, but her mind had wandered to the streets outside the market district, searching for a certain Tin Man. Addy's eyes cleared, and she swung around to face Mrs. Cain, smiling sweetly, if not a bit sheepishly when she nodded.

"Of course, Mrs. Cain, I'd be glad to," Addy answered as she pushed a stray lock of her golden hair behind her ear. She wiped her hands on her apron and blushed, adding, "Will you be gone long?"

There was a twinkle in Emma's steel grey eyes as she looked on the girl, only a few short annuals younger than her own son. It felt like it had only been a few annuals ago when she'd been cleaning up Addy's skinned knees along with Wyatt and Addy's brother Damon after another one of their adventures. The trio had been inseparable until the summer of Wyatt's sixteenth birthday, when he'd proclaimed over birthday cake that he was joining the Tin Men. Addy held a brave face for her dearest friend, closest thing to a brother besides her own, but when Damon followed suit, Emma witnessed first-hand how quickly young Addy's battlements could crumble. Since she had no mother of her own, it was no surprise that she continued to frequent their family home after Wyatt and Damon had departed for Central City, and Emma had been glad for her spritely company. All the same, she half expected that the girl only helped her at the family stall on the off chance of seeing Wyatt and Damon, rather than for the continued enjoyment of her company.

"I won't be long," Emma replied through a weary sigh as she slung her satchel across her shoulder, "and I'll be sure to point a certain young man in your direction if I should see him."

Addy crossed her arms and smirked, replying in humored sarcasm, "Only if you can hogtie him first. He nearly scared off all our customers last time." She paused to gesture towards the table of wood carvings and metal work, and when Emma chuckled knowingly she continued her complaint. "You'd think he'd be happy that someone showed interest in his work, after all, but no. That man has no concept of the word negotiation. He makes a great Tin Man."

Emma glanced behind Addy and studied the foot tall sculpture of the Tin Woodsman which stood on display at the back of the stall before the backdrop of sky blue created by the stall's sign, which read "Cain Family Craftworks" in large, stark white letters. The small effigy smiled serenely at a metal flower it held in its hand, as if caught in a daydream, and his odd mixture of copper and steel gleamed in the sunlight like a beacon calling shoppers to their small corner. It had been Wyatt's idea, Emma remembered with a smirk, to use his small man as the centerpiece to their booth, and he'd been right. Before his additions, Emma's quilts and other quaint handworks had been often overlooked for the more curious offerings elsewhere in the market. Now, she could hardly keep up with the demand for her crafts, and Wyatt's own handiwork filled in the gaps nicely when arthritis began to slow her stitching down. How he managed to continue his own craft while first going to cadet school, and now climbing the ranks of the Tin Men was a wonder to her, and she was insanely proud. Addy was right, he did make a good Tin Man, but he was so much more than that.

Emma's smirk widened to a brilliant smile, and she replied through a laugh, "I think he only does that to hassle you, Adora, but I think you can handle him fine without me." When the girl blushed and fiddled nervously with her apron, Emma brought her smile to a more sober level, and she added as she turned to walk away, "I'll be back soon."

Addy was relieved to not have to continue that conversation and blew out a puff air as she watched Mrs. Cain's form disappear in the crowd. As she turned her attention back to her work, she considered that she'd been pining over Wyatt ever since he left for Central City, and that had been four annuals ago. Since he'd never said a word to her, besides ruffling her hair like he would a little sister, she'd swallowed down her feelings and smiled. She continued to wear that mask ever since, all the while holding back her own feelings, and he'd never said anything more, not even when her figure rounded out and she started taking more care with her appearance. She figured that he either didn't know or worse, he didn't feel the same way. After all, if Mrs. Cain could see how much she cared for Wyatt, why couldn't he? Addy's face hardened on these thoughts, and her mouth screwed into a disappointed frown while she straitened the quilts for the third time. Her thoughts had her so troubled, that she might have missed the commotion in the throughfare ahead of her, but as she paused to swipe another wave of loose hair out of her face a small girl flew past her, causing another group of strollers to dart out of the way in surprise. Her dark chestnut locks flew behind her as she flew past, and she threw apologies out like wildflowers, only really glancing back with a breathless smile to see if she was being chased. Even from across the crowded lane, Addy could tell that something had caught her eye, however, for the girl suddenly stood stalk still and gawked in Addy's direction.

For in that moment when DG had turned so casually, she had seen the very thing that had filled her thoughts when her uncle had instructed her to find the thing that reminded her of the phrase, "home is where the heart is." Her entire field of vision had been filled with crisp azure sky hanging over a field of moonpetals, electric blue and rimmed in bright pink, dazzling in their appearance even in the bright sunlight where under the moon they would luminesce with magical inner light. It was only fair then that DG had been so startled to see the Tin Woodsman across the lane, framed in a sky of blue and holding that exact flower in his hand, so carefully constructed and a near perfect facsimile to the genuine article. She was so dazed that she nearly got trampled, except the sound of a deep bellowing voice suddenly struck the air, and she whipped her head around towards the sound in sudden awareness.

Addy too craned her neck to catch of glimpse of who was calling from the other end of the lane, and she barely glimpsed a royal guard shoving through the crowd, his face a shade of scarlet and his eyes worriedly scanning as he moved quickly down the path. Apparently, the girl had seen him too, for she quickly returned her attention to Addy's booth, and dashed forward at lightning speed, not even stopping to introduce herself before she slid under the covered table that separated Addy from the dusty path.

It had all happened so fast that Addy hadn't put any of it together, but it hardly mattered when the girl had seemed so suddenly alarmed at the sight of the burly man. Despite the fact that he was clearly a royal guard, and not one to be trifled with, Addy put on her most baffled looking expression as he passed, hoping he would move past her without considering that she was harboring the very fugitive he was searching for. It seemed to be successful, and the man continued to stalk down the street, and did not even glance back in Addy's direction before he turned the corner.

"He's gone," Addy finally proclaimed quietly, stepping back slightly so as to give the girl space so she could emerge from hiding if she wished.

A small face appeared from under the table, and she grinned wide before she scrambled out and stood before Addy. "Hi, I'm DG," the girl proclaimed matter-of-factly as she stuck her hand out, still grinning and daring Addy not to do likewise.

Addy was indeed entranced by the small girl, whose blue eyes were so wide and blue that she swore she was looking at the sky through them. There was a familiar puckishness about her too, and she sensed that even as young as she was, they might be very good friends if given the chance. It was easy then to return her handshake, and she laughed when the girl shook her hand back in a firm and serious manner. "Hello DG, I'm Addy. Would you like to sit with me for a little while? Make sure your friend doesn't come back?"

"Sure!" DG replied brightly and plopped down into the chair resting to the side of the booth. "I can't leave anyway. Uncle said I should stay put until he comes to find me."

Addy's eyebrows furrowed curiously, and she motioned towards the absent guard when she replied, "then what about that guy? He wasn't your uncle, was he?"

DG shook her head profusely and replied simply, "No way. He's no fun. He won't ever let me play hide and seek like uncle does."

Addy nodded in false understanding and pulled a bag of hard candy out of her apron pocket, offering some to DG while DG continued to look around. DG plopped a piece of the candy into her mouth and continued to ramble thoughtfully, "This is a really nice place you have here. I really like the blankets. Did you make them all?"

Addy smiled sweetly and shook her head while she sucked on a piece of the candy. "No, that's Mrs. Cain. She's really good though, don't you think?"

DG shook her head in agreement and pointed at the Tin Woodsman, continuing her line of questioning, "and what about him? Did Mrs. Cain make him too?"

Emma sighed wistfully, causing DG's attention to return to her in curiosity, and she eyed Addy closely when Addy replied, "No. That was Wyatt."

DG's expression became somewhat mischievous, and she implied impishly, "Oh, is he your boyfriend?"

Addy began to roll her eyes, and gazed behind DG just before answering, and paused when a familiar face appeared in the crowd. "DG, get under the table, and don't make a peep."

DG swung around briefly to see a pale haired Tin Man strolling down the lane. He was tall and encased in forest green and had an almost smug smile as he marched forward, passively scanning the crowd as he went. He seemed to be making a B-line for the stall where they sat, and even young DG could intuit Addy's sudden sense of urgency and followed the direction of Addy's rushed ushering, scrambling back into the confines of the covered table as quickly as she had first come. DG worked to slow the speed of her quick breathing while she crouched under that table, and she could hear minute rustling as Addy worked hurriedly to stow her away. Then there was sudden silence, followed by a bright greeting from the Tin Man who had apparently stepped up to the stall.

"Hey there Adodo, how's country life?" the man greeted her new friend.

DG could hear exasperation in Addy's voice when she spit back, "Don't call me that, Damon. We're not little kids anymore. Where's Wyatt, anyway? Aren't you two still partners?"

The Tin Man huffed and replied in an annoyed sounding voice, "Oh, you mean our little boy scout? I'm sure he's helping a little old lady cross the lane back there somewhere, or something. I'm sure he'll be here in a sec." He paused when Addy huffed in annoyance, adding, "Say, you haven't seen a kid running past have you? Dark hair, blue dress?"

DG held her breath, hoping she hadn't made a mistake in trusting the kind-faced girl. "Nope, haven't seen anything more than you and a pissed off looking royal guard." Addy replied thoughtfully, adding with some sarcasm, "what, did you lose a princess or something?"

The Tin Man's feet shifted on the other side of the table and DG bit her lip, hoping he wouldn't expose her hiding place when he moved the cloth with his foot. "I didn't loose anything. Those royal guards just can't think their way out of a wet paper sack, let alone babysit some little squirt on a day trip." The man's voice was dripping was derision when he spoke, and DG silently fumed at the insult. After all, it wasn't their fault that she was always running off. She just got bored easily and hated being in-doors.

She might have forgotten to keep hidden, but the rude Tin Man seemed ready to move on and spoke again, "Well, look. I gotta go. Maybe if I can catch this kid before that building of her does, I might get a promotion. Maybe get a better place so you can move out of Uncle Earnest's house and come be with me. Say hi to Mrs. Cain for me."

Addy huffed loudly after he spoke, and DG assumed that she must have been waving the man off and would let her know when it was safe again. When she didn't tell DG to come out, DG whispered to her, "Is it safe yet? Is that jerk gone yet?"

"Just hang on, DG." Addy whispered back, and she added before she shushed her, "and he may be a jerk, but he is my brother."

DG's eyes widened, and she began to apologize, but Addy swatted gently at the cloth and made a quiet shushing noise once again, causing DG to silently clap her hand over her mouth. "Good mornin' Addy," a deep voice rumbled from DG's other side.

"Hey Wyatt," Addy replied softly, "You just missed Damon."

The new arrival cleared his throat uncomfortably and replied, "Yeah, I know. Thought I should give you two a minute without me gettin' in the way." There was a pause, and DG surmised that Addy had been somewhat aloof, because the nice-sounding man cleared his throat again and continued with a more formal line of questioning, "Look, he and I were trying to help a royal guard find one of the princesses. Seems she decided to play a little game on the poor guy. You haven't seen her, have you?"

"No Wyatt, and if I had, I don't know that I would have told you anyway." Addy answered back in somewhat cold indifference.

The man seemed to take her words in stride, and instead of answering hotly, DG heard him sigh as he stepped back from the table. DG smirked at Addy's brave answer, and she thoughtlessly tapped her foot on the ground when her excitement got the better of her. "Really Addy?" She suddenly heard him reply, and she stopped tapping her foot in alarm.

"What Wyatt?" Addy asked back quickly.

"Well, its either that you've got a rodent problem, or you're harboring a fugitive." He replied in humor.

The cloth suddenly lifted, bringing DG face to face with the Wyatt that had Addy so bothered before. It was easy to see why Addy would be so smitten because, after all, he was really handsome; with eyes that shown like the diamonds in her mother's tiara, and a kind smile that could outshine the sun. "Hey there, Princess." He greeted her in a friendly manner, causing DG to forget herself.

The man held out his hand to help her, and DG took it without any argument, and she sighed dramatically as she scrambled out and into a standing position. When she'd smoothed her dress out, she stood tall and held his firm gaze in imitation of what she'd seen her mother do a thousand times. "I guess the jig's up, huh?" He nodded in silent agreement, and she asked, "and I guess you know who I am then, don't you?"

The corner of the man's mouth twitched, and he held a smirk when he replied thoughtfully, "You could say that. Question is, what do I do with you now?"

DG's expression turned obstinate while she crossed her arms in front of her body and she replied stubbornly, "Well, you're not taking me to jail, Tin Man. My uncle told me to wait right here and until he comes to get me."

Wyatt's smile finally broke when he scoffed good-naturedly, and he began to reply when Addy broke in, "Wyatt, give the kid a break. Least you can do is wait here with her until he gets here. I haven't seen you in a while, and besides, I was hoping to spend a little more time getting to know my new friend before she has to leave."

DG and Addy exchanged a knowing smile while Wyatt audibly groaned. Wyatt paused to wince at the suns, which were now high overhead and brutal in their intensity, and he glanced at the puckish expressions shared between the two girls while he let another put upon sigh escape him. "Alright," he grumbled darkly, shoving his green peaked cap on his head again, "I guess waiting here is just as good as walking you all over the market to look for your uncle, but no more running off, got it kid?"

He'd pointed his finger squarely at DG when he'd asked that question, and DG could see more than a threat in his eyes. Somehow, she knew that he'd find her if she tried to run. Rather than try her luck though, she smiled in satisfaction. She'd stumbled upon a new adventure, it seemed, in meeting these two. Addy was clearly in love with Wyatt, and the Tin Man was obviously head over heels for her too, because if not why would he be so easy to sway where he might otherwise do serious damage to DG's plans? For whatever reason though, neither one of them seemed to be aware of the other's feelings, and DG suspected that they might both need a kick in the pants to get things moving.

This is going to be fun, she thought while she replied nonchalantly, "Suits me fine, Mister Wyatt." She then strolled over to the other side of the booth where she'd previously been sitting and plopped ungracefully into her chair.

Addy, in turn, shrugged at Wyatt while he rolled his eyes to the sky. "It's Cain, kid, and don't forget it," he grumbled in false irritation.

Cain considered that for some reason, it was easier to give in to their pleas than to do what he had really intended to do. Far from wanting some kind of boon for finding the princess first, as had been Damon's suggestion, he just wanted to do what was right. This was no place for a princess to get lost, and she could end up kidnapped in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, all it had taken was one look in those expansive blue eyes and he just simply couldn't say no. Even worse, Addy's own beautiful blues were also trained on him, making him feel as if daggers would start flying from them at any moment. If there was anything worse than one woman having a hold over a Tin Man, he thought, it's two. Despite that, what Addy had suggested wasn't actually a bad idea, so he finally ambled over to the booth and leaned on the closest pole while the girls continued their discussion, shaking his head in defeat all the while.

It wasn't long before the Mystic Man did finally appear, and when he did, it was as if he arrived out of thin air, causing Wyatt to jump to attention so suddenly that his quick movements startled Addy into standing.

"Oh my, Mystic Man!" Addy breathed out in surprise while Wyatt straightened his posture, "it's an honor."

The Mystic Man bowed politely in response and replied kindly, "Not at all, my dear. After all, it is you and your friend here who have located my lost niece. I am eternally grateful." DG's mouth twisted into a sideways smirk while she stifled a secretive giggle, all while her uncle turned to the Tin Man and produced a card for him to take. "Mister Cain, I would be honored if you would pay me a visit this evening. I would like to discuss matters of great importance with you."

Wyatt was dumbfounded. He'd heard stories about the long sight of the Mystic Man, but he had absolutely no experience with anyone like him before coming to Central City. Even after four annuals on the beat, some things still had the effect of making him nearly lose his poker face, and no one had been more adept at it than the man who'd addressed him as if they knew each other, without Wyatt even having to introduce himself. So, Wyatt took the card from the Mystic Man without even uttering a word, and he tipped his hat in respect before the Mystic Man turned to DG and proclaimed dramatically, "And you, my dearest Dorothy, did marvelously well today. Bravo my girl."

DG rose from her seat and bowed low as if a stage actor, grinning manically all the while. She then hugged Addy and offered Cain a jaunty salute before she took her uncle's hand and cried out, "bye guys, see you later," as they strolled away.

Wyatt couldn't be sure, but he swore he overheard the Mystic Man ask DG, "did you find any new adventures, DG?" as the gap between their parties increased. What the princess did next only cemented in Wyatt's mind what he had heard, for without missing a beat, DG stopped and peered over her shoulder to smile at Cain, and she returned her eyes to her uncle when she nodded excitedly.

Wyatt sighed. Somehow, he just knew he'd be seeing that little girl again, and he wasn't sure if he was happy about it or not.