DISCLAIMER: I don't own TINMAN.
A/N: Apologies for the long wait. Life is my only excuse. Remember, the scenes were not written linearly. Please forgive any mistakes.
Wyatt
Life continues in the small town of Hilltop. Wyatt has settled into his new position with ease and into his admittedly quieter life in their new home, if not quite as smoothly. Houses and apartments are just places to live, it's the people that you live with and around that make them a home.
Jeb is still a reserved boy when it's just the two of them. He spends most of his time in his room with the door closed, if he isn't glued to the tv, persuing some form of entertainment or another. Wyatt's not sure how much of that is lingering feelings from Adora's death, and how much is just teenage angst in general, but the apartment is no longer filled with shouting or sullen silence (unless Jeb is grounded). It is a slightly more muted, however, as slowly Wyatt's son begins to return to the happier self-assured teen he'd been back in Texas, before Adora disappeared. He speaks more often of others in his classes at school and smiles more, though Wyatt attributes most of this reemergence to DG.
Wyatt isn't quite sure how to take the friendly waitress who'd become fast friends with his boy. On the one hand, he's pleased that she's been able to reach Jeb and get him to open up when no one else had previously succeeded. On the other hand, well...DG had a lot of sides to her that he didn't like.
She was a dreamer to the point of distraction, even at work sometimes. She engaged in a lot of risky behaviour for the sake of fun and while she was a nice enough girl she wasn't exactly what he would call 'sweet'. In fact, DG had a sense of sass that frequently got to him for no reason that Wyatt could discern, along with a lack of proper amount of respect he felt she could afford to others. She treated her boss like an annoyance, the Sherrif's Office (especially Gulch) as a thing to be endured and tended to ignore anyone attempting to give her advice. She was also a little too nosey for his liking...
Like the beginning of most of their hear-to-hearts, Wyatt takes his son out for food first.
When Jeb was little, ice-cream was the preferred treat of choice, which turned into food truck tacos by the time he was ten, and then pizza just as he entered high school. Now though, his pick is burgers-the thicker and greasier the better. Hilltop Cafe was not actually the only place in the area that sold burgers, but DG usually made her magic happen for Jeb Cain's orders and so the diner was obviously the best spot to eat, according to the blond teen. Personally, Wyatt liked eating there, too, if not for the same reasons...
Brow lifted, Wyatt watches as his boy absently dips his order of extra crispy steak fries in his malt before popping them in his mouth, licking the remaining salt, fat and sugar from his fingertips.
He can't say he's completely surprised at the pick, since his own teenage eating habits aren't completely out of his memory, but fries in a shake just seem wrong for some reason...
"So what's up?" Jeb asks expectantly around a mouthful of food. He's familiar with how their routines work.
Wyatt's own lips tighten in a stern line. "Don't talk with your mouth full," he chides automatically, willing to ignore the young man's eye-roll. "And..." he starts, also willing to wait until he catches Jeb's eyes... "I just wanna know how school's going."
He's doing his level best not to hover since he knows that feeling of needing space, but since Adora's death, there's been a huge rift in their family that he's not sure how to best repair. Pushing's already shown him the dire consequences, but like hell if he's going to let the boy he loves so much, become a man, and let them drift apart in the interim. Jeb is all he's got left, and he isn't going to lose that. He falls back on Adora's idea of 'casual check-ins'.
"'S okay," the younger Cain answers honestly, if not a bit distantly, his focus no doubt following DG in her section over Wyatt's shoulder. He drags his gaze back to Wyatt after a half second and only one strawberry malt covered fry in his mouth, lifting his hips in the seat to dig around in his back pocket to pull out a piece of paper. "I need you to sign my form so I can take Shop next quarter."
"That your elective?" he asked his boy, a tiny bit of pride flowing through. He'd seen the available classes for extra credit and had little doubt his progeny would have selected a gym course, instead. Despite his miscall, Wyatt couldn't help enjoying the fact that his son chooses to work with his hands in a course Wyatt himself had taken and excelled at long ago.
"Yeah, it was that or gym, and I don't want to run first thing in the morning," Jeb admits.
Of course, it could be that his son was just lazy...
"You're taking Shop class?" DG could be heard asking just over Wyatt's shoulder.
Wyatt can't help the slight rush of irritation at the thought of her reading over his shoulder, or listening in to a private conversation, but keeps his face neutral.
"Yeah," Jeb answers with a lift of one shoulder.
"Mister V's a good guy," she tells them absently pouring fresh tea in Wyatt's glass. "I think you'd like it. He doesn't let you slack off though."
"You took Shop?" Jeb asks.
At the same time Wyatt thinks a bit uncharitably, 'You try to slack off, yourself, kid?'
DG gives the teenager a modest shrug. "Yeah. Veenstra let me work by myself on projects when I finally told him how lazy my partners were...besides being total d-bags to the only girl in the class." She catches herself, casting a quick glance to Wyatt. "Sorry, Mister Cain."
She returns her attention to her friend with a half smile. "Like I said, I think you'd like it. The curriculum's pretty fun. Mr. V even got me started on drawing technical diagrams. I think he's still got one of my pieces behind his desk." She excuses herself then, leaving the pair to their meal, and Wyatt privy to another unexpected side to the Dorothy Geare puzzle.
Jeb leans forward, looking slightly more animated than he had three minutes ago. "So, can you sign my form?"
In between the humdrum of the every day, there is a development Wyatt isn't too pleased about.
Despite being a widower with a teenaged son, and dedicated to his job, Wyatt Cain is fresh meat to nearly every single woman in the county.
He was in the middle of debating whether or not to get the Cheez Wiz for Jeb (Wyatt tried to curb the amount of pure junk that came in the house, but his son had a growing fondness for the stuff and it was on sale) when the rolling wheels of another cart had him glancing out of the corner of his eye and nearly groaning aloud.
Susan Martin was officially stalking him, he concluded, noticing that much of her shopping was the same as his own. Five damn aisles and the woman didn't seem to be getting the hint.
Quickly grabbing a can, Wyatt tossed the processed glue his boy preferred and walked as quickly as he could without looking like he was actually running from her.
DG was smirking as she came back with their drinks.
"What?" Jeb asked curiously, but DG wasn't looking at him.
"The lady at table two was wondering if you were single," she told Wyatt.
Horror spread slowly over his son's face as Wyatt felt his ears and neck grow warm.
The young woman pulled a napkin out of her pocket. "She told me to give you this," she teased.
Written on the napkin was a name and phone number.
They flirt, some subtly, others blatantly. The boys at the station find it hilarious and Elmer gleefully recounts each instance some female vies for Wyatt's attention during any call they attend.
Wyatt takes the teasing in good grace, but would really rather be left alone. He's not ready to move on from Adora. He's not sure he ever will be, even as young as he is. Right now, Jeb and his work are all he wants to focus on.
Of course, they get to his son, too...
Jeb's not home again. The note on the table is, though.
Gone to DG's
Victoria "Call me Vikki" Jenson
555-5466
He could have really done without seeing that second name...
The bell over the diner door rang and Wyatt automatically glanced at the entrance to view the newcomer. Tall-almost lanky-young twenty-ish-something, casually dressed in flannel plaid and jean with a trucker hat, handsome face and a cocky swagger to match. Wyatt knew his type. The kid was a young trucker, still riding on the thrill of making his own life and (trying to) have a girl in every city. He watched as the boy settled in DG's section.
She was slow to greet his table, but the half grin the boy threw at her was enough to make her return promptly with a smile and quick service.
Wyatt felt his eyes narrow as he noticed the boy's eyes falling to her a... section that wasn't appropriate to be looking at, as she walked back to the kitchen to deliver the order.
Carter caught his eye only a few moments later, after DG had passed by them to check on her section with a happy glow. The other man didn't looked pleased.
"Kid's been around here, before," the cook said, his shoulders moving with his work, only glancing through the expo window.
Wyatt merely raised a brow, but Carter obliged him by an answer. "He's been tryin' t' sweeten her up for a while. Thinks he's gonna s-weet tea, DG!" he hollered as she returned near the drink station.
"Ok, Carter!" she replied, filling the order and bringing him a requested glass.
It was only functionally silent as DG worked the drink station and the window for a long moment before she left, but Carter only tilted his head back to her section once she was gone, not saying another word.
Wyatt got the message though. By silent but mutual agreement between the two men, he lingered far longer than normal at the counter as DG flitted about the diner; watching as she checked the young trucker's table far more than necessary. He didn't bother trying to figure out what they said to each other any time DG stopped at the boy's table-it was obvious they were flirting by body language alone-but he didn't care one bit how the young man's gaze turned almost predatory the moment DG turned her back on him.
It was a slow night and DG only had three tables, so it wasn't much of a surprise when Carter started cutting folks and the other two tables eventually paid their bills and left. Pretty soon it was just DG, Wyatt, Carter and the trucker.
"DG!" Carter called from the window. "Let's get a move on on closing."
She nodded and rang up the trucker, who had been lingering over coffee and pie, the same Wyatt had. She glanced up at him as the register rang. "Are you staying while we close Mr. Cain?"
Wyatt caught Carter's eye over her shoulder. The other man nodded so Wyatt only offered a one shoulder shrug. "Thought about it," he replied casually. "I can escort you home." It wasn't the first time he'd done so, and while DG insisted she was a big girl, she didn't usually put up too much of a fuss when he did. He also knew her folks appreciated it.
DG's gaze widened before darting to the remaining guest. "I don't think I'm going straight home," she told him as nonchalantly as she could. "But thanks for the offer." She scurried back to her last table and after a few moments, the young man sauntered out looking extremely smug.
DG locked the door behind him and hurried to complete her closing duties. As she was wiping down the counter and pouring Wyatt the last of the coffee, Carter spoke up.
"DG, please tell me you aren't going out with that kid tonight." He'd apparently heard her decline Wyatt's escort. "You know he's only after one thing."
That had not been the right thing to say, because her hackles went up and DG bristled. "Mind your own business, Carter."
"DG..." Carter began, noticeably softer.
"NO!" she cried. "I'm sick of this!"
Wyatt raised a brow at the volume her voice had taken, but DG refused to be cowed.
"How about someone let me live my OWN life for a change!" she challenged both men, sending a glare to Carter before raising her chin defiantly at Wyatt.
Sometime Later
The Geares' truck was off to the side of the road and Cain pulled up behind it, cutting the engine and getting out of the car. He couldn't actually see his son's friend, but it didn't mean she wasn't around. A break in the tall grass gave him a clue and he followed the slight trail until he could hear the sound of a can being set down. She was close.
He nearly stumbled over the girl as the tall grass ended abruptly at a cow pond with DG sitting at its edge, her back to him. "Go away, Gulch," she said without turning around. Her dejected tone and the smell of alcohol clued him in to the issue. She'd been trying to drink away her problem, whatever it was.
He almost felt bad for her, she was clearly too young to know that alcohol never made the issue go away, which usually indicated that someone was too young to drink.
Sigh.
"You got a license to be drinkin' that?" he asked.
She whirled around so fast, she nearly dumped herself in the pond and by the light of his flashlight, Wyatt could see the tear tracks on her face. DG had turned her back to him again. "I'm not botherin' anyone, Mister Cain."
"You're still breaking the law, DG," he told her.
She gave an aggrieved sigh. "For once can't I just be left alone to wallow in my own misery?!" she cried.
He sighed and crouched down to join her. "What's wrong?" he coaxed.
"Everything!" DG insisted. "I can' get oudda this stupid town 'cause nobody wants me. I got rejected from all the art schools I applied to, no one else 'round here's hirin', so I'm shtuck in this lame small town in the middle'a' nowhere, where nuthin' happens; takin' courses at the local community college and serving other people slices of pie at the diner part time. My whole life is in a thirty mile radiush! I even got dumped here because my real parents didn't want me!" she huffed, clearly fighting off another round of crying.
Wyatt prayed she won that battle. Adora had rarely been prone to tears, minus being pregnant with Jeb and the first few years after he was born. Crying females made him understandably uncomfortable.
He wasn't quite sure if it was the tears, the emotional effect or the alcohol slurring her words the most, but he'd negate one option now and work on the rest. He took the can and poured the rest of the contents out. It was disturbingly light. "DG….you're young yet," he began. "Too young to be drinkin' this stuff," he added sternly. "But you've got plenty of time to plot to get out of this place if you wanted. Twenty years is just startin' out. And that 'nobody wants you' is just…." he sighed. DG was watching him warily and he was terrible at having heart-to-hearts. "People want you Deege. I don't know the deal with your birth parents, but far as I can tell, Hank and Em are your real parents. And they want you. They care about you. Jeb does. I do."
Deege was silent, staring into the murky depths of the water in front of her, but he was pretty sure she'd heard him.
"There any more of these?" he asked after a beat, holding up the now empty can. He wasn't surprised to see the resignation in her, when she handed him an unopened beer that had been stowed away in the tall grass. "That all of 'em?" he pressed.
The young woman nodded and Wyatt stared hard at her. She did a lot of things she wasn't supposed to, but DG wasn't usually one for lying. She was pretty bad at it. He decided to believe her. "These Hank's?" he asked eyeing the brand.
"He doen't drink that," she muttered.
Wyatt sincerely hoped not. The beer in his hand was little better than piss in a can. Typical college beer. "I don't suppose you're gonna tell me where you got 'em?"
She shook her head.
He guessed as much and stood up. "Come on," he instructed, offering her a hand. "I'm gonna take you home," he informed her, interpreting her distrustful gaze. She still didn't relent and he rolled his eyes. "I'm not tryin' to get you into trouble, Deege. I'm trying to keep you from gettin' inta any more."
She took his hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet, following him back to the cars as she scrubbed her face with the sleeve of her shirt.
They stopped at the truck and Wyatt held his hand out for the keys.
"Visor," DG replied, pointing at the passenger's window.
Wyatt retrieved them and went to place the beer in his car and lock it. DG was already in the truck and buckled by the time he climbed in the driver's side and she looked back at his car. "How're you gonna get back?"
"I'll have your father bring me back."
The ride to the Geares' was silent and reminded Wyatt of the trip with Jeb to this place, with DG leaning against the window, watching the fields they passed.
The light was on at the house when they pulled up and Hank stepped out on the porch. "There you are, baby-girl! Mr. Cain. Sorry! Officer."
"Hank," Wyatt greeted with a nod. He watched as the other man's confusion turned into concern for his daughter as DG stepped on to the porch.
He stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Deege, honey, what's wrong?"
DG simply shook her head and headed into the house.
Hank turned worried eyes to him and Wyatt hurried to set him at ease. "She didn't seem like she was in a good state to be drivin' so I brought her home."
"Thank you for that," the older man told him seriously. "Would you like to come in? Em'll have my head if I don't at least offer ya a cup of coffee."
The blond man held up a hand to forestall him. "I've gotta get back to patrol, but I wouldn't mind a lift back to my car."
"Oh! Sure, sure. Lemme get my coat and tell Em and we can get goin'."
They were silent for the first few moments while Hank pulled out of the drive and headed back to Wyatt's cruiser.
When it settled, Wyatt told Hank where he'd found DG.
The other man sighed heavily. "She goes there to sulk," he confided sadly. "I kinda figured that's where she was." At Wyatt's curious expression, he continued. "Deege and Em...well, they had a little disagreement this afternoon. Em was pickin' up and found some travel magazines and thought maybe Deege was plannin' on takin' a little trip half-way 'round the world without telling us. Wanted to go to Australia."
"Seems to be about the right age for it," Wyatt commented casually. "She's twenty."
Hank nodded. "I told Em as much, later, but I don't think she's quite ready to cut the apron strings just yet." He sighed again. "I know it's hard on Deege. She's always wanted to get out and see the world, but as much as we've done right by her, there really hasn't been a budget for any big trips. She's only been out of the state twice since we adopted her." He slid his gaze over to Wyatt. "I know some of that messin' around's due to bein' restless."
Wyatt figured as much. He recalled the tear stained face so devoid of hope and yet so full of want. He wondered if Jeb had seen this side of her...
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