Three weeks later

Time seems to fly when you're happy. And Cain and Zero where very much so. Sometimes their schedules would clash and they wouldn't see each other, but there was only a few of those, and when they were together, they made good use of their time with each other. They both where noticeably happier, that even Cain and Zero's partners made comments.

Tonight Zero and Cain had the night off, and tomorrow as well and they were taking this time for each other. They laid there on Zero's couch, Zero on his back, with Cain laying on his chest while running his hand slowly through Cain's soft short hair, as they talked about their day, waiting for the food they order to be delivered.

"Morgan questioned me again, asking me why I have not been talking about Adora, telling me he heard rumors that we got a separation." Cain said as he relaxed into Zero's arms.

"And what did you tell him?" Zero said softly.

"The truth, that we are. He asked me where I have been stashing myself the past few weeks...."

"And." Zero prompted.

"I told him with you."

"How did he take it?"

"It was funny at first he was like 'cool staying with a friend,' and then like boom, it hit him and he was like 'Oh. OH! So is that why you've had that silly grin plastered on your face for the past few weeks.' "

"So he was OK with you..."

"Yeah, he was like 'Whatever makes you happy.' "

"See I told you, nothing to worry about. Just like Lucas, he's your partner, he is going to understand."

"It's funny, he said that he understood and that he never thought Adora was right for me, that I never seemed happy there, which shocked the hell out of me." Cain said.

"What? That you're that transparent to people?"

"Hey!" Cain said, pulling his head up to glare at Zero. Zero laughed.

"Your only transparent to the people who care about you." Zero explained.

"Geez that sure makes me feel better." Cain said, sticking his tongue out at Zero.

"Hey! You better put that tongue of yours to good use." Zero said with a smile.

"Oh! In that case." Cain said, moving down to kiss Zero, slipping his tongue within Zero's warm mouth. At that, there came a knock at the door.

"Wow, that was fast. I guess they were not that busy tonight." Cain said, with a shrug as he moved to grab the money, to pay for their meal, before he moved to the door. Zero heard Cain open the door and then heard the words that made his blood run cold.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Cain said.

"I heard from my daughter-in-law that my son was doing something pretty stupid, so I came to stop it." Zero was up after that, and was at Cain's side. "Ah and here is the happy home wrecker now." Samuel Cain said.

"Mr. Cain, I would like you to leave. We both wish not to speak to you." Zero said, as he tried to close the door, but the elder Cain was faster, slipping within the door, pushing it back open.

"Well I wish to speak with my son, thank you very much. Wyatt, get your stuff, I'm taking you back home, to your wife." Cain just stood there.

"No.... Dad, I am home." Cain said, moving closer to Zero, wrapping his arm around Zero's waist.

"What are you talking about, this isn't home, and you really need to go back to your wife." Samuel Cain said, grabbing at Cain's arm, trying to pull Cain away from Zero. Zero's hand was on Samuel's, pulling them off Cain.

"You do not touch the man I love, without his permission, do you understand me sir?" Zero said voice deadly. Any other man might have back down at that, but not Samuel Cain, he was pigheaded and extremely stubborn when he had his mind made up, something he passed down to his son.

"Love!? You're kidding right. That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Rage flashed within those steely gray eyes of his, and Cain knew, this was not going well.

"Dad! Please, could you just leave? I've made my decision; I'm staying here with Adrian." Cain pleaded.

"Why, don't tell me your 'in love' with him too?" Samuel asked.

"Yes, yes I am, you can either accept it, or just leave us the hell alone, I don't care at this moment, but I'm not leaving him again." Cain said, determined

"So you're admitting to it, you two where together before Adora."

"For years, dad. I only agreed to this stupid marriage to make you happy, but I wasn't happy. So please, dad, don't make me choose between my family and my love, for you are not going to win this time." Zero was proud of Cain's words. In all the time he had been with him, this was the first time he seen him stand up for himself.

"You're being stupid, boy; Adora is such a wonderful girl." Samuel said.

"Yes, but I don't love her. I love Adrian. Please, just be happy for me." The elder Cain was almost taken aback by Cain's words.

"But, I was hoping for a few Grandchildren from you. Maybe a grandson, if you're with him..."

"You already have two, Molly has Jacob and Matthew." At that, something clicked within Zero's mind.

"He wants a Cain grandchild, Wyatt." And it all came together for Zero. "You're his only son, if you don't have any children, the Cain name stops with you."

"Is this what this is all about, a namesake?" Cain questioned his father.

"Not completely but it would be nice to hold my son's children in my arms, yes."

"Hey, I'm sure Alyssa would carry you a child if you ask her nicely." Zero said, in a joking manor.

"Adrian! I'm not looking to have children anytime soon. I mean even me and Adora where going to put that off for a few more years."

"Alyssa?" The elder Cain asked.

"My soon to be ex-wife." Zero said before looking at Cain. "Hey, it's always an option, if your father wants children, and I always knew you wanted them." Zero said.

"We will talk about this later, besides, with us both working, we have no one here to take care of a baby, maybe later, but not now." Cain said, looking between his father and his lover, glad that the tension in the room was gone.

"Dad, if you promise to be good, we'll invite you in, Let you stay the night. But that's up to you. It's been a while since I've seen you; I would like to catch up." Cain said with a smile. Samuel looked at his son, and then looked at Zero.

"This is going to take me a while to wrap my head around, to see you two together, but I guess your mom would have a fit if I don't try. I make no promises though." Samuel said.

"That is all we ask of you, is to try." Cain said before allowing his father in.

---

3 days later

Cain came home late, later then what he wanted to, but sometimes that happened in their line of work. He walked into the dark apartment, surprised, for normally Zero would stay up and wait for him, even if he was late.

'He must have had a bad day, and gone to bed early.' Cain made a mental note to ask him about it in the morning. Cain made his way through the small, dark apartment, setting his keys on the small table by the couch, he moved to the lamp on the table. He turned on the light and jumped slightly we he saw that Zero was sitting on the couch.

"Damn it, Adrian, you scared the crap out of me. Why are you sitting here, in the dark, we do have lights?" Cain said jokingly. When Zero didn't respond, just stared ahead, he knew something was wrong.

"Adrian, Sweetheart? Are you OK?" Cain said, as he moved to sit down next to Zero, smelling alcohol on his breath, and then he looked up and saw that Zero's eyes were red, and puffy.

"Adrian! You've been crying, what happened?"

"Your father, he went to go talk to my family about our situation."

"Your father called? What did the bastard say?" Cain said anger in his voice. At that he could see that Zero was trying to hold back more tears. Cain moved the bottle, whisky, out of Zero's hands, making a note, that it was nearly empty, before placing it on the coffee table before moving in closer to Adrian.

"He didn't call, mom did." Cain was now confused.

"What did she say that has you all upset, sweetheart?" Cain said, worried. He had not seen Zero this bad before.

"My father was upset after the conversation, he, started drinking again."

"Oh God, was she OK?" Cain said, worry in his voice.

"Mostly, but, Lilly..." Zero said choking back a sob.

"Oh no, is she..."

"She's hurt, badly. Mom said he was so angry, she'd never seen him that bad. She got between them, she has never done that before." Zero said as the tears started to flow again. Zero was a mess.

"How bad?" Cain probed, not wanting him to tell him, but he also knew, Zero needed to talk.

"Most of the fingers are broken, along with an arm, some bruised ribs and bruising all over. Mom said she was a mess." Cain's eyes want wide at that.

"Dear God, Adrian, poor Lilly. I'm so sorry." Tears nearly in his own eyes.

"It's my fault, damn it. He was angry over me. If we...." But Cain interrupted that.

"Adrian, please, don't do this to yourself. No regretting this, please. I will not be able to stand it. We knew there would be some fallout, I just wish it wasn't this bad." Cain said, a few tears rolled down his face, he moved in, pulling Zero to him, letting the man sob into his chest. When Zero's tears slowed, Cain spoke up.

"I'll call the station, get the next few days off, we can go visit her." At this, Cain could feel Zero shake his head.

"What is it sweetheart, why don't you want to see her?"

"No." He said softly. "I can't go there and see her and then just leave her there, Wyatt. I know this is out of the blue, but, I was thinking of inviting, no, I was thinking of taking Lilly away from that place. I have an extra bedroom, but, I wanted to make sure you're OK with this. It will only be a year or so. I know she wants to join up with the Tin Men, she be such a good one, but she just needs a safe place to stay until she can go to the academy." Cain was silent for a moment, processing the information.

"I guess, pack your bags then, we have a damsel that needs a bit of rescuing." Cain said with a smile. Zero just pulled Cain within a hug.

"Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me." Zero said.

---

Few hours later

Cain had called the station getting the next two days off for them, seeing that this was a family emergency. He then had borrowed Lucas's truck. He was going to have to do something nice for Zero's partner when he got back. Zero was sitting on the passengers' side, sleeping off the rest of the alcohol he had ingested before Cain came home. Cain was going to have to work on that. He knew that Zero was scared of ending up like his father, but still, when he was upset, or scared, the first thing he would do was head for that bottle, being so much like his father, but when that was how you where taught to deal with life, that is how you were going to deal with it. But still....

When he saw the ranch come into view, he slowed.

"Adrian, wake up, we're here." Zero jumped at this, looking up sleepily at his family estate. Cain parked the truck, and both the men got out of the truck and walked up to the door, It was Zero who pounded on it, knowing that most likely that everyone was asleep, being it the middle of the night, but he didn't care. Cain knew that if no one opened the door soon, that Zero was most likely going to bust the door down. But soon enough the door opened, to reveal an older woman, Rachel Zero. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were different shades of blue, purple and green.

"Mom, dear lord. You said he didn't hurt you that bad!" Rachel smiled shyly wrapping her robe closer to her body when she noticed Cain.

"Oh this, it's nothing, I shouldn't have messed with him, you know how he gets." Rachel said quietly.

"Yeah and he seems to be getting worse. Mom, you really need to get out of here, both you and Lilly."

"No honey, I'm fine. I..."

"Well if you're going to be stupid and stay here that's fine, it's your choice, Mom, but we are here for Lilly. I'm taking her with us." Zero said, angrily.

"No! Honey, you can't take her. It would just piss him off more." Rachel said, panic within his voice.

"MOM! How much more damage is he going to inflict on Lilly before you get it through that thick skull of yours. I'm taking her with us, so that she will be safe from him. You can either let us in, or we can come back, with a few of our Tin Men friends, and take her, as well as arrest father."

"You wouldn't do that to your own father!" Rachel said, appalled.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of at the moment." He said before pushing himself into the house, Cain on his tail. He walked in, going straight to Lilly's room.

"What about your father?" Cain asked.

"Most likely in a drunken stupor, but if not, we will take care of him." Zero said, walking into his sister's room. He turned on the light, looked down at the battered and bruised form of his sister. He turned to leave, wanting nothing more than to go in the next room and murder the man within it. Cain caught him.

"No, that is not what we are here for. Wake her, help her get her stuff together and we'll leave. That is all." Zero let his rage settle for a second, before nodding. He turned back to his sleeping sister, moving to sit on the bed, shaking her as gently as he could. She stirred at this.

"Lilly, sweetie, you need to wake up." Her eyes fluttered open and looked up at Zero.

"Adrian?"

"Yes, Lils, it's me." She moved to sit up at that, but winced, holding her side. "It's OK, Sis, don't move. Wyatt and I are here; we're going to take you with us. Ok?" Zero said, moving to pull her dirty blonde hair from out of her face. She looked at him and then at Cain.

"Oh it's about damn time." She said with a smile.

"Tell Wyatt and me what you want us to take with you, and then we can get going."

"Just my clothes, I don't care much about the rest of this. I just want to get out of here."

"I know you do." Zero said, getting up, pulling clothes out of the drawers and closet, packing them up, quickly along with a few more items that she requested. Cain started to take them back out to the truck while, Zero stayed with his sister. He noticed that his mother made no more attempts to stop them, and for that, Zero was grateful to the woman. When Cain was done, taking her stuff out, Zero picked up his sister, as carefully as possible and carried her. They made it out to the living area, and saw that his mother was crying.

"She'll be safer with us, Mom." Zero said.

"I know, I just..."

"You can call, but please, don't tell him where she is. If I were you, I would run for it. Get out of here before he kills you."

"I made my bed, Adrian. Thank you for your concern, but I should be fine. Take care of my little girl." Rachel said, putting a kiss on her forehead.

"Oh and here." She said handing him a bottle. "It's for the pain, Doc gave it to her." She said with a sad smile. He turned, taking his sister to the truck. Cain was already in the driver's seat.

"Wyatt, you can't, you need to sleep. You've been up too long. Let me drive."

"I'm fine, she needs you; hop in so we can get going." Cain said with a smile. Zero nodded. He slipped Lilly in first, nearly in tears every time she winced, but got her settled before sliding in. She curled up next to him as the trip started, falling asleep in his arms.