Two days later.
Cain dressed Jeb, getting ready for the funeral. He was dressed, but Zero was not. Zero was still in bed, and Cain did not want to disturb him until the last possible second. Since Lilly's death, Zero fell within a depression, sleeping, not doing much. Cain was the one who had to plan the funeral, for Zero could not handle it. He had never seen Zero this lost before, and it worried Cain. He was hoping that the funeral would give Zero some closure, a chance to grieve, and hopefully he could move pass this with time, but still, he couldn't believe it himself that he was burying her today.
Cain moved to the bedroom before moving into the closet and pulling out Zero's suit. Any other time, Cain and Zero would wear their Tin Man dress uniforms, but Cain was not willing to wear them at the moment. He wasn't even sure at the moment if he was going back to work after the funeral. He felt so betrayed by Morgan for his part in Lilly's death. Cain moved to the bed sitting on it before he shook Zero lightly.
"Sweetheart, it's time to get up and get dressed." Cain said softly. Zero just grumble before curling up back into the bed. "Adrian, you're going to have to get up soon." Cain heard Zero mumble something as he buried his face deeper into the pillow. Cain sighed before standing up and pulling the blanket off the bed.
"Wyatt, what the fuck?!" Zero said, sleepy.
"Up now, I need you to get dressed." Cain said. Zero looked at the suit that Cain had placed on the dresser.
"But that's tomorrow..." Zero said softly.
"No, it's today; you slept most of yesterday away, sweetheart." Cain explained.
"No, it's too soon, I can't." Zero said almost childlike as he lay back down and curled up. Cain sighed again.
"Sweetheart, please. Don't make me force you out of bed. You need to get ready, and you need to go to the service. Your son and I need you." Cain said softly tears forming in his eyes.
Zero turned to look at Cain. He moved to pull himself out of bed giving Cain a hug kissing the side of his eye lids, kissing the tears away before pulling Cain closer resting his face within the nape of Cain's neck.
"I'm sorry, you're right. I'm not the only one who lost...." Zero couldn't bring himself to finish that.
"Get dressed; we need to be leaving in twenty minutes." Cain said, as he tried to pull himself out of Zero's arms. Zero just held him tighter. "Adrian, you need to get ready."
"Please, just hold me for a minute." Zero said. Cain can tell that he was crying, and a few moments later he felt the tears slip from Zero's face onto his neck. Cain held on tighter, rubbing Zero's back as Zero sobbed into him.
After a few minutes, Zero's sobs subsided. Zero moved away from Cain and slowly got dressed. Cain gave him a sad smile as he went back out into the living room. He saw Jeb was sitting on the couch, a worried look on his face.
"Is Papa okay?" Jeb asked sadly. Cain looked at Jeb not sure how to respond to the boy.
"He will be; he just… needs some time." Cain said, sadly.
Soon Zero walked out of the bedroom dressed and ready to go.
---
Zero, Cain and Jeb walked to the grave site, the final resting place of Lilly, slowly. Lilly's funeral had brought a crowd, there were a lot of Longcoats, mostly friends of Jordan's showing their support for him and his recently departed Fiancée, as he had proposed to Lilly not three hours before she was killed. There were some Tin Men mostly friends of Lilly, her partner as well as a few people that Cain and Zero knew. From the crowd it was obvious that Lilly was well loved.
Cain noticed that Lucas was there and Cain smiled, glad that Zero's partner could make it to the funeral, maybe he might be able to help Zero. When Cain looked at Zero he could tell that he was not happy at all to see the man. Zero walked up to Lucas with Cain close behind him.
"How dare you show your face here?" Zero seethed out to his partner. Cain was confused about Zero's hostility to the man.
"I'm just trying to pay my respects to the recently departed and trying to show my sorrow for what went on that day." Lucas said.
"I would get out of here, and soon, before I start to tell those nice Longcoats over there what my partner's been doing in his down time." Lucas just glared at him.
"You wouldn't do that." Lucas said.
"Wyatt turned his partner in, what makes you think I would not do the same?" And then it clicked with Cain, he was not the only one, with a partner in the resistance.
"I know you're angry at us right now, Adrian, but I just wanted to tell you. I had nothing to do with that attack. I hate violence, in that way. It should only be..."
"Just get out of here now, before I really lose control." Zero seethed out again. Lucas nodded turning to Cain.
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"Please, just leave." Cain said anger now in his own voice. Lucas nodded again before leaving.
"Why didn't you tell me that Lucas was part of them?" Cain asked.
"It never came up; he never tried to recruit me like Morgan." Zero said anger still within his voice.
Soon after that the funeral started, people took their seats, Cain, Zero, Jeb and Jordan in the front, along with Zero's two older brothers and sister. Zero's mother was nowhere in sight which worried Cain. The service started, and though the man, the Pastor, was saying comforting words about how great and loved Lilly was, Cain and Zero couldn't concentrate, lost within their own grief. Even Jeb was moved, moving into Zero's lap, latching onto the crying man, as Jeb cried into his Papa's jacket.
Soon they heard a crash from behind, like someone fell. They turned, to look, and Cain's blood went hot with anger. He told Rachel Zero that she was more than welcome to the funeral but that Nicholas Zero was not welcome, but here he was, stumbling though the graveyard, obviously drunk out of his mind. Cain could tell that Zero was getting upset at this.
"Let me handle this," Cain said, getting up from his chair, eyes all on him as he walked up to the stumbling man. He looked at Rachel, sadness in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, but I need to ask you both to leave." Cain said.
"I tried to leave without him, but he insisted on coming. I'm sorry, please she was our daughter, don't make us go."
"You can stay, Mrs. Zero, but I want him gone."
"She was my child too, you bastard." Nicholas said voice slurred, as he tried to take a swing at Cain. Cain just avoided it, watching as the man just stumbled before falling on the ground. Cain just shook his head at the man.
"You where never a father to Lilly, and don't pretend you where. I want him out of here before I get someone to remove him." Cain said, angrily at Rachel.
"Just because you're fucking my son, doesn't give you the right to talk to me like that." Nicholas yelled out at Cain. Cain turned to look at Jordan; Jordan nodded before turning to some of his friends. Two men came up to the commotion.
"Thank you gentlemen, can you please escort him, I don't care where I just want him out of my sight." Cain seethed out. The two men nodded pulling the screaming and kicking man away from the service. Rachel looked torn, between staying with her husband, and staying at the service.
"Rachel? You're welcome to stay." Cain said, softly, holding his hand out to her. She looked at it, then at her husband one last time before taking his hand. He walked her to the seats letting her take hers next to her eldest daughter before sitting back down next to Zero.
The service ended soon after that. It was time for the one last goodbye before the burial. Cain had insisted on an open coffin, despite how bruised and battered he knew Lilly was going to look. Zero, as well as most of his family, was such a visual person. He knew if Zero didn't get to see Lilly one last time, he knew that Zero would never accept that she was gone. He thought that it might even be cruel to him but Cain knew that it would help him in the long run.
They got up from their chairs and walked up to the casket. Cain was amazed on how peaceful she looked almost like she was sleeping. Zero hand moved down, stroking her hair lightly.
"Hey, little sister, I hope you're happy where you are. We miss you already, and I ..." Was all he said before he started to sob again. Cain caught him before he collapsed, and let him cry within his chest. Soon, his brothers, sister, mother and Jordan where there looking at Lilly, tears within their own eyes, saying their final goodbyes, before helping Cain pull Zero away from the casket so that others can say their goodbyes.
When that was done, the pastor closed the coffin, and Jordan, as well as Zero's brothers helped with lowering Lilly within the grave as Zero just watched, still wrapped in Cain's arms.
Zero insisted they stayed, watching as the men buried his sister. By the time they were done, most people had left, leaving only Zero's family, Jordan and Lilly's partner, April. They all stared at the grave in silence that was occasionally broken by a sob. It was Jeb who finally broke the silence.
"Daddy, I'm hungry," Jeb said, softly, not sure how his father was going to react, after seeing him all day. Cain looked down at his son, and smiled sadly.
"Ok, we will go soon, buddy." Cain said, softly. He turned to look at Zero, who was looking at Jeb as well, sad smile on his face. Zero noticed the eyes on him, and looked at Cain, sadly. Cain's hand went to Zero's cheek, stroking it lightly. Cain took Jeb's hand within his, as they all three walked over to Jordan.
"I would like to speak with you for a moment before we leave." Cain said softly. Jordan just nodded as they all walked slightly away from Zero's family.
"I know this is not the time, but... Have they found him yet?" Cain asked softly.
"Morgan, no, he high tailed it out of there. He's most likely in hiding now."
"I'm sorry, I know he was part of it, I should have known he was spying on me. I'm sorry that..."
"It's not your fault, Wyatt; he's the one who did it, not you." Jordan said. Wyatt gave Jordan a hug.
"If there is anything you need, either of you, don't hesitate to ask." Jordan said. Wyatt nodded. They all three heard a little commotion over at the gravesite, the three men turned to see the Zero men arguing with their mother. Cain and Zero took a few steps closer to them. They could tell that Rachel was upset, as well as her children.
"What's going on?" Zero said.
"Mom wants to go find dad, but look." Zero's sister said, pulling up her mother's long sleeve shirt, exposing some bruises.
"Mom, I'm taking you home with me, I don't want you with him anymore." Zero's eldest brother said.
"But..." Rachel started.
"No arguing mother, we are not letting you go back to that house." Cain could tell that Rachel was going to protest again, but then stopped, nodded her head and went with her son.
Cain, Zero and Jeb all went home after that. Cain went to warm some food up for Jeb. He tried to convince Zero to eat something as well but for the fact that Cain's own belly was turning at the thought of food, he didn't push the man.
After Jeb was fed, Cain left his son on his own before moving into the bedroom, to see how Zero was. Zero was lying in bed, jacket off, but still clothed. Cain could tell he was trying to hold back more tears. Cain removed his suit jacket as well before getting in the bed, pulling Zero to him. Zero just sobbed into Cain again, and for the first time, all day, Cain let himself go, crying as well, as they held each other within their arms.
"Daddy? Papa? Are you OK?" they heard through the doorway. Cain turned to see his son, looking at them, sadly. Jeb walked in, walking up to the bed, wiping the tears from Cain's eyes.
"You have been crying, daddy." Jeb said.
"That's because Daddy is sad." Cain explained
"Because Lilly is gone?" Jeb asked. Cain nodded. Jeb moved in to hug his daddy. "Please don't be sad anymore." Cain just smiled weakly at his son's attempts to cheer him up. He picked up the boy, putting him between him and Zero. Jeb moved to hug is papa as well. When Cain saw Zero smile at this, it made him smile as well.
They all three just laid there in bed, talking, crying, and holding one another before the all drifted to sleep.
