AN: Sorry this as been so long. A lot of IRL stuff, but I will try to get more out...
"Dad, what the hell are you doing?" Jeb asked, crouching in front of Cain, "You realize that you're going to confuse her!"
"I don't know what you mean." Cain retorted, drinking a handful of water from the falls.
"Are you that freaking stupid?" Jeb growled, shoving his father to the ground, "Wake up or we're going to lose her forever!" Jeb yelled, kneeling down on Cain's chest with tears threatening to fall.
"What do you expect me to do, Jeb?" Cain asked, letting his son vent, "I'm really at a lost here."
"Running from her isn't going to make it any easier." Jeb shot back, flopping to the ground, "You need to go back in there before she thinks you were some illusion."
"And do what? We need to get back to the Palace before the Longcoat threat gets any worse." Cain countered as he stood, "Fine. I will go and try to talk to her."
DG slowly came to, raising her head and meeting Zero's concern eyes. She smiled before shaking away the fog. Looking around, DG found herself lying on her mat with Zero caressing her bangs out of her eyes.
"Hey, welcome back." Zero said, smiling down at her.
"I thought I saw Cain again. I must have mistaken you for him." DG stated sadly, rising to a sitting position, "I went to brush him away and I hit a hard chest."
"DG, you need to know…" Zero stated, rubbing her back, "I saw Cain too."
DG immediately pulled away from Zero, questioning the man with her eyes, "What do you mean? Wyatt Cain is dead, has been for nearly a week."
"Fine, I'll be outside, getting water." Zero said, rising, "Your fever is spiking again." He sighed, making his way to the entrance and nearly running into Cain.
"Fever?" Cain asked, leaning against the mouth of the cave.
"She's had it for a few days now. I think that is the reason for her delirium." Zero sighed, "I have no idea what to do."
"If I can't, I want you to try and convince her to go back to Finaqua. Princess Azkadellia as requested you alive." Cain said, entering the cave.
Zero watched his once rival disappear before walking over to the small stream. Jeb was there, posting as a watch incase of other patrolling Longcoats. Though Zero knew the patrols didn't come this way, but left the teen alone. He sipped on the cold waters and kept to his own thoughts.
What would Princess Azkadellia decide of his fate? Execution, banishment, or would he be pardoned? This would make sleeping hard tonight. He sat up from the stream to see Jeb standing next to him. The teen still was distraught, but was the mood.
"Tell me more about what happened with DG. Why isn't she using her magic and what is wrong with her?" Jeb asked, looking down at the older man.
"I think she's lost, boy. DG doesn't realize who she is anymore. As far as what happened when she was in prison, you would have to ask her." Zero said, leaning against a nearby tree.
Cain entered the cave and stayed in the shadows. Watching DG as she slowly moved around the hideout, picking up and mumbling to herself.
"I must be taxing Zero. Now he sees Cain. The man's been dead for a week… right? Whatever, those damn alchemists; I'll make them all pay. They will not take another person I love away." DG said, picking up her gun.
"How will that solve anything, Princess?" Cain asked, staying hidden, "Taking revenge like that?" He decided to use her own illusion against her.
"Again with the appearance act, Cain?" DG stated, reloading her pistol, "What do you expect of me?"
"I don't know anymore, but I do know that you need to stop this." Cain stated, walking along the wall, "This isn't you DG. Killing those men in such cold blood, that isn't right."
"This coming from a gun-shooting Tin Man who would have killed for less." DG snarled, "You are not the Wyatt Cain I knew."
"And you're not the DG I knew. This is worse than running. DG, what the alchemists did was wrong, yes. But you're killing possible innocent men, men who haven't had the time to take the Queen's offer."
"They had nearly a month, Cain." DG said, turning to finally see her friend's imaginary form, but saw nothing, "And you still haunt me. You never did answer me before."
"What question didn't I answer?" Cain said in a teasing way, trying to catch DG off guard.
"Why the change of heart? Before you wanted me to do all those killings." She replied, still trying to find him.
"Maybe I was still mad. They did hurt you and barely gave you time to recover before attacking." Cain replied, now feet away from her, "I have had time to understand, to think."
"That's great for you, Cain." DG spat and ignored the illusion, "You've had time to deal with it."
"You can, too." Cain new pleaded, "Just give yourself the chance."
"To do what?" DG spun around, trying to find him, "Grieve over you, to put a mask on, waiting for the next attack?" Wyatt Cain, I lost you and nearly Ahamo and Jeb. Five, FIVE men survived!"
"Six survived." Cain stated, finally emerging from the shadows and kneeling in front of DG, "I swear I…"
DG cocked her gun, aiming between his eyes, "If I shoot you, will you bled or disappear?" She asked, a twisted smile on her face, "Swear your what?"
"That I am real." Cain stated, carefully moving the barrel away from his face, "That I came to get you and bring you home."
DG's smiled faded, but wouldn't let Cain completely push the gun away. She held it still as it was now aimed at Cain's leg. This was a standoff and Cain knew if he didn't get through to the distraught woman, he would be shot and killed. Then DG would be lost forever and no one would be able to save her.
Cain tried desperately to read DG, looking deeply into her eyes, "DG please. You need to rest, lay down." He asked, remembering her fever. Cain moved carefully, standing to prepare DG's bed.
DG immediately aimed the gun at Cain again, "You need to leave, one way or another." Her voice held no emotion, but Cain could see the confusion in her eyes.
"We can do this all night, DG. I don't plan on going anywhere without you." Cain declared, "Zero and Jeb probably won't go anywhere, either."
"Zero and I are doing fine. Jeb can go back to Finaqua, tell the others that I am fine. I am doing what I think is right for the O.Z., Cain." DG stated, "I don't want anymore innocents getting killed because of me."
"What, so killing these men yourself will correct everything?" Cain countered, "Some of these men haven't had the chance to take the Queen's offer."
"They had plenty of time, Cain." DG growled, "Time enough to attack us, whether by the alchemist or Longcoats. We offered peace and they spit it back in our face."
"DG, listen to yourself!" Cain fumed, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her a few times, "This isn't you, snap out of it!"
"Fuck you, Cain!" DG shoved the man back, "I won't stand behind a fortified wall as the O.Z. is in turmoil!"
"DAD!" Jeb screamed, rushing into the cave only to see DG aiming the gun at his father. For Cain, it was the third time and he was growing tired of it.
"Stay back, Jeb." Cain warned, seeing Zero rush in behind his son, "You said the fever was affected her, but I didn't think it was this bad."
DG watched as the three exchanged with one another, 'It's true Cain really is alive. That doesn't explain…' She was trying to blame him and knew she couldn't, 'God I wish this headache would go away.'
"DG?" Cain asked, noticing the young woman swaying on her feet, "Come on, you need to rest."
DG allowed Cain to maneuver her around the cave. Taking the gun away from her, helping her lay on her sleep-sack, and placing a cool cloth over her forehead. All this while she was in a haze. Though to the others, she had always been in one, DG felt different, more confused and scared.
Was she wrong for what she had done? Killing all those Longcoats and Alchemists in some future defense? Her mind filled with questions as she drifted off to sleep. One question stood out in her mind, what had happened to Cain.
After DG had drifted off, the three men were left with a conundrum. Jeb leaned against the side of the cave, not believing DG's behavior. She had pointed a gun at his father and was probably ready to shoot when he and Zero stumbled in. This was going to be harder than he thought to get the young Princess home.
Zero and Cain were having a small stare down and a silence exchange of words. Jeb guessed it was how and when to get DG home and what to do about the threat. Though, the longer the two men stared, the more unsettled Jeb was feeling. Not sure whether the two were going to fight or shake hands.
"Why not kiss and make up?" Jeb asked, rolling his eye as he broke the silence. He had to smile as the men jumped before each tried to wave off the embarrassment, "What are we going to do? It's still late in the night, can't be barely passed midnight." Jeb wondered, looking out the cave.
"She's not getting any better. Why not take our chance and get out of here?" Zero suggested.
"You're okay with heading to Finaqua?" Cain questioned, "You know you'll be a captive again until Azkadellia's decision."
"I know, but now I have no place. I am hunted by both sides now and thinking that I still want to be by Azkadellia's side." Zero admitted.
"You…" Jeb felt like the teenager he was and smiled at Zero, "You like Az?"
"Jeb." Cain rolled his eyes, "Let's just get home." He sighed, knelling next to DG. Using the bag more for leverage, Cain picked up the sleeping woman and followed Jeb and Zero out of the cave.
The three were extremely cautious as they made their way back to the horses. Zero and Cain had their pass and neither was anxious to become friends. Though Cain was slowly growing to trust Zero, but still vigilant to the ex-Longcoat's actions.
Once they reached the horses, a new dilemma presented itself. There were only two horses and four bodies. Cain and DG were obviously on one horse, but it was Jeb and Zero who looked at one another.
"I'll run…" Zero stated, crossing his arms.
"We'll figure this out." Jeb assured, helping his father with DG. Cain had jumped onto his horse and he and Jeb carefully placed her in front of Cain, "The sooner we go, the sooner it will be over."
"Whatever…" Zero sighed, heading towards Jeb's horse.