Wyatt and Jeb Cain rode along the old brick road on horses one afternoon, days after he'd arrived in Central City. Finding the city too loud and busy, Cain asked if they could get away for a few days to see the surrounding lands. Truth be told, he knew the queen and Azkadellia would be arriving within the next day or so and he didn't want to have to run into them. The city had cleaned up and life was beginning to settle back into the shining city on the hill. As they rode out of the city and onto the old brick road, Cain enjoyed the quiet relaxation of having to do nothing but catch up with his son. As he told his son what caused his escape out of the palace Jeb listened intently.

"I did nothing wrong." Cain said as the story came to a close. Jeb rolled his eyes.

"And I'm sure DG is saying the exact same thing to her sister right now. You both are two very stubborn people. It's amazing you've lasted this long." Jeb looked over at his father. "Don't you think you're being a tad bit of a baby about this?" He watched as his father's jaw tightened and his grasp on the reigns tightened as well. He shut his mouth and the two traveled further down the road in silence.

"I miss her." Cain finally let out.

"Well, of course you do. I would think less of you if you didn't. I really have no idea why you even left." Jeb said. His father sighed.

"I just hate this incisive need to know everything about me. I don't know why knowing who I was will have any impact on who I've become." Cain looked over at his son as they rode along the old brick road.

"What could you possibly have to hide? You are a good man with a decent past, what would you have to hide from DG?" Jeb watched as his father stopped his horse, raising his head up to the sky. "What haven't you told me?"

"Are you going to ask me about my past?"

"Are you going to ask me to marry you and then just abandon me when I need you the most?" Jeb asked. Cain glared over at his son and Jeb raised both hands up. "Look, DG and I are practically the same age. I see what she sees. Now you can run from her all you want but at the end of the day, when all you have is your pride to keep you warm and happy, then you may want to suck up the fact that you may or may not have a shitty past. DG doesn't care.

"Even if you say you and mother fought to the point that you stayed away on purpose to avoid her and me. . ." Jeb watched as his father brought his head down. "Well, that explains my childhood in so many ways. No wonder mother was a bad mother." Cain stopped short and pointed a finger at his son.

"Hey, your mother was a great woman and an even better mother. She was lacking on the wife part, but she had everything else down. I don't want you thinking bad things about her." He paused and looked at his son. "I was the one who left for months at a time without a care. I was the one who left you without a father to turn to."

"She never spoke ill against you, you know," Jeb offered. Cain looked over at his son and nodded. "I never once grew up thinking you were a bad father. So don't go around thinking that my childhood would have been magically better had you been around. I turned out ok."

The pair of men approached the old house they both once lived in and stopped. It had been sometime since they had seen it. Cain hadn't been back since he'd been let out of the tin suit. Jeb had been back a few times to check on things, but even he managed to keep his distance. The old place was starting to show is age and neglect and Cain knew the time was approaching when it would have to be torn down. The roof had started to sag inwards; the glass on the windows was cracked and warped.

So many happy memories had been shared in that house: his honeymoon with Adora, carrying her over the threshold, Jeb's first steps. Yet, with every happy memory there were at least 2 sad or angry ones. These memories were why Cain chose to stay away from it for so many years before the capture and why he stayed away from it even now. However, something drew him in and he felt like the house pulled him towards it.

"Something seems off." Cain said; his head cocked to the side. He looked around the property in front of him but he still couldn't seem to put a finger on what was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Jeb asked. He looked at his father cautiously. Cain stared at the house almost as if it wanted to tell something to him. "Did you want to go in? You know, look around?" Jeb started to get off his horse, but Cain stopped him.

"No, we'll keep riding. There's nothing in there anyway. There are only memories that do not need to be awoken." He looked sadly over at his son. "Did you want to go in?" Jeb shook his head slowly. Cain sighed and rode his horse over towards the pier and the water. He passed the tin suit as the sat looking hauntingly back towards his house. He closed his eyes tightly as he passed by. It had been a long time since DG and Glitch saved him from that hell, but he still couldn't shake the pain of the years spent inside that.

He stared out onto the water and remembered his life there. He remembered waking up around the time the sun was about to peak over the horizon and he would stand on the pier looking out onto the water. The water he taught Jeb how to swim in and fish in. He knew there were some things that qualified him for a crappy father but he still had moments there that he looked back on fondly. He heard Jeb's horse slowly approach him from behind and he knew he had to leave.

"Father, why don't I take you back to the palace and you can talk to DG. There's nothing you can figure out here and DG needs you." Jeb stopped beside his father and turned his face towards Cain. Cain nodded reluctantly and looked over his shoulder back towards the house. The hollow shell of what it once was sat quietly in the distance. There really wasn't anything for him to hold onto anymore."

"Fine, but there's a place I want to take you before we go. It's in the big woods near the palace. It shouldn't take too long."

As they approached the small house in the back of the woods could see smoke. The fire had long since burned out but the hot walls still smoldered. The smell of burnt wood was clear as the men approached the home. Cain looked around trying to see if anyone was around.

"JACOB! NORA!" He called out. He rode ahead of his son towards the front door and stopped a few feet from the porch. He jumped off his horse and ran up the stairs. The doors were black, but Cain could still feel heat radiating. The home, the beautiful bed and breakfast he'd promised Jacob he'd come back to was ruined. His promise came too late. He closed his eyes and tried to shake away the bad feelings, maybe they'd escaped. He noticed the charred lock that held the doors tightly in place and he felt his body go numb. They didn't have a chance. He backed away slowly and turned to his son. Jeb looked up at his father with sadness.

"Who would do something like this?" Jeb asked. Cain noticed a piece of paper flapping on the railing. He looked over at Jeb as he walked over to it.

"I can give you one guess." He muttered harshly. Jeb's brow furrowed as he contemplated that.

"But that's impossible. He's locked up. Has been for months. All of the prisoners were. . ." He trailed off as his father picked up the paper. He watched the anger rise in his fathers face as Cain read the paper. Jeb wanted to ride away as his father turned to look at him.

"Or maybe not." Jeb gulped as his father stomped down the porch. Cain reached up and shoved the paper into his son's hands. Jeb looked down at the paper and read the scratchy font.

Cain,

So you think making friends with my parents will help you get over the guilt of locking me away? I hardly think so. I know the one thing that you can't live without and I am determined to kill your life like you killed mine.

Your 'friend'

Zero

"How far from here is the old resistance camp?" Cain asked as he swung a leg over his horse. Jeb stared at the words and his eyes grew large. It couldn't be him, could it? "JEB!" His father yelled his name and Jeb looked over at his father.

"It's about 10 miles north." Jeb said slowly. Cain started off down the road towards north. Jeb took a deep breath and got his horse in gear as he took off to catch up with his father. 'This cannot end well' the young man thought as he gripped the reign of his horse

The two men raced down the paths towards the woods where Jeb's resistant camp used to sit. It had been deserted once the witch melted, but pieces still remained. Pits where fires once burned scattered the area, while old primitive weapons leaned against trees, no longer having a purpose. As they rode towards the thick brush where the tin suit stood Cain started to pick up on things.

It was the fancy, extravagant invitations that Cain noticed first. Scattered across the path, Cain cursed himself for arguing with DG over something as stupid as a sheet of paper. He stopped his horse and slid off carefully. Jeb rode up right beside him and slipped off his horse as well.

"What is it father?" Jeb asked. Cain held up a hand as he bent down to pick one invitation up. Why would they be scattered around like that? What happened to the messenger? Cain looked around carefully, trying to notice anything that would be of help. As he looked he also listened.

"Father?" Jeb sounded worried. Cain hushed the young man and brought a finger to his own lips. Jeb took a step forward. Both men suddenly heard a sound coming from a thick area of greenery. They looked at each other, worried about what they'd find out there. Cain led his horse over a few fallen trees as he approached a young boy with dark hair.

"Oliver?" Cain bent down to check on the poor boy. "What are you doing all the way out here?" Cain looked around at their surroundings. The tin suit was put back here for a reason. Jeb and Cain had trouble getting back here so how did scrawny little Oliver get back here?

"I got lost." Oliver gulped and looked up at Cain. Oliver used to be scared of Cain, but for good reason. The older man's presence around the palace was comforting to those around as he kept the palace safe. Now the young messenger shook from the presence of another man, an evil one.

"What happened?" Jeb asked taking a step forward. Oliver looked over at Cain's son with fear in his eyes.

"It all happened so quickly. He was in there and then I was on the ground."

Cain stood up and looked behind Oliver. A few feet away from them sat the tin suit. The door was slightly ajar and the smell of sweat and metal poured out into the afternoon air. Cain approached the suit slowly. He pulled open the door and tried to control his own fear as the memoirs of his own imprisonment lingered back into his mind. The inside of the suit was empty, except for the scratches left on the door. The letters D-G were scratched roughly into the hard metal. Cain took a step back slowly; keep his hand on the door.

"Get him on your horse. We have to go now," Cain said as calmly as possible. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the cold metal.

"But sir-"Jeb started. His father turned to him, his face bright with fury.

"Do as I say. NOW!" Cain yelled. With a force his son had never seen before, Cain slammed the door to the heavy suit. The suit rattled and shook from the force. He marched over to the young messenger and picked him up harshly. "You're riding with Jeb." He tossed him over to his son. Jeb helped Oliver onto the horse as best as he could. He tried to hurry as he knew his father was in no way a patient man.

Cain jumped onto his horse, hoping he wasn't too late and cursing himself for being so stupid. If anything happened to DG he didn't know what he'd do. He looked over at his son as Jeb helped the messenger onto the horse behind him. He gripped the reigns and tried to steady his breathing. He didn't know why he was still here or how he'd gotten out. He would deal with that at another time. All he was worried about was her. They had to get to the palace, and fast.

DG stood looking somberly towards the kitchen. How many times had she and Cain snuck down for a late night snack? How many times had those late night snacks turned in late night other things? She closed her eyes and tried to feel him around her but she couldn't. She watched Raw and Glitch devour their meals as she stood with her hands resting on the counter.

DG smiled, the two friends had spent the entire day trying to make DG happy. After the rain let up they walked in the garden and caught up on what had happened through out the months. DG felt bad that she'd cast them aside due to the wedding plans and it was nice to catch up.

"Hey, I know." Glitch said, raising his head. DG looked over at him. "Why don't we play a game? It always seemed to cheer you up before." His eyes sparkled and DG was afraid to say no as it would hurt his feelings. However, she just didn't feel up to anymore games. She just wanted to be alone.

"No thanks, I think I'm just going to call it a night." She placed her napkin on her plate. "Mother and Azkadellia will be back tomorrow, so I should get to bed early. Who knows what they have planned for me." She brought her plate over to the sink and gently placed it in the large basin. Raw frowned and looked over at Glitch. Both turned and stared somberly at their friend. DG stood frozen, staring down into the sink. Her hands rested on the edge of the sink, as she thought about how much she really missed Cain. Maybe she should have held back, she didn't need to know everything about him. A single tear slid down her cheek. She'd been able to hold her tears since her little outburst that morning when her mother and sister left, but now it seemed harder to hold things back.

"DG." Glitch said quietly. DG wiped away the tear and reluctantly turned around. She looked at Glitch. "I'm proud of you." He rested his arms on the counter and shrugged. "I don't think I could walk in your shoes and still have the strength to carry on."

"Raw thinks DG is very brave." DG looked over at Raw and smiled. "Cain does not deserve DG. DG should marry Raw." DG laughed over at her friends. She walked over to the counter and into the arms of her friends. After a few tight hugs DG backed away and kept her smile.

"Thank you so much you guys. I don't know what I'd do without you two." Her two friends simply nodded and watched as she turned around to leave the kitchen.

"Do you think she'll be ok?" Glitch whispered to Raw as DG turned the corner.

"DG will be just fine, Raw is positive." The two looked at each other, both knowing that this wasn't at all a certainty, just a hope.

DG approached her room slowly. She just wanted to run a bubble bath, soak for a few hours and then attempt to make it through the night with a few hours of sleep. It wasn't that hard to imagine. However, as she looked at her door she noticed something odd. Hadn't it been closed all the way before she left? Yes, the maids had a tendency to leave the door open if they had cleaned, but they had stayed away the past few days. They didn't like her too much at times, but they knew when she needed her space. So standing in the hallway she wondered what was going on. She looked back down the hall and didn't see anyone or any sign that anyone had been there. She sighed and kept walking towards the door. Maybe she was just being paranoid.

She pushed open the door and slowly walked in. She cursed herself for not getting her overhead light fixed as she groped around in the dark. She stopped short and sniffed the air. The air smelled odd. It had a metal twinge to it, almost a rusty smell. She sniffed a few more times and then stopped. TIN! She knew that smell. It was the same smell that Cain smelled of after his time in the tin suit. But why would her room suddenly smell of it? She didn't have anything tin in her room. As she tried to make her way to her night table she heard something behind her.

A hand grabbed her from behind, a hand tightly grasped around her mouth. The sharp, biting smell of the metal filled her nostrils and she felt sick from the smell. The attacker forcefully pulled her to him. DG tried to twist and turn, grasping at the intruder, but he was too strong for her. Living in a palace deciding place settings for months on end did nothing for her self defense skills. She brought her foot up and then slammed it down hard on the person's foot. With a grunt the man loosened his grasp for a moment and DG sprang forward, running for the door.

"I don't think so." His voice snarled as he reached out for her arm. DG spun around and in the moonlight she saw her first glance at the man. He sneered at her through the darkness and her eyes grew large.

"It's you." She felt her breath sharply leave her body and she tried to jerk her arm out of his grasp. She kicked her leg out only to hit air and he laughed at her cute try at beating him up.

"That is not a good idea." He said menacingly. DG took a step back, trying to make it though the darkness. She stumbled over a chair and she cursed herself for not putting it away like she told her self too. Her shin now throbbed and she wanted to bend down and rub it but she was too scared to do anything. She could feel a hand grasp her arm and she reached over a punched the air. She tried a second time and finally made contact with his face. She heard him let out a grunt of pain but he didn't even budge.

He threw his hand back and then pulled it forward, hitting DG hard across the head. The force and the unexpectedness threw her back. She hit her head hard on the corner of her bed and she fell to the ground in a slump.

"Well, that was easy." He shrugged. He brushed his hands together then took a few steps forward. He picked up DG and slung her limp body over his shoulder. Now, the question was, how would he get out.

Please try to leave feedback if you're reading this story. I know a lot of people are reading, so please leave feedback! It means a lot to know what you guys think!