Author's note: Thanks to all who have followed along down this path. I knew going in that this story would not be everyone's cup of tea, so I have been pleasantly surprised to see the number of hits that it has gotten. Hopefully I can continue to improve the character and story development and not disappoint any of you.

While Cain was with the group of royal guards and Tin Men in the distance, one of many emergency vehicles came upon the scene. Jeb and Captain Bower helped DG and Azkadellia into one of the trucks. Captain Bower hopped in, and he and Azkadellia moved towards the back, completely uninterested in what was going on around them. DG and Jeb watched as Cain and Jill continued in their direction. He still had his arm around her shoulders.

DG saw the woman with the short brown hair and pink jacket. She moved back out closer to the edge of the truck and said to Jeb, "Who's that with Cain?"

"That's Jill Wilkins." He paused. He silently debated how much more to tell her but knew that she would soon realize from Jill's clothes that she was not from this world. He decided to get it over with. "She's from your side. She was brought here in a travel storm a few days ago."

"What do you mean travel storm? Mother outlawed them." countered DG as she continued to watch. She was tired, but not so tired to not to try to find out who this Jill was and why Cain had his arm around her.

"I know DG. We all know. But someone wanted her here badly enough to launch one after her. After walking over half a day she found our cabin." Jeb continued to look down the street.

"While Cain was there?" she continued to press for information.

Jeb turned to look at her, and found her eyes intently looking at him, "Yeah, while Dad was there. During the morning of the first full day she was there Dad left her alone so that he could get his traps. While he was gone some men broke in to the cabin looking for her."

"How did she get away?" DG's look grew more concerned.

"From what Dad told me she hid in one of the bedrooms. They didn't do a good job looking around inside the cabin." He replied.

Any hint of jealously of seeing Cain with his arm around another woman was replaced with feelings of sympathy. It only took those short few sentences from Jeb to remind her of how she felt when she was first transported to this world. Even the scenario was the same; get thrown into a tornado and let the chase begin. She briefly wondered if this Jill encountered any munchkins with their tiny little minds on the way. "Damn it." She muttered under her breath. "Do you know who was looking for her?" She couldn't believe that it might be remnants of the Witch's Longcoats.

"If you were thinking Longcoats, I don't think so." Jeb answered her silent question. "Not from how Jill described them."

"So she's the reason why that Cain came back early?" she asked.

"Yeah."

By this time Azkadellia had stopped listening to the conversation between DG and Jeb. She started to softly sing, "Two little princesses dancing in a row….Spinning fast and free, on their little toes…..."

"What the heck?" DG turned and looked at her. She crawled from the edge of the truck bed and knelt down in front of her sister.

Azkadellia's eyes were unfocused and she leaned lazily against the side of the truck. As she continued to hum the song that they had sung together as children, before the cave, her head listed from side to side.

DG took her sister's hands in hers, "Az? What's wrong?" DG continued to grow alarmed. She was not sure if Azkadellia's mind snapped again or not. She saw that most of Az's makeup was gone from her face and her scars were clearly visible.

Azkadellia's eyes slowly focused again, "DG? Why are you kneeling in front of me?"

DG bit her lip as she realized that Azkadellia had no idea that her mind had wandered off again. "It's nothing Az. I'm just so thankful that we made it out of there alive."

By this time Cain and Jill reached the truck. Jeb started to ask Cain about what had just transpired, but Cain shook his head no. Not now, not in front of the princesses.

They arrived at the palace which was a buzz with commotion. Glitch was there waiting for them. He ran down the palace steps, two at a time, until he met all of them at the back of the truck.

As Cain and Jeb helped DG get out of the truck he took her into his arms and kissed her passionately. His one hand cradled her head and the other felt down to the small of her back.

It took Cain off guard and he just stood there watching them. Granted, Glitch's writings to him were few, but he had never mentioned that he was in love with DG. He glanced over to his son, Jeb never told him either. Jeb saw his father looking at him and he lowered his head to look at the ground.

Glitch released DG from his kiss but continued to hold her and brush the ash from her hair, "Hey doll, are you okay?" DG raised her hand and gingerly touched his cheek, "Yeah Glitch, I'm tired but I'm okay."

It was then that they realized that Cain was staring at them. DG thought, no knew, that she saw a wave of pain pass over his face. But it was gone as soon as it appeared and his face hardened again. But those blue eyes, they continued to gaze upon the two of them.

The silence that had become uncomfortable was broken by Jeb asking Cain to help him get Azkadellia out. Captain Bower had already climbed out and was standing rather stiffly at the side of the truck. Cain then went to reach for Jill but he wasn't quick enough. She had already jumped down and stood up beside him.

She took one look at Glitch and Cain heard her mutter to herself, "What the hell?" The things that he was going to have to try to talk to her about soon were piling up left and right. "Jill, this is Ambrose. He's one of the Queen's aides."

Glitch looked at Cain with a very confused look. It was only in formal circles that he went by Ambrose. Hearing Cain, his old friend, call him that puzzled him. He pushed those thoughts aside and he released DG. Before Cain's introduction he too saw the surprised look on Jill's face when she took notice of him. It was a look that he had grown accustomed to. He extended his hand to her and smiled, "You can go ahead and call me Glitch for short. Even Cain calls me that." He looked up at his friend but he couldn't read his expression. Cain's face continued to have a hard edge to it and it made his smile fade away. He went back to his place near DG's side again and out of habit put his arm around her waist.

Word had been sent ahead that the princesses were back to the palace and, the Queen, Lord Ahamo, and Dr. Addison rushed down the palace steps.

"Oh DG, my darling" cried out the Queen. She embraced DG and held on to her tightly. She whispered into her ear, "Thank the gods you and Azkadellia are safe." DG whispered back to her, "We're tired but we're all okay Mother." She thought back to Azkadellia humming their song in the back of the truck. She had a pang of guilt lying to her mother but pushed it aside as her father, Lord Ahamo hugged her as well.

The Queen then turned her attention to her other daughter, "Oh Az," and she brushed the dirt from her hair and hugged her closely as well. Azkadellia said nothing though. She smiled but her eyes were unfocused again and they looked far off in the distance. The Queen pulled back but kept her hands on her shoulders, "Azkadellia, are you all right?" She took a closer look at her face and saw too that some of the makeup that had covered her scars was gone. Azkadellia's eyes slowly focused again, and she replied, "Of course, Mother, never been better." Dr. Addison then took her from her mother's grip and held her steady. She looked up at him and smiled but said nothing. The Queen continued to look at both of them and Dr. Addison said in his low silky voice that bordered on condescending, "My Queen, as you can see, Azkadellia is exhausted and is not herself. She needs to rest." His gaze unflinchingly met hers. She pressed her lips together and raised her shoulders a little higher, "But of course, Dr. Addison. I am very well aware of that." How dare he use that voice with me?

The Queen and Lord Ahamo's interest then turned to Cain, Jeb, and Jill. She eyed Jill warily and directed her question to Cain, "Major, who is this?"

"That is Jill Wilkins, ma'am. She's an outworlder who was brought here in a travel storm." He paused, trying to see what the Queen's reaction was going to be. "She found our cabin and it was there that some men appeared and attempted to kidnap her. I brought her here to the city to find out why."

The Queen's face furled with dismay. She had specifically outlawed travel storms due to the enormous amount of contraband being transferred from that world to this one. They had attempted to keep the reasons quiet so that the populace would not be alarmed. The contraband was not only trinkets, small electronic devices, and other junk, but entire caches of weapons and other machinery. Then upon advisement from Dr. Addison she decreed that all outworlders would be registered. It was to track whether the contraband went from weapons to human trafficking. Looking at Jill standing before her, she saw that it had. It was also then that she realized that she had no choice but to tell them what else had been going on. If it had been any other men standing before her she would have stated the standard "thank you and you are dismissed". But this was Wyatt and Jeb Cain standing before her. It would be pointless to try to hide the truth from them.

After hearing Cain's introduction of Jill to the Queen, Dr. Addison could not contain his excitement. He released Azkadellia and marched in front of the Queen. Before she or Lord Ahamo could say anything he extended his hand to Jill and said in his low silky voice again, "Miss Wilkins, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Dr. Xavier Addison, of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Principal Advisor to the Queen." In the background Glitch stood up a little straighter and he bristled with a tad bit of anger. It always irritated him when Dr. Addison introduced himself like that.

Jill extended her hand and Dr. Addison grasped it eagerly. She tried to pull her hand away without making a scene but Dr. Addison would not let it go. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cain start to scowl. Dr. Addison seemed undeterred though. "Please allow me to extend my sympathies to you. I certainly have not heard your entire tale, but already it appears that you have had a troubling journey." He took his other hand and enclosed it around hers. "If I can be of assistance in any way, any way at all, please let me know." He held on to her hand a moment longer and then finally let her go. It took everything she had to remain calm and mind her manners, "Thank you Dr. Addison."

What a pompous ass, Jill thought to herself as she continued to give him the once over. He was dressed in dark blue formal royal attire, complete with gold trim. He had a dark blue cloak to match and wore black leather gloves. He was certainly older than any of them by the look of his salt and pepper hair. He wore it long and slicked back and it exposed a strange red mark near his right temple.

The Queen gave Dr. Addison an infuriating look, "Dr. Addison, thank you for offering your services to Ms. Wilkins. I am quite sure that she will let you know if she needs your assistance." Dr. Addison met her steely glare, and only slightly bowed his head in acknowledgment. He went to resume his place at Azkadellia's side but Lord Ahamo was already there, with his arm protectively over Az's shoulders. His green eyes narrowed and he turned back to the Queen, "If you will excuse me. Obviously, with what has transpired, I have many matters to attend to." Without waiting for a response he took one last parting glance at both Jill and Azkadellia and then quickly traversed the steps back into the palace.

Through all of this Captain Bower stood stiff and silent near the back of the truck. Jeb had been watching him the entire time and grew increasingly concerned about him. He was older than Lieutenant Miller and had taken the young man under his wing. At the very least, he figured that he had better get him back to the barracks. There would be people there to help him.

"Captain Bower." He said over to him, and the Captain's head snapped to attention. "Let's get back to the barracks to see what's going on." As he passed by his father, Cain said to him, "Son, be careful," and placed his hand on his shoulder. Jeb stopped and acknowledged him, "I will Dad."

By this time, Lord Ahamo looked over at his wife, read her face, and then asked Glitch, "Will you follow me and see to it that DG gets back to her chambers? I'm going to help Az."

"But of course sir," he replied. As they retreated up the palace steps, DG could not help but look over her shoulder and take one last look at Cain and Jill standing next to her mother. She bit her lip and quickly looked away. The rest of her questions would have to wait until later.

The Queen watched her daughters walk out of earshot, and then said to Cain, "Take Jill to one of our visitor's chambers and one of the chambermaids can help her to clean up." The blood that had splattered on to Jill from Lieutenant Miller's wounds had not gone unnoticed by her. "We will all need to talk later, before the evening is through," she said simply. "I will send for you when I am ready."

And with that one of many couriers that had been rushing in and out of the palace came to see her. She opened the message he handed to her, and she let out a small gasp. She told the courier, "Send for General Turnbaugh and have him report to the ready room immediately." Cain heard her gasp and gave her a concerned look. She sighed deeply, "There are reports from the other cities that they have experienced attacks as well." She then turned and quickly went up the palace steps.

And with that Cain and Jill found themselves left alone. He looked sympathetically at her, "Let's get you cleaned up." He started to walk up the steps, and Jill called after him. "Wyatt?"

He stopped. It was not often that someone used his first name.

With a tired voice she said, "I crossed that line, didn't I?"

He knew what she was referring to. It was in regards to Lieutenant Miller. It was a line that nice people like her should never have to cross in their life. It did not matter what world they were from.

He turned, and looked back at her with a hint of sadness in his eyes, "You did….and once you do, there's no going back."