How did she always manage to make everything feel so right?

Cain stared down into those smiling eyes and the rest of the room just melted away. Faces in the crowd passed by them in a blur as they danced; none of it mattering so long as she was there with him. Somehow she'd become home to him when all else had slipped away; the one thing in his life that he could count on to welcome him with open arms. The sensation of her soft hand in his grasp made his heart swell; her smiles sent his pulse racing. Perhaps it was the drinks, perhaps it was the contagious joy that was coming from her in torrents, whatever the cause he had stopped thinking. His mind was silent for the moment, simply feeling and not second guessing it.

Slinking along the outskirts of the room in a manner thoroughly befitting her feline mask, Alisha watched the pair with a contented smile set on her lips.

Seeing these two together somehow made the world just seem a little brighter. If there was ever a thing she was meant to do it was aiding in the joining of the Princess and her Tin Man. She felt a sense of duty in helping remove the barriers that stood between them, that by doing so she could open the gates and give the world the existence of one of the sweetest pleasures a being could ever hope to experience – a love that was pure and true. It made her feel lighter somehow watching them interact, as if the struggles of life were worth it if these two could find a way to be together. Their love was a beacon, a symbol of hope that the rest of the world could be led out of darkness by.

The room was awash in a soft glow that she could not pinpoint the source of, she smiled that it was likely DG herself, as if the love in DG's heart was bathing them all in the warmth of her magic. She supposed that might be precisely the case; a happy Princess of Light might very well mean a glowing Princess of Light.

Without warning Jeb popped out of a shadow and snatched her up. She laughed and swatted him in the shoulder, telling him to control himself and to stop using that damnable Cain-sidling trick on her. Jeb grinned down at her mischievously, biting his bottom lip and motioning with his eyes toward the door of a nearby cloakroom. She shook her head and groaned that she'd created a monster, turning in his arms to watch the happy – if reluctant to admit it – couple as they danced.

"It's nice to see Dad so relaxed for a change." Jeb said behind her ear before kissing her hair and she smirked, leaning back against him.

"The Princess, too…I'd say she looks rather pleased, wouldn't you?" Alisha glanced at him over her shoulder as he studied the smile on DG's face, checking to see if realization would pass over his features at her words. No such luck. He gave a disinterested grunt of agreement and went back to amusing himself with the nape of her neck.

Ah, poor unsuspecting little Jebbie-kins, she thought with a laugh as he tightened his hold on her and nipped at her ear. She wondered vaguely what his reaction would be to all this as she ran her fingers over his forearm and sighed in the comfort of his embrace; whether he would oppose the revelation that DG and his father were destined for one another. Only time would tell, she supposed.

DG's eyes met hers over Wyatt's shoulder, widening and flicking over to Rose where she stood across the room. Alisha grinned and nodded. "Snooker-doodle, would you be a dear and excuse me for a moment?" She asked and he groaned in disappointment. "Just a minute, I swear." She offered as he squeezed her tighter in protest.

"More plotting?" He whined and she laughed as she peeled his hands from her.

"I have no idea what you mean." Alisha said in feigned ignorance, turning to find him staring down at her with a skeptical smirk set on his lips. She cracked up and told him he was adorable when he didn't believe a word she said, kissed him on his nose and quickly made her exit into the crowd.

"Rose!" She called, hopping up to see her friend over the dozens of people blocking her path. "Yo Rose!"

She waited for the head of expertly-curled locks to spin toward the sound of her voice and began waving her hand excitedly to get her attention. After a bit of struggling through the swarms of costumed figures they managed to reach one another and Rose gave her a look of mock disapproval. "You're not playing the expected role of an OZ royal servant again, Alisha. How many times do we need to go over this?" She teased and Alisha rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Humbled and demure, I got it. But for the moment we have planning to do and I need your help." Alisha said quickly, watching Rose's brows draw together curiously.

"Sure, what do you need? What's going on?" She asked, her eyes flicking over to ensure that DG was still dancing happily with her Tin Man.

"Well I'm supposed to be helping out with one of DG's presents…but I just got the opportunity I was waiting for to set up a little alone time for a certain two lovebirds…do you think you could help me make it happen?" Alisha asked hopefully.

Rose immediately nodded and assured her that it would be no problem, but of course she was assuming the lovebirds were DG and Wyatt…little did she know…

"Oh – you are a LIFE SAVER!" Alisha squealed and seized her for a hug. "Alright, go wait out by the entryway – I'll let them know that you're going to give a hand." She said and motioned for Rose to hurry.

She turned back and waited for DG's eyes to find her again, winking and grinning that they were halfway there.

After ensuring that Rose was out of the ballroom Alisha set out again, hopping every few feet and looking around the crowd for it…come on… come on…ah hah! That zipper was gleaming like a landing strip and she cut through the crowd quickly, offering a dozen apologies before she'd reached him.

"Glitch!" She called, grabbing his hand and dragging him away from the group of ambassadors he'd been gabbing away with. The mortified look on his face once she'd stopped told her she was using the wrong name. "Alright, Ambrose, whatever…the one giving DG her big surprise tonight…"

His eyes widened and he clamped a hand over her mouth, casting a worried look around them before pushing her further away from the dance floor – as if DG suddenly had super-human hearing or something.

"Mmmm mm mmm mmmmmm?" Alisha mumbled in annoyance against his hand, the mask blocking her arched brow from view.

He gave her an apologetic smile and released her. "Oh – sorry about that!" He said with a nervous laugh, wringing his hands and squinting at her before managing. "What were you saying?"

Alisha moved her mouth around for a moment to undo the squishing it had just endured, tilting her head to the side and smirking finally. "Glitch…do you moisturize?" She asked and watched his cheeks immediately darken, with a merciful laugh she waved off her question. "Never mind, it's not important anyway. Look – I'm not gonna be able to help you with the…thing." She said, not wanting another hand clamped over her mouth if she uttered the word 'surprise' a second time. His face fell in disappointment but she shook her head. "No, no…it's okay. I have one of the other ladies out there waiting to give you a hand…" or something… "She's in the main entryway and volunteered to help out in any way she can."

Glitch…no it was definitely Ambrose…eyed her suspiciously for a moment, undoubtedly getting the feeling that she was up to something. He finally sighed and nodded, turning on his heel and heading out to meet up with the unsuspecting Rose.

She grinned to herself and looked around the room. Two down. DG was still twirling around the floor with her Tin Man, Rose was about to be confronted by her head-case…that just left…

"Alisha up to trouble." Came the infuriatingly perceptive voice of old fuzzy-lips behind her and she deflated a little, rolling her eyes with her back to him. Damned Viewers, they seemed to spot her meddling a mile away. After regaining her façade of supreme innocence she turned to face him with a grin plastered on her face.

"Now, Raw – you and I barely even know one another. Why would you have such an impression of me?" She asked as she hooked her arm with his and began walking across the room.

Raw watched her like a coiled snake; she was used to men giving her this expression and was actually counting on it. He was barely looking ahead of them as he studied her eyes and tried to gauge what she was plotting. "Because it is true." He said shortly and she nodded, smiling in agreement since there was no use denying it with this one.

"Well I suppose you're right. I am in fact up to…oh, would you look at that." Alisha said in mock surprise as she stopped. "Janet, my darling…" She began and watched out of the corner of her eye as Raw realized in horror that he'd been led directly into a trap. Alisha felt his arm tense as he stood face to face with the girl he'd been eyeing up in what he'd thought was an imperceptible manner for the past few weeks.

Janet's eyes wandered to Raw slowly then over to Alisha's devilish grin. "How…are you?" She asked, though her tone clearly said, 'what the hell are you doing now?'

"I was just telling Raw that it's not fair that he's the only one not dancing. Since I've got Jeb hot on my trail, I figured I'd assign you with the task of ensuring that our dear friend the Viewer here has a good time tonight…and I know you won't let me down…" She paused, watching Janet swallow hard in shock. That's right; she'd noticed the looks going both ways and tonight was a night for wrapping up loose ends. How could the girls help DG and Wyatt when they weren't landing the men they had on their own 'to do' lists? She smirked, her eyes passing back and forth between the two as they smiled shyly at one another. "Well, I'll just leave you two to get to know one another. Have fun!" She called as she quickly turned and walked toward where Jeb was pouting in the corner.

"See? That didn't take long, did it?" Alisha called to him as she approached and he shook his head. She leaned over to one of the guards in passing, muttering a quick, "The girl over there in the black feathers says you've got a great ass…she's single, too…" and watching his eyes widen in surprise before settling on Rhonda where she stood completely oblivious to the stud who was about to come make the introductions. "And hey – you up there, blondie…" She said to another, tapping him on the shoulder and waiting for him to look down at her, seriously down at her – the guy had a good foot and a half on her. "The one in the hot pink over there, see the one dancing? I heard her say she'd love to climb you like a tree. Go get her, tiger." The guard's face immediately lit up in amusement, looking over at Flo and then down at Alisha with an appreciative smile before setting out for his dancing admirer.

Alisha watched him go; letting out a contented sigh and closing the distance between her and Jeb, practically glowing at how nicely things were coming together.

"Now I know you were plotting…" Jeb said with a scowl and pointed at her in accusation. "There's only two times I see you with that satisfied smirk on your face." He teased as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"You know me too well, love. How about…you and I…" She purred and walked her fingers up his chest. "Go into that cloakroom over there now that I'm through with my mischief…and you give me my other satisfied smirk? I mean you'll have to be quick since–"

She'd barely finished the sentence and he was tugging her along by the hand. By some miracle she managed to wave to DG and give her a thumbs-up before being pulled away to the dark interior of the closet for a thorough ravishing.

"I take it I should be concerned." His voice broke in on her temporary distraction and DG looked up into those sparkling blue eyes, finding a mixture of amusement and suspicion there and realizing he'd caught Alisha's hand signal.

DG laughed nervously. "No, no…she's just helping me surprise a few of the maids. A way of saying thanks for all their hard work on my gown. Nothing to be alarmed by…"

Wyatt's eyes narrowed on her skeptically. "The fact that the two of you are involved is reason enough for alarm." He said and she grinned up at him.

It wasn't long before she was whisked away from the comfort of Wyatt's touch by an Ambassador, then a would-be suitor, then a member of some high council…but those steely blue eyes followed her every movement. She never once looked for him and failed to find him smiling back at her.

DG laughed seeing Alisha and Jeb finally return from wherever they'd disappeared to, Sarah and Michelle were both hurriedly helping pin her curls back up and fix her mask as they teased her, Jeb was smoothing out his clothes self-consciously upon catching a stern look of mock disapproval from Erin. She had to sigh and take in the sight of them. These were her friends now; friends that she never would have met were it not for Wyatt and her feelings for him. The OZ was fast becoming a place she belonged to and she had him to thank.

A trumpet sounded and she turned away from the man whom she'd never met before but was dancing with, beyond shocked to find Azkadellia slowly descending the stairs.

She wore a flowing white gown with blue accents, its material hiding far more of her breasts than the people of the OZ were accustomed to. Her chestnut hair was down and framing her gentle face, no longer jet-black as it had been before…this was Az, not the witch.

Azkadellia was a shy and delicate creature, one that had never been allowed to show her true face. Her anxiety was ever so slightly evident in her features as the room fell to silence and DG's stomach tensed seeing it, her jaw flexed as her eyes darted around the suddenly cold room. No applause for her sister, no happiness to see her, just suspicion and looks bordering on hatred.

It wasn't fair. These people were not seeing her sister for who she was, they were still fearful of her and it broke her heart. She could see Az's features straining painfully as the silence pressed in on her, the courage it took her to show her face in public astounded DG, but no one seemed to care. No one paid any attention to the fact that her sister was wearing her heart on her sleeve in that moment, that she had sworn she couldn't attend the party for exactly this reason but had tried anyway, just for DG.

She cut across the room quickly, not noticing as Wyatt instantly fell in behind her. He stopped at the base of the stairs as she all but raced up them to meet her sister, taking her hand and watching Az's features relax at the reassurance and safety she was providing with the gesture.

DG looked down at the room filled with faces, now so unwelcoming as opposed to the awe and love they'd held when it was her own turn to descend these stairs.

She'd had enough of this. Her voice sounded strange to her own ears as she began, so strong and confident despite her normal fear of public speaking. "Everyone, listen up!" Her words rang out through the already silent room, thousands of eyes widening in surprise at her tone. This was not the way she supposed a Princess should be addressing her people, but she didn't give a rat's ass anymore.

Maybe it was the presence of friends, people she knew would support her; the presence of Wyatt that spurred such sudden bravery in her, maybe it was the way his blue eyes glittered with pride as she prepared to launch into a tirade, the way he seemed to know what she was going to say even before she did. She could see the Queen and Ahamo crossing the room to reach her, likely hoping to silence her but it wasn't going to happen. These people were making Az sad; the distrust in their eyes was making her sister's life miserable when she should be focusing on healing.

"I want you all to meet my sister, Az, for the first time. For the past several years you've known a completely different person wearing her face in much the same way you wear your masks tonight." She heard a small stirring of whispers, likely people explaining to one another what a 'year' was. "You have all been made aware of this, yet many of you are still staring at her as if the witch is hiding somewhere inside her. This is your Princess, every bit as much as I am – if not more. She was made to suffer in a way none of us could imagine even in our worst nightmares…what the witch did to people on the outside she has done to my sister from within…"

Az clutched her hand tightly, looking down at the floor as tears welled up in her eyes and inching closer to DG, seeking comfort as words she'd never dared to hope for poured from her angelic sister's mouth.

This wasn't the way things were done; their parents had offered an explanation for the events in the manner expected of the royal family, they had done so in a decree…

But words on a royal doctrine offered little solace to people whose entire lives had been destroyed, people who had lost children and parents and lovers, friends and siblings and neighbors.

DG was addressing these people as if they were her peers, not skirting the issue, not pretending that everything was fine or that their feelings were non-existent, not afraid of consequence as she tackled the issue head-on. Az looked at the side of her sister's indignant face and couldn't help but smile in awe. A rustling of fabric echoed throughout the room as many shifted guiltily at the looks they'd been giving Az. Many eyes were cast downward as DG's accusatory glare leveled the room.

She paused seeing the group of maids all watching her with proud smiles on their faces, Jeb standing with his arms around Alisha…poor Jeb who'd lost everything to the witch…and was now nodding to DG in approval of her words.

She inclined her head to him in appreciation before continuing. "Had it not been for her strength in overcoming the witch there would be no light in the OZ; many of us would not be alive today – including me – and there would definitely be no cause for celebration. She lost her entire young adult life to that witch because I was too afraid to stand by her, to be as brave as she was and stand my ground against such a terrible evil…I failed her, I failed you all and I've had to live with that every day since discovering the truth – I was a child and did a stupid, cowardly thing…yet you've all forgiven me."

A few unbidden tears streamed down her cheeks and she sniffled, looking down at the stairs and leaning against her sister, her voice cracking as she continued. "It hurts me so much that even though it was my fault, even though I was the one who caused this everyone sees her as the one to blame, but you have to realize, even after suffering fifteen years under the witch's control Az was still courageous enough to stand her ground, to see it through to the end so that we all could have a chance at happiness. She and I stood side by side on that balcony and were it not for her, for all the things she taught me even as a child I would have failed. I never could have done it without her." She shook her head and looked up at them again, trying to keep a grip on her emotions. DG's voice was straining, her eyes welling up with tears as she pled for the understanding of this room of strangers. "So please, don't treat her as an enemy – this is the bravest and kindest woman you will ever meet. Be wise enough to understand that while this is the face you knew to be the witch, you were deceived. I ask you to believe me, not in your minds but in your hearts because I cannot stand seeing my sister treated so unfairly after she has suffered so much. You owe her your thanks, not your fear."

With a bit of effort she managed to swallow and clear her throat, taking a steadying breath. "So, people of the OZ, may I proudly introduce to you my sister…Princess Azkadellia."

DG held up their joined hands, smiling over at Az with the room erupting in applause.

She stared at the tears in her sister's eyes, smiling as Azkadellia laughed happily and hugged her, whispering into her hair that she loved her and making DG's entire world a better place. The crowd was still cheering as they ended their embrace, DG laughing and pointing down at Jeb and Chelsea as they both whistled enthusiastically.

The Queen and Ahamo were staring at their daughters and for a moment DG's breath caught in her throat fearing that she would find disapproval in their eyes…but both of them looked thoroughly pleased so she guessed she'd done something right.

To DG's sheer delight a member of the royal guard, built like a brick wall with dark hair and grey eyes, stepped forward and extended his hand to Azkadellia; asking her quietly if she would give him the honor of her first dance of the evening. DG recognized him as one of the men usually posted at her sister's quarters and was grinning like a mad woman seeing the way her sister's cheeks reddened, the way she smiled shyly as she nodded and took his hand.

With one last squeeze and a smile that could have melted ice Az released DG's hand and made her way out to the dance floor with her guard.

DG descended the remaining stairs feeling like she was walking on air, beyond thrilled with herself for making it through that little impromptu speech and managing to help her sister.

"Well done."

She heard his voice right behind her ear and laughed, turning to find Wyatt smiling down at her. She tried to keep her own cheeks from darkening at the thoughts that immediately formed upon having his mouth so close to her.

"Did you like that? There's plenty more where that came from." She teased.

"You'll have to put it on hold for a bit. I'm supposed to be coming up with a false pretense to lure you to the library so you can get one of your presents." Wyatt said with a smile as he rolled his eyes.

An indignant, "Ah!" immediately sounded from behind them. DG turned and found Alisha and Jeb standing there, Alisha with her arms crossed over her chest as she shook her head. "Real smooth, Tin Man." She chided before turning back to Jeb. "See? I told you he wouldn't lie to her." She insisted and Jeb cracked up. "Not even for a birthday present! Geesh."

DG's eyes wandered back over to Wyatt, smiling at the way he was arching a brow at Jeb's outspoken bed-buddy as if wondering whether a gag was in order.

Despite Alisha's obvious wish that he'd played along, DG was actually thankful that he hadn't tried to lie to her. Can you imagine how disappointed she would have been?

Wyatt telling her to follow him, leading her away from the party to where she would have presumed the two of them would be alone…she would have been ready to burst by the time they reached the library, just gearing up to tackle him when suddenly she'd have been faced with the horrible realization that nookie wasn't on the agenda.

How would she have managed to pretend another gift would suffice after believing that she was going to receive a gift-wrapped Tin Man?

No – it was better that he'd been honest. She didn't think she could have withstood the trauma of such an incident.

"So…I guess we're going to the library then." DG said with a laugh, finally managing to tear her eyes away from Wyatt.

They ascended the stairs like a pack, undoubtedly leaving the guests to wonder why there was suddenly a shortage of staff serving drinks but none of the girls cared, they wanted to see this.

Glitch was standing out in the hall with Rose as they approached, both of them looking like teenagers who'd just been caught in the act, standing a bit too far away from one another suddenly and Alisha and DG shared a knowing smile.

"Princess…" Glitch said in greeting, bowing to her and smiling as he stood upright.

DG bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to laugh as she pointed at his mouth. "You've…you've just got a little…" She said quietly, motioning for him to wipe off the lipstick that was still present.

He let out a nervous laugh and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, hurriedly trying to remove the evidence all the while ignoring the surprised smirks on Wyatt and Jeb's faces. Rose was averting her eyes guiltily from Alisha, who was now grinning like a Cheshire cat.

With a little help from DG, Glitch finally managed to get all of it. "Ummm…" He began, clearing his throat and struggling to form a coherent thought through his embarrassment. "Oh yes! DG…I've been working on this for you for the past few months…everyone standing here and more who aren't helped in one way or another, all of them keeping it quiet and aiding me in any way they could. So…from me and everyone else…this is your birthday present…"

Rose and him each pushed open one of the doors to the library, Wyatt giving Glitch an impressed look seeing that he and whoever had helped with the presentation had managed to clear a fifteen foot wide path from the doors all the way to the far end of the room, where DG's present was standing.

Rose smiled back at the others; it gave the appearance of a huge gift box but was actually a metal frame draped in material. With a bit of work they'd managed to wrap it up in a big bow.

The look on DG's face as she cautiously approached it was well worth the wait; Glitch was beside her every step of the way – anxious to see her reaction.

"You just have to pull that cord there…" He said, barely able to contain his excitement.

"What…in the world…" She breathed, wondering what could possibly be so large. She cherished the moment a little longer, looking back at all the expectant faces and drinking it all in. Whatever it was the others were certainly sure she'd be impressed, the way they were all leaning forward made her laugh. "Alright…here goes nothing…" She said, reaching out to the soft rope and giving it a good tug.

The material began to fall, pouring over the frame as she stared up at it in shock…

It reached the floor leaving her standing face to face with Hank and Emily for the first time in several months.

"Mom! Dad!" She squealed, racing to them without a second's hesitation. They were laughing as they caught her, hugging her and telling her that they'd missed her terribly. "Wait a minute…sooo…you're…better now?" She finally asked in a worried voice, eyeing them with concern before looking back at Glitch.

Glitch nodded to her reassuringly. "Good as new." He told her with a smile and DG buried her face against them as she wept happily. "It did take a lot of work to undo that evil b–" He stopped himself. "Witch's rewiring…"

Wyatt looked over at him with a smirk; apparently Ambrose, Mr. Prim and Proper himself, had a tendency of cursing when angry.

"But I figured it out. They've been restored to their exact state prior to the witch's meddling, I even managed to keep all of their memories intact from then till now." Glitch said, unsure of whether DG could hear him over her sobbing.

She'd forced herself to stop thinking about them so that it wouldn't hurt as much…but these were her parents. They had been for the past fifteen years, through all the years that mattered and for every lucid memory she possessed. It didn't make a difference that she knew they weren't human now, they still felt human to her. They were still warm and soft, still hugged her just right, still cried tears of joy along with her at the reunion. Losing them had been like having her heart ripped out, she didn't care who saw how thrilled she was in that moment. The Queen and Ahamo could have walked in right then and she wouldn't have let go.

The rest of the group watched with warm smiles as she clung to them, pleased to have been a part of the moment for her. Someone (cough, Isabella and Lisa, cough) had foreseen that this wasn't going to be a short event and had brought a few bottles of wine along for the celebration. Sorena, Candice and Sanela were passing out glasses as the girls all began chattering away.

Wyatt hooked his thumbs in his belt and watched everyone at once, in that way only he could.

He took in Flo and Rhonda who were currently off at the edges of the room with their new boy toys talking in low tones, Glitch and Rose as they smiled at one another in a private fashion, Alisha and Jeb as they joked about who could drink who under the table and snagged their own bottle of wine to find out. His brows drew together at this sudden and disturbing trend, recalling that even Azkadellia was downstairs being swept off her feet by a guard. Movement at the door caught his attention and he turned as Raw and Janet entered the room arm in arm complaining that they'd missed the big event.

Oh God, not Raw, too…

Out of habit at this point his eyes wandered over to the mouthy one, finding her arching a brow at him with a smirk on her lips as Jeb handed her a full glass and started counting down for them to start drinking.

He couldn't shake the feeling that a separate countdown had already begun.