They spent more time than they should have celebrating in the library, but no one had the heart to tell DG she should probably return to her guests downstairs. The wine was flowing, the laughter filling the air and the company of so many people she cared about was giving DG a far happier birthday party then the stuffy version going on in the ballroom.

Wyatt watched suspiciously as Alisha continued her drinking games, challenging DG to go shot for shot with her as the other girls hooted and hollered excitedly that they wanted in on the fun. After downing six shots each Erin had stepped forward; taking the yet-to-be=opened bottle Jeb had been holding and grinning at him. "Here, I'll show you how it's done." She teased and he watched in awe as she popped the cork and downed it to a chorus of "chug! Chug! Chug!" The girls cheered as she passed the empty bottle back to him. A satisfied grin on her face, Erin didn't have time to react before Alisha was jumping on her back, kissing her cheek and pledging her undying loyalty.

Wyatt scanned the room of girls gone wild as Alisha and Erin both crashed (rather ungracefully) to the floor in a fit of giggles, leaving the others to snort and honk as they clutched their sides and tried to stay standing. He did a quick head-count and figured there would need to be at least twenty additional guards summoned to help haul them back to their quarters if they drank themselves to the point of immobilization.

A few hours (and several additional bottles of booze) later that was precisely what became necessary, though he'd been surprised by the need for an extra guard to help the thoroughly hammered head-case out.

DG was adorably relaxed as she swayed beside Wyatt at the doorway; she'd long since foregone her shoes and wings, now standing barefoot on the cool marble. She said her goodnights to the other girls as they made their way out of the library past her, each of them slurring their happy birthday wishes and hugging her while standing on unsteady legs. He couldn't even feign annoyance at DG's inebriation; she was such a happy little drunk that he had to laugh.

Last ones out the door were the still-sober Hank and Emily. They hugged her and told her how proud they were of all that she'd done, bringing on a short drunken outburst of happy Princess tears as she clung to them. Wyatt laughed as he steadied her once the embrace was over.

"Mr. Cain, I can only assume that you took all that information about the Other Side and put it to good use – I'm thrilled to see how happy our DG is now." Emily said to him, giving him a warm smile of appreciation as his jaw dropped open.

Busted.

DG's eyes slowly wandered up to his face; burning with a million questions he knew without a doubt she was going to start asking the instant they were alone.

"Goodnight." Hank said, smiling at them both as he and Emily made their way out into the hall.

"You…" DG began with a smirk as soon as they were out of earshot, pointing at him as she wobbled in place. "Sneaky, sneaky Tin Man. You asked my parents about the Other Side?" She said and he laughed.

"Well I didn't understand what was wrong with you…how else was I supposed to figure it out?" He offered and she stared at him in wide wonder.

"That day I tried to take off by myself…that's where you went for all those hours?" She said in amazement.

"Well…yes…I mean I just…" He stammered, but didn't get much further than that before she was hugging him tightly. His body was demanding that he wrap his arms around her as she sighed contentedly against his chest, but his eyes were instantly wide and panic-stricken as he surveyed the area for any witnesses. "Hey…hey hey hey….not in the palace!" He whispered frantically and she giggled as he pulled her off of him.

"You're so great. I think I've told you that before…" She said, tilting her head to the side as she stared up at him adoringly. "But I'll say it again because it's true. How'd I get lucky enough to find you?" She said dreamily.

His heart felt like it was being squeezed.

He swallowed hard, looking down at her with emotion straining his features…if only she knew he'd wondered that same thing about her a million times. If only he'd admit it to himself.

She was starting to stand on her toes now…
Tilting her head to the side…
Her lips were parting expectantly as her eyes wandered to his lips in invitation…

And he could feel his head starting to lower of its own accord…
He was moving to close the distance between them…

o.0MAYDAY!!!!!!!!!

HO-
LY-
SHIT –

:-O

His eyes widened again in horror as he caught himself just a fraction of a second before leaning down to kiss her. As in actually KISS HER!

He cleared his throat and looked out into the hallway. "Come on, Princess…" He said in a sobering tone, suddenly standing away from her at arm's length as his body fought for the right to answer her request. "You need to get some sleep." He managed, though his voice sounded at least two octaves too high.

That's most definitely not what she was after and they both knew it.

DG sighed and leaned against him again, using him as a means to stay upright as he led her out into the hall.

They didn't make it far before she was stumbling, reaching out for the wall, stepping away from him and resting her cheek on the cool marble of it. "I just wanna…stop…for a minute…" She breathed. "Just…a…minute…"

He shook his head, looking back and forth down the length of the empty hallway and ensuring that no one was around. With a scowl on his face he made a mental note to keep Alisha and alcohol away from the Princess from that day forward, hating that he was being forced into this and blaming that meddling mouthy little blonde for setting him up.

He stepped forward hesitantly; biting his bottom lip as he slowly hoisted up the royally blitzed Princess. An arm behind her shoulders and the other behind her knees, he stood in abject horror as she nuzzled her face under his chin and let out little pleasant moans between her yawns. With his teeth gritted he started the long trek to her quarters.

"So what did you get me for my birthday?" She asked through one of those yawns and he smirked.

"You don't get your present until walk day." He said, hoping for her to drop it.

Yeah right.

"What is it?" She asked with excitement in her muffled voice.

Wyatt sighed. He didn't know what had possessed him to even buy the damned thing. One of these was enough trouble, right?

But Glitch had to tell him that stupid story about where it had come from and, being his normal curious self, Wyatt had used those numerous hours DG was spending getting prettied-up to take a trip out to Central City. He hadn't planned it out, per say, but he hadn't come up with anything to get for DG and one of the factions of guards was conveniently already making a quick run there for supplies.

It hadn't taken long to locate the shop, the ancient symbol hanging as a sign above the door had drawn his immediate attention. It was dark inside, seemingly unchanged for many decades. The air had been musty, but welcoming somehow – like reading an old book and smelling the age of the paper. The man behind the counter had simply watched him in intrigue as he walked around the display cases, not saying a word or trying to direct his attention anywhere.

The instant Wyatt's eyes passed over the seemingly insignificant charm beneath the glass he'd known it was the one. It disturbed him to great lengths that the knowledge seemed to come as easily as breathing. He'd tapped on the case and looked up at the man behind the counter.

"This one. How much?" He'd asked in a distant tone, his heart racing for some reason with the need to purchase it.

The man had smiled at him, climbing down from his stool and approaching slowly. "If it is for who I think it is for…and if you are wearing what I think you are wearing…it is yours to take. I cannot sell something to its rightful owner, now can I?"

Wyatt's stomach had tensed at that statement. "Who do you think it's for?" He'd asked suspiciously.

"You answer first. What are you wearing…" the man had countered, adding with a purposeful glance to Wyatt's chest and the location of the concealed pendant, "Protector?"

Steely blue eyes had narrowed on this strangely perceptive individual, studying him as if sifting through his soul for any trace of deception. He was using the magic of the pendant now and not even realizing it.

"So you know." He finally conceded as the haze of the magic dissipated. "What are you?" Wyatt had asked, his eyes unwillingly returning to the charm that was pleading to be freed.

"I have my gifts, not that there is a term for my kind. I can simply see these objects for what they are, perceive their magic and hear their wishes…though I'm not the only one who hears the voice of that one am I?" The man said quietly, studying the way Wyatt was so transfixed by the small bit of metal beneath the glass.

The man had taken it from the case, smiling to himself as he carefully slid the pendant and its delicate chain into a velvet bag like the one DG had carried the Protector charm in. "They've been waiting for you both…I didn't believe them but they were so sure you'd come. When she walked through my door I couldn't get over it, should know better than to doubt the Powers That Be after all these years, I suppose. Do you know she went right for it? She didn't even question why, just let the magic guide her like a pebble in the sea. The light is strong in that girl. May her enemies realize it and not do anything foolish…" The man mused, pressing the bag into Wyatt's outstretched hand and waiting for those blue eyes to meet his before finishing, "And may these objects aid you should those enemies try their luck."

Wyatt had exited the shop feeling as drunk as the Princess in his arms; it had taken nearly the entire ride back to the palace to get used to the sensation of both pendants being in his possession. They seemed to be singing inaudibly to one another, it was an odd experience for him. It wasn't that he perceived it by sound or touch, by sight or taste or smell – yet somehow he could feel it. Even in that moment he could hear their whispers at the edge of his consciousness.

DG was whining as he set her on her feet outside her door, looking up at him with tired eyes as she pouted. "You're really gonna make me wait three days for my present? Can't I just have it now?" She asked, and he sighed in defeat as she put words to the pleas of the charm in his pocket.

"Alright…fine…but you can't show anyone, okay?" He asked and waited for her to grin and nod her head. "You know that charm you gave me?" DG nodded again, her eyes wandering to the bit of the leather throng that she could see above his shirt. "I learned a little about it…apparently the very first white witch of the OZ created it and gave it to her guardian as a way to help him keep her safe." DG's eyes widened in surprise but she couldn't think of anything to say to that revelation. "And I just had this hunch that it wasn't the only one, I don't know why, I just…" He shook his head, still not knowing how he'd been aware that there were two charms. "So I went back to the shop and found it – the pendant of the Charge. It belonged to Nura, that was the name of the white witch, and it's the other half of this." He pointed to the unseen charm beneath his shirt. "They look like they fit together somehow but I thought…since it was your birthday…that you might want to…"

DG's eyes were wide with anticipation. "Let me see!" She said, holding out her hand eagerly.

Wyatt laughed and withdrew the bag from his pocket, shaking the pendant out into his palm and showing it to her. She tilted her head to the side as she studied it, something drew her to it in the same inexplicable way the Protector charm had.

Without thought she was lifting her hair from her neck, and just as naturally he was placing the chain around her neck clasping it as their eyes met. He felt the words coming from his lips before he even put a thought to them, his fingers lingering on the chain as he spoke. "Dorothy Gale, Princess of the OZ and trusted friend…I name thee…Charge." His voice sounded strange, as if they were echoed by another. He chalked it up to the acoustics of the hallway.

The soft light that passed over the symbol at the naming was not missed by him this time around and he eyed it up suspiciously, suddenly wondering what the hell he was doing.

He blinked several times, his brows drawn together in confusion. It was like waking up from a dream and finding that you'd been sleepwalking. He hadn't thought it through, hadn't asked Glitch to research what this charm was capable of…yet there it was, lying on DG's chest before being tucked away beneath the material of her dress.

"I…I don't even know what to say…" DG said as she looked up into his eyes. "Thank you, Wyatt…" The emotion swirling in those dark blue waters told him more than her words ever could, and yeah – they were still saying entirely too much.

She mercifully didn't try for another hug, instead reaching out and giving his hand a squeeze of appreciation before turning and trying to open the door to her room.

With a smirk he watched her fumbling with the knob, the way she was leaning on the doorframe so heavily for support. "You gonna be okay to…" He began, adding a quick, "Nope!" as the door opened and she started to fall forward. Without hesitation he'd caught her, judging by the way she was swaying that walking was not even an option. He sighed and shook his head as he braced her by her shoulders. "I'm not helping you out of your dress." He announced determinedly and she laughed.

"Just throw me in the general direction of the bed; I'm in no shape to get changed anyway." DG said in exhaustion.

Wyatt cracked up imagining that one, him refusing to enter her room with her and instead simply aiming and giving her a good toss. That was a bit extreme, even if he did dread carrying her to her bed.

He picked her up again, his stomach tying itself in knots as he crossed the room with her. With a trembling hand he pulled back the covers and gently laid her on the bed, pulling them back over her and resisting the urge, yet again, to kiss her as she stared up at him.

"Goodnight, Wyatt." She said softly and he had to look away from her, it was too much.

"Goodnight, DG." He managed as he ran a hand over his face and exited the room with every muscle of his body willing him to stay.