A/N: aloha my dear readers. My apologies on the wait between chapters, I just wanted to get the most recent chapter of my Star Trek fic done as I'd left it for longer than I'd have liked. Anywho, here be chapter…3 now. Yes, 3. Sweet deal. Ok, enough of my incessant rambling, who's ready for more tin man and head case action? (Which, by the way, I sadly do not own. Ah well).

Wyatt did not want to wake up. He was quite warm and comfortable, and he knew that if he did wake up he'd have to actually get up and get ready for the day and that included heading farther north into the cold. Not to mention, there was a warm weight on his chest that was keeping him from getting up. Still, maybe he should at least open his eyes.

Big brown eyes blinked at him in surprise, completely unfocused given that they were nose to nose.

"Oh, good morning Wyatt."

Wyatt leaned back and Glitch's face came into focus. His eyes were bright, face flushed, his mussed hair the only sign of sleep. "Morning. Why are you on me?"

"I'm a restless sleeper. I move around a lot in my sleep. I guess at some point I moved onto you," Glitch gave a half shrug and settled down more comfortably on Wyatt's chest. "How cold is it in the north?"

"It can get pretty cold. And there's more than likely going to be snow," Wyatt answered, folding his arms behind his head.

"Alright then." Glitch rolled off Wyatt and crawled over to his bag. He dug through and pulled out clothes, stripping off those he was wearing with little modesty and little awareness of the blush that spread across Wyatt's face. He lay on his back, legs in the air, struggling into a pair of thick, woolen leggings striped in black and white. Once they were finally straightened, he found an over sized black sweater that covered the tips of his fingers and hung down to his knees. His clunky black boots were tied tightly, his curls were straightened and he was ready to go.

He trailed after Wyatt through the woods, easily distracted by a glade of dew covered poppies or a particularly juicy looking apple hanging just out of reach on a tree. Wyatt glanced back and noticed Glitch leaping into the air, graceful as a deer and trying to snatch the apple and falling short each time.

"Hold on a second," he called, trotting back. He crouched down, lacing his fingers together and motioning for Glitch to step onto them. "Use my shoulder for balance," Wyatt grunted and heaved up, biceps flexing as he propelled Glitch into the air so he could grab his apple.

"My, what big arms you have tin man," Glitch chuckled, giving Wyatt's arm a squeeze as he was let down.

"The better to heave zipper heads like you into trees," Wyatt answered, grinning.

"You have other zipper heads that you heave into trees?" Glitch gasped in mock hurt. He took a bite of his apple, looking with sad eyes at Wyatt. "I'm hurt Wyatt."

Wyatt rolled his eyes and took the lead once more, but not before he cuffed Glitch in the back of the head.

"Ow! Oh now that wasn't nice! I could've dropped my apple, and it's the best apple I've ever had."

"Is it?" Wyatt turned and took a bite from the apple. "You're right, one of the best apples I've ever eaten. Now c'mon, I'd like to get farther north before it gets dark. Maybe even catch up to DG soon." He set off on the trail and after a moment Glitch followed, making a huge ruckus as he tried to tote his bag, run and eat his apple all at the same time. He slipped his arm through Wyatt's, leaning on him as they walked.

"Wyatt? Why're you helping me?"

"Because you asked me to?" Wyatt answered slowly, puzzled at the sudden shift in mood.

"Yes, but you didn't have to help me just because I asked. You could've said no. You barely know me," Glitch said in exasperation. "I…I could be working with the Long Coats, or Azka-D herself! I could be plotting to kill you in your sleep!"

Wyatt shook his head. "Nah, I don't think you are. Doesn't seem like something you'd do."

Glitch snorted derisively. "You'd know then, wouldn't you?"

"What do you want? Do you want me to just leave you? Sweet Gail, I thought Adora had been moody. 'Course, that'd been when she'd been pregnant with Jeb, but still…"

"I'm sorry," the other man sighed. "Would you accept trust issues as an answer? They come part and parcel with the whole…" he waved his hand, grasping for a word, "living like I did I guess. And then we just met what, two days ago? And everything…it's new. For so many years now the only one I had looking out for me besides me was the boss, and that was just to make sure no one got too rough. If they did, and I got hurt, well then I couldn't bring in the money now could I?"

"I suppose not," Wyatt murmured. "Did you ever…you know, get hurt?"

"Oh some would get a little fresh, a little handsy, but nothing too bad. Nothing that ever put me out of commission. I'd come away with maybe a couple light bruises, scratches, the occasional bite mark-''

"Bite mark?"

"Yes dear, bite mark. Some people like using teeth. As you should well remember," Glitch teased, tracing the edge of the hickey he'd left on Wyatt's neck with his finger tip. Heat rushed up Wyatt's face, and he coughed awkwardly.

"Sooo, I was thinking we'd keep going until about noon, a little later, stop for lunch and then keep on until just before dark. Alright with you?"

"I'm just happy to be in your company sweetheart. You lead and I'll follow. But don't think I didn't notice the none too graceful topic change."

"I thought it was fine until you said something."

"Well it wasn't. It was decidedly clumsy. So sorry."

Wyatt cuffed him in the back of the head; earning himself an indignant "Ow!" Chuckling, he turned to keep walking, assuming naturally that Glitch would catch up with him. What he wasn't prepared for was Glitch sprinting after him to smack him in the back of the head in retaliation. It knocked his hat clear off his head. Which of course, Glitch went after and snatched, darting away and laughing like a loon.

"Glitch! Damn it head case, bring that back!" Wyatt took off after him, coat flaring behind him. He lunged forward, trying to catch Glitch's sweater and caught his foot on a tree root. He stumbled and skidded in the pine needles, landing hard sprawled out on the ground. He heard Glitch's laughter taper off as he slowed running.

"Wyatt? Wyatt are you ok?" Glitch trotted back to where Wyatt lay oh so still. "Wyatt?" he crouched down, prodding gently at Wyatt's shoulder.

"Gotcha!" Wyatt's eyes flew open and he surged up at Glitch, knocking him on his back and pinning him. "I'll take that," he took his hat back and put it firmly back on his head. He sat so he was straddling Glitch's legs and poked him in the chest. "Never take a Tin Man's hat, unless you want to get arrested."

Glitch rolled his eyes, exuding a surprising amount of confidence and bravado for someone pinned under a former man of the law who was larger than him. "Like you could arrest me. You don't even have handcuffs."

Wyatt's eyes narrowed and he gave a very tiny smirk that made Glitch gulp. Before he could blink he was turned on his stomach, arms locked behind him and both his wrists held in Wyatt's hand. With his other hand, Wyatt jerked him to his knees by his curls, just this side of too hard, until he was flush against him. He ground Glitch's wrists together until Glitch made a small sound for him, one that wasn't pain, more a soft mewling moan.

"Still think I couldn't do it?" he whispered in Glitch's ear, his breath hot and voice gravelly.

To his surprise, Glitch chuckled, albeit shakily and swallowed thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing visibly from how stretched his neck was. "No, no sweetheart I don't think you could."

"Why?"

"Well," Glitch paused, and pressed back harder against Wyatt until he felt him growing hard against his ass. He felt the heat from Wyatt's face as he flushed. "Do you think you could let me go now? Much as I'm loving being pressed against your body, there's a rock digging into my knee quite painfully."

Wyatt slowly let go of Glitch's wrists and backed up. He shook his head, coming back to himself fully. "I didn't hurt you did I?"

"Course not. That was actually about the speed I like it." Glitch rubbed at his wrists and stood, offering a hand to Wyatt and helping him to his feet. "We've made absolutely no progress, and it's going to be noon soon," he sighed and glanced at Wyatt. "Truce for now? At least until we've made some headway getting north?" he stuck out his hand.

"Yeah, for now," Wyatt shook his hand, and when Glitch didn't pull away as they started to walk, he didn't mind. At least, with Glitch's fingers entwined with his, he didn't have to worry about losing him. They drifted into a comfortable quiet, listening to the sounds of the forest; birds calling, small terrestrial creatures digging about in the undergrowth, the leaves rustling in the wind, the sound of their feet on the pine needles. It gave Wyatt time to reflect, predictably, on Glitch.

They had such a…odd relationship. The very fact that they had any sort of relationship at all, despite knowing each other only a few days actually was odd as well. Yet he was drawn to the other man, with his infectious smile, and eyes that remained so bright and cheerful even though he claimed to have seen the worst life had to offer. True, he wasn't completely unscathed from that, had a few…issues, but he had such a forceful personality; he shone more brilliantly than the suns themselves, and when he didn't have that smile turned on him, Wyatt almost felt cold. It had been the same when he'd been courting Adora; every moment without her lasted an eternity, and when he was with her, time stopped. It sounded stupid even in his head, but it was the truth of how he felt. Which lead him to thinking that maybe, just maybe he was falling for Glitch. He could only hope Glitch felt the same, if he was in fact falling in love with him. But then again…he paused and glanced sidelong at their hands together, how Glitch leaned upon him as they meandered along the path, maybe he needn't have worried.

The suns had slipped lower by the time they came to rest, having covered more than what Wyatt had originally wanted. They set up camp, with Wyatt showing Glitch how to make a circle of stones for a fire and gather twigs to burn before clearing a patch of ground for them to sleep on. They went without a big meal that night, finding only a meager handful of berries and an apple apiece. Wyatt fell asleep that night to the sound of his stomach and Glitch's growling at each other late into the night.

"Wyatt? Can we st-st-stop a m-m-minute? I'm f-f-fr-frozen!" Glitch called over the wind. Wyatt looked back and saw Glitch huddled in the snow, arms wrapped tight around himself. Icicles had frozen in his curls, nicking his cheeks each time the wind blew them back, and he was shuddering violently. Wyatt slogged his way through the knee high snow and gathered Glitch into his arms, tucking him under his coat and carrying him. The slighter man had absolutely no winter clothes; as he'd said, he was in the business of taking clothes off, not layering them on. He had managed to layer his few sweaters and every sock and stocking he owned, but he had no scarf, no mittens, and was suffering for it. Wyatt didn't like the bluish tinge to his lips, and hoped they'd find a place to shelter from the storm soon.

They'd finally made it north after two more days of travel, and been instantly sideswiped by a blizzard. The only plus was that here and there, when they wind hadn't swept them away; they could see footprints, two pairs. One pair small enough to be DG's, the other larger, and oddly shaped, more like paws, and following perfectly alongside the smaller ones. It made Wyatt wonder if DG had picked up a new friend, or was being followed by someone more sinister.

Wyatt followed these footsteps now, as best he could, stumbling on numb legs until he almost tripped on a broken down door that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. He blinked the snowflakes from his eyelashes and gazed in wonder at the cliff face before him, which in actuality was a castle half hidden in snow. The door had been cleared and busted in, and there were wet foot prints just inside. And if he strained to hear over the wind, he could hear voices murmuring softly.

"Shall we go in?" he asked Glitch.

"Anywhere's better than out here," Glitch whimpered, burrowing his face against Wyatt's chest. Wyatt shrugged and stepped carefully inside. It was immediately warmer, and Glitch soon insisted he could get down and walk himself. They both shook the snow from their clothes, grimacing as it settled into wet patches that chaffed and stuck and were cold. Glitch took in their new surroundings, and his gaze fell on a large painting high up on the wall across the room. Slowly, almost in a daze, he walked towards it. Wyatt glanced over and followed his sight, and he took blinked in surprise.

"Glitch? Is that…"

"Yeah sweetheart, that's me. And the Queen," Glitch whispered, stopping just short of the painting and craning his neck up to see. On the bottom of the frame was an engraving, detailing in flowing script who the subjects were and the date the portrait was painted. Glitch strained to read it, but it was so tiny, so dust covered he couldn't make it out. Wyatt bent down once more and offered him a leg up. Glitch wavered on Wyatt's hands as he cleared the dust with his sleeve.

Queen Lavender Eyes and Advisor Ambrose.

"Ambrose? My name is Ambrose?"

"You don't like it?" Wyatt ground out, setting him down.

"It's soooo….prim and proper sounding. All flouncy. I don't feel like an Ambrose. Do I look like an Ambrose to you? Be honest."

Wyatt eyed him critically. "I don't really know what an Ambrose looks like. But…no, you're right, it does bring to mind, well that," he waved his hand at the painting, which depicted Glitch with curls slicked down, dressed in confining, regal looking finery, a haughty expression on his face.

Glitch made a face. "Ick. I think I'll be keeping Glitch thanks. I feel more like a Glitch. I look like a Glitch, don't I?"

"Whatever you say," Wyatt muttered, shaking his head. Glitch wandered up the grand staircase, idly running his fingers along the zipper in the middle of his head. "I think I've been here before. I remember…I remember these stairs. The princesses would race down the banisters…one time the littlest one flew off and chipped her tooth. It was a baby tooth, but all the same, the fuss she put up…" he trailed off, leaning against the banister. As he did, they heard voices whispering farther upstairs, and the sound of someone walking about. Glitch turned to look at Wyatt, who put a finger to his lips, indicating quiet. He nodded, and followed him upstairs. They crept down the hall, where the door to one of the rooms was ajar, light pouring from it and the source of the voices. Wyatt drew one of his pistols and shouldered the door open, making sure it hit the far wall to be certain there was no one behind.

DG whirled at the noise, raising a dusty pillow as a weapon. Her eyes widened as she realized who it was, and her face broke out in a grin.

"Mr. Cain! Glitch, what're you doing here? Raw, you can come out, it's friends," she called. A viewer stepped timidly from another room, going at once to DG's side and taking the hand she offered. He peered cautiously at them from a lion-like face, brushing a stray lock of fur out of his eyes with a hand that was more paw-like than anything.

"We're…well, looking for you for one. And Glitch here-''

"He handcuffed me and forced me along," Glitch interrupted, smirking deviously. "I've got the marks to prove it." He held out his wrists so DG could see the faint scrapes around them, and stifled laughter at the blush spreading across Wyatt's handsome face. DG glanced at him, eyebrows raised. "It was terribly romantic, if a little…unorthodox," Glitch added, laughter seeping into his voice at the look on Wyatt's face.

"He's lying," Wyatt finally spluttered. "I didn't drag him with me like some trophy. He followed me looking for help."

"We know, Mr. Cain. But look at you, getting all flustered and blushing. It's cute," DG snickered. She strolled away, arms open wide. "We were sent here by the Mystic Man. Well, I was. I may or may not have snuck back stage in his little club after you ditched me and got my answers. And was chased by some Longcoats. Luckily, Mystic Man got knocked out of his vapor haze and took care of them so I could flee. Only, I got lost in this woodsy place with these walking piles of mulch with fangs."

"Pahpay," Wyatt murmured.

"Whatever, they tried to eat me. In my frantic running I ran smack into what looked like a giant ball of pre-chewed gum. Which had Raw in it. Cue some more wandering through snow and such and here we are now," she shrugged.

Wyatt and Glitch shared a look before shaking their heads.

"Did you happen to see the painting of me downstairs?" Glitch asked.

"Yeah I did. Hardly recognized you…Ambrose," she said slyly.

Glitch made a face. "I'd appreciate it if you forgot that name. It's not me anymore. I hardly remember him; every day, he fades a little more. Like I told Wyatt, I'm Glitch now."

"We'll see. One never knows when one might need a bit of blackmail."

"You are positively evil. Like, really, really evil."

"I know."

"The fact that you're ok with that is more than a little worrisome," Wyatt murmured. "Little too much like Azka-D for comfort."

DG scowled, having learned enough to know that wasn't exactly a compliment. But she let it slide for now, choosing instead to focus on Raw, who was tugging on her hand urgently. "What's the matter Raw?"

"Bad things happen here. Need to go," he said anxiously, trying to pull her out the door.

"What d'you mean bad things happened here? Can you show me?"

Raw nodded, and then shook his head, meaning he could but he didn't want to.

"Raw please, what if it's important?" DG pleaded. Raw gave one last plaintive look before sagging and turning to the mirror, touching his fingertips to it. The reflection of the room wavered a moment and then reformed to show the same room, but in what was obviously a different time. A young girl curled up on the bed with a woman with lavender eyes. DG gasped, recognizing her as the queen from the portrait downstairs and from the dreams she'd had frequently back home. She walked slowly to the mirror, gazing at the woman. She was reading to the little girl before getting up and walking out. As she did, she called out "I'll be right back DG."

"DG? But that's you," Glitch pointed out.

"No kidding," DG replied. "Hardly a common name. Does that mean then, that the kid is me? And that's my mother?" She leaned against the wall by the mirror, hands covering her eyes. Who were the people she was searching for then? Were they not her real parents? She stood up, turning to watch the mirror once more. Another girl had entered the room, pale with dark hair and blank hollow eyes. She waved her hands in front of DG and enveloped her in thick black smog, all while sing-songing a tune about two princesses; one that was destined to the light, the other to darkness. When the smog cleared, DG was dead and the girl stalked out, cackling to herself. The Queen returned shortly thereafter, obviously horrified at the sight of her daughter dead. She breathed over her, and as a pearly cloud settled over her, her hair turned from dark to grey. As DG regained consciousness, the Queen leaned over and urged her to find some emerald and stop Azkadellia. However, she was so quiet in revealing the location of the emerald, none in the room heard.

The mirror faded back to its reflective state as Raw took his hand away, staring worriedly at DG as though she'd be mad at him for showing her that. Smiling slightly, she took his hand, turning to face the others. Glitch was wide eyed, gaping at her.

"What?" DG asked.

"You…you're the littler princess! I remember you, I told Wyatt! Do you happen to have a chipped tooth?"

"…Yeah. Why?"

"Do you remember how you got it?"

"Falling down some stairs when I was a kid."

"No, no you never fell down the stairs. You flew off that banister down there and chipped your tooth. I remember the crying and the panic you caused," he finished softly.

"You think I'm this princess? That the Queen is my mother? Then wouldn't that would mean that Azkadellia was-''

"Your beloved older sister. So thrilled to see you on this side of the grave baby sister. Now, where did mummy tell you that emerald was?"

A/N: and that is where I leave you for now. It's gonna seem a bit like the miniseries for a bit, I suppose I'm sort of using it as a back bone/spring board. But trust me, totally different in the main plot. I'll try not to leave it so long between chapters again. Especially since I actually know where this is going.