Author's Note: Firstly this Chapter is pure fluff I'm afraid! But more story to come soon, I hope! Secondly, a big Thank You to- River4Jayne, LCsaf and KLCtheBookWorm for the reviews! Very much appreciated.

Chapter Twenty Three: On Deck

'Princess.' Sisara's voice broke into a pleasant dream that as soon as she was awake fled from DG's memory.

'What?' An annual of living in the O.Z meant that any sudden awakening meant danger to DG; she was instantly alert scanning the tent for a threat.

'The sun is rising. There will be no one on deck for a few hours yet.' Sisara said gently, smiling. 'I will sleep now.' Then the enigmatic woman sank into her own bed. It took DG for a few moments to realise the meaning of her words. Subsequently she remembered their previous conversation. A flush rushed up her chest and coloured her face pink. But there was no one to see it.

DG slid out of her blankets and the tent. The air on the deck was cooler and the oil lamps were almost unneeded as the sky over the Reeds was turning pink and gold. The air was fresh and glorious; it swirled around her gently lifting her hair from her shoulders and cooling the flush on her skin. There was no sign of Cain, so DG made her way to the side of the ship. There had an unobstructed view over the reeds; they went on and on as far as she could see nothing but reeds. It was both scary and comforting at the same time.

Cain was behind her. He had not made a sound but DG still knew he was there. She turned around to face him and her heart rate double. She made as if to speak to him, but the words, even a simple greeting, got stuck in her throat. Cain motioned with one hand but the let it drop again to his side. DG took two steps towards him but then stopped. There seemed to be nothing she could do that felt right. She met Cain's eyes and saw a similar discomfort in them. Biting her lip DG shrugged, utterly unsure of what to do.

For a horrible moment Cain thought DG might go back into the tent and that would be the end of it. Whilst he had no idea what he wanted to happen, he knew that doing nothing was not an option. These last few days, with DG missing, had been more difficult than he could ever have thought possible. The memory of their kiss on top of Halliford Keep had simply added to the pain. Now, with her safe, he had to acknowledge that things had to be... dealt with. Spoken about. Something. Nothing would just give him more pain.

'DG!' He said and his voice shattered the silence. At the sound of his voice the Princess relaxed significantly. A first step.

'Cain.' She replied. Still biting her lip, DG made a decision to battle through the awkwardness. She gestured weakly towards the prow of the ship. The farthest point from Sisara's tent and the hatch. They headed their still walking on opposite sides of the deck. As the ship's shape changed, curving towards a point they got closer to one another. Then suddenly they were facing each other only a matter of inches between them.

'Why is this so difficult?' DG asked in a whisper. Her heart was thundering in her chest and she could feel the fast pace of it in her finger tips.

'I don't know.' Cain replied in a low voice. 'But I am glad to see you.' The understatement rang out in the air between them and made DG smile. Then the smile turned into a giggle and DG felt herself collapse forward into Wyatt Cain laughing.

He caught her up in his arms as fell into him. DG buried her face in his chest and he breathed in the scent of her hair. Then suddenly, giddy from laughing DG's lips were on his and they were kissing. Cain felt his stomach lurch like he was a teenager again. The volatile jump of passion. Then he sank into the kiss and as he did so, all of rules, his responsibilities, concerns, worries... thoughts about the magicians, the gypsies, Lyle Cook, panic for his son back in Central City... it all melted away. This was more important. DG was more important. It was as if the world jumped back into full colour with her in his arms. Everything else Cain thought about all the time faded away.

It was the most passionate kiss DG had ever experienced. She couldn't draw breath but that was alright. If she never took another breath she was okay with that. This was more important. Far more important. Until that moment she had been terrified of finding out the Wyatt Cain did not feel the same way as she did. Or finding out that he did. Whatever they had, had together until this moment had been reversible. But now they were over the line there was no going back.

'DG...' Cain managed to break away. The princess was flushed again, clinging to him unable to completely support herself. 'We have to... talk...' He was out breath himself, his heart was labouring in his chest. DG's instinct was to protest. To insist that he keep kissing her indefinitely. But she knew he was right. They had to talk about this.

'I'm in love with you.' The words poured out of her before she could stop them. As she heard them DG bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. The Tin Man had been about to speak but he could not remember what he had been going to say. He felt a physical shock at her words rush through his body. He was frozen... it wasn't until DG's eyes clouded slightly that he recovered himself enough to speak.

'You have to know I love you. Am in love with you.' The Tin Man's voice was a low growl. The Princess smiled softly, her eyes fluttering shut as Cain wiped away the bead of blood on her lower lip. Very very gently Cain pressed his lips to hers.

'But?' DG said pushing him away gently but keeping her hands tangled in his shirt. 'You're going to say "But" something. I can tell.'

'I'm not a good choice for you to be in love with.'

'I was not aware I got a choice.' DG said jovially, she was still clinging to his shirt.

'I am an old war horse, Princess.' Cain's voice was gentle but there was sadness in his eyes. DG sighed and releasing Cain's shirt lowered herself to the deck. She sat, there with her legs out in front of her hands on her thighs looking particularly young. Tentatively Wyatt Cain followed suit and sat down, his back leaning against the ship's railing.

'You're not old Tin Man.' DG said her face taking on the strangely blank look Cain knew meant she was dealing things, letting them stew in her mind.

'Not in comparison to the O.Z.' Wyatt Cain leaned his head back against the railing. If he had been wearing his fedora DG knew he would have let it fall across his eyes. 'Compared to you, kiddo...'

'It doesn't worry me.' DG said, shifting round so she was knelt facing Cain.

'It might worry Jeb.'

'I don't think it does.' DG spoke quietly aware of how much was riding on her words. 'He's always... he encouraged me to spend time with you.' It was true. There had been times Jeb had deliberately altered plans to put DG and Cain together. It was strange and DG had always found it almost uncomfortable. But Azkadellia had told her that it was because Jeb was trying to repair his relationship with his father. He was focused making him happy.

'He did?' DG nodded and recounted Azkadellia's opinion to him. Cain listened with his expression unreadable. After the Princess finished speaking he gazed off into the middle distance for some time.

'It still worries me.' He said finally, sounding far older than he had a right to sound.

'Well stop letting it worry you!' DG let her irritation show in her voice. As she spoke she knew she was loading the words with her frustration at Cain's ability to shoulder a world full of issues.

For a moment she wondered if she may have gone too far and then:
'Yes- Your Majesty!' Cain mock saluted the Princess with a sharp grin. DG had no option but to laugh aloud. Then impulsively she kissed him.

'You worry too much.'

'I could say the same.' Cain kissed her again gently. 'But there is a lot going on.'

'Neither of us has been quite ourselves.' DG agreed. She pulled the Tin Man's arm around her shoulders. In response he pulled her to himself, lips against her hair.

'What about your parents?' Cain murmured into her hair. DG turned to look at him.

'It's my life.'

'You know as well as I do that your life is public knowledge for the whole of the O.Z.'

'Unfortunately.' DG grumbled. A serious air settled over the couple again.

'Between us... your family... my great age... everything we've been through...' Cain added each element slowly, speaking them clearly into the cool dawn air. 'This isn't as simple as it should be.'

DG leant into him more and Cain tightened his grip on her. As they sat huddled close together in a reflective silence they heard voices begin to stir below them in the ship's hold. DG felt Cain's lips on her forehead and then she was pulled to her feet.

'Whatever happens, I'm not going anywhere. I promised.' Cain spoke intensely his eyes locked on to DG's. She felt the genuine promise in the words. The love in his voice. He was right. Nothing was as simple as it should be but now she knew. And now he knew. That would have to do for now.