Chapter 5: Wonders of Life

It was the sound of little feet tapping over the wooden carpet of their bedroom which awoke him from slumber. He knew that they were trying to be as silent as possible in order to surprise him but he was too much of a skilled former Tin Man to ignore their sneakiness. It was early in the morning and he could tell that Ambrose was still sleeping. Today was a special day for the two children, who were now crawling into their bed, so it was no surprise that their excitement had kept them awake and far away from sleeping. Today was the day their grandpa had promised them to go camping and fishing in the nearby woods of Old Creek.

Shortly after the soft sound of their feet and the movement of the bed even Ambrose woke up with a light moan and sleepy eyes. When the two boys noticed that their grandparents were awake they changed plans and went on full attack instead of remaining in the shadows of the bed linen. Sooner than they could rise into an upright position both Ambrose and Cain were pushed back down into their pillows by a screaming Brian and a giggling Michael.

"Surrender! I surrender!" Ambrose capitulated now being fully awake while Cain hid behind a pillow to back away from a soft attack of Brian.

"Boys, boys calm down your grandpa and I aren't so fast anymore," Cain tried to stop his two grandsons who were now trying to tickle him and Ambrose.

"But Grampa, you promised to get up early so that we can go camping and now you're still in bed!" Michael, the elder of the two, protested.

"YES! What if all fish will be gone when we don't arrive in time?" Brian asked in addition causing both Cain and Ambrose to smile. The childish naivety of Brian's question not only warmed their hearts but also refreshed their souls and spirits.

"I'm sure that the fish will wait for us, besides I've heard that there are plenty of them in the little lake I have in mind," this answer of Cain caused his grandsons to pout in the hope that they could still plead for a quicker departure and it worked. It was hard for Cain to resist those two lovely faces with the big sparkling eyes in which he could see himself when he was younger. He never could resist their charms, he always lost.

"Since we're already awake now, we can also leave earlier for the camp," Cain sighed in designation causing Ambrose to shake his head and laugh.

"I'll prepare the sandwiches then," the brunette who had gone grey by now countered while he climbed out of bed and into his slippers.

"Okay you two follow your step-grandpa into the kitchen, I will join you any minute," Cain ordered and the two little boys followed without another sign of protest.

Watching his grandsons and his husband leave hand in hand, Cain had to sigh and for a moment he allowed himself to be reminded of the day that Jeb had told him about his wife's first pregnancy.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.o.O.O.

It had been the day of Cain's birthday, a date he had been afraid of for quite a while. He didn't mind to turn 55 since he had never cared about his age. His body had a different opinion though and for the first time Cain felt that he was getting old.

It was a sunny yet cold evening in February and their little house was lying in darkness. Since it was winter and the roads to Old Creek were covered in snow, making it impossible to reach the village, Cain had decided to not celebrate his birthday this time. Originally he and Ambrose had wanted to visit the family in Central and celebrate with the Royal family but neither their car nor a carriage were able to conquer the high amount of snow outside. Instead they would celebrate with the Royal family in summer while this evening was reserved to Ambrose, Jeb and his wife Scarlet.

While Cain was in the kitchen to prepare dinner, he could hear laughter coming from his son and his wife who were laughing about a joke from Ambrose. Once again Cain felt a warmth in his heart and he had to admit that his husband was the perfect host. Although it was Cain's birthday he had insisted of being the cook for the evening while his husband was ordered to be the host and keep their guests happy. Since their marriage they were holding onto those roles. While Ambrose used his charm and wit to greet people and entertain them, Cain had improved his cooking skills and developed into an acceptable cook.

Only half an hour later and Cain could serve the first course, a vegetable soup similar to mug lug which Cain had perfected by making it more creamy and adding a little bit of spice. Placing the last bowl in front of his spot he finally joined his guests at the table.

Ambrose raised his glass for a toast causing everyone else to do the same.

"To a cozy evening and yet another year with my wonderful husband. Happy Birthday, sweetheart," he announced and ended with a kiss onto Cain's lips. The others cheered at that and shared their congratulations before almost all took a sip of the wine that Cain had chosen to accompany the soup.

"I thank you all for coming and like my husband I hope that this will be a nice and cozy evening. I hope you will like the soup and thank you for the gifts and congratulations," Cain answered while putting down his glass of wine and grabbing a spoon.

The first course was welcomed with a synchronized 'Mmmh," so was the second course which offered a collection of meat with fresh bread and salad. When Cain served the last course, a dessert that combined apples and chocolate, Ambrose had started to talk about Jeb's and Scarlet's wedding.

Eight moon cycles ago the young couple had sealed their love by entering the bound of marriage. In comparison to their own wedding it had been a big event, since both Jeb and Scarlet had invited all former resistant fighters they knew, plus their families. It had been a cheerful and touching day for all of them and Ambrose recalled it with a fiery sparkle in his eyes.

Both Jeb and Scarlet listened to his rambling and shared a loving glance whenever he spoke about the ceremony. When Cain was sitting at the table again, he observed how Jeb was absentmindedly patting Scarlet's tummy at the stories of Ambrose. It also didn't stay unnoticed to him when both youngsters exchanged a knowing look as Ambrose mentioned Azkadellia's pregnancy. He couldn't help himself but get suspicious at that and although he didn't mean to destroy this calm atmosphere by guiding the subject into another direction, he needed to know.

"I don't mean to interrupt you honey, but is there something you want to tell us?" Cain therefore asked curiously.

None of them had expected a question like that so it was no surprise that Ambrose looked at him with confusion on his face while Scarlet's face was exposing utter shock. Jeb on the other hand burst into unexpected laughter which raised even more confusion.

Everyone kept staring at each other like this until Jeb had caught his breath and was ready to hopefully clear the confusion. With a soft glance to his wife he tried to make sure that she knew what he was going to do and as if there was a mental connection between the two, her features softened and she nodded understandingly.

"I should have known that it's hard to fool you, dad," Jeb admitted amusingly, a tear that had remained from his laughing fit, glistening in one corner of his eye.

"It wasn't our intention to keep this a secret from you, but we had planned to surprise you with it later this evening. Since your deduction skills as a former Tin Man haven't ebbed away you leave us no choice though," he added to this and with a move of his hand he offered his wife to make the next move.

Ambrose still looked more than confused, his gaze nervously changing between Jeb, Scarlet and Cain as if he was trying to read their minds. Cain, on the other hand, was surprised by his sons reaction and excited about the news that both his children wanted to share.

Scarlet raised from her chair at the offer of her husband and presented her tummy to everyone. At this both she and Jeb exchanged an excited look and a smile before they simultaneously exclaimed: "We're pregnant!".

Cain who now had an answer to his suspicion, jumped from his chair and sent the furniture to the floor in the process. With caution he hugged his daughter in law, covering the tears of joy on his face behind one of his hands. It looked touching how he was standing there in his silent embrace and Jeb couldn't help himself but join his wife and father. When Cain loosened the grip on Scarlet he gave his son a proud pat on the shoulder, not being too shy to hide his tears any longer.

Ambrose, who didn't had a clue, was watching the scene in front of him with a melting heart. It took him a while to realize what Jeb and Scarlet just had announced but when the emotions washed over him he also jumped from his chair and congratulated the soon to be parents.

"I'm so proud and happy, my son! And I will be a proud and happy grandfather!" Cain exclaimed when he had found his voice again. "This surely is one of the greatest birthday gifts I've ever received," he added.

O.O.o.O.O.O.O.O

Later that evening Scarlet and Jeb were bombarded with questions from the future grandparents who still couldn't believe that their first grandchild was on the way.

The little Cain child was supposed to be born in early fall but since Scarlet was only in week six of her pregnancy they didn't know the gender yet. Ambrose exclaimed how amazed he was that Cain had been able to spot the pregnancy since he remembered how clueless Cain had been when Adora was pregnant with Jeb. For a moment this caused a silence between the hosts and their guests for they all realized that one person would never meet her grandchild. The sadness didn't last long but it would always return at occasion's like this. Ambrose didn't scold himself for mentioning this subject for he had learnt that Cain preferred to openly talk about Adora and he knew that it warmed Cain's heart when Ambrose told him stories about his experiences with Adora Cain. Long ago he had told him about the secret night at the Ball where Ambrose had confessed his love for Cain and Adora her pregnancy.

At Ambrose's question about Cain's suspicion the former Tin Man had to laugh at his husband's curiosity. He explained to him that he hadn't been sure but that Jeb's absentminded touches , the knowing exchanges of looks and Scarlet's refusal of their best wine had caused him to believe that something was going on.

This answer had caused everyone to burst out laughing yet again turning the rest of the evening into an unforgettable event of joy.

O.O.O.O. .O.O

Cain couldn't sleep that night and he was secretly grateful that it didn't stay unnoticed by Ambrose. Too many thoughts were rushing through his mind, thoughts that hadn't occurred to him earlier and thoughts that now kept him awake.

A long time had passed since Adora had announced her own pregnancy, since he had first met her, since he had been a child himself, but it wasn't his age or the fact that he was getting older which was causing these thoughts.

"Are you worried about the future of your grandchild?" he could hear Ambrose ask next to him. They were both lying on their backs, their hands folded in front of them but Cain could hear how his husband turned around to him at that question.

It was useless to pretend that he was sleeping, so he turned on the light on his nightstand instead and turned around as well. Brown eyes were looking back at him with a soft glance.

"It will never stop hunting me, although I know that she is gone and that the witch has been defeated," Cain admitted sadly.

"And I wish that she was still here even if that meant that we wouldn't be lying in this bed together," Ambrose answered hoping that Cain wouldn't be hurt by his selfless words. He himself didn't want to fight the feelings that Cain had for his dead wife and so he had learnt to not feel hurt a long time ago. It was part of their relationship and Cain loved him for it.

Cain wished that Ambrose hadn't said this though since he would never want to change something about their life.

"I love YOU and I chose to marry you because of this love and because I made my peace with the past. I wish that I could stop my fear of the future but now that our family will get a new member this fear has become present again. This doesn't mean that it won't go away though," Cain said and carefully kissed Ambrose's forehead.

"One of the princesses will become a good and thoughtful leader like their mother and so will one of their children some day. You will be a kind and protective grandfather and your grandchildren will love you," Ambrose whispered before he kissed Cain on his lips in return.

They remained with kissing and cuddling for a while longer, increasing the warmth of their bed and enjoying the closeness of their bodies .

"GrandCHILDREN?!" Cain then asked as he parted from yet another passionate kiss.

"Well yes, or did you think that your son and Scarlet will stop after one child?" Ambrose replied teasingly, a broad grin now forming on his face.

"Honestly? Yes I thought they would stop after one child...I mean Adora and I only got Jeb too," Cain said with a mixture of confusion and fake desperation in his voice.

"We'll see about that, grandpa," Ambrose countered mockingly, receiving a soft blow to his head in return, which only caused him to laugh though.

"I wouldn't be so nasty, Mr. Step-Grandpa!" Cain returned now getting a pout from Ambrose.

"At least I'm the most good looking step grandpa they'll have!" Ambrose then returned triumphantly and since he looked so determined and sexy in his exclamation Cain couldn't help himself but invite the future step grandpa to a play of hide and seek underneath their blanket.

And while the wind was blowing coldly outside and the snow was pilling on their roof the two of them entwined their hot bodies and turned the night into a burning fire of love.

O.O.o.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.

Excited almost high pitched voices greeted him when he stepped down into the kitchen, back in the present day. Brian was sitting at the kitchen table and playing with a familiar wooden horse, his naked feet not touching the ground, while Michael helped Ambrose prepare their sandwiches. Michael had to stand on a little stool to reach the kitchenette but Cain could tell that he had insisted on helping his grandpa. Michael was almost 'a big boy' as he himself insisted and he had a great sense for responsibility and caring. It filled Cain with joy to see his two grandsons so gleeful and full of life and he was proud that their parents had taught them to be such great children.

He himself had developed into a passionate grandpa over the years and he did not only praised himself for this.

Ambrose had been a great help and a wonderful step grandpa right from the start. Michael had been a small baby, who had arrived too early and who needed extra care and protection. Scarlet went ill after giving birth and Jeb had needed to take care of his wife while Cain and Ambrose had supported them during this time by helping to take care of little Michael. It had not only connected them with their firstborn grandchild but it had also strengthened their relationship.

Even nowadays it amazed Cain how dirty diapers and lack of sleep at night had strengthened their relationship but maybe it was the feeling of parenthood (in their case more of a grandparenthood) that had filled something that their love hadn't been able to fill out before.

Brian's birth that followed two annuals later luckily had been less stressful for Scarlet, who decided that their second child should be the last. Brian was much healthier from the start but also more active and loud. The two grandparents kept the caring to their children this time but whenever their two grandchildren stayed at their house, may it be because their parents needed a break or because Cain and Ambrose were longing to see them, their house was filled with new life .

When both boys were old enough Ambrose had started to build them wonderful and unique toys, while Cain carved them the same white toy horse he had long ago carved for his son. Michael bloomed whenever his grandparents bought him a new book, which deepened his bond with Ambrose, while Brian was more like his father and grandfather and loved to go out and play that he was a Tin Man, chasing criminals and saving his damsel in distress.

Both were intelligent boys with lively spirits and both Cain and Ambrose loved their time with them.

When Ambrose noticed that Cain had entered the kitchen he turned around to give his husband a smile which was paid with a kiss by Cain. Neither Michael nor Brian ever asked why Ambrose and Cain were two men living together while other couples around them tend to be a man and a woman. They had grown up like this and it was normal to them, yet Cain prepared himself for the day that one of them started to ask questions.

"Guess who helped me prepare breakfast and your lunch today?" Ambrose addressed Cain with an overly proud voice.

Cain entered the game effortlessly by putting on a thoughtful face and looking back between Brian and Michael who were now both sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hmm ...I would assume that you got help from our big boy Michael over there but I'm sure that Brian will protest at this," Cain answered his voice guided at Ambrose who snickered lightly.

"Oh I'm sure that Brian won't be pleased if you ignore the fact that he helped his brother to wash the tomatoes and lettuce," Ambrose replied kindly causing Brian's face to light up.

Cain smiled at that and showed his joy over the help of his 'hard working' grandsons by approaching them and giving them a heartfelt hug. Michael, who willingly shared his triumph with Brian, protested at first, since big boys didn't need hugs anymore but deep down he was happy that his grandpa was proud of them.

"Looks like you two are ready for our big camping trip then!" Cain exclaimed and the two boys cheered in a chorus.

"We will have breakfast first though! Campers need extra strength for the long days in the woods," Ambrose added and both boys sat down again.

Watching his grandchildren and Ambrose sitting there and having breakfast together Cain had to admit that this was the peaceful life he had always dreamt of. A thought which often enough had kept him alive in times of darkness and annuals in the Tin Suit.

O.O.O.O.O:o.O.O

Two annuals ago Azkadellia had D.G. take the crown of their mother and so the younger princess had taken her place as Queen Dorothy the Second. Ozma Lavender had wanted to spend the next years as consultant to her daughter and play a more indirect role in the politics of their land so that she could dedicate more time to her own grandchildren, to her husband and to the rest of her family.

D.G. had developed into a feisty and witty princess who long since had embraced her role as royalty and who had learnt a lot about the history and politics of the country. She wore her new crown and status with dignity and the people of Oz loved their new Queen.

About six annuals ago D.G. had married a man from Ix whom she had met at one of the Royal meetings she had been advised to attend. He was the son of a duke from Ix and with their marriage the relationship between the two countries had blossomed and grown. Andrew was an interesting man with a tragic past and a strong will which was loved by everyone of the Royal family. His spirit, wit and humor had conquered D.G.'s heart in an instant so it had been big news when Andrew finally proposed to her seven annuals back.

With his childhood being spent at the Royal Court of Ix he had been a charming suitor with great manners and a broad knowledge of politics which made him a beloved hosts at Royal balls and wonderful Prince Consort of Oz.

Only two annuals after their wedding, D.G. had announced her first pregnancy and now only four annuals after giving birth to a lovely daughter, the Queen was pregnant again.

Although Az didn't want to become Queen she had been able to make peace with her past and become an active part among the ranks of advisors and consultants of her sister. She was it who became Duchess of Gilikin and with her duties and attendances at Royal balls and meetings she strengthened her relationship to her country and its people. They trusted her again and so she found trust and hope in herself and with this came love.

His name was Lars and he had been a stable boy in the duties of her mother. First Azkadellia had been scared that her mother wouldn't accept Lars, that she wouldn't want a simple Stable boy to date her eldest daughter, but times had changed and so had the Queen. Like her mother had done annuals ago, she kept up the relationship between royalty and their servants and if one of them was in love with her daughter she wouldn't interfere.

So it came that Lars became an integrated member during balls and events of the Royal family and it didn't need long for everyone to fall in love with the down to earth man. He gave Azkadellia the serenity she needed and he strengthened the peace she had longed for.

Together they got three children, two boys and a sweet little girl and now that D.G. was reign in Central City, they were living at the Northern Palace while Ozma and Ahamo stayed at Finaqua.

Every now and then they would all come together, either at the Palace in Central or the one in Finaqua and together with the families of Amelia and Thea, of Ambrose and Cain and of Anne they would celebrate this peace and cherish their time as one big family.

0.O.O.O.O.O.

The boys were the first to be finished and as soon as they had brought their empty plates to the kitchen sink, they were ready and even more excited to go on their camping trip.

Cain who had assumed that they wouldn't be able to wait any longer, finished his last bun with cheese and raised from his chair before Michael or Brian could plead any further.

Ambrose looked up at him knowingly and also raised from his spot. Calmly he went into their storage room and returned with two bag packs, one in red, one in green. He gave one of them to each of the boys and announced that those bags were their surprise gifts and that they had to take extra care of them.

The eyes of the two little boys went wide and started to sparkle when they opened the bags and saw that they were filled with everything you needed for a camping trip. The gratefulness that was written on their childish faces was hard to describe and it warmed the hearts of both of the men.

They thanked their grandparents for this wonderful gifts and said their goodbyes to their grandpa Ambrose by throwing themselves around his neck. It was their way of giving hugs.

Ambrose laughed at that and promised that he would wait for his 'brave campers' with a huge bowl of mug lug, once they returned from their adventure.

Cain was bidden farewell with a long kiss and the whispered promise of something else.

"Take care of yourself and our boys out there Mr. Cain," Ambrose said to his husband when they parted the kiss.

"Promised, my love," Cain answered heartedly before he turned around to open the door of their house.

"Say goodbye to your grandpa Ambrose again," Cain instructed as his grandsons were already rushing outside into the direction of the garden wall.

"Goodbye Grampa Ambrose!" They waved back at the man who was left behind at the door frame.

As Cain left off to follow his grandsons, Ambrose kept staring at them with a smile before he returned to the warmth of their house to enjoy those three days of relaxing and serenity which he would have on his own.

Life had treated them unkindly at many points and it had been a long way to reach their happiness but he didn't regret any decision he had made during his long life.

Sixty annuals ago he had met a boy named Wyatt Cain Jr. and they had become the best of friends. Many annuals later this friendship had turned into love and then marriage. Although there had been darkness and although there was pain this friendship which had turned into something deeper, had formed an unbreakable bond of faith.

Now they were in their mid sixties and the fight was over, they could live in peace and they could strengthened new bounds.

A long story of adventure, love, hatred, friendship, loyalty and death was lying behind them and some day, it might be that their story was told to their grandchildren. All that Ambrose could hope for now though was that he and Cain would live long enough to experience many more of these unique and beautiful stories that only life could write.

The End

A.N: Hooray! I'm finally finished! I'm sooo deeply sorry that the last one took me so long , although it's not much at all. I was busy with going to work and then I wasn't in the right mood and blah blah. Anyways now it's done! I want to thank everyone who read this story , I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Maybe I will add some little bonus chapters to it one day but right now this will be it. Thank you to everyone who accompanied me and thanks very much to my lovely beta reader. I will go over every single chapter now and take care of the logical mistakes and maybe I'll also find some other mistakes that need to be corrected so that everything will be perfect.

I hope you like the ending ! I'll go and eat some ice-cream now , love you and bye ^^