dg_cain | To Melt A Heart 1/? (Reply)

Title- To Melt A Heart

Pairing- Dg/Cain
Summary- Dg’s journey after the eclipse
Warnings- Um, don’t believe I have any
Disclaimer- TinMan doesn’t belong to me!!!
Thanks to brunette89 and diesa_j for all their help! I’d be lost without um!

It had only been three hours since Azkadellia had been freed and the witch had, however cliché, melted.

Three very long hours.

Possibly the longest (no doubt the worst) three hours of Dg’s life.

It had all started when she'd discovered her Tin Man had been shot. She’d panicked, but her attention had been diverted when Azkadellia collapsed. From that point, she had been running around constantly, starting with meeting with Jeb and the resistance fighters. She also helped in the infirmary and ran back to Az's side every five minutes. It went on, and on, and on.

It only took a split second for the entire day to come crashing down around Dg’s ears when Azkadellia stopped breathing.

Desperately, frantically, Dg used all the strength she had in her entire body to charge Azkadellia’s body with magic. When Dg had begun to give up all hope, Azkadellia finally took a shuddering gasp for air.

For the finale to the entire evening, Dg herself collapsed with exhaustion.

"Whoa there, kiddo." Wyatt Cain murmured.

Dg pushed back the waves of exhaustion and told herself to stay strong. "Sorry Mr. Cain. Been a long day."

With a nod to Queen Lavender and the Prince consort, Cain nudged Dg out of Azkadellia's room. Once past the prying eyes, Cain swept Dg into his arms. "You are in desperate need of some much-deserved sleep." Cain went up the closest staircase and decided he needed to find someplace to lay the princess down. He chose an empty guestroom.

"Mr. Cain, this really isn't necessary." Dg yawned.

"Stop calling me Mister… makes me feel… old." He spat the last word out with disgust. Dg hid her amusement.

"Then, what do you want me to call you? Sir?" She inquired, her face the epitome of innocence.

"Don't be a smart ass, kid." He growled, pulling the blanket on the bed back forcefully he laid her down. With her body, however, he was quite gentle, allowing himself more tenderness than he would usually dare show. Dg grinned.

“You still didn’t say what I should call you.” She pointed out, a little too angelically. Cain rolled his eyes.

“Just leave off the mister, okay?”

Dg shrugged her delicate shoulders and wiggled down under the covers. With a yawn she gave him a soft smile.

“Whatever you say… Wyatt.” She bit her lip, smiling. Cain sighed heavily.

“Get some rest, kiddo.”

*~*~*

Dg woke up slightly disoriented. From the open window to her right she could tell it was night, but other than that she was unsure of where she was. Glancing around wildly, she slipped from the bed. The residue of her nightmare was tainting reality and everything around her looked dangerous. She was still seeing dark shadows and flashes of red.

“Cain?” She called softly. Dg was unsure why she called out for him, but his name was the first word that fell from her lips. He had been her protector for a few weeks now and the natural choice to protect her from her visions.

As Dg peered around her room, the door behind her opened. Spinning on her heel she watched with horror as the door swung all the way open and someone stepped inside. It only took her a few seconds to realize that it was Cain. Dg launched forward and threw her arms around him as relief washed over her.

“CAIN!” She held fast, arms clasped tightly around his neck. Hesitantly, Cain wrapped his arms around the quivering Dg.

“What’s wrong, kid?”

Dg buried her head under his chin and refused to meet his probing eyes. “Nothing. It was nothing.”

“Then why are you shaking like a leaf?”

“I’m not.” She pulled back from him defensively and wrapped her arms tightly around herself. Cain’s left eyebrow shot up and he observed her incredulously.

“Your… not?” He tried to meet her eyes, but she wouldn’t look up.

“I’m sorry I bothered you, Cain. Just… don’t worry about it.”

Cain’s right eyebrow shot up to join his left. “Okay kid… first off, I thought I’d made it pretty clear that I don’t appreciate you lying to me. Second off, you’re a terrible liar. So, let’s try this again. What the hell is bothering you?”

Dg turned slightly and headed over to the balcony. Swinging open the doors, she stepped outside and took some deep cleansing breaths, but seeing the height she was at brought her nightmare back. Gasping, she backpedaled right into Cain, who, of course, she hadn’t heard approach.

“Enough of this.” He muttered. Grabbing her forearm, he dragged her to a nearby chair and unceremoniously shoved her into it. Crouching in front of her he blocked any chance of escape with his body width. She sat there frozen, not even blinking her eyes, staring as if in a trance somewhere beyond his shoulder. Dg was as pale as a ghost and strangely, her skin seemed to sparkle. Leaning closer, he reached out to touch her cheek. It was cold, and if he could believe his eyes (not to mention touch) her skin was iced over. Literally.

“What the hell?”

Dg’s eyes snapped back to his. All the sudden her skin was back to its normal color and she seemed to be acting somewhat normal. Despite the fact that her eyes were wide and filled with stress, intermingled with unshed tears, she seemed distant. Her eyes were glassed over and still a bit unfocused. It was like she was looking right at him, but didn’t actually see him.

“Dg?”

“Paper…and pencils…paint.” She murmured. “I need them, now.”

Cain debated between getting what she ordered, or staying and trying to knock her back to reality. He decided he had best get what she wanted. Standing quickly, he burst from the room looking for the supplies she had listed. He ran into Jeb on his mad dash to find the stuff and get back as quickly as possible.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” Jeb inquired, wondering what had his father so panicked.

“I need art supplies. You know pencils, paper, paint, all that. Do you know where I can find them?”

“Why?”

Cain growled deep in his throat. “I don’t have time to explain. Do you know where the hell I can find these things or not?”

Jeb took a half step back in slight fear of his father. “No, but I’ll help you look.”

They searched for about a half-hour before chancing upon some supplies down in the kitchens. Grabbing every kind of art supply they could in their arms Cain rushed back to where he had left Dg, Jeb in tow.

Dg was right where Cain had left her, and just looking at her stillness scared the hell out of him. Having Jeb set up the easels, and the paper he went to hunker down in front of Dg for the second time.

“We got what you asked for, kiddo.” He informed her softly. Dg’s abnormally blank eyes turned to his briefly before she stood and made her way over to stand next to the clueless Jeb.

Picking up the paint first she reached blindly for a brush and started painting, hardly aware of what she was doing. She continued in this pattern for hours while Jeb and Cain watched her, and her work, worriedly. When at last she went through all the paper they brought, the paint bottles were depleted, the pencil nearly non-existent she stepped back.

“Done.” She whispered softly. She looked down and noticed that she was splashed in paint and her hands were stained.

“Dg, what is going on?” Jeb queried, face scrunched into confusion. The elder Cain remained stoic and silent, eyes glued to the pictures she had completed. Dg shrugged.

“Honestly I’m not sure. I remember waking up-“ With a look at Cain she decided to leave off the information about her nightmare. She didn’t want his scrutiny. “I refused to tell Cain about my dream, and then this sudden chilling coldness came over me. From there I saw all these images, pictures of people and places. Places I’ve never been, and people I don’t even know.” Dg turned and walked from on picture to the next, until she stopped at the last painting she had completed. “Then I saw this.” Dg tapped it contemplating. “I’m not sure what it means.” Dg was lost in her thoughts so she remained silent for some time. “But it means something, something important. Of that I am certain.”

Cain came to stand directly behind her so he could better observe her work. His eyes narrowed when he began to recognize the people portrayed.

“What the hell is going on?”

Dg leaned an inch closer to her first painting ignoring Cain. Through the dark shadows she could make out what she assumed to be herself and three others. Then she realized what was so familiar about it. The people were Glitch, Raw, Cain, and her. It was right after they had jumped off the cliff and they had been drying off.

”Past.”

She went back to her last painting. The colors and images made little sense, but there was one thing that she was absolutely certain off.

“Future.”

Cain jerked around to stare at her. “Future?”

Dg continued to pay no heed to Cain. “I need to talk Az. Do you know if she’s up?”

Cain didn’t even have a chance to answer. Dg was already out the door and headed towards where she last remembered seeing her sister.

Dg knocked softly and waited for a reply. She heard a faint ‘Come in.’ swinging the door open, she peered around and noticed that they were alone… at least until the two Cain’s joined them.

“Az, I was wondering if I could ask you something.”

Az, who was sitting up in her bed, smiled thinly at her.

“There’s no need. I know why you’re here. Come take a seat next to me, Deej.”

Dg didn’t even hesitate. She plopped herself right down next to Azkadellia and snuggled herself close. Without being asked, both Jeb and Wyatt made themselves comfortable in the chairs that were available.

“The magic in the Oz is strong, especially for you Dg, being the princes of light. Even though you have not been here long, hidden abilities are reappearing.”

Dg eyed her, completely lost. “Uh-huh.”

Az began to softly stroke Dg’s hair as natural as breathing.

“You see, even as a child, you were creating these works of art that made no sense… until I started seeing things that had already happened. That’s when I noticed a pattern. Your other sketches and paintings- they always came true. I looked back sometime later and realize that you we’re seeing things before they happened.”

Cain was up and out of his seat in a matter of seconds. “She’s a seer?”

Azkadellia paid him little mind, just as Dg had done earlier. “She’s a special kind of seer. She only sees things that will affect her, people she knows, or people she will know. It’s a delicate and complicated thing.”

Azkadellia paid him little mind, just as Dg had done earlier. “She’s a special kind of seer. She only sees things that will affect her, people she knows, or people she will know. It’s a delicate and complicated thing.”

Az turned to look at Dg.

“And even though right now you may not understand what your gift entails, only you will truly ever comprehend the magnitude of your visions.”

Dg mulled over what she had just been told. Az took her face carefully in her shaking hands.

“Don’t keep it bottled in, it will just hurt you. You have to let it pour out. It’s who you are, and you cannot deny that part of you. You can postpone the inevitable, but not stop it. The explosion will be worse if you try to keep it inside.”

Dg’s breaths came quicker and quicker as she began to panic.

“I can’t just go into these icy states whenever! This…this isn’t good!” Dg sprang from the bed. She barely realized she was shaking from head to toe, she was nearly hyperventilating, and she was close to tears. “I-I can’t do this.”

“It’s a burden, I understand this. Mother, you, and I all have peculiar abilities that sometimes cause more pain then help. But Dg you are a princess of the Oz. It is who you are, and I know you are strong enough.”

Dg whipped around until she could see Cain, who was having just as much difficulty comprehending everything as she was.

“I don’t think I am.” She whispered hoarsely. “When I’m going through those…things…anything can happen! It could-“

“It does no good to wonder what could happen. I think you have enough of that going on in your head. You need to calm down Deej.”

A single crystal tear slipped down Dg’s ashen face. She didn’t know why it scared her so bad, but needless to say, it did.

Dg breathed unevenly as she numbly and drunkenly made her way out of her sister’s room. Barely holding herself together, she tried to find somewhere to go, somewhere where she could completely breakdown… a place where she didn’t have to remain strong.

Rushing blindly along, she told herself to calm down, but hysteria was past the boiling point. She pushed past confused servants and ran for air. Even if it meant stepping outside into the darkness, she needed to get out. Yanking open the first pair of doors that met her hands, she surged on into the night. Running without seeing, she ran as far as her legs would take her.

When her legs finally gave way, she collapsed, not caring where she landed. Covering her face, she let go of the flood of tears that had built up.

Not even a whole day had passed since Az had been freed and already Dg was being overwhelmed. She wasn’t ready for this. She never would be. Dg was not princess material, and if she ever got the chance she would sue anyone and everyone who had ever said being royalty was easy.

“Princess?”

Gasping, Dg hid her face as she stood. She recognized that damn voice. Cain had followed her, and she wished to the gods he hadn’t. Wiping away her tears she didn’t look up when Cain appeared.

“Kiddo, it’s dangerous for you to be alone-“

Dg’s eyes blazed with anger as her head snapped up.

“Because at any moment I could go off the deep end? Go into one of those stupid tranc-y things? Is that what you mean? ‘Cuz damnit if that’s what you’re referring to why don’t you just come out and say it?”

Cain came and sat down in front of where she was now huddled.

“That’s not what I was talking about. It hasn’t even been a full day. For all we know, there could be multitudes of longcoats out here, ready to take a shot at you. I don’t want to risk that happening.”

Another few tears escaped before she could stop them.

“A bullet can only do so much, Cain. What are you even doing here?” She probed. “You have more than fulfilled your promise to the mystic man. Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

Cain flinched when she mentioned his promise to the mystic man. He had hoped she hadn’t heard the mystic man’s demand.

“Because...”

Dg’s eyes hardened. “Because? Because! What kind of bullshit is that?” She screamed.

Cain didn’t take it personally

She needed to let go of the raw emotion that was swirling inside of her petite body. He would take the heat without complaint. Few people understood Dg the way he did. He just gave her a look.

“Dg-“

“Don’t you dare ‘Dg’ me! Please, please, just leave me alone.”

Cain reached forward hesitantly and placed his arms lightly on her knees. “Listen to me, kiddo. I’m not letting you go through this alone. I refuse to do that to you.”

Dg stared up at him, baby blues shining. “Why?”

Unconsciously, Cain drew her closer to him. With a heavy sigh, he tried to wrack his brain for why exactly he cared so much about what she was and wasn’t going though. He was coming to a dead end.

“Because we’re friends Dg.”

Dg sighed softly and with a moan she buried herself against his impossibly warm chest.

“I don’t trust myself anymore Cain.” She murmured, brokenly.

Cain, stunned by the way she burrowed against his chest, recovered and loosely wrapped his arms around her. “If you have the right bodyguard you never have to worry. ‘Cuz watching you will be his job, and when you go through your visions he will be there to take care of you, and be someone to fetch what you need.”

Dg pulled back so she could meet his eyes. “Nuh-uh, I am not having men trail me around all day. No thanks, and it is not going to happen.”

Cain’s eyes sparked dangerously. “You are a princess Dg, of course you’re going to have guards. Lots of them.”

Dg moved further away from him. “No way in hell.”

“Dg” Cain groaned in exasperation. “It’s not a topic open for debate, and don’t you dare glare at me. I’m not the one that made you a princess.”

Dg frowned. “I refuse.”

Cain gaped at her in astonishment. “You can’t refuse.”

Dg crossed her arms. “Can to.”

Cain watched her in amusement. “I have an idea kiddo. One that might just work for you.”

Dg eyed him curiously. “And that is?”

“Well, I could propose to your parents the idea of Jeb and I being your guards. Jeb had the original idea.”

Dg’s eyes speared his. “If you so much as think of proposing that to my…” Dg swallowed awkwardly. “My parents, you will damn well regret it. No way in hell either one of you is going to be my ‘body guards’, not to mention both of you, so get that stupid idea out of your head right now.”

Cain gaped at her. “What’s so wrong with Jeb and I being your guards?” He inquired, his voice growing dangerously livid. Dg sprang to her feet and methodically wiped the dirt off her jeans.

“Just drop it, Cain. This is no longer open for discussion. Neither you nor your son will be my guard. Is that understood?”

Cain lunged to his feet and rose to his full height, towered over her threateningly.

“It sure as hell isn’t.” He bellowed, his face mottled red. “I thought you would be happy.” He said this softer, but no less menacingly. Dg’s chin jutted out haughtily.

“It’s a ridiculously stupid idea, and so help me it will never come to fruition.”

Cain growled low in his throat. “Is that so?”

Dg’s eyes were flaming with rage. “Hell yes that’s so, and don’t you dare try to go over my head.”

Cain’s eyes darkened as his face grew a deeper shade of fury filled red and purple.

“Why are you being so damn stubborn about this? What the hell is wrong with Jeb and I?”

All the fight left Dg in a second. Her eyes burned with how hard she was trying not to cry.

“Nothing is wrong with you or Jeb. Nothing at all.”

“Then what the hell is the problem?”

“I can’t have you be my guards, I just can’t”

Cain groaned with frustration. “Why?”

“Because!” Dg shrieked. “Because if anything were to happen to you because of me I would never be able to live with myself. Do you think I like the fact I have to put men in danger just so they will protect me? That’s bad enough as it is, but I sure as hell won’t let you or Jeb take a bullet for me, or god knows what else. I won’t do that! Do you hear me Cain? I WON”T!”

“Calm down kiddo.” Cain automatically replied, but inside his heart was aching for her. He hadn’t realized how much everything was affecting her until recently. Until her artwork, that is. And her outbursts. And her refusals for his son and him to be her guards.

“Kiddo, I wouldn’t suggest being your guard if I wasn’t perfectly sure that’s what I wanted to do.”

Dg shook her head side to side violently. “Take Jeb, go as far away from here as you possibly can, and relearn everything you used to know about your son. Create a life for yourselves and forget about me.”

“I can’t do that kid, and I won’t. If you won’t cave gracefully, I will go over your head. I’m positive the Queen and her consort will listen to Jeb and I over you.”

“Don’t make this a war Cain, you will lose.” Dg eyed him. Cain broke into an uncharacteristic grin.

“I never lose.”