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Fic: Follow You Home - California Queen (7/20)
Title: Follow You Home - California Queen (7/20)
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Cain and DG, but if you saw 'em in the miniseries, they're here or mentioned. Plus some OCs
Rating: PG
Summary: DG left the Zone. Cain followed.
Warning: post-series. Blame n_e_star, for she fed Steve. ;)
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The rest of 'em are mine. Title comes from song of same name by Nickelback.
Prologue One . Prologue Two
California Queen: Part One . Part Two . Part Three . Part Four . Part Five . Part Six . Part Seven . Part Eight . Part Nine . Part Ten . Part Eleven . Part Twelve . Part Thirteen . Part Fourteen . Part Fifteen . Part Sixteen . Part Seventeen . Part Eighteen . Part Nineteen . Part Twenty
California Tin | California Sun
Five | Waking Up (CaliSun 20.2) | Almost Like Being in Love (CaliSun 24.5) | An Hour and 45 Minutes | Hava Nagila | Unexpected
WENN last we met: "Why is everyone talking to their hand?" DG looked through the window and smiled.
"They're on the phone," she stated, leaning away from him and reaching into her pocket for her own. Flipping it open, she held it out for Cain to take. "Just like the ones in Central City, only... portable." Cain took the phone from her and turned it over in his hands. "Ooh," DG said suddenly, snatching the phone back from him and pressing a few buttons. She leaned back, held the phone up and, a moment later, smiled. She turned back in her seat and closed the phone as the train pulled away, smiling at the glare still on Cain's face.
At the next station, they had to go up a level to get to the next train and found this station a bit less crowded. DG explained that the main station fed the trains heading out of town and many of the buses, while the current station was mainly a junction for two other lines. They'd change trains once more down the line.
Soon, they were back outside and Cain watched in awe as the train moved down the center of the roadway, cars stopping alongside them. "How's Jeb?" DG asked finally, the silence driving her crazy. Cain turned, brow furrowed slightly.
"What?" He’d heard her voice but didn't register her words. She smiled and repeated her question. Cain breathed out and opened his mouth then shut it again. Looking at DG, he nodded. "He's... good. Was probably glad to see me go," he said with a smile.
"Aww," DG said, looking away as Cain glanced at his lap.
"Half the time..." he began, then pursed his lips and shook his head.
"I'll bug you 'til you tell me," DG threatened, adding a nudge to his arm with hers. Cain smiled and laughed then turned to DG.
"It was like getting to the theater late. Things have been happening, setting up the story." DG bit her lip to keep from smiling at the idea of Cain at the theater. "They would start talking about an incident, and it would pass around and..." Cain sighed heavily. "I wanted to help," he said quietly and looked to the window for a moment. "But, really... I was just another mouth to feed." DG frowned and put a hand on Cain's shoulder.
"That's not true, Cain. You got to spend time with Jeb. You were with family-" Her mouth clamped shut at the look on his face and she nodded once. She was with family. And she'd come in at the intermission. "Aren't we just a pair?" she asked with a laugh and leaned against the armrest, her jaw against her fist.
"Where are we going?" Cain asked her. DG looked over to him, her jaw still against her fist, and she sat up.
"I want your trip to be memorable. So I'm taking you somewhere you've never been." Cain opened his mouth but DG beat him to it. "In general," she said with a wave. Cain clenched his jaw, but DG saw the smile slip. "Do you like fish?" she asked a moment later, garnering a look of confusion from Cain. "For lunch. Trying to get ideas," she said with a wave.
Cain looked up, out the window and back to DG. "The sun just came up."
"Planning ahead," she snapped back with an incredulous look. Cain shook his head and looked back out the window for a moment before looking straight ahead.
"If that's my only option... I will eat fish." DG poked her cheek with her tongue and turned away.
'Yeah, he's gonna be a troublemaker,' she thought with a smile.
As they waited on the upper platform for the last train, Cain turned to look out over the rooftops and noted he could almost see the mountains in the distance, but he didn't know which were 'his.' "Which-" he asked, catching DG's arm and pointing to the horizon. DG smiled and pointed to the skyscrapers of downtown.
"Smog's a little thick today. It's behind those... that one," she shrugged.
"You do this often?" Cain asked, motioning to the platform.
"No, I'm usually at work," she said with a nod.
"And your personal day?" DG smiled guiltily and nodded.
"I go to work." Cain frowned. "Sometimes I do have a weekend," she stated, seeing his disapproval. Of course, he really had no room to talk about work ethics and both of them knew it. Cain pointed and DG turned to see a train coming their way. "Sweet," she said quietly, which made Cain laugh.
"Do you like fish?" he asked her as the doors of the train opened. DG looked up to him sideways and smiled.
"Not really."
DG led the way down the steps at the last station and stopped at the bottom, turning to look up at Cain. He had noticed words written on the risers of the steps and was reading them backwards, as he didn't realize the quote started at the bottom. DG tapped him and he turned.
"Okay, we still need to go about three miles that way," she said, pointing to their right. "We can walk or take the bus," she added, leaving the decision to him. Cain took a moment to sniff the air and consider his options. He'd done plenty of walking the day before; and he'd done plenty of sitting that morning. DG smiled, figuring he was trying to guess her preference. "We'll walk," she said with a smile and hooked her arm around his again.
As they walked, DG explained what was on the signs they passed - one or two of them reminding Cain of a story from his time with the Resistance and, at DG's description of pasta as they passed an Italian restaurant, a story from his time with the Mystic Man.
As their destination neared, Cain made a face. "What is that smell?" DG smiled.
"Salt." Cain looked at her in disbelief - he'd never known salt to have a smell.
"Did it go bad?" DG laughed.
"No, there's just a lot of it." She stopped a moment later and stepped in front of Cain. "Okay. I need you to trust me." Cain gave her a look that suggested he was questioning her sanity. "Close your eyes," she said, nodding slightly and stepping behind him. DG grabbed hold of Cain's jacket on each side, just near the pockets and he turned to look at her over his shoulder.
"Close your eyes," she demanded with another nod. Cain huffed dramatically and closed his eyes. He knew she'd leaned around him to see if his eyes were, in fact, closed, so he opened his left eye and looked down. "I mean it," she said with a frown. He sighed again and closed his eye. "They closed?" he heard from behind him.
"Yes." What was he doing? He had no reason to take orders from her. Not here. They shouldn't even be here. They should have been back in the Zone the day before.
"Walk," he heard DG order and felt her push him forward. 'What has happened to you?' he asked himself as he took cautious steps forward. 'Nothing like taking all your years of training and common sense and throwing it into the Rip.'
"Stop," he heard a moment later, with an added: "Keep 'em closed." She nudged him again and he took a few more steps. "Ground's gonna change," DG warned. That was an understatement, he noted, as the solid ground became... squishy. Keeping his eyes closed, Cain stopped and turned his head toward DG. "Just two more steps," she nodded, giving him another nudge.
When she stopped telling him to step and slow and walk and stop, Cain's ears caught a new sound; one he'd never heard and he couldn't decide what it sounded like. It took him a second to realize DG was no longer holding on to his coat. "DG?" His head shot up. "Kid?" Panic set in and he cursed himself for letting her control him like this.
His eyes shot open and he spun around. He saw DG standing just next to him, but his gaze was locked on the ground. His eyes went wide as he noticed the sand and DG frowned at the look on his face. "Just sand, Cain." He shot her a glare and had to remind himself that she hadn't grown up hearing the stories of the deserts that surrounded the Zone; stories told to keep the children in line and scare each other with.
But he was still alive - as far as he knew - so maybe it was just sand. The sound was back and, as he turned to see what was causing it, everything slowed down. He didn't remember turning the rest of his body, but he must have because - when he remembered how to blink - he had to turn to look at DG. She gave him the brightest smile he'd ever seen on her face and stepped toward him.
"Wyatt Cain," she started, holding her hand out toward the water. "Meet the Pacific."
__________________
Again with the early post - taking Mom to Universal Studios today, and since we didn't get back from the Tour-o-Tampa yesterday until 9ish, I'm gonna not make you wait.
:)
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Cain and DG, but if you saw 'em in the miniseries, they're here or mentioned. Plus some OCs
Rating: PG
Summary: DG left the Zone. Cain followed.
Warning: post-series. Blame n_e_star, for she fed Steve. ;)
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The rest of 'em are mine. Title comes from song of same name by Nickelback.
Prologue One . Prologue Two
California Queen: Part One . Part Two . Part Three . Part Four . Part Five . Part Six . Part Seven . Part Eight . Part Nine . Part Ten . Part Eleven . Part Twelve . Part Thirteen . Part Fourteen . Part Fifteen . Part Sixteen . Part Seventeen . Part Eighteen . Part Nineteen . Part Twenty
California Tin | California Sun
Five | Waking Up (CaliSun 20.2) | Almost Like Being in Love (CaliSun 24.5) | An Hour and 45 Minutes | Hava Nagila | Unexpected
WENN last we met: "Why is everyone talking to their hand?" DG looked through the window and smiled.
"They're on the phone," she stated, leaning away from him and reaching into her pocket for her own. Flipping it open, she held it out for Cain to take. "Just like the ones in Central City, only... portable." Cain took the phone from her and turned it over in his hands. "Ooh," DG said suddenly, snatching the phone back from him and pressing a few buttons. She leaned back, held the phone up and, a moment later, smiled. She turned back in her seat and closed the phone as the train pulled away, smiling at the glare still on Cain's face.
At the next station, they had to go up a level to get to the next train and found this station a bit less crowded. DG explained that the main station fed the trains heading out of town and many of the buses, while the current station was mainly a junction for two other lines. They'd change trains once more down the line.
Soon, they were back outside and Cain watched in awe as the train moved down the center of the roadway, cars stopping alongside them. "How's Jeb?" DG asked finally, the silence driving her crazy. Cain turned, brow furrowed slightly.
"What?" He’d heard her voice but didn't register her words. She smiled and repeated her question. Cain breathed out and opened his mouth then shut it again. Looking at DG, he nodded. "He's... good. Was probably glad to see me go," he said with a smile.
"Aww," DG said, looking away as Cain glanced at his lap.
"Half the time..." he began, then pursed his lips and shook his head.
"I'll bug you 'til you tell me," DG threatened, adding a nudge to his arm with hers. Cain smiled and laughed then turned to DG.
"It was like getting to the theater late. Things have been happening, setting up the story." DG bit her lip to keep from smiling at the idea of Cain at the theater. "They would start talking about an incident, and it would pass around and..." Cain sighed heavily. "I wanted to help," he said quietly and looked to the window for a moment. "But, really... I was just another mouth to feed." DG frowned and put a hand on Cain's shoulder.
"That's not true, Cain. You got to spend time with Jeb. You were with family-" Her mouth clamped shut at the look on his face and she nodded once. She was with family. And she'd come in at the intermission. "Aren't we just a pair?" she asked with a laugh and leaned against the armrest, her jaw against her fist.
"Where are we going?" Cain asked her. DG looked over to him, her jaw still against her fist, and she sat up.
"I want your trip to be memorable. So I'm taking you somewhere you've never been." Cain opened his mouth but DG beat him to it. "In general," she said with a wave. Cain clenched his jaw, but DG saw the smile slip. "Do you like fish?" she asked a moment later, garnering a look of confusion from Cain. "For lunch. Trying to get ideas," she said with a wave.
Cain looked up, out the window and back to DG. "The sun just came up."
"Planning ahead," she snapped back with an incredulous look. Cain shook his head and looked back out the window for a moment before looking straight ahead.
"If that's my only option... I will eat fish." DG poked her cheek with her tongue and turned away.
'Yeah, he's gonna be a troublemaker,' she thought with a smile.
As they waited on the upper platform for the last train, Cain turned to look out over the rooftops and noted he could almost see the mountains in the distance, but he didn't know which were 'his.' "Which-" he asked, catching DG's arm and pointing to the horizon. DG smiled and pointed to the skyscrapers of downtown.
"Smog's a little thick today. It's behind those... that one," she shrugged.
"You do this often?" Cain asked, motioning to the platform.
"No, I'm usually at work," she said with a nod.
"And your personal day?" DG smiled guiltily and nodded.
"I go to work." Cain frowned. "Sometimes I do have a weekend," she stated, seeing his disapproval. Of course, he really had no room to talk about work ethics and both of them knew it. Cain pointed and DG turned to see a train coming their way. "Sweet," she said quietly, which made Cain laugh.
"Do you like fish?" he asked her as the doors of the train opened. DG looked up to him sideways and smiled.
"Not really."
DG led the way down the steps at the last station and stopped at the bottom, turning to look up at Cain. He had noticed words written on the risers of the steps and was reading them backwards, as he didn't realize the quote started at the bottom. DG tapped him and he turned.
"Okay, we still need to go about three miles that way," she said, pointing to their right. "We can walk or take the bus," she added, leaving the decision to him. Cain took a moment to sniff the air and consider his options. He'd done plenty of walking the day before; and he'd done plenty of sitting that morning. DG smiled, figuring he was trying to guess her preference. "We'll walk," she said with a smile and hooked her arm around his again.
As they walked, DG explained what was on the signs they passed - one or two of them reminding Cain of a story from his time with the Resistance and, at DG's description of pasta as they passed an Italian restaurant, a story from his time with the Mystic Man.
As their destination neared, Cain made a face. "What is that smell?" DG smiled.
"Salt." Cain looked at her in disbelief - he'd never known salt to have a smell.
"Did it go bad?" DG laughed.
"No, there's just a lot of it." She stopped a moment later and stepped in front of Cain. "Okay. I need you to trust me." Cain gave her a look that suggested he was questioning her sanity. "Close your eyes," she said, nodding slightly and stepping behind him. DG grabbed hold of Cain's jacket on each side, just near the pockets and he turned to look at her over his shoulder.
"Close your eyes," she demanded with another nod. Cain huffed dramatically and closed his eyes. He knew she'd leaned around him to see if his eyes were, in fact, closed, so he opened his left eye and looked down. "I mean it," she said with a frown. He sighed again and closed his eye. "They closed?" he heard from behind him.
"Yes." What was he doing? He had no reason to take orders from her. Not here. They shouldn't even be here. They should have been back in the Zone the day before.
"Walk," he heard DG order and felt her push him forward. 'What has happened to you?' he asked himself as he took cautious steps forward. 'Nothing like taking all your years of training and common sense and throwing it into the Rip.'
"Stop," he heard a moment later, with an added: "Keep 'em closed." She nudged him again and he took a few more steps. "Ground's gonna change," DG warned. That was an understatement, he noted, as the solid ground became... squishy. Keeping his eyes closed, Cain stopped and turned his head toward DG. "Just two more steps," she nodded, giving him another nudge.
When she stopped telling him to step and slow and walk and stop, Cain's ears caught a new sound; one he'd never heard and he couldn't decide what it sounded like. It took him a second to realize DG was no longer holding on to his coat. "DG?" His head shot up. "Kid?" Panic set in and he cursed himself for letting her control him like this.
His eyes shot open and he spun around. He saw DG standing just next to him, but his gaze was locked on the ground. His eyes went wide as he noticed the sand and DG frowned at the look on his face. "Just sand, Cain." He shot her a glare and had to remind himself that she hadn't grown up hearing the stories of the deserts that surrounded the Zone; stories told to keep the children in line and scare each other with.
But he was still alive - as far as he knew - so maybe it was just sand. The sound was back and, as he turned to see what was causing it, everything slowed down. He didn't remember turning the rest of his body, but he must have because - when he remembered how to blink - he had to turn to look at DG. She gave him the brightest smile he'd ever seen on her face and stepped toward him.
"Wyatt Cain," she started, holding her hand out toward the water. "Meet the Pacific."
__________________
Again with the early post - taking Mom to Universal Studios today, and since we didn't get back from the Tour-o-Tampa yesterday until 9ish, I'm gonna not make you wait.
:)