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Fic: Follow You Home - California Tin (04/42)
Title: Follow You Home - California Tin (04/42)
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: Cain stayed in LA. But can he survive on the Other Side?
Warning: post-series, directly after California Queen. 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.
Prologue | California Queen
California Tin: 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 | Part Twenty-One | Part Twenty-Two | Part Twenty-Three | Part Twenty-Four | Part Twenty-Five | Part Twenty-Six | Part Twenty-Seven | Part Twenty-Eight | Part Twenty-Nine | Part Thirty | Part Thirty-One | Part Thirty-Two | Part Thirty-Three | Part Thirty-Four | Part Thirty-Five | Part Thirty-Six | Part Thirty-Seven | Part Thirty-Eight | Part Thirty-Nine | Part Forty | Part Forty-One | Part Forty-Two
California Sun
Five | Waking Up (CaliSun 20.2) | Almost Like Being in Love (CaliSun 24.5) | An Hour and 45 Minutes | Hava Nagila | Unexpected
DG breezed into the apartment, dropping her keys and the mail on the counter as she had done for six months. Taking a quick glance around, she figured Cain must be across the street with Simon, getting into trouble, she took a second to look at the mail and frowned. Leaning forward slightly, her head turned to look into the dark bathroom.
Stepping toward the door, DG realized Cain was sitting on the toilet. "Cain?" she asked slowly. "You okay?"
"No." DG frowned and reached for the light switch.
"Why are you in the-" she asked, stopping short as the room brightened. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, eyes wide. "What happened?!" Wyatt Cain was redder than an apple.
And not from embarrassment.
DG reached for Cain but pulled back as she felt the heat radiating from him. "How in the-" she asked quietly and leaned out of the bathroom to pull a washcloth from the small closet. She turned on the faucet and let the water run cold before soaking the cloth and wringing it out. She pressed the rag as gently as she could against Cain’s cheek and grimaced as he flinched.
Frowning, she patted his other cheek and returned the cloth to the still-running faucet. Rinsing out the washcloth again, DG turned off the water and passed the cloth into Cain's hand. "Stay here. I'll be back in five minutes." Cain simply breathed and closed his eyes again as his jaw clenched. DG dug into the closet again and moved into the kitchen, opening the fridge.
Five minutes later, DG was coming out of the small grocery store across the street the she ran into Missus Lowry. "DG, just who I was hoping to see." DG smiled at her friend as her hand tightened around the bottle of aloe.
"Hey, Missus Ell."
"Simon's decided to play with that damn grill tonight. And he bought enough food for the entire city..." DG smiled again - she was half-expecting Simon to announce he was opening a restaurant. "So, if you two are free," Jeanie said, bringing DG back with a jerk.
"What? Uh... yeah. Save me a hot dog," she said with a nod. Jeanie glanced at the bottle in DG's hand.
"Everyone okay, dear?" DG looked down, too, and smiled.
"If anyone could get a sunburn in November, it’d be Cain," she said with a shrug. "Was he with Mister Ell today?" Jeanie shook her head.
"I haven’t seen Cain for a few days, actually," she said with a smile and a shrug. It entertained her that DG always referred to Wyatt by his last name. DG frowned and nodded.
"Well, I better..." she said, waving the bottle toward the apartment. Jeanie nodded as DG moved past. "An hour?" she asked, turning as she stepped off the curb.
"Hour and ten. It's a big grill," Jeanie replied, rolling her eyes. DG gave her a sympathetic smile and jogged across the street, took the stairs two at a time and pushed into the apartment for a second time.
Setting the bottle down next to Cain, DG sighed and reached for the washcloth he had set on the counter. She quickly washed and dried her hands before giving the bottle a good squeeze, putting a decent amount of the blue gel into her palm. She leaned over slightly to look Cain over.
He looked horribly uncomfortable and DG wished there was something she could do for him. "This is gonna be cold," she said, holding up her palm for Cain to see the gel. Dabbing her finger into the goop, DG applied the stuff just under Cain's eyes first. After a few dabs here and a few dabs there, DG leaned down so that her face was at Cain's level.
"You know... insurance companies usually charge double for cars this color." Cain simply breathed again. "How is it," she asked, adjusting her stance so that she could apply the gel to the back of Cain’s neck. "-that there are two suns in the Zone and everyone's pasty, yet here you are: in a temperate zone, in the winter, with one sun, and you get cooked?"
Cain didn't have a response for her. DG put some more gel in her hand and looked at Cain’s left ear. "So..." she trailed, specifically using that tone Cain used on her occasionally - the one that said she should know better. Of course, why would Cain know better? "What were you up to today?" she amended, as if she was just making conversation.
Cain frowned and muttered: "Work." DG pulled back and leaned down slightly.
"Say what?" Cain opened his eyes again and reached for her hand, pulling it back to make contact with his neck. The stuff was cold, but it was making him feel better. Somewhere in the back of both their minds, Cain and DG each registered just how close they were to each other, but neither dwelled on the fact.
"I was at work," Cain said with a snap. His head really hurt.
"Work..." DG half-repeated, half-questioned.
"Yes, Princess. I got a job. I was sick of sitting around, being useless-" DG tapped his arm and frowned.
"Chill, Tin Man," she said before resuming her task. "Why didn't you tell me you were feeling that way?" Cain caught her hand near his right ear and looked up with one eyebrow raised. She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I know: Pot. Kettle. Black." She let out a deep breath and put some more gel into her palm.
The top of Cain's head saw the worst of it. "This is bad, Cain."
"Really?" he replied sarcastically. DG made a face.
"At least your sense of humor isn't burned," she said, considering the best way to apply the gel. "So, what kind of career draws a transplanted former-Tin Man?"
"What?" DG breathed a laugh and lightly applied the gel to the top of Cain's head.
"What is your job?" she asked as he hissed at the cold meeting the pain. On instinct, Cain reached out to grab anything and caught DG's pant leg, just at the knee. "Sorry," she said with a frown. Cain knew she wasn't trying to cause him pain, but damn it hurt.
"I'm on the grounds staff at... the... school" he replied, trying not to focus on the pain.
"Which school?" DG asked, hoping the questions would take his mind off the sunburn.
"The Pas- ...College," he breathed out as DG pulled her hand back.
"No more," she stated, throwing her hands up defensively. Cain took a few deep breaths as DG reached for the bottle again. "So, Pee Cee Cee?" she prompted, assuming Cain’s answer.
"Yeah."
"And how did you find that?" she asked.
"Simon." DG smiled. Telling Simon the truth had paid off, because Simon had a new friend, and Cain and DG had someone to contact in case of an emergency. It also had paid off because Simon knew someone in the state office who owed him a favor. With a fancy story, Cain had an ID - not a drivers license, but at least proof. Again, Cain didn't like it, but as he was in DG's territory, he knew better than to argue with her.
Because he rarely won...
"So you mow lawns and plant flowers?" DG asked as she glanced at Cain's arm.
"Yeah," Cain said with a grimace and DG grabbed his hand and set it on the counter. She reached for the bottle and turned it over. Cain flinched as the gel trailed up his forearm.
"Useless, huh?" she questioned, working the gel into his arm. Cain frowned again, but kept his eyes closed.
"I will not have you providing for me, Princess." DG leaned back with a smirk and raised eyebrows but held back the laugh. Nodding once, she let go of Cain's arm and leaned toward him again.
"Rest assured, Wyatt Cain: You are not being kept."
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: Cain stayed in LA. But can he survive on the Other Side?
Warning: post-series, directly after California Queen. 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.
Prologue | California Queen
California Tin: 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 | Part Twenty-One | Part Twenty-Two | Part Twenty-Three | Part Twenty-Four | Part Twenty-Five | Part Twenty-Six | Part Twenty-Seven | Part Twenty-Eight | Part Twenty-Nine | Part Thirty | Part Thirty-One | Part Thirty-Two | Part Thirty-Three | Part Thirty-Four | Part Thirty-Five | Part Thirty-Six | Part Thirty-Seven | Part Thirty-Eight | Part Thirty-Nine | Part Forty | Part Forty-One | Part Forty-Two
California Sun
Five | Waking Up (CaliSun 20.2) | Almost Like Being in Love (CaliSun 24.5) | An Hour and 45 Minutes | Hava Nagila | Unexpected
DG breezed into the apartment, dropping her keys and the mail on the counter as she had done for six months. Taking a quick glance around, she figured Cain must be across the street with Simon, getting into trouble, she took a second to look at the mail and frowned. Leaning forward slightly, her head turned to look into the dark bathroom.
Stepping toward the door, DG realized Cain was sitting on the toilet. "Cain?" she asked slowly. "You okay?"
"No." DG frowned and reached for the light switch.
"Why are you in the-" she asked, stopping short as the room brightened. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, eyes wide. "What happened?!" Wyatt Cain was redder than an apple.
And not from embarrassment.
DG reached for Cain but pulled back as she felt the heat radiating from him. "How in the-" she asked quietly and leaned out of the bathroom to pull a washcloth from the small closet. She turned on the faucet and let the water run cold before soaking the cloth and wringing it out. She pressed the rag as gently as she could against Cain’s cheek and grimaced as he flinched.
Frowning, she patted his other cheek and returned the cloth to the still-running faucet. Rinsing out the washcloth again, DG turned off the water and passed the cloth into Cain's hand. "Stay here. I'll be back in five minutes." Cain simply breathed and closed his eyes again as his jaw clenched. DG dug into the closet again and moved into the kitchen, opening the fridge.
Five minutes later, DG was coming out of the small grocery store across the street the she ran into Missus Lowry. "DG, just who I was hoping to see." DG smiled at her friend as her hand tightened around the bottle of aloe.
"Hey, Missus Ell."
"Simon's decided to play with that damn grill tonight. And he bought enough food for the entire city..." DG smiled again - she was half-expecting Simon to announce he was opening a restaurant. "So, if you two are free," Jeanie said, bringing DG back with a jerk.
"What? Uh... yeah. Save me a hot dog," she said with a nod. Jeanie glanced at the bottle in DG's hand.
"Everyone okay, dear?" DG looked down, too, and smiled.
"If anyone could get a sunburn in November, it’d be Cain," she said with a shrug. "Was he with Mister Ell today?" Jeanie shook her head.
"I haven’t seen Cain for a few days, actually," she said with a smile and a shrug. It entertained her that DG always referred to Wyatt by his last name. DG frowned and nodded.
"Well, I better..." she said, waving the bottle toward the apartment. Jeanie nodded as DG moved past. "An hour?" she asked, turning as she stepped off the curb.
"Hour and ten. It's a big grill," Jeanie replied, rolling her eyes. DG gave her a sympathetic smile and jogged across the street, took the stairs two at a time and pushed into the apartment for a second time.
Setting the bottle down next to Cain, DG sighed and reached for the washcloth he had set on the counter. She quickly washed and dried her hands before giving the bottle a good squeeze, putting a decent amount of the blue gel into her palm. She leaned over slightly to look Cain over.
He looked horribly uncomfortable and DG wished there was something she could do for him. "This is gonna be cold," she said, holding up her palm for Cain to see the gel. Dabbing her finger into the goop, DG applied the stuff just under Cain's eyes first. After a few dabs here and a few dabs there, DG leaned down so that her face was at Cain's level.
"You know... insurance companies usually charge double for cars this color." Cain simply breathed again. "How is it," she asked, adjusting her stance so that she could apply the gel to the back of Cain’s neck. "-that there are two suns in the Zone and everyone's pasty, yet here you are: in a temperate zone, in the winter, with one sun, and you get cooked?"
Cain didn't have a response for her. DG put some more gel in her hand and looked at Cain’s left ear. "So..." she trailed, specifically using that tone Cain used on her occasionally - the one that said she should know better. Of course, why would Cain know better? "What were you up to today?" she amended, as if she was just making conversation.
Cain frowned and muttered: "Work." DG pulled back and leaned down slightly.
"Say what?" Cain opened his eyes again and reached for her hand, pulling it back to make contact with his neck. The stuff was cold, but it was making him feel better. Somewhere in the back of both their minds, Cain and DG each registered just how close they were to each other, but neither dwelled on the fact.
"I was at work," Cain said with a snap. His head really hurt.
"Work..." DG half-repeated, half-questioned.
"Yes, Princess. I got a job. I was sick of sitting around, being useless-" DG tapped his arm and frowned.
"Chill, Tin Man," she said before resuming her task. "Why didn't you tell me you were feeling that way?" Cain caught her hand near his right ear and looked up with one eyebrow raised. She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I know: Pot. Kettle. Black." She let out a deep breath and put some more gel into her palm.
The top of Cain's head saw the worst of it. "This is bad, Cain."
"Really?" he replied sarcastically. DG made a face.
"At least your sense of humor isn't burned," she said, considering the best way to apply the gel. "So, what kind of career draws a transplanted former-Tin Man?"
"What?" DG breathed a laugh and lightly applied the gel to the top of Cain's head.
"What is your job?" she asked as he hissed at the cold meeting the pain. On instinct, Cain reached out to grab anything and caught DG's pant leg, just at the knee. "Sorry," she said with a frown. Cain knew she wasn't trying to cause him pain, but damn it hurt.
"I'm on the grounds staff at... the... school" he replied, trying not to focus on the pain.
"Which school?" DG asked, hoping the questions would take his mind off the sunburn.
"The Pas- ...College," he breathed out as DG pulled her hand back.
"No more," she stated, throwing her hands up defensively. Cain took a few deep breaths as DG reached for the bottle again. "So, Pee Cee Cee?" she prompted, assuming Cain’s answer.
"Yeah."
"And how did you find that?" she asked.
"Simon." DG smiled. Telling Simon the truth had paid off, because Simon had a new friend, and Cain and DG had someone to contact in case of an emergency. It also had paid off because Simon knew someone in the state office who owed him a favor. With a fancy story, Cain had an ID - not a drivers license, but at least proof. Again, Cain didn't like it, but as he was in DG's territory, he knew better than to argue with her.
Because he rarely won...
"So you mow lawns and plant flowers?" DG asked as she glanced at Cain's arm.
"Yeah," Cain said with a grimace and DG grabbed his hand and set it on the counter. She reached for the bottle and turned it over. Cain flinched as the gel trailed up his forearm.
"Useless, huh?" she questioned, working the gel into his arm. Cain frowned again, but kept his eyes closed.
"I will not have you providing for me, Princess." DG leaned back with a smirk and raised eyebrows but held back the laugh. Nodding once, she let go of Cain's arm and leaned toward him again.
"Rest assured, Wyatt Cain: You are not being kept."