The characters and setting are owned by the Sci-Fi channel and L. Frank Baum.

The song this is based on, "My Worst Fear" by Rascal Flatts, is posted at the end of the story. I heard the song and thought I could make a great story out of it. This definitely has possibilities of being extended into a multichapter fic. I guess I'll have to wait to see the reception it receives.

Let me know what you think. I live on reviews.

As always, thank you for reading!

My Worst Fear

Things were seriously out of control. More precisely, out of his control. Cain hated when things seemed to have a life of their own. It felt like someone was playing with his strings, leading him down a path he was never supposed to take. When things got this way he knew trouble was not far behind, licking its chops as it gained on its prey.

Cain lay on the settee in the sitting room of the royal chambers the Queen's family and friends occupied in Central City. The fire flickered in the hearth but he took no notice since his hat was covering his eyes. His muscles were continually tense and making it hard to sleep at night. He found himself coming here more and more often in the deep hours of darkness.

They had come to these quarters immediately following the events in the dark tower to try to show the people things were going to better, that the Queen was back in power and the sorceress was gone. It had been at the insistence of the Queen that the trio that accompanied the youngest princess across the OZ remain with them for a time. It seemed to him, that time had long ago come and gone. He was getting antsy and yearned to move on.

Ever since the eclipse he had felt increasingly uncomfortable with his part in the new OZ. Cain was never the one who wanted his deeds complimented or idolized. He was more of an introvert, preferring to keep his role in the task unknown to the populace. But that didn't stop the Queen and Consort from regaling their citizens with his contributions to the downfall of the sorceress.

He knew he was now what would be considered 'famous' and it aggravated him to no end. Walking down the street in Central City was out of the question as most of the inhabitants knew his face from the posters that the sorceress had posted in every nook and cranny. They would corner him and ask for his view of the whole battle in the dark tower.

And the dreadful part was that Cain knew this from personal experience. On his first and only excursion into town he had barely made it back to the confines of the royal chambers intact. The women were the worst. Grabbing and pinching; hugging and kissing. He hated it when people he cared for showed that much emotion. To have perfect strangers hanging all over him was more than he could stomach. It was all a bit disconcerting.

Cain's ears perked up when the pitter patter of feet hit his senses. Someone had entered the room and was making their way over to his position. He feigned sleep, preferring not to be disturbed and not wishing to explain his presence here so late into the night.

He felt the person kneel down next to him, their breath tickling his ear they were so close and he knew it was DG. Cain nearly jumped out of his skin when she pressed her soft, full lips firmly against his cheek. It was the first time in many an annual that he experienced such a tender sensation. He managed to compose himself, control his breathing and stop himself from swallowing, before he gave away that he was, in fact, wide awake. Cain felt more than heard her sigh against the side of his face, sensing her disappointment at him not waking.

Silently Cain prayed that DG wouldn't take notice of the furious pounding his heart was doing behind his rib cage. Her fingers traveled the contours of his exposed hairline and his jaw. It tickled slightly but he suppressed the urge to move away from the touch. When she began whispering his heart clenched tight and he was sure it would soon stop altogether.

"I know this has been hard for you," she started and paused suddenly. He didn't know if it was due to her uncertainty in the words she wanted to say or that she was uncomfortable saying them to an apparently unconscious man. "Everything, I mean."

DG's fingers continued their travels and he could sense her eyes following in their wake. "Adora was a lucky woman to have found you." At her words his mind floated away to a picture of his beautiful wife, her flowing golden brown hair and her deep brown eyes. Since his confinement in that accursed Maiden he had never thought her lucky to have been his wife. After all, it was because she was married to him that all those terrible things happened to her in the first place. That she had to raise their son alone, that she died so young.

"I know I would be the happiest woman in the world to have you as mine, even if it was just for a day." Cain's mind instantly reverted back to the current situation. What was DG saying? It didn't make any sense to the former Tin Man.

"This hasn't been easy for me either." Cain could hear the tremble in her voice as things began to take on a more personal guise. "To watch you and know you will never return the feelings I have for you." Her voice broke twice during the statement and Cain had to fight with his inner voice to keep himself from jumping up to console her. She would probably be mortified that he heard all this since he was sure DG would never have said it if he had been awake. Not to mention he wasn't the consoling type, that was more Glitch's or Raw's scene. He cursed himself for not sitting up as soon as she had entered the room.

"Wyatt." It was the first time she had ever used his first name, at least in his presence, and it was unnerving. Most people referred to him as Cain, DG in particular had always been so formal, calling him Mr. Cain. This wasn't the same girl. Things were definitely tumbling so far out of his control he might as well have been a puppet. "I honestly don't know when my feelings changed but I know it was inevitable."

He could hear the wateriness to her voice and there was no doubt she was crying. Cain could practically see the tears running down her red cheeks in his mind's eye. Unconsciously he clenched the fist that was hidden between his body and the back of the settee. This was not what he expected to encounter when he came here earlier in the evening. Had he known, he would have gladly stayed in the confines of his room, pacing until he dropped of pure exhaustion. Cain was terrified of where this one-sided conversation would end up.

"How could they not." Again her voice trembled. "You're so brave and kind and comforting." He had no idea where she got all that from. Brave – ok, maybe. Kind – yes he had been a little friendly during their time together but not enough for her to refer to him as kind. And then there was comforting – definitely not. He might have given her a hug before the final expedition into the fortress but otherwise he cowered from affection, giving or receiving.

As if reading his thoughts she continued. "You don't know how much I've relied on you. I've been so alone. You're my strength, my rock." She giggled a little but it had no joy behind it like laughter was supposed to have. Cain was confused. DG had been with Glitch when they first met, then they had joined up with Raw and even Tutor. Now she was with her family. How she felt alone he couldn't comprehend.

Again she answered his internal questions. "Just because you are surrounded by people doesn't mean they get you. You always seem to understand me."

DG laid her head lightly upon the side of his chest and gently placed her left hand over the one that lay on his stomach. Her fingers slowly wound their way between his finger and thumb, running her own thumb lightly over his wrist. The hand that had been exploring his facial features dropped to lie on his shoulder. Cain felt her breathe deeply a few times as if garnering strength from the slow and steady flow of air.

"I love you so much."

The words punched him in the stomach. He had known for quite some time that the Princess had begun to feel more than mere friendship for him but had never thought she was in love with him. Cain's mind reeled with her revelation. It was not a good situation.

She was royalty, he most definitely was not. She was young and innocent, he most definitely was not. She was beautiful on the inside and out, he most definitely was not. DG should not feel that way about him, of that much he was certain. It just reinforced his need to leave, however hard she might take it. In the long run it would be best for both of them, his freedom from confinement and her freedom to fall in love with a more suitable man.

Her breath had evened and he knew she had fallen asleep. Having her body so close to his, her hand holding his, was such a remarkable feeling. Cain made a decision, a couple actually, as he lay there relishing the feeling of DG anchoring herself to him. He would enjoy this night with her quietly sleeping pressed against him and tomorrow he would leave. The time had come to move on.

While her revelation would make it hard to say goodbye he knew it had to be done. There was no way he would stay there and allow her to fall further for a man that was incapable of loving her the way she deserved. Or was he?

As he drifted off to sleep he realized that DG had finally given him a great reason to stick around. Her love would make any man content and he was no exception. Just the thought that someone could love him after everything he had been through made him think that he could truly overcome his past and come out on top.

His dreams were filled with DG – Her beautiful wide blue eyes that seemed to look into his very soul and her long, dark curly locks that beckoned his hands to submerge themselves in their softness. For the first time since his initiated embrace in front of the dark tower he longed to pull DG close to him, wrap his arms around her and hold her for all he was worth, never letting go.

It occurred to him as he woke from the only good night's sleep he had since his entombment that he had fallen just as hard for the Princess as she had for him. It only managed to solidify his need to leave. He couldn't burden such a young and good person with a man that was broken down and irreparable.

His senses suddenly kicked into overdrive. Something was wrong with his surroundings, he could sense it. There was something amiss in the sitting room. He suddenly realized that there was no pressure on his chest or hand or any part of his body. DG was no longer pressed against his side.

"DG," he said quietly. When no reply came he said her name louder. Again, no response. Lifting his hand Cain tilted his hat off his face and sat up slowly, fully expecting to see her sprawled out on the area rug in front of the settee. She wasn't.

The light from the sun was flowing in through the large picture windows and it was clear it was well past noon. He had slept much longer than he would have ever expected possible. Rubbing a hand roughly over his whisker-filled face he groaned loudly. Now he would have to go find DG to tell her he was leaving, and that he was leaving that very day. If he waited he knew it would only make matters worse, and he might actually consider staying.

Making a quick trip to his room he cleaned up and packed what he needed placing the bag and his bedroll by the door. He would come back for the items after he spoke with DG.

He tried most of her usual hiding places when she wasn't at her scheduled lessons with Tutor. The kitchen was empty as well as the library. The rooftop only had gardeners present, cultivating the vegetables and flowers that had been planted. Cain passed Glitch and Raw in the corridors and when questioned revealed that they had no idea of DG's whereabouts. While the Queen, Consort, and Azkadellia were in the meeting room, DG was not. That left only one place possible, her room.

Cain knocked, not so quietly on the hard oak doors. After the third attempt and no answer, Cain lost his patience, opening the door and entering DG's quarters. A quick glance around the room made it plain that she wasn't present. When he scanned the room slower there were things that made him uneasy.

The wardrobe doors were open and there were clothes piled in a heap along its base. The drawers to her dresser were open as well and it looked like they had been quickly rifled through. The bed was made, which made absolute sense since she had spent the majority of the night with him in the sitting room.

His eyes traveled until they saw a piece of paper tacked onto the footboard. Cain's heart clenched again. In the blink of an eye Cain crossed the distance and had plucked the parchment from its perch. Gripping it tightly in his hands he realized that it was addressed to him. "Mr. Cain," it read and his heart froze at DG's return to formality.

"I know you were awake last night. I knew it the moment I kneeled down by your side. You always woke at the slightest noise and for me to be able to touch your face without you waking was impossible. I guess you felt more comfortable that way, so I pretended to be unaware."

Damn. He should have known. He never allowed anyone to approach him without drawing his gun or shooting up into a battle ready stance. How he had ever deluded himself into believing she thought him asleep mystified him.

"I meant every word I said last night. I would have said it even if you were looking me in the eye although I know I would have been cut off before I could finish. So, I guess in a way, you faking sleep worked out for both of us. I do love you. I love you with all my heart. I think I always have. You mean more to me than I can fully express in this letter."

Cain closed his eyes momentarily and shifted uncomfortably. He gripped the paper tighter in his fingers taking a deep, calming breath. Opening his eyes he continued his reading of the letter.

"I know you only stuck around in the beginning because of the promise you made to the Mystic Man. Then after the eclipse I know you only stayed here because the Queen asked it of you. I bet you're dying to get on with your life."

He wondered how DG knew him so well. Yes, it had been the promise that in the beginning had him trailing after the spirited young lady. Yes, he had stayed in Central City to appease her mother. But part of it had to do with her, too. He wanted to keep her safe from harm on their journey and he never fully understood his need to protect her until last night. He had been falling for her with each passing day of that journey. And he had remained here longer than expected to prolong their time together.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'm moving on myself. This place is no more my home than Kansas was. I honestly don't think there is a 'home' for me out there. I just can't sit around here pretending to be something, someone I'm not. I'm sure you can understand that to some extent."

What the hell was she saying? She was leaving? No home? This was absurd. She belonged here with her family, she belonged in a place where she could be protected and looked after. She belonged with people she loved and who loved her.

"Please know I didn't make the choice to leave on a whim. It has been brewing since we arrived here. I just had to tell you how I felt before I would allow myself to leave."

Cain's face flushed as his blood rushed quickly through his veins, his heart doing its best not to fly out of his chest. Nostrils flaring and brows knitting he continued his perusal of the letter.

"I wish you all the best, Mr. Cain. You deserve happiness, love and devotion. Know that the love and devotion I give willingly to you no matter the distance that separates us. I only wish I could have given you the happiness you deserve. I have no doubt you'll find it someday."

DG had to be insane to think he could find happiness without her in his life. It had never occurred to him that he might meet someone that made his hardened heart melt after Adora was so cruelly taken from him, but she had. If he lost her, too, he knew he wouldn't survive.

It had been one thing for him to leave. It would have been out of mercy, she deserved so much better than what he could offer. She deserved the world and all he had were a few possessions and an old, worn down body.

His body began to involuntarily shake under the weight of DG's words.

"Love Always and Forever, Your Kiddo"

It finally occurred to him what his life would mean without her… absolutely nothing. His worst fear was coming true. He was losing another woman he loved. Last time it had been due to his need to fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves. This time it was due to his sheer stupidity.

Staying here was no longer an option. If she was out there somewhere he would be the one to find her. He had to find her, bring her back to her family; bring her back to him.

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My Worst Fear
By: Rascal Flatts

It's gonna make it hard to tell you that I'm leaving
Now that I know just how much you care
You finally gave me one good reason not to go
But being alone is my worst fear
And staying here is my worst fear