A/N: My first multi-chapter tin man fic. Yay!

Disclaimer: I own nothing (but I'd love to own Wyatt Cain)

DG got like this from time to time since her arrival in The OZ – more specifically, she got like this from time to time now that Cain was gone. The Tin Man had disappeared shortly after the eclipse, and while DG knew he had business to take care of, she couldn't help but wish he had stuck around. She hadn't realized how much she needed him until he wasn't there anymore.

You don't need him, said a defiant voice in her head, you just miss him. There's a difference.

But DG knew that wasn't entirely true. She couldn't miss someone this much without … well …loving them.

No no no, the voice started up again, you don't need him and you sure as hell don't love him! What's the matter with you? How could you just –

DG banged her head against the wall, "Shut up," she whined quietly. No matter how much she wanted that little voice to be right, she knew it wasn't. Walking out onto her balcony, she slid down against it and sighed.

It was getting to be too much. Everything was being thrown at her from a million different directions and she was expected to stand up and take it. Her family knew that she'd been on the other side for years, but they sure seemed to forget it pretty often. DG found herself constantly reminding her mother that she didn't know how to do this or that, couldn't remember the right way to follow this; every time the queen gave her an apologetic smile and a soft 'of course darling, I'm sorry'. But after hearing that phrase more times than she cared to count, DG was starting to feel like the only thing she was doing was letting people down. She was trying to be cavalier about it – showing up for all of her lessons, even putting in some extra time with the ones she liked (horseback riding in particular). Yet no matter how much she learned or how much she improved, there was always more. It was really starting to get to her.

Pulling her knees up to her chest, DG inhaled deeply and smiled slightly at the familiar scent she could only describe as Cain. Whenever things started to feel out of control, she had gotten into the habit of sliding on one of the shirts he'd left behind. She knew what this probably meant about her feelings for him – the fact that all it took was his smell to make her feel calm and safe – but admitting it, especially now, would be far too inconvenient.

"Okay," she whispered to herself, "You can do this. You can absolutely do this."

"This" was the ball planned that evening to celebrate what was being called the rebirth of The OZ. It would be the first time DG and Az would be formally presented to the public, although the queen still remained worried about how they would receive the eldest princess.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"DG," came her mother's voice, "are you in there darling?"

Scrambling to her feet, DG hurried inside while tugging off Cain's shirt and shoving it under her pillow.

"Come in," she called, straightening her dress.

Her mother entered with a dark red dress slung over her arm and a smile on her face, "Hello sweetheart," she embraced her daughter, "the seamstress was going to bring your gown to you, but I wanted to do it myself to see the look on your face."

At that, she laid the yards of satin out on the bed and turned back to DG.

"Well," she said, "what do you think?'

"Oh Mother!" DG exclaimed.

There was nothing to say but that.

"Would you like me to help you put it on?"

DG nodded wordlessly, and as soon as the cool fabric slipped onto her skin she felt somehow different, maybe a little more like the princess she was supposed to be.

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," she remarked as she looked at her reflection, "It actually makes me look like I have cleavage!"

"DG!" her mother scolded, "please."

"Sorry," she replied with a small laugh.

The gown was strapless, accented with designs of silver crystal that extended down the train.

"Just one more thing," her mother remarked, "I'll be back in a moment."

DG nodded as she left and turned back to herself in the mirror. One month ago she was just another farm girl from Kansas … how was it possible for things to be so different now? Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady her nerves. She knew full well that if she stopped and thought about what tonight meant – not only for her, but for the future of her family – she might break.

"Here we are," DG started slightly as the queen re-entered.

"These were mine when I was your age – I thought they would look lovely with your dress."

Opening the box she held in her hands, the queen revealed a necklace, bracelet and tiara, all made of diamonds and rubies.

"Oh, I couldn't …"

"I won't hear it darling. You deserve these. You're a princess," her mother fastened the jewelry into place, "and you're my daughter."

DG thought her heart might break at the look in her mother's eyes.

"Now, I'm going go get ready – one of the maids will come fetch you when it's time," with a light kiss on the cheek, she was gone.

When the door shut, DG felt one tear escape her eye. It wasn't that she wasn't happy – she had her family back, it was wonderful. But she felt like she didn't have herself. Holding it together since she'd arrived in The OZ had been difficult, but she'd done it. Only now was DG realizing that this was permanent. This pressure that came from being royal, the constant lessons, the responsibilities … it wasn't going away. This was her life now.

DG sat down on her bed and took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Now was not the time to be thinking about all of this. In fact, now was probably the worst time to be thinking about it.

After a few moments, she stood up and walked back over to the mirror. Her face stared back at her, framed by dark waves of hair.

"You can do this," she said allowed, "You can handle this, just like you've handled everything else."

But you had Cain by your side, reminded the voice in her head, You had him with you.

"Yeah well, I've done fine without him since he's been away," DG argued back aloud, realizing that she would sound crazy if someone overheard her.

"Since who's been away?"

The sound of that voice made DG jump. Turning around, she dared to believe that it belonged to who she absolutely knew it did...

"Cain," she said, feeling her voice go hoarse.

For as many times as she had imagined this moment – his return, being folded into his arms and breathing him in – she couldn't seem to move. Standing there, watching him watch her, DG suddenly felt naked. She didn't have her jeans and her leather motorcycle jacket, she didn't have her tennis shoes, she didn't have everything that had made her feel tough and unbreakable. She didn't have anything to hide behind.

With some relief, DG realized Cain was just as speechless as she was.

A/N: The next chapter (from Cain's side of things) will be up soon! Reviews are lovely and always appreciated : D