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Haven't written for Tin Man in forever, but managed to get this out in response to a challenge prompt. Characters not mine. Comments and kudos are awesome!

There is a small cabin on the edge of the woods, not too far from the old brick route.

It was built nineteen annuals ago, the perfect home for a young family. Sixteen annuals later, it was built again from the ruins that remained after the Witch's War. The cabin itself was a simple building, with a thriving garden in the side yard – producing enough carrots and tomatoes and celery and potatoes for the owners of the cabin to sell the excess at market or to trade for other goods. A flock of chickens, a few rabbits, and a very temperamental goat claimed another portion of the side yard, as well, offering eggs and milk and cheese, meat and furs. There was a little lake, too, not far from the front of the house, with a little pier, where the fish were plentiful and the water stayed blissfully cool in the summer, and a large field expanded away from the quaint homestead, home to a small herd of horses.

It is in that field, outside of the fence line, beneath a cherry blossom tree in full bloom, that Glitch sits on an unfurled blanket, idly watching the suns rise before him in total contentment, the horses and the cabin both slowly illuminating in the morning light. This is where he always goes when sleep will not find him and it rarely does as of late, sleep is never easy to come by when Cain is away. It is still early in the springtime, and he shivers a bit in the chilly morning air, pulls the blanket wrapped about his shoulders a little tighter. It will be much warmer out by the time the suns hit their peaks, he knows.

He watches the horses, as a trio of newborn spring foals start to wake and seek out their mothers for breakfast. When they're done, the two colts and the filly happily play together in the dewy grass, under the watchful gaze of their grazing mothers.

"I ride horsies?"

Glitch looks down at the small figure sitting in his lap, wrapped up in another blanket to keep warm. Amelia had been an orphan of the war, her parents killed in a Longcoat raid near Finaqua not long before DG's return to the OZ. Jeb had found her in one of the sweeps for lingering Longcoat rebels once the royal family returned to power and he'd brought the little girl to his father, who'd brought her home.

He grins at the question, spoken in the broken vocabulary of a child of only three annuals. Cain will certainly be pleased to hear it. "You want to ride the horses?"

She nods, watching the creatures in amazement. "Yeah! Like Papa!"

He rises, lets the toddler clamber up onto his shoulders for a better view. "Perhaps all three of us can go for a ride on the horses once Papa gets back," he suggests, knowing that his Cain is due back from his lengthy trip to Central City anytime now. They stand at the edge of the fence that holds the horses and the three playful foals prance over to them, curious as to their visitors. "Which one is your favorite?" He asks, leaning over to let one nuzzle his hand.

"That one!" She giggles as she points at one of the colts. He's pure black in color, with not even a speck of white on him. From what Cain says, he'll change color as he gets older, just like his sire did, but for now, he's darker than a moonsless night.

"He certainly is a pretty one, isn't he?"

He never does get a response, because the next thing he knows, Amelia is squirming her way down from his shoulders and into his arms. Then, she's on the ground and ungracefully running toward the figure walking across the field to meet them – which Glitch only allows because there aren't any horses on this side of the fence.

"Papa!" She exclaims in excitement as she closes in on him.

"Well, hey there!" Cain calls, picking her up when she gets to him. He swings the giggling child around in his arms for a moment before scooping her gracefully onto his shoulders. "You're both up early, aren't you?" Cain asks, pulling Glitch in close for a kiss, "Sweetheart."

"Yeah, we're both early risers nowadays, it seems. We're both early risers nowadays, it seems." Glitch's glitching has become a pretty rare occurrence lately and it's not terribly bad when it does happen, either. It shows up mostly when he's tired.

"Said that, Dada." Amelia informs him, putting Cain's hat on her own head, where it falls down over her eyes.

"I did? Whoops." He shrugs, looking to Cain. "You think we could take her on a ride? We've been admiring the horses."

"I'd like that," Cain agrees, with a smile, "But just a short one. I think we could all do with a rest."

"Yay!" Amelia exclaims, and they all set off like the happy family they are in the direction of the stables for an early morning trail ride. It doesn't take long to get the horses ready and soon enough Cain, on his favorite horse – the white stallion that is the black colt's sire – dubbed Roman, has Amelia situated in front of him, her little hands beside his on the reins. Glitch, right beside Cain as they set off onto one of the trails interwoven through the woods, is mounted on a brown and white appaloosa mare affectionately called Apples.

Glitch watches the two of them like he'd watched the sunsrise, in perfect contentment. He urges Apples onward and lets what is left of his mind wander where it will.

Later, after the trail ride, after getting the horses groomed and untacked and turned out into the field, after a quick round of morning chores, after a quick meal, they'll all be ready for a nap. He and Cain will settle Amelia, likely already mostly asleep, in her bed, wrapped up in her favorite blanket and clutching her favorite toy – a stuffed dog that Jeb gave her when he visited on his way to the Palace. They'll rest, too, happy to be wrapped up in each other's arms again, talking quietly of their time apart – Cain will tell him of things in Central City, of his training of the new recruits (the tin man who'd comically gotten herself locked out of the city gates while on patrol) or general happenings there (De Milo's newest get rich quick scheme) while Glitch will happily ramble on about events around their home, of the stubborn goat's repeated escape attempts (who knew goats could climb trees?) or Amelia's new favorite story (the tale of how they beat the evil witch), until they both fall asleep.

When they wake, they'll fall back into perfectly formed routines like they were never apart, moving around each other like a dance as they take care of the house and Amelia and each other. There will be animals to let in or out, plants that need tending (though Glitch does have some ideas on a new invention (possibly an old invention, who knows?) to help with that), an evening meal to cook, games to be played. And, best of all, a trip to Finaqua to plan. They always visit the Palace after Cain's training sessions in the City, to update the Queen and the Princesses on the new recruits and recommend promising tin men for certain positions. All three of them go on those trips, while a kindly neighbor looks after the animals and the gardens while they're away. Glitch and Cain will be happy to see the others, to let their daughter get to know them, too.

And Glitch will sleep soundly, he's sure, with his family in that small cabin on the edge of the woods, not too far from the old brick route.