Title: The In-betweens

Part One: Over My Head

Author: MidnightzStorm

Pairing: DG/Cain

Fandom: Tin Man

Theme: 6, Mellow/Alt. Mix

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well I own some things, but not Tin Man or the song "Over My Head."

Author's Note: This is my first entry for the challenge I signed up for at the LiveJournal Community 30ballads. Here is hoping I can complete this one. I wanted to create a reason why DG was being so formal with Cain before the big battle, so this my way of explaining it. And while the song may not have anything to do with the story, it was only suppose to inspire me, which it did.

Thanks to: Lady Taevyn for beta reading, I am much obliged for the help.

"Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime" – The Fray: Over My Head (Cable Car)

DG was over her head. She had let Azkadellia get the emerald. She nearly died, but at least this time she was able to save herself. However, if she was not the damsel in distress in this situation, why was she so damn happy to see him riding towards her on his white steed?

She felt so weak after freeing herself from the tomb, but when she saw her friends rushing towards her and seeing him, his eyes filled with concern, she felt alive once again. They were safe, alive, and had come to her aid.

She told them how she let the emerald be taken with sad eyes. But they all seemed to be happy that she was alright.

When she took the reins from Glitch, Cain automatically said "Come here, Princess."

Glitch muttered something about not needing a brain to be able to ride a horse properly. She smiled at Glitch, but went to Cain. She took his rough hand and mounted his horse and then he climbed on behind her. He had one hand holding the reins, while the other wrapped protectively around her waist.

As they rode through the forest the wind whipped past them and she just let herself breathe in the sweet air. Oxygen was a glorious thing and it wasn't until she almost died from the lack of it, that she realized how amazing it was. It had been the same way when she thought that Cain had been killed.

She let her thoughts drifted away as she listened attentively to him as he told her about his son, he was alive. He told her about the resistance that Jeb was in charge of and there was a note of pride in his voice. She was elevated by his happiness, he deserved some at least.

The problem was as he spoke she could feel his hot breath against her ear and she inwardly shivered. While the way he held her closely made his arm every so often gaze her chest gently. She wondered if he knew what he was doing to her.

No, of course he didn't. He thought she was a kid. A job. He was there to protect her because he was a tin man and she was a princess.

She wanted to shake off this emotional mess. She didn't have time to fall in love. She had a world and big sister to save. There was no time to fall in love with a man who was still mourning his dead wife and probably had major post traumatic stress disorder. Plus she was receiving strange looks from Raw, she needed to relax.

Cain must have felt the tension coursing through her, because he asked her what was wrong. She just reminded him about the emerald and the prophecy. He told her softly that the eclipse hadn't happened yet and they still had time. She smiled and teased him about his new found optimism and he brushed it off saying it was just the truth. He then kissed her cheek, at least she thought he did, but it could have been an accident. She told herself it was an accident, she wasn't in love and he definitely wasn't.

However, when they reached the camp and he helped her off the horse he held her longer than necessary. And she realized that she was over head, she was falling in love and it was effortless.