And Now for Something Completely Different

Chapter 8 : The Decision

DG refused to let the group rest. She was frantic in her desire to reach the magical place in her memories. Harry chuckled when she smarted off to her supposed tutor when the shape shifter complained.

Glitch stumbled along behind him. Occasionally, Harry or Cain would reach out to stabilize him. Harry knew that the connection was growing between the three of them. He was grateful for it. He had no notion of how to handle romantic things and so relying on, what he suspected was a magical connection, allowed him to express his feelings effortlessly.

He assumed that the tin man was similarly appreciative. It was an assumed fact that neither Harry nor Cain had any real warm feelings for anyone but Glitch, although DG and Raw conjured protective emotions, and so had no reference for displaying them.

Glitch was theirs. Theirs to protect and to love on, but they were also his. As he watched Glitch speed up slightly and move to stand next to Cain, Harry wondered at how strong his feelings were becoming. ‘Did the tin man feel the same? Does Cain crave my presence like I do his? Does he see the looks Glitch shoots at him?’ Questions floated along in his consciousness without needing real focus.

Either Cain felt the way they did, or he didn’t and would rejoin his family when they found them. It was a major worry of Glitch’s but Harry knew that ones duty was sometimes stronger then emotional interests like lovers or friends.

“I’d give my last synapse for a juicy apple.” Glitch whined. It was the fourth time he’d said it. He obviously didn’t remember complaining about it for the last hour, or the apple Cain gave him, that he finished not 3 minutes ago.

DG slowed down and Harry paused to watch her, her memories were coming hard and fast since the ‘visit’ with Azkadelia.

“Apples…” She bent down to pick one of the rotten apples off the ground. Cain brushed Harry’s thigh with his hand as he walked by and Harry had to stifle a growl. It was a game they were playing. They would try and arouse the other with seemingly casual touches and intense looks. So far neither of them had broken, but Harry knew he had less self control then the man who’d been stuck in an iron can for 8 years. This game gave Harry hope that is feelings were returned.

DG turned to look at them with wonder in her eyes. “There was bear, it came at us and she grabbed my hand. It was so powerful. She said that nothing could hurt us as long as we were together.” Harry frowned. “Sounds like you have either compatible magic or shared magic.”

DG took up a position at his side and waited for him to collect his thoughts and explain. He’d only heard of this in passing during charms in second year. One of his classmates had brought it up as a possible defense from the Heir of Slytherin. Harry tried to remember what the little man had told them.

“Compatible magic is rather self explanatory; two people who have magic can join it together to cast spells. The spells will be stronger together then they are apart. Joined magic is different. It’s common among twins. Magical identical twins are really one person that has been split in two, so they have only one magical core between them and will be so connected that they can read each others’ minds and emotions and have a lock on their position. They can cast spells separately but will be weak unless they are working together.” Harry smiled thinking about how this knowledge had changed how he thought about the Weezley twins. “Magical fraternal twins have separate cores because they are different people, but they were so close together during the formation of their cores that sometimes they entwine. In this case, each person would have strength in and of themselves, but would almost be unstoppable together.” Harry remembered that Flitwick had told them that fraternal twins were very rare and the last two had ended up being Headmaster to Hogwarts and Minister of Magic in 1430.

Harry noticed that his lesson had caught the attention of the spy and pulled his wand to cast a secrecy spell on him, cursing himself for not thinking of it earlier. He smiled at DG. Her wide eyed wonder made him chuckle.

“I’m not sure which you have, your not twins so it’s unlikely that you have joined magic. It’s probably compatible, but I don’t like to rule anything out without studying it.” He laughed at his pompous attitude. He’d never studied anything of interest at Hogwarts; he’d just made Hermione do it. And what a wonderful idea that had turned out to be…

Sometimes he forgot that he was really 16. His body here was 26 and so his attitude had changed to accommodate. Not that he’d ever really been a child.

Cain motioned for them to slow and gestured for Harry to come up closer. They peered between some shrubs. “This is the crack, there are Long Coats everywhere.”

The dog man pressured them to go on, to hurry. “I’d rather be slow and breathing anytime.” Cain responded, sardonically.

While Harry perused his mind for a solution, Cain took in the landscape. Suddenly he gasped and pointed at a cabin with blue smoke. He smiled at Harry and grabbed Glitch’s hand, pulling him toward the cabin. The rest of the group followed, although the dog man did so reluctantly. “If you want to go over now, I’m sure you can find us later.” Harry said innocently, as though he wasn’t pushing for a way to get rid of the man. Toto sneered at him and hurried his pace. Chuckling, Harry let him get away with it.

Cain stopped in front of the cabin when a voice sounded out, “Stop there strangers. State your business.” A man and a woman walked out from behind the corners of the house and leveled their guns at the group.

Cain held up his hands in supplication, “We are travelers of the realms seeking a warm meal and a cold cup of grog.” He said calmly and slowly.

“There is barely enough food to go around and all the grog has long since been seized.” The man said to them.

Cain paused and when he spoke again it was with a new purpose and meaning, “May your Hearth be warm.” The man lowered his gun and looked at them in surprise. “And your smoke be blue.” Harry nearly snorted at the pass phrase. The blue smoke was cool, but anyone could wish you a warm hearth. It was a common farewell in the wizarding world.

Once in the house, Harry expected the woman to put down her arms, but she made Cain put his weapons on the table. He gestured to Harry with the gun. “I’m not armed.” He said. She snarled at him and gestured again. Harry looked at Cain for assistance. There was no way in hell he was putting his wand on the table where the spy could get at it. “He’s a pacifist, ma’am” Cain said.

The man pulled his wife aside and they spoke in a harsh whisper. Harry didn’t pay attention. Either the man was like Arthur Weezly and would be pushed over, or he was like Vernon and would make her see his way.

Finally the woman said to sit around and let the kids out of the closet. Harry growled at them. “What is the meaning of this?” He snarled and Glitch stepped in front of him.

“They probably put them in there to keep them safe.” He turned to the couple who were shielding their children, “You don’t make them stay there when it’s not dangerous right?” They shook their heads slowly and Harry let the tension leave him. He nodded at them in apology but didn’t offer it vocally. He would always react that way if he suspected child abuse.

The room was silent and Cain racked his brain to find a way to make it less tense. “I’m hungry Harry.” Glitch said, relieving him of the duty. Harry looked at him and the desperate anger that was burning in them was gone. Harry nodded and asked the woman of the house if he could make them food in return for shelter until nightfall. She nodded and pointed to the kitchen. Cain hoped the woman stayed in the room with them instead of following Harry. He was sure that Harry would be using magic to make enough for everyone.

“We’ll shelter you until nightfall. It’s never safe to cross anymore, but cover of night will help.” The man told them.

The tin man listened as the man told them about rumors of a horrible machine. As the man spoke, Glitch shifted further into his side, almost like he was seeking protection from the discussion. “they’re pushing minors until they drop in the mines.”

”What mines?” Dg asked.

“Moritaniaum mines.” The man answered.

Glitch started whispering and it caught Cain and DG’s attention, “Moritaniaum Mt number 216 on the Ozian periodic table.” When he noticed Cain’s blue eyes on him he spoke loud enough for all to hear, even Harry, who’d come out from the kitchen to hear the discussion. “It’s valuable not only for its strength, but for its ability to conduct magical energy.” DG asked if they were making a weapon.

“No, it’s a Sunseeder, not a weapon.” Glitch said adamantly.

“What’s a Sunseeder?” Cain asked.

“I don’t know….but it sounds cool….oh wait! I invented it.” He sat up in his excitement and Cain saw Harry’s shadow grow closer.

“What’s it used for?” DG asked, moving closer to him and getting in his personal space. Cain scowled at her when Glitch leaned back to get away and she wouldn’t let him. “I can’t remember.”

Her eyes took on a determined shade and she said, “I’m sorry but I have to know. Raw?”

Harry stepped forward, “That’s enough. You are not going to just pull his memories from his mind. You may be…” he stopped and looked at the man and woman, “important, but you can’t just do that to people.” He leaned forward and got right up in her face, “Or do you want to be like her.” He hissed.

Glitch put a restraining hand on Harry’s back, “It’s okay. We need to know. Just hold my hand?” Harry looked at him for a long moment before finally nodding, and Cain moved out of the way.

DG put Glitch in a chair near the mirror on the wall and Harry crouched next to the head case, whispering reassurances. Cain felt detached emotionally. Almost as detached as he’d become in the iron suit. He didn’t feel connected to the intimacy visible between the two. Intellectually he knew he should be on the other side of Glitch, but he couldn’t make himself to it.

He’d always prided himself on his adherence to the law and no matter Harry’s reassurances to the contrary, Glitch was a head case, a criminal. This would be proof of Glitch’s criminal activity. He knew that it would drive a wedge in their growing feelings.

In his heart he knew that this was wrong, untrue, but he’d long grown accustomed to ignoring it and had no hardship falling back into the practice.

Raw put one hand on Glitch’s head and another on the mirror. Cain felt his chest constrict when Glitch whimpered in fear. Harry’s calming whispers served to calm Cain too.

In the Mirror

Glitch, dressed impeccably in the new version of the tatters he wore currently,

kneeled at the feet of DG’s mother, the Queen.

“She’s seized the City, the 4th has fallen.” He told her, “London has defected.”

She gasped, “But he was our most loyal!”

“There is no law other then Azkadelia’s, my Queen. She tried to get the

plans to the Sunseeder but I destroyed them.”

She put a hand on his shoulder, “She will come after you.” She told him.

His face gained a desperate quality, “you are the strongest person in the O.Z. you could stop her.” He cried.

She shook her head and looked solemnly out at the lake she was facing, “I gave up my power to save my angel.”

Azkadelia came to the garden to capture her and the old Glitch was arrested. “Take Ambrose to the alchemist.” Azkadelia ordered.

A flash and Glitch was tied to a hard metal slab, Azkadelia’s alchemists cackling beside him. “Count back from 100.” One said evily.

“No, don’t do this.” Ambrose shouted

“99”

“It won’t work.”

“98”

“97”

Abrose screams and the mirror goes fuzzy.

“96”

Cain felt crushed beneath the oppressive weight of his shame. Glitch had given so much, and Cain had doubted him all along. He looked up at Glitch’s voice.

“Hello, my name’s Glitch?” his voice tilted at the end in question as his mind caught up. He looked to the side and Cain had to force himself to look at Harry.

The sorcerer had his eyes closed, trying to suppress his tears. Cain understood, if he could remember how to cry, he would be also. “Are you ok Harry?” Glitch asked him. Cain knew the sorcerer wouldn’t be able to answer so he did it for him.

“He’ll be okay in a minute.”

Glitch’s eyes widened in worry, “Is my Machine so bad?”

Cain shook his head and grabbed one of each of their hands to pull them into a three way hug. “No sweetheart, you gave up so much to stop her.”

Harry pulled Glitch into his arms and curled up in a corner with him until full dark. Glitch didn’t remember what they saw and he was glad. He asked Harry not to tell him what was in the mirror. He knew that his Harry didn’t get this emotional over small things. The only time he’d seen Harry like this was the one time Glitch had been captured by bandits and nearly raped. Harry had told him that he was so upset that time because he knew Glitch wouldn’t have remembered if it had happened before. It was a truly horrifying thought and Glitch refused to dwell on it.

Toto stood up and Harry tensed beneath him. “It’s time to go, its full dark, the moons haven’t risen yet.”

Glitch watched Cain as he went over to the princess. ‘Princess? Who? Oh yea DG is a princess…well…that’s neat.’ She was crying and Glitch listened hard when Cain asked her what was wrong.

“It’s all my fault. She gave it up to save me. Because of me Azkadelia took over.” She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and Cain tried to comfort her, patting her awkwardly on the head.

Glitch tried not to laugh, it probably wouldn’t be appropriate to laugh at the tin man’s comforting techniques while he was dropping eaves.

“Some things are out of our control, but we need you DG. You have to let it go.” Cain told her. She nodded and tried to control her sniffles. Glitch wondered what caused sniffles, were there little sniffle bugs in your nose that controlled snot and when you cried they got flooded and had to work really extra hard? He shook his head. That was silly. He probably wouldn’t have even entertained the idea if he had all his brain.

Cain waited until the whole party was out of the cabin before saying his thanks to the couple. He was distracted, however, by a little wooden horse, just like his, on the table. He snatched it up, “Where did you get this?” He had to force the question past the lump in his throat.

“A Resistance fighter made it for us some years ago. He came through with his mother.”

“Jeb.” Cain whispered.

“Yea that was his name. How did you know?” the man asked him.

He answered absently and followed the others. His family really was alive. What was he going to tell Harry?

The man led them to the zip line through the forest and Cain listened absently to Glitch distract DG.

“Yea I knew her, she was a lot like you, feisty and fair.” Cain caught up to Harry and held out the wooden horse. The sorcerer took it and looked at him. Neither man needed to say anything. There was pain in Harry’s green eyes and Cain’s heart twisted seeing it. Harry nodded and reverently handed it back to him. Cain put his hand over Harry’s on the horse and they continued listening to Glitch and DG like that.

“Do you remember her name?”

“Of course I remember her name, it is a beautiful name. It’s….um….bother.” Glitch hung his head and Cain saw Harry smile in the dark. Glitch’s quirks amused Harry no matter the situation.

“It’s okay Glitch.”

Glitch stopped and held both her hands in his, “I do remember that she was happy to make the sacrifices she thought were right, we should all love someone so much.” DG nodded and Cain felt a heat in his chest he almost didn’t identify; pride. Their Glitch was a truly magnificent creature.

They made it to the zip line without any problems. And Harry volunteered to go first to catch those on the other side. Glitch followed quickly, complaining about his fear of heights. Raw whimpered the whole time. DG looked eager and Cain had to remind her not to cheer out.

The shape shifter said the line wouldn’t hold his weight and shifted into a dog. Cain snorted but obediently picked him up. He didn’t want to listen to DG whine the whole way. The man who sheltered them stopped him as he grabbed onto the line.

“Your family crossed over some years ago. They said they had a cabin next to the only white elm in the valley, about three spans north.” Cain nodded his thanks and held on tight to the handles with one hand.

“If you shift, I swear I’ll drop you.” He said to the dog in his arms. He maliciously entertained the idea of dropping him anyway, but can’t get around cold blooded murder, not even in his current frame of mind.

Harry caught him and pushed the dog out of his arms. He grinned at the yelp of pain. Cain didn’t move out of Harry’s arms for a moment. He needed the strength. Cain dropped his head to Harry’s shoulder and took a deep breath. In less then an hour he would have to decide his future. To stay with Harry and Glitch or go back to his wife, either way he was keeping his son.

Luckily Harry seemed to understand even if Glitch didn’t. He didn’t move or rush him, even when they heard DG whisper to Raw asking what was wrong. “Heart pain.” Was the viewer’s obscure answer and Cain made a note to give the viewer the best section of food at next meal.

After soaking as much strength as he could, Cain pushed off and trudged off North. He heard the dog man arguing with the others about following them, but didn’t stop. Harry and Glitch would follow, he was sure, and even if DG and Raw didn’t they could find them later. He needed to find his boy and wife.

Just at day break Cain saw the white elm and started running towards it.

Harry watched him run with a heavy heart. They could loose him today. He’d quietly explained it to Glitch and the zipper head was talking about dancing again. Harry knew that topic was like a 10 on the pain distraction scale.

The dog spy said, “We don’t have time for this.”

Harry snarled at him and gave into the desire he’d had all day to push him to the ground. DG tried to hold him back, but Harry wasn’t going to do anything else. “traitor.” He told the man coldly and started following after Cain’s voice as he called out for his wife and son. He knew DG and Raw would follow, if only because they couldn’t do this with out them.

He caught up to Cain and his heart constricted at what he saw. There was an iron suit in the yard. Cain lifted a shaking hand to open it. Harry saw Cain breathe out in relief and walked over to look in. Empty. Good.

Cain didn’t look at him or Glitch and Harry understood it. He would make his decision today and whatever it was that would be how it stayed, but to make it he needed to find his wife and son. Looking at them, seeing their pain or indifference would alter his decision before he saw them.

Harry and Glitch followed at a more sedate pace; holding hands. A cry of pain forced them to speed up. Harry watched Cain collapse next to a grave and Glitch whimpered. Harry turned his zipper head so he couldn’t see. Glitch didn’t deal well with death. Harry waited to find out who was buried there. It was either his wife of his son.

He let DG walk over to Cain and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He had to close his eyes when Cain leaned forward to press a kiss on the grave stone. Cain lent back and Harry can see that there were no tears running down his face. He wondered if they’ve been transferred to Glitch, because his shoulder was becoming uncomfortably wet. He knew Glitch had given up hope of keeping Cain with them. Harry privately agreed but refused to turn away until Cain let him know one way or another.

After a while Cain stood up and walked over to Harry and Glitch. DG, Raw and the tutor stand to the side, silently watching.

“Come, I’d like to introduce you to my wife.” Harry forced a blink, but followed when Cain led them to the grave.

“Adora, I’d like you to meet Harry and Glitch.” Harry looks at Glitch to see if this is crazy but Glitch smiles at him. ‘It must be another of those obscure ozian things’

“I loved you Adora, but you’ve been dead for me for 8 years. I’m going to try and be happy with these two. I think you’d approve.”

A weight he didn’t know he had, lifted from Harry’s chest while he listened. Cain was saying goodbye. They weren’t going to loose him after all. He squeezed Glitch tight to suppress his relieved laugh.

“I’ll find our son. I promise. Goodbye Adora.” Cain pulled off his wedding ring and set it on the grave.

Raw walked up and put a hand on Cain. “Jeb alive. Lives to honor you. I feel it.” Cain nodded at him and put a hand on Raw’s shoulder. The viewer winced but did not say anything.

DG handed Cain his hat and smiled at the three of them. Harry was glad she approved, not that it would have bothered him if she hadn’t. It just would have been annoying dealing with her.

“Let’s get a move on.” Cain said and Glitch laughed. He grabbed one hand from each of them and pulled them into a joyous run.

Inappropriate, but the head case could get away with almost anything.
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AN: I know Cain really put his badge on the grave, but that signified to me that he would avenge her. the ring is meant to signify that he is no longer married. that he's said goodbye and chosen Harry and Glitch. I'm not sure how Jeb will deal with it. If my dead father who i was fighting the war for came back from the dead and was with two men...I'd probably continue to operate as if he was still dead but...what do you think? REVIEW and tell me.