Jeweled Angel

AN: I head the song Concrete Angel by Martina Mcbride yesterday on my way home from university and got the idea for this one-shot. This takes place before Shiz, AU.

Sixteen year old Elphaba trudged to school, pushing her sister in her wheelchair. She hated her school and the people there. To be honest, she hated her life. Home, school, it made no difference. Her green skin always drew attention when she didn't want it. Last night was no exception. Her father had beaten her again, simply because dinner was cold.

"Oh well. Nothing new there," she thought to herself.

She walks to school with the lunch she packed. Nobody knows what she's holdin' back . Wearin' the same dress she wore yesterday , she hides the bruises with linen and lace.

"Frog."

"Artichoke."

"Greenie."

"Asparagus stick." That was a new one.

The students' taunting echoed in Elphaba's head, but she gave no outward sign of just how much the cruel words hurt.

The day continued and found Elphaba in history. Mr. Westerlund looked at his best student and noticed how she was favoring her right arm. She seemed to be trying to push past something a lot lately. He knew her home life was not the best, with a father who pretended she didn't exist and no mother, but he didn't know the half of it. The bell rang, dismissing the students and cutting his musings short.

The teacher wonders but he doesn't ask. It's hard to see the pain behind the mask, bearing the burden of a secret storm. Sometimes she wishes she was never born

Dinner that night was a quiet affair. Elphaba relaxed, thinking she had pleased her father for once.

"This was really good Fabala! What's for dessert?"

"Peach Cobbler. It's a new recipe I found hidden in the drawer."

At this Frex looked up.

"Bring the recipe to me," he commanded.

Elphaba retrieved the recipe and cringed when her Father's face grew dark with anger.

"How many times do I have to tell you, not to use anything of Melena's?" He shouted, striking her across the face. She fell to the floor, holding her cheek

"I'm sorry Father! I didn't know! I swear!"

It was no use as he continued to beat her. Her screams echoed off the walls and Nessa looked away, knowing that to stick up for her sister would just make it worse for her.

Somebody cries in the middle of the night. The neighbors hear, but they turn out the lights.

A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate. When morning comes, it'll be too late.

Elphaba crawled back to her room after her father tired of beating her and screaming at her. She went to her window seat and stared at the storm raging outside, marveling at how fitting the weather was for the events of the evening.

"Fae! Come on! We're going to be late!"

"I don't think I can do this! What if they hate me? I'm GREEN for Oz sakes!"

"Fae, you know I think the green is beautiful and I love you! Therefore, my parents will love you. I love you. Everything will be ok, you'll see." With that Elphaba felt a tender kiss brush across her forehead. The feelings of love for this man before her welled up inside and nearly overwhelmed her.

Elphaba came back to herself with a gasp, wondering if her vision was truth or just wishful thinking. She knew the person she was talking to was male and the emotions in the voice seemed so real. She didn't know how the man looked, all she had seen was a hazy outline. She shrugged and told herself to stop wondering. Nobody would ever love her, and she had long since accepted that, or so she thought until this vision.

Through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone. In her world that she can rise above.

But her dreams give her wings, and she flies to a place where she's loved. Concrete angel.