Gelphie - Ever After (?)
Prologue
Elphaba Thropp has failed her mission. Madame Morrible is not dead, but someone is. The wrong one is. Fiyero was an innocent in all of this. He was never meant to be involved. She curses herself for having involved him. She knew better. This is exactly why she had left Glinda in the Emerald City five years ago. No one was supposed to get hurt, not anyone she loved anyway, and especially not because of her.
But then, Fiyero had never really given her a choice. He was nothing if not persistent. She had asked him to go away, hadn't she? She told him he was mistaken. Who was she kidding? Even in the EC, where all kinds of people flocked, she is the only green person. Now here she is, wracked with guilt and overly emotional about it because she is with child. His child.
Elphaba is not stupid. She knows that they are on to her. Why else would Fiyero have been murdered, and so brutally? She is not safe here. Their child will not be safe here. She thinks about that for a long while. Safety. Where will they be safe? Is there anywhere? When was the last time she had felt safe? When she answers that question, she knows exactly where to go.
Chapter 1: Reunion
It didn't take long to find the place. All she had done was walk into the gaudiest dress shop in the EC and enquire about Lady Chuffrey and where exactly her purchases were usually sent. The clerk had given her an incredulous look, as if to say that everyone should know that the Lady and Lord Chuffrey reside in Mennipin Square. As she looks around the neighborhood she supposes she should have guessed. This is probably the wealthiest area of the entire city.
She stares at the townhouse at the end of the street. Of course she would have married the man with the largest house. She frowns at that thought and forces herself not to think about why. She steels herself and swiftly approaches the front door of the house. She stretches out her hand and gently knocks on the door, before stepping back into the shadows. Despite the late hour, she is almost immediately greeted by a tall, thin man.
"Good evening, Miss. It's a bit late to come calling, but how may I be of service to you?" he smiles despite the hint of irritation in his voice.
"I'm here to see Lady Glinda... if I may?" She can't help the amount of uncertainty her voice gives away. Will she even want to see me?
"I'm afraid my Lady has already retired for the evening, Miss. I'll have to ask you to return tomorrow." He makes to close the door, but she reaches out an arm to still it.
"Please, sir," she insists. She steps into the light now, and ignores his shocked gasp upon seeing her green flesh. "Tell her that an old friend has returned."
He hurriedly ushers her into the foyer and tells her to wait there before he disappears up the stairs. He grimaces as he gently taps on the door to the Lady's chambers. A moment later, a woman's face glares at him through a narrow gap in the door.
"What is it, Puggles?" she asks. "You had better have a good reason for this. You know how she hates to be disturbed."
"My apologies, Miss Murth, but has she not always said that if a green person comes to call that we are to notify her at once?" She pulls the door open a little more.
"What's going on?" calls a voice from inside the room. "Do you realize what time it is?"
"Sorry to disturb you, mum," Puggles raises his voice slightly so that she can hear. "But we've strict orders to inform you of any green visitors, yes?"
Something solid hits the floor of the dark room, hard. Glinda fumbles to the door noisily, knocking over who knows what. She grips Puggles by the arm with surprising strength for one so small. "Go tell her not to leave," she nearly pleads. "Give me five minutes. I'll be right down." Then she disappears behind the door, blonde curls bouncing in her hurry.
Glinda feels a fluttering in her stomach that she hadn't realized she was still capable of feeling. She smiles softly to herself for a brief moment before that feeling is replaced with others. In rapid succession she is hit with confusion, fear and then finally, anger. Why now? Maybe she's in danger. How dare she wait so long to come back! She could have at least sent word that she was alright!
Ten minutes later, the Lady of the house glides into the sitting room, where the guest has been asked to wait. She sees the brown eyes on her and feels that fluttering again.
"Well, you've certainly not gotten any better at timing," Elphaba snorts, her eyes meticulously examining every inch of the other woman. Glinda is wrapped tightly in a fluffy pink robe, but that is the only sign that she had been in bed when her guest arrived. Her soft golden curls frame her face beautifully, as always. Her stature seems somehow smaller, or maybe it's just that she hasn't seen her barefoot in so long.
Glinda, having worked herself into somewhat of a fit, huffs as she makes her way to the seat opposite of her visitor, "Better to wait ten minutes than five years, Elphaba Thropp. I've half a mind to throw you out this instant and tell you to come back in five more. Do you have any idea what would happen to us if they find out that you're here?"
"I suppose I deserve that," she frowns. "I'm so sorry, Glin." When Glinda only glares at her she continues, "If you were worried about what would happen to you, your butler would not have been ordered to let me in."
"I didn't order anyone to let you in. I was in my bedroom trying to sleep," she tries to feign innocence, but her voice wavers.
Elphaba gives her a look, letting her know that she isn't fooling anyone. "You did at some point, otherwise I definitely would not have been allowed in the door when he saw my skin. He'd have yelled for help," she finishes a little smugly.
Damn her! Always so rational. She knows she is caught and has to concede. "Fine. Maybe I did give them instructions in case you ever came back." She is met with a smug grin, but raises a hand to stop any reply. "Before we talk about what you're doing here in the middle of the night, I have a question I've been waiting a long time to ask you."
"Alright." Elphaba says the word slowly, as if she is afraid of what that might be, but she nods for Glinda to continue.
"Why?" she asks, voice raw with the emotion behind the loaded question. Will she even know what I mean?
Well that was blunt. "I - You know why." She doesn't quite meet Glinda's eyes, afraid that if she does she'll never be able to stop the tears threatening to appear.
The fact that Elphaba clearly knows exactly what she meant floods Glinda with relief. Maybe this won't be bad. The connection is still here. "I need to hear you say it," she begs.
"I-" she starts again, nearly choking on the words. "I love you too much to drag you into that mess. You could have been hurt." Her dark eyes lock onto crystal ones for the first time in too long, both pooling in tears. Elphaba lets hers fall, not caring about the burn she feels. I deserve this.
Glinda loses her resolve, knowing what the tears will do to that verdant skin. She crosses the room and wipes the tears from her friend's face. "Stop that, Elphie." The use of her old nickname only makes the other girl cry harder, leaving a trail of burns down her face. "I mean it. Stop it, this instant! There's something else we need to discuss." Her small hands cup emerald cheeks and she gently runs her thumbs up and down in an effort to calm the woman.
"Just one other thing?" Elphaba finally smirks up at her. She gently presses her sleeves to her face to be rid of the remaining tears. "I feel like we have much to discuss, but I suppose we'll tackle whatever is on your mind first."
"Fiyero," she says simply. Elphaba's brow raises in confusion and surprise. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I knew the moment I ran into him." She has to fight very hard to keep off the grimace that threatens to make an appearance.
Elphaba does nothing to hide her shock, still gaping at the blonde. She finally shakes her head and asks the only thing she can. "You saw Fiyero? When?"
"Uh, a few months ago. Didn't he tell you?" Elphaba's expression tells her that he clearly had not. "Sweet Lurline! I thought that's why you were here."
"Well he is sort of why I'm here. What do you want to know about him? Just 'Fiyero' doesn't tell me what you're asking.
"Do you love him?" her voice trembles as though she is afraid of the answer, but she needs to know.
"I did, I think," she hesitates a moment before adding, "but it was different."
"Did?"
"Oz, Glinda! I thought you were a socialite. Surely word has reached you by now!" Elphaba's face is contorted into an emotion, or maybe an array of emotions, that Glinda has never seen before.
"The rumors are true?" She suddenly remembers what she heard the other day. At the time, she had just brushed it off as if it couldn't have been true, but the look on her friend's face confirms her fear. "Oh, Elphie! I'm sorry!" She finally wraps her arms around the hunched figure on her couch and they are both in tears again.
Neither of them know how long they sit clinging to one another, but after some time, Elphaba finally breaks the silence with a sigh. "There's something else you should know, Glinda."
"What is it?" She strokes silky black hair as she continues to hug this precious woman as close as possible. Never again. I'll never let her go again.
"I'm carrying his child," she mumbles into Glinda's neck. She hadn't known it was possible to be pulled any closer to the tiny body in front of her, but she feels it along with a quick kiss pressed to her hairline.
"Oh! Elphie! It's going to be ok. We'll figure this out. Together." She presses another kiss close to the dark hair before the other woman pulls back abruptly.
"Glin, what about your husband?"
"Chuffrey?" she scoffs. "Don't you worry, dearest. I know how to handle him." She giggles at the disgusted look she receives and swats a green arm. "Not like that!" You'll understand what I mean when you meet him tomorrow."
The blonde lets out a long yawn and Elphaba releases her completely. She smiles softly when she sees the pout forming on those perfect pink lips at the loss of contact. "Glin, you need to rest. I'll be back tomorrow." She turns to let herself out and is only a little surprised when she feels slender arms wrap around her as the smaller woman nearly tackles her.
"You can't leave, Elphie. It's late and it's not safe for you out there." She turns the green woman around to face her. "I don't even want to think about the kinds of places you've been staying." She grips a verdant hand and practically drags Elphaba up the stairs.
"Glinda, be reasonable!" she protests. "I don't have anything to sleep in and I showed up completely unannounced. You've had no time to get a room prepared for me or anything."
"This is perfectly reasonable. I'm sure I have a spare nightie and you can sleep in my room. Look," she stops in front of her door and spins to face Elphaba once more. "I just got you back. I'm not letting you out of my sight for a very long time."
How am I supposed to say no to that? She let out a sigh and hugged the smaller woman, relishing the feeling of their bodies still fitting perfectly together. "Alright, my sweet. I'll stay." Glinda practically melts in relief.
"Good. I was willing to put up quite the fight." She lets out a girlish laugh that makes Elphaba smile broadly, then she turns and enters her room in a glide. She stops suddenly, a beautiful shade of pink blushing her cheeks. She had quite forgotten that her staff was not yet dismissed for the night and Miss Murth was seated by the fire knitting. "Miss Murth, you're dismissed for the evening," she squeaks. The older woman arches an eyebrow and looks past Glinda to glare at the stranger. "Oh, stop it Murthy. I'm in no danger here. Elphie won't hurt me."
If Elphaba thought the woman's arched brow was high before, it now disappears into her hairline. "With all due respect, Miss Murth you have my word that no harm will come to her while I'm here. I'd rather die than let anything or anyone hurt her, myself included." Glinda beams at her, and the woman gives them one more suspicious glance then exits the room. "She's protective of you," Elphaba notes. "I like her. I'm glad that someone has been taking care of you."
"Oh, she means well, but she's harmless really. I feel much safer right now." She presses herself into Elphaba's lanky arms. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too, Glin."