I don't own any of the characters and locations of Wicked

This is my first fanfic in English but I hope you enjoy reading it...

Too late to go back to sleep

Chapter 1: Questions

She watched the deer standing by a small brook. She by herself was hiding in a tangled boscage, her hand wrapped around her light bow. Without making any noise she got an arrow out of her qiver and locked it on her bow. Unfortunately the deer made a few steps to its left an therefore got out of her sight. She wanted to sigh but remebered that she was on a hunt and kept quiet. She rearanged her position a little bit to her right and aimed once again at the deer. But without even realizing it she stepped on a small branch. It seemed that the sound of the branch being broken was audible in the whole forest. In any case the deer startled and observed alert it surroundings. She smiled knowing that the deer wouldn't spot her for she was perfectly hidden with her natural green skin in the green boscage. She streched her bow and finally sent the arrow on its way.

"Daddy!"

Fiyero looked up waiting for her to break out of the coppice. He didn't need to wait very long for he had heard the excitement in her voice and therefore knew she would run very fast to inform him about whatever it was. Indeed a few seconds after her scream he saw her between the trees running towards him almost breathless. He smiled at the sight of her being that excited. She stopped right in front of him and smiled proudly at him.

"Daddy! I made it!"

She showed him her bow and her quiver and waited in joyful anticipation. Fiyero's smile grew even wider because he ne pretty well what she was talking about. He had made her that bow a few months ago with special regard to the arrows from which he had taken the edges off for he appreciated her will to help him but he would not support her killing animals at such a young age.

"Which animal?"

She kept on smiling and didn't say a word in order to increase the tension. But finally she couldn't remain silent anymore. She nearly burst with joy.

"A deer!"

Fiyero was very close to speechlessness.

"A deer?!"

He couldn't believe what he had just heard but she nodded affirmatively.

"That's...wow. Maybe we should change our responsibilities? You go hunting and I stay at home helping your mother!"

Now it was her grin which grew wider. He laid his hand on her head and smiled at her affectionately. He couldn't even say how much he loved his little six year old girl although she inherited the green skin from her mother. But he didn't care as he had promised Elphaba years before. Now neither he nor Elphaba could say why they even had brought up this topic. He had never been happier.

"Daddy?"

The voice of his daughter brought him back to reality.

"May I ask you a question?" He was rattled by her asking so shyly. "Of course!"

But she still hesitated. He sighed. It was apparently a very special but important question to her. He took her hand and led her to the stairs which led to the entrance of the cottage. He sat down and waited till she took a seat beside him.

"But promise me that you will not tell mommy that I asked you this! Please!"

Although he was very surprised about it he nodded.

"I promise!"

She scrutinized him closely and he smiled at her reassuringly. Seeming satisfied by his answer she got a grip on herself.

"Are there many of us?"

Fiyero looked at her confused about her question.

"What do you mean by 'us'?"

"Mommy and I. I mean... My green skin helped me very much hiding between the bushes. Are we therefore living in the forest? But what about you? Why does your skin have another colour? And please tell me what lies beyond the borders of the forest?"

Right now Fiyero wished Elphaba would be here by his side to answer all these questions. Both had known this moment would come but none of them had expected it to come so soon. But unfortunately Elphaba wasn't here at the moment which was surely well planned by his little girl for she had even made him promise not to tell Elphaba about this conversation. He sighed.

"Okay, I think its better when we tackle things slowly." She nodded insightfully. "Emijn, first of all I'm going to tell you a few things which may be very difficult to understand especially for you but be sure that I love you and your mum even more than my own life. I would risk my life any time to save yours!"

Emijn noticed that her father was very seriuos all of a sudden and so she nodded to confirm that she had understood his last statement. Seeing this Fiyero thought about how to begin. Although he wanted Emijn to know as much as he know about these things which had happened years before and which would still happen if Elphaba appeared in public Emijn was only six. In his eyes still too young to understand the full meaning of these events. Emijn was such a cheerful person and he wanted this to last as long as possible. Later in a few years there would be another chance to tell her the truth. He smiled at her reassuringly.

"Centuries ago there were many people with a green skin just like you and your mother and indeed most of them lived in the forests using this advantage. They were excellent hunters and high skilled trappers and therefore highly accepted in society. People like me lived outside the forests and traded with the hunters. But by and by the number of the hunters decreased till they nearly disappeared. And these days there are so little that many people from outside the forests do not even know that there are people like you and your mother living here."

Emijn looked serious.

"And how did you meet?" Fiyero gave her a warm smile.

"I first saw her at school and without even knowing it I fell in love with her and she with me. But we didn't show it to each other in fact we thought we hate each other. And suddenly our way parted. Finally when we met again years later I was already engaged to another girl but the more I saw your mother the more I figured out how much I actually loved your mother. I broke off the engagement by running away with your mother."

He was happy about his story for it wasn't a real lie after all. It was nearly the truth. And Emijn seemed satisfied.

She played with her necklace which has been hers since her birthday. It was made out of gold which Fiyero had found years before in a river. He had saved it till the day Elphaba had told him that she was pregnant. That day he had begun to forge the pendant. It was a feather. He had chosen this motive in order to remind Emijn of the most important thing in life to be free. He smiled at this thought because he had to think about Elphaba. He badly missed her. It had been over a week since she had left. And even though he knew that she needed this free time to think, to practise her magical skills and to work up her past. He knew that she wasn't over it yet even though seven years had passed since this time. But he respected it for it was her way to deal with it. Suddenly someone coughed and he found his way back to reality.

His daughter looked at him confused. "Are you all right, dad?" He nodded quickly.

"Then tell me what lies beyond the borders of the forest, please!"

Fiyero couldn't resist laughing.

"Of course little one!" He layed his hand on her head and fondled her.

"What lies beyond the borders of the forest?" He merely asked himself. "Well, I have to admit I don't know exactly what lies beyond the forest. I merely stayed in my village."

'Liar' he called himself for his thoughts nearly immediately drifted to his home and his parents and to Shiz where his life had changed radically due to a very special young green woman and of course to the Emerald City where his old life finally had come to an end and his new life on Elphaba's side had begun. He couldn't believe that this had happened only seven years before. It rather seemed like a lifetime had passed.

He heard a yawning and suddenly he realized that it had already darkened.

"I am annoying, ain't I?" He asked teasingly.

"Oh no! No! Do not even think you are, daddy! It's just I woke up very early and the hunt was very hard work. I am just exhaust. I didn't want to offend you. I am sorry!"

"Don't be! I was just joking. You did not offend me in any way."

He smiled at her showing her all his love he had for her. He loved her so much. She was his little girl and the second most beautiful gift Elphaba had been giving him since the day he had met her for the first time. Emijn came right after Elphaba's gift of spending her whole life with him. Well, actually he valued both gifts pretty much the same. He was so happy, maybe the happiest man on earth.

"Maybe you should go to bed."

"Yeah, I think so." She hugged him and kissed him on his cheek and stood up.

"Good night, daddy."

"Good night, sweetheart!"

"Em...daddy?"

He turned around to face her.

"Yes?"

"Do you think mum will return soon?"

He smiled at her reassuringly.

"I am pretty sure she will!"

She smiled back at him.

"Okay. Good night then!"

"Good night."

Now Fiyero was alone on the stairs and watched the stars. It was amazing how fast the night came during these days. But soon his thoughts drifted away again, back to Shiz and to Glinda. They hardly got news here in the forest but once in a while he went to a village and heard news from traders or got a glimpse on a newspaper and later told Elphaba. Therefore they knew a little bit of what was going on outside this forest and they knew that the Wizard of Oz was gone and that Glinda was now the new ruler of Oz. And that she ruled as Glinda the Good fighting for a better Oz. The day he told Elphaba about Glinda's new role in Oz Elphaba couldn't believe him first. Both of them were so proud of Glinda and so happy about the change Glinda had gone through. But he had also seen the spark of hope which had appeared in Elphaba's eyes. Hope of being able to return to the Emerald City but this hope had disappeared very short after for they both knew that even though Glinda now was the new ruler there was no chance that the Ozians had also changed their minds about the Wicked Witch of the West. But as much as Elphaba he missed Glinda and he yearned to see her again!

He yawned. Suddenly he noticed how tired he was and that it would be the best to go to bed although he used to avoid going to bed as long as possible when Elphaba was not at home. He sighed and stood up slowly and went inside the cottage.

He woke up because of a low rustling behind his back. He opened his eyes and catched a glimpse out of the window. It was pitch-black outside and so was it in the room. Suddenly he felt the blanket being moved and someone slipped under it. Then someone wrapped his arms around his hip and he had to smile for now he knew who it was. He layed his hand on top of her hands.

"I missed you!" He whispered.

"I am sorry. It wasn't my intention to wake you up."

He clasped her hands slightly to show her that he did not care. She huddled herself against his back. They did not speak a word but simply enjoyed their togetherness.

But suddenly she broke the silence by saying: "I am sorry!"

He did not understand.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I am sorry because I often leave you and Emijn alone."

He turned around and took her hands in his.

"Stop it, Elphaba! Stop it right now!"

She looked at him stunned.

"I know that you need this time on your own and I respect this. Furthermore I really appreciate that you practise your magical skills far away from our cottage so that our little girl is not in danger. Especially because your skills have improved that well that you are already trying very complicated spells."

"I know, but..."

He wouldn't let her finish the sentence because he knew that in this case he was absolutely right.

"Just look at me, Elphaba!"

He raised his hands so she could see them in the dim moonlight.

"You managed to turn me into human again. And before you saved my life! So you made all this here possible for both of us. You are the reason why I am here. And I mean this in both ways!"

He layed his hands on her cheeks and smiled at her affectionately.

"Elphaba, I love who you are and not who you pretend to be. If you need time on your own then take it as long as you don't leave us!"

Elphaba looked at him, shocked about what he had just said.

"Fiyero! Don't say this!" She nearly screamed.

"I would never leave you! Fiyero please, don't think I would ever leave you and Emijn! You are the reason why I am still alive! I would never leave you!"

She nearly started to cry.

"Sch, Elphaba! I know! And I trust you!"

He pulled her tight to himself and she buried her head in his shoulder.

Emijn opened her eyes and left her bed. Her plan had nearly failed because of her mother who she didn't expect to return that late. Normally her mother returned around midday. She had nearly been out of the cottage when she had seen her mother coming out of the forest. She had appeared like a ghost with her black cloak and her green skin which made her nearly invisible between the trees. But Emijn had managed to slip back into the cottage before her mother had discovered her. She had quickly slipped in her bed again and had pretended to sleep because her mother used to check on her every night not because she suspected her but to kiss her goodnight. Emijn smiled at this thought. She was very happy about her mother being finally back home although she would not see her this morning. After her mother had left her room Emijn was immediately back in action. She grabbed her pouch filled with provisions and slipped out of the cottage into the forest.

Emijn ran through the thicket thinking about what her father had told her only a few hours ago. 'Well, I have to admit I don't know exactly what lies beyond the forest. I merely stayed in my village.' She would surprise her parents by finding out what lay beyond the borders of the forest. She was sure that they would be proud of her being that brave! She smiled at that thought.

After running about six hours the sun began to rise and it brightened by and by. And suddenly Emijn broke out of the thicket and tumbled on a small path and at the same time she heard a strange and sharp noise on her right side. She turned around shocked by this unknown sound and stumbled as a big black animal unbent to its full height right in front of her. Emijn fell to the ground and watched the animal falling down back on its forelegs.

"Are you crazy!"

She looked up at the sound of this deep voice and saw a man sitting on the animal's back.

"I am sorry. I wasn't my intention to frighten your... your animal!"

'It looks a little bit like a deer!' she thought by herself. The man sighed and dismounted. He walked towards her and offered his hand to help her up. But suddenly he hesitated.

"Sweet Oz!"

He was obviously really shocked. Emijn didn't understand his reaction. But he grabbed her ungently and pulled her to her feet.

"Hey!" She protested.

"Shut up!" He screamed. "You... you wicked witch!"