Author's Note: This was going to be posted after all chapters were completely finished, but I'm pushing chapter three and let me tell you, it is torture. So, in honor of the New Year, I've posted this at exactly 12:00 midnight.

Next, I took this horribly over-used TV show prompt and made it into a Wicked story because I believe it has never been made… into a Wicked story, let alone a bookverse one. So, here you go and I hope you enjoy it, as my resolution is, as of this moment, officially to finish this story

Disclaimed.

Elphaba angrily arranged a wooden chair far away from the water's edge. She sat her bony rear in the seat and bit out of an apple, attempting to crease the binding of the book down so she could read it with ease. After being forced out of her room to go to the lake, she figured she deserved some time to escape in her book. Especially since she hated the lake. She hated the lake with a passion. The lake could go and die.

Glinda tried to ignore Elphaba so her time at the lake wouldn't be ruined. The attempt to get Elphaba here had been long and filled with a lot of… colorful language, provided by Elphie. Glinda never knew Elphaba had such vivid vocabulary and descriptions. Elphaba had the ability to make her look and feel stupid down pat. Elphaba had talent for sure. Glinda frowned.

Despite Glinda's better judgment, she had also half-heartedly invited Boq, due to his friendship with Elphie. She had hoped it would lighten the mood about the green girl, but all it did was cause Glinda herself great discomfort. She could see him watching her now, as she took off her outer clothes, and laid them on the grass. She stopped when she reached her full-body corset, and waited for her friends to get down into their underclothes as well. Only Elphaba now remained fully clothed, but she took no notice as they all got in the water.

Pfannee and Shenshen were mindlessly flirting with Avaric, who was lounging on the edge of the lake, his upper arms draped just above the curve of the side of the lake. The arm below his elbow was falling over the side, and his fingers brushed the surface of the water, causing ripples. Glinda found it hard not to stare at his muscular structure, as did Milla, but refrained from doing so, by glancing over at Boq, who looked almost anxious. She rolled her eyes and didn't say anything, looking away once more.

Glinda splashed a bit in Elphaba's direction. "You know, Miss Elphaba, you could be courteous and get in with us…" she said, annoyed. "It's not as if you have an embarrassing stature," she added a bit more quietly, letting her eyes travel over Elphaba's thin waist. Even with her loose-fitting bodice, Glinda could tell that Elphaba was in no way overweight.

"Why thank-you for commenting on my figure, Miss Glinda," Elphaba said with a smirk. "But, I must decline your offer, despite all terms of flattery."

Glinda's face dropped. "Flattery?" she asked. Shenshen giggled. Tibbett did as well. Nessarose rolled her eyes, while leaning against Nanny, who was being politely silent while they socialized.

Tibbett's imitation of a feminine giggle sent Crope into a fit of hysterics, and Tibbett had to drag him out of the water by the arms so he wouldn't drown himself. "Hush your mouth, you idiot. You almost killed yourself."

Nessa spoke up, "And, mind you, that wasn't even funny. Hardly worth drowning yourself in my opinion."

Elphaba looked over a Nessa for a minute, and then let her eyes travel around until suddenly widening. "Thinking of idiots and drowning: save that one before he does so."

On the other side of the admittedly small lake, Fiyero was about ready to jump into the deeper end. "Can he swim well?" Nessa asked, growing quieter.

"I doubt it," Boq said, jumping out of the water and grabbing the foreign boy by the arm, before he could jump. Boq dragged him to the section of the lake they were in and nodded to Elphie. "Thanks, Elphaba."

"What are you doing?" Fiyero asked. "I was going to go in over there. You needn't treat me like a child."

Elphaba snorted. "It seems we need to, because you just about drowned yourself in the deep end of the lake. It's quite subterranean about that area."

"What?" he asked in astonishment.

"Need I repeat myself? You could have killed yourself, so I sent Master Boq to fetch you. That's what." Elphaba yawned, for emphasize possibly.

"So… Miss Elphaba… you saved me?" Fiyero's eyes sparkled.

"No," Elphaba clarified. "Are you daft? Boq did."

"But you had to tell him to, did you not?" Fiyero said. "So, technically speaking, didn't you save me?"

"Well…" Elphaba cleared her throat and took another bite out of the apple.

Glinda squeaked. "You did!"

"I did not," Elphaba scowled. "It was not a big deal."

Pfannee smiled broadly. "It seems like a big deal to me," she teased.

Avaric chuckled. "I agree," he chided, sounding thoughtfully devious. "You saved Master Fiyero, Vinkun Prince, from a most untimely doom. You saved his life."

"What?" Elphaba said loudly. "Poppycock! I did not! I just told Boq, one idiot, to save another idiot: Fiyero."

Fiyero and Boq both got reprimanding looks on their faces.

Shenshen decided to throw in her two cents worth. "But… if you hadn't told Boq to do so, he wouldn't have done so… because he wouldn't have known about it…" she said, talking in a voice that implied that her brain had sloshed out of her ears. "Right?"

Elphaba flung her apple at Shenshen, but it missed by an inch, plunking in the water with a small splash. She scowled angrily and crossed her arms. "You owe me an apple…"

Fiyero's eyes lit up. "I'll get you one."

"You will not," she said, taken aback.

"Yes I will… in face, I owe you more than an apple. Elphaba, from this point on, whatever you want, I can get it for you... I can help you study… whatever you want. I'm in your debt."

"What?"

"Whatever you want, whenever you want, it'll happen. I'll help you wherever you go and do what I think is best for you. It's the perfect way to pay you back for doing you doing that good deed—"

"But I didn't do anything!"

"But you did! And I need to repay you or else, I'll be guilty."

Elphaba's jaw dropped. "I don't think that's—"

"I do," Avaric piped up.

"Well, I—"

"Elphaba," Glinda cut in, coming out of the water, and walking up to her. "Don't pass this up…"

"Don't touch me." Elphaba scooted backward, lowering her voice to whisper. "And, I'll pass this up if I feel it right."

"Well, it's not right. You deserve it. You saved him."

"I did so such thing; it was no big deal. If he had started drowning, then one of you would have heard it and saved him. I just stopped him from going into the water…"

"Thus, saving him!" she said back, annoyed, and suddenly lowering her voice as well. "Just… try it for a while…"

"I'm afraid for his safety, Glinda." Elphaba narrowed her eyes. "Lurine knows what will happen if he begins to hang around me… it may get annoying. And, why should I listen to you, anyway? You're—"

Glinda gave up, and turned to Fiyero. "She would love to have you help her."

Fiyero smiled.

"No…" Elphaba said in a rush. "Don't—"

Glinda gave her a good whack on the arm to shut her up, which caused Elphaba to scowl loudly and unenthusiastically thank the Unnamed God for sleeves. "I told you not to touch me…"