Drops of Jupiter

Rifiuto: Non Miriena

Summary: She returned from the City, with a new confidence and a new understanding of her once very small world. She returned with a secret discovered while away, a new opportunity gifted to her out of the promise of a new life, and a choice to make. She survived her fall from a shooting star, and returned- not necessarily to him- with drops of Jupiter in her hair. Rewritten four years ago, found last year.

A/N: Written: 2010. Rewritten: 2015. Found: 2018.- Licia

"Now that she's back in the atmosphere
With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey
She acts like summer and walks like rain
Reminds me that there's time to change, hey, hey
Since the return of her stay on the moon
She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey
Hey, hey

But tell me did you sail across the sun?
Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated?

Tell me, did you fall from a shooting star,
One without a permanent scar
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?"

- Train,

Drops of Jupiter,

Drops of Jupiter album, 2001

One Year Later

She hadn't returned.

She'd left for the Emerald City, with Glinda on her arm, her constant companion; according to Glinda, they'd met the Wizard- and then something had happened, and Glinda had returned to Shiz.

Alone.

She. hadn't. returned.

A year had gone by, with not a word from the green-skinned girl with the big dreams and the outspoken personality. The girl who'd captured his heart from the moment they'd met.

Glinda had become a lot quieter, with her roommate gone. She'd retreated into herself, becoming bookish, choosing darker colors to wear, causes to get involved in, as though somehow changing herself would bring her best friend back from the Emerald City. She never spoke of what went on between Elphaba and the Wizard, and eventually, the name Elphaba Thropp faded from everyone's vocabulary. She had been a student, who had once attended Shiz, who had gone off to the Emerald City, only to never return. Eventually, the strain of not having her sister around became too much for Nessa, and she too left Shiz, returning to Munchkinland and enrolling in the University of Munch, to be closer to her father.

Rumors swirled; rumors that she had fallen into the trafficking trade, that she'd become the madame of a cat house in the slums of the City, that she'd been murdered by a serial killer and her body left unidentified. Any number of stories and half-truths danced about Shiz those first six months after her refusal to return. They were rumors he hoped- prayed- weren't true. He was certain his heart couldn't take it.

Now seniors and six months away from graduation, his future appeared bleak. He would return to the Vinkus, and essentially shadow his father, in preparation for when he would eventually take the throne. Anyone looking at him would scoff, that he viewed his future so bleakly, but for him, without her by his side, it was true. His parents knew that she had been the one he'd been truly interested in, the one he wished to one day make his wife-

A sigh escaped his throat and by he didn't turn his gaze from the window; he could feel Glinda's blue gaze turn to look at him from her seat in front of him- next to the seat once occupied by her. Glinda hadn't taken the breakup well, but eventually, she'd gotten over it, realizing that he'd spoken the truth, that his heart had always belonged to her, to the one that literally got away, and nothing, and no one, would change that.

Something flashed beneath the window, and he leaned closer. Someone was walking past, headed towards the Admissions office. A young woman, with a head of dark hair, a book bag slung over her shoulder. Any one of the hundreds of girls on this campus that don't have class at this time, Yero. It's not her, no matter how badly you want it to be.

He barely heard the professor dismiss class, and after a moment, gathered his books and grabbed his jacket, tugging it on before falling into step beside Glinda as they left, headed for the cafeteria. The blonde hugged her books to her chest, the lite, black jacket she wore over the dark blue blouse flapping open in the slight breeze. Neither spoke, too lost in their own thoughts for conversation.

As they reached the green, he stopped. The person that had traipsed by the window earlier stood in front of the Admissions building, talking with someone, her back to them. "Hey, Glinda, who's that?"

The blonde looked up, furrowing a brow. "I... I don't know."

The pair shared a glance, shrugging before making their way towards the person, for the cafeteria was half a block from Admissions. He couldn't help straining to hear the conversation, expecting it to be just another student asking about summer courses or the upcoming fall semester. It was neither. His feet ground to a halt as he heard the familiar soft lilt, and after a moment, Glinda turned back to him. "Fiyero? What is it?"

But he shook his head, watching the girl speak with the older woman who worked the desk. That voice... I haven't heard that voice in a year... turn around. Please! Turn around!

"... so sorry you won't be continuing your education at Shiz, but I'm so thrilled for you. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity, to work with the Wizard! I hope it's everything you hoped for-"

"It is." She cut the woman off, voice soft. "It's everything I could ever want! Staying in the City was the best decision I could ever make. I have no regrets." A heartbeat of silence. "Well, that's not entirely true. I have one." She smiled at the woman, shaking her head as though shaking the thought away and holding out a hand. "Thank you for all your help, Ms. Yenter. I'll make sure to let the Wizard know that there are no hard feelings between the university and I; he understands that it was a spur of the moment decision, and I had no real time to make a clean break at the time, and even less time for the last year. I appreciate everything you've done for me."

The woman nodded, squeezing her hand gently, with a soft, "Oz-speed. I know you will do truly wonderful things alongside the Wizard. He couldn't have made a better choice, choosing you as his Grand Vizer, Miss Elphaba."

Fiyero's eyes widened, and he could no longer control himself. "Elphaba?"

"What?" Glinda glanced at him before turning to the girl, who's back seemed to go rail-straight at his voice. After several moments, she slowly turned, and Fiyero and Glinda found themselves once more face-to-face with one Elphaba Thropp.