DISCLAIMER: Wicked is the creation and property of Stephen Schwartz and co. 'All these years' the song is the creation of Kyarna Rose.

All these years

By Vinkunwildflowerqueen

"And now, I invite Elphaba and Fiyero to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife."

Elphaba hoped she looked excited and happy and not like she was completely dreading this moment. Dancing and being the centre of attention were not two of her favourite things, least of all at the same time.

Galinda, as the maid of honour, sat next to her at the table at the front of the ballroom; and she beamed and nodded encouragingly as their eyes met. And then the chair on the other side of her shifted back, and Elphaba turned to her and raised her eyes to meet the brilliant smile of her new husband as Fiyero got to his feet and extended his hand to her.

"Well? Will you dance this dance with me, my dear?"

If it had been any day but their wedding day, Elphaba would have rolled her eyes or responded sarcastically before accepting his hand. But today, she simply placed her hand in his, and his fingers naturally folded gently but securely over hers; a gesture that always made her feel safe.

Elphaba got to her feet carefully, and Galinda jumped up to help make sure no one stood on the dress. It was the most exquisite dress Elphaba had ever seen or imagined in her life, and definitely the most amazing dress she had ever worn. It was strapless and covered in Vinkun lace, specially made for the occasion. It was figure fitting yet flared slightly from the thighs down, and with a midnight blue sash around the waist that was adorned with a diamond brooch on one side. She had long since removed the equally amazing veil she had worn in the ceremony, but her hair remained in the low bun that sat slightly to the side of her head.

The band struck up the song that Elphaba and Fiyero had carefully chosen (after much heated debate) for their first dance. Elphaba was thankful when the lights dimmed, so that it was harder to make out the guests watching them.

Fiyero either didn't notice or didn't care that everyone's eyes were on them, he simply pulled Elphaba gently into his arms and began to lead her in a simple dance step.

"Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?" he murmured in her ear, and Elphaba smiled at him softly.

"Once or twice I think," she replied, her eyes glinting teasingly.

But it made her relax, which had been Fiyero's intention. Or one of them anyway.

"Are you happy?" she asked him, and he looked surprised by the question.

"Are you kidding me?" he answered as he spun her around gently. "I've waited all these years for you to say 'I do', Mrs Tiggular. I'm beyond thrillified."

Elphaba laughed. "All these years? Try three."

"Longest three years of my life," Fiyero replied solemnly, although only half-seriously.

He had understood Elphaba not wanting to rush marriage, taking the time after they had graduated from Shiz to really learn about the Vinkus and the life and expectations of what awaited her as princess. That didn't mean he wasn't impatient, and wasn't 'beyond thrillified' that they were finally husband and wife.

"Well, we're here, aren't we?" Elphaba asked him pointedly, and he grinned.

"Finally."

She rolled her eyes only slightly. "I love you."

Fiyero kissed her gently. "I love you too, Fae."

It had been a pretty perfect day, Elphaba reflected as they danced. There had been no dramas, everyone had been civil and from what people kept telling her, the whole of the Vinkus was celebrating the wedding.

There had certainly been a huge crowd outside the church when Elphaba and Fiyero had emerged, both of civilians and the press. There was a strict ban on all press and media inside the church or in the ballroom where the reception was being held.

Elphaba had held it together during the day, she had only cried once, when Fiyero had given his speech just a few minutes ago.

"I never knew how much I needed someone in my life," he had told her in front of the one hundred gathered guests. "Until I met you and you became my wife. I never knew how lost I was until you found me. You're my best friend, my soul mate, my saviour and my guardian angel. And all I can say is that I love you, and thank you for agreeing to be my wife."

"What are you thinking about?" Fiyero asked her now softly, seeing she was lost in thought.

Elphaba looked up at him and shook her head slightly. "Just that I'm happy. And I love you."

Fiyero grinned. "I like those thoughts."

Elphaba did too.

The thin cry echoed in the silence, jolting both Elphaba and Fiyero from sleep. Through the darkness, Fiyero saw Elphaba raise herself up on her elbows, felt the mattress shift slightly.

"I just fed her. She can't be hungry," Elphaba said sleepily, and Fiyero heard the anxiety in her tone, the one she'd been trying to hide for two days; the anxiety that her fear was coming true and she was failing in her new role as mother.

Fiyero immediately swung his legs out of the bed and got up. "I'll get her. You go back to sleep."

"But-"

"I've got her, Fae. Sleep."

Elphaba reluctantly lay down again as Fiyero got up and headed to the door. He slipped out of the room and across the hall to the nursery. Elphaba had just fed her, so he was assuming it was either her diaper or gas, both of which he could handle. Right now, he just wanted Elphaba to sleep, hoping at least part of her stress was due to sleep deprivation.

He lit the lamp so the room was filled with a dim glow and he slowly approached the crib in the corner.

"Hey, princess. What's up?" he murmured, reaching down and scooping her into his arms, still feeling slightly awkward as he did so. She was so tiny, he was always half afraid when he held her.

The baby's blue eyes fixed on him, and her cries softened as he gently jostled her in his arms, almost as though they were dancing.

"So you were just lonely, huh?" he chuckled, watching her calm down. "I appreciate you wanting my company, Miss Avelina, but we need to work on your timing."

It was fair to say that Fiyero was completely besotted by his daughter. She was the image of Elphaba, except for the green skin and his blue eyes, which Elphaba said she hoped would stay that way.

They'd chosen the name for the meaning, which meant "long awaited" just for the appropriateness of it. It had taken Fiyero a long time to convince Elphaba to actually have a child; although they both knew there needed to be an heir, she had been anxious about her skills as a mother. And she had finally agreed, although Fiyero wondered if she was just tired of everyone continuously hinting as to when they would have a child.

By the time they had announced her pregnancy, they had been married for two years; so it seemed all of the Vinkus was more eager for the baby to be born than Elphaba and Fiyero themselves. It hadn't been until her third trimester that Elphaba seemed confident of her ability to be a good mother, but the birth of Avelina had reignited her fears.

"She's so beautiful, and perfect. I want to be a good mother for her," Elphaba had admitted to Fiyero as they examined their tiny, newborn daughter.

Fiyero kissed her softly. "You will be," he promised her, truly believing it.

Elphaba was less easy to convince, but Fiyero was sure that with time, it would come.

Fiyero continued to gently jostle Avelina in his arms, moving around the nursery. It was almost like a silent dance, and father and daughter kept their gazes locked on one another.

"I thought we'd let your mom get some sleep, huh?" he asked her softly. "She's pretty tired at the moment."

Avelina whimpered, and Fiyero hastily added.

"Don't get me wrong, she's happy. She's so happy, and she loves you more than anything. But- and don't tell Momma I said so- but she's still super hormonal and not getting much sleep. And when Momma's tired and hormonal, she cries. And Daddy hates it when Momma cries. Just like when you cry."

Avelina reached up and grabbed his finger in her hand, grasping it tightly.

"We've waited a long time for you," Fiyero murmured. "Now you're finally here. And we love you, princess. So much. I know your mom's a bit scared right now, but we both love you so much, and we're so happy you're finally here. You're a dream come true."

He settled down into the rocking chair, carefully adjusting Avelina in his arms.

"So, maybe this is a good time to explain a few things. Now, your mom- she's the one who you're going to want to go to for all that girl stuff. And to be fair, she'll probably be the one who does all the discipline stuff too. I can already tell that I won't be any good at that. Your mom is also the one who's going to teach you everything you need to know about life. Because she's super smart."

Fiyero paused thoughtfully. "I guess I'll be the one who buys you stuff you don't need. Although I'm sure Aunty Galinda and Aunty Nessa will help with that."

He smiled slightly, admiring his daughter's features. "I'm trying to convince Momma on a 'no dating until you're 30' rule. So far, she just thinks I'm being an idiot. I'm sure she'll come around."

He swore Avelina almost smiled at him.

Fiyero had been dreading this day for twenty years. Yet here he was, at his eldest daughter's wedding reception, acting as Father of the Bride. It sucked. And what made it worse, was that he couldn't even hate the man who was stealing Avelina away from them. Actually, he really liked his new son-in-law. The jerk.

Ever since Avelina and Dimas had gotten engaged, Elphaba had just laughed at him and said the only reason he was unhappy about it was because it made him feel old.

"Don't you?" he had asked her.

Elphaba, still as beautiful in Fiyero's eyes as she had been since he first met her, had considered that thoughtfully and finally shrugged.

"Not really. Ask me again when it's Di's turn."

Fiyero inwardly cringed at that thought, of Diantha, their youngest, their sweet, precious eight year old getting married.

"Don't even put that thought in my head," he said tiredly. "It makes me feel ancient."

"It could also be the beard," Elphaba replied teasingly and left the room to check that the children were ready for bed.

"You can make all the jokes you want, Fae, the beard is staying!" he called after her.

The beard had appeared a month ago when the family was on vacation, much to Elphaba's dismay.

"I think it makes me look more kingly," he'd remarked thoughtfully, and Elphaba had promptly choked on her iced tea and had to leave the room because she was laughing so hard.

The children all had different reactions. Avelina was indifferent; their sons, Keleva at fourteen and Olek at ten, thought it was funny; and Di was intrigued by it. Elphaba, in case Fiyero hadn't picked up on that, was not a fan.

Fiyero had ignored all the jokes and hints to shave off the beard, until Avelina had come to him a few days before the wedding and sweetly asked him to get rid of the beard for her big day. Under the combined pressure from his wife and his baby girl, he had conceded defeat.

The day had gone well, Avelina looked beautiful and happy.

And now they were at the one part of the day Fiyero was looking forward to- the father-daughter dance.

"Ready, Dad?" she asked, appearing at his side.

Fiyero couldn't help but smile up at his daughter. "You really are my daughter. Mom looked like she'd been asked to swallow poison when we had to dance at our wedding."

Elphaba was fixing Diantha's hair, and didn't even look over as she responded.

"Every time you tell that story, the description of my facial expression gets worse. You know that, right?"

Avelina laughed, having heard this many times.

"Can I dance with you next, Daddy? After Lina?" Di begged her father.

"Sure, princess," Fiyero agreed easily as he got to his feet. "If Momma doesn't mind."

"Not in the slightest," Elphaba assured their youngest.

Fiyero offered his hand to Avelina and escorted her to the dance floor.

"I've been dreading this day for twenty years," he said miserably.

"Dad!"

"Well, I have. But I still love you, Lina."

"I'm relieved to know that," she replied, in a tone that was classic Elphaba and made Fiyero grin.

"Mom and I are very proud of you, Lina. I hope you know that," he told her.

"I know, Dad," she answered.

"I never knew how much I was missing in this world, until you came along and you became my little girl."

Avelina smiled at him. "Usually you just say that you never knew what you had until I came along. Namely, sleep."

"Ah, sleep," Fiyero said fondly. "I have fond memories of a full night's sleep."

Avelina giggled. "You know what Aunty Galinda always says."

Fiyero did. Every time the subject arose, Galinda's comeback was "Well, you two were the ones who decided to have four kids over twelve years. I mean, really. Either stop or have them closer together. Is it that hard?"

This was regardless of the fact that Galinda knew perfectly well that Diantha had been a surprise (a lovely surprise, but a surprise nonetheless), and as for the others... well, that was a whole other story.

"I hope Dimas and I are as happy are you and Mom are."

"Well, your mother did land quite a catch," Fiyero joked. But he added solemnly, "He's a good man. I wouldn't have let him date you otherwise."

"Dad, when you first met him you threatened to bring back the death penalty if he ever hurt me," Avelina reminded him pointedly.

"And I stand by that," Fiyero replied.

She rolled her eyes. "I love you, Dad."

"Love you too, Lina."

And father and daughter continued dancing in comfortable silence.

The End