Disclaimer: it's still not mine (and wouldn't life be so much easier if, when we joined ffnet, we just agreed to a general disclaimer?)

Author's Note: so here I am with Wicked multichapter story number Five. I was going to let the pairing be a surprise (hence it being absent from the summary) but decided I would be doing myself any favours by not revealing it before anyone starts reading. The first three chapters are taken straight from the musical (I was expecting to only need one chapter for these parts) after that it does begin to change.

A note on the 'voices' the main characters have in this fic:

Elphaba: Kerry Ellis (in other words British accent)

Galinda & Fiyero: Original Broadway Cast.

Everyone else: pick whoever you want, I went for British Nessa so the accents matched.

Pairing: Fiyero/Galinda all the way through.

All flames related to the pairing will be shown to my friends and giggled over. For those of you who are willing to try the story before you flame, I hope you enjoy it

Flying Solo – Chapter One

Miss Galinda Upland, of the Upper Uplands, was making her way quite happily across the courtyard of Shiz University when her trivial thoughts about what she was going to do during her 'study' period were interrupted by the irritating Munchkin boy who had been fawning over her since the first day of the year.

What was his name? Bak? Barq? Biq? Yes, Biq that's it.

She acknowledged his presence with a vague smile, which he apparently took as an invitation to actually speak to her!

"Uh, Miss Galinda, I know I'm just a Munchkin, but Munchkins have feelings too, and I've been trying to tell you mine for you. But sometimes it seems like you don't even know I'm there.

"That's not true, Biq."

"It's Boq."

A loud horn beeping, followed by the appearance of a three wheeled vehicle, saved Galinda from having to respond directly

"Here we are, sir!" announced the driver loudly, presumably to wake up his sleeping passenger who was sprawled across the back seat. "Shiz University!"

"What? What? Already? What a shame."

Thr new arrival stretched and sat up, he clapped his hand on the driver's shoulder and farewelled him cheerfully.

"Well, see you soon, Avaric. Don't worry; I won't last longer at this school than I did at any of the others."

After his passenger climbed out of the vehicle Avaric drove away and out of the courtyard.

Galinda nearly swooned with delight as she realised who the tall handsome new arrival was, she grabbed the Munchkin's arm as the young man walked towards them.

"Do you realise who that is? That's Fiyero Tiggular, that Winkie Prince whose reputation is so scandalacious!"

I can't believe my good luck! Thought Galindaasshe walked away from the Munchkin. Prince Fiyero Tiggular at Shiz University and I'm the first girl he meets here!

She wanted to squeal with delight but instead she stopped a strategic distance from the Prince and tossed her hair from side to side. Bemused the 'Winkie Prince' stopped and repeated the action, which was somewhat less effective with his shorter hair, and grinned at the pretty blonde girl. Galinda responded to his grin with flirtatious smile of her own.

"Were you looking for something or someone?"

"Uhh yeah..." said Fiyero vaguely, he stood next to Galinda and pulled out a notepad with his timetable on it. "Some sort of…history class?"

Boq hurried over when he heard that, seeing an opportunity to get rid of this Prince fellow, and tapped Fiyero on the shoulder with his notebook.

"That's the History building right over there, you'd better…"

"That class just ended!" interrupted Galinda, waving her hand under Fiyero's face to make sure she had his attention and restraining the urge to glare at the Munchkin, it wouldn't do to ruin her image of being nice to everyone – well except her horrendible roommate but since when did she count?

"Oh! Perfect timing!" said Fiyero cheerfully, shoving the notebook back into his bag and smiling at the pretty blonde girl again. "So Miss…?"

"Miss Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands," replied Galinda. "But you can call me Galinda."

"So, Galinda, what does one do for fun around here?"

"Nothing really..." replied Galinda, looking thoroughly disappointed by that fact. She tilted her head towards Fiyero and smiled. "Until now..."

"Yes, we've been studying!" interjected Boq, who was lurking behind Galinda again.

"What? Well, I see that once again the responsibility to corrupt my fellow students falls to me. Fortunately, I'm up for the task."

He walked behind Galinda and companionably put his hand on Boq's shoulder, since the shorter boy was obviously the one who needed the advice.

"You see, my friend, the trouble with schools is they don't understand what people really need to know. They want you to be less shallow and worry about things you can't change. I say 'why invite stress in?' there are so many things in life that people feel obliged to be concerned about when they don't need to be."

"What a thrillifying coincidence!" exclaimed Galinda, pausing for a moment when the official end of class bell rang and students started filing out of the classrooms.

"That is exactly how I feel. How do you deal with it all?"

Fiyero turned his attention away from the other boy and back to the lovely Miss Galinda. He couldn't help noticing that a lot of the girls, and even some of the young men, passing through the courtyard had recognised him but he ignored them in favour of talking to Galinda.

"It's simple really," said Fiyero, putting his arm around Galinda's shoulder – much to the disgust of the other young ladies hovering nearby. "It's a little philosophy I like to call 'dancing through life'…"

"It sounds like fun!" declared Galinda immediately, she was well aware of the envy of the other girls and couldn't wait to tell her two closest friends that nearly the whole school had seen her being paid special attention by a Prince!

"And that is precisely the point of it all!" agreed Fiyero cheerfully. He was equally pleased that the very first person he met at Shiz was one of the most beautiful, and probably popular, girls in the school. Oh and that short fellow who seemed to have a crush on Miss Galinda but he wasn't exactly important.

"Life is too short to worry about being all deep and meaningful," he waved his free hand to dismiss those dull people who actually cared about things. "Why should we bother thinking about those things when it's so much easier to just glide through life and actually enjoy ourselves? On that subject…"

He let go of Galinda's shoulders and stepped up onto the base of the statue that loomed over the courtyard.

"What all of you hardworking students really need is a party! Am I right?"

The students in the courtyard cheered enthusiastically at the suggestion and Fiyero turned to Galinda again.

"So, what's the most swankified place in town?"

"Uhh…that would be the Ozdust Ballroom," decided Galinda after considering the possible party locations, or rather lack there of, in Shiz City.

"Sounds perfect!" he said, winking at Galinda who lowered her face and blushed slightly. Raising his voice so everyone else could hear him, he announced the arrangements for the evening.

"Listen up everybody! You, and any friends you want to bring along, are all invited to a party at the Ozdust Ballroom, held by me – Fiyero Tiggular. It'll start at eight and we'll dance all night!"

The students all cheered as he jumped down from the statue and did a short demonstration of a popular dance.

"And of course one thing every gentleman has to do tonight," he announced and held his hand out to Galinda to demonstrate. "Find the prettiest girl and give her a whirl…"

Galinda didn't take his hand as expected so he turned around to see what had happened and, as he half guessed, there was the short fellow again – he looked very pleased with himself, unlike Galinda who looked quite furious, as he finished twirling the blonde girl around.

"That was brilliant," said one of the hovering girls, daring to move in and take Galinda's place next to the prince. "I bet you know all the newest steps!"

"I most certainly do," replied Fiyero with an automatic smile. The girl was pretty enough but he preferred Galinda. "All the newest steps being danced in the most swankified clubs in the Emerald City."

"You've been to the Emerald City? How amazifying! Can you show us the steps?"

"I certainly can," agreed Fiyero amiably. "That is, if Miss Galinda will consent to be my partner for the demonstration?"

Galinda smiled beautifully, making Boq sigh, even as she walked away from him, the Munchkin didn't notice how relieved she was to be away from him.

"I would be delighted to dance with you, Master Tiggular," she didn't want to be too familiar and use his first name but students at Shiz weren't supposed to pay any attention to rank so she settled for the next best thing.

"Please," said Fiyero, pulling her gently by the hand to get her to stand with him. "You may call me Fiyero."

"So it starts a little like this…"

Fiyero demonstrated a few steps, which Galinda – and the other students – attempted to copy, then he surprised her by coming closer and showing off a quick move for partners. She shivered with delight as he grabbed her hands and pulled her closer, far too briefly, before spinning her out again.

Thank Oz for all those years of dance classes! She thought, feeling breathless from the dancing. She was surprised, and very pleased, when Fiyero put his arm around her shoulders for a few moments while he took a breather himself and watched the students practicing the steps he'd just shown them.

With a quick smile he removed his arm from her shoulder and started demonstrating another step then held out his hand, which she accepted gratefully, and pulled her into another quick, partnered, step. He was still holding her hand when the warning bell, indicating that there was only fifteen minutes left of the lunchbreak, rang and most of the students departed. Fiyero seemed to be about to say something when the Munchkin, to Galinda's extreme but invisible disgust, rushed over and butted in between them

"Miss Galinda!" he stepped in front of Fiyero. The Prince shrugged and walked away stepping onto the base of the statue to see how Miss Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands would handle her unwanted suitor, which led to him wondering if she had any other suitors who were less unwanted.

"I hope you'll save at least one dance for me," continued Boq, oblivious to Galinda's disinterest in him and rather desperate interest in being somewhere else, preferably with Fiyero. "I'll be waiting right there. Right by your side. Waiting. All night."

"Oh how very kind!" exclaimed Galinda, as an idea came into her mind. She smiled at the boy as he bowed to her quickly. "But do you know what would be even kinder? See that poor lonely girl over there?"

She pointed discreetly to Miss Nessarose, the daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland.

"It seems so unfair that we're all going to a wonderful party and no one even thought to invite her! I mean I would invite her myself but it simply isn't done for a lady to invite another lady…"

"I could invite her!" suggested Boq immediately; surely being kind to a crippled girl was a very good way to get Miss Galinda's approval!

"Oh Biq, really?" exclaimed Galinda, very girlishly. "You would do that for me?"

"I would do anything for you, Miss Galinda!"

Boq was so excited that she approved of his idea that he even forgot to correct her when she said his name incorrectly again. He walked quickly across the courtyard and addressed the Governor's daughter.

"Excuse me Miss Nessarose?" His voice was clearly audible to Galinda and Fiyero even if her softer reply wasn't. "There's something I'd like to ask you..."

Obviously Miss Nessarose agreed to hear his request because the next moment he was pushing her chair back into one of the Shiz buildings.

"You're good," said Fiyero admiringly, as he stepped down from his perch on the statue.

"I don't know what you mean..." replied Galinda with a little skip in her step, which combined with her answer made Fiyero chuckle.

"But I do happen to be free tonight, so..."

"So I'll be picking you up around eight?" suggested Fiyero, and Galinda nodded.

"After all," she said, as he walked closer to her. "Now that we've met each other, and it seems a dreadful shame that we did not meet each other sooner, it seems to me that you're perfect and…"

"You're perfect," countered Fiyero, holding out his hand for her to take. "In fact it seems to me that we're perfect together."

Elphaba Thropp was thoroughly sick of hearing about the 'Winkie Prince' and the big party he was throwing in town tonight. She managed to restrain her irritation until she got to her sister's room, where she had promised to meet Nessa after their afternoon classes were finished.

"It's absurd!" she exclaimed, as soon as she entered the room. "This silly rich boy shows up and everyone is off to worship him at some cultish social gathering!"

"Even me," interjected Nessa, in a rather dry tone, wanting to share her excitement before Elphaba got too carried away with her ranting and ruined it.

"What?"

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, thought Elphaba, after her initial outburst. Of course someone was going to invite Nessa!

"I'm going!" repeated Nessa defensively, misinterpreting her sister's exclamation to mean that Elphaba was going to try and forbid her from going.

"Oh well obviously I didn't mean you shouldn't go, Nessa. I just meant that it was ridiculous for people to carry on this way. May I ask whom you are going with? Some of your classmates?"

"Boq!" declared Nessa happily.

"Boq?"

How odd. He's always mooning around Miss "Galinda with a Ga" Upland, I wonder how he has any energy left to spare for my sister.

"Isn't it wonderful! He was too shy to ask me at first but once Galinda encouraged him…"

"Galinda?" repeated Elphaba urgently, Boq's sudden liking for Nessa made sense now!

"Nessa, don't you see what's going on…"

"No!" shouted Nessa, recognising the tone of voice Elphaba used when she was about to go off on one of her fits about what a wretched person Miss Galinda was.

"Don't you dare say another word against her. I'm about to have the first happy night of my life thanks to Galinda."

She certainly seemed to enjoy all of those parties with Father, thought Elphaba but decided not to say that to her sister, who seemed more disinclined than usual to pay attention.

"I only wish there was something I could do for Miss Galinda, to repay her for being so kind to me. Don't you see? Boq and I, we belong together and if it weren't for Galinda he might never have had a chance to find that out! Elphaba, please, try to understand!"

"I do understand and I want you to have a happy night, Nessa, I just think…"

"Well don't!" snapped Nessa. "Maybe if you spent less time thinking the worst of people you'd have more friends!"

It shouldn't hurt this much, thought Elphaba, feeling betrayed by her emotions. It shouldn't hurt so much to hear her say again what she's been saying for months but it does

"Well," said Elphaba, responding sarcastically as a cover for how she really felt. "Perhaps that would be easier to do if everyone else wasn't so ready to think the worst of me in return!"

"Why must you always be like this, Elphaba?" retorted Nessa angrily. "You're always ruining things for me!"

"One can't help the way one is born!" snapped Elphaba, sarcastically repeating something she'd overheard Nessa say, to her new friends, when they asked about her very strange sister. "Since my company is obviously a great trial for you at the moment, Nessarose Thropp, I shall remove myself from your presence. I hope you have a good evening in spite of me!"

With that Elphaba stomped across the room, yanked the door open and slammed it behind her, leaving her sister to stare after her in astonishment.

Nessa was stunned, to say the very least, she couldn't remember the last time her sister had actually shouted back at her. She was used to Elphaba's sarcasm, it was just how her sister was, but this sort of verbal attack was something new.

"Well," grumbled Nessa to herself. "She had better apologise for that soon or I shall be writing to Father about her behaviour!"

Since her sister was very clearly not interested in helping her get ready for the party Nessa decided to go in search of some of her friends, to ask their advice on what to wear to the Ozdust Ballroom.

Nessa had made a lot of friends at Shiz and, while she knew that most of them were only interested in her rank, she had become particular friends with four girls. The other girls shared a room, which made them easy to find and it was on the ground floor so Nessa was able to go and see them without asking someone to bring them to her.

"Come in," called out one of them, when Nessa knocked on the door.

"It's just me," said Nessa as she pushed the door open to see the four girls in various stages of preparing to go out that night.

"Miss Nessarose," said the vivacious Miss Rané. A charming young woman from the borderlands of Gillikin and Munchkinland who had pale skin, orange-red hair, and an overabundance, in her opinion, of freckles on her face and arms. At the moment she was affecting a snobbish upper class Gillikinese accent, modelled on the Literature professor, and failing miserable - mainly due to the fact that her hair was done up in rather undignified curlers.

"We are absolutely delighted to see you, dear classmate, what brings you to our most humble abode?"

"I have been invited to the party tonight!" said Nessa proudly. "I was hoping one of you would have time to help me decide what to wear?"

"Dear Nessa!" squealed one of the Gillikinese twins, the blonde Kara, in delight. "Tell us who invited you?"

"Of course we assumed you had been invited anyway," interjected her brunette sister, Syra. "Or we would have invited you ourselves."

"Oh naturally I was going to ask if you wished to attend in a group with me," Nessa assured them. "This is what happened, I was on my way to do just that when Master Boq asked to speak to me! He wants to go to the party with me!"

All four of the girls, the one who hadn't spoken yet was Seiana a small, quiet, girl from Gillikin, knew that Nessa had developed a liking for Master Boq way back at the beginning of the term but – as they all agreed – it simply was not done for a lady to approach a young man she was interested in and Nessa had despaired of Boq ever noticing her.

"That's simply wonderful!" declared Kara. "And of course we can come and help you pick your dress. Well not Rané, unless she wants to be seen in public with her hair like that…"

"It will look fantastic when I take them out!" protested Rané.

"But the rest of us can. I know I already have my dress picked and some of us have naturally waved hair," she added, with a sly look at Rané, who pulled a childish face at her.

"We both decided to wear the party dresses we bought for Miss Cassia's birthday party, which is weeks away," said Syra, explaining why they were ready so soon. "So we only need to fix our hair and makeup. We could do yours for you, if you like, once you're dressed?"

"Thank you for the offer but I can manage my own makeup, Syra. My father only lets me wear it for special occasions and I do think this would count, unlike normal classes."

"Oh, I sometimes forget how strict Munchkinlanders can be with their daughters," remarked Kara, a true Gillikinese girl.

"Never mind all that, Kara," said Syra, swatting her sister's arm with her hand. "We're supposed to be helping Nessa pick a dress remember?"

"I know, I was just saying…"

"Well you talk too much!" joked Syra. " Come on, Nessa, I think I remember just the dress in your wardrobe."

"Which one?" said Nessa eagerly.

"I definitely recall a rather fetching pale pink dress, with a matching half jacket, that your dear father sent to you a few week ago and I know you haven't worn it yet. I think that should be our first choice but of course we'll investigate the rest."

"Just as long as we're quiet," said Nessa. "You never know when Madame Morrible is going to be in her half of the apartment and she gets so very…polite when one makes too much noise!"

"Quiet it is,"

"Perhaps we should leave Kara here then!"

"Syra!"

"A simple joke, sister dear, a simple joke!"

As Nessa was wheeled back towards her room by Seiana, followed by the giggling twins, she couldn't help but feel jealous of how much the Gillikinese sisters cared for each other and wish that she belonged to…well to a normal family with a sister who would treat her like an equal and could be treated like an equal in return.