Hello guys , my first Oz fiction, hope you will like it. Loved the movie, and I loved in particular the initial scenes between Oz and Annie, I found em very poignant and emotional, showing that Oscar is a man afraid of being stuck in what he thinks is routine, normalcy, he wants something more than that, even if that will mean say goodbye to his first love Annie. So let's see how this will impact Oz and Glinda's relationship and romance. I know lot of people loved the Theodora romance, but she's just too volatile in my opinion and really Glinda is pretty much destined to be with him, I think ?

A.N. : I don't own Oz, Oscar Diggs or anything really, just my imagination :)

Now and Then

The line of supplicants seems to grow longer and longer every day since the Great Wizard of Oz took residence in the Emerald City, effectively ending the reign of terror of the Wicked Witch of the East, Evanora, and pushing away the even more dangerous presence of the Theodora, now only known as the Wicked Witch of the West.

Oscar Diggs sat on his stool behind the machinery that made him what everyone knows him for today, a n ethereal presence with a stern and severe look, the great and terrible Oz. He didn't think that being the savior of a nation would give him so many tasks, his days were pretty full, and unfortunately he couldn't spend more time with his new family, especially Glinda, the woman he fell in love for.

Glinda. Her smile was always so bright and sincere that it always lift his spirits up from a tiring day, her always cheery disposition towards her people, no matter what she was always available for any person who might need her, even if just for some comfort. She is the real ruler, the real Queen of Oz, and if he could go back in time and change things, she now will be sitting on that throne and rule the wonderful Land of Oz.

Sourpuss, aka Knuck (he just couldn't think of him other then the acronym the gave him) blows the horn announcing the end of working day for Oz.

"All right folks, the wizard is done for the day! Please go back to your homes and the wizard will see you tomorrow, exit the castle in orderly fashion, or I'll knock you off! Thank you! "

"OK! Finally I can relax! Being the Wizard is tiresome! I need a vacation..." Oscars grins

"Vacation? What 's that?" asks China Doll, jumping up and down, trying to take Oscar's attention.

"Wait! Don't tell me you don't get vacations here? Honestly?"

"Honestly yourself! " then giggles when he picks her up and launches her in the air a few times.

"Well, from where I come from, people go in a vacation, in some place very nice and beautiful, where they can relax and enjoy life for a little time before going back to reality of every day work, family and chores and so on."

"Ohhh sounds like fun! You and Glinda should go somewhere and have fun! She certainly needs some down time you know. You should ask her."

"Ask me what, my child?" ask Glinda as she enters the throne room.

Oscar looks up from China Doll and smiles when he sees her. For a moment Annie's image enters his mind and for just an instant he's filled with sadness and regret, but it passes quickly. He feels re energized just by her mere presence.

"Oh nothing, nothing, I'll talk about later" says trying to shut China Doll with his finger. " I'll go freshen up in my chambers, why don't you guys go ahead and I'll meet you in the dining room, OK? "and with that left the throne room in a hurry.

Glinda noticed that moment of sadness in him. It is always there when he puts his eyes on her, but it fades away in an instant. She wonders why is that, if she is the cause of that moment of sadness, what to do to confide in her and let her help him.

She still remember fondly their first encounter, not long time ago, in the royal graveyard where he was sent by the evil Evanora to steal and destroy her wand, good thing he didn't. His face was all of the sudden surprised and filled with unbelief, like he was just seeing a ghost. Even if initially she wasn't that much impressed by the Wizard of the prophecy, she grew up to like him, his conniving charms and boyish attitude on creating the biggest show the land of Oz, saving them from the wicked Witches.

That kiss was still lingering on her lips. Certainly she now kisses him whenever she can, somehow her life is now better, like she was missing the last piece of the puzzle. Oscar certainly still has a lot of flaws, he's con man ways still came out time to time, but over all that goodness that she saw in him buried deep, with a few pushes here and there and it popped out , shining bright.

So she started for his chambers, trying to see a way on how to get him to open up to her. It certainly will need some cunning, something that she was afraid not to be good at, especially against an experienced man who until Oz lived with cunning, conning and sleazy charms as his main method of living.

So she was left a bit startled when he found Oscar looking out of the window with a profound sorrowful look, and that alarmed her a bit. It wasn't like Oscar to be that sad and preoccupied, and she knew that she has to discover what her wonderful Wizard was keeping from her.