Chapter 2: My Baby, Elphaba Thropp

Melena's POV

I lovingly cradled the green-skinned baby against my chest. Really, I'd wanted both of the babies, but I didn't have enough time to grab the other child. Oh, well, Frex and I would raise little Elphaba as our own. She'd never know that she wasn't Ozian—that she wasn't one of us.

I returned home and quickly made it look like Elphaba was really my child—not like I'd kidnapped her.

Frex came in and smiled at me. Then he saw Elphaba. "When did you have a baby?"

"A few hours ago," I replied immediately. "We didn't have time to get the midwife, so Nanny helped and I've given her the rest of the day off, as well."

He nodded and glanced back at the crib. Elphaba was crying.

I quickly picked up the shrieking baby, and eventually calmed her down, but she fought me. Could she know I wasn't her mother? I didn't worry. Two years, later, Frex and I had a second daughter.

Right before our second daughter was born, I said, "Frex, I'm sorry."

"What are you saying?" he asked.

"Elphaba—she isn't ours," I explained.

"What?" he asked.

"I kidnapped her a few hours after she was born," I admitted, slipping into the eternal blackness.

He stared at me and whispered, "Well, I can't give her back, not yet. I'll raise her alongside Nessarose—as Nessa's servant of course—and after college, I'll tell her the truth."