Chapter 1: Trust in a Stranger

He hurried through the darkness struggling with the burden in his arms over the dilapidated section of the yellow-brick road. Ahead he could see a small inn awash in candle light. Knowing it was now or never to take a chance and possibly ruin everything, but he knew he needed help, and quickly.

The inn-keeper was not used to visitors at this time of night. He saw the dark skinned man carrying a bundle swathed in a black cloak hurry towards and began preparing to check in this unknown stranger. "Business is business," he muttered to himself.

With a bang the inn door opened and a diamond painted man stepped over the threshold. The cloak had fallen away from his arms revealing a woman heavily pregnant and in obvious pain. Though that was not the most shocking thing…

"Sweet Oz," The inn-keeper gasped, "It's the witch!" He moved around the desk in search of his dagger.

"Please sir." Fiyero moved towards him and shifted Elphaba in his arms. "Please I beg you. She's not going to harm you. I," Fiyero paused catching his breath and Elphaba moaned wrapping her arms tighter around his neck. She had yet to even open her eyes. "I really need your help. The baby," Fiyero paused searching the man's face desperately for some compassion, "I don't know what to do, where to go."

The inn-keeper stared dumbfounded at the sight in front of him. The witch was alive? Let alone about to give birth in the middle of the foyer?

"Prince Fiyero?" The man's eyes widened at someone recognizing him, but Fiyero nodded anyway. "But how are you? How is she?"

"She is my wife. We're alive, and everything you've heard about her is a lie. Please sir all I ask is some compassion."

"Fiyero it hurts." Elphaba's voice was weak and hoarse breaking the tension between the two men. The inn-keeper could see tears streaking her face and sweat dotting at her hairline. The pair looked exhausted and beaten. Something within the man snapped. Perhaps he could take pity; for what had she personally done to him? He watched the couple as Fiyero nuzzled her cheek and gently kissed her forehead whispering something calming to the distressed woman. The desperation in the situation hit the inn-keeper.

"Let me go wake my wife. Here is a key, room 3. My wife will know what to do."

Fiyero gratefully took the key hooking it on one of his fingers, "Thank you." He hurried down the hallway propping Elphaba upright only to unlock the door and usher her inside.

"See? It's alright everything is going to be ok."

He settled her on the bed quickly lighting the lamp in the room. Stroking her hair and providing what little comfort he could to her. She rested her head against his shoulder speaking softly, "Yero…we can't. This isn't safe. It could ruin everything." She was quickly getting worked up and that was the last thing he wanted, to upset her more

"Just trust me. I have a good feeling. Plus, it's the only option." He laughs lightly, "I sure as hell can't deliver a baby." She gave him a wan smile. "I just want you, both of you," He rested a hand on her belly, "To be safe."

She quirked an eyebrow, "So reveal our identities? Brilliant my love. You still may be just a bit brainless." He laughed at that and took her hand shrugging. He was relieved she was not so delirious she couldn't snip him a good one.

"Some things just can't be changed by magic, and I didn't here you arguing like this before."

"I'm being torn from the inside out. Don't be flip at this moment." She glared. "This is your fault anyway." He only tucked her hair behind her ear. He wasn't so brainless to respond to that comment. He felt her grip his hand hard as another contraction and a commotion started in the hallway.

"Margio here, room three." The disembodied voice of the inn-keeper wafts through the door.

"Donner what in the world is so important that…" A plump woman with graying hair appears in the doorway and promptly screams at the sight. Her husband is quick to quiet her and pushes her into the room slamming the door. Fiyero looks on warily from the bed ready to protect either of them if needed. Elphaba was still working through a contraction.

"Margio it's ok. They're not going to hurt us."

"What in Lurline's name is going on? What is she doing here? How are they alive?" The woman scuttled around the room worried with Donner trying to calm her.

"Please Ma'm." It was Elphaba that spoke. The entire room snapped their heads in her direction at her. She winced as she propped herself up on her elbow. Fiyero clutched her hand again. "Please." Elphaba looks at the woman maintaining eye contact only to wince and burying her head in Fiyero's shoulder as strong contraction ripped through her. Letting out a cry she clutched her belly and braced herself against the headboard.

Margio opened and closed her mouth, thinking and then taking action. "I need towels and boil some water. No." She pauses looking at the couple on the bed. "Water?"

"Water's fine." Elphaba gasped out. She breathed again as the contraction ebbed.

Margio pointed to Donner, "Get the water." Pointing to Fiyero, "You get the towels in the linen closet to your right down the hall." Both men gaped at her. "GO!" They promptly ran out of the room.

Margio kept her distance from Elphaba, "What's your real name?" She asked quietly.

"Elphaba."

Fiyero, interrupting the moment between the two women, quickly returned with the towels stacked in his arms. She let out a loud cry, and Fiyero was at her side instantly. "It's ok. It's ok. I'm right here." He spoke as he massaged her back. He felt her nod and relax against him.

Margio was preparing everything checking on Elphaba as she cried out again crushing Fiyero's arm as she writhed back on the bed.

"Oh my, this baby is in a bit of a hurry." Margio quickly got herself into position.

Fiyero nodded his eyes wide. He's never participated in a birth before and he had no idea it had encompassed so much screaming and squishing of his body parts. He looked away from Elphaba and concentrated on what Margio was doing. "What do you mean in a hurry?"

"Elphaba I need to you push on this next one." Margio ignored his query.

Elphaba nodded and she felt Fiyero's arms around her from behind, supporting her, holding her. She'd never felt so grateful as she did in this moment to have, well, someone.

He kissed the side of her head as she began to push. "I love you." She only grunted in response.

"That's a girl keeping pushing, don't stop."

Fiyero couldn't believe how surreal this scene felt. He was lost in the moment he watched Elphaba as she would tense and relax, knowing not to say anything. Elphaba cried out breaking him from his thoughts.

"I can't." She breathed and cried. He reached up and wiped her sweaty brow.

"You can. You will Fae." He said looking into her glazed eyes.

"Come on a big push and then we'll be well on our way. The head is almost here." Margio coached as Elphaba vigorously nodded her head mumbling no.

"I love you Fae just a little more," He whispered and some how she took strength in that as contractions came and went. She felt something slide out of her and a great release of pressure made her fall back into the head board. All she could hear was her own breathing then something cut through the blur and throbbing, something so beautiful neither her nor Fiyero could process it, a baby's cry.

She started laughing and crying at the same time from relief and joy.

Fiyero could only look on in awe as he saw his son enter the world. He smiled as the pink baby squirmed in the old woman's arms. As the baby was cleaned and placed in his mother's arms Fiyero took a moment and wiped the tears he didn't realize were falling. He got up and hugged the old woman. "Thank you." Was all he could manage at the time.

"Your welcome. I'll be along now. Fetch me if you need anything." She said touching his arm and nodding at Elphaba as the door shut behind her.

The baby continued to wail in his mother's arms and Fiyero gently settled next to her. She looked up at him and really neither of them could find words to articulate the moment.

"Look at him," She whispered. The baby had a small wisp of dark hair, plump pink mouth, and dark blue birth eyes.

"He's so small," Fiyero sniffled and gently pulled back the bundle of blankets to get a closer look.

"He didn't feel small," Elphaba let out a weak laugh and rocked the baby gently to quiet him. "It's okay, sssshhh."

The baby's cries quieted from wails, to whimpers as the repetitive motion soothed him. Both of his parents where entranced watching their son as he quieted and soon fell asleep. Fiyero was stroking a tiny hand that had settled near his son's face.

"We need a name you know." Elphaba gently nudged Fiyero over wincing slightly at the movement. Settling her head onto Fiyero's chest she felt his arms wrap around her. It was comforting to feel the weight of her baby and the beat of her husband's heart. She yawned. "I don't think I've ever been so tired." She handed Fiyero the baby and snuggled next to him as he wrapped his free arm around her.

"Go ahead and sleep for a bit. The name can wait." Fiyero glanced at her and noticed she was well on her way to slumber.

"Mmhmm. I love you." She mumbled.

Fiyero smiled and leaned down to kiss her lightly. Content to just hold his family.

A shrill cry jolted Fiyero awake. He was unused to being awoken in such a matter. The baby was crying in Fiyero's arms, he rocked him a little as he had seen Elphaba do and that did nothing to assuage the problem. He felt Elphaba stirring beside him.

"Whatstmatter?" She mumbled groggily. She then realized who was making those cries, and what had just happened a few hours before. Turning to Fiyero she had him hand her the baby.

"I think he's hungry." Fiyero gently pulled her hair back for her and handing her a pillow to prop behind her.

"Hungry?" She unclasped her shift, and with a motherly instinct, neither she nor Fiyero knew she possessed, got the baby to nurse.

"You're a genius."

"I know." She smiled yawning again. "This is so odd."

"What is?"

"This. Sitting here in a bed in the middle of civilization for the first time in months. Knowing people know we are alive. No longer being the size of a house. Having a baby sucking on me." She laughed. "Do I need to go on?"

He laughed, "No."

Shifting the baby she burped him and let him rest against the curve of her shoulder while she adjusted herself against the headboard. Fiyero smiled at her and she blushed a beautiful verdant shade, "What?"

"He's got a very content expression right now."

"He takes after his father; get's what he wants and falls asleep, typically male."

"Funny."

"I thought so." The couple sat in a comfortable silence.

"I had a dream a few weeks ago I never told you about," Fiyero broke the silence and laid down staring at the ceiling. "I dreamt I saw a little boy running through the woods. I assumed it was me chasing him. He had your smile." Elphaba gently settled the baby between the both of them in the bed and Fiyero paused making sure the child still stayed asleep.

"Normally I'm the one with the premonitions my dear."

"I don't know what this was, but I used the name Liir for the boy?" He left it as a question. He could see her pondering the name. She rolled it back and forth a couple of times then nodded in ascension.

"I like it. It seems to fit."

"It does doesn't it?"

"Tell me more about this dream."

"There really isn't much more. I chased the little boy into your arms. It was a happy dream actually; I'm really not used to those."

"Me either love."

Fiyero yawned. "G'night Fae."

"See you in a couple of hours. You'll be on burping duty." She responded with a smirk and a kiss before she let herself be drawn back into slumber.

&

In the Emerald City, Madame Morrible stirred in her sleep. She awoke abruptly with a vision. It was hazy, but clear enough. She quickly walked to the window glancing out among the stars trying to discern their meaning. This was an interesting development indeed. The power in what had just happened somewhere in OZ was palpable, and she was a smart woman. The wizard wasn't coming. No, no, no, something particularly more useful was now at her discretion.