All right the second chapter of New Hope is up and well I will let you read on to see what happens. I think you will like especially the last part. Feedback is welcome even if you want to flame it.(flaming doesn't bother me at all.) Now enjoy chapter 2 of New Hope.

Elphaba just finished her third cup of Gilikin coffee, she knew she was going to regret it later, and place the empty mug into the kitchen sink. The staying up all night and thinking who in the hell was that person in Hope's room took a toll on her physically and mentally. This wasn't a time to take a blow to her mind and body for today was the day of Glinda's memorial and she needed to be in tip top shape to get through the service without breaking down. Getting the Lion before he left to help set up the area and telling him what happened last night was a booster for her. It made her feel less on the edge when he promised her, after asking if they were all right, to up the guards around the palace to make sure it doesn't happen again. Elphaba gave herself a full body stretch to kick start her still sleepy body and left the kitchen to say goodbye to Hope. It would only be for a few hours but Elphaba didn't like leaving her daughter without her for too long. She figured it must be a mother thing.

The green witch always made sure that she and her daughter got alone time on this day so they could do their own thing on this day. Last year Elphaba took Hope up to Gilikin to see her grandparents. Glinda's parents welcome them with open arms and huge smiles. The raven haired beauty likes them a lot for they figured out that she and Glinda were more then just friends after that one time they stayed there during Winter Break. She and Glinda were highly taken by surprised when her parents threw a huge celebration for them. It was a moment Elphaba never forgot especially when Glinda was crying and hugging her parents whispering her love for them as they did her. They were happy that Glinda found some one who truly cared and loved her with all her heat. That's all that mattered to them.

Those two highly spoiled Hope when they were there for the weekend but thankfully didn't give Elphaba any trouble afterwards. This year the green witch was thinking about doing a picnic out by the pond area and stay there until the stars came out or until they were too tired. Elphaba sighed heavily as she made her way to her daughter's room. She really didn't want to go this year but it was for Glinda and that was enough incentive to go to the heart of the Emerald City. On the way to Hope Elphaba bumped right into Fiyero as he walked the opposite way of her.

"I'm sorry, Yero." The green witch apologized for walking into him. Fiyero gave a smile and waved it off. Word got around to him about what happened last night and he was on his way to see how her and Hope were doing. His blue eyes grew concern when he noticed the tiredness in the brown eyes. Yesterday must have been really rough on her. Fiyero put a hand on a shoulder and squeezed it gently. Elphaba looked up to him to see what he wanted.

"I don't want to do this today. I'm trying to move on but going there it wouldn't help and I want to be near Hope after what happened yesterday." The raven haired beauty explained after seeing the questioning in Fiyero's eyes. His eyes soften into sympathy. Elphaba took Glinda's death really hard and to take a step forward that's good in his mind. He didn't like seeing her mope around and be a shell of a person he once knew. It's all understandable of course; Elphaba lost the one person who meant the world to her. But now she has Hope in her life and it made it better for her to continue on in life.

He saw how much that little girl means to her. Her soulful brown eyes were filled with life again and happiness when ever Hope was in her sights. She loves that child more then the world itself and would do anything to protect and make sure she is safe. Fiyero opened his mouth to say something along the line of that until he saw the ring still gracing the left finger. He knew there that Elphaba hasn't move on at all. The ring still being there says it all.

"If you are trying to move on why do you still wearing the ring on your finger?" The Winkie prince asked a hardball question. Elphaba gave him a confused look then looked to her left hand. Tears pricked at her eyes at seeing the pink jeweled on her hand. The green witch put her other hand over the item and made sure she had a good grip on it. Fiyero was right, why did she have this ring on her if she was trying to move on from Glinda.

Elphaba gulped hard and pulled. It barely moved a fraction of an inch when Elphaba realized she couldn't remove it. This ring held the promises Glinda gave her long ago and she felt like she was breaking them again if the ring came off. She couldn't move on until something gave her a peace in her mind to officially let go of Glinda. Elphaba gave a chocked sob and let go of her ring.

"I can't. I just can't." She whispered as she shook her head back and forth a couple of time. Fiyero felt guilty for getting his friend so worked up in the morning just before Glinda's memorial service too. He was going to comfort her when Hope's voice range out behind him.

"Mommy."

Elphaba froze at hearing her daughter's voice. She can't see her like this. The green witch wiped her eyes away with tears and made sure she looked like nothing was wrong. When she knew that was all good she motioned Fiyero to move to the left so she could see Hope. There dressed in black, almost floor length dress stood her daughter. Her raven colored locks was put up in a ponytail and her eyes still big and blue. The green witch lost her breath at how gorgeous her daughter looked in such a simple dress. Glinda would have a heart attack because Hope was wearing black.

Green lips tugged up slightly at that thought then went down almost into a frown at the thought of when Hope was older and boys would be chasing after her daughter. She needed to find a solution about that when Hope was older and knew about the opposite sex or same. The green witch would want her daughter to find someone who loved her, cared for her, and made sure as hell protected her with their life. Elphaba shook that out of her head she had awhile for that to actually happen.

"What is it, Hope?"

Hope pouted her lips at the question. It's like her mommy knows that she wanted something. Elphaba sighed at the look she was getting. That look made her almost agree with whatever the green child asked of her. The green witch couldn't help but think of Glinda at that pout. She raised an eyebrow telling Hope to ask what she wanted to ask. Hope widened her eyes involuntarily and cocked her head to the side as she twisted her bare foot on the cold ground. There Elphaba knew what her daughter wanted and she knew what her answer was.

"Can I go with you to the celebration?" Hope asked.

Elphaba made her face look stern so Hope won't talk back to her after she gave her the bad news. Hope sobered up at that look and pouted her lips even more. Elphaba shook her head no and then verbalized it. She mustn't let that look push her over. This was one of the times she needed to be firm with Hope.

"No, not until you are older."

The green child stomp her foot and her eyes flashed in anger. She wanted to go and see what this is all about. She was tired of missing her mommy for hours and for her to come home with redness in her eyes. Every time she would ask if mommy was all right, Elphaba would say she was but Hope knew that was not the case. She is very perceptive for her age and Elphaba doesn't know that yet. Elphaba gave her the look that meant don't push your luck. Hope shook her head back and forth with a grunt. Green nostrils flare at her daughter's stubbornness that was one trait she hoped to Oz that she didn't get from her. Fate didn't give the option and Hope had inherited her mommy's stubborn streak.

"I want to go."

"Well your not, Hope. Now stop acting like this otherwise you will go to your room." Elphaba threatened in a very firm voice. The fire in the crystal blue eyes made the green witch start to breath heavier. Sweet Oz that look. That's Glinda's look when she was getting mad at her. Hope stomped her foot harder on the ground and Elphaba was near her breaking point. She doesn't tolerate this kind of behavior. Poor Fiyero was caught in the middle of a Thropp' strong headness battle that was going to explode very soon.

"I want to go, Mommy. I want to!" Hope shouted.

"Enough!" The green witch yelled. At that strong voice Hope shrunk away that fire in the voice and in her mommy's eyes. Her mommy never yelled at her like this and it scared her. Hope had tears running down her cheeks; Elphaba lost her breath at the look. She didn't mean to make her daughter cry at all as guilt flooded her body. Hope clutched the ring around her neck then ran down the hall brushing past her mommy. Her sobs echoed down the hall as Elphaba put a hand to her chest and leaned against the wall for support. The green witch looked to her right when Fiyero nudged her off the wall. Her eyes told him she didn't mean to yell at Hope like that.

"Go now, Elphaba." Fiyero said strongly as he pushed her down the hall Hope ran down. Elphaba nodded her head with vigor and sprinted down the hallway, she need to make right with Hope. Glinda would understand if she was late. Hope comes first in these kinds of situations. The green witch got to a t-section part of the palace, going on instinct she took a left only to bounce back a couple of feet when she ran into what she thought was a brick wall.

"Oh thank Oz, Miss Elphaba I was looking all over for you. We need to go now. You can't be late for the opening ceremony." A voice talked to her with relief. Elphaba was still shaking the stars out of her head when a great pressure came onto her left arm and she was being dragged down the right hall. Her heart started to pound faster, this wasn't the way she wanted to go. She needed to get to Hope and apologize for raising her voice like she did. The green witch tried to get out of the iron grip but the person taking her away from her daughter ignored her attempts like a pesky fly.

"I need to get to my daughter. Let me go." The raven haired beauty demanded as she tried to dig her heels on the slick ground.

"Your daughter can wait. Your presence is much more needed in the ceremony."

That remark made Elphaba's blood boil. Who ever this person was didn't have a child and obviously didn't care about her relationship with her own. The green witch fought and fought with the person but they were too strong and the next thing she knew she was in a carriage going away from her crying daughter. Elphaba slid into a seat and put her face into her hands. Her shoulders started to shake as tears slowly made down her cheeks.

XXX

Hope was sitting near the pond's edge though not close enough to fall in, just like her mommy told her to. Her tears were still coming down her tear stained face. She didn't like it when her mommy got mad at her but she never seen her mommy yell like that before. It scared her and the next thing she knew she was crying. As Hope started to wipe away the tears with the back of her hand, dark boots crunched the soft ground and headed towards the sniffling green child. Sensing that someone was near her, Hope snapped her head upwards then scrambled backwards at seeing the hooded figure from last night towering over her.

Hope opened her mouth to scream so that someone could get here and take away this scary person. The hooded figure had other plans and quickly clamped a hand over the open mouth effectively muffling the piercing cry that could have sent help. The person put the other gloved hand to their own lips and used the other to wipe away the tears off the green face. Hope moved her head away from the fingers, her eyes lost its fear quality at that touch that seem familiar to her some how.

She looked back when she heard grass being shifted around. The green girl watched as the cloaked figure kneel down in front of her and put a hand behind their back. Hope leaned forward at what this person was doing. She gasped when the figure produced a pink rose and held it out to her. The person then pointed at the rose and then at her, indicating it was for her.

"I…I'm not allowed to take things from strangers." Hope responded remembering what Elphaba has taught her. The cloaked figure was persistent and put the rose closer to Hope, they really wanted her to have this gift. A green hand slowly made its way to the green stem of the flower. The person inhaled sharply when Hope's hand grazed their own, they could feel the heat of the hand despite wearing gloves. When Hope took the rose out of the hand the cloaked figure dropped the hand and watched the green child bring the pink flower to her nose.

"Gilikin Rose! That's my favorite flower." Hope exclaimed happily when she found out what type of flower this was. Her shining blue eyes looked up to the person and watched their head nod in confirmation on both thins she said. The cloaked figure then shifted their position; they took their legs out underneath them and laid the feet on their sides then used a hand on the ground for support. This person didn't seem as scary as last night. There was an aura about them that seemed very familiar to Hope and she couldn't place it at all.

She closed her eyes when a gloved hand ran through her thick, dark locks. This was a gesture her mommy does all the time. How do they know about it? When Hope opened her eyes, she saw the person holding a gloved hand out to her. Hope bit her lip and had to think about what mommy has told her not to do. The hand closed around the tiny, green one when it was cautiously put into there own. The person squeezed it gently as if to reassure the green child that she was doing nothing wrong. They then helped Hope up into a standing position and started to guide her to the woods.

What's going to happen with Hope and the cloaked figure? Will she struggle when she see where they are going or will she willingly go with them? Well you have to wait and see in the next chapter.