DISCLAIMER: The Wicked universe and the characters you recognise are not mine. The plot and all original characters are the creation and copyright of me.

AN. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the first chapter! And Frex Lover- I am so fascinated by that. Can I ask why?

Chapter 2

As the carriage driver loaded the last of the luggage, Annalie turned to say goodbye to her parents.

Lilou Swift embraced her daughter tightly. "Write to us once you get settled," she said firmly. "Let us know how things are."

"I will," Annalie promised.

Her mother handed her a small wicker basket. "I packed you a few things in case you get hungry on the journey."

"Mom, the journey to Munchkinland is only six hours. How hungry do you think I'll be?" Annalie laughed, taking the basket and feeling the weight.

"Better safe than sorry," Lilou said briskly. "Be safe, darling."

"I will, Mom. I love you."

Her father, Pim, kissed her cheek warmly and helped her into the carriage.

"Are you sure you and Mom will be alright without me?" she asked softly when her mother was out of earshot.

"We'll be fine, Anna. Don't worry about us. Just make sure you write, hmm?"

"You and Mom could come visit me in Munchkinland?" Annalie suggested.

Pim smiled. "We'll see," he said vaguely.

He shut the carriage door for her and tapped the door twice, and the carriage moved off. Leaning out the window, Annalie watched as her parents and childhood home moved out of view.

She was torn about leaving her parents. This wasn't the first time she'd left home of course, she'd spent three years at Shiz and loved them. She'd spent the last year of her Linguification degree planning to move to the Vinkus with her long-time boyfriend. They'd had it all worked out. They were both going to teach, her Language and him Science. And then Annalie had gotten news that had changed everything. Her older brother, Tomaz, had been killed in a mine collapse in the Emerald Mines. Devastated, Annalie had returned home to Glikkus for the funeral.

Both her parents seemed to have aged twenty years overnight. Lilou could barely get out of bed in her grief, and Pim alternated between devastation and anger. The plan had always been for Tomaz to follow Pim into the family business, but Tomaz had no passion for carpentry and had followed his childhood friends into the mines. Tomaz and Pim had fought bitterly over that, and had only just begun to repair their relationship when Tomaz was killed.

And so Annalie had abandoned her plans of love and to live in the Vinkus, unwilling to leave her parents alone in the house. She had taken a job in the local library and there she had remained until now. She and her boyfriend, who had planned to spend the rest of their lives together, had not parted well. He had not understood her reasons for staying in the Glikkus, and she couldn't fathom his lack of understanding and empathy.

From what she understood, he was still in the Vinkus, teaching and married with a small son. It no longer hurt to think of what might have been… much.

Now, six years later, her parents were doing much better and encouraging her to get on with her own life. Annalie still missed her brother dreadfully, and the whole family still felt his loss painfully. Even now, Annalie rarely spoke of his death unless she had to. When facing what to do with her life, Annalie had thought about finally getting a teaching job, but had instead stumbled upon this job with the Governor.

It wasn't quite what she had been looking for, but she had thought this was a step in the right direction. At least for a year or two. And she was looking forward to the experience, this new chapter of her life- an epoch, as she had called them since she was a little girl and had read the term in her favourite book.

The journey from the mountain Glikkun town of Emelle to Colwen Grounds in Munchkinland passed relatively quickly. Early afternoon found the carriage pulling up to the white Governor's mansion that sat atop the hill.

With relief, Annalie opened the door and climbed out before the driver came to help her. Leaving the driver to unload the luggage, Annalie climbed the front steps and rang the bell. It was opened by the housekeeper, who smiled welcomingly.

"Miss Annalie, welcome. I trust your journey was good?"

"It was fine, thank you, Mrs Braell."

"Oh please, call me Nikita, even the Governor does. I'm sorry to say the Governor isn't here to meet you. He was called away to a budget meeting at city hall. The girls are here, however. Come in, come in. Riad will help the driver with your luggage."

"Riad?"

"The gardener, dearie," Nikita explained as she ushered Annalie into the house.

Annalie heard her call instructions out to Riad, but didn't hear the words, she was too busy taking in the foyer of the mansion. Although she had been to the house twice before now, she was looking around as though seeing it for the first time. It seemed larger somehow, and she was almost in awe of the grand staircase that sat front and centre in the foyer.

"I'll give you a quick tour, shall I? I don't want to leave the girls alone for too long," Nikita offered, drawing Annalie's attention back to the present.

The layout was not as overwhelming as Annalie had first thought, although Nikita really just pointed out rooms as they passed nearby. Her room was towards the back of the house near the back staircase, separated from Nessa's by a small bathroom they could both access. Upstairs was the Governor's suite, two spare rooms, a bathroom and at the end of the hall, Elphaba's room, although Nikita merely pointed out the door and didn't show her the room.

"Now, breakfast is at seven thirty precisely every weekday. The family always eat breakfast in the kitchen unless we have guests staying. You take your meals with the family, again, unless there's company. Riad only eats lunch here, and he doesn't work weekends. Lunch is at noon. If the Governor's home, we eat in the dining room but if it's just the girls, they eat in the kitchen. Dinner is at six thirty, always in the dining room. If there's company, the girls are expected to be dressed semi-formally. Nessarose's bed time is seven thirty, Elphaba's is eight thirty, but she usually reads until nine or so. Any questions so far?"

Annalie was too busy trying to keep track of all the information and the layout of the house to have questions.

"Where are the girls now?" she asked.

"Sitting at the kitchen table shelling peas for me," Nikita replied. "Would you like to see them first or freshen up?"

"I'll see the girls," Annalie decided.

Nikita nodded and led her to the kitchen.

"How are we doing girls?" she asked as they entered the room.

"Fine," Elphaba answered.

Both girls had a small bowl before them at the table into which they were shelling the peas, and the peas came from a larger bowl in between them.

"Fabala's done more than me," Nessa complained.

"I'm older," Elphaba pointed out.

"Girls, you both remember Miss Annalie, don't you?" Nikita cut in.

Nessarose nodded. "Hi, Miss Annalie," she said, still looking rather shy.

"Hi, Nessa. Or do you prefer Nessarose?"

"You can call me Nessa," the little girl answered timidly, and Annalie smiled at her warmly.

"Hello, Elphaba."

Elphaba took a moment to meet Annalie's eyes. "Hello."

The wariness and distrust in the girl's eyes stunned Annalie and she felt more than a little uncomfortable.

Annalie sat at the table and made small talk with the girls. Nessa, after answering a few questions about herself- when her birthday was and her favourite colour- got up the courage to ask Annalie a few questions about herself.

After a few minutes, Annalie excused herself to go unpack her things, and Nessa asked to go with her.

"Of course you can," Annalie agreed.

"Elphaba, do you want to come too?" Nessa asked her sister.

"I want to finish shelling the peas," Elphaba answered, not looking up.

Annalie glanced at Nikita uncertainly, who nodded, before she grasped the handles of Nessa's chair and headed out of the kitchen.

Nessa watched mostly in silence as Annalie unpacked her things. The room was small, yet still a reasonable size and very comfortable. It was connected to Nessarose's room by a small bathroom, and as she put a few select toiletries in a cupboard, Annalie could see into the girl's bedroom.

"Your room is beautiful, Nessa," she complimented her. "Did you decorate it yourself?"

Nessa nodded with a smile. "Daddy let me decorate it for my birthday last year. Miss Valeria helped me pick all the colours and the furniture and everything."

It was decorated in shades of dusty rose, with a high bed piled with pillows that looked as though it would swallow Nessa whole. A small table sat at the foot of the bed, set out with a toy tea set and a giant stuffed rabbit sitting on one of the chairs. All the furniture was beautiful and was exquisitely carved, it was a room fit for a princess.

"You did an excellent job. Tell me about your rabbit. What's his name?"

Once Frex returned home from his meeting, he took Annalie into his study and told her everything about the households daily routine she would have to know. Of course, some of it Nikita had already told her, but Annalie listened carefully just the same.

It seemed as though she would be spending most of her time on the ground floor, which relieved her somewhat. Unless she was going upstairs to see Elphaba in her room, Annalie had no reason to go upstairs, which made the large house seem less daunting. She could easily acquaint herself with the layout of the ground floor.

She spent the rest of the afternoon with Nessarose, trying to get to know the little girl better. Annalie got the feeling that once Nessa knew her better and wasn't so shy, they'd get along fine. At the moment she seemed content to spend time with Annalie and would answer any questions she asked, but didn't offer much conversation of her own. Elphaba was trickier to figure out, and Annalie wondered if the green child intended to avoid her unless absolutely impossible. Worse, Annalie felt a little relieved at that idea. She couldn't work out how to act around her and she was worried she was staring at the odd coloured skin.

At her first meal in the Governor's house, Annalie wasn't really sure where to sit at the table, until Nessa shyly pointed her to the seat next to the space where her wheelchair was placed. Frex sat at the head of the table and Elphaba sat opposite Nessarose. It felt very strange to be sitting with the family to eat when Nikita didn't. It was a very quiet meal. The food was excellent, but other than perhaps "pass the salt" no one really spoke. Despite all the information she had been given, Annalie found herself with more questions than answers. And this was only her first night.

The minute the last person had finished eating their dessert, Elphaba looked to her father.

"May I be excused, Father?"

Frex nodded. "Clear the table first and then you may go."

Elphaba immediately got up and went to work. Frex pushed back his chair and left the room, leaving Annalie and Nessa alone at the table. Annalie glanced at the clock. It was only seven o'clock, still half an hour until Nessarose had to go to bed.

"Well, Nessa, what do you usually do before bed?"

Nessa shrugged shyly. "I don't know. Depends. Have a bath?"

Annalie nodded. She'd already decided the best thing to do was stick to Nessa's routine. "Ok, then."

Nessa had her bath and then changed into her nightgown and Annalie dried and braided her hair for her. And then Nessa wheeled herself to her father's study to say goodnight to him. When she returned to her room, Elphaba was behind her.

"Elphaba's going to read a little more of The Secret Garden to me," Nessa explained.

"Alright," Annalie nodded. "Let's get you into bed and comfy first, shall we?"

Once Nessa was settled in bed, Annalie retreated to her own room but left the adjoining door open slightly. The sound of Elphaba reading to her sister carried through the bathroom and Annalie marvelled at the difference she could hear. She had yet to see Elphaba this open and relaxed as she sounded now, and she simply sat in the chair that was in the corner of her room and listened. Elphaba was a very good reader for her age.

She read a few pages and then her voice stopped. There was a soft murmur of voices that Annalie couldn't make out, and then came the sounds of someone leaving the room. Tiptoeing quietly through the bathroom and peering into the room, she saw Nessa's eyes were already closed. Annalie smiled softly and gently closed both the doors in the bathroom. As she turned, Annalie jumped slightly to see Elphaba in the doorway.

"Elphaba!" she gasped quietly.

"You need to make sure that Nessa's lamp stays on until she's really asleep," Elphaba told her bluntly. "She's afraid of the dark."

"I won't turn it off until just before I go to sleep," Annalie promised.

Elphaba nodded, looking satisfied and then left the room without another word. Annalie was a little puzzled, but didn't push it. She followed Elphaba out of her room and watched the girl head up the back stairs, most likely to her room. Rather uncertainly, Annalie walked through the house.

Frex's study door was closed, but she guessed from the light shining under the door that the Governor was within. The dining room was empty and pristine and the whole house appeared silent and empty and Annalie wasn't sure what to do with herself. She felt almost as though she was trespassing, and was about to be caught out and reprimanded.

Eventually, she went back to her room and read until it was nine o'clock. Then she headed upstairs to make sure Elphaba's light was off. As she headed up the back stairs in the dark, there was a light that shone from Elphaba's door. The third step from the top creaked loudly, and by the time Annalie reached the landing, the light had abruptly gone out. Annalie hesitated in the darkness of the hall. Should she still go in?

It seemed to be a very clear 'Stay Away' sign, if Annalie had ever seen one. Ultimately, she returned to her room and pulled out a paper and pen from the desk in the room, beginning to write a letter to her parents.

"Dear Mom, Dad a-"

Annalie dropped her pen as though shocked, unable to stop a faint wince from crossing her face. She had started to write "and Tomaz". Annalie let out a breath slowly. She hadn't left home much in the last few years, Annalie didn't think she'd written a letter home since her Shiz days… no wonder she'd fallen into old habits.

"Dear Mom and Dad," she started again on a fresh sheet of paper, lest her parents realise what she'd almost done.

"I'm here in Munchkinland and all settled in. It's been an interesting start, although it has only been a few hours.

Nessarose is very sweet, although very shy. I think once she knows me better we'll get along fine though. Her sister, though, is a different story. Elphaba doesn't come across as shy, more… wary. I almost don't believe she's only nine years old, there's a look in her eyes that makes her look older.

I'm not sure what it is… Nessarose doesn't have it. But even if Elphaba hasn't really said more than five words to me at a time tonight, she's been civil- I can't really call it polite- and I don't get the feeling she's going to disobey me or fight me on things. Which is odd, because the Governor gave me the impression she's a difficult child. Perhaps after a few days she'll turn and reveal herself to be a holy horror, but I just don't get that vibe from her.

The Governor is perfectly cordial and welcoming. Not warm, but I sense that's just his way. Maybe Elphaba is simply her father's daughter.

Nikita, the housekeeper, took me under her wing somewhat once I arrived this afternoon. She's very nice, probably a bit younger than you guys. She's married and has three boys, all of whom are at Shiz. She showed me around when I got here, and she was the one giving me the first idea of how life in the Governor's mansion works.

The Governor himself had been called away to a budget meeting, so he wasn't there to meet me himself. It's a small staff- just Nikita and me; Pip, the driver and stable boy; and Riad, the gardener. I am the only staff member who eats meals with the family (unless they have company, apparently).

It feels slightly odd, and there's the usual awkwardness of trying to get comfortable in an unfamiliar place. It sort of reminds me of when I started Shiz, and my room was on the same floor as all the older students who already knew where everything was and how everything worked. But it didn't take me long to settle into Shiz, and I imagine it'll be the same here, especially once I get into the routine.

I get a day off a week, the weekday of my choice, because Nikita doesn't work weekends. I'm thinking I'll take Wednesdays at this point. I'm not sure if it must be the same day each week, but I assume it would be easiest for everyone if it was, and Wednesday seemed like a good day to choose.

Tomorrow, the work really starts. I didn't do much tonight, merely helped Nessa a little before she got into bed. Nikita is going to teach me how to do the exercises Nessa requires for her legs, and from then on I'll be on my own.

Once I'm more settled and I have more information, I'll write again.

The journey was fine, it went much quicker than I expected.

Sending you all my love,

Annalie."