Chapter 2

It was on the first truly cool day of fall that Elphaba received the letter. She and Tessy were sitting on Mae's porch, as had become their way. They were more like sisters than either would admit, and they were as content in silence as they were chatting.

After a long, quiet moment, Tessy said softly, "I've been hoping, recently…that there might be a baby…"

Elphaba cut her eyes toward Tessy, startled.

"Not you," Tessy chuckled, "for me."

Elphaba's lips twitched in a slight smile of relief.

Breaking into a broad grin, Tessy asked, "Would it really be so bad? To have a child of your own?"

"I've got plenty more children to deal with than I ever wanted. The last thing I need is a squalling infant," Elphaba snapped.

"Come on," Tessy was undeterred by her friend's harshness, "You're much more maternal than you realize. I've seen your heart, Elphie, with the animals…"

"Animals aren't babies," Elphaba retorted, "They're content to go their own way once they're mended."

"I see," Tessy said reluctantly, and there was a brief silence.

After a time, Elphaba quietly added, "And I believe I've already proven my inadequacy at raising the child I did birth."

Tessy started to argue, but she didn't want to open the wound. Elphaba had mentioned Liir on so very few occasions, that it still remained a taboo subject. The son she'd inadvertently abandoned was clearly not something Elphie could make herself confront, even with the security of having Fiyero in her life. So Tessy let it go.

Just then, there was a welcome distraction. The postman came up the dusty pathway with a parcel of letters in his hand. Offering a lopsided smile, he tipped his hat to them.

"Mornin' ladies," he greeted them, "you've had some mail pile up this week. Thought I'd bring it out early," he handed the letters to Elphaba and asked lightly, "Have any gossip for the idle ladies in town?"

Smirking, Elphaba threw out, "Tell them we're just as crazy as always, out here on the Proctor farm."

With a hearty chuckle, the postman turned to leave.

"Have a good afternoon, Sal," Tessy called after him.

Still smiling, Elphaba flipped through the envelopes. There was a letter from Jeremiah, Fiyero's eldest adopted child, who'd decided to remain in White Springs with his young family to tend the land their family owned. There was also news from one of Mae's distant cousins, and some sort of notice from the bank. The last envelope was a bit of a mystery, since neither Tessy nor Elphaba recognized the return address at first. It was addressed to Elphaba, however, so she carefully tore open the envelope and unfolded the paper.

Scrawled in neat penmanship was a letter from the man Elphaba knew as the Professor, Thomas Friedrick. Pouring over his words, she felt her heartbeat quicken slightly. After the usual pleasantries, he got to his point with a degree of urgency:

…I have been hoping you would return to Boston at some point so that we might continue our discussion regarding your family history and unusual abilities. I do understand, however, that you have family obligations in Kansas. It is never my intention to be too forward or intrusive into your life. You abilities are fascinating, but you are a person before you are a subject of my research…

That sentence brought up a warm feeling in Elphaba's chest, because she'd spent so many years wondering if she was, in fact, a person of any worth. Moving on, she read:

…I believe that I have stumbled onto something that might be of great interest to both of us. I have a few colleagues, both in Boston and across the Atlantic in Europe, who share my rather unusual theories. One of them contacted me regarding a strange occurrence about which he's heard. He overheard some folks in London talking about a woman who seems to simply 'appear' and 'disappear' without explanation. The details are somewhat muddled, but the people were quite adamant. Naturally, most folks would dismiss this as nonsense, or insanity, and it could prove to be another dead end, but it obviously piqued my interest. I would very much like to travel to London to meet with my colleague and look into this story. I was hoping that you might be interested in accompanying me. You are more than welcome to bring a companion, and I would ensure the accommodations would be made appropriate for two women to travel…

Elphaba went on to finish the letter, which was signed with a flourish by the Professor. Then she sat there for a moment, lost in thought.

"Elphie?" Tessy asked after a long moment.

Elphaba shook herself and said, "I'm sorry. It's a letter from the Professor, in Boston."

"Adrian's professor?" Tessy asked in return.

Elphaba nodded, "He wants me to come to London with him."

"London?" Tessy's eyes widened, "why in the world?"

"He's gotten word of someone else who might…be like me."

"As in…someone from another world? Someone from…Oz?" Tessy's expression became more amazed.

"Yes…as crazy as that still sounds," Elphaba answered.

"Well, crazy or not, it's been Adrian's course of study for some time."

"Do you think he'd want to go back to Boston? To explore whatever this might be? Or whoever this might be?" Elphaba asked frankly.

Tessy cocked her head, "Maybe…but a part of me thinks he's enjoying the break…from all the studying."

"I suppose I can understand that," Elphaba mused.

There was another long silence.

"But you want to go, don't you?" Tessy finally added.

Elphaba studied the letter for another long moment, and then whispered, "Yes, I do."

"Even if you have to leave Fiyero?" Tessy pressed further.

Elphaba took a breath, and said, "I love him, Tessy, but he's always known who I am, what I am. And, since I've been here, I can't help wondering what's become of Oz. And there's a certain sense of justification, in learning about what I am…"

In this rare moment of frank, honesty, Tessy simply nodded.

"And the longer I'm here," Elphaba continued, "the more I realize what a state of devastation I left Oz in," she took a breath, "I want to go to school. I want to study the veterinary sciences, as you call it. I never want to stop learning, but…I've left a lot of things undone in the Land of Oz, and I think I might be ready to face them, now. And if there's more of us out there...I want to know."

Very softly, Tessy said, "I think I can understand that."

"I have to go," Elphaba blurted out a few minutes later. She leapt from her chair and scurried across the yard in a whirl of fabric.

Tessy looked after her, feeling a twist of sadness for Fiyero, and herself as well. It appeared that it was time for Elphaba to fly once more.

In a month's time, Elphaba was seated in a passenger car on the Northeastern Express, making the long trip to Boston once more. The ride was a bit bumpy for her liking, but the accommodations were nice enough. The professor had been true to his word, and the compartment was well appointed.

However, unlike Elphaba's last trek across the country, Adrian had decided not to accompany her this time. It was clear that he and Tessy wanted to grow their young marriage, and that had taken the place of Adrian's studies for a time. As brilliant as he was, he needed to follow his heart for a while. So Elphaba had assured him she would send news, and she'd chosen Dorothy as her companion.

She was certain there was some sort of incredible irony in the fact that the girl who'd once tried to kill her was now becoming her accomplice, her friend, even. However, there was an unmistakable bond forming between them. The young girl, Elphaba's niece, was flourishing because of her newfound sense of identity. Learning about her connection to Elphaba, to the Wizard, even, and understanding there was a reason for her fanciful and frightening trip to Oz, had made her more confident.

Just as Elphaba had been whittled and softened by her own experiences, Dorothy's relationship with Elphaba had matured her. She stood taller, and dressed more often in the straight skirts of a young lady than pinafores and bows. She'd also taken to clasping her rolling, chestnut hair behind her head in the style of the older school girls. It was good, Elphaba thought, that the girl was finding herself. She had much more promise, and she was much more intelligent, than anyone had given her credit for. Elphaba, however, very rarely gave those compliments aloud. She simply asked Dorothy to accompany her on the trip. The young girl had bit her lip to hide her giddy pleasure, and nodded.

And now they rumbled along the tracks, headed toward something that would either be a great adventure, or a disappointing dead end. Either way, though, they would get to see London. For Dorothy, it was like being released from a flat, wheat-strewn prison. For Elphaba, it was a way to satisfy her thirst for knowledge. And for both of them, it was perhaps a chance to see Oz again, if this person about whom the Professor wrote was indeed another Child of Both Worlds. As she sat on the train, considering the notion, Elphaba felt a twinge of something, like a slight change in the air or an electric current up her spine. She shook it off, deciding she was simply anxious, and focused on her journey ahead.

In Boston, seated in front of the Professor's large, somewhat disorganized desk, Elphaba could see that Dorothy was a bit afraid. She twisted her fingers together and studied the wall of large books behind Professor Friedrick's chair. Elphaba gave her a slight nod, hoping to indicate that they needn't be afraid. Dorothy drew a long, slow breath, and gave Elphaba a tiny smile in return.

When the Professor entered the room, he greeted them with a warm smile, and insisted on taking Elphaba's hand in greeting, "It's very good to see you again," he said eagerly.

Elphaba gave him a nod and said, "Likewise."

"And you've brought a guest?" the Professor raised his eyebrows at Dorothy.

"Yes. This is Dorothy Gayle. She is another one…" Elphaba hesitated, "She's like me."

The Professor's eyes widened, "Really?"

"Yes, but she's still a child, and I promised her Aunt and Uncle that I'd return her in one piece. So there won't be any studying her without me being present," Elphaba demanded sternly.

The Professor smiled, "Of course not. There's only so much we could truly study about this phenomenon anyway. Mostly, what I can learn is based on what you tell me. The difference between me and so many others is that I believe your stories, no matter how fantastic they are."

"So you believe that Dorothy can travel with me to Oz, simply because I've told you?" Elphaba raised her eyebrow.

"Yes," the Professor answered.

"And you believe this rumor? That there's someone else like us?"

"Maybe," he answered, "I won't know unless we can find this person and talk to her. Unfortunately, this is how my research on this subject usually goes. All I can do is wait to hear a story or a piece of gossip about someone with unusual abilities, and then try to follow the lead. In fact, I never really believed I could conclusively study the idea of multiple worlds until Adrian stumbled on you. I can't even publish my ideas without risking ridicule and losing my position here. This is extremely inexact science. So to answer your question, I have no idea what we'll find in London. We may find nothing. But because of you, and now Dorothy, I'm at least willing to consider there might be some truth to this story."

Elphaba nodded slowly, considering. Eventually, she said, "You know…if this ever gets out, if people realize what we are and what you study, we would be called all kinds of crazy."

The Professor nodded.

Elphaba turned to Dorothy, "And you realize the risk we're taking, by even talking about this? Even in Oz, we would be ridiculed and feared."

"They once called you a witch…" Dorothy said very quietly.

"And they'll call you the same," Elphaba said sternly, "if they find out what we can do."

Dorothy cocked her head to the side and said, "Or, maybe they'll call us wizards, and make us their leaders."

Elphaba was taken aback, and then let the idea roll around in her head before she answered, "No…they already know me, they fear me."

"But not me," Dorothy said softly.

There was a long, palpable silence, with all of them considering the possibilities of what a twelve year-old girl had just said.

Eventually, the Professor spoke up, "I suppose that's all speculation right now. There will certainly be a lot of questions that don't have answers. For now, why don't you go back to your room at the hotel and get some rest? Our ship leaves in two days, and you'll want to be fresh for the voyage. The trip can be a grueling one."

Both Dorothy and Elphaba nodded, and took their leave. Assuring the Professor they would meet him in two days time for the trip to port, they headed out of his office and back down to the streets below.

They walked most of the way back to their hotel in silence. For Elphaba, thinking of what was to come gave her a little twinge of excitement. For the first time in her life, she was developing a definite sense of identity. She didn't feel like just an anomaly, a freak of nature, or some sort of tribute to sin. She was a doctor to animals, and a good one. She was the veterinarian for Amber Plains, and she knew they missed her. She had a place, a home, to return to. However, she also had more potential than she'd ever imagined. She and Dorothy were a result of a collision of two worlds, and Elphaba was starting to believe they were far more powerful than anyone realized. She wondered if even the wizard had realized how powerful people of their kind could be. It gave her a surge of purpose, to wonder if she and Dorothy could use that power to make a difference, in either world.

But finally, most importantly, Elphaba was Fiyero's wife. It still seemed a bit domestic for her, but she knew her heart would always be his. Her identity was made complete by knowing he loved her fiercely. Yet, true to his word, he didn't tie her down. He loved her enough to let her go.

"I told you," he had said when she'd explained to him about the Professor's letter, "if you wanted to travel, to study, that I would understand. I'll never hold you back."

Elphaba had smiled, "I know, but…what if there are more people like me? What if…this takes us back to Oz?"

Fiyero had kissed her softly, "Then stay away from the water."

She had laughed, which still came out in a shrill cackle, and then asked, "Would you want to come with me?"

Fiyero had shaken his head, "No...my place is here, with the children. I know where I belong, and so do you. What does it matter if that makes us unconventional?"

Elphaba had kissed him fiercely, then, for being so wonderful. Then, he had carried her up to their bedroom and made love to her. Warm, sweating, and wrapped in their sheets, he had held her until dawn, when it was time go.

And later, when she'd boarded the train, he'd said, "I love you, Fae. So go, fly. When you need to land, I'll be here. We'll all be here."

Now, making their way up to the hotel room, Elphaba knew that grounding herself in him was mostly likely the very thing that gave her the confidence to make this journey. She glanced at Dorothy, and wondered if the little girl hadn't grounded herself in Elphaba in the same way. It was a bit of a burden, to think that a child was depending on her for purpose, guidance even. But there wasn't time to dwell on it. Dorothy was here, and London lay ahead. So they settled in, and waited for the next leg of the trip.