Elphaba felt nearly giddy with happiness. Weeks of caring for Galinda, weeks of prompting her memory with quips and trinkets from their time at Shiz, had finally paid off. The blonde remembered her; she'd called her Elphie. It was more than Elphaba had dared to hope for.
Galinda didn't seem nearly as thrilled. In fact the petite witch's face was totally blank. "Glin?" Elphaba prompted, growing concerned. "Are you ok?" Two trembling blue eyes moved to the green girl's face. They were brimming with guilt, bewilderment, and a sliver of revulsion that Elphaba couldn't quite detect. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Galinda muttered. "I'm just a tad…confusified. It's a lot to take in."
"Oh," Elphaba responded lamely. "Would you like me to leave you alone for awhile?" The blonde nodded gratefully. Fiyero was waiting outside when Elphaba exited.
"Any progress?"
"Yes," the green girl replied, smiling again. "She's started remembering a little."
"Well I come bearing more good news," Fiyero informed her. He held out a green envelope. Elphaba's eyes widened.
"Is it from…?" The Winkie nodded. Elphaba all but tore the paper from his hands. She then proceeded to rip the letter from its housing. Her eyes devoured each line of text like a starved animal.
"He wants us to come to the Emerald City," the green girl exclaimed moments later. "Apparently Madame Morrible divulged a secret that could help Galinda."
"Today just keeps getting better," Fiyero responded. Surprisingly Elphaba's expression remained stony. "What?" the prince demanded.
"I don't trust the Wizard," she explained, scowling.
"Why? He helped save us from Madame Morrible," Fiyero reminded.
"It was his twisted operation that caused this whole problem in the first place," Elphaba snapped. "Besides, we still don't know why he helped us before; it makes me suspicious."
"No offense Fae, but everything makes you suspicious," the Winkie pointed out.
"Yero this is serious. What if he's trying to lure us back so Talor can change us again?"
"He's not; trust me." Elphaba's eyes narrowed.
"You know something I don't know," she stated.
"What?" the Winkie scoffed, trying not to look guilty. "That's silly. Why would I…"
"Yero you're not fooling anyone."
"Fine," he sighed. "I know something, but I think you'd take it better if you heard it from the Wizard."
"Well I'm not going to see the Wizard until I know the reason he's helping us," Elphaba countered, scowling.
"Fae…"
"Do you really expect me to go flouncing into the Wizard's clutches again while I'm not completely certain of his motives? I am not bringing Galinda within ten miles of that man. His sorcerers did horrible, atrocious, awful things to us. Talor's spell is the entire reason Galinda can't remember us. Why in Oz would I ever…"
"He's your father." Elphaba halted mid rant.
"What?" she gasped.
"The Wizard is your father," Fiyero repeated. "That's why he's helping us." The green girl stumbled backwards in shock. When her back met the wall she slid downwards.
"Fae are you ok?" Fiyero asked as he crouched beside her.
"I..I think so," she stuttered. "But…I mean… what…how…?" The witch took a deep breath and tried again. "Why am I green then?"
"I don't know," the prince admitted. "You can ask the Wizard when we see him." As the initial shock began to dull Elphaba's suspicion returned.
"How can you be so sure he was telling the truth?" she queried. "What if he's trying to manipulate us into trusting him?"
"You didn't see the way he looked at you," Fiyero contradicted simply. Elphaba's mouth snapped shut over another retort. For a moment the green woman didn't say anything.
"The letter said a coach will come for us tomorrow," she mused, scrambling to her feet. "I'll send a note with the driver asking the Wizard to send us Morrible's information by post."
"What?" Fiyero demanded. "Why?"
"I can't face him," Elphaba responded. "Even if he's mistaken, which at this point seems the most likely explanation, I don't think…I'm just not much of a father person."
"Fae…"
"Please Yero, give me time to sort everything out in my head," she all but begged. The Winkie hesitated, unsure. "Please," Elphaba pleaded, eyes trembling. "Just let this go for now."
"Fine," Fiyero huffed in exasperation. Then his face softened. "Are you sure you're ok?"
"I think so," the green girl replied. "I just need to be alone for awhile."
"Alright," the Winkie sighed. He pulled his girlfriend in for a brief kiss. "I'm here if you need me." Usually such a soppy, romantic gesture would irritate Elphaba to no end, but at the moment she greatly appreciated Fiyero's assurance. The green girl smiled sadly, nodded, and turned to seek loneliness in her bedroom.
Elphaba didn't cry very often so it startled the green girl when she felt her eyes flood with tears. Surprise gave way to puzzlement as wetness tickled her cheeks. Why in Oz was she crying over this? Frex had been an awful, hateful father; his lack of blood in her veins didn't inspire an ounce of sorrow. These weren't sad tears or even happy tears, but some confused marriage of the two. They were hauntingly, perplexingly bittersweet.
How was it? The next chapter should be up in the VERY near future…when I get really into a story I sometimes update within hours…
