AN: I'm glad you're all liking this story so far! This chapter reveals a bit more about Elphaba's past.

LifelongLeahstar: Hahaha, sorry, but I have the story pre-written :P. I'll keep that in mind, though... interesting plot xD.

3. What You'll Find

"Hey, Fae?" he asked one night, when he was finishing his dinner and she was cleaning the tables. "What time does your shift end?"

She glanced at the time. "In about half an hour. Why?"

"I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go get a drink with me," he said.

She stilled for a moment before straightening her back to look at him incredulously. "Are you asking me out?"

"What if I am?"

She had no reply to that. She had never been asked out in her life – by now a lot of people in Pertha Hills had grown used to her skin colour and most of them were generally friendly towards her; but no-one could really get past it, except perhaps for Galinda. A lot of regular customers were young men her own age and although they talked to her and sometimes flirted with her, she was sure that it would never cross their mind to actually ask her out on a date.

"You're a prince," she finally argued weakly. "I'm a waitress."

He shrugged. "I'm also a man," he said, "and you're a woman. It's not that strange, you know. And besides – I'm not asking you to marry me. I'm asking you to get a drink with me."

"I, um..." she stuttered. She was never lost for words and she hated the fact that she was now. She quickly bent over the table again to finish cleaning it, all the while feeling his eyes on her as he waited for an answer.

She finally turned around to look at him. "Okay," she agreed.

He grinned at her. "Awesome. I'll wait here for you to finish working."

He did, and by the time she had finished her shift, put her apron away, and said good-bye to her co-workers, he was already waiting by the door. She put on her coat and walked ahead of him into the night air, which had cooled down considerably in comparison to that afternoon.

"Do you mind dropping by my place first?" she asked, turning around to look at him. "I mean, I could go out in my uniform, but I'd prefer changing into something else."

"No, of course I don't mind." He gestured. "Lead the way."

She did, leading him through more dirty alleyways and streets before stopping in front of a slim, run-down house. She pulled a key out of her pocket and opened the door, stepping inside and going up the stairs. "Come on, it's over here."

He looked around him as he followed her. The house was old and ramshackle, with fungus stains on the ceiling and paint flaking off the doorways. There was a layer of dust on every surface he could see and the stairs creaked dangerously when he ascended them.

The green girl's room, upstairs, was cleaner than the rooms he had seen downstairs; but that was all that could be said about it. It was small, with a bed and a desk just fitting into it. She had no wardrobe; her dresses were hanging from the curtain rail. The bed was neatly made, but everything looked old and worn and the room could definitely use a lick of paint.

"I'm sorry," she said when she saw the look on his face. "It's horrible, I know, but I can't afford anything better. Or, well, I could," she corrected herself, "but I prefer to save my money for something else."

She grabbed a black dress from the curtain rail and disappeared through another door with it – into the bathroom, Fiyero supposed. He waited patiently for her to finish and smiled at her when she came back out. She had pinned her hair up into a loose bun, with some strands framing her face. The dress had a lace bodice and a flaring skirt that just reached her knees, with a sweetheart neckline and short sleeves.

She blushed a little when she saw him looking at her. "I know it's not much, but it's the best dress I own."

"You look great," he assured her, linking his arm with hers; but he had to let go again when they moved back down the stairs.

"So what are you saving your money for?" he asked a few minutes later, when they were walking down the street together.

She pulled her wrap a little tighter around her shoulders and instinctively moved closer to him, seeking his body warmth. He offered her his coat, but she declined.

"It's just... this silly dream I've had ever since I was a little girl," she said with a sigh. "I used to read a lot when I was little and I always wanted to do something with that... something important. Go to university and learn about politics and other things about the world so that I could actually make a difference one day, you know?" She chuckled mirthlessly. "I know this sounds stupid."

"It doesn't," Fiyero said and she smiled at him.

"I wanted to go to Shiz University," she said softly, "only my father would never let me go. We used to get into a lot of fights – about that, but also about other things. We never got along. He has always been deeply ashamed of, and repulsed by, my skin colour." She made a face.

"Your own father?" Fiyero asked, horrified.

She nodded. "And then he kicked me out and I came here," she said. "That's a little over four years ago now."

Fiyero was speechless.

She elbowed him between the ribs. "You look like I just told you that my entire family died in a tragic accident and I have lived alone on the streets ever since. For Oz's sake, Fiyero, it's not such a big deal."

"It is," he protested. "I could never imagine my own father..."

She laughed. "But you're a rich, spoilt prince. You are not used to anything."

He had to admit that that was true. "How did you meet that friend of yours? Galinda?"

"She found me," she said. "I had nothing with me except for the clothes I was wearing and a special keepsake that I always keep close. I had sneaked onto a train without a ticket and travelled to Gillikin that way, but I was almost busted and had to get out early, so I walked for two days more before I got here. It was the autumn season, which meant it rained all the time, and I was completely soaked and pathetic by the time I reached the city." She smiled at the memory. "Galinda saw me as a stray puppy she had to take care of – she immediately convinced her father to take me in for a few days. She offered me a job at Fifi's and gave me money to buy myself some necessities – a few dresses, a toothbrush, things like that. She tried to arrange a place to stay for me, too, but I soon found this room myself and I decided to take it, no matter how repulsed Galinda was – and still is – by it."

Fiyero could imagine why, but he did not say that aloud. "So... you're not finding yourself a better place because you're saving money to go to Shiz?"

"It's my dream, Fiyero," she said softly. "I know it's not likely that I'll ever make it there or be able to finish it. Even if I do, it won't be a guarantee for me doing something good with my life. Perhaps I'll just end up back at Fifi's afterwards, still working myself to death despite my degree. But I have to try." She looked at him almost pleadingly, her eyes begging him to understand.

He did.

Despite her earlier refusal, he took off his coat and draped it across her shoulders, having noticed that she was shivering. She didn't protest; she just gave him a grateful smile.

"Now it's your turn," she said when they had found a bar and were sitting inside together, both of them nursing a drink. "What's the story of the great and oh-so-scandalacious Prince Fiyero Tiggular?"

"That story is rather boring, I'm afraid." He drank some beer and wiped his mouth. "Grew up with everything I could ever ask for. Wonderful parents, loved by everyone. By the time I hit puberty, I realised what kind of burden was on my shoulders, what with being the crown prince and all, and I started rebelling. That hit its peak when I was about eighteen years old and my worst phase lasted for about three years. Then it finally got through to me that being childish about it would not make any difference, so I pushed myself to finish university. I graduated a little under a year ago and now I'm here, helping my father." He shrugged. "That's all."

"So that's where your reputation comes from," she mused, looking lost in thought. "I can imagine that it must have been hard for you to know that your future is completely set in stone. I mean, the chances of me getting into Shiz and then actually doing something useful with my life are slim, but at least I am given the chance to try."

He nodded. "I didn't like it," he said. "But I talked about it with my parents and they told me that I can still do the things I want to do before having to take over the throne. My father is not that old and he's still healthy; he'll probably rule for a while longer. Right now, I do have some responsibilities, but I'm also looking at what I want to do, you know? I've been considering joining the Gale Force in the Emerald City, or perhaps travelling around Oz for a while."

She sighed longingly. "Oh, what I wouldn't give to be able to travel..."

"Maybe we could go together," he suggested with a grin, which she returned.

"Hey, Fae?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

"Hmm?"

"You still haven't told me your real name."

But just like every time, all she did was smirk at him. She took a sip of her drink, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Wouldn't you like to know?"