Elphaba paced back and forth inside the walls of Kiamoko. In the bed far behind her lay a bandaged and fainted Glinda, toward the straw, thrown together blanket on the cold hard floor, was a tossed unconscious body of Fiyero.

Honestly, Fiyero had been lucky Elphaba hadn't killed him when he was still flesh, instead, she turned him into a scarecrow in the moment of rage, and had ripped him to shreds; out of pity she had put him back together—mostly. Although she wished she had gotten to him before his skin turned to cloth.

Elphaba sat in the chair next to the red and golden sheeted bed and held her face in her hands. She had to apologize, beg for forgiveness. None of this was supposed to happen—none of it. Not her being a Wicked Witch, not running off Fiyero, leaving Glinda to such ache… none of it.

She heard a groan, and looked upon the beauty which lay in the bed.

Glinda moved her head, despite the pain which lingered. She remembered horrible images, screams and silence and the smell of gunpowder. Her eyes fluttered opened, her arm and legs burned, her fingers would not move.

Blue met brown in a clash, and Glinda screamed. Elphaba jumped in shock, her hand going of its own accord to clasp over the blondes slightly bruised lips.

"Shh, shh, it's alright, shh! Glinda calm down!"

Glinda became to shake, the image of being shot running through her head over and over and over, the sight of Elphaba, the fear of fire, darkness.

"Glinda, please, snap out of it!"

Finally, after a long while, Elphaba finally managed to calm the shivering blonde down. Glinda gazed up at the green woman, quite obviously still afraid, but did not fight.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked in a whisper.

"No, goodness, no, never, in a thousand years would I harm one hair on your head…" Elphaba replied, she pulled on her leather gloves, and gently, carefully picked up a cool, damp rag and placed it on the sickly woman's forehead. She felt filled with guilt as the blonde reached up and flinched as she touched her bruised cheek. "Never again will I hurt you. I promise."

Glinda turned her head away from the green woman and her comforting eyes. "Your promises don't mean much."

Elphaba knew it was true, but it did not stop the sting. "I swear on my life." She said firmly, and Glinda looked at Elphaba in disbelief.

"You don't mean that."

"I do," Elphaba cupped Glinda's fragile face, the cold leather soothing the bruise on her cheek. "I do, I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen, none of it. Forgive me, please forgive me."

Glinda could not keep any anger in her heart toward the woman, so she sobbed lightly and pathetically.


AUTHORS NOTE: next chapter, more to come.