Short one tonight, folks. I have my last final tomorrow and still have to study. Once again, a huge thank you and Fiyero-cookies for everyone who has reviewed! You guys are awesome!


"Any idea what this is about?"

Fiyero shrugged, falling into step with his walking companion. "I don't have the least idea. All Galinda's note said was that she wanted everyone to meet in the quad in twenty minutes. I threw on a jacket, locked my door and came to get you, just as she asked."

"Humph." Elphaba made a non-committal noise as she pulled her glove further up her hand. "Well, then you're guess would be as good as mine. Sometimes, I've learned its best just not to ask when it comes to Galinda and her schemes."

The Prince grinned, "That's the pot calling the kettle black, don't you think?"

Ignoring him, she addressed the third member of their traveling party. "What do you think, Maida? You and Galinda have been spending all kinds of time together lately. What's she up too?"

The littlest Tiggular giggled and cast them both scheming glances. "I promised I wouldn't tell. And Yero says a promise I a promise!"

"Yes, well," Elphaba regarded him with a raised brow. "Leave it to your brother to save his precious little sound advice for the most inconvenient time."

Fiyero laughed, slinging an arm around Elphaba's shoulders. "Come on, Elphie. You and I both know how secretly brilliant I am. I just have to act brainless so as not to deter the ladies."

"Right…" Although, there was more truth in that statement than he knew, she wasn't about to start another argument in front of his baby sister. "And don't call me 'Elphie'."

She received only a smirk in response. Sighing, she added, "You know, Fiyero, I have to ask. Why is it that you delight in pushing my buttons so?"

He shrugged, "Because I can"

Rolling her eyes, she dropped to gaze to Maida, "Is he this difficult to live with at home."

The little girl sobered. "You have no idea."

"Ouch," Fiyero placed a hand over his injured heart. ""Harsh, ladies. Very harsh."

Exchanging a satisfied smile with her newest comrade, Elphaba waved to her blonde roommate as they neared. Smiling, Galinda came to meet him. "Good. You got my note. A job well done, Miss Maida." The child nearly beamed under the praise and Galinda's smile faded as her own eyes fell on her boyfriend. "Whatever is the matter, Fiyero."

"Nothing," but Maida and Elphaba were subject to a playful glare nonetheless. Instead, he turned his attention to the blonde. "So what's the big surprise?"

"Not quite yet," Galinda said, drawing her coat tighter around her small frame. "We're not all here yet."

The situation was soon rectified as Boq pushed Nessa's chair up a few moments later, both inquiring as well as to the nature of the mysterious notes that had been posted to their doors earlier that day and what was so important that Galinda had been so urgent to summon them to the courtyard.

"That answer, my friends, is simple." Raising her arms, Galinda instructed, "Look around."

The small group did as they were instructed, lifting eyes upwards to the heavens, down to the ground, and all around to take in the snow-covered trees and buildings. Exchanging puzzled glances with one another, various shoulders were shrugged, and questions still hung thick in the air. Finally, Nessa said, "We give up, Galinda. What is it?"

"But you've barely looked," she pouted.

"Galinda, I promise you, we're trying," Elphaba intervened, "but all we can see at this point is the snow."

"Exactly!" she exclaimed, wrapping her friend in a hug. "You're so smart, Elphie! I just knew you would be the one to figure it out."

Elphaba patted her roommate's back awkwardly before attempting to extract herself from the other girl's grasp. "Happy to help, Galinda….I think."

"So what does this snow have to with anything?" Fiyero asked.

A smug smile firmly in place, Galinda deferred, "DO you want to tell them, Mai?"

The little girl practically beamed. "We're going to build a snowman!"

"A what?" Nessa raised a brow. "What on earth is a snowman? I've never heard of them before"

"Which is precisely why you need to now." Bending down to gather some snow in her hands, the blonde explained. "It's great fun, really. Since you're all from the south and have never seen snow, of course you've never built one."

"It's something you build?" This from Boq. Fascinated, he continued, "They're not…real, correct"

The blonde laughed. "Of course not, Bick. Don't be silly."

"So how are we supposed to do this," inquired Fiyero.

She flashed him a brilliant smiled. "I'm so very glad you asked, dearest." Squatting in the snow, the blonde explained, "This was always one of my favorite pastimes as a child. It's simple, really. You simply start with a small ball of snow, which you roll until you have a large enough mass to form the base. Then you repeat the process twice more, creating two smaller balls that form the middle and the head. Then, you decorate with whatever you wish."

Boq shrugged. "It sounds easy enough. DO you need someone to lift the bigger snowballs for you, Miss Galinda." His eyes were so hopeful; Elphaba feared they might fall out of his head.

"Good idea, Bick." Grabbing Fiyero's arm, she fluttered her long lashes at him. "You'll help me, won't you dearest?"

Kissing her gloved hand, he answered, "Just tell me where to start."

And so it went. Maida claimed Elphaba as a building partner, leaving Nessa to clap in delight to find out Boq was her partner. Working in their teams, the friends built their respective snowman, pausing every once in a while to launch a surprise snowball attack on their opponents. Fiyero and Galinda's snowman was naturally the best, with one teammate having the advantage of years of snowman-building experience. Boq and Nessa proved to be worthy opponents for, although their snowman lac in height, given the teams' mutual proximity to the ground, their snow creation boated large coal eyes and a wide stone smile.

Much to her surprise, Elphaba found herself to be having a grand time herself. Maida proved to be a fantastic building partner, her innocent wonder and love for striking her brother in the head with snowballs resonated deep within the green girl and she soon found herself laughing right along with the young girl. Maida was so much like her brother, it was scary, Elphaba decided. And yet, all the similarities were positive. Fiyero caught her watching him at one point, causing her to snap away, blushing furiously to answer Maida's question as to what type of hat their creation should have.

It was only when they were nearly finished that Elphaba noticed the girl had been working on a project of her own. The smaller snowman stood next to the taller, its stick hand entwined with the others. All over, Maida had stuck tiny sprigs of greenery in random places, as only a child could. It was charming in its dissonance, the green girl thought and she bent down as Maida placed the final pieces of its face in place, asking, "Our snowman has a friend, I see?"

The girl nodded, pointing to the taller one. "That's Yero," and the smaller, "and the girl he loves."

Elphaba's tone was mildly amused. "You built your brother and Galinda as snowmen….and women?"

Giggling, Maida shook her head. Beckoning the green girl forward, she whispered, "Can you keep a secret?"

Elphaba only nodded, leaning down to give the girl better access to her ear. Barely able to contain her giggles, Maida cupped her hands around her ear and whispered as if it were the greatest secret in the world. "It's not Miss Galinda. It's you!"

"Me?" Elphaba drew back shaking her head, "No, Mai. Galinda is your brother's girlfriend. She's the one he loves."

Maida shook her head furiously. "Nuh uh. Yero smiles different when he's with you. Bigger. Like he used to. He loves you, I know it," she declared. "Just wait and seeeee" she sing-songed before she scampered away to haul herself at Fiyero's knees.

Too stunned to do anything else, the green girl could only watched as the Prince hauled the girl into his arms, covering her face with kisses as he giggles split the cold air. Galinda snuggled under his arm and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. The Prince caught her gaze then, offering her a smile before Maida pulled his ear to whisper to him. At her confession, his smile dropped and his eyes went to the snowman, then back to her. Placing Maida on the ground, he whispered something to Galinda before turning away to walk back to his dorm.

Mortified, she turned away as well, allowing her gaze to drift over Maida's snowman. "Impossible," she muttered. "The girl is five, for Oz's sakes. What could she possibly know about love?" Still, why had her traitorous heart jumped upon Maida's supposed revelation?

Whatever the reason, Elphaba decided; she'd had enough fun for one day

And most definitely, no more snowmen.


Kids. Gotta love 'em, right? :)