A/N: Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers so far! Your words keep me going. Also, thanks to all of you who are reading and not reviewing. Even though I prefer reviews, it's still nice to know there are people out there reading my story at all.

Wow, very short author's note. Anyways...I hope you guys like this chapter! This one took much longer to write because of the delicate second scene. You'll see what I mean when you get there.

Now, you're probably wondering; why isn't Glinda living in the Emerald Palace? Since she's Glinda the Good, she should be there, right? Well, you're partially right. She does live there. She is just staying in Munchkinland temporarily because of the speech she gave, and it would be easier for her to stay at her estate than to go back to the Emerald City immediately. In about two more chapters, they should be going back to the Emerald City. Just wanted to clear that up.

Enjoy!

Chapter Four: Helping Hands

"AHBEN TAHKAY, AHBEN TAHKAY, AHBEN AHTUM! AHBEN TAHKAYAH ENTAYAH TINFENTAH! AHBEN TAHKAY…" Elphaba chanted under her breath as she focused on the tea cup in front of her. She currently was kneeling on the floor across from Glinda, said cup between them.

"AHBEN TAHKAY, AHBEN TAHKAY, AHBEN AHTUM! AHBEN TAHKAYAH ENTAYAH TINFENTAH! AHBEN TAHKAY…"

Fiyero, who had been leaning against the doorframe of Elphaba's room for quite some time, smiled softly at the sight of the two Witches practicing their spells. Well, mostly Elphaba, but…Glinda tried…?

"Come on, Elphie. You know the only way you're gonna get over using this spell on the Monkeys is by doing it again." Glinda told the green girl.

Elphaba sighed and glared at the still immobile cup. "It's not that simple, Glin. This spell may seem pretty easy, but it's not easy for me anymore."

"How so?" Glinda inquired.

Elphaba shifted her weight so that she fell back onto her bottom. She then proceeded to cross her legs, only now thankful for the huge dress, and prop her head up on her fist. "It's like…I can't bring myself to do it. Something about it just makes me…well, mess up."

Glinda mimicked Elphaba's way of sitting and frowned. "We have to try, Elphie! This is the first step towards your recovery." She paused, then a strangely Elphaba-esqe smirk spread across her features. She knew what to say…she knew exactly what words would make Elphaba continue to work on the spell;

"Do you want to have more bad dreams?"

Elphaba winced and hurriedly got back into a kneeling position.

Both Glinda and Fiyero grinned.

"Hungry?" Fiyero asked a while later, setting a tray of food on the floor beside the former Wicked Witch.

Elphaba stopped her chanting abruptly and scowled at the Captain. "Damn it, Fiyero! I almost had it!" She gestured at the cup, which had been shaking moment ago.

Fiyero chuckled and settled down beside her. "Well, can't perform spells on an empty stomach, right?"

Elphaba began to protest, saying that she wanted to be alone so that she could work in silence and that she didn't want to eat anything right now, but all went silent as Fiyero placed a grape into her mouth mid-sentence.

"Eat." Was all he said.

Elphaba just stared at him for the longest time before she mechanically chewed and swallowed.

"Now, was that so hard?" Fiyero inquired playfully. "Glinda would have you pinned to the ground and she'd be stuffing food down your throat if you told her that, you know. You're lucky I made her let me bring this in here."

Elphaba had never felt so uncomfortable in her entire life. Here he was, the man she had fallen for…the man she wished she could admit her love for…the man she adored for his humor as well as his looks…and she could say nothing.

So, she resorted to picking at the fruit and bread Fiyero had brought her. He watched her movements intently, noticing that she looked rather unsettled and anxious. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to think of something to say.

"Fabala, I-" He silenced himself instantly. Fabala? What in Oz had he been thinking? Where had that even come from?

Elphaba's eyes met his within seconds. "F…Fabala?" She echoed.

He shook his head slowly and sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"My father…" She interrupted him, sounding quite distant. "He…he used to call me that. My mother, too. It's been so very long since I've heard that name. They stopped calling me that when Nessa was born…when everything became my fault." Her voice faded away, and Fiyero was about to speak when Elphaba continued. "I was just 'you' or 'it'…I can barely remember a time when my father called me 'Elphaba'…just plain 'Elphaba'." She looked down at the food, which was still mostly intact, and pushed the tray away. She wrapped her arms around her middle in an attempt to comfort herself. "I'm not hungry anymore…"

Suddenly, Elphaba felt a warm hand take one of her own. She hesitantly met Fiyero's eyes.

"Fabala," He said more firmly, "You are not an 'it'. You are Elphaba Thropp…my Fabala."

Elphaba's eyes were the size of saucers. "Y-Your Fabala?" She looked stunned, but she was feeling a totally different emotion inside…hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, this meant what she thought it meant….

Fiyero squirmed uncomfortably. He really hadn't meant to say that…Oz, what have I gotten myself into? I mean, I know I love her and I know she loves me…well, maybe…but this is too fast! I may be doing more harm than good. Elphaba is still trying to recover…what if a relationship adds more stress to her already broken life? Plus, I have Glinda to worry about… He almost cringed at the mere thought of the blonde's wrath. She would either take it horribly and mope around her estate for the rest of her life, or she would kill the Winkie Prince. And Elphaba. Not necessarily in that order.

Ow. It hurt to think. Now he knew why he never did.

"I….uh…." He faltered, struggling to find the words. "I…yeah. My Fabala…because…because I'll call you that from now on….it'll be my thing, and only my thing…" His lying skills, while normally past perfection, were strangely missing at the moment.

Elphaba's spirits sank, but she tried not to let it show. Yeah, just as I thought. He doesn't love me, and he never will. I should know better than to hope anymore… "Yet another nickname." She laughed unconvincingly. "I swear, you and Glinda are having a war over who can give me the best nickname."

Fiyero forced a smile and laughed with her. "Yeah, well….nobody can beat me…!" He put a fist on his chest and looked skyward, trying to make himself look at least a bit threatening.

Uncomfortable silence settled over the two. Both felt rather upset with themselves, especially Fiyero, who knew he had just crushed Elphaba. But what else could he do? There was nothing he could say that would fix what he had just done. He knew that…and so did Elphaba.

"I….um. I'm going to practice that spell some more…so…" Elphaba bit her lip. "Mind leaving?"

"Oh. Oh! Yes, sure." Fiyero quickly got to his feet. "Yeah…good luck." And he fled.

Fiyero made it halfway down the hallway before he collapsed against the wall.

"Elphaba….Fabala….I'm sorry." He breathed, wishing he could take back the hurtful words said within the last few minutes. Now, to most, those words wouldn't have been hurtful…it wasn't as if he had used curse words or anything…but he knew that, to Elphaba, every syllable he had just uttered what like a blade in her heart.

"I have to choose." He realized, his eyes closing as if he was in pain. "I've made my bed…now I must lie in it."

Back in her own room, Elphaba had moved to sit against the door. She was letting the past events play over and over again in her mind, retreating deeper inside herself with every image and every word. He…he doesn't love me. He never did, and he never will…I'm destined to be alone forever. It's foolish to think otherwise. She lifted her hands and studied them with hate-filled eyes.

"No one could love a freak like me." She said bitterly. "Not ever…to them, I'm Wicked…through and through."

Over the course of the next few days, Elphaba slowly began to improve. Her night terrors started to occur about every other night instead of each night, and she was finally able to make the tea cup levitate. Glinda was extremely happy to see Elphaba healing at such a steady pace. The nightmares continued to become less frequent, Elphaba started to eat more and do so regularly, and she seemed…happy. Their friendship had never been stronger. Well, that is, whenever it was just the two of them. When Fiyero interrupted their alone time, things just seemed so…strained. Glinda, of course, didn't notice; she was just so busy fussing over Elphaba. But to anyone else, it was all too easy to see the tension between the two.

It was 12:30 according to the Time Dragon Clock when Glinda burst into Elphaba's room.

"ELPHIE!" She squealed.

"Glin. Hearing is nice." Elphaba winced, massaging her temples in an attempt to rid herself of her newly formed headache.

"Elphie, we have a problem!" She continued, plopping down on the bed beside Elphaba.

"And that would be…?" The green girl asked.

"Fiyero is….is…." She couldn't bear to say it.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"THINKING!"

Elphaba groaned. "It's not that rare of an occurrence, Glin. Just because he is male, that does not mean he can't think." She explained.

"But this is Fiyero we're talking about!" She pressed. "Fifi never thinks! He says thinkifying hurts!"

Elphaba felt the desire to laugh at Fiyero's pet name. "I rather like Yero, myself."

Glinda's head cocked to the side. "Huh?"

"Yero as a nickname. Not…Fifi." She couldn't hold back a small chuckle. "It's less…"

"Perky?" Both girls said in unison, causing the two to laugh even harder.

"Well, I like Fifi!" Glinda declared. "He can be my Fifi, and your Yero, then."

Elphaba froze. My Yero? Sweet Oz, why must everyone be so possessive? They act as if people are objects or something… She thought with a sigh. "Nah…he's all yours, Glin."

Glinda giggled. "Yep, I guess he is!" She bounced up and down happily. "OOOH! Now I remember why I came in here in the first place!" She clutched an emerald arm and put her face close to Elphaba's. "I…am…going…to…take…you…SHOPPING!"

Elphaba's eyes widened. "What?"

"We need to get you more clothes. I can't have you going around in that disgustified thing all the time!"

Elphaba feigned anger. "Why, Glinda Upland! That was offensive!"

Glinda released Elphaba's arm and grinned. "Well, it's true, Elphaba Thropp!"

"Oh, fine. But I am not getting anything pink!"

Glinda frowned. "But pink goes good with green!" She said defensively.

"Oh, Oz. Are you trying to make me popular again?"

Glinda and Elphaba climbed into the waiting carriage, destined for the tailor shop in downtown Munchkinland. Elphaba thought it would be just the two of them, but when a third figure entered the carriage, Elphaba almost dove out of the small window.

"Fifi! Thanks for agreeing to come with us!" Glinda chirped.

Elphaba sighed and slammed her head backwards and into the carriage wall a few times, frightening Glinda. "Elphie, are you OK?" She asked.

"Oh. Yeah. I'm fine." Elphaba lied. "I'm just imagining what sorts of hell you're going to put me through once we get there." She smirked at the blonde, who pouted.

"Well, you do have a tendency to obsess over Fabala, Glinda." Fiyero told the Good Witch.

Glinda, who had gotten used to Fiyero calling her best friend Fabala (although she still wondered why), frowned. "I do noooot."

Elphaba and Fiyero laughed, causing Glinda to blush a deep pink.

"Look!" Elphaba said suddenly. "There's the color I don't want my clothes to be!" She pointed right at Glinda's face, which only made the color deepen.

Fiyero and Elphaba continued to laugh and joke all the way to the tailor shop. For once, it seemed like the three were just friends…not a Winkie Prince, former Wicked Witch and Glinda the Good. Not three people involved in a screwed up love triangle. Not a green skinned freak, a boy with too many diamond tattoos, and a girl obsessed with pink. Just… friends.

When they arrived at the quaint little store, the first to be shoved out of the carriage was Elphaba, who almost fell flat on her face.

"Sweet Lurline!" She shrieked, barely keeping herself upright. "Watch out, Glin!"

"Well, sorry!" Glinda said as she exited the carriage, drawing out the 'o' for so long that she had to take another breath to say 'rry'. "Fifi here almost knocked me out after you!"

Fiyero shrugged as he joined the two. "Why is it always my fault?"

Elphaba and Glinda glared at him. "Because you're a man." They said at the same time, then they proceeded to laugh.

Fiyero frowned. "Women…" He shook his head and entered the store, the still giggling Witches behind him.

"Lady Glinda!" A meek woman behind the counter greeted. "Welcome! What can I do for you today?"

"Actually, it's not what you can do for me, Doris." Glinda gestured to Elphaba. "We're here for her."

The seamstress's eyes widened and she scurried over to the green girl. "Oh, Miss Thropp! It's an honor to meet you!" Doris eagerly shook Elphaba's hand.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "An honor? Well, I hardly see meeting me to be an honor."

"After all that's happened, it's remarkable that's you're not being swarmed by reporters, Miss Thropp." Doris replied. "You do know how famous you've become overnight, right?"

Elphaba winced as she remembered that horrible news article. "I'm afraid I do."

Doris chuckled warmly and shook her head. "I'm sure it's quite annoying." She turned and returned to her spot behind the counter. "Now, what are we looking for, exactly?"

Elphaba thought for a moment. "Well, I'd say anything black or deep blue…dark greens work, too." She said slowly. "Functional over fashionable is preferred."

Glinda decided to interrupt. "But Elphie, you promised me you'd get at least one pretty dress!"

Elphaba sighed. "Pretty isn't exactly easy when it comes to me, Glin."

Glinda frowned. "Elphaba Thropp, you are pretty!"

The green girl shook her head. "Whatever you say…" She then turned her attention to Doris, who was sifting through racks of dresses.

Glinda looked at Fiyero. "Fifi, tell Elphaba she's pretty!" She whispered.

Fiyero's heart stopped. "Um, w-why?" He stammered.

"Because you're a man!"

"Oz, Glinda, when did that become your primary response?" Fiyero groaned.

"Just do it!" She then gave Fiyero a push and he barely managed to stop himself before he hit Elphaba.

"Hey, Fabala?"

Elphaba yelped in surprise at the hand on her shoulder. She hesitantly met Fiyero's eyes; now that they were out of the carriage, the tension had returned.

"Don't ever say that you're not pretty." He told her, his voice firm.

Elphaba's eyes were the size of saucers. "Uh…thanks?"

Fiyero patted her shoulder and backed away. "N-no problem."

Elphaba tried desperately to stop her trembling. He's just trying to make you feel better…remember, wishing only wounds the heart…Elphaba, get a hold of yourself, damn it! Elphaba gripped her left forearm with her right hand, squeezing tightly in an attempt to calm herself. By the time she had stopped shaking, she could have sworn she felt blood trickling through her emerald fingers.

"How about this one?" Doris asked, bringing Elphaba back from her little daydream. Elphaba studied the dress; it was rather like the Quadling dress she had gotten in Emerald City with Glinda. At this, she felt like she had been stabbed. That day...that one, terribly short day in the Emerald City…when Glinda had declared them best friends…when she had defied the Wizard, then defied gravity…

"Miss Thropp?"

Elphaba shook her head in an attempt to drive those dreadful memories away. "Yes, I like that one." She deadpanned.

Glinda's brow furrowed at her friend's sudden change in mood. "Are you OK, Elphie?" She approached her friend and laid a hand on the green girl's shoulder in the manner Fiyero had. This caused an impulsive reaction from Elphaba; she flinched at Glinda's gentle touch and jerked away.

Glinda then put both hands on Elphaba's shoulders and held on tightly. "Elphie…what's wrong? Talk to me."

Elphaba was silent for the longest time as she tried to process everything that was going on. Doris was looking on, completely clueless as to what was happening, while Fiyero was studying Elphaba's face for answers.

"I…I was thinking about the Emerald City." Elphaba finally said. "L-Look at that dress…don't you remember the one you b-bought me that looked just like that?"

Glinda looked over at the black, long-sleeved dress with a high collar. "Oh, Oz." She murmured, meeting Elphaba's eyes again. "It's almost identical."

Elphaba nodded. "Sorry for reacting that way…It just brings back so many memories."

Glinda suddenly pulled Elphaba into a tight hug, the force almost knocking Elphaba's hat off.

"G…Glin…Breathing…is…kind of a…necessity..." Elphaba choked, causing Glinda to release her.

Glinda smiled softly at her friend. "I understand why you were freakified." She looked over the green girl's shoulder at the dress once more. "But you're still getting it."

A/N: Do I really need to add another thank you for you guys to know who edited this? :D

Aww, poor Elphie. Poor Fiyero. Poor...everyone. Blah.

Also, I just ran an awesomificated idea by DemonicMuffin for some future chapters, and she's PSYCHED. So there WILL be action coming up, don't worry! We just need to get all this sappy stuff out of the way, along with some exposition-like info...I say in about three or four chapters, this new plotline should begin. And it involves the Wizard! :D

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