Fiyero raced outside, fighting the growing panic he felt. She had to be okay. She just had to. He could even think what he would do if anything happened to her. He couldn't handle it. Fear and regret filled him. He should have protected her. How could he have let this happen? Any thoughts of rational logic that whispered how she could take care of herself were immediately silenced by that damn note.

As he ran toward the train station, he caught a flash of green in the corner of his eye. Spinning, he nearly tripped himself trying to halt mid-stride. Was he hallucinating? No, could it be... Elphaba. She was walking toward him, smiling shyly. "I just thought I'd come make sure…" Her words were stopped as he reached her, pulling her immediately against him.

He clung to her, relief rolling through him in waves. She tried to pull back to look at him curiously, but he refused to let go even the slightest. He thanked every divinity in existence, holding the proof of her safety tightly against him. Finally, he pulled back enough to see her, shaking slightly as he checked for any hint of injury. He combed back her hair, turning her head to check her graceful neck, running his hands over her arms blessedly unmarked by bruises. Convinced she was unharmed, he crushed her against him again, whispering her name over and over again.

Surprised at the ferocity of his welcome, she joked, "You know, I just saw you a few hours ago." His laughter was desperate, closer to crying than an expression of frivolity. He pulled her even more firmly against him, grateful for the further proof of her safety. Awkwardly, she said in a squeezed voice, "Um, Fiyero, you're crushing me."

He loosened his hold, but didn't let go. As his adrenaline faded, he felt weak at the near miss. Leaning his forehead to rest against hers, he closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath. He repeated the same two words like a mantra, "You're ok," calming his fears rather than hers.

Her sarcasm had vanished in the face of his obviously serious actions. "Fiyero? What's wrong? What's happened?" He could hear the note of fear he had transferred to her. Words failed him at the thought of explaining her threatened abduction, so he merely held out the ransom note. Though he had to release her to reach it, he restored his hold on her as soon as possible, watching her read the note.

She looked up, similar terror in her eyes. "Fiyero….Galinda!" He blinked at her, not comprehending. What did Galinda have to do with this?

Elphaba pulled free, racing toward their room, and he followed as he was still unwilling to let her leave his sight. As they ran, his fear-fogged brain slowly processed Elphaba's reaction. Suddenly it clicked. His girlfriend – Galinda. Not Elphaba. The fist around his heart tightened and loosened at the same time. Elphaba was safe, but Galinda, who was far less self-sufficient, was not.

Elphaba flung open the door, calling Galinda's name. Panting, she searched desperately for her friend, throwing open doors and searching for any sign of struggle. That was difficult as Galinda's side of the room was too messy to read for any chances. Elphaba's desperation was clear, as deep as his desperation to find her had been. She tore through the room frantically despite the obvious lack of the blonde inhabitant.

"Did you see her earlier?"

"No, I just thought she was out with friends. She's not really home all that much now anyway."

Dashing to gather her things, Elphaba threw clothes into a bag totally lacking her usual regard for neatness and organization. Soon her side looked as bedraggled as Galinda's, and Fiyero felt a certain thrill that she was coming with him. If he had thought for a second, he'd known of course she would. If she would leave in search of him at the blonde's request, she'd certainly leave no stone unturned to regain her lost friend.

He should have left to go pack his room, but he wouldn't leave her even knowing she was out of danger. That had been too close a call for him to take any chances. Wide-eyed, her gaze fell on him, and he took her hand. "We'll get her back. Let's go." She nodded, and the lost look hidden in her eyes was enough to send him racing. Apparently they had found another of her scarce fears.

She had never visited his room, and he was mortified that she should see it looking as it did now. Hastily grabbing a change of clothes, he pulled her out again before too much damage was done. Perhaps her worry would cloud her usually eerie powers of observation. He stuffed the clothes in her bag, taking it from her, and they set off immediately. In less than an hour from receiving the note, they were on a train, money in hand, and racing in an otherwise thoroughly unexpected direction – straight toward their captor's lair.


Elphaba kept fidgeting agitatedly so Fiyero took her hand to stop the relentless picking at her fingernails. "We'll get her back soon." She nodded, but her nerves obviously didn't go away.

Neither of them had anything more useful to say, so they just rode in silence for a while. Elphaba stared out the window, grasping Fiyero's hand so tightly it started to throb. Otherwise any intruder would assume she was carefree with her placid expression and coolly relaxed posture. She could have been chiseled in ice but for her troubled eyes.

Night fell so clear and beautiful it belied their precarious position. So much for sleeping in his own bed tonight. Elphaba sighed, tired if not sleepy, and she leaned her head in its place on his shoulder. He supposed that was a fair enough trade.

Without thinking, he kissed the top of her head and slipped his arm around her, and she was too preoccupied to fight it. "How far away are we?"

She huffed, "Too far." Her fingers tensed twitchily against his chest. This must be killing her. He felt a twinge of guilt for enjoying this contact with Elphaba while Galinda was in trouble. He really was worried about his unshakeable girlfriend despite his desire to break free from her. The thought of her with those brutes was no more pleasant an idea for him than Elphaba captured.

He rubbed her shoulder gently. "It'll be alright. After all, we got away twice, no three times."

"But look what they did to you before we were able to." She trailed a fingertip lightly along the fading bruise outlining his eye, then down to his still tender ribs. Though it had been nearly a week, and his injuries had mostly healed themselves, he still bore a few scars from the encounter. He was all too aware of the danger Galinda was in. She was not one to handle inconvenience well, and if she cried over a broken nail, he shuddered to think how she would face that pillar or anything else that might come to pass. He prayed nothing else would come to pass.

Again the image of Elphaba and the gun rose in his mind, replaying like a horror movie, and he knew Galinda would show no such composure. With no ability to help the one girl, he concentrated on the one beside him. Whispering reassurances in her ear, he made promises he prayed they could keep. If only he could will the train to move faster…