So this chapter was an excessive pain in the butt to write. For some reason I just wasn't happy with it and I literally re-wrote it like, 20 times. Bleh. Anyway, I hope it turned out alright after all that XD

Thank you again for your reviews :) They actually make my whole day so much better.


Chapter 9

The Party (Part III)

Love? Did he just use the word LOVE?

The sound of her heart thumping in her chest was almost deafening.

"I know you think I'm just dancing through life and don't take anything seriously, but I mean it."

The facetious grin that had been on his face just moments earlier was gone. His words were simple, yet Elphaba knew they were raw and honest. She could hear his voice shake slightly as he said them.

"I love you, Elphaba. You've... you've changed me. You've made me realize that I don't want all those things that I thought I wanted before. All I want is to be with you. Till the day I die."

Her head was swimming.

She knew she had feelings for him... very, very strong feelings... but love?

Fiyero is just a boy, he doesn't know what he's talking about.

He obviously didn't understand what he was saying. He probably just had a very large crush on her and was confusing it for love. There was no way he was actually in love with her.

Right?

But the way he was standing there in his black tuxedo, still gripping her hand tightly... the way his eyes held a look of uncharacteristic vulnerability... they way he said 'you've changed me' and 'till the day I die' and 'I love you'...

It was incredibly hard for her to prove to herself that he was deluded.

Standing in the middle of the dance floor, Elphaba was suddenly struck by an overwhelming sense of incredulity. After a lifetime of people who were unable to see past her green skin and actually get to know the girl inside, there came this boy, who when she first met him was absolutely insistent on being thought of as 'genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow'. Yet today, he was standing in the middle of a crowded room proclaiming his love for Shiz's resident freak, not giving a damn what any of the other gaping students thought.

Elphaba was caught between trying to figure out her own feelings about his proclamation and the urge to grab and kiss him.

But she couldn't do either. Not yet, at least.

Because along with the all the disbelief and the affection his words had made her feel, the most overpowering emotion had been a flush of guilt. She knew she had to tell Fiyero the truth about her plan to run away after the party. She couldn't just leave him without saying goodbye. Not now... not after everything he'd just said.

She took a deep, unsteady breath. "Fiyero... I..." She looked up into his eyes.

Big mistake.

His deep blues stared back at her with a look of intense adoration that made her feel dizzy.

"Can we talk?" She asked, looking away.

From the corner of her eye she could see a flicker of disappointment cross his face, but it vanished as soon as it had come.

"Yeah sure."

He glanced around the room, then - still clutching her hand - pulled her along with him until they were inside an adjacent, empty ballroom. Letting go of her hand, he then led her to the back of the room where they stopped before a large table which was littered with beer bottles.

"Here," he said, smiling as though it was something he had built just for them. "It's nice and quiet. I can actually hear myself think now."

She couldn't resist. "You've started thinking? Wow, you really have changed."

He grimaced and stuck his tongue out at her, and she grinned back. Pushing the beer bottles to one side, Fiyero plopped himself on the table.

"So, what did you want to say?"

She didn't make any move to sit down. She didn't think she could. The thought of his potential reaction to what she was about to tell him made her too edgy. So she remained standing in front of him, unable to meet his gaze.

Tell him. Just take a deep breath, and tell him the truth

"Did you really mean what you said?" she blurted out.

Idiot! That was not what you were supposed to say!

His eyes hovered over her face, his expression suddenly unreadable.

"You don't believe me?" He asked, quietly.

"I just... don't think you're really in love."

"Why?"

"You're..." she faltered.

You're young.

You're the scandalous, playboy prince who has girls swooning every time you smile.

Even if you are in love, it can't be with me.

"... a prince."

She blushed at the words, internally berating herself for her answer. As though a prince couldn't fall in love. How idiotic.

But Fiyero seemed to know what she meant. Gently holding her hands, he pulled her closer.

"Let me tell you something. A few years ago, my dad and I were talking about finding a bride for me. He told me that he wouldn't force me into an arranged marriage, because he wanted me to marry for love. And I mean, I was happy with that of course, but I was naive and stupid and arrogant and I told him..."

Fiyero put on a whiny voice in a cartoonish imitation of his younger self, "'I've been with a lot of girls, dad. I could never stick to just one, and even if I'm in love with her, I probably won't marry her'."

He dropped back to his normal voice. "And my dad gave me this long hard look and then he said, 'Son, right now, you don't understand love. But one day you will. One day you will fall in love, and then you will understand just how powerful it is... or something along those lines. I wasn't actually listening. My dad's constantly making these spiels about love. He's incredibly cheesy. Like, nauseatingly so."

Cupping her cheek with his hand, he guided her gaze towards him.

"But he's right. Elphaba, I don't care if I have to give up my throne to be with you. Don't you get that? Don't you understand that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be with you?"

"I..."

She felt helpless. She had to tell him the truth, but the words were refusing to emerge.

No. I have to do this. I have to tell him.

"Fiyero, I... I'm going..."

But her words got lost the minute his soft lips touched hers.

He kissed her gently at first and then more passionately as she surrendered to it. His arms wrapped around her waist, and her hands - as if by a reflex - leapt to the nape of his neck, entangling themselves in his hair. They kissed each other hungrily, each one unwilling to let go.

Eventually they broke apart, their chests heaving, euphoric grins plastered on their faces. Elphaba sat down on the table beside him, suddenly too lightheaded to stand.

"Was that... alright?" she asked, sending him a bashful look, "I mean... I've never done that before... I'm sort of... I'm inexperienced... I mean, I'm..."

"Green?" He asked, grinning.

"Shut up," she said, whacking him playfully on the arm, "Way to ruin the moment."

"What are you talking about? That was an awesome pun," he said, laughing, "And what's wrong with being green?"

She made a face.

"You're beautiful," he said, looking sincerely into her eyes, "You just have to look at it a different way. Don't think of yourself as green, think of yourself as..."

He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as he thought of a word.

"...emerald. Like the city."

She raised an eyebrow, "The city that harbors the evil, animal-silencing Wizard of Oz?"

"You are such a bright ray of sunshine."

She grinned shyly.

"Well it doesn't matter that you are inexperienced. You were perfect." He leaned forward, leaving a light kiss on her collarbone. Sitting back, he looked at her expectantly. "So, what was it that you were saying? Before I kissed you. I'm sorry I uh... cut you off."

"Huh?"

Flushed and elated from the kiss, all Elphaba's thoughts of confessing her true plan to Fiyero had vanished into the still, dry air of the ballroom. All she wanted to do was kiss him again.

Leaning forward she left a few soft, tentative kisses on his lips.

"It was something important, right?" He asked, between her kisses.

"It was nothing."

"Good."

Grabbing her, her kissed her again, more fiercely. Elphaba let out a sharp exhale of breath as his tongue ghosted her lips.

The sound of the large door slamming open broke them apart. Elphaba turned to look at the tiny pink-clad figure who was running towards them, a sense of urgency in her steps.

"Glinda?" She called out, confused.

On a normal occasion, the fact that Glinda had just caught Elphaba making out with her ex-boyfriend would have made Elphaba nervous and guilty. However, focusing on the approaching form of her roommate, Elphaba's heart, which just moments ago was thumping with exhilaration started hammering in alarm. The normally bouncy, confident girl looked absolutely stricken.

"What's going on? Is everything alright?"

"You two have to leave... now," Glinda's eyes were shining with terror, "Hurry up. They're coming!"

Elphaba's brow furrowed in confusion, "Who?"

"Madame Morrible and the Wizard's men. They know about your plan."

"How would they..." Elphaba began, but she stopped, the truth hitting her hard in the gut. Her hand flew to her mouth.

"You... told them?" Elphaba's voice was full of horror, "Why?"

Her eyes brimming with tears, Glinda turned to look at Fiyero. A few moments passed before a look of comprehension suddenly appeared on the prince's face.

"Because of the thing with Nessa?" He asked, appalled, "But Glinda, I told you, we weren't..."

"I know!" Glinda said tearfully, "Boq told me just a few minutes ago that Nessa had been doing all these weirdodious things to get him back... and to take revenge on me..."

"What thing with Nessa? What's going on?" Elphaba looked from Glinda to Fiyero with fearful bafflement.

Fiyero looked pained. "Glinda saw... Uh. I'll explain the details later... but basically Glinda saw something and thought it was something else and she..."

"I told Madame Morrible that you and Fiyero were planning on exposing the Wizard." Glinda made no move to wipe the tears that were now free falling down her cheeks. "I'm so so sorry! I know I shouldn't have, Elphie, but I was angry and in that moment of rage... I felt guilty the minute I did it, but it was too late. She already saw that the letter was missing...and now if they find it on you..." Glinda let out a sob. "You have to go, right now. You have to..."

"Are they here?" Elphaba asked, "In the Ballroom?"

"No, but they'll be coming soon. Madame Morrible was waiting for the Wizard's men to arrive. They want to catch the two of you before you can make the announcement."

"We don't have much time then." Fiyero said, jumping off the table, "We have to leave now. Come on, I think there's a door leading out from here."

Following him, Elphaba and Glinda searched the back wall until Elphaba found the door.

"Here!" She called to the others.

She pushed it open letting in a large gust of wind. Then, huddling together, the three of them scurried out into the cold. Glinda and Fiyero turned to walk towards the forest, but Elphaba stood rooted in her place.

"Wait," she called out to them.

The two of them stopped, turning back to look at her with bewilderment.

"What are you doing?" Fiyero yelled, "We have to get out of here."

"There's something I need to get first," she called back.

She turned and began speed walking in the other direction.

What is she doing? Fiyero thought, starting to panic. Madame Morrible and the Wizard's men are looking for us and she's walking straight into their territory!

"We have to go after her," Fiyero said, turning to Glinda, "She's heading towards Shiz. Even if the Wizard's minions aren't there yet, Madame Morrible could have alerted someone to look out for her... and it's not like she's very difficult to spot."

Glinda nodded silently and the two of them ran after the green girl.

That girl really is a commotion, Fiyero thought to himself, as they chased after her.

They reached the library panting, just as Elphaba disappeared into it. Following her, they found themselves in the large, empty front room. The only other person there was the girl manning the main desk who was asleep, snoring softly.

"Everyone else must be at the party." Glinda said, looking around the room.

They spotted Elphaba walking around the study tables, looking for something. Fiyero and Glinda stopped before her, sending her aghast looks, which she ignored.

"Really?The library?" Fiyero asked her, "You risked your life so that you could have a copy of Charles Chickens to keep you entertained?"

"It's Charles Dickens and he's an author, it's not the name of a book." Elphaba corrected him, distractedly.

"I don't care, Elphaba!" He said, coming up behind her, "We have to get out of..."

Fiyero's voice faltered as Elphaba triumphantly pulled something out from under a desk.

"A bag?" he gave her a stunned look, "You were going to... I don't believe this!"

Glinda gasped. "You were going to run away? After the party tonight?"

Elphaba deflated. "I... well, yes but..."

Glinda's lower lip quivered slightly. "You were going to run away without saying goodbye?"

Elphaba looked helplessly at Glinda and then turned to Fiyero. The Winkie Prince had his back to her, his arms crossed tightly across his chest.

"I had a feeling they would come after me tonight. I just didn't want..." she started.

"Let's just get out of here." Fiyero said harshly, cutting her off. As he turned to face her, she could see that his eyes held a dark look. "They'll be coming after us soon. Just take your damn bag and let's go, alright?"

"I have a reason. I can explain..."

"Explain later."

"Fiyero!"

But the Prince had already left the library, slamming the oak doors behind him.


So that's that. I might take a bit longer with the next chapter. A work project is due in the next few days so I'll be doing that. Also, another reason why this chapter took a bit was because this is the penultimate chapter. So, given that next chapter is the last one I really want it to be as perfect as it can be.