AN. Today is another one of my WICKED anniversaries! It's been 2 years today since I saw the show for the 2nd time. It was seeing the show on this day that made me start writing WICKED fanfiction.

Chapter Ten

Seeing Elphaba hadn't helped ease Nessa's worry or guilt in the slightest when she and Boq returned to Shiz. If anything, it was worse.

Before leaving Munchkinland, Nessa had tried to talk both with Elphaba and Frex about what would happen after February, once the baby was born. Frex's reply was a brusque, "We'll discuss this later, Nessarose."

But Elphaba's reply had been bitter. "I'll make a miraculous recovery from whatever disease the people have been told I have, and everything will be as it was."

"So, you might come back to Shiz?" Nessa had asked hopefully.

Elphaba hadn't replied.

As soon as she and Boq arrived back on campus, they were pounced on by Fiyero and Galinda, with the same question Boq had asked.

"How's Elphaba?" Fiyero had demanded.

Nessa had paused for just a moment. "She's getting stronger every day."

Which was true, but not technically an answer.

"Did she get our presents?" Galinda asked eagerly.

Nessa nodded. "She did."

They kind of wanted more information than that, which Nessa could tell, but she couldn't say anything.

"She can't… she can't write back," Nessa continued with difficulty, figuring that was also technically true. "But she said thank you."

Fiyero and Galinda were disappointed. They hadn't heard anything from Elphaba in months and all they got was a "thank you"? But Nessa gave no further information, much against her better judgement.

A week later, they were in their Life Sciences class, all listening to the lecture with various degrees of attention. It was the one class for the semester all four had together, and they all enjoyed it. Their teacher, Dr Ledbin, wasn't against promoting class discussion, wherever the discussion should go- even if it was far off the original topic.

In hindsight, how they'd ended up from a starting point of Lurlinemas to talking about parenting, Nessa could never quite figure out.

Off that, one of their classmates had teased their friend about being a "Momma's boy", which caused Galinda to speak up thoughtfully.

"Why is being a Momma's Boy seen as a bad thing, but it's fine for a girl to be a Daddy's Girl?"

"Or for that matter," Boq added. "It's acceptable to be a Daddy's Boy, or a Momma's Girl. It's only the mother and son bond that has that negative stigma attached to it."

Dr Ledbin jumped in. "Which is interesting, don't you think? Especially when regardless of sex, the bond between mother and child could be argued to be one of the strongest bonds there is."

The sound of dubious scoffing was heard scattered through the room, and the teacher raised her voice to speak above them.

"Think about it. From twenty weeks, that's halfway through the pregnancy, the unborn child can hear and recognised it's mother's voice."

Nessa stilled in her note-taking. Twenty weeks… she knew Elphaba was at about thirty- four weeks now; so her child could definitely recognise her voice.

"And," another girl chimed in. "The baby has grown inside the mother, using it as a source for food, warmth, nutrition…"

Dr Ledbin nodded. "Not only does the child recognise its mother's voice, but it responds to it. And the mother can feel the baby kick and move, can feel the heartbeat. Mother and child are intimately connected for nine months, in a way you can never be connected with another human being."

Nessa recalled the way Elphaba had held her stomach as the child within moved around. Nessa didn't think she'd ever forget it, it was such an odd combination of grief, pain, awe and love.

"She loves it before it's even born," Nessa spoke, unaware she was speaking aloud.

"Exactly, Miss Nessarose," Dr Ledbin nodded and Nessa jumped slightly.

"Which can be as heartbreaking a fact, a bond; as it is wondrous."

Boq frowned. "What do you mean?"

Dr Ledbin had the class's full attention as she spoke. "Does anyone here recognise the name Lemonie Delwood?"

Most people shook their heads, a few looked as though the name sounded somewhat familiar.

Dr Ledbin took a deep breath to explain. "She was a young woman from the Glikkus about four years ago. She was expecting her first child with her husband, and they were both ecstatic about the idea of becoming parents. Both head over heels in love for one another, they wanted nothing more than to have a baby and start their family."

"So, what happened?" Galinda demanded, wide-eyed, well aware this story would most likely not have a happy ending.

"The baby, a little boy, was born dead."

Dead silence filled the class room as the teacher's words sank in.

"There was no explanation, Lemonie had been healthy all pregnancy and the baby had seemed to be in perfect health. But he was born not breathing, and pronounced stillborn."

Dr Ledbin cleared her throat. "Lemonie had her husband, who she loved deeply. She had loving parents, two sisters and several close friends. But losing her son… her baby… was too much for her. It was winter, and one morning, Lemonie told her husband she was going for a walk. He thought nothing of it, she knew the area and had done it all the time. Lemonie walked to the lake, which was known for having thin ice. It was not safe to be near in the winter, everyone knew that. Lemonie walked out onto the ice, until it gave way beneath her. And she drowned."

Several of the girls in the class gasped.

"Wait-" one of the boys questioned, trying to understand. "She- she killed herself?"

Dr Ledbin nodded sadly. "Yes. When her husband began to worry at her absence, he went looking for her. He found the lake, and saw the hole in the ice. Lemonie's coat was nearby, and there was no marks on the ice to suggest she had tried to climb out of the water."

"But why?" Fiyero asked.

Speaking up in class was rare for him, but he was as stunned by the story as everyone else.

"She'd lost her baby. She'd carried her son for nine months, nurturing him, loving him. And then she had to bury him before she'd even gotten to be a mother," Dr Ledbin said simply.

The class had taken a depressing turn, but Nessa was no longer paying attention. She couldn't stop picturing Lemonie's death in her mind- except that in her mind, Lemonie looked very much like Elphaba.

'Stop it,' she ordered herself. 'Elphaba would never do that.'

But the look in Elphaba's eyes over Lurlinemas kept haunting her, and Carmela's words.

"She's certain she'll live. But I think now she's searching for a reason why she should."

Nessa squeezed her eyes shut tightly. This was not the same type of situation, Elphaba's baby was not going to be dead.

'It's going to be dead to her,' a nasty little voice in her head replied. 'Ripped from her arms at birth, never to be seen again. And who knows what the milk flowers have done.'

But Elphaba would never kill herself, Nessa reasoned, trying to convince herself of that fact.

'Lemonie Delwood's husband and family probably never thought Lemonie would kill herself either,' the voice pointed out.

"Nessa? Are you okay?" a voice hissed from next to her.

Nessa looked over to see Fiyero frowning at her in concern, and before she knew it, she'd burst into tears.

Fiyero looked alarmed, but Galinda swiftly took charge of the situation, jumping up from her seat and pushing Nessa's chair towards the door, which was thankfully nearby. Boq grabbed the girls' things and followed, Fiyero only a step behind.

Nessa was inconsolable, as Galinda led them into an empty classroom.

"Nessa, what is it?" Galinda asked worriedly, sitting down in a chair next to Nessa's wheelchair.

"I- I can't- I can't do this anymore," Nessa sobbed.

Fiyero, Galinda and Boq exchanged confused looks.

"Do what, Ness?" Boq asked gently.

"Lie!" Nessa burst out. "I can't. Because if something happened… oh, sweet Oz."

Fiyero squatted down on his knees so he was level with Nessa. "Nessa, what are you talking about?" he questioned.

Nessa met his gaze and broke down in fresh sobs. "I'm so sorry, Fiyero. I- I asked. I asked to tell you, but my father… he insisted, he said I couldn't. But I can't, I can't let it happen."

By now, the three were genuinely concerned.

"Nessa, what can't you let happen?" Galinda soothed.

"E- El- Elphaba," Nessa managed to choke out, and Fiyero tensed.

He reached out and took Nessa's hands tightly. "Nessa, what about Elphaba?" he asked urgently.

Nessa couldn't speak for a moment, she was crying too hard. Finally, she took a deep, shuddering breath and looked Fiyero miserably in the eyes.

"She's pregnant."

Fiyero paled and his eyes widened. "Wh- what do you mean?" he croaked out.

"She f-found out over the summer," Nessa whispered. "But before she could tell you, our father found out. And… he said… awful things to her, he said that your parents would never allow you to marry because of your skin, and that the baby was a sin. He made this big plan, he… he's going to take the baby away, when it's born. Take it to an orphanage somewhere. We both tried to convince him otherwise, Fabala was so mad… but it was no use."

Fiyero froze. "What do you mean, take it away?" he demanded sharply.

"He- He's going to take it to an orphanage," Nessa explained, lowering her gaze.

Galinda was trying to get her head around the news. "So, she's not sick?"

Nessa shook her head fearfully. "No. She… she was sick. She's had a difficult pregnancy, but she's got about a month until she's due, I think. And… Fiyero, she loves that baby so much. And I'm worried that when Father takes it away… something horrendible is going to happen. I don't know if she'll cope."

Galinda was the first to pick up on what Nessa wasn't saying. "Nessa, Elphie would never-"

"Wouldn't she?" Nessa whispered. "You haven't seen her, Galinda. She… she's heartbroken."

Then she turned back to Fiyero. "Fiyero, I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you-"

Fiyero shook his head and rose to his feet, striding angrily away from Nessa, before wheeling around to face her.

"Are you telling me for eight months you've known what's going on? And you didn't say anything?"

Nessa winced, but knew he had every right to be furious at her. "I wanted to. Elphaba wanted to, but my father made me promise…"

"And you didn't think I had a right to know I'm going to be a father?" Fiyero demanded.

Nessa couldn't speak, she had no justifiable excuse for what she'd done.

Fiyero's head was whirling. Elphaba was pregnant, with their child. And her father was going to take it away as soon as it was born.

"Why now?" Boq asked Nessa quietly into the silence that followed.

Nessa swallowed. "I know. I should have never gone along with it, I should have told you all earlier," she admitted. "I hated lying to you all. But I'm really worried about Elphaba, and after hearing that story… she's my sister. I can't lose her."

Although her words were directed at all three of them, she was looking at Fiyero, waiting for his reaction.

"I'm going to Munchkinland," he announced finally.

"We'll come too!" Galinda said hastily.

Fiyero looked like he might protest, but Galinda held up a hand. "Fiyero, Elphie's my best friend. I'm coming."

"And you'll need Nessa to explain to her father," Boq volunteered.

Fiyero hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. We're leaving as soon as I can get a carriage."

He left, leaving Nessa alone with Boq and Galinda.

"I'm so sorry," Nessa said in a small voice.

Galinda turned to her, and Nessa saw the hurt in the blonde's eyes. "Let's just focus on Elphie, okay?"

Nessa nodded, shame-faced and they left the room together in search of Fiyero.

The four of them left Shiz forty-five minutes later, after hastily packing a change of clothes. It was going to take them six hours at best to get to Munchkinland, and the mood in the carriage as they set off was tense and uncomfortable.

Boq was never good at uncomfortable situations, and his usual tactic to avoid such situations by running away would not work in a cramped carriage.

"Ok, this is ridiculous," he broke the silence, drawing the attention of the others.

"Obviously, we're all kind of mad and hurt that Nessa didn't tell us the truth about Elphaba, and I guess, Fiyero especially has a reason to be upset… given that it's his kid and all."

Fiyero bristled. "You guess I have a reason to be upset?" he cried incredulously.

Boq waved him down. "My point is, that Nessa clearly feels bad enough as it is, and she's just as worried about Elphaba as the rest of us."

There was a pause, and Galinda and Fiyero exchanged a look, before Fiyero let out a sigh, looking slightly guilty.

"You're right, Boq," he agreed heavily.

Fiyero turned to Nessa. "Tell us everything you know."

Nessa obeyed, telling them every detail she could remember. From the summer, and when they'd first discoverated about the pregnancy, and Frex's plan; the tonic with the milk flowers, and everything she'd observed about Elphaba over Lurlinemas and her conversation with her father.

Then she, Galinda and Boq had had to explain to Fiyero what was so bad about the milk flowers and what it could mean for Elphaba and her baby. Fiyero had gone almost grey at that thought, unable to comprehend the thought.

When she'd finished, Fiyero looked to Nessa apologetically. "I am mad," he admitted. "I mean… you knew how worried I've been… we've been about Fae, and you knew the truth all along and didn't tell us?"

"I wanted to," Nessa said desperately. "But my father-"

"I can't believe your father put you in that position," Galinda shook her head slightly, her voice slightly hoarse. She'd cried as Nessa had described the changes in Elphaba over the holidays, unable to bear the idea of what was happening to her best friend.

Fiyero hadn't cried, but seemed unable to speak for moments after.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you," he apologised, and Nessa managed a slight smile.

"It's okay. I deserved it."

Fiyero only had one final question. "When… when Fae knew… that she was pregnant. Was she… I mean, how did she…?"

Nessa reached over and took his hand, giving it a slight squeeze. "She was really happy Fiyero," she said sincerely. "And you have no idea how badly she wants to be able to tell you, and to keep the baby."

Fiyero smiled for what felt like the first time in ages. With all the information he'd gained, it still hadn't really sunk in that Elphaba and he were having a baby.

"She will," he said confidently. "No one is raising that baby but Fae and I."

Nessa hoped he was right.