Fiyero had never been much for small talk. Glinda could hardly tolerate silence. So after an hour of him mostly ignoring her, she blurted out: "Did you ever love me?"

The question hit him like a ton of bricks- where had that come from? "What?"

"It was a simple question- did you ever love me?"

"Glinda..." He sighed and grapsed her hand. "I always loved you." At Glinda's baffled expression, he continued, "Just not in the way I love Elphaba. The two of you are... The two of you are night and day."

"And you're a night person?" Glinda said, smiling ruefully.

"Yes. Glinda, I never meant to hurt you. When we met, you floored me. But, really, it... It just didn't work. Me and you."

She smiled- more genuinely this time. "When did you realize you loved her instead of me?"

"Not instead of you-"

"More than?"

"No! Just differantly. Elphaba's my..." His voice cracked when he said, "Wife." He continued on. "But you're one of my best friends. and to answer your question, I didn't realise it until she was alone in a cave and all of Oz wanted to kill her. But I loved her as soon as I realised she really believed in what she said- that the Animals of Oz were being hurt."

"Oh. Ok then." The silence came back, both of them not wanting to push the other, and content with their frienship. It wasn't until they reached the first little village outside of the City and saw a paper's headline that they knew how much trouble they were in.

Wicked Witch of the West Captured- To Be Put to Death in Three Days

---

As much as she hated to admit it, Elphaba was afraid.

She cursed the Wizard for locking her up alone- she would go insane with nothing to do but sit and think, pace and think, lie down and thnk. And Elphaba's mind was not always a safe place to be.

There was a little window in her cell- her cell, she was deamed too dangerous to be left with another inmate. She could see the sun and a few fluffy white clouds. A pretty day. Children would be playing outside. Their mothers would be consoled knowing the Wicked Witch of the West was locked up.

Her thoughts went back to those she loved. Fiyero. Glinda. Her sister, Nessarose. They would be all right, they would be safe without her. If she was dead, Fiyero would be able to return to his family. He and Glinda could claim to be under her spells, say they were controlled by her. If they were smart they would continue with the rumors, say she was a terror. They would be forgiven.

But she highly doubted they would. She groaned. She loved Fiyero, and knew he loved her, and knew he would never say a word against her, especially for his own benefit. He was a fool, he was her fool, and she knew he wouldn't save his hide if it meant possibly hurting her.

He would try to save her. She swallowed hard. She knew he wanted to try to be her Prince Charming, her Knight in Shining Armour. She was set to die in two days- at dusk.

She wished it would just come. She didn't want to die, not really. But she would rather die than sit and think about dying, and she didn't want Fiyero- or Glinda- to be able to reach the Emerald City. If they did, they would try to save her. If they did they would be captured. If they did they would be killed as well.

And her sacrificing herself would mean nothing.

Fiyero knew what he had to do, and he knew Glinda would not like it. Actually, Elphaba probably wouldn't like it either, but it was better for the both of them if his plan would work.

If he did things just right, both women would be safe. If things went wrong, he and Glinda would probably join Elphaba on death row.

"Fiyero, where exactly are we going?" Glinda said, frustrated and tired.

"Emerald Palace." Fiyero responded, almost as if his plan was obvious.

Glinda sputtered. "What- why?! We'll be killed! And... and then who's going to save Elphie?"

"Shh!" Fiyero said as he reached forward and ripped a bit of Glinda's overskirt, making her look a bit more tattered. "We're not going to be caught, you're turning yourself in."

"What! Fiyero I really don't see what me being in jail will help!"

"Hush, someone will hear you... I need to do this alone, and Elphaba will be much happier if you're safe. You're going to turn yourself in and claim you were under one of the Wicked Witch's spells. Make up some stories of how she tormented you, and say the spell wore off when you two were separated. cry and carry on- they'll believe you."