Pretty long bump this time, don't you think? Well, here's chapter 11. Hope you enjoy.

"Elphie. Elphaba. Wake up, Elphie." Slowly, she pulled one eye open. Glinda's pale face was hovering inches away from hers. "Elphaba, I'm leaving."

This shocked Elphaba into a sitting position, but her raised leg wouldn't allow her bend upright. Slowly, she lowered herself down again. "What do you mean, you're leaving? You just got here."

"I was scheduled to leave today. I just wanted to say goodbye."

Elphaba started to shake her head. "You can't."

"Yes, I can. I have to. I took a big chance coming here in the first place. There's still a ton of political unrest that I have to take care of. They think I'm a Wizard supporter, see. Oh, Elphaba…" Glinda sighed. "There's something else I needed to tell you. The Wizard…"

"He's my father. And, Glinda, his name is Noah Hershlag and he's here. He's on the camp."

"No, I know. I meant to tell you that he's gone. His balloon was repaired and I sent him packing. I don't know if we'll ever see him again."

"Oh." Elphaba shrugged and sighed. "Fine. He wasn't much of a father anyways."

"That's for damn certain, Elphaba Thropp."

"Actually…"

"Or is it Elphaba Hershlag now?"

"See, Glinda—"

"I know. I was just kidding… Elphaba Tiggular."

It was a very opportune moment for Fiyero to burst through the flap. "Is she awake? I brought food…"

"Fiyero, you told her?"

"What else could I do?"

"I already knew, Elphaba."

"Fiyero Tiggular, I sacrificed my foot to hide you!" Glinda and Fiyero looked at her, confused. "Well, in a manner of speaking."

"Fiyero came bursting in here when he heard you were hurt, upsetting pottery, furniture, people…"

"And Glinda's here tending to you like Kumbricia. She looks at me for a few seconds, passes me a towel and says, 'Press on the gashes.' She knew."

"Oh." It was starting to get tense in the tent. "Well, I'm glad you're not too angry…"

Glinda laughed. "The only reason I'm this serene is because I had my four hours last night to be angry. The whole pomp and circumstance, too… screaming, throwing things, cursing your name. But," she added with a shrug, "It's been four more hours since then, and now I have to say goodbye."

"You can't leave me here now, Glinda!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"What can she do, Elphaba? She's in a sticky position."

"I want to help! There are still wizard supporters who love you but not your principles, and there's wizard enemies who can't even hear your principles because they hate you so much. I can help."

"Out of the question, Elphaba. I'm not letting my wife return to the angry mobs."

"What about last night? You were completely against the notion of coming back with me."

"You're confusing everyone, love."

"Fiyero, please." The girls had said it in unison; they looked at each other curiously.

Finally, Elphaba sighed helplessly. "Fine."

"Elphaba, understand that it's hard for me. I don't want to leave you, but the minute I took that position whatever I wanted officially didn't matter."

"I can't argue with you, Glinda." She lowered her eyes away from Glinda's. "I'll be… fine."

Glinda looked a bit unbelieving, but she patted Elphaba's hair and smiled anyway. "Come on, see me off."

"But…" Glinda had enlisted Fiyero for help, and Elphaba was being hauled to her feet. "What about that portly dignitary?"

Glinda cocked an eyebrow. "That's my manservant. Do you want to know why I picked him? Five years ago, he worked in the Emerald Palace. He was caught gossiping about the Wizard and the head cook carved out his tongue." Both Elphaba and Fiyero gulped, drawing their own tongues to the backs of their mouths.

A crowd had gathered for Glinda's departure, and the podium had been set in the centre of the circle. Glinda took her place on it, while Fiyero supported Elphaba in the back. Shahan the Camel stood in front of Glinda to translate. A cheer went up among the tribe, but diminished as Glinda smiled and prepared to make her speech.

And what a speech it was. Melodramatic, maybe, but it sounded absolutely sincere, and Elphaba knew that it probably was. Glinda spoke about having been changed by her experience in and among the Paniwawas, for the better, of course. She told them she understood and supported their decision to live untouched by the government. Invariably, she mentioned Elphaba and Fiyero.

"And a thousand times thank-you for showing every bit of grace and hospitality to my friends. I know that, as their time here progresses, they will show themselves to be the strong and true leaders that I know they are."

That was it for Elphaba; she melted down, pressing her face in her hands so she wouldn't yelp and ruin Glinda's speech. Fiyero stepped close to her and slipped his arm under her shoulders to support her and her cut-up foot, and she turned her attention to his bare shoulder, soaking it within seconds. Glinda's words just sounded so final. It was surreal to think that this could be the last she'd ever see of Glinda, and she wasn't sure if she could get over that.

Because Glinda was such an experienced public speaker, her speech was over in a snap. Elphaba and Glinda faced each other, and then hugged, as if competing to see who could squeeze the most air out of the other. They broke apart at the same time, Glinda backing away a foot. Fiyero leaned in, pecking her on the cheek and hugging her, as Elphaba watched, anger mingling with sorrow. Damn you, Hershlag. Damn you for doing this to us.

Glinda, having finished with Fiyero, grabbed Elphaba's hand and dragged her to a spot about ten feet away. "Listen, do I still have to promise not to clear your name?"

With a start, Elphaba remembered that exact promise. To her, it now sounded melodramatic and shamefully heroic. "Glinda, if it's safe, I guess you'd might as well. But if you get hurt because you can't keep from gossiping, I'll never forgive you."

Glinda was about to retort angrily, but she smiled and dropped her eyes. "You're joking."

"Yes."

"But until then, I don't think it's safe to keep in contact, not directly. It's certainly not even doable. If I hear of someone coming out this way…"

"What about the Camel?"

Glinda wrinkled her nose. "He's a Scrow dignitary. I can't tear him away…"

"Employ yourself a Camel, then.

"That would work." Glinda began to absent-mindedly twirl her finger through an escaped curl. "The trouble, of course, would be to actually find a Camel, and then to make sure he was trustworthy…"

"Or she. And would he turn on me?"

"On the contrary, most animals revere you. If they know you're alive, they could start revolting. No more war, thank you. Better to reintroduce them gradually to society, don't you think?"

Elphaba shrugged. "Well then. I guess I'll just have to wait."

Shahan's deep voice cut through their conversation. "Lady, we'll be heading out now."

"Thank you." For the last time, Glinda and Elphaba faced each other, but they forewent the squeezing and tears; instead, they grabbed each other's hand, whispered goodbye, and parted.

Fiyero's arms trapped her from behind, and the two of them watched Glinda's white form recede, her face turned towards them until the camel was a speck in the distance. Husband and wife remained there, though, watching the sand swirl windswept over the desert cactuses, neither willing to face life. Eventually, and inevitably, tribal duties called them back to earth. This was their new life, one that required immediate attention. For their old one, they had to be contented with waiting for it. And so, Elphaba and Fiyero Tiggular decided that for now, they would live happily. The "ever after" would come.

Dear readers, thanks for sticking with me, through laughs and tears, through thick and thin.

Curlz