A/N: This is the song/scene that started the entire story, so I couldn't help but use all of the lyrics. :) Oh, and here's one more casting choice too... ;)

********** Defying Gravity **********

"Ok, Jess, here's the big one," she whispered to herself backstage as she was helped into her third costume of the night. "No pressure, but this'll either make or break the show…"

"You'll be fine," Emily said, coaxingly.

"She'll be better than fine, she'll be amazing," Connor stated.

"Thanks guys," she whispered gratefully. Nodding at the three soldiers standing at the side of the stage, she waited as they nodded back, signalling that they were completely ready for her.

Walking out on stage with Emily and Connor, they met Abby and a few others for the start of the lead-up scene. After another quick song, it was time for the appearance of the wizard himself – and Lester got the biggest applause of all when he came onstage dressed fully in green, singing about being a sentimental man.

The big dramatic scene leading up to Jess' climactic song was a hit. Tensions ran high, and Jess actually tapped into some old feelings she'd had from back when she'd first arrived at the ARC. Lester had been trying to toughen her up (she knew now), but at the time, she'd felt so used and angry. So she took all of that and poured it into the scene.

And suddenly, without warning, and without time to even think about how nervous she was, her big song was upon her. She and Emily stood alone on the stage, and Jess started singing softly.

"Something has changed within me

Something is not the same

I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game

Too late for second guessing

Too late to go back to sleep

It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap!"

She started to put a bit extra energy into her singing, emphasizing the plan. Becker, Matt and the rest of the audience watched anxiously. They could tell something was coming, but didn't know what.

"It's time to try defying gravity

I think I'll try defying gravity

And you can't pull me down!"

Emily jumped in at this point, bringing Jess a bit back to herself as her friend sang.

"Can't I make you understand?

You're having delusions of grandeur!"

Jess interrupted her with a sweeping of her arm.

"I'm through accepting limits

'Cause someone says they're so!

Some things I cannot change, but till I try, I'll never know!

Too long I've been afraid of

Losing love I guess I've lost

Well if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost!

I'd sooner buy defying gravity,

Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity

And you can't pull me down!"

She was getting closer and closer to the high point of the song, and Jess was getting more and more passionate about what she was singing. Jess turned to Emily and looked her dead in the eye as she held out the broomstick in her hand. "Glinda, come with me. Think of what we could do…together!"

"Unlimited

Together we're unlimited

Together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been

Glinda,

Dreams the way we planned 'em."

Emily, who had looked extremely reluctant a minute ago, reached out and held the broom with her as she replied.

"If we work in tandem."

Smiling at each other, they sang together, getting excited.

"There's no fight we cannot win

Just you and I defying gravity

With you and I defying gravity."

Suddenly Emily came back to herself (or her character at least), and pulled away from Jess and the broom as Jess continued to sing.

"They'll never bring us down."

She looked at her again. "Well? Are you coming?"

'Glinda' moved to the side of the stage and picked up a black cloak. Draping it over Jess' shoulders, she sang softly to her as she shook her head.

"I hope you're happy, now that you're choosing this."

Nodding sadly, 'Elphaba' looked at her companion.

"You too. I hope it brings you bliss."

Together, they clasped hands, and sang.

"I really hope you get it,

and you don't live to regret it.

I hope you're happy in the end

I hope you're happy, my friend."

Smiling at each other, Jess leaned in and kissed Emily's cheek before dashing offstage for a few seconds. As she ran back out shouting at the guards who had come onstage and grabbed Emily's arms, she threw her cloak back out of her way with another sweep of her arm.

As she opened her mouth to continue singing, the music swelled, and Becker suddenly had a feeling of déjà vu. The voice that came out of Jess a second later was so unbelievably powerful that no one in the audience could believe that it was coming from sweet, little Jess.

"So if you care to find me

Look to the western sky!

As someone told me lately,

Everyone deserves the chance to fly!"

As soon as she said 'fly', everything clicked together in Becker's head, and he knew what was about to happen. Jess was gently lifted off the stage as she continued to sing, and the audience went nuts. She rose high above everyone's heads, a long extension of her cape was the only thing touching the ground.

"And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free

To those who'd ground me, take a message back from me

Tell them how I am defying gravity

I'm flying high, defying gravity

And soon I'll match them in renown!"

She was right into it. 'Time for the big finish,' she thought, as she looked down at various members of the captive audience.

"And nobody in all of Oz

No wizard that there is or was

Is ever gonna bring me down!"

Emily stretched her arm up to Jess' floating figure, and sang with her as others came onto the stage.

"I hope you're happy!"

Everyone new to the stage stared at Jess with rage as they sang.

"Look at her, she's wicked!

Get her!"

Jess took a deep breath and kept going, letting her voice carry through the canteen.

"Bring me down!"

The crowd onstage below her kept going with their rant-song.

"No one mourns the wicked!

So we've got to bring her…"

Determined to let her last note linger until the swelling music came to a close, Jess hauled in one last huge breath and let loose, her voice clear as day.

"Ahh!"

Joining her, the mob below sang their last note as powerfully as they could.

"Down!"

As the music crashed at the end, Jess thrusted her broomstick up into the air and looked up at the ceiling. After a second's pause, thunderous applause could be heard from the audience as the lights onstage came down and the curtain closed quickly.

As soon as the stage was enclosed, the low lights came on, and the soldiers who had raised Jess up slowly and carefully lowered her back down to earth. The roar of the crowd outside could still be heard, and everyone hiding on- or off-stage started to cheer as well. As soon as Jess hit the floor of the stage safely, she was engulfed in a massive group hug by her fellow performers.

"Make or break, eh?" Connor shouted happily.

"Definitely 'make'!" Emily and Abby shouted together. Jess said nothing, just let them all be happy. She was ecstatic, but just wanted to try and calm her pounding heart. Right now she wanted nothing more than to burst through the curtains, leap into Becker's arms and kiss him senseless. But she managed to keep her wits about her, and stay hidden.

Meanwhile, in the audience, Matt and Becker were in awe of Jess' song. "I didn't know she had that in her," Matt commented, visibly stunned. Becker just shook his head in disbelief, unable to form words. He wanted to go hug Jess in triumph at what she'd done, but didn't want to break her stride. He just let the image of her singing her heart out in earnest stay in his mind as he and Matt stood up to stretch their legs.

After a few long minutes of self-congratulations behind the curtain, Jess pulled away from the group, dragging Abby with her. "Come on, I need your help."

"With what?" the made-up blonde asked.

"I need to re-greenify myself before intermission is over, and I can't do it alone." Abby laughed as she and Jess moved stealthily out of the stage area and through the halls to their make-up lab.