A/N: My exams are finally over! The relief is real. I'll still be going out on placement soon, so we'll see how that affects updates, but hopefully it won't affect them too badly.

AngelaIsAwesome: Too right Fiyero is a catch! We could all do with a Fiyero.

DefyGravity107: You have no idea how special that is to hear readers are connecting with my writing in a personal way. This wasn't my intention at all, but if readers do happen to relate in some way it's really cool to hear! I think it's because the characters in Wicked do face very human struggles, despite the fact that their problems are blown to rather melodramatic proportions in the musical!

Virgo girl 14: Nice to know my updates are like a new pair of shoes haha. A sparkly pair of shoes I hope.

"What do you like to do in your spare time, Miss Nessarose?"

Elphaba wanted to roll her eyes. What kind of a question was that? "Your Highness, if you want to get to know my sister on a deep level, I suggest you ask her a better question. I know you have to be more creative than that."

Nessa gasped in horror at Elphaba. "Fabala, there was no need to be so rude! I don't mind answering the question at all. I do enjoy music, Your Highness," she smiled sweetly. "I play the piano. Sometimes I will play for Father in the evenings, or for guests."

"She does play very well," Elphaba interjected. "Now, this is about the time when you ought to request a performance."

Fiyero eyed her with part exasperation and part amusement. "I know how to have a polite conversation, thank you, Elphaba."

Elphaba smirked at him.

"Really, Elphaba," Nessa sighed with a long-suffering air, placing her patterned teacup down on the coffee table. "I don't understand what the matter is with you, tonight."

Elphaba flinched at her tone, but played it off with a careless wave of her hand.

"Well, to please you two lovely ladies, I will ask. Miss Nessarose, would you do me the honour of a performance?"

Nessa beamed. "Certainly, Your Highness! Fabala, could you fetch my music for me, please?"

Elphaba did so, collecting Nessa's music folder from a shelf in the corner. "What would you like to play?"

"How about Mama's lullaby?"

Elphaba stiffened. She flicked through the music with wooden fingers, pulling out the sheet music obediently. Silently, she placed it on the stand and made to push Nessa's chair closer to the keys. Hurriedly, she made her way back to her seat. If she had looked up, she would have noticed Fiyero frown at her.

Nessa, of course, was oblivious. Daintily, she placed her fingers on the ivory keys, arching her hands elegantly like twin flowers. She began to play.

The piece was beautiful, and Nessa played with considerable skill and musicality. It was a simple and lilting melody, like the rocking of a small child. Elphaba didn't realise she was crying until Fiyero sat down next to her. "What's wrong?" he whispered so Nessa couldn't hear.

Elphaba sniffed and brushed the wetness away from her face. How mortifying. She hadn't meant to react in this way, but she couldn't help it.

Fiyero wasn't looking at her with judgement, however. He merely looked concerned.

"I'm fine," Elphaba whispered back.

"Did your mother write it?" he murmured.

Elphaba nodded. In response, he lightly squeezed her hand, then walked across to Nessa, seeming to sense that she needed space. She was grateful for that.

Nessa turned her head slightly to smile at him when she noticed him approaching, then turned her focus back to the music. Fiyero followed along the music as she played, a look of mesmerisation on his face. When she finished, Nessa paused, then looked up at him to gauge his reaction.

Fiyero raised his brows, impressed, and started clapping. "That was lovely, Miss Nessarose. You have quite a talent."

The girl blushed prettily at the compliment, then caught her sister's eye, silently asking her to come and pull her chair back. Elphaba quickly tried to hide all evidence of her emotion, and brusquely manoeuvred Nessa's chair back to where it had been before, opposite Fiyero's chair.

"Perhaps now I'll ask a better question. Give me a moment to think of one creative enough for Elphaba's taste, and then she can give me a mark out of ten, how about that?"

Despite herself, Elphaba cracked a smile. "If you think you can manage that. Aim high."

Fiyero nodded, satisfied. "Why do you like music?" he asked finally, peeking at Elphaba out of the corner of his eye to check his score.

Elphaba pretended to think about it for a moment, then held up four fingers.

Fiyero threw his arms up. "Oh, come on! That should have been at least a six!"

Elphaba smirked. "Try harder."

Nessa ignored their little exchange. "I'm not sure. Father taught me to play when I was little. I guess I just find it very calming."

"That makes sense," Fiyero nodded. Suddenly his eye glinted wickedly. "How are you at arm wrestling?"

Elphaba stifled a laugh, while Nessa looked horrified. "Oh no, Your Highness. I couldn't possibly."

"Oh come on, Miss Nessarose. You know you can tell a lot about a person by how they arm wrestle."

"Really?" Elphaba quipped. "Like what?"

It took a lot of persuasion, but eventually Nessa sighed and rolled up her sleeve a little in trepidation. Elphaba could tell that Fiyero was going easy on her, but she didn't comment. Fiyero allowed her to win three out of five matches, until Elphaba piped up, "So, what did you learn about my sister from this little exercise?"

Fiyero leaned back in satisfaction. "I learned that Miss Nessarose is the epitome of elegance and sophistication. She has a bit of a mean streak, though. Did you see how she tried to wipe me out in that last round?"

Nessa, for the most part, looked unamused, but there was a glint of excitement in her eye that she tried to suppress. "Perhaps I had better refrain from such games from now on."

"If that's what you wish, Miss Nessarose. I shall take on your sister."

Elphaba schooled her face into seriousness. "You're on."

The next half hour was spent in match after match as Elphaba repeatedly beat Fiyero into the dust. At first, he simply looked put out. Then confusion set in. Finally, suspicion came knocking. After their twenty second game, he turned on her with his eyes narrowed. "Alright, you have to be cheating."

Elphaba threw her head back and cackled. "How do you know I'm not just stronger than you?"

"You're not. You're cheating."

"I may or may not have cast a little spell."

Fiyero closed his eyes. "You'll be the death of me, Thropp."

Nessa brought them back to earth. "Do you now have a portrait of Fabala, Your Highness?"

He stroked his chin in thought. "I might. I think you're wily, Miss Elphaba. Very wily. And smart. But mostly, I think you have something you want to prove."

She laughed uneasily. "What?"

Fiyero's eyes softened. "You can win a game with a spell and a good dose of pretence. You don't have to do that, you know?"

"Oh, this coming from Mister Pretence himself."

His face went very blank suddenly. "What are you talking about?" his breath was expelled in a hiss.

"I'm saying that you accuse me of doing the same thing you do yourself every day. Well, it won't gain you any points with me. I know what it means to be miserable."

"I'm not miserable!"

"Oh, come on Fiyero. You are miserable! You think I don't notice..."

He cut her off. "Now you're accusing me."

"I'm not accusing you! I'm calling you out, but not accusing."

"Enough!"

Both Elphaba and Fiyero looked up at Nessa in shock. Elphaba's jaw dropped at the tone her little sister had just used. Nessa looked as though she would have stood up out of her chair, had she been able. Her hands were balled in fists, and her face was red as she shook. "Elphaba, get out."

"Excuse me?"

"Get out!" Nessa all but shrieked. "I refuse to listen to this!"

Tears stung Elphaba's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Without a word, she turned on her heel and left the room. She didn't leave fast enough, however, to miss the angry look Fiyero gave Nessa, before following her out.

"Elphaba, don't leave," he spoke, stopping her.

"Why? It's clear my presence isn't wanted," she bit her lip to keep from letting on how much Nessa's words had affected her.

"I want you to stay," he replied. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. Don't let Nessarose get to you – she's more like you than you think."

Elphaba turned her questioning gaze on him. "What do you mean?"

An amused half-smile balanced on his lips. "She's as much of a firecracker as you are. She just hides it better. Will you please stay?"

Nessa herself wheeled out behind him, a little sheepishly, but still holding herself with dignity. "Elphaba?" she spoke stonily. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. Perhaps we could speak calmly to one another. I'm apologising to you, and you can apologise to Prince Fiyero."

"I apologise for my rudeness, Your Highness," Elphaba said a little jarringly, to appease her sister.

Fiyero smiled. "Apology accepted. Not that you said anything you need to apologise for."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "My tongue runs away with me sometimes."

"I've noticed," his eyes sparkled.

The moment lengthened, and she had some trouble looking away from his eyes that showed so much in that instant, until Nessa coughed. "Let's sit down."

Elphaba blinked. "Of course, Nessie." She moved to push Nessa back inside the room, but Fiyero touched her arm to stop her.

"Why do you push Nessarose around when she can clearly push herself?" he inquired, curiously.

Nessa was the one to answer him. "I can move myself, Your Highness. But Elphaba helps me out to give my arms a break."

"Oh," he replied simply. "Well, Elphaba, how about I challenge you to a rematch? No magic this time."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Sure."

Elphaba had a strong arm. She gave Fiyero some trouble, even without magic on her side, but in the end, he pushed her arm down on the table with a crash. Elphaba huffed and pushed her hair out of her face. "This is stupid."

"Oh come now, you weren't saying that before while you were cheating."

"Maybe cheating is the only way I can have a level playing field."

Fiyero tilted his head. "It's okay to lose every once in a while, you know."

She scoffed. "And where would that put me? I hate being at someone else's mercy."

"It's just a game, Fabala," Nessa said sagely.

Fiyero, however, was watching her closely. He said nothing, simply leaning back and asking, "Anyone up for refreshment?"

"I don't suppose I get to ask you my deep question into your soul today, then?"

Fiyero looked up from the spell book he'd been reading, a little startled. "Why do you say that?"

Elphaba sighed. "I already called you miserable and a pretender. I'm guessing by your reaction that you didn't expect me to know that. Does that disqualify me from asking you another question today? You did say I had a quota."

Fiyero regarded her thoughtfully. "What did you want to ask?"

"What's your father like?"

Fiyero went very, very quiet. A cough. "Well, he's a good king. He knows his subjects, and he's smart. He runs the country well."

Elphaba turned to face him more fully, her curiosity piqued. "But what is he like? As a father?"

Fiyero rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, um. He's a good father."

Elphaba thought that through for a moment. "You can tell me, you know."

Fiyero's head snapped up. "What?"

She smiled a little sadly. "I know I probably didn't come across as very approachable before. You know, when I attacked you about not being happy. But I promise, I can listen."

Fiyero watched her carefully, then something in him seemed to give in. "He's a good father. He is. I don't want to discredit him for that."

Elphaba pulled her legs up to her chest. "I know. You aren't."

That caused Fiyero to smile, just a little. "Okay. Well, my father has always had high expectations of me. I just couldn't meet those expectations, I guess."

"What expectations?" Elphaba prompted, when he fell silent for a minute.

"You know. Crown prince responsibilities. Doing the best you can for your subjects. Being an example. Preparing to take over one day. I just... couldn't. You know?"

Elphaba said nothing, but nodded, indicating that he continue.

"My father asked me to be involved in a case. I was thirteen, I think, at the time. I was involved in a small way in royal business since I was around eleven. You never know when you may have to take over, so Vinkun royals start learning early." He smiled, but there was no joy in it. "I can't share many details on that, but the gist was that two tradesmen had taken issue with one another. Father dealt with it well. He was wise, and good. He gave his orders to sort the problem, and I was supposed to discharge them. I... messed up."

Elphaba was listening intently. He seemed to be struggling to continue, but she waited patiently.

"It was an administration error. The men were furious. They complained to Father." Tears were standing in his eyes by now, and he was compulsively rubbing his arm. "I'd always been... nervous... about taking over as King. It seemed such a big job, but I wanted to try. I was sure it would be alright. But after the error, Father said... that, you know... I'd freaked him out pretty badly. It was kind of a big deal. I promised to do better, but he said sorry wasn't good enough. I'd always known, I think, on some level that I just wasn't good enough. That incident confirmed it though. I knew that I would have to be in charge of the people's welfare. And frankly, I couldn't take care of them." He laughed a little bitterly. "I mean, I wouldn't want me as King if I were a regular Vinkun."

Elphaba looked at him, eyes wide. He glanced at her for a second, and grimaced.

"Father thought it would be best to release me from my duties for a while. I was left with nothing to do, and the thought of having to return to my duties at some point was just... terrifying. He wanted me to get some small job or other, but I would have failed at that too if I'd tried. So I just ran."

"What do you mean?" Elphaba cocked her head at him.

"I gambled," he elaborated. "Drank. Did stupid things. I wished I was able to do something else. Something better." He shrugged. "But what use would it have been? I figured I just needed to accept it. I messed up everything I touched, so what was the point in even trying? I'm a curse."

That caught Elphaba's attention, and she sat up. Curse? Somehow, it had never occurred to her that the inner dialogue she experienced daily could be someone else's dialogue as well.

"So, that's about it," Fiyero concluded. "My father is a good father and a good king. He only ever wanted me to follow in his footsteps, and he taught me the same way he was taught. And I disappointed him. I've never felt so small as I did then." He whispered that last part so quietly that Elphaba almost missed it. Almost.

He lapsed into silence then, and Elphaba noticed he was tugging at his shirt sleeve nervously. She had to resist the urge to pull his hand away from the hem.

Finally, she replied. "I think you're capable of more than you know," she said simply.

Fiyero looked at her with a crease in his forehead. "I wish that was true."

"It is," she reiterated matter-of-factly. "I can tell."

"How?" he asked her in confusion.

Elphaba shrugged. "No one can be more of a failure than me. But even besides that, I can just see it. You've spent years believing that making a mistake – even a big mistake – makes you a bad person. But if you saw yourself doing some good, I think that would change. I think you would believe in yourself more."

"I wish I could believe that."

"You can do it now," she spoke suddenly.

"How?" Fiyero looked bewildered.

Elphaba smiled, holding up her sorcery book. "By helping me find a way to help the Animals."

"I don't think I can do that."

"But you want to, don't you?" Fiyero was quiet, and Elphaba knew she was right. "That's why you wanted to come with me the first time, isn't it?"

Fiyero sighed reluctantly. "Yes. I thought it could be my chance to make good. But I'm afraid to screw up again."

"You won't," Elphaba shook her head determinedly. "I told you, you're better than you think you are."

"Don't you think of the two of us, you're the one who's more likely to find a way to fix this? After all, you're the one with magic."

Elphaba stiffened. "Yes, and look at the trouble that's caused me all my life. I need you, Fiyero. Will you please help?"

Her eyes were wide and pleading.

Finally, Fiyero expelled a breath. "Okay. Okay. I'll try."

In answer, Elphaba merely grabbed another book and planted it in his hands. "Then get reading, Prince-boy."

At that, Fiyero actually cracked a smile.

They hadn't planned on it, but somehow they ended up back at the Munchkin City Tower that same night. Elphaba managed to smuggle at least twenty spell books with her in a rather large, sack-shaped bag. Fiyero was sceptical when she exited the manor hauling that load behind her, but wisely said nothing when she glared at him, as though daring him to comment.

As soon as they entered the upper room in the Tower, Elphaba marched straight over to Doctor Dillamond without sparing so much as another glance at Fiyero, collapsing cross-legged on the floor and talking animatedly with him as she flipped through all the books she'd brought with her. Doctor Dillamond sat down with her with a kindly smile, and all the other Animals crowded in as close as they could get to her, peering over her shoulder to see what she was pointing at. It couldn't have been comfortable, Fiyero thought, having so many in your personal space. Elphaba didn't seem to mind, though.

Feeling rejected, Fiyero stationed himself a little distance away by himself – he didn't even try to see what Elphaba was doing over the gaggle of Animals. He was startled when the female Munchkin they had met before sidled up next to him and smiled. He glanced at Korèl's wife – he realised he had no idea of her name – and smiled back vaguely.

"You must be feeling a little out of place, Your Highness."

Fiyero grimaced. "Just Fiyero will do."

"Fiyero, then," she nodded, conceding. "My husband was rather wondering what you're doing here at all. You seem as though Miss Elphaba dragged you along."

Fiyero huffed a laugh. "Actually, it was the opposite. I forced myself on her."

Korèl's wife tilted her head in interest. "Really? I never would have guessed that."

"Maybe I should have just let her go alone," he scuffed his foot on the floor. "She seems to be getting on just fine without me."

Korèl's wife hummed. "I wouldn't be so sure about that." She nodded, indicating Elphaba approaching them.

Fiyero looked up at Elphaba in surprise as she dumped half of the books on his lap. "Look through those for me? This will go much faster if we're both doing it."

"Sure, I guess." He stared at the books, unsure where to start.

Elphaba seemed to pick up on what he was feeling. "Just pick one and start reading. I don't know exactly what we're looking for, but surely we'll know it when we see it, right?" She looked as if she was asking him for confirmation now.

"We will," he agreed, sounding far more confident than he felt.

Elphaba looked thoughtful for a moment, then she knelt down beside him, grasping his hand seemingly without much thought. She guided his fingers over the words of a spell in one of the books, looking up at him expectantly. Fiyero was bewildered. "I can feel the magic of the spell when I do this," she explained, when he said nothing. "I wasn't sure if that was because of my power, or something to do with the power contained in the spells themselves."

"Oh." Fiyero's brow cleared, understanding now. "No," he answered her unspoken question. "I can't feel anything."

She sighed, seeming to deflate a little. "I just wondered."

"Hey," he squeezed her hand in reassurance. "It's alright."

She responded with a tiny smile, looking down at their linked hands. It was a strange thing to look at – green on white. But it was nice. He squeezed her hand again and let go.

Doctor Dillamond appeared behind them. "It was good of you two to come back," he began.

Elphaba quickly waved him away, however. "Of course we came back. We could hardly not."

The Goat's smile widened. "All we've talked about since you left was when you'd be able to come back, isn't that right, Daryn?"

Korèl's wife – evidently he had been speaking to her – replied with a laugh. "I hope that doesn't scare you too off."

"No, of course not!" Elphaba sounded almost affronted at the idea. She tilted her head. "Your name is Daryn? I'm sorry, I never thought to ask."

Daryn didn't look offended in the slightest. "That's me. And not at all. I'm afraid you'll find I'm more accustomed to staying in the background."

"Me too," Elphaba readily agreed. Suddenly, however, the smile dropped off her face, and Fiyero was startled at the peculiar expression that replaced it. It was barely an expression at all – it seemed as though all her senses had fled from her, except for a sharp look in her eyes like the sudden thrusting of a dagger in the black of night.

"Elphaba?" He tried to recall her back.

Abruptly, her head snapped toward him, and life appeared to return to her face – but it was ashen.

"Fiyero..." she whispered, gratingly.

That was the only warning they got before the explosion.

A/N: Cliffhanger!

The story Fiyero told Elphaba is actually very similar to a personal experience of mine. Not exactly the same, but it's close. The feelings he expressed were mine. I hope, though, that it fit well with the story, and I wanted to give a bit of back-story for Fiyero.