"WHAT GIVES YOU THE GALL TO SHOW YOUR FACE HERE?!"

Fiyero and Liir were both taken aback at Elphaba's sudden outburst.

"Like I said, I heard-"

"I know what you said! Get out!"

"Elphaba-"

"GET OUT!!!"

Elphaba pulled out her knife and raised it, but Fiyero grabbed her wrist and pinned her to the wall.

"Fabala." he said sternly.

"I told you to never call me that again." she hissed.

"Would you just calm down for a minute and let me explain?"

Elphaba scowled. "All right. Explain to me how you're still alive."

"That's a long story, one we don't have time for."

"And that's a pitiful excuse."

"Do you want to save Glinda or not?"

Elphaba stopped. He knew.

"I came because I know she's in trouble. And I thought… you might need some help."

"I don't need your help." Elphaba spat.

"Really? Then why is Glinda getting married to Sir Chuffery instead of you?"

"How do you know about that?"

He grinned. "Lucky guess."

"Fiyero, you sneaky-"

"I've heard it all before."

Elphaba pushed Fiyero away from her and crossed her arms. He noticed that she didn't stow away her knife.

"Why did you really come?" she asked, a bit softer.

"I just want to help… and apologize."

Elphaba let out a laugh. "So that's what this is about. You think that if you help me, I'll forgive you."

"I don't need forgiveness."

"You want to clear your own conscience."

"Is that a crime?"

Elphaba shook her head. "It's a little late for apologies." she said, putting an arm around Liir. Fiyero looked down at him for the first time and right away, he knew Liir was his son.

"So, this is the result." he said.

"Unfortunately." Elphaba said. "But I'm not good with kids. Why don't you tell him?"

Fiyero looked back at Liir, unsure of what to say.

"Let me guess. You're my dad." Liir said.

"He's smart. He got that from you." Fiyero said.

"Well, he obviously didn't get it from you."

"I deserved that."

"And you deserve this."

Elphaba punched Fiyero in the face. He put a hand to his nose.

"Yeah, I guess I did." he said. His hand dropped. "Okay, now that that's been settled, how are we planning to rescue our little blonde witch?"

"We?"

"Come on, Elphaba. You know you can't pull this off on your own."

Elphaba hated to admit it, but she knew Fiyero was right. She couldn't do it on her own. But what help could Fiyero possibly be?

Then an idea came to her.

"Fiyero… you're a prince."

"Yes…" he agreed.

"You have a lot of power in the Vinkus."

"Yes…"

"How do you feel about making deals?"

"Elphaba, where are you going with this?"

"Sir Chuffery is a man who likes to be in control. He likes to have power."

"So does every other man. What's your point?"

"Tomorrow, you arrange a meeting with him. Tell him you want to discuss the future of the Vinkus… and strike up a deal."

"I see… how does this help us?"

Elphaba groaned. "Just listen, you idiot." she said, slapping him in the back of the head. "Here's what we'll do."

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Fiyero pulled on his too tight shirt collar.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" he whispered.

"It'll be fine. Just stick to the plan. And don't screw this up."

"Easy for you to say. How about I hide in the bushes and you go in there and-"

Fiyero was cut off as the doors opened and a guard led him into the house. He was led to a large room where Sir Chuffery and Glinda were. The two stood as he came in.

Glinda's eyes grew wide when she saw him. Elphaba said he was dead.

"Fiyero Tigular. It is nice to see that you still remain in the land of the living." Sir Chuffery said, shaking his hand.

"Thank you, Sir." Fiyero said.

"Please, sit."

The three of them sat down, Fiyero in a chair and Sir Chuffery and Glinda on a sofa.

"So, tell me, what brings you here?" Sir Chuffery asked.

"The western wind blew me in." he said, looking at Glinda. She then realized that it was a code. He was talking about Elphaba. Was she here?

"And I wanted to talk business with you."

"Business?"

"Yes. You see, I'll be coming to power soon in the Vinkus and I was wondering if you would like a position on my council. You and your wife, of course."

Glinda noticed Fiyero's eyes flick to the left. It was so quick she almost missed it. She turned her gaze ever so slightly and her eyes fell on the window behind the prince.

She quickly turned her gaze back to the two men, not wanting to attract attention.

Elphaba was hiding in the plants outside the window.

She had come for Glinda.

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Elphaba watched the conversation from her place in the bushes. Damn! Sir Chuffery had brought Glinda with him. Well, she had been expecting that, but it still made things more difficult.

"You there! Turn around!"

Shit. A guard.

Elphaba stepped away from the window and turned slowly.

"What are you doing here?" the guard asked.

"Just observing." Elphaba replied. The guard made to grab her arm.

Her knife was in his throat before he had a chance to make any noise. His body fell to the ground, lifeless. Elphaba slipped her knife away and pulled him into the bushes. That would buy her some time. But not what she needed.

"Time for a change of plans." Elphaba muttered.

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Fiyero wondered where Elphaba was. She should have raised the alarm by now. Had something happened to her? Had she been caught?

More importantly, how much longer could he keep stalling?

"You seem troubled." Sir Chuffery said.

"Me? No. I'm just... thinking. The future of the Vinkus is very important."

"Of course."

Fiyero raised his glass again to drink more of the wine Sir Chuffery had poured.

He almost choked.

"Are you all right?" Glinda asked.

"Yes. Just went down the wrong pipe." Fiyero replied. That was a lie. What had made him choke was the fact that Elphaba was coming up behind Sir Chuffery, so quiet he almost didn't believe she was there.

Elphaba pulled out her knife. Images of what Sir Chuffery had done to Glinda flashed through her mind. She could still hear Glinda's screams and she could remember how helpless she had been to stop it.

She was going to deal with this her way.

She was right behind Sir Chuffery now. His throat was bare and unprotected beneath her… one quick swipe and he would be dead.

She raised the knife.

Just as she brought it down, Sir Chuffery turned around and pushed the knife into Elphaba's chest.

The green girl gasped. How… how had he known?

Glinda screamed as Elphaba fell back, the knife still stuck in her chest. Sir Chuffery stood.

"You must have a death wish." he said, approaching her. Elphaba didn't move. He got closer. She still didn't move. When he was right over her, Elphaba leapt up, her knife in her hand. She tackled him to the ground.

"Fiyero, get Glinda out of here!" she shouted. Fiyero took the blonde's arm and pulled her from the couch.

"No, no! Elphie!" Glinda said, resisting.

"Glinda, come on! She'll be fine." Fiyero said. Glinda's eyes met Elphaba's for a second. The green girl nodded and Glinda understood. She had to go with Fiyero.

"Fiyero… don't forget the plan." Elphaba said. The prince nodded before he and Glinda ran.

Sir Chuffery threw Elphaba off of him and she landed on her feet.

"I said I would make you pay for what you did and I meant it. No one hurts Glinda. No one." Elphaba said. She leapt at him again.

This time, you will die.

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Fiyero led Glinda from the house and stopped once they were inside. He then reached into his pocket and extracted a small box.

"What is that?" Glinda asked.

"A little something Elphaba made."

"What does it do?"

"Once I throw it at the house, it will start a fire."

"You're going to set the house on fire?"

"That's the plan."

"But Elphaba's still in there! You can't!"

"I have to."

"But-"

"Look, Glinda, she's doing this for you!" Fiyero shouted. "So, for once, just shut up and trust her!"

Glinda was taken aback, but didn't say anything more. Fiyero opened the box and threw it down. At first the fire was small and he feared it wouldn't work, but it soon grew stronger and in no time at all, the fire was spreading up the side of the house.

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

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Elphaba hit the wall hard and ducked as Sir Chuffery threw another punch. She jammed her knife into his side. He swung again, but Elphaba could tell the pain impeded his movements. She had already stabbed him several times. Now she just had to wait for the right time to go in for the kill.

Sir Chuffery grabbed her hair and threw her to the ground. She rolled and he came at her again. Elphaba gave a yell and threw her knife. The blade punctured his throat and he stopped. Elphaba sat on the ground, ready to move if she had to. Sir Chuffery made a strangled noise before falling to the ground.

Elphaba sat, breathing heavily. He wasn't moving. He was dead.

So why doesn't it feel right?

Because killing him wouldn't erase what he had done.

That sucks.

Elphaba stood up and pulled her knife from his throat. As she wiped the blood off on his shirt, she heard a creaking noise. She looked up and managed to jump out of the way just as a fiery ceiling beam came crashing down.

Crap. She had forgotten about the fire. She needed to get out of here now. Elphaba started running and put a hand to her chest. She hadn't been paying attention to her wound during the fight and now it was bleeding profusely. She continued running through the house, desperate to find an exit.

Where was the damn exit?!

Finally, she saw a door. She started towards it, but the smoke was getting to her. She had been exposed too long. She started coughing and fell to her knees. Elphaba crawled towards the door, determined to get out.

The smoke was really thick now. She wasn't sure how much longer she would last.

She finally reached the door. Elphaba reached up for the door handle. She was so close… a little more.

Another coughing fit seized her and she fell back down.

No, she couldn't die like this. Not like this. Not when freedom was within her reach.

Elphaba forced herself up one last time and this time, her hand closed around the handle. Her flesh sizzled as the metal burned her hand, but she turned the handle and yanked the door open.

Elphaba dragged herself from the house and outside. She managed to get a few feet away before she rolled onto her back and blacked out.

The house crackled and burned behind her as the hungry flames consumed it.

End of chapter 11. As usual, hope you enjoyed it. And thanks to all readers and reviewers. I'm leaving tomorrow (7/29) and will be gone for two weeks. More will be coming when I get back! Thanks and please send in those reviews!