So, we all want to hug Elphie and want Nessa to die? I'm not saying anything about who does and doesn't die in this story.

Elphieispopular: I know you're talking about Nessa when you say 'mean'. I'm WICKED! *Cackles*

Mudd123: *Hands you tissues* Here, use these instead.


Nanny slowly walked into Elphaba's room. The Lurlinemas Ball had been three days prior, and Elphaba had been dreading this day ever since.

"Good morning, Fabala," Nanny whispered, stroking Elphaba's hair away from her face.

Elphaba slowly opened her eyes and forced a small smile onto her face. "Morning."

"Happy birthday," Nanny smiled, helping the green girl into a sitting position.

"Thanks," Elphaba muttered, looking down.

"Are you scared?"

"No."

"Worried?"

"No."

Nanny pulled her young charge into a caring hug. It wasn't until she felt a wet spot on her shoulder that she realized Elphaba was crying. "Shh, it's alright," she whispered soothingly.

"I don't want to go, Nanny," Elphaba sniffled.

"I know, Fabala. I know," Nanny said, rocking the green girl in her arms.

"I'm tired."

"I know, little frog, but we have to get up now."

"I don't want to."

"I know," Nanny whispered.

After a while, she finally coaxed the green girl out of bed and helped her get dressed. Since it was still early, no one else was awake. Nessa, Frex and all the servants were fast asleep, and Elphaba wished she was the same. Dressed in a white blouse and long, brown skirt, she sat at the foot of the stairs, her gaze on the bowl of her lap.

"We used to be best buddies, and now we're not. I wish you would tell me why," Elphaba sang softly, half hoping her voice would carry up the stairs to Nessa's room. She couldn't remember doing anything to Nessa to make her hate her so much. One day, Nessa had stopped talking to her and began avoiding her like the plague. She had tried to figure out the reason, but Nessa kept pushing her away, refusing to speak to her in public, and sometimes even at home.

"Fabala, it's time to leave now," Nanny said, approaching the green girl with an overnight suitcase in her hand.

Elphaba nodded sadly as she felt Nanny step behind her and push her out the door and down the ramp.

The carriage was waiting for them outside. The driver stepped down and opened the door, trying to suppress a yawn.

Nanny helped Elphaba inside before climbing in behind her. Once she was inside, the door slammed shut and they were off.

"Good morning, Miss Elphaba. My, my, look how much you've grown," the receptionist smiled as Nanny pushed Elphaba into the waiting room.

"Hello," Elphaba said politely, forcing a smile onto her face.

"The Governor has already filled out the paperwork for you," the receptionist said, smiling at the two, a clipboard in her right hand as she reviewed the paper work.

"Thank you," Nanny smiled, pushing Elphaba over to one of the seats and sitting down next to her.

"I'm hungry," Elphaba whispered as her stomach growled, quite loudly. She was ordered not to eat breakfast that morning, due to the rules of the procedure.

"I know, Fabala, and I'm sorry," Nanny whispered, gently taking Elphaba's hand.

A single tear slid down Elphaba's cheek and Nanny quickly wiped it away. "This isn't how I wanted you to spend your nineteenth birthday. And I'm sure this isn't what you want, either."

"What I want doesn't matter," Elphaba muttered. "I deserve all this."

"Fabala…" Nanny was about to say more when Elphaba's name was called. Elphaba looked up at the doctor, a tall man with black hair and a white doctor's coat, and tried to give him a small smile.

"I love you, Fabala," Nanny whispered as she pushed Elphaba up to the double doors. "I'll stay right here."

"I love you, too, Nanny," Elphaba said as Nanny knelt in front of her to give her a hug.

Kissing her forehead, Nanny stood up and watched the doctor push Elphaba through the doors and down the corridor.

"You don't deserve any of this, Fabala," Nanny whispered as the doors closed. "You did nothing wrong."


"Miss Spunge?"

Nanny looked up and saw the doctor approaching her. Standing up, she put her book away and went to meet him. "How is she?"

"She's lost quite a bit of blood, but she should be fine," the doctor said, smiling slightly at the old woman. "But, I must confess, I don't know why his Governorship keeps scheduling surgeries for Miss Elphaba. This must be her… eleventh one! And if I recall correctly, we've operated on her five times before she turned six years old."

"It's complicated, Doctor," Nanny sighed sadly.

The doctor nodded, not pressing the matter any farther. "Though, her legs will get straighter if she continues to wear the leg braces. And…" He pulled a bottle of pills out of his coat pocket. "Have Miss Elphaba take two of these antibiotic pills every hour for the next three weeks."

"Thank you," Nanny smiled as she placed the bottle in her bag.

"You may go in and see her now. She's in Recovery Room Four."

Nanny nodded at the doctor before hurrying through the doors to room four. She slowly opened the door and peaked inside, seeing Elphaba fast asleep in the bed. A small smile curled onto the ends of Nanny's lips as she saw how peaceful Elphaba looked.

"Oh, Fabala," Nanny whispered, taking a chair and pulling it up next to the green girl's bed. Reaching for her hand, she grasped it and held it tightly within her own.

Elphaba moaned and slowly opened her eyes. Blinking, she slowly turned her head towards the old woman. "N-Na… Nanny?"

"I'm right here, Fabala," Nanny said, stroking the back of Elphaba's emerald hand.

"How… long…"

"Six hours. It's two in the afternoon."

"… Hungry…"

"I know, Fabala. I promise, as soon as we can, we'll get something to eat. Okay?"

"… M'kay…" Elphaba muttered before falling asleep again.

"My brave little frog," Nanny cooed softly, kissing the back of Elphaba's hand before softly singing an old Munchkin lullaby. "A la claire fontaine, m'en allant promener. J'ai trouvé l'eau si belle que je m'y suis baigné. Il y a longtemps que je t'aime jamais je ne t'oublierai." By the clear fountain, on my promenade, I found the water so fair that I stopped there to bathe. I have loved you for a long, long time. Never will I forget you.

"Sous les feuilles d'un chêne. Je me suis fait sécher. Sur la plus haute branche. Un rossignol chantait. Il y a longtemps que je t'aime. Jamais, jamais je ne t'oublierai." Under an oak tree, I dried myself. On its highest branch, a nightingale was singing. I have loved you for a long, long time. Never will I forget you.

"Chante rossignol, chante toi qui a le coeur gai. Tu as le coeur à rire moi je l'ai à pleurer. Il y a longtemps que je l'aime. Jamais je ne l'oublierai." Sing, nightingale, sing. You with your carefree heart. Your heart feels like laughing. Mine feels like weeping. I have loved you for a long, long time. Never will I forget you.

"J'ai perdu mon amie sans l'avoir mérité. Pour un bouquet de roses. Que je lui refusais. Il y a longtemps que je l'aime. Jamais je ne l'oublierai." I have lost my dear friend without just cause. For a bouquet of roses that I refused her. I have loved her for a long, long time. Never will I forget her.

Unconsciously, a small smile crept it way onto Elphaba's face. She recognized that lullaby. It was the lullaby her mother, according to Nanny, used to sing to her. Nanny had continued to sing this song to Elphaba when she was sad or in pain. It had been a while since Nanny sang that lullaby to her, and it was very comforting to hear it again.

"Je voudrais que la rose fût encore au rosier. Et que ma douce amie. Fût encore à m'aimer. Il y a longtemps que je l'aime. Jamais je ne l'oublierai." I want that the rose were still on its briar. And that my sweet friend is still there to love me. I have loved her for a long, long time. Never will I forget her.

Elphaba's breathing even out as she fell into a deep sleep. Nanny chuckled as she leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Elphaba's forehead. "I love you so much, my little Melena. So much."

Elphaba hummed softly, causing the old woman to chuckle again.

"Il y a longtemps que je t'aime. Jamais, jamais je ne t'oublierai," Nanny sang softly, brushing some of Elphaba's hair away from her face. I have loved you for a long, long time. Never ever will I forget you.


Songs Used:

'Do You Wanna Build A Snowman' from Frozen (Even though I only used one line, but I do not own that one line.)

'À la claire fontaine' (By the Clear Fountain): A French Lullaby

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