AN. Off to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival this weekend! I get to see my 2 favourite Fiyero's- Tim Campbell and David Harris- in 2 different shows.

And a very Happy Birthday to my friend Em!

Chapter 11

Fiyero stayed home the next morning, although he was still working, tucked away in his office- yet another room I hadn't seen before.

Once I had "approved" the menus for the day, a term which seemed laughable when I had yet to challenge any aspect of the way Madame Morrible ran the house; I read the paper, either trying to look busy or trying to keep myself distracted, I wasn't sure.

Either way, I soon abandoned it as I was unable to focus on what I was reading. Instead, I settled for playing with Chistery on the floor before the fire, which proved a much better distraction.

He had brought me one of his toys, a bit of rope that kind of looked like a bone. I'd throw it lightly across the room, he'd scamper after it and I'd have to fight to get it back off him. Repeat. Finally, I pretended to throw it, but instead hid the toy behind my back. Chistery turned, but when he didn't see his toy, he trotted back to me and tried to find it.

As he went around my back, searching for it, I brought it around and dumped it in my lap. Not seeing it, Chistery looked at me searchingly, then gave a sound which could almost have been a frustrated sigh and headed off to collapse before the fire, clearly sulking.

I couldn't help but laugh at the expression on his face.

"Well, someone's having fun," said an amused voice and I looked up to see Fiyero entering the room.

Chistery sat up, tail wagging, as Fiyero went over and rubbed his head before joining me on the floor, to my surprise. The little dog came over to join us, arranging himself on my lap.

"So, you've forgiven me, have you?" I asked him teasingly.

Fiyero chuckled. "I think dogs are the most forgiving of all. I think it helps if you give them food."

I laughed in agreement. "What time is it?"

"Ten to twelve. I'd say Galinda and Boq will be here any moment, but my sister likes to be what she deems 'fashionably late' and what everyone else calls 'annoying'."

"And by 'everyone' you mean you?" I asked in amusement.

He shrugged innocently. "How's the puppy behaving?"

I gently stroked Chistery's soft fur as he looked up at Fiyero angelically. "He's perfect."

Fiyero looked at his innocent face and rolled his eyes. "I doubt that. Dillamond said he made a complete mess of the south garden while I was away."

"He's so tiny! How much of a mess could he make?" I demanded incredulously.

Fiyero simply smiled and said nothing.

As he had predicted, it was quarter past twelve before Dillamond showed Galinda and Boq into the morning room. Galinda, as Fiyero had said, looked nothing like him. He was tall and dark; and Galinda was a few inches shorter than me, dainty and blonde. Her husband, Boq, was also short and thin, but looked friendly enough.

I hung back, watching in silence as Galinda and Boq greeted Fiyero.

"You look so good!" Galinda exclaimed, studying her brother closely. "Happy. Healthy. And I've decided to forgive you for not bringing me back a present from the Emerald City," she added with a beaming smile.

"How generous of you," Fiyero said dryly and the blonde tossed her hair.

"Isn't it?" she giggled.

"How are you, Boq? How was the drive?"

"Good thanks, the drive was fine. It would be better though, if someone would agree to consider trading the carriage in for an automobile like yours, though."

"Why does anyone need a motor car?" Galinda demanded. "A carriage is just fine."

"It would cut fifteen minutes off the drive," Boq replied pointedly.

"Galinda's just worried riding in a car would mess up her hair," Fiyero said teasingly and she glared at him.

"Fiyero, you're ignoring your wife."

Fiyero immediately turned and beckoned me forward, reaching for my arm. "Forgive me. Elphaba, I'd like to introduce you to my sister and her husband, Galinda and Boq Upland. This is Elphaba."

Galinda extended a hand daintily and I shook it uncertainly. She lowered her eyes up and down, inspecting me closely before turning back to her brother.

"Fiyero, you're really horrendible at describing people, you know that, don't you? She's nothing at all like you said. It's so nice to finally meet you," she said to me.

"Your skin is lovely," Boq added, shaking my hand and I blinked, startled.

"Um… thank you. It's nice to meet you both."

Galinda however, smacked her husband's chest lightly. "Boq! You can't say that!" she cried indignantly.

"What? I think it's a nice green!" Boq defended himself.

"But you can't just say 'your skin is lovely'! If she wasn't green would you say that? You can't comment on people's skin!"

"I'm pretty sure that's the nicest thing anyone's said about my skin within five seconds of meeting me," I chimed in helpfully.

Fiyero looked like he wanted to bang his head on something.

"Shall we move to the dining room?" he finally said.

Galinda tucked her arm through mine as we moved towards the dining room. "So, now that we're sisters, I want to know all about you."

"Then you're better off asking anyone besides Elphaba," Fiyero said dryly. "You're not very forthcoming with information about yourself," he said pointedly when I met his gaze in surprise.

"I just don't think anything about me is that interesting," I said simply, taking my seat.

"Tell me about your wedding," Galinda cried eagerly, sitting across from me. "You know, the wedding I wasn't invited to," she added with a glare at Fiyero.

"Galinda, wouldn't having guests rather defeat the purpose of eloping?" he replied patiently.

"You are my brother," she reminded him. "And you got married. I should have been there!"

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Glin, we wanted something simple. A word you are not familiar with, judging by your own wedding and every party you've ever had."

Galinda beamed at Boq. "Our wedding was amazing," she told me happily. "If I do say so myself," she added with a giggle.

It became clear over lunch that Galinda was going to try and find every ounce of information she could about me throughout a single meal. After covering my childhood, my work for Nessarose and how Fiyero and I met, she turned the subject to hobbies and interests over dessert. Fiyero had tried in vain to halt her thinly-veiled interrogation many times, but had been resorted to throwing me sympathetic glances as I struggled to answer her questions.

"So I know you read, Yero told me that much. What else do you do?"

"I sew," I offered weakly.

"Do you really?" she asked in interest. "You make your own clothes?"

I nodded at her amazed expression. "Yes. We were taught in the orphanage… well, the girls were at any rate."

"Elphaba is an incredible pianist," Fiyero broke in and I blushed.

Galinda looked delighted. "Oh, how lovely! You must play something for us," she suggested and I blushed deeper.

"I'm not really that good," I said awkwardly. "Fiyero's exaggerating. He only heard me play once."

"Once was enough," he replied quietly, looking at me.

I was thankful when Boq spoke up. "The food is as good as ever. Do you have the same cook as always, Fiyero?"

Fiyero turned to his brother-in-law. "I think it's a new one, actually. But Madame Morrible has all the recipes, so the quality food stays the same."

"Madame Morrible is just wonderful, isn't she?" Boq asked cheerfully, turning to me.

"Oh. Yes, she is," I answered vaguely, forcing a smile.

I thought I detected Galinda's gaze on me, but when I looked over at her, she was talking to Fiyero about Chistery.

"Do you live far from here?" I asked Boq, trying to make an effort.

"Not too far," he replied. "It's about a twenty five minute drive by carriage with no traffic."

"Is your home as large as Kiamo Ko?"

He looked alarmed at the very thought. "Merciful Oz, no! Well, it is large, but not as large as this. No, Beria Fa is only 500 acres and it doesn't have the estate that goes along with a place like this, thankfully. We have a little farm that does quite well, and that's enough for us," he smiled contentedly.

He made it sound so lovely, as sick to death as I was of farmland after growing up in Munchkinland, that I couldn't help but smile. And it certainly was small, compared to the 5000 acres that was the Kiamo Ko estate.

Once we'd finished our lunch and were drinking coffee, Galinda leaned forward.

"Why don't we go for a walk in the garden?" she suggested. "I've hardly seen it for so long now."

I glanced briefly at Fiyero, who nodded encouragingly.

"Ok," I agreed.

Galinda and I rose from the table and headed to the door as she took my arm. "So, Elphie- is it alright if I call you Elphie?"

I heard Fiyero groan and mutter something as we left the room.

"Um… it's a little perky," I replied, but Galinda took that as agreement.

All the way to the gardens, she talked excitedly about having us over, and that we'd have to have a day out shopping together. But once we were in the gardens, well out of sight and earshot of the dining room, Galinda fell silent and turned to me, her pretty face solemn.

"You love Fiyero very much, don't you?"

I hadn't expected the question, and I could feel my face get very hot. "Um… yes," I finally answered, avoiding her gaze.

Galinda was beaming when I finally glanced at her. "I know. I can tell, I just wanted to hear you say it," she said happily. "He seems so much happier than he has been since… well, a really long time."

It didn't escape me what Galinda hadn't said- since Sarima's death. However, I was still stuck on the first part of her answer. She could tell? Were my feelings that obvious? Could Fiyero tell? Some might say it was ludicrous to feel anxious that he could, after all, we were married; but I couldn't help it.

"When Fiyero first telegrammed and told us that he'd met you and that you had practically eloped… I was so shocked I almost fell out of my chair!" she giggled. "He was very brief on details, of course. Yero always has been, although I find most males are. It's incredibly frustrating."

"What exactly did he say?" I asked curiously. I had watched him send the telegrams, but I hadn't seen what was written.

Galinda sighed thoughtfully, her head tilted slightly. "Well, all he really said was that you were young, very pretty, very smart and then he said that you were green. Almost as an afterthought!" she laughed.

"He said I was pretty?" I asked in surprise.

The look Galinda gave me was one of surprise, then something I couldn't pick and then pity and she squeezed my arm. "He said 'very pretty'," she corrected me gently. "And like I told Yero, he's horrendible at describing people. Words aren't his strong suit," she rolled her eyes. "He's very much a man of action."

"Hasn't he told you that he thinks you're beautiful?" she demanded.

I thought about it, but could only think of the night we had gone to the theatre, and our wedding day. When I told Galinda this, she rolled eyes again and laughed.

"That's men for you," she sighed. "But you are pretty, Elphie. Do you always wear glasses?"

"Um, usually," I replied. "I only really need them for reading, but it's too much hassle to put them on and take them off all the time," I explained.

Galinda studied me critically. "Hmm… take them off for me?"

Bewildered, I did so and Galinda's face brightened. "Oh that looks much nicer! Not that it doesn't look fine with them," she hastily reassured me. "But your eyes look so much larger without them and your face is so much more open! You shouldn't wear them unless you have to, or get contacts?" she suggested.

"Oh, you'll simply have to come spend a weekend with me and we'll do shopping and makeovers," she beamed at me, and I somehow knew that in this regard she was very much like her brother- once she got an idea in her head, she wasn't taking no for an answer.

I offered a weak smile in return, and Galinda frowned.

"What were we talking about?" she wondered aloud and I stifled a laugh.

"When you heard the news," I reminded her and she giggled.

"Oh! Of course! Even though Yero said you were young and pretty, you're nothing like I pictured, no offence, Elphie. Even without the green, I don't know… I guess I expected someone… well, I not sure exactly. Different, I suppose."

I wondered if 'different' was a good thing or a bad thing, but Galinda quickly changed the subject to the house.

"Do you get along with Madame Morrible?" she asked me, after she'd told me several stories about her and Fiyero growing up in the house.

I sat down on a bench, pondering my answer.

"She's very… efficient," I offered.

Galinda smirked knowingly. "But?"

"She makes me a little… a lot uncomfortable," I admitted. "She can be very intimidating."

She nodded. "Has she been very friendly?"

"Not really, but I'm rather used to that," I shrugged.

Galinda tutted. "Never mind that," she scolded me lightly. "But I'm sure over time, it'll get better. Of course, it's understandable why she'd resent you in the beginning."

Was it?

"Well, I know I'm knew to this kind of life," I began but she cut me off.

"Oh, it has nothing to do with that. Sweet Oz, I thought Fiyero would have told you."

I felt a little alarmed. "Told me what?"

"Morrible simply adored Sarima," Galinda told me in a hushed tone.

My eyes widened slightly in realisation. "Oh."

"She was her nurse when Sarima was a child, and when she and Yero married, Sarima brought her with her to take over as housekeeper," Galinda explained.

Soon after, Fiyero and Boq came out and joined us. After some discussion of the house, Fiyero invited them to see what changes had been made to the rooms that were now ours. I stood rather dumbly as Galinda remarked over the renovations, unable to shake the bombshell the blonde had dropped on me.

So many things made sense now, and I wondered why Fiyero hadn't told me before. Probably, he had thought it wouldn't matter. And it didn't. Did it?

As we returned downstairs, Boq checked the time and informed his wife they should get going. Galinda nodded reluctantly.

"You're right, I suppose. I don't want to be rushed for dinner. We're having Pfannee and Njal over for dinner," she explained to Fiyero.

Fiyero made a face. "Why are you still friends with her?" he demanded.

"I don't know," Galinda admitted. "But nevertheless. I'll tell her you send your love, shall I?" she asked teasingly and Fiyero glared at her.

"You're hilarious," he muttered.

Galinda left Boq's side and squeezed my shoulders. "And I've already decided I'm going to steal Elphie away one weekend," she informed her brother. "Shopping and makeovers."

Fiyero sighed. "Galinda, Elphaba doesn't need a makeover," he said patiently and my heart lifted at that.

"I know she doesn't need one," Galinda replied exasperatedly. "It's just a bit of fun, Yero. Lighten up," she scolded him.

Boq shook my hand goodbye as Galinda hugged Fiyero tightly and kissed his cheek. And then as the men were debating whether Boq should get a car as opposed to their carriage, Galinda hugged me tightly.

"I hope I didn't pry too much today," she said sincerely. "But I'm so happy that you're here. And you really must come for the weekend soon. I know we're going to be great friends," she beamed at me.

"I will," I promised her.

She glanced towards Fiyero and then back at me. "I keep thinking about what I said earlier- when I said that you're not what we expected. And I feel awful, I hope you know I didn't mean anything by it. It's just… you're so different from Sarima."

I gave her a smile I hoped was reassuring. "It's fine. I'm so glad I've finally met you."

Galinda smiled brightly. "Me too."

And then she and Boq got into their carriage and headed off down the drive, leaving Fiyero and I on the front steps.

"So, you're being kidnapped one weekend," Fiyero said conversationally as we headed back inside and I laughed.

"Apparently so. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not," he assured me. "Just don't let my sister Galindafy you too much," he warned me.

"Galindafy?" I laughed.

He grinned. "A term our father made up. Galinda's always been one to… primp, I suppose is the word."

He began to tell me stories of his sister in their youth, and although I was listening, I could still hear Galinda's words in my head.

You're nothing like Sarima.

Well, that was nothing I already didn't know.

AN. Yes, I kept Galinda an Upland (or technically I made Boq an Upland). In any universe, Galinda just is an Upland.