Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked

Chapter 12

Fiyero felt like he couldn't breathe. He was almost positive that his heart stopped beating. "W–what?" Fiyero asked, confused. Had he heard correctly?

"She's dead!" the guard told him again, more than happy. It made Fiyero sick.

"No!" Fiyero shouted, furious. Was this some sick joke?

"Sir, you should be happy! You –"

"No!" Fiyero could not think or breathe. It was like he was dead. His world had suddenly caved in around him. No, he thought. This wasn't happening. She can't be dead. "Who killed her?"

"I–I don't…" The guard stared wide-eyed at him, shocked by Fiyero's reaction.

"Was it Morrible? The Wizard? Who found her?" he was shouting now and tears were threatening to fall from his eyes. It was like he was drowning, unable to return to the surface.

"I–I don't know…"

He screamed in frustration. "Do you know anything!?"

Fiyero quickly ran back into the palace and the guard followed him. Neither of them realized that they had left Liir and Fay alone.


He found Glinda in their room crying. That's when he knew it was true.

"Oh Fiyero!" Glinda cried, running into his arms. "It can't be true. Please tell me it isn't true!" she sobbed.

He quickly pulled her into a tight hug and he forced himself not to cry. "I…I don't know. I couldn't find Morrible or the Wizard."

Glinda sobbed. "She can't be dead! H…how did this happen? We were suppose to protect her!"

Her words were like bullets. She was right. He was suppose to protect her. "Glinda… I'm going to find out who did this, but listen to me. Elphaba isn't pronounced dead until I see her. Ok? I'm sure this is just a mistake. Elphaba is too strong to die. Do you hear me? Elphaba is not dead." He silently wondered who he was trying to convince.

"Oh, Fiyero. I hope you're right. " She hugged him and he pulled her closely too him. Silence spread over them and Glinda suddenly remembered her nightmare. She bit her tongue, debating if she should tell him the secret she had been keeping from him for so many years… "Fiyero…"

"Yes…?"

"Something has been bothering me lately. It's about Elphaba." She pulled away from their tight embrace and she pointlessly tried to dry her tears. "I have been having nightmares…"

"Glinda, I know you're upset…"

"No! Let me finish. This is important! It's been bothering me. A month before she disappeared she was sick…"

Fiyero gave Glinda a curious look. So he wasn't the only one who had noticed. "I noticed that too. I begged her not to go."

"Really?"

"Yes, I was worried."

"Well… I think I know why she was sick, but I'm not sure. I had asked her about it, but she never answered me," Glinda told him sadly, her tears finally ceasing.

"Why…?" he was almost afraid to ask.

"I…I think she was…pregnant," she whispered the last word.

Fiyero coughed loudly and immediately paled. Memories came rushing back.

"…Fae…"

"…Yero…"

Fiyero shook his head. No. She couldn't have been pregnant. No. Surely, she would have told him. Right?

"But, I don't know if she was," Glinda continued, unaware of the mental breakdown Fiyero was having. "I highly doubt she was. I mean who in Oz would the father be? She didn't have many friends. And a lot of people thought she was a curse, so I have no idea..."

Fiyero felt sick. What if she really was pregnant? He suddenly felt faint. But then the child might not even be his. No. If Elphaba was pregnant then the child would surely be his. Fiyero groaned. He didn't even know were to begin. The fact that she went through pregnancy alone scared him. He should have been with her. He should have convinced her to stay.

"I mean. Really she only had a two guy friends. Boq and you. And I know it wouldn't have been Boq because I don't think they were even that close," Glinda rambled. "Then there is you, but that would just be absurd. Fiyero?"

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" he managed.

"W–what…Fiyero?"

He couldn't breathe. If she had been pregnant where was the child? "Damn it Fae!" he screamed to no one in particular. He was so frustrated, angry. Why didn't she tell him?

"Fiyero!" Glinda screamed back. "What in Oz…?"

Suddenly, it hit him. What if she–they–had lost the child? No. He wouldn't think that.

He suddenly felt his knees give out from under him. The emotional pain was too much to bear. Elphaba was supposedly dead and he could very well be a father. He felt sick.

"Fiyero!" she watched as he fell to the ground.

"Glinda…I'm so sorry," he gave her a tearful look.

"Fiyero, what are you talking about? You have nothing to be sorry for. It's not your fault that Elphaba might have been pregnant…" She paled suddenly. "…Wait…no. Fiyero…?"

"I'm sorry Glinda…"

She shook her head as she took a step back from him. No. This wasn't happening. It couldn't possibly be true. Fiyero loved her. Not Elphaba. "No. Please tell me it isn't true."

"I'm sorry."


Morrible let out a muffled scream as she searched her room. Her head was throbbing and she couldn't find what she was looking for. It also wasn't helping that the Wizard was dancing and laughing beside her.

"Would you stop that!" she hissed at him.

The Wizard rolled his eyes, "Why aren't you celebrating? The Wicked Witch of the West is dead!"

"I'll celebrate when I see her dead body!"

"Of course she's dead silly! However, I do feel bad for the poor thing," the Wizard rambled, "After all, she only wanted to help. Who would have thought? A mere river brought her too her death. She melted! Can you believe it?"

"No," Morrible told him with frustration.

The Wizard frowned. Why was she making things so complicated? "Why are you so depressed? I thought you would be happy."

"Well," she turned to him sharply, "Don't you find it odd that she melted? It's very absurd…"

"Well, Elphaba was pretty absurd herself," he told her, coming up with no better explanation.

Morrible rolled her eyes and she immediately returned to what she was looking for. "Like I said. I'll celebrate when I see her dead body."

"What are you looking for?" he asked, changing the subject.

"The Grimmeire and my orb! They're not here!"

The Wizard just shrugged. "I'm sure you just misplaced them. They'll turn up eventually."

"I need them now!" she hissed at him. "Besides, I never misplace anything!"

"Who would want to steal those anyway?"

Morrible thought for a moment, unsure. She knew Glinda was too empty-headed to do something absurd like that. Fiyero on the other hand would have done it–if he knew about them. He didn't know about them, so therefore that cancelled him out. Morrible tapped her foot. Who else? Suddenly, her eyes flashed as the light bulb went off inside her head. "I know who. That little brat Glinda keeps around. What's the child's name?"

"You can't be serious. She's just a child!" The Wizard glared at her. "What's with you and children? First, you wanted to use Liir and now you're accusing the other one of stealing!"

Morrible gave the Wizard a crooked smile. "I had forgotten about Liir, but now that you mention it…"

The Wizard paled. He didn't want to use the child. It was unfair. "No! I will not use a child to get what you want."

"Look, all I'm saying is that we use Liir to draw Elphaba out. If she doesn't come then we know she's dead. If she does come…"

The Wizard just shook his head in protest. "And what if Liir isn't even her child? Ever think of that?!"

"Believe me I'll make the little brat tell me one way or another and–"

"Or," The Wizard interrupted, "We could just ask him who is mother is. Bribe him with candy."

Morrible glared at him. "That works too. Fine. We'll do it your way. Happy?"

The Wizard smiled. "Very."

Morrible gave him a large grin, knowing that one way or another she was going to get her way. After all, she always did.


"Wake up."

Elphaba's eyes shot open. Her head still hurt and she couldn't feel her body. It hurt to move and she wasn't thinking clearly. However, despite all of that, it only took her a split second to realize she had company. She regarded her visitor with suspicion. Everything was perfectly in order, exactly as it should have been, but in another time and another place. Secretly, she marveled at the complexity of the mind.

His dark hair lay naturally uncombed, as though he had just rolled out of bed. He sat cross-legged in front of her, dressed in a pressed green uniform, seeming to be patiently studying her in turn. Intrigued, her eyes traveled of their own accord, studying his face, until finally settling upon a pair of chocolate brown eyes. And that's what assured it for her.

"I know that you're not real." She told him.

He smiled at her. It was the real one and not the fake smile.

"I'm as real as you need me to be."

"That's the problem."

"What?"

"Needing you…"

"Well, if you'd rather not…" He peered curiously out into the dense forest. "I could just, you know… leave."

"Stay," she told him softly. Even though she knew he was only a figment of her imagination it was still nice to hear his voice... even if it wasn't real.

He cupped a hand up to one ear. "What was that, Fae… couldn't quite hear you?

Evidently, he wasn't planning on making this easy.

"I said stay, Fiyero." She met his phantom eyes and where there should have been tears, there was only hopelessness. "Please…stay."

"I wouldn't have left," he confessed, as he settled back against a tree. "I just wanted you to understand that."

"I know…" She gazed up at him and she silently wished she looked more decent. He was as beautiful as ever and she was covered in mud. "I missed you."

He smiled at her again, but this time he walked over to her. "I missed you too. You know… I have been looking for you."

She smiled at him. "I know… you almost found me too."

He gave her a confused look. "Wh –"

"You came to my house. You were alone."

"You should have showed yourself," he sounded disappointed.

"I was afraid…" she looked down, ashamed.

"It's ok to be afraid."

She looked up at him, hopeful. "Fiyero, I'm afraid…now," she admitted. If he had been real, she would have never had told him.

"It's ok, Fae. We all can't be super –"

"No," she cut him off, angry. "Fiyero, I'm scared. For the first time I'm really scared."

"Fae..."

"I'm cold. I'm injured. What if I – we – lose Liir… just like Fay…"

"Liir? The little boy I met? Fay? What do they have to do with this?"

She ignored him. "I'm scared for Glinda, you, Tally. What if the Night Hunters find me? What if Morrible's plan succeeds? I have to warn Glinda! Fiyero, I'm so scared…"

"Fae! Calm down. You have to take things one step at a time. First, we have to get you out of this forest."

"I… I don't know where I am…"

"That's ok. I do. Follow me, Fae. I'll protect you."

"I…"

Fiyero laughed at her stubbornness. "Fae, for once in your life let someone take care of you. You can't be strong all the time."

"Why not?"

"Because it's unhealthy. And if you don't watch yourself you'll get yourself killed."

"Maybe I want to die…" it was only half true.

"But you can't, Fae. You have to know that," his voice was surprisingly calm. "For Oz…for me… you can't die. I won't let you die."

"I... ok… Fiyero. For you."

"Come to me, Fae, take my hand. It's all right… hold onto me. I'll protect and guide you."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise. Now take my hand, Fae."

In one quick motion she gripped his hand and she pulled herself to her feet.