Chapter 13

As soon as Elphaba reached the first parlor she sat Vi down on one of the couches before running off to get a wet rag of some sort. The bartender was in a lot of pain at the moment and was finding it hard to keep her left eye open where Galinda had punched her. She couldn't understand how in Oz Elphaba could ever fall in love with someone so brutal. She's hate to see what Galinda would ever do to Elphaba if they did end up going out and then the green woman called it off.

Vi continued to recap what had just happened in her mind as the door to the parlor slowly slid open.

"Elphaba?" Viola called out, not really seeing who it was. She had shut her eyes completely because it hurt to keep one open while the other was forced shut.

"It's Galinda." The woman who had entered the room spoke softly as she closed the door. She had followed Elphaba and Viola after they had left. She needed to sort everything out with the two.

Viola jumped up from the couch wincing, as both of her eyes were forced open. She scooted as far away as she could from the blonde on the tiny couch.

"Wh-what do you want?" The older woman stuttered. She shouldn't be afraid of a five-foot tall woman who was six years younger than her, but she was.

"I came to apologize." Galinda frowned as she saw Elphaba's girlfriend cower away into a corner. She had overreacted and she realized this now. Elphaba wasn't going to choose her if she insisted on hating her girlfriend. The least Galinda could do was try and be friendly.

"Apologize for what? For nearly beating me to death? For causing me to leave Elphaba? For being the reason I can barely see right now?" The bartender gained her courage back as she saw how Galinda's confidence had dissipated. The blonde actually looked truly sorry.

"All of those." Galinda hung her head low as the questions registered in her head. "Wait did you just say that you left Elphaba?" The blonde rose her head back up as she realized what Vi had let slip.

"What's it to you." The bartender huffed. "If I weren't as nice as I am, I'd be paying you back for what you did to my face." Viola nearly threatened. "Now I suggest you leave before Elphaba returns. She isn't in the mood to hear any of your bullshit."

Galinda gulped loudly before backing up towards the door. She wasn't planning on leaving just yet though. Not until she apologized to Elphie.

"I'm not going anywhere." The blonde stood her ground as she crossed her arms across her chest.

Viola sighed audibly as she shifted into another position that was more comfortable on the couch. She no longer saw Galinda as a threat and so she decided to try and relax. The blood that had poured from her nose and cheek had caused her to feel slightly light headed.

XXX

Two minutes later Elphaba returned with a dry rag and a container of water to pour on it. She was going to have to be careful when she cleaned her girlfriend's wounds. Or what she hoped was her girlfriend. Just before the whole Galinda incident Viola had left her. She had left her so that her and Galinda could be together.

"I'm back." Elphaba smiled as she entered the parlor. As soon as the door shut she saw who had been hiding behind it. The container with the water dropped to the ground and shattered. Water and shards of glass flew every which direction.

"Shit!" The green woman yelled as she was pelted by a couple of droplets. Luckily the majority of the water had landed on Galinda's dress.

"Elphie are you okay?" The blonde asked concerned as she tried to inspect the damage. In the meantime Vi had gotten up from the couch and stumbled over to the green woman.

"What the hell are you doing here Galinda?" Elphaba jerked her leg away as Galinda went to observe it. She then turned her attention towards her girlfriend that had come up beside her. "Are you all right Vi?" The green woman asked as she looked back and forth between Galinda and Viola. She swore if Galinda had hurt another hair on her body than it was over for them for good. She would transfer from her room and never set foot near her again.

"I should be asking if you are all right." Viola ignored Elphaba's question as she knelt down and took a look at the burn.

Galinda huffed as Elphaba allowed Vi to touch her. She should be the one examining how Elphaba's ankle was.

"I'll be fine." Elphaba smiled weakly. The green woman's attention then turned back towards Galinda. "No thanks to you."

The blonde felt her heart breaking all the more and couldn't take it anymore. She had come here to apologize and all she was getting was yelled at. She deserved better.

"I came to say that I was sorry Elphie. I lost my temper." The blonde's eyes began to tear up as she continued to watch this other woman take care of Elphaba.

"Yeah you did." Elphaba confirmed. The green woman then turned her attention towards her girlfriend, ignoring Galinda. "Let's get you cleaned up." Elphaba smiled weakly as she walked Viola back over to the couch.

Galinda followed closely behind before taking a seat next to the green woman. Even she had to admit this was kind of awkward. Elphaba was sitting in the middle of the couch with Viola on one side and then herself on the other.

"Are you sure you're not hurt anywhere besides what I see." Elphaba asked Viola as she grabbed the rag that she had brought. She had dipped the edge of it in what water remained before taking it over to the couch.

"I'm sure." Viola smiled weakly as Elphaba began to wipe at the dried blood with the end of the cloth.

Meanwhile Galinda was watching this with disgust. How could Elphaba ignore her like this? She had apologized and she hadn't received a response really. At least Elphaba wasn't kicking her out of the room. That was good at least.

"I'm sorry Vi." Galinda felt that it was necessary to apologize to the actual woman that she had hit. Maybe if Elphaba saw her giving an effort she would speak to her. So far the green woman was acting as if she weren't there.

Viola looked up at the blonde before coming up with some smartass comment. "It's Viola to you."

Elphaba couldn't help but let a little smile escape as her girlfriend refused the apology. She had remembered that Viola once said that only her friends could call her Vi. Galinda definitely was not considered one of those.

Viola saw the smile cross the green woman's face and knew she hadn't gone too far. Galinda deserved whatever was coming at her for what she did.

The blonde frowned. Luckily she couldn't see Elphaba's face however or she would have run from the room crying again.

"Well I'm sorry Viola. I shouldn't have hit you." Galinda tried to apologize correctly. She needed to talk to someone in the room. She was going crazy being ignored.

The bartender placed a hand on the one of Elphaba's that held the rag. She stopped the green woman from cleaning her up anymore before looking across her girlfriend's shoulder to the defeated blonde. She suddenly felt sorry for the blonde. She had reacted the same way once before when one of her ex-girlfriends decided to up and leave her for another woman. It wasn't pretty.

"Apology accepted." The bartender tried to smile but found it difficult because her face was contorted and swollen from the hits.

Elphaba and Galinda both looked in shock at the bartender. She had forgiven Galinda so easily for something that would take weeks to heal. That was major.

The blonde gave a thankful smile towards the bartender before getting up from the couch. She knew that she had done enough that she could for now. All she needed to do now was wait.

"I'll give you two some time." Galinda smiled weakly. She didn't really want to leave but she knew that she needed to. She needed to prove to Elphaba that she wasn't some insane psycho bitch that had momentarily taken her over before. What else did they expect? She had walked in on the two of them making out on Elphaba's bed. The thought still caused the blonde's insides to bubble with envy.

Elphaba turned to look towards Galinda for the first time since the whole water-spilling incident. She noticed how fragile the blonde looked in that moment. Elphaba knew Galinda better than anyone and knew that she was leaving them to go cry in their room.

"Why don't you stay?" Elphaba offered as she looked towards her girlfriend. Viola understood and nodded her head in agreement. The bartender could also tell that Galinda was in no shape to be left alone. No matter how much she still didn't like the blonde, there was a part of her that couldn't let her leave. She had been in Galinda's shoes before and didn't want the same thing happening to the blonde.

"Really?" Galinda looked up as her voice became hopeful once again. If Elphaba was asking her to stay then it meant that she didn't hate her.

"Really." Viola was the one to speak up. "I'd like to get to know Elphaba's best friend better." The bartender smiled over at her girlfriend. Elphaba smiled back.

"Okay." Galinda smiled brightly as she sat back down. Her guilt was lifted off of her shoulders as she conversed with the two women.

Even thought Elphaba hadn't chosen her yet, it didn't mean that there was no hope left.