A small groan escaped her lips as Glinda slowly came back to consciousness. There was a throbbing pain radiating from somewhere in the back of her head and it was the first thing that caught her attention.

A shuffling noise was heard to her left and Glinda twisted her head, only helping in amplifying the pain more.

"Don't move Glinda!"

Another groan came out of her mouth but she listened and stayed put. Something cold touched the side of her head, making her eyes open quickly. It was dark but she made out the shape in front of her.

"You've been asleep. You're hurt, but alive." He said with a tone of distress.

Glinda tried to make out the face, "Boq?" She asked, still trying to make sense of everything.

"I'm here Glinda, I'm here." He said and Glinda finally relaxed as she recognized the voice as his.

Glinda blinked her eyes, trying to move her limbs. "Is anything broken?" She wondered, feeling an ache at her ankle.

"I don't think so."

She tried making out where she was, but it was dark. "Is there a candle or light somewhere?"

"No—Yes—Well," Boq faltered, not knowing what to say. It irritated her.

"Boq, can you just answer the question, please?"

"There's a couple of candles here. Somewhere."

She nodded even though he could not see her in the dark.

"Are you hurt?" She asked him, trying to rid herself of the headache that felt as if it were trying to make her head burst open.

Boq was momentarily quiet until he murmured, "I'll heal really soon."

She closed her eyes again.

A rustling noise made Glinda open her eyes again, "I brought you crackers," He said as he came closer, "You should eat something and sip on some water. I'll set it to the side so you can get more rest."

She would have simply loved that, but another thought crossed her mind, making her sit up in a flash. "Is Ori alive? Did he survive?" Her body suddenly felt very sore and she regretted moving so quickly.

Her heart raised at the silence coming from Boq. "He broke your fall." Boq's words came gruffly. "He survived, if only because he was unconscious, but he hasn't woken up yet. He's just outside this room."

"Is he badly hurt?" She bit her lip at the thought she had made things worse for him and she winced at the small twinge of pain at her lip.

"I'm not entirely sure, Glinda." Boq said with honesty.

"He's well enough not to die right now, right?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Okay, good. " She sighed in relief, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden. She let herself lay back down on whatever she was laying on.

"The horses however, they're gone. "

Those poor horses. There was little she could do for them now. She only hoped they had gone quick. "And my bag? The one I had with me?" She asked, anxiously feeling her hand to see if maybe it was still strapped around her shoulder.

"It's torn, but everything is in there…I think. It's a foot to your right." Glinda threw her hand out, feeling the material under her hand.

Another good thing.

"What am I laying on?" Glinda finally asked when most of her doubts were eased.

"Well, I took the remains of the carriage seat and used it as a sort of makeshift bed for you."

Glinda looked over to where she knew Boq was, "Boq. Thank you."

"I meant what I said Glinda. I would do anything for you. " She could hear the smile in his face.

"And I appreciate it." She replied gratefully. "Now can you put a little light in here? I'd like to assess what I look like right now. "

"Only you, Glinda. " He chuckled. "I can set a candle here for you so you can turn it on. That way I can go. "

"Stay. " She asked him.

"I don't want to scare you." He said so quietly that she had trouble hearing it in the silent room.

"Boq, why would you scare me?"

"I told you...I'm not human. I will heal, but I'm broken—dented. I look disgusting." He said in repulsion, and it made her feel sorry for him.

"That doesn't matter." She assured him, limiting her movement so she would lessen her pain.

"It does to me. "

"It shouldn't Boq." She sighed, holding the side of her head gently to ease the pain.

Boq didn't answer.

"I need you Boq. I don't want to try to stand and end up sprawled on the floor because of a broken ankle. What if I accidentally fall face first into something and break my nose? Do you think I'll be happy with a crooked nose?" She asked him sternly. The horror of even thinking of having a crooked nose made her shiver.

"Well, no."

"What if I walk into something and poke my eye out? Will I look good in a eyepatch?"

"You'd look good in anything."

"And if I somehow take a wrong step and I set off a hidden bomb that whoever owns this place placed so it could get rid of any intruders? Or if I touch something that I can't see and it ends up being the only thing holding the place up and we are sealed in without no way out? Or I go into a room and end up in another world or—"

"I get it, Glinda." Boq said with exasperation, but she could hear him chuckling. She smiled, happy that she made him perk up a bit.

"I'll put some light in this room and stay if you promise you wont scream at me, or call me a monster."

She was stunned that he would think that of her. "Boq, I would never…"

"You sort of single handedly caused the entire Shiz alumni to think of Elphaba as a monster. They didn't like her much, but you made sure they all hated her."

She felt the shame rush within her again. Somehow that simple initial loathing turned Elphaba into the most hated person on campus, and it only helped in leading the way to her downfall.

While Glinda rose in fame, Elphaba was out surviving and being called a terror.

And it was partially—mostly all her fault. Just like Nessarose's death, and Fiyero getting hurt.

"I'm no longer that girl, Boq." She mumbled through trembling lips.

"I believe you."

She smiled to herself and then heard him shuffle off somewhere around the room, Glinda followed the shape of his body until he took something in his hand. A moment later a small flicker of light lit the tiny room.

The room had definitely been abandoned for a while, she thought, as she glanced around.

Glinda pushed herself to sit and shook her head out, wincing as the headache returned.

She rubbed at the side of her head and blinked, looking at her fingers that she had just realized were wrapped up in something.

"I took the glass out, or as much I could." Boq commented, making her look at him.

Her breath got caught in her throat and Boq looked away quickly, covering his face.

The candle in his hand illuminated half his face, but Glinda could still make out an indentation on his left side as well.

One of her hands rose to push her hair behind her ear and Glinda lifted herself off the jagged piece of seat, wobbling for a second before she found her footing. The floor was very cold and it made her wonder where her shoes had gone. Boq noticed her staggering and put his candle down, instantly coming to her side to give her a hand. He had one hand on her elbow and the other took her hand gently into his own, he kept his eyes to the ground.

She regained feeling in her legs and found nothing wrong with them as she stretched them out.

Boq was breathing quickly as he held her up and Glinda tried to look him in the eye but he would move his head when she tried. She pulled her hand away from his hold and raised it to his face. Boq flinched and tried to move away but Glinda's hand was already on his face. Her entire thumb fit into the imprint on his cheek, it was not horrific, it merely looked like his skin was pressed tightly into his cheek. Boq was having trouble breathing and seemed to shake so Glinda found it best to drop her hand.

"I never saw Elphaba as a monster. I would never see you as a monster either," She whispered quietly, "You're different and that's okay. It makes you unique now."

"You really think so, Glinda?" A smile played at his lips.

She nodded with her own smile, "The exterior might be a little different, but your eyes are still shining and alive. You're here…" She took her other hand and placed it on his heart, feeling his heart beating underneath. "Alive and Human."

"Thank you, Glinda." He told her with sincerity.

She sent him another smile. "Can I ask you something?"

Boq nodded looking up. "Anything."

"Why were you stuttering before?"

Boq laughed nervously, "Because I was lying to you."

Her forehead creased, "And you aren't lying anymore?"

"No," He shook his head, "I'm afraid that you might break an important part of my body if I continue lying...It can only take so much."

She giggled growing red. "I'm sorry about that."

One side of his lips lifted as he shrugged, "And I'm sorry for scaring you. I panicked."

"I know that now."

Boq smiled brightly, growing red. "I think I should go out a bit. Find anything else that we—I, may have left behind in the carriage." He pointed behind him and took a step away from her. "It's not that far."

Glinda nodded, "Okay."

Boq smiled at her again before fleeing.

Glinda took a deep breath and went over to the candle to pick it up and find her bag. Once her bag was where it belonged she left the room.

She shrieked as she almost stepped on Ori, who was literally a foot to the right of the door.

Her hand came to her heart as she kneeled beside him, placing the candle right next to him.

She blanched at the cuts now adorning his red face.

"Oh." She sighed reaching for his face. His shirt was opened from the front and Glinda shied away. Needing a second to close her eyes from the dark bruising almost painted across his upper chest.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"You keep saying that."

The voice made Glinda jump back as a smile appeared on Ori's face.

"Does my monstrosity scare you now?"

She frowned, wrinkling her nose. "I didn't have you as the type to listen in to foreign conversations."

"No," He said a lot more serious. "You have me as a murderous villain type, ready to kill anyone that you love. While that guy was here to kill you and you bond with him." His eyes roamed towards the door.

"He didn't kill the man that I loved."

He sighed, moving his head to the side, "No, I guess he didn't." He said in a grimace. "He just tried to kill us both by throwing us off a hill."

She ignored that, not believing it.

"Are you hurt?" He asked her, still looking away.

"I'm well enough." She answered, "How are you doing? Are you in pain?"

He slowly turned his gaze back to her, looking at her in confusion, "I don't understand you, Glinda. Why does it matter what I feel?"

She shrugged her shoulders lightly, "Because I don't want you to die. I want you to make it so you can see your daughter."

He blinked, "If you did you would let me go back to Oz."

"You would die on the way there. Let yourself heal."

"I'm tired, and I want to go back to Oz to my daughter. You wont let me, you don't want me to go home. Let me and I'll be out of your hair for good. I already quit. What more can you want from me?"

She put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't move so much, you'll only hurt yourself."

He sighed in anger, lifting his head off the ground and falling back.

He groaned and closed his eyes from the pain.

"I told you." She said smugly, "Did you hurt yourself?"

He didn't respond to her. His eyes were closed shut, his lips pressed together tightly, which answered her question.

"Tell me about your daughter?" she asked, trying to distract him from his pain.

One of his eyes opened a tiny bit and soon the other followed, he looked at her with an indiscernible expression. "My daughter?"

"Yes," She nodded, "tell me about her?"

"What does it matter to you?" He brushed her off, turning away again.

"I'm curious. Tell me?"

For a second it was quiet and Glinda thought that he would not say a word but then she heard his whisper, "She is beautiful. So beautiful. A pale little red head with the bluest eyes you've ever seen." The way his face changed made Glinda feel odd as his eyes flicked over to her. "...Probably even more blue than yours."

"How old is she?" She asked with a tiny smile, slightly moving her gaze away from his.

"She's five." He answered with closed eyes. His smile only widened at the thought of his daughter.

"And where are you keeping your ring?" She asked, noting that he was not wearing one.

"My ring?" He said, opening his eyes slightly.

"Your wedding ring.?" She clarified pointing to his ring finger.

Ori looked and shook his head a tiny bit, "I am not married."

"Oh," She pursed her lips, "did she die…?"

"No, she didn't die." He sighed it out reluctantly, "She is just not a part of our lives anymore. I really don't feel like talking about that."

She got the message instantly so instead she asked, "What's your daughters name?"

His nice smile came back as he answered, "Nara."

"And what's yours?"

He paused before opening his mouth, "Galen. My name is Galen."

Glinda's eyebrows rose, "Galen?"

His eyebrows rose, "Gillikins seems to have a very limited supply of names, Galin-da." He said with a small smile before he lifted himself to sit.

She put her hand on his shoulder to stop him, "Don't get up."

He glanced at her hand and she shuddered, removing it quickly, "I'm tired of laying here."

"You'll only tire yourself if you don't lay there."

He shrugged and Glinda sighed as he didn't listen, one of his hands coming to the back of his neck to stretch it out.

Without thinking Glinda helped him, keeping a hand on arm so he would not tumble down.

"I'm wasting away by laying down." He said, staring at her hand again and grimacing, "Don't press too hard, it's sore."

"Sorry." She pulled her hand away, swearing to herself that she would not do it again.

He groaned, "There it is again. The apologizing."

She gave him a tiny smirk, "Does it bother you, Galen?"

She could see him roll his eyes, "Please, keep calling me by my last name, Ori. No one calls me by my first name."

He sucked in his breath and brought his hand up in a quick motion to his chest, Glinda followed with her other hand, feeling his heart race violently underneath her hand.

His face was scrunched together.

"Are you okay?"

The only replied she received was his eyes rolling back as he gripped onto her hand for life as he tumbled back into the square of seat he had been lying on. It gave Glinda no chance to react as she fell into him. A rush of pain went through her head but Glinda blinked it away. It helped little but it was all she could do to deal with it. Ori was completely out of it, unconscious below her, Glinda frowned ready to get away from his tight grip on her hand, but when her other hand touched his bare chest something inside her changed her mind. It might be why it gave her the courage to touch him. Her hand still rested in his, her other over his heart. He was warm. His heart was beating slow and unsteady and she knew why. He may not have long to live...He may not make it back home to his daughter. Her hand trailed over the scars that were littered across his upper chest.

Healing much too slowly.

She dared herself to go further up, grazing his neck, his jaw, and his eyebrow until her hand was at his hairline. It didn't get past her that he was running a fever, or that his head was gently wet. Glinda blew air out of her mouth and held her pounding head still, closing her eyes as she did so. Why did he have to come with her? Out of all the men in the gale force, why did she let just him come? Glinda opened her eyes again and was startled when his eyes were parted halfway. He was trying to focus his cloudy eyes on her—much too close—face. One of his hands started to move up her side and it made her freeze. She needed to stop whatever was going on—his hand rested on her cheek. Her mind was racing but there was nothing she could do to understand what was going on. Glinda shot up, something that should have occurred the moment they fell. She didn't look back, running out of the small shack. Her hand grabbed at her own hair, pacing back in forth out in the open air.

How could she do that? Feel sorry for him, pity him and...touch him. She didn't care what happened to him, she hated him.

It was his fault Fiyero had died. It was his fault Fiyero was tortured. It was his fault that Elphaba nearly went mad. His fault that Elphaba gave up and let herself die.

How could she freely touch him that way. Show compassion to a person who had not shown any to the people she cared for. She couldn't feel pity for someone like him.

She wouldn't feel anything.

She would get him help and try to get him home to his child before he died, but that was all. His daughter was innocent in the whole thing and she did not want to be the reason she lost a father.

Glinda still needed him out of her thoughts. She needed to forget how easily she touched him and she needed to forget quickly.

Her eyes set upon the small wreckage in the distance, and the shape of a man she knew was there. Her bare feet carry her over there without a second thought, carrying her over hastily, surprising Boq.

Boq straightened and sat up from the spot inside the overturned carriage once he set his eyes on her. Glinda knew what she was about to do was complete madness.

It was the only way.

She took the Munchkin by surprise when in a swift move she was over him pushing him back, he didn't get a chance to say a word; her lips were already moving with his. He didn't complain; he didn't refuse her; he was willing.

Her hands roam the hem of his shirt, they part momentarily so she could pull it over his head. There was no time to look at the clear adoration flicking in his eyes; she only felt the disorientation. He was quickly moving on the buttons on the back of her dress, carefully tugging the straps down.

She was losing herself—clearing her head of everything.

Her senses sharpened and all she could feel was warmth.

She would regret her actions, but for now all she knew was that there were no thoughts at the forefront of her mind.

Not of Ori, not of Elphaba, not of Fiyero.

There was nothing.

A.N: You know, as I re-read through this and try to edit, I forget for a second what I wrote and freak out like 'what the hell is Glinda thinking?' and then I remember I wrote it and I feel stupid because I know where I am going with this...

The joys of working on a million other things at once.

Thanks for reading!