AN:

Heeeey!

How are you guys?

I must say I'm in a pretty good mood right now! I just finished this chapter and actually kind of like it… as in much more than the other chapters I've written recently. I'm not saying it's a happy chapter, but I am just quite satisfied with it. You might not agree, however… actually I'd understand if the end frustrates you, haha! So if you absolutely hate it don't hesitate to tell me so in a mean review lol :p

(and I do admit… the end might make a little bit more sense in combination with the associated Fiyero-chapter, but again, it's not vital to read it either)

The companion chapter in the Fifi-version is: "Glad Tidings"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

kendall: I'm not sure who you mean – if you mean the shooter: just read the new chapter :) If you mean the guy who got shot – it's mentioned in the Fiyero version, but totally not important… just some random Gale Force guy :p If you mean someone else, just let me know ;-)

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Happy reading!

xoxo MLE

Chapter Fourteen: Breaking Away

On her way back to the Mossy Mushroom, Elphaba needed no broom to fly. Unadulterated anger spurred her on, winging her steps, while soul-deep pain blocked out the ache radiating from her back and her still rather sore legs. Her usually keen senses were dulled; her perception of time and the world around her was warped and blurry. She was being extremely emotional, reckless and foolish, but had no mind to ponder on the danger she could be putting herself in.

When she reached the run-down inn at last, she had no recollection whatsoever of how she had gotten there. Had someone seen her, followed her? She cast a quick glance over her shoulder and saw nobody. Of course that did not mean much, but elaborate manoeuvres to shake off any possible pursuers seemed too tedious to her now.

In the worst case, she resolved, she would make a quick escape out of the window on her broom. It would not be the first time. And what if she inadvertently led the Gale Force right to Crom? Despite all her integrity and principles, in this very moment, she could not care any less.

She rushed through the main door and up the stairs. She could feel the energy surrounding her, could even hear it crackling like a raging fire. It occurred to her that Dorma and the guests she passed along the way must have been able to see and feel it, too. Would they be merely confused? Frightened? Or would they put one and one together and finally realize who was really residing in room two-o-two. Luckily she did not intend on staying for too much longer anyway.

The door burst open before she even touched it. Stepping into the room, she scanned her surroundings; for the first time since this frenzy had started, she took the time to carefully observe and not simply stare ahead. Obviously he had not returned yet. This was not particularly surprising, since he surely had been in much less of a rush than her to return to the small room.

She began to whirl about the room, collecting the few things she could not do without. Her trusty old broom was the first thing she grabbed, knowing that she could be dead within a day or two without any quick means of escape. The Grimmerie was next, then the eccentric black hat she had received from Glinda. Since there was still time, she retrieved her satchel and packed some smallclothes and dresses as well. She donned a cloak that was far too thick for this warm summer weather, but would surely come in handy once the days would grow colder again. There were more things she had accumulated over the past few months, however, the need to travel light forced her to leave them behind.

Now that she had nothing else left to do, she stood in the middle of the room and felt rather lost. With nothing to direct her anger at, it had slowly cooled and with nothing to occupy her brain or her hands with, she did not know what to do with herself. She simply remained standing there, eerily still and quiet.

After what had seemed like an eternity, the door opened with an annoying squeak.

"As I see they did not succeed in catching you," Elphaba huffed, fixing Crom with a cold stare. "Not that I'm surprised – it doesn't need a particularly cunning mind to delude these pinheads."

"Says the girl who got shot by them twice," he retorted, a brief and unsure smirk flashing across his face.

The typically confident young man found himself venturing into unknown territory. For the first time he realized that he had come too close to the green witch to not care about what she thought of him. Even as she stood there in front of him, seemingly all calm and collected, her anguish and her fury were palpable. Had his mission gone according to plan, he probably would have felt a mild sense of remorse at this point, however, since she had successfully thwart his plans, he could only be annoyed with her.

"You seem mad. Is my successful getaway inconveniencing you?" he asked with forced nonchalance.

Narrowing her eyes and clenching her jaw, she slowly stepped closer, the broom tightly clutched in her hand.

"Not at all. I had hoped to find you whole enough to rip you apart myself."

"Whoa there! Fae, these are strong words. I'm sure we can work this out," he lightly began to placate her, a (what he hoped to be winning) smile on his lips.

"There is no 'we' anymore," she snarled at that. "There is only me, tearing you to thousands of tiny shreds."

Her glare was deadly, her words laced with pure hatred. Mere hours ago they had been something close to real friends. He was saddened by how quickly things had changed between them.

"You don't really mean it," Crom declared after a moment of silence. "You don't want kill people and even if you despise me more than anything else in the world right now, I know you would never want my blood on your hands."

There was no point denying his claim. She whirled around, crossing the room and staring out of the window in frustration.

"I would definitely have killed you if you had actually hit her," she growled.

"That, I'm inclined to believe," he conceded with a slight nod. "Or at least you would have tried."

Raising an eyebrow, she tilted her head to look at him.

"You don't think I would have succeeded?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Let's just say I'm more experienced than you when it comes to one-on-one combat."

"But I could have fried you with my powers."

"If you were indeed in control of them, perhaps."

"I don't need to be in control of my magick to do that," she spat. "In fact, why do you think you are still in one piece? I do have some measure of control over my powers, or all that would be left of you by now would be your shoes and a pile of ashes."

She concluded her venomous words with a bone-chilling cackle and for the first time he was indeed frightened of her.

Taking a step back, he held his hands out in defence.

"It's not like I would have taken any pleasure in taking Her Goodlyness' life. It was an order from the Elders. You know how this works."

"You could always disobey such orders."

"You say that as if it really were that simple, but it's not," he protested.

"Yes, it is. Watch me; two clock-ticks and I'll be gone, out of the picture. Screw the Elders, to hell with the Resistance."

Elphaba pushed open the window and climbed on the sill, about to get her broom in position.

Crom rushed towards her, pathetically grabbing the hem of her skirt.

"Are you out of your mind?" he exclaimed in a strangled voice. "Could you be any more conspicuous than that?"

"Let go of me, you fool!"

She kicked him squarely in the chest and he stumble back a little.

"Fae, do you really think that you can just disappear like this? The Resistance has eyes everywhere."

"Do you think I don't know that? I'm not delusional. But I'll make a statement. I did not defy the Wizard to dance to somebody else's tune. If I can no longer agree with the Resistance's actions, I will be no longer part of it."

"This is one isolated incident. Don't make such a big deal out of it!"

She had been ready to jump and take off, but his words had her freeze on the spot. Her breath hitched, her hands were suddenly trembling.

"So it's no big deal to you?" she hissed, struggling against the pain inside. "You're a cruel man, do you know that? You were always so open-minded and kind towards me that I almost trusted you. And last night… you knew what you were about to do today, yet you were callous enough to lie beside me... with me, if I had let you."

He averted his eyes, trying to ignore her accusations.

"You know what she means to me, how much I love her! Goodness knows I love her more than myself. You know this; don't lie to me."

"Do you love her more than our cause?" Crom challenged her.

"No!" she burst out, but then faltered. "Maybe.

"But you're presenting me with a false dilemma. There is no need to choose, because Glinda Upland is not jeopardising the cause. If anything, she is trying to help!"

"So you said, but the Elders seem to think otherwise," he fought back heatedly.

Climbing off her broom and turning around, Elphaba cast him an almost pleading look.

"Don't you see?" she half-whispered. "The Elders aren't always right. They, too, can err. If you just take the words of others for granted without even questioning them for one second, you are liable to premature judgement. That's exactly how I became the Wicked Witch. If the Resistance is nothing but an extremist opposition to the Wizard with just as little integrity, then Oz must truly be lost."

She remained standing on the sill, her eyes cast down, while he stared back at her in silence. After several long minutes, Crom took a deep sigh.

"At least be reasonable and use the door," he finally said dejectedly.

Elphaba nodded slightly and hopped of the windowsill.

She headed straight for the exit, not looking back even once. He did not turn to see her leave either, but he could hear the door fall shut behind her and the distant sound of her heavy boots as she clomped down the old, wooden stairs.

The past few days had been rather rough on her. The realization that proper nourishment, a decent bed and someone who made sure she had enough rest were still as essential for her wellbeing as they had been a couple of weeks ago, had shocked her slightly. She had certainly thought that she was tougher than that. Spending several cold nights on the hard ground had done her back no good and the lack of food and excessive exertions during the day left her feeling worn out.

Bloody Gale Force. Bloody Rat. Bloody Resistance. She felt like she was back to square one: all alone with nowhere to go and not exactly in the best physical condition.

Coming across a river, she decided to take a break and cool her swollen ankles in the cold water. She put aside her satchel and removed her shoes and stockings. As she splashed around the water with her feet, she wondered what she should do next. She had to find some place to stay, or her constitution would surely worsen.

Crom had been right though. Wherever she went, if they wanted to, the Resistance was even more likely to find her than the Wizard's men were. On the bright side, that meant that there was no point in hiding. She definitely could not stay with any of the agents she knew, but others who were only loosely associated with the organisation, might not necessary turn her away.

Peony Hills was not too far from here, she mused. A couple of Animal refugees had built themselves a nice little settlement there and her Lynx friend from Shiz was heir leader. Maybe she would be able to stay with them for a little while, be it only for a couple of days.

She landed her broom about half a mile before she reached the village and travelled the last few steps by foot. Once she had climbed the top of the rolling hill, she could already see her friend working in the communal vegetable garden, just at the outskirts of the settlement.

"I'll be jiggered! If that isn't Miss Elphaba! My dear child, I am glad you accepted my invitation, however, dare I say it, you are awfully late."

The elderly Lynx, his name was Baldrian Lox, took off his glasses to polish them while she came closer. As soon he had put them back on his nose and was able to see her more clearly, he offered her a wide smile.

"It really is you!

"Now don't look at me like that," he chuckled when she raised a questioning eyebrow, "I just haven't seen you around much lately, so please excuse an old, senile Cat for requiring a double take."

She apologized for her infrequent visits and he invited her to his house, informing her that he had just begun preparations for lunch.

He told her to get comfortable in the living room for as long as he was busy in the kitchen, but she had insisted to help.

"I assume you were otherwise engaged that day," he said in a conversational tone while cutting potatoes into thin slices."

"More like incapacitated," she admitted, willing herself to concentrate on descaling the two trouts in front of her.

"Oh, that almost makes sense; according to Master Tiggular you were dead."

Elphaba paused for a moment, tightening her grip on the dull knife she was holding. She already knew about such rumours, but had been wondering whether anyone had really taken them seriously.

"So Fiyero believes that, too?"

"He did not want to, that's for sure," Baldrian let her know. "He was quite heartbroken when you did not keep the appointment."

Shaking her head, she rinsed the fish and began to gut them.

"It's better this way."

The Lynx gave a mirthless snort of laughter.

"Love is cruel," he mumbled under his breath a little later and Elphaba turned half around to look at him.

"Excuse me?"

"What? Did I say anything?" he asked feigning innocence. "I'm sure I didn't say anything."

Rolling her eyes, she returned her attention back to the trouts.

"Never mind."

Baldrian cooked the potatoes until they were tender and mashed them with a little milk and butter, while Elphaba filleted, crumbed and finally fried the fish. She had been curious all along why they had prepared so much food and her curiosity was only heightened when her friend spread the mash evenly between four plates and topped each golden potato mound with a crispy fish fillet.

She helped carrying the food to the table, while Baldrian disappeared upstairs to call 'the others'. For a troubled moment, she had been worried that Fiyero might have popped in for a visit in hope of finding her, so when she spotted two young Dogs rushing down the stairs, she felt rather relieved.

"Whom do we have here?" she asked amused as one of the puppies sniffed her cautiously.

"The taller one is Mali and the other is his sister Rokah," the Cat explained when he entered the living room. "Mali, Rokah; this is Miss Elphaba. She is a friend of mine. And Master Tiggular's as well."

"Are you his girlfriend?" the little boy wanted to know.

Elphaba stiffened slightly and her eyes found her friend, who only chuckled quietly.

"Forgive them, they are a bit nosy – like all youngsters, really."

"It's quite alright," she smiled somewhat uncomfortably. "I did not know you were fostering children."

"Master Tiggular brought them here. They are rescues from an Animal working camp."

"Oh," was all she said, but her wry smile softened into a genuine one and a comfortable warmth spread in her chest. Undeniably, she was delighted to hear such news. This was what she had been desperately waiting for: a sign that she had not misplaced her trust. It was an endless relief.

They ate quietly, until Baldrian, who had finished his meal first, dabbed his mouth with a napkin and cleared his throat.

"So, Miss Elphaba, how much time do you have to spare today? I can arrange for dessert for dinner if your busy schedule permits."

His offer elicited excited squeals from the children.

"Please say yes, please say yes," Mali whispered relentlessly, wagging his tail enthusiastically, while Rokah used her big, brown puppy eyes.

"Well, the truth is," Elphaba began uneasily.

She was worried about the reaction that her words would provoke. Surely her friend would be disappointed and perhaps he would, not wanting to affront the Resistance, send her away.

"I do not have anything planned at all. I don't have anywhere to go either. I… quit. I'm no longer associated with the Resistance."

There was a long moment of silence.

The young Dogs looked confused at each other, then to the green woman and the Lynx. Of course they had no understanding of anything she had just said.

Baldrian finally shrugged his shoulders and gave a small nod.

"I'm sure you have your reasons. I know you always do. So I assume you need a room for the night?"

"I had considered imploring your hospitality," she admitted sheepishly. "However, seeing as you already have guest, I think I'll be on my way after dinner."

"Oh, don't worry, dear. In fact I still have one more empty room, if you don't mind sleeping in the attic."

"Not at all," she smiled gratefully.

The rest of the day she spent with the children and after sunset, she helped Baldrian prepare dinner and his much celebrated dessert, freshly made with wild berries, clotted cream and fragrant vanilla extract.

She had been staying with Baldrian and the puppies for three days and so far no Resistance operative had turned up to see or even confront her. She knew that they must be well aware of where she was sojourning, but she was glad that they let her be in peace for the time being.

The old Lynx was very welcoming and never made her feel as if she was intruding in any way. He let her help out around the house - but only because she insisted – and at some point she could actually imagine staying for longer than just a couple of days.

The occurrences of that third evening, however, made her reconsider.

She had already retreated to her little room in the attic and prepared herself for bed, when, at a particularly late hour, her ears detected a dull pounding on the door. Perfectly still, she sat on her bed and listened.

The main door opened and she could hear muffled voices. Male voices – one belonged to Baldrian, the other sounded quite distinctively human. It was a young, gentle voice; that was all she could decipher, for the man was speaking fairly softly and the walls muted the sound even further.

Despite having no real evidence, her thoughts immediately jumped to a very particular young man. She shook her head, lightly berating herself for being such a silly girl. There was a village nearby and the chances that one of the friendlier farmers had come to ask the Lynx for some sort of favour were much higher than the odds that prince Fiyero Tiggular would come and visit a loose Animal acquaintance in the middle of the night for no apparent reason.

She heard the door click as it was pulled close, but both voices were still there, growing fainter as, so she assumed, Baldrian led his late guest to the living room.

With a sigh, she flopped back against the pillow, resolving to sleep and maybe ask questions tomorrow. There was no need to intrude herself into her friend's business.

Just as she had found a comfortable position and closed her eyes, a soft knock on the door made her jump up again and Baldrian poked his head through the door.

"May I come in?" he asked politely and she nodded quietly, a queasy feeling settling in her stomach.

He carefully closed the door and took a seat on a chair in the corner by the window.

"Master Tiggular is here and inquired about you."

Her breath caught in her throat and her heart skipped a beat. She nervously flicked her tongue over her lips before speaking.

"What did you tell him?"

It seemed ridiculous how squeaky and thin her voice sounded.

"Not much yet. I told him I had to see the children to bed and excused myself so I could talk to you first."

Elphaba nodded her understanding, but stayed quiet.

"Well?" Baldrian pressed on.

"Don't tell him I'm here," she decided. "He can't know. It will make things too difficult."

He huffed at that.

"Seeing you and seeing him I'd say things seem plenty difficult to me already. But very well, I won't meddle with your business. I might offer him a bed in the children's room though. It is awfully late and I am not going to send him back out there at this hour."

She chewed her lower lip and nodded.

Baldrian wished her a goodnight and went back downstairs.

A couple of minutes later, she picked up Mali and Rokah's excited squeals and Fiyero's laughter. The noise soon quieted down, however, and taking a deep breath she tried to go to sleep, a few silent tears soaking the pillow.