Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia

"We are never doing that again, Fabala. That was way too close to call."

"Agreed." Mulhama threw in, as they finally pulled into the hospital parking lot.

Once the car stopped, the trio got out, making their way back into the hospital. When they reached Nessa's room, Elphaba strode to the bed, kneeling down and laying Mr. Monkey by her sister's side. Nessa slept soundly, but curled around the monkey in her sleep. She kissed her sister's forehead, stroking her fingers through the girl's mahogany hair. "Nessie? Nessie." Slowly, the girl opened her eyes. "I have to go back to Shiz, but I'll be back. And once you're strong enough, in the next few days, Yero and I will come down and get you out of here, okay?"

The girl nodded, sleepily. "Did you... box?"

"I did. I'm gonna keep it with me, until semester ends, okay?" The girl nodded again. "Now get some rest."

"Love... Fabala..."

"I love you too, Nessie." She whispered, kissing her forehead again before slipping out of the room. She turned to the nurse who'd stepped out of the room to give them space. "When will she be-"

"About a week. And then she'll need time to get used to the wheelchair-"

"She'll have plenty of time to get used to it. My husband and I will take care of her while Fabala and Yero are away at school." Mulhama spoke up. The nurse turned to her.

"And you are?"

"Mulhama Tigelaar." The woman started in surprise before shaking her hand.

"The... the Queen of the Vinkus?"

All Mulhama did was smile, neither confirming or denying the woman's question.

"So... explain something to me."

"Depends on what you want explained, Fabala."

The three sat in a small diner, not far from Shiz. Elphaba sat next to Fiyero, absentmindedly stealing Fiyero's fries. In one of the extremely rare occasions, Mulhama had allowed the teenagers something besides salads or the like in regards to a high protein, energy-burning meal. After the stresses of the day, she knew exactly how a simple burger and fries could calm the anxiety; it was her remedy for such days.

"Who exactly are you?" She waved the fry at the older woman before taking a bite. "I mean... I know you're a famous former figure skater and you were married to Liir Kolenkof, yada, yada, but besides all that. Who are you? Exactly? And why did you give that name? You're not married to a Tigelaar- those are Yero's parents. Cause back at the hospital, you didn't exactly say anything against or for the nurse's question."

The older woman took a sip of her drink. She studied Fiyero, who snagged the pickle from Elphaba's plate, taking a bite. A soft laugh escaped her throat at the look of disgust on Elphaba's face. "Yuck. How can you eat pickles?"

"How can you not?"

"Because I hate pickles." A moment passed, before the green girl turned back to the older woman. "So? Are you going to answer or not?"

Mulhama sighed. "I was a figure skater, and my first husband was Liir Kolenkof."

"And?"

She shook her head. "That's all. There's not much more to my story."

"Oh, come on! You and Liir had the greatest love story in sports history! You met when you were children, married at seventeen, and then... you know, he died at twenty-four... so it's a tragedy, but it's a still a love story! Did you have any kids?"

Mulhama bit her lip. Kids? Of course she'd had kids. But how did she tell them? Where did she even begin? Her gaze drifted to Fiyero, who said softly to Elphaba in Vinkun, making her laugh. How did she even begin to tell the young man the mystery of his birth, his very existence? For only she knew the full story of what had happened, only she knew the truth. She shook her head. No, it was too risky.

"A story for another time, my sweet."

"What? That's not fair! Mulhama, come on! One story!" The woman shook her head, standing. "A tidbit then! A fact! Anything! Throw me something here!"

The older woman thought a moment, glancing at the girl. "I had a son, when I was about eighteen."

They returned to Shiz later that evening, around the dinner rush. Several students watched in silence as the pair gave the woman who dropped them of a hug, promising to take care of the things they'd managed to rescue from Colwen Grounds, and that she'd see them in a couple days for practice. Once she was gone, the pair headed- not for the cafeteria- but for the ice rink.

"Fabala-"

"I need to skate, you know that, Yero. If I don't do something to stop thinking, I'll keep replaying today over and over in my head-" He kissed her, gathering her to him.

"You don't need to skate, not tonight."

"Then what do I need?" She huffed, pulling away from him and crossing her arms, onto to let out a squeal and grab onto him as he scooped her up. Once she was settled nicely in his arms, he met her gaze.

"A proper wedding night." He whispered, kissing her soundly.

The door to his dorm slammed shut and locked behind them. He held her against the door, kissing her soundly, running his hands over her body and up to hold her hands over her head, as he moved to kiss her neck. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she grabbed the bottom of his shirt, tugging it over his head, before walking him back to the bed and shoving him onto it. She then straddled him, working on his pants-

He pulled her top off her, tossing it aside and then working on removing her sports bra. He yanked the ponytail tie out of her hair, sending the silky black strands cascading down her back in a waterfall of scented blackberry. Now completely nude, they gave in to their desire, touching, kissing, caressing, allowing themselves to give into the desire they'd discovered that night at the rink.

Love we feel's unspoken...

It always had been. From the time they were children, they'd had a crush on each other; that crush had slowly turned into love that had boiled beneath the surface for years. Neither had to say the words to know that they loved each other; they were simply there. They had always been there. And they had always, silently, loved each other. That didn't change, now that they were married.

She dug her nails into his back, and he groaned, driving harder into her. She dug her nails harder, crying out as he brought her closer.

She awoke hours later; Yero was curled into her, sound asleep. Gently, she ran her fingers through his hair, her body aching pleasantly, becoming lost his her thoughts. Here in the darkness, I feel you at night... my darling, Yero... my husband... knowing that your love... She sighed. That your love makes everything right... even the deepest of wrongs...

After a moment, she slipped out of bed, dressing quickly. Sneaking silently out of the room, she sprinted down the stairs and out of Briscoe, heading for Crage. Being as quiet as she could, she entered her dorm, grabbing her ice skates and her cordless speaker along with a few other things, before slipping once more out of the room. Without a word, she dashed out of Crage, heading for the ice rink.