It was the first time she'd felt it in quite a long time; happiness. Real happiness, at something as simple as sitting in a rocking chair, a sleepy toddler in her lap. Laelia didn't think of her as her mother, she had no reason to. But she did seem fond of Elphaba, in a family-like way. She liked to be held, and had dropped off to sleep against Elphaba's shoulder. She was warm, happy, healthy. So this is what it would have been like, she mused to herself.

But not; if everything hadn't changed, she certainly wouldn't be sitting in a palace, rocking Laelia to sleep. She would probably be in an apartment in the wrong part of town, waiting for Fiyero to come home, or to not come home because he'd finally succeeded in getting himself killed. Perhaps this was better- Laelia was definitely safer with Glinda as a mother than she would've been with Elphaba. Happier too, probably.

She would tell Laelia the truth, eventually. Glinda had always sworn that she was more than willing to tell Laelia who her biological parents- she wanted the girl to know. But Elphaba had never been sure that was such a good idea. But now she was pretty sure she wanted Laelia to know, someday. Not anytime soon, but when she would be old enough to understand that she had been forced to give the little girl up out of her love for her.

I check to make sure my hood keeps my face concealed before I pound on the door, shifting the baby in my other arm. A boy, well a young man a few years younger than me, answers the door, surprised to see a figure clad all in black. He's afraid of me, I can already tell. But he's also afraid for me, and even more so for my little girl. It's nearly summer, but there was an odd cold snap. It was what made me decide to come here. "Ma'am?" he prompts me, nervous.

I take a chance, letting my hood fall. "Please, is Lady Glinda home? I used to know her, long ago. Could you fetch her, or bring me to her?"

He's taken aback by my skin tone, but doesn't say anything about it. "Yes, come in, have a seat. I'll ask her if she wishes to see..."

"Elphaba Tigelaar, my name is Elphaba Tigelaar." It was the only time I had ever introduced myself that way. Fiyero and I had always used false names in the Emerald City... our first names we could usually get away with using with minimal tweaking, but most everyone recognized Tigelaar as the last name of the Arjiki royal family, or Thropp as the last name of the Governor of Munchkinland. Really, it was probably stupid to introduce myself like that here, but it was soothing, too. This would be my last act as Elphaba Tigelaar.

"I'll ask the Lady if she wishes to meet Miss-"

"Missus," I whisper to him.

"Missus Tigelaar," he says, wondering off.

Minutes later, Glinda and Avaric both come running down the hall, without any servants. He locks the doors to the sitting room I'd been ushered into, and she clasps me in her arms, careful of the baby. "Elphie," she murmurs. "What's happened to you?"

"He's gone, dead... I can't... The baby," I choke on the words, feel a sob coming on. "I know it's alot to ask but I can't... the baby." The words sputter out of my mouth, painful. I know Glinda is my best friend because she is actually able to make sense of them.

She doesn't even glance at her husband before saying, "Yes. Of course."

I pass the baby to her- the baby that was now hers, not mine. "Her name is Laelia. He always liked that name... Laelia Rose." I press a kiss to her miniature forehead and try to give Glinda a smile. It doesn't work, but I still turn away from her, pushing past Avaric and unlocking the door. I don't look back because I can't. I exit the house, step back out into the evening light.

That night, I killed two Gale Force officers. I wanted to kill the entire Force to ensure that I avenged his death, the right men suffered, but the two would have to be enough. I know neither of them probably had anything to do with it, but it doesn't matter. I'm sure they both did something that would warrant execution. Or they would, if allowed to live. I considered ending my own life afterward, but couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Am I allowed in?" A voice asked her, not wanting to startle her.

"Of course," she said. "I don't have any write to kick you out, it's not my house."

Fiyero groaned, exasperated. "If you had the right to kick me out, would you? I don't want to argue with you."

"I wouldn't kick you out," she promised as he scooped Laelia out of her lap. She woke up but quickly fell back asleep, obviously trusting him. He put her into her crib. "And I don't want to argue with you either. But if I disagree with you, I'll tell you so." She allowed him to help her out of the rocking chair and smoothed her skirt out.

He tried so smile, but it wasn't close to reaching his eyes. "You seem so sad now. Lonely."

"There isn't very much to my life," she admitted.

"You said before that you aren't the old you anymore, that I can't be in love with this new you." He reached into his shirt and pulled his wedding ring out into the open. "But I still have this, and you said before that you intended to always have yours. Maybe I don't know who this new you is, but won't you allow me to try and see if I can love this person you claim to be?"

"Claim?"

"Pardon me for not being convinced that there isn't some kernel of my Elphaba still inside you." He reached for her hand, knowing he was about to put all of his cards on the table. "The point is, would you let me try to understand and love the person in front of me?"

"I..." she trailed off, looking away from him. "I won't stop you from trying... but please don't tell me you love me, not yet. You can't know yet. And don't be disappointed if it never comes. I don't want to see you hurt."

"You won't," he promised her, and then he kissed her as he longed to. She froze for a second, but then she wrapped her arms around his neck and was kissing him back. Eventually, he pulled away, smiling at her. He found her hand, squeezing it. He quickly walked over to check on Laelia, then rejoined her. He led her out of the room, and they wandered down the hallway, finding his room first.

They tumbled to the bed together and he noticed there was finally hope in her eyes.