AN. Here's a bit of Galinda, because I did miss writing her. And this chapter has one of my favourite lines I've ever written in it. Try and guess and I'll tell you next chapter!

Day Ten Part 1

The rain cleared away by Monday, but the clouds remained until early on Tuesday morning, when the sun began to shine through again. Fiyero had put the bad weather the day before to good use and had actually completed his history essay; which was now sitting on Elphaba's desk waiting her to edit and proofread it.

To celebrate that the dreaded summer work was finished, he was eager to get out of the house and in the sunshine. Elphaba was reluctant, but when Nessa began to argue Fiyero's case and then Boq arrived and suggested they go into town, she couldn't say no.

"Alright," she agreed and Nessa beamed.

"I wish Galinda was here," Nessa said softly as they walked into town. "It doesn't seem the same without her."

Elphaba smirked. "Trust me, she wishes she was here too."

She had received a letter from her best friend the day before, the first since Elphaba had first written and told her that the Tiggulars were staying in Munchkinland with them, and the blonde's reply had made Elphaba laugh.

"Dear Elphie, (she'd written),

I can't believe Fiyero's staying with you! That mean's everyone's in Munchkinland, having fun and I'm missing out on everything! I am so insanely jealous and I expect full details of everything that happened when we get back to school. And yes, I want to know what you did, said and thought the entire three weeks. Don't laugh at me Elphie, I am having the most horrendible, dullest summer of my life and all my friends are having fun without me! Well, that's not true- it hasn't been all bad. I met a perfectly charming boy over the weekend at a party I went to with Momsie and Popsicle! Of course, I can't nearly find the words to describe how wonderful he is, so I'll tell you everything when I see you!"

From there it was another three pages of all the parties Galinda had been to lately and all the gossip she'd heard about people who Elphaba had never heard of and didn't care about.

Fiyero grinned. "I'm tempted to do something really fun just to annoy her that she missed it."

Elphaba laughed. "Like what?" she asked.

They came up with ideas as they wandered through the village, each more ludicrous than the last. Finally Boq smirked at them.

"You know the thing that will annoy Galinda most is missing out on a party," he reminded them and Elphaba grimaced.

"She can go in my place," she muttered.

News had spread the day before that there would be a party held in Munchkin City on Saturday night to farewell the Vinkus Royal family, who would be leaving the following Thursday.

Nessa ignored her sister. "That reminds me, Fabala- Father told me this morning he wants us to buy new dresses for the party. We should go and pick them out while we're here."

Elphaba groaned. "I do not need another dress, Nessa. I'm not going to the party."

"Yes you are," Fiyero said sternly. "You're not leaving me alone with all those girls wanting to know my favourite colour."

Elphaba giggled at the memory. "Oh, I wouldn't want to miss that," she agreed. "But I still don't need a new dress."

"Father's orders, Elphaba," Nessa replied simply and Elphaba sighed heavily, knowing there was no way out of it.

"We'll meet you for lunch when you're done," Boq suggested and Elphaba nodded.

"Fine. Why don't you show Fiyero the Hall of Fame?" Elphaba suggested with a smirk in Fiyero's direction. "I'm sure he'd love a tour."

Fiyero glared at her silently. Elphaba had told him all about the curator of the Munchkin City Hall of Fame, who liked to give long winding stories about every bust in the hall- including every detail about their lives.

"If I'm going to be in hell, I'm taking you with me," she hissed to him in an undertone.

He leaned in towards her. "Can you please mean that literally? I'd rather go dress shopping," he replied and Elphaba laughed before wheeling Nessa towards the dress store.

When the group reconvened for lunch an hour and a half later, Elphaba recognised the look on Fiyero's face immediately. It was the same expression he wore whenever there was a lecture he found incredibly boring, and it made Elphaba chuckle to herself.

"Did you have fun?" she asked innocently, sitting next to him and he glared at her tiredly.

"Did you know that something really boring and insignificant happened to a Munchkin a long time ago, which led to more insignificant things; before something slightly significant happened which led to said Munchkin becoming famous, but only within the realms of Munchkinland?"

"Did you know that apparently the way a piece of fabric is cut and the colour of said fabric not only signifies your self-worth but your social importance; and having the wrong dress can apparently make you a social outcast if a lot of people you don't really know and don't care about in the slightest, don't deem your outward appearance fashionable and/or appealing?" Elphaba countered and Fiyero blinked.

"What, did Galinda turn up?" he asked and she smiled.

"No. Although apart from the fact no one was trying to make me wear pink, she may as well have."

Fiyero grinned and craned his neck to try and look into the bags Elphaba had set down at her feet.

"So, did you find a dress?"

She shrugged tiredly. "I got a dress. What popular opinion will make of it, I can't say but at least my father can't say I didn't try."

Nessa shook her head at her sister. "I think you two are both being slightly overdramatic."

As they headed back to the house, Fiyero insisted on carrying the shopping bags and Elphaba protested until Nessa intervened and thanked Fiyero for his action of chivalry.

Elphaba sighed and rolled her eyes, which made Fiyero laugh. Pointedly trying to ignore the prince, Elphaba happened to glance into the road, and saw a little Munchkin girl dart after a ball between two carriages, and she was instantly between the legs of the horses. One of the horses reared, and the mother screamed, but it all happened so fast, no one registered what was happening to do anything to save her.

Fiyero was about to lunge after her but before he could even move, Elphaba had darted ahead of him, grabbed the child, and moved toward safety with her. The child couldn't have been more than two or three and her whole body was shielded by Elphaba's, as the rearing horse returned his forelegs to earth again, and came into contact with Elphaba. Fiyero could only watch with his heart in his throat as Elphaba crumpled to the ground, still protecting the little girl as people rushed forward to restrain the horses, and Elphaba lay there, unmoving.

The mother of the child had burst into tears as she helped her daughter out from underneath Elphaba's form, and the little girl was crying too, but Fiyero was oblivious to all of them as he dashed across the street to Elphaba with Nessa and Boq right behind him.

"Elphaba?" he cried, dropping down beside her and gently rolling her over, wanting more than anything to see her brown eyes staring back at him.

But her eyes were closed, her skin was an even odder shade than usual, and Fiyero was sure if it weren't for the green, her face would be grey. As he gently moved her head, he could already feel a large lump forming on the side of her head where the horses' hooves had grazed her and when he pulled his hand away, there was a smear of blood.

"Oz, no!" he gasped, completely horrified and he leaned over her, trying to rouse her. "Elphaba? Fae, wake up. Fae?"

Fiyero was only distantly aware of Nessa crying nearby and Boq muttering something about going for a doctor. His entire attention was fixed on Elphaba, who after a heart stopping moment, began to stir.

"Yero?" she murmured with a faint frown as she registered him leaning over her, and Fiyero almost felt dizzy with relief.

"Are you completely mad?" he choked out, torn between fury, pride and relief. "What in Oz's name were you thinking?"

It was like the Lion Cub all over again, she had just reacted to the situation and it was all over before she knew it. Although this time, no one else had been affected and it was only Elphaba who had been in danger; and she looked completely innocent and bewildered by his tone.

"But Fiyero .. . the child .. . that little girl .. ."

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Fiyero assured her. "Just keep still, Fae. Boq's gone to get a doctor."

Those words seemed to rouse Elphaba more than anything, and she immediately tried to sit up.

"No, I'm fine!" she protested.

That argument was immediately disproved as the world began to swim as soon as she lifted her head, and Fiyero carefully and gingerly supported her head as he lowered her to the ground.

"Yes, I can see that," he replied dryly and she glared at him weakly.

There were people crowded all around them, trying to see what was going on, but then the doctor arrived and asked everyone to please back off from his patient. He examined Elphaba critically, who was torn between feeling mortified that she was lying in the middle of the town square and feeling dizzy, nauseous and pain from hitting her head.

"A concussion, I think," he declared and Nessa looked as relieved as Fiyero felt. "I'd like to examine you back at your house though, Miss Elphaba. I have my carriage here to take you all back."

Elphaba hesitated for only a moment before nodding, she could admit she in no way felt up to walking back home. But as Boq and the doctor helped Nessa into the carriage with her chair, Elphaba ignored Fiyero's protests and carefully sat up.

"I'm okay," she reassured him in a murmur. He didn't look convinced, but helped her to her feet as the curious crowd dispersed. Elphaba's self-proclaimed diagnosis of 'okay' lasted two seconds until she put weight on her left leg, which promptly crumpled beneath her and she would have fallen if Fiyero hadn't caught her.

"Ow," she gasped and Fiyero looked worried again.

"You must have landed on it when you fell," he said anxiously and his heart constricted as Elphaba grimaced in pain, whether from her leg or head he couldn't tell.

"Come on, Fae. Let's get you home," he said gently and helped her into the carriage.

"Are you okay, Fabala?" Nessa asked her sister immediately and Elphaba immediately shifted into big-sister mode, giving Nessa a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, Nessie," she comforted her, but closed her eyes as the carriage set off at a brisk pace, making her head whirl again.

Fiyero glanced uneasily at the pale shade of Elphaba's face, unable to convince himself she was really okay. In his mind's eye he just kept replaying the awful moment in his head- one second Elphaba had been right next to him, and the next she was lying on the ground, completely still.

Of course, Elphaba being Elphaba, as soon as the carriage pulled to a stop outside the Governor's house and Nessa had been helped out and back into her chair, Elphaba tried to get out unassisted. Fiyero stopped her firmly.

"Oh no you don't."

Before Elphaba could register any more than that, she let out an involuntary gasp of shock as Fiyero lifted her into his arms.

"Fiyero, put me down!" she protested. "This is ridiculous, I am perfectly capable of walking."

Her head was swimming again, whether from the fall, the horse or the feeling of Fiyero's arms around her she wasn't quite sure.

Fiyero snorted. "Between your head and your leg, I'm going to say no- you can't."

Elphaba lifted her head to glare at him, but the sun caught her eyes instead and made her wince and she'd rested her head on Fiyero's shoulder before she knew what she was doing. Boq held the door open for them, and Fiyero led the doctor upstairs, where he carefully lay Elphaba on her bed. He couldn't stop himself from hovering nearby as the doctor examined Elphaba again, more carefully this time and reaffirmed his diagnosis of a concussion, before confirming Elphaba had also sprained her ankle.

"I want you to stay in bed at least for the next twenty-four hours," he told her. "And stay off that ankle for a few days until it heals."

Elphaba's jaw dropped. "No," she began to protest but the doctor cut her off.

"Concussions are serious, Miss Elphaba and if you don't let your ankle heal before putting weight on it you could do serious damage," he said sternly. "And you will follow instructions. I don't want this to be like the time you stitched yourself up."

"That was one time, Dr. Jardine," Elphaba argued tiredly and Fiyero gaped at her.

"You gave yourself stitches?" he demanded, aghast.

She shrugged. "It was nothing," she replied dismissively and the doctor snorted.

"I would disagree, Miss Elphaba. Although you did do a fine job," the doctor smiled.

Then he turned to Fiyero. "Let her sleep as much as she can, but wake her up every two hours. You can't be too careful with a concussion."

Fiyero nodded. "Thank you."

As Fiyero walked him out, the doctor explained Elphaba might experience vomiting, nausea, dizziness and headaches and it was important she rest as much as possible. Fiyero nodded, thinking he'd practically have to tie Elphaba down to get her to stay in bed. Sure enough, in the two minutes he'd taken to see the doctor out and return upstairs, Elphaba was already attempting to sit up.

"What part of 'stay in bed' didn't you understand?" he demanded exasperatedly as he entered the room.

Elphaba glared at him. "Fiyero, I can't stay in bed. I have chores to do, a household to run, Nessa to look after-"

"All of which can wait," Fiyero argued.

She snorted. "You think my father will see it that way?"

Fiyero frowned. "Fae, you just got hurt protecting a little girl from being trampled by a horse! Your father should be proud."

She laughed slightly as she gave in and lay back down, dizzily and closed her eyes. "There are many things my father should do that he doesn't, Yero."

Fiyero sat down beside her on the bed, just looking at her. "You scared the hell out of me, Fae," he said quietly and her eyes flickered open to meet his gaze.

"Why?"

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "Really? Are you kidding me? Fae… you weren't moving. I thought maybe…"

He couldn't finish his sentence, but Elphaba gave a small smile. "I'm not, though. I'm going to be fine," she assured him gently and he nodded.

"Yeah…"

Without thinking, he leaned down and kissed Elphaba on the forehead before standing up.

"Get some sleep. I'll wake you in two hours," he informed her before leaving, closing the door behind him and pointedly ignoring Elphaba's shocked wide-eyed gaze.