I've written another chapter - lalalala.
Sorry I've left it on a bit of a cliffhanger - Sometimes I just want to keep you guessing, lol.
I'm going away this weekend, but I will do my very best to update this before I go, however I'm afraid I can't promise anything. Maybe a review or 2 may push the creative process along?...

On the subject of reviews - Elizabeth, Akasharogue, jenfalovesjaffas, gilgrissomlover, Phases of Obsession and Pernicia - My usual crowd - You're all fabulous. High fives all round :o)
(Phases of Obsession - I'll get working on that nickname, haha.)

I hope you enjoy! xx

Chapter Fourteen

It took them almost a week of trekking through the Vinkus to reach the border. They stuck to walking at night mostly, although they managed to cover a bit more ground during the day when they could stay under the cover of the trees. The border was not meant to keep anyone in or out of Oz, so it wasn't hard to cross. There was a wall running around the outskirts of the country, not much taller than Fiyero himself. He helped Elphaba climb up onto the wall, and then she pulled him up behind her. Getting down the other side was a little trickier, due to the stream running alongside the wall. It wasn't very wide, and Elphaba leapt to the other side easily. She turned to look back at Fiyero with a triumphant look upon her face. Not wanting her to get too smug he attempted the jump himself. However, he didn't quite have the leg muscles as a scarecrow and he misjudged the jump. He landed with his feet right on the edge of the stream, and losing his balance, fell right back into the water. Elphaba felt her mouth twitch at the sight of him, but didn't want to laugh in his face. However, the look he gave her was so pitiful and pathetic, a laugh burst out of her before she could stop it. She clasped her hand over her mouth to stop herself, but couldn't halt the giggles that had begun to take over her body.

Fiyero looked up at her, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh, my inability to jump is funny is it?" He teased.

"I'm sorry Yero...It's just..." a fresh wave of giggles burst from her, but she caught herself that time and composed herself. She took a deep breath "I'm sorry."

"Help me up, won't you?" He reached a hand up towards her, and as she grasped it he pulled her in with him. She fell with a squeal and a splash into the stream.

"Yero!" She shouted, looking at him with a very unimpressed look on her face.

"Not so funny now, is it?" he smirked back at her. She looked like she was about to storm off, and he was just about to apologise, when she suddenly smiled and splashed him with water.

"Oh, that's how we're playing it, is it?" he picked up a handful of water and released it over her head. Spluttering, she leapt at him, pushing him down into the shallow water. When his hat fell off, she dunked it underwater, filling it up, and then pushed it back down on his straw head, soaking him through.

"Fae! I'm wet already!" He whined.

She smirked, "Now you're wetter."

They climbed out of the stream soon after to dry off, and Elphaba couldn't help but laugh again when she watched Fiyero trying to wring water out of his legs.

***

They found themselves some shelter not too far from the border wall. They had only walked about 20 minutes before the squiging water in their shoes began to annoy them. Also, they had been walking for almost 18 hours when they finally collapsed in the overgrown roots of a huge oak tree. Fiyero couldn't sleep, but was more than willing to act as a human sized pillow for Elphaba when she needed to sleep. They lay down together, Elphaba cuddling up to Fiyero's side, and nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. He wrapped both his arms around her protectively, and rested his head lightly upon hers. It didn't take Elphaba long to fall asleep in his embrace.

He watched her as she slept, her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath. She had such a peaceful look on her face when she was sleeping, one he never saw in her waking hours, because she always had something she needed to worry about. At Shiz, before they were together, he would watch her in classes, her brow furrowed as she scribbled notes down furiously, not wanting to miss a word. Then, after they got together, she would always be worrying about Glinda finding out about them. The next time he saw her she had changed from a worried schoolgirl to something, well, different. At the time he couldn't put his finger on what had changed. She looked a little older, but that wasn't it, he had prepared himself for that. Now, as he thought back to that moment when they sat in the woods together, he figured it out. She was stronger, wiser, more confidant, more...everything. Back then he had assumed the change in her was because of the strain of fighting the Wizard, but now he knew. She was a mother. She had someone else who depended on her for his every need. Someone who's need would always be put above her own. Someone she gave all her love to unconditionally. It had changed her. But, Fiyero mused, changed her, for good.

Looking at her asleep at that moment however, she was just an innocent schoolgirl again, curled up in her boyfriends arms without a care in the world. Right now, he could pretend to himself that she needed him to protect her, like a boyfriend of a twenty year old girl should. She didn't, he knew that, she had done a good job of looking after herself and Liir so far without him, he knew she didn't really need him there now. But it was nice to pretend.

***

Fiyero had begun to let his mind wander when he heard a rustling sound, like footsteps, getting nearer and nearer to their hiding place. Fiyero froze. Not wanting to sit around helplessly and wait for them to be discovered, he figured he should check it out. After all, he could be worrying over nothing. But he had to know. Gently, he unwound his arms from Elphaba's sleeping body, and slowly laid her head down on the ground. As he was getting up, she sighed and turned over and he held his breath, but she did not wake.

He explored around the area for a little while, not wanting to venture too far from Elphaba. When he had assured himself they were safe and it must have been passing wildlife, he started heading back towards Elphaba. He was almost there when he heard the footsteps behind him. He stopped dead still as a familiar voice called out to him.

"Excuse me, I seem to be a bit lost, could you help me?" He turned, hardly believing what he was hearing. "Scarecrow?!" The man exclaimed.

It was the Wizard.

Fiyero stood in shock for a few moments, trying to figure out a plan to get the Wizard away without him seeing the green woman sleeping behind a tree not 10 feet from him. No such luck. He was about to reply when they both heard a loud yawn and Elphaba's sleep laden voice calling out.

"Fiyero?"