A/N – sorry I didn't get this up yesterday as I had hoped. Life and family intervened. Thanks for the reviews and the continued interest! As always, I don't own anything and sorry for any typos :)
Chapter 20
Elphaba clutched Glinda tightly against her as they flew through the air on the broom. She cursed herself for not thinking to bring a blanket or cloak to wrap around the blonde as she felt the bite from the chilly air. Elphaba glanced down as she felt Glinda shiver against her but she still had not regained consciousness.
Elphaba tightened her hold on Glinda as she looked for a safe place to land. They were barely out of the City and there was still quite a ways to go until they arrived at Kiamo Ko and Elphaba was afraid the blonde could not withstand the cold air any further.
As her feet touched down and she released the broom, Elphaba was already shrugging her own cloak off while she gently settled Glinda onto the ground. She wrapped the black garment around Glinda's frail form and quickly rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm her up.
"Come on Glinda-girl. We're practically there. Just a little further and we'll get you settled in a nice soft bed. You're going to be fine, do you hear me?" Elphaba whispered almost frantically. "Glinda?"
Elphaba felt tears rising as Glinda remained motionless. She felt as though she was spiraling out of control as her fears began to choke her. It was only the sound of a twig snapping behind her that brought her attention back to the present.
Elphaba turned and saw a Gale Force officer training his musket on her back. "What have you done to Glinda the Good?" The man asked. "You're the Witch aren't you?"
Elphaba slowly rose and kept herself planted between Glinda and the soldier. She eyed the young man up and down and smirked slightly when his gun began to tremble in his hands and dropped slightly. Her anger quickly rose to an almost equal level as her fear for Glinda and stepped toward him.
"How many other green witches do you know?" She snarled. "Now put that thing down and get out of my way. I'm leaving and taking Glinda with me."
"I-I can't let you do that Witch!" the young man said in a shaking voice. "I'll stop you."
Elphaba narrowed her eyes at the man. "I'd like to see you try."
The mocking in her voice seemed to give the soldier strength and he leveled the gun on her once again, his grip tightening. Elphaba shook her head with a growl and took another step closer, reaching a hand out. Their eyes met and Elphaba saw fear but also determination flash through his as her own narrowed. It was then that she realized the young man would pull the trigger.
Time seemed to slow as she saw his finger tighten around the trigger. A soft fluttering of air swirled her hair as Chistery swooped in chattering. He landed squarely in the man's chest and began to wildly thump him with his arms and wings. The gun was smacked to the side slightly as the bullet fired.
Elphaba felt her a burning in her shoulder as the bullet ripped through. With a hiss she dropped to the ground on her knees while Chistery continued his assault. She glanced up and saw the soldier curled in a ball as the Monkey continued to scream and thump him. The gun was lying harmlessly off to the side.
Elphaba grimaced as she rose to her feet and then strode toward the two shouting figures. "You actually shot me you little twit!" She bellowed. "You could have killed me! Although, that was the point I suppose. Chistery, Chistery, let him up."
The Monkey gave one last swat before taking flight to the nearest tree branch. Elphaba stood over the young man as he cowered on the ground before her. "I should kill you. Do you have any idea how much time we've now wasted because of you? I'm trying to save her you fool!"
She was shaking with rage and from the pain in her shoulder as she kicked him square in the jaw with her heavy boot. He grunted softly and then remained still. Elphaba pressed her hand to her bleeding shoulder and rushed back to Glinda who was still lying motionless on the ground. She scooped her back into her arms as best she could with her injury and positioned them on the broom once again.
"Sorry for the delay my sweet. Someone really needs to tell them who the actual enemy is around here. Come on now, off we go." Elphaba made sure the cloak was secure around Glinda and gripped the broom as tightly as her arm would allow. Her good arm was wrapped protectively around the blonde. As she prepared to take flight once again, Elphaba glanced to her side where Chistery was now also preparing for the flight, Pip and the other Monkeys were nowhere in sight.
"Thank you." She said softly. Her only reply was Chistery sticking his tongue out at her as he flapped his wings and took off into the sky.
xxxx
By the time they landed in the tower of Kiamo Ko, Elphaba was shaking from the effort of keeping them both securely on the broom and pain was shooting from her shoulder throughout her whole body. She pulled the cloak from around Glinda and then settled her onto the straw bed in the middle of the room.
Elphaba felt some relief, as the air was markedly warmer than at the height they had been flying. Still, she looked around and gathered blankets to keep Glinda from further catching a chill. She sat down on the bed next to Glinda and wiped blonde hair from her forehead. Elphaba winced, as the fever was still raging.
"Glinda?" She whispered as she stroked her cheeks. "Please, wake up. Can you hear me? What did Morrible do to you?"
Chistery fluttered behind her, drawing her attention. She turned and looked and he had a small pail of water in his hand and scooted closer holding it out to Elphaba.
"Water, yes. Thank you Chistery! Here Glinda, drink this love. It'll help you feel better."
As Elphaba lifted the pail to Glinda's lips, the blonde began to moan and thrash about. "No. No more, please." She swung her hand and though weak, she caught Elphaba off guard and the water splashed over them both. Elphaba winced as she felt the burn on her hand. She quickly tried to comfort Glinda, ignoring her own pain.
"Easy there Glinda. It's me; it's Elphie. You're safe but you need to drink my sweet. It's alright Glinda."
"Elphie?" Glinda whispered, her eyes fluttering open just slightly.
Elphaba smiled and pulled Glinda against her and cradled her in her arms. "That's right, I'm here Glinda. I'm here. Everything is going to be fine. You're safe now. I'm going to take care of you."
Glinda clutched Elphaba desperately. "Elphie. You're here? Don't drink the tea…Morrible."
"Shh, I know Glinda. It's alright." Elphaba replied as Chistery arrived with yet another tin of water. "Let's try this again Glinda. Here is some water, it will help bring your fever down."
She lifted the tin to Glinda's lips, her injured arm shaking slightly. Glinda drank what she could and slumped back down onto the bed with Elphaba brushing her hair away from her face.
"Glinda, what did she give you? Do you know? I'm sure I can find something in the Grimmerie to help fight against it. Just don't give up please! Glinda?"
Glinda had drifted off once again but Elphaba was relieved to see a steady rise and fall of her chest. She rushed back to her familiar position in front of the Grimmerie and quickly began flipping through.
"Poisons...no, I don't want to administer one, I want to cure one!" She cried as she continued flipping. A few minutes later, she found what she was looking for. "Here, Glinda, I found something! Who knew there was a generic antidote for poisons?"
She glanced through the ingredients and recognized most of them. "Chistery?" She called. "I need you to sit with her, try to get her to drink more water. I'll be back, I just have to find these roots and flowers to mix and make this potion."
Chistery nodded and hopped back toward Glinda with the tin of water while Elphaba quickly hoisted herself back onto the broom and dove toward the ground.
xxxx
Two hours later, Elphaba was back in the tower and coaxing Glinda to drink the concoction she had come up with to help fight the toxin in her system. Even in her semiconscious state, Glinda was cringing at the taste of the bitter herbs and roots.
"I'm sorry, my love. I can't imagine tasting this if it's half as bad as the smell. But it will help, I promise. That's it, just a little more."
The next several hours were spent alternating between the potion Elphaba mixed and the water that Chistery constantly brought up from a nearby spring. Elphaba did not spare a thought for her own injuries and did not waste time in looking for the healing spell she had once used. They didn't realize that nearly a whole day had passed since they arrived back in the tower; they were simply intent on forcing the liquids into Glinda and then watching over her as she slept.
Glinda's breathing became steadier and less shallow but she was still deathly pale and her sweat-dampened hair lay limp on the pillow. The dark circles around her eyes made Elphaba's heart ache.
Finally, as the sun began to set on that second day, Glinda's eyes opened and Elphaba felt tears pooling yet again as the blonde gazed back at her lucidly.
"Elphie?"
Glinda's voice was so weak and soft that Elphaba had to strain to hear her. She leaned in closer and smiled tenderly, cupping the pale cheek. "I'm here Glinda. I'm here. I'm so happy to see you awake." She ignored the sting of her tears running down her face as she leaned and pressed her lips to Glinda's forehead.
Glinda moaned softly. "Elphie. I-I have to tell you something. I…"
"Shh," Elphaba interrupted. "It's alright dearest. Just rest. I'm not going anywhere. We can talk when you're stronger."
"No." Glinda said weakly with another moan. "I have to…Elphie, I…" Elphaba cringed as a cough wracked her already weak body but still Glinda continued, almost desperately. "I love you. Elphaba…I love you. I-I'm in love with you."
Elphaba felt her stomach drop as the words sank in. Seconds must have passed because Glinda was staring back at her with her own tears beginning to leak from her blue eyes.
"What? What did you say?" Elphaba breathed.
Glinda coughed again and sighed. "I'm in love with you Elphie. I suppose it's selfish of me to say, now that I'm quite likely dying…but…I just can't leave this world without you knowing…without you knowing just how loved, how wonderful you are. You have to know…"
Elphaba felt her lungs failing her as she saw Glinda's eyes drift closed again. "Glinda? No! Glinda, wake up, look at me!"
Glinda's eyes snapped open and Elphaba let a sob escape. She leaned down over the small blonde and placed her hands on either side of her still pale face. "Glinda, you're not going to die. You can't! If you love me, you can't die! You can't leave me here all alone! I love you too! Do you hear me Glinda? I love you too!"
Glinda stared up at her and said nothing for a few moments and then swallowed thickly with a sigh. "Are you just saying that because I'm dying?"
Elphaba half sobbed, half laughed at Glinda's words and gathered the small blonde into her arms, once again ignoring the pain from her injury. "No. And you're not dying. I won't let you. Oz, Glinda, I love you!"
She pulled back from Glinda slightly and pressed her lips to her forehead. Glinda reached a trembling hand and softly stroked Elphaba's cheek. Elphaba smiled and leaned into the small hand. Her mind flitted back to when their positions were reversed and it was Glinda leaning into her own outstretched palm. Elphaba's smile widened as the scene seemed so much clearer now. She hadn't merely dreamed it.
Elphaba reached for the hand against her cheek and then pressed her lips to the pale knuckles.
"Elphie?" Glinda asked softly. "Do you really mean it? I'm not dreaming?"
Elphaba grew serious again as she looked deep into Glinda's tired blue eyes. She shook her head slightly and felt her breath catch as she leaned closer. Glinda's own breath hitched and not from her illness.
Elphaba pressed her lips against Glinda's timidly, as if afraid the blonde would pull back or possibly feel pain. At the contact, Elphaba swore she felt pinpricks run the length of her body and the heart that she had previously been certain was stone, fluttered in her chest.
Glinda frowned as Elphaba pulled away but smiled tenderly at the worried look on the green face. She placed her hand back against her cheek and ran her thumb across her cheekbone. Elphaba relaxed and rewarded her with a smile of her own.
"I love you." Glinda said softly.
Elphaba sighed contentedly and pressed their foreheads together. "Oz, I love you too Glinda. Truly. I have for…longer than even I realized. Before you married." She grinned sheepishly.
"When I first found you, I knew I couldn't be away from you. But even I didn't realize my feelings for a time. I swore I wouldn't act on my feelings for fear of hurting you or causing you more worry." As Glinda finished speaking, she fought a yawn and then winced as another coughing fit wracked her weakened body.
Concern flashed over Elphaba's face as she once again realized Glinda was still far from well. "Glinda? You need to drink more of the potion. It's helping you grow stronger, I can tell, but you can't stop now. Please."
Glinda grimaced as she sipped the liquid. "Nasty. Come here you." She said, pulling Elphaba close once again. "If I have to drink this, you should have to suffer and taste it too."
Elphaba laughed as Glinda pulled her in for another kiss. When they parted again, Elphaba gazed lovingly down at the sleepy blonde. "You'll hear no complaint from me. Rest Glinda, please. You need to rest."
Glinda nodded but her smile didn't fade. "You'll stay with me? You should rest too."
"I'm not going anywhere Glinda. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, you're never getting rid of me now." Elphaba replied, settling in beside the blonde, keeping an arm wrapped protectively over her.
"Thank Oz." Glinda sighed as she drifted back into slumber.
Elphaba watched her sleep until she could not keep her own eyes open any longer. The two slept through the night, blissfully ignoring the threats outside their tower as they rested peacefully.