PocketSevens: LOL! Yes, Elphaba's alive. And thanks for breaking my review page. :P
Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: I know I had you worried, but it's all better now that we have Fiyeraba back together again, right? You can breathe now.
BillyJay936: Yes, I do love Fiyeraba babies and Fiyeraba baby moments.
"Hi, sweetie," Elphaba smiled as she lifted her five month old daughter out of her crib. "Did you have a nice nap?"
Salmae smiled at her mother and reached for her nose. The green girl smiled as she nuzzled her nose against her daughter's.
"Are my two favorite girls ready?" Fiyero asked as he came into the nursery.
"We still need to get ready," Elphaba said.
Salmae reached for her father and Elphaba quickly complied. "Are you excited, princess? You get to meet a bunch of boring people who you will hopefully never have to see again for the rest of your life and make boring conversation with them and pretend you're actually interested in what they're saying and…"
"Yero…" Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Is it really that bad?"
"Well, I don't remember my viewing ball, so I really can't comment on that."
The green girl rolled her eyes again. That evening, there was going to be a viewing ball for Salmae, which was exactly what it sounded like; the important people from all over the Vinkus and other parts of Oz would come to meet the newest addition to the royal family. It was more about Fiyero and Elphaba meeting everyone than about Salmae, but she would still be the star of the show.
"Well, she seems excited enough," Fiyero said, smiling at Salmae, who smiled back.
"Of course. She has no idea what you're saying. It's just silly-Daddy talk to her," Elphaba pointed out.
Salmae giggled and clapped her hands.
"Yes, Sal. This is a very exciting day," the prince smiled, lifting Salmae into the air and twirling her around. "I'll get Sal dressed."
"Thank you," Elphaba said gratefully.
Fiyero smiled as he pulled his wife into a kiss, humming softly as she wrapped her arms around him. "Let's go get ready," he said when they pulled away.
Elphaba nodded and they walked hand-in-hand out of the room. Two maids were waiting to help Elphaba into her dress. Once they were finished, they styled her hair and did her makeup, complimenting her on how beautiful she looked. Elphaba thanked them, even if she didn't fully believe it herself. Once they were finished, she looked herself in the mirror. Her dress was a deep purple color, with sparkly, long sleeves. The skirt was long, and Elphaba smiled as she felt the silky material brush against her legs.
"Are you ready?" Fiyero asked as he came back into the room, fully dressed in his crown prince uniform.
Elphaba turned and smiled. "Yes."
"Good." The prince walked over to her and handed Salmae over, dressed in her lacey, peach dress. "You look beautiful."
"Thanks. You look handsome," Elphaba smiled, kissing her husband's cheek before looking down at her daughter and tickling her nose. "You look beautiful, sweetie."
Salmae giggled and reached up to her mother, grabbing at her lose strands of hair. Elphaba brushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her daughter's nose. "Let's go," she whispered,
The couple walked out of the room and down the stairs to the grand dining hall. Salmae quietly looked up at her parents as Fiyero wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"And now, presenting their royal highnesses, Prince Fiyero, Princess Elphaba, and Princess Salmae," the herald said in a loud voice.
The doors opened and everyone applauded as Elphaba and Fiyero walked in. Salmae seemed to know that people were clapping for her and giggled happily. Elphaba and Fiyero spent most of the night talking to the other officials. Everyone was taken by Salmae, who seemed to enjoy all of the attention on her. Glinda soon came over and immediately fell in love with her goddaughter.
"Hi, Sallie," she smiled, tickling the baby.
"Called it!" the prince sing-songed.
Elphaba gave him a questioning look, but the prince simply smiled softly and turned back to the blonde. "How is the Gillikin?"
"It's simply wonderful," the blonde smiled, half-distracted by Salmae.
The green girl rolled her eyes playfully and handed her daughter to Glinda before excusing herself to get a drink.
"Elphaba."
The princess turned around towards the voice and saw the last person she expected to see. "Nessa?"
The brunette gave her sister a small smile. "Hi."
"What are you doing here?" Elphaba knew she sounded rude, but what else was she supposed to say when she saw her sister after three years of practically losing contact with her.
Nessa looked a bit offended. "I… missed you."
"You missed me?"
"Am I not allowed to miss my sister?"
Elphaba let out a huffed laugh. "You practically disowned me the moment I left Shiz. I haven't heard from you in almost three years."
Nessa looked like she was going to defend herself, but didn't. She knew she couldn't, anyway. "I know," she said softly.
Elphaba sighed, but didn't respond. She took her sister in. She looked older, more mature. Her hair was a bit longer and her features were more defined. But other than that, she still looked like the same, perfect Nessarose. "I… I missed you, too."
The brunette seemed to smile a bit. "And I… we… Father and I… heard about everything."
Elphaba looked confused, then realized what her sister meant. "Oh."
"I… I was going to write to you, but I… I didn't know what to say, or what I should say."
"And you were too busy," the green girl said before she could stop herself.
"Elphaba…"
"No, I understand. Your studies come first."
Nessa was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry. I thought Father would write to you, but…"
Elphaba suddenly wished she still had Salmae with her so she could have something to distract her, or maybe give her an excuse to leave. "He didn't." Now she really wished she had Salmae to distract her.
Nessa looked down at her lap, seemingly trying to change the subject. "Do you like living in the Vinkus?"
"Yes," Elphaba said with borderline curtness after a pause.
Nessa nodded and searched for another question. "Is Prince Fiyero nice?"
"Even if he wasn't, I'm stuck with him no matter what." Elphaba knew she shouldn't treat her sister like this, but she couldn't just let her back into her life after three years of no communication.
Nessa bit her lip. "Elphaba, I know we're not as close as we used to be, but I really did miss seeing you everyday."
"I bet you did."
"Why are you acting like this?" Nessa demanded, frowning.
"Because you think that you can just come here and come back into my life after three years of not speaking to me. It doesn't happen like that, Nessa. So much happened to me here that you missed. You weren't here for me and you act like you actually know how I felt, but you don't."
Nessa looked shocked. She had never heard her sister speak like that before. "If you don't want me in your life, fine. I'll go and you'll never hear from me again." She turned and made to leave, but Elphaba stopped her.
"Wait. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that," Elphaba said gently.
The younger Thropp sighed. "I know. I'm sorry."
"Elphie, I think Sallie's getting tired," Glinda said as she approached the sisters, gently jostling a fussing Salmae in her arms.
"Thanks, Glin," Elphaba said as she took her daughter and tried to comfort her. "Oh, Glin, this is my younger sister, Nessarose. Nessa, this is Glinda."
"Pleased to meet you," Glinda smiled politely at the wheelchair-bound girl.
"You as well," Nessa said.
Glinda smiled and kissed her goddaughter's cheek before getting two drinks and walking back to Fiyero.
"Is she a friend of yours?" Nessa asked once Glinda was out of earshot.
"Yes," Elphaba said, glad she now had Salmae to distract her. "She's also Sal's godmother."
"Oh." Nessa tried to smile, but she couldn't. She and Elphaba had always talked about being the godmothers of their children, but she knew they were no longer close enough for that. "That's… very nice."
"Thank you."
The brunette seemed upset that Elphaba didn't remember the promise to be each other's godmother's, but let it go. "So… I guess this makes me Aunt Nessa?"
The green girl looked at her sister and smiled softly. "I guess it does. Would you like to hold her?"
Nessa nodded and held out her arms for her niece. Elphaba gently handed Salmae, who was still fussing, over to her aunt. Nessa smiled down at the baby and gently rocked her. Salmae slowly calmed and look up at the new face in front of her. "Hi," the brunette said softly.
Salmae blinked a few times, then slowly began to smile and reached up towards Nessa. The proud aunt smiled and kissed her cheek before handing her back to her mother. "I know it will take some time, but I really want to be close like we used to be. I really did miss my older sister."
Elphaba smiled softly as Salmae fell asleep. "I missed my younger sister, too."
"So… we can be sisters again?"
Elphaba smiled and gently kneeled down to give her sister a hug, careful not to squish Salmae. "Of course."
"Elphaba."
Elphaba looked up and saw her father standing behind Nessa. She slowly stood and gently readjusted Salmae in her arms. "Father."
Nessa looked between her father and sister and slowly wheeled away to give them some space, though Elphaba couldn't tell whether she was grateful for the gesture or not.
There was a very long, awkward pause between the two. "I heard about what happened."
Elphaba wondered why her family wanted to bring up her miscarriage so late. If they were going to say something about it, wouldn't they have done it earlier? Elphaba knew the answer to that question, and she had started to prepare a response, but Frex beat her to it.
"Are you alright?"
Whatever she was expecting her father to say, it certainly wasn't that. She gaped at him for a moment before finding her voice. "Y-Yes, I'm fine… now."
"Did you know the gender?"
"It was a boy." She decided not to tell her father that they had named him Kilyer. She didn't want to talk about it anymore.
Frex nodded, and it was hard for Elphaba to tell what he was thinking. She hated not being able to read people. "Who's this?" he asked, breaking into her thoughts.
Elphaba looked down at Salmae, who was still sleeping peacefully. "This is Salmae… your granddaughter."
"How old is she?"
"She turned five months a few days ago."
Frex nodded, then went silent again.
"Would you like to hold her?"
The Governor blinked, then held out his arms, and Elphaba gently handed Salmae over to him, careful not to wake her. The first thing Frex noticed was that she wasn't green. He wanted to be relieved, but part of him told him that he wouldn't have cared, but he didn't comment on it. She looked how he would have pictured Elphaba as a baby if she wasn't born green. As he held her, he began to try and figure out how he felt. He didn't feel like a grandfather. It seemed like only yesterday when his children were in elementary school, and now he was holding his grandchild. "She's beautiful."
"Thank you," Elphaba said, looking down slightly.
"I mean it, Elphaba."
The green girl looked up at her father and saw that he was being sincere. Elphaba nodded and Frex handed his grandchild back. Salmae stirred slightly, but her eyes remained closed as Elphaba gently stroked her cheek. Frex stood in silence, observing the two, before he turned to leave and find Nessa.
"How was that?" Fiyero asked as he appeared.
"Yero? Were you there the whole time?" Elphaba asked.
"Well… yes and no. I was watching you to make sure you and Sal were alright. Was that your sister and father?"
"Yes. I can't believe they came. I honestly didn't think they would."
"Maybe they missed you."
"Maybe Nessa missed me and since my father would do anything for her, they came," Elphaba corrected.
"Well, whatever the case, they came. How do you feel about it?"
"Okay, I guess. Why didn't you come over?"
"I felt like you needed a moment privately with your family. Did you get the closure you wanted?"
Elphaba was silent for a moment. "I… think so. They like Sal. I know my father is relieved that she's not green, but…"
"It doesn't matter what he thinks about our child. I would love Sal no matter what color she is," Fiyero said sternly, but gently.
"I know. I just… I wanted to feel like I've done something good for a change. I've been fighting for his approval all my life, and tonight, I think I got it. Not fully, but it's something."
"I'm glad, Fae," the prince said as he kissed his wife's forehead.
Salmae chose that moment to wake up and start fussing. Elphaba sighed and smiled softly. "I'll feed and change her, then but her to bed."
"I'll come with you."
Elphaba resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but allowed her husband to walk with her back upstairs.
Elphaba's dress is on my blog.
And I have a surprise for everyone. There will be one more chapter! That's right! One more chapter!