AN: Thank you all for the reads and reviews! My cowriter, MagicalIrishMusician, just posted a wicked parody on South Park, and I highly recommend it if you need a good laugh. Anywhoos, thank you all for reading, and bubble for the awesome reviews that keep us motivated! :)
CK
Elphaba woke with a yawn, to a soft knock at the door. She'd recognize that dainty knock anywhere. With a wave of her hand, she was dressed, and slid out from a still sleeping Jessie. She opened the door to find Glinda.
"You slept in?" Glinda said, honestly shocked.
"I have been known to, on occasion. Jessie's still sleeping." Elphaba said, stepping into the hallway with Glinda.
"Well, we may need to wake her up soon. The first thing on the schedule today is a meeting with Coriv." Glinda said.
"How long do we have?" Elphaba asked.
"About two hours or so. I sent Roric to bed an hour ago. He's been standing sentry outside of this door since they brought you here." Glinda said, truly impressed with his dedication.
"He's almost as protective as Jessie." Elphaba said, with a slight smile. It was different to find anyone willing and eager to protect her here in Oz. She had to admit, it felt good, "What are we set to do after that?"
"After that, we'll open the ceremonies. Then the festivating can begin." Glinda said, "All I am concerned that the Gale Force hasn't arrived yet."
"I'm not concerned, Glin. I hope we've seen the worst of what the Munchkinlanders have to offer." Elphaba said.
"Regardless, my order is being ignored. I can't have that." Glinda said with a frown.
"We'll handle it when we return to the Emerald City. Hopefully, the Gale Force has just been delayed." Elphaba said.
"I hope you're right, Elphie." Glinda said.
"Glin, I'm OK, I promise." Elphaba said, hugging her friend tightly.
Glinda returned it with a smile. "I know, Elphie. I just don't want you in any undue danger." She said.
Elphie, on instinct, kissed the top of her head. "The fact that you are worried about that means more than I can say, Glin."
"Of course I care, silly. Now, go wake your monstrosity up, and let's meet with Coriv." Glinda said, with a chuckle, as she let Elphie go.
"The freak and the Monstrosity. What a pair we make." Elphaba said, laughing.
"That's the spirit!" Glinda said, excitedly skipping off. Elphaba watched her leave with an inward sigh. She peeked back in the room, Jessie was still asleep. She smirked, as an idea hit her.
()
Jessie bolted awake to the door opening, her hand reaching for the dagger under her pillow. She looked before she threw, glad to see it was Elphie.
"Don't scare me like that." Jessie said, catching her breath.
"Hey, don't kill the delivery girl because the breakfast was bad." Elphaba joked. She closed the door behind her and sat the tray with breakfast in her lap. Jessie grabbed one cup of coffee, and Elphaba grabbed the other.
"Thanks, beautiful, but I'm not hungry." Jessie said, looking at the omelet in front of her.
"Neither am I, but you spent a lot of energy last night. You have to eat something." Elphaba said, getting a grin from Jessie.
"It's too early in the morning for sarcasm, beautiful." Jessie said, cutting the omelet, and taking a bite, "Not bad." She observed, offering Elphie a bite.
"The governor's chef made it." Elphaba said.
"They are good." Jessie said, feeding Elphie another bite.
"No fair, you're supposed to eat, not me." Elphaba said.
"Ah, you caught on to my nefarious plot." Jessie said, chuckling, as she ate the final bite, "I wanted to share breakfast with my beautiful fiance." Jessie said, leaning in to kiss Elphie softly.
Elphaba moaned into that kiss, unconsciously pulling her closer. "We have a meeting with Coriv soon." Elphaba warned, when she broke the kiss for air.
"Let him wait." Jessie said, her hands running along Elphie's dress, as she kissed her passionately again.
"Glinda will come looking." Elphaba said, moving the kisses to pepper Jessie's neck with them.
"Don't doors in Munchkinland lock?" Jessie asked, her hands finally getting under that fabric to run along Elphie's sides.
Elphaba shivered in response. "We aren't going to make that meeting, are we?" She asked, kissing her way to Jessie's breasts.
"What meeting?" Jessie asked, genuinely confused, getting a chuckle from Elphaba.
She thew up a magical shield to prevent the door opening, and a silencing spell. She wasn't ready to break this off just yet, either.
()
Two hours later, Glinda walked down to the door, ready to give Elphie a piece of her mind. It was fine to be fashionably late, but Elphaba rarely was this late. She chuckled, seeing the green shield on the door. Apparently she was going to need to assign a chaperone to ensure they didn't get distracted before meetings.
()
When Elphaba and Jessie finally emerged, the meeting was long over, and it was time for the formal, official speeches. Even Jessie admitted Elphaba looked amazing in the dress Glinda had chosen for her. The round of applause and cheers Elphaba received, led by Boq, seemed to help her confidence, too.
"Good Morning..." Elphaba began.
"It was morning! Does your vertigre affect your ability to tell time, freak?" A voice called from the back of the crowd. With a smirk, a man that stood nearly Jessie's height approached.
Elphaba rolled her eyes, recognizing him immediately. "Jac Rubic. I'm surprised you found enough time to attend, since you are usually busy counting your rubies." Elphaba said, sharply.
"There's nothing wrong with wealth, Lady Elphaba," The sarcasm when he used her formal title was strong enough to draw some snickers, "The crippled never thought so, anyway."
"Her name was Nessarose, and my sister had far better judgement than to waste her time with the likes of you." Elphaba said. Glinda and Jessie both looked at Fiyero, who looked as confused as they were.
"I beg to differ. Your sister and I were very close. Even closer after the tin munchkin couldn't meet her needs." He said, chuckling at Boq, who bristled.
"Watch what you say." Boq warned, his fists balled at his side.
"Boq, you've just turned human again. Do you really wish to be decimated so soon." Jac said, a positively evil smirk on his face.
Jessie always disliked bullies, and this didn't change, no matter the world. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size, Rubic." She spoke up. Elphaba turned to her with a glare of warning.
"Ah, the monstrosity speaks. Tell me, can you speak when your green mistress drinks a glass of milk?" He said, causing Jessie to step forward.
Elphaba grabbed her arm, "Don't react, Jessie. That's what he's looking for." She whispered.
"Silence, eh? Wonder how you're going to react when she decides to test her luck with a real man. I'll bet she's not that different from her sister in that way. A gentle stroke, a few kind words, and she fits like a glove." He said, getting waves of laughs through the crowd.
"Jessie, please." Elphaba pleaded, seeing Jessie's eyes darken.
"Maybe it's your mother you're thinking of." Jessie suggested, smirking at the angry look that came across his face.
"Teach your pet manners, freak, or she may cost you." He warned.
"What do you want, Jac?" Elphaba asked, annoyed.
"Just you. I challenge you to the Munchkinlander Games to settle your debt." He said, getting a shocked look from the crowd.
"What debt? I owe you no debt." Elphaba said.
"Perhaps you didn't, but your father did." Jac reached into his pocket, to produce a contract.
"Let me see that." Coriv said, taking the paper from him. The crowd stood in silence, as he read it.
Coriv's face fell. "Lady Elphaba, I'm sorry, I'm afraid he's right. Your father borrowed 180 rubies from his father before he became governor." Coriv said, in disbelief.
"I believe it was to start a ministry, my father told me." He said, with a smirk.
"If that is so, then why haven't you claimed before now?" Elphaba asked. She sensed a trap, whatever Jac was up to was not good.
"The Thropps were governors. I'm a businessman, I'm not about to break allegiances with the governor. Now; however, I would like the debt paid in full." He said, a gleam in his eyes that made Elphaba uncomfortable.
"180 rubies is a paltry sum. I will have it to you tomorrow morning." Glinda said.
"No, it's not the money I want. I want the competition. I want the last remaining Thropp to grovel at my feet." He said, smugly.
Fiyero, Roric, and Alec had to hold Jessie back. "You're mine." Jessie said, staring him down.
"Can he do that?" Glinda asked Coriv, who looked down, before nodding yes.
"So when would the great and powerful Elphaba Thropp like the competition to commence?" Jac said, the smirk on his face deepening.
"You coward! You're challenging a woman?" Boq said, with disgust, as the crowd got behind him.
"I'm challenging the person that owes me the debt, as is my right by Munchkinland law and tradition." Jac said.
"Yes, but you forgot one fact, Jac." Coriv said, stepping up onto the stage.
"Stay out of this, Governor, or I will enforce your contract next." He said, angrily.
"The law states that she may have a stand in, if any are willing to step into the position." Coriv said.
"I am!" Jessie declared, stepping forward.
"As am I." Fiyero said, joining her.
"Me, too." Roric said, stepping up.
"And me." Alec said, stepping up.
"And me." Boq said, glaring at Jac.
"Who knew the freak had so many willing to step in for her. Coriv, I believe I may choose if there are multiple volunteers, correct?" Jac said.
"You do." Coriv said, hesitantly.
"Two Gale Force guards, a Captain, a Shrimp, or the monstrosity. Tomorrow, monstrosity, I will teach you respect." He said, pointing at Jessie.
Jessie took off her jacket, revealing exactly how muscular she really was to the crowd, who ahhed in shock. "Why wait? We can dance right now, bitch." Jessie said, her fight face in full effect.
"Tomorrow." He said, smirking, as he walked off. Elphaba looked back at Jessie, furious.
"Tomorrow, the Munchkinlander Games will begin at noon. Until then, enjoy the festivating." Coriv said, getting a round of applause from the shocked crowd.
Elphaba and Glinda walked off calmly, although the fury in Elphaba's eyes was unmistakeable. Jessie followed her into the carriage, getting glared at as it pulled away.
"What was I supposed to do?" Jessie asked angrily.
"Keep your mouth shut like I told you to! You have no idea what you've done, Jessie." Elphaba said, her voice a calm fury that made Glinda flinch.
"Come on, Fae, she was defending you." Fiyero said, in Jessie's defense, and getting a glare for his statement.
"Do either of you idiots know what the Munchkinlander Games are?" Elphaba asked, as Jessie looked down. She really hated it when Elphie was furious with her.
"No, but..." Fiyero began.
"Then shut up, Tiggular." Elphaba said, as the carriage stopped in front of the governor's mansion. Jessie got out, offering a hand to Elphaba, who completely ignored her and stormed past.
"She's just mad, she'll get over it." Fiyero said, patting her shoulder.
"What was I supposed to do?" Jessie asked, her voice hurt and defeated.
"Exactly what you did, Jess." Glinda said, rubbing her shoulder.
"I've gotta get out of here. Tell her I went back to town." Jessie said, walking off. She needed to clear her head. She had never seen Elphie this mad before. Was there more to this competition than met the eye?
()
It was nightfall before Elphaba finally came out of her old room in the attic. She knew Jessie just did what Jessie felt was needed, but she didn't understand the seriousness of what she had just done. She also knew this was going to be hard enough on Jessie as it was without her worrying about what was at stake. She searched the governor's mansion but didn't find Jessie.
When Glinda told her Jessie had gone into town, she focused on Jessie. Elphaba got Roric to take her into town directly towards Jessie's location. She really wasn't surprised to see Jessie at the St. Glinda Orphanage. However, she was surprised to see Jessie talking with one of the sisters, and the worried look on her face.
Love, it's time to go home. Elphaba sent from the carriage.
Jessie turned to look at her. She walked back inside, and emerged a moment later with a little girl.
"Are you sure she's nice now?" Atel asked, getting a smile from Jessie.
"I'm very sure." Jessie said, leading the girl to the carriage.
"Are you ready?" Elphaba asked.
"Close. Elphie, this is my friend, Atel. Atel, this is Elphaba Thropp." Jessie said, as the little girl stared at her in shock.
Elphaba raised an eyebrow as Atel stared at her. "Is there something wrong?"
"No...nothing, ma'am. I just...I thought you were ugly." She answered, honestly.
"What do you think now?" Elphaba asked.
"I think the Wizard lied." She said softly.
"Yes, he did. He lied about a lot of things." Elphaba said, her voice softening.
"We'll come back tomorrow, and you and your friends can talk to her more, OK?" Jessie asked.
"OK. Thank you, Miss Jessie. And it's nice to meet you, Lady Elphaba." Atel said, curtsying again, before going inside.
Jessie climbed into the carriage.
"How did I know I'd find you here?" Elphaba said.
"Because you know me better than I know myself." Jessie said, sitting next to her. To her surprise, Elphaba hugged her tightly.
"I love you, Jess." Elphaba said, softly. She couldn't tell Jessie the real meaning of the games. Not yet, she needs Jessie to not worry about it.
"I love you, too, baby. But I'm gonna have to talk to Coriv. Can you believe they're going to be closing the orphanage, and the children sent to work some kind of mine?" Jessie said, angrily.
"The ruby mines?" Elphaba asked.
"Yeah, I think that's it. The bank foreclosed yesterday. They've got a month, at best, from what the sister was telling me." Jessie said, angrily.
"We'll talk to him. Maybe there's something he can do." Elphaba said, cuddling into Jessie more. That sounded like the work of Jac.
"So you're not mad at me?" Jessie asked, softly.
"Oh, I'm still mad at you." Elphaba said, sternly, but not letting go.
"How do I make it up to you?" Jessie asked.
"Win." Elphaba said.