DISCLAIMER: The characters of Wicked that you recognise here are the property of Stephen Schwartz and the producers and creators of the show. I'm just borrowing them for my leisure.

AN. Thank you to everyone for your messages about my health- I'm feeling much better now thank you.

Chapter 26: A Shopping Trip

June 1945

Elphaba was less than impressed when Galinda arrived at the castle during breakfast a few days later and invited Arora out for a "little shopping spree."

Arora immediately looked to her mother for approval, and Fiyero and Kasmira commented on "what a lovely idea that was". Elphaba could hardly say then and there that she didn't want Arora left alone with Galinda, and she was sure Galinda knew that. So, Elphaba had no choice but to reluctantly agree.

Arora and Galinda headed out to Galinda's waiting carriage fifteen minutes later. Fiyero and Kasmira had both slipped her a little spending money for the day before she left, and Arora had a little pocket money of her own.

"What are we shopping for?" she asked Galinda when they were on their way.

"Nothing in particular," Galinda answered. "Don't you ever go shopping just for fun or to look around? Buy things for the sake of it?"

Arora wrinkled her nose. "Not really. Sometimes, I guess… Mom doesn't really have the money to buy stuff for no reason."

"Oh. Well… we'll have so much fun today, don't you think?"

"Sure," Arora agreed.

When they got into town and exited the carriage, Galinda looked around excitedly. "Alright, Arora. Where do you want to start?"

"Can we look at the bookstore?" Arora asked immediately.

Galinda's smile faltered for a moment. "Of- of course."

They went to the bookstore that Fiyero had taken Arora and Elphaba to during their tour, and Arora quickly lost herself amongst the shelves.

"So, Arora, are you liking the Vinkus?" Galinda asked, browsing through a random book.

Arora nodded. "Yes. It's really pretty… different from Munchkinland."

"Hmm, I'm sure," Galinda agreed.

After only fifteen minutes, Galinda was looking bored and Arora announced she was done. Galinda suggested they go to a dress store down the street. They spent two hours looking at clothes, and although Galinda kept getting Arora to try things on, Arora didn't buy anything.

After looking at shoes, accessories and a record store, they stopped for lunch at a little café.

"How long have you known my dad?" Arora asked Galinda as they ate.

"Well, I've known your dad for about two years, and we've been dating for a year and a half," Galinda answered.

Arora chewed thoughtfully on her sandwich. "Do you love him?"

"Yes," Galinda said honestly.

"And he loves you?"

"Yes."

Galinda leaned across the table towards Arora, smiling gently. "Arora, thank you for coming out today with me. I'm really enjoying spending this time with you and getting to know you."

"That's ok," Arora replied, a little shyly. "Thank you for lunch, Miss Galinda."

"You know," Galinda said casually. "You can just call me 'Galinda.' In fact, you could call me something else if you'd like."

"Like what?" Arora asked.

"Well… I don't know. Obviously you already have a mother, but 'stepmother' is so formal, don't you think?"

Arora stared at her in shock. "Stepmother?" she repeated. "Don't… don't you and my dad have to be married to be a stepmother?"

Galinda looked surprised. "Hasn't your father told you?"

"Told me what?"

"Arora, your father has asked me to marry him," Galinda said gently. "I'm so sorry darling, I thought he would have mentioned it to you by now."

Arora was speechless. Galinda and her father were going to be married? Arora liked Galinda well enough, but…

Arora had admittedly been entertaining herself with little daydreams that her mother and father might get back together. She was positive that Elphaba still loved Fiyero- she couldn't say how she knew, she just did. And although she hadn't known her father very long, there were little signs Arora thought she had seen that convinced her that there was at least a chance that he still loved her mother.

Most of all, Arora had been watching her father and Galinda together. They didn't act at all like Uncle Boq and Aunt Nessa used to act before they got married. Arora may have only been four at the time, but she remembered the Lurlinemas where Boq had proposed. She didn't know much about love (she was only nine after all) but she knew that her aunt and uncle adored each other; and she didn't see that at all when she looked at Fiyero and Galinda.

Arora remembered asking her mother, after her aunt and uncle's wedding, whether Elphaba had loved her father. Elphaba had paused for a long moment, and then finally answered,

"Yes. I did. But… love is a complicated thing, Rora Rose. And it doesn't always mean the same thing to everyone. One day you'll understand that."

Arora wondered now if this was what she had meant.

"When did he ask you?" she asked Galinda curiously.

"Two days ago. He said he was going to tell you…"

"How did he ask you? Did he get down on one knee?" Arora asked eagerly, the rest of her lunch forgotten.

Galinda laughed lightly. "Oh, sweetheart. The thing is," she confided. "Is that he hasn't asked me officially yet. He wants to make it really special."

Arora's brow crinkled in confusion. "Why would he ask you before he really asks you?" she questioned.

"I suppose he was just too excited to wait until he'd finished planning," Galinda smiled.

In Arora's mind, that made sense.

"But when he officially asks you, he'll get down on one knee?"

"I'm sure he will," Galinda reassured her.

There was more shopping to be done after lunch, and some more talk about the wedding. Galinda was already talking about Arora being a flower girl in the wedding, the dress she would wear and the flowers she wanted. Galinda didn't seem to notice that Arora was listening, but not commenting much at all.

It was late afternoon before Galinda returned Arora to Werillah Ev. Arora thanked her for the day and then hurried off to find her mother.

Elphaba was in her room reading, but she readily put the book aside when Arora entered the room.

"Hey, kid. How was it?"

"It was good," Arora answered, settling herself on the bed next to her. "I like Galinda."

Elphaba arched her eyebrow slightly. "'Galinda', is it now?"

Arora fidgeted uncomfortably. "Yeah… I just figured… with her and Dad…"

Her mother looked puzzled.

"Dad and Galinda are getting married," Arora informed her mother carefully.

Elphaba's face remained perfectly blank.

"Are they?"

Arora nodded slowly. "Galinda told me at lunch."

"I see," Elphaba answered. "When did this happen?"

"A few days ago I think. But she said it's not official yet."

Elphaba looked composed, but Arora wasn't sure she was and she felt a little uncomfortable. She didn't know what to say to her mother.

"I'm going to go find Grams," she said, sliding off the bed quickly. "Bye."

She got to the bedroom door, paused, and then turned and hurried back to hug Elphaba tightly.

"Love you, Momma."

And then she was gone before Elphaba could form words.

Fiyero was getting married.

Elphaba was sure that Arora's announcement shouldn't have surprised her or shaken her this much. After all, it had been ten years since she had broken their own engagement and left. His relationship with Galinda was not news to her, and she had rather expected him to marry years ago.

But to have him and Galinda get engaged while she and Arora were staying here, and without even a word. Elphaba could admit she'd probably conceded any right she had to be in the know about Fiyero's love life; but surely she could have been given a warning that her daughter was going to be gaining a stepmother?

Not as his ex-fiancée, but as the mother of his child, surely?

When it came time to go down for dinner, Elphaba found herself pacing her room trying to psych herself up and mentally prepare herself to see Fiyero, something she hadn't had to do since they'd first arrived.

"You'll see him, you'll say congratulotions, it'll be fine," she told her reflection firmly. "It's been ten years, you're both adults, and your personal feelings about Galinda aren't important. Fiyero loves her, and the only thing that matters is that she treats Arora well."

Elphaba steeled herself and left the room, only to come face to face with Fiyero before she'd even reached the top of the stairs.

"Hi," he greeted her nonchalantly.

"Congratulotions," Elphaba blurted out, which startled and confused Fiyero.

"Congratulotions?" he repeated.

Elphaba cleared her throat and lowered her eyes. Of course, she would be forced to say the words aloud.

"On yours and Galinda's engagement," she clarified.

Fiyero froze. "How did you hear about that?" he demanded.

"From Arora," Elphaba replied with a small frown at his reaction. "She said Galinda told her over lunch. Why?"

She supressed the faint hope that perhaps it wasn't true.

Fiyero looked rather uncomfortable. "It's just… we weren't making the announcement yet," he explained. "I wanted to tell Arora first. I thought I should explain it to her."

"She seems fine with it," Elphaba said coolly. "I wish you and Galinda every happiness."

An odd shadow crossed Fiyero's face. "Elph-"

"We should go down," Elphaba cut him off. "I'm sure your mother and Arora are already waiting."

She brushed past him and headed for the stairs, leaving him to follow.

Dinner was a rather quiet affair that night. Fiyero barely spoke until Arora asked her mother if she could be excused.

"Actually, Rora, would you mind if I spoke to you for a moment?"

Arora nodded. "Ok."

Fiyero put down his knife and fork and rose to his feet. "Let's go my study," he suggested and Arora happily followed him from the table.

Elphaba knew exactly the conversation Fiyero was going to have with their daughter and she felt a little ill.

"Elphaba, are you alright sweetheart?" Kasmira asked gently when they were alone.

Elphaba looked to the dowager queen and smiled weakly. "I've got a bit of a migraine coming on actually. I might go lie down."

"Of course, dear. Fiyero and I will make sure that Arora gets to bed," Kasmira reassured her.

Elphaba made a hasty escape, leaving Kasmira to settle herself in the parlour alone with a book. It was perhaps ten minutes before Arora and Fiyero returned.

"Where's Mom?" Arora asked Kasmira immediately.

"She had a bit of a headache and went to bed, sweetheart."

Arora didn't seem surprised. "Yeah, she gets them sometimes," she said knowingly.

"She does?" Fiyero asked, a little alarmed. Elphaba hadn't had migraines when he'd known her a decade ago.

Arora nodded. "Yeah. Once in a while. I'm going to check on her before I go to bed."

"Are you going to bed already? It's early," Kasmira said in surprise.

"I'm pretty tired after shopping all day," Arora shrugged. "I might write to Opa before I go to sleep. Goodnight Grams, night Dad."

"Goodnight, Arora," Kasmira replied, kissing her goodnight.

"Goodnight," Fiyero echoed.

As his daughter left the room, Fiyero sat down in an armchair opposite his mother.

"What's going on, Fiyero?" Kasmira asked, not missing a beat or even looking up from her book.

Fiyero knew better than to pretend he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Galinda and I are getting married, Mom," he said quietly, glancing at her discreetly for her reaction.

It had just occurred to him this was the second time he had announced his engagement to his mother. At least this time, she knew Galinda beforehand and it probably wasn't a total surprise.

Kasmira slowly lowered her book. "Ah. I see. Well, congratulotions, Yero. When did this happen?"

"A few days ago. I hadn't said anything, because it wasn't really official yet. But Galinda mentioned something to Arora, so…"

"Well, Galinda's a lovely girl and you've been together for a long time," his mother said warmly. "But as long as you're happy, sweetheart. I wish you'd told me so I could mention something to Galinda."

"It's fine, Mom."

"Have you got Galinda a ring yet, or do you need to get one from the vault?" she asked.

Fiyero hesitated. "I haven't got her one," he admitted. "But… I think she'd like something… new."

"That's fine, it's between you and Galinda. Did Arora take the news well?"

"She seemed fine with it. She said she likes Galinda," Fiyero shrugged.

Kasmira closed her book and sat up straighter in her chair. "Well, I'll have to invite Galinda over in the morning and discuss the engagement party… I'm assuming I can plan an engagement party? This isn't another secret?"

Fiyero sighed. "No, Mom. Plan the party."

"We'll have to discuss the announcement-"

"Really, Mom, I'd be no help with that. You and Galinda can just work everything out, right?"

Kasmira frowned slightly. "Alright, Yero. If that's what you want."

Fiyero nodded. "Yeah, it's fine. I'm going to go to bed, ok?"

It was barely eight o'clock, but his mother didn't question it. "Goodnight, Yero."

Fiyero left his mother and went upstairs to his bedroom, getting ready for bed and briefly checking on Arora. She was sitting up in bed writing to her grandfather, but she promised she'd go to sleep soon.

"I'm almost done," she promised.

Knowing how much she was like her mother, Fiyero highly doubted that, but let it slide.

Instead, he bit her goodnight and shut her door behind him as he left the room. Standing in the hall, he turned and saw Elphaba's door was shut firmly. There was a faint light shining from beneath the door, and he hesitated. Should he knock?

He was sure, as with everything else, this was something they should talk about. But he didn't know what to say. He felt an odd desire to apologise to her, but for what? For moving on with his life? For being with Galinda? That was nothing to apologise for, right?

Suppressing a groan, Fiyero turned around and returned to his own room. He had a pile of incredibly boring briefs he was going to read until he fell asleep.