Oh, I'm holding my breath
Won't lose you again
Something's made your eyes go cold

Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Something's gone terribly wrong
You're all I wanted
Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Can't breathe whenever you're gone
Can't turn back now, I'm haunted

-Haunted by Taylor Swift

"Elphaba!"

"Run Glin!"

"I'm not leaving you behind!"

Elphaba was doing her best to contain the blaze, but she couldn't lay down a layer of ice thick enough to put it out. She wished Galinda would run so she wouldn't have to worry about her, but the blonde wasn't going anywhere. The green woman became aware of the fact that she was holding herself back; her magic, she had learned, was a trade-off of sorts. Either she limited it with control, or she used its full potential, but ran the risk of harming an innocent bystander (namely Galinda).

If I can't contain this fire, Galinda and her family will be in more harm.

She would have to let go… not all the way, but enough to save the woman she loved. With a forward push, she willed a stronger ice sheet forward, covering the fire and extinguishing it with a hiss. The green woman stumbled forward a step, putting a hand to her head.

"Elphie…?" The blonde put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine. Are you all right?"

Galinda didn't reply, because at that moment, another thought struck her. "My parents." She ran from the room.

"Galinda, wait!" Elphaba forced herself to stand and chased after the blonde, who was about to open the closed door to her parents' bedroom. "Don't—"

She wasn't able to finish, because at that moment, the Frottican opened the door, creating the very thing Elphaba had been hoping to avoid: a backdraft. Both girls were thrown back from the force of the explosion, and Elphaba managed to sit up, the heat practically unbearable.

"Galinda!" She crawled to her girlfriend's side, finding her to be unconscious. The Munchkin turned to face the flames that were eating away at the bedroom, and she got to her feet, standing over the blonde. She knew the Uplands were inside… and it was up to her to save them. It would take a much stronger force of magic than she had ever used before, which meant for the first time, she would be willingly calling on her anger. Elphaba took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and recalled all the words that made her angry.

"With a mother like yours…"

"They always loved Nessa more…"

"How long before you lose control and harm Miss Galinda?"

The Munchkin's eyes opened, and frost shot from her hands, beginning to cover the flames.

"Elphaba?" The Uplands had emerged, Elphaba's magic having created a path.

"No time to talk; you have to go!" Elphaba shouted, her voice strained with the effort of her magic. The Uplands fled, and the green woman turned her attention back to the fire, which was still fighting her. With a final push, Elphaba finally managed to put the flames out, leaving a blackened exterior behind. The Third Thropp Descending fell to her knees, her vision clouded. She shook it away before picking up the still unconscious blonde and carrying her from the house, hoping the fresh air would help wake her.

Outside, Elphaba knelt down, brushing soot from Galinda's face. "Galinda, my sweet, can you hear me? Wake up, you're safe now."

With a few coughs, the blonde's eyes opened weakly, and she looked up at the ash-covered face of her girlfriend. "Elphaba…"

"Yes, it's me."

"My parents?"

"They're all right."

"Are you all right girls?" Highmuster asked, approaching the two.

"Yes, we're fine," Galinda replied as Elphaba helped her stand. The blonde hugged her father. "I'm glad you're all right too."

"Did you see how the fire started?"

Galinda shook her head.

"I might have an idea," Lady Upland said, her gaze on Elphaba.

This did not go unnoticed. "Hold on. I did not start that fire," the green woman protested.

"You can't possibly think that Elphaba had anything to do with it!"

"She was able to contain it rather quickly."

"I had to act quickly to save you! Believe me, if I wanted you dead, I wouldn't waste my time with fires."

"I didn't say you used it to try and kill us."

"Listen: you have insulted my family and me, and only because you don't approve of my dating Galinda. Now, I save your life, and you still can't let it go? I am not going to stop loving Galinda, so if you can't accept that, then—"

A gunshot suddenly rang out, and a pain in her back cut Elphaba off. At first, she thought it was Galinda who had been shot, and the green woman whipped around, throwing an icicle at the unknown assailant. She watched it go through a familiar-looking man (she would later come to recognize him as the other bandit who had attacked their carriage the year before) before she turned her attention to Galinda, who had covered her mouth with her hands.

"Galinda, are you all right?"

The blonde nodded slowly.

"What's wrong?"

"Elphaba… he shot you…"

The green woman's brow furrowed, and she reached behind her, feeling a wetness running down her back. She brought her hand back, and was met with the sight of blood. She looked back up at Galinda, the blonde being the last thing she saw before everything went black.

She had always been different. It wasn't just the green; even as a child, Elphaba had known she was the odd one out; an introvert, as it were. While the others avoided her like the plague (after teasing had become mundane), one girl had been intrigued by the green woman. She had always been sickly, making her an outcast among the others, just like the young green Thropp.

"I like to read too," she had said, sitting beside Elphaba. The green woman couldn't for the life of her remember her name, but she did remember that she almost had a friend.

Almost.

It had been an accident… they had been playing by the water, and by playing, she meant picking apples. The two had been climbing a tree to get to the higher fruits, and the girl had mentioned bringing some apples home to their mothers. Elphaba had stated that her mother wouldn't appreciate them, leaving the girl to question why. The young Thropp didn't want to elaborate, but the girl was persistent, and repeatedly pestered her.

"I don't want to talk about it!"

The branch shook, and the girl's eyes widened before she fell, landing in the river below, which had filled with rainwater. Elphaba could only stare, paralyzed with fear, waiting for her almost friend to surface.

She never did.

They told Elphaba that she had drowned, that there was nothing she could have done, but the green woman always had a feeling she had contributed in some way… once again, she was convinced that being alone was the best way to keep those around her safe.

"Elphie? Elphaba, please wake up… don't leave me, okay? I don't want to be alone."

The sound of Galinda's voice cut through the darkness, and Elphaba opened her eyes wearily, seeing the blonde leaning over her.

A smile crossed her face at seeing those dark eyes open. "Hi Elphie."

"Galinda…" The green woman tried to sit up, letting out a wince as pain shot through her back.

"Don't try to move."

"I'm fine."

"I can tell it hurts you. Please lie still."

Elphaba looked at her before nodding. "What happened?"

Galinda moved to lie beside the green woman, putting an arm around her head to stroke her dark hair, and the other took Elphaba's hand gently. "After you collapsed, my father carried you inside; there wasn't time to take you to the hospital, so he decided to remove the bullet himself."

"Wait. Your father removed a bullet from my back?"

"Did I forget to tell you that he's a surgeon?"

"It must have slipped your mind." A pause. "Wait… did he see me naked?"

Galinda gave her a look. "Elphaba."

"What? It's a legitimate concern. Not everyone is prepared to see that much green."

"He had to remove your nightdress, yes, but your underwear was still on. Honestly, Elphaba."

"Honestly yourself. I wouldn't want my father to see you naked."

"Glad to see your sense of humor was unaffected." Galinda kissed the green woman's forehead. "I was really was worried though… I thought I might lose you… and that terrified me more than anything ever has."

Elphaba cupped the blonde's face gently, stroking her cheek with her thumb. She smiled when Galinda leaned into her touch, closing her eyes. "I will never leave you behind, my sweet."

Galinda kissed the green woman's fingers, one by one. "I held onto that belief… the whole time, I told myself you'd never go anywhere I can't follow."

"And that is the truth."

"Luckily, my father was able to remove the bullet, and bandaged your wound. You're going to be all right."

"That's certainly reassuring."

The two exchanged a short kiss, which soon turned into a longer one. Elphaba had just moved to pull Galinda on top of her when the sound of a cleared throat caught their attention. The two girls looked up to see Lady Upland standing in the doorway.

"I'm glad to see you're awake," she said. "May I come in?"

"Sure," Elphaba replied, holding onto Galinda as she sat up. The blonde sat beside her, watching as her mother approached.

Lady Upland appeared to have a hard time finding the words, but she finally said, "I… I wanted to apologize for my… earlier behavior towards you, Miss Thropp. I… I misjudged you. I thought I was doing what was best for my family… and my daughter, but I see that I was wrong. You… you saved us… not only from the fire, but from the bandit who set it as well. More specifically, you saved me. Had you not been standing where you were…"

"Lady Upland, my taking a bullet for you was not intentional, but there is something you must know about me: I would do it in a heartbeat for Galinda. I care for your daughter very, very much… enough to die for her."

"Yes… I think I see that now." Lady Upland cleared her throat, looking down at her hands before saying, "Miss Elphaba, I would like to… start over, if we could. You will still have to prove yourself to me… and prove that you can care for my daughter should you too ever decide to marry. I want to know she is with someone who can provide for her in any and every way. I will no longer condemn your relationship."

Galinda gripped Elphaba's hand reassuringly, and the green woman smiled at her. "Thank you. A chance is all I ask for. I will not disappoint you."

"I hope not." And with that, the older Frottican left the room, leaving Galinda to let out a happy squeal before hugging the green woman tightly.

"Elphie, you did it!"

"Not breathing…"

The blonde released the Munchkin, settling in her lap happily before kissing her deeply. "I knew you could."

"Yes, it only took a house fire and a bullet in my back."

The Frottican tucked a lock of inky hair behind her girlfriend's ear. "I love you so much Elphie."

"As I love you."

Galinda leaned against her, enjoying having Elphaba's arms around her. "So… marriage…"

"Oh no. We are far too young to be thinking about anything of that sort, my sweet."

"But let's entertain the notion, just for fun."

Elphaba sighed. "All right. Let's entertain, since I can't go anywhere."

The blonde grinned before taking Elphaba's hands in her own. "So, first I have to meet your family formally—"

"Oh, Oz stop, this is already too painful. The thought of you and my family all in one place for more than five minutes…" The green woman shuddered.

"I thought your family was just fine."

"The thought made me throw up a little in my mouth."

"Stop." Galinda hit her shoulder lightly. "Now, we wouldn't be married until we graduate from Shiz; you know, to keep from being distracted."

"Of course. Having a wedding ring on my dominant hand would cause my essay writing to come to complete stop every time."

"You know what I mean." A pause. "Oh, but who would propose?"

"Does it matter?"

"It matters to me."

"Then I'll do it."

"But then you don't get an engagement ring."

Elphaba shrugged. "I resolved myself long ago to the fact that I would never wear an engagement ring in my life."

"Elphaba Thropp, you need an engagement ring. You are a woman, and you deserve to be treated like one. We'll both propose."

"All right, so we're engaged. The end?"

"It most certainly is not. After we're engaged, we'll have to tell our parents, and then you know what happens next."

"Please don't say it."

"Our families have to meet."

"Noooooo!" Elphaba flopped back, covering her face with a pillow.

"You're so dramatic."

A muffled mumble was her response.

"It's not polite to mumble, Elphie."

The green woman removed the pillow, giving her girlfriend a look. "Do you know what would happen if your parents met my severely dysfunctional family?"

"Enlighten me."

"They would run screaming from the premises within five minutes."

"Don't you think you're being a little harsh on your family?"

"I think I am being particularly kind. You met them once; you don't know them like I do."

"No, but I know you." Galinda leaned down, gently kissing the green woman. "And I know that a person as amazing as you has to come from an equally impressive family."

"You would be quite wrong to assume that." Elphaba sat up, bringing the blonde with her. "And in any case, we don't know if we'll even get married."

Galinda looked down at their joined hands. "Don't you want to?" Her voice was quiet, something Elphaba hadn't expected.

"Glin… I…" Elphaba looked down, not entirely sure what to say. "Galinda, I love you, I really do, and believe me when I say that I would give you everything you wanted. But marriage… it's a commitment I've never given much thought to. I mean… could you really spend the rest of your life with me? Remember who I am."

Galinda looked back up into dark chocolate eyes. "Elphaba, when I was younger, I attended a wedding as a flower girl. When the bride and groom were exchanging their vows, the groom said something that really stuck with me. He said, 'Don't marry the one you think you can live with. Marry the one you know you can't live without.'"

There was a pause before Elphaba said, "Which one am I?"

"Oh, you awful green thing!" Galinda stood and made to leave, but Elphaba caught her by her dress.

"I was kidding, come back." The green woman pulled her back into her lap, despite the blonde having her arms crossed in an annoyed way. "Look, I just want you to be sure."

"I am sure."

"You're sure now, but things could change."

"And if they don't?"

Elphaba didn't reply, and Galinda furrowed her brow.

"You're not telling me something."

"Galinda—"

"You can either keep this secret or your middle name, but you only get to keep one."

The Third Thropp Descending sighed. "I'm scared…"

"Of what? Me? We've already been down this road."

"I'm terrified of losing you."

"Losing me?"

"There are plenty of people in Oz… good people… great people… people who can give you a family… and out of all those people… you picked me. And even though I wear a confident front, I'm terrified that one day you'll wake up, look over and see me and just… change your mind."

"Elphaba… do you really have that little confidence in me? In yourself?"

"Galinda, you have to understand that I've never had much stability in my life. My family was always moving around… people came and went… and I just got used to it. To have you be a consistent factor in my life… it's different, but in a good way, and I'm afraid that if I let myself become too happy and attached… it'll hurt that much more if I ever lose you."

"Elphaba Thropp, you listen to me: you will never lose me."

"But—"

"Never." Galinda kissed her fiercely. "And that is the end of this conversation. I don't want to hear you bring it up again."

Even though she was concerned for the green woman, Elphaba refused to stay in bed the next day, instead insisting that they had to return to Shiz.

"But Elphie, you were shot!"

"Yes, and your father removed the bullet."

"You still need to recover."

"I'm fine."

Galinda made a face, hands moving to rest on her hips. "I'll be able to tell if you're lying."

"Yes, I know."

Once on the train back to Shiz, it occurred to Galinda that she still had unanswered questions. She looked over at the green woman, who had just opened a book. Her window of opportunity was rapidly closing.

"Why did that bandit try to burn our house down?"

Elphaba looked up at the blonde over the tops of her glasses. "You really don't want me to read, do you?"

"I just want some answers before I lose you to literature."

The Munchkin closed her book. "I can only assume it was an attempt to flush you and your parents out of the house."

"Why?"

"To make it easier to rob you."

"Then why did he shoot you?"

Elphaba was about to answer when the image of the bandit came to mind. She knew him from somewhere… the green woman closed her eyes, trying to recall where she'd seen his face.

"Elphie?"

The Munchkin opened her eyes, realization hitting her. "He recognized me."

"What?"

"Those two bandits who attacked our carriage… I killed one of them… and that was the other."

Galinda's eyes widened at that. "Elphie…" She remembered how hard it had been for the green woman after she'd killed the first… she couldn't imagine how the Munchkin felt now. The blonde moved to sit beside her roommate, gently wrapping her arm around one of Elphaba's. "You know you did the right thing… don't you? He shot you first… and in the back."

"Yes, I know…"

There was a silence, in which Elphaba didn't try to pull away, but Galinda could tell the green woman slipping.

"I know it couldn't have been easy for you."

"You'd be surprised just how easy it was."

Her eyes were growing darker… Galinda touched the side of her face gently, turning it so that they were facing each other. "Elphaba… come back to me."

Dark eyes lightened, and Elphaba focused on the blonde in front of her. "I reacted so quickly because I thought he shot you… and then I thought that I had failed you… that I hadn't been able to protect you."

Galinda got up onto her knees so she was eye level with her girlfriend, kissing her gently before resting her forehead against the Munchkin's. "There is no time I feel safer than whenever I am with you."

"Miss Elphaba, I apologize for the fact that it has taken this long for us to speak, but I have been quite busy."

"No need to apologize. This past week has been quite enjoyable, and you would do better to apologize for ruining it by making me meet with you."

Morrible gave her a look, shaking her head. "I see you have not changed since last semester."

"I wouldn't want to make your life too easy."

"Yes… in any case, the subject of your magic is still one that needs to be addressed."

"You mean I wasn't tortured by you enough last year?"

"Last year was about control, and it would appear that you've actually taken something away from those lessons, despite your resistance. However, I am more concerned with the next step your magic will be taking."

Elphaba let out a sigh. "If this lecture has an end, I would appreciate it if you reached within the next five seconds."

"Patience is a virtue, one you still have to learn. I trust the nightmares have stopped?"

"Would you like to consult my dream journal for that answer?"

"I'll take that as a yes. What you must understand is that as your magic grows stronger, it becomes more connected to you, and draws on more of you. Before, it manifested through your dreams because it was left unchecked, but now that you have more control, it will manifest in another way."

"Do you enjoy giving me these lectures? I mean, have you just been holding onto them, waiting for some pour soul to unload on?"

"Have your memories been coming back? Things that were cloudy before, but are now becoming clearer?"

"What did you do Elphaba?! What did you do?!"

Elphaba shook the angry words from her mind. She couldn't remember what she had done to make her father so angry… in fact, she couldn't even remember him yelling at her until recently. "What are you trying to get at?"

"As your magic develops, you'll start to recall incidents in which you used it before. Entirely by accident, of course… perhaps when you were a child?"

The green woman looked away, crossing her arms. She didn't like the thought of memories coming back… memories that perhaps had been blocked out because they were too horrible for a person to hold.

"I could help you remember… bring back those lost memories."

"No. No, I don't need your help, nor do I even want it. My memories are my own; they are private, and should I choose to remember them, then that is my prerogative, not yours."

"Miss Elphaba, they will return, whether you want them to or not. I can make the process easier—"

"Don't you understand the word 'no'? I do not want your help!"

Morrible nodded, looking down at the papers on her desk. "Very well. I will step aside for now, but when your memories become too much a burden for you to carry, you will come to me."

"Don't hold your breath."

"What do you think she meant by that? Is she going to make your memories go away?"

Elphaba shook her head. "Personally, I think she's just trying to scare me."

"Well, she must not know you very well then."

The green woman looked up at her girlfriend, who was hanging onto the ladder. "Are you implying I'm not easy to scare?"

"Not by people who don't know you."

"Oh, but you would be able to scare me?"

"How about I jump off this ladder?"

"Then you'd meet the ground awfully fast."

Galinda immediately made an offended face. "You wouldn't even try to catch me?"

"Not if you're doing it to prove a point."

The blonde scowled at her before putting a hand to her forehead. "Oh, I'm suddenly feeling faint! If only there was someone who cared enough to catch me!" She fell off the ladder with an exaggerated sigh, and the green woman had to move quickly to catch her.

"That wasn't funny," Elphaba said.

Galinda smiled up at her. "Then I proved my point." Galinda kissed the sharp green chin of the Munchkin before she stood, smoothing out her dress. "But if we could be serious for a moment, have memories been coming back to you?"

Elphaba picked up another stack of books, beginning to shelf them. "I don't know… bits and pieces maybe… fragments of words…" She wasn't entirely comfortable telling Galinda about the memory of Nessa crying… not until she knew what had happened to make her parents so angry.

"Well, you know that I'll always be here to listen if you need me," Galinda said, giving the green woman a smile.

"You don't have the reputation of a listener… more of a chatter."

"Elphaba."

The green woman laughed. "Yes, my sweet, I know, and trust me, if anything happens, you'll be the first to know." She climbed up the ladder, and Galinda handed a few books up to her.

"Do you think you ever used your magic as a child?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I doubt it. I was fiendish enough as it was."

"I think I would have liked to meet you as a child."

"I think I would have scared you away."

"I'll bet you were cute."

"Definitely not. I had unnaturally sharp teeth, and for a while, I liked to chew on my wrists and ankles."

"Odd, but still cute."

"Well, you'd be the only one to think so. I was little terror; my mother was afraid I'd end up harming my siblings, especially Nessa since she was so delicate—"

"What did you do, Elphaba?! What did you do?!"

Melena was holding her youngest daughter, who still wasn't moving. "Frex—"

Someone struck her across the face, and that slap brought Elphaba back to reality. She forgot where she was, and lost her grip on the ladder, falling backwards.

"Elphaba!" Galinda moved behind the green woman, managing to catch her. She lowered Elphaba to the floor, moving over her. The green woman's eyes had gone black, and she didn't seem to recognize that Galinda was there. Her entire body seemed to be seizing, and Galinda wished she could do more than hold the green woman's head in her lap. "Elphaba! Elphaba don't leave me! Elphaba!"