Chapter 26: Old Friends to the Rescue

Ten minutes passed before Elphaba knocked on Glinda's door and waited. "Come in!" A familiar gentle voice called out.

The gunslinger walked into the room to see her blonde wife dressed in a pink robe as she laid on her bed in a rather seductive pose. E. Thropp's mouth began to water at seeing this and a pleasant shot hit her loins.

"It's good to see me, isn't it?" Glinda asked, as she pulled out the pin from her hair. In turn her golden locks tumbled down over her shoulders. The heiress then stood up and lowered her robe to show off her new and not to mention reveling nightgown. Elphaba went to open her mouth so say something, but Glinda placed a finger against the green lips and added, "No need to response, that was rhetorical."

The heiress then cupped E. Thropp's face and they shared a passionate kiss. This kiss sent pleasure waves through both women, and they clung to one another to initiate more.

"Is that your gun in your holster, or are you just happy to see me?" Glinda asked, with a cunning smirk, as she pulled away slightly after their kiss and touched the green gunslinger's belt seductively.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" E. Thropp purred as she started up another kiss.

"Oh Elphie, please, take me," Glinda whispered, her voice soaked with desire, once they parted for air. Elphaba shuttered, in delight, at hearing the request, but their alone time together was short lived.

Just then the door to Glinda's room flew open at alarming speed. The two women broke apart, in record time, to see Fiyero standing in the doorway with Mr. Upland and a few guards.

"YOU!" Fiyero barked as he stared at the emerald gunslinger in pure disdain. "I knew you were lowly, but I never thought you would stoop to such dishonor."

"What are you babbling about?" Elphaba spat, as she puffed out her chest to look more intimating."

"Don't play thick! We know have been working with the Tin Man and his gang this whole time! You lead him in our direction, so they could rob us blind. I can prove it! I found THIS in your saddle bag!" Fiyero revealed what was behind his back. In his right hand he held the dead spy's vest that had the image of a heart with a red slash through it. Elphaba's face went a bit pale, for she had totally forgotten about the vest and now everyone assumed it belonged to her and she was a part of the Tin Man's gang.

"That's not mine," E. Thropp replied with a shake of her head.

"You're lying! Save it for the hangman's noose!" Mr. Upland snarled.

Glinda pulled her robe back on as she answered, "But that vest isn't E. Thropp's! It belonged to a spy for the Tin Man who she killed to protect me!"

Fiyero shook his head. "Don't try to protect this bounty-hunter, Galinda, this woman is nothing but a cheat. She has been playing us all for fools."

"You can't prove this vest is mine," Elphaba replied.

Fiyero laughed at this response. "Only members of the Tin Man's gang have vests like this. You just can't buy them and there is no way in hell they give them out."

"There is already news that the Tin Man and his gang will be here, at our doorstep, in a few days," Highmuster spat. "But we'll see how brave they are when they ride into town to see one of their members, E. Thropp, hanging from the gallows. Take her away!"

Both Elphaba and Glinda could do nothing as the guards seized E. Thropp and took her away.

…X…

Once Elphaba was taken away Glinda went to work trying to convince her parents of the green woman's innocence. "Momsie, Popsicle, this is insane! You can't hang E. Thropp! She saved me from the Tin Man. She's not working with him. I know this without doubt! Please, you must let her go!" Glinda's begging did her no good as her parents shook their heads.

"Fiyero has found the vest. There is no need to look into this any further," Highmuster answered, his voice was raspy but strict. "E. Thropp will hang for her deeds. Working with one of the most malevolence outlaws is unforgivable." Mr. Upland then left the room, for he didn't want to discuss this any further.

Larena, sensing her daughter's distress went by her side and placed an arm around her shoulder to comfort her. "Galinda, my dear, I know you feel some loyalty towards the E. Thropp, but the vest doesn't lie. She's been playing us this whole time."

"That's just not true!" Glinda retorted angrily. "If E. Thropp was indeed working with the Tin Man she wouldn't have taken me from him. She wouldn't have killed some of his men when she saved me."

"That was all an act to gain your trust. I guess it just goes to show you, that you can never trust a bounty-hunter," Fiyero's voice came out behind them.

Glinda wiggled out from her mother's grasp and approached Fiyero, "I want to see Elphaba. I want to see her right now."

Fiyero paid little attention to her as he admired his own light blue vest. "E. Thropp is locked up in the local jail. It's no place for a lady to be."

Glinda clenched her jaw and eyed the Prince before answering, "You take me to her, or I'll go myself. I don't really care either way."

"The sheriff won't let you in. A lady of your caliber isn't safe in a place like that," Fiyero retorted smugly.

Glinda's eyes only narrowed in further vexation, and she leaned in close so only Fiyero could hear her and said, "I don't give a rat's ass what you think, and you better stop treating me like I'm a two year old. I can make damn decisions for myself, and I want to go to see E. Thropp….right…NOW."

Fiyero was shocked to say the least at hearing the Upland heiress use such language, but he only nodded dumbly before whispering in a meek voice, "Follow me."

…X…

Fiyero led Glinda to the local jail and asked the sheriff to let the heiress see E. Thropp. Of course the sheriff refused, but soon noticed that no was not an option. He wasn't keen on the idea but eventually led Glinda to E. Thropp's cell. He opened the door and let her in.

"If this wicked bounty-hunter tries anything you just give a shout, okay?" the sheriff said, as he gave the gunslinger a dirty look. Glinda only nodded her head to drive him away more than anything else. When the two women were finally alone, they embraced passionately.

Elphaba could tell Glinda was immensely upset as she felt the blonde woman shake from distress. "Your hanging is in the works," Glinda finally wailed out softly. "I don't know when but it's coming."

"It's my own fault. I was going take the patches off the vest and sell it, but I plum forgot all about it," E. Thropp replied, before kissing the heiress on the side of the mouth. "I kind of thought I would meet my end by the noose, but I never thought a vest would get the best of me."

Glinda shook her head and wiped the lingering tears from her eyes. "It wasn't your fault. If Fiyero wasn't snooping around, he would have never found the vest in the first place. I'm not going to give up though. I still believe, with some carefully planned logic, I can get through to my family."

"No offense, my sweet, but don't hold your breath," Elphaba answered, as she gave her wife a weak smile. "I can tell your father is a stubborn man."

"I can't let you die," Glinda whispered, her voice was shaky from intense emotion. "How will I live without you?"

"You'll find a way," E. Thropp assured her.

Glinda shook her head violently as she answered, "You talk like you are going to the gallows within the hour."

"Maybe…I'm just realistic," Elphaba suggested with a cheerless sigh.

"Don't give up so soon," the heiress retorted, as Fiyero came into sights. E. Thropp let her arms dropped from Glinda's waist, and cleared her throat loudly to show signal they had company.

"The sheriff said visiting time is up," Fiyero grumbled. Glinda let out a disapproval grunt, but gave her green love one more longing look before exiting.

Once Glinda had left their sights Fiyero gave Elphaba a smug glace. "Glinda is mine, you hear me, freak? You ain't leaving this town alive, green one, you're be hanging soon enough. I wonder if you will turn blue from lack of oxygen, or will you turn some other unnatural color."

"I didn't know people turn blue from lack of oxygen," E. Thropp replied in a tone that lacked wonder. "Let me put your theory to the test." Elphaba suddenly reached out through the bars and grabbed Fiyero by the throat. She held him until he began to gag, cough, and his own face began to turn colors. "What do you know? People do turn blue!" She added before throwing Fiyero harshly away from her.

"I can't wait to see the crows pick at your eyes once you're dead!" Fiyero barked once his breath returned to him. After those words he hurried off as fast as his legs could carry him.

Elphaba only let out a deep sigh and sat on her cot. She then whispered, "Well, father, look like you might finally get what you always wanted and prayed to the Unnamed God for…my death."

…X…

For the rest of the evening and into the night, Glinda tried to convince her family to let E. Thropp go free. She only wasted her breath though, for they wouldn't hear of it. Elphaba was going to swing and that was that. The heiress wept bitterly and prayed for a miracle to save her green hero.

The entire town of the Upper Uplands were beyond sure they were going to see the hanging of the emerald bounty-hunter, however, unknown to them, two Coyotes were going to do everything in their power to make sure that didn't happen.