Chapter Thirty-Four: You Run Away

Fiyero kicked the doorframe. She was gone. He couldn't believe she'd really run off like this. Elphaba had always been impulsive, but he hadn't thought she'd get angry enough to leave. Nanny had insisted on coming inside and searching his room, though she was fairly certain – given the note that Elphaba had left – she wouldn't be there. And she wasn't. If only she were…

She hadn't told anyone where she was going. Glinda had returned having no idea where she might've disappeared to. The short note she'd left hadn't given a clue, either. Nessa was a wreck and Glinda was in tears. Fiyero felt like punching something. But he thought, perhaps, he knew where she'd gone. The problem would be retrieving her before anyone else found out – assuming she'd come home at all.

"I'm going after her," he told Glinda.

Nanny stood behind her in the room. "That's the most foolish thing I've ever heard."

"I'm still going."

"You don't even know where she went," Glinda said.

"The City. Where else? Don't you remember our trip there? I don't exactly know what she intends to do when she gets there, or where I'm even going to look. But I'm going, Glinda. And I don't care who thinks I shouldn't." He looked at Nanny.

"I don't know why she ran. I'd decided I was going to wait and let you two break it to her father this summer. Of course, if you didn't, I would be forced to." Nanny folded her arms across her chest. "He's not exactly going to be pleased to hear about his stepson having his way with his daughter, but you two can figure that out."

"You made her feel like a whore, the way you said all that the other day," Fiyero snapped. "Maybe you didn't mean to. But that probably didn't help."

"You two needed a reality check! All that talk about love. Do you think that matters? You may very well be in love, but this world doesn't stop for love, and your circumstances aren't going to magically disappear! What the hell were you two thinking?"

He glared at the woman and shook his head. "It doesn't matter, does it? She's gone. And I've got to find her."

"I don't understand why you have a problem with the two of them in the first place," Glinda said, looking at Nanny.

"I never said I did! But they can't carry on like this forever. They're doomed. I just wish they'd admit it."

"You're wrong," Fiyero insisted. "I will find a way."

"You've read too many romance novels." The old woman huffed.

"He loves her, and that's all that he needs." Glinda folded her arms across her chest and looked back at Fiyero. "I'm sorry."

Fiyero turned back to Glinda. "I will bring her back as soon as I can. I promise."

Glinda wiped her eyes and nodded. "I just hope it's not too late."

"It hasn't even been a day." He patted Glinda's shoulder. "I'll be back." With that, he was gone.

After packing a very meager bag, he thought for a moment, wondering exactly how she would've gotten to the City. Elphaba didn't have a lot of spending money, though he knew she'd always saved the little she got. It was possible that, if he got the best travel arrangements possible, he'd arrive before she did. But he had no idea how much money she had or what she'd done. Most times he loved how unpredictable she was, but not now.

In the end, he decided to go to a stable and borrow the best horse available. There was only one road to the City from Shiz, and taxis and carriages moved much slower than a single man on horseback. If he stopped every cart on the way, maybe he'd find her before she even got to the City. He feared that once she made it to the City, she'd disappear into the woodwork. He couldn't let that happen.

People looked at him strangely when he stopped them. He supposed he was acting somewhat ridiculous. One or two of the taxi drivers glared at him and he had to slip them some coins before they would tell him if there was a green girl riding with them – there wasn't. It was starting to get dark, and he didn't know what to do. Fiyero realized people would be even less likely to open the carriage to a strange Vinkun in the dark.

Then he found her. He almost hadn't bothered to stop the taxi she was in. It was so run down, he knew it was mostly reserved for Animals or the occasional Quadling. But the moment he had that thought, he realized that's exactly what she would've done. So he pulled his horse to a stop in front of it and motioned for the carriage driver.

He was an elderly man in tattered clothes. "What do you want? We're full up. We can't take anyone else."

"That's not what I want." Fiyero had made this request what felt like hundreds of times that day. "I'm looking for someone. I assure you, she's in no trouble. It's my fiancée," he lied, slipping a coin into the man's hand. "She got cold feet and I was hoping to talk her back into marrying me. Would you mind telling me if there's a young woman with green skin traveling with you?"

"I figured she was running from something," the old gentleman muttered.

"So you have her? Please, could I speak with her?"

"Tell her she'll have to find another carriage, then. I'm not waiting." He opened the door and gestured to someone inside. "Out."

Elphaba's cheeks were dark as she stepped out. "What is this… Fiyero?"

The driver got back into his seat. "Good luck with that one." And with that, the carriage was headed out again.

She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing? We're in the middle of nowhere and now I don't have a ride."

He pointed to the horse. "You're coming back with me."

"You don't make that decision. I do."

"Elphaba, what are you doing? You'll get yourself killed."

She shook her head. "I can't go on like this. It's over for us, Fiyero. There's no reason for me to stay."

"What makes you think it's over? Nanny agreed not to tell anyone, to give us a chance to tell our parents ourselves. You haven't even given them a chance."

"Because I know what'll happen! I've been trying to act like it didn't matter, like there was a chance, but I can't."

"Stop that! Why are you running from me? Fae, I love you." He grabbed her hands. "Don't leave me like this."

"I love you. Don't make this about us. It's not about us."

"Then you don't care? Because if you're leaving, then…"

"Stop! Fiyero, you know I care. I love you more than anyone. But…"

"Fae, please. Don't give up on us now. Stop pretending this isn't about us. Come back with me. I know you're angry, and I know you're afraid. I also realize you want to fight. This isn't the way."

She closed her eyes for a moment and he noticed the tear dripping down her cheek. He reached out and wiped it away. When she opened her eyes again, she looked at him. "You'll never understand."

"Try me," he pushed.

"Fiyero, I've known for a long time that this can't go anywhere. I thought I had accepted that. But today, I was faced with the reality of that. And suddenly I realized you were the only thing holding me here. Not Nanny, not Nessa, not Glinda, but you. And if this wasn't going to work, why should I stay?"

"Because we'll make it work. And even if we can't, you've wanted to go to Shiz since you knew it was possible. You'd give that up?"

"Madame Morrible is evil, Fiyero…"

"I know, I know. But you still want and deserve an education, and this is the best you're going to get. Please, Fae." He eyed the setting sun in the distance. "We'll never make it back tonight."

"There was a town a few miles back, wasn't there?" She sighed. "They probably have an inn."

"So you'll come back with me?"

"I don't particularly feel like having this argument here."

"That's a start."