It was a wonderful feeling for Elphaba when she woke up the next morning, and not just because Galinda was still asleep in her arms. She was actually wearing a shirt and there was no strange… bulge in an unwanted place. The green woman smiled to herself as she sat up and got out of the bed carefully, so as not to wake the blonde. She made her way over to the mirror on the wall, and couldn't remember a time she had been happier to see her long hair. Sudden movement in the mirror caught her attention and she whipped around, but was met with empty space.

"Odd…" Elphaba shook her head before she left the carriage, stepping out into the brisk morning air. It appeared as though she had woken up early, for no one had started on dismantling the main tent yet.

"So you're a woman again."

Elphaba turned towards the voice and found Fiyero approaching her.

"So sorry if that disappoints you."

"Quite the opposite. I was getting annoyed with all those women throwing themselves at your feet."

"You mean you were jealous because they weren't falling at your feet."

Fiyero crossed his arms. "I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to. It was quite obvious by your expression and tone."

"You're too smart for your own good, you know that?"

Elphaba shrugged. "One can never be too smart."

Fiyero was about to reply and Elphaba was already thinking of a comeback when the door to Galinda's carriage opened, revealing the blonde standing in the doorway.

"Are you two at it this early in the morning?" Galinda asked sleepily. She stumbled down the steps, tripping on the last one, and Elphaba moved quickly to catch her.

"Of course not. You know how well Fiyero and I get along," Elphaba replied as the blonde snuggled up against her.

Fiyero chose not to reply, but instead made his way over to the main tent to begin the process of taking it down.

"Hmm. Perhaps I should have been nicer to him," Elphaba said, wrapping her arms around Galinda as she watched the prince get to work.

"You were just telling the truth," Galinda mumbled into her wife's chest.

"Well, someone's a little blunt. I do hope my… wickedness hasn't been rubbing off on you."

"Wickedness?" Galinda looked up at Elphaba, her brow furrowed in an adorable way. "Where did that word come from?"

Elphaba paused, then smiled down at the blonde. "I don't know… but it just seems to fit, wouldn't you say? Elphaba Thropp… the Wicked Witch."


Elphaba looked up at her house uncertainly. It was one thing to have her father marry the two, but to tell him that she was actually a witch and had gotten Galinda pregnant… well, that would pretty hard for him to swallow.

"Elphaba… are you all right?" Galinda asked.

"Yes." She took Galinda's hand, offering the blonde a smile. "Are you ready?"

Galinda nodded and the two made their way up the rest of the path to the front door, which Elphaba knocked on. The door soon opened, revealing Nessa.

"Elphaba! Thank goodness you've come home!" she said, grabbing her sister's arm and pulling her inside.

"Why? What's wrong?" Elphaba asked as Galinda closed the door behind them.

"Father's sick!"

"What?"

"I- I don't know how it happened! He just… I don't…"

"Nessa, calm down!" Elphaba said, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Now calm down and tell me what's going on."

"Father got sick last week and he's been in bed since. I've been trying to take care of him as best I can, but…"

"It's all right. I'll go check on him." Elphaba made her way to her father's room, pushing open the door gently. "Father?" she said gently, peering into the darkness.

"Elphaba."

The green woman approached the side of his bed, looking down at him. "Father… I have something I need to talk to you about."

"And I have something I need to tell you. My time is coming, Elphaba, and soon enough I'll be joining the Unnamed God… which means that you must take over as Eminent Thropp."

Elphaba felt her heart drop at that. "But Father, I don't think I can… I'm not ready."

"You must. There is no other way."

"But I… I have a family now."

"You mean that circus you insist on following around?"

"No. Father… Galinda is pregnant… with our child."

Frex looked confused. "Whose child?"

"Mine and hers."

"What lie is this?"

"It's not a lie. I cast a spell and—"

"You WHAT?"

Elphaba winced. Yes, she had been expecting that. "Father… I regret that you must find out this way, but… I'm a witch. The direct descendent of the Kumbric Witch."

He stared. He stared at her for so long that Elphaba feared he had died right there and then from the news.

"I should have expected this. I knew your green skin was punishment for my sins, but I never…" He looked down. "I knew that marrying you two would bring bad fortune."

"Father, please don't start that again. Our marriage has nothing to do with—"

"And a child… a child! A child from two women… it's sinful!" He grabbed her arm tightly, pulling her close. "You can't let it live."

"What?"

"The child! It cannot live! You must kill it!"

"Wha—no!" How could even say a thing like that?

"It's so obvious now. Your mother… she was weak! She should have killed you, a child seeped in sin, but she let you live, and this is the punishment! You must kill your own child to keep this from happening again!"

"No!" Elphaba yanked her arm away. "I am not going do such a thing! I am going to raise my child with Galinda and if I decide to take up my position as Eminent Thropp, I will, but—"

"Elphaba!" Nessa said, wheeling into the room. She grabbed her sister's arm. "Father's sick, and you come in here and—"

"Don't rush to his defense! You don't know what he said to me! I just… I can't… I can't deal with this right now!" The green woman shook her sister off her arm before she stormed from the room.

Galinda looked up from where she had been sitting on the couch when she heard Elphaba's footsteps. "Elphie—"

"We're leaving! We never should have come!" Elphaba said, grabbing the blonde's hand and pulling her to her feet more roughly than she intended.

"What happened?" Galinda asked, taken aback by Elphaba's behavior.

"I try to give my family a little good news, and he turns it into something bad!" Elphaba fumed. The front door suddenly burst open and Galinda realized that the green woman hadn't even touched it. Unintentional use of magic? That was new.

"Elphaba—"

The green woman turned, looking into Galinda's eyes. "I don't care what anyone says: we are going to raise this baby together, no matter what. I won't let anyone harm you or it."

Galinda looked up into dark chocolate eyes, wondering what in Oz's name had transpired between Elphaba and her father. "Elphaba…"

The green woman pulled the blonde close. "I promise… I'll protect you."

3 months along…

"I don't understand it! I'm pregnant, and all of a sudden, my stomach becomes public property! People walk up and they're all 'Awww!' and they touch it! It's still my stomach, despite what may be inside! People didn't touch me before; why do they think they can touch me now?"

Fiyero and Boq just shook their heads. "I… I don't know," Boq said.

"Hey," Elphaba said, approaching the group and giving Galinda a quick kiss. "Aww," she said, starting to reach for Galinda's stomach. Galinda caught her wrist and gave her such a mean glare that Elphaba retracted her hand and ran it through her hair instead. "Ummm…"

"Apparently Galinda's stomach is private property," Boq said.

"No trespassing," Fiyero added.

"Ah. I see. But, wait… hey, part of that belongs to me!" Elphaba said.

"I don't see you carrying any of this, and just so you know, I'll be the one in pain in six months," Galinda said.

"True… but you wanted it."

Galinda swung at Elphaba and the green woman ducked.

"I'm leaving! This is too dangerous for a green woman," Elphaba said.

"No, you don't get away that easily!" Galinda said, grabbing the back of Elphaba's shirt and pulling her back.

"Don't hate me for stating the truth!" Elphaba said, resisting only half-heartedly against Galinda's hold.

"This whole thing is too weird," Fiyero said, shaking his head.

"Don't think about it too much. We wouldn't want you to damage your brain… well, what's left of it," Elphaba said.

"Really, Elphaba? After everything we've been through? After I taught you how to pee?"

"That was three months ago, and I never asked for your help!"

"Okay, too much information here!" Galinda interjected. "We don't talk about… that anymore!

"I'd prefer to forget that incident as well," Elphaba added.

"I thought it was quite amusing myself," Fiyero said.

Elphaba and Galinda exchanged looks before they both smacked him in the head.


She was back in the forest, alone. She knew the circus wasn't far, though the forest seemed to extend forever. As she continued to walk, the fog grew thicker with each step and soon, she couldn't see a thing.

"Tell me you love me."

That voice… the voice that haunted her… She suddenly fell to her knees, feeling as though she had been punched in the stomach. There wasn't enough air…

"You're not leaving me! Not now, not ever!"


Elphaba woke with a gasp, sitting bolt upright. The green woman put a hand to her burning face, finding that she was covered in a cold sweat.

"Elphaba."

The green witch looked to her side and saw Galinda sitting up as well, looking at her with concern in her eyes.

"Are you all right?" the blonde asked, running her hand down Elphaba's arm.

"I'm… I'm fine," Elphaba replied.

Galinda knew Elphaba was lying. "You had that dream again… didn't you?"

Elphaba sighed. "I thought I was over it… but as long as I know she's still out there… I'll never…"

"You're not a man anymore, though. The person she's looking for doesn't exist anymore."

"Exactly. You saw how obsessed who was with me. How is she going to react when she founds out that the man she loved is no more?"

"She'll never find you Elphie. And if she does… well, she'll have to go through me first." The blonde put a hand to her stomach suddenly. "Oh."

"What is it?"

"I felt a kick."

"Doesn't that feel… weird?"

Galinda shook her head before she took Elphaba's hand and placed it on her stomach. A few moments passed, and then Elphaba felt movement against her hand. She looked up at the blonde with a smile.

"I still can't believe you're going to have a baby… our baby." Elphaba's face suddenly fell.

"What's wrong?" Galinda asked.

"What if the baby is…"

"Green?"

Elphaba nodded.

"Elphaba… even if our baby is green… it won't matter. We'll love it all the same."

"But I know what it's like to grow up… different. I don't want our child to have to go through that. No one should have to…"

"Don't worry about that now, Elphie. As long as our baby is healthy… that'll be enough for me."

Elphaba nodded. "You're right. A healthy baby… do you want a boy or girl?"

Galinda smiled slightly as she placed her hand over Elphaba's. "A girl."

"I don't know if I can handle a miniature version of you."

"That's funny. I was about to say the same thing about you."

"Oh, you're funny." Elphaba lay back down and Galinda joined her, her head coming to rest on Elphaba's shoulder. The green woman stroked Galinda's hair as she closed her eyes. The blonde could tell that Elphaba was slipping back into sleep, so she decided to push her luck.

"Elphaba?"

"Mmm?"

"How come… how come you won't tell me what happened at your house?"

The green woman opened her eyes and sighed. She had been dreading this question, but she had known it would come.

"My father always thought that my green skin was punishment for his sins. He believes… he believes that my mother should have killed me and since she didn't, the sins carried on to us. He told me to…" Elphaba stopped. She couldn't even say it. It was too awful.

The blonde looked at the green woman. "What? What did he say?"

"I can't. It's… it's an awful thing."

"Tell me."

"He told me to… to kill the baby."

Galinda gasped. "He didn't!"

"And he wants me to take my position as the next Eminent Thropp."

"What are you going to do?"

"Exactly what I told you: I'm going to protect you and our baby… no matter what." Elphaba placed one verdant hand on Galinda's stomach again and the blonde placed her own pale hand over it. The green woman felt another kick, as if the baby knew the promise she was making. "No one will ever harm you while I'm around."

Galinda smiled. "Elphie… one more thing: if we have a girl… can I name her?"

"Sure."

Galinda's smile grew wider as she closed her eyes.

"But if it's a boy, I get to name him," Elphaba added.

"Deal." Galinda wasn't worried. She always got her way.