A/N: Isn't it funny how we go through phases as writers? Sometimes the words refuse to become, and at other times they won't stop and you can't step away from your story haha. I'm ever grateful to my faithful readers. One more chapter after this one! WHAT? Also, this chapter is HUGE. But there was so much to get in. You're welcome.

The door slammed behind Elphaba before she could comprehend what was happening. Fiyero yelled and banged on the other side. Elphaba stared at the slight girl sitting in a wheelchair. A white palm was pressed against the shut door, the other hand turning a key in the lock. Elphaba stared, and baby blue eyes stared back at her. The hand remained by the door for several seconds, fingers curled around the key like stone. Then the fingers unfurled, and the eyes flitted from side to side, at once like a trapped animal and a guard.

Nessa drew back her arm and slipped the key into her lap, wrapping it in her skirts.

Elphaba was alone with her sister in the cramped room. The room was bare except for a few barrels and some extra blankets. Elphaba's eyes scoured the space as if someone or something would appear to help her. No one. She had nowhere to go.

Elphaba's tongue glued itself to the roof of her mouth, and she turned back to Nessa. Fiyero was still shouting from the other side of the door, but he'd never felt as inaccessible to her as he did now.

"What are you doing here?" she forced the words past her lips.

For a second, she wasn't certain that Nessa had heard her. It was as though the question treaded the air between them, not quite making it to Nessa's ears. But then, her sister did speak.

"I followed Father."

Her voice was familiar, but at the same time, Elphaba didn't recognise it.

Nessa blinked, and the tension between them dissipated as she cast her eyes onto her lap, then back up at Elphaba. This time, when her sister looked at her she recognised the expression. "I came to bring you back."

"Why?" Elphaba expelled a breath. "Are you all right?" Memories of the night she almost returned to Colwen Grounds played before her eyes. She remembered her sister's tear-stained face.

"I'm fine, Fabala. At least, I am now."

Elphaba hiccupped, her knees collapsing out of habit so she could reach Nessa's hands. They were freezing. It wasn't until she grasped hold of them that she realised Nessa hadn't stopped her from snatching the key from her lap. It didn't matter, though – for some reason, she knew she wouldn't unlock the door.

"But you haven't been all right?" she asked Nessa.

"How could I be? I missed you so."

"Nessie," she gripped the ice cold fingers. She hadn't actually said anything, but in a way, the gesture said everything.

Nessa's hands warmed, and a slow smile stretched across her face. "This is what I've missed the most." She gazed down at their interlinked hands to underline the point. "I've missed you holding my hand like this. It shows me you care. But I suppose you don't miss it as much as I have."

Elphaba gulped, not knowing what to say. Fiyero was still banging on the door, and she began to feel claustrophobic. She licked her lips, searching for a response, but Nessa kept talking.

"I don't think many people have ever held my hand besides you. Not even Father." She stared somewhere into the distance. "Fiyero did, once or twice."

Elphaba fought the urge to wince. "Doesn't Father hold your hand?" She'd thought the Governor did everything Nessa wanted.

Nessa ignored her. "Do you and Fiyero hold hands?"

It seemed an odd and pointless question. But the more Elphaba thought about it, the less random it seemed and the less she wanted to answer it.

"Nessa, why did you follow Father here?"

Her sister raised her gaze. "I told you – I miss you. I want you back, Fabala."

"Is this about Fiyero?"

Nessa scowled. "No, it isn't about Fiyero. But Oz knows, I wish you hadn't lied to me about him."

"I didn't lie. I didn't know… how he felt."

"But you knew how you felt."

Elphaba couldn't deny the charge. The familiar guilt threatened to suffocate her.

Nessa's slight shoulders rose and fell. "I'm not here to accuse you, Elphaba. I just want-"

"For me to come back," Elphaba finished. "Yes, I know." She squeezed Nessa's hands. "But I… can't."

"Why not?" Nessa's forehead creased mildly. "Don't you want to come home? Aren't you miserable out here without the people who love you?"

Elphaba's emotions were cacophonous. It was something she'd asked herself time and again, unable to come to a satisfactory answer.

She said the first thing that came to mind. "What people? Does Father love me?"

Nessa faltered. "Well, yes. I know it may not seem that way, but I'm certain he does."

"Nessa, I know you want to see it that way. But be honest with yourself for one moment. Do you truly believe Father loves me? When he beat me almost daily for not meeting his expectations? When he took great pains to show me that you were the valued one, and my job was to emulate you ? Or since that wasn't possible, to mother you?"

"Mother me? No. You're my sister."

"But if Mama were alive, wouldn't she be the one taking care of you, not me?"

"I suppose. But she's gone."

"I love caring for you, you know that. But our relationship isn't normal. I know both of us have lived isolated lives, but I do read. It's the one thing I had that I enjoyed. And let me assure you, I've scoured every novel I could find for a sibling relationship quite like ours. They don't exist. And what about the fact that when I lived under Governor Thropp's roof, he made me wish I were dead? But not you. Isn't it true that he never laid a hand on you the way he did on me?"

"…Father has never hurt me."

Elphaba's breathing became shallow. "I'm glad. The only thing that could make my life worse would be if he ever hurt you."

Nessa's eyes softened. "I could talk to him. He would listen."

Elphaba snatched her hand out of Nessa's. "He wouldn't. It's pointless to try. And anyway, I'm happy now."

"You can't be." Nessa's frown deepened. "How can you be happy without family? I can't be happy without you."

She moaned. "I would rather you were with me, but I have things to do. There's more going on in Oz than we thought, Nessie. I have to stop it."

"Admit it, Elphaba," Nessa looked resigned. "It's not just for the Animals that you won't come home. You want to stay with Fiyero."

At some point, the banging on the door must have ceased. Elphaba hadn't realised it at the time, but the silence that ensued was disconcerting. She worked to gather her thoughts. This conversation wasn't going in a direction she'd expected. She was excruciatingly aware of the blood rushing to her face. "I do want to stay with him." Meeting her sister's eye was impossible. She swivelled around to face the door, her hands limp by her side. "I love him."

Nessa's voice was strained, and a little hard. "I love him too."

Elphaba shut her eyes. "Do you?"

"Of course. Don't you care?"

"I do care. I'm just… not sure."

"Not sure about what? Whether I love him? You're my sister, Fabala! Don't you remember that day in the library when I told you exactly how I felt?"

"I remember that day every time I think of you. But Nessie… I never admitted my own feelings before. Not to myself, and certainly never to you. I never wanted to because I couldn't bear the thought of hurting you. It's only now that I'm beginning to wonder. You don't know him like I do. If you did, then you would be more concerned about what all this is doing for him." Elphaba couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. She'd never spoken to Nessa like this. But now that she'd started, she couldn't stop. It felt… wicked. And refreshing. "You haven't seen the way he's changed since we left together. He was so insecure before, and–"

"Insecure?"

"My point exactly!" Elphaba puffed in exasperation. "You don't even know that much about him."

"And, what? Are you telling me he's lost his insecurity? You're giving yourself an awful lot of credit, Elphaba."

"I give myself no credit whatsoever. He did it, not me." She clenched her fists at her side. "And besides, he's not the only reason I have to stay."

"Do you know what I've been doing while you've been away?"

Elphaba bit her lip. She still couldn't bring herself to look at Nessa again. "What?"

"Sitting by myself and wondering what I did to lose you both."

Elphaba forced her feet to shuffle around to get rid of her nervous energy. "You haven't lost me. I'll come back to you one day. I promise. When things are better in Oz, and when I can finally feel safe in my own home."

"Will you marry him?"

Blood rushed to her face. "What kind of a question is that?"

"A rather simple one, I should think."

At last, she resumed eye contact. "How can you expect me to know what Fiyero wants?"

"Hasn't he told you what he wants?"

"Not in so many words."

"Do you want to marry him?"

"…If he wanted me, then I would. One day."

"So you would live with him? And would I live with you?"

Tears pricked Elphaba's eyes. She couldn't tell whether she was angry or afraid. "If you wanted to. You know I would never leave you behind if you needed me."

"What if I never get over him, Fabala?"

Elphaba settled on the floor again, in front of Nessa's chair. "Father wasn't thinking of love when he invited Fiyero to stay. He wanted someone who could protect you, and he didn't trust me to do it."

"He wants the best for me – of course he wants someone to love me."

"I love you."

"But you love him more?"

"No, of course not. I love you both in different ways. But there is one thing I love more than you – justice." Somehow she couldn't withhold her verbal diarrhoea today.

"That's what I thought."

She swallowed. "It doesn't matter. Fiyero may not want me anyway. The matter at hand is what I said. I have to bring justice back to Oz."

"And you think you can do that?"

"I don't know." Pausing, she came to a realisation. "But someone said something to me once. They said that injustice is perpetrated by everyone, whether we realise it or not. Evil is at the individual, not just the collective level. So if that's true, then it only takes one person to begin to make things right."

"Or one witch."

Elphaba almost smiled. "One witch."

"I don't deserve you, Fabala."

"What?" Elphaba's eyes bulged. "Of course you do."

"No, I really don't. I've always known that you were better than me. And there's nothing I can do about it." Nessa took a ragged breath. "But it makes no difference. I need you." Reaching into her skirt pocket, she brought out a dainty, red-tinted bottle. With a sorrowful glance at Elphaba, she lifted it daintily to her lips. It looked the same, Elphaba realised, as the vial her father had brought out of his pocket.

Father's vial.

"No!" The words climbed out of Elphaba's throat before her brain caught up.

Within seconds, the vial had smashed on the ground. Elphaba realised she'd lunged over to Nessa, attempting to grab it out of her hand. But the vial had slipped from her fingers, and now glass covered the ground. That nameless substance arose from its mouth that Elphaba now knew would do nothing good.

The next thing she was aware of – the only thing she was aware of – was coughing. Her throat was on fire, and she couldn't see.

Nessa, she tried to say, but she couldn't make her vocal cords move. She felt tired. So tired.

If only she could close her eyes, just for a moment.

Somewhere in the distance, the noise rose in a crescendo. She should have been able to hear it more clearly. It should have been ear-splittingly loud, but it was only a dull throb.

She couldn't feel her legs beneath her, but then she hit something hard. Or soft – she couldn't tell.

The noise rumbled in the background. At first, it was continuous. Then it sounded more broken up, and then staccato. Her head was pounding. Boom, boom. Whatever the noise was, it seemed to be punching her. Boom, boom, boom.

Then she could make out some speech sounds, though they all ran together, making no sense. Somebody was trying to talk to her. She thought so, anyway.

"Fae. Fae. Fae."

Fiyero's voice was thick and slow, but she could make it out. He sounded as though he were in a bog. Or was she the one in a bog?

"Fae."

Clearer that time. He was close to her.

Her eyelids were heavy, but she forced them open. It felt like she'd been asleep for days.

"Yero?"

"What?" he leaned down with his ear to her mouth. "I can't hear you, love."

"Yero."

His eyes brightened in understanding. "You're awake. Are you alright?"

"Mm. Think so?"

"She's awake!" he turned around, talking to someone.

Pain shot through her head. "Don't shout so loud."

"Sorry." His voice lowered. "What happened? Dr Dillamond said Nessa had something in a vial."

Her sister. She grunted. "Where's Nessie?"

"She's here." The way he said it was strange, but she didn't question it. "You're both lucky."

"Where's Dr Dillamond?"

"Here too. He arrived just in time."

"So tired."

"I know." His lips ghosted against her forehead and she relaxed instantly. "You'll wake up soon. Come here."

Elphaba felt herself being hoisted into his arms with her head in his lap. "Is Nessa okay?"

"Yes." That strange tone again. "Relax, honey. I love you."

…

"Miss Nessarose's vial contained a poisonous substance." Dr Dillamond spoke gravely, but still, his expression was serene.

Elphaba found the... tolerance... which had arisen between her sister and the Goat disconcerting. Nessa had spoken very little since they woke up. It turned out they'd both been asleep. Whenever she did have something to say, Dr Dillamond said it for her. Nessa herself sat a little behind and to the left of the Doctor, expression unreadable.

"The substance was capable of taking two forms," Dr Dillamond continued. "Liquid and gas. In gas form, it puts the victim to sleep. Once it has made contact with the air, it becomes gas. This is what happened to Miss Elphaba and Miss Nessarose when the vial shattered. It's also what would have happened to Governor Thropp."

What would have happened. Elphaba stared at her Father, lying lifeless on the floor, and shuddered.

Dr Dillamond followed her gaze, his eyes fixing on her with pity. "Governor Thropp, it seems, was already in a weak state when he inhaled the poison. Instead of putting him to sleep, it killed him immediately."

Nessa's face whitened and her lip curled.

Next to her, Fiyero grasped Elphaba's hand. He didn't attempt to smile and Elphaba appreciated it. She remembered how her unleashed magic had confined her Father to his bed. It seemed, then, that its effects weren't quite out of his system. Now he had paid for it.

"But in liquid form, as it naturally exists in the vial, the poison is lethal," said Dr Dillamond. "Miss Nessarose felt that by threatening to drink it, she would gain her sister's attention."

"This is outrageous!" said Bir from Elphaba's other side. "We have sworn to protect Miss Elphaba, but I had no idea we would be protecting her from her family!"

Elphaba winced hard.

"Miss Nessarose would never have hurt Miss Elphaba," said Dr Dillamond. "That was not her intention."

"Regardless," the Lion spat. "Your vision showed us that Miss Elphaba was in trouble, and we came here as soon as we could. Who knows what would have happened if we'd arrived a second later? That's a dangerous chemical that young lady concocted. I fail to understand why you're defending her."

"He's not defending me," Nessa spoke for the first time, growing ever paler. "He's communicating to you on my behalf. And making me pay by having to listen."

"If you hadn't locked her in, you would have nothing to pay for. I'm the only one who could get her out of that room. Only I had the strength to break the door down," said Bir.

Elphaba reached out to lay a hand on his paw. "And you saved Nessa as well as me. Thank you."

"I did it for you, Miss Elphaba. Because for some reason nobody here understands, you continue to care for your sister."

"I know. And you got us both out despite your… feelings. I thank you for it."

"Miss Nessarose possesses some degree of magic too, it seems," said Dr Dillamond. "She was able to combine the chemicals with a spell she found to fit the purpose."

"And what was she going to do with it?" demanded Khanija. "Surely her whole plan wasn't to pretend to kill herself?"

"That wasn't my whole plan," Nessa looked at them all squarely. Elphaba had to strain her ears to hear her. She turned to Dr Dillamond. "Thank you for speaking on my behalf, but I think I ought to explain myself from here."

Dr Dillamond nodded and bowed his head.

Nessa's hair stuck to her face, and her cheeks held none of their usual rosiness. Her lips were cold. Elphaba couldn't believe the change that had come over her sister. But then, she had known Nessa had changed from the moment she heard about the poison she created.

"I didn't plan on drinking the poison myself at all," Nessa began. "That was a last minute change of plan. All I wanted was for my sister to come home." She lifted her eyes to Elphaba, and they held no shame and no indifference. "Father has been planning to attack the Animals who remained free for some time. But you were in hiding. His original plan was to wait for reinforcements before taking action. But I knew I could convince him to come early and alone if I assured him he held enough power to be successful. He had reason to believe you may be here, in this warehouse. It wasn't much, but I myself believed the chances were high of finding them here. And I knew my sister well enough to know that wherever Animals were, she wouldn't be far away." The room was silent, but Nessa didn't falter. "He told me to stay behind while he came here. But I followed him and brought the potion with me. I didn't wish to use it, but I knew there was a chance Father wouldn't be able to handle the Animals on his own. This was my back-up plan."

"So you were going to use the potion on us?" said Bir.

"Only if I had to. I didn't want to hurt you. But if Father was immediately outnumbered, there would have been no conflict for my sister to hear of. Then she wouldn't have come to your aid, and my plan was dependent on her coming." Nessa paused, looking straight at Elphaba. "I wanted to be like you, Elphaba. You've done more in the past few weeks than I have in my whole life. I thought if I could be like you, you would think me worthy of you. Maybe then you'd stay. Fiyero would want me after all, and you wouldn't choose each other over me. But I didn't know how to be you. The only thing I could think of was to learn magic and use it against you." Her voice gave out, and vulnerability washed her countenance. "I'm not good like you."

Confusion coursed through Elphaba with alarming strength. This wasn't the sister she knew. But for the first time, she felt she was seeing Nessa as she truly was – the way she'd always been, but was only now laying bare. No, Elphaba hardly knew or understood her sister at all. And yet, she did understand. All her life, Elphaba had supposed Nessa to be everything she couldn't be. And all the while, Nessa had been jealous of her.

Still, Elphaba was unable to stop her tears. She couldn't speak. Nessa was watching her, as if timidly hoping she would say something, but she couldn't. She didn't want to say anything to her sister. Right now, she didn't even want to look at her. Nessa had hurt her in almost every possible way.

Fiyero squeezed her hand again but didn't embrace her, seeming to sense it wouldn't help.

Dr Dillamond dismissed their meeting. Elphaba left the group, searching for a quiet space. For some time, she stared at the wall, alone. The others were probably working out what to do. A wrench had been thrown in their escape plans. But Elphaba didn't care, for once. Nor did she attempt to make sense of her own feelings. Unravelling them was too painful. The one thing she couldn't escape from was a potent sense of failure - but whose failure, she wasn't certain.

It was disturbing, thinking of Frex's body still lying on the floor a few paces away from her. Perhaps she was torturing herself to stand so close to it, but she didn't want to walk away. If they'd had a normal relationship, she should have been weeping over his dead body right now. But she didn't. Although, in some corner of her mind, she still wished she could.

Instead, she stood stoically, not looking at him, but achingly aware of his presence.

Fiyero appeared beside her, disturbing her thoughts. "I tried to leave you here as long as you needed," he whispered by way of opening. "But you've been here over two hours. Will you come?"

It was several seconds before she could gather her thoughts enough to respond. "I don't want to talk."

"I know. I won't ask you to. But come away." He stopped abruptly, as if he would have continued, but decided not to. On some level, Elphaba knew what he wanted to say. It isn't good for you to stand here.

Yes, I know, she replied in her mind. But I can't.

Fiyero sighed at her lack of response. "We have to leave in an hour. It isn't safe. You can stay here a little longer. Come to us when you're ready."

He left, and some part of Elphaba wished she'd gone with him. But he was still here, just across the room. She knew he'd wait until she was ready. The trouble was, she didn't know how to approach him without glimpsing Nessa. She knew her sister hadn't left yet. Where would she go? Father was dead and she couldn't care for herself.

That only left one option. Elphaba would have to be the one to care for her again. The realisation didn't feel as bitter as she'd expected it to. She hated Nessa, and yet the decision felt right. But that meant she would have to talk to her, which she desperately didn't want to do.

She didn't want to stay looking at this wall anymore. It was driving her mad. She found herself seeking Fiyero.

"I have to stay and care for Nessa. I can't ask her to leave Oz," she told him, crossing her arms.

"I thought you might say that," Fiyero admitted. "Your Father's gone, though. Is she fit to govern? Would it be better if she left Oz with us for a while?"

"She's not fit. But she's the only one left who can. And I'm her sister – I won't abandon her. I'll help her."

Fiyero nodded. "Alright. In that case, I'll take the Animals to Quox."

Elphaba bit her lip hard. She hated abandoning her friends after everything they'd been through.

Fiyero reached for her, and she raised her arms to meet his like a plant searching for sustenance. He pulled her into a hug. "You aren't abandoning us," he said, reading her mind. "You've done everything you could. And there will still be more for you to do."

"You're not angry with me?"

"Never. And don't worry about us. I promise to look after them, and once they're safe I'll return."

"You're supposed to be returning to the Vinkus soon."

"I know. Do you think you could write a letter to my parents for me? Explain that I have an important job to do, and I'll write to them myself soon. Tell them I'm alright."

Elphaba nodded against his chest. "Thank you. I can't think of anyone better to do it than you."

Fiyero stiffened. "Really?"

"Really." And she meant it with all her heart. She turned her face to his and kissed him. He responded and she sank into him, determined to soak up every last bit of him.

"When I come back," he murmured, "will you allow me to be a part of your life?"

"Yes," she answered simply.

"I want to court you – properly. I want for you to meet my parents and sister."

"Yes."

"One day, if you're willing, I want to marry you."

"Yes."

Fiyero looked like he was withholding a laugh. "But I want to court you first."

"Yes, of course." For a second, Elphaba forgot about everything. There was only him.

…

"We can't admit to being here when he died. Animals in Oz are in a bad enough condition as it is. Do we want to further frame ourselves?" Khanija shuddered.

"I understand," said Elphaba. "If you'd rather I dealt with him… I will."

"No," Dr Dillamond interrupted. "Khanija, we're better than this. We're in a bad place, yes, but we still have our integrity. If the humans wish to use the information against us, so be it."

Nessa stared at the Goat, mouth parted in awe. "How can you be so honest?"

Elphaba turned away the moment she spoke. It still hurt to hear her talk.

"Honesty is all we have left, Miss Nessarose."

"What do you need me to do?"

Everyone turned to stare at the girl in the wheelchair, including Elphaba.

"I'm serious," Nessa said.

"You've done enough."

"Khanija, Khanija. You ought to allow Miss Nessarose to speak."

"Then let her speak, Doctor."

Nessa raised her chin. "I will be returning home soon. I am to govern. You need me."

Protests rose up all round, but Dr Dillamond immediately dampened them with a hard stare. "She's right. You will need her. I suggest we all try to get along."

"I don't expect everyone to get along with me. All I want it to prove to my sister than I'm not a lost cause. If helping you is what I need to do to regain her trust, I'll do it."

Elphaba had to speak. She had to.

But Nessa interrupted. "Actually, I've changed my mind."

A dozen heads swivelled once more.

"See?" Bir reared. "This is what we're talking about. We can't trust her. Away with her."

"Shut up and listen to me."

Elphaba's eyes bulged. Nessa had never told anyone to 'shut up' in her life.

"I've changed my mind, but not about helping you." She turned to Elphaba, something in her eyes demanding that Elphaba return her gaze. Elphaba had no choice but to obey. "Elphaba, I was never meant to govern. Rightfully, you are the Governess of Munchkinland. My terms are that I wish to be involved in overseeing Munchkinland. But you will govern."

"What? You can't do that!" Elphaba cried. It was the first time she was addressing Nessa since the incident and it felt like a release.

"I can, Elphaba. Father handed the responsibility over to me, but the post is contingent on me accepting it. I am free to give it to whoever I choose."

The silence seemed to implode, then Fiyero leaned over to Elphaba conspiratorially. "See?" he said. "I told you she was more like you than you think. She's just hidden it better."

Elphaba's head spun. Nessa wanted her to govern Munchkinland? She was supposed to, yes. But she'd given up all thought of governing long since. She wasn't even certain she wanted to govern.

No, that was a lie. She did want to. Or rather, she knew she had to. Maybe it was what she was meant to do all along – and not just because she was the firstborn. But if she did accept… she could do so much good.

"Nessa," she licked her lips. "How could I possibly be the Governess Munchkinland deserves?"

Nessa's eyes pinned on her. "That's how, Fabala. You don't think you can be what Munchkinland deserves. That's how I know you can be."

"She's right, you know," Fiyero said. "If you want to, you can do it."

"What if I…" But then Elphaba stopped. This was ridiculous - she knew exactly what her answer was. She squared her shoulders. "I'll take it."

"Thank Oz for that!" Bir's exuberant words took them by surprise. "I thought you'd never realise it!"

"Realise what?" Elphaba pursed her lips.

"That… never mind."

Khanija laughed. "He means that we'd all follow you if you were Governess."

Elphaba tried to process that. It was like throwing herself repeatedly against a brick wall.

Laughter rumbled around the room. Elphaba wasn't certain what was funny. But Nessa again interrupted the hesitant hilarity.

"Fabala, could I talk to you for a moment?"

Everyone must have been expecting Elphaba to become angry or cry. But Elphaba hardly knew what to expect of herself. In the end, she simply shrugged. "Sure."

Nessa's eyebrows rose. Clearly, she had expected a more emotional response too.

It was awful, the way the Animals made space for them, as if watching them start down the Yellow Brick Road together. They parted silently as Nessa wheeled to a quieter spot, Elphaba following with lead feet.

"I know you don't trust me," Nessa began, "and I don't blame you. But I'm asking – no, I'm begging you – to let me regain your trust. You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to. But let me come home with you."

"Why are you so concerned about this?" Elphaba said eventually. "Regaining my trust, I mean? Aren't you more concerned about the fact Father's dead? Because I killed him?"

"You didn't kill him. And of course I care about him." Her eyes brimmed with tears. "Are you asking me not to care?"

Elphaba sighed. "No. You know I'd never ask that of you."

"Then let's not talk about it." Nessa's eyes brimmed with fire. "Let's talk about whether you'll let me come home."

"Of course you can come home." Elphaba didn't even try to stop the flow of her own tears. "But this isn't over, Nessa. I need you to respect that."

Nessa nodded furiously, and then she started hiccupping. "Thank you." She bit her lip, hesitantly extending her arms for an embrace.

Elphaba froze. Was she ready for that?

No, of course she wasn't. But she was even less ready to refuse.

The hug felt nothing like any hug they'd share before. Every muscle in Elphaba's body tensed at the contact, and a bitter taste flooded her mouth. Withdrawing quickly, she stepped backwards and tried to still her trembling hands. She was sweating and her stomach cramped. But at the same time, it was the most healing embrace she'd ever experienced. Things would be difficult with Nessa for some time. But she wasn't ready to say goodbye to her little sister.