The only sound in the thick woods came from the small cottage. A kettle whisted. Elphaba quickly removed it from the stove and turned up the heat on the vegetable broth she'd been making the entire morning.

It had been a little over a year since she and Fiyero had ran away together after they'd seen each other for the first time in two years. 'I'm going with her'. Oz, remembering that moment still sent shivers down her spine. She smiled. He often used that same tone of voice when he told her how much he loved her and how beautiful she was when making love.

He never allowed her to feel guilty about the life they lived, traveling very carefully for the good part of the past year to reach the Badlands and leave Oz. Currently they had another small delay.

But after those reassurances (that he regretted nothing, that he loved her, would make the same choice over and over again, and that he wouldn't trade his life with her for anything) she couldn't bring herself to regret anything either. She loved Fiyero to death and was so unbelievably happy to have him by her side.

Elphaba groaned softly and pressed a hand to her forehead. She heard footsteps behind her. "You ok?" Fiyero asked.

He kissed her temple and she leaned back into his chest. "Mhm." She nodded. She scooped some broth with a small spoon, cupping her hand underneath to avoid a mess should it spill. "Taste this for me."

He took the spoon in his mouth. "Tastes good. As always," she rolled her eyes, smiling as he placed another kiss to her head. "We're almost out of fruit and meat, I'll go out later today and see what I can find."

They sometimes went to the markets to get some food. Animals who knew or knew of Elphaba often gave them some rations free of charge. There were always risks of anyone recognizing them, and they couldn't take those right now. So for now, they ate whatever Fiyero could find or kill in the woods. The only time going to the markets was necessary was when Fiyero ran out of bullets, and even then, he went by himself.

Their days were relatively peaceful. There wasn't much they could do. Majority of their time was spent talking. Elphaba taught Fiyero to cook certain meals, and at times Fiyero would teach her how to skin a small catch. Or they would just walk around together.

In the evening, Elphaba curled up against him on the couch. Her head was tucked comfortably under his chin, her legs in his lap. He massaged her ankles and back.

"Have you decided on what job you'll take? Once we reach the Badlands," she asked.

Fiyero had been debating back and forth on whether to get a job in the marketplace or as a mail handler.

"I would like to do both," he answered softly. She looked up at him. "Just for a little while." He kissed her forehead. "If it will get us some extra money, it's worth it. Besides, you won't be able to work for some time."

Elphaba sighed, closing her eyes and nuzzling her head in his chest. It was a good idea, and he was right. But…she played idly with his hair. "I just don't like that you'll be so busy," which meant they would be spending a lot of time apart. That would be a hard transition, especially since they were practically glued to each other 24/7, and not just because of safety.

"I'll have to work out the hours. I'm sure they'd understand. I could start work very early, before the sun even rises, and be with you before the sun sets." Her arms tightened around him and she exhaled deeply. She drew circles on his chest. He tilted her chin up to him. "Hey, we still have some time to figure it out. Everything will work out for the best."

She planted a soft peck on his lips. "You're right," she whispered. "And if you do take both jobs, at least it'll only be for a little while." Her lips curled up slightly. "I'm…I'm really excited."

Fiyero beamed at her and rubbed her thigh up and down. "Me too."

"I'm still kinda scared." She chuckled. "But I don't know…I'm with you and…I'm happy," she said shyly.

He laughed softly and pressed a sweet, gentle kiss to her lips. He gave her a couple more pecks, nipping softly. Then he scooped her carefully off his lap and set her on the couch. He grabbed his rifle and knelt down to her level.

"Need anything before I go?" He ran his hand through her hair and cheek.

"Mm," she leaned towards his touch. "Don't think so."

"Take it easy. And please, for the love of Oz, eat if you're hungry. Don't worry about rations right now."

She glared at him softly. "Weren't you the one that just said we're running out of food?"

"Fruit and meat, not food entirely," he reminded her.

"You can't just let me eat then go without food."

"I did just fine on a liquid diet for six days two months ago."

"Which I'm still upset about, by the way," he hadn't even told her he wasn't eating anything and she had felt so guilty about not even noticing.

"Frankly, I don't really care. You ate, that was all that mattered."

"Your health matters to me, Yero," Elphaba yawned.

Fiyero helped her get her legs up on the couch and placed a pillow behind her back. Just like that, the subject changed. "Sleepy?"

"A bit."

"Remember, there's still some peach jam in the cupboard." He bent down and pressed one last kiss to her forehead. "I'll be back."

"Careful. I love you."

"I love you, too."

The sun was setting earlier than he'd anticipated. It wasn't like he'd found anything anyways. The fruit wasn't ripe enough yet, and he hadn't spotted any animals. He could try again tomorrow.

Heavy footsteps made him stop in his tracks. Nobody lived anywhere near here. The closest town was about two miles away. Fiyero quickly hid behind a tree and listened for the footsteps again. Looking towards his left, he spotted two men and he recognized their uniforms. He almost fainted at the sight.

Gale Force soldiers. And they were headed in the direction of the cottage. No. No, he couldn't let them spot it. Elphaba.

Fiyero fired his rifle and they stopped, drawing their own guns. He ran south, turning to make sure they spotted him.

"Hey! Get back here!" one of them yelled.

He recognized their faces. Both those soldiers had been under his command when he'd been Captain of the Guard. No doubt they recognized him when he turned around.

"Traitor! Don't let him get away!"

Fiyero kept running. Luckily, he knew these woods better than they did. A good distance away from the cottage, he ran to the top of a hill and spun around. He took aim. He would merely injure them, he didn't want to kill anybody. But if he had to, he wouldn't hesitate. He would do anything to protect his family.

It was eerily silent for ten seconds. He couldn't even hear their footsteps, only his own heavy breathing. Just as he saw their heads, Fiyero felt a sharp pain on his back. He fell to his knees and hands. He used his rifle to try and get back up, only to feel another blow to his back and have his rifle get kicked out of his hands.

"Well, well, well," a deep, raspy voice said.

Fiyero couldn't see who it was. Something heavy struck his head, he made out what sounded like his name before everything went black.

Something was wrong. Fiyero always came back before it was completely dark outside. Elphaba closed the curtain and paced.

The gunshot hadn't worried her at the time. It wasn't the first time she would hear Fiyero shoot. He might be coming back with a small bunny or the occasional fawn.

But he still hadn't come back.

Elphaba was suddenly filled with dread, and she felt the most awful aches in her stomach. More painful than the ones she'd felt before. Something had happened, she was sure of it. Without a second thought, she grabbed her thick, black cloak, pulled her hood over her head, and went out to search for him.

She walked on the trail they'd marked together when they had first settled in their cottage. He said he'd kept following it even after she wasn't able to accompany him anymore. She ventured left and right after every couple of kilometers.

"Yero?" she called. She couldn't be too loud. Even if no one lived nearby, she had to be careful.

She walked a little further, her feet were starting to ache. She hugged her cloak tighter. "Fiyero?" her voice cracked. She was getting scared.

Elphaba let out a small moan at seeing a hill. But she told herself to just go over it, then she'd go back to the trail. She used the trees to help her walk up the hill, stopping every once in a while to catch her breath. Just a little more, she thought. She willed her body to push further and finally made it to the top of the hill.

She almost fainted.

As quickly as she could, she ran down the hill and knelt to the ground. Her hand trembled as she reached out. It was the coat and shirt Fiyero had been wearing, both torn and covered in what she knew was blood. She'd seen so much of it before to not recognize it and hot, heavy tears spilled from her eyes.

Hiccuping, she took the pieces of clothes in her hands. There were no animals big enough around to cause this, which only added more to her fear and confusion. Elphaba steadied her breathing and reached into her magic, keeping one hand on Fiyero's clothes and the other on the ground where she'd found them. She didn't want to look down, even if seeing the small glow would confirm her powers were working, Elphaba knew she would lose concentration at seeing her hands covered in his blood. Oh Oz, his blood.

"Find him," she choked out. Please find him.

The vision was hazy. She could see a couple broken images. Fiyero was unconscious, his hands and feet bound, and he was way too still. But he couldn't be dead. No. Surely she would feel the most unbearable pain if his heart stopped beating. He moaned in her vision, and she sighed. The image zoomed out slightly. He was in a sort of carriage. She heard voices, echoes. Emerald palace. She lost her focus, her eyes shot open.

Dear Oz. They would hurt him; they would kill him. No. They can't take him from her. They would not take him from her.

Elphaba raced back to the cottage. She grabbed a bag and shoved some food and water inside. She went into the bedroom and sighed when she saw the broom. She hadn't flown in a while and wasn't sure if it still had any magic left in it, but she still remembered the spell. She grabbed the handle and felt a powerful rush pass her body. It could still fly, she was sure of it.

She closed the door behind her and adjusted her cloak. She looked up at the night sky and tears stung her eyes.

"I love you," she whispered. "I'm coming. Hang on, love." She deeply hoped that by some miracle he could hear her. "Let's go get your daddy." With one caress to her swollen belly, Elphaba mounted her broom and flew into the night, determined to stop at nothing to get Fiyero back.

Just out of curiosity, who saw the pregnancy coming and who was taken by surprise? Let me know if you can!

This story has been sitting in my computer for about a month and I'm just too excited about it. Hope you liked it! Stay tuned if you wanna find out what happens next :) R&R!