A/N: I logged in just to write this author's note, and my jaw dropped seeing that I was on TWO people's favorites list and FOUR people's author alerts!!! Yay! Thanks so much for putting me on there! I'm very giddy right now. : ) Sorry it's taken me so long…I had to go back to school this week. I'm not very happy with this chapter, but it'll have to do. And a big round of applause to all my new reviewers! It was so much fun getting a bunch of reviews last chapter!! Whogirl: It's no problem, of course, helping you out…though I admit I'm not really doing anything. I added two stories to the c2 community…is that what I'm supposed to be doing? You're always so sweet, by the way, when you review! Thanks so much!Silvermoonset: You crack me up with every review! You're very amusing…though I get amused by the oddest things…yes, quoting you. : ) Ibelieveinmiracles and Jemima: Thanks so much for reviewing! Charles Quittner: You are awesome! Aida's a very good show, by the way! got it from your bio Sawyerzelda: Yay, I'm your inspiration! grins Thanks for reviewing! Idinakristinfan: Yes, I am quite proud of you, don't worry. LOL yeah I put some romance in for you…but it's not very good…I'm not a very good romance writer which is why this isn't romance. I'll try, though! Bella Luna 1213: Yay! Thank you for reviewing! Fiyero and Elphaba are my favorites too. By the way, you all, I put a character from the book in here, but I think she's in the musical, too. But you won't be lost if you haven't read the book, don't worry! And I made up a last name, because I don't remember one ever being mentioned.
Glinda stood in front of her mirror, examining her hair from every angle. She scrunched her nose. "Maybe another curl…" she turned again. "Here," she said decisively, pointing to a loose piece of hair. Her maid curled that piece of hair, slightly amused at Glinda's perfection. Society wouldn't leave Glinda alone. Not, of course, that she minded. She was at the center of attention-exactly where she belonged. She was going to a party hosted by an old college friend. Pfanee Balier had never been a good friend, not like Elphaba, but she was high in society-her father governed Munchkinland. He had been elected not a week after Nessarose's death. She felt it her duty to attend.
After she had sufficiently styled herself, she arrived at the party. She descended the steps and wandered, smiling and greeting the crowd there. The short Munchkin Pfanee spotted her and ran to her. "Glinda!" she said sweetly, taking her hand and shaking it. "How are you? I haven't seen you since Shiz!" Glinda smiled, genuinely glad to see her. Pfanee was never very nice, but she was a lot of fun to be around. "I'm great! I've missed you!"
"Oh, I've missed you too! Let's go sit down so we can talk." Glinda and Pfanee slowly moved their way to two chairs on the side. Glinda smoothed her blue, frilly dress as she sat down. 'It really is a beautiful dress,' she thought, smiling to herself a little. "So have you been in touch with anyone from Shiz lately?" Pfanee asked her eagerly. Glinda nodded. "Well, Boq-you remember him…he was dating Nessarose Thropp for awhile-" Pfanee burst out laughing, startling Glinda. "The Thropp sisters! Sweet Oz, I remember them! Well, how could you forget, they may have been the two most famous-well, make that infamous-people ever to go through Shiz! Besides you, of course," she added hurriedly. She then returned to what she was saying, smiling. "Nessarose…ha, I never could believe a house got dropped on her! And Elphaba, wasn't she a gem! She was so annoying, I couldn't believe she always wore that ugly hat you gave her. And she actually melted!" At this, Pfanee threw her head back, unable to control her laughter. Glinda felt extremely uncomfortable, but forced a tiny smile. She didn't care who they were, or what they had done. They were her friends, and she didn't find anything about it-true or not-funny at all. She cleared her throat, and Pfanee managed to contain her giggles, still smiling. "I really must be going," Glinda told her. She stood up. Pfanee followed her. "No, but you just got here!" she complained. Glinda smiled sadly. "Yes, but I have much to do. Being Oz's ruler isn't very easy, you know." She started to walk towards the steps, waving her hand behind her as a good-bye. She felt a hand grab her arm, and she was about to turn around to yell at Pfanee, but when she did, she saw a very handsome man behind her. Her face dropped its mean expression. "Hello," she said, surprised. The man smiled. "Hello…I know you're Glinda the Good Witch of the North, and I'm sure you must get offers to dance a lot, but would you like to?" Before her mind had a chance to comprehend, her mouth said "No thank you, I really must be going." She frowned at herself, but kept her mouth shut. He looked a little embarrassed. "All right, it's fine, it was worth a shot." She smiled and nodded and went home.
It had been raining in Kiamo Ko since Elphaba and Fiyero had left Oz, letting up for only a day at a time a couple of times. Elphaba and Fiyero lay side by side on their bed, looking up at the ceiling. "Do you think we'll ever want children?" Fiyero asked her, quietly. Elphaba shook her head. "No," she responded sadly. "They wouldn't be able to have a childhood, and certainly they'd move far away from this terrible life when they were adults. No." Fiyero could tell she had thought of that before.
"Do you think we'll live here, alone, for the rest of our lives?" she asked, looking at him.
"Yes."
"Do you want to?"
"No," he answered truthfully. She turned on her side facing him, and he did the same. "Thank you," she whispered.
"What for?"
"What happened in Munchkinland after Nessa's death," she answered, still whispering. That incident was never brought up between the two of them. Fiyero knew she had felt terrible about him being a scarecrow, and Elphaba knew he felt terrible about being a scarecrow. But now that he was human again, it seemed okay to talk about it. He smiled. "Well, I love you," he told her. He kissed her softly, and she closed her eyes and kissed him back. They heard a loud knock on their door. "I made you people breakfast!" A voice from the hallway yelled. They then heard footsteps walking down the hall away from the door. The two of them cracked up, the mood ruined. They threw the threadbare blanket off of them and walked downstairs.
Damaran was sitting at the table shoving ham and eggs into his mouth. They weren't sure if they were from a chicken or not, but they were very good. They each pulled up a chair to the sloppy plates Damaran had prepared and began eating. Damaran sat back, done with his meal and watched.
"So how come everyone hates you?" Elphaba threw down her fork and sat back. But instead of yelling at him like she usually did, she just studied him. Fiyero froze, looking from one to the other. "A misunderstanding." She answered. Her voice took on an unfeeling quality as she related the story of going to Shiz, and the Ozdust Ballroom, meeting the Wizard and being on the run for so long. She told him about getting captured by the Gale Force, and changing Fiyero into a scarecrow, and everything. Fiyero didn't talk during any of it, and Damaran stared at her, wide-eyed through it all, silently listening. "And now I'm here," she finished with a sigh. Damaran looked down, processing it all. After a pause, he asked, "So you can't dance?" Elphaba and Fiyero laughed hard at that, shoulders shaking. Elphaba managed to shake her head no, though. Damaran smiled, also, but serious when he said, "I could teach you." Elphaba still smiling, shook her head. "Dancing, I'm afraid, is something I've never had a use for, and it looks like I will never have a use for it ever."
"Are you doing something better today?"
"No. But I'm not doing anything worse." Fiyero laughed and pushed her up. "Come on, Elphaba, it'll be fun." Still protesting, she managed to let them walk her into a corner of the house downstairs where there wasn't any furniture, and Damaran managed to teach her to dance.
A few hours later, they fell on the floor, laughing. They had spent the first good morning they had spent together since Damaran had gotten there. Elphaba sighed with contentment and looked at the ceiling. "Well, who wants to go for a walk?" she asked. Damaran nodded and sprang to his feet. "I'll get my arrows!" he exclaimed and rushed from the room to claim them. Elphaba jumped up and lent a hand to Fiyero, who took it and stood up. "That was fun," Elphaba admitted to Fiyero. He smiled. "You were in pleasurable company," he told her, shrugging his shoulders. She laughed and pushed him, and the two of them made to go for a walk in the woods with their friend.
They came home, unsuccessful in their hunt, but still laughing. Damaran had managed to get chased by an angry boar after it had narrowly being missed with an arrow, and though it had frightened them all at the time, it was funny afterwards. She was glad that Damaran had finally turned into a friend…she needed one.
As they started to fall asleep in the corner downstairs, Fiyero and Elphaba finally learning where Damaran usually slept, they were unaware of who had been watching the house during their happy day, and of the three Gale Force members, Boq in the lead, quietly breaking into the castle.