A/N – I didn't want to let another chapter go by without first acknowledging and thanking those of you who've reviewed. As always, any input is truly appreciated. Thanks all.
I also need to apologize for taking so long to put up this chapter. It's gone through extensive re-writes which creates another challenge of maintaining consistency throughout. Hopefully, the subsequent chapters won't take so long.
Chapter 7
Glinda woke up only a few of hours after she'd fallen asleep. She was shivering at the cold air in the room. Elphaba was no longer wrapped around her, which she thought was one underlying factor that contributed to the chill she felt. She looked over at her new lover who was lying on her stomach with her face hidden behind an upturned arm. Noticing the goosebumps on Elphaba's arm, Glinda decided to warm up the room a bit. She pulled the covers up over her lover, and got out of the bed to put on her night shirt and start a fire.
Once the fire was started, she returned to the bed, grabbing Elphaba's bed wear as well. "Elphie, sweetie, put these on, you're shivering." Glinda whispered as she gently nudged her lover awake.
Elphaba aversely opened her eyes and let Glinda help her get her clothes back on. She felt strangely light-headed and tired. Elphaba fell back to sleep almost immediately, unwilling to dwell on the fact that she wasn't feeling so well. Glinda wrapped herself around Elphaba, and pulled up the covers. The warmth of the fire and Elphaba's body gave Glinda a feeling of contentment. She snuggled closer to her Elphie, and fell fast asleep.
A few hours later, Glinda awoke once again. It was morning and Elphaba was still asleep. Glinda smiled and hugged Elphaba gently, placing a soft kiss on her shoulder. She gently eased herself out of bed and walked over to the sliding glass doors which lead out to the patio. Stealing a glance at the picturesque hillside, Glinda decided to throw back the curtains and let some light into the room.
"Glinda, what the…" Elphaba uttered mildly irritated at the rude awakening.
"Elphie, how're you feeling this morning?" Glinda asked as she walked over to the other side of the bed, sat down next to Elphaba and grabbed her hand.
"Just a little tired, that's all." Elphaba replied as she threw her arm over her eyes to block out the light.
"Well that's to be expected. After all, you're still not completely healed, although I can personally vouch for the fact that you're getting much stronger." Glinda replied with a hint of impish pleasure.
Elphaba smiled and removed her arm from over her eyes. "Weren't you the one who was supposed to make sure I didn't engage in any strenuous activities?"
Glinda raised her eyebrows. "Well now, I think that 'strenuous activities' needs to be defined." She gave a short laugh, then brushed Elphaba's hair off of her forehead with the palm of her hand. It was then that she noticed Elphaba's slightly elevated temperature. "Elphie, are you sure you're feeling alright?"
Elphaba was about to answer when Glinda interjected "I want the truth now!"
Elphaba sighed. "The truth is, I am feeling a bit under the weather. I'm sure it'll pass quickly."
"Oh Elphie, I was only joking about the whole strenuous activities thing. You don't actually think it's causing you to have a bit of a relapse, do you?" Glinda was suddenly becoming very concerned.
"It's not a relapse. Just a slight setback." Elphaba replied. She noticed the concerned look on Glinda's face. "Glinda, don't worry about it." Elphaba asserted.
"Who said I'm worried?" Glinda countered.
"I can see it in your eyes." Elphaba maintained.
"Oh!" Glinda replied uneasily. "It's just that, last night was so wonderful for me."
"It was for me too."
"I'd just hate to think that it could be the reason you're feeling like you do."
"Glinda, let me put your mind at ease. Last night was without a doubt the most wonderful night of my life. You made me feel so loved and so needed. You made me feel things that I never thought possible. So if making love to you did send me into a slight relapse or whatever you want to call it, I'll make that trade any day."
Glinda felt her face flushing at the compliment. She raised Elphaba's hand to her lips placing a delicate kiss on the back of it. "Oh Elphie, I do love you. I love you so much."
"I love you too." Elphaba strained to keep her eyes open.
"Is there anything I can do for you? Anything you need right now?"
"I'm sorry Glinda. I just need to rest a little while longer. I think I'll feel better if I sleep it off." Elphaba sighed. Exhausted and needing the rest she closed her eyes and instantly fell back to sleep.
Glinda bent down and kissed Elphaba lightly on the cheek. "I'll take care of you." She whispered.
Elphaba slept most of the day while Glinda diligently checked on her. By nightfall, she felt much better, and even had an appetite. Glinda went to the kitchen, rummaged through it until she found something she could work with, and fixed their dinner. Before heading back to their room, she found Fiyero and asked him to join them. Fiyero gratefully accepted. He helped Glinda dish out the meals and carry the plates back to the room.
He left the room momentarily, then brought back two folding chairs to sit on. Elphaba remained on the bed. The three companions ate their dinner and carried on some light conversation. When dinner was finished, Glinda took the plates back to the kitchen. Elphaba had noticed a reoccurring look of concern on Fiyero's face during their meal and thought it was time she brought it up.
"Ok friend, what's going on? You've had something bubbling under the surface all night. Is it Glinda and I being together?"
"Oh Elphaba, no! Where you two are concerned, I couldn't be happier."
"What is it then?"
Glinda came back into the room, and sat on the bed next to Elphaba.
"I'm worried about our mission. According to my information, Baraq is decoding more and more of the Grimmerie every day. The longer we wait the more powerful he becomes. Apparently, he has a secret compartment behind some wall art in his personal quarters. When he's not actually carrying the Grimmerie around with him, it's placed in that compartment. Getting to it isn't going to be easy. My contact says there are certain times of the day, during meals for instance, that the book is in its compartment. That's our best hope, when it's not in Baraq's possession."
"I don't see the problem." Elphaba said. "Solis has already proven how good he is at picking locks. We just have to get into Baraq's room. It's not something we haven't done before."
"You're right. It's not something that WE haven't done before. But Elphaba, you're injured. You can't go. I've never done anything like this without you before, and I'm not looking forward to this being the first time."
"What do you mean I can't go? I'm going! Elphaba said visibly aggravated.
"Elphie. Calm down." Glinda said, placing her hand on Elphaba's thigh.
"You need to be symptom free for at least seven days according to Dr. Frinly. We need to leave in a couple of days at the latest." Fiyero stated.
"No!" Elphaba said. She was getting increasingly vexed. "Fiyero, you know how quickly I heal. I don't need the full seven days. Just give me a couple."
"Elphie, you can't be serious." Glinda declared.
Elphaba shot an incredulous look towards Glinda."I am serious!" She directed that look back at Fiyero. "Fiyero?"
Fiyero was contemplating the notion.
"Oh Fiyero," now Glinda was getting upset. "You're actually thinking about risking her life like that?"
"Glinda, Elphaba's right. She's shown herself to be an amazingly quick healer. Look, the bruise on her forehead is almost completely gone. She's recovered from other injuries twice as fast as any normal person would."
"You know I'm right." Elphaba stated. "Look, just give me a couple of days. I won't lie to you. If I'm not feeling better or well enough to go, then I won't. I wouldn't want to put any of the men in danger on my account."
Fiyero nodded in agreement. "Two days Elphaba. If you're not better, we leave without you, as difficult as that may be, we'd have to."
"Oh for the love of Oz!" Glinda exclaimed. She wasn't happy that Elphaba was possibly endangering herself once again.
"Ladies, if you'll excuse me" Fiyero said as he got up "Thank you for dinner Glinda. It was wonderful." He gave Glinda a light peck on the cheek, folded up the chairs he'd brought, then left the room.
Glinda got up from the bed and turned away from Elphaba.
"Glinda, please don't be upset with me."
Glinda's arms were folded in front of her. She shook her head and looked up at the ceiling. Not immediately answering Elphaba's appeal.
"Glinda look at me."
Glinda stubbornly refused to acknowledge her lover, keeping her back to her.
Elphaba slowly got up from the bed and walked up behind Glinda. She put her arms around the blonde woman's upper torso and began placing light kisses up and down her neck. Glinda tried to stay angry, but found herself melting into Elphaba's touch. She tilted her head back, welcoming the soft lips of the green woman on her body. Glinda unfolded her arms and wrapped them around Elphaba's, silently tracing abstract patterns on her forearms. Elphaba moved her kisses upwards to Glinda's jaw line, then allowed her tongue to trace a path to Glinda's earlobe. Glinda let out a trembling sigh. Elphaba continued her progression around Glinda's ear, softly nibbling on the upper auricle of the ear.
Glinda closed her eyes, and shuddered at the sensation. Her breathing became heavier as she felt Elphaba's warm breath on her ear. An upsurge of emotions clambered inside her. She turned slowly in Elphaba's arms to face her. Their eyes met as Glinda raised her hand to softly stroke Elphaba's face. Elphaba lowered her head and gathered in Glinda's lips with her own. Glinda let an involuntary moan escape her. Her hand moved behind Elphaba's head, grasping her hair. As the passion of their kiss deepened, each felt an almost carnal need for one another. Glinda became the aggressor and moved Elphaba slowly backwards towards the bed. The kiss was never broken as she pushed Elphaba gently downward onto the bed, placing herself of top of her emerald lover.
Glinda was surprised at how much she needed to be with this woman. She struggled to contain her raw impulses as Elphaba's hands washed over her. Elphaba sat up, wrapped her arms around Glinda's back and buried her head in Glinda's chest. She placed her hands at Glinda's waist and glided them upwards, helping Glinda remove her shirt. Straddling Elphaba's lap, Glinda let her hands roam across the green woman's forehead, her cheeks, and behind her neck and shoulders. She claimed Elphaba's lips once again as their tongues danced softly with one another. Glinda reached down and pulled Elphaba's shirt off of her as well, breaking the kiss only to let the shirt pass. Kissing her green lover once again, Glinda ran her hands over Elphaba's strong shoulders, down her back then back up again, scratching Elphaba's back as her fingers ascended. Elphaba inhaled sharply and threw her head back. She loved every touch, ever sensation given to her by her golden girl.
Glinda pulled Elphaba's head back towards her and collected her lips into her own once again. As she kissed Elphaba, she leaned forward, silently willing Elphaba to follow her lead. Elphaba leaned back until she was lying back down on the bed. Both women were breathing heavily. The kissing became more intense and even more fierce when suddenly, Glinda pulled back.
Elphaba opened her eyes, breathlessly staring at Glinda and wondering what caused the sudden cessation of their passions. She saw the fear in Glinda's eyes. "What is it?"
Glinda was almost breathless. "Elphie, I can't. I can't be responsible for another relapse. I want you. Oz knows I want to be with you, but I can't cause you anymore pain."
"Glinda, I don't want you to stop. I need you. Now more than ever. You won't hurt me. I promise."
Glinda looked down at her beautiful Elphie. As much as she wanted to be the responsible one, she had to relent to their passion and the love that had been calling their names for years. She leaned back down, capturing Elphaba's lips once again. The two women helped each other finish undressing, and made love to one another until they were completely spent. When the passion subsided, Elphaba just held Glinda in her arms.
"I love you Elphaba Thropp." Glinda whispered wearily as she raised her head to give Elphaba a soft kiss on the cheek.
"Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?" Elphaba kidded.
Glinda broke the embrace, then propped herself up on her elbow and looked at Elphaba with seriousness and sincerity. "It's not so much that I'm mad at you Elphie. I'm worried about you. Extremely worried! These last few days have been emotionally draining for me. I thought I was going to lose you, and I just didn't think I could deal with it this time."
"Glinda, you're not going to lose me."
Glinda took Elphaba's face in her hands. "Promise me. Promise that I won't lose you. Promise that you'll never leave me behind again."
"I promise." Elphaba pledged as the women stared intently into each other's eyes. "You won't lose me, and I will never, ever leave you."
Glinda lowered her hands and pressed herself back into Elphaba's body. She was so grateful for this woman at her side.
As Elphaba let Glinda settle into her, all she could think about was how lucky she was to be with her lifelong love. The stars had finally smiled upon her, and she silently thanked them for that.
Morning came much too soon for Glinda as she sleepily opened her eyes. She was lying on Elphaba's shoulder with her arm wrapped around her lover's waist. She smiled as she noticed that Elphaba's arm was placed over hers. The peaceful look on Elphaba's face as she slept was something that Glinda adored. Glinda slowly extracted her arm from around Elphaba's waist. The green woman stirred a bit, but didn't wake up. As Glinda softly put her hand to Elphaba's forehead to check her temperature, she felt some slight apprehension. She was relieved when that temperature felt normal. She smiled and crawled up closer to Elphaba's face. Softly and gently, she placed some light kisses on Elphaba's cheek, and the side of her mouth. She brushed Elphaba's hair behind her ear as she continued placing light kisses on her lover. Elphaba slowly began to stir, then opened her eyes.
"Good morning sweetness." Glinda whispered, still placing gentle kisses on Elphaba's cheek. She moved those kisses to Elphie's lips where they lingered for a long moment before breaking off.
"Mmmm, Good morning beautiful." Elphaba groggily said back with a smile.
Glinda lifted her head and stared lovingly into Elphaba's weary eyes. She cupped Elphaba's cheek in her hand, tracing circular patterns on the cheek with her thumb. "I'm still having a hard time believing that I'm here with you. That you're here with me. It seems so…..unreal. I love you so much." She said softly.
"I love you too Glinda. More than you can imagine." Elphaba said as she reached up to run her fingers through golden blonde hair.
Glinda lowered herself back into Elphaba's warm embrace. Elphaba wrapped her arms amorously around the woman she loved, gently massaging her back with light, delicate strokes. Glinda had the only agenda for the day. She'd told Elphaba that she would take care of her, and that's just what she intended to do.
"Sweetness, I'm going to go get us something for breakfast. Is there anything in particular you'd like?" Glinda asked.
Elphaba thought for a moment. She still felt tired and wasn't too sure she wanted to get up at all, but she didn't want to sleep the morning away and miss being around Glinda either. "Nothing too heavy. Just come coffee and muffins would be really nice I think."
"Consider it done." Glinda smiled and lifted herself up. Leaning over, she kissed Elphaba one more time.
Elphaba smiled at the kiss. As Glinda turned to get out of the bed, Elphaba grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down to the bed and into another longer kiss. The women wrapped their arms around each other and reveled in their morning passion. After a long moment, Glinda looked up. "You're going to make this difficult for me aren't you Elphie?" She said smiling.
Elphaba smiled back "Is it working?"
Glinda laughed and gave Elphaba a playful slap on her shoulder.
Elphaba released her hold of Glinda who placed one more light peck on her cheek before getting out of bed.
"I think I'll go clean up while you're getting breakfast together." Elphaba stated. She lifted herself up into a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Elphaba strained to stretch out her back, and started rubbing the back of her neck. She grimaced at the pain her body was still in. This didn't go unnoticed.
"Do you need me to help you get out of bed?" Glinda asked, placing a hand on Elphaba's shoulder.
"No, I'll be fine. I'm just a little sore, that's all."
"Well, when I get back, I'm going to take care of that. I'm going to give you the best massage you've ever had."
"In that case, hurry back." Elphaba said with a smile. She shooed Glinda away with her hands.
Glinda smiled broadly and blew Elphaba a kiss as she left the room and closed the door behind her.
Elphaba raised herself slowly off of the bed and made her way to the bathroom. She walked over to the sink basin and turned on the cold water. The splashes of cold water on her face were refreshing. Although she felt much better, she was still battling some light-headedness. After splashing herself with more cold water, she put her hands on the edge of the pedestal sink and looked up to see her reflection in the mirror. Her reflection shocked her just a bit. There was no bruising or actual trauma to her skin anymore, but she looked tired and gaunt. Elphaba just put her head down, not wanting to face the image that was staring back at her. She decided that a quick bath would be just what she needed to get back into sorts.
Glinda was in the kitchen merrily making coffee for Elphaba. She also found some muffins and pastries in an airtight container on the kitchen table. When the coffee was brewed, Glinda arranged their breakfast on a serving tray, and headed back to the room. As she entered the room, she could smell the aroma of Elphaba's bath gel. It was a confluence of lemongrass tea, arnica, schizandra and sasparilla. When it was her turn to take a bath, she thought she just might use the same scented gel.
She put the tray on the bed, walked over to the bathroom and knocked lightly on the open door. Soaking in the tub, Elphaba opened her eyes and lifted her head.
"Breakfast." Glinda said softly.
"I'll be right out." Elphaba smiled.
"Can I get you anything?" Glinda asked.
"If you can get my black shorts and t-shirt from the bureau, second drawer down, I'd really appreciate it."
Glinda crinkled her nose. "black again."
Elphaba sighed. "Black goes good with green too." She smiled sarcastically at Glinda who rolled her eyes, smiled back and turned to retrieve Elphaba's requested apparel.
Glinda returned promptly, and handed the clothes over to Elphaba who was already toweling off. Within moments, Elphaba emerged in her black shorts and tee. Glinda looked up, taking note of the form fitting outfit that Elphaba had chosen. "Ok, I'll give you this one. Sometimes black really does go good with green." She said as she took the green woman in her arms.
The two enjoyed a long, slow, mellifluous kiss before Elphaba softly pulled back. "Breakfast is getting cold." She said.
Glinda just embraced her lady harder, placing her head on the green woman's chest and breathing in the still lingering scent of the bath gel. "Mmmm, let it get cold." She said happily.
Elphaba laughed slightly. "After all your hard work putting it together? I wouldn't dream of it."
"Ohhhhh, you're no fun." Glinda pouted.
The two made their way to the bed, sat down and started enjoying their meal together. They traded some complimentary comments about the light breakfast, then ate in silence for a few moments.
The proffered silence allowed Glinda a moment of introspection. "Elphie, can I ask you a question?"
Elphaba noted the serious tone of Glinda's voice. "You can ask me anything. You know that."
"I was just wondering,……..back in Oz, if I had gone with you that day at the Wizard's, do you think you would have ever left with Fiyero?"
Elphaba put her coffee cup down on the tray, grabbed Glinda's cup and did the same. Then she picked up the tray and placed it on the bureau before returning to the bed. As she sat next to Glinda, she pondered her response. Then she grabbed Glinda's hand and looked deeply into her eyes.
"I was wondering if this would ever come up." She said thoughtfully. "Glinda, what I need you to know, what I need you to understand, is that Fiyero and I were never with each other behind your back. I had feelings for him before that day, yes, but I had no idea that he felt anything for me. Please believe me when I tell you that it was just as much a surprise to me as it was to you."
Glinda nodded. Elphaba put her other hand on top of Glinda's and gently rubbed it, then continued. "Looking back, I can't say whether or not I would have been with Fiyero. I had feelings for you back then, but they were taboo and I took every opportunity to run from them. I don't know if I would have ever allowed myself to let you know how I felt about you. We were so young then. I might have just been content to have you around. One thing I do know is that if you had gone with me, you would have been hunted right alongside of me. I would never have wanted that for you."
Elphaba paused as tears started forming in her eyes. "Glinda, I swear, if anything ever happened to you because of me…."
"Elphie, don't worry about that. Nothing bad has happened, and nothing will."
"That's where you're wrong. Just being here with me, right now, places you in danger. If we're spotted together, people will turn on you. You have to be prepared for that."
"I'm not worried about that Elphie. All I'm worried about is how I treated you in the past. I just wonder if I had made different choices back then, well, maybe we'd be living together back in Oz. You may not have ever admitted how you felt about me, but I believe that eventually we would have ended up together like this. I just think that maybe I could have done some things differently. I should have given you Nessa's shoes, I should have gone with you when you asked me to. Maybe you wouldn't have been driven to do the things you did."
"No, that's not true." Elphaba countered. "I was in a dark place back then. I didn't like who and what I had become, but it wasn't because of all those things you mentioned. Yes, they were a part of it, but Glinda, my whole life I've been ostracized. My father didn't love me, and Nessa, even though we were close, she was still ashamed of her green sister. People treated me differently because of something I was born with, as if I could change biology. I didn't choose this, it chose me. When Madame Morrible filled my head with promises of being the Wizard's Magic Grand Vizier, I allowed myself to indulge in visions of acceptance. It was exciting for me. For the first time in my life, I had something to truly look forward to. And then….." Elphaba sighed. "…to find out that the Wizard was not only a fraud, but was responsible for the very atrocities I sought him out to stop, well, my world just fell apart."
Glinda looked at her lover with concern, but didn't interrupt.
"Glinda, my foundation had been ripped out from under me. I had nothing left to believe in. When you can no longer stand, you either have to fall or fly. I chose to fly. I chose to believe in myself because I was the only person I could rely on. I don't blame you for choosing to stay behind. It hurt at the time, but I truly wished you well. I didn't go with Fiyero out of spite towards you. I loved you, and I'm so sorry that I hurt you that way. But Fiyero, he offered me acceptance, he offered me loyalty, and he offered me love. I never had those things before."
Glinda put her head down. "I loved you Elphie. I just wish I could have told you back then. Things might be so different now."
Elphaba lifted her hand and softly brushed Glinda's cheek with the back of her fingers. "I believe that everything happens for a reason. We were meant to take these paths. Somehow, even though we were on different roads, we found our way back to each other. And now, the only thing that matters to me is that you're here. Right here, right now, you're here with me, and I love you dearly."
"Oh Elphie," Glinda said. She reached over and pulled Elphaba into her arms. With her head on Elphaba's shoulder, she whispered into the green woman's ear. "I love you so much. I can't imagine a life without you now. That's why I made you promise to never leave. I couldn't take if we were somehow torn apart. And yes, I too believe that everything happens for a reason. That's why I believe that right here, right now, we're meant to be together."
The two women let go of their embrace only enough to gaze into each other's eyes. Elphaba could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she stared into brilliant blue. Glinda held her stare as she wordlessly conveyed her deep and abiding love to her Elphie. The escalating emotion she felt threatened to break out. Elphaba leaned in towards Glinda. Glinda met her and the two locked in an emotional, passionate kiss. Their mouths opened as their tongues sought out one another. Two souls were spellbound by the nearness of one another. The world disappeared as they continued kissing and caressing each other adoringly. After several long moments, the women finished kissing and sat back to relax. Elphaba felt some stiffness in her back and arched it slightly, trying to stretch it out.
"Oh Elphie, I forgot that you're feeling a little stiff. Why don't you lie down on your stomach, and I'll give that back a massage."
Elphaba complied, turning over and letting Glinda's hands work their magic on her. Glinda's hands were soft and gentle, slowly working their way over Elphaba's sore muscles. Her touch was perfect. She used just enough pressure in all the right places. Elphaba was relaxing more and more. She felt herself drifting off as Glinda continued to press and squeeze her shoulders, around her scapula, her ribs and lower back. It was wonderful.
Glinda continued massaging Elphaba's back for over an hour. She loved the way the green woman's skin felt against her hands. She loved the still lingering scent of the lemongrass tea gel, and she loved this woman more than anything in this life. As she massaged Elphaba, her mind wandered to her passionate encounters with her lover. Closing her eyes to the memories, she smiled broadly. 'It's so good to finally be with you Elphie. I love you so much.' She thought to herself. It was only after she finally noticed that Elphaba had fallen asleep that she stopped with the massage.
Glinda smoothed out Elphaba's t-shirt, placed a light kiss on her cheek, then headed towards the bathroom to bathe in some of that lemongrass tea bath gel herself. The day was starting out perfectly.
Three hours had gone by before Elphaba finally awoke. Glinda was sitting on the bed next to her, reading one of the many books stationed by the writing desk when she noticed the green woman begin to rouse.
"Good afternoon sleepy head." She said.
Elphaba looked around wearily. "Afternoon? Why did you let me sleep so long?"
"You needed it sweetness. I tried to be as quiet as possible because didn't want to wake you."
Elphaba pulled herself up into a sitting position next to Glinda. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. "Why do I still feel so exhausted?"
"Elphie, you've been through a lot recently. Don't push it. Let your body heal itself. Sleep is very healing, and you need plenty of it."
Elphaba sighed. "Fiyero's probably wondering why I haven't been around."
"No he's not. I spoke to him while you were sleeping and updated him on your condition."
Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "And what is your prognosis Dr. Glinda?"
"I think you're doing better than expected, and I mean that. I can't believe how well you're progressing. I'm so relieved about that. Of course, if you'd had another relapse this morning, I might have thought differently." Glinda said as she took Elphaba's hand in hers.
"Agreed! So what's the plan for the rest of the day?" Elphaba asked.
"The plan is that I continue to take care of you, and you let me."
Elphaba was just about to speak in protest, but before a word could come out of her mouth, she was shushed by Glinda's finger to her lips.
"Uh uh uhhhh!" Glinda stated shaking her head. "I don't want to hear a peep from you about how you don't need to be babied. Just indulge me this one time."
Elphaba shot a smiling frown at Glinda. "Ok. This one time."
Glinda smiled broadly. "Thanks Elphie."
"No, thank you Glinda. I couldn't ask for a better caretaker. But I do have one request."
"What is it?"
"Can we get out of this room? I'm getting cabin fever in here."
"I'd love to, if you think you're up to it. But remember, the Doctor said nothing too strenuous."
"How about we just go on a picnic? There's a small, tree lined lake not too far from here. It's beautiful. I'd love to take you there."
"Oh Elphie, that sounds like a wonderful idea." Glinda said eagerly. "I'll go get things ready."
"I'll help." Elphaba said.
"Elphie, maybe you should just stay here and relax a bit more."
"Glinda, I'm not an invalid. Besides, you don't know where everything is."
"Good point. Come on." Glinda relented.
Elphaba felt good about her small victory. "By the way, you smell great." Elphaba said as she pulled Glinda into a quick hug.
Glinda beamed at the comment. Then the two women left the room to start packing their picnic lunch.
Elphaba had one of the men rig up Glinda's carriage for them. Knowing her sensitive condition, he was only too happy to oblige.
The women enjoyed a nice leisurely ride to the lake. Because the lake was on the private property of the safe house owner, Elphaba didn't ride in her customary cloak. The fresh air and the wind in her hair felt cathartic to her. She enjoyed the ride immensely. The blue, cloudless skies, the greenery of the hillsides, and of course, the closeness of the blonde woman next to her made this one of the best moments she could remember in a very long time.
Glinda allowed Elphaba to control the reigns of the horse drawn carriage. While she couldn't hold Elphaba's hand while they rode, she still felt the need to have contact with her love. Therefore, she scooted as close to Elphie as she could possibly be. There were no protests from the green woman.
The carriage emerged from the trees into a clearing where the lake revealed itself to the astounded blonde. The water was as smooth as glass. Tall evergreens surrounded the perimeter of the lake, and the hillside provided the perfect outer border.
The women helped themselves out of the carriage, and set up their picnic close to the water's edge. That afternoon they talked, ate, laughed and relaxed in the serene setting.
"Glinda, can I ask you something?"
"Of course Elphie."
"I've been wondering, how was it that you ended up at Baraq's library that night? I mean, I know why we were there, but what made you decide to check there first?"
"Well, " Glinda started as she popped a grape in her mouth. "a long time ago, there was a reception to welcome a new featured artist at the Gillikin Art Museum and Cultural Center. All of the socialites were there, so of course, I had to make an appearance. To tell you the truth, those sorts of events always bored me so. At some point during the night, one of the security guards noticed that a very valuable painting was missing."
"Let me guess. Baraq was responsible." Elphaba interjected.
Glinda nodded in agreement. "The general consensus was that he was behind the whole thing, but it was never proven. You see, the missing painting was never actually taken out of the museum. It was taken from its gallery and moved to another. Hidden in plain site, if you will. While the commotion was concentrated on the breached gallery, one of Baraq's men went to the other gallery to remove the item. Luckily he was spotted before he could even leave the room."
"I don't understand. The guy was caught red-handed. If Baraq put him up to it, then why wasn't he ever convicted?"
"Baraq wasn't caught. His cronie was. Whether it was out of fear or loyalty, the little creep never implicated him."
"Oh, I see." Said Elphaba. "So knowing that, you figured that Baraq would adhere to the same pattern."
"Exactly. The library was the first place I thought of. I was looking for the Grimmerie. I found you instead." Glinda said with a smile.
Elphaba smiled back and reached for a grape, but Glinda lightly slapped her hand away from the fruit.
"What!" Elphaba exclaimed as she pulled back her hand.
"Allow me!" Glinda said with a grin. She scooted closer to Elphaba, picked up a grape and slowly fed it to her lover.
Elphaba smiled as she chewed on the offered morsel. "I know you want to take care of me, but isn't this a little overkill?"
"Not at all sweetness." Glinda picked up another grape. "This time, you have to come and get it." She said as she placed it between her teeth.
Elphaba raised her eyebrow, then slowly leaned in to procure the grape in her mouth, gently brushing against Glinda's lips as she did so. She allowed herself to linger there as she bit off half the grape, allowing Glinda the other half. "Mmmmm, that's nice." She said as she slowly leaned back, chewing her prize.
Elphaba silently regarded the blonde woman next to her as Glinda picked through the grapes looking for just the right one. It didn't take long for Glinda to feel Elphaba's eyes on her. She stopped rummaging and looked over at her smiling lover. "What?" Glinda said with a shy smile.
Elphaba just shook her head. "I was just admiring how the sun tends to bring out your blonde highlights. You look absolutely radiant today."
"Well, maybe it has something to do with the company." Glinda replied with a wink.
Elphaba slid herself behind Glinda and wrapped her arms around the petite woman. Placing light kisses on her neck, then moving up to nibble on her ear.
"Oh Elphie, I love when you do that." Glinda sighed as she leaned back into the green woman's embrace.
"That's why I do it." Elphaba whispered. She kissed Glinda lightly then settled herself into Glinda, placing herself cheek to cheek with the blonde.
Glinda sighed contentedly. "I wish we could stay just like this forever."
Elphaba held the pose while she watched the reflective ripples on the water. A thought occurred to her which made her frown ever so slightly. Glinda immediately sensed a mood change from her lover.
"Elphie, is everything ok?"
"Mmmm, I was just thinking..." Elphaba began. "If and when we recover the Grimmerie, you'll have to take it back to Oz. I can't go with you when you do."
Glinda listened intently. She hadn't allowed herself to think that far in advance. The prospect of being without Elphaba for any length of time was something she didn't want to face.
"I was wondering..." Elphaba continued. "Once you leave, do you think..." Elphaba stopped. Tears began to form in her eyes. She swallowed hard "Do you think you'll be coming back?"
Glinda was stunned. She turned to face Elphaba, and placed her hand on the ground over and outside of Elphaba's hip. With her other hand, she reached up to touch Elphaba's face. "Elphie, how could you think that I would ever be away from you for long?"
A silent tear fell from Elphaba's eyes as she cast her insecurities towards the ground. Glinda wiped the tear away. "Elphie I love you. Since I found you again, you've managed to permeate every fiber of my being. I could no sooner stay away from you than the sun could stop rising in the morning."
"It's a hard life Glinda. Our work is dangerous, and we're constantly on the move and in hiding. It may not be the kind of life that you want for yourself."
"Elphie don't you see? As long as I'm with you, nothing else matters. I choose a life with you. Whatever that means or whatever it brings, I choose you Elphaba Thropp."
Elphaba felt a sense of relief at Glinda's words. She leaned in and gratefully kissed the blonde woman. Glinda smiled back, then returned to her position leaning against Elphaba's chest with the green woman's arms wrapped around her.
"Glinda, how's that knee of yours coming along?"
"It's fine Elphie. Why do you ask?"
"I thought we could go on a little walk around the lake, and work off our lunch. What do you think?"
Glinda jumped at the suggestion. Elphaba got up and offered her right hand to Glinda, which she keenly accepted.
"Come on," Elphaba said. "there's one more thing I want to show you."
Glinda smiled "Lead the way."
The two walked hand in hand around the edge of the lake. The calm waters gently lapped at the shore, creating a soothing sound as they walked. At the far edge of the lake, they reached a stream which fed directly into the larger body of water. Elphaba changed their trajectory at the stream, and began to follow it upward. They had been walking for nearly a half and hour, but for both women, it seemed like they had only been walking for mere moments.
They continued upstream until a faint rushing of water could be heard. Finally, the stream widened and Glinda could see what Elphaba had brought her up there for.
"Oh Elphie! It's beautiful." Glinda exclaimed with jubilant surprise.
The stream had widened into a pool of water. That pool was fed by a small waterfall which came from a second pool fed by a larger waterfall.
"I found this while I was out hiking one day. I come here by myself a lot. I've never taken anyone else here before." Elphaba said looking at the beautiful geophysical formation.
Glinda turned to look at Elphaba. "Thank you sweetness." She said. Her eyes were beaming. "This is absolutely stunning, and the fact that I'm the first person you've brought here makes it that much more special to me."
Elphaba looked away from the pools and waterfalls and met Glinda's grateful eyes. The women faced each other, then pulled one another into a deep, passionate kiss. Both women were lost in the reverie of their kiss when suddenly, Elphaba broke it off and snapped her head up. She looked around at the trees behind Glinda.
Glinda turned to look as well. "What is it?" she asked feeling slightly alarmed.
Elphaba continued to stare at the trees. She didn't answer Glinda. Instead, she moved past her and headed towards the trees.
"Elphie, what is it? You're starting to scare me."
Elphaba stopped, looked back at Glinda, then back towards the trees again. "I thought I heard something, that's all." She still stared in the direction of the phantom sound.
"Elphie, I didn't hear anything."
"No, I'm pretty sure…"
"Do you see anything?"
"No! Nothing!"
"Maybe it was an animal. A squirrel or a bird." Glinda suggested.
"You might be right." Elphaba said, still staring at the trees. She wasn't entirely convinced, but she didn't want to alarm Glinda any further. "Come on. Let's head back."
Elphaba took Glinda's hand once again, and the women headed back to their picnic area on the other side of the lake. Upon arrival, they packed up their belongings, and headed back towards the safe house.
Elphaba was disconcerted by the sound and presence she felt in the woods. She guided the carriage with one hand on the reigns, and placed a protective arm around Glinda. Glinda didn't argue. She reveled in any contact with her sweet Elphie.
The ride back was much quicker than the ride to the lake. Elphaba was anxious to get Glinda back to safety. She couldn't explain it, but her senses told her that the presence she felt wasn't a friendly one.