Chapter 13

Years passed. Elphaba took up with an underground group she happened upon a few nights after she left Glinda. They took her in and gave her little assignments now and again. She took to hiding out in old buildings where no one would suspect to find anyone. She didn't require water, so she could easily hide out anywhere. But over the years she established herself in the old warehouse district in a little storeroom above a warehouse. When going in to the elegant city centre she would loop around so as not to be followed. She had taken to being careful as to where she went and what she did. People watched her like hawks for she was different, and not in a good way. She had a presence about her that made her domineering and frightening. Not only that, but her green skin made her almost an Animal and people at first glance would push her away, but then realize she was a normal person.

Inwardly she tried to become hard, hard like her outer exterior. She thought of nothing more than the next mission she was to go on. But sometimes, sometimes late at night a thought, a spark of Glinda would invade her senses and she would fight back the tears, realizing she had left her.

But that was the only time she would let thoughts of Glinda slip in to her mind. Every other second of the day was spent focused on Animals, the little clan she had joined, what their next campaign would be. Well that's not exactly true. She let herself momentarily wonder what Glinda was doing, how she was.

It was understood that the ultimate goal was to kill the Wizard. This goal was widely known and so to be a part of the group was to be a threat, a criminal. Elphaba had to be careful who she trusted and who she associated with for anyone could turn her in and she would be killed.

This made it especially hard for Elphaba to even think that one day she and Glinda could ever be together again. It was too dangerous, and as much as Elphaba loved and wanted to be with Glinda, she would not put her in harms way.

Not only that, but it had been almost five years since she had last seen Glinda. Elphaba liked to think that Glinda had moved on, grown stronger. But part of Elphaba wanted Glinda all to herself. She knew that for Glinda to not have been married would have been social suicide, but part of her wished for Glinda to have remained single.

She didn't know, and wouldn't know, for she had no connection to the outside world, or the world beyond her circle of dissenters. She wouldn't allow having any connections with the people from her past; it was too dangerous for her and for them.

So it was understandable for her to run away when she happened upon someone from her past at Saint Glinda's oratory. She had gone to the oratory to receive an assignment. Once she had collected the assignment from a hooded man right outside the oratory, she had gone in and kneeled down in front of Saint Glinda.

It had become habit for her to kneel down and send up a prayer to Glinda, not Saint Glinda, just Glinda. That was her way of communicating with Glinda, she told herself. Perhaps in some strange way, Glinda would receive the sweet words Elphaba thought to herself as she kneeled before Saint Glinda.

But this day was different. As she had quietly talked to Glinda, someone had approached from behind. There was an awkward silence, where she thought, perhaps this person was admiring Saint Glinda, but she found that this was not true. For the person appeared to be staring strangely at her.

"Elphaba!" An excited voice cried out.

Elphaba turned, quite annoyed that the person had called out her name. Did the person not realize how dangerous it was to call out her name?

"Elphaba, it's Fiyero!" There was her name again. Why wouldn't he stop?

"I beg your pardon, sir?" She played dumb. Perhaps he would go away on his own. But he seemed persistent. He would not leave, no matter how many times she denied who she was. Didn't he see? She didn't want to be found, or discovered. She didn't want to talk to him because he was a link to her past and she didn't want to have to face that. She also didn't want to put his life in danger too.

Finally he left, after she promised to meet him at a water fountain, and she believed he was naive enough to believe her, for she never intended on going to the fountain. Instead she raced out the back door after finishing her outlined thoughts to Glinda.

She went down all the dark allies, seeming to sense that Fiyero was smarter than she had remembered, for she knew he was following her. She fought herself to lose him, for part of her wanted to leave him behind (for she knew how she could), but another part of her wanted for him to follow her. Perhaps he would know what happened to Glinda. But did she really want to know? She wasn't sure, but she continued on, leading him to her little storeroom. She wondered if he was with the Gale Force. She doubted he had any links, but one could never be too sure. She just hoped he wasn't, for she would have to move again, or worse, she could be killed.

She wasn't surprised when he stopped her from closing her door. She led him in to her little room and sat him down, asking him questions, warming up to him once he was inside. He didn't seem to notice or care that she had been trying to lose him at first.

They exchanged some getting reacquainted information, Elphaba being brief and unclear about what it was she was doing, and then while explaining what had happened to her, she happened to slip Glinda in. "Although I like Glinda well enough. How is she anyway?" She added, making it as casual as she could.

"I'm not in touch. I keep expecting to run into her at some Palace reception or other. I hear through the grapevine that she married a Paltos baronet." Fiyero responded.

So she was married. Elphaba tried not to show the inner emotions that arose from finding that out. She remained calm, trying to turn the situation in to a comical one. "Only a baronet? Not a baron or a viscount at least? What a disappointment. Her early promise was never to pan out, then." She joked coldly, for she was partially disappointed with Glinda. "Is she a mother?" She supposed the next logical question would be. She didn't see Glinda as the motherly type, she never had, but perhaps the years had changed her. Though Elphaba would probably not be able to stand it if Glinda had been a mother.

"I don't know." Fiyero responded and then continued on with whatever it was he had been talking about. He mentioned the Wizard and Elphaba probed him to see if he was in "cahoots" with the Wizard. He seemed disinterested and so she decided he was as innocent as he said he was.

Soon he was gone, with a promise not to return, though Elphaba knew he would, often. When he had left, Elphaba sat on her bed, pulling her cat, Malky, on to her lap. Glinda was married, and to a baronet. How rich.

Elphaba felt physically sick. She tossed Malky to the side and raced for a pan to vomit in.

How could she?

How could you leave her?

I had too!

No, you didn't.

No…I didn't.

The morning sun peered in to the large, elegant, pink room. The sun played on the large, over-sized furniture which was all done in white with pink hues. The large bed proved to be like a giant ocean in which one inhabitant roamed throughout the night. For it was lonely, lonely to be in such a large bed and not to share it with anyone.

Glinda awoke in the middle of a large sea of pink sheets and duvet cover. Her blonde curls were spread out around her head; her arms were carelessly lying beside and above her, and her legs had lost the sheet that had once been covering them. The late morning sunlight shown brightly in on her face and she squinted as the beams hit her eyes.

She wished, on mornings such as this one, for that certain someone to be beside her. Lurline knows Chuffrey was never there in the mornings. By this time he was probably already dressed and on his way to the office to attend to business matters. If they were to have sex, or be together, for that matter, it would be at night, in his bed.

Glinda had been persistent on getting her own room when they had first been married. To her relief, Sir Chuffrey had been more than happy to give her her own room. He could not bare to change his own suite in to a pink haven just to accommodate his new wife. So they lived together, yet separately, and both seemed content.

Glinda was especially content for she could stay up late at night, or wake up early in the morning and think about Elphaba, her Elphaba. Sometimes she would lie idly in her bed and imagine Elphaba climbing in to the bed beside her, as she used to do. If she closed her eyes, she could feel Elphie's soft hands roaming all over her, her sweet kisses covering all of her body.

It was amazing how after five long years she could still feel Elphaba on her skin, and she could still see Elphaba's face so clearly. It frightened her how real Elphaba still seemed. She would catch herself reaching out to touch this mental image of Elphaba, be it in a dream, or in a dream like state, and then catching herself, realizing that Elphaba was not there.

It was so frustrating. Especially when she would open her eyes and find that the hand that was pleasuring herself was, in fact, her own hand and not that distantly familiar green hand.

This morning, Glinda rolled on to her side, so as to avoid the sunlight and lifted her hand to admire the beautiful ring Elphaba had given her seemingly so long ago. It had not come off since that night she had tossed it at Elphaba. She mentally kicked herself for having been so upset. They could have shared something wonderful, but no, Glinda had been so damn distraught. The light caught the beautiful yellow stone and made it sparkle. She rolled over on to her stomach and began pleasuring herself, as was her custom of overcoming her sexual frustration brought on by her lack of Elphie.

When she was finished, she sat up and looked at the clock. It was almost noon. How she had slept in so late was beyond her, for she did have a meeting that day. As a sorceress, Glinda was expected to attend several teas held by some elders once a week, so as to stay attached to the sorcery realm. She thought it silly, but she obliged, having made several friends with whom she could gaily gossip about nonsense. They were much like Pfannee and Shenshen, but grown up.

Sliding out of the massive expanse of bed, Glinda made her way to her bathroom where she drew herself a bath. She slipped in to the water, letting her curls fall loose in the bathwater. Sir Chuffrey had taken her out the night before. They had gone to a cabaret of sorts. It had been rather provocative and had got Chuffrey going. They'd retired to their home and immediately were in bed together.

She grimaced at the thought of sex with him. How repulsive it seemed, yet her body needed it. It became so stimulated, but it was never like Elphaba. It never could amount to all that Elphaba could do.

She wondered if Elphaba knew about her marriage. Often times she wondered if Elphaba would ever come and find her…and though she dreaded the thought, she sometimes wondered if Elphaba was still alive.

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the tears not to come, no not this morning. The morning was beautiful. Glinda half opened her eyes to peer out at the beautiful lawn that could be seen from the bathroom window. It seemed to go on forever and it was so perfect. Everything around Glinda was so perfect, everything except for the fact she was not with Elphaba. If Elphaba had been there, then everything in Glinda's life would be perfect.

After hairstyling, make-up, and dressing to the nines, Glinda was off to the tea. She sat absentmindedly at the table; half listening to what was being said, responding only when she was required. Her mind was elsewhere, sometimes slipping in to a thought of Elphaba, or a sensation brought about by the thought of Elphaba. She would immediately straighten in her seat and glance around, hoping no one noticed her rosy red cheeks.

Once the tea was over (thank Lurline), Glinda went back to her residence, wondering if Sir Chuffrey was home from his business doings. She found him in his study, glancing over some paperwork. She inattentively kissed his forehead and glanced down at the paper he was looking at. "What is that?" She asked.

Chuffrey looked up at Glinda and smiled. "I've been asked to go to the Emerald City for a few days. Would you care to join me?"

"I would love too!" Glinda cried. An opportunity to go to the Emerald City, perhaps find Elphie…or would that be possible? The city was so big. But maybe by chance their paths would cross. Glinda decided that even if she only caught a glimpse of Elphie, know that she was alive, she would be okay.

Chuffrey's rough hand on Glinda's delicate arm pulled her from her thoughts of Elphaba. "What are you thinking about, darling?"

"Oh, nothing. Just how wonderful it will be to go to the Emerald City." Glinda squealed, throwing her arms around Chuffrey. He hugged her back and then Glinda flounced away to begin packing.

TBC...hmmm...let's try and get four reviews for this chapter! Yay!