Gabriella23: Where's that review that I 'shurley' deserve, huh? Darling, keep it up. Hatemail makes me happy.
Being able to enter the palace without being noticed was scary enough to Elphaba. Moreover, the Wiz didn't seem at all surprised to see her; Actually, she thought he looked kind of glad. She chose to ignore this 'bizarre' notion.
"I knew you'd be back," he said, fingering the handle of her broom. Elphaba wondered if he recognized it. "You must be lonely, all alone like myself."
The green girl narrowed her eyes. "You don't know me. How could you possibly know what I think and feel? Or are you just assuming?"
The Wizard's face flushed slightly. "We all need some form of company. Don't you think so, Elphaba?"
"Wow! And just when I'd thought you'd forgotten my name.." Elphaba was embarrassed, though. She had been to almost forget her name aside from Fae.
"Are people capable of changing, Elphaba?" he asked, pleading now."
"No. We're just going to end up screwing up our children. I'm glad you never had any," she added dryly.
"I never meant to hurt you, Elphaba. You know, sometimes you get so caught up in your work that-"
"I don't want your excuses, Sir, Wizard, Majesty - whatever the hell you want me to call you- You did hurt me. There was a time - when I was still young and clueless, mind you- when I believed in you like no one else could. I can't say how much you let me down," she said, staring straight into the Wizard's eyes.
He looked away. Maybe he felt remorseful for all of the shit that he had put her through. She doubted it, though. "And what's more-"
"Stop. I don't need you to make me feel any worse. I've already been thought enough of the suffering to last a lifetime."
Elphaba snorted. "You have no idea."
The Wizard put his hand on Elphaba's back and steered her toward the window overlooking the palace's courtyards. "See, the truth, dearie, is that I'm not truly a Wizard. I'm only a mediocrity compared to a real Wizard." He sighed and into Elphaba's eyes.
"Compared to duckshit, you're a mediocrity."
He laughed then and sadly said, "Damn straight. I didn't ask for any of this." He nodded across the palace grounds."
"Well, I'm sorry. Is there any purpose for telling me this?"
"Yes, I suppose. Come, be…wonderful with me!" he suddenly cried, grabbing Elphaba's hand.
A year ago, she would've treasured him touching her. Now, she only resented it; Elphaba roughly pulled her hand away. "What happened to you being mediocre?"
"I'm getting along in my years, I need some help-"
"Forget it. I will not pull a 'you' and like to an entire county. I'm not that deceitful."
"Sure you are. It's the human nature to lie!"
"Of course it is," Elphaba said doubtfully.
"Besides," he said, continuing with a cunning look on his face, "I can just picture: a celebration throughout Oz that's all to do with you! Not being able to forgive can tear you apart, my dear Elphaba." He smiled.
Elphaba could only stare at him, unsure of what to do. Unbelievable. He thinks he can win my trust by bribing me with power and a seat on the throne. "It does sound wonderful," she relented.
"Trust me, it's fun!" he cried, somewhat excited at the prospect of a friend.
Elphaba smiled, forgetting why she was there. "All right. I'll accept your proposal - on one condition."
"Name your price."
"You set those monkeys free."
The Wizard's smile only grew. "Wonderful."
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
The Wizard led Elphaba to the monkeys, where their cages were covered by white sheets. Elphaba frowned. "Animals aren't meant to be in cages. Poor things, they're probably terrified."
"We never hear a sound from them, actually."
She pulled the sheet off. "Well, that's just a sign that they're dying." Elphaba put one of her then emerald fingers between the cage bars and scratched a forlorn-looking monkey under the chin. "Don't you need sunlight?" she pointedly asked the Wizard.
"Well, actually-"
"Don't finish that. You're probably agoraphobic anyway." Elphaba opened the first cage. "Go on, fly! You're free!"
The monkeys only stared at Elphaba, their eyes glazed over. They'd forgotten how to fly, she realized. When the Wizard stepped up to Elphaba, though, they began to flap their wings desperately. Elphaba only glared at him.
"Go on," she said, "you get those cages over there, and I'll get this one." She pointed at a rather large cage.
"No! Not that one!" The Wizard cried, trying to grab the green girl before she could pull the sheet off.
"Oh sweet Oz," she muttered, her eyes fixed on the cage. "Dr. Dillamond! It's me, Elphaba!" The Goat only stared at he boredly, lazily chewing his cud.
"What have you done?" she asked, pressing herself up against her mentor's cage. The goat only tried to bite at her sleeve.
"Elphaba, please understand! We couldn't keep letting him speak out!"
"Then put him into exile! He would've rather had that than this; what he dreaded most: a life in a cage! No. We are nothing alike. I can't do this. Maybe it's the human nature to be deceitful. But in that case, I'm not human."
Elphaba turned around, looking for a way out. Cause a commotion. Grabbing her broom, she forced its handle through the window. "I'll be sure that someone, through the grape-vine, will hear about this." Elphaba thought that it was a mediocre threat, but it would have to do.
The Wizard gulped, and Elphaba waited for his move. He ran to the door and yelled something down the hallway. She couldn't make it out.
He turned back to Elphaba, who, coincidentally, had not moved from her spot. She smirked. The Wizard only looked confused.
The pounding of footsteps sent Elphaba's attentions towards the door. It opened, and just as Skyla had said, a small portion of the Gale Force walked through. "Wow," she muttered, a little surprised. Skyla might've had a genius after all.
Fiyero. It was kind of nice to see him standing before her. A little scary, too, seeing as he was holding a gun…. "Fiyero," she said quietly.
"Be quiet, Witch," he growled at her.
Elphaba's head popped up. So he had changed. Right? Or was he just playing along? She wasn't sure which to hope for. Neither, maybe.
"Go get some water," Fiyero told the Forcers without taking his eyes off of Elphaba. "As much as you can carry."
"I thought that I could handle her, but she's so unruly-"
"Shut up. Or do you want me to have to explain to everyone how the Wizard was accidentally shot?"
"Oh!" The Wizard ducked behind his head.
"Fiyero, dearest!" Glinda came through the door, obviously looking for Fiyero. "Elphaba! Oh dear, my darling, you have to get out of here. The Forcers-"
"Go, Elphie," said Fiyero, his sapphire eyes still in a battle with hers. He was trying to memorize each inch of her jade body now that they were together.
"I'd thought that you'd changed," Elphaba whispered without moving.
"I…I have changed." He took a step closer to her.
"Fiyero, darling, what are you doing?" Glinda's eyes darted back-and-forth between Elphaba and Fiyero.
Fiyero's eyes finally moved away from Elphaba's, then closed, as if in thought. Then he took Elphaba's hand. "I'm going with her," he stated firmly.
"Fiyero - no." Skyla's plan was working far too well. Elphaba didn't want to get Fiyero alone. She didn't think that she could be trusted.
"So, has it been like this the entire time? I thought that you had been having an affair, but to think-"
"Glinda, no. It wasn't like that," started Elphaba.
"Actually, it was. But it wasn't." Fiyero shook his head, slightly confused. "Come on, Elphie, before they come back," he said, gently touching her arm.
Elphaba nodded, following him out of a door. She didn't know where it led, but he obviously did.
Elphaba squinted when she followed Fiyero outside. The moon was exceedingly bright tonight. Looking up, the stars all swirled around her. A full moon, too. That's when all the murders and crazy people came out. She shivered a little bit.
"Cold?" came Fiyero's warm voice. Elphaba realized that he was holding her hand.
"No, I'm good."
"No, you're not. You're freezing." Fiyero took his jacket off and draped it over Elphaba's shoulders.
"Am I? I must look a sight right now."
"You are. And since when do you care what you look like?" he asked, his eyes bore into Elphaba's intensely. She had to keep herself from shivering again. Taking her hand again, he led her through a maze of hedges and fountains. "Come, we should get out of the courtyards. We'll be caught for sure."
"Why did you come with me, Fiyero? Surely I'm a big girl; I've run before and gotten away. Surely I could've done it again."
Fiyero shrugged. "Why take chances?"
"Oh, of course. But really. You haven't seen me in nearly three years. How do you know what I've become? I could be an assassin for all you know."
Fiyero chuckled a little. "You were always intense, Elphie, but never that intense."
"Uh-huh."
They walked in silence for a while. Elphaba wasn't even sure where they were going, but she trusted Fiyero to lead her to…safety.
Elphaba turned to look at Fiyero in the moonlight, his handsome profile illuminated. She could see that he was biting his lip a little, and she playfully hit him on the shoulder. His eyes flicked up. "Don't bite your lip, you'll bleed."
He smiled. "I doubt that. My teeth aren't that sharp."
"Whatever." She smiled.
"Why don't you smile more often, Elphie?"
"Because, smiling signals happiness. And saying that I'm happy would be deceptive."
"You're not happy? You could be, Elphie."
"No I couldn't," she blatantly replied.
"Yes, you could," he pressed.
"Are you trying to repress me, Fiyero?"
He smiled again. "No. I'm just trying to make you smile. Even if it's fake."
"Well, at least someone wishes me well," she said frowning.
Fiyero frowned as well. "I wish you more than well, Elphaba."
Before Elphaba knew what was happening, Fiyero had his arms around her, and was gently pressing his lips against hers. Elphaba's eyes fluttered wildly, then closed as she put her arms around his neck.
After too long, he had pulled away. Elphaba found herself slightly disappointed; she had wanted the kiss to last and last.
Fiyero grinned. "I've waited to do that for too long."
Elphaba blinked, unable to conjure up words.
Fiyero chuckled. "Come on, Elphie. It's getting colder, and there's something that I want to show you." Lacing his fingers with hers, he led her into the forest that was imposing itself among them. Fiyero stopped and turned to Elphaba. "Do you trust me, Elphaba? Tell me honestly.
Elphaba grinned. "I will follow if you lead."