A/N: Okay, I realized that I didn't put up a disclaimer on the last chapter, sorry! So, here's the update. Oh, and thanks for putting up with the mistakes in the last chapter!

Disclaimer: This is FANfiction. As in, written by a FAN! Therefore, Wicked cast belongs to Gregory, Stephen, and Winnie.

Ghosts of Her Past—Chapter 2- Trouble

"So it's true, you were her friend!…"

Glinda stared at Gabrielle with dull, lifeless eyes. Her spark was gone. Unknowingly, Gabrielle said the one thing Glinda couldn't handle.

"I, we… it wasn't… she—" Glinda struggled to lie. Anything, but she couldn't. Not anymore. Thirty-year-old Glinda could do it, but it'd been too long. Too much time had gone by. "Yes. I was her only friend. And she was my best friend." Glinda lowed her head, either in defeat, or shame, it wasn't clear.

Gabrielle was speechless. She couldn't believe Glinda had given up so easily. And, instead of helping—as was originally intended—she'd just pushed Glinda farther down her road of insanity.

"Glinda, I… I didn't mean that… I'm sorry," she managed. "I just thought… no, I didn't think. Pictures don't lie."

"No, it isn't your fault. Oz should've known years ago. But I was afraid. Afraid that their hate would get directed at me. And, I'd made a promise. A promise to my only true friend." Glinda's voice was rough and throaty, as if she was holding back tears.

"But… what happened? Wasn't she Wicked? The Wizard and Madame Morrible—"

"The Wizard is gone, and Morrible died in Southstairs. There is no reason to bring them up," Glinda interrupted with a fire blazing in her eyes.

"Uh… right. So, the 'Wicked Witch' stuff isn't true? But then, how can one lie spread through all of Oz like a wildfire. Couldn't somebody have corrected that, before is was second nature to say?"

Every syllable of that sentence was like a dagger to Glinda's heart. She was the one who could've stopped it. She could've helped Elphaba. Now it was too late. Now, everyone had left Glinda. She was alone with her guilt. Alone with her grief.

"I-I could've—should've—but I didn't. N-No one saw past her wicked title. Not one person remembered Elphaba Thropp." The tears that had threatened to fall finally fell from Glinda's eyes.

Gabrielle's heart lurched. She know knew the Witch's name. But, it broke at the sight of Glinda's tears. She didn't know what to do. Should she try to comfort her? Should she leave?

"Uh… I'm sorry, Lady Glinda, I'll just be going then—" Gabrielle said awkwardly.

"N-No! S-Stay. You deserve to know the truth." Glinda attempted to smile, but failed miserably.

Gabrielle walked back over to the stool she'd been sitting on. "Okay, I'm listening."

Glinda told her about her and Elphaba as reluctant roommates. She told her about the day at the Ozdust ballroom. She told her about "Galinda-fying" Elphaba. About the letter that came from the Wizard. About their trip to the Emerald City. And, finally, about their last parting moment.

When she finished, Gabrielle was stunned. "Uh… so… sh-she's not… I was wrong. Glinda, I feel like I have to apologize to you."

"No, you don't have too. You were raised to believe lies. Lies that you had no reason not to believe. It's the Wizard that should apologize." Gabrielle was stunned. Glinda had practically spat out the word. "He ruined everything!"

"I-I'm sorry," Gabrielle interrupted. "I'm sorry he did this to you. I'm sorry I once celebrated her death. But, I was young. As I got older, and experienced the death of someone close to me, I realized that it was the same with the Wick—Elphaba. It is wrong to celebrate death. The Munchkins treat the death of Nessarose like a holiday. It's wrong. It needs to be stopped."

It was Glinda's turn to be stunned. Here was the person to help her to finally clear Elphaba's name. But, should we? I made a promise to a friend. I should probably respect her last wishes. She would've wanted it that way. She wouldn't make me promise it if she was going to come back. I waited too long for that. Elphie, I have to move on. I've mourned enough. You'll always have a place in my heart.

"No!" Glinda was surprised at the forcefulness in her voice. "We can't. I m-made that promise and I intend to keep it with me to the grave." Which isn't too far off.

"Don't you think we should at least stop the celebration next year. I've watched you. Year by year, I watched. I saw many things. I looked up to you, much like Elphaba did to the Wizard. I was crushed when you just gave up. I needed to figure out what went wrong. So I did the research. I was about to give up when I found the picture. I was going to come here yesterday, but it didn't seem right. Now I know what happened. I'd be the same way if it were me. No, if it were me, I wouldn't be able to handle it. I don't know how you did." Gabrielle looked up and into Glinda's eyes. She saw something that hadn't been there in fifteen years: hope.

"I… I don't know how to respond to that. You've done what no one else dared to do. My classmates knew I was friends with Elphaba. They didn't question me when I got back. When I finally saw Elphaba again, it wasn't in good circumstances. We were in the Wizard's throne room. Fiyero had been pointing his gun at him to s-save dear Elphie. I tried to cover for him, but they ran off together. I didn't know what to do. That sort of thing never happened to me before. I didn't get my way. I learned something that day."

Glinda struggled to sing that song.

"Don't wish,
"Don't start,
"Wishing only wounds the heart…"

She couldn't manage the rest.

"Oh, Glinda. You don't have to be this way. You can still be the head of Oz. You can have all you've ever wanted."

Glinda's own words came back to her through this girl. Why couldn't I make Elphie understand she was having delusions of grandeur? She could've been with the Wizard…and there'd be no Animals left. That scoundrel would still be ruling us. How could I have been so stupid? I should've gone with her. But now I can't. I just wish I could go back. But, there's no way. I never learned to read the Grimmerie. Oh, Elphaba, why did you have to go? Why did you leave me? I could've stopped that bucket. I should've. Maybe that would've just made things worse. They would've probably thought that I'd been under a spell of hers. That's just rich. Real rich. They were—are—just so dense. They always were, too. Glinda thought back to the time of her engagement party. They didn't notice that Glinda asked Fiyero. Fiyero just kind of went with it. And when he ran off… I should've seen the happenings between him and Elphaba. If I did, could things have turned out differently?

"Everything went wrong! Everyone died!" Glinda hadn't realized that she was voicing her thoughts, much to Gabrielle's fear.

"Glinda! What's wrong? You keep spacing out and now you just say this out of nowhere? What's happened to you?" her face was sympathetic.

"I-I'm getting older." Glinda saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. Could it be? No. Stop doing this to yourself. It'll only make it worse. She looked out her window again.

"Who can say, if I've been changed for the better, but…
"Because I knew you…
"I have been changed…
"For good."

Gabrielle stared at Glinda. There was something she hadn't been told. Something was missing.

A/N: Okay, I hope you liked chapter 2. Please review, I need motivation to write the third chapter. Um… unless I'm convinced otherwise, six reviews 'till next chapter. Uh… that's it, now REVIEW!