Fiyero sat at the kitchen table, pushing his mashed potatoes around his plate. He had a long and stressful day, and, though he was hungry, he didn't feel like eating. His mind was racing a mile a minute, with no sign of slowing down.

"Hi."

He turned and jumped, seeing Elphaba standing directly behind him.

"I was much nicer than Galinda. She shouted 'Boo!' in my ear before reappearing." She gave him a sheepish smile. "I was able to escape the guard, who thinks I'm asleep in my room, so I can be free for the rest of the night."

The prince hadn't said anything the entire time, only able to stare at the green girl as his brain tried to formulate a coherent thought. "You have magic," was what he managed to string together.

She nodded. "Yes. I do."

"Like Lady Galinda."

"Not exactly like hers… but yes."

He remembered Lady Galinda helping him with the potato sacks. She had meant she wasn't as powerful as Elphaba. He didn't know whether figuring this out now should make him feel even more brainless, so he buried the thought before it could work its damage.

She sat next to him, noting how he stiffened, and choosing to ignore it. "Can we talk?"

"Should we talk?"

"I'd like to. I will answer your questions, but I'm only going to answer the questions I'm asked." She looked around. "I've missed coming down here. I've missed… you."

"Your Ro-"

"Don't. I don't want things to change between us. At least, not down here."

He licked his lips. "Fae," he began tentatively. "I've… missed you, too. Are you alright?"

Elphaba had closed her eyes, rubbing circles on her temple, and hummed her assent. "I'm okay. Using magic gives me a headache. The more intense the magic, the more painful the headache. I've dealt with worse, though." She went over to the fridge and pulled out a jug of milk. "I see you still haven't figured out the stove," she chuckled, pouring the milk into a pot and heating it.

"I've never attempted. Without you, I'd be sure to burn the place down. Plus, the actual kitchen staff don't want me breathing near their equipment."

She rolled her eyes with a hum, adding vanilla and cinnamon to the warmed milk, splitting it into two mugs, and handing one to the prince. "Headache cure and insomnia antidote, all in one."

He tried the drink, smiling as the warm, sweet liquid coated his throat. "Thanks."

The two spent the next hour talking, about both nothing and everything. Fiyero took Elphaba up on her offer to ask as many questions as he wanted, and she answered all of them, including ones about exactly how powerful her magic was.

"When I was a child, I accidentally turned a pile of towels one of the maids was carrying into a pile of snakes. I never saw her again after that," she admitted.

He bit back a chuckle. "I don't blame her."

"I had stubbed my toe on a corner, and I guess she was close enough to get hit with my rogue magic."

"How did you learn to control it?"

"Mostly by not using it and trying to ignore it. I didn't allow myself to get emotional. I usually have a rather stoic disposition. I have to, since I can't be emotional in front of my father. And while I love Galinda, she'll become a sensitive ball of hysterics if she sees me crying." She finished her milk. "As I got older, my use of magic decreased until it's the way it is now, practically non-existent."

"You used it to sneak down here," he pointed out.

"I think I had a good reason," she countered with a slight smirk. "The less I use it, the easier it is to control."

"Why'd you stop?"

She bit her lip.

"Sorry. If you don't want to –"

"No, I promised answers to all asked questions. When I was nine, I found baby Chistery abandoned in the gardens. I nursed him back to health and adopted him. A year later, I snuck into the library's restricted section with Chistery. I was fascinated by all the books, and picked the biggest book on the shelf, called 'The Grimmerie'. I began reading it to him, not knowing it was a book of irreversible spells. While I read, he began shrieking and writhing in pain. I had no idea what was happening, until wings sprouted from his back. I felt awful that I had caused him pain. That was at that moment I realized just how powerful I was, and how I could hurt the people, and Animals, I care about. So I stopped, and I've been fine ever since."

"Chistery likes his wings now."

"He does now, but he was in so much pain for a whole week afterward. Once he got used to them and learned how to fly, he loved it. But it made keeping him out of mischief harder."

"You find it easy to hide your magic from your father?"

"I did, before he decided I need to be watched every second. Having magic is one thing, but I'm… it's a lot. I'm used to being free to roam and do whatever I wanted, but now it's time to start doing my job."

"But wait, surely your father saw Chistery pre-wings."

"He did. And when he saw him after, he didn't ask any questions. He probably assumed Galinda did it, because I never gave him a reason to think otherwise. We made sure Chistery never disturbed him, so he never had a reason to get directly involved. Have you received a letter from your parents?"

The blunt shift didn't rattle him as much as he thought it would. "No. Was I supposed to?"

"They wrote to my father. They're unable to make it to the celebration. They're still dealing with the economic crisis. They sent a very nice glass bird statue, though. And they said you would be filling in for them."

"Oh." He sounded disappointed. "That's fine. Thank you for telling me."

"It's not fine. You're not fine."

"I didn't get a letter. I would have at least appreciated them telling me this, instead of…"

"Finding out from me?" she finished with a sympathetic smile.

"If you hadn't told me, I doubt I would've found out in a timely manner."

She glanced over, silently debating whether to tell him what she knew. "Do you know why your parents were refused the bailout?"

"Me."

Her jaw dropped. "You knew?"

"No. Things like this wouldn't happen if my behavior was better. The crash wouldn't have happened if I wasn't such a bad heir, because I don't try hard enough or I'm too lazy and careless."

"What?"

"If I didn't have a reputation for drinking, partying, and spending the royal purse on frivolous things, none -"

"I don't think you're lazy or careless. If anything, your time here has proved that. You've grown, and you'll get to prove it to all of Oz at the garden party… and the rest of the week."

His lips twitched. "I'll have my princely attire pressed and ready. It'll be good to wear it again and remind people that maybe they should be a bit nicer to me."

Her smile was broken by a yawn, the milk beginning to take effect. "I should get back upstairs. Long day of lessons tomorrow."

"I have a long day of decorating tomorrow. For the first time since I've arrived, I've been assigned a job I know how to do, and I won't absolutely hate."

She quickly cleaned the dishes out of habit and put everything away. "Thank you for tonight, Fiyero."

"You're thanking me? You're the one who warmed the milk."

"I like talking to you."

He stared at her. "I… like talking to you, too. It's refreshing to have someone who doesn't always tell me sugarcoated half-truths in hopes of sparing my feelings."

"I'm told I can be rather blunt and candid."

"'Blunt' and 'candid' looks good on you."

She breathed out a chuckle and placed a quick peck on his cheek. "Thanks for giving me a second chance," she whispered.

"Wait." He gently grabbed her hand as she turned to go.

When she turned around, she was greeted with Fiyero's lips against hers. She relaxed and melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her hips. She felt him begin to pull away, and pressed her lips against his, stopping the stop of the kiss.

"Fae," he whispered when they finally pulled away, his face flushing.

"Goodnight," she whispered back, then disappeared, and Fiyero heard her footsteps fade up the stairs.

Elphaba walked in step with Galinda, trying to ignore the guard trailing behind them. She clutched her wrapped gift for Yolnia closer, trying to keep up with the blonde's excited chatter. They stopped in front of the private quarters of the Gale Force captain, and Elphaba knocked, seeing as Galinda was trying to balance balloons, flowers, and a canister of warm chicken soup.

The door opened, and the captain bowed. "Your Royal Highness. Lady Galinda."

"Captain Tiieg," Elphaba smiled. "We just wanted to congratulate you and Yolnia, and drop off these gifts."

"You're both too kind. Please come in." He stepped aside and the girls went in, with the guard staying in the hallway.

Yolnia sat in a rocking chair by the living room window, rocking a squirming bundle in her arms. She was humming a soft melody, but turned when she heard the footsteps. She moved to stand, but Elphaba held up a hand to stop her.

"Congratulations, Yolnia," she grinned. She peered down at the alert baby in her arms. "Hiis wervy boutivul." He's very beautiful.

"Tank vu, Prinzezen," Yolnia smiled, thankful for the slip into Evian. "Hiis namzes Pyun. Woolen vu leken-ha ham?" Thank you, Princess. His name's Pyun. Would you like to hold him?

The green girl nodded and held out her arms. The baby fussed a bit, but calmed when the stranger gently bounced him, content with sticking his fist into his mouth.

"He's already well-behaved for his future ruler," Galinda giggled, and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"You're the first baby born in the palace in fifteen years," Elphaba whispered to the newborn, then paused. Was this why her father was acting strange after Captain Tiieg was called away? Was he also aware of this fact?

Pyun yawned and began drifting off, and Elphaba handed him to his father, before taking a seat next to Yolnia, who was nursing a glass of sugar water.

"Af vu naad envying, plaz me-letten kowe." If you need anything, please let me know.

"Tank vu, Prinzezen. Meen mytha est kumong vert-nitx." Thank you, Princess. My mother is coming next week.

The two stayed for another ten minutes, talking and getting to know the newest palace tenant. As soon as they left, Galinda called Elphaba out on the unsaid thought in the back of her mind.

"What you said in there… about Pyun being the first baby born in the palace in fifteen years…"

"Oh, right. I forgot you heard that."

"I'm the only one who did." She faltered, scratching the back of her neck. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. I'm not the one who just had a baby."

Galinda let the subject drop, watching her friend's face turn stone hard. Their walk back up to Elphaba's room was in silence, only broken when Galinda squealed at the long, pink parcel in the center of the room.

"They've arrived!" She ran in, kneeling next to the parcel and carefully pulling off the large ribbon. She threw the top off, and carefully pushed the tissue paper aside. "Elphie, look!"

"Are those our new dresses?" she asked, sitting on her bed and watching the scene with great interest.

The blonde gently lifted the first dress from the box, a pale-yellow gown with see-through lace sleeves and a tea-length tulle skirt. "I just love Miss Doiir's dresses! She always uses the best fabrics, so soft with vibrant colors."

The girls were frequent customers of the small dress boutique in Shiz, Lilies & Lace Boutique. The shop owner, Miss Villy Doiir, always made beautiful, custom dresses for them, complete with intricate designs and special touches.

"These are beautiful," Elphaba smiled, running her fingers over the material. "As always."

"And we get three each. Here." She shoved three dresses into the green girl's arms. "I get the lighter, pastel colors, and you get the bold ones. Bold colors are a quick way to easily locate you in a crowd."

"I knew it would've been too much to hope to blend in."

"And they have pockets!" She held her dress up against her body, twirling in front of the mirror. "We can wear these to the garden party!" She stopped when she didn't hear her friend share her excitement. She turned, seeing her staring at the dress lying next to her on the bed. "Elphie?"

"Maybe if I tell myself 'I'm ready' enough times, it'll actually become true."

She sat next to her. She knew it would take more than pretty, new dresses to lift her friend's spirits and ease her fears. "Nineteen years is a long time to be on palace quarantine."

"I never really wanted to be out in public. As weird as it sounds, I'm glad I was able to use my multiple childhood illnesses, both real and slightly exaggerated, to get out of it. But now, I can't hide anymore."

"We can still use hysterical blindness," Galinda brought up with a teasing grin.

Elphaba chuckled, glad for the tension release. "I do like these new dresses, though." She stood and lifted the royal purple one to her body, running her fingers across the soft silk. "I think we can make this arrangement work."

"I know we can."

The two changed into their nightdresses and settled on Elphaba's bed. Galinda knelt behind her, carefully running the soft-bristled brush through her friend's long hair. It was a routine both girls enjoyed, ever since they were little and Galinda forced herself into her life. It was a win-win situation for them both; Galinda enjoyed gliding the brush through Elphaba's raven tresses, and the sensation lulled Elphaba to sleep.

She considered it the only comfort she was allowed to have, and the blonde knew she considered their nightly routine this way.

Once she was sure everyone in the palace was asleep, Elphaba cast the invisibility spell and snuck past the guard stationed around the corner. When she reached the kitchens, Fiyero was there, reading a letter with a deep frown.

"Everything alright?" she asked as she materialized in front of him.

The prince jumped, almost falling out of his chair, and grabbed the edge of the table just before he slipped.

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly, helping right him with a soft kiss on the cheek. She noted how he still wasn't smiling. "What's wrong?"

"This latest letter from my parents," he sighed, rubbing his face as he pushed the paper aside. "A strictly business correspondence."

"What did they say?"

"They said something about some type of merger," Fiyero shrugged. "They didn't say anything else about it. They did mention that I'm to perform my royal duties at all your father's ceremonies and events, though. That must mean I'm doing something right, in their eyes." He rubbed his face again. "I'm exhausted. They had me helping with decorations. I almost fell off the ladder, I couldn't take a water break when I needed it, and Mr. Khunder made me rehang the banner five times before he was satisfied, even though it was perfectly straight the first time."

"Everything looks great."

"I'd be completely to blame if it wasn't." He sighed, pocketing the letter and effectively ending the conversation. "What's on the agenda for tonight?"

Smiling, she grabbed his hand and pulled him through the darkened corridors, easily slipping past all the guards on patrol, and out to the courtyard. They made it to the maze of a royal garden and got lost in the turns, stifling childlike giggles the entire time. The gardens were bigger on the inside than they looked outside, making hiding games even more fun.

Somehow, the two ended up laying in the grass, staring up at the starless sky, after an accidental hiccup caused Elphaba's magic to make the nearby roses bloom.

"You shouldn't be afraid of your magic," he said when she let out a startled scream, and quickly covered her own mouth. They listened for footsteps, and once they were sure the coast was clear, they relaxed, snuggling closer.

"I'm not scared of it. I just don't like it when it randomly pops up like that. Little things like this," she gestured to the flowers, "make it more difficult to hide."

"I seem to remember a certain kitchen maid telling me I shouldn't hide who I truly am. Albeit, she was hiding her true identity from me, but I suppose I'll let that slide. Why don't you want to tell your father how you feel?"

"I know he'll react negatively. He was furious when he found out about the kitchens; imagine what he'd do if he found out about my magic. Or he'll just brush me off and ignore me. He never listens to me. I wish it wasn't this way. And Oz-knows how the rest of Oz will react. They could get scared and try to overthrow me."

He remembered confiding in her that he felt his parents never listened to him. Yet another thing he could add to their list of similarities.

"Having magic isn't the problem; it's how powerful and destructive it can be. How powerful and destructive mine is."

"I'd hardly call these roses 'destructive'."

"Roses have thorns."

"Show me where, in our great Oz's ever-so-vast history, where an invading army was overpowered and defeated with rose thorns."

"Well, if we need them, I can grow poison-spewing roses, or poppies that will put the enemy army to sleep on the battlefield."

"That's something I would have expected Lady Galinda to come up with. Using flowers to win the day."

"Don't let her bubbly cupcakeness fool you. She's very feisty when she wants to be. A sweet, summer child can also be a witty, winter whirlwind."

The prince laughed, which Elphaba returned with a wide grin. She watched as he rolled and reached over, and plucked a pink rose from the bush. He thoroughly checked it to make sure it was thornless before weaving the long stem into her hair.

He grinned. "Pink –"

"Don't say 'goes good with green'," she interrupted with an eye roll. "Galinda says pink doesn't clash with my skin, and I steadfastly don't believe her, so I won't believe you."

"She's not lying, you know. Pink is a nice color on you."

"I think I look ridiculous in it."

He shook his head with a chuckle. "I was gonna add that you're like a rose."

She glanced at him for clarification.

"You seem standoffish and prickly. You were when we first met," he said when she shot him an incredulous look.

"I was trying to be nice. I fed you!"

"But your thorns shield you, protecting you from getting hurt. But underneath those sharp thorns is a passionate person searching for a deep connection. Once you open up, people see you are very in touch with your emotions, even if you don't display them as much, as well as others' emotions."

She gaped at him with wide eyes. "I..."

"It's my turn to read you like an open book, the way you read me."

She felt her cheeks heat up, suddenly finding herself unable to meet his earnest grin. "Thanks," she mumbled, reaching up to touch the flower, but didn't remove it from her hair.

The couple laid back on the grass, not noticing the dark clouds camouflaged against the night sky. Fiyero felt a single droplet land on his forehead, then another on his nose, and one on his cheek before the sky opened to a drizzle.

"We should go back inside." Elphaba got up, pulling Fiyero with her. "I can't risk getting legitimately sick this close to my father's anniversary."

"Okay. But wait –" He gently pulled her back when she started to walk away. Though it was dark, he could still see the raindrops glistening against her skin. He pulled her closer, until he could feel her breath tickling his nose, then swiftly closed the remaining distance.

Elphaba moaned softly against his lips, somehow now able to ignore the rain, which had grown from a drizzle to a pour. She pulled away with a breathy chuckle, tilting her head back to soak up the rain. "Galinda would kill me if she found out about this; us kissing in the rain. Or, at the very least, she'd turn all my undergarments pink."

"I'd thought she'd be in love with how romantic this is." He brushed his damp hair away from his face. "Refreshing."

"I hate you," Elphaba chuckled, wiping clinging hairs from her forehead. "But I suppose we can keep this secret just between us."

He offered her his hand with a boyish grin. She gave him one final kiss before taking his hand and pulling him behind her as they ran back inside.

I couldn't resist bringing Villy from 'Threads of Truth' into this. She will forever be my omnipresent seamstress. I didn't plan it (I swear!), but the opportunity presented itself, and the part wrote itself, so what power did I have to fight against it?