A/N: Guest reviewer... Shh! Damned autocorrect on my phone... Oops... Still... It amused me to see it later! ;) I did well, the only typo in the chapter, I've normally missed about 3...
Sadness and Secrets
The friendship circle changed once again and Nessa had distanced herself from her friends, and they, in turn, rallied around Boq in the coming days.
Elphaba found that she wasn't as worried as she had been before. She loved her sister, she always would, but that didn't mean she had to agree with her actions. That morning she didn't have class, so was roped into helping Glinda with her homework for drama.
"So, I found out the boy's name and a few things about him." Glinda jabbered as she applied a fresh coat of pink nail polish to her toes. "His name is Tibbett and he's from Quox. His family are strict Unionists and he had to fight to get to school cause they wouldn't let him."
Elphaba nodded, half-listening as she read through her friend's latest essay.
"He's got a boyfriend! I didn't think that was possible, or even allowed! Does he have the same restrictions we do with ours... I mean... He can't do... They'd be in the same building and nobody would notice... But how do they... -?"
The green woman shook her head with a smirk. "I'm sure they'd find ways to keep each other entertained."
"Elphie!" she wrinkled her nose. "For somebody with no experience in the matter, your mind is awfully filthy."
Elphaba shrugged with a laugh. "I just call it as I see it, Lin. You don't have to agree with it. If it keeps them happy, who are we to argue? At least one of them wouldn't be going home or to the nearest apothecary disgraced." She made her notes from the books she was given.
"Speaking of which... Have you thought more about you and Fiyero? And what you'll do when your time comes?"
"I... I have an appointment with the nurse in a week to discuss options." She admitted. "And then I'll talk to him." She finished her work and got up, walking over and handing it to her.
Glinda nodded and she took her essay. "Thank you. So anyway, the reason why he wears dresses is-" She was cut off by a knocking at the door.
Elphaba looked confused and walked to the door, opening it to find one of the guards there.
"Miss Elphaba, Madame Astoria wishes to see you."
"Did she say why?" she had an idea.
"I'm afraid not, Miss." He told her. "Just Miss Elphaba, I'm sorry, Miss Glinda." He added when he saw the blonde go to pick up her shoes.
Elphaba glanced over her shoulder at her friend. "It'll be okay. I'm sure it's just to see how I'm getting on." She spoke and went to grab her coat from the door, looking confused when she couldn't feel it.
"I threw it away. Fiyero told me to tell you to use his that you never gave back to him." Glinda grinned.
"I..." She shook her head and walked to her closet for the coat and put it on. "I'll deal with the two of you later." She left the dorm and was escorted to the Headmistress's office. She knocked on the door and walked in when called. "You asked to see me, madame?" She was relieved when the guard left her alone.
"Are you sure it's wise to go to the Emerald City alone, Miss Elphaba?"
"Why not? I have to find out who is sending me these notes and the only way I can do that is by going to the source."
"I'm receiving reports from Oz himself that the streets of the Emerald City are not safe right now. All further trips to and from the city are to be stopped with immediate effect because of reports of rioting and looting. I'm sorry, I'm going to have to decline your request purely for your safety."
"Surely there's another way! Fiyero's already told you about these despite me telling him not to, you know it's not safe for me here either!"
"Miss Elphaba, please, try and stay calm. I'm aware of them and I'm trying to find out where they've come from myself. Why you couldn't come to me in the first place I'll have no idea..."
"I guess I'm just used to doing everything for myself." Elphaba shrugged. If she couldn't go with her consent, she'd find a way to do it alone. She still had her broom... But when could she leave without anyone knowing...? No... There was no way, as heavily guarded as the school was now she wouldn't even get two feet in the air.
"Because it's been allowed to go on for far too long. Yes, you're an adult, but you are a student here, one of our best. The brightest of your generation, I'd say. You're still under my protection in this school. If you go out there alone, I cannot help you." She raised an eyebrow at the green woman.
"So... I... what? Sit and do nothing?"
"For now. I know it's not ideal, and with a spirit as wild as yours it's hard to comprehend, but trust me, Miss Elphaba. This is the best solution right now. Don't become an enemy."
Dark eyes narrowed slightly. Did she know more than she was letting on? If so, why was she not being told?
"Miss Elphaba." Her tone was warning now.
"Fine. I'll bide my time for now. But if I get another one of those notes, I'm going out there whether you agree or not."
The older woman nodded. "Very well. But at least tell me first."
"Understood. Can I go now?"
She nodded and watched Elphaba leave. She sighed and dropped her head into her hands. She was under no illusion of their great Wizard, she knew his ruling was getting harder and harder to defend but saw no way of stopping it, even more so now that one of her students was being targetted. The half-Quadling stood up with a frustrated groan and paced the office. She looked out of the window to see Chistery perched inside a tree, looking out on to the horizon. "At least one of us in content."
Elphaba pulled the coat tighter around her and she sat on the bench beside the fountain, drawing her knees to her chest and she sighed heavily, screwing her eyes tightly shut as she rested her forehead on her knees.
"Miss Elphie, you sound like you have the whole of Oz on your shoulders."
She blinked and slowly looked up at Boq, giving him a weary smile. "No, I'm fine... Just a rough morning."
"Anything you'd like to talk about?"
She shook her head. "No... It's not important."
He sat the other side of the bench and waited silently.
She too was silent for another two minutes before she uncurled herself and sat upright, arching her back a little to stretch. "I just... I need to know who's sending me these strange notes. Who is it? What do they want with me? What secret are they so desperate to uncover?"
He nodded thoughtfully. "Well... what do you have so far?"
"Admittedly... nothing... Well... Aside from the fact that I believe it to be somebody within the Emerald Palace, or at least somebody with access to the official stationery."
"Well, it's a start." He cocked his head. "Just try not to put yourself at risk by trying to find it out."
"Yeah... Strangely enough, Madame Astoria said the same."
"Oh, she knows?"
She nodded. "Fiyero told her when I got that last note."
"She can help then, can't she?"
"She wants to..." She shrugged. "I know what you're about to say. But how can I just let her? It's happening to me, not her."
"She's also more connected than you." Boq pointed out. "If she can find a way to reveal who it is then my suggestion is to let her deal with it. Work with her, Miss Elphie, not against her." He stood up. "Now, are you coming for lunch or not?"
She couldn't help but chuckle and she stood up from the bench, walking with her friend to the canteen.
The rest of the term passed without incident, and soon Elphaba and Glinda were packing for their vacation, they were due to leave at the end of the week. For the sake of the group, Nessa had agreed to be civil, even if she only talked to her sister.
"Glinda, I'm almost certain that you don't need to pack as many things. We'll only be gone for two weeks." Elphaba raised an eyebrow at her friend.
"I know... I just can't decide what to take home with me." Glinda sighed.
"Have you tried cutting down on the wardrobe?"
The blonde gasped and whirled around at Ollivander who had decided to make himself known. "No! How dare you suggest it. And don't you say a word!" She pointed to the green witch.
Elphaba laughed and shook her head, kicking her packed case under her bed. "I'm not getting involved." She collapsed onto the mattress.
"Are you not coming with us for dinner?" Ollivander tilted his head.
"Oh... Is it already...?" She checked her clock. "I'm sure you remember helping Glinda pack is a nightmare." she hauled herself back to her feet.
"At least this time she can justify packing a lot."
"Don't even," she smirked. "Four days or two weeks, nothing justifies the amount of clothes she possesses." She added and the three of them left the dorm.
"The Emerald City was a reason! We'd never been before." Glinda nodded.
"If you say so." Elphaba rolled her eyes and shook her head with a yawn. "I'd someone could explain to me why I've been so tired this past week that would also be helpful."
Ollivander shook his head. "Could be the relief of an actual break? You haven't stopped at all this term." he pointed out as they crossed the courtyard.
"That's Elphaba all over. Even asleep she doesn't stop." Fiyero piped up with a grin as he stood from the nearby bench.
"Well excuse me for having traumatic dreams of your impending deaths." She smirked and stuck out her tongue.
"You don't stop talking either." Boq put in.
Glinda giggled and Ollivander grinned. "Miss Elphaba, they have a point." he shrugged.
"So I'm restless... I thought you all knew this."
"We do. We just wish you'd slow down some." Fiyero jabbed, walking beside her.
She rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll try."
Glinda shook her head. "You'll only fail, Elphie." She smiled.
Elphaba shrugged and looked around spotting a familiar carriage pulling up in the courtyard. 'Of course, father would pick Nessa up now.' she thought dryly and she linked her hand with Fiyero's, hoping he wouldn't notice the change in her.
He merely looked at her and smiled. "I know how difficult it is for you to settle. But please just try?"
"Mhm." She nodded and put her head on his shoulder.
He kissed the top of her head and looked over at Glinda for a moment, his gaze catching the carriage on campus and he saw the tall, bald man dressed in blue robes step out and he stiffened.
"Yero, please don't..." She told him quietly.
Glinda looked around to see what was angering him. "How dare he!" she snapped.
"Miss Glinda, it's not a good idea to confront him. You don't know what he's capable of."
"I know what he did to her. I saw it." She glared at Boq.
"Will you two stop?! Please!" Elphaba groaned. "I'm fully aware of what happened. I was there, remember? Just... ignore him, he's here for Nessa. And quite frankly it'll be one less person to worry about ruining your birthday tomorrow." she raised an eyebrow at Fiyero.
Ollivander nodded in agreement, keeping a firm grip around Glinda to prevent her from marching over to the Governor. "She's right. As horrendible as it is to simply walk by knowing what he's done, it would do nobody any good getting into trouble over it. We don't know what he's capable of."
"What about saying goodbye to Nessa?" Glinda asked.
"Then I'll say my goodbye," Elphaba shrugged.
"I'm just glad I'm staying here this Lurlinemas." Boq shivered. "I swear it's cold enough to snow!"
"Who knows, it might do later," Fiyero commented. "If it could wait until they've gone it would be perfect."
Elphaba rolled her eyes at that. "Can we hurry up? I'm hungry and I'm tired."
He grinned and kissed her cheek. "Alright, I'll let it drop for now." he conceded as the friends left campus, unaware that Frex had looked around to see them, trying to figure out their conversation.
The Governor glared after his first-born. 'So the rumours are true. Fraternising with a Winkie of all people!' He thought, and entered the university halls, looking for Nessarose. He eventually found her in the assembly hall alone, appearing to be deep in thought. "Nessarose."
She blinked and looked up at the sound of her name. She grinned up at him. "Oh, father, you came! But you're early!" she gasped.
"Of course I did. You didn't think I'd leave you all alone did you?" He smiled, bending to kiss her head. "With the snow about to set in, I thought it best to come for you a day early so we'll miss it."
She nodded. "Oh, well I hadn't realised... I'm glad you're here. I just need to finish packing and then say goodbye to Fabala."
His face hardened but forced himself to remain calm. "You've just missed her. I presume your friends have gone to dinner."
She blinked again. "Oh... Well... I suppose if we catch her up... But..." She didn't really want to put her sister and father in the same space as one another again. She was more worried about what her friends would do to him, they'd become incredibly protective of Elphaba since she told them what had happened in the summer, and with Fiyero being a trained hunter since childhood, who knew what he was capable of?
"You don't need to, Nessa. You'll see her again after the holidays." Frex told her. "Let her not spoil your time away."
She shook her head. "Please, father. I have to see her."
"Very well, we'll wait until the evening and then you may talk to her. Come, you said you have some packing to do, I'll assist you."
She nodded, knowing she wasn't going to get any more than that. "Thank you." she allowed him to wheel her out.
"You haven't written much about young Boq lately. I hope things are well between the two of you."
"Oh..." she swallowed the lump in her throat. "We... um... We broke up."
"Oh, my girl, I'm sorry to hear of it." He sighed. He had thought them to be a good match, and the last time he'd seen them together he did appear to be devoted to her.
"Don't be." she sighed. "It was my own doing, I realise it now. He was so attentive and so caring and I... well, I wasn't."
He nodded. "First heartbreak is never easy, no matter the reasoning." he wheeled her back to her dorm.
She didn't respond to that and pointed to her closet when asked where her case was.
"Has Elphaba been keeping up with her duties to look after you?"
"Why should she? I'm a grown woman, I can do most things for myself." Nessa shrugged. "Father, Fabala and I have been at each other's throats quite recently and we've only just got back on an even keel. She has her own life, as do I."
He shook his head thinking his daughter was being naive.
"And I know you don't approve of her and Fiyero, but he is her choice. They're so happy together, he really is good for her. They love each other."
"Love." He scoffed. "Neither of you know the meaning of the word."
"Maybe not, but he's certainly showing her. She wouldn't appreciate you trying to pull them apart. You disowned her, father, quite publicly, you have no claim to her or her responsibilities any more." Nessa told him, ignoring his incredulous look. "I battled with my sister and realised things the hard way. I did the same with Boq and I lost him. Yes, he hurt me, but I hurt him too."
A couple of hours later, the friends returned to the school, still chattering amongst themselves as the snow began to fall.
"Nessa is still here?" Ollivander queried upon seeing the carriage still there.
"She probably wanted to say goodbye." Elphaba shrugged and looked up at her boyfriend. "Please don't say anything to aggravate him." She kissed him lightly before walking ahead alone.
"Elphie, wait!" Glinda clacked after her in her heels, Fiyero following her. "You're not going alone."
"Damn right you're not."
Elphaba stopped and stared at them both for a long minute, for once unable to find a sarcastic retort or demands that she not be ordered around. She could see both of their points, heard their concerns. If it was either of them she would do the same thing. "Fine. But no matter how much you want to punch him, don't."
Fiyero shrugged in response, evidently not wanting to make a promise he had no intention of keeping and Elphaba seemed to realise that.
Ollivander and Boq stayed back to wait for them, not wanting to get involved and Boq was still avoiding Nessa.
The three of them entered the building and walked into Nessa's dorm room.
Nessa looked up. "Fabala, you came!"
Outwardly, Elphaba appeared to be calm as she smiled at her sister. "Of course, I did. I thought I'd missed you." She stepped forward to hug her, her heart in her throat and her stomach churning uncomfortably.
Frex glared at Elphaba, not saying anything.
"Where will you go? Are you staying here with Boq?"
Elphaba shook her head. "No, I'm going back with Glinda. We decided it in the summer."
"Oh..." Nessa sighed.
"Look, Boq will be fine. It's only a couple of weeks."
She nodded. "Well... I hope you have a good Lurlinemas."
"You too."
"It's okay Nessa, she'll have the best time! I already have so much planned." Glinda giggled.
Elphaba turned around. "This is where you jump in and save me." She smirked.
Fiyero shook his head. "No way. She scares me." he laughed, reaching over and gently pulled her back to him. He frowned slightly at the barely-there tremors and wrapped his arms around her.
Glinda stepped forward to say her own goodbyes.
Elphaba remained quiet as she calmed her nerves and tried to settle her insides.
"As soon as she's done, get out of here." He told her gently. "I don't want you here any more than you have to be."
She could only nod at that, forcing her heart rate to slow down as she breathed. She slowly looked up and she was easily met with a soft yet urgent kiss and she smiled.
"I love you, Fae." He smiled, happy now to see the fear and anguish in her eyes gone, and her light and happiness returned. He would keep her safe for as long as he was able to.
"Come on, let's get out of here." She shivered.
He looked around seeing Glinda walk back to them. "You two go. I'll be out in a minute."
"Yero... Don't..."
"Go on." He gently urged her.
She sighed, there was no use in arguing with him about something he'd been wanting to do for months, even hinting that if she wasn't with him physically, he'd be off to deal with it long before this moment. "Just... Remember Nessa..."
He nodded and kissed her forehead before standing a little taller.
She watched with a faint smile as he stood from her Yero to the highly skilled hunter and Arjiki Prince he was, and she walked out with Glinda.
"Nothing to say this time, Governor? I'm surprised." Fiyero spoke calmly once he was sure they were out of earshot. He stalked forward.
Frex scoffed and stood up, glaring at him. "I have nothing to say to Winkies."
"No, you prefer to let your fists do the talking."
"How dare you!" he spat. "Whatever I did to that little green aberration was fully deserved!"
Fiyero growled and secured a punch against his jaw before grabbing him by the front of his robes. He barely heard Nessa's shrieking. "Her name is Elphaba. And she is your daughter. She is not an aberration." he snarled. "She has more kindness and love in a single strand of her hair than you have in your pathetic existence. Despite everything she has been through, she hasn't let it make her bitter or angry at the world. It's made her distrusting, and rightly so, but never bitter."
"Get your hands off me, you filthy Winkie savage." Frex snapped, struggling to pull himself free.
Fiyero chuckled darkly. "Oh, please. Think of something at least a bit original. I've been told by men bigger and stronger than you to go back to my own country. And I responded by drinking their alcohol and having my way with the ladies. But that's all changed now. Your daughter changed me for the better and that's how it's staying. She's not going to come anywhere near you. Not ever. Nessa is a grown woman who can and will come to see her sister whenever she likes, but she does it without you, and when I eventually make Elphaba my wife, she will be there." With one last punch to the gut, he dropped the Governor of Munchkinland and walked out of the room. He hissed and shook his hand to stop it from stinging as he walked outside to the rest of the group.
"Yero..." Elphaba rushed to him, hoping he wasn't hurt.
"I'm fine. I didn't do too much damage."
"To who?" Ollivander smirked undeterred by the green woman's scowl.
"Both." He answered as Elphaba gently took his hand and pressed soft kisses to the bruising knuckles. He withdrew it and held her close. "I'm okay. I won't apologise for defending you though."
Just this once, she didn't want him to. "I want to go to the library. I just have a little bit to finish off before the winter break." She spoke as the snow began to fall heavier.
Boq nodded. "At least we can avoid them leaving."
"You're such a cowardly Munchkin," Fiyero smirked, and his friends laughed.
The five of them rushed inside to the library building, mostly to get out of the snow.
"How many books have you had to burn because they're so far gone beyond repair?" Ollivander questioned.
"Eight hundred and twenty." She answered. "A lot of them were so old that their information was so outdated... It wouldn't have mattered that they were used to keep me warm."
"She's also snuck out quite a few," Fiyero revealed with a smirk.
She blushed. "They were to do with Animals!"
He rolled his eyes. "And that's why I have them so nobody can get to them."
Glinda shook her head and huddled against Ollivander. "Elphie..."
"What? We need all the help we can get."
Nessa and Frex left for home not long after and the friends weathered the snowstorm in the library, helping to sort out the remaining mess in the storeroom.