A/N: Again another update, we meet Gia's brother and sister here, but they won't be a major part of the story. The translation for what Hibo says to her brother is "I can see why she loved her." in Somali. I used Google Translate, so if this is incorrect, please tell me :)

Tell me it's not true

.

Elphaba woke up at the sound of the bedroom door opening, and she blearily saw two small shadows in the doorway, and she could hear one of them sniffling. "Come over here," she told them quietly.

The twins wasted no time in scurrying across the room and clambered into their parents' bed, seeking warmth and safety between them. Leila-Rose pressed her face into her mother's neck as her small body shook.

"Shh... baby it's alright," Elphaba whispered, cuddling her. I could rip that bastard apart myself! she thought viciously. Oh, he wouldn't know the true meaning of wicked if it castrated him and shoved it in his face!

Liir, much like his father, was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, safe in the knowledge now that his sister was being comforted and they were protected.

Eventually, Elphaba had managed to get Leila-Rose to sleep and she lay her beside her brother and slowly got up so she didn't wake any of them. She threw on her dressing gown and left the room, shivering a little at the cold. Checking on Ashender, she smiled when she saw him asleep curled up cuddling the lion he was given for his birthday. She was a little concerned at his lack of energy, but the royal doctor had assured her that it was normal while he recovered and would take time to get back to his normal self. She walked into the room and sat on the floor beside his bed, slipping a hand through the bed rail to grasp her son's small hand, feeling reflective.

The Tigelaar family had been home for two weeks, she and Fiyero were back to their Royal duties. The twins had started back at school and were getting help from their teacher to catch up - after she had to explain what they had been through. Ash was healing well, but his talking had taken a back step. In those two weeks, Leila had had several accidents in the night, and her gentle brother had tried to preserve just a little bit of dignity by helping her to change her clothes, and they always ended up retreating to their parents' room. The maids tried not to grumble about it, knowing the young princess would be embarrassed enough, but Elphaba knew they weren't happy with it.

The green witch sighed heavily. "I'm a curse, son," she muttered. "Your mama is a walking commotion. But your father knew that when he met me. God... If I could take away all this... hurt... nightmares... trauma... whatever you wanna call it... If I could make sure none of you ever remember what happened to you, I swear, I'd do it... You'd probably get lucky... Most people don't remember things when they're two years old." she looked up at the ceiling. "Your brother and sister, however..."

The Loyalist's trial happened four days before, and his execution day was in a few hours, he had already been taken by the Yunamata tribe, and Fiyero would receive details of what they chose to do later, Elphaba had already told him she wanted no knowledge of it. She would already have to deal with Gia's devastated family, and she didn't know how unpredictable they would be. She sighed and stood up, bending to kiss her son goodnight, and she left the room, turning off the oil lamp on the way, and she went back to her own bed to sleep for a few more hours.

"You should both really be in your own beds," Fiyero said later that morning, a gentle smile on his face told his daughter he wasn't upset with her.

"I'm scared." she pouted.

"I know." he sighed and hugged her, glancing over at Liir and Elphaba still asleep.

"Ameena is angry with me."

"Why?"

Leila fidgeted, her cheeks turning pink and she avoided looking at him.

And there's Fae. he thought. "Leila, it's nothing to be embarrassed by. Things like that happen and it's fine. She should be patient and know that."

"But-"

"Look at me."

Reluctantly, apprehensive, wide blue eyes looked up at him.

"I promise you this will pass. You'll move on from the big, scary things that happened, and one day you won't even remember it, you'll look back on that trip and remember the happy times you had. These accidents will stop. And you won't be scared forever."

She listened to her father and wanted to believe him. There was a long pause before she spoke again. "Papa?"

"Hm?"

"Love you."

He smiled. "Love you too. Go on, go get ready for breakfast."

The child nodded and clambered over him and jumped down from the bed, running out.

He sighed heavily and rolled over to face Elphaba, and he couldn't help but smile again. Liir was no longer a baby, he was long-limbed like his mother, but she still managed to curl herself around him as much as she could, just as she had done when he was small enough, a protective arm around him. He knew she always tried a little more with him, it was almost as if she were trying to make up for the rocky first year of his life, though she was not at fault and their son had no recollection of it all, it was clear to everyone that the boy adored his mother.

Fiyero leaned over and kissed her cheek and softly stroked her arm.

Elphaba let out an audible sigh and stirred, flickering her eyes open, tipping her head to the side to catch a glimpse of the man who held her heart.

"Morning, beautiful." he kissed her.

She smiled. "Morning, my love." She turned her head back to Liir and brushed her fingers through his curls. "Come, my sweet boy. Time to get up," she spoke gently.

Liir turned his head away and buried it into the pillow.

She rolled her eyes and slowly sat up, scooping him up with her. "Come on, you'll miss the day."

"I thought you said you wanted to come out with me." Fiyero reminded him, fighting the urge to laugh at the whining. "Then you need to wake up and go and get breakfast."

Liir pouted up at his mother who shook her head, avoiding looking at those pleading green eyes that would melt her in an instant.

"Nope, don't look at me."

Finally, the five-year-old shuffled off the bed and ran out to his own room.

This time, Fiyero did laugh. "There are only three people in the world who can make you do whatever they wished."

Yes, and I gave birth to every single one. she thought dryly. She groaned and lay back down, snuggling closer to him. "And all three learned it from you."

He scoffed. "Yeah, but you don't always listen to me or do as I say," he smirked. "Our vows did say to honour and obey."

She pinched him with a smirk of her own. "Yes, and it works both ways."

He laughed again and shrugged, tightening his hold around her.

"I don't know how I'll get through this afternoon."

He kissed her head. "You will. You'll find a way, you always do."

"How? We know next to nothing about her family."

"You just... I dunno, you care. Which is more than can be said for most people."

"I guess." she sighed. "Where are you taking the children?"

"The hunting grounds. I thought getting out there among the wild might help them get over some of their stresses."

Elphaba made a face, but he couldn't see it.

"Don't worry, they're not gonna be shown how to kill. They've got a few years yet." he rolled his eyes when she jabbed his side.

"Ugh... what did I marry into?" she teased.

"You're the one who said yes."

"And there's only one man insane enough to ask me." She looked up when she heard the sounds of an argument, and they both got out of bed and dressed quickly. They followed the voices. "Is there a reason for the shouting at this hour of the morning?" she looked at her two angry maids and no sign of her children in their bedroom.

"Miss Ameena is frustrated at the mess she has to clean up in the Princess's bedroom, Your Majesty."

"Young Leila-Rose is five years old! She should have outgrown this childish behaviour! Is it too much to ask that she-"

"Ameena, have you ever been frightened?" Elphaba cut her off.

"Of course, I was a child once!"

"And have you ever been shot at? Or witnessed family being hurt by an incident?"

"I..." The older woman looked embarrassed and ashamed, a faint colour of pink on her cheeks. "No, Your Majesty. I have not."

"I've been shot at more times than I care to think about. I've even been shot out of the sky and broken a few bones in the landing. I can deal with it. The usual response I used to get was disgust, horror and there have been people out there who would have thrown me in a river just to see what would happen. Leila-Rose is a child. A child who, up to that point, had no idea of the evils in this world. Who had a childhood she could look back on and be happy. She saw her brothers get injured, she saw everything that day, as much as I tried to shield it from her. She is so terrified of sleeping that she probably sees what happened over and over again." Elphaba told her. "You just have to be patient with her. She's trying. She is not a bad child, she's just scared of the monsters that once used to live in the dark, now she realises they also live in the daylight."

With that, the two ladies were dismissed, leaving the royal couple stood outside their children's room.

"You never told me that."

"I know." she sighed. "I try not to think about that time in my life. Just... with recent events..." she admitted.

"It's all you can think about?" he finished and held her close. "I'm glad you're away from all of that now."

She nodded, smiling a little. "Me too."

He thought for a moment before opening his mouth again. "Fae, maybe it would help if you did... Talk to someone, I mean."

"Help how?"

"Before the attack, you hadn't had nightmares that bad in four years. Now they're back. You are scared of what could happen and what might have happened, and nobody could blame you."

She looked up at him. "Did it help you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I mean... being a Scarecrow for three months helped too, being empty-headed and all."

She rolled her eyes at the grin on his face and she laughed softly.

"Seriously consider it, Fae. You went through more than I did, more than anyone should ever go through, and you're not just gonna get over that just because you had kids."

"It's made it worse..." she admitted quietly and he nodded.

"I know. You need to deal with him too, you can't keep him locked in that cell for the rest of his days."

"Ugh... one thing at a time, please," she complained, a sneer on her lips.

He rolled his eyes at her and kissed her. "You know I'm right, that's why you're annoyed at me."

She was about to respond when they heard laughter coming from the nursery. "That's where they went." she smiled. They crossed the corridor to the room and saw the three of them playing together.

"The shouting must have scared them a bit." Fiyero shrugged.

"It's possible." she sighed. "Right, come on, you three. It's time to get something to eat, you can play later," she called into the room.

"Mama, five minutes!" Leila pleaded.

"Now, Leila-Rose," she smirked at her daughter and she rolled her eyes at her pouting.

"Come on, you heard her." Fiyero tried not to laugh, and moments later, the sounds of their toys being put away were heard.

"Do you want me to use the temporary binding spell again?"

He shook his head. "No, it'll just be us and the wild, so if they do use their magick nobody else would really see it. Besides, it might do them a bit of good to get the tensions out of the way."

She nodded. "Good point." she smiled a little.

"I know you're worried, but it will be alright. They're gonna be just fine." he put his arm around her.

She nodded again, she knew that, and it somewhat comforted her to know that he felt the same way she did. "I know, my love."

Later that morning, Elphaba waited in the meeting room nervously for Gia's family to arrive at the castle. She hated the room, it always seemed too impersonal to her, too big and unnecessary. She looked up when the door opened and she stood from her chair.

"Your Majesty, Ms Hibo and Mr Inyene Maltaya are present to see you."

"Thank you, Johanda, show them in, please." Elphaba nodded.

The tall male nodded and stood aside, allowing the two light brown-skinned members of the Yunatama tribe enter the room, and Elphaba couldn't help the small smile that graced her features at the sight. The woman could have easily been Gia's twin.

"I'm sorry that this couldn't have been under better circumstances." She told them. "Your sister was the sweetest, most gentle girl I've ever known, and she very quickly became like family to us, I'd like to extend that to you both."

Hibo smiled slightly, though the pain at the loss of her little sister shone clear as day in her dark eyes. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Gianna was excited when she got her place here." Inyene nodded. "She was more excited to see a different part of these lands, and to make a start to fulfilling her dream as a child nurse."

Elphaba's heart twisted painfully at the words and she nodded, motioning for them to sit, and she took her own seat. "She adored the children, and they loved her."

Hibo listened to her. "She always loved children."

"How is it we can help?"

"Gia's funeral... Obviously, I only know the traditions of the Arjiki, mostly through my husband and what I've seen these past six years... But she was first and foremost, part of the Yunamata tribe, and I would like to incorporate any of your traditions in the arrangements."

"You're not native to these lands," Inyene stated, and Elphaba shook her head.

"Munchkinland."

"You don't look like a Munchkin."

She laughed then and shook her head again. "My birth and existence are... complicated to say the least."

Hibo smiled again, but a frown quickly replaced it. "You have also suffered."

"Gianna was a dear friend of mine, and her loss has devastated this family, though I'm sure your loss is felt more greatly."

"No... Not just the death of my sister... You've been through-"

"Bibi, that's enough." he cut his sister off gently. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, my sister... she gets these feelings sometimes..."

Elphaba shook her head quickly, hiding her emotions behind a mask. "It's alright. Magic is..."

"Complicated?"

She nodded.

"Waan arki karaa sababta ay iyada u jeclaatay," Hibo spoke softly to her brother.

"Giga?"

She nodded.

"We'll help in any way we can, Your Majesty," he told her.

"Thank you." Elphaba smiled softly.

Later that afternoon, Fiyero returned home with the children, the twins seemingly back to normal once again, and he was happy with the effects that being out in the wild was having on them. Even his youngest son was joining in with the fun he saw his siblings having, but the two-year-old still was not speaking. He rolled his eyes, grinning at the commotion they were causing, and told them to go and get washed before going in search of Elphaba. The first place he looked was the library, but saw no sign of her in her usual spot in the window, but a cooling cup of coffee, her glasses and an abandoned book was proof she'd been there at some point. "Fae?" he called out, leaving when he got no response. He stopped Johanda coming from another room. "Have you seen Elphaba?"

"She complained of a headache and went out for a walk in the gardens, Your Highness."

"Thank you." he smiled and headed off back through the castle and outside. He searched the rose garden, and when he was still unable to locate her, he made his way out to the fountain. There he found a lone cloaked figure sat beside the frozen water feature, and he knew he'd found her. "Rough afternoon?" he asked softly, sitting beside her.

Elphaba barely heard his approach, tilted her head slightly in his direction acknowledging his presence when she heard his voice. "Something like that." She let out a hiss of air when his warm hand found her frozen one, the warmth of his skin stinging briefly. She smiled a little at his apology. "It's fine... hadn't realised how cold I was..."

"Want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, leaning against him and rested her head on his shoulder. "What did the children do?"

"We wandered around the forest, Liir wanted to learn how to track, so we've been tracking small creatures for a while. He picked it up quick, Leila was a bit slower to pick it up, but they had fun with it."

She smiled a little, listening. "Do you think it helped?"

"We had a few wobbles, an outburst or two, but I think it did. If they spend more time out there, and as long as they're free to express their irritations and feelings..."

"They'll get through it." she finished and nodded.

"You should come with us next time."

"I'd like that." she smiled.

They stayed in silence for a short time longer.

"Come on, let's get inside." he stood up and pulled her up with him and they walked back inside, he gently rubbed her arms as they walked, trying to create some warmth in her.

"They're laughing..." she smiled when she heard the familiar sounds she hadn't heard for a few weeks.

"See? Back to normal for a bit." he grinned.

She nodded, walking to the room the laughter was coming from.

"I thought I told you to get washed up." He laughed as soon as he saw them.

"We want mama to do it." Leila looked up at her father.

Elphaba chuckled softly and nodded. "Alright, then you can tell me what you did today." she picked up the silent two-year-old before heading to the small bathroom to start the water for their bath, she paused when Ash tapped her shoulder with the palm of his hand, and she looked at him.

The child kicked his legs and tapped her again as if trying to copy Liir and show her something.

"Talk to me, son. Use your voice." she told him gently.

He shook his head.

"You want to show me something?"

He nodded.

"I don't know if you're able to." she sighed. "Ashender, you need to talk."

He whined and started to get frustrated with himself. He was only stopped when his mother gently held his hand to stop him from hitting her more.

"Stop," she told him in a soft, firm voice. "No hitting. Tell me what's wrong." She sighed when he remained silent and she shook her head. "I really wish you'd tell me what's going on in your head," she muttered and left the bathroom.

"Give it time, Fae," Fiyero told her when he saw the anxious look on her face.

"Fiyero, what if he never speaks again?" she set the infant on the floor. "He was only just learning how to and then this happened to him..."

He sighed and walked over to her, holding her close. "Then we will deal with whatever comes our way, I'll have the doctors look him over again, and if nothing changes over the next few months then we will look at other ways for him to communicate with us."

"He wanted to show me something... but I don't think he's come into his magic yet, and I don't think he would be able to show me in the same way Liir does."

He nodded. "Okay." he paused in thought. "Maybe... Maybe we could see what your books have to say. Surely they would have something in there about stuff like this."

She shrugged. "It's worth a shot." she sighed.

It wasn't long before the bathroom was filled with the sounds of water splashing and chatter from the children as they recounted their day to their mother and Fiyero left Elphaba to it.

He headed to his study, and startled when he spotted something he hadn't seen for six years. A flying Monkey. "What the-?!" he yelped, and the creature perched on the table turned around to face him.

"Mister Fi...yero..." the creature spoke, testing out the sound of his name on his tongue, and Fiyero knew immediately which creature this was, just by his voice alone.

"Chistery! What the hell are you doing here?" More to the point, how did he know where he would be?

"Execution details," Chistery told him more confidently and pointed to the official-looking document sitting on the desk where he had put it.

"Oh." Was he hiding in the North now? "Thank you. Will you stay? Elphaba would love to see you again."

Chistery hesitated for a moment, understanding the King's wariness of him, Fiyero only supported the Animals when it benefitted him or whenever he considered Elphaba, and he considered refusing until he spoke of his old Mistress. "Miss Fae is here?"

Okay... so not in the North... he thought, for practically everyone in the Vinkus knew of the Queen of the Arjikis and of her unique skin tone. "She is." he nodded. "We married six years ago."

The Monkey regarded him with a wide-eyed stare for a moment. She found him. he thought, happy and relieved to know that she was safe and cared for, that much was evident in the King's tone of voice.

"So, will you stay awhile?" he asked, and grinned when the creature nodded. "I'll go and get her in a few minutes." he added and picked up the document, reading over the final part of the Loyalist's trial. The Yunatama tribe had executed the man in the most brutal way imaginable, and Fiyero shuddered.

"Will Miss Fae see that?"

"No. She doesn't want to know how it ends, and after reading this, I don't blame her."

"It was terribly bloody." Chistery acknowledged.

Fiyero nodded and put it away in a drawer in his desk, and left to find his wife again. He found her sat on the floor in the twins' room and has just managed to get Liir dressed for bed, he smirked at the sight. "Just exactly how much water ended up staying in the tub?"

Elphaba mock glared up at him and shook her head. "I decided to have a bath with them." she drawled.

"Yes, I can see that."

"You dare put your shoes back on-!" she looked at her mischievous son, ignoring Fiyero laughing. "I know your every move before you make it, child, over to your bed, please."

Instead, Liir dropped his boots and darted to the door, giggling as he hid behind his father.

"If you find another small child dressed in yellow, please feel free to drag her back," she smirked and stood up, dusting off her skirt.

Fiyero laughed again and nodded. "Noted." He wondered, not for the first time, how they had so much energy, even after the day they had had. He was also glad that they were showing signs of being back to their old selves before their trauma, and noticed that Elphaba wasn't telling them to be quiet. She seemed to take in the noise, to savour it as if she were worried she would never hear it again. "Well... we can let them play a little longer before dinner, I have something to show you."

"What is it?" she looked up at him, rolling her eyes when her son didn't waste time in disappearing in a flurry of noise.

"It's better to show you." Fiyero reached for her hand and walked her back to his study.

"Yero, if you're going to show me that warrant-"

"I promised you I wouldn't, didn't I?"

She nodded.

He smiled and kissed her head. "Go on." He watched her open the door, and his smile widened when he heard her gasp.

"Chistery!" she cried. "What on... how are you here?!"

"Found a safe place, Miss Fae. After your me-... disappearance... Miss Gl-linda helped me and taught me to speak. I did not know you were here until ten minutes ago."

"How long ago did you leave Glinda?"

"Five years ago."

Elphaba nodded. That explained why she never knew... Glinda would have been pregnant and going through her own issues at the time, wouldn't have even thought to mention him. She then wrapped the creature in a hug with a smile on her face. "Oh, I'm so glad you're alright! And you're speaking!"

Fiyero discretely left them to their reunion and paused in the corridor before turning in the direction of the northern tower. He had a feeling that Leila-Rose had gone exploring once more.

He stalked the corridors silently, and walked up the stairs. The sentries were not at their posts, and the door slightly ajar. He stopped outside when he heard talking from within.

"You made mama sad."

"I know, and it's going to take me a long time to say sorry for that."

"Why didn't you like my mama?"

"I did!"

Fiyero scoffed at the lie, glaring at the door.

"If you did, you wouldn't have hurt her and made her sad. And she would see Aunty Linny more."

"I didn't realise things would go as far as they did, and then I found out that she is my daughter and I want to make it up to her."

"What does that mean?"

"I didn't know for a very long time that I was her father."

"How?"

"Adult complications."

Fiyero had decided he had had enough and he pushed his way inside. "What are you doing up here, young miss?"

Leila whirled around, her dark curls flying about her head and she looked up at her father, looking very much caught in the act.

"You were told not to come up here. Go on, back downstairs." he held the door open, leaving no room for argument and watched as she scuttled out of sight. "I don't know what trick you're playing, trying to get to Leila for what? Trying to make Elphaba talk to you?" he scowled at the man looking considerably older than the last time he had seen him.

"I assure you, I'm not playing any tricks, Fiyero. Yes, you both have every reason to hate me and what I've done to you both. But I meant what I said, I want to make amends. I want to right the wrongs that I caused. You didn't deserve it and neither did she." Oscar told him.

"I don't believe you and she won't either. She has been advised to make a decision on what to do with you, but you will not be staying in here for the rest of your days."

"The warrior laying down the law to his wife?"

"No. Looking out for her mental wellbeing by having you out of this castle. You and I both know that nobody tells her what to do." he shook his head. "You weren't exactly there when she needed you. Even after the fact, you didn't leave Glinda the tools to clear her name or put right everything you said against her, you just ran away like a coward. I have had to help her this past year, I have had to watch my wife struggle and come to terms with things and to put things right on her own, and still be a mother and a Queen in her own right."

"I wasn't given the chance to know. Melena took that away from me and I had no idea until Glinda made the connection years later when it was too late for me to do anything."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "The thing I noticed about Elphaba and Nessa is that they're both incredibly smart and extremely stubborn. Something I have no doubt was inherited from their mother. If she didn't tell you, it had to be for one of two reasons. She didn't know, or she saw something in you she didn't really like. The poor woman has been dead for twenty years so it's not like we can send a letter and ask her."

"I didn't need anything from you then, and I certainly don't need anything from you now," Elphaba spoke up as she entered the room, standing behind Fiyero. "The things I wanted growing up were just childish fantasies for me. But what I didn't have then, I make sure my children have now."

"Why have you kept me here then?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "Some misguided feelings possibly."

"I can find a way to help the children."

"We don't need your help. I know what your help is like, and I don't intend on inflicting that on them."

"Elphaba, please, all I wish to do is to help you and your family and show you I have changed. I know what I did was wrong, and you have every right to hate me for it, but please-"

"Why should I? I hold no loyalty to you. I hold no affection for you."

"No. But that can change. Please, I meant it years ago, that the one regret in my life is that I didn't have or raise any children. And I know you're all grown up with a family of your own, but every child young or old needs their parents."

"And mine are dead." she spat. "You weren't there for me. You didn't see me grow up. You didn't protect me even when I came to you for help."

"If I'd have managed to talk your mother into leaving with me, if she'd have told me about you, I would have done."

She scoffed. "More lies. I don't see why I'm at all surprised." she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not lying, Elphaba. And one way or another, I will prove it to you. Six months is a long time for a man to think."

Fiyero turned to face her, hiding her from Oscar's view now. "What do you want to do?" he asked in a low voice.

She sighed and he could see the exhaustion written on her face. "Let him go. Let him go with the express order that he does not set foot back into this castle or try to approach us."

He nodded and rested his forehead against hers. "Will you be okay?"

She shrugged. "I don't know yet."

He gently brushed his nose against hers and lifted his head away. "Go on. It's far too quiet and that's never a good sign." he smiled.

Her lips quirked up at the corner in a half-smile and she nodded. "Good point." she turned on her heel and left the tower in search of the twins.

Fiyero turned back to face him. "You will be released by morning, but you will not come near this family ever again. Elphaba has made her choice."

"On your orders no doubt."

"On her own orders. My wife has her own mind and her own voice, she can, she will and she does use it. You see, that's where she is so different from you. She is in a position of power, and she uses it to do good. Over the past couple of years, she has changed things in these lands for the better. She doesn't do it for the recognition or the respect. She does it out of love. She does it because she cares. She keeps quiet when she knows she wants to tell some stupid idiot to get out. Given everything she has experienced in her life, you could expect her to be bitter, to be full of hate for the world, but she isn't. And her mother would be so proud to see the woman she has become. If she saw you now, given what Elphaba wants to do... I can imagine she would want to set you on fire and not call for help." he walked out, leaving Oscar to his thoughts.