A/N: There's only a chapter or two left! Uh oh! I'm definitely gonna miss this story...

Incommunicable Emotions

Chapter 18

"It Ain't Easy Being Green"

Glinda tightened her arms around Elphaba, closing her eyes briefly. They were both precariously perched on Elphaba's broom, searching desperately for a place to seek shelter for the night. Thanks to The WONDERFUL Wizard of Oz, a place in the city was out of the question.

Feeling the grip on her waist subside, Elphaba glanced behind her, smiling at Glinda's closed eyes and slackened facial features. Surely she was the only person that could fall asleep while flying above the earth.

The broom descending in careful spirals, Elphaba set them down at the threshold of a small cave, figuring it's basic shelter would be sufficient for at least a night.

Carrying Glinda in her arms, their parcels unceremoniously thrown in front of them, Elphaba quickly strode into the cave, beginning to set up a nest of blankets for sleep. Glinda's eyes fluttered open once, and she shifted closer to Elphie, putting her arms around her neck and snuggling deeper into the center of warmth. Within moments, Elphaba was asleep.

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A small boy woke violently, shaking in his bed. Outside his window, the fierce tromp of Gale Force boots echoed in deep bass thunder. A mob followed them, complete with flaming torches and weapons of all sorts. Properly equipped, some carried capped buckets, filled with water.

Nothing could stop these men, they had been fooled once and surely wouldn't be fooled again. Half of their determination came from the shame that they had failed at their previous task, and the Wicked Witch was left freely to roam about from village to village.

The boy turned from the window, reflecting. Certainly whomever these men sought had no chance of survival.

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A rooster's merciless crow woke both Elphaba and Glinda shamelessly. Elphaba stood up, grumbling, and walked out of the cave momentarily. A series of gobbles and a shrill rooster scream, and Elphaba was back, looking pleased with herself.

She sat next to Glinda, rubbing her face tiredly. Glinda wasn't blind to the look of exhaustion on her clever face.

"Elphie, did you sleep well last night?"

"Well, as well as I could sleep, I suppose. I just...can't help but think that I'm dragging you into this, needlessly. I wish I could protect you, and not have to run from place to place, just to barely survive."

Beside her, Glinda blinked rapidly. "Elphaba...do the Winkies know of you?"

Elphaba turned to her, brow raised. "Winkie land is hundreds of miles from here, of course not. They've probably never even heard of my reputation."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, which I frequently am," Glinda started slowly. "But if we were to live in Winkie country, wouldn't we be undisturbed?"

Elphaba looked at her as if she had never seen her before. "...Am I really that stupid to have overlooked such a wonderful idea?"

Glinda threw her arms around her, smiling at the chance for her to be the intelligent one. Elphaba stood, suddenly excited.

"That's exactly what shall happen, my sweet! Right now, this very instant! We'll head to Winkie land!"

"But Elphie, you won't be able to fight all of this in Winkie land."

Elphaba sighed. "Glinda...at this point, I realize that my influence has done naught but cause more suffering. I'll be happy to settle down and live a free life with you, honestly. Away from prying eyes and intolerance. We need to leave this place, and the sooner, the better."

Elphaba halted in mid-pace, head cocking to the side. Belatedly, Glinda heard the murmur of an approaching crowd, and the stomp of steel-toe boots. Elphaba wrenched Glinda to her feet, forgoing their parcels for the chance to get a head start.

She ran from the cave, holding Glinda's hand to hopefully increase her speed. Glinda suddenly faltered, falling to her knees. A thrown rope was looped about her waist, and the holder was eagerly attempting to haul her in, fighting Elphaba's frenzied grip. More overzealous traps caught her, including a hastilly thrown net.

Glinda raised her mouth to Elphaba's ear. "Leave now, get me later."

Recognizing the determined look in Glinda's eyes, Elphaba nodded. "I'll come back for you." She whispered fiercely, quickly jumping to the forsaken broom and flying away.

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A thickly muscled Gale Forcer pushed Glinda into the cage, double bolting the locks and standing at attention in front of the door.

After capturing her, the mob had quickly brought their hostage to the Wizard's palace, delivering her to the hands of the Wizard and the guards. Realizing any place out of sight could be easily accessed by Elphaba, they put a large cage directly beside the Wizard's throne. Surely there was no escape from this pit of hell she had been pulled into.

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Elphaba paced around the woods frantically, putting a kercheif to the incessant flow of tears. She had done it again, had failed Glinda. She grudgingly put her hands to her face, praying for some benevolent force to grant her the ability to do what she knew had to be done.

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Elphaba, cloaked in all black and the darkness of the night, crept up to Madame Morrible's villa, lowered animalistically to the ground.

With all of the magic she had ever possessed, she focused on the front window. As if automatic, the window popped open, and Elphaba hoisted herself up to peek her head into the house. Using the same magic as earlier, she focused on a large stack of newspapers in the corners. A tiny lick of flame rose, and Elphaba, sliding down from the window and onto her broom, into the night, knew that would be enough.

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Guards rushed to Morrible's villa as fast as possible, but it was to no avail. The entire house was in massive, careening flames, roaring and licking at the peppermint sky.

The almost inhuman shrieks of pure agony had long since ceased, unheard by all but Elphaba who couldn't stop the wicked smile from reaching her lips.

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Glinda, sitting on a small cot in the back of her cage, could scarcely believe the news. Morrible's house had burnt to the ground, along with her. The body so badly burnt that it had initially been mistaken for a pile of smoldering blankets. Dead, for sure, at last, dead.

Elphie. She simply knew Elphie was behind this. While she winced slightly at the barbarian action, she had to smile at the notion that Elphie would finally rescue her, and they could finally live a life free from persecution, free to love. Though as each sunset came and went, her hope dwindled and dwindled.

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Elphaba and Glinda lay on a blanket in the field, looking up at the stars overhead. For weeks, Glinda had been feeling more and more affectionate to her green roomie, and she had been trying, to no avail, to figure out why this was. They had always been close, sharing embraces and the occasional soft kiss.

But the feelings had intensified to the point that Glinda was scared that it may be more than she had previously thought. she felt a sudden tremor next to her, jarring her from her thoughts.

Glinda turned her head, trying to pinpoint the source of all the shaking. Nothing, however, could have prepared her for the sight of Elphie, tears streaming down her face, silent sobs shaking her shoulders. Glinda put a hand on her cheek, concern etching her forehead. "Sweet Lurline, are you alright, Elphie? What's wrong?"

Elphaba looked at her, smiling through her tears. "It's just, you and the stars are just beautiful. And I'm...I'm finally happy." Glinda, feeling the slight sting of her own tears form in her eyes, put her forehead to Elphaba's. "Oh, Elphie..." Elphaba kissed her softly. "I hope that someday I can make you as happy as you make me right now." Glinda smiled. "You already have."

A/N: Okay, this site is being dumb, and not delivering me private messages or reviews. So if you wanna send me a private message, send it to

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