Chapter Nine: The Root of it All

The winter holidays had been tedious, at least for Elphaba. She'd had to endure Nessa's never-ending rant about how Elphaba, the daughter of such a renowned unionist minister was tainting her father's reputation by dating a boy with no religion and even being seen (only once), Oz forbid, kissing him in public! It had only been a kiss on the cheek, she'd argued (to no avail). And their father was a "renowned" unionist minister? Ha! Elphaba had not concealed a snort at this, which sent Nessa flying into another rage. By this point, Elphaba left the room and prepared to endure the cold rather than deal with the constant nagging for her younger sister.

Fiyero had regretted having to head home and leave Elphaba alone with Nanny, Nessa and Glinda at Shiz, but he'd promised at the beginning of the year. Besides, it did give him the chance to mention to his family, indiscreetly, that he had a girlfriend and was considering his options rather than settling for the arranged marriage his parents had hoped he would agree to. His mother had seemed a bit interested in the idea (she's asked if this wonderful girl he kept talking about would come out for the summer or even the spring holidays), though his father didn't like Fiyero straying from family tradition. Fiyero wasn't much concerned with this, of course, because he had plenty of time. After all, he'd only finished half of his second year of college.

Glinda constantly pressed Elphaba for details of her relationship with Fiyero. She was constantly asking if they'd kissed, how they'd kissed, if they'd ever touched each other in certain ways, if Elphaba thought they'd be together for a long time, and how much time Fiyero spent with Elphaba. Obviously, Elphaba got very irritated with this very quickly. After only a day or two, she'd started avoiding her roommate and hiding in the library until the latest possible hours. Yet, the blonde had gotten to Elphaba again, pretending to be disgusted with the fact that Elphaba had refused to allow Fiyero to purchase a Lurlinemas gift for her, as she wouldn't get one for him, either.

It was the second to last day of the holidays when Elphaba finally snapped enough to head outside with her bag and shudder on a bench. The weather was bitter and cold, but there hadn't been much snow. Elphaba sat, kicking her legs on the bench as a way to keep warm, not thinking of anything in particular, just fading in and out on different subjects. She screamed in alarm when a pair of gloved hands wrapped around her tightly.

"I'm not that scary, am I?" Fiyero moved away from behind the bench and sat down next to Elphaba.

"Everyone's scary when I don't expect them to engulf me in some sort of odd embrace," Elphaba responded only half-angrily. She was happy to see him, as annoyed as she was.

"Is that the kind of greeting I get?" Fiyero teased.

She pouted enough so he thought she wouldn't do anything, and then jumped, kissing him.

Elphaba had never taken the initiative to kiss him first since the dance, and Fiyero was pleased and quite surprised. Cautiously, he deepened the kiss and slid an arm around her waist, tangling the other hand in her hair. When they finally slowed, their faces were mere centimeters apart. "Mmm."

"Wow." Elphaba breathed, her breath showing in the frigid air.

"Now," he said kissing her again, "that was the way I'd like to be welcomed."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and succumbed to yet another embrace. When he finally relented enough to let her have some air and a word for herself, she began, "Anyway, I've, well, um, I've missed you."

"I missed you, too. What have you been doing all this time?"

"Sneaking off to the library. Well, at least the Crage library, though it isn't very fulfilling. But it does have enough of the recent papers to let me know what's going on with the world."

"Oh? And what is going on in Oz these days?" Fiyero asked, brushing a strand of hair out of Elphaba's face and then taking her hand.

Elphaba's face darkened. "More Animal murders."

"That… isn't good." Fiyero frowned. She'd told him of Dr. Dillamond and his murder the first night they'd gone out. Since then, he'd felt a little bit like he'd understood part of her, but he still couldn't share the anger and despair she felt. He hadn't been there, after all.

"No, it's not. I don't understand how the Wizard can just sit by and let this happen! He's got to know, unless they're trying to conceal it from him. It wouldn't be that hard, now that I think about it. They've made all of the articles about the murders tiny sidebars in the papers, like they're only as important as 'Jade Way gets new pavement'. Everything sounds like a suicide or accident, but if you read carefully, you can tell. But maybe the Wizard's advisors are concealing it…"

Fiyero, though not nearly as read and informed as Elphaba, had some experience here, thanks to his status. "Maybe He's the one concealing it." It was just an idea, a theory, not an accusation.

"Are you kidding me? There are too many people working for him to let that happen, anyway," Elphaba reasoned.

Fiyero didn't argue. It had just been a suggestion. "There's nothing we can do."

"And that's what makes it so hard! Madame Morrible told Glinda, Nessa and I, when Ama Clutch died the week before break, that we'd meet the Wizard soon. Maybe I can say something then. It might be more than a year away, but I don't care."

"You mean she told you that night when Avaric had us all intent on going to the Philosophy Club, but together we talked everyone out of it? You were ready to go to the city right that moment."

"I almost wish I had!"

Fiyero had this strong gratification that she hadn't, though he wasn't sure why. If she'd gone, he thought, she would've gone only with Glinda. Without him, she was likely to go wild if something went wrong. He might've lost her, in some way or another, and he didn't like the idea. "It's all right. When you're supposed to go, you'll go. This all has reason, Elphaba. Let things work out."

"Are you telling me to watch everything happen unjustly?"

"No, I just meant that there's a point where you should interfere. You know you'll get a chance to make some sort of statement sooner or later; wait for it." He clutched her hand tightly.

She took a deep breath. "Right." Elphaba looked at their hands and brought her other hand to play with them curiously.

Fiyero snuck a kiss on her cheek. "Besides, as selfish as this must sound, I'd rather you be here. With me."

"That does sound selfish."

"I don't care. We're not yet twenty, Elphie. There's time to do whatever you want. You just need to be prepared." He didn't even feel everything he was saying, but he had to convince her, once again, that she had to stay. Fiyero felt like it was a battle between him and some other force, and he was constantly fighting it. Why couldn't he be good enough to root her anywhere?

"I know, I know." She shrugged.

She'd always yearn to fight, to run. He wondered if he could ever still that need even the slightest bit. Fiyero subconsciously prayed that he could. "Hey, come on. We've got the afternoon. Let's get some lunch, just the two of us. Then we can walk around wherever."

"In the cold?"

"We could eat and then find some cozy bookstore to cuddle in the corner of?" He looked at her innocently.

"Aw, hell." She got up as he pulled her. "You always have the most off the top of your head but wonderful sounding ideas."

"It's a talent."

So an hour later they found themselves in Elphaba's favorite bookstore, sitting on the floor in the fantasy section (a secret guilty pleasure of Elphaba's), coats beneath them as Fiyero read some book about The Other World aloud and Elphaba leaned, head on his thigh, half-sleeping and half-listening. The bookstore owner was used to them and knew them by name; at times, they were the only customers, so he didn't mind them. It was good for him to have company once in a while, even if they weren't always speaking with him. He thought the young green girl and the Winkie were quite interesting and he enjoyed watching their interactions.

"'And so the man, this computer scientist, worked to discover how to travel through time,'" Fiyero read dutifully.

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Elphaba said dazedly.

"What?"

"Being able to travel through time and change things. I could save Doctor Dillamond…"

"Elphaba," Fiyero said gently, "you have to let that go."

She sighed. "But it would be nice."

"It would."

"And then, I could go back and take the opportunity I had to go meet the Wizard and…"

"Elphaba, hush. You didn't and we're glad about that, remember? You will, in time. There's a reason time travel only exists in books. Think of the mistakes you could make. Besides, the only time that matters is right now, just you and me."

"Yes," she smiled warmly up at him, "you and me."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine. I do feel a bit exhausted. If you spend the last few weeks warding off Nessa's haughty comments and Glinda's inquisitive questions, you'd be practically dead. I'm lucky I can walk."

"I can only imagine." Fiyero pulled Elphaba's entire body into his lap. "Now come here, you. I don't need you falling asleep on me. I can't carry you back to Shiz and into your room, you know."

"That sounds good," Elphaba joked.

"Don't even think about it. I'll just leave you here." He threatened.

She rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't. You'd want to. But I don't think you could."

"Could you do the same to me?"

"No, I'd call a carriage, drag you out to it and have the driver, for bit of extra money out of your pocket, Mr. Prince, drive straight in front of Briscoe Hall and Crage Hall to drop each of us off."

"Well, apparently someone thinks she's more intelligent then I am." Fiyero observed.

"No, I just have more common sense," she replied lightly.

"Sometimes I wonder how much."

She eyed him.

"You just get very… angry really quickly."

"That's a self control issue."

"Anyway, can we get back to reading?"

"Yes. I like this. I wish I could spend more time like this, relaxed and not working like a pack-mule."

"You could."

"Yeah, and I could drop school."

Fiyero hugged her around the waist. "I just meant that we could spend a bit more time together."

"We already spend too much time together and we've barely been dating two months." She scolded.

"So? I can't help it if I just want to be with you every moment."

"You do not want to be with me every single moment, believe me."

"Okay, a lot of moments."

She laughed, settling down and laying her head against his chest. "Me, too," she admitted, "Me, too."