When Alapedgio and Number Five had another shift, Fiyero cleared his throat the minute the two entered the room and Elphaba squirmed uncomfortably. Fiyero said, "Number Five, could you step out of the room for a moment?"
Number Five exchanged glances with Alapedgio. He knew what this meant.
Elphaba hissed, "Do we have to do this now?"
"We should've a while ago." Fiyero told her.
They were seated in the living room. Alapedgio, gulping, took a seat across from them in a large, commodious chair. The couple shared a loveseat and Elphaba was practically hiding behind Fiyero. "You talk," she said softly.
Looking from Elphaba to Alapedgio, Fiyero said, "That is one of the first times since a life sciences presentation on reproduction that my wife has ever given me the idea that she might not want to do much speaking." He gently massaged Elphaba's shoulders as he stared steadily at Alapedgio. "Obviously, she's very uneasy right now. Can you think of any reason why?"
Alapedgio knew better than to admit to anything. He'd heard of enough situations where someone might think they were caught and confessed when it turned out they were being questioned about something completely different. So he just hung his head. "Not really."
"If I mention that you ran into my wife in the city a little over a year ago, would that help your memory any?" Fiyero's voice was quiet, but stern.
"It might."
"If I were to bring up that you raped her, beat her twice, and would not take no for an answer, would that dislodge any memories you might have?"
Elphaba jolted on the word "rape" and stood up and fled the room.
Both men looked at one another. Calmly, Fiyero called, "Perria, would you assist my wife back into the room, please?"
Alapedgio started. "What are you doing? You just said she was upset about being in the room! How can you force her to come back in here?"
"I don't think you, of all people, have any right to tell me whether or not I'm doing something that will disturb my wife, thank you."
Elphaba was ushered back into the doorway by Perria. "Come on, Mistress Elphaba, Master Fiyero insists."
She stared at them hollowly.
Fiyero held out a hand for her to take. "Elphaba, love, please sit back down and join us."
She took his hand gratefully and sat beside him. Elphaba did not protest when he slipped an arm around her waist and held her against him. However, she did say, "I'm sorry. I'm not myself right now."
Fiyero nodded understandingly and kissed her forehead. "I know. I don't expect you to be. I promised you that you wouldn't have to speak much, didn't I? I just wanted you to be here."
She took a deep breath. "I do have something to say, actually."
Fiyero looked at her, and Alapedgio held his breath.
"Well, it's more of a question, really. Why me? I can understand that some men are sick, and twisted, but why the hell did you have to choose me? I just don't get it." Her voice rose quickly and there was a hint of a sob detectable under her words. "I mean, of all the women in the world, why this terrible, horrifying green creature? Why?"
Fiyero grabbed her and pulled her closer to him. "Elphaba!"
"No, Fiyero. I want to know. Tell me." She demanded, first of the man beside her and then of the one across the room.
Alapedgio looked at his hands.
"Are you going to answer?" Elphaba asked weakly.
Fiyero put a hand over Elphaba's and lowered his head. "Elphaba, please."
Alapedgio said, "He's right. I don't think you want to hear the answer, at least not from me."
Tearing away from Fiyero slightly and scooting over to the far side of the loveseat, she insisted, "I don't care if I do or do not want to hear the answer, I have to."
"You're not going to like it, not coming from me."
"You said that and I said I don't care, damn it, now say something!"
Fiyero saw that she was shaking and reached to hold her again.
She slapped him away roughly. "No way, Fiyero! I'm not going to let you just soothe me into sitting here passively while you handle things! This has more to do with me than it does with you, don't you understand that?"
Fiyero turned away. "Sorry."
Elphaba looked at Alapedgio expectantly. "So."
Fiyero watched both of them silently.
"Elphaba, you won't be able to understand this." He winced at her glare. "But I'll tell you, since you don't seem to care. I know there are plenty of people in this world who have seen your skin and found it ugly, but there are people who don't. I mean, look at your husband."
"Don't you ever compare me with you!" Fiyero snapped.
"I apologize, sir. To me, you looked enthralling, exotic, not unattractive. Something about the set look in your eyes, well, attracted me. When I'd gotten you to have a little to drink and you'd mentioned what you'd run away from, I could see you still loved and missed your husband, and that there was no other way…"
"So you just decided to force me? Normally the reaction when someone doesn't want you is just sadness and get over it." Elphaba answered nastily.
"I regret what I did."
"Do you think that's enough? Do you have any idea how sick I felt knowing what you'd done, knowing that my husband was no longer the only man to have me? Do you know how many nightmares I've had? Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to just get back into bed with my husband and tell him, for the longest time, that nothing had ever happened?" Tears were streaming down Elphaba's face now, and she was shaking her head madly.
Fiyero couldn't stand it anymore. He forced her as cautiously as he could into his arms, despite her kicking and pounding against him, and tried to calm her. "Please, baby, don't. It's okay. It's okay. I'm here right now. Don't do this."
"I…wanted… you to be… the only one." She mumbled through her tears, tormented.
Looking at the shine of the tears against the soft skin of her tortured face, he felt anger building within him. Clutching her against him, Fiyero said back to Alapedgio, "Get out of here. Go back to the Wizard. Tell him to send another head guard. I don't care what reason you give him so long as it doesn't do her any damage. You understand me? Get the hell out of my home."
"Yes, sir," Alapedgio answered solemnly. He approached the loveseat first and bent down, Fiyero gazing at him like he was ready to strike if needed, "I'm sorry, Elphaba."
"Go the fuck away!" She hissed.
He nodded, turned and left the room. To Number Five, he said, "You're in charge until a new captain comes, all right?"
Number Five said nothing and half-nodded, about to open the door.
"Don't bother them." Alapedgio said. "Just… let them be a little while."
Number Five swallowed hard and let go of the doorknob.
Alapedgio went upstairs to gather his things and leave.
Fiyero sighed heavily as the man left the room and held Elphaba to him. "Don't cry, Fae, nothing of that sort is ever going to happen to you again as long as I'm alive."
She simply hid her face in his shirt.
He just sat back and stroked her hair, waiting for her to ease up, trying to relieve her. "I'm here and I love you. I'll never hurt you, I promise." Fiyero struggled not to clench his fists as he held her, thinking about Alapedgio and the tears Fiyero had and would see on his wife's face.
"Oh, Yero," she whispered, "I really did want only you to…"
"I know. But it doesn't matter, as long as you love only me, nothing else matters." He reassured her.
"It matters, it matters to me."
"Shh." He pressed his forehead against hers. "It's over now. You don't have to think about it anymore. I love you so much. Nothing has changed or will change that. You're always going to be my Fae-Fae."
"Yero my hero." She responded instinctively.
"Mmm hmm." He placed a kiss on her nose. "Right here. Always. Now, I think you and I need to get up. What do you think?"
"Sounds good."
Fiyero smiled at her lovingly. "All right then. Come on." He put her down on the couch and stood up.
She placed her hands on the couch gingerly and brought herself up. "Shall we get moving?"
"Moving where?"
"I don't know. Anywhere."
"I know. Let's head up to the study and you can work on a few things to ensure Animals rights around here while I sit around and pretend to know what I'm doing." Fiyero joked.
"You can help."
"How?"
"Not talking to me, but staying in the room. It makes me feel better when you're around, but I don't need you talking and sidetracking me."
"What if I sit right next to you and play with your hair?"
"You know I hate that," Elphaba said, eyes turning a bit fiercer.
"Yeah, exactly." He teased.
Elphaba sighed. "Yero, really." She looked at him thankfully. "I don't know how you do it."
"Do what?" He cocked his head.
She bit back a smile; he looked pathetically adorable like that. "How you manage to make everything seem so much better when I feel like I'm in hell."
He smiled. "And you welcomed me to hell, all those years ago."
"I was wrong, huh?"
"Very."