I'm SO sorry this chapter is so late, everyone! College life isn't very friendly to updates!

Wanli8970: The last chapter was actually one of the longer ones, word wise.

PocketSevens: I still love your reviews, but it looks like you have a bit of competition with cjsparkles4803. *Smirk*

Fiyero's head spun as the carriage entered the Vinkus. It was close to two in the morning, but he wasn't tired. He still had some left over adrenaline from the ball, and his brain was too congested to even think about going to sleep. What was he going to say to his parents? What was he supposed to say to them? He can't just walk in and say 'Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad! I'm home!', now could he? He letters had been few-and-far-between, sometimes he would go months without writing to them. He practically vanished off the face of Oz and now he was suddenly returning home.

His thoughts suddenly drifted to the princess. He and Elphaba had practically danced the night away, only stopping when they both agreed that one more step and their feet would fall off. He laughed to himself, remembering the feeling of the green girl in his arms. It made him feel good.

Snap out of it, Tigulaar! he chided himself. You're supposed to protect the princess, not fall in love with her. And yet, he couldn't shake away the blissful thoughts and feelings he had when he thought about her or was near her. She must have felt the same feelings towards him… or at least, her version of them. She wouldn't be spending so much time with him if she didn't feel something. Right?

It was probably just a crush. Crushes were normal and completely healthy. It's when the crush becomes something more than a crush where things start to get tricky. Fiyero was sure the feeling of infatuation with the princess would pass eventually. The only problem was… he didn't know when.

Forty-five minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of a small mansion. Fiyero sighed deeply as he grabbed his bag and thanked the driver before climbing out. He heard the carriage drive away behind him and slowly made his way to the front door. He reached out his hand to knock, but stopped. He was scared, but he didn't know why. His parents had invited him home.

Even though his brain never told his hand to move, the next thing he knew, he was knocking softly on the door. He stepped back when he heard footsteps from the other side and the door slowly opened, revealing his father, then open a bit more to reveal his mother.

"Yero!" the older woman exclaimed, practically leaping forward and wrapping her arms tightly around her son.

"Hi, Mom," Fiyero smiled, returning the hug.

"It's so nice to see you again! Come in! Come in!" his mother said with a flourish.

"Amalie, give the boy some air," a deep, yet soft, voice said as Amalie ushered her son into the house.

"Raal, aren't you going to greet your son?" the older woman said with a mock huff.

"I was getting to that," Raal sighed, but smiled as he collected his son into his arms. "Welcome home, son."

"Thanks, Dad," Fiyero smiled, returning the hug.

"Did you eat? Are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat. You must be exhausted from that long trip. I want to hear everything that you've been up to. Do you want to –"

"Amalie," Raal chuckled. "I think he wants to get settled first."

Fiyero yawned and his mother blushed softly. "Your room is just how you left it. We can talk more in a few hours… once you get some rest and get settled and… everything."

Fiyero smiled and took his bag up the stairs to his room. As he walked, he suddenly stopped in front of a closed door. A cold feeling overtook him and he shivered slightly and tried to keep walking, but found his feet rooted to the spot. An internal force was taking over his muscle movements and he reached for the doorknob, turning it and pushing the door open.

The room looked untouched, since someone hadn't been living in it for years. Despite that fact, nothing was dusty. Everything looked clean and new. He suspected his parents frequently entered the room. Fiyero slowly walked around the room, taking everything in. He stopped when he came across the bed with a dark pink comforter and matching pillows and a small, stuffed bunny. The prince smiled, remembering how his sister never managed to wean herself from sleeping with her favorite toy, even though she frequently denied it. He slowly sat down on the bed and leaned back, grabbing the bunny and fiddling with it.

When Amalie and Raal came up the stairs a few minutes later, they were surprised to not see their son in his bed. Instead, they heard soft snores coming from down the hall. Confused, they followed the noise and saw their son lying on top of his sister's bed, sound asleep as he clutched the bunny to his chest. Amalie smiled to herself and gently pulled Raal away from the door.

"Who knew that, after all these years, the boy still sleeps with his stuffed animals," Raal joked in a whisper, and Amalie could barely stifle her laughter.

Lurlinemas morning was just like Fiyero remembered. He was the first one up and hurried down the hall, practically tripping over his own feet. He reached the living room and gasped at the large, decorated tree in the corner. He felt like a little boy as he looked at the wrapped presents under the tree. Giddily, he bounced over to the presents and sat in front of the tree.

"Good morning, Yero. Merry Lurlinemas," Amalie yawned as she came down the stairs with Raal in tow.

"Merry Lurlinemas," Raal smiled.

"Merry Lurlinemas, Mom, Dad," Fiyero smiled, half-distracted by the presents.

Amalie smiled at her son as she sat down on the sofa, with Raal sitting down next to her. "It feels good to spend Lurlinemas together as a family again."

Raal smiled as Fiyero found a present with his name on it and tore it open. He looked over at his wife, who was looking at Fiyero with a faraway gaze in her eyes. "Amalie?"

"Hmm?"

"I know what you're thinking."

She looked at her husband.

"It's been a while since Lurlinemas has been this… festive, hasn't it?"

Amalie looked at Fiyero again, who was now surrounded by wrapping paper, smiling happily as he tore at another gift. "I remember when they were little… how they would both run down the stairs, pushing each other out of the way, racing to get to the tree and…"

"Mom, this is for you," Fiyero interrupted, handing his mom a wrapped box. "And this is for you, Dad."

Raal smiled as he took the box Fiyero gave him and opened it with such gusto, both his wife and son laughed.

After all of the presents were opened, the family gathered around the fireplace to spend some quality time together.

"I'm glad you came home, Yero," Amalie smiled, tenderly stroking her son's hair away from his face.

"I am, too, Mom," Fiyero smiled, snuggling closer to his mother, just like he did as a little boy.

Amalie laughed and hugged her son, softly kissing his forehead. She had missed this feeling so much. Ever since she lost Lyanna, she had been clingy towards Fiyero, which was completely understandable. She used to blame herself for Fiyero leaving, thinking that if she hadn't tried to make him stay with her, he wouldn't have wanted to leave. But as she realized the other factors, she began to see that it wasn't entirely her fault. But she was still overjoyed to have her son back, even if he was leaving again the following morning.

Raal came into the living room, reading the paper with a frown on his face.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Fiyero asked, looking up without leaving his mother's arms.

"Something happened in the Emerald City," Raal said as he sat down one the other side of Amalie.

"New laws set in place to stop Animals from traveling to other regions of Oz," Fiyero read the corner title.

"No, not that," Raal said, rather dismissively. "The headline."

"Item stolen from the Emerald City Palace in the dead of night," Amalie read then gasped softly.

"A very valuable item was stolen from within the walls of the Emerald City Palace last night after the Lurlinemas Eve ball. The royal family is safe, but no details are being released about what the object was. The unidentified suspect is a tall figure, dressed in all black with a black dress, black gloves, black boots, black cloak, and a black pointed hat. The figure was last seen flying on a broomstick towards the west. All Ozians are to remain alert and any sightings are to be reported to a Gale Force officer immediately," Raal read.

"I should get back to the Emerald City," Fiyero said as he stood up. Flying on a broomstick! That sounds familiar!

"Fiyero, no!" his mother begged. "You can't leave yet! We haven't seen you in years! We just got you back!"

"I have to go back and take care of this," Fiyero said.

"Yero, please!"

"I'm sorry, Mom. But I have to do my job," Fiyero said, trying to push away the guilt he was feeling.

Tears filled Amalie's eyes and slowly slid down her cheek. "You don't have to leave right now. Please."

"Fiyero, please," Raal said, wrapping an arm protectively around his wife.

Fiyero knelt down in front of his mother and gently took her hands. "I'll come back soon. I'll visit before the end of January. But… I… I have to go back now. I'll write every week. I won't forget. I promise."

Amalie still looked very upset, but sighed and nodded stiffly. "Fine. Go."

"Mom, I…"

"Just go, Fiyero. You have a job to do."

Now he felt guilty; so guilty that he couldn't repress it. He rose to his full height and went to pack his belongings. When he came back down, he saw his mother staring at the tree, tears still sliding down her eyes. "Mom."

Amalie didn't move.

"Mom, I… I'm leaving now."

"Again," she said coldly.

Fiyero hung his head. "I'm sorry."

Amalie huffed.

Fiyero looked imploringly at his father, but the older man simply shook his head. He turned back to his mother. "I love you."

Amalie still didn't say anything.

Fiyero could feel his face heat up, a signal that he was going to start crying, so he started for the door. As he reached for the knob, he looked at his mother one last time, hoping that she would turn and look at him. But she didn't. So he left.

A very small part of him was glad she didn't say goodbye because he knew that if she did, they would both start crying and he would never be able to leave. Goodbyes were hard and sounded permanent. This was more like a 'so long'. He would see them again. And he would write. And they would write back. But he had to go. He had to do his duty to Oz and to the royal family.

He took the trolley to the train depot and bought a ticket for the express train to the Emerald City. It cost him a pretty green penny, since it was a last minute express ticket, but it was the only way he could get to the city before noon.

As the train pulled off, Fiyero's jumbled thoughts began to organize themselves. He thought of his parents first, and how he would probably never be able to forgive himself for the way he left. Then he thought about how he was right about the figure flying on a broomstick. No dream could have been that crazy and vivid at the same time. He had been right all along. And now everyone would be able to believe him, too. His thoughts then drifted to Elphaba. Was she alright? Did she believe him now? How would she respond to all of this?

He had closed his eyes for what seemed like a clock-tick. The next thing he knew, he was surrounded by the green of the Emerald City. He quickly got off and headed towards the city. The guards at the gate were surprised to see their captain, having known that he wasn't expected back until the following day, but quickly opened the doors for him and let him inside.

The captain opened the doors and headed straight for his office. Not even bothering to drop off his bags.

"Captain Tigulaar," one of the guards said as he saluted. "We weren't expecting you back until tomorrow."

"I read the newspaper and decided to come back," Fiyero said, too concentrated on the task at hand for pleasantries. "What was stolen?"

"We don't know exactly, Captain, but it looked like a book. The figure placed it in its bag before taking off.

"On the broomstick."

"Yes… on the broomstick."

Fiyero nodded and sat down at his desk, grabbing a piece of paper and pen. "Tell me everything you know."

The guard told the captain everything he knew, since he was called to the scene and was a witness to the suspect.

"We couldn't see its face, since it was wearing both a cloak and a hat. She used magic to blast us out of the way before mounting the broom and flying away with the book. We don't know what the book was or why it was important enough to steal, but we're doing everything we can to figure it out."

"Thank you," Fiyero said.

The guard saluted and left the captain's office. Fiyero sighed and rested his forehead on his desk. A book. He left Lurlinemas with his parents for a book. It better have been a good book, at least.

"Captain?"

Fiyero looked up and saw Elphaba standing in the doorway. He stood and bowed. "Good morning, Your Highness. Merry Lurlinemas."

"Merry Lurlinemas, Captain. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but… what are you doing back here? You were supposed to come back tomorrow."

"I read the paper and figured I was needed here more than I was at home."

"But you were on vacation. You were supposed to spend the holiday with your family."

"I was needed here."

Elphaba blinked at the Captain and waved her hand, a wrapped present appearing in her other hand. "This is for you."

Fiyero looked up and gasped softly. "You… you didn't have to get me anything."

"I know. But I wanted to."

He gingerly took the box from her and smiled. "Thank you," he said as he opened it, revealing a journal with a hard, leather cover and matching pen. "I love it," he smiled, trying not to sound and look as tired as he felt.

"You're welcome," Elphaba smiled, then noticed the report on Fiyero's desk. "They've given the figure a name; the Wicked Witch. Strange, isn't it?"

"Do you happen to know what was taken?"

Elphaba blinked at her question not being answered, but quickly recovered. "I believe was some type of special book hidden away in the attic. I don't know much about it, or why it was so important."

"That's all you know?"

"Yes."

Fiyero nodded. "Okay. Well, I have a lot of work to do with this Wicked Witch on the loose, so if you'll excuse me, Your Highness, I –"

"Elphaba."

Fiyero blinked. "Pardon?"

"Elphaba. Call me Elphaba. I… I want you to call me Elphaba," the princess said, clearly fighting a deep blush.

Fiyero blinked again. "In that case, you can call me," he pretended to think for a moment. "Fiyero."

Elphaba smiled. "Very well… Fiyero."

"Very well… Elphaba."

Fiyeraba is building! Slowly, but it's building!