Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: Written: 2012. Rewritten: 2014. Found: 2018.

At the base of the Great Kells was a path that led to a river, which ended in a waterfall. With the crispness of the fall weather, Fiyero and Elphaba often took time to sneak off together; the waterfall became their place, where they could escape to when they needed time away from the rest of the tribe. Ever since the announcement of the baby, the pair had been spending more and more time at the waterfall, enjoying the moments together, because all too soon, their child would make its appearance- not just in the changes of her body, but into the world.

Ten weeks had passed since the discovery of the baby, and the changes in his wife were subtle, but there. The tenderness of her breasts, her growing desires, the cravings for certain foods- wild blackberries being chief among them, and her slowly growing body.

She broke through the surface of the water, shaking her head and sending the water of her drenched black braids flying. He raised his arms to protect himself from the barrage of water, laughing. To see her so happy made his heart soar. Without a word, he swam towards her, taking her into his arms and kissing her softly. "Principessa mio."

A smile tugged at her lips, and she brushed her knuckles against his cheek, before returning the kiss. To think, she had once been afraid of her husband, afraid of the Arjiki, and their strange way of life. But now...

Now, she was one of them, maybe not in looks, but in customs, in name and spirit. Now, she was Arjiki thru and thru. Or she would be, once the child she carried was born.

Fiyero gently brushed a lose strand of hair off her forehead before resting his forehead to hers and whispering softly. She hummed softly in response, enjoying the feel of his body against hers. But then suddenly, something began to niggle at the back of her mind, and she pulled away, meeting his gaze. Would she still be able to travel, as the tribe did during the warm months, when she was heavy with child and close to birth? Or would she have to stay behind? And would someone be there with her while she birthed, or would she be forced to birth her child alone? She knew that other women in the tribe had given birth, and that they had been attended by medicine women like Sarima, but would the same still apply to her?

Eventually, they made their way out of the water, settling on the embankment, allowing the warmth of the breeze dry their skin. Fiyero watched her in silence, noting the small swell of her belly- an indication that their child was starting to make their presence known. He reached out, gently tracing the small swell, a smile on his face, and she moved closer, kissing him soundly. After several minutes, the pair got dressed again, and returned to the camp.

She stopped, watching as a little girl sat allowing her mother to braid her hair by the bonfire in the center of camp. A pang struck her heart, and she was flooded with memories of her own mother doing the same to her. On the nights when they would sit before the fireplace; she on the floor, her mother in a kitchen chair, running the hairbrush through her thick, raven strands and tugging them back into sturdy, smooth braids on either side of her head, the same braids she wore now.

"Elphaba?" She turned to meet her husband's gaze, and silently shook her head. He glanced at the mother and daughter, quickly putting the pieces together.

She was missing her mother.

He sighed, knowing that no matter how many years she spent within the Arjiki, it could never completely quench the pain in her heart of being separated from her family, especially her mother and sister. They were a part of her, as this child would be a part of her; they carried memories only she understood, a life only she understood, a life that had not been touched by the tribe. A life that was now a part of her past, as she carved out this new future with him and his tribe.

How could he have been so ignorant as to not see the heartbreak she was feeling? The pain of being separated from her family? And essentially, the death of any possibility of returning to that life? The only way of life she had ever known before being stolen was so distant now, he doubted she would ever be able to find her way home to her family again. And then, there came the question of, did she really want to?

Only she could answer that.

She laid a hand against her belly, her eyes welling with tears that she quickly blinked away; her mother was supposed to be helping her through this, informing her of the things she needed to do before the baby came, helping her make a quilt for the cradle and clothing... doing things grandmothers did in preparation for their grandchildren. But now, she would have to do it all alone, for her mother was not with her, and there was no guarantee she was even still alive, or looking for her. Perhaps her family had finally given up on her. No, she couldn't lose hope. She would see her family again one day, no matter where her life with the Arjiki took her.

As they returned to their tent, she turned back to the mother and daughter. Very briefly, she saw herself and her mother, before the image faded. As she entered the tent and settled among the blankets, watching as Fiyero started the fire, she vowed that she would not let her family fade from her memory. And her child would know their grandparents, even if it was only through her stories of them.