Chapter 7
The little girl held her father's hand, quickly scanning her spacious new home. There were several balloons floating through the air. A welcome home banner stretched across the family room. But what got her attention was the woman standing there.
"Sara, sweetie. This is Elphaba. She lives here at the castle," Fiyero said.
Sara curtsied.
"It's very nice to meet you, Princess Sara. But I'm not royalty. You don't have to curtsy to me. Welcome to your new home, " Elphaba said.
"Daddy, she's green," Sara whispered loudly. She slowly walked toward her. "El...Fae...Fae."
"Elphaba, sweetie," Fiyero said. "Her name is Elphaba."
She tried repeating her name. "El...ba...pha."
"El...pha...ba," Fiyero said slowly.
"El...pha," Sara said wrinkling her forehead. She looked up to the ceiling as if the name had been spelled out for her. "Fae-Fae," she proudly said.
"That will do," Elphaba smiled, crouching down to her level.
Sara gently touched Elphaba's face. "Green...like my eyes."
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Elphaba heard Sara from across the hall what sounded like some sort of temper tantrum. She jumped out of bed and headed toward the screams and cries, and opened the door to Fiyero's bedroom. She has never set foot inside of his room, which surprisingly was very neat.
It was close to midnight. Fiyero pleaded with his daughter to stop crying, and to calm down. The three year old screamed and cried loudly hugging her pillow as she sat in the middle of her bed. Her father tried to comfort her, stroking her hair.
"I want my mommy! Where's mommy? I want to go home!"
"Sweetie, this is your home now," Fiyero said. "What's wrong? You were fine these past three weeks. Did you have a nightmare?" He tried to hold her but she pushed him away.
"No! Mommy, where are you? Mommy!"
Unaware that Elphaba had entered the room, she gently pulled Fiyero aside. Sitting on Sara's bed, she watched her cry.
"Do something," Fiyero said. "She's never been like this before."
"She's missing her mother. Let her cry. She'll eventually tire."
"But she's screaming her head off! I don't know what to do! She keeps asking for her mommy!"
"And if you keep getting upset, it will make matters worse," Elphaba said, lightly tapping Sara's shoulder.
"It's okay, Sara. You'll be fine."
The little princess looked up at Elphaba, and quieted down a bit. "Fae-Fae. My mommy went away."
"I know. But your daddy's here. Mommy had you for a long time, now it's daddy's turn to care for you. Don't you like it here?"
Sara shrugged.
"I know daddy reads to you every night. You have this beautiful room. Look at all your stuffed animals. And dolls and a doll house. Pretty dresses to wear. He treats you like a princess."
"I am a princess", she said, pointing to herself. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Yes, you are. You're Princess Sara, the fairest of them all."
She cried for a few more minutes, then her cries softened. "Fae-Fae," Sara said, holding her arms out to her.
Elphaba looked to Fiyero as if asking permission to hold her.
"Go ahead," he said, brushing a tear away. "Thank you for being here."
Elphaba gathered Sara into her arms. She rocked her back and forth until the little girl eventually quieted down.
With her head against Elphaba's shoulder, she reached a hand to her father. "Daddy."
Fiyero released a sigh of relief, kissing her fingers. "Daddy's here, sweetie. Are you okay?"
She wiped her tears away. "Okay. Can Fae-Fae sleep with me tonight?"
Elphaba pulled away. "Oh Sara, I don't think..."
"Yes," Fiyero said. "If she wants to. If it will make you feel better."
Sara squiggled out of Elphaba's arms, and crawled under her covers. "Fae-Fae, I'm tired. Can we go to sleep now?"
How could she have said no to Sara? Elphaba was falling in love with the little girl. After all, she was a part of Fiyero.
The little princess cuddled next to her. Fiyero pulled the quilted blanket over them which Nanna Marcella had sewn. He bent down to kiss his daughter on the cheek. "Goodnight, my princess. I'll be in the next room if you need me."
"Daddy!" Sara yelled. "Wait!"
Startled, Elphaba's heart nearly exploded. "What's wrong?" She asked, sitting up in bed.
Fiyero rushed over to his daughter. "What's the matter?"
"You forgot to kiss Fae-Fae goodnight."
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, smiling at Elphaba. He headed to her side of the bed.
"No need to," she said, stopping Fiyero in his tracks. "Goodnight kisses are for little girls. Let's go to sleep, Sara. It's late."
"I was just going to turn off her lamp," he said, slightly irritated.
Elphaba flipped the switch off.
"Goodnight," Fiyero said, cussing under his breath.
Sara giggled. "Daddy wanted to kiss you, Fae-Fae."
"No, he didn't."
"Uh-huh...yes."
"Sara, let's go to sleep. Thought you were tired."
"Okay." She wrapped her tiny arms around Elphaba. "I love you, Fae-Fae."
It surprised Elphaba. No one has ever said those words to her...ever. Maybe her mother, but she was much too young to remember. Definitely her father had never showed any loving affection toward her. She would hear him say those three little words to Nessa, but never her. And it hurt terribly.
Teardrops fell against the pillow. Somehow she knew that Sara would be easy to love. "I love you, too, sweetheart."
Fiyero stood at his doorway. The light in his bedroom reflected Sara's room. His heart softened upon hearing their conversation. He loved Elphaba, too. Somehow his daughter had found a replacement for her mother. It worried him though, that Elphaba might be someone just passing through Sara's life...and through his life."
TBC - Chapter 8
Author's Note: Guest reviewer, thank you so much for reading and reviewing. Hope you'll continue to read this.
Chapter 8
