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As nobody has said they don't like it, here's another chapter for you all to digest! Pretty please review, it makes the efforts seem worthwhile! Reviewers get virtual cupcakes!

Chapter Three: Animals?

Elphaba was awoken early the next morning by a loud clattering and rustling of fabrics.

"Glinda's up, then" she thought grumpily to herself, and rolled over in bed.

Glinda, hearing the movement from her friend's bed, spun around to face her, dropping her hairdryer onto her foot and squawking in pain.

"Oh, OZ! That hurt".

She sat down on her bed, nursing the injured foot gently.

"Glin, whazzgoinon?" Elphaba questioned sleepily, flapping her arms at her roommate, who swooped and pulled her out of bed by her arms.

"Elphie, you're awake, finally!" she squealed excitedly, pushing her friend towards the bathroom door. "Hurry up and wash, and then we're going to make you look beautiful for Prince Charming!"

Still blinking the sleep from her eyes, Elphaba obediently headed into the small adjoining bathroom. She emerged five minutes later, with just her bathrobe on and her hair loose about her face in a tumbling mass, and was immediately hustled into a chair by her roommate, who was bearing down on her with a pair of hair straighteners.

"Why do I have a very bad feeling about this?" she commented dryly. "Glin, is this really necessary?"

Her best friend pouted at her.

"Oh, come on Elphie, please?! It'll be really fun, and you'll look amazing."

Elphaba sighed, admitting defeat.

"Fine, if you must, but make it quick, Boq and Fiyero are coming over in just under an hour and we're going to the library to work on our life sciences project.

Glinda giggled.

"oooohhhhhhhhh…Elphie!"

"WORKING, Miss Galinda!"

She closed her eyes in anticipation of what Glinda was about to do to her. "Go on then, do your worst. I'm ready."

Three quarters of an hour later, two young men knocked on the door to Elphaba and Galinda's dorm room, waiting for a reply. Muffled through the door, they still heard Glinda's high-pitched squeal, "Elphie, they're here, come on!"

The door was flung open by one very overexcited Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands.

"Good morning Biq, good morning Fiyero" she trilled, completely ignoring the muttered it's Boq, not Biq . "She's just coming, she'll be out in a minute."

As if on cue, Glinda was moved gently but firmly aside by an emerald hand.

"Excuse me, Glinda, but I think you called". He eyes were shyly on the ground, but for a moment she looked up at Boq and Fiyero.

"Hi, Boq. Hi, Fiyero." Was all she managed, before dropping her gaze again.

"Morning, Elphie" Boq said quickly in his friendly way, more to cover up for Fiyero than anything else, for his friend was staring dumfounded at the green girl, seemingly unable to look away from her. He stepped sideways onto Fiyero's foot, and the young man jumped and blushed deeply.

"oh, err, sorry, I mean…" he pulled himself together. Come on Fiyero, get a grip he thought to himself angrily. "Hi, Elphaba."

She looked beautiful. Her hair hung loosely around her face, which was lightly made up. The mascara she was wearing emphasised her long lashes and wonderful eyes, which only added to the charm and grace of her face. She was wearing a midnight blue satin gown, cut low and tight to her chest, which suited her down to the ground. He could hardly bear to take his eyes off her.

She blushed too, which actually made her look even more beautiful, if that was possible.

"Hi Fiyero." She turned to Boq, who was grinning broadly, and glared at him. "Shall we get going, then?!"

Three hours later, Elphaba and Fiyero were clearing away the books they had used in the library. Boq had left a few minutes earlier, with a murmured excuse something along the lines of "told Nessa I'd meet her for lunch", and Elphaba had smiled at him, her pity evident in her eyes. She know that Boq did not care for her sister in the way that Nessa cared for him, but he was too much of a gentleman to shake her off, and she would never let him go. Although Nessa seemed quiet and innocent at first glance (the wheelchair made her look very vulnerable) she had a fierce temper and could be as sarcastic as Elphaba when aroused, and Boq knew this all too well.

They had chosen (or Elphaba had chosen, and Boq and Fiyero had agreed, as she would be doing the majority of the work) to do their project on the unfair treatment of Animals in relation to animals, and how their lives were being ruined just because they happened to be able to talk.

Elphaba had passionately given them her views on the subject, hotly defending the Animals every step of the way, but all the time with a catch in her voice, tears in her eyes and a look of immense sadness on her face.

Fiyero shoved the last of his books into his schoolbag, and then turned to look at Elphaba, who had barely moved form the spot she had been sitting in at the table. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Fae, what's wrong?" he asked her softly.

Fae, where had that come from? It had just slipped out, and yet sounded…nice.

Her voice was fierce and muffled in her scarf, where she had buried her face.

"Nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing, sweetie, tell me." He stroked her hair and held her tightly, and he could feel the shake of her shoulders as the tears began. "What is it about Animals that upsets you so much?"

Elphaba turned a tear-stained face to look up at him, her eyes boring into his.

"Why do you care?"

He tightened his hold on her waist, still sitting next to her, although she tried to shrug him off. "I just do. You're upset, and I want to help, Fae. That's all there is to it."

She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Our old tutor, Doctor Dillamond. He was an Animal, a Goat, but…he was arrested. They wouldn't let him teach any more and they took him away."

"I'm so sorry" Fiyero whispered. There wasn't really anything he could say.

Slowly she relaxed into his embrace, need his arms around her, his warmth. She snuggled closer into him, and he kept his arm around her tight.

He drew her onto his lap, still with his arms around her tightly, and kissed her forehead, trying to comfort her.

"Shh, it's ok, Fae. I'm here now, I'll always be here for you."

Elphaba tensed suddenly, and stood up in a rush.

"I have to go, Yero. I told Glinda I'd meet her at the café at one o'clock."

Yero? She thought to herself. Since when had she called him Yero? And come to think of it, since when had he called her Fae?

Fiyero stood up too. "Do you mind if I come with you, then?"

For a moment her eyes lit up, but then her face clouded.

"I'm really sorry, Yero, but I promised her it would just be us two alone, she insisted on it. I don't know why…"

Fiyero looked disappointed, but then nodded slowly, and watched as she turned away.

"Fae" he murmured.

She swung around to face him, their eyes locking.

"Yes, Yero?" her voice was barely audible, just above a whisper.

He reached out a hand and cupped her cheek, and then slowly leant his face down towards hers. Hr eyes fluttered closed and for a moment his lips brushed hers in a kiss.

"Will you come out with me on Saturday? We could grab some dinner, and then go to the theatre, if you wanted?"

Elphaba smiled up at him dreamily, and nodded.

"I'd like that."

"Good."

He kissed her again, briefly, and then left the library in a hurry, needing to straighten out his tangled thoughts.

Elphaba stared after him, the fingers of one hand raised to her lips, and found herself wondering what had just happened to her.

"Fiyero Tiggular just kissed me" she whispered.

AN: Not sure how this chapter works as a whole, so please review! I honestly love to get them, reviews make me happy.

Reviewers get hugs and virtual cupcakes! Pretty pretty please…