Author's Notes: It's all over the news. The Christ and Anti-Christ have risen and are doing battle. If you go outside you'll notice that the earth has, indeed, spun off its axes. If you travel to anywhere on the equator you will encounter the devil, complaining about the unexpected snow. And I have written another chapter. Whoa.

I feel this deserves some explanation, as to why it took so long. See, Glinda had this brilliant plan, ya know? I, however, did not know what that was. And then my life imploded. And then my account imploded. But things are back on track, I'm working on chapter 7, and I kinda see where things are going now. Sorta. I want to send thanks to all those who reviewed. Every time I got a review it just pushed me try and get back to this. So, you know, keep doing that. I've also re-edited some earlier chapters. No big changes, just typos and crap, but I did so…yay me. Please let me know what you think of this next chapter. It's…kinda slow. Not much happens, but I'm pretty happy with it.

"This is never going to work."

Glinda sighed. "You keep saying that, but you don't give any good reasons why."

"That's because it's self-evident. You don't need detailed explanations as to why jumping off a cliff is a bad idea. We all know how it's going to end."

With a grin Glinda replied, "Except when we defy expectations and fly away instead."

Pause. Glare. "Don't do that. It's irritating."

Another sigh of exasperation, but only for appearances sake. They had decided on the plan days ago and from the moment they had set out to their arrival back at the palace under cover of darkness, Elphaba had maintained that they had no chance of succeeding, but she did not take any greater action than that. Glinda knew that if her friend were seriously considering backing out their arguments would have been much more heated and thought out. This was just Elphaba's nervousness being taken out on those around her.

"So", Elphaba continued. "Two more days, right?"

Glinda nodded. "Yes. The Wizard and Dorothy leave tomorrow. We'll bring you out the day after."

Elphaba swallowed and nodded in affirmation. She knew this already, but continued to confirm it over and over. It was odd. It sometimes felt as if Elphaba was speaking only for the sake of it. This was a great change from the quiet girl at school who preferred to speak only when she had something to say.

"Elphaba, I wanted to say…thank you."

Quizzically the other turned to her. "For what?"

A deep breath and Glinda replied. "For coming back. For trusting me. If…if anything goes wrong, I'm so sorry." Glinda wondered exactly when it had gotten so hard to swallow.

Elphaba took her hand. "Don't. I know what I'm getting myself into. It's more than just trust, Glinda. You're brilliant at this. Remember that."

Glinda smiled at her friend, wondering how she had ever survived without this.

"Well," Glinda said breaking the silence. "Things will get better, but for now you really can't leave these rooms. They're mine, so they won't be disturbed, but anywhere else has a risk of discovery. And we don't want anyone to know about you until we say so."

Elphaba nodded. There was a pause and then, "I appreciate you including me in that 'we', as if I have any idea what's going on."

There it was again. As if Elphie were deciding to talk. Elphaba never decided to talk in normal conversation; she just burst out when something rattled her enough.

"I should put in an appearance, and make sure everything's set for the big departure. I'll be back in a few hours. Make yourself at home, just don't touch anything."

Snort.

"You know what I mean."

"I'm actually rather tired. There a place I can sleep?"

"Elphie, I know you been away for a while, but that large, cushy contraption standing five feet away from you is what we in the civilized world like to call a bed."

"I…I meant where I would be sleeping, for the next couple of nights that is."

Glinda wondered if Elphie's increased agitation was her own imagination.

"Yes. That would be it." Glinda replied, gesturing to the item in question.

"But…but where will you…that is…won't you need somewhere to sleep?"

"Yes, I will. I think this will serve quite well for the both of us."

"Both of us?"

"Elphie, it's the size of boat."

Elphaba turned her head to look and saw that it was, indeed, quite large.

"Alright. As long as you don't mind…"

"Elphaba Throp," said Glinda, finally losing patience. "If I minded, you would know it!"

"Yes," her friend replied with a smile. "I suppose I would."

For a moment, they just looked at each other. Glinda stood part way to the door, decked in a glittering blue gown, hair curled and pinned. She even had a crown. Elphaba sat at Glinda vanity, arm slung over the back, in a simple black dress made from a dozen patched fabrics, hair hanging loosely down her back. Deep brown eyes met pale blue.

"I should go."

"Right."

And so she went.

When she returned, Elphaba was asleep on the bed.

"How is it that you have not a single book in this whole room?"

Or maybe not so asleep. Glinda sighed.

"Forgive me for not having quite the love you do for musty inanimate objects that take up space and give you headaches."

Elphaba opened one eye to watch her friend pull the pins from her hair. It was nearly midnight.

"Bad day?" she asked.

"Not really," Glinda replied, deftly unbuttoning her dress. "Just exhausting."

"Mmm."

"You, I can see, have had a perfectly restful day."

"Boring day. Tedious day. Please-give-me-something-anything-to-stop-the-monotony sort of day."

"I'll get you a damn book, alright? And in a few days you can have as many books as you bloody want." By now, Glinda stood in her nightdress. "Any requests?"

She was rewarded with a faint grunt.

"Is that the title or author?" Glinda teased lightly, moving over to the bed.

"Move over," she said, gently giving Elphie a shove.

"There's plenty of room over there." Elphaba gestured with her head.

"I like the right side."

Elphie blinked. "You can't be serious."

"Move."

"No! This is ridiculous and I'm quite comfortable. If you could be so kind as to go…Umph! What in hell are you doing?"

Glinda had lifted the blankets under Elphaba, positioned herself beneath them and used her hips to shove into Elphaba's side.

"Well, if you won't move…"

"Oh, sweet Oz, if it's that important to you!" Elphaba shifted over to the left side of bed quickly maneuvering herself under the covers. When they had settled, it registered in Glenda's mind that Elphie was wearing the same dress to bed.

"Tomorrow, I'm getting you a new dress."

"What on earth for?"

"Clothing may not be that important to you, but it does matter and we need to make you look slightly less the wicked witch."

"Oh."

Glinda did not like the sound of that syllable. Lately, Elphaba had been far too…well, there may not be a word for it but they way she kept on giving in and deferring with these long humility filled silences was just wrong. That was what people did when they felt stupid. Elphaba felt a lot of things, but it was never stupid. Glinda turned on her side to face her friend.

"Elphie, people have an image in their minds. A picture of what the Wicked Witch of the West is. It's not just you, but a certain kind of you. Do you think anyone recognized me on the train without my gowns or my curls or my wand? Of course not. They don't know me. But they know Glinda the Good. We have to paint them a different picture of you. Before we can show them the you we want them to see we've got to shock the old one out of their system. It will work, but it will take time and attention to detail."

Glinda looked closely at the green girl's guarded face.

"Alright?"

Elphaba blinked. "I have not the faintest idea what you're talking about."

Glinda giggled. That was better. Elphaba could say she hadn't a clue and make it so condescending that what she really meant was, "I couldn't care less." If Elphie didn't know something, it was because she didn't want to.

"Now you know how I felt listening to you talk about history and biology and the socio-political ramifications of such-in-such."

Elphaba smiled. "What kind of dress?"

Glinda blinked. Somewhere the devil must be feeling very, very cold all of a sudden. In what universe did Elphaba care about clothes?

"I was just wondering. Never mind, it's not important, I…"

"Something simple" Glinda interrupted. "Still black I think, but an everyday sort of black. We want you to look like a real person, but we also have to make sure everyone realizes it's you and not some sort of imposter.

Elphaba snorted. "Yes, because there are all sorts of green skinned imposters just waiting to take over.

Glinda turned to look at her friend, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"You know, you're right. I remember when I first met you, you were so bright and green. But now, I hardly notice. Not that don't know you're green or anything, it just seems…natural, I suppose. It would be strange if you we a different color. Then you wouldn't be normal."

Elphaba gave a little half smile. "That's sort of odd, isn't it? I mean," and here she raised one hand as if she were inspecting it. "I was always so aware of it. I never quite felt comfortable in my own skin, and I've had it around a lot longer than you."

"That's just because they never let you be comfortable."

"Oh, I never really minded what a bunch of silly strangers thought of me."

Pause. "That's not who I meant."

"Oh. You mean father. And Nessa."

Glinda let out a sigh. "Elphie, I don't want to speak ill of the dead…"

"Ding dong, the witch is dead. Which old witch? The wicked witch." Elphaba's words were sharp and bitter. "Ding dong, the wicked witch is…"

"Stop it, Elphie. Please. I know you don't want to hear this, but what she and your father did to you was awful. Nessa never treated you like a sister, just as someone who could do things for her, and she was never grateful. I don't even want to think about your father. It isn't fair Elphie. They never deserved you. I'm sorry they died the way they did and I won't say they had it coming, but they both had pretty comfortable lives considering how they treated others."

"Others?" Elphaba asked softly.

"You."

Elphaba turned over, and after a time Glinda thought she had gone to sleep. She sighed, and turned to do the same,

"They were my family, Glinda. They were all I had."

Glinda closed her eyes, surprised at the faint hint of tears behind them.

"Good night, Glinda."

"Night, Elphie."