A/N: Um…er…right, so…NO TOMATOES, PLEASE! AP Euro is a bad, bad, thing. An evil thing. It eats people. So does Chemistry.

Disclaimer: Not mine

Fala:

"Double-crossing wench."

Liir and I slumped back down as soon as we heard voices outside the door.

"She swore she wouldn't-" the same harsh voice continued. Another male voice, less antagonistic, answered.

"You debased her, Devyn. You didn't really think she was going to hold herself to that, especially after what you did next? I did not give you permission to do that. I am not at all pleased that you did."

The first voice, whinier than before: "You said I was to do whatever it-"

"That was before, you idiot!"

"Before what?"

"Before I knew she was my daughter!"

Liir and I opened our eyes and exchanged shocked glances.

The Wizard of Oz is standing outside that door? This is not good.

"I expect you won't want me to fulfill my promise of what I was going to do to the girl, then," the other man whined.

I shuddered involuntarily.

"No, you are not."

The door opened and our eyes snapped shut. I could hear them walking around me. Their footsteps- the one man's grumpy stomps, the Wizard's steadier tread.

The other man was standing near me. I struggled not to wince or shudder. Still. Still. Still.

"Step the hell away from my daughter, you fucking bastard, or I swear to any God you care to name I'll kill you where you stand!"

Mother.

Elphaba:

He was going to die, and he was going to suffer. I had never felt more the witch they called me in my life than I did in that moment, watching him stand over my daughter, hand poised over her unconscious body, ready to do God knows what.

I strode towards him, Fiyero beside me, and he was pinned against the wall, the air itself doing my hand's will, before I even got close enough to clasp my fingers around his throat.

"You incredible…you pathetic, horrible, screwed-up…" There were no words, really. I physically grabbed his neck and slammed his head hard into the wall, then kicked him once again in the testicles. I turned to Fiyero.

"Do what you will."

"Why, thank you."

"You're very welcome."

As Fiyero proceeded to beat Devyn bloody, I turned to my father and said words I had never believed I would say.

"Thank you."

"Wha- what?"

"I heard you. Thank you for not letting him hurt Fala."

"Oh- all right."

"This doesn't mean I won't kill you if I get the chance."

"Nor I, you."

"Good."

"Good."

"Shall we watch?"

"I really can't allow him to kill my Minister of Interrogations, you know," the Wizard said hesitantly.

"Why not?"

"It would set a bad precedent."

"He sets a bad precedent."

The Wizard ignored this and watched the beating for a moment. "I suppose you're accustomed to this sort of entertainment, then," I said lightly. He didn't glare at me, as I'd expected, but merely smiled faintly and murmured his assent.

"Fiyero," I called finally, "Stop."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes, we're under orders not to actually kill him."

"Since when do you follow orders?"

"I swore on my quite debatable honor."

He sighed and stepped away from Devyn, whose face was dripping blood. "Fine."

I turned back to the Wizard.

"I'm assuming you'll let us go?"

He gave me that same faint smile. "We're even this time, I suppose."

"Thank you." I moved closer to the tables on which my children lay. "Fala, Liir," I called. "I know you're not unconscious. Get up. Now. We're going."

They obeyed and followed me and Fiyero out of the room and through a back exit.

"How does she do that?" I heard Liir whisper from behind me. I grinned.

Some parental secrets are better left unsaid.