"Elly and I are cousins."

The words kept playing over and over again through Glinda's mind as she held Breena's hand in both of her own, mesmerized by the green liquid still seeping from the cut in her palm. This was unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. How could Elphie have a cousin she knew nothing about?

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Breena sighed. "Not that we had a whole lot of time for idle chit chat before."

"I talked to Milynn and the others while you were off finding Elphie and they didn't say anything about it." Glinda voiced her thoughts.

"They wouldn't."

"And Elphaba…"

"Like I said, Elphaba and I neither one talk about it." Breena shrugged. "We really weren't that close until right before she went to Shiz."

Glinda shook her head. "The two of you really are cousins."

Breena grinned. "We really are."

"So your parents are related to Elphie's father?"

"No, Frex was married to my aunt Melena."

"That's not possible." Glinda frowned. "Everyone knows she was an only child."

"Or so Grandfather would have had everyone believe." Breena growled. Obviously there was no love lost between her and the patriarch of the family. "As Eminent Thropp he kept his children sheltered from the public eye as much as possible. So when my mother didn't measure up to his standards, he disowned her without anyone being the wiser."

"Breena Thropp, what do you think you're doing up?!"

They both jumped when they heard Milynn's voice behind them.

"Uh oh. Busted." Breena whispered, discreetly slipping the dagger into her boot with her free hand before turning toward her. She frowned when she saw Milynn standing halfway between them and Leto with her hand over her mouth. "Did you step on something?"

Milynn shook her head.

"Step in something?"

She shook her head again.

"Stub your toe?"

Another head shake.

"I like twenty questions as much as the next girl, but I think it would be easier if you just told us why you're making that face."

Glinda bit her lip to keep from giggling. It sounded like something Elphaba would say.

"I called you Breena Thropp." Milynn moved her hand just long enough to say the words before clamping it back over her mouth.

"Oh that." Breena waved her off. "The cat's already out of the bag."

Milynn frowned. "What do you mean the cat's already out of the bag? Since when?"

"Since about two minutes ago. Glinda and I were just having a nice little talk about how Elphaba and I are cousins."

"Oh." Milynn raised her eyebrows and continued on her way over to them. "In that case…" She stopped when she saw Glinda holding her hand. "Damn it Breena! Have you ever thought about telling someone you have green blood instead of showing them?"

It was Breena's turn to shake her head as she grinned. "There are just some things in this life that have to be seen to be believed."

This time Glinda couldn't hold in her laughter. She tried but it still came out as a snort.

Milynn shot her a look. "You're not helping."

"Sorry." Glinda continued to chuckle in spite of herself. It wasn't so much what Breena said, it was how she looked at Milynn when she said it.

"Hey, don't be snippy." Breena commented as Milynn crouched between her and Glinda, taking her hand away from the blonde. "She's not very chipper when she first wakes up." She directed the comment to Glinda. "And it's not a big deal." She switched her attention back to Milynn.

"You're exhausted right now, Bree. What if this gets infected?" Milynn inspected the wound. "You know you can't heal sicknesses."

"And you know you don't make a very good nurse."

They all three jumped when they heard Betak's voice.

"OK people, you really need to stop doing that." Breena's free hand was on her chest. "Someone's going to end up getting hurt."

"Riiiight." Milynn answered as she let her grandmother take her place between Glinda and Breena. "You couldn't whip your way out of a wet paper bag right now."

"I wasn't talking about me smarty pants." Breena retorted. "Glinda's got my back, don't you?"

Glinda nodded, slightly overwhelmed. Breena was so much like Elphaba and yet so different all at the same time. She couldn't imagine Elphie being so outspoken.

"Good, someone needs to." Betak tisked as she looked at her hand. "So you finally told her the truth?"

"You make it sound like I was keeping it from her on purpose." Breena winced as Betak probed the gash. "Ow!"

"Oh stop being such a baby." Betak turned to Glinda. "I'm glad you know. You're going to have your hands full with this one and that one." She nodded toward Elphaba.

Milynn chortled. "You can say that again."

"No one asked for your opinion." Betak reprimanded her. "Go get me something to take care of this hand."

"Fine." Milynn growled, mumbling, "She's the one who practically cuts her hand off and I'm the one who gets yelled at," as she walked away.

Breena grinned. "Thanks Betak."

"Don't even try it." The old woman gave her a look. "You shouldn't tease her. She cares a great deal for you."

"I know, but teasing is part of my charm." Breena looked at her with puppy dog eyes. "You know you still love me."

"Yes, I do. Sometimes I think that's part of the problem." Betak returned her attention to Glinda. "How much has she told you?"

"Just that Elly and I are cousins. I didn't have the chance to say much else before Milynn…" Breena trailed off when she saw the look she was getting. "Right. You were talking to Glinda."

Betak nodded and looked at the blonde again.

"Oh." Glinda looked to Breena for guidance. "It's like she said, she really didn't get a chance to tell me much."

"Betak knows more about the whole thing then I do anyway." Breena pursed her lips when she felt the weight of Betak's stare. "Sorry. I'll be a good little patient and shut up now."

"That'll be the day." Milynn handed her grandmother a bottle of antiseptic and material for a bandage.

"Leandra Thropp was a troublemaker."

"Hey!" Breena frowned.

"Oh, close your mouth." The old woman returned her frown. "You know I'm right. It's a trait you inherited from her."

"Leandra was Breena's mother." Milynn explained to Glinda. "Grandmother was the cook at Colwen Grounds, so she knows all about the goings on in the Thropp family." She stopped when she got the same look as Breena from her grandmother. "Sorry."

"She was two years older than Melena and those girls couldn't have been more different if they tried." Betak continued. "Leandra never shut up and Melena hardly ever spoke. Melena loved to be fawned over and Leandra would fight you tooth and nail to do things for herself. But they were both beautiful and should have done their father proud."

"Mom said she tried." Breena groused.

"And she did. At least in her own way." Betak saw the confusion stamped on Glinda's brow. "His Eminence expected certain things from his children, like absolute obedience. Melena did her best not to upset him, but Leandra was too independent to bend to his will. As Breena said, she tried, but she never quite succeeded."

Breena sucked in a breath when Betak poured some of the antiseptic over her hand, her eyes closing.

"Breena?" Glinda said her name, obviously worried.

"I'm fine." She opened her eyes again. "A little warning next time would be nice."

"Did you warn me you were going to cut your hand open?"

Milynn chuckled at her grandmother's comeback.

"Now where was I? Ah, yes. Leandra constantly butting heads with his Eminence." Betak shook her head. "She would have made a wonderful Eminent Thropp. She had a mind for politics and the people of Munchkinland adored her. You see, she made it a point to actually spend time with them. They had no idea who she was thanks to her father, but they loved her."

"Like I said earlier, Grandfather kept Mom and Aunt Melena under lock and key." Breena tried to help Glinda out this time, knowing sometimes it was hard to follow Betak's train of thought. "The way Mom described it they were practically under house arrest."

"There was not practically to it. They weren't allowed to leave Colwen Grounds." Betak started absentmindedly bandaging Breena's hand. "His Eminence was always the paranoid type. When his wife died not long after Melena was born, things got worse. He constantly thought someone was out to get him and, by extension, his children. They were heavily guarded and strictly forbidden to leave the grounds. No one outside of the palace knew what they looked like. But Leandra…" Betak cackled. "She was always a slippery one. That's where you get if from." She patted Breena's hand as she finished.

"Thanks." Breena gave her a smile. "So Mom used to sneak out too?"

"Yes." Betak ignored the 'too' part of her comment for the time being. "She was always getting away from her guards. She would disappear for a few hours… just enough to make his Eminence half crazy with kidnapping or conspiracy theories before waltzing back into the house like nothing happened. As she got older she would argue with her father about the decisions he made as ruler. When she went to his council behind his back about a tax he was considering, he disowned her, saying she was too high strung for political office. He gave her a small parcel of land just outside of Colwen Grounds and told her not to let the door hit her where the Unnamed God split her on her way out."

"How awful." Glinda spoke up when Betak paused. "To be kicked out of your own family for having your own ideals."

"Not all families encourage free thought." Breena yawned.

"Back to bed with you." Betak gestured toward the girl's blankets.

"But…"

"No buts young lady. You're exhausted. And you've heard all of this a million times before." Betak's features softened as she put her hand on Breena's cheek. "You have to take care of yourself little one. I'm getting to old to do it for you."

"I hate when you use emotional blackmail." Breena yawned again. "But you're right, I'm whipped."

"I'll help you." Glinda was quick to offer, knowing she would never make it even the short distance by herself.

"I've got her." Milynn was just as quick to counter.

"Girls, girls. No fighting." Breena grinned as she let Milynn help her to her feet.

Glinda smiled knowing she was in good hands. "Fresh dreams."

"You too." She yawned again.

"Let's go." Milynn kept a tight grip on her as she steered her toward her blankets.

"Are you up for more, child?"

Glinda met Betak's gaze. "I am. I still can't believe Leandra was disowned by her own father."

"And she was only eighteen." Breena added.

"No more out of you!" Milynn chastised her as she eased her down on the blankets. "I'd hate to have to gag you."

Breena said, "I'd like to see you try," through another yawn.

Betak shook her head. "Don't mind them. They're always bickering. But Breena is right. Her mother was only eighteen."

"I can't even imagine." Glinda shook her head.

"Things only got worse when Melena realized her sister was no longer in line to become the next Eminent Thropp. She never had any political ambitions whatsoever, so she went a little wild. She would run away to Leandra's for days at a time and never tell her father where she was. She got in screaming matches with him over little things. And then she did the unthinkable. She ran away and married Frexspar, a man his Eminence never would have approved of."

Breena spoke up again. "All that and she didn't get disowned."

"Shh!" Milynn pushed her back down on her blankets.

"No, his Eminence realized he couldn't disown both of his children or he wouldn't have an heir to take his place. Melena should have assumed his responsibilities when she was eighteen, but seeing as she was married and living out in the middle of nowhere with Frex, he agreed to let her renounce her claim to the title. But he made her swear her first born would take over for him someday."

"The old bastard laid claim to Elly's soul before she was even born."

"Breena!" Milynn growled.

"What, I'm lying down aren't I?" Breena sighed. "Did you think I would actually be able to go to sleep while she was talking about my mom?"

Glinda suddenly yawned. "Oh, excuse me."

"Maybe we should call it a night as well. It's been a long day for us all." Betak smiled at Glinda. "And a good storyteller always leaves their audience wanting more."

"There, are you happy?" Milynn frowned at Breena. "Now Glinda and I have to go to sleep too."

Breena retorted with, "Good you grump. Maybe you'll wake up on the right side of the bed next time."

Milynn narrowed her eyes. "Or maybe I'll…"

"Milynn, go back to Leto before the two of you wake him and Lion." Betak raised her eyebrows when her granddaughter started to protest. "I'm sure Breena can fall asleep on her own."

"Yeah, I'm a big girl now."

"Whatever." Milynn stalked back over to her husband.

"Fresh dreams, Glinda."

"You too, Betak. And thanks for filling in some of the blanks for me."

The old woman smiled again. "It was my pleasure."

"Night Betak." Breena added her own greeting.

"Goodnight troublemaker."

Glinda chuckled when she heard Breena laughing. "You really are trouble, aren't you?"

"Yep." Breena yawned. "And selfish too. I didn't want to miss any of what she told you about my mom. I learn something different every time she talks about her."

"Couldn't you just get the whole story from your mother?"

"No. She's dead."

"I'm sorry." Glinda looked sad.

"For what?" Breena was fighting to keep her eyes open. "It wasn't your fault."

Glinda didn't know how to respond.

"Funny thing is… he could have had two of us to choose from."

Glinda yawned again. "Who?"

"Grandfather…" Breena was loosing the battle to stay awake. "Elly and I were born… at the same time." Her words were little more than mumbles. "Either one of … could have been… next… in… line…"

Her voice finally trailed off as her eyes closed. Glinda grinned and pulled her blanket up over her. "Fresh dreams, Breena."

She stopped to check on Elphaba on her way to her own bedroll, taking her friend's hand in her own as she knelt at her side. "I like your cousin, but I miss you." She placed a soft kiss on her brow. "Come back to me soon."

She reluctantly went to her own bedroll, her eyes heavy. She managed to whisper, "I love you Elphie," before falling into the arms of oblivion.