1Lion loved to run. There was nothing quite like the feel of your feet on the earth and the air in your face to get the blood bumping. Not to mention it served as a way to get rid of some of the seemingly endless energy his body produced. He was still young, little more than a cub as Betak was fond of saying, and he didn't want to burden the others with his being hyper all the time. So he found what outlets he could. Like running and eating and beating the snot out of Gale Force guards.
The thought made him grin. His life had been anything but dull since he left the palace with Breena and Glinda. Every time he turned around they were in some kind of danger. Even now, when things appeared so calm and relaxed there was trouble brewing beneath the surface. Between the Wizard and Boq showing up out of the blue and Morrible having half of the Grimmerie it was hard to tell what would happen next.
Not long ago just the thought of such things would have had him cowering in a corner somewhere, praying someone would come along to rescue him. Now he wanted to be in on the rescuing. And he owed it all to the people he was with.
Being a coward was easy when you didn't have anyone to care about. Sure he traveled with Dorothy and spent a lot of time with the tin man who was Boq and the scarecrow that ended up being Fiyero, but he wasn't really close to any of them. The only reason he tagged along in the first place was because being alone in the forest scared him and Dorothy seemed like a nice kid. Once she was gone he was back in the same lonely boat he had been in before. So he stayed with Boq in the hopes of making things better. But it wasn't until he knew Glinda was in danger and Breena revealed herself that he really came alive. Because for the first time in his life he had friends.
His grin became a full fledged smile. The people he chose to surround himself with might have been far from normal, but they were all his. Glinda with her beauty and charm and Elphaba with her tenacity and kindness made the perfect couple. Then there was Betak with her gruff exterior and heart of gold and Breena with her quick wit and ability to make everything seem all right. Even Glinda's sister and Fiyero were quickly finding their places in his little circle of friends. And having friends meant having something to fight for. He would rather lose his beloved tail then let something happen to one of them.
That brought him back to Boq, the Wizard and Morrible. He used to be able to tolerate Boq until he stabbed Elphaba. Now he felt like he had to keep a close eye on him all of the time to make sure he didn't hurt anyone else. The Wizard didn't seem too bad. He was a bastard for what he did to Breena and Elphaba's mothers but he seemed sincere in wanting to be a part of his daughters' lives. And Morrible was a wild card. You never knew what she was going to do next.
His thoughts scattered as his foot caught on something, sending him sprawling to the forest floor. That was great. Why did he have to be such a klutz? At least no one was around to see it happen. And from what he could tell he wasn't hurt. Wouldn't have that been something, to pull a muscle or cut himself and then try to explain it once he got back to the house? They really would have thought he was...
A surprised, and decidedly un-lion like squeak escaped him when he saw what he tripped over. He did a double take to make sure he wasn't imagining things before pushing himself to his feet. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. What was he supposed to do now?
Get help, that's what. Elphaba and Glinda would know what to do.
He took off toward the house without a backward glance, knowing he needed to hurry.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Like this?"
Elphaba flinched as the cold oil made contact with her stomach.
"Sorry." Glinda wrinkled her nose. "I'll try to remember to warm it up next time."
"It's fine." Elphaba assured her as dainty hands made their way over her skin. At first she thought her lover was crazy for wanting to learn more about her oil baths, but now that they were in the bathroom she had to admit she was enjoying herself. Who wouldn't with a naked Glinda standing in front of them.
Her brow furrowed into a half frown at the thought. No one was allowed to see Glinda in the buff but her.
"Am I doing it wrong?"
The corner of her mouth turned up at the anxious question. "There's not really a right or wrong way to..." She gasped as Glinda switched her attention to her breasts.
"What was that? I didn't quite catch what you said." Glinda grinned at her reaction. "Now you know how I felt a minute ago." She continued to lovingly caress Elphie's chest as she chastely brought their lips together. "Only I didn't get a kiss when it was my turn."
"How could I have forgotten the most important part?" Elphaba wrapped her arms around her, pulling her as close as she could to capture her mouth.
"Oh yeah." Glinda breathed as they parted. "That definitely makes it better." She pouted when Elphie grabbed a towel and started to pat oil off of them both. "We're done already?"
"I don't want to have to explain how we got oil all over the sheets."
Glinda giggled. "Then let me help." She grabbed a towel too.
Several minutes and about twenty lingering kisses later they were on their way back to the bed.
"We'll continue your lesson later." Elphaba spoke between lip locks. "But for right now I..."
Glinda put her hand on her lover's shoulder. "I think we should get dressed."
Elphaba frowned, obviously taken aback. "What?"
"I love seeing you naked." Glinda trailed kisses up a green neck. "But I get so hot when we undress each other."
"Really?"
She nodded. "It's like a Lurlinemas present. The gift is definitely the best part but getting to it is fun too."
Elphaba chuckled. "All right. But only if I get to be the bad girl who needs punished this time."
Glinda giggled as she slapped her on the butt. "Just wait until you see your punishment."
They reluctantly separated after another heated kiss and hurried to pull on some clothes.
"I can't believe Breena had all these things here for me."
"We weren't sure where you would end up if something happened at the palace." Elphaba swallowed hard when she caught sight of Glinda's pink, frilly underwear. "So we kept some things here and I kept some with me on the road."
Glinda raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"I wanted you with me, Glinda. Lugging a couple of outfits around with my other things was a small reminder that it might happen someday."
"Might?" Glinda echoed the word. "Would you have told me you were alive if Nevin and Morrible hadn't tried to throw me in Southstairs?"
"Yes. Eventually." Elphaba hated the pain her reply brought to the blue eyes she adored. "We were destined to be together. Their plot to take over Oz just sped things up a bit."
"Then I'm glad they did what they did. I was dying without you."
"Glinda..."
"I'm serious Elphie. I'm just not me without you." She turned in a silent request for her love to zip her dress.
"I'm not me without you either." Elphaba gently kissed the alabaster skin of her shoulder as she pulled the zipper up. "But I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you because of me."
"It won't." Glinda turned, seizing the same lips that had caused her to shiver mere seconds ago with her own. "We'll get the rest of the Grimmerie and come up with a plan to get rid of Morrible."
"We?" Elphaba pulled away before they could kiss again.
"Yes. I'm going to help you get the rest of the book back."
"No."
Glinda frowned. "What do you mean no?"
"Just what it sounds like." Elphaba pulled on a black shirt that matched the pants she was already wearing. "I'm not letting Morrible anywhere near you ever again."
"Elphie..."
"You died the last time, Glinda! If Addena hadn't been there..." Her voice trailed off as she shook her head. "I don't even want to think about what would have happened."
"She hurt you too," was Glinda's retort. "What am I supposed to do, stand by and watch as you take her on again."
"That's exactly what I want you to do."
"I can't!"
"You can and you will." Elphaba turned to face her. "Breena and I can handle it."
"She almost killed both of you." Glinda tried to reason with her. "What if the same thing happens again?"
"It won't."
"How do you know?"
"We'll be ready for her this time."
"I can be too."
"It's not the same."
"I don't even want to know what you mean by that." Glinda growled. "You can't leave me out of this, Elphaba."
"Oh yes I can."
"Damn it!"
"Swearing won't change anything." Elphaba gripped her arms. "Morrible is my responsibility, Glinda. I won't let her hurt you again. I can't." Tears filled her eyes. "I wouldn't be able to survive losing you."
Matching tears swam in Glinda's eyes. "And you think I could if something happened to you?"
They both jumped as someone knocked on the door.
"Go away." Elphaba barked when she recovered.
"I can't." Came the whispered response from the other side of the door.
Glinda frowned. "What?"
"I said I can't go away." The voice sounded again, even quieter than the first time if that was possible. "I need the two of you."
"Well we're busy." Elphaba looked down at Glinda. "I..." She clinched her jaw as another knock interrupted her. "I said we're busy!"
"And I said I need you!" The speaker got quiet again. "Please."
"Fiyero, I swear by the Unnamed God I'll rip your eyebrows off if you don't..." Elphaba's voice trailed off when she opened the door and saw who was on the other side. "Lion?"
"Are my eyebrows safe?" The oversized cat nervously traced the patch of hair over his left eye.
"You're fine." Glinda joined them. "She's just in a bad mood."
"I am not in a bad mood!" Elphaba snapped, causing him to flinch. "I'm sorry, Lion." She softened her tone. "What's going on?"
He looked at Glinda, who nodded that it was all right to talk. "I was out for a run this morning when I literally tripped over something."
"You're this upset over a tree root?" Elphaba gave him an incredulous look.
"Stop it." Glinda poked her in the side. "Go ahead, Lion."
"It wasn't a tree root." He swallowed hard. "It was either Breena or what's her name... your sister." He looked at Glinda again. "Sorry, I'm having a really hard time remembering her name."
"Addena?" Elphaba supplied it for him. "What do you mean it was either one or the other of them?"
"They were both there." He clarified. "But I couldn't tell which one I tripped over."
"Did you hurt whoever it was?" Glinda asked.
"No."
"And they were together?"
He nodded in response to Elphaba's question.
"Then what do you need us for?" The witch looked confused. "If they're together and you didn't hurt either one of them..."
"They were unconscious." Lion interrupted.
"What?!" Glinda grabbed his arm. "Are you sure?"
"No." He swallowed hard again. "I didn't check to see if they were..." He couldn't bring himself to say it. "Their eyes were closed so I just assumed they were unconscious."
"Where are they?" Elphaba demanded.
"Under a tree out by the cemetery."
"A tree?" Glinda looked even more confused that Elphie.
"Yeah." Lion gestured with his free paw. "They were all propped up together with their eyes shut. They didn't even flinch when I tripped over whoever it was."
Glinda let go of him to grip a green hand. "Elphie?"
Elphaba gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Show us."
"What do you think happened?" Glinda's voice was anxious.
"It's hard to tell." Elphaba tried not to show how worried she was. "We'll know soon enough."
"Shhh!" Lion shushed them as they approached the living room. "Betak's still asleep. I didn't want to worry her."
"You're right not to." Elphaba agreed, knowing all too well how the old woman was when it came to Breena. "Let's make sure there's something to worry about before we let her in on what's happening."
They crept soundlessly past the living room, breaking into more of a trot than a run as soon as they reached the front door. After what felt like an eternity to Elphaba and Glinda Lion finally stopped.
"See." He pointed at the two bodies under a tree on the outskirts of the cemetery.
Glinda tightened her grip on Elphie's hand as they looked at them. Lion was right, it was definitely Breena and Addena. They were sitting on the ground, Breena's back against the tree and her arm around Addena. Addena was next to her, half curled against Breena's side with her arm flung over her waist.
"It looks like they're breathing." Lion inched closer, yelping in shock and darting behind Glinda and Elphaba when Breena suddenly yawned and stretched.
Addena groaned at the movement, drawing a grin from Breena. "Sorry."
"You're all right." The doctor's voice was gruff as she stretched too. "Where are we?"
"Outside." Breena yawned again. "I think we fell asleep."
"I think you're right." Addena smiled. "We must have worn each other out."
"Must have." Breena agreed as she looked at her. "But what a way to wake up."
Addena pulled her closer. "The best." She started to bring their lips together.
"I might have morning breath."
"I'll risk it."
Lion drew in a shocked breath as they kissed. "Did you see that?" He pointed at them again.
"What the..." Breena's voice trailed off as she pulled out of the lip lock and caught sight of their audience.
"Glinda!" Addena looked up at her sister. "What are you doing here?"
"I would say taking lessons." Breena answered for her as she climbed to her feet. "But from what I've seen the two of them have pretty good form already."
Addena accepted her help up, quickly letting go of her hand once she was on her feet. "It's not funny."
"Sure it is." Breena countered. "It's not like they wouldn't have found out sooner or later anyway."
"Found out about what?" Elphaba asked.
Breena shrugged. "Us."
"Us?" Glinda looked back and forth between them. "You're an us?"
"Yes."
"No."
Breena frowned as she and Addena answered at the same time. "What do you mean no?"
"We're not an us." Addena chuckled nervously.
"We're not?" Breena's frown deepened.
"Of course not." Addena gave her sister and Elphaba an 'I have no idea what she's talking about' look.
"Then what was last night?"
"Last night?" Lion interrupted. "You two spent the night out here together?" He lowered his head when Breena shot him a glare. "Sorry."
"Answer me, Addena." Breena only had eyes for the doctor.
"It... It was..." She stammered. "Can we talk about this in private?"
"No."
"Breena..."
"Oh, I get it." Breena clinched her jaw as she nodded. "This was some kind of experiment, wasn't it? You see how happy the two of them are," she gestured at Elphaba and Glinda, "so you decide to give it a try too. But now that someone knows about it, it never happened."
"I didn't say that." It was Addena's turn to frown.
"You might not have spoken the words, but your eyes gave you away."
She sighed. "Breena, I just woke up. My eyes aren't capable of doing much of anything yet. Just like you're not thinking straight."
"You could have fooled me." Breena chortled. "And I'm thinking just fine, thank you very much."
"Obviously not, jumping to conclusions like that."
"Conclusions like what? That what we shared last night makes us more than just friends? That it's not a big deal that someone caught us kissing because it will happen again?" Breena waited for a response but none came. "You're embarrassed." She closed her eyes. "I am so stupid."
"We need to go back to the house and discuss this like two rational adults." Addena reached for her hand.
"No, I get it." Breena stepped away from her. "Save the 'it didn't mean anything' talk for someone else." With that she stormed away.
"Bree." Elphaba called after her.
"Go on." Glinda encouraged her. "We'll deal with them and then finish our discussion."
Elphaba frowned. "There's nothing to finish."
"Yes there is."
"No there's not."
"Yes there is."
"I told you you're not getting anywhere near Morrible and I meant it."
Glinda sighed. "Elphie..."
"End of discussion." Elphaba started to follow her sister.
"Don't you dare walk away from me, Elphaba Thropp." Glinda ground her teeth when the green woman didn't even look back at her. "Fine! Be pig headed! Just keep in mind that you can't tell me what I can and can't do!"
Elphaba threw an, "I just did," over her shoulder as she caught up with Breena.
"Oh!!" Glinda grabbed her sister's hand. "Come on, Dena!"
Lion stood where he was, watching both sets of sisters as they walked away in different directions. "That's not good."