This had to be a bad dream. No, scratch that. This had to be the worst nightmare in the history of this or any other world. Any minute now he would wake up in his shack. Or, better yet, he would find himself still in charge of Oz. Still the wonderful wizard who would never use his power or influence to turn people against a poor innocent girl like Elphaba. Yes, he would close his eyes and when he opened them again his daughters wouldn't be hurt or...
The very idea of thinking the word made his stomach turn. They weren't... They couldn't be... Not so soon after he got them back. This was supposed to be his chance to make things up to them. His chance to finally be the father he always knew he could be.
He closed his eyes, praying it would make this whole mess go away. But images of the girls were ingrained in his mind. Elphaba on top of Glinda, the back of her shirt tattered and covered in blood. Breena several inches away from them, half on her right side and half on her back with her face turned away from him.
"Elphie?"
His eyes snapped open, breath he didn't realize he was holding rushing from his lungs when he heard Glinda. It wasn't one of his daughters, but it was the next best thing. If anyone could get a response out of Elphaba it was the blonde.
"Glinda?"
He jumped when he heard Breena's voice, surprised to find she was already well on her way to sitting up. Apparently Glinda had a way with both of his daughters.
"Thank Oz!" He started toward her. "Are you all right?" The words died in his throat as she turned to look at him. There was some kind of green fluid coming from a nasty looking gash on her left cheek and even more of the same stuff running down her right arm, which was littered with cuts.
"If you count getting thrown around by Morrible again as being all right then I'm peachy." Breena winced as she slowly stood, frowning when she realized he was staring at her. "What? Don't even start lecturing me about getting up. I have to make sure the others are all right and I can't do that from down there."
"No," he shook his head. "I... You... What did she do to you?"
"What are you talking about?" Breena watched as he tentatively reached for her cheek, realizing what was going on as his finger came away green. "Morrible didn't do that. You did."
"Me?"
"Who knew having parents from different worlds could make things green?"
"But blood can't be..."
"Obviously it can." She sounded annoyed. "Mine has been my whole life."
"I..." He mentally kicked himself for upsetting her. "Here." He pulled a handkerchief out of the inside pocket of his jacket and held it out to her. "For your cheek."
She fought the urge to tell him to stick it where the sun didn't shine. He was just trying to make amends. And he couldn't be faking the concern she saw in his eyes. "Thanks."
He nodded. "You're welcome."
"Elphie?" Glinda tried again, her voice just shy of frantic. "Elphie, can you hear me?!"
"Glinda?" Elphaba groaned more than spoke.
"Elly?" Breena turned to look at them as she mopped the blood from her cheek.
"You can…" The Wizard didn't have any choice but to take the used handkerchief when she literally shoved it into his hand. "Keep it."
"Easy tiger." Breena was already at her sister's side, her hand on Elphaba's arm as she tried to push herself up. "I don't think you should be moving around."
"But I'm squishing Glinda."
"No you're not." The blonde was quick to reassure her as she peeked around her lover at Breena. "Is it her back?" She swallowed hard when Breena grimly nodded. "Can you heal her?"
"Not without taking a closer look at her cuts to make sure there's no glass in them. If there is and I heal the skin over it she could get an infection."
"Then we'll take her downstairs. Addena can check her out before you heal her." Glinda sadly stroked a green cheek. "Don't worry Elphie, we'll make you all better."
"I know." Elphaba gave her a weak grin. "But to do that I'm going to have to get up."
"She's right." Breena agreed before Glinda could say anything. "No one's going to be able to carry her without causing her a lot of pain. Unless I knock her out."
"No." Elphaba shot the idea down. "I can walk. I'll set my own pace."
Breena ignored her comment. "It's a simple enough spell. You'd only be out a few hours."
"Elphie, maybe you should…"
"No, Glinda. I'm hurt, not maimed. I need to know what's going on. What if Morrible tracks us here somehow?"
"Then I'll handle her." Breena answered.
"You're going to heal me and him," Elphaba looked at their father, "and still have enough energy to take her on? I don't think so."
"Elly."
"Don't argue with me, Bree. Just help me up." She hissed in pain as she tried to move.
"Damn stubborn people." Breena mumbled to herself.
"Look who's talking." Elphaba rebutted.
The corner of the Wizard's mouth turned up as he watched the interaction between the two. Just moments before he was afraid he might have lost them both and now they were bickering. They looked a bit rough around the edges, but they were alive.
"Whoa." Elphaba clutched her sister's arm as she finally reached her feet and the room started spinning.
"That's it, I'm…"
"Going to stop overreacting." She cut Breena off. "I just got a little dizzy."
"Elphie?" Glinda was instantly at her side, not waiting for anyone to help her up.
"You're bleeding." Elphaba looked at the cuts on her love's arms with concern.
"Not nearly as much as you." Glinda shook her head. "You just had to play human shield, didn't you?"
"I learned from the best."
The Wizard blushed as his daughter glanced at him.
Glinda desperately wanted to hug her but gingerly slipped her arm through her lover's instead. "I've got her."
"OK, I'll get Addena and we'll head downstairs." The whole thing with Elphaba only took a few minutes so Breena really wasn't surprised that they hadn't heard anything from Addena yet. The poor thing was the closest to the mirror when she came flying through meaning she took the brunt of the impact. She was probably still stunned.
"Addena?" The blonde was on her side facing away from everyone else. "I need your help with Elphaba." She waited for a response, furrowing her brow when none came. "Adde…"
She sucked in a shocked breath as she put her hand on Addena's shoulder and she rolled limply onto her back. The front of her shirt was soaked in blood from the large shard of glass sticking out of her stomach.
"No." Breena shook her head as she drank in the woman's pale features.
"Breena?" Her eyes fluttered open.
Her voice was like music to Breena's ears. "Don't talk, all right. I'll have you as good as new in no time."
"Is everything all right, Breena?"
She froze when she heard Glinda's voice.
Addena gripped her hand. "Don't let her see me like this."
"Bree?" Elphaba frowned.
"Please." Addena begged.
"Uh, yeah." She somehow managed to get the words out as she shifted to her right, blocking Addena's midsection so the others couldn't see. "Everything is fine. Addena just needs a second to get her bearings. Why don't you guys head downstairs and we'll join you in a few minutes."
"Dena?" Glinda didn't sound convinced.
"I'm…" Addena swallowed to wet her dry throat. "I'm fine, Linny. Go ahead."
"Come on girls." The Wizard picked up on the fact something wasn't right but knew Breena wasn't the type to keep anything from her sister or Glinda unless it was necessary. "I'll walk you down."
Addena locked eyes with Breena as soon as they started down the stairs. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me yet. It's going to hurt like hell when I pull that glass out to heal you. Not to mention how pissed Glinda's going to be when she finds out you were hurt and didn't want her to know."
"No."
Breena chortled. "No what? No it's not going to hurt or no Glinda's not going to be pissed?"
Addena was all business. "If you pull it out I'll bleed to death."
"Don't say that."
"It's true."
"No it's not." She tried to sound sure of herself, not willing to believe what she was hearing.
"Breena, I'm a doctor, I know these things."
"So that's why you didn't want Glinda here. You don't want her to watch you die."
Addena frowned. "You don't have to be so blunt."
"Isn't that what you were implying?" Breena was getting angry. "That I can't help you because you're doomed? 'If you pull it out I'll bleed to death... I'm a doctor, I know these things,'" she mocked her. "I'm not giving up on you, Addena. I can't. I won't!"
"Don't yell at me." Tears swam in her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"You should be."
"Not for what I said." She took a deep breath, her brow creasing in pain. "For what I did this morning. I…" She shook her head. "I was scared."
"Don't talk anymore. You're wearing yourself out."
"I didn't want to admit… what I feel for you."
"We can have this discussion after I heal you."
"But I do feel something… something amazing." Addena looked deep into her green eyes. "Kiss me."
Breena looked confused. "What?"
"Kiss me." She repeated herself. "Like you did last night. One last kiss… before I go."
"You're not going anywhere."
"Just kiss me."
The words tore at Breena's heart. Addena was giving up, just like Milynn had. But she wasn't about to lose her too. She leaned in close so the blonde couldn't see what she was doing.
"Forgive me."
Addena furrowed her brow. "For what?"
"This." Breena brought their lips together as she closed her hand around the piece of glass and pulled it free, deepening the kiss when she felt her powers kick in. She held on even after she couldn't feel Addena's pain anymore, wanting to make sure she was healed. It wasn't until her lungs were screaming for oxygen that she pulled back to look at her.
"You... That was..." Addena grinned dreamily. "I can die a truly happy woman."
"Stop saying you're going to die."
"Breena, we've been over this."
"Not since I healed you." Breena showed her the piece of glass.
"What?" Addena looked down at herself. "When... I mean I thought... I was sure..."
"See what you get for thinking?"
"I'm being serious!"
"Me too." Breena grinned. "If anyone says anything you can blame it on being lightheaded from blood loss. Or the fact that doctor's make the worst patients and should never self diagnose themselves."
"You didn't give up on me." Addena looked at her with new admiration.
Her teasing tone was gone when she said, "I told you I couldn't."
Addena propped herself up on one elbow, pulling Breena down for a kiss with her other hand. "Thank you."
"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that."
Addena chuckled as she let herself melt into another smoldering lip lock.
"You're way too good at that." Breena reluctantly pulled out of kissing range. "And as much as I would love to make out with you right now, we need to get downstairs and take care of Elphaba and the Wizard."
"I know about the Wizard. How bad is Elphaba?"
"Not good. She has a bunch of cuts on her back."
"She was protecting Linny, wasn't she?"
"It's Elly we're talking about."
Addena nodded. "Of course she was protecting Linny."
"Anyway, I'm afraid there might be glass in some of them."
"So you want me to clean her up before you heal her."
It was Breena's turn to nod as she started at Addena. She suddenly reached out to cup her cheek. "Don't ever scare me like that again, OK?"
Addena leaned into her hand. "Only if you agree not to scare me either."
"If that's the deal breaker I guess we're going to have to be just friends. Ow!" She frowned when Addena smacked her on the arm. "Some of us haven't healed yet you know."
"Like I believe..." she was shocked to see green covering her palm. "Breena, you're bleeding!"
"I wasn't until you hit me. I mean I was, but not as bad as I am now." Breena sighed as she inspected her right arm. "Thanks a lot."
"But you're a healer."
"I can't heal someone else and myself at the same time."
"Then heal yourself now."
"I can't do that either."
"Why not?" Addena demanded.
"Because my injuries are minor compared to Elphaba and the Wizard's. If I did I won't have enough energy to heal them."
"Then you take a little break between now and then."
"I can't."
"Sure you can. I'll find a chair for you to sit in."
"Addena..."
"Don't Addena me. Heal!"
Breena gave her a look. "I'm not a dog."
"No, you're a stubborn jackass with some kind of martyr complex. Elphaba and the Wizard wouldn't want you to suffer so you can heal them."
"That's just it, I'm not suffering."
"Does your arm hurt? Or the hole in your cheek?"
"Of course my arm hurts. And I don't have a hole in my cheek."
"Then you're suffering." Addena gestured with her hand like it was the most obvious conclusion in the world.
Breena closed her eyes and shook her head. "Why do we always end up arguing?"
"We're not arguing."
"Then what do you call this?"
"You being ridiculous and me watching you drip blood on the floor."
"I'm going downstairs." Breena looked over her shoulder as she headed toward the stairs. "And you might want to borrow a shirt if you don't want Glinda to freak out. Second drawer down in the dresser."
"Breena, wait." Addena scrambled to get up, surprised by how good she felt. "Breena?" She sighed as she practically sprinted down the stairs, finally catching her. "You can't just walk away from me like that."
"Why not?"
"Because we were having a discussion."
"Obviously we have different definitions for the word discussion." Breena gave her a sidelong glance as they made their way down the hall. "But for future reference, in my book this is an argument."
"Duly noted. Now can we please talk about this whole healing thing like rational adults?"
She answered by opening the door to Elphaba and Glinda's room. "After you."
"Breena?" Addena rolled her eyes when she didn't say anything. "Fine. I guess I'll see what Elphaba has to say about this. Maybe she'll be able to talk some sense into that thick head of yours."
"Elphie won't be talking to anyone. She's saving her strength." Glinda's voice was tight as she looked down at the green witch, who was laying on her stomach on the bed. Her shirt and bra had been removed to reveal her severely lacerated back. Glinda lovingly running her fingers through raven tresses. "What in Oz took you two so long? I was about to..." Her voice trailed off when she looked up and caught sight of her sister. "Dena!" She hurried over to her. "Are you all right?!"
"What?" Addena looked confused.
"Your shirt," Glinda reached out, cringing as she touched the blood on it.
"Oh, that's nothing."
"That's a lot of nothing."
Breena grinned as she walked around them to get to the bed. "I told you to change."
Addena made a face at her. "No one asked you."
Glinda looked back and forth between them. "Someone better tell me what happened."
Breena shrugged. "Don't ask me. I'm just a stubborn jackass with a martyr complex."
"A martyr complex?" Elphaba echoed her words.
"Shhhhh." Her sister shushed her. "This should be interesting."
Glinda put her hands on her hips. "I'm waiting!"
Addena gave her a sheepish smile, hoping she wasn't about to get in too much trouble.