The-Good-Die-Alone: Actually, Dhert's lack of protecting is explained in this chapter. He isn't prone to agressiveness, and even if he was, he trusts Glinda's judgement enough not to attack Elphaba. Besides, she isn't threatening Ayenna in any way.

elphabathedelirious32: joins in happy dance That is just so much fun!

ClarkWithAnE: Thanks so much for the positive words! You have no idea how worried I was about bringing Elphaba in. I was terrified that she would be really out of character.

The Phantom's Muse: Well, if all that hinting was of any indication, this chapter should make you very happy! Haha.

Scarlett Dahlin: Oh please have mercy on my soul! Here, an update! Now you have no excuse to turn me into something bad! ;D

ElphieandFiyero4ever: Thanks for the encouragement!

Maria Whitman: I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Also, the gaps between updates may increase some due to extreme stress at school and lack of time to write. sobs I'm very sorry, but I will do my best to get enough written to post at least once a week or so!

Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. Wicked.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the entirety of the walk to the nearest entrance to the network of caves that were serving as home for Elphaba and Fiyero, Ayenna was silent. Elphaba, in equal silence, moved away some brush from a cleverly-concealed crevice in the forest floor a ways from their campground that obviously led into the cave.

One by one, for the size of the crevice only allowed one person at a time to squeeze in, they climbed into the hole. Elphaba went in first so she could help the others, Ayenna and Dhert followed, and Glinda brought up the rear. When Elphaba reached up to help Ayenna down, she expected some electric charge to flow through her when her hand brushed her daughter's, but nothing happened. Still, she kept her eyes lowered, just in case. Dhert refused to accept her hand, and she found herself not liking the boy. Glinda must have seen the barely concealed anger in her face, for when it was her turn, she shook her head at Elphaba very gently as if reprimanding her.

Elphaba chose to ignore this and Glinda's poor attempts at starting up a conversation. The green woman merely nodded or shook her head, and when Glinda tried asking questions that couldn't be answered with 'yes' or 'no,' Elphaba just didn't respond. Glinda sighed, frustrated, but she gave up for the moment, for which Elphaba was glad.

After what seemed like an age spent walking in the moist darkness of the cave tunnels penetrated only by the small torch that Elphaba had had waiting for the trek, Glinda asked how much farther it was.

"Not too much farther," Elphaba grunted noncommittally. She glanced back at her traveling party. Glinda was still in the back of the group, and Dhert and Ayenna were just in front of her, walking rather awkwardly beside each other. Elphaba had always wanted to meet her daughter, but now she rather wished she had just left them to wander through The Scalps until they gave up looking for her. The girl was an enigma, but Elphaba suspected that she was much more like her than she knew. Still, Elphaba had no idea how to behave around her. Her motherly feelings were buried deep and hard to access. She knew they were there, but she did not know this girl from Lurline. And how was she to get to know her if they both kept up this stubborn silence? She planned to speak to the girl, just not with this audience watching.

Ayenna surveyed her mother, trying to keep an indifferent air, but meeting this woman was painful, especially since Elphaba seemed to be frightened of her only child. Ayenna felt anger bubbling dangerously in her as it seemed more and more prone to do these days. Still, she couldn't help but marvel at the emerald skin tones of the woman. It was like looking into a mirror, (something she was not fond or doing) and seeing an older version of herself. However, Elphaba's dark hair pulled back in that tight bun and the black dress made her look more menacing than Ayenna had ever managed to pull off. She wondered what her father would be like.

Glinda was annoyed by Elphaba's stubbornness. She had thought the reunion would be full of hugs, tears, and reexamined bygone memories, not everyone walking through some tunnel to Lurline-knows-where with more than one pair of eyes glaring at the ground. Also, her fashionably-clad feet hurt.

Dhert was the only one of the four who wasn't angry. How could he be angry when he was so hopelessly confused? By the Unnamed God, Ayenna's mother was the Wicked Witch of the West! His father had always sympathized was the Witch, saying it "wasn't her fault" that she was wicked. Dhert, though, was used to his eccentricity and just thought that she was evil like everyone else. But of course, he was only a toddler when she had been killed, so he had never understood much of what went on. This woman, however, did not seem evil. Grumpy and sarcastic, maybe, but not evil. She was a lot like Ayenna, he noted. He decided to keep his silence for the time being. After all, Glinda seemed to trust her; why shouldn't he?

A few moments later, Elphaba stopped. The cave had narrowed immensely, and the space which would allow them to continue was fitted with a crude wooden door.

"This is home," Elphaba said and knocked twice on the door. Footsteps could be heard echoing hollowly from behind the partition, and a moment later, the door opened. The room beyond was lit with many candles that threw soft, flickering shadows on the cave floor and walls. A man stood in the doorway, his mouth slightly agape at the people standing on his doorstep. His hair was longish and the color of straw. His skin was normal colored.

He was, Ayenna thought, very handsome. She wondered if he could possibly be the man who sired her.

"Fiyero," Elphaba said simply.

His mouth closed at her word and he smiled brighter than Ayenna had ever seen anyone smile.

"Elphaba, would you like to introduce me to these people?" he asked without taking his eyes off Ayenna.

"Fiyero, don't pretend you don't know who they are. Well, you probably don't know who the boy is, but you know the other two."

He smiled at Elphaba, not offended in the least, "Ayenna…"

"Yes, Father?" she asked, the word coming naturally despite its lack of use on her tongue.

"You are so beautiful. I….I never thought I would get to meet you," he said, breaking into sobs of happiness and he rushed to embrace her.

Ayenna stood awkwardly, neither accepting nor denying the hug, just waiting for him to be done. She noticed how careful he was not to get his tears on her skin, and she was grateful.

"We are going to have a long talk later," he said with an utterly contented beam as he let go of her.

Glinda cleared her throat in a way that was as loud as possible without being impolite.

"Glinda!" he cried, and hugged her too.

She looked happy to be noticed and patted his back.

"We have so much catching up to do!" Fiyero said, stepping back to stand beside Elphaba who looked a bit disapproving of his tears and gushiness.

"And who is this young man?" he asked the group in general.

"I'm Dhert, sir. I work with Ayenna back in the Emerald City at a newspaper. I came to the Glikkus to do a story and to be Ayenna's bodyguard, but it seems she was the real bodyguard, of all of us. She is quite the leader, sir."

Fiyero smiled at Dhert and his daughter warmly.

"You must come in!" he exclaimed, gesturing them through the doorway, "Elphaba, why didn't you tell me they were coming? I could have gotten everything decorated!"

"That's why I didn't tell you," Elphaba said with a smirk.