Chapter 8.

A/N As people had already guessed ( that was fun :)) I decided to have the fortune teller be Yackle. I contemplated creating a new character but this is a fan fiction for Wicked, both the book and the musical and I like having some small element of the book in here, whenever I can. So she's Yackle, but not Yackle...

I hope that works for you too.

Oh, and to those who reviewed, alerted, favourited: Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Alright. On with it.

"You had a visitor today."

Elphaba turned away from the stove, where she was working on both dinner and a small explosive. The first she made because even her body, used to suffering from cold, hunger and pain, needed food to sustain itself. The latter she made with much more satisfaction. She'd need it if she were to get into Gale Force head quarters. She needed a distraction to ensure all the little soldiers would be away from the doors inside the building. She snorted. Honestly, they were simpletons. All of them. Well...maybe not all...Yes. She shook her head and turned away from memory lane. All of them.

She realized that Yackle was talking to her. Being alone nearly all the time had heightened her senses, but it had worsened her social skills. She simply forgot sometimes that some people or Animals talked to her, expecting an answer. She spent most of her time in the woods. She was safest there, but once in a while she needed things from civilization and in those moments, she would stay a few days, hiding in plain sight, in the city, with those few who were willing to give her room and board, in exchange for what she did for the animals. There weren't many who shared her view, but those that did, offered her what she needed.

"Hmm?"

She heard the old woman sigh, and couldn't help a tiny smile. Yackle had found her, only a few weeks after her escape from the palace that faithful night. She'd been cold, hungry and tied. And scared. She was determined to fight the Wizard, but she'd had no clue how or where to start. Yackle had found her, in the woods where she had taken up residence, taken one look at her and then had simply turned back around and walked away. When Elphaba hadn't followed, she'd thrown a look over her shoulder and called her a silly little girl, then asked her if she was planning on surviving on grass, water and illusions. Elphaba had been, well, she'd been angry and offended, but also too tired and too hungry to argue. She'd trusted her common sense, rather than her people radar and followed the old woman home.

It had been one of the best decisions she'd ever made. Yackle had been blunt and offensive in her manners, but she'd fed her, offered her a bed and then told her about others that defied the Wizard, or at least wished to. She'd told her about plans for a Resistance, about Animals who had fled and were preparing to fight back. Not once had she asked Elphaba what had happened that had her end up in the woods, on the run. Not once had she asked about the posters with a green face on it, that were up all over the city. It had not taken long for Elphaba to realize it wasn't because Yackle wasn't curious, but because she already knew enough. She'd pushed aside her natural paranoia then and they'd kept in touch, only in part out of necessity. Yackle's place was the first she'd try when she needed somewhere to stay in the city and she'd rarely had to look for another place.

"A visitor? That seems improbable. No one knows I am even in the city except for those who need to know and even those do not know I am in your kitchen." There was little humor in her voice. She regretted it but her life left no room for humor. Or much else besides determination and thick skin. She'd always had thick skin. Determination even more.

"A lack of a better word, little girl."

The woman looked at her guest. She was too thin. Too small. Too innocent, even as she fabricated bombs and potions in her kitchen. This was who she was forced to be, what she had become. There had to be some of the girl left in there, Yackle thought. She'd find out soon enough.

Fiyero had been wrong in his first assessment. Yackle did have powers and she used them when needed. She'd always had the gift of sight and years of study and practice had only added to what she could do, but she didn't fool around with it and she never promoted her powers. Her grandmother had taught her well. The lessons had been wasted on her mother and Yackle would not follow in her footsteps. She'd made a living off her sight, because it was the easiest thing to do, because it kept her from going hungry and because it helped people, occasionally. She never told them much. And never anything too significant. It would do more harm than good and it suited her to have people doubt her abilities. Being too good at something led to attention and too much attention led to trouble.

But then, the people didn't come to her for the truth. They came for reassurance. Tonight had been an exception to that. Captain Tiggular had been hoping for reassurance, but looking for the truth. That was the reason she had not been able to lie. He had been desperate. Desperate not to find the witch, but the woman, and not for the reasons he should be. It fascinated her. In the three years that Elphaba, who she was never allowed to call Elphaba but always did anyway, had been staying with her on and off, the Captain had never been mentioned. She and the green woman were not friends but as close to it as they needed to be and although Yackle knew little about the woman behind The Wicked Witch, she knew Miss Glinda had been a class mate. And since the Captain had been a pair with Miss Glinda for a long time now, Yackle wondered what his relationship with Elphaba was. Clearly, there was more than met the eye.

She had long ago decided bluntness was the best approach when confronting stubborn natures.

"The Captain of the Gale Force came for a reading today."

It didn't disappoint.

Elphaba didn't drop anything to the floor, but her hands stopped what they were doing and her body stilled completely. Her voice was shaky, if only slightly, when she responded, without turning around. It was the latter that gave her away. Yackle had never known Elphaba to not look problems in the eye. She didn't trust herself here.

Interesting.

"Did he? And what did he want from you? The winning lottery ticket?"

Laced with bitter sarcasm. Even more interesting.

"I doubt it. He was looking for you."

Her young guest sighed, and carefully began cutting carrots again, but her hands shook and her body was rigid.

"Yes, well. I suppose it was a matter of time. Thinking was never his strong suit and it is his job after all, to hunt down the Wicked Witch of the West."

The cynicism barely disguised the pain behind it, for those who cared to listen.

Yackle, however, had no patience for nonsense.

"I didn't say he was looking for the Wicked Witch of the West, little girl. I said he was looking for you."

"Some would say there is no difference."

"Some would indeed. Some would also say I have no powers."

She turned around. She met Yackle's eyes, but with less confidence than the older woman was used to.

"So what did he want then?"

She was right, Yackle thought with satisfaction. There was something there. She could look, of course. But she'd always made it a point not to do so, unless she was asked, or unless is it was absolutely vital.

"You may ask him that yourself, if you wish. He is coming back in three days."

The knife dropped.

Finally.

Yackle looked on, amused, as Elphaba frowned, obviously annoyed with herself, picked up it op from the floor and threw it on the counter. Then she looked up, eyes incredulous.

"He is coming back in three days? And you told him what? How marvelous, bring snacks? He could be bringing back the entire force and then what? You're a fool!"

She ignored the last part of that sentence. The girl was upset.

"He will be alone."

Elphaba snorted at that.

"You don't know that. His job is to kill me!"

Really. The girl was stubborn as a mule. Never listened. Never. Yackle took a breath, willing patience to hold out. Things tended to get messy when she lost her patience. And Elphaba had a way of making her lose her patience.

"He will be alone, because he is not looking to kill you. You silly girl! He is not looking to harm you, and I do not believe you don't know this, or you would not be behaving like a child! Now, he will be back here in three days. It is entirely up to you to meet with him or not. Though I feel I must warn you; he seemed very determined to find you and even more unwilling to take no for an answer."

Elphaba stood frozen, but the air around her seemed to sparkle. Yes, the girl was upset.

"I can not possibly meet with him! You're asking me to face the Captain of the army trained to capture me!"

"My girl, I am not asking you for anything. It is not anything to me whether you do or don't. But I think it is something to you. And from what I have seen,"

Elphaba was about to protest but she silenced her with a look.

"By looking at him and listening to him, not by any means of power, that it is a great deal to him. Meet with him, Elphaba. You both will be better off, one way or another."

Of course, she could only hope that was true.

Review, please? I'd love to hear what you think :)

Not to worry, next chapter will bring the big reunion :P