A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in so long. But I do believe the events in this chapter will make up for it…tee-hee.
Disclaimer: It isn't mine. I wrote this chapter, now you want me to think of a clever way to say I don't own it? Not happening.
Elphaba wanted answers, but as it turned out she'd have to wait a while to get them. She, Fiyero, and Liir traversed the dangerous, dark, dank streets of the Emerald City, though, she reminded herself, they were hardly as dangerous for three "men" as they had been for the eighteen-year-old, solitary girl without the vaguest idea of where she was going. It shouldn't have been as dangerous, even, for a green girl; usually Elphaba's strangeness protected her like green armor, a force field that kept people at bay, but that night it hadn't.
No.
She'd promised herself, long ago, not to think about it. She had given it her customary sardonic levity later, with herself and then with Fiyero, and she had closed off that event in her life. She was fine.
The frightened, broken, unloved and wounded eighteen-year-old she had briefly been was nothing to do with her now, two decades later. She felt Fiyero's hand on her arm; he had noticed her closing herself off.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said, making it so, and kissed him.
"I may have just been scarred for life," said Liir, and Elphaba fixed him with a black look.
"You'll appreciate it when you're older," she said, sarcastically. Liir smirked.
"What?" he asked. "What'll I appreciate?"
"Tolerance, for one," Elphaba replied, rapping him soundly on the head with the flat of her hand.
"Ow," said Liir.
"Oh, get a backbone," complained Elphaba.
"Well, all the stores are closed and I can't very well break into one to see if they've got any in stock," answered Liir. He was getting better at this.
"Where are we going?" asked Elphaba.
"Don't look at me; I haven't been here in fifteen years," answered Fiyero.
"And I've never been here," Liir put in.
Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged glances and decided not to debate that, but Liir caught their look.
"Don't even," he said.
"All right," replied Fiyero genially, "I don't have to. You've already gotten it in your head."
"Please shut up," requested Liir.
"Oh, very well, now that we've finally gotten some measure of free speech-" began Elphaba.
"Fae-" Fiyero started.
"Ell," corrected Liir. Fiyero glared at him and continued talking to Elphaba.
"Not now."
"Why not?"
"I think someone's following us."
"Well, that is a good reason," Elphaba admitted.
"Ssh," said Fiyero. "Liir, Elphie and I will keep going. You slip into the next alleyway and see who it is."
Liir nodded and ducked into the alley. Saying nothing, Elphaba and Fiyero kept walking. About five minutes later, Liir caught up with them, rejoining them by way of another alley.
"I think," he gasped (from running) "I think it's Cass."
"Cass?" asked Fiyero, "that little red-haired girl?"
"Yes," said Elphaba grimly. "I knew there was something foul about that girl-"
"Hey!" protested Liir.
"Not to mention stupid," continued Elphaba, blithely ignoring his outburst, "I mean, honestly, what kind of idiot girl walks the streets of the Lower Quarter alone at night?"
"A prostitute," said Fiyero, to be funny. Elphaba glared at him. "Did you by chance melt your sense of humor?" asked Fiyero. She gave him a much darker look and he shut up.
"Whatever else she is, I doubt she's that," Elphaba said, "although I may be wrong. But at any rate, that's not why she's following us."
"Unless she wants to proposition you," Fiyero told her. Elphaba growled.
"That was scary," Liir commented. Elphaba smiled sweetly.
"Liir, kindly shut up before I remove your testicles with my foot, would you?"
"Maybe I should remove yours," Fiyero said. He and Liir started laughing hysterically. Elphaba glared even more fiercely.
"Sorry," gasped Fiyero, trying to control his laughter without much success, "I couldn't resist."
"Well, try a damn sight harder next time!" snapped Elphaba. "And do shut up. Seriously, have you forgotten we're being followed?"
"Well, what do you suggest?" asked Fiyero. "And I'm glad you're concerned about being followed this time."
"What does that mean?" asked Elphaba. "Have you been stalking me?"
"Not for the past fifteen years."
"Oh." She paused, grasping it. "Well, that's your own damn fault. I told you to stay away from me that night, didn't I, but you didn't listen."
"What are you talking about?" asked Liir.
"Nothing," said Elphaba and Fiyero in unison.
"Let's try to focus on tonight, shall we?" asked Elphaba.
"Gladly," said Fiyero in a dirty voice.
"Please shut up, am I never to have any peace?" Elphaba cried.
"No," chorused Fiyero and Liir.
"All right, though, seriously, how are we going to lose her?" asked Liir. "Not that I think she's dangerous, in fact, she's probably in danger-"
"That's easy," said Elphaba, ignoring the last bit. "We're not."
"What?" asked Fiyero.
"We go to an inn, we take turns keeping watch, tomorrow we get up, give her the slip, and- I don't know- go somewhere," said Elphaba.
"Good plan," Fiyero said sarcastically, "nice details."
"You've lived with me too long," Elphaba sighed. "I'm rubbing off."
"Anyway," said Fiyero, "I have some revisions. Let's not go tomorrow-"
"We'll wait a few hours and go tonight," finished Elphaba, nodding, "Even better."
"I try," said Fiyero. Elphaba contented herself with rolling her eyes. "I know where we should go, too," added Fiyero, "but I'm not telling you."
"You'd better tell me," stated Elphaba.
"Ask nicely."
"That is me being nice."
"Good point- oof!" cried Fiyero. In their banter, they hadn't noticed the human form lying in their path. First Elphaba, then Fiyero, then Liir, tripped and went flying, landing in a great heap.
For a moment, no one moved. There was silence, and the sounds of the city could be heard- rats scuttling, vague laughter, waves lapping against the docks from the lake, a whistle blowing-
Then the person they had tripped over awoke and sat up.
"Who's there?" she asked, for her voice revealed that she was in fact a girl, and a young one, too.
Elphaba squinted in the darkness from her squashed position, trying to see.
"Do you two mind getting the hell off of me?" she asked. "You're crushing my kidneys."
They obliged. Elphaba crept forward to see the girl more clearly.
She caught her breath. "Nor?" she asked quietly.