He prided himself on his success. It had only taken Fiyero four months to get his act together. He twisted the ring on his fourth finger as he always did when he thought about it. He walked the streets with a new vigour in his step and everywhere he found himself people knew him. After all, they should know their Captain of the Gale Force; he was in charge of their protection. He was busy, but he was happy. Everything was hanging in the perfect balance.
On this particular day, he was walking the streets on his way to meet Glinda and Avaric, when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Huddled by the corner of a nearby cafe were two figures pressed in close together. One of them passed something to the other, who quickly slid the object into a bag hanging over their shoulder and started off in one direction, while the accomplice moved in the other.
Even without his Gale Force training, Fiyero couldn't have possibly missed something like that; though no one else seemed to have noticed. The figure moving towards him was female, with her hair looped tightly on top of her head and a scarf pulled up halfway over her face, but there was no masking the hard look in her eyes. The look only seen in one who's constantly on guard; constantly hunted.
But something else confused Fiyero. The way she was crossing her arms over her torso, you'd think she was hiding the traded contraband under there, but he was certain he had seen her opening and closing her bag.
Still, Fiyero had important things to tell Elphaba. He was sure she hadn't seen him and hid behind a corner. It was strange how a few minutes of watching her already had him acting immature. As she passed, she looked around carefully and then prepared to cross the street.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Fiyero sprung from his spot and pinned Elphaba against the brick wall of a restaurant. "You didn't think you were going to get away without saying hello, did you?"
"What are you talking about? I don't know you."
"Everyone knows me," Fiyero chuckled in his eternal good mood.
"Must I remind you that no one is to know me," Elphaba snapped.
Fiyero ran a hand through his sandy hair and surveyed Elphaba closely. Her arms were still wrapped protectively around her torso and she was wearing more layers than usual. "I'm not asking much, just lunch."
Elphaba bit her bottom lip, trying to refuse, but this seemed like the perfect opportunity. "Just lunch?"
"Just lunch," Fiyero agreed and led her into the conveniently placed restaurant they were leaning against. "How are things, Fae?" He said, recalling her codename fondly.
"Fantastic, just fantastic," Elphaba said sarcastically. "Everything going my way as usual."
"Anything in particular you want to talk about?" In truth, Fiyero was quickly trying to bypass the pleasantries so he could tell her his news, but something about her expression made him pause. "Is everything okay?"
Elphaba shook her head and snapped out of the trance. "Yes, definitely yes." She sounded like she was reassuring herself more than him. They took a seat and Elphaba glanced down at the completely unappetizing choices on the menu.
"Wine?" Fiyero offered.
"No, thank you," Elphaba refused and then pretended to study her menu some more. "So what's your exciting news?"
"I'm not sure it's new and exciting, but it has helped me immensely," Fiyero explained. "I don't suppose you're in touch with current events?"
"I don't exist, remember?"
"So you haven't heard anything about Glinda and I?" Fiyero asked excitedly; he was practically bouncing up and down.
"Glinda and you?" Elphaba exclaimed rather loudly.
"About a month ago," Fiyero finished nodding fervently.
"You mean-"
"Yeah, we're married," Fiyero nodded, finally getting a grip on himself.
Elphaba's mouth fell open and then she forced it closed and inhaled deeply. "That's great," she lied convincingly enough. "I'm so happy for you two! You're like a completely new person."
"It's true isn't it? I feel different too. Ever since you told me that I needed to grow up, it just really sunk in. Then the strangest thing happened. I went back to your apartment the next day and Glinda was walking by and we got talking and we really connected."
Nodding along with his words, Elphaba even threw in the occasional "mhm" and "oh."
"You have to understand I was pretty torn up, but Glinda helped me through it and introduced me to the Wizard and then he named me Captain and-" He gestured around them. "-here I am."
"Well, I'm glad you were able to clean up your life so quickly," Elphaba said flatly. "Good for you."
Fiyero was confused by her tone. "I'm sorry if I cut you off before, you looked like you had something to say..."
For the first time in her life, Elphaba decided to hold her tongue. "No, not at all. Just that you look good, Fiyero. You look really good and you're really happy and who am I to change that, right?" She sounded slightly hysterical and ripped her bag off the edge of the chair, but when she attempted to leave, she was overwhelmed with dizziness and fell forward.
Fiyero caught her and helped her back into the chair. "Are you going to make it home alright?"
"Home?" Elphaba mouthed.
"Maybe you should stay here for a few minutes," Fiyero suggested, glancing at his watch. "I'm so sorry, but I'm meeting someone in ten minutes." He paused and looked at her deeply, deciding to ask one more time. "Are you really okay?"
Elphaba rubbed her temples. "Fiyero, how many moments in my life do you honestly believe I could answer that question with 'yes?'"
Fiyero squeezed her shoulder hesitantly, wondering if maybe he should stay, but Glinda and Avaric didn't like to be kept waiting and he had obligations now. "I hope to see you soon, Elphaba."
Hearing her name on his lips made Elphaba's heart melt as she watched him go. She knew inside that the only thing she could do was try to be happy for her two best friends, but she couldn't manage it. Not when her life was falling further apart with every passing minute. If she didn't talk to someone soon, she probably wouldn't make it through the next few months. It was who to talk to that remained the problem.
"Your Eminency, you have a visitor," the servant announced.
"Very well, open the main door," Nessa ordered.
"You might be slightly shocked by this one," the servant warned quietly, as she cleared up the remainder of Nessa's lunch and left the room in a hurry. Nessa always seemed to have an unsettling presence on everyone.
The doors opened and Nessa saw a figure standing there out of the corner of her eye. She wondered what the guest thought of her, just barely a woman, pacing back and forth along the polished wooden floor. She kept the same speed as she turned, her straight brown hair, which was held cleanly away from her face, swaying with her. She walked with oddly balanced flat footed steps, arched inside of blood red slippers that glowed every time they came into contact with the ground.
And that's when it dawned on the guest that Nessa was pacing without anyone behind her. With a deep breath, Elphaba stepped into the room and caught Nessa's attention wordlessly.
Nessa turned and saw her sister, pausing for a moment and then resuming as if no one was there.
"Nessa..."
"No one is to refer to the Eminent Thropp in such a fashion," Nessa replied harshly. "I'll be known as Nessarose, at the very least."
"Sisters don't refer to each other in such a fashion," Elphaba retorted.
"I don't have a sister." The statement hit Elphaba like a punch in the gut. "I'm the eldest child in my family, which is why I reside as governor now."
"Nessa, I'm so sorry-"
"You're sorry?" Nessa shouted, losing her temper. "That's all you can say? After you stranded me and allowed them to make me a government official in my early twenties! I lost my life because of you!" Elphaba stood silently taking her punishment, but Nessa paused and sighed, knowing that her sister was too stubborn to ever clearly retain her point. "What have you come for?"
"I came because I needed you."
"Why would you possibly need me?"
"Because I need someone and you're the only person I could fathom turning to at this point in time," Elphaba confided.
"Why wouldn't you go to one of the other friends you loved enough to leave?"
"Because, perhaps right now I need to be judged for my actions," Elphaba snapped.
"Well, I can judge that you're stalling," Nessa said curtly.
Elphaba smirked. "Fine. You might want to sit down for this one though."
Nessa eyed her sister and then cautiously seated herself in a chair. "Proceed."
Moving forward and kneeling in front of Nessa, as if preparing to say a prayer, Elphaba folded her skirt carefully around her and then rolled up the bottom of her baggy top and revealed the green stomach that normally caved in; protruding out.
Nessa looked towards the ceiling. "Why am I not surprised?"
Cynically rubbing her belly, Elphaba looked up at her sister, mentally preparing herself for a lecture. To her surprise it didn't come.
"Well, how far along are you?"
"Four and a half months."
All Nessa wanted was hands to cover her face, so it wasn't so obvious how livid she was. "So what are you going to do?"
"That's what I came to ask you," Elphaba confessed uncertainly, not used to the feeling of reliance.
Biting her lip, Nessa burst out, "I don't know! Does it look like I have experience?"
"I don't know what to do!" Elphaba cried, tears suddenly pooling in her eyes. "Nessa, I need you to help me! You know you've always been more motherly than I have."
Nessa regarded her sister coldly, as if Elphaba were purposely mocking her. "Ask yourself that again, Elphaba."
Elphaba looked up at Nessa helplessly.
"This is your problem, not mine. I have enough problems to deal with, no thanks to you." The words were out before she could stop them. Nessa was finding it harder and harder to see Elphaba as her loving sister anymore.
Nothing was said on Elphaba's part, but she stayed in her spot by Nessa's feet and rolled down her top. It had taken her a month to screw up enough courage to make the trip to Munchkinland. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"You can take the position, Elphaba or stay here with me," Nessa said evenly. She was tense and frustrated, but taking measures to calm herself down. Sitting before her was the only person who could save her from the harsh political spell she was under.
"I can't do that, Nessa. You know I can't," Elphaba replied, truly feeling for her sister. There was no way she could explain her dilemma properly without telling Nessa of her plans, but she couldn't, not when she was so close to success.
"WHY NOT?"
"I can't tell you."
"This is what you always do!" Nessa cried angrily, biting back tears. "You make people dependent on you and then you leave. Elphaba, you promised me you would be back and then Galinda returned alone. How do you think I felt? Poor Galinda took it upon herself to ensure I was kept well. I wasn't her responsibility!"
"You weren't my responsibility either," Elphaba murmured coldly.
"Oh, I wasn't?" Nessa said sarcastically.
The comment struck Elphaba. She knew just then that deep down, or maybe the feeling was rising, but either way, Nessa blamed her deformity on Elphaba.
"Go Elphaba. Disappear now before I do something I regret."
Elphaba couldn't hold herself back. "You know Nessa; sisterhood is a two way road. Have you ever thought of trying to help me?"
"Why should I? Everything is already about you anyway!" Nessa took a deep breath and pushed past Elphaba. "You get everyone's attention. You can run off and desert anyone, but they'll still love you! Glinda always adored you, maybe even slightly more than herself and poor Fiyero was head over heels but you denied him! You haven't the slightest inkling of how fortunate you are."
"But why does it matter?" Elphaba got up and straightened out, facing Nessa directly. "They have each other now."
"So what?"
Elphaba didn't answer.
"Go back to your cause, Elphaba. I hope you see that evil only breeds more evil."
"Are you saying my child is evil?" Elphaba shot back defensively. Already she was protecting the thing in her womb against the unionist lectures that Nessa had held against her every single day of her childhood.
Nessa smiled to herself, knowing she had trapped Elphaba again. "I'm saying that you have absolutely no right to deprive that baby of a father. Especially in the Rebellion."
Elphaba gaped at her sister.
"I knew it! I heard the Wizard raided your headquarters the other day. That must have been a huge disappointment for you."
"No, actually, it was getting a little run down," Elphaba said sarcastically.
"Suit yourself then," Nessa said easily. "Close the door on your way out." She turned away from her sister and tried to clear her mind, so she could dissolve into prayer. "Oh, one more thing. Should I tell the happy couple you've been by?"
"Do what you want Nessa. I don't care anymore." And Elphaba left on that poor note, wishing that she had gathered up enough courage to go to Glinda instead.