"I've got a get-together to attend," Glinda said one morning at breakfast. It had been a week since her visit with Nessa. "Would you be able to stay with Rose today?"

Fiyero ran a hand through his hair. "It'll be a stretch."

Not waiting for a full answer, Glinda exclaimed, "Wonderful!" And rose from her seat. Her dress was even fuller than usual to impress her colleagues. "I'll be back by dinner. Have fun!" Her skirts swooshed against the floor as she hustled out of the room.

Rose giggled.

"She's got a talent for overdressing, that's for sure," Fiyero commented and then his voice dropped. "Don't tell her I said that."

Rose padlocked her lips. "What are we gonna do today?"

"We're going to take a bath, then a nap, then do work until dinner," Fiyero joked.

She pushed out her lower lip in a very Glinda-like fashion.

"Don't you know a joke when you hear one?"

A sly look came over Rose. "I know a good joke when I hear one."

"How about..." Fiyero looked around the room for an idea, when his eyes rested on the window and the blanket of snow covering the outline of every building and structure. "A snowman! Have you ever made a snowman?"

She pursed her lips. "Tell me what you think the answer is."

Fiyero laughed. "In that case we better get moving."

It took him a while to find the winter gear and even longer to get Rose into it, but once successful he was overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment. Rose struggled to reach up in her puffy coat, but managed to pull the scarf away from her mouth so she could speak. "You're only wearing a coat and gloves! Why do I have to wear all of this?" She of course meant the hat, the gloves, the snowpants, the two sweaters under the coat, the coat itself and the rubber waterproof boots.

"Because adults don't look cute in too much wintergear," Fiyero replied cheerfully. Glinda's answers were rubbing off on him. He pinched Rose's cheeks, even though there was an absolute lack of baby fat. "And I'd get in trouble if you got sick."

"If you get sick, do I get in trouble?"

"Nope." Fiyero pulled on his leather gloves. "When you get older, everything is your fault, whether it really is or not."

Rose wrinkled her nose. "That's terrible."

"Tell me about it." He pushed open the door and surveyed the front grounds, the best snow drift was definitely by the trees on the furthest edge of the property, but he wasn't about to share that information until he was winning the snowball fight he planned on starting.

Meanwhile, Rose was ahead of the game and toppled towards it one foot in front of the other. When she reached it, she took a handful and aimed it at Fiyero, who shifted to the side.

"You're doing it wrong," Fiyero called playfully.

So Rose picked up another handful and squeezed it into a sphere. She patted the cracks and shaped it until it was perfectly round. Looking at her work, she decided it was too beautiful to waste throwing at someone. Especially if that someone was Fiyero. "I don't wanna wreck this one."

"Then make it into a friend," Fiyero suggested. He dropped to his knees, despite the cold snow that was soaking through his pants and rolled the snowball around gently through the fluff, leaving a trail behind him.

Shaping another snowball, Rose started her own and continued until it was too much for her to push. She stood and waited until Fiyero finished with his and came to help her. By the end they had three perfectly round snowballs sitting next to each other.

"That's it?" Rose asked irritably. "I want my snowballs back."

Fiyero rolled his eyes and pushed them onto one another. Rose saw the snowperson forming and gathered sticks and rocks that could be used for arms and eyes. She liked it so much that she asked Fiyero to help her make more. So they made two more big ones and one little one in between.

Hit by an idea when they stood marvelling at their hard work, Rose disappeared inside while Fiyero leaned against a tree and waited for her to return.

When she did, she had a few objects in her arms that looked like she had thought through carefully. She stopped by the first snowperson and set one of Glinda's flower pins into the top snowball, close to the top and nearer to the left. Next, she looped one of Fiyero's ties around another snowman. On the little one, she dug a hole in the side of the middle snowball and tucked one of her favourite dolls inside so that it stuck out like it was situated in the pocket of a dress.

And finally, Rose came to the last one and set one Glinda's thick (barely read) volumes at the base.

Fiyero abdicated his spot at the tree and placed a hand on Rose's shoulder. "Did you name them yet?"

Rose took one large, regal step forward as if standing guard of her snowcrowd and gestured to the first two. "Please show proper respect to the reigning Ice King and Queen." She stepped to the right and stood in front of the little snowchild. "And also to Princess Snowflake." Finally, she turned to the last one and bit her lip while thinking of an accurate representation. "And it isn't necessary to bow, but please acknowledge Lady Coldwind."

"That Ice King is one good looking guy," Fiyero stated.

Hands on her hips, Rose was not amused. "You didn't bow yet."

Placing one hand behind his back and the other across his abdomen, Fiyero lowered one knee and genuflected to the snow monarchy. "It is a pleasure to serve you."

Nodding, Rose said, "That's better. Now you may approach and ask one question."

Fiyero took a large step forward as Rose had and looked at the snowpeople and their greyish stone eyes. "What do your names mean?"

"You can't ask them directly!" Rose huffed impatiently. "They don't speak to the lowly!"

"Ouch." Fiyero laid a hand over his heart.

"They all work together to keep Princess Snowflake out of trouble and happy," Rose explained.

"Of course. How silly of me," Fiyero said humbly.

"Can we go inside now?" Rose asked. "I think my fingers are falling off."

"A fingerless Snowflake? We can't have that now, can we?" Fiyero led her inside, helped her out of her wet clothes and left them to dry by the fire in the parlor, which he had ensured was started before they went outside. Fiyero wasn't always the most intuitive man, but he had his moments.

Having changed into warm clothes, Fiyero and Rose seated themselves in the parlor that Glinda didn't prefer, as it was far less extravagant, but far more comfortable. They settled themselves on the loveseat and Rose smiled arrogantly as she stretched her legs across Fiyero's lap. Fiyero rested a hand on her knee and tapped out an imaginary rhythm, which made her giggle.

"That was the most fun I ever had," Rose said contentedly.

"Every child deserves to make at least one snowman," Fiyero replied kindly, taking mental note of the activity he could start the next time he visited the orphanage. But he hadn't been in a while. Glinda never required him to since the adoption of Rose. Maybe it wasn't charity that Glinda had been striving for after all.

"Someone told me once that every child deserves to read."

"That too," Fiyero agreed. "But isn't having fun a little more...fun?"

"No kidding," Rose giggled. "But I still think reading is fun. I think it's the most fun any person could ever have after building snow-armies!"

"It's still your day," Fiyero reminded her. "So feel free to make a decision. And don't make it boring." He tickled her furiously until she was breathless.

Rose smiled deviously, as she pulled her feet closer to her and further away from the tickle monster's ruthless hands. "You have to play dolls with me!"

Fiyero sighed. "Alright, but you better get me the pretty one. I only play with the fabulous."

Zooming out of the room, Rose returned with two dolls; one porcelain and one made of a soft fabric. She gave Fiyero the fabric one and he turned it over in his hands, examining the rosy cheeks and permanent smile. It must have been hard not being able to show sadness.

"Her name is Galinda," Rose told him.

Fiyero was surprised. "Where'd you hear that name?"

Rose shrugged. "I heard someone say it once and thought it was pretty."

"It is, isn't it?" Fiyero said to himself. "You know what other name I like?" The girl shook her head. "Elphaba."

"I've heard that one too!" Rose exclaimed. "Only once though."

"It's one I certainly haven't heard in a while," Fiyero replied, trying to keep his tone even.

She seemed to notice anyway. Rose had had plenty of time to hone her perception over the course of her life. "But you sound like you want to."

Fiyero ruffled her hair. "Look at you, the little philosopher! What are we waiting for?" Fiyero assumed a high voice, trying to mimic that of a girl. "Let's go shopping!" He was rather impressed with his impression of Galinda. Just like old times.

In the midst of a riveting storytelling session, Rose paused and watched Fiyero as he told her a tale about a giant and some magic beans. He certainly was her favourite. She liked him more than Glinda and Elphaba combined. Glinda expected her to always be on her best behaviour and to enjoy being paraded around high society. Meanwhile, Elphaba expected her to read and stay put. Fiyero didn't expect anything from her. Maybe he understood what unnecessary pressure was like better than them.

She wouldn't mind Elphaba ever coming back for her as long as she didn't have to let him go. Even if Glinda was warm and loving, Rose just wanted Fiyero to teach her and to tuck her in. She was quickly becoming a daddy's girl.

Thrashing her legs and sliding her head, Rose turned herself around so that her head was in Fiyero's lap rather than her feet. She looked up at him and cut him off in the middle of his story. "I want to tell you a secret." He opened his mouth to speak, but she pressed a finger to his lips and he closed them. "I have a mommy and her name isn't Glinda." Rose was happy to see Fiyero responding so readily to her privileged information. "Her name is Fae."