I'm Not Sad Anymore

One-Shot 5: Other Times and Other Things

Disclaimer: I don't own Glinda or Chuffrey (just his first name) or Wicked. They belong to several seriously amazing people. I am not one of them.

AN: I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated either story. I've been busy with school and If/Then closed and I watched Shrek the musical for the first time so I've been emotional. I'll try to update It's Nothing You Prepare For this weekend. Also, I got a 27 Composite score on the ACT which I've been told is impressive, so without further ado….

Glinda was sad. She looked happy; she had to. The Wicked Witch of the West had been vanquished, and with her, went Elphie. She was still angry at Elphaba for taking Fiyero; well, not really, but she wanted to be. She wanted to hate her best friend, it would be far less painful that way, the only thing should could do was just feed off of the energy of all the celebrators.

Glinda addressed her people. "Fellow Ozians, we've been through a frightening time. And there will be other times and other things that frighten us. But if you'd let me, I'd like to try to help. I'd like to try to be Glinda…the Good." The Good Witch could barely get the words out. Her voice broke and tears threatened to fall.

She took a minute to pay respects to her best friend. "That promise was for you too, Elphie," she whispered almost inaudibly. "I'm going to be good now. For both of us. Now it's up to me to save Oz. I just which I could tell them the truth." Glinda blocked out the incessant noise of the cheering; she didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to be adored for doing nothing. She wanted it to be Elphie that they adored. She was the one who deserved it. She saved so many Animals and did the right thing always. Glinda was only learning to do the right thing now that Elphaba was gone.

She decided what she was going to do. She knew she promised Elphaba she wouldn't, but Oz needed to know the truth. It wasn't fair to them to continuously be lied to, it wasn't fair to Glinda to continuously lie to them, and it most certainly wasn't fair to Elphie. Leave it to Elphaba to make someone promise to do something that was the most detrimental to herself.

Glinda cleared her throat and started to speak. "So to do that, the first order of business-"

"Glinda!" she heard a man yell.

"Yes…sir?" she replied and motioned for her bubble to descend.

"Lady Glinda, I am Lord Magnus Chuffrey of Frottica." He took her hand once she exited the bubble and bowed to her. "I have been sent to escort you to your new home."

"That is much appreciated, Lord Chuffrey, but you interrupted me. I was speaking to my people. I…" she stammered.

"It is very important that you come with me now, Miss Glinda," he said with a charming smile.

"Well, alright," Glinda replied with no other choice. "One moment, please. Fellow Ozians, I have to part you now. I will return when the tick of the Time Dragon Clock reaches twenty. Continue your celebrationing."

She walked away in front of Lord Chuffrey. "Magnus, can I call you Magnus?" she asked once she was clear of the celebration and turned around. He nodded politely. "Magnus, that was incredibly rude. I was addressing Oz, do you know important this day is?"

"Well, of course I do, Miss Glinda," he replied. "Today is the day good conquered evil. The day the Witch was brought to justice."

Glinda instinctively winced at the statement. It seemed that each time someone said something awful about Elphaba was even more painful than the last. "Well, then you know how important that speech was. You were very inappropriate." She sharply turned and continued in the direction she was going in before.

"Lady Glinda, I do apologize. But there was a reason for my rudeness."

"Yes, I know," Glinda responded, annoyed. "I for some reason need an escort home. I'm an adult in case you haven't noticed, Magnus."

"Will you slow down, Miss Glinda? I can't keep up with you." He picked up his pace. Glinda noticed and increased her speed also.

"And you're not the one wearing heals," Glinda said bitterly.

"That's not the only reason I was sent. I have another responsibility."

They arrived at a huge mansion. Chuffrey Manor was engraved into the door. Glinda noticed it, but decided not to mention it. "Look, sir, I have less than an hour before I am supposed to address Oz once again. So whatever your duty is, will you just do it?"

"My job is going to take longer than an hour, Lady Glinda."

Glinda was growing increasingly impatient. "I'm waiting."

"I have to marry you."

Glinda didn't miss a beat. "No you don't."

Magnus was confused. "What are you talking about? Yes, I do. I was assigned by-"

"You don't have to marry me. You're free. Goodbye." Glinda walked by him and continued on once again.

"Glinda, neither of us have a choice in the matter! It would be so easier if you just-"

Glinda was the queen of interruptions. If she didn't like where a sentence was going, she figured why let them finish it. "Maybe it would be easier for you, Lord Chuffrey, but I happen to be going through a lot right now, too much to explain, so please, if you care about me at all, leave me alone." Glinda took a breath. "If we both must live here, there are going to be rules. Separate rooms. You know what? Separate sections of the house. I don't ever want to see you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a real duty to attend to."

Glinda descended into the field in her bubble, this time welcoming the applause. "It's good to see me, isn't it?" Everyone replied with the affirmative. "No need to respond, that was rhetorical." Glinda went into an account of exactly what happened that afternoon with the death of the Witch, something that was much easier to do after she had decided to tell the world the truth. The opportunity to do so appeared a lot sooner than she had anticipated.

"Glinda!" She heard.

Her smile faded. Please don't be Lord Chuffrey, please. Thankfully it wasn't. It was a curious young Ozian with a question. "Is it true you were her friend?!"

This was it. Glinda took a deep breath. "Well, yes." She stepped out of her bubble. What should her next sentence be? She didn't know what to say. She opened her mouth and the queen of interruptions was interrupted. She heard Elphaba's words so clearly in her mind, making her promise.

"Promise me, you won't try to clear my name."

"I can't."

"Promise me, Glinda. Promise."

She couldn't do it. "Well, it depends on what you mean by friend. I did know her, that is, our paths did cross, at school." And just like that, the same clarity she had heard Elphie's voice a moment ago was the same clarity she was seeing her face now. Hopeful. Ambitious. Optimistic. Oh, how Glinda missed Shiz Elphie. That was who Elphaba was. She wanted to change the world, but in the end, she allowed the world to change her.

She had to get out one more sentence, and then she could go home, if that's even what she thought of a house with a strange man. "But you must understand," she said to the amazing green girl that seemed to be standing right next to her. She spoke to Oz, but really, she was speaking to Elphaba, "it was a long time ago, and we were both very young…."

AN: What did you think? Was it worth the wait? Next one-shot will be Elphie and Fiyero right after they leave Oz. The content and conversation may be borderline M, but not too bad, I promise. :)