Title: Flying Freely Once More
Rated: PG-13
Auther: MeganFaye
Disclaimer: I don't own Oz or the characters of Wicked.
Note: This is written with the adorable Kristin Chenoweth and the sexy Idina Menzel as Glinda and Elphie! The BEST Cast: Original!!!
Elphaba enjoyed the walks she took with Galinda in her childhood home. She was a little princess, and Elphaba loved it. On clear days, they would spend the day in the garden swings talking. Elphie would tangle her fingers through Galinda's hair and kiss her forehead. They would talk late into the afternoon, when tea and warm milk would be served.
"Lady Galinda," the gardener called. "We've got pink and white roses as requested. But this plant has shown up throughout the palace. Shall I dispose of it?"
"No, its Lady Elphaba's...favorite." She held the secret of its healing, as requested by her parents. The gardener nodded and galloped away.
"Galinda?" Elphaba called from the balcony. When she saw her pink-clad lady, she made her way through the maze of bushes and flower beds. "I'm sorry he said it wasn't okay. We'll figure something out. I'll fix this, love."
"Its not your fault. He's just being stubborn." Galinda swiped a tear away. "I was so excited about Poppy seeing you in a wedding gown; you'd look so cute!" she wailed, tucking herself into Elphaba's arms.
"Its going to be okay. I promise." Galinda sniffled. "I wanted your father to see you in your dress too, but then again, You look cute in everything." Galinda blushed and leaned in for a kiss when cold water struck them. Elphaba screamed; the water hit her in the face, which blistered immidiatly, and began to bleed.
"Oh OZ! No!" Galinda squealed. "Someone help!!"
Guards rushed in, some after the gardener and the others carrying the wounded, and now unconscious Elphaba into the palace. They brought her to Galinda's room, and laid her on the bed.
"Bring my green bag in, now!" Galinda cried.
"How is she, darling?" Lady Upland whispered.
"Help me dry her off," came the fearful response. The guards ripped the wet dress off, and now left the women to dry her hair and face. "We have to get her as dry as possible, as quickly as possible." Lady Upland and the nurses dried her while Galinda rubbed the sap on Elphaba's face and neck. Lady Upland watched as the green skin began to mend itself. Galinda was thankful they'd brought the sap from the plant in jars, rather than relying on the plants themselves.
"Her hair." Lady Upland found her hair was falling out.
"Rub the sap on her scalp."
"How can you be so calm?"
"Because she needs me to be calm. Rub it in deeply, as deeply as you can." Galinda continued to work on Elphaba's ears, neck ans shoulders. Elphie moaned and started to stir in pain. "Stay still, my love. I'm going to make it better. I promise. Just stay still. I know it hurts, my love. I've got you," she whispered into Elphaba's ear. The green woman stilled, and Galinda continued to rub the sap over the boils and rips in the usually flawless skin.
"Will is scar badly?"
"Not if we get the sap on it quickly. Its scarred before, but this will fix it. We need to turn her over and get her back and neck." The nurses and Galinda lifted and turned Elphaba onto her stomach. Her back was in terrible shape. Lady Upland felt sick to her stomach. She looked away, and let a few tears fall. "Mother, pull it together and help me." Lady Upland turned back and started rubbing the sap into Elphaba's back while Galinda focussed on her neck and shoulders.
"I couldn't handle something like this."
"Then tell your gardener not to toss water on a woman who has the potential to be killed by it!"
"We're so sorry about that. We didn't know anyone in the palace had a problem with her. We tried to weed everyone out when we knew you were coming. I didn't know, Darling."
"Tell that to my Elphie." Galinda was calm, but her mother knew there was fear in her daughter's voice.
It wasn't long before all the wounds were properly healing with the sap rubbed in. Elphaba was tucked in carefulled and Galinda took her spot, lying on the bed next to her, watching her face for any sign of her waking up. Lady Upland took a spot in a chair near the fire. "She shouldn't wake up alone. She'll be in pain and will be able to tell me where I need to put the sap."
"How long until she wakes up?"
"Could be an hour, could be a week. It depends on how deep the wounds were. She may not even wake up. This was the worst I've seen it." Galinda tucked the blankets up the Elphaba's chin. "I am not leaving her side until she's awake."
"Has this happened before?"
"Several times at Shiz. People thought it was funny." There was disgust in Galinda's voice. She hummed softly to the sleeping woman next to her, and gently caressed her cheek. Lady Upland watched her daughter, and realized for the first time, that she was not a child, and was, indeed, an adult who could handle herself.
"Would you like a fresh change of clothes, Lovie?" Galinda jumped from the bed and tugged the now damp sheets from the bed where she'd been sitting.
"Oh OZ! Yes, and fresh sheets for Elphie!" A nurse dashed from the room. Galinda quickle put the sap where new boils and wounds had formed. "Oh, Oz, I'm sorry, Elphie!"
"I'll be back shortly, Lovies." With that Lady Upland left the room. Galinda dashed into the dressing closet to change into anything other than the wet dress she wore. All that was available that came close to fitting her was Elphaba's night gown. She slipped it on, and looked in the mirror. She felt a little closer to her Love. When she stepped from the dressing closet, the nurses were changing the sheets and tucking Elphaba into warm and dry blankets.
"Your father would like to see you, Your Goodness," one nurse said.
"Tell him that I will not see him until Elphaba is out of danger. He is not to come into this room and he is not to speak to me until my Elphie is well." The nurse nodded, and Galinda slipped into the bed next to Elphaba. She sang softly to the woman. The nurses filed from the room to leave them in privacy. Lady Upland returned to the room shortly with a tray of food for her daughter.
"Why won't you see him?"
"Because I will not leave Elphaba while she needs me, and I will not leave Elphaba while she is in danger of dying still. We're going to be married when she comes out of this, with or without you and Father. Please inform him. And please leave us, Mother." Lady Upland stood and left her daughter.
She walked through the halls to her husband's library and took her seat on a ruby red over-stuffed couch. Her husband tried to ignore her as she fidgeted with things, moved his scrolls around, and eventually sat on his desk, preventing him from working at all.
"Yes, my love?" he asked.
"You are wrong, Darling," she informed him, gently. "And you're going to lose our daughter if you don't let her go."
"Elphaba isn't-"
"Maybe not in your eyes, but she is in Galinda's eyes. Galinda is right for Elphaba. They are going to be together if you give permission or not. Times are changing, and they don't need your permission. She runs Oz, its major city, and all of its towns. She's grown up. and she's in-love with someone who is good for her, and good to her. Isn't that what you want for her?" Lord Upland nodded after a moment.
"Yes, that is what I want for her."
"Then why try to stop the girls from being happy and in-love?"
"As soon as she is well, they can be married. Here. And that gardener will be put to death-"
"No."
"Why?"
"Galinda and Elphaba wouldn't want that. They would want him released and forgiven. One way to convince the land she is not wicked is to prove it by allowing her to pardon him, and give him a second chance."
"I don't know if I can be that understanding."
"Our Galinda and her Elphie are."
Galinda opened her eyes as wide as she could; she'd been awake for three days now, only dozing a few minutes at a time when she could no longer stay awake. But she would force herself to stay awake until she could no longer stay up; Elphaba may need her. Nurses wouldn't know what to do, or exactly how to get it done.
When Elphaba stirred, Galinda sat up more and watched her face.
"Galinda," she moaned. "Hurts."
"Where, Elphie?"
"Everywhere. It burns!" Tears filled her eyes and Galinda opened the jar of sap. She started rubbing it into the green skin, soothing the burning. Elphaba's breath slowed to normal and she closed her eyes again.
"Is that better, my love?"
"Mm."
"You need to sleep more, Elphie."
"Need.....um...." Galinda helped her to her feet and into the restroom, and back into bed. She helped pull a night gown over her head so she would no longer be nude. "Thank you."
"The nurses helped dry you and my mother helped with the sap."
"I was naked."
"You were injured. We needed to get the sap on, and quickly. Its been three days this time."
"Still. Naked."
"Elphaba, you almost died!" Galinda tucked the blankets around her. "I don't care if the whole kingdom sees you in all your glory, as long as it saves your life. Sleep now, so you can get better." Elphaba nodded and snuggled into the sheets. "I need to see my father, and then I'll be back."
"You look tired, Galinda."
"I am. I'll be back, my love." Galinda kissed Elphaba deeply and left the room.
Elphaba picked up a book from the bed side table and tried to read, but couldn't focus. Galinda looked as though she'd been up for days, and someone had tried to kill her days ago. Her muscles were still sore from the water. She wanted to be back in Oz, where these things didn't happen. Lady Upland stepped into the room.
"You look much better than when I last saw you, Dear."
"I feel much better as well." The book was closed and set back on the table. "Thank you for helping me."
"The gardener has been asked to leave. Lord Upland wanted him put to death, but I know Galinda enough to know that she wouldn't want that."
"Neither do I."
"I thought not."
"How bad was it?"
"I didn't see how you survived." Lady Upland took a seat on the bed and tucked a lock of hair behind Elphaba's ear. "I saw something amazing over the last three days. I watched my little daughter and she wasn't little. She was in charge, and did everything she could to save your life. She took care of you better than I could ever have. I'd have left it to the nurses, who wouldn't have known all the places to put the sap. She loves you." Elphaba blushes a dark shade of green.
"I know." Elphaba smiled warmly.
"And I can see that you love her, too."
"More than I can begin to express." The door flung open and Galinda bounced in, perky and giddy. She flopped onto the bed and hugged Elphaba as tightly as she could. "Can't breath!"
"We're getting married! He gives his blessing, Elphie!" Elphaba grinned and kissed Galinda gently.
"That's wonderful! But you should sleep before your blond head caves in upon itself, Galinda." Galinda kissed Elphaba againd and settled down into the bed.
"You share a bed before you're married!?" Lady Upland screeched.
"Relax Momsie. We keep it as pure as a white rose."
"No, we don't. You have your own chambers, and you will sleep there, Dearest Darlingest Daughter." She took Galinda's arm and lead her from the room, allowing her less than half a second to kiss Elphaba good night. "You can do that when you're married. Come on."
Elphaba rolled her eyes and picked up her book. She'd only been a page in when her door opened. Galinda had changed into her own night gown and stood in the room, back to the door, smiling.
"You are one sneaky witch," Elphaba said, placing the book back on the table.