Author's Note: While not rated NC 17 or R, its raunchy PG13. Its not M, but sex is discussed. I do not write anything that I wouldn't let my mom read and discuss.
In the little chat in the first part of this chapter, I can actually hear Kristin Chenoweth's Oklahoma accent as Galinda is talking with Elphaba. You could hear it in versions of 'Popular' on youtube. Specifically; 'Yep. Pink goes good with green.' I, too, am Southern, and will be in Louisiana soon, and have a great concept of how people talk. (anyone can find the joke in there, you win.)
But please, read this with an Oklahoma accent.
"Oklahoma Oklahoma
Oklahoma U!
Oklahoma Oklahoma
Oklahoma RAH!
ooohhhh- klahoma!
OKU!"
~ Kristin Chenoweth, "Kristin" on NBC :-)
Aria was nothing that either woman expected. She never fussed at night, as long as her mothers both sang to her as she went to sleep. She never fussed for anything, even food. Aria seemed to be studying everything with her intense blue eyes that only darkened from birth. They were almost navy blue by three weeks old, and she was able to call her parents with them. No one was sure how, but when she wanted her mothers, she would stare in their direction and they would be there quickly.
"Elphaba," Galinda mumbled from her pillow.
"What?"
"Aria," Galinda called into the dark. Elphaba stumbled to the cradle and lifted the baby. The strangest thing was, they knew who Aria wanted, and Aria knew who was less tired and would be there faster.
"Can't sleep, Lovie?" Elphaba cradled the three-week-old baby to her chest and rubbed her back. She burped and closed her eyes. "Much better. Would you like to join us in our bed tonight? Its a little cold in here."
"Hello, my little visitor," Galinda said when the baby was placed between them. "She's so sweet, Elphie."
"Mmmm. Like her momsie."
"Ew. I call my mother that. She can call me that. Its creepy coming from you." Elphaba laughed. Galinda had to smile. "You've got the same laugh as you did at Shiz. Its not the angry cackle that you have had in recent years. Its back to this chuckle that tickles me." Elphaba studied Galinda's face. "What are you thinking?" she asked her green wife.
"I want more kids." Galinda and Aria's eyes both shot open at the comment.
"Oh, my sweet, green Lady, I am not going through that again." Elphaba laughed.
"I want to have the next one."
"Why? Did I make it look fun? Aria, sweetie, I love you, but you have a big head."
"You can take the potion this time." Galinda's eyes went wider.
"Elphie, my love, we're not with men because there's a certain lack of interest in the whole body. Why would I want to become that?"
"You'd want to do that because I want to have another baby when you're ready." Galinda groaned and buried herself into her pillow. "We talked about having more than one child."
"I want more kids, but Elphaba, we just had her! She's not even a month old!" Elphab bit her lit and peered down at their baby, who was staring at her.
"I want her to have a sister close enough in age so they can play together and grow up together. Nessa was so much younger than I, that even if she hadn't been sick, we'd never have been able to play much. Aria is a thinker, like me. She may hate shopping and pink. I don't want you to miss out on the things you enjoyed with your mother; bubbles, roses, tea parties, and cute little things that I never had with my own mother."
"She's perfect the way she is, and I don't want to change her at all. If she hates those things, then she and I will read together. If she hates pink, then we'll tie her hair with blue or green ribbons. She doesn't have to be anything other than who she already is."
"Don't you want more children?"
"I do, but I....."
"What, my love?"
"It hurt so much, Elphie. I felt as though I was being ripped in two. Carrying her was difficult, bringing her out hurt more than any other pain I've ever felt. I still hurt and still bleed. The idea that you would go through that scares me."
"She's a big baby, Galinda. The healers said she was one of the largest babies he'd brought into the world since me."
"You were big?"
"Apparently, my non-Ozian father contributed to that." Galinda sighed. Aria was sleeping again, or at least resting with her eyes closed. "Galinda, you are fairly short and all around little. I am much taller, and, yes, I am aware of my hip size. It will be easier for me than Aria was for you."
"I do want more children," Galinda whispered, staring down at their daughter. "May they all be as beautiful as she is."
"And as mild-tempered."
Elphaba handed Galinda the potion and waited. Aria was spending a day with Lord and Lady Upland in another part of the palace, now that she was almost 2 months old. Galinda's birthday celebration the night before was another All Oz Inclusive event where silence was golden. As soon as sun-up, children were laughing and playing again. And Galind and Elphaba snuck off to their chambers to ignore the duties of the day until a few hours of sleep had been shared.
Galinda gulped the liquid down. It burned her throat and stomach at first, and she felt sick. She dashed into the bathroom, and awaited the changes.
"Are you all right?"
"I.....don't.....know," she gasped, voice dropping lower with each word. Elphaba remembered how it felt and winced. It wasn't painful so much as just plain weird.
"Can I come in?"
"I think that's my line," came the reply.
"I'm a bad influence, Galinda Upland." Elphab sat on the bed, feet tucked under her, back straight, hair cascading over her shoulder, and a small grin that meant business.
"This is weird, Elphie," Galinda said stepping out in a pink robe. Elphaba laughed. She was completely transformed, but was still Galinda; cute, girly as can be, and in pink. She could see this man wearing heals and Galinda'd dresses feeling very much okay in them. She still looked like Galinda, just a male version. "You know," (s)he said, staring at Elphaba in a black night gown that left little to the imagination, if anything at all. "You look very nice right now."
"You look very nice right now as well."
"I didn't enjoy being in your place. I missed what we have. So, if its not what you hoped for, I'm sorry." Galinda crawled onto the bed and kissed at her wife's neck. As she nibbled and moved her hands around the green skin, Elphaba gasped and sighed as sensations shook through her body.
"Oz's balls on a broomstick!" she hissed when Galinda lightly bit at her neck.
"More?"
"More."
Hours later, they lay in the mess of tangled sheets, sweating, panting, and shaking as the two held each other.
"That's not how it was for me," Galinda panted. Elphaba kissed her neck and ear. "That was nothing like I thought it would be."
"Me...either..." came the gasping response.
"I would like to do that again, whether or not we're trying to have a child."
"Galinda," Elphie whispered.
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you, too." Elphaba tucked the small person in her bed into her arms and kissed him (her) again. She felt Galinda tremble.
"You're changing back, my love." She felt Galinda nod in her arms. "Drink something warm; it helps." Elphaba dashed to the bathroom and brought back warm water for her wife to sip at.
"Thank you," Galinda squeaked as her voice moved an octive up. Elphaba laughed and waited for the four or five minutes until Galinda was in her own body again. "We will need more of that potion, Elphaba Thropp."
"Yes, however," she said, looking into Galinda's eyes. "I didn't marry a man. I married a woman. I want your body as it is; beautiful and soft. I enjoyed that-"
"Yes, you did."
"-but I love what you do to me. What we had today doesn't compare to what we have every day, my lovely." Elphaba slithered into the bed, lips tickling Galinda's neck.
Aria stared at Elphaba from her cradle in the library where Elphaba read aloud. The book of tales from Oz, complete with painted pictures, was the infant's book of choice for the day. At three months old, she loved the sound of her mothers' voices as they spoke and sang to her.
"You know, Aria," Elphaba said, closing the book and setting it down on the desk. "I remember when my nanny read to me as a small child. It was the only time I felt loved by anyone before I met your Momsie. Do you know what I wish for you?" The baby cooed at her. "I wish for you that you feel how much I love you, and how much Momsie loves you."
"Elphie! We're running late!" Galinda's voice floated in from the hall way.
"We're on our way," she called back. Elphaba lifted the baby up, straightened the light purple dress, made to match the ball gowns that she and Galinda wore at ceremonies and celebrations. She would rather wear the simple dresses and frocks of the past; they were not as frilly and much more comfortable. "We get to speak for this one at least." She stepped out of the library, and was arm in arm with Galinda.
As soon as they stepped on the balcony, the crowd cheered for the two of them and the baby.
"Hello my Ozians!" Glinda the Good said, smiling. "Thank you for coming to our lovely daughter's welcoming celebration! I have been thinking about the night she was born a lot lately. She was brought into this world during our anniversary three months ago, and I broke with tradition and made quite an uproar once the chamber doors were closed." Elphaba laughed. "My fellow Ozians, I know that those of you in the South and the West don't hold the tradition anymore of silence for the dark hours of night when we celebrate. I know that people have done it, because it was what we were taught. But since our celebration where our daughter was born, I have looked deep into our history to learn why we do this.
"This was a tradtion that started 200 years ago. Oz had been though a harsh winter, the worst it had seen since the Emerald Palace was built. While the West and the South were spared from the ice, the North and East lost most of the crops, the forests and is still not completely recovered. When the ice melted away, there were floods. The water eventually dried away and the devestation was clear, The Mayor of Emerald City called all of the leaders together.
"West and South Oz brought seedlings and saplings to grow the crops back, and rebuild forests. They brought as much food as they could carry to help the people who had nothing after the ice melted. They made clothing, rebuilt homes, and they gave everything they could to rebuild Oz.
"After months upon months of tireless efforts, the work, that seemed endless, was done enough for the North and East to continue on alone.
"There was a giant feast, one year after the last flood had dried, and it was a full day of celebration and of singing, and of laughter. As the sun set, everyone stayed in their seats at the banquet halls of Emerald City. The only words spoken were, 'We shall remain silent this night as we remember those we lost and as we thank those who came to our aid.'
"The whole night was sat in silence until the sun peeked in through the open windows. And then he spoke again. 'From this day on, all who have anything to celebrate in the North and in the East, you have the West and the South to thank for it, and each one will end in Silence, as tonight has.'
"This, my Ozians, is why we celebrate in Silence in the North and East. This is why we celebrate in silence in Emerald City, where people met to get help and offer it. This is why it was never a tradition in the South or West. It is our way of thanking you for your help when we needed you." Galinda took her daughter in her arms and cradled her. "It is a tradition that I want to keep alive with my daughter, Aria." She moved the blanket, so the baby's face was in view. The gathering of Ozians gasped.
"Glinda," Elphaba whispered. "I think they noticed her skin tone."
"My daughter, Aria Rose Thropp Upland. Lady Aria," Glinda the Good firmly stated, and the crowd cheered.