Note: A shorter chapter due to work, and lack of sleep. Sorry.
"Elphie," Galinda sang as she flounced through the palace.
"I'm in no mood, Glinda," Elphaba grunted from behind her desk. Galinda felt hurt by the harsh words. She sneezed hard and grabbed a hankie. "I have had sneezing fits all day." Galinda rested a hand over Elphaba's forehed.
"Fever," she said. "To bed."
"I'm reading."
"And you can do that in our bed with a fire warming you and an apple tea steeping. I'll call for the healer." Elphaba groaned as she was pulled to her feet and to their bedroom. She was dizzy and uncomfortable.
"Aria-"
"Is with one of the many nannies in the palace. Thom and Nessa are with her. She is fine, and we'd know if she wasn't." Elphaba nodded as Galinda helped her into bed. "I'll personally make you tea."
"I would rather not right now."
"I may not be able to roast a chicken, but I can make a pot of tea."
"Its not that," she said laying back into the pillows. "I just don't feel well enough to drink it right now. I'm queezy and dizzy." Galinda tucked her in. "I loath being sick."
"I remember. You were unpleasent at Shiz when you had a cold." Elphaba sneezed, hard enough to startle Galinda. "You almost sneezed your face off."
"Yes, I realize-" she paused, sneezing again. "-that, Ms. Obvious."
"Oh, don't snap at me. I'll be back with a healer, and with something hot to sip."
Before Elphaba could argue, Galinda was out the door. She hated to admit it, but this was the first time the extra soft bed was exactly what she needed, rather than the firm bed she longed for. Elphaba wanted badly to sleep, but there were things that needed to be done; a nanny was not good enough for her little daughter. She rested her hand over her stomach. They were expecting their second child now, she realized, smiling evenly. The Healer had confirmed for them only a few days ago.
She had been back in The Emerald City for such a short time. In the year and four months that she'd been back, she'd fallen in-love, gotten married, had a child, and was now carrying the second child.
Elphaba closed her eyes and sighed happily, sneezed again, and tried to fall asleep.
Aria, her three-month-old daughter, was calling to her from another part of the castle in distress. Elphaba was up before she realized she wasn't asleep.
"Aria," she called, moving through the halls, dizzy with fever. She knew exactly where to turn to get to the infant, who's cries could be heard now.
"Lady Elphaba," Thom called from the far end of the room. Tears filled his eyes and he ran to her, hugging her. The nanny was trying to soothe baby Aria, who fussed until her mother took her. "Aria doesn't feel well."
"Neither do I," she said looking at the baby. Beads of sweat were pooling on both green brows, and Elphaba needed to sit.
"Thom, go find Lady Galinda. Run, now!" Thom dashed off. "She was fine until just a moment ago, and then she suddenly spiked a fever."
"Help me back to our chamber." The nanny nodded and helped Elphaba to her feet.
"Nessa," the woman called. Nessa followed, dragging a stuffed frog behind her. "Its all right, Lady Elphaba. Thom will find Galinda, and she'll have the healers here soon."
Elphaba held Aria, mopping the heat from her head with a cool rag. The baby didn't fuss, but that just served to worry Elphaba and Galinda even more.
"I see," the healer said, smiling. "You have a cold, and the baby gets sick."
"Is he smiling? Why are you smiling?" Galinda screeched.
"Relax, Mother Lioness, your little cub isn't actually sick; she and Lady Elphaba are connected in such a way that Aria has picked up her cold without actually catching it. She's in no danger. They are the symptoms, but no illness. She may be grumpy for a day or so, until Lady Elphaba feels better."
"What about when the baby comes?" Elphaba asked, resting a hand over her unborn baby. "Is she going to...."
"I don't see how she'll give birth to nothing. I'll have the potion's master work on something temporary to break the bond when the time comes."
"I don't want the bond broken. I just don't want her hurt-"
"If you and Lady Galinda wish to have more children without scaring her for life, breaking the bond the two of you share would make for a novel idea," he said, flatly. Elphaba and Galinda looked at each other, then the bed, then the baby. And then Elphaba felt sick. Galinda dashed into the bathroom and threw up. Aria yawned. "She won't remember a thing. Our children have walked in on us, at least once that we know of. They block it out; their mother is a Flying Monkey." Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "We owe our lives to you!" he said, grinning.
"One of my Monkeys? Thistle!"
"Yes! She knew you'd remember her! You named her once you taught her to speak!" Elphaba smiled. She and Thistle were very close for many years. When ashe knew how dangerous it was for a talking, flying Monkey, she sent many of them into hiding; all but her guards. She'd always wondered what happened after she sent her friend into hiding.
"Please bring her in to visit when we're well! I've missed her."
"She's missed you, too. She told me, recently, in fact, that the two of you were practical jokers. Something about a hankie?"
"Yes," Elphaba confessed. "I am guilty of the hankie that blew its nose into her fur." The two laughed.
"How'd this turn funny?" Galinda asked from the door to their bathroom, swaying slightly.
"Long story, m'Lady. Make sure she gets rest, and fluids. The baby will be fine as soon as Lady Elphaba is well. She won't remember it. If she does, there's a potion for it. Now," he said, staring at Elphaba. "Rest, you have to think about yourself and the little one you carry." Elphaba opened her mouth, sarcasm at the ready. "Rest!" he ordered.
"Fine." she said flatly. "But only because I am too tired to put up a real fight." She snuggled down into the bed with Aria tucked carefully onto her chest. The healer bowed to the two of them and excused himself from the chambers.
"Why, Miss Elphaba," Galinda stated, looking at her wife. "You have certain gotten mild-mannered."
"I am sick, not mellow. There is a difference, and when I am well, and am kicking your blonde head in for teasing me, you'll know the difference." Elphaba smiled once more before sneezing, pulling the blankets around herself and Aria.
"Moody?"
"Yes."
"Baby."
"Probably."
"No, I am calling you a baby." Elphaba narrowed her eyes. "You're tough," she teased, making a face. Galinda leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Moodiness is nothing compared to being half melted by someone else's little nit-wit child." Elphaba laughed lightly as Galinda lifted Aria away. "You sleep. I'll spend time with this little bitty pretty."
"GALINDA!" Elphaba yelled. Her wife ran into the bathroom.
"Who's dying?"
"Look!" Galinda looked at where Elphaba was resting her hand. She could see the little bump now. "I can feel and see the baby now!" She pulled Galinda's hand over to the belly. "Did Aria move this much?"
"Does it feel like she or he has 12 legs?" Elphaba nodded. "Yep. Its totally different on this side of it, isn't it?"
"Its weird. My clothes are tight."
"New dresses!" Elphaba groaned. "Oh, breathe. I already had them made." She kept her hand over the baby. "I think its a boy."
"We could look."
"We could wait another 5 months and be surprised."
"I feel like she's a girl," Elphaba said, struggling into a dress that obviosly wouldn't fit her well. "Where is Aria?"
"You can't sense her?"
"Not when she's asleep," Elphaba muttered from inside the dress. Galinda yanked it into place for her. "Thank you."
"Where are you going? These are your 'I'm going to scare the Oz out of my wife by flying over the lake' clothes."
"I'm going for a walk. I don't feel comfortable flying while carrying a baby." Galinda sighed with relief. "Besides. I still haven't figured out where you've hidden my broom," she stated.
"Good."
"Good afternoon." Glinda walked with a stride that meant business. "We have flooding in the south east, and are currently evactuating everyone to central south. The Munchkin city is already overrun and everyone has to duck to fit into any buildings. And," she paused. "We still have people trapped. Suggestions?"
"Ask the Animals for help?"
"How would they help?"
"They are much better swimmers and can work with the giants to pull people out." Glinda nodded.
"We'll be happy to help," a Horse offered.
"Thank you. Go contact the giants and colaborate a rescue plan. We can start people to the north of the floods-"
"The Badlands are barely on their feet; we can't handle taking in many new mouths to feed-"
"We have surplus crops," Lord Upland called. "We have little room, as our city has grown. However, my people are quite hostile. They are in a civil state of argue at the moment. We can send as much food as we can, but I don't want to bring people into the land while its not safe."
"Send the food," she ordered. She turned to the leader of The Badlands "Take the food and the people and Animals, and contact me directly for anything else needed. Let's go," Glinda called, standing. "Does everyone know what they are supposed to be doing?"
"Yes, Your Goodness."
"Then hop to it!" People moved quickly through the palace to leave and work on the rescue after the floods the night before. As soon as the meeting hall was cleared, Galinda dropped back into her seat. "I miss sleeping in," she muttered.
Sry so sort.