Sorry for the delay; had things to do , people to see, and a 4-year-old to take to and pick up from preschool. Yeah, I'm a nanny. Luvin Redmond WA!!!! Anyway, here's another chapter for ya!

Elphaba stared at the lake, wishing to Oz that she had a broom to fly on. If she was stuck on the ground, at least she could enjoy her favorite spot. She and Galinda loved to sneak off to the lake for hours at a time before Galinda was too busy running the land again. She knew the long break after the wedding and while she was pregnant wouldn't last once Aria was old enough to be away from her for more than a few hours at a time. She missed her wife most at the lake.

Elphaba smiled as she remembered watching her wife nurse their baby while explaining to a city leader that if he was uncomfortable with her feeding her child, he could retire and allow someone else to run his city.

"Nice view, witch," called a voice from behind. Elphaba turned, but saw no one.

"Show yourself," she ordered. Nothing.

"Why would I care to, Wicked Witch of the West?"

"I am not now, nor have I ever been wicked."

"Debateble."

"I know your voice."

"Do you, now?"

"You're.......you're Ozquer. You were one of the first monkeys I was tricked into transforming." The flying Monkey swung down, landing in front of her.

"I was a happy little monkey. I didn't have a care in the world before you. You had your favorite Monkeys, and the rest of us, never managed to please you enough to gain any kind of reward!"

"You speak very well."

"I worked so hard to please you!" he screamed. He raised a hand with a knife in his tightly curled hand.

Aria screamed, louder that she ever had in the 5 months she had been alive. Galinda raced through the palace to get to her daughter, who was in such distress that even without a connection, the whole palace knew she was upset.

"What happened?"

"I was holding her, and she started screaming! I don't know what happened!" Galinda scooped the baby who screamed louder.

"Baby, what's wrong?" The ear-piercing screech made it difficult to think. "Momsie's got you, my lovie! You are safe," she soothed, but the baby screamed.

"Is she sick?"

"No fever," Galinda yelled over the squalling infant. The baby screamed harder. "Aria, I don't know what you want!"

"Lady Glinda," the nanny called over the baby's screams. "Lady Elphaba hasn't come!" Galinda stared into her daughter's eyes. She wasn't crying for Galinda, she was crying for Elphaba, and Elphaba hadn't come.

"Something's wrong. Aria, is something wrong with Mama?" Aria stopped screaming and looked into her mother's eyes, pleadingly. Galinda carried Aria as she left the room to head through the palace toward the lake.

Aria stared at her mother, and her dark blue eyes were so bright, that Galinda thought they may actually glow, and the two were in a bubble of sorts. It wasn't like the one Galinda used to float around in. It was as though the bubble was their entire world and the outside world of Oz was at their mercy.

A spilt second later, before Galinda could fully understand what had happened, they were at the lake, where Elphaba stood, knife shoved to her chest.

And the green shimmering bubble, one just like the blue one Galinda had been in only seconds ago, protected her from the knife.

It would not pierce her.

The look of terror in Elphaba's eyes was not from the knife, it was from the bubble. The Monkey stared for a moment more, and then flew away as quickly as he could.

"Elphie?" Elphaba was frozen in fear. Galinda rushed to her side, helping her to the ground as she swayed. "What happened?"

"I....felt Aria's fear." Elphaba took the baby and cradled her to her heart. "Mama is all right, baby girl."

"What was that?"

"I don't know, but it came from the baby. Apparently, she doesn't like it when Mama is in danger." She rested a hand over her belly. "Jade the Protector."

"Jade?"

"Its a green stone I read about, from the other world. They thought it had magical powers of protection. And the baby is a girl. I felt her, I felt everything about her, Galinda. I can see what she is going to look like; you. She's going to be a light-green version of you, just as funny and just as sweet," she looked up from Aria to Galinda. "She is as powerful as our Aria."

The months passed quickly and Aria started to show exactly how powerful of a witch she was. They knew of some things she could do; she could move great distances in a matter of seconds, call her parents silently, and knew when one wasn't well or was in danger. It was when she started sitting up that she began to display things unexpected; toys would move to her, a spider that got too close suddenly stopped and dashed away quickly as Aria stared at it. She could communicate with non-speaking animals.

And she knew when her mother was ready to give birth to her younger sister. Galinda gave her the potions to drink so she wouldn't experience the pain that Elphaba was going to be going through shortly.

It frightened Aria to be disconnected from Elphaba, so she clung tightly to Galinda in her mind.

"How bad is it," Galinda asked, gently. Elphaba panted, sweating badly.

"Bad enough." Galinda rubbed her back as the healers and nurses prepared her to push the baby out. "Lower," she pleaded. Galinda rubbed lower on the green back. The night gown she wore was pulled back so healers could check on the baby.

"It'll be another hour still."

"HOUR? Aria was born in 35 minutes!"

"Aria was impatient, my love," Galinda soothed. "She nearly ripped me in half. Take it slowly." Elphaba breathed deeply, taking in the words of her wife. As the pain began again, a moan escaped her lips before she could bite it back. Galinda rubbed and applied the sap to her back and hips. It did very little for the pain.

"Galinda; you were right, this is like no other pain I've ever been in," she gasped as the baby decided that 'hours' may have been too long to wait. Elphaba cried out. Galinda felt Aria panic from the next room at her mother's yelp.

Galinda focussed her mind into two tasks; calm Aria, help Elphaba. She closed her eyes and focused on Elphaba being all right, and that Aria was scared because Galinda herself was scared. She steadied her mind and rubbed her wife's forehead gently.

"It will be all right, my love," she whispered.

"Are your parents here?"

"Yes, with Aria."

"Is she okay?" Elphaba asked weakly.

"She's scared for you, but she's not in pain."

"Oh, Oz! I think you miscalculated that hour!" Elphaba cried. The healer checked her again and nodded.

"I can see the head, La-"

"Then. Go. GET! IT!" She hollered. Galinda helped her sit up to push, resting Elphaba's back to her chest. Elphaba screamed as she pushed.

"Good," he soothed. "Just like that, and she'll be out shortly."

"Don't say 'short,'" Galinda warned. Elphaba huffed in and out as she got ready for another push. "Oh my Oz, I see her head!" Galinda choked out. "Sweetie, you're doing great; better than I did! You're almost there!"

Elphaba closed her eyes and concentrated on the baby; they could sense each other and the baby was trying to come out. She worked her way into sitting up and pushed as she concentrated hard on the baby. The magic within the two of them combined and Elphaba felt no pain as the baby came out, crying. All she felt was the baby's first breath, her heart beating as she calmed down, and the warmth of the sap cleaning the baby's skin.

"Elphie?" called a distant voice. "Elphaba!"

"She's perfect," Elphaba whispered finally, one eye slowly opening.

"You have a healthy baby girl," the healer said, putting Jade in her arms.

"Hello, my Jade," she cooed at her newborn daughter. "Welcome to Oz."

"Elphie."

"Yes?"

"Its our anniversary," Galinda said, pointing to the clock. "And Aria's birthday." Galinda looked at her baby girl as she slept in Elphaba's arms. While she was green, she looked like Galinda; the long slender nose, the softer jaw-line and even their chins were very similar.

"Shall I fetch young Aria?"

"Yes," Galinda replied, studying her daughter's long fingers. She didn't hear the door open or her mother's voice until Aria was crawling across the bed. "Hello, my little birthday darling. I would like you to meet your sister, Jade."

"Mama," Aria said reaching for Elphaba. They were beginning to sense each other as the potion wore away.

"Hello, my lovie."

"Mama?"

"Yes?" Aria looked at Jade. "She looks like Momsie, doesn't she?" Aria looked at Galinda for a second before diving into her arms. "I hope they like each other."

Another short chaper. Sry.