Well hello again everyone... It's really been a year? So sorry! But you all understand how life can be. And I also took a break from Wicked when I fell in love with The Phantom of the Opera. Any Phans out there? Well here I bring another chapter after a very long wait! Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter, I would love more!
Also, I would love any suggestions that anyone may have. I found when writing this chapter I was running out of ideas. No worries, I know where I'm going with this story, it's just the middle I'm having a mild case of writer's block with.
Enjoy!
Chapter 10/Will I?
The next day, the cast assembled in the theatre, all looking extremely tired.
"Why do we have to be here so early?" Avaric whined.
Glinda rolled her tired eyes, "I know we're all tired, but we have a lot of things that need to be done before we can even think about presenting this show to the citizens of Oz!"
A groan resounded through the cast sitting in the now fixed, green velvet theatre seats. Crope sat in the front sipping a large caffeinated beverage with a name longer than the day would be, as Tibbett, sitting next to him, downed a simple black coffee. Boq sat in the middle seat in the front, only looking attentive when Glinda opened her mouth. Pfannee and Shenshen completed the front row, heads against each other as the softly dozed. Avaric slouched in the middle of the second row, unaware of the tensions passing between him by the people sitting on each end of that row. Elphaba and Fiyero sat stiffly, with puffy red eyes only looking forward.
Glinda could sense this tension though and ordered the cast to begin warm ups.
As the cast gathered around the piano on stage and began scales with the musical director, Glinda sat in the audience and observed. She smiled when she saw Crope slide his hand into Tibbett's, how Pfannee and Shenshen giggled when one of their voices cracked, and how Boq would blush whenever she caught him looking at her instead of the piano. And then she saw Elphaba and Fiyero. Elphaba stood stiffly staring at the floor, occasionally sneaking a glace at Fiyero, who never took his focus off the piano.
Glinda hated to see her friends miserable. She wished she could do something, but respected Elphaba's decision, even though she didn't understand it. Glinda settled on asking her later when she was alone. Glinda faintly heard the musical director call for a run through of "Will I?" and she asked if she could speak to Eliana for a moment.
The song was barely audible as Glinda pulled Elphaba into the foyer of the theatre. As soon as Glinda was sure they were alone, her curiosity got the best of her.
"What happened last night?"
"Well once I came back to the Palace, I found the library and just sat in front of the fireplace until…" Elphaba trailed off, going into a reverie that Glinda longed to see.
"Until what?" Glinda urged.
"Until Fiyero walked in…"
Glinda practically screeched, "What? What happened?"
"HHe came in and apologized for how he acted… And then he hugged me." A sad smile formed across her lips.
Glinda reflected the expression. "Elphie, why are you doing this to yourself? And Fiyero?"
"Doing what?" Elphaba asked confused.
"Why are you keeping yourself and Fiyero from being happy? Why can't you just tell him?"
"I wish I could Glinda! I wish I could just run into his arms and tell him I'm alive and that I love him with all of my heart, but I just can't! Glinda, I'm scared. All of those years of propaganda from the Wizard about me, there could still be loyal followers of the Wizard out there. And if they knew… that I was alive… They could- or they would- And if Fiyero was involved…"
By the time Elphaba choked out the last word, tears were already streaming down her recently adopted tan cheeks. Glinda immediately grabbed her friend, pulling her into a tight hug.
"Shhh. Elphie, that won't happen! I would never let that happen, so don't even think about it!"
Elphaba pulled away and cried, "But what if it does? I can't lose him again! Glinda I can't…"
Elphaba collapsed into Glinda's arms and let her shoulder absorb the tears.
Will I lose my dignity? Will someone care? Will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare?
The two best friends were reminded of the rehearsal that was still occurring, as the beautiful song drifted to their ears.
As they heard more of the cast begin the second chorus, Elphaba joined in a soft whisper.
"Will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare?"
The young women stood holding each other for a few moments until their tears had dried. They listened for the end of the song before entering back into the auditorium. As they sat down, a guitar began the beginning of "Life Support."
Fiyero returned to the seats seeing as his character didn't sing in this song. Glinda caught his eyes and gestured with her eyes and a quick jerk of her head to the empty seat next to Elphaba. She narrowed her eyes into a simmering glare for reassurance and only dissolved it when Fiyero was seated comfortably next to his unknown love. Elphaba seemed thoroughly shocked, and both didn't give the other a second glance, sad eyes only looking at the cast on stage.
Oh, I'm not- I'm just here to- I don't have- I'm here with- Mark! Mark! I'm Mark.
The trio in the audience shared a laugh, despite the tension, at Boq's interruption in the song.
Because reason says I should've died…
Elphaba and Fiyero heard nothing after those lyrics, instead tears swelled in their eyes. Fiyero noticed the same tears that were in his eyes were forming in Eliana's, which deeply confused him.
Curiosity getting the best of him, Fiyero leaned over and whispered, "Can I talk to you in the lobby for a moment?"
Elphaba could only nod as Fiyero stood and offered his hand. She gladly took it, relishing in the warmth and how small her hand looked in his.
Flashback
He held her hand as he led them into the dark Gillikin Forest with only a lantern and determination. All she could do was look at her hand in his, still shocked by the events that had led to this moment.
"Your hand is so big…" She broke the silence with her first words since fleeing the Emerald Palace.
Still walking, he laughed, "Well you know what they say about men with big hands…"
Elphaba stopped, "Well I see you still have your famous sense of humor."
Fiyero turned with a smirk. "Well would you like to find out if it's true?" He suggested with a wink.
She rolled her eyes, "And if I said yes?"
He had no words as he set down the lantern and took her moon-lit emerald face into his "big hands" and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. They shared a smile and continued deeper into the grand forest…
End Flashback
Fiyero led her up the aisle as many of the cast and crew stared. Once out of the sight of prying eyes, Fiyero turned and looked into Elphaba's tear filled eyes. Any anger that filled his heart immediately melted as he looked into this girl's sad, emerald eyes. A tear fell from her eyes and he gently wiped it away without thinking. Elphaba was startled by his sudden kindness, after only showing her his cold side. Fiyero noticed her shocked expression and realized his hand was lingering on her cheek. He quickly withdrew his hand with a muffled apology.
Fiyero noticed that Eliana was still crying with her face cast downward. He tilted her chin up, "Hey stop that now, you don't want to ruin that pretty face of yours." He had to admit, she was beyond beautiful. She looked so much like his Fae that it was painful for him to look at her at times. "Now why are you crying? I saw you start tearing up in the auditorium earlier… Why?"
Elphaba sniffed. She had no idea what to say. She couldn't just tell him the truth, she was trying to hide that from him. She quickly searched for an answer. "You were too from what I saw. What's your story?"
Fiyero knew if he didn't give her something, she would never explain. He settled on, "A few months ago I was tied to a pole and beaten close to death by the Wizard's Gale Force, which I was captain of, because I was-" Fiyero corrected, "am in love with who they called the Wicked Witch of the West. I was supposed to die in that cornfield that day, but somehow, I have no idea how she did it, but she saved me. I didn't die, but I should have."
Hearing his side of the story made her eyes swell with more tears and it reminded Fiyero that Eliana still hadn't answered his question.
"So you still haven't answered my question, why are you crying?" Fiyero pressed.
"Well, when I was younger… I- I was sick. With the um… Vinkun flu. And it almost killed me. The doctors said there was no hope and that my family should start planning my funeral. But I got better. I was supposed to die, but by some miracle I didn't. So yea…" Elphaba finished meekly.
Fiyero raised his eyebrow, but decided to let it go. He figured whatever the real reason was, must be too personal for her to share with him, a stranger.
"So listen…" Fiyero began, breaking the silence that had settled between them. "About last night… I don't want you to get any wrong ideas from my actions, and I think you're a really nice girl and everything, but I'm not the kind of guy you should pursue. I have a lot of baggage that I wouldn't expect you to begin to understand. I'm just asking that you do us all a favor and forget any feelings you have for me. I'm sure you'll have no problem finding someone else. Don't think you can change this, I'm a lost cause."
Elphaba wanted to scream at him, yet she also wanted to curl into a ball and cry until there were no more tears left. How could he be so blind? He wasn't a lost cause! If just melted the cold shield he had created around his heart, and let people in, his life would not be so terrible. No, she knew him better than that. But she couldn't help but have a shimmer of happiness at the realization that he loved her so much that he was willing to live the rest of his life alone. He would rather suffer alone, without her, than to be with someone else.
Elphaba smiled sadly as tears slipped past her cheeks. Before either of them could say anything, Glinda entered, not realizing the situation before her. She mindlessly babbled off, "Guys you're wanted back in rehearsal to sing through 'Christmas Bells' with the rest of the cast." Glinda then fully observed the scene before her. She noticed their red eyes, the stern face Fiyero wore and the tear-stained cheeks that were part of Elphaba's grief-stricken face. Glinda's eyes narrowed at Fiyero and she ordered Elphaba to go into the auditorium, adding that Fiyero would be there in a few minutes.
As Elphaba left, Glinda spun on Fiyero, screaming, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?"
Her outburst shocked Fiyero, instantly changing his anger to a sense of fear. "I only told her the truth! She needed to know that she shouldn't waste her time with me."
"How can you be so blind? Why can't you see the truth that's right in front of you? You're not the Fiyero I used to know and love, no, now you're just a cold, heartless… BASTARD!"
Fiyero seemed deeply shaken by Glinda's words, casting his eyes to the floor. After a moment he whispered, "You're right."
"Well of course I am- Wait what?"
"You're right, I've become a complete asshole, and there's no excuse for it. I'm sorry."
"Again, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. But this time you better do something that really makes it up to her, or I swear Fiyero Tiggular, I will give you a real reason to be heartless. Now get in there and rehearse."
Fiyero nodded without another word and silently walked to the stage where the rest of the cast waited. The song began once everyone in place.
She was more than okay but I pushed her away. It was bad- I got mad and I had to get her out of my sight.
After Fiyero sang this he nearly gagged. It was like he was singing his thoughts. When he laid in his hospital bed that first night of knowing he would never see or hold his beautiful Fae again, he vowed he would never be with another woman, let alone love. But with this unique, attractive woman that was before him day after day, he was finding the task to be proving difficult. His only solution was to be closed off and unappealing as possible. So far it didn't seem to be working.
This thought made the next part of the song even more difficult.
Hey
Hey
I just want to say, I'm sorry for the way-
Forget it
-I blew up. Can I make it up to you?
How?
Dinner Party?
That'll do
At that moment an idea hit Fiyero full force.
"But this time you better do something that really makes it up to her…"
That's it! He decided he would beg for forgiveness over the greatest dinner and night out that Eliana could ever hope for.
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