AN: Okay, so this will be my last chapter of this story before I go to London. Honestly, I'm not sure yet what will happen in the next chapters and so I can't say how much longer it will be, but whatever :3.

Nia: I must admit that I was torn between either ending this chapter very cute, nice, and fluffy; or ending it with a huge, horrendible cliffhanger that would leave you crying for the entire four days 'til I get back. Then I decided that I am a genuinely nice person and would never do that to you, and so I made it fluffy. I know, I know, I'm just so goodly! *toss toss*

One more Dances with princes update tonight and then a four-day hiatus!

Day Nine

When they all sat together for breakfast the next morning, Fiyero immediately noticed that something was wrong. While Nessa and Boq were talking and Galinda was chattering away about one thing or another, Elphaba was quiet and didn't say a word. She didn't even roll her eyes when Galinda started talking about make-up and she barely ate anything, only picked at her food.

When breakfast was over, everyone ran off to the beach. Elphaba made to follow her friends, but Fiyero stopped her. "Fae? Can I talk to you for a clock-tick?"

She lowered her eyes. "Sure," she said, sounding miserable. As if he was going to kill her, or something.

He gently sat her down on the couch and crouched in front of her. "What's going on?" he asked. "Something is wrong. You're not acting like yourself."

"Yeah…" Elphaba sighed. Her entire being screamed at her to make up some excuse – she hadn't slept well, she had a headache, she was just worried about… something… she could come up with something.

But she remembered her promise to Galinda and she knew that the blonde had been serious about her threat. If Elphaba didn't tell Fiyero, Galinda would, and the green girl had no doubt that that would only make things worse. She'd be embarrassed, Fiyero would be hurt she didn't tell him herself… it wasn't worth it.

And so she said, "I talked to Galinda last night."

"Okay," Fiyero prodded gently. "Go on."

She raised her gaze to meet his briefly. "About protection."

She could see realisation dawning on his face – it would have been comical, had the situation not been so serious. The blood quite literally drained from his face and he breathed, "Oh, Shiz," followed by a string of words that Galinda would have scolded him for, but Elphaba thought they summed up the situation pretty well.

"Yeah," she said, looking down again. "That was what I thought."

He ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay." He shook his head. "Well… we obviously should have thought of that," he said, making a face. "But it's not a problem. I mean, for all we know, nothing's going on, right?"

"And what if there is?" Elphaba whispered. "What if I'm…"

Fiyero entwined his fingers with hers and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "Then we'll just get married a little earlier than planned," he said. "Mum and Dad will help us figure something out with the baby so that we can both still finish Shiz. It will be fine, Fae."

She gaped at him.

He blinked, confused. "What?"

"What do you mean, 'a little earlier than planned'?" she demanded in a high voice. "Since when did we plan anything?"

He winced. "Um… a little earlier than I had planned out in my head?" he tried, but she was completely dumbstruck.

He knelt down in front of her again and looked into her eyes. "Elphaba, I love you," he said. "I told you that. I also told you that this is different from before. I've never loved a girl before, you know. But I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She basically looked like she was about to faint and Fiyero actually started to grow worried now. "Fae? Elphaba, say something. Hey." He caught her chin and made her look at him. When he saw the confusion and fear in her eyes, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, hugging her tightly.

"We'll figure it out," he whispered. "I love you. No matter what happens, we'll find a solution, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, her voice trembling. He pressed a kiss to her temple and held her until she stopped shaking. Then he pulled away and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"How about you and I go and do something fun today?" he suggested. "Just you and me. Like… a date."

"I'd… I'd like that," she said softly and he smiled.

"Good." He kissed her gently and then helped her to her feet. "Come on."

After letting the others know where they were going, Fiyero led Elphaba away from the beach house. They walked along the beach for a long time – the same route Fiyero had taken 'the morning after', as he still called it in his head. That day he had come across a few rowboats he remembered from when he had come here with his parents and he figured that would be a nice thing to do with Elphaba.

The smile on her face told him enough and he pushed the boat a little bit into the water, then bowed and held out a hand to help Elphaba into it. "Milady."

She chuckled and accepted his hand, sitting down. He pushed the boat further into the lake and jumped in himself, making it sway dangerously.

She grinned at him. "Do you even know how to row?" she asked him teasingly.

He stuck out his tongue. "Excuse me, Miss Elphaba," he said, pretending to be offended. "I happen to have a lot of rowing experience. In fact, one could even call me a rowing champion."

She laughed. He used one of the oars to splash water at her, at which she gasped, and he gave her a wicked grin.

She shoved him. He fell back, making the boat rock once more.

"Oops," she said innocently.

He chuckled and rowed further out onto the lake. Elphaba closed her eyes and tilted her head back, raising her face to the sun.

Fiyero watched her. She was wearing a dark blue summer dress, patterned with lighter shades of blue and white, that looked just amazing with the emerald shade of her skin. She had pulled her hair back into the usual braid, but the wind had pulled strands free from it that were now dancing around her head and framing her face. She had been very tense and anxious this morning, but Fiyero was glad to see that she seemed to have relaxed a little now.

She opened one eye. "Are you staring at me?"

"Would I ever do such a thing?" he asked with a grin.

She opened her other eye, too, and narrowed them both. "Yes."

He chuckled. "Fair enough."

She raised an eyebrow. "So were you?"

"Maybe." He shrugged. "Maybe not. I guess you'll never know." He laughed at the face she made and leant forward to kiss her, burying his fingers in her hair and playing with the silky strands.

She kissed him back, shifting a little so that she could wrap her arms around his neck. He broke away and rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you."

She bit her lip. "Yero?"

"Yes?"

"Did you mean it?" she asked softly. "What you said this morning? I mean, if I really do turn out to be…" She trailed off.

He cupped her face and looked deep into her eyes, trying to convey to her how sincere he was being.

"Elphaba," he said. There were a thousand things he wanted to tell her, a thousand reassurances he wanted to make, but the thing that eventually came out was, "I meant every word."

He didn't have to say anything else. She kissed him again and he pulled her into his arms. The boat rocked again.

He pulled away, chuckling. "Careful."

"What?" she teased him, smiling. "Prince Fiyero Tiggular is afraid to get wet?"

"I am not afraid," he declared, letting go of her and standing up as if to prove his point. "I am the wonderful, amazing, magnificent Fiyero Tiggular, the bravest man in all of Oz," here he stepped up onto the wooden bench and struck a pose, "Prince of the Vinkus and protector of damsels in distress. Handsome, muscular, and fearless, I know exactly how to –"

He was cut off when he accidentally rocked the boat again. For a few moment, he stumbled back and forth, trying to regain his balance; but then he lost it and toppled out of the boat and into the lake.

When he came up, spluttering, Elphaba was nearly crying with laughter.

"That was impressive," she hiccupped, trying to regain her composure. When she saw the way Fiyero was glaring at her, however, from underneath a flock of dripping wet, sandy hair, she lost it again and burst into giggles all over again.

"You think that's funny, don't you?" he growled. "Are you laughing at me?"

"I wouldn't dare," she cried, wiping away tears of laughter.

He swam to the boat and held out a hand. "Help me back in?"

Still chuckling, she took his hand and tried to haul him back into the boat, half expecting him to try and pull her into the water with him. He did try, but she was prepared and just let go of his hand, causing him to disappear under the water again.

By the time he managed to climb back into the boat with her, she was still laughing and he just grumbled under his breath. "This wasn't really how I had envisioned this date."

She smiled. "Well… you wanted to do something fun." She burst into giggles again. "And I must say I'm having lots of fun."

"Oh, are you now?" He grinned and lurched at her, trying to push her out of the boat and into the water, but she was faster and she ducked aside.

Fiyero lost his balance and fell into the water once more.

He rowed back to the shore after that, grumbling good-naturedly, but the truth was that Elphaba laughing – and yes, even giggling – was his favourite sound in the world; and he would happily jump out of a boat and into a lake fully dressed a thousand times more if that would light up her face like this.

When they reached the beach, Elphaba stopped and frowned, puzzled. "What…"

Fiyero grinned when he saw the large picnic basket in the sand, right next to a brightly coloured blanket. "I have my ways." In reality, he had talked Galinda into making the couple lunch and dropping off these things here, as a surprise for Elphaba. The blonde had happily agreed, since it was 'so romantic' and she knew Elphaba could use a fun day out.

They ate in a comfortable silence and afterwards they went walking back, hand in hand, Elphaba with her shoes in her free hand as she let the waves wash over her bare feet. Fiyero looked at her and he knew that everything he had said to her was true. She was the girl he loved, and nothing would be more amazing to him than the chance to marry her and start a family with her – whether that be now, within a few months, or in ten years.

Feeling his gaze on her, she turned her head, smiling a bit self-consciously when she saw him watching her. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he told her, smiling. He stopped walking and looked at her again. "Nothing's wrong."

"Then what –" she began, but she was cut off when Fiyero swept her into his arms and kissed her deeply, tangling his fingers in her long, thick hair as he pulled her flush against him.

"I just love you," he breathed when they had to come up for air, both of them panting slightly. "A lot. Like, really – a lot."

She chuckled softly. "I love you, too."

"And whatever life throws at us, Fae," Fiyero said, running his fingers through her hair and down her sides to rest on her waist, bringing her even closer, "we'll deal with it. And we'll make it through. Together. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again.

Fiyero smiled against her lips and happily kissed her back.