DISCLAIMER: The characters you recognise from Wicked aren't mine, obviously. But the other characters are.

AN. This chapter's still a little short- this was when I still thought this was going to be a oneshot (silly me). The next few chapters will show why I realised that was not going to work!

Chapter 3: The Search

July was the month he sent inquiries to Shiz, and came up empty. As he debated where to search next and how to go about it, he sent a letter to Shiz University, both accepting the place on Elphaba's behalf and also deferring it until the next year. He was beginning to doubt he'd find her in time for her to start Shiz.

He had absolutely no leads to go on.

"I can just start contacting random hotels in provinces, can I?" he asked his mother one day in August. "I don't even know if she'd still be working at a hotel. She could be doing anything."

"Fiyero, maybe you should outsource the search? Hire a private detective. Someone who can actually get out there and search if need be?" she suggested.

"I guess," Fiyero agreed reluctantly. "Or maybe I should just give up."

"Fiyero."

"I've tried, Mom!" he defended himself. "You can't say I haven't tried, can you? But the truth of the matter is, if Elphaba doesn't want to be found, we won't find her. Not me, not a private detective. Her own father couldn't find her!"

Kasmira rolled her eyes. "Fiyero, Elphaba didn't even think her father was looking for her."

Fiyero met her gaze steadily. "Mom, no matter our relationship, no matter how I disappointed you and Dad, even if you hated me. Could you imagine any possible scenario where your child runs away from home, and you don't search for them?"

His mother sighed heavily. "No," she admitted quietly. "But, Yero, I don't think giving up is the answer. You know Elphaba, at least better than her father must. I'm sure that must give you a better chance than him of finding her."

Fiyero wasn't convinced, but ultimately agreed to keep looking- at least for now. He sent a note to the private detective the royal family kept on retainer, Amin Homlock, requesting a meeting. The Homlock's had served the royals in this capacity for three generations, but Fiyero doubted how often their services were actually required.

"Should I search Shiz and the Emerald City again, Your Majesty?" Homlock asked, once Fiyero had explained the situation.

Fiyero hesitated. "It can't hurt," he nodded slowly. "All I can tell you for sure is that she's not working at any hotel in the Emerald City guidebook. At least, not under either of the names I've given you."

Homlock nodded. "Alright. And you're confident she hasn't returned to Munchkinland?"

"Not if she had another alternative," Fiyero agreed.

"Just one more thing, Sire. If I do locate her whereabouts, am I to make contact?"

Fiyero shook his head. "No. Just give me an address."

Homlock nodded. "Yes, sir."

It was only his mother who knew that Fiyero was searching for Elphaba, he hadn't even informed Avaric. It was no one's business but his own, he reasoned. It didn't affect the kingdom or his reign in any way. He was just finding an address to send someone some mail, right?

While he waited for updates from Homlock, Fiyero had plenty of work to keep him busy as the Vinkus entered fall, and parliament resumed. He was grateful for the distraction, because he seemed to find his thoughts turning to Elphaba more frequently now, as he awaited news. The turning of the leaves also signified a year since they'd first met, and then in October, since they started dating. Fiyero tried to pretend the memories of that time didn't make him ache.

According to Homlock's reports, she absolutely wasn't in the Emerald City, or Shiz, or the Vinkus- not that Fiyero had really expected her to remain in the Vinkus. By December, Homlock was still searching Gilikin and awaiting Fiyero's orders which province to search next.

On December eighth, Fiyero awoke on the morning of his twenty-fourth birthday, his first without Ibrahim. He would be lying if he said he wasn't being haunted by the memories of his last birthday. Only a year ago, but he had been so happy…

Kasmira met him at the breakfast table with a too bright smile and glassy eyes.

"Happy birthday, Yero," she greeted him gently and Fiyero let out a breath as she hugged him tightly.

"Thanks, Mom," he replied quietly.

Kasmira's smile wavered as she cupped his face in her hands. "Your Dad would be so very proud of you," she told him.

Fiyero's heart ached. He knew that face. "Mom, please don't cry," he begged her.

She choked on a sob as she chuckled brokenly. "It'll get easier, sweetheart," she promised him.

Fiyero had no living grandparents. Ibrahim's parents had died when he was three and twelve, respectively; and while Kasmira's father had died before he was even born, he had been nine when his maternal grandmother had died. He wished he'd paid more attention now to how his parents had coped with things like this.

He forced a smile for her now. "I know, Mom."

"What do you want to do today to festivate?" she asked him.

Fiyero grimaced. "I don't think I feel much like festivating. I think a quiet day is probably best."

His mother nodded in understanding.

She did give him a gift, and insisted on bringing out a cake with dinner, encouraging him to make a wish and blow out the candles. Fiyero indulged her, but his heart wasn't in it. And not just because he missed his father.

After dinner that night, Fiyero disappeared. Kasmira eventually found him in the library, nursing a glass of scotch and flicking through a book.

"Yero? What are you reading, sweetheart?"

Fiyero didn't look up as she eased herself into the armchair next to his.

"Fairytales."

"Right," she nodded slowly. "And why are you reading fairytales?"

Fiyero sighed. "A year ago tonight, I was with Fae at the museum exhibit."

That made much more sense to Kasmira. She'd forgotten about the exhibit. "Of course you were," she said sympathetically.

"I wish you could have seen her that night, Mom. She looked so beautiful," he said wistfully.

The love for her was evident in his voice, and Kasmira's heart went out to her son.

"Sweetheart, it's ok to miss her and your Dad today," she reassured him gently. "I'm sure being at the exhibit with her last year was a very special night for you."

Fiyero coloured slightly, which caught her interest.

"Fiyero?" she asked.

Fiyero took a sip of scotch, and then glanced at her innocently. "Yes?"

"You blushed," she noted. "Why are you blushing?"

He scoffed. "I'm not blushing. I don't blush."

"Well, you do," his mother retorted. "And you're avoiding eye contact, just like your father did when you lie."

Fiyero looked up in surprise. "Dad lied? About what?"

He'd always thought his parents told each other everything.

"Don't change the subject. What happened last year?"

"Nothing you tell your mother about," Fiyero replied pointedly, hoping she'd drop it.

Kasmira rolled her eyes. "Fiyero. Come on."

Fiyero figured she had it pretty much figured out anyway, so there was no point in hiding it. "It was the night that Elphaba and I first slept together," he admitted.

"It was the night I knew I was going to marry her one day… or thought I was going to marry her one day," he added softly.

Kasmira didn't know what to say to that.

Fiyero sighed, slammed the book shut and downed his glass. "It doesn't matter anymore, I guess," he said heavily. "I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight, sweetheart. Happy birthday," Kasmira said quietly.

He managed a smile, kissed her cheek and then left the library.

A few days later, Fiyero was in his study as Avaric talked him through a series of documents that needed his signature before parliament finished up for Lurlinemas.

"Avaric," he said suddenly, interrupting him midsentence.

"Yes, sir?" Avaric asked, faintly surprised at the disturbance.

"You said that you got the impression Elphaba was having doubts," Fiyero said.

Avaric paused, and then slowly straightened up, lowering the papers in his hands. "Yes," he said finally. "Yes, I did."

Fiyero looked up at him. "What exactly gave you that impression?"

Avaric sighed and moved to sit in the chair opposite the desk. "Fiyero, this was months ago. You surely can't expect me to recall-"

"Avaric, please. Anything you can remember," Fiyero said quietly.

Avaric fell silent for a time, before finally speaking, his tone slow and his words careful.

"She looked rather lost," he said. "She had nothing to occupy her, and you and the Dowager Queen were busy preparing for the coronation and dealing with matters."

"You said she was struggling," Fiyero urged. He remembered that much. The words had haunted him ever since.

"Yes," Avaric nodded. "I never had any serious in-depth conversations with Miss Elphaba, you understand. But I believe she mentioned something about not being prepared for the royal lifestyle. Just offhandedly. It appeared she felt she didn't fit in."

It was nothing new, Avaric had said something similar back in March when she'd first left.

"May I ask, Your Majesty, why you're asking me this?" Avaric asked Fiyero.

Fiyero faltered. "Just- I've been thinking about it lately," he said. "I'm just trying to… make sense of things, I guess. Thanks, Avaric."

Avaric nodded curtly and took his leave.

No, the words were nothing new to Fiyero.

But something about it hadn't sat well with Fiyero back in March, and it didn't sit well with him now. He just couldn't put his finger on why.

Two weeks before Lurlinemas, a letter arrived for Fiyero from Amin Homlock over lunch. Fiyero eyed the envelope with trepidation, Homlock had been still searching Gilikin, the last he heard. Either he'd found her, or that was another province that had come up empty.

"Fiyero, for Oz's sake open it," Kasmira said impatiently, watching him.

"Yeah…" Fiyero murmured.

Every envelope got harder to open.

"Would you like me to do it?" she offered.

Fiyero paused, and then shook his head. "No. It's ok."

He opened the envelope and read the letter within. His mother watched his face carefully, and as something flickered on his face, she lowered her knife and fork slowly.

"Yero, what is it?" she asked him, a note of anxiety colouring her tone. "Did he find her?"

"He found her. She's in Munchkinland," Fiyero said, his voice sounding very odd.

Kasmira blinked in surprise. "Munchkinland? I thought he was searching Gilikin?"

"He was. Apparently he ran into an old friend who's now living in Munchkinland. He took a chance and asked him if he knew anything about the Governor's green daughter."

"So, she's there? Is she alright?"

"He just said that she's there," Fiyero looked up at his mother, worry in his eyes. "Why is she in Munchkinland, Mom? What happened to her?"

Kasmira hesitated. "Sweetheart, are you sure that she wouldn't have gone home unless she had no other choice?"

"Positive," Fiyero replied immediately. "Mom, maybe I don't know Elphaba as well as I thought I did; but I know I'm right about this. You never saw her in the Emerald City when she thought she might be caught. She was terrified."

His mother sighed. "I believe you."

Fiyero stared at the letter, his brow furrowed. Something wasn't right.

"Well, you have an address now. It's what you wanted, isn't it?" the dowager queen said gently. "If you forward the Shiz letter to her now, she may even be able to enrol and start in the new year," she suggested.

Fiyero hesitated and then shook his head. "No. No, I need to take it to her in person. I need to know why she went back."

"Why she went back, or why she left?" Kasmira asked him softly.

Fiyero didn't answer her.

"When will you leave?" she asked him.

Fiyero looked oddly startled by that question. "It's Lurlinemas in two weeks."

"You want to leave it until after the holidays?" she asked in surprise.

The look on his face told Kasmira everything before he'd even spoken.

"No," he admitted.

Now that he knew where she was, she somehow felt closer than she had since March, and the thought of seeing her was almost than he could bear.

"So, go," she urged him gently. "Parliament's finished for the holidays, there's nothing keeping you here."

"Except you," Fiyero pointed out.

He wasn't sure how long it would take, the journey alone was one thing, but seeing Elphaba… he wasn't counting on anything going to plan here. And this would be their first Lurlinemas without Ibrahim, he hated the thought of his mother being alone for that.

"Will you come with me? To Munchkinland, I mean," he explained. "I just- I don't want to leave you here," he added somewhat sheepishly.

Kasmira was hesitant, but when Fiyero basically informed her he wasn't going without her, she relented.

"It could be a distraction at least," Fiyero suggested and she smiled faintly.

"At least."