Disclaimer- I don't own Wicked or Rent.
They mulled around Elphaba and Fiyero's suite. The doctor had come and gone, and Elphaba still lay unmoving and unconscious. She had not stirred or uttered a sound. Fiyero, having just lost their daughter, was terrified that he might lose Elphaba too. He sat on the bed beside her, held her hand and willed every spare ounce of strength he had into her. If hell was a state of total torture, Fiyero was in purgatory, the gateway between heaven and hell. It could go either way, but for Yero, as long as there was Fae, there could be heaven. He pushed them all there now, with sheer force of will.
Maureen clung to Emrys, leaving his side only in short spurts to lean over her sister's other side to gently brush her hair back and run a hand like a whisper over Elphaba's cheek. They could barely hear her as she pleaded, "Come back, Faba. Please come back!"
Maureen would then move back to her husband's arms again, held there within his firm grip, feeding off his strength. Mark and Joanne were there as well. They stayed to back the family up, whatever was needed. They kept watch with them now, quiet and steadfast.
While they kept watch, Mark once more wondered over the dynamic of this family. Each one of them, it seemed, was able to move between places in the family. When strength was needed, it didn't matter to any of them whose strength was their buffer. They used it and were grateful for it.
He was reminded of a saying he had heard somewhere: "Each to his own abilities." This was in essence this family's strength. When it had called for magical expertise and calm reasoning, Elphaba stepped up. When military savvy was needed, Fiyero was the one they all looked to.
When firm steadfastness in need, Fiyero was there, as was Emrys, and when the joy of life was getting forgotten, Maureen was there to step in. She was also there to defend her sister from a friend's thoughtlessness. Just now, Emrys was the backbone. He had seen that the doctor was called for his sister-in- law, and been there to squeeze his friend Fiyero's shoulder when the doctor had shrugged his shoulders and said that he could do nothing for Elphaba. His best advice had been to stay close. When Fiyero sagged under all the losses, Emrys had reminded him of her strength and will.
"You know her, Fiyero. You know how strong she can be! No matter how hard her life has been at times, she fought. Can you see her giving up now, now when the girls need her so? Trust her, my friend. Trust her and remind her why we need her, she'll come back to us…to you."
So he did. Fiyero sat close to his wife, willing her home to him. The girls! Mark couldn't get them out of his mind and he prayed…he prayed that they were safe and that this lapse in time would not affect their ability to find them.
Joanne had gone to the staff earlier and had tea along with something light to eat brought up to everyone. One by one, she made sure that they ate something and had some tea. Whenever she was met with resistance, she used her skills as a lawyer to argue her point: "You need to keep your strength up." "How can you be here for her, if you aren't looking after yourself?" "What good will you be to the girls when we try to find them, if you don't eat something?" When all else failed, Joanne demanded. "No arguments! Eat! Now!" Joanne shone and worked to support them all but in a quiet, almost unnoticed way.
Time passed and Elphaba still didn't stir. Her breathing was becoming uneven now though and Fiyero was more than a little worried. Without even realizing it, he began speaking to her aloud. The rest of the world had dropped away from him and he spoke to Elphaba now as he always did. He held her hand to his cheek, and closed his eyes. "Don't leave me, Fae. Please don't leave. I need you. Elfie and Emmy…they need you more now than they ever have before. Oz, Fae! We can't end here, not this soon! Not this way! Fight for us, Fae. Fight! You found a way to turn me into a man again; you can find a way through this." He smiled half-heartedly. "You turned me into a man twice though, you know. Changing me from a scarecrow was actually the second time. The first time was when I knew that I had to be there to protect you from everything they threw at you. Everyone thought I joined the Gale Force for the position…I did, the position to protect you. Thinking back, I don't think I was truly a man until I did that. I may have looked like one, but deep down in my soul, I know it took you to teach me what a real man is. You've given me so many gifts, but hey, you know me. I'm greedy, Fae, very greedy. I need you here to give me more, teach me more, and make me more than I am. I know it feels like you've fought your whole life, love, but I'm begging you, fight a little longer! I swear I'll be right there beside you. You don't need to fight alone ever again, love. Come home, Fae!"
The others in the room were more than moved and they hung onto his words now, though they were not meant for their ears and Fiyero was oblivious to all of them just now.
"You know, you did this before. You almost left me when Elfie was born, do you remember?" Maureen and Emrys exchanged a shocked look…they had never known! "We were stuck out in the gardens and you went into labor? Do you remember how you slipped away from me as soon as you knew she was healthy and safe? I stopped you then, and now…now Elfie isn't safe. She isn't safe at all. Fight, Fae! Elfie and Emmy need you. They need the Witch of the West on their side…so do I, all of us do."
He grew silent then but remained sitting on the bed beside her, holding her hand in his. Maureen came over again, this time hugging Fiyero as well as stroking her sister's cheek. He leaned into her embrace and looked up to her tear stained face.
"I didn't know. She never told me…Fiyero, Faba almost died?"
"Not almost, she died. Just as Elfie was born. As soon as I delivered her and Fae could hear her, knew that the baby was alive and healthy, she slipped away. I called her back to me and she came, but she told me later that she was so very tired and when she knew 'he' was safe with me, she let go. She hadn't seen her, she only heard her, and knew the baby was well."
"He?" Maureen was confused, so he explained.
"Fae was sure Elfie was a boy. I was sure she was a girl. Like I said, she just…let go. That's why I'm not leaving her now. If I do…" He let the idea trail off and knew everyone could fill in the blank spot without help. So they all kept watch now, each one prepared to call Elphaba back to them if they could.
Elphaba found herself lying on a bed of damp grass beneath a tree. As she tried to remember what had happened, her head spun. The dizzying headache didn't go away immediately; it simply lessened as she sat up slowly. She remembered now! She had taken Glinda to task for sitting around feeling sorry for herself when there was so much trouble. Elfie! Emmy! They had been kidnapped and were being taken, Lurline knew where, by an insane Lioness!
When she attempted to stand, she rested her hand against the tree trunk, and was aware that the feeling was strange, surreal, and slowly Elphaba came to realize that she was in the midst of a portent. Suddenly, her mind and thoughts cleared and a stark reality struck her. Perhaps, just perhaps, this portent had something to do with the girls.
Centering her thoughts and following her instincts, Elphaba began to walk slowly through the deserted landscape. What interested her most was the fact that she heard no animal sounds near her. Immediately, her guard went up and she stretched her sense of well honed intuition as far afield as she could and followed it like a homing beacon. Elfie!! She could sense her daughter!
She moved cautiously, not knowing if this Lioness might sense her as well, portent or no portent. As she got closer, Elphaba could sense the life force that was her niece, Emaurie. With all the caution that she had developed during her years on the run, Elphaba closed in on her girls. She could hear a stream running now and her instinct told her that she would find them there. She moved through the shadows of trees until she was there.
Off to her right and before her sat Elfie and Emmy. They seemed unharmed, and they sat close together, each strengthening the other with her close presence. They were whispering, heads held together. Moving to the tree nearest them, she listened to them plan.
"What if we use our magic? We could get away that way." Emmy looked hopefully at her cousin.
Elfie shook her head slightly. "No, we promised not to use our magic, remember? We promised our parents. Besides, what if it doesn't work and she catches us? She's dangerous, Emmy, really, really dangerous!"
Elphaba remembered the promise that they had forced the girls to make, no magic or their powers would be bound until they were older. She winced now in the knowledge that they would remain in danger in order to keep their word. It was hard to draw up proper judgments when you were only four years old. She sensed that Elfie was more than worried about this Lioness, though.
Emmy's whisper interrupted her thoughts. "You should try, Elfie. I'm sure our parents will understand if you use your power to get home again. I don't think she'll chase you, though. It's me she wants, not you."
Elfie shook her head a tiny bit. "Not really. She thinks you're me, you look like Mama. I think she has us mixed up. She thinks you're the daughter of the Witch of the West…because you're green. Besides, I'm not leaving you Emmy! Not now and not ever! Don't worry, Mama will find us, you know she will!"
It was then that Elphaba decided to risk being seen by their kidnapper. She only hoped that the girls would sense her presence. She stepped out of the shadows and concentrated on them and only them. The result was almost instantaneous. Elfie swung her head around, her eyes finding her form almost immediately. She grabbed Emmy's hand and silently told her where to look with her eyes. Elphaba was overjoyed!
She quickly put her finger to her lips to signal the girls to be silent, giving them a reassuring smile as she did. Then, she inquired with a look as to where their kidnapper was. Emmy looked off toward the stream on her left. Elphaba nodded and stepped another step forward and looked around the trees to see the Lioness from Emmy's portent drinking from a nearby stream.
Stepping back again, Elphaba pointed to the Lioness and then motioned with her hand to her mouth. She rolled her slender green fingers over and over. Understanding filled her girls' eyes. She wanted them to talk to the Lioness and give her as much information as possible! It was a dangerous game, but the information she gained could make all the difference in their rescue. It was Elfie that took over and taking a deep breath spoke to the Lioness. The brave look in her eyes reminded her mother of Fiyero's.
"I still don't understand why you took us from home. Why did you?" she called to the Lioness.
The Animal swung her head toward the girl and slinked toward her threateningly. The sheer venom in her voice startled even Elphaba.
"Because I wanted to! You…you I didn't want at all!" Her eyes were on Elfie. "It was your own decision to come. You wouldn't leave her, so…well, let's just say you may come to regret that decision. In fact, I can almost guarantee it."
The Animal glared at Emmy now and moved toward her with a grating look of hatred. Elfie's arm wound around her cousin's shoulders protectively while the Lioness continued, "I wanted you! I wanted the daughter of the Witch of the West! When I'm done, she'll suffer the way I've suffered; the way thousands of Animals have suffered…no thanks to her! When I'm done, she'll wish she had melted!"
It was Emmy who spoke now and in doing so gave her aunt another piece of the puzzle.
"But Mama fought for the Animals! People hated her, but she fought to help the Animals!"
"Not enough!! Not even close to enough!!" The Animal roared at the children before her."
"She saved the Monkeys! You…you killed Grale! He was our friend." Elfie's voice was low and quiet. She had seen her mother caution them both not to push the Lioness too far. Her tone now was meant to calm her down.
The Lioness sneered, "A sniveling weakling…that's all he was! Good riddance! As I said, catch your breath and get a drink. Ev is a long way off."
"Why are we going to the country of Ev…I'm sorry, I don't know your name."
"Not that it matters to you, but it's Zara. We're going to Ev because that's where my compatriots are waiting. Believe me, I'm not the only one who hates the Witch of the West. I'm not the only one who wants her to pay for all she's done...or hasn't done. I found you easily because one of my compatriots knew her and described her green skin." She stared at Emmy again, an evil smile on her face. "She didn't pass along any gift there, you know. I had to find her daughter and that skin of yours made it more than easy. Your friend here… well, her fate was sealed because of you and that green skin too."
Elfie had heard enough and was now about to tell Zara about the mistake she'd made about their identities. She was silenced by Emmy with a look.
Zara continued with a malicious smile. "Who knows though, she may come in handy…food may be scarce on the way back."
Elphaba, still watching unseen, was shaken. She saw the understanding hit the girls and was stunned to see them calmly accept it. This alone seemed to unnerve Zara who had expected tears and screaming.
Instead, she was met with their eye to eye glares and Emmy's soft but furious statement. "You said you wanted me there alive. Well, Elfie had better be alive too, because I won't let you kill her. You'll have to kill us both."
Elfie added her calm voice to Emmy's. "How would your friends feel if you show up without either of us? Do they trust you the way we trust each other? You'd better be sure."
The Lioness was dumbfounded, and for need of an answer said, "Rest now! Drink while you can! We'll be leaving soon."
Then she moved off. When she did, the girls looked toward Elphaba, who it seemed Zara could not sense. She came to them now stretching out a hand to each of them. Their faces said it all. They felt her! That meant they could hear her as well.
"Be calm, my loves. We're coming for you. You did well! Do as she says and don't push her too far. You both make me so proud! Emmy…I've never been prouder to be green than knowing we share that and knowing what you risked for Elfie. Elfie, I'm proud of you for your bravery, you could have run but you chose to stay and help Emmy. Stay calm and remember we're coming. I love you both!"
Elphaba felt herself being pulled away from them and the girls watched as she shimmered into invisibility and was gone. Elphaba stretched her arms out to them as she was pulled away…and then it went black.
The mood by Elphaba's bedside had not changed much. Fiyero had just reached over and pushed a lock of his wife's hair off her cheek, when suddenly her arms shot up in the air before her. Everyone in the room jumped and Fiyero caught at her hands and clutched them tightly.
"Fae!? I'm here, Fae. Come back."
Suddenly, her upper body rose off the bed and she pulled in a loud, deep breath, her eyes trying to focus as she did. She was in their room in Burzee. Fiyero… Fiyero was here.
"Yero? Yero, I was with them! I know! I know who has our girls!"
Maureen ran to her sister's side her expression wild and questioning. "Faba, Emmy, Elfie…are they…"
"Alive! Safe and alive… for now. They saw me, we spoke. They're being taken to Ev by the Lioness who killed Gorrian. She's insane, but she wants the Witch of the West's daughter alive…Reena, she thinks Emmy is my daughter. Her skin… Elfie wouldn't leave her, but Emmy's letting Zara think she's my daughter for now. Zara is traveling to meet her co-conspirators in Ev. We must reach them…and soon! We'll need all the magic we can manage. Are you up to it, Reena?"
"Hell yes! Point the way! You want a witch? You got one!"
They heard a voice come from the doorway and all of them turned to look at the speaker.
"Did I hear someone say they needed a witch? Will the Witch of the North do?"
Glinda Upland had rejoined the living…and the fight.