Disclaimer- I do not own Wicked or Rent.

Emrys wasn't sure what had awakened him at first. The room was quiet and Maureen was snuggled in to his side.

His mind immediately strayed to earlier that evening. He had spent a good deal of time with Maureen's friends…dead and alive but misplaced. At first, they had been cautious around him. Everyone except Angel… Angel had helped them before and Emrys considered her a close friend and important part of their lives. As the evening wore on, they relaxed and soon he was enjoying tales of his wife's exploits in her old home. He shared stories of their life together in Burzee and suddenly they all looked at Mark who had grown very, very solemn and quiet. When he had asked Mark what was troubling him, Mark's answer took them all aback.

"This was all they wanted. Elfie and Emmy. When they brought Joanne and me here for Maureen's birthday, they wanted this…only this. They wanted us all to sit down, become friends, share our lives, and laugh. It's a pretty noble ambition, if you ask me. For two little girls, they're awfully smart."

Mark's voice had been quiet and more than a little awed. The silence that followed was only interrupted by the looks passed between the group that had been seated there. It was a silent tribute to two farsighted young ladies who were always in their thoughts and hearts. Emrys looked across to Mark and was finally the first to speak up.

"You should be sure to tell Elphaba that when you see her. It will mean a lot to her."

Joanne spoke up next, finally asking a question that had been bothering her.

"Why did Elphaba leave? It would have been nice to take some time getting to really know her. I know she has a lot on her mind, but why didn't she stay?"

Emrys had felt it important to speak up for his childhood friend. Maureen and her sister were extremely close, but Emrys had known the child…the abused and shy little girl. "She left so all of you would be able to relax and enjoy each other's company and your reunion. Knowing Elphaba, she wanted to relieve you of 'outsiders'."

Joanne thought about this for a moment, but the lawyer in her came barreling forth.

"But you're here. You've never been to Alphabet City. True, you are our host, but wouldn't that qualify you as an outsider?"

"Joanne!" Mark, ever the diplomat, was appalled at her logic.

Emrys smiled and shook his head to relieve Mark's concerns.

"Yes, it would, but Elphaba…well, she considers herself the ultimate outsider. You all see the princess, the woman of intelligence and power. I remember the small outcast. Elphaba's life was horrendous! Her father was abusive and the only thing everyone else ever seemed to see in her was her verdigris. It had its effects on her. She's powerful, but she's always felt set more than a bit apart."

"Everyone?" It stunned Joanne to think of the woman she had met in the terms that Emrys had described.

She saw Maureen start to nod sadly as her husband continued, "Everyone that is until a certain Vinkun prince came into her life. Fiyero saw her color for about five clock-ticks. Then he saw the woman…loved the woman, adored the woman. He's the reason that she's easier in her skin now, so to speak. You'll notice he left with her."

Maureen smiled as she thought of her brother-in-law. She adored Fiyero. His humor and sense of fun was infectious. What she loved most about him though was his sheer devotion to her sister and not only Elfie, but her own daughter as well.

Fiyero would give his life for either of the girls but in between, he helped them all see the sheer joys in life.

"Yero wasn't being rude," Maureen had said, "He was just being Yero. As far as he's concerned, the light left the room right along with Faba! No sense living in the dark."

The others had all taken this in, although Angel and Collins had a definite advantage.

Now, awake for an unknown reason, Emrys thought back on their evening and still wondered what woke him. A slight movement of the mattress gave him the answer he wanted. Maur. The King of Burzee raised his head carefully and peered over his wife's shoulder.

Facing away from him, Maureen had her face jammed tightly into a pillow and was silently sobbing. Only the ferocity of her crying gave her away. Reaching out, Emrys pushed down on her shoulder and brought her body flat against the mattress. If she was startled by him, it took second place to everything she was feeling. At his touch, she dropped the pillow and her sobs filled the room.

The King of Burzee gathered his wife to him and soothed her softly, in much the same manner he would soothe Emmy or Elfie when they hurt or needed comforting. It was his wife who was burrowed into his shoulder, clutching him to her fiercely at that moment. When she managed to speak her words blended with her sobs almost broke his already heavy heart.

"I want my baby back! I need my baby back, Rys! I want them both! Here…safe…with us! God, Rys, I want them so bad…"

He lost her to her tears again and chose wisely to let her ride it out. He couldn't blame her for breaking down. Emrys had lost count of all the times he had gone to the nursery just to see those sweet faces in the mural again.

He had met Fiyero there more than once and while they looked at each other with total understanding, neither one of them could bring himself to speak…much less mention Emaurie or Elfie's names. Not there…not in that room! Emrys recalled walking in quietly one day and finding Fiyero gazing at the mural longingly and softly brushing his fingertips over the pixie and princess smiling there. With that same need, Emrys had found himself opening his daughter's wardrobe so that he could breathe Emaurie's scent in deeply. If Fiyero had seen him, Emrys knew, he would have reacted much as he had upon seeing Fiyero.

Both men knew that this was where they came for strength, for peace and prayer. It was where they came to store up the strength they gave their wives…as he was doing now.

The time Emrys had broken down completely; it had come upon him totally unexpectedly. He had risen early, leaving Maureen to what peaceful dreams she could manage. The kitchen staff was, as always, up and preparing breakfast. As he stepped into the dining room just as dawn was breaking, he looked out through the garden doors.

There, solitary and forlorn, was Fiyero. He stood alone in the garden where he played with the girls and the Monkeys. There was no one to catch now and Emrys found himself looking up, hoping to see the Monkeys hover with their beloved cargo, ready to drop each girl into Fiyero's strong, and waiting arms. The sky was empty though, and Emrys found himself drawn out to the garden and his brother-in- law. Fiyero turned as he reached him and Emrys saw the tears in his eyes, on his cheeks, wetting his collar and when their eyes met both fathers lost their carefully sustained control and cried in each other's arms as dawn broke around them.

One of the cooks, who had been in service to the King for many years and remembered him as a boy, came into the dining room in search of King Emrys. She wanted to ask what he wanted for breakfast. She saw the King and Prince Fiyero in the garden and left quietly, wiping her tears with her apron. She forbad the staff entrance to the dining room until the men entered again and threatened unspoken consequences if her order was not obeyed. No one dared test her, so the fathers went unseen and undisturbed.

Emrys and Fiyero made a pact in the garden that morning to share their fears and pain when they needed to so they would have the strength to pass on to Maureen and Elphaba.

It was that strength Emrys passed on to Maureen late in the night. When Maureen was able to gather herself together, she drew a deep breath in and in a very 'unqueenlike' manner blew her nose. He smiled slightly at this. It was one of the things that made Maureen so perfect in his eyes. She was many things, but perfectly mannered was not one of them. His Maur was herself; she was natural and real down to the tips of her toes.

"I'm sorry, Baby…really sorry! It just…" For once Maureen was at a loss for words.

"Added up?" He finished for her knowingly. Maureen nodded. "I know. It's happened to me…and Fiyero. I know he wouldn't mind your knowing. I'm sure Elphaba has as well." Maureen shook her head.

"No, Faba…well you know Faba. She's trying to be strong and she'll do it if it kills her."

Emrys lay back and gathered Maureen in his arms. She was calm now.

"I wouldn't worry. Fiyero will look after her. He won't let her…what was that expression you used…stew? You know he'll keep a close eye on her."

Her head shifted so that she could look into his face and his glorious dark eyes. She left her head cradled on his warm, broad chest though.

"Like you do me? I know you do, Rys, but who looks after you? Who do you have to look after you when you won't come to me?" Emrys considered passing this off, but decided against it. He knew Maureen would only worry more if she didn't know.

"Fiyero…Fiyero and I…Well, we understand, we understand it all in ways that no none else can. When they were born, we each swore to protect our girls form anything that would hurt them, harm them. It's been hard dealing with the reality that we both failed them."

Maureen's head flew up with a jerk and he saw the fire in her eyes.

"You did not fail!!! Neither of you did!! How could you see this coming? There was no warning and besides, you wouldn't want to raise Emmy in a fort would you? In a fort… under armed guard? There was no need for it, not since Morrible was destroyed. They'll be back, Rys, we'll get them back safely…or Morrible's end will look like a walk in the park when Faba and I are done with whoever is really responsible. Zara, well she has issues, I get that. But whoever she's working with? God help them if anything happens to our girls."

Her voice now was firm, strong and determined. Maureen had come through the worst of it. She lay her head back down onto his chest and they were quiet for a moment. Suddenly, all hell broke loose.

The knocking at the door to their suite was sharp and insistent…and continuous. They exchanged a quick look and jumped out of bed. Maureen stopped for her robe, but Emrys left as he was bare-chested and barefoot. Regal or not, if it was about the girls, he really didn't give a damn. As he reached for the door handle Emrys knew who would be on the other side…Fiyero. Only he or Elphaba would knock on the royal bedchamber door that way. It was too anxious and too familiar. He ruled out Elphaba because his instinct told him she would have called out to them. He opened the outer doors to a breathless and very disheveled Fiyero.

"Mount Evish!! They're skirting around Mount Evish right now…stopped for the night!"

Emrys pulled him into the room just as Maureen appeared. "How do you know? How…"

"Fae! She was pulled into another one of those cursed portents. I woke up and her body was cold…she was barely breathing. It brought her to Mimi and the girls." He stopped to look at Maureen directly and took her by the shoulders.

"Fae saw them. They were sleeping and they're still safe. Mimi is with them and very protective. They need us now though, or as close to now as we can get. Elphaba is exhausted. Exhausted, but alright." He addressed them both again. "She's saving her strength for tomorrow."

Emrys ran back to the doors and opened it to the guards that stood there.

"One of you go. Rally the troops and tell the officers that we're leaving to fetch the Princesses at daybreak. They're near Mount Evish. Hurry!"

The soldier was off in a flash and Fiyero headed for the doors.

"I've got to get back to Fae. If I don't, she'll try to get here on her own. I'll be there before daybreak." Then, he was gone. As he closed the door, Maureen launched herself into his arms and he lifted her off the ground. Safe! They were safe! Emrys let her down carefully, and headed in to get dressed. He had a lot to organize before dawn. He had just finished dressing when there was another knock on the door. Maureen opened it to find Fiyero again. His face was a mask of confusion.

"Fae says no troops. She's worried that Zara will lose control if she hears them coming. She wants to do this with you and Glinda, Maureen. She plans to fly in from above and catch her off guard, then use her magic to force some kind of sleep on her. Emrys, she asked if General Gavilan can help us again. That way we can come in from above…quiet and ready."

"I'll take care of it." Emrys left them to send the other guard after the general. Maureen looked in Fiyero's eyes.

"Faba…is she alright?"

He smiled. "Probably sleeping like a baby right now. Angel showed up as I was leaving. She promised to take care of her. I need to get back though." Bending, he kissed her cheek. "They're going to be alright, Maureen…all of them, all of us."

Then he was gone and for the first time in a long time, Maureen could see light at the end of a very dark tunnel. But what was on the other side?