Disclaimer- I don't own Wicked or Rent.

A/N- I'm extremely sorry for the long wait! I've been very busy with so many things and I hope you can forgive me. So, here is the next chapter:

During the days that followed the girls' rescue, Elphaba spent a good deal of time recuperating. Fiyero would later joke that he almost had to tie her down because she was so restless and insistent on beginning her work with Zara. The Lioness slept on in the under chambers of Burzee's palace. The spell Elphaba had worked was rather like hibernation. She would sleep safely until it was time to wake her. Fiyero always hovered protectively near his wife. He carried her outside to get air, down to the dining room to eat with the family, and anywhere she wanted to go. She had learned the hard way not to try to do things on her own in the very beginning.

The day after she first awoke, she watched an exhausted Fiyero sleeping soundly beside her. Rather than disturb him, she tried very carefully to get up on her own. Her legs felt like quoxberry jelly and she was more than a little lightheaded. She made it about halfway across the room. It was then that she ran out of furniture to lean on.

Two steps farther brought her excursion to a screeching halt. Her legs gave out and with her head spinning; she fell to the floor in a very unladylike manner. The thump, of course, awakened Fiyero who bolted from bed at the sight of his Fae in a heap on the rug. When he reached her and pulled her into his arms he could feel her crying. It was no small, quiet cry, but a burst of loud sobs that made him catch his breath. Above it all, he could only make out certain words.

"Useless!...I have to work…I can't…"

Finally, unable to get out one sentence in its entirety, she stopped trying to talk and began to simply sob in earnest. Knowing her as he did, Yero understood. Elphaba felt as though taking time to heal was a waste of time. She had important things to do and this was taking up her time. It was time she needed to use to keep everyone safe. Of all the things Fiyero knew about his wife, one was that she feared being useless. Work had been a part of her survival when she was young. Other children played, Elphaba cared for her sister and did anything else her father wanted of her.

Even now, happily married as the woman she now was, those ghosts came back to haunt her and made her fear being seen as useless. They made her afraid not to over achieve. Fiyero needed to put an end to this all now, for now and always. First he let her calm down and as he rocked her in his arms and soothed her wordlessly. As he did, he also remembered that this was also her time to cry over losing the girls. She had been strong when it was needed, but now it was her chance to release some of her fear and pain.

"Fae, you're too hard on yourself! The girls are safe, even Zara is safe for now. Give yourself time to heal, love. Give yourself time to grow strong again. Let us carry the load for awhile. You don't have to do it all yourself anymore. No one is going to think you're weak or useless because you've been hurt! We love you too much. And me? I could see weakness in many people; myself included, but Fae, never in you, love. Never you! You've always been the strongest, most amazing person I know. Slow down, my Fae…for me…for you…for us."

He could see his words breaking through and reaching her. He could even feel it in her body when her muscles relaxed. Elphaba finally accepted the inevitable…she was human. As the days passed and she grew stronger she moved around more, Fiyero always by her side.

Finally one day at her insistence, Fiyero led her slowly down to the under chambers. She had wanted to check on Zara for herself and only now was able. It took some time but finally they arrived and Fiyero pulled open the door for her.

Zara was curled up, sleeping peacefully in the chamber. Emrys had tried to make it as comfortable for her as possible, but no matter how she looked at it, Elphaba saw a cell…one not much different than the cage Zara had been in before. Fiyero watched his wife set her jaw. He knew this meant she was more determined than ever to help. His smile was soft. Things like this were among the reasons he loved her so very much. His expression went unnoticed as Elphaba knelt down on the floor beside Zara. Almost unconsciously, her hand reached out and stroked the Lioness gently.

"I promise you, I'll right this wrong. I didn't know then… I do now though. I do now."

When she turned back towards him, Fiyero saw unshed tears…and resolve.

"I will, you know." It seemed to him as if she needed to reaffirm this aloud.

"I know. I know you will. I never doubted it for a clock-tick. I'm your biggest fan, remember?"

Her eyes caught his as she whispered, "Thank Oz! Thank Oz for that! Where would I be without you?"

He laughed, although she saw him blush, as he bent down and helped her stand.

"Certainly not here under the palace of Burzee! No, you'd be fighting the fight, helping anyone who needed help. You know that."

"But I'd be alone. Without you, Yero, there would be no Elfie either. No Maureen or Emaurie. I might be fighting, but I'd still be alone. I could never trust my heart to anyone but you. I knew that at Shiz."

Fiyero was stunned. "At Shiz?! You knew then?"

She nodded slowly. "Do you remember Science class…when we freed the lion cub? When I panicked, you weren't affected by my powers? You asked later why you were the only one who wasn't affected." She paused, dropping her eyes and wrapping her arms around herself, as though chilled. "You weren't affected because deep inside, I loved you even then. I just…I couldn't…I knew I couldn't be part of your world. It hurt, but I knew it. I knew that no matter how long I lived, though, you'd be holding that part of my heart…even if you never knew it."

Fiyero thought back on that time and those days. He remembered that sad, unsure, far off look seen in her eyes. The pieces fit into place now all these years later. He had always thought that she carried that look around him then because she held little hope for him to be a person who counted. He had thought that she was unsure of his capabilities and sad at the person she saw before her. He had never dreamed at the time that the far off look was Elphaba seeing an 'impossible' future with him.

Now he saw her before him, his wife, the mother of his child, the love of his life, his best friend and she still held onto some of her insecurities. He could see it in her countenance as she looked down at her lap. He lifted her chin gently, but still she refused to look into his eyes, closing hers instead. When he spoke, his voice was infinitely gentle and almost a caress. "Fae, look at me… please?"

When her eyes met his that look of insecurity was still there. She looked rather like a child waiting to be chastised.

"Ah my Fae! Please forgive me. All these years you carried that weight. Fae, I never thought I deserved you! Oh sure, at first I didn't know what to make out of your conviction and passion. The crowd I ran with tried very hard not to feel those things; and suddenly, there you were ready to take on the world! That look you used to wear? The sad, far away one? I always believed you were disappointed in me, in the man you saw in front of you. I never knew you loved me. I wish I had! I would have done so many things differently…including telling you how I felt. Once you left my life, nothing mattered as much anymore…except you. I spent a lot of sleepless nights, my Fae. Is she safe? Does she have enough to eat? It's raining! Where is she staying?! Is she taking care of herself? What if she gets hurt?! Who can she go to for help? I played them over and over in my mind. Let me tell you, my imagination is not always my friend! Finally, I decided to join the Gale Force. I wanted to be the very best I could be. Not for the reason they thought though, it was so I could find you and protect you and be whatever you needed me to be. I figured that even if you hated the very sight of me, because you had to be surer of my insignificance then, I had to get to you first. Even if you couldn't love me, I loved you enough to protect you and then watch you walk away from me, knowing you were safe. Thank Luline I found you again. Thank the Unnamed God you're a part of my life…the most important part!"

Her look on her face now was one he had never seen her wear. She looked dumb-struck, filled with awe and wonder, and humble…all at once.

"Yero, I thought…I…" She was unable to finish and leaned into his body, letting him capture her lips. Here they knew one another well. The moment Elphaba melted into his arms; Fiyero knew they had reached another level of loving. It was the belief and trust they had built and added to over time. When they ended their kiss, He noted with happiness, that her face was slackened by sheer pleasure. This is not the place for this. It was his next significant thought and rising, he helped Elphaba to her feet and moved toward the doorway. Once they were in the hallway with the door locked again, he lifted her into his arms.

"Yero! I can walk now, you know!" She was insistent but Fiyero had a surprise for her.

"I know, love. But tell me, which way would you rather expend your energy? Walking all the way up to our bedroom, or in our bedroom?" His meaning was unmistakable. With a sensual smile, Elphaba let her body relax against him.

"In, please, Yero."

"As you wish, love, it will be more than my pleasure."

They moved upstairs that way. Along the way they passed guards and courtiers and servants but none of them thought twice. They had grown used to the Prince carrying his injured wife about.

When they reached their bedroom, Fiyero turned and watched as Elphaba locked the door. He helped her remove her gown, carefully; very carefully as her arm was still healing and when he laid her on the bed, he saw how her eyes followed him almost hungrily. When he joined her though, he moved over her body gently. This loving would be sure and passionate but supremely gentle. Fiyero was more than aware of her injury and how close he had come to losing her. It made their loving sweeter somehow, more precious.

Later, as they lay nestled together they both knew they had been granted a great gift from some Higher Power…more time.

-----

Elfie and Emmy were more than a little uneasy when they discovered that Zara slept in a chamber under the palace. When their parents told them, both girls grew silent and looked at each other. It was Emmy who broke that silence.

"Does she have to be here? She…"

Emrys folded his daughter within his arms and Maureen stroked her hair. Emmy however would not be comforted. She firmly wriggled out of her parents' grips and stood glaring at them and her aunt and uncle.

"I don't want her here! I don't care if she's been hurt! She didn't care if she hurt us! Aunt Faba, she thought I was your daughter. She told us that I would get wherever she was taking us alive, but she said she'd eat Elfie if she got hungry enough!"

The four year old who so resembled her aunt, swung to her father. "Daddy, what if she had killed Elfie? Would you let her stay here then? She was horrible! I never want to see her again!!" Emaurie finished her thoughts with another thought for her parents.

"What if she had killed me? Would you still want to help her?"

The adults looked from one to the other, knowing that Emmy made sense, but was unable to see the larger picture.

"Yes." The answer was quiet and came from Elphaba.

Emmy swung and looked at her aunt with a mixture of amazement and outrage. She was so stunned, in fact, that it gave Elphaba time to move towards her niece. She tried not to look hurt when Emaurie flinched away from her touch. Fiyero saw her wince, nonetheless. Still, Elphaba was insistent but gentle with the niece she loved beyond reason.

"Emmy, I would want to help her because everything that happened to Zara began as an attack upon her! She was happy, like us; peaceful, like us; part of a family, like us. All of those things were stolen from her and young as you are, I truly believe you can imagine what kind of pain she must have felt when her own Cubs were killed in front of her! She was caged and they tried to take her intelligence, her spirit! Her mate lost his, and she was forced to save herself by killing him! Emmy, don't you see, violence began all this. Only gentleness can put an end to it. More hate and violence will only help the people who started this all. Someone, somewhere, is waiting for her to return so they can exact revenge upon me. They know me well enough to know that hurting my daughter would be the ultimate torture for me. That's why she took you. Zara's mind is …broken. I'm hoping that kindness and patience will help heal it. If it does, maybe, just maybe Zara can help us find and work against the others; and perhaps while she does she can begin to heal and lessen her own pain."

Emmy thought about everything her aunt had said. Elphaba could see it. Finally she asked the question that Elphaba had feared yet known was coming from the time the girls were babies.

"Why would someone hate you that much, Aunt Faba? Why would anybody want revenge?"

Both girls looked at her intently; but filled with memories and the pain they brought, Elphaba only answered softly, "Because I'm the Wicked Witch of the West."

"Fae! You are not, never were!" Fiyero moved to her and rubbed her shoulders protectively. He felt that it fell to him to truly explain the past to the girls since the others weren't there and Elphaba wouldn't.

"Girls, there was a time when we were younger… in school… Elphaba found out that the Animals of Oz were being mistreated and having their rights taken away from them. Even their right to speak! Oz at the time was ruled by the Wizard. Elphaba's ability with magic came to his attention and he wanted her to work with him…as his assistant." He watched both girls as they listened in rapt attention. "Well, the Wizard wasn't like the King of Burzee. He didn't care about the Animals. In fact, he was behind it all, all the abuses! Elphaba was used to feeling like an outsider; people treated her differently because of her skin color."

"Like those boys at Aunt Reena's party treated Emmy, Daddy?"

Fiyero nodded and the girls looked at Elphaba in horror. Still, they heard Fiyero as he continued.

"Worse I think though, because almost everyone did it. Even me at first. I learned fast though to look beneath her green skin. In any case, in the middle of all of that, Elphaba was called before the Wizard. He asked her to work a spell from an old book to prove her magic was real. She did it and it worked. But the Wizard had lied. His pet Monkey didn't really want to fly; the spell gave him and all the Monkeys wings. It hurt them…and her to know she'd caused them all that pain. The Wizard, as it turned out, wanted to use the Monkeys as spies to hurt other Animals and the people who helped them. He wanted to use Elphaba's magic…but not for good things, for selfish things. She refused to help him. She left him and the Emerald City and school behind her and flew away.

"During her time away she fought hard to stay safe, but also to save Animals whenever she could. The Wizard called her the 'Wicked Witch of the West' and told everyone she was evil. People believed him right away because she looked different than they did. She did go back to the Wizard's Palace though…to release the Monkeys! Do you both understand? If she had been caught…! Well, she was caught, but by me; thank Lurline! Then, we left together. Now you understand why Chistery and the Monkeys love her so much. She could have forgotten them, but she didn't. She put herself in danger to save them. So while everyone else called her 'Wicked', we knew better.

"Now someone from that past wants to hurt her. Emmy, your Aunt Faba has taken a lot of abuse and punishment…I know it, I've seen it, but nothing could hurt her more than knowing that her daughter suffered because of her. There are two of you. Elfie's skin looks like mine. Your green skin made Zara think you were the daughter of the Witch of the West. Somewhere out there are others that Zara was working with. Your Aunt Faba wants it all. She wants you two safe, Zara well again, and any threat from the past put down so that you two will always be safe. Now, do you both understand? If you don't, ask me, I'll answer."

Elfie was staring at her mother in sorrow. She had never known how much her mother had been hurt in the past! She always saw her as she usually was, happy and loving, warm and smart. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind.

"Daddy, what about the Wizard? Could he be the one who wants to hurt Mama?"

Fiyero shook his head. "No. No, the Wizard has been gone for a long time now. He went back to where he originally came from. Aunt Glinda governs Oz now." Fiyero was not about to explain to two four year olds that their own grandfather had been the one to torture and use his daughter, Elphaba. Later they might tell them perhaps, when they were older, and if they all agreed upon it. Emmy approached her aunt, and reaching out, gently rubbed her arm soothingly.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Faba. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Elphaba pulled her into a warm embrace. "You didn't understand, little one. There's no harm done. You will always be precious to me…as precious as Elfie…only different and unique."

"You're different and unique," Emaurie offered. Fiyero watched Elphaba fight hard to remain relaxed when being called different. He knew she only succeeded out of love for her niece. "And I'm glad I look like you! I think you were very brave to fight so hard."

"Thank you, little one. I think you're brave too. Both of you."

"I guess if we're brave, we need to help Zara then, don't we?"

"I think so. She has no one else to help her."

"Alright then, we'll help. I promise not to be mean to her or call her names."

"Thank you. It's the little steps that will help bring her back; you know…little steps like those."

Later that afternoon, Elfie and Emmy stood by the long glass windows and looked out across the garden. They watched as Fiyero walked hand in hand with his wife. They were talking and above them, Chistery and two other Monkeys flew. Every so often, Chistery would land and walk on Elphaba's other side. It seemed to the girls watching that almost unconsciously; they would grasp hands as well. There would be a squeeze and then release.

When Elphaba's face grew solemn, Fiyero would lean in and say something to make her smile and twice, laugh. Once, he knelt before her smiling and offered her a flower. When she took it, she reached her hand across his face and gently traced his profile. As they drew closer to the building, the cousins saw Fiyero gently stop Elphaba and turn her face to his.

The kiss he gave her was long and gentle; and when they separated they were gazing into each other's eyes until her head dropped to rest comfortably upon his shoulder. Both girls saw it. Elphaba looked peaceful and Fiyero? Fiyero looked content…as if he could spend the rest of his life doing just this, walking and loving his Elphaba.

As young as they were, both girls recognized that this love was something special and deep in her heart, each young girl found herself dreaming of one day having something just like it.