I really do not like this chapter! That and 'thank you for the reviews!' is all I am going to say.

Sorry. :\

Elphaba propped herself up on one pointy elbow and gazed down at Fiyero's sleeping form. He snuffled a little and buried his nose into the downy pillow, muttering something unintelligible. He slid his arm around her waist, and the young woman tensed at the unexpected and yet oddly pleasurable sensation of his skin on hers. She smiled and brushed his feathery dark hair out of his eyes, which fluttered open.

"Good morning," she whispered, ignoring the fact that it was still dark outside; it was barely two o'clock. Fiyero's fingers danced along the small of her back, and he shuffled up so that they were nose to nose.

"Good morning," he returned, planting an indulgent kiss on her smiling lips.

The young woman smiled tenderly at her husband. "I can't believe this is actually happening! Am I really here with you like this? I'm not dreaming, am I?" Her expression became slightly worried, and Fiyero tapped the tip of her nose affectionatley with one finger.

"I can promise you, sweetheart, that this is not a dream," he assured her. "I mean, you're not crazy enough to create me in you imagination, and I'm not creative enough to think up a beauty like you." She kissed him then, softly and sweetly.

"Fair enough," she laughed, still not truly believing.

"Twenty four hours ago," Fiyero mused, tangling his fingers in the ends of her long hair, "I was at a birthday party, drinking myself into oblivion because I thought I would never see you again." Elphaba laughed and sank back into the bed, stretching her arms above her head.

"That's quite funny," she chuckled. "I mean, look at you now. You're married to me. Oz, that feels wonderful to say!" Fiyero beamed and nodded in agreement, caressing the ring on her left hand. Elphaba sighed contentedly and brushed her lips along his collarbone, lingering on the bright diamonds. Her husband groaned quietly and pulled her up so as to kiss her lips again.

"Oh!" he gasped, suddenly remembering the tattoo ink in his bag by the side of the bed.

"Yero?"

"The tattoos! I'm supposed to give you the tattoos!" he cried, leaping out from underneath the duvet. He ignored the rush of icy winter air that enveloped him, and Elphaba lazily devoured his body with her eyes, considering it the most divine sight she had even witnessed.

"What are you talking about?" she enquired, yawning widely and savouring the delicious tiredness that made her limbs heavy and her mind swim a little.

Fiyero gestured to his tattoos and explained about the tradition that had been in place for centuries in the Vinkus. Elphaba listened raptly, but saw one tiny flaw in the plan.

"Wouldn't it be a little obvious to everyone if I turn up at the breakfast table with a set of tattoos that I didn't have when I went to bed? I know we're going to tell them within the next few days, but…"

"No, no, no, silly. I'll only put them on your tummy for now."

His new wife quirked a perplexed eyebrow. "Why?"

"Symbolism," he shrugged. Another bewildered look from Elphaba prompted an explanation. "Okay. Well, the first ones that a woman gets is the ones on her tummy, and apparently it's supposed to symbolise the children that will grow there. The ones I have symbolise different things. The ones here, on my chest, are for courage and compassion. The ones on my right hand are for strength, the ones on my left for justice." He smiled devilishly. "And the ones on my d-"

"Yero! Please!" Elphaba cried with mock disgust, pushing his arm lightly to show she was only teasing. The young man laughed apologetically. "Well, those ones are for fertility, anyway."

The green girl screwed her eyes up as Fiyero administered the dye for the tattoos, using an ancient tribal method that was outdated in the other parts of Oz. He had warned her that the traditional way hurt more than the more modern technique, but Elphaba had waved it aside, assuring him that she was above physical pain. She realised that she had not bargained on the sting of the needle as it penetrated her flesh, or the oozing discomfort of the bright dye as it settled underneath her skin.

"Are you alright, Fae?" Fiyero asked gently, finishing the final diamond and throwing the implements over his shoulder into his bag. Elphaba nodded and relinquished her vice like grip on the bed sheets, her eyes opening to reveal her dazed expression.

She sat up slowly, gripping his hands like her life depended on it. "Ouch!"

Fiyero grinned sympathetically and kissed the tip of her long nose. "I know, I'm sorry. But they look good!" he assured her, pleased to note how beautifully the colours complimented each other. Elphaba looked askance at him, before glancing down at her tummy. The area around each little diamond was slightly red and inflamed, but the stunning blue almost shone against her verdant skin. The line of tattoos began just between her breasts and ran down her stomach, looping hypnotically around her navel and then swirling out to either side. They pleased her, and she was filled with glee at her husband's skilful work.

"So does this mean we're properly married now? As far as the Vinkus royal family goes?" Elphaba smiled, winding her arms around Fiyero's shoulders and pressing her body flush against his, diamond to diamond.

"Indeed, my sweet," he replied. The young woman laughed and pushed him backwards, pinning him down underneath her.

"We're going to have to leave in a couple of hours, Yero. They can't realise that I've been gone." she murmured, leaving a trail of hot open mouthed kisses down his throat. Fiyero smirked and flipped her over, gathering her legs around his waist.

He kissed her ardently, muttering, "Then let's not waste any time!"

Elphaba opened the front door of Colwen Grounds as quietly as possible, pressing a finger to her lips as a sign to be silent. Fiyero rolled his eyes and made a pantomime of being annoyed, as she looked as though she was miming to a child. She glared at him from underneath her eyelashes, her lips pursing comically.

"Sorry!" Fiyero chuckled almost inaudibly, catching her wrist slyly and bestowing a repentant kiss upon her palm. Elphaba shrugged him off but smiled dotingly, curling one finger as a signal for him to follow her.

The were going to wait in the dining room until her parents got up: a short, sharp shock was probably best, they believed. Elphaba slid through the door that had been left ajar, and got the shock of her life to see Melena and Frex already sitting at the table, conversing calmly over a glass of milk and a packet of cookies. The similarity to Elphaba and Fiyero just a day or so before was almost comic, but when her parents turned their knowing eyes upon her, she no longer felt like laughing.

"And where in the name of Lurline have you been?" Melena snapped quietly, patiently laying her cookie down on the table. Frex flinched.

"Honestly, my love, is there any need for paganisms?" he asked, clasping his hands before him as though in prayer. He hated the name of any deity to be taken in vain, real or not.

"Hush, Frex. Well, Elphaba?" the redhead said calmly, turning her dark eyes upon her daughter. Elphaba's own eyes darted around the room for an excuse: she hadn't foreseen this moment coming upon her so quickly!

"I…uh…" she muttered, for once actually at a loss for words.

"I went into your room last night to borrow a book and you were gone! I couldn't believe it! But now here you are, and I'd quite like to know what's been going on, young lady!" her mother fumed, failing to keep her temper.

Just then, Elphaba realised that Fiyero's hand was still held within her own, and that he was on the other side of the door. Melena, in her anger, did not notice, and neither did Frex, because he was just confused. The young woman tugged on his arm and the Prince came stumbling through the door, his cobalt eyes alert. They both visibly steeled themselves with identical expressions, and Melena's own expression morphed to match that of her husband.

Fiyero could feel Elphaba shaking, but knew that she would not appreciate his speaking for her. A few moments of palpable tension and puzzlement reigned, before being broken by Elphaba's strong, clear voice.

"Mother, Father, Fiyero and I are married," she stated confidently, raising her chin proudly. She turned to her husband and exhaled in relief, resting her cheek on his shoulder and nuzzling her nose into his neck for comfort. Her parents remained dumb with shock, and for once it was her father who recovered first.

"I-uh…Eh…I hope this act was done in a sanctified house of the Unnamed God," he stuttered, much to Melena's horror.

"Of course, Brother Frexspar," Fiyero assured him, while his young wife nodded vigorously at his side.

Melena was still silent.

"I wish you had told us, my girl! I would have been only too happy to perform the ceremony myself!" Frex exclaimed, his pride hurt. Elphaba was slightly confused at the reactions of her parents. She had expected them to be either angry or happy; but instead they seemed to be both and neither at the same time. The girl glanced pointedly at Melena, who's steely posture relaxed slightly.

"Prove it," the woman said stonily, unable to believe that such an event occurred. The younger woman held up her left hand. "A ring is not proof, young lady. If you really have married this boy, then-"

"I have the tattoos." Elphaba said hurriedly. Frex's eyebrows seemed to shoot up past the point of his hairline. Melena motioned for him to turn around, which he did, and with Fiyero's help Elphaba proudly displayed the new ornaments on her stomach.

The redhead blanched. "You should not have done this, Elphaba! You barely know the boy!"

"I spent a month with him in the summer!"

"Yes, and you were still married to Rilt then. As far as I can see you were barely even friends!"

"I loved him even then, mother!" Elphaba shrieked, and irately explained the whole episode to her parents.

"You mean to say that it was this boy who caused you months of distress? I feared for your life, you were so miserable! How can you just up and marry him without any thoughts to the consequences, just because you were happy to see him? This is utterly ridiculous!" Melena was seething. In all honesty, she was actually rather happy for her daughter, but she was hurt that the girl had not thought to confide in her.

"Your Eminence, if I may-"

"No, you may not, my son." Frex cut Fiyero off with a wave of his hand. This was between the women.

Elphaba turned imploringly to her father, then to Fiyero. "Yero, can't you make her see sense?" she pleaded, knowing perfectly well that her husband was powerless here.

Melena saw the adoration in the young couple's eyes, and felt her anger waning. However, she continued on to preserve the illusion of her status. "When was this done?" snapped the Eminent Thropp.

"Around thirty clock ticks after eleve last night, mother."

"Where?"

"In a little chapel in the hamlet of Wend Hardings."

"I can only hope that you have not...sealed the deal, as it were." Melena saw Fiyero's arms slide protectively around her daughter's waist.

"We have, mother," Elphaba blushed. "Twice." she added quietly with a low chuckle, standing on her tiptoes to recieve a sweet little kiss.

Melena now realised that there was no way to undo the deed, so decided to accept her defeat graciously. She sighed and let a smile creep onto her lips. Advancing towards them, she opened her arms welcomingly.

"Very well then. Welcome, my son." Fiyero allowed himself to be embraced by both Melena and Frex.

"Now all we have to do is tell my parents!" he laughed, and Elphaba shook her head.

"And Glinda."

Fiyero paled.

Guh. That was rubbish, sorry. But please don't tell me that...It hurts my soul! :(