Chapter 10
Later that night:
Dorothy stepped into her room and stretched
"That has to be one of the best meals I've ever had, next to Auntie Em's pork roast that is.." She said and then for a moment grew homesick. She wondered how Auntie Em was, and if Brian was taking care of her in her absence. But during her last time at Oz, very little or no time had passed, but how could she know..she supposedly passed out. Dorothy shrugged as she got ready for bed.
Down the hall she could hear a baby's crying. Dorothy peered out the door, seeing no servants in sight, she decided to handle the situation herself. She quietly walked down the hallway, only hearing the cry and her own breathing. She opened the door to the nursery and looked in. She saw one baby, Melinda, sleeping silently. But the other baby, the one that was brought to Glinda, was restless.
"Oh come now, shush, there's nothing to cry about" Dorothy said as she went over to the crib. But the baby went about crying louder. "oh fine now, come here" She said picking up the baby. The baby almost immediately hushed and started cooing.
"See now, everything alright" Dorothy said looking upon the child in her arms. The baby stared at Dorothy in the eyes, in such a way that Dorothy had to look away for a moment. The baby had such beautiful green eyes, fine skin and signs of hair were starting to appear on her tiny little head. Those eyes though, something about them gave Dorothy the chills. But nevertheless, this child was an angel.
"It's odd isn't it?" A voice behind Dorothy whispered to her. Dorothy turned around, relieved to see it was only Glinda, with Fausto at her side in his pajamas. "A child brought in from a..friend..of mine" She added quickly, knowing that hearing flying monkey might make Dorothy ask some questions Glinda wasn't quite ready to answer.
"She had nobody to care for her? No one at all?" Dorothy asked still looking at the child
"According to my sources, there are none to be found" Glinda said looking upon Melinda "I can't imagine a life without anyone to care for you, especially at such a young age"
"My Auntie Em and Uncle Henry were always there for me as long as I can remember, they were always the closest things I had to parents..but to have no one at all.."
"Maid, yes you, change the flowers in here please, its fragrance is fading." Glinda said turning to the doorway for a moment.
Dorothy walked towards the flowers near the crib. It was a bunch of flowers looking much like of orange daises. "they smell wonderful, what kind of flowers are those?"
"That kind my dear is a rare flower found on the edge of Lake Quad. They grow only this time of year and they smell wonderful. Cifrotus is very expensive to get your hands on though, but I have my connections" Glinda said with a smile
Dorothy took a flower and ticked the baby's face with its' soft petals. The baby giggled delightfully. That's when Dorothy noticed the little necklace around the baby's neck
"What is this?" She said fiddling around with the little piece of smooth green glass attached to the necklace.
"She must've already had it on when she arrived" Glinda said never noticing it before.
"Dorfy" Fausto said as he yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes
"oh yes that's right you, time for bed" Glinda said picking up Fausto
"And for you as well little one" Dorothy said putting back down the baby who looked back blankly
"Come Dorothy, it is getting late" Glinda said motioning for her to come follow
"What is her name" Dorothy asked looking back at the little baby
"Nanessa..that's all we truly know of her" Glinda said closing the door behind them
"Nanessa" Dorothy whispered to no one in particular
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elphaba sat in front of her crystal ball, not moving, barely breathing. Fiyero opened the door which groaned loudly, but Elphaba paid no mid to his presence.
"Elphaba? Elphaba please stop this, you haven't eaten in days" Fiyero said holding a tray of food.
"Nothing..nothing at all..this stupid thing won't show her to me!" She yelled angrily
"Elphaba calm yourself, all that means is that she's safe with Glinda, surely Glinda has some sort of magic boundary around her castle."
Elphaba relaxed slightly "yes, yes I suppose you're right, but it's just..i think we did the wrong thing Fiyero, I really do" She said and covered her face
"Maybe we did, maybe we didn't, but think about it, we're not fit to be parents, not like this, we have nothing to offer her, nothing to give. We gave her what we had, and that was our love, and by giving her our love, we let her go, to give her a better life, a normal life. It's better this way" Fiyero explained hugging Elphaba
Elphaba said nothing but just cried into his arms
"Careful now, I don't want to be all soggy now" Fiyero said smiling
"oh..oh yes..sorry.." Elphaba said wiping off her tears on his arms, so his straw wouldn't moisten
"Who knows, maybe the Time Dragon has a great plan for our daughter, and maybe she will come back to us. But please Elphaba, be happy for her" Fiyero said walking out the door "and please eat your food, it may look like mush, and it is, but it took me a while to cook without burning myself" He added and winked as he closed the door behind him
"I don't want her later..I want her now" Elphaba whispered
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dorothy lay in her bed, and fell asleep before her eyes could close.
"Dorothy..Dorothy open your eyes" A booming voice said
Dorothy opened her eyes and sat up straight. She looked around, as if in fear. Green smoke filled her room.
"Dorothy! How nice to see you again" the voice, becoming a little more familiar, said once more
"The wizard..You brought me back here to Oz! I'm so thankful that you did"
"I am too child, believe me. You have done a great service for Oz in doing so" The wizard replied stepping out of the smoke.
"So you brought me on purpose..what service have I done?" Dorothy asked
"In time, in time, but right now you have more important things to tend to back home. After all you are a mother now"
"What! Has that much time passed? How long have a been gone!" Dorothy said panicking
"NO! No no no..no time has passed. You've been gone from your world for a standard time of a minute and a half. You adopted a little girl..or at least, you are about to" He said and disappeared.
"Wait I'm what!?" Dorothy yelled but all there was was pitch black. She then felt a sensation as though she was falling.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Dorothy! Dorothy!" A voice yelled for her. Dorothy slowly opened her eyes. She looked up to see George and some other bystanders around her
"You gave us a fright Dorothy" George said helping Dorothy up
"What..what happened?" Dorothy asked confused
"Well, you took a nasty tumble on your bicycle and hit your head..don't you remember?" George asked
"Actually..no" Dorothy said thinking. She couldn't even remember getting on her bike all she could remember was..was..
" After all you are a mother now" A faint voice whispered. That's when it all hit her at once. The wizard, Oz, Glinda, Nalia, Fausto, Melinda, her old friends the lion and the Tin Man and of course..
"Nanessa.." Dorothy said quietly
"What Dorothy?"
"Oh nothing..nothing at all…I have to go" Dorothy said getting back on her bicycle
"You sure Dorothy?" George asked, clearly concerned.
"Yes, excuse me but I need to get home" Dorothy then pedaled away as fast as she could. The sky began to darken as she approached her house. She tied her bicycle to the fence and approached the front of the house. She notcied a basket on the porch and walked over to get it. On it was a tag that said "For Dorothy" but had no sender. She peered into the basket, smiled and reached in. And there was her gift, her child the wizard had spoken of. In her arms now and forever more was Nanessa, the lost child of Oz, daughter of Elphaba aka the Wicked Witch of the West. In the arms of her true mother's worst enemy, where she would be safe. But of course Dorothy had no clue.
Dorothy ran inside yelling "Auntie Em! Auntie Em" Over and over again.