The sunlight streamed through the window and onto Galinda's face. The blonde yawned and opened her eyes. "Stupid sun I always forget to shut the curtains" she grumbled. She then glanced around the room looking for her green friend. Not seeing her she walked over to the bathroom door and knocked. "Elphie are you in there?"

"Yes" came Elphaba's muffled voice. "Can I come in?" replied Galinda.

Elphaba pushed the door open and Galinda shuffled inside. "What are you doing Elphie?" questioned Galinda. "I'm just putting some oil on my sore skin" responded Elphaba's sleepy voice. "Oh ok".

Galinda watched Elphaba as she struggled to put the oil onto her back without exposing her skin to Galinda. Feeling like she should do something she asked "Elphie do you want a hand? I can put it on you're back for you if you like".

"Uh-it looks a bit gross; I don't expect you to help"

"Nonsense Elphie, you're my friend and I don't care what your sores look like I want to help".

"Well- ok if you are sure" Elphaba hesitated.

"Of course I'm sure!" smiled Galinda. Here sit." she pointed at a chair next to the shower. Elphaba trudged over and sat down slowly.

She lifted up Elphaba's top and scanned over her burnt skin, " this looks painful Elphie" said Galinda as she started rubbing oil onto her friends back.

"It's alright you get used to it when you've been allergic to water your whole life" .

"That's sad Elphie I wish I could help".

"But you have Galinda, you've been my friend when no one else would and look what you're doing now, that's helping."

Galinda grinned.

As Galinda rubbed the oil in she noticed a rather large purple bruise on Elphaba's side. "Hey Elphie, are your ribs by any chance still broken?"

"I- I don't know it still really hurts, so I guess they still are. Why?"

"Oh it's just you have a big bruise here and it looks really sore".

"Its ok I'm sure it will go away soon".

"You're right but try to be careful, don't go running off into the rain again"

"Very funny Galinda and I wasn't planning on doing that any time soon" said Elphaba as Galinda handed back her oil. "Thanks" she mumbled and headed back into the dorm.

" Today Galinda, I'm going to try and have a normal, pain free day, that way no one will have to help me"

"Fiyero likes to help you"

"I'm sure he does, but- sometimes it's a bit embarrassing"

"I understand that" said Galinda as she suppressed a giggle.

"What's funny?"

"Oh nothing Elphie, come on lets go we're going to be late"

The two headed out the door, Elphaba grabbed her satchel on the way out.

No matter how hard Elphaba tried to ignore all the stares and comments she couldn't. "Galinda why is everyone so rude? It makes me frustrated" mumbled Elphaba as they walked down the corridor.

"I don't know, just try to not look at them, look at me instead" giggled Galinda as the two turned into their first class.

Both the girls sat down up the back as Fiyero emerged from the open doors behind them. "Hi Fae, are you feeling any better this morning?" whispered Fiyero.

Elphaba smiled shyly, nodded then yawned. "I am tired though but the feeling will go away soon". She rested her head on her bag which she had placed on the desk. The class began and Fiyero entwined his fingers around Elphaba's. He looked down, her hand was still burnt and sore looking but she hadn't said anything so he didn't want to push the matter.

The class dragged on slowly, Galinda was scribbling pictures in her note book and Fiyero had snapped a packet of pencils in half in an act of boredom. Elphaba's head remained on the desk.

"Stop" Elphaba's voice was heard above the professors.

"What's that Miss Elphaba? Is there something you would like to add?" said the professor.

"Leave me alone- I- I told you…please don't…"

"Miss Elphaba the class room is not a place for personal discussion".

Galinda turned and looked at Elphaba her eyes were closed. "Fiyero" She whispered "Look Elphaba's sleeping- she's having a nightmare".

"Yero- please help - I-"

Fiyero stood up then. "Please sir, but Elphaba is having a nightmare"

"A nightmare? She shouldn't be sleeping in my class"

"Yes sir I understand but in Fae- Elphaba's situation- she hasn't slept in a while"

"Don't- please, don't hurt me…Yero help, I- I love y-you". Fiyero placed his arm around Elphaba's sleeping form as the whole class irrupted into laughs. Elphaba woke with a start, falling backwards off her chair, her eyes wide with confusion. The class laughed again. Fiyero was down by her side in seconds. "Fae"

"Yero- w-what happened?"

"You were dreaming Fae, and then you fell"

"Oh, I feel like an idiot now" She mumbled feeling rather silly as she rubbed the part of her head that made contact with the ground.

"Shh it's ok, c'mon I'll take you out of here, Sir may we be excused?"

"Suit your self"

"Fiyero helped Elphaba off the floor and the two headed out the door.

"I- I told Galinda I was going to have a good day and now look what happened". Fiyero only smiled.

"I'm so- tired Yero, I can't think" Mumbled Elphaba as she stumbled, Fiyero grabbed her before she fell to the floor once again. "Or walk" she added.

"Easy there Fae" soothed Fiyero "come on I'll take you to my dorm so you can have a sleep. Elphaba didn't protest.

Pulling back the covers he laid Elphaba down on his bed. He untied all the laces on her boots, pulled them off and put them aside. He then made his way over to his dresser and pulled out one of his shirts. "You can sleep in this" said Fiyero as he gave it to her. "Thank you" She yawned.

"Would you like some help getting changed?" winked Fiyero

"Ah- thanks but I- I think I can manage Yero"

"You sure?"

"Yes I'm sure"

"Ok then"

She proceeded to pull her dress over her head but then stopped, her face twisted. "Uh Yero, I forgot- It hurts to lift my hands over my head"

"Oh, why's that Fae?"

"I think my ribs are still broken"

"Fae, you should have just told me"

"Sorry- I know, but I told Galinda that I wasn't going to- to ask for help today, plus it slipped my mind".

Fiyero laughed, "Fae why would you say something like that when you're still not fully recovered? I mean of course you're sill going to need help"

"I-I guess I just wanted my independence back"

"Oh Elphaba- Elphie- Fabala- Fae" mumbled Fiyero as he helped Elphaba get changed the rest of the way. "Come let's get you to sleep" He gently pushed her down on his pillows and pulled the blanket up around her stomach

"Yero?"

"hmm"

"What happens if I can't sleep…again?"

"You will, trust me" he whispered as he laid down next her stroking her face and kissing her neck gently. Elphaba's arms snaked around his torso and buried her face into his chest.

"Fae?" when he got no response Fiyero looked down, she was sleeping, she was finally sleeping, no nightmares plaguing her mind.

The rest of the school year flew by. Elphaba was most ly sleeping well with only a nightare once and a while. Although she still couldn't quite shack the attack out of her mind. Like aways she kept it to last day of the year rolled around. Students all over campus where packing their bags for Lurlinemas, Galinda had already left as she had made up with her parents a few weeks ago. Fiyero was sitting with Elphaba on a bench in front of the Shiz gates waiting for the final carriages to arrive. She was shacking nervously.

"Yero…?"

"Yes Fae" responded Fiyero as he took Elphaba's shacking hand.

" I- I don't want to go home to Father" she whispered. He looked at her urging her to continue. "I only just started getting better and- and I don't think I could bare it going back to Father…He, he frightens me Yero".

"He frightens you?- Elphaba what, what does he do to you?" Fiyero sat at attention staring deep into Elphaba's eyes.

"He always has-he- sometimes he… I-I don't want to talk about it now if that's ok?"

"ok my Fae, ill be here when you're ready". Elphaba shyly smiled.

"That's why…that's why I was wondering if I could go home with, with you…Just for a bit…"

"Just for a bit?" Fiyero laughed

"Oh, you…you don't want me to?" whispered Elphaba as she looked at the ground.

"I'd want you to stay forever Fae…of course you can come home with me" beamed Fiyero.

"Yero…thank I appreciate it- I love you so much" she slowly leaned over and kissed him shyly on the lips. "You make me feel like nothing's going to hurt me anymore Yero, i- I don't know what I would do without you" slurred Elphaba as she nestled into Fiyero's side.

Fiyero was smitten, he was with Elphaba, whom he loved and she wanted to be with him. She let him into her life and opened up to him. He felt honored to make her feel loved, safe and special. And that's all that mattered to him, nothing else in the world remotely interested him and he could live with that. One thing did concern him though, there was something dark about Elphaba's past that he didn't know about and whatever it was is probably the reason she had built walls around her. He would find out soon.

Elphaba's soft voice broke him out of his trance. "Yero…the carriage is here"

"Ah great it's about time, let's get out of here". He threw his stuff in the back of the carriage then placed in Elphaba's small suitcase. "Are you sure you have everything in here?" questioned Fiyero as he opened the door for her. "Yes, I don't have much".

"Oh ok, are the rest of your things back in Munchkin land? Because we can go get it if you like"

"No, it's ok Yero, I-this is all I-um have". The carriage took off and Fiyero sat next to her.

"What? So this- this is all you own?"

"I'm afraid so, Father doesn't allow me to own much, he says I can't be selfish or Nessa won't be able to have what she wants".

"I'm sorry Fae."

"It's not your fault, Fiyero you don't have to be sorry"

" Still, Fae…I just wish I could have helped you then, why you needed it"

" Yero my sweet, don't dwell on the past, the past is over we should focus on the future and what's happening now" Elphaba sighed then leaned into Fiyero once more " Even when it feels impossible".

He kissed her.

TBC