Before I wanna start this chapter, I just wanted say a big thanks to Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Steven Moffat and the rest of the Sherlock team for winning at the Emmys on Monday.
I don't own Wicked nor Sherlock
Chapter 3: The Secret is Out
Boq arrived to the Emerald Gardens district to meet with Elphaba. While going there, Boq was stopped by a homeless woman down the corner of the district and the palace. "Spare any change?" she asked him.
"No." Boq said as he continued walking.
"Oh come on love, don't be like all the rest." Boq gave in and decided to gave her some change, but the woman grabbed his hand as he was about to give her the change. "Rule one of looking for Elphaba Thropp, she finds you." the homeless woman said as she gave Boq a telephone.
"Oh. You're one of the Vagabond Connection that Elphaba mentions a lot." Boq told her.
"She keeps me off the streets and pays good money." she said and left Boq with the telephone.
The phone rang and Boq answered it. "Where are you?" he asked as he walked through the apartments.
"Don't you like this new invention, a wireless telephone. You could bring a phone anywhere outside of your home." Elphaba's voice told her.
"Yes, I like it. But I'm not interested talking about it. Where are you?"
"Can't you see me?"
"What am I looking for then?"
"The lie, the lie of Emerald Gardens hidden in plain sight." Boq looked into one of the houses to see if Elphaba is hiding inside as he continue walking. "Hardly anyone notices, people lived here for years and never see it. But if you are what you are, it'll take you less than a minute. The house Boq. Look at the houses."
"How did you know I come here?"
"Well I knew you'd talk to people no one else would bother with."
"I thought I was clever." Boq laughed.
"You're always clever Boq, I was relying on that. I planted the information for you to find."
Boq stopped and was amazed to find the house Elphaba is hiding. "Thirty seconds." Elphaba remarked.
"Well what am I looking at?"
"No doorknobs, no letterbox, windows painted. 23 and 24 Emerald Gardens. The empty houses. They were demolished years ago to make way for the first Emerald City underground railway. Only the very front section of the houses remain, it's just a facade. Remind you of anyone, Boq? A facade." A projection with the picture of Boq and Glinda is shown before Boq. "Sorry, I never could resist a touch of drama. Do come in, it's a little cramp."
"Do you own this place?" Boq asked as he walked into the building.
"Hmm, I won it in a card game with the Branbury House cannibal. Nearly cost one of my kidneys, but unfortunately, I had a straight flush. Quite a gambler, that man."
When Boq entered the house, he saw figure sitting across from him. He thinks it's Elphaba and started to approach it. "What do you want Elphaba?" Boq timidly asked her.
"Boq Sherl Merrill was a stillborn in the October of 1899. His grave is in Munchkinland Cemetery, where 6 years ago, you acquired his name and date of his birth and thereafter, his identity right before you attended Shiz University. That's why you don't have any friends from before that date or that I never seem to see you in Munchkinland before I met you at Shiz. It's an old enough technique, known to the kinds of people who can recognize a skip code in sight and have extraordinary memory."
Boq stopped halfway from where Elphaba si and continued speaking to Elphaba. "You were very slow."
"How good of a shot are you?" Elphaba said through the phone.
"How badly do you want to find out?"
"If I die, my body will be found in a building with your face projected in front of it. Even the Gale Force could get somewhere with that. I want to know how good you are? Go on, show me. The Ruler of Oz's husband must be a little bored by now."
Boq put the phone down on the floor as he reached out a coin and pistol from his jacket. He threw the coin up and fired at it. When the floor went to the ground, Elphaba appeared behind him with him holding the telephone. "May I see it?" Elphaba asked.
Boq looked at the one seated in front of her and thanked her for the trick. "So it's dummy. I suppose it's a fairly obvious trick." he said.
Elphaba looked at coin and explained to him about his shooting ability. "And yet, over a distance of six feet, you failed to make the kill shot. Enough to hospitalized me, not enough to kill me. That wasn't a miss. That was surgery." Elphaba said with a smile. "I'll take the case for you."
"What case?"
"Why didn't you come to me? I would have done it and you wouldn't worry about it."
"Because Glinda can never know that I lied to her. It would break her heart and I would lose her and I would never do that to her. Elphaba, please understand." Boq calmly told her.
"I understand. And I'm sorry that I might ruin your marriage." Elphaba flicked a light switch and light opened where the figure is seated. Boq looked at it and it was revealed that Glinda was sitting in a wheelchair. He noticed that Glinda looked disappointed with her hair messed up. She then stand up and fixed her hair. "I'll leave you two alone for you two to talk." Elphaba said in a disappointing tone.
A month passed and everyone in all of Oz is celebrating Lurlinemas. Glinda brought Elphaba, Nessarose and Boq are staying in her parent's home for the holidays. While Glinda is out visiting some old friends, the three stayed home. "Oh dear Oz, how is the clock ticking at two? It's been Lurlinemas for at least a week." Nessarose groaned in the kitchen with Glinda's parents and Elphaba sitting with her..
"Even though you're a Unionist, just be happy that we are celebrating a holiday." Elphaba said.
"Nessa is this your folder?" Mrs. Upland asked her.
"On which depends on the people of Oz, yes. And I prefer the name Nessarose, since I was born by it. Only friends and Fabala over here call me Nessa."
"Hey, be nice to Mrs. Upland, Nessa. You're lucky that we're spending the holidays with my best friend's parents." Elphaba said.
"Thank you Elphaba dear. We're all here because Elphaba is out of the hospital and we are all very happy." Mrs. Upland said.
"Am I happy too?" Nessarose said.
"Behave Nessa." Elphaba told her.
A man than arrived at the kitchen and he was holding cups filled with punch. "Mrs. Upland?" the man called.
"Oh thank you dear. Not sure why you're here."
"I invited him." Elphaba replied.
"I'm her protege, Mrs. Upland. If she dies, I take over her equipment and her job."
"No you may not."
"Well I help her out a bit."
"Closer."
"If she gets murdered or something-"
"Probably stop talking now."
"Okay."
"Well I think it's nice of you to bring your friends in here Elphaba. You're always a nice girl. Me and my husband never believe the lies the Wizard spurred on you. Never trusted the man once he sat on the throne." Mrs Upland said.
"Thank you, Mrs. Upland."
"By the way, why didn't you bring your lovely husband of yours?"
"He's staying at Vinkus. His family hates me and I hate them."
"Well, if someone's going to put a bullet in you again, I will go monstrous." Mrs. Upland said as she is about to give a cup of coffee to Boq, who is sitting in the living room. "This is for you Boq my dear." she said.
"Thank you Mrs. Upland. Oh did you write this?" Boq asked while holding a book showing The Concept of Mathematics.
"Oh that silly old thing. Mathematics is confusing today." she said as she left the room.
"Complete flake, my wife, but happens to be a genius." Mr. Upland said.
"Are you the quiet one of the family?"
"Yes. Now if you excuse, I'll be doing some reading." Just then, Glinda arrived and Boq continued reading so she wouldn't see her.
"Hi popsicle. I brought you and Momsie some extra last minute Lurlinemas presents." Glinda said.
"Oh thank you dearie." he said as she kissed her in the cheeks. As soon as Glinda's father left, Boq tries so hard to not look at her.
Flashback
Elphaba, Boq and Glinda are still inside the fake Emerald City building with Glinda still shock of what she heard about Boq. "Kiamo Ko, now." she said as Elphaba and Glinda left while Boq stood still for a few moments.
Glinda was the first to enter the castle with a distraught Fiyero in the kitchen. "Glinda you're here! And with Boq?" he said as Boq enters the room. When Elphaba enters the room, Fiyero was relieved. "Oh Fae, you look terrible. What's happening?"
"Mr. and Mrs. Merrill are having a strain in their relationship and we are here to settle this." Elphaba said.
"Okay one question." Glinda said. "Is everyone I've met a psychopath?! The Wizard and Morrible are terrible people who ruin other people's lives, Elphie is now an obnoxious know it all who knew dangerous people. And now, you!" she said to Boq.
"Yes." Elphaba replied, "Good thing we've settle that we should-"
"SHUT UP!" Glinda shouted, "And stay shut up because it's not funny! Now you?" Glinda said to Boq, "What have I ever done in my life to deserve you."
"Everything." Elphaba replied.
"Elphie, I told you to shut up."
"I mean it Glinda. Everything."
"Elphie, one more word and you will be sleeping for a long time."
"You're the ruler of Oz. You're a woman who couldn't stand black clothing. Your best friend is a sociopath who was framed for two years and now solves crimes as an alternative of getting high. Even the former Vinkun prince used to sell drugs back in his high school days just a way to get kicked out of school."
"I've thought we wouldn't speak of this to anyone." Fiyero said
"Shut up Yero. Now Glinda, you're addicted to a certain lifestyle. You're abnormally attracting dangerous situations and people, so is it a surprise that the man you truly fall in love with conforms to that pattern?"
"But he wasn't suppose to be like. Why is he like that?"
"Because you love her."
"Why is it always MY FAULT?!" Glinda shouted as she stomped her foot hard.
"Okay Glinda be calm and tell me, what is he?"
"A lying husband."
"No what is she?"
"The man who has been lying to me since the day I met him."
"No not in this castle, not in this room. What is he?"
Glinda took a deep breath and was ready to be answer Elphaba "Okay, your way. Always your way." Glinda took a chair and put it in front of Boq. "Sit." she told Boq.
"Why?" Boq asked.
"Because that's where they sit! You're a client now and tell me everything. Then we decide if we want you or not." Boq obeyed and at in the chair and both Glinda and Elphaba also sat down.
Present:
"So are you okay?" Glinda calmly asked Boq who is still reading the book.
"Oh are we doing the conversation today?" Boq timidly said. Glinda showed him a journal with the letters A.G.R.A. and Boq scoffed at it "Seriously now? A month of silence and we're doing this now."
Flashback
Glinda, Boq and Elphaba are seated and Boq gave Glinda a journal that says A.G.R.A. "AGRA, what's that." Elphaba asked.
"Uh, my initials." Boq replied. "Everything about who I was is recorded there. My whole life before going to Shiz is recorded there. If you love me, don't read in front of me."
"Why?" Glinda asked.
"Because you won't love me when you've finished. And I don't want it to see it happened." Glinda sighed and took the journal out of the table without reading it. "How much do you know already?" Boq asked Elphaba.
"By your skill set, you are or were a secret agent that isn't affiliated by the Wizard's regime. I might say that you join at a young age. Your accent isn't truly Munchkin but I suspect it is not. You used your skills to disappear. de Capo knows your secret which is why you're going to kill him. And I assume you befriended an employee to get close to him."
"Oh you can talked." Boq remarked.
"Oh look at you two. You two should've marry." Glinda said.
"The stuff that de Capo has on me, I would go to jail for the rest of my life." Boq told Glinda.
"So you tried to kill him."
"People like de Capo should be killed. That's why there people like me."
"Perfect. How come I didn't see that." Glinda sarcastically said.
"You did see that. And you married me. Because Elphaba's right, that's what you like."
"So, Boq, the files that de Capo has on you, you want it extracted and return." Elphaba said.
"Why would you help me?"
"Because you saved my life."
"Sorry, what?" Glinda asked.
"What happened on me and de Capo, Boq had a problem. More specifically, he had witnesses. The solution was simple: kill us both and leave. However sentiment got a better of her. One precisely-calculated shot to incapacitate me, in hope that it gives you more time to negotiate my finds. Of course you couldn't shoot de Capo because Glinda is there and she would became a suspect. So you knocked out de Capo so he would use your involvement rather than give it to the Gale Force."
"How did he saved your life?" Glinda asked.
"He called the ambulance."
"But I called the ambulance."
"He phoned first. You didn't find me for another five minutes. The average time for an Emerald City ambulance is…" Elphaba was interrupted when the doctors arrived in Kiamo Ko asking who called them. "Eight minutes. Did any of you bring my medicine? I asked on the phone." Elphaba weakly remarked to the doctors. "Glinda, de Capo is all that matters now, you can trust Boq." she told her as she is struggling to get up.
"So have you read it." Boq asked Glinda.
"Would you come here for a moment." Glinda hesitated.
"No I don't want to-"
"Just get up here." she firmly said. Boq obeyed and stood in front of Glinda. "I thought long about what you said and what I'm going to say are prepared words. Uh, the problems of your past are your business. The problems of your future are my privilege." Glinda said as she put the journal in the fireplace, which surprises Boq. "No, I didn't read it."
"But you didn't know my name."
"Boq Merrill is good enough. I forgive you, but not fully." The two tearfully hugged each other and felt happy for that it is over for them.
Elphaba and Nessarose are outside the house and the two talked about de Capo. "I'm glad you gave up on this de Capo business." Nessarose said.
"Are you?"
"I'm still curious though. Why did you hate him so much."
"Because he attacks the people who are different and preys on their secrets. Why don't you?"
"Because it is better to not get into his business and not get blackmail by him. You should too."
"What happened to us, Nessa? We used to get along when we were kids. And now we're fighting over who's smarter."
"Because that's what sister rivalry is, Fabala, and we barely know each other for the last two years. This has been truly a happy Lurlinemas."
"You hate Lurlinemas."
"Yes I do. Perhaps there was something in the punch." Nessarose puzzled.
"Clearly. Go and have some more." Elphaba said as the two went back inside.
Boq and Glinda are still hugging until Boq passed out. She put Boq into the couch and ran into the kitchen with her parents and Nessarose also passed out while Elphaba and her friend are standing. "What happened." a worried Glinda asked.
"Just put a sleeping powder in your drinks. Ms. Elphaba has told me to take it easy on your loved ones Ms. Glinda." Elphaba's friend said.
"What the hell did you done?!"
"A deal with the devil." Elphaba said
Flashback
Elphaba is sitting in a restaurant with while wearing her hospital clothes. While Elphaba is eating, Magnus de Capo arrived with his first is Elphaba. "Shouldn't you be in the hospital?" he asked.
"I am. This is my canteen." Elphaba remarked. "Have a seat."
"Thank you." de Capo sat and starting to read Elphaba and added an extra pressure point on her. "Why don't you eat meat. I could pay for it."
"I'm still a big supporter on Animals and I don't eat anything that comes from living things."
"Are you making me an offer?"
"A Lurlinemas present."
"And what is it?"
"My sister."
After Elphaba has described what happened. she was distraught by what is about to happen. Elphaba grabbed Nessarose's files and the two left the house with a carriage waiting for them outside. "Do you want you husband safe?" Elphaba asked.
"Of course."
"Did you bring a pistol?"
"Yes like you asked and why would I bring a pistol to my parent's house on Lurlinemas Day?!"
"Because we're going to need it to where we're going."
"And where are we going exactly?"
"Grapedore."