Author's Note: please see previous chapters for disclaimers. Absolutely love your reviews. Thank you so much for following etc.

Enjoy this chapter; bit of Elphaba healing thanks to Fiyero and Galinda. xx

Elphaba considered the days following her attack to be some of the most awkward of her entire life. She had wanted to tell Galinda what happened because she was her friend, but having to repeat it to the Matron, the police and a judge and having to avoid Morrible's disturbing interest in her 'condition' as she called it, simply disgusted her; it was like having to relive it. Galinda had helped to keep the hype to a minimum, and considering the witness' reports coupled with Elphaba's reputation as a student, there was little to prevent Mraic's being exiled from Shiz altogether.

"He didn't even try to justify himself. I thought at least he'd lie a bit, you know?" Fiyero asked Elphaba when he had taken her from the infirmary back to her room. At Galinda's request, he would stay with her all day until Galinda got back from her lectures; Fiyero had complained that she shouldn't have to go to them because Elphaba would want her. Both girls had pointed out to him that if Galinda wasn't seen out and about like normal, then people would assume worse had happened than they wanted them to. It was all about keeping rumours to a minimum; that was Elphie's only request. Otherwise she was silent.

Fiyero placed her overnight bag on her bed and sat next to Elphaba. She nodded, sighed, and leaned her head back on her pillows. Fiyero was not sure if he should say something; he didn't like to speak when it wasn't a genuine response, especially with Elphaba, and she was quiet enough.

Elphaba wasn't looking at him. She hadn't really looked at him at all since it had kicked off. It frightened her that he might now look at her in a different way and she would rather sit in painful silence than talk about it.

"Well, he's a pathetic excuse for a human being." Fiyero finally said.

"You know, you can go." She said matter-of-factly, as if her words hadn't stung him at all. "I mean I know Galinda wanted you to stay with me but I'm not a twig. I'm not gonna break in the breeze and I'm perfectly fine on my own."

Fiyero stared incredulously at her prostrate form. She didn't even sit up to look at him. "I know all that Elphaba." He glared at her and could feel his anger building. He was trying to understand her; he knew she was avoiding his eye and his conversation, he thought because she didn't want him to treat her differently. The problem was that there was a problem and the longer she denied it the more damage he worried it would do to her and their relationship. Right now, he knew he should give her space and hope she would come to him. "You can trust in me, Fae." He said quietly, before standing and walking to the door. "I'll let you alone then."

Elphaba still had her gaze fixed on the ceiling when he closed the door, but it was only a split second before a too familiar silence fell over her and she scrambled to the door with Fiyero's name on her lips. "Yero!" She shouted, crashing across the suite and seeing Fiyero standing before her. "Don't go."

He smiled. "I wasn't gonna go. I was gonna stand here until you let me back in." She narrowed her eyes, an expression meant to warn him, but her smile told him otherwise. He took her arms and moved towards her, pushing them back into the bedroom and shutting the door again with his foot. Elphaba giggled but Fiyero stepped closer to her and gripped her shoulders. "You might not like it, Thropp, but I'm not going anywhere. You can push me away as much as you want, but I'll never abandon you."

Elphaba couldn't believe what she was hearing. Fiyero was being completely sincere with her. That kind of support had never been something she'd experienced. She wanted to reciprocate. She wanted to show him that she could share, too. But it was so hard. "You're gonna have to give me some time, Fiyero." Her words were barely breaths, so that he had to lean into her to understand. "I don't want your pity. I don't want your sympathy."

"What do you want?" Elphaba had enough; he was too overbearing now. Fiyero felt her shift and let her go. She didn't move much further away from him, but he guessed the distance felt better. He remembered the way Mraic had imposed himself on her and cursed himself. He would never be like that.

Fiyero didn't like the silence that fell as Elphaba began to unpack. With a sting he noticed how few things she had; Galinda's side of the room had all the personalised trinkets and accessories that a woman of her age should have collected. There were empty perfume bottles, faded pictures of her childhood, dog-eared birthday cards and holiday trinkets. Fiyero glanced over at Elphaba's side; she had stuff, lots of it, but her belongings were library books catalogued by their return date, a discarded pair of shoes, pens, pencils, binding materials, practise wands that were covered in dust and one grey photograph slotted into the framework of her corkboard. He eyed the picture more carefully and saw a woman who looked strikingly like Elphaba; her mother. It was a surreal vision of an Elphaba with alabaster skin. He didn't much care for it.

"Do you know he's been exiled from the Emerald City and Munchkinland, too?" Fiyero said, glad to remember something that might cheer her up.

"Who?" Fiyero's eyes drifted around the room and Elphaba nodded. "Oh. Him. Really?" She said, with a small smile.

Fiyero matched her expression, though his was a little more enthusiastic. "Really. Morrible told me." Elphaba was a picture; she was utterly confused and happy at the same time. Fiyero could only laugh more as he continued. "Do you want to know why?"

"It doesn't make sense. Mraic . . ." Her voice caught and she swallowed. She couldn't say his name. Fiyero never used it anyway; he didn't deserve one. Elphaba looked down for a moment, annoyed that she was still affected by it all and frustrated that she couldn't understand why. "He hadn't been charged anywhere else. His crime was in Shiz."

"It wasn't really anything he did that meant his expulsion from those areas, Fae." Their eyes met for a second when he used her pet name; she loved it. "Morrible said it was the Wizard." Shock graced her features. "When she told Him that you had been attacked, He was apparently furious that the safety and well-being of the woman whose talents He had heard were the most impressive in Oz had been in jeopardy, and He banished the perpetrator."

Elphaba looked at him questioningly, and Fiyero nodded once, carefully confirming what he said. For a moment, she did not seem to react, but Elphaba had never been so happy and she did not know what the proper response was. So she just sat down.

"Fae?" She heard Fiyero chuckle. He sat behind her and did not see the tiny smile that crept along her face. "Fae, come on. Hello? Are you there?" She turned round then and suddenly threw her arms around him. "That's a little better. Thought you'd left me there." Quite the thing, Fiyero embraced her and kissed her hair.

"Sweet Oz, Fiyero. I don't know what to say!"

"What do you need to say? I didn't impress the Wizard."

She tightened her grip on him. He heard her whisper. "You impressed me." Fiyero brought her arms from around his neck and held them in his. She smiled but looked apprehensive. "I never really thanked you for what you did for me." He looked wary. "No, please let me. While I have the courage." She added when he tried to interrupt. Her whisper frightened him slightly, and he allowed his thumb to stroke her shoulder softly, eliciting a discreet blush from her. "I've never been really helpless before, and I was so terrified." She took a breath and smiled bashfully. "I just wanted to tell you that I . . . have never been so happy to see you and I greatly appreciate having you as my friend . . . and that you really are very intelligent."

Fiyero didn't speak when she finished, but pressed his lips to her forehead. He did not expect her to look at him, and she kept her eyes down, but he looked at her. Fiyero was already aware that his feelings for her were deeper and very different to those he had held for any other girl. He twisted a strand of her hair on his finger and admiring its softness, gave in to his desire and embraced her again. "I will always be there to protect you, Fae. I'll always be your friend." Elphaba knew she should not be enjoying this; Galinda would hate her. But he had helped her and she wanted to be close to him, so she buried her face in his neck and closed her eyes.

Contentedly, Fiyero let his hand fall down through her hair and breathed in the scent of some flower or fruit that he couldn't identify. He smiled; Fiyero had never thought of what her hair would smell like and he thoroughly took pleasure in the opportunity to hold her now. Her hands lay across his back lazily and he pulled her closer, leaning them both against her pillows and kissing her again.

"I can't sleep, Fiyero." He heard her mumble. "I don't want to; every time I sleep I see his face and I just . . ."

"Fae, it's alright. Makes you think I can sleep? Nothing even happened to me."

"You can't sleep?" He shook his head. "Aren't you tired? I'm exhausted." She yawned in a very childlike way, with water in her eyes and he smiled.

"I'm tired, Fae. Why don't you go to sleep?"

She moved back and looked at him, rubbing her eyes. "I want to, but . . . I just can't, Fiyero," he pulled her back when she got up, "Fiyero, I can't sleep."

"What are you afraid is going to happen?"

"I'll see him. I'll feel him!" She covered her face with her hands and sobbed quietly. "It's so awful. It's so awful. It's so awful."

Fiyero struggled to be unaffected by what she was expressing and wondered if no response really was the best response. "Fae, I'll be here with you this time. I won't let anyone come anywhere near you. No one can touch you. I promise. You need to sleep."

Being held like she was by Fiyero, Elphaba had never felt so peaceful. It wasn't something she thought she would feel for a while; she had been robbed of all sense of restfulness and her consequent anger was why Fiyero and Galinda had acted as couriers between her and the authorities. But even as he took her arms from his neck he was gentle and he seemed to want to ensure he wasn't forcing her. He moved so that she could lay her head on his chest and, though reluctantly, she let his arm draw her onto her side. Fiyero seemed to be more aware that she was tired than she was herself, because as soon as she let her eyelids shut a heavy feeling swept over her and she quickly fell into a deep and much-needed sleep.

Fiyero felt her breathing even out and let his thumb stroke her cheek to see of she had actually gone yet. When she did not react to his touch, he linked their hands and closed his eyes, too. Although Fiyero felt he had to be on alert for her and did not actually fall asleep.

He didn't know how long they had been lying together when Galinda came in, but Fiyero whispered for her to be quiet so she wouldn't wake up Elphaba. "Time is it?"

"Five-thirty." She replied, checking her bedside clock and quietly closing the door. "How is she? You managed to get her to sleep."

"She's not been silent, though. She keeps muttering."

"It's to be expected. She'll wake up if you move." He nodded, caressing her face then returning his hands to her warm ones. "I'll get us some dinner soon. Um . . . Fiyero?" He glanced at her. "I really think you should stay here, tonight."

"I was going to ask. But she'll hate it." Galinda smiled, not caring. She was the only person that Elphaba let take care of her with no question and Fiyero sensed a hint of jealousy at her favoured treatment. "I don't want to leave her."

She nodded and went into her bathroom to straighten herself, though sometimes she wondered what the point was anymore. Elphaba's attack frightened her; she was nowhere near as strong as her friend and she was always parading herself everywhere, getting at the very least tipsy and making herself vulnerable. She hadn't had a drink for a week now and didn't know when she would again.

Peering out of the door, she observed Elphaba in Fiyero's arms and remarked to herself how well they fit together. Galinda grew jealous when she thought of them, but her reason prevailed and she knew it was ridiculous and unfair. The next time she had a chance alone with her best friend she was determined to talk to her.

"I didn't even know I was that hungry." Elphaba commented upon the consumption of her third helping of food.

"I'm just glad you're eating, Fae." Fiyero handed her water and sat between the two girls, a sense of calm finally falling over them all. Fiyero had never really thought he could be in the company of two women and not flirt with them, although he wasn't exactly not doing that, very aware of the attention he paid Elphaba.

Elphaba watched her friends talk and eat. They spoke about her, but as though she wasn't in the room. Galinda was discussing Fiyero's sleeping arrangements in between bites. "We don't have an extra bed in the room, so you'll have to take the sofa."

"Can't I just ask for one to be brought in?" Fiyero moaned, lying against Elphaba's bed with his legs stretched out on the floor showing just how uncomfortable he felt about that idea. "I mean, come on. Or I could just sleep with Fae again like today."

Elphaba moved to speak and was immediately prevented from doing so by Galinda, whose piercing decibels soared over her own. "Fiyero, you are not a complete idiot so please oblige me once in a while and act like you have half a brain."

"He does have half a brain." Elphaba muttered under her breath, finishing her drink and standing to get more water in the bathroom. She left the two of them to fight as if her skin made her invisible instead of an anomaly.

"Fiyero, you mustn't put in a request for a bed here for two reasons; one, you are a boy and it would probably be refused anyway; two, you would get angry that your request got refused and make a big song and dance about exactly why such a request had been made and then make Elphaba feel awful all over again!" Galinda huffed in a breath dramatically.

"I do not make Elphaba feel awful!"

"Yes you do! You keep bringing it up!"

"I was not the one who started talking about it, Galinda. She's feeling fine, I made sure of it."

"She is feeling very precarious right now."

"She is feeling totally overwhelmed I would have thought. The Wizard personally saw to it that Mraic was practically banished from Oz."

"And that makes her forget everything?" Galinda puffed up her chest.

Elphaba slammed her hands down on the sink. "SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT UP!" Galinda fell onto her backside, flabbergasted, and Fiyero stood, an appropriate look of apology on both their faces. Elphaba stormed out of the bathroom, hands on her hips and anger crashing through her eyes. They could almost hear the storm in her mind. "I am sick of being spoken about as if I'm not even here! What the hell makes you think either of you get to decide what happens now?" Galinda took a breath to reply but she jumped and was silenced at Elphaba's growl. "NO! You don't get a damn say in it. It's me! ME! And so help you if you try to stop me." She stared them both down. "Fiyero, you are sleeping in your bed in your room and that's it. I'm fine and very grateful for your staying here with me today."

Fiyero nodded. It was late already and he had only stayed because he thought he was sleeping here. He did not want to leave, but he was not about to argue with Elphaba when she was still so angry. "I'll go now. It's late." Elphaba smiled and he kissed her goodbye. Suddenly, she was reminded of a request she was determined to make of them, though she was sure they would hate it, even if they granted it to her. "I know you've done a lot for me already, but I want one more thing." They both looked at her questioningly and their symmetry made Elphaba laugh, easing the tension slightly. "You actually wouldn't have to do anything. It would be more like you not doing something."

"What, Elphie?"

"I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about what happened anymore. I would like you to not treat me like something's wrong."

Fiyero and Galinda exchanged worried glances. Galinda swallowed the food she was chewing and spoke first, surprising Fiyero. "Of course, Elphie. The objective now is just to make you happy."

Elphaba smiled at Galinda and turned to Fiyero. "Please, Fiyero."

His face was dripping with frustration; it was perfectly plain to Elphaba that he was not pleased to have to do this. Eventually, he looked at her, but in a way that made Elphaba very aware of Galinda's presence. "Fae, I won't lie to you." Elphaba watched his beautiful blue eyes and let herself get lost in them; she smiled a little when he held her hand. "I don't know if I like this. But I will do my best to make you happy."

With a kiss to her forehead, Fiyero shut the door behind him. Unaware of what she was doing, Elphaba leaned her head against the door and sighed. Galinda watched her, laughing and shaking her head. "Alright, Elphie. We need to talk about Fiyero."

Big bunch of poppies from Fiyero for those who review x