Disclaimer: I own nothing of the WICKED characters/places etc. They belong to Gregory Maguire and L. Frank Baum.

Author's Note: Faster updates, haha! Quite proud of myself, as these chapters just seem to be flowing out. Couldn't stop thinking about writing this one; a drunk Galinda was just to fun to leave alone for very long!

Enjoy! xx

Morning sun was Galinda's worst enemy in moments such as these. It pierced her porcelain skin and made her head throb like that damned baseline in the club. The unpleasant memory of it made bile rise in her stomach and she prayed fervently for it to pass while she collected herself.

She could feel bed sheets wrapped loosely around her. She could hear that her room was quiet and feel that it was too warm. She had forgotten to shut the blinds before bed and paid for it now as the bright beams shone far too happily through the spotted, unwashed glass panes.

Patiently, she waited for more memories to return to her. More nervous washes churned her stomach as she recalled that her Sorcery tutorial was this afternoon and ignoring the heaviness of her eyelids she reached out to reassure herself that it was, in fact, still morning and she therefore had to time be ill, if necessary.

But her clock was not where it should be. She let her hand pat around for a second or two before it fell limp to the side of the bed. She desperately strained to open her eyes and saw through falling lashes her bedside table. She dropped her head back onto her pillow and resigned herself to the fact that she would have to get up and look for a clock somewhere. If only she could get the time, she could flop back down in bed and sleep for a few more hours. Sleep would rid her of her headache.

Galinda lifted her arms to brace the weight of her body . . . but suddenly found she could not. She frowned as it appeared she weighed far more than she had the night before.

Awfully, terribly and with a disgusting and sickening wave of panic she recognised that none of her surroundings were familiar to her. It was not her bedside table. It was not her pillow or her bed sheets. The extra weight she had not bargained for turned out to be the arms of that boy . . . that Gillikin boy.

"Sweet Oz, no." She whispered. She daren't move as she lay there, half raised from the bed and completely naked. She felt cold, and she hurt. She hurt quite badly. Mortification swept over her features and she wanted to cry. She felt a yearning for Elphaba, whose response would be either to comfort her and rage at him or make fun, but either one would help her. Either one would be preferable.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" She said through grated teeth. Get your arms off me! She scolded him silently as she tried to squeeze from his grasp. The thought occurred to her that perhaps this was a shared room and there were two or three other boys she would have to sneak past. Terrified, she glanced about the room and it's small size comforted her slightly. It was just them.

A flash of the evening before came to her, and she remembered that she had demanded they come to his room, as hers was shared and they would have more privacy if they avoided it. "Smart."

Galinda manoeuvered herself out of bed. Her lithe limbs coming in handy for something other than posing, for once, though she wished such a talent had never had to be called upon. Tentatively, and stealing a glance at the boy who was conveniently passed out beside her, she placed her toes on the cold floor and slid from the bed. She felt utterly exposed and vulnerable, moreso than ever.

Standing, she turned to check nothing of hers was left in the bed and almost called out in grief at the sight of small spots and splotches of blood on the white cotton sheets. Most recently, a long fingered one from where she had just been sitting. Her mouth upturned itself into a very pronounced frown and unbidden tears fell relentlessly down her cheeks and onto her chest.

She cried silently as she tip-toed about the room, collecting underwear and dressing faster than she had ever thought possible. It occurred to her that she would have to walk home in her outfit from last night and the tears fell faster. She caught her reflection in a tiny mirror and saw that she did not have black smeared all over her face: a saving grace if she wanted to see it. Grabbing tissues she dabbed her soaked face and stole a final look around the room.

She couldn't even remember his name. The boy was out for the count and she could not have been happier to leave. Utter regret coursed through her veins at the memory and the sight of the room. The sooner she left the better. She only put on her heels again when she had reached the door and clicked it shut behind her, quiet as a mouse.

Galinda had not found a clock in the room. "Perhaps that's why boys are never punctual." She observed wryly, but shook the comment from her mind as she realised how stupid and pointless it was. Her head was held high but she had never felt so cheap. She saw the Shiz clock tower. It was 6 o'clock in the morning. "How in Oz did I ever wake up so early?" But then a twinge of pain from her groin reminded her that she would never have been able to sleep much longer, even if she were in her own bed. What an awful day.

"Time is it, Yero?"

"What?" He replied, groggily, waking to his green girl half asleep on his chest. "Oh," he turned his head to the side and picked up his watch. "Six." He sighed, kissing her hair and wrapping his hand around her arm.

"Six? Ugh, why are we awake?" She moaned. Fiyero breathed deeply, too tired to laugh. "Oh Oz," she said quietly, and her hair was like a curtain before his eyes as she sat up. "Galinda?"

"Shit, Fae! She's not here is she?" He said, suddenly frightened that the blonde had had to sit through them all night. "Fae?" She was quiet and he couldn't see her face, but it sounded worried.

Elphaba simply stared at the other side of the room. The pink, satin sheets were manicured into place and ironed to within an inch of their existence. Her numerous pillows were delicately balanced and proclaimed a beautifully embroidered 'G' to all who beheld them. That there was no little rise in the covers, that the pillows were not thrown on the floor and resting carelessly in wait for their re-arrangement on the bed, that there was no quiet breathing form in the room other than Fiyero put the fear of Oz into Elphaba's heart.

"No." She said, finally. "No she's not here." Fiyero sat up and saw the absence of Galinda. "Oz, Fiyero, what happened, where is she?" She asked, panicking. "What happened last night?" A hand flew to her head as an ache rested on her temples.

"I think you know very well what happened last night."

"FIYERO!" Elphaba scolded. "I'm serious: she's never . . . she's always here!"

"Elphaba, she's a big girl. I'm sure she just went home with someone."

"Fiyero, listen to me." She turned and grabbed his shoulders and he wrapped a sheet around her when he saw her nipples harden from the chill in the room. He saw the breeze originated from an open window and remembered how hot it had been last night. "Do you remember how upset I got at Galinda yesterday because she said she wanted a boyfriend? When we were dancing together at the club, Galinda and I, she told me she didn't really care about getting a boyfriend and that all she actually wanted was to sleep with someone."

"Dear Oz, you're serious?"

"It's not that big a deal, really. She said she felt sexually frustrated."

He grinned at the thought of daddy's girl Galinda wanting to sleep with half the boys on campus. "So she wants to have sex. What's the problem?"

"Use your brain, Yero, I love it when you use your brain." She leaned forward and kissed him. "Where is Galinda? Oz knows who she went home with last night. I'm worried about her. She's smart when she wants to be, but I don't think she has the strength to get herself out of . . . . whatever it is she's gotten herself into."

"Right. So you wait for her to call you."

"What?"

"If, and this is a big if, if Galinda is in trouble or can't get home or something then she'll call you. She knows the number, she can charge it to her room and despite what you say I don't doubt she has the ability to think of calling for help." Elphaba sighed, but worry remained the story in her face. "Fae, my love, don't worry. Galinda is a big girl. Look, it's far too early for this, we're both hungover or probably still drunk and tired. Let's just wash and dress and then if you haven't heard from her by then you can start . . . I don't know, printing 'Missing Galinda' posters."

Elphaba smiled and let him lead her from their bed. She was glad he had not tried to convince her to go back to sleep. She couldn't sleep. Truth be told, it had scared her more than she liked that Galinda was not where she always was in the morning. Perhaps it was that Elphaba was always the one to be out, to be lost, to be missing, or mad. She was always the strange one, the one you could never account for.

They had never intended to sleep at Elphaba's (though the word 'sleep' may be a bit of a stretch) but it was closer and they were drunk. Painfully drunk, it would seem, judging by their sickness this morning.

Fiyero turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature so it was cooler than usual. Elphaba's skin had been hot to the touch and his, too. "That alright?" He asked, stepping aside to let her run her fingers under the spray.

"Lovely." Fiyero stepped out of her way and she caught his neck, kissing him gently.

"Minty." He said, making her laugh when he tickled her and she tried to block him with the shower door. He shook his head and stood at the faucet. He brushed his own teeth thoroughly, but quickly, and sat on the loo to watch her. He loved watching her, especially in the shower where she looked so calm and happy. It was something she had only let him do once or twice before, but he hoped he'd be able to do it forever.

"Stop watching me."

"Oh, spoke too soon." She frowned. "I was just thinking I hoped you'd let me watch you forever, and then you told me off."

"Forever?" He nodded, knowing what she would be thinking of. Elphaba watched him now, her hands falling from her hair like the soap as it was washed out. He moved towards her and opened the door.

"We're going to be together always." Elphaba smiled a little as a finger was drawn along her cheek. "Can't you see it?"

"You know, I've never thought much about my future until I came here."

"But you do think about it." He said, knowing full well she fantasised about what Shiz could do for her, what the wizard could do for her.

She leaned forward and turned off the water. "I think about you every day. I can't get away from you, not that I want to . . . anymore." He laughed, pecking her nose. "I'm in love with you, my hero. Of course I think about our future."

Our future. He played her term over in his head. "And when you think about our future . . ?"

She looked at him thoughtfully. "It's not much. I mean I haven't had any visions. But we're happy. It's always happy." She looked down, the conversation becoming too serious for her. "I've never had that. Never. So it's more than I could ever hope to wish for. And I daren't push my luck." He knew this and decided not to continue the conversation just to try to get her to admit more of her thoughts on the subject. She was becoming more of an easy read for him recently, though it would often happen that as soon as he found he knew her she would do something to pull the rug from under him.

Suddenly, the front door shuttered open and closed. Elphaba's eyes flashed with panic then relief; it must be Galinda because today was not the cleaner's day and even if it was it was far too early for any of that. They heard slumping and sliding and then:

"Elphie!" Galinda's voice came from the front room, broken and hysterical.

Elphaba clambered out of the shower, barely allowing Fiyero to hold her enough to tie a dressing gown around her, and flew to her friend. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I'm so embarrassed!"

Galinda was in a heap on the floor. Her blue dress that had been so gracefully arranged was wrinkled and, Elphaba was willing to bet, torn in several different places. Elphaba saw how tense she was and took a few deep breaths, swallowing her concern whole. "First things first, you need to calm yourself."

Fiyero took Galinda's hand and lifted her, making sure she could stand before ordering her to remove her heels and wash. "Come on, into the shower, put some clean clothes on and we'll talk about this when you're calm."

Elphaba walked with her into her room before returning to Fiyero and helping him with cups of tea and coffee. "No coffee for her, tea. Mild." She told him, as he dabbed the teabag into the hot water. "And thank you." He nodded.

It was half an hour before Galinda emerged from her room in a dressing gown with her hair in rollers, of all things.

"Galinda . . ." Elphaba counted no less than twelve pink rollers and sighed.

"What? If I'm going to see him again, I want to look gorgeous, and since my face looks like death's older sister, I need my hair to look like heaven's spun gold."

"Your hair always looks like-"

"Alright, okay, so Galinda has rollers in her hair." Fiyero handed her a cup of tea. He sat next to Elphaba and kissed her hair. "So, what happened? If you can remember any of it that is."

Galinda stared at him, not finding his comment particularly funny and not knowing why it would not also refer to him. At least she could remember how wasted the two of them had been. As if it were not completely obvious what they were doing beneath the table. Galinda could only guess at their activities on the dance floor. It was one of the major reasons she had avoided them. That boy being the other. Galinda looked at her tea, trying to find something interesting in the swirl of the hot water and the tea leaves. "I . . . uh . . ."

Elphaba sat up and whispered, though who she was trying to keep out of earshot was unclear: it was only the three of them. "Galinda I spoke to the two of you about that thing in the library, you can talk about this."

She laughed. "Yeah, I guess." She fingered the rim of the cup. "So I . . . did it last night."

Fiyero's eyebrows raised and Elphaba swatted the sofa. "I knew it, Glin. So?"

"Awful." She replied, her head in her hands. "Awful. I wish I'd never done it. It hurt, it does hurt, I feel mortified and . . . and like I didn't ask for it, which is the worst thing. I don't even remember his name."

"Surely that's the worst thing?"

Elphaba glowered at her lover. "Galinda, I know this first time must have meant a lot to you but it's not as if it won't happen again."

"You don't understand Elphie. There's evidence." Elphaba screwed up her face in confusion. "You know . . ."

"Oh." Elphaba said, flatly. "Well, I personally don't think you have to worry about that. If he's going to invite perfect strangers into his bed then he has to accept that that might happen."

"Ugh, this is stupid. I know you're right, Elphie. I know that but I can't help that I feel embarrassed. How am I supposed to act when I see him again? How will he act? Will he come after me? Should I even hope for that? Was this a one night thing or did I prattle on about wanting a boyfriend last night like a fucking moron?" Elphaba couldn't stop her heart from jumping a little at Galinda's expletive. "Should I pretend it hasn't even happened? Is this who I am now? A harlot? A fucking harlot? What will I do now?"

Galinda was descending into hysterics and Elphaba moved over to her, realising that she should have been sitting with her the whole time. "Galinda calm down! You don't even know how you feel right now, do you? There is no one way to react and you shouldn't worry about that. He's gonna do what he's gonna do and though you can't change that you can affect how you see it." Galinda squeezed her friend's hand. "You don't even remember his name." She shook her head. "So he can't have been that important to you. Maybe this was just a one night thing. Maybe you just needed to know what it was like."

She was talking about sex, Galinda knew. "Oh Oz, I'm such an idiot."

"No, you're not."

"Oh I am! Sleeping with a random boy just so I could find out was sex is like?"

"Galinda, what in Oz is wrong with that?"

Galinda looked at both of them, her arms flailing so much that Elphaba had to dart back to keep from their line of fire. "I'm supposed to keep myself for my husband!"

"Oh for the love of Lurline, Galinda! Who cares? You're the bloody romantic! You're the one who, from the first moment we became friends, went on and on and on about love and romance and finding the one." Fiyero felt uncomfortable for a second; they had been talking about him. Him and Galinda, and he had to halt his thoughts in their tracks before he started to think this was all his fault.

"So?" Galinda asked, her big blue eyes willing Elphaba to find them some kind of solace.

"If you find the one, this man who will love you more than anyone in the world, then it won't matter how many people you've slept with and it won't matter how many rollers you have in your hair. It won't matter who your parents are or where you grew up and it won't even matter what you wear." Fiyero smiled. "He'll just love you." She poked Galinda chest where her heart lay. "For your sense of humour, which is actually very amusing. For your intelligence and your goodness." Elphaba licked her lips: they had gone dry all of a sudden. "And for your tantrums."

Galinda looked from the green girl to Fiyero who was smiling in concurrence. She didn't have to ask about Elphaba's truthfulness. She didn't even have to think it through: Galinda had probably told Elphaba the same thing a thousand times over and she knew she had seen it in action. Her parents. Her aunts and uncles.

And Elphaba and Fiyero.

Hit that blue button! Let me know what you'd like to happen if you have any ideas! x