Ok now I know I said this last time and probably the time before as well but I am sorry it has taken me so long to update once again! I have lost a bit of my passion for Wicked which is a shame but I think it may be getting better now. I have been busy with exams and revision too which hasn't helped but anyway once it gets into the summer holidays I hope the updates will become more frequent! In the mean time here is the next chapter! I hope it's ok! Review at the end please!
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"You didn't ask her did you?" Sam asked Fiyero as the two boys tossed a baseball back and forth to each other in the grove that evening.
"Ask who what?" Fiyero asked him, genuinely confused as he fumbled the ball, dropping it to the floor.
"Elphaba, you didn't ask her out did you?" Sam questioned again as Fiyero threw him the ball in a rather lacklustre fashion.
"Of course I didn't Sam, it's been a tough day for her," Fiyero reasoned, abandoning the glove and ball and sitting down on the muddy floor looking defeated.
"Tough day?" Sam questioned, a disbelieving look on his face, "Fiyero it's always a tough day, that's a rubbish excuse."
"It's not an excuse Sam, today I found out that Elphaba's father has been abusing her for the past twelve years of her life, she's decided to give up everything she's worked for to look after her sister because that's all she believes she equates to, a serving girl." Fiyero explained, whilst in a frustrated manner picking up twigs, snapping them in half and throwing them forcefully back at the ground.
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"Nessa, I," Elphaba started, her gaze fixed on her hands as she struggled to find the words that would inevitably tear Nessa's world apart.
"Elphaba just tell me the truth, please?" Nessa pleaded, her voice irritated, "You owe me that much at least after all these years."
"Yes," Elphaba simply stated, "Yes it was father that hurt me."
Nessa let out a choked sob at Elphaba's confession, tears cascading down her pale, fragile cheeks. Her hands were shaking rather violently as she recalled all the times she'd seen Elphaba bruised and cut when they were younger but she had been oblivious to the reasons why. Elphaba had always come up with good excuses such as that she was always picked on at school (which was half true anyway the other children had just never dared to touch her) or she'd tripped over that Oz damned floorboard in her bedroom again. Nessa had always believed her sister because she thought so highly of her and Elphaba always seemed to speak the truth.
"When we were younger, he hurt you then too, didn't he? Fabala?" Nessa questioned tearfully.
"Yes, he did, but Nessa that was a long time ago now," Elphaba was quick to retaliate, hating the fact that she would be tearing apart her sister and father, that beautiful relationship would be gone, "we can't change the past..."
"But Elphaba he hurt you today, today," Nessa shouted angrily, hot tears still flowing thick and fast down her cheeks, "don't you understand Fabala? I love you. I don't want our father to be hurting you just because he despises the fact that you have a different coloured skin to the rest of us. It does not make you inferior to us and it does not in any way tarnish his reputation, he should be proud of you. I won't let him treat you like this anymore; I refuse to let this go."
"Well you have to Nessie," Elphaba shouted back, silencing her sister who now looked shocked at Elphaba's outburst, worried that if she wasn't careful the verdant girl's magic might take over, "I do not want you fighting my battles for me. I can manage myself and Lurline forbid father might turn on you too, if you side with me. Things are best left as they are, I will stay on at Shiz to look after you as it was originally intended, Nessa I am here for you and nothing more, I know that now."
"No Elphaba," Nessa said loudly, firmly, wheeling herself closer to her sister and leaning forward, "I will not let you do that. Boq is quite happy to look after me; we've been getting on a lot better recently. Please Elphaba you cannot give up on your dreams for me, the Wizard and the whole of Oz is relying on you to make a difference, whatever happened to my audacious sister?"
"She's using her head rather than her heart to think for once," Elphaba spoke quietly, standing up and moving away from Nessa, "it's for the best that I forget everything that ever happened in the Emerald City Nessa, forever."
Nessa opened her mouth to speak up in protest once again but Elphaba had already disappeared up the steps to Crage Hall and Nessa sat silently, tears once again finding their way down her cheeks. Her father was going to know what Elphaba was about to give up for him, she'd make sure of it.
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"You should go and find her Fiyero," Sam suggested optimistically, trying to catch Fiyero's attention.
"She's with her sister Sam," Fiyero informed the younger boy once again.
"Well once she's finished then, Fiyero she needs somebody right now, somebody that can help her." Sam pleaded, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation at his brother.
"Sam please just leave it," Fiyero solicited, "Elphaba most probably wants to be left alone right now.
"Yeah right Fiyero," Sam smirked at him, "you keep telling yourself that, one day you might actually start believing it."
Fiyero merely responded by throwing his next twig in the vague direction of Sam who threw it back at Fiyero and the two laughed.
"Please, just go to her, she needs you more than I do right now," Sam smiled kindly at Fiyero who returned it and ruffled Sam's hair.
"Don't touch the hair, how many times," Sam said, irritated as he smoothed his hair back into position as Fiyero walked off, back in the direction of the school.
Fiyero found Elphaba sitting serenely on the bank of the gardens outside the cafeteria, the wind was blowing her loose raven hair gently, her eyes were focused on the daisy she was twiddling subconsciously between her fingers. She looked up as she heard Fiyero approaching and offered him a small smile.
"May I?" he asked politely and Elphaba nodded, allowing him to sit down next to her.
Fiyero smiled as he observed her, pulling his knees up to his chest and encasing them in his arms, mirroring her position and he was thankful when she made the first attempt at beginning a conversation.
"You know I never really thought I would get to be the Grand Vizier?" she said solemnly, a sad smile gracing her lips, "it all seemed too good to be true."
"I know that nothing I can say will make you change your mind but I can try at least. Elphaba what you were going to do for Oz was incredible. You cannot just give up on a dream as easily as you are doing." Fiyero pleaded with her, trying desperately to get her to look up at him.
"Fiyero please, I've heard enough of this from Nessa and I will most probably receive a lecture on the subject from a certain blonde roommate that could possibly last the whole evening so I would appreciate you not starting as well." Elphaba asked him politely, there was no hint of anger in her voice, she seemed almost emotionless.
"I don't know why I bother, you never listen to a word I say anyway," Fiyero muttered quietly but jokingly, looking begrudged as he picked at the blades of grass beside him.
"That's not true," Elphaba retorted looking up at him briefly.
"Still, it doesn't matter to me anyway because when I am King of all of Oz you will have to do as I say by law, and that would involve me making you Grand Vizier," Fiyero smiled dramatically and he nudged Elphaba in the ribs gently making her laugh.
"In your dreams," Elphaba smiled, nudging him back and they both laughed, Fiyero putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him.
"There's the Elphaba we all know and love," Fiyero beamed at her as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Yeah well I can't promise she'll stay forever," Elphaba smiled up at him, feeling a slight tingling sensation on the part of her forehead where his lips had been previously.
"It doesn't matter Fae, as long as she's here for now, that's all that matters to us," he smiled compassionately at her, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear and their gazes became locked for the first time since Elphaba had come back, Fiyero felt himself moving closer to her but he could sense she was uncomfortable.
"I should really get going," Elphaba said hastily as she stood up, brushing off her skirts.
"I'll walk you back to your dorm," Fiyero offered kindly, standing up too.
"I do not need a protector or minder to walk me back Fiyero, I can manage fine by myself," Elphaba insisted stubbornly, the old feministic and moral Elphaba was beginning to reappear and Fiyero was glad. A broken, dispirited Elphaba was rather depressing; everyone was so used to her always being around debating some new law or another making everyone's days brighter, when she wasn't the world seemed flawed.
"Ok, I was just being chivalrous," Fiyero insisted profusely as he backed away from her, "I'll see you later then." He turned on his heel smoothly and headed in the direction of Briscoe Hall and Elphaba headed in the opposite direction towards Crage Hall, her breathing still erratic from their little encounter.
Elphaba practically ran all the way back to Crage Hall and stormed into the dorm so dramatically Galinda let out a slight squeal. Elphaba breathlessly slid down the now closed door and clutched her side hard from stitch.
"What in Oz's name have you been doing now?" Galinda questioned her, looking rather intimidating as she crossed the room to stand over her friend.
Elphaba reached up at grabbed Galinda's hand pulling the blonde down to sit next to her. Galinda looked confused as Elphaba looked almost desperately into her eyes.
"I," she stuttered, struggling to explain to Galinda what had just happened, "I, I nearly kissed Fiyero."
Galinda didn't say anything, her hand just flew to her mouth in shock and she giggled, smiling proudly at Elphaba, ok it wasn't exactly a kiss, but it was a start.
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"So what's all this about Nessie? Is something wrong?" Frexspar asked his youngest daughter sweetly as he stirred his coffee.
The two were sat in the near deserted cafeteria after Nessa had asked Boq to go and find her father. Nessa was wearing a stone cold expression as she observed the look Frexspar was giving her. It had seemed sweet before but now he just appeared sickly and menacing.
"Do you love me father?" Nessa questioned innocently, looking down at her own drink and trying to look naive and innocuous under her father's glare.
"Why Nessie of course I do, how could I not? You're my perfect little baby girl. I'll always love you." Frex smiled at her, placing his hand on top of hers but she subtly pulled away from his grasp.
"Do you love Elphaba, in the same way that you love me?" Nessa questioned, trying extremely hard to disguise the sinister tone in her voice.
Frex visibly recoiled before reasserting himself, realising he couldn't let anything slip to Nessarose.
"Of course I do Nessa, she is my daughter too," Frex smiled forcibly, desperately wishing to deter from the subject.
"You would never hurt us would you father? It's just I worry that sometimes, because we're so far away from you..." Nessa started before her father cut her off in a state of panic.
"Is something the matter Nessarose? Has something happened to upset you?" Frex asked her, trying to appear the doting father.
"As a matter of fact something rather sickening has come about. I have been made aware that Elphaba has been abused by somebody, somebody who should in fact love her as she does them." Nessa said monotonously, wheeling her chair around the table so that she was sat in front of her father.
"Nessa I," Frexspar started but he was cut off by Nessa's hand colliding sharply with the side of his face, splitting his lip. He recoiled, clutching at his cheek which had turned a scarlet shade of red.
"It hurts doesn't it?" Nessa seethed angrily at him, leaning forwards in her wheelchair, "that's because it's real and it's coming from somebody you love."
"Nessa please," Frexspar pleaded with his youngest daughter.
"I believed in you my whole life, believed you were a decent role model."Nessa spat angrily at him, "I looked up to you. You were supposed to look after her. She's your flesh and blood, your own daughter. How could you be so cruel? All Elphaba ever did was look after me, she had no childhood of her own because you took it away and this is how you repay her. When she got that job in the Emerald City she finally felt like she had a future, and now you have taken that away from her as well. You are a filthy, rotten, sickening parent."
Nessa began to wheel away from the table and she heard Frex's chair scrape across the floor behind her and she wheeled round to face him.
"What are you going to do? Hit me too?" Nessa challenged him dangerously but Frex looked more saddened than angry.
"Nessie," he spoke softly to her.
"Don't you dare Nessie me, it's Nessarose to you. I don't ever want to see you around here again, and if you so much as look at Elphaba, I will make sure you are dealt with severely." Nessarose spoke authoritatively before leaving the cafe and Frex with tears rolling down his cheeks.
Ok so let me know your thoughts please, review! And please keep reading! Stay with me on this story!