Ok...so I have no reasonable excuse as to why I haven't updated. I am sorry yet again but I don't think my updates are going to be that frequent anymore as I am going back to school tomorrow and we are starting GCSEs...scary! :( I have got two chapters written plus this one though so there is life in this story yet! I can't even remember how this chapter goes as I wrote it so long ago but here it is and I hope it suffices! Please review afterwards...and to everyone who has alerted whilst I haven't even been writing thank you...I appreciate it...and to anyone who reviewed as well!
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Elphaba was pretty much silent in her actions towards Fiyero after their encounter in the gardens but her quick glances across the classroom at him didn't go unnoticed by him or Galinda for that matter. Elphaba would subconsciously end up slipping her hand into his for reassurance throughout the day when things got tough and she was reminded of her current situation.
Galinda was worried about Elphaba. Her father was still on campus; even after his talk with Nessarose. Nessa had warned him off Elphaba rather viciously yet he still insisted on staying in the presence of his two daughters until he could make things right between them. Elphaba still preached to Fiyero and Galinda that she loved her family and they still continually refused to believe it was the truth, if anything it was the first lie they had ever heard Elphaba tell.
It wasn't right that she should be subjected to a life of such pain yet she didn't appear willing to get out of it. Elphaba was the most persistent and audacious person Galinda and Fiyero had ever met, they knew that no amount of talking was going to change her mind regarding her decision to forget the events of the Emerald City and the goodness she was striving to achieve.
Fiyero approached Galinda and Elphaba's dorm with something of a spring in his step. Whatever had happened between him and Elphaba earlier, awkward as it was, it was still positive. He chuckled to himself as he listened from behind the door at the commotion going on inside the room.
"Galinda Arduenna Upland if you take one more step towards me with those eyebrow tweezers I swear to the Unnamed God I will cut your pretty little fingers, off!" Elphaba threatened and Fiyero laughed from outside.
"Elphie, please, just let me..." Galinda protested, puppy dog eyes in action as Elphaba cut her off.
"No Galinda, unless you want me to come at you with them in the night when you're sleeping and pluck your eyebrows right off," Elphaba warned and Fiyero could hear her back hard into a wall showing Galinda was clearly advancing successfully. He thought about rescuing Elphaba from her nightmare but it was somewhat entertaining to listen in on.
"You wouldn't," Galinda challenged her back.
"No you're right I wouldn't, it would take up far too much of my precious time," Elphaba smiled almost evilly before chanting some words under her breath and a fireball appeared in her hands, "when I could just singe them off instead."
"Elphie, didn't anybody ever tell you that playing with fire was dangerous?" Galinda questioned her warily.
"Yes they did, sorry Glin," Elphaba smiled as she swept the fireballs away and moved out of the corner to sit on her bed.
Fiyero chose that moment to intrude and knocked on the door, Galinda hurrying to open it.
"Hey Glin," he smiled at her, not waiting for an invitation before he waltzed into their dorm.
"Hey Fiyero," Elphaba smiled up at him and he sat down on her bed next to her.
"Fae have you seen Nessa recently?" he asked her uneasily.
"Not since earlier, why?" Elphaba questioned, slightly unnerved at the anxious tone in his voice.
"It's just, well, I saw your father going into the med centre, his lip was bleeding and his cheek was swollen," Fiyero refrained from smiling when he realised it would probably upset Elphaba, "word is that Nessa slapped him in the cafe, in front of the customers."
"She did what?" Elphaba stood up quickly, running her hands through her hair nervously. If her father hadn't any qualms over hitting her, she wouldn't put hitting Nessa past him either.
"Boq told me she asked him to take her there so that she could talk with your father, it appears that civilized conversation wasn't really on the agenda," Fiyero continued, watching cautiously as Elphaba began to pace the bedroom, Galinda too was watching from the opposite side of the room.
"I have to go and find her," Elphaba spoke up suddenly, heading for the door.
"No Elphie," Galinda hurried forwards, placing her hand on top of Elphaba's, both rested on the door handle.
"Please Glin, he could hurt her. I know him and I know Nessa, she wouldn't be able to fight him back," Elphaba spoke desperately as she used her spare hand to loosen Galinda's grip on her.
"Elphie," Galinda sighed after her green friend as she ran from the dorm and down the corridor, Fiyero hot on her heels.
"Nessa, oh Nessie thank Lurline you're ok," Elphaba smiled as she found Nessa and Boq leaving Nessa and Madame Morrible's shared compartment.
"Why in Oz would I not be fine Fabala?" Nessarose asked as Elphaba embraced her tightly, holding her close.
"What were you thinking going after Father like that?" Elphaba said firmly as she pulled away from Nessa, hearing Fiyero finally catch up and stop beside her, "Confronting him was a silly thing to do Nessie, what if he had hurt you too?"
"Fabala I am fine, he didn't even touch me," Nessa protested, slightly peeved at Elphaba's over-protective attitude.
"That's not the point Nessa," Elphaba said frantically, worrying that if Frex hadn't sought revenge on Nessa yet then he may be looking for them.
"Elphaba," Nessa spoke loudly, grasping her sister's shoulders firmly and catching her attention as she silenced, "he isn't looking for me."
Elphaba pulled away from Nessa and looked slightly confused, Fiyero and Boq watching the scene between the sisters cagily in case it got nasty.
"When I left the cafeteria he wasn't intent on hurting me Fabala, he was crying," Nessa explained softly, trying to connect with Elphaba on some level but the verdant girl seemed distant.
"Ok," Elphaba said almost silently, placing a reassuring hand over Nessa's gently, her gaze though was focused on the wall behind her sister and she was more distant than before.
"Are you ok Elphaba?" Boq asked her inquiringly as she tightened her grip on Nessa's hands.
"I need to go to the library," Elphaba spoke in a trance like state as Galinda appeared next to Fiyero, her inquisitive and caring side had gotten the better of her.
"We'll come too then," Fiyero spoke quickly and Elphaba merely nodded. She had wanted some time alone to think but she knew Fiyero and Galinda would refuse to be shaken off.
The group of five headed in the direction of the library building, Elphaba walking ahead of the others, millions of different thoughts whirling around her head. What if he's changed? What if he's finally realised that what he did to me was wrong? How could he ever change? After everything, all these years how could I even begin to believe in him? But I've always believed in him, even though he did all this to me he is still my father. I have always loved him even through everything.
"Is she ok?" Galinda whispered to Fiyero as the two tried in vain to keep up with Elphaba who was walking rather quickly.
"I don't know, she seems sort of, pensive and preoccupied, it's not like her to stay quiet for longer than three seconds," Fiyero stated shrewdly before he was interrupted by Galinda tugging on his sleeve gently.
The group came to a stop and Fiyero realised that Galinda had spotted Frexspar at the opposite end of the corridor. The four all immediately found themselves at Elphaba's side but she stepped away from them. Wanting to speak to her father on her own, to ask him the questions she needed to she walked away from them but a pair of strong arms encircled her waist and pulled her back. She didn't even need to look around to know who it was.
"Fiyero let me go," she struggled against him, tugging desperately at his arms but his grip on her only tightened.
"I can't let you get yourself hurt Fae," he pleaded with her, wanting nothing more than for her to see sense.
"Let go of me," she shouted again as she punched at his arms wildly, wishing he would just give up.
"Let her go Fiyero," Galinda whispered from behind them. Galinda may have been the blissful blonde but that did not stop her from being smart when it mattered. Deep down she knew Elphaba could end up hurt but she had a right to answers. "This is something she has to do."
Fiyero reluctantly loosened his grip from around Elphaba and he turned her around in his arms and their eyes locked. He wanted nothing more than to hold her tight and keep her safe forever, keep her out of harm's way. He looked at her in a way he hadn't before. She was a skinny little thing, all skin and bone; there was barely anything to her. How could somebody so angular and tiny defend themselves against a man as strong as her father?
"If anything happens I am coming straight over there ok?" Fiyero warned her bravely, though she could tell from his voice that he was scared for her.
"Understood," she nodded to him before smiling reassuringly, placing a kiss on his cheek and squeezing his hands tightly before walking away, towards her father.
"Elphaba," he spoke first, approaching her cautiously, holding his hands up in a gesture that showed surrender.
"Listen to me," she spoke calmly, trying to keep both her nerves and her fear under control, "I am going to do the talking, and then you can answer my questions."
Frex merely nodded to her in response and she carefully approached him once again, desperately wanting this meeting to be the one that would change their relationship forever, even if it was only slightly.
"I have spent my whole life looking after my sister and you. I love you both to pieces don't get me wrong and I love every second I spend with Nessie but I just need to understand what gave you the right to treat me like a servant? At what point in my life did I stop being your precious little girl? You made me feel worthless, like I deserved nothing...until I came here." Elphaba was breathing deeply now, forcing the sobs back down her throat as she tried desperately to stop the tears from falling, "For the first time in my life I have friends, and I love them, and I know they care about me too."
Elphaba turned and flashed a quick smile at Galinda and Fiyero who were holding hands and smiling fiercely and proudly back at her before she returned her attention to her father.
"Now you can talk, all I want to know is why you did it? I just want that one answer, I think you owe me that much." Elphaba instructed her father who nodded solemnly at her.
"I have no excuse Elphaba. I want you to know that there is not one single part of me that doesn't ache for your forgiveness but I still cannot condone what I have done to you, it was unacceptable. As a father I should never have laid a finger on you the way I did; it was an unforgivable act. When you were born Elphaba there was so much panic and disgust surrounding our family's life from the public it was almost unbearable but your mother loved you more than anything no matter what was said or whatever happened. She looked at you in a way that I'd never seen her before and I knew that even being...well...green; you were something special. Believe it or not Fabala I loved you so much and I still do. For that year before Nessie was born your mother, myself and you had a loving family environment but that didn't stop the torment we received from outsiders over your verdigris. We didn't want the same thing for our second child. Elphaba when your mother died and I found out it was because of the milk flowers I needed someone to blame, you were the first person I had to turn to, the first one in my line of vision, the first one my hatred descended upon. Ever since then I just spiralled out of control and I am not blaming this on your mother's death."
Frex was in tears by now and Elphaba was on the verge herself, she was willing herself to believe the best in him, that he really was going to change.
"I'm not asking any more of you. I don't mind that you might not be proud of me for getting this position in Oz. I worked out a long time ago that I was a burden to you, but I still love you, I want you to remember that." Elphaba smiled sadly before turning her back on Frex and walking back towards the others.
"I am," he whispered quietly and Elphaba turned around at the sound, flashing him an inquiring look, "I am so proud of you Fabala."
"But all this time, you've made everything so hard for me...I just, I don't get it," Elphaba explained, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. Part of her was worried about the change in her father but the other loved the fact that finally he might actually be able to show his love for her outwardly. That he might finally be publically proud of her.
"I love you Fabala," Frex smiled at her and Elphaba smiled back, running into her father's arms and she hugged him tightly, laughing at the same time as tears cascaded down her cheeks.
Fiyero and Galinda exchanged a smile with each other and the group moved forwards to talk with Elphaba.
"Well I should probably get going, we have classes, I will speak with you later," Elphaba told her father politely nodding her apologies to him before linking arms with both Fiyero and Galinda and heading off towards the library.
"There's that beautiful smile we've all missed," Fiyero beamed at Elphaba, tapping her nose with his spare hand as they walked.
"You know I never, ever, thought this day would come. That my father would actually accept me for who I am. I know I need to take small steps with him but for the first time in my life I belong to a loving family. My father loves me."
Ok so how did I do…please review and stick with me…once again! :)