Seventeen
As the skyline of the Emerald City came into view, Elphaba felt a combination of joy and dread.
On one hand, she hadn't realised until this moment just how much she had missed the City. The place where she had grown up, where no one stared or pointed at her skin. She was looking forward to seeing Kistine again and some of the children from the orphanage that had been there before she left.
But on the other hand, the orphanage was neither in the most fancy of neighbourhoods or the most kept up of buildings. The thought of Fiyero, Galinda, Nessa and Boq seeing just how sparse the place was where she had grown up… she didn't fear their condemnation or their disgust. She feared their pity. Yes, the orphanage was somewhat bare, but it was a huge improvement over what the crapartment had been; and Elphaba didn't feel as though she had been too badly deprived of anything.
Yet she couldn't help but watch their faces as they passed through the city towards the Ernest Rusch's Children Home.
To their credit, none of them showed any visible reaction, even as they pulled up outside the orphanage and all peered through the windows looking out at the building.
"It hasn't changed a bit," Elphaba said, looking up at it.
She wasn't sure if she had expected it to change or if she was disappointed that it hadn't.
Fiyero took her hand and squeezed it encouragingly. "Are you ready for this?"
She nodded. "Sure. Let's go."
Fiyero and Boq lifted out Nessa's chair and helped her into it, before the five of them approached the building.
Elphaba felt incredibly strange as she knocked on a door she had never knocked upon in her entire life- except for one time when she was eleven and had accidentally been locked outside.
There were a few moments of silence as they waited for the door to be opened. Elphaba was just debating whether to knock again, when they heard the unmistakable sounds of footsteps approaching.
She took a deep breath, for some reason feeling nervous, but then her nerves vanished and she smiled warmly to find herself staring into the surprised face of Kistine.
"Hi," she greeted her.
"Elphaba!" Kistine exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
Elphaba didn't have a chance to answer before the older woman had pulled her into a hug.
"Oof... okay," Elphaba laughed slightly as she returned the hug.
Kistine noticed that Elphaba was not alone, and pulled away. "So, these are your friends?"
Elphaba nodded. "Yes. Everyone, this is Kistine. This is Fiyero, Galinda, Nessarose and Boq," she introduced them all and Kistine smiled warmly.
"It's very nice to meet you all. So, what brings you to the Emerald City?"
"Actually, I had something I wanted to talk to you about. They came with me... for support," Elphaba replied.
Kistine didn't blink, but knew from Elphaba's tone that this was very important.
"Alright. Elphaba, why don't you show them to the parlour and I'll be there in a moment."
Elphaba smiled gratefully and nodded. "Ok. Come on, guys."
Kistine disappeared upstairs, and Elphaba led them to the back of the first floor, into a small room.
Elphaba sat in the middle of the couch, with Fiyero and Galinda either side of her. Nessa wheeled her chair to be next to Galinda, and Boq took the armchair next to Fiyero.
When Kistine entered, she sat in an armchair opposite the couch and smiled expectantly at Elphaba.
"So, what's on your mind, Fabala?"
Elphaba blushed slightly at the sound of the pet name Kistine had sometimes used for her as a child, and pretended not to see Fiyero's raised eyebrow.
"I've been doing some thinking recently... I know in the past, I've never really asked about- about my parents. Lately though, I've really been wondering about them. And I wanted to ask if you knew anything, more than the bottle."
Kistine didn't look surprised. Instead, she was still smiling at Elphaba.
"I will never forget the day I found you," she began.
Elphaba chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Kistine, I've heard this story a million times," she said fondly.
"We haven't, so shh," Galinda interrupted her.
Kistine laughed and continued with the story. "It was twenty-one years ago, the morning of April thirteenth. It was six o'clock in the morning and I was up because I had forgotten to put the milk bottles out the night before, and the milkman usually came between six-thirty and seven o'clock.
So, I grabbed the empty bottles from the kitchen and hurried to put them outside. I opened the door, and I wasn't even thinking. I didn't look, I just went to move. And a flash of green caught my eye, which was lucky. Because right at my feet, so close to the door I would have stepped on her if I hadn't seen the green- was a tiny, green baby girl, fast asleep."
"Aww!" Galinda and Nessarose exclaimed softly in unison, and Elphaba rolled her eyes at them.
Kistine laughed gently. "Now, children come to us in different ways. Some come to live here when their parents die; others are brought to me by the hospital or the police. I've had parents turn up with their child because they either can't care for it, or because they've chosen to give their child up for other reasons. But I've been doing this for thirty years. And Elphaba was the first baby I'd had to be left on my doorstep in the middle of the night."
"And there was no note," Elphaba said quietly.
Kistine shook her head sadly. "No. I'm sorry, dear. You had precious little with you when you arrived. The bottle, a cloth that had been fashioned as a diaper, and..."
Kistine trailed off, and abruptly got up and left the room. When she returned, minutes later, she was carrying a soft pale purple blanket in her hands.
"Here, this was the blanket you were left in. I'm sure you'll understand I didn't keep your diaper," she smiled and Elphaba managed a small smile in return.
She took the blanket from her with shaking hands. It was incredibly soft to touch, and didn't look anywhere as old as it was.
"I should have given that to you years ago," Kistine said quietly. "I'm sorry."
Elphaba shook her head. "No, its fine," she assured her.
"I saw what you went through with the bottle, and I didn't want to make it harder on you," she explained. "There's nothing I can tell you about this blanket that might help... it's just a blanket."
Elphaba tucked the blanket into her shoulder bag, not being able to think of anything to say. It had been a dead end.
And although she had been somewhat expecting that, she was still disappointed.
"How about some tea?" Kistine suggested.
"That would be wonderful, thank you," Nessa said graciously.
"Wonderful. Would anyone like a tour? I'm sure Elphaba would be happy to show you around while I get the tea?"
Elphaba nodded. "Yeah, I can do that."
"I'll come," Fiyero agreed.
Nessarose gestured to her chair. "Thank you, but I don't think I can. I'll stay here."
Boq decided to stay with Nessa, but Fiyero and Galinda both decided to be shown around the orphanage.
"So, downstairs is the foyer and reception; the kitchen; dining room; Kistine's office and parlour and a bathroom," Elphaba explained, leading the way to the stairs.
"Third floor is the common room, the rooms for any kids over thirteen we have; and a study room, and a few more bathrooms. And the second floor is bathrooms and dorm rooms for the younger kids, and Kistine's bedroom."
"Which was your room?" Galinda asked as they reached the second floor landing.
Elphaba opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a new voice.
"Elphaba?"
Elphaba turned and they saw a girl aged about ten or eleven standing in the hall, looking at Elphaba with a combination of surprise and delight.
Elphaba smiled genuinely. "Hi, Vasanti!"
The girl hurried forward to hug Elphaba tightly, who returned it easily.
"I thought this place seemed strangely quiet," Elphaba said lightly. "I was wondering where everyone was."
"We're outside. This is the first nice day we've had in weeks," the girl explained. "I just had to come back inside for a hat. You should come say hi!"
"I will once I've finished showing my friends around," Elphaba promised.
The girl looked past Elphaba and saw Fiyero and Galinda. Her eyes widened in shock.
"Oh my Oz, you're Fiyero Tiggular!" she gasped.
Fiyero grinned at her. "Hello."
Before she could gush too much, Elphaba swiftly intervened. "Ok, that's Fiyero and this is Galinda. Guys, this is Vasanti. I'll be out to say hi as soon as I can," she assured her and sent the girl on her way.
"Someone has a crush," teased Galinda.
Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Please, you haven't seen anything."
Fiyero stilled uncertainly. "What do you mean?"
Elphaba smirked, and beckoned to them. She led them down the hall, and paused outside a few doors.
"Hmm…" she said thoughtfully. Then she opened one on the left, and let out a soft "Ha!" of satisfaction.
Somewhat tentatively, Fiyero and Galinda came forward to look into the room. Fiyero groaned as he saw a collage on the wall, full of newspaper and magazine pictures of himself.
Elphaba and Galinda giggled.
"How did you know this would be here?" Fiyero asked his girlfriend.
She laughed dryly. "Please, since the 'scandalacious' Fiyero Tiggular started making news three years ago, this isn't a rare occurrence for any bedroom for girls over the age of twelve, usually. And when you grow up with anywhere from five to a dozen girls in that age group, you learn to pick which girls are more likely to have them."
"I had a scrapbook," Galinda admitted and Elphaba and Fiyero stared at her.
"Had," Galinda repeated. "Past tense."
"Did you have one?" Fiyero asked Elphaba in interest, grinning.
"No," she replied immediately, and headed back towards the stairs.
"Why do I have no trouble believing that?" she heard Fiyero ask Galinda, who laughed.
"Feel insulted?" the blonde asked.
Fiyero's answer made Elphaba smile. "No, actually. It kind of makes me love her more."