Author's Note: I tried to upload this last night, but there were major server errors all night. What was that about?

Chapter Twenty-One: Trust

"So, what really happened at Elphaba's?" Fiyero's mother didn't bother to knock. He had barely settled in. After he had made his announcement, his father had insisted upon a huge dinner to celebrate his son's upcoming nuptials. When they had finished eating and being congratulated, Elphaba had begged exhaustion and headed to the guest room. Fiyero had talked with his father for a few more minutes and had only just returned to his room.

"You don't want to know."

"But you aren't really engaged, are you?"

"Mother, you know it's not real."

"I was hoping maybe things had changed." She sat beside him. "You still haven't told her?"

"I've told her a million different ways except outright. I tried to once, I was so close to telling her right after we left here last time, but…" His face darkened. He wasn't going to tell his mother exactly how he'd gotten distracted. "That didn't quite work. But I think she knows."

"What did you do?" His mother folded her arms across her chest and looked at him expectantly. "You're different with her than you were before."

"Things got a little more intense than either one of us had intended and I think we have different ideas of what that meant. And she pushed me away."

His mother raised her eyebrows and it was obvious she knew exactly what he'd done. But she didn't say anything about that. Instead, she said, "And somehow she ended up here anyway."

"She didn't exactly have a choice. Her father is the most terrible person I have ever met. He gave her an ultimatum, she challenged it and she ended up basically homeless. She's safer here, Mother."

"Oh, the poor girl. He kicked her out?"

"He told her when he threw me out that she wasn't his daughter anymore and that if she followed me she wasn't welcome back. I wasn't going to let her stay and try to fix things. Her father almost hit her in front of me; I don't want to know what would've happened if I'd left her there."

"Too bad he's not Arjiki. I would love the see the punishment your father would dole out for child abuse." She put a hand on his shoulder. "What are you going to do about her, Fiyero? I don't like seeing you this way. You're clearly so happy with her, but I can tell you're not happy with the way things are. You can't go on like this."

"I know."

"Then come right out and tell her."

"Now is not the time, though. Or the place."

"It may never be the time, Fiyero."

"You're right, but I'm not doing this here. She's vulnerable enough right now as it is."

"If that's what you think is best. But I'm going to tell you this once: if you wait too long, it'll be too late." His mother kissed his cheek and got up. "Would you mind if I talked to her?"

"I would."

"Then I won't. At least not tonight." His mother laughed.

"Mother, please don't push her. I don't know if she can handle being pushed right now."

"I said I wouldn't talk to her tonight, didn't I?" She shook her head. "You take care, Fiyero. And please, remember what I told you. Don't wait forever."

"I won't," he said as she left. He fell back onto his bed.

"What did your mother want, Yero?" Elphaba stood in the doorway.

He couldn't remember her calling him Yero when they weren't in public outside of that moment on the train. And he loved the way it sounded when she said it. "She wanted to know what really happened. I told her your father was rude and that you had nowhere else to go. I didn't tell her anything else that happened out there."

"Thank you." She stepped into his room. "You're really a good man, Fiyero."

"That means a lot coming from you," he told her. "It's getting late. Aren't you tired?"

"I just… I thought I'd come see if… nevermind." She gazed across the room. "What did your mother say?"

"She said she wished that your father was from around here so my father could deal with him." He told her. "Elphaba, I really am sorry for what happened back there. That was awful, and you didn't ever deserve that."

"Fiyero, I'm used to it. Please don't pity me. I can't stand pity. It's… well, it's pitiful." She smiled. "Thank you, though, for everything you've done."

"I owe you, too, you know, for what you've done for me. I realize that playing our little game has gotten difficult as of late. And you've never backed out. Putting up with me isn't easy, Fae, and I get that."

She laughed. "I don't mind most of the time."

They stood in silence for a moment and she stood there. He could tell she wanted to say something, and he tried hard to wait her out, let her get to it. But the silence become unbearable after a few minutes, and he decided to let her off whatever hook she'd hung herself on. "Why don't you go to bed? It's been a difficult few days for you. If we need to talk more about this, it can wait. At least until you've gotten some sleep."

"Of course." But still her eyes looked like they were trying to tell him something, but he couldn't read it. Finally, she turned to go. "Goodnight, Fiyero."

"Goodnight."

She didn't seek him out again like that for the rest of the summer, though. He wondered if he'd ruined his chance by doing what he thought was best for her. They spent more than enough time together for appearance's sake, but they both kept the conversation light, at least until summer drew to a close. One night when she sat in his room, she said, "I want to share a small compartment and single bed on the way back to Shiz."

"You do?"

"You're paying for it and it's the cheapest option."

For a moment he'd thought she was trying to tell him something else. His heart sank. "Elphaba, it's not a big deal."

"It is to me. And that's what we'll do. If you haven't already made the arrangements."

"Well, they were already made, but they were only for me and it was going to be exactly what you asked for. I was going to change them, though."

"Don't. I don't want to cost you any extra money. I feel like a leech, Fiyero. I won't take anymore from you than absolutely necessary. Respect that, please."

He realized there was no point in arguing with her. "If that's what you want. I just want you to be comfortable, Elphaba."

"I'm comfortable with you, Fiyero." She said softly, jumping off his bed. "Maybe not as comfortable as you'd like, but enough to share that bed with you for a night. Unless you don't trust me."

"I don't know if I do," he quipped playfully.

"Neither do I." She said in a low voice. "But I trust you."