Chapter Sixteen:

"You what?" shrieked Nessarose Thropp, the most calm and understanding person that Glinda had ever known. She was beyond furious. Nessa gripped the armrests of her wheelchair so hard that Glinda figured that her nails must be inches deep into the wood by now. Her friend's eyes seemed to be bulging at what Glinda had just told her.

Glinda cringed at the harshness of Nessa's tone, knowing that all this yelling was not what she anticipated Nessa saying to her.

"I already told you I-"

"Sinned!" yelled Nessarose. Her face in that moment looked horrified and disgusted, "Glinda there is no excuse for what you've done!"

Glinda hung her head low, and glanced at her feet.

"I know, but is there any way I can receive forgiveness?" the blonde asked the brunette as she tried to look into her eyes. Silence filled the room as Glinda watched Nessa's face turn from furious to thinking. She glanced at Glinda with dark eyes, "Are you really sorry?"

Her voice was like ice, like Nessa wanted nothing to do with Glinda after this was done and over with.

Glinda nodded rapidly, her blonde curls moving up and down with her head movement.

"I am," she said almost tearfully but Nessa turned away from her as if she didn't have the time or the stomach to watch Glinda cry over this.

The younger girl's eyes fell on the blonde again and she sighed.

"I just don't understand, Glinda. Why?" pressed the Eminent Thropp.

Glinda opened and closed her mouth like a gaping fish for a minute and suddenly started to cry.

"Because I'm in love with your sister!" she shrieked out, saying those words for the first time in the company of Nessarose.

Even with Glinda's blurred vision, she could still see Nessa's expression change. If Nessa had been furious just a few moments ago then she was livid right now.

Her muscles hardened and she seemed to be not moving. Air came in sharply through her nostrils like she was a fire-breathing dragon, if such things existed. Her eyes were as cold as Glinda had ever seen them.

For once in her life, Glinda was scared of Nessarose Thropp, the notorious Wicked Witch of The East.

"Nessa," said Glinda evenly once her tears were dry and she had calmed herself from the crying mess she had been a few minutes ago, "You understand something about love, don't you? I've seen the way you look at Boq…"

At the accusation the Witch Of The East turned to face Glinda and gave her a glare.

"That's different," defended Nessa in a whisper, "Our relationship is-"

"Between a man and a woman," finished Glinda with a raised eyebrow,

Nessa turned white, "Yes," she whispered back fiercely, "And that's the way it should be!"

"But who is the Unnamed God to judge what is love and what is not," said Glinda after a moment.

Nessa's mouth fell open.

She retracted and went back to a different topic, "So you killed Fiyero in a jealous rage?"

Glinda nodded, tears pooling in her eyes again but she willed herself not to cry.

"I did," she said guiltily.

Nessa now looked at the blonde in the eyes. She bit her lip, trying to form the right words she wanted to say.

"You killed him because you have feelings for my sister."

Again Glinda nodded.

Nessa snapped her head away from Glinda and muttered something to the Unnamed God.

"Nessa," Glinda took this time to say her piece and then leave, "I came here for forgiveness and yet we have talked nothing of forgiveness. Please, what do I need to do to be forgiven?" Glinda really did want to be forgiven, to be purged of this hideous sin that she herself had committed. She needed to be rid of it so it would stop haunting her.

When Nessarose said nothing and Glinda looked over to find her hands folded and her eyes shut deep in prayer, Glinda felt rage well up inside of her.

"I was told once that the Unnamed God will have mercy on anyone who asks for it, and Nessa I am asking for it!" pleaded Glinda as she reached out and placed her hands on top of Nessa's.

Nessa immediately pulled her hands away and could only stare at the blonde.

"What you have done is beyond asking for forgiveness, Glinda. What you and my sister are doing is beyond getting help. I can not and do not wish to speak with you anymore," said Nessa in a clipped voice as she started to wheel herself towards the door. Glinda stopped her and stood in front of the path.

The blonde looked desperate and her blue eyes spilled tears as she tried to convince the brunette of her needs.

"Nessa, please! I'll admit it; I murdered him! I stabbed him until he bled to death because I love your sister! I love your sister and always have since we were roommates, is that what you want to hear? I ruined her life and my own over my feelings! Just, please, tell me that everything will be okay and that I'm forgiven!" The blonde breathed heavily and her plea was unanswered as Nessa wheeled by her without so much of a protest from the blonde.

"For you Glinda, forgiveness will not be that easy," were Nessa's parting words as Glinda was left in the parlor room.

The blonde collapsed to the floor in hysterics and wrapped her shaking arms around her trembling body.

Her gasps and cries filled the room till someone knocked on the door.

"Glinda?" a confused voice came as the blonde heard footsteps and looked up to see Boq near her.

She hastily wiped her tears away with her sleeve and tried to smile at him but it was useless.

He knelt down besides her, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" His eyes stared into hers and Glinda dissolved into tears again before she could answer him.

Boq looked like he wanted to wrap his arms around her but Glinda had moved away from him slightly once she began to cry again and he knew that he probably shouldn't.

"Boq!" they both heard Nessarose's shrill command.

Boq leapt to his feet, even though his face said that he would rather stay with Glinda and answered Nessa.

"Coming!"

He did not move though, which puzzled Glinda who had now calmed down and was standing up.

"Go, Boq," she said softly when she realized that he would not leave her unless she told him to, "I'll be fine, really."

After one last look, Boq left the room to attend to Nessarose.

Glinda took in a deep breath once she was left alone and felt oddly calm about what had happened. Even though this trip to Colwen Grounds hadn't been successful with being forgiven, Glinda did feel better now that she told someone what she had done.

But even as Glinda felt happy to tell someone, she felt scared.

So, she wrote Nessa a small note on her desk and hoped that the crippled brunette had enough heart to listen to her request.

Dear Nessa

I know that you say that I have sinned greatly and that my forgiveness for what I've done will not be easy to get, but I urge you to please keep this between us. Please, if not for me, nor for Elphaba then for yourself. You know as well as I do that I have slightly more power than you, and I will not hesitate to free all enslaved Munchinkins from Munchkinland including Boq. I know you will think this is harsh but Nessa I promise you that if word gets out of this I fear that all of our lives will become living hells.

I beg you, Nessa that if you should see or hear from Elphaba that you do not mention what we have conversed about. Please act as if I was never here. It will be better for both of us.

Yours truly,

Glinda

Glinda left Colwen Grounds shortly after that, and took a carriage back to the Emerald City. The next morning she arrived there, and sent a letter to Chuffrey saying that she had been on a trip for the Wizard and would be back in a few days.

It was a lie, but she figured that he would be glad to be rid of her for a few more days. After they had left things a day ago, Glinda didn't know if she was ready to face him just yet.

The busy streets of the city greeted Glinda as she wandered through them aimlessly with her hooded black cloak around her shoulders and head, trying to think. The words that she and Nessa had exchanged seemed to play over and over again in her head. The cool winter winds had now made their way from the Vinkus down to the City, and Glinda felt the temperature change from Colwen Grounds to here.

The colors of the streets and people seemed to blend together for Glinda just like the night that she had found Elphaba in the Corn Exchange.

As she passed the old building she resisted in every way possible to go in there and see if Elphaba was there.

"She won't be there, you fool," whispered Glinda to herself as she took one last look and moved on to a different street.

By nightfall Glinda had figured out what she was doing. She now stood in front of an ornately architecturally decorated granite church as small snowflakes began to fall. The specks of white fell on her black cloak and her skin but it did not matter to Glinda. She was going to get forgiveness one way or another.

After she was done thinking, Lady Glinda Chuffrey or Glinda the Good entered the Chapel of her namesake, the Chapel Of Saint Glinda.

So I'm having horrible writer's block for my other story, the NanoWriMo one so I keep coming back to this story. At least I'm writing, right? Anyways I have a great idea for the next few chapters of this so don't be surprised if you find me uploading next week. :) Hope everyone is well. Please review because it would make me smile and lately I haven't been having a good week...

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