AN: Thanks you guys for the lovely reviews! I have the day off, which means an update! (Although I almost did not, but that's a story for another place). I am thankful for the calm weather today, and my thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the tornadoes in Oklahoma.

Frex dragged Elphaba through the door into his office and slammed the door behind him, causing Elphaba to flinch.

"What were you thinking leaving this place? Do I not give you a roof over your head, food in your belly? And this is how you repay me? By running away and becoming a thief?" He grabbed her by the hair to drag her closer, only to pull back his hand with a yelp of pain.

"What was that?" Frex screeched at Elphaba who stood there with a tiny smile on her face. She had never been so grateful that she had decided to bring Chistery with her on her quest for her parents for he had taken offense at the intruding hand and bitten it.

In retaliation, Frex slapped Elphaba hard enough to split her lip and make her stumble back and Chistery to lose his balance and fall off of her shoulder. Frex caught Chistery as he scrambled away from the falling teenager and shoved him in the closet, locking the door with the monkey screeching and clawing at him the whole time.

"Oz, what a little beast! Once I am finished with you, this little…thing will be taken care of too!"

Elphaba glared up at Frex from where she had fallen to the floor and spat at him.

"You wanted to know why I left this hell hole and you? I left to find my parents and get a new start at life away from this poverty and rot!"

At this Frex gave an evil grin to the green girl who was at his mercy, now that the little beast had been taken care of.

"Find your parents? How sweet." His voice took on the sugary sweet falseness of a truly angered, violent man. "Let me tell you about your parents. They left you here because they were offended by the green. That note you have was a pathetic attempt to make you feel better. Your parents never came for you and I got word 2 years ago that they are both dead. There will never be anyone coming for you, nobody cares about you and no one ever will!" As he finished, he aimed a kick at Elphaba who looked up at him from the floor, forgetting her attempt to get up from the floor. As his foot connected with her ribs, she cried out in pain. Forgetting her vow to be strong in front of him, Elphaba felt the tears well up in her eyes at his cruel words and violent actions.

Melena could hear the raised voices as soon as she stepped foot in the shabby orphanage.

She stood just outside the office door when she heard the tail end of Frexspar Thropp's rant against Elphaba, and the subsequent cry of pain. Horrified, she opened the door without knocking to find Elphaba cowering on the floor in front of him with a hand pressed against her ribs and his hand twisted in her hair, forcing her to look at him.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Frex dropped Elphaba with a thump back to the floor in surprise at the female voice that suddenly rang out in the tiny room.

"Who are you?" Frex looked at the tiny woman standing in front of him.

"My name is Melena Fairchild and I am personal assistant to none other than the Wizard of Oz."

In a clock tick, Frex's whole demeanor changed, and Elphaba lay on the floor forgotten, attempting to breathe through the pain and hold back tears.

"Welcome, welcome ma'am. What can I do for you this fine day?"

"Oh don't give me that crap. You can start by telling me what you were doing to this child you are sworn to protect and love."

"She is a thief and I was punishing her as is her due by the Unamed God."

Throughout the conversation, Elphaba had been largely ignored, but at this statement from Frex she stumbled to her feet. "I was stealing some food! Lurline knows we don't get enough of it under your doting care! That is part of the whole reason I ran away, was to get away from YOU!"

Melena looked on appalled at what she was hearing. She turned to Frex.

"The Wizard himself has requested Miss Elphaba's presence for the holidays. She is to spend 2 weeks at the palace during the holidays, after which she will always be under his protection. If either he or I hear you have laid a hand on Miss Elphaba here or any other of the children in your care, well, let's just say it won't be pretty."

Elphaba looked at Melena in wonder as Frex sputtered like a fish out of water.

"Do I really get to meet the Wizard?" For all her hard and sarcastic exterior, in many ways, Elphaba was still a child and the prospect of meeting her idol and leaving the orphanage with this woman was one that overwhelmed her. Melena looked at her and smiled.

"Of course dear. I would not have said it if it were not true. Now get your coat and come with me."

Elphaba looked down in shame. "Idon'thaveacoat."

"Sorry? I didn't quite catch that."

"I said I don't have a coat."

Melana looked at Frex with murder in her eyes, and he shrank back from the angry expression on her face. She looked back at Elphaba and smiled.

"No problem, you can wear mine and you will get a new one as soon as possible."

Elphaba started to walk forward, before she stopped and hissed at the pain in her ribs. Melena looked at her in understanding once Elphaba's hand moved to her injured ribs. Elphaba tried to shake it off and walked to the closet to let an angry Chistery out and looked at Melena.

"Can he come with? He helped me and where I go, he goes

"Of course dear. Now, off to see the Wizard!" Elphaba followed Melena out to the ornate carriage waiting outside and did not look back.